TEXT: 1
  1
  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  
  2
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
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  Shadows 
  over
  Vathak
  Written by John Bennett
  Line Developer John Bennett
  Layout and Design by Rick Hershey
  Editing by Eric Johnson and Rick Hershey
  Shadows over Vathak Contributing Designers 
  Chris Bayes, Christopher Huff, Doug Lilly, Eugene Black, Jason Stoffa, 
  Kyle Patrick Smith, Landon Bellavia, and Troy Daniels
  Published by Fat Goblin Games
  Shadows over Vathak: The Colonies - Player’s Guide ©2014 Fat Goblin Games.
  All rights reserved. www.fatgoblingames.com 
  The Colonies
  Game Master's Guide
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  The Colonies: Game Master's Guide 
  2
  GMing Shadows over Vathak 
  7
  The Colonies: History 
  7
  Cities  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
        
  Skalan: Capital of the Colonies 
  9
  Tomaini 
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  Reifswald 
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  Hunstanvania 
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  Germalboria 
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  Tiadore 
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  Dallowich 
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  Halsburg 
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  Noordin 
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  Valencourt 
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  Lands 
  The Beaumont Statues 
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  The Kardathan Mountains 
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  The Heads of the Elder Gods 
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  Telgotha Forest 
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  Lake Pethegas 
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  Important NPCs
  Baron Stroan Hellheimer 
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  Balthazul Nefarion 
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    Lord Mayor  Hamon Le Strange  
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  Vance Krynvult 
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  Ivar von Houlsmann 
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  Vayden Delois 
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  Ten Knife King 
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  Heinrich  Bloodmoon 
                     21
  Organizations 
  Vampire Clans of the Colonies 
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  Werewolf Packs of the Colonies 
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  The Church of  Unspeakable Masses 
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  The Many Masks 
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  Life in the Colonies 
  The People 
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  Holidays, Festivals, and Traditions 
  St. Barnabus Day  
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  Festival of the Spirit Lights 
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  Szal’dishor the Bounty  
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  Ritual of  Reifswald 
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  The Full Moon Hunt 
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  “Come as your are” 
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  Widow Walks 
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  Adventure Locations 
  Lepstenstaler House 
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  Red Rose Manor 
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  Underwater Caves of Lake Pelthagas 
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  The Silver Tower 
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  The Muders in Tomaini 
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  Adventuring  in the Colonies 
  Gothic Horror 
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  Survival Horror 
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  Cosmic Horror 
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  New  Monsters 
  Volwearm 
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  Vampling 
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  The roar of  the crowd rang in his ears as Stephan stepped into the long dressing room 
  adjacent to the performance tent. “Th-th-that was a really gr-gr-great sh-sh-show,” stuttered 
  a small voice from behind him.
  Stephan’s mouth wrapped itself  into a grimace as he stared at the stunted, twisted creature 
  that just spoke to him- a cambion, creatures warped by the growing influence of  the Old Ones. 
  Termine gazed up at him with too large eyes, drool at the corners of  her slack jaw, her small 
  body a grotesque caricature of  the human form. Stephan ripped one of  the towels she held 
  from her heads, giving her a swift quick before wiping the sweat from his face. He did not even 
  notice the malicious look Termine gave him before scuttling away and ducking behind a slender 
  woman in tight fitting red and blue leathers sitting on a nearby stool, applying make-up.
  The woman sighed, ruffling Termine’s lank, stringy hair before turning her attention to 
  Stephan. “You could be a little bit nicer to her,” the woman, Arda, said.
  Stephan tossed the towel onto the ground and Termine quickly darted forward to pick it 
  up, just narrowly avoiding another kick from Stephan. “By the One True God, Arda, she’s 
  disgusting,” Stephan said before continuing. “Cambions are monsters, you know.”
  “No more than some,” Arda replied, her eyes narrowing.
  A thin smile crept across Stephan’s face as he studied Arda before walking over to her. “So, 
  are you coming to my room again tonight,” Stephan spoke, reaching out a hand to trace Arda’s 
  face.
  Arda recoiled from his touch. “That was a mistake that won’t happen again.”
  “Suit yourself,” Stephan spat back before strutting off.
  Later, Stephan reclined on his narrow bed, a cup of  wine in one hand. As one of  the 
  Traveling Golden Wonders top performers, he was granted the luxury of  his own wagon to use 
  as living quarters. Hand draw posters exclaiming his feats of  derring-do hung on the crowded 
  walls containing rows and rows of  knives of  various sizes and shapes. He idly flipped a long 
  dagger in the other hand, reflecting on his performance when his door suddenly rattled, jolting 
  him from his thoughts. With a smile and a gleam in his eye, he dropped the dagger, swinging 
  his lean body off  of  the bed. He grabbed an empty wine cup and a jug of  cheap wine as he 
  headed for the door.
  “I knew you couldn’t resist, my darling,” Stephan said playfully as he fumbled the door 
  open.
  The empty darkness of  night greeted him on the other side of  the door. Confused, he gazed 
  about. Thick clouds crawled around the moon, creating a blackness that painted the nearby 
  wagons in silhouettes of  ever deepening shades of  grey and black. “Arda,” Stephan spoke into 
  the night.
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  Smiling a predatory smile, Stephan slipped quietly outside. “Playing hard to get, are we? I hope you’re 
  wearing you’re wearing that tight, leather outfit,” he said as he peered into the shadows.
  A tittering laugh sounded from somewhere nearby and Stephan quickly followed it. When he came to the 
  spot where he thought he heard it, he once again looked around. Seeing nothing but a clutter of  wagons, he 
  frowned. “C’mon Arda, let’s go inside. I have some nice wine,” Stephan said, shaking the wine jug.
  More tittering laughter.
  Sighing, Stephan followed the sound, now becoming slightly annoyed. Why did women have to be so com-
  plicated, he thought? The sound of  laughter led him farther away from the wagons to a small copse of  trees. 
  “So you want to meet here? That’s fine with me,” Stephan said, taking a gulp of  wine straight from the jug.
  A tree limb suddenly crashed next to h im, causing Stephan to jump and spill wine on his worn night shirt. 
  Cursing, Stephan fumbled with the stain when another branch and then another fell next to him. The branches 
  were not broken at their ends but sliced cleaning as if  by a large, sharp blade. “Ok, Arda, enough with the 
  games, this isn’t funny,” Stephan said, fear quivering in his voice.
  “What’s not funny?” said a girlish voice from behind him.
  Stephan spun around. Coming out from between two trees was Termine. “What are you doing 
  here?” Stephan asked, his fear replaced with anger.
  “You aren’t very nice,” Termine said, her voice clear, her stutter gone, a fact not lost on Stephan.
  Stephan stepped back, prepared to leave when again from behind him, he heard another tree branch falling to crunch 
  on the dead leaves on the ground.
  Slowly, Stephan turned. Seeming to suddenly materialize out of  nowhere, stood what appeared to be a man in 
  gruesome armor. It stood seven feet tall, smashed bits of  daggers composing its body. A long cape of  blades tarnished 
  with dried blood hung from the creature’s shoulders. Two hollow, black eyes sat in an expressionless face under a circlet 
  fashioned from rusty daggers.
  “What in the name of  the One True God?” Stephan chokingly whispered.
  The creature lumbered forward, raising a hand where each finger was a long, sharp knife.
  “No one makes fun of  me, no one!” screeched Termine from behind Stephan, the last words he ever heard as the 
  creature’s clawed hand slashed down.
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  The Colonies
  An Introduction
  Welcome to the world of Shadows over Vathak, a realm where the abominations 
  known as the Old Ones seek to destroy humanity. It is a world of darkness and despair, 
  where even the light of the One True God is often corrupted and twisted to serve sinis-
  ter ends. As a GM your players may be heroes representing a bright point of light in the 
  encroaching shadows of evil or they might just be survivors, getting by day by day however 
  they can, survival their only goal. In Vathak, even joy is mingled with the bitter ashes of 
  despair and hopelessness.
   
  What you have here is additional GM information to augment the material pre-
  sented in the Shadows over Vathak Campaign Guide. New locations, monsters, and more 
  are detailed in the pages of this book, tied to one of the specific regions of Vathak. Even if 
  your campaign does not take place in this region of Vathak, that does you cannot use the 
  material in this book. While the material here in is based on a specific region, it is also de-
  signed to fit the overall themes of Shadow over Vathak as a whole. As the GM, you should 
  modify the material in this book as you see fit to create the story that you want to tell. 
  Additionally, the material presented in this book can be ported over to whatever campaign 
  world you are using.
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  GMing a Game     
  in Shadows over Vathak
  As detailed in the Shadows over Vathak 
  Campaign Guide, Shadows over Vathak, while 
  labelled as a Lovecraft and Survival horror 
  mash-up, lends itself to many different styles of 
  horror. When running a game set in the world of 
  Vathak, it is important that you convey the style 
  or styles of horror you will be using to the players 
  so that they can make appropriate characters. 
  Additionally, you should preview the material in 
  the Player’s Guide for the Colonies. The material 
  in that book is meant to be synergistic with mate-
  rial in this book.
  Regardless of the campaign style, it is 
  important to note that Shadows over Vathak is 
  a campaign world best suited to seeing human 
  nature and alignment in shades of gray. The evil 
  of the Old Ones and the remnants of the former 
  vampire rules are not the only villainy to be con-
  tested. While paladins and other holy warriors of 
  the One True God fervently strive to stem the ris-
  ing tide of evil, many who espouse the One True 
  God’s edicts are not entirely virtuous. Neither are 
  members of the nobility, town guard, and any of 
  the other NPCs your players encounter. While 
  Shadows over Vathak does not modify spells 
  like detect evil and their like, these spells are not 
  always entirely useful and just because a NPC de-
  tects as evil does not mean they are walking XP 
  for overly zealous PCs. One of the main themes 
  in Shadows over Vathak is survival horror and 
  exploring how humanity either comes together 
  or falls apart when confronted with the threat of 
  extinction. When designing NPCs, realize that in 
  Vathak many people are simply trying to survive 
  day by day which often drives people to do acts 
  that they normally would not even have consid-
  ered before.
  The Colonies     
  History
  What is commonly known as The Colonies 
  was once a single fishing village named Ska-
  lan. The native romni inhabitants discovered 
  the island’s waters held a bounty of fish. Few 
  Skalaners dared the dark, tangled depths of the 
  island’s forested interior and tales of strange 
  creatures prowling the Telgotha Forest and the 
  jagged peaks of the Kardathan Mountains kept 
  the villagers close to the shore. Bands of explor-
  ers occasionally stopped in Skalan before delving 
  further inland, driven by rumors of treasure and 
  mysterious locations, but none ever returned to 
  the village. Their disappearances only fueled the 
  island’s dark reputation and kept Skalan from 
  expanding.
  It was not until the time of the “Great 
  Cleansing” that Skalan came into its own. The 
  influx of non-human races and fringe religious 
  groups (mostly followers of the Elder Gods) flee-
  ing vindari expansion quickly created numerous 
  small settlements around Skalan. Like the origi-
  nal Skalaners, these new settlements clung to the 
  island’s coastline, living off the sea. Their pres-
  ence, however, attracted numerous pirates and 
  other marauders who sought easier targets than 
  the better armed vindari. Despite these many 
  attacks, the Colonies persisted and even came 
  together as one to destroy a vindari fleet, led by 
  a dread inquisitor name Barnabus Thalvy who 
  threatened their sovereignty. Barnabus’s defeat 
  left the Colonies safe from vindari expansion for 
  a number of years. 
  While the rising of the Old Ones threw the 
  mainland of Vathak into chaos and turmoil, in 
  an unintended consequence, it set off a new era 
  of growth in the Colonies. It was not just dis-
  sidents of vindari rule that were arriving, but the 
  vindari themselves, fleeing the destruction. Ini-
  tially, the Colonies inhabitants viewed the vindari 
  refugees as outsiders and a potential 
  threat. Many loathed the churches 
  they saw springing up to the One True 
  God. Skirmishes between the two 
  
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  sides occurred and the vindari quickly learned to 
  adapt and live as neighbors and not as potential 
  conquerors. Eventually, the vindari earned ac-
  ceptance as they joined in the island’s defense. 
  The fairly recent battle against the Crimson 
  Wave pirates assisted the vindari in integrating 
  themselves into positions of power.
  Skalan, itself, became a thriving city of clay, 
  brick, gray timber, and ashen stone when open 
  trade began with outside nations. Along the east-
  ern edge of the island, the Dark Sea brings trade 
  from foreign lands and distant shores. The harsh 
  approaches to the island, and natural hostilities 
  and prejudice from mainlanders make sea trade 
  a desirable alternative. Ships come and go almost 
  daily, making the Colonies the largest port des-
  tination in Vathak. All of these captains, ships’ 
  crews, scoundrels, and traders need a decent 
  place to eat, sleep, and spend their coin allowing 
  the Colonies to grow.
  Today, the Colonies are a place for pilgrims 
  to seek refuge from vindari rule and to explore 
  religious beliefs beyond the imposed 
  One True God. It is the last place 
  to rest and stock up before sailing 
  to foreign lands, and it is the final 
  stop for merchants and traders wishing to import 
  or export their goods. As such, most cities have 
  a well-constructed fort and a large garrison. 
  Historically, even these provisions can’t prevent 
  the occasional pirate raids or foreign conflicts 
  from getting out of control. Of all the Vathak 
  provinces, none have suffered ransack, maraud-
  ers, or burning as much, or even as often, as the 
  Colonies. Still, bandits and marauders are not 
  the most dangerous threat to colonists. With 
  the emergence of the Old Ones, many of the 
  ancient vampire clans have found a need to find 
  new hunting grounds and refuge from the plights 
  sweeping the mainland. Living in the cities, they 
  fight to keep their dark secrets and hunt the 
  outcropping farmlands when the taste for blood 
  becomes uncontrollable. However, their numbers 
  are rising, and it’s getting harder to hide their 
  trails, not to mention the increasing numbers of 
  lycanthropes moving to the island for the same 
  reasons as their vampire enemies.
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  Cities
  Skalan             
  Capital of the Colonies
  N Metropolis
  Corruption +2; Crime +5; Economy +7; 
  Law +1;
  Lore +4; Society +8
  Qualities holy site, magically attuned, 
  notorious, prosperous, strategic loca-
  tion, tourist attraction
  Danger +20
  Demographics
  Government Council
  Population 55,000 (31,000 Romni; 10,000 
  Vindari; 8,000 Bhriota; 2,000 Cambion; 
  1,000 Svirfneblin; 3,000 other)
  Noteable Npcs
  Cordella Vanheart (LE female romni 
  aristocrat 4/sorcerer 3)
  Baron Hellheimer (NG male vindari 
  aristocrat 9)
  Entertainment Guildmaster Narcil 
  Forthwright (CN male dhampir bard 6)
  marketplace
  Base Value 33,600 gp; Purchase Limit 
  220,000 gp
  Spellcasting 9th
  Minor Items Nearly All; Medium 
  Items 4d4; Major Items 3d4
  The largest of all the cities in the Colonies, 
  Skalan extends outwards from the Bladling 
  Cliffs, along the Coast of Saints. As the city is 
  sectioned haphazardly into districts by the re-
  mains of old walls once circling the 
  city, before its growth required new 
  fortifications, visitors can easily get 
  lost in the maze of streets. Nearly all the shops 
  here cater to the hundreds of travelers that fre-
  quent the area. There are plenty of inns, taverns, 
  theaters, and gambling houses in Skalan. The red 
  light district of the Colonies is found here and 
  all manner of pleasure can be purchased, for the 
  right price. In addition to serving as a watering 
  hole for weary sailors, Skalan is also home to 
  warehouses, where trading houses and wealthy 
  captains are able store goods pending their sale. 
  Traders not so affluent can often rent space for a 
  price.
  Tomaini
  CG Small town
  Corruption -2; Crime +0; Economy +0; 
  Law +1;
  Lore +2; Society -1
  Qualities: insular, magically attuned
  Danger +0
  Demographics
  Government Magical
  Population 1,300 (1,000 Romni; 100 Vin-
  dari; 100 Cambrion; 100 other)
  Noteable Npcs
  Baron Talandrel Tomaini (NG male 
  romni wizard 14)
  Hrak of the Crab Family (CG male 
  cambion druid 4)
  Madam Constance Delfrey (CN female 
  romni rogue 7)
  marketplace
  Base Value 1,200 gp; Purchase Limit 
  6,000 gp
  Spellcasting 7th
  Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 1d6; 
  Major Items
  None
  The city of Tomaini is named 
  after its founding family, the Tomaini, 
  of the Tomaini Traveling Side Show. 
  
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  This group of itinerant romni was once a popu-
  lar circus, displaying oddities and performing 
  amazing shows across Vathak. With the rise of 
  the Old Ones, many people turned away from 
  such frivolous entertainment, and the Tomaini 
  family came to the Colonies for seclusion. Since 
  then, many performers now make their home 
  here. Tomaini is the home-base for a variety 
  of show-folks, such as: Priscilla the Ape Girl, 
  the Stone Man, the Crab family, and Dotty the 
  Mule. In other places, these strange people would 
  have met with some degree of social rejection, 
  but in Tomaini they are treated as average folk 
  bonded by the nomadic lifestyle of the traveling 
  show. Visitors can see nightly performances from 
  various residents at a handful of makeshift tent 
  shows, and of course the crude theaters. Those 
  with a more bizarre taste can visit the curios-
  ity shops and pick up some arcane or grotesque 
  items, or seek out one of the many fortune telling 
  madams of the city.
  Reifswald
  CG Large town
  Corruption +2; Crime +3; Economy +4; 
  Law -10;
  Lore +0; Society +1
  Qualities: pious (the Elder Gods), pros-
  perous, strategic location
  Danger +5; Disadvantages cursed
  Demographics
  Government Secret Syndicate
  Population 2,500 (2,000 Romni; 400 Vin-
  dari; 100 other)
  Noteable Npcs
  Father Balthazul Nefarion (LE male 
  romni bard 10)
  Mistress Felicia Thurgood (LN female 
  vindari aristocrat 6/expert 6)
  Dockmaster Karn Nyatho (NG 
  male bhriota fighter 4)
  marketplace
  Base Value 2,800 gp; Purchase Limit 
  15,000 gp
  Spellcasting 6th
  Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 2d4; 
  Major Items 1d4
  This once dense coastal area was quickly 
  cleared when the Church of the Unspeakable 
  Masses came to the Colonies seeking refuge from 
  the oppressive vindari. They constructed a huge 
  temple to the Elder Gods out of the timber and 
  stone gathered from clearing the land, followed 
  by bunk houses and general gathering lodges. 
  Over the years they have built mass temples 
  across the island and have accumulated numer-
  ous followers from both Vathak citizens and the 
  foreigners who frequent the island. Although 
  many consider the Church of the Unspeakable 
  Masses to be harmless, others are fearful of their 
  presence and more so, their devout worship of 
  the ancient deities. Rumors abound of dark ritu-
  als and secret meetings of the church and their 
  quest to awaken these sleeping gods to fight the 
  emerging Old Ones.
  Reifswald also has a growing fishing indus-
  try with an organized fleet of the Fishing Guild 
  controlling its waters. The bountiful seas are 
  considered a blessing from the Elder Gods, and 
  the Fishing Guild encourages membership in the 
  Church of the Unspeakable Masses to continue 
  this blessing.
  Hunstanvania
  N Large city
  Corruption +0; Crime +2; Economy +5; 
  Law +2;
  Lore +5; Society +2
  Qualities academic, holy site, prosper-
  ous, strategic location, tourist 
  attraction
  Danger +10
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  Demographics
  Government Autocracy
  Population 18,000 (14,000 Romni; 2,000 
  Vindari; 500 foreigners; 1,500 other)
  Noteable Npcs
  Captain of the Guard Marko Tellbith
  (LN male svirfneblin fighter 5)
  High Priest Westerton Pollux (LG male 
  vindari cleric 10)
  Lord Mayor Hamon Le Strange (N 
  male vindari aristocrat 4)
  marketplace
  Base Value 12,800 gp; Purchase Limit 
  75,000 gp
  Spellcasting 9th
  Minor Items 4d4; Medium Items 3d4; 
  Major Items 2d4
  Initially known as New Hunstanvania, to 
  distinguish it from the adjacent 
  village from which it took its name, 
  this resort town long ago eclipsed 
  its neighbor in size and population. 
  Bordered by the River Hun, Old Hunstanva-
  nia has its share of charms, including: cliff top 
  walks past the Perkola lighthouse, the ruins of 
  St. Vermain’s Chapel, and Old Hunstanvania 
  Park, home to Blackwood Hall and the estate of 
  its most famous resident, Heinrich Le Strange. 
  It was Heinrich who had decided to develop 
  the area south of Old Hunstanvania into a 
  sea-bathing resort. He persuaded a group of 
  like-minded investors to fund the construction 
  and build cobblestone streets to the nearby city 
  of Skalan for ease of travel. Once the money was 
  secured, Heinrich sought out his friend, Velheim 
  Warwort, already a renowned architect, to help 
  him bring his vision to life. Le Strange, who was 
  himself an amateur architect and painter, pre-
  pared a layout for the resort showing shops, inns, 
  and a church; then he consulted with Warwort 
  who shared his passion for the ‘Old Vathak’ style. 
  The first of their many buildings to be erected 
  was The Royal Hotel, initially called Le Strange’s 
  Folly by some, since it sat alone on the rolling 
  green slope for several years before the rest of the 
  town was constructed. However, once 
  it was joined by the first of many curio 
  shops, luxury trades, and posh villas, 
  the town quickly formed in and many 
  
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  began to flock to the resort. Le Strange’s venture 
  was a great success, and soon the Colonies wit-
  nessed an influx of nobility and gentry from the 
  mainland. Le Strange, as the primary landowner, 
  became the governing force of both Huntsvanias; 
  but, sadly, he died the same year he realized his 
  dreams. All of his properties were left to his son, 
  Hamon, allowing him to reap the rewards of his 
  father’s hard work.
  Germalboria
  LN Hamlet
  Corruption -2; Crime -3; Economy -2; 
  Law +0; Lore -1; Society -6
  Qualities insular
  Danger -5; Disadvantages cursed
  Demographics
  Government Autocracy
  Population 76 (76 Vindari)
  Noteable Npcs
  Baron Voltagia (LN male vindari ranger 4)
  City Watch Captain Felix Delthourux 
  (CN male vindari fighter 6)
  Merchant Thorum Blackfell (CE male 
  vindari/werewolf ranger 8)
  marketplace
  Base Value 200 gp; Purchase Limit 
  1,000 gp;
  Spellcasting 2nd
  Minor Items 1d6; Medium Items None; 
  Major Items None
  Germalboria enjoys a continental climate, 
  with a warm summer, mild winter, and spring 
  and autumn marked by copious rainfall. The 
  farmers generally grow more food than they can 
  consume (in years past, Germalboria supported 
  a much greater area than it does now), and have 
  built up a healthy reserve over the years. Germal-
  boria is a much safer city than many 
  others, as the militia and guard keep 
  the settled area of the land clear of 
  most dangers. However, they do not 
  venture into the swampy forests to the southeast, 
  an area that has been plagued by lycanthropes.
  Nearly all of Germalboria’s inhabitants are 
  serfs bound to the land of their lord, Baron 
  Voltagia. They are skilled farmers and shepherds, 
  and generally content with their lot—compared 
  to other places, they have it very well. Baron 
  Voltagia is a fair ruler, and few serious threats 
  exist in Germalboria to torment them.
  Tiadore
  N Small town
  Corruption -2; Crime +1; Economy +0; 
  Law -1; Lore +4; Society -2
  Qualities notorious, racially intolerant 
  (romni)
  Danger +10
  Demographics
  Government Magical
  Population 1,300 (1,000 Vindari; 100 
  Romni; 100 lycanthropes; 100 other)
  Noteable Npcs
  Lord Vance Krynvult (LE male vin-
  dari/werewolf ranger 14)
  Hevestus Morgana (CG male romni 
  gunslinger 4)
  Mayor Bernard Tonburn (LN male 
  vindari aristocrat 2)
  marketplace
  Base Value 1,300 gp; Purchase Limit 
  7,500 gp;
  Spellcasting 5th
  Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 1d6; 
  Major Items None
  Tiadore is a civilized place, but just beyond 
  the borders of the city grow ancient and unex-
  plored forests and steep foreboding mountains. It 
  is a poorly-kept secret that traveling 
  across these woods alone or in small 
  company is not very wise. Here live a 
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  great number of wild animals, especially wart-
  hogs, wolves, and bears. But, nobody knows that 
  the woodland gives shelter for many lycanthropes 
  as well, or that more than half of the villagers in 
  Tiadore are lycanthropes.
  Near Tiadore, hunts a small, but vicious pack 
  of werewolves led by onetime nobleman Vance 
  Krynvult. They mix the natural bestiality of 
  their kind with a pathological hate for the romni, 
  a prejudice sadly spreading among the region’s 
  inhabitants, human or not.
  Dallowich
  LN Hamlet
  Corruption 0; Crime -4; Economy -2; 
  Law +1; Lore 0; Society -4
  Qualities academic
  Danger -5
  Demographics 
  Government Overlord
  Population 57 (45 Dhamphir; 12 Vam-
  pires)
  Noteable Npcs
  Master Vayden Delois (LG male dham-
  phir monk 8)
  First Initiate Berman Sprogue (N male 
  dhamphir monk 3/rogue 1)
  Second Initiate Petal Freund (LN fe-
  male vampire aristocrat 4/monk 2)
  marketplace
  Base Value 200 gp; Purchase Limit 
  1,000 gp;
  Spellcasting 3rd
  Minor Items 1d6; Medium Items None; 
  Major Items None
  Tightly fitted wooden houses, most little 
  bigger than shacks and lacking windows, crowd 
  around a large two story building in Dallowich’s 
  center. During the day, the hamlet 
  appears deserted as its light sensi-
  tive citizens rest, only coming out 
  at night. Situated well away in a 
  remote location removed from any major roads, 
  few in the Colonies even know of Dallowich’s 
  existence. Curious visitors find the doors stoutly 
  barred and no sort of knocking will get anyone 
  to open them. Rumors abound that the citizens 
  are albinos or else infected with a deforming 
  disease. Others speculate that Dallowich is home 
  to one of the many small cults flourishing in the 
  Colonies.
  Truthfully, Dallowich consists of dhamphirs 
  and vampires seeking to overcome their blood-
  lust through meditation and physical training. 
  Founded by a dhamphir named Vayden Delois, 
  Dallowich frequently sees its residents coming 
  and going. New arrivals take over the houses 
  vacated by others who have already left. Vayden 
  leads regular exercises at nights with his disciples, 
  labelled as initiaties who rise in rank as they learn 
  to control their natural tendencies. No businesses 
  or trade exists in Dallowich, replaced instead 
  with continuous rigorous training for self-control.
  Halsburg
  NE Small Town
  Corruption -1; Crime +1; Economy +0; 
  Law -1; Lore +4; Society -2
  Qualities academic, notorious
  Danger +10
  Demographics
  Government Magical
  Population 205 (115 Romni; 45 Vindari; 
  23 Dhamphir; 13 Bhriota; 9 other)
  Noteable Npcs
  Lord Ivar Von Houlsmann (NE male 
  vampire alchemist 12)
  Guard Captain Reska Dorwanni (CE 
  female dhamphir antipaladin 8)
  Researcher Klaus Steinburger (CN 
  male vindari wizard 10)
  marketplace
  Base Value 1,300 gp; Purchase 
  Limit 7,500 gp;
  
  14
  14
  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  Spellcasting 6th
  Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 1d6; 
  Major Items none
  Disguising himself as an affluent “lord” from 
  the mainland, the vampire, Ivar von Houlsmann, 
  established Halsburg in the island’s interior near 
  the Telgotha Forest to be away from the prying 
  eyes of humans and his kin. A researcher of the 
  necromantic arts, Ivar put out word amongst 
  certain circles that likeminded individuals were 
  welcome to join him in his research located in a 
  stout keep with a well-equipped laboratory. Thus, 
  Halsburg attracted a citizenry composing of 
  mostly necromancers and others specializing in 
  the darker arts. While the majority of researchers 
  work on their own foul experiments, Ivar fosters 
  a sharing of information and knowledge, creat-
  ing a truly hideous collective of practitioners of 
  the blackest arts.
  Harboring a well-deserved evil reputation, 
  visitors to Halsburg typically come 
  to trade in forbidden goods and 
  magic with the numerous small 
  shops catering to such business. A 
  heavily armed town guard regularly patrols the 
  streets to keep the peace, particularly from over-
  zealous outsiders and experiments gone wrong.
  Noordin
  CN Village
  Corruption +3; Crime +5; Economy -5; 
  Law -8; Lore +1; Society -6
  Qualities notorious, rumormongering 
  citizens
  Danger +30; Disadvantages anarchy
  Demographics
  Government Anarchy
  Population 176 (68 Romni; 43 Vindari; 
  18 Svirfneblin; 15 Bhriota; 13 Cam-
  bion; 12 Dhamphir; 17 other)
  Noteable Npcs
  Moonfather Hersh Himble 
  (CN male cambion rogue 7)
  The Goodly Wife Largle (CN 
  female bhriota barbarian 4)
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  Rimwald, God of Snakes (CN male 
  vindari expert 2/sorcerer 2)
  marketplace
  Base Value 650 gp; Purchase Limit 
  3,750 gp;
  Spellcasting 3rd
  Minor Items 2d4; Medium Items 1d4; 
  Major Items None
  Hidden away deep in the Telgotha Forest and 
  protected by alien technology, Noordin serves as 
  a penal colony for victims of Mi-Go experimen-
  tation whose brains were not suitable for extrac-
  tion. Its mad, crazy, and often violent citizens 
  live out a mockery of human existence amongst 
  a collection of tumbling shacks and lean-tos. No 
  government rules, only gangs, the current ones 
  being the Moon People, the Good Family, and 
  the Disciples of Rimwald. They fight, steal, and 
  sometimes even trade, their minds horribly dam-
  aged.
  The Mi-Go monitor them with devices set 
  throughout the village and they have erected a 
  camouflage device around Noordin’s perimeter 
  to hide it from outsiders. Occasionally a few vil-
  lagers make it outside or visitors accidently enter. 
  The Mi-Go tend not to interfere during these 
  occurrences. To them, Noordin serves as a social 
  experiment that they eagerly study for their own 
  strange purposes.
  Valencourt
  CE small town
  Corruption +3; Crime +2; Economy -2; 
  Law -9; Lore +1; Society -9
  Qualities insular, rumormongering 
  citizens
  Danger +20; Disadvantages hunted
  Demographics 
  Government Secret Society
  Population 1,400 (937 Romni; 
  413 Vindari; 50 others)
  Noteable Npcs
  Mayor Yohan Krutz (CE intellect de-
  vourer)
  Guard Captain Treles (CE intellect 
  devourer)
  Ona Hershel (NG female vindari bard 5)
  marketplace
  Base Value 800 gp; Purchase Limit 
  5,000 gp;
  Spellcasting 4th
  Minor Items 3d4; Medium Items 1d6; 
  Major Items None
  Valencourt rests on a small peninsula on 
  the island’s eastern coast. A haven for artists, 
  Valencourt boasts cobbled streets surrounding 
  numerous water fountains and gorgeously carved 
  statues. A well trained militia regularly patrols 
  the high town walls, safeguarding the citizens 
  from the worst monstrous elements found in the 
  Colonies. Recently, however, a swift night time 
  raid from pirates shattered Valencourt’s idyllic 
  life. The raid happened so quickly that many of 
  the citizens do not even realize it has occurred. 
  All they know is that the mayor has decreed an 
  escalating number of bizarre and harsh laws 
  brutally enforced by Guard Captain Treles and 
  his men.
   
  In truth, the pirates themselves were 
  victims to a group of intellect devourers who 
  took over their bodies and now have implanted 
  themselves into positions of power within Valen-
  court. The intellect devourers revel in their new 
  found power, delightfully concocting new horrors 
  and hedonistic pleasures to heap on Valencourt’s 
  citizens. A prominent bard, Ona Hershel, re-
  cently formed a resistance group to work against 
  the mayor. Unfortunately, she is unaware of his 
  true nature or that her group has already been 
  infiltrated by the monstrous creatures.
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  Lands
  The island of the Colonies consists of dense 
  overgrowth and heavy forests. Very few attempts 
  to explore the impenetrable internal regions 
  of the island have been attempted, with most 
  towns and cities remaining on the island’s coast. 
  Although, hunting does occur here; fishing is the 
  main source of sustenance for the populace with 
  trade being second greatest avenue.
  The Beaumont 
  Statues
  It is unknown who erected these statues 
  or when these statues were erected, but their 
  existence predates any known inhabitants of the 
  island. Discovered during one of the few expedi-
  tions into the island’s interior, explorer Francis 
  Beaumont came upon the two figures standing 
  in a large unkempt field. They are an intricate, 
  life-sized, and exquisitely rendered likeness of an 
  eternally loving couple.
  The statue itself is a marvel to view––every 
  tiny detail, every fold of fabric, and bulge of vein 
  under skin is delicately and perfectly carved. If 
  it were not for their slightly weathered state, you 
  might expect them to take a breath or turn their 
  eyes to you at any second, even in the bright 
  sunshine.
  The Kardathan 
  Mountains
  This small mountain chain can be seen from 
  all points of the island. For such 
  a small formation, the Kardathan 
  ranges are extremely tall, with steep 
  peaks and sharp outcroppings. Recent deposits 
  of gold, silver, and iron have been discovered 
  in the region which has led to a few brave souls 
  attempting to set up camps and mine for the 
  minerals. None, however, have returned sport-
  ing their wished for wealth. The Kardathan 
  Mountains do have one permanent resident: 
  Dr. Moradein. The good doctor had received a 
  lot of notoriety, a few years back, when he was 
  accused of a series of gruesome child murders in 
  the province of Moorhaven. Only pieces of the 
  corpses were found, but examination indicated 
  a hand skilled in the dismemberment of bodies 
  and an intimate medical knowledge of anatomy. 
  Not enough evidence was found to convict Dr. 
  Moradein, and rumors abound of his friends
  in high position. Regardless, he was ostracized 
  by the community and eventually found his way 
  to the Colonies. The last remnants of his fortune 
  were spent building the small castle on the foot 
  of the Kardathan Mountains.
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  The Heads of the 
  Elder Gods
  One of the strange practices of the Church 
  of the Unspeakable Masses, a religious sect 
  devoted to worship of the Elder Gods, is the 
  creation and coastal placement of thousands of 
  stone monuments depicting the busts of various 
  Elder Gods. The individual looks of each head 
  varies, but for many foreigners the sight of them 
  is frightening. Deformed and tentacled, alien and 
  horrific, these idols line the coast staring off into 
  the Black Seas.
  Telgotha Forest
  Telgotha Forest is a dense mass of oak trees 
  with twisted trunks and gangly roots breaking the 
  topsoil, massive rocks and boulders littered be-
  tween them. Travel through the forests is limited, 
  as becoming lost is far too easily accomplished. 
  Telgotha Forest also goes by another name: the 
  Crying Baby Woods. A young slave woman from 
  foreign lands had escaped her captors and was 
  making a hasty retreat through the forest with 
  her newborn baby. Lost, confused, and within 
  hearing range of the slavers’ hounds, the young 
  woman did her best to silence the crying infant. 
  Upon coming to a small stream, the woman 
  did the unspeakable and drowned the baby in 
  the stream, preventing it from giving away their 
  location.
  The slavers never did find the young woman, 
  but they did discover the infant’s body. Legend 
  says that the cries of the child can still be heard 
  during the night; the wails becoming so horrific, 
  many travelers have lost all hope upon hear-
  ing them, ending their own lives to silence the 
  eternal screams.
  Lake Pethegas
  When the bhriota first encountered the lake, 
  they called it “Thu’ktulu,” meaning “evil.” 
  Within the swampy lake, bogs gurgle with red-
  dish water that the bhriota saw as the flesh and 
  blood of their ancestors. Small streams around 
  the Lake Pethegas occasionally turn red also, 
  giving the appearance of flowing blood. At night, 
  glowing swamp gas dance on the surface of the 
  lake, and decaying stumps glow from phospho-
  rescent mold. A deep moaning can often be 
  heard throughout the area, and other sounds 
  seem strangely muted.
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  Important 
  NPCs
  The Colonies is rife with personalities both 
  good and evil, noble and foul. Below are just 
  some of the NPCs that influence affairs in the 
  region.
  Baron Stroan 
  Hellheimer (Skalan)
   Baron Hellheimer (NG male vindari 
  aristrocrat 9) appears as a handsome, middle-
  aged man, his short cropped hair and goatee 
  only lightly tinged with grey. His family originally 
  fled to Skalan to escape the onslaught of the Old 
  Ones. As nobles, they quickly threw themselves 
  into Skalan politics, spearheading a rising vindari 
  coalition. With access to wealth and influence 
  on the mainland, they asserted their position by 
  assisting in destroying the fleet of the Crimson 
  Wave pirates. Many of the original romni inhab-
  itants feared the vindari influence but so far the 
  Hellheimers have balanced the overzealous quali-
  ties of the One True God and the many other re-
  ligions flourishing in the streets of 
  Skalan. Baron Hellheimer is 
  a deft politician that so far 
  has remained above the 
  usual corrupt politics 
  that often plague the 
  city. His main goal 
  is the continuing 
  protection of Skalan 
  both from foreign 
  invaders and the 
  scourge 
  of the Old 
  Ones. To this 
  end, he has created a number of small, special-
  ized forces to aid in the city’s defense. Some of 
  these forces regularly patrol the waters around 
  Skalan, rooting out bands of pirates while others 
  protect the streets, destroying threats that are 
  beyond the abilities of the city guard to handle. 
  The baron realizes that numerous thieves and 
  smugglers regularly break the laws so he walks a 
  thin line, stopping the worse elements but forego-
  ing all-out war. He keeps his enemies at each 
  other’s throats, knowing that if he were to be too 
  heavy handed they would rise against him and 
  the city would burn as a result. 
   
  Baron Hellheimer often seeks out ad-
  venturers to take on various dangerous tasks and 
  rewards them well. He can be a staunch ally to 
  those that show him loyalty and promote Skalan’s 
  interests. Currently, he is dealing with ramifica-
  tions of the small churches appearing in the city 
  belonging to the Church of the Unspeakable 
  Masses. While he openly welcomes all religions, 
  he has a natural distrust of those who meddle 
  with ancient powers.
  Balthazul Nefarion 
  (Reifswald)
  The enigmatic leader of theChurch of 
  Unspeakable Masses, Balthazul Nefarion (LE 
  male romni bard 10) wears a short beard with his 
  moustache curled upward and glossy black hair 
  tinged with grey. He oversees the entire operation 
  of the church, from recruitment to the missions 
  they perform. Speaking in a thick, husky tone, his 
  natural charisma instills obedience in his follow-
  ers, aided by his bardic abilities and spells. He 
  teaches his followers that the Elder Gods are the 
  true masters of Vathak and that they must purge 
  the land of the influence of the One True God 
  and the cults of the Old Ones. He realizes that 
  direct confrontation is impossible at 
  this point so he operates a secret war, 
  undermining the influences of other 
  religions while collecting magical 
  Hellheimer
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  tomes and other items 
  of power. Balthazul 
  is not above using 
  adventurers and 
  others to further 
  the goals of 
  the church, 
  especially when 
  he wishes to 
  conduct missions 
  that he does not 
  want traced back 
  to him. Addition-
  ally, he finds it useful to 
  have people to undertake 
  particularly dangerous missions without risking 
  himself or valuable church resources.
   
  Secretly, Balthazul is a puppet being 
  manipulated by alien Mi-Go who harvest the 
  knowledge and memories of upper-ranking 
  members, including Balthazul. Whether this is 
  just natural Mi-Go curiosity or something more 
  sinister, no one has discovered yet. However, 
  Balthazul fervently believes in what he preaches 
  and that he is a herald of the Elder Beings.
  Lord Mayor   
  Hamon Le Strange 
  (Hunstanvania)
  Hamon Le Strange (N male vindari aris-
  tocrat 4), is  in his middle years, though a hard 
  life of debauched luxury makes him appear 
  much older. The son of Heinrich Le Strange 
  who made Hunstanvania the place it is today, 
  he has lived his entire life off of the fruits of 
  his father’s labors. Possessing no particular 
  talents and lacking ambition, he content-
  edly hosts wild parties at his manor house for 
  many of the displaced vindari nobility. This has 
  allowed him to cultivate an extensive network of 
  acquaintances, allies, and contacts 
  which he eagerly exploits to his 
  advantage. Many of the choicest 
  bits of gossip and rumors about the 
  Colonies reaches his ears, making him a wealth 
  of information regarding all facets of life in the 
  Colonies, whether it is who is bedding who, who 
  is plotting to poison their enemies, or when a 
  certain ship containing illicit cargo will arrive. 
  Many pay for this information and his parties, for 
  all their decadence, serve as an excellent place 
  to gather information about current happen-
  ings. Somewhat jaded now, Hamon frequently 
  demands favors or sets tasks to those seeking to 
  querying him for information over money.
  Vance Krynvult 
  (Tiadore)
  Once a minor noble from the mainland, 
  Vance Krynvult (LE male werewolf/vindari 
  ranger 14) lived in southern Grigoria. Learning 
  to fight at a young age, Vance battled against 
  incursions of the Spawns of the Old Ones, 
  bhriota raiding parties, and other horrors that 
  plague Vathak. After an ill-fated encounter with 
  a pack of werewolves, the infected Vance was 
  forced to give up his title and lands and escaped 
  to the Colonies were he settled in Tiadore. Once 
  he realized that there were others like him there, 
  he formed them into his own pack. He bears a 
  particular grudge against the romni, a natural 
  prejudice of his furthered 
  by a personal tragedy 
  in his past, and 
  hunts them mer-
  cilessly.
   
  A broad 
  shouldered, 
  intimidating 
  man with 
  long, thick 
  hair and a 
  scruffy beard, 
  Vance acts the typ-
  ical noble gentleman 
  to outsiders and the other 
  residents of Tiadore. Only in his wolf 
  form does he unleash his animal fury 
  Balthazul
  Le Strange
  
  20
  20
  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  and his hunts draw the ire of 
  many of the nearby were-
  wolf packs who caution 
  more restraint. As an 
  inflicted werewolf, 
  Vance realizes he 
  will never get true 
  respect from the 
  pureblood were-
  wolves but so far 
  has thwarted their 
  attempts to topple 
  him from power. 
  The other werewolf 
  packs seek a group strong 
  enough to dispose of Vance 
  before his activities start an island 
  wide werewolf panic.
  Ivar von Houlsmann    
  (Halsburg)
  Ivar von Houlsmann (NE male vampire 
  alchemist 12) performs his experiments from a small 
  stone keep in the heart of necromantic Halsburg. 
  An emaciated, bald vampire, Ivar is obsessed 
  with the next evolution of vampires. 
  Having witnessed his own master 
  destroyed by a Spawn of the 
  Old Ones, Ivar believes that 
  for vampires to defeat the 
  Old Ones and reconquer 
  Vathak, they must evolve. 
  An outcast even amongst 
  other vampires, Ivar collects 
  necromancers, alchemists, 
  and others wishing to explore 
  dark and often immoral 
  experiments. He hides his true 
  identity as a vampire, assuming 
  the title “lord” and claiming to be 
  descended from an ancient and extinct 
  vindari noble family. So far, he has only 
  succeeded in creating the weak and 
  degenerate vamplings which he then 
  set loose on the island.
  Ivar toils away in his foul lab, using alchemy 
  to engage in vampire eugenics. Still, he is sought 
  out for his vast knowledge in combining reagents, 
  alembics, elixirs, and other tools to advance 
  the sciences of life, death, and reanimation. He 
  employs agents to search out the rare materials 
  many of his experiments need, using proxies to 
  shield himself from unnecessary questions.
  Vayden Delois 
  (Dallowich)
  Vayden Delois (LG male dhampir monk 8), 
  an austere, gaunt dhamphir with long, braided 
  hair, leads a small pseudo-monastery from the 
  hamlet of Dallowich. Raised in a bloody and 
  vicious vampire clan, Vayden turned against his 
  family after they murdered his sister as part of 
  a blood sacrifice. Abhorring his need for blood, 
  Vayden set about a path of self-meditation and 
  discipline to control what he felt where unnatu-
  ral urges. His story eventually circulated its way 
  around the various vampire clans living in the 
  Colonies and while most ignored it, a few, mostly 
  dhamphir that had been cast aside, showed 
  interest. Eventually, prospective disciples 
  flocked to Vayden’s remote home near 
  the forested interior of Skalan and 
  a quasi-sort of monastery and 
  village arose.
   
  Vayden teaches 
  dhamphir and a few true 
  vampires, as well, how to 
  embrace their human side 
  through a series of rigorous 
  physical exercises and medi-
  tations designed to purge the 
  desire for human blood. He 
  encourages his disciples to come 
  and go as they wish, realizing that 
  the path he proposes goes against 
  their basic instincts. In his heart, he still 
  grieves for his lost sister and loathes 
  the bloodthirsty monsters that took 
  her, harboring resentment to this 
  day against vampires. Because his 
  Krynvult
  Ivar
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  disciples come from diverse backgrounds, he pos-
  sesses information regarding the various vampire 
  clans in the Colonies and their doings.
  Ten Knife King 
  (Tomaini)
  Responsible for a string of murders all over 
  Vathak, the vile serial killer known as the Ten 
  Knife King is the eidolon of a stunted, twisted 
  female cambion, Termine Hurgle (CE female 
  cambion summoner 11). Born into a life of abuse 
  like most cambions, Termine’s life consisted sole-
  ly of hard labor and physical and mental abuse. 
  One day, the teenaged Termine (a name given 
  to her by a kindly cleric who took her in and she 
  later murdered) heard a whispering in her head, 
  offering her a dark power to take vengeance on 
  those that caused her so much suffering. Thus, 
  the Ten Knife King was born- a tall, thin, steel 
  colored being with a crown of rusty daggers, 
  a cape of broken, bloody blades, and knives 
  instead of fingers.
  Termine desperately wants to fit in and find a 
  family, however she is a cruel, capricious, and jealous 
  creature. She becomes possessive of those around 
  her and when she feels betrayed by them, 
  the Ten Knife King appears to wreak 
  her vengeance. Despite the reputa-
  tion the King has, so far, no one 
  has suspected Termine. First, 
  she is a cambion and therefore 
  below most people’s notice. 
  Second, she goes to great 
  lengths to hide her magi-
  cal ability, often taking jobs 
  doing physical labor. She has 
  recently arrived in Tomaini, 
  a small town that is home to 
  a number of outcasts including 
  other cambions. Termine thought 
  she would find the home she desired 
  here, but already, there have been an 
  increasing number of instances where 
  she has felt slighted, cheated, ignored, 
  and mocked and so the Ten Knife 
  King is once again on the loose.
  Suggested evolutions for the Ten Knife King: 
  claws, frightful presence, rend.
  Heinrich      
  Bloodmoon      
  (Telgotha Forest)
  Heinrich Bloodmoon (N male natural 
  werewolf oracle [nature] 9) leads one of the 
  Colonies largest and most powerful werewolf 
  packs, the Bloodmoons. While natural were-
  wolves tend towards more evil alignments, in no 
  small part due to once being the servants of the 
  Vampire Lords who used them to sow terror and 
  murder, Heinrich believes in a different destiny. 
  To him, werewolves are natural creatures and 
  like wolves, they should behave as such- hunting 
  when hungry and not out of a desire to com-
  mit acts of cruelty and murder. Not a friend to 
  nonlycanthropes by any means, he never the less 
  encourages restraint when it comes to killing 
  sentient creatures for food.
  A very cautious leader, Heinrich often liaises 
  with other werewolf packs, attempting to impose 
  his beliefs on them. He realizes that 
  people fear werewolves, and rightly 
  so, but as werewolves are fewer 
  in numbers, they are vulner-
  able. His ideology has rubbed 
  some of the werewolf packs 
  the wrong way, particularly 
  his nemesis, Vance Kryn-
  vult of Tiadore. Lately, 
  Heinrich has become 
  increasing worried about 
  the Church of Unspeakable 
  Masses. Their talk of the 
  unnatural Elder Gods and the 
  hideous statues they build oppose 
  his own world view. He has sent a 
  number of werewolves undercover 
  as spies to find out more about the 
  church.
  Bloodmoon
  
  22
  22
  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  Organizations
  Detailed below are new organizations to 
  supplement the material already detailed in the 
  Shadows over Vathak Campaign Guide.
  Vampire Clans of 
  the Colonies
  The Vampire Lords long ruled over Vathak 
  and only the arrival of the vindari with their 
  clerical magic and superior weaponry were able 
  to break their unholy hold over the land. Dur-
  ing the vindari conquest, many of the Vampire 
  Lords fled deep into the Filth Reaches to brood 
  and plan their reconquest over Vathak. How-
  ever, they could not have expected the sudden 
  awakening of the Old Ones and the spawn that 
  suddenly poured out from deep below the earth. 
  This savage assault destroyed most of the Vam-
  pire Lords and sent the survivors fleeing to other 
  parts of Vathak.
  The vampires’ numbers greatly reduced, 
  many of the clans relocated to the Colonies, 
  a place so far untouched by the merciless Old 
  Ones and their ilk. Many settled in the city of 
  Skalan to blend in with the teeming hordes of 
  humanity. There, they eke an existence that pales 
  to their once glorious reign. Most of the vam-
  pires conduct their feeding on nearby farms or 
  upon the refuse and homeless of Skalan so as to 
  not arouse suspicion. However, even they cannot 
  truly go unnoticed.
  The vampire clans that remain have varying 
  views as to their current state. The proudest of 
  the clans still seek a return to power. Haughty 
  and noble, they believe they are the true masters 
  of Vathak, their feedings becom-
  ing more brazen as the years pass. 
  They enmesh themselves in Skalan’s 
  aristocracy in an effort to regain some of the 
  power and influence they once wielded. These 
  clans rule from the shadows through proxies, 
  maintaining a veneer of civility over their true, 
  bloodthirsty nature. Other clans, however, believe 
  that to survive they must hide themselves. A large 
  number of dhamphir are born into these clans 
  as the vampires attempt coexistence with the 
  humans. Still, there is no love lost and given the 
  chance, any vampire will happily drink the blood 
  from a stranger if he or she can get away with it.
  All vampire clans keep a distance from the 
  werewolf packs that have also moved into the 
  Colonies, ceding to them the forested depths of 
  the island’s interior. Clashes between the two 
  groups often arise when they meet. The vampires 
  see themselves as the masters of the werewolves, 
  which the werewolves gladly contest, and any 
  such werewolf that does not believe that is an 
  insult to vampire pride.
  Some of the names of the vampire clans are: 
  Baasch, Dieter, Feldt, Gehring, Jager, Raskoph, 
  Wegener
  Note that to hide their identities, the vampire 
  clans dropped the “von” in front of their names 
  which indicated a member of nobility. Vampires 
  only add the “von” when dealing with other 
  vampires.
  Werewolf Packs of 
  the Colonies
  With the vindari conquest and the rising of 
  the Old Ones, the werewolves of Vathak finally 
  threw off the yoke of slavery under the Vampire 
  Lords. Long used as servants by the vampires, 
  the werewolves fled to various parts of Vathak 
  after the destruction of their masters. A large 
  number settled on the Colonies, 
  quickly claiming the untamed forests 
  and rugged mountains of the island’s 
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  interior. They prowl and slink amongst the trees 
  and stones, always hunting and making traveling 
  through these areas a dangerous endeavor.
  Organized into packs, the largest being the 
  Bloodmoons, the werewolves of Vathak range 
  throughout the island’s interior, occasionally raid-
  ing small farmsteads near the coastal areas. The 
  presence of their former masters, the vampires, 
  in the densely populated cities, helps keep them 
  in check, with the exception of Tiadore. Natural 
  born lycanthropes make up a majority of the 
  werewolf population as most of the packs wish to 
  keep the bloodlines pure. Afflicted lycanthropes 
  exist, either granted their condition as a gift, or 
  usually as survivors of a werewolf attack. The 
  afflicted struggle to find acceptance amongst the 
  purebreds- treated as inferior and occupying the 
  lowest stations in a werewolf pack’s hierarchy. 
  Often, the tales of rampaging werewolves told 
  around the hearthside are in reality afflicted 
  werewolves unable to find a pack to join and suc-
  cumbing to their own violent natures.
  The werewolves meet twice a year on the 
  Summer and Winter Solstices on neutral ground. 
  Hunting grounds are decided and issues threat-
  ening all packs discussed. Currently, Heinrich 
  Bloodmoon presses the werewolf packs to 
  curtail their more murderous impulses to avoid 
  unwanted attention from the growing human 
  population. Additionally, he is concerned about 
  the rising prominence of the Church of the 
  Unspeakable Masses and seeks to discover their 
  true goals. Other packs instead urge vengeance 
  against the vampires and dominance over the 
  Colonies. Vance Kyrnvult and his pack of mostly 
  afflicted lycanthropes are amongst the most 
  vocal supporters of continued aggression. He 
  cites his dominance of the town as Tiadore as an 
  example of what the werewolves can accomplish. 
  This angers Heinrich Bloodmoon, causing the 
  two groups almost coming to blows many times 
  over the last few years.
  Most werewolves living in the 
  Colonies use conventional first 
  names but retain their pack names as surnames. 
  Afflicted lycanthropes are told to keep their birth 
  names until truly accepted by a pack. Some ex-
  amples of the werewolf packs are- Bloodmoons, 
  Bloodymaws, Darkhunters, Fangrippers, Moon-
  stalkers, Nightclaws, and Shadoweyes.
  The Church of  
  Unspeakable Masses
  Residing within the Colonies and openly act-
  ing as an accepted religion, this strange gather-
  ing of worshipers has led many in Vathak to 
  question the motives behind this organization. 
  Beyond some of the strange practices displayed 
  by the church (the creation and placement of 
  thousands of alien statues), the followers speak 
  little to outsiders. The most common question of 
  their secretive doctrines brings about a reply that 
  speaks of the church being an intellectual collec-
  tive for the evolved members, and fanatical talk 
  of becoming the “strength and the energy” of a 
  quickly approaching “new age”.      
  Regardless of race or political affiliation, the 
  members of the unspeakable masses are not in-
  terested in what they consider a “petty turf war” 
  of antiquated traditions against the Church of 
  the One True God and the followers of the Old 
  Ones, although both these groups consider the 
  belief in the Elder Gods to be an attack against 
  their beliefs. The truth is the Church of the Un-
  speakable Masses believes the Elder Gods to be 
  the true rulers of Vathak and the enemies of the 
  Old Ones and the One True God. They secretly 
  plot against the other religions, causing discord 
  amongst their followers, and manipulating them 
  with strange magics learned from the messengers 
  from beyond the stars.
  The cult prizes obedience and 
  loyalty in members, allies, and subor-
  dinates. The litany “the Elder Gods 
  are father, we are their children” 
  
  24
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  punctuates every rite and prayer. Cult members 
  take what they can when they can, but they are 
  careful about violating local laws and risking 
  exposure and bad publicity for the church. Mem-
  bers are extremely secretive and willing to lie, but 
  if forced to swear a pact, they keep their word. 
  Working covertly behind a mask of good works, 
  the cult uses any means to discredit and destroy 
  enemies; it is merciless in punishing failure and 
  pitiless when harm comes to those in the way of 
  its goals.
  The Church of the Unspeakable Masses 
  has its public center in Reifswald, a city in the 
  Colonies, where all wait on the promises of the 
  Elder Gods. However, the true headquarters 
  of the church is the labyrinthine underground 
  fortress deep below the main structure. Here 
  willing supplicants and unfortunate captives alike 
  submit to a soulcrushing indoctrination that strip 
  members of independent thought and identity, 
  making them one with the will of the Mi-Go, 
  though exceptional individuals become subtler 
  instruments for removing obstacles to the Church 
  of the Unspeakable Masses’ divine design.
  The Many Masks
  While the dank, fog shrouded streets of Ska-
  lan cloak many notorious thieves’ guilds, none is 
  more mysterious than the organization known 
  as the Many Masks. The Many Mask rogue ar-
  chetype is presented in the Player’s Guide for the 
  Colonies- a rogue specializing in hiding her true 
  identity to don new ones to reach her objective, 
  whether it is assassination, infiltration, or spying. 
  These rogues operate out of Skalan, organized 
  into cells specializing in one particular activity 
  such as assassinations or infiltrations, though 
  some members operate solo or in pairs. The 
  Many Masks organizational hierarchy is difficult 
  to determine as members keep their true identi-
  ties secret from one another. The identities they 
  do adopt change so rapidly that it is 
  nearly impossible for rival guilds to 
  keep track of any possible leaders. 
  The Many Masks operate out of Vathak’s 
  larger cities as well, though the cells are much 
  smaller. The Church of Unspeakable Masses fre-
  quently makes use of the Many Masks to secretly 
  sabotage members of rival religions. Some Many 
  Masks fear that these members have become 
  corrupted by the church and a schism is slowing 
  growing within the guild between the church’s 
  ideology and their’s. It is believed that the Many 
  Masks originally came to Skalan from far over-
  seas where they worshipped a strange god with 
  many heads and limbs. Whether their purpose is 
  derived from worship of this mysterious god or 
  the accumulation of wealth is so far unknown.
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  Life in the 
  Colonies
  The People
  No other place in Vathak experiences such a 
  mixture of different beliefs, races, and ethnici-
  ties living side by side like the Colonies. Here, 
  churches of the One True God compete with 
  the Church of the Unspeakable Masses for 
  worshippers while bhriota, romni, and vindari 
  engage in trade with one another. Dozens of 
  different languages are spoken daily over dozens 
  of uniquely prepared meals. Ships 
  from all over the world continue to 
  import new sights and wonders into 
  the Colonies.
   
  Still, even with so many cultures living 
  together, those that live in the Colonies tend to 
  share traits formed from life on the island. Com-
  prised of former and current refugees, the people 
  of the Colonies show great resiliency in times 
  of stress as life here can be as dangerous as the 
  horrors they fled. When trouble arises, the people 
  of the Colonies know they must band together 
  to defeat it. This attitude leads to another trait 
  of their’s- an acceptance of different beliefs and 
  ways of life. In general, the populace of the Col-
  onies resists those elements which impose upon 
  a person’s system of beliefs. They remain more 
  open and tolerant of the new cultures that con-
  stantly disembark on the island’s shores. Sadly, 
  however, amongst certain circles of vindari, this 
  noble trait is gradually eroding as old prejudices 
  and vindari pride reassert itself.
   
  Most of the population 
  engages in some form of fishing or 
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  sea trade, especially in Skalan where ships from 
  all over the world come and go daily. Reifswald, 
  in particular, owns a large fishing fleet. Others 
  engage in supporting the sea trade industry- op-
  erating warehouses and shops as well as run-
  ning taverns, inns, brothels, and other forms of 
  entertainment for the deluge of sailors. The few 
  that live of the land tend relatively small farms. 
  Logging is nearly unheard as most who attempt it 
  ultimately disappear.
   
  People born in the Colonies or have 
  lived there for enough time wear loose fitting 
  pants with billowing shirts and blouses of bright 
  colors. Nearly everyone wears some form of 
  silver jewelry and carries a silver coin out of 
  superstition. Both sexes tie back their long hair 
  with ribbon for the poor and intricately curly 
  hair nets for the rich. Vindari men keep their 
  austere beards and goatees closely cropped while 
  the romni adorn their’s with beads and other 
  small baubles. Generally, newly arrived foreign-
  ers adapt to the style of dress within a generation 
  or two to help them fit in better. 
   
  There is a frequent superstition in Ska-
  lan to avoid individuals wearing out of fashion 
  and older styles of dress, fearing that they are 
  vampires because of a false belief that these 
  immortal creatures are slower to adapt to the 
  changing world. Typically, these individuals are 
  from other parts of Vathak or the more remote 
  villages along the coast who cannot keep up 
  with the constantly changing fashion trends of 
  Skalan’s elite.
  Holidays, 
  Festivals, and 
  Traditions
  Though many in the Colonies still cling 
  to their ethnic identities and roots, a number 
  of new holidays, festivals, and traditions have 
  sprung up on the island, celebrated by all.
  St. Barnabus Day 
  The end of August sees the festival mockingly 
  called St. Barnabus Day in celebration of the 
  defeat of a vindari fleet led by Barnabus Thalvy. 
  Storytelling contests about the battle start around 
  noon and then culminate in a reenactment of 
  the battle in the evening. Larger settlements like 
  Skalan boast multiple reenactments staged by 
  different and highly competitive performance 
  groups. Prizes, contracts, and other honors go to 
  the victors of these retellings. Another popular 
  feature is the creating and donning of the Barna-
  bus Mask. Families work together in crafting a 
  fearsome mask to depict Barnabus which is then 
  worn by the head of the family. The children 
  chase “Barnabus,” pelting him with small stones 
  in exchange for candies and gifts.
  Festival of the   
  Spirit Lights
   
  The original romni inhabitants created 
  this day long festival to ward off the evil spirits 
  they believed lived in the island’s interior. Cel-
  ebrated in the beginning of Noiemb-
  rie when the long nights arrive, par-
  ticipants burn incense believed to be 
  noxious to evil creatures while they 
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  craft monstrous looking fetishes to scare the evil 
  spirits away until the days start becoming longer 
  again. Many of the romni living on the Colonies 
  still practice this tradition and with the rise of 
  dark things within the island’s interior it has been 
  picked up by many other racial groups as well. 
  The vindari nobles of Hunstanvania make light 
  of the festival, instead donning fiendish looking 
  costumes while engaging in debauched acts. Both 
  the vampire clans and werewolf packs scoff at 
  the notion of a festival to repel evil, engaging in 
  particularly vicious hunts during the moonlight 
  hours.
  Szal’dishor          
  the Bounty Ritual of  
  Reifswald
  The Church of the Unspeakable Masses 
  conducts a monthly ritual in Reifswald to gain 
  the sea’s blessing for a bountiful harvest of fish. 
  Participants drape themselves in nothing but 
  seaweed as the procession winds along the beach. 
  A senior church member recites a complex litany 
  in the supposed mother tongue of the Elder 
  Gods, invoking the sea to bless Reifswald with 
  an abundance of fish in the coming month. This 
  ritual appears to be working so well that the local 
  Fishing Guild actively (and occasionally, force-
  fully) encourages membership into the Church 
  of the Unspeakable Masses. In reality, the ritual 
  is a farce perpetuated by the Mi-Go who secretly 
  send women to mate with a colony of Deep 
  Ones. The Deep Ones in return drive fish into 
  Reifswald’s waters. They are traditional enemies 
  of the skum living in Lake Pelthagas who serve 
  different masters. The Mi-Go benefit from 
  increased membership into the church and thus 
  more members for their experiments.
  The Full Moon 
  Hunt
  The monthly full moon holds 
  special significance for the were-
  wolves of the Colonies. They believe it endows 
  them with extra strength as evidenced by the 
  fact that it causes the afflicted to transform. The 
  light of the full moon fills the werewolves with 
  a primal yearning for blood and flesh, making 
  them particularly aggressive. On the night of the 
  full moon, all Diplomacy and Intimidate checks 
  against werewolves are made with a -4 circum-
  stance modifier. Occassionally, the Bloodmoon 
  pack hunts down overly aggressive and violent 
  afflicted lycanthropes in their efforts to change 
  werewolf society. In Tiadore, home to many af-
  flicted werewolves, the citizens lock and bar their 
  doors from sundown to sun up. Travelers know 
  to congregate in larger groups, burning a giant 
  fire through the night. The brave few who make 
  a living hunting werewolves prepare themselves 
  for a busy night.
  “Come as your are”
  In the Colonies, where fear of dark forces 
  hidden in human form is justifiably rampant, it 
  is common courtesy when chancing upon other 
  travelers at night to utter the phrase, “Come as 
  you are” especially when they ask to share one’s 
  campfire. It is believed that the words hold power 
  to cause an individual to reveal its true form 
  such. The belief continues to spread, in no small 
  part to the more violent werewolves who will-
  ingly oblige the utterer of the phrase.
  Widow Walks
  Over the many years, a unique architectural 
  design appeared on many of the large houses 
  in the Colonies. Omniously dubbed “widow 
  walks,” these small open porches sit atop homes 
  overlooking the seas. Created by the wives of sea 
  captains keeping a look out for their loved ones, 
  the name widow walk derived from the many 
  black clad widows pacing the porches, scanning 
  the horizons for husbands that will never return. 
  Many believe that even after they die, 
  the widows still keep watch, leading to 
  rumors of numerous haunted houses.
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  Adventure 
  Locations
  Though many took refuge on the Colonies 
  to escape the vindari and the Old Ones, it still 
  remains as dangerous as any of the other regions 
  in Vathak. Below are some unique adventure 
  locations that can be fleshed out as you see fit. 
  Players may make a Knowledge (local) check 
  while in the area indicated in the parentheses or 
  a Diplomacy check to gather information about 
  the location. Each location comes with a result 
  for a failed check, a successful check, and further 
  information for the GM to develop the location 
  further. The results of a failed check are learned 
  on a successful check though it works best if 
  you just present the information and let the PCs 
  come up with their own conclusions about which 
  information is correct.
  Lepstenstaler House 
  (Skalan; DC 25)
  A small manor house located in one of the 
  upscale districts in Skalan, the Lepstenstaler 
  House is a famed restaurant known for offering 
  unique cuisines to its guests.
  Failed Check: The Lepstenstaler House 
  boasts a unique culinary experience, offering up 
  dishes cooked from rare creatures, some thought 
  to be extinct. Once a year, they organize a special 
  dinner for 1,000 gp, serving an exceptionally rare 
  and dangerous creature which in the past has 
  featured such wonders as dragon steaks. Its cooks 
  come from many far corners of the world and 
  supposedly are magically forbidden 
  from speaking any of Vathak’s native 
  tongues. Some doubt the veracity 
  of the restaurant’s claims of serving 
  exotic creatures, but despite its steep prices, the 
  nobility eagerly fills its tables. 
  Successful Check: A series of inquiries 
  through what appear to be proxies and dummy 
  shipping businesses leads to a reclusive group 
  of pirate slavers known as the Bloody Chains. 
  Sailing the world, they fill their hull with strange 
  humanoids from far off lands that are sold to 
  the secret vampire owners of the Lepstenstaler 
  House, the Struckers. The Struckers offer their 
  own exclusive dinners to their vampire clientele, 
  feasting on the blood of exotic humanoids from 
  all over the world in the renovated crypts below 
  the manor. The restaurant above is merely a con-
  venient front and something of sick vampire joke. 
  The Struckers delight that the human patrons 
  pay large sums of money to eat heavily seasoned 
  dishes of beef, chicken, and pork.
  Further Information: The Struckers, led 
  by their patriarch Damon Strucker (LE male 
  vampire rogue 9) jealously guard the secret of 
  the Lepstenstaler House. They employ undead 
  guardians to protect the crypts, including a trio 
  of mummies and a flesh golem. Vampire spawn 
  guard a series of prison cells where captured 
  humanoids are fed, fattened, and sometimes even 
  breed. Once a month, the Struckers host their 
  dinners in the dead of night. Guests enter the 
  crypt through a secret entrance in the garden 
  house. Many of Skalan’s elite vampire nobility 
  attend to feast on unique delicacies.
  Red Rose Manor 
  (Hunstanvania; DC 22)
  Rumors abound about Red Rose Manor, one 
  of the Colonies most infamous locations. A large, 
  sprawling manor house located in Hunstanva-
  nia, the numerous owners over its long history 
  mysteriously disappear whenever the red roses 
  in its gardens bloom, giving it the 
  gruesome nickname, “the Bloody 
  Manor.”
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  Failed Check: Many citizens confirm the 
  following fact- built centuries ago over an ancient 
  bhriota burial ground, the original owners 
  engaged in despicable human sacrifice to gain 
  magical power. The souls of those killed inhabit 
  the house, trapped, reliving their torture over 
  and over. Ghostly lights flicker in the windows 
  and the apparitions of its blood drenched victims 
  float through its courtyards. The manor has 
  passed through a number of owners, all who 
  have mysteriously vanished when the red roses 
  bloom in the gardens and the walls weep blood.
  Successful Check: Inquiries lead to a 
  local historian, Erais Altbaum. Erais recently 
  did extensive research on Red Rose Manor for 
  a pair of vindari clerics. He managed to track 
  down previous owners, verifying that they did not 
  “disappear” but instead left quickly and quietly 
  after experiencing strange incidents in the manor. 
  When the red roses in the gardens bloom, the 
  walls do weep a reddish, sappy substance that 
  looks somewhat like blood. There is no evidence 
  collaborating the rumors that the manor is built 
  on any sort of burial grounds. Instead, its first 
  owner, a rich wizard named Renald Houssman 
  cleared a grove of ancient oak trees to build the 
  manor.
  Further Information: Renald Houssman 
  fell in love with a dryad living in the oak grove, a 
  love that proved false. The dryad and her sisters 
  attempted to bewitch Renald into their plaything 
  but failed. In his fury at the betrayal, Renald built 
  the manor house on the grove, using its trees in 
  the construction. With ritual magic, he bound 
  the dryads’ souls to the manor house, creating 
  it into a sentient creature. The magic invoked 
  severely taxed Renald and he died soon after but 
  the manor still remains bound to him. It sees any 
  living creatures that enter the house as intrud-
  ers and reacts to expel them. The souls of the 
  enslaved dryads manifest, causing the red roses 
  to bloom and sap to ooze from the 
  walls built from their trees. Only if 
  their spirits are freed can the house 
  truly be put to rest. Recently, a pair 
  of vindari clerics attempted this feat but have not 
  been heard of in weeks. Whether they fled like so 
  many others or have become imprisoned in the 
  house remains a mystery.
  Underwater Caves 
  of Lake Pelthagas 
  (Germalboria; DC 20)
  Strange sights and sounds drift about the for-
  bidding, swampy Lake Pelthagas. Few venture to 
  this area, known as “Thu’ktulu,” meaning “evil,” 
  in the bhriota tongue. Its waters flow a reddish 
  color, adding to its dark reputation.
  Failed Check: Local legends claim the souls 
  of those who wandered into the swampy lake 
  and died are forever trapped below its surface, 
  appearing as lights to lead others to their doom. 
  The blood of these victims turns the waters red, 
  cursing the lake. Other strange beings lurk about 
  the haunted shores.
  Successful Check: Recently, a local druid 
  named Drina Lapaz (N female romni druid 5) 
  with a natural affinity for swamps dared the lake, 
  despite its fell reputation. The reddish water is 
  due to the large amount of algae in the lake and 
  the lights are nothing more than swamp gas. She 
  discovered some strange, large fishlike scales that 
  she cannot attribute to any creature she knows of. 
  Perhaps a large creature dwells in the lake.
  Further Information: A small tribe of 
  skum inhabits a series of caverns along the lake’s 
  northern shore. Servants of the Old Ones in 
  Vathak’s proto history, the ageless creatures spent 
  millennia in a deep slumber. The awakening 
  of the Old Ones revived the tribe, now greatly 
  reduced in number, from their sleep. The scale 
  Drina found belongs to a skum sent to 
  out to explore. It is only a matter of 
  time before the skum become a threat 
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  to nearby settlements, raiding to capture wives 
  and sacrifices for their dark masters on altars 
  carved from strange, alien stone.
  The Silver Tower 
  (Anywhere in the Colonies; 
  DC 30)
  Deep in the Telgotha Forest rests a single, 
  slender tower constructed from a reflective silvery 
  metal. No apparent doors or windows mar its 
  seamless surface and no vegetation grapples it 
  in a green embrace. The dense forest crowds 
  the tower, hiding it from casual view. Many who 
  dwell in the forest are unaware of its existence. 
  The werewolves fear the tower, its silver surface 
  an anathema to them. 
   Failed Check: The Silver Tower features in 
  a few local stories. Some believe that it contains 
  a great treasure while others that it is a prison for 
  a monster. A woman spins the story of how she 
  found the tower and a group of feylike beings 
  brought her inside. They made her their queen 
  but she had to remain inside the tower, its inte-
  rior shrouded in neverending twilight. One day, 
  she wished to see the outside and snuck out but 
  when she went to return, she could not find the 
  entrance again.
  Successful Check: There is an old man, 
  largely regarded as crazy, who claims that he 
  visited the Silver Tower 200 years ago. His family 
  lived in a farm near the Telgotha Forest’s bor-
  ders and one day while out collecting wood, he 
  became lost. He believes he wandered for days 
  before he came upon the tower. At his touch, a 
  portal magically slide open and he entered into 
  an interior much larger than what would be ex-
  pected. Everything inside seemed to be fashioned 
  from the same silvery material. He does not 
  remember much except that he spent days inside 
  of the tower before finding his way 
  out. When he finally did, he discov-
  ered to his horror that the world had 
  changed around him and 150 years had gone by. 
  Further Information: The Great Race of 
  Yith built the tower long ago on Vathak before 
  recorded history as a research station. The tower 
  is a prototype device to assist the Yithians in 
  harnessing their psychic power to transfer their 
  minds across millennia. Residue of their im-
  mense psychic energy still lingers, causing those 
  who enter the tower to experience erratic shifts 
  in time, either forward or backwards days, weeks, 
  months, or even years. Its interior utilizes real-
  ity distorting technology to make it larger than 
  could be possible from its outside appearance. 
  Age and neglect ruined most of the equipment 
  inside, though some of it still works, drawing 
  alien creatures from other times and dimensions 
  into the tower.
  The Muders in                  
  Tomaini            
  (Tomaini; DC 25)
  Failed Check: While a few rumors swirl 
  around about a string of grisly killings happen-
  ing in Tomaini, city officials deny them. Tomaini 
  attracts certain vagabonds by nature and it is not 
  uncommon for people to suddenly leave town. If 
  such a thing were occurring, certainly someone 
  as powerful Baron Talandrel Tomaini would do 
  something about it.
  Successful Check: Talking with city of-
  ficials only leads to dead ends but a series of 
  inquiries with those spreading the rumors in 
  Tomaini lead to an alcoholic vindari cleric, 
  Thademus Bract. Thademus claims he travelled 
  with a troupe of performers, the Golden Travel-
  ers of Wonder, as a spiritual advisor, though he 
  was really as much as an outcast as them for his 
  drinking and philandering ways. In the Colonies, 
  and particularly Tomaini, Thademus 
  says the troupe found great success, 
  performing for nobles in both Skalan 
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  and Hunstanvania. When the first performer 
  disappeared, no one thought too much about it 
  as old Klaus, the “Lion Claw,” had been talking 
  about retiring for years. But then there was a 
  second and a third unexplained disappearance. 
  The troupe found the body of the fourth person, 
  Yolantra Songbow, mutilated almost beyond 
  recognition, having been stabbed multiple times. 
  The troupe’s leader, Petra Golden, refused to 
  go to the authorities with the murder, even after 
  the fifth and sixth bodies were found. She feared 
  if word got out, people would stop coming to 
  see their shows. After that, Thademus left the 
  Golden Travelers of Wonder, fearing his own life 
  was in danger.
  Further Information: Thademus is 
  known as a drunkard, who only discusses what 
  he has seen when in his cups. Unable to function 
  normally, Thademus is bound to the brothels 
  and taverns of Tomaini, always looking over 
  his shoulder. What he says is true, however. A 
  few months before arriving in the Colonies, the 
  troupe picked up a wretched cambion named 
  Termine Hurgle to do laundry and other menial 
  tasks. Termine quickly bonded with the troupe 
  but she is a jealous creature, quickly interpret-
  ing any slight as utter rejection. When in a rage, 
  her eidolon, the notorious being known as the 
  Ten Knife King, enacts gruesome vengeance on 
  her behalf. So far, no one in the troupe know 
  is behind the killings or even suspects the lowly 
  Termine being capable of such power and 
  wickedness. Petra Golden, the troupe leader, does 
  her best to try and cover the disappearances and 
  murders, bullying and intimidating the other 
  performers into staying quiet while she tries to 
  identify the murderer. Tensions are beginning 
  to mount within the troupe and Petra, herself, is 
  slowly becoming unhinged by the recent events. 
  Meanwhile, Termine goes about her business as 
  usual, killing those she feels have betrayed her 
  friendship.
  
  32
  32
  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  Adventuring          
  in the     
  Colonies
  The Colonies is a unique region amongst 
  the six that compose Vathak in that it has yet to 
  be ravaged by the awakening of the Old Ones. 
  Instead, it acts as a refuge from those fleeing 
  the destruction occurring on the mainland. The 
  Colonies, therefore, serves as a stepping stone re-
  gion for players and GMs alike to transition from 
  traditional romantic gothic horror to the more 
  prevalent cosmic and survival horror affecting 
  the mainland. In the Colonies, classic monsters 
  like vampires and werewolves are the main threat 
  with the emerging dominance of the Church of 
  the Unspeakable Masses standing in for the ele-
  ments of cosmic horror.
  The Shadows over Vathak Campaign Guide 
  contains an adventure generator to assist GMs 
  with crafting suitable adventures that fit the 
  various horror themes of Vathak. Listed below 
  are some other broad ideas based on the central 
  conflicts within the region.
  Gothic Horror
  The Colonies lends itself well for adventures 
  based in the gothic horror tradition due to the 
  plethora of vampires, werewolves, and other foul 
  creatures that have sought refuge on the island.
  Various vampire clans live in secrecy throughout 
  the Colonies but congregate in higher numbers 
  in the more populated areas such as Skalan. 
  Their numbers greatly reduced 
  by the Old Ones, the vampires at-
  tempt to hide amongst the general 
  populace. However, the clans have different 
  ideas about how they should live amongst 
  humans with some infiltrating high levels of 
  society to gain power and influence in an ef-
  fort to take control of the island. Urban bases 
  adventures could involve the PCs infiltrating 
  Skalan’s high society while they uncover the 
  truth about the vampires’ plot to take control 
  of the city as well as explorations of the sewers 
  and catacombs below the city streets. 
  The werewolves fled to the Colonies after the 
  Old Ones destroyed their vampire masters, 
  finding suitable hunting grounds within the 
  dreaded Telgotha Forest from which they can 
  attack various settlements. While the natural 
  werewolves live in packs, they leave a number 
  of afflicted lycanthropes in their path. These 
  wayward children find little acceptance with 
  werewolf society. Left to fend for themselves, 
  they engage in murderous sprees before being 
  finally hunted down. Often, these werewolves 
  do not realize what they have become, making 
  identifying them difficult. Adventures in this 
  vein find the PCs often investigating possible 
  cases of werewolf attacks and using their skill 
  to identify the perpetrator. Of course, there 
  are sadists, not all of them human, who mask 
  their activities under the pretense of werewolf 
  activities to throw others off of their scent.
  Foreign ships arrive daily in the massive port 
  city of Skalan, allowing GMs to inject classic 
  horror monsters from other cultures. A cargo 
  ship might carry the sarcophagus of an ancient 
  mummy bound for one of Skalan’s museums 
  or the home of a private collector. Red caps 
  or other murderously mischievous fey arrive 
  in a ship missing its crew. Now loose in the 
  city, they run amok unless someone can find 
  and stop them. A displaced rakshasa finds the 
  decadent nobility to its liking and decides to 
  make its home in Hunstanvania, influencing 
  the elite into greater and greater acts 
  of debauchery.
  
  33
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  Survival Horror
  Though inclined more towards classic horror, 
  the Colonies can still support its fair share of 
  survival horror.
  In a survival horror campaign, the vampires and 
  werewolves have less of an interest in staying 
  hidden or it could be that a new, more aggres-
  sive group, has arrived. Vampires and were-
  wolves make excellent antagonists in a survival 
  horror campaign as their very attacks have the 
  ability to transform others into monsters like 
  them. Witnessing the claw marks on a friend 
  or ally can send your PCs into a panic, forcing 
  them to make tough moral choices. In these 
  adventures, the forces of darkness threaten to 
  overwhelm the smaller settlements. Addition-
  ally, social creatures like the vampires enjoy 
  throwing high profile parties, parties where the 
  “guests” are the main course.
  Pirates and marauders still plague the Colonies. 
  When desperate, they often turn to raiding the 
  coastal towns. In the past, the island staved off 
  an invasion of vindari warships and the dread-
  ed Crimson Wave pirate fleet. Perhaps the 
  souls of these would be conquerors do not rest 
  easy, rising once again as undead to resume 
  their conquest of the Colonies. Skeletons man 
  cannons while zombies shuffle about under the 
  commands of their wight captains.
  In Tomaini, the Ten Knife King stalks the streets. 
  An eidolon made from daggers, this creature 
  slays at the behest of its master, a jealous 
  cambion named Termine Hurgle. A malevo-
  lent and pitiful creature, Termine targets those 
  she feels have slighted her. This scenario can 
  be played as a psychological horror investiga-
  tion where the enemy is revealed at the end or 
  emulate classic slasher horror. In the latter, no 
  matter how many times the PCs defeat the Ten 
  Knife King, he keeps returning 
  day after day to kill until they can 
  discover who is summoning him.
  Cosmic Horror
  Elements of cosmic horror exist within the 
  Colonies.
  The Church of the Unspeakable Masses con-
  tinues to gain in dominance over the zealous 
  fanatism of the vindari’s worship of the One 
  True God. Secretly working to overthrow both 
  the One True God and the Old Ones, the 
  church hides its motives under a mask of civil-
  ity and humanitarism efforts. However, even its 
  senior church members do not realize they are 
  being manipulated by alien Mi-Go scientists. 
  It is unclear what the Mi-Go’s true purpose is 
  and why they instruct the church members to 
  build hideous statues of alien creatures along 
  the coastline. The Mi-Go pose a subtler threat 
  than the rampages of the Old Ones. The 
  PCs will have to investigate the church, slowly 
  peeling the layers away until they find the true 
  masters behind the Mi-Go’s plot. 
  The Old Ones are coming! Just because the 
  Colonies serve as a refuge it does not mean 
  that the Spawns of the Old Ones have turned 
  a blind eye (or thousands of them) towards the 
  Colonies. As a GM, you have many options 
  to set up how the Spawns of the Old Ones 
  begin to appear on the island. Perhaps it is as 
  innocuous as aberrations arriving on a vindari 
  ship or as dramatic as a living island Spawn of 
  the Old Ones begins drifting towards the coast, 
  hundreds of mutant aberrations circling its 
  pulpy, festering flesh.
  
  34
  34
  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  Alternative   
  Vampire 
  Abilities
  Based on numerous folk stories, old wives’ 
  tales, rumors, myths, and legends, many in 
  Vathak believe that all vampires share the same 
  abilities and weaknesses. Garlic, running water, 
  and holy symbols keep vampires at bay, but 
  beware as they can control the creatures of the 
  night such as bats and wolves. Vampires ensorcell 
  victims with their stares to feed on their blood 
  and cannot enter a home unless invited. Scholars, 
  and in particular, vampire hunters, know these 
  common beliefs held about vampires are not 
  always necessarily true.
  Vampires’ powers and weaknesses vary, 
  though members of a clan usually demonstrate 
  similar abilities. Though undead creatures, 
  some of this variance is due to evolution, often 
  perpetuated by the vampires themselves. Give 
  a creature both immortality and magic and 
  anything can happen. Another reason for dif-
  ferences lies within the individual becoming a 
  vampire. It is a common misconception that one 
  only becomes a vampire when bitten by another 
  vampire. Wicked individuals sometimes return 
  to unlife as vampires, whether through a curse or 
  their own evil soul being strongly tethered to the 
  world. These creatures display weaknesses and 
  powers unique to them based on behaviors and 
  events in their previous lives.
  Within the Colonies, numerous clans of 
  vampire live that have come from all different 
  regions in Vathak. No two clans are exactly alike, 
  displaying wide variances in their 
  abilities based on the progenitor 
  of that particular clan. This makes 
  tracking down and destroying these 
  fiends difficult as what harms one vampire may 
  not hurt another.
  Below is listed a number of variants to the 
  standard vampire template found in the Path-
  finder Bestiary. It is designed as a toolkit to allow 
  you to create truly unique vampires, whether it 
  is for a single vampire or to show the differences 
  between various clans. There is no rule for how 
  many weaknesses and powers you can swap out, 
  but the more you do, the more difficult it will be 
  for your players to defeat the creatures. In this 
  case, it is recommended to let your players slowly 
  learn about the unique vampires and research 
  the appropriate methods to defeat them. Addi-
  tionally, it is important to think of the vampires’ 
  personalities when swapping out the various 
  abilities. If the vampires’ demonstrate a weak-
  ness for music instead of running water, then 
  why is that? Use the vampires’ abilities to assist 
  in building their personality, background, and 
  mannerisms.
  Variant Defenses
  DR 10/magic and cold iron: People who 
  become vampires due to a curse from a powerful 
  hag or perhaps as a bargain struck with a ma-
  levolent fey tend to share these creatures vulner-
  ability to cold iron instead of silver.
  DR 10/good aligned and silver; Im-
  mune fire; Resist cold 10: Powerful, evil 
  outsiders that curse individuals with vampirism 
  also impart them with their own potent defenses.
  DR 10/adamantine: Certain curses place 
  a person’s soul into a new body, sometimes new 
  constructed, to live on in undeath much like a 
  golem.
  DefeNsive abilities
  Swarm Shape (Su): When a 
  vampire is reduced to 0 hp, it trans-
  forms into a swarm (bat, centipede, 
  
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  35
  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  or rat, see Pathfinder Bestiary) and attempts to 
  escape. For every 4 HD the vampire possesses, 
  it gains an additional swarm (an 8 HD vampire 
  would transform into two separate swarms, for 
  example). The swarms do not have to be the 
  same creature type and can be attacked. At least 
  one swarm must reach the vampire’s coffin home 
  within 2 hours or the vampire will be utterly 
  destroyed. Once at rest, the vampire is helpless. 
  It regains 1 hit point after 1 hour, then is no 
  longer helpless and resumes healing at the rate of 
  5 hit points per round. This ability replaces the 
  gaseous form portion of the standard vampire’s 
  defensive abilities.
  vampire WeakNesses
  The weaknesses listed below can replace any 
  of the weaknesses listed in the standard vampire 
  template. Choices should be tied into a vampire’s 
  personality and back story, offering a glimpse 
  into the creature’s history and current motiva-
  tions. A weakness that makes a vampire recoil 
  works the same as described for holy symbols and 
  mirrors in the Pathfinder Bestiary.
  -Cannot pass within 30 ft. of certain build-
  ings such as a church, cemetery, house with a 
  prominently displayed holy symbol, or similar 
  building important in the creature’s former life.
  -Recoils at the sight of fire, such as a torch thrust 
  in its direction.
  -Vulnerable to a particular spell or school of 
  magic.
  -Recoils in the presence of a particular animal.
  -Cannot move around during particular hours of 
  the day such as the hour of its original death.
  -Recoils at the sight of people with a particular 
  feature- eye, hair, and/or skin color.
  -Recoils when hearing a particular sound, piece 
  of music, or words spoken in a 
  certain language.
  -Cannot feed on people of a certain 
  gender and/or with particular features.
  -Recoils as the result of a certain Performance 
  skill check equal to 10 + ½ the vampires HD 
  + Wis modifier.
  -Cannot feed on people of a particular align-
  ment.
  -Gains the old or young template during certain 
  dates of the month.
  -Recoils at the scent of certain smells.
  -Requires its coffin to be made from a very spe-
  cific and rare material.
  -Must feed on a particular race or subtype.
  -Is vulnerable (taking 50% extra damage) during 
  a particular hour, day or month.
  special attacks
  Another effective way to make vampires 
  unique is to alter their special attacks. Below are 
  listed new special attacks. It is recommended to 
  change an existing special attack with a new one 
  instead of adding to the vampire’s already potent 
  array of abilities. Recommendations for the spe-
  cial attack to be changed are listed in parenthesis. 
  “Universal” indicates changing an attack of your 
  choice.
  Blindness/Deafness (Su):  A vampire’s 
  stare is a dangerous thing. The vampire can 
  target an individual creature and it must succeed 
  on a DC Will save equal to 10 + ½ the vampire’s 
  HD + Cha modifier or instantly be effected 
  as though by a blindness/deafness spell (caster 
  level 12th). The ability inflicts both blindness 
  and deafness. This ability replaces the dominate 
  ability.
  Undead Lord (Sp): Certain vampires mas-
  ter control of the undead. These vampires can 
  3/times a day cast animate dead using ½ their 
  HD as the caster level. This is replaces 
  the children of the night ability.
  Blood Spray (Su): Not all vam-
  
  36
  36
  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  pires completely consume the blood they drain, 
  instead keeping a reservoir to attack enemies. 
  Every 1d4 rounds, a vampire can spray blood at 
  creatures in a 15 ft. cone. The affected creatures 
  must make a DC Fortitude save equal to 10 + 
  ½ the vampire’s HD + Cha modifier or become 
  nauseated for 1d4 + the vampire’s Charisma 
  modifier rounds. Creatures that make their save 
  are instead sickened for 1 round. This is a univer-
  sal ability.
  Unholy Stigmata (Su): Particularly vicious 
  vampires with quarrels against the gods express 
  their displeasure by secreting their own life force 
  as a move action.  Activating stigmata causes 
  bleed damage equal to half the vampire’s hit dice 
  and this bleed damage is not halted by curative 
  magic. While the unholy stigmata is bleeding, 
  the vampire gains a profane bonus. Each time a  
  vampire activates its unholy stigmata, it decides 
  if the bonus equal to ½ its hit dice applies to 
  attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, Armor Class, 
  caster level checks, or saving throws; to change 
  what the bonus applies to, the vampire  must 
  deactivate and reactivate his stigmata. This is a 
  universal ability.
  Unholy Aura (Su): Renouncing all gods, 
  these vampires emit an uncontrollable aura of 
  violent energy. These creatures deal 1d6 points 
  of negative energy for every 5 hit dice they pos-
  sess with a 10 ft. radius. The negative energy can 
  only be used to harm living creatures and cannot 
  heal creatures with a negative energy affinity. 
  This is a universal ability.
  Foul Blood (Su): Attacking these vampires 
  releases an especially virulent blood. When 
  struck by a piercing/slashing weapon, the spray 
  of blood deals 1d4 points of unholy damage for 
  every 4 hit dice the vampire possesses. Addi-
  tionally, an affected creature must make a DC 
  Fortitude save equal to 10 + ½ the vampire’s hit 
  dice + Charisma modifier or become sickened 
  for a number of rounds equal to the 
  vampire’s hit dice. This is a universal 
  ability.
  Blood Drain (Su): Not all vampires feed 
  on their victim’s Constitution. These alternative 
  blood drain abilities work as the standard vam-
  pire template except they target a different ability 
  score than Constitution.
  Strength: The vampire gains a +1 bonus to 
  attack and damage rolls for 10 minutes.
  Dexterity: The vampire gains a +1 dodge 
  bonus to AC and a +1 bonus to CMD and Re-
  flex saves for 10 minutes.
  Intelligence: The vampire gains telepathy 
  and can use detect thoughts as a spell like ability 
  for 10 minutes.
  Wisdom: The vampire gains a +1 bonus to 
  channel resistance and Will saves for 1 hour.
  Charisma: The DC of the vampire’s domi-
  nate ability and any mind-effecting spells or spell-
  like abilities is increased by 1 for 10 minutes.
  special Qualities
  Not all vampires share the same special quali-
  ties. Sometimes it is the environment that shapes 
  their special qualities or it could be tied in with 
  their past. It is recommended to change an exist-
  ing special quality with a new one. 
  Change Shape (Su): A vampire can use 
  change shape to assume the form of the base ele-
  ments, as elemental body II. This ability modifies 
  a vampire’s change shape ability.
  Fly (Su): As a standard action, a vampire 
  can summon forth a pair of spectral batwings 
  allowing it to fly (caster level 5th) as per the spell 
  at will indefinitely. A vampire with this ability 
  only assumes gaseous form when reduced to 0 hit 
  points in combat.
  Moonlit Translucence: Under the light of 
  the moon, the vampire appears almost translu-
  cent, granting an additional +4 racial bonus to 
  Stealth checks. 
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
  No Footsteps: The vampire does not leave 
  behind any footsteps. 
  Stench of the Grave: The stench of rot 
  and decay clings about the vampire. Creatures 
  with 10 ft. of the vampire must make a DC 
  Fortitude save equal to 10 + ½ the vampire’s HD 
  + Cha modifier or become sickened by the smell 
  for 1d4 rounds. A creature that makes its save is 
  unaffected by the same vampire’s smell of the 
  grave ability for 24 hours.
  ability scores
  Unlike most other undead creatures, the 
  vampire species shows the ability to evolve over 
  generations to hunt the prey in their particular 
  regions, leading to differences in their physical 
  and mental attributes.
  Brutes: Muscular brutes lack the intelligence 
  and finesse of other vampires, making up for it in 
  raw physical power and fiery personalities.
  Str +10, Dex +4, Int -2, Wis -2, Cha +6
  Stalkers: Stalkers hunt more like animals, 
  savagely attacking their prey without warning, 
  lacking the suave grace of more refined vam-
  pires.
  Str +4, Dex +8, Int +4, Cha +2
  vampire poWers With age (optioNal rules)
  As an optional rule, a vampire can become 
  more powerful with age. In Vathak, particularly 
  old vampires became Vampire Lords, siring nu-
  merous scions that inherited their unique traits. 
  The Old Ones awakening destroy most of the 
  Vampire Lords but it is believed that some still 
  lurk, hiding away in crumbling ruins awaiting 
  their day to return to power. 
  The easiest way to represent an older, more 
  powerful vampire is to simply apply the advanced 
  creature template. However, it is this author’s 
  opinion that the advanced template 
  does not scale well (offering much 
  more to lower CR creatures than 
  higher ones) plus it is boring. However, if you use 
  it in conjunction with some of the below guide-
  lines, it should allow you to create truly fearsome 
  foes.
  DefeNses
  As a vampire becomes older, reduce the 
  number of weapons that bypass the vampire’s 
  damage reduction or change “magic” to “epic.”
  WeakNesses
  Decrease the number of weaknesses a vam-
  pire has and/or increase the DC Will save for the 
  vampire to avoid recoiling from certain objects.
  special attacks
  Applying the advanced creature template will 
  increase many of the DCs for a vampire’s special 
  attacks. 
  Blood Drain (Su): This works like the stan-
  dard blood drain ability but either the benefits 
  to the vampire are doubled or the vampire deals 
  ability to Constitution and one additional ability 
  score.
  special Qualities
  Dragon Form (Su): In addition to the vam-
  pire’s standard change shape ability, the vampire 
  can assume a dragon form, as per form of the 
  dragon II.
  Killing Gaseous Cloud (Su): The vam-
  pire’s gaseous form acts as a cloudkill spell (caster 
  level 9th).
  Frightful Presence (Ex): The vampire 
  gains the frightful presence ability which func-
  tions as detailed in the Universal Monster Rules.
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  New     
  Monsters
  Volwearm
  The creature’s wolflike head reaches forward on a 
  thin, long neck uncoiling from its long, cylindrical and 
  segmented fur covered body.
  volWearm   
   
  cr 3
  XP 800
  NE Alignment Large Magical beast
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-
  light vision, scent; Perception +8
  DefeNse
  AC 14, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, 
  +3 natural, -1 size)
  hp 34 (4d10+12)
  Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +2
  offeNse
  Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft.
  Melee bite +7 (1d8+4)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  Special Attacks extended reach, sweep-
  ing headbutt
  statistics
  Str 16, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base Atk +4; CMB +8; CMD 20 (cannot 
  be tripped)
  Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon 
  Focus (bite)
  Skills Stealth +6, Survival +2 (+6 scent 
  tracking); Racial Modifiers +4 Sur-
  vival when tracking by scent
  ecology
  Environment cold or temperate 
  forests
  Organization solitary or pair
  Treasure none
  special abilities
  Extended Reach (Ex) A volwearm’s 
  long neck rests coiled under its head 
  and between its body. As a move 
  action, a volwearm can uncoil its 
  neck, gaining a 15 ft. reach. It is an-
  other move action to recoil the neck. 
  Because a volwearm’s neck is sensi-
  tive and vulnerable while extended, 
  all critical hits against it gain a +4 
  circumstance bonus to confirm.
  Sweeping Head (Ex) Volwearms utilize 
  their long necks to avoid multiple 
  creatures swarming them. As a full 
  round action, a volwearm can extend 
  its neck and make a bull rush attempt 
  against all opponent’s within its 15 
  ft. reach. This does not provoke an 
  attack of opportunity.
  The rare and elusive 
  volwearm stalks 
  the depths of the 
  Telgotha Forest, a 
  hideous creature 
  combining the 
  predatory nature 
  of a wolf with that of 
  a massive worm. While 
  scholars debate the ori-
  gin of 
  the beast (often regarded as myth), all 
  they can agree on is that stories of the 
  volwearm go as far back as the earliest 
  settlers of the Colonies. Volwearms 
  prefer to burrow deep into the 
  earth, using their long necks 
  to suddenly grab passing 
  prey to pull down 
  into their hole to 
  be devoured. 
  In combat, 
  volwearms
  
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  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
   attack with their sweeping headbutt to prevent 
  enemies from swarming them. They then try to 
  pick off a creature, one at a time. Instinctively 
  aware of the vulnerability of their long necks, 
  a volwearm’s typical attack pattern involves ex-
  tending its neck to attack a foe on one round and 
  then recoiling it the next. Incredibly fast crea-
  tures for their size, Volwearms prefer hit and run 
  tactics, using their reach ability to kill opponents. 
  Generally solitary hunters, volwearms seek out 
  a mate during mating season which occurs once 
  every few years and never travel in packs.
  Vampling
  Two stubby legs support a short, corpse pale, bloated 
  body; the creature’s red eyes set in a batlike face with a 
  mouth full of  sharp teeth.
  vampliNg 
   
   
      cr 1/2
  XP 200
  NE Alignment Small Aberration
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Per-
  ception +1
  DefeNse
  AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12  (+3 Dex, 
  +2 size)
  hp 5 (1d8+1)
  Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +2
  Defensive Abilities negative energy 
  affinity; DR 2/magic or silver; Re-
  sist cold 10, electricity 10
  Weaknesses positive energy
  offeNse
  Speed 20 ft., fly 10 ft. (Poor)
  Melee bite +3 (1d4 plus latch) 
  Special Attacks blood suck, gang-up
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 1st; concentra-
  tion +0)
  At will—bleed (DC 10), death-
  watch
  statistics
  Str 11, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 11
  Base Atk +0; CMB -1 (+3 when 
  latched); CMD 12
  Feats Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Fly +0, Stealth 
  +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth
  Languages Common
  SQ negative energy affinity, positive 
  energy death throes
  ecology
  Environment any
  Organization pair, mob (3-12), infesta-
  tion (13-20)
  Treasure none
  special abilities
  Blood Suck (Ex) A vampling can suck 
  blood from a grappled opponent; if 
  the vampling establishes a grapple 
  with its latch ability, it drains blood, 
  dealing 1 points of Constitution dam-
  age. The vampling heals 1 hit point or 
  gains 1 temporary hit point for 1 hour 
  (up to a maximum number of tempo-
  rary hit points equal to its full normal 
  hit points) each round it drains blood.
  Gang-up (Ex) Vamplings work together 
  to feast on larger foes, ganging up on 
  their prey to feast. Up to two vam-
  plings can utilize their latch ability on 
  a medium size creature. The vam-
  plings gain a +4 bonus to the CMD. 
  An additional two vamplings can 
  latch onto a target per size category 
  larger than medium.
  Latch (Ex) When a vampling hits with 
  its bite attack, its small teeth bit into 
  the target effectively grappling its 
  prey. The vampling loses its Dexter-
  ity bonus to AC and has an AC of 12. 
  A vampling has a +4 racial bonus to 
  maintain its grapple on a foe 
  once it latches on. If its prey 
  manages to win a grapple 
  
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  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  check or Escape Artist check against 
  it, the vampling is removed but deals 
  1 point of damage when it is removed 
  due to its teeth.
  Positive Energy Death Throes (Ex) Par-
  tially as a result of failed experimen-
  tation, vamplings are dangerously 
  affected by positive energy and are 
  damaged by it the same as un-
  dead creatures. A vam-
  pling who is brought 
  below 0 hit points due to 
  positive energy immedi-
  ately explodes, dealing 
  1d6 points of blud-
  geoning damage to any 
  creature in the same and 
  adjacent squares.
  Ivar von Houlsmann’s experiments into creat-
  ing a new, stronger form of vampire yielded the 
  creatures known as vamplings. Not undead, but 
  infused with vampire blood, these diminutive 
  creatures share some vampire traits, such as their 
  need to feed on the life force of the living. Con-
  sidered a failure due to their small size and weak-
  ness, Ivar left the vamplings deep in the Telgotha 
  Forest to die. However, he failed to realize 
  that the vamplings breed rapidly. Stupid 
  creatures, they form small colonies, at-
  tacking any living creature they come 
  across. Vamplings display no sense of 
  tactics, preferring to swarm over larger 
  opponents. Thus vamplings tend to live 
  short, brutal lives, most dying within a 
  few years. They are beginning 
  to expand further outside of 
  the Telgotha Forest. If they 
  were to infest a ship leaving the 
  Colonies, it would be dire news 
  indeed.
  
  41
  41
  Game Master's Guide to the Colonies 
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  Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason 
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  Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Brian J. 
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  Hershey
  Shadows over Vathak: The Colonies - Game Master’s Guide 
  © 2014 Fat Goblin Games. Authors; John Bennett
  
  42
  42
  Shadows over Vathak Setting
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Fat Goblin Games/Shadows over Vathak/Shadows over Vathak - Colonies, Game Masters Guide.pdf