TEXT: THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  JASON KEELEY
  
  KLOKWORX PRISM
  TIER 6
  CLASSIFIED REPORT 
  AUTHORIZED ACCESS ONLY
  Submitted by Steward Janissia Hawlee
  Little is known about the Azlanti Star Empire or its vast fleet of starships, except for rushed, garbled transmissions from 
  ill-fated starships before they went missing and unverified reports from space-addled miners. However, we do have a few 
  reliable accounts of this particular vessel—we assume it is a scouting ship of some kind due to its speed and its tendency 
  to be spotted alone. We’ve had to make some assumptions, but our best analysis notes that the ship is Drift capable and 
  most likely has facilities for its small crew to remain away from their home base for extended periods of time. The vessel 
  is armed with a trio of light plasma cannons, and the ship’s turret holds a unique tracking weapon launcher. Reports state 
  that the torpedoes fired from this turret are surrounded by a ring of smaller projectiles that glow when the torpedoes 
  veer off-course, and sometimes cause them to strike when they would otherwise miss. Getting ahold of this weapon and 
  studying it would be quite a boon to the Pact Worlds, but all attempts so far to capture any Azlanti Star Empire vessel 
  have failed, as most of their crews activate self-destruct mechanisms before they can be captured.
  Medium explorer
  Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 2
  AC 21; TL 20
  HP 65; DT —; CT 13
  Shields light 70 (forward 18, port 17, starboard 17, aft 18)
  Attack (Forward) light plasma cannon (2d12)
  Attack (Port) light plasma cannon (2d12)
  Attack (Starboard) light plasma cannon (2d12)
  Attack (Turret) light aeon torpedo launcher (3d6)
  Power Core Pulse Green (150 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Booster; Systems basic long-range sensors, crew quarters 
  (good), mk 4 armor, mk 3 defenses, mk 2 duonode computer, self-destruct system; Expansion Bays cargo holds (2), 
  recreation suites (gym, trivid den)
  Modifiers +2 on any two checks per round, +2 Computers, +1 Piloting; Complement 2 (minimum 1, maximum 6)
  CREW
  Gunner gunnery +14
  Pilot Piloting +19 (7 ranks)
  IMPERIAL FLEET STARSHIP WEAPON
  Light Aeon Torpedo Launcher A light aeon torpedo launcher is a light tracking weapon with long range, a speed 
  of 12 hexes, and the limited fire 5 and quantum special properties. A light aeon torpedo deals 3d6 damage. This 
  particular weapon is available to only the Imperial Fleet of the Azlanti Star Empire.
  
  On the Cover
  Paizo Inc.
  7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
  Redmond, WA 98052-0577
  paizo.com
  THE RUINED CLOUDS
  PART 4 OF 6
  The Ruined Clouds 
  2
  by Jason Keeley
  Istamak 
  38
  by Jason Keeley
  The Drift and Alluvion 
  46
  by Joe Pasini
  Alien Archives 
  54
  by Jason Keeley and Owen K.C. Stephens
  Codex of Worlds: Nejeor VI 
  62
  by Jason Keeley
  Starship: Klokworx Prism 
  Inside Covers
  by Jason Keeley
  This book refers to several other Starfinder products, yet these additional supplements are not 
  required to make use of this book. Readers interested in references to Starfinder hardcovers can find 
  the complete rules of these books available online for free at paizo.com/sfrd.
  This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with Starfinder or the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game.
  Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, 
  Section 1(e), and are not Open Game Content  All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper nouns (characters, deities, locations, etc., 
  as well as all adjectives, names, titles, and descriptive terms derived from proper nouns), artworks, characters, dialogue, locations, 
  plots, storylines, trade dress, the historical period called the Gap, the terms kishalee, sivv, and skyfire, and the Drift (the official 
  Open Game Content term for which is “hyperspace”). (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content, or 
  are exclusively derived from previous Open Game Content, or that are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
  Open Game Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo game 
  product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(d). No portion of this work other 
  than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
  Starfinder Adventure Path #4: The Ruined Clouds © 2018, Paizo Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem 
  logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, Starfinder, and the Starfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo 
  Inc.; Dead Suns, Pathfinder Accessories, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Adventures, 
  Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Cards, Pathfinder Combat Pad, Pathfinder Flip-Mat, Pathfinder 
  Legends, Pathfinder Map Pack, Pathfinder Module, Pathfinder Pawns, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game, Pathfinder Tales, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Combat Pad, Starfinder Flip-Mat, Starfinder Pawns, and Starfinder 
  Society are trademarks of Paizo Inc.
  Printed in China.
  There are many dangers lurking in the ruined, 
  floating city of Istamak, and none are greater than 
  the threat posed by Huntmaster Xavra, illustrated 
  here by David Alvarez.
  Development Leads • Joe Pasini and Owen K.C. Stephens
  Authors • Jason Keeley, Joe Pasini, and Owen K.C. Stephens
  Cover Artist • David Alvarez
  Interior Artists • Madeline Boni, Raph Lomotan, Mark Molnar, 
  Mary Jane Pajaron, Riccardo Rullo, and Allison Theus
  Cartographer • Damien Mammoliti
  Creative Directors • James Jacobs, Robert G. McCreary, and 
  Sarah E. Robinson
  Director of Game Design • Jason Bulmahn
  Managing Developer • Adam Daigle
  Development Coordinator • Amanda Hamon Kunz
  Organized Play Lead Developer • John Compton
  Developers • Crystal Frasier, Jason Keeley, Joe Pasini, and 
  Linda Zayas-Palmer
  Starfinder Design Lead • Owen K.C. Stephens
  Starfinder Society Developer • Thurston Hillman
  Senior Designer • Stephen Radney-MacFarland 
  Designers • Logan Bonner and Mark Seifter
  Managing Editor • Judy Bauer
  Senior Editor • Christopher Carey
  Editors • Lyz Liddell, Adrian Ng, and Lacy Pellazar
  Art Director • Sonja Morris
  Senior Graphic Designers • Emily Crowell and Adam Vick
  Franchise Manager • Mark Moreland
  Project Manager • Gabriel Waluconis
  Publisher • Erik Mona
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  Sales Associate • Cosmo Eisele
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  Sara Marie, and Diego Valdez
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  Mika Hawkins, Heather Payne, Jeff Strand, and 
  Kevin Underwood
  Website Team • Robert Brandenburg, Lissa Guillet, Erik Keith, 
  and Eric Miller
  
  2
  THE RUINED CLOUDS
  PART 1: AEONS IN THE DRIFT 
   3
  While racing through the Drift toward the Nejeor system, the PCs have an unfriendly 
  encounter with a vessel from the Azlanti Star Empire. 
  PART 2:  
  THE FORGOTTEN CITY OF ISTAMAK  6
  The heroes discover a partially ruined floating city in the clouds of the gas giant 
  Nejeor VI and must negotiate with the technologically underdeveloped descendants 
  of the city’s original inhabitants to learn more about the Stellar Degenerator.
  PART 3: THE TEMPLE FOUND 
   28
  The PCs make their way inside Istamak’s main temple—once a weapons factory 
  and research facility—and face off against a furious defender intent on protecting 
  the building from outsiders.
  ADVANCEMENT TRACK
   
  The PCs begin this adventure at 
  7th level.
    
  The PCs should reach 8th level 
  before entering the Temple 
  Found in Istamak.
   
  The PCs should be 9th level by 
  the end of the adventure.
  “The Ruined Clouds” is designed for 
  four characters.
  7
  8
  9
  
  3
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  Thousands of millennia ago, before the inhabitants of Golarion 
  discovered even fire, an ancient race known as the kishalee 
  crafted technological wonders and flew among the stars, 
  seeding colonies all across the galaxy. One such territory 
  was on the planet Nejeor VI, a gas giant with virtually 
  inexhaustible natural resources. The kishalee built floating 
  cities among the clouds, the grandest of which was Istamak. 
  Colonists came from far and wide for a chance to live in this 
  shining metropolis, ready to work on the gas-mining platforms 
  or study the planet’s unique weather patterns.
  Then the kishalee’s war with the sivvs began. It raged for 
  centuries, and the resources of Nejeor VI were vital in keeping 
  the kishalee fighting. A weapons-research facility and factory, 
  called simply the Foundry, was built in Istamak in an effort to 
  find an edge against the sivvs that could end the hostilities. 
  The sivvs created their own superweapon first—the Stellar 
  Degenerator—but kishalee agents ended the war by capturing 
  the weapon before it could be fired. Bankrupted by the 
  creation of a weapon of system-wide mass destruction, the 
  sivv civilization collapsed soon thereafter. The kishalee then 
  turned many of their civilization’s resources to studying and 
  understanding the Stellar Degenerator. The Foundry was sent 
  vast information about the weapon so it might participate in 
  the study and analysis of the doomsday device. 
   In time, the kishalee decided that they currently had no 
  need for the Stellar Degenerator’s massive destructive power, 
  so it should be hidden away, in part to store it for future use 
  and in part to keep it out of the reach of any other enemies. 
  The best and brightest kishalee technomancers created a 
  demiplane in which they would store the weapon—a place 
  accessible only through a titanic structure called the Gate of 
  the Twelve Suns, which was constructed far from the Nejeor 
  system. The study of the Stellar Degenerator in Istamak 
  came to a close, and all information on it was archived within 
  the Foundry.
  Years passed, and the kishalee came into conflict with 
  other species. Though the Stellar Degenerator could destroy 
  the home system of any opposing force, the kishalee used it 
  only once. So horrifying was the terrible, dark fate the Stellar 
  Degenerator imposed by cursing worlds to sit in dark orbits 
  around a dead sun, the kishalee never again called upon the 
  superweapon after its sole wartime use.
  Though dominant for thousands of years after the war with 
  the sivv, the kishalee civilization eventually deteriorated. For 
  unknown reasons, its government slowly collapsed, and the 
  citizens of Istamak were cut off from others of their kind. 
  Regular supply runs that were vital to the city’s survival 
  stopped arriving, and the kishalee of Istamak were forced 
  to fend for themselves, tearing down buildings, turning the 
  empty city blocks into farms, and learning to hunt both native 
  fauna and species imported to the planet. Over the centuries, 
  these kishalee gradually degenerated into a less civilized, less 
  fragile version of their species—the kish—and in the process 
  forgot much of their people’s history and achievements and 
  understanding of the scientific wonders they lived among. 
  Knowledge of the Stellar Degenerator and the Gate of the 
  Twelve Suns was just a tiny fraction of what was lost.
  But nothing stays lost forever.
  Following an obscure book of doomsday predictions, 
  the Cult of the Devourer traveled to the Nejeor system and 
  discovered the city of Istamak. The kish were friendly to them 
  at first, but the cultists quickly discovered the Foundry and 
  saw it as a crucial source of information that could lead to 
  a tool of ultimate destruction. They did everything in their 
  power to raid it for any possible information, killing numerous 
  kish in the process. The cultists unearthed the location of the 
  Gate of the Twelve Suns and departed, leaving chaos in their 
  wake. Xavra, a kish huntmaster and advisor to his people’s 
  chieftain, has sealed himself and his followers inside the 
  Foundry to guard against any other intruders. A small band 
  of kish, led by another advisor named Tzayl, protested against 
  this breaking of tradition and was cast out of the main tribe. 
  While the exiles have a place to eke out a living in the ruined 
  city, the two factions of kish have been occasionally clashing 
  for the past few days. The situation hasn’t yet escalated to a 
  full civil war, and Tzayl’s newfound faith in the god Talavet 
  could help to bring them together once again—if Xavra’s kish 
  can be dealt with first.
  PART 1:  
  AEONS IN THE DRIFT
  At the end of “Splintered Worlds,” the PCs learned the 
  Cult of the Devourer is headed for a distant area in the 
  Vast called the Nejeor system to uncover the location of 
  the Stellar Degenerator. The cultists have quite a head 
  start, but if the PCs feel the need to return to Absalom 
  Station (or another safe haven) to restock their supplies 
  and speak with Chiskisk, their contact in the Starfinder 
  Society, they certainly can. The shirren or any other NPC 
  aware of the PCs’ mission should stress the urgency of the 
  situation and push the characters to head to the Nejeor 
  system as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, the Corpse Fleet 
  is keeping an eye on the tracking device its agents planted 
  on the PCs’ ship in the previous adventure, but is not yet 
  ready to show its hand, instead waiting to strike when 
  the time is right (see Starfinder Adventure Path  #5: The  
  Thirteenth Gate).
  ADVENTURE 
  BACKGROUND
  
  4
  JOURNEY TO THE NEJEOR SYSTEM
  Even though the PCs have the coordinates to the Nejeor 
  system, they still must plot a course through the Drift to 
  get there. A successful DC 25 Piloting check is required 
  to astrogate without difficulty. The number of days 
  needed to travel to the Nejeor system is equal to 
  5d6 divided by the Drift engine rating of the PCs’ 
  starship, no matter where the PCs start from. If 
  the PCs fail the Piloting check by 10 or more, add 
  1d6 days to this time. However, no matter how 
  fast the PCs’ starship is, the Cult of the Devourer 
  is destined to be one step ahead of them… for now.
  This is likely the PCs’ first extended trip 
  through the Drift to a location in the Vast. As they 
  travel, emphasize the strange bleakness of this 
  transitory plane. Instead of inky blackness 
  dotted with stars, the Drift is a mass of 
  pink-and-purple energy that seems to 
  both envelop the ship and be incredibly 
  far away at the same time, making 
  it difficult to gauge speed and time. 
  Vigilant PCs might catch glimpses 
  of chunks of other planes the Drift 
  has gobbled up as they pass by—a titanic but empty basalt 
  throne carved with images of cavorting devils, a single metal 
  gear the size of a city, a vast bridge that seems to have an 
  ancient abandoned city built along its span, and so on. 
  As their starship’s computerized autopilot handles the bulk 
  of the flying once its course has been set, the PCs can pass the 
  time as they wish. If they have no research they want to do, 
  items they would like to craft, or afflictions that need time to 
  heal, you can simply let them know how long the journey will 
  take and move on to the encounter with the Fearful Symmetry 
  (see below). Alternatively, you can spice up the trip with a 
  random encounter or two, especially if the PCs need more XP 
  to reach 7th level. See pages 46–53 for more about the Drift.
  THE FEARFUL SYMMETRY (CR 8)
  Several days into their trip through hyperspace (at about 
  the halfway mark), the PCs’ starship passes close to several 
  humongous, dark clouds that occasionally flash with internal 
  light. A PC at the ship’s science officer station can attempt a 
  DC 25 Computers check to scan the clouds; success reveals 
  that these are portions of the Plane of Air absorbed by the 
  Drift—basically thunderheads held together by that plane’s 
  residual energy. If the character’s result exceeds the DC by 
  10 or more, she also notices a vessel about to emerge from 
  one of the clouds, and the PCs can enter battle stations and 
  begin starship combat immediately if they wish (gaining a 
  +2 bonus to the pilot’s first Piloting check in the first round).
  If the PCs don’t spot the other starship before it appears out 
  of a cloud, they do so immediately when it becomes visible. 
  It is possibly unlike anything they have ever seen, though a 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Culture or Engineering check 
  recognizes the vessel’s construction from holoscans or 
  vidfeeds as typical of the Azlanti Star Empire, an expansionist 
  federation of worlds under the command of humans who left 
  Golarion millennia ago.
  This starship is the Fearful Symmetry, a scout for 
  the Azlanti Star Empire’s largest military force, the 
  Aeon Guard. Its two-person crew was on its way 
  to a reconnaissance mission in another system 
  and happened to spot the PCs’ vessel. After a 
  cursory scan, the crew members calculated that 
  they could afford to take a small detour from their 
  duties to deal a small but possibly humiliating 
  blow to the Pact Worlds. The Azlanti starship opens 
  communication with the PCs with the following 
  message in Common.
  “Attention, Pact Worlds vessel. This is the 
  Azlanti Star Empire vessel Fearful Symmetry. 
  Surrender immediately, and you will not be 
  harmed. In fact, you will have the 
  immense pleasure of becoming another 
  small part of the empire’s vast populace. 
  Refuse and we will be forced to turn you 
  into space dust. This message will not repeat.”
  The Fearful Symmetry is a sleek starship, built for as much 
  speed and handling as a long-distance vessel of its size could 
  manage. It is emerald green in color and etched with Azlanti 
  symbols that evoke alertness and watchfulness. Its thrusters 
  burn white hot as the vessel approaches the PCs’ ship.
  The Aeon Guards aren’t expecting the PCs to capitulate 
  without a fight and are ready if the characters’ answer to 
  their demand is to engage in starship combat. If the PCs take 
  too long to respond, the Azlanti assume the PCs are up to 
  something and power up their targeting systems. If the PCs 
  actually surrender (an unlikely scenario) or feign surrender, 
  the Fearful Symmetry prepares to open fire anyway, 
  attempting to soften up the PCs’ ship before a possible 
  boarding action.
  Starship Combat: As detailed in the section starting on 
  page 316 of the Starfinder Core Rulebook, starship combat 
  occurs on a hex grid. Starfinder Flip-Mat: Basic Starfield is 
  a terrific aid to running this battle. The PCs’ vessel and the 
  Fearful Symmetry begin combat 2d6+4 hexes apart, facing 
  approximately toward each other. In addition, several clouds 
  (no more than four) are scattered in various places on the hex 
  grid; a cloud takes up between 1 and 4 hexes. An attack that 
  would hit a starship that is in a cloud has a 20% chance of 
  missing (targeted weapons, such as missiles and torpedoes, 
  aren’t destroyed if they miss due to this percentile chance). 
  If a starship begins a round within a cloud, the pilot must 
  succeed at a DC 26 Piloting check or the vessel is struck by a 
  bolt of elemental lightning that deals 3d6 damage to the ship 
  in a random arc.
  AEON GUARD 
  SPECIALIST
  
  5
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  The Fearful Symmetry could be victorious against the 
  heroes by reducing their vessel to 0 Hull Points or fewer, or 
  the PCs could shut down their ship’s engines in an attempt to 
  fool the Aeon Guard (see the Playing Dead sidebar). In such 
  a scenario, determine whether your players are in the mood 
  for some toe-to-toe action aboard their starship. If it seems 
  they just want to get on with the adventure, the Aeon Guard 
  doesn’t attempt to board and take the PCs prisoner. Instead, 
  the Azlanti ship scans the PCs’ disabled vessel to get every 
  piece of information available (such as the particulars of all 
  its systems and what kind of cargo it might be carrying). The 
  Aeon Guard specialists notice the Corpse Fleet tracker in 
  the process and, figuring that the undead navy will be along 
  shortly to finish the job they started, continue on their way 
  without another word, leaving the PCs to limp the remainder 
  of their way to their destination.
  Otherwise, you can run the Boarding Action encounter 
  below. If you do, you might want to omit one of the random 
  encounters while the party explores Istamak (see page 38) to 
  ensure the PCs don’t get too powerful too quickly.
  FEARFUL SYMMETRY 
  TIER 6
  Klokworx Prism (see the inside front cover)
  HP 65
  TACTICS
  During Combat The gunner fires a light aeon torpedo during 
  the first gunnery phase and whenever the PCs’ ship is 
  more than 5 hexes away from the Fearful Symmetry. The 
  pilot uses the evade stunt every round unless she needs 
  to perform another stunt to outmaneuver the PCs’ ship. 
  The gunner and the pilot both take advantage of the 
  bonus provided by the computer each round.
  Morale Members of the Aeon Guard don’t surrender, so 
  the crew of the Fearful Symmetry activates the ship’s 
  self-destruct system at the end of a round if the vessel 
  is reduced to 10 Hull Points or fewer. The ship explodes 
  during the gunnery phase of the following round, 
  hopefully giving the PCs time to clear the blast zone, 
  though the Fearful Symmetry’s pilot attempts to move 
  the ship as close to the PCs’ starship as possible.
  Story Award: If the PCs defeat the Fearful Symmetry in 
  starship combat, award them 4,800 XP for the encounter.
  BOARDING ACTION (CR 9)
  The Fearful Symmetry pulls alongside the PCs’ starship and 
  connects a short umbilicus between the two vessels’ airlocks, 
  and the crew members use an autohacking device to force 
  their way into the PCs’ ship. This is neither quiet nor subtle, 
  giving the PCs 1d4+1 rounds to prepare and determine which 
  airlock the Aeon Guards plan to enter through. This fight can 
  take place anywhere aboard the PCs’ starship where the PCs 
  are preparing for an ambush, but it most likely occurs in and 
  around the airlock.
  Creatures: The crew of the Fearful Symmetry are two Aeon 
  Guard advance soldiers trained in the finest Azlanti military 
  academies. They have been partners for over a year on 
  their various scouting missions, and they have consummate 
  teamwork skills.
  AEON GUARD SPECIALISTS (2) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each 
  HP 102 each (Starfinder Alien Archive 6)
  TACTICS
  During Combat Aeon Guard specialists are highly trained 
  soldiers and always try to fight from positions of 
  strength and outmaneuver their opponents. These 
  soldiers use their debilitating tricks in the first round 
  of combat, if possible, to weaken a foe they can both 
  attack. They coordinate their actions to focus fire on one 
  foe at a time, usually either the most armored one or the 
  one dealing the most damage.
   Morale These members of the Aeon Guard never intended 
  to get into a personal firefight with the PCs, but they 
  realize that their reputations are on the line. If either 
  Aeon Guard is reduced to fewer than 20 Hit Points, she 
  attempts to make a running retreat back to the Fearful 
  Symmetry, possibly to activate the self-destruct system 
  (see Development below). 
  Development: Part of the Aeon Guard’s rigorous training 
  is to not allow unworthy foreigners to get hold of Azlanti 
  technology, no matter the cost. If the advance soldiers realize 
  they have been lured into a trap, they return to their ship 
  and attempt to fly off; this might result in a continuation of 
  the starship combat. If they activate their ship’s self-destruct 
  system while the two vessels are attached, the Fearful 
  Symmetry’s airlock door automatically locks, requiring a 
  successful DC 40 Engineering check to open if the PCs 
  want to get aboard to terminate the self-destruct sequence. 
  Otherwise, a PC who succeeds at a DC 18 Piloting check can 
  PLAYING DEAD
  The PCs might want to play dead if their vessel is 
  taking a beating from the Fearful Symmetry or if they 
  want to lure the foes aboard their own ship for a bit 
  of home-ground advantage. A PC can temporarily 
  shut down the ship’s energy output, mimicking a total 
  power-core failure, with a successful DC 25 Engineering 
  check; doing so requires an engineering action during 
  starship combat. This leaves the barest minimum of 
  lighting, life support, and artificial gravity functional and 
  can be reversed at any terminal in the ship by any PC.
  
  6
  free the ship from the umbilicus and move far enough away 
  from the explosion to avoid taking damage. The PCs get three 
  attempts at this check before the Fearful Symmetry explodes.
   If the PCs manage to capture one of the Aeon Guards alive, 
  the Azlanti immediately swallows a hidden cyanide capsule to 
  avoid interrogation.
  Treasure: If the PCs somehow end up with Aeon Guard 
  equipment, they quickly discover that the weapons and 
  armor are biometrically locked to prevent anyone other 
  than their proper owners from using them. With 1 hour of 
  work, a PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Engineering check can 
  remove this security measure from one piece of equipment. 
  Failing this check by 10 or more renders the piece of 
  equipment unusable, except as parts for other crafting and 
  repair jobs. Due to the rarity of this equipment, a PC must 
  succeed at a DC 28 Culture or Diplomacy check to find a 
  buyer who believes the merchandise is authentic; however, 
  such a buyer buys the armor and weapons for 20% of 
  their purchase price (instead of 10%). If the PCs unlocked 
  the weapons, they receive a +2 circumstance bonus to this 
  check. PCs who want to use the weapons find that they take 
  standard longarm ammunition.
  If the Fearful Symmetry self-destructs, the PCs can take 
  a few minutes scouring the debris. There is nothing useful 
  to be found, but any material they collect could be used to 
  justify the Build Points they spend the next time they choose 
  to upgrade their starship.
  PART 2: THE FORGOTTEN 
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  The PCs exit the Drift very close to the sixth planet of the 
  Nejeor system, a nine-planet system with a yellow dwarf sun. 
  The first two planets actually share a single orbit, though 
  one is always on the opposite side of the sun from the other; 
  both are hot, rocky wastelands. The third, sixth, and eighth 
  planets are gas giants, each swirling with a different color of 
  gas. The fourth planet is dotted with petrified forests, and the 
  fifth planet has a multitude of active volcanoes constantly 
  spewing ash into the air. The seventh and ninth planets are 
  both cold and lifeless rocks. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and 
  seventh planets are the only ones with moons, which have 
  varied compositions.
  NEJEOR VI
  When they arrive, the PCs have no clues as to where the Cult 
  of the Devourer might have gone in their search. However, 
  even a cursory scan of the system’s planets reveals that only 
  one of them shows any signs of life: Nejeor VI, the planet 
  they are currently closest to. It takes 1d8 hours for the PCs 
  to reach the gas giant and enter orbit. Once there, a PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 10 Computers check to scan the planet 
  
  7
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  pinpoints the signs of life on a floating metropolis in the 
  stratosphere, sitting just above the churning clouds of Nejeor 
  VI. The city is crumbling in places, while other areas are 
  overgrown with trees and other plants. A PC who succeeds at 
  the check by 5 or more also notes that the energy signatures 
  that would normally come from a settlement of that size 
  (energy from a power plant, wireless signals, and so forth) 
  are weak and erratic. A PC who succeeds at the check by 
  10 or more can also tell that this city is millennia old and 
  that age is the cause of much of the decay (as opposed to it 
  having been destroyed by some outside source). No matter 
  the outcome of the check, the PCs can see that there is only 
  one safe place where they can bring down their vessel: an 
  emerald-green landing pad on the outskirts of the city. All 
  other possible landing areas in the metropolis are either 
  unstable or are covered in impenetrable thickets. 
  It takes 1d2 hours for the PCs’ vessel to fly to Istamak and 
  land. See page 38 for more information about Istamak and 
  Nejeor VI as a whole.
  EMERALD LANDING PAD (CR 8)
  The PCs touch down on the Emerald Landing Pad, one 
  of a few landing pads that jut out into the clouds in the 
  southeastern corner of the city, but the only one still 
  usable. Like much of the rest of the city, the pad appears 
  to be made of a thick, barely translucent crystal, but the 
  material is actually a unique polymer created by the kishalee 
  that has withstood the test of time. A vibrant-green lichen 
  grows along the underside of the pad, which makes the lone 
  intact pad resemble an enormous slab of emerald. The pad 
  can accommodate a Large or smaller starship, though the 
  equipment that would be used to repair or refuel a landing 
  vessel disintegrated or was scavenged by the kish long ago. 
  The city residents occasionally scrape the lichen off the 
  underside of the pad to supplement their diets.
  The majority of the pad is open to the sky; the thick clouds 
  of Nejeor VI swirl lazily below. An archway stretches above 
  a 10-foot-wide walkway that joins up with walkways from 
  other landing pads, leading into dockmaster’s building. A 
  holographic sign in Kishaleen (a language unfamiliar to the 
  PCs) stretches across the archway; a PC under the effects of a 
  comprehend languages spell (or a similar effect) can see that 
  only one word of the sign still functions: Istamak. 
  The cultists of the Devourer landed their starship here 
  before they entered the city and plundered the information 
  they sought (see the Adventure Background on page 3 for 
  more information). The cultists’ exit was a hasty one, and a 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check notices a few 
  scorch marks on the polymer that could be from the heat of 
  another vessel taking off or landing. A PC who succeeds at 
  a DC 22 Physical Science check while examining the marks 
  can tell that they are less than a few days old and that 
  they are representative of the unsafe quality of Cult of the 
  Devourer engines.
  Creatures: After the Cult of the Devourer left, a small pack 
  of kish warriors was stationed here to await their return (the 
  kish don’t fully understand the concept of space travel and 
  believe the machine that brought the cultists here is part of a 
  test from their ancestors). As the PCs’ vessel lands, the kish 
  hide on the underside of the platform, using the climbing 
  harnesses that help them harvest lichen. These kish don’t 
  see much difference between the PCs and the cultists who 
  attacked them, so they don’t have any interest in talking. A 
  few moments after the PCs step out of their starship, the kish 
  warriors climb up at various points around the landing pad 
  and attack. A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check 
  can act during the surprise round.
  KISH (4) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  HP 60 each (see page 58)
  Treasure: In addition to their analog equipment, one of 
  the kish brought an instinctive stabilizer (see page 45) with 
  him in case any of his comrades were wounded in any fight 
  with returning outsiders. A second kish has a handful of 
  lichen she grabbed to snack on while she was waiting. A 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 18 Life Science check recognizes 
  that the bright green clump of algae-infused fungus isn’t 
  poisonous, though it is indigestible to humans and most 
  other humanoids.
  Development: If the PCs capture any of the kish warriors 
  alive, they will need the benefits of a comprehend languages, 
  share language, or tongues spell to interrogate her, as all 
  kish in Istamak speak a vulgar form of Kishaleen. She spits 
  angrily at them, stating, “Istamak will stand strong against 
  you foul demons.” She scoffs if the PCs proclaim ignorance 
  (either about where they are or what happened here). If a PC 
  succeeds at a DC 31 Diplomacy check or DC 26 Intimidate 
  check, the warrior explains that her people are known as kish, 
  that they live in the surrounding city of Istamak, and that 
  PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
  Throughout this adventure, the PCs will come across 
  images and murals drawn by the city’s kish, as well as 
  other facets of their civilization. Most of the time, the 
  PCs can use the Culture skill to analyze and decipher 
  this evidence, but some PCs might have training in 
  a relevant Profession skill, such as anthropology or 
  archaeology. You should allow PCs to use these skills in 
  place of Culture where appropriate, and you could even 
  lower the listed DCs by 2 to reward them for spending 
  character resources on such niche expertise.
  
  8
  they were recently attacked a group of strangers who “wore 
  bones and fought with fierce rage.”
  MEETING THE OUTCASTS
  From the landing pad, the PCs can enter the dockmaster’s 
  building, a place where merchants and visitors to the city 
  would declare their goods and fill out the appropriate forms. 
  These days, it serves more as a staging area for lichen 
  collection. The interior of the building was gutted long ago, 
  and the walls are now covered with murals worked in crude 
  paint and charcoal. The images seem to depict the sun in 
  various positions in relation to the Emerald Landing Pad; each 
  of these pictures is accompanied by a number of what appear 
  to be tally marks. A PC who spends 20 minutes examining 
  the murals and succeeds at a DC 25 Culture check realizes the 
  murals depict a kind of calendar that communicates the best 
  periods of the year in which to harvest the lichen.
  Shortly after the PCs enter, they notice the sounds of 
  combat outside. An empty window frame overlooks the street 
  in front of the building, where two small groups of kish are 
  fighting. Both groups have taken casualties and only three 
  remain standing on each side. The PCs might be unwilling to 
  participate after the reception they received on the landing 
  pad, but a PC who succeeds at a DC 22 Perception check 
  notices that the kish of one of the two sides are all wearing 
  a prominent, though crude, symbol on their armor: an outline 
  of a shield-like shape with an upside-down tear drop breaking 
  through the top and a circle in the middle. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 18 Mysticism check identifies it as the symbol of the 
  lawful neutral deity Talavet, the goddess of community, self-
  reliance, and tradition. These kish are outcasts from the main 
  tribe, and the PCs will probably learn their story shortly. The 
  other group of kish are dressed similarly to the ones who 
  attacked the PCs on the landing pad.
  If the PCs want to interfere in the battle on behalf of the 
  outcasts, it takes only a small show of force to drive off 
  the other kish, who are close to losing the battle anyway. 
  Possibilities include firing off a single shot from a longarm 
  or heavy weapon, throwing a grenade, casting a spell of 2nd 
  level or higher that has a flashy or otherwise obvious effect, 
  or succeeding at a DC 30 Intimidate check. Doing so causes 
  the other kish to break off from the fight and run into the city, 
  and also catches the attention of the outcasts.
  Even if the PCs do nothing, the outcasts win the skirmish 
  in short order. However, it is clear that one of the remaining 
  three is severely wounded. His two comrades don’t seem to 
  have the skills to heal him and look unwilling to possibly 
  exacerbate his condition by moving him. They offer a short 
  prayer to the sky, and if the PCs haven’t yet seen or identified 
  their sigils, a PC who succeeds at a DC 18 Mysticism check 
  identifies the gestures of the prayer to be similar to those 
  offered to Talavet in the Pact Worlds. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 20 Sense Motive check also notes that the kish are 
  slightly awkward in their devotions, as if they had learned 
  them only recently. A PC under the effects of a comprehend 
  languages spell immediately picks the name “Talavet” out 
  of the prayer.
  If the PCs haven’t yet made themselves known to the 
  outcasts, one of the unwounded kish runs off to get aid. The 
  other unharmed kish makes soothing noises to her injured 
  friend. If the PCs do nothing, a handful of kish return with 
  a makeshift stretcher 1 hour later to take the wounded 
  one away. The PCs can try to follow them in secret, if they 
  wish (see Cloudside Community Center on page 9), though 
  they must succeed at Stealth checks opposed by the kish’s 
  Perception checks (use the stats for a kish found on page 
  58) to remain undetected. Alternatively, they can move to 
  investigate Istamak on their own (see Exploring Istamak on 
  page 11), though they will miss out on important clues.
  The PCs have an opportunity to make friendly contact with 
  the outcast kish, but peace isn’t guaranteed. Once the PCs 
  make themselves known, the kish are on guard, uncertain of 
  the PCs’ intentions. The outcast kish don’t immediately attack 
  strangers as those on the landing pad did (especially when 
  they are outnumbered, as they are now), but they do have an 
  initial starting attitude of unfriendly. If the PCs approach with 
  their weapons holstered and their empty hands showing, they 
  can approach within 30 feet. PCs who want to try to heal the 
  wounded kish or use a spell such as share language to help 
  the kish understand them will need to get closer. By speaking 
  softly and succeeding at a DC 26 Diplomacy check, a PC can 
  change the kish’s attitude to indifferent and step another 10 
  feet closer. The kish lower their weapons at this point and 
  begin asking, in Vulgar Kishaleen, who the PCs are and what 
  their intentions are.
  LANGUAGES IN ISTAMAK
  Throughout this adventure, the PCs will encounter two 
  related languages. All of the signs and other written 
  material from the past, as well as the voice messages 
  found on ancient datapads, are in Kishaleen, the 
  language of the long-extinct kishalee. Kish, the current 
  inhabitants of Istamak, speak Vulgar Kishaleen, a 
  modern version of the original language. There is no 
  written version of Vulgar Kishaleen, and its verbal 
  syntax is often very different from that of Kishaleen. A 
  PC who understands one of these languages (through a 
  spell such as share language or by taking a rank in the 
  Culture skill when leveling up) can comprehend basic 
  concepts in the other language by succeeding at a DC 
  20 Culture check. If the PC fails this check by 10 more, 
  she incorrectly interprets the meaning of the message 
  or speech she was trying to understand.
  
  9
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  Unfortunately, unless the PCs have access to the tongues 
  spell, they can’t answer those questions. A PC who points 
  to the sky and pantomimes a starship (or performs some 
  other gestures that indicates their peaceful intentions) and 
  succeeds at a DC 21 Culture or appropriate Profession check 
  can get the idea across without sharing a language with 
  the kish. After a final successful DC 21 Diplomacy check 
  (with or without sharing a language), the PCs are allowed to 
  approach close enough to heal the wounded kish or cast share 
  language on another kish. A group that heals the wounded 
  kish immediately gains the trust of these outcasts. Otherwise, 
  it takes a few more minutes of the PCs explaining who they 
  are if they share a language with one of the outcasts or 
  wordless indications of peaceful intentions before the outcast 
  kish decide the PCs aren’t an immediate threat. If an outcast 
  went to get help, those kish return shortly to transport the 
  wounded outcast back to Cloudside; otherwise, the kish 
  ask for the PCs’ help in moving their injured comrade (if he 
  wasn’t already healed). After a few moments of discussion 
  among themselves, the outcast kish decide to bring the PCs 
  to meet Herald Tzayl, their leader (see Cloudside Community 
  Center below).
  If the PCs drove off the hostile kish, they gain a +2 
  circumstance bonus to the Diplomacy checks to communicate 
  with these kish.
  Story Award: If the PCs make peaceful contact with the 
  outcast kish, award them 1,600 XP.
  CLOUDSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER
  Either through gaining the outcast kish’s trust or by following 
  them, the PCs can discover the outcasts’ territory: a small 
  neighborhood of dilapidated residences once known as 
  Cloudside Condominiums (see page  42) around a sturdy 
  community center. It takes about 30 minutes of walking to 
  reach the area from the spaceport. 
  If 
  the 
  PCs 
  have 
  stealthily 
  followed the outcast kish to this 
  location, they can attempt to 
  make peaceful contact with them 
  here, in roughly the same fashion 
  as described in Meeting the 
  Outcasts on page 8. Grant them 
  the same story award if they 
  are successful, and continue 
  with the adventure as if the kish 
  had led the PCs here. If the PCs 
  aren’t successful, they will have 
  to continue their exploration of 
  the city unguided (see Exploring 
  Istamak on page 11). 
  If 
  the 
  outcast 
  kish 
  are 
  leading the PCs, they bring the 
  adventurers to the community 
  center. The exact name of the 
  building is long faded away, but the space above its front 
  doors is marked with a large (and fairly freshly painted) 
  symbol of Talavet. A handful of younger kish are in the space 
  in front of the building, playing a casual game involving 
  a ball and pairs of vertical hoops on poles on opposite 
  sides of the court. Dozens of other kish can be seen about 
  the neighborhood, tending to small gardens, repairing the 
  buildings, or maintaining weapons and armor. Many of them 
  stop what they are doing to gawk at the aliens as the PCs 
  are escorted into the building. The interior has clearly been 
  recently converted into a small church, and hastily created 
  symbols of Talavet are the majority of the decor.
  The PCs are introduced to the outcast’s leader: Herald 
  Tzayl, who wears an austere brown robe accented with a 
  colorful scarf around her head. She has many questions for 
  the PCs, and to aid in this process, she casts share language 
  on any PC who doesn’t already know how to speak Vulgar 
  Kishaleen. While Tzayl wants to know who the PCs are, 
  where they came from, whether they are affiliated with the 
  strangers who attacked several days ago, and why they have 
  come to Istamak, she is also willing to answer any questions 
  the PCs might have. Herald Tzayl’s statistics are presented on 
  page 10, in the unlikely event that you require them.
  The following are some questions the PCs might ask and 
  Herald Tzayl’s answers. 
  What is this place?/Who are you? “We are kish, the 
  keepers of our ancestral land of Istamak.”
  Why were you fighting one another? “You come to us 
  in turbulent times. Those you see around you have been 
  recently cast out from their homes for daring to speak out 
  about Huntmaster Xavra’s desecration of tradition. And now 
  we clash in the streets to protect ourselves. It is very sad.”
  CLOUDSIDE  
  COMMUNITY CENTER
  
  10
  Who is Huntmaster Xavra/Is Huntmaster Xavra your 
  leader? “Huntmaster Xavra is one of Chieftain Hoyfeq’s 
  most trusted advisors. As was I, until I stood firm against 
  Xavra’s recent actions. He has occupied our great temple 
  in a misguided attempt to protect it; I still believe it should 
  be open to all. The chieftain knew I would not soon let this 
  matter drop, so he exiled me for my troubles.”
  Do you know anything about the Stellar Degenerator? 
  “This is not the first time I have heard that name. The other 
  strangers asked about it as well, before they desecrated 
  our temple.”
  What other strangers? “They arrived in a metal cloud like 
  yours, but different in shape and color. Theirs looked angry, 
  as did their clothes. We welcomed them into our great temple, 
  but they profaned the Vault of Tales and attacked us, causing 
  many deaths and much destruction. They then returned to 
  their cloud and ascended into the sky.”
  Can you tell us about the great temple? “The Temple 
  Found is sacred to our ancestors, so we maintain it as 
  tradition dictates. It was open to all, until recently. After the 
  strangers left, Huntmaster Xavra sealed himself and some of 
  his warriors within, claiming that the temple must be kept 
  safe from other strangers. I objected to his decision, and the 
  chieftain saw fit to exile me for speaking out. Luckily, I was 
  not the only one to feel this way, so my neighbors joined me 
  in my banishment.”
  What is the Vault of Tales? “One of the many blessed areas 
  within the Temple Found. It is a vast collection of our ancestors’ 
  wisdom, held within sacred crystals. I sometimes used to visit 
  the Vault when I had deep, unanswered questions. Though 
  there is much about the words I don’t understand, I always 
  come away from the Vault of Tales with some guidance. That 
  is why the Temple Found should be free for all to visit.”
  How do we get into that temple? “The doors are shut from 
  within and can be opened only if Xavra allows it.” She thinks 
  for a moment. “But I have heard the voices of our ancestors 
  speak of another way in. Perhaps if you were to listen to them, 
  you might benefit from their insights. But first you must prove 
  yourself worthy enough to hear those voices yourself.” (How 
  the PCs can do this is described in more detail in Voices of the 
  Ancestors on page 11.)
  How do you know of Talavet?/How did you come to 
  worship her? “Do you mean the Storyteller? Until recently, I, 
  like all of my people, honored our ancestors, whose works 
  you see all around us. I still hold them in high esteem, but 
  when I was exiled, I was granted a vision of a wise woman 
  who told me a wonderful story—a story about how I 
  would be instrumental in holding my people together 
  and ensuring that the traditions of our ancestors would 
  remain strong. And I no longer feared my banishment, 
  instead seeing it as a way to strengthen my community. 
  I believe you are part of this story.”
  Can we rest here?/Can you heal us? “You seem 
  friendlier than our previous visitors, and this area of the 
  city has more space than we can currently use. If you can find 
  a clean room, you are welcome to use it for as long as you like. 
  And if you can help to heal the damage done to our people by 
  those other outsiders, I will gladly offer you the blessings of 
  the Storyteller to heal your wounds and cure your afflictions.”
  TZAYL 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Female kish mystic
  N Medium humanoid (kish)
  Init +2 Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
  TZAYL
  
  11
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  DEFENSE  
  HP 60 RP 3
  EAC 17; KAC 17
  Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +8
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee survival knife +8 (1d4+5 S, archaic)
  Ranged tactical battlebow +10 (1d8+5 P, archaic)
  Mystic Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th)
  At will—mindlink
  Mystic Spells Known (CL 5th; ranged +10)
  2nd (3/day)—augury, mystic cure
  1st (6/day)—identify, lesser remove condition, share language
  0 (at will)—stabilize, telekinetic projectile
  Connection Akashic
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If given enough time, Tzayl casts reflecting 
  armor on herself from her spell gem.
  During Combat Tzayl is more of a scholar than a fighter, so 
  she stays out of melee combat, firing her bow or casting 
  telekinetic projectile. She heals her allies when necessary.
  Morale Tzayl surrenders at the first sign the battle is not 
  going her and her allies’ way, hoping her attackers 
  are merciful.
  STATISTICS
  Str +0; Dex +2; Con +1; Int +1; Wis +5; Cha +3
  Skills Culture +11, Mysticism +16, Sense Motive +11, 
  Survival +16
  Other Abilities access Akashic record
  Languages Vulgar Kishaleen 
  Gear basic acrochor hide (see page 44), survival knife 
  (archaic), tactical battlebow (see page 44) with 20 
  arrows, spell gem of reflecting armor
  VOICES OF THE ANCESTORS
  Tzayl explains there are two places of significance where kish 
  go when they want to hear the voices of their ancestors or 
  seek their blessings. While these are sacred ceremonies for 
  her people, she admits that not many kish have performed 
  them in close to a year. Perhaps, she muses, if Xavra and his 
  warriors had shown more devotion, they wouldn’t have been 
  so quick to break away from tradition. She also says that 
  she doesn’t see any harm in the PCs enacting these rites; 
  after all, if they do so, they might better understand the 
  kish community.
  House of Renewal: Tzayl describes the House of Renewal 
  as a “place of either healing or silence,” depending on the kish 
  who makes the pilgrimage there. Kish go there when they are 
  ill, physically or spiritually, and step into the chamber at the 
  center of the building. If the ancestors judge the kish’s heart 
  to be true, she emerges healed, sometimes even healthier 
  than before. Otherwise, the pilgrim is never seen again. Tzayl 
  also mentions rumors that the House of Renewal has become 
  corrupted in some way. The House of Renewal is described in 
  greater detail on page 14. 
  Maze of Ghosts: Tzayl explains that despite the site’s 
  name, that the Maze of Ghosts is not a frightening place. 
  Instead, it is where “our visions of the ancestors are the 
  strongest.” Kish who want to feel a deeper connection 
  with the city’s history meditate within. Tzayl explains that 
  if the kish’s intentions aren’t pure, the ghosts don’t show 
  themselves. The Maze of Ghosts is described in greater 
  detail on page 18.
  STAYING AT CLOUDSIDE
  The PCs aren’t required to rest among the ruins of Cloudside 
  Condominiums if they don’t want to; some PCs might not trust 
  the outcast kish or just might feel more comfortable resting 
  within their starship. However, the outcast kish welcome the 
  PCs to spend their evenings here if they wish. With about an 
  hour of searching, the PCs find a relatively clean unclaimed 
  set of living spaces on the third floor of the northeasternmost 
  building. The condos are spacious, and though the furniture 
  and fixtures were looted and scavenged centuries ago, the PCs 
  can tell which areas were meant to be kitchens, bathrooms, 
  bedrooms, and so on. If they so choose, each PC can have a 
  condo to himself, or the party can all fit comfortably in one 
  condo. If the PCs do not have their own bedding, the kish 
  can provide them with crude bedrolls and pillows stuffed with 
  some kind of animal hair.
  EXPLORING ISTAMAK
  At this point, the PCs are free to roam around Istamak, looking 
  for clues as to what the Cult of the Devourer discovered 
  here. If the PCs haven’t allied with the outcast kish, they are 
  more or less on their own, so you should nudge them toward 
  interaction with the outcasts. The longer the PCs move 
  through the city without attacking the outcasts, the more 
  curious and potentially friendly the outcasts become. If the 
  PCs need additional opportunities to befriend the outcasts, 
  you might have the outcasts come to the PCs’ aid during an 
  KISH AND ARCHAIC WEAPONS
  Most of the kish the heroes will face are armed with 
  archaic weapons, as noted in the gear line of their 
  stat blocks. It’s important to note that such weapons 
  deal 5 fewer damage against targets unless those 
  targets are wearing archaic armor or no armor. In most 
  cases that means these attacks do 5 fewer damage 
  on attacks made against PCs. Most kish are wearing 
  archaic armor, which is defined on page 45, but that is 
  important only if for some reason the PCs attack those 
  NPCs with archaic weapons.
  
  12
  overwhelming fight against the other kish or offer to heal 
  their wounds after a tough scrape with a particularly vicious 
  specimen of Istamak fauna. Once they meet and befriend the 
  outcasts, the PCs can use the community center as a base of 
  operations or as a rest stop if they don’t want to travel back 
  to their starship.
  The floating metropolis of Istamak is detailed in full starting 
  on page 38. Note that thanks to the Cult of the Devourer, the 
  majority of the city’s kish are hostile toward strangers. As 
  such, the PCs cannot enter the village of Hearth—at least, not 
  without a fight. With the exception of the very young, the 
  very old, and the very ill, kish are adept combatants, having 
  had to rely on their martial skill to survive within the ruined 
  city for generations. A full assault on Hearth (whether to 
  gain an audience with its chieftain or simply to assassinate 
  him) is beyond the scope of this adventure; as a society, kish 
  aren’t inherently evil, just incredibly mistrusting, and they 
  act more out of self-preservation than anything else. You can 
  use increasing numbers of encounters with kish warriors 
  (see page 58) accompanied by kish scouts (see page 13) or 
  soldiers similar to Hybeki (see page 34) to discourage the PCs 
  from approaching too close to Hearth.
  RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
  As the PCs travel from one location to another within the city, 
  they might run into any or all of the encounters that follow. 
  These showcase many of Istamak’s dangers and are a good 
  way to help the PCs gain XP.
  Death from above (Cr 8)
  Though most of Nejeor VI’s more dangerous fauna swim 
  beneath Istamak in the gas giant’s vast cloud-oceans, the 
  skies above are not free from peril. This encounter can 
  occur when the PCs are traveling near the Spires, through a 
  relatively open clearing of the Hunting Grounds, or between 
  the floating islands of the Broken Lands.
  Creatures: Sharpwings are flying predators typically found 
  on Aballon and a few other Pact Worlds, but a quirk of parallel 
  evolution has generated a similar creature here on Nejeor VI. 
  This Nejeor sharpwing has a deep pink coloration—the better 
  to blend in with the gas giant’s colorful clouds. It sees the 
  PCs as potential prey and dive-bombs them with a harsh 
  screech. A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check can 
  act during the surprise round as the sharpwing appears 100 
  feet above.
  SHARPWING 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  N Large animal
  Init +12; Senses low-light vision.; Perception +21
  DEFENSE  
  HP 125
  EAC 20; KAC 22
  Fort +12; Ref +12; Will +7
  Defensive Abilities unflankable; Immunities nonlethal damage
  OFFENSE
  Speed 15 ft. fly 80 ft. (Ex, perfect)
  Melee bite +19 (1d10+14 P) or
  claw +19 (1d6+14 S; critical bleed 1d4)
  Multiattack bite +13 (1d10+14 P), 2 claws +13 (1d6+14 S; 
  critical bleed 1d4)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The sharpwing uses Spring Attack to 
  perform flyby attacks on the PCs until it is brought 
  below half its Hit Points. It then lands in the center of 
  any PCs who form a convenient group in attempt to 
  strike at many of them at once with one full attack.
  Morale The sharpwing is looking only for prey, and if the 
  PCs prove too tough for it (by reducing it to fewer than 
  30 Hit Points), it beats a hasty retreat back to its nest in 
  the Spires.
  STATISTICS
  Str +6; Dex +4; Con +2; Int –4; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +12 (+29 when flying), Athletics +16, 
  Stealth +16
  SHARPWING
  
  13
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  Feats Spring Attack
  Other Abilities ovitonomy (Alien Archive 102)
  Kish Patrol (Cr 8)
  Since the Cult of the Devourer left and Huntmaster Xavra 
  holed up within the Temple Found, the kish of Istamak have 
  been particularly on edge. Chieftain Hoyfeq has increased the 
  number of patrols around Hearth and parts of the Hunting 
  Grounds. (He has yet to order a direct attack on the outcasts, 
  as he believes they will eventually come crawling back to 
  Hearth after being unable to survive on their own.) If the PCs 
  come too close to Hearth, they likely run into one of these 
  patrols. Alternatively, a patrol could be investigating the House 
  of Renewal or the Maze of Ghosts, looking for trespassers.
  Creatures: Three kish warriors led by a kish scout patrol 
  areas of Istamak, driving off the bolder predators, gathering 
  intel on the outcasts, or hunting for strangers. They are 
  loyal to Chieftain Hoyfeq, and they have orders to leave the 
  outcasts alone for the time being. If the PCs spot the patrol 
  coming, they can attempt to hide, requiring each PC to 
  succeed at a Stealth check opposed by the scout’s Perception 
  check. If they are successful, they can either let the patrol 
  pass by or stage their own ambush.
  KISH SCOUT 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Kish operative
  N Medium humanoid (kish)
  Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
  DEFENSE  
  HP 62
  EAC 20; KAC 20
  Fort +4; Ref +9; Will +8
  Defensive Abilities evasion 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee survival knife +13 (1d4+7 S, archaic)
  Ranged tactical battlebow +13 (1d8+5 P, archaic)
  Offensive Abilities debilitating trick, trick attack +3d8
  TACTICS
  During Combat The scout opens by firing a few arrows at 
  the PCs, moving slightly closer each round. The scout 
  then takes advantage of his uncanny mobility exploit 
  to constantly move around the PCs, making melee trick 
  attacks against the most opportune target each round. 
  The scout orders a kish to flank with him when possible.
  Morale If two or more of his comrades are killed or he has 
  been reduced to fewer than 20 Hit Points, the scout flees 
  and orders any surviving kish to retreat with him. They 
  return to Hearth for healing and to relay information 
  about the PCs’ capabilities.
  STATISTICS
  Str +2; Dex +5; Con +1; Int –1; Wis +3; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +12, Athletics +12, Culture +17, Intimidate +12, 
  Survival +17
  Languages Vulgar Kishaleen 
  Other Abilities ever vigilant, operative exploits (uncanny 
  mobility), specialization (explorer)
  Gear basic acrochor hide (see page 44), survival knife 
  (archaic), tactical battlebow (see page 44) with 40 arrows 
  KISH (3) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  HP 60 each (see page 58)
  rabiD beasts (Cr 8)
  Though the kish of Istamak have domesticated a number of 
  the city’s eohis (canine creatures with powerful forearms), 
  many still roam wild, hunting the more docile creatures 
  within the park. The PCs encounter these creatures if they 
  pass through or near the hunting grounds or near an isolated 
  building (such as Lord’s Folly) where these poor diseased 
  creatures have fled to die.
  Creatures: Two rabid eohis (see page 57) snap and growl 
  at passersby, charging in after a few moments or if the PCs 
  get too close. A PC who succeeds at a DC 18 Life Science 
  check recognizes that these beasts are afflicted with a form 
  of rabies. 
  RABID EOHIS (2) 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400 each
  HP 90 each (see page 57)
  Melee bite +16 (1d8+11 P plus Nejean rabies)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The rabid eohis begin combat by using 
  their pounce ability to close with the PCs and bite them. 
  While they aren’t intentionally attempting to spread their 
  disease, they tend to forgo their slam attacks in favor of 
  their rabid bites.
  Morale The rabid eohis fight to the death.
  NEJEAN RABIES
  Type disease (contact); Save Fortitude DC 16
  Track physical; Frequency 1/week 
  Effect At the debilitated state, the victim also gains the 
  confused condition.
  Cure 2 consecutive saves
  WatCh Your steP (Cr 7)
  Alien plants and molds flourish in the areas of Istamak that 
  kish don’t frequent; the residents have learned to avoid the 
  more dangerous growths through years of experience, but 
  the PCs might not be so lucky. This PCs might come across 
  this hazard as they travel through the hunting grounds or 
  Monument Hill.
  Hazard: Patches of a deep-blue sawgrass that the locals 
  call wearyweed grow even on sections of the street in certain 
  areas of the city. A PC who walks through a patch of ankle-
  height wearyweed must succeed at a DC 17 Reflex save or 
  
  14
  take 1d4 slashing damage. Each PC who takes damage must 
  also succeed at a DC 17 Fortitude save or gain the fatigued 
  condition until the damage is healed. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 25 Life Science check before anyone steps into the 
  wearyweed notices that the blades of the patch of grass 
  look sharp enough to slice through armor and flesh. It is 
  easy enough to simply walk around the wearyweed once it 
  is identified. 
  A. HOUSE OF RENEWAL
  The House of Renewal was once a kishalee outpatient medical 
  center called the Metun Clinic. It was named after an aquatic 
  creature in kishalee mythology that can be reborn from one 
  of its scales, even after death. The clinic offered an advanced 
  form of gene therapy that could cure most diseases and 
  ailments, potentially adding years to a patient’s lifespan. The 
  process took only a few hours, including the time spent in a 
  comfortable recovery room waiting to ensure the treatment 
  was effective. 
  Only one gene-therapy device survived to the present 
  day, and the kish believe it to be an artifact left behind by 
  their ancestors as a reward for the worthy. Sick and injured 
  kish make the pilgrimage to this building and spend some 
  time meditating in an adjacent room before stepping into 
  the device. According to the kish, those with worthy souls 
  are renewed, while the unworthy are either destroyed or 
  horribly transformed. The truth of the matter is that the 
  gene-therapy machine is old and damaged enough to no 
  longer function reliably, and it doesn’t always properly 
  identify an ailment or even have the programming necessary 
  to treat it. In most cases, the device works as intended, but 
  occasionally, it either registers an entire kish as a malignant 
  tumor and destroys the kish entirely in a blast of energy or 
  attempts to completely rearrange the kish’s body by horribly 
  twisting his limbs and mind. Unfortunately, this doesn’t 
  kill the kish, but it does usually drive him insane, and he 
  suffers as a disgusting abomination known as a rebuilt (see 
  page 60). Rebuilt kish generally have short lives, as they 
  are always killed on sight by other kish. Due to further 
  degradation of its parts and programming over the past few 
  months, the gene-therapy device has produced more rebuilt 
  than normal.
  The following are standard features of the House of 
  Renewal. There is no lighting within the building, and the 
  ceilings are 10 feet high. The doors are all unlocked, except 
  where noted.
  a1. front stePs
  A set of wide semicircular steps leads up to a pair of 
  doors in the front of this one-story building, which was 
  once painted light blue but is now dingy from age. A half-
  destroyed holographic sign hangs above the entrance, 
  and a symbol has been crudely painted across the doors. 
  1 square = 5 feet
  A. HOUSE OF RENEWAL
  A1
  A2
  A6
  A4
  A8a
  A8b
  A11
  A9
  A10
  A8c
  A5
  A7
  A3
  T
  
  15
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  From  here, it’s clear that the rear of the building has 
  collapsed in some places.
  The only part of the sign that is still readable is the word 
  “clinic” in Kishaleen, and the image painted on the door is a 
  semicircle above a straight line; a PC who succeeds at a DC 
  20 Culture check infers that the symbol depicts a rising or 
  setting sun. 
  a2. Waiting area (Cr 6)
  The walls of this room are lined with broken, dusty, and 
  moldy furniture. Opposite the pair of double doors that leads 
  outside, a window in the wall is closed off by a slab of opaque 
  material. A smaller door opens near the window. Murals 
  depicting kish with broken limbs and dark halos above their 
  heads cover the walls.
  This was once the clinic’s waiting area, where patients and 
  their loved ones could sit in comfort and peruse electronic 
  periodicals until called back into the procedure rooms. Most of 
  the furniture in here is dusty and moldy, and all of the chairs 
  are broken. A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Culture check 
  can interpret that the kish with dark halos in the murals are 
  suffering from spiritual maladies.
  Thanks to the building’s other collapses, the window into 
  area A4 is firmly stuck shut. It can be opened with a successful 
  DC 22 Strength check (one person can use aid another to help 
  the PC attempting the check), though it is easier to go through 
  the door in area A3. 
  Creatures: Two kish warriors from Hearth were badly 
  wounded by Devourer cultists fleeing the city, and they 
  convinced two of their comrades to accompany them here to 
  the House of Renewal for healing. The two friends are not 
  hopeful that the wounded kish have pure enough spirits 
  to be judged worthy by the healing chamber, and they’ve 
  constructed a makeshift trap in area A6 in case their comrades 
  are turned into monsters. They then decided to wait here to 
  finish the job, if necessary.
  KISH (2) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  HP 60 each
  TACTICS
  During Combat These kish warriors are hostile toward 
  outsiders, still feeling the sting of betrayal from the Cult 
  of the Devourer, and attack any non-kish on sight. They 
  focus their ire on any PCs who look like they could be 
  affiliated with the cultists (such as those wearing heavy 
  armor or wielding heavy weapons).
  Morale These kish aren’t here to sacrifice themselves, so 
  they surrender or attempt to flee if reduced to fewer than 
  15 Hit Points. With the PCs probably blocking the main 
  exit from the building, surrender is the more likely option.
  a3. bloCKeD CorriDor
  This hallway once led farther into the building, but 10 feet 
  in the ceiling and walls have collapsed, making progress 
  impossible without working for days to clear the rubble.
  a4. suPPlY Closet
  Dusty shelves holding the occasional empty box line the 
  walls of this wa k-in supply closet. It appears as if very few 
  people have been here in quite some time.
  Treasure: When it became clear that Istamak was cut off 
  from the rest of the kishalee empire, the medicinal items 
  in this closet were quickly confiscated and rationed to the 
  populace. However, if a PC succeeds at a DC 25 Perception 
  check, she discovers a mk 2 ability crystal lying forgotten 
  under an overturned empty box marked “Sprayflesh” 
  in Kishaleen.
  a5. reCePtion DesK
  The western side of this area is occupied by a tall desk built 
  into the wall, half of which is under a large window blocked by 
  a panel of opaque crystalline material. There are doors to the 
  north and south, and stylized eyes are painted on the walls.
  The clinic’s receptionist would sit in this area, take patients’ 
  information, and call them when a doctor was ready to see 
  them. The computer used by the receptionist (which contained 
  KISHALEE TECHNOLOGY
  In order to present treasure that is of some use to the 
  PCs, many of the weapons and other technological items 
  the heroes find are functionally similar to equipment they 
  can buy within the Pact Worlds. In some cases, these 
  items are magical, so the ways in which they differ from 
  other magic items are merely cosmetic. Weapons work 
  essentially the same way no matter where in the galaxy 
  they’re found: point the deadly bit toward the enemy and 
  either swing it or press some kind of button or trigger. 
  If you want to simulate the “alienness” of kishalee 
  equipment, you can impose a –2 penalty on the relevant 
  checks or rolls for PCs who use a piece of kishalee gear or 
  weaponry. After handling an item for 24 hours, the PC can 
  attempt a DC 14 Intelligence check to familiarize himself 
  with it and remove the penalty. A PC gains a cumulative 
  +1 bonus to this check for each full day he uses the item 
  after the first. More kishalee technology is described in 
  Starfinder Adventure Path #5: The Thirteenth Gate.
  
  16
  patients’ medical records) was dismantled for parts centuries 
  ago. The kish believe their ancestors’ spirits begin examining 
  and judging them here, as represented by the depiction 
  of eyes on the walls; a PC who examines the drawings and 
  succeeds at a DC 25 Culture check can deduce this fact.
  a6. mural gallerY (Cr 8)
  Two rows of lockers made from a ceramic-like material 
  occupy the western end of this room, while the lockers that 
  line the walls of the eastern half are covered with murals 
  depicting sick and injured kish being bathed in a greenish 
  light and stepping away completely healed. Other more 
  beatific-looking kish look down from the top parts of the 
  walls and the ceiling. Fresh charcoal drawings cover the 
  door to the northeast, while the southeast corner of the 
  room is filled with a large mass of rubble.
  The lockers, which were used by the clinic’s employees 
  to store their personal items during work hours, have been 
  emptied out. The door in the southern wall leads outside but is 
  blocked by a large chunk of rubble. A PC can move this rubble 
  while inside the room with 10 minutes of lifting, but it takes 
  a successful DC 25 Strength check to open the door from 
  the outside. A PC who succeeds at a DC 22 Culture check 
  while examining the murals interprets the watching kish as 
  being either ancestral spirits or deities who are evaluating the 
  wounded kish.
  When the two kish from area A2 watched their wounded 
  comrades enter the meditation chamber together (see 
  area A7), they didn’t hold much hope for the pair coming 
  out unscathed. In addition to setting up a trap (see below), 
  they scratched a warning on the door to area A7. It crudely 
  depicts a humanoid figure that vaguely resembles a kish 
  with its face covered in a mass of black lines. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 15 Culture check recognizes this as 
  an indication of some kind of danger, as it doesn’t 
  match the style of the rest of the paintings in the 
  room. If the PC succeeds at the check by 5 or more, 
  she also realizes the sketch is meant not only to 
  ward off kish but also to denote the nature of 
  the creature or hazard within.
  Trap: The unwounded kish set up a trap 
  hidden in the room’s pile of rubble using a few 
  handfuls of medical equipment before heading 
  to area A2 to wait. The trap flings needles at 
  the first person to cross the threshold of the 
  northeastern door.
  NEEDLE LAUNCHER TRAP 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Type analog; Perception DC 32; Disable 
  Engineering DC 27 (cut trip wire)
  Trigger location; Reset manual
  Effect needles +20 ranged (8d12 P)
  a7. meDitation Chamber (Cr 9)
  There is no remaining sign of whatever 
  originally occupied this room; it has been 
  cleared of all furniture and decorations, 
  save for a simple square cloth mat 
  measuring four feet to a side. The walls, 
  floor, ceiling, and even doors have been 
  painted an inky black.
  This room used to be one of the clinic’s 
  two gene-therapy chambers, but the kish 
  have since turned it into a location where 
  a pilgrim can sit in meditation, in the hope 
  of purifying her heart and mind, before 
  entering the chamber of renewal. The lack of 
  REBUILT
  
  17
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  decorations and the absence of color are meant to help focus 
  the pilgrim’s concentration.
  Creatures: After the Cult of the Devourer assaulted the 
  kish and fled the city, two badly wounded kish retreated 
  to the House of Renewal, seeking treatment, but they were 
  both “rebuilt” by the malfunctioning machine when they 
  impatiently crammed themselves inside at the same time. 
  They have been crouching in this room for a few hours, 
  their minds broken by the rebuilding process, unable to find 
  the southern door (which was closed behind them by their 
  comrades; see area A6).
  REBUILT (2) 
  CR 7
  XP 3,200 each
  HP 105 each (see page 60)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The rebuilt kish aren’t subtle opponents. 
  Howling in pain and madness, they rush at whoever 
  enters the room.
  Morale The rebuilt kish fight to the death.
  a8. reCoverY rooms
  The walls of this room, though dirty, are a soothing 
  aquamarine color, and remnants of comfortable-looking 
  furniture poke out from the rubble of the northern walls. The 
  dusty floors and lack of murals hint that no one has stepped 
  foot in here for some time.
  After their gene therapy, patients would come to one of 
  these recovery rooms to relax for a short period. Once the 
  doctors had confirmed that these kishalee had definitely 
  recovered (usually via a quick examination with a 
  medical scanner), the patient would be ushered 
  back to the waiting area to meet any friends and 
  family expecting them. The kish have left these 
  rooms alone.
  a9. hiDDen stash
  Apart from debris from a collapsed ceiling, this room 
  seems empty, though the thick layer of dust on the 
  floor appears to be have been recently disturbed.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check 
  notices that an image of a kish face has been traced 
  in the dust. A PC who studies the drawing and succeeds 
  at a DC 20 Culture check can tell that the face is meant 
  to look sad and that this is a sort of farewell note or 
  apology. In fact, one of the wounded kish who were 
  rebuilt (see area A7) didn’t believe she was going to 
  survive and drew this image as a final message.
  Treasure: One of the wounded kish hid a prized 
  possession here before entering the chamber of renewal. 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Perception check while poking 
  around the rubble discovers an assault kishaxe (see page 44).
  a10. Chamber of reneWal
  There is an air of solemnity in this austere room. A capsule 
  five feet in diameter and eight feet tall sits on a ten-foot-
  square platform in the center of the room; it is made of some 
  kind of shiny metal, and dozens of wires, cables, and tubes 
  sprout from its surface. Many of the wires run to a free-
  standing wheeled console nearby. A six-foot-tall door opens 
  into the capsule. A small shrine covered in dried flowers and 
  small wooden icons stands against the western wall. Doors 
  lead north and south out of this room.
  The metal capsule is the clinic’s surviving gene therapy 
  device. It operates automatically when a creature steps inside 
  and the door is closed. It scans the occupant to determine her 
  malady and then bombards her for about 1 hour with benign 
  energies that alter her genes, enabling her to heal rapidly. The 
  attached console can be used to adjust the treatment (or end 
  it early) as necessary, though the device is no longer in good 
  enough repair for any adjustments to be useful. The medical 
  software that runs the capsule can’t fully parse the differences 
  between kish and kishalee physiology (and it certainly doesn’t 
  easily adapt to completely alien biology). There is a 25% chance 
  that the capsule malfunctions when used. This chance rises to 
  75% if a non-kish creature enters the capsule.
  If the capsule is working correctly, the creature inside 
  regains 5d8+10 Hit Points and is affected as if by a remove 
  CHAMBER OF 
  RENEWAL
  
  18
  affliction spell (CL 10th) at the end of the hour. A creature 
  inside the capsule when it malfunctions is subject to medium 
  radiation (Starfinder Core Rulebook 404) once per minute 
  for 1 hour unless the creature escapes or the process 
  is halted. A PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Computers 
  check can use the console to end the treatment; a 
  PC who can’t read Kishaleen takes a –4 penalty to 
  this check. Alternatively, a PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 25 Engineering check can shut 
  down the capsule by yanking out the 
  correct wires; the capsule ceases 
  to function altogether after 
  that, until a character repairs 
  it by succeeding at a DC 30 
  Engineering check.
  A PC who can read Kishaleen and 
  succeeds at a DC 28 Life Science check while studying the 
  console determines that the capsule is trying to replicate 
  “perfect” kishalee biology, which is slightly different from 
  the physiology of the current residents of Istamak as a result 
  of thousands of years of divergent evolution under harsh 
  circumstances. This could result in a creature inside the 
  capsule being killed or horribly mutated. A PC with a sample 
  of kish DNA (a bit of skin or blood from one of the kish in 
  area A2 would be enough) can attempt a DC 28 Computers 
  check to reprogram the capsule to always work for kish. With 
  a DNA sample from another creature, a PC can attempt the 
  same check to add that species to the capsule’s database; if 
  successful, she removes the chance of a malfunction when a 
  member of that species uses the device. However, the DNA 
  each additional race added to the system beyond the first two 
  increases the DC of the required Computers check by 2 per 
  race (+2 for a third race, +4 for a fourth race, and so on) as 
  the system is too damaged to easily keep the DNA of multiple 
  different races separate.
  Development: A flat, triangular crystal rests among 
  the offerings on the shrine. A PC who succeeds at a DC 12 
  Computers or Engineering check recognizes it as a data 
  storage device; if the PCs already identified the data-storage 
  crystal from area B8, they recognize this one instantly. 
  Accessing the device requires touching the crystal in a 
  number of specific places and a successful DC 15 Computers 
  check. Much of the data is corrupted beyond repair, with the 
  exception of a single voice message in Kishaleen. When the 
  PCs access the message, read or paraphrase the following.
  The voice in the message is deep and gravelly. “Greetings. 
  This is…” There is a loud burst of static. “…head of security 
  at the Foundry. We recently had a few pieces of classified…” 
  There is another burst of static. “…and we are investigating 
  the possible compromise of all methods of entry and exit 
  in our facility. As far as I can tell, the series XLT-88 digital 
  lock on our security entrance hasn’t been tampered with, 
  but the manual I have here states that the lock can be placed 
  in standby mode and accessed with an admin keycode. Of 
  course…“ Static again. “…but the director and I would like 
  to know how many of your employees have access to this 
  keycode. We are not accusing you of any misdoings, 
  but we do need to leave no stone unturned. Please 
  respond at your earliest convenience.”
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 14 Intelligence 
  check surmises that the Temple Found 
  and the Foundry mentioned in the 
  message might be one and the 
  same. In addition, the metadata 
  of the message contains a partial 
  router address, identifying the 
  server through which the message was 
  sent. A PC trained in Computers can find 
  this information without a check, and if she succeeds at a DC 
  12 Computers check, she realizes that by examining a similar 
  message, she would be able to pinpoint the server exactly.
  If the PCs have this message and the one from area B8, 
  continue to the Broken Lands on page 22.
  Story Award: If the PCs reprogram the gene-therapy 
  device, award them 1,600 XP.
  a11. burieD offiCe
  This room is choked with rubble, as most of the ceiling has 
  collapsed, forming an impassible mound. Crushed office 
  furniture poke out from under the debris, and the floor is thick 
  with dust and grime. A door leads out to the north.
  Once the office of the clinic’s director and head physician, 
  this room suffered the brunt of the building’s partial collapse. 
  There is nothing of interest here, and it would take days—
  possibly weeks—to clear out the rubble.
  B. MAZE OF GHOSTS
  The building now known as the Maze of Ghosts was once a 
  small museum focusing on the history of Istamak featuring 
  lifelike holograms of important kishalee figures, information 
  on key features of the city, and short re-creations of vital 
  points in the city’s past. It functioned a bit more like an 
  advertisement for the metropolis than a solemn and serious 
  record of Istamak’s history, but it engendered much in the 
  way of local pride and was a popular destination for visitors 
  and schoolchildren on field trips. This was due in part to the 
  holograms having rudimentary artificial personalities; they 
  would briefly interact with the guests to answer questions 
  and extol the virtues of the city.
  Though the building can still receive power, over the 
  millennia the hologram projectors have deteriorated, so 
  the images they show are often hazy or filled with digital 
  artifacts and the artificial personalities have degraded into 
  senselessness. The kish use the museum to “commune” with 
  KISHALEE 
  DATAPAD
  
  19
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  their ancestors by briefly turning on the power to the displays 
  and walking through the museum to listen to the holograms’ 
  babbling. As the answers a pilgrim receives are often cryptic 
  or indecipherable, the Maze of Ghosts is used only for the 
  deepest questions posed by the most devout kish.
  The following are features of the Maze of Ghosts. Area B1 
  is outside, areas B2 and B3 are lit by dim lighting, and areas 
  B4 through B7 have no lighting except for that provided by 
  the holographic displays when they are turned on (treat as 
  dim lighting). Areas B8 and B9 have no lighting. The ceilings 
  are 8 feet high. 
  b1. broKen entranCe (Cr 8)
  The front entrance of this building has been sheared away by 
  some ancient calamity, revealing metal structural supports, 
  pipes, and bits of wiring. The ground here is littered with 
  rubble, some of which was been removed to clear a small 
  path into the structure.
  Much of the building is buried under the rubble of other 
  structures that have collapsed over the millennia, which 
  has actually formed a protective shell keeping the worst 
  ravages of time from affecting the building. The area around 
  the entrance has long since been cleared, and from here 
  the PCs can see the building’s interior decor, which despite 
  being faded with age is still recognizably bright and cheery. 
  Any exterior indication of the building’s former name is long 
  gone, but the PCs will be able to find it inside. The squares 
  in the passageway leading from area B1 to area B2 are filled 
  with rubble and considered difficult terrain, but they can be 
  cleared with roughly a minute’s labor per square.
  Creature: A large constrictor-like serpent called an 
  acrochor has recently started hunting in this area. As the 
  PCs approach, it is curled among the exposed metal supports 
  overhead, attempting to lie in ambush. A PC who succeeds at 
  a Perception check opposed by the acrochor’s Stealth check 
  spots the beast before it attacks. 
  ACROCHOR 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  HP 128 (see page 55)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The acrochor attacks the PCs from above 
  as it hangs off the exposed metal bars. If it successfully 
  grabs someone, it slithers off the metal supports to 
  constrict its victim to death.
  Morale If reduced to fewer than 30 Hit Points, the acrochor 
  tries to flee, climbing up and over the building.
  b2. tiCKet booth
  A small booth with a large open window stands against 
  the western wall. A doorway to the north is blocked by 
  1 square = 5 feet
  B. MAZE OF GHOSTS
  S
  B7
  B9
  S
  B1
  B4
  B2
  B3
  S
  B8
  B5
  B6
  
  20
  a thick, translucent shutter made from some kind of 
  synthetic crystal. The walls are adorned with paint-and-
  charcoal murals depicting humanoid figures looming over 
  the buildings of a city; these titans seem to be looking 
  benevolently down at the city’s inhabitants. 
  A large sign under the window of the ticket booth features 
  the words “Istamak Historical Museum” in Kishaleen and 
  lists the prices of admission, hours of operation, and similar 
  details that no longer matter. A PC who succeeds at a DC 30 
  Perception check discovers the secret door in the rear of the 
  booth, which leads to area B9.
  As with many other portions of the city, the kish have 
  decorated the interior of this building with charcoal and their 
  own paints, creating murals that tell their version of the story 
  of this place. The sturdy, 3-inch-thick shutter (hardness 20, 
  Hit Points 80, break DC 30) blocks access to the rest of the 
  building, and there is no obvious way to open it or access 
  a mechanism to open it. A PC who examines the mural and 
  succeeds at a DC 25 Culture check can deduce that the 
  towering figures are meant to represent the kish’s ancestors 
  as they watch over the city and its current inhabitants. That 
  PC also notices a number of nearly hidden indicators in the 
  drawings that point toward a disguised panel in the wall near 
  the ticket booth. (A PC who succeeds at a DC 35 Perception 
  check also finds this panel.) The panel swings open easily, 
  revealing a large breaker switch. Flipping the switch powers 
  up the building, opening the door to area B3 and activating 
  the holographic displays. In addition, a welcome hologram 
  that used to play on repeat here in the lobby activates, 
  showing a sweeping panoramic of the city (the image is of 
  how the city looked in its prime, but is now full of glitches). A 
  voiceover (in Kishaleen) accompanying the image is audible, 
  though only a few fragments are understandable between 
  crackling bursts of static. The message repeats a few times 
  before the projector overheats and automatic safety protocols 
  shut it down.
  “Welcome to…” The audio becomes garbled. “…Istamak, 
  shining city of progress! Come…” Static obscures several 
  patches of the next few sentences. “…to witness… living 
  history…” The music playing under the words increases in 
  volume for a few moments, drowning out some of the voice. 
  “Don’t hesitate to ask questions… and come again soon!”
  b3. gift shoP
  The murals continue in this room, this time showing smaller 
  figures in the streets of a stylized city looking in reverence 
  toward a large archway to the west leading into a wide, dark 
  hallway. There is a small counter in the northwestern corner, 
  and a number of dusty shelves and empty hooks occupy the 
  eastern side of the room.
  This area was once the museum’s gift shop, selling all sorts 
  of articles of clothing, digital books, and other mementos 
  to tourists who wanted keepsakes of their visits. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 30 Perception check notices the secret door 
  behind the counter, which leads to area B9.
  The kish see this room as the beginning of the journey to 
  commune with their ancestors. They would stop to meditate 
  here for a few moments before continuing on. They believe the 
  shelves and hooks were once used by their ancestors to hold 
  sacred relics, so they haven’t tampered with them.
  Treasure: A fully charged holoskin lies in the dust on one of 
  the shelves. It is currently programmed to make the user look 
  like Istamak’s last mayor—the kishalee the living hologram in 
  area B4 is based on.
  b4. the founDing of istamaK (Cr 8)
  Animated holographic displays along the walls of this section 
  of the twisting hallway depict the planning and construction 
  of a huge city among the clouds: alien architects manipulating 
  three-dimensional electronic blueprints, an important-looking 
  figure standing on an open-air cloud barge and pulling a lever 
  that starts large construction machinery in the background, 
  and a handful of industrial painters putting the finishing 
  touches on a building. The animations loop every few minutes. 
  A large touch screen is mounted in front of each display.
  The first set of displays in the museum shows idealized 
  scenes of the founding and building of Istamak. The touch 
  screen in front of each display is meant to activate the 
  holograms’ artificial personalities, but now when they are 
  pressed, they cause the displays to freeze up and emit a string 
  of garbled speech that is beyond translation. The images often 
  blur and jump without warning. If the PCs enter the museum 
  without turning on the power in area B2, this room is dark and 
  the displays are off. The living hologram (see Creature below) 
  can then be found only in area B7.
  Creature: Over the centuries, the hologram of Istamak’s 
  last kishalee mayor (see area B7) became subtly corrupted, 
  turning into a living hologram, a kind of digital ghost that has 
  evolved its own rudimentary personality based on corruptions 
  within its programming. It behaves as though it is the city’s 
  leader and protector: it entreats the kish who come to the 
  Maze of Ghosts to ask it questions and request blessings as its 
  charges, and it acts to protect them. Though it knows nothing 
  of the incidents involving the Cult of the Devourer, the living 
  hologram can plainly see the PCs are strangers to its city. It 
  doesn’t think to ask any questions, quietly concluding that 
  these outsiders must be killed or driven off. It hides among the 
  other holograms in this room, waiting for a chance to strike.
  LIVING HOLOGRAM 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  HP 115 (see page 59)
  
  21
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  TACTICS
  During Combat The living hologram takes advantage of its 
  incorporeal nature, engaging in hit-and-run tactics as the 
  PCs move through this area and areas B5, B6, and B7, 
  using holographic image to confuse and disorient them. 
  If it is somehow rooted to the spot, the living hologram 
  snarls angrily in Kishaleen and begins making full 
  attacks when possible, targeting the weakest-looking PC. 
  Morale Though not consciously aware that it will rejuvenate 
  if killed, the living hologram fights as if it had nothing to 
  lose. However, it regenerates in area B7 after a few hours 
  if its faulty projector hasn’t been destroyed or fixed.
  b5. the inDustrY of istamaK
  This portion of the hallway features animated 
  holographic displays of manufacturing and other 
  industrial work: a miniature version of a gas-mining 
  vessel scoops up clouds, an alien in a jumpsuit 
  stands at the console of an automated production 
  line, and another sits at a large workbench 
  performing delicate repairs on a small 
  technological item, his face comically 
  distorted by a large magnifying mirror. 
  Like those before, these displays loop 
  every few minutes, and each display 
  features a large touch screen.
  The second set of displays in the 
  museum shows idealized scenes of 
  Istamak’s businesses and industries, 
  with the Foundry being the most 
  prominent. The touch screen in front 
  of each display activates the holograms’ 
  artificial personalities, though a glitch 
  causes each touch screen to activate 
  the same speech in Kishaleen. 
  This Foundry-sponsored bit of 
  propaganda is a jingoist screed that 
  touts the strength of the kishalee 
  people, 
  especially 
  when 
  they 
  work together to overcome certain 
  obstacles (a thinly veiled reference to 
  other cultures and civilizations).
  If the PCs enter the museum without 
  turning on the power in area B2, this room is 
  dark and the displays are off. 
  b6. the arts of istamaK
  The holographic displays in this 
  section of the hallway depict 
  performers 
  and 
  creators 
  of 
  various forms of art. A trio of 
  aliens in formal costumes leap and spin gracefully on a 
  stage, another alien sits in front of some kind of instrument 
  and tinkers away at the keys as if trying to perfect a melody, 
  and a group of patrons stand in an art gallery admiring a 
  sculpture of metal and glass. The displays repeat their 
  animations every few minutes, and a large touch screen 
  stands in front of each display.
  The third set of displays in the museum shows idealized 
  scenes of Istamak’s art scene, which wasn’t as thriving as 
  these images would have visitors believe. The city had one big 
  theater—the New Millennium (see page 42)—which featured 
  performances by the kishalee empire’s many touring troupes, 
  ranging from concerts to dance to holoplays. A number 
  of smaller venues throughout the city hosted only local 
  bands, and the few art galleries did very little business. 
  The touch screen in front of each display activates the 
  holograms’ artificial personalities, but after centuries, 
  they are all surly and offer only scathing criticism 
  of the PCs’ hair and wardrobe choices. 
  The kish see this section of the Maze of 
  Ghosts as a final test before reaching the 
  shrine in area B8; those who can endure 
  the mocking are worthy of reaching the 
  final chamber.
  If the PCs enter the museum without 
  turning on the power in area B2, this room 
  is dark and the displays are off. 
  A PC can discover the secret door across 
  from this portion of the gallery (where 
  the hallway splits into a T-junction) by 
  succeeding at a DC 32 Perception check.
  b7. malfunCtioning ProjeCtor 
  The display at the end of this hallway 
  features an official-looking room with 
  a podium in the center. A handful of 
  aliens in crisp suits can be seen in 
  the background; some appear to be 
  discussing the contents of a document, 
  while others are examining charts and 
  figures. A couple of banners embossed 
  with stylized symbols flutter in a 
  nonexistent breeze above it all.
  This display is meant to celebrate 
  Istamak’s government, and the figures 
  depicted are politicians going about 
  their work of aiding the citizenry. 
  These 
  holograms 
  would 
  be 
  reprogrammed every few years 
  to represent the actual elected 
  officials, including the mayor, 
  LIVING 
  HOLOGRAM
  
  22
  who is meant to be the main focus of the display, standing 
  behind the podium.
  However, the hologram that represents Istamak’s last mayor 
  (whose name has been lost to time) has significantly deviated 
  from its programming due to a corrupted projector. The PCs 
  likely defeated the living hologram as they traveled through 
  areas B4 through B6 (otherwise it is standing behind the 
  podium waiting for the PCs to get a bit closer before it strikes; 
  see area B4), but even so, a few seconds of its image appear 
  briefly in the display, flickering in and out erratically. A PC who 
  sees this and succeeds at a DC 18 Computers or Engineering 
  check can surmise that this is due to a faulty projector.
  The projector is easy to spot by any PC who steps into the 
  display. A PC can repair the projector by succeeding at a DC 
  30 Engineering check. Each attempt takes 1 hour; if the party 
  doesn’t fix the projector fast enough, the living hologram 
  might rejuvenate and attack them again. Alternatively, the 
  PCs can simply destroy the projector. This Small object has an 
  AC of 4, a hardness of 25, 45 Hit Points, and a break DC of 25.
  Story Award: If the PCs destroy or repair the faulty 
  projector and put the living hologram to its final rest, award 
  them an additional 1,600 XP.
  b8. shrine
  The holographic displays at the end of this hallway are dark 
  but have been replaced with murals depicting aliens in solemn 
  poses, their heads looking up toward the sky and their bodies 
  lit from within. A small shrine in the center of the murals is 
  covered with tiny effigies crafted from wire and metal.
  Kish turned this darkened corner of the museum into a 
  shrine to the kishalee depicted in the holograms in the other 
  displays, turning them into saintlike figures. After walking 
  through the main gallery, kish pilgrims arrive here to place 
  little dolls meant to represent themselves here to be blessed 
  by their ancestors.
  Development: A flat, triangular crystal lies among the 
  offerings on the shrine. A PC who succeeds at a DC 12 
  Computers or Engineering check recognizes it as a data-
  storage device; if the PCs already identified the data-storage 
  crystal from area A10, they recognize this one instantly. 
  Accessing the device requires touching the crystal in a 
  number of correct places and a successful DC 15 Computers 
  check. Much of the data is corrupted beyond repair, with the 
  exception of a single voice message in Kishaleen. When the 
  PCs access the message, read or paraphrase the following.
  The message begins with a loud burst of static, followed by a 
  feminine voice. “…chief technology officer here at SecuriTech. 
  Our customer service representatives received your message 
  regarding your…” Another burst of static ensues. “…and I 
  want to assure you that we take your security issues with 
  the utmost seriousness. After all, you are our biggest client.” 
  An awkward chuckle is distorted by audio artifacts. “A copy 
  of the admin keycode for your lock—for all the locks we 
  install—resides on a server within the Foundry. This server 
  cannot be accessed except from its physical terminal, and 
  only SecuriTech’s chief executive officer, a few key members 
  of our team, and I have access to that terminal. In addition, I 
  checked the logs this morning, and no one has accessed your 
  file in almost a year. And that was for normal…” The message 
  ends with a final burst of static.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 14 Intelligence check surmises 
  that the Temple Found and the Foundry mentioned in the 
  message might be one and the same. In addition, the metadata 
  of the message contains a partial router address, identifying 
  the server from which the message was sent. A PC trained in 
  Computers can find this information without a check, and if she 
  succeeds at a DC 12 Computers check, she realizes that with a 
  similar message, she could pinpoint the server exactly.
  If the PCs have this message and the one from area A10, 
  continue to The Broken Lands (see below).
  b9. maintenanCe CorriDor
  This corridor runs most of the perimeter of the building, 
  allowing access to the computer consoles that govern the 
  programming of each display. It is about 5 degrees warmer 
  in this poorly ventilated area than outside. All of the secret 
  doors are plainly visible from inside the maintenance corridor.
  Treasure: When the owner of the museum realized the city 
  was cut off from the rest of kishalee civilization, he placed a 
  small cache of weapons and ammunition in this corridor (at 
  the space marked on the map) in case the situation grew dire. 
  Unfortunately, he was killed in a riot a few weeks later, and no 
  one has entered this corridor since. Though the weapons and 
  ammunition are of alien origin and millennia old, they function 
  similarly to their modern-day equivalents (see the Kishalee 
  Technology sidebar on page 15). The cache consists of a haste 
  circuit armor upgrade, a shock fusion seal (8th level), and a 
  snub scattergun with 16 shells, all hidden within a mk 2 null-
  space chamber. 
  THE BROKEN LANDS
  Even with the messages from the two data storage crystals 
  in areas A10 and B8, the PCs still don’t have the admin 
  keycode to enter the Foundry’s side security entrance. 
  However, the messages contain a few clues that will lead 
  them to that information, including partial router addresses 
  for SecuriTech’s server, which might store the keycode they 
  need. A PC with both messages who succeeds at a DC 25 
  Computers check can piece together the two partial router 
  addresses and pinpoint the physical location of the ancient 
  server that originally processed the messages. This computer 
  is located in the SecuriTech building found in the northwest 
  part of Istamak, in a section of the city known to the local 
  kish as the Broken Lands, a small chain of islands floating 
  
  23
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  separate from the metropolis proper. For more information on 
  the history of the Broken Lands, see page 42.
  If the PCs return to Herald Tzayl to ask her about the Broken 
  Lands, she tells them that the area is very dangerous and 
  that only foo hardy kish youth wishing to impress a potential 
  mate make the perilous journey across the shattered hunks of 
  land. Her people believe the buildings in the Broken Lands are 
  “angry,” and Tzayl shares a tale about kish entering them and 
  never being seen again. She can tell them no further information 
  about the area, but she does offer them a 50-foot length of 
  titanium alloy cable line and a grappler (with a fully charged 
  battery) if the PCs ask for climbing gear. She also notes that 
  she would love to hear of their adventures, should they return.
  Fortunately, the SecuriTech offices (area C) are on one of 
  closer islands of the Broken Lands, and a number of small, 
  rocky islets lead up to it. A PC with a jetpack or the flight 
  spell (3rd level or higher) can reach the desired island easily. 
  The first islet is 40 feet from the “shore” and 5 feet higher in 
  altitude. The next two islets are each 30 feet from the one 
  before, though each is 10 feet higher in altitude than the 
  last. The island with the SecuriTech offices is 50 feet from 
  the last islet, but at the same elevation. Each islet can hold 
  four Medium creatures or one Large creature. If the PCs use 
  the grappler and cable provided by Tzayl, they need to hit 
  with a ranged attack against AC 5 to attach the grappler to 
  each islet (either throwing it as a grenade or using a ranged 
  weapon that targets KAC; see pages 219–220 of the Starfinder 
  Core Rulebook). They then can climb across the cable with 
  successful DC 10 Athletics checks. Remember that falling in 
  this situation is most likely fatal, as the nearest bit of “ground” 
  is the planet’s core, thousands of miles below the city. On the 
  other hand, such a long fall does give the other PCs a chance 
  to hastily mount a rescue mission!
  Alternatively, the PCs can try to use their starship to get 
  themselves closer to the island with SecuriTech’s offices. 
  While there are no spots to land a starship in the Broken 
  Lands, a PC can attempt a DC 30 Piloting check to bring the 
  vessel close to an islet and hold it there for a brief period so 
  that the other PCs can make 15-foot jumps out of an airlock 
  onto the island. Failing this Piloting check by 9 or less means 
  the pilot can’t get the starship close enough for a safe jump; 
  failing this check by 10 or more also means the starship 
  takes 4d6 damage to its Hull Points (this can’t be mitigated 
  by shields) as the pilot scrapes up against an outcropping. Of 
  course, even if the rest of the crew makes it to the islet, the 
  pilot will need to figure out her own way there, as she can’t 
  just park the starship in the air and jump out.
  C. SECURITECH OFFICES
  The PCs’ destination is an establishment called SecuriTech, 
  which provided alarms and digital locks for many of Istamak’s 
  businesses, including the Foundry. In addition to fielding 
  calls from clients, the employees of SecuriTech would debug 
  these locks or add new features, though most of the physical 
  
  24
  components were manufactured off-site. The building was 
  abandoned after the accident that created the Broken Lands 
  and it no longer has power, but if the PCs can access the 
  server containing the electronic manual that includes the 
  admin keycode to the Foundry’s security entrance, they can 
  access the weapons facility. They will need the digital lock’s 
  model number, found in the message from area A10. 
  Unfortunately, the SecuriTech offices are now the domain 
  of an immense mold colony known as a writher swarm. The 
  mold has insinuated itself into the building’s walls, floor, and 
  ceiling, and its sturdy filaments are the only thing keeping the 
  structure from crumbling.
  The following are features of the SecuriTech offices. Area 
  C1 is outside, areas C2 and C5 have exterior windows that 
  let in outside light, and the rest of building has no interior 
  lighting. All other windows and openings are covered over 
  with dirt and grime, leaving most areas in darkness. The doors 
  (hardness 8, HP 30) are all unlocked, though many are stuck 
  closed. The ceilings are 8 feet high. There are no functional 
  light sources within the building, and even if there were, the 
  lack of power would keep them dark.
  C1. exterior Plaza (Cr 7)
  A smooth path runs past an overgrown lawn to the entrance 
  of this drab building. The knee-high blue-and-green grass 
  smells sweet, like honey warming in the sun. The structure’s 
  walls are shot through with barely perceptible white 
  filaments webbing across the entire surface.
  A PC who examines the walls and succeeds at a DC 25 
  Life Science check identifies the filaments as a kind of mold; 
  while breathing air near the mold might have negative long-
  term health consequences for anyone unprotected, the 
  environmental protections of the PCs’ armor should filter out 
  any of its spores. If the result of this check exceeds the DC 
  by 5 or more, the PC recognizes that the mold is one massive 
  colony and, having grown to this size, it might be able to 
  defend itself if it perceives an attack. The PCs can attempt to 
  damage the filaments from here, but aside from causing a few 
  small chunks of the wall to crumble off, they do no harm to 
  the writher swarm as a whole; neither does the writher swarm 
  emerge to attack them, as it is patient enough to bide its time. 
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Engineering check notes that 
  the filaments are acting as a kind of structural support, keeping 
  the walls of the building from collapsing in on themselves.
  Though the front doors are unlocked, the many filaments 
  running through them and the adjacent walls make them 
  effectively stuck. A PC must succeed at a DC 20 Strength 
  check to wrench the doors open. The filaments tear with a 
  sickening, wet sound; the writher swarm immediately knows 
  that intruders are in the building.
  T
  1 square = 5 feet
  C. SECURITECH OFFICES
  C3
  C6a
  C5b
  C6b
  C5a
  C4
  C2
  C1
  C7
  C8
  
  25
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  Creatures: Two daelns were recently attacked by the 
  writher swarm within the building when they floated too 
  close to its roof. Similar to the barathus that live on Bretheda 
  and Liavara, daelns are large, floating, living sacs of gas that 
  vaguely resemble jellyfish. They drift through Nejeor VI’s 
  upper atmosphere, absorbing the minerals within the clouds 
  and secreting concentrated masses of materials they can’t 
  digest; these droppings look like fist-sized stones and are 
  sometimes laced with valuable metals. Daelns have animal-
  level intelligence and were considered pests by the kishalee 
  cloud miners, though modern daelns are several magnitudes 
  smaller than those from many millennia ago. These two daelns 
  escaped from the swarm’s tendrils and are trying to escape 
  the area when they encounter the PCs. In their panic, they 
  attempt to frighten the PCs away with their stony secretions. 
  DAELNS (2) 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  Variant barathu (Starfinder Alien Archive 20)
  LN Large aberration
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
  DEFENSE 
  HP 65 EACH
  EAC 17; KAC 18
  Fort +4; Ref +4; Will +10
  Defensive Abilities amorphous 
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 30 ft. (Ex, perfect)
  Melee slam +12 (1d4+6 B)
  Ranged pellets +10 (1d6+5 B)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  TACTICS
  During Combat These daelns have the ranged attack 
  adaptation, which they use to fire hardened pellets of 
  minerals they skim from the surrounding clouds, hoping 
  to scare away the PCs. 
  Morale When a daeln is reduced to fewer than 
  30 HP, it drifts away, not interested in 
  forfeiting its life.
  STATISTICS
  Str +1; Dex +0; Con +3; Int –4; Wis +5; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +17, Diplomacy +12, Sense 
  Motive +12, Survival +17
  Languages none 
  Other Abilities adaptation, combine
  C2. reCePtion area
  Except for the carpet of pale white mold covering 
  everything, this room appears to have been untouched 
  for millennia. Five heavily padded chairs sit against the 
  western and southern walls. A bed of mushrooms grows on 
  a large, four-foot-high, L-shaped desk across from the main 
  entrance, next to a small cabinet. Double doors lead outside 
  to the south, and another door leads north. 
  SecuriTech’s prospective clients would be met here by a 
  receptionist before being led to one of the two meeting rooms 
  (area C5). Those without appointments would likely need to 
  wait here for a short bit. Several datapads full of reading 
  material for those waiting have been swallowed by the mold, 
  as were the snacks and liquid refreshments that would have 
  been available on the small cabinet.
  As with the double doors, a PC must succeed at a DC 20 
  Strength check to force open the northern door leading 
  farther into the building.
  C3. offiCe CubiCles
  This spacious room is a wide swath of small, gray hillocks 
  covering what might have once been a collection of desks 
  and chairs. Two doors exit the room to the south. There is 
  a doorway to a smaller room to the northwest, and a short 
  hallway leads east past two other doors.
  Most of SecuriTech’s employees did their daily work at these 
  20 workstations, monitoring the various security systems 
  DAELN
  
  26
  installed across the city, responding to messages from 
  clients, attempting to land new clients, and performing other 
  mundane tasks. No salvageable equipment can be found here. 
  A PC must succeed at a DC 20 Strength check to open either 
  door to this room. An open doorway in the northwest leads 
  into a communal kitchen (area C4).
  C4. KitChen
  Though this room is as covered in mold as the rest of 
  the building, the smell here is somehow even worse. A 
  foul, rotting odor wafts from what appears to be an open 
  unpowered refrigeration unit. Rotting cabinets, some 
  whose doors have long ago fallen off, hang on the walls, 
  and parts of a small, round table peek out from under a 
  mound of mold.
  Like most spaces shared by several coworkers, the SecuriTech 
  office kitchen was never spotless even when the building was 
  being used. In fact, the writher swarm began its life here as 
  a pile of moldy protein cubes left in the refrigeration unit 
  for a couple of decades. The room is now a riot of mildew 
  and mushrooms. Any PC who enters this room without 
  environmental protections (such as from armor) must succeed 
  at a DC 18 Fortitude saving throw or be sickened by the smell 
  for 1 minute.
  Treasure: A PC who digs through the cabinets that line the 
  northern wall and succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check finds 
  a discarded serum of enhancement (scientist).
  C5. meeting room
  Most of this room is occupied by an oval table surrounded by 
  six chairs. The dilapidated remains of audiovisual equipment 
  lie on the table, coated in a thin film of mildew. Light filters 
  in through a large, south-facing window covered in fibrous 
  white tendrils.
  The members of SecuriTech’s sales department would 
  bring prospective clients to one of the two identical rooms 
  marked C5a and C5b to entice them with a slick audiovisual 
  presentation or to go over contracts and discuss other 
  business. A successful DC 20 Strength check is required to 
  open the door to either area.
  C6. exeCutive offiCe
  While one of the rooms marked C6 is larger than the other, 
  they are both furnished similarly, each with a desk and some 
  chairs. Both the offices and their furnishings are covered with 
  mold. The southern office was used by SecuriTech’s chief 
  executive officer, while the northern office belonged to the 
  chief technical officer.
  Treasure: A PC who searches the southern office and 
  succeeds at a DC 25 Perception check discovers a smooth 
  purple glove tailored for kishalee hands. This is a glove of 
  storing, and though the PCs can’t use it right away, a character 
  who keeps it in his possession for 24 hours finds that it fits 
  her perfectly the next time she tries it on.
  C7. engineering baY (Cr 8)
  This room contains three tables, and while mold has crept 
  up onto most of the them, one of the tables has a large 
  untouched patch about two feet in diameter. A roughly 
  square hunk of metal, plastic, and crystal sits in the center 
  of the open space, its sides covered with alien symbols and 
  bits of circuitry. The filaments of mold covering the walls 
  seem to be moving ever so slightly, as if a faint draft were 
  blowing, though the air is still. A door leads out to the west, 
  and another leads to the south.
  A successful DC 20 Strength check is required to open the 
  door to this room, which was where SecuriTech’s security 
  engineers would repair and modify the digital locks and 
  deterrent systems the company sold and monitored. Most of 
  the equipment here has been claimed by the mold, with the 
  exception of a flawed piece of security equipment (see Trap 
  below) that has remained active over the millennia.
  Trap: In the waning days of the kishalee empire, 
  SecuriTech’s chief technical officer began experimenting with 
  adding magical power sources to her company’s equipment, 
  which she hoped would allow the equipment to remain active 
  even in the event of total power failure. She was progressing 
  well in her venture, but she never got around to completing 
  her work. However, some of her experiments were successful, 
  and one device has retained enough power to function one 
  more time, even after thousands of years. Anyone tampering 
  with the partially modified machine risks electrocution.
  MODIFIED POWER SOURCE TRAP 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Type hybrid; Perception DC 32; Disable Engineering DC 27 
  (cause a short) or Mysticism DC 27 (disrupt runes)
  Trigger touch; Reset none
  Effect arc of electricity (8d12 E); Reflex DC 18 half
  Treasure: A PC who searches the tables and succeeds 
  at a DC 25 Perception check finds an old piece of security 
  equipment that can (with 1 hour of work and a successful 
  DC 25 Engineering check) be used as a motion detector.
  C8. server room (Cr 9)
  The walls, ceiling, and floor of this room are coated with a 
  thick layer of mold, with thousands of pale white filaments 
  poking out like tiny fingers. However, the two rectangular 
  objects in the center of the room are free of mold. The 
  crystalline devices are marked with sharp-edged designs, 
  
  27
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  and each has a dark computer console built into one side. A 
  doorway leads north.
  The large rectangular objects are servers, holding all of 
  SecuriTech’s data—contracts, employee records, instruction 
  manuals, schematics, and so on—and could be accessed using 
  the built-in terminals to display any data stored within. A PC 
  trained in Computers who examines the devices for 1 minute 
  recognizes them as such. The northern server holds, sends, 
  and receives the company’s electronic communications, both 
  internal and external, and would allow for access to Istamak’s 
  infosphere (if it still existed), while the southern server is 
  more secure, having no connection to the outside.
  The router address the PCs discovered matches the one 
  assigned to the northern server—a fact that can be discovered 
  with a successful DC 15 Computers check, or a successful DC 
  25 Perception check by someone who can read Kishaleen 
  by locating that information written on the outside of the 
  device. A PC who succeeds at either check also notes that 
  the southern server has no router address, meaning it can be 
  accessed only via the console; this one likely has the most 
  sensitive information stored on it.
  Both servers currently have no power, and their consoles 
  are unresponsive. A PC can jury-rig a power source for 
  a server with a high-capacity (or better) battery and a 
  successful DC 25 Engineering check; this provides enough 
  power for 1 minute of work per charge in the battery, draining 
  those charges as time passes. Alternatively, a single casting 
  of a recharge spell powers a server for 10 minutes (and has 
  no change of destroying the server’s battery the first time the 
  spell is used in this way). 
  Once powered, a server acts as a tier 3 computer. A PC 
  can hack into a server to gain access with a successful DC 
  25 Computers check; this takes 3 full actions. If the PCs 
  access the northern server, it takes another 3 full rounds 
  of searching through the directory for them to realize 
  information such as admin keycodes cannot be found on 
  this server. Either amount of time is halved (minimum 1 full 
  action) for every 5 by which the PC’s Computers check result 
  exceeds the DC.
  A PC who has successfully accessed the southern server 
  must succeed at a DC 27 Computers check to find and retrieve 
  the admin keycode for the Foundry’s XLT-88 digital lock from 
  behind a firewall; this also takes 3 full actions. This amount of 
  time is halved (minimum 1 full action) for every 5 by which the 
  PC’s Computers check result exceeds the DC. However, the 
  southern server is also on a shock grid. The first time a PC fails 
  a Computers check to gain access or find the admin keycode, 
  every character within 10 feet of the server must succeed at 
  a DC 20 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. This likely 
  won’t inconvenience the PCs that much, but warn them that 
  the server might have some nastier countermeasures in place; 
  a PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Computers or Engineering 
  check to examine the server for traps or security measures 
  recognizes that the server is on a shock grid and that the next 
  failed Computers check will result in lethal force. If a PC fails a 
  second Computers check to access the southern server, every 
  character within 10 feet of the server takes 8d6 electricity 
  damage (Reflex DC 20 half). A PC can disable the shock grid 
  by succeeding at a DC 27 Engineering check, though failing 
  this check sets off the shock grid as if the PCs had failed a 
  second Computers check.
  If the PCs succeed at the two checks to access the system 
  and bypass the firewall, they discover the admin keycode 
  to the Foundry’s security entrance: basically, a certain 
  combination of keys pressed simultaneously puts the digital 
  lock into a maintenance mode, making it possible to disable the 
  lock without knowing the current keycode, which for security 
  reasons would be automatically changed every month.
  Creature: The writher swarm isn’t about to allow the PCs 
  to leave its domain once they have delved so deeply. Once the 
  PCs have retrieved the admin keycode and move to leave, the 
  filaments on the walls begin to ripple as if caught in a strong 
  breeze. They quickly coalesce into the creature’s swarm form 
  to block the characters’ exit, and the writher swarm attempts 
  to either devour or infest the PCs.
  WRITHER SWARM 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  HP 145 (see page 61)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The writher swarm attempts to quietly 
  move into position, blocking the only exit out of 
  the room.
  During Combat The writher swarm encompasses as many 
  PCs as possible with its tendrils.
  Morale The writher swarm hasn’t had a meal the size of the 
  PCs in a long while, so out of overwhelming hunger, it 
  fights to the death.
  Development: The instant the writher swarm dies, the mold 
  on the surrounding walls turns from a pale gray to black as 
  the colony dies. This causes the building to begin falling down 
  around the PCs’ ears. Continue with Event 1: Collapse! below. 
  event 1: CollaPse! (Cr 9)
  The following event occurs as the PCs flee the collapsing 
  building. Keep track of each PC’s actions each round after 
  the PCs kill the writher swarm, though initiative count 
  doesn’t matter. Also note the changes to the structure that 
  make it difficult for the PCs to take the most direct route 
  to the exit. The repercussions of being completely buried in 
  rubble are detailed at the end of this section (see Getting 
  Buried on page 28). 
  As the center of the writher swarm colony, area C8 suffers 
  the greatest destruction. At the end of the second round after 
  the PCs kill the writher swarm, the ceiling in this room fully 
  collapses, burying all who are in it. As the PCs pass through 
  
  28
  area C7, the floor buckles underneath them, creating a small 
  sinkhole between this room and area C8. The last PC to enter 
  area C7 must succeed at a DC 25 Athletics check to jump over 
  this pit. Failure means the PC takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage 
  as he falls into the 30-foot-deep hole and must climb out 
  before this room fully collapses 3 rounds later and buries him. 
  Much of the east-west portion of building’s main corridor is 
  now completely blocked with debris, as the northern wall of 
  area C5 has collapsed into it. The PCs instead must go through 
  areas C6 and C3. The door on the eastern wall of area C6 is now 
  jammed shut, so a PC must succeed at a DC 25 Strength check 
  to open it. The entirety of area C3 is difficult terrain, and its 
  southeastern door is blocked. Starting on the third round the 
  PCs are in this room, large chunks of the ceiling begin falling 
  on them. Each round, a random PC takes 4d6 bludgeoning 
  damage (Reflex DC 20 half). At the end of the sixth round the 
  PCs are in this room, the ceiling collapses entirely, burying 
  everyone who remains in the area (see Getting Buried below).
  When the PCs reach the main corridor again, they 
  immediately notice that the southwest corner of the 
  building has collapsed entirely, making it impossible to exit 
  through area C2 and the front door. If the PCs explored the 
  building beforehand, they might remember that the meeting 
  rooms (area C5) had large south-facing windows. If not, a 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Perception hears the sound of 
  shattering glass coming from that direction. The collapse of 
  the northern wall of area C5 has blocked off the door to area 
  C5b, but area C5a is still accessible. If the PCs opened the 
  door to that meeting room earlier, that door is still open; 
  otherwise, a PC can open the door by succeeding at a DC 20 
  Strength check.
  As the PCs enter the meeting room, it becomes evident 
  that they don’t have much time before the rest of the building 
  comes down. Exiting through the hole where the window 
  was requires 10 feet of movement. A PC can move through 
  the window at normal movement speeds with a successful 
  DC 16 Acrobatics check, but failing this Acrobatics check by 
  10 or more means the PC falls prone adjacent to the window 
  inside the building. The last PC to leave the building is struck 
  by a chunk of the wall as she exits, taking 8d6 bludgeoning 
  damage (Reflex DC 18 half). If that PC fails her Reflex save 
  by 10 or more, she is instead completely buried in debris 
  (see Getting Buried below). At this point, the entire structure 
  collapses, preventing any return to the interior and burying all 
  PCs who have not managed to escape. 
  Getting Buried: Characters who are buried in rubble take 
  10d10 bludgeoning damage (Reflex DC 18 half). A buried PC 
  takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage per minute as he is slowly 
  crushed and suffocates (Fortitude DC 18 half). A buried PC can 
  free himself with a successful DC 25 Strength check, and can 
  attempt one once per minute.
  A character who isn’t buried can dig out someone who is. 
  Using only her hands, a character can clear an amount of bulk 
  of rocks and debris equal to five times her Strength score in 1 
  minute. A 5-foot-square area contains 200 bulk of loose stone. 
  Armed with an appropriate analog tool, such as a pick, crowbar, 
  or shovel, a digger can clear loose stone twice as quickly as 
  she could by hand. At your discretion, other technological 
  tools might be able to clear loose stone even faster.
  RETURNING TO CLOUDSIDE
  Once the PCs retrieve the admin keycode to the Foundry’s 
  security entrance, they can go straight there (see area D), 
  though they might want to rest up a bit first or touch base 
  with Herald Tzayl. If so, they are welcomed back to the 
  community center with open arms and hearty pats on backs 
  (if the outcast kish were aware the PCs were headed to the 
  Broken Lands). Tzayl greets the PCs in her makeshift temple 
  and eagerly asks them about their experiences. (If the PCs 
  returned to the community center in between their visits to 
  the House of Renewal, the Maze of Ghosts, and the SecuriTech 
  offices, Tzayl knew their story was not yet complete enough 
  to tell until now.) She is fairly insistent that the PCs tell some 
  tales of their exploits, and she gathers other kish around 
  to hear.
  A PC can tell an engaging story by succeeding at a DC 30 
  Diplomacy check or a DC 25 check with an appropriate 
  Charisma-based Profession skill (actor, public speaker, etc.). 
  If the PC wants to embellish the story, he can attempt a Bluff 
  check instead of a Diplomacy check. Up to two PCs can use 
  aid another to help the main storyteller by using the same 
  skill. If the PCs mention that they fixed the medical chamber 
  in the House of Renewal, they gain a +2 circumstance bonus 
  to the main check. If the PCs mention repairing the hologram 
  projector in the Maze of Ghosts, they gain a +2 circumstance 
  bonus to the main check. If the PCs mention that they did both, 
  they instead gain a +5 circumstance bonus to the main check. 
  If the PCs decide not to tell their story, Tzayl is understanding 
  but visibly disappointed. Either way, she still informs them of 
  the exact location of the factory’s side entrance (see area D1), 
  if they need it.
  Treasure: If the PCs attempt the storytelling check but 
  fail, the outcast kish give them a pair of eohi boots (see 
  page 45). If the PCs succeed, they also receive a seeking 
  advanced battlebow.
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE FOUND
  Armed with knowledge of the admin keycode and the 
  location of the side entrance, the PCs can enter the Temple 
  Found and attempt to discover what the Cult of the Devourer 
  learned when they were here, while putting an end to Xavra’s 
  occupation of the temple.
  
  29
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  D. THE TEMPLE FOUND
  One of the more prominent buildings in Istamak, the Foundry 
  was once a government facility for research into weapon 
  technology and the production of new armaments for the 
  kishalee empire. The Foundry experienced a boom during the 
  height of the kishalee-sivv war, when weapons were needed 
  the most, and the raw resources on Nejeor VI helped to fuel 
  that prosperity. When the kishalee empire captured the Stellar 
  Degenerator, the Foundry was instrumental in studying the 
  superweapon. Eventually, the facility’s researchers branched 
  out into studying dimensional physics as part of the empire’s 
  efforts leading to the creation of the Gate of the Twelve 
  Suns and the demiplane in which the Stellar Degenerator is 
  currently located.
  The kish of Istamak have imbued the structure with heavy 
  religious import, as over the millennia it has remained the 
  most intact building in the city. They understand the Foundry 
  was important to their ancestors, though they don’t know 
  the exact reasons why. Because of a damaged exterior sign, 
  the building has become known as the Temple Found. Until 
  recently, any kish could enter the temple, explore most of its 
  interior, and commune with the ancestors by examining the 
  Foundry’s many surviving data files. Some areas (such as the 
  basement) are considered off-limits due to dangerous energies 
  or creatures that have made their lairs there. However, 
  after the Cult of the Devourer took advantage of the kish’s 
  hospitality, ransacked the Temple Found for information, and 
  attacked the kish (killing a few and wounding more than a 
  dozen) before leaving, several kish believed that it was time 
  for a change in the rules of access.
  Chief among this outspoken group was Xavra, a 
  huntmaster in the service of Istamak’s leader. He began to 
  demand that the Temple Found be closed off to all but those 
  who had proven themselves worthy, especially excluding 
  any further outsiders. He swayed many to his position 
  before another member of the leader’s council—the curate 
  Tzayl—decried this proposal. Tzayl and her supporters were 
  subsequently banished, and Xavra took his warriors into 
  the temple, closing and barring the doors behind them to 
  force the issue. Xavra holds the upper hand in this situation; 
  he has brought enough food and water with him to remain 
  locked up in the temple for several weeks. Even so, he and 
  his soldiers are fanatical enough to starve themselves to 
  death to prove their point.
  The main entrance to the Temple Found is located in the 
  center of the building’s northern facing. The front plaza 
  features an elaborate fountain with a hammer-and-anvil 
  motif. The fountain no longer sprays water, but the kish 
  believe the rain it gathers has healing properties. A number 
  of images painted on the side of the fountain explain these 
  supposed properties, something a PC who succeeds at a 
  DC 25 Culture check can translate. However, the water within 
  is completely normal and merely tastes faintly of copper. The 
  large front door is also emblazoned with blacksmith imagery 
  1 square = 5 feet
  D. THE TEMPLE FOUND
  D5
  D7
  D4d
  D4b
  D4a
  D2c
  D3
  D2a
  D2d
  D2b
  D4c
  D4e
  D6
  D1
  S
  
  30
  and is free of kish graffiti. It is quite thick, sturdy, and bolted 
  and heavily barred from the inside. It would take days of 
  work with industrial tools to cut through the doors—a luxury 
  the PCs probably don’t feel they have.
  The side entrance to the Foundry is down an unassuming 
  side street that ends in a 20-foot-tall metal fence; if the 
  PCs don’t know where to look, they can find this route by 
  succeeding at a DC 30 Perception check. A closed and locked 
  gate (hardness 20, HP 60, break DC 28, Engineering DC 25 
  to disable) leads to a lower portion of the Temple Found’s 
  grounds (area D1).
  The following are features of the Foundry. Area D1 is 
  outside. There is no lighting within the building. The ceilings 
  are 10 feet high in the security area (area D2), 25 feet high 
  in the secured records room (area D7), and 15 feet high in 
  the rest of the building. The doors in the building are all 
  unlocked except where noted.
  D1. seCuritY entranCe
  Weeds poke through cracks in the ground in this long, 
  narrow courtyard shadowed by a large, blocky building. A 
  broken bench sits next to a simple but imposing metal door 
  with no visible handle or hinges. A sign is affixed to the door 
  above a digital keypad. 
  This side entrance was used by the Foundry’s security 
  agents, with a bench for agents who wanted to get some fresh 
  air while on their breaks. The sign reads “Security Only” in 
  Kishaleen, and the keypad features other Kishaleen symbols 
  that roughly correspond to numbers. The PCs can easily open 
  the door by inputting the admin keycode they discovered in 
  the lock’s manual (see area C8). A PC can hack the keypad 
  by succeeding at a DC 35 Computers check or bypass it by 
  succeeding at a DC 38 Engineering check.
  D2. slime lair (Cr 9)
  A faint layer of slime covers every surface of these connected 
  chambers. The largest open area contains a set of empty 
  lockers, one of which seems likely to have held a 
  collection of guns and ammunition. Bits of metal 
  and plastic are scattered everywhere. One side 
  room contains a small, round table, another a 
  metal desk, and a third, a few rows of chairs and a 
  podium. A door leads east.
  This area was the domain of the Foundry’s 
  private security agents. The largest portion 
  (area D2a) was where they stored their 
  uniforms and gear, and in the northwestern 
  corner is a small break room (area D2b) 
  where the agents could sit and eat. The 
  northeastern side chamber (area D2c) was 
  a small office for the agents’ supervisor, and 
  the southeastern chamber (area D2d) was 
  a meeting room where the agents received 
  their daily briefings. The slippery slime on the 
  floor increases the DCs of Acrobatics checks 
  to balance and tumble by 5.
  Creature: As Istamak devolved, an enterprising 
  Foundry scientist tried to create a portal to reach 
  the other kishalee worlds but ended up calling forth 
  a few creatures known as scavenger slimes, oozes 
  that incorporate technological items into their forms 
  to create hermit crab–like shells. They quickly 
  devoured the poor researcher and began perusing 
  the veritable smorgasbord of this arms factory 
  and research facility. Over the centuries, their 
  population remained steady because they kept 
  to the building. When the first kish ventured 
  inside, the oozes were driven into the Temple 
  SCAVENGER 
  SLIME
  
  31
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  Found’s lower reaches. A small group claimed this security 
  area as their lair, but over time their numbers have diminished 
  until only one now remains. As the PCs enter area D2a, it 
  emerges from area D2d to attack.
  SCAVENGER SLIME 
  CR 9
  XP 6,400
  N Large ooze
  Init +3; Senses blindsight (vibration) 60 ft., sightless; 
  Perception +17
  DEFENSE  
  HP 145
  EAC 22; KAC 24
  Fort +13; Ref +9; Will +6
  Defensive Abilities scavenger shell; DR 5/adamantine; 
  Immunities ooze immunities; Resistance fire 10 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee pseudopod +18 (2d10+13 B)
  Ranged aphelion artillery laser +21 (3d8+9 F) or 
  dual crossbolter +21 (2d10+9 P) or 
  red star plasma rifle +21 (1d10+9 E & F)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  TACTICS
  During Combat The scavenger slime favors its artillery 
  laser, unless three or more PCs are standing in a line; it 
  uses its plasma rifle against those foes.
  Morale The scavenger slime fights to the death to protect 
  its territory.
  STATISTICS
  Str +4; Dex +3; Con +6; Int —; Wis +0; Cha –2
  Skills Stealth +22 (+27 in ruins or garbage)
  Languages none 
  Other Abilities kitbash
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Kitbash (Ex) Scavenger slimes have an intuitive 
  understanding of technology and how to use and repair 
  it, despite their otherwise mindless nature. A scavenger 
  slime has a +22 bonus to Engineering checks to repair 
  mechanical and technological items; it can form its body 
  into any tool required for this repair work.
  Scavenger Shell (Ex) Scavenger slimes build protective 
  shells for themselves out of refuse and their own natural 
  resin, incorporating bits of repaired technology as 
  they go. A scavenger slime’s shell grants the scavenger 
  slime DR 5/adamantine and resistance 10 to a random 
  energy type depending on the technology it has 
  incorporated, and also includes life-support systems 
  similar to those in commercial armor, allowing it to 
  survive in the vacuum of space. A scavenger slime can 
  also incorporate weapons: one heavy weapon of an 
  item level no greater than its Challenge Rating (9 for the 
  typical scavenger slime), and either two longarms or 
  three small arms each of an item level no greater than its 
  CR – 1. A scavenger slime gains proficiency in whatever 
  weapons it incorporates into its shell and powers these 
  weapons naturally with the energy it produces. A 
  weapon in a scavenger slime’s shell can be sundered as 
  if it were an item with an item level equal to the slime’s 
  CR. The scavenger slime listed here is resistant to fire 
  and has incorporated an aphelion artillery laser, a dual 
  crossbolter, and a red star plasma rifle.
  Treasure: A handful of the things collected by the 
  scavenger slime are still in working condition. These include 
  a haste circuit armor upgrade, a Foundry flux artillery laser 
  (functions as an aphelion artillery laser) with 16 charges 
  remaining, a Foundry bloodlight plasma rifle (functions as 
  a red star plasma rifle) with 20 charges remaining, and a 
  OTHER AREAS OF THE FOUNDRY
  This adventure presents only a small portion of the 
  Foundry; the weapons-testing facility is quite large 
  and could hold many more dangers and rewards. 
  These areas are beyond the scope of this adventure; 
  they would probably take a few days to explore and 
  the PCs should feel as if they are under a time limit. 
  However, if the PCs insist on searching the entire 
  structure, here are a couple other places they can visit. 
  Keep in mind that the kish still believe the Foundry to 
  be sacred ground and might not look too kindly on the 
  PCs’ snooping.
  Manufacturing Floor: This cavernous space, which 
  is accessible through the building’s southern and 
  western first-floor exits, is in complete disarray. When 
  the Foundry was operational, kishalee used automated 
  machinery to mass produce their lines of firearms 
  here, but when rioting started in Istamak, this place 
  was one of the first looted. The kish tend to avoid this 
  area. At your discretion, if the PCs haven’t found much 
  salvageable gear elsewhere in the adventure, you can 
  dole out a few choice weapons here. In addition, some 
  parts of the robotic assembly lines could still be partially 
  operational and might try to attack the PCs.
  Research Labs: A large section of the Foundry 
  contains dozens of research labs, each designed for 
  different areas of weapons testing and developing other 
  offensive measures. Devout kish have turned some of 
  the less dangerous areas into makeshift shrines. At 
  your discretion, any equipment the PCs find here can be 
  half-built prototypes or might not work in the intended 
  ways. In addition, the tests performed here long ago 
  could have resulted in patches of untamed magic or 
  hostile abominations. 
  
  32
  Foundry twin boltcaster (functions as a dual crossbolter). 
  PCs can modify the kishalee weapons to accept modern-day 
  batteries; converting each weapon requires 1 hour of work 
  and a successful DC 26 Engineering check.
  D3. storage Containers (Cr 9)
  The southern half of this spacious chamber is divided into 
  two metal containers that stretch up to brush the ceiling. 
  Large corrugated doors on the containers’ fronts have been 
  painted with crude symbols. On the eastern end of this room 
  is an unmarked door, while the area opens into a hallway to 
  the west.
  Foundry engineers and scientists were constantly 
  attempting to innovate, but not all projects were destined to 
  come to fruition. When management determined that a failed 
  project held nothing of value, all unusable prototypes would 
  be scrapped (though, of course, all records of the research 
  were saved). However, potentially profitable prototypes or 
  useful side products were stored in these two containers, with 
  an eye on perfecting them before they could go to market. In 
  practice, most of these projects ended up lying here forgotten 
  as employees came and went.
  The first kish of Istamak to discover this area were 
  maimed horribly when they fiddled with a piece of strange 
  equipment. Though they fled, they returned to paint warning 
  symbols on these doors, believing the dangers within were 
  punishments from their ancestors for attempting to learn 
  forbidden knowledge (these warnings are recognizable with 
  a successful DC 25 Culture check). Xavra had always been 
  curious about these containers, thinking the gear within could 
  be successfully used by a kish with sufficient strength and 
  fortitude. Out of deference to the chieftain, he stayed his 
  hand for years, but the desecration caused by the Cult of the 
  Devourer inspired him to finally explore the cache.
  Creatures: After locking himself and his warriors within the 
  temple, Xavra came directly to this area to look for weapons 
  to aid him. He didn’t find any, and instead he accidentally 
  activated a prototype portal that opened onto all four of the 
  Elemental Planes for a brief moment before shorting out. It 
  was long enough for one Large elemental from each plane 
  to come through. Xavra and his warriors made a strategic 
  retreat from this area, and the elementals have not strayed 
  too far from the containers, attracted to the latent dimension-
  breaching magic in the air. Even if the PCs don’t examine the 
  containers, the elementals attack as they pass by.
  LARGE AIR ELEMENTAL 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  N Large outsider (air, elemental, extraplanar)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70
  EAC 17; KAC 19
  Fort +9; Ref +7; Will +4
  Defensive Abilities air mastery; DR 5/—; Immunities 
  elemental immunities
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., fly 100 ft. (Su, perfect)
  Melee slam +15 (1d6+10 B)
  Offensive Abilities whirlwind (1d6+10 B, DC 13, 2/day)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  TACTICS
  During Combat The air elemental choose targets different 
  from those chosen by the earth elemental, attacking the 
  same target as the earth elemental only if there is only 
  one foe remaining.
  Morale Angry at being torn from its home plane, the air 
  elemental fights until it is destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +3; Con +2; Int –3; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +11, Athletics +11
  Feats Spring Attack
  Languages Auran
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Air Mastery (Ex) Airborne creatures take a −1 penalty to 
  attack and damage rolls against an air elemental.
  LARGE EARTH ELEMENTAL 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  N Large outsider (earth, elemental, extraplanar)
  Init +3; Senses blindsense (vibration) 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70
  EAC 17; KAC 19
  Fort +9; Ref +7; Will +4
  DR 5/—; Immunities elemental immunities
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft.
  Melee slam +15 (1d6+10 B)
  Offensive Abilities earth mastery
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  TACTICS
  During Combat The earth elemental choose targets 
  different from those chosen by the air elemental, 
  attacking the same target as the air elemental only if 
  there is only one foe remaining.
  Morale Angry at being torn from its home plane, the earth 
  elemental fights until it is destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +3; Con +2; Int –3; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +11, Athletics +11
  Languages Terran
  Other Abilities earth glide
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Earth Mastery (Ex) An earth elemental gains a +1 bonus 
  to attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are 
  touching the solid surface of a planet or an asteroid. 
  
  33
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental 
  takes a −2 penalty to attack and damage rolls. These 
  modifiers also apply to initiating or resisting bull rush 
  combat maneuvers.
  LARGE FIRE ELEMENTAL 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  N Large outsider (elemental, extraplanar, fire)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70
  EAC 17; KAC 19
  Fort +9; Ref +7; Will +4
  DR 5/—; Immunities elemental immunities, fire
  Weaknesses vulnerability to cold
  OFFENSE
  Speed 50 ft.
  Melee slam +15 (1d6+10 B & F; critical burn 1d4)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  TACTICS
  During Combat The fire elemental choose targets different 
  from those chosen by the water elemental, attacking the 
  same target as the water elemental only if there is only 
  one foe remaining.
  Morale Angry at being torn from its home plane, the fire 
  elemental fights until it is destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +3; Con +2; Int –3; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +11, Athletics +11
  Feats Mobility
  Languages Ignan
  LARGE WATER ELEMENTAL 
  CR 5
  XP 1,600
  N Large outsider (elemental, extraplanar, water)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE 
  HP 70
  EAC 17; KAC 19
  Fort +9; Ref +7; Will +4
  Defensive Abilities water mastery; DR 5/—; Immunities 
  elemental immunities
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., swim 90 ft.
  Melee slam +15 (1d6+10 B)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  TACTICS
  During Combat The water elemental choose targets 
  different from those chosen by the fire elemental, 
  attacking the same target as the fire elemental only if 
  there is only one foe remaining.
  Morale Angry at being torn from its home plane, the water 
  elemental fights until it is destroyed.
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +3; Con +2; Int –3; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Acrobatics +11, Athletics +11
  Languages Aquan
  Other Abilities drench
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Drench (Ex) A water elemental’s touch douses nonmagical 
  flames that fill an area of no more than 10 feet by 10 feet. 
  The outsider can dispel magical fire it touches as per 
  dispel magic (caster level = the elemental’s CR).
  Water Mastery (Ex) Waterborne creatures take a 
  −1 penalty to attack and damage rolls against a 
  water elemental.
  Treasure: Most of the equipment in the containers has 
  degraded to a useless state; even if functional, it would be 
  unfathomable to characters without a working knowledge 
  of both the Kishaleen language and the Foundry’s scientific 
  theories and months of study. A PC who succeeds at a DC 25 
  Perception check while examining the containers finds an 
  x-ray visor, but the device was built for the multiple eyes of a 
  kishalee, so anyone without the kish subtype who uses it gets 
  a splitting headache and must succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude 
  save or be sickened for 1 hour afterward. A PC who takes 1 
  hour and succeeds at a DC 28 Engineering check can alter the 
  visor to remove this drawback.
  D4. oPerations offiCes
  These nearly identical offices were used by the Foundry’s 
  operations staff (payroll, staffing, etc.). Nameplates are 
  attached to the wall outside each office. They have been 
  converted into meditation cells by the kish, each containing a 
  simple woven mat and several crude bowls coated with dried-
  up paint. Pilgrims would sit in silence in these rooms until they 
  felt moved to paint something (usually something relating 
  to their lives), and as such, the walls are a confusing riot of 
  colors and shapes. Xavra and his warriors haven’t participated 
  in this rite since locking themselves in the temple.
  The southernmost office contains the body of a kish warrior 
  killed by the accidentally released elementals in area D3 and 
  laid to rest here by Xavra and his followers. The corpse is 
  burned in places, and two of its limbs are clearly broken. A 
  PC who examines the body and succeeds at a DC 20 Medicine 
  check realizes that neither of these wounds killed the kish; he 
  instead died from drowning. PCs might correctly surmise that 
  he ran afoul of the elementals they have probably just faced, 
  taking the brunt of the outsiders’ attacks.
  The entrance at the northern end and the large door at the 
  southern end of the hallway outside these offices were also 
  locked and barred when Xavra initiated the facility’s lockdown 
  procedure. The southern door leads to the manufacturing 
  floor (see the Other Areas of the Foundry sidebar on page 31).
  D5. researCh librarY (Cr 10)
  Over a dozen standing desks fill this large chamber, many 
  of which have been heaped with dried flowers, decorative 
  
  34
  bundles of grass, and other homemade trinkets. Though 
  worn in many places, the faintly checkered carpet still 
  looks high quality. A corridor leads out of the room to the 
  east, a large locked door leads to the west, and a red door 
  stands in the northern wall. 
  When Foundry researchers needed a quiet place to 
  read through scientific newsfeeds or papers published by 
  their colleagues, they came here to connect to Istamak’s 
  infosphere, as unsecure wireless signals were blocked 
  throughout the rest of the building. By providing only 
  standing desks with short walls for minimal privacy, 
  Foundry executives hoped to prevent their employees from 
  getting too comfortable here. Personal infosphere usage was 
  theoretically forbidden but impossible to monitor without 
  draconian oversight and time limits that the company 
  was reluctant to implement. Researchers examining the 
  Foundry’s proprietary research needed to use the secured 
  records area (see areas D6 and D7).
  Since the room contained only desks when they discovered 
  it, the kish of Istamak have taken this place for a kind of 
  memorial. The kish believe that each of these unmarked 
  cenotaphs commemorates an anonymous but important 
  member of their ancestors’ society, and they leave gifts on 
  the desks to keep these spirits from becoming restless. 
  The western door out of the library leads to the 
  manufacturing floor (see the Other Areas of the Foundry 
  sidebar on page 31), and the northern door leads to area D6.
  Creatures: Xavra’s second-in-command is a fierce warrior 
  named Hybeki, who is also an experienced animal trainer. As 
  such, the troops under Xavra’s watch often fought alongside 
  at least one beast. Hybeki brought two of her most loyal 
  companions into the temple with her: a pair of eohis—canine 
  creatures with powerful forearms—named Qu and Ro. The 
  three have claimed this room as a kind of lair, and Hybeki has 
  been attempting to teach Qu and Ro to leap from desk to desk.
  HYBEKI 
  CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Female kish soldier
  NE Medium humanoid (kish)
  Init +6 Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
  DEFENSE 
  HP 125
  EAC 22; KAC 24
  Fort +10; Ref +8; Will +9 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee assault kishaxe +20 (2d10+17 S, archaic; 
  critical wound [DC 16])
  Ranged advanced battlebow +17 (2d8+8 P, 
  archaic)
  Offensive Abilities charge attack, 
  fighting styles (blitz)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat If Hybeki hears the 
  PCs coming, she attempts to hide in 
  the western half of the room and 
  positions her pets to flank the PCs when they enter.
  During Combat Hybeki snipes at one of the weaker-
  looking PCs in the first round and then charges in to fight 
  alongside her eohis.
  Morale If she is reduced to 20 or fewer Hit Points and both 
  of her pets are still alive, Hybeki surrenders. However, if 
  even one of her eohis is killed by the PCs, she flies into a 
  frenzy and fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str +6; Dex +2; Con +4; Int +0; Wis +1; Cha +0
  Skills Athletics +21, Intimidate +16, Stealth +13, Survival +21
  Feats Cleave
  Languages Vulgar Kishaleen 
  Gear basic hardplate (see page 44), advanced battlebow 
  HYBEKI
  
  35
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  (see page 44) with 40 arrows, assault kishaxe (see 
  page 44)
  EOHIS (2) 
  CR 6
  XP 2,400 each
  HP 90 each (see page 57)
  Treasure: Qu has hoarded a handful of shiny objects from 
  the offerings on the desks in a small pile on the floor under 
  the southwesternmost desk. These baubles would be worth 
  2,000 credits as trade goods to the right buyer.
  D6. reaDing room
  A ten-foot-long table ringed by chairs occupies this room. The 
  table is scored by hundreds of shallow gouges, seemingly at 
  random. On the northern wall, a metal shutter closes off a 
  five-foot-wide window. There is a small sign on the shutter.
   When Foundry employees wanted to examine the 
  company’s patents, contracts, or classified research, they 
  would come to this room and speak to the research librarian 
  on the other side of the window. The librarian would assess 
  whether the employee’s need was genuine and then retrieve 
  the relevant datapad from the vast stacks in area D7. No one 
  was allowed to take those datapads out of this room, so all 
  reading had to be done here under the librarian’s watchful 
  eye. While the reading room once saw daily use, usually no 
  more than three employees would be in here at a time. The 
  sign reads “Will Return Shortly” in Kishaleen.
  The kish believe this room to be simply an antechamber to 
  the store of relics left by their ancestors in area D7. Over the 
  centuries, it became kish tradition to carve a short line into 
  the table (usually with the edge of a blade) when first passing 
  through this chamber.
  A PC who succeeds at a DC 22 Perception check notices the 
  secret door in the northern wall. It was used by the librarian to 
  enter and exit the secured records room. It was originally kept 
  locked, as unauthorized entry was a serious offense, but the 
  lock has degraded over the millennia and no longer functions. 
  The kish are aware of the secret door but keep it closed out of 
  respect. The metal shutter (hardness 20, HP 60) can be opened 
  with a successful DC 25 Strength check.
  D7. seCureD reCorDs room (Cr 11)
  Shelves holding a staggering array of datapads line the walls 
  and stand freely around this room. A small desk sits in front 
  of a shuttered window adjacent to the room’s only entrance. 
  A balcony holding even more shelves stretches across the 
  eastern, western, and northern walls.
  The Foundry’s management didn’t believe in keeping 
  its most sensitive records on computers connected to a 
  network that could be hacked. All of its classified information 
  (contracts, patents, and research) was placed onto handheld 
  datapads and stored within this room. Filing and organizing 
  these datapads was handled by a single librarian, who also 
  authorized other employees’ access to them. The desk in this 
  room belonged to that librarian.
  The kish call this room the Vault of Tales, and they 
  recognize it as a storehouse of the knowledge of their 
  ancestors, though they don’t fathom any of it. Often, one of a 
  chieftain’s curates would come to this place, ask an important 
  question of the ancestors, and choose a random datapad from 
  the shelves. It would then take the curate several minutes to 
  access and study the file within, attempting to interpret the 
  first thing he saw to relate to his query. 
  A kishalee datapad is a triangular piece of crystal with 
  a touch-sensitive screen that can show a single page of 
  Kishaleen text at a time. The datapads in this room have no 
  functionality beyond storage and viewing of text documents 
  and related diagrams; a single kishalee datapad can hold 
  10,000 pages of text or slightly less if the text is accompanied 
  by many detailed illustrations. A kishalee datapad functions 
  as a tier 1 computer, and a PC who succeeds at a DC 10 
  Computers check can access the unsecured files on it.
  When the Cult of the Devourer discovered the existence of 
  this records room, the cultists ransacked it for any information 
  they could find about the Stellar Degenerator. They learned 
  about the Gate of the Twelve Suns, but they pulled down 
  nearly every datapad in the process. Xavra and his warriors 
  have since returned them to the shelves out of reverence, but 
  not in any particular order.
  Creatures: Figuring (correctly) that this room would be 
  of most interest to any other outsiders entering Istamak, 
  Xavra has set up camp here. His remaining three warriors 
  are here with him, rotating watch as necessary. Xavra has 
  commandeered the balcony. As a high-ranking huntmaster, 
  Xavra has access to advanced kishalee weaponry that has 
  been passed down through the centuries, including a zero 
  pistol and an ultrathin longsword. Xavra doesn’t use the zero 
  pistol during run-of-the-mill hunts, saving the ammunition for 
  extreme situations such as this one.
  When the PCs enter the room, Xavra gives the following 
  speech in Vulgar Kishaleen from his spot on the balcony. He 
  doesn’t care that the PCs and the cultists are two different 
  groups—he doesn’t even register the difference in clothing 
  between the two. He is thoroughly convinced that all 
  outsiders are demons.
  “I knew the ancestors would send further demons to test us. 
  We were too weak and trusting at first, and many believed 
  that you weren’t demons but messengers. But why would 
  the ancestors send such strange and foul creatures as 
  peaceful emissaries? And what news did you bring? Nothing 
  besides death of good kish, defilement of our sacred spaces, 
  and corruption of some of our finest minds. You clouded 
  
  36
  their eyes and made them think our way of life wasn’t under 
  attack. I could see, though. I knew. When I send you back to 
  the ancestors, you can tell them Xavra knows and he stands 
  strong. I will always stand strong!” 
  XAVRA 
  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male kish solarian
  NE Medium humanoid (kish)
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
  DEFENSE 
  HP 170 RP 5
  EAC 31; KAC 32
  Fort +12; Ref +10; Will +11
  Resistances cold or fire 15
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee ultrathin longsword +22 (4d8+15 S)
  Ranged Foundry rime-class zero pistol +19 (2d6+10 C; 
  critical staggered [DC 17])
  Offensive Abilities flashing strikes, stellar revelations (black 
  hole [30-ft.-radius, pull 20 ft., DC 17], crush [DC 17], soul 
  furnace, supernova [15-ft. radius, 11d6 F, DC 17]), zenith 
  revelations (time dilation [DC 17, 10 rounds])
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Xavra drinks a serum of enhancement 
  (commando), the effects of which have already been 
  factored into his statistics.
  During Combat During the first few rounds of combat, 
  Xavra shoots his zero pistol from his position on the 
  balcony, while barking orders at his followers and 
  building up graviton attunement. When he reaches full 
  graviton attunement, he leaps down from the balcony 
  to use his time dilation zenith revelation on as many 
  PCs as possible. He then switches to photon mode 
  while entering melee combat, eventually using his 
  supernova revelation. Xavra uses soul furnace if any 
  PC manages to impose an affliction on him. During the 
  battle, Xavra refers to the PCs as “foul demons” and 
  “unwanted outsiders.”
  Morale Xavra is a fanatic and fights to the death to protect 
  the temple from outsiders.
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +8; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +2; Cha +3
  Skills Acrobatics +21, Athletics +21, Intimidate +24, 
  Mysticism +19, Survival +24
  Languages Vulgar Kishaleen 
  Other Abilities solar manifestation (solar armor), stellar 
  alignment
  Gear freebooter armor III, Foundry rime-class zero 
  pistol (functions as hailstorm-class zero pistol) 
  with 2 batteries (20 charges each), ultrathin 
  longsword, celestial stole (see page 45), serum of 
  enhancement (commando)
  KISH (3) 
  CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  HP 60 each (see page 58)
  Treasure: Xavra’s zero pistol is of ancient kishalee make, 
  but with 1 hour of work and a successful DC 26 Engineering 
  check, a PC can modify the zero pistol to accept modern-
  day batteries.
  Development: Once the PCs have defeated Xavra and his 
  warriors, they are free to explore the secured records room. 
  The datapads contain a multitude of technical documents, 
  many of which are too complicated for anyone without 
  ranks in Engineering, Mysticism, and Physical Science. Most 
  likely, the PCs are interested only in information about the 
  Stellar Degenerator and might be in something of a hurry. 
  Unfortunately, the once-tidy system of organization for this 
  library is now in shambles.
  The PCs can pick through the datapads randomly looking 
  for the information they seek. At the end of each hour of 
  searching, a PC who can read Kishaleen can attempt a DC 35 
  Perception check to find the correct datapad. After the first 
  hour, a searcher receives a cumulative +1 circumstance bonus 
  to this Perception check for each hour spent looking.
  Alternatively, the PCs can attempt to use the librarian’s 
  computer to find where the correct datapad is supposed to 
  be. Normally, this would allow them to find the information 
  quickly, but the records room’s recent ransacking adds a bit 
  of a challenge. (The DCs for the Computers checks to use the 
  computer to find the datapad assume that the PC attempting 
  the checks is able to read Kishaleen. It’s possible for a PC 
  who cannot read Kishaleen to track the location by looking 
  for patterns within the code, but doing so increases the DCs 
  of these Computers checks by 5.) The librarian’s terminal is 
  a tier 2 computer, so hacking it requires a successful DC 21 
  Computers check. The hacker must then succeed at another 
  DC 21 Computers check to access the main filing system and 
  discover the location of the Stellar Degenerator datapad. 
  However, if the PCs go to that particular shelf, they find a 
  datapad about quantum fluid dynamics instead. With a third 
  successful DC 21 Computers check, the PCs can discover 
  where the quantum fluid dynamics datapad was supposed to 
  be located and examine that shelf—the actual location of the 
  report on the Stellar Degenerator.
  The report contains the information found in the Adventure 
  Background about the Stellar Degenerator’s history and 
  eventual storage, as well as a warning that all research into 
  this subject has been terminated. The datapad also holds 
  the coordinates of the Gate of the Twelve Suns—an artificial 
  megastructure deep in the Vast that acts as the entrance 
  point to the demiplane holding the Stellar Degenerator—
  which allows the PCs to plot a course there. The Gate of the 
  Twelve Suns consists of a dozen stars arranged in a circle, 
  each orbited by a single planetoid; the devices that control the 
  gate, further examples of advanced kishalee technology, are 
  
  37
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  located on these planetoids. From the datapad, the PCs can 
  gather that only a small crew is required to operate the gate.
  CONCLUDING THE 
  ADVENTURE
  Though they have received important information, the PCs 
  should realize that the Cult of the Devourer has the same 
  knowledge—and by now, the cultists have had at least a few 
  days to act on it! The PCs will probably want to return to their 
  ship as soon as possible and head to the Gate of the Twelve Suns 
  to stop the Cult of the Devourer from gaining access to the alien 
  superweapon before they can use it to wreak havoc across the 
  galaxy. The PCs’ confrontation with the cult and exploration of 
  the kishalee megastructure’s controller planetoids are detailed 
  in the next adventure, “The Thirteenth Gate.”
  However, the PCs might want to return briefly to the 
  community center to inform Herald Tzayl that they have 
  defeated Huntmaster Xavra and reopened the Temple Found. 
  She is delighted at this news, though her emotion is tempered 
  with sadness that many of her kin have perished. She goes on 
  to say that she and her followers will remain in their current 
  neighborhood and try to make a new life there, away from 
  the main kish village. Guided by Talavet, she has decided to 
  call her new home Community. She is confident that without 
  Xavra’s aggressive council, Chieftain Hoyfeq will eventually 
  be amenable to diplomatic relations with her. Tzayl welcomes 
  the PCs’ help in establishing a peace between the two factions 
  of kish if they offer, but such a mission is beyond the scope 
  of this adventure. 
  None of the kish, including Herald Tzayl, show any 
  interest in leaving Istamak. While they are angry at how the 
  Cult of the Devourer treated them, the kish are more than 
  willing to allow the PCs to deliver any needed retribution. 
  Additionally, even if the ruined nature of their home 
  is made clear to them, none of the kish are interested in 
  accompanying the PCs on a trip to other worlds. At least for 
  now, the idea of building a new community in Istamak has 
  the full attention of the kish, though many hope the PCs will 
  return to visit them someday.
  Whenever the PCs return to their starship to leave, they 
  find a handful of Tzayl’s followers standing guard over the 
  docking pad. They greet the PCs and ask them to remain for 
  a few minutes while one of them runs off to fetch Tzayl. The 
  leader wants to thank the PCs for their assistance in person 
  before they leave. She arrives shortly, bearing a few bouquets 
  of flowers, which she presents with solemnity. The mood 
  quickly turns joyous as the congregated kish give a rousing 
  cheer. They then return to the city as the PCs blast off for the 
  next chapter in their adventure.
  
  38
  ISTAMAK
  T
  hough the current residents of the floating city of Istamak 
  on the gas giant Nejeor VI live among relics of the past, 
  they lack any real understanding of the original purpose of 
  such artifacts. As a once-bustling metropolis slowly crumbles 
  around them and foliage expands to cover everything, 
  these simple folk survive by farming and hunting. They tell 
  stories and paint murals about their ancestors, though their 
  often-fantastic myths are based on what little information 
  they can glean from abandoned buildings and barely 
  functioning technology. In truth, these passed-down legends 
  pale in comparison to the actual deeds of their progenitors, 
  who once controlled an extensive interstellar empire that 
  made incredible advancements and fought in vicious wars.
  ISTAMAK
  N ruined metropolis
  Population 8,430 (100% kish)
  Government autocracy (Chieftain Hoyfeq)
  Qualities insular, surrounded by the past, technologically 
  underdeveloped
  Maximum Item Level 14th
  QUALITIES
  Surrounded by the Past The citizens of the settlement live 
  among the vestiges of their distant ancestors, though 
  they can’t usually take full advantage of such relics.
  HISTORY
  Many millennia ago, Istamak was home to hundreds of 
  thousands of kishalee and served as a primary supplier of 
  weapon technology for their empire’s wars. The settlement 
  was established around the same time as several other 
  floating cities on Nejeor VI, shortly after the kishalee empire 
  discovered the gas giant and its abundant resources. Istamak 
  was a planned city; all its roads and most of its buildings 
  were put in place by a small contracted construction 
  crew and automated equipment long before its permanent 
  
  39
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  kishalee citizens arrived. The city’s foundation is made of a 
  synthetic material that magically interacts with the planet’s 
  atmosphere to keep the city afloat. Istamak’s founders 
  imported soil from other worlds for the city’s parks and 
  gardens. The empire sent a steady stream of supply ships 
  to the city, and to the planet’s other colonies, to establish 
  diverse flora and provide commodities that couldn’t be 
  produced locally. The majority of Istamak’s first “colonists” 
  were employees of the Foundry, a weapons factory and 
  research facility with strong ties to the kishalee military. 
  The Foundry soon became the economic heart of Istamak, 
  which in turn became much more than a company town 
  for scientists and their families, as the usual assortment 
  of opportunistic merchants and service providers arrived 
  in droves, hoping to gain the business of the city’s 
  well-compensated residents.
  As Istamak produced one technological marvel after 
  another for the kishalee empire, its status grew. Soon the 
  once-small settlement attracted further investment, and 
  the scope of the research and production in the city grew to 
  include more than just the needs of the kishalee’s military. 
  A population boom followed, and smaller buildings were 
  demolished to make way for skyscrapers and larger housing 
  complexes. Istamak became the most prominent of the 
  Nejeor VI colonies for several decades, and it even began to 
  attract a tourist trade as kishalee visitors came to see the 
  city’s parks and museums and enjoy the sun’s light diffusing 
  through the gas giant’s pink clouds at sunrise and sunset. 
  As tourism became a cornerstone of the city’s economy, 
  the city added an indoor stadium, luxury hotels, and even 
  a zoo which showcased many of the Nejeor system’s most 
  interesting  creatures.
  However, long before the kishalee empire began to decline, 
  Istamak returned to relative obscurity. The Foundry fell out 
  of favor with the kishalee military after the company created 
  the Gate of the Twelve Suns leading to the demiplane where 
  the Stellar Degenerator was kept. The empire’s war machine 
  still needed a constant supply of fuel, but never to the same 
  degree as during its clash with the sivv. The city government 
  attempted several campaigns to bring other business interests 
  to Istamak, but it quickly became clear that the city’s best 
  days were behind it.
  Perhaps Istamak would have one day received a second 
  wind had the kishalee empire not slowly slid into decline. 
  As the government on the kishalee home world started 
  to crumble, Nejeor VI was one of the first of the empire’s 
  annexed planets to lose direct support, and Istamak’s 
  leaders struggled to salvage what was left of the city’s 
  lavish, visitor-friendly image. Finally, when it became 
  clear that supply ships would no longer be coming to the 
  relatively isolated city, many of Istamak’s citizens fled for 
  more terrestrial planets closer to the empire’s center. But 
  thousands remained, either stubbornly refusing to leave or 
  unable to procure transport. The city government managed to 
  maintain order for a while, rationing the remaining supplies 
  and maintaining public utilities.
  However, as food and potable water grew scarce, many 
  of Istamak’s citizens grew discontent and violence began to 
  break out all across the city. A small group banded together 
  for safety (see Hearth on page 43), while the remaining 
  kishalee slipped into barbarism and, over the long and 
  unforgiving centuries, eventually succumbed to extinction. 
  The catastrophic accident that created the Broken Lands 
  (see page 42) knocked out virtually all of the city’s power, 
  and the creatures in Istamak’s zoo escaped to run wild.
  Centuries passed, the kishalee of Hearth survived by 
  establishing farms and learning to hunt, and Istamak became 
  a monument to a long-lost civilization. Over the generations, 
  the city’s residents, focused solely on survival, lost the truth 
  of their collective past and transformed into a practically 
  different species. These kish, as they now know themselves, 
  have reverted to a preindustrial society, and they pass down 
  their interpretations of the achievements of their ancestors 
  as myths and legends.
  SOCIETY
  The kish of Istamak are a society of mostly hunters and 
  farmers. They are focused primarily on survival, and they 
  worship the spirits of their ancestors by studying the ruins 
  of civilization around them. Kish have no written language, 
  and they speak a crude version of the language once spoken 
  by the kishalee, so they pass down knowledge through oral 
  histories and scenes painted on the crumbling buildings 
  all around them. Some kish have an almost instinctual 
  understanding of pieces of technology they discover; such 
  shamans either repurpose these relics into devices the kish 
  can use or imbue them with mystical powers that mimic their 
  original functions.
  Kish are ruled by a chieftain, who is advised by a council 
  of huntmasters (kish who have proven to be excellent at 
  leading others in often-dangerous hunts for food) and curates 
  (kish who can best “speak” with the relics of the past). The 
  exact composition of this council varies from chieftain to 
  chieftain; a bellicose leader surrounds herself with more 
  huntmasters, while a more thoughtful ruler enlists more 
  curates. Cooperation is a key tradition for kish—and critical to 
  their continued survival—so to maintain unity, the chieftain’s 
  word is usually considered law, even by those who disagree 
  with her decisions.
  The current kish chieftain is Hoyfeq (N male kish soldier), 
  the previous chieftain’s main huntmaster advisor. He rose 
  to his position after the previous chieftain was killed in a 
  hunting accident. Questions surround the circumstances 
  of Hoyfeq’s advancement, but he has proven to be a strong 
  leader so far, so no one has voiced these concerns too loudly. 
  Hoyfeq’s council consists of Curate Gundi (NG male kish 
  envoy), Curate Tzayl (NG female kish mystic), Huntmaster Iokki 
  (LN female kish soldier), Huntmaster  Phej (CN female kish 
  
  40
  ISTAMAK
  Broken Lands
  Empty Court
  Hearth
  Hunting Grounds
  Fields of Honor
  Dreaming Pool
  Temple Found
  House of Renewal
  Palace of Screams
  The Spires
  Maze of Ghosts
  Cloudside 
  Condominiums
  Giants’ Pantry
  Azure Plaza
  Lord’s Folly
  Monument 
  Hill
  Istamak Spaceport
  Lichen Farm
  450 feet
  
  41
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  operative), and Huntmaster Xavra (NE male kish solarian). 
  During the past few months of Hoyfeq’s rule, he has been 
  siding more with the opinions of his huntmasters and less 
  with his curates, favoring larger hunts of more dangerous 
  beasts—a move some kish find unnecessarily risky.
  Kish faith consists of a reverence for the spirits of the 
  kishalee as well as for the accomplishments of those ancient 
  people. Though kish spend most of their time procuring food 
  and water or performing maintenance on Hearth’s buildings, 
  some kish explore the rest of Istamak or make the occasional 
  pilgrimage to one of the city’s known sacred sites. Devout 
  kish leave offerings of dried flowers, fruit, and small trinkets 
  they have crafted at these shrines, usually hoping to gain 
  their ancestors’ favor or find the answer to a question that has 
  been vexing them. These kish sometimes find what they seek, 
  whether in the form of a piece of previously undiscovered 
  technology or a cryptic partial message from a sporadically 
  functioning computer.
  RESOURCES
  The food the kish obtain from farming, foraging, and hunting 
  is just enough to feed the current population. They grow 
  berries, gourds, herbs, and leafy greens on their farms, while 
  meat from the small herds of bovine revithals that graze 
  within the hunting grounds provide additional protein. Kish 
  collect water from the lakes in the hunting grounds and from 
  the occasional rainfall. To an outsider, this water has a faint 
  metallic taste, but the kish are inured to it. 
  Istamak is a veritable gold mine of ancient technology 
  the likes of which has not been seen in the galaxy, even 
  though much of it has become nonfunctional or turned 
  to dust over the centuries. An explorer with enough 
  perseverance, along with sufficient expertise in both 
  engineering and the mystical arts, could 
  potentially amass a treasure trove 
  of artifacts. Of course, such an 
  adventurer would also face the 
  ethical implications of robbing 
  the indigenous population of 
  its religious relics—not to 
  mention the fact that they 
  might find themselves facing down 
  an angry huntmaster’s kishaxe.
  CONFLICTS AND THREATS
  The kish of Istamak have long been unified as a single tribe, 
  accepting the decisions of the chieftain even if not everyone 
  agrees with them. This harmony is a matter of survival, as 
  any major schism within the tribe could quickly lead to its 
  extinction. However, the current population is growing, and 
  in a few generations, Hearth won’t be able to hold them all. 
  Soon, kish will face a crisis: Will they allow some of their 
  people to perish from lack of food and shelter in order to 
  maintain their population, will they undertake massive 
  UNCOVERING HISTORY
  As PCs explore Istamak, they will find buildings that 
  are at once familiar and unknown. When they see the 
  ruins of an advanced city, they might be curious about 
  a particular building’s historical function. A PC who 
  studies the layout of a building (or a kish mural painted 
  therein) and succeeds at a DC 20 Culture check can 
  determine the original purpose of that building. 
  HOYFEQ
  
  42
  construction projects to make more room, or will a small 
  group split off in search of another spot in the city that 
  can sustain them? Whatever solutions the kish employ, it’s 
  likely to have a huge impact on what has been a relatively 
  peaceful existence thus far.
  Aside from looming societal change, the biggest direct 
  threats to Istamak’s residents are the feral creatures that 
  roam parts of the city. Serpentine acrochors (see page 55) 
  drop from tree branches or exposed girders to wrap around 
  unsuspecting victims and squeeze them to death. Flying 
  predators such as sharpwings (Starfinder Alien Archive 102) 
  roost among the tallest buildings, ready to swoop down on 
  prey. Packs of mature eohis (see page 57) roam the hunting 
  grounds, searching for their next meal (usually targeting slow 
  or sickly revithals). Strangely, none of these creatures are 
  actually native to Nejeor VI; indigenous fauna exists mainly in 
  the depths of the planet’s liquid-hydrogen seas. Rather, these 
  predators were all originally brought to the city to populate 
  its zoo.
  NOTABLE LOCATIONS
  The following areas of interest can be found in Istamak.
  Azure Plaza: Located close to the Istamak Spaceport, this 
  area once contained a plethora of shops and boutiques that 
  catered to the city’s many visitors. Most of the merchandise 
  has been scavenged over the centuries, leaving the stores 
  empty. An abstract-art fountain in the center of the plaza still 
  functions intermittently, spraying a gout of bright-blue liquid 
  that smells heavily of chlorine. Every so often, a generation of 
  kish come to believe that this liquid has mystical properties 
  (from foresight to healing to granting wishes), but drinking it 
  causes only intense stomach distress and inevitably leads to 
  the site being banned—at least until the lesson is forgotten 
  once again.
  Broken Lands: The northwest corner of Istamak was 
  the primary location of much of the city’s technological 
  infrastructure: infosphere servers, utility stations, and the like. 
  A century after Istamak stopped receiving supply runs, one of 
  the city’s power stations suffered a catastrophic containment 
  breach and exploded, cracking the ground beneath it. Large 
  fragments of the city broke off, and while many chunks 
  simply fell toward the planet’s core, a few retained some of 
  the magic that keeps the city afloat. These small islands hover 
  approximately in sync with the rest of Istamak, though they 
  have gained or lost a few feet of elevation over the millennia. 
  Most kish consider setting foot on the Broken Lands taboo, 
  but every so often, a group of foolhardy kish youth uses 
  grappling hooks and scavenged cables to explore the decrepit 
  buildings that still stand there. One such location is detailed 
  on page 23.
  Cloudside Condominiums: The southwest corner of 
  Istamak was constructed as a community of luxury high-rise 
  condominiums. It featured winding streets, landscaped lawns, 
  and a community center. The gardens are now overgrown, 
  and the water in the community center’s pool has long since 
  evaporated. Over the centuries, several kish chieftains have 
  attempted to alleviate overpopulation by establishing a 
  second community of kish in this posh neighborhood on the 
  opposite side of Istamak from Hearth, but all such attempts 
  have failed for mysterious reasons—often when only a single 
  member of a survey team returns, badly shaken and unable 
  or unwilling to say what became of the rest. Most kish avoid 
  the area, as many fear it is cursed.
  Dreaming Pool: The largest of the kishalee-made reservoirs 
  in the hunting grounds, the Dreaming Pool is replenished 
  by Istamak’s occasional rainstorm. Most kish believe that 
  stripping oneself of all clothes and mortal worries and 
  floating upon the pool’s surface during a moonless night—an 
  exceedingly rare occurrence on the three-mooned planet—will 
  temporarily transport the swimmer to a land where dreams 
  are made manifest. 
  Empty Court: The New Millennium Theater was once 
  the most popular spot in Istamak to see the famous 
  holoplays of the day—stage productions enhanced with 
  realistic holographic illusions and other special effects. The 
  city’s residents gradually salvaged most of the theater’s 
  technological equipment, leaving nothing but rows of 
  moldering seats and a bare stage with half-rotted trapdoors. 
  Located between Hearth and the Broken Lands, this building 
  ignited the imagination of early kish, and they came to 
  the conclusion that their wisest ancestors pronounced 
  judgments here, with the assistance of the gathered 
  audience, for those who broke the laws. Kish occasionally 
  use this structure for momentous trials of their own, when 
  spectacle is as important as justice.
  Fields of Honor: A large indoor sports arena is located just 
  outside the western edge of the hunting grounds. Thanks to 
  a series of sliding floor plates (many of which are covered in 
  artificial turf) and modular seating, nearly any kishalee sport 
  could be played here after only a few minutes of automated 
  rearranging. The arena is no longer receiving power, so until 
  it is reconnected to the city’s power grid and a significant 
  amount of power is supplied, the plates and seats are 
  stuck in their current position, in the middle of a transition 
  between two configurations. Tales of the great matches 
  played here evolved into stories of gladiatorial battles as 
  they were passed down from generation to generation. A 
  now-forgotten kish chieftain once insisted that his tribe 
  reenact these great battles, escalating the stakes until an 
  accidental death catalyzed the rest of the tribe to remove 
  the chieftain from power. Kish today consider this a solemn 
  space, and warriors sometimes visit to ask for guidance from 
  their martial-minded ancestors.
  Giants’ Pantry: Now just a massive warehouse filled with 
  large, empty shelves, this store once sold its merchandise in 
  bulk, primarily to the street vendors that populated the city 
  during its tourism heyday. It was, of course, one of the first 
  places picked clean when the citizens of Istamak started to 
  
  43
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  run low on supplies. Kish today believe this structure was 
  home to a family of massive creatures, and they fear the 
  beings will one day return and extract a terrible vengeance 
  against them for the missing goods.
  Hearth: A collection of several apartment buildings 
  connected to a few surrounding outbuildings by makeshift 
  bridges and overhead walkways, Hearth is the home of 
  the majority of Istamak’s kish. As the city began to slowly 
  decline and kishalee started to die from starvation and 
  acts of violence, a portion of the population withdrew into 
  Guardian Tower, an apartment complex in northeast Istamak, 
  for protection. They remained safe enough to flourish, and 
  the people that would eventually become the kish annexed 
  the buildings on the surrounding blocks, forming the urban 
  equivalent of a treetop village. They also tore down structures 
  on other blocks, took soil from the nearby parks, and created 
  a few farms nearby. Hearth is now a thriving village and is 
  poised to remain that way almost indefinitely.  
  House of Renewal: Once a kishalee medical clinic, this 
  crumbling building southwest of the hunting grounds and 
  near the Fields of Honor (see page 42) is now a holy site 
  where worthy kish can go to be healed. More information on 
  the House of Renewal is presented on page 14.
  Hunting Grounds: When kishalee city planners laid out 
  Istamak, they realized the need for a natural oasis within the 
  metropolis’s largely regimented urban grid. They set aside 
  several city blocks as a large park that contained tree-lined 
  walkways, playgrounds, sports fields, a few small lakes, and 
  a zoo. With no power running to the charging stations of the 
  automated groundskeepers that would otherwise maintain 
  the park, it has become an overgrown forest, and the foliage 
  has spread beyond its original boundaries. Many of the 
  animals escaped from the zoo and went through population 
  booms and busts over long periods of time as they jostled for 
  position in the food chain. Bands of kish hunters regularly 
  hunt in the park, killing both docile revithals and aggressive 
  eohis (see page 57), both for food and to maintain a balance 
  in the ecosystem that is beneficial to the kish’s continued 
  existence. A common coming-of-age ritual in kish society 
  involves sending a young kish into the hunting grounds alone 
  to spend three nights and three days living by her wits. In 
  truth, the tribe’s most capable hunters maintain a watchful 
  eye on the youngster in secret, tracking and following at a 
  distance and intervening in truly life-threatening situations, 
  so precious is each kish life to the broader community.
  Lichen Farm: Several large landing pads for spacecraft 
  used to jut out from the southeastern edge of the city. With 
  the exception of the Foundry’s private spacedock, this was 
  the only way for vessels to enter and depart Istamak. Over 
  the centuries, all but one landing pad has broken off and 
  fallen into Nejeor VI’s clouds. The local kish still visit this 
  area, as a form of nutritious but flavorless lichen grows on 
  the underside of the platform. They collect this moss when 
  their farms are overtaken by an unexpected frost or when a 
  series of hunting expeditions goes poorly. The interior of the 
  dockmaster’s building, which stands as a gateway between 
  the landing pads and the rest of the city, is painted with kish 
  murals that detail, among other traditional knowledge, the 
  best times to harvest the lichen. 
  Lord’s Folly: Formerly the Istamak city hall, this building 
  was nearly destroyed in riots that occurred in Istamak as 
  the kishalee empire declined and widespread panic overtook 
  the settlement. The story about the attack on the city hall 
  has changed over the centuries into a thrilling tale about 
  downtrodden common folk overthrowing a cruel and vicious 
  overlord. The building’s broken and charred walls stand as a 
  stark warning to kish chieftains who would think to abuse 
  their power.  
  Maze of Ghosts: Devout kish make pilgrimages to this 
  ancient kishalee museum with holographic displays to “speak” 
  with their ancestors. More information on the Maze of Ghosts 
  can be found on page 18.
  Monument Hill: A small, unassuming park close to city 
  hall features a statue of the kishalee who spearheaded the 
  committee that planned Istamak. Her name has been lost to 
  time, along with most of the statue’s head. Kish leave offerings 
  of food and dried flowers at the statue’s base, most of which 
  are eaten or spirited away by vermin overnight.
  Palace of Screams: The formerly luxurious hotel Idyll has 
  become a breeding ground for psychic vole-like creatures 
  called dukkals, which are originally from Nejeor II. A few 
  specimens were brought to the zoo during the height of the 
  city’s popularity, where they were kept behind an arcane 
  barrier that blocked the creatures’ mental powers. The dukkals 
  have since escaped and infested this building, and they now 
  number in the hundreds. Alone or in small groups, dukkals are 
  fairly harmless, but they feed off each other’s psychic energy 
  in large congregations, producing what amounts to a telepathic 
  scream. Creatures exposed to this mental cacophony for too 
  long can go insane. Kish avoid this place, though particularly 
  cruel chieftains have sentenced dissenters to spend a night 
  here as punishment for their crimes.
  The Spires: Many of Istamak’s auxiliary businesses 
  (accounting firms, architectural firms, marketing agencies, 
  and the like) had their offices in the several skyscrapers south 
  of the city’s park. These towering edifices stand up to 80 
  stories tall and have been left relatively untouched by kish, 
  who fear their dizzying heights. Some believe their ancestors 
  will grant them access to these lofty buildings when they 
  have proven themselves worthy. Until then, many of the 
  Spires’ upper floors are the lairs of predatory flying creatures.
  Temple Found: The Foundry, a weapons factory and 
  research facility, was Istamak’s economic heart during the 
  empire’s height. It had its own landing pad used to ship 
  classified projects and receive important visitors. Today, it is 
  a sacred temple where kish pay respects to and learn more 
  about their ancestors. Part of the Temple Found’s interior is 
  described starting on page 29.
  
  44
  KISH EQUIPMENT
  Istamak’s kish live among the ruins of their ancestors’ 
  technomagical trappings, and while they lack the kishalee’s 
  expertise, kish have not lost their ingenuity and have created 
  useful equipment from scrounged remnants. 
  For more about advanced kishalee technology, see 
  Starfinder Adventure Path #5: The Thirteenth Gate.
  WEAPONS
  Kish rely on analog melee weapons and ranged weapons such 
  as compound bows. Though kish use materials left behind 
  by the kishalee, the weapons’ unsophisticated construction 
  means they have the archaic weapon special property.
  Battlebow
  These compound bows are made of materials scavenged 
  from the ruins of kishalee civilization, giving the bowstrings 
  incredibly high tensile strength. Battlebows can be used to 
  fire arrows and grenade arrows.
  Kishaxe
  Though crudely crafted from bits of scrap and debris, kishaxes 
  hit hard, with some models able to chop off limbs with a single 
  brutal blow.
  ARMOR
  Most armor worn by kish is a rudimentary hodgepodge of 
  advanced materials; many of their most able hunters don 
  the battle-ready armor presented here, all of which has the 
  archaic armor special property (see the sidebar on page 45).
  Acrochor Hide
  Crafted from the hides of acrochors—serpentine predators 
  that crush their prey (see page 55)—these suits of light armor 
  offer both protection and flexibility. Acrochor hide has the 
  archaic armor special property.
  Hardplate
  Kishalee building materials are some of the sturdiest and 
  long-lasting substances ever made, and kish have taken 
  debris from collapsed structures—and have sometimes even 
  intentionally demolished buildings—to make these suits of 
  heavy armor. Hardplate has the archaic armor special property.
  MAGIC ITEMS
  Many of the following items are defunct pieces of kishalee 
  technology that were later granted special powers by kish 
  shamans, based on handed-down stories about how the 
  items once functioned.
  ADVANCED MELEE WEAPONS
  TWO-HANDED WEAPONS
  LEVEL
  PRICE
  DAMAGE
  CRITICAL
  BULK
  SPECIAL
  UNCATEGORIZED
  Kishaxe, skirmish
  4
  2,000
  1d10 S
  —
  2
  Analog, archaic
  Kishaxe, assault
  9
  13,000
  2d10 S
  Wound
  2
  Analog, archaic
  Kishaxe, havoc
  14
  70,000
  4d10 S
  Severe wound
  2
  Analog, archaic
  Kishaxe, onslaught
  19
  540,000
  9d10 S
  Severe wound
  2
  Analog, archaic
  SPECIAL WEAPONS
  TWO-HANDED WEAPONS
  LEVEL
  PRICE
  DAMAGE
  RANGE
  CRITICAL CAPACITY USAGE BULK SPECIAL
  UNCATEGORIZED
  Battlebow, tactical
  4
  1,900
  1d8 P
  120 ft.
  —
  Drawn
  1
  1
  Analog, archaic, quick reload
  Battlebow, advanced
  8
  8,750
  2d8 P
  120 ft.
  —
  Drawn
  1
  1
  Analog, archaic, quick reload
  Battlebow, elite
  12
  31,000
  3d8 P
  120 ft.
  —
  Drawn
  1
  1
  Analog, archaic, quick reload
  Battlebow, paragon
  16
  150,000
  6d8 P
  120 ft.
  —
  Drawn
  1
  1
  Analog, archaic, quick reload
  LIGHT ARMOR
  ARMOR MODEL
  LEVEL
  PRICE
  EAC
  KAC
  MAX DEX 
  BONUS
  ARMOR CHECK 
  PENALTY
  SPEED 
  ADJUSTMENT
  UPGRADE 
  SLOTS
  BULK
  Acrochor hide, basic
  4
  2,100
  +5
  +5
  +5
  —
  —
  0
  L
  Acrochor hide, advanced
  8
  8,250
  +10
  +10
  +6
  —
  —
  0
  L
  Acrochor hide, elite
  12
  28,000
  +15
  +15
  +7
  —
  —
  0
  L
  HEAVY ARMOR
  ARMOR MODEL
  LEVEL
  PRICE
  EAC
  KAC
  MAX DEX 
  BONUS
  ARMOR CHECK 
  PENALTY
  SPEED 
  ADJUSTMENT
  UPGRADE 
  SLOTS
  BULK
  Hardplate, basic
  5
  3,000
  +10
  +11
  +3
  –2
  –5 ft.
  0
  2
  Hardplate, advanced
  9
  12,000
  +15
  +16
  +3
  –2
  –5 ft.
  0
  2
  Hardplate, elite
  13
  48,000
  +19
  +20
  +4
  –3
  –5 ft.
  0
  2
  
  45
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  CELESTIAL STOLE 
  LEVEL 5
  MAGIC ITEM (WORN) 
  PRICE 3,000 
  BULK —
  This long, thin scarf is usually marked with an 
  alternating pattern of light and dark shapes. 
  While wearing a celestial stole, you gain cold 
  resistance 5 or fire resistance 5 (your choice 
  when you first don the stole); you can alter 
  the type of energy resistance (choosing 
  between cold and fire) once per day 
  after 8 hours of rest. If you have cold or 
  fire resistance from the solarian’s solar 
  armor solar manifestation, increase that 
  resistance by 5.
  CORPSE LANTERN 
  LEVEL 2
  MAGIC ITEM 
  PRICE 500 
  BULK L
  This portable light source functions as a lantern (Starfinder 
  Core Rulebook 220) that never requires a battery, though the 
  light it gives off is an unsettling pale green. Once per day as a 
  standard action, you can touch an arcane rune on the lantern’s 
  base to cause all corpses within the 10-foot radius of its light 
  to speak, as per grave words.
  EOHI BOOTS 
  LEVEL 6
  MAGIC ITEM (WORN) 
  PRICE 4,200 
  BULK L
  The insides of these simple-looking gray boots are lined with 
  eohi fur (see page 57). Once per day as a full action, you can 
  move up to your speed and make a full attack with melee 
  weapons only. The penalty on each attack is –6 instead of –4, 
  and you take a –2 penalty to your AC until the beginning of 
  your next turn.
  INSTINCTIVE STABILIZER 
  LEVEL 3
  MAGIC ITEM 
  PRICE 1,400 
  BULK L
  Kish shamans imbued this handheld scanner with mystical 
  power to help heal the dying. When you use an instinctive 
  stabilizer, you can use the Medicine skill untrained to attempt 
  the long-term stability task. If you are trained in Medicine, you 
  automatically succeed at this check. In addition, when you 
  use this device, the DC for the first aid task of the Medicine 
  skill is only 10.
  TRUTH AMPLIFIER 
  LEVEL 4
  MAGIC ITEM 
  PRICE 2,000 
  BULK L
  This parabolic microphone is shaped like a pistol with a plastic 
  cone for a barrel, and Kish shamans have imbued it with 
  mystical power. To use a truth amplifier, point it at a sentient 
  creature within 30 feet and pull the trigger (as a standard 
  action). The target must then succeed a DC 14 Will save, 
  or it can’t deliberately lie for 5 minutes. Affected creatures 
  are aware of this enchantment and can avoid answering 
  questions they would normally respond to with a lie, being 
  evasive as long as they remain within the boundaries of the 
  truth. A truth amplifier can be used once per day. 
  HYBRID ITEMS
  Though kish see the hybrid items created by their ancestors 
  as sacred artifacts too holy to use, a technologically savvy PC 
  might find them quite interesting.
  ANIMATED TRAPSMITH’S TOOLS 
  LEVEL 4
  HYBRID ITEM 
  PRICE 2,000 
  BULK L
  When you whisper a command word to these otherwise normal 
  trapsmith’s tools (Starfinder Core Rulebook 221), they begin to 
  move on their own. You can use these tools to arm explosives 
  or disarm a trap at a distance of 10 feet, using your total skill 
  bonus in the appropriate skill (though the circumstance bonus 
  provided by the tools is decreased to +2 when used in this way).
  DIMENSIONAL FETTERS 
  LEVEL 8
  HYBRID ITEM 
  PRICE 9,200 
  BULK 1
  These manacles (Core Rulebook 221) are crafted from a special 
  hardened ceramic etched with mystic symbols. They are opened 
  with a security code. A creature restrained by dimensional 
  fetters that attempts to use a teleportation effect or spell fails 
  unless it succeeds at a DC 30 Will saving throw.
  QUELLER 
  LEVEL 10
  HYBRID ITEM 
  PRICE 18,000 
  BULK 1
  A queller looks like a simple fire extinguisher and is constantly 
  covered with a thin layer of frost. Three times per day as 
  a standard action, you can use a queller to spray a burst of 
  freezing chemicals in a 15-foot cone that deals 5d8 cold 
  damage to each creature in the area (Reflex DC 15 half) and 
  extinguishes all nonmagical fires in the cone (this ends any 
  burning conditions). Kishalee researchers used similar devices 
  to contain incursions from the Elemental Planes; at the GM’s 
  discretion, other quellers that deal different types of energy 
  damage might exist (though they don’t extinguish fires).
  ARMOR SPECIAL PROPERTY: 
  ARCHAIC
  Armor produced by technologically underdeveloped 
  civilizations often lacks features common to the more 
  advanced equipment available in many systems.
  Armor with the archaic armor special property counts 
  as archaic for the purposes of the archaic weapon special 
  property (Starfinder Core Rulebook 180), and it does not 
  have a personal comm unit or environmental protections.
  You can add environmental protections to archaic 
  armor by spending 1 hour and a number of UPBs equal 
  to 10% of the armor’s purchase price, though you must 
  have a number of ranks in Engineering (or an appropriate 
  Profession skill) at least equal to the armor’s item level.
  
  46
  THE DRIFT AND ALLUVION
  In two days we return to Absalom Station, brimming with new 
  knowledge: the engine Given to us by the Signal works, and a 
  heretofore unknown plane filled with possibility is open to 
  us. This plane can take us to countless alien star systems 
  full of resources and intelligent life. Yet we return with 
  new questions, too: What payment might the god Triune exact 
  for its gift to the galaxy? Which of the near-infinite worlds 
  suddenly on our doorstep can we trust—and which will 
  seek only to destroy us? Will our achievement help advance 
  the cause of androids or merely compound the distrust and 
  fear of the prejudiced?
  —Personal log of Aleksana Guryari,  
  android captain of the Chaos Wyrm
  
  47
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  T
  he Drift is a colorful plane of impossible geometry and 
  unlikely physics, reachable only with technology that 
  a newly ascended god, Triune, broadcast to the galaxy just 
  over 300 years ago. While there are many who claim secret 
  knowledge of the workings of the Drift, only Triune knows the 
  true purpose and scope of the plane. But every starship pilot 
  knows that each time she activates her vessel’s Drift engine, a 
  portion of another plane—the Negative Energy Plane, Axis, or 
  the Elemental Plane of Earth, to name a few—is ripped from its 
  home and added to the Drift. These appropriated fragments 
  often retain their local atmosphere and gravity for a time, 
  becoming self-contained representations of their planes in 
  miniature. The sizes of the stolen fragments range from that 
  of a single stone to entire planetoids. These pieces often 
  maintain the alignment traits of the plane from which they 
  came, from portions of Hell that are anathema to virtuous 
  beings to patchy expanses of the Maelstrom that shrink and 
  grow according to no observable pattern. 
  The Drift pulls from every plane, and as sections of various 
  planes that would never otherwise interact mingle, surreal 
  thunderstorms of mixing planar energy can cause phenomena 
  never before recorded in even the most chaotic and unstable 
  parts of the multiverse. A starship captain who orders her 
  vessel into the Drift has no way to predict which of these 
  many pockets she might end up passing near—or find herself 
  dropping into—so even the most routine journeys through 
  hyperspace are not taken lightly.
  In virtually every system, there are those who refuse to 
  travel through the Drift on the grounds that their use of the 
  technology may result in great suffering for an intelligent 
  being in some distant realm or perhaps right next door. In 
  the Pact Worlds, this small but vocal faction calls itself the 
  Moored, and proponents frequently organize non-violent 
  protests on Absalom Station, especially on the docking arms. 
  In truth, though, most planes are so enormous that the chance 
  that any single Drift engine activation will negatively impact 
  an intelligent being is vanishingly small. 
  DRIFT PHYSICS
  Despite its strange appearance, the Drift isn’t very different 
  from Material Plane space. The plane is mostly empty and 
  airless, and sports no appreciable gravitational pull. The 
  exception to this is what Drift explorers call “planar bubbles.” 
  When a piece of another plane is torn away and added to the 
  Drift, part of its essence expands the Drift’s planar fabric, yet 
  the physical components are added whole cloth—the fragments’ 
  terrain and any creatures or items present at the moment of 
  theft are set floating in the Drift’s expanse. The largest of these 
  annexations are able to maintain localized regions in which 
  their former planar properties remain dominant. As soon as 
  anything is removed from these bubbles, it immediately loses 
  these former planar qualities. Some scholars believe that over 
  time these bubbles slowly break down, “digested” by the Drift, 
  but if so, it’s an inexplicably random process.
  DRIFT TRAVEL
  While starship crews occasionally wander through the Drift 
  looking for valuable scrap or hidden treasures, trying to 
  locate a particular location within the Drift, such as a known 
  site, is exceptionally difficult, requiring a successful DC 30 
  (or higher) Piloting check. Most Pact Worlds residents know 
  how tricky it is to return to the same place again and again, 
  though stories exist of exceptions that result from magic 
  items, divine fiat, or mysterious “beacon codes” provided by 
  the Church of Triune. This is especially true of Alluvion, the 
  Drift’s de facto capital city, which Triune has publicly claimed 
  as its divine realm. Travelers can accidentally end up in the 
  city during the course of their regular jumps, but reaching the 
  city on purpose requires divine coordinate codes granted by 
  the church, often encoded on limited-use items that interface 
  directly with a ship’s Drift engine systems. 
  Hyperspace jumps between places on the Material Plane 
  also require a certain amount of time spent traveling through 
  the Drift, and thanks to the plane’s mutable nature, travel 
  through the Drift between the same two points on the 
  Material Plane can take varying amounts of time, even for 
  the same ship. Similarly, these paths through the Drift should 
  be thought of less as established trade routes and more as 
  an expression of planar dynamics. This variation means that 
  two ships can’t exit the Drift onto exactly the same point in 
  Material Plane space, nor can a ship exit directly into a solid 
  object—a great fear of early explorers. On the other hand, it is 
  also impossible for anyone to fortify and thus control specific 
  jump points within the Drift, and someone attempting to 
  guard a planet from invasion would need to mine every inch 
  of space around the world, as ships might reasonably appear 
  anywhere in its vicinity.
  All of this is useful for individual ships, but adds 
  complications for ships attempting to travel to the same place 
  and arrive at the same time, let alone the same formation. In 
  these situations, multiple ships can couple their ships’ Drift 
  engines to one another so that they effectively become a 
  single entity for purposes of travel time and arrival position. 
  The downside of this method is that it forces all the ships 
  to use the worst Drift engine rating of the group, though 
  some militaries have crafted specific jumpships capable of 
  circumventing this restriction and moving an entire armada 
  quickly and coherently.
  PLANAR TRAITS OF  
  THE DRIFT
  Like every plane, the Drift has certain properties that remain 
  consistent across it and distinguish it from other planes. 
  TRANSITIVE PLANE
  Like the Ethereal and Shadow Planes, the Drift is generally 
  considered a Transitive Plane in that it is used by mortals 
  primarily for transportation, though it has some major 
  differences from those planes. It appears to be technically 
  
  48
  coterminous with the Material Plane, meaning that a given 
  point on one corresponds to a point on another, yet the fabric 
  of the Drift is folded so strangely and changes so rapidly that 
  these points are hopelessly scrambled—two points apparently 
  an inch apart in the Drift might correspond with locations 
  thousands of light-years apart on the Material Plane. The 
  mysteries of this relationship are still poorly understood by 
  most and the subject of much study.
  NO GRAVITY
  While individual planar bubbles may have their own regions 
  of localized gravitational pull, for the most part the Drift has 
  no distinguishable gravity.
  NORMAL TIME
  Time within the Drift passes at the same rate as time on the 
  Material Plane.
  INFINITE AND EXPANDING
  Although the Drift is technically finite, in much the same way 
  as Outer Planes like the mountain of Heaven or Hell’s many-
  layered pit, it is so vast as to be effectively infinite where 
  mortals are concerned, and no one has ever found an edge or 
  border. Additionally, divine investigation has shown that the 
  plane is still growing as it absorbs tiny pieces of other planes.
  DYNAMIC MORPHOLOGY
  The Drift is fundamentally consistent, and objects within it 
  follow the normal rules of Material Plane physics—if you break 
  something in half in the Drift, it stays broken. The twist is 
  that due to the plane’s constant and random growth, objects’ 
  positions in space are unstable: two objects floating next to 
  each other one moment might suddenly be thousands of miles 
  apart the next, without apparent movement. Fortunately, this 
  random shifting rarely affects people or equipment during 
  their jumps, for unknown reasons generally attributed to 
  Triune’s oversight.
  MILDLY NEUTRAL-ALIGNED
  While the Drift has a slight metaphysical alignment with 
  neutrality (possibly due to Triune’s presence), creatures of any 
  alignment can exist within it without taking any penalties.
  LIMITED MAGIC
  Most magic functions normally in the Drift, but no spells or 
  magical abilities have yet been discovered that are capable of 
  transporting creatures or material in or out of the Drift. This 
  means that spells or abilities like shadow walk and plane shift 
  simply fail to work when used in relation to the Drift, as do 
  summoning spells and abilities. 
  NOTABLE LOCATIONS
  At the same the first few brave Pact Worlds explorers of 
  the Drift returned safe and sound from trips to impossibly 
  far star systems, alien civilizations throughout the galaxy 
  were also adopting the use of the technology, and it quickly 
  became widespread. As travel has pulled more fragments of 
  other planes into the Drift, innumerable reports have arisen 
  of impossible vistas, floating caches of natural resources, 
  aberrant horrors, and mysterious locales within the infinite 
  plane. A few of these are detailed below.
  Adamant Fragments: When Triune’s instructions for Drift 
  engine construction went out via the Signal, the leading 
  engineers of one ambitious alien race attempted to construct 
  an enormous Drift engine to take their entire planet into Drift 
  and eventually to another system. They created an enormous 
  network of subterranean tunnels and chambers throughout 
  their planet, all lined with an advanced metal alloy. When 
  they fired up the engine, however, the resulting catastrophe 
  brought only continent-sized chunks of the planet into the 
  Drift and most likely caused that race’s extinction. Now, this 
  debris floats through the plane, rich in advanced metals and 
  unsurpassed, albeit ruined, technology.
  Alluvion: This holy city of Triune serves as the spiritual 
  and cultural center of the Drift; see page 50 for a more 
  detailed gazetteer.
  Bulwark: This large, floating hill of green grass seems to 
  glow with its own pleasant light, standing in stark contrast 
  to the multicolored void of the surrounding Drift. In fact, the 
  glow comes from a single shining archon sitting at the rise of 
  the hill and welcoming all good-aligned creatures. Ripped here 
  from Heaven, the miniature realm is often used as a resting 
  place by those lucky enough to happen across it. 
  Doldrums: There are pockets in the Drift known as doldrums 
  where all technology ceases to function. Usually, a ship that 
  enters the doldrums with conventional thrusters has enough 
  momentum to eventually carry it out of the pocket, but no crew 
  that has survived such a harrowing trip has been consistent in 
  its estimation of how much time has passed. Luckier starship 
  crews are in such pockets for only a few minutes, and can 
  survive on the atmosphere left over from their now-defunct 
  life-support systems (androids’ biological components can keep 
  them alive during that time). Others are not so lucky; entire 
  crews have died in quiet vacuum before their ship eventually 
  blinked back to life, proceeding aimlessly. Given the difficulty 
  of measure the size or location of the doldrums with any great 
  precision, it’s hard to say how many of these pockets exist 
  throughout the Drift, but there have been enough reports of the 
  harrowing experience that some starship manufacturers have 
  begun including distress beacons with mechanical timers that 
  can be manually launched from a disabled ship.
  Dreadworm: This enormous, wormlike creature can 
  swallow even the largest Pact Worlds starships whole—and 
  it rarely passes up such an opportunity as it wends its way 
  through the Drift, searching for the Abyssal home from 
  which it was ripped. Its long, segmented body splits in two 
  just behind its head, and those divisions split again shortly 
  thereafter, and so on, such that it terminates in a seemingly 
  
  49
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  infinite cloud of fine filaments. Inattentive science officers on 
  starships that pass near the dreadworm have mistaken it for 
  a comet, disbelieving something so large could be alive. This 
  is often their last mistake.
  The Failed Gate: A Drift beacon hangs at the epicenter 
  of a massive magical storm, rending reality around it and 
  periodically summoning great bolts of force and grotesque 
  magical beasts. The storm is the result of a sect of worshipers 
  of Eloritu, the god of magic and secrets, who took affront to 
  the idea that a plane could be inaccessible via magic. They 
  stole a Drift beacon from the Vast, performed intricate 
  magical rituals linking it to an artifact hidden on an asteroid 
  in the Diaspora, and then took the modified beacon into the 
  Drift. There, they attempted to open a magical gate between 
  the beacon and its attuned artifact still on the Material Plane, 
  but they succeed only in destroying themselves and creating 
  an anomalous field of raw arcane magic that seems to be 
  growing ever more powerful.
  The Feystar: This planet-sized spherical lattice has an 
  interior composed of constantly shifting cords of purple-
  and-pink molten rock, while its outermost edges gradually 
  cool to a bright-green obsidian. The strange structure was 
  created when a pocket of the aggressively ephemeral 
  First World, the realm of fey, suddenly appeared inside 
  a massive molten lake ripped from the Elemental Plane of 
  Fire, causing the energies of the unrelated planes to fuse in 
  a massive explosion. The obsidian in particular has strange 
  and potentially valuable properties: it is as strong as steel 
  but, when viewed at a particular angle, is nearly invisible. 
  The Feystar is not without its dangers, however, as brightly 
  colored, fey-touched fire elementals swim through the molten 
  threads connecting the structure, looking for entertainment 
  and protecting their home.
  Flotilla of the Devourer: Acolytes of the Cult of the Devourer 
  hide throughout deep space on the Material Plane, but at 
  least one large contingent makes 
  its home in the Drift in a massive 
  flotilla. This collection of starships 
  serves both as fleet and fortress: 
  each ship is the spoils of a brutal raid 
  and rafted to others by way of tether 
  cables and temporary bolting. The 
  cult’s berserker shock troops cover 
  their ships in frightful imagery and 
  adorn them with menacing-looking 
  spikes and spines meant to evoke the 
  horror of the Star-Eater. By joining 
  their ships together and making 
  their home in the Drift, these cultists 
  can easily travel en masse to the 
  Material Plane to plunder defenseless 
  colonies and commit all manner of 
  terrible atrocities in the name of the 
  destruction of all things, then retreat 
  back to the Drift before a larger force can respond. The 
  bounties on this particular flotilla are innumerable.
  The Heap: This vast assembly of junk and technological 
  debris has an extremely powerful magnetic force of unknown 
  origin at its core. As the Heap tumbles slowly through the 
  Drift, it draws ferrous material to itself, thus growing in size 
  and strengthening its magnetic draw in proportion. Curious 
  pilots of smaller starships who pass too close risk being 
  added to the pile in a sudden crunch of metal. Improperly 
  oriented larger ships can also end up with their starboard 
  or aft hulls attached to the massive metal; their thrusters 
  impart a slight spin to the heap but do little to set them 
  free of its magnetic grasp. A number of parasitic silicon-
  based alien species make their home within the heap’s 
  tangled interior, scavenging its surface for newly added 
  resources (especially unfortunate biological beings trapped 
  in the metal coffins their ships have become). There is an 
  impressive variety of alien technology represented in this 
  floating junkyard, and many corporations and governments 
  would pay handsome sums to be able to harness the power 
  of the magnetic force at its center. 
  Horizon’s End: Many Drift travelers can share tales 
  of meeting the Horizon’s End, a high-tech explorer-class 
  starship whose crew all claim to be mortal avatars of the 
  deity Weydan. They wander the plane, searching its near-
  infinite expanse for new experiences and returning to the 
  Material Plane only for supplies. Skeptics find their story 
  hard to swallow and think the voyagers are nothing more 
  than con artists.  
  Iron Steeple: Believed to have been torn from the elaborate 
  cathedral of one of Hell’s infernal dukes, this massive metal 
  spike spins lazily through the Drift like a compass needle 
  reacting to a slowly changing magnetic north. Occasionally, 
  contingents of devils enter the Drift and spar for control over 
  the barbed Iron Steeple, leading planar scholars to posit that 
  
  50
  a powerful artifact or being still resides within the structure 
  but either cannot or will not be removed from the Drift.
  Rimeblaze: A curious anomaly of Drift physics, the 
  Rimeblaze is a 100-mile-diameter expanse of commingled 
  aspects of both the Plane of Fire and the Plane of Water. 
  Simultaneously frigid and fiery, the Rimeblaze seems 
  an impossibility, but starship pilots that have braved its 
  outskirts report that is very much real. The intense and 
  dichotomous temperatures can cause cracks in even the 
  toughest of polycarbon plate hulls, making any journey 
  past the Rimeblaze a hazardous proposition. Some travelers 
  have reported seeing beings within the expanse that look 
  like twisted amalgamations of fire and water elementals, but 
  such accounts are as yet unverified.
  Tesseract: This impossible cuboid structure was clearly 
  created by an intelligent race; its myriad surfaces are etched 
  with fine markings and it emits a loud, rhythmic thrumming 
  that may be a song or a warning signal. It appears to be 
  roughly in the shape of a cube, with small hatches dotting 
  each of its sides, but those who enter quickly find themselves 
  hopefully lost as the extradimensional space contained 
  within the structure wreaks havoc on their orientation and 
  any navigation equipment they may have. It remains to be 
  seen whether this structure contains anything other than the 
  bodies of those who have died a slow and lonely death as they 
  struggled to find their way out.
  The Umbra: While most of the Drift is alight with brightly 
  colored clouds of energy, there is a patch of unmoored space 
  known as the Umbra that is completely devoid of light. 
  Thought to be a stolen chunk of the Shadow Plane or Negative 
  Energy Plane, the Umbra is avoided by most Pact Worlds 
  vessels whenever possible. Most pilots rush to re-chart their 
  courses when they see they might pass through the Umbra, 
  as rumors state that starships that pass through the dark 
  cloud either disappear completely or are changed irrevocably. 
  The grimmest tale is that of the Golden Mean, whose crew 
  members committed horrendous acts of violence years after 
  their AbadarCorp transport passed through the Umbra. The 
  corporation denies the existence of the Golden Mean, and no 
  records can be found about it or its murderous crew. 
  ALLUVION
  Alluvion is the ever-expanding epicenter of intelligent activity 
  in the Drift and the spiritual center of the worship of Triune, 
  the god of technology. The city has a roughly ovoid shape 
  and rests atop a relatively flat asteroid, beneath which is an 
  expanse of impossible darkness. An accretion disk composed 
  of chunks of other planes claimed by the Drift spirals slowly 
  into the city, gradually adding to its mass. Over time, these 
  accretions have formed distinct rings—the innermost are 
  reserved for the elite, while new arrivals must settle for 
  territory at the newly added edge of the city. A massive 
  gravity well beneath Alluvion draws in this stream of planar 
  detritus; Triune’s faithful believe the god has harnessed a 
  black hole with a combination of technology and magic, which 
  would explain the unfathomable blackness beneath the city. 
  Whether or not this is true, the gravity in the city itself is 
  comparable to that of Absalom Station and other constructed 
  environments, and a carefully filtered atmosphere supports 
  most oxygen-breathing life.
  Sometimes wryly called “the city at the center of 
  the Drift,” Alluvion in fact travels throughout the plane. 
  Whenever Triune wills it, or at least according to no 
  predictable timetable, obelisk-like beacons throughout the 
  city glow faintly green and repeat a seven-tone melody for 
  several minutes. The surrounding purple-pink hyperspace 
  then seems to fold in on itself, and the city is instantly 
  transported to a different part of the Drift—often near a newly 
  plucked portion of a plane. Those who have experienced 
  such relocation while in Alluvion compare it to entering or 
  exiting the Drift, which has led to speculation that Triune 
  held back a key component of Drift-engine technology when 
  it sent out the Signal, one that might allow even faster travel 
  among the stars if it were discovered.
  ALLUVION
  N holy city of Triune
  Population 26,000 (70% android, 20% anacite, 5% verthani, 
  2% ysoki, 3% other)
  Government theocracy
  Qualities devout, remote, technologically advanced
  Maximum Item Level 20th
  QUALITIES
  Remote Reaching this settlement is very difficult, often 
  requiring secret knowledge or very specialized skills.
  GOVERNMENT
  As home to Triune, god of the Drift, the city is ultimately 
  ruled by the All-Code and its high priests, though the latter 
  concern themselves primarily with collecting, organizing, and 
  interpreting the galaxy’s near-infinite amount of information. 
  Beyond the many potent technomancers who make up 
  much of the high priesthood, Alluvion’s primary defense 
  is its indeterminate (and quickly changeable) location—
  generally, only those whom Triune summons to the city can 
  reliably find their way there. Thousands of modular anacite 
  servitors called animotes crawl incessantly through Alluvion, 
  harvesting portions of other planes from the accretion 
  disk and incorporating them into the ever-growing city, 
  extending the city’s infrastructure into newly formed areas, 
  and repairing damage. On the rare occasion that hostilities 
  break out, animotes join together into building-size enforcers 
  bristling with improvised weapons.
  SOCIETY
  Alluvion serves as a microcosm of the Drift, not only 
  incorporating portions of the multiverse’s planes but also 
  functioning as a proving ground for the kinds of advanced 
  
  51
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  technology that make travel to the plane possible in the first 
  place. Technological advancement rules every aspect of the 
  communities here, including developing technology to a 
  point where it mimics biological life. Alluvion has a number 
  of public and private facilities devoted to virtually every 
  facet of technological research. In addition, the city boasts 
  a surprising diversity of cuisine that results from a healthy 
  supply of modified plants and animals, as well as widespread 
  interest in molecular gastronomy.
  Soon after the Signal went out, Triune called many of its 
  new faithful to the city, as did its component gods, Brigh, 
  Casandalee, and Epoch. Androids make up the bulk of the 
  population, though there are significant populations of 
  anacites and of those verthani whose embrace of cybernetic 
  augmentation borders on fanatical. While Alluvion is the holy 
  city of Triune, some of Alluvion’s faithful continue to worship 
  one of its constituent gods. Such worship generally falls along 
  predictable lines, with androids devoted to Casandalee, god 
  of artificial life and reincarnation; anacites to Epoch, god of 
  machine evolution; and a few ysoki to Brigh, god of invention 
  and machinery. 
  RESOURCES
  Alluvion’s greatest resources by far are its vast repositories of 
  the multiverse’s information, along with its biotechnological 
  innovations. Interconnected research facilities with labs 
  chock full of cutting-edge equipment allow multidisciplinary 
  collaboration and research. Researchers perform endless 
  experiments with universal polymer bases, which are in 
  nearly unlimited supply here (though institute heads 
  carefully apportion them), and even the multifunction units 
  themselves are constantly being experimented on. Rumors 
  abound of quantum-state UPBs, which can serve several 
  functions simultaneously, and biological UPBs that may 
  finally eliminate the already-blurry line between biology and 
  technology at the molecular level. Other minor industries 
  revolve around the rare minerals sometimes drawn into the 
  city’s accretion disk.
  Alluvion’s power supply, whether a result of energy 
  harnessed at the city’s core or a divine gift of Triune, is 
  seemingly limitless, given that it never falters despite the 
  constant and significant draw on it.
  NOTABLE LOCATIONS
  The following are but a few points of interest in the city at the 
  center of the Drift.
  The Array: There is little as important to Triune and many 
  of its worshipers as collecting and interpreting information. 
  The Array is a series of several dozen large cylindrical 
  silos where Triune’s priests collate unthinkable amounts 
  of information about every conceivable aspect of the 
  multiverse. Each silo’s walls are ringed with physical drives 
  held in technomagically protected slots and connected to a 
  vast network. Remote access to the information on these 
  drives is strictly limited, and physical access even more 
  so. While most drives are filled with reams of exhaustively 
  detailed data about a single subject and virtually worthless 
  if removed from their context, a few contain incalculably 
  valuable information, such as the dark secrets of the 
  galaxy’s most powerful organizations and the coordinates of 
  star systems full of untapped natural resources. While some 
  briefly entertain the idea of stealing such information, these 
  notions are quickly dispelled by Monitor (N agender android 
  technomancer), the Array’s no-nonsense primary guardian.
  Brigh’s Bend: This L-shaped building on the banks of the 
  Source is a combination tavern and museum of clockworks. 
  Dedicated to Brigh, one of Triune’s aspects, the establishment 
  is open at all hours (though the concept of time can be a 
  bit nebulous within the Drift) and serves a wide variety of 
  MONITOR
  
  52
  ALLUVION
  The Array
  2,000 feet
  Temple of Triune
  The Source
  Brigh’s Bend
  The Dark
  The Track
  The Manufactory
  The Tethers
  The Tethers
  
  53
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  intoxicants for nearly every known species. “Going ‘round 
  the Bend” is a popular colloquialism in the city for drinking 
  to excess, and though sometimes the celebrations can get 
  very rowdy, several clockwork bouncers keep the clientele in 
  line. No one is certain how proprietor Maia Whisperworks (N 
  female bleachling gnome mechanic) maintains these ancient 
  pieces of technology, but some whisper that she is descended 
  from priestesses of Brigh.
  The Dark: This large, blasted area is devoid of power 
  and most infrastructure, and those who enter soon find 
  their technological items failing and their batteries drained. 
  Creatures with significant biomechanical components 
  have a hard time staying conscious in the area, though a 
  small contingent of unaugmented ysoki live in a shanty 
  town constructed from spare parts and material plucked 
  from Alluvion’s accretion disk. Few agree on the origin of 
  this inhospitable zone; some believe a rogue pocket of the 
  Negative Energy Plane devastated the area, while others 
  think the site represents a demonstration Triune’s divine 
  wrath, incurred by a nonconforming sect of worshipers 
  or overzealous colonists. Whatever caused the Dark, it’s 
  unlikely Triune would permit its continued existence in 
  the city unless it served some purpose, though any such 
  purpose remains a mystery.
  The Manufactory: A significant number of the Drift 
  beacons that expedite interstellar travel are constructed in 
  this complex, using a largely automated process overseen 
  by a handful of anacite priests of Triune. The beacons are 
  essentially useless until they are placed in an ordained 
  location on the Material Plane and activated by the All-Code’s 
  faithful, but some believe the mundanity of the facility is 
  meant to hide deeper secrets about the function of the Drift 
  in plain sight.
  The Source: This slow-moving, salty river was once part 
  of an undersea current on the Elemental Plane of Water, 
  but it became an integral part of Alluvion early in the Drift’s 
  existence. It originates at the base of the Temple of Triune 
  (see below) and bisects Alluvion, flowing off the edge of the 
  outermost ring and into a massive reclaimer that pumps it 
  back to the source. The river is both tribute and laboratory; 
  the preponderance of recorded instances of abiogenesis 
  (life spontaneously forming from nonliving matter) in the 
  multiverse has driven Alluvion researchers to attempt to 
  replicate the process, using the primordial water of the 
  Source as an incubator for their constructed precursors to 
  life. There are even rumors of a successful experimenter 
  who secreted her creation away with the intent to seed an 
  otherwise lifeless planet and become the sole creator of a 
  living world.
  Temple of Triune: Also called the Nexus, this enormous 
  tetrahedral structure is Triune’s metaphysical home and 
  the center of its worship. At each corner of the pyramid, an 
  entrance extends into a long hallway that leads toward the 
  center of the temple. Each of these tunnels is dedicated to 
  one of the gods that joined together to form Triune (Brigh, 
  Casandalee, and Epoch), and the walls are paneled with 
  interactive art that depicts the god’s history leading up to the 
  unification. The tunnels terminate in a large hall that forms 
  a perfect circle linking all three entrances (though they are 
  separated by thousands of feet). The ceiling of this hall is 
  the angled roof of the temple itself, and hundreds of niches 
  are nestled in the walls, each containing a touchscreen panel 
  and a physical input jack. While the standard-issue panels 
  give any visitor cursory access to Triune by allowing him to 
  contribute data and donate credits, it is via the jacks that 
  true worshipers of Triune commune with their god. These 
  connectors range from the most common cable sockets 
  used in the Pact Worlds to organic orifices that reach out 
  to meet any appendage in proximity. Devotees with the 
  appropriate biomechanical hardware can plug in and upload 
  their consciousness to an entirely virtual version of the 
  temple. Each worshiper experiences a unique version of this 
  alternate reality, whether as an open-air shrine in a verdant 
  forest, an ornate stone cathedral, or a space station orbiting 
  two colliding stars. Some visitors report their experiences, 
  even claiming to have spoken with Triune itself, but for 
  most the journey is a deeply private one. Priests of Triune 
  make a slow circuit through the hallway, pausing to help 
  adherents find a niche with a compatible jack or to interpret 
  their experiences in the neural network. The main hallway 
  is in fact the first of several concentric circles, but even 
  those called to Alluvion are rarely permitted beyond the 
  first ring and into the temple’s innermost sanctum—though 
  there are those who say one must win the right by hacking 
  the network.
  The Tethers: Alluvion’s ceaseless growth makes any kind 
  of permanent starship dock impractical, yet it doesn’t have 
  enough gravity to hold ships in orbit, so visitors make use of a 
  system of nanocarbon tethers along Alluvion’s southern edge. 
  These cables are strong enough to tow even larger starships, 
  and automated trams run along the length of each tether, 
  transporting crews to and from their ships.
  The Track: One of the sole venues for entertainment in an 
  otherwise research-focused city, the Track is a hovering flat 
  track that twists into a Möbius strip, upon which high-speed 
  drone races, complete with obstacles and drone-versus-
  drone combat, are regularly held. An informal gambling 
  scene has built up around the events, which began as a way 
  to encourage the technological experimentation, innovation, 
  and iteration that competition naturally inspires. Bettors 
  usually stake information rather than credits, and they base 
  such bets not on mere hunches, but on extensive analysis 
  of all available data about the drones, their controllers, the 
  configuration of the course’s obstacles, and innumerable 
  minor factors. Winning drone pilots gain very little prestige, 
  but those who can correctly predict each drone’s finishing 
  time win admiration—and sometimes a discreet job offer 
  from an anonymous firm.
  
  54
  ALIEN ARCHIVES
  The mutants dragged our best people out into the commons, 
  just before a kasatha suddenly appeared. Except it wasn’t 
  a kasatha—not anymore. Its eyes were black sockets, and it 
  had horrific mouths on its palms, muttering in unison. Red 
  electricity surged through the haze. The thing’s five mouths 
  chanted louder, A gray storm cloud billowed above its head, 
  and I saw in the haze a vision of the entire planet choked with 
  fire and smoke… Then a blinding flash of red light struck 
  our lead engineer dead on the spot. It was like a dinner chime, 
  and the mutants erupted in a murderous frenzy. I didn’t stay 
  to watch what happened next. I’d seen what they could do.
  —Jaret Swainson,  
  sole survivor of Colony 683 on Prosperity VIII
  
  55
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  XP 
  4,800
  CR 
  8
  ACROCHOR
  N Medium animal
  Init +6; Senses low-light vision; Perception +16
  DEFENSE  
  HP 128
  EAC 20; KAC 22
  Fort +12; Ref +12; Will +7
  Resistances fire 5 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
  Melee bite +19 (3d4+12 P plus grab)
  Special Attacks constrict (3d4+12 B)
  STATISTICS
  Str +4; Dex +6; Con +2; Int –5; Wis +0; Cha +0
  Skills Athletics +21 (+29 to climb), Stealth +16, Survival +16
  Feats Lunge
  ECOLOGY
  Environment warm hills or mountains (Nejeor V)
  Organization solitary or pair
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Constrict (Ex) When an acrochor successfully renews a 
  grapple or a pin against an opponent, it automatically 
  deals 3d4+12 bludgeoning damage to that creature.
  The serpentine acrochors originally evolved on the fifth 
  planet of the Nejeor system, a rocky and volcanically 
  active world, where they slithered among crevasses 
  and lava tubes, hunting small prey such as the furry 
  mammalian knuggs and creeping up on jaexus birds’ 
  nests to feast on the dusky eggs. Acrochors usually 
  grow up to 8 to 12 feet in length and almost 1 
  foot in diameter. They are red and black in 
  color with tough, knobby skin and a cluster 
  of visual sensors that allow the creatures 
  to see well even in dim light. Acrochors’ 
  mouths are on the undersides of their bodies, 
  and they usually keep them closed except 
  when attacking.
  An acrochor often begins attacking its prey 
  by lashing out with surprising speed to bite with 
  jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Once its fangs 
  are firmly implanted, the acrochor whips its 
  tail to coil several times around the victim’s 
  body, using its powerful musculature to 
  squeeze the life from the unfortunate 
  prey. When its prey is dead, the acrochor 
  leisurely tears into the flesh in a bloody 
  and gruesome fashion. If an acrochor 
  takes down a victim of its size or larger, 
  the acrochor might need several days to 
  devour the corpse, but it can digest both 
  fresh and rotting meat without trouble.
  After mating, an acrochor lays its fertilized eggs in a thermal 
  vent or other warm place. Over the next day, the parent 
  acrochor eats as much as it can, often consuming pieces of 
  obsidian or other volcanic glass in the process. It then enters 
  a state of hibernation in close proximity to its eggs, which 
  incubate over the next few months. The acrochor’s stomach 
  acids slowly dissolve the volcanic glass as it sleeps, providing 
  it with the minerals it needs to survive. Despite its dormant 
  state, the acrochor has an almost supernatural connection 
  to its eggs, waking the moment they hatch or if anything 
  disturbs them.
  The kishalee of Nejeor VI (see page 62) captured a 
  number of acrochor specimens ages ago, housing the 
  creatures in temperature-controlled habitats in wildlife 
  parks. As kishalee civilization declined, the acrochors 
  escaped captivity and began living in the bowels of the 
  cities, maintaining their body heat via energy conduits and 
  breeding with impunity. The kish of Istamak (see page 38) 
  sometimes hunt these dangerous creatures for their hides, 
  though acrochor meat is too tough to make it a viable 
  source of food.
  
  56
  CE Medium outsider (chaotic, evil, native)
  Init +2; Senses blindsense (life) 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +19
  DEFENSE  
  HP 147
  EAC 23; KAC 22
  Fort +9; Ref +9; Will +15
  Immunities poison, vacuum
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (Su, average)
  Melee slam +17 (2d8+15 B)
  Ranged void bolt +19 (3d4+10 force; critical severe wound 
  [DC 19])
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; melee +18, ranged +19)
  1/week—interplanetary teleport (self only), plane shift
  1/day—cosmic eddy (DC 22), enervation
  3/day—arcing surge (DC 21), bestow curse (DC 21), 
  displacement, synaptic pulse (DC 21)
  At will—mirror image, see invisibility
  Offensive Abilities words of destruction
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +2; Con +2; Int +0; Wis +3; Cha +8
  Skills Intimidate +24, Mysticism +24, Sense Motive +19
  Languages Abyssal, Common; telepathy (100 ft.)
  Other Abilities no breath
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization solitary or cult (1 plus 13–20 cultists)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Words of Destruction (Su) Once per day as a swift 
  action, the many mouths of an atrocite can speak 
  words of total devastation. For the next 3 rounds, 
  any chaotic evil worshiper of the Devourer within 
  60 feet adds the wound critical hit effect to all its 
  attacks (in addition to any existing critical hit effect); if 
  an attack already has the wound critical hit effect, it gains 
  the severe wound critical hit effect instead. If the atrocite 
  takes damage at any point during this 3-round period, the 
  effects of its words of destruction end immediately.
  The monstrous atrocites are potent agents of the Devourer. 
  Each atrocite has a unique form roughly similar to that 
  of a member of some sentient species. If the original 
  form has eyes, the atrocite’s are instead empty voids. 
  If it has hands, each holds a fanged mouth that speaks of 
  destruction. A gray haze forms above atrocites, constantly 
  crackling with red energy and serving as the source of 
  their void bolts.
  Although they are outsiders, atrocites dwell primarily 
  on the Material Plane, searching through space for places 
  ripe for the depredations of a Devourer cult or helping 
  extant cults execute massive acts of destruction beyond 
  their normal capacity. An atrocite remains with a cult only 
  so long as its presence and guidance clearly increases 
  the recruiting power or destructive capacity of the cult, 
  leaving as soon as it can to further spread its message of 
  infinite unmaking.
  Cultists sometimes smuggle atrocites into highly populated 
  systems to spread the Devourer’s dire gospel, but atrocites 
  travel on their own just as often, either teleporting over vast 
  distances through space or using planar travel.
  XP 
  9,600
  CR 
  10
  ATROCITE
  
  57
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  N Small animal
  Init +2; Senses blindsight (scent) 60 ft., low-light vision; 
  Perception +13
  DEFENSE  
  HP 90
  EAC 18; KAC 20
  Fort +10; Ref +10; Will +5 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.
  Melee bite +16 (1d8+11 P) or
  slam +16 (1d8+11 B)
  Special Attacks pounce
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +2; Con +3; Int –4; Wis +1; Cha +0
  Skills Athletics +13, Acrobatics +13, Survival +18
  Feats Improved Combat Maneuver (trip)
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any forests (Nejeor IV)
  Organization solitary, pair, or pack (3–8)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Pounce (Ex) As a full action, an eohi can move 
  up to its speed and make a full attack 
  at the end of its movement. Each attack 
  takes a –5 penalty instead of the usual 
  –4 penalty.
  Originally from the heavily forested world of 
  Nejeor IV, carnivorous eohis prefer to hunt in 
  packs, often climbing to precarious heights in the 
  treetops, where they can leap quickly from branch 
  to branch, easily chasing down prey that is slowed 
  by underbrush. Another favored hunting tactic is to 
  drop down in a ring around an unsuspecting victim 
  before closing in for the kill. 
  These furred quadrupeds are the size of large 
  hounds, with muscular forelimbs and six-digit 
  humanlike hands that assist in scaling trunks and 
  hanging onto branches. Their powerful jaws and sharp 
  teeth are capable of tearing into tough flesh, and 
  their large, flaring nostrils help them pick up even the 
  faintest scent. But eohis are not entirely dependent on 
  scent; their keen eyes allow them to see well even in 
  the dim light under the forest canopy. 
  Male eohis have darker fur, ranging from black 
  to slate gray, while female eohis are usually light 
  brown, tan, or brindled. Eohis give birth to live 
  young, which are nursed by their mothers until 
  their fangs grow in, usually in about 3 months. 
  The young then feast on carcasses left behind 
  by older eohis, but as they grow and learn to 
  work cooperatively to take down living prey, 
  they form their own hunting packs.
  Millennia ago, the kishalee empire captured a handful of 
  eohis and brought them to the cities of Nejeor VI (see page 62) 
  to populate their zoos. The kishalee occasionally introduced 
  new eohis to the captive animals to keep the gene pool 
  viable, and the creatures became a popular attraction. When 
  the kishalee civilization crumbled, though, these captive 
  eohis were left to fend for themselves in their pens. Many 
  of them died from lack of food; others perished when their 
  host cities plummeted into the clouds. However, the eohis 
  in Istamak (see page 38) survived by breaking out of their 
  cages and eating many of the other animals in their zoo before 
  eventually establishing a stable population in the city’s park. 
  Eventually, the kish (see page 58) in that city saw how useful 
  eohis could be in a hunt and tamed some of them, training 
  them to take down larger prey and to guard kish homes and 
  livestock from the city’s other predators.
  An eohi stands about 2 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs 
  almost 70 pounds. 
  XP 
  2,400
  CR 
  6
  EOHI
  
  58
  XP 
  1,200
  CR 
  4
  KISH
  Skills Athletics +15, Acrobatics +10, Intimidate +10, 
  Survival +15
  Feats Cleave
  Languages Vulgar Kishaleen 
  Gear basic acrochor hide (see page 44), 
  skirmish kishaxe (see page 44), tactical 
  battlebow (see page 44) with 20 arrows
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any (Nejeor VI)
  Organization solitary, pair, or patrol (3–6)
  Kish are the descendants of the kishalee, 
  an advanced civilization that ruled 
  the stars millennia ago, though 
  they have lost any firm grasp of 
  kishalee mystical and technological 
  innovations. In the floating metropolis 
  of Istamak (see page 38), kish live among 
  the ruins of their ancestors’ civilization.
  Kish are tall humanoids with three 
  eyes and long, powerful limbs. They have 
  sharp-toothed mandibles and smooth, 
  hairless heads. Kish skin color ranges 
  from gray to sky blue, with gradations 
  in hue across their bodies. There is little 
  variation between kish genders, though 
  kish can easily tell males from females 
  by subtle differences in the shape of the 
  central eye.
  Kish tend to congregate into tribes that are 
  led by either the strongest or the wisest of their 
  number. Some kish tribes pass leadership peacefully among 
  themselves, while others put potential leaders to a test of 
  might or wits—or both.
  N Medium humanoid (kish)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
  DEFENSE  
  HP 60
  EAC 16; KAC 18
  Fort +6; Ref +6; Will +5 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee skirmish kishaxe +13 (1d10+9 S)
  Ranged tactical battlebow +9 (1d8+4 P)
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +3; Con +0; Int –1; 
  Wis +1; Cha +0
  RACIAL TRAITS
  Ability Adjustments: +2 Str, +2 Wis, –2 Int
  Hit Points: 5
  Size and Type: Kish are Medium humanoids with the 
  kish subtype.
  Bonus Feat: Kish select one extra feat at 1st level. 
  Darkvision: Kish have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
  Survivalist: Kish have a +2 racial bonus to Survival 
  checks and can take 20 on Survival checks to endure 
  severe weather and predict weather. 
  
  59
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  CE Medium construct (incorporeal, technological)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; 
  Perception +16
  DEFENSE  
  HP 115
  EAC 20; KAC 21
  Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +9
  Defensive Abilities incorporeal, rejuvenation; 
  Immunities construct immunities
  Weaknesses tethered 
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 30 ft. (Su, perfect)
  Melee hardlight slam +18 (1d12+8 B; critical dazzled [DC 18])
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th)
  At will—holographic image (1st level, DC 16)
  STATISTICS
  Str +0; Dex +6; Con —; Int +2; Wis +1; Cha +4
  Skills Acrobatics +21 (+29 to fly), Bluff +16, 
  Computers +21, Culture +16, Stealth +21
  Languages one language determined by 
  original creator 
  Other Abilities freeze (hologram), unliving
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization solitary
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Freeze (Ex) A living hologram can hold 
  perfectly still so that it appears to be 
  a normal hologram. It can take 20 
  on Stealth checks to hide in plain 
  sight as a hologram (usually among 
  other holograms).
  Hardlight Slam (Ex) As an attack, a 
  living hologram can temporarily 
  cause its fist (or a melee weapon, 
  if it has been programmed 
  to have one) to become 
  substantial. This functions as 
  a natural weapon that deals 
  bludgeoning damage. On a 
  critical hit, the attack creates 
  a bright flash of light and 
  the target must succeed at 
  a DC 18 Reflex save or be 
  dazzled for 1 round.
  Rejuvenation (Ex) In most 
  cases, it is difficult to 
  completely destroy a living 
  hologram in combat. A 
  living hologram reduced 
  to 0 Hit Points vanishes, 
  though its corrupted 
  projector reconstructs it in 1d4 hours. The only way 
  to permanently destroy a living hologram is to find 
  its projector and either repair or destroy it. Living 
  holograms are aware their existences are tied to their 
  projectors and protect the machinery at all costs.
  Tethered (Ex) A living hologram can’t travel more than 100 
  feet from its projector. If it is ever forced to do so, it is 
  immediately destroyed, though only temporarily (see 
  rejuvenation above).
  In many technologically advanced societies, holograms are 
  used in advertising, entertainment, and other industries to 
  catch the eye when two-dimensional images would 
  otherwise fall flat. At their simplest, holograms are 
  silent, still images in a single color, often at a low 
  resolution. More complex projectors can offer full 
  color and a few repeated frames of animation, 
  while the most advanced varieties 
  can be programmed with artificial 
  personalities and interact with their 
  viewers. Implementations of this 
  most sophisticated version of the 
  technology are wide ranging, and 
  holograms serve as instructors in 
  educational institutions, as tour 
  guides for famous locales in large 
  cities, and even as concierges at 
  luxury hotels. 
  On very rare occasions, usually 
  through a fault in the machinery of its 
  projector, an advanced hologram gains a 
  modicum of sentience and, sometimes, 
  a twisted idea of the reason for its 
  existence. These “tech ghosts,” as some 
  call them, can appear in almost any 
  shape, limited only by the capabilities 
  of their projectors, and they use their 
  forms of living light to harass their 
  foes—sometimes even striking from 
  a hiding spot in another holographic 
  display—though they are always confined 
  to the area near their projector.
  Living holograms pose an even greater 
  threat when they are able to recruit 
  biological creatures to act on their behalf; 
  such tech ghosts use gullible or fearful 
  servants to create additional corrupted 
  holograms, increase the power and range 
  of their projector, or otherwise help the evil 
  technological anomaly exert influence beyond 
  the initial bounds of its projection area.
  XP 
  4,800
  CR 
  8
  LIVING HOLOGRAM
  
  60
  CN Medium aberration
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +14
  DEFENSE  
  HP 105
  EAC 19; KAC 21
  Fort +9; Ref +9; Will +8; +4 vs. pain effects
  Defensive Abilities amorphous; DR 5/— 
  Weaknesses unworkable extremities
  OFFENSE
  Speed 15 ft.
  Melee slam +17 (2d6+12 B)
  STATISTICS
  Str +5; Dex +2; Con +4; Int –2; Wis +0; Cha –2
  Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +19, Intimidate +14, 
  Survival +19
  Languages Vulgar Kishaleen (can’t speak) 
  X
   
  3,200
  CR 
  7
  REBUILT
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any ruins (Nejeor VI)
  Organization solitary or pair
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Unworkable Extremities (Ex) A rebuilt can neither wield 
  weapons nor use items that require an action to activate.
  Modern medical equipment, like any technology, can 
  malfunction, sometimes resulting in further injury to a patient 
  or even a fatality. Rarer still is the catastrophic glitch that 
  results in a fate worse than death. The tortured monstrosities 
  known as rebuilt are created when a technological medical 
  procedure goes horribly awry, irreparably fracturing the 
  victim’s genetic code and reshaping the patient’s body into 
  something that barely resembles its previous form.
  Creatures that have been rebuilt in this way have limbs 
  that jut in odd directions, and their flesh can be turned inside 
  out, exposing misshapen organs to the air. Much of a rebuilt’s 
  biology doesn’t function as it did for its previous form. Its 
  eyeballs might serve as its pulmonary organs, while it sees 
  out of its toenails. In addition, because of its perpetual 
  agony and the rearrangement of its physiology, a rebuilt 
  can speak only in tortured moans and screams. Strangely, 
  this reshaping doesn’t make a rebuilt more susceptible to 
  damage; pain effects pale in comparison to its constant agony, 
  and its often-ossified flesh protects it from mundane harm. 
  A rebuilt has no capacity for higher reasoning, and it lashes 
  out at anything in its way with ruinously transformed limbs. 
  Rebuilt are very rare, as horrified hospital personnel 
  usually euthanize such unfortunates as soon as they 
  arise. They mostly appear in ruined areas where medical 
  equipment has been left unattended or in places that are 
  exposed to high doses of radiation or mystical forces.
  REBUILT TEMPLATE GRAFT 
  (CR 3+)
  The rebuilt presented above was once kish (see 
  page  58), but the process that forms a rebuilt can 
  happen to a member of almost any species. Use the 
  following template graft to create a rebuilt of any CR.
  Required Creature Type: Aberration.
  Required Array: Combatant.
  Alignment: Alignment changes to chaotic 
  neutral.
  Traits: Amorphous, DR 5/—; +4 racial bonus 
  to saving throws against pain effects; can’t 
  speak any languages.
  Abilities: 
  Unworkable 
  extremities 
  (see above).
  Suggested Ability Score Modifiers: 
  Strength, Dexterity, Constitution.
  
  61
  PART 1: 
  AEONS IN  
  THE DRIFT
  PART 2:  
  THE  
  FORGOTTEN  
  CITY OF ISTAMAK
  PART 3:  
  THE TEMPLE 
  FOUND
  ISTAMAK
  THE DRIFT  
  AND ALLUVION
  ALIEN  
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF  
  WORLDS
  THE RUINED 
  CLOUDS
  N Fine plant (swarm)
  Init +4; Senses low-light vision; Perception +17
  DEFENSE  
  HP 145
  EAC 22; KAC 24
  Fort +14; Ref +12; Will +9
  Defensive Abilities swarm defenses; Immunities plant 
  immunities, swarm immunities
  OFFENSE
  Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft.
  Melee swarm attack (2d10+9 P plus distraction [DC 16] and 
  writher infestation)
  Special Attacks distraction (DC 16)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  STATISTICS
  Str +0; Dex +4; Con +6; Int —; Wis +3; Cha +0
  Skills Athletics +17 (+25 to climb), Survival +17
  Other Abilities mindless
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any temperate or warm lands
  Organization solitary
  WRITHER INFESTATION
  Type disease (injury); Save Fortitude DC 16 
  Track physical; Frequency 1/day 
  Effect If the victim dies from this disease, a new writher 
  swarm immediately bursts forth from the corpse and 
  attacks nearby creatures. 
  Cure 2 consecutive saves
  A writher swarm consists of thousands of pale 
  white fungal filaments that wave slowly back and 
  forth, as if swaying in a light breeze. This mobile 
  mold creeps its way through even the narrowest 
  of crevices to infest a building and slowly digests 
  all the organic matter within, whether discarded 
  food, flesh, or wood. A writher swarm leaves 
  behind only ceramic, concrete, metal, plastic, and 
  stone, making them less of a threat in large urban 
  centers where structures are largely composed 
  of such materials, but potentially devastating to 
  less advanced settlements.
  A single spore of a writher swarm can lie 
  dormant for as long as several centuries, 
  whether as a passenger on a meteor or 
  in a cavern deep below the ground. Under 
  the right conditions, that spore can attach 
  to a modicum of organic material, such as a 
  stale piece of bread or the rotting corpse 
  of a tiny animal, after which it quickly 
  begins growing and multiplying. If it is not 
  eradicated, a writher swarm becomes fully 
  X
   
  6,400
  CR 
  9
  WRITHER SWARM
  mobile in a matter of weeks and can start to seek out new 
  sources of nourishment. Even if a writher swarm presence 
  is discovered before this point and thoroughly scoured, it’s 
  likely that several spores will survive undetected, possibly 
  hitching rides to new environs. 
  Though a writher swarm’s tiny filaments can pierce hide 
  and flesh, the true danger comes from the infectious particles 
  it can implant in the wounds of its prey. These infestations 
  grow at a rapid rate just under the victim’s skin, draining the 
  creature’s vitality, forcing it into a coma, and eventually killing 
  it. Unless the unfortunate victim is treated before it dies, it 
  becomes host to a new writher swarm, which tears its way 
  out through the creature’s skin after it dies.
  When a writher swarm infests a structure for several 
  decades—getting enough food to sustain it but not causing 
  so much death as to draw attention to itself—it grows long, 
  rootlike filaments that thread through the floors, ceilings, and 
  walls. This allows the plant to surround itself with a kind of 
  organic security system that alerts it as soon as new prey 
  sets foot in its domain. However, this fungal framework can 
  eventually supplant the building’s own structural supports, 
  and when such a writher swarm dies and its network of 
  filaments turns to dust, the surrounding building often 
  collapses soon afterward.
  
  CODEX OF WORLDS
  NEJEOR VI
  Gas giant of ruined floating cities
  Diameter: ×12; Mass: ×110
  Gravity: ×1 (at the cloud tops)
  Location: The Vast
  Atmosphere: Special
  Day: 18 hours; Year: 10 years
  The pinkish skies of the gas giant Nejeor VI are home to 
  the sporadic ruins of an ancient civilization, floating among 
  the planet’s cloud tops. Ranging from mighty metropolises 
  to long-abandoned refineries, these decrepit structures 
  maintain their altitudes through unknown combinations 
  of science and magic, and most are either overgrown with 
  implanted flora or pitted, decaying wrecks. One of these 
  hovering cities, Istamak, has survived to this day and is 
  detailed starting on page 38. 
  The constantly churning gases of Nejeor VI’s atmosphere 
  are laced with high concentrations of valuable metals. 
  These gaseous metals are easily ionized, leading to frequent 
  lightning storms that illuminate the clouds from within, 
  making them as beautiful as they are deadly. Under 
  thousands of miles of clouds, however, is an immense 
  layer of liquid hydrogen that surrounds the planet’s solid 
  metallic core. The occasional large chunk of rubble that can 
  be discovered deep inside this liquid-hydrogen ocean hints 
  that perhaps more islands once floated high in 
  the skies above, before time laid 
  them low.
  The weather in Nejeor VI’s 
  atmosphere makes it next to 
  impossible to sustain aerial life 
  beneath the world’s floating 
  ruins, though the storms  here 
  occasionally attract extraplanar 
  beings composed entirely of 
  lightning. 
  These 
  creatures 
  rarely remain on the planet 
  for more than a day or so 
  before returning to their place 
  of origin, their motivations 
  a 
  complete 
  mystery. 
  On 
  the other hand, Nejeor VI’s 
  massive sea of liquid hydrogen 
  teems with unusual forms of 
  biology. Translucent, six-armed 
  cephalopods 
  hunt 
  brightly 
  colored pelagic sea anemones 
  amid 
  the 
  sluggish 
  currents. 
  Patches of this interior ocean are heated by radiation 
  emitted by the core, giving rise to a whole host of giant 
  isopods whose exoskeletons are as reflective as silver; some 
  have evolved razor-sharp claws to better fight off predators, 
  while others exude psychotropic chemicals that drive other 
  species insane. Strange bioluminescent creatures acclimated 
  to extreme pressure exist closer to the planet’s core, while 
  only microscopic life can survive on the surface of the 
  core itself. 
  Nejeor VI has three moons, none of which have been 
  fully charted or even named. The smallest moon has a 
  very irregular orbit, as it is constantly pulled between the 
  planet’s gravity and that of its two siblings. The moon’s crust 
  experiences a large amount of friction, causing mountain 
  ranges to rise and fall on the surface over the course of 
  decades. The largest moon isn’t much more than a ball of 
  frozen methane riddled with deep crevasses. The shadows 
  of precise geometric shapes can sometimes be spotted 
  deep within the ice, but they are effectively invisible to 
  modern sensors, as they give off no signs of energy. The 
  rocky surface of the third moon is scarred with thousands 
  of impact craters from countless meteorites attracted by the 
  immense gravity of Nejeor VI and the third moon’s strong 
  magnetic core; veins of an unknown blood-red ore can be 
  seen at the bottoms of these craters.
  62
  
  TEMPLE  
  OF THE 
  TWELVE
  PART 1: 
  QUESTIONS  
  IN QABARAT
  PART 2: 
  THE UKULAM 
  EXPEDITION
  PART 3: 
  THE LOST 
  TEMPLE
  CASTROVEL
  THE CULT OF  
  THE DEVOURER
  ALIEN 
  ARCHIVES
  CODEX OF
  WORLDS
  THE THIRTEENTH GATE
  By Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  The heroes journey deeper into the Vast to find the Gate 
  of Twelve Suns, an alien megastructure consisting of a 
  dozen stars arranged in a perfect circle. A single, small 
  planet orbits each sun, and the characters must explore 
  some of those satellites to learn how to open a portal to the 
  demiplane that contains the ancient superweapon they have 
  been seeking. However, members of the Cult of the Devourer 
  precede them, and the heroes must contend with the cultists 
  for control of the alien technology. Only by defeating the 
  cultists can the heroes keep the superweapon out of the 
  wrong hands—though those destructive zealots are far from 
  the only threats found on the planets.
  RELICS OF THE KISHALEE
  By Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  The kishalee were a highly advanced race that existed 
  millennia ago; though their cities have crumbled and 
  their kish descendants have lost the kishalee’s technical 
  knowledge, some of their technomagical equipment persists 
  to this day. Uncover a veritable vault of these artifacts, 
  ranging from weapons and weapon fusions to grenades and 
  hybrid items, any of which could fetch a high price from a 
  serious collector—or become a treasured part of your arsenal!
  ALIEN WORLDS AND CULTURES
  By Mikko Kallio, Jason Keeley, Lyz Liddell, Ron Lundeen, and 
  Mark Moreland
  The galaxy is a wild and wonderful place! Fire up your Drift 
  engines to explore five never-before-detailed planets located 
  far from the Pact Worlds in this in-depth article. Meet the 
  planets’ fascinating inhabitants, learn about their cultures, 
  and discover new pieces of technology constructed by them.  
  SUBSCRIBE TO STARFINDER 
  ADVENTURE PATH
  The Dead Suns Adventure Path continues! Don’t miss out on 
  a single exciting volume—head over to paizo.com/starfinder 
  and subscribe today to have Starfinder Roleplaying Game, 
  Starfinder Adventure Path, and Starfinder Accessories 
  products delivered to your door!
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors: 
  Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax 
  and Dave Arneson.
  Starfinder Core Rulebook © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Logan Bonner, Jason 
  Bulmahn, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Jason Keeley, Robert G. McCreary, Stephen 
  Radney-MacFarland, Mark Seifter, Owen K.C. Stephens, and James L. Sutter, 
  with Alexander Augunas, Judy Bauer, John Compton, Adam Daigle, Crystal 
  Frasier, Lissa Guillet, Thurston Hillman, Erik Mona, Mark Moreland, Jessica Price, 
  F. Wesley Schneider, Amber E. Scott, and Josh Vogt.
  Starfinder Adventure Path #4: The Ruined Clouds © 2018, Paizo Inc.; Authors: 
  Jason Keeley, with Joe Pasini and Owen K.C. Stephens.
  NEXT MONTH
  63
  
  Experience the wonders of the Pact Worlds in this definitive, 216-page hardcover campaign 
  setting for the Starfinder Roleplaying Game! The book contains detailed gazetteers for all worlds 
  of the Absalom Pact, as well as new character themes for each Pact World. Travel the galaxy with 
  the starships of Aballon, Verces, the Hellknights, the Iomedaeans, and the Xenowardens, or play 
  as a member of one of six new alien races: shapechanging astrazoans, rolling bantrids, undead 
  borais, plantlike khizars, robotic SROs, or winged strix. With tons of new archetypes, feats, spells, 
  equipment, and NPC stat blocks, Starfinder Pact Worlds reveals the secrets and mysteries of the solar 
  system and its inhabitants in all their science fantasy glory!
  Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Starfinder, and the Starfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; 
  Starfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Inc. © 2018, Paizo Inc.
  AVAILABLE MARCH 2018!
  BRAVE 
  NEW 
  WORLDS!
  PACT WORLDS
  paizo.com
  
  1 square = 5 feet
  FORWARD
  1
  b
  a
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  12
  13
  4
  KLOKWORX 
  PRISM
  6. Port cargo bay
  7. Main engineering
  8. Drift engine
  9. Power core
  10. Starboard cargo bay
  11. Starboard airlock
  12. Gym
  13. Lounge
  MAP KEY
  1. Bridge
  a. Pilot’s station
  b. Gunner’s station
  2. Galley and dining hall
  3. Lavatory
  4. Crew quarters
  5. Port airlock
  
  DARK CLOUDS GATHER
  Still on the heels of the Devourer cult, the heroes head to 
  a distant, uncharted star system, where they find the ruins 
  of an ancient alien city floating in the atmosphere of a gas 
  giant. Exploring the ruins, they encounter the degenerate 
  descendants of a highly advanced species that once controlled 
  the lost superweapon the heroes are searching for. Through the 
  legends and superstitions of these primitive folk, the heroes can 
  piece together clues to the superweapon’s hidden location and 
  the key to unlocking its power—an impossibly huge megastructure 
  that the Cult of the Devourer is intent on seizing!
  This volume of Starfinder Adventure Path continues the Dead Suns 
  Adventure Path and includes:
  • “The Ruined Clouds,” a Starfinder adventure for 7th-level characters,
  by Jason Keeley.
  • Details about the Drift, the mysterious plane of existence revealed
  by the god Triune that allows faster-than-light travel, including
  information about notable locations such as the holy city of
  Alluvion and the dangerous doldrums, by Joe Pasini.
  • A gazetteer of Istamak, the floating city of Nejeor VI where the
  descendants of a once-powerful star empire struggle to survive in
  the ruins of their ancestors’ civilization, by Jason Keeley.
  • An archive of new creatures, from living holograms and twisted
  mutants to supernatural agents of the Devourer, by Jason Keeley
  and Owen K.C. Stephens.
  • Statistics and deck plans for a new starship from the secretive
  Azlanti Star Empire, plus an overview of the gas giant Nejeor VI in
  the Codex of Worlds, by Jason Keeley.
  paizo.com/starfinder
  Printed in China. PZO7204
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Starfinder [multi]/Adventure Paths/SF 1-06 Dead Suns/Dead Suns - 4 - The Ruined Cloud.pdf