TEXT: by Mike Shel
  It Came from  
  Hollow Mountain
  
  KRUNE’S DrAGOnTOOTh SPEaR
  O
  f the seven magical polearms known collectively as the Alara’quin, 
  the dragontooth spear was perhaps the least powerful, whether 
  as the result of an internal flaw resulting from botched rituals 
  during the spear’s creation or a reflection of its wielders’ slothful approach to 
  maintaining power. Yet the magic of this relatively plain weapon still humbles 
  most other weapons with its potency. The weapon is meant to embody all that 
  is right and virtuous about inaction, and its primary function is not so much to 
  bolster its wielder’s combat prowess or protect the wielder from harm as it is to 
  provide comforts to the one who owns it. In addition, the dragontooth spear is 
  infused with faith in and adoration for the goddess Lissala, and it expects all who 
  wield it to share these religious views. Those who do not, or those who prefer action 
  to relaxation, must endure the spear’s constant criticisms as it persistently harangues 
  its wielder by pointing out his foibles and critiquing rash actions as foolish knee-jerk 
  reactions to problems better addressed first by meticulous planning—preferably carried 
  out in the comforts of a well-appointed study or another relaxing environment. Known 
  today for its final wielder, Runelord Krune, the dragontooth spear can be commanded 
  to fight on its own.
  ShIn-TArI, SWOrD oF SLOTh
  T
  he original creators of the Sword of Sloth were executed for their hard work as a 
  reward from Runelord Ilthyrius. His command to his conjurers to fashion the most 
  powerful of the Alara’hai (or Swords of Sin) was doomed from the start, for there 
  was no way for the sword’s creators to meet Runelord Ilthyrius’s unreasonable demands. 
  True to form, though, Runelord Ilthyrius didn’t carry out the execution himself but instead 
  entrusted the task to a band of xill raiders. The leader of this squad of alien assassins 
  wielded Shin-Tari herself, using the blade to gut the eldest and most accomplished of 
  the sword’s creators. But as the xill struck a devastating final blow to the doomed 
  conjurer, she discovered the full extent of Shin-Tari’s powers—it had in part 
  absorbed the minds of its slain creators. Runelord Ilthyrius applauded the xill 
  slayers for their work in bolstering the weapon’s power, and images of the 
  sword’s dead creators were etched into the blade as a commemoration 
  of its completion. Shin-Tari has switched wielders countless times 
  since the fall of Thassilon, but no record of the Sword of Sloth has 
  been found since the Age of Enthronement.
  
  Paizo Inc.
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  ON THE COVER
  It Came from Hollow Mountain 
  2
  by Mike Shel
  NPC Gallery 
   62
  by Mike Shel
  Ashava, the True Spark 
  68
  by Jason Keeley
  Ecology of the Sinspawn 
  74 
  by Patchen Mortimer
  Bestiary 
  80
  by Jason Keeley, Mark Moreland, and Mike Shel
  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
  Bestiary 2 
  B2
  Bestiary 4 
  B4
  Book of the Damned 
  BOTD
  Horror Adventures 
  HA
  Occult Adventures 
  OA
  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 Game Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper nouns (characters, deities, locations, etc., as well as all adjectives, names, 
  titles, and descriptive terms derived from proper nouns), artworks, characters, dialogue, locations, plots, storylines, and trade dress. (Elements that 
  have previously been designated as Open Game Content, or are exclusively derived from previous Open Game Content, or that are in the public domain 
  are not included in this declaration.)
  Open Game 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 #134: It Came from Hollow Mountain © 2018, Paizo Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, 
  Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, Starfinder, and the Starfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; Pathfinder Accessories, 
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  Companion, Pathfinder Playtest, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Tales, Return of the Runelords, Rise of the Runelords, Shattered Star, 
  Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Combat Pad, Starfinder Flip-Mat, Starfinder Pawns, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, and Starfinder Society are 
  trademarks of Paizo Inc.
  Printed in China. 
  Artist Ekaterina Burmak takes us into the depths 
  of Hollow Mountain, but also reveals Runelord 
  Krune—a conjurer who may now be dead but 
  whose legacy lives on!
  Development Leads • James Jacobs and Ron Lundeen
  Authors • Mike Shel, with Jason Keeley, Mark Moreland, and 
  Patchen Mortimer
  Cover Artist • Ekaterina Burmak
  Interior Artists • Biagio D’Alessandro, Rogier van de Beek, 
  Cynthia F.G., Oksana Kerro, Maichol Quinto, Bryan Sola, 
  Firat Solhan, and Allison Theus
  Cartographer • Matthias Rothenaicher
  Creative Directors • James Jacobs, Robert G. McCreary, and 
  Sarah E. Robinson
  Director of Game Design • Jason Bulmahn
  Managing Developers • Adam Daigle and 
  Amanda Hamon Kunz
  Organized Play Lead Developer • John Compton
  Developers • Eleanor Ferron, Crystal Frasier, Jason Keeley, 
  Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Joe Pasini, Michael Sayre, 
  Chris Sims, and Linda Zayas-Palmer
  Starfinder Design Lead • Owen K.C. Stephens
  Starfinder Society Developer • Thurston Hillman
  Senior Designer • Stephen Radney-MacFarland 
  Designers • Logan Bonner and Mark Seifter
  Managing Editor • Judy Bauer
  Senior Editor • Christopher Carey
  Editors • James Case, Simone Dietzler, Leo Glass, Avi Kool, 
  Lyz Liddell, Adrian Ng, Lacy Pellazar, and Jason Tondro
  Art Director • Sonja Morris
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  It Came From hollow Mountain
  ADVENTURE PATH 2 OF 6
  
  It Came From  
  hollow Mountain
  PART 1: SAILING THE LOST COAST ......................4
  Heading south to Magnimar with the Sword of Pride in hand, the PCs face 
  storms, monsters, and a deceptive cultist of the Peacock Spirit desperate to 
  claim the legendary weapon.
  ADVANCEMENT TRACK
  “It Came From Hollow Mountain” is 
  designed for four characters and uses 
  the medium XP track.
  5
  The PCs should begin this 
  adventure well into 5th level.
  The PCs should reach 8th level by the 
  end of the adventure.
  PART 2: THE SIHEDRON COUNCIL ......................14
  After arriving in Magnimar, the PCs consult with the Sihedron Council, learn a 
  disturbing truth, and suffer more attention from the cult of the Peacock Spirit.
  PART 3: UNDER THE MOUNTAIN’S GAZE ...........21
  The PCs arrive on the shores of Rivenrake Island and must navigate the 
  overgrown ruins on its lower slopes in search of clues before they can enter 
  Hollow Mountain.
  PART 4: THE WORLD IS HOLLOW .......................30
  Within one of Varisia’s most legendary landmarks and sprawling dungeons, 
  the PCs explore trap-laden chambers and face strange and deadly foes in their 
  search for more clues about the rising runelords.
  6
  The PCs should be 6th 
  level before meeting with 
  the Sihedron Council in 
  Magnimar.
  7
  The PCs should reach 7th 
  level before they attempt the 
  dangers within the Gauntlet.
  2
  
  ADVENTURE  
  BACKGROUND
  The eerie sight of Rivenrake Island has long frightened 
  and intrigued sailors. With an imperious, stern face carved 
  into the southern peak, the remnants of an enormous 
  stone bridge extending from the tor’s lower slopes, and 
  the sprawling ruins of an ancient city scattered amid the 
  forested crags and fissures of its roots, the mountain has 
  held a special place in the sea lore and superstition of those 
  who ply the waters of Avistan’s western coast. Adventurers 
  spread rumors that the mountain was honeycombed 
  with dungeons and caverns, to an extent that the region’s 
  modern name, Hollow Mountain, became widely known.
  It wasn’t until lore about Thassilon recently resurfaced, 
  after a band of heroes stood against the rise of Runelord 
  Karzoug, that the fears and superstitions concerning 
  Rivenrake Island and Hollow Mountain finally gave 
  way to curiosity. Adventurers began to explore Hollow 
  Mountain’s secrets, but the dangers they faced were 
  significant. Many died or went missing before setting 
  foot within Hollow Mountain itself, and of those who did 
  enter, even fewer escaped. But those few who returned 
  were able to confirm emerging theories—the ruined city 
  on the lower slopes of Rivenrake was indeed the remains 
  of Xin-Bakrakhan, and Hollow Mountain was indeed the 
  fortress of the Runelord of Wrath, Alaznist.
  Recently, a pair of competing adventuring parties 
  managed to explore the deeper reaches of Hollow 
  Mountain. Despite their destructive clashes against each 
  other, the two groups managed to finally work together 
  to defeat a furious horned demon called the Castellan, 
  who had been serving as Hollow Mountain’s caretaker 
  in Runelord Alaznist’s absence. The adventurers left, 
  laden with treasures and tales, but didn’t realize that in 
  slaying the Castellan, they had unknowingly provided the 
  runewell of wrath the final bit of ambient spiritual energy 
  it craved. Runelord Alaznist emerged from the Eye of Fury 
  within her runewell and set about engineering her new 
  rise to power.
  Alaznist had no desire to remain in Hollow Mountain 
  and wait passively for her enemies to come to her. She 
  gathered her best resources and abandoned her fortress, 
  leaving a gap in power that other spirits and denizens 
  throughout Hollow Mountain began to vie for. While 
  these rivalries grew within Hollow Mountain, Alaznist 
  pursued her murderous plan to eliminate Runelord 
  Xanderghul while he still slumbered.
  The murder of Runelord Xanderghul at the beginning 
  of this Adventure Path sent a psychic shock wave through 
  several powerful magical items and artifacts associated 
  with Thassilon. This shock wave is what momentarily 
  caused Baraket, Sword of Pride, to flare to life in the week 
  leading up to the start of “Secrets of Roderic’s Cove,” but 
  it also caused a sudden flare of magical power in the 
  Sihedron itself—a powerful magical artifact recovered by 
  heroes for the express purpose of giving modern Varisia 
  an edge against the runelords should they return.
  With this warning from the Sihedron, its caretakers in 
  Magnimar, the Sihedron Council, called upon Varisia’s 
  greatest heroes to take the Sihedron and investigate. The 
  council and the so-called Sihedron Heroes kept the 
  mission secret, so as to prevent causing a panic and to 
  limit the enemy’s knowledge of their mission. Under this 
  shroud of secrecy, the Sihedron Heroes determined that 
  Alaznist had murdered Xanderghul and was gathering 
  her power in the ruins of his capital city, Xin-Cyrusian. 
  After further learning that Runelord Alaznist also now 
  possessed a powerful artifact, the Scepter of Ages, the 
  Sihedron Heroes devised a cunning plan to defeat the 
  runelord. They visited the strange site known as Crystilan, 
  an ancient Thassilonian city trapped within a dome of 
  crystallized time, and used their own potent magic to 
  harvest some of this time-locked energy.
  When the heroes confronted Alaznist soon thereafter 
  in an epic battle, they unfortunately underestimated 
  her tenacity. Alaznist realized these heroes presented 
  a legitimate threat and called upon the Scepter of Ages 
  to draw upon the time-locked energy the heroes had 
  protected themselves with. The artifact turned the heroes’ 
  magic back on itself, whisking the heroes and the Sihedron 
  alike back into Crystilan, where they became trapped in 
  crystallized time and locked away from reality. But this 
  gambit cost Alaznist dearly, for the same energies lashed 
  back against her. In order to avoid being time-locked like 
  the heroes, she released the Scepter of Ages and allowed it 
  to overload, sending it into an unknown place and time, 
  out of anyone’s grasp (at least for the moment).
  Unfortunately for the Sihedron Council, the mission 
  had been so effectively cloaked in secrecy that they know 
  only that contact with the heroes has ended and that 
  neither they nor the Sihedron can be located via divinatory 
  magic. With the knowledge that at least one runelord 
  has risen, they are desperate to find heroes to fight for 
  the cause—and when a new group arrives in Magnimar 
  bearing the Sword of Pride, they realize they’ve found them!
  Who Are the Sihedron heroeS?
  Return of the Runelords closes out a trilogy of connected 
  Adventure Paths, following both Rise of the Runelords 
  and Shattered Star. As such, any PCs who played through 
  those two campaigns are considered to be a part of 
  Varisia during Return of the Runelords. The names and 
  deeds of these prior heroes should be part of the region’s 
  recent history (and indeed, the players should be familiar 
  3
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  with them and help determine who they were as part 
  of creating characters, as detailed in the Return of the 
  Runelords Player’s Guide).
  Return of the Runelords assumes that a group of 
  four of these heroes were sent by the Sihedron Council 
  and armed with the Sihedron itself to confront Alaznist; 
  this group is referred to in this Adventure Path as the 
  Sihedron Heroes. Any additional heroes who played a 
  part in the prior Adventure Paths are assumed by this 
  campaign to have retired, moved the focus of their 
  adventures on to distant realms or other planes entirely, 
  died, or are otherwise unable to take a part in Return of 
  the Runelords. The exact number of Sihedron Heroes 
  should ideally match the number of players in your 
  current group.
  If you’ve run Rise of the Runelords or Shattered 
  Star, the Sihedron Heroes should consist of prior PCs. 
  Preferably, this will give every player at the table the 
  chance to have one of their previous PCs stand among 
  the Sihedron Heroes.
  If you haven’t run either of these Adventure Paths, or if 
  you and your players prefer to have other characters step 
  into the role of Sihedron Heroes rather than place their 
  prior PCs in those roles, you should create characters of 
  your own design to fill the role, or perhaps use some of 
  the Pathfinder RPG’s iconic adventurers in the position. 
  This is the route we’re taking going forward, since we do 
  not know who your players in previous campaigns are. 
  As presented in this adventure, and in those to come, 
  the Sihedron Heroes are represented by Kyra, Merisiel, 
  Seoni, and Valeros—our iconic cleric, rogue, sorcerer, and 
  fighter (coincidentally, the first four iconic characters 
  we introduced on the first four covers of the Pathfinder 
  Adventure Path line). Consider these four as stand-ins for 
  your campaign’s Sihedron Heroes.
  PART 1:  
  SAILING THE LOST COAST
  As “It Came From Hollow Mountain” begins, the PCs 
  should have put Sir Roderic’s ghost to rest and recovered 
  control of Baraket, Sword of Pride—hopefully along with the 
  runewarded gauntlets, so that they can handle the dangerous 
  sword safely. In Sir Roderic’s last moments, the ghost begged 
  the PCs to take the Sword of Pride away from his hometown, 
  so that Roderic’s Cove could remain in peace. The elven 
  TYALEE’S WHIM
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  GRYPHINE SUITE
  VARISIAN GULF
  Roderic’s Cove
  Old Man’s Launch
  Sandpoint
  Magnimar
  4
  
  gravetender Audrahni concurs and, more importantly, has 
  advice on where to go: Magnimar. If the PCs journey to 
  the city, they can turn the Sword of Pride over to the region’s 
  most informed collection of scholars on ancient 
  Thassilon: the Sihedron Council. Formed 
  after the island city of Xin rose from the 
  waves and put Magnimar in peril (see 
  the Shattered Star Adventure 
  Path), the Sihedron Council is 
  the group responsible for the 
  keeping of the Sihedron itself. The 
  council’s interests in protecting 
  Varisia from the runelords and their 
  legacies make them the obvious caretakers 
  of the deadly sword, and they may even pay 
  well for the artifact, should some party 
  members be of a more mercenary bent.
  Audrahni reveals to the PCs (if 
  she hadn’t already in the course 
  of getting to know them during 
  “Secrets of Roderic’s Cove”) that she 
  spent much of her youth in Magnimar, and 
  further, a friend named Sursha Antefalle may be able to 
  provide them passage south to the city. Sursha’s ship, 
  Tyalee’s Whim, recently arrived at Roderic’s Cove. If the 
  PCs have business to finish in Roderic’s cove, feel free to 
  delay Tyalee’s Whim as needed, but when the PCs are ready 
  to head south, the ship is ready and waiting for them, and 
  Audrahni plans to accompany them.
  tyAlee’S Whim
  Tyalee’s Whim is a 95-foot two-masted brigantine fitted 
  for sailing the Varisian Gulf. She boasts a crew of 20 
  (including her captain) along with up to a dozen paying 
  passengers (fewer on cargo-heavy trips). When Audrahni 
  approaches Captain Sursha with a request for a journey 
  south to Magnimar, the captain agrees to give her and the 
  PCs free passage to Magnimar on the condition that the 
  PCs agree to assist in crewing the ship should the need 
  arise. Sursha’s first mate is “Elbows” Eddi, an affable (if 
  accident-prone) half-orc who’s served on the ship for 
  years. He manages the Whim’s sailors, few of whom are 
  in the mood to make a return journey to Magnimar 
  so quickly after they’ve arrived in Roderic’s Cove. As a 
  result, all sailors begin the journey with a disposition of 
  indifferent toward the party.
  CAPTAIN SURSHA ANTEFALLE 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  hp 49 (see page 64)
  “ELBOWS” EDDI 
  CR 2
  XP 600
  NG variant journeyman carpenter (Pathfinder RPG NPC 
  Codex 261)
  hp 22
  Feats Alertness, Skill Focus (Profession [sailor])
  Skills Intimidate +9, Knowledge (geography, local) 
  +8, Perception +8, Profession (sailor) +9, Sense 
  Motive +5, Swim +8
  TYALEE’S WHIM SAILORS (8) 
  CR 1/2
  XP 200 each
  Male and female shipmates (Pathfinder RPG 
  GameMastery Guide 294)
  hp 11 each
  All AboArd!
  Tyalee’s Whim is due to leave 
  for Magnimar an hour after 
  sunrise. Assuming the PCs 
  arrive at dawn, they may 
  have a chance to watch some or 
  all of the ship’s other passengers and 
  cargo arrive. While the ship’s sailors and Eddi are 
  busy overseeing the loading of a half dozen nervous cows 
  into the hold, Captain Sursha spares a few moments to 
  welcome the PCs on board and share a quick hug with 
  her old friend Audrahni. She invites the PCs to her table 
  to share dinner at the customary captain’s supper later 
  that evening before having a crew member escort them to 
  their quarters below.
  Tyalee’s Whim has six one-person bunks and a pair of 
  more spacious quarters below deck. If the party consists 
  of more than six (including Audrahni), additional PCs can 
  share the starboard quarters, but the port one has already 
  been claimed by one of the ship’s other passengers—
  Beckwood Roos.
  Beckwood is in the process of boarding as the PCs 
  arrive, fussing with a large reinforced crate drawn up to 
  the ship by a straining draft horse. Only once the crate 
  has been lowered into the hold and is secured does he 
  retreat to his quarters, where he remains for much of the 
  voyage, avoiding interactions with the PCs. If confronted 
  about his crate or presence, he indignantly says, “I paid 
  top coin for assurances that I would not be bothered. 
  What’s the meaning of this? Where’s the captain?” Indeed, 
  Beckwood paid Captain Sursha twice the normal fare for 
  transporting his crate, which he says contains delicate 
  glassware and laboratory equipment. Captain Sursha 
  suspects that Beckwood is smuggling something out of 
  Riddleport, but with no love lost between her and that 
  port’s criminals, she’s more than happy to play a part, 
  however small, in inconveniencing them.
  The crate does contain something dangerous: a hungry 
  flesh that Beckwood hopes to deliver to his laboratory 
  5
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  “Elbows” Eddi
  
  in Nisroch, where he plans on isolating the strange 
  regenerative qualities in the ooze’s flesh and then to 
  offer an elixir infused with this property to worshipers 
  of Zon-Kuthon to aid in the shaping of flesh itself. The 
  insufficiently immobilized hungry flesh is destined to 
  awaken midway through the journey to Magnimar, but 
  if the PCs persist and force the crate to be opened before 
  the ship sets sail, the creature rouses itself and attacks 
  (see Event 3). In this case, assuming the PCs defeat the 
  monster, Captain Sursha angrily kicks Beckwood off the 
  ship and thanks the PCs for their aid. This won’t impact 
  events later in the course of play other than to reduce the 
  number of suspects on board once the PCs start to notice 
  strange things going on.
  The final passengers arrive after the cargo has all 
  been loaded. Indeed, they arrive with only minutes 
  to spare, leaving the captain increasingly worried 
  that she’ll need to decide between delaying 
  departure 
  or 
  abandoning 
  a 
  wealthy 
  customer. This last-minute arrival is a 
  beautiful, full-figured woman clad 
  in an artfully lacquered lamellar 
  cuirass, attended by a drab halfling 
  woman with an eye patch and a 
  frown on her face. This is actress 
  Viralane Barvisai and her faithful 
  maidservant, 
  Corla. 
  Viralane 
  introduces herself with charming 
  flair, flirting shamelessly with 
  anyone who gives her even a tiny 
  bit of attention. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 12 Knowledge (local) check 
  recognizes Viralane as an actress of some 
  renown whose operatic performances 
  are known throughout the western 
  and southern coastlines of Avistan, 
  although she hasn’t performed much 
  lately (according to rumor, she’s 
  been preparing for a huge but still 
  secret role). With a successful DC 17 
  Knowledge (local) check, a PC also recalls 
  hints of a scandal in Egorian some 
  months back, involving a torrid affair 
  with a Chelaxian aristocrat and a rather 
  vengeful wife.
  BECKWOOD ROOS 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Male human alchemist 4/expert 2 
  (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s 
  Guide 26)
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +2; Senses Perception +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +2 natural)
  hp 40 (6d8+10)
  Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +6; +2 vs. poison
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 dagger +5 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Ranged acid bomb +7 touch (2d6+3 acid)
  Special Attacks bomb 7/day (2d6+3 fire or acid, DC 15)
  Alchemist Extracts Prepared (CL 4th; concentration +7)
  2nd—barkskin, cure moderate wounds
  1st—cure light wounds (3), shield
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Beckwood drinks his mutagen to 
  enhance his Constitution.
  During Combat Beckwood does his best to avoid melee 
  combat, drinking extracts of barkskin and shield over the 
  first two rounds and then relying on his bombs.
  Morale Beckwood drops to his knees and begs for 
  his life if he is reduced to fewer than 10 hit points, 
  offering his magic dagger and his remaining 
  doses of oozeclot oil as reward for mercy on the 
  part of the PCs.
  Base Statistics Without his mutagen, 
  Beckwood’s statistics are AC 16, flat-footed 14; 
  Fort +5; Con 8, Cha 12.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 10
  Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 16
  Feats Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft 
  Wondrous Item, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus 
  (Craft [alchemy]), Throw Anything
  Skills Bluff +9, Craft (alchemy) +15 (+19 
  to create alchemical items), Heal +11, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge 
  (religion) +8, Perception +11, Spellcraft +12, 
  Stealth +11, Use Magic Device +9
  Languages Common, Elven, Thassilonian, 
  Varisian
  SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +4), discoveries 
  (acid bomb, extend potion), mutagen (+4/–2, 
  +2 natural armor, 40 minutes), poison use, 
  swift alchemy
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate 
  wounds, potion of neutralize poison, oozeclot 
  unguent (3 doses, see page 10); Other Gear +1 
  studded leather, +1 dagger, formula book (contains 
  all prepared extracts plus an additional 2d4 of your 
  choice), 12 pp, 3 gp
  CORLA 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 
  hp 42 (see page 14)
  6
  Beckwood Roos
  
  VIRALANE BARVISAI 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  hp 31 (see page 66)
  event 1: dinner With the CAptAin
  The first evening aboard Tyalee’s Whim, the passengers are 
  invited to dinner with the captain. Refusing such a kind 
  invitation would be insulting, and Audrahni is insistent if 
  the PCs express any reluctance to attend.
  A long table fills the ship’s dining cabin, covered by a 
  white tablecloth and set for all of the dinner’s guests. The 
  centerpiece is a wooden replica of Tyalee’s Whim adorned 
  with fresh flowers. Captain Sursha sits at the head of the 
  table, with Audrahni seated to her left. To her right, in 
  the seat of honor, is Viralane. Though a seat and plate is 
  prepared for her, Corla stands near her mistress, awaiting 
  any instruction she might be given. The chair next to 
  Corla’s empty seat is for Beckwood Roos, who arrives just 
  before the dinner begins.
  The meal itself is simple but filling and delicious—a 
  first course of bread and caper-stuffed olives, followed 
  by lemon-braised lingcod and fried potatoes. Dessert 
  consists of slices of herbed cheese served with small 
  glasses of sweet blackberry wine.
  This event is an opportunity for roleplay and to 
  introduce the main players of this leg of the adventure. 
  Captain Sursha asks her guests to introduce themselves 
  and their histories. Let the PCs alternate their tales with 
  those of the other diners.
  Audrahni: The ex-cleric deflects questions about 
  herself as much as possible, politely asking others 
  about themselves. If pressed, Audrahni might share, in 
  brief, the legend of how Sazzleru defeated a powerful 
  three-eyed demon known as the Misbegotten Prince who 
  had subjugated the Varisians of the Lost Coast during the 
  Age of Anguish. With a successful DC 20 Sense Motive 
  check, a PC detects a note of wistfulness and admiration 
  in Audrahni’s voice as she speaks of Saint Sazzleru, but 
  she has little more to say of this matter for now.
  Corla: The halfling servant has nothing to say for 
  herself other than thanking Sursha for the food, then 
  deflecting things to her mistress, Viralane. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 20 Sense Motive check determines 
  through observation of Corla’s body language that it’s not 
  humility that drives her—she seems quite self-assured 
  and confident in her posture.
  Beckwood Roos: The pale man speaks in a hushed 
  voice, as though imparting secrets reluctantly: “I am a 
  native of Versex, in Ustalav, from a small village whose 
  name you have no reason to have heard. I was a student 
  for a time at the Sincomakti School of Sciences, but I left 
  my studies to travel. I gladly shook the dust of Ustalav 
  from my shoes and will never return.”
  Probing into his studies at Sincomakti (“esoteric 
  matters of little interest to the other diners, I assure you”), 
  home village (“no more than a collection of dilapidated 
  hovels; best that it was swallowed up by the earth, if truth 
  be told”), and current activities (“Magnimar has some 
  libraries that pique my interest”) elicits little information.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Knowledge (local) 
  or Linguistics check identifies a faint Nidalese accent 
  to Beckwood’s voice. If confronted with this accent, 
  Beckwood grows flustered and florid, angrily sputtering 
  that “I may have grown up in Nisroch, but I’ve left Nidal 
  behind. Matters of my childhood upbringing are my 
  own business—a business I’ve worked my whole life to 
  put behind me!” A character can get a hunch that there’s 
  more to it than this with a successful DC 20 Sense Motive 
  check, but if pressed, Beckwood angrily storms from the 
  dinner back to his cabin.
  Sursha Antefalle: The captain tells her guests that she 
  has sailed Tyalee’s Whim since she was a little girl. She 
  reveals a fair bit of her history, as detailed on page 64, 
  although she avoids the topic of her lover Tyalee. If 
  anyone asks about the ship’s name, there is a silence and 
  Audrahni puts a comforting hand on Sursha’s shoulder. 
  “Best we not speak of lost loves,” she answers after a 
  moment. “Certainly, more cheerful conversation is 
  proper for our table.” Anyone who succeeds at a DC 20 
  Sense Motive check guesses that Audrahni knows more 
  about this relationship, and if the PCs are respectful 
  during the dinner and inquire politely later, Audrahni 
  hAndLE WIth CArE
  While Runelord Xanderghul remains physically sheltered 
  and fortified in the Temple of the Peacock Spirit for the 
  duration of this Adventure Path, his regional influence 
  continues to grow. Baraket won’t completely awaken 
  from dormancy and gain its full powers unless Xanderghul 
  regains his true power (an event that, hopefully, the PCs 
  will prevent from happening during the fourth adventure 
  in this campaign), but the runelord’s growing influence 
  does make the Sword of Pride increasingly difficult and 
  dangerous for nonmembers of the cult of the Peacock 
  Spirit to handle. Keeping the sword in an extradimensional 
  carrying space, such as a bag of holding, prevents this 
  influence, as does ensuring that whoever carries the 
  weapon also wears the runewarded gauntlets recovered 
  from Alaznist’s vault in the prior adventure.
  If a non-worshiper of the Peacock Spirit takes no 
  such precaution before carrying Baraket, sensations 
  of frustrated pride infect and overwhelm his thoughts. 
  This causes Baraket’s bearer to take a –4 penalty on all 
  d20 rolls. This penalty is increased to –8 if the character 
  actually wields the Sword of Pride in hand.
  7
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  may fill them in on the basic details of Sursha’s lost love, 
  Tyalee (see page 65).
  Viralane Barvisai: The actress is more than happy to 
  fill any gaps in the conversation. She regales listeners 
  with tales of her many performances across Avistan but 
  is careful not to overplay her fame as a singer. “Though 
  Chelish opera is all the rage these days, I have no stomach 
  for that discordant caterwauling.” She declines to sing at 
  the table, should anyone make the request.
  Should anyone bring up the subject of the whispered 
  scandal in Egorian, Viralane’s face darkens and she calls 
  the questioner out for being rude. “I would hope that 
  those with whom I dine would have the manners to 
  avoid such unpleasant topics.” With a successful DC 20 
  Sense Motive check, a PC notes a hint of fear in Viralane’s 
  expression for a moment before indignation takes over, as 
  if whatever happened during the scandal left her shaken.
  An example of one of Viralane’s tales follows. 
  “Before I had really made a name for myself, I was in Oppara, 
  portraying the maidservant girl of Duchess Amalaya in a 
  production of A Soldier of Zimar. A Druman kalistocrat was 
  so taken by my performance in this relatively minor role one 
  evening that he promised me my weight in gemstones if I 
  would consent to be his wife. I’ve never been so delighted 
  to be on the heavier side of the scale. Alas, the man had 
  the most vexing habit of breathing with his mouth open, 
  and he had the oiliest beard, so I was not tempted in the 
  least by his offer. And of course, there was the matter of his 
  wife. He would first have to have the poor thing murdered, 
  which he seemed perfectly willing to arrange. Told me he’d 
  have one of his footmen strangle her that very night with a 
  scarf I had gifted him from my costume—he said I needed 
  only give him a kiss on his cheek and the deed was done. Of 
  course I let her know of her husband’s opinion of her soon 
  thereafter, but can you believe the gall of some men?”
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to discern hints about 
  at least two of their fellow travelers’ personalities, either 
  via successful skill checks or excellent roleplaying, award 
  the party 1,600 XP. If they discern hints about at least four 
  of the fellow travelers, increase this reward to 2,400 XP.
  event 2: virAlAne’S AriA
  As dessert is wrapping up, Viralane finally allows the 
  captain to persuade her to share a song, though she 
  states that she prefers the “acoustics of the open sea” and 
  suggests the diners adjourn to the main deck. Viralane 
  leads the way, fluttering skirts dutifully attended by Corla, 
  to the ship’s main mast. Read or paraphrase the following 
  as she begins her impromptu performance (this song is 
  not impacted by her curse, as she is not performing on 
  an actual stage).
  “From the Taldan opera, Daughter of Orlos, the final aria 
  of its tragic heroine, Miriam.” Viralane closes her eyes 
  briefly, and her enchanting smile is replaced by a face that 
  reflects desperate, heart-wrenching sorrow. She sings, 
  slowly opening her eyes and throwing her left arm out in 
  a graceful motion. “Father! Thy grasping has cost you the 
  most precious of your possessions. Hear me now, for my 
  words are a gift at parting!” Viralane turns to the rigging 
  and climbs as high as the crow’s nest thirty feet above, 
  singing a haunting melody as she ascends. When she 
  reaches the top, she sings the words, “Avarice! Thy price is 
  the empty dark!”
  At this moment, have the PCs attempt a Knowledge (local) 
  or a Sense Motive check (their choice, but a single player 
  can’t attempt both checks). On a successful DC 15 Knowledge 
  (local) check, the character is familiar with Daughter of Orlos 
  and knows that in the opera, this is the point where Miriam 
  commits suicide by leaping from a tower window (a set piece 
  often accompanied by gruesome special effects in many 
  productions). A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Sense Motive 
  check realizes Viralane is about to leap from the crow’s nest.
  Any PC who succeeded at either check can roll for 
  initiative to react; roll for Viralane as well. If not stopped, 
  on her action Viralane throws her arms wide and leaps 
  from the crow’s nest to a collective gasp from the 
  The TRUTh ABoUT VIRALAnE
  After she was cursed by a lover’s enraged wife, Viralane’s 
  star has begun to wane. Desperate for a cure, she fell in 
  with the Cult of the Peacock Spirit in Magnimar, coming 
  under the influence of a priestess named Hira Doss. 
  Hira sent Viralane north to Roderic’s Cove with orders to 
  retrieve the Sword of Pride, but to do so subtly to avoid 
  arousing suspicion that the cult itself is once again active.
  Viralane knows that the PCs carry the Sword of Pride, 
  but learning that they’re preparing to travel south to 
  Magnimar has sown seeds of doubt in her mind: if Hira’s 
  visions are to be trusted, why then didn’t they inform 
  her that the people she sought were already destined to 
  come to her? In time, these doubts about the Peacock 
  Spirit may become elements the PCs can use to their 
  own advantage, but for now, Viralane plays the role of 
  a traveling actress, collecting research for an upcoming 
  performance in which she intends to play the part of 
  Runelord Sorshen in an opera of her own creation, called 
  The Rise and Fall of Thassilon. This gives her the excuse 
  she and her assistant, Corla, need to watch and study the 
  PCs and plan for the acquisition of Baraket just as Tyalee’s 
  Whim reaches Magnimar.
  8
  
  gathering as she plummets. The shock swiftly passes as 
  she completes her character’s beautiful aria of sacrificial 
  suicide, “Full Purse, Empty Heart,” while descending in 
  slow motion thanks to her ring of feather falling. She lands 
  gently on the deck, releasing a large crimson cloth she’d 
  hidden in her complex outfit to symbolize the character’s 
  brutal arrival on the ground (certainly indicating Viralane 
  had planned this dramatic performance all along, despite 
  her many protestations about singing during dinner). 
  Beckwood breaks the stunned silence with applause, 
  soon joined by the rest of the audience.
  During the performance, Corla is nowhere to be found; 
  in fact, she has retreated below decks to search the PCs’ 
  rooms (though if any of the PCs retreated below deck, she 
  aborts this scouting mission entirely). Should any PC ask 
  where the halfling is during the performance, allow the 
  PCs a DC 20 Perception check to notice the maidservant 
  coming up from below as Viralane is mobbed by admiring 
  sailors after her dramatic performance. The halfling has 
  been careful to mask her activities; it requires a successful 
  DC 25 Perception check in the cabins below to determine 
  that someone has been through the PCs’ belongings, 
  though nothing can be found missing, including the 
  Sword of Pride, if it isn’t being kept on a PC’s person. If 
  confronted, Corla claims she’d seen Viralane pull this 
  stunt dozens of times before and was taking advantage of 
  the opportunity to go below decks to use a chamber pot.
  Story Award: If a PC takes dramatic action to “save” 
  Viralane from falling, she masterfully ad-libs the rescue 
  attempt into the song and rewards her rescuer with a kiss. 
  In this event, or if the PCs note that Corla was missing 
  during the show, award them 1,200 XP.
  event 3: beCkWood’S CrAte (Cr 6)
  Sharing the journey to Magnimar with a half dozen cows 
  in the hold generates a certain amount of discomfort, 
  with the unenviable task of cleaning out the manure and 
  feeding the cattle falling to a different sailor each day. 
  The smell of cow fills the lower deck, and those in their 
  bunks are advised to keep their doors closed to combat 
  the odor. Characters must pass by the cows whenever they 
  wish to enter or exit the lower decks, and by the third day 
  of the trip, as Tyalee’s Whim leaves the Fogscar Mountains 
  behind and begins sailing along coastlines of cliffs and 
  sea stacks, the cadence and tenor of the cows’ shared 
  discomfort changes. A PC can pick up on the change with 
  a successful DC 15 Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), 
  or wild empathy check, realizing that something new is 
  disturbing the cattle.
  Creature: What’s disturbed the cows is the occupant of 
  the large crate with which the cattle share the hold. The 
  single large crate loaded by Beckwood Roos contains 
  not “glassware and fragile alchemical equipment,” but 
  an insufficiently immobilized hungry flesh. When 
  Beckwood captured the creature with the aid of a dose 
  of oozeclot unguent, he didn’t realize this particular 
  specimen, despite being smaller than usual, was much 
  healthier than most. As a result, the oozeclot unguent 
  won’t last the duration of the trip.
  If the PCs succeeded at a check to realize the cattle 
  were unhappy and came to investigate, they are on 
  site when the hungry flesh begins breaking out of 
  its crate. Otherwise, the PCs hear the sound of cattle 
  screaming and the crate breaking apart after the ooze 
  fully recovers, at which point it breaks out completely 
  only 1d3 rounds later. 
  MUTATED HUNGRY FLESH 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Variant advanced hungry flesh (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 
  288, 152)
  N Medium ooze
  Init –1; Senses blindsight 60 ft., scent; Perception –3
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 19 (–1 Dex, +10 natural)
  hp 80 (7d8+49); regeneration 5 (acid or fire)
  Fort +9, Ref +1, Will –1
  Defensive Abilities amorphous; Immune ooze traits
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
  Melee slam +10 (1d4+7 plus grab and disease)
  Special Attacks constrict (1d4+7 plus disease)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Unless the PCs intervene, the ooze kills all 
  of the cattle in the main hold before slithering upstairs 
  onto the main deck, whereupon it kills 2d4 sailors before 
  slithering off the side of the ship into the ocean to swim 
  away. If the PCs confront it, the ooze focuses its attacks 
  on them.
  Morale The hungry flesh fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 9, Con 24, Int —, Wis 5, Cha 5
  Base Atk +5; CMB +10 (+14 grapple); CMD 19 (can’t be tripped)
  Skills Swim +13
  SQ compression, monstrous growth, reactive regeneration, 
  slime trail
  Development: Beckwood Roos is appalled at this event, 
  in part due to the loss of the specimen he’d spent so much 
  time and resources to gather, but more at the damage to 
  the ship, its crew, and his reputation. He quietly accepts 
  Captain Sursha’s judgment to remain in his quarters for 
  the remainder of the journey, under guard and without 
  access to his alchemical equipment or gear. When the ship 
  arrives in Magnimar, she says, he’ll be turned over to the 
  city for justice for the crimes of reckless endangerment 
  9
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  and transport of dangerous monsters. Beckwood has no 
  further direct role to play in this adventure, but if Viralane 
  or Corla begin to feel the PCs are suspicious of their 
  motives, they might try to use Beckwood as a scapegoat.
  Treasure: If the PCs manage to prevent any sailors from 
  being slain by the hungry flesh, Beckwood is shamefully 
  appreciative for their intervention and gives them his 
  remaining doses of oozeclot unguent as well as his two 
  potions in thanks for their actions saving the crew. 
  Story Award: If no sailors are slain, award the PCs an 
  additional 1,200 XP.
  event 4: the birdS of WindSong Abbey
  On the afternoon of the fourth day, Tyalee’s Whim 
  approaches a notable coastal landmark: Windsong Abbey. 
  As the ship passes through a deep channel between the 
  mainland and a small island, the arches and tall towers 
  of the still-abandoned abbey itself are in full view, 
  sunlight dancing on the stained glass of its windows. The 
  sound of the wind blowing along the cliffs here is eerie 
  and mournful, and Viralane uses this moment to recite 
  verse by the beloved Varisian poet Eulac Kezalli, praising 
  Windsong Abbey’s architecture.
  The poem and the spectacle of Windsong and its birds 
  offer a potent distraction. Corla uses this opportunity to 
  steal a small item from one of the PCs; the item is not 
  the Sword of Pride if a PC carries it with her, but that PC is 
  the target of the larceny—Corla is merely testing out how 
  guarded the party is.
  If Corla is caught, Viralane apologizes for her 
  maidservant, spinning a melodramatic tale of having 
  rescued her from the sordid streets of Westcrown. “The 
  poor dear had been cast out by her master to die. She had 
  to steal scraps of food to survive. Forgive her falling to old 
  habits. I will punish her as you see fit.” If the theft is not 
  detected, the PC doesn’t have an opportunity to notice the 
  item’s absence until turning in for the night (Perception 
  DC 15) or if the PC needs the item before this time.
  Regardless of how these events play out, if she’s come to 
  trust at least one of the PCs, Audrahni makes the decision 
  to reveal some of her past. An hour before sunset, as storm 
  clouds gather to the west, she speaks of her attempt to 
  have a statue of Saint Sazzleru constructed in Magnimar, 
  and of how she uncovered corruption that went all the 
  way up to the city’s justices. She explains that the sculptor 
  she’d hired to design and construct the statue, an elven 
  man named Ilsynor, was in truth a member of a cult 
  of murderers called the Brotherhood of Seven. When 
  Audrahni went to the city’s justices, she discovered to her 
  horror that the man she’d contacted, Justice Ironbriar, 
  was none other than the cult’s secret leader. He stymied 
  her attempts to have the cultists exposed, then sent his 
  assassins to murder the rest of Audrahni’s Ashavan allies. 
  Here, Audrahni makes a morose confession: overcome 
  with grief and frustration that Ashava hadn’t protected her 
  friends, she took vengeance by engineering the collapse of 
  the scaffolding around the partially built statue of Saint 
  Sazzleru. The collapse killed Ilsynor, consigning him to 
  an unblessed grave—a sin, Audrahni notes with sadness, 
  so against the teachings of Ashava that she realized she’d 
  fallen from her goddess’s grace entirely. Ever since, she’s 
  been plagued with nightmares that Ilsynor’s spirit has 
  been caught in the rubble, consigned forever to unlife as 
  some sort of restless undead.
  This confession given, Audrahni notes that she’s been 
  inspired by the PCs’ heroism, particularly by how the PCs 
  helped put Sir Roderic to rest. She humbly asks them 
  if they’d be willing to accompany her to the site of the 
  collapsed statue and Ilsynor’s grave to perform a short 
  OoZECLOT UNGUeNt
  Beckwood Roos faced a complicated problem when he 
  decided to catch and transport a hungry flesh: how does 
  one keep a dangerous ooze calm during the journey? 
  An ooze cannot be tranquilized with poison, after all. 
  Beckwood’s solution was the creation of oozeclot unguent. 
  Unfortunately, he miscalculated the dosage required to keep 
  this particularly dangerous hungry flesh quiet—mistaking 
  its smaller size as an indication of a lessened metabolism—
  resulting in the ooze recovering days before schedule.
  OOZECLOT UNGUENT
  PRICE 
  900 GP
  SLOT none
  CL 3rd
  WEIGHT — 
  AURA faint transmutation
  A single dose of oozeclot unguent can be applied to 
  a 5-foot-square surface, whereupon it remains potent 
  for 24 hours or until an ooze comes in contact with 
  it. An ooze that crawls onto a surface treated with 
  oozeclot unguent must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude 
  save or become immobile as its amorphous body grows 
  rigid. As long as it is thus affected, the ooze can take 
  no physical actions. Any amount of damage causes 
  the hardened shell surrounding the ooze to crack, 
  allowing the creature to slither out and resume attacks; 
  otherwise it remains immobile for an extended period 
  of time. An ooze of CR 3 or less is immobile for 1 week, 
  while an ooze of CR 4 to CR 6 remains immobile for only 
  1d6 days. A CR 7 to CR 11 ooze is rendered immobile 
  only for 1d6 rounds, and it can attempt a new saving 
  throw at the end of each round to end the effect early. 
  Oozes of CR 12 or higher are immune to the effects of 
  oozeclot unguent entirely.
  CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
  COST 450 GP
  Craft Wondrous Item, barkskin
  10
  
  ritual to bless the site, and if Ilsynor still haunts the place, 
  to do what they can to release his spirit. If the PCs agree to 
  aid her, proceed with Event 11 once they’re in Magnimar.
  In any event, as the PCs head to bed, the captain 
  informs them that it looks like a storm will be hitting 
  them at some point during the night, and that she may 
  need all hands on deck before dawn.
  event 5: the Storm (Cr 5)
  An hour after midnight on the fourth day, Captain Sursha’s 
  fears come true as Tyalee’s Whim is hit by a powerful storm. 
  The sudden ringing of the ship’s bell calls for all hands on 
  deck, and as the PCs wake, they realize the ship is being 
  tossed in rough waters.
  Topside, Captain Sursha is at the wheel, steering Tyalee’s 
  Whim as best she can. “Elbows” Eddi directs the crew to 
  tasks, immediately including the PCs in his orders as they 
  appear on deck. The storm’s fury is frightening, with the 
  ship listing and climbing dangerously with each white-
  capped swell, while torrents of rain driven sideways by 
  blasts of wind make visibility a challenge. The ship’s 
  heaving, wet deck make movement a challenge, but the 
  amount of rigging and railing help prevent anyone from 
  being washed overboard. As the storm rages, the PCs are 
  called upon to perform the following tasks. In order to aid 
  with a task, a PC must first succeed at a DC 10 Acrobatics 
  check to move into position.
  Task 1: Eddi orders the PCs to help deploy the sea 
  anchor to help stabilize the ship. Several sailors already 
  struggle with the anchor. If at least one PC can reach the 
  sailors to help and then succeeds at a DC 15 Strength or 
  Profession (sailor) check, the sea anchor is deployed, and 
  the first sailor who would be lost during the storm is able 
  to remain aboard. 
  Task 2: Eddi orders PCs to trim the mainsail. Any PC 
  who succeeds at the DC 10 Acrobatics check to move into 
  position must then succeed at either a DC 15 Climb or 
  Profession (sailor) check (to clamber into position where 
  trimming the mainsail is easier) or a DC 15 Disable Device 
  or Escape Artist check (to trim the mainsail from a lower, 
  less advantageous position). If the PCs don’t trim the 
  mainsail, a sailor is lost at sea a few minutes later during 
  a powerful gust.
  Task 3: A particularly powerful swell crashes over 
  the ship’s deck. The PCs must each succeed at a DC 15 
  Acrobatics check to retain their footing in the harrowing 
  aftermath, and one sailor is washed overboard. PCs 
  who succeed at this check are in position to try to save 
  the sailor. A character can grab onto the tumbling 
  crew member with a successful melee attack against 
  the sailor’s touch AC of 12. Failure indicates the sailor 
  is washed overboard, at which point a PC can throw a 
  lifeline to them with a successful ranged attack (at a –2 
  penalty) against the sailor’s touch AC. If a PC dives in 
  to try to save the sailor, they must attempt DC 20 Swim 
  checks to navigate the water—two successes are required 
  to reach the overboard sailor, at which point other crew 
  are able to throw lines to the PC to rescue them both.
  Story Award: Award the PCs 1,600 XP if no sailors were 
  lost during the storm.
  event 6: ASSeSSing the dAmAge (Cr 6)
  Fortunately, the storm is short-lived, and at dawn the 
  sun rises to a clear day. Yet evidence of the storm’s swift 
  violence is everywhere, including significant damage to 
  Tyalee’s Whim. As sailors quickly work to make repairs to 
  the rigging and sails under Eddi’s supervision, Sursha 
  stands on the aft deck and calls the PCs over.
  Sursha thinks the rudder may have been damaged 
  during the night’s storm and asks if one of the PCs would 
  check this out. The waters are calm, but she warns the 
  PCs that she spotted several sharks earlier. They seem to 
  have lost interest in the ship for now, making this a good 
  window of opportunity to dive underwater and inspect 
  the rudder.
  Investigating the damage to the rudder requires 
  4 rounds of inspection during which the PC must succeed 
  at DC 10 Swim checks; at the end of this time, she can 
  assess the damage with a successful DC 12 Disable Device 
  or Profession (sailor) check.
  If none of the PCs volunteer, or if none of them can 
  successfully assess the damage, Sursha decides to send 
  one of her sailors. He inspects the damage, and his head 
  pops up long enough to give the grim news that the 
  rudder is in fact damaged, before he’s eaten alive by the 
  thing that drove off the sharks.
  The damage to the rudder is significant, but 
  temporary repairs can be effected by one of the Whim’s 
  sailors in half an hour’s time once the dunkleosteus 
  either feeds or is driven off. Sursha decides that they 
  must limp toward the closest port, Sandpoint, to make 
  more lasting repairs.
  Creature: A mere 1d6 rounds after someone enters 
  the water, the real reason the sharks lost interest 
  becomes apparent: a 25-foot-long predatory fish called 
  a dunkleosteus attacks. The primeval fish fights until 
  reduced to 30 hp or fewer, at which point it thinks 
  better of this particular meal and swims off to find 
  easier prey.
  DUNKLEOSTEUS 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  hp 75 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6 129)
  Story Award: If no sailors perish in this encounter, 
  award the PCs an additional 800 XP.
  11
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  event 7: repAirS in SAndpoint
  Once the rudder’s jury-rigged repairs restore a modicum 
  of mobility to Tyalee’s Whim, she makes for the Lost Coast 
  just visible on the horizon. It takes most of the rest of the 
  day for the crippled ship to reach Sandpoint, after which 
  the crew manages to ease it into dock at the Sandpoint 
  shipyard. Sandpoint’s harbormaster, a foul-mouthed but 
  fair Keleshite woman named Jhalevia Stensin (herself 
  relatively new to the role, having been appointed after the 
  previous harbormaster’s death during a raid on the town 
  by stone giants during Rise of the Runelords), speaks to 
  the captain, and payment exchanges hands. Tyalee’s Whim 
  will be seaworthy in less than 12 hours with the captain’s 
  payment for overnight repairs.
  With this news, Sursha allows all aboard Tyalee’s Whim 
  overnight shore leave (with the exception of Beckwood 
  Roos and two unlucky sailors chosen to stay on board and 
  make sure the Nidalese man stays in his cabin). Sandpoint 
  itself was the focus of Rise of the Runelords and is detailed 
  in full in Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Sandpoint, Light of 
  the Lost Coast. While the small town and its hinterlands 
  provide a wealth of adventure opportunity on their own, 
  Return of the Runelords does not tarry long here, and this 
  event is mostly to give the PCs a nostalgic glimpse of the 
  small town before moving on to Magnimar.
  As the announcement of shore leave is given, Viralane 
  insists that the PCs dine with her that night at her favorite 
  tavern in town, a place called Cracktooth’s, located near 
  the city’s unusually large theater. She knows its proprietor 
  and promises wonderful entertainment and good food 
  for all.
  Cracktooth’s large common room is raucous and 
  crowded when the PCs arrive just after sunset. Patrons 
  sit at tables scattered across the place, while a number sit 
  in velvet-upholstered theater seats before a stage in the 
  southwest corner. There is a bar to the northwest, and 
  plush chairs make a cozier setting in the northeast.
  With her usual dramatic flair, Viralane brings the PCs 
  to the bar and introduces them as her “honor guard” to 
  the tavern’s owner, Jess “Cracktooth” Berinni (NG male 
  human expert 3), as he cleans mugs. Cracktooth nods 
  politely to the PCs but greets Viralane expansively, asking 
  if she’s planning on gracing his stage tonight. “Oh, not 
  tonight, I’m afraid, darling Cracktooth. My voice is out 
  of sorts.” In truth, she fears that her curse will lead to 
  humiliation, but the night is young.
  The stage is never vacant for long, as eager performers 
  step up for a chance to win praise or derision from the 
  crowd. Allow the PCs to take the stage if they wish, but 
  Cracktooth’s is a tough crowd: a successful DC 16 Perform 
  check is required to win applause, with failure drawing 
  boos and insults. During the night, several patrons beg 
  Viralane to sing a song or perform a scene for them. She 
  demurs at first, but as she becomes slightly inebriated, 
  she answers with a coy “perhaps later.” A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 12 Sense Motive check detects growing concern in 
  ever-present but silent Corla.
  Cracktooth takes the stage near midnight and gives a 
  witty talk about the state of reconstruction in Magnimar 
  after the tsunami a few years back caused by the rising 
  of the isle of Xin, suggesting that the Sihedron Council, 
  which has organized the project, is skimming off 
  the top of funds. His talk is greeted with laughs and 
  good-natured jeers. At last, he melodramatically pleads 
  and begs Viralane to close the evening with his favorite 
  song: “A Lucky Spar in Magnimar.”
  The room cheers in unison, with everyone calling for 
  Viralane to take the stage. By now several drinks into the 
  night, a beaming Viralane stands, just a bit unsteady, and 
  calls out, “Oh, you dear adoring people! If it will make you 
  happy, I will sing.” The room erupts in joyful applause.
  Corla whispers something to Viralane, who pushes 
  her away. Viralane glides to the stage and offers a hand 
  to Cracktooth, who takes it, bows, then steps down to 
  resume his post at the bar. Viralane holds up her hands 
  for silence, and a hush falls over the tavern’s patrons. She 
  takes a deep breath and sings the song’s first line, in an 
  alto lovely and clear.
  “A lad went up to Magnimar, with heart both true and bold/To 
  win his fortune, earn his fame/To learn if luck would hold…”
  At this point, the word “hold” warbles out terrifically 
  and terribly out of tune. Viralane’s stops, her face flooding 
  red with humiliation. The room is silent for a few seconds, 
  after which a loud chorus of guffaws from a group in 
  the front row hits Viralane like a slap. As someone calls 
  out “Too bad you can’t hold your tune!” her humiliation 
  turns to rage. “Stinking peasants and ruffians!” she spits, 
  her face distorted with fury. “Who will defend my honor 
  against this rabble?”
  When none of the tavern’s patrons respond and the 
  number of guffaws and insults only grows, Viralane 
  becomes increasingly agitated, calling on her “honor 
  guard” to “do your duty and give these yokels a brutal 
  beating!” Corla joins her mistress on the stage, attempting 
  to soothe her and hurry her off the stage to return to 
  Tyalee’s Whim to sleep off the night’s drink and shame.
  If the PCs take action to start a fight, Cracktooth swiftly 
  intervenes with a stern look, suggesting instead that the 
  PCs and Viralane call it an early night and head back 
  to their ship. Calming the crows requires a successful 
  DC 20 Diplomacy or Intimidate check, or magic such as 
  enthrall. Alternatively, if a PC takes the stage and begins 
  a distracting performance, a successful DC 20 Perform 
  check is enough to distract the crowd and defuse 
  12
  
  the situation. In any event, Viralane and Corla return to 
  the ship.
  If a fight breaks out, Corla hustles Viralane out of the 
  tavern during the mayhem. You can play out the brawl if 
  you wish (in which case you can use the stats for brigands 
  on page 266 of Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex), but the PCs’ 
  opponents do not fight with weapons. If any PC draws a 
  weapon or casts a spell, the fight ends immediately and 
  the patrons flee.
  Story Award: If the PCs resolve the situation without 
  resorting to violence, grant them 1,600 XP.
  event 8. tAinted WAter (Cr 7)
  Tyalee’s Whim sets sail at dawn the next morning, Viralane 
  and her maidservant sequestered in their cabin. Captain 
  Sursha informs the PCs that they should be arriving at 
  Magnimar by dawn the next day. 
  However, as the ship navigates a strait between two 
  large islands late that afternoon, Corla emerges and asks 
  Captain Sursha to speak to her mistress in private. The 
  Captain agrees and is gone for a few minutes. When she 
  comes back on deck, she orders Eddi to have the barrels 
  containing the ship’s water supply emptied over the side 
  and calls for Tyalee’s Whim to head for the nearer of the 
  small islands. As she does, she gives a brief explanation.
  “It’s been brought to my attention that our water supplies 
  have become tainted. There’s a spring on that island; we’ll 
  drop anchor just off shore, but I’ll need a shore party to fill 
  our water barrels.”
  The sailors seem puzzled but comply immediately, 
  while Captain Sursha asks the PCs to accompany her to 
  refill the supplies. Any PC who seems suspicious of the 
  situation can attempt a DC 25 Sense Motive check to 
  determine the truth: Captain Sursha has been enchanted. 
  When the captain went below deck, Viralane cast suggestion 
  to make her believe that the ship’s water supplies were 
  tainted and that she should detour to the nearby island to 
  refill the barrels with the PCs’ aid.
  Landing on the island, refilling the water barrels, 
  and returning to Tyalee’s Whim takes about an hour to 
  complete, during which Viralane and Corla plan to 
  make their move and steal the Sword of Pride. This is easy 
  enough if the PCs leave the sword behind while they aid 
  the captain.
  If it becomes apparent that the PCs intend to bring 
  Baraket with them on the water-refilling mission, Viralane 
  asks the PC who carries the Sword of Pride to speak to her 
  privately. If the PC agrees, the actress leads the PC to her 
  cabin, where Corla has brewed tea. Over tea, Viralane 
  begins a lulling conversation about the events of last 
  night, shares her embarrassment at the nature of her 
  curse and how she gained it, and asks if the PC thinks less 
  of her. She thanks the PC for any kindness, but chooses 
  that moment to cast charm person and asks the PC to 
  hand over the blade. If the spell fails, Viralane and her 
  maidservant take more extreme measures to secure the 
  blade, attempting to kill the PC if necessary.
  If the PC refuses to speak to Viralane, she scowls and 
  retreats to her cabin to bide her time. As soon as they return 
  from the water-retrieval mission, though, Viralane is waiting 
  on deck for them, Corla in tow. She asks, with affected 
  righteous indignation, to speak with the party as a group, 
  asking that the crew of Tyalee’s Whim step away. She looks 
  at each member of the party, one by one, her face one of 
  aristocratic disdain. Taking a deep breath, she speaks. “You 
  failed to protect my honor sufficiently last night. I demand 
  to know why and how you will atone for this perfidy!”
  At this point, Viralane begins employing her mesmerist 
  abilities to intimidate the PCs and put them off their 
  game. Corla attempts to surreptitiously relieve the PC 
  carrying the Sword of Pride of the burden. If successful, she 
  delivers the sword to her mistress as quickly as she can.
  It’s likely just a matter of time before open hostilities 
  ensue, at which point Corla attacks viciously while 
  Viralane aids her from whatever distance she can muster, 
  trying to play the PCs against one another and attempting 
  to get them to deliver the sword. The crew is confused 
  by the conflict, having fallen in love with their most 
  glamorous passenger, but also holding respect for the 
  party. For the most part they hang back, shocked at the 
  conflict and too worried to intervene.
  However this plays out, Viralane employs her 
  viridian escape ability as soon as she gains control of the 
  sword or if she is in mortal danger, abandoning Corla in 
  either case. The halfling surrenders once her mistress 
  vanishes, but will not betray her unless sufficiently 
  intimidated or befriended by the PCs. In such a case, 
  Corla can tell the PCs that Viralane fell in with a 
  strange group of cultists in Magnimar who worshiped 
  something called the Peacock Spirit. She can tell the PCs 
  about Viralane’s curse, and that a half-elf woman whose 
  name Corla never learned promised Viralane a cure for 
  the curse. In exchange, Viralane must perform a favor 
  for the cult: securing a magic sword from a group of 
  adventurers up in Roderic’s Cove. Corla knows that the 
  cult supplied Viralane with the one-time power to escape 
  via a teleportation ritual. Corla doesn’t know much else 
  about this ritual or the cultists, other than that she’s 
  disappointed that Viralane didn’t honor her promise 
  to take Corla with her when she used the it to flee. She 
  understands the PCs’ anger at Viralane (particularly if 
  she made off with Baraket), but begs the PCs to grant her 
  mercy should they meet her again, arguing that Viralane 
  isn’t a bad person, she’s just... self-absorbed.
  13
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  CORLA 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Female halfling rogue 6
  N Small humanoid (halfling)
  Init +4; Senses Perception +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +4 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +1 size)
  hp 42 (6d8+12)
  Fort +4, Ref +10, Will +3; +2 vs. fear
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +2, uncanny dodge
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee mwk kukri +11 (1d3+1/18–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +3d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Corla applies a dose of blue whinnis to her kukri.
  During Combat Corla focuses her attacks on Baraket’s 
  carrier, hoping to incapacitate that PC long enough to 
  liberate the sword and hand it over to her mistress. 
  If successful, the first round the halfling claims the 
  weapon, she must attempt a DC 15 Will save to avoid 
  being stunned for 1 round as the sword, sensing a 
  change of ownership to someone who might not have 
  the protection afforded by runewarded gauntlets, 
  momentarily lashes out. If Corla fails this save, she 
  drops the sword, giving the PCs a last chance 
  to reclaim it. Baraket can lash out in this way 
  only once, the power it has built up over the 
  last few weeks expended.
  Morale Corla fights to the death to protect 
  Viralane and carry out her orders, but once 
  the woman abandons her, the halfling 
  immediately surrenders, overcome with 
  grief and despair at the betrayal.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, 
  Cha 10
  Base Atk +4; CMB +4; CMD 19
  Feats Dodge, Martial Weapon Proficiency 
  (kukri), Weapon Finesse, Weapon 
  Focus (kukri)
  Skills Acrobatics +15 (+11 when jumping), 
  Climb +12, Diplomacy +9, Escape 
  Artist +13, Perception +11, Perform 
  (string instruments) +9, Sleight of 
  Hand +13, Stealth +17, Swim +10
  Languages Common, Halfling, 
  Varisian
  SQ rogue talents (fast stealth, finesse 
  rogue, surprise attacks), 
  trapfinding +3
  Combat Gear potions of cure 
  light wounds (3), blue whinnis (8); Other Gear +1 studded 
  leather, mwk kukri, handy haversack, 29 pp, 7 gp
  VIRALANE BARVISAI 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  hp 31 (see page 66)
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to retain possession of 
  Baraket, award them 2,400 XP.
  PART 2:  
  THE SIHEDRON COUNCIL
  The great city of Magnimar is a bustling hive of activity, 
  its waterfront and shoreline having undergone a long 
  restoration process in the wake of the disastrous 
  tsunami that struck the city with the rising of the Isle of 
  Xin (as chronicled at the start of Pathfinder Adventure Path 
  #66: The Dead Heart of Xin). This chapter presents several 
  events and encounters set in the city, but if you want to 
  expand upon the intrigue and exploration of Magnimar, 
  check out Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Magnimar, City of 
  Monuments for more details on the city.
  event 9: ArrivAl in mAgnimAr
  Tyalee’s Whim sails into the city in the 
  early morning, somewhat worse for wear 
  following her scrapes with storms and 
  monsters, but hopefully with most, if not 
  all, of her crew intact. Captain Sursha 
  chooses the district of Ordellia at the 
  westernmost edge of Magnimar to dock, 
  since it’s here her contacts have arranged for 
  discounted docking fees.
  The number of ships sailing into 
  and out of the sprawling Varisian city of 
  Magnimar is overwhelming. As Tyalee’s Whim 
  sails past the ancient pilings of the Irespan, the 
  signs of rebuilding are everywhere. As soon 
  as the ship ties up at an open dock 
  and her industrious crew focuses on 
  their tasks, Captain Sursha once more 
  thanks the PCs for their aid during 
  the voyage, and unless there 
  were extenuating circumstances 
  (such as the PCs being arrested in 
  Sandpoint) she invites them to sail with 
  her again in the future when they 
  have the chance—not knowing just 
  how soon the PCs may need her 
  services again.
  14
  Corla
  
  As Audrahni can remind them, the PCs’ mission in 
  Magnimar is to deliver the Sword of Pride to the Sihedron 
  Council (or, if Viralane succeeded in fleeing with the 
  weapon, at least deliver the news of its recent 
  reappearance). Audrahni (or a PC who succeeds at 
  a DC 15 Knowledge [local] check) can confirm that 
  the Sihedron Council is based at Heidmarch 
  Manor in the Alabaster District on the far side 
  of town. If she confided in the PCs about her 
  desire to visit the ruins of the statue of 
  Saint Sazzleru, Audrahni suggests 
  they do so that night after 
  they’ve met with the council, 
  but she won’t demur if the 
  PCs want to go there first 
  (this side trip to the haunted 
  site is detailed in Event 11).
  event 10: viSiting 
  heidmArCh mAnor
  Heidmarch Manor, where the Sihedron Council is based, 
  is located in Magnimar’s Alabaster District. Heidmarch 
  Manor itself, which doubles as Magnimar’s Pathfinder 
  Lodge, is bustling with activity. Inside, clerks flurry to and 
  fro, arms full of documents, looks of distracted urgency 
  on their faces. At the back of the entrance room, sitting 
  at a makeshift desk, is a pinch-faced little man with 
  thinning blond hair and a wisp of a mustache. He seems 
  engaged in cross-checking lists, making marks in the 
  margins with a ragged-feathered quill, but immediately 
  looks up as the PCs enter.
  This man is Welben Orry (LN male human expert 6), 
  one of many men and women seeing to the mundane 
  matters of the Sihedron Council, the Pathfinder Society’s 
  increased interest in Varisia, and the restoration of 
  Magnimar’s waterfront. He is not a patient man and is 
  quick to see interruptions before they manifest, and he 
  swiftly identifies the PCs as adventurers ready to bring 
  just such an interruption. With a heavy sigh, Welben sets 
  aside his notes and approaches the PCs.
  “Yes, yes, it’s obvious you’re here for something very 
  important and expect us all to drop everything to attend you. 
  What is it? I don’t have time for long stories, so out with it!”
  Welben’s attitude doesn’t improve if the PCs claim 
  to have news of rising runelords or to have discovered 
  Baraket, Sword of Pride. If they show the sword to him, 
  Welben’s eyes widen a bit before narrowing. Muttering 
  something about “that could just be a clever replica 
  made of paste and glass...” he asks the PCs to wait while 
  he informs Lady Heidmarch. Without showing Baraket 
  to the impatient man, the PCs need to either succeed 
  at a DC 25 Bluff check to convince Welben that they’ve 
  got an appointment already (or some similar fabrication) 
  or convince the indifferent man to arrange 
  the meeting with a successful DC 22 
  Diplomacy check. A PC who succeeds at 
  a DC 17 Intimidate check (or employs 
  actual violence) frightens the man badly 
  and sends him scurrying off to find 
  Sheila Heidmarch at once. Otherwise, 
  the best he’ll do is arrange for a meeting 
  with the mistress of the manor in 2d4 
  days. (In this event, give the PCs time to 
  explore the city and feel free to have them 
  encounter a few attempts by the cult of the 
  Peacock Spirit to steal the sword.) Once 
  the PCs manage to secure a meeting with 
  Sheila Heidmarch, be it immediately or 
  in several days, they’re escorted by a sour-
  faced Welben to the manor’s reception room: 
  a chamber with a long cherrywood table, several high-
  backed chairs, and walls decorated with paintings of 
  famous heroes. The PCs likely recognize portraits of the 
  Sihedron Heroes among these decorations.
  Sheila Heidmarch sits at the head of the table and 
  rises as the PCs enter. She greets them and offers them 
  refreshments—grapes, cheese, and water served from 
  a sideboard—then asks them to be seated and tell their 
  tale. She listens attentively and politely, treating the PCs 
  with respect from the start, but should the PCs produce 
  Baraket, her cool and calm facade shatters, and she rises 
  from her seat with a shocked cry.
  The presence of the Sword of Sin accelerates things 
  quickly in Sheila’s eyes, and she tells the PCs that it’s best 
  if the dangerous weapon is turned over to the Sihedron 
  Council for safekeeping. If the PCs recovered the 
  runewarded gauntlets, she requests them as well. Even if the 
  PCs don’t balk at turning over the weapon, she promises 
  them that they’ll be well rewarded for the service, but she 
  doesn’t force them to do so (see Development on page 16).
  Once the PCs have told their tale and turned over 
  Baraket for safekeeping, Sheila thanks the PCs for bringing 
  this matter to the Sihedron Council. She then informs 
  them that she has much more to discuss with them, but 
  that she wants the other three members of the council 
  to be present for that discussion. She invites the PCs to 
  return to Heidmarch Manor the next morning for this 
  meeting and promises to pay for their accommodations 
  overnight at a comfortable but not ostentatious inn 
  named the Gryphine. She charges Welben with arranging 
  those accommodations before she excuses herself and 
  dismisses the PCs, saying she looks forward to speaking 
  with them again on the morrow. Welben is chagrined that 
  the council is to pay for accommodations for the PCs at 
  15
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  Welben Orry
  
  the Gryphine; allow the party to enjoy the officious clerk’s 
  vexation while they wait in the entry hall for a carriage to 
  transport them to the inn.
  If the Sword of Pride has been stolen, Sheila is 
  disappointed but doesn’t blame the PCs. She still arranges 
  for their overnight accommodations and asks them to 
  return the next morning to meet with the council to 
  discuss what happens next.
  Development: Baraket is indeed safest in the Sihedron 
  Council vault, and if the PCs turn the Sword of Pride 
  over to Sheila, the weapon effectively exits the Return 
  of the Runelords story. If the PCs refuse, Sheila nods in 
  understanding and says that she can’t force them to turn 
  the weapon over, but that should they ever change their 
  mind, she’ll be ready to put Baraket into safekeeping. If 
  the PCs do keep the sword, it should only be a matter 
  of time before it wakens fully as Xanderghul regains 
  more power. How this plays out, with the sword trying 
  to exert its dominance over its wielder (assuming it’s not 
  suppressed via the runewarded gauntlets), is left to you to 
  develop as you see fit.
  Story Award: For securing a meeting with the Sihedron 
  Council, award the PCs 1,600 XP. In addition, when they 
  hand the Sword of Pride over to the council, whether now 
  or at the end of the adventure, award them an additional 
  3,200 XP.
  event 11: hAunted remnAntS (Cr 5)
  The site where Audrahni once intended to raise a statue 
  of Saint Sazzleru has been left empty in the years since 
  she engineered the statue’s collapse. Today, the lot is 
  empty save for a low mound of rubble at its center. A 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Diplomacy check to gather 
  information turns up several rumors that the site is 
  haunted (much to Audrahni’s dismay), but none of the 
  stories consistently describe how this haunt supposedly 
  manifests. When the PCs visit the site with Audrahni, she 
  seems more morose than normal, timid even. When the 
  time comes, though, she takes a deep breath, steps up to 
  the edge of the rubble, and, a tremor of nervousness in 
  her voice, begins to pray to Ashava for the first time in 
  many years.
  Creature: A few moments after Audrahni begins 
  to pray, her words have a startling result. The rubble 
  is indeed haunted, but until her arrival the restless 
  spirit of the ex-Skinsaw Cultist Ilsynor hadn’t the 
  focus to manifest directly. The murdered cultist does 
  so now, rising up from the debris in the form of a 
  humanoid shape composed of gusts of dust-laden 
  wind and churning bits of bone. Ilsynor exists now as 
  a deadly, ghostlike monster known as a choking shade 
  (manifesting as a variant version of the monster known 
  as a crushed shade), and he furiously attacks Audrahni. 
  Unless the PCs intervene, the ghost quickly kills the 
  elf and then goes on to spawn more of its kind as its 
  influence grows.
  ILSYNOR 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Crushed choking shade (see page 82)
  hp 52
  Development: Once Ilsynor’s choking shade has been 
  destroyed, Audrahni can move on with her ritual. If the 
  PCs don’t take part, she’s able to finish the prayers after 
  10 minutes, giving herself a bit of peace of mind and 
  achieving the first step toward regaining her lost faith.
  As she prays, a PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Knowledge 
  (religion) check recognizes the prayer she’s performing as 
  one that, traditionally, is spoken by several mourners to 
  bless the site of a tragic accident. Worshipers of Ashava or 
  Pharasma gain a +10 bonus on this Knowledge (religion) 
  check. If the PCs join Audrahni in prayer, she’s surprised 
  but thankful as she continues praying. If at least one PC 
  succeeds at a second DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check 
  (worshipers of Ashava or Pharasma gain a +10 bonus on 
  this check), the conviction bolsters Audrahni’s faith and 
  resolve, and as the prayer ends, Ashava takes note. A series 
  of glowing motes of light dance up from the rubble, spiral 
  around the field, and then swoop down to bathe Audrahni 
  and the PCs in their soothing light. The PCs feel an 
  overwhelming sensation of thanks and forgiveness as the 
  lights glow bright, then fade away.
  In the aftermath of this vision, the ruins become 
  affected by a hallow spell with a remove fear effect tied to 
  it (CL 20th). Additionally, each PC (as well as Audrahni) 
  receives a blessing from Ashava: the next time the PC fails 
  a saving throw against any spell or effect created by an 
  incorporeal undead creature, the character momentarily 
  glows with silver light and is treated as if she had 
  succeeded at that saving throw instead. In addition, that 
  character gains the benefit of a sanctuary spell (CL 20th) 
  against the attacking undead creature. A character that 
  ever willingly takes part in the creation of an undead 
  creature loses Ashava’s blessing.
  If the PCs successfully aid in the prayer, Audrahni’s 
  path to recovering her faith is dramatically quickened, 
  and she should be restored to full clerical strength by the 
  time the PCs return to Magnimar in the next adventure.
  Story Award: If the PCs successfully help Audrahni 
  perform her ritual and gain a vision from Ashava, award 
  them 1,600 XP.
  event 12: roomS At the gryphine (Cr 6)
  The Gryphine, located in the northern reaches of 
  Magnimar’s Capital District, is an elegant, two-story 
  16
  
  building of fitted limestone blocks, with artfully carved 
  pillars supporting a long portico out front. The PCs 
  have been given accommodations on the second floor 
  consisting of a suite of two bedrooms (each containing one 
  single bed and one larger bed) flanking a cozy parlor. The 
  rooms are magnificent, with fine linens and plump quilts 
  on the mahogany-framed beds, flawless Qadiran rugs, 
  hand-painted floral wallpaper, and portraits of Magnimar 
  notables by gifted artists. Fires already blaze in each of the 
  fireplaces of all the suites’ rooms, and the windows look 
  down on dimly lit backstreets of the Capital District. A map 
  of the suite appears on page 4.
  A magnificent dinner fit for royalty is served in the 
  parlor by uniformed servants. Once they finish their 
  meal in the parlor, allow the PCs to settle into their fine 
  accommodations, and perhaps appreciate the fawning 
  service they receive from a staff accustomed to catering 
  to the smallest needs of the pampered wealthy. This is an 
  opportunity for the players to take stock of their journey 
  thus far and speculate on what the council may have in 
  store for them in the morning.
  Trap: If Viralane escaped and is at large, the PCs have 
  a reminder of her at the Gryphine. At some point before 
  midnight, there is a loud, quick rap on one of the bedroom 
  doors (determine at random). When a PC answers the 
  door, they find the hallway beyond empty save for a pair 
  of small packages sitting on the floor. Both packages are 
  wrapped in red velvet. One is tied with a black bow, the 
  other green. A folded note is attached to the package with 
  the black bow. The note, written in a feminine hand but 
  lacking a signature, reads as follows.
  With admiration, a gift of sweet candy and a sweet smoke. 
  Enjoy, new heroes of Varisia.
  The package with the black bow contains a box of rare 
  gourmet candied tropical fruits imported from Garund. 
  The second contains what has the aroma of expensive, 
  spice-scented Katapeshi tobacco coming from a long, thin 
  mahogany cigar box. The candies are delicious. While the 
  cigars are real, the container itself is trapped: when it is 
  opened, a cloud of toxic gas is released.
  TRAPPED CIGAR CASE 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Type magic; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset none
  Effect When opened, the cigar case sprays a cloud of 
  nightmare vapor into a 10-foot-radius spread. 
  Treasure: The candies are worth 10 gp, and the cigars 
  are worth 150 gp.
  Development: If the PCs alert the hotel staff to the incident 
  with the trapped package, the night manager, a woman named 
  Camila Deseque (LN female human expert 6), responds 
  quickly. She is appalled by the occurrence and promises to 
  investigate the matter. Interviews with her staff result in a 
  report within the hour of a chambermaid who saw a lovely, 
  red-haired woman carrying the packages through the lobby. 
  If queried further, she describes the woman as wearing 
  a cape with a peacock feather motif. If the PCs insist on 
  speaking with the chambermaid and describe Viralane, the 
  witness confirms that it is the same woman.
  event 13: lAte-night viSitor (Cr 7)
  Viralane’s visit isn’t the only one the PCs are due from the 
  cult of the Peacock Spirit.
  As the night wraps up and the PCs head to bed, take note 
  of where every PC retires to, what protective measures they 
  take to guard themselves, and who remains awake and on 
  watch—but try not to telegraph any potential for danger. 
  The previous event should have already let the PCs know 
  that they’re not as safe in the Gryphine as they suspect.
  Every window in the suite has a latch, but they are 
  currently unlatched. It’s up to the PCs to secure them (you 
  can assume that if the players state something like “We’re 
  securing the room” that they don’t forget the windows). 
  Each window has panes of glass and wood shutters; once 
  latched, a window can be opened from outside with a 
  successful DC 25 Disable Device check. There are no locks 
  on the interior doors, but the external doors to each room 
  have locks that can be picked with a successful DC 30 
  Disable Device check.
  Creature: The ploy with the trapped package was not 
  the primary attempt on the PCs’ lives by the Peacock 
  Spirit, but rather a sort of opening salvo. Regardless of 
  who currently has Baraket, the cult now views the PCs as 
  a threat and sends an assassin mercenary to alleviate that 
  threat. Of course, if the PCs still have possession of the 
  Sword of Pride, the assassin has orders to liberate the blade 
  in addition to murdering the PCs.
  This assassin is a sinister, murderous bugbear named 
  Dith-Ka, an unusual killer who trained as a ninja in 
  Kalsgard with a group called the Frozen Shadows before 
  leaving that guild to strike out on his own as a freelance 
  killer. As part of his promise to whisper never a word of 
  those who employ him, Dith-Ka cut out his own tongue. 
  The symbolic act has ensured that those eager for a 
  slaying that can’t be traced back to them have kept the 
  bugbear ninja employed throughout western Avistan.
  DITH-KA 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Bugbear fighter 1/ninja 3 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 38, 
  Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat 13)
  17
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  NE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +7
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+2 armor, +4 Dex, +3 natural)
  hp 63 (7 HD; 6d8+1d10+31)
  Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +3
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk wakizashi +10 (1d6+3/18–20 plus bloodroot)
  Ranged poisoned sand tube +9 (sassone leaf residue) or
  shuriken +9 (1d2+3 plus blue whinnis)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Dith-ka loads three doses of sassone 
  leaf residue into his poisoned sand tube, applies blue 
  whinnis to his five shuriken and a dose of bloodroot to his 
  wakizashi, then drinks his potion of spider climb. He climbs 
  up to a window to enter the suite, using Disable Device if 
  the PCs latched the window (this also requires a Stealth 
  check from the bugbear, opposed by the PCs within the 
  suite, to avoid alerting the PCs to his presence).
  During Combat If he gets into the PCs’ suite undetected, 
  Dith-ka attempts a coup de grace on a sleeping target, 
  hoping to assassinate as many PCs as possible before they 
  wake. Once the PCs are awake, Dith-ka stays mobile, using 
  his ranged attacks to poison the PCs for several 
  rounds (he saves his sand tube for the best 
  chance to get at least two or more PCs in its area 
  of effect). In melee, he uses his swift poison ability to 
  reapply bloodroot to his wakizashi each round.
  Morale Dith-ka fights until reduced to fewer than 20 hp, 
  at which point he attempts to escape. If captured, he 
  attempts to end his life with one of his most potent 
  poisons rather than divulge his employers (in this case, 
  the cult of the Peacock Spirit), but if forced to comply, he 
  can reveal little more than what’s contained in his note 
  from Hira.
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 10
  Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 22
  Feats Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Toughness, 
  Weapon Focus (wakizashi)
  Skills Acrobatics +12, Climb +11, Disable Device +14, Disguise 
  +9, Intimidate +4, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Stealth 
  +15, Use Magic Device +8
  Languages Common, Goblin, Varisian
  SQ ki pool (1 point), ninja trick (swift poisonAPG), no trace +1, 
  poison use, stalker
  Combat Gear potion of spider climb, bloodroot (3), blue 
  whinnis (5), sassone leaf residue (6); Other Gear 
  leather armor, mwk wakizashiUE, poisoned sand tubeUE, 
  shuriken (5), mwk thieves’ tools, note from Hira Doss, 3 gp
  Treasure: The note Dith-ka carries appears to be a 
  list of the PCs’ names written in Varisian in elegant 
  handwriting. In fact, this note is from the woman who 
  hired him, Hira Doss, and it has been obfuscated via 
  a secret page placed by Hira’s wand of the same. The 
  word to reveal the note’s actual contents is “Peacock.” If 
  revealed, the note is short and to the point, indicating 
  where the PCs can be found in the Gryphine and that 
  they may have been softened up by a “gift of special 
  cigars.” The note concludes with a promise for 
  more work “once we return from our duties in the 
  Forsaken Mezzanine.”
  18
  Dith-Ka
  
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Knowledge (geography 
  or local) check knows that the Forsaken Mezzanine is 
  one of the many dungeon levels that lies 
  hidden below Hollow Mountain.
  event 14: 
  AudienCe With the CounCil
  A carriage comes to fetch the PCs 
  after they enjoy a gourmet breakfast 
  at The Gryphine, returning them to 
  Heidmarch Manor and their audience 
  with the Sihedron Council. When Sheila 
  Heidmarch learns about the various attacks 
  on the party, she’s aghast that the Gryphine 
  wasn’t 
  secure, 
  while 
  simultaneously 
  becoming more resolved in her convictions 
  that big events are unfolding and that the 
  PCs are at the center of them. Before the 
  council meeting occurs, Sheila offers to pay 
  for healing for the party, including raise dead 
  and restoration spells as needed (these spells are 
  provided by the Church of Abadar and paid for by the 
  Sihedron Council, but note that Sheila won’t be able to 
  offer this support going forward, as this is largely an 
  apology to the PCs for not providing them with more 
  secure accommodations).
  Once everything is sorted, the PCs find themselves 
  once again in Heidmarch Manor’s large reception room, 
  but this time they are joined by the full collection of 
  Sihedron Council members: elegant Sheila Heidmarch 
  (the council’s leader); Lord Mayor Haldmeer Grobaras, 
  decked out in all his finery (representing Magnimar’s 
  government); Sabriyya Kalmeralm, a merchant of 
  considerable influence in Magnimar (representing the 
  city’s businesspeople); and Koriah Azmeren, a renowned 
  Pathfinder 
  and 
  adventurer 
  herself 
  (representing 
  Magnimar’s citizens). Sheila states that the attacks of the 
  previous night confirm the seriousness of the growing 
  threats to Varisia. Then she informs the PCs that what 
  she’s about to reveal to them must remain secret, both 
  in order to prevent the spread of panic and to maintain 
  any advantage the heroes can hold regarding an element 
  of surprise.
  “At the time the events you became embroiled with in 
  Roderic’s Cove were playing out, similar signs and omens 
  came to our attention. The Sihedron, a potent Thassilonian 
  artifact recently recovered and rebuilt by heroes to aid in 
  Varisia’s defense against the runelords, flared in power and 
  alerted us that something monumental had taken place. 
  At first we suspected that this was the result of a runelord 
  wakening, but there are others who believe the flare was 
  the result of a runelord’s death. In either case, we needed to 
  know more, and so we sent a group of heroes who had stood 
  against the runelords before out under cover of secrecy to 
  investigate, armed with the Sihedron.
  “And that’s the last we’ve heard from them. 
  We continue to attempt to contact the heroes, 
  but with each passing day I fear that they are 
  beyond our reach, and that whatever fate befell 
  them could mean peril for the rest of Varisia. 
  Your news from Roderic’s Cove only gives further 
  weight to these fears.
  “All signs point now to Hollow 
  Mountain, and to the very likely 
  development that Runelord 
  Alaznist 
  has 
  awoken. 
  We 
  have other agents in the 
  field 
  throughout 
  Varisia 
  investigating 
  these 
  recent 
  events, but we haven’t sent anyone to Hollow 
  Mountain yet. We have a proposition for you: we 
  would like to deputize all of you as agents of the 
  Sihedron Council. If this is not agreeable, you may leave 
  this chamber with your rewards and perhaps offer prayers for 
  our success contending with the great threat coming our way. 
  But I hope you will accept. If you do, your first assignment 
  would be a daunting one: sail to Rivenrake Island, enter 
  Hollow Mountain, and investigate the situation within.”
  Sheila gives the PCs a few moments, letting her words 
  sink in. The look of nervousness on the lord mayor’s face 
  and the empathetic grimace on Koriah Azmeren’s speaks 
  to Hollow Mountain’s dreadful reputation. Assuming the 
  PCs are up to the challenge, Sheila outlines two tasks in 
  particular for the PCs to complete under Hollow Mountain. 
  First, the PCs’ description of the malfunctioning portal that 
  Mozamer used to infiltrate Roderic’s Cove is disturbing 
  news to Sheila, and tracking down this portal in Hollow 
  Mountain and shutting it down should be the PCs’ first 
  and foremost goal in Hollow Mountain. Second, as the PCs 
  explore Hollow Mountain, they should keep an eye out for 
  hints and clues as to Alaznist’s plots and plans, and follow 
  up on those clues as they appear.
  At some point, if the PCs don’t broach the topic 
  themselves, Sabriyya Kalmeralm interrupts the discussion 
  to point out that Hollow Mountain is a massive complex 
  of twisting caverns and dungeons. How exactly, she asks, 
  are the PCs going to find Mozamer’s needle of a gateway 
  in the mountain’s proverbial haystack, even knowing 
  that it’s somewhere called the “Forges of Wrath”? Koriah 
  Azmeren, who has so far been relatively silent during the 
  meeting, speaks up.
  “Kelhuud. A ranger named Kelhuud. He was part of a 
  Pathfinder expedition to Hollow Mountain a few years ago. 
  19
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  Sheila heidmarch
  
  Half of his party died in the place, but when time came to 
  return home, he refused—said he preferred to stay on the 
  island. His companions thought he had lost his mind, but he 
  couldn’t be persuaded to join them in the boat. Since then, 
  he’s been seen in the wilderness of Rivenrake by at least 
  half a dozen Pathfinder expeditions, and those who’ve been 
  able to catch him in a lucid, cooperative mood have learned 
  much about the various entrances to Hollow Mountain. If 
  anyone knows what part of the complex would have been 
  the most likely place for a creature like Mozamer to dwell 
  in, Kelhuud would. Or at the very least, he’d know where to 
  start looking.”
  Koriah goes on to explain that when a Pathfinder 
  expedition wants to contact Kelhuud, they generally 
  land on Rivenrake Island’s southeast shoreline at a beach 
  known as the “Old Man’s Launch.” The beach is said to be 
  haunted by the titular old man and the fiendish hounds 
  said to have devoured him alive, but Koriah is quick to 
  point out that the Pathfinders have never encountered 
  any truth to the rumors in their dozen or so trips to the 
  beach. In order to contact Kelhuud, once the PCs arrive 
  at the beach, they need only to light a smoky fire on the 
  beach to signal to the ex-Pathfinder that visitors are on 
  the way. The Pathfinders have kept a trail blazed from the 
  beach to his campsite, and while Koriah warns the PCs 
  that they may well encounter some monstrous wildlife 
  along the way, the trail itself is easy to follow. Once they 
  reach Kelhuud’s campsite, they should be respectful and 
  calm, and if they find the man to be in one of his more 
  uncooperative moods, simply retreat for a day and try to 
  contact him on the morrow. 
  What none of the Pathfinders know is that Kelhuud is 
  not merely suffering from a split personality. His entire 
  physical being has been split, and not one but two of the 
  man now dwell on the lower slopes of Rivenrake Island!
  Treasure: Before the meeting adjourns, Sheila thanks 
  the PCs again for delivering the Sword of Pride, and notes 
  that such a task should not go unrewarded. She informs 
  the PCs that each may claim an item from the council’s 
  significant treasure vaults as their personal reward. 
  In game terms, you should work with each player to 
  determine a magic item reward of approximately 20,000 
  gp in value. The simplest solution is to just allow your 
  players to pick an item from Pathfinder RPG Ultimate 
  Equipment, but feel free to truncate that “shopping list” 
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  A1. OLD MAN’S LAUNCH
  A4. SHRINE OF IBDURENGIAN
  A4b
  A4a
  A3. KELHUUD ENCAMPMENT
  A5. THE BLOODSTONE BUNKER
  A2. LOG CROSSING
  A5a
  A5b
  A5c
  20
  
  as best fits your table. If you know your players and their 
  characters well, you can even present each a custom 
  item of approximately 20,000 gp in value, or perhaps 
  generate a short list of appropriate items tailored to the 
  PCs for them to pick and choose from.
  PART 3:  
  UNDER THE MOUNTAIN’S GAZE
  Transportation to Rivenrake Island 
  is normally difficult for groups who 
  don’t captain their own vessel, as 
  few ships are willing to make 
  the journey to the notorious 
  isle, but Lady Heidmarch 
  suggests the PCs broach the 
  subject with Captain Sursha, 
  offering to pay twice the typical 
  rate for the journey from the Sihedron 
  Council’s coffers. If Captain Sursha 
  turns them down, Sheila says, other 
  methods can be investigated—but 
  as things play out, Sursha is more than willing to take 
  the Sihedron Council’s coin and help out her newest 
  friends.
  When the PCs ask her, she snickers a bit, saying, “I’m 
  not surprised you want me to sail up there, considering 
  what I’ve heard from other sailors over the past few 
  days.” She goes on to explain how Magnimar’s waterfront 
  has been abuzz lately with stories that not one but two 
  ships were chartered by separate groups to travel to 
  Rivenrake in the last several days, and Tyalee’s Whim will 
  be the third. Sursha can tell the PCs that the first of the 
  other two ships was the Lordim Racer, a Magnimarian 
  merchant-transport similar to Tyalee’s Whim, hired by a 
  group of brutish-looking thugs for passage to the same 
  location the PCs seek: Old Man’s Launch. The second 
  was Frijaya, hired by a smaller group of “well-dressed 
  fops” who paid well on a larger ship bound for Kalsgard 
  in the Land of the Linnorm Kings to sail close enough 
  to Rivenrake for the trio to debark on their own magical 
  folding boat. Little is known about this second group 
  or their intended landing spot on Rivenrake (and the 
  Frijaya is, assumedly, well on her way north to Kalsgard 
  by now), but the Lordim Racer returned to Magnimar a 
  day ago with the crew recounting a harrowing tale of 
  having put their six passengers ashore on a longboat 
  only to then watch in horror as the passengers murdered 
  the two sailors who had transported them. The Lordim 
  Racer’s captain made the decision to abandon the bodies 
  and skiff to Rivenrake after it became apparent her crew 
  would have mutinied if she’d forced any of them to shore 
  on the notorious island. The Lordim Racer didn’t remain 
  in Magnimar for long, and it left just this morning on a 
  journey to Korvosa, but it sounds like the group they’d 
  transported were cultists of some sort who had planned 
  the murders all along.
  Unlike the journey from Roderic’s Cove to Magnimar, 
  there are no scripted events or encounters to vex and 
  endanger Tyalee’s Whim on its 4-day trip from Magnimar to 
  Rivenrake Island. If the PCs aren’t yet 6th level, you 
  should strongly consider adding some additional 
  encounters of your own design, or roll up a few 
  random encounters on the table presented at 
  the start of this volume’s bestiary on page 81.
  As the PCs approach Rivenrake Island, the 
  image of Runelord Alaznist’s face peering 
  down imperiously from the mountain’s 
  height 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  ignore, 
  overshadowing the otherwise amazing 
  spectacle of the northernmost 
  reaches of the ancient bridge 
  known as the Irespan where it 
  extends from the mountain’s 
  middle slope. The mountain’s 
  lower slopes are dotted with woodlands and craggy hills, 
  peppered here and there with ancient ruins of what was 
  once Alaznist’s capital city, Xin-Bakrakhan.
  The PCs’ goal is a point on the southern coast of 
  Rivenrake, a narrow stretch of sandy beach known locally 
  as “Old Man’s Launch” after rumors of the site being 
  haunted by an old hermit who decided to make his home 
  on the island, only to be torn apart by a pack of fiendish 
  hounds. Tyalee’s Whim can’t approach more than half a 
  mile from the shore, and Captain Sursha agrees to anchor 
  there and wait for the PCs’ return, allowing them free use 
  of the ship’s longboat to come and go. If the PCs wish 
  to make multiple trips between Magnimar and Rivenrake 
  between expeditions, Sursha is more than willing to sail 
  back and forth. She makes money on each trip, after all, 
  and at no expense to the PCs.
  The dense woodlands of Hollow Mountain’s lower 
  slopes are hostile and unwelcoming, crisscrossed 
  by trails and streams. No overland map of Hollow 
  Mountain is provided, as this adventure assumes the 
  PCs have trails or guides to follow from encounter 
  to encounter, but on a tactical scale the difference 
  between traveling the open clearings and undergrowth 
  is significant. All areas of undergrowth are treated 
  as difficult terrain. The nameless river the PCs likely 
  follow inland is a narrow but deep body of water. With 
  steep banks, the average depth of this river is 30 feet, 
  but swimming the relatively calm current requires only 
  a successful DC 10 Swim check.
  21
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  Koriah
  
  event 15: Someone iS WAtChing
  At this point in the campaign, the PCs’ actions have 
  attracted the attention of none other than Runelord 
  Sorshen herself. Sorshen has been biding her time 
  quietly, watching, waiting, and learning from the 
  other runelords’ mistakes. She wants to emerge, 
  in time, as ruler of New Thassilon, but 
  not as a tyrant—she knows that 
  in order to exist in this new era, 
  she must find a way to cooperate 
  with the “new nations” rather than 
  follow the failures of Karzoug and 
  invite heroes to defeat her.
  Sorshen held her post 
  as Runelord of Lust for 
  Thassilon’s entirety not 
  because she confronted 
  her enemies, but because 
  she was cautious and used proxies and agents to 
  solve her problems. Her tactics today are no different, 
  and after watching via various divination spells, she has 
  identified the PCs as potential agents.
  At some point as the PCs first begin to explore Rivenrake 
  or the dungeons of Hollow Mountain, Sorshen begins to 
  observe them via castings of greater scrying (Will DC 32 
  negates). She has secondhand knowledge of the PCs, so 
  whomever she targets with the spell gains a +5 bonus on 
  the Will save to resist being spied upon. Sorshen prepares 
  three greater scrying spells each day while she’s spying in 
  this manner; when she casts the spell, don’t indicate to the 
  players why they’re making Will saves—let them wonder 
  and worry. As always, a character who thinks to look for 
  the source of the feeling of being watched can notice the 
  scrying sensor this spell creates with a successful DC 27 
  Perception check.
  Note that if one of the PCs has the Accidental Clone 
  campaign trait (see the Return of the Runelords Player’s 
  Guide), Sorshen targets that character for scrying. In this 
  case, the target takes a –10 penalty on the Will save due to 
  the link between her body and Sorshen’s.
  In time, Sorshen reaches out to contact the PCs directly; 
  see Event 16 below.
  Story Award: If the PCs realize they’re being watched 
  and take efforts to defend against scrying, grant them 
  2,400 XP.
  event 16: A dreAm of SorShen
  At some point when the PCs sleep, preferably before they’ve 
  explored much of Hollow Mountain but after Sorshen has 
  managed to spy on them at least once via greater scrying, the 
  runelord contacts the party via a dream council spell. All of 
  the sleeping PCs experience the same vivid dream, in which 
  they seem to wake from wherever it is they’ve bedded down 
  for the night to find a visitor to their campsite: a radiantly 
  beautiful woman who can be recognized as Runelord 
  Sorshen with a successful DC 20 Knowledge 
  (history) check.
  Sorshen’s use of dream council has 
  been augmented such that she 
  can deliver a single 125-word 
  message to the entire group of 
  PCs, along with a single image 
  to help guide them to their 
  final goal in this adventure. 
  She’s 
  not 
  interested 
  in 
  replies, and once the message 
  is sent, she ends the contact, 
  confident the PCs will make 
  the right choices based on her 
  message to them.
  “I am Runelord Sorshen, but I am not your foe. 
  Alaznist has risen, as you fear, and we will both 
  benefit from her defeat. She has left Hollow Mountain to seek 
  power elsewhere, and as she does, you must prepare. I have 
  been watching. You seem heroes who might stand against 
  her, but not without assistance. Seek out old Thybidos, 
  Alaznist’s murdered predecessor, in the Forlorn Sepulchers 
  beyond the weeping dragons. With an Abyssal runestone from 
  the Gauntlet of Fury, his unquiet spirit can be compelled to 
  aid you—yet perhaps not without some conflict. But exercise 
  caution, for even humbled as he is today, the serpent still has 
  teeth. When you are done with him, seek me in Korvosa. We 
  have more to discuss!”
  Along with this message, each dreaming PC has a vision 
  of a partially collapsed stone archway carved in the shape 
  of two weeping dragons, their necks raised up so their 
  horned heads lock together. The archway is overgrown 
  with foliage, but a cave entrance is visible within. As the 
  PCs wake, each can feel that this archway exists nearby 
  on the lower slopes of Rivenrake Island, and in following 
  this urge implanted by the dream, they can arrive at the 
  location with ease.
  A1. OLD MAN’S LAUNCH
  The PCs should note well before they land that theirs 
  is not the first longboat to arrive at Old Man’s Launch. 
  A skiff is already pulled up on the shore, bearing a 
  slumped pair of week-old, rotting human corpses, their 
  eyes and mouth wide in horror, red gashes across their 
  throats. A large fire pit sits near the high-tide mark a 
  few dozen feet from the skiff. To the west of the skiff, 
  the thick wall of vegetation gives way to a 5-foot-wide 
  footpath that winds up the island’s steep slopes into the 
  heavily forested interior.
  22
  Sorshen
  
  The fire pit is what the Pathfinders have used before 
  to signal Kelhuud of their approach. The PCs can use 
  it to build a smoky fire or they can simply build a fire 
  elsewhere on the beach, as they prefer. If they don’t send 
  up this smoke signal (or create a similar effect, via magic, 
  for example), Kelhuud considers them enemies as they 
  approach; see area A3 for more details.
  A search of the two bodies reveals that both seem to have 
  been human sailors, and that each corpse has been looted of 
  valuables. These two men once served on the Lordim Racer. 
  That ship’s captain accepted the task of transporting a 
  group of five ruffians to Rivenrake, led by a shaggy-bearded, 
  black-haired man the others addressed as “Maga.” These 
  two sailors drew the short straw and rowed the party ashore, 
  whereupon Maga insisted that they remain on the beach 
  and wait for their return, “in a day or two.” When the sailors 
  balked at this, suggesting they return with the longboat to 
  Lordim Racer to wait in relative safety there, Maga flew into 
  a rage and attacked. He and his ruffians murdered the two 
  sailors, then headed into the forest interior as the rest of 
  the Lordim Racer’s crew looked on in horror. Rather than set 
  foot on the island that had already claimed two of her crew, 
  the captain instead abandoned Rivenrake and is now well 
  on the way to Korvosa.
  Should the PCs employ speak with dead or similar 
  magic, they can learn most of this information. The two 
  sailors were named Harkem Duly and Poca Hullins.
  A2. LOG CROSSING (CR 7)
  The trail from Old Man’s Crossing winds up into the 
  woods of Rivenrake, switching back several times as it 
  climbs a steep slope. After a 10-minute hike, the sound 
  of a river becomes audible, and soon thereafter the PCs 
  emerge into a clearing where a 10-foot-wide river flows 
  through a ravine. The river and ravine are bridged by a 
  fallen tree, and the trail continues deeper into the woods 
  on the opposite side.
  The log is firmly in place and provides a safe bridge 
  over the waters below, provided characters don’t move 
  faster than one move action per round on the log. Any 
  faster movement (including combat) on the log requires 
  the moving character to attempt a DC 10 Acrobatics check 
  to avoid falling prone. If a PC fails this check by 5 or more, 
  the character falls off the log into the 20-foot-deep ravine 
  and into the river below.
  Creatures: A pair of enormous mosquito-like monsters 
  known as blightspawn have taken up residence in this 
  area, clinging tenaciously to the underside of the log. 
  23
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  They attack anyone who attempts to cross the log, 
  waiting until a PC is halfway to the other side before 
  flying up to attack.
  BLIGHTSPAWN (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  hp 52 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 43)
  Development: The trail to the south leads back to Old 
  Man’s Launch, while to the north it winds deeper into the 
  woods for another half-mile before reaching a T-junction 
  going east and west. Those who follow the trail to the east 
  eventually reach area A3, while those who take the western 
  path soon come to area A4. If the PCs sent Kelhuud a 
  smoke signal, he’s left a trail marker in the form of a set 
  of stones forming an arrow on the path pointing east; 
  otherwise, the PCs need to choose their path.
  Characters who opt to follow the river reach either a 
  30-foot waterfall plummeting into the ocean if they travel 
  downstream to the southwest, or eventually the far side of 
  Kelhuud’s camp if they travel upstream to the east.
  A3. KELHUUD ENCAMPMENT (CR 9)
  If the PCs followed the path east from area A2, they come 
  to what at first appears as a dead-end clearing. A successful 
  DC 20 Perception check is enough to note that a section 
  of vegetation along the clearing’s northeastern side is in 
  fact a clever blind that can be moved aside to allow access 
  to a second, much larger clearing further to the east. This 
  second clearing is the camp of Kelhuud, a man the PCs 
  may shortly discover is in fact two people. 
  Creatures: When Kelhuud first came to Rivenrake as a 
  Pathfinder, he encountered a malfunctioning portal deep 
  within Hollow Mountain that, when he attempted to use 
  it, split him into two identical persons. While the two 
  Kelhuuds maintained a mental link, they were different 
  people with different personalities—one friendly and 
  one misanthropic. The friendly one remained on one 
  side of the portal while the other manifested on the far 
  side. While they knew and instantly accepted their new 
  roles, the Kelhuuds also feared that the other Pathfinders 
  wouldn’t understand their new dualistic nature.
  When it came time to leave Rivenrake, the friendlier 
  Kelhuud opted to remain behind on the island, unwilling 
  to abandon his “brother,” who had no desire to return to 
  civilization. The others in his group tried their best to 
  change his mind, but eventually they gave up and left him 
  here to his own devices before arranging a system—if 
  they were to return, they would light a smoky fire on a 
  nearby beach to give Kelhuud time to prepare for visitors.
  Since then, the Kelhuuds have dwelt here in the forests 
  of Rivenrake, making occasional forays into various ruins 
  on the mountain’s slopes or into the dungeons below. 
  Neither Kelhuud is the “original.” When they speak of the 
  other, both Kelhuuds employ the pronoun “I” without 
  regard to their physical separateness or the general 
  weirdness of their existence. Of the two, the misanthropic 
  Kelhuud employs single-word answers whenever possible 
  (if he speaks at all), preferring gestures, grunts, or other 
  sub-verbal responses. If asked why they stayed on 
  Rivenrake, Kelhuud states simply: “I preferred it here.”
  If the PCs arrive without signaling, the Kelhuuds’ 
  response depends on if they notice the PCs’ approach first. 
  If they do, events play out more or less as if the PCs were 
  expected (although in this case, the friendlier Kelhuud 
  starts with an indifferent attitude rather than friendly). 
  If the PCs surprise the Kelhuuds, they are confronted by 
  both. In this case, the Kelhuuds are both ready with their 
  bows and have a starting attitude of unfriendly.
  If the PCs have signaled via smoke of their approach, 
  the friendlier of the two Kelhuuds awaits them in the 
  smaller clearing, leaning against a tree trunk near the 
  entrance to the larger camp but with his sword drawn, 
  just in case. His starting attitude is friendly, but he 
  remains wary. As the PCs step into view, he warns them, 
  “I have an arrow nocked and you are in my sights, friends. 
  I ask that you not take one step closer or I’ll be forced to 
  place my arrow dangerously close to your heart. What is it 
  you wish from me?”
  This may confuse the PCs, as he plainly does not have 
  an arrow ready in his bow, but is on the ground holding 
  a drawn blade. If the PCs make any mention of this, he 
  responds quite simply: “I am watching from above, and I 
  assure you I am an excellent shot.” Of course, Kelhuud is 
  referring to his twin, who indeed sits amid the branches 
  on the southeastern side of the clearing, ready to fire if he 
  interprets the PCs as threats.
  Assuming the PCs are respectful and calm, Kelhuud 
  nods and allows the PCs to present their case. His 
  counterpart prefers to remain hidden, but if a PC notices 
  him hiding in the trees or demands an explanation, the 
  surly second makes an appearance. The Kelhuuds are 
  no strangers to providing advice to other Pathfinders 
  who’ve come to Rivenrake over the past few years, and 
  even though the PCs aren’t members of the society, the 
  Kelhuuds treat them as such, recognizing the adventurer’s 
  mind-set in the PCs.
  As long as one of the Kelhuuds is at least friendly, he 
  confirms the PCs’ fears that activity on and under Hollow 
  Mountain has increased of late. Likely questions and 
  Kelhuud’s answers are given below.
  Where is the closest entrance to the Forges of Wrath? 
  Kelhuud thinks for a moment, then mentions that he 
  believes these forges are a sub-level of a region in Hollow 
  Mountain known as the “Baleful Repository,” a complex 
  that Alaznist once used to store weapons and armor. 
  24
  
  While  there are multiple entrances into the Baleful 
  Repository from within the mountain itself, the most direct 
  entrance would be from a long-abandoned armory known 
  as the Bloodstone Bunker, located a 10-mile trek from the 
  Kelhuuds’ campsite, up the mountain’s northeastern slope. 
  Following these directions brings the PCs to area A5.
  Do you know whose bodies are down on Old Man’s 
  Launch? The man shakes his head, noting that they were 
  no friends of his. He saw their ship approach a week ago, 
  and watched from a tall tree as they debarked just over 
  a half dozen. They seemed to get in an argument, and 
  then the half dozen slaughtered the two sailors before 
  setting off into the forests. Kelhuud followed them for 
  a time, and he can describe their leader as a “mutated 
  monster with a tentacle for a back—he’ll fit right in here 
  on the isle.” If the PCs have asked about the Forges of 
  Wrath, Kelhuud notes with concern that this man and his 
  barbaric traveling companions were headed toward the 
  Bloodstone Bunker when he decided it was best not to 
  follow a group of murderers led by a monster so far from 
  the safety of his base camp.
  Where is the closest entrance to the Forsaken 
  Mezzanine/The Gauntlet of Fury? Kelhuud has heard 
  about both of these levels of the dungeons but does not 
  know of any entrances to them.
  Have there been any other visitors to the region 
  lately? Kelhuud mentions the incident detailed in the 
  question above, but he also noticed a trio of “fancy folk” 
  had recently arrived by means unknown to him. He first 
  noticed smoke from their campfire while he was out 
  hunting a few days ago, and upon investigating saw the 
  three camped not far to the west out in front of an “old 
  shrine to some sort of fish-person monster.” He assumes 
  the three were adventurers seeking treasure based on 
  their appearances: a human man with a scimitar and 
  clad in a shiny, bright-blue breastplate, a half-elf woman 
  who carried a lucerne hammer and wore a dress that 
  looked like it was made of peacock feathers, and a human 
  woman with red hair and a fancy leather outfit that 
  looked like it was taken right out of some overwrought 
  opera. If the PCs provide Kelhuud with a description 
  of Viralane Barvisai, he agrees that it was likely her. He 
  hasn’t seen them aboveground since then and assumes 
  they entered Hollow Mountain via the shrine, but he has 
  never entered that structure, so he can’t be sure. For all 
  he knows, the three adventurers are still inside, or maybe 
  even dead.
  Will you accompany us into Hollow Mountain? 
  Kelhuud shakes his head, saying, “I have learned to pick 
  and choose my journeys into the mountain, and now is 
  not a good time for me to do so.”
  How are there two of you? This question or others like 
  it confuse and frustrate Kelhuud. His answer is likely to 
  do the same to the PCs: “There is but one of me. That you 
  perceive two of me is none of my concern.”
  Can we use your campsite as a base of operations? 
  Only if Kelhuud is made helpful will he allow the PCs to 
  share his campsite, but in this case he shares his food and 
  supplies and takes the burden of keeping watch.
  KELHUUDS (2) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  Human ranger 8
  CN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +2 (+4 forest); Senses Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 13, flat-footed 18 (+6 armor, +2 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +2 shield)
  hp 80 each (8d10+32)
  Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +4
  Defensive Abilities coexistence
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
  Melee +1 shock longsword +10/+5 (1d8+3/19–20 plus 1d6 
  electricity), shield bash +8 (1d3+1)
  Ranged longbow +10/+5 (1d8/×3)
  Special Attacks combat style (weapon and shieldAPG), favored 
  enemies (animals +2, evil outsiders +4)
  Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 5th; concentration +7)
  2nd—barkskin, cure light wounds
  1st—entangle (DC 13), resist energy
  TACTICS
  During Combat Both Kelhuuds cast barkskin on the first 
  round of combat. They save entangle to cover their retreat 
  and slow pursuit if needed. Otherwise the two focus their 
  attacks on a single foe at a time, one Kelhuud in melee and 
  one at range. If the Kelhuud in melee drops below 40 hit 
  points, they switch positions if possible.
  Morale If either Kelhuud drops below 15 hit points, both flee 
  by leaping into the river and swimming for safety on the 
  far shore, hoping to vanish into the forest.
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8
  Base Atk +8; CMB +10; CMD 23
  Feats Dodge, Endurance, Improved Shield Bash, Point-Blank 
  Shot, Precise Shot, Shield Focus, Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  Weapon Focus (longsword)
  Skills Climb +8, Handle Animal +6, Intimidate +10, Knowledge 
  (nature) +7, Perception +13 (+4 in forests), Stealth +8 (+4 
  in forests), Survival +13 (+4 in forests), Swim +8
  Languages Common
  SQ favored terrains (forest +4, mountains +2), hunter’s bond 
  (companions), swift tracker, track +4, wild empathy +7, 
  woodland stride
  Gear breastplate, light wooden shield, +1 shock longsword, 
  longbow with 20 arrows
  25
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Coexistence (Su) While the two Kelhuuds are physically 
  separate, mentally they are the same person. They can 
  communicate with one another telepathically to a range 
  of 1,000 feet and gain a +3 bonus on saving throws 
  against mind-affecting effects. If one is subjected to a 
  mind-affecting effect, it affects the other automatically. 
  Whenever the two are more than 1,000 feet apart, they 
  both become shaken. As a result, the Kelhuuds do not 
  willingly put this distance between them.
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to secure Kelhuud’s 
  assistance, award them 3,200 XP. If they manage to make 
  him helpful and earn permission to use his campsite, 
  increase this award to 6,400 XP.
  A4. SHRINE OF IBDURENGIAN
  This location can be reached by following the western 
  path from the T-junction at area A2 for just over a mile 
  up the mountainside. The PCs could arrive here simply 
  as they explore, or they might investigate this location 
  after they hear about the three visitors to the shrine 
  from Kelhuud. They may even enter the shrine from 
  below after being transported to the underground 
  complex from the Forges of Wrath.
  The winding forest path ends in a small clearing 
  before a structure made of pitted, dull yellow 
  stone. A disk of deep-red stone sits beneath an 
  open archway, through which area A4a can be 
  observed. The building’s facade is weathered and 
  pitted, but images of sea monsters carved into the 
  stone can still be made out, particularly a recurring 
  image of a demonic merfolk with the lower body of 
  a spiny eel. A PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Knowledge 
  (religion) check identifies this as an obscure demon 
  lord named Ibdurengian who was slain by Aroden in 
  the early years of the Age of Enthronement.
  The remains of a campsite fill the clearing just 
  before the entrance to the yellow stone building. With 
  a successful DC 15 Survival check, a PC confirms that 
  three people were camped here only a few days prior.
  A4a. Bloodstained Altar (CR 7)
  An oppressive pall hangs over this chamber. Aquatic 
  demons and sea monsters stalk the scenes carved into 
  the stony walls, the fiends eviscerating one another 
  with expressions that can be described only as gleeful. 
  A mosaic depicting a six-headed snake decorates the 
  floor, its coiling tail cut off by the western wall. At the 
  midsection of the serpent’s body stands what could only a 
  sacrificial altar, copious amounts of blood staining it and 
  the floor around it. What appear to be runes are carved 
  atop the altar, but the dried blood obscures their details.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Knowledge (history) 
  check identifies the coiled hydra as the symbol 
  of Runelord Thybidos, ruler of Bakrakhan until 
  Alaznist murdered him and claimed the title. The 
  secret door in the west wall can be discovered 
  with a successful DC 30 Perception check from 
  this room, but it is obvious when viewed from 
  area A4b.
  Trap: The “gore” that coats the altar and stains the 
  floor around it appears to be tacky, partially dried 
  blood, but it is in fact a poisonous excretion known as 
  “scarlet bliss” that is often exuded from altars of the 
  demon lord Ibdurengian. Although Ibdurengian 
  has been dead for many centuries, the poison 
  26
  Kelhuud
  
  excreted from this altar has remained potent through 
  all those years. When a living creature comes into 
  contact with the scarlet bliss, the stuff slithers eerily 
  to life, climbing swiftly up boots or along prodding 
  implements in search of flesh, making a single touch 
  attack against every available target each round until 
  no targets are present or the trap is disabled. A single 
  dose of holy water clears a 5-foot square of scarlet bliss 
  (enough to clear the entire altar) without ill effect. A PC 
  who succeeds at a DC 30 Knowledge (religion) check 
  recognizes the scarlet bliss for what it is, and knows 
  that holy water can easily clean it away. The excretion 
  is thick and sticky, and without holy water it takes 1d6 
  rounds of work to wipe or wash a section away. A spell 
  effect capable of creating water or fire, or any other 
  effect that cleans a surface, automatically cleans all 
  scarlet bliss away in the spell’s area of effect, but only if 
  the spell is at least 4th level.
  SCARLET BLISS 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Type magic; Perception DC 15; Disable Device DC 28 (or 
  application of holy water)
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset automatic
  Effect Atk +10 melee touch (scarlet bliss toxin), multiple 
  targets
  Scarlet bliss toxin—contact; save Fort DC 18; frequency 
  1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1 Charisma damage and 
  confused 1 round; cure 2 consecutive saves.
  Development: If the scarlet bliss is cleared from the 
  altar, anyone capable of reading Thassilonian can read 
  the runes carved on the surface: “Those who seek the 
  heart of the Lord of the Scarlet Tide need but to walk 
  the serpent’s path.” (This is a hint as to the location of 
  the secret door to area A4b.)
  A4b. Forsaken Doorstep (CR 7)
  The floor of this room is decorated with a mosaic of a 
  serpentine tail curling to the southwest, as if pointing 
  toward a domed alcove of rough-hewn stone made to 
  appear like a cave. Sitting in the alcove is a repugnant idol 
  of an eel-bodied demonic merfolk. To the north stands a 
  quartet of squat sculptures of bloated sea monsters, all 
  with disturbingly humanoid faces, each adorned with red 
  gemstone eyes. What appear to be gobs of bloody gore 
  cover these smaller idols and spatters the floor below.
  When the cultists of the Peacock Spirit passed 
  through these rooms, their fastidiousness inadvertently 
  saved their lives: by avoiding the gore-spattered statues 
  to the north and focusing on the statue of Ibdurengian 
  to the south, they bypassed this room’s guardian. 
  A character who succeeds at a DC 15 Perception check 
  notes fresh scrapes in the dust on the floor north of 
  the demonic statue, revealing that the statue itself sits 
  on a counterbalance. If it is pushed north, a flight of 
  stairs leading downward is revealed in the hollow space 
  below. These stairs lead down to area C1. Handholds on 
  the underside of the statue allow it to be pushed aside 
  from below without requiring a Perception check.
  Creature: As in the previous chamber, the fluid that 
  appears to be blood and gore is in fact the supernatural 
  influence of the long-dead demon lord. In this case, 
  the gore is a semidormant guardian creature known as 
  the breath of Ibdurengian. Originally, this blood-red 
  fiendish roiling oil attacked any creature that didn’t 
  enter with the proper prayers to its master, but over the 
  centuries it has retreated to the north. Today, it only 
  rouses from its torpor if a creature approaches within 
  5 feet of the northern statues. If roused, the fiendish 
  roiling oil fights to the death, pursuing foes relentlessly.
  BREATH OF IBDURENGIAN 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Fiendish roiling oil (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 288, 210)
  hp 103
  Treasure: The gemstones in the four statues are 
  expertly carved orange-red garnets worth 500 gp apiece. 
  They are easily pried from the repugnant idols once the 
  threat from the north is neutralized.
  A5. THE BLOODSTONE BUNKER (CR 6)
  This location can be reached by following Kelhuud’s 
  directions. The trek to this site is a 10-mile journey that 
  begins from a clearing on the opposite side of the river 
  from the main campsite in area A3. As the PCs draw near 
  the large clearing on Hollow Mountain’s northeastern 
  slope, they smell the tang of a burning campfire and see 
  a plume of smoke rising, a warning that the location 
  is already occupied. Allow the PCs to attempt a DC 15 
  Perception check as they approach to hear the sound of 
  combat and cries of pain and excitement.
  In the clearing, a large stone structure stands against the 
  woods, a narrow creek flowing languidly under its center. 
  Streaks of red run through the stone, giving the building 
  the appearance of being partially drenched in blood. Two 
  domes adorn the ends of the complex, connected by a vine-
  overgrown central structure. The building has no apparent 
  points of entry, although the vines across a strangely dark 
  pillar of stone on the building’s north face have been 
  recently hacked away, leaving the dark stone exposed.
  27
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  B. THE FORGES OF WRATH
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  B3
  B1
  B2
  B7
  B4
  B5
  B6
  B5
  B5
  B8
  D. THE GAUNTLET OF FURY
  C. DUST TO DUST
  C9
  C8
  C6
  C2
  C3
  C4
  C5
  C1
  C7
  C10
  C11
  C12
  C1a
  C1b
  C1c
  D9
  D8
  D5a
  D5
  D7
  D1
  D6
  D2
  D4
  D3
  28
  
  The creek that flows under the structure is only 5 feet 
  deep, but though it drains through a narrow tunnel below 
  the building’s foundation, it provides no entrance into 
  the building.
  The surface of the dark brown pillar is gouged and 
  marred—the result of the cultists’ reckless clearing of 
  tenacious vines that clung to the stone. The pillar itself 
  is in fact a magical door that can be commanded to 
  open (which sinks into the ground) by placing a hand 
  on the pillar and speaking the following phrase in 
  Thassilonian: “Open for the glory of Alaznist.” 
  Alternately, a PC can cause the pillar to lower 
  with a successful DC 25 Use Magic Device 
  check. Once lowered, the pillar remains in 
  that configuration until commanded to 
  rise again and reseal the entrance this 
  time with the phrase “Close for the 
  glory of Alaznist”, but it also 
  rises automatically after 10 
  minutes. A creature or object 
  standing on the pillar when 
  it rises is crushed against 
  the ceiling at the end of the 
  round, taking 6d6 points 
  of 
  bludgeoning 
  damage 
  and becoming pinned there until 
  it escapes with a successful DC 25 
  Escape Artist or combat 
  maneuver check to break 
  a grapple.
  If the PCs fail to use the 
  correct command phrase or a 
  successful Use Magic Device check, 
  enough damage can smash the pillar to 
  rubble (hardness 8, hp 120). There are two identical 
  stone pillar doors within the structure itself, and 
  they operate in the same manner.
  Creatures: A small group of Yamasoth cultists 
  has made this area their campsite. The leader 
  of this group is a man twisted both in body 
  and soul named Maga Szuul. Accompanying 
  him to Rivenrake were five barbaric cultists 
  assigned to him as muscle and protection. He 
  took two of them into the Gauntlet of Fury 
  (where he is now trapped after a failed attempt 
  to retrieve an item called an Abyssal runestone 
  for his leader; see area D8), leaving three here 
  to hold the base camp and prevent anyone from 
  following him into the dungeons below. These 
  three cultists have been spending their time 
  sparring with each other, as fighting never 
  gets old for them. They howl in fury when 
  they spot the PCs and attack at once.
  YAMASOTH CULTISTS (3) 
  CR 3
  XP 800 each
  Human barbarian 4
  CE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +2; Senses scent; Perception +8
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 13 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, –2 rage)
  hp 51 each (4d12+20)
  Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities trap sense +1, uncanny dodge
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft. (30 ft. in armor)
  Melee mwk longsword +11 (1d8+7/19–20)
  Special Attacks rage (12 rounds/day), rage powers 
  (knockback, scent)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The cultists rage at the start of combat 
  (their statistics include adjustments for this), and 
  favor spellcasters as targets. If a cultist is reduced 
  to 20 hit points, he drinks a potion of cure light 
  wounds, and they use their potions of lesser 
  restoration to counteract fatigue if needed.
  Morale The cultists fight to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 14, Con 19, Int 10, Wis 12, 
  Cha 8
  Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 19
  Feats Intimidating Prowess, Iron 
  Will, Weapon Focus (longsword)
  Skills Climb +10, Intimidate +11, 
  Perception +8, Survival +8, Swim +10
  Languages Common
  SQ fast movement
  Combat Gear potions of cure light 
  wounds (3), potions of lesser 
  restoration (2), alchemist’s fire (3); 
  Other Gear +1 hide armor, mwk 
  longsword
  Treasure: 
  One 
  of 
  the 
  cultists carries a scrap of 
  paper with the Thassilonian 
  phrase “Open for the glory 
  of Alaznist” written on it. 
  This reminds them of 
  the passcode should they 
  need to open the door 
  to area A5a, but since 
  none of the barbarians 
  speak 
  Thassilonian, 
  the 
  phrase 
  is 
  written 
  phonetically 
  in Common.
  29
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  Yamasoth Cultist
  
  A5a. Forge Entrance
  The ceiling of this chamber is fifteen feet high in the center, 
  rising to a height of thirty feet under a domed roof to the east. 
  The walls are adorned with elaborate frescos depicting a scene 
  of horror: crab-like figures with multiple arms ritually 
  sacrifice dozens of humans in cruelly imaginative ways, 
  all presided over by what appears to be a tentacled 
  sun looking down upon them from above. A dark stone 
  pillar stands in the western wall, while to the east, the 
  floor under the dome yawns open in a wide pit.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Knowledge 
  (planes) check recognizes the crab-like creatures 
  as gongorinan qlippoth and the tentacled sun as a 
  representation of their master, Yamasoth.
  The pit to the east once held a stairwell that 
  descended to the Forges of Wrath, but the wooden 
  stairs have mostly collapsed, resulting in a 100-foot-
  deep shaft, its walls lined with jutting pieces of wood 
  and stone. A set of ropes have been tied to one stone 
  anchor, forming the route that Maga Szuul and his two 
  barbarians used to descend into the Forges of Wrath. 
  Using the ropes to navigate the shaft down to area B1 
  requires a successful DC 5 Climb check; attempting to 
  do so without the ropes requires a successful 
  DC 20 Climb check.
  A5b. Armory (CR 6)
  The floor of this circular room is stained dark red in places, 
  while the walls are decorated with collapsed weapon racks 
  and ruined shelves. Nothing valuable remains.
  Trap: The weapons once kept here have been looted long 
  ago, but the chamber’s trap continues to function, ready 
  to trigger soon after anyone enters the room. Originally, 
  the trap would summon an overwhelming number of 
  grimslakes from the Abyss to attack and feed on intruders, 
  but time has seen the trap degrade so that it only summons 
  a single monster at a time and takes 24 hours to reset.
  GRIMSLAKE SUMMONING TRAP 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Type magic; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger proximity; Reset automatic (after 24 hours)
  Effect spell effect (a single grimslake is summoned, as if via 
  summon monster V; CL 20th)
  GRIMSLAKE
  Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 136
  hp 68
  A5c. Sacrificial Storage
  The polished marble floor of this half-moon chamber is a rich 
  blue hue, though ancient bloodstains discolor much of it. The 
  walls are carved with bas-reliefs depicting naked human 
  figures slitting their own throats, blissful smiles on their 
  faces. Rusty iron manacles hang from chains along the walls 
  and an ancient skeleton lies slumped to the south, a curved 
  sword blade lodged in its ribs as if the long-dead person had 
  plunged the blade into their own chest.
  Treasure: Prisoners, slaves, and other unfortunates 
  were once kept here for periodic use as sacrifices when 
  a particularly potent magical weapon was being crafted 
  in the Forges of Wrath below. The ancient skeleton 
  is the remains of one of the forge keepers who 
  took his own life as Earthfall began its destructive 
  end of Thassilon. The bones crumble to dust if 
  disturbed, but the +2 cruelUE falcata itself remains 
  fully functional but cursed from its final suicidal 
  use. When a creature attacks with the falcata while 
  he is wounded, he must succeed at a DC 20 Will 
  save to resist using the weapon to attack himself. 
  If he fails the saving throw, he hits automatically 
  but must still roll to determine if the attack is 
  a critical hit. On a successful save, the creature 
  is immune for 24 hours to further suicidal 
  compulsions while wielding the weapon.
  PART 4:  
  THE WORLD IS HOLLOW
  The remainder of the adventure takes place within the 
  dungeons of Hollow Mountain, an enormous complex 
  that served the runelords of wrath as a stronghold. 
  The complex has at least 20 sprawling levels, but 
  this adventure takes the PCs only to the corners of 
  four of these dungeons. A larger treatment of Hollow 
  Mountain itself is presented in Pathfinder Campaign 
  Setting: Dungeons of Golarion, if you’d like to learn more 
  about this legendary site. (Note that the PCs will be 
  destined to return to the apex of this dungeon, where 
  Alaznist’s runewell of wrath is hidden, in the final 
  adventure in this campaign!)
  Initially, the PCs theoretically have access to two of the 
  four locations presented in this chapter. The entrance to 
  the Forges of Wrath, where the portal to the Underflume of 
  Roderic’s Cove is located, lies in area A5a, and the entrance 
  to a portion of the Forsaken Mezzanine, where the cult of 
  the Peacock Spirit has been exploring, can be reached from 
  area A4b. Which complex the PCs visit first is up to them.
  30
  Cursed Blade
  
  B. THE FORGES OF WRATH
  This level of Hollow Mountain is located in a small 
  corner of the Baleful Repository, formerly a place for 
  forging and storing weapons for Alaznist’s army. No 
  physical connection to the rest of the Baleful Repository 
  presently exists in this sublevel. Once, a portal connected 
  this region to several other points within Hollow 
  Mountain and to several Underflumes (including the 
  one in Roderic’s Cove), but today, this portal (located in 
  area B7) is malfunctioning.
  The Forges of Wrath are unlit unless otherwise noted. 
  Ceiling height averages at 10 feet, and the doors are made 
  of black iron. They can be locked (Disable Device DC 25) 
  but are unlocked when the PCs visit unless otherwise 
  noted in the text.
  B1. Grand Hall of Forges (CR 6)
  A collection of huge forges now lies dormant in this long 
  chamber, its vaulted ceiling twenty-five feet above. The 
  walls are still stained with the soot of the fiery business 
  that once went on here, and long-dead coals are piled in the 
  cold furnaces. The blast of three of the forges seems to have 
  scorched the floor. To the east, a shaft partially filled with an 
  old, collapsed stairway rises upward, while to the west, an 
  immense iron gate stands slightly ajar before a room beyond. 
  A badly burnt body lies slumped near this gate.
  Creatures: Wary adventurers will likely be cautious 
  here, suspicious that the scorch marks indicate traps or 
  haunted forges that spit fire at those passing by. Instead, 
  the danger lies at those forges without signs of fiery 
  exhalation. Passing within 10 feet of one of the forges 
  without scorch marks stirs the long-dormant coals: in 
  a single round, they suddenly come to life, glowing red 
  with heat. On the next round, three combusted crawl 
  out of the burning coals and attack. These former 
  blacksmiths who labored at Alaznist’s forges attack the 
  party until destroyed, at which point their spirits return 
  to the cinders. After 24 hours, the three combusted can 
  attack again—this cycle can be broken only if the three 
  forges are subjected to the effects of hallow or a similar 
  effect that prevents the manifestation of undead.
  COMBUSTED (3) 
  CR 3
  XP 800 each
  hp 32 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 6 63)
  Treasure: The burnt body near the gate is one of Maga 
  Szuul’s barbarian cultist bodyguards, who was a victim 
  of the combusted. He still wears his +1 hide armor and 
  clutches his masterwork longsword, but his potions have 
  been taken (and subsequently used) by Maga Szuul.
  B2. An Angry Visage (CR 6)
  An immense and angry countenance glares out of this alcove: 
  a large sculpture of a woman’s head protruding from the 
  stone of the wall. Her face is severe, her nostrils flared, her 
  jaw clenched, her eyes angry and penetrating. A hallway 
  leads north from the alcove, while to the south an iron door 
  blocks passage.
  Trap: This sculpture is a duplicate in miniature of 
  the colossal visage that stares down from the summit 
  of Hollow Mountain: a portrayal of Runelord Alaznist. 
  A PC who examines the carving and succeeds at a DC 15 
  Perception check notices that the jaw is hinged, though 
  no amount of prying releases it. On a Perception check 
  result of 25 or higher, the searcher also finds a trigger 
  hidden in the sculpture’s left ear—a trapped lever which 
  opens the jaw.
  BREATH OF WRATH 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset manual
  Effect A cloud of caustic vapors issues forth from the 
  sculpture’s nostrils, filling area B2 and extending 5 feet into 
  the northern hall and area B1. All creatures in the area take 
  6d6 points of acid damage (Reflex DC 18 half) from the 
  caustic fumes.
  Treasure: When the lever within the sculpture’s left ear is 
  released, the jaw falls open and 10,000 gp worth of medium-
  quality gemstones spills forth from the now-gaping mouth. 
  If a PC carefully examines the interior of the mouth, with 
  a successful DC 20 Perception check the character finds 
  a second (locked) compartment. The locking mechanism 
  can be picked with a successful DC 25 Disable Device check 
  to reveal three fire opals worth 1,000 gp each. These gems 
  were used by artisans to decorate magic weapons in the 
  Exotics Workshop (area B6).
  B3. Derelict Ore Elevator (CR 6)
  A pile of ore and a large wheel of blackened iron are all that 
  occupy this chamber. A shaft in the floor at the east end of the 
  room is also visible, with ancient tangles of chains hanging 
  down into it from a complex mechanism in the ceiling above.
  Hazard: The wheel served to raise and lower the ore 
  elevator that is now stuck in the shaft about 30 feet below 
  the chamber floor. With a successful DC 16 Knowledge 
  (engineering) check, a PC discovers the workings of 
  the wheel and determines that whatever load is on the 
  31
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  elevator is trapped 30 feet down in the shaft. If the PCs 
  decide to raise the elevator into the chamber, someone 
  must unjam the wheel with a successful DC 25 Disable 
  Device check. However, a closer examination of the 
  mechanism and a successful DC 25 Perception check 
  reveal a danger—if the wheel is unjammed or if anyone 
  attempts to manipulate the load of ore hanging below, 
  the entire thing will collapse spectacularly. If this occurs, 
  the destruction sends chains and fragments of ancient 
  metal lashing out, dealing 6d6 points of bludgeoning 
  and slashing damage to all creatures within 10 feet of the 
  shaft (Reflex DC 15 half). Creatures in the shaft itself take 
  a –4 penalty on this saving throw and anyone who fails 
  the save falls the remaining 60 feet to the rubble-filled pit 
  floor below. The mines below have collapsed (although if 
  you wish to expand this complex and include connections 
  to other areas under Hollow Mountain, feel free to have 
  one or more entrances to the mines remain navigable).
  Treasure: The container hanging 30 feet down the 
  90-foot-deep shaft holds 9,000 gp worth of mithral ore.
  Story Award: Should the PCs manage to gain the stash 
  of mithral ore, award them 2,400 XP.
  B4. Abandoned Pushcarts
  Three large wheeled pushcarts lie in disrepair here, their 
  contents in little better shape.
  Examination of the brittle wood and corroded metal 
  on these carts suggests that they once held weapons, 
  mostly ranseurs and other mundane polearms whose 
  shafts have grown brittle due to the passage of 
  millennia. The carts themselves are in only marginally 
  better repair, rickety and ready to fall apart. A PC 
  who succeeds at a DC 15 Perception check notes that 
  someone recently looked through the weapons—more 
  evidence of the cultists’ passage.
  B5. Weapon Storage
  The racks of weapons that once lined this storage room 
  have collapsed under the weight of their loads. The 
  polearms, maces, and swords they bore now lie in heaps 
  on the dusty floor.
  None of the ancient weapons in these storage rooms 
  are functional. They have all been destroyed by the 
  ravages of time.
  B6. Exotics Workshop (CR 7)
  Stone tables stand along the east and west walls in this 
  chamber, ancient tools lying on their dusty surfaces. Collapsed 
  wooden racks that once held weapons clutter an alcove in the 
  south of the chamber.
  Haunt: Once this was a place where Alaznist’s artisans 
  toiled to craft beautiful weaponry out of the mundane 
  supplies looted from battlefields. Now the anguished 
  spirits of those artisans, executed in the hours before 
  Earthfall by a desperate overseer, haunt this workshop.
  ANGUISHED ARTISANS  
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  CE tenaciousHA haunt (area B6)
  Caster Level 7th
  Notice Perception DC 30 (to notice the distant sound of metal 
  striking metal)
  hp 14; Trigger touch (touching the magical kukri or mace 
  among the corroded mundane weapons; see Treasure 
  below); Weakness triggered by touch; Reset 1 day
  Effect The spirits of dead artisans, enraged by the 
  corrosion of so much of their labor, release a howl of 
  fury, shrieking things like “Our work! Destroyed and 
  neglected! Woe to our legacy!” accompanied by a 
  cacophonous sound of work hammers striking on metal. 
  The PC who touched the magic item is affected by an 
  enervation spell.
  Destruction If all of the corroded and ruined weapons are 
  hidden from view, the haunt is destroyed.
  Treasure: Most of the weapons here are ruined, but PCs 
  searching the debris find two weapons in mint condition: 
  a bloodletting kukriUE and a boulderhead maceUE. 
  B7. The Damaged Portal
  Normally, discovering the secret door to this chamber 
  requires a successful DC 20 Perception check, but it has 
  remained open since the last time the sinspawn Mozamer 
  entered the room and used the portal beyond to travel to 
  the Roderic’s Cove Underflume.
  The walls of this chamber are carved from deep-green marble 
  with a domed ceiling twenty feet above. A ten-foot-long pool 
  filled with crystal-clear water occupies the chamber, with 
  what looks like the bronze frame of a gate set at the head 
  of the waters. A slight shimmer in the air is visible where 
  the gate itself would be, and the frame is etched with lines 
  of script. Now and then, what appear to be brief images of 
  people or monsters flicker within the frame, only to vanish 
  an instant later.
  This is the portal Mozamer had used to travel from 
  Hollow Mountain to Roderic’s Cove, but as the sinspawn 
  discovered, the portal is malfunctioning and works only 
  in one direction. The images flickering in the portal 
  32
  
  are visual echoes left by previous users. If the images 
  are studied, the viewer catches glimpses of fleshdregs, a 
  hydraggon qlippoth, and the sinspawn Mozamer now and 
  then, mixed in with that of a mutated man (Maga Szuul) 
  and a hulking thug dressed much like the Yamasoth 
  cultists the PCs likely fought in area A5. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 20 Knowledge (arcana or planes) check 
  confirms these images as harmless (if strange) aftereffects 
  of portal travel.
  The method of attuning the portal to different locations 
  is complex, requiring many years of study. The last person 
  to even partially understand the portal’s use was Maga 
  Szuul, who used directions provided by his cult to focus 
  the portal away from Roderic’s Cove’s to the Gauntlet of 
  Fury. A character who can read Thassilonian and spends 
  an hour studying the runes understands that the portal 
  can be refocused to several different pre-determined 
  locations, but that without detailed directions, mastering 
  the refocusing would require many months, or perhaps 
  years, of intense study.
  Maga Szuul and his followers used this portal to travel 
  into the Gauntlet of Fury, and if the PCs step through, 
  they’ll likewise be transported to area D5a in the Gauntlet. 
  The portal is one-way only; characters who wish to escape 
  the Gauntlet must find another way out.
  The portal can be destroyed in one of two ways. Simply 
  smashing it to pieces will work, but this method is 
  dangerous. The portal frame has hardness 10 and 120 hit 
  points, and each time it takes damage, it releases a bolt 
  of magical energy that makes a single touch attack with a 
  +8 bonus against the creature who dealt the damage. This 
  bolt can strike anyone in area B7, dealing 2d4 points of 
  force damage on a hit. A safer method of destroying the 
  portal can be found by studying the portal while using 
  detect magic, as if identifying a magic item. In this case, 
  a character that succeeds at a DC 20 Spellcraft check 
  determines that the pool of water serves as a sort of 
  magical capacitor for the portal. Emptying the pool by 
  hand requires tools and 2d4 hours of work, but magic like 
  control water can do the job much more quickly. Magical 
  fire is particularly effective, and if the pool of water 
  takes 50 points of fire damage from magical sources, it 
  is emptied.
  Were the portal functioning normally, emptying 
  the pool would merely render the gate dormant until 
  reactivated, but now, if the waters are removed, the portal 
  begins humming and flashing dangerously. It implodes 
  with a crack of thunder 3 rounds later. Any creatures 
  remaining in area B7 at this point are immediately 
  transported to area D5a of the Gauntlet. (For ease of play, 
  this effect should transport all of the PCs simultaneously 
  or not at all, unless you’re prepared to run separate tables 
  for your players until they can reunite!)
  The portal’s effects function at CL 20th. A player who 
  successfully casts dispel magic or a similar effect that 
  manages to deactivate the portal causes it to self-destruct 
  as if the pool of water had been emptied.
  Story Award: Once the portal is destroyed, by whatever 
  method, award the PCs 4,800 XP.
  B8. Mozamer’s Den (CR 6)
  The stairs descend to a low-ceilinged, deep-green marble 
  chamber. What appears to be a nest of rags and furs lies in the 
  northeast corner of the room. To the south, a short flight of 
  steps leads up to a wall of iron bars set with a large gate that 
  blocks access to a platform. A single altar of dark-red marble 
  stands in this alcove, with what appears to be a large brass 
  egg balanced atop it. The altar is decorated with a strange 
  circular rune adorned with eyes.
  This room was once the den of the sinspawn Mozamer, 
  and a search of the nest suggests the filthy heap had 
  been his bedding. The sinspawn took most of his gear 
  with him on his final trip to Roderic’s Cove through the 
  portal, but he left behind a few fragmentary notes about 
  his studies of the portal itself. A PC who had previously 
  studied the sinspawn’s notes on the portal (such as those 
  found in his suite in the Underflume below Roderic’s 
  Cove) quickly recognizes the style and contents. The notes 
  are in Thassilonian. With an hour of study, a PC learns 
  the nature of the portal’s water in area B7, including 
  Mozamer’s theory that if the water in the pool were to be 
  emptied, the portal would self-destruct.
  The southern portion of the room once served as a 
  shrine to Yamasoth, whom Alaznist required her smiths 
  and crafters to look to for inspiration. This shrine’s 
  presence in the Forges of Wrath allowed the artisans who 
  toiled here to visit often to worship, pray, and seek insight 
  from the Polymorph Plague. The iron gate to the shrine 
  isn’t locked, but it is stuck and requires a successful DC 15 
  Strength check to force open.
  Creature: The egg sitting atop the altar serves a dual 
  purpose. It functioned as an incense burner, but it’s also 
  the lair of a sinister entity from the depths of the Outer 
  Rifts. A living manifestation of the chaos of the Abyss 
  (and thus no more an ally of demons than of qlippoth 
  or any other form of Abyssal life), half-fiend elementals 
  like this one were often used in Bakrakhan as temple 
  guardians. The one bound to this altar is named Boag-
  Hok, and while it has been charged with protecting the 
  site from usurpers, the loneliness of its existence in 
  post-Earthfall Hollow Mountain was recently granted a 
  reprieve when the sinspawn Mozamer came to dwell here. 
  Boag-Hok enjoyed Mozamer’s company and engaged the 
  sinspawn in long philosophical discussions on the nature 
  33
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  of flesh and its viability as a medium for life. The half-
  fiend does not understand the concepts of compassion 
  or friendship, but it does miss the discussions it once had 
  with Mozamer.
  When it senses the PCs entering the room, Boag-Hok 
  emerges from the egg-shaped censer atop the altar, 
  manifesting as a roiling demonic face made of oily black 
  and green smoke. It greets the visitors telepathically, 
  asking if they are sacrifices sent by Mozamer to sate 
  its hunger. Boag-Hok enjoys sacrifices, but it is starved 
  for conversation as well, and it can be held back from 
  attacking on a round-by-round basis as long as at least one 
  PC can keep it interested in the discussion with making a 
  successful DC 15 Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge, or Spellcraft 
  check. The DC of this check increases by 1 each round. 
  You should use this encounter to confirm to the PCs 
  that this room was indeed once occupied by Mozamer, 
  and perhaps to answer other lingering questions about 
  the sinspawn and how it managed to travel from here all 
  the way to Roderic’s Cove, but it shouldn’t be long before 
  Boag-Hok grows weary of discussion and attacks.
  Boag-Hok is a bit more powerful than the typical 
  Medium-sized half-fiend air elemental. It appears as a 
  coiling plume of smoke when it emerges from its censer 
  lair, and it manifests a mouth filled with fangs of magical 
  force when it attacks.
  BOAG-HOK 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Variant half-fiend medium air elemental (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 171, 120)
  CE Medium outsider (air, elemental, extraplanar, native)
  Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 17, flat-footed 14 (+6 Dex, 
  +1 dodge, +4 natural)
  hp 68 (8d10+24)
  Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +5
  Defensive Abilities air mastery; DR 5/magic; 
  Immune elemental traits; Resist acid 10, cold 10, 
  electricity 10, fire 10; SR 17
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 100 ft. (perfect)
  Melee bite +14 (5d6+3 force)
  Special Attacks force fangs, smite good, whirlwind (10–30 ft. 
  high, 1d6+4 damage, DC 18)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +10)
  3/day—darkness, poison (DC 16)
  1/day—desecrate, unholy blight (DC 16)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Boag-Hok begins combat 
  by casting unholy blight, then flows out 
  through the gaps in the bars to cast poison on 
  its foes and attack with its bite. It casts darkness 
  if it’s surrounded and reduced to fewer than 30 hit 
  points, using the cover to escape back to a distance, 
  after which it relies upon making bite attacks with 
  Flyby Attack to prevent full attacks against itself.
  Morale Boag-Hok fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 23, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 15
  Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 29
  Feats Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, 
  Mobility, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +17, Escape Artist +11, Fly +19, Knowledge 
  (planes) +10, Perception +12, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +17
  34
  Boag-hok
  
  Languages Abyssal; telepathy (100 ft.)
  SQ vaporous body
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Force Fangs (Su) When Boag-Hok attacks with its bite, 
  its fangs are made of magical force. On a hit, it inflicts 
  5d6 points of force damage, modified by 1-1/2 times its 
  Charisma modifier.
  Vaporous Body (Ex) Boag-Hok can pass through small holes, 
  even cracks, without reducing its speed. It cannot enter 
  water or other liquid. It has no Strength score, and it cannot 
  manipulate objects other than to bite them.
  C. DUST TO DUST
  This level of Hollow Mountain is located on a larger 
  level known as the Forsaken Mezzanine, a place where 
  Alaznist’s bureaucrats saw to the running of the 
  runelord’s empire, filing reports, cataloging tributes and 
  punishments, storing records, and tracking supplies. 
  The rooms in this complex are lit by glowing runes 
  placed high on walls near the ceilings. Unless noted 
  otherwise, the doors here are made of thick oak, carved 
  rather ornately for a place of such mundane activity, and 
  they have been preserved by ancient magic to keep them 
  sturdy even today.
  This complex should be the target of PCs who are 
  tracking the cult of the Peacock Spirit (to try to recover 
  Baraket, to bring Viralane to justice, or simply to get 
  revenge) or who are escaping the Gauntlet (which 
  connects to this complex from below).
  C1. Grand Hall of Records (CR 7)
  The thirty-foot-high ceiling of this impressive, L-shaped 
  chamber is supported by six square columns. Empty 
  bookshelves line these columns and the surrounding walls. A 
  faded mosaic of countless shades of yellow is set in the floor, 
  depicting the rays of the sun. Drifts of dust obscure portions 
  of this mosaic, but the telltale sign of several humanoid tracks 
  leads from a flight of stairs descending from the west to the 
  eastern side of the large hall.
  The trail of footprints through the dust was left by the 
  cultists of the Peacock Spirit and leads to area C2. The 
  stairs at area C1a lead up to area A4b.
  The books and records once stored in this hall were 
  considered mundane and minor, and as such were not 
  preserved via the same magic that keeps the stacks in area 
  C7 usable.
  Two smaller reading rooms to the southwest contain 
  preserved wooden chairs and tables. Area C1b contains 
  no further objects of interest, but area C1c holds a grisly 
  tableau—a pair of ancient skeletons with leather cords 
  around their bony necks.
  Creatures: When Earthfall ended Thassilon, some of 
  Alaznist’s bureaucrats chose suicide rather than the prospect 
  of enduring the end of civilization. The bodies in areas C1c 
  are the remains of two such victims who used cords of 
  leather tied in slip knots to strangle themselves. Their 
  restless spirits haunt the grand hall today, manifesting as 
  a pair of strangled choking shades who claw at the coils of 
  ghostly leather tight around their necks before they attack 
  intruders. If destroyed, these spirits manifest again after 
  24 hours, in much the same manner as a ghost rejuvenates. 
  They do not pursue foes beyond the Grand Hall of Records.
  If the leather cords are removed from the remains in 
  area C1c, the choking shades no longer rejuvenate after 
  being destroyed.
  STRANGLED CHOKING SHADES (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  hp 52 each (see page 82)
  C2. The Librarian (CR 7)
  An immense mosaic of the rune of wrath is inlaid in the 
  floor before a rusted iron desk in a curved alcove to the east. 
  Hallways lead to the north and south, and a relatively recent 
  set of humanoid tracks are visible in the dust leading both 
  north and south.
  The secret door to area C3 is well concealed, requiring 
  a successful DC 25 Perception check to discover. The 
  tracks on the floor were left by Peacock Spirit cultists as 
  they explored area C4 before moving south to area C6 
  (but they didn’t find area C3).
  Creature: Seated behind the desk is a metal humanoid 
  figure, corrosion covering every inch of its orange-tinged 
  form. In days long past, this clockwork was known as the 
  Librarian, and it controlled access to the secret library (area 
  C3). The Librarian has been in standby mode for thousands 
  of years, waiting for a visitor to either approach it with a 
  request for a book or attempt illegal entry into the library. 
  The Librarian has an unusual, wide slot built into its 
  chest, sized perfectly to accept a book-shaped “request 
  key.” Visitors to the library would use these keys to 
  withdraw books from the library by inserting the key 
  into the Librarian’s chest. The Librarian would then 
  move to the secret library, retrieve the book requested 
  by the key, and hand it over. These keys could be 
  programmed only by high-ranking administrators here 
  in the Forsaken Mezzanine, but one functioning key still 
  exists in area C5.
  Any visible attempt to open the secret door to area C3 
  causes the librarian to immediately animate and attack. 
  Once roused, it fights to the death. The Librarian is 
  nearly wound down, and it can function only for 6 rounds 
  35
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  before it goes forever inert (its winding mechanism has 
  corroded beyond repair).
  THE LIBRARIAN 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Advanced clockwork soldier (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 290, 57)
  hp 80 (10d10+20)
  Melee mwk handaxe +20/+15 (1d6+9/×3)
  Story Award: If the PCs insert the request key from 
  area C5 into the Librarian, the time it requires to enter 
  the library, retrieve the blessed book, emerge, and present 
  the book uses up all of its remaining winding time. 
  Award the PCs full experience points for defeating the 
  clockwork in this way.
  C3. Spellcaster’s Library
  This oddly shaped chamber is lit by a flickering globe of light 
  that hovers at the peak of the domed ceiling twenty feet 
  above. Bookshelves are built into the walls, and several dust-
  covered tomes rest upon them.
  The illumination in the ceiling is merely a globe of 
  glass with a continual flame spell cast on it.
  Treasure: This room once contained an impressive 
  repository of spellbooks, but most were taken away by 
  frightened administrators in Thassilon’s final hours. Of 
  the books that remain, most have not been preserved 
  with magic and crumble to dust when 
  touched. A collection of preserved 
  books detailing the complexities of 
  magical research survive, though. This 
  group of 10 books is worth 2,500 gp as a 
  set, and they grant a +5 bonus on Knowledge 
  (arcana) checks if they are referenced. 
  Two magic books survive as well: a blank 
  blessed book and a clay golem manual. If a PC places 
  the request key found in area C5 in the Librarian in area 
  C2, the Librarian will recover the blessed book and deliver it 
  to the PCs, but the PCs can retrieve the clay golem manual 
  only by entering the room themselves.
  C4. Reading Rooms
  Eight heavy oak doors line this narrow corridor, four of them 
  shut, four ajar. Light shines from a small globe fixed in the 
  ceiling halfway down the hall, illuminating floating motes 
  of dust. A large carving of a human face looms from the 
  wall at the western end of the hall. The dust on the floor 
  here has been disturbed recently, and splashes of blood 
  mar the floors and walls. Three shattered human skeletons 
  lie on the hall’s floor.
  The glass orb in the ceiling is the size of an apple 
  and bears a continual flame spell. The blood and broken 
  skeletons are a testament to a recent fight between 
  Peacock Spirit cultists and the three skeletal champions 
  who once dwelled in this part of the library.
  The face in the west wall depicts a man, his 
  visage adorned with a drooping blindfold 
  covering only one eye, his jaw hanging open 
  in bewilderment. The exposed eye is an empty 
  socket, and the stone around the edges is chipped, 
  36
  The Librarian
  
  suggesting something was pried out of it. (In fact, the 
  object that once occupied this socket was stolen by Damil 
  Russo and is now in his possession in area C9.) A PC 
  who succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check finds that this 
  sculpture is in fact a secret door, but the mechanism for 
  opening it is quite complex, requiring a successful DC 30 
  Disable Device check. This task was beyond any of the 
  cultists, and so they have not reached area C5.
  C5. Secret Reading Room
  A desk of lacquered wood sits against the north wall of this 
  cubical chamber. A flame flickers in a lamp on the desk, 
  casting dancing shadows on the wall, while several books 
  and an ancient-looking but still intact leather pouch sit on 
  the desk.
  The lamp has continual flame cast on it.
  Treasure: The ancient-looking pouch is a handy 
  haversack that contains 600 gp worth of moonstones 
  and a sheathed dagger of venom. The books on the desk 
  crumble to dust if touched, save for one. This book, upon 
  closer examination, is revealed to be not a book at all but 
  rather a sculpture made from iron and ivory. The sides 
  of the book, where pages would be, are a set of complex 
  gears—a successful DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) check 
  correctly identifies the “book” as some sort of clockwork 
  key. This is a request key that, if inserted into the 
  Librarian’s chest slot in area C2, compels the clockwork 
  to fetch the blessed book from storage in area C3.
  C6. Battle Site
  There are three wooden doors at this oddly shaped 
  intersection, in addition to a narrow hall headed south. The 
  floor is set with an abstract circular mosaic, some of it fading 
  but most of it still brilliantly colored. The remains of what may 
  have once been a four-armed humanoid built of bronze plates 
  and iron gears lies in pieces on the ground, while splatters of 
  blood decorate the floor nearby.
  The Peacock Spirit cultists encountered a clockwork 
  mage in area C7, and the resulting battle spilled out into 
  this room before the cultists managed to defeat the deadly 
  creature. A search of the destroyed construct reveals a 
  swath of fabric clutched in one hand—a brightly colored 
  bit of red material that the PCs should immediately 
  recognize as having been torn from the hem of Viralane 
  Barvisai’s red skirt.
  Anyone who examines the tracks in the dust can see 
  that several humanoids have moved through the doors 
  to the west, east, and north, but that no one has traveled 
  south toward area C10 in a long time.
  C7. Grand Library
  The walls of this great chamber are lined with white marble 
  shot through with streaks of gold. The ceiling above consists 
  of two intersecting domes. Green frescos decorate the 
  floor, the patterns mirroring each other in each half of the 
  room. Niches in the walls may have once held dozens if not 
  hundreds of tomes, but most of these books, loose papers, 
  and scrolls are now recklessly scattered around the chamber.
  A character who succeeds at a DC 12 Survival check 
  determines that this place was recently ransacked 
  without any regard for the age of the tomes stored 
  here or their value, academic or otherwise. Unlike the 
  books found elsewhere, though, the tomes and scrolls 
  stored in this library were of greater importance and 
  have all been magically preserved to withstand the 
  passage of time. If PCs take the time to look at the 
  dispersed volumes on the floor, they find treatises 
  on every imaginable subject: astronomy, geography, 
  magic, planar theory, zoology, and more. It would 
  take a historian several years to completely catalogue 
  the ancient information here, but unfortunately, very 
  little of what remains is particularly eye-opening 
  about Thassilon, and much of it is woefully out of date 
  or misinformed.
  Treasure: If the library’s contents are gathered up 
  and sorted, the several hundred books and scrolls grant 
  a +4 bonus on any Knowledge check associated with 
  general interest lore about Thassilon. The collection 
  weighs 2,800 pounds in all and is worth 4,000 gp if it 
  can be transported safely to a collector.
  C8. Antechamber (CR 6)
  Whoever occupied this space tried to decorate it to kindle 
  memories of the forest. Four large pots now bear only 
  long-dead plants, woody remnants surrounded by swaths of 
  dust. A red metal desk is at the north end of the chamber, and 
  a black iron door leads to the east. Lying before the desk is a 
  bedroll next to a small stack of books.
  Creature: Of the three cultists of the Peacock Spirit 
  who are in the dungeon, Damil Russo has no predilection 
  for magic and no patience for ritual. He was drawn to the 
  cult purely out of appreciation for its fashion, its sense 
  of style, and because he felt that he had the right stuff to 
  someday lead the cult, despite the fact that his personality 
  is less that of a leader and more that of a bully. As his 
  two companions work on studying their gathered tomes 
  in the next room over, he’s taken to this room to relax 
  and study several interesting books he discovered in the 
  Grand Library.
  37
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  Unless the PCs were particularly noisy in their 
  approach, Damil is sitting at the desk, reading a military 
  history book and taking notes on ancient Thassilonian 
  fighting styles. As soon as he realizes trouble is afoot, he 
  jumps up from the desk, gives a series of three quick raps 
  on the door to area C9 to alert the others, and takes up a 
  defensive position here.
  Note that if the cultists have secured Baraket, Damil 
  wields it instead of his +1 rapier (note that because Damil 
  is a worshipper of the Peacock Spirit, he does not take the 
  penalities on d20 rolls described on page 7). In this case, 
  Hira has placed a hold person spell on the Sword of Pride for 
  Damil to use.
  DAMIL RUSSO 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Male human fighter 7
  CE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +7; Senses Perception +7
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield)
  hp 71 (7d10+28)
  Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +2 (+2 vs. fear)
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 mithral rapier +9/+4 (1d6+6/18–20), +1 rapier 
  +9/+4 (1d6+6/18–20) or
  Baraket +10/+10/+5 (1d6+7/18–20), +1 mithral rapier 
  +9/+4 (1d6+6/18–20)
  Ranged composite longbow +10/+5 (1d8+2/×3)
  Special Attacks weapon training (light blades +1)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Damil fights loudly and brashly, doing his 
  best to prevent anyone from entering area C9. As the 
  battle progresses, he calls out the tactics, strengths, and 
  weaknesses of the PCs as he interprets them, letting the 
  others in area C9 prepare more appropriately. If he drops 
  below 30 hit points, he takes up a position in front of the 
  door to area C9 and fights with total defense, drawing the 
  battle out as long as possible so the others have more time 
  to get ready.
  Morale Damil may not have the patience for magic his 
  companions have, but he’s devoted to defending them and 
  fights to the death to protect their privacy.
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
  Base Atk +7; CMB +9; CMD 22
  Feats Double Slice, Improved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon 
  Fighting, Toughness, Two-Weapon Defense, Two-Weapon 
  Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (rapier), Weapon 
  Specialization (rapier)
  Skills Acrobatics +9, Intimidate +9, Perception +7, Sense 
  Motive +3, Survival +7
  Languages Common, Thassilonian
  SQ armor training 2
  Gear mwk breastplate, +1 mithral rapier, +1 rapier, composite 
  longbow (+2 Str), 10 gp
  Treasure: There are seven books in here, all concerning 
  the military history and fighting techniques of 
  Bakrakhan’s soldiers. The books grant a +4 bonus if used 
  as a resource for any Knowledge check associated with 
  this topic by someone who can read Thassilonian. The 
  books are worth 1,600 gp as a collection.
  C9. Cultist Encampment (CR 8)
  An elegant, geometric, mauve fresco decorates the floor of 
  this room. Dust and rubble have been swept aside to make 
  room for a pair of bedrolls and a field camp, while a small 
  stack of a few dozen books stand close at hand.
  Creatures: The reason the cultists of the Peacock 
  Spirit have come to the Forsaken Mezzanine depends on 
  whether or not they’ve managed to obtain the Sword of 
  Pride. Regardless of the reason, the trio of cultists have 
  already defeated several of the denizens in this complex, 
  and the PCs will be able to track them if they pay 
  attention. The cultists are currently camped in area C9, 
  studying key tomes liberated from the Grand Library 
  (area C7).
  If the cultists have stolen the Sword of Pride, they’ve 
  raided the Grand Library to research the potential location 
  of the Sword of Wrath. Now that they control Xanderghul’s 
  weapon, they hope to deprive Alaznist of hers.
  If the cultists haven’t yet stolen the Sword of Pride, 
  they’ve come to the Forsaken Mezzanine to raid the 
  Grand Library in search of a ritual to conjure a retriever 
  to seek out the PCs, having learned rumors of such a 
  ritual’s existence through documents recounting one of 
  many ways Alaznist called up aid from the Abyss despite 
  having conjuration as an opposition school.
  If she knows the PCs are on their way and she still 
  has her potion of eagle’s splendor, Viralane drinks it 
  before the fight begins. She then takes up a position 
  at the far side of the room to confront the PCs as 
  they enter, hoping to distract them while Hira, who 
  is likely invisible, moves into the most advantageous 
  position for the upcoming fight. After greeting the PCs, 
  Viralane speaks.
  “How strange that you find me here! We parted on such sour 
  terms, and I have felt dreadful about how I treated you and 
  took advantage of your trust. Can you forgive me, a woman 
  with little recourse but to ply her trade as best she is able? 
  Will you give me a second chance?”
  38
  
  If the PCs agree to speak with Viralane, she goes on to 
  explain how the cult of the Peacock Spirit has promised 
  to help her to overcome a curse. She begs the party to 
  allow the research to be completed, leaving her here to 
  study the tomes she’s gathered. If the PCs do so, she and 
  Hira pack things up and leave Rivenrake Island. In this 
  event, they might be encountered later in the campaign 
  as recurring villains. But if it seems apparent that the 
  PCs want to take Viralane with them as a prisoner or if 
  they look like they’re about to start a fight, Viralane casts 
  suggestion on the group’s most vulnerable character (the 
  PC with the lowest Will saving throw) and implores them 
  to leave Rivenrake Island. In the resulting fight, Viralane 
  stays mobile as she casts spells and uses her mesmerist 
  powers to disrupt the PCs’ tactics, while her companion 
  Hira enters the fray as detailed in her tactics below. In 
  the unlikely event that Viralane Barvisai was killed or 
  otherwise prevented from rejoining the cult during Part 1 
  of this adventure, Hira is alone in the room and the PCs 
  face a less dangerous encounter as a result. In this case, 
  Hira simply attacks at once. Unlike Viralane, she has no 
  interest in talking to the PCs.
  VIRALANE BARVISAI 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  hp 31 (see page 66)
  HIRA DOSS 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Female half-elf cleric of the Peacock Spirit 7
  LE Medium humanoid (elf, human)
  Init –1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +1 deflection, 
  –1 Dex)
  hp 56 (7d8+21)
  Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +9; +2 vs. enchantments
  Immune sleep
  Defensive Abilities viridian escape
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 lucerne hammer +8 (1d12+4)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with lucerne hammer)
  Special Attacks channel negative energy 3/day (DC 13, 4d6)
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  7/day—copycat (7 rounds), touch of evil (3 rounds)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  4th—air walk, confusionD (DC 18), unholy blight (DC 19)
  3rd—create food and water, dispel magic, nondetectionD, 
  searing light
  2nd—cure moderate wounds, hold 
  person (DC 16), invisibilityD, silence 
  (DC 16), status (DC 16)
  1st—command (DC 15), cure light wounds (3), protection 
  from goodD, sanctuary (DC 15)
  0 (at will)—detect magic, light, mending, read magic
  D domain spell; Domains Evil, Trickery
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Hira casts create food and water every 
  morning to feed herself and her companions. She also 
  casts status on Viralane and Damil every morning at 8:00 
  a.m.; this spell gives her additional advance warning of the 
  PCs’ approach if they attack Damil between the hours of 
  8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If the PCs get in a fight with Damil, 
  she casts invisibility, air walk, and protection from good 
  on herself, then climbs into the air so she can attack foes 
  39
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  hira Doss
  
  below with her +1 lucerne hammer but avoid melee 
  attacks against herself.
  During Combat Once she’s up in the air, Hira uses her 
  ranged and reach attacks on the PCs. If either she or 
  Viralane is reduced to half their hit points, Hira casts 
  sanctuary or invisibility on herself and moves in to 
  provide healing before returning to battle. 
  Morale If reduced to 10 or fewer hit points, Hira uses 
  her viridian escape ability to vanish and flee back to 
  Magnimar. She can become a recurring villain in this 
  event, perhaps joining up with a group of Peacock Spirit 
  cultists in an upcoming adventure.
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 10
  Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 17
  Feats Combat Casting, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Skill Focus 
  (Spellcraft), Spell Focus (evocation), Toughness
  Skills Bluff +8, Knowledge (arcana) +5, Knowledge 
  (religion) +5, Perception +13, Spellcraft +14; Racial 
  Modifiers +2 Perception
  Languages Common, Elven, Thassilonian
  SQ elf blood
  Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (3), potion of cure 
  moderate wounds, wand of secret page (8 charges); Other 
  Gear +1 glamered chain shirt, +1 lucerne hammerAPG, ring 
  of protection +1, holy symbol of the Peacock Spirit, 11 pp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Viridian Escape (Sp) Hira has been subjected to an ancient 
  ritual called the viridian transcendence, granting her the 
  ability to use word of recall as a swift action once and once 
  only. When she activates this ability, she vanishes in a puff 
  of bright blue-green smoke and reappears in a Peacock 
  Spirit safe house in Magnimar.
  Treasure: The cultists have gathered a large number 
  of books about ancient Thassilonian magical theory and 
  practice from the Great Library. While this collection 
  of books grants a +4 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and 
  Spellcraft checks when using them as a reference, much 
  to the cultists’ growing dismay, the books do not contain 
  any information about the retriever conjuring ritual or 
  the potential location of the Sword of Wrath other than 
  maddeningly vague hints. The books are worth 4,000 gp 
  as a collection.
  One section of particular note that should be evident 
  to anyone who examines the books is a section that Hira 
  has circled in red ink and left open. This short passage 
  describes how “intrepid souls can run the Gauntlet of 
  Fury to gain the favor of Runelords of Wrath, be they 
  living or dead.” Hira has also annotated this with a short 
  note of her own, written in Thassilonian, that reads, 
  “Would this favor allow us to consult with Thybidos? If so, 
  his lingering presence in the Forlorn Sepulchers may aid 
  immensely in opposing Alaznist.” A PC who spends 1d4 
  hours studying this book extracts additional information: 
  a potential entrance into the Forlorn Sepulchers on the 
  southeast slopes of Rivenrake Island.
  Development: If Hira is defeated, or if (as is more 
  likely) she escapes and abandons Viralane, the Viralane 
  immediately drops her weapons and surrenders, 
  throwing herself on the PCs’ mercy. If Hira fled via the 
  viridian escape, Viralane wryly comments, “And now I 
  know how poor Corla must have felt when I abandoned 
  her. I do hope she’s all right?”
  At this point, Viralane is ready to wash her hands 
  of the Peacock Spirit cult. She’ll tell the PCs what she 
  knows in hopes of fostering goodwill (and perhaps even, 
  some day, their aid in removing her curse), but there’s 
  much she can reveal to the PCs. Hira was her primary 
  point of contact with the cult, and she dismisses Damil 
  (correctly) as nothing more than a lackey who had no 
  deeper role than that of a bodyguard. Viralane can give 
  the PCs directions to the waterfront safe house the 
  three of them used in Magnimar (but should the PCs 
  investigate it later, they’ll find the small building has 
  been burned to the ground; the cult is covering its tracks). 
  She can tell the PCs that the method she (and potentially 
  Hira) used to escape is an ancient ritual sacred to the 
  Peacock Spirit known as the viridian transcendence. 
  She doesn’t know how to perform the ritual itself, but 
  someone subjected to it gains the ability to teleport back 
  to a specific sanctuary (in this case, the now-defunct 
  Magnimar safe house). She does know that the person 
  who performed the ritual to benefit both her and Hira 
  was a strange but beautiful woman with a vibrant streak 
  of blue in her hair who visited them in Magnimar a few 
  days before Viralane traveled north to Roderic’s Cove. 
  She didn’t get the woman’s name, but Hira referred to 
  her as “Your Eminence,” so Viralane suspects the blue-
  haired woman was the cult’s high priestess, or at the very 
  least a high-ranking member. (This was indeed the cult’s 
  high priestess, a woman named Zurea Salvus the PCs are 
  destined to meet in the fourth adventure of Return of 
  the Runelords.)
  As for the Peacock Spirit itself, Viralane has little more 
  to say. According to Hira, who was very closed-mouthed 
  about her faith, the Peacock Spirit is a manifestation of 
  self-confidence and a patron to all spellcasters and those 
  who seek positions of rule, but aside from the cult’s 
  excellent sense of style, Viralane has no additional 
  insights into its nature other than to suspect it has 
  powerful supporters somewhere in Varisia. At the very 
  least, though, Viralane can tell the PCs that once they 
  were done studying these tomes here, Hira had planned 
  on running the Gauntlet below to earn the right to 
  commune with the spirit of a prior Runelord of Wrath 
  40
  
  named Thybidos. Viralane doesn’t know what “running 
  the Gauntlet” entails exactly, but she can confirm that 
  Hira had discovered a potential route into Thybidos’s 
  crypt in the Forlorn Sepulchers from an old cave 
  on Rivenrake’s southeastern slope.
  Viralane has no further scripted role 
  to play in Return of the Runelords, in 
  any event. Her fate is left to the PCs to 
  determine as they see fit.
  C10. Ancient Office (CR 7)
  Eight desks face one another in this 
  chamber, the wooden chairs all crumbled 
  to the floor with age. Abstract metal artwork 
  is affixed to the walls: half-moons, serrated 
  blades, and ragged triangles, their edges 
  once sharp but now covered with rust. A disordered clutter 
  of papers litters each desk, and doors are on the east and 
  west walls.
  Creatures: A group of four bureaucrats who once 
  shuffled papers in this office under the watchful, 
  tedious eye of Augus Premm (see area C11) still linger 
  in this place as aggressive, incorporeal undead. As 
  the PCs begin to move past the desks, the malevolent 
  poltergeists begin hurling the potentially lethal works 
  of art on the walls: there are 15 separate items, each 
  weighing 75 pounds (dealing 3d6 points of damage 
  on a hit). The spirits are bound to this place and fight 
  until destroyed.
  ADVANCED POLTERGEISTS (4) 
  CR 3
  XP 800 each
  hp 22 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 292, 211)
  C11. The Nightmares of Augus Premm (CR 7)
  This room has an air of punctilious efficiency, with 
  mahogany cabinets against the wall containing carefully 
  filed and regimented scrolls and papers. Additional scrolls 
  and papers lie atop a desk in the center of the room, along 
  with a lit oil lamp and a small plaque bearing a short line 
  of text.
  A PC must succeed at a DC 20 Perception check to 
  discover the secret door to area C12, though from the 
  west side, the secret door is obvious. The plaque on the 
  best reads in Thassilonian, “Augus Premm.” The scrolls 
  in this room contain notes on the fates of thousands 
  who braved the Gauntlet of Fury, but the records are 
  maddeningly vague and incomplete. A character who 
  takes the time to study them can determine that an 
  entrance to the Gauntlet of Fury lies beyond a secret 
  door in the west wall of this room, but she learns little 
  of what sort of perils await beyond, other than that those 
  who endure are granted some sort of magical 
  mark or rune of favor with the Runelords of 
  Wrath, be they dead or living.
  Haunt: A pale, slight man with thinning 
  hair seems to sit behind the desk when 
  the PCs enter this room. This is a haunt 
  formed by the unquiet soul of Augus 
  Premm, the man once responsible for 
  filing and ordering the records of those 
  who entered the Gauntlet in the level 
  below. He remains oblivious to the PCs and 
  continues an eternal attempt to gather and 
  sort the scattered scrolls and papers on his 
  desk. Each time he does so, he appears to 
  pick the pages up and moves to file them on the shelves 
  nearby, but anyone who notices the haunt realizes that 
  his hands pass through the pages and that those he 
  seems to file vanish as soon as he releases them into 
  their shelves. The haunt remains harmless as long as no 
  one approaches within 5 feet of the desk, but if someone 
  does, Premm flies into a rage at the interruption.
  PREMM’S NIGHTMARE 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  CE haunt
  Caster Level 7th
  Notice Perception DC 15 (to notice that Augus Premm cannot 
  physically pick up the papers on his desk)
  hp 14; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 minute
  Effect The unquiet spirit of this officious bureaucrat vents 
  his fury by attempting to tear up the piles of parchment 
  cluttering the desk if anyone approaches within 5 feet. 
  This doesn’t actually damage the papers, but as he 
  appears to rip the leaves up, every creature in area C11 
  feels as if they’re being torn apart as well, taking 7d6 
  points of slashing damage (Reflex DC 17 half). Once he 
  vents his anger, Premm’s shade vanishes for a minute 
  before appearing once more at the desk to begin his 
  endless task anew.
  Destruction Filing all of the papers on the desk alphabetically 
  in the shelves puts Premm to rest permanently.
  C12. Gauntlet Access
  This flight of spiral stairs leads down to area D1 in the 
  Gauntlet of Fury.
  D. THE GAUNTLET OF FURY
  This level of Hollow Mountain is one of several trap-
  laden complexes that make up the Gauntlet of Fury, a 
  series of ordeals used as testing grounds for those who 
  41
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  Peacock Spirit symbol
  
  sought the favor of the Runelord of Wrath. Most of this 
  level has been claimed by spiderlike shriezyxes, but they 
  have not reached this isolated wing, whose traps and 
  challenges continue to function to this day.
  The PCs may come to this level of Hollow Mountain by 
  accident after being teleported to area D5a from area B7 
  (in which case their goal is to escape the Gauntlet alive), 
  or intentionally from the stairs in area C12 (perhaps after 
  learning of the mysterious reward of runelord favor 
  granted to those who survive the Gauntlet). The PCs aren’t 
  required to explore this complex, but those who skip the 
  Gauntlet of Fury may find themselves unprepared for the 
  dangers they’ll face in the Forlorn Sepulchers.
  D1. Spiral Staircase
  A spiral staircase ends in a circular chamber. An archway 
  carved to resemble crossing ranseurs allows access to a 
  hallway to the west and a stairwell leading further down. A 
  message has been inscribed in the stone above the archway.
  The spiral stairs ascend to area C12. The message above 
  the archway reads, in Thassilonian: “Those who pass 
  beyond, aspirant or doomed, may endure the Gauntlet to 
  earn Wrath’s blessing.”
  D2. Hall of Worthies (CR 7)
  Complex mosaics in strange patterns adorn the floor of this 
  long, vaulted hall. A set of six statues of robed warriors 
  stand within raised niches along the north and south walls. 
  Each statue is made of white marble and brandishes exotic 
  weapons as it looks down with contempt. A bronze gate bars 
  an exit to the west, its face adorned with the rune of wrath.
  The bronze gate opens silently at a touch from the east 
  side of the room, but from the west can only be opened 
  with a successful DC 30 Disable Device check or by force 
  (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 25).
  Trap: The statues are of exquisite workmanship and 
  radiate a moderate aura of evocation magic. Passing the 
  second set of statues triggers a trap.
  SCREAMING FLAMES  
   CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Type magic; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 25
  EFFECT
  Trigger visual (true seeing); Reset automatic (after 1 hour)
  Effect A blast of crimson flames fills a 15-foot-wide section of 
  the hall between the central statues. Each creature in this 
  area takes 6d6 points of fire damage (Reflex DC 20 half), 
  while anyone within 15 feet to the east or west takes 3d6 
  points of fire damage (Reflex DC 20 negates).
  D3. Watery Fane of Gholz (CR 7)
  A large pool of water fills most of this room, leaving a five-
  foot-wide walkway around the perimeter. The walls are 
  decorated in mosaics of undersea vistas inhabited by hideous 
  monsters. A ten-foot-wide platform in the middle of the 
  pool supports a hunched-over statue of a twisted creature, 
  its tentacle-infested mouth clutching a large red gemstone. 
  The tops of two narrow walls, each only a foot wide and 
  just submerged under the water’s surface, connect to this 
  platform from the north and south. Bronze gates bar entry to 
  rooms to the east and southeast. Although the southeast gate 
  appears to have been forced open, a large iron slab stands in 
  the wall to the northeast, decorated by an image of some sort 
  of monstrous figure.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Knowledge (planes) 
  check recognizes the idol as a depiction of a human 
  infected by Gholz, a long-dead qlippoth lord associated 
  with unlawful intrusions and magical lures. No 
  depiction of Gholz itself survives to this day, but hints of 
  its shape could be seen in the bodies of those he infected 
  and corrupted. With a successful DC 26 Knowledge 
  (arcana) check, A PC makes the disturbing observation 
  the statue is in fact a victim of flesh to stone, petrified 
  as it held a large gemstone in its toothless, deformed 
  jaws. The transformed horror was once a man named 
  Darzuvix, an apprentice of Alaznist who failed her by 
  allowing a spy from Shalast to escape with plans for a 
  number of magical traps. Enraged, Alaznist exposed him 
  to a chaos beast’s corporeal instability, then petrified 
  him while he was in the throes of transformation to 
  create an unsettling decoration—one she later used as 
  the centerpiece for a trap here.
  The pool of water is 10 feet deep, but the water is tainted. 
  Anyone who is fully immersed in the water is exposed 
  to blinding sickness (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 557). 
  Using one of the narrow walkways to reach the statue in 
  the center is possible with a successful DC 19 Acrobatics 
  check to balance on the top of the slippery, submerged 
  stone wall.
  The gate to area D4 now hangs open, bashed open from 
  that area by Maga Szuul and his single surviving guard as 
  they passed through the room on their way to area D8.
  The iron slab to area D6 is a magical door and it has 
  no hinges or handle to open it in a conventional way. 
  The monstrous figure carved on the door is a depiction 
  of Yamasoth, its maw open to reveal an indentation. A 
  PC who recognizes this depiction of Yamasoth with a 
  successful DC 25 Knowledge (planes) check knows that 
  this indentation is where the qlippoth lord’s central eye 
  would normally be located. If one of the gemstones from 
  area D5 is pressed to this indentation, it transforms 
  42
  
  into a real eye for a moment before the figure closes its 
  mouth, “blinking.” The gemstone teleports back to the 
  plinth in area D5, and the iron door grinds down into 
  the ground, remaining open for 1 hour before closing. 
  From the eastern side in area D6, the door opens with 
  a touch. The door can also be forced open (hardness 
  10, hp 60, break DC 18) or tricked into opening with 
  a successful DC 25 Use Magic Device check to activate 
  it blindly.
  Trap: The gemstone clutched in the statue’s mouth 
  is the same shape as those in area D5 and fits perfectly 
  into the iron slab, but as hinted at by Gholz’s role over 
  unlawful intrusions, using this gemstone to try to open 
  the door causes the petrified chaos beast to revert to 
  flesh and attack. Complicating this is the fact that the 
  gemstone exudes a degraded suggestion effect that targets 
  nonevil creatures (and thus had no effect on Maga Szuul 
  and his guard when they passed through).
  GEMSTONE LURE 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Type magic; Perception DC 28; Disable Device DC 28
  EFFECTS
  Trigger proximity (30 feet); Reset automatic
  Effect spell effect (each nonevil creature must succeed at a DC 
  14 Will save to resist a mental suggestion to come pluck 
  the gemstone from the statue’s mouth and then place 
  it into the indentation on the iron slab to area D6; a 
  creature that succeeds at this saving throw is immune 
  to further effects from the statue for 1 minute); 
  if the gemstone is placed in the door, it shatters 
  harmlessly but releases the petrified chaos beast 
  to attack the PCs.
  CHAOS BEAST 
  CR —
  hp 85 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 54)
  Treasure: The gemstone clenched in the statue’s 
  mouth is easily removed. The gemstone is a garnet 
  worth 2,000 gp (unless, of course, it is destroyed by 
  placing it against the carving of Yamasoth).
  D4. Wrecked Guardians
  A walkway artfully painted with dizzying geometric designs 
  runs down the center of this long, grand hall. The vaulted 
  ceiling rises twenty-five feet overhead, and a quartet of 
  headless iron statues stand vigil in southern alcoves raised 
  fifteen feet off the ground. The statues’ four heads lie in 
  fragments along the ground, along with long, spidery legs 
  that may have once given the strange things locomotion. Two 
  bronze gates once barred passage to the east and west, but 
  they have both been smashed open.
  The heads of the statues in this room were once 
  four iron sentinels (see page 90), but when they passed 
  through the room, Maga Szuul and his remaining 
  barbarian followers destroyed them in a brutal fight. An 
  investigation of the remains reveals blood on some of the 
  iron sentinels’ broken claws.
  D5. Lo-Kath’s Welcome (CR 8)
  Two platforms overlook this domed chamber. To the west, 
  a circular balcony surrounded by metal bars from floor to 
  ceiling rises fifteen feet over the floor. A two-foot-tall crystal 
  plinth stands in the center of this balcony atop which sits 
  a large, round gemstone. To the east, a ten-foot-wide iron 
  slabs blocks an opening ten feet over the floor. Iron ladders 
  descend from both exits to the floor below, but there’s no 
  apparent access from the top of the ladder through the bars 
  to the western balcony. The dome itself rises to a height of 
  thirty feet from the floor, while to the north, at ground level, 
  a ten-foot-wide alcove shimmers with light from a magical, 
  glowing circle on the floor.
  43
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  Statue of Gholz
  
  This chamber introduced new aspirants to the 
  Gauntlet, and for PCs who arrive on this level via the 
  portal in area B7, it can continue to do so.
  The metal bars surrounding the western balcony are 
  2 inches thick and made of iron (hardness 10, hp 60, 
  break DC 25), with a 6-inch gap between each bar. The 
  first time each round a creature attempts to damage the 
  bars, an electrical discharge arcs from them, making 
  a +10 ranged touch attack (up to a distance of 20 feet) 
  and dealing 3d6 points of electricity damage on a hit. 
  The iron bars lower down into the edge of the balcony, 
  allowing access from the room itself, once either the 
  creatures in the room are defeated or once anyone 
  touches the crystal plinth on the balcony.
  As soon as the iron slab to area D5a or the bars along 
  the western balcony are lowered, a programmed image 
  (CL 20th) manifests atop the western balcony, causing 
  an image to appear of a tall and thin Azlanti man clad 
  in white robes, bent with age and leaning on a gnarled 
  cudgel. His expression is amiable, and he squints his 
  eyes as he speaks the following in Thassilonian.
  “Greetings, aspirants of her majesty, Runelord Alaznist. I am 
  Lo-Kath, our runelord’s fighting master, and you have earned 
  the honor of attempting to gain her notice. Can you best my 
  ragged reflections? The reward for success is the opportunity 
  to wager your own lives in the Gauntlet of Fury.”
  Creatures: The image of Lo-Kath fades as soon as the 
  greeting is delivered, but as it does, the summoning 
  circle in the northern alcove begins to pulse with red 
  light. One round after the speech ends, or immediately 
  should anyone set foot into the central area between the 
  balconies, the circle summons his “ragged reflections,” 
  a pair of skinstitches built to vaguely resemble Lo-Kath 
  himself. These skinstitches step out of the summoning 
  circle one after the other, carry five javelins in addition 
  to a sharpened blade, and have been programmed to 
  hurl the javelins at anyone who doesn’t descend to 
  the ground to face them in melee combat. These foul 
  creatures have been further augmented to split open 
  when killed to release their secret passengers: swarms of 
  flesh-eating cockroaches. The summoned skinstitches 
  and cockroaches, in whatever combination, vanish after 
  2 minutes.
  SKINSTICHES (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  hp 52 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 246)
  COCKROACH SWARMS (2) 
  CR 2
  XP 600 each
  hp 26 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 58)
  Treasure: The aquamarine gemstone sitting on the 
  pedestal radiates a moderate aura of transmutation magic, 
  and a PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Spellcraft check while 
  examining it identifies it as some sort of magical key. The 
  gemstone itself is worth 1,000 gp and can be used to open 
  the iron door to area D6 (although doing so teleports the 
  gemstone back to this pedestal; should the PCs wish to 
  keep the gem for sale later, they’ll need to return here to 
  collect it again).
  D5a. Gauntlet Arrival
  One end of this ten-by-twenty foot room is blocked by an iron 
  wall, while the opposite end features a three-foot-tall carving 
  of a stern woman’s face glaring from the wall.
  Characters who are transported to the Gauntlet from 
  the portal at area B7 appear in this room. The carving to 
  the east depicts Alaznist. At one point, the runelord could 
  use this structure to speak to those in this room, either 
  to taunt them or dare them to success in the Gauntlet, 
  but she no longer observes this link. The iron wall to the 
  west slides down into the ground with a grinding moan 
  if it is touched from either side, rising back up an hour 
  after no one is in area D5 or D5a.
  D6. Rubble-Strewn Hall
  Broken stone and marble is strewn down the length of 
  this five-foot-wide wide hall, and a long crack runs along 
  the floor. The masonry of the walls also shows signs of 
  damage. Shallow alcoves alternate from north to south 
  along the corridor, with an unmoving body slumped near 
  the easternmost one.
  Some of the rubble lying on the ground appears to be 
  bricks from the walls, while some has the appearance of 
  fragmented marble sculpture. A PC who succeeds at a 
  DC 15 Knowledge (arcana) check perceives that some of 
  the rubble here came from four caryatid columns that 
  were recently destroyed (further evidence of Maga Szuul’s 
  passage through the dungeon).
  Treasure: The dead body is the last of Maga Szuul’s 
  barbarian followers, his body slumped where he perished 
  to the caryatid columns. His longsword is broken, but his 
  +1 hide armor is still functional. From this point onward, 
  Maga Szuul was alone in exploring the dungeon, and he 
  remains in area D8.
  D7. Aspirant’s Choice
  A pool of crystal-clear water fills the eastern half of this room, 
  flanked by a pair of five-foot-wide walkways that lead to iron 
  44
  
  slabs in the wall. The slab to the north is decorated with a 
  silvery inlay of a wizard casting a burning spell, while the 
  slab to the south is decorated with a silvery inlay of a soldier 
  wielding a ranseur in battle. Short phrases are etched into the 
  stone above each iron slab. Between the slabs, a carving of 
  an archway made of lines of script adorns the wall just above 
  the water’s edge.
  The previous chambers were intended to weed out 
  the truly inconsequential, while only those who survived 
  to reach this room were allowed the choice of how they 
  would serve Alaznist should they succeed—as a wrathful 
  apprentice in her laboratories, or as a furious soldier in 
  her armies. The writing above each door is similar, both 
  written in Thassilonian. Above the apprentice’s door is 
  inscribed, “Scald me with your wrathful magic,” while 
  above the soldier’s door is inscribed “Scour me with your 
  furious arms.”
  Both iron slabs are doors similar to the one between 
  area D3 and D6: slabs of iron that can be forced open 
  (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 18) or tricked into opening 
  with a successful DC 25 Use Magic Device check to activate 
  them blindly. The northern door opens automatically if it 
  is subjected to any alchemical or magical effect that deals 
  damage (including alchemist bombs, which is how Maga 
  Szuul entered area D8), while the southern door opens if 
  any physical attack penetrates its hardness to deal even a 
  single point of damage.
  The archway carved in the wall between the doors 
  looks like a two-dimensional version of the portal from 
  area B7, and in fact, this archway and the pool of water 
  are a similar type of device. This portal activates only if 
  someone holding an Abyssal runestone steps into area D7, 
  in which case the stone within the archway shimmers and 
  transforms into gray mist. The portal remains active for 
  as long as that character remains in area D7 and for an 
  additional minute after the character leaves the room. 
  Originally, the portal’s destination point was preselected 
  by Alaznist or one of her minions (such as Lo-Kath), but 
  now that Alaznist has left Hollow Mountain, the complex’s 
  previous ruler, Runelord Thybidos, is able to influence its 
  destination from beyond the grave. Anyone who steps 
  through the portal now is transported to area E1—as 
  close to the runelord’s tomb as he can manage—in hopes 
  that the PCs will seek him out and aid his escape from 
  imprisonment. Whenever a character steps through this 
  portal and is transported to area E1, a rasping whisper 
  echoes in their mind: “Seek me... free me... become my 
  wrathful champions...”
  D8. Apprentice’s Ordeal (CR 7 or CR 9)
  The floor of this large, domed chamber is decorated with an 
  intricate geometric mosaic. It, the walls, and the ceiling shine 
  softly, all encased in what appears to be a layer of glass. A 
  sphere of blue glass pulsing with an inner light is embedded 
  in the north wall. To the south are three alcoves, the largest 
  blocked off by black metal bars spaced fewer than two inches 
  apart. Set into the wall at the back of this apparent cell pulses 
  a second blue glass sphere.
  The glass that encases the walls of this room is 
  magically hardened to the strength of iron. The bars 
  enclosing the central alcove to the south are made of 
  adamantine, three inches in diameter (hardness 20; hp 
  120, break DC 40). The walls of this place radiate strong 
  evocation and transmutation magic.
  The Runelords of Wrath wanted students who excelled 
  at evocation magic, of course, and they cared little for skill 
  at abjuration or conjuration magic. Whenever a creature 
  casts an abjuration or conjuration spell in this room, a 
  booming voice echoes through the room, crying out 
  “FORBIDDEN!” in Thassilonian while the entire room 
  is blasted with streams of magically evoked acid for 1 
  round, dealing 2d4 points of acid damage to all creatures 
  in area D8 (Reflex DC 15 half).
  The two glass spheres are magically linked, and they 
  are the keys to proving one’s worth as viable apprentices 
  to the Runelords of Wrath. A living creature that touches 
  the northern glass sphere is immediately teleported 
  into the southern alcove, at which point the apprentice’s 
  ordeal begins. On the first round after the teleportation, 
  a glowing symbol, the rune of wrath, manifests on the 
  northern wall of the room. The rune glows until someone 
  in the room casts an evocation spell (as symbolized by the 
  rune of wrath). If someone casts an evocation spell, two 
  more runes manifest on the wall to either side of the rune 
  of wrath: the runes of gluttony (necromancy) and pride 
  (illusion). This time, the runes change as soon as someone 
  casts an evocation, illusion, or necromancy spell, at which 
  point the runes change once more to show greed, wrath, 
  and lust. If a character casts a spell from one of these 
  three associated schools (enchantment, evocation, or 
  transmutation), all runes but the rune of wrath vanish, 
  at which point the apprentice’s ordeal is completed if 
  someone casts one final evocation spell. These spells (or 
  even spell-like abilities) need not all be cast by the same 
  character, nor do they need to be wizard spells, although 
  (as Maga Szuul discovered) alchemist extracts do not 
  count. If at any point an hour passes with no one casting 
  an appropriate spell, the runes vanish and the ordeal 
  resets itself.
  A character can recognize the various Thassilonian 
  runes and the schools of magic they each represent 
  with a successful DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) check, or 
  automatically if she can read Thassilonian.
  45
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  Once the ordeal is completed, Lo-Kath’s booming voice 
  speaks “WELL DONE. EMERGE, APPRENTICE, AND 
  ACCEPT YOUR REWARD!” in Thassilonian. A single 
  Abyssal runestone (a reward for passing the apprentice’s 
  ordeal) appears, floating in the air 4 feet off the ground 
  in the middle of the room. If not claimed by a creature 
  within 1 minute, the Abyssal runestone vanishes. At this 
  point, a living creature that touches the southern sphere 
  is teleported out of the encaged southern alcove back into 
  the northern portion of the room.
  The apprentice’s ordeal can be activated as often as the 
  PCs wish (although the magic takes 1 hour to recharge 
  after an ordeal ends), but no additional Abyssal runestones 
  are granted. With no active runelord to resupply the 
  ordeal’s supply of runestones, only one can be dispensed 
  at this time.
  Creatures: Originally, prospective apprentices needed 
  only to pass this room’s test to appease the Runelord 
  of Wrath, but those who have failed still haunt this 
  chamber as a pair of foul undead guardians known as 
  the Melted: the partially dissolved remnants of those 
  who succumbed to the room’s frequent acid baths. These 
  variant undigested swarms appear as tangled masses of 
  slurry and viscera from which extend dozens of arms that 
  twitch and writhe, pantomiming the act of spellcasting 
  in their horrific undeath. They stumble forth on dozens 
  of partially ruined arms, one from each of the smaller 
  southern alcoves, to attack anyone who enters the room. 
  They do not enter the caged area in the southern alcove 
  unless they’re first attacked by creatures there. Once 
  engaged, the Melted both fight to the death.
  One other creature awaits the PCs here—the 
  Yamasoth cultist Maga Szuul. After fleeing the Melted 
  by touching the northern glass globe, the hapless 
  alchemist has discovered that his extracts don’t qualify 
  as spells for the purposes of the apprentice’s ordeal, 
  which was designed first and foremost to test wizards. 
  He’s been stuck here for several days. The day before the 
  PCs arrive here, Maga exhausted his food supplies; he 
  has just exhausted his water as well (drinking what he 
  could from his alchemy supplies), and the realization 
  that he’s going to starve to death in this prison has 
  settled in.
  When he notices the PCs, he staggers to his feet and 
  warns them not to touch the glass ball in the same breath he 
  begs for them to get him out of his cage. If the PCs ask him 
  questions, Maga says that he’ll speak only after he’s been 
  released from his cage. A PC who succeeds at a Bluff check 
  promising him freedom or a DC 28 Diplomacy check can 
  get him to talk before being released.
  Maga, of course, plans on betraying the PCs as soon as 
  he gets the chance, and this justifies him spilling a few cult 
  secrets if that’s what it takes to escape, especially since he 
  intends to send those secrets to each PC’s grave once he 
  gets the chance. The most important information the PCs 
  should learn from Maga is that he’s part of a larger cult 
  based in the Gecko, one of the Irespan pilings 
  in Magnimar, and that the cult intends to 
  unleash a virulent contagion he calls the 
  “polymorph plague.” If the PCs release him, 
  he promises to lead them to the cult 
  and to help them stop the plague. 
  In fact, he betrays the PCs as soon as 
  he’s able, especially if he can secure any Abyssal 
  runestones they may have gathered.
  Magical control is the one way to ensure Maga 
  keeps his word, in which case the cultist can become 
  an invaluable ally (if he survives to the next adventure). 
  Getting him to repent his evil ways and 
  to voluntarily aid the PCs is a more 
  certain way to get his aid, but 
  convincing him to betray 
  his cult should be a 
  difficult task requiring 
  a silver tongue, some 
  compelling compassion, and a 
  lot of patience.
  THE MELTED (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  46
  the melted
  
  Variant undigested swarm (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 5 258)
  NE Tiny undead (swarm)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural, 
  +2 size)
  hp 54 each (12d8)
  Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +9
  Defensive Abilities amorphous, swarm traits; Immune 
  undead traits; Resist acid 10
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
  Melee swarm (3d6 plus digest and distraction)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Special Attacks digest, distraction (DC 16), grasping clutches
  STATISTICS
  Str 4, Dex 16, Con —, Int 3, Wis 9, Cha 11
  Base Atk +9; CMB —; CMD —
  Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility
  Skills Climb +17, Perception +5, Stealth +17, 
  Swim +14
  Languages Common (can’t speak)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Digest (Ex) A Melted does not do as much acid damage 
  with its digest attack as a normal undigested swarm. A 
  target that takes swarm damage from it is spattered with 
  acidic slime and must succeed at a DC 16 Reflex save or 
  take 1d6 points of acid damage at the start of its turn for 
  1d4 rounds. An affected creature can attempt a new save 
  as a full-round action. Washing off the acid grants a +4 
  bonus to this save. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Grasping Clutches (Ex) A creature that takes swarm damage 
  from the Melted is grabbed and held by the swarm’s 
  dozens of clutching hands, gaining the entangled condition. 
  In order to move more than 5 feet away from the Melted, 
  a character entangled in this way must succeed at a DC 
  15 combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check as part 
  of the move action taken to try to escape the swarm’s 
  grasping clutches.
  MAGA SZUUL 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  hp 79 (see page 62)
  Story Award: The first time the PCs pass one of the 
  two ordeals and earn an Abyssal runestone, grant them a 
  reward of 4,800 XP (no XP award is earned if they gain 
  a second Abyssal runestone, although having two of them 
  may be particularly helpful in the final dungeon of this 
  adventure). If the PCs manage to redeem Maga Szuul, 
  award them 6,400 XP rather than the 3,200 XP they 
  gain for defeating him in combat to reflect the greater 
  difficulty of the task.
  D9. Soldier’s Ordeal (CR 10)
  The walls, floor, and ceiling of this room are riddled with 
  cracks, testaments to countless violent clashes in the chamber 
  along with the shattered bones and broken weapons strewn 
  about the place. The southern wall of the room is made of 
  iron and bears a softly glowing image of a ranseur, while 
  a partially collapsed, rubble-strewn corridor exits from the 
  opposite side of the room.
  ABYSSAL RUNESTONE
  An Abyssal runestone is a circular stone etched with the 
  seven-armed sigil of the Abyss. These minor artifacts are 
  infused with the entropic energies of the Abyss itself 
  and were often used by wizards of Bakrakhan to conjure 
  demons. Runelord Thybidos was the original creator of 
  these minor artifacts, but Alaznist stole his technique 
  soon before murdering him (a technique that required the 
  aid of a powerful outsider—Yamasoth, in Alaznist’s case), 
  and never revealed the secrets of their creation.
  ABYSSAL RUNESTONE
  MINOR 
  ARTIFACT 
  SLOT none
  CL 20th
  WEIGHT 1 lb. 
  AURA strong conjuration [chaos and evil]
  An Abyssal runestone allows a spellcaster to 
  cast lesser planar binding, planar binding, 
  or greater planar binding, provided 
  the spellcaster has prepared a spell of 
  equal or greater level to expend during 
  the casting; the planar binding spell 
  functions at a caster level equal to the 
  spellcaster’s, not to the Abyssal runestone. 
  Spontaneous spellcasters cannot use Abyssal 
  runestones in this way.
  If a chaotic evil outsider eats an Abyssal 
  runestone, the runestone is destroyed and the 
  outsider permanently gains the advanced creature 
  template. A creature that already has this template, 
  or is above CR 20 in power, gains no benefit from 
  eating an Abyssal runestone.
  Abyssal runestones may have several other uses as 
  components in rituals and powerful magic, particularly 
  in quickening the effects of afflictions associated with 
  the Abyss—for example, the creation of a fast-acting, 
  highly contagious variant of the polymorph plague 
  (see the next adventure, “Runeplague”) requires the 
  expenditure of an Abyssal runestone.
  DESTRUCTION
  An Abyssal runestone is destroyed if it is eaten by a 
  chaotic evil outsider or used in one of the rare occult 
  rituals that can be bolstered by its sacrifice.
  47
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  Although this room appears to be on the verge of 
  collapse, a successful DC 15 Knowledge (engineering) or 
  Perception check is enough for a PC to determine that the 
  apparent damage is little more than decoration intended 
  to give the room a greater sense of a history of violence.
  The northern tunnel extends 60 feet further north 
  before ending at a glowing circle in the floor, similar in 
  appearance and function to the circle in area D5.
  This room was where the Runelords of Wrath tested 
  subjects who sought service as commanders in the armies 
  of Bakrakhan or as bodyguards to persons of note. The 
  soldier’s ordeal begins when a character either touches 
  the southern wall or travels more than 20 feet down the 
  northern corridor. At this point, a block of stone rises up 
  in the western hallway at the point marked with an “X”—
  this stone remains lowered until the soldier’s ordeal 
  is concluded.
  Creatures: When the soldier’s ordeal is triggered, the 
  eerie sound of raspy howls and claws on stone echo down 
  from the northern corridor. A group of four sinspawn 
  have been summoned, and these creatures are eager to 
  race south to attack the aspiring soldiers.
  Once all four sinspawn are slain or after 4 rounds 
  have passed (whichever comes first), a second glowing 
  ranseur appears on the southern iron wall and a new set 
  of eerie sounds echoes from the north. This time, a pair 
  of shriezyxes is conjured. Like the sinspawn before them, 
  they surge south to attack the PCs.
  Once both shriezyxes are defeated or an additional 
  4 rounds pass (whichever comes first), a third glowing 
  ranseur appears on the southern iron wall and an 
  ominous scraping sound comes from beyond, followed 
  by a loud thump as something hammers against the far 
  side. This scraping and thumping persists for 2 additional 
  rounds (giving the PCs a chance to regroup and prepare) 
  before the iron wall vanishes, revealing a 20-foot-square 
  chamber containing a single shriezyx queen who was 
  summoned into this chamber. She attacks at once as soon 
  as she is freed.
  The soldier’s ordeal ends after all of the monsters are 
  defeated, or 2 minutes after the shriezyx queen appears, 
  at which point all of the summoned monsters vanish. A 
  PC passes the ordeal if she survives, whether or not all of 
  the monsters are slain. At this point, Lo-Kath’s booming 
  voice speaks “WELL DONE. EMERGE, SOLDIER, AND 
  ACCEPT YOUR REWARD!” in Thassilonian. A single 
  Abyssal runestone (a reward for passing the Soldier’s ordeal) 
  appears, floating in the air 4 feet off the ground in the 
  middle of the room. If not claimed by a creature within 1 
  minute, the Abyssal runestone vanishes. After the runestone 
  is claimed or vanishes, the block of stone in the western 
  tunnel lowers back down, allowing the PCs to return to 
  area D7.
  SINSPAWN (4) 
  CR 2
  XP 600 each
  hp 19 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 246)
  SHRIEZYXES (2) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  hp 38 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 244)
  SHRIEZYX QUEEN 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  hp 104 (see page 88)
  E. THE DEGRADATION OF THYBIDOS
  This tomb complex is one of many found on the 14th 
  level of Hollow Mountain, known collectively as the 
  Forlorn Sepulchers. Originally intended to house the 
  honored dead who served Alderpash, the first Runelord 
  of Wrath, the use of these as crypts fell out of favor 
  after Alderpash’s defeat. This changed when Alaznist’s 
  predecessor, Runelord Thybidos, opened a section 
  of these crypts to entomb his predecessor, Runelord 
  Xiren. A man whose rage drove him to humiliate others, 
  Thybidos reigned for just over a century before Alaznist 
  sought to humiliate him by first removing his limbs 
  (while Thybidos was still alive) then entombing him in 
  the same remote corner of the Forlorn Sepulchers where 
  Thybidos had disposed of Xiren. Runelord Alaznist 
  incorporated a complex release condition similar to 
  that of a binding spell into Thybidos’s imprisonment, 
  scattering gemstone keys to the locks that keep him 
  bound into the complex and tying his fate to the remains 
  of Runelord Xiren. These conditions have ensured that 
  Thybidos has remained bound for the thousands of 
  years to follow Earthfall. 
  With Alaznist’s emergence from the Eye of Fury and 
  her vacancy from Hollow Mountain, though, Runelord 
  Thybidos has seized on this release condition and has 
  begun to extend his influence outward, hoping to attract 
  the attention of someone who can help him escape his 
  imprisonment. So far, his attempts to influence and 
  manipulate the denizens of Hollow Mountain have been 
  frustratingly difficult, for Thybidos’s bound condition 
  limits the reach of his undead mind. The PCs may 
  become his first “recruits” in this manner if they use the 
  portal in area D7, or they could come to this section of the 
  sepulchers via a more traditional route if they follow the 
  directions sent to them by Runelord Sorshen in a dream 
  (see Event 16). This letter route links area E1 to a hidden 
  entrance on Rivenrake Island’s lower slopes, marked by 
  an overgrown archway depicting two weeping dragons.
  The walls of this complex are polished smooth and 
  bear countless inscriptions in Thassilonian that insult 
  Runelord Thybidos in thousands of different ways, so 
  48
  
  that no matter where his spirit looks, he is faced with 
  his humiliation. The chambers are lit by softly glowing 
  spots of light placed high up on the walls, so that unless 
  otherwise indicated, rooms in this complex have dim 
  lighting (just enough to read an adjacent wall’s insults).
  E1. Entrance to Thybidos’s Humiliation
  Drifts of dust and small heaps of rubble clutter this room. 
  A long hallway extends off to the west, while to the east a 
  second hallway ends at a circular pillar that blocks entrance 
  to a large room beyond save for narrow gaps to either side. A 
  blue marble statue of a thin man with a cruel face and long 
  hair fringing a bald pate, his arms outstretched, stands in the 
  middle of the room, still upright despite one-inch-wide gaps 
  that separate the statue into six components—a head, two 
  arms, two legs, and a torso. A plaque at the statue’s base 
  bears a single word.
  The plaque at the base of the statue bears the name 
  “Thybidos” in Thassilonian. The statue itself is held 
  together by a thin shell of force. If the effect is removed 
  (treat this as a permanent wall of force, CL 20th), the statue’s 
  arms, head, and torso collapse to the ground.
  The pillar to the east is a slab of solid granite (hardness 8, 
  hp 1,800) that leaves a 1-inch gap to the north and south. 
  Gaseous form or a similar ability to pass through a small 
  space can allow a PC to move past the pillar into area E2, 
  as does destroying the pillar.
  A character who passed one of the ordeals in the 
  Gauntlet and carries an Abyssal runestone feels a strange 
  presence in their mind just before experiencing a raspy 
  telepathic whisper from Thybidos’s imprisoned spirit: 
  “Speak my name and enter...” A character who says 
  the name “Thybidos” aloud in this room causes the 
  stone pillar to retract permanently into the ground. 
  Alternatively, a PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Use Magic 
  Device to blindly activate the pillar’s magic also causes it 
  to withdraw.
  E2. The Fane of Wrath (CR 9)
  The marble floor of this grand chamber is set with a striking 
  design in jade and golden glass. The ceiling rises to a height 
  of sixty feet above the pillar-lined central portion of the room, 
  while a twenty-foot-high raised balcony surrounds this on 
  three sides. A broad set of steps ascends to this overlooking 
  balcony at the east end of the hall.
  49
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  E. THE DEGRADATION OF THYBIDOS
  E11
  E10
  E9
  E8
  E6a
  E6
  E2d
  E2a
  E2c
  E2b
  E2
  E2g
  E2f
  E2e
  E3
  E7
  E1
  E4
  E5
  50
  
  This whole area is a temple to wrath, a place to worship 
  the power of what the complex’s creators considered the 
  purest and most potent form of magic. When the PCs 
  ascend the stairs to view the eastern portion of this room, 
  read or paraphrase the following.
  The steps arrive at a domed fane with the rune of wrath 
  emblazoned on the marble floor. Twelve ivory statues of 
  the same fierce woman wielding a ranseur line the curving 
  walls, flanking a pool of water and a single, thirteenth 
  statue made of gray stone. This thirteenth statue is of a 
  man cowering on his knees, at half the scale of the women. 
  Fresco scenes of unspeakable violence decorate the walls and 
  ceiling, illustrating this place’s dedication to the concept of 
  wrath. Further west, six slabs of stone seem to be set into 
  indentations in the walls, while a wider alcove opens in the 
  center of the vast room’s northern wall.
  The statues along the walls depict Runelord Alaznist, 
  while the kneeling man is a depiction of Runelord 
  Thybidos in his final moments of life.
  There are six stone slabs along the walls of this room 
  (areas E2b–E2g). As with the stone block between areas 
  E1 and E2, speaking a specific word anywhere in area 
  E2 causes the corresponding stone slab to sink into the 
  ground. Alternatively, a PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Use 
  Magic Device check can blindly activate a slab, causing 
  it to sink into the ground. Once opened, a slab remains 
  opened. Take care to keep an ear out for the words, 
  “beloved” (area E2b), “beast” (area E2c), “faithful” (area 
  E2d), “Xiren” (area E2e), and “betrayed” (area E2g)—if 
  any PC speaks these words in area E2, the corresponding 
  slab lowers.
  The slab at area E2f uses a different mechanism to 
  open. See the description of that area for details.
  A seventh, larger slab stands in the northern alcove. 
  See area E2a on page 53 for details.
  E2b: This polished stone slab is decorated with 
  carvings of flowers. The slab lowers into the ground if 
  anyone speaks the word “beloved” in any language.
  E2c: This polished stone slab is decorated with 
  carvings of skulls. The slab lowers into the ground 
  if anyone speaks the word “beast” aloud in any 
  aloud language.
  E2d: This polished stone slab is decorated with 
  carvings of weapons. The slab lowers into the ground if 
  anyone speaks the word “faithful” aloud in any language.
  E2e: The finish on this block of gray marble, freckled 
  with specks of black and white, is marred with a great 
  gouge chiseled out of the center in the same location the 
  other slabs bear carvings of images. The slab lowers if 
  anyone speaks the name “Xiren” in any language. The PCs 
  are unlikely to guess this phrase, but after speaking to 
  Thybidos in area E11, they may learn that the runelord’s 
  name is the key to opening this area.
  E2f: This block of deep blue marble, flecked with 
  specks of gray and white, bears a carving of a six-headed 
  and six-times-decapitated serpent. The serpent’s coils 
  wrap around itself in a diamond shape, surrounding four 
  circular impressions bearing a facet-like pattern.
  Speaking the name of the Runelord Thybidos is not 
  enough to make this stone descend into the ground. 
  Four gemstones hidden elsewhere in the crypt-complex 
  (a bloodstone from area E2g, a peridot from area E6, a 
  carnelian from area E5, and a jasper from area E4) must 
  be located and affixed to the faceted indentations in any 
  order. When they are placed, the carving of the serpent 
  glows softly with green light. At this point, if the name 
  “Thybidos” is spoken, the door descends into the floor 
  (incidentally trapping the four gems underground).
  E2g: This polished stone slab is decorated with 
  carvings of coiled worms. The slab lowers into the 
  ground if anyone speaks the word “betrayed” aloud in 
  any language.
  Creature: Unlike the other slabs, which reveal 
  chambers beyond when lowered, the slab at E2g 
  reveals only a small alcove in which one of Thybidos’s 
  apprentices was imprisoned. This man was Zerrund, and 
  he (foolishly) trusted Alaznist to hold to her promise of a 
  reward if he agreed to provide information that aided her 
  in the overthrow of Thybidos. When Alaznist destroyed 
  his master, she gave Zerrund an entirely different 
  reward—she let him watch as she burnt his spellbook 
  and destroyed his arcane focus, then imprisoned him 
  alive in a tiny stone tomb with slabs of maggot-infested 
  meat harvested from Thybidos’s body. Zerrund did not 
  die in his prison, but instead transformed into a worm 
  that walks who yet clings to his old bones (his skeleton 
  is a cosmetic affectation, and as he fights, bits and pieces 
  of his bones fall away until all that remains is his vaguely 
  human-shaped body of worms). Zerrund is not undead, 
  despite his grisly appearance, nor does he remain 
  sensible. The thousands of years of perpetual “life” as a 
  worm that walks trapped in a tiny alcove has destroyed 
  his sense of reason.
  Today, Zerrund is a shadow of his former self who 
  serves as little more than a tomb guardian. He can 
  still cast those few spells he recalls as a result of his 
  Spell Mastery feats (including versions enhanced by 
  metamagic), but even then, without his arcane bond, his 
  spellcasting isn’t guaranteed to function as he hopes. If 
  Zerrund survives his initial encounter with the PCs, he 
  might eventually regain his faculties enough to recover, 
  but when released from his tomb, he wants little more 
  than to unleash thousands of years of pent-up wrath on 
  those who released him.
  51
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  ZERRUND 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male human worm that walks evoker 8 (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 2 286)
  CE Medium vermin
  Init +5; Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 17, flat-footed 12 (+5 Dex, +2 insight)
  hp 78 (8d6+48); fast healing 10
  Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +8
  Defensive Abilities worm that walks traits; DR 15/—; 
  Immune critical hits, disease, flanking, paralysis, poison, 
  sleep
  Weakness overwhelming wrath
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee slam +5 (1d4+1 plus grab)
  Special Attacks grab (Large), intense spells (+4 damage), 
  squirming embrace, tenacious
  Evoker Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +12)
  At will—elemental wall (8 rounds/day)
  7/day—force missile (1d4+4)
  Evoker Spells Prepared (CL 8th; concentration +12)
  4th—ice storm (2), empowered scorching ray (3)
  3rd—fly, lightning bolt (3, DC 17), empowered magic 
  missile (2)
  2nd—enlarged charm person (DC 15), enlarged magic 
  missile (3), scorching ray (2)
  1st—charm person (DC 15), magic missile (4), 
  shocking grasp (2)
  0 (at will)—detect magic, light, message, ray of frost
  Thassilonian Specialization evocation; Opposition 
  Schools conjuration, abjuration
  TACTICS
  During Combat Without his arcane bond, Zerrund must 
  succeed at a concentration check (DC = 20 + the spell’s 
  level) when he casts a spell to avoid losing the spell as 
  he casts it. If he fails to cast a spell in this way, his rage 
  compels him to make a slam attack against a foe on 
  the next round rather than cast a spell. These significant 
  disadvantages aside, on the first round of combat he 
  attempts to cast fly, then does his best to maintain 
  distance between himself and the PCs and focuses on using 
  his other spells to blast them to death.
  Morale Zerrund fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 20, Con 20, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 10
  Base Atk +4; CMB +5 (+13 grapple); CMD 26
  Feats Craft Wondrous Item, Diehard, Empower Spell, 
  Enlarge Spell, Eschew Materials, Scribe Scroll, Spell 
  Mastery (taken twice; charm person, fly, ice storm, 
  lightning bolt, magic missile, scorching ray, and 
  shocking grasp)
  Skills Craft (alchemy) +15, Craft (siege engines) 
  +13, Fly +16, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge 
  (planes) +15, Perception +10, Spellcraft +15
  Languages Abyssal, Azlanti, Elven, Giant, Thassilonian, 
  Varisian
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Overwhelming Wrath (Ex) Zerrund suffers from an 
  overwhelming sense of wrath that hampers his 
  judgment. He lacks the discorporate ability and racial 
  skill bonuses most worms that walk have. This, plus 
  52
  Zerrund
  
  the fact that he’s lost his arcane focus and has no gear, 
  reduces his CR by 1.
  Treasure: The pool at the easternmost end of area 
  E2 is magical, a font of pure wrath whose waters are 
  influenced by Alaznist’s runewell far above at the 
  peak of Hollow Mountain. A character who drinks 
  from the waters of this pool gains the ability to cast 
  distracting cacophonyUM, fireball, force punchUM, or lightning 
  bolt as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to 
  his Hit Dice (maximum CL 10th). Once this ability is 
  used (regardless of which spell is selected), the magic 
  vanishes. A character can benefit from these wrathful 
  waters only once.
  A scattering of bones lies in Zerrund’s tomb (area 
  E2g), which are remnants of Thybidos’s maggot-infested 
  entrails. One of the skeletal hands still clutches a circular 
  bloodstone worth 1,000 gp that is one of the keys for the 
  slab blocking access to Thybidos’s crypt (E2f).
  Story Award: Grant the PCs 3,200 XP once they manage 
  to get beyond the blocking stone at area E2f and proceed 
  deeper into the dungeon toward area E7.
  E2a. Epitaph
  A ten-foot-wide obelisk of blue-gray stone stands in this 
  alcove, its face carved with the image of a six-headed and 
  six-times-decapitated serpent. A short inscription has been 
  carved below the image, the runes glowing softly with pale 
  blue light that flickers and pulsates.
  This obelisk serves as Runelord Thybidos’s gravestone 
  and is decorated with a variant of his personal sigil—a 
  six headed hydra (the decapitation represents Alaznist’s 
  mutilation of Thybidos just before she killed and 
  imprisoned him). The phrase below the carving is written 
  in Thassilonian, and it is part of the release conditions 
  Alaznist had to include in her ritual to imprison 
  Thybidos. Note that any PC who reads the phrase aloud 
  will lower slabs elsewhere in the room, and that reading 
  the words in order ensures that the more dangerous 
  slabs are opened first. The trigger words are bold in the 
  following text.
  “Within these walls lies a failed patron, betrayed by a 
  student, now just a broken beast, faithful only to his own 
  failures, beloved by none who survived his fall.”
  If a PC reads these words aloud, have every PC roll for 
  initiative. Any PC whose result exceeds that of the reading 
  PC’s can attempt a DC 15 Perception check (modified for 
  distance as appropriate) to hear the slabs grinding down 
  into the ground. A PC who hears a slab can take an action 
  to call out a warning to the reader, perhaps stopping them 
  from reading further.
  E3. Xiren’s Crypt
  This ten-foot-square room is empty save for a pile of bone 
  fragments and dust heaped like so much dirt to be swept up 
  by a custodian. Only a jawless skull resting atop the morbid 
  detritus suggests that these remains were once a person. No 
  ostentation, no artful frescos, and no decorations adorn the 
  walls to give any sign that whoever this was in life was a 
  person of any importance at all.
  The remains here are those of Runelord Xiren, the 
  third Runelord of Wrath. Wary players may assume the 
  remains to be a dangerous creature like a demilich, but 
  Xiren’s soul has long since been judged in the Boneyard 
  and sent on to the Great Beyond. No supernaturally 
  wrathful danger remains within this crypt as a result.
  If the PCs have been sent by Thybidos in area E11 
  to gather Xiren’s remains, they need only the partial 
  remnant of her skull (although gathering the dust and 
  bone fragments doesn’t hurt).
  E4. The Loves of Thybidos (CR 8)
  At the bottom of a flight of broad steps is a large, elegant 
  chamber, the walls lined with rose-tinged marble. Coiling six-
  headed serpent symbols grace the marble floor, though they 
  are worn and tarnished. Two semicircular alcoves enclosed 
  by thick metal bars are in the north wall, each containing 
  four short stone pedestals each adorned with a large red 
  gemstone and supporting a tarnished golden urn. Between 
  the two alcoves stands another marble pedestal, a huge orb 
  of rose-colored crystal set deep into it. Archways to the east 
  open into a large side room in which half the floor drops away 
  into a yawning, ten-foot wide pit.
  The iron bars on the alcoves are set 3 inches apart, and 
  they likely must be destroyed in order to reach the alcoves 
  beyond (hardness 20, hp 120). The orb of rose-colored crystal 
  between the alcove is cracked, but it once allowed for the 
  bars to be raised or lowered. The urns within the alcoves 
  were once intended to contain the cremated remains 
  of Thybidos’s wife and children, but all eight of them 
  are empty. Alaznist instead unceremoniously cast these 
  murdered kin into the pit to the east as Thybidos watched.
  Creatures: The pit in the eastern section of this room is 
  30 feet deep, its floor scattered with the fragmented bones 
  of Thybidos’s wife and children. Three of these murdered 
  victims (Thybidos’s wife, his eldest daughter, and his 
  eldest son) rose as wraiths soon after Thybidos was sealed 
  away in the crypt, and they immediately rise up from the 
  pit to attack anyone who disturbs the remains or attempts 
  to steal any of the gemstones in the northern alcoves. The 
  wraiths do not pursue PCs out of this chamber.
  53
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  WRAITHS (3) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  hp 47 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 281)
  Treasure: A closer inspection reveals that the urns 
  are only brass and relatively worthless. Each of the eight 
  gemstones on the pedestals is easily pried out if someone 
  can reach them through the bars or bypass the barrier. 
  Of the gems, seven are flawed quartz crystals worth 50 
  gp apiece. The gem furthest to the east, however, is a red 
  jasper worth 1,000 gp—one of the key gems required to 
  lower the slab at area E2f.
  E5. Beast Trap (CR 7)
  The floor of this empty stone chamber is inlaid 
  with a distorted oval shape made of strange 
  sigils and surrounding a heptagon. A 
  single oval gemstone, bright orange 
  in color, sits in the center of the 
  room, well within the boundaries of 
  the heptagon.
  Creature: Thybidos 
  was 
  fond 
  of 
  serpents and other serpentine creatures, 
  and he often used them as guardians and 
  minions. Alaznist used one of his more recent 
  acquisitions to serve in this room as an eternal 
  guardian, binding a fiendish death worm into 
  the chamber as the guardian for one of the 
  gemstone keys. The monster remains in 
  stasis, out of time and space until anything 
  physically passes over the boundaries of 
  the magic circle on the floor, at which 
  point it suddenly appears (gaining a +4 
  circumstance bonus on its initiative 
  check) and attacks. Methods of 
  entering or exiting the circle 
  that don’t involve physical 
  movement across or over the 
  circle (such as a teleportation 
  effect, or moving under the 
  circle via earth glide) avoid 
  attracting 
  the 
  fiendish 
  death worm’s attention entirely.
  FIENDISH DEATH WORM 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  hp 68 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 
  292, 76)
  Treasure: The gem at the 
  center of the chamber is a carnelian worth 
  1,000 gp, and it is one of the keys needed to lower the 
  slab at area E2f.
  E6. Crypt of the Fidaelem (CR 9)
  The floor of this long chamber is decorated with an abstract 
  fresco of yellows, oranges, and light browns, giving 
  the room the appearance of having been carved out of 
  artistically rendered mineral ores. Evenly spaced twenty 
  feet apart along the curving hall are sleek stone sarcophagi, 
  their surfaces carved in images of men and women clad 
  in elegant robes and clutching bastard swords to their 
  bodies, hilt over chest and blade pointing downward toward 
  the feet.
  These sarcophagi contain the remains of a 
  special caste of bodyguards known as the 
  Fidaelem, who were well known for 
  their faithful devotion to Thybidos. 
  In reward for this faith, Alaznist 
  entombed them alive in these stone 
  coffins. Each sarcophagus has been 
  sealed shut via stone shape, but can 
  be smashed open relatively easily 
  (hardness 8, hp 30, break DC 18). They 
  now contain only ancient skeletons 
  draped in brittle robes and clutching 
  time-worn bastard swords.
  The one-time leader of this elite sect 
  of bodyguards was a woman named Vola 
  Adurusk. Her remains lie in the central 
  sarcophagus at area E6a. Unlike the other 
  sarcophagi, Vola’s sarcophagus is open, 
  and her dried but still quite articulated 
  remains are on full display. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check 
  catches a glimpse of a green gemstone 
  (a peridot) between her teeth, clenched 
  within her mouth.
  Creatures: All of the bodies 
  entombed here are undead, but they 
  do not animate immediately upon 
  the PCs entering the room. Indeed, 
  if the PCs wish, they can smash 
  the remains of the six Fidaelem 
  in the outer hall without having 
  them animate at all.
  Vola Adurusk is not so passive—she 
  lies awake but motionless in her sarcophagus, 
  having had thousands of years to wait patiently 
  and faithfully for someone to come along 
  to restore her master. When she 
  spies the PCs, she contacts them 
  54
  Vola Adurusk
  
  telepathically, without moving, asking them, “Are you here 
  to release my master from his chains?” Any answer to the 
  affirmative, be it a simple “Yes” or a more complex one 
  that says the PCs are here to release Thybidos is enough 
  to satisfy Vola (although PCs who don’t honestly intend to 
  release Thybidos must succeed at a Bluff check opposed by 
  Vola’s Sense Motive). Vola also accepts an answer along the 
  lines of, “We seek his aid in defeating Runelord Alaznist.” 
  In this case, she simply opens her mouth and allows the 
  PCs to pluck out the peridot she holds there. As they do, 
  she says, “Then take this gem, one of the four keys to his 
  freedom, speak the master’s name before the entrance to 
  his humiliation, and leave me in peace.”
  Any other answer, or any attempt to touch her remains 
  before she opens her mouth, causes her to rise up in a 
  rage, telepathically shouting, “You are fools, but in death 
  you shall become loyal Fidaelem!” She attacks at once, 
  and at the same time, any surviving wights in the outer 
  hall begin to hammer at their sarcophaguses from within, 
  attempting DC 18 Strength checks each round to smash 
  free and come to Vola’s aid.
  VOLA ADURUSK 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  Cairn wight (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 276)
  LE Medium undead
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +6 natural)
  hp 38 (4d8+20)
  Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +7
  Immune undead traits
  Weaknesses resurrection vulnerability
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk bastard sword +7 (1d10+3/19–20 plus energy 
  drain), slam +1 (1d4+1 plus energy drain)
  Special Attacks create spawn, energy drain (1 level, DC 16)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Vola splits her attacks among different foes, 
  hoping to weaken multiple enemies with her energy drain 
  ability rather than leave any unharmed.
  Morale Vola fights until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 16, Con —, Int 15, Wis 17, Cha 19
  Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 19
  Feats Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Improved 
  Initiative, Toughness
  Skills Climb +10, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (religion) +9, 
  Perception +10, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +18
  Languages Abyssal, Thassilonian; telepathy 100 ft.
  Gear mwk bastard sword, peridot worth 1,000 gp (this is one 
  of the gemstone keys to area E2f)
  WIGHTS (UP TO 6) 
  CR 3
  XP 800 each
  hp 26 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 276)
  Story Award: If the PCs secure the peridot clutched in 
  Vola’s mouth without violence, award them 6,000 XP as if 
  they had defeated her and all six wights in combat.
  E7. Legacy of Wrath (CR 8)
  The iron door (hardness 10, hp 120, break DC 30) blocking 
  entry into this chamber has a large representation of 
  the Rune of Wrath forged in its face and a handle at its 
  center. Turning the handle 360 degrees counterclockwise 
  requires a successful DC 15 Strength check and causes the 
  door to sink into the floor for 24 hours. A similar handle 
  is on the door’s east side.
  An immense rune of wrath decorates this room’s floor. 
  Exquisite portraits of imperious figures have been painted 
  into the walls of five alcoves spaced irregularly around the 
  room. Above, the twenty-five-foot-high ceiling is decorated 
  with a fresco that depicts an angry sky ready to unleash a 
  torrent of rain and lightning.
  The paintings are lifelike representations of the 
  five Runelords of Wrath, their names, in Thassilonian, 
  inscribed into the base of each. The colors remain vibrant 
  after all this time, preserved via magic. The first four 
  portraits depict the runelord’s final fate and symbolize 
  how they fell from rule, but the last, which depicts 
  Alaznist, merely shows her in full glory as the ruler of an 
  empire. The information presented in italics below is for 
  GM context.
  Alderpash: The first Runelord of Wrath is depicted 
  as a scowling, elderly man trapped in an endless maze 
  watched over by a demonic figure (a PC can identify this 
  figure as the demon lord Baphomet with a successful 
  DC 20 Knowledge [religion] check). (Alderpash’s attempt to 
  sacrifice Sorshen to Baphomet backfired and resulted in his own 
  imprisonment in the demon lord’s realm.)
  Angothane: The second Runelord of Wrath is a 
  handsome man with waist-length blond hair and 
  heterochromatic eyes (one white, one black). He is 
  depicted on his knees, clutching his head as blood 
  runs from his eyes and gaping mouth. Standing over 
  his shoulder is Runelord Xanderghul, ribbons of 
  eldritch magic extending from his fingers to bore into 
  Angothane’s soul. (Angothane was one of three runelords 
  slain by Xanderghul during a violent schism that nearly tore 
  Thassilon apart and forever thereafter set the runelords at odds 
  against each other.)
  Xiren: The third Runelord of Wrath is a thin woman 
  with haunted eyes and dressed in a flowing gown. 
  55
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  She staggers back as her hands rise to her throat, which 
  has just been cut by a curved knife made of glittering 
  force magic wielded by a sinister looking man—Runelord 
  Thybidos. (Xiren was assassinated by Thybidos when he 
  decided he should be the one to rule Bakrakhan.)
  Thybidos: The fourth Runelord of Wrath is a balding 
  man with wisps of hair flowing to his shoulders, his 
  hawk-like face twisted in agony as whiplike tendrils of 
  fire lash through his shoulders, hips, and neck, severing 
  his body into six parts. The tendrils of fire extend out 
  of this alcove along the walls to the outstretched hand 
  of Runelord Alaznist’s portrait in the next alcove. 
  This painting is also a secret door, 
  which a PC can discover with a 
  successful DC 20 Perception 
  check. (Thybidos was in turn 
  assassinated by Alaznist and 
  imprisoned in this very tomb.)
  Alaznist: The final Runelord 
  of Wrath is shown in full 
  glory, standing atop the 
  Irespan as it juts from 
  the side of Hollow Mountain while legions of demons, 
  sinspawn, and soldiers clamor for her attention and 
  blessing far below. One hand is outstretched, with lines 
  of fire snaking out to cut apart the nearby portrait of 
  her predecessor, Thybidos.
  Creature: The painting of Runelord Xiren, beheaded 
  by her successor Thybidos after he starved her in a cell 
  for weeks and conducted a sham trial, is in fact a cleverly 
  built construct, a variant form of a cephalophore that 
  can assume painting form rather than statue form. 
  As soon as a PC attempts to access the secret passage 
  behind Thybidos’s portrait (or as soon as the “painting” 
  of Xiren is damaged), the cephalophore steps out and 
  immediately attacks, fighting until it is destroyed.
  EFFIGY OF XIREN 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Variant cephalophore (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 27)
  hp 96
  E8. The Jeweled Ascent (CR 8)
  A long winding tunnel, half of which consists of a steep 
  flight of stairs leading ever deeper into the ground below 
  Hollow Mountain, eventually comes to an end at an open 
  shaft that rises upward into a 15-foot-wide hall, a full 30 
  feet up.
  This shaft features no traditional method of ascent—no stairs, 
  ropes, or ladders—but the shaft’s walls 
  are studded with rough cones of red, 
  yellow, or green glass, protruding here and 
  there from the walls in shapes that could be 
  used as hand- and foot-holds for a climb. 
  Trap: The glass cones have a rough texture, making 
  them perfectly suited as handholds for climbing. It 
  takes only a successful DC 10 Climb check to scale the 
  walls of this shaft. That said, the shaft itself is a complex 
  magical trap. The only safe way to ascend is to use only 
  red handholds (the yellow and green cones are not 
  placed in a way that allows ascent using only them, a 
  fact that a PC who takes the time to look for patterns in 
  the glass placement can confirm with a successful DC 
  25 Perception check). If someone ascends or descends 
  the shaft using more than just red handholds, the trap 
  is triggered as soon as the climber reaches the top of 
  the shaft. Note that climbing the shaft without touching 
  any of the cones (requiring a successful DC 30 Climb 
  check, or DC 5 if performed with the aid of a rope) still 
  results in the trap being triggered as the climber reaches 
  the top.
  The trap is not triggered if someone descends the 
  shaft rather than ascends it, nor is it triggered 
  56
  Effigy of Xiren
  
  if flight, teleportation, or other methods of travel that do 
  not involve climbing are used.
  JEWELED ASCENT  
   CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Type magic; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Reset automatic; Bypass climb using only 
  red glass handholds
  Effect As soon as a climber reaches the top of the shaft, 
  the cones of glass transform into horizontally aligned 
  razor-sharp shards of magically strengthened glass 
  that immediately begin to spin around the shaft’s 
  circumference. These shards extend to the center of 
  the shaft and deal 6d6 points of slashing damage (DC 
  20 Reflex half) to each creature within the shaft (and 
  any ropes hanging down as well), potentially causing 
  additional falling damage. The spinning glass blades churn 
  for 1 round before transforming back into cones, resetting 
  the trap.
  E9. The Forest of Pillars (CR 8)
  The hall ends abruptly at a precipice, descending twenty 
  feet into a circular room decorated with a vibrant green 
  fresco. The northeastern side of the pit opens into a second 
  chamber whose floor is at the same level as the southern 
  hallway. This second room is filled with pillars set five 
  feet apart. One of those pillars straddles the pit’s edge, 
  extending down to the floor below. What appears to be a 
  second circular pit is located on the far side of the pillar-
  filled room.
  The green painting on the floor of the pit is lacquered 
  so that it shines in the presence of a light source as if 
  it were carved from actual jade. The once tightly fitted 
  brick that lines the walls of both pits has chipped and 
  worn over the years, providing footholds for climbing. A 
  successful DC 10 Climb check is required to descend and 
  ascend these walls.
  Creatures: Two loathsome qlippoth, slithering tangles 
  of hatred known as vexenions, guard the pillar-filled 
  chamber. Though they are sizable, their ability to compress 
  allows them to move between the pillars with nauseating 
  ease. The vexenions notice the party negotiating the 
  climb from the jade pit, potentially attacking as soon 
  as the PCs attempt to clamber over the edge. The two 
  qlippoth pursue foes as far north as area E10 and as far 
  south as area E7.
  VEXENION QLIPPOTH (2) 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400 each
  hp 76 each (see page 86)
  E10. Hydra’s Grave (CR 8)
  The ceiling of this large domed chamber rises thirty-five feet, 
  while a wall of iron bars blocks a broad hall heading off to 
  the west. A fresco of a six-headed serpent covers the floor, 
  though parts of it have been worn away by the passage of 
  time, and it appears as if someone has smashed the serpent’s 
  six heads with some form of heavy bludgeon, leaving those 
  parts of the fresco cracked and damaged.
  The iron bars (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 25) are set 
  deep in floor and ceiling, completely blocking access to the 
  hallway beyond. They can be smashed down or bypassed 
  via magic, but they also fade away into mist if the haunt in 
  this chamber is either inactive or destroyed.
  Haunt: The fresco of the six-headed hydra on the 
  ground is more than a design. It duplicates the remains 
  of one of Thybidos’s favorite pets, a powerful six-headed 
  pyrohydra—yet another creature slaughtered by Alaznist 
  during Thybidos’s agonizing final hours. Alaznist had 
  the slain hydra’s body buried in the stonework below 
  this room, but not before she engaged the aid of several 
  enslaved necromancers to use the pet hydra’s spiritual 
  energy to force the manifestation of a haunt to serve as 
  a final guardian of Thybidos’s crypt. The haunt itself 
  rises up from the hydra’s buried bones, manifesting as a 
  ghostly version of its former self before it begins spewing 
  beams of fire at any targets in sight.
  HAUNTING HYDRA 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  CE persistent haunt (area E10)
  Caster Level 8th
  Notice Perception DC 25 (to hear the sound of six serpents 
  hissing and smell the stink of burning flesh)
  hp 36; Weakness susceptible to cold damage; Trigger 
  proximity; Reset 1 day
  Effect The image of the ghostly hydra does not move beyond 
  a fifteen-foot-diameter area in the center of the room, but 
  it instead spews a beam of fire from each of its six heads 
  on its turn each round. It must make a ranged touch attack 
  (with a +8 bonus) to hit a target with a beam, and a beam 
  deals 2d6 points of fire damage on a hit. The haunting 
  hydra cannot target a single foe more than twice in a round 
  with its beams, and usually splits the beams up as evenly 
  as possible between its foes.
  Destruction The hydra’s remains must be dug up from the 
  3 feet below the room’s stone floor, and then either be 
  destroyed or transported off of Rivenrake Island.
  E11. The Torment of Thybidos (CR 9)
  The iron door at the end of the hall is 4 inches thick 
  (hardness 10, hp 120, break DC 30), but it won’t pose a 
  57
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  problem to visitors to Thybidos’s crypt, for it rises silently 
  into the ceiling as soon as any creature approaches within 
  10 feet of it.
  The walls of this grand chamber are lined with sheets of deep 
  green marble. An intricate mosaic of a coiling, six-headed 
  serpent decorates the floor, beyond which a short flight of 
  stairs leads up to a raised platform. Atop this ten-foot-high 
  overlook, an ancient throne is flanked by two white marble 
  statues of tall, muscular women holding ranseurs. Each statue 
  has a leering skull for a face, and both aim their ranseurs 
  down toward the throne itself. The throne is made of rusted 
  and pitted iron, and the arms and back are covered in spikes 
  and wrapped in chains.
  Creatures: The undead remains of Thybidos are lashed 
  by chains to the spiked throne, his arms, legs, and head 
  severed from his torso, but all held in place on the throne 
  itself by lengths of chain. Thassilonian runes glow on his 
  leathery skin, and his hair and beard flicker as if made of 
  black fire. As the PCs step into the room, the two statues 
  to either side lurch in an automated fashion, jabbing 
  their ranseurs forward to stab into Thybidos’s torso. They 
  repeat this action at the start of each round, and have 
  been doing so for thousands of years. Thybidos’s undead 
  body always repairs itself before the next strike, only to be 
  torn into again and again. Each time the ranseurs strike, 
  his severed head emits a supernatural and chilling howl 
  of pain.
  As the PCs enter the room, the heads of both statues 
  turn to face them, then grind and twist as they detach. 
  These two ivory sentinels surge forward to attack the 
  PCs, while the statues themselves continue their horrific 
  torment round after round. If the PCs manage to destroy 
  both ivory sentinels, the animated statues finally stop 
  moving, and the PCs can converse with Thybidos, as 
  detailed in Event 17 below.
  IVORY SENTINELS (2) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  hp 75 each (see page 90) 
  Treasure: The PCs are unlikely to get the chance to 
  investigate the throne until after Event 17 is resolved. 
  Should they do so later, a PC who succeeds at a DC 20 
  Perception check finds a hidden hinge along the left side 
  of the throne that opens a small panel, revealing a hollow 
  space within the throne itself. Inside are several valuable 
  treasures, minor trinkets once owned by Thybidos that 
  were of little interest to Alaznist other than as a further 
  method of humiliating her previous master by placing 
  them so near yet so far from his remains. These treasures 
  include a lesser burning metamagic rodUE, three scrolls 
  wrapped with black ribbon (cone of cold, contagious flameAPG, 
  and leashed shacklesUM), a ring of forcefangsUE (already 
  contains 2 charges), a wand of force punchUM (9 charges), a 
  wand of wall of fire (4 charges), and a blue silk drawstring 
  pouch containing five beads of force.
  event 17: An AudienCe With A runelord
  Once the ivory sentinels are defeated, the statues go 
  still and the room falls silent for a moment. Then 
  Thybidos’s tormented remains issue a long, shuddering 
  sigh of relief. Still chained to his throne and barely 
  able to move, the runelord’s body looks leathery and 
  ancient, the dry bones of a mummy clad in filthy rags 
  stained dark at the joints by ancient blood where his 
  body was cut apart.
  Thybidos is aware and conscious, but until the PCs 
  address him, the ex-runelord remains silent, enjoying 
  the first moment in centuries where he’s not being 
  actively tormented. The first time anyone attempts 
  to speak to him, he responds only with a low, rasping 
  whisper: “bring... me... Xiren...” Even this seems to 
  exhaust the ancient runelord, and he slumps his chair.
  The first time a character approaches within 10 
  feet of the runelord’s throne, Thybidos’s eyes, wet and 
  horribly alive in their dry sockets, dart to that PC’s gaze 
  and impart a quick flash of overwhelming pain. That PC 
  must succeed at a DC 25 Fortitude save or be stunned 
  for 1 round, but regardless of the results of the save, 
  the character realizes Runelord Thybidos wants only 
  the blessing of death, but Alaznist’s curse runs even 
  deeper than expected. Before he can be released from 
  undeath, Thybidos must do something Alaznist believed 
  he could never do—apologize, in person, to Xiren, the 
  runelord he slew to take position as Runelord of Wrath. 
  In this split-second vision, the PC realizes that Runelord 
  Thybidos wants someone to bring Xiren’s remains to 
  him so that he may offer just such an apology. (The 
  vision also informs that PC of the method of opening 
  Xiren’s tomb at area E2e.)
  Any attempt to physically destroy Thybidos’s remains 
  can cause temporary damage that immediately repairs 
  itself an instant later, for Alaznist’s ritualized ruination 
  of the man is one of her greatest works. The six chains 
  binding him to the chair can be destroyed (each has 
  hardness 10, hp 30, and a break DC of 28) or unfastened 
  from their complex locks with a successful DC 30 
  Disable Device check. If all six chains are removed 
  before Thybidos has a chance to apologize to Xiren, 
  his severed limbs and head reattach, and he rises as a 
  unique undead creature; see Event 18 below.
  If a PC demands answers from Thybidos or mentions 
  that Sorshen sent them to him, the wrecked figure 
  sighs once more and utters a few more words: “first... 
  58
  
  Xiren... Bring her... to me...” A character who presents 
  an Abyssal runestone earned from one of the ordeals 
  in the Gauntlet of Fury provokes the most dramatic 
  reaction of all. Thybidos’s limbs shake and shudder 
  and his eyes roll. He responds: “Alaznist... walks again... 
  while I remain in chains... You have... endured the 
  ordeal... but you do not serve... you must destroy... her... 
  before she... destroys you...” This mouthful uttered, the 
  undead remains slump and remain motionless until 
  either the chains are removed (see Event 18) or Xiren’s 
  remains are brought before him.
  If the PCs bring Xiren’s remains (her partial skull 
  from area E3 suffices) and present them to Thybidos, he 
  sighs one last time, then says, “Xiren... I am... sorry...” An 
  instant later, his remains crumble to dust and his soul 
  is released to face his final judgment in the Boneyard.
  The PCs may be eager to interrogate Runelord 
  Thybidos to learn more of Thassilon, of his successor 
  Alaznist, or other topics. Unfortunately for the PCs, the 
  many centuries spent tormented as an undead creature 
  have left Thybidos’s once formidable intellect a pale 
  shadow of its former glory. At your option, you can 
  have him gasp out a few cryptic words or short phrases 
  in answer to questions posed by the PCs, but strive to 
  use these more as opportunities to foreshadow events to 
  come rather than to give the PCs definite answers.
  Story Award: If the PCs manage to release Thybidos 
  from his torment without transforming him into the 
  unique undead monster detailed in Event 18, award them 
  9,600 XP.
  Event 18: A Runelord Rising (CR 10)
  If the PCs release Thybidos from 
  his chains, the runelord’s body 
  parts fuse together and he rises as a unique 
  undead creature, floating into the air on 
  a plume of black smoke. He speaks in 
  a strong voice as he does so: “Ah, 
  to move again after so long. I 
  must thank you, liberators, for 
  breaking my chains. I am free 
  now. Free to exact revenge, 
  free to work my will again 
  upon the world. Allow me 
  now to reward you, to free 
  you of your own prisons of 
  flesh! Be the first in eons to feel 
  Runelord Thybidos’s wrath!”
  At this point, the undead runelord attacks the 
  PCs, eager to inflict pain on the living after so 
  long in chains.
  If 
  Runelord 
  Thybidos 
  is 
  defeated, he sighs in relief as 
  his remains crumble to dust. Denied the opportunity 
  to apologize to Xiren, his prospects in the Boneyard are 
  likely to be dire.
  RUNELORD THYBIDOS 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male unique undead
  CE Medium undead
  59
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  Runelord Thybidos
  
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +21
  Aura runelord’s wrath (30 ft., 1d4 rounds, DC 21)
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 15, flat-footed 20 (+4 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +10 natural)
  hp 133 (14d8+70)
  Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +13
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4; DR 10/—; 
  Immune fire, undead traits
  Weakness influenced by Abyssal runestones
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (good)
  Melee 2 claws +18 (1d8+8 plus 1d6 fire and burn)
  Ranged wrathful fire +14 touch (3d6 fire plus burn)
  Special Attacks burn (1d6, DC 21), quartering curse
  TACTICS
  During Combat Runelord Thybidos attacks the nearest PC 
  on the first round of combat, switching targets to any 
  PC who seems particularly effective at harming him as 
  needed. The first time he attacks a PC who carries an 
  Abyssal runestone, he hisses and staggers back, that 
  round of attacks wasted as he says, “Aaaahhhh... you 
  carry proof of the ordeal... I shall suffer you to live as 
  my gift to you!” Thereafter, he does not attack a PC who 
  carries an Abyssal runestone unless the PC continues 
  to attack him, in which case he focuses his fury on that 
  character while shouting, “Traitor! Betrayer!”
  Morale Runelord Thybidos fights until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 26, Dex 19, Con —, Int 20, Wis 19, Cha 19
  Base Atk +10; CMB +18; CMD 33
  Feats Combat Expertise, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved 
  Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Toughness
  Skills Fly +25, Intimidate +21, Knowledge (arcana) +22, 
  Knowledge (engineering) +19, Knowledge (planes) 
  +19, Knowledge (religion) +22, Perception +21, 
  Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +22
  Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Giant, Shoanti, Thassilonian, 
  Varisian
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Influenced by Abyssal Runestones (Ex) A PC who carries 
  an Abyssal runestone can attempt a DC 20 Sense Motive 
  check as a free action at the start of each round. On a 
  success, the PC senses that Runelord Thybidos harbors 
  memories of awarding such items to his own favored 
  servants. Forcefully presenting an Abyssal runestone 
  is a standard action that forces Runelord Thybidos to 
  attempt a DC 20 Will save; on a failure, the runelord 
  ceases attacking. In this event, he drops to his knees, 
  weeping, and begs the PCs to bring him Xiren’s remains 
  once more. Runelord Thybidos remains in this state for 
  24 hours or until he is attacked again.
  Quartered Curse (Su) When he is destroyed, Runelord 
  Thybidos unleashes a final curse on all creatures within 
  a 30-foot radus. Affected creatures suffer increasingly 
  mind-numbing and soul-crushing pain in the hips, 
  shoulders, and neck. Each creature in the area must 
  succeed at a DC 21 Will save or take 1d6 points of 
  Constitution damage and 1d6 points of Charisma 
  damage. The cursed creature doesn’t benefit from 
  effects that remove ability damage. Once cursed, the 
  target must succeed at a Will save every 24 hours 
  (at the same DC) or take the ability damage again. If 
  either ability score is reduced to 0, the cursed creature’s 
  arms, legs, and head tear away from the torso in a 
  spectacular display, killing the creature on the spot. 
  A creature slain in this manner rises as a ghost after 
  24 hours have passed and gains the quartered curse 
  ability as a bonus special ability. A character who took 
  part in either the apprentice’s or soldier’s ordeal gains 
  a +4 bonus on saving throws against this curse (or a +8 
  bonus if they took part in both ordeals). The save DC is 
  Charisma-based.
  Runelord’s Wrath (Su) All creatures within a 30-foot radius 
  that can see Runelord Thybidos must succeed at a DC 
  21 Will save or be terrified into subservience. A creature 
  that fails its saving throw gains the cowering condition 
  for 1d4 rounds. A creature that successfully saves is 
  not subject to this ability for 24 hours. This is a mind-
  affecting fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma-based.
  Wrathful Fire (Su) Runelord Thybidos can shoot a beam 
  of fire from his burning heart as a ranged touch attack 
  with a range of 60 feet (no range increment). On a hit, 
  this fire deals 3d6 points of fire damage. This does not 
  provoke an attack of opportunity. He can use this attack 
  and make both claw attacks in 1 round using a full attack 
  action. On a hit, this fire deals 3d6 points of fire damage.
  Development: If the PCs fail to destroy Runelord 
  Thybidos, leaving the undead monster active, after 
  releasing him, they will not find him here should they 
  return. In this case, it’s only a matter of time before the 
  runelord regains a fair amount of his former power. 
  You can have the PCs encounter him again later in 
  this Adventure Path with the wizard creature simple 
  template (Pathfinder RPG Monster Codex 249).
  CONCLUDING  
  THE ADVENTURE
  Having likely taken part in an aspirant’s ordeal 
  and released Thybidos’s spirit, the PCs have taken 
  a significant step toward their destinies as Varisia’s 
  newest heroes. As Runelord Thybidos is released from 
  60
  
  torment, either after the PCs give him the chance to 
  apologize to Xiren’s remains or after they defeat his 
  undead form, the passing of his wrathful soul sends a 
  spiritual ripple of psychic energy through all of Hollow 
  Mountain. All those who dwell within know of the ex-
  runelord’s passing, as does Runelord Alaznist far to the 
  north, where she continues to consolidate her power 
  deep in the ruins of Xin-Cyrusian. As explained in the 
  next adventure, “Runeplague,” Runelord Alaznist is 
  unable to easily learn more about the PCs’ identities 
  due to the damage she’s done to the time stream as well 
  as their participation in the ordeals in the Gauntlet of 
  Fury, but the PCs have no way to know this. For now, 
  they know only that Thybidos’ passing was noticed by 
  many and that there is no responding echo from within 
  Hollow Mountain. Each PC knows instinctively at this 
  point that no runelord dwells within Hollow Mountain, 
  and that this means Alaznist is most certainly free and 
  out, somewhere in the world.
  Of more immediate concern, the PCs have likely 
  learned that other cults are active in the region. If they 
  haven’t learned from Maga Szuul (or at least his notes) 
  of the presence of the cult of Yamasoth in Magnimar, 
  they will soon after returning to that city. They may 
  even (correctly) worry that they haven’t seen the last 
  of the cult of the Peacock Spirit, particularly if Hira 
  managed to escape. Finally, the mysterious invitation 
  from Runelord Sorshen lingers—should the PCs travel 
  to Korvosa to accept her offer of parley?
  Note that while the PCs are free to choose where to go 
  from here, the start of the next adventure, “Runeplague,” 
  assumes that the PCs return to meet their allies on 
  board Tyalee’s Whim. They aren’t aware of the fact that 
  at the end of this Adventure Path they’ll be traveling to 
  the Dimension of Time itself, but in the process they 
  are destined to face additional perils, perhaps of their 
  own accidental design. And while they will soon face 
  these dangers, they will also have the opportunity to 
  gain additional boons and powers associated with the 
  themes of the campaign traits they chose at character 
  creation, assuming they selected campaign traits from 
  the Return of the Runelords Player’s Guide. Full details on 
  these new powers will appear in the next adventure.
  One thing is certain—as the PCs emerge from the 
  depths of Hollow Mountain, they have assumed the role 
  of Varisia’s newest heroes. As the runelords and their 
  influence continues to spread, the heroes must travel the 
  length and width of Varisia to oppose them at all costs!
  61
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  MAGA SZUUL 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Male human alchemist 8 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s 
  Guide 26)
  CE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +6; Senses Perception +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 18 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +3 natural)
  hp 79 (8d8+40)
  Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +5; +6 vs. poison
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
  Melee +1 sickle +7/+2 (1d6+1), bite +1 (1d8), claw +1 (1d6), 
  tentacle +1 (1d4 plus grab)
  Ranged bomb +9 touch (4d6+4 fire)
  Special Attacks bomb 12/day (4d6+4 fire, DC 18)
  Alchemist Extracts Prepared (CL 8th; concentration +12)
  3rd—cure serious wounds (2), haste
  2nd—barkskin, invisibility, resist energy, spider climb, 
  vomit swarmAPG
  1st—cure light wounds (4), enlarge person (DC 15)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Maga Szuul consumes his mutagen before 
  combat begins, taking on a troll-like appearance.
  During Combat Maga Szuul starts combat by drinking an extract 
  of invisibility, then follows that in the succeeding rounds by 
  drinking extracts of barkskin, resist energy, enlarge person, 
  and haste. He prefers to fight at range with bombs, his 
  wasp nest of swarming, or vomit swarm, using them as 
  breath weapons when he would otherwise trigger attacks 
  of opportunity. He uses his healing extracts whenever he’s 
  reduced below 25 hp, but drinks a second extract of invisibility 
  if possible before then so he can heal in relative safety.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 15 hit points, Maga Szuul 
  does his best to flee to safety.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 13, Cha 6
  Base Atk +6; CMB +8 (+12 grapple); CMD 18
  Feats Agile Maneuvers, Brew Potion, Extra DiscoveryAPG, 
  Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Throw Anything, Toughness
  Skills Craft (alchemy) +15, Fly +6, Heal +8, Knowledge 
  Maga Szuul
  (arcana, nature) +15, Perception +12, Sleight of Hand +10, 
  Spellcraft +15, Survival +12, Use Magic Device +9
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal, Thassilonian, Varisian
  SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +8), discoveries (breath 
  weapon bombUC, feral mutagen, precise bombs [4 squares], 
  tentacleUM, wingsUM), mutagen (+4/–2, +2 natural armor, 
  80 minutes), poison use, swift alchemy
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds (2), wasp 
  nest of swarmingUE, mutagen; Other Gear +1 chain shirt, 
  +1 sickle, amulet of natural armor +1, alchemist formula 
  book (contains all prepared extracts plus 1d4 more extracts 
  of each level of your choosing), alchemist’s kit, orders 
  from Leptonia written on a sheet of parchment made from 
  demon hide (indicating the cult’s base of operations in the 
  Gecko Irespan piling in Magnimar and its goal to produce a 
  contagion known as the “polymorph plague”), 94 pp, 4 gp
  Maga Szuul was born in the Warrens of Kaer Maga, but 
  the details of his parentage have never interested him. 
  As he grew up, he developed a keen fascination with 
  the infamous troll-augurs of his hometown and took to 
  tagging along with the creatures whenever they offered 
  their services (which consisted of opening their bellies 
  and reading their own entrails for coin). The trolls came 
  to call the boy Maga Szuul: “Maga” after the city that 
  spawned him, “Szuul” after the ritual tool the augurs 
  employed to slice themselves open.
  Szuul grew to admire the monstrous shape and form 
  of his troll allies. Never a charming lad himself, he sought 
  methods of embracing his inner monster, watching and 
  listening on the streets of Kaer Maga. It wasn’t long before 
  he learned of alchemy, and more importantly, of the work 
  of a particular alchemist who specialized in mutilation 
  and depravity. This was an especially unscrupulous and 
  foul woman named Auxaba Dreel, and she was intrigued 
  by Szuul’s request to “make him a monster.” She took 
  the cruel but intelligent boy on as an apprentice of sorts, 
  and he proved to have no qualms about obtaining the 
  sometimes nauseating or illegal substances she required 
  for her experiments. Indeed, he relished these tasks, no 
  matter what unpleasantness they required. What she 
  Maga Szuul’s evil and debased character is unmistakable. Foul in nature and cruel 
  in desire, he has embraced the teachings of the qlippoth lord Yamasoth and seeks 
  to spread the Polymorph Plague’s influence throughout Varisia.
  62
  
  used to punish previous apprentices became rewards to 
  Szuul—transformations that altered his appearance by, 
  for example, giving him a rat’s tail or drawing a cowl of 
  scaly flesh across his mouth. Szuul studied with Auxaba 
  Dreel for several years, soaking up her knowledge. But 
  when he finally came of age, Szuul determined that the 
  old woman could teach him no more. While she slept one 
  night, he slit her throat with the sickle he had been gifted 
  long ago by a troll augur, catching the blood in several 
  containers for use in his own experiments.
  It was destiny that Szuul would eventually attract the 
  attention of the cult of Yamasoth. Agents of the dreadful 
  qlippoth lord had long been active in Kaer Maga’s 
  shadows, and Auxaba was one of their primary sources for 
  rare elixirs and unpleasant tinctures. Her death vexed the 
  cult’s agents, but they saw promise in her murderer’s zeal 
  and talent. The cult’s leader, a half-drow named Leptonia, 
  came to Szuul and offered him a choice between joining 
  the cult or death, but no such threats were necessary—
  Maga Szuul was a perfect fit for the cult and soon became 
  a ruthless and enthusiastic follower of the qlippoth lord. 
  Devotion to the cult dovetailed perfectly with his 
  alchemical studies, and he rose quickly within 
  the hierarchy. Before the first anniversary of his 
  murder of Auxaba, he was being sent on missions 
  across Varisia in service of the qlippoth lord’s will, 
  killing, stealing, and striking terror into the hearts of 
  those who stood in the way of Yamasoth’s dark aims.
  Maga Szuul followed obediently when Leptonia 
  announced that the cult was moving west—he had little 
  to keep him in the city of his birth, after all. On the 
  journey west to Magnimar, Leptonia regaled her 
  followers with descriptions of dream visions 
  she’d had—of the gift of Yamasoth 
  being spread through the nations of 
  humanity and of the spread of the 
  Kingdom of New Flesh into this 
  world. In Magnimar, the cult settled 
  into a new headquarters within one of the pilings of that 
  city’s legendary Irespan, where Maga Szuul discovered 
  that the source of Leptonia’s visions was itself a powerful 
  qlippoth who needed mortal agents to serve it.
  Leptonia didn’t hesitate to offer her cult to the qlippoth, 
  and Maga Szuul was only too eager to comply. He accepted 
  his first mission with pride—travel to Rivenrake Island and 
  recover something called an “Abyssal runestone” from the 
  Gauntlet of Fury, a region within the dungeons of Hollow 
  Mountain. The qlippoth, through Leptonia, instructed 
  Maga Szuul how to refocus a portal in Hollow Mountain 
  to provide access into the Gauntlet of Fury, but the task 
  of recovering the runestone would lie squarely on Maga’s 
  shoulders once he reached the dungeon.
  It is a task he hopes not to fail.
  CAMPAIGN ROLE
  Maga Szuul is the key to the party uncovering the dreadful 
  plots of the Polymorph Plague. Szuul is not as recklessly 
  devoted as his bodyguards, but even if he manages 
  to escape the PCs, it should be only a matter of time 
  before they encounter him again. Hints of his mistress 
  Leptonia and her plans should eventually send the PCs 
  to investigate the Gecko, the Irespan piling in which the 
  cult has made its base in Magnimar, but they won’t face 
  the leader of the cult until they travel to Riddleport, as 
  detailed in the next adventure, “Runeplague.”
  63
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  SURSHA ANTEFALLE 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Female half-elf swashbuckler 6 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced 
  Class Guide 56)
  CG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
  Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +1 shield)
  hp 49 (6d10+12)
  Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +1; +2 vs. enchantments
  Defensive Abilities charmed life 4/day, nimble +1; 
  Immune sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
  Melee +1 katana +13/+8 (1d8+12/15–20)
  Ranged mwk throwing axe +11 (1d6)
  Special Attacks deeds (derring-do, kip-up, menacing 
  swordplay, opportune parry and riposte, precise strike, 
  swashbuckler initiative), panache (2), swashbuckler 
  weapon training +1
  TACTICS
  During Combat Sursha fights with a smirk, staying mobile in 
  battle as she dances from foe to foe. Rather than remaining 
  in one place for long, she eagerly provokes attacks of 
  opportunity and makes use of her parry and riposte ability 
  to gain additional attacks. Doing so also draws those 
  attacks of opportunity away from allies, who can then 
  move more freely through the battlefield to help set up 
  flanking opportunities.
  Morale Sursha is loyal to her crew and fights to the death 
  defending them. If her ship is in peril of sinking, she 
  ensures her crew abandons ship before she does so herself.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 14
  Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 21
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (katana), 
  Skill Focus (Profession [sailor]), Slashing GraceACG, Weapon 
  Focus (katana)
  Skills Acrobatics +10, Climb +3, Diplomacy +8, Perception +10, 
  Profession (sailor) +11, Sense Motive +5, Swim +3
  Sursha Antefalle
  Languages Common, Elven, Varisian
  SQ elf blood, swashbuckler finesse
  Combat Gear potion of aid, potions of cure light wounds (2); 
  Other Gear +1 studded leather, mwk buckler, +1 katanaUC, 
  mwk throwing axe, spyglass, sunrod, 260 gp
  Montico Antefalle came from a long line of sailors who 
  called the Varisian Gulf home, but he was the first in his 
  family to achieve the rank of captain and secure his own 
  ship: a two-masted brigantine he named Surety, after his 
  half-elven wife. Not a sailor herself, Surety nonetheless 
  traveled with her husband and made the ship her home. 
  They named their only daughter Sursha, after Surety’s 
  elven great-grandmother.
  Sursha grew up aboard the Surety as it transported 
  cargo and passengers from one port to another, 
  following a trade route from Roderic’s Cove south to 
  Korvosa. On rare occasions, Surety sailed further south 
  when exceptional opportunities arose. It was one such 
  opportunity that brought Surety to the Rahadoumi port 
  of Azir, transporting a group of adventurers who paid 
  considerable coin for the service. While they waited 
  dockside for the Pathfinders to return, Sursha’s mother, 
  unused to the tropical climate, contracted a swift-acting 
  fever. Without a cleric to call upon in that faithless city, 
  she soon succumbed to the illness. Montico and his young 
  daughter Sursha, only 3 years old, were heartbroken. They 
  eventually transported the adventurers back to their base 
  in Magnimar and buried Surety at sea, 20 miles west of 
  Windsong Abbey. Montico swore an oath to never leave 
  Varisian waters again.
  As Sursha grew up, there was never any doubt that 
  she would follow in her father’s footsteps, for she had 
  her father’s unshakable connection to the sea. On her 
  twenty-first birthday, her father presented her with a 
  custom-made suit of studded leather armor, stained sea-
  foam green and embossed with dancing fish. A year later, 
  a Tian merchant took a shine to her. While she gently 
  rebuffed his proposals of marriage, she did accept his 
  gift of a magical katana forged in his distant homeland. 
  Sursha took to training with the exquisite weapon, which 
  Sursha has spent the past several years sailing the waters of the Varisian 
  Gulf, ferrying passengers and besting hungry beasts of the sea, the occasional 
  pirate, and predatory competitors alike with admirable courage and cunning.
  64
  
  she wore on her back in a leather scabbard matching the 
  armor her father had made for her.
  Father and daughter had a happy life together over 
  the next 10 years, with a faithful crew they could depend 
  upon and customers who came to them again and again 
  for their fast and reliable services. But a few years ago, 
  as they were returning from a rare journey north to the 
  elven settlement of Arsmeril, a sudden storm caught 
  Surety, and when a rogue wave swamped the ship, her 
  crew was barely able to save their vessel. It was not until 
  they were safe again that the sad truth was revealed: 
  Montico Antefalle had been washed overboard. His body 
  was never found.
  Sursha inherited command of her father’s ship, 
  and the loyal crew stayed aboard to follow her. 
  For a time, her demeanor was tinged by 
  sadness, as she struggled with the loss of 
  both her mother and her father. Then, a year 
  after her father’s death, a beautiful sea druid 
  named Tyalee Spring booked passage on 
  Surety without any apparent destination. 
  As Surety sailed from port to port, 
  Tyalee communed with the denizens 
  of the deep, performed sacred rituals, 
  and stood on deck during storms, 
  reveling in the glory of the sea. Sursha 
  was smitten.
  Their love affair was as stormy as the 
  waters of the Varisian Gulf. Sursha’s crew 
  grew increasingly concerned at how she 
  turned down good paying commissions 
  to instead follow one of Tyalee’s 
  mysterious caprices—sailing to remote 
  islands, confronting gales head-on, 
  or drifting in the middle of 
  nowhere while the aquatic 
  druid sojourned for days 
  beneath the waves. It was 
  her bosun, a kind-natured half-
  orc named “Elbows” Eddi, 
  who finally confronted 
  Sursha: 
  they 
  could 
  no longer crew with 
  her if she continued to follow each and every one 
  of Tyalee’s dangerous whims. She must choose 
  between serving as captain of a merchant 
  ship or acting as the personal transport for 
  an unpredictable druid. Sursha was angry and 
  resisted the ultimatum, but when Tyalee soon 
  thereafter issued a demand of her own—to sail 
  south to the Shackles and join up with a band 
  of sea druids based in those dangerous isles—
  her decision was clear. When they reached port in 
  Magnimar, Sursha and Tyalee parted ways, much to the 
  relief of the crew.
  Life aboard Surety returned to normal thereafter for 
  the crew, ferrying passengers and hauling shipments 
  around the gulf, but Sursha was increasingly despondent. 
  While the ship was docked in Roderic’s Cove, the worried 
  bosun sought out a priest to comfort and counsel Sursha. 
  This was the Ashavan priestess Audrahni, who assuaged 
  Sursha’s heartache and brought her to the worship of 
  the empyreal lord Ashava. Years have passed since then, 
  and while Sursha still catches herself scanning the 
  docks of every port they reach for the itinerant druid, 
  she has been restored to her vibrant self, beloved by her 
  crew and respected across the gulf by merchant and 
  sea captain alike. In that time, she’s renamed 
  her ship Tyalee’s Whim, 
  both in honor of 
  her lost love and to 
  remind herself of the 
  responsibilities of being 
  a ship’s captain.
  CAMPAIGN ROLE
  Sursha is a fierce and loyal ally—once 
  gained, her friendship is a certain thing. At 
  first merely acquiescing to the party’s needs, 
  in part because of her friendship 
  with Audrahni, Sursha comes to 
  trust the PCs after they save her 
  ship and crew, either through 
  defeating the beast in the 
  crates or helping to secure 
  her ship during the storm. 
  Although 
  Sursha’s 
  role 
  beyond this adventure isn’t 
  hard-coded into the text 
  of this campaign, the PCs 
  can certainly benefit from their 
  association and friendship with 
  her in the future. In particular, 
  in the third adventure of Return 
  of the Runelords, “Runeplague,” the PCs 
  will find themselves traveling the length 
  and breadth of Varisia. In that adventure, 
  Sursha and Tyalee’s Whim can transport the PCs 
  to Magnimar, Riddleport, Korvosa, and even to 
  the risen isle of Xin. Furthermore, should the PCs 
  need contacts in the three coastal cities mentioned 
  above, during Sursha’s frequent visits to the docks of 
  every seaside city in Varisia, as well as those that lie 
  along navigable rivers, she has built up a wealth 
  of connections that can be a valuable resource  
  for the PCs.
  65
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  VIRALANE BARVISAI 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Female human expert 2/mesmerist 5 (Pathfinder RPG Occult 
  Adventures 38)
  CN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +6; Senses Perception +9
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex)
  hp 31 (7d8)
  Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +12
  Weaknesses cursed
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk dagger +4 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Special Attacks bold stare (timidity), hypnotic stare (–2), 
  manifold tricks (2 tricks), mental potency (+1), mesmerist 
  tricks 6/day (mesmeric mirror, psychosomatic surge, 
  shadow splinter [Will DC 17]), painful stare (+2 or +1d6+2)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +9)
  Once only—viridian escape
  Mesmerist Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +9)
  2nd (3/day)—babbleOA (DC 17), hold person (DC 17), 
  suggestion (DC 17)
  1st (5/day)—charm person (DC 16), command (DC 16), 
  disguise self, lock gazeUC (DC 16)
  0 (at will)—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 14), light, read 
  magic, touch of fatigue (DC 14), unwitting allyAPG (DC 15)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Viralane uses her magic to avoid combat if 
  possible. She hides behind her allies and uses her abilities 
  to disrupt spellcasters, ranged attackers, or anyone who 
  seems highly mobile in battle.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 6 hit points, Viralane uses the 
  viridian escape to flee to Magnimar. If she’s already used this 
  ability, she throws herself at the PCs’ mercy—see area C9 on 
  page 38 for what the PCs can learn from her in return.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 18
  Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 15
  Feats Combat Casting, Extended StareOA, Improved Initiative, 
  Intimidating GlanceOA, Spell Focus (enchantment)
  Viralane Barvisai
  Skills Bluff +14, Disguise +12, Intimidate +14, Linguistics +6, 
  Perception +9, Perform (act, sing) +14, Sense Motive +10, 
  Sleight of Hand +9, Stealth +9, Use Magic Device +14
  Languages Common, Elven, Halfling, Varisian
  SQ consummate liar +2, touch treatment 7/day (minor)
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds (2), potion of cure 
  moderate wounds, potion of eagle’s splendor; Other Gear 
  +1 leather lamellar armorUC, mwk dagger, ring of feather 
  falling, 1,500 gp in jewelry and fine clothing, 8 pp, 8 gp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Viridian Escape (Sp) Viralane has been subjected to an 
  ancient ritual called the viridian transcendence, granting 
  her the ability to use word of recall once and once only as 
  a swift action. When she activates this ability, she vanishes 
  in a puff of bright blue-green smoke and reappears in a 
  Peacock Spirit safe house in Magnimar.
  Cursed (Su) Whenever Viralane takes to a literal stage, such 
  as those found in a theater, her Charisma-based checks are 
  made at a –15 penalty. The curse doesn’t apply to informal 
  gatherings, such as singing a song beside a campfire. This 
  curse is particularly difficult to remove—to successfully 
  eliminate the affliction, remove curse (DC 25 curse effect) 
  must follow atonement; however, Viralane must also truly 
  repent her adultery, taking responsibility for the harm she 
  has caused. That may be the most problematic component 
  of her redemption.
  Viralane Barvisai was born the daughter of a cobbler in 
  the Varisian settlement of Whistledown. Viralane took to 
  singing, dancing, and playacting whenever and wherever 
  she had the chance, finding that she loved the attention 
  her antics brought. Soon, shopkeepers were paying her 
  to perform near their businesses to draw in customers. 
  In a short time, Viralane was earning more with her 
  theatrics than her father was repairing shoes. Her father 
  grew to resent his daughter’s growing fame, berating 
  and beating the girl even as he was more than happy to 
  pocket the money Viralane made. It took little persuasion 
  from the charming leader of a traveling theater troupe 
  to convince Viralane to join their company and leave 
  Whistledown behind.
  Viralane enjoys being the talk of the town and the toast of the ball, and she’s 
  spent most of her life building her reputation as an actress and singer. But 
  recently, she’s found a new calling—the Cult of the Peacock Spirit.
  66
  
  The troupe leader, Auliska Bowden, was soon showcasing 
  Viralane at every settlement they visited. It was after a 
  performance at the Kendall Amphitheater in Korvosa 
  that a Chelish impresario named Sirthis Vosi approached 
  Viralane backstage. He convinced her to leave Bowden’s 
  troupe so he could introduce her to “the more discerning 
  audiences of Egorian, Absalom, and Oppara.” Vosi was 
  true to his word, and within 2 years, she was headlining 
  in cities from Corentyn to Oppara.
  As Viralane’s fame grew, so did her self-regard. Having 
  forgotten the lessons of her childhood, when jealousy 
  and envy made her life unbearable, she began treating 
  other performers with disdain. Viralane became more 
  difficult and unyielding with directors and conductors, 
  and every booking contract was loaded with increasingly 
  outlandish provisions and demands. She indulged 
  her every whim and desire, went through lovers with 
  reckless abandon, and left broken hearts and homes in 
  her wake. Despite her conduct, her fame continued to 
  pack performance halls where she performed. Her many 
  admirers showered her with gifts, including a halfling 
  slave named Corla, who became her most ardent devotee 
  when Viralane quite theatrically manumitted her before 
  a packed house in Westcrown mere minutes after Corla 
  was “gifted” to her service. But all this changed when she 
  finally performed in Egorian.
  Soon thereafter, in the Chelish capital, Viralane 
  headlined a melodrama beloved by the Thrune regime, 
  Luculla Storms the Gates of Hell. There, she caught the eye 
  of a man named Regemus Thrune, a minor cousin of the 
  queen, and they entered a torrid love affair. The man’s 
  wife, Chara, caught them entwined in bed one night. 
  Chara ran her husband through with a rapier and 
  as the lifeblood pumped from his heart, cursed 
  the actress: should she take to a stage, each 
  performance would draw ridicule 
  and derision, rather than the 
  rapturous accolades she desired.
  The curse took hold, and to 
  date each of Viralane’s desperate 
  attempts to have it lifted have 
  failed. The wealth she accumulated 
  slipped through her fingers with 
  her profligate spending, and soon 
  she found herself performing 
  in taverns and street corners, 
  modest venues that seemed to 
  bypass the deleterious effects 
  of the curse. It was a year into this 
  inglorious lifestyle that she was contacted by 
  Hira Doss—the leader of the Magnimarian 
  cell of the Cult of the Peacock Spirit and 
  recipient of visions foretelling her deity’s 
  imminent return to the world. Hira saw the wounded 
  pride in Viralane and capitalized on it, recognizing that 
  her talents as a mesmerist would come in handy for the 
  cult. She promised Viralane that if she would devote 
  herself to the Peacock Spirit and help restore the faith, the 
  power of the reborn god would cleanse her of her curse. 
  Clinging to the hope that she can once again be beloved 
  by audiences across Avistan, she has dedicated herself to 
  the cult. Accompanied by her slavishly devoted halfling 
  maidservant and clad always in the costume of her last 
  major role, Viralane has committed herself to serving the 
  Peacock Spirit, even though she doesn’t fully realize the 
  full nature of the ancient organization she has joined.
  67
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  Ashava, the True Spark
  Millennia-old tales from the wilderness of Elysium speak of numerous 
  whirling lights seen in the plane’s marshes and fens. These benevolent 
  motes of light were said to guide lost travelers to safety and to lead 
  wandering spirits to a place of rest. Although no wild place is ever truly 
  safe—even on a plane as dedicated to joy and goodness as Elysium—
  these guiding lights made the wilderness feel a little less dangerous 
  and provided comfort to many. 
   On a clear, moonlit night long ago, these marsh lights coalesced 
  into the graceful form of a humanoid woman. As free and as full of 
  motion as the lights that formed her, she wears an elegant gown of 
  sparkling starlight and a circlet of moss upon her head. This is the 
  azata empyreal lord Ashava, who dances in dangerous wildernesses 
  and lonely graveyards alike, leading lost spirits home. 
  68
  
  L
  ike all azatas, Ashava is a being of spontaneity and 
  virtue, celebrating each moment of existence with 
  abandon and championing causes of goodness. As 
  an empyreal lord, she has far more power than most other 
  azatas, and she uses her divinity to bring hope and safety 
  to mortals. Ashava’s light is the soft light of the moon 
  piercing through the darkness of night and the faintest 
  flickering of light dancing among 
  the trees and grasses in wild places.
  As long as mortals have been telling 
  each other stories over campfires, 
  they have shared accounts of strange 
  lights within the world’s swamps and 
  marshes. These cautionary tales warn 
  that these lights are false guides, and 
  following them will result only in 
  death. Though the existence of the 
  evil aberrations known as will-o’-
  wisps lends credence to these stories, 
  not all lights lead wanderers astray. 
  When Ashava turns her attention 
  to the Material Plane, she might 
  choose to bring a traveler out of the 
  wilderness and home again safe, 
  but no one knows how or why she 
  decides whom she will aid.
  Ashava despises will-o’-wisps, as 
  they stoke the fears of mortals and 
  reinforce dread of the night and wild 
  places, both of which Ashava loves. 
  There are many stories of Ashava and her servants facing 
  off against strings of will-o’-wisps to protect common 
  folk, but one tale stands taller than the rest. Long ago, a 
  hunter got lost while chasing down a wounded deer. He 
  cried to the gods for aid but was heard only by two beings: 
  Ashava and Lady Rushlight, a powerful being rumored 
  to be the first will-o’-wisp. Ashava and Lady Rushlight 
  attempted to lead the hunter in opposite directions with 
  their shining forms, but he quickly became flummoxed 
  and sat, defeated, on his deer carcass. Out of despair of 
  ever seeing his home again, the hunter began to sing a 
  tune that he and his wife would hum together while 
  they worked. As Ashava heard the simple but beautiful 
  melody, she began to dance and twirl. In response, Lady 
  Rushlight glowed ever brighter to distract the hunter 
  from his singing. Ashava’s whirling movements, in time 
  to the hunter’s tune, seemed much friendlier to him 
  than Lady Rushlight’s harsh glare. The hunter allowed 
  Ashava to lead him out of the fens. Lady Rushlight had 
  strained her powers so much that she never glowed again, 
  subsequently starving to death. Priests of Ashava use this 
  story to demonstrate the benefits of being true to yourself, 
  rather than attempting to be what others want you to be.
  PERSONIFICATION AND REALM
  Ashava is usually depicted as a tall human woman, 
  often of Varisian descent, with long dark hair and a 
  perpetual flush in her cheeks as if she had just spent 
  hours dancing outdoors. Her form is usually obscured 
  by shadows except when in direct moonlight, although 
  she always glows faintly from within. She wears a gown 
  woven of starlight and a circlet of 
  colorful moss on her head. Images 
  of Ashava depict her in poses that 
  evoke graceful movement, such as a 
  spinning twirl or a bounding leap, 
  though on Elysium, Ashava spends 
  most of her time in the form of a 
  ball of glowing moonlight, ready 
  to lead those who are lost to safe 
  places. Her holy symbol is a dancing 
  woman silhouetted by a full moon, 
  and her favored animal is a wolf, due 
  to its association with moonlight 
  and wilderness.
  Anyone approaching Elysium’s 
  grand peak, known as the Mountain 
  of Lingering Soulsong, hears a 
  melody that lifts his spirit and brings 
  a wistful smile to his face. No two 
  beings hear the same tune, and even 
  the most hard-hearted visitors are 
  moved by the mountain’s powerful 
  song. Ashava’s realm, the Sparkling 
  Fens, sits at the base of this mountain, where the 
  soulsong is loud and powerful. Her swamps are bathed 
  in perpetual moonlight, and motes of multicolored light 
  dance among the white cedars. Unlike most marshes on 
  the Material Plane, the Sparkling Fens smell strongly of 
  vanilla and plums. It is impossible to become lost among 
  the swamp’s hummocks and shrubs, as floating spheres 
  of moonlight spontaneously appear to guide travelers to 
  their destination—sometimes knowing better than the 
  travelers themselves where they must go.
  DOGMA AND WORSHIPERS
  Ashava’s followers are encouraged to express their 
  feelings through dance, without any restrictions on the 
  form their performance takes. They are also instructed 
  to aid those who are lost, especially those wandering 
  through the lonelier places of the world. While there 
  is no stigma attached to being active during the day, 
  followers of Ashava tend to be night owls, staying up later 
  than most others in their communities. All of Ashava’s 
  religious ceremonies—including weddings, funerals, and 
  coming-of-age rites—are performed outside by the light 
  of the moon and are accompanied by dancing.
  69
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  “Let the joy of dance 
  heal your soul.”
  —The Dance Nocturnal
  
  Not surprisingly, many dancers worship the True Spark 
  and seek inspiration for their art in their devotion. Even 
  those dancers who aren’t dedicated followers of Ashava 
  might offer a brief prayer to her before an important 
  performance. Those who have recently lost loved ones 
  might beseech Ashava to help shepherd the souls of the 
  departed, particularly for deaths that occurred violently 
  or far from home. Many of Ashava’s faithful live solitary 
  lives away from civilization, making it easier for them 
  to intercept lost travelers or simply dance freely in the 
  moonlight. Rumors often paint these remote worshipers 
  as witches whose “unwholesome gyrations” can seduce 
  the unwary. All too often, these tales are spread as petty 
  revenge by those who stumbled upon the dancing 
  worshiper and had their advances rebuffed.
  Although most of her worshipers are humans, and 
  often nomadic Varisians, Ashava counts several clans 
  of good-aligned natural lycanthropes among her 
  faithful (primarily werebears and werewolves). These 
  lycanthropes often have silver streaks in their fur, which 
  they believe to be a sign of approval from the True Spark. 
  Other beings associated with the moon, such as lunar 
  dragons (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 66) and lunar nagas 
  (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 197), sometimes embrace the 
  worship of Ashava as well.
  TEMPLES AND SHRINES
  Ashava has no grand temples or massive cathedrals. Since 
  most of her worship occurs outside at night, enclosed 
  structures would be of little use to her followers. Forest 
  clearings, isolated graveyards, and the town squares of 
  rural communities make the perfect impromptu churches 
  for followers of Ashava. In larger cities, small shrines to 
  Ashava can be found in dance academies; these simple 
  altars are usually placed near windows where moonlight 
  can fall on them during the night. Some cemeteries, 
  especially those in remote settlements or near swamps, 
  feature areas where offerings can be left and candles can 
  be lit to appease the True Spark, particularly by those who 
  have recently lost a loved one. 
  A PRIEST’S ROLE
  Priests of Ashava often wear flowing robes and dresses 
  that are similar to Ashava’s garb. This clothing is white or 
  silver in color, with dozens of small jewels (either paste 
  jewels or actual gems, as befits the priest’s fortunes) that 
  sparkle in the light. If such clothing is impractical or 
  unavailable, her priests instead don other comfortable 
  garments that don’t restrict their movement. On special 
  occasions, priests wear wreaths of moss on their heads 
  or around their necks. Relaxed and friendly, their 
  movements tend to be fluid and their smiles come easily. 
  In places where worship of Ashava is widespread enough 
  70
  
  to contain a sizeable congregation, priests of Ashava 
  encourage dancing during official services, often by 
  leading it themselves.
  Instead of tending to graveyards and mausoleums—as 
  that is a role usually performed by priests of Pharasma—
  priests of Ashava might strike out from the comforts of 
  civilization to bring the empyreal lord’s light and love of 
  dance to the grimmer places of the world. These itinerant 
  priests visit areas beset by restless ghosts or wandering 
  spirits, making them a welcome sight to beleaguered or 
  haunted residents. Once a priest has dispatched a restless 
  soul, she usually encourages a joyous and celebratory 
  dance in the community to offer thanks to Ashava.
  Priests of Ashava are usually bards or clerics, though a 
  few are oracles with the heavens mystery or witches with 
  the moon patron. Inquisitors of Ashava are rare, except in 
  areas where undead activity is high. Particularly devout 
  followers might become Ashavic dancers (Pathfinder Player 
  Companion: Paths of the Righteous 4), who specialize in 
  rescuing lost spirits with the power of their mesmerizing 
  movements. All priests of Ashava are trained in 
  Perform (dance); most are also trained in other Perform 
  skills, as well as in Diplomacy and Knowledge (religion), 
  to more easily commune with the dead.
  HOLIDAYS
  While every moonlit night is considered at least a little bit 
  holy to worshipers of Ashava, certain rare celestial events 
  are time for special celebration.
  The Terpsichoread: This impromptu festival occurs 
  once every few years when a second full moon occurs 
  in a single month. While the moon seems to glow with 
  a bluish light, followers of Ashava gather outside for an 
  extended session of vigorous dancing that lasts until 
  sunrise. Each dancer invents her own steps, making the 
  affair seem maddeningly chaotic, though occasionally the 
  entire group’s motions match up coincidentally for a few 
  measures of music. Participants consider this unexpected 
  synchronization to be a powerful sign of Ashava’s favor.
  APHORISMS
  No matter where they are found in the world, followers of 
  Ashava share the following common sayings.
  By the Silver Light: Both an expletive and an oath, this 
  phrase evokes the illumination of the moon. When used 
  as part of a promise to complete a task or perform a favor, 
  the speaker often draws two of his fingers vertically across 
  his eyes, closing them in the process. This indicates to the 
  faithful that the speaker will endeavor to enact the deed 
  outside at night in the hopes of garnering the empyreal 
  lord’s blessing in its performance.
  The Steps Are Guides, Not Fetters: Regardless of their 
  skill or experience, worshipers of Ashava enjoy dancing. 
  Many simply let music move them in impromptu steps, 
  but others study more formalized dance steps as a form 
  of liturgy. This aphorism is often directed at members of 
  the religion who start to become set in these formalized 
  routines, to remind them that there is no wrong way to 
  dance. It can also be applied as general advice for life, 
  noting that tradition should not weigh you down but 
  simply show you one possible path.
  HOLY TEXT
  Ashava’s holy text, known as The Dance Nocturnal, is a slim 
  volume, with writing in flowing calligraphy with silvery 
  ink and covers of leather the color of night. Often, the 
  front cover is treated with a special magical chemical 
  that is only visible in direct moonlight to show an image 
  of the empyreal lord’s holy symbol. The first half of the 
  book contains material typical for a holy work: homilies 
  Ashava’s priests can read to their congregants or that 
  worshipers can read to themselves to gain comfort, 
  explanations of important religious ceremonies such as 
  weddings and funerals, and stories of Ashava’s origin and 
  noteworthy deeds. The second half of The Dance Nocturnal 
  contains sheet music and illustrated descriptions of 
  several dances. This second section varies depending on 
  the region in which the book was scribed or printed, to 
  reflect the most important cultural music and dances 
  of the area. The most common version of The Dance 
  Nocturnal features the quick-tempo music and vibrant 
  dances of Varisia, though editions containing slow and 
  stately waltzes, sensual burlesque dances, and chaotic 
  jigs are known to exist. However, despite all these diverse 
  examples, one thing remains constant throughout each 
  version of The Dance Nocturnal: the illustrations are all 
  instructive, showing Ashava herself enacting the steps 
  of each dance to teach the reader. Some devotees have 
  claimed to see the drawings move on their own when read 
  outside on a cloudless night.
  RELATIONS WITH OTHER RELIGIONS
  Worshipers of Ashava rarely clash with the followers of 
  other empyreal lords or other virtuous deities. Ashava’s 
  faithful prefer to live their lives unfettered and will 
  sometimes chafe in regimented societies where lawful 
  deities such as Abadar, Erastil, and Torag hold the most 
  sway. Conversely, those devoted to Ashava often find 
  that they have much in common with worshipers of 
  Cayden Cailean, Desna, and Shelyn. Followers of the True 
  Spark find that Caydenites are quick to join in a dance 
  (especially when they’ve had a few drinks), that Desnans 
  also enjoy studying a clear night sky, and that Shelynites 
  share an appreciation of the musical arts.
  Because of Ashava’s interest in helping lost spirits find 
  their way to the afterlife, her worshipers also get along well 
  71
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  with many Pharasmins. Though often their personalities 
  might seem to be a study in contrasts, with followers of 
  Ashava celebrating life through dance and archetypical 
  worshipers of the Lady of Graves somberly studying death, 
  the two groups cooperate with surprising efficiency to 
  put a ghost to rest or banish a spectre. Agents of the two 
  faiths might disagree on the severity of their methods, 
  with some inquisitors of Pharasma seeking only 
  to obliterate errant spirits while members of 
  Ashava’s faith look to guide them on their way 
  with gentle words and caring questions.
  SPELLCASTING
  Clerics of Ashava can cast dancing lights as a cantrip, flare 
  burstAPG as a 1st-level spell, and wandering star motesAPG as a 
  4th-level spell. In addition, worshipers of the True Spark 
  have access to the following spells and bardic masterpiece 
  (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 21).
  ALLURING LIGHT
  School enchantment (compulsion) [light, mind-affecting]; 
  Level bard 1, witch 1
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S
  Range 30 ft.
  Area 30-ft.-radius emanation centered on you
  Duration instantaneous
  Saving Throw Will negates (see text); Spell Resistance yes
  You glow with a soft radiance that calls out to all who see it. 
  Each enemy that fails its save is drawn to you and must use 
  its move action to approach you at the beginning of each of 
  its turns for 1 round per caster level. An affected target must 
  move toward you in the most direct path it can, though it can 
  step around obstacles or other creatures. This spell can’t force a 
  creature to walk into an area that might obviously harm or kill 
  it (such as into a pit, over a patch of floor studded with caltrops, 
  or through a wall of fire). An affected creature that loses sight 
  of you is not compelled to move toward you, although if it later 
  regains vision of you while still affected by this spell, it must 
  again move toward you. Any hostile action against an affected 
  creature (such an attack of opportunity due to its movement) 
  cancels the spell’s effect against that creature. Your initial flash 
  of light also increases the light level within the spell’s area by 
  one step, up to normal light (darkness becomes dim light, and 
  dim light becomes normal light) for 1 round per caster level.
  MOONRISE ARROW
  School evocation [light]; Level cleric 3, inquisitor 3, 
  magus 3, occultist 3, paladin 3
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S
  Range touch
  Target up to 50 pieces of ammunition, all of 
  which must be together at the time of casting
  Duration 10 minutes/level
  Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless, 
  object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object)
  You cause ammunition, including shuriken, to glow with faint 
  silvery light. The ammunition counts as magic and silver for 
  the purpose of overcoming damage reduction, in addition to 
  the properties of any other special material the ammunition 
  has. Incorporeal undead and shapechangers take an additional 
  1d8 points of damage from such ammunition. The targeted 
  ammunition sheds dim light in a 5-foot radius for 1 round after 
  it is fired or thrown.
  72
  
  The Waning Bolero (Dance)
  Your deliberate dancing causes your foes’ steps to fall in 
  time to your own.
  Prerequisite: Perform (dance) 10 ranks.
  Cost: Feat or 4th-level bard spell known.
  Effect: You enact a series of graceful, measured steps 
  that your enemies cannot help but mimic. When you 
  complete the performance, any foe within 60 feet that can 
  see you is slowed (as per the slow spell) for as long as you 
  continue the performance. A Will saving throw negates 
  this effect.
  Each round you continue the performance, each 
  slowed creature within 60 feet (whether slowed by this 
  masterpiece or by another effect) must succeed at another 
  Will saving throw or its penalty on attack rolls, AC, and 
  Reflex saves increases by 1 as the slow dance movements 
  overtake it. This increased penalty lasts as long as you 
  continue the performance. A creature that succeeds 
  at this Will saving throw merely avoids increasing the 
  penalty for that round; success does not remove the effect 
  that slowed it.
  Use: 1 bardic performance round per round.
  Action: 1 full round.
  OBEDIENCE
  The following describes the daily rite Ashava’s followers 
  must perform to take full advantage of the Deific 
  Obedience feat, as well as the boons for the prestige classes 
  found in Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Gods.
  OBEDIENCE (ASHAVA)
  Dance unobserved in an isolated place under the light of the 
  moon for 1 hour. If no moonlight is available or if you cannot 
  dance unobserved, pray for the spirits of the lonely dead for 
  1 hour and then leave a lit lantern in a dark area. You gain a 
  +4 sacred bonus on saving throws against spells and effects 
  from undead.
  EVANGELIST BOONS
  1: Celestial Guide (Sp) bless 3/day, augury 2/day, or guiding 
  starAPG 1/day
  2: Touch of Freedom (Su) As a standard action, you can touch 
  an ally to grant it the benefits of the freedom of movement 
  spell until the beginning of your next turn. While under 
  this effect, the target gains a +10-foot enhancement bonus 
  to her base speed when taking the withdraw action and 
  can, as an immediate action when she fails a saving throw 
  against a charm or compulsion effect, reroll that saving 
  throw. You can use this ability a number of times per day 
  equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
  3: Navigator Wisp (Sp) Once per day, you can cast an 
  extended find the path on yourself with a caster level 
  equal to your character level. The effect of the spell 
  manifests as a mote of light that is visible to only you. 
  If the route would take you through dangerous territory 
  (such as a river with a very strong current or a hidden pit 
  of acid), the wisp glows yellow. If the route would take 
  you past hidden creatures, the wisp flashes red, giving 
  you a +10 circumstance bonus on Perception checks to 
  notice them.
  EXALTED BOONS 
  1: Moonlight Caller (Sp) faerie fire 3/day, glitterdust 2/day, 
  or daylight 1/day (visible effect is moonlight) 
  2: Lunar Frenzy (Sp) Three times per day, you can cast 
  moonstruckAPG with a caster level equal to your character 
  level. You can choose to have the target affected by haste 
  rather than confusion; you make this choice each time you 
  use this ability.
  3: Moon’s Blessing (Sp) Once per day, you can cast divine 
  vesselAPG with a caster level equal to your character level. 
  You can choose only the celestial aspect, and you take 
  on the form of a large, winged wolf made of glowing 
  moonlight. Instead of 2 slam attacks, you gain a bite attack 
  dealing 2d6 points of damage.
  SENTINEL BOONS
  1: Gravekeeper (Sp) hide from undead 3/day, calm spiritOA 
  2/day, or searing light 1/day (the visible effect of the spell 
  is a ray of moonlight)
  2: Choreography of the Night (Su) When the night sky 
  is visible to you, you gain +4 sacred bonus on initiative 
  checks, a +2 sacred bonus on Acrobatics and Escape Artist 
  checks, and a +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class and on Reflex 
  saving throws. In addition, you can take 5-foot steps in 
  difficult terrain. Finally, you gain uncanny dodge (as the 
  rogue class feature). If you already have uncanny dodge, 
  you gain improved uncanny dodge instead. If you already 
  have improved uncanny dodge, the minimum rogue level 
  required to flank you increases by 1 instead. 
  3: The Dance in All Things (Sp) Once per day, you can cast 
  animate objects with a caster level equal to your character 
  level. Objects you animate with this ability gain the 
  benefits of a haste spell for as long as they are animated, 
  and their natural attacks count as good and silver for the 
  purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
  CUSTOMIZEd SUmMOn LIsT
  Ashava’s priests can use summon monster spells to 
  summon the following creatures in addition to the 
  normal creatures listed in the spell.
  SUMMON MONSTER IV
  Celestial pegasus (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 225, 294)
  SUMMON MONSTER V
  Lunar naga (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 197)
  73
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  Ecology of the Sinspawn
  Seeing me overbalanced, the creature rushed forward with a leer 
  of vile anticipation. To my horror, its jaw split once and then again, 
  its lower mandibles spreading to seize me in a toothy embrace. The 
  creature bit hard into my shoulder and pain lanced through me. Pain…
  and something else. A rage like I had never known coursed through my 
  veins. I would skewer this upstart beast. Then I would mow down my 
  companions for luring me into this noxious cavern, and then butcher 
  everyone who had called them friends, and after that…
  When I came to my senses, the thing was dead. Bors and Eddily had 
  killed it while I had spent long minutes screaming in incoherent wrath. 
  This, I would come to learn, is the terrible generosity of the sinspawn: 
  they make their evil a gift you have no choice but to receive.
  —Argent Evers, prospector, personal diary
  74
  
  S
  inspawn are roughly humanoid creatures shaped 
  by the foul art of fleshwarping, with raw sin 
  magically imbued into their mutated forms. 
  Products of the empire of Thassilon at its most depraved, 
  sinspawn were designed to serve as shock troops in the 
  armies of the ever-squabbling runelords. However, the 
  sudden fall of Thassilon left the sinspawn leaderless. 
  Most sinspawn retreated underground into their master’s 
  broken ruins, congregating around the magical pools 
  called runewells from which their race had sprung. 
  Sinspawn superficially resemble ghouls, sharing the 
  same pallid complexion and drum-tight skin over ropey 
  muscles and dark veins. Unlike ghouls, sinspawn are 
  living creatures, although imbued with an animating 
  energy that renders them practically immortal under 
  certain conditions. A closer examination reveals the 
  features that mark sinspawn as aberrations: legs that bend 
  backward, inhumanly long arms ending in wicked talons, 
  and a hairless face with slits for nostrils and beady red 
  eyes. Even more distinctive is a sinspawn’s maw. When 
  closed, this mouth appears to be a toothy line above a 
  jutting chin. This chin, however, unhinges into two parts 
  like some nightmarish sea creature, framed by two tiny 
  grasping hands for latching onto prey. Adventurers who 
  face a sinspawn soon come to fear those jaws, and not for 
  their fearsome fangs alone. A sinspawn’s bite infects its 
  victim with the supernatural taint of the sin that birthed 
  it. One bite can leave an adventurer hamstrung by lust, 
  constrained by sloth, or sickened with unchecked envy for 
  several minutes.
  While sin both animates a sinspawn and envenoms 
  its jaws, it is also the undoing of the sinspawn race. Few 
  individual sinspawn can rise above the dark passions 
  imprinted upon them at their creation. Intelligent, 
  physically powerful, and practically immortal, sinspawn 
  could have expanded to dominate western Avistan. Instead 
  they lurk in forgotten ruins, feuding among themselves 
  and feeding their vile appetites, forever hobbled by their 
  malevolent natures.
  GENESIS
  Millennia ago, the First King Xin divided ancient 
  Thassilon—now, modern Varisia—into seven domains, 
  each administered by a runelord who embodied one 
  of the traditional virtues of rule. As the years wore on 
  and the runelords fell to depravity, these virtues were 
  perverted into the seven great sins of the soul. Already 
  experts at manipulating the magical runes that were their 
  namesake, the runelords learned to infuse the essence 
  of sin into their enchantments and weapons, as well as 
  reservoirs of magical power known as runewells.
  But only Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath, could have 
  created sinspawn. While the other runelords paid lip 
  service to traditional deities such as Lissala or the Peacock 
  Spirit, Alaznist overtly encouraged demon worship and 
  forged an alliance with the qlippoth lord Yamasoth. 
  Yamasoth taught Alaznist much about life-shaping and 
  fleshwarping. Combining this demonic fleshwarping 
  knowledge with her own forbidden alchemy and secrets 
  stolen from the aboleths, Alaznist reshaped humanoid 
  test subjects into inhuman forms. These shapes merged 
  the musculature, feeding apparatuses, and natural 
  weaponry of demons, undersea horrors, and even more 
  alien influences. Instead of using her successful rough 
  drafts as the beginnings of a time- and labor-intensive 
  breeding program, Alaznist treated her fleshwarped test 
  subjects as molds, sacrificing them and capturing their 
  essences in her runewells. Aberrant forms of comingled 
  ectoplasm and raw wrath rose from her runewells as 
  Golarion’s first sinspawn. 
  Alaznist soon found she could make more of the creatures 
  by offering her runewells the lifeblood of humanoids 
  whose souls were stained with wrath—including victims 
  of the sinspawn’s own sin-laced bites. Her runewells were 
  designed as passive collectors of nearby wrathful energy; 
  when enhanced with fresh blood, these runewells could 
  birth sinspawn spontaneously—a major coup that allowed 
  Alaznist to create armies of these sin-tainted aberrations.
  But this was not Alaznist’s only triumph. In a flash of 
  inspiration, she invested her new monsters with enough 
  free will to encourage them to develop in power and 
  strength—not just to satisfy her needs, but also to please 
  themselves. With free will, Alaznist’s children became 
  a true race all their own, neither mere echoes of other 
  souls nor witless automatons. Her creations had cunning, 
  ambition, and—although the runelord herself did not 
  foresee this result—sufficient determination to persist 
  long after Alaznist and the rest of Thassilon had fallen.
  After Alaznist unleashed her sinspawn legions in 
  battle against her foe Karzoug, Runelord of Greed, the 
  other runelords set out to replicate her success. Some 
  pieced together how to make Alaznist’s creations using 
  evidence of their origin from captured enemies, others 
  stole incomplete notes about the creation process, but 
  most were obligated to pay Alaznist directly—in the form 
  of treasure, lore, or political concessions—in exchange 
  for the secrets of creating sinspawn. One after another, 
  the other runelords developed sinspawn fueled by their 
  signature moral stains. Soon Alaznist’s wrathspawn were 
  locked in battle with greedspawn, envyspawn, pridespawn, 
  and the rest. Without the limitations of biology or 
  evolution to constrain their reckless creation, sinspawn 
  armies were prevented from overrunning the lands of 
  the runelords only by the sudden cataclysm of Earthfall 
  and the collapse of the runelord empires. Retreating into 
  their private sanctums, the runelords left their sinspawn 
  75
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  creations to survive secretly among the ruins of Thassilon 
  or die. Many sinspawn have remained in hiding ever 
  since—until recently, for the reawakening of certain 
  Thassilonian artifacts has spurred the sinspawn to levels 
  of activity not seen in millennia. 
  ECOLOGY
  While sinspawn are truly a race of monsters, they are 
  still creations of another’s design. As such, they exist 
  largely outside the natural order. Sinspawn can be 
  born only from a Thassilonian runewell, each of which 
  is attuned to a specific sin. Whenever a creature whose 
  soul is marked by the attuned sin dies within a mile of 
  an active runewell, the vessel stores an imprint of the 
  departed soul. The degree to which an individual soul is 
  stained by sin varies, but this stain can be enhanced by 
  powerful Thassilonian magic, a sinspawn’s sinful bite, 
  and certain curses or corruptions.
  When a runewell has stored imprints from multiple sinful 
  souls, it may spontaneously birth a sinspawn. A runewell can 
  also be compelled to manifest a sinspawn with the offering 
  of a few drops of blood. In either case, the sinspawn arises 
  from the runewell fully formed, approximately 5 feet tall 
  and weighing 100 pounds, even if the runewell seemed 
  too small to contain such a creature. From the moment 
  of its creation, a sinspawn can sense its own sin in others, 
  tracking sinful creatures like a hound tracks a scent. Newly 
  birthed sinspawn are free to pursue their own destinies, 
  although most immediately lash out at the nearest 
  creature not marked with their own brand of sin. 
  While  nearly all sinspawn remain in the 
  vicinity of the runewell from which they arose, some follow 
  more powerful creatures (including older sinspawn) to 
  other locations. 
  Sinspawn enjoy the taste of humanoid flesh, preferring 
  to feast upon still-living prey. Whenever possible, sinspawn 
  capture their victims alive and bring them back to a lair to 
  be devoured in a series of tormenting, rasping bites. Most 
  sinspawn understand instinctively how runewells collect 
  imprints from sinful souls, so they use their sinful bites 
  to infect their prey, ensuring the polluted souls of the 
  victims they torment before devouring will fuel the birth 
  of the next sinspawn generation. 
  Despite this preference, sinspawn don’t need meat to 
  survive. Sinspawn that remain within a mile of a runewell 
  are sustained by its magic alone; they need no food or 
  water and don’t age, although they must breathe and 
  sleep. Some sinspawn that walked Golarion during the 
  Thassilonian era still survive today, having carved out 
  kingdoms in the ruins around the runewell of their birth.
  Fortunately, functioning runewells are rare. Many 
  runewells have grown faulty or gone dormant over the 
  centuries. Most sinspawn associated with dormant 
  runewells also went into hibernation, existing in a state 
  of suspended animation. These sinspawn stir only after 
  suffering grievous physical harm, or when their runewell 
  absorbs enough latent magical energy to spontaneously 
  stutter back to life. Karzoug’s activation of his runewell 
  in 4702 ar triggered a magical pulse that caused several 
  long-dormant runewells to reactivate, awakening many 
  sinspawn from their torpor.
  Although immune to aging while near their runewells, 
  sinspawn lead lives of violence and are drawn to sin like 
  moths to a flame. Most fall in battle against other creatures 
  that intrude upon their ruins, or even in clashes with their 
  fellows. Sinspawn drawn away from their runewells for long 
  periods of time also feel the pull of mortality, falling into 
  torpor or even perishing after a roughly human life span as 
  the sin essence that composes them dribbles away.
  SOCIETY
  In her now-shattered realm of Bakrakhan, Alaznist 
  established entire villages of sinspawn, housing 
  them in fortified barracks within walled 
  compounds. The fractious creatures 
  often fought with each other 
  in their unending wrath, 
  forcing Alaznist to not 
  only 
  provide 
  regular 
  shipments of slaves upon whom the aberrations 
  could vent their rage, but also deputize spellcasters and 
  giants to maintain order. The other runelords never 
  matched Alaznist’s wrathspawn in numbers, but these 
  runelords too were compelled to appease their creations 
  76
  
  with regular offerings of wealth, playthings, food, and 
  other sacrifices according to the appropriate sin. Most 
  runelords trained their sinspawn as elite troops in training 
  compounds near their runewells, providing them with 
  armor and weapons (often, the same type of signature 
  weapons wielded by the runelords themselves). Citizens 
  of Thassilon spoke of these fortified compounds with 
  mingled awe and terror; as they were often established 
  in remote areas to keep them hidden from spies, rumors 
  about these decadent, sin-fueled training grounds spread.
  No such compounds exist in the modern era. Instead, 
  sinspawn live in isolated groups—called cults—amid 
  the ruins of their masters’ fleshvats, laboratories, and 
  estates. Today, runewells are the center of sinspawn society. 
  Sinspawn recognize their runewell as their source of 
  sustenance, longevity, and procreation, and they arrange 
  their hunting practices to keep the magical reservoirs 
  fueled with echoes of the appropriate sin. Although few 
  sinspawn are truly brave, most will defend a runewell to 
  the death. Canny adventurers know that when sinspawn 
  foes begin to show reckless bravery, their runewell is near.
  At the same time, sinspawn recognize that each new 
  sibling produced by a runewell is a future rival. Older 
  sinspawn attempt to acquire weapons and armor as an 
  advantage over their fellows. For this reason, weapons 
  and armor make up the bulk of sinspawn treasure hoards; 
  any other wealth found in a sinspawn lair is typically 
  incidental. Infighting within a sinspawn cult is inevitable; 
  every sinspawn is driven by the same all-consuming 
  sin, and violence is a sinspawn’s instinctual means of 
  resolving conflicts. Wrathspawn simmer with hate until 
  they erupt in violence, greedspawn steal and hoard until 
  their avarice brings them to blows, lustspawn engage in 
  sybaritic orgies that devolve into sadistic bloodletting, 
  and so on. For this reason, sinspawn rarely gather in 
  groups larger than seven or eight members—any more 
  simply strains what little fellowship they share to the 
  breaking point. Only a firm leader can command a large 
  group of sinspawn, and then only by providing an outlet 
  for their violent passions. 
  The seven varieties of sinspawn regard each other with 
  extreme animosity, primarily due to ancient rivalries 
  encoded in their formation. Alaznist’s wrathspawn and 
  Karzoug’s greedspawn, in particular, are blood enemies, 
  but nearly all sinspawn have a justification to hate other 
  types. Pridespawn infuriate envyspawn with their constant 
  preening, gluttonspawn consume resources slothspawn 
  are too indolent to secure, and lustspawn gloat over the 
  perverse pleasures they alone are equipped to indulge in. 
  Sinspawn see most humanoids as lesser creatures, 
  suitable 
  only 
  for 
  slave 
  labor, 
  meat, 
  or 
  cruel 
  entertainments. Humans and kobolds are deemed 
  especially useful, though often too clever or troublesome 
  to keep alive for long. Sinspawn usually underestimate 
  humanoid explorers that brave the isolated ruins they 
  inhabit, which causes them trouble with well-prepared 
  adventurers. Giants are the only types of humanoids 
  to compel awe or obedience in sinspawn. In the days 
  of Thassilon, giants often served as sinspawn’s jailers, 
  trainers, or masters. Even today, most sinspawn feel an 
  instinctive urge to obey giants—a tendency that is as 
  much a surprise to brutish giants as it is to the sinspawn 
  that don’t understand the source of their involuntary 
  loyalty. Sinspawn forge occasional alliances with other 
  monstrous creatures, such as nagas and lamias, although 
  these arrangements usually end in acrimonious 
  squabbles over magical relics. 
  As sinspawn are literally imprinted with soul energy, 
  religion is of surprising importance to many of their 
  kind. Most sinspawn worship Lamashtu or Rovagug, 
  although some pay homage to demon lords associated 
  with their particular sin, or even revere with animistic 
  fervor the runewell that birthed them. A few sinspawn 
  venerate Thassilonian deities, miming the rites they 
  saw their masters perform in the years before Earthfall. 
  Slothspawn, who prefer the ease of ritual to their own 
  physical labors, are often the most stridently religious.
  Were sinspawn to rally as a species and pool their 
  memories of ancient Thassilon, they could usher in a 
  new age of sin across Varisia. The tragedy of their race is 
  that on some level they are aware of this, yet they know it 
  will never come to pass. Every sinspawn who has tried to 
  establish a nation of her own kind has found herself too 
  tethered to her runewell to raise an army, too distracted by 
  her sin to master its magic, or impaled upon the weapons 
  of her rivals for her troubles.
  The WAGES oF SIn
  Roleplaying sinspawn can be challenging: they are as 
  intelligent as humans and functionally immortal, and 
  some have memories stretching back to ancient Thassilon. 
  Yet despite this potential, most sinspawn are bestial 
  savages that are a threat only to novice adventures. 
  One way to highlight this contradiction is to roleplay 
  sinspawn as constantly on edge, as if the sin inside 
  them might boil over at any minute. A wrathspawn 
  parleying with PCs lashes out at any perceived offense. A 
  greedspawn distractedly fingers its jewelry and can’t keep 
  its eyes from the PCs’ obvious valuables. A slothspawn 
  might yawn through an entire conversation, then erupt 
  into sudden violence at having its leisure disturbed. A 
  sinspawn with class levels has a greater ability to restrain 
  its impulses, but when provoked or under stress, a 
  sinspawn’s true nature always presents itself.
  77
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  LAIRS
  Sinspawn prefer to make their lairs in Thassilonian ruins 
  or monuments, preferably around a functioning runewell 
  (though a dormant runewell will suffice). Many of these 
  ruins seem oversized for sinspawn, as they were originally 
  built to accommodate the runelords’ giant slaves and 
  outsized egos. Often these lairs have a military or prison-
  like quality to them, featuring individual cells designed to 
  segregate the sinspawn from their fellows or house their 
  unfortunate captives. Wrathspawn lairs always have a 
  central area devoted to bloody gladiatorial matches; other 
  sinspawn have similar common spaces according to their 
  needs—pleasure dens for lustspawn, banquet halls for 
  gluttonspawn, law courts for envyspawn, and so forth. As 
  these ruins were constructed for the use of sinspawn, they 
  often contain traps or doors that can be bypassed only 
  by creatures infused with a particular sin. This allows the 
  sinspawn to come and go safely, but it also means that an 
  adventurer who embodies the same sin—or who survives 
  the bite of a sinspawn—can sometimes traverse these 
  areas more easily than expected. 
  Sinspawn can also be found in caverns and necropolises 
  on the edge of civilization, or in catacombs below the 
  poorer quarters of human cities. Without a runewell 
  to sustain them, these sinspawn are more animalistic, 
  hunting prey to survive. These sinspawn often cluster 
  around civic areas that draw their particular sin, such 
  as gambling dens for greedspawn, civic monuments for 
  pridespawn, or slave pens for slothspawn. Sinspawn are 
  also fond of abandoned or evil-aligned temples, although 
  they shy away from sacred spaces associated with 
  absolution, forgiveness, or virtues opposed to their sin. 
  ADVANCEMENT AND VARIANTS
  Each runelord experimented with sinspawn, imbuing 
  the sinspawn with the runelord’s signature sin and 
  developing other variants. Particularly cunning sinspawn 
  often practice martial talents, advancing as barbarians, 
  fighters, or rogues. As adaptable as humanoids, sinspawn 
  with the proper training or tutelage (perhaps originating 
  from ancient Thassilonian texts or meditation upon the 
  arcane energies of a runewell) might advance in any class, 
  although sinspawn bards, druids, and huntersACG are 
  practically unheard of. The following list incorporates and 
  expands upon the variant sinspawn found on page 246 of 
  Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2.
  Aerial Sinspawn (+4 Dex, +2 Con, fly 60 ft. [good], CR 
  +1): Xanderghul, Runelord of Pride, believed his mighty 
  sinspawn should soar above the heads of his enemies, 
  though Earthfall cut short his experiments. Aerial 
  pridespawn are therefore rare, lurking in the mountaintop 
  ruins of Cyrusian, but are still far more common than 
  aerial variants of other types of sinspawn.
  Aquatic Sinspawn (swim 30 ft., aquatic subtype): Not 
  to be outdone on any battlefield, Runelord Alaznist 
  developed wrathspawn with gills and webbed hands 
  and feet to serve as marines. Belimarius and Sorshen 
  followed suit, breeding aquatic envyspawn and lustspawn 
  respectively to guard their domains’ watery borders. 
  Other types of aquatic sinspawn are rare.
  Envyspawn (+2 Str, –2 Cha): Short and slight, envyspawn 
  are compelled to hunt and spy upon their enemies. They 
  obsess over comparing their enemies’ possessions and 
  prowess to their own. Envyspawn often become rangers 
  or slayersACG.
  Fleshdregs: Products of malfunctioning runewells, 
  botched rituals, and the like, fleshdregs (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 4 100) are squat, half-formed sinspawn, little more 
  than a mouth on legs. Nevertheless, their sinful bites 
  can mangle the bodies and minds of their enemies, and 
  sinspawn treat fleshdregs as guard animals or pets. Faulty 
  runewells may even spit out wads of hungry flesh known as 
  fleshdreg swarms (Pathfinder Adventure Path #61 83).
  Gluttonspawn (+2 Con, –2 Dex): Hardy despite their 
  obesity, gluttonspawn often become fighters. A few rare 
  individuals become alchemistsAPG, gorging themselves on 
  the mutagens they concoct.
  Greedspawn (+2 Dex –2 Wis): Standing 7 feet high with 
  glittering, gold-tinted veins, greedspawn usually become 
  rogues, but some focus their avarice into objects they 
  hoard and become occultistsOA.
  Lustspawn (+4 Cha, –2 Con, –2 Wis): These sinspawn 
  sport perfectly formed male and female bodies that stand 
  in odd contrast to their horrific faces, claws, and legs. 
  Unlike their pallid kin, lustspawn often have brightly 
  colored hides. Capable of intercourse but not procreation, 
  lustspawn indulge themselves at every opportunity. Many 
  lustspawn become sorcerers or mesmeristsOA, though 
  sinspawn enchanters and witchesAPG are not unknown.
  Pridespawn (+4 Int, –2 Wis, –2 Cha): The near-skeletal 
  pridespawn are proud of their thick manes of hair, which 
  they alone of any sinspawn can grow. They often become 
  wizards, although pridespawn magiUM and psychicsOA are 
  not unknown.
  Slothspawn (+2 Wis, –2 Dex): Slothspawn appear weighed 
  down by cloaks of excess skin, yet they scuttle about on 
  shrunken legs with alarming speed. They often become 
  clerics or warpriestsACG, venerating Lamashtu, Rovagug, or 
  whichever locally popular demon lord demands the least 
  effort. Slothspawn conjurers and summonersAPG prefer to 
  let their summoned creatures labor on their behalf.
  Wrathspawn: The original creations of Alaznist, the 
  bloodthirsty wrathspawn are the most common variety 
  of sinspawn. Many become barbarians, brawlersACG, or 
  fighters. Exceptional wrathspawn tap into the essence of 
  sin inside them and become bloodragersACG instead.
  78
  
  SINSPAWN ON GOLARION
  Sinspawn can be found in isolated pockets throughout 
  the holdings of ancient Thassilon, in the lands now 
  known as Varisia, Belkzen, and the Lands of the Linnorm 
  Kings. Below are some of the many dark places where 
  sinspawn congregate.
  Eastern Kodar Mountains: The King’s Table is a flat-
  bottomed caldera that once served as a parade ground for 
  the armies of Zutha, Runelord of Gluttony. Orcs who seek 
  an edge against their enemies negotiate with the bloated 
  gluttonspawn lairing here, trading herds of aurochs and 
  unwanted slaves for priestly aid and mercenary services.
  Ironbound Archipelago: This island chain in the Lands 
  of the Linnorm Kings is all that is left of the Runelord 
  of Envy’s domain, Edasseril. Tribes of 
  ettins, ettercaps, and envyspawn dot 
  the islands, fighting with humanoid 
  settlements 
  and 
  congregating 
  in 
  ramshackle 
  communities 
  with 
  odd 
  customs and taboos. Those envyspawn cults lucky 
  enough to control a runewell face constant attacks 
  from their grasping peers.
  Kaer Maga: The vast Undercity below the City of 
  Strangers hides all manner of horrors. Although 
  Karzoug once claimed the city, many types 
  of sinspawn other than greedspawn have 
  been spotted in the Undercity, including 
  cults of slothspawn and lustspawn.
  Magnimar: Established in the 
  shadow of the massive bridge called 
  the Irespan, one of Thassilon’s 
  grandest achievements, Magnimar 
  sits at the intersection of three ancient 
  runelord domains. Wrathspawn, greedspawn, 
  lustspawn, and malformed fleshdregs can be found in the 
  caverns beneath the city and in hollowed-out portions of 
  the Giant’s Bridge itself.
  Mindspin Mountains: South of the Yondabakari River, 
  newly awakened slothspawn have begun to stir in the 
  foothills of the Mindspin Mountains. Their raids are 
  responsible for the deaths of several Shoanti mourners 
  visiting the Kallow Mounds to pay respects to their dead. 
  Uncharacteristically active, the slothspawn seem to have a 
  specific agenda in the area.
  Riddleport: The Cyphermages of Riddleport labor 
  to unlock the secrets of the rune-marked Cyphergate 
  that spans the entrance to the city’s harbor. The more 
  accomplished Cyphermages can conjure sinspawn to 
  aid them in battle, although even they 
  don’t know where the sinspawn 
  they 
  conjure 
  originate—perhaps 
  this is yet another mystery of the 
  enigmatic Cyphergate.
  Runeforge: This magical demiplane was shared—
  albeit uneasily—by servants of all seven runelords for 
  magical research. The sinspawn that lurk in this isolated 
  realm were born from fleshwarped humans, a throwback 
  to Alaznist’s earliest experiments. 
  Sandpoint: This sleepy Varisian town was unknowingly 
  founded above the Catacombs of Wrath, a laboratory 
  housing one of Alaznist’s runewells. The runewell’s recent 
  activation has birthed several sinspawn to plague the 
  town above.
  Southmoor: The southernmost Linnorm Kingdom was 
  once known as Old Cyrusian—a nod to its Thassilonian 
  past. Pridespawn still occasionally appear in the vaults 
  below the city of Jol and near the mysterious looming 
  Drillstones. Rumors out of the desolate Nolands 
  speak of a Thassilonian palace made of 
  mirrors, where pridespawn lead prisoners to 
  their doom while singing hymns of praise to 
  their own glory.
  79
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  BestiAry
  “Yes, I was there when the shriezyx attacked Magnimar, nearly a 
  century ago. It’s not something I’ll ever forget. Careless stonecutters 
  opened a vaulted chamber in the ancient Irespan and the spidery 
  shriezyx scuttled forth by the hundreds—thousands, maybe. The 
  Vanderales rallied everyone to fight back, and I got caught up in the 
  excitement. It’s my city, after all, and I wanted to help. Don’t laugh—I 
  was younger and far more foolish then. We fought our way to the vault 
  opening. There, I caught sight of a much larger shriezyx, pestilential 
  green in color. It was plainly giving orders to the monstrous horde, 
  but it didn’t want to come into the daylight. I looked away; I was 
  foolish, but not so foolish as to meet its gaze. The shriezyx were 
  vanquished, true, but I know their leader still lurks in there.”
  —“Six-Coin” Ennevelle, elven merchant from Dockway
  80
  
  T
  he Return of the Runelords Adventure Path 
  continues with a journey from Roderic’s Cove to 
  cosmopolitan Magnimar and onward to ancient 
  Hollow Mountain. The new creatures presented in 
  this bestiary include a desperate spirit of suffocation; 
  an Empyreal Lord revered by many Magnimarians; a 
  tumorous, grasping fiend; a spidery aberration; and 
  ancient Thassilonian defenders. 
  TO HOLLOW MOUNTAIN
  “It Came From Hollow Mountain” has the PCs traveling 
  by ship from Magnimar to Rivenrake Island, sailing past 
  several islands in the Varisian Gulf. The Varisian Gulf 
  Encounters table presented here features challenges the 
  PCs might face beyond those detailed in the adventure. 
  Each hour the PCs spend sailing in the Varisian Gulf 
  during the day, they have a 20% chance of a random 
  encounter; at night, this chance increases to 25%. If a 
  random encounter occurs, roll d% and run the encounter 
  listed for the result. The PCs should have at most three 
  random encounters in a 24-hour period.
  Since this adventure spans a range of character levels, 
  some random encounters might be too trivial or too 
  difficult for the PCs, depending on their current strength. 
  In these cases, roll again on the table or choose a more 
  appropriate encounter. 
  Lacedon Lure (CR 8): The PCs encounter a rowboat 
  drifting aimlessly, carrying only a single innocuous 
  animal, such as a goat or a pig. The rowboat is a lure 
  used by a group of lacedons, who cling to the underside 
  of the craft and sneak aboard the PCs’ vessel if the PCs 
  investigate the animal. The lacedons include a ghoul 
  stalker (Pathfinder RPG Monster Codex 82) and three ghoul 
  creepers (Monster Codex 82), each with a swim speed of 
  30 feet. They don’t attack the PCs right away, but they hide 
  in or under the PCs’ vessel and wait for an opportune 
  time to strike—ideally, when most of the people aboard 
  the vessel are asleep.
  Marooned Mutineers (CR  8): After a failed mutiny, a 
  swift-talking scoundrel (Pathfinder RPG Villain Codex 191) 
  and two pirate thugs (Villain Codex 190) were marooned on 
  a small island in the Varisian Gulf. They’ve managed to 
  cobble together a crude raft and leave the island, although 
  their chances of reaching civilization are slim. They hail 
  the PCs’ ship from aboard their raft, pleading for rescue. 
  The trio admits to having been marooned by their cruel 
  and capricious captain. Although the scoundrel weaves a 
  tale of valuable treasure hidden by their former crew, she 
  awaits an opportunity to kill the PCs and take command 
  of their ship.
  Riddleport Pirates (CR 7): A pirate ship called the 
  Lightning Lasher attempts to close with the PCs’ ship and 
  board it. Operating out of Riddleport, this ship is captained 
  by a storm sorcerer (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 163) and 
  crewed with a veteran buccaneer (NPC Codex 267) and five 
  old sailors (NPC Codex 260). The captain has convinced 
  her highly superstitious crew that ill fortune will strike 
  them if they fail to take the PCs’ ship, compelling them to 
  fight with remarkable vigor. In fact, the captain is deep in 
  debt to criminal elements in Riddleport, which she needs 
  a large score to repay.
  Slave Ship (CR 6): A ship containing two slavers 
  (Pathfinder RPG GameMastery Guide 266) and four 
  shipmates (GameMastery Guide 294) approaches the PCs’ 
  vessel at a safe distance. The ship has nine slaves (male 
  and female commoners 2) chained out of sight in its 
  sweltering hold. Although the slavers have a potential 
  buyer in Riddleport, they prefer to make a sale on the 
  open sea to avoid any legal entanglements. The slavers 
  don’t overtly disclose their cargo, but they try to gauge 
  whether the PCs are interested buyers. During the 
  “negotiations,” a slave might give a cry for help, alerting 
  the PCs that something is amiss. 
  VaRIsIAn GULF ENCoUnTERs
  d%	
  Result	
  Avg.	CR	 Source
  1–3	
  1	mist	drake	
  5	
  Bestiary 4	79
  4–7	
  1d3	gargoyles	
  6	
  Bestiary	137
  8–10	
  1d4+1	goblin	
  6	
  Monster Codex	109	
  	
  vulture	pilots
  11–14	
  2	harpies	
  6	
  Bestiary	172
  15–18	
  1d8	skum	
  6	
  Bestiary	253
  19–23	
  Slave	Ship	
  6	
  See	below
  24–27	
  1d6	water	mephits	
  6	
  Bestiary	203
  28–31	
  1d3+1	weresharks	
  6	
  Bestiary 4	190
  32–35	
  1	wyvern	
  6	
  Bestiary	282
  36–39	
  1	aboleth	
  7	
  Bestiary	8
  40–43	
  1d3	cecaelias	
  7	
  Bestiary 3	49
  44–47	
  1	chimera	
  7	
  Bestiary	44
  48–51	
  1	chuul	
  7	
  Bestiary	46
  52–56	
  1	elasmosaurus	
  7	
  Bestiary	84
  57–60	
  1d3	large	
  7	
  Bestiary	126	
  	
  water	elementals
  61–65	
  Riddleport	Pirates	
  7	
  See	below
  66–70	
  1	giant	octopus	
  8	
  Bestiary	219
  71–73	
  1d3	karkinoi	
  8	
  Bestiary 4	173
  74–77	
  Lacedon	Lure	
  8	
  See	below
  78–81	
  Marooned	Mutineers	 8	
  See	below
  82–85	
  2d4	sahuagin	and	
  8	
  Bestiary	239,	247	
  	
  1d6	sharks
  86–90	
  2	saltwater	merrows	 8	
  Bestiary 2	189
  91–94	
  1d6	scrags	
  8	
  Bestiary	268
  95–97	
  1	young	dragon	turtle	8	
  Bestiary	295,	112
  98–100	 1	roc	
  9	
  Bestiary	236
  81
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  ChOkInG ShAdE
  A vague humanoid shape composed of whirling dust and shards 
  of bone hovers menacingly in the air.
  CHOKING	SHADE	
  CR	5
  XP	1,600
  NE	Medium	undead	(incorporeal)
  Init	+8;	Senses	darkvision	60	ft.;	Perception	+12
  Aura	desperation	(30	ft.,	DC	18)
  DEFENSE
  AC	18,	touch	18,	flat-footed	13	(+3	deflection,	+4	Dex,	+1	dodge)
  hp	52	(7d8+21)
  Fort	+5,	Ref	+8,	Will	+7
  Defensive	Abilities	channel	resistance	+2,	incorporeal;	
  Immune	undead	traits
  Weaknesses	susceptible	to	wind
  OFFENSE
  Speed	fly	40	ft.	(perfect)
  Melee	2	incorporeal	touches	+9	touch	(2d6	negative	energy	
  plus	desperation)
  Special	Attacks	create	spawn,	gravedust
  STATISTICS
  Str	—,	Dex	19,	Con	—,	Int	6,	Wis	15,	Cha	17
  Base	Atk	+5;	CMB	+9;	CMD	23
  Feats	Ability	Focus	(desperation),	Dodge,	Improved	Initiative,	
  Lightning	Reflexes
  Skills	Fly	+12,	Perception	+12,	Stealth	+14
  Languages	Common
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any
  Organization	solitary,	pair,	or	haunting	(3–6)
  Treasure	incidental
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Create	Spawn	(Su)	A	humanoid	creature	killed	by	suffocation	
  resulting	from	a	choking	shade’s	gravedust	attack	rises	as	a	
  choking	spirit	in	1d4	rounds.
  Desperation	(Su)	A	choking	shade	exudes	an	aura	of	
  desperation	associated	with	its	suffocating	death,	causing	
  all	creatures	within	30	feet	to	become	shaken	as	long	as	
  they	remain	in	this	area.	A	creature	struck	by	the	shade’s	
  incorporeal	touch	must	also	save	against	this	effect.	Once	a	
  creature	is	affected,	it	remains	shaken	as	long	as	it	remains	
  within	30	feet	of	the	choking	shade.	This	fear	effect	does	
  not	stack	with	other	fear	effects.	A	successful	DC	17	Will	
  save	negates	the	effect.	This	is	a	mind-affecting	fear	effect.	
  The	save	DC	is	Charisma-based.
  Gravedust	(Su)	As	a	standard	action,	a	choking	shade	can	
  enter	the	lungs	of	an	adjacent	living	creature	that	is	under	
  the	influence	of	a	fear	effect	(such	as	the	effect	brought	
  on	by	its	desperation	aura),	bringing	with	it	the	dust	of	the	
  grave.	The	victim	can	resist	this	attack	with	a	successful	
  DC	16	Fortitude	save,	and	the	choking	shade	is	instantly	
  expelled	from	a	victim’s	lungs	as	soon	as	the	victim	is	
  no	longer	under	the	effect	of	a	fear	effect	(for	example,	
  because	the	victim	has	left	the	radius	of	the	choking	
  shade’s	aura	or	succeeded	on	the	Will	save).	Until	that	
  point,	the	victim	is	prevented	from	breathing	or	speaking	
  while	the	undead	occupies	its	lungs.	A	creature	can	attempt	
  to	cough	the	shade	out	of	its	lungs	on	its	turn	as	a	standard	
  action,	but	it	must	succeed	at	a	DC	16	Fortitude	save	to	
  do	so.	See	page	445	of	the	Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook	
  for	rules	on	how	long	a	victim	can	hold	its	breath	and	the	
  consequences	of	eventual	suffocation.
  Susceptible	to	Wind	(Ex)	A	choking	shade	is	treated	as	a	
  Tiny	corporeal	creature	for	the	purposes	of	determining	the	
  effects	high	wind	has	upon	it.	
  There is nothing quite like the desperation of a suffocating 
  creature, frantic for one last, sweet breath of air to fill 
  deprived, aching lungs; it is a terrible way to die. There 
  are so many ways to die of suffocation: asphyxiation in 
  a fire, being buried alive, crucifixion, disease, drowning, 
  strangulation—the list seems endless. Sometimes, the 
  terrible imminence filling a person as life ends in so 
  cruel a manner is enough to cause the doomed soul to 
  rise from death as a choking shade.
  Choking shades animate into a swirling swarm of 
  ashes, bone shards, dirt, and dust, assuming a facsimile 
  of a humanoid form. They have a brutish intelligence 
  and are drawn with envy to the breath of living 
  creatures, attacking them on sight. In addition to the 
  dust of the grave, these hateful spirits carry with them 
  the overwhelming fear that accompanied them in their 
  suffocating deaths, and this aura infects those who are 
  near them with this same terror. Choking shades can 
  take advantage of those affected by their fearful auras (or 
  those already under the influence of a fear effect): they 
  enter the victim’s lungs, carrying their dusty remains 
  with them, threatening unwilling hosts with the same 
  awful deaths that they endured. Anyone slain by the 
  choking essence of these undead creatures rises as one 
  of their number, seeking retribution for all who are 
  still afforded the freedom to breathe, a luxury taken for 
  granted by the living.
  Though choking shades have some measure of 
  intelligence and understand the languages they knew 
  in life, their unreasoning hatred of the living makes 
  communication with them impossible: these spirits 
  would much rather make even a futile assault on the lungs 
  of the living than engage in any form of communication.
  ECOLOGY
  Upon rising from death, a choking shade has a tendency 
  to remain near either its grave or the site of its demise. 
  It is not uncommon for these hateful spirits to manifest 
  82
  
  in a lethal, predatory pack, especially if they died 
  together in the same tragic event. Choking shades who 
  drowned and whose bodies remained in the water most 
  often seek out dry land, but they tend to remain near 
  that body of water, haunting the shoreline in search of 
  potential victims. 
  The threat of choking shades has affected the safety of 
  miners and builders for generations. When miners are 
  killed in a cave-in or laborers crushed by a collapsing 
  structure, wise city managers and foremen seek the aid 
  of the clergy to ensure the bodies are excavated and 
  given proper burials. Clerics are often posted to spend 
  some nights at the place of such an unfortunate event as 
  a precaution against an undead infestation at the work 
  site. Laying to rest these desperate, hatefully aggressive 
  spirits is in the service of all those who still draw breath. 
  The most common ritual for this purpose ends by 
  extinguishing a blessed candle, respectfully putting out 
  a flame that feeds on the oxygen the dead were denied. 
  VARIANT CHOKING SHADES
  While these several variants of choking shades differ 
  primarily by the nature of their suffocating 
  deaths, the intensity of those deaths and the 
  circumstances of their lives when the air was 
  taken from their lungs make some shades 
  even stronger and fiercer. At minimum, all 
  variants have the advanced template as well 
  as alterations to the gravedust special ability, 
  modified by the circumstances of their deaths. 
  Four are noted below.
  Crushed Shade: Suffocation following 
  a cave-in or the collapse of a structure 
  creates these shades. When a crushed 
  shade is expelled from a host’s 
  lungs, the victim must succeed at 
  a Will save against the gravedust’s 
  DC or be cursed by a permanent form 
  of claustrophobia: whenever the victim 
  is about to enter a cramped space, crowded 
  venue, or other place from which escape may 
  be difficult, she becomes shaken. The victim 
  can attempt a DC 14 Will save to negate this 
  condition, but failure makes the condition 
  persistent. Even if the victim endures the 
  claustrophobic 
  circumstances 
  with 
  the 
  shaken, frightened, or panicked condition and the threat 
  passes (the crowded disperses or flees, the obstacle is 
  surmounted or avoided), the condition persists until she 
  succeeds at the appropriate saves. This is a curse effect.
  Drowned Shade: Those choking shades whose 
  suffocating deaths occurred in water are even more 
  dreadful. When they are driven from a victim, the muck of 
  the grave remains within the lungs. Victims are nauseated 
  for 1d4 rounds after a drowned shade exits their lungs.
  Smoking Shade: Smoke inhalation within a fire caused 
  the deaths of these choking shades. Each round a smoking 
  shade occupies the lungs of a host, that host also takes 1d4 
  points of fire damage. After the choking shade is expelled, 
  the victim is staggered from the pain for 1 round.
  Strangled Shade: A strangled shade was asphyxiated 
  by a murderer, and when it invades a victim’s lungs, 
  hand-shaped bruises arise on the victim’s throat. Each 
  round a strangled shade occupies a host, the victim 
  takes 1d4  points of bludgeoning damage, and after the 
  strangled shade is expelled from the lungs, the victim 
  can’t speak until an hour passes or receiving any amount 
  of magical healing (whichever comes first).
  83
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  EMPYReAL LOrD, 
  AShAVA
  This graceful humanoid woman wears a flowing gown of 
  sparkling starlight and a circlet of moss.
  ASHAVA	
  CR	28
  XP	4,915,200
  CG	Medium	outsider	(azata,	chaotic,	extraplanar,	good)
  Init	+34;	Senses	blindsense	60	ft.,	darkvision	60	ft.,	detect 
  evil,	detect law,	low-light	vision,	see	in	darkness,	
  true seeing;	Perception	+46
  Aura	primal	aura	(30	ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC	49,	touch	41,	flat-footed	33	(+15	Dex,	+1	dodge,	
  +8	natural,	+15	sacred)
  hp	676	(33d10+495);	regeneration	30	(deific	or	mythic)
  Fort	+26,	Ref	+33,	Will	+30
  Defensive	Abilities	freedom of movement,	mind blank,	
  never	surprised;	DR	20/epic	and	evil;	Immune	ability	
  damage,	ability	drain,	acid,	charm	effects,	compulsion	
  effects,	death	effects,	electricity,	energy	drain,	petrification;	
  Resist	cold	30,	fire	30;	SR	39
  OFFENSE
  Speed	50	ft.,	fly	150	ft.	(perfect)
  Melee	moonlight	javelin	+46/+41/+36/+31	(4d6+28/19–20	
  plus	dazzled)
  Ranged	moonlight	javelin	+53/+48/+43/+38	(4d6+28/19–20	
  plus	dazzled)
  Special	Attacks	bardic	performance	(unlimited	rounds	per	
  day),	hypnotize	undead
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	28th;	concentration	+43)
  Constant—detect evil,	detect law,	freedom of movement,	
  mind blank,	true seeing
  At	will—break enchantment,	calm spiritOA	(DC	27),	faerie 
  fireM,	find the path,	flare burstAPG	(DC	26),	greater dispel 
  magic,	greater teleport,	hasteM,	hide from undead,	holy 
  wordM	(DC	32),	moonstruckAPG	(DC	29)
  3/day—chaos hammerM	(DC	29),	halt undead	(DC	28),	
  irresistible dance	(DC	33),	lunar veilUM	(DC	32),	mass 
  cat’s grace,	quickened	moonstruckAPG	(DC	29)
  1/day—freedom,	time stop,	undeath to death	(DC	31)
  M	Ashava	can	use	this	ability’s	mythic	version	in	her	realm.
  STATISTICS
  Str	27,	Dex	41,	Con	40,	Int	28,	Wis	31,	Cha	40
  Base	Atk	+33;	CMB	+48;	CMD	82
  Feats	Acrobatic,	Agile	Maneuvers,	Combat	Expertise,	Dodge,	
  Flyby	Attack,	Greater	Feint,	Improved	Critical	(javelin),	
  Improved	Feint,	Improved	Initiative,	Iron	Will,	Lightning	
  Stance,	Mobility,	Point-Blank	Shot,	Quicken	Spell-Like	Ability	
  (moonstruck),	SidestepAPG,	Skill	Focus	(Perform	[dance]),	
  Wind	Stance
  Skills	Acrobatics	+55,	Bluff	+51,	Diplomacy	+48,	Escape	
  Artist	+48,	Fly	+63,	Heal	+43,	Intimidate	+48,	Knowledge	
  (arcana,	nature,	planes,	religion)	+45,	Perception	+46,	
  Perform	(dance)	+54,	Sense	Motive	+46,	Stealth	+51
  Languages	Celestial,	Common,	Draconic,	Infernal;	telepathy	
  300	ft.;	truespeech
  SQ	luminescent	form,	lyrical	grace,	seed	of	life
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any	(Elysium)
  Organization	solitary	(unique)
  Treasure	triple
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Bardic	Performance	(Su)	Ashava	has	the	bardic	performance	
  ability	of	a	20th-level	bard,	granting	her	access	to	the	
  distraction,	fascinate,	inspire	courage,	inspire	competence,	
  suggestion,	inspire	greatness,	soothing	performance,	
  inspire	heroics,	mass suggestion,	and	deadly	performance	
  aspects	of	bardic	performance.	Ashava’s	fascinate	and	
  inspire	heroics	bardic	performances	can	affect	any	number	
  of	creatures	that	can	see	and	hear	her.	There	is	no	limit	
  to	the	number	of	rounds	Ashava	can	use	her	bardic	
  performances	each	day.
  Hypnotize	Undead	(Su)	Ashava	can	affect	undead	creatures	
  with	her	fascinate	bardic	performance,	despite	their	
  immunity	to	enchantment	or	mind-affecting	effects,	and	she	
  can	command	any	number	of	undead	creatures	fascinated	
  in	this	way	as	a	standard	action,	per	command undead	
  (Will	DC	41	negates).	The	save	DC	is	Charisma-based.
  Luminescent	Form	(Su)	As	a	swift	action,	Ashava	can	
  transform	herself	into	pure	moonlight,	becoming	incorporeal.	
  Her	fly	speed	triples	in	luminescent	form,	but	she	can’t	use	
  any	of	her	spell-like	abilities	or	her	moonlight	javelin	attack.	
  She	can	return	to	her	corporeal	form	as	a	swift	action.
  Lyrical	Grace	(Ex)	Ashava	gains	a	sacred	bonus	to	her	Armor	
  Class	and	on	initiative	checks	equal	to	her	Charisma	
  modifier.	She	can	ignore	any	effect	that	would	reduce	her	
  speed	or	prevent	her	from	taking	a	5-foot	step.
  Moonlight	Javelin	(Su)	As	a	free	action,	Ashava	can	conjure	
  a	+5 holy javelin	created	out	of	solid	moonlight	into	
  her	hand.	This	weapon	deals	force	damage,	has	a	range	
  increment	of	100	feet,	and	dazzles	any	target	it	strikes	for	
  1	month	or	until	Ashava	chooses	to	end	a	target’s	dazzled	
  condition	as	a	free	action.	Ashava	adds	her	Charisma	
  modifier	to	damage	rolls	with	her	moonlight	javelins.	A	
  moonlight	javelin	vanishes	once	it	leaves	Ashava’s	hand	(or,	
  if	thrown,	it	vanishes	after	striking	or	missing	its	target).	
  Primal	Aura	(Su)	Ashava	constantly	shines	with	the	light	
  of	the	moon.	No	effect	can	reduce	the	light	level	in	her	
  primal	aura	below	dim	light,	unless	she	allows	it	or	unless	
  the	effect	is	created	by	a	more	powerful	deity.	Weapons	
  wielded	in	Ashava’s	primal	aura	are	treated	as	chaotic-
  aligned,	good-aligned,	and	silver	for	the	purpose	of	
  overcoming	damage	reduction.	
  84
  
  Long ago in the wild and lonely fens of Elysium, a collection 
  of helpful marsh lights coalesced to form Ashava, the True 
  Spark. Ashava is constant motion, spinning and twirling 
  in steps that soothe all who watch her dance. Although she 
  often remains at a distance from those who watch her, she 
  nevertheless leads them out of wild places and back to the 
  safety of civilization. She believes that no being—whether 
  living or dead—should suffer the fear of being lost.
  A part of Ashava lives in the hearts of all dancers, 
  and her influence can be felt by those who rise from 
  their seats when moved by a stirring beat or melodious 
  chords. She believes that dance is the soul’s truest form 
  of expression, and she looks down on those who would 
  stifle their own or others’ creativity in this field. Ashava 
  maintains that there is no wrong way to dance, and that 
  dance not only embodies but transcends culture. She 
  derives as much pleasure from the clumsy steps of eager 
  but novice dancers as she does the practiced movements 
  of professional ballerinas. 
  Ashava spends much of her time dancing through 
  darkened swamps across many worlds, aiding lost 
  travelers and fighting evil forces that would disorient 
  and waylay them. On Elysium, Ashava’s realm is the 
  Sparkling Fens, a swamp eternally bathed 
  in moonlight. It rests at the base of the 
  Mountain of Lingering Soulsong, and the 
  mountain’s echoing melodies drift down into the marsh 
  to provide Ashava and the azatas who follow her with 
  accompaniment to their never-ending dances. No one 
  can remain lost for very long within the Sparkling Fens, 
  as floating globes of light—similar to will-o’-wisps in 
  appearance but kindly in temperament—always appear 
  to guide visitors to safety. These lights are both servants 
  of Ashava and part of her, and she can feel and control 
  them no matter where she is in the cosmos as if they were 
  extensions of her own limbs. 
  ASHAVA’S FAITH
  Ashava is the patron of dancers, lonely spirits, and 
  moonlight. Her worshipers include many who strike out 
  from the comfort of their homes to move through dark 
  and unexplored spaces in order to guide others back to 
  safety. She encourages her followers to dance whenever 
  the mood overtakes them, and most of her holy ceremonies 
  center around movement in one form or another. Her most 
  sacred areas are graveyards and forest clearings, especially 
  when those places are drenched in moonlight. Ashava’s 
  religion is particularly popular along Varisia’s Lost Coast.
  Ashava’s faith is not just about joyous dancing, however. 
  The recently bereaved also pray to the True Spark in her 
  aspect as a shepherd of lost souls. Psychopomps ensure 
  that the dead make their way along the River of Souls to 
  their appointed rewards in the afterlife, but Ashava (and 
  many of her followers) aid wandering spirits who have 
  strayed from that path and need help returning to it. 
  Ashavic dancers are followers of Ashava who specialize 
  in this task, using the power of dance and moonlight to 
  create magical effects that can exorcise possessing spirits 
  and even unravel the necromantic energies that empower 
  the undead. This prestige class is detailed on page 4 of 
  Pathfinder Player Companion: Paths of the Righteous.
  Ashava’s holy symbol is a silhouette of a dancing woman 
  against a full moon. Her favored weapon is the bladed 
  scarf (Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea World Guide 291) 
  and her sacred animal is the wolf. She grants access to the 
  domains of Chaos, Darkness, Good, and Repose, 
  and access to the subdomains of AncestorsAPG, 
  AzataAPG, MoonBOTD, and RevelryBOTD. 
  More 
  information 
  about 
  Ashava and her faith is 
  presented 
  starting 
  on 
  page 68.
  85
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  QLIPpoTh, VeXEnIoN
  This blood-red tumorous mass has a shifting cluster of waving 
  tentacles sprouting from its amorphous form, its body pulsating 
  with a horrid vitality.
  VEXENION	
  CR	6
  XP	2,400
  CE	Large	outsider	(chaotic,	qlippoth,	evil,	extraplanar)
  Init	+8;	Senses	darkvision	60	ft.,	see invisibility;	
  Perception	+12
  DEFENSE
  AC	19,	touch	13,	flat-footed	15	(+4	Dex,	+6	natural,	–1	size)
  hp	76	(8d10+32)
  Fort	+10,	Ref	+6,	Will	+9
  Defensive	Abilities	all-around	vision,	amorphous;	DR	5/cold	
  iron	or	lawful;	Immune	acid,	cold,	mind-affecting	effects,	
  poison;	Resist	electricity	10,	fire	10;	SR	17
  OFFENSE
  Speed	30	ft.,	climb	30	ft.
  Melee	4	tentacles	+11	(1d6+3	plus	grab)
  Space	10	ft.;	Reach	10	ft.
  Special	Attacks	absorption	(2d6	acid	damage,	AC	13,	7	hp),	
  horrific	appearance	(DC	17)
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	6th;	concentration	+9)
  Constant—see invisibility
  3/day—acid arrow
  1/day—slow	(DC	16)
  STATISTICS
  Str	16,	Dex	18,	Con	19,	Int	11,	Wis	12,	Cha	17
  Base	Atk	+8;	CMB	+12	(+16	grapple);	CMD	26	(can’t	be	tripped)
  Feats	Improved	Initiative,	Iron	Will,	Vital	Strike,	
  Weapon	Focus	(tentacles)
  Skills	Acrobatics	+15,	Climb	+22,	Perception	+12,	Sleight	of	
  Hand	+15,	Stealth	+11,	Survival	+12
  Languages	Abyssal	(cannot	speak);	telepathy	100	ft.
  SQ	compression,	stony	form,	tentacular	versatility
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any	(Abyss)
  Organization	solitary,	pair,	or	hunger	(3–6)
  Treasure	standard
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Absorption	(Su)	Though	a	vexenion	has	no	orifice	with	which	
  to	swallow,	it	can	directly	absorb	a	pinned	target	as	a	swift	
  action.	In	most	ways,	this	ability	is	identical	to	swallow	
  whole,	except	no	hole	is	left	in	the	qlippoth’s	body	after	a	
  creature	cuts	its	way	out.	A	vexenion	can	absorb	no	more	
  than	one	Large	or	smaller	creature	at	a	time	and	cannot	
  absorb	creatures	larger	than	itself.	If	a	creature	dies	while	
  absorbed	by	the	vexenion,	the	qlippoth	immediately	expels	
  the	corpse,	along	with	its	possessions,	and	is	healed	of	3d6	
  points	of	damage.
  Compression	(Ex)	A	vexenion	can	move	through	an	area	
  as	small	as	one-quarter	its	space	without	squeezing	or	
  one-eighth	its	space	when	squeezing.	However,	if	it	has	
  absorbed	a	creature,	its	movement	is	restricted	by	the	size	
  of	the	absorbed	creature.
  Horrific	Appearance	(Su)	A	creature	that	succumbs	to	a	
  vexenion’s	horrific	appearance	becomes	sickened	for	2d4	
  rounds.	This	is	a	mind-affecting	gaze	attack.
  Stony	Form	(Su)	By	concentrating	for	1	minute,	a	vexenion	
  can	withdraw	its	tentacles	and	eyes	and	form	a	stony	shell	
  around	its	body.	In	this	form,	it	gains	a	+6	enhancement	
  bonus	to	its	natural	armor	and	gains	damage	reduction	
  10/bludgeoning,	but	it	cannot	move	or	take	physical	
  actions.	It	can	emerge	from	this	form	as	a	full-round	action,	
  but	doing	so	leaves	it	staggered	for	1	round.
  Tentacular	Versatility	(Ex)	A	vexenion’s	tentacles	are	
  treated	as	primary	attacks.	As	a	swift	action	at	the	start	
  of	its	turn,	a	vexenion	can	devote	one	or	more	of	its	four	
  tentacles	to	movement	or	defense,	reducing	the	number	
  of	tentacle	attacks	it	can	make	in	that	round	by	the	same	
  amount.	Each	tentacle	devoted	to	movement	increases	
  the	vexenion’s	base	speed	and	climb	speed	by	5	feet.	
  Each	tentacle	devoted	to	defense	grants	the	vexenion	a	
  +1	dodge	bonus	to	its	AC	for	1	round.	
  The Abyssal realm of Sekatar-Seraktis is a byword for 
  chaos, contested by 13 different potential rulers split 
  between bickering balor lords, vavakias, and vrolikais, 
  yet all leave the portion of the plane claimed by the 
  qlippoth lord Yamasoth alone. The Kingdom of New 
  Flesh is populated by the unholy experiments of 
  the qlippoth lord, ravenous monstrosities who feed 
  upon one another and any other beings so foolish or 
  unlucky as to wind up in this accursed place. Some 
  of the most fecund of these experiments are called 
  vexenions, and they have proliferated across the Abyss. 
  These abominations have the appearance of enormous 
  bloated, pulsating tumors, mouthless, armed with 
  muscular tentacles sprouting from their glistening 
  form and gifted with bulging eyes capable of protruding 
  from their bodies and just as quickly disappearing into 
  their shuddering wet flesh.
  A vexenion feeds on flesh by physically absorbing 
  creatures into its own amorphous form through its 
  membranous skin. The ingested creature is slowly 
  dissolved by the qlippoth’s acid. Once the flesh is 
  consumed, the victim’s bones and other indigestible parts 
  are expelled, and the vexenion moves on to its next meal, 
  forever hunting, forever hungry.
  Vexenions often serve as shock troops in qlippoth 
  armies, sent in the vanguard of attacks to break the 
  formations of an advancing force, grappling and 
  absorbing enemy soldiers in their path. While it is 
  believed that Yamasoth employs these sickening things 
  86
  
  to gather material for its own endless experiments, the 
  qlippoth lord seems to care little where the vexenions 
  travel. For this reason, the creatures proliferate like 
  a plague across the Abyss. Perhaps this is Yamasoth’s 
  ultimate intent.
  Vexenions are at home in nearly any environment where 
  they can find flesh on which to feast, though they often lair 
  in places where they might easily ambush prey: demonic 
  crossroads, ruins, and blasted forests where they can use 
  the high limbs and trunks of dead trees to ambulate 
  above their unknowing prey. In fact, this is the qlippoth’s 
  preferred method of stalking potential meals: suspended 
  above, employing their impressive climbing skills to move 
  from tree to tree. Caverns of stalactites or the pillars of 
  ruined demon cities can serve the same purpose for them.
  Despite their hideous, almost ooze-like appearance, 
  vexenions are intelligent creatures. They lack the 
  apparatus for speech but delight in telepathically sharing 
  their hungers and the flavors of their food with others 
  around them, impassively inquiring about their victim’s 
  favored flavors and meals. The vexenion’s unsettling habit 
  of sharing the flavors of a creature it feeds upon with that 
  creature as it digests them is perhaps the qlippoth’s most 
  sadistic trait.
  Temples of Yamasoth and other places where his 
  otherworldly and malign presence has infected the 
  world, such as the deeper levels of Hollow Mountain, 
  are no stranger to the predations of 
  the vexenion. Dungeon complexes 
  are well loved by these qlippoth, 
  and despite their prodigious size, 
  their malleable bodies allow them to slither 
  and squirt and force themselves through narrow 
  confines—provided their bodies are not currently 
  engorged upon a still-solid and still-
  struggling meal.
  ECOLOGY
  Vexenions 
  reproduce 
  asexually. 
  When one has consumed sufficient 
  quantities of flesh, it finds a 
  hiding place and goes into a 
  kind of senseless larval state, its 
  eyes and tentacles retreating 
  into itself. The exterior flesh 
  of the thing quickly hardens 
  into a stony shell; in this form, 
  they are difficult to discern 
  from surrounding rocks. 
  After 24 hours, two fully 
  grown 
  vexenion 
  burst 
  forth from the shell, each of 
  which retains the memories of 
  the original. While gestating in this shell, the vexenion 
  stews in a rancid-smelling slurry of amniotic fluid that 
  has strange effects on potions, elixirs, and similar magic 
  items if used as an additional component when creating 
  the magical liquid (merely mixing the fluid with an 
  already created potion or elixir ruins the magic drink). A 
  character can harvest a gestating vexenion’s fluids with 
  a successful DC 21 Survival check, after which the fluid 
  must be refined in an alchemical lab over the course of 
  8 hours with a successful DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check. A 
  single vexenion can supply a single dose of fluid in this 
  manner. Used as an additional resource during potion 
  or elixir creation, the fluid has a 50% chance of causing 
  the resulting potion or elixir to function at a caster 
  level 2 higher than normal, and a 50% chance of instead 
  causing the potion or elixir to function normally but to 
  nauseate the drinker for 1 round after it is imbibed. A 
  single dose of vexenion catalyst, as the prepared fluid is 
  known, is worth 1,000 gp.
  Vexenions 
  are 
  often 
  confused 
  with 
  nyogoths 
  (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 224), in whose company they 
  are sometimes found. However, vexenions are more 
  intelligent and better able to set up ambushes and traps 
  for unsuspecting prey. Fortunately for nyogoths, they 
  are among the only creatures in the Great Beyond that 
  vexenions find unpalatable.
  87
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  ShRIEZYX QUEEN
  This bulbous, green-skinned spider is as large as a horse, its 
  toothy maw smiling beneath three glowing eyes.
  SHRIEZYX	QUEEN	
  CR	8
  XP	4,800
  CE	Large	aberration	
  Init	+7;	Senses	darkvision	60	ft.,	tremorsense	60	ft.;	
  Perception	+19
  Aura	hive	influence	(30	ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC	20,	touch	12,	flat-footed	17	(+3	Dex,	+8	natural,	–1	size)
  hp	104	(11d8+55);	regeneration	5	(fire)
  Fort	+9,	Ref	+6,	Will	+10
  Defensive	Abilities	ferocity;	Immune	mind-affecting	effects
  Weaknesses	vulnerable	to	fire
  OFFENSE
  Speed	30	ft.,	climb	30	ft.
  Melee	bite	+11	(1d8+3	plus	poison),	4	claws	+10	(1d6+3)
  Space	10	ft.;	Reach	5	ft.
  Special	Attacks	incendiary	webs,	poison,	web	(+10	ranged,	
  DC	19,	11	hp)
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	11th;	concentration	+13)
  Constant—tongues
  At	will—remove fear,	rage
  3/day—command	(DC	13)
  1/day—resist energy
  STATISTICS
  Str	17,	Dex	17,	Con	18,	Int	9,	Wis	12,	Cha	14
  Base	Atk	+8;	CMB	+12;	CMD	25	(37	vs.	trip)
  Feats	Alertness,	Great	Fortitude,	Improved	Initiative,	Iron	Will,	
  Toughness,	Weapon	Focus	(bite)
  Skills	Climb	+18,	Diplomacy	+8,	Knowledge	(history)	+5,	
  Perception	+19,	Sense	Motive	+9
  Languages	Aklo;	tongues
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any
  Organization	solitary	or	hive	(1	plus	3–12	shriezyxB4)
  Treasure	standard
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Hive	Influence	(Su)	All	shriezyx	within	30	feet	of	a	shriezyx	
  queen	lose	their	fear	of	fire	weakness	while	they	remain	
  in	the	area	of	her	aura	and	for	1	minute	after	leaving	it	or	
  until	the	shriezyx	no	longer	has	line	of	sight	to	the	shriezyx	
  queen,	whichever	comes	first.	The	shriezyx	queen’s	mind-
  affecting	spell-like	abilities	function	normally	against	
  shriezyx	within	her	hive	influence	aura.	
  Incendiary	Webs	(Su)	A	shriezyx	queen’s	web	is	coated	
  with	a	supernatural	oil	that	catches	fire	with	the	slightest	
  spark.	Any	creature	struck	by	a	shriezyx	queen’s	web	
  gains	vulnerability	to	fire	for	1	minute.	If	a	creature	struck	
  by	the	web	is	carrying	a	torch	or	otherwise	using	fire,	the	
  creature	must	succeed	at	a	DC	18	Reflex	saving	throw	or	
  catch	on	fire.	As	long	as	a	creature	has	vulnerability	to	
  fire	from	this	effect,	each	time	it	casts	a	spell	with	the	
  fire	descriptor	or	takes	fire	damage,	it	must	succeed	at	a	
  DC	18	Reflex	saving	throw	or	catch	on	fire.	This	incendiary	
  oil	dries	out	quickly—a	web	can	impart	this	vulnerability	
  to	fire	only	on	the	round	it	is	spun.	Thereafter,	the	web	
  remains	sticky	but	does	not	have	this	incendiary	effect.	
  The	save	DC	is	Strength-based.
  Poison	(Ex)	Bite—injury;	save	Fort	DC	19;	frequency	1/round	
  for	6	rounds;	effect	1d3	Str;	cure	2	consecutive	saves.
  When Runelord Alaznist first learned the art of 
  fleshwarping from the qlippoth lord Yamasoth, she and 
  her assistants created myriad abominations that have 
  survived into the modern day. Among these wretched 
  creations are the spider-like shriezyx (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 4 244), which remain a constant threat to explorers 
  venturing into the heart of Hollow Mountain, the ruins 
  of Xin-Bakrakhan at the mountain’s base, and the Irespan 
  in the nearby city of Magnimar. While shriezyx made 
  excellent soldiers and guardians, they made poor servants, 
  in part because of their unnatural fear of fire (a particular 
  problem for Alaznist’s armies and devotees, who relied 
  heavily on evocation magic). The same immunity to 
  mental control that defended them against enchantments 
  from the rival realm of Eurythnia also made them 
  impossible to magically control by their own general. 
  To solve this problem, Alaznist’s skilled fleshwarpers 
  created a superior version of the shriezyx—a queen that 
  could serve as commander to lesser shriezyx and ensure 
  complete loyalty among the verminous minions.
  A typical shriezyx queen is roughly 8 feet in length and 
  weighs as much as 1,000 pounds.
  ECOLOGY
  Although its name is something of a misnomer due 
  to the shriezyx’s method of asexual reproduction, a 
  shriezyx queen nevertheless maintains a position among 
  other shriezyx analogous to that of a bee or ant queen. 
  Rather than existing to grow the hive, a shriezyx queen 
  was instead created to control, command, and—when 
  necessary—overpower lesser shriezyx. A shriezyx queen 
  exudes a strong supernatural pheromone that calms her 
  subjects, especially around fire. A shriezyx queen is also 
  singularly capable of using mind-affecting effects on 
  other shriezyx, to work them into a frenzy before a battle 
  or to ensure their obedience.
  A shriezyx queen can use her incendiary webs to turn 
  her fire vulnerability against enemies that may hope to 
  employ flame against a shriezyx hive. Many alchemists 
  and evokers have fallen victim to a shriezyx queen’s oily 
  webs when deploying fire attacks.
  88
  
  Shriezyx queens are inveterate schemers, with intellects 
  far superior to those of standard shriezyx. Although 
  shriezyx queens use this intellect to protect their hive, 
  they also work to obscure knowledge of their existence. 
  Only the most learned Thassilonian scholars know that 
  a queen caste exists above the common shriezyx. While 
  dozens of shriezyx hives exist throughout western 
  Varisia—most known to locals for the threat they pose—
  only the queen of the hive living at the base of Hollow 
  Mountains has ever revealed herself to civilized peoples. 
  A shriezyx queen refers to her hive as her brood, despite 
  not being the genetic matriarch of the lesser members 
  of her species. A queen replicates herself via asexual 
  reproduction in the same manner a standard shriezyx 
  does—with an unfertilized egg that produces an identical 
  spawn—but she often keeps her dormant egg in a secure 
  place deep in the heart of the hive’s lair for centuries 
  before it hatches. Thus, the number of shriezyx queens in 
  existence at any time remains fairly static. Upon a queen’s 
  death, her hive generally turns feral or breaks up entirely 
  before her replacement hatches from its well-hidden egg. 
  The newly hatched queen retains some of the memories 
  of her predecessor in the form of racial instincts 
  to cultivate a hive, but she must spend the first 
  dozen or more years of her life reuniting 
  the remnants of her predecessor’s 
  brood. When a predecessor’s hive has 
  been entirely eradicated—such as 
  in the wake of Earthfall or another 
  cataclysm—the new queen instead 
  seeks out all the dormant eggs she 
  can find to revive the shriezyx from 
  the brink of extinction.
  Larger and stronger than the 
  average shriezyx, a queen requires 
  more food and thus often sends 
  her brood to hunt for her. 
  All  shriezyx have preternaturally 
  variable metabolisms, which provide 
  them 
  rapid 
  regeneration 
  from 
  wounds and also the ability to 
  go long stretches with very little 
  sustenance. A queen’s appetite is as 
  much a function of her role within 
  the hive as it is her physiology, and 
  even the smallest shriezyx queen 
  appears corpulent when compared to 
  her smaller minions. 
  HABITAT AND SOCIETY
  Despite their influential role within hive 
  society, shriezyx queens live solitary lives, 
  forever unique among their kin. Two shriezyx 
  queens rarely meet one another, each tasked by their 
  design with managing disparate hives. Shriezyx queens 
  limit contact with underlings, except to issue orders or to 
  orchestrate attacks during times of open conflict with the 
  hive’s enemies. A queen spends her solitary hours stewing 
  on her plots for returning her hive—or herself—to a 
  position of prominence in the region, but she invariably 
  produces convoluted, overwrought plans that she never 
  finds the opportunity to act on.
  A queen that does interact with members of another 
  species—whether they’re allies of fallen Bakrakhan 
  (normally demons, giants, or sinspawnB2) or members 
  of modern societies now living in or near the shriezyx’s 
  ruined lair—is likely to be quite verbose. After centuries 
  of loneliness, most queens are overwhelmed by the 
  idea of conversing with an intellectual equal, and they 
  see such opportunities as a rare chances to implement 
  long-delayed plans. Humanoids often find such 
  conversations off-putting, both because the shriezyx 
  are such horrific works of arcane mutation and because 
  few adventurers would ever expect to encounter chatty 
  monstrosities when exploring millennia-old ruins.
  89
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  ThASsILOnIAn 
  SENtInELS
  During the height of the Thassilonian Empire, nobles and 
  other wealthy elite favored these constructs as guardians 
  and protectors in their homes, hidden in plain sight 
  among the palace’s normal decorations. Able to replace 
  the heads of statues to blend in, these creatures keep alert 
  for intruders and extract themselves from the statues with 
  which they are docked in order to attack. The creatures 
  don’t need to remove themselves from their statues to use 
  their special attacks, however, and only separate for added 
  mobility or to have the chance to attack with their claws. 
  At least a dozen varieties of sentinel pervaded long-
  vanished Thassilon. All of these varieties were crafted 
  from materials that wouldn’t be out of place as a medium 
  for sculpting or casting. Though the practice of creating 
  these constructs largely died out along with the empire 
  at Earthfall, explorers delving into forgotten ruins 
  sometimes encounter sentinels that still function.
  Bronze and marble varieties can be found in Pathfinder 
  Adventure Path #62: Curse of the Lady’s Light.
  IRON SENTINEL
  An apelike head with demonic features cast in black iron sits on 
  six segmented mechanical legs.
  IRON	SENTINEL	
  CR	5
  XP	1,600
  N	Small	construct	
  Init	+8;	Senses	darkvision	60	ft.,	detect magic,	low-light	
  vision;	Perception	+5
  DEFENSE
  AC	19,	touch	15,	flat-footed	15	(+4	Dex,	+4	natural,	+1	size)
  hp	54	(8d10+10)
  Fort	+2,	Ref	+8,	Will	+2
  Immune	cold,	construct	traits,	magic
  OFFENSE
  Speed	40	ft.,	climb	20	ft.
  Melee	2	claws	+16	(1d4+6)
  Ranged	icy	bolt	+13	(1d6	cold	plus	slow)
  Special	Attacks	head-butt	+16	(1d4+3)
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	2nd;	concentration	–1)
  Constant—detect magic
  STATISTICS
  Str	22,	Dex	18,	Con	—,	Int	1,	Wis	11,	Cha	5
  Base	Atk	+8;	CMB	+13;	CMD	27	(35	vs.	trip)
  Feats	Improved	Initiative,	Lightning	Reflexes,	Skill	Focus	
  (Perception),	Weapon	Focus	(claws)
  Skills	Acrobatics	+6,	Climb	+16,	Perception	+5,	Stealth	+10
  Languages	Thassilonian	(can’t	speak)
  SQ	alert,	freeze
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any
  Organization	solitary,	pair,	or	troop	(3–7)
  Treasure	none
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Alert	(Su)	An	iron	sentinel	can	take	simple	orders	and	identify	
  intruders,	and	it	has	the	ability	to	alert	its	creator	or	
  another	creature	to	which	it’s	keyed.	When	an	iron	sentinel	
  detects	a	trespasser,	it	can	choose	to	alert	the	creature	
  to	which	it’s	keyed	in	one	of	two	ways.	The	sentinel	can	
  create	a	loud	sound	like	that	of	a	bell,	chime,	or	gong	that	
  can	be	clearly	heard	within	500	feet.	Alternatively,	an	iron	
  sentinel	can	send	a	mental	alert	to	the	creature	to	which	
  it	is	keyed	as	long	as	that	creature	is	within	1	mile	of	the	
  sentinel.	The	mental	alert	wakes	the	keyed	creature	from	
  sleep	but	doesn’t	affect	normal	concentration.	An	iron	
  sentinel’s	creator	is	the	first	creature	it	is	keyed	to,	and	the	
  creator	can	pass	its	link	to	another	creature	as	part	of	a	
  4-hour	ritual	that	uses	materials	costing	500	gp.
  Head-Butt	(Ex)	Once	every	3	rounds,	if	an	iron	sentinel	
  hits	the	same	creature	with	both	claw	attacks,	it	can	
  also	attempt	to	head-butt	that	creature.	If	this	attack	
  is	successful,	in	addition	to	the	damage,	the	target	is	
  staggered	for	1	round	unless	it	succeeds	at	a	DC	14	
  Fortitude	save.	The	save	DC	is	Constitution-based.
  Icy	Bolt	(Su)	As	a	standard	action,	an	iron	sentinel	can	fire	
  a	bolt	of	ice	as	a	ranged	touch	attack	out	to	a	maximum	
  range	of	30	feet.	This	bolt	deals	1d6	points	of	cold	damage.	
  The	target	is	also	slowed	(as	per	the	spell	slow)	for	1d6+1	
  rounds	(a	DC	14	Fortitude	save	negates	this	slow	effect).	
  The	save	DC	is	Constitution-based.
  Immunity	to	Magic	(Ex)	An	iron	sentinel	is	immune	to	spells	
  or	spell-like	abilities	that	allow	spell	resistance,	except	for	
  spells	with	the	electricity	descriptor.
  Popular in the more brutish Thassilonian lands of 
  Bakrakhan, Gastash, and Haruka, iron sentinels were 
  commonly employed in large platoons to repel organized, 
  armed assaults. They most often begin combat with an icy 
  bolt intended to slow advancing hostiles, who are then 
  easier targets for the constructs’ physical attacks.
  IVORY SENTINEL
  Sculpted from ivory in the form of a large skull, this construct 
  perches on six segmented legs of whitened bone.
  IVORY	SENTINEL	
  CR	7
  XP	3,200
  N	Small	construct	
  Init	+10;	Senses	darkvision	60	ft.,	low-light	vision;	Perception	+5
  DEFENSE
  AC	21,	touch	17,	flat-footed	15	(+6	Dex,	+4	natural,	+1	size)
  hp	75	(10d10+20)
  90
  
  Fort	+3,	Ref	+9,	Will	+3
  Immune	construct	traits,	electricity,	magic
  OFFENSE
  Speed	40	ft.,	climb	20	ft.,	fly	40	ft.	(good)
  Melee	2	claws	+17	(1d6+5	plus	poison),	2	wings	+11	(1d3+2)
  Special	Attacks	disorienting	screech
  Spell-Like	Abilities	(CL	2nd;	concentration	–1)
  Constant—detect magic
  STATISTICS
  Str	21,	Dex	23,	Con	—,	Int	1,	Wis	11,	Cha	5
  Base	Atk	+10;	CMB	+14;	CMD	30	(38	vs.	trip)
  Feats	Flyby	Attack,	Improved	Initiative,	Skill	Focus	
  (Perception),	Toughness,	Weapon	Focus	(claws)
  Skills	Acrobatics	+8,	Climb	+15,	Fly	+17,	Perception	+5,	Stealth	+12
  Languages	Thassilonian	(can’t	speak)
  SQ	alert,	freeze
  ECOLOGY
  Environment	any
  Organization	solitary,	pair,	or	troop	(3–7)
  Treasure	none
  SPECIAL	ABILITIES
  Alert	(Su)	An	ivory	sentinel	can	take	simple	
  orders	and	identify	intruders.	This	
  functions	as	the	iron	sentinel’s	alert	
  ability	(see	page	90).
  Disorienting	Screech	(Su)	Three	times	per	
  day,	an	ivory	sentinel	can	emit	a	disorienting	
  screech	as	a	standard	action.	All	living	creatures	
  within	a	30-foot	spread	must	succeed	at	a	DC	15	Will	
  save	or	become	confused	(as	per	the	spell	confusion)	
  for	1d4+1	rounds.	A	creature	that	succeeds	at	this	
  saving	throw	is	immune	to	further	disorienting	screeches	
  from	that	ivory	sentinel	for	24	hours.	This	is	a	sonic,	mind-
  affecting	effect.	The	save	is	Constitution-based.
  Immunity	to	Magic	(Ex)	An	ivory	sentinel	is	immune	to	
  spells	or	spell-like	abilities	that	allow	spell	resistance,	
  except	for	spells	with	the	sonic	descriptor.
  Poison	(Ex)	Claws—injury;	save	Fort	DC	15;	frequency	
  1/round	for	6	rounds;	effect	1d3	Con	damage;	cure	2	
  consecutive	saves.	The	save	DC	is	Constitution-based.
  Ivory sentinels were most often employed by the upper 
  echelons of Thassilonian aristocracy, especially across 
  Bakrakhan and Shalast. These nobles competed with one 
  another in decking out the approaches to their palaces 
  with outlandish and lethal guardians, and the avian ivory 
  sentinels served this purpose well. Often employed to 
  terrorize peasants and foreign dignitaries, most of these 
  constructs were destroyed during Earthfall when those 
  extravagant palaces came tumbling down.
  When an ivory sentinel takes flight, delicate wings 
  carved to resemble those of a bird unfurl from the sides 
  of its skull-like head.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Though the exact process of creating the base form 
  differs depending on the materials involved, the process 
  of animating sentinels is roughly the same, regardless of 
  the specific type of sentinel being created. (The statue 
  atop which the sentinel often perches is not a part of its 
  total cost). Each sentinel must be carved or worked in 
  fine detail before being subjected to spells and magical 
  unguents worth 1,000 gp.
  IRON	SENTINEL
  CL	14th;	Price	28,000	gp
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements	Craft	Construct,	alarm,	cone of cold,	detect 
  magic,	geas/quest,	limited wish;	Skill	Craft	(sculpture)	
  DC	22;	Cost	14,000	gp
  IVORY	SENTINEL
  CL	16th;	Price	36,000	gp
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements	Craft	Construct,	alarm,	detect magic,	
  geas/quest,	limited wish,	poison,	shout;	Skill	Craft	
  (sculpture)	DC	26;	Cost	18,000	gp
  91
  IT CAME 
  FROM HOLLOW 
  MOUNTAIN
  Part 1:  
  Sailing the  
  Lost Coast
  Part 2:  
  The Sihedron 
  Council
  Part 3:  
  Under the 
  Mountain’s Gaze
  Part 4:  
  The World  
  Is Hollow
  NPC 
  Gallery
  Ashava, the  
  True Spark
  Ecology of the 
  Sinspawn
  Bestiary
  
  Open Game License Version 1.0a
  Runeplague
  By Richard Pett
  The Return of the Runelords Adventure Path continues 
  as the heroes travel across Varisia to combat the 
  machinations of cults and agents of ancient Thassilon. In 
  Magnimar, the cult of Yamasoth seeks to unleash a hideous 
  plague upon the city, and if the cult’s efforts to resurrect 
  and interrogate Runelord Krune in Riddleport come to 
  fruition, its agents will be able to spread the polymorph 
  plague on the wind. And in Korvosa, a simulacrum of 
  Runelord Sorshen wishes to speak to the PCs—if they can 
  entertain her, she’ll warn them of other events unfolding 
  in Kaer Maga that, if left untended, could wake Runelord 
  Zutha from death!
  Yamasoth
  By Jason Keeley
  The qlippoth lord Yamasoth is the patron of vile 
  experiments and monstrous transfiguration. In his realm, 
  the Kingdom of the New Flesh, the Polymorph Plague 
  enacts far-ranging schemes to strip away mortal  souls. 
  Learn  how devotees of Yamasoth experiment with 
  abhorrent transmutations of themselves and their victims, 
  but beware: too much knowledge of the Polymorph 
  Plague spawns hideous changes in body and mind. 
  magic pools
  By Eleanor Ferron
  A staple of fantasy fiction, magic pools can heal wounds, 
  birth monsters, and grant wishes. Explore some of 
  Golarion’s magical pools and wells, from the Golden 
  Oasis in Katapesh to Starbreath Pool in the Crown of 
  the World. Each pool is presented with its appearance, 
  guardians, rumored powers, and true abilities.
  subscRibe to pathfindeR adventuRe path
  The Return of the Runelords Adventure Path continues! 
  Don’t miss out on a single exciting volume—head over 
  to paizo.com/pathfinder and subscribe today to have each 
  Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, 
  Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Player Companion, and 
  Pathfinder Accessories product delivered to your door.
  The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc. (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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  published and distributed by Frog God Games; Author: Scott Greene, based on original material 
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  Pathfinder Adventure Path #134: It Came from Hollow Mountain © 2018, Paizo Inc.; 
  Authors: Mike Shel, with Jason Keeley, Mark Moreland, and Patchen Mortimer.
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  Lissala
  T
  he goddess of runes, duty, and 
  obedience, Lissala was worshiped 
  far and wide across Thassilon, 
  particularly in the realm of Haruka. She 
  was represented in some images as a lavender-
  skinned woman with no mouth and six wings, and 
  in others as a winged serpent with a woman’s torso 
  and the Sihedron rune for a head. In Thassilon’s 
  later years, the reigning Runelord of Sloth 
  was often regarded as the leader of her faith, 
  despite the fact that runelords traditionally 
  focus on arcane magic. Her worship all but vanished 
  after Earthfall, and the goddess remained forgotten 
  for thousands of years until her cult resurfaced 
  recently in Varisia and attempted to free Runelord 
  Krune from his self-imposed prison. Lissala remains 
  one of Golarion’s most mysterious deities.
  DeSGArD’S ThOUSAnD COLUMNS
  L
  ocated in eastern Varisia, the strange Thassilonian ruin 
  known as Desgard’s Thousand Columns is a barren field 
  rent by cracks and chasms filled with pylons of jagged 
  crystal and further surrounded by looming, truncated 
  towers. Whether or not there were ever truly a thousand 
  of these columns has been lost to time, but hundreds 
  certainly still exist today. The site is largely inactive 
  now, the haunt of giants, orcs, and other monsters, 
  but in Thassilon’s time, the crystals were used by the 
  Runelords of Sloth to significantly augment the 
  power of conjuration spells. Records 
  of entire armies being summoned 
  from beyond suggest the power of 
  the columns, but curiously, any indication 
  of who—or what—Desgard might have been 
  seems to have been scrubbed from all texts. Only the 
  name remains. 
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Printed in China. PZO90134
  H
  ollow Mountain has loomed over the horizon of the Varisian Gulf for as long 
  as those waters have been sailed, frightening sailors and tempting adventurers 
  with its promises of treasure and terror alike. Having restored order to the town 
  of Roderic’s Cove, the region’s newest heroes must deliver a powerful item south to the 
  city of Magnimar, but they soon find that fate is leading them to one of the land’s most 
  infamous dungeons. What awaits these heroes in the trap-filled and monster-haunted corridors 
  and chambers below Hollow Mountain will put them to the test, but if they can survive, they will emerge 
  with knowledge vital to standing against the runelords’ return!
  This volume of Pathfinder Adventure Path continues the Return of the Runelords Adventure 
  Path and includes:
  • “It Came from Hollow Mountain,” a Pathfinder adventure for 5th-level characters, by Mike 
  Shel.
  • Details on the empyreal lord Ashava, patron of dancers and lost souls, by Jason Keeley.
  • An exploration of the violent and hideous monsters known collectively as sinspawn,
  by Patchen Mortimer.
  • A bestiary of monsters, including the malevolent choking shade, the lumbering
  arachnid masterminds known as shriezyx queens, and the demigoddess Ashava herself,
  by Jason Keeley, Mark Moreland, and Mike Shel.
  SEND MORE HEROES!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Adventure Paths/PF133-138 - Return of the Runelords/Return of the Runelords - 02 - It Came From Hollow Mountain.pdf