TEXT: By Scott Fernandez
  Destiny of the sanDs, Part 1:
  a Bitter Bargain
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO #5–12 
  TIER 1–5
  
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–12: Destiny of the Sands, Part 1: A Bitter Bargain is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 
  1st- to 5th-level characters (Tier 1–5; Subtiers 1–2 and 4–5). This scenario is designed for play in the Pathfinder Society 
  Organized Play campaign, but can easily be adapted for use with any world.
  A Bitter Bargain makes use of the following Pathfinder Roleplaying Game products: the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, 
  Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2, Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat, and Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic. 
  These rules can be found online for free as part of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document at 
  paizo.com/prd.
  This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of the world’s oldest 
  fantasy roleplaying game.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open 
  Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. 
  (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
  Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as 
  defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced 
  in any form without written permission.
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  Destiny of the Sands, Part 1: 
  A Bitter Bargain
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–12
  
  Osirion
  • Eto
  • Sothis
  • Totra
  • Lamasara
  • Ipeq
  Shiman-Sekh •
  3
  In the years since, he has scoured Osirion and beyond, 
  seeking his lost colleagues, aiding the Forthbringer 
  and his descendants revitalize Osirion, and developing 
  strong 
  working 
  relationships 
  with 
  like-minded 
  organizations—most notably the Pathfinder Society. 
  When the Ruby Prince dismissed Amenopheus from his 
  service, the Sapphire Sage took it as an opportunity to 
  direct more effort into finding the other Jeweled Sages. 
  Several months ago, several of his agents met a servant 
  of the Diamond Sage, and they have traced the sage 
  through his agents every since. Amenopheus now knows 
  that the Diamond Sage resides near the Osirian trade 
  city of Eto. What’s more, he has an appointment with an 
  W
  ith the assassination of the Song Pharaoh, 
  Ancient Osirion declined into a period of 
  self-destructive decadence that marked the 
  end of the nation’s golden age. Fearing that Osirion’s 
  culture, relics, and technological innovations would fade 
  from memory, a group of scholars convened and swore 
  to preserve these treasures of the past at all costs. The 
  ruling pharaoh, however, did not believe the scholars’ 
  efforts were motivated by a selfless desire to preserve 
  the past for posterity’s sake, but rather that they were 
  the machinations of dissidents and traitors intent on 
  overthrowing his reign. Accordingly, he sent soldiers 
  to scatter the academics and demolish that which they 
  had gathered. In the face of this ruthless persecution, 
  the surviving scholars fled and reunited at a prearranged 
  location, where they created a number of jewels that 
  could not only store their thoughts and memories but 
  also survive the millennia. The scholars who bore these 
  gems passed them down to chosen successors in their 
  secret society, known as the Jeweled Sages.
  The Jeweled Sages continued their work from the 
  shadows, rarely choosing to influence politics directly. 
  Nonetheless, their reputation as custodians of Osirion’s 
  past made them targets of attacks by outside forces—
  most notably the Padishah Empire—that sought to sever 
  Osirion’s ties to its glory days and more easily institute 
  a new regime. Scattered by the Keleshite invaders, the 
  members of the Jeweled Sages went into exile, buried 
  their jewels for future generations, or sealed themselves 
  away where they could never be found.
  Nearly a century ago, the man known as Amenopheus 
  discovered a magical sapphire that once belonged to one of 
  the Jeweled Sages. The jewel accepted him as its inheritor, 
  imparted to him long-lost secrets of Osirion’s past, imbued 
  him with considerable longevity, and slowly changed his 
  appearance (and perhaps his personality) to match that 
  of the first Sapphire Sage. However, the sapphire had 
  sustained damage, and its memories were incomplete. Try 
  as he might, Amenopheus could not remember anything 
  about the other sages or where they might have gone.
  Destiny of the sanDs, Part 1:
  a Bitter Bargain
  By scott fernanDez
  WHERE ON GOLARION?
  A Bitter Bargain begins in Sothis, Osirion’s capital, but most 
  of the action takes place in the desert crossroads city of Eto, 
  an ancient and bustling settlement nestled inside a crater 
  that shelters it from the area’s harsh sandstorms. For more 
  information on Osirion, the Pathfinder Lodge in Sothis, and 
  the city of Eto, see Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Osirion, 
  Legacy of Pharaohs, Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The 
  Inner Sea World Guide, and Pathfinder Player Companion: 
  Pathfinder Society Primer, available in bookstores and game 
  stores everywhere, and online at paizo.com.
  
  4
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  4
  GM RESOURCES
  This adventure makes use of the following Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game products: the Pathfinder RPG Core 
  Rulebook, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary (B), Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 2 (B2), Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Combat (UC), and 
  Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic (UM). These rules can be 
  found online for free as part of the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Reference Document at paizo.com/prd.
  effects by disguising themselves as porters delivering 
  overdue supplies for the expedition.
  Second, the PCs must investigate a cabaret called 
  the Dancing Dunes and discover the means by which 
  its owner, the half-elf dancer Madame Zelekhati, is 
  collecting secrets from merchants in town. Her accurate 
  intelligence comes from a magic ring that allows her to 
  control a sandman to eavesdrop on clients and dull their 
  minds. The PCs can convince her to reveal her secrets, but 
  doing so may invoke the wrath of her bound elemental.
  Third, the PCs must find the hiding place of a gang of 
  cutpurses called the Hundredfingers, as Torch believes 
  they have a message for him that they’ve failed to deliver. 
  In fact, the gang is hiding from a spy contracted by the 
  Red Mantis Assassins, who are trying to track down Torch 
  so they can plan another assassination attempt against 
  him. Once she confirms the PCs’ identities, the spy tries to 
  subdue them for questioning, hoping she can learn from 
  them the location of Grandmaster Torch hiding place.
  Finally, the PCs must travel outside the city and 
  descend into an abandoned well to recover a stash of 
  Osirian artifacts that Grandmaster Torch wishes to have 
  smuggled into the city. The well opens into a shrine to 
  Apep, the ancient god of snakes, which is guarded by 
  serpents. After defeating the slithering guardians, the 
  PCs must either sneak the artifacts past the customs 
  agent or pay the tax on excavated goods.
  Once the PCs have completed their tasks, Grandmaster 
  Torch provides them with maps to the site of the lost sage 
  jewels and encourages the Pathfinders to hurry—other 
  explorers are already on their way to the same site!
  GETTING STARTED
  The adventure begins in Sandswept Hall, the Pathfinder 
  Lodge in Sothis as Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir 
  briefs the PCs on their upcoming mission. Read or 
  paraphrase the following to get the adventure underway.
  Balentiir shutters of the windows in his second-story office 
  overlooking the lodge’s tranquil gardens and seats himself 
  behind his writing desk. He nods and introduces a thin, aging 
  Garundi man in an ornately bejeweled and feathered turban. 
  “This is Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage. I trust most of you 
  know of him already. If you don’t, know that he has served 
  both the Ruby Prince and the Pathfinder Society for many 
  years, uncovering vast troves of lore from Ancient Osirion and 
  mentoring some of our finest agents. He recently approached 
  my colleagues and me with a request for assistance, and the 
  Society has agreed to step up and aid its ally. The arrangement 
  is, in fact, rather mutually beneficial.” He nods to Amenopheus, 
  signaling the elder man to speak.
   “Faithful servants of the past, I bid you greetings,” the 
  wizened sage says with a shallow bow. “Our esteemed ruler, 
  information broker who knows where several more of the 
  sages’ jewels reside.
  Unknown to Amenopheus, the Pathfinder Society 
  came very close to recovering these jewels when it 
  secretly sent a team called the Scarab Seekers to explore 
  the promising site many years ago. The expedition met a 
  dire end, with all but one of the agents left for dead. The 
  Decemvirate disavowed any knowledge of the mission 
  and sent no aid to the lone survivor of that cursed desert 
  tomb. That agent survived—driven by grit and hardened 
  by the Society’s heartless response to his misfortune—to 
  become the information broker that Amenopheus now 
  seeks: Grandmaster Torch.
  SUMMARY
  Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir and Amenopheus, the 
  Sapphire Sage, send the PCs to the city of Eto to meet 
  with an information broker who—in exchange for a few 
  small favors—can provide the Society with information 
  leading to the whereabouts of the Diamond Sage or the 
  lost Sage Jewels. Both Amenopheus and Balentiir believe 
  the broker to be none other than Grandmaster Torch, and 
  the venture-captain cautions the PCs that regardless of 
  their personal feelings toward Torch, they must maintain 
  control of themselves when meeting with him. The 
  scarred broker has betrayed the Society before, but he 
  values his reputation of trustworthiness highly enough 
  that working with him this once is a worthwhile risk.
  When they arrive in Eto, the PCs must pass through 
  inspections conducted by a rather talkative customs 
  agent of the Ruby Prince, who is in charge of searching 
  travelers for recovered cultural treasures and applying 
  the appropriate taxes before allowing them to enter the 
  city. Once within the walls, the PCs enter Eto’s bustling 
  marketplace, where they meet with Grandmaster Torch 
  to negotiate the terms of his assistance. Torch insists they 
  must first perform several tasks and errands before they 
  can gain his cooperation.
  First, the PCs must place a book that acts a scrying focus 
  among the possessions of the Ustalavic Osirionologist 
  Ionacu Lozar without arousing suspicion. The PCs can 
  attempt to sell him the book or slip it into his personal 
  
  Amenopheus
  5
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  5
  the Ruby Prince, recently released me from his service, which 
  has freed me to learn more about a little-known organization 
  to which I belong: the Jeweled Sages, protectors of Osirion’s 
  history and chroniclers of its past glories. Quite by accident, I 
  found myself initiated into this group, and have long believed 
  myself to be its sole surviving member. Each sage in the group 
  possesses a unique jewel—a priceless artifact that contains 
  memories of Osirion’s golden age.” He pauses as if considering 
  how to express his thoughts “For many years, I have 
  sought news of any other members of the 
  Jeweled Sages. My agents recently 
  learned of the Diamond Sage, 
  whom they traced to the city 
  of Eto in the Osirian Desert. 
  At the same time, I received 
  word from a reliable source 
  that several other jewels in the 
  vicinity. I ask that you travel to Eto, 
  negotiate with my contact in the 
  city for his assistance, and then use 
  what you learn to find the Diamond 
  Sage and these lost jewels.”
  Venture-Captain Balentiir frowns and 
  adds, “This contact has tried to remain 
  anonymous, but we suspect he 
  is none other than Grandmaster 
  Torch. If you’ve heard of him—or 
  worse, met him—you may know 
  trading favors is his signature. Regardless 
  of Torch’s past treacheries, we need you to 
  deal with him fairly for the information. 
  There is a caravan leaving for Eto in a few 
  hours, so don’t delay.”
  The PCs may have questions for the venture-captain or 
  Amenopheus. The following are likely inquiries and the 
  NPCs’ responses.
  Who 
  is 
  Grandmaster 
  Torch? 
  Venture-Captain 
  Balentiir sighs heavily. “The man is a charming devil to 
  be sure. He always plays one side of a deal against the 
  other, and usually ends up ahead. You’ll recognize him 
  by his burn scars. He suffered some injury that never 
  seems to heal. Whatever you do, never fully trust him.” 
  Where can we find Grandmaster Torch in Eto? 
  Amenopheus says, “He is staying at the House of the White 
  Uraeus, a fancy inn that caters to those in need of healing 
  and rest.
  How will he know you sent us? Amenopheus says, 
  “Remind him of the favor still owed to me for past 
  assistance in his grand endeavor. He will know what 
  you mean.”
  Amenopheus, why are you not coming with us? The 
  Sapphire Sage responds, “My dismissal from the Ruby 
  Prince’s service has left me neither exiled nor truly 
  welcome. I will return to Absalom soon.”
  I hate Grandmaster Torch! Balentiir raises his hands 
  in a calming gesture. “I assure that much of the Society 
  shares your feelings; however, Torch has leverage that we 
  would rather he not use against us. Any violence directed 
  toward him would be revisited on us a hundredfold, so 
  don’t be selfish. Save your vendettas for another day.”
  Do we have to do play fair with Torch? 
  Such a question brings a mischievous 
  smirk to Balentiir’s lips. “I suppose 
  Torch has always enjoyed twisting 
  bargains and words to his advantage. 
  Very well. If you see an opportunity 
  to gain some advantage against the 
  man while doing favors for him, 
  you’re welcome to follow through.” 
  Amenopheus shoots a pleading 
  look at the venture-captain before 
  Balentiir quickly adds, “If you can 
  get away with it.”
  Before the PCs depart, Amenopheus 
  pulls a weathered stone from his robes 
  and strikes it once against the 
  wall to break the stone into two 
  crystalline geode halves. He hands 
  one piece to the PCs, instructing 
  them, “If you find one of the jewels of 
  my order or the person known as the 
  Diamond Sage, I ask that you contact 
  me. Concentrate on the stone and 
  speak a message of a few dozen words. 
  I will hear you and respond with further instructions. It 
  will only work once, so keep it safe.”
  A. SUNRISE GATE
  Venture-Captain Balentiir has arranged for the PCs to 
  travel to Eto as part of a trade caravan of heavily laden 
  camels, and he pays for the cost of their travel. The 
  journey overland is uneventful.
  The immense rock walls that ring Eto rise from the horizon like 
  a shimmering mirage that gradually sharpens into focus. The 
  city sits inside an elevated crater with sheer, weathered sides 
  broken only in two places by heavily guarded gates. Long lines 
  of caravans wait in a meandering queue awaiting entrance as 
  officials search their cargos for contraband and calculate taxes. 
  Water sellers, food vendors, and guides march up and down the 
  lines peddling their wares and services to the visitors. Beyond the 
  gates, the main thoroughfares fan out around the various districts 
  of the city before dwindling into the dozens of pathways that flow 
  through the bazaar like the delta of the great River Sphinx.
  
  6
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  6
  The walls of the cliffs rise 60 feet above the city and 
  require a successful DC 25 Climb check to scale. The 
  gates remain open during daylight hours and are closed 
  at night, though a patrol of guards is stationed nearby to 
  review any requests to enter after nightfall.
  Each caravan or group of travelers is assigned one 
  or more trios of officials, each of which consists of two 
  guards and a customs agent. Eto is a hub of trade in 
  Osirion’s interior, and these officials ensure that no one 
  brings dangerous contraband (such as certain drugs, large 
  quantities of explosives, etc.) into the city. They further 
  confirm that all Osirian relics are documented and taxed; 
  the opening of Osirion to treasure-hunters by the Ruby 
  Prince’s decree stimulates the economy, but the Ministry 
  of Culture ensures that the kingdom receives a cut of all 
  finds and withholds artifacts of special importance. If 
  the PCs wish to conceal any of their equipment from the 
  customs agents, allow them to attempt Sleight of Hand 
  checks for each item to be smuggled.
  Creatures: As the PCs’ caravan approaches the gate, 
  the caravan’s leader acknowledges that the PCs are 
  guest travelers, which earns the Pathfinders their own 
  private inspection. Their customs agent is Mahu, a bored 
  Garundi man whose graying beard and tired eyes suggest 
  he’s seen it all and heard every excuse at least a few dozen 
  times. As he inspects the PCs’ gear, he plies them with 
  questions about where they’re from, where they’re bound, 
  and what interesting sights they’ve seen—as much to 
  assuage his own curiosity as to keep visitors talking and 
  possibly catch them in a lie. This also provides the PCs 
  an opportunity to impress the agent with their manners 
  or stories of their travels. Mahu’s starting attitude is 
  indifferent, and the Diplomacy DC to improve his attitude 
  is 16; in Subtier 4–5, Mahu has had a particularly bad 
  week and has a starting attitude of unfriendly (despite his 
  attempts to maintain a smiling, professional demeanor), 
  increasing the DC to 21.
  After the PCs have an opportunity to converse 
  with Mahu, he finds the communication geode that 
  Amenopheus gave them; if the PCs tried to hide it, 
  Mahu attempts an opposed Perception check to spot 
  it (see his stats below). Should he find it, he inspects 
  it for a moment before announcing that it looks to be 
  of Osirian origin and questioning the PCs about its 
  provenience. So long as Mahu’s attitude is indifferent 
  or better, the PCs can try to convince him that the stone 
  is mundane by using Bluff, request that he overlook 
  the stone as a favor by using Diplomacy (treat this as 
  requesting complicated aid), or possibly employ other 
  skills or methods to downplay the stone’s importance. 
  Any of these methods can convince Mahu to waive the 
  tariff. If the PCs don’t refute its Osirian origin or they 
  otherwise avoid the tariff, Mahu levies a tax on the relic. 
  Multiply the number of PCs by the group’s Average Party 
  Level. If Mahu’s attitude is indifferent or better, the tax 
  is 10 times this value. If he’s unfriendly or hostile, it is 25 
  times this value. If the PCs refuse to pay the tax, Mahu 
  confiscates the geode, affixes a tag to it with string, and 
  writes out a ticket for the PCs that allows them to claim 
  the geode from the Ministry of Culture building when 
  they’re ready to pay the fine.
  Subtier 1–2
  MAHU
  Male middle-aged human expert 3
  DEFENSE
  Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +4
  STATISTICS
  Skills Appraise +11, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7
  Subtier 4–5
  MAHU
  Male middle-aged human expert 6
  DEFENSE
  Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +6
  STATISTICS
  Skills Appraise +15, Perception +10, Sense Motive +10
  Development: Mahu is a potential ally that the PCs 
  can call upon during several of their tasks later in the 
  scenario. So long as he is at least friendly by the end 
  of the encounter, he can provide the PCs with help 
  navigating the streets and rumors of the city, granting 
  the Pathfinders a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Knowledge 
  (local) checks to gather information in Eto. He also 
  wishes them a pleasant stay and reminds them to seek 
  him out if he can be of assistance.
  B. HOUSE OF THE WHITE URAEUS
  The House of the White Uraeus is a two-story, whitewashed 
  stone structure located in one of Eto’s more upscale 
  districts. A large brass plaque above its door depicts a snake 
  with two “necks” that split from its body, each with its own 
  head. The servants that manage the inn wear immaculately 
  clean clothing and maintain a quiet but cheerful facility. 
  Although Grandmaster Torch is nowhere to be seen, one 
  of his half-orc bodyguards sits in the common area and 
  constantly scans the room. He stands and approaches the 
  PCs as they arrive, looks them over, and with a grunt waves 
  for them to follow him further into the building to where 
  Grandmaster Torch awaits.
  Although its exterior is unassuming, the interior of the White 
  Uraeus is richly decorated with panels of gold-veined marble 
  
  Grandmaster 
  Torch
  7
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  7
  and bubbling fountains in secluded courtyards. Cool breezes 
  carry the scent of blooming desert flowers throughout the clean 
  halls. Two half-orcs keep watch outside one set of closed doors. 
  After a moment inspecting the visitors, they pull open the doors 
  to reveal a tiled bathing chamber beyond.
  “Welcome to Eto, Pathfinders,” rasps Grandmaster Torch as 
  he lounges in a steaming tub. “I didn’t imagine we would meet 
  again under such heart-warming circumstances, yet the White 
  Uraeus certainly knows how to make a traveler comfortable. 
  What can a humble secret monger such as I do for 
  you?” he asks as he leans forward in the tub 
  and flashes a knowing smile.
  Grandmaster Torch politely 
  brushes off any hostile remarks 
  and focuses on the PCs’ business. 
  He nods amenably as he listens 
  to their request. “Amenopheus 
  may have overlooked the fact 
  that he owed me several favors 
  before I ever asked for his 
  help, but I don’t mind 
  extending a discount to 
  repeat customers,” he 
  remarks with a rasping 
  chuckle as he snaps 
  his fingers to summon 
  one of his bodyguards, who 
  arrives carrying a folded piece 
  of paper. “Let’s see what’s on today’s 
  schedule,” he murmurs as he examines 
  the paper’s contents. “Yes, all of this 
  will do. Consider this my price—all 
  of these tasks completed to my satisfaction in return for 
  what I know of the sages’ jewels. Do we have a deal?” He 
  holds out the paper for the PCs to review it. Give the PCs 
  Player Handout on page 20.
  The PCs can ask questions about their job, and Torch 
  is willing to provide minimal clarifications so long as it 
  does not reveal any of his motivations for accomplishing 
  the tasks. Once the PCs agree to his terms, Torch 
  wishes them luck and instructs them to visit him after 
  completing a task or in the event of an emergency.
  Faction Notes: Members of the Qadira and Sczarni 
  factions have opportunities to bargain for additional 
  information. Qadira faction leader Aaqir al’Hakam seeks 
  an introduction to one or more of Torch’s contacts in a 
  trade city with few Qadiran connections, suspecting 
  that a few streetwise allies in the region would help 
  considerably in setting up a new trade route. Torch 
  considers such a request from a PC for a moment before 
  agreeing to it in exchange for an extra condition in the 
  Pathfinders’ deal (see below).
  Sczarni faction leader Guaril Karela knows that 
  Grandmaster Torch has worked as an intermediary 
  between Guaril’s unknown rival and the assassins the 
  rival has been hiring. Sczarni faction PCs can bargain 
  with Torch to add information about Guaril’s rival to 
  the deal. Torch is not keen on selling out his allies, but 
  a former client who has already paid for and received 
  Torch’s aid is a business proposition he’s willing to 
  entertain. If a Sczarni faction PC succeeds at a DC 15 
  Diplomacy check while negotiating this part of the deal, 
  Torch agrees to discuss what he knows in exchange for an 
  extra condition in the Pathfinders’ deal (see below). Grant 
  up to a +3 circumstance bonus on the check if the PC is 
  SEEKING REVENGE
  The same events that led to the dissolution of the Shadow 
  Lodge faction may inspire one or more PCs to seek revenge 
  for Torch’s betrayal. Attacking him outright is out of the 
  question, yet the PCs can undermine Torch’s influence in the 
  region in more subtle ways. Each of his tasks can be twisted 
  to Torch’s disadvantage, and possible means are referenced 
  here and described in greater detail in their respective 
  sections. These are only suggestions, and the players might 
  devise clever and equally devious plans that would 
  disrupt Torch’s plans and reputation in the region.
  • The PCs might convince Ionacu Lazar to 
  accept the journal after explaining Torch’s 
  mission, allowing the scholar to feed Torch 
  misinformation.
  • The PCs might commission a fake rod 
  from area D and pass it off as a real 
  magic item.
  • The PCs might inform Madame 
  Zelekhati of Torch’s intentions 
  and collaborate with her 
  to mislead Torch.
  • The PCs might strike 
  a deal with the Red 
  Mantis’s spy and sell out 
  Grandmaster Torch’s location.
  Grandmaster 
  Torch 
  keeps 
  tabs on the PCs and listens to them 
  carefully whenever they report back. 
  Tricking Torch into believing that the 
  Pathfinders completed a task in good faith 
  requires a successful DC 20 Bluff check 
  (DC 25 in Subtier 4–5), and a successful 
  DC 25 Sense Motive check allows a PC to know whether or 
  not Torch believes their lies. Each task the PCs perform in 
  this way requires its own Bluff check. The Conclusion section 
  details further consequences of these actions.
  
  8
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  8
  are taking their time delivering supplies to his caravan’s 
  marshaling area.
  20+ Something has the Hundredfingers gang spooked. 
  The normally ubiquitous thieves have been avoiding the 
  bazaar for a few days. 
  25+ Mistress Zelekhati of the Dancing Dunes is a 
  collector of magical dusts and always accepts them as 
  payment for her house’s services or her artwork. Some say 
  that’s the secret of her magnificent tranquility garden. It 
  may even have given the sand life as one customer claims 
  he saw the patterns shift of their own accord.
  An upcoming holy day of Sarenrae has people 
  remembering how a cleric of the goddess tried to purge 
  the land of evil over a hundred years ago; however, the 
  ruins of the old city beyond the cliff walls still hide 
  shrines to the old faiths, especially the serpent cult of 
  Apep. The serpent god’s slithering children are blessed 
  with the ability to go unnoticed by eyes accustomed to the 
  Dawnflower’s light.
  C1. The Caravanserai
  More than a dozen camels are tethered outside a large pavilion 
  tent while a score of porters pack supplies for what looks to be a 
  grand archeological expedition. Crates of tools, coils of rope, and 
  sacks of dried food lie in piles waiting to divided up among the 
  beasts of burden. Within the sumptuously appointed pavilion, 
  stacks of scrolls and hand-drawn maps lie strewn across a 
  canopied bed. A tall, dark haired northerner with a thick eastern 
  accent and persistent scowl supervises the storm of activity 
  while checking over an inventory scrawled in a well-worn 
  ledger. “Where are those amphorae of water? This expedition 
  won’t last a week in the Pillars of the Sun without water!” 
  Ionacu Lozar (LG male human expert 7) is a member 
  of the secretive Esoteric Order of the Palatine Eye and 
  a regent of Ustalav’s Sincomakti School of Science. He 
  has chosen to lead an expedition to the Pillars of the 
  Sun in order to find the lost pyramid of An Hepsu XI, 
  a powerful pharaoh who embraced lichdom and has 
  been imprisoned for over 6,000 years. In doing so, 
  he hopes to glean some insight into how the lich was 
  imprisoned and pass that knowledge to the Esoteric 
  Order so it might use the information to strengthen the 
  wards around Gallowspire, prison of the Whispering 
  Tyrant. However, getting his caravan supplied and out 
  into the field has proven more time-consuming and 
  costly than the Ustalav had anticipated. Every nuance 
  of buying supplies in Eto is wrapped in layers of local 
  customs that baffle the no-nonsense scholar, leading 
  him to offend some of the merchants in the bazaar. As a 
  result, delivery of his supplies has been delayed, and his 
  frustration is clearly evident.
  particularly polite or stylishly deferent while making the 
  request, as Torch appreciates a professional who doesn’t 
  let bad temper spoil a good pitch. He doesn’t entertain 
  such a deal negotiated by a non-Sczarni PC; he wants 
  to know that Guaril’s worth preserving, and doing that 
  means testing the mettle of Guaril’s agents.
  Three of Grandmaster Torch’s tasks have a special 
  condition that he might add in exchange for answering 
  a Qadira or Sczarni faction PC’s questions. Typically, 
  these represent doing an especially good job or taking 
  extra care to avoid notice. As the GM, avoid choosing a 
  condition that will be impossible for that faction PC. 
  Each faction-related request requires its own condition. 
  The three options include planting two books among 
  Iocanu Lozar’s belongings, smuggling the relics from 
  the abandoned well into Eto without any customs 
  agents knowing, or securing Zelekhati’s cooperation 
  without resorting to violence. Additional details for each 
  condition appear in the respective area’s faction notes 
  section (see page 19).
  C. THE ETO BAZAAR
  The sprawling bazaar at the heart of Eto is a riot of 
  colorful tents, ramshackle stalls, and haphazardly parked 
  carts and wagons surrounding the only permanent 
  structure, the tall stone Government House home of the 
  governor Asep Ma. With an influx of foreign explorers 
  fueling economic growth, the city’s merchants, laborers, 
  and artisans can provide nearly everything an adventurer 
  could need for exploring lost ruins and tombs. Nothing 
  in the bazaar comes without a price, though, and the 
  Eto’s inhabitants are renowned for their ability to haggle. 
  During the day, buyers and sellers pack this busy public 
  area, crowding the narrow pathways between shops. 
  Allow the PCs an opportunity to buy any equipment they 
  may need for the mission. This is also a good place for 
  them to pick up the local rumors in town or learn about 
  the targets of their tasks. 
  Diplomacy (gather information) or 
  Knowledge (local)
  The PCs might learn valuable information as they explore 
  Eto and meet its locals.
  10+ Madame Zelekhati recently began hiring more 
  workers at the Dancing Dunes, though she sends away 
  most who don’t have at least some elven blood. Also, most 
  merchants recommend avoiding Beggar’s Alley, which is 
  home to a gang of pickpockets known as the Hundredfingers.
  15+ The Osirionologist Ionacu Lozar is in a terrible 
  rush to get his expedition underway, but he is exceedingly 
  stingy and has no patience for haggling. As a result, the 
  few merchants who are willing to do business with him 
  
  9
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  9
  Although the prayer book that Grandmaster Torch 
  gave to the PCs is mundane, the metal scarab clasp acts as 
  a focus for divination spells like locate object and scrying. A 
  PC can discern this use with a successful DC 20 Knowledge 
  (arcana) or Spellcraft check. Lozar is sufficiently flustered 
  that he has little patience for strangers, and if the PCs 
  wish to address him directly, they must make their 
  case quickly. His starting attitude is unfriendly, and 
  his Charisma, Perception, Sense Motive, and Will save 
  modifiers are –1, +8, +5, and +6 respectively. In Subtier 
  4–5, increase his Perception and Sense Motive modifiers 
  by 2 each, and increase his Will save modifier by 1.
  Giving Lozar the book as a gift is difficult, requiring one 
  either to improve his attitude to friendly and then request 
  that he accept it as a favor or to improve his attitude to 
  indifferent and convince him of the PC’s good faith with a 
  successful Bluff check opposed by his Sense Motive check. 
  Even on a success, Ionacu Lozar takes the book and flips 
  through a few of its pages before initiating an academic 
  dialogue as he asks the PC about the prayers within and 
  her perspective on the worship of Khepri. Unless a PC can 
  demonstrate at least a rudimentary understanding of the 
  Osirian gods with a successful DC 15 Knowledge (history 
  or religion) check or cover for her lack of understanding 
  with an opposed Bluff check, Lozar is disappointed and 
  admits that he cannot accept the gift but appreciates 
  the gesture. Selling Lozar the book is equally difficult, 
  though a PC might receive a +2 bonus on her skill checks 
  by convincing Lozar that the book contains clues to 
  navigating the Pillars of the Sun, solving some riddle 
  therein, or uncovering a long-lost treasure.
  Sneaking the book into Lozar’s belongings is also 
  tricky, for the Ustalav is brimming with nervous energy 
  and rarely steps away from the tent that shelters his 
  supplies. A PC must sneak among the porters and 
  avoid Lozar’s notice, requiring first a successful DC 20 
  Disguise or Stealth check followed by a Sleight of Hand 
  check opposed by Lozar’s Perception check. Failing 
  either check causes Lozar to chase the PC off, calling for 
  the guards if she’s unwilling to leave. Failing this check 
  arouses Lozar’s suspicions, and his attitude is considered 
  one step worse when he’s around that PC.
  Finally, the PCs can try to help Lozar secure supplies, 
  which they might use as a way of getting on his good 
  side or as an opportunity to handle his luggage without 
  arousing suspicion. This requires first convincing 
  Lozar that the PCs are trustworthy enough to help him 
  track down his purchases—a task that requires either a 
  successful DC 15 Diplomacy check or a successful Bluff 
  check opposed by Lozar’s Sense Motive check. Once 
  they’ve earned his trust, they can either track down the 
  merchants who promised to sell him supplies (convincing 
  them to forget their petty grievances with a successful DC 
  15 Diplomacy or Intimidate check) or find new suppliers 
  with the high-quality goods necessary for an extended 
  excavation with a successful DC 15 Appraise or Survival 
  check. Helping Lozar in this way improves his attitude 
  by one step, grants the PCs a +2 bonus on any other skill 
  checks made to place the book among his belongings, 
  and give the PCs an opportunity to slip the book among 
  the fresh supplies with a successful Sleight of Hand check 
  opposed by Lozar’s Perception check.
  The players may devise yet other schemes that could 
  work, and the GM is encouraged to adapt to the players’ 
  plans using the above options as guidelines. As a rule of 
  thumb, completing the task should involve approximately 
  three skill checks. The PCs might also remember that 
  they befriended Mahu, the customs agent. Asking Mahu 
  to perform an unannounced inspection counts as asking 
  for lengthy or complicated aid, but his presence as an 
  official grants the PCs a +2 circumstance bonus on Bluff, 
  Diplomacy, Stealth, and similar skill checks to plant the 
  book among Lozar’s belongings.
  PCs interested in undermining Grandmaster Torch 
  might reveal their motives to Lozar, which gives him a 
  start and causes him to regard the PCs with suspicion 
  as he tries to determine whether they are friends or foes. 
  Convincing him that they are trustworthy and that he 
  should join them in misleading Torch uses the same 
  guidelines for giving the book to Lozar as a gift (see 
  above), except the skill check DCs and Lozar’s skill check 
  modifiers all increase by 2 to reflect his discomfort with 
  the entire situation.
  Faction Notes: In exchange for information, Qadira or 
  Sczarni PCs might need to plant a second scarab-marked 
  book elsewhere among Lozar’s belongings. Doing so 
  requires a second Sleight of Hand check if the PC uses 
  subterfuge. If the PC instead tries to convince Lozar to 
  accept or buy the books, Lozar only accepts the second 
  book if the PCs exceed the final Bluff or Diplomacy DC 
  by 2 or more.
  C2. The Dancing Dunes (CR 3 or CR 6)
  Madame Zelekhati was raised among a family of guides 
  in the strange Underdunes region of Osirion’s eastern 
  desert. She was not with her family when one of the 
  region’s infamous sand-slides buried them, but what she 
  took from them has served her well over the intervening 
  years. Her half-elven heritage has driven her both to 
  explore the lands across the Inner Sea and later to return 
  to her dune-ridden homeland. There her sorcerous 
  powers manifested, simultaneously awakening the ring 
  that she kept as a memento of her deceased family, when 
  she encountered a sandman, a sinister elemental creature. 
  Her ring—a mostly dormant ring of elemental command—
  allowed her to command the sandman, which she has 
  
  N
  C2. The Dancing Dunes
  1 square = 5 feet
  First Floor
  Second Floor
  10
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  10
  used as a spy and an instructor ever since. Despite their 
  best efforts, Zelekhati is unable to coax greater powers 
  out of the ring beyond its elemental control feature and 
  the ability to cast meld into stone three times per day.
  Passing off the sandman’s skill at sculpting its own 
  body as her own sorcerous abilities, she accumulated 
  considerable wealth as a performance artist and invested 
  the gold in acquiring performance space of her own at 
  the edge of the booming Eto Bazaar. The Dancing Dunes 
  serves as a teahouse by day, a cabaret in the evening, and 
  a den of ill repute in the latest hours of the night. Local 
  movers and shakers employ the Dancing Dunes as a 
  meeting place to discuss important deals, and the half-
  elven owner has learned that what her sandman is unable 
  to subdue in the evening, she can eavesdrop upon from 
  just inside the building’s stone walls.
  A spectacularly groomed garden of colorful sand occupies most 
  of this two-story cabaret’s ground floor. A narrow wooden 
  bridge winds about a trio of decorative obelisks dotting 
  the miniature desert. A lavish sitting area filled with divans 
  occupies the second-floor balcony granting a magnificent view 
  of the garden below. Private curtained chambers encircle 
  the garden, where lush rugs, soft mattresses, or piles of 
  throw pillows serve to cushion the repose of clientele in each 
  chamber. A door off the northern balcony opens to a staircase 
  leading down to the street, while another set of stairs to the 
  east leads down to the garden.
  The garden covers an area 40 feet to a side, and the 
  second story sits 15 feet above the ground floor. In the 
  evening, servants set up a small stage in the northwest 
  sand garden where performers can sing, dance, and 
  play instruments. Everburning torches provide normal 
  light during the evening performances. The self-styled 
  Madame Zelekhati draws like-minded entertainers, 
  though it is rare that she hires anyone without elven 
  heritage; anyone else would be vulnerable to her pet 
  sandman’s sleep aura.
  Entering the Dancing Dunes during the day is free, 
  but staying for a performance or entering after sundown 
  costs one gold piece. The servants insist on weapons 
  being peace-bound, increasing the time it takes to draw a 
  weapon to a full-round action. If the PCs ask for Madame 
  Zelekhati, the servants respond that she is presently with 
  a client but will be available shortly, and they inquire 
  about the PCs’ reason for visiting so that they might pass 
  the information along to their employer; allow the PCs to 
  
  Madame Zelekhati
  11
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  11
  attempt a DC 15 Bluff or Diplomacy to present themselves 
  as nonthreatening visitors, granting a +2 bonus on the 
  check if they claim to have magical dust for sale or have 
  elven members seeking employment. Minutes later, 
  Madame Zelekhati invites the PCs to stroll with around 
  her garden to talk business. Her starting attitude is 
  indifferent and she chats amenably to understand who it 
  is she’s dealing with.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 17 Perception check 
  while speaking with her notices the garden’s 
  patterns shifting subtly; exceeding the check 
  by 5 or more reveals that a roughly 5-foot-
  wide patch of sand seems to be moving 
  about the surface, leaving behind new 
  patterns as it travels. A PC can identify 
  this as an outsider with the earth subtype 
  with a DC 13 Knowledge (planes) check or 
  as a sandman with a DC 18 Knowledge 
  (planes) check. If the sandman notices 
  anyone watching it, it burrows 
  below the surface and hides, 
  awaiting 
  further 
  instructions 
  from Madame Zelekhati.
  With a successful DC 17 Sense 
  Motive check (DC 19 in Subtier 
  4–5), a PC notes that Zelekhati 
  has a nervous habit of twisting 
  the large stone ring on her hand, 
  particularly whenever she glances 
  at her garden. A PC who detects the 
  ring’s magic and succeeds at a DC 
  20 Spellcraft check identifies the ring’s meld with stone 
  feature; a successful DC 30 check identifies that it is a ring 
  of elemental command.
  Zelekhati feigns amusement at any insinuations that 
  she spies on clients or has any special means of learning 
  information beyond the rumors she overhears during 
  the day. She knows nothing of Grandmaster Torch and 
  takes umbrage at anyone trying to bully her around—
  especially on what she claims are false charges. The PCs 
  can try to pressure Zelekhati into revealing her secrets. 
  Only a well-delivered threat can rattle her nerves while 
  she’s in her own business; if a PC succeeds at a DC 22 
  Intimidate check (DC 24 in Subtier 4–5), she capitulates 
  to the Pathfinders’ demands. Demonstrating knowledge 
  of Zelekhati’s ring’s powers and her elemental servant 
  each grant a cumulative +2 circumstance modifier on 
  this check. If the PCs fail this check, she pretends to be 
  scared, using the moment to call her sandman to attack 
  the unwelcome guests.
  The PCs can also try to discover Madame Zelekhati’s 
  secret by spying on her, such as by staying at the 
  Dancing Dunes overnight, hiring on as a performer, or 
  sneaking in after the performances end. Before dawn, 
  Zelekhati stands in the middle of the garden’s bridge 
  and converses quietly with the sandman, giving it new 
  instructions and listening to what it has observed. 
  Zelekhati is willing to hire performers who succeed at 
  a DC 25 Perform check (elves and half-elves receive a +10 
  circumstance bonus on the check). Climbing the outer 
  walls requires a successful DC 20 Climb check, and any 
  Stealth checks are opposed by Zelekhati’s and the 
  sandman’s Perception checks. Slipping Madame 
  Zelekhati’s ring off her finger is very difficult, 
  and she receives a +10 circumstance bonus on 
  opposed Perception checks to notice any such 
  attempts; once she no longer has the ring, she 
  loses control of the sandman, which begins 
  destroying the Dancing Dunes. The GM can 
  use these values and the information above to 
  adapt the encounter based on the PCs’ plans.
  Convincing 
  Madame 
  Zelekhati 
  to 
  collaborate with the PCs is difficult, 
  for she sees little advantage in 
  helping strangers and may be 
  affronted by the PCs’ attempts 
  to 
  uncover 
  her 
  personal 
  secrets. She only agrees to 
  collaborate with the PCs if 
  they improve her attitude to 
  helpful and take the initiative 
  in misleading Grandmaster 
  Torch. She has little reason to 
  embroil herself in what is clearly a 
  feud between others yet finds the whole matter amusing 
  enough to play along.
  Creatures: Madame Zelekhati conducts business 
  strolling around the tranquility garden conversing 
  with potential clients until she gets a good idea of their 
  intentions. If she ever feels threatened, she leads them 
  onto the footbridges that cross the garden to expose 
  potential assailants to the sleep aura of the hidden 
  elemental.
  Subtier 1–2 (CR 4)
  MADAME ZELEKHATI 
  CR 1 
  Female half-elf sorcerer 2
  N Medium humanoid (elf, human)
  Init +2; Senses low-light vision; Perception +2
  DEFENSE
  AC 12, touch 12, flatfooted 10 (+2 Dex)
  hp 11 (2d6+2)
  Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +3; +2 vs. enchantments; Immune sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  
  12
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  12
  Melee dagger +0 (1d4-1/19–20)
  Ranged dagger +3 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities (CL 2nd; concentration +5)
  6/day—elemental ray (1d6+1 acid)
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +5)
  1st (5/day)—color spray (DC 14), mage armor
  0 (at will)—acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic, 
  message, touch of fatigue (DC 13)
  Bloodline elemental
  TACTICS
  Before Combat As her servants believe the PCs might be 
  dangerous, Zelekhati casts mage armor before meeting 
  with them.
  During Combat Zelekhati tries to keep away from the PCs, 
  attacking them with her elemental ray bloodline power and 
  augmenting her defenses with spells. If threatened by a 
  melee combatant, she casts color spray to disable her foes.
  Morale If the sandman falls, or if she is reduced to 5 hit points 
  or fewer, she casts invisibility from a scroll and flees.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 17
  Base Atk +1; CMB +0; CMD 12
  Feats Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Skill Focus (Acrobatics)
  Skills Acrobatics +9, Bluff +7, Knowledge (arcana) +5, 
  Knowledge (planes) +5, Perception +2, Perform (dance) +5, 
  Sense Motive +1, Spellcraft +5
  Languages Common, Elven, Osiriani
  SQ bloodline arcana (change energy damage spells to match 
  bloodline energy), elf blood
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, scroll of invisibility, 
  scroll of shield, wand of share memoryUM (5 charges), 
  sneezing powder; Other Gear dagger, ring of elemental 
  command (dormant), entertainer’s outfit, 43 gp
  SANDMAN 
  CR 3
  hp 30 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 236) 
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The sandman hides in the sand and reverts to 
  humanoid form if it expects combat.
  During Combat The sandman moves to get as many 
  opponents as possible in its sleep aura, readying an action 
  to attack any creature that approaches. It then concentrates 
  attacks on any creature not sleeping or those attempting to 
  awaken others.
  Morale The sandman fights to the death to protect Madame 
  Zelekhati.
  Subtier 4–5 (CR 7)
  MADAME ZELEKHATI 
  CR 3 
  Female half-elf sorcerer 4
  N Medium humanoid (elf, human)
  Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +2
  DEFENSE
  AC 12, touch 12, flatfooted 10 (+2 Dex)
  hp 22 (4d6+6)
  Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +4; +2 vs. enchantments; Immune sleep
  Resist acid 10
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee dagger +1 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Ranged dagger +4 (1d4–1/19–20)
  Bloodline Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +8)
  7/day—elemental ray (1d6+2 acid)
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +8)
  2nd (4/day)—glitterdust (DC 16)
  1st (7/day)— burning hands (DC 15), charm person (DC 15), 
  color spray (DC 15), mage armor
  0 (at will)—acid splash, dancing lights, detect magic, light, 
  message, touch of fatigue (DC 14)
  Bloodline elemental
  TACTICS
  Before Combat As her servants believe the PCs might be 
  dangerous, Zelekhati casts mage armor before meeting 
  with them.
  During Combat Zelekhati tries to keep away from the PCs, 
  attacking them with her elemental ray bloodline power and 
  augmenting her defenses with spells. If threatened by a 
  melee combatant, she casts color spray to disable her foes.
  Morale If both of the sandmen fall, or if she is reduced to 9 hit 
  points or fewer, she casts invisibility from a scroll and flees.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 18
  Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 11
  Feats Combat Casting, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, 
  Skill Focus (Acrobatics)
  Skills Acrobatics +10, Bluff +9, Knowledge (arcana) +6, 
  Knowledge (planes) +6, Perception +2, Perform (dance) +9, 
  Sense Motive +5, Spellcraft +5
  Languages Common, Elven, Terran
  SQ bloodline arcana (change energy damage spells to acid), 
  elf blood
  Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (2), scroll of 
  invisibility, scroll of shield, scroll of see invisibility, wand of 
  share memoryUM (10 charges), sneezing powder (2); Other 
  Gear dagger, ring of earth elemental command (dormant), 
  entertainer’s outfit, 53 gp
  ADVANCED SANDMEN (2) 
  CR 4
  hp 38 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 236, 292)
  Faction Notes: Grandmaster Torch prefers that 
  Zelekhati serve him as a contact without ruining her 
  entirely. As a result, he may have instructed Sczarni 
  or Qadira faction PCs to earn Madame Zelekhati’s 
  cooperation without resorting to physical violence. 
  
  N
  C3. Beggars’ Alley
  1 square = 5 feet
  T
  Hired Thugs
  K
  Kura Shehr
  T
  T
  K
  Pathfinder Map Pack: Slums
  13
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  13
  SCALING ENCOUNTER C2
  Make the following adjustments to accommodate a group 
  of only four PCs.
  Subtier 1–2: The sandman remains in sand form for the 
  encounter.
  Subtier 4–5: Remove one advanced sandman from the 
  encounter, and grant the remaining sandman 10 temporary 
  hit points.
  Successfully resolving the encounter without combat 
  fulfills this condition.
  Rewards: If the PCs fail to learn Madame Zelekhati’s 
  secrets or fail to defeat her and her sandman in combat, 
  reduce each PC’s gold earned as follows. In addition, 
  cross the dormant ring of earth elemental command off the 
  Chronicle sheet if the PCs did not acquire it.
  Subtier 1–2: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 139 gp.
  Out of Subtier: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 353 gp.
  Subtier 4–5: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 568 gp.
  C3. Hundredfingers Hideout (CR 4 or CR 7)
  Two rows of decrepit wooden shacks are separated by an alley 
  that serves more as a filthy runnel than a pathway. Broken 
  wooden doors do little to keep the elements or vermin out, but 
  there is little within to steal. Few of the shacks boast more than 
  a chair or two and several threadbare bedrolls. 
  This collection of hovels and lean-tos serve as the 
  official hideout for the Hundredfingers gang, a band of 
  cutpurses and beggars comprised of human orphans 
  and a handful of adolescent halflings that pose as 
  human children. Several days ago, a boy from the 
  Hundredfingers gang overheard a conversation between 
  a Thuvian apothecary and a local purveyor of medicinal 
  
  14
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  14
  salves about a possible miracle cure for terrible burns, 
  necrosis, and withering—even such ailments caused by 
  magical or supernatural means. When the apothecary 
  noticed the curious eavesdropper, she asked the waif if 
  he’d seen anyone with terrible burns or scars. The naive 
  orphan revealed that sometimes his gang worked for “the 
  scarred man in a tub,” prompting the Thuvian to ask the 
  child to pass along word to the scarred man that she had 
  something special for him.
  When Naleth (N female halfling commoner 1/rogue 1), 
  the oldest cutpurse of the Hundredfingers gang heard the 
  story, she knew it sounded suspicious. After finding where 
  the apothecary was staying in the city, the halfling rifled 
  through the contents of the room and found a praying 
  mantis preserved in amber. As virtually everyone around 
  the Inner Sea has heard of the legendary Red Mantis 
  assassins, Naleth immediately feared for safety of her gang. 
  She put word out that every member of the Hundredfingers 
  needed to lie low and made it known in the bazaar that her 
  gang had important news for the scarred man. She certainly 
  wasn’t ready to stick out her neck for Grandmaster Torch 
  (especially not after seeing the Thuvian casing the area), but 
  perhaps he would risk the neck of one of his agents. It might 
  not be the best plan, but her fear of the legendary assassins 
  keeps her from risking anything more creative.
  Creatures: The Thuvian Kura Shehr is not a Red Mantis 
  Assassin but spies for the organization. For the past 2 days, 
  she has kept a close watch on the Hundredfingers gang, 
  hoping that a member would run to Grandmaster Torch 
  and reveal his hiding place. Her plan hasn’t worked, and she 
  has hired a pair of thugs to maraud about the slums and 
  flush out the young thieves. As the PCs arrive in Beggar’s 
  Alley, Kura Shehr is ambling up and down the street selling 
  herbal remedies and keeping watch for fleeing halflings.
  She passes by the PCs, advertising salves that she claims 
  can restore flesh as readily as the legendary sun orchid elixir 
  restores youth—a sales pitch she has been using to lure 
  out the agents of Grandmaster Torch. Adventurers rarely 
  have reason to visit Beggar’s Alley, so she tries to initiate 
  small talk to learn more about them. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 15 Perception check while she’s speaking notices 
  her amber talisman, and can identify its significance as a 
  token of the Red Mantis Assassins with a successful DC 12 
  Knowledge (local or religion) check.
  Unless the PCs ask about the Hundredfingers or reveal 
  some connection to Grandmaster Torch, Kura concludes 
  any sales and walks on and slips between some hovels to 
  wait for her hired muscle to arrive. If the PCs do mention 
  interesting information, Kura encourages them to share 
  what they know as subtly as she can. In her estimation, the 
  PCs might lead her back to Torch willingly or unwillingly, 
  and if the PCs are true allies of the scarred man, then their 
  deaths in the upcoming fracas would be to her patrons’ 
  advantage; in fact, leaving the PCs dead is best, as it means 
  no one can report back to Torch about her espionage. She 
  would rather procure an address than an escort to Torch, 
  as she tries to avoid possible ambushes. If the PCs seem 
  sincere in their desire to sell out Grandmaster Torch and 
  succeed at a DC 20 Bluff or Diplomacy check, Kura Shehr 
  decides that the PCs are more useful alive than dead and 
  does not participate in the imminent combat encounter. 
  Instead, add a third hired goon to the encounter.
  Once Kura and the PCs have had an opportunity to 
  talk, Kura’s hired goons arrive and begin breaking down 
  shacks, pushing over tent poles, and causing enough 
  ruckus that several of the Hundredfingers gang break 
  from hiding and begin to flee. The goons have been 
  looking forward to this assignment and include the PCs 
  in their attack, even if Kura tries to call them off.
  Subtier 1–2 (CR 3)
  HIRED THUGS (2) 
    
  CR 1/2 
  Human rogue 1
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +3; Senses Perception +4
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 13, flatfooted 12 (+2 armor, +3 Dex)
  hp 13 each (1d8+5) 
  Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +0 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee sap +2 (1d6+2 nonlethal) or 
  dagger +2 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Ranged dagger +3 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The hired thugs scatter caltrops at the ends of 
  the street.
  During Combat The hired thugs flank a target and use Sap 
  Adept to increase their nonlethal sneak attack damage.
  Morale If a hired thug drops to 3 or fewer hit points, he flees or 
  surrenders.
  STATISTICS 
  Str 14, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
  Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 15
  Feats Sap AdeptUC, Toughness
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Appraise +5, Climb +6, Disable Device +7, 
  Escape Artist +7, Heal +4, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (local) +5, 
  Perception +4, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7
  Languages Common, Kelish, Osiriani
  SCALING ENCOUNTER C3
  To accommodate a group of only four PCs, give the thugs the 
  sickened condition. They have shown up to the job drunk.
  
  15
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  15
  SQ trapfinding +1
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, tanglefoot bag, bag 
  of caltrops; Other Gear leather armor, sap, dagger, thieves’ 
  tools, 23 gp
  KURA SHEHR 
    
  CR 1
  Female human expert 1/rogue 1
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +2; Senses Perception +4
  DEFENSE
  AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +2 Dex)
  hp 15 (2d8+3)
  Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +1
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee short sword +1 (1d6+1/19–20) or 
  sap +1 (1d6+1 nonlethal)
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +3 (1d4/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Kura stealthily climbs on top of a shack and 
  readies her hand crossbow.
  During Combat Kura throws a thunderstone among the PCs 
  to deafen them and scare the Hundredfingers to flight. She 
  snipes at the PCs from the relative safety of the roof, leaping 
  to nearby roofs to escape a melee threat.
  Morale If both of the hired thugs fall or flee, Kura attempts to 
  flee, disappearing among the shacks.
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 12
  Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 13
  Feats Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot
  Skills Acrobatics +6, Bluff +6, Climb +5, Craft (alchemy) +6, 
  Disable Device +7, Disguise +6, Intimidate +5, Knowledge 
  (local) +7, Perception +4, Profession (herbalist) +3, Sense 
  Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +7
  Languages Common, Kelish, Osiriani
  SQ trapfinding +1
  Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (2), tanglefoot bag, 
  thunderstone; Other Gear leather armor, short sword, mwk 
  hand crossbow with 10 bolts, sap, alchemy kit, disguise kit, 
  thieves tools, 43 gp
  Subtier 4–5 (CR 6)
  HIRED THUGS (2) 
    
  CR 2
  Male human rogue 3
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +7; Senses Perception +7
  DEFENSE 
  AC 16, touch 13, flatfooted 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex)
  hp 26 each (3d8+9)
  Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +1
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1
  OFFENSE 
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk sap +6 (1d6+2 nonlethal) or 
  mwk dagger +6 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Ranged mwk dagger +6 (1d4+2/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6
  TACTICS 
  Before Combat The hired thugs drink their potions of blur and 
  scatter caltrops at the ends of the street.
  During Combat The hired thugs flank a target and use Sap 
  Adept to increase their nonlethal sneak attack damage.
  Morale If a hired thug drops to 7 or fewer hit points, he flees 
  or surrenders.
  STATISTICS 
  Str 14, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 8
  Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 17
  Feats Improved Initiative, Sap AdeptUC, Toughness, Weapon 
  Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +9, Appraise +7, Climb +8, Disable Device +11, 
  Escape Artist +9, Heal +6, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (local) +7, 
  Perception +6, Stealth +9
  Languages Common, Kelish, Osiriani
  SQ rogue talents (finesse rogue), trapfinding +1
  Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (2), potion of blur, 
  bag of caltrops, tanglefoot bag; Other Gear mwk studded 
  leather armor, mwk sap, mwk dagger, dagger, mwk thieves 
  tools, 83 gp
  KURA SHEHR 
    
  CR 5
  Female human expert 1/rogue 5
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +3; Senses Perception +8
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +3 Dex)
  hp 47 (6d8+17)
  Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk short sword +5 (1d6+1/19–20) or 
  sap +4 (1d6+1 nonlethal)
  Ranged +1 hand crossbow +7 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +3d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Kura stealthily climbs on top of a shack and 
  readies her hand crossbow.
  During Combat Kura throws a thunderstone among the PCs 
  to deafen them and scare the Hundredfingers to flight. She 
  snipes at the PCs from the relative safety of the roof, leaping 
  to nearby roofs to escape a melee threat.
  Morale If both of the hired thugs fall or flee, Kura attempts to 
  flee, disappearing among the shacks.
  
  16
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  16
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 12
  Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 17
  Feats Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload (hand 
  crossbow), Toughness
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Bluff +10, Climb +7, Craft (alchemy) +9, 
  Disable Device +12, Disguise +10, Intimidate +8, Knowledge 
  (local) +11, Perception +8, Profession (herbalist) +6, Sense 
  Motive +8, Sleight of Hand +12, Stealth +12
  Languages Common, Kelish, Osiriani
  SQ rogue talents (bleeding attack +3, fast stealth), trapfinding +2
  Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (2), potion of 
  cure moderate wounds, potion of blur, tanglefoot bag, 
  thunderstone; Other Gear mwk mithral chain shirt, +1 hand 
  crossbow with 10 bolts, mwk short sword, sap, alchemy kit, 
  disguise kit, thieves’ tools, 37 gp
  Development: If Kura escapes the PCs, she immediately 
  prepares to leave the city—that night if possible. Once 
  Naleth Hundredfingers believes the coast is clear, he 
  emerges from his hiding spot, greets the PCs, and asks if 
  they’re friends of the scarred man. He requests that the 
  PCs either escort him to Grandmaster Torch to deliver 
  a message or deliver the message for him. His message 
  is that “The Red Mantis is searching Eto for a scarred 
  man.” When Torch hears this, he gives a noncommittal 
  grunt and remarks that persistence does not guarantee a 
  successful assassination.
  If the PCs flee the combat, Naleth and the other 
  Hundredfingers try to flee, though the thugs subdue 
  and interrogate several of them to learn of Torch’s 
  whereabouts. Finding Naleth or the other cutpurses after 
  this happens is virtually impossible.
  Faction Notes: Although Grandmaster Torch could 
  not instruct Qadira or Sczarni faction PCs to capture 
  Kura Shehr to keep her from reporting to the Red Mantis 
  Assassins, he appreciates the PCs’ capturing her or 
  killing her to keep the assassins in the dark. If the Qadira 
  or Sczarni faction PCs fail in their assigned mission, 
  Grandmaster Torch considers silencing Kura Shehr as an 
  equally worthy favor in place of his assigned task. If both 
  Qadira and Sczarni faction PCs are present, and neither 
  group succeeded at its assigned goals, Torch chooses one 
  faction at random to reward in this way.
  Rewards: If the PCs fail to retrieve Naleth’s message 
  and fight off the hired thugs, reduce each PC’s gold 
  earned as follows.
  Subtier 1–2: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 138 gp.
  Out of Subtier: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 355 gp.
  Subtier 4–5: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 572 gp.
  D. WELL OF SERPENTS (CR 3 or CR 6)
  Before Eto began taxing those who entered its gates, this 
  low ruin was a way station for water sellers. A century 
  ago, the water in the well fouled and all but disappeared, 
  a phenomenon the church of Sarenrae traced to a local 
  guide who secretly led a small cult of Apep. Church 
  inquisitors rid Eto of the cult and sealed the well, never 
  realizing that the shrine to the snake god existed at its 
  bottom. After the passage of many years, the seal has 
  crumbled, opening the way to the treasures of the dark 
  shrine. A recent string of snakebite deaths has plagued 
  the immediate area around the outpost, and the people of 
  Eto avoid the area.
  Wild grasses hug the low walls surrounding the wide 
  mouth of the well. The opening is 15 feet wide at the top 
  but narrows to a width of about 5 feet at the bottom 30 
  feet below. A DC 15 Climb check is required to safely 
  descend the well. About 2 feet of sediment-laden water 
  occupies the bottom of the well, obscuring a submerged 
  kura Shehr
  
  N
  D. Well of Serpents
  1 square = 5 feet
  17
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  17
  SCALING ENCOUNTER D
  To accommodate a group of four PCs, remove one venomous 
  snake or amphisbaena from the encounter and apply the 
  advanced simple template to the remaining serpent.
  horizontal shaft large enough for a Medium creature to 
  crawl through. When the PCs reach the underground 
  shrine, read or paraphrase the following.
  A dark pool fills the center of this vast chamber spilling out 
  of its cracked basin. The trickle of water flows west through 
  a short tunnel of rough-hewn stone and pools at the bottom 
  of a collapsed well. Alcoves set in the walls give the illusion 
  of staring at the flared hood of a cobra. Two altars face 
  each other across the pool in the chamber’s northwest and 
  southeast corners. A statue of a robed human male stands in 
  the northeast corner, and what must have been its twin lies 
  toppled in the southwest corner. 
  The shrine is completely dark. A lingering blessing 
  placed on the shrine by worshipers of Apep dampens 
  any light source, reducing the radius of its illumination 
  by half. In addition, the blessing grants snakes and 
  serpentine creatures in the area darkvision 60 feet. A 
  PC can identify the area as an unholy shrine to Apep, a 
  snake god of Ancient Osirion whose portfolio included 
  dangerous rapids, drowning, and darkness that consumes 
  all light.
  Creatures: Two venomous snakes (Subtier 1–2) or a 
  pair of amphisbaena (Subtier 4–5 ) call this shrine home 
  and instinctively protect the twin altars of Apep. The 
  serpents instinctively recognize holy symbols of Sarenrae 
  and other gods with the sun domain, all of which cause 
  the snakes to hiss irritably.
  Subtier 1–2 (CR 3)
  VENOMOUS SNAKES (2) 
    
  CR 1
  hp 13 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 255) 
  TACTICS
  During Combat The snakes attack anyone who approaches 
  either altar—especially those carrying light sources or holy 
  symbols of sun gods.
  Morale These snakes fight to the death to defend Apep’s shrine.
  
  18
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  18
  CONCLUSION
  Once the PCs complete (or at least attempt) all of 
  Grandmaster Torch’s tasks to his satisfaction, he fulfills 
  his part of the bargain by giving them several old maps. 
  One is a map of Osirion, clearly marking Eto and an 
  unnamed site to the north. The second map has a much 
  smaller scale and marks the route between Eto and the 
  mystery location. The last sheet has a charcoal drawing 
  that depicts two large rock outcroppings connected by 
  a smooth wall with a single gate. It is entitled “Seeker’s 
  Folly” and signed “V.L.” With a successful DC 15 
  Linguistics check, a PC can recognize that the writing 
  on the map and the writing on the list of tasks Torch 
  assigned are identical; Torch sneers if the PCs comment 
  on the similarity, remarking, “There are some parts of 
  my past that I’d rather not revisit. Thank you for picking 
  at old wounds, Pathfinders.”
  Once the PCs have had an opportunity to review the 
  papers, Torch explains, “Those will take you where you 
  want to go. Deviate from the path only if you know what 
  you’re doing. Otherwise, stick to the landmarks.” He 
  pauses to consider another thought. “Normally this is 
  where I would say ‘pleasure doing business with you.’ 
  However,” he adds with a grisly grin, “I’m going to 
  throw you something extra for free—just because I’m 
  such a caring individual. You’re not the only ones who 
  know about that site. I hear a group of foreigners set out 
  from Totra not too long ago and are after the same prize. 
  Sounds like there’s no time to waste.”
  If the PCs attempted to undermine any of Torch’s 
  errands (see the Seeking Revenge sidebar on page 7) but 
  failed one or more of the skill checks to conceal their 
  treachery, Torch comments aloud about it as the PCs leave 
  (for example, “Very clever how you tried to sabotage my 
  rivalry with Ionacu. I’m sure he’ll have a most interesting 
  trip, thanks to you.”). Give the PCs the Reckless Revenge 
  boon on their Chronicle sheets. If the PCs successfully 
  undermined one or more tasks and were never caught 
  by Torch, instead give them the Subtle Revenge boon on 
  their Chronicle sheets.
  Faction Notes: As part of this last meeting, Torch 
  also provides Qadira and Sczarni faction PCs with the 
  information they requested—so long as they fulfilled 
  the extra condition that he named. He informs Qadira 
  faction PCs that he has a contact that his friend Aaqir 
  al’Hakam may not have considered before, and Torch is 
  willing to send details directly to the faction’s leader. 
  “From what I recall,” he muses, “al’Hakam tried to set 
  up shop in the ports of Varisia, but he never paid much 
  attention to the true trade hub on the Storval Plateau. Let 
  him know to expect word from Kaer Maga.”
  He admits to Sczarni faction PCs that he worked with 
  several of Guaril’s enemies—in a professional capacity 
  Subtier 4–5 (CR 6)
  AMPHISBAENA (2) 
    
  CR 4
  hp 45 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 25)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The amphisbaenas attack anyone who 
  approaches either altar—especially those carrying light 
  sources or holy symbols of sun gods.
  Morale The amphisbaenas fight to the death to defend 
  Apep’s shrine.
  Treasure: With a successful DC 20 Perception check, 
  the PCs can find a secret compartment in the intact 
  statues base. The compartment contains several items, 
  including a burial mask carved from lapis lazuli worth 
  500 gp, three clay tablets describing funerary practices, 
  and a rod of the viper carved from a single piece of petrified 
  wood to look like a fanged serpent. In Subtier 1–2, the 
  third clay tablet is a scroll with the spells deathwatch and 
  false life. In Subtier 4–5, the second tablet is also a scroll 
  with the spells gentle repose and speak with dead.
  Development: Once the serpent guardians are defeated, 
  the shrine presents no further immediate threat to the 
  PCs; however, the darkness enchantment continues to 
  shroud the area, attract more serpents over time, and 
  taint the water. A PC can dispel the lingering magic by 
  casting bless, consecrate, or any 2nd-level or stronger spell 
  with the light descriptor.
  Bringing the relics here to Torch in Eto requires 
  dealing with the customs agent Mahu or devising 
  some way to sneak them over the walls without the gate 
  guards noticing. Mahu inspects the PCs’ gear unless 
  convinced not to with a successful Bluff check (at least 
  an unlikely lie) or Diplomacy (a favor that could result 
  in punishment). If the PCs improved Mahu’s attitude to 
  friendly or helpful, he is much more willing to expedite 
  the PCs’ passage into Eto, and he takes a –2 penalty on 
  Perception and Sense Motive checks to spot the relics 
  or see through any ruse. If Mahu finds the relics, he 
  levies a tax of 15 gp per relic he found (25 per relic in 
  Subtier 4–5), though he might be convinced to waive 
  the fee—just this once—as another favor (treat this as 
  complicated aid).
  Faction Notes: Grandmaster Torch would prefer  that 
  nobody know these artifacts ever entered the city, and 
  he may have instructed Qadira or Sczarni faction PCs to 
  smuggle them back undetected. If the PCs return the items 
  to Torch without Mahu or other Eto authorities detecting 
  them, these PCs fulfill this condition.
  Rewards: If the PCs fail to deliver the hidden relics to 
  Grandmaster Torch, reduce each PC’s gold earned as follows.
  Subtier 1–2: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 239 gp.
  Out of Subtier: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 474 gp.
  Subtier 4–5: Reduce each PC’s gold earned by 710 gp.
  
  19
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  19
  with no malice intended, he insists matter-of-factly. 
  He finds wry amusement in Guaril’s confusion as to 
  who wants him dead, rhetorically asking if Guaril even 
  remembers the Gael family that he humiliated and 
  ruined not even a year ago. “Guaril ruined the Gaels 
  reputation and finances, but they’ve called in several 
  favors and accepted several large debts in the interest of 
  tearing apart the Karela family. “I’ll admit that Sczarni 
  honor remains a puzzle to me, but it’s good business,” 
  Torch remarks with a sneer. “The Gaels are hiding in the 
  one place where any refugee is welcome, nobody asks too 
  many questions, and it’s rather easy to hire some extra 
  help: Kaer Maga, The City of Strangers.”
  Reporting Notes
  If the PCs successfully sabotaged at least one of 
  Grandmaster Torch’s tasks, check box A on the reporting 
  sheet. If Grandmaster Torch never learned of the PCs’ 
  sabotage, also check box B. If Kura Shehr survived the 
  scenario and was able to report back to the Red Mantis 
  Assassins, check box C. If members of the Sczarni 
  faction learned the identity of Guaril Karela’s enemy, 
  check box D.
  Primary Success Condition
  The PCs successfully complete their main mission by 
  fulfilling Grandmaster Torch’s tasks and receiving the maps 
  to Seeker’s Folly. Doing so earns each PC 1 Prestige Point.
  Secondary Success Condition
  The PCs successfully complete their secondary mission 
  if they finish the scenario in possession of Amenopheus’s 
  geode and are not caught sabotaging one of Grandmaster 
  Torch’s missions more than once; he finds a single show 
  of rebellion amusing but begins to act against the Society 
  if he senses any further insubordination.
  Faction Notes Members of several factions have the 
  opportunity to learn important information or contribute 
  to ongoing goals during this scenario.
  Qadira Faction: Qadira faction PCs can learn of new 
  contacts for Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam by bargaining 
  with Grandmaster Torch for the information and fulfilling 
  an additional condition for him over the course of the 
  scenario. Fulfilling this objective earns Qadira faction PCs 
  the No Stranger to the City boon on their Chronicle sheets.
  Osirion Faction: Completing this scenario contributes 
  directly to the Osirion faction’s goals, and Osirion 
  faction PCs have no additional conditions to fulfill. Give 
  all Osirion faction PCs who complete this scenario the 
  Seeking the Sages boon on their Chronicle sheets.
  Sczarni Faction: Sczarni faction PCs can learn who is 
  seeking faction leader Guaril Karela’s death and where 
  they’re hiding by bargaining with Grandmaster Torch for 
  the information and fulfilling an additional condition 
  for him over the course of the scenario. Fulfilling this 
  objective earns Sczarni faction PCs the Armed to the 
  Teeth boon on their Chronicle sheets.
  
  20
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  20
  PLAYER HANDOUT: TORCH’S TASKS
  The academic Ionacu Lozar from the Sinomakti School 
  of Sciences is preparing for an expedition to a site 
  in the Pillars of the Sun. I have a scarab-marked 
  prayer book dedicated to the god Khepri that needs 
  to be placed among his personal effects without him 
  suspecting anything is amiss.
  An associate has delivered a shipment of valuable 
  Osirian artifacts to just outside Eto. She claims that 
  the objects are hidden inside a dry well southeast of 
  the Sunrise Gate. Retrieve these and bring them to me. 
  The magic rod is of particular importance; everything 
  else is expendable.
  The half-elf Madam Zelekhati, owner the establishment 
  called the Dancing Dunes, is most adept at acquiring 
  secrets, and I need you to find out how she does it— 
  no doubt it’s something she’d rather keep hidden from 
  authorities. Further, convince her to share what she 
  already knows with me. Threaten to reveal her secret 
  if she’s stubborn. End the scheme if all else fails.
  I recently heard that the leader of the Hundredfingers 
  gang had an important message for my ears only. Track 
  them down, get the message, resolve any loose ends, and 
  report back to me.
  
  21
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  A BITTER BARGAIN
  21
  Event
  GM #
  GM Character #
  GM Prestige Earned
  GM Name
  Date
  A
  B
  C
  D
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Cheliax
  Sczarni
  Andoran
  Qadira
  Osirion
  Taldor
  Grand Lodge
  Silver Crusade
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–12: 
    Destiny of the Sands, Part 1: A Bitter Bargain
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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  Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
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  routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity 
  and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly 
  identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work 
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  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors: 
  Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary 
  Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Amphisbaena from the Tome of Horrors Complete © 2011, Necromancer 
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  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–12 Destiny of the Sands, Part 1: A Bitter Bargain 
  © 2014, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Scott Fernandez
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, and Pathfinder are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, 
  and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2014 Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  Available Now
  Mythic Adventures lets you play a hero that is a cut above the ordinary sellsword, more powerful 
  than your average hedge wizard, and able to take on challenges far beyond those of your ordinary 
  contemporaries. With powers and abilities beyond the reach of mere mortals, a mythic character 
  takes on the agents of deities and rushes headlong into the abyss. GO BE LEGENDARY.
  myTHIc
  adveNTUres
  myTHIc
  adveNTUres
  myTHIc
  adveNTUres
  FROM LEGENDARY DEEDS  
  COME LEGENDARY HEROES
  FROM LEGENDARY DEEDS  
  COME LEGENDARY HEROES
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Paizo, Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo 
  Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2014 Paizo Publishing, LLC.
  Available Now!
  Woe to you, O earth and sea, for Bestiary 4 comes packed full of more beasties from lore and 
  literature. From Cthulhu to nosferatu, dragons to demon lords, Bestiary 4 is an indispensible volume 
  of more than 250 monsters for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
  BesTiary 4
  BesTiary 4
  BesTiary 4
  4 THE NUMBER OF THE BESTIARY
  THE NUMBER OF THE BESTIARY
  
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
   
  Player Name  
  A.K.A.
   
  Character Name 
  Pathfinder Society # 
  Faction
  –
   
  EVENT  
  EVENT CODE  
  DATE 
  Game Master’s Signature 
  GM Pathfinder Society #
  For GM Only
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
  This Chronicle sheet grants access to the following:
  Starting XP
  EXPERIENCE
  GM’s
  Initials
  GM’s
  Initials
  GM’s
  Initials
  GM’s
  Initials
  XP Gained (GM ONLY)
  Final XP Total
  +
  +
  +
  +
  =
  =
  FAME
  Initial Prestige
  Initial Fame
  Prestige Gained (GM ONLY)
  –
  –
  Prestige Spent
  Current  
  Prestige
  Final 
  Fame
  Starting GP
  GP Gained (GM ONLY)
  Day Job (GM ONLY)
  Gold Spent
  Total
  GOLD
  MAX GOLD
  Notes
  Character Chronicle #
  1–2
  258
  516
  4–5
  925
  1,850
  Out of
  subtier
  591
  1,183
  —
  —
  —
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–12: 
  Destiny of the Sands, Part 1:
  A Bitter Bargain
  Armed to the Teeth (Sczarni Faction): Now that Guaril knows where his enemies hide, he is sparing 
  no expense to ensure his agents are prepared for anything. The next time you travel to Kaer Maga for a 
  Pathfinder Society mission, Guaril Karela gives you a single item worth up to 250 gp. You don’t have to 
  choose the item until the mission begins.
  No Stranger to the City (Qadira Faction): The Trade Prince Aaqir al’Hakam has turned his gaze upon 
  Kaer Maga, and he quickly draws on available research to ensure you are well acquainted with the City 
  of Strangers. You gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (local) checks regarding Kaer Maga, and can make 
  such checks even if untrained. You may cross this boon off your Chronicle sheet to reroll a single Bluff, 
  Diplomacy, or Intimidate check made to influence a citizen of Kaer Maga.
  Reckless Revenge: You chose to undermine Torch’s schemes in Osirion, but he easily identified 
  your plans. You have developed a reputation as one who seeks Torch’s downfall, even if you are not 
  always successful.
  Seeking the Sages (Osirion Faction): You are in pursuit of the legacy of the Jeweled Sages, which 
  Amenopheus believes is very close at hand. Having this boon contributes to events later in the Destiny 
  of the Sands storyline and does not grant any benefits at this time.
  Subtle Revenge: You chose to undermine Torch’s schemes in Osirion, and it seems he never found 
  out about your sabotage. This may lead him to miscalculate a risk or fail at an important scheme in 
  the future.
  All Subtiers
  Subtier 4-5
  Dormant ring of earth elemental command (casts 
  meld with stone [CL 5th] once per day on command; 
  fully activating the ring may require a special task 
  and the expenditure of additional gold; 5,400 gp)
  Scroll of false life (150 gp)
  Scroll of invisibility (150 gp)
  Wand of share memory (5 charges; 450 gp, limit 1; 
  Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Magic 238)
  Scroll of gentle repose (375 gp)
  Scroll of see invisibility (150 gp)
  Scroll of speak with dead (375 gp)
  Wand of share memory (10 charges; 900 gp, limit 1; 
  Ultimate Magic 238)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Society/Season 05/S05-12 Destiny of the Sands, Pt 1 - A Bitter Bargain.pdf