Pathfinder For Savage Worlds Rise of The Runelords Book 4 Fortress of The Stone Giants by Michael Barbeau
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CONTENTS BACKGROUND
4
Chapter SSynops Chapter ynopsis is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Advances & Story A Awards wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
PART PART ONE: STONES OVER SANDPOINT
23
PART 4: UNDER JORGENFIST
39
PARTT 5: THE ANCIEN PAR ANCIENTT LIBRARY
54
7
Return to Sandpoint Sandpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 March of the Gian Giants ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Catching Up Up In Sand Sandpoint point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
PART TWO: JOURNEY TO JORGENFIST
PARTT 3: VALL VALLEY EY OF THE BLACK TOWER PAR
19
Ogre Cattle Rustlers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Signs of G Giant iantss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Te Storval Storval SStairs tairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Concluding the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Researching the Ancient Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
APPEND APPENDIX IX ONE: CREA CREATURES TURES AND ITEMS
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New Creature Creature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
BACKGROUND The stone g giants iants of the Stor Storv val Pla Plateau teau ha have ve traditio traditionally nally been a stabilizi stabilizing ng element among their kind, a voice of moderation and temperance among brutish brut ish t thugs hugs like hil hilll gia giants, nts, ogres, and ettins.Where these lesser ra races ces might go to w war ar for the slightest of reasons, the stone giants prea preach ch caution and patience. Yet now, one of their own has fallen from the path of tradition. Lord Mokmurian Mokmuri an has become the pawn of Runelord Karzoug Karzoug,, and now tha that t one stone s tone giant has sw swa ayed h his is people t to ow war, ar, Varisia might never be the same.
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It wasn’t until he took a wife that his charade collapsed. When she discovered his hidden spellbooks, she confronted Mokmurian in rage and shame. on deformities, giant gifted with sorcerous powerthe canstone expect a role of honor In desperation, he killed her with his magic, and might in his tribe. The disadvantage of but before he could concea conceall his crime, his unsightly crystalline growths on the skin or tribe’s elders found out. They burnt his books, a diminished physical stature are outweighed censured him as a traitor, and exiled him into by the increase in social status and respect. the wild to fend for himself. When the stone giant Mokmurian was Humiliated, enraged, and alone, born, his parents were were thus pleased wi with th his Mokmurian wandered the Storval Plateau. diminutive stature. Mokmurian grew slowly, Forced to conserve his prepared spells for and as he became a young adult he stood emergencies and harried constantly by stone barely more tha than n 10 feet ta tall. ll. giant hunters and scouts, Mokmurian sought his people’s tab taboo oo lands lands— — the His parents and kin waited anxiously solace in one of his B lack Tower. for him to develop the magical powers his Vale of the Black n stone giant society, those born with an innate magical ability are often marked. Though these markings border
deformity promised, yet He Mokmurian hadno a memories This Thassilonian ruinslavery, held and ancient secret he dared not reveal. knew he had of his people’s the burgeoning inborn inborn magical ability. He knew giants avoided it as a result. Mokmurian he was nothing more than an unsightly runt. found the place to be strangely soothing, And he knew that if he reached full adulthood and when he discovered not only a network without developing the gifts of the elders or of caves below the site, but also an ancient sorcerous talent he would be shamed and library of Thassilonian lore as well, he knew likely exiled. he had nally found home. So Mokmurian fell to study, secretly Mokmurian spent several years more poring over the texts of spellbooks taken studying the magic of the library, organizing from adventurers or taboo magical writings its holdings, and translating the ancient texts. preserved in stone from the days of Thassilon. All the while, as he grew more powerful, the It took him years, but eventually the self- seething seed of humiliation festered. His taught wizard mastered the art of magic. need to return to his tribe and show them powerful he had become entangled Casting spells as a wizard but hiding his just how powerful need to study, he successfully posed as a with a growing sense of entitlement to all sorcerer to his tribe for nearly three decades. of Varisia.
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BACKGROUND
He had learned that most, if not all, of the land’s mighty monuments had been built by his enslaved ancestors, yet now, much of the land was infested with humanity—insects who cared lile for the land’s history and who treated his ancestors’ stony triumphs as curiosities at best or foundations for their cities at worst. In his studies, Mokmurian also learned of the runelords and their mighty cities. Most of these cities were gone, sunk under the seas or destroyed by the catastrophe that laid low Thassilon so long ago. Yet rumors persisted that one of these ancient cities had survived through the aages ges— — Xin-Shalast, the city of greed. Mokmurian grew obsessed with it. If he’d found such power and secrets in this one remote Thassilonian ruin, how much treasure and lore might await him in a lost city? Mokmurian devoted the next 10 years of his life to the search for Xin-Shalast, and when he he nally discovered the site of the ancient city, he was not disappointed. Yet Xin-Shalast was not abandoned. Where once dwelt the armies and artisans of Runelord Karzoug now lived monsters. There were cruel and bickering factions of lamias, ights of dragons, degenerate tribes of skulking humanoids, pockets of immortal
devils bound to ancient ruins, and even bands of bier giants. Relying on his now-considerable wizardly power, Mokmurian undertook the dangerous journey to the spires of Xin-Shalast, high on the face of the mountain called Mhar Massif. Following upon fragments and legends he’d gleaned from his studies, he made his way to Runelord Karzoug’s tomb. Hoping to nd the greatest treasures and magic of Xin-Shalast, Mokmurian opened the ancient tomb, and in so doing, sealed his own fate. Karzoug was unable to fully awaken simply because runelord’s of one ambitious tinkering—the releasegiant’s from hibernation required much more elaborate and complex magical rituals. Originally, these rituals were to be performed by Karzoug’s surviving apprentices and minions, yet the fall of Thassilon left none to undertake these tasks. In Mokmurian, Karzoug had his rst window to reality in 10,000 years, and the slumbering wizard struck with erce and desperate power. Mokmurian felt Karzoug enter his mind and soul, and fate fromone thatdriving point ongoal was no longer hishis own—his became Karzoug’s reviva revival. l.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
Mokmurian found himself in command of players to choose an Advance at the next even more power as the lamias of Xin-Shalast convenient moment, usually some sort of rest joined him. Mokmurian Mokmurian ret returned urned to the Vale after a dicult encounter. of the Black Tower. He and his lamias claimed the tunnels below as their lair, fortied the land above, and called it Jorgenst. Over the course of several years, Mokmurian united the stone giants of the plateau under If the players reach an Advancement but have book, you his banner. His rallying call of taking back bypassed previous sections in the book, the lands of the ancestors and claiming the should still allow them to Adva Advance. nce. stolen treasures of Thassilon found fertile soil in the minds of these tribes’ young soldiers, and those elders who opposed Mokmurian’s near-heretical call were too slow and mired in tradition to react quickly enough to stem In addition to Advancements, players may his recruitment. take actions that grant them additional Before they realized the scope of what he rewards, such as Bennies, Conviction, was doing, their tribes had abandoned their connections, or other benets. The Game traditions for the siren call of glory and riches. Master can grant these rewards to all the Today, Mokmurian has gathered hundreds characters, or just those she thinks actively of giants to his side in Jorgenst—giants contributed to the particular story element ready and eager to take back the treasures of as she sees t. Thassilon for themselves, yet unknowingly These awards are for the completion of specic events or milestones throughout the lile more than components for Karzoug’s return. For all of these new recruits recruit s have been campaign. They are extra rewards granted branded with the Si Sihedron hedron Rune, and even if in addition to the standard rewards GMs they fall in combat in the coming war, their typically grant players in the course of play. souls will be put to the runelord’s use.
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED
STORY AWARD STORY AWARD
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS The chapter begins with the party turning aside a giant raid on Sandpoint. After the heroes repulse the giants, they must undertake an arduous journey into the wilderness to reach Jorgenfist-controlled lands on the Storval Plateau. Once there, they discover that the giants are readying the tribes for a massive aack on the human-dominated lands to the south. Only by defeating defeating Mokmuria Mokmurian, n, the eldr eldritch itch leader of these giants, can they disrupt these plans.
ADVANCES & STORY AWARDS The Rise of the Runelords Runelords Adventure Path alerts a GM bar when players Advance. The Advancement is displayed prominently at several intervals within each book. Whenever one of these points are reached, allow the
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PART ONE: STONES OVER SANDPOINT As this adventure begins, rumors of increased giant activity in the lowlandsat ofthe Varisia areof on everyone’sare tongue. Theto growing number of sightings fringes civilization enough cause Magnimar’s standing army to take notice. Signs of giants are everywhere—immense footprints, houses cr c rushed to splinter splinters, s, and secondhand tales of sightin sightings gs by hermits and hunters. So far, the giants have not engaged in a full-on atta ttack ck — but iit t seems like tha that t resp respite ite may soon b be e at at an end end..
T
he giants have avoided large confrontations for a purpose purpose— — they’r they’ree on preliminary scouting missions in Varisia.
Their is to gauge the lay of the not to takegoal prisoners and raze towns. In land, all, there are fewer than a dozen scouting parties of giants active in western Varisia, spread from the Chavali River to the north and along the Malgorian Mountains to the east. Charged with determining the defensive capacities of Varisia’s selements as well as seeking out allies among the lowland ogres and goblinoids, the scouting parties purposefully avoid encounters with patrols. Perhaps the most successful scouting parties are those composed primarily primarily of stone giants giants— — their skill at hiding among rocky terrain allows them to use the Malgorian Mountains and the Fogscar Mountains as blinds to move into Varisia without being seen. Lord Mokmurian hopes to gather much intelligence about the region before he marches his armies down from the Storval Plateau and into Varisia. He has expressly forbidden most of the scouting parties from interacting interactin g in any major way with the natives in hopes of minimizing chances that the people of Varisia Varisia catch wind of what’s in store for them. Yet one scoutin scouting g party in particul particular ar is poised to break that silence. Sandpoint has a special place in Karzoug’s (and thus Mokmurian’s) plans, for thousands of years ago, one of Karzoug’s greatest spies was stationed there at a structure known
as a Hellstorm Flume—a double agent in Runelord Alaznist’s army. This spy was a man named Xaliasa, and in life was one of Karzoug’s closest confidants. Yet as Thassilon’s rule waned, the pressure of Xaliasa’s mission drove him mad and, in the end, this madness betrayed betrayed Karzoug. The runelord did not divulge to Mokmurian details beyond hints that Xaliasa had something to do with a place called “Runeforge.” Karzoug did make clear, however, howeve r, that Mokmurian should reduce the site to nothing more than dust and ashes. Yet rst, Mokmurian needed to determine which of the numerous Hellstorm Flume ruins along the Lost Coast was the right one. After much research, Mokmurian narrowed the possibilities down to four dierent sites. He ordered the leader of one of the raiding parties, a giant named Teraktinus, to gather stones from the hearts of these four ruins, one of which happens to be the Old Light of Sandpoint. Once these stones are secured, Mokmurian hopes to have a stone giant elder named Conna use a ritual on them, allowing him to determine which ruin marks Xaliasa’s grave. When his army marches, he will take special care in destroying this site for his master. Of course, Teraktinus doesn’t intend to simply rob Sandpoint of one simple stone block— block — he’s alre already ady whippe whipped d his giants into a frenzy of greed with promises of wealth awaiting plunder.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
RETURN TO SANDPOINT
This adventure assumes that the defense of Sandpoint falls primarily to the heroes— but if you want to expand exp and the rai raid d to At the end of The Hook Mountain Massacre , include additional forces from Magnimar or the adventurers are in the shadow of Hook elsewhere, you can do so if you wish. Exact Mountain, well over 200 miles away from details on such an expansion, though, are adventure. enture. Sandpoint, when they learn of the impending beyond the scope of this adv raid on the town. Whether they learn of the giants stealthily approaching Sandpoint
SANDPOINT TODAY
by interrogating in terrogating Barl B Breakbones reakbones or ssimply imply reading the message in his lair, the news Before you begin the raid, give the pathnders some time to visit Sandpoint if they’ve been should come as a shock. momen t to let Fortunately, the giants aren’t quite ready away for a while. This is a great moment to launch their assault yet, and if the party the characters feel like true heroes. While the citizens of Sandpoint have return home to warn their friends, they can arrive in Sandpoint in time to aid in the city’s gone on with their lives, the heroes have cultss of murde murderers, rers, defeated defea ted a defense. The journey takes the group around broken up cult a week unless they have other magical means clan of deadly ogres, explored Thassilonian of transportation. This gives them some ruins, and tangled with legendary monsters from the deep. downtime to prepare for what’s to come. They’ve become legends to the folk of If the heroes seem eager to press on to Jorgenst, or are otherwise distracted distracted,, you Sandpoint—but that doesn’t mean that
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can do one of two things—you can simply delay the assault on Sandpoint to occur at the end of this adventure instead of the beginning (in this case, Teraktinus’s raid is as much one of revenge for Mokmurian’s death as anything else), or you can run the raid without the heroes being present at all. In this case, allow the players to take the roles of some of Sandpoint’s higher-level locals, like Ameiko, or Sheri Hemlock. If they fail to repel the giants, these citizens can then be captured, and the heroes may need to rescue them before Teraktinus can return to
everyone in town is friendly to them. Feel free to have old rivalries and feuds with locals like Ven Vinder or the Scarneis are up during this visit. Of course, if the heroes know the giants are about to launch a raid, they likely wish to prepare the town for an assault. How much time you want to give the heroes depends on your preference—this adventure assumes they have less than a day. Time enough, perhaps, to erect some magical defenses or organize the town militia, but not enough to orchestrate an evacuation of the town.
Jorgenst oer them up to his master for sacrice ortoworse! Alternatively, they could try to recruit additional aid in defending Sandpoint from the coming raid, perhaps by appealing to Magnimar’s government. After the services the group has provided the city in reclaiming Fort Rannick, Magnimar’s government certainly agrees to send forces north to Sandpoint to aid in the town’s defense. They’ll also increase the presence of patrols in the region as well. Unfortunately, as eager as Magnimar
MARCH OF THE GIANTS The stone giant Teraktinus and his allies spend their days hiding in the plentiful tors and rock outcroppings that dot the Lost Coast, slowly moving farther south night. When the patrol nally nears Sandpoint, Teraktinus prepares to raid the town. The giants arrogantly plan to launch their assault on Sandpoint at dawn, so the humans can behold their fury and glory in
might be toeven helpaSandpoint, of organizing small armythe arelogistics such that these reinforcements are unlikely to arrive at Sandpoint in time to provide much help.
perfect clarity. Mokmurian has remained in contact with Teraktinus via mind via mind link , and when he learns learns the giants have neared Sandpoint, he sends
PART ONE: STONES OVER SANDPOI SA NDPOINT NT his red dragon ally Longtooth out to aid Teraktinus. Longtooth reaches Teraktinus’s camp the night before the raid on Sandpoint is scheduled to begin. On the morning of the raid, any hero who is out and about at sunrise can make a Notice roll at –2 to spot several humanoid silhouees standing atop the nearest tors of Ravenroost, Ravenroost, lit by the rising sun. The size of these shapes should leave lile doubt to any character who spot them—the giants are here! Once the sun rises, the giants move quickly down from Ravenroost and approach Sandpoint, using the woods and the clis along the Turandarok River to mask their approach. If the heroes don’t spot the giants on the tors, no one else in town does either, and the raid begins as as outlined below. If the heroes do notice the giants, they have about 10 minutes to prepare. Depending on the nature of these preparations, they might be able to prevent preve nt even more citi citizens zens of Sandpoint from being taken.
THE RAID BEGINS
AN EVENTFUL RAID Even though several events happen over the course of the raid on sandpoint, the whole raid is one encounter. Not every event happens at the same time and some events might not even be encountered by the heroes. This is ne and can spur the heroes onward to action. The adventurers should notice events unfolding around them and realize they hav havee to move around town and triage the situation rather than waiting for each ght to come to them. Feel free to extend or shorten the raid as desired, as long as it impresses the urgency of stopping the giant from coming back in the future.
If the characters are caught unprepared for the aack on Sandpoint, they rst notice the giants’ proximity when a thunderous crack of stone against stone rings through the air. This is from one of the more exuberant giants throwing a boulder at Sandpoint’s north nort h wall. As Sandpoint wakes and discovers itself under attack, screams and cries of terror mingle with the growing howls and roars
there, while additional attacks begin to appear farther south soon thereafter. Each incursion on San Sandpoint dpoint is detailed detailed on the following pages. The rst assault occurs at the northern wall—the giants there take several rounds to taunt and harass the guards frantically trying to defend the wall. Each new development during the raid occurs sometime later. If the heroes are fast and ecient, they should be able to keep up
of the aacking giants. By the time anyone makes it to the cathedral and rings the bells in warning, the raid is fully underway. The attacking warband consists of numerous stone giants, their dire bears, the red dragon Longtooth, and Teraktinus. If Teraktinus were a beer tactician, or if the giants worked together in this raid, they’d likely be unstoppable. Fortunately for Sandpoint and the heroes, the impulsive young giants split along tribal lines, falling into small groups that assault the town with lile aempt at coordinating
with new development, handling each one aseach it occurs. If they end up geing distracted or take too long at one event, they could nd that two or three more have begun and might have to pick and choose which threat to answer and which to allow to run its course. Repercussions of any raid events they don’t respond to properly are summarized in the development developme nt section for each event. During any of these bales, the heroes might wish to recruit the aid of some of Sandpoint’s guards. Unfortunately, these
souls are ill prepared to face foes as the timing of their eorts with one another. brave Since the giants approach initially from the deadly as giants. A few of Sandpoint’s locals northeast, the rst events of the raid occur are Wild Cards (such as Sheri Hemlock, Father Zantus, Shalelu Andosana, or Ameiko
9
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
RAID ON SANDPOINT
EVENT 1: THE NORTHGATE SIEGE
H T G G I L
F F S
H ’ O O T G T
N
O
L
STOP 1
EVENT 2: CHAOS AT TANNER’S BRIDGE
EVENT 3: DRAGONFIRE INFERNO
STOP 2
EVENT 4: MILL POND
STOP 3
EVENT 5: BEER BEE R OR STOP 4
DEATH
N
EVENT 6: LOOTING SCARNETTI MANOR
10 10
0
5 150 FEET
300 300
PART ONE: STONES OVER SANDPOI SA NDPOINT NT Kaijitsu)—if the heroes have befriended any of them, they might come to the heroes’ aid. Since there’s no way to really predict which of these people might be allies in your campaign (or indeed, which are even still alive), this adventure assumes the heroes receive no real aid from the town of Sandpoint in the following encounters.
EVENT 1: THE SIEGE NORTHGATE
at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Size 3: 12’ 3: 12’ tall. Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Giant.
TACTICS As soon as the heroes bring any sort of signicant force against these three giants, their taunts end immediately and they move forward to ght. If the heroes spend a few rounds watching the giants, give them a chance to realize this is a distraction. Once one giants is slain, the survivors panic and ee back to their base camp in the Ravenroost Ravenroo st tors.
Three giants dressed in thick pelts heft huge rocks pulled from the ground. Periodically, one hurls a rock against Sandpoint’s northern gate. The iron-reinforced oak timbers splinter and crack as the stones hit it, but so far, the gate holds. AFTERMATH Though Teraktinus warned these three young giants to wait for Longtooth’s initial This encounter is, in a way, intended to be a ight over Sandpoint to launch their aack, distraction. Fighting the giants here does lile the giants were too excited about the raid, and to help the city, since the giants, if left to their once the youngest of the three saw a human own devices, waste a lot of time demolishing
moving around on the wall, he tossed a rock. the gate and walls. By the time the raid is over, they’ve only Though they’ve revealed their presence forced rced now, the three giants wait until they see barely begun to raid the town and are fo Longtooth’s opening strafe of the town before to retreat before taking any prisoners or doing much more damage than destroying the wall. they make any real aempt to take the wall. The party can break o combat with this When the heroes arrive, the giants are about 200 feet up the road from the gate, calling out group or ignore them entirely without much taunts and jeers in broken Common to the impact on the rest of town. terried guards who cower behind the wall EVENT 2: CHAOS AT and frantically move wagons into place to TANNER’S BRIDGE help barricade and reinforce the gate. The east side of the town is poorly arranged • Stone Giants (3): See (3): See below. for defense against giants, with no city wall to speak of and only the languid ow of the Turandarok River to slow aackers. STONE GIANT The river is only 10 feet deep here, shallow Type: Neutral Humanoid (Stone Giant) enough for stone giants and dire bears to Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, wade through just south of the northernmost Strength d12+1, Vigor d10 bridge into town. Skills: Athletics d8, Common KnowlSkills: When the giants to the north start throwing edge d6, Fighting d8, Notice d8, boulde boulders, rs, a pair of stone giants using the trees Persuasion Persuasi on d6, Stealth d8 in the swamp on the north side of the Mill Pace: 7; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6; Toughness: 13 13 (3) Pond as cover emerge onto the road at the Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep east side of Tanner’s Bridge. They assume Gear: Maul (Str+d10, AP 2). that they just couldn’t see Longtooth’s initial Special Abilities: ight over Sandpoint due to the intervening Armor +3: Granite +3: Granite esh. Resilient: Stone giants can take one Wound rise of the river river’s ’s northern bank. Resilient: Stone Unless someone opposes them, this group before they’ they’re re Incapa Incapacitated. citated. Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally storms over Tanner’s Bridge, driving their good at throwing rocks, and can even throw
11
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS trained dire bears before them, and sets to gathering prisoners at once. P Stone Giants (2): (2): See page 11. 11. These
dire bear tamers are Wild Cards. • Dire Bears (2+1 per hero): See hero): See below.
DIRE BEAR
if it gets a raise on a claw aack against a target of its Size or less. Resilient: Resilient: Dire Dire bears can take one Wound before they’ they’re re Incapaci Incapacitated. tated. Size 4 (Large): These (Large): These creatures can stand up to 12′ tall and weigh up to 8,000 pounds. Dire bears can take one extra Wound. Swat: Swat: Ignores Ignores 4 points of Scale penalties.
Type: Neutral Animal (Dire Bear) AFTERMATH Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A Aributes: Agility (A), ), Spirit d6, This group of giants and bears has orders to Strength d12+3, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d10, Fighting d10, Notice d8, rove down River Street and prevent anyone from escaping town to the east. At the same Stealth d8 time, they do what they can to rob riverfr riverfront ont Pace: 7; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7; Toughness: 13 13 (2) businesses and and catch locals aass prisoners. Alertness, Brute, Killer Instinct Edges: Alertness, Edges: Each giant carries a large leather bag in Special Abilities: Armor +2: Tough which he can carry up to three human-sized +2: Tough Hide. prisoners slung over his back (in which case at Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2. Low Light Vision: Vision: Dire bears ignore least one of the prisoners should be a named Extra like Das Korvut or Larz Rovanky). penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination. Grab (Imp): A (Imp): A dire bear may immediately Defeating the giants before the raid is over make a grappling aempt as a free action prevents these prisoners being and allows bucket brigadesfrom to form andtaken help contain the spread of res.
EVENT 3: DRA DRAGONFIRE GONFIRE INFERNO
LONGTOOTH
12
Longtooth doesn’t follow the giants on foot as they approach Sandpoint; his greater speed in the air aords him the luxury luxu ry of waiting for the visual signal of the giants being in place to swoop down to aack. His keen eyesight allows him to see the premature assault on the northern gate, and he launches into the air at once—it takes him less than a minute to reach Sandpoint. Once he arrives in town, Longtooth gleefully swoops and flaps over Sandpoint. This is his rst real aack on a human settlement, and he spends as much time roaring and periodically landing on the roofs of sturdy buildings to glower and menace as he does actually breathing re or gulping up eeing citizens. After arriving, he swoops in from the north and breathes re on the Sandpoint Garrison—the building is mostly stone, so it weathers the attack better than Longtooth’s targets in the succeeding rounds.
PART ONE: STONES OVER SANDPOI SA NDPOINT NT Longtooth is proud and arrogant, and if Move Longtooth to a new location in Sandpoint after every encounter the a adventurers can taunt him eectively or adventurers adventure rs complete without going to stop aract his aention with an aack that deals him. You can also move him along faster if one Wound, he swoops down to breathe re on the heroes and then ght in melee. you want to heighten the sense of urgency. Stop 1 — Sandpo Sandpoint int Cathed Cathedral: ral: While While the P Longtooth: See below. northern wings of the cathedral catch re quickly, the southern section is relatively reproof. Longtooth Longtoot h alights on the roof of the P LONGTOOTH cathedral for two rounds to roar and mock Type: Evil Dragon (Red Dragon) the town before taking to the air again. Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Aributes: Agility Stop 2—Sandpoint Theater: Theater: The bright Strength d12+3, Vigor d10 colors of this building prove too tempting Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d6, a target; once Longtooth breathes on it, the Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, building buil ding catch catches es re quickly. quickly. Cyrdak Cyrdak Drok Drokkus kus Persuasion Persuasio n d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d6 uses his magic and bardic performances to Pace: 7; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 16 16 (5) aid aempts to quell the re, but without Arcane Background (Magic), Dodge, Edges: Arcane Edges: assistance, the theater is doomed. Extraction, Frenzy (Imp), Level Headed Stop 3— The Ha Hagsh: gsh: Longtooth Longtooth lands on Powers: Powers: Deection , lower lower Trait ,, mind link, prothe beach just west of the Hagsh and lights tection. Power Points: 15. Points: 15. both it and and the nea nearby rby docks (and a ship, the Gear: Amulet of minor mighty sts, gold-andWistful Widow) Widow) on re, then spends the next amber ring (worth 500gp), silver armband three rounds catching and eating people (worth 2,500 gp) trying to escape from the burning buildings. Special Abilities: Stop 4—Salmon Street: Street: Longtooth Armor +3: Scaly +3: Scaly hide. strafes southern Sandpoint, seing re to Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6+d6 Str+d6+d6 (re), AP 2. the Sandpoint Mercantile League, Fatman’s Breath Weapon (Fire): Cone (Fire): Cone Template, 3d6 Feedbag, and all of the buildings surrounding damage. Shark Alley. Dragons: Dragons: ignore all penalties for Illumination; immune to Fire, Paralysis, Once a wooden building is on re, the slumber , Stun; +4 damage from Cold; ignore chances of it burning to the ground are strong. up to 4 points of Scale penalties when The citizens of Sandpoint can organize bucket aacking; minor detect arcana. brigades briga des to contain the re, but can do lile to Flight: Pace Pace 24. save the buildings the dragon targets directly Flight: Size 4 (Large): Red (Large): Red dragons stand around with his breath weapon. 14′ long from nose to tail and weigh over Saving a building from burning down 2,000 lbs. They can take one extra Wound. requires heroes intervention in the form of Common, Draconic. Languages: Common, magic. Elemental manipulation is the most Languages: ecient way of stopping a re. Any power TACTICS that uses a Template and has a cold Trapping Longtooth casts deection and protection before protection before can extinguish any re, provided the spell’s he ies down to join the raid. area of effect can encompass the entire If forced into melee, Longtooth is fond of building. Additional spells aand nd eects might using Desperate Aack or Wild Aack to work, subject to game masters approval. maximize damage against a single foe. He Of course, the best way to prevent uses lower trait against foes who seem able to Longtooth from lighting these devastating hit him particularly hard. res is to kill him or drive him o. His ight Longtooth abandons the raid and ees back gives him superior mobility, but at several points during the raid he lands on the th e ground to Jorgenst to lick his wounds in area A5 if to eat a few victims—these are excellent reduced to one Wound or if he fears he may killed. times for heroes who lack the ability to y to be killed. aack the dragon.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
AFTERMATH
P TERAKTINUS
If the party kills or drives away Longtooth, Type: Evil Humanoid (Stone Giant Ranger) Sandpoint avoids a serious re that burns Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, half the town, which would leave much of Strength d12+1, Vigor d10 the population without shelter and its dock Skills: Skills: Athletics Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, district in ruins. Fighting d10, Notice d10, Persuasion d6, Stealth d8, Survival d8 If Longtooth was able to set a few blazes, (axe); Toughness: 18 18 (8) the adventurers may notice citizens who Pace: 7; Parry: 7 or 8 (axe); Toughness: Edges: Hold Hold The Line!, Ranger, Sweep, Tradeare caught inside burning buildings. You Edges: mark Weapon (handaxe), Two-Weapon can have the party complete a Multi Person Fighting Dramatic Task. See Dramatic Tasks in Gear: Handaxe (Str+d8, AP 1,AP Accurate, Bane (dwarf)), handaxe (Str+d8, 1, Accurate), EVENT 4: MILL POND tough hide armor (+3, Aegis), ring of minor protection, war horn Giants with huge tree-trunk clubs reach through second-story windows and pull Special Abilities: (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1, citizens out of their homes, knocking some Ancestry (Giant): Size 3, Swat. over the head and shackling others together Armor +3: Granite +3: Granite esh. with leg irons. (Ranger): Armor Restriction A pair led by Teraktinus lumbers through Class Abilities (Ranger): Armor (Medium), Favored Enemy (Humanoid), the streets toward the Old Light. “More Favored Terrain (Mountains), Wilderness prisoners!” they yell as they make their way Stride. through the town. “Bring us your fat, greedy Throwing: Giants are exceptionally merchants, and we will spare your miserable Rock Throwing: Giants good at throwing rocks, and can even throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range lives! Ignore us and you’ll burn in dragon re!” 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Teraktinus: See See below. P Teraktinus: • Stone Giants (2): See (2): See page 11. 11.
Pathnder Pathnd er for Savage Worlds Worlds..
14
PART ONE: STONES OVER SANDPOI SA NDPOINT NT Unstoppable: Unstoppable: Teraktinus Teraktinus
can’t suer more than one Wound from a single aack (after Soak rolls are made). Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Giant.
If confronted, the giants aempt to bargain for their lives... and the beer. • Stone Giants (3): (3): See page 11. 11 . One
stone giant is a Wild Card captain.
TACTICS Teraktinus wastes no ti time me in carrying out his own mission. He and his two bodyguards make their way through Sandpoint toward
AFTERMATH These giants waste all their time at the brewery,
the Old Light— if no one stands in their their way, and if the heroes ignore them, the building is they reach the ruins about the same time destroyed. As the raid is ending, the giants catch Gaven Deverin and, recognizing his Longtooth would be at the Hagsh. holy symbol of Abadar as one of the signs Teraktinus spends some time digging they’ve been told to look for when harvesting through the ruins for a good-sized stone for greedy prisoners, gleefully stu him into a Mokmurian, then sounds the call for retreat barrel and ee back to Jorgenst. with his war horn. If anyone gets in his way, he proves quite creative at nding things to throw at his enemies—chimneys, pieces of buildings, and wagons work as well as thrown rocks in a pinch. In any event, foes brave enough to stand in his way annoy him to such a degree that he abandons his mission long enough to try to kill them. If faced with particularly powerful foes, he uses his war horn to summon aid (Longtooth if the dragon’s still available; or the closest group of giants otherwise). Teraktinus ghts to the death if challenged.
EVENT 5: BEER OR DEATH Three giants shout threats at Two Knight Brewery, their voices booming and insistent. “If you don’t give us all the beer, we’ll smash you at!” shouts one of them. Another throws a stone at the building. “Beer or death! Your choice!” These three stone giants are late to the raid after they stopped to chase a farmer heading into town. When they arrive, they approach from the southern Lost Coast Road. Seeing the raid in full swing, they barrel across across the bridge b but ut are immed immediately iately distracted again—this time by the delicious smell of beer wafting out of Two Knight Brewery. Their voices, booming and insistent, carry
TERAKTINUS
well over the chaos of the raid. As one shouts, the other rips up from the ground the “Welcome to Sandpoint” sign—mirror and all— all — and ings it at the brew brewery. ery.
15
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
EVENT 6: LOOTING SCARNETTI MANOR At the start of this event and on succeeding rounds, have all of the heroes who are outside outs ide and have a view of Schooner Gulch Blu make Notice rolls to see smoke rising from what can only be Scarnei Manor. Five stone giants have swung wide so as
If the heroes bother to search the teakwood desk and make a Notice roll at –2, they nd a hidden compartment that contains several leers addressed to Titus Scarnei from local crime lord Jubrayl Vhiski that reveal not only that Titus hired Jubrayl to burn down several mills in the region (ensuring Scarnei’s own mill in town would gain more business), but also that Jubrayl has reversed the aack and
now blackmailing the Scarnei family for to approach Sandpoint fromlate thearrival, south—the approach resulted in their but is regular payments, lest he reveal to Sheri should allow them relative freedom in looting Hemlock that Scarnei paid one of his boys the manor houses and capturing nobles. to light those res. Two of the giants pull a large wagon If the pathnders present this evidence between them that they intend to ll with to Sheriff Hemlock and Mayor Deverin, prisoners and loot, and while they actually the Scarnei family is all but ruined and arrive at Scarnei Manor a bit late, the smoke the grateful town of Sandpoint scrapes up rising from a tipped-over wood-burning a reward of 2,000 gp for the heroes for the stove that starts a re doesn’t alert characters resolution to the troubling arsons. in town to the aack until a few rounds later, Alternatively, the Scarnettis themselves at the earliest. would pay up to 3,000 gp to the heroes to It is unlikely the heroes will arrive at the keep them quiet if the heroes come to them Scarnetti the Manor before giants have retrieved wagon full the of captives and treasure. At this point the adventurers will need to chase down this band of giants. • Stone Giants (5): See (5): See page 11. 11.
TREASURE These giants have already loaded a lot of treasure into their wagon, including four woven silk tapestries worth 1,200 gp each; three chests of silver- and gold-inlaid tableware worth 1,000 gp in all; barrels of wine, brandy, and olive oil worth a total of
rst with this evidence.
AFTERMATH If the party defeats the warband raiding the nobles’ homes, they save the Scarnei family from being carried o and stop the looting of the manor house. Such an event might be the only thing to patch up any longstanding feuds the heroes might have with the surly and cantankerous nobles.
EVENT 7: RETREAT!
At this point, Teraktinus blows his horn to 1,400 gp; and a teakwood desk inlaid with signal the retreat. The surviving giants ee silver and gold worth 600 gp. back into the tors and, over the next several All of this belongs to the Scarnei family. days, make their way back to Jorgenst with Even if the Scarnettis have become the their prisoners and treasure. heroes’ enemies, they’ll gratefully reward The heroes might be able to track them them if the party can prevent these giants from kidnapping the entire family, paying a down and defeat them before the giants can return, of course. reward of 1,000 gp. If Teraktinus makes it all the way back to Jorgenst with the stone harvested from the Old Light, Mokmurian (with Conna’s aid) soon conrms his suspicion that the traitorous Scribbler still dwells in the chambers below, Instead of running this chase scene and begins to organize a much larger raid on normally, you can use the Quick Sandpoint with the goal of destroying the site Chase Deck to create a more unique completely. experience.
CHASING THE GIANTS
16
PART ONE: STONES OVER SANDPOI SA NDPOINT NT Organizing this aack takes some time, though, so as long as the heroes don’t delay too long (more than a month) in taking the ght to Jorgenst, they can still catch Mokmurian and his minions at the fortress. This will allow the heroes some Downtime before pushing onw onward. ard. The raid fails if the giants are all slain or if their morale is shaken enough that they rout. Not every giant needs to be slain to force a rout. In fact, as soon as any two of the following three conditions are met (see bullets below),, the remain below) remaining ing giants drop ever everything ything and ee back into the tors, abandoning the raid entirely.
TERAKTINUS IS SLAIN.
LONGTOOTH IS SLAIN OR FORCED TO
FLEE BACK TO JORGENFIST.
AT LEAST TEN GIANTS AND DIRE BEARS
(in any combination) ARE SLAIN.
THE PRISONER Once the raid is
humans,” it says. “Never thought this would happen to the Plateau People. Well, Well, I can tell you this this:: My lord is mighty mighty Mokmurian Mokmurian,, one of the dark giants of old come again. His magic, the things he has made... He has convinced the tribes that they will rule all the lowlands again, down to the sea. He has mastered the ancient arts. “He will certainly kill you all, run rough over your tiny homes with the army he has called. The fortunate few will become his slaves. You You beat us today, but you won’t beat us when there are a hundred or a thousand of the Plateau People marching together. Lord Mokmurian will make it happen. He’s almost as smooth a talker as you are, little one.” He scratches his nose. “Teraktinus—he was the leader of our scouting party. He convinced us that you’d be easy pickings pickin gs and we’ we’dd all get rich. He obviously underestimated you, and he paid for his mistake. I’ve no interest in paying for that mistake as well—grant me safe passage out of your lands, and I’ll tell you everything everything you wish to kn know.” ow.”
over, the question on everyone’s mind is, “Why did the giants The heroes doubtless have plenty of aack Sandpoint?” Answers can come most easily from a captured giant—perhaps one questions for the prisoner—likely questions who was Incapacitated, but who stabilized (and the prisoner’s answers) are given below. before befo re ble bleedin eding g to dea death, th, or may maybe be one Who is Mokmurian?: “I Mokmurian?: “I already told told you you— — the heroes charmed, or otherwise defeated he’s our lord and leader. He promised us glory without killing. and riches, and though our raid on your town A lone, captured stone giant quickly loses didn’t go so well, that’s because Teraktinus much of his stoic pride pride — the shame at havi having ng was a fool. When Lord Mokmurian marches been defeated by humans hu mans coup coupled led with the down from the Storval Plateau, he will take everything.” ng.” pain of his wounds makes him quick to talk. from you everythi Prisoners remain belligerent and insulting What is Mokmurian?: “I Mokmurian?: “I have only heard unless their aitudes are compelled into a him speak from afar, and have only heard friendlier nature. from others of the power of his magic. He is If the heroes capture one or more stone the rarest of us all, a child of the stones who giants, they might learn some information has mastered the magic of the Ancient Lords. from their prisoners. Intimidation won’t work They say he can turn the living into immobile here, as the stone giants’ natural arrogance stone and his own esh into granite armor. makes them believe that all smaller creatures I’ve even heard he can cause the very stones of the world to quicken and pull those who are to be pitied and despised. A clever story and a successful Persuasion stand atop them into a tomb below the earth. roll gets a giant to say more than it intended, And I’m sure he can do much more than that.” Who are these Ancient Lords?: Lords?: “They and a raise wins over a giant completely. If a giant can be convinced to talk, read the are gone now, but our elders tell us they once ruled over our ancestors, enslaved following text. them, forced them to build the monuments The injured giant squints, frowns, and then that grace Varisia even today. Many of my chuckles to itself. “Defeated by nosy lile brothers believe that Mokmurian is one of
17
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
these Ancient Lords risen from the past to rebuild his empire.” How many giants does Mokmurian command?: “He has at least seven tribes command?: of under his command, with each tribe numbering in the dozens. The number of lesser kin he’s conscripted—ogres, hill giants, eins, trolls—is not insignicant. He also enjoys the support of several lamias— degenerate followers of the Mother of Monsters.” When is he going to aack Varisia?: “I Varisia?: “I am not sure. He sent several scouting parties, of which my band was but one, into these lowlands to gather intelligence. He does this to prepare for his coming aack. His fury will come soon. Perhaps even by month’s end.” Where is he based?: based?: “Mokmurian has claimed a place taboo to my people: the Valley of the Black Tower in the Iron Peaks. He calls his fortress Jorgenst, after the name of the fortress that guards the entrance to the afterlife. Our elders found the name blasphemous, blasphem ous, but Mokmurian is powerful enough not to fear blasphemy.” Where is Jorgenst?: “Jorgenst Jorgenst?: “Jorgenst lies within the Valley Valley of the Black Tower in the Ir Iron on Peaks. It overlooks the waters of the Muschkal Musch kal River, but can also be approached by heading east from the Storval Stairs. Lord Mokmurian himself dwells deep below Jorgenst—in hidden places he does not allow us to visit.” Why was your leader trying to steal a piece of the Old Light?: Light?: “I can’t say. He mentioned having a special mission from Lord Mokmurian, but didn’t tell me what it was. Didn’t tell any of us. My people’s elders have ways ways of prying secrets from the stones stones— — perhaps that stone knew something that Lord Mokmurian needed to learn?”
ALTERNATE INTELLIGENCE The heroes can learn much of what they need to know about Mokmurian, his army, and the location of his fortress from a captured stone giant. If they didn’t manage to take any of the raiders prisoner, though, they’ll need to discover much of that information in another way. Divination , whic which h can be used by some casters after downtime, can certainly aid in
18
this regard—skew your answers to these spells so you can provide bits and pieces of the information given above to the heroes. Alternatively, if any of Teraktinus’s giants escaped, they could return to Sandpoint to try a second raid, or maybe even hole up on Devil’s Plaer or in Mosswood and begin making regular raids into the farmlands. The heroes might then be called upon to defeat these giants, and one of them might well fall to his knees and beg for his life in trade for telling the heroes what he knows about Mokmurian.
CATCHING UP IN SANDPOINT Though there could well be a sense of urgency in the air (especially if citizens of Sandpoint have been taken prisoner by giants!), if you get the chance, you should encourage the heroes to take a day or two to rest in town before they hea head d back out. While they’ll be returning home once again at the start of the next book, after spending an entire adventure away from town over in the Hook Mountain region, the heroes are probably eager to have some time to catch up with old friends and allies. In particular, if the party stopped the raid on Scarnei Manor but discovered evidence that laid bare that family’s secrets, the town may all but demand the heroes stick around, at least long enough to ensure that the Scarneis face justice. Mayor Deverin prefers to have them arrested, and may ask the heroes to help escort Sheri Hemlock the Scarneis down to Magnimar to have them brought before that city’s justices. If you do so, you can have the heroes encounter another band of stone giants along the way, skulking around near the Lost Coast Road.
PART TWO: JOURNEY TO JORGENFIST The stone giant f for ortress tress o of f Jorgenfist is loca located ted in the middle of the Iron Peaks, almos almost t in the c center enterFrom of the entire region tha that t en encomp compasses assesseveral V Varisia arisia and the Storval Plateau. here, Mokmurian has gathered tribes of giants — mostl mostly y stone giants, but also some tribes of hill giants and groups of ogres (with a tribe of frost g giants iants en route to the fortress in the near future), and as these tribes ga gather ther in the v valley alley surr surrounding ounding the for fortress, tress, thoughts turn incre increasingly asingly t to o the promise of war...
T
he adventurers might have access to some exotic methods of travel—let them plan their journey to Jorgenst however however they
wish. This assumeson they make the journey onadventure foot (or perhaps horsebac horseback) k) from Sandpoint, up the Lost Coast Road, over to Ember Lake, then up to Galduria, Wolf’s Ear, Ravenmoor, and nally the Storval Stairs. Once they reach the top of the stairs, they can head directly east into the Iron Peaks and the Valley of the Black Tower. Up through Ravenmoor, Ravenmo or, this journey travels along roads and tracks and trails, but beyond Ravenmoor it’s open country. The journey is about 320 miles long—230 along roads, 60 along open grasslands, and 30 Pace through broken hills andjust low mountains. At 6, the journey takes over 15 days. During the journey, you can liven things up with wandering monsters. The rest of Journey to Jorgenst gives Jorgenst gives several optional encounters you can run as you see t—each of these encounters is presented in rough detail only, so you can customize details and maps to your campaign.
One such group of deserters is a band of three ogres who sneaked away from their scouting party a month ago. They spent a few weeks hiding out, and now that they’re sure the giants have returned to Jorgenst, they have emerged from hiding to begin raiding small outlying farms. The party could hear about these ogre cale rustlers while passing through a town like Galduria, or perhaps they have the good fortune of stumbling across the latest ranch to aract the ogres’ aention, and the heroes see them grabbing up livestock for supper. They could even encounter the three ogres after such a raid, in which case a Notice roll is enough for the party to hear the sound of the approaching ogresthe and theirnotice panicked, mooing catch. Once ogres the heroes, they put down their captured cows and loot, take up their weapons, and aack. P Ogre Cattle Rustlers (3): (3): See Ogre
Mercenaries below.
P OGRE MERCENARIES
OGRE CATTLE RUSTLERS
Type: Evil Humanoid (Ogre Fighter) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4,
Though theto scouting parties aretime well on their most way of back Jorgenst by the the party begins their own journey, a few deserters have struck out into the lowlands to make their own fortunes.
Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d4, Stealth d4 Pace: 7; Parry: 6 or 7 (ogre hook); Toughness: hook); Toughness: 12 (3)
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
Edges: Fighter, Frenzy, Sweep, Trademark Edges: Fighter, Weapon (ogre hook) Gear: Ogre hook (Str+d10+1, AP 3, Damaging), thick hide armor (+3, Aegis), 2x javelins (Range 4/8/16, D Damage amage Str+d6) Special Abilities: Ancestry (Ogre): Menacing, (Ogre): Menacing, Night Vision, Size 2. Class Abilities (Fighter): (Fighter): Martial Flexibility. Rending: Anyone Shaken or Wounded by an ogre hook aack from a Size 1 or larger creature begins to bleed profusely and must make a Vigor roll at the start of their next turn. Failure causes the victim to take a Wound. Success prevents the Wound but the roll must be made again on the victim’s next turn. A raise or successful healing stops the bleeding. Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
TACTICS The ogres wade into bale without much care for anything except geing to melee as quickly as they can. Once in the thick of it, they go all out to destroy their opponents one at a time. They gang up on the same foe to gain advantages and don’t split aacks unless they must for space reasons.
2 20 0
If two ogres are defeated, the remaining ogre panics and ees into the wilderness, eventually heading back to Jorgenfist to rejoin Mokmurian’s armies. Canny adventurers can follow an ogre eeing in this manner right into the Valley of the Black Tower.
TREASURE The ogres have accumulated a few bits of treasure from their raid apart from the cale: a chest lled with 6,000 sp and three barrels of ne brandy worth 300 pounds each). 400 gp each (barrels weigh
AFTERMATH If any of the scouts escape to Jorgenfist, their reports of the heroes eventually reach Mokmurian’s ears, and the keen-wied giant realizes that heroes are coming for him. For two weeks after this encounter (starting 1d6 days after the ogres ee), all of the Iron Peak patrols and guards at Jorgenst are both forewarned and exceptionally exc eptionally diligent, gaining a +2 bonus on Notice rolls made to perceive intruders.
PART TWO: JOURNEY JOUR NEY TO JORGEN JORGENFIS JORGENFI JORGE NFIST FIST ST T
SIGNS OF GIANTS As the heroes head toward the Storval Plateau, mention things that foreshadow the giants they’ll they’ ll be ghting soon. The scouting parties that have plagued the th e V Varisian arisian lowlands over the past several weeks have left their mark everywhere—some examples follow.
Rumors: Stopping at any town along the Rumors: Stopping way, the party can hear all manner of horror stories. Every third person seems to have either sighted a giant in the last few days or knows someone who has, and of these, at least half can tell stories of a friend or acquaintance who’s gone missing. In almost every case, the missing folks are merchants, hunters, or travelers, and it’s feared they’ve been killed by the giants.
Bale Site: Site: Though the scouting parties avoided direct confrontations with selements, they did aack many caravans and lone hunters they encountered along the road. These bale sites should bespeak un ique and a terrible fury, liered with shaered stones The Storval Rise is one of the most unique and pulped bodies left for the scavengers infamous landmarks in Varisia; the change in after every bit of valuable loot had been terrain from the fertile lowlands to the rugged and stony scrublands of the plateau above stripped away. Campsite: The party comes across an marks the lands of giants and barbarians with Campsite: enormous campsite. camps ite. A Att the center, a campre an unmistakable boundary. The rise often reaches dizzying heights of made of tree trunks sits in a ring of boulders, the mostly eaten carcass of a roasted 14-foot- 1,000 feet or more, but at the location known
THE STO STORVA RVALL ST STAIR AIRSS
long aurochs in the ashes. Dead Giants: Though Giants: Though the giants are strong, there are monsters like wyverns, manticores, and ame drakes that can cause even these enormous creatures problems. The heroes could come across a cairn of stones under which the body of a slain stone giant has been laid to rest.
as the Storval Stairs, the clis are only 400 feet high, and feature an ancient Thassilonian monument once used by armies of enslaved giants for easy foot travel between the lowlands and the plateau. The Storval Stairs rise in two-foot steps, and are anked on either side by immense statues of Runelord Karzoug (though the southern
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS statue has finally begun to crumble and erode) and walls of ancient towers, buildings, and dwellings. To make maers worse, six hidden giants have been stationed at the top of the stairs and stand ready to stop any who would dare intrude. Once the heroes start moving up the stairs the giants begin hurling boulders and pushing debris down the stairs. With their vantage point and the existing fortications, the giants are almost impossible to target unless the party can make it up the stairs. Doing so is a Multi-Person Dramatic task that lasts four rounds and requires a total of 4 T Task ask Tokens per character. Heroes can use Athletics, Stealth, powers (costing d6 PP), or even Fighting if they have a shield, to deect smaller rocks and debris. Allow creative characters to use other skills if they’re appropriate. Total Tokens: Result Tokens: Result 4+ party tokensreaches per player: success! The the Extraordinary top without suering any eects from the giants’ onslaught. 3 tokens per player but less than 4: The heroes may choose to reach the summit without damage but in a bad position. They start the combat Vulnerable. 2 tokens per player but less than 3: The heroes may reach the top of the stairs and are Vulnerable as above, but each has taken ta ken a Wound (which may be Soaked). Less than 2 tokens per player: The heroes may reach the top, but each is Vulnerable Vuln erable and suers 1d4 Wounds (which may be Soaked). Some complications include stairs crumbling, statues falling, or being knocked off the stairs (which could prove deadly depending on how far up the character was before he fell). The heroes can always retreat instead of arriving at the top. They still suer the Wounds, but after falling back to safety, they can aempt to recover. (6): See below. One of these • Hill Giants (6): See hill giants is a Wild Card captain.
HILL GIANT
Type: Evil Humanoid (Hill Giant) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor d10
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Skills: Athletics d6, Common KnowlSkills: edge d4, Fighting d8, Notice d6, Persuasion Persuasio n d4, Stealth d4 Pace: 7; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 13 13 (4) Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep Gear: Maul (Str+d10, AP 2), hide armor (+2). Special Abilities: Armor +2: Leathery +2: Leathery Skin. Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally good at throwing rocks, and can even throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Size 2: 10’ 2: 10’ tall Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
TACTICS The giants engage the heroes and do their best to prevent any adventurer from eeing into the plateau. If ve giants are slain, the last tries to escape back to Jorgenst to report to Mokmurian Mokmurian— — repercussions are the same in this event as for the Aftermath section for the Ogre Cale Rustlers on page 20.
TREASURE The giants keep this treasure in a mound in the back of their temporary home. The treasure consists of 3,306 sp, a carved mammoth bone statuee of a much smaller mammoth worth 700 gp, an eye patch with a mock eye of black star sapphire and moonstone worth 900 gp, a mithral anklet worth 1,000 gp, a jeweled gold crown worth 4,000 gp, a shortsword (Brutal and Accurate), a leather pouch containing seven potions minor healing , and a poti potion on of Neutr Neutralize alize Poison or Disease, and an ecient quiver containing 16 arrows (Bane (Undead)) and one sleep arrow. An Academics roll reveals that the crown is in fact the Lost Crown of the Pallgre Pallgreves ves clan, one of the oldest noble families of Janderho. The dwarves would gladly pay 10,000 gp for it.
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED The heroes earn their twelfth Advance just beforee they reach the val befor valley ley of the black tower. tower. They are now Heroic Rank.
PART THREE: VALLEY OF THE BLACK BLACK TOWER So named for the ominous spiked edifice tha that t stands as a lone sentinel over the valley’s riverside boundary boundary,, the V Valley alley of the Bl Bla ack T To ower has long been viewed as taboo by the sstone tone gia giant nt tribes tha that t dwell in and around the Iron Peaks. Their tales speak of how the magic of the Ancient Lords still functions within the Black To Tower, wer, and how one of the Ancient Lords’ minions still sti ll “lives” beyond dea death th inside.
okmurian was not deterred by the rumors surrounding the Valley of the Black Tower, and he came to the
M
The mountains give way here to a wide valley perched on the upper edge of a cli overlooking the Muschkal River. At the
valley not long was exiled. Here he discovered thatafter the he stories were true—an ancient mummy from Thassilon dwelt below the Black Tower, and had even become the patron of a small ock of particularly devout harpies. Mokmurian used his magic to impress the harpies and his silver tongue to forge a tenuous alliance with them, enough that they allowed him to explore the caves below the tower’s foundation. Therein, he discovered an ancient library, and its stores of knowledge set him along the path to Xin-Shalast.
western edgestands of theupon valleya low entrance, a lone watchtower hill, but this structure is overshadowed by the larger one that looms in the valley proper. Here stands a ring-shaped stone wall, fty feet in height height and surroun surrounding ding sev several eral buildings, the most impressive of which is a looming black tower with bladelike crenellations that overlooks the river gorge. Within the ring, a one-hundred-fty-foottall stone spire rises, surrounded by three low buildings. Apart from the black tower, ve smaller towers towers are built into the fortress wall—one of these towers is wider than the
When the Mokmurian from his journey, harpies andreturned their undead master could sense Karzoug’s inuence on him and their alliance became more solid. They even helped Mokmurian build a fortress around the cave entrance and incorporated the Black Tower into the surrounding wall. Mokmurian’s army came to populate the fortress soon thereafter—he houses his favored troops in the buildings within its walls and has directed other tribes to set up camps in the valley beyond as they arrive. The Valley of the Black Tower is relatively
others and seems to be the only gateway into the courtyard within. The fortress is not the only sign of life in the valley, for surrounding it are seven large camps of towering tents, yurts, and stone shelters. Smoke rises from campres and the sound of grating laughter and the clash of weapon training lls the air, competing with the periodic trumpeting of large and angrysounding animals from somewhere within the fortress. Stone giants are not normally warlike,
small, and Jorgenst the view within. When the partydominates rst arrives, read or paraphrase the following as they take in the view for the rst time.
mostly due to the calming and stable inuence of the wise and patient elders who traditionally shape their societies. The giants Mokmurian has called to his side, however,
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS are young and impetuous. In many cases, he gained their favor through force by publicly challenging elders to open duels and then, one by one, striking them down with his potent magic. In other cases, displays and promises of wealth (Karzoug made sure Mokmurian was loaded up with plenty of treasure from his numerous vaults before sending him back to the Storval Plateau to build an army) were all that was needed to lure the younger generation away from tradition. Today, the seven tribes encamped around Jorgenstt follow Mokmuria Jorgens Mokmurian’s n’s command commands. s. Deprived of the stabilizing inuence of their elders, and with lile but fear and awe to lead them, these giants have grown cruel and violent. Only one elder remains in the region: Conna the Wise, once Mokmurian’s tribal mother and, ironically, the only elder who didn’t support the call to exile him once his lack of true sorcerous skill was found out. Forced into servitude after Mokmurian slew her husband, Conna rarely leaves Jorgenst these days. She quietly hopes for someone to rise up against Mokmurian so she can try to return her wayward children to their traditional ways and keep them from what she believes is a suicidal and reckless plan to wage war upon Varisia. Mokmurian has other methods to control his tribe. He has branded each giant with the Sihedron Rune. Though the giants believe this to be Mokmurian’s personal rune and wear it proudly to display their allegiance to him, in fact, the rune completes the ritual of binding—when any of these stone giants dies, any elements of greed in his soul are siphoned directly into Karzoug’s runewell high in Xin-Shalast. Mokmurian also counts among his allies numerous other powerful creatures, including Longtooth, the red dragon; several lamias (of which only two priests of Lamashtu remain in the region); troll thugs; and the ancient horrors whose servitude he has mastered through research in the library deep under the Valley of the Black Tower. His most compelling method of controllin controlling g the tribe is via an ancient magic item he
24
discovered in the library—the Runeslave Cauldron. With this ancient Thassilonian artifact, once used to punish workers and ensure loyalty, Mokmurian has a powerful tool to handle any giant he discovers harboring doubts about the coming war. The cauldron unmakes giants placed inside it, then returns them to life as creatures called runeslaves—near-mindless minions to the ancient magic of Thassilon. It’s a very eective deterrent deterrent to other giants who might harbor thoughts of rebellion against their new and cruel lord. With these tactics, Mokmurian has turned his giants further and further toward evil— and all his resources will soon be directed toward the uer destruction of all of Varisia.
A1 WATCHPOST Despite being only two stories, this stone watchtower’s proportions are immense— scaled for humans it could contain up to ve oors, but the sixteen-foo sixteen-foot-tall t-tall door at the tower’s base indicates that the beings that use it are anything but human. This watchpost is run by a taiga giant named Cinderma. Exiled from her tribe several years ago after she tortured and murdered a group of dwarves who sought to forge an alliance with her tribe, Cinderma wandered the Storval Plateau before hearing rumors of an army gathering in the Iron Peaks. She presented herself and her skills to Mokmurian, and he accepted her readily enough, assigning her to this watchtower after the previous tenant was slain in an aempt to capture a young blue dragon for sacrice to Karzoug. Though Mokmurian often sends fresh runeslaves (giants punished and transformed by the powerful artifact known as the runeslave cauldron kept in area C3), Cinderma prefers to keep the day shift to herself, watching over the path leading out of mountain valley from the roof of this tower. If she sees intruders coming, she calls out a warning to the runeslaves below, who quickly throw wet wood and greenery onto a watch re that burns just outside the entrance to the tower, sending up a plume of smoke to
PART THREE: THR EE: VALLEY VALLEY OF THE TH E BLACK BL ACK TOWER TO TOWER WER WER
N A2D
A2E A5
A2F A2C A2G A1
A4 A2B
A6
A3
A2A
JOR JORGENFIST JORGENFIST GENFIST FORTRESS warn the fortress of visitors, either friendly P Cinderma: See below. or hostile. • Runeslave Hill Giants (4): See (4): See page 70. 70. In the evening, Cinderma turns over the task to her runeslaves and spends her time carousing in one of the camps to the east, P CINDERMA retiring to this tower late in the night to catch Type: Neutral Humanoid (Taiga Giant) a few hours of rest. Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Aributes: Agility Strength d12+2, Vigor d12 Most of the visitors arriving lately Skills: Athletics Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, are friendly—more tribes rallying to Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Occult d6, Stealth d4, Mokmurian’s cause—so the signal smoke Survival d10 alone won’t create a sense of alarm at the 6; Toughness: Toughness: 15 15 (2) fortress. If smoke is seen but neither Cinderma Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Edges: Sweep Sweep nor friendly visitors arrive by nightfall, Edges: however, the fortress grows concerned, and Gear: Massive spear (Str+d10), hide armor (+2). a patrol of two adult stone giants is sent to Special Abilities: investigate. slumber. If the patrol nds evidence of a ght, the Immunity: Illusion, puppet, slumber. Throwing: Giants are exceptionally fortress goes on alert for two weeks, or until Rock Throwing: Giants good at throwing rocks, and can even throw the heroes are caught. If this or any other at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range circumstance alerts the majority of Jorgenst’s 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. forces to the presence of intruders, wandering (Huge): 20’ tall, +1 Wound. pairs of stone giants begin to actively scout Size 5 (Huge): 20’ Spirit Summoning: Once Summoning: Once per day a taiga the area looking for the party. giant may spend 10 minutes performing The GM should place these roaming guards this ritual. Once completed, attacks wherever she deems appropriate. In addition, several creatures in the fortress might change their locations or tactics, as noted in their individual descriptions.
targeting the giant suer a –2 penalty for 24 hours. In addition, the giant gains one of the following benefits for 24 hours:
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS boost Fighting, boost Spirit, detect arcana , or environmental resistance (cold and heat). Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Giant.
A2 THE JORGENFIST ARMY Jorg enfist Jorgenf ist is not nea nearly rly large larg e eno enough ugh to house the multiple tribes of giants who have answered Mokmurian’s call for war—and
and hope that the wealth and power they’ll gain during the war will allow them to return to their ancestral lands on the shores of Lake Skotha and wrest control of a prime site from an established clan of more peaceful stone giants.
A2b RED SHIELD AND NIGHTSHADE: These two allied ogre clans have banded
even if it were, the taboo nature of the fortress together form one tribe led under Beshk (anto ogre barbarian). Much of theirPapa time would keep most of the giants from wanting is spent bickering and ghting among themto camp within the fortress walls. selves—Mokmurian selves—Mokm urian has been forced to send Instead, these giants are scaered in seven his own giants into this camp no less than ve camps placed around the fortress, each times to ociate disputes and keep ghting corresponding to one of the major giant tribes to a minimum. In all, 46 ogres dwell here. that have thrown in their lot with Mokmurian. The sheer number of giants dwelling within A2c MAIDENS OF MINDERHAL: This each of these camps should discourage the tribe of 11 stone giants is unusual for its adventurers from considering a direct and composition. Entirely female, this tribe has a open assault on Jorgenst—fortunately for reputation for being among the cruelest and the heroes, Mokmurian has forbidden any of most excessive in its vile ways. Many other giants have tried to woo these giants from entering the stone ring that constitutes Jorgenst’s walls, for fear that if members of the Maidens only to be rebued they knew the true nature of his plans, allies, (at best) or mutilated (at worst). This group is led by an exceptionally tall giant woman and dealings, they would desert his army. If the party can make it through these named Halvara (a female stone giant cleric). camps and into the fortress, fortress , they have lile to A2d JORMUNSIR: Led by a one-eyed, grizworry about from these giants. Stealth, ight, zled old giant named Vlorian (a male stone and even entrance into the fortress via the giant ranger), the Jormunsir number 20 stone deathweb cave (area A4) are all ne methods giants strong. Their secret hope is to use the of avoiding direct confrontations with the wealth and power gained from conquering giants in the surrounding camps. Varisia to claim the lands near Minderhal’s Nevertheless, Neverthe less, should the number of giants Anvil as their own. and their leaders become important, they are summarized below. Many of the stone giant A2e VALISSGANDER: This tribe of stone numbers 18thug strong—their leader is(aa groups have a single leader, having broken giants loud and abusive named Zinderall from their people’s traditions of rulership. male stone giant ghter), whose followers Note that only the leaders of these are days away from implementing a swift tribes have had any direct contact with and brutal coup. Mokmurian, so few of these giants have any They plan on feeding their chieftain reliable information about what lies within Jorgenst’s walls. walls. They aall ll bear the Sihedron (who still doesn’t suspect his minions are Rune either between their shoulders or at the planning his doom) to Longtooth, but small of their backs, branded there during haven’t yet decided on who among them the ritual of empowerment by one of the two will replace him—the only thing that’s lamia priests (known to most of the giants currently keeping Zinderall alive, unknown out here as the Lion Sisters) when they joined to him. Mokmurian’s armies. A2f CRANNOCH: The 22 stone giants A2a BLACK FIST: This tribe consists of of the Crannoch tribe are the most ecient 32 hill giants led by a beady-eyed chieftain hunters in the region—as a result, this camp named Doach (a hill giant ghter). ghter ). These hill is usually empty save for a few giants while giants are completely loyal to Mokmurian the rest are out hunting. A dozen dire bears
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PART THREE: THR EE: V VALLE ALLEY Y OF T THE HE BL BLACK ACK TOWER TO TOWER WER WER round out this tribe’s inhabitants—they are led by a giant of few words named Oriandian (a stone giant ranger).
A2g KAVARVATTI: This was the tribe that once counted Mokmurian as its own. Until his return, the Kavarvais were led by two elders, a couple named n amed V Vandarrec andarrec and Conna. When Mokmurian returned from Xin-Shalast,
This cavern overlooks the Muschkal River at a height of 50 feet, and has long been home to a nest of particularly hearty wyverns. Mokmurian secured the aid of these six wyverns for his imminent aack, but for now the wyverns are content to leave the giants living in the valley above alone. • Wyverns (6): See (6): See below.
he challenged his tribe to. bale and defe defeated ated (but father did notVandarrec yet kill) him him. WYVERNS He seized control of the tribe and led them here, then brought the broken-spirited Type: Evil Dragon (Wyvern) Aributes: Agility Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Vandarrec and Conna down to the Shrine of Aributes: Strength d12, Vigor d10 the Ancestors in area B6, where he murdered Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d10, Notice d10, the old giant before his wife’s shocked eyes. Stealth d6 Conna knew it would be foolish to openly 7; Toughness: Toughness: 12 12 (2) oppose Mokmurian at the time, both because Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Frenzy (Imp) Edges: Frenzy he had wrested control of the tribe and Edges: because his own powers far exceeded hers, Special Abilities: +2: Draconic scales. so she swallowed her rage and pride and Armor +2: Draconic Bite/Sting: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2. pledged her service to him, secretly vowing Bite/Sting: Flight: Flight: Pace Pace 8. Immune: Slumber, Stun. to do what she could to engineer a revenge. Mokmurian ceded the day-to-day rule of Night Vision: Wyverns Vision: Wyverns ignore all penalties the Kavarvai tribe to Barl Breakbones, a giant for Illumination. who soon became Mokmurian’s wizardly Poison (–2): The (–2): The wyvern’s stinger contains apprentice. After Barl’s defeat at Hook a Mild poison. Mountain, rulership of the Kavarvais fell Size 3: 3: Wyverns are 16’ long, weighing to one of Barl’s bodyguards, a hulking brute nearly 2,000 lbs. named Drogart (a male stone giant ghter). Languages: Draconic. Languages: Draconic. Drogart recently discovered Barl’s fate, and while he’s disappointed that his tribe TACTICS won’t be augmented by the Kreeg ogres, the The wyverns ght as a group, ganging up unexpected windfall of becoming chieftain on a foe while the others aempt to grapple has gone a long way toward soothing and sting. his spirits. Barl was a cruel chieftain, but Drogart might be worse—what he lacks in Barl’s magical power, Drogart Drogart more than makes up for in brute sadism. He often has his giants scouring the Storval Plateau for Shoanti to torment.
A3 WYVERN CAVE A musky smell lingers near the entrance entrance to this cave—a thick, almost reptilian stink. Dozens of bones, many immense mammoth or aurochs remains, lie scaered on the ledge overlooking the river fty feet below.
The remaining wyverns flee into the mountains if three other wyverns are killed.
TREASURE The wyverns have a re opal that fascinates them endlessly— they’ve pla placed ced the spark sparkling ling gemstone atop a low mound of sand in the center of their cave, where they can watch it as the sun rises and they drift o to sleep. The re opal is worth only 200 gp, a paltry sum compared to the value of the rest of their treasure that lies heaped, almost forgoen, in the southwest spur cave. Buried under a collection of favorite skulls, horse and elk thighbones, and well-gnawed bits of hide is a chest contai containing ning 1,435 gp and 2,987 sp. Behind the chest lies an ancient
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
RIVER CAVES
S
TO THE PIT AND AND CAVERNS
A3
A4
N
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET
sta of evocation the wyverns found in a Thassilonian ruin.
A4 DEATHWEB CAVE This cave crawls. Countless bloated, manylegged insects trample one another as they carpet the floor and climb the walls, creating a susurrus of a million clicking bug legs. The deepest part of the cave seems to be unnaturally thick with darkness and fallen webs. webs.
through this maze leads into the caves below Jorgenst— Jorgenst — see ar area ea B7b for mor moree detai details. ls. This cave was the nest of several giant funnel web spiders years ago, but Mokmurian used them to test out a vile ritual he learned from several books on necromancy in the Library of Thassilon (see area C7), turning them into undead monsters called deathwebs. These creatures resemble stocky, partially decayed spiders the size of horses, yet closer inspection reveals the horrid truth—they are animated of giant spiders undead that are infested withshells swarms of equally arachnids.
This cave’s entrance is 250 feet above the narrow beach below. The insects covering • Deathwebs (6): See (6): See below. One deathweb the oor are disgusting but mostly harmless, is a Wild Card and is Size 3. aracted to the cool darkness and the bodies left by the creatures that lair deeper in. The innermost reach of the cave is thick DEATHWEB with webs spun by the undead denizens of Type: Evil Undead (Deathweb) the cave. As long as these webs remain, a Aributes: Agility 8, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Aributes: Notice roll at –2 is required to see the secret Strength d12+1, Vigor d10 door in the cave’s northern wall. If the webs Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d8, Notice d8, are cleared, the Notice roll has no penalty. Stealth d8 The tunnel beyond leads on a winding route into a mazelike system of narrow tunnels infested with redcaps. One route
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Pace: 6; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: 11 (2) Toughness: 11 Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities: Armor +2: Undead +2: Undead exoskeleton.
PART THREE: THR EE: V VALLE ALLEY Y OF T THE HE BL BLACK ACK TOWER TO TOWER WER WER
Bite: Str+d6, AP 2. Darkvision: Darkvision: Deathwebs Deathwebs
ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Infestation: Infestation: A swarm of poisonous spiders, which nest within the exoskeleton, constantly surround a deathweb in a Medium Blast Template. Anyone starting their turn in the area must Evade or take 2d6 damage.
Poison (–1): The (–1): The deathweb’s bite delivers a
Lethal poison. Size 2: The 2: The exoskeleton is 10 feet long.
TACTICS The deathwebs aack all creatures save for Mokmurian who dare enter the cave, but they wait a few rounds for intruders to make their way in deeper before they strike. The deathwebs ght until destroyed.
TREASURE Though the deathwebs don’t collect treasure deliberately, over the years many foolish adventurers have come into their clutches (as have a few wyverns and giants). As a result, the cave is cluered with old webs, withered skins, and old bones, along with a dozen longswords (one of them a large longsword with Accurate), a halberd (Damaging, Keen), three large warhammers, a set of full plate armor, and a gauntlet of rust. rus t.
A5 LONGTOOTH’S CAVE This cave entrance is dicult to reach except from the air: The entrance is 450 feet up
LOOK OUT FOR FALLING ROCS The nest of rocs in the spire (A13) keep an eye for intruders during the day. If they spot anyone Size 0 or smaller, they screech out and aack the invaders. These giant birds can provide an additional challenge if introduced during another combat, such as with the mammoth riding giant or the harpies.
that were traveling with him), Mokmurian oered Longtooth a job. In return for his life, Longtooth agreed to serve Mokmurian. The prospect intrigued the dragon, and now, years after his initial defeat, he and Mokmurian have become grudging friends. Longtooth has been instrumental in the capture of dozens of younger dragons over those years—dragons that Mokmurian sacriced to Karzoug—as few creatures on Golarion yield greedier souls than dragons. If Longtooth survived the raid on Sandpoint and managed to make it back to this cave, he is bier and foul-tempered about his failure and nurses a grudge against the heroes. h eroes. When he sought out aid from Mokmurian, the stone giant was enraged that Longtooth ed the bale and fforbade orbade his la lamias mias from providing the dragon with any healing.
Sullen toand cantankerous, Longtooth the side of a near-vertical mountain face. retreated this cave to recover naturally, and Shaered skeletons of dozens of animals, does not come to the aid of Jorgenst if the wyverns, and even a few rocs lier the ground alarm is raised. Memories of his initial defeat far below the cave entrance. at Mokmurian’s hands have returned to his Within, the cave is a simple aair, 240 yards thoughts, and though he has gathered much deep and 60 yards wide. The nal 60 yards treasure for himself since joining the giant, of depth are strewn with thousands and he’s seen how much more Mokmurian has thousands of coins (mostly copper). Footing claimed for himself over the years. here is treacherous, as the coins slip and slide Longtooth has grown discontented with his underfoot for Size 0 or smaller creatures. For role as Mokmurian’s minion, and this latest such creatures, Athletics rolls suer a –2. development developm ent has pushed him over the edge. This cave is the lair of one of Mokmurian’s If the heroes confront the bier dragon in allies, the young red dragon Longtooth. his lair, themtoattry once The giant baled the dragon on his journey but doesLongtooth not aack.recognizes He’s not eager try his back from Xin-Shalast, but rather than slay luck against the heroes again so soon after the dragon after their ght (even though they’ve defeated him, and he instead oers Longtooth killed a half-dozen of the lamias them a truce.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
N
TOWER OWER A14: THE BLACK TOWER T OWER A7
A13
F
F
F
A11
A12 1
A9
F
A10
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET F
A14: BLACK TOWER CRYPT A8
C F
A14
F
A6
JORGENFIST JOR JORGENFIST GENFIST
1 SQUARE = 12 FEET STAIRS UP UP DOWN
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET
He’ll tell them everything he knows about In all, the coins consist of 360,055 cp, Jorgenst and Mokmurian, if in return the 23,145 sp, 3,403 gp, and 23 pp. In addition, adventurers promise to leave him alone and the collection of treasure includes several grant him a share of any treasure they take gemstones: a water opal worth 1,000 gp, a rich out of Jorgenst. His initial aitude toward blue diamond worth 1,600 gp, and a black the them is unfriendly, but if they can make opal worth 8,000 gp are Longtooth’s favorites, him helpful, he’ll even volunteer his aid in though there are 53 additional gems worth a fighting against the stone giants (though total of 3,500 gp. in this case he demands two shares of the A ne linen tapestries depicting monks treasure). sparring in a courtyard is rolled up and leans Longtooth knows quite a bit about against the wall—this tapestry weighs 50 Mokmurian. Feel free to tailor what he knows pounds but is worth 600 gp. Finally, a set to your group—if they’re doing well so far, of solid silver idols sits on a ledge on the you might only want to reveal to the party a innermost wall. These idols are each worth rough estimate of the creatures dwelling in 600 gp— gp — they depict a wy wyvern vern with a human Jorgenst and the caverns below. rider, a human warrior trampling a demon If they’re having some trouble, you might underfoot, a centaur dressed in plate mail want to have Longtooth sketch out a map armor, and a leaping sh with a wide mouth of the cavern level for them. Longtooth has lled with teeth. never been into the library level below the A sixth idol is in fact made of platinum. caverns, but he does suspect that a deeper It depicts Runelord Karzoug, and is level exists. worth 5,000 gp. P Longtooth: See page 13
TREASURE Though a carpet of coins covers the innermost section of Longtooth’s cave, most of these coins are copper pieces.
330 0
GATE A6 THE STONE GATE The fortress has a solid stone gate—two doors that tower 20 feet high and 12 feet wide apiece. It ts neatly into the wall between two of the 72-foot-high towers, and looks very dicult to open. A Strength roll at –2 is
PART THREE: THR EE: V VALLE ALLEY Y OF T THE HE BL BLACK ACK TOWER TO TOWER WER WER required to push open the gate, so long as the stone bar inside is not lowered in place. If the bar is lowered, siege equipment is the best chance to force the gate open. The guardians of this gate are a group of unusual harpies— students of the Black Monk (see area A14). These harpies were living in nests atop the Black Tower when Mokmurian
P Harpy Monks (3): See (3): See below.
P HARPY MONK
Type: Evil Monstrous Humanoid (Harpy Monk) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d6 Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d10, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, rstthe visited, theyto were intrigued enough by giant and to agree an alliance. Performance d8, Persuasion d8, Stealth d4 They forbade him from entering the Black Pace: 5; Parry: 8; 8; Toughness: Toughness: 9 9 (3) Tower, but had no cares about him exploring Block, Brawler, Counteraack, Dodge, Edges: Block, Edges: the caves below. Monk, Mystic Powers (Monk) These harpies are students of the ancient Mystic Powers: Powers: Boost Trait (Agility, (Agility, Athletics, undead monk that dwells within the Black Fighting, Stealth), Stealth), deection, smite, speed. speed. Tower. After thousands of years of solitude, Power Points: 10 Points: 10 even the undead can grow lonely and ache for Gear: Ring of minor protection. companionship—when six harpies entered Special Abilities: the tower nearly two decades ago, the Black Armor +1: Tough +1: Tough hide. Monk only killed three before oering the Captivating Song: When Song: When a harpy sings, all surviving three the opportunity to train as non-harpies within 100 yards must make
its pupils. Seeing this as a way to escape the mummy’s wrath, the harpies agreed, but soon found that the ancients’ lore suited them well. Today, the harpies see themselvess as the guardians themselve of the Black Tower, the lair of their undead master. It was the Black Monk’s decision to allow Mokmurian to use the site as a base, for reasons the harpies don’t care to know.
a Spirit roll. Anyone who fails must move towards the harpy, using the most direct path possible. Anyone encountering a cli or other hazard gets another Spirit roll to end the eect before moving into peril. The eect lasts as long as the harpy sings. Those who succeed on the Spirit roll are immune to the captivating song for 24 hours. Class Abilities (Monk): (Monk): Armor Restriction (Any), Stunning Fist, Unarmed Strike. Claws: Str+d8, Claws: Str+d8, AP 2. Darkvision: Harpies Darkvision: Harpies ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Flight: Pace Flight: Pace 12. Languages: Common. Languages: Common.
In daylight at night, the harpies keeporthe bargain they made with the giants; they sing softly, with just a 75-foot range, and the giants leave them be in exchange for their help in guarding the gate from intrusions. The harpies draw creatures away from the fortress, over the cliffs. Though the HARPY MONK giants sometimes hear snatches of the song, they are largely immune to it (though ogres and young giants do sometimes fall from the clis in suspicious accidents).
TACTICS These harpies are fond of using their captivating song to aract prey, ying out over the river, and luring victims into walking o the edge of the cli. They prefer to enter melee only when they can all gang up on a single foe at a time. A harpy flees into the mountains if she is reduced to one Wound.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
A7 JORGENFIST WALLS The walls surrounding the fortress are made of enormous blocks of stone sealed together via magic. They are 10 yards wide at the base and not entirely vertical; they slope inward slightly and become about ve yards wide on the balements, which are 50 feet high. Having poor handholds, the walls require an Athletics roll at –2 to ascend. The four towers are 48 feet square and 70 feet tall, with at least one wide rock-throwing slot on each side. The tops are conical, and the interiors have from ground level (which is darkstairs and going used for storage) to a single interior oor 40 feet up. A single stone giant watches the approach to Jorgenst from each of the rooms atop the four towers. Each has a stack of 50 rocks at hand to throw at approaching enemies. • Stone Giants (1 per tower): tower): See page
13. 13.
A8 JORGENFIST COURTYARD A large area of hard-packed earth lls the southwestern quadrant of Jorgenfist—a courtyard used by those giants who are allowed to dwell within the compound for public gatherings.
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The courtyard’s lack of cover presents a challenge to anyone attempting to move stealthily through the area. Further complicating movement through the area during the day is the 75% chance that a single stone giant is in the nal steps of breaking a recently caught mammoth in the yard. The mammoth remains wild and angry enough that when it spots the heroes, it issues an indignant trumpeting and charges— charges — much to its stone giant rider’s shock! P Stone Giant: Giant: See page 11. 11 . This stone
giant is a Wild Card with Riding d8 and the Beast Bond Edge.
• Mammoth: See below.
MAMMOTH Type: Neutral Animal (Elephant, Mammoth) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Strength d12+5, Vigor d12 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d10, Notice d10, Survival d8 Pace: 7; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 14 14 (1) Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities:
Armor +1: Thick +1: Thick hide. Gore: Str+d6, AP 2 (counts as horns).
Low
Light Vision: Vision: Elephants ignore penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination.
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Size 4 (Large): Elephants (Large): Elephants can take one extra
Wound. Trample: Str+d8.
A9 THE PIT A pit at the center of the fort serves as the primary entrance into the underground portions of the stone giants’ fortress. The ramp leading down into the pit winds down to area B1 in the caverns below Jorgenst. Characters who descend without stealth into the pit quickly aract the aention of the dire bears in area B1 and the stone giant champion in area B3, and may even draw retaliation from giants still active in the surrounding areas inside of Jorgenst’s walls. The pit is 27 yards deep. The pit floor is a tangle of bones and broken bodies, a combination of humanoid, giant, and even four dragon corpses (three blues and a red, all Large). Flocks of crows, buzzards, and other
A Survival roll at –1 is enough to keep the mammoths from trumpeting a warning that brings giant giantss to investi investigate gate withi within n 1d4 + 1 rounds. If the mammoths are aacked, they ght back with an unexpected rage, crashing out of their pens with ease. (3): See page 32. 32. • Mammoths (3): See
TACTICS The mammoths ght separately, trumpeting and Pushing any character they catch in their tusks in the direction of the stable exit or, if the ght proceeds into the courtyards, into the pit at area A9. The mammoths ght to the death. TREASURE The mammoths have no treasure, though their tack and harness is worth 300 gp per set.
A11 THE FEASTING FEASTING HALL
scavenging birds swarm over the bodies, picking at the esh until only bones remain. This huge hall is well stocked with smoked meat, bread, casks of ale, and long benches An investigation of the uneaten carcasses and tables built for giants. revealss that they all have the Sihedron Rune reveal It’s hard to see in the hall’s dim light; the carved crudely on their torsos in the case of only illumination comes in through the the humanoids and dragons, or branded on doors and through smoke holes in the ceiling. the small of the back in the case of giants. The A large, crackling crackling repit burns eager eagerly ly in the bodies bodi es are all that rema remain in of those Mokmu Mokmurian rian middle of the large hall. and his lamia priests have sacrificed to Karzoug’s runewell. These sacrices draw large crowds to the This hall is lled with supplies for the coming pit edge, and constitute the only instances war, stocked over the past several months by in which giants other than those favored hunters and gatherers and guarded by one by Mo Mokm kmur uria ian n are all allowe owed d in insi side de th thee fortress walls.
A10 THE MAMMOTH STABLES STABLES The air in this building is close, warm, and thick with the smell of manure. Three enormous stalls sit against the southeast wall—each is sized to house something incredibly large. This stable is used to house several woolly mammoths, mounts used by stone giant cavalry. The three stalls in the stable are each occupied by a single foul-tempered woolly mammoth.
of Mokmurian’s favorite pets, grizzled cave bear that stands nearly 14 afeet tall at the shoulder. Named Embers, the bear knows that anyone shorter than eight feet in height has no business in here, and he roars a challenge to any such intruders a second before he lumbers to the aack. If Jorgenst isn’t on alert already, the bear’s roars certainly do the trick and rouse the giants to defend the fortress. P Embers: Embers: See See below.
P EMBERS Type: Neutral Animal (Dire Bear)
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d8, Aributes: Agility While the tribes still keep bears as watch Strength d12+6, Vigor d12+2 animals and hunting companions, since the Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Fighting d10, Notice d12 coming of Lamashtu’s missionaries they are (+2), Stealth d8 no longer worshiped. Mokmurian initially Pace: 7; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8; Toughness: 15 15 (4) had this hall built and decorated to satisfy Edges: Alertness, Edges: Alertness, Block, Brute, Killer Instinct tribal traditions, but his army now openly Special Abilities: worships Lamashtu or has lost interest in Armor +4: Tough maers of faith entirely. +4: Tough hide. Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d8. Str+d8. Since the loss of interest, Mokmurian Low Light Vision: Bears Vision: Bears ignore penalties has used this building as guest quarters to for Dim and Dark Illumination. house giants whose allegiance and tribes he Grab (Imp): A (Imp): A dire bear may immediately is courting. For hill giants, ogres, and even make a grappling aempt as a free action most stone giant tribes, Mokmurian doesn’t if it gets a raise on a claw aack against a bother with this stage— stage — he simpl simply y enters the target of its Size or less. camp, demonstrates his power by killing the Size 5: 5: Embers stands 14 feet tall and tribe’s elders or most powerful champions, weighs over 4,000 pounds. it can take one then takes their warriors and malcontents extra Wound. away to join his army. Swat: Swat: Ignores Ignores 4 points of Scale penalties. But with the more dangerous giant tribes tribes— — TACTICS notably frost giant tribes—Mokmurian has Embers prefers to attack smaller foes opted to use more diplomatic tactics. rather than medium ones. He uses Wild A pair of frost giants, emissaries from the Aack or Desperate Aack on all Fighting northern reaches of the Kodar Mountains rolls. The bear knows beer than to aack that overlook Irrisen, have been staying in large humanoids, and only aacks them in this building for the last week, after securing self defense. an allegiance with Mokmurian. Their tribe, 30 strong, is on the march south and is scheduled Embers ghts to the death. to arrive at Jorgenst in several weeks—the TREASURE arrival of these frost giants will signal the Embers has no treasure, but his pelt is worth time for the aack on Varisia. a great deal, even marked with cuts and scars Until then, Isvig and Jaansk, frost giant (but not if burnt or destroyed by re or acid). brothers, have passed the time waiting here, If the hide is treated carefully with a Surviva Survivall sullen and cranky in the too-war too-warm-for-them m-for-them roll at –2, it is worth 1,200 gp. weather and uninterested in mingling with the other giants of the area. The frost giants do not join in the defense of the fortress, but if intruders dare enter this room, they aack at once, grateful for something to take out their The inside of this stone building is very dark; frustration on. there are no windows, and just one smoke hole far above. The space is dominated domina ted by an Jaansk: See below. P Isvig and Jaansk: See immense bed, its maress heaped high with numerous furs. Inside, hundreds of bear skulls are neatly P ISVIG AND JAANSK arranged on large shelves, as well as a golden Type: Evil Humanoid (Frost Giant) bear pelt, a black bear pelt, and even a white Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, bear pelt, all presented with an almost Strength d12+2, Vigor d10 religious signicance. Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d4,
A12 THE BEAR’S HALL
In older days, the stone giants and ogres of the th e Storval Plateau worshiped bear totems, and their berserkers and shamans found strength in the physical example of the dire bear.
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Fighting d8, 6 Intimidation d8, Notice d8 Pace: 7; Parry: or 5 (greataxe); Toughness: (greataxe); Toughness: 15 (4) Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep
PART THR THREE: EE: V VALLEY ALLEY OF THE TH E BL BLACK ACK TOWER TOWER TOWER WER Gear: Large greataxe (Str+d10, AP 3), chain shirt (+3). Special Abilities: Armor +1: Icy +1: Icy skin. Environmental Weakness: Fire. Weakness: Fire. Immunity: Cold. Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally good at throwing rocks, and can even throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Size 4: 15’ 4: 15’ tall, +1 Wound. Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Giant.
launch out of the spire nest to swoop down and aack, likely alerting the surrounding areas to the intrusion as well. • Rocs (2): See (2): See below.
ROCC RO Type: Neutral Animal (Roc)
Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit d6, Aributes: Agility Strength d12+2, Vigor d8 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d6 TREASURE Pace: 4; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 14 14 Edges: — — The brothers keep their personal stores of Edges: treasure in a large hide sack between their Special Abilities: Claws: Str+d6. Str+d6. sleeping furs. This includes 998 gp, 1,082 sp, Claws: Flight: Pace Pace 12. three brown-green garnets worth 100 gp each, Flight: Vision: Rocs ignore penalties for a platinum ewer worth 700 gp, and a solid Low Light Vision: Rocs Dim and Dark Illumination. mithral idol of a rearing bear worth 500 gp. Size 8: The 8: The typical roc is 30’ in length with an 80’ wingspan. It weighs 8,000 lbs on average. It can take two Wounds before being Incapacitated. Incapacitated. White streaks cover the sides of this stone TACTICS spire and the surrounding ground, thick as The rocs prefer to aack creatures on the paint.. Among thes paint thesee immens immensee bird dropp droppings ings ground with yby aacks, staying well out are splintered elk bones and scraps of hide. of reach of melee. With their Pace 12 ying The spire rises to a needle point one movement,, they can certainly make it work. movement hundred and fty feet above, but at a height of fty feet an opening in the northern face If one roc is killed, the other immediately allows access to a round chamber within retreats to its nest. If confronted there, it which has been built an enormous nest. ghts to the death.
A13 THE SPIRE
The tall central spike monolith of the castle is not the most important structure, but at feet high, itThe towers theancient walls and150 watchtowers. spikeover is an Thassilonian watchpost that’s become the nesting site for two partly tamed rocs. They nest in the nine-yard-diameter chamber partway up the spire’s height. The rocs serve the stone giants as messengers, mounts, and guardians, but they are still violent and ill-tempered. During daylight hours, they are likely to spot intruders approaching the castle. At night, they sleep in their nest, but squawk at the sound of intruders or combat on the spike,
A14 THE BLACK BLACK TOWER This tower is not like the others that compose the fort—its architectural style is far more intricate and ancient in appearance, bearing similarities to many of the other ancient monuments that dot the Varisian landsca landscape. pe. Made of o f bblack lack stone and de decorated corated with gargoyle garg oyles, s, the tower’ tower’ss walls are stre streake akedd with thick lichens and moss. It soars twice as high as the other towers, its facade eectively dominating the view. The Black Tower is part of an ancient building from Thassilon’s time, once known as the
Therassic Monastery. The tower served as a waking the entire fortress. The two rocs do not aack giants, but if they bell tower and lookout for an order of evil spot any Size 0 or smaller humanoids (or any monks devoted to the worship of the Peacock Size 2 or smaller animals), they shriek and
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Spirit, a mysterious faith whose rituals were grant him the great honor of protecting 18 sacred scrolls from the library. These scrolls kept secret from all but the initiated. The tower’s gargoyles depict saints and are kept in a large iron scroll tube the monk demons of the Thassilonian pantheon, never releases his grip on. The Black Monk is quite insane after all this though they are so weathered that they are unrecognizable today save as vaguely time, and anyone who makes a Notice roll can hear him speaking in Thassilonian, muering, demonic forms. The Black Tower has one entrance, a large “The green light! The green light! The green light!” over and over again. His eyes burn stone that swings open easily at interior a touch green, and he sees only the pain and rage of on thedoor northwest facade. The tower seems much colder than it should be, even so his order’s disbanding and decay. Once or twice per century, the Black Monk high in the mountains. The stone walls and oor glier with a thin experiences periods of lucidity—it was coat of frost, making movement in the largely during one of these that he took the harpies empty chamber treacherous (see Dicult under his tutelage, and when he felt his insanity creeping back, he ordered them out Ground in Savage Pathnder). Pathnder). of his lair and forbade them ever to return. A Notice roll reveals a trap door set in the Now, he views any who dare enter his oor in the middle of the room, its face coated with ice as well. Like the entrance doors, tomb as thieves searching for the scrolls he the trap door swings open easily with the so fervently guards. slightest tug to reveal a six-foot-wide circular Monk: See below. P The Black Monk: See shaft that drops into the darkness below. (5): See below. • Deadly Zombies (5): See This shaft is 50 feet deep, and opens into a circular crypt with a domed, 20-foot-high ceiling. The oor here is icy as well, and the P THE BLACK BLACK MONK air cold enough to qualify as hazardous (See Type: Evil Undead (Mummy Monk) Cold in Pathnder for Savage Worlds). Worlds). Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, The primary denizen of this chamber is an Strength d12+4, Vigor d10 ancient Thassilonian monk, wrapped tightly Skills: Skills: Athletics d10, Common Knowland preserved as an undead guardian. Over edge d4, Fighting d10, Focus d8, Notice d10, the next 10,000 years, the Black Monk (as Occult d8, Stealth d4 he took to calling himself) remained here, Pace: –; Parry: 8; 8; Toughness: 13 (4) Toughness: 13 guarding the monastery grounds. Hindrances: Obligation Hindrances: Obligation (Major) As time consumed the complex, the Black Edges: Edges: Arcane Arcane Background (Magic), Block, Tower eventually became the only part of the building to survive survive above above ground, protect protected ed by the same prese preserv rvativ ativee magi magicc that enhan enhanced ced all Thassilon’s monuments. Ironically, the Black Monk was not an initiate authorized to enter the library that the Therassic Monastery was built to protect, and for the past several thousand years his charge has dwindled to this tiny room, more than a metaphor for his constricting mind and personality. The Black Monk is tightly bound in linens linens — having perfected an ancient secret of mentally powered supernatural ight, he no longer needs his legs. Although he was not high enough in rank to peruse the library’s lore, his brothers did
36
Brawler, Counterattack, Dodge, Frenzy (Imp), Great Ki, Monk, Mystic Powers (Monk) Mystic Powers: Powers: Boost Trait (Agility, (Agility, Athletics, Fighting, Stealth, Strength), deection, Strength), deection, proprotection, smite, speed, wall walker, warrior’s gift. gift. Powers: Beast Powers: Beast friend , friend , blast ,, bolt ,, damage damage eld eld , elemental manipulation. elemental manipulation. Power Points: 25 Points: 25 Gear: Belt of major physical might (Strength), ring of the ram (45 charges) Special Abilities: Armor +4: Blessed +4: Blessed mummy wrappings. Bash: Bash: Str+d8, Str+d8, AP 2. Breath of Death (Fatigue): Whenever (Fatigue): Whenever a face card is dealt to the Black Monk, as a limited free action, it can exhale tomb gas (Cone Template). A Vigor roll resists this eect (this Fatigue can cause death).
PART THREE: THR EE: V VALLE ALLEY Y OF T THE HE BL BLACK ACK TOWER TO TOWER WER WER
Class Abilities (Monk): Armor (Monk): Armor Restriction
(Any), Stunning Fist, Unarmed Strike. Fear (–2): The (–2): The aura of despair emanating from the Black Monk causes terror in mortals. Environmental Weakness: Fire. Weakness: Fire. Flight: Flight: Pace Pace 8. Hardy: Hardy: The creature does not suffer a Wound from being Shaken twice. Immunity: Cold, disease, poison. Infection: Infection: Creature killed by Breath of Death rises as a zombie (see the Bestiary Bestiary)) in 1d6 rounds. Zombies created in this manner are under the Black Monk’s control. Mummy Rot: Anyone Shaken or Wounded by a mummy’s aack must make a Vigor roll or contract Mummy Rot. This is both a curse and disease, it can only be cured if the curse is rst removed. Mummy rot is a lethal disease that requires a Vigor roll every day. The victim can’t benet from natural healing or the Healing skill. Aempts useroll. healing on the character suer –2 totothe Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; no additional damage from Called Shots; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; doesn’t breath bre athe; e; imm immun unee to disea di sease se and poison; ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Unstoppable: Unstoppable: The Black Monk can’t suer more than one Wound from a single aack (after Soak rolls are made). Languages: Common, Giant, Languages: Thessalonian.
DEADLY ZOMBIE Type: Evil Undead (Zombie) Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d12, Vigor d8 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d4, Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, Shooting d6 Pace: 4; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7; Toughness: 8 8 Edges: No Edges: No Mercy Special Abilities: Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d8. Str+d8. Fearless: Fearless: Zombies Zombies are immune to Fear and Intimidation.
A MARTIAL MASTER The Black Monk is not only a terrifying undead, but also a master in martial arts. Take a moment to review the Monk Edge and all other Edges associated with it. This one of a kind creature should be a terrifying terrifying encounter for the party. Combining Hardy, Indomitable, Fear, and a high Parry and Toughness, the heroes must use every trick at their disposal.
Hardy: Hardy: The
creature does not suffer a Wound from being Shaken twice. Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from being Shaken; no additional damage from Called Shots; ignores 1 point of Wound
penalties; doesn’t immunefor to disease and poison;breathe; ignore penalties Illumination up to 10”. Weakness (Head): (Head): Called Shots to a zombie’s head do the usual +4 damage.
TACTICS The Black Monk uses his Powers against foes who can remain out of reach of his melee aacks. The Black Monk fights to the death.
TREASURE
The scrolls the Black Monk guards are an incredible treasure. Even the monk himself doesn’t know what the tube contains—only that he was commanded to guard it with both his life and undeath. The scroll tube is made of adamantine and is cleverly locked by a series of THE BLACK interconnected spinning discs that MONK function almost like a combination lock. A Thievery roll at –4 is needed to pick the lock. Alternatively, a character who can read Thassilonian can use the runes on the scroll case to puzzle out the combination with an Academics roll at –2 and several
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RUNELORDS ORDS R ISE OF THE RUNEL HANDOUT 4–1
hours of work. Anyone who does not speak Thassilonian can make the Academics check, but at –4. If all else fails the tube can be forced open (Hardness 17 and several hours of determined work), work ), bu butt doi doing ng so dest destroys roys 1d4 + 5 of th thee non-artifact scrolls inside (determine which ones are ruined randomly). The scroll tube is worth worth 1,200 gp inta intact ct — if destroyed to force it open, it’s still worth 200 gp as a curiosity. The scrolls kept inside were known, collectively, as the Emerald Codex of the Therassic Order, a compilation of spells and enlightened rituals related to the worship of the Peacock Spirit, a once-powerful faith of the Thassilonian Empire. The codex consists of 18 large scrolls prepared on wyvern hide—they must be han handle dled d wit with h ext extrem remee car caree to avo avoid id fragmentation. All 18 scrolls are wrien in Thassilonian. The rst nine comprise a minor artifact called the anathema archive (see page 7 2 —these pages are never destroyed by mishandling or damage to the container). The next eight scrolls contain one spell each: 2x relief with with Restoration, 2x healing healing with with Greater, resurrection , divination , smite, dispel. dispel. The nal scroll describes the entrance to the th e library (area C7) and even gives the password
required to bypass the guardian bound to the entrance. This scroll is reproduced above as Handout 4–1.
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED Defeating the Black Monk and locating the scroll that gains them access to the lower levels earns the heroes their thirteenth Advance.
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PART FOUR: UNDER JORGENFIST The caves caves und under er Jorgenfist might llook ook na natural tural t to o the untr untrained ained ey eye, e, but they are in fact all that remains of the upper subterranean level once hidden under the Therassic Monaster Monastery y — onl only y one chamber on this level still bears bear s a passing resemblance t to o its original sh shape ape (the cha chamber mber of the Sihedron in the nor northeastern theastern corner of the complex). The others ha have ve crumbled away into the more na natura tural-appe l-appearin aring g ca cavern vernss they a are re toda today y. Few of the complex’s current inhabitants know the true history of the place pla ce they call home.
T
he air in these caves is a bit warmer than that outside, but numerous tiny ventilation tunnels keep the caves from
When Jorgenst is not on alert, these giants can generally be found relaxing in the great cave in area B4 during the day or sleeping in
growing too stale. Most of the stone giants Mokmurian recruited from his old tribe live on the surface in area A2g—these caves are used primarily for workshops, worship, and barracks for comm commanders anders in his army. The caves have high ceilings, averaging 20 feet in the tunnels, while in caverns they generally arch to heights of 40 feet. The walls, oor, and ceiling are rough and laced with furrows and air vents, but despite their almost wrinkled look remain quite strong. Stone giants are particular about their lairs, and there’s lile chance of cave-ins here.
their barracks in area B10 atthese night. When caves are on alert, though, giants liethe in wait in area B2, ready to defend the caves from invaders or to respond to sounds of combat elsewhere in the complex.
Though Mokmurian has forbidden most of the rank-and-le giants of his army (including those from his old tribe) entrance into these caves, he did select four loyal stone giants as guardians. These “pit guardians” report to Galenmir, the general of Mokmurian’s army.
A NOISY DESCENT Remember that if the party does not use stealth in their descent down the pit into area A9, they draw the aention of the dire bears in B1 and the stone giant in B3.
B1 CAVE OF THE DIRE BEARS The oor of this cavern is a bone-strewn mess. What appear to be three dens of bones, bits of cloth and leather, and swaths of maed fur line the w walls alls to the east. east. The air in hhere ere is thick with the scent of animal dung and spoiled meat. Three dire bears live in this cave. Trained, in theory, to guard the entrance, the bears actually spend much of their time sleeping. If the alarm is raised, a giant makes sure to rouse the bears—otherwise, the sleeping animals take a –2 penalty on Notice rolls to hear intruders passing by the entrance of their cave. • Dire Bears (3): See (3): See page 12. 12.
TACTICS The dire bears ght to defend the entrance to the caverns and nothing else. They use their claws at rst and might try to Push a foe o the ramp if position allows it.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
THE PIT AND CAVERNS B11
B6 B12
1 SQUARE = 12 FEET STAIRS UP DOWN
B2
B4 A9 B3
B1
1
B13
S
B5A
B15
B10
N
B5B B7B
B7A B14 B9
TO THE SMALL TUNNELS
B8
If the heroes retreat out of the caves to the surface above, the bears let them escape after spending a few rounds roaring and hung at the top of the ramp. The dire bears ght to the death.
AFTERMATH If a ght here spills out onto the ramp in area A9, Galenmir emerges from his lair in area B3 onto the pit oor of area A9 to hurl boulders at anyone in sight on the ramp above.
B2 THE ELDERS’ ENTRYWAY The ramp ends here at a cave entrance that leads underground, while the bonestrewn oor of the pit sprawls before it. A smoldering brazier sits in an alcove just to the right of the entrance. If the fortress is on alert, the caverns’ four stone giant pit guardians are stationed here, two in the western tunnel and two to the north. Otherwise, this entrance might at rst seem empty, but in fact the stone giant elder Conna waits to intercept the heroes here, hidden in the side cave near the brazier.
TO LIBRARY LEVEL
Conna is an old, angular giant. She wears heavy bearskins over her shoulders, and a spear rests by her side. When she spots the party, she steps out of hiding and holds out her hands to them, palms up. Conna is observant, and since she bowed before Mokmurian, she’s mad madee sure to spea speak k only when spoken to and to take care of Mokmurian’s infrequent demands with swift eciency. As a result, Mokmurian has grown used to her presence, and lax in what he says when she is in earshot. She’s doubtless heard about the raid on Sandpoint by now, and if the heroes are known to be approaching Jorgenfist, she awaits their arrival with anticipation. When she sees the party, she furtively aempts to contact them, speaking rst in Giant, then in Common. If the heroes aack her, she sighs heavily and ghts defensively, trying to reason with them. Otherwise she aempts to escape out of the pit to reconsider her options. If the heroes agree to hear what she has to say, she’s quick and to the point. “I don’t have much time, but know that if you are here here to slay Mokmurian, Mokmurian, I am your
40 40
PAR ART T FOUR: UN UNDER DER JORGENFIST ally. Come with me to a place we can speak in peace, for I would aid you in your quarrel here—without my assistance you might nd only your grav graves es below Jorgenst. Jorgenst.”” If the heroes accompany her, she leads them to area B6 to nish her conversation with them in the presence of her ghostly husband.
Conna doesn’t want to ght the heroes. Her tactics focus on escape so she can recover and plan a new method of contacting the party and once again try to plead her case and recruit them against Mokmurian.
B3 THE GENERAL’S LAIR
This cavern opens out to the east onto the bony tangle of the below. pit oor; a hanging dire bear • Stone giants (4): See (4): See page fur over over this exit is ddrawn rawn open CONNA 11. 11. THE WISE but can be pulled shut to keep out the draft. The rest of the walls are lined with furs P CONNA THE WISE as well, including the oor—they’re piled Type: Neutral Humanoid (Stone Giant partic par ticula ularly rly hig highh to form for m a mattre mat tress ss to Sorcerer) the south. Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d12+2, Vigor d12 The hanging furs conceal an exit to the west Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d8, Common Knowled Knowledge ge d8, that leads deeper into the tunnels (marked Fighting d6, Notice d8, Occult d10, sion d8, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d8Persua- “S”). Seeing this exit from inside the room requires a Notice roll. Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5; Toughness: 16 16 (5) The cavern is the home of Galenmir, Hindrances: Elderly, Hindrances: Elderly, Vow Mokmurian’s general and second-inEdges: Dodge, Edges: Dodge, Extraction, Sorcerer, Sweep Powers: Blind , bolt , , burst ,, deection , detect Powers: detect command of his army. Galenmir cares lile arcana , dispel ,, y , light , , protec protection tion , , puppet puppet.. whom he follows as long as he has the opportunity to lead others in bale and to Power Points: 25 Points: 25 Gear: Shortspear (Str+d8, AP 1, Accurate), gain more glory for himself. potion of major healing , headband of boost When Mokmurian assigned Galenmir to Spellcasting (Increases Spellcasting (Increases Spellcasting one die this cave, the proud giant rankled a bit at type while worn), ring of energy resistance what he interpreted as “door guard” duty. (acid), ring of minor protection. Given those are his orders, though, Galenmir Special Abilities: performs them admirably, rewarding himself Ancestry (Giant): Night (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1, in the hours before sleep by generating aack Size 3, Swat. plans for every possible contingency and Armor +3: Granite +3: Granite esh. situation once his army marches on Varisia. Class Abilities (Sorcerer): (Sorcerer): Arcane P Galenmir: See below. Background (Sorcerer), (Sorcerer ), Armor Interference (Any), Bloodline (Elemental). Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally P GALENMIR good at throwing rocks, and can even throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Type: Evil Humanoid (Stone Giant Fighter) Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d12+5, Vigor d10 Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Draconic, Giant. Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d8, d 8, Common Knowledg Knowledgee d8, TACTICS Fighting d10, Intimidation d6, Notice d8, Wise: See P Conna the Wise:
Conna casts be deection deection whenever shetactic thinks there might combat. Her main is to stall. She fights defensively when she can. If she has time to prepare, she casts y casts y on herself.
Persuasion d4, Riding d6, Stealth d8, Survival d6 Pace: 6; Parry: 7 or 9 (Shield); (Shield); Toughness: Toughness: 17 17 (7)
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Though Galenmir is no coward, he realizes Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Mean Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Edges: Block, Deadly Blow, Fighter, First when he’s been beaten. If reduced to one Edges: intangibility Strike, Frenzy (Imp), Level Headed, Mar- Wound, he drinks his potion of intangibility and seeps into the cracks and crevices of the tial Flexibility (Improved) Gear: Handaxe (Str+d8, AP 1, Accurate, caves, working his way up and out of the pit Keen), potion of major healing , potion of to gather a group of eight stone giants to then minor intangibility intangibility ( ( ), breast- lead back into the pit to seek out the heroes. plate (+4, Fortication), medium shield (+2 While he’s aware Mokmurian will likely Parry), cloak of elvenkind, 19 pp, 18 gp. be furious at this breach of edict, Galenmir Special Abilities: assumes his lord will be even more furious Ancestry (Giant): Night (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1, if the heroes are allowed to explore the caves Size 3, Swat. uncontested. Armor +3: Granite +3: Granite esh. Class Abilities (Fighter (Fighter): ): Martial Martial Flexibility. TREASURE Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally Galenmir’s wealth is mostly invested in his good at throwing rocks, and can even gear, but he also has an impressive collection throw at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, of scalps and war trophies. Range 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. This includes the preserved head of a frost Common, Giant. Languages: Common, Languages: giant jarl, the beards of 100 dwarves (each neatly bundled and secured with a silver ring TACTICS worth 10 gp), part of a marsh giant’s grossly Galenmir has stacked several rocks next to the elastic but impressively taooed hide, and pit entrance to his lair and uses these against intruders. He always uses bits of broken and dented breastplates from the plate armor of a dozen dierent warriors Wild Aack or Desperate (worth 20 gp each). Aack to inict the most Galenmir’s favorite collection is a neatly damage on his enemies. sorted grouping of 33 shields, each marked with the name of a human, elf, or dwarf hero Galenmir defeated in combat. He remembers each one; anyone who makes a Common Knowledge roll recognizes that one of the shields belonged to Anstan Jeggare, an exiled bastard bast ard from the affluen affl uentt Jeggare Jegg are fami family ly of Korvosa. This shield alone is magical—a heavy shield (Arrow Deection). If it’s returned to the Jeggare family, the nobles pay full price as a reward (rather than the standard half price if the shield is sold s old on the market).
B4 THE GREAT GREAT CAVE OF JORGENFIST
GALENMIR
This huge cavern contains four large tables set up around a central platform on which sits an immense stone throne. From the ceiling above hang carved stalactites, some fashioned fashion ed to look like dangling dangling spears, spears, others like dragon’s teeth. The ickering light of a large re burns behind a row of stalagmites to the south.
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PAR ART T FOUR: UN UNDER DER JORGENFIST If Jorgenst is not on the alert, during the day, the caverns’ four pit guardians can be found here relaxing, eating, wrestling, or telling slow stories. They aren’t paying particular aention and take a –2 penalty on Notice rolls. • Stone Giants (4): See (4): See page 11. 11.
B5A KITCHEN A larg largee firepit fir epit burn burnss and crac crackles kles in the eastern part of this cave, with an iron cauldron hanging over the flames from a frame of tree trunks. Kitchen supplies sized for giants sit along the southern wall, including buckets of water, wooden trenchers for food, and gallon-sized mugs. This room is always occupied, even late at night, by Grumelda the watcher, a female stone giant with a particular knack for preparing bland food.
B6 SHRINE OF THE ANCESTORS The walls of this cave are painted with red, yellow, yello w, brown, brow n, and blac blackk figures, figu res, among amon g which are apparent images of giants, mammoths, elk, deer, and wyverns. Others are harder to figure out: ogres, perhaps,, or giant ch perhaps children, ildren, or ev even en humans. humans. The dwarves are very clear, with beards and tiny axes being crushed under enormous giant feet. A simple simple oil lantern lights a sma small ll altar at the far end of the cavern. A modest oering of antlers, hooves, and patches of fur has been piled in fron frontt of the altar. When Mokmurian rst came to these caves, he set up this small shrine dedicated to his people’s ancestral spirits. As he became more and more obsessed with Thassilon, his interest in religion waned, and after he
returned was fromtoXin-Shalast, his rst act this She keeps the re burning at all hours, chamber sacrice Vandarrec, thein father ready to prepare whatever meals Mokmurian of his old tribe. may demand. Grumelda has lile interest in The now-deposed mother of his tribe, Conna, war and ghting, but if she spies trouble in the great cave to the north, she races into the has tended to this shrine since Mokmurian’s blasphemous sacrice, and only she knows room, wielding a long iron ladle as a club. that it is her husband’s spirit that haunts this 11 . chamber. The other giants have learned to P Grumelda: See Stone giant, page 11. avoid this cave due to the haunt. This stone giant is a Wild Card. If the heroes enter this cave without Conna, the haunt plays out as detailed later in this encounter. Conna’s presence soothes the angry spirit, and as long as she is in the This room is a carnivore’s paradise: The cave is packed with entire sides of elk, smoked room, the haunt does notone manifest beyond periodically animating of the cave haunches of deer and wild boar, and massive paintings so that it appears to dance just at slabs that can only be mammoth ribs. The the corner of the viewer’s eye. room is lled with stacks of meat of all kinds, Conna explains to the party what happened smaller quantities of spices and roots, and to her husband here several years ago, then many sacks of grain. goes on to explain that Mokmurian’s minions A closer search of the smoked meat here avoid this cave because of the haunting. Since Vandarrec’s spirit remains quiet in Conna’s reveals some gruesome human, elven, and dwarven remains. One small barrel is labeled presence, this is a perfect place to have a brief “CANDY” in Giant—inside are hundreds of meeting with the heroes about their common human, elf, and dwarf eyes oating in a thick problem—Mokmurian. Though few visit here, Conna remains suspension of foul-smelling brine.
B5B LARDER
nervous rushed. She asksbut the regardless party why they haveand come to Jorgenst, of their answer does her best to convince them that slaying Mokmurian is the solution to their problems.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL ORDS RUNELORDS
NOISY NEIGHBORS As soon as a ght starts in B7a, B8, B9, or B10, the denizens from the nearby rooms come to join in the ght. The combat should consist of 6 Stone Giants, 3 Ogre Mercenaries, and Enga Keckvia. The tactics of each enemy group will change depending on which room this combat occurs in.
She can tell them that Mokmurian has spent almost all of his time in the library level below this one, and she can even draw the heroes a rough map of the caves, suggesting they approach area B14 from the west rather than the north—even though that route is longer, there are fewer perils along the way. She requests that if they encounter any more stone giants, they defeat the giants without killing them, if possible, but understands if the heroes have lile interest interest in complying complying— — her kin, in her mind, have brought this doom upon themselves through their own actions. Conna will not accompany the party, mostly out of stubborn respect for her traditions— once a giant elder has been deposed, that elder must not directly oppose the new ruler. Yet she is comfortable answering questions about the surrounding caverns, and she agrees to cast spells on the heroes if they wish. Before she parts ways with the party, Conna grudgingly tells them one more thing. She fears that Mokmurian has fallen under the inuence of a powerful evil spirit indeed— one of the Ancient Lords themselves. She has heard him whisper a name when he felt he was alone. The name is “Karzoug,” a name Conna recognizes from secret myths shared by the elders. Karzoug was one of those who enslaved her people, and if Mokmurian has fallen victim to this Ancient Lord’s inuence, the danger facing her people and all of Varisia may be greater than anyone knows.
FLAYED GIANT FLAYED GIANT Type: Haunt (24-ft.-radi (24-ft.-radius us hemisphere from center of alter); Notice Check: Check: No (everyone notices the paintings on the walls begin moving); Trigger: Proximity; Proximity; Wounds: Wounds: 1; 1; Reset: Reset: 1 1 day Eect: Vandarrec’s Eect: Vandarrec’s blasphemous sacrice has bound him to this world— his soul cannot move on to the afterlife until the one who performed this profane act is himself slain. Until then, Vandarrec’s tormented spirit haunts this chamber. 1d4 rounds after any creature enters this room, the cave paintings on the wall suddenly animate into a display of violence. A heartbeat later, the largest giant in the mural seems to rise up out of the wall, taking the shape of an enormous stone giant. With shocking speed, unseen knives flay the giant’s stony esh and cut deep into the phantom’s belly so its exposed guts drip with black blood. blood. It moans in terrible pain and reaches out to crush anyone within 4” (24 feet) of the altar with its bloodstained hands. Everyone in the area must make a Spirit roll to avoid being Stunned for 3 rounds as they are paralyzed by the grueso gruesome me sight. Anyone Stunned must then make a Vigor roll or take one Fatigue as the ghostly giant seems to crush their bodies to a pulp.
CONVICTION AWARDED! CONVICTION AWARDED If the heroes ally with Conna and work to save her people from the tyrant Mokmurian instead of just killing them, award them Conviction.
B7A ENGA’S CAVE This cave is cluttered by tiny mounds of carefully sorted junk—bones, scraps of armor, broken weapons, stones, dead rats, and sections of chitin harvested from large vermin. A ne nett ha hamm mmoc oc k ha hang ngss f ro rom m a pa ir of stalagmites to the southwest near a
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PAR ART T FOUR: UN UNDER DER JORGENFIST four-foot-wide crack crack in the wall that winds deeper underground.
P Enga Keckvia: See Keckvia: See below.
During his travels through the Storval P ENGA KECKVIA Plateau, not long after he returned from Xin- Type: Evil Humanoid (Kobold Barbarian) Shalast, Mokmurian encountered a curious Aributes: Aributes: Agility Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, creature—a kobold barbarian named Strength d12, Vigor d10 Enga Keckvia. Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d4, Mokmurian initially ignored the brave lile Fighting d12, Notice d9, Stealth d12, Surkobold when she demanded payment from vival d8 him for using her territory (a dried riverbed) Pace: 8; Parry: 10; 10; Toughness: Toughness: 10 10 (4) as a road, but when she stabbed him in the Hindrances: Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Bloodthirsty, Obligation (Minor) ankle, he realized there was more to her than Edges: Edges: Barbarian, Extraction (Imp), Fast he thought. Healer, First Strike, Giant Killer, Luck, Nerves of Steel (Imp) He was intrigued and oered her a place in his army, guring he might need a brave, Gear: Shorspear (Str+d8, AP 1, Accurate, Damaging, Light), sling (Range 4/8/16, powerful, lile thing like Enga for special Damage Str+d4), light shield (+1 Parry), missions. Enga, a wanderer from distant chain shirt (+3, Aegis), major necklace of Andoran, had seen enough hardship during reballs, 11 gp, 12 sp, 12 cp her travels and liked the idea of a paying job. Special Abilities: Enga’s role these days is twofold. Her Armor +1: Scaley +1: Scaley skin. primary job is to guard this passage from Darkvision, Size –1. Ancestry: Darkvision, vermin or other intrusions. Two or three times Ancestry: Class Abilities (Barbarian): (Barbarian): Armor a week, she makes forays into the tunnels to Restriction (Medium), Fast, Rage. hunt down and kill the vermin that grow Weakness (Lig When in full sunlight, or (Light): ht): When within. Her other job is to serve as a liaison exposed to bright light, Kobolds suer a –1 between the giants and the tribes of redcaps redcaps penalty to Notice rolls. that dwell deep in the caves (see area B7b). Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Draconic, Giant. Neither the giants nor the redcaps enjoy each other’s company overmuch, but though they live in close proximity, they don’t have overlapping territories. Periodically, Mokmurian demands tributes and favors from the redcaps, and at these times, Enga becomes his messenge messengerr and collector. The arrival of humans and other nongiant visitors in the cave puzzles Enga, particularly if they don’t enter her lair from the southwestern entrance, but she recovers quickly enough to y into a frothing frenzy just before before she aacks. She doesn’t stop to double-check whether the heroes should be here or not—and even if they aempt to distract or trick her with aempts to pass themselves o as allies of Mokmurian, the eager-to-fight barbarian still aacks. Being able to present to Mokmurian is certain to get her ahumans bonus to her pay, after all—making new friends doesn’t really interest her at all.
ENGA KECKVIA
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
TACTICS
blood-soaked pointy caps, and wield scythes Enga is brave and fearless, despite (or much larger than their size might suggest perhaps due to) her small stature. She focuses they’re capable of wielding. Adventurers who spend much time in her anger on healers rst and foremost. Enga ees to the southwest if reduced to these caves are guaranteed to encounter a one Wound, hoping to lose her tormenters in murder party of ve redcaps—the redcaps the mazelike region. If she’s got a few rounds, take intrusions into these tight caves very she rigs a quick but deadly trap by removing personally and very violently.
her necklace of reballs (but keeping one (5): See below. • Redcaps (5): See bead) and leav leaving ing it on the ground. She then moves about 20 yards away and waits; once she sees someone reach the REDCAP necklace, she throws her bead and detonates Type: Evil Fey (Redcap) the entire necklace at once. She then doubles Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, back to area B7a via a dieren dierentt route and Strength d10, Vigor d10 seeks out one of the lamias in area B13 for aid. Skills: Skills: A Athletics thletics d10, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Stealth d10 Pace: 8; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 10 10 (5) The narrow crack in the southwest wall Edges: Edges: Formation Formation Fighter, Level Headed connects to a tangled maze of caves the giants Gear: Scythe (Str+d8, AP 1), leather armor (+2)
B7B THE SMALL TUNNELS
Special Abilities: Armor +3: Enchanted +3: Enchanted skin. Boot Stomp: Stomp: Redcaps wear heavy iron boots with spiked spiked soles. They can make aan n aack with them as a limited free action, dealing Str+d4 damage. Fey: Fey: Ignore penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination; +4 damage from cold iron. Weakness (Irreligious): Bitter and (Irreligious): blasp bla sphem hemous ous,, redcap red capss can’t can ’t st stand and the symbols of good-aligned religions. Presenting such a holy symbol causes a redcap to make a Spirit roll or be Panicked for two rounds. Once tested, they are over and under eachriddled other inwith a tangled immune to the effect for the rest of an dimensional maze dead threeends. encounter. You can expand these tunnels as you wish, but Tactics: The creature adds any Gang lile beyond their possible use as an alternate Pack Tactics: The Up bonus to its Fighting damage rolls. entrance into the caverns has any impact on Size –2: Redcaps –2: Redcaps stand only 3’ tall. the adventure. Languages: Aklo, Aklo, Common, Giant, Sylvan. The redcaps have lived in the small caves Languages: for decades— they once had full run of these caverns, but when Mokmurian moved in and the giant killed several of their number, This room reeks of vinegar, roing hair, and the fey were forced to remain in the River worse. A single large stone basin sits in the Caves. They’ve grudgingly ceded the caves middle of the room, about twelve feet square to the giants, hoping that Mokmurian will and lled with foul-looking uid upon which eventually get tired and move on, but for oat patches of wet wet fu fur. r. now the redcaps are making do with their Around the basin sstand tand a dozen wooden new lot in life. frames fra mes over whic whichh lea leather ther and hides hide s are The redcaps are diminutive, gnomelike
to as the River Caves. These tunnels arefer winding route south, eventually endinglead at a secret door that opens into area A4. Along this way, dozens of other tunnels intersect the primary passage, sloping ever downward in an increasingly vexing maze. These tunnels are infested with all manner of vermin, rats, slimes, and other creatures, but the most dangerous are a large clan of violent redcaps. Navigating the small tunnels is a claustrophobic ordeal. The tunnels vary between three and six feet wide and wrap
B8 T TANNERY ANNERY
creatures who wear spiked iron boots and
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PAR ART T FOUR: UN UNDER DER JORGENFIST stretched. At At the far end of the cave, a stinking mound of hides and furs awaits tanning. The wet fur belongs to bear hides currently being tanned; additional hides are stretched on racks here, ready to be taken up to the surface for softening and further working. These hides and leathers will eventually be turned into tabards and patches for giants to wear over their armor to further enhance their fearsome natures. The liquid in the vat vat is particularly particularly foul foul— —a character who falls into the stu must make a Vigor roll or suer one Fatigue. A trio of ogre ghters, kept docile and loyal via a combination of threats and abuse from the lamia priests and, periodically, Mokmurian himself, toils here daily to supply leather and furs for the growing army above. They look upon an intrusion by the heroes as an excuse to quit work for at least a few minutes to take part in a ght, and do so with great guaws and chortles. P Ogre Mercenaries (3): See (3): See page 19. 19.
TACTICS These ogres are as interested in humiliating the heroes as they are in hurting them, and often aempt to knock them into the tanning vat.
B9 ARMORY The of thisalmost roomregular. have been chiseled awaywalls and made Four anvils stand in the middle of the room, while to the south burns a bright forge fire. Immense bellows stand near a row of low iron cages, each featuring a lthy mound of straw. The bellows’ handles extend through the cages, allowing anyone imprisoned within to work the bellows without the necessity of leaving their connes. To the north, mounds of steel and the broken and bent pieces of a dozen weapons await work. Most of the weapons and armor being forged for the coming war are created elsewhere, either in the surrounding camps or at tribal forges in the Iron Peaks (as in the case of the
Kreeg clan). This forge is concerned mostly with repairing broken or damaged weapons. Two stone giant smiths work here, repairing the broken weapons almost as fast as they’re coming in. The cages near the bellows contain ve dwarven prisoners, all of whom might not be immediately recognizable as dwarves, as the giants have shaved o their beards for the sport of it. If the giants managed to capture any unnamed citizens from Sandpoint and made it all the way back here, they have joined the dwarves dwarv es in these cages. The prisoners are all exhausted, but if freed, they grab up broken weapons and eagerly (if foolishly) join any ght against the giants. • Stone Giants (2): See (2): See page 11. 11.
B10 PIT GUARDIAN BARRACKS The widens here intowith a gallery, the wallstunnel of which are streaked gliering veins of mica. To the north, four large mounds of furs have been arranged—a nimbus of bones and bits of half-eaten food lies strewn around each. The four pit guardians sleep here—if the alarm isn’t raised and it’s night, the adventurers find the four giants snoring loudly in these makeshift beds. (4): See page 11. 11. • Stone Giants (4): See
B11 CHAMBER OF THE SIHEDRON The doors to this room are made of stone and carved carve d with an immense seve seven-pointed n-pointed star— the Sihedron Rune. The doors themselves are unlocked but quite heavy and require a Strength roll to push open—causing them to grind on their ancient stone hinges, announcing the heroes loudly to the room’s caretaker. This immense hall is an unexpected break from the rough stone walls of caverns and caves. The rectangular chamber is sixty feet wide and a hundred and twenty feet long, with riblike spines arching up to a vaulted ceiling fty feet overhead.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL ORDS RUNELORDS The room’s oor is loose soil, while the wall opposite the doors is carved with an immense bas-relief of a seven-pointed star. Throughout the room, seven fteen-foot-tall tree trunks have been driven into the ground like immense stakes, their sides carved with countless more stars. Each trunk has been ed with an iron ring from which dangle chains affixed to manacles. Next to each trunk stands an iron brazier lled with smoldering coals. A long branding iron, its tip also featuring the seven-pointed star, leans against each brazier.
Karzoug’s imminent freedom as surely as any other sacrice. The soil on the floor of this room was brought broug ht in by the chamb chamber’s er’s guardian guard ian so even here, underground, he could feel more at home. Among the giants of the Storval Plateau periodically rise those who are greater than
Though the original purpose of this room is lost to the ages, the carvings of the Sihedron Rune made it a perfect place for Mokmurian to use as an indoctrination chamber. When he returned to Jorgenst, he, his lamia minions, and a particularly vile giant named Lokansir took time to run each of his new recruits
their kin. In these giants, the in ancient of Thassilon still runs strong their magic thews and blood, resulting in particularly powerful powerful members of an already mighty race. As he was escorting his new lamia allies back from Xin-Shalast to Jorgenst, Mokmurian encountered one of these Thassilonian scions, a nomadic hill giant named Lokansir. Mokmurian sensed the greatness in Lokansir and made an oer: join his army and take part in the looting lootin g of Varisia, Varisia, and Mokmurian would make Lokansir rich and powerful. The two spoke often during the remainder
through a grueling which their minds were assaulted,ritual their in bodies puried, and their esh branded with the Sihedron Rune. While these giants believe this ritual is merely symbolic of joining Mokmurian’s army, it has a hidden purpose—it is the same ritual used by other agents of Karzoug to prepare
of the journey, andLokansir by the had timebecome they’d reached Jorgenfist, Mokmurian’s closest and most trusted ally. Lokansir was particularly enthralled by Mokmurian’s stories of Xin-Shalast, and the Thassilonian hill giant became one of the few to whom Mokmurian conded his true goal of awakening Karzoug by oering up an incredible number of specially prepared souls of greed. Since then, Lokansir has grown ever more obsessed with Thassilon, particularly the
rsouls u n e for w e his l l. When any of these gi an ts die, their souls power
LOKANSIR
stories of how thetoancients used rune giants control other giants. He’s made a few trips into the Library of Thassilon (area C7) but is far too dim-wied and impa impatient tient to learn much from the tomes there. Instead, he decorated his shoulders and arms with Thassilonian runes in an aempt to focus this magic, but so far, these experiments have had no real results. His current desire is to make the journey to Xin-Shalast himself, but he’s contented himself with the coming war for now— there will be plenty of time for visits to the Kodar Mountains once Varisia is conquered. Lokansir is likely in this room meditating when the party first
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PAR ART T FOUR: UN UNDER DER JORGENFIST enters, melded with the soil and earth on the oor and thus hidden completely. If he notices intruders, he waits for them to draw near to his hiding spot in the earth before emerging Be sure to look at the lamia tactics with a roar to strike with his greatclub. in B13 before nishing the encounter If during the raid on Sandpoint any of the in B12 or B14. These deadly ladies giants made o with named citizens, they are simply need to prep some spells found here, barely conscious and hanging before joining in the bloo bloodshed. dshed. by the t he arms from manacles. Badly tortured and Incapacitated, each prisoner has been branded on the chest with the Sihedron Rune. around much in combat except to get in The ritual of preparation complete, they reach of enemies to crush them with his await awa it sacrice at the Pit Pit— — an event scheduled scheduled favorite club. Lokansir melds into earth if reduced to one for some point only a few days after the Wound and waits for his Fast Regeneration to heroes rst arrive in the region. heal him completely before emerging. P Lokansir: Lokansir: See See below. If somehow prevented from using this tactic, the desperate giant tries to ee out of the caves up into Jorgenst to nd more P LOKANSIR earth to hide in. If he manages to heal all Type: Evil Humanoid (Hill Giant) of his Wounds, he tracks down the heroes Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, for revenge. Strength d12+5, Vigor d12 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Fighting d10, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Persuasion Persuasi on d4, Stealth d4 The passageway widens here into a Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7; Toughness: 17 17 (5) cylindrical cavern, the walls black with soot Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Hindrances: Bloodthirsty, Curious and scorch marks. Edges: Arcane Edges: Arcane Resistance, First Strike, Frenzy, Sweep (Imp) Two young red dragons are being kept here Gear: Massive greatclub (Str+d12, AP 2) for eventual sacrifice to Karzoug—each Special Abilities: dragon has already been marked with the Armor +5: Tough +5: Tough skin. Ancestry (Giant): Low (Giant): Low Light Vision, Size 4 Sihedron Rune. Since branding works poorly on creatures immune to re, Mokmurian (+1 Wound), Swat. marked the dragons by etching the star into Burrow (2”): Lokansir (2”): Lokansir can meld into earth a large scale on the back of each of their heads. and remain as long as he wishes. When they were first captured by Earth-Shaking Bellow: The Bellow: The rst round of combat and whenever Lokansir draws a Mokmurian and Longtooth, these two young face card, he can loose an earth-shaking dragons fought tenaciously. They were bellow as a limited limited free action. Thi Thiss makes subdued nonetheless, bound in iron, and hauled back here, where Lokansir aided in everyone in a Cone Template Vulnerable. Meld Into Earth: While burrowing, preparing the dragons for sacrice. Lokansir gains Fast Regeneration. Regeneration. The lamia priestesses then used their Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally charm abilities to befriend the dragons, and good at throwing rocks, and can even throw have repeated this process every few days at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range for several weeks. The dragons now view 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. the lamias as their mistresses and wear the
NOISY NEIGHBORS
B12 DRAGON CAPTIVES
Languages: Common, Giant. Languages: Common,
Sihedron Rune with pride. They take quick offense to intruders, TACTICS roaring warnings to their lamia mistresses Lokansir isn’t too bright, and his combat and quickly attacking with their fiery tactics reect that. He rarely bothers moving breath weapons.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
Both dragons are still under the eect of the lamias’ charm abilities. If a dragon is released from this charm eect, it quickly realizes what’s been done to it and ies to area B13 for vengeance, abandoning its ght against the heroes and aacking with fury any lamias it nds there before aempting to escape the caverns entirely. The dragons have no interest in rewarding party for being released—in a way, they view their not attacking them as reward enough.toAny herohim whoquickly try to nds force himself a freed dragon reward in combat with it. • Econtredor and Sulminga: See Sulminga: See below.
ECONTREDOR AND SULMINGA
Special Abilities: Armor +3: Scaly +3: Scaly hide. Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6+d6 Str+d6+d6 (re), AP 2. Breath Weapon (Fire): Cone (Fire): Cone Template, 3d6 damage. Dragons: Dragons: Ignore all penalties for Illumination; immune to re, paralysis, damage from co cold; ld; igno ignore re slumber , Stun; +4 damage up to 4 points of Scale penalties when aacking; minor detect arcana. Flight: Flight: Pace Pace 24. Resilient: Resilient: These dragons can take one Wound before they’re Incapacitated. Size 4 (Large): Red (Large): Red dragons stand around 14′ long from nose to tail and weigh over 2,000 lbs. They can take one extra Wound. Languages: Common, Languages: Common, Draconic.
TACTICS
The two dragons aempt to intimidate foes Type: Evil Dragon (Red Dragon) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, rst, swearing to roast their foes in twin streams of re, but if actually forced to ght, Strength d12+3, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d6, they use all their melee aacks rst, both Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8, dragons anking a single ghter or other dangerous-looking dangerous-look ing foe. Persuasion Persuasi on d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d6 Pace: 7; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6; Toughness: 14 14 (3) Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Dodge, Edges: Arcane Frenzy Powers: Deection , mind link. Power Points: Powers: Points: 5.
While charmed, the dragons ght to the death. If freed from the charm, they aempt to escape into the wilds if reduced to one Wound.
5 50 0
PAR ART T FOUR: UN UNDER DER JORGENFIST
B13 CAVERN OF THE LAMIA PRIESTS Incense smoke hangs heavy in the air of this cavern, thick enough to give the cave a gauzy, almost dreamlik dreamlikee fee feell an andd scenting scent ing the place with a vaguely metallic tang. Soft chanting lls the air as well—the voices’ rich, modulated tones are strangely soothing. The cavern’s walls are painted on all sides in spiraling paerns of vivid blue and purple, while here and there the angular symbol of a three-eyed, jackal-like visage leers out of these dark colors in vivid reds. Elsewhere, depictions of snarling hyenas with mouths full of bones and horned rats with long tails glower from the walls. A large block of stone sits against one wall, its top and sides slick with fresh blood.
creating a discordant sound not unlike ngernails on slate. Neither lamia expects the heroes to talk for long, which is ne with the them m — they’ve go gone ne without dining on humanoid esh for too long and are eager to rectify that lapse. Zaelsar: See below. P Seleval and Zaelsar: See
P SELEVAL AND ZAELSAR
Type: Evil Monstrous Humanoid (Lamia Cleric) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d10, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics d10, Common KnowlSkills: edge d6, Faith d10, Fighting d10, Notice d8, Occult d8, Persuasion d10, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d8 Pace: 8; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 12 12 (3) This cavern has been claimed claimed by the lamias lamias— — Edges: Edges: Arcane Arcane Background (Magic), Cleric, though most of Mokmurian’s lamia allies Divine Mastery, Extraction, Favored
are out in the world preparing Varisia for Karzoug’s awakening, two priestesses of Lamashtu have remained behind to serve Mokmurian as advisors and to aid him in whatever way they can. Unknown even to Mokmurian, these lamias are in regular contact with their own sinister masters and mistresses in Xin-Shalast via mind link , and oer regular but brief reports on Mokmurian’s progress. In the meantime, the lamia priests have transformed this cavern into a cathedral dedicated to the Mother of Monsters,
Powers (Cleric), Frenzy, Quick Innate Powers: Powers: Illusion, puppet, slumber, sound. sound. Power Points: 15 Points: 15 Cleric Powers: Powers: Blind, boost trait, detect arcana, dispel, healing, illusion, protection, puppet, slumber.. Power Points: 25 slumber Points: 25 Gear: Falchion (Str+d8, AP 1), leather armor (+1), headband of minor mental prowess (Spirit). Special Abilities: Armor +2: Lamia +2: Lamia hide. Change Shape: Shape: As a limited action, a lamia can assume the form of any Size 0
Lamashtu. roll identies thewhile threehumanoid, as an This ability lasts until dismissed oraction. dispelled. eyed jackalAnasOccult Lamashtu’s symbol, Claw: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2. a raise on the roll identies the images of Claw: Vision: Lamias ignore all penalties fanged bats and horned amphisbaena snakes Night Vision: Lamias for Illumination. can be identied as the symbols of Daclau-Sar and Murnath, nascent demon lords that serve Pounce: If a lamia makes a Wild Aack it adds +4 damage instead of +2 to one Lamashtu in her Abyssal realm. successful Fighting aack. Two lamia clerics dwell here, Seleval and 2: Lamia are more than 8 feet long and Zaelsar. They react to intrusions into their Size 2: Lamia weigh upwards of 650 lbs. temple with cold amusement, as if it were Languages: Abyssal, Common. some only slightly humorous aempt at a Languages: Abyssal, joke that the heroes heroe s would even cons consider ider TACTICS treading upon this holy ground. If the lamias hear the dragons or trolls Seleval asks their if the adventurers area fighting to the north or south, they take here to pledge souls to Lamashtu, several rounds to cast preparatory spells sneer on her beautiful face, while Zaelsar (boost Trait (Strength), illusion ( illusion ( scratches her claws along the stony oor, ), and nally protection nally protection)) before
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL ORDS RUNELORDS moving into the neighboring room to join beyond. If the furs are pulled aside, these gaps are plainly visible. the bale. A pair of rather violent, stupid trolls They focus their aacks on the same target, one lamia aacking with her melee aacks stand guard here. They were once servants while the other casts spells at the target, to the stone giant tribe of Kavarvai, and then they switch o the next round. These Mokmurian now pays them poorly (but lamias are merciless, and if one of them is enough to keep their interest) to guard the Incapacitated the other doesn’t hesitate to entry tunnel to the Library of Thassilon. focus on self preservation. They keep guard shifts, with one always through thein crac cracks ks between the walls If a lamia is reduced to one Wound, she peering uses healing healing on herself while attempting and hanging furs while the other one sleeps. to put some distance between her and the If a troll spots the heroes, he waits for one to h is wall before stabbing heroes. If she fears this wont be enough, a come within 12 feet of his lamia casts mind link link to warn Mokmurian at her with his ranseur, roaring in excitement before she s he a aempts empts to ee tto o an another other room as he does. in this complex, where she can nd an ally The other troll wakes and attacks in to aid her. the same way from the opposite wall one round later, likely being able to easily reach TREASURE heroes who have backed away from the The two incense burners on the altar are rst wall. made of silver chased with mithral—each is worth 400 gp. Durek: See below. P Hurek and Durek: See A Notice roll alerts the heroes that the altar has been slid across the stone oor several times. A Strength roll allows a heroes to push P HUREK AND DUREK it aside to reveal a small hollow in the th e ground Type: Evil Humanoid (Troll) below, within which sit several vile books Aributes: Aributes: Agility Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, full of descriptions on how to disembowel, Strength d12+3, Vigor d12 decapitate, drown, and otherwise slaughter Skills: Skills: Athletics Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, all major types of giants and humanoids, Fighting d10, Intimidation d10, Notice d6, especially in ritual killings and sacrices. Stealth d6 (Ranseur); Toughness: Many of these horric sacrices involve the Pace: 6; Parry: 7 or 8 (Ranseur); Toughness: 16 (6) opening of a victim’s belly, inserting a small Edges: Trademark Trademark Weapon (Ranseur) but ravenous creatu creature re like a rat, and then Edges: magically healing the belly wound shut so Gear: Ranseur (Str+d6+1, AP 1, Reach 1, Damaging). breastplate (+5, Aegis) that the creature is forced to gnaw its way to Special Abilities: freedom in a mock birth. Ancestry (Giant): (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1, While horric, these scrolls are lavishly Size 2, Swat. illustrated by a talented (but demented) artist, Armor +1: Rubbery +1: Rubbery hide. and are worth 500 gp in all. Anyone who Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6, Str+d6, AP 2. looks through all of the scrolls discovers one Fast Regeneration: Trolls Regeneration: Trolls may aempt a near the end is in fact a scroll of dispel dispel.. natural healing roll every round, even if Incapacitated, unless their Wounds were caused by re or acid or they’re put to the torch afterward. The walls of this passageway are hung with Rending: Anyone Shaken or Wounded by furs. To the southeast southeast the tun tunnel nel constric constricts ts an ogre hook aack from a Size 1 or larger
TROLLS B14 TYRANT TROLLS
and slopes down sharply. A Notice roll reveals that behind these hanging furs, the walls are riddled with onefoot-wide openings that look into larger caves
creature bleeding makeofa Vigor rollbegins as a free action atand themust beginning their next turn. Failure causes one Wound and the victim must make another Vigor roll next turn. Success means the victim
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PAR ART T FOUR: UN UNDER DER JORGENFIST doesn’t suer a Wound, but must make a Vigor roll again next turn. A raise stops the bleeding and no further rolls are required from that aack. A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding. Languages: Giant. Languages: Giant.
TACTICS The trolls ght with their ranseurs through the narrow windows as long as they can, gaining a cover bonus against foes aacking them from the central passageway. As soon as anyone manages to get into one of the side caves, they drop their ranseurs and continue the ght with their claws and teeth. The trolls do not coordinate their aacks in any way, simply ghting as long as they can. These brutish trolls trust their regeneratio regeneration n implicitly to keep them alive. They ght to the death, even in the face of foes who use acid and re.
TREASURE
Each disgusting guard carries a bag of lthy, troll-groped treasure at his belt—payment from Mokmurian for his work here. Hurek’s bag conta contains ins a large collec collection tion of color colorful, ful, striped, shiny, but ultimately worthless stones weighing 100 pounds in all. Without a Notice roll to note the dierences, the stones could easily be mistaken for valuable agate, onyx, and mithral ore of various kinds. Durek carries the real treasure treasu re— — assorte assorted d bits of armor and helme helmets ts and a dire bear skull. The armor includes a suit of plate armor, a masterwork breastplate, breastplate, six chain shirts, and a short sword (Accurate, Brutal). Unknown to either troll, one of the chain shirts has a hidden pouch in its lining that can be found with a Notice roll at –2. It contains a pearl of power (Seasoned).
B15 LIBRARY TUNNEL The tunnel walls wind deeper into the ground gro und her here, e, yet the prese pre sence nce of rough ro ugh contours along the cave walls seems to lessen every several paces—the deeper the cave goes, the more like worked stone the passageway passage way seems.
From area B14, a 12-foot-wide tunnel winds down through the bedrock in a corkscrew for several hundred feet before the walls change to regular worked stone and the tunnel arrives at area C1— the entrance to an ancient lib library rary that has survived since Thassilonian times. Located about 800 feet below the Black Tower, this hidden library was once accessible from that tower, but the tunnels that connected them have long since collapsed. Fear of Mokmurian and the strange monsters that guard the lower level prevents the denizens of the pit and caverns from pursuing foes down this tunnel.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS
PART 5: THE ANCIENT LIBRARY The Therassic wizard-monks wizard-mon ks who attended this library were not directly affiliated with Runelord Karzoug, though they paid r affiliated regular egular tithes t to o him. hi m. Their true loyalties loyalties lay with the Pea Peacock cock Sp Spirit irit,, a god of scholars whose purpose was was a closely guarded secret even from many of his hi s w worshipers orshipers — only the most devout knew his true name. The monks, scholars, and wizards who dwelt in the Therassic Monastery trafficked with devils, creatures of aberrant appetites, and other strange beings now lost to arcane kno kn owledge.
T
his surviving section of the Therassic Monastery, hidden within walls warded by the same preservative magic
(such as the Catacombs of Wrath or the lower level of Thistletop) realize that the style of the architecture in these tunnels is distinctly
that protects all of Varisia’s Thassilonian monuments from erosion and decay, has remained intact for centuries. Now and then, the works here are discovered again by explorers and tomb robbers, but most intruders perish to the menacing guardians that still occupy the halls. It wasn’t until Mokmurian that someone demonstrated sufficient wizardly power to claim the priceless wisdom held within these halls. The workmanship of these tunnels is distinctly dierent from that of the tunnels
Thassilonian. A further unusual element of the architecture here is the fact that all corners are curiously rounded off to prevent the formation of hard angles—this mystery is explained in area C1 below. Ceiling heights in the library average 20 feet in the hallways but rise to vaulted roofs 30 feet high in the chambers themselves. There is no illumination down here at all, unless otherwise noted in the text. In several places, the ancient preservative magic has faded, causing sections of the library to crumble
above or the giantcraft of Jorgenfist. and cave in. Characters who make a Science roll and Aempts to dig out these sections should who have been in Thassilonian ruins before be da dang nger erou ouss and an d inte in tens nsive ive — st stri rive ve to make the heroes realize it’s probably easier to follow the path of least resistance, but if they insist on digging out tunnels, the noise certainly aracts guardians and monsters from other areas. The forgefiend (pg 69) 69 ) should
NOISY NEIGHBORS
harass the party around the time they nish each encounter before meeting him in C5. It does not stay long in each encounter, only a round or two. This however is long enough to cause some harm to the party and set them on edge as it slides back into the wall, only to return later.
C1 ENTRANCE The gradual change from natural cavern to worked stone is finally complete after the long, spiraling descent into the depths. Where the walls meet, hard angles have ha ve been polished away to smooth but tigh tightt arcs th that at somewhat soften the transitions from wall
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PAR ART T 5: 5: THE ANCI A NCIENT ENT LIBR ARY
JORGENFIST JOR JORGENFIST GENFIST LIBRARY LIBRARY C8 C9
C1
C2 C7
C6
N
SIDE VIEW VIEW OF MOKMURIAN’S HALL C3
C4 C5
1 SQUARE = 6 FEET
to wall or to oor or ceiling. With no hard lines dening edges of rooms, the place seems subtly alien. The walls of this complex have been rounded to protect the place from a specic type of dangerous outsider the Therassic wizard monks often dealt with—an enigmatic species that inhabits the angles of time, quite unlike the bulk of all other life (who inhabit its curves). These are hounds of Tindalos. By rounding thethe angles and corners of these rooms, even to a small degree, the ancients protected themselves from retribution should their dangerous dealings with these monsters ever go awry. The forgefiend that dwells in area C5 constantly moves through the stone walls of the library. Though its initial encounter with the heroes is scripted in C5, it can theoretically aack them at any point once they begin exploring the library. Use the forgeend to keep them on their feet.
C2 CHAMBER OF REDUCTION A pair of double doors stands in the souther southern n wall of this room. The oor is made of glossy, polished black-and-gray black-and-gray marble. T Too the eeast, ast, what might have once been another exit has long since caved in. Yet nothing in the room compares to the curious eect that its walls have—looking into the room, it’s bizarrely impossible to judge the chamber chamber’s ’s ex exact act ddimensions imensions.. Any wall looked at ddirectly irectly remains stable, but through peripheral vision the walls everywhere else seem to stretch away into impossibly infinite gulfs, as if the room were somehow “unhooked” from its own physical physi cality. ity. The shee sheets ts of pale light lig ht that fl flick icker er acros acr osss the wal walls ls only onl y add to the disorienting eect. The strange glowing energy on the walls is a manifestation of the powerful trap that wards this room. The energy provides dim illumination in the room, but is disorienting enough to impart a –2 penalty on all Notice rolls made in the chamber. This chamber is the guardpost of a single obese giant, his body covered with scars in the
55
R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS shape of Thassilonian runes. Once a hill giant Trigger: This entire room is in fact a soldier, he aempted to desert the army when wh en cunning trap— the warped warped dimensio dimensions ns of the he grew suspicious of Mokmurian’s true chamber are the only warning that something motives. When the traitor traito r was turned over by inside isn’t quite right. Anyone who sets foot his own brothers, Mokmurian punished him in the room must immediately make a Spirit by using the runeslav runeslavee cauldron to ensure his roll at –2 or become disoriented as it becomes loyalty and eventual death. dicult to judge distance—those who fail oom. The runeslave giant wears a heavy hide become Distracted until they leave this rroom. breastplate and hair. has a His slightly and pale lanky armshunched and legsback are twisted and monstrously overdeveloped muscles bulge and strain against his seemingly too-tight skin. Unaected by the room’s trap, the giant remains out of immediate sight from the northern hallway against the north wall and quickly moves to aack the rst person to notice his presence. Note that the runeslave has already been subjected to the effects of the trap in this room and has long since recovered—but if it leaves this room and reenters, it could well become aected again.
CHAMBER OF CHAMBER OF REDUCTION. REDUCTION. Type: Magic; Magic; Notice Notice Check: Yes, Check: Yes, at –2; Thiev –2; Thievery Check: Yes, Check: Yes, at –2
Worse, humanoid room being must also makeany a Vigor roll at in –1the to resist reduced in size one step, as if by shrink shrink.. This eect persists for 24 hours, but can be dispelled by growth by growth or or a successful dispel dispel.. This trap automatically resets and eects anyone reentering the room. Giant: See page 70. 70. P Runeslave Hill Giant: See
CAULDRON OF GIANTKIND C3 THE CAULDRON Runes are carved in bands along the walls of chamber, is unnervingly lit by this a reddish glowwhich from the slowly burning ames in a shallow repit in the center of the room. An immense iron cauldron, its side emblazoned with an etching of a seven pointed star, stands above these ames.
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PAR ART T 5: 5: THE ANCI A NCIENT ENT LIBR ARY Smoke rises from the cauldron’s unseen bubbling contents, and a halo of human bones and scraps of what might be dried flesh fle sh lie scat scattere teredd aro around und the caul cauldron dron’s ’s three-pronged base. This 12-foot-tall cauldron is a powerful magical artifact Mokmurian found here on his rst journey into the library. It wasn’t until after he returned from Xin-Shalast that he deciphered the cauldron’s secret. Known as a runeslave cauldron, this was an ancient device created by Thassilonian wizards to transform unruly giants into loyal slaves who would make even beer monument builders. The wizard-monks of the monastery had just completed the construction of this one and were preparing to send it to Karzoug as a gift when their world came to an end. Now that Mokmurian knows how to use the runeslave cauldron, he’s been researching ways to use it to augment his army. His current plans are to carry the cauldron with him on his march and use it to resurrect fallen giants and recycle them back into the war. The cauldron is an evil artifact and the smoke it produces has debilitating eects on good characters—see page 72 72 for more details. One of the treasures Mokmurian discovered in the library was a stone golem manual—a rare treasure indeed, for Mokmurian had long wished he could create constructs like these. The stone golem he created guards this chamber—a hulking brute with a skulllike face and glowing blue runes carved into its forehead. The golem aacks any non-giant that enters the room. Humanoids enlarged to 8 feet tall or more qualify qualify as giants b by y its reasoning— it allows creatures disguised in this manner to pass unmolested.
Skills: Athletics d4, Fighting d10, Notice d6, Skills: Athletics Spellcasting d8, Stealth d4 Pace: 5; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 15 15 (6) Edges: Arcane Edges: Arcane Background (Magic) Powers: Sloth. Powers: Sloth. Power Points: 10. Points: 10. Special Abilities: Armor +6: Stone +6: Stone body. Construct: Construct: +2 +2 to recover from being Shaken; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; doesn’t breathe or suer from di disease sease or poison. Environmental Weakness: Adamantine. Weakness: Adamantine. Fearless: Fearless: Golems Golems are immune to Fear and Intimidation. Immunity: Powers and magical effects. Magical weapons and the Damage enchantment applies normally, but any additional eects do not. Massive Fists: Str+d8. Fists: Str+d8. Night Vision: Vision: Stone golems ignore all penalties for Illumination. Size 3: Stone 3: Stone golems can be up to 9’ tall and weigh over 2,000 lbs.
Very
Resilient: Stone golems can take two Resilient: Stone Wounds before they’re Incapacitated.
C4 THE HEADLESS LORD’S GALLERY The chill in this room isn’t quite enough to frost the oors and walls, but it’s certainly enough to frost the breath. The room contains several large suits of armor mounted on what appear to be frozen or preserved ogres, trolls, and hill giants, all staged as if rallying for war.
Five of theby suits of armor in the room in fact worn undead guardians postedare here by Mokmuria Mokmurian. n. The leader of these undead is a headless zombie lord Mokmurian created from the body of a powerful ogre warlord. This gure is nearly 11 feet tall, dressed in plate armor and wielding a wicked-looking hatchet in each gauntleted hand. The gure’s most horrifying feature, though, is the fact that it has no head—only a raw, ragged Golem: See below. • Stone Golem: See stump of a neck. This ogre is called the Headless Lord, and Mokmurian keeps its STONE GOLEM head in area C9, where it can speak to him and keep him alerted and appraised of events Type: Neutral Construct (Stone Golem) experienced by its body. Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, If Mokmurian holds the head in his hand Strength d12+2, Vigor d8 and stares into its undead eyes, he can even observe events as if viewing them through
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Skills: Athletics Skills: A thletics d10, Fighting d12, Focus d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d8 Pace: 6; Parry: 8; 8; Toughness: Toughness: 18 18 (7) Edges: Arcane Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Counteraack, Frenzy (Imp), Menacing, Sweep, Two Weapon Weapon Figh Fighting ting Powers: Darkness , , fear. Powers: fear. Power Points: 10 Points: 10 Gear: x2 Runechill hatchet (Str+d8, AP 2, See page 72), 72), full plate (+5, Aegis) Special Abilities: Armor +2: Necrotic +2: Necrotic skin. Hardy: Hardy: The The creature does not suer a Wound from being Shaken twice. Headless: Headless: Though Though the Headless Lord lacks a head, it can see and hear as if it had one. Infection: Infection: A A creature slain by the Headless Lord rises in 1d4 minutes as a zombie under his control. Size 2: The 2: The Headless Lord stands upward of 10 feet tall and weighs roughly 650lbs. Undead: +2 Toughness; +2 to recover from
THE HEADLESS LORD
being Shaken; no additional damage from Called Shots; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; doesn’t breathe; immune to disease and poison; ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Undead Telepathy: The Headless Lord can communicate telepathically with any other Undead creature within 30 yards.
where the Headless Lord’s eyes should be atop its decapitated body. The four gures ZOMBIE HILL GIANT around the Headless Lord were hill giants whom Mokmurian set against the lord one Type: Evil Undead (Zombie) Aributes: Agility Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, at a time to see how it fared fared in bale— when Aributes: Strength d12, Vigor d10 these giants perished by the lord’s wrath, Skills: Athletics d6, Common KnowlSkills: they rose as zombies under his control. edge d4, Fighting d8, Notice d6, The Headless Lord stands guard over Persuasion Persuasio n d4, Stealth d4 the western entrance to the room. If any Pace: 6; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 (2) trespassers approach, it waits patiently for Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep them to make the rst move as its head alerts Special Abilities: Mokmurian and describes the intruders to Armor +2: Leathery +2: Leathery Skin. him in crude detail. Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d4. Str+d4. Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and Fearless: Zombies P The Headless Lord: See Lord: See below. Intimidation. (4): See below. • Zombie Hill Giants (4): See Reach (1): (1): Hill giant zombies have an unnaturally long reach. Size 2: These 2: These zombies are around 10 feet P THE HEADLESS HEADLESS LORD Type: Evil Undead (Zombie) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d12+5, Vigor d10
and weigh 1,100 lbs. +2 tall Undead: +2 Toughness;
to recover from being Shaken; no additional damage from Called Shots; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; doesn’t breathe; immune to
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PAR ART T 5: 5: THE ANCI A NCIENT ENT LIBR ARY disease and poison; ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Weakness (Head): (Head): Called Shots to a zombie’s head do the usual +4 damage.
TACTICS The Headless Lord orders its four hill giant zombies to aack as soon as foes enter this room, or if it sees someone outside preparing to use ranged aacks. The Headless Lord casts fear casts fear on on the heroes once it can catch at least three of them in the blast template. The Headless Lord ghts until destroyed.
TREASURE The seven full suits of plate armor on display here are all giant sized.
C5 FORGEFIEND’S LAIR This twenty four-foot-square room is shaped almost a silo—its ceiling arches vaultedlike height of one hundred feet. up to a
P Forgeend: Forgeend: See See page 69. 69.
C6 LIBRARY ENTRANCE This long hallway has a looming ceiling forty feet above and is decorated decorated with an in intricate tricate display of stone supports and beams. The walls are carved in long swaths of densely scribed runes—the seven-pointed star is repeated often. To the east, the hallway has caved in entirely—a battered door protrudes from the rubble, but the hall beyond is completely filled fill ed with detri detritus. tus. To the west, the hall ends at an immense bronze double door that bears a huge mirrorlike silver inlay of the ubiquitous seven-pointed star. This set of doors has no obvious hinges, handles, or locks, save for a single tiny starshaped indention at the center of the larger mirrored star. Anyone who can read Thassilonian can decipher the runes on the walls as meditative prayers to the Peacock Spirit meant to calm and prepare the minds of any who seek to use the library. Anyone who reads one of these prayers is made calm for 10 minutes. Among other eects, this prevents anyone from using the Rage ability. The bronze doors that lead to area C7 are locked by a mystical mystical enchantment enchantment— — even if iitt is dispelled, the enchantment remanifests 1d4
One of the guardians of this complex that dates from ancient Thassilon is a creature called a forgefiend—known also as a scanderig. This subtle and tricky creature can move through the stone surrounding the library like a sh swims through water, and for some time after Mokmurian’s rst visit here, the forgeend was the stone giant’s greatest annoyance. Eventually,, Mokmurian managed to catch Eventually the outsider in a magic circle and, through roundscan after the doors are closed again. The several weeks of magical torture, convinced doors be opened safely with the key that the creature to serve him as it once served its Mokmurian carries (he took the key from the ancient Thassilonian masters. clockwork librarian inside area C7 after using The forgeend is highly mobile, and while magic to bypass the doors). this chamber serves it as a lair, it’s usually The doors are magically reinforced and on the move through the walls of the entire dicult to damage or break down (Hardness complex. It prefers to wait to make its rst 20 and several hours of work). Worse, a aack against the heroes on rounds just after deadly outsider bound here not long after the they’ve nished bales with other creatures, Therassic wizard-monks nished building ghting for only one or two rounds before the library library wards the d doors oors— — it is summoned slipping back into the walls. to aack anyone who aempts to open the If the heroes haven’t given up by the time doors without the key. they near this chamber, the scanderig decides A password the to launch a more substantial aack on them, nal scroll of (“Viosanxi,” the Emeraldindicated Codex inonarea ghting to the death rather than risking more A14) uered during any aempt to force torture at Mokmurian’s hands for leing the open the door prevents the monster from party get too close to him. being summoned. summoned.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Any aempt to force open the doors to area C7 without uering the password causes the door’s surface to become suused with a dull gray glow. The glow rapidly brightens to a near-blinding intensity, and then a strange gure oats out of the door’s surface. It seems humanoid, but it’s hard to tell since the entire thing sheds harsh, blinding light. The screaming, not stopping evencreature to catchbegins its breath as it drifts forward to aack. This alien monster is a shining child, a creature conjured from a distant, insane corner of reality. It remains for 20 rounds before vanishing once again, spending those 2 minutes aacking anything in sight. The door can summon an endless number of shining children, but only one may be summoned at a time. P Shining Child: See Child: See below.
P SHINING CHILD
Flight: Flight: A A shining child has a
Flying Pace of
8″. Immunity: Fire. Searing Ray: A Ray: A shining child can use bolt bolt as a limited free action without spending Power Points. This power cannot use modiers. Size –1: A –1: A shining child stands just over 4 ft tall and weigh 85lbs. Weakness (Darkness): (Darkness): While in Dim Illumination or darker, the shining child loses the benet of its Block (Imp) Edge.
C7 LIBRARY OF THASSILON Numerous glowing crystal lanterns hang on ne chains from the domed ceiling sixty feet above, lling this circular room with bright light. The walls of the room are carved with more runes and sigils, while overstuffed wood-and-leather chairs and polished oak tables surround a thirty-foot-wide shaft in the oor.
Type: Evil Outsider (Shining Child) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d8, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d10, Occult d10, Persuasion d10, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d4 Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8; Toughness: 10 10 (4) Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Block Edges: (Imp), Extraction Powers: Dispel , , illusion , light , , mind Powers: mind link , tele-
This room contains the collected lore of the Therassic wizard-monks, one of Thassilon’s greatest and most respected orders of scholars. The wizard-monks went to great eort to protect the monastery above this chamber and the rooms that surround it, but the bulk of these preservation eorts were focused on this chamber. In this room, the passage of time has no effect upon inanimate objects. Living creatures still age, but paper, leather, wood,
port. Power Points: 20 port. Points: 20 Special Abilities: Armor +4: Radiant +4: Radiant Armor Blinding Light: Once per day as a limited free action a shining child can emit a blin bl indi ding ng li ligh ght, t, pl plac acin ing g a La Large rge Blas Bl astt Template over itself. Everyone caught within must make a Vigor roll or gain the Blind (Major) Hindrance until they are the recipient of healing healing with the Greater modier. Burning Touch: Damage 2d10. A raise on the aack causes the target to catch on re for 2d6 re damage each round. Entering darkness ends this eect. Darkvision: Darkvision: A shining child ignores penalties for Illumination up to 10”.
stone, and even dead bodies do not decay— they remain forever pristine and new. The same eects constantly recycle and purify the air and sustain creatures without the need for food or drink. These eects apply only as long as those objects remain in this chamber, though— if they’re brought out, the delay of time catches up with them immediately. Bodies corrupt and skeletons crumble to dust, wood turns brile and rots, books ake away and disintegrate into powder, and even stone grows weathered and aged, all in the course of a few heartbeats. Furthermore, extradimensional travel does not function in this chamber.
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PAR ART T 5: 5: THE ANCI A NCIENT ENT LIBR ARY The central shaft contains the library’s holdings. The walls of the shaft, 30 feet wide and 50 feet deep, contain shelf after shelf of books, scroll scrolls, s, tablets tablets,, and other means of storing information. All of these books are wrien in Thassilonian, and thanks to the chamber’s preservative effects, all are in excellent condition.
addresses the newcomers in Thassilonian, asking, “Which volume of lore would you like me to retrieve for you? There are currently 24,491 volumes, scrolls, pamphlets, and unbound manuscripts available. Please indicate your wish by author, title, subject, or date of acquisition by the Therassic Monastery.”
The subjects cover represents all facets of Thassilonian life—this chamber perhaps the single greatest repository of lore from this nearly forgoen age on all of Golarion, and as such, if its existence were made public, it would become a magnet for all manner of scholars, arcanists, and thieves from around the world. There are no ladders or stairs provided for those who wish to peruse the stacks—the wizard-monks used ight to sort the holdings and saw no need to make their collection easier for lesser folk to examine.
librarian waits patiently waits for requests requests— — if The no one addresses it in Thassilonian, it wordlessly follows visitors around, waiting for requests and hoping no one tries to damage any of the books. The librarian isn’t a very eective combatant, but if it must, it ghts to the death to defend the library.
The heroes can certainly use thisrelating library to to research all manner of subjects Thassilon. The end of this chapter provides some several key bits of information that pertain directly to the remainder of the Rise of the Runelords Advent Adventure ure Path. If the adventurers wish to learn more about other parts of this ancient empire, feel free to give them as much or as lile information as you desire. One remnant from Thassilon remains “alive”” in this chamber— a curious clockwork “alive creature built by the wizard-monks to serve
• Clockwork Librarian: See Librarian: See below.
CLOCKWORK LIBRARIAN Type: Neutral Construct (Human) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6,
Strength d8, Vigor d8 Skills: Academics d6, Athletics Skills: Academics Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d8, Fighting d6, Notice d8, Occult d10, Stealth d4 Pace: 6; Parry: 5; 5; Toughness: Toughness: 7 7 (1) Edges: Level Edges: Level Headed
as a caretaker, assistant for those who wished to sorter, use theand library. Unfortunately, while the clockwork librarian does not age, as an animate creature it is not subject to the preservative nature of the magic in this chamber. Over the 10,000 years it spent here, alone, it became beca me relat relative ively ly adept at repai repairing ring itself, itself, but with each bout of self-repair, it grows a lile more unhinged and confused. Today, parts of it constantly smoke, its limbs creak and whir, and it has grown increasingly paranoid about losing the key that winds it up. The clockwork clatters and smokes to life when itlibrarian notices any newcomers entering the room and hobbles over to greet them in an ungainly lurch (one of its three legs doesn’t quite work right any more). It
CLOCKWORK LIBRARIAN
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Gear: Net (3/6/12, Damage —), ring of levitation (when activated, this ring casts minor y , but the w wearer earer can only levitate up and down), windup key Special Abilities: Armor +1: Clockwork +1: Clockwork body. Awakened Clockwork: Clockwork: The methods by which the clockwork librarian’s long-dead creators granted it intelligence have long since been lost. Construct: Construct: +2 +2 to recover from being Shaken; ignores 1 point of Wound penalties; does not breathe or suer from disease or poison. Environmental Weakness: Electricity. Weakness: Electricity. Night Vision: A clockwork librarian Vision: ignores penalties for Illumination. Resilient: Resilient: A A clockwork librarian can take one Wound before it’s Incapacitated. Slam: Slam: Str+d4. Str+d4.
TACTICS The clockwork librarian is not a war construct and only ghts to defend itself or the library. Though relatively ineectual in combat, the clockwork librarian defends the library until it is destroyed.
AFTERMATH There is a staggering amount of information awaiting discovery in this library—see the section entitled “Researching the Ancient Past” on page 66 for 66 for further details on what the heroes can learn through studying this chamber’s treasures.
C8 LEAN AND ATHIRST This strange, empty room has been smoothed over to an even greater extent than the other chambers in this complex—every angle of the walls has been modied into a gentle arc, removing any element of harsh regular lines entirely from view. Patches of what appear to be scorch marks stain the walls and floors here and there, especially to the south, where part of the wall has fallen away. Mokmurian is no fool and he does not entirely trust even his closest allies among his army, to say nothing of the rank-and-le giants themselves.
Inspired by the text in a particularly ancient book he studied in the library, he altered this room to serve as an anchor for the conjuration of a trio of dangerous entities from the incalculable depths of time: hounds of Tindalos. Mokmurian takes pains to keep an enchantment on the doors leading into area C9 thatatwill sound a mental alarm in his mind, active all times. These alien outsiders were initially bound to this chamber by several plan planar ar binding bind ing spells. By reducing the number of angles in the room, Mokmurian was able to greatly extend the length of service from the three creatures. Since they inhabit time in a dierent way from other life, dwelling upon its angles rather than flowing along its curves, the smoothed architecture acts almost as a hedge to keep the hounds bound for far longer than what is normally possible. The hounds loathe being bound like this, yet the spell prevents them from acting against Mokmurian. They have been ordered to guard this chamber, and to come to Mokmurian’s side if he calls for them. The hounds lurk in the room, eager to vent their frustration upon anything that moves. Each of the monsters is a gaunt, long-limbed quadruped with huge, soulless eyes and a toothy maw. (3): See below. • Hounds of Tindalos (3): See
HOUND OF TINDALOS Type: Evil Outsider (Hound of Tindalos) Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8 (A), Attributes: Spirit d12, Strength d8, Vigor d8 Athletics thletics d10, d 10, , Fighting d10, Int IntimidaimidaSkills: A Skills: tion d8, Notice d8, Stealth d8 Pace: 7; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 11 11 (6) Edges: — Edges: — Special Abilities: Armor +6: Multidimensional +6: Multidimensional hide. Bite/Claws: Bite/Claws: Str+d6. Str+d6. Darkvision: Darkvision: Hounds of Tindalos ignore
penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Weakness: Enchanted Weakness: weapons. Flight: Flight: Pace 12.
Environmental
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Immunity: Poison.
Powers: Major Powers: Major y, y, minor minor invisibility, invisibility, minor speed, minor speed, minor minor teleport teleport (can (can only appear next to a xed angle). Ripping Gaze: When a hound of tindalos is dealt a face card, as a limited free action it can deal 3d6 damage to a creature within 5”. This aack can be Evaded. Resilient: Resilient: A A hound of tindalos can take one Wound before it’s Incapacitated. doomed him where to his journey into the Kodar Mountains, he became enslaved Size –1: A –1: A hound of tindalos is around the by Karzoug. Karzoug. same size as a wolf. Mokmurian has spent most of his time here of late, and on the rst aempt by the heroes to investigate this room, they nd him ready for a ght. If they are forced to retreat from This vast chamber might have once been a this encounter and return later for a second lecture hall, but now the place is empty of ght, feel free to have Mokmurian be much furnitu fur niture. re. Six sixsix-foot foot-wid -widee pill pillars, ars, each more mobile— he may be encounte encountered red in the carved with spiraling paerns of runes, rise library (area C7), in the temple to Lamashtu up to support the hundred-foot-high ceiling. (area B13), or even up on the surface. Spread through the hall in neatly Mokmurian has several advance warning organized stacks and piles are arcane trappings, candles, books, scrolls, knives, systems set upIf to him of trespassers and invaders. thewarn heroes encountered and and bundles of powders and ingredients— fought the Headless Lord in area C4, the the entire place looks like an arcanist’s undead ogre’s head (which Mokmurian laboratory or storeroom. keeps in a gold birdcage on his desk) reports At At the west end of the room, a wide ight of the presence of intruders, and Mokmurian stairs rises up to a stone door in the wall, just uses the ogre’s head to gather intelligence north of a twentytwenty-foot-wide foot-wide stage. Here sits a about their capabilities. large mound of furs, an immense chair, and a Likewise, the door to this room from area table stacked high with more book and scrolls. C8 is warded with a spell, which alerts him An ironbound ir onbound chest ssits its u under nder th thee tabl tablee to trouble in that room even if the sounds of against the far wall. combat don’t.
Innate
Mokmurian is a powerful giant, though one would not initially come to this conclusion from his stature. At just over 10 feet tall, he towers over humans, but in stone giant circles, he’s one of the worst things a giant can be: a runt. In many ways, it was his height and the ridicule it provoked from his people that
C9 MOKMURIAN’S LAIR
This room was once a lecture hall in which the expounded theirTherassic theories,wizard-monks debated the ner points on of magic, and held symposiums to further their research; all of the furniture has long since crumbled to dust, leaving behind an immense chamber and a perfect t for Mokmurian’s inated ego. Mokmurian converted this entire room into his personal lab, workshop, library, and bedcha bed chambe mber. r. Rub Rubble ble blo blocks cks the wes wester tern n approach. Mokmurian used a few barrier barrier (wall of stone) spells that he made permanent to block o the southern entrance and has been con consid siderin ering g doin doing g the sam samee to the eastern one, but he prefers the convenience of a physical exit over being forced to use teleport every teleport every time.
P Mokmurian: Mokmurian: See See below.
P MOKMURIAN Type: Evil Humanoid (Stone Giant Wizard) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d10, Smarts d12, Spirit d6, Strength d12+2, Vigor d12+1 Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d10, Common Knowledge d8, Fighting d8, Notice d8, Occult d12, Persuasion d8, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d10 Pace: 7; Parry: 6; 6; Toughness: Toughness: 17 17 (6) Edges: Arcane Edges: Arcane Mastery, Extraction, Favored Powers (Wizard), Level Headed, Sweep, Wizard
darkness/light , , Powers: Barrier , blast ,, bolt , darkness/light Powers: deection , detect detect arcana , dispel ,, environmental environmental protection , , y y , , growth/shrink growth/shrink , lower lower trait , pro, protection , sloth , smite , teleport. teleport. Power Points: Points: 35
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Gear: Club (Str+d8, AP 1, Accurate), ring of at Extreme Range. Damage Str+d12, Range spell storing (bolt (bolt with with Damage), scroll of 20/40/80, Heavy Weapon. wish , wand wand of boost Vigor (13 Vigor (13 charges; Spell- Unstoppable: Unstoppable: Mokmurian can’t suffer casting), bag of holding (major), robe of more than one Wound from a single aack scintillating colors, key to area C7, 500 gp (after Soak rolls are made). in diamond dust. Languages: Common, Giant. Languages: Common, Special Abilities: Ancestry (Giant): Night (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1, TACTICS Mokmurian casts detect arcana, deection, Size 2, Swat. Armor +4: Granite environmental protection , , protection protection (Included (Included +4: Granite esh. Class smite on on his club once he Abilities (Wizard): (Wizard): Arcane in his prole), and smite Background (Wizard), Arcane Bond learns that the heroes are coming (likely via (club), Armor Interference (Any), School the headless ogre’s head). (Transmutation; Enchantment, Illusion), If he suspects the heroes are very close, Spellbooks. he casts y casts y and and uses his wand of boost of boost Vigor. Vigor. Flight: Flight: Pace Pace 24. and boost Vigor are Fly and Fly Vigor are incorporated into his Rock Throwing: Giants Throwing: Giants are exceptionally stats above. He then casts darkness darkness near near the good at throwing rocks, and can even throw entrance to the room and waits to ambush the party. Mokmurian’s rst action when the heroes enter his room is to cast entangle , catching as many of them as possible in the spell’s area of eect. His goal is to maintain range superiority on his enemies, but if melee seems inevitable, he casts shrink shrink rst rst to shrink down foes. Then, on the rst round of actual melee, he takes two actions to cast growth growth on himself and begins making melee aacks. If any hounds of Tindalos survive, he calls on them to aid him in bale as well. Mokmurian ghts until reduced to one Wound, at which point he uses teleport teleport to retreat to area B13, hoping to get healing h ealing from his lamia minions. If they’re dead, he ees up to the surface and gathers a group of a dozen stone giants and any of the named giants who still live to mount an aack on the library to nish o the party. If the heroes have secured an alliance with Conna and she still lives, she’s among the giants whom Mokmurian recruits— when and if this patrol encounters the party, Conna switches sides to aid them, a move that throws the other stone giants into chaos. The next round, half of those giants defect as well, renouncing Mokmurian as an unworthy runt and joining Conna and the MOKMURIAN heroes against him. In this event, Mokmurian fights again until reduced to one Wound, then tries to use his scroll of wish wish to
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teleport to Xin-Shalast. Yet unfortunately for him, Karzoug, who has been watching his actions through the link their souls have shared ever since Mokmurian’s trip to the City of Greed, has other plans for him (see Aftermath, below).
TREASURE Much of over the treasure Mokmurian gathered the past several years has (in particular the riches he gained from his trip to Xin-Shalast) have long since been distributed to his minions and army as payment. Still, a relatively impressive collection of loot remains here as his personal wealth. Apart from his impressive collection of books on spellcraft and all the spell components and laboratory equipment scattered throughout the room (which is worth a collected total of 1,500 gp, but weighs several hundred pounds), the chest under his desk contains the bulk of his remaining wealth, including 12,000 gp, 1,100 pp, an amber and sapphire necklace worth 4,000 gp, a set of ivory runestones worth 1,400 gp, and a scroll of divination divination..
In addition, scaered among the stacks of Mokmurian’s invasion plans, bale tactics, and research notes is a single piece of paper depicting a map of the Lost Coast region of Varisia (see Handout 4–2). Four points along the coast have “X” marks on them—three are placed some distance out to sea along the coast, but one is right over Sandpoint. A note on the map, wrien in Giant, reads “Hellfire Flume ruins—foundation stones from each would know where the traitor Xaliasa dwelt, and perhaps where he hid his key to Runeforge.” This cryptic note has considerable importance to the next chapter of the adventure.
AFTERMATH Though Karzoug does not magically control Mokmurian, and the giant is not under any magical compulsion to do the runelord’s will, Karzoug still maintains a link with thewhen giant, a connection of the soul established Mokmurian triggered Karzoug’s awakeni awakening. ng. As soon as Mokmurian fails him, Karzoug’s anger and impatience gets the beer of him.
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS He sends his mind down from the Spires that’ll be enough to save Sandpoint and the of Xin-Shalast, out across the Storval Plateau rest of Varisia from an invasion. and, from this vast distance, seizes control The tribes around Jorgenst break up and of Mokmurian. This eect occurs just before return to the Storval Plateau with surprising Mokmurian has a chance to use his scroll of speed, the giants eager to seek forgiveness wish if wish if he is aempting to escape. This control from their abandoned elders or to put some is such that, if Mokmurian were dying or in distance between themselves themselves and the mighty the process of being disintegrated or plane- heroes who slew their fearful lord. shifted to another reality, those eects are, for Yet the eerie words spoken by Karzoug a moment, delayed. should leave lile doubt in the heroes’ minds When Karzoug takes control, Mokmurian’s that Mokmurian was but a pawn in some body suddenly suddenly goes rigid. greater game, and that the threat to Varisia is, He spasms a few times, and then his if the voice is to be believed, even greater than head turns to face the heroes, mechanically before. Somet Something hing more mu must st be done, and and clumsily, as if being forced to move now, for the rst time, the adventurers have by massive invisi invisible ble hands hands.. In a strang strangely ely the resources to learn what that is. accented voice, a voice that sounds almost The Library of Thassilon is theirs to explore, human, he speaks, his eyes aring with a and within its collection of ancient books, soul-searing emerald radiance. scrolls, maps, tablets, and tomes, the secret to defeating Runelord Karzoug awaits. “So these are the heroes of the age. More like gasping worms to me—wor me—worms ms to be crushe crushedd back into the earth when I awaken the armies of Xin-Shalast, when the name Karzoug is again spoken with fear and awe. Know that the deaths of those marked by the Sihedron— the giants you have so conveniently slain Until this point, very few in Varisia knew for me—ha me—hasten sten my retur return, n, just as yours much about Thassilon apart from the fact that soon will. the mysterious monuments that dot the land Fools, all of you. Is this all you could came from this ancient empire, and that the manage in ten thousand years?” rulers of the land were despots and tyrants of the worst possible order. With the discovery At that, Karzoug laughs a cruel, mocking of the Thassilonian Library, the heroes have laugh that echoes and and fades fades— — as powerful aass a window into the ancient times of Thassilon, he is, Karzoug can only maintain this longand with this window they can learn much distance over Mokmurian a few of this time. moments.control Mokmurian dies, his soulfor snued Given on the following page are the two out as the link between him and Karzoug ends. most relevant Academic rolls that a character Adventurers who heard Karzoug’s voice might use to learn more about Xin-Shalast in area E8 of Thistletop can make a Common (their eventual goal) or Runelord Karzoug Knowledge roll to realize the two voices (their eventual foe). Using the library to aid are the same. in the Academic roll grants free reroll.Further, recruiting the aid of the clockwork librarian adds +1 to the roll. The books in the library can certainly help The heroes need not slay Mokmurian in order introduce the pathfinders to the concept to disrupt the stone giant army—remember, of Thassilon—anything they could have most of the stone giants gathered at Jorgenst learned about the ancient empire in previous aren’t evil. If the heroes can force Mokmurian chapters but, for whatever reason, did not to ee, or even convince Conna and a group should be things they can quickly learn here. of giants to rebel against their cruel overlord, They might even simply learn these earlier
RESEARCHING THE ANCIENT PAST
CONCLUDING THE BOOK
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PAR ART T 5: 5: THE ANCI A NCIENT ENT LIBR ARY
tidbits through casual conversation with the clockwork librarian. Mokmurian’s dying words, though, should encourage them to focus the bulk of their investigations on two topics in particular— Xin-Shalast and Karzoug. As the heroes’ investigations turn to Karzoug and the empire of Shalast, take the time to add avor to their research. The following list provides a number of book titles you can choose from as the adventurers nd bits of informat information ion during their research — you can use these titles as inspiration in naming additional tomes as the need arises. • An Accounting of the Holdings of Greater Shalast • A Sculptor’s Guide to the Fleshpots of Xin-Shalast • Lord of Wealth: Karzoug’s Trade and Conquests • Tributes of Vadan, with Accountings and Predictions • Whispers from Leng: A Guide to the Beyond • Spires of Gold Gold— — The Rise of Xin-Shalast • Karzoug: Lord of Lords and Master of All • The Face above Xin-Shalast—A Lord in Primal Stone • A Traveler upon the Golden Road
• The Golden Legion: A History of Auric Fleshworks • Life’s Price: Speculations on Interplanar Soul Trade
ADVANCEMENT AWARDED! ADVANCEMENT AWARDED Defeating Mokmurian earns heroes their fourteenth Advance!
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XIN-SHALAST EACH SUCCESS AND RAISE GRANTS AN ADDITIONAL PIECE OF INFORMA INFORMATION TION TO ANYONE RESEARCHING INFORMATION ON XIN-SHALAST
Xin-Shalast is a legendary lost city, rumored to be hidden somewhere in the Kodar Mountains. Stories hold that Xin-Shalast had gold streets and gemstone buildings, and sat under the gaze of a mountain that could see. Xin-Shalast was the capital city of an empire called Shalast, one of seven that composed the ancient empire of Thassilon. Legend holds that Xin-Shalast lay at the headwaters of the sacred River A Avah— vah— which Varisian Varisian folklore says leads to an earthly paradise sacred to Desna. Unfortunately, no record of where this river may have once owed exists today, and most scholars believe the river to have been destroyed destroyed during Earth Earthfall. fall. In the nal centuries before Earthfall ended Thassilon, T hassilon, Xin-Shalast was ruled by Runelord Karzoug, one of the lords of the Thassilonian Empire. The primary architects of the immense city were tribes of giants, themselves ruled by powerful beings known as rune giants. The Spires of Xin-Shalast stand upon the mythical mountain of Mhar Massif. This mountain of legendary proportions pierces the skies above the Kodars, and is said to be the highest peak in the entire range of stupendously inhospitable mountains. Mhar Massif is said to serve serve as a bridge to strange realms beyond Golarion Golarion— — notably, to the nightmare dimension of Leng. The connections with the nightmare realm of Leng were said to have infused the region around the peak of Mhar Massif with dangerous eldritch and otherworldly energies.
KARZOUG EACH SUCCESS AND RAISE GRANTS AN ADDITIONAL PIECE OF INFORMA INFORMATION TION TO ANYONE RESEARCHING INFORMATION ON KARZOUG
Karzoug was the Runelord of Greed. While he was, himself, an Azlanti human, he was a powerful man indeed— indeed — said to be the most gifted manipulator of Transmutation Transmutation magic in all of Thassilon, and to have lived for hundreds of years. He ruled a region called Shalast, part of the ancient empire of Thassilon, over 10,000 years ago Karzoug’s armies were composed primarily of giants who followed his every command— the giants were ruled by towering monsters known as rune giants, who were themselves runelord pawns. Karzoug counted other powerful creatures as his allies as well, such as blue dragons, eerie denizens from the nightmare realm of Leng, blood-drinking outsiders known as scarlet walkers, and immense lamia harridans who towered over most giants. Karzoug focused his magic on the school of transmutation, magic associated in Thassilonian times with the virtue of wealth. Under his reign, though, this virtue of rule became more associated with the sin of greed. Among the runelords, his mastery of greed g reed magic was uncontested, yet in the schools of illusion and enchantment (related to the sins of pride and lust), his skills had atrophied greatly. Many believed that weapons infused with illusion and enchantment magic, known as “dominant weapons,” would be particularly potent against Karzoug, yet no record of someone aacking the runelord with such a weapon exists within the library. Karzoug warred with his neighbors, but none more so than Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath and ruler of Bakrakhan. Between their nations, along a ridge known as the Rasp, Karzoug built immense sentinel statues to watch over Bakrakhan, while Alaznist built towers called Hellre Flumes to prevent Karzoug’s armies from invading. Citizens of both nations worried that the war between Karzoug and Alaznist would soon escalate to the point where they could bring about the end of the world. As Karzoug and Alaznist’s war intensied, and as wars between other runelords threatened more than just their armies, the runelords devised methods in which they could escape the world and enter a state of suspended animation, so they could ride out cataclysms. In theory, their surviving minions would then waken them to reclaim their empires once the cataclysms had ended.
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APPENDIX ONE: CREATURES AND ITEMS Varisia has a long tradition of llegends egends and tales of the numerous strange and frightening fri ghtening monsters tha that t dwell within its wil wilds. ds. In some ca cases, ses, these monsters are a re llittle ittle more than goblins, og ogres, res, or trolls. Yet the lega legacy cy of Thassilon Thassilo n has vi visited sited up upon on Varisia ad additional ditional horro horrors. rs. In addit addition ion to new creatures, crea tures, the items listed on the following pa pages ges ca can n be found in Rise of the Runelords. In order to preser preserve ve their unique feel, y you ou shou should ld not allow the heroes h eroes to purchase these items from stores.
NEW CREA CREATUR TUREE FORGEFIEND Scanderigs, more commonly known as “forgeends,” look like large, heavily armored, barrel-shape barre l-shaped d giants, with enormous mouths in their bellies in addition to the normal-sized ones in their heads. They are native to the Plane of Earth, but som someti etimes mes make the their ir way thr throug ough h subterranean portals onto the Material Plane, where they gorge themselves on rich and relatively uncontested mineral veins. A forgefiend mightheart live for quite happily inside a mountain’s centuries, only causing trouble when the ore runs out or interlopers aempt to mine its territory. Forgefiends are particularly feared in many dwarven societies. In addition to their penchant for destroying deep forges, they are often portrayed as boogeyman-like gures for frightening dwarven children and instilling good smithing habits—for it is said, “For every scrap of slag you waste, a scanderig is making haste. Those who use excessive ore nd forgeends scratching at their door!”
P FORGEFIEND Type: Evil Outsider (Forge Fiend) Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Aributes: Agility Aributes: Strength d12+2, Vigor d12 Skills: A Skills: Athletics thletics d10, d10 , Fighting d10, Noti Notice ce d8. Spellcasting d10, Stealth d6 Pace: 4; Parry: 7; 7; Toughness: Toughness: 15 15 (5) Edges: Arcane Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Frenzy (Imp) Powers: Barrier , dispel ,, illusion , curse. Powers: curse. Power Points: 15 Points: 15
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R ISE OF THE RUNEL RUNELORDS ORDS Special Abilities: Armor +5: Armored +5: Armored plating. Breath Weapon (Molten Slag): Slag): Cone Template, 4d6, AP 2, (re). This can be Evaded. The slag quickly cools, forming a pile of worthless scrap and misshapen metal that is treated as Dicult Ground. Burrow (8”): (8”): A forgefiend can burrow beneath the ground with ease. Darkvision: Darkvision: Forgeends ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10”. Environmenta Environmentall Protection: Acid, Protection: Acid, cold. Immune: Fire, Poison. Rend Armor: When Armor: When a forgeend hits with a bite aack, it causes normal damage and reduces the mundane or enchanted armor’s bonus by 1 (to a minimum of 0, where it falls apart). It can be Repaired with an hour’s work per point of damage or armor bonus lost, a Repair roll, and appropriate resources and tools (and a forge if working with iron).
thin layer of skin, skin, and such behemoths mov movee with unnatural agility for creatures of their ponderous size. Note that while being a runeslave does make a giant more powerful, few, if any giants would seek to gain a runeslave’s powers. Despite the advantages the runeslave gains, what it loses in free will and longevity typically vastly outweigh the benets. In combat, a runeslave is deadly and terrifying, but in life, the condition is rightly feared among giants as a devastating and debilitating curse.
RUNESLAVE HILL GIANT
Type: Evil Humanoid (Hill Giant) Aributes: Agility Aributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12+4, Vigor d10 Skills: Athletics Skills: Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth d4 Size 2: Forgeends 2: Forgeends are large creatures from Pace: 8; Parry: 6; 13 (4) 6; Toughness: Toughness: 13 the plane of earth. Edges: Sweep Edges: Sweep Gear: Greatclub (Str+d10, AP 2), hide armor (+1) The ageless monuments and awesome cities Special Abilities: (Giant): Night Vision, Reach 1, of Thassilon rose upon the backs of countless Ancestry (Giant): Size 2, Swat. slaves, but none bore the sin-poisoned civilization’s burden more than the giants. Arcane Decay: This Decay: This non-contagious disease Able to perform the work of dozens of human causes the runeslave to gain a runescar slaves, Thassilon’s titanic servants—hill once per week (a Vigor roll resists). When a giants, stone giants, taiga giants, giants, and others others— — runeslave’s number of runescars equals its Wounds, it dies. crafted marvels nigh unparalleled in any era +3: Tough skin. before or since, and shaped the face of what Armor +3: Tough
RUNESLAVE
is now modern Varisia. Runeslave: Immune to Fear and Runeslave: Intimidation; ignores 2 points of multiYet as viciously as the runelords worked action penalties; Pace +2; ignores 1 point of their slaves and for all they demanded, the Wound penalties; are Very Resilient; and giant-crafted giant-crafte d marvels were not enough. And suer from Arcane Decay. thus, working the corrupt rune magic that was theirs alone, the runelords manufactured CRE CREA ATI TING NG A RUNES RUNESLA LAVE VE a damning curse and laid it over their most “Runeslave” is an ability that can be added tireless and eective workers, and in so doing to any giant. A giant made into a runeslave created a new breed of servant: the runeslave. adds the Runeslave and Arcane Decay special Numerous severe-looking severe-looking runes spark and abilities to their existing Special Abilities. icker upon a runeslave’s body, seemingly Runeslave: Immune to Fear and Runeslave: seared into the creature’s esh. Intimidation; ignores 2 points of multiOne of the runes is larger and more action penalties; Pace +2; ignores 1 point of prominent than the others others— — this is alw always ays one Wound penalties; are Very Resilient; and of the runes of Thassilonian magic. Though a suer from Arcane Decay. runeslave’s runeslave ’s mind is dulled, its muscles bulge Arcane Decay: This Decay: This non-contagious disease grotesquely, as if barely contained beneath a causes the runeslave to gain a runescar once
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APPENDIXONE:CREA CREATUR TURES ESANDITEMS I TEMS per week (a Vigor roll resists this eect). When a runeslave’s number of runescars equals its Wounds, it dies.
THE RUNESLAVE CURSE As the act of turning their giant servants into runeslaves swept across Thassilon, each of the seven runelords employed the corruptive magic in various ways. In most of the runelords’ holdings the giants continued to serve as expendable labor. In Bakrakhan, Runelord Alaznist incorporated runeslaves into her vast armies, using them as living siege engines. In Cyrusian, the domain of Pride, Runelord Xanderghul used the magic as a punishment. Whatever purpose the slaves were put to, they shared the same dismal fate due to the decay the curse caused. All runeslaves are “infected” with this disease. Only wish can cure arcane decay, reverting the runeslave back to its origi original nal pro prole. le. Arcane Decay: Decay: The symbols etched on a runeslave’s body put great stress on it, ultimately killing the giant. Each runeslave has a Thassilonian rune inscribed on its body. Runeslav Runeslaves es in this adventur adventuree bear the sign of wrath as a brand of shame. The decay of a runeslave’s mental faculties manifests as a gradual loss of life and sanity, represented by the accumulation of runescars all over the body. Eventually, these completely overwhelm their host, at which point the accumulated pain the giant has endured since becoming a runeslave is released in a fatal surge of suering. The runelords’ need for giant slaves far exceeded the number they could transform. Thus, several methods of creating runeslaves were created, each originating in a separate domain but eventually spreading throughout the empire. Ancient Rite: Rite: In the Grand Sybaritum of Xin-Haruka, Runelord Krune devised a method to transform hundreds of slaves at a time. Summoning whole legions of his giants before him, Krune called on the might of the rune goddess Lissala, cursing his slaves en masse, condemning them to their doom. Minderhal’s Curse: Curse: Legend held that Minderhal himself, in a t of anger at his giant worshipers, granted humans the secrets
RUNE GIANT
of creating runeslaves. Regardless of this legend’s veracity, there have been cases of blasphemous giants spontaneously transforming into runeslaves, supposedly as punishment from their god. Poisoning: In Edasseril, the domain of Poisoning: envy, the alchemists of Runelord Belimarius’s laboratories discovered how to turn arcane decay into a toxin, allowing the disease to be delivered via poison. Runeslave Cauldron: Cauldron: Brought from Gastash, the domain of gluttony, these massive cauldrons were large enough to t an adult stone giant and infused with necromantic energies. Any giant placed in a cauldron and then slain is immediately resurrected as a runeslave—see page 72 for 72 for further details on these sadistic magic items.
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MAGIC ITEMS ANATHEM ANA THEMA A ARCHI ARCHIVE VE
DESTRUCTION The anathema archive must be eaten by an angel who has been rendered deaf and blind by an evil evil source source— — the angel m must ust not know that it is eating an artifact
This unusually heavy scroll consists of a rather long sheet RUNECHILL HATCHET of supple, impossible-toimpossible-to-tear tear Runechill hatchets are made for Size 3 parchment wound between creatures, but resizes so it can be wielded by two rods. Once per day an any creature as a baleaxe. Their blades are anathema archive can be jagged and carved wit with h Thassilonian runes, opened, presenting a unique and the weapons always feel cold to the touch. tangle of Thassilonian runes A runechill hatchet functions as a baleaxe to the observer. The contents (Accurate), but once per day as a limited of the archive shifting according to the user’s free action, its wielder may cause the runes state of mind. The archive can be used for two on the blade to are up with ickering cold purposes: to cast spells and to divulge lore blue light. light . For the next ve rounds, the axe about hateful secrets and hidden horrors. deals an additional +1d6 points of negative When used to cast spells, the wielder can energy damage on a hit. Anyone Shaken or either open it (in which case it randomly Wounded by an aack while this is activated opens to one of the powers listed below) or must make a Vigor roll or suer Fatigue. An aempt to force the anathema archive to undead creature struck by a runechill hatchet open to a specic power listed below. Doing does not suer Fatigue, but instead must so requires an Occult roll at –2—failure make a Spirit roll or become panicked for indicates the archive opens to a random ve rounds. power instead. The wielder can cast the spell from the scroll as if she were casting a spell RUNESLAVE from a normal scroll, save that the spell is not CAULDRON consumed from the anathema archive upon This 12-foot-high, being cast. cast. 10-fo ot-diamete r Powers: cauldron is made of solid iron, cast in one • Boost Trait piece and thick enough • Havoc to withstand great heat. Its side is marked • Illusion with the Sihedron Rune, while many other • Puppet • Telekineses Thassilonian runes grace its rim. A runeslave cauldron has the ability to When used for research, it grants a +2 bonus into any Academics, Common Knowledge, revive a freshly slain giant as a runeslave 70 ). Before it can be used, the or Occult roll associated with sinister or (see page 70). frightening ancient topics (sample subjects runeslave cauldron must rst be activated by include evil outsiders, runelords, Thassilon, lling it with a specially prepared broth of rare necromantic ingredients and rainwater Leng, evil religions, or undead). Each time a character uses the anathema collected from several open graves. The cost of the special ingredients is 10,000 archive, her mind becomes increasingly haunted and unhinged. Upon using the gp, but once the cauldron is lled, a re lights archive, she must m make ake a Spirit roll at –2. under it automatically and keeps the broth functional for one ye year. ar. Failure results in the user suering Energy bubbling and functional Drain (Spirit) that takes a week to recover. Once the cauldron is lled with broth, one The anathema archive closes automatically need only sacrice a giant (the method of each time it’s used, and cannot be opened killing the giant is incidental) and place the corpse into the cauldron. One hour later, the again for 24 hours by any force.
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APPENDIXONE:CREA CREATUR TURES ESANDITEMS I TEMS sacriced giant rises from the cauldron as if resurrection had resurrection had been cast on it. In addition, the newly revived giant gains the Runeslave and Arcane Decay abilities (see page 70). 70). The cauldron can revive up to ve giants a day in this manner. Non-giant corpses placed in the broth are unaected by the cauldron’s magic.
SIHEDRON MEDALLION This medallion hangs on a leather cord, a silver disc inscribed with the Sihedron. These medallions were given to favored agents of the runelords; the medallions
to the Any living creature (save for a runeslave) granted some minor benets runelo rds to wearers, use the completely immersed in the boiling broth but also allowed the runelords of the cauldron immediately takes 4d6 wearer as proxies. fire damage per round. In addition, the By concentrating on a scrying device smoke produced by the cauldron as it boils (such as a runewell), a runelord can sense is particularly noxious to good-aligned the world through the Sihedron medallion beings. It spreads to a radius of 10” around wearer’s senses, and could speak through her the cauldron, and while the smoke isn’t voice—provided the runelord knows of the thick enough to obscure vision, its foul- existence of the medallion and the fact that it smelling vapors vapors sting and burn those of good is being worn. alignment. While worn, a Sihedron medallion grants Each round such a creature remains in the wearer the ability to gain a Benny once the smoke, he must make a Vigor roll or be per session as a limited free action. blinded for as long as he rema remains ins in the are area. a.
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INDEX EX IND
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This page inserted for easier double-sided printing.
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