TEXT: A  GAMEMASTERY
  TM   ADVENTURE PATH
  Curse of the Crimson throne
  By Greg A. Vaughan
  Skeletons
  of Scarwall
  
  Magistrates
  Arb iters
  Aristocracy
  Monarchy
  House 
  Arkona
  House 
  Leroung
  House 
  Ornelos
  House 
  Zenderhol m
  House 
  Jeggare
  Korvosan Hierarchy
  King Eodred
  Arabasti II
  Senrschal
  Neolandus Kalepo polis
  Queen Ileosa
  Arabasti
  Order of the Nail
  Sab ina 
  Merrin
  Lictor Severs 
  Diviri
  Mistress of Blades
  Maidrayne Vox
  Paravicar
  Acill mar
  Korvosan 
  Guard
  Sable 
  Company
  Field Marshall
  Cressida  Kroft
  Commandant
  Marcus T halassinus
  Commerce: Garrick Tann
  Expenditures: Syk Gar
  Regulation: Lolia Perenne
  T ourism: Mercer Cucuteni
  Senior Arb iter
  Zenob ia Zenderhol m
  Lesser Arb iters
  
  ADVENTURE PATH      PART 5 of 6
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  Skeletons 
  of Scarwall
  
  TM
  “Skeletons of Scarwall” is a Pathfinder Adventure Path scenario designed for four 12th-level characters. By the end of this adventure, characters should reach 14th level. This adventure is compliant with the Open Game 
  License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game. The OGL can be found on page 92 of this product.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper 
  names (characters, deities, artifacts, places, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.
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  Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Game License and the d20 
  System License, please visit wizards.com/d20.
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  All Rights Reserved. Printed in China.
  Credits
  Editor-in-Chief • James Jacobs
  Art Director • Sarah E. Robinson
  Managing Editor • F. Wesley Schneider
  Editors • Mike McArtor and James L. Sutter
  Editorial Assistance • Jason Bulmahn, Jacob Burgess, Joshua J. Frost,
  Erik Mona, Christopher Self, and Vic Wertz
  Graphic Design Assistance • Drew Pocza
  Managing Art Director • James Davis
  Production Manager • Jeff Alvarez
  Director of Sales & Marketing • Joshua J. Frost
  Online Retail Coordinator • Jacob Burgess
  Publisher • Erik Mona
  Cover Artist
  Wayne Reynolds
  Cartographer
  Rob Lazzaretti
  Contributing Artists
  Julie Dillon, Andrew Hou, JZConcepts, Ben Wootten, Eva Widermann, Kevin Yan
  Contributing Authors
  Sean K Reynolds, James L. Sutter, Greg A. Vaughan
  Paizo CEO • Lisa Stevens
  Corporate Accountant • Dave Erickson
  Staff Accountant • Christopher Self
  Technical Director • Vic Wertz
  Vice President of Operations • Jeff Alvarez
  Special Thanks
  The Paizo Customer Service and Warehouse Teams
  
  Table of Contents
  Foreword	
  4
  Skeletons	of	Scarwall	
  6
  by Greg A. Vaughan
   
  The	Hold	of	Belkzen	
  58
  by James L. Sutter
  Zon-Kuthon	
  64
  by Sean K Reynolds
  Pathfinder’s	Journal	
  70
  by James L. Sutter
  Bestiary	
  76 
  by Sean K Reynolds and Greg A. Vaughan
  Pregenerated	Characters 
  90
  Preview	
  92	
   
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  4
  T
  raditionally, gothic literature concerns itself 
  with the inspiration of deep emotion, though the 
  term has largely become synonymous with a kind 
  of antique dread—crumbling cathedrals, forgotten 
  fortresses, 
  nightly 
  curses—elements 
  evocative 
  of 
  timeworn terrors. When Walpole penned The Castle 
  of Otranto or Stoker unleashed Dracula upon London, 
  though, that seemingly fantastical world of dilapidated 
  castles and history-haunted ruins was not that far away, 
  either physically or from the memories of the time. 
  In the thick atmosphere and eerie supernaturalism of 
  such tales of the macabre, this month’s adventure, Greg 
  Vaughan’s exploration of dread, “Skeletons of Scarwall,” 
  finds its setting.
  In much the same way as horrible dreams precede the 
  revelation of the vampiress “Carmilla” or the  sickness of 
  the “The Yellow Wallpaper” foreshadows inherent madness, 
  “Skeletons of Scarwall” seeks to torment players with their 
  own dread long before the castle’s crumbling turrets ever 
  come into view. Taking cues from such adventures as Tomb 
  of Horrors, Ravenloft, and When Black Roses Bloom, “Skeletons” 
  features a single enormous and terrifying locale—a storied 
  place of oppressive evil and unrelenting terror many have 
  entered but none have conquered. As PCs learn of Scarwall’s 
  cursed history before they even begin their journey to the 
  haunted castle, the menace of the place has time to take root. 
  Zellara’s fearful Harrow reading and ominous song further 
  drive home the impending menace, likely leaving the PCs 
  What 
  A 
  Horrible Night  
  to have a Curse
  
  Foreword
  5
  reconsidering their quest before they even encounter their 
  first foul gargoyle or restless soul. 
  Yet, while “Skeletons” does a fantastic job presenting 
  frightening scenes and descriptions of the horrific, the 
  adventure’s atmosphere—and by extension, its success as 
  a gothic tale—relies largely on the storytelling skills of 
  the GMs who run it. Encounters with fundamentally evil 
  monsters and spooky read-aloud text can only go so far 
  to evoke a truly ominous atmosphere. GMs should add 
  their own touches to foreshadow and reinforce Scarwall’s 
  unsettling nature. Menacing details and accidents 
  might characterize the trip to the haunted castle. Foul 
  omens, increasingly skittish mounts, sinister dreams, 
  these all—when used subtlety—encourage an ominous 
  mood. Feel free to draw upon classic horror movie clichés 
  like howling wind, violent storms, and full moons, but 
  take a light hand with such well-known standbys—only 
  obvious clichés are recognized as clichés. Once inside the 
  castle, strive to capture its eeriness beyond what’s written 
  in read-aloud text, describing the sounds, scents, and 
  impressions of a place that’s gone horribly wrong. Feel 
  free to take the mood beyond the game as well. Many 
  GMs are understandably hesitant to play by candlelight 
  or create elaborate props, but adding simple mood music 
  and banishing distractions like food and drink from the 
  table can significantly enhance the game’s ambience.
  This month, Greg Vaughan’s volume of the Curse of 
  the Crimson Throne gives you all the plots, rules, and 
  monsters you need to terrify your PCs, but a GM who 
  takes a cue from the adventure’s gothic roots, reinforcing 
  the ominous atmosphere in excess of the descriptions on 
  the following pages, can take Scarwall’s horror beyond 
  the game and unsettle not just the characters, but the 
  players themselves.
  DieharD
  Greg Vaughan is a trooper. A few months back, as he was 
  completing “Skeletons of Scarwall,” James and I were 
  hashing out the details for Pathfinder’s third Adventure 
  Path: Second Darkness. A lot goes into organizing a half a 
  year’s worth of adventures, so choosing authors to take on 
  these 40-plus page behemoths always turns into a kind of 
  editorial Sophie’s Choice. We still had a lot of concepting to 
  do and were unsure of certain rules-system particulars, so 
  we wanted to keep things close to home in case we needed 
  to make drastic plot changes overnight—hence the reason 
  you’ll see the names of a number of familiar Paizo staffers 
  scrawled across the Second Darkness covers. But then we 
  got “Skeletons” in. 
  Aside from being a veteran adventure designer and a 
  damn fine storyteller, Greg has a weird ability to pander 
  to the sick stuff that makes James and I giggle like little 
  girls. The inclusion of gugs tickled James’s insatiable 
  Lovecraft itch, while the danse macabre nearly did me in. 
  His twisted chained spirit plot and near print-worthy map 
  turnover of Castle Scarwall immediately had us looking 
  forward to working on this one.
  So we did the best worst thing you can do to an already 
  overworked author coming down off a 3-month-long 
  ordeal: We offered him Pathfinder #13: “Shadow in the Sky.” 
  He had a choice. He could have said no. But he didn’t. 
  Talk about a high Fortitude save. So, as of August, Greg 
  Vaughan’s hard work and high Constitution nets him the 
  dubious honor of being the only author to have written 
  for each of Pathfinder’s Adventure Paths thus far, and we 
  couldn’t be more excited. 
  Now, that being said, Greg: Whatcha got in mind for 
  Adventure Path four?
  F. Wesley Schneider
  Managing Editor
  wes@paizo.com
  AbAndon All Hope…
  To prepare you for your exploration of Castle Scarwall here are 
  a few other first glimpses of famous haunted halls.
  “Suddenly, I became conscious of the fact that the driver was in the 
  act of pulling up the horses in the courtyard of a vast ruined castle, 
  from whose tall black windows came no ray of light, and whose 
  broken battlements showed a jagged line against the sky.”
  —Bram Stoker, Dracula
  “I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the 
  simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—
  upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and 
  upon a few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression 
  of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly 
  than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium—the bitter 
  lapse into everyday life—the hideous dropping off of the veil…. 
  What was it—I paused to think—what was it that so unnerved me 
  in the contemplation of the House of Usher?”
  —Edgar Allan Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”
  “From atop the high walls, stone gargoyles seem to stare at you 
  from their hollow sockets and grin hideously. A rotting wooden 
  portcullis, green with growth, hangs in the entry tunnel. Beyond 
  this, the main doors of Castle Ravenloft stand open.”
  —Tracy and Laura Hickman, Ravenloft
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  6
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  S
  ome places attract adventurers and treasure seekers; their names are  
  synonymous with legend and promise of great riches to be won. That these  
  notorious sites are well known to be deathtraps seems not to deter eager explorers—
  they come armed with tools and magic and lore, hoping their skills and abilities will 
  save them from disaster. But there are other places just as rich with opportunities 
  for treasure and glorious battle that have, for whatever reason, gone ignored by  
  seekers of wealth and fame. In some cases, these sites are simply too obscure or  
  hidden or lost, but in others, in the darkest, most haunted places of the world,  
  reputation alone is enough to warn away even the most foolish. One such site is 
  blood-soaked Scarwall, fortress of the legendary warlord Kazavon.
  CURSE OF THE CRIMSON THRONE : CHAPTER FIvE
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  7
  Adventure BAckground
  More than 800 years ago, as the nation of Ustalav was 
  recovering from the rule of the Whispering Tyrant, the 
  threat of an invasion of orcs from the neighboring Hold 
  of Belkzen was very real. For generations, the county of 
  Tamrivena—known as Canterwall in modern Ustalav—
  held strong against the orcs, its standing army of rangers 
  and the tactical genius of its leaders more than a match 
  for the orc hordes. When command of Tamrivena fell 
  to Count Andachi, it quickly became apparent that he 
  had not inherited his father’s and grandfather’s gifts of 
  tactics and eloquence. Mile by mile, the orcs pressed into 
  Ustalav through Tamrivena, and Count Andachi grew 
  desperate. Nothing he tried stemmed the orc aggression. 
  His desperate requests to the government of Ustalav for 
  reinforcements seemed mired in bureaucracy. Even his 
  prayers to Desna seemed to fall upon deaf ears. And so it 
  was with a desperation born of fear that he fell back upon 
  his ancestors’ one-time patron—Zon-Kuthon, god of 
  pain and darkness. And in short order, his prayers were 
  answered in the form a powerful and gifted mercenary 
  named Kazavon.
  The charismatic general took control of Tamrivena’s 
  army and whipped it into shape with his brutal discipline 
  and knowledge of tactics and warfare, honing it into 
  a military killing machine. When they marched into 
  Belkzen, the undisciplined savages fell in waves. Tales of 
  Kazavon himself riding in the vanguard and hewing his 
  way through the orc lines while the arrows and blades of his 
  foes bounced harmlessly off of him filled Count Andachi 
  with relief. By the spring of 4043 ar, the orcs had been 
  driven from their lands into the inhospitable foothills of 
  the Kodar mountains, bloodied and defeated.
  His task complete, Kazavon did not return to Ustalav. 
  Instead, he set his forces to the construction of Castle 
  Scarwall, from which he could remain vigilant over the 
  surrounding lowlands. Yet in short time, Kazavon’s true 
  goals became horrifically clear. Diplomats from southern 
  Lastwall traveled to Scarwall, bearing gifts of triumph and 
  promises of eternal friendship. Their overtures of peace 
  were met with violence as General Kazavon captured the 
  diplomats, flayed them alive and had their skins stretched 
  over frames; he painted these skins with his new coat-
  of-arms, the fanged skull. The skinless dead were then 
  animated and sent back south into Lastwall beneath these 
  grisly banners with a counter offer—fall under Kazavon’s 
  heel or be butchered.
  Some among Kazavon’s own troops found his actions 
  repellent, but Kazavon’s army had grown over the years 
  as his number of victories mounted. His ranks swelled 
  with mercenaries—half of his force bore no allegiance 
  to anything but their general’s gold. Those soldiers who 
  rose in rebellion were immediately quelled and executed, 
  and those who attempted more diplomatic protest were 
  tortured and fed to wild beasts.
  Aghast at this turn of events, Count Andachi at last 
  found his courage. He raised a new army, ragged and 
  inexperienced, from the last remnants of his people and 
  marched west to face his former general. In a bold offensive 
  he laid siege to Castle Scarwall. Yet, with the next dawn, 
  he was defeated by Kazavon’s forces. Hapless Andachi was 
  captured, publicly tortured and degraded, and ultimately 
  executed. These grisly deeds completed, Kazavon turned 
  his attention east toward Ustalav.
  For well over a decade, Kazavon ruled a nation of slaves, 
  victims, and horror. Tales of fields of men impaled for 
  the general’s amusement, of mass executions, of Shoanti 
  tribesmen hunted like wild animals and then forced to 
  slay their own women and children in carnivals of torture 
  and terror spread throughout the neighboring regions. 
  Whispers of cannibal feasts and vampiric orgies trickled 
  out of Castle Scarwall. More than once, the forces of goodly 
  nations marched on Scarwall, yet such was Kazavon’s 
  strength that no army could face him for long. To a man, 
  every warrior sent against Scarwall suffered the same fate 
  as Count Andachi.
  Yet where armies failed, a small and secret cabal of 
  heroes did not. Led by a heroic soldier named Mandraivus, 
  this group of Lastwall mercenaries, Shoanti mystics, and 
  Ustalavi arcanists discovered that one among Kazavon’s 
  minions was willing to betray the warlord. This was 
  Kazavon’s chamberlain, a man named Kleestad. The 
  chamberlain gave Mandraivus the information he needed 
  to strike at Scarwall when its defenses were lowest (just 
  before one of Kazavon’s monthly debauches in his great 
  hall), and directed the cabal to a secret entrance to the 
  castle that Kazavon’s guards didn’t know about. As the 
  cabal tore through Scarwall, laying waste to the warlord’s 
  minions and pursuing him to the castle heights, Kleestad 
  returned swiftly to his room to gather his most valuable 
  possessions and make ready his escape, but Mandraivus’s 
  band moved faster than he anticipated. By the time he had 
  his gear, the castle alarm had sounded and he was called to 
  Kazavon’s side as the warlord prepared to defend his home. 
  Kleestad feared that Kazavon knew of his betrayal and had 
  called him to his side to execute him, yet before Kazavon 
  could do much more than break both of Kleestad’s ankles, 
  Mandraivus arrived. The battle was furious, and in the end 
  Kazavon fled to the Star Tower, giving Kleestad a chance to 
  crawl into hiding.
  When Mandraivus and his remaining companions 
  cornered Kazavon in the Star Tower, they discovered his 
  great secret—Kazavon was no mere man, but rather a 
  powerful blue dragon that had taken human shape with the 
  blessing of his dark god. Assuming his true form, Kazavon 
  attacked the cabal, and a long and bloody battle ensued.  
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  8
  His scales deflected most of their attacks, just as the weapons 
  of the orcs had bounced off of his armor during the initial 
  campaign in Belkzen, and his claws and lightning breath 
  made short work of many of their best and bravest. It was 
  Mandraivus, wielding the sacred sword Serithtial, who was 
  able to slip through the dragon’s guard and deliver the 
  fatal blow. With Kazavon’s death, his forces abandoned the 
  castle and the dragon’s dark empire crumbled.
  Even in death, Kazavon’s corpse seethed with dark 
  energy, beginning to knit back together toward life once 
  again. Mandraivus left his sword impaled in the dragon’s 
  skull while his companions disassembled the body and 
  burned the remains. After the smoke cleared, seven 
  fragments of the dragon’s skeleton proved impossible 
  to destroy. They continued to rattle and shake of their 
  own malignant will. Mandraivus ordered seven of his 
  remaining followers to each take one of the relics and 
  scatter to the corners of the world to keep the fragments 
  forever separate. Mandraivus remained behind at 
  Scarwall with only a few loyal retainers in order to watch 
  over the castle itself and prevent it from being reclaimed 
  by the minions of Zon-Kuthon.
  Unfortunately, the victory was short-lived. The orcs 
  confined to the nearby mountains by Kazavon’s armies 
  took note of the death of their enemy and rampaged 
  forth across Belkzen once again. A portion of the horde 
  attacked Castle Scarwall, which was defended only by 
  Mandraivus’s small and inadequate force. The defenders 
  were quickly overwhelmed, but as Mandraivus was slain, 
  the curse of Scarwall took hold. The wholesale slaughter 
  of first Kazavon’s armies and then Mandraivus and his 
  soldiers had suffused the fortress. In an instant, the orc 
  invaders found themselves facing a host of vengeful spirits 
  and slavering undead. It is said that only one of the orcs 
  survived to make it across the causeway from the castle, 
  the flesh of his face blanched completely white from the 
  horror he had barely escaped. He brought word to his 
  people of the haunting of Castle Scarwall, and the tribal 
  warlords declared the site forever taboo, leaving it to the 
  bloodthirsty spirits who now claimed it as their own.
  Yet one of Kazavon’s thralls had survived—Kleestad, 
  both ankles broken, managed to stay in hiding during 
  Mandraivus’s short reign. Barely subsisting on rainwater 
  and bugs, Kleestad felt the curse of Scarwall engulf the 
  place, and knew by the silence that followed that Zon-
  Kuthon had finally smote the intruders. He emerged from 
  hiding to find Scarwall empty and silent, and as he crawled 
  from chamber to chamber, was met only with further 
  evidence of slaughter. He eventually found his way into the 
  first floor of the keep, where he discovered Mandraivus’s 
  body slumped against a wall. In his hand, Mandraivus still 
  held the blade he’d used to slay Kazavon. Kleestad, half mad 
  and deluded, took up the blade in his hand, and heedless 
  of the pain as the holy weapon burned his evil flesh, called 
  out to Zon-Kuthon to witness his triumph—Kleestad had 
  claimed the blade as his own.
  Yet Zon-Kuthon was not pleased. Instead of rewarding 
  Kleestad, he cursed him. He had betrayed Kazavon, and 
  as he had spent the last several hours crawling through 
  the slaughter like a worm, Zon-Kuthon transformed the 
  chamberlain into a monstrous wormlike beast and hurled 
  him into a lightless vault deep below Scarwall. Also to this 
  prison went the sacred blade Serithtial, still clutched in 
  Kleestad’s hands. Today, the last thrall of Kazavon lives on 
  in this underground prison, and in a final ironic twist of 
  fate, has become the guardian of the very blade that laid 
  his master low.
  Adventure Summary
  After receiving a vision from their ghostly ally Zellara, the 
  PCs discover that they must travel through the orc-held 
  lands of Belkzen to an ancient fortress called Scarwall—
  once the lair of Kazavon, the evil spirit currently granting 
  Queen Ileosa unholy and potent powers beyond life and 
  death via a powerful artifact called the Crown of Fangs. 
  If the PCs hope to defeat Ileosa and her Crown of Fangs, 
  they must first seek out an ancient magical weapon—the 
  bastard sword Serithtial, last known to lie in Scarwall.
  Upon arriving at Scarwall, the PCs discover the reason 
  none have succeeded in braving the ancient ruin, for it has 
  fallen under a potent curse. Undead, dragons, and devils 
  stalk the castle’s halls, and the fell haunting bars entrance 
  into the inner sanctum in which Serithtial now lies hidden. 
  Before the PCs can brave the heart of Scarwall and retrieve 
  the sword, they must lift the curse itself and exorcise a 
  castle that has been haunted for over six hundred years.
  PArt one: SecretS reveAled
  This adventure assumes that the PCs have befriended 
  the Sklar-Quah Shoanti who dwell in the Flameford 
  Encampment, and that they begin this adventure awaiting 
  a meeting with Flameford’s Sun Shaman, hoping to learn 
  from him the nature of the relics Queen Ileosa has used 
  to craft her Crown of Fangs. If the PCs failed to befriend 
  the Sklar-Quah in “A History of Ashes,” you should instead 
  begin this adventure with “The Devil You Know” on page 
  12, incorporating the fifth Harrowing into this encounter. 
  The Brotherhood of Bones can supply the PCs with the 
  information about Serithtial and Scarwall they need to 
  continue the campaign, but they’ll have to do so without 
  the aid of the Sklar-Quah’s blessings.
  When the Sun Shaman (N male human druid 16) is 
  ready to speak with the PCs, several Burn Riders approach 
  the PCs to inform them that the shaman requests their 
  presence in his tent. The Sun Shaman waits here alone to 
  speak with the PCs. When they arrive, he congratulates 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  9
  them again on shedding their outlander status to become 
  Sklar-Quah before inviting them to be seated around his 
  personal fire.
  The Sun Shaman is one of the few Shoanti who retains 
  knowledge of the secrets held before Cheliax invaded 
  their homelands along the coast of Conqueror’s Bay. His 
  predecessor passed the knowledge of these times down to 
  him, just as he plans to do for the shaman who will follow 
  him, and as he plans to now do for the PCs.
  The Sun Shaman’s tale is relatively short. He tells 
  of how, hundreds of years ago, one of his own ancestors 
  was called to join a righteous cause. A man named 
  Mandraivus, a hero from a distant nation, was gathering a 
  small group of warriors to aid in a fight against a despotic 
  dragon named Kazavon, and the Sun Shaman’s ancestor 
  joined this crusade. He was gone for months, and when 
  he finally returned he was not the same man—his hands 
  shook, his eyes carried a haunted stare, and he cried 
  out in fear at night. He spoke little of what he saw while 
  serving Mandraivus, but did say that they were successful 
  in defeating Kazavon, and that the fortress of Scarwall 
  was now under Mandraivus’s control. He was convinced 
  it would remain impotent as long as the hero managed to 
  maintain a hold on it.
  While Kazavon had been defeated, his will to live was 
  so immense that even the remains of his body twitched. 
  The cabal had attempted to destroy the remains, but many 
  fragments of the dragon’s skeleton resisted even their 
  most destructive spells. Mandraivus tasked seven of his 
  surviving followers (which the Sun Shaman’s ancestor 
  counted himself among) each with claiming one of the 
  bony relics of Kazavon’s body and ordered them taken 
  from Scarwall. None of the seven would communicate 
  where they were going to the others or to Mandraivus, and 
  they were to ensure that their chosen relics would remain 
  hidden and guarded for all time in order to prevent the 
  dragon from returning to life.
  The Sun Shaman’s ancestor told this story to his fellow 
  shamans, and revealed that his chosen relic was the dragon’s 
  fangs. The Shoanti took to calling them the Midnight 
  Fangs, and they chose the ancient pyramid on the shores of 
  Conquerer’s Bay as their reliquary. After hiding the fangs in 
  a secret room deep inside the pyramid, they took to the task 
  of ensuring that the fangs remained safe. For generations, 
  they maintained their task—until Cheliax invaded and 
  slaughtered the Shoanti. Those few who survived and 
  knew the secret of the fangs were forced to flee with their 
  kin into the Cinderlands. For the next three centuries the 
  knowledge was passed from Sun Shaman to Sun Shaman, 
  and they watched with fearful eyes as the city of Korvosa 
  grew around their ancient reliquary.
  That Queen Ileosa has discovered the Midnight Fangs 
  and somehow tapped into their latent power troubles 
  the Sun Shaman greatly, for he knows something of the 
  Fangs’ power. During the time they were guarded, Shoanti 
  shamans studied the fangs and communed with the spirit 
  world about them. They discovered that a fragment of 
  Kazavon’s soul remained lodged within the fangs. While 
  this fragment alone wasn’t enough to work ill upon the 
  world, it could certainly invade the dreams of those who 
  touched them. The Sun Shamans were stubborn and 
  willful, more than a match for the fangs’ temptations and 
  promises, but a weaker mind—say, that of a petty young 
  queen—would have no such defense.
  The Sun Shaman goes on to explain that the fragments 
  of Kazavon’s soul are like a plant—once they find suitable 
  soil in which to grow, they can bloom into a mighty tree. 
  This appears to be the case with Ileosa—her own cruelty 
  and strength have been enhanced greatly by the fangs. 
  Worse, she now possesses two souls—her own, and one 
  grown from the fragment of Kazavon’s. Two souls in one 
  body, the Sun Shaman muses, would grant her incredible 
  power over her own mortality. If the PCs describe to him 
  the events of the failed assassination during “Escape from 
  Old Korvosa,” he merely nods grimly.
  At this point, the Sun Shaman suggests the PCs take part 
  in a ritual called the Blessing of the Ancestors. This is a 
  rare ritual the Shoanti use only in times of great change—it 
  calls upon a soul from the spirit world to seek guidance 
  and advice on how to proceed. Typically, the Blessing of the 
  Ancestors is used before making the decision to go to war on 
  another tribe, or to abandon a long-held campsite in hopes 
  of finding a better home, but this situation warrants the 
  ritual as well. The PCs face a time of great potential here, 
  but returning to Korvosa to confront an immortal enemy 
  would only result in their deaths. Clearly, advice is needed.
  The Sun Shaman asks the PCs if there is a particular 
  spirit or ancestor with whom they have a particularly 
  strong link—the stronger the link, the more exacting the 
  advice granted by the Blessing of the Ancestors becomes. 
  While it may seem like the spirit of a dead parent, sibling, 
  child, or lover would make a good choice, there is one in 
  particular with whom the PCs have become quite closely 
  tied—Zellara, the Varisian Harrower. If the PCs don’t 
  quickly realize she is their greatest link to the spirit world, 
  the character who carries Zellara’s Harrow Deck suddenly 
  receives a nearly overwhelming empathic wave of emotion 
  from her, and realizes that she is indeed their best choice.
  The Blessing of the Ancestors
  The Blessing of the Ancestors is a ritual conducted by 
  Sun Shamans of the Sklar-Quah to bring the recipients to 
  the notice of a closely allied spirit in order to seek advice 
  concerning a current quandary or event. The information 
  isn’t imparted by the contacted spirit, but rather from the 
  realm of spirits—the spirit contacted merely serves as a 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  10
  conduit for this information. While the 
  general effects of a Blessing of the Ancestors 
  normally duplicates the effects of a commune 
  or contact other plane spell, often they have 
  specific and unique manifestations as well.
  The ritual itself takes about two hours to 
  prepare—to the outside observer, it looks like 
  little more than a rhythmic droning chant by the 
  acting Sun Shaman. Those who wish to partake 
  in the blessing seat themselves in a circle 
  around the Sun Shaman and his focus fire 
  (a small campfire) so that they are each 
  touching another, forming 
  an unbroken ring of flesh 
  and 
  bone. 
  The 
  ritual 
  must begin two hours 
  before sunrise, so that it 
  comes to its conclusion as 
  dawn breaks. The Sun Shaman 
  chooses the upper tier of Bolt Rock 
  to perform the ritual, and unless the 
  PCs request otherwise, the entire 
  Flameford tribe accompanies them to 
  watch, silently and respectfully, as the 
  ritual progresses.
  The shaman begins by recounting 
  the legends of the tribe and the 
  heroics and wisdom of the ancestors 
  in a sing-song voice, shifting after 10 
  minutes into wordless droning and 
  rhythmic chanting. This continues 
  for two hours, after which the Sun 
  Shaman slumps and the spirit to 
  be contacted rises from the smoke 
  of his focus fire to address the 
  participants.
  As Zellara rises from the smoke, 
  her form coalesces and she recognizes 
  the PCs with a smile. She greets them 
  each by name, and then says that she 
  has a message for them about their 
  goal. But before she delivers this 
  message, she would like to perform 
  a Harrowing for them. (If the PCs 
  chose a different spirit, the ritual is 
  still automatically successful, but 
  does not incorporate a harrowing.)
  The Fifth Harrowing
  In “Edge of Anarchy,” the PCs gained a powerful magic 
  item—Zellara’s Harrow Deck. As indicated in that adventure, 
  this Harrow deck plays a recurring role throughout Curse 
  of the Crimson Throne. “Skeletons of Scarwall” is tied to 
  the suit of Stars in a Harrow 
  deck—and by extension, to 
  Wisdom. Unlike the other 
  adventures in this campaign, 
  Zellara’s harrowing in this 
  adventure takes place at a 
  specific time—during the 
  Blessing of the Ancestors. 
  Yet 
  still, 
  her 
  reading 
  progresses in the same way 
  as her previous readings, 
  with her laying out her cards 
  and revealing them in the 
  classic Harrowing to lay bare 
  the secrets of the past, 
  present, and future.
  The 
  primary 
  goal 
  of this Harrowing is 
  to encourage the PCs to 
  travel to Scarwall to recover 
  Serithtiel. Cards that come up 
  representing the past should 
  symbolize Kazavon’s tyrannical 
  rule over Belkzen and his defeat by 
  Mandraivus and his allies. Cards 
  representing the present should 
  speak to Queen Ileosa’s great power 
  and that confronting her without 
  Serithtiel would be a fool’s task; 
  these cards can also symbolize 
  Scarwall itself. Cards representing 
  the future should foreshadow 
  encounters in Scarwall, particularly 
  those with the haunted castle’s 
  current faction leaders (see page 
  24). Use these cards to imply to the 
  PCs that wisdom will be important 
  in their immediate future, and 
  that bolstering themselves against 
  death magic and the undead would 
  be a good move. Finally, you can 
  use these readings to hint that 
  the Brotherhood of Bones could 
  be an important, perhaps critical, 
  ally in the immediate future, but 
  that at the same time the PCs 
  should be careful about how much they trust these allies. 
  As the reading concludes and Zellara is finishing her 
  interpretation of the final card, she pauses, then continues 
  with the message from the spirit world as detailed in “The 
  Spirit Blessing” below.
  Five cards in particular should have increased importance 
  in this reading if they appear, as detailed below.
  Zellara’s song
  Fate of steel—Serithtial
  Her cage for years sustained 
  Four enthralled in lost Scarwall;
  Undead to keep her chained.
  A spirit first, red war his thirst
  Still stands at post of old;
  A second foe, infernal soul
  Waits high in tower cold.
  In kennel’s grime third bides his time
  Then vents his killing breath.
  And on a stone ’mid ash and bone,
  The final dreams of death.
  The spirits worn and battletorn
  And locked in their damnation,
  The chained one’s hold at last grows old
  And ushers in salvation.
  Yet hope remains amid the chains
  When blade’s stone cage has crumbled,
  Friends to dread and the death of the dead,
  Keys to Kazavon humbled.
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  11
  The Betrayal: If this card appears as part of the future, it 
  foretells that one of the PCs’ allies will betray them before 
  they reach their goal. Yet to abandon an ally one suspects 
  will betray them could lead to an even greater peril.
  The Dance: This card represents Zellara. If it appears 
  in the Future, she grows grim, revealing that the card 
  represents herself and that there may come a point in the 
  near future where she may have to leave the party. If the card 
  appears as the last card in the spread, it is strongly opposed 
  and she visibly pales—she has received a vision of her doom, 
  yet says nothing of this to the PCs. A DC 20 Sense Motive 
  check is enough to reveal that the position of the card 
  symbolizing her in this position indicates that something 
  dire (but still indistinct) awaits Zellara soon.
  The Eclipse: This card represents Zon-Kuthon, the lord 
  of darkness. In the Past, it symbolizes the fact that his 
  agents are at the heart of the troubles facing Korvosa. In 
  the Present, it symbolizes the Brotherhood of Bones and 
  their presence in the region. In the Future, it represents the 
  many undead that wait for the PCs in Scarwall. In any of 
  the three, though, the dual nature of the eclipse (an object 
  that once provided light growing dark, or a dark object 
  changing to provide light) symbolizes that the agents of 
  Zon-Kuthon can both help and hinder the PCs, and that 
  perhaps this duality is inevitable.
  The Keep: This card symbolizes Scarwall; in the Past, 
  it speaks of the castle’s rise and fall. In the Present it 
  represents the castle’s current haunted state. In the Future, 
  it represents a destination the PCs must seek out.
  The Tyrant: This card represents Kazavon. In the 
  Past, it symbolizes his despotic rule over Belkzen. In the 
  Present, it symbolizes his current influence over Ileosa. 
  In the Future, it foretells of an attempt by the dragon to 
  return to life, perhaps as a result of the PCs’ failure to 
  stop Queen Ileosa.
  The Spirit Blessing
  As Zellara finishes the Harrowing, she looks to the PCs 
  again and says that she has a tale to tell them. Without 
  further explanation, she begins to sing, her voice clear 
  and haunting. The words to her song are presented on the 
  previous page.
  As she finishes her song, Zellara smiles again, although 
  this time her smile seems somewhat sad or bittersweet. 
  Each PC feels a sudden upsurge in their souls as the spirits 
  of the dead infuse them with energy to aid them—even 
  hundreds of miles away, the cruelty and evil of the undead 
  within Scarwall are a blot in the spirit world, and the spirits 
  seek victory as much as the PCs. The Shoanti stand amazed 
  as the ritual ends and Zellara fades into darkness. Finally 
  Chief Ready Klar breaks the awestruck silence. “Truly these 
  Friends of the Sun are blessed by the ancestors. They walk 
  with the spirits and bear their mark. They honor us with 
  Harrow Point Uses
  In “Skeletons of Scarwall,” the PCs are faced with numerous 
  situations where faith, perception, and willpower determine 
  destiny. Trusting in nebulous forces watching over you, 
  noticing subtle clues of danger, and resisting dire assaults 
  upon the mind can make all the difference while exploring 
  the cursed castle. 
  Players receive a number of Harrow Points to spend 
  during “Skeletons of Scarwall.” Rules for determining this 
  number as part of a Harrow reading appear in Pathfinder 
  #7’s “Edge of Anarchy.” If you don’t have this book, you can 
  determine how many Harrow Points each PC has to spend 
  during “Skeletons of Scarwall” by simply rolling 1d10. 
  During this adventure, a character can spend his Harrow 
  Points in the following ways. Spending a Harrow Point is 
  a free action.
  Wisdom Rerolls: Spend a Harrow Point to reroll any one 
  Wisdom-based skill check or Will saving throw. You must 
  abide by the new result (although if you have additional 
  Harrow Points remaining, you can use them to attempt 
  additional rerolls).
  Greater Turning: Spend a Harrow Point to infuse a 
  turn or rebuke undead attempt—your effective cleric level 
  increases by 2. You can spend up to three Harrow Points at 
  once to perform a Greater Turning. For each Harrow Point 
  you spend on your turn or rebuke undead attempt, your 
  effective cleric level increases by an additional 2 levels, to a 
  maximum bonus of +6.
  Divine Wrath: Spend a Harrow Point to increase the 
  strength of a divine spell as it is cast. This spell gains a +2 
  bonus on its save DC, a +4 bonus on its caster level check 
  to overcome spell resistance, and a +2 bonus on any attack 
  rolls needed to strike the target.
  tHe CHosen
  In addition, the card a PC draws during the choosing 
  has special qualities during this adventure. Each of 
  these cards is tied to a specific encounter in “Skeletons 
  of Scarwall,” and when a PC who drew that card reaches 
  that encounter, he gains a +2 bonus on all rolls modified 
  by Wisdom and all divine spells cast by the character 
  manifest at +1 caster level. These bonuses last for the 
  encounter’s duration.
   The Winged Serpent: Combat with Belshallam (area 10)
   The Queen Mother: Combat with Nihil (area 31)
   The Eclipse: Combat with Bishop Zev Ravenka (area 39)
   The Midwife: Combat with Ildervok (area 42)
   The Owl: Combat with Mithrodar (area 18)
   The Mute Hag: Combat with Malatrothe (area 7)
   The Publican: Combat with Captain Castothrane (area 23)
   The Carnival: Combat with the danse macabre (area 14)
   The Lost: Combat with Kleestad (area 47)
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  12
  Laori Vaus and the condescending but helpful Shadowcount 
  Sial (attended by his loyal chain devil bodyguard Asyra). As 
  “Skeletons of Scarwall” begins, the Brotherhood of Bones 
  has officially decided that the PCs are more valuable as allies 
  than enemies—after all, what the Brotherhood wants is to 
  capture the Crown of Fangs so that they can control the relics 
  of Kazavon. The Brotherhood’s true goal is to track down 
  and claim all seven of Kazavon’s relics so that they may bring 
  them together and resurrect the ancient champion of 
  Zon-Kuthon. As this is unlikely to be a goal the 
  PCs share, the Brotherhood is careful to hide 
  this from them, stating only that Kazavon’s 
  fangs belong to them and should be 
  returned to the church. Certainly, getting 
  the fangs away from Ileosa is a goal both 
  the PCs and the Brotherhood can agree on. 
  And by extension, the recovery of Serithtial 
  (the only weapon capable of overcoming 
  Kazavon’s influence) should be a goal 
  they share.
  The problem is that 
  the undead of Scarwall 
  no longer belong to Zon-
  Kuthon. Those that haunt 
  Kazavon’s 
  ancient 
  seat 
  of power are free-willed 
  undead who have abandoned 
  their old allegiances, be they 
  to Kazavon or Mandraivus, and are  
  equally 
  dangerous 
  to 
  Brotherhood 
  operatives and PCs alike. Furthermore, no 
  true worshiper of Zon-Kuthon can safely wield or even 
  transport Serithtial. Likewise, there are areas of Scarwall 
  that, despite the fact that its denizens have abandoned Zon-
  Kuthon, remain open and accepting of worshipers of the 
  Midnight Lord, yet actively oppose good-aligned folk. Clearly, 
  the greatest chance of successfully exploring Scarwall and 
  recovering Serithtial would arise from an alliance between the 
  PCs and the Brotherhood of Bones. This is the proposition 
  that Laori and Sial approach the PCs with.
  Although Laori and Sial both belong to the Brotherhood 
  of Bones, they do not particularly enjoy each other’s 
  company. Sial finds Laori’s exuberance and attitude to be 
  shrill and unbecoming a proper worshiper of the Midnight 
  Lord, and Laori finds Sial to be smug and arrogant and 
  too self-centered to deserve the place of honor among the 
  Brotherhood. Yet both know that recovering the Crown 
  of Fangs is more important than their petty differences, 
  considering that if they manage to recover the fangs of 
  Kazavon and present them to the Brotherhood command 
  in distant Nidal, they will be rewarded with glory and 
  fame. The two Brotherhood agents have thus spent the 
  last several months operating on their own, feeding 
  their presence and friendship. As they go forth to battle 
  the evil that has plagued these lands of ash for many-score 
  generations, they go with the power of the Sklar-Quah. They 
  shall go forth with the power of Father Sun in their hands.”
  The sudden influx of spiritual energy gives each PC 
  two additional benefits to aid them in their trials within 
  Scarwall, as detailed below.
  Infused Weapon and Armor: The spirit world infuses 
  one weapon, suit of armor, or shield owned by each of the 
  PCs (even if the item in question is not present at the 
  blessing). If the PC chooses a weapon, it gains the 
  undead bane weapon quality. If the PC chooses 
  armor or shield, the chosen protection gains the 
  ghost touch armor quality.
  Infused Soul: The next time the PC fails a 
  saving throw against a death effect, that effect 
  is negated but the PC is stunned for one round 
  as the spiritual energies in his soul are burnt 
  away. This protection can save each PC only 
  once from a death effect.
  Jaunt Across the 
  Cinderlands
  The PCs can stay with their 
  friends at Flameford as 
  long as they wish, but 
  eventually they should set 
  out across the Cinderlands 
  and into the Hold of 
  Belkzen, where Castle Scarwall awaits. There are many 
  methods by which they can reach Castle Scarwall. Spells 
  like greater teleport, shadow walk, wind walk, and transport 
  via plants can all serve to shorten travel time, but if the 
  PCs decided to walk or ride the approximately 300 miles 
  from Flameford to Scarwall, there’s plenty of time to do so. 
  Consult the wandering monster table in Pathfinder #10’s 
  Bestiary and the one on page 77 of this volume to generate 
  encounters with local dangers as you need. In addition, 
  Pathfinder #10’s information on the Cinderlands and this 
  volume’s gazetteer of the Hold of Belkzen can aid you in 
  describing the regions the PC travel through. What occurs 
  on the journey is beyond the scope of this adventure (with 
  the exception of one encounter—The Devil You Know)—
  for “Skeletons of Scarwall” truly begins as the PCs near the 
  ancient castle itself.
  The Devil You Know (EL 16)
  At some point during the PCs’ journey toward Castle 
  Scarwall (perhaps even as they approach it after shadow 
  walking or teleporting most of the way), they encounter a 
  familiar group: the Brotherhood of Bones.
  In previous adventures, the PCs have had chances to 
  speak with and even adventure with the strangely joyful 
  shadowcount
  sial
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  13
  promising but ultimately false reports to their leaders 
  every few weeks in order to maintain their lead. If the 
  Brotherhood were to learn what they knew, all chance for 
  glory would be lost to them as the Brotherhood moved en 
  masse to recover the fangs. Yet on their own, they have no 
  hope of recovering Serithtial and defeating Ileosa to claim 
  those fangs. In order for their plan to succeed, they not 
  only have to learn to work together—they need to learn to 
  work with the PCs.
  When Sial and Laori greet the PCs, the two are 
  eager to ally with them. Strive to present them 
  as companions who seem more eager to 
  please the PCs than each other. They 
  explain that they have been following 
  the events in Korvosa and the rise of 
  Kazavon’s spirit in the body of Queen 
  Ileosa. If the PCs did not begin this 
  adventure allied with the Sklar-Quah, 
  you can use Sial and Laori to fill them 
  in on much of the backstory they 
  need (although in this case, this 
  encounter should occur at the 
  start of this adventure, as the PCs 
  will not yet have a reason to be 
  traveling to Scarwall). They 
  are aware that the PCs seek 
  to overthrow Ileosa’s tyranny 
  by taking from her the power the 
  Crown of Fangs has granted her. Since 
  the only way to do so is with Serithtial, a weapon that neither 
  of the Brotherhood agents can wield, they need the PCs. 
  And since many of Scarwall’s defenses can be bypassed by 
  worshipers of Zon-Kuthon, they need the Brotherhood. 
  The situation explained, Sial and Laori would like to 
  propose a truce.
  By this point, you should be able to pick which of the 
  two Brotherhood agents the PCs are more likely to trust 
  and prefer to speak to. Once you can make this decision, 
  that Brotherhood agent becomes the “Ally” while the other 
  becomes the “Enemy.” The Ally remains loyal to the PCs 
  and truly does appreciate the aid, while the Enemy grows 
  jealous and suspicious of the PCs’ apparent favoritism 
  toward the rival Brotherhood agent. The Enemy grows 
  quiet, allowing the Ally to conduct the majority of the 
  interactions with the PCs, and for much of the adventure 
  remains helpful as well. In some encounters in Scarwall, 
  the Ally and the Enemy may take different actions (the 
  Enemy might “accidently” catch a PC in the area of effect 
  of a spell, for example), and near the end of the adventure, 
  the Enemy turns on the Ally in an attempt to seek revenge 
  (see area 42).
  If the PCs agree to the offer for a truce, the Ally explains 
  that while the Brotherhood is very interested in Kazavon and 
  his relics, Queen Ileosa doesn’t really fit into their plans. 
  They seek to destroy her and recover the teeth from the 
  Crown of Fangs. The Ally proposes that, for now, the PCs and 
  the Brotherhood work together, or least not directly against 
  each other, while navigating the dangers of Castle Scarwall 
  to increase the likelihood that one or the other succeeds in 
  obtaining the sword. Then, after Serithtial is safely recovered, 
  they can determine what the next step should be.
  If the PCs agree to the alliance, the Ally rewards 
  them by providing the PCs with Scarwall’s exact 
  location, potentially cutting days off their 
  journey time. The Ally does not 
  propose that the two groups 
  travel together (the Ally fears that 
  the Enemy may lose patience and do 
  something irrational), but if the PCs 
  propose such a step, the Ally agrees to 
  it. Certainly, once the PCs reach 
  Scarwall, the Ally suggests that they 
  team up to pool their resources 
  against what waits for them inside 
  the haunted edifice.
  The Brotherhood isn’t interested 
  in a fight at this time. If the PCs 
  spurn the offer for an alliance 
  and attack them, the Brotherhood 
  agents retreat as quickly as possible, 
  cursing the PCs and promising 
  reprisals. Not long after they retreat, 
  the two fall into a bitter argument and split up themselves, 
  each seeking to infiltrate Scarwall separately. At this point, 
  the PCs may encounter either of them inside the castle, as 
  detailed later in the adventure.
  Shadowcount Sial 
  CR 11
  Male human cleric 7/thaumaturge 4
  hp 65 (Pathfinder #10 18)
  Asyra 
  CR 10
  Female chain devil fighter 4
  hp 127 (Pathfinder #10 19)
  Laori Vaus 
  CR 10
  Female elf cleric 10 (Zon-Kuthon)
  hp 88 (Pathfinder #9 19)
  PArt two:  
  APProAching ScArwAll
  Castle Scarwall looms at the eastern tip of the Kodar 
  Mountains in the northern region of the Hold of Belkzen. 
  Once a relatively active volcanic range, the volcanoes 
  here have long since gone dormant. Nonetheless, the 
  volcanism left behind some truly remarkable terrain 
  laori 
  Vaus
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  14
  may seem the most direct approach, but for groups who can 
  fly, entry by air might seem the safer route. An amphibious 
  approach might appeal to groups as well. In truth, all 
  three approaches are perilous in their own way, as detailed 
  below. While stealth can make any of these approaches 
  safer, direct teleportation into the castle (or onto one of its 
  roofs) is perhaps the safest approach.
  Scarwall Barbican (EL 13)
  Guarding the only land approach to Castle Scarwall 
  is a barbican gatehouse that stands at the tip of a small 
  peninsula. The barbican consists of a crumbling curtain 
  wall flanking the remains of two gatehouse towers, the 
  western one of which has collapsed. The other tower, 
  though battered, still stands and supports a ramshackle 
  lean-to built against it. 
  The orc tribes of Belkzen well recall the days of being 
  ground beneath Kazavon’s heel and forced into hiding in 
  the rugged northern badlands of Belkzen. Orc patriarchs 
  speak solemnly of how glorious Scarwall’s castle was, 
  of how a manling defeated Kazavon only to himself be 
  defeated by the orcs. Yet the patriarchs also recall how 
  those who attempted to inhabit Scarwall soon faced the 
  restless spirits of the accursed fortress. Few orcs who laid 
  claim to Scarwall after their victory lived to make it out 
  features, and it was among one of these that Kazavon 
  chose to build his new home. The castle itself sits atop a 
  small island in a crater lake in the caldera of a dormant 
  volcano at an elevation of 1,500 feet over the surrounding 
  terrain. These barren hills are desolate, with little more 
  than a few isolated scrub trees and lichens growing here 
  and there. Wyverns, chimeras, and other flying predators 
  sometimes nest in the crags along these ragged hills, 
  but as one approaches Scarwall itself, even these mighty 
  beasts become scarce, as if the very air around the ruined 
  castle were poisoned. The orc tribes of Belkzen rarely 
  step foot upon these hills, with one notable exception 
  described below. Canny travelers can escape pursuing 
  orc brigands by retreating to this ridge, although they 
  must then contend with the denizens of Scarwall, so their 
  respite may be short lived.
  Scarwall stands at the center of the lake, an imposing 
  collection of towers and fortifications. Clouds of dark 
  carrion birds perch upon the castle’s pinnacles and ride 
  the winds above its towers. A single span connects the 
  castle to a small peninsula on the lake’s southern edge, 
  where a crumbling gatehouse still stands. Castle Scarwall 
  is presented in full detail in the next part of the adventure. 
  The PCs are free to approach it in any way they wish; the 
  causeway connecting the castle to the southern gatehouse 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
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  15
  sCarwall BarBiCan
  Each area of the barbican is detailed in brief below.
  1.  Forecourt: This is a cleared area before the barbican gate. Fragments of ancient bone and broken weaponry from battles 
  long-ago still clutter the thin soil.
  2.  Entryway: Two sets of gates once blocked the ends of this short entryway, but they are long since gone.
  3.  Ruined Tower: This gate tower is nothing more than a 20-foot-high pile of rubble with a few crumbling walls.
  4.  Curtain Wall: The remains of this crumbling curtain wall are 20 feet high where they haven’t collapsed. The wall can be scaled 
  with a DC 20 Climb check.
  5.  Defense Room: This vaulted chamber is still largely intact, with arrow slits looking out over area 2. The orcs keep various 
  mundane supplies and foodstuffs here (unpalatable by most standards).
  6.  Deadwatcher Barracks: This crude wood structure serves as a place to sleep for the six Deadwatcher orc fighters. Its 10-foot-
  high interior is smoky and stinks of orc sweat and worse. The rough walls are adorned with all sorts of trophies and trinkets. 
  A fire pit occupies the center of the room with a smoke hole directly above it. A ladder rises through a hole in the ceiling to 
  the parapet at area 8.
  7.  Causeway: Two leering gargoyles flank an arch at the entrance to the causeway that extends to Scarwall Castle. 
  8.  Parapets: These parapets are 20 feet above the ground.
  9.  Foyer: Although the floor here looks cracked and unstable, it is safe to walk on.
  10.  Sevenskull’s Chamber: A large cot pushed against the stairway occupies this room, as well as a leather chest and a huge snake that 
  Ury killed, stuffed, and hung from the 15-foot ceiling. The east door is barred from inside.
  11.  Watch Post: This chamber is unstable. If more than one Medium creature enters, the floor collapses into area 10 below, 
  inflicting 2d6 damage (DC 15 Reflex half). The danger can be discerned with a DC 15 Knowledge (architecture and 
  engineering) check.
  12.  Tower Parapet: This crumbling battlement is 35 feet above the ground and has the same possibility of collapse as area 11.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  16
  again, and most of those who did were not altogether sane 
  after experiencing the horrors within.
  The orcs abandoned this terrible legacy and turned 
  toward reclaiming the rest of Belkzen, leaving Scarwall 
  to the ghosts of shame and defeat. Castle Scarwall was 
  declared taboo to all the orcs of Belkzen. Yet not all of 
  the orcs have left Scarwall—one tribe remains to guard 
  the castle: the Deadwatchers. This small group of orcs 
  dwells in the ruined barbican, and while their ancestors 
  may have had specific goals in mind, today these 
  orcs know only that they stand watch 
  to ensure nothing goes in to and 
  nothing comes out of Scarwall.
  The barbican gate is in poor 
  repair. The western gate tower 
  is nothing more than a pile of 
  rubble, though the eastern tower 
  has fared better but remains 
  in a state of crumbling decay 
  requiring constant repair. The 
  Deadwatcher orcs created some 
  rough living quarters beside 
  the tower to retain the use of 
  its defensive qualities without 
  taxing its structural integrity 
  with their numbers. 
  Creatures: There are seven 
  orcs inhabiting the barbican—six orc 
  fighters and their leader, Ury Sevenskulls, 
  son of a renowned war chief of the Rotten 
  Tongue tribe and a chief in his own right among 
  these clanless orcs. The Deadwatcher orcs paint their 
  faces with white pigment to honor the legend of their 
  ancestor’s flight from Scarwall—a flight said to have 
  turned his flesh white from the shock. There are always 
  two orcs on watch—one at area 11 and one at area 2. They 
  constantly take 10 on their Spot and Listen checks but 
  watch mainly to the south (consider them to take 0 on 
  checks for those who approach from the north or from 
  below). If they spot anyone approaching, they quietly 
  slip into the tower to warn their fellows and prepare to 
  defend the approach.
  Deadwatcher Orcs (6) 
  CR 7
  Orc fighter 7
  CE Medium humanoid
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16
  (+6 armor, +1 Dex)
  hp 57 (7d10+14)
  Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +2
  Weakness light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Spd 20 ft.
  Melee +1 greataxe +14/+9 (1d12+10/×3)
  Ranged mwk composite shortbow +9/+4 (1d6+5/×3)
  TACTICS
  During Combat If an alarm is raised, the orcs spread through the 
  barbican and ready their bows. Two orcs go to area 5, three to 
  area 8, and one to area 12. The orcs do their best to prevent the 
  PCs from entering Scarwall, but if the PCs do make their way 
  through and approach Scarwall, the orcs do not pursue.
  Morale The Deadwatcher orcs fight to the death as long as 
  Ury lives. If their leader is killed, an orc flees once he’s 
  reduced to 12 hit points or less.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 6
  Base Atk +7; Grp +12
  Feats Blind-Fight, Improved 
  Initiative, Point-Blank Shot, Skill 
  Focus (Move Silently), Stealthy, 
  Weapon Focus (greataxe), 
  Weapon Specialization (greataxe)
  Skills Hide +5, Move Silently +8
  Languages Common, Orc
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate 
  wounds, shadow essence (3 doses); 
  Other Gear +1 breastplate, +1 greataxe, 
  masterwork composite shortbow (+5 Str) 
  with 20 arrows, pouch containing 4 small 
  opals worth 20 gp each
  Ury Sevenskulls 
  CR 10
  Male orc barbarian 10
  CE Medium humanoid
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +12, Spot –1
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 14
  (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural, –2 rage)
  hp 110 (10d12+40)
  Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +4
  Defensive Abilities improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +3; 
  DR 2/—
  Weaknesses light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft.
  Melee Akeraum +15/+10 (2d6+19/×3)
  Ranged mwk composite longbow +13/+8 (1d8+5/×3)
  Special Attacks rage 3/day
  TACTICS
  During Combat If the alarm is raised, Ury moves to area 8, 
  joining the orcs there as he prepares to use his longbow 
  on intruders. After a few rounds of combat, he grows 
  impatient, rages, and leaps from the parapet (he attempts a 
  DC 15 Jump check to reduce the damage from the fall to 1d6 
  Ury
  sevenskulls
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  17
  points) to attack the intruders in melee. He uses a 4-point 
  Power Attack when he attacks with Akeraum.
  Morale Ury fights to the death.
  Base Statistics: AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16; hp 90; Fort +9, 
  Ref +5, Will +2; Melee Akeraum +13/+8 (2d6+16); Str 20, Con 
  14; Grp +15
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 10
  Base Atk +10; Grp +15
  Feats Improved Critical (greatsword), Improved Initiative, 
  Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatsword)
  Skills Intimidate +13, Listen +12
  Languages Common, Orc
  SQ fast movement, illiteracy
  Gear +1 mithral shirt, Akeraum (+1 dragon bane frost 
  greatsword), masterwork composite longbow (+5 Str), amulet 
  of natural armor +1, gauntlets of ogre power, necklace of 
  seven silver-plated red wyrmling skulls worth 1,050 gp
  Amphibious Approach (EL 12)
  The waters of the lake surrounding Castle Scarwall are dark 
  and preternaturally still, and almost seem to reflect this 
  grim bailey without catching anything of the sky overhead 
  (when not covered by a roiling bank of gray fog). This deep 
  mountain tarn serves as a final obstacle to invaders who 
  would dare to try and breach Castle Scarwall’s walls. At its 
  deepest point, the dark waters descend just over 800 feet. 
  Tiny particles of basalt run-off and gritty algae give the water 
  its dark sheen and bitter taste. The waters are cold—barely 
  40 degrees—and visibility under the surface is limited to 
  10 feet. The lake’s shores are crumbling cliffs that drop, 
  on average, 80 feet to the lake’s surface below. It’s a DC 25 
  Climb check to scale the slippery, crumbling cliffs.
  There are no underwater entrances to Scarwall, but 
  there are various routes into the castle from the small 
  island shores it sits upon. Area 43 is perhaps the most 
  notable one, although it isn’t easy to see from the water.
  Creatures: Though the waters of the lake 
  appear still and lifeless, their dark 
  depths hide things that swim in the 
  deeps and cause barely a ripple on the 
  surface. Inhabiting the deep waters of 
  the tarn are several immense tarnworms 
  that feed upon the lake’s smaller eels, fish, and 
  cephalopods. Anyone entering the water 
  without attempting to utilize stealth quickly 
  attracts the attention of one of these 
  tarnworms, which quietly swims up from 
  the depths to attack. A tarnworm is a huge 
  mottled creature with the same effective 
  stats as a purple worm, save that instead of 
  having a burrow speed, they have the aquatic 
  subtype and a swim speed of 40 feet.
  Tarnworm 
   
  CR 12
  Variant purple worm (aquatic)
  hp 200 (MM 211)
  Air Approach (EL 14+)
  Creature: Castle Scarwall lies at the center of the lake, 
  approximately 400 feet from shore in every direction. 
  Flying characters may think that such a short distance 
  is a simple matter to traverse, but unless they use stealth, 
  there’s a good chance that they are spotted by one or 
  several of the 12 four-armed gargoyle brutes that nest in 
  the castle’s heights. As these creatures shriek and flap out 
  to confront the PCs, an even more dangerous creature, 
  the umbral dragon Belshallam, may be roused from his 
  slumber and could come to investigate the noise as well 
  (see area 10).
  Gargoyle Brutes (12) 
  CR 7
  Advanced four-armed gargoyle (Tome of Horrors Revised 212)
  CE Large monstrous humanoid (Earth)
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Listen +6, 
  Spot +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 11, flat-footed 16
  (+2 Dex, +7 natural, –1 size)
  hp 84 (8d8+48)
  gargoyle
  Brute
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  18
  many forms, some of which are merely sinister while others 
  are downright deadly. The most noticeable manifestation 
  is that at random times, different windows in the castle 
  suddenly glow with a ghostly radiance, anywhere from a 
  few seconds to hours. Observers might notice indistinct 
  shapes moving about in these lit windows, but no amount 
  of skill or magic can actually determine who or what is 
  being seen. The windows just as suddenly go dark an 
  instant before any successful attempt to look closer is 
  made. These ghost lights are visible only from outside the 
  castle, and are merely an external manifestation of the 
  restless spirits in the castle. They have no game effect.
  Another manifestation of the castle’s haunting is that 
  it always remains in relatively good repair (although not 
  necessarily well-maintained or clean). The force of the 
  spirits infusing its walls ensures that their home endures—
  any damage inflicted to the structure is slowly repaired 
  over time. The repairs occur incrementally and are never 
  observable, but any damage done, no matter how severe, is 
  inevitably repaired by the time a year has passed. Doors, 
  walls, and windows show cosmetic signs of aging and may 
  be covered in dust, but much of the unused furniture in 
  the castle has not fared so well, and is all but collapsed. 
  This manifestation has no effect on the adventure, as any 
  damage the PCs may inflict to the structure is not repaired 
  unless they leave for several months and then return.
  A final, and extremely important, aspect of the castle’s 
  haunted nature is that the majority of the spirits trapped 
  in the castle, from the ones the PCs will never see who 
  infuse the structure’s walls to the majority of the undead 
  foes they face in the adventure, are all under the sway of the 
  chained spirit in area 18. The chained spirit functions as 
  an anchor of sorts for these spirits, and as long as he retains 
  his control, he can use the countless spirits of Scarwall to 
  watch and listen, giving the denizens of the castle a very 
  efficient organization against invasion. Furthermore, 
  undead that enter the castle are swiftly assaulted by the 
  chained spirit as it attempts to absorb and control them—
  this has a singular effect on Zellara, as detailed under 
  “Zellara’s Doom” on page 20.
  Beyond these broader effects, the haunting has the 
  following additional effects as well.
  Dread: All living creatures in the castle gain an 
  immediate sense of foreboding and a feeling of being 
  watched. As a result, resting in Castle Scarwall is 
  problematic—those who try to sleep within its walls are 
  plagued by nightmares and bad omens, and must make 
  a DC 20 Will save upon waking to gain any effects from 
  sleep at all—those who fail this save become fatigued. 
  Aura of Menace: The overwhelming presence of evil and 
  undeath in Scarwall is enough to make casting detect evil 
  or detect undead dangerous. Anyone who does so becomes 
  overwhelmed by the power of the aura, and in addition to 
  Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6
  DR 10/magic
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
  Melee 4 claws +14 (1d6+7) and
  bite +12 (1d8+3) and
  gore +12 (1d8+3)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks freeze
  TACTICS
  During Combat Gargoyle brutes wade into combat, focusing 
  on a single foe if possible. They attempt to grapple anyone 
  who proves to be particularly dangerous, allowing other 
  gargoyles  to gang up on them.
  Morale These creatures do not retreat from combat.
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 7
  Base Atk +8; Grp +19
  Feats Alertness, Improved Natural Armor, Multiattack
  Skills Hide +2 (+8 near stone), Listen +6, Spot +6
  Languages Common, Terran
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Freeze (Ex) A four-armed gargoyle can hold itself so still it 
  appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed on a DC 
  20 Spot check to notice that the gargoyle is really alive.
  Belshallam 
  CR 14
  Adult umbral dragon
  hp 241 (see page 89)
  PArt three:  
  cAStle ScArwAll
  Castle Scarwall looks every bit as foreboding as the legends say. 
  Dark walls rise from darker bedrock to steep rooflines set with 
  gargoyles and minarets. Battlements look down from towers 
  and defensive walls, and many dark carrion birds perch among 
  these and soar above them. Mists rising off of the black tarn 
  obscure the lower portions of the rocky island, giving the whole 
  an ethereal appearance. Surprisingly, even though the structure 
  is many centuries old, its walls and roofs remain intact with no 
  visible breaches or obvious signs of damage. A ghostly glow 
  lights some of the windows and arrow slits, and now and then, 
  faint flickerings betray the motion of creatures within.
  Castle Scarwall is haunted not just by the souls of 
  those who perished in the final battle that brought down 
  Kazavon, but also by those who have perished thereafter. 
  The spirits of its first inhabitants, their victims, the 
  heroes who defeated Kazavon, the orcs who defeated them, 
  and an evil essence tied to horrific worship rites devoted 
  to Zon-Kuthon have combined to infuse the castle from 
  foundation to spire. This haunting manifests itself in 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  19
  not being able to detect specific undead or evil auras, must 
  make a DC 25 Will save to avoid being stunned for one 
  round by the power of the auras.
  Unhallow: The entirety of Castle Scarwall lies within a 
  permanent unhallow effect. All of the castle’s inhabitants 
  gain protection from good. Turn undead checks are made 
  at a –4 penalty, and rebuke undead attempts gain a +4 
  profane bonus. This effect also creates a dimensional anchor 
  effect for all non-inhabitants of the castle. This unhallow 
  effect functions at CL 20th, and if dispelled, automatically 
  returns after 1d4 rounds of being suppressed.
  Soultrapping: Any living creature that dies inside of 
  Scarwall must make a DC 23 Will save upon death or his 
  soul becomes bound into the walls of the haunted castle. 
  This effect is identical to that created by soul bind (CL 20th), 
  save that the soul is trapped in the physical structure of the 
  castle itself, not a gemstone. In order to resurrect a dead 
  body whose soul has been trapped, a character must dispel 
  the soul bind effect on that particular soul. If the caster 
  knows the name of the soul to be released, he may attempt 
  this dispelling anywhere in the castle—otherwise, he 
  must cast the spell on the corpse (or a fragment thereof) 
  of the person to be resurrected. The resurrection must 
  then have begun casting within a round of the successful 
  dispelling, otherwise the soul is reclaimed by Scarwall one 
  round after the successful dispelling. Dispel magic, greater 
  dispel magic, and dispel evil can be used to temporarily free a 
  bound soul in this manner.
  This soultrapping effect functions on living and undead 
  creatures as well. Any undead creature created in Scarwall 
  immediately becomes bound to Scarwall, as if by a hedged 
  prison binding spell (no save). Undead creatures and living 
  creatures who enter and remain in Scarwall for a week 
  must make a DC 22 Will save to avoid being bound in the 
  same way. If the save is successful, the creature must save 
  again once every additional week they remain in Scarwall.
  If the chained spirit is destroyed, all trapped souls in 
  the castle are immediately freed and the curse of Scarwall 
  is lifted (see area 18 for more details).
  Scarwall Features
  Castle Scarwall’s walls are made of reinforced masonry; 
  outer walls are 3 feet thick and inner walls 1 foot thick 
  (Hardness 8, hp 180 per foot of thickness, Break DC 35 
  +10 per foot of thickness, Climb DC 15). Exterior walls are 
  smooth, but can be climbed with a DC 25 Climb check. 
  Doors are made of strong wood and can be locked from 
  the inside (2 in. thick, hardness 5, hp 20, Break DC 25, 
  Open Lock 30), although few still have keys. Floors are 
  of smooth flagstones and roofs are of wood with tin 
  sheathing bolted over them (hardness 10, hp 60, Break 
  DC 25) and tend to be steep and slick with moisture 
  (Climb DC 20).
  Ceiling height in Castle Scarwall is 15 feet unless 
  otherwise noted. Any light sources are noted in room 
  descriptions, leaving the castle otherwise dark except for 
  whatever natural light can seep in from outside and light 
  sources carried by the party. In many cases, torches and 
  other small flames provide illumination in the castle—
  unless otherwise noted, these are all continual flame effects 
  (CL 15th).
  The Causeway (EL 11)
  A high bridge crosses the vast expanse of black water between 
  the barbican gate and the entrance to Castle Scarwall. The 
  bridge is ornate and in excellent condition, with only a few 
  tenacious patches of moss and lichen clinging to it here and 
  there. High arching columns reaching from the waters below 
  support the broad span, each of which is marked by a pair of 
  sinister gargoyles that stare out over the dark lake. A larger pair 
  of these statues flanks a great archway that encompasses the 
  near end of the bridge.
  This causeway lies within the area of the spiritual 
  influence that surrounds Castle Scarwall and slowly 
  repairs itself in incremental stages that pass unnoticeably. 
  The causeway is 20 feet wide with a low, 3-foot balustrade 
  on each side. Its entire length is smoothly cobbled. It 
  stands 80 feet above the surface of the lake and is 400 feet 
  long. The gargoyles along its length are stationed in pairs 
  every 40 feet.
  Creatures: The Causeway itself is under the watchful 
  glare of several undead who dwell in Scarwall’s gatehouse. 
  As soon as any group reaches the midway point along the 
  causeway, the gates and portcullises at area 1 open to allow 
  the initial guardians of Scarwall out. These consist of a 
  platoon of 16 heavily armored human skeletons led by a 
  dread skeleton fighter astride a skeletal nightmare. In 
  life, the fighter, named Lashton, served under Kazavon, 
  although in his new undead state, he remembers only 
  tiny fragments of his former life—his existence now is a 
  singular focus to defend the causeway from intruders.
  Sergeant Lashton 
  CR 10
  Male human dread skeleton fighter 9 (Advanced Bestiary 91)
  LE Medium undead
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0
  Aura unnatural aura
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 11, flat-footed 21
  (+9 armor, +1 Dex, +2 natural)
  hp 58 (9d12)
  Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +3
  Defensive Abilities turn resistance +2; DR 10/bludgeoning; 
  Immune cold, undead traits
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  20
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 16, Con —, Int —, Wis 10, Cha 1
  Base Atk +5; Grp +16
  Feats Improved Initiative
  Gear +1 mithral full plate barding
  Human Skeletons (16) 
  CR 1/3
  AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22
  (+8 armor, +2 Dex, +2 natural, +2 heavy steel shield)
  hp 6 (MM 226)
  Melee longsword +1 melee (1d8+1/19–20)
  Gear full plate, heavy steel shield, longsword
  Zellara’s Doom
  The living are not the only ones who have reasons to fear 
  Scarwall. As soon as a PC bearing Zellara’s Harrow Deck sets 
  foot on the island or the causeway, the presence of a foreign 
  spirit is immediately felt by the chained spirit in area 18, 
  who prompty takes action to absorb this tantalizing new 
  soul. Within 2 rounds, a noticeable breeze rises into a gale 
  around the PCs. In this wind can be seen vague shapes—
  faces and humanoid forms, the spirits of Scarwall’s 
  restless dead. Their appearance forces the materialization 
  of Zellara’s ghost, recognizable before the party. As they 
  watch, she is suddenly assaulted from all sides by these 
  ravenous souls, and while she tries to hold them back, 
  the assault is obviously overwhelming. It is also brutally 
  swift—each round, Zellara must make a DC 25 Will save 
  (her Will save is +7, but the PC who carries her deck can 
  make his own saving throw instead against the effect for 
  her if he wishes). If she fails, she is torn free and absorbed 
  into the walls of the castle. This immediately reduces her 
  deck to a non-magical Harrow deck. If the PCs cannot 
  rescue her within a week, her soul becomes irretrievably 
  part of the haunting of Scarwall. She can only be saved by 
  lifting the castle’s curse (see area 18).
  The PC who bears the deck can prevent this doom 
  from claiming Zellara by simply leaving Scarwall or 
  the causeway, but every time he returns with the deck 
  in his possession (even if the deck is carried in an 
  extradimensional container), the assault begins again. A 
  successful Turn Undead check against a 20 HD creature can 
  quell the storm of spirits for a minute (but cannot destroy 
  it). Other similar effects might work as well, but the fact 
  remains that as long as the chain spirit exists, Scarwall is 
  a dangerous place for Zellara. If the PCs wish to prevent 
  her doom, they would be well advised to find a safe place to 
  store the Harrow Deck while they explore Scarwall.
  Empty Rooms
  Castle Scarwall is a huge place, and not every room is 
  occupied by monsters or guarded by traps. Rather than 
  detail every room, this adventure only expounds upon 
  OFFENSE
  Spd 20 ft.
  Melee +2 lance +17/+12 (1d8+10/19–20/×3) or
  mwk longsword +14/+9 (1d8+4/19–20) and
  claw +8 (1d4+2)
  Special Attacks command skeletons
  TACTICS
  During Combat Lashton can command the skeletons under 
  his service, directing them to set up flanking opportunities 
  or simply to harry and distract intruders as needed. He can 
  control his mount as a free action and need only make Ride 
  checks when performing special combat moves or using his 
  Mounted Combat feat.
  Morale Sergeant Lashton fights until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 19, Dex 14, Con —, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 14
  Base Atk +9; Grp +13
  Feats Greater Weapon Focus (lance), Improved Critical (lance), 
  Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Ride-
  By Attack, Skill Focus (ride), Spirited Charge, Trample, 
  Weapon Focus (lance), Weapon Specialization (lance)
  Skills Intimidate +14, Ride +17
  Languages Common
  Gear +1 full plate, +2 lance, masterwork longsword, gauntlets 
  of ogre power
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Command Skeletons (Su) A dread skeleton can command all 
  normal skeletons within 30 feet as a free action. Normal 
  skeletons never attack a dread skeleton unless compelled.
  Unnatural Aura (Su) Any animal within 30 feet of a dread 
  skeleton becomes panicked and remains so until the 
  distance between it and the dread skeleton is at least 30 
  feet. An animal can attempt a DC 12 Will save to resist panic 
  for one round. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Skeletal Nightmare 
  CR 6
  NE Large advanced elite nightmare skeleton (extraplanar)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 20
  (+9 armor, +3 Dex, +2 natural, –1 size)
  hp 65 (10d12)
  Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +7
  DR 5/bludgeoning; Immune cold, undead traits
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (good)
  Melee 2 hooves +11 (1d8+7) and
  bite +6 (1d8+3)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  TACTICS
  During Combat The skeletal nightmare follows Lashton’s 
  commands unerringly, taking attacks as directed by him.
  Morale The skeletal nightmare fights until destroyed.
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  21
  those chambers that are particularly noteworthy, are the 
  lairs of creatures, have unique magical traps or effects, 
  or are otherwise unusual. Mundane chambers like 
  abandoned barracks, empty storerooms, and long-disused 
  kitchens are noted on the maps of Scarwall by letter codes. 
  These rooms are usually empty of residents or treasure 
  and typically contain nothing more than a few items of 
  mundane furniture appropriate to their intended use and 
  thick layers of dust. Nevertheless, even these empty rooms 
  have a feeling of forlorn desolation and hidden menace. 
  Nowhere should feel safe, and PCs should expect surprise 
  assaults or traps from all quarters. Don’t allow them the 
  luxury of letting down their guard.
  A.  Barracks: Larger barracks contain rows of bunks 
  (often double bunks) and footlockers containing 
  rotted bits of armor, chunks of weapons, and 
  other trash. Smaller barracks were once single 
  bedchambers used by lieutenants or sergeants in 
  Kazavon’s army, yet they remain equally abandoned. 
  There’s a 20% chance that there are 1d8 skeletons 
  and zombies (divided evenly) in a barracks when it is 
  entered for the first time.
  B.  Guard Post: This chamber once served as a guard 
  post, but now all that remains are a few discarded 
  bits of armor and perhaps a table and a few broken 
  chairs. These guard posts were once manned by 
  soldiers tasked with protecting something important 
  in a nearby room. There’s a 15% chance that there is a 
  Scarwall guard (see page 22) in a guard post when it is 
  entered for the first time.
  C.  Servants’ Quarters: The servants during Kazavon’s 
  reign were little more than slaves. Their chambers 
  served them as barracks, kitchens, and latrines. 
  Dusty, sagging bunks and broken furniture are 
  all that remains in these chambers. There’s a 20% 
  chance that there are 1d8 skeletons and zombies 
  (divided evenly) in a servant’s quarters when it is 
  entered for the first time.
  D.  Sparring Chamber: Several chambers in the castle were 
  used by Kazavon’s troops to spar and exercise. Today, 
  all that remains in these rooms are bits of broken 
  weaponry and armor, and perhaps a battered target 
  dummy or two.
  E. Pantry: These pantries contain collapsed shelves, 
  fragments of crates and other containers, stacks of 
  crumbling firewood, and plenty of dust.
  F. Bath: These chambers contain crumbling shelves, 
  ruined wooden washbasins, and other necessities that 
  have fallen into disrepair.
  G. Private Audience Chambers: Although Kazavon and his 
  followers rarely had an interest in meeting with outsiders, 
  they typically did so in one of these smaller meeting 
  rooms. The chairs and desks are now crumbling.
  H. Guest Room: Very few guests stayed overnight in 
  Scarwall during Kazavon’s reign. These rooms each 
  contain a dust-covered dressing table, a sagging chair, 
  and a dilapidated bed.
  I. Torture Chamber: The majority of Kazavon’s guests 
  ended up in one of Scarwall’s numerous torture 
  chambers. These are generally small rooms designed 
  to torment single victims, or small groups of no more 
  than four. Decrepit iron maidens, crumbling racks, 
  and rusting cages are the decor here.
  J. Storage: Everything from firewood to clothes to tools to 
  drinking water were once stored in these rooms—now, 
  only crumbled rust and debris remain.
  K. Armory: The armories of Scarwall were among the first 
  rooms the orcs looted when they first took residence 
  here. As such, these chambers, once filled to capacity 
  with weapons and armor, are now completely empty save 
  for the occasional empty and toppled weapon rack.
  L. Parapet: These areas are open to the air, and provide 
  commanding views of the surrounding landscape. Note 
  that exploration of these parapets is likely to attract 
  unwanted attention from the gargoyles who roost on 
  the roofs above.
  M. Dining Hall: All that remains in these mess halls are 
  partially collapsed tables and broken chairs.
  N. Smithy: The forges in the castle smithies have 
  weathered the passage of time well, but most of the 
  tools here have rusted or rotted to uselessness.
  O. Minaret: Several of these hollow towers grace Scarwall’s 
  heights. Within is a lattice of stone supports that 
  serve as shelters for Scarwall’s sizable flock of four-
  armed gargoyle brutes. There are, in all, 12 gargoyle 
  brutes dwelling in Scarwall. There’s a 35% chance of 
  encountering a gargoyle brute in a minaret.
  P. Statue Perch: These decorative stone perches protrude 
  from the sides of Scarwall’s towers. Each one features a 
  non-magical stone statue of a gargoyle brute.
  Q. Gargoyle Perch: These stone perches hold actual gargoyle 
  brutes who use their freeze ability to appear indistin-
  guishable from the normal statues on other perches.
  R. Garderobe: This is a small, dusty latrine.
  S. Stairs: Each flight of stairs in Scarwall is indicated by a 
  code: “S1,” “S2,” “S3,” and so on. All stairwells bearing the 
  same tag are connected between floors.
  T. Trap Door: As with stairways, trap doors are marked by 
  tags to indicate where the connections between floors lie. 
  Unless indicated otherwise, wooden ladders (preserved 
  by Scarwall’s curse) allow access between areas connected 
  by trap doors. 
  Wandering Monsters
  Scarwall is a large place, but not so large that endless 
  hordes of monsters prowl its halls. In most cases, the 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  22
  decay or strange odor, whispered names or eerie laughter/
  screams, or ripples running along a floor, wall, or ceiling 
  like a wave rolling across the surface of a lake, though 
  with no discernable source or trace after it is gone. Many 
  of these can coincide with attacks by some of the other 
  randomly encountered monsters to keep your players from 
  disregarding them as harmless.
  Scarwall Guard: Kazavon used minotaurs as elite guards 
  in his castle. Soon after the orcs abandoned the castle the 
  bodies of these guards rose to continue their patrols. Not 
  counting skeletal minotaur guards that appear as part of 
  an encounter, there are 12 of these undead patrolling the 
  castle’s halls. They can sometimes be found standing at 
  silent attention in guard rooms as well.
  Scarwall Guard 
  CR 6
  Dread skeleton elite minotaur (MM 188, Advanced Bestiary 91)
  CE Large undead (augmented monstrous humanoid)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Listen +12, Spot +11
  Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13
  (+3 Dex, +3 natural)
  hp 39 (6d12)
  Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities +2 turn resistance; DR 10/bludgeoning; 
  Immune cold
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee mwk greataxe +13/+8 (3d6+9/×3) and
  gore +6 (1d8+3)
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +9 (2d6/19–20)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks command skeletons, powerful charge 4d6+9
  TACTICS
  During Combat Scarwall guards open combat with a charge, 
  then continue to fight with their melee weaponry. They only 
  resort to crossbows if they simply can’t reach a victim.
  Morale Scarwall guards fight until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 23, Dex 16, Con —, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 8
  Base Atk +6; Grp +16
  Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Weapon 
  Focus (greataxe)
  Skills Listen +12, Search +1, Spot +11
  Languages Giant
  SQ natural cunning
  Gear masterwork greataxe, masterwork light crossbow
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Command Skeletons (Su) A dread skeleton can command all 
  normal skeletons within 30 feet as a free action. Normal 
  skeletons never attack a dread skeleton unless compelled.
  Unnatural Aura (Su) Any animal within 30 feet of a dread 
  volume of undead that the PCs face in Scarwall are drawn 
  from a limited pool—likewise, wandering monsters 
  in the castle, for the most part, have limited resources. 
  The following table is a tool to generate encounters with 
  Scarwall’s denizens. There’s no hard and fast time to check 
  for wandering monsters, though. Do so as often or as 
  infrequently as you wish in order to keep things exciting, 
  but don’t make the adventure an endless slog against waves 
  of monsters. Should characters decide to spend the night 
  in Scarwall, the chance of one of these wandering monsters 
  interrupting their rest is 100% unless they take some 
  precaution and set up camp in a fortified or hidden area; 
  if they do this, there’s only a 40% chance of an encounter 
  occurring. When an encounter occurs, you can either roll 
  on the table below or simply pick the encounter that makes 
  the most sense for the location.
  SCARWALL RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  d% 
  Encounter 
  Average EL 
  Source
  01–20 
  Lesser undead 
  — 
  see below
  21–40 
  Ghostly manifestation 
  — 
  —
  41–60 
  1 Scarwall guard 
  6 
  page 22
  61–75 
  Pegg and Loute 
  8 
  page 23
  76–80 
  1d6 greater shadows 
  11 
  MM 221
  81–85 
  1 dread wraith and 1d8 wraiths 
  12 
  MM 258
  86–100 Proximity encounter 
  Variable 
  Variable
  Lesser Undead: Scarwall is host to a small army of 
  skeletons, ghouls, and zombies—none of which can 
  seriously threaten a high-level party directly, but can still 
  cause problems by noticing the PCs and raising an alarm, 
  or by simply being in the way when the PCs are attempting 
  to move quickly through an area. In all, there are 44 human 
  skeletons and 32 human zombies shambling around the 
  halls of Scarwall. These undead rarely, if ever, enter actual 
  numbered encounter areas. Neither do they themselves 
  have proper lairs, although both are commonly found 
  lumbering about in barracks and in servants’ quarters.
  Human Skeleton 
  CR 1/3
  hp 6 (MM 226)
  Human Zombie 
  CR 1/2
  hp 16 (MM 266)
  Ghostly Manifestation: An assortment of ghostly 
  manifestations can occur to add tension to the game. Some 
  examples include echoing footsteps, strangely colored 
  candlelight emanating from around a corner or in a room 
  that fades away when approached, bloody footprints and 
  drag marks, sounds of shuffling coming from behind 
  supposedly solid walls, sudden changes in air pressure 
  or temperature, mysteriously moving doors, smells of 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  23
  skeleton becomes panicked and remains so until the 
  distance between it and the dread skeleton is at least 30 
  feet. An animal can attempt a DC 12 Will save to resist panic 
  for one round. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Incoporeal Undead: Periodically, some of the unquiet 
  spirits trapped in the walls emerge, manifesting as greater 
  shadows, dread wraiths, or standard wraiths. These 
  incoporeal undead spend several hours wandering Scarwall 
  before being reabsorbed—the number of these undead that 
  can be encountered in Scarwall is effectively limitless.
  Greater Shadow 
  CR 8
  hp 58 (MM 221)
  Dread Wraith 
  CR 11
  hp 104 (MM 258)
  Wraith 
  CR 5
  hp 32 (MM 258)
  Pegg and Loute: These two 
  ghosts were court jesters during 
  Kazavon’s reign. Loute is no 
  taller than a short halfling, 
  while Pegg towers at just over 
  seven feet in height. Both 
  wear identical outfits of form-
  fitting black leather with tight, 
  black leather masks covering their 
  heads. Each mask has a stitched 
  seam running from forehead to jaw 
  line to seal it in place. Pegg’s left leg is 
  missing, replaced by what appears to have 
  been a chair or table leg. Loute has abnormally long 
  arms that, when they hang at his side, reach to mid calf. 
  Despite their unusual appearances, both were once 
  human. 
  Kazavon 
  found 
  their 
  respective 
  physical 
  abnormalities and their putrescent attempts at poetry, 
  literature, and displays of fanciful fighting techniques 
  quite amusing, and rather than see them tortured to death, 
  kept them on for several years as his pet entertainers. 
  Most of Kazavon’s soldiers found the pair to be unbearably 
  irritating, and only the threat of Kazavon’s wrath protected 
  them from both receiving a shiv in the back. Eventually, 
  even Kazavon tired of their pedantic drivel and had them 
  both executed in a fit of pique by having masks created 
  to compliment their normal grotesque attire and then 
  ordering them sewn closed over their heads, condemning 
  each to a slow, agonizing suffocation as they hung from 
  hooks driven through their collar bones, where they hung 
  for hours above the entrance to the castle. Many considered 
  this final performance the highlight of their careers, 
  giving them a standing ovation as their last spasmodic 
  twitches ceased.
  When Pegg and Loute are encountered, they rapidly 
  approach the PCs and begin gesticulating and thrashing 
  their arms about as if in a fit. These are mute attempts 
  at pantomime—it seems the two are trying to tell the 
  PCs something. A DC 20 Perform (act) check is sufficient 
  to realize that there is no substance or meaning to the 
  act—only the useless gestures of unfortunate souls whose 
  deaths were agonizingly long enough for true madness to 
  claim them before oblivion’s mercy did. A DC 20 Wisdom 
  check is sufficient to realize the danger inherent to the 
  display as explained below—if possible, you should make 
  the Wisdom checks and Will saves for the PCs in secret 
  until they are aware of the danger. There really is no better 
  recourse than simply putting these two lost souls violently 
  to rest. Despite their physical dissimilarities in life and 
  death, their combat stats are identical.
  scarwall
  guard
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  24
  Pegg and Loute 
  CR 6
  Male human ghost expert 5
  CN Medium undead (augmented humanoid, incorporeal)
  Init +5; Senses special senses; Listen +15, Spot +15
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 14
  (+1 Dex, +4 deflection)
  hp 32 (5d12)
  Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +3
  Defensive Abilities +4 turn resistance, incorporeal; Immune 
  undead traits
  OFFENSE
  Spd fly 30 ft. (perfect)
  Melee draining touch +4 touch (1d4 drain from any ability score)
  Special Attacks draining touch, horrific pantomime, 
  manifestation
  TACTICS
  During Combat The ghosts attempt to lull opponents into 
  complacency using their horrific pantomime. If attacked, 
  they fight back with their draining touches.
  Morale These two never did know when to quit. They fight to 
  the end.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 12, Con —, Int 11, Wis 8, Cha 18
  Base Atk +3; Grp +3
  Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus 
  (Perform [act])
  Skills Bluff +12, Craft (poetry) +2, Diplomacy +16, Hide +9, 
  Listen +15, Perform (act) +15, Profession (jester) +5, Search 
  +8, Sense Motive +7, Spot +15
  Languages Common
  SQ rejuvenation
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Horrific Pantomime (Su) Any living creature within 60 feet that 
  views this ghost’s attempt at pantomime (a standard action) 
  must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or immediately take 
  1d4 points of Intelligence damage, 1d4 points of Wisdom 
  damage, and 1d4 points of Charisma damage. Insidiously, 
  the ability damaging aspect of this attack is only noticed if 
  the creature makes a DC 20 Wisdom check (including any 
  penalties for Wisdom damage). A creature that successfully 
  saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same 
  ghost’s horrific pantomime for 24 hours. The save DC is 
  Charisma-based.
  Proximity Encounter: In this encounter, one of the 
  creatures dwelling in a nearby room has wandered out into 
  the nearby chambers and runs into the PCs, effectively 
  triggering that encounter early.
  The Lords of Scarwall
  Beyond the rank-and-file undead spirits that dwell in 
  Scarwall, several dangerous and powerful unique NPCs 
  command different sections of the castle. Each of these 
  guardians held positions of power in Kazavon’s army in 
  life—in death, they continue to do so, yet not always in 
  ways that compliment their fellows. Canny PCs can find 
  ways to play these NPCs against each other. The key 
  commanders and the regions they control are listed below. 
  In addition, several of the commanders function as spirit 
  anchors for the chained spirit Mithrodar; destroying them 
  also lessens the overall strength of the evil in the castle 
  walls, as detailed in the nearby sidebar.
  Belshallam (spirit anchor): Once Kazavon’s favored 
  mount, the umbral dragon Belshallam is now bound to 
  Scarwall as surely as the castle’s other denizens. Belshallam 
  controls the war tower and garrison, although he has little 
  real interest in what goes on beyond his own lair (area 10). 
  He is one of the spirit anchors tied to Mithrodar.
  Castothrane (spirit anchor): Once the captain of the guard, 
  Castothrane commands several skeletal undead in the cas-
  tle gatehouse. He is one of Mithrodar’s spirit anchors.
  General Gorstav: Once the commander of Kazavon’s 
  armies, General Gorstav was executed by Kazavon for 
  failing to prevent Mandraivus’s invasion, only a few short 
  minutes before the cabal confronted Kazavon directly 
  in the Star Tower. Gorstav exists now as a shadow of his 
  former glory, a nearly mindless juju zombie.
  Ildervok: A relatively recent addition to Scarwall’s 
  defenders, the nightwing Ildervok was sent by Zon-Kuthon 
  to guard the Star Tower until a new Curate of that sacred 
  place could be found. Ildervok is bound to Scarwall not by 
  the chained spirit, but by Zon-Kuthon’s will.
  Kleestad: In life, Kleestad was Kazavon’s chamberlain. It 
  was in large part due to Kleestad’s failure and incompetence 
  that the invasion of Scarwall by Mandraivus’s cabal was 
  so successful—the simpering chamberlain fled into the 
  lava tunnels below Scarwall to escape Kazavon’s wrath, but 
  was not able to avoid Zon-Kuthon’s displeasure. He lives 
  on now in a cursed state as a nearly mindless monstrosity 
  deep under the castle; well beyond the castle’s reach but 
  bound in place by his own curse.
  Mithrodar: Mithrodar, once Scarwall’s castellan, is a 
  rare form of undead that has the capacity to anchor other 
  undead in regions near to its domain—as long as his four 
  anchor spirits exist, Mithrodar cannot be permanently 
  slain. His domain is the main keep.
  Nihil (spirit anchor): The only non-undead commander 
  is this fearsome devil. Gifted to Kazavon by Zon-Kuthon 
  himself to serve as an assassin, Nihil still continues 
  to dwell here, bound to the region now not by loyalty to 
  Kazavon but by Mithrodar’s spiritual anchors.
  The Danse Macabre: Bound to Scarwall as surely as 
  the other undead sprits, the danse macabre is not part of 
  Mithrodar’s network of spirit anchors. Indeed, the danse 
  macabre is a danger to all of the denizens of Scarwall, 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  25
  who leave it to its eternal dancing and haunting in the 
  guest wing.
  Zev Ravenka (spirit anchor): Perhaps the most 
  dangerous of the spirits bound in Scarwall is Zev Ravenka. 
  Even during Kazavon’s reign, this cruel and sadistic 
  man was undead—a lich cleric who served as Kazavon’s 
  religious adviser. Zev has transcended his lichdom now, 
  though, and exists as both a demilich and a spirit anchor. 
  His realm is the chapel.
  Scarwall First Floor
  The first floor of Scarwall consists of areas 1–15. Random 
  encounters function normally here, and all encounter 
  locations are on the map of the first floor on page 26.
  1. Main Gate
  Castle Scarwall’s front gate looms at the end of the long 
  causeway, flanked by twin statues of warriors standing at 
  attention. Pale flames rise from the tips of their spears thirty 
  feet above. Torches are set into the entryway tunnel leading 
  to the main gates themselves, providing illumination. The 
  massive gates are closed, and a lowered iron portcullis further 
  bars unauthorized entrance.
  This area seems deserted, but is in fact under constant 
  watch by the dread skeleton minotaurs in area 16 above. If 
  the PCs simply approach openly, those minotaurs begin 
  firing upon them through the arrow slits above. The 
  portcullises and gates here are all lowered and locked.
  Iron Portcullis
  hp 60; Hardness 10; Lift DC 25.
  Heavy Wooden Gates
  hp 50; Hardness 5; Break DC 28.
  2. Entry Corridor (EL 11)
  Rows of arrow slits line the east and west walls of this hallway, 
  and murder holes look down from above. The far end is blocked 
  by another heavy gate with another iron portcullis set before 
  it. Lining the length of the corridor are dozens of orc skeletons 
  and scattered bones, many still clad in damaged pieces of 
  armor and clinging to rusted weapons.
  When the orcs of Belkzen broke through the main gates 
  centuries ago, they met stiff resistance from the small band 
  of mercenaries who remained behind with Mandraivus to 
  keep watch over Scarwall. The orcs eventually fought their 
  way through to defeat them, but their victory was short-
  lived as the ghostly inhabitants of the castle struck them 
  down soon after.
  Creatures: Sergeant Lashton and his skeletal minions 
  wait patiently here for intruders to make it halfway across 
  the causeway. He then signals the skeletons in area 16 above 
  to open the gates to allow them out to defend Scarwall. If 
  the PCs enter Scarwall from a different direction and have 
  not already encountered these undead on the causeway, 
  they are encountered here. The skeletons do their best 
  to fight intruders who approach from the north, but the 
  Defeating sPirit anCHors
  The haunted aura of Scarwall persists largely due to the 
  presence of the chained spirit Mithrodar. He has anchored 
  his existence in Scarwall to four powerful commanders. As 
  long as all four of these commanders survive, Mithrodar 
  cannot be truly defeated. As long as Mithrodar exists, 
  Scarwall is destined to remain a cursed and haunted place, 
  and only when this curse is lifted can the PCs finish their 
  mission to retrieve Serithtial.
  As the PCs defeat the spirit anchors, the overwhelming 
  evil in the castle begins to falter. This manifests as 
  detailed below.
  One Spirit Anchor Defeated: The dread suffusing Scarwall 
  fades; creatures can now sleep in the castle without fear of 
  supernatural nightmares. Scarwall issues a silent scream 
  that alerts all other undead in the tower that their realm is 
  in danger. From this point on, until all four spirit anchors 
  are defeated, undead in Scarwall gain +4 turn resistance in 
  addition to effects of unhallow. (Undead that already have 
  turn resistance have their bonus increased by +4).
  Two Spirit Anchors Defeated: The aura of menace 
  in Scarwall vanishes; detect evil and detect undead now 
  function normally.
  Three Spirit Anchors Defeated: Spirits contained in 
  the castle walls can no longer escape to roam the halls—
  greater shadows, dread wraiths, and wraiths can no longer 
  be encountered as wandering monsters.
  All Spirit Anchors Defeated: The unhallow effect vanishes, 
  along with the dimensional lock effect that affected all non-
  inhabitants of the castle. Mithrodar can now be defeated 
  permanently.
  Replacing Anchors: Mithrodar can try to replace a 
  defeated spirit anchor with a number of evil creatures in 
  Scarwall, including Sergeant Lashton (page 19), the corpse 
  orgy (area 4), Malatrothe (area 7), one of the cinder ghouls 
  (area 11), any of the gargoyle brutes (page 17), a barbed devil 
  (area 24), a bone devil (area 33), General Gorstav (area 34), or 
  Prelate Aruth (area 37). Ildervok cannot be anchored, since 
  the nightwing is here directly on Zon-Kuthon’s will and 
  thus enjoys protection from this fate. Either Laori Vaus or 
  Shadowcount Sial could make for interesting spirit anchors 
  as well. Hopefully, the PCs defeat Mithrodar before he has a 
  chance to reclaim a new anchor.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
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  26
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  27
  cramped quarters are likely to make a battle here one in 
  the party’s favor.
  In addition, on the first round of combat, the skeletal 
  guards in the room above empty the troughs of supernatural 
  oil, causing the freezing fluid to cascade down into this 
  room. All creatures in the room take 6d6 points of cold 
  damage from the cascade (or half on a DC 15 Reflex save).
  Sergeant Lashton 
   
  CR 10
  hp 58 (see page 19)
  Skeletal Nightmare 
   
  CR 6
  hp 65 (see page 20)
  Human Skeletons (16) 
   
  CR 1/3
  AC 24, touch 12, flat-footed 22
  (+8 armor, +2 Dex, +2 natural, +2 heavy steel shield)
  hp 6 (MM 226)
  Melee longsword +1 melee (1d8+1/19–20)
  Gear full plate, heavy steel shield, longsword
  3a/3b. Watchposts (EL 8 per room)
  Arrowslits in this room’s longest wall allow observation of the 
  castle’s entrance hall from this barren room. A flight of stairs 
  leads up along the room’s opposite wall.
  The stairs in 3a lead up to area 17a, while those in 3b lead 
  up to area 17b.
  Creatures: Kazavon’s original gatehouse defenders, 
  minotaur mercenaries, were charged not only with keeping 
  intruders out but also keeping any of his own recalcitrant 
  troops in. These minotaurs were slain by Mandraivus 
  and his band, only to rise as particularly potent undead 
  skeletons. Two of them guard each of these rooms. They 
  defend the entry corridor as described in area 2 above, 
  firing on any living creatures therein—they do not pursue 
  foes beyond the gatehouse, though.
  Scarwall Guards (2 per room) 
  CR 6
  Dread skeleton elite minotaur (see page 22)
  hp 39 each
  4. Death Chamber (EL 13)
  The scene in this large chamber is stomach-turning. Bodies 
  lie everywhere, orc and human alike. Judging by the sprawled 
  nature of the corpses, they fought brutally before succumbing 
  to their wounds, dying in heaps on the floor. Many corpses are 
  riddled with arrows and crossbow bolts, and a few appear to 
  have perished while locked in mortal combat and still clutch at 
  weapons embedded in various parts of each others’ anatomy. A 
  particularly large mound of bodies lies in the northwest corner, 
  a heap of carcasses in a tangle of limbs. Strangely, while the 
  room reeks of death, the bloodstains on the walls and floor 
  seem incredibly ancient.
  This chamber is where Mandraivus’s army held off 
  the orc invaders for the longest, collapsing eventually to 
  a man, but not before slaughtering dozens of orcs. While 
  the bodies here may seem recent, they are in fact hundreds 
  of years old, kept “fresh” by the necromantic auras in the 
  walls here—any body in this room is infused with a gentle 
  repose effect, so that the corpses remain fresh reminders of 
  the last major battle to take place in Scarwall’s halls.
  Creature: A strange and sinister recent arrival to 
  Scarwall dwells here, drawn by the tantalizing and 
  permanent supply of non-decaying body parts. This 
  immense oozelike creature is a monster known as a 
  corpse orgy. Actually an aberration, the corpse orgy 
  absorbs cadavers and makes them part of its body—the 
  huge mound of corpses in the corner of the room is in fact 
  the creature itself, sitting quietly and watching through 
  its dozens of eyes. The strange monster only intended 
  to dwell here as long as it took to absorb the bodies in 
  the room before moving on, but it has become ensnared 
  by Scarwall’s malevolence and is now sustained by these 
  same unholy energies. Over the months it’s been here, the 
  creature has slipped further into dementia, and can no 
  longer tell its own thoughts apart from fanciful thoughts 
  of the orcs and humans whose bodies it has absorbed. 
  The creature sees itself as the true heir of Scarwall, and 
  any new living creatures who enter the room are seen as 
  fragments of its body returning to rejoin their original 
  host. As it notices the PCs, the creature speaks to them, 
  welcoming them “home” before scuttling forth on dozens 
  of arms and legs in a horrific attempt to embrace and 
  absorb its “wayward children.”
  Corpse Orgy 
   
  CR 13
  Tome of Horrors III 34
  CE Large aberration
  Init +4; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft., 
  tremorsense 60 ft.; Listen +18, Spot +22
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 9, flat-footed 22
  (+13 natural, –1 size)
  hp 184 (16d8+112)
  Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +12
  DR 10/piercing or slashing
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft.
  Melee 4 slams +16 (2d6+5)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks absorb body, improved grab, pain shriek
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  28
  TACTICS
  During Combat Upon attacking, the corpse orgy immediately 
  looses a pain shriek. It then relies on its undeadlike 
  appearance to cause opponents to waste turn attempts and 
  other undead-affecting attacks against it.
  Morale If reduced to 30 hp or less, the corpse orgy attempts 
  to flee deeper into Scarwall. 
  STATISTICS
  Str 21, Dex 10, Con 24, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 16
  Base Atk +12; Grp +21
  Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, 
  Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)
  Skills Hide +15, Listen +18, Sense Motive +15, Search +18, Spot +22
  Languages Common, Orc, Shoanti
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Absorb Body (Su) A corpse orgy can absorb the physical body 
  of any creature that has been reduced to 0 hit points or less 
  by moving over the body’s space and remaining in contact 
  with it for a full round. A living opponent can make a DC 25 
  Fortitude save to resist absorption. A dead opponent gets 
  no saving throw. When it absorbs a body, the corpse orgy 
  gains 12 temporary hit points. A creature that was not yet 
  dead dies immediately upon being absorbed. The save DC 
  is Constitution-based.
  All-Around Vision (Ex) A corpse orgy gains a +4 racial bonus 
  on Search and Spot checks and cannot be flanked.
  Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a corpse orgy must hit 
  a creature one size smaller than itself with a slam attack. It 
  can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without 
  provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple, it 
  establishes a hold.
  Pain Shriek (Su) Twice per day, as a standard action, a corpse 
  orgy can unleash a piercing shriek from the various heads 
  captured in its form. This shriek deals 10d6 points of sonic 
  damage to all living creatures within a 40-foot radius. 
  Affected creatures can make a DC 25 Fortitude save for half 
  damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  5. Mandraivus’s Fall (EL 12)
  The double door between this hall and area 4 is barred from 
  the eastern side with a heavy iron crossbar (Break DC 30).
  Tattered bits of ruined tapestries line the walls of this hallway—
  wispy filaments of rotting cloth that hang limp and forgotten. 
  Ancient bones from scattered skeletons lie on the floor amid 
  bits of broken weaponry and armor. Only one skeleton seems 
  to remain whole, slumped against the northeastern corner, clad 
  in dust-caked full plate armor.
  When the orcs invaded Scarwall, Mandraivus and his 
  soldiers held them off for some time in area 4 before falling 
  back to this room. One by one, Mandraivus’s final guards 
  fell to the invaders until it was only Mandraivus who 
  remained alive. The orcs finally overwhelmed him here. 
  But as the orcs delivered the final blow and Mandraivus’s 
  presence in the castle ended, the latent spirits within 
  Scarwall rose up in triumph. It didn’t take the malevolent, 
  wrathful dead long to slaughter the orcs and drive them 
  out of the castle and claim the building as their own. 
  Bold Mandraivus, victor of a hundred battles, hero of 
  Ustalav, and slayer of Kazavon lies here still, his skeleton 
  slumped ignobly among those of his foes and servants, an 
  anonymous tomb for a great hero. 
  Haunt: Two rounds after a living creature enters this 
  room, the silence of the ancient, dead castle suddenly 
  shatters. The hall is filled with a cacophony of clashing 
  weapons and battle cries intermingled with the screams 
  of the dead and dying. Individual words are impossible to 
  discern, but as the sounds reach a crescendo of violence, 
  smoky black shapes boil up out of the bones and swirl into 
  a vortex of angry shrieking spirits. The wailing of these 
  spirits may be enough to drive those caught inside the 
  room to madness.
  Allip Vortex 
  CR 9
  Notice Listen DC 25 (to hear the faint sounds of battle); 
  Effective HD 18
  HaUnts
  Haunts function somewhat like traps, but are difficult to 
  detect since they do not “exist” until they are triggered. 
  When a haunt is triggered, its effects manifest at initiative 
  rank 10 on a surprise round; the haunt effect vanishes as 
  soon as the surprise round is over and things return to 
  normal (most haunts never persist into actual round-by-
  round “combat”). Those in the haunt’s vicinity can make a 
  specific skill check to notice the haunt in time to react—if 
  a character notices it, he might make an initiative check 
  to determine when he acts in the round. Once a haunt 
  is active, a successful turn undead attempt against the 
  haunt’s effective Hit Dice ends it immediately, though the 
  character making the turn attempt must notice the haunt 
  and must act before it in the surprise round it is activated. 
  If the turning attempt results in a destruction result, that 
  particular haunt is exorcised and permanently disabled. A 
  rebuke undead attempt that commands a haunt allows a 
  character to decide what targets in the haunt’s vicinity its 
  effects apply to. Once a haunt triggers, it cannot trigger 
  again for a set period of time (generally 24 hours, although 
  the haunts in Scarwall often reset much faster).
  A haunt has a CR score, calculated as if it were a trap. 
  For experiencing and surviving a haunt, award the entire 
  party XP as if it had defeated a creature of that CR. All 
  haunts are mind-affecting fear effects, even those that can 
  produce physical effects.
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  29
  EFFECTS
  Trigger proximity (2 round onset delay); Reset automatic  
  (10 minutes)
  Effect As the storm of allip-like spirits churn into an 
  overwhelming vortex, all creatures in this room must 
  make a DC 25 Will save to avoid suffering 2d6 points of 
  Wisdom damage.
  Creature: The allip vortex is merely the first danger that 
  faces PCs in this room. The round after the vortex collapses, a 
  towering smoky form rises from the plate-mail-clad bones—
  this cursed and wrathful spirit is none other than Mandraivus, 
  driven to madness by his centuries of imprisonment in 
  Scarwall. He appears as a shadowy humanoid clad in plate 
  armor made of dark mist. Two red eyes glow deep inside 
  his helm. Mandraivus’s stricken soul now exists as a dread 
  wraith. Almost all shreds of his actual personality have long 
  since faded, with his hatred all that remains.
  Mandraivus the Lost 
  CR 11
  Dread Wraith
  hp 104 (MM 258)
  TACTICS
  During Combat In life a noble warrior, Mandraivus focuses 
  his wrath on characters who remind him of his former life. 
  Paladins, heavily armored fighters, and clerics of militant 
  deities are his favored targets, but anyone who wields a 
  bastard sword trumps all other targets. He lunges at such a 
  target, he shrieks, “You shall not have Serithtial! She is mine 
  and no other’s!”
  Morale Mandraivus fights until destroyed.
  Treasure: Most of Mandraivus’s gear has long since been 
  claimed by other denizens of the castle, but his full plate, 
  which is a suit of celestial plate armor bearing heraldry 
  from the nation of Lastwall, was too unsettling for 
  the vile denizens to handle—thus, it has remained, 
  untouched, on his remains for centuries.
  6. Porters’ Hall (EL 11)
  Numerous arrow slits along the northern wall look out over 
  the castle courtyard, and a pair of doors look as if they open 
  onto it. The burnt stubs of torches hang in iron brackets 
  between the arrow slits, and small puddles of rain 
  have formed beneath them, staining the stone. 
  Opposite these, metal rings have been driven 
  into the stone wall; some have short lengths of 
  chain attached to them.
  This corridor once served as housing for the 
  castle’s slave-porters. It was in ready shouting 
  distance from the main keep, barracks, chapel, or 
  guest wing—wherever they were needed. Their threadbare 
  bedrolls have long since disintegrated due to exposure to 
  the elements. The metal rings are where the porters were 
  chained when not on duty.
  Creatures: 
  The 
  slave-porters 
  were 
  released 
  by 
  Mandraivus’s cabal when they took the castle centuries 
  ago. The minotaur guards who watched over them were 
  Celestial Plate Armor
  Aura faint transmutation (good); CL 8th
  Slot armor; Price 28,650 gp; Weight 25 lb.
  DESCRIPTION
  Celestial plate armor is a sturdier version of the standard 
  celestial armor. This bright silver suit of +3 full plate is 
  remarkably light, and is treated as medium armor. It 
  has a maximum Dexterity bonus of +6, an armor check 
  penalty of –3, and an arcane spell failure chance of 20%. 
  It allows the wearer to use fly on command (as the spell) 
  once per day.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, creator 
  must be good, fly; Cost 115,150 gp, 1,080 XP
  Mandraivus
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  30
  slain and left behind. Now, these five dread skeleton 
  minotaurs patrol this hall under Mithrodar’s orders, 
  watching for intruders attempting to infiltrate the castle 
  via its courtyard. They immediately open fire with their 
  crossbows if they see any targets therein.
  Scarwall Guards (5) 
  CR 6
  Dread skeleton elite minotaur (see page 22)
  hp 39 each
  7. Malatrothe’s Quarters (EL 9)
  On the walls of this dismal room are hung 
  innumerable bags of netting holding bottles, 
  clay jars, dried plants, desiccated bits of 
  animals, and similar things. Tattered, 
  gauzy 
  curtains 
  have 
  been 
  strung throughout, creating a 
  diaphanous kind of maze. The 
  whole is choked with a dank-
  smelling smoke that seems 
  to be issuing forth from a 
  pitted iron brazier in the 
  center of the chamber.
  This 
  chamber 
  once 
  served 
  as 
  the 
  abode 
  of 
  Kazavon’s 
  apothecary 
  and 
  alchemist. Its latest inhabitant 
  has strung it with accoutrements and 
  decoration to remind her of her own home 
  on the outer plane of Abbadon. The netting 
  bags hold many kinds of herbs and animal organs. 
  The brazier burns seaweed-charcoal made on the shores 
  of the river Styx, and its fumes are foul-smelling (but 
  have no game impact) to most living creatures.
  Creatures: Malatrothe currently resides in this room. 
  She is a recent arrival to Scarwall and is here to trade souls 
  with Mithrodar, who has granted her protection from 
  the castle’s other inhabitants. She has already negotiated 
  several good deals and is currently trying to figure out how 
  to claim one of the castellan’s anchoring spirits to take 
  back to Abbadon’s soul markets.
  If Malatrothe hears the sound of battle nearby, she 
  quickly comes to the conclusion that adventurers have 
  decided to invade Scarwall—who else would be so foolish 
  to attempt such a stunt, after all? She assumes the form of 
  a battered halfling woman dressed in rags and clambers 
  into one of the nets hanging from the walls and waits for 
  a few hours, hoping to trick any adventurers who enter 
  this room into thinking she’s a prisoner here. She claims 
  to be an herbalist named Alimae who was snatched from 
  the woods near her home by a horrific dragon and then 
  carried halfway across the world to this nightmare castle, 
  whereupon the dragon handed her over to a towering evil 
  witch. The witch works in this room, Alimae continues, 
  but says that she’s been gone for several hours. Acting 
  nervous and frightened, Alimae says that, if the PCs hurry, 
  she can lead them upstairs to the witch’s home, where if 
  they’re quick, they can break her crystal ball and weaken 
  her so that when she returns, she’ll be easy to defeat.
  Of course, all of this is a blatant lie. “Alimae” 
  wants to lead the PCs up to area 18, where 
  she proudly offers them all as new 
  spirits for Mithrodar to claim in 
  return for the spirits of one 
  of his anchors. If the PCs 
  see through her trickery, 
  Malatrothe assumes her 
  true form with a cackle, but still 
  doesn’t attack. She compliments 
  the PCs on their perception and 
  caution, then asks them if they’d 
  like to help her with a little 
  project. She assumes they’re here 
  to defeat one, some, or all of the 
  commanders in Scarwall. All 
  she wants is to be there when 
  they defeat one of the spirit 
  anchors so she can capture the 
  soul and flee to Abbadon with it. She’s 
  worried that Mithrodar has no interest in 
  relinquishing one of his anchors, and if she 
  can’t use the PCs as a bribe, she hopes to use 
  them as tools to steal the spirit herself.
  Malatrothe knows a little about Scarwall from her 
  meetings with Mithrodar; she knows that the chained 
  spirit’s power is tied to four spirit anchors, and that as 
  long as those anchors exist, he cannot be destroyed. She 
  also knows that hundreds, if not thousands, of spirits are 
  bound into the walls of Scarwall by Mithrodar’s presence. 
  She can tell the PCs that Castothrane, Belshallam, and 
  Nihil are spirit anchors—she’d prefer to catch Nihil’s spirit 
  but only knows the way to Belshallam’s lair (although she’d 
  rather not select the powerful dragon as her target due to 
  his strength). She’s not sure who the fourth spirit anchor 
  is, but suspects whoever it is lies within the Chapel. If 
  the PCs trust her, Malatrothe is actually one of the more 
  forthcoming sources of information in Scarwall. The one 
  thing sure to ruin an alliance with the night hag, though, 
  is if she discovers the PCs are planning on destroying 
  Mithrodar—for once he goes, the spirits bound here 
  vanish as well, robbing the night hag of what she’s decided 
  is a very convenient place to harvest souls. If she learns 
  that the PCs intend to destroy the chained spirit, she 
  remains allies with them until they help her catch the soul 
  Malatrothe
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  31
  of a spirit anchor (perhaps even aiding them in combat, 
  although only when she feels she can do so without placing 
  herself at risk), then abandons them to warn Mithrodar 
  about the situation, attempting to secure a second anchor 
  from him in payment for the information. Mithrodar does 
  not take this attempt at embezzling well, though, and 
  swiftly slays the night hag—in this event, the PCs find her 
  body in area 18 when they get there, and her spirit being 
  tormented by Mithrodar’s chains.
  Malatrothe 
   
  CR 9
  Night Hag (MM 193)
  hp 68
  TACTICS
  During Combat Malatrothe has met her fair share of deadly 
  foes in her planar travels, and knows that the surest route 
  to death is to underestimate foes. She treats the PCs 
  as dangerous, and avoids engaging melee with them at 
  the start of a battle, relying on magic missile and ray of 
  enfeeblement to attack at range. As long as the dimensional 
  lock is in effect, she can’t become ethereal unless she 
  leaves Scarwall, so she does her best to keep a fast retreat 
  route open.
  Morale Malatrothe retreats from battle if brought below 
  40 hit points, attempting to leave the castle grounds so 
  she can escape into the ethereal plane where her loyal 
  nightmare mount waits patiently for her. If she escapes 
  from a fight with the PCs, she puts them “on her list.” 
  She doesn’t return to Scarwall, but does spend some 
  time researching the PCs and learning more about them. 
  She may come back to dream haunt them as early as the 
  next adventure.
  Treasure: Malatrothe’s most prized possessions are 
  her soul jars—special containers that night hags use 
  to gather souls and transport them. She brought a half 
  dozen of them with her, and so far has filled four of them 
  with insane spirits she’s purchased from Mithrodar, 
  harvesting them directly from the castle’s walls using 
  vile techniques known only to her kind. Soul jars don’t 
  prevent a body from being resurrected (they don’t function 
  as a soul trap or trap the soul spell), but they do prevent the 
  souls from traveling into the outer plane to their final 
  rewards or punishments. Each jar is sealed with a thick 
  plug of red wax. In the jars, the captured spirits take the 
  form of writhing wormlike creatures with humanoid 
  faces. If a jar is opened or broken, the soul within fades 
  away, finally released to eternal rest. While these souls 
  could fetch upwards of 5,000 gold apiece, trafficking in 
  human souls is an evil act (even if the souls themselves 
  are as remorselessly evil as the ones in these jars—all four 
  sprits were once minor minions of Kazavon), and could 
  have alignment repercussions. Malatrothe has little other 
  treasure, having traded most of it away to Mithrodar, and 
  before the PCs arrived was seriously considering doing 
  a little secret looting of other parts of Scarwall to fund 
  continuing business with the chained spirit.
  8. Castle Kitchens (EL 11)
  Rickety tables, butcher’s blocks, and collapsed shelves clutter 
  this room which appears to have once served as the castle 
  kitchen. The walls and ceiling are covered in soot, particularly 
  to the west where three huge ovens loom. Each is completely 
  covered in a layer of char and soot, inside and out, with bits of 
  charred bone and charcoal caked on the iron grills and in the 
  ash pits beneath. Worse, however, are the two outlines burned 
  into the brick of the oven walls—humanoid images splayed in 
  positions of agony and death. Despite the ancient look of the 
  layers of grime, the ovens radiate slight warmth and the faint 
  odor of burning meat, as if they have been used recently.
  As is evidenced by the shadows on the wall, these kitchens 
  were used for far more than just food preparation. One of 
  Kazavon’s favorite means of execution was to lock a victim 
  in one of the huge ovens during his evening meal and 
  slowly fire it while the bound victim struggled. Sometimes 
  he ate the victim as well. When Mandraivus arrived, all 
  of the degenerate, villainous cooks were thrown into the 
  ovens for a bit of just rewards. 
  Haunt: While Mandraivus managed to cleanse the 
  kitchen of its wicked staff, the method of execution he and 
  his cabal chose had the unfortunate side effect of giving 
  Scarwall the raw soul energy needed to create a dangerous 
  haunt and set of undead guardians. The haunt itself 
  triggers as soon as anyone walks within twenty feet of the 
  front of the three huge ovens.
  Crematory Blast 
   
  CR 9
  Notice Spot DC 20 (to notice tendrils of smoke rising from 
  each of the huge ovens); Effective HD 18
  EFFECTS
  Trigger proximity; Reset automatic (1 hour)
  Effect A sudden blast of fire wells up inside of each of the 
  three ovens, then plumes out into a sheet of flame that fills 
  the room. As the fires burn, shrieking spirits made of flame 
  tear through the room, swimming through the bodies of 
  living creatures and appearing to tear away bits of flesh as 
  they do. Every character exposed to the fires must make 
  a DC 20 Will save to avoid being convinced the flames are 
  real. Success indicates that the haunt deals no damage, but 
  failure results in a PC taking 10d6 points of fire damage. 
  At the end of the round, the fire vanishes (leaving behind 
  the creatures—see below), but only those creatures who 
  took fire damage appear burned. Other creatures (and the 
  contents of the room) are unscathed.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  32
  Creatures: The round immediately after the haunt 
  resolves, the scorched outlines on the wall suddenly peel 
  away and ignite into horrifying undead monsters—cinder 
  ghouls. These are the spirits of the kitchen’s two most 
  cruel and sadistic cooks, transformed after the castle’s 
  evil took hold into swirling, humanoid clouds of burning 
  ash, bone, and charred body parts that glow fiery red from 
  within and reek of scorched flesh. They roar like a wind-
  stoked fire as they move to attack.
  Cinder Ghouls (2) 
  CR 7
  Tome of Horrors II 27
  CE Large undead (fire)
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 15
  (+5 Dex, +6 natural, –1 size)
  hp 52 (8d12)
  Fort +2, Ref +9, Will +7
  Defensive Abilities +2 turn resistance; DR 10/magic; Immune 
  fire, undead traits
  Weaknesses vulnerable to cold
  OFFENSE
  Spd fly 40 ft. (perfect)
  Melee 2 slams +8 (1d8+3 plus 1d6 fire plus energy drain)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  Special Attacks smoke inhalation
  TACTICS
  During Combat The cinder ghouls are nearly mindless, and 
  move to attack the closest targets. On the first round that a 
  cinder ghoul is adjacent to a foe at the start of that round, 
  the ghoul attempts its smoke inhalation attack while the 
  other ghoul continues to fight. Although they will pursue 
  foes into the nearby pantry to the southwest, they do not 
  pursue foes further into the castle.
  Morale The cinder ghouls fight until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 20, Con —, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 19
  Base Atk +4; Grp +11
  Feats Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Spot +12 
  Languages Common (cannot speak)
  SQ smoke form
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Energy Drain (Su) Living creatures hit by a cinder ghoul’s slam 
  attack gain one negative level. It’s a DC 18 Fortitude save 
  to remove one of these negative levels 24 hours later. For 
  each such negative level bestowed, a cinder ghoul gains 5 
  temporary hit points. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Fire (Su) An opponent struck by a cinder ghoul’s slam attack must 
  succeed on a DC 18 Reflex save or catch fire (see catching on 
  fire in the DMG). The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Smoke Inhalation (Su) As a full-round action, a cinder ghoul 
  can attempt to force some of its smoky form into the lungs 
  of an adjacent living opponent. The target must succeed on 
  a DC 18 Fortitude save or inhale part of the creature. Smoke 
  inside the victim’s lungs burns the tissues and organs, 
  dealing 1 point of Constitution damage each round for 
  1d4+2 rounds. The affected creature can attempt another 
  Fortitude save each round to cough out the burning 
  residue and stop the Constitution damage. The save DC is 
  Charisma-based.
  Smoke Form (Ex) A cinder ghoul’s natural form is similar to 
  a gaseous form spell, though it retains its natural armor 
  bonus, all attacks, and can use its supernatural abilities. It 
  is able to fly naturally but is subject to the effects of wind 
  (though it cannot be dispersed and takes no damage from 
  wind). A cinder ghoul cannot enter water or other liquids 
  and cannot pass through small holes or narrow openings.
  Treasure: Hidden in one of the collapsed cupboards is 
  a stash left by one of the cooks. It consists of valuables 
  taken from victims of the ovens. The stash can be located 
  with a DC 24 Search check. It includes three partially 
  melted silver teeth (1 gp each), a polished green stone, 
  now slightly scorched and cracked (actually a worthless 
  gallstone), the melted remains of a gold wedding ring 
  worth 20 gp, and a ring of minor spell storing that contains 
  a displacement spell.
  9. Courtyard
  This wide courtyard stands at the heart of Castle Scarwall, 
  giving an inside view of the castle’s looming walls and towers. 
  A chill breeze whips through the courtyard, carrying a few dry 
  leaves from scraggly scrub bushes that grow fitfully at the 
  yard’s edges. A wide, stone-rimmed well stands at the western 
  end, though the stone lip is crumbling and has collapsed in 
  places. To the north, stairs rise to a platform fifteen feet above 
  the courtyard. Atop it, a black double door provides entry 
  into the castle donjon. Double doors to the east stand open, 
  creaking on their hinges, as if left open by someone leaving in 
  a hurry. Bent, rusted, and in some cases partially broken spikes 
  protrude from the walls of the courtyard, and here and there, 
  holes in the hard-packed soil hint at long-missing structures or 
  poles that once stood within.
  The central courtyard connects all of the wings of the 
  castle, yet is part of none of them. Public executions were 
  often held here under the watchful eye of the priests of Zon-
  Kuthon on their balcony above. Sometimes, prisoners were 
  impaled or crucified on frames that once protruded from 
  the holes in the ground. Others were hung from or impaled 
  on the numerous wall spikes, some were hurled from the 
  top of Scarwall’s tallest towers into the courtyard below, 
  and some were merely beheaded or publicly tortured to 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  33
  death by Kazavon himself. The well to the south is actually 
  another execution device; a fifteen-foot-deep oubliette that 
  Kazavon sometimes used to simply let prisoners starve 
  to death in a public place where passersby could drop in 
  whatever filth, venomous vermin, or other torments they 
  wished. The oubliette has filled with rainwater over the 
  years—nothing of value remains within.
  Development: Note that exploration of the courtyard 
  is likely to attract unwanted attention, possibly from 
  Belshallam the umbral dragon (area 10), the gargoyles 
  who roost on the roofs above, or the minotaur guards in 
  area 6. If any group notices intruders, they immediately 
  emerge to challenge the PCs, as detailed in their 
  encounter description.
  10. Belshallam’s Lair (EL 14)
  This large chamber, perhaps once a stable or kennel, has been 
  gutted. Wooden partitions that may have been stalls lie shattered 
  and burnt, leaving only divots in the walls, floor, ceiling, and a 
  few stone support pillars. The floor is a tangle of broken beams, 
  dung heaps crawling with vermin, and the occasional gleam of 
  polished bone. The whole chamber is shadowy and dim, the 
  darkness seeming almost palpable.
  This chamber did indeed once serve as a kennel for 
  several of Kazavon’s pets and favored mounts, but the 
  remains of these creatures have long since crumbled to 
  dust. Yet the chamber does not remain unoccupied.
  Creature: Umbral dragons are beasts of shadow and 
  darkness. While not directly tied to the faith of Zon-
  Kuthon, they do share many of the Midnight Lord’s 
  interests and goals—in the nation of Nidal, a few umbral 
  dragons serve the church of Zon-Kuthon as advisors, 
  guardians, mounts, and assassins. While most of these 
  dangerous dragons remain unaffiliated with the religion, 
  most are aware of Zon-Kuthon’s works and the actions of 
  his most powerful agents.
  When the umbral dragon Belshallam first heard the 
  stories of Kazavon, a powerful dragon warlord who 
  served Zon-Kuthon and embraced the shadows, he 
  swiftly grew obsessed with the legend. What manner of 
  treasure and shadowy loot might such a champion of the 
  Midnight Lord have owned? Certainly, much of it would 
  have doubtless been claimed by now, but Belshallam 
  clung to the hope that a hidden treasury may have 
  remained undiscovered. He arrived in Scarwall many 
  years ago. While he explored the ruins, slaying undead 
  here and there that dared rise against him, Belshallam 
  unwittingly fell into a trap. The chained spirit 
  Mithrodar felt Belshallam’s soul, and approved of his 
  powerful links to the realm of shadow and the implied 
  links to Zon-Kuthon. When Belshallam destroyed one of 
  Mithrodar’s spirit anchors (a powerful undead warrior 
  named Gorstav, whom the castle’s curse later reanimated 
  as a much less powerful juju zombie), the chain spirit 
  snared Belshallam as a replacement anchor.
  When Belshallam first discovered he couldn’t leave 
  Scarwall, his rage exploded. He did a lot of damage 
  to parts of the building and destroyed several potent 
  undead guardians before he was himself dreadfully 
  wounded and forced to retreat into this room to hide 
  and think through the situation. Over the centuries, 
  Belshallam has tried several times to escape, each 
  attempt being more half-hearted than the last, and 
  finally the dragon came to accept his new fate. He has 
  managed to accumulate a fair amount of treasure and 
  magic from other areas of the castle, a feat that soothes 
  his basic draconic avarice somewhat and provides him 
  some comfort, yet the fact remains that the dragon is 
  terribly bored and listless—and when a dragon grows 
  bored, he grows particularly dangerous.
  As a living host with a need for food, Belshallam’s 
  restraints are more relaxed than those of other spirit 
  anchors. Mithrodar allows the dragon limited mobility 
  around the castle, to a radius of a few miles, so that the 
  dragon can hunt. The mainstay of Belshallam’s diet are 
  the fecund mottled worms in the surrounding tarn, 
  supplemented now and then by wyverns or chimeras 
  or other creatures he finds in the surrounding hills 
  (fortunately for the orcs in the barbican, the dragon finds 
  orc meat unpalatable, and has not grown hungry enough 
  to indulge). Yet the dragon’s ennui is enough to keep him 
  here in his lair for much of the time, and he spends an 
  increasing portion of his life sleeping as a result.
  Although Belshallam is likely to be sleeping when the 
  PCs arrive at Scarwall, his listen check is high enough 
  that even with the –10 penalty for sleeping, chances are 
  good that the sounds of combat in nearby areas waken 
  him. Also, if the gargoyles in the spires above attack the 
  PCs (especially if they move to intercept PCs approaching 
  the castle via flight), their loud shrieking and roars of 
  excitement give Belshallam a DC 10 Listen Check to waken 
  and leave his lair to take a few circling flights around 
  Scarwall to see if something exciting is happening.
  Once the dragon notices the PCs, he immediately roars 
  in delight and moves to attack, eager for the thrill of battle. 
  This and his hopes to claim the PCs’ gear as treasure are 
  more than enough to send the dragon into battle. Yet 
  despite his ferocity, Belshallam’s greatest desire is to 
  escape from Mithrodar and Scarwall’s control. If the PCs 
  manage to disrupt this control (either by accident, say, 
  with an antimagic effect, or by design), the dragon roars 
  in delight and immediately breaks off his attack to flee 
  the region—such is his delight that he even abandons the 
  treasure he’s accumulated in area 11.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
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  34
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  35
  Belshallam 
  CR 14
  Adult umbral dragon (see page 89)
  hp 241
  TACTICS
  Morale Belshallam understands much of how the chained spirit 
  and Scarwall function, and knows that if he perishes here, his 
  soul will become bound even more firmly to the region. As a 
  result, the dragon becomes particularly craven if brought below 
  40 hit points, attempting to flee back to area 10 to hide and 
  heal. If already cornered here, Belshallam resorts to begging 
  for mercy. Mithrodar’s influence prevents the dragon from 
  openly joining forces with the PCs or discussing the nature 
  of how his spirit is anchored, but anyone who speaks for at 
  least one minute with the dragon can attempt a DC 20 Sense 
  Motive check to notice that some sort of magical compulsion is 
  affecting the dragon. Belshallam’s only real bargaining chip is his 
  treasure, which he offers to the PCs as a bribe if that will prevent 
  them from killing him. If, on the other hand, the PCs make clear 
  the fact that they are here to release the spirit anchor effect, he 
  grows suddenly very still and quiet. Mithrodar’s control isn’t 
  enough to force the dragon to attack, but it is enough to keep 
  him from giving the PCs any clue as to how to release him. 
  Belshallam’s sudden silence is the best he can do to encourage 
  the PCs that they’re on the right track. If, in the end, the PCs 
  decide that the dragon’s death is the only option, a cornered 
  Belshallam does his best to kill the PCs before they kill him and 
  consign his soul to eternal imprisonment in Scarwall.
  11. Dragon’s Hoard
  The floor of this chamber is heaped with battered weapons, 
  breastplates, helms, shields, and a large number of skulls. More 
  importantly, the center of the chamber is occupied by chests 
  overflowing with coins of gold and silver.
  Once the stable master’s quarters, Belshallam has 
  converted this chamber to hold his treasure hoard. Some 
  of the weapons and relics were taken from victims and 
  heroes that dared to face him and are in poor shape, while 
  other treasures were stolen from other denizens of the 
  castle that Belshallam has confronted.
  Treasure: The treasure here includes 7,030 gp, 18,445 
  sp, and 39,800 cp. Scattered among the coins are various 
  gemstones worth a total of 5,800 gp, and among the battered 
  and dented gear itself are three masterwork greatswords, a 
  masterwork halberd, a mithral breastplate, an adamantine 
  battleaxe, a +1 lawful outsider bane greatsword, a Small suit of 
  +3 chainmail, and a staff of necromancy (28 charges).
  12. Guest Wing Entrance
  A few torn tapestry fragments hang from the walls in this 
  otherwise empty room.
  The western wing of Scarwall was known colloquially as 
  the “guest wing,” though there were relatively few actual 
  guest rooms located in the castle—most of the chambers 
  in this wing were small, personal torture chambers. Even 
  the honest guest rooms had doors that could only be locked 
  from outside and mountings on their walls where manacles 
  could be hung. Frequently, actual guests of Kazavon’s were 
  allowed to participate in the many horrors perpetrated on 
  the castle’s prisoners as part of their entertainment. As such, 
  the guest wing is steeped in as much or more blood than any 
  other portion of the castle. This wing has no commanding 
  spirit as is the case in most of the other sections of the 
  fortress, but it does house one of Scarwall’s most powerful 
  spiritual presences—one avoided by all of the castle’s other 
  inhabitants, and the only one that cannot be controlled by 
  the chained spirit Mithrodar. This is a powerful form of 
  undead that arises from a collective malice and spiritual 
  energy from dozens of deaths—a danse macabre.
  13. Malice Aforethought
  This area appears to have been a parlor of some sort, set at 
  the intersection of a hall and an entryway marked by a pair of 
  elaborate mahogany double doors. A pair of sagging, velvet-
  covered divans sit against the walls beneath a thick layer of 
  dust. Standing against the northern wall is a marble statue of 
  a man clad in elegant nobles’ robes, though his head is hidden 
  beneath a rough leather sack.
  freeing BelsHallaM
  Of the four creatures serving as spirit anchors, two are undead 
  and one is a devil—if freed of the anchor effect without being 
  killed (such as via a dispel evil spell or antimagic), they remain 
  true to their evil natures. Belshallam, on the other hand, is 
  capable of thanks and gratitude, despite the fact that he is 
  as evil as dragons come. If the PCs free him, his first goal 
  is to escape Scarwall. He flies to one of the tors overlooking 
  the central tarn and alights there, watching curiously to 
  see if the PCs follow. If they do, he thanks them for freeing 
  him from the place, and although he has little desire to 
  return there and possibly fall prey to the castle’s curse or 
  Mithrodar’s clutches again, he can certainly help the PCs 
  with advice. Although he knows nothing of Serithtial’s fate 
  (the sword was taken below long before his arrival), he does 
  know a fair bit about the castle, its denizens, its layout, and 
  the perils the PCs could face there. You can use Belshallam 
  to give the PCs any hints you want about Scarwall, although 
  he knows nothing about the donjon or the Star Tower and 
  very little about the guest wing. If the PCs ask him where 
  they might find where Serithtial may have been taken, his 
  only guess is the donjon or the Star Tower, the only parts of 
  the castle he remains wholly ignorant of.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  36
  composed of oak—has been indelibly stained a rich cherry 
  color by the bloodshed here.
  The secret door in the southwestern wall is rather well 
  hidden, but can be located with a DC 35 Search check. A 
  character who locates the faint trail from area 15 to this 
  spot on the outside gains a +10 circumstance bonus to 
  Search checks to find this secret door.
  Creature: More blood was spilled in this ballroom than 
  anywhere else in the castle. As a result, the restless dead 
  concentrated here have “fused” their spirits, becoming an 
  undead horror of incredible menace. The very representation 
  of death incarnate, this creature is known as a danse 
  macabre. It lurks incorporeally near the ceiling of the room, 
  and the rose color of the glass provides a camouflaging 
  effect. The PCs must make Spot checks opposed to its Hide 
  check in order to notice that it floats above them until it 
  attacks or they detect it by some other means. Once all of 
  the PCs appear to have entered the room, it begins its dance 
  of death to join them with its eternal existence.
  Danse Macabre 
  CR 14
  hp 184 (see page 80)
  Treasure: Buried beneath the wooden floor of this 
  chamber is the general that led Tamrivena’s forces 
  alongside Count Andachi to defeat Kazavon. After slaying 
  him, Kazavon placed his body here as a personal trophy. The 
  corpse can only be found by magic or tearing up a portion 
  of the wooden floor to reveal the cavity beneath. Within, 
  the skeleton still wears its +2 full plate armor. Clutched to 
  its breast is a +1 holy cold iron longsword. His +1 tower shield 
  still bears the rampant eagle coat-of-arms identifying him 
  as Sir Echolt Crommerand of Tamrivena if the PCs make a 
  DC 30 Knowledge (nobility and royalty) check.
  15. Hidden Mooring
  A faint, narrow trail follows the rocky ridgeline of the 
  castle’s island, yet this trail hasn’t been used in centuries. A 
  DC 35 Survival check is enough to locate the faint remnants 
  of a once-properly cleared trail, but most of it has eroded 
  away, making it undetectable unless PCs are on the ground 
  and looking for it. This was the route that Mandraivus and 
  his cabal used to invade Scarwall, approaching invisibly 
  via water walk from the west. Mandraivus and his cabal 
  were tipped off to this entrance by a man named Kleestad, 
  Kazavon’s chamberlain. Kleestad paid well for his treachery, 
  as detailed in area 47.
  At the western edge of the island where the trail ends, a 
  few short stone columns sit just underwater in the shallows 
  of the tarn, all that remains of a small quay that once stood 
  here. The ruined quay is visible from above water with a DC 
  20 Spot check. Though Kazavon never seemed particularly 
  worried about an escape route from Scarwall (something 
  Kazavon enjoyed tormenting his guests as much as his 
  prisoners, and the hooded statue is just such a torment 
  for overly curious guests. Over the years, the leather sack 
  has grown brittle, and it crumbles to fragments if anyone 
  jostles it or otherwise attempts to remove it. Removing 
  the sack reveals the stern, scowling face of a handsome 
  human man with the flinty eyes of a warrior and a sneer 
  of disdain over perfect, if somewhat overlarge, teeth. A DC 
  25 Knowledge (history) check identifies this as an image 
  of none other than Kazavon himself (in his human form). 
  However, the statue bears a curse that affects anyone who 
  looks upon its face. Such an individual must make a DC 
  22 Will save or be overcome by an irresistible to urge to 
  climb the ladder into area 22 above. This curse is a mind-
  affecting compulsion—a victim can only be prevented from 
  following its dictates by being physically restrained or by 
  breaking the curse via magic (the curse itself functions at 
  CL 20th). The compulsion also ends one minute after the 
  victim is no longer looking at the statue’s face, but should 
  he look again, he must save again. Destroying the statue 
  renders the curse ineffective.
  Kazavon enjoyed seeing his guests fall victim to this 
  curse, creating a sort of round-robin chain of prisoners 
  in area 22 as they stayed in his castle or attended one of 
  the galas he hosted. Inevitably, someone would throw a 
  cloak or blanket over the statue to end the game until  
  the next time an event was held. Mandraivus’s group 
  placed the leather bag over the statue’s head after 
  divining its purpose.
  Statue of Kazavon
  hp 80; Hardness 8; Break DC 30
  14. Rosette Observatory (EL 14)
  This vast, grand ballroom is constructed in a floral shape with a 
  high, vaulted roof of intricately wrought glass panes bearing a 
  slight rose tint but nevertheless providing a breathtaking view of 
  the sky above. Clover-shaped pillars support key portions of the 
  roof above the polished floor of stained cherry, and a wide dais 
  provides room for an orchestra to play or stage performance to 
  occur. A few broken chairs have been pushed into the corners, 
  but otherwise this room is empty.
  Here in the rosette observatory, Kazavon hosted his 
  grand cotillions. These affairs were always of utmost 
  sophistication but varied from elegant dances and dramatic 
  performances for his honored guests to absolute debauchery 
  and orgies culminating in cannibal feasts visited upon his 
  less fortunate visitors. Typically, the participants didn’t 
  even know which sort of engagement it was going to be until 
  it was too late. Thanks to the spirits of the castle, the room 
  remains in perfect repair, but the wooden floor—actually 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  37
  he paid for in the end), his chamberlain Kleestad was less 
  confident and had this mooring and the secret door in area 
  14 constructed in case the castle should ever be seriously 
  threatened by Kazavon’s many enemies.
  Treasure: A DC 23 Search check made on the trail itself 
  uncovers an ancient platinum coin dropped for luck by 
  Mandraivus before entering the castle. It was minted 
  more than 700 years ago in ancient Ustalav and would 
  be worth 20 gp to a collector of antiquities. Anyone aware 
  of its historical significance—dropped by Mandraivus 
  before his raid on Scarwall—would likely pay ten times 
  as much.
  Scarwall Second Floor
  The second floor of Scarwall consists of areas 16–22. Random 
  encounters function normally here, and all encounter 
  locations are on the map of the second floor on page 34.
  16. Gate Winch (EL 10)
  This oddly shaped chamber occupies most of the gatehouse’s 
  second floor. A large set of winches in the room seem to govern the 
  gates and portcullises in the gateway below. Troughs run along the 
  sides of the winches, just above a set of murder holes in the floor to 
  the east and west of the winches. Arrow slits pierce the outer walls in 
  several places, completing the room’s defensive posts.
  This room was the focal point of the main gate’s defenses. 
  Troops could be shuttled through here to reinforce 
  different areas of the gatehouse, and the actual gates 
  could be controlled as well, by means of the portcullises. 
  The troughs were normally kept filled with oil that could 
  be brought to a boil and dumped into the room below in 
  times of invasion. The haunting of Scarwall has infused 
  the oil kept here, making it instead supernaturally cold. 
  Ten minutes after the troughs are emptied, the freezing oil 
  magically refills in these troughs.
  Creatures: A total of four dread skeleton minotaurs 
  are stationed here, minions of the castle and Captain 
  Castothrane (who remains in the chambers above 
  throughout any assault on the castle).
  Scarwall Guards (4) 
  CR 6
  Dread skeleton elite minotaur (see page 22)
  hp 39 each
  17a/17b. Guardhouses
  This chamber is bare of furnishings other than a wooden table 
  sized for large creatures and three similarly sized chairs. A 
  stairway descends along the wall, and a ladder provides access 
  to a wide trapdoor above. A door exits in one wall.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  38
  directly influence events in Scarwall. In many ways, his 
  condition is a punishment handed down from Zon-Kuthon 
  himself—until Mithrodar fails at defending Kazavon’s lair 
  again, he is cursed to watch and wait.
  Mithrodar is attended by five spectres—once his 
  personal retainers, and now his eternally bound undead 
  thralls. These normally lurk in the servants’ entrance, 
  but they respond to his mental summons in one round. 
  As long as at least one spirit anchor remains, Mithrodar 
  cannot be slain. As detailed under the chained spirit entry 
  on page 78, the undead menace reforms at full strength 
  in one minute. Fortunately, Mithrodar is bound to this 
  chamber and cannot leave it to pursue fleeing characters.
  Mithrodar 
  CR 14
  Chained spirit (see page 78)
  hp 203
  Spectres (5) 
  CR 7
  hp 45 each (MM 232)
  Development: With the destruction of the chained spirit, 
  the curse over Scarwall has nothing anchoring it to this 
  location. Mithrodar wails and shrieks as he is defeated, and 
  then his body twists and spirals as if caught in a vortex. 
  A heartbeat later, he is gone. After a few moments, the 
  walls of the castle begin to shimmer and brighten as the 
  shadows that cling to every inch of the cursed structure 
  fade. The sound of countless sighs whisper in the ear, and 
  the oppressive sense of menace overlaying the structure 
  fades. At the same time, many of the undead in Scarwall 
  collapse into lifelessness—this includes all of the undead 
  on the random encounter table on page 22, all of the haunts 
  scattered throughout the castle, and most of the undead 
  encountered in various areas (the danse macabre in area 14 
  is unaffected by this development). Living creatures, such 
  as the gargoyles and devils that dwell in the towers above, 
  sense this change in the castle’s atmosphere, and in time 
  they may move on to seek other lairs, but are not affected 
  by the end of the curse. Any PCs whose souls are trapped in 
  the walls of the castle are now freed as well. Zellara, if she 
  succumbed to the castle’s curse, is also freed, and her spirit 
  returns to her Harrow Deck with a grateful sigh, restoring 
  the magic item to full functionality once again.
  A few moments later, a small luminescence forms before 
  the PCs. It rapidly increases in brightness until a figure 
  manifests before them. The figure is that of a confused-
  looking human male in early adulthood. He wears finely 
  cut, if long-out-of-style clothing and is clearly a nobleman 
  of some sort. A DC 30 Knowledge (history or nobility and 
  royalty) check identifies his attire as Ustalavic, but from a 
  period of time several hundred years ago. As the ghostly 
  figure looks around and notices the PCs, his ghostly flesh 
  Both of these chambers served as guardhouses for those 
  on duty defending the main gate. The stairs in 17a descend 
  to area 3a, while those in 17b descend to 3b. Despite their 
  age, the ladders leading to the trap doors remain sound, 
  held together by the castle’s curse. The trap doors in the 
  ceiling provide access to the parapets near area 23 above.
  18. Great Hall (EL 15)
  Thick wooden columns, their sides caked with dust, support the 
  ceiling above this large hall. Between them, in the center of the 
  room, sits a large fire pit, its ashes long cold. Many old stains 
  mar the floor, some surely of spilled food and ale, though several 
  darker ones appear more grisly in origin. At the western end of 
  the hall, a wide dais rises where the lord’s table could be set to 
  oversee affairs in the hall. In the center of the dais is a great chair 
  carved of oak and studded with iron rivets. Down one step and to 
  the left of it is a smaller chair of oak, less elaborate. 
  Scarwall’s great hall was Kazavon’s seat of power. It 
  was here the warlord entertained his subjects (often at 
  the painful expense of prisoners, guests, or even his own 
  guards). His great chair on the dais has stood empty for 
  the past several centuries. The smaller seat belonged to a 
  man almost as cruel as Kazavon—his castellan Mithrodar. 
  The fire pit is only 2 feet deep and holds a foot of ash.
  When Mandraivus and his cabal invaded Scarwall, 
  they confronted Kazavon and several of his minions here. 
  Mithrodar died on Serithtial’s edge, but his death bought 
  Kazavon the time he needed to retreat to the castle donjon. 
  Of course, this only delayed the warlord’s inevitable doom.
  Creatures: Kazavon’s castellan Mithrodar now exists as 
  a powerful ghostlike undead known as a chained spirit. 
  As Kazavon’s second-in-command, his spirit became the 
  lord of Scarwall when Mandraivus was slain so long ago 
  and the unquiet dead of Scarwall rose up. Mithrodar now 
  maintains complete command of Scarwall, yet ironically 
  he is also its most tightly bound prisoner. As with all 
  chained spirits, he derives much of his power by investing 
  fragments of his own undead soul in four spirit anchors. 
  With each spirit anchor defeated, Mithrodar grows much 
  less powerful, and if all four are destroyed, the chained 
  spirit himself can be destroyed as well. The four chains 
  that descend from Mithrodar’s ghostly body are physical 
  manifestations of this link; each anchor destroyed removes 
  one of these chains.
  After all these years, little remains of Mithrodar’s 
  personality. He is now not much more than a malevolent 
  intelligence eager to see that the haunting of Scarwall 
  continues, yet constantly in fear that a powerful force will 
  cast him adrift by destroying his anchors. Mithrodar is 
  at once in a position of power, for he commands much 
  necromantic magic, and one of servitude, as he cannot 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  39
  strips away, revealing raw muscle and bone below as if he 
  were being flayed by invisible knives. However, after being 
  reduced in such a horrible fashion, his skin reappears a 
  moment later only to start the process all over again. To 
  his credit, the ghost seems to hardly notice his continuing 
  mutilation, with only the occasional flinch as a particularly 
  tender bit of skin is tugged away.
  This grisly but harmless shade is in fact the phantom 
  of Count Andachi himself, his soul finally freed from 
  its long imprisonment in Scarwall. While undead, the 
  phantom is not malevolent, and it only has enough 
  strength to maintain its manifestation for a few moments 
  before moving on to Pharasma’s Boneyard for judgment. 
  But before he goes, Count Andachi has a message for the 
  PCs. When he speaks, his accent is distinctly Ustalavic and 
  archaic, yet his words are clear, manifesting as sounds as 
  much as they do telepathic thoughts.
  “You. You have done a great thing today. You have accomplished 
  the conclusion of legend. What has festered here in Scarwall 
  is no more, and in saving us all, you have returned honor to 
  Tamrivena after these long years of shame—a shame I created, 
  and a shame I was unable to lift. I sent Kazavon into Belkzen, 
  so many ages ago. Eventually, when even my coward’s soul 
  could no longer bear to hear tell of his cruelties, I came here 
  to Scarwall to attempt to undo what I had done in asking for 
  the Midnight Lord’s aid in defending Tamrivena. Yet again I 
  failed—my general, Kazavon, had me skinned alive and ate the 
  strips raw before my dying gaze. And when I did die, my soul 
  remained, trapped here as surely as any prisoner.
  “There came a time soon thereafter when Kazavon was 
  finally slain, laid low, as with many of his cruel minions, by 
  a powerful blade borne by a hero named Mandraivus. His 
  blade Serithtial brought an end to Kazavon’s rule, yet could 
  not quench his spirit, for Kazavon was one of the Midnight 
  Lord’s chosen. Mandraivus wisely ordered the dragon’s relics 
  taken away, and remained behind to watch over the castle. 
  The presence of his faith, his strength of will, and most of 
  all, his blade Serithtial kept the spirits of the dead quiet, 
  yet these did nothing to protect him from a baser threat. 
  The orcs came down and murdered him. As he fell, his soul 
  became trapped in these cursed walls. Without his presence, 
  the light of Serithtial went dark, and the spirits of Kazavon’s 
  legacy took hold. This is the blasphemy you have righted 
  today, and now, Scarwall will be left to crumble to dust as 
  the ages march on.
  “Yet I sense in you that your quest is only partially done. 
  I have dwelt in Kazavon’s echo for too long not to feel his 
  strength, his influence, take seed in your queen, so far away. 
  Strange names that I do not know are in my head. Korvosa. 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
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  Skeletons of Scarwall
  41
  Ileosa. Your own. Kazavon quickens in your home, and you 
  must recover Serithtial if you are to cast him down as surely 
  as you have cast down his presence here. Yet the agents of the 
  Midnight Lord know of the threat Serithtial poses to his child. 
  While they cannot destroy the sacred blade, nor even take it 
  far from this place without invoking the wrath of Iomedae… 
  they can hide it.
  “I can still feel a presence in this place, a power linked to the 
  Midnight Lord. It remains in the Star Tower, once Kazavon’s inner 
  sanctum. I see that here, in the deepest heart of Scarwall, your goal 
  lies hidden. A fragment of Scarwall’s curse lingers there, lodged 
  and stubborn. When the curse held sway, this way was blocked to 
  you. Now, seek it out, and it shall lead you to your goal. And now, 
  with my time here at an end, your time shall at last begin….”
  The end of his speech coincides with the completion of 
  one of his ghostly mutilations, except this time his form 
  does not rejuvenate. Instead it crumples and slowly fades 
  from view. The House of Tamrivena is at last no more.
  Ad-Hoc Experience Award: For defeating Mithrodar and 
  lifting the curse from Scarwall, award the PCs experience 
  as if they had defeated a CR 14 creature.
  19. War Tower (EL 12)
  Soot stains the walls and floor of this ancient guardpost, and the 
  smell of sulphur hangs heavy in the air. Open doors to the north 
  and east lead into other chambers, while two flights of stairs (one 
  leading up, the other leading down) stand to the northeast.
  Creatures: Once used by Kazavon as an armory and a 
  place to plan his campaigns and atrocities, the chambers of 
  the War Tower are patrolled by three Nessian warhounds. 
  One is always present in this room, with the other two 
  wandering among the rooms on this floor or the one below 
  on the first floor. Upon sighting the PCs, their baying is 
  loud enough to bring the others running in 1d4 rounds, 
  and is sufficient to alert Gorstav in area 34 above. The 
  warhounds pursue foes throughout the War Tower, but do 
  not chase prey into other parts of Scarwall.
  Nessian Warhounds (3) 
  CR 9
  hp 114 each (MM 152)
  20. Parapet Entrance
  A narrow parapet runs from the Guest Wing roof above 
  the courtyard to this small side entrance to the donjon. 
  This out-of-the-way entrance was created for discreet 
  visits by some visitors to the castle or discreet kidnappings 
  of other visitors. The heavy oak door leading into the 
  donjon is firmly locked (Open Lock DC 40), and the seams 
  around its edges are sealed with lead (Break DC 30), part of 
  Mandraivus’s attempts to seal in the evil within.
  21. Grand Entrance
  This double door of bronze is so tarnished that it appears 
  almost black. Cast in bas-relief on its exterior are gruesome 
  images of devils and priests cavorting among the corpses and 
  tortured souls of the damned. A skull and spiked chain overlook 
  the entire scene from the center of the doors. A heavy wheel is 
  set into the center of each door.
  In Kazavon’s day, these doors could only be opened by 
  bypassing an intricate lock and then turning the wheels. 
  However, scrutiny of the doors and a DC 15 Search check 
  reveals that the stone door jamb has been magically 
  altered (via stone shape) to form a seal around the edges of 
  the doors. The central seam has likewise been sealed with 
  lead. These steps were taken by Mandraivus’s men long ago 
  in their attempt to contain the evil within the donjon until 
  some point in the future when Mandraivus’s resources 
  were enough to tackle what they feared was within. The 
  doors can now only be opened by breaking through them 
  (Hardness 8, 150 hp, Break DC 34).
  22. Prison of Woe
  This small chamber is nondescript save for two trap doors—
  one in the floor, another in the ceiling fifteen feet above. Four 
  narrow windows look out over the castle rooftops. The room’s 
  only feature is a single shriveled dwarven corpse huddled at the 
  base of the west wall, its bony arms locked firmly around its 
  bent knees, its parchment-thin skin dried and cracked in places, 
  revealing the bones beneath. A bushy, gray beard still covers 
  much of its skull-like jaw line, though portions have fallen out 
  into its lap. Next to it is a small coil of string and a pile of tiny 
  bones with a few black feathers interspersed among them.
  This chamber is the focal point for Kazavon’s cursed 
  statue in area 13. The curse forces a severe form of 
  agoraphobia in which only this specific chamber brings 
  succor to the victim. The cursed individual is drawn 
  to the comfort of this room, even violently so, and will 
  not willingly leave so long as the curse remains. The 
  curse can be lifted by the means described in area 13 or 
  if another victim of the curse comes in to take his place. 
  At that point the original victim’s curse is lifted, allowing  
  him to leave freely. Kazavon loved to watch the 
  Machiavellian maneuvers of his guests as they strove to 
  release their own comrades at the price of someone else. 
  Those left in here would remain until they eventually died 
  of privation (Kazavon often provided food and water to 
  prolong their agony).
  The mummified remains are those of a dwarven scholar 
  abandoned by his students 645 years ago after he was invited 
  by Kazavon to conduct a lecture. He managed to survive for 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  42
  the skeleton warrior back to his prior undead existence 
  to become one of the chained spirit’s anchors. His orders 
  from Mithrodar are very specific, and he will not leave 
  the gatehouse or the nearby parapets for any reason, even 
  though he is tormented every second by the knowledge 
  that his circlet is tantalizingly close in area 31 to the 
  north. Castothrane is attended by the undead spirits of 
  his two bodyguards, transformed by Scarwall’s curse into 
  greater shadows. The low ceiling and many boxes ensure 
  that any light sources brought in here create deep and 
  tangled shadows—perfect places for these undead to hide 
  in ambush.
  If one of the characters carries or wears Castothrane’s 
  circlet, the skeleton warrior points to that character and 
  says, “...Mine... you have what is mine... give it back!” If 
  the PC refuses, Castothrane attacks that character to the 
  exclusion of all others; if that PC falls, Castothrane ignores 
  others in his mad search for the circlet. If he finds it, he 
  sighs and places it on his head—as he does so, both the 
  circlet and Castothrane himself crumble to dust. Of course, 
  Castothrane’s spirit is simply reabsorbed by the castle, but 
  he is now no longer one of Mithrodar’s anchors.
  Captain Castothrane 
  CR 12
  Male human skeleton warrior fighter 10 (Tome of Horrors 
  Revised 392)
  LE Medium undead
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +6
  Aura fear (30 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 28, touch 11, flat-footed 27
  (+10 armor, +1 Dex, +4 natural, +3 shield)
  hp 95 (10d12+30)
  Fort +12, Ref +6, Will +5
  DR 10/magic and bludgeoning; Immune turning and control; 
  SR 25
  OFFENSE
  Spd 20 ft.
  Melee +2 battleaxe +19/+14 (1d8+9/19–20/×3)
  Ranged mwk composite longbow +12/+8 (1d8+5/×3)
  Special Attacks find target
  TACTICS
  During Combat Castothrane uses Power Attack, seeking a 
  point where it becomes difficult to hit regularly with his 
  second attack. He also attempts to maneuver the fight 
  out onto one of the nearby parapets, so he can attempt to 
  bull rush enemies off the edge—anyone who falls from 
  either parapet takes 6d6 damage from the fall to the rocky 
  shoreline below. Although Castothrane would like nothing 
  better than to pursue fleeing enemies, his orders are to 
  remain on this floor no matter what.
  Morale Castothrane fights until destroyed, or until he receives 
  his circlet.
  8 months by drinking rainwater and snaring the local rooks 
  with a bit of string before finally starving to death.
  The trapdoor in the ceiling leads to a small, crenellated 
  rooftop, but clambering up the walls to reach the trap door 
  requires a DC 25 Climb check.
  Scarwall Heights
  The third floor of Scarwall’s keep and the towers 
  (excluding the donjon and the Star Tower) consists of 
  areas 23–34. Random encounters function normally here, 
  and all encounter locations are on the map of the heights 
  on page40.
  23. Gatehouse Loft (EL 13)
  This long chamber has inward-slanting walls, like an attic. Many 
  old barrels and boxes, broken and empty, are stacked at the 
  base of the walls. Stairs descend to the north, near two small 
  alcoves with conical roofs.
  The gatehouse loft was once used to store supplies and 
  armaments, and to provide access out onto the roof turrets 
  for defense. When Scarwall fell to Mandraivus, one of its 
  staunchest defenders was slain in personal combat with 
  the hero of old.
  Creatures: Captain Castothrane is one of the few undead 
  who was undead before Kazavon fell to Mandraivus. 
  Although Castothrane was defeated by the cabal, when 
  the spirits of Scarwall reclaimed the castle, they restored 
  Ring of 
  Immolation
  Aura moderate 
  evocation (fire); CL 
  10th
  Slot ring; Price 12,000 
  gp
  DESCRIPTION
  A ring of immolation 
  appears as two ashen 
  gray hands clasping each other; the ring itself is made of 
  pumice and hardened ash, but is as strong as metal. As a 
  free action, the wearer can activate the ring to create a fire 
  shield (warm) on himself. The wearer of a ring of immolation 
  can activate a fire shield on himself for up to 10 rounds each 
  day. The duration of the fire shield need not be consecutive 
  rounds. If the wearer takes magical cold damage, the ring 
  automatically activates for one round if any rounds remain, 
  protecting the wearer from the cold damage as per the spell.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Forge Ring, fire shield; Cost 6,000 gp, 
  480 XP
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  43
  STATISTICS
  Str 21, Dex 12, Con —, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
  Base Atk +10; Grp +15
  Feats Cleave, Great Fortitude, Greater Weapon Focus 
  (battleaxe), Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical 
  (battleaxe), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (battleaxe), Weapon 
  Specialization (battleaxe)
  Skills Climb +13, Intimidate +24, Ride +14, Sense Motive +6, 
  Spot +6
  Languages Common
  SQ circlet bound, unholy fortitude
  Gear +2 full plate armor, +1 heavy steel shield, +2 battleaxe, 
  masterwork composite longbow (+5 Str) with 20 arrows, ring 
  of immolation
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Circlet Bound (Su) As with all skeleton warriors, Castothrane 
  is bound to a golden circlet. As long as he remains a spirit 
  anchor, though, the circlet’s power to control him is useless. 
  This circlet is described in area 31.
  Fear Aura (Su) Castothrane is shrouded in a 30-foot-radius 
  aura of fear. Creatures with less than 5 HD must succeed on 
  a DC 17 Will save or be affected as if by a fear spell (CL 10th).
  Find Target (Sp) Castothrane can track and find the possessor 
  of his circlet unerringly, as though guided by a discern 
  location spell. He can also find the last person to possess his 
  circlet using this ability.
  Turning Immunity (Ex) Castothrane cannot be turned or 
  controlled by clerics.
  Unholy Fortitude (Ex) Castothrane gains bonus hit points equal 
  to his Charisma modifier times his Hit Dice, and a bonus on 
  his Fortitude saves equal to his Charisma modifier.
  Greater Shadows (2) 
  CR 8
  hp 58 each (MM 221)
  24. Guardroom (EL 13)
  This sparsely furnished chamber appears to be a guardroom 
  with a single table, two chairs, and a tarnished brazier. Hanging 
  above the table is a bronze gong and striker.
  The keep’s third floor is the domain of a dangerous 
  devil, the ashmede Nihil. A gift to Kazavon from Zon-
  Kuthon, Nihil and her outsiders were gone from Scarwall 
  when Mandraivus and his cabal struck, but have since 
  returned only to become trapped by Scarwall’s curse.
  Creature: The bulk of Nihil’s command were devils. At 
  the height of Kazavon’s rule, she commanded dozens of 
  them, but now her reserves are down to only a few. Her two 
  remaining barbed devils stand guard in this chamber. 
  After hundreds of years of boredom, they’re itching for a 
  fight. The barbed devils keep Nihil apprised of the battle 
  sCarwall’s DeVils
  Several devils dwell in the upper floors of Scarwall’s central 
  keep. Commanded by an ashmede devil named Nihil, there 
  are in all five imps, two bone devils, and two barbed devils. 
  The devils have achieved a sort of alliance with the 12 gargoyle 
  brutes that lurk in the heights as well, and both groups work 
  together to defend the upper floors and towers.
  A confrontation in Scarwall’s heights, unlike the first 
  and second floors below (where the denizens are generally 
  isolated and aren’t interested in cooperation), can quickly 
  explode into a mass battle between the PCs and the 
  gargoyles and devils. Make sure to be familiar with the 
  locations of the various denizens of these areas so you’ll 
  be ready when a battle breaks out. Remember also that as 
  long as the dimensional anchor effect is in place, the devils 
  cannot use teleport and must run or fly to join battles (they 
  can still summon infernal aid, however).
  Captain
  Castothrane
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  44
  and the aura of that spell is masked by a magic aura to 
  make it appear nonmagical. This secret chamber was 
  used by Kazavon to store various rare components and 
  item crafting tools. Within is a rolltop desk holding 
  numerous rare spell components (of which 9,000 gp in 
  gems and diamond dust remain usable) and sheaves of 
  fine parchment and powders for making ink (these have 
  all decayed to uselessness). Leaning against the desk is a 
  staff of conjuration (13 charges) built to resemble a mundane 
  walking stick.
  29. Library
  A few shelves line the walls of this room, holding a modest 
  collection of books and scrolls. A table with a comfortable, 
  velvet-lined chair stands between the chamber’s arrow slits. 
  The melted stumps of two thick candles rest upon it.
  Though not overly interested in literature, Kazavon 
  did keep a small collection of writings. The books here 
  have been maintained by the castle’s haunted aura, but 
  still feel old and brittle to the touch. Most are historical 
  and geographical works relevant seven centuries 
  ago, from which the PCs could learn much about the 
  history of Belkzen, Ustalav, and even the reign of the 
  Whispering Tyrant, though this information plays no 
  role in this adventure.
  Treasure: One book, entitled On Vaults and Treasure 
  Chests, is actually hollowed out and holds a small bag that 
  contains five diamonds worth 500 gp each and a large onyx 
  worth 200 gp. In addition, three scrolls are hidden on 
  the shelf nearby—a scroll of animate dead, a scroll of analyze 
  dweomer, and a scroll of freezing sphere. These items can be 
  found with a DC 30 Search check.
  30. Private Balcony (EL 7)
  This small balcony is surrounded by a stone rail identical 
  to that at area 27.
  Creatures: Perched upon it are five invisible imps that 
  serve Nihil as messengers and spies. If they notice the PCs, 
  four of them begin following them invisibly while the fifth 
  flutters up to warn Nihil. If the PCs enter combat, the imps 
  hang back and use suggestion to disrupt tactics by ordering 
  PCs to drop their weapons, run away, or otherwise make 
  foolish tactical errors.
  Imps (5) 
  CR 2
  hp 13 each (MM 56)
  31. Lord’s Tower (EL 13)
  The door into this tower is locked with a superior lock 
  (Open Lock DC 40)—the door itself is heavily reinforced to 
  keep people out (hardness 5, hp 90, Break DC 35).
  via telepathy, and as soon as one of them falls, the other is 
  ordered to retreat to area 31 to protect their mistress.
  Barbed Devils (2) 
  CR 11
  hp 126 (MM 51)
  25. Ledges (EL 7)
  These balconies overlook the castle and surrounding 
  area—unlike the lower parapets, they have no railings to 
  prevent falls, but serve as excellent landing platforms for 
  flying steeds. Each of these ledges is watched by at least one 
  gargoyle brute on a nearby perch (indicated on the map as 
  area Q)—if they see any intruders on one of these ledges, 
  they shriek an alarm and swoop down to attack.
  Gargoyle Brute 
  CR 7
  hp 84 (see page 17)
  26. Seraglio
  This chamber holds only a few rough cots and wardrobes 
  containing all manner of female garb ranging from elegant 
  evening gowns to revealing nightwear, much of which seems to 
  be yellowed and crumbling with age.
  Kazavon kept the occasional female prisoner locked 
  away here, intending to sire a half-dragon heir someday. 
  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) for his brides-to-
  be, his more sadistic and gluttonous hungers saw them 
  murdered before he ever saw this plan th0rough.
  Treasure: One of the articles of clothing in the wardrobe 
  has weathered the passage of time better than the others—a 
  suit of +3 mithral glamered chainmail.
  27. Main Balcony
  An ornate iron railing set with decorative spikes and flanges 
  honed to the sharpness of a blade hems in this large balcony. 
  The balcony itself overlooks the gatehouse and approach to 
  the castle.
  The sharpened edges of the railing are particularly 
  deadly, and deal 1d6 points of damage per round to anyone 
  climbing on them. If bull rushed into them, a creature 
  takes 1d6 points of damage plus the bull-rushing creature’s 
  Strength bonus. This balcony is watched by two gargoyle 
  brutes on nearby perches (indicated on the map as area 
  Q)—if they see any intruders on one of these ledges, they 
  shriek an alarm and swoop down to attack.
  28. Secret Storage
  The secret door to this room can be found with a DC 32 
  Search check. The door itself is arcane locked (CL 18th), 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  45
  The interior of this tall, hollow tower is silent and menacing. 
  High overhead, an opening at the tower’s peak lets in light, as 
  do the arrow slits set into the walls, yet nothing seems capable 
  of dispelling the gloom of ancient evil that looms here. A shallow 
  pool of stagnant water from past rains has formed in the center 
  of a floor that is largely empty of furnishings. Near the far wall 
  slumps a wide bed, swathed in rotten and moldy bedclothes. 
  The bed itself hangs a few feet off the floor, supported at its 
  corners by chains hanging from a series of iron support beams 
  above. To the side a large gilt throne stands upon a short dais 
  before a series of manacles inset into the floor. A nearby fire 
  grate, long cold, holds a collection of branding irons and other 
  torturer’s tools. A series of alcoves climbs the walls of this tower 
  in an ascending spiral. Within each stands a statuette, art 
  object, or polished skull.
  This vast hollow tower served the warlord Kazavon, 
  the despot of Tamrivena and conqueror of Belkzen, as 
  home. Only his most trusted subjects knew that he was 
  actually a blue dragon, as he preferred his human form 
  over his draconic one. As a result, his lair is outfitted to 
  accommodate a humanoid form as well as provide the space 
  necessary to stretch out a bit away from prying eyes. A DC 
  23 Search check turns up a few large scales of deep indigo 
  colorpushed into out-of-the-way corners, remnants of the 
  chamber’s former occupant and identifiable with a DC 30 
  Knowledge (arcana) check as having once belonged to a 
  great wyrm blue dragon. Despite Kazavon’s long absence, 
  the room still fairly reeks with the evil presence of the 
  former lord of the castle. Most of the room’s furnishings 
  have been ruined by long exposure to the elements—
  Kazavon insisted on having a skylight accessing the tower 
  top from which he could fly in dragon form—but some of 
  his treasures have survived as described below.
  Creature: The ashmede devils of Hell’s deeper circles 
  function as judges and executioners. When they are 
  encountered on the Material Plane, they are typically on 
  missions of murder, sent by higher powers to assassinate 
  heretics, traitors, and failures. The ashmede known as 
  Nihil the Ashbringer was gifted to Kazavon by Zon-Kuthon 
  himself to serve as enforcer and personal assassin. She 
  filled this role admirably, creating a network of spies from 
  among the many gargoyles and devilkin that occupied 
  Scarwall during Kazavon’s reign in order to keep tabs on 
  all that went on in his realm. As the end drew near, Nihil’s 
  spies uncovered a plot involving one of Kazavon’s field 
  generals, who apparently was treating with a small group 
  of heroes who were planning an assault on Scarwall. Eager 
  to mete out punishment, she and her devils and gargoyles 
  took flight. It took them several days to reach the fortress 
  at which the supposed traitor was posted, and when the 
  devils arrived, they took their time torturing and killing 
  everyone there.
  It wasn’t until Nihil felt the sudden stabbing pain 
  of Kazavon’s death at the height of the assault that she 
  realized she’d been duped. Driven into a mindless frenzy, 
  Nihil slaughtered everyone at the outlying fortress before 
  teleporting back to Scarwall with her devils, only to find 
  the place now under the control of Mandraivus and his 
  cabal. She attacked several times, but was unable to reclaim 
  Scarwall or avenge her master’s death. Since each assault 
  further eroded her army’s numbers, the devil eventually 
  went into hiding in the surrounding hills as she waited for 
  her gargoyles to return from the long flight. A day after they 
  did, the orcs came to Scarwall. Nihil saw her opportunity, 
  and rather than immediately attack Mandraivus, she came 
  here, to Kazavon’s tower, to see what she could gather 
  of his remains or his treasures. She was still here when 
  Mandraivus was slain and Scarwall’s undead curse awoke. 
  Mithrodar seized the ashmede’s soul immediately, affixing 
  her to the castle by making her one of his four chained 
  spirits, and Nihil has remained here ever since.
  As with most ashmedes, Nihil appears as a twisted, 
  contorted humanoid with as much iron as flesh to her 
  body. A huge pair of batlike wings unfurl from her back, 
  and she wields a brutal magic scythe in combat. As the 
  PCs begin exploring Scarwall’s heights, Nihil pays close 
  attention to various reports from invisible imps and 
  gargoyles, but doesn’t immediately enter conflict with the 
  PCs. Telepathy allows her the luxury of real-time reports 
  if the PCs confront her bone devils or barbed devils, but as 
  long as she remains a spirit anchor, she cannot leave this 
  tower. As soon as one of her bone or barbed devils perishes, 
  she orders them all to retreat here to protect her.
  Nihil 
  CR 13
  Female ashmede devil (The Book of Fiends 146)
  LE Large outsider (devil, evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft. see in darkness; Listen +18, 
  Spot +18
  Aura fear (20 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 14, flat-footed 27
  (+2 deflection, +3 Dex, +16 natural, –1 size)
  hp 114 (12d8+60); fast healing 3
  Fort +13, Ref +11, Will +11
  DR 10/good; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 23
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
  Melee +1 unholy scythe +20/+15/+10 (2d6+11/19–20/×4)
  2 wings +13 (1d6+3)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks summon devils
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th)
  At will—charm person (DC 14), detect chaos, detect evil, 
  detect good, detect law, detect magic, dispel magic, greater 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  46
  Treasure: Part of Kazavon’s ability to successfully rule 
  over his humanoid subjects lay in the fact that very few 
  realized his true nature as a dragon. Many men who 
  willingly bow to a cruel tyrant would flinch at knowing 
  service to an evil dragon. Additionally, Kazavon himself 
  found great pleasure in the human form—the feel of 
  fresh blood against soft skin was much more pleasing to 
  the warlord than the same against cold scales. Finally, 
  maintaining such a huge army as well as his extravagant 
  needs and lifestyles all worked together to prevent Kazavon 
  from amassing a typically immense treasury. In some ways, 
  the amount of pain and suffering he surrounded himself 
  with served as his hoard—a wealth of treasures few others 
  could (or would want to) understand.
  Yet Kazavon could not he completely abandon his kind’s 
  innate need to hoard. Instead of keeping a vast treasury, he 
  compromised by building his hoard into this very chamber 
  where he could enjoy it without others discovering what 
  it was. The gilded throne in this room is embedded with 
  dozens and dozens of gemstones, 200 in all, worth a total 
  of 20,000 gp. The gold that gilds his throne is worth an 
  additional 2,500 gp if it is melted or scraped away. Though 
  the many fine furs and fabrics that graced his bed have 
  decayed over the years, his bed is not without value. 
  Even in human form he could not resist the feel of coins 
  beneath him as he slept. As such, what appears to be a 
  down-stuffed mattress is readily apparent to the touch to 
  be filled with coins. In total, the mattress holds 796,800 
  cp, 24,200 sp, 15,500 gp, and 460 pp. The rest of his wealth 
  is represented by the art objects in the alcoves. There are 
  a total of 80 such alcoves, 34 of which hold polished (and 
  now very brittle) skulls. Another 41 hold statues, jewelry, 
  paintings, and other valuables worth a total of 15,300 gp. 
  The remaining five hold magic items: a bejeweled +2 icy 
  burst light mace, a rod of splendor, a scarab of protection (fully 
  charged), a gold and ivory gem-studded lantern of revealing, 
  and a golden circlet. This circlet contains the soul of the 
  skeleton warrior Castothrane (see area 23). Itself worth 
  2,500 gp, the circlet allows any who wear it to look through 
  Castothrane’s eyes. Since the skeleton warrior is bound 
  in place by the chained spirit, the circlet doesn’t grant 
  the user the normal control over its skeleton warrior (as 
  detailed in the Tome of Horrors).
  Despite all this, Kazavon’s favored treasures were the 
  skulls, for they were his trophies, claimed from various 
  foes he defeated in battle. Each skull has been granted a 
  permanent magic mouth that states its name when anyone 
  touches it. A DC 20 Knowledge (history) check recognizes 
  many of the names as persons of fame or importance in 
  this region nearly a millennia ago. One in particular is 
  notable for saying, “Andachi of Tamrivena.” The skulls 
  themselves are worth 100 gp apiece to a collector of the 
  grim and grisly.
  invisibility, greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects), 
  polymorph, prying eyes
  1/day—blasphemy, chain lightning (DC 19), discern location, 
  forcecage, horrid wilting (DC 21)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat As soon as she receives reports that the 
  region is being invaded by the PCs, Nihil activates greater 
  invisibility (and continues to do so as the spell expires), then 
  uses prying eyes to explore Scarwall’s heights in search 
  of the PCs. If she finds them, she watches their tactics to 
  familiarize herself with their capabilities. As soon as it looks 
  like the PCs are about to reach this chamber, she summons 
  a chain devil to augment her defenses.
  During Combat When Nihil attacks, any minions she has 
  nearby attempt to isolate individuals and wear them down 
  before switching to other targets, letting Nihil make as 
  many final kills as possible. As soon as the PCs are all 
  within this chamber, she utters a blasphemy, followed in 
  the next two rounds by horrid wilting and chain lightning. 
  If one PC in particular seems to be more dangerous than 
  others (such as a heavily armored fighter with weapons 
  that can penetrate her damage reduction), she uses 
  forcecage to separate that character from the battle, to be 
  dealt with later. 
  Morale Nihil is unable to flee as long as she remains a spirit 
  anchor, and thus fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 17
  Base Atk +12; Grp +23
  Feats Combat Expertise, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical 
  (scythe), Track, Weapon Focus (scythe)
  Skills Bluff +18, Concentration +20, Intimidate +20, Jump +26, 
  Knowledge (the planes) +17, Listen +18, Move Silently +18, 
  Search +17, Spot +18, Survival +18
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 100 ft. 
  Gear +1 unholy scythe (this weapon is fused to Nihil’s right 
  hand and cannot be disarmed or effectively wielded by 
  other creatures unless fitted to a shaft), ring of protection +2
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Fear Aura (Su) An ashmede devil can radiate a 20-foot-radius 
  fear aura as a free action. A creature in the area must 
  succeed on a DC 19 Will save or be affected by a fear spell 
  (caster level 12th). A creature that successfully saves cannot 
  be affected again by the same ashmede devil’s aura for 24 
  hours. Other devils are immune to the aura. The save DC is 
  Charisma-based.
  See in Darkness (Ex) An ashmede devil can see perfectly in 
  darkness of any kind.
  Summon Devils (Sp) Once per day, an ashmede devil can 
  automatically summon 1 chain devil. If you use The Book 
  of Fiends in your campaign, she can alternately choose 
  to summon 2d6 whiptails or 1 faceless. This ability is the 
  equivalent of a 9th-level spell.
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  47
  32. Cupola (EL 9)
  This cupola perched atop the main keep has wide windows 
  overlooking its surroundings and two railed balconies 
  extending from either side, yet there does not seem to be any 
  actual access to the keep below via stairs, ladder, or otherwise.
  This remote rooftop cupola serves as an additional 
  lair for the gargoyle brutes—there are generally two of 
  the creatures resting in here at any one time unless the 
  Scarwall heights are under alert.
  Gargoyle Brutes (2) 
   
  CR 7
  hp 84 (see page 17)
  33. Lord’s Overlook (EL 11)
  This balcony provides access to the upper entrance of 
  Kazavon’s lair. The open doorway leads to a sheer drop of 
  30 feet to the floor below.
  Creatures: Nihil’s last remaining bone devils are 
  stationed here, with orders to stand guard invisibly. The 
  devils also maintain fly spells at all times. If PCs draw 
  near, they immediately fly up to confront them. If a PC 
  enters area 31 via the opening  here, one of the bone 
  devils attempts to seal that opening with a wall 
  of ice, hopefully trapping that PC inside with 
  Nihil. In any event, the devils keep Nihil 
  appraised of the battle via telepathy, and 
  as soon as one of them falls, the other 
  is ordered to retreat to area 31 to 
  protect its mistress.
  Bone Devils (2) 
  CR 9
  hp 95 each; MM 52
  34. War Room (EL 14)
  This large room’s walls are festooned with ancient, 
  crumbling maps of the surrounding regions marked 
  with fortifications and troop placement. Pushed to one side 
  of the room is a wide table, its top fashioned into a large 
  sandbox bearing a number of small wooden tokens apparently 
  representing troop types and concentrations.
  The many military campaigns waged by Kazavon were 
  planned in this room—once the nerve center of the War 
  Tower, and the room for which the tower gained its name. 
  Creature: For many centuries, Gorstav served as a 
  spirit anchor for Mandraivus, but after he was destroyed 
  by the umbral dragon, the castle’s curse brought him 
  back as a much diminished undead guardian—since 
  then, General Gorstav has had little reason to leave  
  this room.
  General Gorstav, now a mere juju zombie, resembles a 
  regular zombie but with a grayish cast to his flesh and eyes 
  burning with hate.
  General Gorstav 
   
  CR 14
  Male juju zombie half-orc fighter 12 (Tome of Horrors 
  Revised 411)
  NE Medium undead
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +0, Spot +0
  DEFENSE
  AC 27, touch 14, flat-footed 24
  (+10 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dexterity, +3 natural)
  hp 81 (12d12+3)
  Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +8
  Defensive Abilities +4 turn resistance; DR 10/magic and 
  slashing; Immune cold, electricity, magic missile, undead 
  traits; Resist fire 10
  nihil
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  general
  gorstav
  48
  OFFENSE
  Spd 20 ft.
  Melee +2 thundering warhammer +18/+13 (1d8+18/19–20/×3)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Although Gorstav retains his military 
  training, he fights without any joy or fear or emotion of 
  any kind, almost as if he were little more than a construct 
  programmed to mimic an accomplished fighter’s skills. 
  He fights two-handed with his warhammer in order to 
  maximize his Strength bonus to damage.
  Morale Gorstav fights until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 26, Dex 16, Con —, Int 4, Wis 10, Cha 10
  Base Atk +6; Grp +14
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Greater 
  Weapon Focus (warhammer), Greater Weapon 
  Specialization (warhammer), Improved Bull Rush, Improved 
  Critical (warhammer), Improved Initiative, Mobility, 
  Power Attack, Spring Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus 
  (warhammer), Weapon Specialization (warhammer)
  Skills Handle Animal +15, Ride +20
  Languages Common, Orc
  Gear +2 mithral full plate; +2 thundering warhammer, belt of 
  giant strength +2, ring of protection +1
  Donjon
  Scarwall’s donjon, its central fortification and chapel, 
  consists of areas 35–39. Although technically part of the 
  donjon, the unusually shaped Star Tower is considered a 
  different part of the castle. Only proximity encounters 
  occur in the donjon, and all encounter locations are on 
  the maps of the first floor on page 26 or the second floor 
  on page 34.
  Scarwall’s donjon, unlike most castles, was not set aside 
  as a final bastion, but built as the castle’s horrific chapel, 
  devoted to Kazavon’s patron, Zon-Kuthon the Midnight 
  Lord. Only the initiated and their sacrificial victims 
  were allowed into these unhallowed chambers, and the 
  victims never emerged. The donjon was firmly under the 
  control of a deadly lich priest of Zon-Kuthon, a man who 
  secretly pledged his service to Kazavon as Scarwall was 
  being constructed. This was Bishop Zev Ravenka, the only 
  inhabitant of Scarwall who rivaled Kazavon in inhuman 
  cruelty. The donjon itself was constructed by a special 
  team of laborers, and during construction, only Kazavon 
  and a few shrouded priests were allowed inside. Once 
  construction was completed, the laborers were sacrificed. 
  Only Kazavon and the priests themselves were ever allowed 
  entrance to the donjon.
  The entire donjon (and the nearby Star Tower) is warded 
  via conflicting forbiddance effects—
  one placed by Zev Ravenka, and 
  another placed by Mandraivus’s 
  allies. The interplay between 
  these two auras has resulted 
  in a somewhat unstable 
  pair of magical effects. 
  The 
  forbiddance 
  effect 
  within both areas is keyed 
  to the lawful evil alignment, and 
  any non-lawful-evil creature that attempts to enter 
  must make a DC 24 Will save to do so. Failure results not 
  only in standard forbiddance damage, but also a repulsion 
  effect that pushes the intruder back out. Conversely, any 
  non-good creature that attempts to leave the donjon or the 
  Star Tower must make a DC 24 will save to avoid damage 
  and the repulsion effect from the second forbiddance effect. 
  These effects only apply when a creature attempts to enter 
  or exit the donjon or Star Tower from outside (direct travel 
  between the two areas is unaffected). If a creature of the 
  appropriate alignment passes through, the effects falter 
  for 2d4 rounds, during which creatures of any alignment 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  49
  may come and go freely—if the PCs are accompanied by 
  the Brotherhood of Bones, their presence makes entering 
  this part of Scarwall simple. Note that these effects are 
  separate from the castle’s curse—they remain in place 
  even after Mithrodar is destroyed. All of these spell effects 
  function at CL 20th.
  35. Donjon Entrance (EL 11)
  The floor of this foyer is tiled in blood-red marble. A altar 
  resembling a skull, its lower section wrapped in iron chains and 
  its top cut off flat to form a level surface, stands in an alcove 
  to the east. A ten-foot-diameter pool of what appears to be 
  stagnant water, its rim fashioned of white marble, sits in the 
  western alcove opposite the altar.
  An examination of the altar reveals a small knife with 
  rusty stains on its blade. The pool of water to the west is 5 
  feet deep. After reentering the donjon after a visit outside, 
  a priest would cut himself on the knife to release some 
  blood, then bathe in the water to cleanse himself of the 
  “impurities” of the outer world before returning to the 
  sacred chambers within.
  36. Common Room (EL 12)
  A worn but colorful carpet covers most of the floor of this room, 
  and a number of wooden tables and comfortable chairs are 
  spaced about the room for informal gatherings and meals. A 
  small kitchen has been set up by a low stone fireplace alongside 
  a cupboard holding some dishes and utensils as well as a few 
  desiccated remains of foodstuffs.
  The bishop and prelate took their meals separately, 
  typically in their own quarters, but the five acolytes of the 
  chapel used this room as a combination lounge, study, and 
  kitchen/dining area.
  Creatures: When Scarwall’s curse awoke, the five acolytes 
  here were immediately slain and their spirits transformed 
  into spectres—so sudden was the transformation that 
  they don’t consciously recognize the fact that they are 
  now undead, even when they slide effortlessly through 
  doors or solid objects. Their black robes and religious 
  accoutrements appear rotten and threadbare with age, 
  even though the material is as ghostly as their flesh. 
  The five have spent the last several hundred years here, 
  waiting for the call to service in the temple below and 
  unaware of the passage of time—if disturbed by the PCs, 
  they shriek and move forward to claw at them, fighting 
  until destroyed.
  Spectres (5) 
  CR 11
  hp 228 (MM 100)
  37. Prelate’s Chapel (EL 15)
  This chamber is shrouded in writhing shadows. A ten-foot-tall 
  humanoid figure stands motionless deeper in the room.
  This chamber served as a private chapel for small 
  ceremonies attended to by the prelate that the other priests 
  were only occasionally invited to. Magical darkness fills 
  the chamber, preventing light within from rising above 
  shadowy levels. A daylight spell (or any 4th-level or higher 
  spell with the light descriptor) nullifies this effect for that 
  spell’s duration, but does not dispel the darkness.
  The tall figure is a 10-foot statue of Zon-Kuthon 
  represented as a cloaked figure with a skull for a head and 
  a spiked chain dangling from its eye sockets. Behind the 
  statue is a secret door that gives access to the Star Tower. 
  It is cunningly constructed (DC 40 Search check to locate) 
  and locked (DC 40 Open Lock to unlock).
  Creature: As with the chapel’s acolytes, the chapel’s 
  prelate died when Scarwall’s curse awoke. Yet unlike the 
  lesser acolytes, Prelate Aruth retained power over his body 
  and maintained his faith and link to the Midnight Lord. He 
  exists now as a mummy lord, but this existence is little more 
  than that of a glorified guardian. He stands silently behind 
  the statue, stepping out to attack with his spells as soon as 
  the PCs enter. The prelate wears elaborate robes woven of 
  the darkest silks, and his teeth have been filed to points.
  Prelate Aruth 
  CR 11
  Male mummy lord cleric 10 (Zon-Kuthon)
  hp 97 (8d12+10d8)
  OFFENSE
  Spells Prepared Prelate Aruth has the Destruction domain 
  instead of Protection. Replace sanctuary and spell immunity 
  with inflict light wounds and inflict critical wounds. Replace his 
  protective ward ability with smite 1/day (+4 to hit, +10 damage).
  38. Priest’s Cells
  Each of these dingy, empty cells once served as a home 
  and private shrine for the acolytes of the Dark Shrine of 
  Midnight. All five have since become spectres (see area 
  36) but their bodies remain here—desiccated, brittle 
  skeletons wearing fragments of black robes and rusty links 
  of chain.
  39. Dark Shrine of Midnight (EL 14)
  This vast chamber is floored in gray slate and supported by 
  thick pillars of obsidian. Torches mounted on the pillars burn, 
  yet their flames are strangely dim, barely lighting the cathedral-
  like space. The pillars themselves are decorated with skulls 
  and bones—tiny white pinpoints of light seem to dance in 
  the eye sockets of each skull. To the northwest, a tall statue 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  50
  of a skull-headed man dressed in dark robes stands behind a 
  black marble altar, on which lie heaped mounds of ashes, bits 
  of bone, and a single skull, its teeth and eye sockets set with 
  glittering gemstones. Jagged, barbed chains dangle from the 
  statue’s eye sockets. Thick black curtains hang from the walls 
  of the chamber.
  This chamber housed the main temple of Zon-Kuthon at 
  Scarwall. The torches on the pillars are similar to everburning 
  torches except they exude a dark light that provides shadowy 
  illumination in a 20-foot radius that overwhelms any other 
  light sources brought into their area of effect (4th-level or 
  higher spells with the light descriptor can cancel out the 
  shadows for the spell’s duration). Beyond the south curtain 
  is a smaller statue of Zon-Kuthon used in certain ceremonies 
  but otherwise mundane. The lights in the skulls’ eyesockets 
  are unnerving, but are little more than a harmless physical 
  manifestation of the evil in this chamber.
  Creature: The night of Mandraivus’s raid, Bishop Zev 
  Ravenka received a dark premonition of the invasion from 
  the Midnight Lord. When Mandraivus infiltrated Scarwall, 
  Bishop Zev Ravenka enacted his plan to protect himself 
  and his chapel, and called upon Zon-Kuthon to ward the 
  entrances and exits with a potent forbiddance spell that kept 
  the cabal from entering the donjon. Ravenka assumed that 
  Kazavon would defeat the cabal. When he didn’t, the lich’s 
  plan backfired as Mandraivus and his spellcasting allies 
  wove forbiddance magic of their own to keep the lich and his 
  followers trapped inside. Eventually, Ravenka would have 
  escaped, except that when Mandraivus was slain, the donjon 
  became the focus of the resulting explosion of undeath and 
  necromantic power. Each of his minions succumbed, their 
  spirits joining those in the walls or transforming into 
  undead guardians. Zev Ravenka, himself already undead, 
  underwent an even more vile transformation. His body was 
  blasted apart to dust, and the curse of Scarwall transformed 
  the Bishop into a deadly undead creature known as a 
  demilich.
  Bishop Ravenka’s mortal remains are the ashes, bone 
  fragments, and gem-studded skull that sit atop the altar. 
  As long as these remains are not disturbed, the dangerous 
  undead guardian remains quiet, unaware that his chapel 
  has been invaded. Bishop Ravenka is one of the four spirit 
  anchors, but due to his inert state, clever PCs don’t need to 
  physically destroy him. As with the other spirit anchors, 
  a dispel evil or dispel law (or an antimagic effect) removes 
  the spirit anchor—doing so counts as disturbing the 
  demilich’s remains.
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  51
  Bishop Zev Ravenka 
  CR 14
  Male demilich
  LE Tiny undead
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +18, Spot +18
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 17, flat-footed 21
  (+4 natural, +5 profane, +2 size)
  hp 65 (10d12)
  Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +17
  Defensive Abilities rejuvenation; DR 20/vorpal (see below); 
  Immune acid, electricity, cold, magic, polymorph, turning, 
  undead traits
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft. (perfect)
  Space 2 1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Special Attacks trap the soul
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th)
  At will—greater bestow curse (as bestow curse, but –12 to 
  one ability score, –6 to two ability scores, –8 penalty on 
  attack rolls, saves, and checks, or 25% to act normally; 
  effective spell level 6th; DC 21), wail of the banshee (20-ft.- 
  radius spread centered on demilich, DC 24)
  TACTICS
  During Combat It takes the demilich a round to fully awaken 
  once his remains are disturbed. During this round, his skull 
  floats into the air, and the ashes and bone fragments scatter 
  as if caught in a vortex around the altar. On the second 
  round, Zev Ravenka chooses a target in range and attempts 
  to trap that creature’s soul, continuing to trap souls every 
  round until reduced to less than 20 hit points, at which time 
  he uses his wail of the banshee spell-like ability. He saves his 
  greater bestow curse to use against foes who have attacks 
  that particularly damage him.
  Morale Rev Zavenka attacks until destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 10, Con —, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 20
  Base Atk +5; Grp —
  Feats Ability Focus (trap the soul), Great Fortitude, Improved 
  Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
  Skills Bluff +18, Concentration +13, Knowledge (arcana) +24, 
  Knowledge (religion) +18, Listen +18, Move Silently +13, 
  Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +26, Spot +18
  Languages Common, Infernal, Giant, Shoanti, Varisian
  SQ unholy grace
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Damage Reduction (Su) Although a demilich cannot be 
  affected by a vorpal weapon’s beheading quality, vorpal 
  weapons bypass his damage reduction completely.
  Immunity to Magic (Ex) The demilich is immune to any spell 
  or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, 
  certain spells and effects function differently as noted 
  below—these spells can still affect a demilich even if they 
  allow spell resistance.
  Dispel evil: Deals 2d6 points of damage, no saving throw.
  Holy smite: This spell affects a demilich normally.
  Power word kill: If cast by an ethereal caster, this spell deals 
  50 points of damage to a demilich if it fails a Fortitude 
  save against the spell.
  Shatter: Deals 1d6 points of damage per two caster levels 
  (maximum 10d6), no saving throw.
  Rejuvenation (Su) Unless holy water is poured over a 
  demilich’s destroyed remains, the creature reforms in 1d10 
  days with a successful level check (1d20 + demilich’s HD) 
  against DC 16.
  Trap the Soul (Su) A demilich can trap the souls of up to 
  eight living creatures per day. To use this power, it selects 
  any target within 300 feet. The target is allowed a DC 
  24 Fortitude save to resist the effect. If the target makes 
  its saving throw, it gains three negative levels, and the 
  demilich does not lose that use of trap the soul for the day. 
  If the target fails its save, the soul of the target is drawn 
  from its body and trapped within one of the gems in the 
  demilich’s skull. The gem gleams for 24 hours, indicating 
  the captive soul within. A soulless body collapses in a mass 
  of corruption and molders in a single round, reduced to 
  dust. If left to its own devices, the demilich slowly devours 
  the soul over 24 hours—at the end of that time the soul is 
  completely absorbed, and the victim is forever gone. If the 
  demilich is overcome before the soul is eaten, crushing 
  the gem releases the soul, after which time it is free to 
  tHe DeMiliCH: HanDle witH Care
  The demilich is one of the game’s most notorious monsters, 
  a “boss” more or less designed to guarantee deaths in the 
  party, turning a fight into a race between the amount of 
  damage you can do to it and the number of failed saving 
  throws and dead PCs. Smart (or lucky) PCs have death 
  wards going when they encounter the demilich—we also 
  put a scarab of protection in the adventure to increase the 
  chance that at least one PC will have protection against the 
  demilich’s attacks. Furthermore, PCs don’t even need to 
  actually fight the demilich to achieve their goal.
  All that said, most parties are going to tangle with this 
  monster, and as a result, they’ll be making a lot of Fortitude 
  saves. Characters are going to die in this encounter. If 
  your group is okay with this level of danger, that’s fine, 
  but for most groups, you might want to foreshadow the 
  demilich a bit. This could be worked into the Harrow 
  reading at the start of the adventure, or perhaps even 
  while talking to an NPC in Scarwall. And don’t be afraid 
  to soften the demilich’s attacks if you think it’s too much. 
  Maybe breaking a gem that contains a trapped soul 
  returns that trapped character to life. Maybe the demilich 
  can only use wail of the banshee once per day.
  —James Jacobs
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  52
  seek the afterlife or be returned to its body by the use of 
  resurrection, true resurrection, clone, or miracle. The save 
  DC is Charimsa-based.
  Unholy Grace (Su) A demilich adds its Charisma modifier as 
  a bonus on its saving throws and as a profane bonus on its 
  Armor Class. (The stat block already reflects these bonuses.)
  Treasure: The demilich’s eyes and teeth are all huge 
  rubies. Each of his eyes is worth 2,500 gp, while each of 
  his teeth is worth 1,000 gp. The demilich’s ashes cover 
  two other valuable objects on the altar—once the creature 
  awakens and the ashes fly into the air, these two objects are 
  apparent. The first is a greater strand of prayer beads, and the 
  second is a +2 speed spiked chain.
  The Star Tower
  The Star Tower of Castle Scarwall consists of areas 40–49, and 
  is actually a mind-bogglingly old structure that was ancient 
  beyond reckoning even during the birth of Thassilon. The 
  structure is in fact an immense megalith much like a massive 
  nail driven deep into the earth, its deepest point reaching far 
  into the underground realm of the Darklands below. Other 
  Star Towers exist elsewhere in Golarion, although most 
  of them are completely buried now—only happenstance 
  and some ancient volcanism saw this one exposed to the 
  surface world. These mysterious structures are remnants 
  of an ancient war between the gods of Golarion and the 
  Rough Beast Rovagug. While Sarenrae and Asmodeus are 
  the two deities most directly associated with Rovagug’s 
  imprisonment (Sarenrae cut open the world to fashion an 
  oubliette for Rovagug and drove him into the prison, while 
  Asmodeus used a special key to lock the Rough Beast in), 
  other gods had roles in the war as well. Zon-Kuthon’s role 
  was to reinforce the “stitching shut of the world” with several 
  Star Towers along key nexus points above Rovagug’s deep 
  oubliette. These towers were intended to block the faithful 
  of the Rough Beast from being able to contact their deity, but 
  time has not treated them well. Most have been destroyed over 
  the millennia, either by tectonic forces or the unknowing 
  acts of Darkland miners or monsters, to the extent that 
  Rovagug’s faith has now become potent in the world once 
  again. Fortunately, his oubliette deep below still holds him 
  fast. Recognizing the Star Tower for what it is (as well as its 
  physical strength and near indestructible nature—see below) 
  requires a DC 40 Knowledge (religion) check.
  Yet little of this ancient history mattered to Kazavon—he 
  just knew that the site was sacred to the Midnight Lord, and 
  that it would make a suitable place for his castle. The Star 
  Tower stands 110 feet tall where it emerges from the waters 
  of the tarn until it peaks at its battlement above the donjon 
  roof, while its foundation plunges hundreds of feet into the 
  ground to a deep set of lava tunnels near what was once the 
  ancient volcano’s core. Nowhere along this length are there 
  obvious methods of entry. The Star Tower is warded by the 
  same forbiddance effect that guards the donjon, and as long as 
  Scarwall remains haunted, these effects cannot be dispelled. 
  The effects linger still after the chained spirit is defeated, 
  but at this point the forbiddance effect can be dispelled (CL 
  20th). Furthermore, even though the stonelike material that 
  the tower is made of was not as eternal as it could have been, 
  it remains incredibly difficult to damage—a 5 foot section 
  has hardness 20, hp 2,400, and SR 32. There are only three 
  entrances into the Star Tower: the main entrance (area 40), a 
  secret door on the second floor (area 37), and a passage from 
  the Darklands deep below (area 45).
  When Mandraivus and his cabal attacked Scarwall, they 
  pursued a badly wounded Kazavon down from the Star Tower 
  roof to area 42, where the draconic warlord finally assumed 
  his true form only to be slain. Only proximity encounters 
  occur in the Star Tower, and all encounter locations are on 
  the maps of the first floor on page 26, the second floor on 
  page 34, or the third floor map on page 40.
  40. Star Tower Entrance
  A single stone building with no obvious entrance sits atop this 
  towering star-shaped foundation. The marble of both the building 
  and the surrounding tower show no seams and are polished to a 
  sheen, almost as if the entire structure were carved from a single 
  immense shaft of stone. Only on the southeastern wall of the small 
  stone building atop this tower is the smooth polish marred—here, 
  a carving of a ten-foot-wide skull with spiked chains dangling from 
  its eyesockets looks out over the castle below.
  The large symbol of Zon-Kuthon on the southeastern 
  wall is a permanent phase door that can only be triggered 
  to allow access to the room inside at the touch of a cleric of 
  Zon-Kuthon of no less than 9th level. A DC 35 Use Magic 
  Device can also trigger the door’s activation. As long as 
  Scarwall remains haunted, the building remains under a 
  dimensional anchor effect—the phase door cannot be opened 
  at all as long as the castle remains haunted. The chamber 
  inside is empty, save for a 5-foot-wide flight of stairs that 
  leads down to the second floor.
  41. Curate’s Chamber
  This chamber was obviously once somebody’s quarters. It is 
  sparsely furnished with a small table holding a wooden bowl and 
  cup and a pile of bedding lying in the center of the floor where 
  someone appears to have been brutally murdered, judging from 
  old bloodstains that cover a good portion of it.
  A strange hermit known only as the “Curate” made this 
  chamber his home during Kazavon’s time. A prophet of 
  Zon-Kuthon, he relied on his divine spellcasting abilities to 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  53
  provide food and water for himself as he kept watch on the 
  Star Tower. Kazavon had little patience for the strange man, 
  and soon after construction of Scarwall was completed, he 
  murdered him. Unfortunately, it was the Curate’s presence 
  that prevented Rovagug’s power from welling up from the 
  Darklands. This ageless half-fiend devotee of Zon-Kuthon 
  had pledged his cenobitic life to watching over the Star 
  Tower, and with that life quenched, this particular Star 
  Tower’s long tale of dwindling power came to an end.
  42. Chamber of the Well (EL 14)
  The walls and floor of this chamber have a strange organic 
  texture, appearing almost like black decaying flesh streaked 
  with glistening swaths of blood. Four pillars carved to look 
  like coils of entwined arteries and spinal cords support the 
  ceiling—nails and surgical tools are embedded in these pillars 
  at key and painful-looking positions. At the base of the stairs is 
  a ten-foot-diameter open shaft filled with thick bluish mist.
  This level of the Star Tower was constructed to “capture” 
  the devotional energy of the worshipers of Zon-Kuthon in 
  the chapel to the southeast and then infuse the stony length 
  of the tower, but without a Curate in place, these energies 
  simply build in the room and then dissipate. The chamber 
  is also where Mandraivus and his cabal finally confronted 
  Kazavon, who had been forced into this corner of his lair 
  in hopes that, here at the heart of his power, he could resist 
  Mandraivus and his holy sword. That hope died with 
  Kazavon, and it was here that his body was dismantled and 
  carried away to the far corners of the world.
  The shaft is filled with cold blue fog, and while it is 
  only 50 feet deep, any creature that falls into it experiences 
  a plummet of unexpected and vertiginous length, as if 
  they were falling for miles and miles. Each round the fall 
  continues, the falling character must make a DC 20 Will 
  save. If he succeeds, the character suddenly finds himself 
  landing in area 43, suffering 5d6 points of falling damage 
  (maximum 20d6) for each failed Will save. A character that 
  can fly makes the same Will save each round he continues to 
  fly down into the pit, but on a success, finds himself in flight 
  in area 43 and takes no falling damage. No matter how long 
  a flying character has been flying down, he always finds that 
  the rim of the shaft above is no more than 30 feet up.
  Creature: Several weeks after Kazavon’s diedh and Scarwall’s 
  curse awakened, Zon-Kuthon sent one of his minions, a 
  nightwing named Ildervok, to this chamber to await the 
  arrival of a replacement Curate to induct into service. And for 
  hundreds of years, the immense shadowy undead has waited, 
  patiently, for a new candidate to arrive. When the PCs enter 
  this chamber, the nightwing greets them, speaking to them 
  telepathically while invisible, and welcoming them to the Star 
  Tower. It then idly asks which of them wish to take on the 
  honor and glory of becoming the Star Tower’s new Curate. 
  The nightwing would certainly much prefer someone 
  volunteer for it, and hopes to find someone who’s already a 
  worshiper of Zon-Kuthon (either Shadowcount Sial or Laori 
  Vaus would make perfect candidates—see the “Choosing A 
  Curate” sidebar), but if neither of them are present, Ildervok 
  selects the character whose alignment or personality most 
  closely matches that of Zon-Kuthon (a lawful evil sadist is 
  the best choice) as his nominee to court for the role. If asked 
  CHoosing a CUrate
  Either of the Brotherhood of Bones members who may 
  be traveling with the PCs would make ideal candidates 
  for the role of Curate—but unfortunately, as honorable as 
  the post may be, it’s also not something either of them 
  would wish for themselves, since to become a Curate is 
  to abandon all other goals and ambitions and pleasures. 
  If either Shadowcount Sial or Laori have become an Ally, 
  the Traitor has bristled at the Ally’s easy friendship with the 
  PCs and feels that the Ally has drifted from the faith. The 
  Traitor proclaims as much at this time, telling the Ally that 
  agreeing to the role of Curate is the only way to atone for 
  straying from the Midnight Lord’s side. Afraid that rejecting 
  the idea would give the Traitor’s words strength, the Ally 
  turns the argument back at the Traitor, accusing him or her 
  of constantly obstructing their overall goal of seeing the 
  fangs of Kazavon returned to Nidal. The argument swiftly 
  blooms into a fight between the two—the PCs are free to 
  take sides as they wish, but the nightwing merely hangs 
  back and watches in amusement. As soon as it becomes 
  obvious to the Traitor that he or she is about to die, he or 
  she sees no other option but to accept the role of Curate, 
  and begs Ildervok to protect him or her from the Ally and 
  the PCs.
  At this point, before Ildervok leaves, he turns to the 
  Ally and invites that character to come with him, a rare 
  chance to see the Midnight Lord’s palace and a chance to 
  testify to the Traitor’s acts during this time. The nightwing 
  admits at this point that he knows the PCs are here to 
  reclaim Serithtial and hope to use it to drive Kazavon’s 
  spirit from Queen Ileosa—he has learned as much from 
  visions sent him recently by the Midnight Lord himself. 
  Ildervok reassures the PCs that they have no more to fear 
  from Zon-Kuthon—he desires that Kazavon’s spirit be 
  removed from the petty young queen as much as anyone, 
  after all, for such a fate does not befit even a fragment of 
  one of his mightiest warlords. Ildervok tells the PCs that 
  the blade has been taken, but it is not far from here—that 
  it is currently in the clutches of the “Children of Rovagug” 
  deep below the Star Tower, and that by stepping into the 
  shaft, the PCs will be transported to these deep chambers 
  where Serithtial has languished for so many years.
  
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  54
  what being a “curate” entails, Ildervok is brief and somewhat 
  metaphorical in his reply—“The Curate is the living soul 
  of this Star Tower. The Curate lives until the End Times, or 
  until violence necessitates a replacement, and watches over 
  the Star Tower. The Curate is the Star Tower. It is an honor to 
  even be considered for the role, and to be selected and reject it 
  is to spit in the Midnight Lord’s eye.”
  If no characters volunteer, the nightwing swiftly grows 
  angry. It demands one of the PCs step forth to become a 
  Curate, and if none do, his patience snaps and he attacks. 
  Ildervok hopes to force one of them to beg for his life (or 
  for the life of another)—mercy the nightwing is all-too-
  willing to grant in return for acquiescence and a trip to the 
  Midnight Lord’s palace on the Plane of Shadow.
  Becoming a Curate is a process that requires the 
  character to voluntarily accept Zon-Kuthon as his patron 
  and to accompany Ildervok to the Plane of Shadow via 
  plane shift to be “indoctrinated” in the Midnight Lord’s 
  palace. This is a grueling, torturous process intended to 
  convince the victim to agree, if only to escape the threat of 
  greater torture—the result is a near-mindless devotee of 
  Zon-Kuthon who is then returned to this Star Tower, now 
  immortal (save for death by violence) as long as he does not 
  leave the confines of the tower itself. Since the acquisition 
  of a new Curate is the only way Ildervok can escape his 
  servitude here (apart from being forced off the plane by 
  an effect like banishment), the devil is naturally eager to see 
  someone volunteer for the role.
  A character taken away by Ildervok is effectively out 
  of this campaign—you may wish to create a new set of 
  adventures in which the other PCs pursue a stolen ally into 
  the Plane of Shadow to rescue him, but that adventure is 
  beyond the scope of Curse of the Crimson Throne.
  Ildervok 
  CR 14
  Nightwing
  hp 144 (MM 197)
  43. Deep Chamber
  The air in this empty chamber is cold and still. The jagged 
  walls of the tower are broken to the northeast by a single stone 
  door, and the floor is polished to a reflective sheen. Thirty feet 
  above, the ceiling is completely obscured by a roiling bank of 
  glowing blue mist.
  A character who climbs or flies up into the mist above 
  suddenly finds himself emerging from the edge of the pool 
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  55
  in area 42, despite the fact that this chamber is nearly 1,500 
  feet underground. This is the Star Tower’s foundation, and 
  the door once provided access to an ancient temple of Zon-
  Kuthon. This temple was not built of the same ageless material 
  as that of the Star Tower, and volcanic activity and the passage 
  of ages have erased most remnants of this complex but for a 
  few twisting caverns and a large underground lake. This door 
  is heavy, but can be opened with a DC 16 Strength check.
  44. Caverns
  The walls of this cave look moist, yet are strangely dry to the 
  touch, covered with a sheen of glittering mineral deposits. The 
  ceiling averages fifteen feet in height.
  This short network of caverns is unlit and slopes downward 
  slightly as one travels toward area 46. Although once part of a 
  temple to Zon-Kuthon, the remaining tunnels are now settled 
  by a small group of violent and horrific creatures known as 
  gugs. There are four gugs dwelling in the caverns, and while 
  most of them spend the majority of their time in area 46, 
  periodically one will wander into these caves—there’s a 20% 
  chance of encountering a lone gug in this tunnel as a result.
  45. Entrance to Sekamina
  This corridor ends at a fifteen-foot-wide shaft that plummets 
  into the darkness. A faint warm breeze flows up from the pit, 
  carrying with it strange mineral scents. What appear to be a 
  series of three-foot-wide handholds run down along the closest 
  side of the shaft—a crude, primative ladder, perhaps, but 
  judging by the length between holds, one sized for a creature 
  almost three times the size of a man.
  The vast network of caverns that wind through Golarion’s 
  crust are known collectively as the Darklands. They consist 
  of three distinct realms. The uppermost one is known as 
  Nar-Voth, while the deepest and most mysterious is called 
  Orv. This shaft drops into the most extensive realm—the 
  middle realm known as Sekamina. The shaft is just over 
  500 feet deep, and opens into a warren of caverns inhabited 
  by additional gugs. Clambering down the side of the shaft 
  is a DC 10 Climb check if the gug-ladder is used, DC 20 
  otherwise. The gug warren below is too far away for the 
  gugs here to rely upon for reinforcements, but if the PCs 
  fail to retrieve Serithtial on their first try, any gugs they 
  have slain are replaced wihtin a few hours of their death 
  by more from below.
  46. Sacred Lake (EL 14)
  The rank odor of decay, filth, and wet fur clings to this cool 
  chamber with a palpable tenacity. The chamber itself is an 
  immense, twenty-foot-high cavern that fades into the dark to 
  the north. A wide rocky shelf sits in the southern portion of 
  the cavern, and upon this shelf are four crude, domed hovels, 
  each nearly twenty feet tall and built from crude stone blocks 
  mortared together with a nasty mix of mud, hair, and other 
  assorted debris. Each stone igloo has a large arched opening 
  into its darkened interior. To the north, a silent lake of black 
  waters stretches into the distance. Very few ripples disturb its 
  surface, giving it the appearance at times of a massive sheet 
  of polished obsidian. Far out in the water to the northwest, 
  a single point of light glows just above the surface, a bright 
  star whose radiance illuminates a few stony islands about 
  seventy feet out in the lake, though the source of the glow is 
  not discernible from shore.
  Creatures: For many years, this chamber has served as 
  a site of religious significance for the warren of gugs that 
  dwell deeper in Sekamina (see area 45 above). Lurking in 
  the lake is an immense and monstrous creature (see area 
  47 below) that the gugs have come to view as one of the 
  many god-children of Rovagug. Periodically, a gug might 
  toss a sacrifice into these waters so they can gather and 
  watch the inhabitant of the lake feed, but for the most part 
  these four gugs see themselves as the lake’s guardians, 
  dwelling here to ensure that their god’s slumber in the 
  lake is not disturbed.
  The gug hovels are dirty and hold little more than their 
  few collected treasures, disgusting clumps of shed fur, 
  and the bony remains of many past meals. There are a 
  total of four gugs dwelling here currently, and while in-
  fighting and bickering is common among their kind, they 
  set all differences aside as soon as intruders are detected, 
  immediately attacking in an all-out rush to establish 
  feeding rights over the slain. They fight to the death to 
  protect their sacred lake and its denizen.
  Gugs (4) 
  CR 10
  hp 157 each (see page 82)
  Treasure: Scattered among the gug dwellings are a total 
  of 19 assorted gemstones worth 250 gp each. One of the 
  gugs recently caught a svirfneblin in the deep caves below 
  this area while on a hunt, and the deep gnome’s mostly 
  eaten body still lies in the westernmost hovel, along with 
  much damaged gear. The gnome’s still-functional Small 
  +3 aberration bane heavy pick lies against the northern wall 
  where the gug threw it after accidentally slashing his 
  tongue on the surprisingly sharp weapon.
  47. The Inhabitant of the Lake (EL 15)
  Originally formed as a magma chamber long ago before 
  the volcano went extinct, the chamber has slowly filled 
  over the ages with sediment-thick water. The lake’s walls 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  56
  are a nearly 200-hundred-foot vertical drop to a longer 
  waterway that winds through the ground for miles. The 
  point of light out in the lake is, in fact, the blade Serithtial, 
  embedded point-first into a stony rock outcropping in the 
  lake’s northwest area.
  Creature: As detailed in the Adventure Background, Zon-
  Kuthon cursed Kleestad for betraying Kazavon, transforming 
  him into a horrific wormlike monstrosity and casting him 
  down into this lightless pit to guard Serethtial. Of course, now 
  that the holy sword is required to “free” Kazavon from Queen 
  Ileosa, Zon-Kuthon no longer cares if Kleestad continues 
  to guard the sword. In a way, the PCs are his executioners, 
  arriving on the scene to carry out their duty (unknowingly or 
  otherwise) to end the life of this traitor.
  If the PCs venture out on the water, step foot on the stony 
  rock that holds the sword in its grip, or otherwise attempt 
  to retrieve the sword, Serethtial senses them and her glow 
  grows brighter. If there are any worshipers of Iomedae 
  in the party, they hear a faint singing in their ears and a 
  sudden feeling of urgency from the weapon. Unfortunately, 
  after his long association with the weapon, Kleestad senses 
  these changes as well, and quickly slithers up to the lake’s 
  surface to investigate. Kleestad is a disgusting creature 
  that is part immense worm and part humanoid. He is 
  just over 80 feet in length, with sickly pale flesh infested 
  with rot and pustules. Dozens of spiky legs twitch along 
  the length of his body, while his upper torso, bloated and 
  pallid, is still vaguely human.
  Kleestad 
  CR 15
  NE Gargantuan aberration (aquatic)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 120 ft.; Listen 
  +8, Spot +7
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 5, flat-footed 30
  (–1 Dex, +25 natural, –4 size)
  hp 232 (16d8+160)
  Fort +15, Ref +4, Will +8
  DR 10/magic and slashing; Immune acid, death effects, mind-
  affecting effects, pain, paralysis, poison; Resist cold 10; SR 22
  OFFENSE
  Spd 30 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +25 (3d6+16 plus pain/19–20) and
  bite +22 (2d6+8 plus weakness)
  Space 20 ft.; Reach 20 ft.
  Special Attacks breath weapon
  TACTICS
  During Combat Kleestad’s first act upon erupting from the lake 
  is to use his breath weapon on the largest concentration of 
  PCs. He then moves in to engage them in melee, focusing 
  his wrath on anyone who seems to be attempting to take 
  Serethtial. Kleestad will not pursue foes out of this chamber, 
  but will chase foes up onto the rocky beach at area 46.
  Serithtial (Minor Artifact)
  Aura strong abjuration; CL 17th
  Slot —; Weight 5 lb.
  STATISTICS
  Alignment LG; Ego 14
  Senses 60 ft. vision and hearing
  Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 13
  Communication empathy
  Lesser Powers cure moderate wounds 3/
  day, zone of truth 3/day
  Special Purpose defeat followers of Zon-
  Kuthon; Dedicated Power wielder gains death 
  ward and freedom of movement against attacks 
  and effects from followers of Zon-Kuthon
  DESCRIPTION
  Serithtial is a +4 holy Zon-Kuthon bane sword 
  crafted, it is said, by Iomedae herself as a gift 
  to Mandraivus’s great-grandfather, a man 
  who led several crusades from Cheliax against 
  Nidal. The sword was handed down through 
  the generations, finally coming to the hands 
  of a well-respected hero of Lastwall—
  Mandraivus. Forged to aid his ancestor 
  against the shadowcounts of Nidal, Serithtial 
  was the perfect weapon for his assault on 
  Scarwall, and some scholars of history now 
  believe that Iomedae had foreseen its need 
  and forged it early to ensure that Mandraivus 
  would not only inherit it, but would respect its 
  traditions all the more.
  Although made of steel, Serithtial is treated as being 
  made of both cold iron and silver for the purposes 
  of penetrating damage reduction. Serithtial glows 
  with the equivalent of a continual flame, but her 
  wielder can extinguish or ignite this glow as a move-
  equivalent action. In addition, she gains a further +2 
  enhancement bonus and deals an extra 2d6 points 
  of damage against foes who serve or worship Zon-
  Kuthon. Although Serithtial was forged as a bastard 
  sword, and it is to this shape she reverts when no one 
  wields her, the sword can detect what sort of blade 
  its current owner favors, and when held in the hand, 
  immediately transforms into the type of blade its 
  owner is most proficient in (choosing from dagger, 
  short sword, longsword, scimitar, falchion, greatsword, 
  rapier, or bastard sword).
  Although Serithtial is lawful good, as long as her 
  wielder is dedicated to the defeat of Kazavon and those 
  he has corrupted (such as Queen Ileosa), she does not 
  attempt to seize control of her wielder. If her wielder 
  does go against her wishes, she tries to force him to 
  relinquish her to a more appropriate wielder.
  
  Skeletons of Scarwall
  57
  Morale Kleestad fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 43, Dex 8, Con 30, Int 5, Wis 7, Cha 7
  Base Atk +12; Grp +40
  Feats Ability Focus (pain), Improved Critical (claw), Improved 
  Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (claw)
  Skills Climb +24, Listen +8, Spot +7, Swim +24
  Languages Common
  SQ amphibious, curse of Zon-Kuthon
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Amphibious (Ex) Though Kleestad is aquatic, he can survive 
  indefinitely on land.
  Breath Weapon (Su) 50-foot cone of acidic blood, once every 
  1d4 rounds, damage 12d6 acid and nauseated for 1 round, 
  Reflex DC 30 half and negates nausea. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based.
  Curse of Zon-Kuthon (Su) Kleestad’s abhorrent form is as a 
  result of Zon-Kuthon’s curse. A side effect of it, however, is 
  that is has made him effectively immortal. He cannot die 
  except through violence. This curse also constantly wracks 
  him with pain and agony. He’s grown used to this torment, 
  and is now immune to all pain-based effects, including 
  symbols of pain.
  Pain (Su) Any creature struck by Kleestad’s claws becomes 
  wracked with supernatural waves of pain—this is, in fact, 
  the pain that Kleestad feels every second of his immortal 
  life, transmitted into the bodies of those he savages with 
  his talons. The pain inflicts 1d4 points of Strength damage. 
  In addition, the victim must make a DC 30 Fortitude save 
  to avoid suffering a –4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, 
  and ability checks for as long as he suffers this Strength 
  damage. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Treasure: Although Serithtial has been embedded in the 
  stone of the rocky islet here, she can easily be withdrawn 
  and claimed by any creature.
  concluding the Adventure
  Once the PCs have recovered Serithtial, they are ready to 
  return to Korvosa. Armed with the weapon that laid Kazavon 
  low before, they can sunder the Crown of Fangs and truly 
  defeat Queen Ileosa. Yet already they have struck a potent 
  blow against the ancient warlord’s legacy, for Scarwall now 
  lies empty of the unquiet dead. One of Belkzen’s most 
  notorious ruins is now merely that—a ruin. The orcs of 
  Belkzen discover the castle has become habitable soon 
  enough, and before the end of the year several tribes are at 
  war for control of the structure. Yet for the PCs, the clash of 
  bickering orc tribes should be the furthest thing from their 
  minds—they have a city to save.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  58
  THE Hold of Belkzen
  “I
  t began in the Age of Darkness, when the dwarves completed their fabled Quest for 
  Sky and burst forth onto Golarion’s surface, driving before them their ancient enemies, 
  the orcs. There the dwarves established the ten great Sky Citadels, city-fortresses beyond 
  compare, and gazed out from their walls upon the benighted land. The orcs, in turn, were 
  left to run free, and for a brief while their hordes washed over the landscape, bathing it in 
  blood and fire. The surface races were resourceful, however, and in time the armies of men 
  and elves drove the orcs back into the wildlands, the inhospitable corners of the world. Yet 
  still their menace lingers at the edges of civilization, the wolf ever at our door. Waiting for 
  their time to come again and bring fear to the lands of men.”
  —Shevon Carelli, The Fury of the Horde
  T h e  F u ry  o F  T h e  h o r d e s
  
  The Hold of Belkzen
  59
  B
  elkzen is a wasteland filled with harsh, unforgiving 
  peaks, treacherous seas of quicksand, and barren 
  fields churned constantly by the iron-shod boots of 
  orcs and their engines of war. Yet there is history here, 
  and opportunity too, for the land is dotted with strange, 
  mystical sites and great monuments from empires before 
  the Age of Darkness. Few alive today can guess at what 
  untold treasures lie fallow, ignored by the uneducated and 
  incurious orcs, waiting to be claimed by those impetuous 
  enough to brave its bloodstained borders.
  The Algid Wastes: To the far north, a gradual rise in 
  Belkzen’s elevation leaves the badlands even more barren 
  than their southern counterparts and permanently 
  covered in a thick layer of snow. It is across this last stretch 
  of inhospitable landscape that orc caravans trudge to raid 
  the Realm of the Mammoth Lords and capture the land’s 
  fierce megafauna. Yet despite the harsh conditions, the 
  real reason orcs fear this region and allow it to serve as 
  their nation’s border lies beneath the snow, in the form of 
  marauding remorhazes the orcs refer to as “ghost worms.”
  Blisterwell: In ages past, this interlocking system of 
  pits was a vast dwarven quarry and strip mine, one of the 
  largest in northern Avistan. When orc invaders grew too 
  numerous to be beaten back any longer, this was one of 
  the first dwarven holdings to fall as the savages—being 
  children of the subterranean dark—sought the comforting 
  embrace of its dank pits and caverns. Today it is one of the 
  most populous orc settlements, a vast network of dwellings 
  carved into the walls of its deep shafts and trenches, and 
  at night the fires of its forges reflect off the stagnant lake 
  collected in its bottom. This inverted fortress is ruled over 
  by an uneasy and constantly shifting alliance between the 
  Haskodar and One Eye tribes.
  The Brimstone Haruspex: Though highly independent, 
  even proud orc chieftains sometimes seek advice. When 
  this happens, most warlords send their seconds-in-
  command to the Brimstone Haruspex, the temple complex 
  high in the caldera of a smoking volcano. Here a group of 
  ancient and inbred orc monks offer guidance in exchange 
  for massive tribute. In addition to maintaining the only 
  supposedly complete record of orc history—a lengthy 
  series of cave paintings stretching all the way back to 
  the orcs’ initial emergence—the monks are also oracles, 
  breathing in the vapors from the active fumaroles in order 
  to spin weird and bloody prophecies. Unfortunately, the 
  fumes that give them their insights are highly caustic, 
  permanently scarring their faces and lungs. It is for this 
  reason that most leaders choose to send their seconds-in-
  command with questions, as the cruel and prudent priests 
  frequently opt to dangle petitioners in the sulfurous pits 
  to gain the revelations firsthand.
  The Broken Shore: Here the soil of the barren badlands 
  changes nature suddenly, becoming cresting, mile-wide 
  waves of blackened glass and sand progressing outward 
  from a central point like ripples on a pond. Along its crater-
  like rim rest blasted, broken statues of stone and pitted 
  iron, half-buried in the sand as if flung there in some 
  great cataclysm. Though the figures vary wildly in size 
  and apparent purpose, they all seem of the same ancient 
  workmanship. What this site might have been has long 
  been lost to sand and years, but those who travel near the 
  figures by moonlight report strange glows and whispers in 
  some nameless tongue.
  The Cenotaph: This massive, windowless pillar of 
  black stone rises menacingly from a narrow cliff on a 
  mountainside, its only adornment a pair of 50-foot-high 
  metal doors wrought with strange and unnerving murals. 
  During the reign of Tar-Baphon, the Whispering Tyrant, 
  the gates in this ancient obelisk stood open to accept hordes 
  of elite warriors and terrible war beasts. Those that entered 
  upon the tyrant’s orders were rarely seen again. With his 
  defeat by the Shining Crusade, the great portal swung shut, 
  and has remained sealed ever since. Legend holds, however, 
  that one day Tar-Baphon will return, and the doors will fall 
  open to unleash his dark armies upon the land.
  Although its importance to Tar-Baphon stands 
  unquestioned, those scholars who’ve dared brave the area 
  around the Cenotaph have noted that the ominous tower 
  appears to predate the Whispering Tyrant by several 
  centuries, leaving the identity of its founders a mystery. 
  Some eager explorers suggest the site might be the Rune 
  Mausoleum of Thassilonian lore, though such claims are 
  fueled more by ambition than evidence. 
  Covenant Rock: This small, flat mesa is where orc 
  caravans traveling the Flood Road leave gifts of treasure, 
  livestock, and slaves for the dragons of Raschka-Tor 
  in exchange for safe passage through their expansive 
  territory. While the dragons are generally amenable to this 
  agreement, wise travelers know it’s best to be far away by 
  the time they arrive. 
  Deepgate: When the orcs were driven forth onto the 
  surface, they emerged in numerous locations across 
  Avistan. The first and largest of their tunnels, however, 
  emerged deep in the Kodar Mountains. Here, in a rare feat 
  of cooperation and engineering, several triumphant tribes 
  banded together to erect an enormous fortress of stone 
  and iron over the tunnel mouth, one of the few structures 
  in Belkzen of completely orc design. With this fortress, 
  fortified against attack from both above and below, the 
  orcs sought to control all subterranean races’ access to 
  the bountiful new surface world. Though ultimately 
  ineffective, the fortress remains the most convenient route 
  to the world beneath, and its hotly contested walls fall to a 
  new tribe of attackers every generation.
  The Dirt Sea: Underground aquifers and particularly 
  fine sand have combined here to create a vast, salty expanse 
  
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  60
  
  The Hold of Belkzen
  61
  of quicksand, up to 50 feet deep in some places. Nominally 
  controlled by the orcs of Wyvernsting, the sea in actuality 
  belongs to anyone with the stomach to pilot a boat across 
  its deceptively calm surface, braving the strange creatures 
  that swim and scuttle beneath it. Barges across the Dirt 
  Sea frequently prove the fastest route for those traveling to 
  Deepgate or the Brimstone Haruspex. 
  The Firewatch Peaks: Manned by soldiers from 
  the Ustalavian county of Canterwall, these 12 squat 
  mountaintop bunkers act as listening posts from which 
  the military can keep an eye on the movements of orc 
  tribes and the dragons of Raschka-Tor. Due to the danger 
  of attacks by the latter, each bunker’s stone roof is capable 
  of sinking completely into the ground, making it virtually 
  impervious to damage. Bunkers are accessed via tunnel 
  from hidden entrances far below, and communicate with 
  each other via trained hawks. Though Ustalav has long 
  claimed them as its own, elaborate carvings indicate that 
  the buildings are actually of dwarven design, though no 
  one can say for certain what or whom they were built to 
  guard against.
  The Flood Road: This seasonal riverbed is central to life 
  and commerce in Belkzen. For 10 months out of the year, 
  its cracked and parched mud serves as the primary road 
  between Urgir and Wyvernsting, as well as for caravans 
  headed north into the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. In the 
  spring, however, the melting snow of the Tusk Mountains 
  sends a muddy deluge pouring down the Flood Road all 
  the way to where it meets the River Esk in the south. This 
  flash flood travels at breakneck speed and makes being the 
  last caravan of the season a deadly gamble, yet its rumbling 
  waters nourish the surrounding badlands, waking 
  dormant creatures and luring the migratory aurochs. Few 
  orc tribes make war during this annual time of plenty, and 
  the “Flood Truce” is a common time for orcs to seek mates 
  in other tribes.
  The Foundry: During the height of dwarven society 
  on Golarion’s surface, the stout folk raised numerous 
  forgeholds, giant fortress enclaves devoted entirely to 
  metallurgy, smithing, and the engineering arts. One of the 
  most impressive was the Ironhearth Foundry at the edge 
  of the Kodar Mountains, positioned to take advantage of 
  the wealth of metals quarried in the nearby mine complex 
  now known as Blisterwell. When the region fell to the orcs, 
  the Foundry was quickly identified as the greatest prize 
  save Urgir itself. Fought over for generations, the iron-
  walled fortress is now run by a cult of mad orc smiths and 
  engineers calling themselves Steel Eaters, tribeless orcs 
  who maintain neutrality in order to sell their twisted siege 
  weapons to all sides. No orc leader, no matter how proud, 
  dares anger these cruel geniuses.
  Freedom Town: For the lawless and headstrong, the 
  border between Lastwall and Belkzen represents not 
  just safety, but opportunity. Nearly 20 years ago, an 
  elaborate blackmail scheme gone wrong left the entire 
  Sharpes Gang exposed to Lastwall’s government officials. 
  Desperate to evade their country’s militant lawmen, the 
  gang made for the nearest but least likely haven—the 
  border with Belkzen. After successfully hiding out for 
  months, the gang’s leaders realized that hundreds of acres 
  of prime farmland were lying fallow, prime for the taking, 
  and decided to found a town just miles from Lastwall’s 
  border. Over time, Freedom Town has become a haven for 
  criminals, exiles, and escaped slaves who are willing to pay 
  tribute to the roaming orc bands—including food, goods, 
  and less-popular residents—in exchange for a chance at 
  a new life. The government of Lastwall has so far been 
  reluctantly content to let the town flourish, confident that 
  the orcs will eventually take care of the problem for it.
  Ghostlight Marsh: Though most of the humans in 
  Belkzen fled from the hordes’ push south into Lastwall in 
  4237, there were those who stood firm, seeing themselves as 
  the land’s protectors. Chief among these was the Council 
  of Thorns, a militant group of druids who despised the 
  rampaging orcs’ effect on the landscape. Though they 
  killed many greenskins, the group was steadily pushed 
  back until only the dark swamp between the Flood Road 
  and the River Esk remained. Harried and enraged, the 
  druids made the ultimate last stand, sacrificing themselves 
  in a bloody ritual. As their spirits soaked into the shallow 
  meres and rushes of the swamp, there rose from the mud 
  dozens of shimmering lights. These cruel, capricious will-
  o’-wisps have guarded the swamp against intrusion ever 
  since, though some whisper that those in tune with the 
  LastwaLL’s sHifting BordErs
  As the threat of the Whispering Tyrant waned and the orcs 
  of Belkzen grew in number and ambition, the beleaguered 
  kingdom of Lastwall found its northern border pushed back 
  again and again by the savage hordes. The first border, a 
  great line of uniform fortresses known as the Sunwall, was 
  established upon Tar-Baphon’s defeat in 3828 ar, and stood 
  for over 400 years. Upon its fall, the great General Harchist 
  dug in on the banks of the River Esk and created a new line of 
  strongholds, complete with a low stone wall connecting many 
  of them. This new position held only half as long as the one 
  before it, falling in 4237. The Hordeline, when it was grimly 
  constructed in 4515 by demoralized soldiers and desperate 
  farmers, was a sad affair—little more than earthen ramparts 
  and crude wooden palisades. Lastwall’s current border, as of 
  yet unnamed, has held well due to an influx of money and 
  troops from the country’s southern reaches, but wise officials 
  know that, unless something changes, it’s only a matter of 
  time before the orcs once again turn their attentions south 
  and history repeats itself. 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  62
  natural world may seek shelter there, and even entreat aid 
  from the bitter spirits.
  The Keening Hills: Though green and inviting, these 
  rolling hills are avoided by all but the most foolhardy orcs. 
  Those brave few who make their way through the mounds 
  speak of strange songs that bring suicide and madness or 
  draw explorers off into the trackless mountains. While 
  the prospect of buried treasure and barrow mounds still 
  calls the occasional fortune hunter, those who dare break 
  ground here find their holes weeping tar and refilling 
  with unnatural speed—or are simply never heard from 
  again. To the orcs of Belkzen, whatever dreams beneath 
  the Keening Hills is best left to its slumber.
  The Pillars of Kreth: Here the grass of the prairie is 
  broken by a line of 11 dolmens, tipped by a flat stone slab 
  at the end. Simple and unadorned, these standing stones 
  are unremarkable, save for one night a year, when the Red 
  Planet, Akiton, lines up in position to be viewed perfectly 
  through the gaps of all 11 arches. On these nights, the 
  sky above turns strange colors, and the area hums with 
  a life that makes observers’ teeth vibrate half a mile a 
  way. A huge torus of churning aurora light rises a mile 
  straight up from the slab. Finally, as the buzzing reaches 
  its climax, a great pulse of energy travels along the line 
  of stones with the speed of a crossbow bolt, seemingly 
  taking with it anything left on the slab. These strange 
  artifacts are named in honor of Kreth, the first—and 
  last—inquisitive orc to disappear in this manner.
  Raschka-Tor: Meaning “Fire Mountain” in Orc, 
  Raschka-Tor is the mountaintop lair of a family of red 
  dragons—Sheblis, her mate Tyrkalis, and their two 
  wyrmlings. Fierce and covetous, the two mature adult 
  dragons were the terrors of northern Belkzen until 
  travelers begin leaving tribute upon Covenant Rock. The 
  dragons live in a vast mountainside cave from which 
  thick smoke issues regularly—superstitious orcs believe 
  it to be the dragons’ breath, a sign expressing either 
  their pleasure or rage, but wiser travelers conclude that it 
  likely stems from volcanic activity. Rumor holds that the 
  dragon’s cave is an antechamber to a city carved inside 
  the mountain’s hollow roof, but none who have attempted 
  to validate this tale have ever returned.
  Scarwall: The imposing castle formerly inhabited by the 
  warlord Kazavon. See “Skeletons of Scarwall” for details.
  The Skittermounds: These tall, sandy mounds stretch for 
  miles across the foothills of the Mindspin Mountains, and 
  are avoided by all but the truly desperate, as they represent 
  the openings to a vast and complex series of ankheg nests. 
  For the most part, the warring ankheg armies are content 
  to battle each other in their leagues of underground 
  tunnels, noticeable to those above only as a low buzzing, 
  though foolhardy travelers might occasionally witness a 
  colony raising a new mound entrance with frightening 
  speed and efficiency. Every few years, however, runoff from 
  intense storms in the mountains floods the plain, causing 
  the colonies to erupt from their holes by the thousands 
  and press eastward, consuming all in their path.
  Sech Nevali: Also called the Hanging Monastery, Sech 
  Nevali is a relic from Thassilonian times, a vast stone 
  temple complex suspended over a mile-deep chasm by 
  immense chains running between three high mountain 
  peaks. Originally dedicated to the Peacock Spirit, the 
  monastery is now inhabited by an order of secretive, 
  isolationist monks who believe (correctly) that not even 
  orcs would brave the most treacherous mountains in 
  Belkzen in order to disturb their solitude. Yet what 
  their ultimate purpose could be in such a remote 
  and inhospitable place remains a mystery beyond 
  Sech Nevali’s swaying walls.
  Seraph’s Ladder: This enormous marble 
  staircase rises incongruously from the plain grass 
  
  The Hold of Belkzen
  63
  of the fields, and is supported by ornate pillars as it ascends 
  two hundred feet in a great, sweeping curve. Seemingly 
  untouched by time, the great staircase to nowhere stands 
  inert and unchanging until the winter solstice. On that 
  day, the structure comes to life, becoming covered with 
  flickering images of strange people and unnamable things 
  traversing its length. Those brave enough to set foot on the 
  staircase at this time discover that ascending its gleaming 
  steps causes them to grow younger, stripping years and 
  decades from their body but leaving their mind intact. Yet 
  descending, whether by the steps or by flinging themselves 
  from the edge, causes them to age rapidly. What’s more, 
  some of those who ascend simply wink out with the other 
  flickering travelers and are never seen again.
  The Sleeper: From far away, this monument looks 
  like an enormous dragon wrapped several times around 
  a mountaintop, claws dug deep into the stone. Those 
  passing through the statue’s jaws or one of the holes in 
  its crumbling sides find an enormous complex of rooms, 
  though these are not always connected to each other or the 
  outside, leading scholars to wonder how many chambers 
  have yet to be discovered. Inside are several curious 
  features, from the strangely smoking altar that provides 
  the monument’s plumes of “breath” to wall carvings that 
  almost perfectly match the view through the windows, 
  save for a mysteriously missing mountain. 
  Trunau: When the Hordeline was breached 200 years ago 
  and the borders of Lastwall receded to their current position, 
  most farmers in the disputed area abandoned their homes 
  with haste. Not so for the residents of Trunau. Instead, they 
  dug in, surrounded their crude ramparts with pits and 
  stakes, and met the triumphant orc raiders with matching 
  ferocity. Eventually the stymied conquerors found the town 
  too tough a nut to crack and merely swarmed south around 
  it, taking their fill from the vacated settlements.
  Called “Manhome” by the select few orcs with whom 
  it trades, Trunau is keenly conscious of its position as a 
  lone island of humanity in a sea of savages. Every resident, 
  regardless of gender or profession, is ready to take to the 
  walls at a moment’s notice, and the proudest moment in any 
  child’s life is the presentation of his hopeknife on his 12th 
  birthday, during which he’s shown exactly which arteries to 
  cut should he or his loved ones be taken alive by the enemy.
  Urgir: Second of the great dwarven Sky Citadels, 
  Koldukar was an enormous feat of engineering, a massive 
  fortress of stone spires and deep warrens. Then came 
  the orc warlord Belkzen. Uniting the scattered tribes 
  of the region, he laid siege to the city-mountain, finally 
  overrunning it at the Battle of Nine Stones. He renamed 
  it “Urgir,” meaning “First Home” in Orc, and populated 
  it with his own brutish minions, making it the seat of 
  his new empire. Even though Belkzen could not keep the 
  savage orcs working in concert for long, Urgir remains the 
  heart of the modern region, and is one of the few places 
  non-orcs can walk in relative safety—provided they bear 
  the appropriate passes from tribal leaders. Here, among 
  the ruins of once-great vaults and wide plazas, humanoids 
  come to trade, hire orc mercenaries, or acquire slaves 
  and massive beasts of war. Pathfinders and adventurers, 
  too, are relatively common sights, as it remains common 
  knowledge that the lazy orcs have yet to uncover all of 
  Koldukar’s lost passages and ancient relics.
  Wyvernsting: This city of wood and stone is the 
  second-largest settlement in Belkzen. In the distant past, 
  a warlord seeking to emulate Belkzen commanded his 
  band to build a permanent fortified compound high in 
  the mountains, from which he could exert dominion over 
  one of the region’s few tiny, valuable evergreen forests. 
  Though the warlord’s name has long been forgotten, the 
  town’s easy access to both a large source of lumber and 
  the titanic creatures to the north bring its ruler great 
  wealth and power. It’s current leader, Hundux Half-man 
  of the Murdered Child, is a canny and ambitious half-orc 
  who is whispered to have designs on Urgir itself. Since 
  its founding, the town has taken its name from both the 
  plentiful wyverns of the surrounding hills and its leaders’ 
  unique method of punishing insubordination.
  BattLEfiELds
  Over the centuries, the barren fields of Belkzen have seen 
  countless battles. Whether it be the clash of orc tribes, the 
  Shining Crusade which struck down Tar-Baphon, or the 
  perversions of the warlord Kazavon, scarcely an acre of land 
  has not been soaked with blood or tilled by hooves and steel. 
  Several battles in particular still scar the broken land. 
   Battle of Screaming Tree: One of the first major engagements 
  with Kazavon, it was here the southern nations encountered the 
  torturer-lord’s ferocity firsthand when over fifty of their top 
  commanders were crucified alive on the branches of a massive 
  thorn tree. This cursed tree still marks the haunted battle site.
   Battle of the Burning Child: Here routed and demoralized 
  Lastwall militia fleeing the advancing orc hordes were galvanized 
  into action when a screaming peasant child, shrouded 
  completely in flames, burst from the center of the orc ranks, 
  pleading for aid. Strangely enough, the orcs appeared just as 
  taken aback by this development as the humans. Afterward the 
  child’s remains seemingly disappeared without a trace. Travelers 
  say that on moonless nights, the still-burnt ground of this battle 
  site echoes with the cries of a lost child. 
   The Shadefields: This broken field marks the site where a 
  tribe of Shoanti barbarians made a final, valiant stand against 
  encroaching orcs. Mortally wounded, many warriors chose to 
  be bound to the land by their shamans. Their restless, orc-
  hunting spirits are said to protect the vague border between 
  Belkzen and Varisia to this day.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  64
  Zon-Kuthon
  Z
  on-Kuthon (zon KOO-thon) is a twisted, cruel, jealous god who defiles flesh to 
  bring pain and misery. He represents ever-present pain, emotional darkness, 
  consuming envy, and unquenchable loss. Unrepentantly evil, he finds brief joy in 
  the pain he causes others. His very existence is a corruption and parasite upon the 
  world. His alien mind constantly seeks new ways to oppress, humiliate, demoralize, 
  and destroy others. While his true goals are incomprehensible, his stated desire is 
  to flay every living thing until the entire world is an intertwined mass of bleeding 
  flesh writhing in pain-livid ecstasy. He whips the minds of serial killers, guides 
  the hands of torturers, and plays the nerves of the suffering like a master bard.
  T h e  M i d n i g h T  L o r d
  
  Zon-Kuthon
  65
  Z
  on-Kuthon offers no great wisdoms, no promises of 
  universal truth, no guarantee of rewards in the afterlife. 
  His strange mind sees little difference between this 
  life and the next, and he tortures living flesh and dead soul 
  with hideous pleasure and delicious pain. It is possible that 
  this bleak nihilism may be the first step in some greater 
  plan or metaphysical evolution that 
  is incomprehensible to even his 
  greatest priests, but so far the method 
  and message is that existence itself is 
  pain. His faith is lawful, following 
  the natural hierarchy of the strong 
  preying upon the weak, whether  
  for food, entertainment, sex, or proof 
  of dominance.
  His horrid affection attracts evil 
  sadists, demented masochists, and 
  those whose spirits are so wounded 
  that 
  only 
  overwhelming 
  pain 
  distracts them from their sorrows. 
  Prisoners left to starve in oubliettes 
  who cut their own flesh just to 
  remind themselves that they exist. 
  Jilted lovers who make sick plans 
  to avenge themselves or plot petty 
  cruelties for their unfaithful mate. 
  Every mother that starves herself 
  because of her dead child, every cult 
  that requires an initiation of pain 
  as proof of sincerity, every teamster 
  who strikes his animals harder to 
  work them faster, every drunk who 
  drinks to forget, every slave who welcomes 
  the whip as better than death—all are 
  watched by Zon-Kuthon’s gouged eye.
  Zon-Kuthon’s direct intervention in the lives 
  of mortals is usually brief and ambiguous, 
  with the price often outweighing the benefit. 
  A slave under the whip who prays for relief 
  might experience sexual pleasure but find the 
  pain is heightened. A craftsman achieves perfection in his 
  work only after his obsession drives away all he loves. A 
  count who prays for help against invading orcs may gain 
  the help of a cruel warlord who takes over the orc lands 
  as his own and becomes an even greater menace. Despite 
  these hidden poisons, mortals continue to pray to Zon-
  Kuthon for help, and he has countless minions devoted to 
  listening for these requests, watchful for those who might 
  be tempted by the Dark Prince’s umbral embrace.
  Zon-Kuthon’s true appearance varies and there is no 
  consistent depiction of him, but the overall image is 
  recognizable. His flesh is pale and bloodless and usually 
  hairless, though he sometimes has wispy blonde hair 
  on his scalp. Contrasting with the pale skin are bloody 
  red wounds, many of which are held open with hooks or 
  straps or splints, some appearing partially healed and 
  reopened. Sometimes his skin is completely gone, revealing 
  bare muscle or even bone. He frequently has piercings, 
  sometimes through muscle and bone, with bits of jewelry 
  or remnants of his victims dangling 
  from them. Even his face doesn’t 
  escape this attention, with spikes 
  and hooks and straps pulling it 
  into strange configurations, his 
  lips removed to show bloody teeth, 
  one eye removed and replaced with 
  a strange crystal, or the entire back 
  of his head gone, revealing skull and 
  brains. He is usually shown wearing 
  a vertical metal crown that pulls his 
  flesh back into an obscene sunburst. 
  Parts of his body that lack wounds 
  are usually covered in blood-soaked 
  black leather, often sexualized or 
  used to manipulate the wounds in 
  an obscene manner. Absent this 
  orchestra of mutilation, Zon-Kuthon 
  might appear human, but brief 
  glimpses of his unaltered parts set 
  the maimings into sharp, horrifying 
  contrast. Mortal representations of 
  him are usually simplified to a pale 
  man in black with one significant 
  wound. Different cults of the church 
  may venerate one version of his image 
  over others (going so far as to duplicate that 
  image in their own flesh), but these cosmetic 
  differences are irrelevant in the faith’s pursuit 
  of pain and darkness.
  The church has no official formal garb, 
  though most dress in fetishistic versions of 
  their god’s own garments. Body modifica-
  tion and self-mutilation are the norm, and 
  in some cases their experiments are so extreme that their 
  flesh interweaves with their clothing to the point that re-
  moving it can kill them. Members of the church quickly 
  learn how to keep wounds clean and free of infection, as 
  well as how to conceal them from the public eye. Those 
  whose alterations are severe and cannot pass as normal 
  often disguise themselves as lepers or monstrous half-
  breeds (half-orcs are a common choice, particularly in 
  lands where orcs are never seen). Particularly skilled and 
  clever members of the cult have been known to skin their 
  victims, tan them into supple leather, and wear the skin 
  as a disguising garment over their own wounds. Many of 
  the church’s flesh-artists are known for their ability to  
  “Let screams be music and the 
  smell of seared skin a joy. Look 
  upon all flesh as a canvas for 
  your works of pain and honor the 
  Midnight Lord with sharp brush 
  and bloody paint. Embrace misery 
  in this world and the next, forget 
  all that is not suffering, and tune 
  your mind so you understand the 
  pleasures of pain.”
  —The Umbral Leaves
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  66
  preserve facial skin so it can be worn like a mask, allowing 
  wearers to pass as normal for short periods of time even 
  under close scrutiny.
  Zon-Kuthon is lawful evil and his portfolio is envy, 
  pain, darkness, and loss. His domains are Darkness, 
  Death, Destruction, Evil, and Law. His favored weapon 
  is the spiked chain, a versatile thing in battle and in the 
  deepest dungeon. His symbol is a skull with a spiked chain 
  threaded through the eye sockets. Most of his priests are 
  clerics, but there are several orders of blackguards and 
  corrupted paladins who inflict pain in his name, and 
  certain primitive tribes worship him under the tutelage 
  of adepts. He is called the Midnight Lord and the Dark 
  Prince. His most recognizable servants are erinyes, chain 
  devils, and hellcats comprised of unfathomable darkness.
  Services to Zon-Kuthon always involve torture, whether 
  performed on slaves, prisoners, or willing members of the 
  cult. The more exquisite the agony, the greater the offering 
  to the Midnight Lord, and particularly skilled torturers 
  can keep a victim just shy of passing out for days at a time, 
  using magic or drugs to keep themselves awake for these 
  extended “prayer sessions.” Clever members choose poetic 
  tortures on members of rival faiths, such as putting golden 
  splints under the nails of Abadaran priests, hatching moth 
  larvae in the eyes of Desnan wanderers, or affixing red-hot 
  iron shoes to the feet of Torag’s smiths (called the Dance 
  of Death). Larger temples may have a “scream choir” of 
  alchemically or surgically altered slaves who can only sing or 
  scream a single note when “played” by a torturer-conductor. 
  Many cult rituals involve the blurring of pleasure and pain, 
  and encourage dangerous or humiliating sex, whether with 
  other cult members or unwilling parties. Necrophilia is not 
  frowned on but is not common, as the undead do not feel 
  pain in the same way that the truly living or dead do.
  Zon-Kuthon’s church has no overarching organizational 
  tenants. Each cell or temple has an understood hierarchy, 
  based on physical power, endurance, willingness and 
  ability to endure pain, and similar elements related to 
  church practices. Rather than standard duels, rivals within 
  the church engage in rites of escalating self-inflicted 
  injuries until one party concedes, can no longer perform, 
  or perishes—these contests also escalate the status of the 
  participants in the eyes of witnesses. There is usually little 
  reason for different churches to cooperate, as the church 
  rarely has large-scale goals requiring united effort. Rather, 
  the church of Zon-Kuthon seeks to fuel a single tide of 
  horror and bloodshed, content to lap at the edges of society, 
  breaking off pieces and slowly weakening it.
  Temples and shrines
  Zon-Kuthon’s temples look like torture chambers, and 
  many are actual torture chambers converted for church 
  use. Any typical instrument of torture is a fixture, and 
  
  Zon-Kuthon
  67
  sputtering torches or dim smoky candles are the norm for 
  illumination. If worshippers are secretly using a site for 
  worship, they either bring a representation of the Dark 
  Prince as a centerpiece (often a preserved corpse dressed as 
  the god or a victim to ritualistically disfigure into such an 
  icon), or pray to an empty iron maiden as a representation 
  of his presence. If the church controls the place outright, 
  it has permanent decorations of the faith. In smaller 
  locales the church might be a secret cave or basement 
  where the cultists meet, littered with surgical and torture 
  instruments that can pass as farm or craftsman’s tools in 
  case the lair is discovered.
  Given the specialized interests of the cult, there are 
  few remote shrines, though any place where someone was 
  deliberately brutalized might attract the attention of a 
  Kuthite, even for “justified” violence like burning an evil 
  necromancer at the stake. The faithful may leave offerings 
  at these sites, such as a few drops of blood, an animal skull, 
  a bit of sharpened metal, and so on, until the place gains a 
  subtle atmosphere of suffering and evil.
  a CleriC’s role
  Aside from rare church-demanded duties, clerics of 
  the Dark Prince have a single goal: bringing pain to the 
  world. In the absence of moral or immoral guidance from 
  their patron, most choose their own path and use Zon-
  Kuthon’s gifts to serve their own desires. Their deity is 
  largely indifferent to mortal affairs but still grants spells 
  in response to the proper prayers. Many clerics of Zon-
  Kuthon seek power without responsibility and aren’t 
  particularly zealous. In other words, being a priest is a 
  secondary profession to them, leaving them most of their 
  time to focus on their obsessions with conquest, wealth, 
  and so on. Some join the church because they tire of the 
  conventional delights of a decadent lifestyle and seek the 
  thrill of tasting darker indulgences. Those who zealously 
  join the church are usually mad or damaged individuals 
  with a history of torturing animals. Such unbalanced 
  sadists tend to rise to the highest ranks in the church 
  because of their innate lust and desire for pain.
  Because the church’s use of torture relies on suffering as 
  a measure of devotion, most clerics have many ranks in the 
  Concentration and Heal skills. They can withstand torture 
  for hours without screaming (though they may do so just for 
  the glory of it) and are experts in preserving life in the face 
  of mortal injury. In remote areas or places where magic is 
  scarce, a Kuthite (cleric or otherwise) may gain a reputation 
  as a skilled surgeon, though his gleeful leer as he performs 
  his services without mind for the patient’s pain can be 
  unnerving. With their access to divine magic and mundane 
  skills, a Kuthite is a miracle worker on the battlefield, 
  though the patients might regret the attention. A Kuthite 
  priest living in secret in a normal community might feel 
  very protective toward the people in it, seeing them as his 
  toys and brutally retaliating against anyone who threatens 
  them. For example, if bandits attack a village, the resident 
  Kuthite might hunt down the bandit leader, torture him to 
  death, and leave his body parts as grisly trophies in a circle 
  surrounding the bandit camp.
  In places where the darker side of society is tolerated, 
  Kuthites may act more openly and gain a measure of 
  reluctant acceptance. Much as undertakers perform a 
  necessary function that most choose not to think about, 
  the Kuthite faith has its role in these places. Cults of 
  the Dark Prince’s more socially acceptable aspects 
  occasionally appear in civilized areas and might even 
  work significant good, but even these congregations are 
  merely fronts meant to lead the weak toward the true 
  excruciating majesty of Zon-Kuthon.
  Aside from the faith’s crusade of pain, high-ranking 
  members of the church of Zon-Kuthon occasionally set 
  their subordinates to specific goals. Murdering individuals 
  sure to cause widespread grieving, the recovery of artifacts 
  holy to Zon-Kuthon—or that the Dark Prince merely 
  desires—and the provocation of wars and other calamities 
  are not beyond the opportunistic church’s plotting. 
  Two myThs
  Stitched upon flesh and written in blood, tales holy to Zon-
  Kuthon’s faith reinforce the suffering of the faithful and 
  tempt all others to hopelessness.
  The Broken Traveler: Ages ago, Zon-Kuthon was Dou-
  Bral, half-brother to Shelyn (goddess of beauty, love, and the 
  arts). Little is known of his original powers or the extent of 
  their relationship, but at some point they argued, and Dou-
  Bral abandoned Golarion for the far dark places between 
  the planes. Shelyn grieved for her lost brother, but was more 
  horrified by his return. The church of Shelyn contends 
  that before he left, the siblings shared custody over what 
  is now her portfolio. During his travels in the void, some 
  unfathomable entity found and possessed the young god, 
  driving his original self into a tiny prison within his own 
  essence. This alien presence filled the void of Dou-Bral’s 
  godly power with twisted versions of the things he used 
  to watch over and protect—beauty became mutilation, 
  love became misery, music became screams, and the art of 
  creation became the craft of torture. When Shelyn reached 
  out to her lost brother, he pierced her hand with his black 
  nails. Again the siblings quarreled, he responding to her 
  tears and pleading with violence. Only after she wrested 
  his weapon, a golden glaive, away from him did they reach 
  a tenuous peace of silence and avoidance. For countless 
  centuries Shelyn has tried to find ways to make her brother 
  remember who he is—all with little effect. Zon-Kuthon 
  acknowledges that he and Shelyn were once siblings but has 
  nothing else to say on the matter.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  68
  The Joymaking: One bizarre cult belief is that the less 
  flesh a person has, the more concentrated the sensation of 
  pain and pleasure is in that remaining flesh—supposedly 
  a legless man experiences greater pain and pleasure 
  than one with two good legs. Privileged members of the 
  church can arrange to have all their limbs amputated 
  and all unnecessary flesh removed (eyes, ears, tongue, 
  lips, and so on), leaving only a writhing head and torso 
  that must be fed and cleaned by others. These “Joyful 
  Things” are the most envied of the faith, as their entire 
  existence is devoted to limitless pain and pleasure. 
  They are normally kept in secure places belonging to 
  the church, where any member of the faith can torture 
  and violate them. A member of the cult who has enough 
  privilege and wealth to deserve and afford this attention 
  may call for the Joymaking ceremony, where their limbs 
  and nonessentials are removed in sections over the 
  course of one night. Often the removed pieces are eaten 
  by the others present in the hopes of gaining an echo of 
  the Joyful Thing’s luck and sensation.
  The Eternal Kiss: This holiday takes place on the first new 
  moon of the year. A victim is chosen—usually an enemy of 
  the church but sometimes a favored member of the cult—
  and treated luxuriously for a period of eleven days, given 
  exotic comforts, fine food, erotic companionship, and so 
  on. The eleventh night’s attention begins as normal and 
  then suddenly shifts to physical and emotional torture 
  using whatever creative methods the cultists can devise, 
  from fire to blades to poison to drowning and countless 
  others. They use magic to keep the victim alive as long as 
  possible, seeking the fine edge just short of pain that is too 
  great to survive. Often the victim’s entrails are pulled out 
  and used for divination (called anthropomancy), looking 
  for signs of Zon-Kuthon’s will. Very rarely, the suffering 
  victim speaks in tongues, conveying phrases in other 
  languages that can be pieced together into a prophecy.
  relaTions  
  wiTh oTher religions 
  Zon-Kuthon has little to do with other deific entities. He has 
  no desire to create alliances, no need to wage war, and no 
  interest in playing diplomat between rival powers. Although 
  he aided in the imprisonment of Rovagug in youth as Dou-
  Bral, this was his last cooperation with his peers. His evil 
  nature and vile practices make him a target for good-minded 
  faiths, though he is as likely to ignore attacks on his minions 
  as to retaliate. From time to time agents of Asmodeus strike 
  deals with his lieutenants, and the hordes of Lamashtu 
  buy and sell knowledge and slaves with his kind, but their 
  interactions are always at arm’s length because of his 
  propensity to experiment on his allies. The only being who 
  escapes his sick pleasures is his half-sister Shelyn, though her 
  followers have no special protection against him or his, and 
  The Master Wrapped in Shadow: Upon his return to 
  Golarion, Zon-Kuthon’s crimes drew the attention of Abadar, 
  god of cities, wealth, and law. Approaching the creature he 
  once knew as the young god Dou-Bral, the Master of the 
  First Vault was horrified by the change. As Zon-Kuthon had 
  wounded his sister and corrupted his own father (see page 
  85), divine law demanded he be punished. Yet, suspecting 
  that Dou-Bral was no longer in control of his powers and 
  unsure of when or if the god would come back to himself, 
  Abadar struck a bargain. If the godly entity would concede 
  to banishment to the Plane of Shadow for as long as the sun 
  hung in the sky, Abadar would grant him a single item from 
  the First Vault—the holding place of the perfect, ur-forms 
  of all things in existence. Patient and possessed of strange 
  insight, Zon-Kuthon agreed. For untold millennia Zon-
  Kuthon lurked in shadow, raising Xovaikain, his lightless 
  realm of hopelessness and suffering. When finally the 
  Age of Darkness cloaked Golarion in shadow, Zon-Kuthon 
  emerged and appeared in Abadar’s palace-city of Aktun to 
  collect his boon. True to his word, Abadar conceded that 
  the sun had indeed vanished from the sky and granted Zon-
  Kuthon his desire: the first shadow. Since then, Zon-Kuthon 
  has used his treasure well, populating his dark realm with 
  legions of shadow-sculpted beings and even draping a piece 
  of absolute shadow across the world, eternally cloaking his 
  servant nation of Nidal.
  aphorisms
  In the face of their master’s endless darkness, Zon-Kuthon’s 
  worshipers gird themselves with simple affirmations of 
  hopelessness.
  Abandon Your Tears: In a cult that worships pain, tears are 
  evidence of weakness. When a tortured victim cries, it shows 
  they have not embraced their pain and thus are unenlightened. 
  When a cultist is tortured, they love their pain and refuse 
  to shed tears, focusing their energy on savoring the broad 
  bloody line between agony and ecstasy. This aphorism is an 
  admonition to the victim and advice to the faithful.
  Experience Without Limits: This phrase has two 
  meanings. It indicates that the cult seeks physical 
  sensation beyond the normal limitations of mortals, 
  mixing pleasure and pain to reach an experience on a 
  new level. It also means that a Kuthite should not let the 
  rules of normal society dictate limitations to his goals 
  and desires—if he wants to taste his sister’s unborn child, 
  or compose a symphony of screams, so be it. There is an 
  unspoken acknowledgement that everyone has this right 
  and thus the aggressor may become the victim, for it is 
  only natural that the strong dominate the weak.
  holidays
  Zon-Kuthon’s church has few holidays, but regular meetings 
  usually take place on the night of the new moon.
  
  Zon-Kuthon
  69
  she limits their contact to brief visits in person with powerful 
  defensive magic at the ready.
  priesTs of Zon-KuThon
  From the Umbral Court of shadow-shrouded Nidal to 
  pain-inspired scholars hidden among the universities of 
  Taldor and Galt, sadistic Kuthites arise wherever there are 
  screams to be coaxed from soft flesh. The following are 
  but two worshipers of Zon-Kuthon whom PCs might meet 
  during their travels. 
  Hanay Markastir (NE male human cleric 4) appears to be 
  an unhealthy older Taldan man but is actually physically 
  robust and only in his late thirties—his aged appearance 
  stems from unusual and secret self-inflicted injuries. He is 
  a liar and schemer, and dabbles in forbidden alchemy. He 
  presents a facade of an unassuming assistant, willing to 
  join a group of PCs as a hireling knowledgeable in the ways 
  of potions and alchemical works, but all the while planting 
  seeds to bring them under his thumb. He tends to obsess 
  over athletic women he meets, offering them strange gifts 
  and trying to pressure them into intimacy.
  Captain Elliot Braker (LE male human ranger 11) is a 
  disciplined, proper military man with a wan face. A well-
  liked veteran in Sargava’s colonial forces, countless battles 
  against the native Mwangi have thoroughly traumatized 
  the compassionate soldier. After seeing half his men 
  kidnapped and flensed by savages, Braker turned to drink 
  to forget. When alcohol stopped working, he turned to 
  women, then drugs, then rarer vices imported from the 
  Shackles. Although he has riddled his torso with elaborate 
  needlework, he hesitates to inflict more visible, dangerous, 
  and gratifying tortures upon himself without trying them 
  on a second party first.
  planar allies
  Along with Zon-Kuthon’s terrible but rarely seen herald, the 
  Prince in Chains (see page 84), and those horrors noted in 
  the “Allies of Zon-Kuthon” sidebar, the following outsiders 
  serve the Midnight Lord and eagerly answer planar ally 
  spells and similar calling spells from her faithful.
  Vreet-Hall: Also known as the “Fiends Whose Wounds 
  Are Like Wombs,” this creature is an unnaturally tall and 
  lithe chain devil whose weapons continually abrade and 
  slice its own flesh to reveal half-formed eyes, wagging 
  tongues, and cysts that drop living maggots. This elf-like 
  thing never touches the ground with its feet, either lifting 
  and dragging itself about with chains like prehensile limbs 
  or wrapping itself tightly from the calf down so that its 
  pallid flesh never touches bare earth or stone. Vreet-Hall 
  speaks through a permanent wound in its throat. It has a 
  fondness for wines, exotic drugs, and living slaves. Nobody 
  knows its gender, and it may have surgically removed any 
  evidence long ago.
  Dominik the Unquenchable: Once a rapacious Kuthite 
  lieutenant, Dominik fell prey to a vampire and rose as an 
  undead predator. Members of his own church captured and 
  tortured him. He is a handsome middle-aged man with 
  stark blonde hair, prominent canines, and long elegant 
  hands lacking fingernails. His entire abdomen is ripped 
  open and empty—a wound his formidable regeneration 
  has strangely never healed—thus he lacks any digestive 
  organs. When he drinks blood, it drains just as quickly out 
  of his wounds. As a result, he is continually ravenous, and 
  is prone to falling upon helpless foes to drink them dry. 
  If conjured, he appreciates creatures he can feed on, large 
  supplies of blood, or magic that can temporarily suspend 
  his hunger. He is a lawful evil vampire fighter 5.
  Allies of Zon-Kuthon
  Zon-Kuthon’s priests can use 
  summon monster spells to sum-
  mon the following creatures in 
  addition to the normal crea-
  tures listed in the spells.
  Summon Monster II
  Lesser shadow* (LE)
  Summon Monster IV
  Shadow (LE)
  Summon Monster VIII
  Erinyes (LE)
  Greater shadow (LE)
  *see the Tome of Horrors
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  70
  07 Lamashan, 4707 ar
  If this was ever a good idea—and I’m not saying it was—
  that time has long since passed. At this point, all that keeps 
  me going is my stubborn desire for completion, a trait that 
  has defined my life and will almost certainly be my death. 
  But not, as it turns out, today.
  Between the frothing raiders at the dragon monument 
  and the narrow escape from the clashing orc tribes in 
  the valley, Joskan and I have finally learned our lesson. 
  Forsaking speed for safety, we’ve resigned ourselves to 
  traveling primarily through the inhospitable foothills 
  of the Mindspins during the day and hiding ourselves 
  well before making camp each night. It’s rough going, 
  but we dare not brave the easier (and hence more densely 
  inhabited) plains. As if that weren’t trial enough, three 
  days ago the dark gray thunderhead that’s loomed over 
  us since we crossed into Belkzen finally opened up and 
  released an unceasing deluge, an ocean of rain that 
  washes the pebbles from beneath our feet and soaks us 
  clear through to the bone. At first we welcomed it, as after 
  the tinder-dry plains of the Storval Plateau I had worried 
  seriously about our water supply, but as the hours turned 
  into days of walking, eating, and sleeping in permanently 
  wet gear, the novelty soon wore off. But there’s nothing 
  for it except to turn up our hoods and trudge on. At least 
  we can rest a bit easier where the orcs are concerned—
  only a complete fool (or, in our case, a pair of them) would 
  be out in this weather, and the raindrops fill the air so 
  thick that anything more than a hundred feet away might 
  as well be invisible.
  Joskan has been in a strange mood ever since our 
  encounter with the feuding orc tribes. Never much for 
  talking, the half-orc has grown even more reticent, and 
  rarely responds to questions with more than a grunt. He 
  also occasionally has trouble meeting my eyes, and if I 
  didn’t know better, I’d say he almost feels embarrassed. Why 
  is anyone’s guess, but I have my theories. Maybe running 
  into the lowland orcs—not just the crazy mountain 
  cannibals, but the more “civilized” tribes of the plains—
  has reminded him uncomfortably of the heritage he left 
  behind in his flight to Varisia. Maybe he’s just ashamed 
  that he, the burly gladiator and supposed expert on the 
  A 
  Friend in Need
  
  Pathfinder’s Journal
  71
  region, had his bacon saved back at the dragon mountain 
  by a comparatively scrawny, bookish Pathfinder.
  Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. The fact is, 
  even my monosyllabic comrade has been enough to raise 
  my spirits higher than they’ve been since I left the Sklar-
  Quah. The life of a Pathfinder is one of freedom, of being 
  blown on the wind and riding it wherever the whisper of 
  fame and knowledge calls you, yet it is solitary. Contacts 
  in every town, friends in every city, but a home in none 
  of them. It seems as soon as I start to care for someone, 
  I’m spun away again, and count myself lucky if my brief 
  stay hasn’t cost them dearly. Gav. Tomast. Sascha, who 
  gave her life for mine. Not a day goes by that I don’t 
  think of them.
  Joskan may be brusque and uncouth, but he’s a comrade. 
  Someone to watch my back while I sleep, to help tend the 
  fire at night, to laugh when I trip and slide halfway down 
  a mountain on my face, and in doing so make me laugh 
  as well. It’s not much, but it’s enough. Perhaps I’ve been 
  alone too long.
  In this bleak and unforgiving landscape, it’s good to 
  have a friend.
  08 Lamashan, 4707 ar 
  We had crested the easternmost spur of the mountains 
  and were following it southward through a scraggly grove 
  of trees, already barren with winter’s approach, when the 
  rain stopped. As dazed as we were, heads bowed against 
  the weight of our packs and locked into the rhythm of our 
  mile-eating shuffle, it took us both a moment to notice. 
  The sudden silence lay thick and heavy on the land. 
  Then somewhere, off in the distance, a bird gave a single, 
  tentative chirp. As if on cue, the clouds above us broke and 
  spilled light over the landscape. I looked at Joskan, and we 
  both stared at each other in disbelief. Throwing back my 
  hood, I shrugged off my pack and leaned my face into the 
  sun, eyes closed, reveling in its warmth. Joskan didn’t even 
  bother to remove his gear, just flopped spread-eagled on 
  his back in the mud as if making snow angels, grinning 
  like a dog. We stayed like that for long minutes, feeling the 
  heat travel slowly though our steaming clothes and into 
  their bones. Finally I broke the silence.
  “Gods, Joskan, did you ever think such a simple thing 
  as rain could—”
  But Joskan wasn’t listening to me. Eyes wide, one ear to 
  the ground, he motioned for me to be silent. I froze.
  When it came, it was less heard than felt, a low buzzing 
  rumble that traveled up from the ground, through the feet 
  and into the bones, making them vibrate. It was not the 
  rhythmic tramp of an army, nor the pounding clomp of 
  hooves, but rather something different—the sound of a 
  thousand tiny feet stepping lightly, combined with a high-
  pitched chittering.
  I began to ask Joskan about it, but before the words 
  were halfway out of my mouth he was up and running, 
  making for the tallest tree in the copse. “Come on!” he 
  screamed. Without knowing why, I ditched my pack and 
  fled in his wake.
  On the horizon, uncomfortably near, a shadow 
  appeared. It spread down the hills toward us at the 
  speed of a galloping horse, flowing like water, filling the 
  valley. As it approached I began to make out individual 
  creatures: huge brown ant-like things, each the size 
  of a full-grown aurochs and bearing a massive pair of 
  scything mandibles. 
  “Move it, Eando!” Ahead of me, Joskan had already 
  reached the tree and flung himself into its lower branches. 
  Putting on an extra burst of speed, I reached the tree and 
  leapt, barely catching the half-orc’s outstretched hand. 
  With a heave, he pulled me up onto the same branch. Below 
  us, the creatures had reached the southernmost edge of the 
  forest, the frantic, scuttling wave breaking and seething 
  through the trees, knocking down some of the smaller 
  ones. I ascended a few more branches to make sure I was 
  safely out of reach, then clung, fascinated, to the trunk 
  as the beasts ran beneath us. They were not exactly like 
  giant ants—too chitinous, and they didn’t work together, 
  running right over the top of each other as the stampede 
  swept forward at speed. My pack disappeared beneath 
  them, and I cursed, but was brought out of my reverie by 
  Joskan’s scream from above me.
  “What are you doing, you idiot? Climb! Climb!”
  “But wha—” And then I saw it. A stone’s throw away, one 
  of the creatures reared up and snapped its head forward, 
  flinging a line of streaming spittle some thirty feet in 
  the air. Where it landed, plants and ground sizzled and 
  bubbled, melting away to nothing.
  I climbed.
  Following Joskan’s lead, I swung upward with heedless 
  abandon, brachiating like a monkey as I strove to put 
  distance between me and the terror beneath us. Finally, 
  when the branches grew thin and we could go no higher, 
  Joskan and I sat with arms and legs curled around the 
  trunk like sailors in the maintop.
  Suddenly the trunk shuddered. Below us, one of the 
  creatures had slammed headlong into it. Despite my most 
  fervent prayers, it looked up, its beady little eyes focusing 
  on us as it circled the trunk. Twice it spat, the line of greasy 
  gray-black acid stripping away entire branches. And then, 
  to our horror, it began to climb the tree with ease.
  Joskan groaned, a pitiful sound that frightened me more 
  than anything I’d seen yet. And suddenly, with a clarity 
  born of desperation, the answer came to me.
  Ignoring the half-orc’s stares, I thrust my hand into my 
  belt pouch, navigating by feel until my questing fingers 
  found the slimy lump of bacon fat. Rubbing it quickly but 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  72
  an uncomfortable proposition (not to mention one of his 
  longest uninterrupted speeches to date).
  For days, he said, we had been traveling toward Urgir, 
  Belkzen’s nominal capital city. The good news was that, 
  of all the settlements in the region, Urgir was the only 
  one where a pinkskin like me could wander relatively 
  unhindered, provided he bore a token from a chieftain 
  granting him the tribe’s protection. The bad news was 
  that, in order to get that token, we were going to have to 
  interact with one of the clans, of which his former tribe, 
  the Broken Spine clan, was the closest, safest option.
  I was skeptical at first—one might even have said 
  “hysterical.” I argued passionately against the idea, on the 
  grounds that every orc we’d met thus far had tried to enslave 
  and consume us, but Joskan was resolved. He wasn’t happy 
  about it either, he pointed out, considering he’d made 
  his way to Varisia in order to leave this life behind, but 
  we needed the chief’s token, and furthermore, we weren’t 
  going to last long in the plains without supplies. Besides, 
  he said, before he’d left, he’d brokered several beneficial 
  deals for the tribe, so sentiment should run in our favor.
  So now there we were, perched belly down on top of a 
  hill, preparing to deliver ourselves directly into the hands 
  of the enemy.
  “Ready?” he asked.
  “Not in the least,” I said, but stood up anyway. Together 
  we walked at a quick pace down the hill, feeling entirely 
  too exposed.
  The castle was of the standard Lastwall design, one 
  of the many cookie-cutter fortifications stamped out by 
  their government at the end of the Shining Crusade. Over 
  deliberately between my fingers, I began whispering to the 
  tree in low tones. Finally I withdrew my hand, spat 
  on fingers shiny with fat, and grasped the trunk.
  Twenty feet below us, the tree’s bole suddenly 
  took on a black, greasy sheen, its sides 
  slick with oil. The ant-beast never had 
  a chance. Scrambling with all six legs, 
  it lost its purchase and fell, landing on its 
  back with a cracking noise. Instantly its fellows 
  were upon it, devouring it before it had a chance 
  to right itself. Then the tide swept onward, and 
  within moments the creatures were gone, racing 
  off into the hills, leaving not a shrub standing.
  For a long moment, nobody breathed, then I cut 
  loose with a triumphant whoop. “That’s right!” I screamed 
  in the direction the swarm had gone. “Nobody but nobody 
  eats Eando Kline, you bastards!” If my laughter 
  had a tinge of mania to it—well, such things 
  happen. Above me, Joskan only breathed steadily, 
  clutching the trunk. He looked down at me.
  “That’s the third time you’ve saved my life,” he said.
  “Don’t worry about it,” I replied. “If you hadn’t hauled 
  me into the tree, I’d be a smear on somebody’s antennae 
  right now. Let’s call it even.”
  “Deal,” he said.
  But still he looked away.
  11 Lamashan, 4707 ar
  “I don’t like this,” I declared, not for the first time. From 
  where we crouched, just shy of the hill’s crest, we could see 
  the half-crumbled walls of the castle, its narrow windows 
  flickering with torchlight in the deepening dusk.
  “I don’t either,” Joskan said. “Just trust me. I’ve got this 
  handled.”
  According to my guide, the creatures that had overrun 
  us in the grove were known locally as “ankhegs,” and 
  generally lived miles to the south in great colonies 
  that the orcs referred to as the Skittermounds. For 
  the most part, the overgrown insects were content to 
  battle among themselves in their massive underground 
  warrens, colony massacring colony in their eternal fight 
  for dominance. Every few years, however, massive rains 
  in the Mindspin Mountains would cause their tunnels 
  to flood, and the ravenous bugs would pour over the 
  landscape in an exodus that could stretch dozens of 
  miles, devouring everything in their path before finally 
  returning home. 
  In the wake of the swarm, we’d discovered my pack 
  much where we’d left it, its tools half-melted and the 
  foodstuffs scattered and ruined. Thank the gods that I 
  keep both my journal and my wayfinder inside my shirt 
  at all times. Upon seeing the condition of our gear, 
  Joskan sat down heavily and made what was obviously 
  No wonder 
  orcs fear the 
  Skittermounds.
  
  Pathfinder’s Journal
  73
  the centuries, the borders of Lastwall have been pushed 
  back several times by the encroaching orcs, but by the 
  size of this fortress I reckoned we’d run across part of the 
  Sunwall, the first great line of castles established after 
  the defeat of the Whispering Tyrant. Either that, or part 
  of Harchist’s Blockade, a few centuries later. Several of its 
  walls were crumbled now, the roof of one tower fallen in, 
  and the lights indicated that only a portion of its many-
  storied bulk was actually in use by the orcs. Nonetheless, it 
  made an impressive sight.
  Despite our complete lack of stealth, the sentries at the gate 
  didn’t see us until we were practically on top of them, and we 
  had to shout our presence like idiots lest we take a surprised 
  guard’s arrow in the gut. Shouts came from inside the walls.
  “Hold your spears,” Joskan growled in Orc. It was only 
  the second time I’d heard him speak it, and I wondered 
  if he knew that I understood. “It’s Joskan. I need to see 
  the chief.”
  “Joskan!” One of the guards grunted in surprise. “I 
  thought you—”
  “I demand to see Chief Kroghut immediately,” my guide 
  interrupted. “If it’s important enough to bring me back, 
  the chief will have your bowels on a stick for delaying it.”
  That got a response, and the orcs on guard ushered us 
  in without delay, though many of them kept their weapons 
  ready. I decided I didn’t like the way they were looking at 
  us—some were clearly grinning at Joskan, and the smiles 
  didn’t seem friendly.
  We were led through hall after stone hall, and I was 
  amused to find that the fortress was indeed constructed 
  exactly like Cartov Keep in Vellumis, where I’d once spent 
  several months studying ancient texts. I could practically 
  close my eyes and navigate it. Finally we emerged into a 
  great columned audience chamber, complete with an 
  elaborate throne on a marble dais.
  Upon the throne sat a huge orc cradling an impressive 
  spiked hammer, tusks protruding from beneath his 
  lips. His chin rested on one enormous fist, giving him 
  a brooding look, and behind him rose the Broken Spine 
  standard with its gory depiction of the tribe’s name, 
  covered in fetishes and trophies.
  “Joskan,” the chieftain spat.
  “Leave the talking to me,” Joskan whispered in Taldane, 
  then continued on in Orc. “Fearless, unchallengeable 
  one,” he intoned meekly. “May the number of slaves you 
  take be bested only by the number of sons you beget 
  upon them.”
  The orc chieftain appeared unimpressed. “Have you 
  gone insane in the pinkskins’ lands, then?” he asked. “Or 
  have you forgotten that breaking exile means death—the 
  slowest one I can find?”
  “I know full well, lord,” Joskan said. “But I bring you a 
  gift. This pinkskin with me is a Pathfinder, one of their 
  kind’s most knowledgeable. He will undoubtedly be the 
  most useful slave in your holdings. All I ask in return is your 
  forgiveness, and to resume my rightful place in the tribe.”
  In the shock following his statement, the world around me 
  grew distant, and my ears filled with a roaring that I dimly 
  recognized as my own heartbeat. Betrayed. Impossible. My 
  hands shook, but I kept my face blank as Joskan gave me a 
  friendly smile and a thumbs-up.
  “Hmm....” The chieftain considered the bargain for a 
  long moment before finally saying, “Well enough. Take 
  him to the slave pen, then return to me and we’ll discuss 
  the further terms of your penance.”
  “Thank you, lord,” Joskan simpered pathetically, bowing 
  low. Two guards approached to seize me.
  “What’s happening, Joskan?” I asked in Taldane, face 
  still straight.
  “They’re going to take you to get the documents,” he 
  replied. His own face was damp with sweat.
  So that was it. After all we’d been through, this was 
  his decision.
  “I don’t think so,” I said in Orc. His eyes widened.
  In a single movement, I drew a knife with each hand and 
  flung them hard into the faces of the approaching guards.
  “I saved your life, and you sell me out?!” I yelled. To 
  either side of me, the screaming orcs clutched their ruined 
  eyes and fell to the floor in a fountain of gore.
  “You said we were even.” The big half-orc shrugged, 
  drawing his axe. “It’s nothing personal.” But by that point 
  I was already in motion.
  You have to hand it to Lastwall’s military—standardiza-
  tion certainly comes in handy. I doubt if the stupid, in-
  observant orcs had ever noticed that some of the castle’s 
  chambers weren’t quite as big as they ought to be. By the 
  time any of the guards knew the jig was up, I was doing 
  the last thing they’d expected: running straight toward the 
  throne where their chief sat. Or rather, just to the right of 
  it. With a kick, the latch behind the loose stone released, 
  and then I was through, the hidden door swinging closed 
  behind me. In the darkness, I groped for the locking bar 
  and found it, sliding it home as frantic pounding began to 
  come from the other side. I gave my eyes a brief moment to 
  adjust to the near-complete darkness, then found the lad-
  der exactly where it was supposed to be and began to climb 
  quickly down into the castle’s depths.
  Most castles have a bolt hole or priest hole for getting its 
  leaders safely away in the event of the walls being overrun. 
  But in a country like Lastwall, where you’ve spent generations 
  laying siege to castles or being besieged yourself, you don’t 
  stop there. Every one of these castles was riddled with 
  passages to help defenders harry the opposition down to the 
  last man. In this case, that man was me.
  While I trusted the door to the throne room to hold, I 
  knew I needed to be careful—now that the orcs knew the 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  Chief Kroghut is hardly 
  the forgiving sort.
  74
  passages were here, they’d be looking for them. Silently I 
  moved down thin corridors between walls, passing up and 
  down ladders, and peering through cracks in the stones so 
  small that only the absolute darkness of my passage made 
  the narrow streams of light visible.
  Through the cracks I saw the castle kitchens, busily 
  roasting an aurochs haunch in the least sanitary 
  conditions imaginable. I found the slave pens (empty, 
  thankfully), the barracks where off-duty guards fought 
  and gamed, the tribe’s meager treasury, and even the 
  chieftain’s harem—a sight that I pray to the gods I never 
  see again. At last, high in the topmost tower, I came across 
  the orc lord’s sleeping chambers.
  Then all I had to do was wait.
  To the chieftain’s credit, he didn’t take any chances. The 
  guards remained on full alert all that night and most of 
  the next before finally deciding that I’d escaped and gone 
  fleeing into the dark. Even so, the chieftain posted two 
  guards at the foot of his bed to watch over him as he slept 
  that night. 
  They did a good job, too. They never took their eyes off 
  him, not even when the faint puff of magic sand from a 
  hidden passage closed those eyes for them. As the guards 
  slumped unconscious to the floor, I quietly swung open the 
  secret door and padded over to the massive bed where Chief 
  Kroghut slept, the sacred Broken Spine standard propped 
  up behind the headboard. Pressing the point of my dagger 
  deep into his jowls, I rapped sharply on his forehead.
  “Rise and shine, Chiefy,” I whispered cheerfully in Orc.
  He came awake fast, and only my hand on his head kept 
  him from spitting himself on my dagger before he realized 
  the situation.
  “Shh....” I cooed, stroking his warty scalp. “You don’t 
  want to do that yet. Now: I need a token of yours to get me 
  through Urgir. Where is it?”
  The orc gave a grunting laugh.
  “You think it’s that easy? That I’ll just hand one over and 
  let you walk away? Think again, pinkmeat.”
  I pressed the dagger farther into his quivering wattle. 
  “Are you sure that’s your answer?” I asked.
  The orc’s dark skin paled a little, but he still 
  managed to spit on my shirt.
  “Kill me if you want, but my tribe will take 
  you before you’ve made it five miles. And even if 
  you got to Urgir, you’d be free meat without my 
  mark. And I’m not going to give it to you.”
  I glanced around the room. Even if I 
  knew what I was looking for, it would 
  take hours to search through the detritus, 
  and even then I had no guarantees that 
  what I sought was here. Piles of clothes and 
  trophies, weapons and other loot lay stacked 
  everywhere, but no sign of the tokens 
  Joskan had spoken of. Beneath my 
  hands, the orc saw my consternation 
  and smirked.
  “Fair enough,” I said, releasing him 
  long enough to grab the Broken Spine 
  banner. “Then this will have to do.” With both 
  hands, I brought the standard down hard 
  on the orc’s meaty scalp, snapping the 
  
  Pathfinder’s Journal
  75
  haft and putting him back to sleep. Taking the now-
  significantly-shorter banner, I crawled back into the secret 
  shaft and began to descend.
  I had to move fast. Soon the orcs above would come to 
  their senses, and once they did, they would no doubt tear 
  the castle stone from stone in their eagerness to find me.
  So I figured I’d help them.
  Farther and farther the shaft sank, until finally the 
  ladder ended in a long, musty corridor. By my estimation, 
  I was down at the level of the castle’s foundation, level with 
  the dungeons. And sure enough, next to the ladder was the 
  first firepoint. 
  Let it never be said that the soldiers of Lastwall 
  weren’t practical. While it may have been beneath them 
  to actually salt the earth—not that the orcs would have 
  cared at all, being disinclined toward agriculture—they 
  generally knew better than to leave their abandoned 
  fortress sitting around as spoils for their conquerors. 
  That this firepoint had remained unused bespoke 
  reckless optimism on the part of the castle’s former 
  commander, or else the keep’s overrunning had been 
  too quick for anyone to think of it. 
  Regardless, the straw was still dry. Tucking the Broken 
  Spine standard under my arm, I picked up the waiting 
  flint and steel and struck them together. Sparks flew, 
  and the straw caught. As I watched, the tinder began 
  to burn merrily, the fire spreading back into the stone 
  alcove and out of sight. I took a brief moment to light a 
  waiting torch off of the fire, then moved forward down 
  the tunnel.
  I passed three more firepoints as I went, and each time 
  my torch set the straw ablaze. By the last, I was all but 
  running. In my mind, I saw the fire spreading upward 
  into the castle, the eager flames consuming the packed 
  straw that lay hidden inside every stone wall, catching 
  the timbers, spreading to the roof. Indeed, the tunnel 
  conducted sound well, and as I listened I began to hear a 
  steady, mounting roar, the combined rumble of a thousand 
  pops and cracklings. Above me, something exploded—
  perhaps the flames had found the orcs’ stores of lamp oil. 
  Yet before I had cause to worry, the tunnel turned outward, 
  and I began to ascend.
  I emerged from a turf-covered trapdoor to the east, just 
  out of bowshot of the castle walls. Inside them, the fire was 
  working fast—roofs collapsed, ancient stone crumbled in 
  the heat, and walls fell as their supporting timbers were 
  consumed. Burning orcs flung themselves screaming 
  from windows. I stood there for a long moment, knowing 
  I should be on my way yet unable to tear myself from 
  the beauty of the fire against the starlit sky, the way the 
  light from the flames blended with the first fingers of the 
  dawn. And then, among the shouts and curses, I heard a 
  familiar voice.
  I kept my profile low as I approached, my sword at the 
  ready, but none of the panicked orcs even noticed me as I 
  slunk through the eastern gate. Nearby one of the main 
  structures had collapsed violently, filling the courtyard 
  with flaming debris, and what orcs I saw upright were 
  making their way quickly to the keep’s western end, 
  which was not yet completely lost. The field was mine. I 
  straightened and looked around.
  He was lying face-up in the grass of the courtyard, 
  pinned to the ground by an enormous burning timber 
  across his waist. I was almost on top of him before he 
  recognized me.
  “Eando!” Joskan cried, his voice ragged with pain. “Eando, 
  help! Please!” He thrust hopelessly at the beam crushing his 
  legs, but was unable to get sufficient leverage to budge it. I 
  stood over him, a silent silhouette. His eyes met mine, and 
  beneath his sloping brow they were wet with tears.
  “Please...” he whispered.
  There are many measures by which to judge a man, but 
  how he treats those who have wronged him is chief among 
  them. Helping Joskan up was the right thing to do, the 
  only ethical choice.
  But I didn’t.
  Instead I leaned low over the burning timber and rubbed 
  my hands together, warming them over the flame. 
  “Sorry, Joskan,” I said. “Nothing personal.”
  Then, with the burning towers falling in noisily behind 
  me, I hoisted my new standard and began the long, lonely 
  walk to Urgir.
  Orc Tribes
  The Hold of Belkzen has no centralized government. Instead, 
  the region is populated by dozens of orc tribes of various 
  sizes, constantly warring and forming strategic alliances. Each 
  is ruled by a chieftain or warlord, though very rarely a pair of 
  brothers or equally matched warriors might grudgingly share 
  rule. Most of these tribes are nomadic, occasionally staking 
  territories but changing them at will to reflect the migration 
  of aurochs and other food sources. The exception to this is 
  the lucky clan whose savvy leader manages to hold a fortress 
  or settlement, such as Grask Uldeth of the Empty Hand who 
  rules Urgir, or Tulluk Clovenface and his Haskodars who are 
  currently ascendant in Blisterwell.
  An orc is fiercely loyal to its tribe, if not necessarily to any 
  particular member, and while intertribal mating is common, 
  females are generally taken from their male relatives by 
  force and absorbed into their mate’s tribe. Tribal names are 
  almost always graphic and intended to strike fear into their 
  opponents, and prominent orc tribes in Belkzen include the 
  Murdered Child, Empty Hand, Haskodar, One Eye, Cleft 
  Head, Broken Spine, Gutspear, Twisted Nail, Skull Eater, 
  Wingripper, Black Sun, and Blood Trail tribes.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  76
  Bestiary
  SkeletonS of Scarwall
  “A
  mid their crystal-lit forests of mold-tangled rockwood and squirming vipervine, 
  the giants with split faces, coarse hair, and bloody tongues howl and cavort and 
  bend their idiot minds upon terrible things. Coaxed at incalculable times from the 
  dark of their enchanted forests, with them they drag shiverwalkers, vimmaids, pulped 
  thanes, and the thoughts of mortal dreamers to the gore-soaked earth amid their ancient 
  stones—plinths tall enough to support the cavernous skies of the Vaultbuilders’ hollow 
  hells. And their black blasphemy knows no bounds, and screams and brays and the 
  crackling of bones accompany the gug-song raised to the dark others, the Rough Beast, 
  the Nameless Mist, the Great Unclean, and the Crawling Chaos: Nyarlathotep.”
  —From the Writings of Zosheneq, First Among Dreamers
  
  Bestiary
  77
  M
  anifestations of dread haunt this month’s entry into 
  the Pathfinder Bestiary. Within the crumbling halls 
  of cursed Scarwall lurk malevolent chained spirit 
  soul-collectors, undead galas lead by manifestations of 
  death itself, and the split-faced, Lovecraftian giants known 
  as gugs. Yet, these terrors are far from the greatest menaces 
  haunting Golarion. This volume also marks a first for both 
  Pathfinder and the Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting 
  with the inclusion of Golarion’s first new true dragon: the 
  umbral dragon. 
  Terrible things stir in the dark places of Golarion, and 
  not all will survive their coming.
  Wandering Monsters
  While many parties might be used to dry and deadly terrains 
  in the wake of “A History of Ashes,” the menace they face 
  in the Hold of Belkzen is much more deliberate. Since this 
  month’s adventure, “Skeletons of Scarwall,” deals with 
  events within the cursed castle itself, the specifics of the 
  PCs’ journey through the orc-gripped realm are largely left 
  to GMs to detail. Thus, this month’s random encounter table 
  draws upon beasts from Belkzen, suggesting a wide range 
  of encounters, not all of which the PCs might be prepared 
  for. GMs looking for further information on the war-torn 
  hold should see page 58 and the Pathfinder’s Journal from 
  Pathfinder #8 to this volume, as orcs and Belkzen itself have 
  featured prominently.
  The following descriptions cover various encounters in 
  the Hold of Belkzen in more detail.
  Caravan: Opportunistic humans and greedy orcs 
  frequently travel the Hold of Belkzen, trading with natives 
  or passing on to more profitable lands. Such caravans are 
  often well guarded and suspicious of traders. A caravan 
  protected by 12 1st-level fighters is an EL 8 encounter. Use 
  the stats on page 117 of the DMG for these guards.
  Dragon: Although rare, PCs might encounter adult blue 
  or red dragons. Depending on where the PCs are traveling, 
  this result might mean a run-in with one of the two 
  infamous red dragons of Raschka-Tor (see page 62).
  Megafauna: Orcs frequently fetch gigantic megafauna 
  from the Realm of the Mammoth Lords for use in their 
  endless battles. The various dinosaur, dire animal, and 
  normal animal stats in the MM can easily represent a 
  variety of massive prehistoric beasts.
  Orcs: The most numerous inhabitants of Belkzen, orcs of 
  wildly varying dispositions might be encountered in groups 
  of widely differing sizes. While lone orc travelers might 
  wander the lands (EL 1/2), warbands of up to 24 orc raiders 
  frequently mount incursions upon Belkzen’s bordering lands 
  (2d12 orcs, EL 6 average). In the most extreme cases, armies 
  of dozens of orcs, along with deadly war machines, shamans, 
  and classed champions rage across the plains, crushing 
  anything or anyone in their paths (EL 12+).
  Hold of Belkzen Random encounteRs
  d% 
  Monster 
  Avg. EL 
  Source
  1–3 
  1 cockatrice  
  3 
  MM 37
  4–7 
  Duststorm 
  3 
  DMG 94
  8–11 
  1d4 worgs 
  4 
  MM 256
  12–14 
  1 basilisk 
  5 
  MM 23
  15–21 
  1d2 giant eagles 
  5 
  MM 93
  22–26 
  1d3 griffons 
  6 
  MM 139
  27–33 
  1 bulette  
  7 
  MM 30
  34–39 
  1d8 dire wolves 
  7 
  MM 65
  40–43 
  1d4 manticores 
  7 
  MM 179
  44–48 
  2d4 ankhegs 
  8 
  MM 14
  49–53 
  Caravan 
  8 
  see description
  54–57 
  1d4 ettins 
  8 
  MM 106
  58–61 
  1d4 chimeras  
  9 
  MM 34
  62–65 
  1 roc 
  9 
  MM 215
  66–71 
  1d4 wyverns  
  9 
  MM 259
  72–76 
  1d4 stone giants 
  10 
  MM 124
  77–79 
  1 cloud giant 
  11 
  MM 120
  80–84 
  1 purple worm 
  12 
  MM 211
  85–94 
  Orcs  
  — 
  see description
  95–99 
  Megafauna 
  — 
  see description
  100 
  Dragon 
  — 
  see description
  WHen to WandeR?
  The PCs have 100 miles to cover between adventure A and 
  adventure B—what do you do? Sure, you could have the 
  miles speed by with a few simple sentences, you could play 
  out the drudgery for the sake of verisimilitude, or you could 
  throw in a few random encounters to spice things up. But 
  when do you have a random encounter?
  Short answer: it’s up to you. Whenever you feel like your 
  adventure comes to an uneventful stretch, your PCs need a little 
  more experience, or  the players are starting to look bored, these 
  are all great times to roll on a random encounter table. If you 
  crave a little more structure, though, two useful standbys would 
  have you roll one random encounter per day or roll 1d100 
  every hour with a 5% to 20% chance that a wandering monster 
  shows up. In areas that are particularly dangerous, though—like 
  Belkzen—a GM might want to increase the chances of random 
  encounters to convey the deadliness of the region. A few violent 
  encounters with the local residents can easily turn a blank spot 
  on the map to a fearsome wilderness, and really make PCs 
  appreciate the safety of roads and civilized lands.
  Also, if there’s a monster or encounter on the chart that 
  you’re personally drawn to or you think your PCs would 
  particularly enjoy (or loathe), don’t feel bad if it conveniently 
  occurs regardless of what the dice actually turn up—what 
  happens behind the GM screen stays behind the GM screen, 
  after all.
  —Wes Schneider
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  78
  Chained spirit
  Its eyes blazing in deathless rage, a phantom floats unfettered 
  by the bonds of the living world. The ghostly horror possesses 
  its own ethereal bonds, though, its semi-transparent, vaguely 
  humanoid figure clenched in the hold of countless crisscrossing 
  chains—writhing and tightening over its vaporous form in 
  unending torture. Several of these chains extend from the ghost’s 
  body, some dangling through the floor or reaching seemingly 
  through the ceiling above, while others pool in spectral lengths 
  upon the ground like solid things.
  CHAINED SPIRIT 
  CR 14
  Always LE Medium undead (incorporeal)
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft., spectral sight, spiritsense; 
  Listen +24, Spot +24
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 30, flat-footed 26
  (+8 deflection, +4 Dex, +8 profane)
  hp 203 (14d12+112); fast healing 20
  Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +14
  Defensive Abilities spirit anchor, incorporeal; Immune 
  destruction, turn/rebuke attempts, undead immunities
  OFFENSE
  Spd fly 60 ft. (perfect); spectral bindings
  Melee incorporeal touch +11 (1d4 plus 1d6 Charisma drain) and
  4 chains +6 (2d4+7 plus 1d6 Charisma drain)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (30 ft. with chains)
  Special Attacks Charisma drain, create spawn,  
  incorporeal chains
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 19, Con —, Int 15, Wis 20, Cha 27
  Base Atk +7; Grp +14 (chains only)
  Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Improved 
  Initiative, Lightning Reflexes
  Skills Bluff +25, Diplomacy +21, Knowledge (history) +10, 
  Listen +24, Search +19, Sense Motive +22, Spot +24
  Languages Common, telepathy 500 ft.
  SQ unholy fortitude
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization solitary
  Treasure standard
  Advancement 15–22 HD (Medium); 23–30 HD (Large)
  Level Adjustment —
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  Spirit Anchor (Su) Through the use of its chain spirit 
  ability (see below), a chained spirit can gain power 
  by binding other powerful creatures to a specific 
  area. There are several facets to this ability, both for the 
  chained spirit and those bound by it.
  Gaining A Spirit Anchor: Any time a chained spirit creates 
  a spirit anchor using its chain spirit ability, it gains the 
  following benefits: a +2 profane bonus to Armor Class, fast 
  healing 5, an incorporeal chain attack, immunity to being 
  turned, rebuked, or controlled, spectral sight, and spectral 
  bindings (see below). 
  These benefits stack. Therefore, a chained spirit with 
  4 spirit anchors gains a +8 profane bonus to AC, fast 
  healing 20, four chain attacks, and immunity to being 
  turned, rebuked, or controlled. (The stats presented 
  here represent a chain spirit with 4 spirit anchors and 
  include all the associated benefits.) In addition, for as 
  long as at least one of its spirit anchors exists, a chained 
  spirit cannot be destroyed. If reduced to 0 hit points, 
  the chained spirit reappears with full hit points 1 minute 
  later. A chained spirit can have up to 4 spirit anchors at 
  any time.
  
  Bestiary
  79
  Losing a Spirit Anchor: If a spirit anchor is destroyed or 
  released, a chained spirit’s benefits are reduced: its AC 
  is reduced by 2, its fast healing is reduced by 5, and it 
  looses one of its chain attacks. If all of a chained spirit’s 
  spirit anchors are destroyed, it gains no profane bonus 
  to AC, has no fast healing, has no chain attacks, and can 
  be permanently destroyed, but is released from the the 
  effects of its spectral bindings.
  A chained spirit who is reduced from 4 spirit anchors to 
  3 cannot use its chain spirit ability for 24 hours. After that 
  time, though, it can attempt to establish a new spirit anchor 
  as normal. Losing more spirits does not affect this ability.
  Spirit Anchor Effects: A creature that becomes an anchor 
  spirit is affected in two ways. First, it instantly regains any 
  Charisma drained from it by the chain spirit ability of the 
  chained spirit it becomes anchored to. Secondly, it is bound 
  to the location it became an anchoring spirit—the exact spot 
  where it was reduced to 0 Charisma by the chain spirit ability. 
  Spirit anchors typically cannot move farther than 100 feet from 
  this anchor spot. In the cases of creatures that require wider 
  mobility to fulfill their physical needs, a chain spirit can relax 
  its grip on creatures, allowing them to range farther afield. 
  However, the chain spirit can employ a compulsion similar 
  to geas/quest at will, forcing the spirit anchor to return to its 
  anchor spot. A spirit anchor that ignores the compulsion take 
  1d6 points of Charisma damage per day until it returns.
  The anchor spirit’s own death, or the spells dispel evil, 
  dispel law, freedom, miracle, or wish, can release a spirit 
  anchor. Beyond this restraint, a chained spirit holds no 
  special control over its spirit anchors.
  Chain Spirit (Su) As a standard action, once per day, 
  a chained spirit can attempt to chain any evil-aligned 
  intelligent, corporeal creature it can detect. The targeted 
  evil creature to make a DC 25 Will save or take 1d8 points of 
  Charisma damage. The save DC is Charisma-based. On each 
  successful attack, the chained spirit gains 5 temporary hit 
  points. Any creature targeted by this ability is immediately 
  aware of some malevolence attempting to take control of it.
  The effects of being drained to 0 Charisma by this 
  ability—by one or multiple attacks—depends on the target 
  creature’s Hit Dice. If the creature has fewer than half the 
  chained spirit’s number of Hit Dice, being reduced to 0 
  Charisma kills the target. If the creature has Hit Dice equal 
  to or more than half of the chained spirit’s, upon being 
  reduced to 0 Charisma the target is chained, becoming a 
  spirit anchor. 
  Even though a chained spirit can potentially use this 
  ability once per day, it can only create one spirit anchor per 
  week. In addition, a chained spirit can only use this ability if 
  it currently has three or fewer spirit anchors. 
  Chains (Su) Numerous chains extend from a chained spirit, 
  a number of these—one for every anchoring spirit—are 
  corporeal and can make melee attacks. These corporeal 
  chains are treated as evil, magical weapons and deal 
  damage in addition to Charisma drain ability. They attack 
  and make special attacks as if wielded one-handed by a 
  creature with Strength 25. A sundered chain automatically 
  reforms 1 round later.
  Charisma Drain (Su) Any creature hit by a chained spirit’s 
  chains or incorporeal touch attack must succeed on a DC 
  25 Will save or take 1d6 points of Charisma drain. The save 
  DC is Charisma-based. On each such successful attack, the 
  chained spirit gains 5 temporary hit points.
  Create Spawn (Su) Any humanoid slain by a chained spirit 
  becomes a spectre in 1d4 rounds. Spawn are under the 
  command of the chained spirit that created them and 
  remain enslaved until its death. They do not possess any of 
  the abilities they had in life.
  Spectral Bindings (Su) A chained spirit is extremely mobile with 
  one major hindrance: no matter how far it moves on its turn, 
  as long as it has at least one anchoring spirit, it automatically 
  returns to its starting place when its turn is ended. This 
  immediate return does not count as an action and does not 
  provoke attacks of opportunity as the spirit simply reappears 
  back in its original position. In essence, the chained spirit is 
  eternally confined to a single square throughout its existence 
  except the distance it can travel in a single round before 
  returning to its starting position. If another creature occupies 
  the space it has left, that creature is shunted to the closest 
  available square. If a solid object occupies it starting square, 
  its incorporeal nature allows it to return regardless. Even a 
  force effect cannot thwart it as it simply reappears within 
  the square, though if it is surrounded by a force effect, the 
  chained spirit is then effectively trapped.
  Spectral Sight (Su) A chain spirit can see and hear through 
  the senses of any of its anchor spirits whenever it 
  wishes, just as if it were using both effects of the spell 
  clairaudience/clairvoyance.
  Spiritsense (Su) A chained spirit can detect both the living and 
  the undead. It can detect living creatures within 100 feet, 
  just as if it had blindsight. It can also sense the dead, as per 
  the spell detect undead, out to a range of 500 feet. 
   Unholy Fortitude (Ex) A chain spirit gains bonus hit points 
  equal to its Charisma modifier times its Hit Dice, and a 
  bonus to its Fortitude saves equal to its Charisma modifier.
  A chained spirit is the risen soul of one who was charged, 
  cursed, or honor-bound to guard a certain place or 
  object, only to be slain in the course of such duty. The 
  resurrection of such a dishonored soul appears much 
  as it did in life, except now burdened by the weight of 
  countless constricting chains and inescapable locks, all 
  representative of its bonds of duty. Reaching out with these 
  chains, these tormented undead claim allies, binding 
  other unwilling sentinels to the same charge with which 
  they are eternally cursed.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  80
  danse MaCabre
  Dozens of ghostly figures swirl and cavort, floating through the air 
  as they follow the steps of an ancient, rhythmic dance—seemingly 
  keeping time with the ebb and flow of life itself. Amid this eerie 
  crowd of dancing specters looms a dark cloaked figure wielding 
  a scythe, an ominous wraith with the dreaded countenance of 
  Death itself.
  DANSE MACABRE 
  CR 14
  Always NE Large undead (incorporeal)
  Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., lifesense 60 ft.; Listen +24, 
  Spot +24
  Aura dance of death (40 feet)
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 21, flat-footed 14
  (+5 deflection, +7 Dex, –1 size)
  hp 184 (16d12+80)
  Fort +10, Ref +14, Will +13
  Defensive Abilities deathless, incorporeal; Immune cold, 
  undead immunities; Resist +4 turn resistance; SR 30
  OFFENSE
  Spd fly 40 ft. (perfect)
  Melee incorporeal scythe +13/+9 (2d6/×4 plus 1d8 
  Constitution drain)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks Constitution drain, dance of death
  TACTICS
  During Combat When a danse macabre senses 
  living creatures, it begins its dance of death 
  in hopes of entrapping them in its embrace. It 
  attacks those who resist its dance of death with 
  its incorporeal scythe and pursues escaping 
  victims until it can no longer sense them. 
  However, if some individuals succumb to 
  its dance of death, it will not move so 
  far away as to free other victims from its 
  aura. The danse macabre does not use 
  its incorporeal touch attacks against 
  creatures that have succumbed to the 
  memento mori effect of its dance of 
  death. Creatures that pretend to join 
  the dance of death can stave off its 
  incorporeal touch attacks by making 
  Bluff checks opposed by its Sense Motive 
  every round, thus escaping the danse 
  macabre’s notice.
  Morale A danse macabre continues to fight until 
  destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 24, Con —, Int 8, Wis 16, Cha 20
  Base Atk +12; Grp —
  Feats Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved 
  Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility
  Skills Listen +24, Search +9, Sense Motive +12, Spot +24
  SQ unholy fortitude
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization solitary
  Treasure none
  Advancement 17–21 HD (Large), 22–30 HD (Huge)
  Level Adjustment —
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Constitution Drain (Su) Living creatures hit by a danse 
  macabre’s incorporeal scythe attack must succeed on a DC 
  23 Fortitude save or take 1d8 points of Constitution drain. 
  The save DC is Charisma-based. On each such successful 
  attack, the danse macabre gains 5 temporary hit points.
  Dance of Death (Su) A danse macabre is constantly 
  surrounded by a 40-foot aura known as the dance of 
  death, an endless gala of dancing spectral figures. Any 
  living creature that enters the area of the dance of death 
  must make a DC 23 Will save. On a failed Will save, 
  the victim joins the ghostly dancers, takes 1d4 points 
  of Constitution drain, and is affected as if by the spell 
  irresistible dance. These effects persist for as long as the 
  
  Bestiary
  81
  victim remains within the aura. As victims cannot willingly 
  move from the square they dance in, the dance’s effects 
  end only when the danse macabre moves to a point where 
  the victim is no longer within its aura, is destroyed, or 
  if the victim is physically removed from the area. The 
  save DC is Charisma-based. This is a mind-affecting 
  compulsion effect, and neither blindness nor deafness 
  provide resistance. A victim who makes a successful 
  save is immune to the dance of death of the same dance 
  macabre for 24 hours.
  The spectral images surrounding a dance macabre are 
  entirely insubstantial and harmless. At the same time, 
  a ghostly music can be faintly heard in the area, as if a 
  violin-led orchestra kept time to this ghostly dancing. The 
  dancers and music cannot be interacted with but visibly 
  and audibly mark the boundaries of the danse macabre’s 
  dance of death aura.
  Deathless (Su) As a manifestation of Death incarnate, 
  a danse macabre is not itself subject to permanent 
  destruction. If reduced to 0 hit points, it disappears 
  but rejuvenates at full hit points in 1d4 days. Only by 
  destroying the creature and then using the spell hallow  
  to consecrate the site it manifested upon prevents the 
  phantom’s reappearance.
  Lifesense (Su) A danse macabre notices and locates living 
  creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the 
  blindsight ability. It also senses the strength of life forces 
  automatically, as per the spell deathwatch.
  Unholy Fortitude (Ex) A danse macabre gains bonus hit points 
  equal to its Charisma modifier times its Hit Dice, and a 
  bonus to its Fortitude saves equal to its Charisma.
  Danse macabres embody the inevitability of death. They 
  represent the ultimate equalizer of station, revealing in 
  their dance of death the futility of all life. In the end all 
  mortal beings must face the fateful piper and dance to 
  its tune.
  Incorporeal and ominous, danse macabres typically 
  manifest as looming, black-cloaked skeletons, although 
  they might appear in other sinister forms depending 
  on personifications of death unique to the cultures near 
  where they manifest, typically a fiery pillar, a pale child, 
  or a man in a white mask. The crowd of dancing souls that 
  surround these 10-foot-tall specters typically do little to 
  dispel their ominous aura.
  eCology
  As undead creatures, danse macabres require nothing 
  from their environments and contribute nothing in 
  return. Their very presence typically suggests the 
  murder of large numbers of creatures and, upon their 
  horrifying manifestations, the deaths of others that 
  happen too near.
  habitat & soCiety
  A danse macabre is a solitary creature that seeks only to 
  call others to join its eternal celebration of the inevitable. 
  They only manifest in locations tainted by untimely 
  deaths—the sites of countless violent executions, estates 
  overrun by deadly plagues, or on battlefields where mass 
  slaughters took place. The common thread is that at all 
  of these locations hundreds, if not thousands, of victims 
  met their fate, often in rapid succession. None claim to 
  know what terrible death count or measurement of psychic 
  trauma is required to spawn a danse macabre, and indeed, 
  some of the most gore-soaked sites in Golarion have never 
  led to one of these beings’ manifestations. An element 
  of grim irony or communal revenge tends to inspire 
  such hauntings, making it impossible to predict what 
  catastrophe or massacre might cause one to appear. 
  Some scholars of the undead suggest that danse macabres 
  harbor no hate for the living, merely a natural drive to 
  bring them to their final state on an accelerated schedule. 
  Witnesses of danse macabres, however, tend to disagree, 
  and the manifestation of a danse macabre can quickly 
  depopulate a location through both its depredations and 
  the flight of any survivors. Fortunately, though, these 
  morbid shades rarely move far from the site of their initial 
  manifestation, leading to numerous tales of haunted halls 
  where the dead endlessly dance in their eternal revel.
  dance of deatH
  The danse macabre is perhaps the only fantasy creature to 
  come with its own soundtrack. Easily the French composer 
  Camille Saint-Saëns’s most pervasive work, Danse Macabre is 
  an orchestral telling of a folktale wherein Death appears at 
  midnight on Halloween, summoning skeletons to dance to 
  his fiddle playing. This story was captured in the late 1800’s by 
  the poet Henri Cazalis:
      Zig, zig, zig, Death in a cadence,
      Striking with his heel a tomb,
      Death at midnight plays a dance-tune,
      Zig, zig, zig, on his violin.
      The winter wind blows and the night is dark;
      Moans are heard in the linden trees.
      Through the gloom, white skeletons pass,
      Running and leaping in their shrouds.
      Zig, zig, zig, each one is frisking,
      The bones of the dancers are heard to crack—
      But hist! of a sudden they quit the round,
      They push forward, they fly; the cock has crowed. 
   —Henri Cazalis
  Recordings of Danse Macabre and Saint-Saëns’s other 
  works are widely available both on CD and online. 
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  82
  gug
  Shaggy, black fur matted with filth and debris covers this deformed 
  giant. Its arms split into two forearms at both elbows, each ending 
  in a massive four-fingered claw. Its head is a travesty of nature 
  with a vertical, fang-filled maw splitting it from what would be 
  crown to chin on any normal creature. Bony protuberances jut 
  from the sides of its head, each sheltering a baleful eye—pink and 
  bloodshot. Its horrid appearance is matched only by its stench, a 
  rancid combination of wet fur and decay.
  Gug 
  CR 10
  Usually CE Large aberration
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +9, Spot +9
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 10, flat-footed 23
  (+1 Dex, +14 natural, –1 size)
  hp 157 (15d8+90)
  Fort +11, Ref +6, Will +12
  Immune disease, poison
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
  Melee 4 claws +19 (1d6+9) and
  bite +14 (2d6+4)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks rend 2d6+18, trample 1d6+13
  TACTICS
  During Combat In battle, gugs prefer to use multiple claw 
  attacks on individual targets in hopes of hitting and 
  enabling multiple rend attacks.
  Morale Gugs are fearless in combat when in the presence 
  of other—especially more powerful—gugs, but when 
  left to their own devices usually flee if reduced to half 
  their hit points. In these situations they are also prone to 
  dragging fallen opponents away from combat in order 
  to feed.
  STATISTICS
  Str 28, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 11, Wis 16, Cha 11
  Base Atk +11; Grp +24
  Feats Alertness, Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, 
  Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack, Track
  Skills Climb +17, Escape Artist +5, Hide +3, 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Listen +9, Move 
  Silently +7, Spot +9, Survival +7.
  Languages Undercommon
  SQ tunnel mobility
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any underground
  Organization solitary, pair, or camp (3–10)
  Treasure standard
  Advancement 16–20 (Large); 21–38 (Huge); 39–45 (Gargantuan)
  Level Adjustment +5
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Rend (Ex) A gug that hits with two or more claw attacks latches 
  onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This attack 
  automatically deals an extra 2d6+18 points of damage.
  Trample (Ex) Reflex DC 26 half. The save DC is Strength-based.
  Tunnel Mobility (Ex) Strangely flexible, gugs are capable of 
  moving through spaces only half as wide as their normal 
  space without squeezing penalties. They must still make 
  Escape Artist checks to squeeze through spaces smaller 
  than half their size. 
  Skills A gug has a +4 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks. It has 
  a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to 
  take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.
  Deep beneath the surface of Golarion where the unclean 
  children of the Darklands sleep, the gugs dwell in festering 
  vaults and bottomless pits. Banished to the Darklands in 
  an age long past, this savage race of flesh-hungry creatures 
  
  Bestiary
  83
  celebrates grotesque rites of carnal slaughter, praising foul 
  deities beyond the knowledge of the world above.
  Gugs typically stand 16 feet tall, though they often 
  crouch in the constricted tunnels of their eternally dark 
  underworld. They are completely covered in coarse, dark 
  fur, constantly matted with filth, excrement, and the 
  remains of past meals. Each arm splits at the elbow into a 
  pair of fully articulated and functional forearms ending 
  in claw-tipped, four-fingered paws.
  eCology
  The alien morphology of gugs suggests they do not 
  originate from Golarion, but rather some distant 
  elsewhere. Despite their origins, these giants of the 
  Darklands have dwelt in their rancid subterranean 
  realms for countless generations, establishing themselves 
  in the deepest nooks and pits of the world. They are so 
  well adapted to these terrifying depths that their bone 
  structure tends toward flexibility and strange joints, 
  allowing them to squeeze through much smaller spaces 
  than would be expected of a creature of their size.
  Gugs have a voracious appetite and, as a result, are 
  almost always hungry. They favor flesh—especially that 
  of sentient creatures—but primarily subsist on barely 
  palatable fungi, slimes, and molds that grow below the 
  surface. Rare among most predators, gugs don’t seem to 
  mind consuming undead creatures, savoring the flesh of 
  such profane prey just as they would any other meal. The 
  only exception to this comes in the case of ghouls, for 
  which the Darklands giants harbor an inexplicable fear. 
  In times of poor hunting, they are not above chewing on 
  rocks to assuage their hunger pangs, and one of the first 
  signs of gugs nearby are teeth marks high on stalagmites 
  and other rock formations.
  habitat & soCiety
  It is thought that Rovagug first discovered the gugs and 
  brought them to Golarion from some dreamlike other 
  realm. In fact, some sages speculate that Rovagug freed 
  the gugs from a lengthy imprisonment in their native 
  lands by boring hidden tunnels between there and the 
  dark ways of Golarion. Whether this is true or not, gugs 
  revere the Rough Beast in addition to a pantheon of 
  weird and bloodthirsty deities rarely named beyond the 
  ravenous savages’ dark rites.
  Gugs typically live in small, nomadic groups due to 
  the scarcity of food and resources. Near water and stable 
  sources of food these bands can grow larger and more 
  sedentary, but the insatiability of gug appetites typically 
  depletes even the most fertile caverns or forested 
  underground vaults in a matter of months. 
  In rare cases, gugs have been found inhabiting vast 
  underground cities of profane dimensions. Constructed 
  from stones of impossible size, these gug-cities seem 
  completely beyond the ability of the subterranean terrors 
  to construct, yet the split-faced giants claim them as 
  their own. While some sages accredit these terrifying 
  architectural marvels to the abilities of some hypothetical, 
  more civilized gug ancestor, others suspect they rose at the 
  hands of an elder race wiped out by the gugs. Still others 
  fear the power of the gugs’ horrific deities and wonder if 
  these gigantic works might be divine gifts, along with who 
  knows what other unfathomable boons.
  gug savants
  Some particularly bloodthirsty gugs gain the attentions of 
  their foul deities and are granted weird and terrible powers. 
  These gug savants have Charisma scores of 18 or greater 
  and spell-like abilities (CL 10th). Once per day they can use 
  invisibility (DC 16), spike stones (DC 18), transmute rock to mud, 
  and unholy blight (DC 18). The save DC is Charisma-based. 
  Rarely, crazed gug savants become obsessed with their 
  alien deities’ bloody worship and takes levels of cleric.
  The terrible beings the gugs revere with gory sacrifices 
  and terrible howls are varied and grotesque. Although 
  they rarely call these supposedly godly abominations by 
  name, their terrible rites and crude scratches in stone 
  describe their foul masters as the Crawling Chaos, the 
  Great Unclean, the Hollow Eye, the Nameless Mist, and 
  the Smoking Void.
  fRom loVecRaftian dReams
  “It was a paw, fully two feet and a half across, and equipped 
  with formidable talons. After it came another paw, and 
  after that a great black-furred arm to which both of the 
  paws were attached by short forearms. Then two pink eyes 
  shone, and the head of the awakened Gug sentry, large 
  as a barrel, wabbled into view. The eyes jutted two inches 
  from each side, shaded by bony protuberances overgrown 
  with coarse hairs. But the head was chiefly terrible because 
  of the mouth. That mouth had great yellow fangs and ran 
  from the top to the bottom of the head, opening vertically 
  instead of horizontally.”
   
  —H. P. Lovecraft, The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath
  Gugs originate from the twisted imagination of H. P. 
  Lovecraft. Bound within the depths of the Dreamlands as 
  punishment for their blasphemous ways, the gugs prey upon 
  the revolting ghasts of the underworld and the wandering 
  minds of mortal dreamers. While you can find other 
  Lovecraftian influences on Golarion in Pathfinder #4 and 
  #6, Chaosium’s Dreamlands hardcover explores the land of 
  ghouls and ghasts, dholes and nightgaunts in encyclopedic 
  detail. Delve into the maddening world of Lovecraftian 
  horror at chaosium.com.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  84
  the prinCe in Chains
  This horrid thing looks like a skinless wolf and stands taller 
  than a house. Its oozing muscle and tissues twitch and quiver 
  as terrible lupine maws form and melt away into its fleshless 
  body. These fanged gashes struggle forth from the beast’s 
  gigantic mass, but are restrained by layers of heavy, rusted 
  chains that dangle and lash, constrict and loosen seemingly of 
  their own insidious accord. Around the hellish wolf, the world 
  is flogged by chains and barbed tendrils, flensing all things 
  that come near.
  The Prince in Chains 
  CR 15
  LE Huge outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful)
  Init +3; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light 
  vision, scent; Listen +32, Spot +32
  Aura chainstorm (15 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 35, touch 11, flat-footed 32
  (+3 Dex, +24 natural, –2 size)
  hp 187 (15d8+120)
  Fort +17, Ref +12, Will +12
  DR 15/good; Immune critical hits, sneak attacks; SR 27
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft., fly 50 ft. (good)
  Melee bite +22 (2d6+9/18–20 plus vicious) and
  tendrils  +17 (2d6+6/19–20 plus vicious)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with tendrils)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th)
  At will—death knell (DC 17), desecrate  (DC 17), deeper 
  darkness, shadow walk
  3/day—bestow curse (DC 18), blindness (DC 18), crushing 
  despair (DC 19), eyebite (DC 21), greater invisibility (DC 19), 
  greater shadow conjuration (DC 22), find the path, 
  plane shift (DC 20), symbol of pain (DC 20)
  1/day—blasphemy (DC 22), slay living (DC 20), 
  unhallow (DC 20)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The Prince in Chains luxuriates in the 
  suffering of its foes. It prefers to use its bite attack over 
  all others, and delights in tripping opponents and hearing 
  their screams as it bears them to the ground. As often as 
  possible it makes use of its howl of despair, relishing the 
  chance to impart its own suffering upon its foes.
  Morale The Prince fights to the death. If killed, it reappears 
  at Zon-Kuthon’s side 1d6 days later.
  STATISTICS
  Str 28, Dex 16, Con 26, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 20
  Base Atk +15; Grp +32
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, 
  Power Attack, Run, Track
  Skills Climb +18, Escape Artist +12, Jump +24, Knowledge 
  (religion) +10, Knowledge (the planes) +19, Listen +21, Move 
  Silently +21, Search +19, Spot +21, Survival +21, Tumble +23
  Languages Auran, Druidic, Common, Infernal 
  SQ exaction, no breath, pass without trace
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization solitary
  Treasure none
  Advancement 19–26 HD (Medium), 27–54 HD (Large)
  Level Adjustment —
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Chainstorm (Ex) The area within 15 feet of the Prince in 
  Chains is constantly assaulted with lashing chains and 
  tendrils spontaneously grown from its tormented form. 
  This area is treated as if constantly under the effects of 
  the spell entangle, forcing any creature that enters the area 
  to make a DC 25 Reflex save or be restrained. This save is 
  Constitution-based. In addition, any creature in this area 
  takes 1d12 points of damage upon entering and every round 
  thereafter, regardless of whether or not they make their 
  save. If the Prince in Chains moves more than 10 feet away 
  from an entangled creature, it is released. 
  Exaction (Su) The Prince in Chains is treated as having fast 
  healing 10 any round it deals damage, regardless of how 
  
  Bestiary
  85
  much damage it deals in that round after. It recovers no hit 
  points on rounds it does not deal damage.
  Howl of Despair (Su) The Prince in Chains can loose a howl 
  of immortal agony once every 1d4 rounds. All non-evil 
  creatures within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 22 Will save 
  or take 6d6 points of sonic damage. In addition, all within 
  10 feet who fail their saves are affected as per the spell 
  insanity. This is a sonic, mind-affecting effect. The save DC 
  is Charisma-based.
  No Breath (Ex) The Prince in Chains does not breathe and is 
  immune to inhaled toxins and diseases.
  Pass Without Trace (Su) The Prince in Chains is constantly 
  affected by the spell pass without trace.
  Trip (Ex) If the Prince in Chains hits with its bite attack it can 
  attempt to trip the opponent (+5 check modifier) as a free 
  action without making a touch attack or provoking an 
  attack of opportunity. If the trip attempt fails, the opponent 
  cannot react to trip the Prince in Chains.
  Vicious (Ex) Any time the Prince in Chains confirms a critical 
  hit, in addition to increased damage it also deals 2 points of 
  Constitution damage.
  The Prince in Chains is the herald of Zon-Kuthon, 
  a living embodiment of the suffering and loss the 
  Midnight Lord seeks to sow across the world. If the 
  Dark Prince is an artist on the canvas of f lesh and the 
  fine gradations of pain are his pigments, the Prince 
  in Chains is his dark masterpiece. The favor of the 
  Midnight Lord has stripped the f lesh from the spirit-
  wolf’s body and replaced it with haphazard layers of 
  metal, leather, and the necrotic f lesh of other beings. 
  Its tongue has been embedded with dozens of barbed 
  hooks and razors to make its bite far more terrible 
  and damaging. Zon-Kuthon himself gouged out the 
  Prince in Chains’s eyes to make them receptacles of his 
  own dark will, in which it’s said mortals can see the 
  fathomless dark dreams of the god of pain himself.
  The Prince in Chains stands 18 feet tall and—bound 
  in irons forged in the depths of Xovaikain—weighs 
  nearly 3 tons. None have ever seen the beast without his 
  shroud of chains, the torturous bonds having become 
  impossibly knotted with his grotesque tendrils and a 
  fundamental part of his body.
  eCology
  Originally a noble spirit-wolf who, according to legend, 
  sired dark Zon-Kuthon, the Prince in Chains has since 
  been reduced to a travesty of its former self by the 
  attentions of the Midnight Lord. Once noble, the Prince 
  in Chains seems to revel only in pain—its inf liction 
  and its receipt—and sees in it a fundamental truth of 
  life’s very existence. Although it has no physical needs, 
  it lashes out at any living creatures it encounters and 
  loves to eviscerate helpless foes with its endlessly 
  f lailing chains and feast upon the remains with the 
  countless mouths that perpetually form and melt back 
  into its pulped body. It seeks to share its torment with 
  all that it encounters, though it is well aware that most 
  beings lack the stamina to truly appreciate the finer 
  nuances of immortal suffering or survive long enough 
  to experience the enlightenment found at its peak. It 
  delights in the pain experienced by sentient beings 
  more so than the sufferings of dumb animals, but is 
  not above torturing and slaying a beloved pet or animal 
  companion for the nourishing reward of anguish 
  caused to its owner.
  habitat & soCiety
  The Prince in Chains wanders the depths of the Plane 
  of Shadow and patrols the lightless steel labyrinths 
  of Xoviakain, seeking others with whom to share its 
  epiphanies of pain. Around its son-turned-master, 
  however, the Prince in Chains is a simpering pup, 
  unwilling to look the god of loss in the eye, whining 
  equally for the attention of a careless caress or a bone-
  shattering kick. If summoned to the Material Plane by 
  a servant of Zon-Kuthon, the Prince in Chains responds 
  particularly well if given human flesh to consume after 
  a bit of playful torture. Kuthite clerics view a wound 
  bestowed by the Prince of Chains as a near unparalleled 
  blessing, though few can hope to survive such an honor.
  tHe Wolf tHat Was
  In primordial times, a great spirit-wolf called Thron, the Prince 
  That Howls, roamed the mountains, forests, and skies, singing 
  his feral song to the earth, stars, and moon, proclaiming his 
  love of life and song and love itself. He had many mates, and 
  from his fertile loins sprang many more spirit-creatures. His 
  two greatest offspring were Dou-Bral and Shelyn, children 
  much greater than even their divine father, having a godly spark 
  that elevated them above the great spirits. When his son left 
  Golarion and returned as Zon-Kuthon, the Prince That Howls 
  greeted him with a joyous noise born of ages past, a noise 
  that choked in his throat when the corrupted god bound him 
  in razor-sharp chains and dragged him off as a plaything. For 
  years, Zon-Kuthon tortured his own father, peeling away strips 
  of his immortal flesh and fashioning it into minions after his 
  own mind. Long ago the beautiful voice was silenced, now only 
  able to gurgle, screech, and gnash his teeth. This thing now 
  serves the Midnight Lord as a pet called the Prince in Chains, 
  further evidence of Zon-Kuthon’s blasphemous nature. 
  Though not intended as a homily, priests of Zon-Kuthon 
  tell this tale to convince others that no friendship or family 
  tie should preclude the god’s servants from wreaking their 
  god’s terrible will.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  86
  uMbral dragon
  Fierce, crimson eyes gleam from scales the shade of midnight. 
  A terrible, skeletally gaunt draconic visage leers at the end of a 
  powerful, serpentine neck. Its body is black and lithe, so dark 
  that the sheen of its onyx sales makes it appear almost indistinct. 
  Angular backward-swept horns, wings that arc like gothic 
  steeples, tight skin, and a thin, whip-like tail accentuate the 
  hissing dragon’s sinister ferocity, giving it the appearance of a 
  starved serpent ready to strike.
  Umbral Dragon
  Always CE dragon (extraplanar)
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization wyrmling, very young, young, juvenile, and 
  young adult: solitary or clutch (2–5); adult, mature adult, 
  old, very old, ancient, wyrm, or great wyrm: solitary, pair, or 
  family (1–2 and 2–5 offspring)
  Challenge Ratings wyrmling 3; very young 4; young 6; juvenile 
  8; young adult 11; adult 14; mature adult 16; old 18; very old 
  19; ancient 21; wyrm 23; great wyrm 25
  Treasure triple standard
  Advancement wyrmling 7–8 HD; very 
  young 10–11 HD; young 13–14 HD; 
  juvenile 16–17 HD; young adult 19–20 
  HD; adult 22–23 HD; mature adult 25–26 
  HD; old 28–29 HD; very old 31–32 HD; 
  ancient 34–35 HD; wyrm 37–38 HD; great 
  wyrm 40+ HD
  Level Adjustment wyrmling +4; very young +5; young 
  +5; juvenile +6; others —
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Breath Weapon (Su) An umbral dragon has 
  two types of breath weapon: a cone of 
  negative energy and a cone of Strength- 
  draining shadows. In addition to taking 
  damage, creatures within a cone of 
  negative energy who fail their save are 
  blinded for 1d4 rounds. This breath 
  weapon heals undead.
  Creatures within a cone of shadows 
  must succeed on a Fortitude save or 
  take 1 point of Strength damage per age category of  
  the dragon.
  Ghost Bane (Su) An umbral dragon’s physical attacks deal 
  damage to incorporeal creatures normally, as if they 
  possessed the ghost touch magic weapon ability.
  Immunity to Death Effects and Negative Energy (Su) Umbral 
  dragons are immune to negative energy damage, death 
  effects, and energy drain.
  Hide in Plain Sight (Su) An umbral dragon can use the Hide 
  skill even when being observed. As long as it is within 10 
  feet of some sort of shadow, an umbral dragon can hide 
  itself from view in the open without anything to hide 
  behind. It cannot hide itself in its own shadow.
  Rebuke Undead (Su) As a standard action, a young adult or 
  older umbral dragon can rebuke undead as an evil cleric of 
  a level equal to one-half its Hit Dice (rounded down)
  Spell-like Abilities 3/day—deeper darkness (adult or older), 
  project image (ancient or older), vampiric touch (old or older); 
  1/day—finger of death (great wyrm)
  Some dragons are spawned between worlds, beings 
  half of the mortal plane and another. Umbral dragons 
  are one such draconic breed—wyrms torn between two 
  existences. Umbral dragons have a strong connection to 
  the Plane of Shadow and share many characteristics of 
  the mysterious, haunted creatures of that realm. Sinister 
  and starved in appearance, these dragons’ dark scales 
  and backward-sweeping horns cause many to mistakenly 
  identify them as feral black dragons, but the soul-
  wrenching scream of their devastating breath—a wave of 
  
  Bestiary
  87
  umBRal dRagons By age  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Breath  
  Frightful
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Base Atk/ 
   
  Fort 
  Ref 
  Will 
  Weapon 
  Presence
  Age 
  Size 
  Hit Dice (hp) 
  Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha 
  Grapple 
  Atk 
  Save 
  Save Save 
  (DC) 
  DC 
  Wyrmling 
  S 
  6d12+6 (45) 
  13 
  10 
  13 
  10 11 
  14 
  +6/+3 
  +8 
  +6 
  +5 
  +5 
  2d8 (14) 
   —
  Very young 
  M 
  9d12+18 (76) 
  15 
  10 
  15 
  10 11 
  16 
  +9/+11 
  +11 
  +8 
  +6 
  +6 
  4d8 (16)  
  —
  Young 
  M 
  12d12+24 (102) 
  17 
  10 
  15 
  12 13 
  16 
  +12/+15 
  +15 
  +10 
  +8 
  +9 
   6d8 (18) 
  —
  Juvenile 
  L 
  15d12+45 (142) 
  19 
  10 
  17 
  14 
  15 
  18 
  +15/+23 
  +18 
  +12 
  +9 
  +11  
  8d8 (20) 
  —
  Young adult 
  L 
  18d12+72 (189) 
  23 
  10 
  19 
  14 
  15 
  18 
  +18/+28 
  +23 
  +15 
  +11 
  +13  
  10d8 (23) 
  23
  Adult 
  H 
  21d12+105 (241) 27 
  10 
  21 
  16 17 
  20 
  +21/+37 
  +27 
  +17 
  +12 
  +15  
  12d8 (25) 
  25
  Mature adult 
  H 
  24d12+120 (276) 29 
  10 
  21 
  16 17 
  22 
  +24/+41 
  +31 
  +19 
  +14 
  +17 
  14d8 (27) 
  28
  Old 
  H 
  27d12+162 (337) 
  31 
  10 
  23 
  18 19 
  24 
  +27/+45 
  +35 
  +21 
  +15 
  +19  
  16d8 (29) 
  30
  Very old 
  H 
  30d12+180 (375) 33 
  10 
  23 
  18 19 
  26 
  +30/+49 
  +39 
  +23 
  +17 
  +21  
  18d8 (31) 
  33
  Ancient 
  G 
  33d12+231 (445) 
  35 
  10 
  25 
  20 21 
  28 
  +33/+57 
  +41 
  +25 
  +18 
  +23  
  20d8 (33) 
  35
  Wyrm 
  G 
  36d12+288 (522) 37 
  10 
  27 
  20 21 
  30 
  +36/+61 
  +45 
  +28 
  +20 
  +25  
  22d8 (36) 
  38
  Great Wyrm 
  G 
  39d12+312 (565) 39 
  10 
  27 
  22 23 
  32 
  +39/+65 
  +49 
  +29 
  +21 
  +27  
  24d8 (37) 
  40
  umBRal dRagon aBilities By age
  Age  
  Speed  
   Initiative  
  AC  
  Special Abilities  
  Caster Level  
  SR
  Wyrmling 
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (average) 
  +0 
  18 (+1 size, +7 natural) 
  Immunity to death effects 
  — 
  12 
   
   
   
   
  touch 11, flat-footed 18 
  and negative energy, 
   
   
   
   
   
  hide in plain sight
  Very young  
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  20 (+10 natural) 
  Cold resistance 20 
  — 
  13 
   
   
   
   
  touch 10, flat-footed 20
  Young 
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  23 (+13 natural) 
   
  — 
  15
   
   
   
   
  touch 10, flat-footed 23
  Juvenile 
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  25 (–1 size, +16 natural) 
  Fire and electricity 
  1st 
  17
   
   
   
   
  touch 9, flat-footed 25 
  resistance 10
  Young adult 
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  28 (–1 size, +19 natural) 
  DR 5/magic, rebuke 
  3rd 
  20 
   
   
   
   
  touch 9, flat-footed 28 
  undead
  Adult 
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  30 (–2 size, +22 natural) 
  Deeper darkness 
  5th 
  22
   
   
   
   
  touch 8, flat-footed 30 
  Mature adult 
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  33 (–2 size, +25 natural) 
  DR 10/magic 
  7th 
  25
   
   
   
   
  touch 8, flat-footed 33
  Old  
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  36 (–2 size, +28 natural) 
  Vampiric touch 
  9th 
  27
   
   
   
   
  touch 8, flat-footed 36
  Very old 
  40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor) 
  +0 
  39 (–2 size, +31 natural) 
  DR 15/magic 
  11th 
  28
   
   
   
   
  touch 8, flat-footed 39
  Ancient 
  40 ft., fly 200 ft. (clumsy) 
  +0 
  40 (–4 size, +34 natural) 
  Project image 
  13th 
  30
   
   
   
   
  touch 6, flat-footed 40
  Wyrm 
  40 ft., fly 200 ft. (clumsy) 
  +0 
  43 (–4 size, +37 natural) 
  DR 20/magic 
  15th 
  31
   
   
   
   
  touch 6, flat-footed 43
  Great Wyrm 
  40 ft., fly 200 ft. (clumsy) 
  +0 
  46 (–4 size, +40 natural) 
  Finger of death 
  17th 
  33
   
   
   
   
  touch 6, flat-footed 46
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  88
  black oblivion that draws power from the lifelessness of 
  the Plane of Shadow—prevents such errors from being 
  long regretted. 
  Umbral dragons have black scales that take on a lustrous 
  quality as the creatures age. Even their pale underbellies 
  darken as they advance in years, making the most ancient 
  umbral dragons appear to be composed of living shadows. 
  Young adult and older umbral dragons’ natural weapons 
  are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming 
  damage reduction.
  eCology
  Like most dragons, umbral dragons are powerful 
  predators and prey upon the large creatures of their 
  territories. Deliberately sadistic, they enjoy the sounds 
  of screaming meals, and actively seek out sentient prey, 
  often striking travelers, small settlements, and even 
  city walls under the cover of darkness. Unlike other 
  evil-aligned wyrms, though, umbral dragons have the 
  unusual ability to reach through the ether and strike as 
  incorporeal creatures just as easily as material beings. 
  While umbral dragons on the Plane of Shadow hunt 
  down the undead shadows pervasive in that dismal place, 
  those of the Material Plane eagerly devour allips, ghosts, 
  spectres, and all manner of other ephemeral undead. 
  What—if any—nutritional value the dragons gain from 
  such creatures is widely debated, but the wyrms’ tastes 
  for such lingering soul-stuff only enhances their already 
  fearful reputations. This morbid hunger doesn’t pertain 
  to incorporeal undead alone, though, as the dragons 
  willingly consuming corporeal undead—sentient or 
  otherwise—with the same enthusiasm they would a 
  hapless living adventurer.
  habitat & soCiety
  When not dwelling upon the Plane of Shadow, umbral 
  dragons seek out places of darkness and perpetual gloom. 
  Stormy mountains, dense forests and bogs, ancient ruins, 
  and the lightless Darklands all allow these night-scaled 
  wyrms to luxuriate in the comfort of cool darkness. 
  Some even seek out stories of haunted lands and ghostly 
  curses, investigating such places to indulge their taste for 
  incorporeal flesh. 
  Despite the potential threat they pose to the undead, liches, 
  vampires, powerful necromancers, and morbid fiends go to 
  great lengths to create alliances with these rare dragons. 
  The wyrms’ ability to heal the dead with their breath and 
  elicit fear from difficult-to-control undead minions—like 
  mohrgs, spectres, and vampires—make them potent allies 
  to would-be generals among the legions of the damned. 
  Umbral dragons only consider such partnerships with 
  offers of great wealth and spirits to consume, and, even 
  upon agreeing, remain fickle allies. More than one undead 
  lord has been dropped to its ignominious destruction when 
  its umbral dragon mount decided that it and its supposed 
  master’s goals no longer coincided.
  treasure
  As true dragons, umbral dragons obsessively amass vast 
  hoards of treasure, hiding it away in hidden dungeons 
  and darkened caverns. They tend to be more particular in 
  their hoarding than most dragons, though. Foregoing the 
  gleaming troves of their cousins, umbral dragons prefer 
  dark treasures: works of sculpted basalt, obsidian weapons, 
  and countless onyx gems. Although more particular, they 
  range farther in pursuit of such treasures and even steal 
  wildly valuable works of art, thus—though smaller—their 
  troves are typically of approximately the same value of 
  other dragons. 
  KnoWn uMbral dragons
  Preferring dismal surroundings, umbral dragons dwell in 
  some of the foulest reaches of Golarion. Although rarely 
  seen, several of these morbid wyrms have claimed dreadful 
  reputations and, in some cases, become the subjects of 
  fearful legends.
  Gandrohal: The gaps in the Mendor Mountains leading 
  from Cheliax and Molthune into the shadow-cloaked 
  dRagons in golaRion
  The umbral dragon marks the first new true dragon 
  introduced to the world of Golarion. Magnificent and terrible, 
  these awesome monsters hold a prominent place in the tales 
  of storytellers and the fears of adventurers, and promise 
  to have an expanding role in shaping the lands of Avistan 
  and Garund. For more information on the dragons of the 
  Pathfinder Chronicles campaign setting, check out Pathfinder 
  #4’s “Dragons of Golarion,” or the GameMastery Modules 
  Guardians of Dragonfall and Conquest of Bloodsworn Vale.
  Half-umBRal dRagons
  The half-dragon template presented in the MM offers rules for 
  creating creatures partially parented by chromatic or metallic 
  dragons. If you wish to create beasts with umbral dragon 
  heritage, their abilities are the same as standard half-dragons, 
  but with the following changes.
   Special Attacks: A half-umbral dragon retains all the 
  special attacks of the base creature and gains a 30-foot cone 
  of negative energy that deals 6d8 points of damage, usable 
  once per day. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1⁄2 half-umbral 
  dragon’s racial HD + half-umbral dragon’s Con modifier) 
  reduces damage by half.
   Special Qualities: A half-umbral dragon has all the normal 
  qualities of half-dragons, plus an additional immunity to 
  damage from negative energy and Strength drain.
  
  Bestiary
  89
  realm of Nidal have never been safe. Although well-traveled 
  and patrolled, shadowy things have long haunted these 
  labyrinthine passages, the old umbral dragon Gandrohal 
  being one of the most fearsome. Although the night-
  scaled dragon feeds primarily on the undead shadows that 
  roam Nidal’s hinterlands, he still 
  relishes the taste of corporeal 
  flesh and the treasures of travelers. 
  It’s said that in the depths of 
  his lair—a crevice deep within 
  some abyssal Mendor chasm—his 
  hoard of pilfered treasures and a 
  vast collection of sculpted onyx 
  glistens in the dark.
  Ghostmaw: 
  The 
  church 
  of Pharasma in the Nexian 
  capital of Quantium has long 
  been a crusader against the 
  undead, finding endless work 
  putting to rest the walking dead of 
  necromancy-obsessed Geb to the south. To this end, the 
  church coaxed the young adult umbral dragon known 
  as Ghostmaw from the distant spires of the southern 
  Shattered Peaks to the border of the Mana Wastes near 
  Ecanus. The Pharasmins pay the gray-winged umbral 
  dragon yearly homage, and in return encourage him to 
  hunt the Mana Wastes for undead to prey upon. Although 
  he enjoys his new hunting ground, Ghostmaw plays at 
  being a malcontent, threatening yearly to return south if 
  the Pharasmins don’t grant him ever-greater offerings.
  saMple uMbral dragon
  The umbral dragon Belshallam has long terrorized the 
  eastern Kodar Mountains, but in recent years has been 
  sighted only near the ruins of the accursed Castle Scarwall. 
  Belshallam  
  CR 14
  CE Huge adult umbral dragon
  Init +4; Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., keen senses, 
  low-light vision; Listen +34, Spot +34
  Aura frightful presence (DC 25)
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 8, flat-footed 30
  (+22 natural,  –2 size)
  hp 241 (21d12+105)
  Fort +27, Ref +17, Will +12
  DR 5/magic; Immune death effects, paralysis, negative energy 
  effects, sleep; Resist cold 20, electricity 10, fire 10; SR 27
  OFFENSE
  Spd 40 ft., fly 150 ft. (poor)
  Melee bite +26 (2d8+4) and
   
  2 claws +23 (2d6+4) and
   
  2 wings +23 (1d8+4) and
   
  tail slap +23 (2d6+12)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (15 ft. with bite)
  Special Attacks breath weapon, crush, rebuke undead 8/day (+5, 
  2d6+15, 10th)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th)
  3/day—deeper darkness
  Spells Known (CL 5th; +18 ranged touch)
  2nd (5/day)—acid arrow, silence
  1st (8/day)—detect undead, grease, 
  magic missile, shield
  0 (6/day)—create water, dancing 
  lights, detect magic, disrupt undead, 
  ray of frost, read magic
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If forewarned of 
  enemies’ approach, Belshallam 
  casts shield and hides in plain 
  sight in an attempt to ambush 
  his prey.
  During Combat After revealing 
  himself and allowing his 
  frightful presence to clear 
  out as many foes as possible, 
  Belshallam casts deeper darkness to confuse and scatter 
  those who stand their ground. Those that remain in 
  close proximity become targets for his breath weapon. 
  He prefers to attack enemies weakened by his Strength-
  draining breath, concentrating his melee attacks on a 
  single opponent rather than scattering them among 
  several foes.
  Morale Belshallam is a sociopath and an egomaniac. He is 
  unlikely to believe he can be defeated until it is much too 
  late in his zest for slaughter. If reduced to below 20 hp, he 
  is only 50% likely to think to retreat.
  STATISTICS
  Str 27, Dex 10, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 20 
  Base Atk +21; Grp +37
  Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Flyby Attack, Hover, Improved 
  Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch
  Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +17, Concentration +17, Diplomacy 
  +21, Hide +16, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (local) 
  +15, Knowledge (the planes) +15, Listen +27, Move Silently 
  +24, Search +15, Sense Motive +15, Spot +27, Survival +15 
  (+17 on other planes)
  Languages Common, Draconic, Orc, Shoanti, Undercommon 
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Breath Weapon (Su) 50-ft. cone, damage 12d8 negative 
  energy, Reflex DC 25 half.
  Crush (Ex) Area 15 ft. by 15 ft.; Small or smaller opponents take 
  2d8+12 points of bludgeoning damage, and must succeed 
  on a DC 29 Reflex save or be pinned.
  Frightful Presence (Ex) 180-ft. radius, HD 20 or less, Will DC 
  23 negates.
  
  Curse of the Crimson Throne
  90
  EzrEn
  SEElah
  Male HuMan Wizard 12
  FeMale HuMan Paladin 12
  str
  str
  defense
  HP 43
  AC 15
  touch 11, flat-footed 15
  Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +12
  defense
  HP 106
  AC 26
  touch 10, flat-footed 26
  Fort +13, Ref +6, Will +8
  offense
  Melee staff of evocation +6/+1 (1d6)
  Ranged light crossbow +5 (1d8/19–20)
  Base Atk +6; Grp +6
  Spells (CL 12th, +5 ranged touch)
  6th—disintegrate (DC 22), greater 
  dispel magic, mislead
  5th—cone of cold (DC 21), 
  dismissal,  teleport, wall of force
  4th—dimension door, enervation, ice 
  storm, stoneskin
  3rd—dispel magic, fireball (DC 19), 
  fly, haste, ray of exhaustion
  2nd—bull’s strength, invisibility, mirror 
  image, scorching ray (2), web (DC 18)
  1st—alarm, magic missile (3), ray of 
  enfeeblement, shield
  0—daze (DC 15), detect magic (2), light
  offense
  Melee +2 holy cold iron longsword 
  +20/+15/+10 (1d8+7/17–20)
  Ranged +1 composite longbow 
  +13/+8/+3 (1d8+6/×3)
  Base Atk +12; Grp +17
  Special Attacks lay on hands (24 
  hp/day), smite evil 3/day, turn 
  undead 5/day (+4, 2d6+11, 7th)
  Spells Prepared (CL 6th)
  3rd—dispel magic
  2nd—resist energy, remove paralysis
  1st—bless weapon, lesser restoration
  Special Qualities  aura of courage, 
  detect evil at will, divine grace, 
  divine health, remove disease 3/
  week, special mount
  skills
  Appraise 
  +10
  Concentration 
  +16
  Knowledge (arcana) 
  +21
  Knowledge (geography) +21
  Knowledge (history) 
  +21
  Knowledge (the planes) +16
  Spellcraft 
  +23
  feats
  Combat Casting, Empower 
  Spell, Great Fortitude, Greater 
  Spell Penetration, Improved 
  Initiative, Quicken Spell, Scribe 
  Scroll, Spell Penetration, 
  Weapon Focus (ray)
  familiar
  Sneak (weasel, MM 282)
  skills
  Concentration 
  +6
  Heal 
  +6
  Knowledge (religion) 
  +6
  Ride  
  +9
  Sense Motive 
  +8
  feats
  Cleave, Improved Criticial 
  (longsword), Power Attack, 
  Ride-By Attack, Mounted 
  Combat, Weapon Focus 
  (longsword)
  mount
  Aristide (heavy warhorse; 
  MM 273)
  Combat Gear staff of evocation (50 charges); Other Gear dagger, light crossbow with 20 bolts, 
  bracers of armor +4, cloak of resistance +2, headband of intellect +4, ring of protection +2, blessed book, 
  rations (6), scroll case, diamond dust (250 gp), 100 gp pearls (2), 100 gp
  Combat Gear wand of cure moderate wounds  (50 charges); Other Gear +3 full plate, +3 heavy steel 
  shield, +2 holy cold iron longsword, +1 composite longbow (+5 Str) with 20 arrows, arrows of evil outsider 
  slaying (2), amulet of health +2, cloak of Charisma +2, belt of giant strength +4, phylactery of faithfulness, 
  backpack, rations (4), silver holy symbol, 64 gp
  align NG 
  init +3 
  sPeed 30 ft.
  align LG 
  init +0 
  sPeed 20 ft.
  dex
  dex
  con
  con
  int
  int
  wis
  wis
  cha
  cha
  11
  20
  9
  10
  12
  16
  23
  8
  15
  14
  9
  15
  abilities
  abilities
  Seelah’s parents were slain by gnoll raiders within months of their settling in Solku. When a group 
  of Iomedae’s knights arrived to help defend the town, Seelah was taken with their beautiful, shin-
  ing armor. She stole a helm from one of the paladins, but became overwhelmed with guilt. Worse, 
  before she had a chance to return the helm, the paladin was herself slain. Wracked with guilt, Seelah 
  confessed her guilt and vowed her life to the paladins’ cause. A full paladin today, she values Ezren’s 
  wisdom and Harsk’s conviction, but it is irreverent Lem who Seelah is most amused by, even if she 
  sometimes feels his jokes go too far.
  Ezren’s pleasantly safe childhood changed when his father was charged with heresy by the church 
  of Abadar. Ezren worked to repair his father’s reputation, but when he discovered proof of his 
  father’s guilt he abandoned his family and set out into the world. He fell naturally into wizardry, 
  and while he often argues on the value of religion with Seelah, and his atrophied sense of humor 
  often makes him the butt of Lem’s jokes, his world experience and keen wit are quite valued by 
  his younger traveling companions.
  deity: Atheist  Homeland: Absalom
  deity: Atheist  Homeland: Absalom
  
  Characters
  deity: Shelyn  Homeland: Cheliax
  91
  harSk
  lEm
  Male dWarF ranger  12
  Male HalFling Bard 12
  str
  str
  defense
  HP 93
  AC 25
  touch 17, flat-footed 20
  +4 against giants
  Fort +11, Ref +13, Will +5
  +2 against poison and 
  spells; evasion
  defense
  HP 56
  AC 23
  touch 19, flat-footed 17
  Fort +6, Ref +15, Will +8
  +2 vs. fear, evasion
  offense
  Melee +2 greataxe +16/+11/+6 
  (1d12+5/×3)
  Ranged +1 flaming burst giant 
  bane heavy crossbow +18/+13/+8 
  (1d10+1 plus 1d6 fire/17–20) 
  Base Atk +12; Grp +14
  Special Attacks favored enemy (giants 
  +6; undead +4; dragons +2), +1 on 
  attack rolls vs. orcs and goblinoids
  Spells Prepared (CL 3rd)
  3rd—cure moderate wounds
  2nd—bear’s endurance
  1st—entangle (DC 12), resist energy
  Special Qualities darkvision 60 
  ft., stability, stonecunning, swift 
  tracker, woodland stride
  offense
  Melee +1 short sword +10/+5 
  (1d4/19–20)
  Ranged +1 shock sling +18/+13 (1d3 
  plus 1d6 electricity)
  Base Atk +9; Grp +4
  Special Attacks bardic music 12/day
  Spells Known (CL 12th)
  4th (3/day)—cure critical wounds, hold 
  monster (DC 20), dimension door
  3rd (4/day)—charm monster (DC 19), 
  dispel magic, haste, major image (DC 20)
  2nd (5/day)—alter self, c. moderate 
  wounds, mirror image, sound burst 
  (DC 17)
  1st (5/day)—c. light wounds, feather 
  fall, hideous laughter (DC 17), silent 
  image (DC 18)
  0 (3/day)—detect magic, ghost 
  sound (DC 16), light, message, 
  prestidigitation, summon instrument
  skills
  Heal 
  +16
  Hide 
  +25
  Listen 
  +16
  Move Silently 
  +25
  Spot 
  +16
  Survival 
  +16
  Wild Empathy 
  +10
  feats
  Crossbow Mastery, Endurance, 
  Far Shot, Imp. Crit. (heavy 
  crossbow), Improved Precise 
  Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise 
  Shot, Rapid Reload (heavy 
  crossbow), Rapid Shot, Track
  animal ComPanion
  Biter (dire badger, MM 268)
  skills
  Bardic Knowledge 
  +13
  Bluff 
  +21
  Climb 
  +1
  Concentration  
  +16
  Diplomacy 
  +23
  Hide 
  +11
  Jump 
  –3
  Listen 
  +6
  Move Silently 
  +8
  Perform (comedy) 
  +21
  Perform (wind instruments) +13
  Tumble 
  +21
  Use Magic Device 
  +21
  feats
  Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Mobility, Quick Draw, Spell 
  Focus (illusion)
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds (2); Other Gear +3 studded leather armor, +2 greataxe, 
  +1 flaming burst giant bane heavy crossbow with 30 bolts, screaming bolt (3), mwk silver dagger, amulet 
  of natural armor +2, gloves of Dexterity +4, ring of protection +2, boots of elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, 
  backpack, rations (4), signal whistle, tea pot, 40 pp
  Combat Gear wand of cure moderate wounds (50 ch.), wand of lightning bolt (50 ch.); Gear +2 leather 
  armor, dagger, +1 short sword, +1 shock sling (20 bullets), cloak of Charisma +4, gloves of Dexterity +4, ring 
  of evasion, ring of protection +2, backpack, masterwork flute, rations (6), spell component pouch, 40 pp
  align LN 
  init +5 
  sPeed 20 ft.
  align CG 
  init +10 
  sPeed 20 ft.
  dex
  dex
  con
  con
  int
  int
  wis
  wis
  cha
  cha
  14
  8
  20
  22
  16
  13
  10
  12
  13
  8
  6
  22
  abilities
  abilities
  Growing up a slave in the devil-haunted empire of Cheliax exposed Lem to a shocking range of decadence 
  and debauchery. Always quick to side with the underdog, Lem has learned that his most powerful trait is 
  his optimism and sense of humor—skills that almost make up for his small stature and impulsive nature. 
  Lem’s reasons for traveling with his current companions vary upon the day and his mood, but he certainly 
  values their strengths—and the never-ending supply of comedy material their antics provide him with.
  Harsk is, in many ways, not your standard dwarf. He prefers strong tea over alcohol (to keep his senses 
  sharp), the wildlands of the surface world (where giants can be found), and the crossbow over the axe 
  (which allows him to start fights faster). Much of his anger stems from the death of his brother’s war-
  band. Slain to a man by giants, Harsk came upon the slaughter moments too late to save his brother. His 
  companions value his skill at combat even if they’re somewhat afraid of him.
  deity: Torag  Homeland: Druma
  
  Preview
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  In Pathfinder
  92
  Crown of fangs
  by Tito Leati
  The Curse of the Crimson Throne comes to its blood-soaked 
  climax! Its people captives in their own city, Korvosa teeters 
  on the brink of absolute ruin. It is time to besiege Castle 
  Korvosa—the monolithic bastion of the city’s spreading 
  corruption—and throw down the insane Queen Ileosa. Yet 
  what evils have gathered in the disgraced royal house, what 
  are the cruel monarch’s true motivations, and will even a 
  centuries old artifact be enough to finally break the Curse 
  of the Crimson Throne?
  Kazavon
  by JD Wiker
  Through life and beyond death, Kazavon is a name that 
  has scarred the lands and haunted the people of Avistan for 
  centuries. Discover the history of the draconic champion 
  of the god of pain, learn of the seven artifacts crafted from 
  his indestructible bones, and dare a heptamerous quest to 
  finally rid Golarion of this deathless tyrant for all time.
  Harrow DeCK  
  of Many THings
  by the Pathfinder Staff
  More than a tool of veiled mysticism and ancient 
  superstitions, the Harrow holds ties to powers far beyond 
  the safe and solid paths of Golarion. Face the wrath of 
  the Tyrant, bargain with the Foreign Trader, and feel the 
  embrace of the Feathered Serpent as you unleash the true 
  power of the Harrow!
  seConD DarKness Preview
  Far from Korvosa, amid the depredations and debauchery 
  of the pirate city Riddleport, a forgotten enemy hatches a 
  terrible revenge. Begin a quest that will lead you far from 
  the shores of Varisia, to the most ancient of elven forests, 
  the stygian depths of the Darklands, and beyond in 
  Pathfinder’s third Adventure Path: Second Darkness. 
  PaTHfinDer’s Journal
  Out of the frying pan and into the fire! With only his wayfinder 
  to guide him, Eando Kline’s travels lead him to the savage city 
  of Urgir, the orc-ruled capital of the Hold of Belkzen.
  subsCribe To PaTHfinDer!
  A whole new Adventure Path begins in just two short 
  months! Be sure you’re there for the start! Head on over to 
  paizo.com/pathfinder and set up a subscription today! Have 
  each Pathfinder, Pathfinder Chronicles, and GameMastery 
  product delivered to your door!
  Missing a part of Curse of the Crimson Throne? Pick up 
  every volume of past Adventure Paths online!
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  get harrowed
  All trademarks are property of Paizo Publishing®, LLC. ©2008 Paizo. All Rights Reserved
  ™
  ™
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  $15.99 
  the marriage 
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  Designed for use in the second Pathﬁnder™ Adventure Path, Curse of the 
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  From the crumbling spires of the ancient runelords in distant Varisia to the bustling merchant 
  kingdoms of the Inner Sea, the Pathﬁ nder Chronicles campaign setting forms the panoramic 
  backdrop for Paizo Publishing’s innovative Pathﬁ nder fantasy roleplaying supplements, modules, 
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  While the old King of Korvosa lays dying, a new ruler gathers power, sending shockwaves through a populace already 
  plagued by unrest. In the face of anarchy, new heroes gather at the call of a mysterious patron which sets them on a 
  path of magic and prophesy against a common foe. Amid the intrigues of kings and generals, knights and thieves, it’s 
  up to these heroes to decide if the new monarch will bring Korvosa an age of glory or a reign of terror.
  Curse of the Crimson Throne, the second Pathﬁnder Adventure Path, has begun.
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  Pathﬁnder Chronicles: 
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  Pathﬁnder Curse of the 
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  Pathﬁnder Chronicles: 
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  Pathﬁnder is your monthly Pathﬁnder Chronicles campaign setting Adventure Path source. Each volume explores new locations, unveils new monsters 
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  Unb ound Spirits and Guardians
  Mithrodar
  (Chained Spirit)
  Lords of Scar wall
  Dead watchers
  T he Cursed of Scar wall
  Guardians of
  Serithtial
  Ury Sevenskulls
  Mandraivus
  Kleestad
  Orc Minions
  Danse Macabre
  Count Andachi
  General Gorstav
  Gugs
  Malatrothe
  Bone Devils
  Spirit Anchor
  Nihil
  Spirit Anchor
  Zev Ravenka
  Gargoyle Brutes
  Barbed Devils
  Imps
  Spirit Anchor
  Belshallam
  Spirit Anchor
  Castothrane
  Ildervok
  Star T o wer Curate
  Laori 
  Vaus
  Shado wcount 
  Sial
  Sergeant Lashton
  Scar wall  Guards
  Skeletons
  P relate Aruth
  Spectral Acol ytes
  Asyra
  Zon-Kuthon
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Printed in China. PZO9011
  C
  ondemned by a history of horrors, an army of the living 
  dead stands between Korvosa and its only hope for salvation. 
  Within the grim fastness of haunted Scarwall, the lifeless 
  legions of the ancient warlord Kazavon guard the same accursed 
  halls they’ve stalked for more than 700 years. Crossing a forsaken 
  land to reach the infamous citadel’s dreaded gates, the PCs must 
  explore the foul castle’s haunted halls, contend with otherworldly 
  terrors, and purge the taint of Kazavon’s final days before having 
  any hope of finally breaking the Curse of the Crimson Throne.
  This volume of Pathfinder includes: 
  ► “Skeletons of Scarwall,” an adventure for 12th-level 
  characters, by Greg A. Vaughan.
  ► A terrifying glimpse into the sadistic church 
  of Zon-Kuthon, god of darkness, envy, and 
  pain, by Sean K Reynolds.
  ► An exploration of the orc-ruled Hold 
  of Belkzen, untamable land of monsters, 
  savagery, and ancient secrets, by James 
  L. Sutter.
  ► Surrounded by savages, Eando Kline 
  discovers the cruelty of orcs stretches far 
  beyond mere bloodlust in the Pathfinder’s 
  Journal, by James L. Sutter.
  ► Five new monsters by Greg A. Vaughan 
  and Sean K Reynolds.
  The Dead Never Sleep!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Adventure Paths/PF07-12 Curse of the Crimson Throne/Curse of the Crimson Throne - 05 - Skeletons of Scarwall.pdf