TEXT: By Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  Second Edition
  Second Edition
  Eyes of  
  Empty Death
  
  LEVEL 8: FARM
  LEVEL 8: FARM
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  TO B21
  TO B21
  A21
  A21a
  A2
  A2
  A1
  A1
  A3
  A3
  A4
  A4
  A8
  A8
  A6
  A6
  A5
  A5
  A7
  A7
  A9
  A9
  A10
  A10
  A11
  A11
  A12
  A12
  A13
  A13
  A14
  A14
  A15
  A15
  A16
  A16
  A17
  A17
  A18
  A18
  A19
  A19
  A20
  A20
  A21
  A21b
  A21
  A21c
  A21
  A21d
  A22
  A22
  A23
  A23
  A24
  A24
  A25
  A25
  A26
  A26
  A27
  A27
  A28
  A28
  A29
  A29
  A30
  A30
  A31
  A31
  A32
  A32
  A33
  A33
  A34
  A34
  A35
  A35
  A36
  A36
  A38
  A38
  A39
  A39
  A40
  A40
  A41
  A41
  A42
  A42
  A43
  A43
  A44
  A44
  A45
  A45
  A46
  A46
  A37
  A37
  TO LEVEL 7
  TO LEVEL 7
  TO B27
  TO B27
  
  Paizo Inc.
  7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120
  Redmond, WA 98052-0577
  paizo.com
  AUTHOR
  Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  ADDITIONAL WRITING
  James Jacobs, Mikhail Rekun
  DEVELOPER
  Ron Lundeen
  ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT
  Luis Loza
  DESIGN LEAD
  Lyz Liddell
  EDITING LEAD
  Judy Bauer
  EDITORS
  Judy Bauer, Addley C. Fannin, Leo Glass, 
  Patrick Hurley, Avi Kool, and Ianara Natividad 
  COVER ARTIST
  Kiki Moch Rizky
  INTERIOR ARTISTS
  João Fiuza, Vlada Hladkova, Luis Salas Lastra,  
  Robert Lazzaretti, Artur Nakhodkin, and 
  Sandra Posada
  ART DIRECTION
  Sonja Morris and Sarah E. Robinson
  CREATIVE DIRECTOR
  James Jacobs
  PUBLISHER
  Erik Mona
  ADVENTURE PATH 3 OF 3
  EYES OF EMPTY DEATH
  Eyes of Empty Death 
  2
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  Chapter 1: Decaying Gardens 
  4
  Chapter 2: On the Hunt 
  24
  Chapter 3: To Draw the Baleful Glare 
  50
  Nhimbaloth 
  60
  by James Jacobs
  Ghosts of the Inner Sea 
  66
  by Mikhail Rekun
  Adventure Toolbox 
  72
  by Stephen Radney-MacFarland
  Player Rules
  Weapons and Adventuring Gear 
  73
  Alchemical Items 
  73
  Spells 
  75
  Magic Items 
  75
  Drow Shootist Archetype 
  77
  Creatures
  Bright Walker 
  78
  Deadly Puffball 
  79
  Dhuthorex 
  80
  Dread Wisp 
  81
  Drow 
  82
  Urdefhan 
  84
  NPCs
  Belcorra Haruvex 
  86 
  Khurfel 
  88
  Quara Orshendiel 
  90
  
  2
  
  3
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  8
  The heroes begin this adventure at 8th level.
  Milestone: The heroes advance to 9th level after clearing out most 
  of the Farm level.
  9
  The heroes should be 9th level upon entering the Hunting Grounds 
  level.
  Milestone: The heroes advance to 10th level upon entering the Gate 
  of Nhimbaloth.
  10
  The heroes should be 10th level upon entering the Temple level.
  Milestone: The heroes advance to 11th level after defeating 
  Belcorra.
  Advancement Track
  “Eyes of Empty Death” is designed for four characters, with each 
  dungeon level’s encounters keyed to a specific character level.
  The heroes should reach 11th level by the end of the adventure.
  CHAPTER 1: DECAYING GARDENS .................................. 4
  The heroes explore the overgrown Farm level. Here, they can meet a strange 
  caligni cult and the gug they worship, and a cabal of undead gnomes that 
  still serve Belcorra despite the intervening centuries. Belcorra takes notice 
  of the intruding heroes and harries them in person as they explore! 
  CHAPTER 2: ON THE HUNT ........................................24
  In the wild Hunting Grounds level, the heroes can make allies in a drow 
  outpost, contend with marauding urdefhans, and learn that the secret 
  to defeating Belcorra lies in the magical fulcrum lenses she has spread 
  throughout the dungeon. 
  CHAPTER 3: TO DRAW THE BALEFUL GLARE ..................50
  The heroes explore an ancient temple of the Outer God Nhimbaloth and 
  take a series of tests at the direction of a strange, silent undead guardian. 
  Passing these tests—or fighting through them—allows the heroes to face 
  Belcorra once and for all. If they can turn Nhimbaloth’s menacing attention 
  to the evil ghost, the world will be free of her forever!
  A VAST EXPANSE
  Huge natural caverns make up 
  the eighth and ninth levels of the 
  Abomination Vaults, overgrown 
  with fungal forests and teeming 
  with feral predators and desperate 
  survivors. Worked chambers are 
  less common here, and those that 
  exist each serve their own purpose, 
  like a shrine or boathouse. Not all 
  denizens are dangerous; the heroes 
  might ally with some residents 
  to gain useful information or safe 
  places to rest.
  It’s critical that the heroes 
  discover the three fulcrum lenses 
  (in areas A12, B37, and B41) and 
  learn how they work—specifically, 
  how they should use them against 
  Belcorra. The heroes need all three 
  lenses to permanently destroy her.
  But Belcorra won’t wait idly 
  for the heroes; she harries them 
  throughout this adventure. As a 
  ghost, she can reach anywhere in 
  the dungeon with ease and she 
  keeps rejuvenating, even if they’re 
  lucky enough to defeat her. By the 
  time the heroes face Belcorra in the 
  Empty Vault, they’ve earned her ire.
  These caverns also contain 
  passages to the Darklands 
  that aren’t in the scope of this 
  Adventure Path—unless you want 
  them to be! You might use these 
  passages to launch a sprawling 
  campaign that continues long after 
  the heroes have defeated Belcorra 
  and toppled Gauntlight. 
  EYES OF  
  EMPTY DEATH
  
  4
  Gauntlight is active, but its true power is yet to be 
  realized. Belcorra penetrated deep underground to 
  build Gauntlight’s foundation, following the psychic 
  pull of the Empty Vault, a place sacred to Nhimbaloth 
  at the heart of an ancient, subterranean temple. 
  Gauntlight draws upon the energies of the Empty Vault 
  as its foundation and the source of its powers. Within 
  the Empty Vault, Belcorra empowered four fulcrum 
  lenses that, when installed in the lighthouse high above, 
  focus Nhimbaloth’s attention and unleash the artifact’s 
  full power. But the fulcrum lenses are dangerous; they 
  invite Nhimbaloth’s uncaring gaze, and even Belcorra 
  can’t withstand the scrutiny of the Outer God. Thus, 
  though they hold great power, the fulcrum lenses are 
  also Belcorra’s greatest weakness.
  Belcorra repurposed the massive natural caverns 
  above the Empty Vault for her needs. The eighth level 
  made a lush cavern of fungus growths and freshwater 
  lakes that teemed with subterranean fish, offered a 
  perfect, hidden place to raise food for her growing 
  army, while the ninth level was a wilderness where 
  predators and prey alike could thrive. Heroes must 
  descend through these levels to reach the Empty Vault.
  Children of Belcorra
  Uninterested in administering these vast caverns 
  herself, Belcorra enthralled deep gnomes already 
  living there, compelling them with threats and favors 
  to tend her subterranean farm. She dubbed these loyal, 
  diminutive gardeners the Children of Belcorra.
  The Children of Belcorra disbelieved rumors of 
  Belcorra’s death as some sort of trick or test and didn’t 
  waver in their duties. But as the years passed, more 
  and more feral monsters made their way into the level 
  and made their mission in the farm more difficult. 
  Believing that Belcorra (or, perhaps, some other 
  CHAPTER 1: 
  Decaying Gardens
  
  5
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Haruvex) would return, the Children chose to become undead to combat 
  their dwindling numbers and increasing age. They immured each other in 
  the muddy shores to rise again as bog mummies, or undertook difficult 
  transformations into other, more powerful, undead.
  Eventually, their timeless lives and lack of direction took their toll. 
  Many Children fell into a torpor or retreated into obsession or isolation. 
  The farm they had carefully tended became infested with monsters and 
  explorers, such as calignis, drow, and urdefhans.
  Even Belcorra’s return as the Ghost Queen couldn’t quite energize all 
  of the Children of Belcorra to action, but many realized how much they 
  had failed their charge. Belcorra gave the Children a new mandate: to 
  round up the various dangerous creatures of the farm level to serve her 
  in her assault on the surface. She placed the Children under the command 
  of a new supervisor, a dark naga named Vethris, but chose poorly; the 
  naga is corrupt, lazy, and more interested in her creature comforts than 
  guiding the deep gnome undead in their tasks. The Children of Belcorra 
  aren’t happy with the naga’s indolence, but are reluctant to contradict 
  their Ghost Queen. The pace of the Children’s work is, at best, plodding, 
  and has done little to reduce the chaos in the garden.
  Wisps
  Although Belcorra trusts the Children—and their new overseer, Vethris—
  to put things in order on the Farm level, she still keeps tabs on the area. 
  A few will-o’-wisps and dread wisps (page 81) can communicate with the 
  Empty Vault. They hover over basins filled with brackish swamp water 
  and reeds that thrive despite the darkness, as they draw nourishment from 
  their connection to the swamp fed by the Empty Vault. The wisps quickly 
  inform Belcorra of any unexpected intruders such as the heroes, leading 
  her to make an appearance, as described in the Belcorra Attacks! sidebar 
  on page 6.
  The Cult of Urthagul
  A group of caligni refugees came to the Hunting Grounds years ago, fleeing 
  some deeper calamity. Their two leaders—a spellcaster named Galudu 
  and a warrior named Dulac—led them into the safety of an old lodge 
  in the Hunting Grounds level. From there, the calignis explored upward, 
  reaching an abandoned shrine of Nhimbaloth and eventually discovering 
  a gug mystic named Urthagul. Urthagul laired in a cave resonating with 
  strange psychic whispers that awed the calignis. Some of the calignis, led 
  by Dulac, revered the gug and his eerie visions; others remained skeptical 
  of Urthagul’s powers. This ultimately resulted in a schism: the self-named 
  Cult of Urthagul inhabits the shrine and Galudu’s calignis reside in the 
  lodge below. The two groups aren’t enemies, but they only rarely interact.
  The Cult of Urthagul has grown increasingly insular and zealous. 
  (Urthagul, for his part, hardly even noticed their presence, much less their 
  worship.) The calginis hunt chuul eggs from the lake, ritually cooking and 
  consuming them as part of their strange rites. Dulac and her second-in-
  command, Padli, have both gained occult powers from meditating on the 
  whispers in Urthagul’s cave, which they use to keep the cult in line. 
  When Belcorra awakened, she visited the shrine to Nhimbaloth and was 
  surprised to find the calignis there. She visited with Urthagul and found that 
  the gug’s strange behavior was not only due to the psychic emanations of 
  the cave, but also because the gug had found the Crimson Fulcrum Lens and 
  CHAPTER 1 SYNOPSIS
  The chapter begins with the heroes 
  descending into the overgrown 
  Farm level from either entrance in 
  the Prison level above. The primary 
  denizens, other than feral monsters, 
  are listless undead gnomes and 
  addled caligni cultists, both of 
  whom can provide some clues about 
  Belcorra’s return. The heroes will 
  likely face Belcorra in person for the 
  first time—but certainly not the last!
  Environmental Cues: glowing 
  moss, creeping tendrils of mold, 
  decaying wood, distant splashing, 
  foul mists, muddy footprints, smells 
  of earthy rot, towering fungi
  CHAPTER 1 TREASURE
  The permanent and consumable 
  items available as treasure in 
  Chapter 1 are as follows:
  • +1 composite longbow
  • +1 composite shortbow
  • +1 repeating hand crossbow
  • +1 striking longsword
  • +1 striking shortsword
  • +1 striking war flail
  • armbands of athleticism
  • barkskin potion
  • black smear poison (6 doses)
  • bracers of armor, type I
  • Crimson Fulcrum Lens
  • dust of disappearance
  • eyes of the eagle
  • gallows tooth
  • gloom blade
  • greater bracers of missile 
  deflection
  • greater cheetah’s elixir
  • grim trophies (3)
  • javelin of lightning
  • lethargy poison (12 doses)
  • moderate bravo’s brew
  • moderate healing potions (4)
  • potion of quickness
  • standard-grade darkwood shield
  • stupor poison (4 doses)
  • thundering runestone
  • wand of fireball
  • wand of magic missile (3rd level)
  
  6
  communed with the splinter of Nhimbaloth’s essence 
  inside it. Belcorra realized the lens was probably safe in 
  the gug’s claws, but she didn’t want it to end up in the 
  hands of some interloper cult she didn’t have the time or 
  desire to deal with. She tasked her wisp minions to keep 
  the calignis contained within their shrine. 
  It frustrates the cult to be apart from the object of 
  their veneration. Dulac is desperate for a solution, so 
  the heroes might find the calignis eager to talk.
  Yldaris Drow
  The drow outpost of Yldaris lies on the next level 
  of the Abomination Vaults, but their silent, skilled 
  hunters have established a watch post in abandoned 
  Children of Belcorra outpost. The heroes might ally 
  with the drow here, which makes a peaceful meeting 
  with Yldaris more likely in Chapter 2.
  Farm Features
  The vast caverns of this level and the many structures 
  and rooms within them are normally dark, though 
  bioluminescent fungus is common in overgrown areas. 
  The caverns reach 50 feet high, but the ceilings in 
  rooms carved out of the stone are much lower. Ceilings 
  in the areas claimed by the Cult of Urthagul (areas A2 
  to A10) are only 10 feet high. Ceilings in other interior 
  areas are sized for the Children of Belcorra and are 
  only 8 feet high. Sturdy planks of fungal wood form 
  the doors. They are crusted with mold and give off an 
  unpleasantly earthy, rotten smell. 
  The map of the Farm level appears on the inside 
  front cover of this adventure.
  A1. OVERGROWN STAIRS
  The smell of rot and mildew pervades the air of this 
  enclosed staircase. At the base, a moist carpet of fungus, 
  slime, and mold grows thickly on the walls.
  The western wall of the passage contains a secret 
  door leading into Gauntlight’s footprint (area A47) 
  that is magically locked and can’t be broken open. A 
  hero spots the door’s faint outline with a successful 
  DC 15 Perception check. It has a concave indentation, 
  and it only opens when touched with a fulcrum lens. 
  A2. HALL OF EYES 
  MODERATE 8
  Six alcoves line the walls, three to the north and three to 
  the south. The four easternmost alcoves each contain a 
  large stone planter filled with muddy water that reeks like 
  a dismal swamp. Two scorch marks on the ground near the 
  eastern door surround piles of dark rags. The pommel of a 
  blade peeks out from underneath one of the rag piles. 
  The basins are magically connected to the swamp 
  in the Temple level far below (area C15). They remain 
  filled with the swamp’s waters, and the will-o’-wisps 
  here can use them to transmit images to Belcorra.
  The scorch marks and rags are the remains of two 
  calignis who ran afoul of this room’s denizens. 
  Creatures: A will-o’-wisp hovers over each basin, 
  although they appear at first to be merely decorative 
  lights. They telepathically report on the heroes’ actions 
  until they’re attacked or until the heroes try to leave 
  this chamber. At that point, the will-o’-wisps spring 
  into action and fight until destroyed.
  Belcorra should attack the heroes (see the sidebar 
  above) sometime shortly after this encounter.
  WILL-O’-WISPS (4) 
  CREATURE 6
  Pathfinder Bestiary 333
  Initiative Perception +16
  Treasure: One rag pile has a gloom blade in it.
  A3. HAZY SHRINE 
  LOW 8
  An unusual scent, as of burning fungus, is apparent to 
  anyone approaching any of the doors to this chamber. 
  A haze of smoke with a pungent but not entirely unpleasant 
  scent emanates from a large copper cauldron atop a bed of 
  coals on a dais to the east. A metal rack over the basin 
  holds several brown and purple eggs, each about the size 
  of a human head, cooking in the smoke. The walls are 
  painted with sweeping lines and whorls.
  BELCORRA ATTACKS! 
  Ghost stories work best when the ghost is an active 
  and terrifying adversary. As soon as any of the 
  will-o’-wisps or dread wisps in this adventure see 
  the heroes, they immediately alert Belcorra through 
  the magic of the swampy basins throughout the 
  Abomination Vaults. Belcorra is worried to hear that 
  the heroes have penetrated this far, and she resolves 
  to harry them until the other dungeon denizens can 
  overcome them. The scope and timing of Belcorra’s 
  attacks are described on page 86.
  XP Award: Each time the heroes survive one of 
  Belcorra’s attacks, award them 30 XP. Increase 
  this to 80 XP if they manage to defeat her in a 
  confrontation and force her to rejuvenate.
  
  7
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Belcorra crafted these chambers centuries ago as 
  both a shrine to Nhimbaloth and as a base to study the 
  strange visionary effects of the island caves (area A12). 
  Calignis of the Cult of Urthagul now use this room 
  for prayer and meditation, and to cook the chuul eggs 
  they harvest from the lake. The ones being cooked 
  now are the last of the cult’s current store of eggs. 
  A secret door to the lodge on the lower level is hidden 
  amid the abstract patterns painted on the west wall. 
  The calignis know about the secret door, but they’re 
  reluctant to reveal its presence. A hero Searching this 
  room finds the door and the hidden knob to open it 
  with a successful DC 25 Perception check. The door’s 
  other side has an obvious latch mechanism; it’s not 
  secret from the other side.
  Creatures: Six Cult of Urthagul calignis meditate 
  here. When their devotions are disturbed, they rise 
  to attack. They believes their death flames empower 
  Urthagul, so they fight tenaciously to the death. 
  CALIGNI STALKERS (6) 
  CREATURE 4
  Pathfinder Bestiary 51
  Initiative Perception +10
  A4. STORAGE
  This square chamber is filled with a jumble of open boxes, 
  casks, bundles of torches, and faintly glowing plants.
  This storage chamber is a mess because calignis have 
  haphazardly thrown supplies in here over the years. 
  The plants are bioluminescent reeds that retain their 
  glow for weeks after being harvested, and they provide 
  dim light here. Most casks contain the meaty, dried 
  mushrooms calignis favor, although their gritty taste 
  makes them practically inedible to other creatures.
  Treasure: A hero Searching through this room 
  uncovers three beautiful amethysts worth 20 gp each.
  A5. CULT BARRACKS
  This drab chamber contains a few bedrolls and a box with 
  several earthen mugs atop it. A desk holds stacks of paper. 
  Rank-and-file members of the Cult of Urthagul all 
  sleep in the eight bedrolls here. Some are mapping 
  the Abomination Vaults, in the hopes of finding an 
  easy way around the wisps to reach Urthagul again. 
  This map is on the desk. They’ve mapped out areas 
  A2 to A14, and drawn several lobster-like shapes in 
  the water between areas A13 and A14 to represent the 
  chuuls. Several angry ball-like shapes in areas A2 and 
  A10 represent the new wisps. They’ve also mapped out 
  B22 to B26 and the connecting staircase. They aren’t 
  aware of the secret door in area A8, so it isn’t noted. 
  A6. PADLI’S CHAMBER 
  MODERATE 8
  This room is a jumble of pillows, furs, blankets, and rugs. 
  Several empty jugs litter the floor.
  While Dulac is studious and intense, her second-in-
  command Padli is a selfish, gregarious hedonist. He 
  favors mushroom wine, and the jugs around this room 
  once held the earthy, intoxicating beverage. 
  Creatures: For all his hedonism, Padli is no less 
  devout than Dulac, and he sees any intrusion here as an 
  assault on the faithful. Padli lets his companions take the 
  brunt of melee attacks and hangs back to cast spells. The 
  calignis here have no interest in parley or quarter.
  PADLI 
  CREATURE 9
  UNIQUE
  CE
  MEDIUM
  CALIGNI
  HUMANOID
  Male caligni subcommander (Pathfinder Bestiary 50)
  Perception +16; greater darkvision
  Languages Caligni, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +18, Deception +20, Diplomacy +20, 
  Intimidation +18, Occultism +14, Stealth +18
  Str +2, Dex +5, Con +1, Int –1, Wis +1, Cha +5
  Items dagger (3), key to area A7, leather armor, wand of 
  magic missile (3rd level)
  Light Blindness
  AC 26; Fort +16, Ref +20, Will +18
  HP 160; death flame
  Death Flame (light) When Padli dies, his body combusts 
  in a flash of white-hot flame. All creatures in a 20-foot 
  burst take 6d10 fire damage (DC 28 basic Reflex save). 
  His gear is unaffected by the flames and is left in a pile 
  where he died.
  Occult Ward � Trigger Padli attempts a saving throw 
  against a spell cast by a creature he can see; Effect Padli 
  gains a +2 circumstance bonus to the triggering save. 
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � dagger +15 (agile, finesse, versatile S), Damage 
  1d4+7 piercing
  Occult Innate Spells DC 26, attack +18; 4th darkness, 
  phantom pain, suggestion; 3rd blindness, enthrall, 
  paralyze; 2nd darkness (at will), invisibility, obscuring 
  mist (at will); Cantrips (5th) chill touch, daze, detect 
  magic, shield
  Sneak Attack Padli deals 3d6 extra precision damage to 
  flat-footed creatures.
  CALIGNI STALKERS (2) 
  CREATURE 4
  Pathfinder Bestiary 51
  Initiative Perception +10
  
  8
  Treasure: Amid the comforts of the room is a small 
  pouch with 25 gp, 10 sp, and a greater cheetah’s elixir. 
  A7. PRISON
  This room is locked on the outside; Padli has the only 
  key. A hero can open it with four successful DC 25 
  Thievery checks to Pick a Lock, or a successful DC 29 
  Athletics check to Force it Open.
  A single prisoner waits inside: an urdefhan warrior 
  (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 272) named Huglu whom the 
  calignis recently captured. The calignis have denied 
  Huglu food and water to get information out of him, 
  but the stubborn warrior would rather die than tell his 
  captors anything. He’s currently pretending to be dead 
  to catch his abductors off-guard, but as his Deception 
  DC is only 12, the heroes likely see through his ruse.
  Getting any information out of Huglu is virtually 
  impossible, as the evil warrior’s only desire is to 
  inflict as much death and destruction as he can before 
  oblivion. Diplomacy attempts to improve Huglu’s 
  hostile attitude don’t work, though the heroes might 
  get information out of him with Deception checks to 
  Lie or Intimidation checks to Coerce compliance. The 
  DC for these checks is 19, which is both his Will 
  DC and his Perception DC. On a success, Huglu 
  relays his name, that he was caught near the 
  door in area A9, that he serves a great war 
  champion named Khurfel, and that his 
  people control the territory at the bottom 
  of a nearby chasm (area A34). Huglu 
  sprinkles this information with threats against 
  the heroes and promises to drink the heroes’ and 
  the calignis’ blood (on a critical success, Huglu omits 
  these threats). If the heroes free Huglu, he turns on 
  them as soon as he thinks he can kill one of them 
  before being killed himself. 
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for getting 
  information about the urdefhans from Huglu.
  A8. DULAC’S CHAMBERS 
  MODERATE 8
  This sparsely appointed chamber contains a single mat in 
  the far corner of the room and a small desk on the south wall 
  with an iron strongbox sitting under it. A bowl with some 
  gray gruel and a spoon are the only items on the desk. 
  This chamber serves as quarters for a severe caligni 
  woman named Dulac, the head of the Cult of Urthagul. 
  She’s granted herself the title of “custodian” to 
  demonstrate her humble subservience to Urthagul. Once 
  a very active and vital leader, she drew the attention of 
  an owb, one of the malevolent manipulators of caligni 
  communities. The owb spends his time in the secret 
  chamber off of this room, twisting Dulac’s faith.
  Dulac’s control and self-confidence took a severe 
  blow when Belcorra stationed the will-o’-wisps around 
  the cultists’ domain. Cut off from Urthagul’s bizarre 
  babblings and strange insights, Dulac isn’t sure what 
  to do next. The owb offers vague assurances, but he 
  secretly likes seeing the cult crumble and doesn’t want 
  contact with Urthagul restored. 
  Padli
  
  9
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  A hero who Searches this room and succeeds at a 
  DC 25 Perception check discovers the secret door in 
  the east wall, as well as the hidden latch that must be 
  pulled and turned to open it. The room is empty—the 
  owb needs no comforts, only solitude. 
  Creatures: Custodian Dulac and the owb are in here 
  in close conversation. They fight intruders, but if the 
  heroes give any indication that they’re willing to talk, 
  Dulac ceases hostilities to hear them out. However, the 
  owb presses the attack to silence the heroes.
  If the owb is defeated and Dulac is reduced to fewer 
  than 30 Hit Points, she surrenders. 
  DULAC 
  CREATURE 9
  UNIQUE
  N
  MEDIUM
  CALIGNI
  HUMANOID
  Female caligni cult leader (Pathfinder Bestiary 50)
  Perception +18; greater darkvision
  Languages Caligni, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +18, Athletics +19, Intimidation +18, 
  Occultism +16, Religion +18, Stealth +18
  Str +4, Dex +3, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +5
  Items chain shirt, +1 striking war flail
  Light Blindness
  AC 28, Fort +15, Ref +18, Will +20
  HP 155; death shadows
  Death Shadows (cold, darkness) When Dulac dies, her body 
  is destroyed in a burst of chilling shadows. All creatures 
  in a 20-foot burst take 8d8 cold damage (DC 28 basic 
  Reflex save). Dulac’s gear and treasure are unaffected by 
  the shadows and are left in a pile where she died.
  Opportune Step � Trigger A dazzled or blinded creature, 
  or a creature with light blindness, ends its move adjacent 
  to Dulac; Effect Dulac Steps.
  Warding Shove � Trigger An ally within 
  Dulac’s reach is targeted with a ranged or 
  melee attack by an attacker she can see; 
  Effect The ally gains a +2 circumstance 
  bonus to AC against the triggering attack, and the ally 
  can Step after the attack.
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � war flail +21 (disarm, sweep, trip), Damage 
  2d10+8 bludgeoning
  Occult Innate Spells DC 28, attack +20; 4th darkness, 
  read omens, suggestion; 3rd haste, paralyze, vampiric 
  touch; 2nd darkness (at will), ghoulish craving, obscuring 
  mist (at will); Cantrips (5th) daze, detect magic, shield, 
  telekinetic projectile
  Sneak Attack Dulac deals an additional 1d6 precision 
  damage to flat-footed creatures.
  OWB 
  CREATURE 6
  Pathfinder Bestiary 3 196
  Initiative Perception +13
  Side Quest: If the heroes parley with Dulac, she 
  proposes a deal. If the heroes gather more chuul eggs 
  and eliminate the wisps on the fringes of the cult’s 
  territory, Dulac will make them formal allies of the 
  cult. As allies, they can rest in the shrine whenever 
  Dulac
  
  10
  they’d like. Further, she can grant them safe passage 
  through caligni territory in the lodge. She warns that 
  the caligni defenders on the lower level aren’t likely 
  to speak with the heroes without Dulac’s good word. 
  Treasure: The iron strongbox holds one small pouch 
  containing 13 gp and 50 sp, another with 30 pieces of 
  onyx worth 2 gp each, four moderate healing potions, 
  and a barkskin potion. 
  XP Award: In addition to 30 XP for completing the 
  side quest, award the heroes XP for talking with Dulac 
  as though they had defeated her in combat.
  A9. BARRICADED DOOR
  This stout, iron-bound door swings open to the north. 
  It used to be barred from the north, but after Huglu 
  sneaked in, the calignis blocked the southern side with 
  rubble for additional security. Moving the rubble to 
  open the door is time-consuming, but not difficult.
  A10. STAIRS OF URTHAGUL 
  SEVERE 8
  This long chamber features roughly carved stairs leading 
  upward. Its sides are dotted with nooks, two of which 
  contain stone basins filled with muddy water. 
  The basins are similar to and serve the same purpose 
  as those in the Hall of Eyes (area A2). 
  When Belcorra learned that calignis were meeting 
  with Urthagul, she sent a pair of dread wisps here to 
  prevent the calignis’ passage. She doesn’t want the 
  Crimson Fulcrum Lens to fall into caligni hands, as 
  she sees them as less reliable guardians than the gug.
  Creatures: The pair of dread wisps attack any 
  creatures other than Belcorra and any Children of 
  Belcorra who attempt to pass. The defeat of the dread 
  wisps triggers the Belcorra Attacks! event described in 
  the sidebar on page 6.
  DREAD WISPS (2) 
  CREATURE 9
  Page 81
  Initiative Perception +20
  A11. CARRION AMBUSH 
  LOW 8
  Even before the heroes enter this chamber, they can 
  smell a putrid stench of carrion and decay. 
  This large, smelly cave opens onto a cliff with a large body 
  of murky water about twenty feet below. At the edge of 
  the cliff sits a heap of reeking, decomposing carrion. A 
  stream of water flows from the north, past the heap and 
  over the cliff in a narrow waterfall.
  The pile of carrion was once a Huge aquatic 
  reptile that scaled the cliff to escape the 
  predatory chuuls but died here. Its rotting 
  mass hides a group of Children of Belcorra 
  who wait underneath to gain information 
  about—and hopefully capture—Urthagul. 
  They plan to either follow Urthagul if the gug 
  passes this way (which they don’t realize the gug never 
  does) or capture and interrogate calignis (which they 
  don’t realize Belcorra has prevented). 
  Creatures: Four Children of Belcorra are hiding 
  in the carrion heap, which counts as a bog for the 
  mummies’ abilities. They attack anyone who comes 
  near and fight until destroyed.
  CHILDREN OF BELCORRA (4) 
  CREATURE 5
  UNCOMMON
  LE
  SMALL
  MUMMY
  UNDEAD
  Bog mummies (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 177)
  Initiative Stealth +13
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Undercommon
   Child of Belcorra
  
  11
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  A12. ISLAND CAVERN 
  MODERATE 8
  Four small streams flow through this chamber, fed by 
  a dark pond against the west wall. The streams divide 
  the chamber into islands, each covered with lichen, 
  mildew, and mushrooms. Bioluminescent fungi 
  and strange motes of light bathe the place in 
  eerie illumination, playing off the water to form 
  odd shapes on the cavern’s walls, like humanoid 
  apparitions gliding through the air. Water flowing 
  along the sides of the islands echoes off the walls in 
  weird ways, like harsh whispers.
  “Haruvex has risen. There is nothing you can do,” 
  the overlapping echoes say. The sound is hypnotizing, and 
  strangely calming. 
  Long-gone cultists used this cavern as a meditation 
  chamber to calm their emotions and clear their minds, 
  but it now echoes with subtle whispers of Nhimbaloth’s 
  alien will. These whispers can be maddening or 
  enlightening, but are usually wholly unintelligible.
  The northwestern end of this cavern forms a rock 
  wall 10 feet high that leads to a natural bridge 30 feet 
  above the lake. Urthagul used to leave this way every 
  week or two to hunt in the lake but hadn’t bothered 
  to do so while the calignis were bringing him offerings.
  Distracting Whispers: Creatures in the cavern are 
  immune to emotion effects, but spending time amid 
  the whispers affects the mind. Every minute, creatures 
  in the cave must attempt a DC 24 Will save or become 
  stupefied 1 (stupefied 2 on a critical failure) for 24 hours. 
  This condition is cumulative, up to stupefied 4. The 
  whispers speak a different truth each time a creature 
  here increases its stupefied condition, as follows.
  Stupefied 1: “The lenses. She knows the secrets 
  of the lenses. Three are within reach, one very 
  close. The other lost by Yldaris. One held by the 
  blood eaters.”
  Stupefied 2: “She keeps them apart while she works 
  her petty vengeance, but the essences shall become one.” 
  Stupefied 3: “Find the lenses and place their essences 
  together within a host.” 
  Stupefied 4: “Join the essences within Haruvex, 
  and she can fall again. This is a promise of the Empty 
  Death, a promise of empty death.”
  The cavern affects aberrations and sorcerers with 
  the aberrant bloodline differently; they don’t gain the 
  stupefied condition but are fascinated while within the 
  cavern. This fascination ends as soon as they leave. If 
  such creatures stay here too long, they involuntarily 
  babble strange truths that echo in the whispers, which 
  is how Urthagul obtained his reputation as a mystic 
  among the calignis.
  Urthagul
  
  12
  Creatures: On the northernmost island, amid a nest 
  of glowing toadstools, lurks the gug Urthagul. He sits 
  hunched, purring and stroking the Crimson Fulcrum 
  Lens in one of his four hands. Urthagul has been here 
  for decades, or perhaps longer. While a formidable 
  creature, his fascination with the whispers and the 
  Crimson Fulcrum Lens have taken a toll. He rarely 
  eats, and does so even less now that the caligni cultists 
  don’t visit him. His glowing treasure commands nearly 
  all of his attention.
  When the heroes enter, Urthagul takes no more notice 
  other than a glance in their direction. The heroes can 
  even explore or pass through the cave without rousing 
  Urthagul; if they speak to him, he doesn’t respond other 
  than to shift his treasure to the hand farthest from 
  anyone who might try to take it. If the heroes use force 
  against Urthagul or try to take the Crimson Fulcrum 
  Lens, he attacks with relentless brutality. In combat, he 
  prefers to use his jaws, supplemented with the powers of 
  the lens. When Urthagul uses his Furious Claws ability, 
  he can only make three attacks instead of four, as he 
  doesn’t let go of the lens. Urthagul fights to the death 
  to protect his treasure, but he doesn’t leave this cavern. 
  URTHAGUL 
  CREATURE 10
  Male gug (Pathfinder Bestiary 198)
  Initiative Perception +19
  Items Crimson Fulcrum Lens (invested, page 75)
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for recovering 
  the Crimson Fulcrum Lens.
  A13. ISOLATED CAGE
  This large metal cage stands atop a natural pillar rising 
  thirty feet above the water. The bars have been ripped and 
  bent, and bones lie scattered about the cage’s bottom.
  The Children of Belcorra once imprisoned creatures 
  in this cage, though it was hard for them to reach. 
  After Urthagul attacked and ate the creatures within, 
  twice, the deep gnomes realized the cage wasn’t worth 
  the bother and abandoned it.
  A14. RICKETY DOCK 
  LOW 8
  A lone dock, rotten and rickety, juts out from a shelf of 
  rock. It looks long unused, and no vessel is tethered to 
  its moorings. 
  This dock went unused for many years as the Children 
  of Belcorra withdrew from their duties. It’s still usable, 
  with only the occasional mishap of a collapsing board. 
  The Cult of Urthagul used to dive for chuul eggs from 
  it, but they haven’t done so since being wracked by the 
  trauma of being cut off from Urthagul. 
  Creatures: A pair of chuuls hunt in this area, 
  sometimes working together, other times competing for 
  food. They prefer to sneak up on their prey, clambering 
  onto the dock close to the shore so their prey has 
  nowhere to run except into the water. A chuul reduced 
  to fewer than 20 Hit Points flees and doesn’t return.
  CHUULS (2) 
  CREATURE 7
  Pathfinder Bestiary 64
  Initiative Perception +15
  Treasure: While the chuuls carry nothing of 
  value, heroes who Search under the water find their 
  hidden nesting nook some 15 feet below the surface. 
  It holds a cache of 6 chuul eggs, 9 gp, 42 sp, and a 
  +1 striking longsword.
  A15. FETID LAKE
  These waters are brackish and silty. Dark clouds of fetid air 
  and grimy mists cling to the surface. Where it laps on the 
  shore, the water leaves trails of glistening muck.
  The lake’s water was once potable, fresh, and 
  teaming with subterranean fish stocked by the 
  Children of Belcorra. After Belcorra’s fall, the gnomes 
  allowed and even fostered strange aberrations and 
  other aquatic monsters in the lake. Despite the lake’s 
  calm, the visibility at the water level is poor; the mist 
  imposes a –2 circumstance penalty to Perception 
  checks, everything beyond 30 feet is concealed, and 
  visibility ends at about 90 feet. Visibility from a higher 
  point (such as the cliff in area A11, the pillar in area 
  A13, or the caves in area A22) is unobstructed and 
  gives a better view of the lake cavern.
  Drinking the water can be hazardous, but not fatal. 
  There’s a 1 in 6 chance that anyone drinking the water is 
  exposed to sewer haze (Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide 
  119). Fish still live in the lake: blind, ugly, spinous things 
  that are poisonous to most creatures. Eating these fish—
  even when well cooked—is a slimy and sickening affair, 
  and also spreads sewer haze. The other foul creatures 
  living in the lake have built a tolerance to its diseased 
  water and fish.
  Random Encounters: Every 15 minutes that the 
  heroes spend traversing the lake, make a secret DC 5 
  flat check. On a success, the heroes come across one of 
  the following encounters, determined randomly or at 
  your choice. If the result is a creature the heroes have 
  already faced, treat it as no encounter.
  
  13
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  d10 
  Encounter
  1–4 
  One chuul, from area A14
  5–6 
  Four Children of Belcorra on a skiff, from area A17
  7 
  One krooth (Pathfinder Bestiary 215) 
  8 
  Two brood leech swarms (Bestiary 2 156)
  9 
  One lost deepwater dhuthorex, from area B39
  10 
  The froghemoth from area A27, which only 
  fights for 1 round before retreating
  A16. MONSTER CAGES 
  VARIABLE 8
  Seven cages constructed of metal and strange fibrous 
  wood line this beach, each partially submerged in the 
  stinking waters. 
  The Children of Belcorra use the cages to trap 
  powerful monsters living in the lake, as Belcorra 
  recently commanded them to do. It’s hard going and 
  involves many setbacks. Each cage has a simple latching 
  device—a curved bar leading through metal hoops—
  that takes three Interact actions to open or close. The 
  latch can’t be reached by a creature inside the cage 
  due to its position. The metal gives the cages strength 
  and the fibrous wood allows enough give that they’re 
  particularly difficult to burst open. Forcing Open a 
  cage requires a successful DC 40 Athletics check. The 
  cages have wide enough gaps that a Medium creature 
  can Squeeze through the bars with a successful DC 
  25 Acrobatics check. Small or smaller creatures don’t 
  need to Squeeze and can simply move through the bars 
  as greater difficult terrain.
  Creatures: The three unmarked cages are empty and 
  open. A “c” indicates a cage with a chuul, a “k” indicates 
  a cage with a krooth, and an “s” indicates a cage with a 
  skeletal hulk that was once a giant reptilian humanoid. 
  The creatures are furious at their imprisonment and, if 
  freed, simply attack anyone nearby and flee if reduced 
  to half their Hit Points. The heroes might be able to 
  negotiate with the chuul, although it only speaks Aklo 
  and Undercommon. The chuul insists it will simply 
  swim away and not trouble the heroes again if freed; 
  if the heroes seem to need further enticement, the chuul 
  offers to reveal the location of several chuul eggs (area 
  C14). It goes back on its word only if the heroes seem 
  particularly vulnerable. 
  CHUUL 
  CREATURE 7
  Pathfinder Bestiary 64
  Initiative Perception +15
  KROOTH 
  CREATURE 8
  Pathfinder Bestiary 215
  Initiative Perception +16
  SKELETAL HULKS (2) 
  CREATURE 7
  Pathfinder Bestiary 299
  Initiative Perception +16
  A17. DOCK AND LIFT 
  LOW 8
  This large, T-shaped dock has four old skiffs moored to it. 
  On the land side, the docks open up to a large wood and 
  iron platform; at each corner, an iron chain climbs upward 
  into darkness. At the south end of this platform sits a large 
  pulley device. Its chains and machinery, as well as the 
  chains on the platform, are crusted with rust.
  This is the launch point for the Children of Belcorra’s 
  increasingly rare lake excursions. The big lift once 
  brought food and supplies from the Farm level to the 
  upper levels of the Vaults. While the rusted machinery 
  can still be coaxed to work, it’s slow and often stalls. 
  It’s controlled by an external array of four levers at the 
  mechanism’s front. The controls are unintuitive, as each 
  one controls a chain pulley on a corner, but each lever 
  pulls at a different rate. It takes 1d4 hours of tinkering 
  to figure out exactly how to control the lift, and such 
  trial and error might ruin the entire mechanism (roll 
  a DC 11 flat check; on a failure, the mechanism is 
  permanently destroyed). A hero who succeeds at a DC 
  24 Crafting check to Repair the mechanism reduces the 
  DC of this flat check to 5 (or to 1 on a critical success). 
  The lift is marked by a white square on the map.
  Creatures: Four Children of Belcorra are repairing a 
  skiff here. When they spot intruders, three rush to fight 
  while the fourth flees to area A19 for aid. Although 
  there are several caged creatures nearby, the Children 
  don’t release them, because it was such trouble to 
  capture them in the first place. Instead, if in genuinely 
  desperate straits, the undead either flee to area A19 or 
  launch a skiff to get aid from area A21. 
  CHILDREN OF BELCORRA (4) 
  CREATURE 5
  UNCOMMON
  LE
  SMALL
  MUMMY
  UNDEAD
  Bog mummies (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 177)
  Initiative Perception +12
  Languages Common, Gnomish, Undercommon
  A18. ROPER PEN 
  MODERATE 8
  The entrance to this cave is blocked by a makeshift 
  barricade of wood and iron straps. Its door is barred 
  from the outside and the bar has the words, “Danger! 
  Do not open!” written on it in Gnomish.
  The Children of Belcorra keep their largest and most 
  dangerous monsters here. The barricade has obviously 
  been broken and rebuilt many times, but it’s sturdy 
  enough to keep its current prisoner contained. 
  
  14
  Creatures: The cave continues a single roper. The 
  Children who discovered the creature took great care 
  to capture it and move it here. They have no idea how 
  to control the aberration, but they are sure that Belcorra 
  will want it for her army. The roper waits in the back of 
  the cave, disguised as a nondescript stalactite. If given 
  the chance (such as if the heroes open the door and then 
  leave), it creeps out of the cave so it can’t be imprisoned 
  again. Otherwise, it waits for creatures to step further 
  inside before striking, and it fights until destroyed. 
  ROPER 
  CREATURE 10
  Pathfinder Bestiary 282
  Initiative Stealth +25
  A19. GAME ROOM 
  MODERATE 8
  Four small reclining couches circle a small table toward the 
  corner of this L-shaped room. On the table is an elongated 
  game board split into rows of squares. Various pieces sit in 
  place on the board, and pyramid-shaped dice are scattered 
  about the surface. 
  Some Children of Belcorra retreated from their 
  duties after long years and spend their time gambling 
  on a deep gnome board game called “The Dark Chase.” 
  Their set is missing several pieces (although it has all 
  six required four-sided dice), but the incompleteness 
  holds a peculiar attraction to the Children: the missing 
  pieces mean there’s no end state, so the game is never 
  over. The wagers around the board are all colored 
  pebbles that are pretty but not particularly valuable. 
  A simple iron key to area A20 is among the pebbles.
  Creatures: The three Children here fight intruders, 
  but they avoid disturbing the game in progress. If a 
  hero damages the game (such as by moving across the 
  square containing the low table or by damaging the 
  square with a splash or area effect), the mummies focus 
  their rage upon that hero. They fight until destroyed.
  CHILDREN OF BELCORRA (2) 
  CREATURE 5
  UNCOMMON
  LE
  SMALL
  MUMMY
  UNDEAD
  Bog mummies (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 177)
  Initiative Perception +12
  ELDER CHILD OF BELCORRA 
  CREATURE 9
  RARE
  LE
  SMALL
  MUMMY
  UNDEAD
  Variant bog mummy (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 177)
  Perception +18; darkvision, tremorsense (imprecise) 30 feet
  Languages Common, Gnome, Undercommon
  Skills Athletics +19, Nature +19, Stealth +19 (+21 while 
  buried in a bog)
  Str +6, Dex +3, Con +0, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +0
  AC 28; Fort +15, Ref +18, Will +20
  HP 155, negative healing; Immunities death effects, 
  disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious; Weaknesses 
  cold 10; Resistances fire 10
  Breath of the Bog (aura, divine, enchantment, mental) 30 
  feet. A creature that begins its turn within the area feels 
  as if its lungs were filling with water and must succeed 
  at a DC 28 Fortitude save or be unable to speak or 
  breathe. The creature can still hold its breath and can 
  attempt a new save at the end of its turn. A creature that 
  succeeds is temporarily immune for 24 hours.
  Rise Up � Trigger A creature walks on top of a bog 
  mummy that lies buried in the mud or peat below; 
  Requirements Initiative has not yet been rolled; 
  Effect The bog mummy automatically notices the 
  creature and Burrows before rolling initiative. 
  Speed 20 feet; burrow 15 feet
  Melee � fist +21, Damage 2d10+8 bludgeoning plus 
  bog rot
  Primal Prepared Spells DC 28, attack +20; 4th 
  air walk, barkskin, freedom of movement; 3rd 
  blindness, glyph of warding, meld into stone; 
  2nd acid arrow, entangle, glitterdust; Cantrips 
  (5th) acid splash, detect magic, prestidigitation, 
  produce flame, read aura
  Elder Child of Belcorra
  
  15
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Primal Innate Spells DC 28; 1st illusory disguise
  Rituals DC 28; plant growth
  Bog Rot (curse, disease, divine, necromancy, negative) This 
  affliction can’t be reduced below stage 1, nor can the 
  damage from it be healed, until it’s successfully treated 
  with remove curse or a similar effect; the affliction can 
  then be removed as normal for a disease. A creature 
  killed by bog rot melts into a noxious sludge and can’t 
  be resurrected except by a 7th-level resurrect ritual or 
  similar magic; Saving Throw DC 21 Fortitude; Stage 1 
  carrier with no ill effect (1 minute); Stage 2 3d6 negative 
  damage and clumsy 1 (1 day)
  Treasure: The game board is inlaid with 
  semiprecious stones. Even incomplete, the set 
  is worth 80 gp.
  A20. TOMB OF THE DEMILICH LOW 8
  The door to this chamber is locked; the 
  key is in area A19. The lock requires 
  five successful DC 30 Thievery checks 
  to Pick a Lock to get open, or a successful 
  DC 30 Athletics check to break it down. 
  The door is also magically protected with a 
  glyph of warding containing a 3rd-level 
  fireball (DC 28 basic Reflex save; DC 28 
  to notice and disarm the glyph). The 
  glyph triggers when a non-undead 
  creature touches the door, even 
  to open it with the key.
  This 
  chamber 
  is 
  dusty 
  and dry. At its west end 
  sits a stone slab three feet 
  high. Atop it lies a small 
  body covered in funeral 
  wrappings.
  One of the oldest Children of 
  Belcorra, Gorsalthith, plans to become 
  a demilich. The other Children don’t 
  know where he got this idea; none of 
  them have even seen a demilich, although 
  they’ve all heard stories of the gem-
  studded undead skulls with phenomenal 
  spellcasting power. But Gorsalthith was 
  adamant that he knew the method: he 
  placed gemstones in his eyes, replaced his 
  teeth with smaller gems, and drilled holes into 
  his head to lodge a crown of crystals there. 
  He then locked himself in this room to lay 
  in repose, patiently waiting for his body to 
  turn to dust and his transformation to take its 
  final form. He’s been here for nearly a century, with 
  no change in his mummified form.
  Creatures: Gorsalthith is determined in his 
  unrealistic goal. When the heroes enter, he becomes 
  convinced must defeat them to advance his evolution. 
  He arrogantly talks about his pending transformation 
  as he attacks, and he fights until destroyed.
  GORSALTHITH 
  CREATURE 9
  Elder child of Belcorra (page 14)
  Initiative Perception +20
  Treasure: Gorsalthith’s only 
  treasures are the gemstones 
  grafted to his skull. The teeth are 
  a variety of semiprecious stones, 
  24 of them in total, each worth 8 sp. 
  His eye sockets each have a clear topaz 
  worth 50 gp, and his crown is nine bits 
  of quartz worth 3 gp each. 
  A21. ANCIENTS’ CAVES 
  SEVERE 8
  Four caves atop steeps cliffs sit ten 
  feet above the lake’s dark water.
  These cliff walls have numerous 
  handholds and are easy to Climb, 
  requiring a successful DC 15 
  Athletics check to Climb to 
  the caves (or across from 
  one to the other).
  Creatures: Three Children 
  of 
  Belcorra 
  became 
  far 
  too interested in the lore of 
  Nhimbaloth and were blasted 
  with a powerful glimpse of the 
  Outer God, transforming them 
  into bodaks. Nursing their pain 
  and 
  resentment, 
  the 
  bodaks 
  retreated to these caves. The other 
  Children acknowledge the bodaks’ 
  power and knowledge, but rarely approach 
  them. The bodaks dwell individually in area 
  A21a, A21b, and A21d. When any bodak is 
  disturbed, the others clamber over to help, so 
  anyone fighting one of the bodaks soon fights 
  them all. 
  BODAKS (3) 
   
  CREATURE 9
  UNCOMMON
  CE
  SMALL
  UNDEAD
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 42
  Initiative Perception +17
  Bodak
  
  16
  Treasure: While two bodaks have no treasure, the 
  one that dwells in area A21d has valuables scattered 
  about its cave. A sack contains 80 gp, 2 pp, and a 
  set of eyes of the eagle. A set of bracers of armor lie 
  discarded at the back of the cave, and a +1 striking 
  shortsword is wedged in a crack in the wall.
  A22. QUIET LAKE
  On this western side of the large lake, the foul water 
  and obscuring mist are identical to that in the lake to 
  the east (area A15), but this side is far less populated 
  (predominantly due to the appetite of the froghemoth 
  lairing to the south). The heroes might have random 
  encounters here, too, but DC of the flat check to 
  encounter something is 10 rather than 5. 
  A23. SHADOWED DOCK 
  LOW 8
  This T-shaped dock has been recently repaired, and a 
  single skiff is moored on its north side. Beyond the dock, 
  a masonry structure juts out from the cavern walls, the 
  drifting mist creating strange shadows on the stonework. 
  At its center is a single iron-bound door.
  This dock and building was abandoned decades 
  prior to Belcorra’s return. Vethris, the spirit naga 
  Belcorra recently put in charge of the Children of 
  Belcorra, now claims it. The door is unlocked.
  Creatures: The shadows playing on the masonry 
  are more than just a trick of the water. A dread wraith 
  haunts this area, acting as a lookout. When it spots 
  strangers, it silently moves to the inner complex to warn 
  Vethris. Vethris peevishly dismisses the dread wraith, 
  commanding it to “take care of the problem.” The dread 
  wraith then hunts down the heroes, eager to make 
  wraith spawn out of them.
  DREAD WRAITH 
  CREATURE 9
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 298
  Initiative Stealth +19
  A24. MUD ROOM 
  LOW 8
  This damp room has a recessed floor filled with mud. 
  The mud is only a few inches below the doors’ 
  thresholds, but is two feet deep and is difficult terrain. 
  Creatures: Four Children of Belcorra lurk in the 
  mud in the eastern part of this room, bitter at being 
  stationed here under the command of the lazy Vethris. 
  They’re quick to attack when anyone disturbs this 
  room but, being beneath the mud, they don’t notice 
  when the dread wraith flits overhead to warn the naga 
  of intruders and aren’t likely to know the heroes are 
  present until they enter the mud.
  CHILDREN OF BELCORRA (4) 
  CREATURE 5
  UNCOMMON
  LE
  SMALL
  MUMMY
  UNDEAD
  Bog mummies (Pathfinder Bestiary 
  2 177)
  Initiative Perception +12
  A25. NAGA LAIR 
  LOW 8
  This room is filled with rugs, 
  tapestries, and pillows. Most are stained 
  with mud.
  This is the lair of the scheming spirit naga 
  Vethris. Vethris convinced Belcorra she’d do a 
  good job of getting the Farm level back in good 
  order and keep the Children in line, but she’s done 
  nothing of the sort. Vethris spends her days lounging 
  Vethris
  
  17
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  about and ordering her new minions to bring her 
  food and treasures. While the undead are dissatisfied 
  with her, they’re loyal to Belcorra, so they either 
  grudgingly follow the naga’s orders or find ways to 
  ignore her.
  Vethris brought the pillows and other trappings, 
  but good hygiene is not one of the naga’s priorities. 
  One tapestry, depicting a stylized nest of intertwining 
  snakes, covers the secret door on the south wall. 
  Anyone removing the tapestry or Searching the 
  room locates the secret door with a successful DC 25 
  Perception check. It’s opened by pressing the proper 
  stone on the eastern wall.
  Creatures: Vethris is lazy, but she snaps into action 
  against any who dare intrude on her relaxation. She 
  screams curses at her foes while casting spells at them. 
  She prefers to use black tentacles to keep her foes at a 
  distance, but then she follows up with paralyze as often 
  as possible; this is her favorite spell, and it frustrates 
  her that the Children of Belcorra are immune to it. 
  Vethris surrenders if reduced to fewer than 40 Hit 
  Points and tries to slither away 
  If the heroes managed to get here without disturbing 
  the mud in area A24, the mummies there rise up and 
  fight alongside the naga.
  VETHRIS 
  CREATURE 9
  Female spirit naga (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 179)
  Initiative Perception +18
  A26. SECRET TREASURY
  A glittering mass of treasure sits at the south end of this 
  small room. 
  This is the bulk of the treasure Vethris had accumulated, 
  as well as that she tasked the undead to gather. 
  Poisoned Treasure: A porcelain teapot in the hoard is 
  slathered with nettleweed residue (Core Rulebook 553).
  Treasure: Once the poison is washed off the teapot, 
  it’s worth 40 gp. Scattered about the room are 130 gp, 
  310 sp, greater bracers of missile deflection, a wand 
  of fireball, three grim trophies, a potion of quickness, 
  and a javelin of lightning. A small sack contains 10 
  saltwater pearls worth 9 gp each.
  A27. SHORES OF DEATH 
  EXTREME 8
  At this southern terminus of the foul underground lake, 
  a small wooden dock juts out from a stone and masonry 
  building. The dock is in ruin; its front has been ripped away 
  with massive force, leaving the rest of it sloping down into 
  the water. The building had a door at the dock’s end, but 
  it’s been ripped off its hinges, with a chunk of the door 
  partly submerged and leaning against the cavern wall. 
  South of the structure, the lakeshore gives way to a forest 
  of massive fungi. The water near the dock occasionally 
  bubbles, as if something massive dwells somewhere below 
  the surface.
  A surly froghemoth attacked the Children of 
  Belcorra in this outpost, damaging the dock and 
  driving the bog mummies away. It’s the source of 
  the bubbles in the water. A hero who succeeds at a 
  Perception check against its Stealth DC of 38 spots its 
  eyestalk peeping above the fetid water.
  Creatures: How the froghemoth came to the lake 
  is a mystery, but in the short time it’s been here, it’s 
  damaged this building and driven nearly all the 
  aberrations and creatures away from the southern 
  lake. It sometimes makes its way north to hunt, but it’s 
  usually lurking under the water by the shattered dock. 
  The Children of Belcorra injured the froghemoth 
  more than they’ve realized; it’s afflicted with bog rot 
  that has affected its alien physiology in strange and 
  debilitating ways. Rather than simply being clumsy, 
  the froghemoth has the weak adjustment. 
  A lazy hunter, the froghemoth tends to attack from 
  the water and rarely pursues those who find shelter 
  within the fungus garden. However, it’s vindictive in 
  a simple-minded way; if it loses at least half of its Hit 
  Points, there is a chance (DC 15 flat check) it becomes 
  enraged and follow its attackers onto dry land. 
  BOG-ROTTED FROGHEMOTH 
  CREATURE 12
  Weak froghemoth (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 6, 122)
  Initiative Stealth +28
  A28. RUINED OUTPOST 
  The remains of a table and some chairs are scattered 
  around the room. While the western door has been ripped 
  off its hinges, the southern door is still intact but open. Two 
  torn, soggy corpses are slumped in the doorway.
  The corpses are Children of Belcorra who were 
  destroyed in the froghemoth’s rampage. While there’s 
  nothing of value in the abandoned room, there is a 
  secret door on the east wall. A hero Searching the 
  room who succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check 
  spots the fake flagstone in the wall and can open it. 
  Beyond the door is a narrow passage heading east 
  and then turning north, leading to another secret 
  door of similar design. The Children of Belcorra used 
  this passage to gain quick access to the northern 
  reaches of the fungus garden. 
  
  18
  A29. WEST GARDEN
  While the fungal forest continues to grow high, there are 
  also signs that this area was recently tended. Rocks outline 
  sections of healthy growth, and the paths are clear of all the 
  but the occasional bits of mold and fungus. Bioluminescent 
  moss provides a low, even glow throughout the area, as 
  though intentionally cultivated for the effect. To the east, a 
  wide stone bridge spans a massive chasm. A gigantic iron 
  ladder snakes down into the darkness of the chasm from 
  its other side. Beyond the bridge and the ladder, the fungal 
  forest becomes even more overgrown. 
  The Children of Belcorra long ago limited their efforts 
  from tending the entire fungus garden to only this 
  western end. With the recent arrival of the froghemoth, 
  they’ve stopped their efforts here as well. The fungi here 
  are harmless; in fact, they are good sources of food, 
  fungus-wood lumber, and glowing moss. 
  A30. LUMBER SHED
  This squat stone building looks like a storage room. 
  One of three storage rooms in the fungal garden, this 
  building was used to store wood formed from tough 
  fungus fibers. Inside, a pile of fungus woods still sits, 
  along with a bundle of axes and saws used to collect 
  the fungus and cut the boards into shape.
  A31. TOOL SHED
  This shed has a small hole where a lock would be, but 
  traces of rust around the hole are all that remain there.
  The tools once stored here have met the same fate 
  as the lock and are nothing more than a piles of 
  rust around axe handles, wooden shims, and other 
  non-metallic materials. The shriveled corpse of a 
  fat rust monster lies in the center of the room; the 
  Children of Belcorra killed it years ago when it got 
  into their tools, and they never bothered to remove it.
  A32. INHABITED SHED 
  MODERATE 10
  This simple storage shed is filled with small, gnawed bones, 
  discarded scales, and a pungent reptilian reek. 
  The ghonhatine fleshwarp lairing here doesn’t know 
  that there’s a secret door in the west wall. A hero who 
  Searches the room discovers the false flagstone that 
  opens it automatically, as the flagstone has shifted 
  slightly out of place.
  Creatures: Some time ago, the ghonhatine escaped 
  from the Laboratory level far above and fled all the 
  way here. It’s found more than enough to eat in the 
  surrounding fungus garden, so it never ranges far, 
  although it prefers living prey. As it’s learned to avoid 
  the nearby lake because of the lurking froghemoth, 
  it hasn’t had more than a few small bats or rodents 
  in months and it’s eager for larger flesh. It rushes at 
  the heroes who open this door and attacks with a 
  single-minded fury until slain. 
  GHONHATINE 
  CREATURE 10
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 119
  Initiative Perception +19
  Treasure: The repulsive residue of the ghonhatine’s 
  meals contain bloodstained armbands of athleticism.
  A33. LEVEL 8 PORTAL CHAMBER
  Belcorra connected this remote room to the network 
  of permanent teleportation circles throughout the 
  Abomination Vaults. 
  The round walls of this chamber are deeply carved with 
  flowing runes. The runes are filled with silver and dust.
  In “Ruins of Gauntlight” and “Hands of the Devil,” 
  the heroes likely discovered the inactive network of 
  permanent teleportation circles. The heroes may have 
  even begun restoring it with the awaken portal ritual. 
  The heroes can connect this inactive teleportation 
  circle to others they’ve already reawakened.
  The other portal chambers are areas B59 and C5.
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for using the 
  awaken portal ritual to reactivate the teleportation 
  circle here.
  A34. EASTERN WILDS 
  MODERATE 8
  Across the bridge’s span, fungus grows to greater heights—
  some reaching nearly to the high ceiling of the cavern, fifty 
  feet overhead. The remains of old paths are here, but most 
  are covered with clumps of smaller fungus or patches of 
  pale slime. Spores drift through the air and huge red blooms 
  on the fungi shift as though in a wind, although there is no 
  wind here. An enormous iron ladder hangs down into the 
  deep chasm. Each link of the chains that hold it up are as 
  large as a human, but the rungs are spaced to give even 
  small creatures an easy climb.
  The east side of the fungus garden has gone a long 
  time without proper cultivation, which has made it 
  overgrown and dangerous. The paths are somewhat 
  
  19
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  clear, if overgrown, and the rest of the cavern is greater 
  difficult terrain if it’s passable at all. 
  The gigantic iron ladder leads more than 100 feet 
  down to area B27.
  Creatures: The massive patch of fungus closest to 
  the bridge has grown two deadly red puffballs. These 
  dragon’s blood puffballs resemble overgrown flowers, 
  but they soon detach and float toward the heroes to 
  attack with their fatal blooms. They follow fleeing 
  heroes and fight until destroyed in an explosive burst. 
  DRAGON’S BLOOD PUFFBALLS (2) 
  CREATURE 8
  Page 79
  Initiative Perception +12
  A35. WEBBED CROSSROADS 
  SEVERE 8
  The towering fungi around these overgrown paths are 
  laced in thick webbing. Within are a few humanoid figures, 
  too shrouded in webs to see clearly.
  The webbed corpses are a desiccated urdefhan and 
  two much-more-recently killed drow from Yldaris. 
  It takes half an hour to clear the thick webbing from 
  each corpse.
  Creatures: The hungry goliath spider that’s made its 
  web here is not on the ground, but hiding in a crevasse 
  in the ceiling 60 feet above, where it has greater cover. 
  The spider begins its assault with its Descend on a 
  Web ability to catch its prey off guard. If reduced to 
  fewer than 40 Hit Points, it retreats for the safety of its 
  ceiling crevasse high above. 
  GOLIATH SPIDER 
  CREATURE 11
  Pathfinder Bestiary 307
  Initiative Perception +22
  Treasure: The urdefhan carries a gallows tooth and 
  a standard-grade darkwood shield. One of the drow 
  corpses has a pouch with dust of disappearance.
  A36. ROUNDED WALL 
  LOW 8
  This patch of fungus sits lower than the rest, though it 
  bears no signs of cultivation. Amid the other fungi are 
  bulbous green growths. The back wall of the cavern is 
  visible through a cloud of drifting spores; it isn’t natural 
  rock, but a pale, curved, seamless stone.
  The wall is part of the footprint of Gauntlight high 
  above, and is thus impervious to damage. A secret door 
  in the curved wall provides access to the structure’s 
  interior (area A37); like the secret door in area A1, it’s 
  easy to find (DC 15 Perception) but only opens when 
  a fulcrum lens is placed into its indentation.
   Creatures: The spores and green growths belong 
  to a drakauthix lairing here. It attacks any living 
  creatures that approach, floating upward to reveal 
  its hooked tentacles. If reduced to fewer than 20 
  Hit Points, it ascends to the ceiling and tries to float 
  away to the south. If the heroes haven’t dealt with the 
  goliath spider lurking above area A35, the drakauthix 
  floats right beneath its crevasse. The spider darts out, 
  kills the drakauthix, and retreats into its bolt-hole. 
  This might alert the heroes that the spider is there! 
  DRAKAUTHIX 
  CREATURE 9
  Pathfinder Bestiary 129
  Initiative Perception +17
  A37. UPPER PIT 
  This large, circular room is made of pale stone and covered 
  with dust. At its center stands a single stone-lipped pit. 
  A twisting ribbon of blue light coils and twists in the air, 
  extending from the ceiling down into the pit. The stone of 
  the ceiling and the walls of the pit undulate in the eerie 
  light as though the stone itself were suffering. 
  This pit leads down through Gauntlight’s lowest 
  levels. The ribbon of energy shows that Gauntlight is 
  drawing even more power, and the heroes might have 
  seen a ribbon like it in the dungeon’s higher levels. A 
  living creature ending its turn within the 5-foot-diameter 
  ribbon of light takes 10d6 negative damage (DC 26 
  basic Reflex save); unlike the ribbons discovered in the 
  upper levels, this energy doesn’t heal undead creatures.
  The pit leads down over 100 feet to a similar 
  chamber on the Hunting Grounds (area B28) and then 
  another 100 feet to the Empty Vault (area C20), where 
  Belcorra typically dwells. 
  A38. STRANGE SENTRY 
  TRIVIAL 9
  Toward the end of the fungal path, a masonry structure 
  juts out from the cavern wall, a door at its center. 
  The structure served as a waypoint where the 
  Children of Belcorra could converse with their Ghost 
  Queen through the wisps. They abandoned this 
  building when they left the eastern fungus garden.
  Creatures: A sinister, sloth-like monster called a 
  nilith moved into the structure, but it left a guardian 
  outside: a feebleminded medusa it calls Murmur. 
  Murmur stands in front of the door, her hood up, 
  muttering unintelligible words to herself. 
  
  20
  Murmur isn’t likely to pose much of a challenge 
  for 8th-level characters, but she’s an indication that 
  something strange is afoot. She fights with her bow, 
  which she only barely remembers how to use, if 
  creatures remain at a distance. If foes close in, she drops 
  her bow and flees into area A29 to join her master.
  MURMUR 
  CREATURE 7
  Female feebleminded medusa (Pathfinder Bestiary 234)
  Initiative Perception +10
  Side Quest: Restoring Murmur’s mind is a challenge, 
  but it’s not impossible. If the heroes restore her, the 
  medusa introduces herself as Moadenn and offers to 
  fight alongside them for a few days before striking 
  off on her own. She’s bossy and cruel, so the heroes 
  might not want her aid; she’s perfectly happy to depart 
  sooner if the heroes don’t want her around. 
  A39. LAIR OF THE DREAMER 
  MODERATE 8
  Three alcoves in this square chamber are overgrown with 
  a tangle of thin mushroom stalks and creeping, flowering 
  vines. The air smells sweet and heady. 
  The alcoves each contain stone basins, like those in 
  areas A2 and A11. They used to provide a connection 
  to the swamps below, but the nilith lairing here didn’t 
  want the interruption. It pulled the muck from the 
  basins, coated their interiors with a fungal resin, and 
  repurposed them as planters to grow vegetation that 
  reminds it of its former home in the Dreamlands. If 
  the heroes clean them out, they refill with fetid swamp 
  water once again, and a will-o’-wisp (Pathfinder 
  Bestiary 333) appears above each. Their observation 
  triggers the Belcorra Attacks! event, as described in the 
  sidebar on page 6.
  Soporific Pollen: The pollen in the air gives living 
  creatures in the room (except the nilith) a –1 circumstance 
  penalty on Will saves. This is an olfactory effect.
  Creatures: The nilith climbs around on the vines 
  in this room, idly tending the flowers. It’s bored with 
  Murmur and is looking for other minds to twist, but 
  it’s willing to engage in conversation first if the heroes 
  seem amenable. It talks about how the basins connect 
  to some malignant swamp far down, and it proudly 
  shows off its means of sealing them with resin to grow 
  its own strange garden. As it talks, it tries to rank the 
  heroes from the weakest mind to the strongest, so it 
  knows who to target best with its mental attacks. It 
  might propose puzzles or riddles to find this out, or 
  ask the heroes about their recent dreams. 
  NILITH 
  CREATURE 10
  Pathfinder Bestiary 245
  Initiative Perception +19
  Murmur
  
  21
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Treasure: Hidden deep in the nilith’s hanging 
  tangles is its treasure, consisting of a bag with 253 sp, 
  three topaz gemstones worth 60 gp each, a thundering 
  runestone, and a moderate bravo’s brew.
  A40. BETWEEN A ROCK AND A DOORWAY 
  LOW 8
  The path ends at a door leading west. A large boulder covered 
  with spidery carvings blocks a cave entrance to the east.
  The door to this room is locked and Nyzuros (in 
  area A44) has the key. A hero can open it with four 
  successful DC 25 Thievery checks to Pick a Lock, or 
  a successful DC 25 Athletics check to Force it Open. 
  The boulder seems impassable, but it’s cleverly 
  hinged to open when parts of its surface are pressed in 
  the proper configuration. The Elven carvings describe 
  how to move the boulder, but these instructions are 
  intentionally wrong and trigger the hazard below. 
  Finding the proper way to move the boulder requires a 
  successful DC 25 Nature, Perception, or relevant Lore 
  check. Alternatively, a hero can roll it aside with a 
  successful DC 30 Athletics check to Force Open, and a 
  Small or smaller creature can Squeeze past the boulder 
  with a successful DC 25 Acrobatics check.
  Glyph of Warding: The carvings form a glyph of 
  warding containing a 4th-level sound burst (DC 28 
  basic Reflex save; DC 28 to notice and disarm the 
  glyph). The glyph triggers when a creatures handles 
  the boulder in the way indicated by the Elven 
  carvings. The noise also alerts the nearby drow to 
  intruders and they go on alert. 
  A41. DESCENT TO YLDARIS 
  SEVERE 8
  Faintly glowing green veins of crystal line the walls of 
  this large cave. To the south, a wide passage spirals into 
  the earth as though created by some massive burrowing 
  creature.
  The slick green veins crackle with faint electricity 
  when touched, but they aren’t harmful. A cave worm 
  burrowed this passageway long ago. It leads to the 
  drow outpost of Yldaris far below (area B1).
  Creatures: This passage is not unguarded; a 
  quartet of drow hunters is always on alert here. 
  If they detect intruders, they form a firing line to 
  prevent anyone from getting past them. Although 
  they’re quick to attack calignis, urdefhans, or other 
  enemies they recognize, a group of surface-dwellers 
  intrigues them. The hunters keep their weapons at 
  the ready, but they first ask the heroes why they’re 
  trespassing in Yldaris territory. Their starting attitude 
  to the heroes is indifferent. If the heroes improve 
  their attitude to friendly (which requires a successful 
  DC 24 Diplomacy check to Make an Impression), 
  they agree to escort them to their leader in Yldaris. 
  Three drow escort the heroes through areas B1, B5, 
  B6, and B17 to meet Quara Orshendiel. If the heroes 
  improve their attitude to helpful, only a single drow 
  accompanies them. If they can’t improve the hunters’ 
  attitude, the drow firmly turn them away.
  If the heroes mention that they rescued Falxi 
  Orshendiel from the kitchen in Pathfinder Adventure 
  Path #164: Hands of the Devil, the hunters remember 
  that Falxi mentioned them. The heroes thereafter have 
  a +4 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks to 
  negotiate entry into Yldaris.
  The heroes might have earned the trust of the drow 
  in areas A44 or A45; in that case, the heroes don’t need 
  to separately win over these hunters.
  DROW HUNTERS (4) 
  CREATURE 7
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +16
  XP Award: Award the heroes 80 XP if they successfully 
  negotiate entry to Yldaris from these drow. 
  A42. SPIDER GUARD 
  TRIVIAL 8
  Sheets of webbing hang on the south wall of this room, 
  between two wooden doors.
  Creatures: A trained hunting spider, the loyal pet of 
  the drow shootist Iribo in area A44, lairs in this room. 
  The spider whistles shrilly as its first action when it 
  spots intruders, then springs to attack. The noise alerts 
  the nearby drow and brings them running; together, 
  this is a severe encounter for 8th-level characters. 
  HUNTING SPIDER 
  CREATURE 1
  Pathfinder Bestiary 306
  Initiative Perception +7
  A43. CELL
  This square cell has two pairs of rusted manacles bolted 
  into the wall about six feet from the floor. 
  The drow recently captured one of the Children of 
  Belcorra in the fungus garden and brought her here. 
  She dangles from one of the manacles. They’ve been 
  interrogating her for information about the layout and 
  denizens of the level, but the mummy hasn’t yet been 
  forthcoming with any information.
  
  22
  Creatures: The Child of Belcorra realizes that the 
  heroes aren’t with the drow and asks for release. She 
  makes only vague promises about what she can do for 
  the heroes if released, because she’s lying; as soon as 
  they let her go, she flees to warn the other Children of 
  Belcorra that the drow have made significant inroads 
  to the fungus forest (although the listless mummies 
  aren’t likely to act on this information anytime soon). 
  The prisoner knows the denizens and layout of areas 
  A15 to A25 and that there’s a froghemoth in area A27.
  CHILD OF BELCORRA 
  CREATURE 5
  UNCOMMON
  LE
  SMALL
  MUMMY
  UNDEAD
  Female bog mummy (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 177)
  Initiative Perception +12
  A44. OBSERVATION POST 
  TRIVIAL 8
  This small room appears to be a lookout post. Three narrow 
  slits line the north and east walls, giving a view of the 
  overgrown fungus garden beyond. 
  The Children of Belcorra observed their cultivated 
  and thriving gardens from here, but the post had been 
  abandoned for some time before the drow of Yldaris 
  discovered it.
  Creatures: A drow shootist named Iribo serves as a 
  lookout in this room. She investigates any indication 
  of intruders, such as her pet spider’s shrill whistle. 
  In a fight, Iribo attempts to quickly incapacitate her 
  foes with her poison and calls for the drow in area 
  A45. However, she doesn’t foolishly throw herself into 
  combat; if she thinks it’s possible to negotiate with the 
  heroes, she does so. 
  A longtime friend of Yldaris’s leader, Quara, Iribo 
  knows that Quara might have some use for surface 
  dwellers. The heroes can attempt to improve her 
  starting attitude of indifferent just as they can with 
  the hunters in area A41. If they improve her attitude to 
  friendly, she personally escorts them to Yldaris.
  IRIBO 
  CREATURE 8
  Female drow shootist (page 83)
  Initiative Perception +16
  XP Award: Award the heroes 80 XP if they talk to 
  Iribo rather than fight her. Award them an additional 
  80 XP if they successfully negotiate Iribo’s escort into 
  Yldaris, but do not award this additional XP if the 
  heroes have already arranged an escort from the drow 
  in area A41.
  A45. PLANNING ROOM 
  MODERATE 8
  This large room may have once been richly appointed, but 
  it’s now full of mold and decay. Shattered furniture covers 
  the floor and tattered, mildew-specked tapestries hang 
  from the walls. At the north, curtains obscure a wide bay 
  window made of what looks like transparent stone.
  The elder Children of Belcorra used to plan their 
  lush gardens from this room, but it’s now the 
  staging area for the small drow contingent. 
  The curved, floor-to-ceiling bay window provides a 
  Iribo
  
  23
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  clear view into the garden. The window is made from 
  blocks of enchanted stone that are transparent from 
  this side but resemble ordinary, natural stone when 
  viewed from outside. The drow stationed here might 
  have gotten a good look at the heroes passing by in 
  area A34, were it not for the fact they keep the curtains 
  closed most of the time. 
  Creatures: A drow hunter named Nyzuros and 
  four drow wardens huddle over a map of the 
  gardens. Their main concern is the goliath spider 
  that dwells at the crossroads, as it’s already feasted 
  on two drow scouts. They debate whether to risk 
  attacking the spider, gaining significant glory for 
  vanquishing such a dangerous foe, or to summon aid 
  from Yldaris. Nyzuros commands this contingent, 
  even though Iribo in area A44 is their most respected 
  fighter. Whether the heroes make it this far without 
  alerting these drow, or they’re called into battle 
  by noise, the wardens are hotheaded and quick to 
  attack. Nyzuros is more circumspect, however, and 
  wants to know how and why intruders have come. 
  Like the hunters in area A41, he has an indifferent 
  attitude toward the heroes but his attitude can be 
  improved in the same way (and, if made friendly or 
  better, he personally escorts them to Yldaris). The 
  heroes have another option to get into Nyzuros’s 
  good graces: if they’ve killed the goliath spider 
  in area A34 and promise to let Nyzuros and his 
  team take the credit for doing so, his attitude 
  automatically improves to friendly. 
  Nyzuros’s forbearance is not without limits. If the 
  heroes have slain other drow, he turns against them.
  NYZUROS  
  CREATURE 7
  Male drow hunter (page 82)
  Initiative Perception +16
  Items Nyzuros also holds the keys 
  to areas A40 and A46.
  DROW WARDENS (4) 
  CREATURE 4
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +11
  XP Award: Award the heroes 60 XP if they talk 
  to Nyzuros rather than fight him. Award them an 
  additional 80 XP if they successfully negotiate 
  Nyzuros’s escort into Yldaris, but do not award this 
  additional XP if the heroes have already arranged an 
  escort from the drow in area A41 or from Iribo.
  A46. PROVISIONS ROOM
  The door to this room is locked and Nyzuros 
  has the key. A hero can open it with four 
  successful DC 25 Thievery checks to Pick a Lock, or a 
  successful DC 29 Athletics check to Force it Open. 
  This room is plainly used for storage. Casks and bundles 
  are stacked against its north and west walls. 
  Treasure: The drow on this level keep their supplies 
  here, including six weeks of rations, three casks of 
  water, two casks of fungus wine (worth 2 gp each), five 
  longswords, six hand crossbows, 50 bolts, and 50 gp.
  Nyzuros
  
  24
  As any explorer of the Darklands can tell you, the farther 
  you descend, the wilder and stranger things become. 
  As Belcorra dug the Abomination Vaults deeper, she 
  found an extensive system of caverns. Unlike the self-
  contained Farm level, these caverns were truly wild. 
  At first, she fought against the fierce denizens and tried 
  to close off the passages to deeper places, but the task 
  was futile. She dubbed the place the Hunting Grounds 
  and left it mostly alone, save for building alliances 
  with the communities there. Belcorra established only 
  a few strongholds in the area, including a lodge, a 
  vault, and the entrance to the Gate of Nhimbaloth, the 
  subterranean temple holding the Empty Vault. 
  The Urdefhan Cult
  Urdefhans are vampire-like humanoids who largely 
  pursue lives of violence and slaughter. As brutal killers 
  obsessed with ending life and existence itself, the 
  urdefhans who regularly emerged from their caves 
  to raid the caverns and lake of the Hunting Grounds 
  were precisely the kind of soldiers Belcorra needed for 
  her campaign. She made a calculated, overwhelming 
  attack to awe the urdefhans, and when the sorcerer 
  called for a parley, the urdefhan war champion listened. 
  Belcorra swore the urdefhans would be the vanguard 
  of her eventual assault on the surface and gave the 
  Emerald Fulcrum Lens to the war champion as a token 
  of her favor until then. Generations passed, and the 
  war champions passed down the fulcrum lens as their 
  symbol of leadership.
  Drow Allegiance
  With the deep gnomes cowed and the urdefhans awed 
  by her power, Belcorra next turned to the drow of 
  the Hunting Grounds. From their secure stronghold 
  of Yldaris, the drow ranged through the caverns like 
  CHAPTER 2: 
  On the Hunt
  
  25
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  deadly apparitions, retreating in the face of significant danger. Belcorra knew 
  that she must trap the drow into an alliance, so she captured and imprisoned 
  more and more of their hunters until Yldaris’s leader agreed to meet with 
  her. She traded the captives for a promise that the drow would keep the 
  Ochre Fulcrum Lens safe and provide aid in her attack on the surface.
  Belcorra’s Return
  When Belcorra arose as a ghost, she first visited the Hunting Grounds. 
  She checked on her treasure vault to ensure its most important contents 
  remained secure and then sent the vault’s graveknight guardian to retrieve 
  the valuable books she’d left on an upper level when she’d died. She next 
  visited the urdefhans, who still told vague legends of the quasi-mythical 
  sorcerer. Their new war champion, Khurfel, carried the Emerald Fulcrum 
  Lens and agreed to follow their Ghost Queen to raze the surface world. 
  The urdefhans have since stepped up their summoning of daemon allies, 
  preparing for the pending assault.
  Belcorra’s visit to the drow of Yldaris went less well. Quara Orshendiel, 
  the granddaughter of the leader from whom Belcorra extracted a promise 
  to serve, had little idea who Belcorra was. Belcorra nevertheless accepted 
  Quara’s promise to serve.
  Hunting Grounds Features
  The numerous interconnecting caverns in the Hunting Grounds are mostly 
  dark, but patches of glowing fungus illuminates enough areas to provide a 
  sense of the caverns’ great size. Ceiling height varies widely: large caverns 
  are 40 feet high, smaller caverns are 20 feet high, and the several areas 
  of stone worked for humanoid habitation—such as Yldaris, the calignis’ 
  lodge, and the Gate of Nhimbaloth—are 12 feet high. Doors in most areas 
  are made of stone or sturdy fungal wood, with entrances to inhabited 
  areas are often being thicker or otherwise reinforced for defense. 
  The map of the Hunting Grounds level appears on page 26.
  B1. GUARDED INTERSECTION 
  TRIVIAL 9
  The passage upward to the Farm level is reasonably secure, but the 
  cautious drow keep a guard here regardless. 
  Creatures: A surly drow hunter named Rikizlia sits here on a stool, 
  carving a bit of fungus wood with a small carving knife. If the heroes 
  stroll down without escort, she’s surprised and speeds toward area B2 for 
  help. If other drow accompany the heroes, she watches them with open 
  curiosity but doesn’t stop her whittling.
  RIKIZLIA 
  CREATURE 7
  Female drow hunter (page 82)
  Initiative Perception +16
  B2. CARAVAN STAGING 
  MODERATE 9
  Several bags, barrels, and crates line the walls between this cavern’s three exits. 
  Caravans going between Yldaris and Lozardyn load and unload in this 
  cave. It isn’t always busy, as the caravans are on an erratic schedule, but 
  usually at least a few drow linger here. The passage east leads to a network of 
  Darklands caverns beyond the scope of this adventure.
  CHAPTER 2 SYNOPSIS
  The Hunting Grounds contains 
  aggressive urdefhans, insular drow, 
  and some of the most powerful 
  monsters the heroes face in this 
  Adventure Path. It’s key for the 
  heroes to learn about the fulcrum 
  lenses, such as from the drow Quara. 
  This chapter provides substantial 
  treasure, by design, as there’s very 
  little treasure on the level below. 
  Environmental Cues: mold, 
  echoing roars, patches of slick slime, 
  rough stone walls, strange tracks
  CHAPTER 2 TREASURE
  The permanent and consumable 
  items available as treasure in 
  Chapter 2 are as follows:
  • +1 repeating hand crossbow ( 7; 
  page 73)
  • +1 resilient full plate
  • +1 shauth blade (4; page 73)
  • +1 striking corrosive longsword
  • +1 striking kukri
  • +1 striking repeating hand crossbow
  • +1 striking rhoka sword (page 73)
  • +1 striking shauth lash (9; page 73)
  • +2 armor potency rune
  • +2 resilient chain shirt
  • +2 striking battle axe
  • +2 striking dagger
  • +2 striking mace
  • boots of elvenkind (2)
  • cloak of elvenkind (2)
  • Emerald Fulcrum Lens (page 76)
  • Fulcrum Lattice (page 76)
  • greater healer’s gloves
  • greater pendant of the occult
  • iron medallion
  • lethargy poison
  • moderate necrotic bomb (page 74)
  • mummified bat
  • Ochre Fulcrum Lens (page 76)
  • oil of keen edges
  • ring of lies
  • scroll of spirit blast
  • standard-grade adamantine 
  warhammer
  • stupor poison (3; page 74)
  • swan boat feather token
  • wand of continuation (stoneskin)
  • wand of manifold missiles (1st level)
  
  26
  LEVEL 9: HUNTING GROUNDS
  LEVEL 9: HUNTING GROUNDS
  1 SQUARE = 10 FEET
  1 SQUARE = 10 FEET
  B43
  B43
  B44
  B44
  B45
  B45
  B46
  B46
  B60
  B60
  B48
  B48
  B49
  B49
  B47
  B47
  B42
  B42
  B40
  B40
  B41
  B41
  B52
  B52 B53
  B53
  B54
  B54
  B55
  B55
  B56
  B56
  B59
  B59
  B58
  B58
  B28
  B28
  B29
  B29
  B39
  B39
  B38
  B38
  B57
  B57
  B62
  B62
  B61
  B61
  B64
  B64
  B63
  B63
  B50
  B50
  B51
  B51
  B21
  B21
  B22
  B22
  B25
  B25
  B23
  B23
  B26
  B26 B24
  B24
  B27
  B27
  B3
  B3
  B2
  B2
  B1
  B1
  B4
  B4
  B7
  B7
  B6
  B6
  B11
  B11
  B5
  B5
  B10
  B10
  B8
  B8
  B9
  B9
  B17
  B17
  B18
  B18
  B20
  B20
  B19
  B19
  B15
  B15
  B16
  B16
  B14
  B14
  B13
  B13a
  B12
  B12a B12
  B12b B12
  B12c
  B12
  B12d B12
  B12e
  B13
  B13b
  B30
  B30
  B32
  B32
  B31
  B31
  B35
  B35
  B37
  B37
  B36
  B36
  B34
  B34
  B33
  B33
  TO C1
  TO C1
  TO A3
  TO A3
  TO A34
  TO A34
  TO A41
  TO A41
  
  27
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Creatures: When the heroes first arrive, six drow 
  are unloading cargo from a large, harnessed pack 
  lizard. If the heroes are under guard, or have otherwise 
  gained the trust of Yldaris, the drow don’t confront 
  or question them; otherwise, they mobilize a quick 
  defense. A warden takes 2 Interact actions to unhitch 
  a riding lizard to fight alongside it. When combat 
  starts, one of the hunters races to area B3 to rally the 
  creatures there to join the attack. Drow who are badly 
  outnumbered or injured flee into the caverns to the 
  east and don’t return for a few days.
  DROW HUNTERS (2) 
  CREATURE 7
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +16
  DROW WARDENS (4) 
  CREATURE 4
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +11
  RIDING LIZARD (2) 
  CREATURE 5
  Giant frilled lizard (Pathfinder Bestiary 229)
  Initiative Perception +11
  Treasure: These trade goods include spices, dried 
  fungus, and cloth that are all uncommon on the 
  surface. The 18 Bulk of goods is worth 100 gp in total.
  B3. STABLE 
  MODERATE 9
  This cavern contains pens for half a dozen giant lizards. A 
  jumbled pile of harnesses sits near the corrals.
  Creatures: Three drow wardens are usually here, 
  guarding and feeding Yldaris’s riding lizards. The 
  lizards can climb out of the pens along the walls, but 
  they don’t do so unless directed to fight. 
  DROW WARDENS (3) 
  CREATURE 4
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +11
  RIDING LIZARDS (6) 
  CREATURE 5
  Giant frilled lizard (Pathfinder Bestiary 229)
  Initiative Perception +11
  B4. SECRET TUNNEL
  This tunnel appears to come to a rocky end in the 
  south, but this ersatz collapse hides a secret door the 
  Yldaris hunters use to come and go from the caverns. 
  Characters who Search this dead end can discover the 
  secret door with a successful DC 26 Perception check. 
  Any character who is Detecting Magic or is an expert 
  in Survival automatically finds it, as the secret door is 
  magical in nature and there are several subtle tracks 
  leading right to it.
  The rubble swings aside when an invisible magical 
  wall panel is touched by someone speaking any words 
  in Elven. Magic reinforces the secret door, so it’s 
  impossible to break through.
  B5. YLDARIS ENTRY 
  TRIVIAL 9
  Iron sheets cover the outside of the western door, with 
  a slot at drow eye level covered by a sliding plate on 
  the inside. The door has no keyhole or handle and is 
  reinforced by heavy bars. Anyone seeking entrance 
  must either burst through the door (Hardness 15, Hit 
  Points 60) or supply the secret knock known to all of 
  the outpost’s drow (and which occasionally changes).
  The door to the east, leading into Yldaris, uses the 
  same construction, but it’s normally open and unbarred.
  Creature: A drow warden named Taklitur stands 
  guard inside the door, ready to admit anyone who 
  gives the proper knock. If the warden hears the wrong 
  knock, he first ignores it, thinking another drow is just 
  misremembering. If the beats persist, or if he realizes 
  someone is trying to break down the door, he opens 
  the slot to take a shot at anyone on the other side, 
  shuts it, and raises the alarm.
  TAKLITUR 
  CREATURE 5
  Male drow warden (page 82)
  Initiative Perception +11
  B6. WATCH CHAMBER  
  MODERATE 9
  A table and chairs sit in the northeast corner of this large 
  room. The walls feature words carved in a flowing script 
  underscored with hash marks. Of the four doors leading 
  out of this chamber, the door leading west looks sturdier 
  than the others.
  The words on the wall are drow aphorisms in 
  Elven about staying alert and protecting one’s home. 
  The hash marks record times the drow have repelled 
  invaders and lived up to these sayings. 
  Creatures: When the heroes first arrive, a drow 
  shootist named Yrorix and a pair of hunters are playing 
  cards with a drow version of a harrow fortune-telling 
  deck. In the event of an assault, they knock on the 
  three doors leading deeper into Yldaris to alert more 
  defenders, but they make their stand here. 
  If the heroes are allies of Yldaris, the drow cheerfully 
  invite the heroes into their game. The stakes aren’t 
  high, and the drow cheat relentlessly, but it might be 
  an enjoyable way for the heroes to pass the time.
  
  28
  If the heroes rescued the drow rogue Falxi Orshendiel 
  in Hands of the Devil, he’s also here gambling. Falxi is 
  well-regarded because he’s a distant cousin of Yldaris’s 
  leader, but he’s fundamentally lazy. He greets the 
  heroes warmly and insists to his companions that they 
  can be trusted. 
  YRORIX 
  CREATURE 8
  Male drow shootist (page 83)
  Initiative Perception +16
  DROW HUNTERS (2) 
  CREATURE 7
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +16
  FALXI ORSHENDIEL 
  CREATURE 2
  Male drow rogue (Pathfinder Bestiary 137)
  Initiative Perception +6
  A Peaceful Meeting: If any drow led the heroes to 
  meet with Quara, they stop here and ask the heroes to 
  leave their weapons for the duration of the meeting. 
  Falxi (or, in his absence, Yrorix) promises to watch 
  over their gear personally. As bringing armed strangers 
  before their leader is expressly forbidden, the drow 
  don’t negotiate on this point. If the heroes balk, the 
  drow lead them back out of Yldaris and invite them to 
  return if they change their minds.
  Treasure: The deck of harrow cards is well worn 
  but features unusual drow iconography. It’s worth 15 
  gp. Stacks of wagers worth 24 sp sit around the table.
  B7. TANIETH’S ABODE 
  TRIVIAL 9
  This small room has a bed and table next to it. A ceramic 
  mug and a modified hand crossbow sit next to the bed.
  This is the sleeping quarters for a solitary shootist 
  named Tanieth. Tanieth is a loner; when he isn’t resting 
  here, tinkering with his repeating hand crossbow 
  with parts from another, inoperable repeating hand 
  crossbow, he’s ranging the Hunting Grounds alone. 
  His good looks and remote demeanor make him 
  something of a heartthrob among some Yldaris drow. 
  Creatures: Tanieth doesn’t like being disturbed. He 
  tends to shoot first and ask questions later, even if it’s 
  another drow who bothers him.
  TANIETH 
  CREATURE 8
  Male drow shootist (page 83)
  Initiative Perception +16
  Treasure: Tanieth has hidden several treasures 
  under his mattress, including a small sack with 50 gp 
  and three opals worth 100 gp each.
  B8. HUNTERS’ MESS 
  Tables, chairs, dirty dishes, empty bottles, and utensils 
  litter this chamber. It’s evident that creatures eat their 
  meals here but very rarely clean up afterwards.
  Yldaris’s hunters are skilled at their craft and 
  keep their equipment in good working order, but 
  tend to be slobs in their day-to-day living. They 
  usually avoid this place unless they’re eating.
  B9. HUNTERS’ QUARTERS  
  LOW 9
  The five bunk beds in this area are a mess of 
  blankets and furs. A trio of locker boxes is 
  stacked at the foot of each bunk. 
  Yrorix
  
  29
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  While not in the total disarray of the adjacent 
  mess hall, this room is remarkably untidy. The beds 
  are unassigned; hunters simply grab a bunk when 
  they can. Unlike the beds, each padlocked locker box 
  belongs to a specific hunter. Each padlock requires five 
  successful DC 30 Thievery checks to unlock or a single 
  DC 30 Athletics check to Force Open. Most hunters 
  carry their keys on their person.
  Creatures: At least three hunters are usually resting 
  here. They’re quick to rouse and confront danger.
  DROW HUNTERS (3) 
  CREATURE 7
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +16
  Treasure: Each locked box has some personal items, 
  2d10 gp, and 4d10 sp. One contains a mummified bat.
  B10. TARGET PRACTICE 
  LOW 9
  A cluster of stools takes up one corner of this room, but 
  most of it is empty space, with several reed-stuffed dummies 
  dangling from the ceiling on the south wall. The dummies are 
  full of holes, a few bolts still lodged in them.
  The shootists engage in close-range target practice 
  here. A secret door conceals a storage closet to the 
  west; a hero who Searches the room and succeeds at a 
  DC 25 Perception check locates it. One of the hooks 
  for hanging dummies, when pulled, causes the door to 
  slide open. The closet holds discarded dummies and 
  some atrocious fungus wine.
  Creatures: There are typically a pair of shootists 
  practicing here. Fiercely competitive, they ignore any 
  sounds outside this room, as they’re so focused.
  DROW SHOOTISTS (2) 
  CREATURE 8
  Page 83
  Initiative Perception +16
  B11. SHOOTISTS’ QUARTERS 
  LOW 9
  Four bunk beds are crammed into this room. In front of 
  each sits a trio of sturdy, padlocked boxes.
  The shootists tend to be much more orderly than the 
  hunters, but this is still a communal space. Shootists 
  come and go when they aren’t doing other tasks in 
  and outside of Yldaris and sleep where they’d like. The 
  lock boxes are similar to those in area B9.
  Creatures: There are typically a pair of shootists 
  resting here at any given time. They’re quick to 
  respond to any alarm or sounds of trouble.
  DROW SHOOTISTS (2) 
  CREATURE 8
  Page 83
  Initiative Perception +16
  Treasure: Each locked box has personal items, 3d10 
  gp, and 5d10 sp. One contains an oil of keen edges.
  B12. WARDEN BARRACKS 
  TRIVIAL 9
  This room contains a pair of bunks and a low table.
  Like the hunters and the shootists, drow wardens 
  dwell in these barracks. The more regimented wardens 
  insist on assigned bunks, but don’t have lock boxes 
  and thus keep their valuables with them and their 
  personal items tucked inside their blankets.
  Creatures: There is typically at least one warden 
  resting in each room. When any are in danger, they 
  call out for the others, who quickly come out of 
  their rooms. Encountering these wardens together 
  constitutes a Trivial challenge for 9th level characters 
  (if Salaisa Malthulas is present in area B14, she joins 
  the fight, making this a severe challenge).
  DROW WARDENS (5) 
  CREATURE 5
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +11
  B13. OVERFLOW LODGING 
  This room contains a pair of bunks, each with a carefully 
  folded bedroll atop the mattress. At the foot of each sits a 
  pair of strongboxes with padlocks and keys. 
  As with any border outpost, Yldaris’s population 
  waxes and wanes with caravans coming and going 
  at any given time. These rooms are set aside for 
  visitors, and Quara offers them to the heroes. The 
  empty locker boxes and padlocks are like those in 
  area B9.
  B14. MASTER WARDEN’S QUARTERS MODERATE 9
  Master Warden Salaisa Malthulas keeps the door to 
  her bedroom locked and carries the only key. It requires 
  five successful DC 30 Thievery checks to unlock or a 
  single DC 33 Athletics check to Force Open. 
  This room is tidy and clean. It contains a bed, a small desk, 
  and a large trunk.
  Yldaris drow all look to Salaisa for leadership when 
  Quara isn’t around. If something happens to Quara, 
  Salaisa becomes Yldaris’s next leader.
  
  30
  The desk contains extensive notes about the wardens 
  of Yldaris: their names, schedules, personal quirks, 
  and other evidence that Salaisa is watching them all 
  very closely. The trunk contains only personal items.
  Creatures: Salaisa is continuously on the move, and 
  rarely uses her room for anything but sleep. The heroes 
  might encounter Salaisa anywhere in or near Yldaris. 
  She’s not nearly as friendly with the heroes as Quara 
  is, and she’s concerned that having unknown surface 
  dwellers in Yldaris puts the whole community at risk. 
  In a fight, Salaisa quickly seeks aid from any nearby 
  drow. She’s reluctant to let opponents flee because she 
  doesn’t want to fight them again later. She’s utterly loyal 
  to Yldaris, and she fights to the death to protect it.
  SALAISA MALTHULAS 
  CREATURE 11
  UNIQUE
  N
  MEDIUM
  DROW
  ELF
  HUMANOID
  Female drow head warden (Pathfinder Bestiary 136)
  Perception +22; darkvision
  Languages Elven, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +21, Athletics +22, Intimidation +20, 
  Stealth +21, Survival +20
  Str +5, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +1
  Items breastplate, hand crossbow (10 bolts), +1 striking 
  corrosive longsword, stupor poison (3; page 74)
  Light Blindness
  AC 31; Fort +20, Ref +21, Will +22; +1 status to all saves vs. 
  magic, +2 status to all saves vs. mental
  HP 200; Immunities sleep
  Attack of Opportunity �
  Speed 30 feet
  Melee � longsword +24 (versatile P), Damage 2d8+9 
  slashing plus 1d6 acid
  Ranged � hand crossbow +22, Damage 1d6+8 piercing 
  plus stupor poison
  Divine Innate Spells DC 28; 2nd darkness (at will), faerie 
  fire (at will); Cantrips (6th) dancing lights
  Attack Now! � Salaisa shouts, and a drow ally within 30 
  feet that can see or hear Salaisa makes a melee or ranged 
  Strike as a reaction. 
  Storm of Blades � Salaisa Strides up to her Speed. She 
  can make up to three longsword Strikes at any point 
  during this movement, each against a different target 
  within reach. These attacks count toward her multiple 
  attack penalty, but the multiple attack penalty doesn’t 
  increase until after she makes all of her attacks. If she 
  moves half her speed or less during Storm of Blades, 
  that movement doesn’t trigger reactions. 
  Treasure: Salaisa’s desk contains suspicious items 
  confiscated from visitors, including a ruby idol of the 
  evil god Mazmezz worth 40 gp. 
  B15. COMMON AREA 
  LOW 9
  This large room contains several tables with benches and 
  a few padded chairs. Heads of strange creatures hang 
  stuffed and mounted on the walls. 
  The heads are trophies of creatures slain in the 
  Hunting Grounds. They include an albino 
  basilisk, a chuul, an ether spider, and a 
  seugathi (see Hands of the Devil).
  Salaisa Malthulas
  
  31
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  The secret door on the south wall is one-way; it 
  doesn’t open from this side and can’t be detected here.
  Creatures: There are 2d4 wardens here at any time, 
  eating meals or swapping stories.
  DROW WARDENS (2D4) 
  CREATURE 5
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +11
  B16. KITCHEN 
  TRIVIAL 9
  Several fire pits and small ovens with flues bored into the 
  rock walls stand about this chamber. Dishes and utensils 
  are stacked on a central table. A basin of water stands in 
  one corner, a soapy film across the top. Stacks of barrels 
  and crates totter precariously against the south wall. 
  As a rough and tumble outpost, Yldaris has no 
  dedicated cooking staff. Drow prepare their own 
  food or talk others into cooking for them (a common 
  penalty for losing at gambling or an athletic contest).
  Creatures: There are typically 1d4 wardens preparing 
  meals here, rushing through the food preparation.
  DROW WARDENS (1D4) 
  CREATURE 4
  Page 82
  Initiative Perception +11
  B17. GREAT CHAMBER 
  MODERATE 9
  This massive chamber has a high, vaulted ceiling. At its 
  center stands a small forge, anvil, and worktable with 
  various tools. A few benches line the walls.
  This massive chamber serves double duty as the 
  outpost’s workroom and meeting hall. The drow 
  sometimes move tables here for banquets or meetings. 
  Creatures: Quara meets with the heroes here.
  QUARA ORSHENDIEL 
  CREATURE 11
  Page 90
  Initiative Perception +21
  Treasure: A repeating crossbow magazine (page 73) 
  and a superb repair kit are on the worktable.
  Befriending the Drow
  If the heroes dealt peacefully with the drow and earned 
  an audience with Quara, wary drow wardens escort 
  them here and ask them to wait for Quara to arrive. 
  Various staff bring in chairs from the common area 
  (area B15) and food and fungus wine from the kitchen 
  (area B16). The wardens are curious and talkative, as 
  they have little experience with surface-dwellers, but 
  they diplomatically avoid conversation that would 
  color their questions as an interrogation—that’s 
  Quara’s prerogative. If the heroes are reticent or rude, 
  the drow simply watch over them in silence. If the 
  heroes unwisely attack, the wardens call for backup.
  Before long, Quara arrives to greet the heroes, 
  radiating calm command and curiosity. She is joined 
  by the stern-looking Salaisa Malthulas, commander 
  of the outpost’s wardens, and the strange twin drow 
  cavern seers, Bhazrade and Klathor, who remain 
  quietly at a distance. Quara does the talking.
  “You have the look of surface dwellers. I’ve never met any 
  of your kind, but I’ve seen artwork. Strange, you are not 
  nearly as ugly as our art makes you out to be. I am Quara 
  Orshendiel, leader of this outpost. Let’s figure out whether 
  or not we can help one another.” 
  If the heroes rescued Falxi, Quara adds her thanks 
  for rescuing her cousin from “one of the scrapes he 
  keeps getting himself into.”
  Quara is sincere in her words and her goals. The 
  seers foretold that surface dwellers would come as 
  potential allies, and Quara wants to believe it.
  Quara invites the heroes to tell their story. She 
  sympathizes with hardships, laughs at humorous 
  parts, and asks questions when she doesn’t understand 
  something. If the heroes mention the fulcrum lenses 
  or show her one, she takes an obvious interest. Quara 
  overlooks petty slights or rudeness, but she chastises 
  any overt aggression calmly—once. Her patience is 
  not infinite, and overly obnoxious heroes are asked to 
  leave Yldaris and not return.
  At the end of the conversation, Quara says, “You’ve 
  given me some things to think about. Thank you.” She 
  then invites the heroes to stay in the overflow lodging 
  (area B13) until she makes up her mind. Quara spends 
  a few hours thinking, then gambles on an alliance.
  She calls the heroes back into this room, either a 
  few hours later or the next time they return to Yldaris. 
  Bhazrade and Klathor are, as before, lurking at the 
  edges of the room. Quara explains the following.
  “I believe you’ve been truthful with me, so I’m going to be 
  truthful with you. Yldaris only exists at Belcorra’s pleasure. 
  It was here when she first created her vast dungeons; at the 
  time, my grandfather was its leader. Belcorra made allies of 
  several groups, including drow, urdefhans to the west, and 
  the deep gnomes above, who have embraced undeath. To 
  each, she gave a large magical lens with strange powers. 
  For safekeeping, I believe. Ours was the Ochre Fulcrum 
  Lens, and it could manipulate emotions. 
  
  32
  “But there was more to the lens. My grandfather told 
  my father, Larathols, who became Yldaris’s leader after 
  him. But my father never told me.” Quara sighs. “I was 
  never meant to lead. My older sister was to succeed my 
  father. They both embarked on a secret expedition a few 
  years ago. On an island in the great lake, the urdefhan 
  warlord Khurfel caught and killed them. Their expedition 
  had something to do with the lens, I believe, and I suspect 
  my father had it with him. Perhaps he hid it someplace; 
  perhaps Khurfel took it. I don’t know.
  “Belcorra came to me as a ghost shortly afterward. 
  She insisted I swear Yldaris’s support and aid in a surface 
  invasion that drives her even in death. For the good of 
  Yldaris, I renewed the vows my grandfather made. But I’ve 
  never felt bound by mere words. I won’t help her. I’ll help 
  you. You’re welcome in Yldaris as long as you’d like.”
  The heroes can ask Quara more questions if they’d 
  like, but she knows little more than she’s already told 
  them. Before the conversation winds down, however, 
  Bhazrade and Klathor speak.
  “There is more…” One of the twins says. They move their 
  mouths in unison, making it hard to tell which is speaking.
  “…you should know,” the other drow continues.
  This plainly piques Quara’s interest, and she motions for 
  the brothers to go on.
  “The ochre lens lies in a dark and wet place. Khurfel didn’t 
  claim it. Larathols dropped it in the water to deny it to his 
  enemy. He died attempting to learn more of its purpose, 
  more than the partial truth we know,” one twin speaks.
  “We have seen in a vision that the stones both empower 
  the Ghost Queen and hold the key to her demise. They are 
  slivers of something ancient, alien, evil, and hungry,” the 
  other continues.
  “We saw eyes of Empty Death!” they cry in unison.
  “She separated the lenses because, together, they draw 
  the baleful attention of the Empty Death. Even the Ghost 
  Queen cannot withstand the Empty Death when their 
  powers are joined within her. The secrets to the lenses are 
  in the old treasure vault, which overlooks the lake.” 
  “Find the lenses and the answers Larathols sought.”
  The twin seers fall silent again, and Quara looks 
  back to the heroes. She explains, “I would say you 
  get used to Bhazrade and Klathor, but one never 
  does. Let me assure you that when they do speak, 
  it’s important. This is all news to me, but when the 
  cavern seers speak, it’s to the benefit of Yldaris, and 
  you as well.”
  Consulting the Whispering Reeds: The heroes 
  might have recovered a book of Nhimbaloth’s lore, 
  called The Whispering Reeds, from higher in the 
  Abomination Vaults. A hero who consults this tome 
  finds references to the fulcrum lenses without a check 
  to Recall Knowledge and without suffering from the 
  book’s curse. The Whispering Reeds speaks of slivers 
  of Nhimbaloth’s essence existing in the fulcrum lenses, 
  perhaps as a means to contact the Outer God. The 
  fulcrum lenses possess different and powerful (but, 
  in the text, unspecified) abilities. Yet the fulcrum 
  lenses are dangerous in close proximity, and even 
  Nhimbaloth’s worshippers fear to have more than 
  two or three together at one time. Using their powers 
  draws Nhimbaloth’s scrutiny and invites destruction. 
  Side Quest: Finding the fulcrum lenses and using 
  them against Belcorra is the primary goal of this 
  adventure. But Quara has a side task that’s personally 
  important to her: she’d like Khurfel killed and his 
  rhoka sword brought to her as a trophy. As pragmatic 
  as Quara is, she carries the common drow vice of 
  vengeance. She emphasizes to the heroes that Khurfel 
  would never part with his lens while he draws breath, 
  so defeating him is necessary regardless.
  XP Award: Award the heroes 120 XP for allying 
  with Quara and the Yldaris drow.
  B18. SEERS’ QUARTERS 
  MODERATE 9
  This large room contains only two thin sleeping mats. The 
  ceiling is painted with patterns resembling constellations.
  Bhazrade and Klathor live here. The twins receive 
  enigmatic divinations from the stone of the Darklands 
  and share this wisdom to benefit Yldaris. When here, 
  they are usually meditating or resting.
  Creatures: In a fight, the seers use their occult 
  powers to harry and incapacitate foes one at a time.
  DROW AID
  Gaining the drow’s trust is a tremendous boon to the 
  heroes’ mission in the Hunting Grounds and beyond. 
  Not only do they gain a safe place to rest, but they 
  can also use the outpost’s forge and workspace (area 
  B17) to repair or even craft items. Furthermore, 
  traders can sell them any common items up to 7th 
  level including alchemical items, gear, and weapons 
  from the Adventure Toolbox. Items they don’t have 
  on hand require a week or so to fetch from Lozardyn.
  Lastly, heroes who learn from Yldaris’s shootists 
  gain access to the shootist archetype (page 77).
  
  33
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  BHAZRADE AND KLATHOR 
  CREATURE 9
  UNIQUE
  CN
  MEDIUM
  DROW
  ELF
  HUMANOID
  Male drow cavern seers (2; Pathfinder Bestiary 136)
  Perception +18; darkvision
  Languages Common, Elven, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +17, Nature +18, Occultism +18 (+20 
  underground), Stealth +19, Survival +18
  Str +2, Dex +4, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +4
  Items staff, wand of manifold missiles (1st level)
  Light Blindness
  AC 27; Fort +15, Ref +19, Will +18; +1 status to all saves vs. 
  magic, +2 status to all saves vs. mental
  HP 110; Immunities sleep
  Stone Defense � Trigger An enemy is about to damage 
  the cavern seer with bludgeoning damage or with a spell 
  that has the earth trait; Effect The cavern seer gains 
  resistance 10 against the triggering damage.
  Speed 30 feet
  Melee � staff +19 (two-hand d8), Damage 1d4+4 
  bludgeoning
  Divine Innate Spells DC 28; 2nd darkness (at will), faerie 
  fire (at will); Cantrips (5th) dancing lights
  Occult Spontaneous Spells DC 28, attack +20; 5th (3 slots) 
  black tentacles, ectoplasmic expulsion (page 75), prying 
  eyes; 4th (4 slots) dimension door, globe of invulnerability, 
  outcast’s curse, sound burst; 3rd (4 slots) blindness, 
  heroism, slow, wanderer’s guide; 2nd (4 slots) augury, false 
  life, invisibility, paranoia; 1st (4 slots) bless, command, 
  grim tendrils, mending; Cantrips (5th) chill touch, daze, 
  detect magic, know direction, shield
  Rituals DC 28; commune, geas
  Cavern Distortion 
  � 
  (occult, 
  transmutation) 
  Frequency once per day; Requirements The cavern 
  seer is underground; Effect Pebbles and dust rise 
  from the stone to impede vision. The cavern seer and 
  their allies within 60 feet become concealed for 1 minute. 
  This concealment can’t be used to Hide or Sneak.
  Underground Stride The cavern seer ignores difficult 
  terrain while underground.
  B19. QUARA’S CHAMBER
  Both doors along this hallway are locked, and 
  Quara carries the keys. Picking a Lock requires five 
  successful DC 30 Thievery checks or a successful DC 
  33 Athletics check to Force Open. The inner door 
  bears a glyph of warding containing a 4th-level sound 
  burst (DC 28 basic Reflex save; DC 28 to notice and 
  disarm the glyph). The glyph triggers if the door is 
  opened without the key.
  An unmade bed piled with pelts sits next to a table stacked 
  with papers and a half-eaten meal on a plate. A chest sits 
  crookedly in the corner, with clothing spilling out of it. 
  This chamber has always housed Yldaris’s leader; 
  it was most recently Larathols’s room, and now it’s 
  Quara’s. This fact sits uneasily with her, as she still 
  considers the room to be her father’s private space. 
  The north wall contains a cunning secret door, which 
  Quara can use to slip into the common area to find 
  Klathor
  
  34
  reinforcements or escape from trouble. Locating the 
  secret door requires a successful DC 30 Perception check, 
  and opening it involves pushing the correct sequence of 
  hidden wall panels to cause the wall to slide outward.
  Treasure: Within the open chest, amid personal 
  items and changes of clothes, is a small iron box 
  containing 50 gp, a gold and opal bracelet worth 75 
  gp, and 5 tiny diamonds worth 30 gp each. The chest 
  also contains two black cloaks of elvenkind and two 
  pairs of boots of elvenkind. Quara loans these items to 
  her people during particularly sensitive missions in the 
  Hunting Grounds. She might loan them to the heroes 
  if they’re on especially good terms with her.
  B20. MEDITATION CAVE
  This massive cavern is stunning. Among its gray stones cut 
  veins and growths of crystals in lustrous shades of pearl 
  white, dark purple, glimmering blue, and brilliant scarlet. 
  At the center of the chamber waits a shallow pool, its 
  bottom and sides made of the same glittering crystals.
  This chamber is the closest thing that the outpost 
  has to a temple, though few Yldaris drow are religious. 
  Bhazrade and Klathor perform their rituals here. 
  B21. LODGE ENTRY
  This large stone structure is flanked on one side by the 
  massive Gauntlight footprint to the north, and on the 
  other by the enormous iron ladder descending from the 
  chasm in the Farm level. Belcorra built this lodge so 
  those hunting in the wild caverns could relax in relative 
  safety. In the earliest days, urdefhans, drow, and various 
  mercenary hunters all used the lodge in a series of 
  uneasy truces enforced by Belcorra and her Children. 
  These fragile truces fell apart when Belcorra died, and 
  the lodge has changed hands several times since then.
  The calignis currently holed up within are 
  insular and reclusive. They only rarely 
  leave through this door 
  to hunt, as their leader 
  Galudu takes care of 
  most of their needs. The 
  heroes’ best way to speak to the calignis 
  peacefully is to speak with Custodian Dulac in the 
  shrine (area A8). Otherwise, the calignis view anyone 
  barging through this door as a threat, and the heroes 
  need to be especially diplomatic to placate them.
  The door had a massive lock, but it was smashed 
  long ago. Now, the calignis bar the door from the 
  inside. It can’t be Forced Open, but it can be destroyed 
  (Hardness 15, Hit Points 60). It’s also protected by the 
  glyph described below. 
  Glyph of Warding: Galudu placed a glyph of warding 
  on this door that affects any non-caligni who touches 
  it. It contains a 5th-level lightning bolt (DC 26 basic 
  Reflex save; DC 26 to notice and disarm the glyph). 
  B22. GREAT HALL 
  SEVERE 9
  This large hall was once grand and impressive. Now the 
  walls’ murals are chipped and stained, the floor is covered 
  with mud, and the few pieces of furniture look like they’ve 
  Caligni Defender
  
  35
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  been hastily repaired many times. A fire pit sits at the 
  center of the chamber.
  Once a lively meeting place and banquet hall for 
  hunters, the area now serves as an outpost where 
  caligni refugees keep a careful watch for intruders. The 
  two smaller doors of the area are unlocked, but the 
  large double door to the west is barred from this side. 
  Creatures: Three calignis try to contain intruders 
  and keep them from penetrating any deeper into the 
  lodge. If possible, a defender moves to the smaller 
  doors and knocks on them, alerting the other 
  calignis to an attack. This brings the calignis in area 
  B23; together, this makes up a Severe encounter for 
  9th-level characters.
  If Custodian Dulac accompanies the heroes, the 
  calignis grudgingly point her toward area B25 to 
  speak with Galudu. They look upon the heroes with 
  undisguised suspicion.
  CALIGNI DEFENDERS (3) 
  CREATURE 8
  RARE
  CN
  MEDIUM
  CALIGNI
  HUMANOID
  Perception +16; greater darkvision
  Languages Caligni, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +17, Athletics +18, Intimidation +16, 
  Stealth +17, Survival +16
  Str +4, Dex +5, Con +1, Int –1, Wis +2, Cha +2
  Items black smear poison (2 doses; Pathfinder Bestiary 51), 
  chainmail, shortbow (20 arrows)
  Light Blindness
  AC 28; Fort +13, Ref +19, Will +16
  HP 125; death flame
  Bravery When the caligni defender rolls a success on a 
  Will save against a fear effect, they get a critical success 
  instead. In addition, any time they gain the frightened 
  condition, reduce its value by 1. 
  Death Flame (light) When the caligni defender dies, their 
  body combusts in a flash of white-hot flame. All creatures 
  in a 20-foot burst take 6d10 fire damage (DC 26 basic 
  Reflex save). Their gear and treasure are unaffected by 
  the flames and are left in a pile where they died.
  Attack of Opportunity �
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � shortsword +19 (agile, finesse, versatile S), 
  Damage 1d6+8 piercing plus black smear poison
  Ranged � shortbow +19 (deadly d10, range increment 60 
  feet, reload 0), Damage 1d6+8 piercing plus black smear 
  poison
  Occult Innate Spells DC 24; 2nd darkness (at will), 
  obscuring mist (at will); Cantrips (3rd) detect magic
  Shoulder to Shoulder When adjacent to one or more 
  defenders they can see, the defender deals an additional 
  2d6 damage with their Strikes.
  B23. CALIGNI BUNKS 
  LOW 9
  This room is filthy and smells stale. Rags and tattered rugs 
  and blankets litter the floor. 
  This sleeping chamber is dimly lit, as the cracks 
  around the door to area B24 glow. 
  Creatures: The two calignis resting here respond to 
  commotion in the great hall. If outclassed, a defender 
  opens the door to area B24 to set the undead free.
  CALIGNI DEFENDERS (2) 
  CREATURE 8
  See above
  Initiative Perception +16
  B24. STRANGE DEAD 
  MODERATE 9
  If the heroes examine the glow in the cracks around 
  this door, they see it shift, as if the light source within 
  the room is moving around.
  A stack of dusty urns is heaped against the east wall of this 
  small room. Each is covered with jagged runes.
  The caligni keep out of this room due to its strange 
  occupants, a pair of rare undead calignis called bright 
  walkers. Only Galudu regularly comes here to speak 
  with them; the other calignis only open the door if 
  they need serious and immediate aid.
  The urns are left over from when this place was a 
  lodge for hunters. There are 11 urns in total, each 3 
  feet tall. They were used to magically preserve creature 
  parts taken as trophies, but their magic expired long 
  ago. Four urns contain shriveled claws or bones. 
  Creatures: The two bright walkers pace restlessly in 
  this room. The only reason they don’t go on a rampage 
  is because Galudu does her best to keep them grounded 
  and calm. When they see non-calignis, they assume the 
  lodge is under attack and fight until destroyed, or until 
  Galudu calls them off. 
  BRIGHT WALKERS (2) 
  CREATURE 9
  Page 78
  Initiative Perception +19
  B25. OLD RUBBISH
  Piles of broken furniture, rags and other rubbish litter this 
  dirty room. 
  Galudu sometimes meets with others here, rather 
  than in her private chamber to the south. If the heroes 
  are with Custodian Dulac, she asks them to wait here 
  while she privately informs Galudu about them.
  
  36
  B26. GALUDU’S ROOM 
  MODERATE 9
  A large bay window of transparent stone overlooks 
  the wilderness outside the lodge, but it’s so covered in 
  grime that it’s difficult to see through with any clarity. A 
  makeshift table has been erected near the center of the 
  room, and a sleeping mat is rolled up to one side of it. 
  Creatures: Galudu spends most of her time here. 
  She’s not only the leader of the calignis but their chief 
  provider, feeding them with conjured food and water 
  when hunters return empty-handed—or not at all.
  If the heroes have fought their way through the 
  lodge, Galudu uses her spells to drive them off. With 
  nowhere else to go, she fights to the death.
  If Custodian Dulac led the heroes here, Galudu is 
  wary but welcoming; if the heroes aided Dulac and her 
  band of foolish cultists, they might be able to help her 
  as well. She listens to the heroes but quickly introduces 
  the topic of her side quest, below. 
  GALUDU 
  CREATURE 11
  UNIQUE
  CN
  MEDIUM
  CALIGNI
  HUMANOID
  Female caligni leader (Pathfinder Bestiary 50)
  Perception +18; greater darkvision
  Languages Caligni, Common, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +20, Arcana +18, Deception +22, 
  Diplomacy +20, Stealth +20
  Str +2, Dex +5, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +5
  Items dagger, wand of continuation (stoneskin)
  Light Blindness
  AC 30; Fort +18, Ref +21, Will +22
  HP 195, death motes
  Death Motes (force, light) When Galudu dies, her body 
  explodes into brilliant motes of magical energy. All 
  creatures in a 20-foot burst take 12d6 force damage 
  (DC 30 basic Reflex save). Galudu’s gear is unaffected by 
  the explosion and is left in a pile where she died.
  Opportune Step � Trigger A dazzled or blinded creature, 
  or a creature with light blindness, ends its move adjacent 
  to Galudu; Effect Galudu Steps.
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � dagger +22 (agile, finesse, versatile S), Damage 
  1d4+9 piercing
  Melee � dagger +22 (agile, thrown 10 feet, versatile S), 
  Damage 1d4+9 piercing
  Occult Innate Spells DC 28, attack +20; 4th darkness; 
  2nd darkness (at will), obscuring mist (at will); Cantrips 
  (6th) detect magic
  Arcane Prepared Spells DC 30, attack +22; 6th dominate, 
  mislead, repulsion; 5th banishment, cloudkill, cone of 
  cold (×2); 4th create food (×2), globe of invulnerability, 
  veil; 3rd blindness, glyph of warding, lightning bolt 
  (×2); 2nd create food, hideous laughter, invisibility, 
  telekinetic maneuver; 1st alarm, create water (×3); 
  Cantrips (6th) acid splash, daze, message, ray of 
  frost, shield
  Sneak Attack Galudu deals an additional 3d6 precision 
  damage to flat-footed creatures.
  Survivor’s Nourishment (healing) A creature that eats food 
  conjured by Galudu’s create food spell regains 4d4 Hit 
  Points. A creature can only benefit from this healing 
  once per week. 
  Galudu
  
  37
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Side Quest: Galudu explains that the calignis here 
  are all refugees, fleeing from some calamity deeper in 
  the Darklands that she doesn’t explain. She recounts 
  that several calignis died before they made it to the 
  safety of this lodge, and only the strongest now remain. 
  She quickly glosses over the schism that led to Dulac 
  breaking away to occupy the upper levels and establish 
  the Cult of Urthagul; Galudu considers Dulac and her 
  cult to be simpletons clinging at misplaced hope and 
  doesn’t particularly care about their fate. Galudu is more 
  interested in finding a safe exit for herself and for the 
  caligni defenders; the cultists are welcome to come along, 
  too, if they don’t slow Galudu down. Galudu explains 
  that there are two ways to leave, but both are blocked 
  by powerful monsters: a daemon to the south (area 
  B31) and a dragon to the west (area B51). Furthermore, 
  hunting bands of urdefhans can—and have—whittled 
  down the calignis’ numbers. If the heroes agree to 
  eliminate either the daemon or the dragon (or, better 
  yet, have already done so) and escort the calignis to the 
  opened passage, Galudu gives them her magic wand as 
  payment. Galudu doesn’t know that area B42 also leads 
  to a way out of the Hunting Grounds, but she’s happy 
  to take that passage instead, if the heroes clear the way.
  The heroes are on their own to defeat the creature 
  they choose and can come back to escort the calignis. 
  As the defenders in B22 don’t let them in through 
  area B21, they’ll have to return to the Farm level and 
  descend through the shrine to return to Galudu. 
  Urdefhan Attack 
  Severe 9
  If the heroes accept the side quest, the journey isn’t 
  without incident. Urdefhan death scouts are waiting for 
  the calignis to come into the open. The denizens of areas 
  B35 and B36 come together to assault the group. This 
  is a Severe encounter for 9th-level characters, but they 
  have the calignis on their side to help.
  B27. LADDER BASE 
  LOW 9
  A large, iron ladder stretches upward into the darkness. Its 
  chains and rods are cracked and flaked with rust.
  This ladder leads over 100 feet up to area A34.
  Creatures: Four ceustodaemons prowl amid the 
  rubble and fungus at the ladder’s base. They’re supposed 
  to report to the urdefhans if anyone unusual uses the 
  ladder, but they’re so eager for violence that they fight 
  anyone they see to the death.
  CEUSTODAEMONS (4)  
  CREATURE 6
  Pathfinder Bestiary 71
  Initiative Perception +14
  B28. CENTRAL PIT
  A ribbon of twisting light extends from a circular hole in the 
  ceiling to a matching hole in the floor. The stone near the 
  light looks pockmarked and infected. The rounded walls are 
  decorated with snarling stone heads of fearsome monsters. 
  Gauntlight’s interior can’t be reached from this level; 
  the only access is from 100 feet above (area A37) or 
  100 feet below (area C20). A living creature that ends 
  its turn within the 5-foot-diameter ribbon of light takes 
  9d6 negative damage (DC 24 basic Reflex save). The 
  stone heads are simply decor that Belcorra liked; they 
  constitute a checklist of sorts for aberrations. They 
  include chuuls, fleshwarps, gugs, and other monsters 
  the heroes have likely already encountered. They aren’t 
  made of the same invulnerable stone as Gauntlight, and 
  thus can be removed or destroyed normally.
  B29. BOATHOUSE 
  MODERATE 9
  This squat stone building, only eight feet high, hugs the 
  shore. Two wooden docks jut from the building into the dark 
  waters of the massive underground lake. The doors are caked 
  with mold and lichen, as if they haven’t been opened in years. 
  The Children of Belcorra once tended to this lake as 
  they did the one above, but the urdefhans routed them 
  centuries ago. During this rout, the urdefhans drove 
  Beluthus, a powerful occultist among the Children of 
  Belcorra, back to this boathouse and locked him in. 
  Beluthus has remained inside ever since, succumbing 
  to torpor like many of the other undead gnomes.
  In addition to being caked with mold, the doors 
  have makeshift planks nailed across them on the 
  outside. They’re easy to pry off, but doing so is noisy 
  and alerts Beluthus. 
  Inside, an old but serviceable rowboat hangs from 
  the ceiling on short chains. Oars hang on the walls that 
  are covered with mold but otherwise usable.
  Creatures: Beluthus wakes when anyone pries open 
  the doors or intrudes into the boathouse. He lashes out 
  with fury, eager to recover more souls after his long 
  torpor and rejoin the other Children of Belcorra.
  BELUTHUS 
  CREATURE 9
  UNIQUE
  NE
  SMALL
  UNDEAD
  Variant devourer (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 78)
  Initiative Perception +22
  Treasure: The rowboat contains a small sea chest 
  with a swan boat feather token, a runestone with a +2 
  armor potency rune, and a +2 striking dagger.
  
  38
  B30. LIZARD RUN 
  LOW 9
  The ceiling of this cavern sports many crystal growths and 
  stalactites. A pattering drizzle drips from these formations, 
  and paths wind though thick fungus growing on the ground. 
  The Yldaris drow cultivated this area with a thick, 
  fast-growing fungus developed by drow mycologists 
  in distant communities. These mushrooms hide drow 
  movements and provide the community with a ready 
  source of food. 
  Movement in this area is challenging, as the thick 
  mushrooms conceal stalagmites and crystalline growths 
  on the ground. For Yldaris drow and their riding lizards, 
  who know the terrain, the ground is difficult terrain; for 
  all other creatures, it is greater difficult terrain.
  Creatures: The drow let their riding lizards run free 
  in this area. The predators of the cavern sometimes 
  catch and kill an errant lizard, but the drow don’t 
  mind the loss, as they can study the site of the kill 
  and learn more information about creatures hunting 
  near their home. Four riding lizards currently reside 
  here, all just reaching maturity. As two of their siblings 
  were recently killed by urdefhans, they’re aggressive to 
  non-drow humanoids. A lizard reduced to fewer than 
  25 Hit Points flees the area.
  RIDING LIZARDS (4) 
  CREATURE 5
  Giant frilled lizard (Pathfinder Bestiary 229)
  Initiative Perception +11
  Treasure: While the giant frilled lizards have no 
  treasure, 87 gp and 120 sp are scattered near the 
  remains of a spider’s web. A dead drow in the web 
  wears greater healing gloves and a cloak of elvenkind.
  B31. THE BARRENS 
  SEVERE 9
  The fungus growth thins in this cavern, giving way to 
  barren rock and rubble. Amid the dull gray stone, strange 
  clouds of thick, grayish-black fog hug the ground.
  The Yldaris drow skirt the north stretch of this 
  cavern when they come this way, knowing of the 
  dangers that lurk deeper in. The drow call this place 
  the Barrens; if the heroes have earned their aid, they 
  warn the heroes of its risks: the fog is deadly, and the 
  cavern harbors a dangerous monster.
  The fog imposes a –2 circumstance penalty to 
  Perception checks. Everything beyond 10 feet is 
  concealed, and visibility ends at 30 feet.
  A narrow passage leads south to distant, equally 
  treacherous Darklands caverns outside the scope of 
  this adventure.
  Hazard: The fog arose due to the derghodaemon’s 
  presence, and its effects are tied to the daemon’s 
  miasma. When a non-fiend, non-urdefhan creature 
  ventures halfway into the cavern, the mist solidifies 
  into life-draining mouths. If the derghodaemon is 
  killed, this hazard disappears in minutes.
  DAEMONIC FOG 
  HAZARD 10
  ENVIRONMENTAL
  MAGICAL
  Stealth DC 30 (expert)
  Description The fog solidifies into tiny, gnawing creatures 
  that devour everyone within before fading back into mist.
  Disable DC 28 Survival (expert) to disrupt the fog before 
  the hazard triggers or dispel magic (5th level; counteract 
  DC 26) to counteract the magic.
  Gnawing Fog � (divine, evocation) Trigger A creature 
  crosses the cavern’s midpoint (the dotted line on the 
  map); Effect The hazard deals 9d6 piercing damage (DC 
  32 basic Reflex save) to the triggering creature and all 
  other non-fiend creatures within 20 feet. A creature that 
  critically fails the saving throw is confused for 1d4 rounds.
  THE CAVERN VAST
  Most of the Hunting Grounds is a wilderness of rock 
  formations, crystal growths, mineral springs, and 
  vast swaths of towering fungi. Its denizens aren’t 
  always found in their respective encounter areas. 
  Every 15 minutes that the heroes spend traversing 
  the cavern, make a secret DC 5 flat check. On a 
  success, they face one of the following random 
  encounters. If the result would be a creature the 
  heroes have already faced, treat it as no encounter.
  d12 
  Encounter
  1 
  An escaped riding lizard from area B30
  2 
  Salaisa Malthulas from area B14 and 
  1d4 wardens from area B12
  3–4 
  2 drow shootists from area B10
  5 
  2 caligni defenders from area B23
  6–7 
  Urdefhan warband: 2 death scouts and 
  2 lashers from area B34
  8–9 
  Urdefhans and daemons: 4 warriors and 
  2 ceustodaemons from area B34
  10 
  Urdefhan sacrifice seekers: 1 blood 
  mage and 3 tormenters from area B35
  11 
  The cauthooj from area B41, which 
  returns to its nest after 2 rounds
  12 
  Ravirex from area B51
  
  39
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Reset The hazard resets over the course of an hour as the 
  daemonic stain reenergizes the fog.
  Creatures: A derghodaemon lurks in the fog at the 
  south end of the cavern. It keeps an eye on the deeper 
  Darklands passages to protect the urdefhan hunting 
  grounds from anything that might come from that way. 
  It scuttles forth whenever anyone triggers the hazard, or 
  when it otherwise hears intruders come close. 
  DERGHODAEMON 
  CREATURE 12
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 60
  Initiative Perception +24
  B32. SOUTHERN JUMBLE 
  MODERATE 9
  Fungus grows wild and tall throughout this enormous 
  cavern, sometimes reaching as high as thirty feet. The 
  cavern ceiling, when visible through the fungal canopy, is 
  higher still. 
  Creatures: Some fungus in this wild section of the 
  cave is dangerous. Two deadly puffballs float toward 
  the heroes when they first enter this area, descending 
  from the mushroom tops high above.
  REAPER SKULL PUFFBALLS (2) 
  CREATURE 9
  Page 79
  Initiative Stealth +17
  B33. FEROCIOUS DISPLAYS 
  LOW 9
  This wide cavern entrance is a disgusting sight. The walls 
  are splashed with ochre and scarlet images in a riot of 
  violent and obscene symbols. Stakes around the entrance 
  hold up skulls and dismembered parts of strange creatures. 
  This is the main entrance of the cavern complex 
  where the urdefhans live. Intelligent creatures in 
  the Hunting Grounds avoid this place, knowing the 
  urdefhans ruthlessly protect their territory.
  Creatures: Two urdefhan lashers stand guard, while 
  two death scouts lurk amid the gruesome displays of 
  skulls and body parts. They’ve been directed to shout 
  an alarm in the face of powerful or numerous foes, but 
  they jump eagerly into a fight as soon as they detect 
  any enemies. If any three urdefhans are defeated, the 
  survivor suddenly realizes they should have called for 
  help sooner and flees to area B34 to raise the alarm. 
  URDEFHAN DEATH SCOUTS (2) 
  CREATURE 6
  Page 84
  Initiative Stealth +14
  URDEFHAN LASHERS (2) 
  CREATURE 7
  Page 84
  Initiative Perception +16
  Replacements: If these guards are defeated, they’re 
  first replaced with death scouts and lashers from area 
  B34, then with a pair of nervous urdefhan warriors 
  from the same area. 
  B34. URDEFHAN HORDE 
  SEVERE 9
  This massive cavern holds a jumble of low-lying tents made 
  of stitched-together pelts and blood-streaked leather. Most 
  of the tents surround a natural stone pillar decorated with 
  strange symbols in brown and red paint, amid skulls tied or 
  spiked to the pillar. Hides cover the entrances to three large 
  caves to the southeast, each with a narrow wooden door.
  Most urdefhans in the Abomination Vaults dwell in 
  this enormous cavern. They sleep in small, cramped 
  tents but spend their time awake eating, sparring, or 
  working with their weapons. Other accouterments to 
  support their camp, such as food storage and mundane 
  supplies, are in the tents.
  Traversing this war camp to face Khurfel is difficult. 
  With their craving for destruction, the urdefhans are 
  always ready for battle. As they spend so much time 
  sparring and fighting among themselves, the denizens 
  of the adjacent caves (areas B35, B36, and B37) don’t 
  respond to the sounds of combat here. The heroes 
  might have an easier time bypassing these forces if they 
  use stealth or trickery, but keep in mind the daemons 
  here have a constant see invisibility.
  Creatures: Nearly 20 urdefhans can be found here 
  at almost all times, along with two ceustodaemons 
  who stoke their bloodlust. About a third of the 
  urdefhans are sleeping, but they’re quick to grab 
  DROW TO THE RESCUE
  If the heroes have gained the aid of Yldaris and 
  indicated they were going against Khurfel, the drow 
  might have followed at a distance to keep an eye on 
  them. If the heroes are in over their heads, a group 
  of two drow hunters and two drow shootists come 
  to their aid. The drow won’t enter melee if they can 
  avoid it, but they’re happy to pick off urdefhans at a 
  distance. If the heroes have truly shown their worth 
  to Yldaris, Quara might come to their aid as well.
  
  40
  their weapons and join in a fight if 
  other urdefhans raise a hue and 
  cry. All the urdefhans fight with 
  growling whoops and revel in the 
  battle, even if they’re losing. If the 
  heroes defeat all the foes here other 
  than urdefhan warriors, the urdefhan 
  warriors all break and flee together.
  If the heroes retreat from this 
  battle, most of the urdefhans let them 
  go; 1d6 urdefhan warriors follow, 
  screaming for the heroes’ blood.
  If the urdefhans defeat the heroes, 
  they don’t kill them, but rather take 
  them alive and hand them over to the 
  tormentors in area B35, where they 
  might have a chance to escape before 
  being slain as sacrifices.
  URDEFHAN WARRIORS (12) 
  CREATURE 3
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 272
  Initiative Perception +9
  URDEFHAN TORMENTORS (2) 
  CREATURE 5
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 273
  Initiative Perception +13
  CEUSTODAEMONS (2)  
  CREATURE 6
  Pathfinder Bestiary 71
  Initiative Perception +14
  URDEFHAN DEATH SCOUTS (2) 
  CREATURE 6
  Page 84
  Initiative Stealth +14
  URDEFHAN LASHERS (2) 
  CREATURE 7
  Page 84
  Initiative Perception +16
  B35. SUMMONING CAVERN 
  LOW 9
  This cavern slopes upward to a flat area on the far side. A 
  metal box about three feet across sits against the northern 
  wall, its lid pressed against the wall to prevent it from 
  opening. A bloody circle surrounded by runes is painted on 
  the floor to the south. 
  Dedicated to bringing more daemons into their 
  midst, the urdefhans use this chamber for vile 
  summoning rituals. They currently keep one prisoner 
  they intend to sacrifice: a deep gnome rockwarden 
  named Calinth Narogblom (Pathfinder Bestiary 
  75). The unfortunate Calinth came to the 
  Abomination Vaults searching for evidence 
  that an offshoot of his people were still 
  living here. He never even met up with 
  the Children of Belcorra—whose 
  current state would horrify him—
  before being captured by an urdefhan 
  raiding party. They keep Calinth in the 
  metal box pushed against the wall so he 
  can’t meld into stone and escape. 
  Creatures: Three urdefhan tormentors 
  chant and wail, casting a lengthy 
  summoning ritual with the 
  assistance of a scarred and cruel 
  blood mage. The tormentors hope 
  to empower their daemonic pact 
  ritual to bring in a more powerful 
  daemon; whether or not they succeed is 
  up to you. All four urdefhans attack any 
  intruders that interrupt their rite. They 
  fight to the death. 
  URDEFHAN TORMENTORS (3) 
  CREATURE 5
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 273
  Initiative Perception +13
  URDEFHAN BLOOD MAGE 
  CREATURE 8
  Page 85
  Initiative Perception +15
  Side Quest: Calinth carries no gear, but he 
  nevertheless still wants to find out about the deep 
  gnomes living here. If the heroes show him evidence 
  of the Children of Belcorra—even their corpses from 
  past fights—Calinth is sad but his curiosity is satisfied. 
  If the heroes lead him to one of the exits to the 
  Darklands, he can make it back to his people. A week 
  later, Calinth sends them a token of his appreciation: 
  a jet and opal complete set of the Dark Chase board 
  game, worth 120 gp. If the heroes told Calinth that 
  KHURFEL ON THE MARCH
  If the heroes assault the urdefhan camp and retreat or 
  escape, Khurfel is active in his retribution. He doesn’t 
  wait for the heroes to return. Instead, he leads a 
  lasher, a death scout, and four urdefhan warriors in 
  the search for them. The next random encounter the 
  heroes have is an encounter with Khurfel’s war party. 
  Alternatively, you can have the war party show up 
  whenever the heroes are traveling outside of Yldaris.
  Calinth Narogblom
  
  41
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  they are friendly with the Yldaris drow, he sends it by 
  the caravan route between the outpost and Lozardyn. 
  Otherwise, he searches the heroes out himself, even 
  braving the surface world if he must. 
  B36. THE BLOOD TEMPLE 
  LOW 9
  A raised platform with a bloody altar stands on the east 
  side of this roughly triangular cavern. 
  A constant orgy of bloodletting goes on in this 
  chamber, all part of the strange and gory urdefhan 
  religion. If interrupted, the participants are anxious to 
  cover their altar with fresh blood. 
  Creatures: Two tormentors guide two lashers in the 
  rites. All of them attack nonbelievers who interfere 
  with their gruesome rituals and fight to the death. 
  URDEFHAN TORMENTORS (2) 
  CREATURE 5
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 273
  Initiative Perception +13
  URDEFHAN LASHERS (2) 
  CREATURE 7
  Page 84
  Initiative Perception +16
  B37. KHURFEL’S TENT 
  MODERATE 9
  At this cavern’s center sits a single fur-and-skin hovel. A 
  path to the hovel is flanked with skull-topped spears. 
  It’s the tradition of this urdefhan cult that the war 
  champion dwells apart and lives in a home no more 
  elaborate than that of other urdefhans. The skulls all 
  belong to rivals that Khurfel defeated to obtain and 
  maintain his position as war champion. Their teeth are 
  gone, having been used for the shauth weapons these 
  urdefhans use (page 73).
  Creatures: Once Khurfel notices the heroes, he looks 
  pleased, his face contorting in a terrifying grin. He calls 
  out “We meet on a good day to kill” in Undercommon 
  as he draws his rhoka sword and strides forward. As 
  his blood visions foretold his fight with the heroes, he 
  doesn’t shy away from it, and he neither offers nor 
  accepts quarter. He keeps the Emerald Fulcrum Lens 
  on his person at all times, strapped across his back so 
  it doesn’t get in the way during a fight. He’s invested 
  the lens, so harm spells cast on him heal additional 
  Hit Points. 
  Two tormentors advise Khurfel and join any battle 
  with him. They’re careful not to get in their war 
  champion’s way, and they use their harm spells to keep 
  him in the fight. They flee if Khurfel is defeated.
  URDEFHAN TORMENTORS (2) 
  CREATURE 5
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 273
  Initiative Perception +13
  KHURFEL 
  CREATURE 10
  Page 89
  Initiative Perception +19
  Treasure: Inside Khurfel’s hovel are mounds of 
  tribute: 180 gp, 1,320 sp, five moonstones worth 10 
  gp each, and two chrysoberyls worth 20 gp each.
  Urdefhan Death Scout
  
  42
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for recovering 
  the Emerald Fulcrum Lens. 
  B38. GUARD POST 
  LOW 9
  The urdefhans use this passageway to come and go 
  from the lakeshore. 
  Creatures: The three urdefhan lashers 
  assigned to guard this little-used 
  entrance are itching for a fight. 
  Unwilling to accept the shame of 
  admitting defeat, they fight to 
  the death.
  URDEFHAN LASHERS (3)
   
  CREATURE 7
  Page 84
  Initiative Perception +16
  Reinforcements: If these guards 
  are defeated, they’re replaced by the 
  ceustodaemons in area B34. If the daemons are 
  defeated, this area remains unguarded. 
  B39. DEADLY LAKE 
  MODERATE 9
  The murky waters of this massive lake shift ominously. 
  Though not covered with a cloying, sickly mist like 
  the large lake in the Farm level, this lake is hundreds of 
  feet deep in its center and harbors strange aquatic life.
  Creatures: A total of six deepwater dhuthorexes 
  swim in this lake. Two quickly come to investigate 
  any disturbance in the water. This attack should occur 
  the first time the heroes venture into the lake, but you 
  can have another pair of dhuthorexes attack during 
  later excursions if you choose. The dhuthorexes attack 
  singly or in pairs and are shockingly aggressive; they 
  pursue foes on land and fight to the death.
  DEEPWATER DHUTHOREXES (2) 
  CREATURE 9
  Page 80
  Initiative Perception +18
  B40. CRYSTAL SHORE
  The stone along the shore here sprouts large growths of 
  pale-green crystals. The crystals hang from the ceiling, climb 
  up the wall, and reach toward the water in long strands.
  While some of these crystals are pointed, they aren’t 
  hazardous. However, if a creature touches one of 
  the crystals it begins to vibrate, which starts a chain 
  reaction of resonant, ringing sounds among the crystals. 
  The sound is loud but not unpleasant. The noise piques 
  the attention of the cauthooj nesting in area B41, which 
  swims over to investigate.
  B41. ISLAND NEST 
  SEVERE 9
  A mix of green crystals and grayish stone 
  make up the mass of this island. A few 
  patches of fungus grow across the 
  rocks, with a particularly thick patch 
  near the island’s eastern shore. 
  The thick patch is a cauthooj 
  nest holding two eggs.
  Creatures: A cauthooj recently 
  came to this island to lay its eggs 
  and stockpile corpses to feed the 
  hatchlings. When it detects the heroes, 
  it attacks immediately to secure a source 
  of food. If reduced to fewer than 40 Hit 
  Points, it flees the island and abandons its eggs. It’s 
  wary of a trap and doesn’t pursue anyone who flees 
  into a narrow passage, such as to areas B38 or B43. 
  CAUTHOOJ 
  CREATURE 12
  Pathfinder Bestiary 55
  Initiative Perception +22
  Finding the Lens: Quara’s father dropped the Ochre 
  Fulcrum Lens in the water near the eastern shore of this 
  island during his battle with Khurfel. Spells like detect 
  magic locate it easily; otherwise, a hero Searching the 
  water finds it with a successful DC 28 Perception check. 
  If the heroes haven’t already encountered deepwater 
  dhuthorexes in area B39, those monsters might harass 
  anyone spending a lot of time searching this area.
  Treasure: The two cauthooj eggs are valuable to the 
  right buyer, but finding one can be difficult. Worliwynn, 
  who runs the Stone Ring Pond just outside of Otari, has 
  contacts who offer 400 gp or any common permanent 
  magic item that’s 8th level or lower for the eggs.
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for recovering 
  the Ochre Fulcrum Lens. 
  B42. STEEP EXIT
  This rubble-filled passage slopes steeply downward. The 
  passage’s ceiling undulates as an echoing chitter fills the air. 
  The passage leads deeper into the Darklands, but 
  the going is not easy. The steep and rocky decline 
  slopes downward for 80 feet before reaching a sheer, 
  300-foot drop. Several disused natural passages radiate 
  Ochre Fulcrum Lens
  
  43
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  outward from its base, but where these passages may 
  lead is beyond the scope of this adventure.
  Hundreds of tiny subterranean bats lair here. They 
  don’t pose a threat to high-level characters, even with 
  their staggering numbers and tendency to swarm 
  around the heads of intruders. The bats sometimes 
  hunt in the Hunting Grounds, or in deeper Darklands 
  caverns, but are just as often food for larger creatures.
  B43. SANCTUARY
  A thick growth of fungus blocks this narrow cave entrance.
  The harmless fungus and can easily be pushed aside. 
  It conceals an out-of-the-way cavern with a small spring 
  of fresh water. This cavern makes a perfect place for the 
  heroes to rest, as wandering monsters ignore it.
  B44. DIGGER’S CAVERN 
  SEVERE 9
  A jumble of fungus grows in the center of this roughly 
  square cave. A large lizard’s corpse lies amid the fungus.
  The giant frilled lizard barely escaped the roper 
  in area B45 but collapsed and died in this harmless 
  fungus patch.
  Creatures: When the heroes examine the lizard or 
  the fungus, the entire cavern starts to shake as a shuln 
  chews its way through the north wall. The enormous, 
  rodentlike shuln scented the dead lizard and was 
  coming to eat it, but it’s more excited for living prey. 
  It’s hungry and fights until slain. It pursues foes that 
  run away but doesn’t like the water, so it gives up 
  chasing anyone that flees into the lake.
  SHULN 
  CREATURE 12
  Pathfinder Bestiary 294
  Initiative Perception +20
  B45. DEAD ROPER
  A rocky depression at the south end of this chamber contains 
  a thick stalagmite toppled over in a pool of dark ichor. 
  Upon closer inspection, the stalagmite is a dead roper. 
  The shuln in area B44 burrowed up from beneath it 
  and bit off its lower third before deciding its taste was 
  wholly unpleasant and leaving the rest of the body 
  behind. A hero who succeeds at a DC 20 Nature or 
  relevant Lore check realizes that a Huge burrowing 
  beast came up beneath the roper and bit it, but the 
  burrowing creature’s tunnel has collapsed behind it and 
  is now impassable. 
  B46. PUDDING WALLOW
  A pool of thick black goo coats a large patch of the floor 
  in this cave.
  A black pudding stripped most of the fungus in this 
  room clear before it was defeated by another predator. 
  Its gooey remains rest in a shallow pit.
  B47. CORRUPTED GARDEN 
  LOW 9
  An ancient and crumbling stone bridge stretches across 
  the water to an island teeming with reeking fungus.
  The old stone bridge is still stable enough to traverse 
  safely, though it’s slick with slime and moist lichen that 
  make it difficult terrain. The island used to be a tended 
  garden, but it’s now greater difficult terrain thanks 
  to the dense, slick fungus. The slime growing on the 
  fungus emits a terrible smell, but one overwhelmed by 
  the stench of the island’s denizen. 
  Creatures: An ofalth dwells on the island. The fungus 
  and the layer of filth it grows from fuels the creature’s 
  Filth Wallow ability. It treats the slime-covered fungus 
  as difficult terrain rather than greater difficult terrain.
  OFALTH 
  CREATURE 10
  Pathfinder Bestiary 251
  Initiative Perception +18
  B48. HORRID CARNAGE
  Bones and discarded viscera are strewn across this cavern 
  as if some horrifying battle recently occurred here. A trail 
  of the gruesome remains winds to the northeast, up a 
  narrow tunnel. 
  The carnage is the result of gogiteth feeding. The 
  gnashing, nightmarish aberration lairs in area B49, but 
  it sometimes lurks in the passageway to ambush prey. 
  When the heroes approach this area, make a secret 
  DC 15 flat check. On a success, it’s watching from the 
  passageway and is prepared to strike.
  B49. GOGITETH CAVE 
  SEVERE 9
  If the heroes haven’t already defeated the gogiteth 
  lairing here, as they approach, they hear its clacking 
  and popping legs as it moves about. Any hero who 
  succeeds at a DC 30 Occultism check recognizes the 
  sound as that of a gogiteth.
  Creatures: If the gogiteth is here, it’s tearing up an 
  urdefhan corpse. It drops the dead urdefhan with a 
  sickening plop to skitter forward and feast upon 
  
  44
  the heroes. It fights until slain, but it doesn’t pursue 
  creatures out of areas B48 and B49.
  GOGITETH 
  CREATURE 12
  Pathfinder Bestiary 183
  Initiative Perception +21
  B50. COINS AND SLIME
  Hanging streamers of mold dangle from the ceiling here. 
  Several coins protrude from a shelf of stone to the north.
  A traveler left the coins in the wall here long ago, 
  hoping to keep them safe, though they never returned. 
  A patch of green slime grew from the streams of mold, 
  particularly over the coins, where it could fall upon 
  greedy treasure-seekers, dissolve them, and slither up 
  the ceiling to await a new victim.
  Hazard: The green slime is hard to spot amid the 
  hanging mold. It drips upon anyone who tries to pull 
  the coins free.
  GREEN SLIME 
  HAZARD 9
  Gamemastery Guide 78
  Stealth DC 30 (expert)
  Treasure: There are only 15 sp stuck in the floor, 
  and breaking out each coin requires a few minutes’ 
  chiseling or shape stone or similar magic (which is 
  how the coins got stuck in the stone in the first place).
  B51. RAVIREX’S FEN 
  MODERATE 9
  A morass of mud sprouting thick fungus and clinging vines 
  makes up the floor of this large cavern. A few boulders 
  protrude from the mud.
  Not long ago, a black dragon named Ravirex moved 
  into the swampy cavern at the edge of the Hunting 
  Grounds to make his lair. He initially thought to 
  dominate the area but soon ran afoul of powerful 
  creatures like the derghodaemon in area B31, the 
  gogiteth in area B49, and the drow hunters who’ve 
  proven impossible to pin down. Ravirex quickly 
  realized the need to be much more circumspect in the 
  Ravirex
  
  45
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Hunting Grounds, and these days he primarily works 
  on sculpting the growth in his wide cavern to his 
  liking. He’s too arrogant to consider defense, assuming 
  that even the other dangerous creatures of the Hunting 
  Grounds know better than to attack a dragon.
  Belcorra appeared to Ravirex a short time ago to 
  open negotiations about aiding an attack on a surface 
  city that Ravirex doesn’t know, and the dragon awaits 
  her next visit to learn more. She mentioned something 
  about entrusting a colored magical lens to Ravirex, 
  so he’s keeping an eye out for those in the hopes of 
  currying favor with Belcorra.
  Two passages lead out of this area to wild Darklands 
  areas to the west. Swamp water floods the southern 
  passage entirely, while the northern passage is clear 
  but very narrow. 
  Creatures: While not working to sculpt the fungus 
  in its lair or out hunting, Ravirex rests upon his 
  hoard in the alcove to the north. He defends his lair 
  ferociously and works hard to drive intruders away so 
  he can preserve his privacy. If he learns that the heroes 
  have any of the magic lenses he believes Belcorra 
  wants, he targets the heroes who carry them and tries 
  to take them.
  RAVIREX 
  CREATURE 11
  Male adult black dragon (Pathfinder Bestiary 105)
  Initiative Perception +22
  Treasure: The dragon’s hoard consists of 260 gp, 
  1,412 sp, 4,303 cp, a golden goblet worth 200 gp, a 
  +2 striking mace, an iron medallion, a scroll of spirit 
  blast, and a mummified bat. 
  B52. VAULT LEDGE 
  The lake’s water laps lazily on a wide stone ledge 
  surrounding a structure built into the cavern wall. The 
  ledge is thick with lichen and barely wide enough to stand 
  on. A single iron, vault-like door with a metal handle and a 
  keyhole leads into the structure.
  Belcorra built this secure vault as a place to gather 
  the treasures she planned to use to fund her assault on 
  Absalom. Beneath the profusion of lichen, the ledge 
  holds several cleats for securing boats. 
  The vault door looks formidable but is, surprisingly, 
  unlocked. The vaults’ only intelligent occupant, a 
  graveknight named Caliddo, recently traveled to the 
  third level of the Abomination Vaults to recover some 
  books Belcorra wanted, and he neglected to lock the 
  door when he returned.
  Hazard: The vault door isn’t locked but is trapped. 
  BLAST TUMBLER 
  HAZARD 10
  MAGICAL
  MECHANICAL
  TRAP
  Stealth DC 32 (master)
  Description A hard-to-reach rune is placed on the lock’s 
  tumbler. It emits a blast of force when the door is jostled. 
  Disable DC 32 Thievery (master) to disarm the rune, or 
  dispel magic (5th level; counteract DC 28) to counteract 
  the rune’s magic. 
  Force Blast � (evocation, force, occult) Trigger A 
  non-undead creature opens the door or critically fails an 
  attempt to disarm or dispel the rune; Effect A 30-foot 
  cone of force issues forth from the lock. Creatures within 
  the cone must succeed a DC 29 basic Fortitude saving 
  throw or take 8d12 force damage. Those who fail the 
  save are pushed 10 feet, and those who critically fail are 
  pushed 20 feet and are stunned 2.
  Reset The rune resets 1 minute after it triggers. 
  B53. VAULT ANTECHAMBER 
  LOW 9
  The dust is thick in this room, save for footprints that lead 
  to and from the southernmost of three iron doors, which 
  look similar to the vault’s entrance. 
  On the south side of the chamber is a hardened clay 
  statue sculpted to resemble Belcorra.
  Each door leads to another vault. The doors to 
  areas B54 and B55 are both locked, and Caliddo 
  the graveknight has the keys. The locks require six 
  successful DC 40 Thievery checks to Pick a Lock to 
  open, and they can’t be Forced Open. The door to area 
  B56 is unlocked; this is where Caliddo went.
  Creatures: The statue is a clay golem charged 
  with attacking any creature other than Belcorra or 
  Caliddo. It fights until destroyed, its old clay grinding 
  as it attacks. The sound quickly brings Caliddo to 
  fight as well. Together, they are a Severe encounter for 
  9th-level characters.
  CLAY GOLEM 
  CREATURE 10
  Pathfinder Bestiary 186
  Initiative Perception +16
  B54. COIN VAULT
  Three iron chests, all in different sizes, are lined up against 
  the north wall of this room.
  The boxes hold a mass of treasure that Belcorra 
  accumulated in life to aid in her assault on Absalom.
  Treasure: The largest box contains 8,000 sp, and 
  the next largest holds 500 gp. The smallest has 100 
  pp. All these coins were minted centuries ago.
  
  46
  B55. ALCHEMICAL VAULT
  This door is difficult to open, even once unlocked, 
  because the inside has been warped by an explosion. 
  Inside the vault is a tangle of ancient wood and shattered 
  glass and pottery. Scorch marks scar the stone walls. 
  Belcorra stored a variety of alchemical bombs in this 
  vault. As the centuries passed, the wooden shelves that 
  held some of them collapsed, creating a chain reaction 
  of explosions and leaving the room and its vault door 
  in its current state. Nothing of value remains.
  B56. CALIDDO’S VIGIL 
  LOW 9
  This small, bare room contains more vault doors, just 
  as in area B53; Caliddo Haruvex carries these two 
  keys as well. There’s also a remarkably well-hidden 
  secret door here; a hero Searching this room discovers 
  the hidden switch to open it with a successful DC 30 
  Perception check.
  Creatures: A warrior in archaic armor stands in 
  this room, clutching a greatsword. This is Caliddo 
  Haruvex, a skilled mercenary who came to serve 
  Belcorra when he heard how powerful his distant 
  relative had become. Belcorra accepted Caliddo’s 
  offer of aid and promptly killed him, raising him as 
  a graveknight eternally bound to serve her. Caliddo 
  proved his worth and loyalty to Belcorra many 
  times, so she entrusted him with guarding her 
  vault. He kept a silent vigil here for centuries.
  When Belcorra returned, she put Caliddo to 
  work fetching several books she wanted out of the 
  hands of others who might use them against her. For 
  the first time in centuries, Caliddo left the vault. He 
  recovered the texts from an upper level of the dungeon 
  and locked them in area B58. 
  Caliddo remains at his post and assaults anyone 
  who enters. If the heroes don’t face him with the golem 
  in area B53, he’s encountered here. Caliddo fights until 
  destroyed, but he doesn’t leave his post in the vault 
  unless Belcorra expressly orders him to.
  CALIDDO HARUVEX 
  CREATURE 10
  Male graveknight (Pathfinder Bestiary 191)
  Initiative Perception +19
  Items composite longbow (20 arrows), +1 resilient full plate, 
  greatsword, keys to Belcorra’s vault (areas B52 to B59)
   
  Caliddo’s Return: Destroying Caliddo for good 
  proves difficult because his armor rebuilds him. If he 
  rejuvenates after the heroes have plundered the vault, 
  he pursues them in an attempt to recover the items. He 
  doesn’t have any special connection to the treasures, 
  though, so he might have to search around a lot to 
  find out where the heroes went. Caliddo isn’t likely 
  to negotiate, but he’s most interested in reclaiming his 
  keys and returning the books to the vault (as those 
  were the last things Belcorra expressed particular 
  interest in and, he assumes, the most valuable to 
  her). Heroes who turn over the keys and books 
  might avert Caliddo’s implacable retribution and keep 
  the other treasures from the vault.
  Caliddo Haruvex
  
  47
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  B57. DERELICT ARMORY
  Ancient weapon racks have collapsed over time, leaving 
  many swords, spears, and axes jumbled on the floor. 
  Belcorra hoarded dozens of weapons for her 
  campaign in this room, intending to arm the humanoid 
  warriors who fought alongside the aberrant monsters 
  in her attack. While most of the weapons are merely 
  well-made, a number of them are genuinely superior. 
  Treasure: Amid the weapons are a standard-grade 
  adamantine warhammer and a +2 striking battle axe. 
  A fallen armor stand is tangled up with the +2 resilient 
  chain shirt that was once displayed on it.
  B58. VAULT OF SECRETS
  The shelves of this room contain several old books and 
  various odds and ends. In the center of the room is a dusty 
  mechanism of copper and silver. It’s missing its lenses, 
  but otherwise looks like the framework of a lantern that 
  belongs in the top of a lighthouse. The dust in this room 
  has been recently disturbed.
  This is Belcorra’s most protected vault, holding 
  her treasures and secrets of her past. The books that 
  have been most recently shelved here—as evidenced by 
  the trails in the dust—are research journals Belcorra 
  penned when she was alive. They are centuries old, 
  but careful magical preservation has kept them from 
  falling apart. These journals describe four fulcrum 
  lenses (in crimson, ebon, emerald, and ochre) that focus 
  Nhimbaloth’s soul-extinguishing gaze across space and 
  time. Belcorra’s journal details how she built Gauntlight 
  and created a special framework called the Fulcrum 
  Lattice to fit the four lenses and harness their power. A 
  diagram of the Fulcrum Lattice makes it clear that the 
  device is the very one sitting here. Belcorra expresses 
  some trepidation at using the fulcrum lenses; they each 
  contain a sliver of Nhimbaloth’s essence, and bringing 
  them in close proximity can be dangerous. More 
  specifically, the lenses impart Nhimbaloth’s essence into 
  those who use or are touched by them. Having all four 
  essences imbued at once is sure to bring Nhimbaloth’s 
  dreadful scrutiny. Belcorra had her talented apprentice, 
  Volluk Azrinae, fashion mundane lenses that would 
  allow Gauntlight to function at a diminished capacity 
  until the Fulcrum Lattice and the fulcrum lenses could 
  be installed, on the eve of Belcorra’s assault on Absalom. 
  The Fulcrum Lattice allows all four of the large, heavy 
  lenses to be carried with ease.
  Belcorra’s journals explain that she used only the 
  Ebon Fulcrum Lens in the Empty Vault at Gauntlight’s 
  base, deeming the essence within one fulcrum lens a 
  minimal risk. She gave the other lenses to trusted groups 
  in the lower vaults: the emerald lens to the urdefhans, 
  the ochre lens to the drow, and the crimson lens hidden 
  where her undead gnome minions could protect it. 
  She trusts that the groups won’t work together, much 
  less learn that bringing the lenses together to imbue a 
  single creature with all four splinters of Nhimbaloth’s 
  essence would impart total annihilation.
  Other Books: The other books are aging tomes full of 
  occult knowledge; they’ve been in the Haruvex family 
  for generations. They hold a wealth of occult lore about 
  ghosts, Nhimbaloth, and the Haruvexes. A hero who 
  peruses these tomes for at least an hour gains a +2 item 
  bonus on checks to Recall Knowledge on these subjects 
  when using the Investigate exploration activity here.
  Treasure: Belcorra keeps many valuables here, 
  including a skull-shaped key worth 30 gp that unlocks 
  the doors to the Gate of Nhimbaloth (area B60) and 
  two signet rings that each bear the symbol of a tentacle 
  wrapped around a skull with a moss-filled mouth. One 
  is a ring of lies and the other functions as a greater 
  pendant of the occult. The Fulcrum Lattice is also 
  here, and it’s surprisingly lightweight for its size. If 
  the heroes have discovered any fulcrum lenses so far, 
  they fit neatly into the lattice, and the lattice grows no 
  heavier for their weight.
  XP Award: Award the heroes 80 XP for uncovering 
  the lore of the fulcrum lenses and learning how to 
  destroy Belcorra.
  B59. LEVEL 9 PORTAL CHAMBER
  Spiraling runes filled with silver cover this chamber’s curved 
  walls. The same silvery metal covers the floor and ceiling. 
  This room contains another inactive teleportation 
  circle that the heroes might connect to others in the 
  Abomination Vaults with the awaken portal ritual. 
  The others in this adventure are areas A33 and C5.
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for using the 
  awaken portal ritual to reactivate the teleportation 
  circle here.
  B60. EBON DOORS
  These massive double doors are made of black and green 
  stone. An oxidized bronze lock has a keyhole but no handles.
  This door leads to a structure called the Gate of 
  Nhimbaloth, an ancient temple made of black stone 
  streaked with a greenish, nauseating hue. Belcorra 
  didn’t built this place; she found it and incorporated 
  
  48
  it into her ever-expanding dungeon. Whether the 
  Gate of Nhimbaloth always existed underground or 
  was once cast down from the surface is a mystery, 
  as are the cultists who once inhabited it. In any 
  case, its entry is now seamless with the stone of 
  the Abomination Vaults. The Gate of Nhimbaloth 
  includes not only the rooms beyond it, but most of 
  the lower level as well. 
  The door’s ancient lock is incredibly complex. 
  Six successful DC 40 Thievery checks are required 
  to Pick the Lock, and it can’t be Forced Open. The 
  skull-shaped key in area B59 opens this door. 
  B61. HALL OF PRIESTS 
  MODERATE 9
  This large chamber is made of the same black stone as 
  the imposing ebon doors to the north. Eight alcoves, four 
  on each side, line the east and west walls. Each alcove 
  contains the remains of jade-colored statues. 
  All of the figures have been defiled; none have any heads 
  remaining, most are missing hands, and one is just a pair 
  of bare feet upon a pedestal. An enormous stone throne 
  carved out of heavy blocks stands in a domed chamber 
  opposite the black doors.
  Well before Belcorra’s time, this served as a 
  semipublic area of worship for a cult of Nhimbaloth. 
  Those seeking vengeance, an enemy’s obliteration, or 
  assurance that a lost loved one would return as a ghost 
  left offerings and sacrifices around the throne and the 
  creature sitting on it, who was called Lady’s Whisper—
  the creature that sits there still. Aspirants hoped the 
  shrouded skeleton would rise and lead them through 
  one of the three doorways to take the tests to become 
  an initiate in the cult. Lady’s Whisper sometimes 
  remained still for years, or ushered in new cultists for 
  days on end. Although even the senior cultists never 
  understood the connection between Lady’s Whisper 
  and Nhimbaloth, none questioned the skeleton’s role 
  as gateway to cult membership.
  The cultists did know, however, that only those 
  Lady’s Whisper ushered into the eastern door would 
  join the cult. The western doors lead to grim fates 
  reserved for those unworthy to even be tested for 
  admittance to the cult.
  Creatures: Lady’s Whisper is a unique undead 
  creature distantly related to the lesser deaths that 
  serve the Grim Reaper (Pathfinder Bestiary 196). For 
  reasons long lost, the skeletal creature is irrevocably 
  tied to Nhimbaloth. It knows that the heroes are 
  here to face Belcorra and are ill-suited to join the 
  now-nonexistent cult, but it decides to put them 
  through the initiation trials anyway, in the hopes 
  of weakening and killing them. Lady’s Whisper 
  commands the allegiance of the many dread wisps 
  within the Gate of Nhimbaloth, but there are none 
  here to defend it when the heroes first arrive, so it 
  deals with the heroes cautiously.
  Lady’s Whisper rises and holds forth both hands, 
  gesturing for peace. It then points to the eastern 
  door and whispers the names of each 
  hero, one by one. It steps toward 
  the eastern door, gesturing for 
  the heroes to follow.
  If the heroes attack, Lady’s 
  Whisper lashes out with its claws 
  to teleport heroes away, preferably 
  into the adjacent chambers with 
  dangerous wisps and traps. It flees if it 
  takes more than 50 points of damage, but 
  tries to lure the heroes deeper into the Gate 
  of Nhimbaloth as it does. 
  Lady’s Whisper
  
  49
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  LADY’S WHISPER 
  CREATURE 11
  UNIQUE
  NE
  MEDIUM
  UNDEAD
  Perception +25; darkvision, see invisibility, true seeing
  Language Aklo, Common, Necril, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +22, Athletics +20, Deception +21, 
  Diplomacy +21, Intimidation +21, Occultism +21, Religion 
  +23, Society +21, Stealth +22
  Str +3, Dex +5, Con +3, Int +4, Wis +8, Cha +4
  Death’s Grace Lady’s Whisper can choose whether or 
  not it counts as undead for effects that affect undead 
  differently. Even if it does not count as undead, Lady’s 
  Whisper never counts as a living creature.
  AC 31; Fort +18, Ref +20, Will +25; +1 status to all saves 
  vs. magic
  HP 195, negative healing; Immunities death effects, 
  disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious
  Negative Recovery Lady’s Whisper can choose whether or 
  not it takes positive damage.
  Sibilant Whispers (auditory, aura, divine, emotion, 
  enchantment, mental) 20 feet. Each creature that begins 
  its turn within the aura and can hear the ominous 
  whispers must succeed at a DC 30 Will save or become 
  frightened 2. On a success, the creature is temporarily 
  immune for 1 minute.
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � claw +23 (agile, finesse), Damage 2d10+7 slashing 
  plus unwilling teleportation
  Divine Innate Spells DC 30, attack +22; Constant (6th) true 
  seeing; (3rd) haste; (2nd) see invisibility
  Occult Spontaneous Spells DC 30, attack +22; 5th (4 slots) 
  crushing despair, mind probe, shadow blast, vampiric 
  touch; 4th (4 slots) blink, gaseous form, modify memory, 
  phantasmal killer; 3rd (4 slots) hypercognition, levitate, 
  paralyze, slow; 2nd calm emotions, death knell, mirror 
  image, touch of idiocy; 1st (4 slots) command, fear, 
  illusory disguise, magic missile; Cantrips (6th) daze, 
  ghost sound, mage hand, shield, telekinetic projectile
  Gatekeeper’s Will � (concentrate) Lady’s Whisper 
  mentally causes any doors or portals within the Gate 
  of Nhimbaloth (areas B60 to B64 and areas C1 through 
  C18) to open or shut. If Lady’s Whisper wills a door 
  closed, it must be Forced Open or battered down.
  Unwilling Teleportation (conjuration, divine, teleportation) 
  When Lady’s Whisper hits and damages a creature with 
  its claw Strike, it can choose to teleport that creature to 
  any open space within 15 feet, even if Lady’s Whisper 
  can’t see the destination. The target can attempt a DC 30 
  Will saving throw to resist this effect.
  B62. OBLIVION FALL
  Made of the same dark stone as the rest of the temple, this 
  passage opens into a rectangular chamber. 
  Hazard: The chamber at the end of the hall has no 
  floor. It’s a bottomless pit that, unlike the hazard in 
  the Core Rulebook, has no trapdoor; nevertheless, 
  because it’s set into reflective black stone, it’s still 
  difficult to notice. Lady’s Whisper led aspirants whom 
  it judged to be useless to Nhimbaloth’s cause into this 
  pit—forcefully, when necessary. 
  BOTTOMLESS PIT 
  HAZARD 9
  Core Rulebook 524
  Stealth DC 26 or detect magic
  B63. GARDEN OF FAILURES 
  TRIVIAL 9
  A black-stoned passage opens into this octagonal chamber. 
  The room is a riot of foul-smelling swamp weeds. 
  Creatures who made it into the Gate of Nhimbaloth 
  but were, in their hearts, too afraid to undertake 
  the initiation tests below were brought here. Often, 
  Lady’s Whisper gave them comforting words about 
  how they could simply rest and depart in peace, 
  but this was a lie—creatures were brought here to 
  be killed, their blood and essence used to fuel the 
  cavern’s sunless garden.
  Creatures: A single dread wisp floats in this room. 
  It attacks anyone who enters, desperate to feed for the 
  first time in many, many years. 
  DREAD WISP 
  CREATURE 9
  Page 81 
  Initiative Perception +20
  B64. INITIATES’ CHAMBER 
  SEVERE 9
  The walls of this room are carved from black stone and 
  feature four large alcoves, two to the east and two to the 
  west. Three contain large stone basins filled with reeds, 
  moss, and other swamp plants. The basin in the fourth 
  alcove is empty. Stairs lead downward to the north. 
  The stairs lead down to area C1.
  Creatures: Three dread wisps hover over three of 
  the stone basins (the fourth was slain long ago, and 
  its basin now contains only desiccated soil). If the 
  heroes are accompanied by Lady’s Whisper, two of 
  them follow it and the heroes at a distance, ready to 
  intervene if the heroes become violent. If the heroes 
  aren’t with Lady’s Whisper, the dread wisps attack. 
  DREAD WISPS (3) 
  CREATURE 9
  Page 81 
  Initiative Perception +20
  
  50
  Perhaps a few of the vaults’ inhabitants know the true 
  story of Nhimbaloth’s ancient temple—notably Lady’s 
  Whisper and maybe a dread wisp or two—but none 
  will tell the tale. Was it the hub of a cult cast deep into 
  the earth by some ancient enemy, or the headquarters of 
  a Darklands cabal? No matter its original purpose, the 
  complex series of initiation trials are the last challenges 
  that the heroes must face to confront Belcorra. The first 
  is the Challenge of Souls, where unworthy initiates were 
  poisoned, tormented, and had their souls extracted. The 
  second is the Challenge of Despair, where initiates faced 
  their greatest fears. The last test is the Challenge of the 
  Swamp, where initiates demonstrated their mastery over 
  swampland dangers. The heroes are likely to face these 
  in order only if guided by Lady’s Whisper; otherwise, 
  they’re free to tackle them in whatever order they’d like. 
  Beyond lies the Empty Vault, Belcorra’s domain and the 
  source of Gauntlight’s powers.
  Temple Features
  The temple is wholly dark, except where otherwise 
  noted. Ceilings are generally 15 feet high but reach 60 
  feet in the main chambers (areas C1, C9, C14, C18, 
  and C20). The stone doors all bear intricate carvings, 
  such as a moss-filled skull, swirling mists, or detailed 
  swamp scenes, as well as clusters of seven divots. 
  Lady’s Whisper controls the doors here.
  The map of the Temple level appears on the inside 
  back cover of this adventure.
  C1. FIRST CHALLENGE
  A basin filled with reeds and moss stands in an alcove 
  between doors that lead to the north. Two metal tubes jut 
  into the room from the east, sealed off by some iris-like 
  mechanism a foot or so inside the pipe. No opening 
  mechanism is visible. Black stone doors lead south, and a 
  CHAPTER 3: 
  To Draw the Baleful Glare
  
  51
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  single gray stone door carved with shapes of swirling mist leads west. None of the 
  doors have handles or latches.
  The tests begin with the Challenge of Souls through the western door. 
  The metal tubes slant downward and drain into the swamp (area C15). 
  They’re just large enough for a Medium creature to slide down. If the 
  heroes enter here with Lady’s Whisper, the skeleton silently points at the 
  gray door. That door opens with a push, or simply swings aside if someone 
  stands in front of it for 1 round. The doors to the south (Hardness 15, 
  Hit Points 60) and the tubes’ mechanical iris openings (Hardness 18, Hit 
  Points 72) are all shut and don’t open unless Lady’s Whisper wills it. 
  If the two dread wisps are following the heroes, one takes a position 
  above the basin to silently report everything the heroes do here to Belcorra.
  Passing the Challenge of Souls: When the heroes return here having 
  either fed or defeated the dread wisps in area C8, Lady’s Whisper opens the 
  doors to the south and leaves them open. A hero who succeeds at a DC 27 
  Perception check to Sense Motive realizes that Lady’s Whisper is offended 
  that the heroes passed the test but is keeping this irritation suppressed. 
  C2. POISONING ROOM 
  MODERATE 10
  At the eastern end of this long room stands a giant jade statue of a cracked and 
  chipped skeleton in a burial shroud. The skull clenches a bundle of swamp weeds 
  in its teeth. Built into the walls are several narrow slits and stone doors.
  A hero who Investigates the statue and succeeds at a DC 25 Religion 
  check realizes that it’s a rare physical representation of Nhimbaloth. 
  Long ago, initiates were commanded to kneel before Nhimbaloth. When 
  they did, cultists hiding in the galleries shot poisoned blowgun darts at them. 
  Those who didn’t succumb to poison were worthy and led south; those who 
  succumbed were taken north to have their souls harvested.
  Creatures: Six cultists have arisen as specters. They manifest in the shooting 
  galleries with ghostly blowguns, which they use in addition to their vile 
  touch Strikes to shoot ephemeral darts made of their own ghostly substance. 
  The narrow slits provide anyone in the shooting galleries with greater cover 
  (+4 circumstance bonus to AC, Reflex saves against area effects, and Stealth 
  checks). If the heroes enter a shooting gallery, the specters pass through the 
  walls to keep their distance. The specters fight until destroyed. 
  SPECTERS (6) 
  CREATURE 7
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 248
  Initiative Stealth +17 (+21 in the shooting gallery)
  Ranged � vile blowgun +18 (range increment 20 feet), Damage 3d6 negative 
  plus 3d6 poison and spectral corruption
  C3. CLEANSING CHAMBER
  Two grime-crusted copper tubs, devoid of water, stand against the south wall. 
  Long abandoned, this chamber was once where initiates who survived 
  the poisoning room were stripped, bathed with swamp water, and then 
  escorted into the worthies’ cave. A hero can discover the secret door while 
  Searching this room with a successful DC 25 Perception check. A false 
  CHAPTER 3 SYNOPSIS
  The heroes have their final 
  confrontation with Belcorra in this 
  chapter. On the way to the Empty 
  Vault, where Belcorra can be found, 
  they pass through several challenges 
  that aspirants of Nhimbaloth faced 
  back when this was an active temple 
  to the Empty Death. Ironically, this 
  lowest level of the Abomination 
  Vaults is one of the safest, in that its 
  denizens generally stay put and the 
  heroes can rest for as long as they 
  need in empty chambers. They’ll 
  need to be in top form to tackle 
  Belcorra; if they haven’t collected all 
  three fulcrum lenses by now, they 
  may need to retreat, recover them, 
  and face Belcorra again.
  Environmental Cues: black stone, 
  carvings of bones or mist, clammy 
  air, eerie lights, fog, swamp plants
  
  52
  stone on the eastern wall must be rotated to pivot 
  open one of the copper tubs and the wall behind it. 
  C4. WORTHIES’ CAVE 
  LOW 10
  The ceiling of this natural chamber bears seven holes no 
  larger around than a human finger. 
  Before surviving initiates took the next challenge—
  the Challenge of Despair—they were subjected to a 
  mind-numbing gas to make the test more difficult.
  The secret doors here both open the same way: when 
  rotated, a portion of the smooth, flat wall makes the 
  door pivot open. The secret doors are each at the end 
  of short hallways, so they aren’t hard to find. Anyone 
  Searching either short hall discovers the secret door 
  and the method of opening it. The doors won’t open, 
  however, if the room’s trap is active, so they must be 
  battered down (Hardness 18, Hit Points 60) to escape 
  the trap.
  Hazard: The trap spews mind-numbing gas through 
  the seven holes in the ceiling.
  BEFUDDLING GAS TRAP 
  HAZARD 11
  COMPLEX
  MECHANICAL
  TRAP
  Stealth +21 (expert) or DC 31 (expert) to notice the hidden 
  override mechanism on the north wall. 
  Description Seven nozzles hidden within holes in the 
  15-foot-high ceiling release a poison gas.
  Disable DC 33 Thievery (master) to disable the hidden 
  mechanism on the north wall, immediately sucking 
  the gas from the room, or DC 29 Thievery (expert) to 
  adequately plug one of the seven nozzles. When all seven 
  nozzles are plugged or destroyed, the trap is deactivated.
  AC 31; Fort +24, Ref +18
  Nozzle Hardness 20; Nozzle HP 32 (BT 16); Immunities 
  critical hits, object immunities, precision damage 
  Gas Release � (inhaled, mental, poison) Trigger Both 
  secret doors are closed and at least one creature is in 
  the room; Effect Gas fills the chamber. Creatures within 
  the chamber must succeed on a DC 30 Fortitude save or 
  become stupefied 1 (stupefied 2 on a critical failure). The 
  trap then rolls initiative.
  Routine (1 action) The gas intensifies. Each creature in the 
  room must make a DC 30 Fortitude save.
  Critical Success The creature is unaffected and becomes 
  temporarily immune to the gas for 1 hour, though if 
  the creature has already been stupefied by the trap, 
  that condition remains for its normal duration.
  Success The creature is unaffected.
  Failure The creature becomes stupefied 1 for 24 hours. 
  If the target is already stupefied, the condition value 
  increases by 1 (to a maximum of stupefied 4) and the 
  target takes 8d6 mental damage. 
  Critical Effect As failure, except the target takes double 
  the mental damage. 
  Reset After an hour, the trap deactivates; the gas disperses 
  slowly, and the doors can be opened again. After 24 hours, 
  the gas builds up and the trap can be triggered again.
  C5. LEVEL 10 PORTAL CHAMBER 
  MODERATE 10
  Belcorra added this room to the temple to connect her 
  network of permanent teleportation circles. Its door 
  is locked and the key is long lost. A hero can Force it 
  Open with a successful DC 25 Athletics check or Pick 
  the Lock with four successful DC 25 Thievery checks.
  Swirling, silver-filled runes adorn the rounded walls of this 
  chamber. Sheets of reflective metal cover the floor and ceiling. 
  The other portal chambers in this adventure are 
  located in areas A33 and B59.
  Creatures: As the lowest portal chamber, Belcorra 
  ensured this room was well-guarded. A powerful stone 
  golem is built into the wall, in an open space between 
  the silver-filled runes. It steps out and attacks anyone 
  who isn’t accompanying Belcorra.
  ELITE STONE GOLEM 
  CREATURE 12
  Pathfinder Bestiary 6, 187
  Initiative Perception +19
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for using the 
  awaken portal ritual to reactivate the teleportation 
  circle here.
  THE PROCTOR
  The heroes might go along with Lady’s Whisper at 
  first, wondering just what the enigmatic undead 
  is asking of them. After they complete one or two 
  tests, they might decide they don’t want to be judged 
  worthy of Nhimbaloth’s attention after all. This is 
  especially true if they realize that each successful 
  test increases Lady’s Whisper’s displeasure and that 
  the undead plans to kill them.
  Lady’s Whisper responds to any preemptive 
  attack by the heroes as though expecting it. The 
  undead attempts to levitate out of melee reach and 
  cast spells to eliminate the heroes. The lurking pair of 
  dread wisps that may have followed from area B64 
  join the fight as well.
  
  53
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  C6. CREMATORIUM 
  MODERATE 10
  Two pools of bubbling magma sit side by side in the center 
  of this large chamber. 
  This crematorium is extremely hot (Core Rulebook 
  518), dealing 2d6 fire damage every 10 minutes (the 
  scorpions are immune). Immersion in the 25-foot-deep 
  magma pools deals 20d6 fire damage each round.
  Creatures: Bound fire elementals have maintained 
  the heat in this room for centuries. They climb out 
  of the magma pits to attack intruders, pursuing them 
  aggressively and fighting until destroyed. 
  MAGMA SCORPIONS (4) 
  CREATURE 8
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 111
  Initiative Perception +18
  C7. SOUL EXTRACTORS 
  MODERATE 10
  This strange, irregular hall features several wide alcoves, 
  each with a standing rack bearing crystals and levers, like 
  bizarre torture devices.
  Failed initiates were brought here and strapped to 
  the strange standing racks. These occult machines 
  extracted the initiates’ souls into crystal globes as 
  special glass golems sliced their bodies 
  to pieces. Cultists took the soul-
  infused globes (which were 
  far too delicate for the 
  blade-handed golems to 
  handle) to the dread 
  wisps in area C8.
  Only three of the 
  occult machines still 
  function, and each holds 
  a crystal globe containing 
  the soul of an initiate killed 
  centuries ago. A hero Investigating a functional machine 
  and succeeding at a DC 30 Occultism, Religion, or 
  relevant Lore check (such as Spirit Lore) realizes what 
  the globes are and how they were created. 
  Creatures: The four golems remain here and do 
  their best to slice intruders to ribbons. Their greenish 
  glass bodies emit an unsettling glow, giving them the 
  Grim Glittering ability instead of Dazzling Brilliance.
  NHIMBALOTH’S CUTTERS (4) 
  CREATURE 8
  RARE
  NE
  MEDIUM
  CONSTRUCT
  GOLEM
  MINDLESS
  Variant glass golems (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 131)
  Initiative Perception +14
  Grim Glimmering � (evocation, light, visual) The golem 
  creates waves of baleful light that cast dim light in a 
  60-foot emanation. The light lasts until the start of the 
  golem’s next turn, after which the golem can’t use Grim 
  Glimmering for 1d4 rounds. A creature within the light 
  or that enters the light must attempt a DC 23 Will save.
  Success The creature is unaffected.
  Failure The creature is dazzled for 1 round.
  Critical Failure The creature is doomed 1 and blinded for 
  1 round.
   Nhimbaloth’s Cutter
  
  54
  Treasure: The three crystal globes are each about a 
  foot in diameter and worth 200 gp to certain unsavory 
  soul merchants, such as night hags. If smashed, their 
  fragments are valueless but the soul trapped within 
  travels to the Boneyard and its ultimate reward. 
  The three functioning machines contain some 
  valuable parts. With several hours’ work and a 
  successful DC 30 Crafting check, a hero can strip a 
  machine of rare metals and delicate gears worth 80 gp. 
  If this check is a critical success, the parts are worth 
  160 gp; on a critical failure, the parts in that machine 
  are ruined and valueless. 
  C8. DEVOURING CHAMBER 
  SEVERE 10
  This large chamber has a spiny, dust-covered floor. On the far 
  western end is a large stone basin filled with swamp plants.
  A thick layer of dust covers the shattered crystal 
  shards littering the floor, evidence of hundreds of 
  initiates’ extracted souls. The broken crystal makes the 
  ground difficult terrain and inflicts a –5 circumstance 
  penalty to Stealth checks, but it isn’t dangerous to 
  anyone who isn’t barefoot. Barefoot creatures take 5 
  piercing damage at the end of each Stride in the room.
  Creatures: Three powerful dread wisps called soul 
  feeders float here. As extensions of the evil energies of 
  the Empty Vault (area C20), they funnel souls released 
  here into that chamber. They can’t return to the Empty 
  Vault, or even leave this room, without more souls. 
  When the heroes arrive, the bobbing wisps demand 
  that the heroes gather the crystal globes from the next 
  room and smash them here. They don’t admit that 
  doing so frees them to return to the Empty Vault, but 
  might insist (truthfully) that doing so will cause them 
  to vanish from here. One soul feeder winks out for 
  each sphere the heroes smash; the heroes will face 
  them again in the Empty Vault.
  If it becomes clear to the soul feeders that the heroes 
  aren’t going to comply, they attack the heroes in an 
  attempt to kill them and use their souls as the fuel for 
  the Empty Vault instead. Soul feeders gang up on one 
  hero at a time, moving on to another when their target 
  is dead. Each hero killed in this room returns one soul 
  feeder to the Empty Vault immediately.
  SOUL FEEDERS (3) 
  CREATURE 10
  Elite dread wisps (Pathfinder Bestiary 6, page 81) 
  Initiative Perception +22
  Stolen Soul: A hero who dies in this room has a 
  portion of their soul stolen to power the Empty Vault. 
  The hero can be raised as normal, but they gain the 
  doomed 1 condition and can’t reduce their doomed 
  condition below 1 for a year. 
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for dealing with 
  these soul feeders and passing the Challenge of Souls.
  C9. SECOND CHALLENGE
  This chamber looks much like the room to the north, except 
  the gray door to the west is carved with frightened faces 
  rather than mist, and there are three metal tubes rather than 
  two. The basin of reeds and swamp water is to the south. 
  This is where initiates began the Challenge of 
  Despair. The south doors and mechanical iris openings 
  in the tubes are similar to those in area C1. The door 
  on the west wall is unlocked and leads to second test. 
  If Lady’s Whisper is leading the heroes through the 
  challenges, it points silently at the western door. The 
  second dread wisp shadowing Lady’s Whisper moves 
  to hover above the basin and silently report the heroes’ 
  movements to Belcorra. Once the heroes are through 
  the door, Lady’s Whisper opens the doors to area C14 
  and awaits the heroes there, closing the doors after 
  moving through them.
  C10. PATH OF PLEASANT MEMORIES
  The walls of this long, narrow hall are momentarily stark 
  white, but colorful images soon swirl upon them. A door 
  stands at each end of the hall.
  Occult magic powers the illusions here and along the 
  path that constitutes the Challenge of Despair (areas 
  C11 and C12). Each viewer sees different images, as 
  they’re all a hodgepodge of memories drawn from 
  the viewers’ mind. You might draw upon the heroes’ 
  victories, friendships, and amusing encounters in 
  this Adventure Path to describe the images. A hero 
  who approaches the western door must attempt a 
  DC 27 Will saving throw; on a failure, the hero is 
  entranced by the illusory images for 24 hours. While 
  so entranced, the hero takes a –10-foot penalty to all 
  Speeds in areas C10 to C12, and can’t Avert their Gaze 
  from the images in the same areas.
  Two secret doors allowed cultists to cut quickly 
  between the challenges. Heroes Searching this hall 
  discover the secret door to the north with a successful 
  DC 25 Perception check and the secret door to the 
  south with a successful DC 30 Perception check. Each 
  is opened by manipulating a nearby section of the wall 
  that’s slightly darker than the surrounding stone. The 
  secret door to the south is one-way only; the heroes 
  can use it to access area C12 but can’t come back.
  
  55
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  C11. PATH OF FAILURE
  This path widens and turns south opposite the single 
  narrow door. Its walls are a riot of swirling images.
  The occult magic in this hall pulls personalized 
  memories from the viewer, as in area C10, but these 
  memories are all failures: mentors scolding the viewer, 
  authorities punishing them, or lost friends crying. You 
  can also pull from any significant failures a hero had 
  during this Adventure Path, such as needing to flee a 
  significant foe or triggering a damaging trap. 
  Hazard: This room’s images worm into the victim’s 
  mind. The heroes can Avert their Gaze (Core Rulebook 
  472) from these images and gain that action’s bonus 
  to saving throws required by this hazard, even though 
  these illusions are more than merely visual. 
  IMAGES OF FAILURE 
  HAZARD 12
  MAGICAL
  TRAP
  Stealth DC 35 (expert) to realize the illusory images conceal 
  a magical trap (noticing the images has a DC of 0)
  Description Psychically enhanced illusions flood the minds 
  of creatures in the 40-foot-long, 15-foot-wide hallway 
  (the white dotted box on the map) with memories of 
  their past failures. 
  Disable DC 32 Occultism (master) or dispel magic (5th 
  level; counteract DC 26) to weaken the images; three 
  successes are required to disable the trap 
  Echoes of Defeat � (curse, emotion, enchantment, mental) 
  Trigger A creature ends a move action within the trap’s 
  area; Effect The triggering creature takes 2d10+10 
  mental damage (DC 32 basic Will save) as it recalls its 
  past failures. A creature that takes damage hears a soft 
  whisper offering, “Let me take something from you and 
  I can stop the pain.” A creature who agrees loses access 
  to a random skill feat that isn’t a prerequisite for another 
  feat, and the creature doesn’t take further damage from 
  Echoes of Defeat. This effect lasts for 1 week and can be 
  ended by effects that remove curses.
  Reset The trap resets immediately and can affect the same 
  creature multiple times on the creature’s turn.
  C12. PATH OF POWERLESSNESS
  The walls, floor, and ceiling of this long hall swirl with 
  overlapping, shifting images.
  This hall’s occult magic manifests images drawn 
  from the viewer’s mind, as in areas C10 and C11, but 
  these images predict failure in the future. Viewers see 
  themselves growing infirm, succumbing to disease, or 
  falling in battle against Belcorra. 
  The secret door leading north doesn’t open from 
  this side. The secret door to the east is the only way 
  to leave and complete the Challenge of Despair; those 
  who couldn’t find this hidden exit eventually died 
  from the torment in the images. Anyone more than 
  20 feet from the secret door can’t see it due to the 
  overlapping images, but anyone within 20 feet who 
  Seeks in the area discovers it with a successful DC 27 
  Perception check. A hero who Searches the hall (which 
  isn’t possible while the trap is active, as the heroes 
  are in encounter mode rather than exploration mode) 
  finds the secret door automatically.
  Hazard: This trap is similar to the one in area C11, 
  though its area is much larger, as it fills the entire long 
  hallway. The heroes can also Avert their Gaze from the 
  images in this trap as well, if they choose. 
  IMAGES OF POWERLESSNESS 
  HAZARD 12
  MAGICAL
  TRAP
  Stealth DC 35 (expert) to realize the illusory images conceal 
  a magical trap (noticing the images has a DC of 0) 
  Description Psychically-enhanced illusions flood the minds 
  of creatures in the 95-foot-long, 15-foot-wide hallway 
  (the white dotted box on the map) with visions of their 
  failures yet to come. 
  Disable DC 32 Occultism (master) or dispel magic (5th 
  level; counteract DC 26) to weaken the images; three 
  successes are required to disable the trap 
  Flood of Despair � (curse, emotion, enchantment, mental) 
  Trigger A creature ends a move action within the trap’s 
  area; Effect The triggering creature takes 2d10+10 mental 
  damage (DC 32 basic Will save) as it considers its future 
  failures. A creature that takes damage hears a soft 
  whisper offering, “Let me take something from you and 
  I can stop the pain.” A creature who agrees loses access 
  to a random class feat that isn’t a prerequisite for another 
  feat, and the creature doesn’t take further damage from 
  Flood of Despair. This effect lasts for 1 week and can be 
  ended by effects that remove curses. The creature also 
  immediately detects the secret door at the end of the hall, 
  no matter how far away from the end of the hall they are.
  Reset The trap resets immediately and can affect the same 
  creature multiple times on the creature’s turn.
  C13. CHAMBER OF REFLECTION
  The walls of this bare room are white and plain.
  Initiates who passed the Challenge of Despair were 
  permitted to stop in this psychic refuge to recover 
  before facing the next test.
  XP Award: Award the heroes 30 XP for reaching 
  this room after passing the Challenge of Despair.
  
  56
  C14. THIRD CHALLENGE
  This large room has double doors of black stone to the 
  north and an enormous slab of rough-hewn rock blocking 
  passage to the south. Two metal tubes jut into this room 
  from the east wall. Both of their mechanical irises are open. 
  The slab of rock blocking the passage south is one 
  of two slabs that function as enormous doors. There’s 
  a gap of only a few inches between them. The doors 
  are particularly sturdy, and the only way for anyone 
  other than Lady’s Whisper to open them is to smash 
  them down (Hardness 20, 80 Hit Points each).
  Passing the Challenge of Despair: Lady’s Whisper 
  meets the heroes who enter from area C13 here. A hero 
  who succeeds at a DC 22 Perception check to Sense 
  Motive realizes that Lady’s Whisper is angry that the 
  heroes passed. On a critical success, the hero realizes 
  that Lady’s Whisper plans to betray them if they keep 
  passing Nhimbaloth’s tests. 
  Lady’s Whisper points to the open pipes. When the 
  heroes exit through the pipes, it closes the iris portals 
  after them and then raises the stone slabs enough to 
  enter are C18, where it again waits for the heroes.
  C15. DEADLY SWAMP 
  MODERATE 10
  The pipes leading to this chamber from area C1 end 
  with a 25-foot drop, the pipes from area C9 end with 
  a 20-foot drop, and the pipes from area C14 end with 
  a 15-foot drop. In all cases, the drop is into reeking 
  swamp muck, so falling creatures take no damage but 
  draw the attention of this room’s inhabitants.
  This massive cavern is a thick swamp, moist and stinking. 
  Seven rusted metal boxes are just visible within the 
  dense reeds of the swamp. The south end of the cavern 
  is a rounded metal dam that is slid upwards so only a 
  constant trickle of water dribbles from its top, near the 
  ceiling. Ancient gears on either side of the dam appear to 
  lower it, though streaks of rust show they haven’t moved 
  in quite some time. At the lower north end of the cavern, 
  the swamp water drains into a 
  murky, flooded room.
  This room’s environment 
  echoes the poisonous terrain 
  of Nhimbaloth’s dead world, 
  Voidbracken. The Challenge of 
  the Swamp is simple: survive, 
  find the way to open the dam, 
  and enter area C17. 
  This area is difficult terrain, as 
  the water isn’t deep but the ground 
  beneath it is sucking and treacherous. 
  Further, the air in the swamp is toxic. 
  Any creature starting its turn in the swamp 
  must succeed on a DC 27 Fortitude saving 
  throw or become sickened 2 (sickened 4 on a 
  critical failure) and can’t reduce its sickened 
  condition while in this area. The creature is 
  then temporarily immune for 10 minutes, 
  whether or not it succeeded at the saving throw. 
  This is a poison effect.
  Heroes Searching this area spot three rusted 
  metal pipes running just beneath the swamp water 
  and weeds. These connect to the rusty metal 
  boxes (marked on the map) and are part 
  of the control system to lower the dam. 
  Heroes who succeed at a DC 25 Crafting, 
  Engineering Lore, or Thievery check to 
  Recall Knowledge realize that the pipes are important 
  Voidbracken Chuul
  
  57
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  to controlling the dam; on a critical success, the hero 
  also realizes that they connect to controls further 
  north (in area C16).
  Rusting Boxes: Each box has a single valve turned 
  sideways, pointing east to west. This is the “off” 
  position; turning it to point north to south (the way the 
  pipes run beneath them) puts it in the “on” position. 
  All seven boxes must be turned to the “on” position 
  before the control wheels in area C16 can turn. If your 
  players like puzzles, you can have each valve that’s 
  turned (in either direction) automatically turn all other 
  valves along its pipe and in its row as well; the players 
  then need to puzzle out how to turn them all “on.”
  Creatures: Before the heroes can manipulate the 
  valves on the rusting boxes, they must contend with 
  a trio of chuuls imbued with Voidbracken’s toxic 
  energies. The chuuls fight until slain.
  VOIDBRACKEN CHUULS (3) 
  CREATURE 9
  RARE
  CE
  LARGE
  ABERRATION
  AMPHIBIOUS
  Variant chuul (Pathfinder Bestiary 64)
  Perception +18; darkvision, tremorsense (imprecise) 30 feet
  Languages Aklo, Undercommon
  Skills Athletics +21, Nature +16, Stealth +17, Survival +16
  Str +6, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +0
  AC 31; Fort +21, Ref +18, Will +15
  HP 140; Immunities poison
  Attack of Opportunity �
  Speed 30 feet, swim 25 feet
  Melee � claw +22 (reach 10 feet), Damage 2d8+12 
  bludgeoning plus Grab
  Constrict � 1d8+12 bludgeoning, DC 28 (grabbed by claws 
  only)
  Draining Venom (poison) Saving Throw DC 28 Fortitude; 
  Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 drained 1 (1 round); 
  Stage 2 drained 2 (1 round)
  Mind Feeding � Requirements A drained creature is 
  grabbed by the chuul’s tentacles; Effect The creature 
  takes 3d6 mental damage.
  Swamp Stride The Voidbracken chuul ignores difficult 
  terrain and greater difficult terrain in swamps.
  Tentacle Transfer � Requirements The Voidbracken chuul 
  has a creature grabbed; Effect The chuul transfers the 
  grabbed creature from its claws to its tentacles, or vice 
  versa. The creature is exposed to the chuul’s draining 
  venom when transferred into the tentacles and at the 
  start of each of the chuul’s turns if it remains grabbed 
  by the tentacles.
  C16. PERILOUS CONTROLS 
  SEVERE 10
  Swamp water floods much of this cave. Three small islands 
  each hold a metal box with a rusty wheel. 
  The murky water in this room looks no deeper than 
  the swamp in area C15, but it’s 25 feet deep. The heroes 
  will likely need to swim to the islands. Fortunately, the 
  air in this cavern isn’t as toxic as that in area C15. 
  The three wheels on the islands control the dam in 
  area C15. If all are turned fully clockwise (requiring 
  three Interact actions each) while all the valves in 
  area C15 are positioned “on,” the dam there grinds 
  downward, releasing a cascade of fetid swamp water. 
  This influx raises the water level here and in area C15 
  by several inches.
  Creatures: Lurking under the water are a pair of 
  dread dhuthorexes that fight intruders to the death. 
  DREAD DHUTHOREXES (2) 
  CREATURE 11
  Page 80
  Initiative Perception +22
  C17. INFESTED REEDS 
  LOW 10
  This room is usually filled a foot deep with swamp 
  water that drains from the Empty Vault when the 
  dam connected to area C15 is closed. The heroes most 
  likely enter this area from area C15 after lowering the 
  dam; if they do, they’ve completed the Challenge of 
  the Swamp. 
  DESTROYING BELCORRA
  Belcorra only stops rejuvenating once she completes 
  her goal of inflicting murderous revenge upon 
  Absalom—but there is another way to end her villainy 
  for good. Nhimbaloth, the devourer of spirits, can 
  utterly annihilate the ghost so she troubles the 
  world no longer. Drawing the reclusive and inhuman 
  Nhimbaloth’s attention isn’t easy, but Belcorra laid the 
  groundwork for this by relying so heavily upon the 
  Ebon Fulcrum Lens. Nhimbaloth is already inclined 
  to turn her spirit-consuming attention to Belcorra 
  because Belcorra has made frequent use of the 
  glimmers of Nhimbaloth’s essence within the item. 
  The heroes must strengthen this contact by imbuing 
  Belcorra with the splinters of Nhimbaloth’s essence in 
  the Crimson Fulcrum Lens, the Emerald Fulcrum Lens, 
  and the Ochre Fulcrum Lens (it’s easier to do so via the 
  Fulcrum Lattice, but that item isn’t strictly required). 
  Each splinter gives Belcorra a bit more power, but all 
  three together (building upon her past use of the Ebon 
  Fulcrum Lens) draw Nhimbaloth’s dread gaze to her 
  ghostly devotee.
  
  58
  A circular pool of swamp water sits at the center of this 
  square chamber. The pool is fed by a channel in the west wall, 
  between two sets of black stone double doors. The water 
  flows out to the north, through a metal dam. A thick knot of 
  writhing reeds, like a grotesque tree, rises from the pool.
  The pool and channels are only six inches deep, which 
  is why the room floods so easily when the dam is closed. 
  Creature: The writhing here is caused by an isqulug 
  infestation. When the heroes arrive, the grotesque 
  aberration moves out of the reeds to attack. While a 
  malevolent creature, it’s not affiliated with Nhimbaloth 
  and recalls very little about how its larvae came here ages 
  ago. If reduced to fewer than 150 Hit Points, the isqulug 
  casts control water to raise the water in this room by 10 
  feet and, it hopes, gain an advantage in the fight. When 
  destroyed, its larvae scatter in the water and slip into the 
  swamp below—in time, to grow a new host body.
  ISQULUG 
  CREATURE 11
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 149
  Initiative Perception +24
  C18. MAW OF THE GODDESS 
  LOW 10
  The vaulted ceiling of this massive chamber reaches eighty 
  feet high and is carved with intricate patterns of bones, 
  swamp weeds, and misty swirls. To the south stands a huge 
  dais, its stone carved into crooked, cracked teeth. Upon the 
  dais rests a massive skull, its eye sockets empty and its visage 
  menacing. A channel of filthy water cuts across this room, 
  emerging from the base of the walls on the east and west side. 
  Double doors bracket each channel outlet. 
  The wall behind the giant skull hides a secret door, 
  partially outlined in moisture and easier to find than 
  normal. A successful DC 20 Perception check while 
  Searching this area locates it. 
  Creature: If the heroes have yet to defeat Lady’s 
  Whisper, it is waiting on the dais. It doesn’t point 
  toward any direction, but instead walks slowly toward 
  the heroes. It whispers, “I know that you are pretenders. 
  Defilers. You should not be here. Nhimbaloth thinks 
  you serve some purpose to her plans, but I disagree.” 
  Lady’s Whisper then attacks to stop the heroes’ 
  progress. It uses its unwilling teleportation ability to 
  shunt the heroes into area C14 if it can, so they have 
  to take the time to come around through the swamp 
  again. Lady’s Whisper fights until destroyed.
  LADY’S WHISPER 
  CREATURE 11
  Page 49
  Initiative Perception +25
  C19. PASSAGE TO THE DEPTHS 
  SEVERE 10
  A smooth, natural cavern winds its way through the 
  darkness, ending in a larger chamber with a wide pit at the 
  far side. A corpse is slumped at the pit’s edge.
  The pit is hundreds of feet deep and leads to even 
  darker and stranger places in the Darklands. Its 
  challenges are beyond the scope of this adventure. 
  The corpse is a messily killed humanoid of a strange 
  appearance: two heads and a chitinous body. The 
  irlgaunt in the pit hollowed it out and filled it with 
  gravel, so it makes a clattering noise when disturbed 
  unless it’s handled very carefully.
  Creatures: Although this passage hasn’t been used 
  in centuries, it’s not wholly abandoned. A crab-like 
  irlgaunt from deeper in the Darklands lurks in the pit. 
  When the irlgaunt hears activity in the room above, 
  such as the clattering of gravel from the gruesome 
  alarm it made, it skitters up the pit and arrives in 2 
  rounds. It retreats, abandoning its potential meal, if 
  reduced to fewer than 50 Hit Points.
  IRLGAUNT 
  CREATURE 13
  Pathfinder Bestiary 2 148
  Initiative Perception +24
  Treasure: The odd corpse still wears a strange 
  jeweled torc worth 500 gp. 
  C20. EMPTY VAULT 
  EXTREME 10
  This strangely shaped chamber is humid and oppressively 
  clammy. The room’s four wings each contain a massive 
  pool of bubbling swamp water. Flickering motes of light 
  and darkness play underneath the surface of the pools. The 
  chamber’s center is partially blocked by a circle of towering 
  black standing stones, which crackle with eerie energy 
  that shoots up into a shaft in the ceiling. Seven narrow 
  channels, as though dug into the stone by a seven-fingered 
  hand, run from each pool and three of the walls to a moat in 
  the center of the room. From there, the water flows under 
  the wall to the east, between a pair of black stone double 
  doors. An island in the moat holds a smooth altar topped 
  with a black lens the size of a fist. 
  The Empty Vault has always been a generation pit for 
  the wisps who serve Nhimbaloth. A funnel of swamp, 
  despair, and ghostly energies, it is mystically connected 
  to the various swamp plant basins throughout the lower 
  Abomination Vaults. Any follower of Nhimbaloth can 
  telepathically communicate with wisps adjacent to the 
  basins from here.
  
  59
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  The Empty Vault drew Belcorra’s soul after the 
  Roseguard killed her, and her ghost reappeared here 
  500 years after the most traumatic event in her life—
  not her death, but her family’s exile from Absalom. 
  Belcorra can’t leave this chamber for long, so she uses 
  her wisp proxies and bound agents to enact her will 
  throughout the Abomination Vaults. She keeps the 
  Ebon Fulcrum Lens on the altar to restore its energies; 
  while here, it can regain its glimmers of Nhimbaloth’s 
  essence, but this takes time.
  The seven swamp water rivulets are both dangerous 
  and noxious, as they mark where Nhimbaloth once 
  touched the world. It’s a simple matter to step over them, 
  but they pull unpleasantly at the life energy of anyone 
  who crosses them. At the end of any turn in which a 
  hero crosses a rivulet (whether by Striding, Stepping, 
  Flying, or any other means), the hero must succeed at 
  a DC 22 Fortitude save or become doomed 1. This DC 
  increases by 2 for each additional unique rivulet crossed 
  during that turn (for example, a hero who crosses over 
  3 rivulets in their turn must make a DC 26 Fortitude 
  saving throw). The doomed condition is cumulative 
  on subsequent rounds. Crossing the pools doesn’t have 
  this effect, so the heroes might learn that there are safer 
  ways to move about the room than simply walking in 
  a direct line. The rivulets have no effect on followers of 
  Nhimbaloth, including Belcorra and the dread wisps.
  The black stone menhirs help support Gauntlight’s 
  weight and emit the twisting ribbon of eerie energy 
  that writhes up the shaft through area A37 and B28. 
  Belcorra’s connection to Gauntlight means she can 
  manipulate this ribbon of energy to power the artifact. 
  Creatures: If Belcorra hasn’t yet rejuvenated, the 
  Ebon Fulcrum Lens automatically rejuvenates her 
  when the heroes arrive. She is so incensed that another 
  group of adventurers would dare to oppose her in her 
  sanctum that she attacks with her full fury. Belcorra 
  focuses her attacks on anyone who carries fulcrum 
  lenses, especially a hero who carries them in the 
  Fulcrum Lattice. She realizes that the lenses are potent 
  weapons that can be used against her.
  There is one soul feeder here at all times. If the 
  heroes presented souls to the soul feeders in area C8, 
  they’ve come here and also fight at Belcorra’s side; this 
  makes the encounter particularly challenging! 
  Belcorra and the soul feeders use the menhirs for 
  cover as they dart about, hoping to draw the heroes 
  over the doom-inducing rivulets of swamp water. 
  When the heroes infuse Belcorra with splinters in the 
  Crimson Fulcrum Lens, the Emerald Fulcrum Lens, 
  and the Ochre Fulcrum Lens, Nhimbaloth comes for 
  her and she is forever destroyed. When the heroes do 
  this, proceed to Nhimbaloth’s Entrance, below.
  BELCORRA HARUVEX 
  CREATURE 12
  Page 86
  Initiative Perception +22
  SOUL FEEDERS (1 TO 4) 
  CREATURE 10
  Elite dread wisps (Pathfinder Bestiary 6, page 81) 
  Initiative Perception +22
  Nhimbaloth’s Entrance
  Once the heroes have infused Belcorra with all three of 
  Nhimbaloth’s splinters, the earth shakes. A tremendous 
  and hideous wail emanates from somewhere beyond this 
  chamber—indeed, it seems, from somewhere beyond the 
  Material Plane. All creatures in the Abomination Vaults 
  must succeed a DC 30 Will save or become frightened 3 
  (a creature that critically fails is also paralyzed for 1d4 
  rounds). At the start of the following round, the essence 
  of Nhimbaloth pervades the room.
  A terrible, blackish-gray mist seeps into the room. It 
  stinks of a fetid bog and leaves a layer of cloying, slimy 
  water upon everything it passes. The mist twists in shape 
  and form, with seven-fingered tentacles appearing and 
  disappearing in the fog. 
  This misty incarnation can’t be attacked or 
  damaged. It flows into Belcorra, who shrieks, “No! I 
  deserve your power, not your attention! My death is 
  full of rage and strength—it is not empty!” Despite 
  these protestations, Belcorra’s form is pulled apart into 
  the mist, and the mist vanishes.
  An immense grinding noise comes from high above. 
  Gauntlight, Belcorra’s greatest work, is collapsing, 
  one level at a time. With each passing round, the 
  artifact drops one dungeon level along the lighthouse’s 
  footprint, obliterating anything directly beneath 
  it. In the 9th round, it collapses into this chamber, 
  destroying everything here—by then, the heroes would 
  best be gone.
  Conclusion
  With Belcorra destroyed, Otari and Absalom are safe 
  from her spiteful schemes. The heroes receive a warm 
  welcome when they return to Otari, and everyone 
  wants to hear their tales over a friendly fire, good food, 
  and more than a few drinks. The heroes are always 
  welcome in Otari and their stories are told, retold, and 
  embellished upon for generations.
  Gauntlight is no more, and only the pit in the Fogfen 
  marks the spot it once stood. The dangers lurking in 
  the Abomination Vaults might one day regain their 
  strength and menace the surface—but those are tales 
  for other heroes. 
  
  60
  
  61
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  The banks of the River of Souls brushes against every 
  world, for when a mortal dies, their spirit steps out 
  of their body to cross over these banks on the first 
  step toward the afterlife. Yet, as 
  with most rivers, predators lurk 
  along these perilous banks. Night 
  hags, astradaemons, devourers, 
  and worse stalk the River, eager to 
  pluck souls free and feed on them. 
  Dread Nhimbaloth, the Empty 
  Death, doesn’t deign to hunt 
  the shores of the River of Souls 
  alongside 
  these 
  predators—she 
  instead feeds upon the predators 
  themselves, reveling in consuming souls already being 
  digested in the gullets of those who would deem 
  themselves the apex hunters of the dead.
  Nhimbaloth uses the shores of the River of Souls 
  to manifest upon the universe’s countless worlds, but 
  she can’t just do so whenever she wills it. Before the 
  Empty Death can manifest within a world, it must 
  first endure a cataclysm so vast that the outflow of the 
  dead into the River of Souls weakens the boundaries 
  between life and death. When such massive casualties 
  sufficiently thin these borders, she can drift in through 
  the cracks and stain what she finds. The resulting 
  blurring between the River of Souls and its shore is 
  metaphysically akin to the muddied boundary of a 
  swamp. It’s no coincidence that when Nhimbaloth 
  emerges into a world, she chooses to dwell in its 
  remote swamplands. Nhimbaloth isn’t a glutton—
  she’s endlessly patient and can linger on a world for 
  centuries before being noticed.
  More often, her presence in an isolated swampland 
  simply festers, turning a region of natural beauty into 
  a dangerous fen that draws all manner of monsters 
  to its fetid heart. Such lands call to will-o’-wisps; for 
  these feeders of fears, the ruin wrought by the Empty 
  Death is like a fine wine of unparalleled vintage. 
  In time, many of these wisps realize the truth of the 
  influence in their chosen haunts, and in most cases, 
  these ravenous aberrations become Empty Death’s 
  most fervent worshippers.
  Personification 
  and Realm
  While Dread Nhimbaloth has 
  no physical body of her own, 
  she has been known to manifest 
  a perceivable shape under the 
  perfect 
  conditions, 
  growing 
  visible after consuming a huge 
  quantity of souls as an empty 
  glass’s contours becomes more defined once filled with 
  liquid. In this form, Nhimbaloth appears as a twisting 
  melted mass of glistening blue fluid with eyes the 
  shape of yellow four-pointed stars, with a tangle of 
  translucent tentacles extending in every direction from 
  the fluid. The tentacles’ tips split into seven smaller 
  tendrils, and where these “hands” touch the world, 
  they leave her mark behind—a ring of seven strange 
  divots where vegetation refuses to grow, stone grows 
  chalky, and flesh festers as if it had forgotten how to 
  heal. The position of the stars in the sky, the number 
  of dead trapped within the swamp, and the time of 
  year all seem to play a part in determining when this 
  shadow of what might have once been Nhimbaloth’s 
  body can appear, as does the presence of her cultists, 
  but the manifestation rarely persists for long. Always, 
  the manifestation ends in a sudden consumption from 
  within when the Empty Death retreats to her domain, 
  leaving behind a dead swampland of toxic waters and 
  mindless undeath.
  This form often appears in illustrations that 
  depict the Empty Death, though Nhimbaloth is also 
  portrayed as a ghostly human woman with a single 
  yellow eye in the shape of a four-pointed star filling 
  her otherwise blank face, and a long, writhing mane 
   “The wind, her voice;
  The wisp, her eye;
  Your life, her choice;
  Your lot, to die.”
  —The Whispering Reeds
  NHIMBALOTH
  
  62
  of ghostly, seven-fingered tentacles as hair wraps 
  around her nearly skeletal body in a smoky shroud. 
  This version of her is surely the product of an artist’s 
  nightmare, yet cults have adopted it as their own.
  Nhimbaloth’s realm is a twofold domain. She 
  uses the banks of the River of Souls as a hunting 
  ground and a highway to travel from world to world 
  but supposedly dwells on a distant, dead planet. 
  The name of this domain has been lost to time; the 
  faithful of Nhimbaloth refer to it in whispers only 
  as Voidbracken. Here, an ancient battle between 
  Nhimbaloth and another power took place (most 
  myths suggest her foe was Pharasma) that resulted 
  in the destruction of the Empty Death’s body. This 
  conflict didn’t result in her death, however, and 
  her cult fondly views the event as an evolution—
  for without a body, she could now come and go 
  as she pleased along the shores of the River of 
  Souls. Voidbracken spins still in the Dark Tapestry, 
  wandering aimlessly through the universe but driven 
  always by Nhimbaloth’s will, and when it draws near 
  an inhabited system, the souls of the living are drawn 
  from their mortal shells in a cataclysm referred to in 
  rare surviving accounts as the Deadtide. According 
  to certain passages scribed in ancient texts like 
  the Necronomicon, many of the Great Old Ones 
  and Outer Gods must wait for the stars to align 
  just right to manifest. This is quite literally true in 
  Nhimbaloth’s case. Eventually, her Deadtides will 
  claim enough lives so that Nhimbaloth’s death will 
  die; the accumulated spiritual energy she has digested 
  will ultimately undo her ancient defeat, allowing her 
  to once more exist as a physical being.
  She will rise from death hungrier than ever.
  Dogma and Worshippers
  Nhimbaloth’s creed and worship are entirely the 
  product of her cultists, as the Empty Death has little 
  interest in providing her worshippers with direct 
  inspiration or direction. This tradition echoes the 
  pattern established with all other cults centered on 
  entities of the Elder Mythos who similarly care not 
  for their worshippers. Because of this lack of divine 
  direction, while their worshippers strive to accomplish 
  specific goals, they aren’t limited by anathemas.
  In Nhimbaloth’s case, her worshippers seek to create 
  undead—particularly ghosts and other incorporeal 
  creatures—to provide sustenance for their eldritch icon. 
  They also feast upon carnivores at their ceremonies, aping 
  Nhimbaloth’s predation upon soul-eating monsters. Her 
  faith is all but unknown in urban areas, but in isolated 
  swamp villages, worship of the Empty Death can suffuse 
  entire settlements. In such instances, the cult typically 
  builds the shell of a mainstream church to serve as a 
  front and satisfy any curious outsiders passing through, 
  while worshipping their goddess at a hidden location in 
  the heart of the night.
  Lower-level clerics of Nhimbaloth dress in whatever 
  corpse’s attire is commonly used in their society’s 
  burial rites, choosing to wear a “final suit” or “last 
  gown” during their rituals in hopes that sweet oblivion 
  might answer their prayers. Cult leaders, however, 
  often eschew this tradition, instead wearing dark green 
  or gray hooded robes adorned with tangled sheets of 
  clinging moss and skull-shaped masks adorned with 
  veils of additional moss. The cultists favor flails in 
  combat; these weapons often have heads shaped into 
  four-pointed stars with the flail’s chain attached to the 
  center of the star and handles wrapped in moss and 
  tanned flesh stripped from the dead.
  Humanoids are far from the Empty Death’s only 
  worshippers. As mentioned, will-o’-wisps and their kin 
  find much to admire in the sinister aura Nhimbaloth’s 
  presence brings to desolate swamplands, and it 
  doesn’t take long for them to take up faith in the 
  Empty Death, almost as if feeding on fear spurred 
  by her influence infects the wisps with devotion to 
  her faith. Marsh giants have also been known to 
  venerate Nhimbaloth under names like “Bogmother,” 
  “The Rushlight Woman,” “Swampfire Queen,” or 
  the like, although they pray to her more as a patron 
  of swampland than anything else. Vampiric mists 
  commonly appear in her swamplands as well, and 
  many scholars have nervously wondered about the 
  implied connection between Nhimbaloth’s mark 
  and the clusters of seven perfectly spaced punctures 
  vampiric mists leave in the bodies of those they’ve fed 
  upon through their misty tendrils.
  NHIMBALOTH’S INSPIRATION
  H. P. Lovecraft encouraged others to add to the 
  mythos of eldritch beings he created to populate his 
  weird fiction, and it was in this tradition that I first 
  created Nhimbaloth as an antagonist for my own 
  stories and roleplaying campaigns. Largely inspired 
  by the mysterious horror lurking behind nature’s 
  veil in Algernon Blackwood’s classic short story 
  “The Willows,” and with some valuable advice on 
  Outer God naming conventions from the fine folks 
  at Chaosium, Nhimbaloth has become one of my 
  proudest additions to the ever-expanding Lovecraft 
  Mythos. —James Jacobs
  
  63
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Temples and Shrines
  Often, the members of a cult of the Empty Death 
  consist of the truly desperate, those with little money 
  and less hope. They conduct their worship in their 
  homes, or what passes as a home—partially collapsed 
  shacks, abandoned barns, or even slumped survivalists’ 
  shelters all suffice for the worship of Nhimbaloth. The 
  rarer cults led by deviants of means construct larger 
  structures to honor Nhimbaloth and often build these 
  structures as mockeries of other churches by including 
  stained glass windows, mosaics, and other works of 
  art that honor the Outer Goddess. In such cases, the 
  structure often serves a secondary purpose, such as 
  a castle, a manor house, or the like. Curiously, these 
  larger structures often share a particular feature: 
  a tower that serves as a beacon or lighthouse as a 
  way to honor will-o’-wisps, which the cult adore. To 
  her followers, will-o’-wisps are Nhimbaloth’s eyes, 
  and her gaze looks out upon the world through the 
  lambent glow of these supernatural predators. A 
  beacon or lighthouse in a temple thus symbolizes a 
  will-o’-wisp, but also, they believe it gives Nhimbaloth 
  a lens through which to gaze upon the world.
  Nhimbaloth’s symbol is a skull with moss stuffed 
  into its jaws, although her cultists often create variants 
  of it as crude dolls or effigies of moss-caked bones and 
  fragments of skulls. Temples that can afford to be open 
  about their affiliation with the goddess often adorn 
  their structures with skulls that have moss carefully 
  grown into soggy, vermin-infested beards or with 
  moss draperies that hang down over archways to form 
  moist curtains in place of proper doors.
  A Priest’s Role
  As with most cults of the Elder Mythos, the majority 
  of Nhimbaloth’s devout don’t worship out of respect 
  or adoration so much as fear. For them, the concept 
  of death isn’t what evokes nightmare, but the fear of 
  what judgment might await in the afterlife is what 
  drives most to her faith. Those who have sinned, who 
  have committed heresy against a prior faith, or who 
  simply live in constant terror of what Pharasma might 
  say to them when they reach her throne instead seek 
  the oblivion offered by Nhimbaloth. They seek not to 
  escape death or life, but to escape what they fear will 
  be an even worse afterlife.
  Yet this is not the only motive that draws worshippers 
  to her fold. Some, rather than being driven by a fear 
  of the afterlife, are enticed by the opportunity to bask 
  in the misery and despair of others. These members 
  are some of the most awful in the sect, for they use the 
  promise of oblivion that Nhimbaloth offers to those 
  who worship her as a lure to draw in the desperate 
  to aid their own nefarious plots. Some seek to use 
  these eager-for-oblivion zealots as disposable armies 
  for acts of vengeance or rage; others draw upon these 
  worshippers as sacrifices to fuel abhorrent rituals or to 
  craft horrific magic items.
  Even these predators of the desperate pale in 
  comparison to the worst of Nhimbaloth’s worshippers—
  nihilists who fully understand the Empty Death and 
  see in her the ultimate tool to destroy a world they’ve 
  grown to loathe. For these cultists, nothing less than 
  using the Voidbracken to bring a Deadtide upon their 
  world will suffice. They might have a hidden plan to 
  escape the world the moment all life is ended; they 
  might even seek their own oblivion or believe that 
  Nhimbaloth herself might reward them with dominion 
  over a dead world. Regardless of their intent, these 
  doomsday shepherds are the most dangerous of the 
  Empty Death’s worshippers.
  Holidays
  Cults of Nhimbaloth that exist in small communities 
  under the guise of a different religion take pains to 
  observe that faith’s holidays if visitors or (more 
  rarely) townsfolk don’t know their gathering’s true 
  faith, but apart from that, worshippers of the Empty 
  Death don’t observe regular holidays or religious 
  festivals—with one unusual exception. The exact date 
  on which Nhimbaloth’s body was taken from her 
  and Voidbracken was denuded of life is unknown, so 
  each cult chooses one day of import to observe this 
  anniversary. The fact that no one knows the length 
  of Voidbracken’s year makes this ritual even more 
  arbitrary; regardless, her faithful believe that on one 
  of these so-called Void Dawns, the sun won’t rise upon 
  the world and all life will be snuffed in a Deadtide. 
  Cultists celebrate the night leading to a Void Dawn 
  with a gluttonous feast consisting of all manner of 
  carnivores and monsters—meals they often make 
  during the proceedings while the “food” still lives. 
  When the sun inevitably rises, the cultists choose one 
  of their own as the final feast in atonement for failing 
  to bring the Deadtide to their world.
  Aphorisms
  Worshippers of Nhimbaloth fondly quote and recite 
  their favorite tales from The Whispering Reeds, each 
  of which has a number of memorable and haunting 
  lines. However, a variant of an infamous quote from 
  the Necronomicon particularly resonates with all of 
  her worshippers.
  Long Dream the Dead, Yet Even Death Can Die: 
  To many, the notion of death is akin to an eternal 
  slumber, a dawnless rest in which the soul experiences 
  
  64
  an afterlife in the way a sleeping person could dream 
  several different lives in the span of a single night. 
  Whether a dreamer wakes with the dawn or dies in 
  their sleep, all dreams eventually come to an end. Just 
  as when the Empty Death comes to call, even death 
  knows oblivion—and even death may die.
  Holy Text
  Mentions of Nhimbaloth are rare, even for the esoteric 
  topic of the Outer Gods. The dread Necronomicon 
  mentions her, and certain translations of that book 
  purportedly contain descriptions of her true form, 
  which might be the only place where Nhimbaloth’s 
  true form is set down in print. This information isn’t 
  even present in the text most often associated with her 
  worship: a rare tome called The Whispering Reeds.
  The genesis of The Whispering Reeds lies not in 
  those who worship the Empty Death, but in those who 
  sought to oppose her. The book consists of stories, 
  myths, parables, and encounters with Nhimbaloth 
  gathered from hundreds of regions in dozens of worlds. 
  The compiler’s name has been long forgotten, as they 
  neglected to name themself in the text. This matters 
  not to those who worship Nhimbaloth, nor does the 
  fact that the author originally penned the book for the 
  purpose of cataloging the ways in which Nhimbaloth’s 
  influence could be opposed. The very act of collecting 
  these old stories of the Empty Death brushing against 
  the world had the opposite effect, and now, those who 
  seek to draw their goddess’s attention to their world 
  uses The Whispering Reeds to spread stories of her 
  previous visits.
  Details on this potent, cursed work appear on 
  page 78 of Pathfinder Adventure Path #163: Ruins 
  of Gauntlight.
  Relations with Other Religions
  Nhimbaloth 
  doesn’t 
  consort 
  with 
  other 
  gods, 
  although often her visitations upon the wilderness 
  force confrontations with other faiths. In particular, 
  Gozreh and Desna oppose her influence—the former 
  because of the proliferation of unnatural elements that 
  taint swamplands, and the latter out of a mixture 
  of anger and fear that her flock might stumble 
  into Nhimbaloth’s clutches accidently while 
  exploring the wilds. The Eldest of the First World 
  also oppose Nhimbaloth, whose parasitic tendrils 
  can occasionally drift into that plane through fey 
  gates and portals. Even after driving out 
  the Empty Death, small cults of fey who 
  have fallen under her sway inevitably 
  remain.
  Pharasma opposes Nhimbaloth 
  for multiple reasons. Those who 
  perish in lands haunted by the 
  latter’s presence tend to rise as ghosts. 
  Moreover, the Empty Death’s habit 
  of consuming those ghosts has rightly 
  angered Pharasma, for rather than 
  being released to the Boneyard, the 
  consumed souls simply disappear. One 
  might assume that such an affront to 
  the cycle of life and death would 
  compel Pharasma into a direct 
  confrontation with Nhimbaloth, 
  and indeed, certain ancient 
  texts tell of such a clash 
  between the two goddesses 
  at the very dawn of mortal 
  civilization. The titanic battle 
  left neither goddess the victor. 
  Priest of Nhimbaloth
  
  65
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Nhimbaloth learned to hide her predations upon the 
  world so that even Pharasma can’t readily find her, and 
  one particularly blasphemous tale in The Whispering 
  Reeds speaks of a hidden scar that Pharasma bears to 
  this day as a reminder of her failed attempt to decisively 
  defeat the Empty Death—a scar, supposedly, in the 
  pattern of seven divots of flesh where Nhimbaloth fed 
  upon the essence of the Goddess of Death.
  Whether or not this myth has any basis in fact, 
  the faithful of Pharasma view Nhimbaloth and her 
  cult with a combination of hatred and fearful respect. 
  Only the most devout and powerful of Pharasma’s 
  worshippers receive leave to hunt Nhimbaloth’s 
  faithful, and they work hard to prevent lay 
  worshippers from learning much of the Empty Death. 
  Their justification—that Nhimbaloth feeds only 
  on ghosts, and that by defeating or preventing the 
  formation of theses undead, they strike blows against 
  the Empty Death—reads to some as an excuse.
  Nhimbaloth (CE)
  The Empty Death’s sphere of influence 
  encompasses 
  despair, 
  ghosts, 
  and 
  swamps. As with most of the Outer Gods, 
  Nhimbaloth cares nothing for those who 
  worship her (and thus her clerics have no 
  key anathemas), yet those who venerate 
  the Empty Death nonetheless toil in vain to 
  attract her favor.
  Edicts create undead (particularly incorporeal 
  undead), feast upon carnivores that have 
  recently feasted upon others
  Anathema none
  Follower Alignments CE
  DEVOTEE BENEFITS
  Divine Font harm
  Divine Skill Nature
  Favored Weapon flail
  Domains decay (Pathfinder Lost Omens Gods & Magic 112), 
  nature, undeath, void (Gods & Magic 119)
  Alternate Domains abominations (see below), delirium 
  (Gods & Magic 113)
  Cleric Spells 1st: grim tendrils, 2nd: entangle, 5th: cloudkill
  New Rules
  ABOMINATIONS DOMAIN
  You seek to instill abhorrence and horror in those 
  around you.
  Domain Spell: lift nature’s caul
  Advanced Domain Spell: fearful feast
  LIFT NATURE’S CAUL 
  FOCUS 1
  UNCOMMON
  FEAR
  ILLUSION
  VISUAL
  Cast � somatic, verbal
  Range 5-foot emanation; Targets creatures in the area
  Saving Throw Will; Duration varies
  With a wave of the hand, you cause the targets to see 
  the world around them as if a gauzy film had been lifted 
  away to expose the truth that lies below their perceived 
  reality. Natural features they can see grow twisted and 
  horrendous, structures appear distorted and ruined, and 
  objects seem warped and alien. This alternate vision fades 
  quickly, but the glimpse beyond the natural world lingers 
  for the spell’s duration.
  Aberrations or worshippers of Outer Gods or Great Old 
  Ones are bolstered by this vision of warped reality and gain 
  a +1 status bonus to Will saving throws and attack rolls 
  for 1 minute, while all other creatures must attempt a Will 
  saving throw.
  Critical Success The creature is unaffected and temporarily 
  immune for 1 hour.
  Success The creature is sickened 1.
  Failure The creature is stupefied 1 for 1 minute and 
  frightened 1.
  Critical Failure The creature is stupefied 1 for 1 minute and 
  frightened 2. It can’t reduce the value of its frightened 
  condition below 1 as long as it remains stupefied by 
  this spell.
  Heightened (+2) You increase the area by 5 feet and the 
  duration of the stupefied condition by 1 minute.
  FEARFUL FEAST 
  FOCUS 4
  UNCOMMON
  FEAR
  MENTAL
  NECROMANCY
  Cast � somatic; Trigger A creature within range becomes 
  frightened.
  Range 30 feet; Targets the triggering creature
  Saving Throw Will; Duration varies
  You open your mouth wide and inhale sharply; you draw 
  in the bravery, self-confidence, and hope to which the 
  frightened target clings and then strip away the target’s 
  false assumption that these fragile emotions can save them 
  from the oblivion of terror. 
  You deal 6d4 mental damage to the creature, which 
  must attempt a Will saving throw.
  Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
  Success The creature’s frightened condition increases by 1, 
  and it takes half damage.
  Failure The creature’s frightened condition increases by 2, 
  and it takes full damage; you regain Hit Points equal to 
  half the damage the target takes.
  Critical Failure The creature’s frightened condition 
  increases by 3 and it takes double damage; you regain 
  Hit Points equal to half the damage the target takes.
  Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 2d4.
  
  66
  
  67
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Ghosts need no introduction. Perhaps no other 
  monster carries the sheer cultural heft of the humble 
  phantom, the ability to conjure a vivid image with the 
  simple words “ghost story.” The oldest recognizable 
  literary ghost story in Western literature dates to Pliny 
  the Younger in the 1st century ce, and already includes 
  a mysterious haunting, a spooky house, and an 
  unquiet spirit. Later masters of the form have included 
  Alejandro Amenábar, Charles Dickens, Lafcadio 
  Hearn, Susan Hill, Samantha Hunt, M. R. James, 
  Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Edith Nesbit, Helen 
  Oyeyemi, and Joe Ruby and Ken Spears (creators of 
  Scooby-Doo), as well as Steven Spielberg.
  In Golarion, as in most of fiction, a ghost arises 
  when a person dies with some manner of unfinished 
  business, and then continues to haunt until this is 
  resolved—their killer is brought to justice, they guide 
  a descendant to a buried treasure, and so forth. Then, 
  and only then, can the ghost be permanently set to rest. 
  Using Ghosts
  In Pathfinder, until a ghost’s particular unfinished 
  business is resolved, it can’t be permanently destroyed. 
  This means that ghosts make poor random encounters 
  or nameless minions—other undead such as wraiths 
  are better suited for that role. Rather, every ghost is 
  a unique individual, whether they’re a tragic victim 
  or an evil monster, with a story that the heroes must 
  engage with if they are to permanently deal with the 
  spirit. With that in mind, here are a few elements GMs 
  should keep in mind when creating these stories. 
  Remember the Mystery: A ghost story is, at heart, 
  an investigation. Often, laying a ghost to rest is as 
  simple as a few hours work with a shovel and a short 
  prayer. The challenge lies in knowing where to dig. 
  What anchors ghosts to the mortal world is 
  usually not immediately obvious, as they are rarely 
  straightforward about their aims in their encounters 
  with mortals. Heroes faced with a ghost usually want 
  to learn how and why the ghost died and what might 
  be keeping it around. This might involve looking for 
  clues at the scene of the haunting, consulting church or 
  civic records, speaking to those who knew the ghost, 
  or even trying to talk to the ghost directly. It’s not 
  uncommon for ghost hunters to require a couple of 
  attempts to determine precisely what is keeping a ghost 
  around, though GMs should be careful to provide 
  heroes with plenty of avenues for investigation. 
  Remember the Tragedy: Elderly people who die 
  in bed surrounded by loving family rarely become 
  ghosts. A ghost arises because, when the person dies, 
  there is something that they want, a desire they feel 
  more keenly than even the pull to pass on into death. 
  This is very rarely a happy thing. 
  Most often, ghosts remain because something went 
  horribly wrong. Murder victims are likely candidates 
  for ghosts. People who feel they have been deeply 
  wronged, such as star-crossed lovers or slandered 
  innocents, may also return from the dead. Some ghosts 
  feel that they are still needed in the land of the living, 
  and so remain to watch over their descendants or guard 
  their treasure. The most frightful ghosts are those that 
  were evil in life and know no pleasant eternity awaits 
  them in the Great Beyond. Such a ghost behaves more 
  like a demon than a shade, and will need exorcisms or 
  other extreme measures to defeat.
  Remember the Symbolism: Ghosts are not logical 
  entities. Jacob Marley from Dickens’s A Christmas 
  Carol wore chains attached to lockboxes to symbolize 
  his greed and miserliness. Beetlejuice from the 
  eponymous movie wore a shabby suit with prison 
  stripes, symbolic of both his sleazy, con-artist nature 
  and his desire to escape death. Ghosts are driven by 
  emotion, by symbolism, by a sort of thematic poetry 
  that inflects everything they do and everything they are. 
  When designing a ghost, giving it a distinctive style or 
  meaningful bit of symbolism is more important than 
  strict internal logic.
  GHOSTS OF THE 
  INNER SEA
  
  68
  Ghosts of the Inner Sea Region
  The following are some of Golarion’s notable ghosts.
  Ammelon VI: In life, Ammelon VI was the last cyclops 
  patriarch of Ghol-Gan, though by Ammelon’s day the 
  once-great land of Ghol-Gan had fallen far. Prophecy 
  and sun worship had given way to mass sacrifice and 
  the invocation of unearthly gods. Ammelon ruled over 
  this blood-maddened faith from the secretive temple 
  complex of Xanthuun, in the present-day Sodden 
  Lands. When he and his kingdom perished during 
  Earthfall, that disaster was merely the final blow.
  In life, Ammelon ruled cruelly and covetously; his 
  death rendered him spiteful as well. A shadowy horror 
  with a single, flickering ember of an eye, he guards 
  wonders that brings him no joy, purely so that none 
  may claim to own Ammelon VI’s treasure—and the 
  wealth of even a decaying empire is no small thing.
  The Angel of Egorian: According to a famous 
  story, if one walks by Egorian’s opera house at night, 
  one might hear someone singing: a beautiful, high 
  countertenor that enchants the ear. It seems to come 
  from nearby, but nowhere quite in particular, and 
  might seem like one of Cheliax’s divas practicing a 
  piece, albeit someone unfamiliar to the listener. But if 
  the listener is wise, they’ll leave quickly, for those who 
  linger find that the song never ends. It follows them 
  home, a beautiful but ceaseless sound that drives them 
  to lose themself and worse.
  No one has seen the Angel, but local historians 
  suspect that it to be the ghost of Beacien Persix, a 
  beautiful young man who died of blood poisoning in 
  4789 ar, just weeks after being accepted into the opera 
  house’s chorus. Opera lover, ex-Hellknight, and Angel-
  survivor Paracount Damius Julistarc is rumored to have 
  taken an interest in the mystery.
  Geb: The arch-necromancer Geb has fair claim 
  to be the most powerful ghost on Golarion, by a 
  good margin. Born millennia ago, Geb founded his 
  namesake country, only to lead it in a centuries-long 
  war against his rival, the archmage Nex. In 576 ar, 
  Nex disappeared and Geb seemed to have won, but 
  uncertainty gnawed at the necromancer until he 
  committed ritual suicide in 632 ar. In the years since, 
  Geb has plotted and worried and wondered, chained 
  to the mortal realm until he is certain that he has 
  defeated Nex once and for all.
  For most of the last thousand-odd years, Geb was 
  content to leave the lich queen Arazni in charge of 
  his land, but with Arazni’s disappearance and signs 
  of Nex’s return growing, the arch-ghost has stirred to 
  activity once more. His emissaries travel again to living 
  and dead alike, and every night new horrors make the 
  pilgrimage to the land of the undead, all in preparation 
  for a confrontation that will shake the world.
  The Ghosts of Cosymnos: Impoverished and 
  obscure, House Cosymnos holds but a single claim 
  to fame among Oppara’s aristocracy: its manor at the 
  edge of Westpark is likely the most haunted house in 
  all of Taldor’s capital. While a few ghosts, such as the 
  Woman in the Veil, have been reported for centuries, 
  others are more recent manifestations, including the 
  horrific Eyeless Soldier, the violent Bloody Heron, 
  and the silent and drifting Wisp. The Marquis and 
  Marquess Cosymnos are considered either heroes or 
  fools for remaining in the residence.
  What few realize is that most of the ghosts are of quite 
  recent vintage, products of a Cult of Shax run by the 
  Cosymnoses. The poor spirits seek only to keep people 
  away from their killers, but are themselves harried by 
  the Bloody Heron, a bound demon of vile temper.
  Kaltia, the Haunter of the Hills: According to local 
  legend, Kaltia was a young and idealistic dwarven 
  merchant, member of some clan that dwelled in the 
  general vicinity of Lastwall. Seeing the troubles caused 
  by the endless strife between her people and the orcs of 
  Belkzen, she hatched a scheme to bring peace, inviting 
  orc emissaries to her clan. But the horrified elders 
  saw only treachery in her actions and killed both the 
  emissaries and Kaltia, leaving her body unburied in a 
  ditch. A generation later, Kaltia’s clan was gone, wiped 
  out by the orcs.
  Since then, Kaltia has haunted the hills around 
  Hallein Town and is sometimes driven away, but she’s 
  UNFINISHED BUSINESS
  The following are some reasons a ghost could rise.
  • Avenging their death (emphasis can be on justice or
  on vengeance).
  • Obtaining a proper burial (or a reconsecrated grave).
  • Protecting a cherished person, place, or thing.
  • Reconciling with a loved one.
  • Finishing a feud with a rival.
  • Clearing their name.
  • Finishing a life-consuming task (write a book,
  complete some significant research).
  • Making sure their treasure or prize is found and
  not lost to the ages.
  • Making sure their treasure or prize is never found
  or taken away.
  • Seeking forgiveness for past crimes or sins.
  
  69
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  unable to pass on until she is properly buried. Since 
  Lastwall’s fall, the ragged ghost has ranged further 
  afield, though as hostilities with Belkzen lessen in the 
  wake of Tar-Baphon’s return, the ghost has grown 
  strange. Sometimes Kaltia attacks, marshaling wind 
  and cold to her cause, while other times she shepherds 
  innocents to safety, as few of the Gravelands’ other 
  dead will attack those in her company.
  Duke Pieln Melcat: For generations, the House of 
  Melcat had ruled over its Archduchy on the shores 
  of Lake Encarthan, until the self-proclaimed living 
  god Razmir came to its lands. Thrice he demanded 
  Duke Melcat’s fealty, and thrice he was refused. In 
  consequence the sorcerer destroyed the duke’s city of 
  Aerduin with flame and ash. It lies in ruins still, now 
  known as Aerduin’s Folly, haunted by the whispers of 
  the dead and tainted by the anguish of the burning. 
  The Duke of Melcat still walks the fallen walls of his 
  city, drawing lesser ghosts to him by the strength of his 
  will and the power of his hatred. Razmir took Melcat’s 
  life, his city, and his people, and the Duke will not rest 
  until justice—or vengeance—is his.
  Sahba al-Koriab: For years past counting, priests of 
  Aroden maintained a small hermitage atop Arazlant 
  Mox, highest and holiest of all the Kortos Mounts. 
  Sustained in those unlivable heights by a miracle of 
  Aroden, they perished when their god did—and one 
  middle-aged initiate, Sahba al-Koriab, returned. Sahba 
  simply refuses to leave the sacred site unattended 
  and won’t allow even the death of her god stop her. 
  The ruined hermitage’s few visitors report meeting a 
  pleasant, patient Keleshite woman with a dry sense of 
  humor, not realizing she was a ghost until she vanished 
  when they looked away. 
  Special Abilities
  Ghosts can select from the following special abilities 
  in addition to those listed in the Bestiary. Of special 
  note, several of abilities invoke the ghost’s particular 
  circumstances and death and can be used to guide 
  heroes toward new avenues of investigation—possibly 
  in exchange for a good share of their Hit Points.
  BEATIFIC APPEARANCE
  When dealing with ghosts, appearances can 
  be deceiving. For every gory specter exists 
  an innocent-looking spirit, their cherubic 
  mien enhanced with magic to lull victims 
  to their deaths.
  Beatific Appearance � (divine, enchantment) 
  Requirements A creature the ghost is aware 
  of targets the ghost with an attack; Effect The 
  ghost has an unusually pitiable appearance or can 
  change its features to look like someone close to the 
  attacker, which causes the target to pull back on its 
  attack. The triggering creature must attempt a Will 
  save. On a failure, the creature takes a –1 circumstance 
  penalty to its attack roll (–2 on a critical failure).
  COLD SPOT
  Ghosts are often associated with unnatural cold, 
  and one of the first signs of a ghostly presence is an 
  uncanny cold spot in the air.
  Sahba al-Koriab
  
  70
  Cold Spot (aura, cold, divine) The air within 5 feet of the 
  ghost is supernaturally cold. Characters that enter or 
  begin their turn in the ghost’s aura take 1d6 cold damage 
  per 3 levels the ghost has (basic Fortitude save).
  CORPOREAL MANIFESTATION
  Traditionally, ghosts are thought of as wispy, insubstantial 
  things, but not all ghosts follow this rule. 
  Corporeal Manifestation � (concentration) The ghost loses 
  the incorporeal trait, temporarily increasing its Strength 
  modifier to equal its Charisma modifier. The ghost loses 
  its immunity to precision damage and its resistance to 
  all damage while corporeal. The ghost can resume being 
  incorporeal by using this action again.
  DREAMWALKER
  People who encounter ghosts are often plagued by 
  nightmares, sometimes supernatural ones. Only 
  powerful ghosts of 6th level or higher have this ability.
  Dreamwalker (divine, illusion, mental) Anyone who meets the 
  ghost or visits its bound site can become subject to this 
  effect. The first time the subject sleeps after their ghostly 
  encounter, they’re targeted by a nightmare spell, with the 
  nightmares being somehow related to the ghost. Most often 
  this means that the subject relives the ghost’s last moments 
  alive, but there are other possibilities. If the ghost wishes, it 
  can manipulate the dreams to send messages or even hold 
  entire conversations with dreamers.
  FADE
  Ghosts are notorious for appearing and disappearing 
  when least expected.
  Fade � (divine, illusion) The ghost becomes invisible until 
  the beginning of its next turn. 
  FETCH
  A fetch is a person’s double, often associated with 
  hauntings and considered a mark of great ill omen.
  Fetch � (divine, illusion) The ghost creates an illusory 
  double of a creature. The fetch functions as a 2nd-level 
  illusory creature, except that the ghost doesn’t control 
  the fetch, and the spell lasts for 1d4 hours instead of 
  needing to Sustain the Spell. The fetch has a rudimentary 
  intelligence and tries to imitate its original (it has a 
  Deception skill value equal to the ghost’s highest skill) 
  but comes across as confused or vague. A ghost can 
  have only one fetch at a time. If the creature doubled by 
  the fetch encounters it, the creature must succeed at a 
  Will save or become stupefied 1 (stupefied 2 on a Critical 
  Failure) for as long as they can see the fetch.
  GHOST STORM
  Most ghosts can summon a wind to rattle a window or 
  bang a shutter, but some angry spirits can do far worse.
  Ghost Storm (air, aura, divine, evocation) Wind surrounds 
  the ghost out to a range of 30 feet. The wind extinguishes 
  small non-magical fires, disperses fog and mist, blows 
  objects of light Bulk or less around, and pushes larger 
  objects. Squares in the ghost’s aura are difficult terrain 
  and flying creatures are always considered to be moving 
  against the wind (Core Rulebook 463). The ghost can 
  dismiss or resume the wind as an action, which has the 
  concentrate trait.
  HAUNTED HOUSE
  Ghosts tend to haunt a specific place, remaining for 
  eternity within a tightly bound space. They might 
  haunt their graves or the sites of their death, but either 
  way they rarely venture far. In their home, though, a 
  ghost holds great power.
  Haunted House � Frequency once every 10 minutes; 
  Effect The ghost extends its presence throughout its 
  bound site until the end of its next turn. Within this area, 
  the ghost can extend its senses, gaining the benefits of 
  all-around vision, and can make ghostly hand attacks or 
  use special abilities originating from any part of the area.
  LYNCHPIN
  Ghosts are typically thought of as solitary beings, but 
  sometimes their will and rage are so strong that they 
  drag others back from the grave as well.
  Lynchpin (divine, necromancy) The ghost extends some of 
  its nature to one or more undead of equal or lower level, 
  who are connected to the ghost’s story and unfinished 
  business. These undead gain the ghost’s Rejuvenation 
  ability and can’t be permanently destroyed so long as 
  the ghost exists. If the ghost is laid to rest, all linked 
  undead are likewise instantly destroyed. Linked undead 
  FIGHTING GHOSTS
  The heroes may decide not to take up arms against 
  a particularly benign or tragic ghost, but battling a 
  terrifying specter while attempting skill checks to 
  lay it to rest can make for a thrilling climax to a story. 
  Incorporeal and infinitely variable, ghosts are 
  difficult foes. At the same time, their site-bound 
  nature makes them relatively easy to escape, and 
  you should remind players of this if the heroes get 
  in over their heads. If you expect the heroes to stand 
  and fight, make sure that the party has access to 
  suitable anti-ghost weapons or spells (ghost touch 
  weapons, positive energy, or force effects).
  
  71
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  often, but not always, share the ghost’s Site-Bound 
  ability as well. The ghost doesn’t have any control over 
  such undead, and indeed the ghost and their partners 
  in eternity may be unremittingly hostile to one another.
  MEMENTO MORI
  For most ghosts, death is a traumatic event, 
  and an angry spirit is perfectly willing to 
  share their pain with others.
  Memento Mori � (divine, illusion, mental) 
  The ghost causes one creature within 30 
  feet to relive the ghost’s death. The target 
  must succeed at a Will save or see and 
  feel what the ghost did, taking 1d4 persistent 
  mental damage per 2 levels the ghost has. All 
  other creatures are concealed to the target until the 
  persistent damage ends.
  PHANSTAMAGORIA
  Ghost are rarely aware of the passage of time and see 
  no difference between the homes they lived in long ago 
  and the ruins they haunt now. Some ghosts can spread 
  that delusion to others.
  Phantasmagoria � (auditory, divine, illusion, mental, 
  olfactory, visual) The ghost causes all or part of its 
  bound site to look, sound, feel, and smell like a different 
  kind of place, and can populate it with simple illusions 
  of people or animals. Typically, the ghost can recreate 
  only a handful of images, usually different versions of 
  its bound site as it appeared during the ghost’s life. This 
  can’t disguise any creatures in the area, though it can 
  cause minor, cosmetic changes (like causing a creature’s 
  clothing to appear nicer for a party or bloodstained for 
  a battle). Any creature that touches the illusion or uses 
  the Seek action to examine it can attempt to disbelieve 
  it. Creatures can’t leave the area of the illusion until they 
  successfully disbelieve it.
  PYRE’S MEMORY
  Burning is one of the most painful ways to die, and 
  ghosts that burned to death are often more aggressive 
  and violent than other incorporeal creatures. Their 
  bound site is often scorched or scarred with some 
  other evidence of fire.
  Pyre’s Memory � (divine, evocation, fire) The ghost 
  causes great gouts of flame to erupt without warning. 
  The ghost picks three 5-foot squares within 30 feet. 
  Creatures that start in or enter one of these squares 
  take 1d6 fire damage per 2 levels the ghost has, subject 
  to a basic Reflex save. The flames last for 1 minute and 
  don’t set other things alight unless the ghost wishes. 
  If the ghost uses this ability again, it dismisses any 
  existing flames.
  REVENANT
  Not all ghosts try to possess the living. Some prefer to 
  ride corpses instead, wrenching bodies from shallow 
  graves to serve as their hosts.
  Revenant � or 1 hour; Effect The ghost possesses and 
  transforms an adjacent corpse (this requires 2 actions 
  if the ghost is possessing its own corpse; otherwise, it 
  takes an hour). The possessed corpse uses the statistics 
  of a non-incorporeal undead 2 levels lower than the 
  ghost, and the ghost possesses it as if using the 
  possession spell. The specific undead is determined by 
  the nature of the ghost and the corpse—ghouls, wights, 
  and dullahans are all common, but almost any undead is 
  possible. If the ghost ceases to possess the corpse, the 
  corporeal undead is immediately destroyed.
  Pyre Ghost
  
  72
  
  73
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Weapons and Adventuring Gear
  Creatures the heroes encounter in this adventure use 
  the following weapons and equipment. Urdefhans use 
  shauth weapons in addition to their iconic rhoka swords, 
  while drow of Yldaris use repeating hand crossbows. 
  NEW WEAPON TRAITS
  Repeating: A repeating weapon is typically a type 
  of crossbow that has a shorter reload time. These 
  weapons can’t be loaded with individual bolts like 
  other crossbows; instead, they require a magazine 
  of specialized ammunition to be loaded into 
  a special slot. Once that magazine is in 
  place, the ammunition is 
  automatically loaded each 
  time the weapon is cocked 
  to fire, reducing its reload 
  to the value in its reload 
  entry (typically 0). When 
  the 
  ammunition 
  runs 
  out, a new magazine must 
  be loaded, which requires 
  a free hand and 3 Interact actions 
  (to remove the old magazine, retrieve 
  the new magazine, and slot the new 
  magazine in place). These actions 
  don’t need to be consecutive.
  WEAPON DESCRIPTIONS
  Repeating Hand Crossbow: This weapon features 
  an ingeniously designed catch mechanism at the top 
  of the flight grove, just in front of the latch, which 
  automatically loads a bolt from a magazine and resets 
  the string each time the weapon is fired. A typical 
  repeating hand crossbow magazine holds five bolts.
  Rhoka Sword: These dual-bladed swords are 
  commonly used by urdefhan warriors. 
  Shauth Blade: These strange curved blades are 
  jagged and deadly weapons made from the alchemically 
  strengthened teeth of dead urdefhans. Each weapon 
  is typically named for the urdefhan whose teeth were 
  forged into the weapon, which are often carried (and 
  revered) by that urdefhan’s descendants. Magical 
  shauth blades allow an urdefhan wielder to channel 
  their Wicked Bite ability through shauth blade Strikes. 
  Shauth Lash: This metal chain bears hook-like 
  barbs made of alchemically strengthened urdefhan 
  teeth. Magical shauth lashes have the same ability to 
  channel an urdefhan wielder’s Wicked Bite as magical 
  shauth blades, and urdefhans 
  hold these weapons with the 
  same reverence as they do 
  shauth blades.
  GEAR DESCRIPTIONS
  Shootist 
  Bandolier: 
  This 
  leather 
  bandolier 
  holds 
  up to three repeating hand crossbow 
  magazines in leather pockets that 
  pop open with the quick flick 
  of a thumb. You reduce the 
  reload time for a repeating 
  hand crossbow magazine from the 
  bandolier by 1, to a total of 2 actions. 
  You can wear only one shootist 
  bandolier at a time.
  Alchemical Items
  The following alchemical items can be found in this 
  adventure. 
  ALCHEMICAL BOMB
  Alchemical bombs are martial thrown weapons with 
  a range increment of 20 feet. Like all alchemical 
  bombs, necrotic bombs combine volatile alchemical 
  components that explode when the bomb hits a 
  creature or object. 
  ADVENTURE 
  TOOLBOX
  Repeating Hand Crossbow 
  and Magazines
  
  74
  NECROTIC BOMB 
  ITEM 1+
  ALCHEMICAL
  BOMB
  CONSUMABLE
  NEGATIVE
  SPLASH
  Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk L
  Activate � Strike
  Necrotic bombs combine reagents most people 
  consider disgusting at best and unholy at worst, 
  creating a life-sucking miasma upon contact with 
  air. A necrotic bomb deals the listed negative 
  damage and splash damage, and it sickens 
  the primary target on a critical hit. This 
  damage harms only living creatures. 
  Many types grant an item bonus to 
  attack rolls.
  Type lesser; Level 1; Price 3 gp
  The bomb deals 1d6 negative damage 
  and 1 negative splash damage. On a critical 
  hit, the target is sickened 1.
  Type moderate; Level 3; Price 10 gp
  You gain a +1 item bonus to attack rolls. The 
  bomb deals 2d6 negative damage and 2 negative splash 
  damage. On a critical hit, the target is sickened 2.
  Type greater; Level 11; Price 250 gp
  You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls. The bomb deals 3d6 
  negative damage and 3 negative splash damage. On a 
  critical hit, the target is sickened 3.
  Type major; Level 17; Price 2,500 gp
  You gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls. The bomb deals 
  4d6 negative damage and 4 negative splash damage. On a 
  critical hit, the target is sickened 4.
  ALCHEMICAL POISON
  This alchemical poison is a potent toxin distilled from 
  sources deep in the Darklands.
  STUPOR POISON 
  ITEM 4
  UNCOMMON ALCHEMICAL CONSUMABLE INCAPACITATION INJURY
  POISON SLEEP
  Price 16 gp
  Usage held in 2 hands; Bulk L
  Activate � Interact
  Stupor poison is a more potent distillation of lethargy 
  poison. Further exposure to stupor poison doesn’t require 
  the target to attempt additional saving throws; only failing 
  a saving throw against an ongoing exposure can progress 
  its stage. 
  Saving Throw DC 20 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 6 
  hours; Stage 1 slowed 1 and flat-footed (1 
  round); Stage 2 slowed 2 and flat-footed 
  (1 round); Stage 3 unconscious with no 
  Perception check to wake up (1 round); 
  Stage 4 unconscious with no Perception 
  check to wake up (1d6 hours)
  ALCHEMICAL TOOL
  The heroes might obtain this alchemical 
  tool from Yldaris drow connections. 
  FUNGAL WALK MUSK 
  ITEM 5
  ALCHEMICAL
  CONSUMABLE
  OLFACTORY
  Price 21 gp
  Usage Held in 1 hand; Bulk L
  Activate � Interact
  This foul-smelling unguent dulls the odors and traces that 
  fungus creatures detect. For 1 day after you slather this 
  musk on your body, fungus creatures take a –4 penalty to 
  Perception checks to Seek you or otherwise notice you. If 
  a fungus creature is mindless, it instead has a –6 penalty. 
  The musk also grants you a +1 item bonus to AC against 
  melee attacks from fungus creatures with no vision for the 
  same period of time. The effects of fungal walk musk end 
  immediately if you’re submerged in water or subject to 
  another olfactory effect.
  TABLE 3: UNCOMMON ADVENTURING GEAR
  Item 
  Price 
  Bulk 
  Hands
  Shootist bandolier 
  1 gp 
  — 
  —
  TABLE 4: ALCHEMICAL GEAR
  Alchemical Bombs 
  Price 
  Bulk 
  Hands
  Necrotic bomb  
  varies 
  L 
  1
  Alchemical Poisons 
  Price 
  Bulk 
  Hands
  Stupor poison 
  20 gp 
  L 
  2
  Alchemical Tools 
  Price 
  Bulk 
  Hands
  Fungal walk musk 
  21 gp 
  L 
  2
  TABLE 1: MELEE WEAPONS
  Uncommon Martial Weapons 
  Price 
  Damage  Bulk Hands 
  Group 
  Weapon Traits
  Shauth blade 
  2 gp 
  1d4 S 
  L 
  1 
  Knife 
  Agile, deadly d8, finesse, versatile P
  Uncommon Advanced Weapons Price 
  Damage  Bulk Hands 
  Group 
  Weapon Traits
  Rhoka sword 
  4 gp 
  1d8 S 
  2 
  1 
  Sword 
  Deadly d8, two-hand d10
  Shauth lash 
  8 gp 
  1d6 S 
  1 
  2 
  Flail 
  Deadly d10, finesse, trip
  TABLE 2: RANGED WEAPONS
  Uncommon Advanced Weapons Price 
  Damage  
  Range Reload 
  Bulk 
  Hands 
  Group 
  Weapon Traits
  Repeating hand crossbow 
  10 gp 
  1d6 P 
  60 ft. 
  0 
  L 
  1 
  Bow 
  Repeating
  Magazine with 5 bolts 
  9 sp
  Necrotic Bomb
  
  75
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Spells
  The heroes might come across the following new spells 
  in this adventure.
  CALL THE BLOOD 
  SPELL 4
  UNCOMMON
  DEATH
  NECROMANCY
  NEGATIVE
  Traditions arcane, occult, primal
  Cast � somatic, verbal
  Range 60 feet; Target 1 living creature
  Saving Throw basic Fortitude
  With a word and gesture, you cause streams of blood to 
  erupt from the target’s mouth, nostrils, ears, or other facial 
  openings and come rushing into your mouth. You deal 8d4 
  negative damage to the target. 
  If the target takes damage, its blood flows into your 
  mouth. If you’re a living creature and don’t have negative 
  healing, you’re sickened 2. If you’re undead (or living but 
  have negative healing), you can choose to either gain 
  temporary Hit Points equal to half of the negative damage 
  the target takes (after applying resistance and the like) and 
  become quickened for 1 round, or forgo the temporary Hit 
  Points and become quickened for 1 minute. You can use 
  this extra action only to Step, Stride, or Strike. You lose any 
  remaining temporary Hit Points after 1 minute.
  Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 2d4.
  ECTOPLASMIC EXPULSION 
  SPELL 5
  UNCOMMON
  MENTAL
  NECROMANCY
  Traditions occult
  Cast � material, somatic, verbal
  Range 30 feet; Target 1 creature
  You call upon tendrils of ephemeral 
  ectoplasm to pass through the target and 
  carry away a harmful psychic affliction. 
  You immediately attempt to counteract 
  a single effect on the target with the 
  emotion or possession trait, or an 
  effect giving the target the controlled 
  or fascinated condition. If you fail to 
  counteract the effect, you nevertheless 
  set up a resonance that allows the target 
  to more ably escape the effect on its own; 
  for the next hour, the target gains a +2 
  status bonus to Will saves to shrug off 
  the effect you failed to counteract (such 
  as Will saves to shake off control by the possession spell).
  Magic Items
  Fulcrum lenses are unique magical crystals that each 
  contain a sliver of Nhimbaloth’s essence. They belong 
  to a larger set of lenses created to manipulate or even 
  bind the Empty Death; most of the other lenses are long 
  lost and likely destroyed. The Haruvex family came 
  into possession of four of the lenses, and they knew 
  that bringing them together focused Nhimbaloth’s 
  attention in unprecedented and dangerous ways. 
  Belcorra brought all four lenses to the Abomination 
  Vaults with her, intending to install them in Gauntlight 
  for her ultimate revenge upon Absalom. She also 
  created a special receptacle called the Fulcrum Lattice 
  to hold the lenses so that their power could be 
  focused together. She realized the danger of keeping 
  the fulcrum lenses too close together until the right 
  time and spread them out among loyal groups in the 
  Abomination Vaults’ lowest levels for safekeeping.
  Belcorra keeps only the most powerful lens, the 
  Ebon Fulcrum Lens, with her—indeed, as a ghost, 
  it’s the only one she can carry. If the heroes can bring 
  the other three lenses to bear against Belcorra, they 
  can draw Nhimbaloth’s dread glare to the sorcerer. 
  Despite her loyalty, Belcorra can’t hope to keep her 
  spirit intact when Nhimbaloth gazes directly upon it.
  The fulcrum lenses are more than mere receptacles 
  of Nhimbaloth’s essence. Each grants those who use it 
  a fragment of the Great Old One’s power.
  CRIMSON FULCRUM LENS  
  ITEM 9 
  UNIQUE
  ENCHANTMENT
  INVESTED
  OCCULT
  Price 700 gp; Bulk 1
  This concave lens has a drifting crimson cloud resembling 
  slowly swirling blood within it. While you have the Crimson 
  Fulcrum Lens invested, you seethe with malevolent fury 
  you can barely contain. You gain a +2 item bonus 
  to saving throws against fear effects and 
  a +2 item bonus to your melee Strike 
  damage (this increases to a +4 item 
  bonus to damage if the melee Strike is 
  a jaws attack). You can also activate 
  the lens in the following ways. 
  Activate � Interact; Frequency 
  once per day; Effect You grasp the 
  Crimson Fulcrum Lens in one hand and 
  make a Strike that doesn’t require that 
  hand. The Strike deals an additional 1d8 
  precision damage (or 2d8 precision damage 
  if you make a jaws Strike) and doesn’t count 
  toward your multiple attack penalty. 
  Activate � Interact (attack, possession); 
  Effect While grasping the lens, make a melee spell attack 
  roll with a modifier of +18. On a hit, you force the splinter 
  of Nhimbaloth’s essence from the lens to possess the 
  target. You’re no longer invested in the lens, and the 
  target gains the benefits as though it had invested the 
  lens but can’t activate the lens’s other abilities. This 
  effect is permanent, but it can be ended by any effect 
  that removes a possession effect. The lens doesn’t have 
  Crimson Fulcrum Lens
  
  76
  any magical abilities until the possession effect ends; 
  when it does, the essence returns to the lens. 
  EBON FULCRUM LENS 
  ITEM 12
  UNIQUE
  INVESTED
  NECROMANCY
  OCCULT
  Price 2,000 gp; Bulk L
  This strangest and most powerful of the fulcrum 
  lenses resembles a chip of smooth obsidian 
  containing three dark glimmers of 
  Nhimbaloth’s 
  essence. 
  Incorporeal 
  creatures can touch and hold the 
  Ebon Fulcrum Lens. While you have 
  the Ebon Fulcrum Lens invested, 
  and you’re a corporeal creature, 
  you become insubstantial, gain the 
  incorporeal trait, and are drained 
  2. Your drained condition can’t be 
  reduced below 2 as long as you have 
  the lens invested. You can activate the 
  lens in the following ways. Both require 
  expenditures of glimmers within the lens; once the lens 
  is depleted of its three glimmers, it retains its ability to 
  make corporeal creatures insubstantial but can’t be used 
  for its other abilities until its glimmers are restored (which 
  generally requires a ritual or being steeped in an area of 
  Nhimbaloth’s power).
  Activate � envision; Frequency once per day; 
  Requirement At least one glimmer remains 
  in the Ebon Fulcrum Lens; Prerequisites 
  you have the rejuvenation ability; 
  Trigger you would be destroyed and are 
  able to rejuvenate; Effect For the first 
  24 hours after you rejuvenate, you gain 
  a +1 item bonus to attack rolls, saving 
  throws, and DCs. Reduce the number of 
  glimmers remaining in the lens by 1.
  Activate � Interact; Frequency once per day; 
  Requirement At least one glimmer remains in 
  the Ebon Fulcrum Lens; Effect You draw upon 
  a glimmer of Nhimbaloth’s essence for power; 
  reduce the number of glimmers remaining in the 
  lens by 1. You’re quickened for 1 minute and gain 
  a +1 item bonus to attack rolls, saving 
  throws, and DCs. You can use this extra 
  action to Stride or Step, or for an action in 
  a special ghost ability you have.
  EMERALD FULCRUM LENS 
  ITEM 10
  UNIQUE
  INVESTED
  NECROMANCY
  NEGATIVE
  OCCULT
  Price 1,000 gp; Bulk 3
  This concave green lens is pitted and flawed; its jagged 
  edges can cut those who don’t handle it with care. While you 
  have the Emerald Fulcrum Lens invested, your flesh appears 
  waxen and pallid. You gain negative healing and harm spells 
  gain a +4 status bonus to the Hit Points they restore to you. 
  You can also activate the lens in the following ways. 
  Activate � Interact (healing); Frequency once per day; 
  Effect You grasp the Emerald Fulcrum Lens in one hand, 
  regain 30 Hit Points, and gain a +2 item bonus to 
  saving throws against magic for 1 round.
  Activate � Interact (attack, possession); 
  as Crimson Fulcrum Lens, but the melee 
  spell attack modifier is +20.
  OCHRE FULCRUM LENS 
  ITEM 11
  UNIQUE
  ENCHANTMENT
  INVESTED
  OCCULT
  Price 1,400 gp; Bulk 2
  This brownish-orange lens always seems 
  dusty and gritty, even when wet. While 
  you have the Ochre Fulcrum Lens invested, 
  lassitude grips you. You gain resistance 10 
  to mental damage and a +2 status bonus to 
  saves against emotion effects. You can also 
  activate the lens in the following ways. 
  Activate � Interact; Frequency once per day; Effect You 
  hold up the Ochre Fulcrum Lens in your hand and the 
  item casts crushing despair (DC 31 Will save). 
  Activate � Interact (attack, possession); as Crimson 
  Fulcrum Lens, but the melee spell attack modifier is +21.
  FULCRUM LATTICE 
  ITEM 11
  UNIQUE
  OCCULT
  TRANSMUTATION
  Price 1,200 gp
  Usage held in 2 hands; Bulk 2
  This silver and copper framework is shaped 
  to hold four focusing lenses, one behind 
  the other, from smallest to largest. It has a 
  socketed base to be mounted into a stand, 
  such as that found in a lighthouse lantern. The 
  Fulcrum Lattice was specifically designed to hold 
  the four fulcrum lenses from smallest to largest 
  (ebon, crimson, ochre, emerald), and it hums slightly 
  while within 10 feet of any fulcrum lens. A fulcrum 
  lens slotted into the Fulcrum Lattice has no Bulk; 
  the lattice remains at 1 Bulk and can be carried 
  easily. Inserting or removing a lens from 
  the Fulcrum Lattice requires a single 
  Interact action.
  The Fulcrum Lattice channels the power 
  of fulcrum lenses joined with it. While you hold the Fulcrum 
  Lattice, lenses socketed into it are considered to be in your 
  hand for the purpose of activating their abilities. When 
  you make a melee spell attack with a lens in the Fulcrum 
  Lattice, you use the highest melee spell attack modifier of 
  any lens in the lattice, or you can use your melee attack 
  modifier with simple weapons if it’s greater.
  Emerald Fulcrum Lens
  Fulcrum Lattice
  
  77
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Drow Shootist Archetype
  Some drow take skill with the hand crossbow to new 
  heights. You’ve learned the secrets of these fabled 
  drow shootists. With fearlessness and swagger, you 
  can accomplish amazing deeds with hand crossbows.
  Additional Feats: You can select these class feats 
  as archetype feats, as described on page 149 of the 
  Advanced Player’s Guide. 8th: Poison Weapon (Core 
  Rulebook 185), Running Reload (Core Rulebook 
  172); 10th: Skirmish Strike (Core Rulebook 186).
  DROW SHOOTIST DEDICATION 
  FEAT 2
  UNCOMMON
  ARCHETYPE
  DEDICATION
  Prerequisite trained in the hand crossbow
  Every chance you get, you practice with the hand crossbow 
  to increase your draw speed and accuracy. Whenever 
  you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater 
  proficiency in a given weapon or weapons, you also gain that 
  proficiency in the hand crossbow. If you’re at least an expert 
  in a hand crossbow you’re using, you gain access to its critical 
  specialization effect. You also gain the Shootist’s Draw action.
  Shootist’s Draw � Frequency once per round; Effect You 
  Interact to draw a hand crossbow and Strike with it, or 
  you Strike with a loaded hand crossbow you’re already 
  holding and then Interact to stow it. 
  Special You can’t select another dedication feat until 
  you’ve gained two other feats from the drow shootist 
  archetype.
  REPEATING HAND CROSSBOW TRAINING 
  FEAT 4
  ARCHETYPE
  Prerequisites Drow Shootist Dedication
  You become trained in the repeating hand crossbow (page 
  73) and gain access to repeating hand crossbows and 
  shootist bandoliers (page 73). Whenever you gain a class 
  feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in a 
  given weapon or weapons, you also gain that proficiency in 
  the repeating hand crossbow. If you’re at least an expert in a 
  repeating hand crossbow you’re using, you gain access to its 
  critical specialization effect. You can perform the Shootist’s 
  Draw action with repeating hand crossbows. 
  Special If you have the Running Reload feat, you 
  can reload a repeating hand crossbow magazine on the 
  move. You can use Running Reload as a 3-action activity 
  to reload a magazine into a repeating hand crossbow after 
  you Stride, Step, or Sneak, or as a 2-action activity if you 
  use a magazine from a shootist bandolier. 
  RELOADING TRICK � 
  FEAT 6
  ARCHETYPE
  MANIPULATE
  Prerequisites Drow Shootist Dedication
  Frequency once per round
  Requirements You’re holding an unloaded hand crossbow.
  You can fire off a single shot even when unprepared. You 
  Interact to reload your hand crossbow and Strike with it.
  Special If you have the Repeating Hand Crossbow 
  Training feat, you can use this feat with a repeating hand 
  crossbow to load either a bolt or a magazine, but the speed 
  means you can fire only one bolt, then the magazine jams. 
  You must spend a 3-action Interact activity to remove the 
  jammed magazine and clear it before it can be used again. 
  LETHARGY POISONER 
  FEAT 8
  ARCHETYPE
  Prerequisites Drow Shootist Dedication, trained in Crafting
  You’ve learned more than the use of hand crossbows 
  from drow lore. During your daily preparations, you can 
  prepare a dose of lethargy poison (Core Rulebook 552) 
  from ordinary materials in a wilderness or urban area. If 
  you’re an expert in Crafting, you can instead craft a dose 
  of stupor poison (page 74). You can prepare two doses 
  (of either poison) if you’re a master in Crafting and three 
  doses if you’re legendary in Crafting. The save DC for this 
  poison is equal to your class DC. Only you can use these 
  poisons, and they expire the next time you make your daily 
  preparations. The GM might decide that the area you’re in 
  is too barren to provide the materials you need for this feat.
  
  78
  Bright Walker
  Those who encounter calignis (Pathfinder Bestiary 50) quickly learn that 
  their deaths involve burning out instead of bleeding out. At times, this 
  dramatic immolation is denied to a caligni, so they arise as a bright walker. 
  Tied to caligni society, these creatures don’t understand that their glow 
  damages and repels living calignis. Despite their name, these undead don’t 
  walk; they instead float a few inches above the ground.
  BRIGHT WALKER 
  CREATURE 9
  RARE
  NE
  MEDIUM
  INCORPOREAL
  SPIRIT
  UNDEAD
  Perception +19, greater darkvision
  Languages Caligni
  Skills Acrobatics +19, Intimidation +18, Stealth +19
  Str –5, Dex +6, Con +0, Int +0, Wis +4, 
  Cha +3
  AC 26; Fort +15, Ref +21, Will +19
  HP 115, negative healing; Immunities 
  death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, 
  precision, unconscious; Resistance all 
  damage 10 (except for force, ghost touch, or positive; 
  double resistance vs. non-magical). 
  Bright Release (fire, light) When a bright walker is reduced 
  to 0 Hit Points, they flash out in a burst of light, obtaining the 
  blazing end they were denied at death. This blaze deals 10d6 
  fire damage (DC 25 basic Reflex save) to creatures within 20 
  feet. Creatures who fail this save are also dazzled for 1 minute 
  (blinded for 1 minute on a critical failure).
  Light Aura (aura, divine, light) 30 feet. The bright walker 
  sheds bright light. Any creature that starts its turn in the 
  aura must attempt at a DC 24 Fortitude save. 
  Critical Success The creature is temporarily immune for 
  24 hours.
  Success The creature is dazzled for 1 round.
  Failure The creature is blinded for 1 round.
  Critical Failure The creature is blinded for 1 hour. 
  Suppress Aura � (concentrate) The bright walker suppresses their light aura 
  for 1 round, reducing it to a faint, ghostly glow of dim light.
  Speed fly 25 feet; landbound
  Melee � radiant touch +21 (agile, finesse, fire, light, magical), Damage 2d8+11 fire
  Ranged � radiant ray +21 (fire, light, magical, range increment 60 feet) Damage 
  2d6+11 fire
  Landbound A bright walker can’t fly higher than 1 foot above the ground. If they 
  fly higher than this distance, they fall but don’t take any damage from falling. 
  Light Flare � (divine, evocation, fire, light); Requirement The bright walker’s 
  Light Aura is suppressed; Effect The bright walker reignites their Light Aura 
  with a burst of brightness that deals 5d6 fire damage (DC 25 basic Reflex 
  save) to creatures within a 20-foot burst. Creatures who are dazzled or with 
  light blindness find this flare particularly painful; such a creature’s save result 
  is one degree of success worse than the result it rolled.
  Shadow Jump � (conjuration, divine, teleportation); Requirement The bright 
  walker’s Light Aura is suppressed; Effect The bright walker teleports to a 
  square it can see within 60 feet that is not in an area of bright light. The bright 
  walker can’t use Shadow Jump again for 1d4 rounds.
  BRIGHT WALKER FORMATION
  Most calignis assume that bright 
  walkers arise at the whims of their 
  malign and capricious demigods, the 
  Forsaken, but as the Forsaken are 
  denied the souls of these undead, some 
  other unknown force must be involved.
  
  79
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  VALUABLE SPORES
  Alchemists, naturalists, and other 
  collectors prize samples from 
  unusual underground fungi. Deadly 
  puffballs are even more valuable. 
  The carefully harvested scraps of an 
  exploded deadly puffball can fetch as 
  much as 150 gp to the right buyer.
  Deadly Puffball
  Many benign puffball fungi cling to the detritus of forest floors in Darklands 
  caverns. These fungi’s giant versions are more mobile and dangerous. 
  DRAGON’S BLOOD PUFFBALL
  This bulbous, deep red fungus looks like an enormous, decaying rose. 
  DRAGON’S BLOOD PUFFBALL 
  CREATURE 8
  UNCOMMON
  N
  LARGE
  FUNGUS
  MINDLESS
  Perception +12; motion sense 60 feet, no vision 
  Skills Stealth +14
  Str +6, Dex +1, Con +4, Int –5, Wis +0, Cha –2
  Motion Sense The puffball senses motion through vibration and air movement.
  AC 24; Fort +20, Ref +15, Will +12
  HP 170; Immunities bleed, fatigued, mental, poison, sleep, unconscious; 
  Weaknesses piercing 10
  Spore Explosion When the dragon’s blood puffball dies, it explodes, 
  dealing 7d8 poison damage to each creature in a 20-foot 
  emanation (DC 26 basic Fortitude save). 
  Speed 10 feet
  Ranged � bloom +18, Damage 2d10+8 bludgeoning plus 
  1d6 poison
  Ranged � spore jet +18 (range increment 30 feet), Damage 
  3d8 poison
  REAPER SKULL PUFFBALL
  When this fungus detects prey, its tendrils writhe 
  and exude a paralytic toxin. 
  REAPER SKULL PUFFBALL 
  CREATURE 9
  UNCOMMON
  N
  LARGE
  FUNGUS
  MINDLESS
  Perception +15; motion sense 60 feet, no vision
  Skills Acrobatics +19, Stealth +17
  Str +4, Dex +6, Con +3, Int –5, Wis +2, Cha –2
  Motion Sense As dragon’s blood puffball.
  AC 25; Fort +18, Ref +21, Will +15
  HP 195; Immunities bleed, fatigued, mental, poison, sleep, unconscious; 
  Weaknesses fire 10, piercing 10
  Spore Explosion As dragon’s blood puffball, but DC 28 and 8d8 poison damage. 
  Creatures that fail the save are exposed to skull rot. 
  Speed 10 feet, fly 20 feet
  Melee � tendril +21 (finesse, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d12+8 plus paralysis
  Spore Cloud � (poison) The puffball releases a 30-foot cone of spores 
  that deals 4d8 poison damage (DC 28 basic Fortitude save) to creatures 
  in the cone. Creatures that fail this save are also exposed to skull rot. 
  Paralysis (incapacitation, poison) A creature hit by the puffball’s tendril must 
  succeed a DC 28 Fortitude save or become paralyzed. The paralyzed 
  creature can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns.
  Skull Rot (poison) Saving Throw DC 28 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 
  6 rounds; Stage 1 1d8 poison damage plus enfeebled 2 (1 round); 
  Stage 2 2d8 poison damage plus enfeebled 2 and drained 
  1 (1 round); Stage 3 3d8 poison damage plus enfeebled 
  2 and drained 2 (1d4 rounds)
  
  80
  Dhuthorex
  Strange things swim in sunless seas, but few as fierce as the shark-like 
  dhuthorexes. These beasts chase prey fearlessly and tenaciously. 
  DEEPWATER DHUTHOREX
  The typical dhuthorex is a dumb and hungry beast, chasing prey through 
  the depths and venturing onto land only to pursue easy prey. 
  DEEPWATER DHUTHOREX  
  CREATURE 9
  UNCOMMON
  CN
  LARGE
  ABERRATION
  AQUATIC
  Perception +18; darkvision, wavesense (imprecise) 60 feet
  Skills Athletics +20, Stealth +18, Survival +19
  Str +7, Dex +3, Con +4, Int –4, Wis +4, Cha +0
  AC 28, all-around vision; Fort +19, Ref +18, Will +17
  HP 155; Immunities acid
  Attack of Opportunity �
  Speed 10 feet; swim 40 feet
  Melee � jaws +21 (deadly d10, reach 10 feet), Damage 2d10+11 piercing plus Grab
  Melee � snout +21 (reach 10 feet), Damage 2d8+11 bludgeoning plus Push
  Melee � tentacle +19 (agile, reach 15 feet), 
  Damage 2d6+11 slashing
  Aquatic Ambush �
  Overpowering 
  Jaws 
  A 
  deepwater 
  dhuthorex deals 7 piercing damage to 
  its target if its jaws Strike is a failure 
  (but not a critical failure). 
  Swallow Whole � (attack) Medium, 
  2d6+7 bludgeoning plus 2d6 acid, 
  Rupture 20
  DREAD DHUTHOREX
  More intelligent than their lesser kin, dread 
  dhuthorexes possess eerie, enchanting powers. 
  DREAD DHUTHOREX 
  CREATURE 11
  UNCOMMON
  CN
  LARGE
  ABERRATION
  AMPHIBIOUS
  Perception +22; darkvision, wavesense (imprecise) 60 feet
  Languages Aklo
  Skills Athletics +23, Occultism +16, Stealth +20, Survival +21
  Str +8, Dex +3, Con +5, Int –1, Wis +4, Cha +0
  AC 31, all-around vision; Fort +24, Ref +18, Will +21
  HP 195; Immunities acid
  Attack of Opportunity �
  Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental) 60 feet, DC 27
  Speed 20 feet; swim 40 feet
  Melee � jaws +24 (deadly d12, reach 10 feet), Damage 3d10+12 piercing plus Grab
  Melee � snout +24 (reach 10 feet), Damage 3d8+12 bludgeoning plus Push
  Melee � tentacle +22 (agile, reach 15 feet), Damage 3d6+12 slashing
  Occult Innate Spells DC 27; 5th mariner’s curse; 3rd hypnotic pattern, mind 
  reading 
  Aquatic Ambush �
  Overpowering Jaws As deepwater dhuthorex, but 8 piercing damage. 
  Swallow Whole � (attack) Large, 3d6+8 bludgeoning plus 2d6 acid, Rupture 23
  DHUTHOREX SAGES
  Rare dread dhuthorexes develop 
  additional, linked brains down their 
  throats. These dhuthorex sages lose 
  Overpowering Jaws and Swallow 
  Whole but have an Intelligence of +3 
  and can cast the following spells.
  Occult Prepared Spells DC 27, attack 
  +19; 5th cloak of colors, crushing 
  despair, hallucination; 4th confusion, 
  nightmare, read omens; 3rd enthrall, 
  fear, paralyze; 2nd augury, death 
  knell, telekinetic maneuver; 1st bane, 
  mindlink, sanctuary; Cantrips (5th) 
  detect magic, mage hand, message, 
  read aura, shield
  
  81
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  DREAD WISP ORIGINS
  The origins of will-o’-wisps are hotly 
  debated, but dread wisps have 
  a commonly understood origin. 
  Surface wisps give momentary hope 
  to those lost and scared in a dark 
  and damp wilderness, but nearly 
  all of the Darklands is dark and 
  damp. Hope has little place here, 
  and defiant people and menacing 
  monsters populate the Darklands. 
  Subterranean will-o’-wisps adapted 
  to overcome these new, resilient food 
  sources. Dread wisps descended 
  from those tenacious survivors.
  Dread Wisp
  Will-o’-wisps native to the Darklands are more ominous and malevolent 
  than those that bob about in the lonely marshes and surfaces of the 
  upper world. These dread wisps instill terror with eerie shifts of light and 
  consume the fear they create, drawing life energy from their victims in the 
  process. While dread wisps can survive anywhere within the Darklands, 
  they prefer moist areas like partially submerged caves, the banks of 
  underground rivers, and towering fungus gardens.
  Dread wisps don’t glow as brightly as surface will-o’-wisps because even 
  the dimmest light attracts notice underground. Long-lived and hateful 
  creatures, they remember vivid details about their lives, travels, and most 
  delicious prey. Although dread wisps could share extensive lore and unique 
  experiences, they don’t, as they find amusement in others’ ignorance.
  DREAD WISP 
  CREATURE 9
  UNCOMMON
  CE
  SMALL
  ABERRATION
  Perception +20; darkvision
  Languages Aklo, Common
  Skills Acrobatics +23, Deception +16, Intimidation +16, Stealth +23
  Str –5, Dex +6, Con +0, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +2
  AC 31; Fort +14, Ref +21, Will +18
  HP 90, negative healing; Immunities magic; Weaknesses positive 10
  Dread Flickering (aura, light) 20 feet. A dread wisp, though naturally invisible, 
  glows with a grayish illumination, casting dim light in the aura and making them 
  visible. Living creatures that end their turn in the aura must succeed at a DC 25 
  Will saving throw or become frightened 1 (or frightened 2 on a critical failure). 
  Those that critically succeed are temporarily immune for 10 minutes. 
  Magic Immunity A dread wisp is immune to all spells except faerie fire, magic 
  missile, maze, searing light, and spells with the positive trait.
  Speed fly 50 feet
  Melee � draining touch +17 (magical, negative), Damage 
  3d8+8 negative plus wearying touch
  Feed on Despair � (concentrate, necromancy, negative, 
  occult); Frequency once per round; Requirement An 
  enemy within 15 feet of the dread wisp is under 
  a fear effect, drained, or dying; Effect The dread 
  wisp feeds on the creature’s despair. The dread 
  wisp regains 2d8 Hit Points and deals 3d8 
  negative damage to the creature (DC 25 basic 
  Fortitude save), and if the dread wisp has Gone 
  Dark, their Dread Flickering reignites.
  Go Dark � (concentrate) The dread wisp 
  extinguishes their Dread Flickering, becoming 
  invisible. They can end this effect with another use 
  of this action. If the dread wisp uses their draining 
  touch Strike while invisible, the arc of pale energy 
  lets any observer determine their location, making them 
  hidden to all observers only until the dread wisp moves.
  Shadow Flitter � (conjuration, occult, teleportation) The dread 
  wisp teleports to a square they can see within 30 feet that isn’t in an area 
  of bright light. The dread wisp can’t use Shadow Flitter again for 1d4 rounds.
  Wearying Touch If the dread wisp critically hits with their draining touch Strike, 
  the target is drained 1.
  
  82
  Drow
  Drow (Bestiary 136) have a reputation for evil due to demon worship in their 
  major settlements. However, like members of any ancestry, drow can have any 
  alignment, especially when removed from the demon lords’ sinister influence.
  DROW WARDEN
  Wardens watch over drow encampments and often work in small groups.
  DROW WARDEN 
  CREATURE 4
  UNCOMMON
  CN
  MEDIUM
  DROW
  ELF
  HUMANOID
  Perception +11; darkvision
  Languages Elven, Undercommon
  Skills Athletics +12, Intimidation +8, Stealth +9, Survival +11
  Str +4, Dex +3, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +0
  Items chainmail, elven curve blade, hand crossbow (10 bolts), lethargy poison (3)
  Light Blindness
  AC 21; Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +9; +1 status to all saves vs. magic, +2 status to all 
  saves vs. mental
  HP 60; Immunity sleep
  Attack of Opportunity �
  Speed 30 feet
  Melee � elven curve blade +14 (forceful), Damage 1d8+6 
  slashing plus hampering slash
  Ranged � hand crossbow +13 (range increment 60 feet, reload 1), 
  Damage 1d6+2 piercing plus lethargy poison
  Divine Innate Spells DC 19; 2nd darkness (at will), faerie fire (at 
  will); Cantrips (2nd) dancing lights 
  Hampering Slash A target damaged by the warden’s melee Strike 
  must succeed at a DC 21 Fortitude save or be slowed 1 until the end 
  of the warden’s next turn.
  Sneak Attack A warden deals an extra 1d6 
  damage to flat-footed creatures. 
  DROW HUNTER
  Hunters seek out game to keep drow 
  communities fed and functioning.
  DROW HUNTER 
  CREATURE 7
  UNCOMMON
  CN
  MEDIUM
  DROW
  ELF
  HUMANOID
  Perception +16; darkvision
  Languages Elven, Undercommon
  Skills Athletics +14, Nature +14, Stealth +15, 
  Survival +16 (+18 to Subsist)
  Str +3, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +1
  Items chain shirt, +1 composite longbow (20 
  arrows), longsword 
  Light Blindness
  AC 25; Fort +15, Ref +15, Will +14; +1 status to all 
  saves vs. magic, +2 status to all saves vs. mental
  HP 115; Immunities sleep
  Deft Evasion When the hunter rolls a 
  success on a Reflex save, they get a 
  critical success instead. 
  ADHERENTS OF CHAOS
  Away from the larger drow cities 
  where worship of demon lords is 
  instilled into all citizens from a young 
  age, drow might adopt the worship 
  of other entities. Many drow feel 
  the call of the protean lords and 
  embrace chaos, art, and freedom 
  to set themselves apart from their 
  demon-worshipping kin. These 
  communities often have proteans living 
  among them, instructing drow proteges 
  in the power of disorder.
  
  83
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Speed 30 feet
  Melee � longsword +16 (versatile P), Damage 1d8+7 slashing
  Ranged � composite longbow +18 (deadly d10, propulsive, range increment 100 
  feet, reload 0, volley 30 feet), Damage 1d8+7 piercing
  Divine Innate Spells DC 23; 2nd darkness (at will), faerie fire (at will); Cantrips 
  (4th) dancing lights
  Hunter’s Wound � Frequency once per round; Prerequisites The hunter is 
  wielding a ranged weapon with a reload of 0; Effect The hunter makes two 
  ranged Strikes against their prey. If both hit and deal damage, the target takes 
  an additional 1d8 persistent bleed damage.
  Skirmish Strike � The hunter can Step and then Strike, or Strike and then Step.
  DROW SHOOTIST
  The rare few drow who specialize in the repeating hand crossbow 
  command respect not only for their skills but for their luck and swagger.
  DROW SHOOTIST 
  CREATURE 8
  UNCOMMON
  CN
  MEDIUM
  DROW
  ELF
  HUMANOID
  Perception +16; darkvision
  Languages Elven, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +19, Athletics +16, Deception +16, Intimidation +14, Stealth +17, 
  Thievery +17
  Str +2, Dex +5, Con +1, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +2
  Items +1 repeating hand crossbow (4 magazines; page 73), rapier, shootist 
  bandolier (page 73), stupor poison (4; page 74), studded leather armor
  Light Blindness
  AC 27; Fort +15, Ref +17, Will +16; +1 status to all saves vs. magic, +2 status to 
  all saves vs. mental
  HP 120; Immunities sleep
  Shootist’s Luck � (fortune) Trigger The shootist fails a save; Frequency once per 
  day; Effect The shootist rerolls the 
  save and uses the better result.
  Speed 30 feet
  Melee � rapier +18 (deadly d8, disarm, 
  finesse), Damage 1d6+9 piercing
  Ranged � repeating hand crossbow +20 (range 
  increment 60 feet, reload 0 [3 to reload magazine], 
  repeating), Damage 1d6+9 piercing plus stupor poison
  Divine Innate Spells DC 24; 2nd darkness (at will), faerie fire (at 
  will); Cantrips (4th) dancing lights
  Distracting Shot � The shootist takes aim and makes a ranged Strike. If the 
  attack hits and deals damage, the target is flat-footed until the end of the 
  shootist’s turn, or until the end of the shootist’s next turn on a critical hit. 
  Reloading Trick � Requirements The shootist is holding an unloaded 
  repeating hand crossbow; Effect The shootist Interacts to reload the 
  repeating hand crossbow and Strikes with it.
  Shootist’s Draw � Frequency once per round; 
  Effect The shootist Interacts to draw a 
  repeating hand crossbow and Strikes with 
  it, or Strikes with a loaded repeating hand 
  crossbow they’re holding then Interacts to stow it. 
  Sneak Attack The shootist deals an extra 2d6 precision 
  damage to flat-footed creatures.
  SHOOTIST ENTOURAGES
  Many drow shootists have a 
  magnetic bravado that draws others 
  to follow and learn from them. Few 
  shootists are as skilled at teaching 
  as they are at fighting, however, and 
  their followers aren’t much more 
  than an entourage. These hangers-on 
  are rarely as lucky or quick as the 
  shootist, so shootists lose their 
  followers to monsters or mischance 
  with startling frequency.
  
  84
  Urdefhan
  Translucent-skinned scourges of the Darklands, urdefhans (Pathfinder 
  Bestiary 2 272) are remorseless killers and foot soldiers of the world’s end.
  URDEFHAN DEATH SCOUT
  Death scouts train as spies and assassins for their cult. Other urdefhans 
  scorn their stealthy methods, but none can argue with their results.
  URDEFHAN DEATH SCOUT 
  CREATURE 6
  NE
  MEDIUM
  HUMANOID
  URDEFHAN
  Perception +15; greater darkvision
  Languages Aklo, Daemonic, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +14, Athletics +12, Intimidation +11, Stealth +14, Thievery +14
  Str +2, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +1
  Items leather armor, moderate necrotic bomb (3; page 74), +1 shauth blade (page 
  73)
  AC 24; Fort +15, Ref +16, Will +11
  HP 92, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, fear; Weakness 
  positive 5
  Necrotic Decay (divine, necromancy, negative) As urdefhan warrior (Bestiary 2 
  272), but DC 23 and 6d6 negative damage. 
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � shauth blade +17 (agile, deadly d6, finesse), Damage 1d6+4 
  slashing plus 1d6 persistent bleed and Wicked Bite
  Melee � jaws +16, Damage 2d6+4 piercing plus Wicked Bite
  Ranged � necrotic bomb +16 (range increment 20 feet, splash), Damage 
  2d6 negative plus 2 negative splash damage (and sickened 2 on a critical hit)
  Divine Innate Spells DC 21, attack +13; 4th invisibility (self only); 2nd death 
  knell; 1st feather fall (at will, self only), ray of enfeeblement
  Shauth Bite The death scout deals an additional 1d6 persistent bleed damage 
  with shauth blades and can use their Wicked Bite through magical shauth 
  weapon Strikes. 
  Sneak Attack The death scout deals an extra 2d6 precision damage to flat-footed 
  creatures.
  Wicked Bite � As urdefhan warrior (Bestiary 2 272) but DC 24. 
  URDEFHAN LASHER
  Trained from a young age with the strange and powerful shauth lashes, 
  urdefhan lashers would rather die than retreat from combat.
  URDEFHAN LASHER 
  CREATURE 7
  NE
  MEDIUM
  HUMANOID
  URDEFHAN
  Perception +16; greater darkvision
  Languages Aklo, Daemonic, Undercommon
  Skills Athletics +17, Intimidation +13, Religion +14, Survival +14
  Str +5, Dex +3, Con +4, Int +0, Wis +3, Cha +2
  Items chain shirt, +1 striking shauth lash (page 73)
  AC 24; Fort +17, Ref +14, Will +16
  HP 120, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, 
  fear; Weakness positive 5
  Necrotic Decay (divine, necromancy, negative) As 
  urdefhan warrior (Bestiary 2 272), but DC 24 and 7d6 
  negative damage. 
  SHAUTH WEAPONS
  Shauth blades and shauth lashes 
  are made from the teeth of fallen 
  urdefhans. Collecting these teeth is 
  difficult, as a slain urdefhan dissolves 
  into a foul-smelling gas almost 
  immediately. However, their bones are 
  somewhat more durable.
  
  85
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � shauth lash +18 (deadly d8, trip), Damage 2d8+7 slashing plus Grab 
  and Wicked Bite
  Melee � jaws +17, Damage 2d6+7 plus Wicked Bite
  Divine Innate Spells DC 22, attack +14; 3rd paralyze; 2nd death knell; 1st feather 
  fall (at will, self only), ray of enfeeblement
  Constrict � 1d8+7 slashing, DC 25 
  Shauth Seize The lasher gains the Grab ability with a shauth lash and can use 
  their Wicked Bite through magical shauth weapon Strikes.
  Wicked Bite � As urdefhan warrior (Bestiary 2 272), but DC 25 and the urdefhan 
  regains 10 Hit Points when they Drink Blood if the target fails its saving throw 
  (20 Hit Points on a critical failure). 
  URDEFHAN BLOOD MAGE
  Hardened masters of occult power, 
  urdefhan blood mages trade their 
  blood for magical might. A heavily 
  scarred blood mage is held in esteem 
  by their fellow urdefhans, as it 
  shows they have survived many 
  bargains with eerie occult patrons. 
  URDEFHAN BLOOD MAGE 
  CREATURE 8
  UNCOMMON
  NE
  MEDIUM
  HUMANOID
  URDEFHAN
  Perception +15; greater darkvision
  Languages Aklo, Daemonic, Undercommon
  Skills Arcana +16, Athletics +16, Intimidation +16, Occultism +18, Religion +16
  Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +6, Wis +3, Cha +2
  Items +1 striking kukri
  AC 26; Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +17
  HP 140, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, fear; Weakness 
  positive 10
  Necrotic Decay (divine, necromancy, negative) As urdefhan warrior (Bestiary 2 
  272), but DC 24 and 8d6 negative damage. 
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � kukri +16 (agile, trip), Damage 2d6+8 piercing
  Melee � jaws +15, Damage 2d6+8 plus Wicked Bite
  Divine Innate Spells DC 26, attack +18; 3rd paralyze; 2nd death knell; 1st feather 
  fall (at will, self only), ray of enfeeblement
  Occult Spontaneous Spells DC 26, attack +18; 4th (4 slots) call the blood 
  (page 75), confusion, dimension door, phantasmal killer; 3rd (4 slots) 
  haste, levitate, slow, vampiric touch; 2nd (4 slots) dispel magic, ghoulish 
  craving, invisibility, touch of idiocy; 1st (4 slots) bane, fear, grim 
  tendrils, phantom pain; Cantrips (8th) chill touch, daze, message, 
  shield, telekinetic projectile 
  Blood Offering � (occult, metamagic, necromancy) Frequency once per 
  round; Effect The blood mage cuts themself and takes 8 slashing damage. If 
  the blood mage’s next action is to Cast a Spell, the action can’t be disrupted, 
  and if the spell has a range, the blood mage can increase that spell’s range 
  by 30 feet.
  Wicked Bite � As urdefhan warrior (Bestiary 2 272), but DC 26 and 
  the urdefhan regains 10 Hit Points when they Drink Blood if the 
  target fails its saving throw (20 Hit Points on a critical failure).
  BLOOD MAGIC
  Urdefhans typically cast divine spells, 
  as their cultural connection to the 
  Four Horsemen is strong. Those who 
  embrace blood magic are turning 
  away from their cult’s zealous faith 
  for strange occult powers.
  
  86
  Belcorra’s background is detailed in the first volume 
  of the Abomination Vaults Adventure Path, “Ruins 
  of Gauntlight.” She’s determined to renew her attack 
  against Absalom once more, though her status as a ghost 
  limits her. Despite Belcorra’s brilliance and cunning, a 
  perpetual fury consumes her. She rages for days at the 
  slightest setback, making the implementation of her 
  complex, far-reaching plan difficult. Belcorra knows 
  the potential of the fulcrum lenses and the danger they 
  pose, but she can’t calm her mind enough to focus for 
  long, even in the face of this existential threat. 
  Campaign Role
  During their trek through the lowest levels of the 
  Abomination Vaults, the heroes likely face Belcorra 
  several times before they finally acquire the fulcrum 
  lenses they need to defeat her for good. She learns about 
  them from her wisp allies, as described in the sidebar 
  on page 6, and you can thereafter use her whenever her 
  appearance might cause the most tension. She should 
  attack at least once on each dungeon level, as often 
  as every couple of days. You shouldn’t have Belcorra 
  fight alongside other creatures until the adventure’s 
  finale—she’s tough enough on her own! 
  Each time Belcorra attacks, she learns more about 
  how the heroes fight and adapts her tactics and her 
  preparations. She might cast spell immunity to protect 
  herself from the heroes’ most effective spells, true 
  seeing or see invisibility to keep them in sight, or dispel 
  magic to counter their magical defenses. She mocks the 
  heroes for their failures and rages at their successes—
  remember, she has been aware of them since her test 
  firing of Gauntlight’s beam in “Ruins of Gauntlight.” 
  First Attack: As soon as Belcorra realizes the heroes’ 
  presence, she seeks them out, traveling through the 
  Gauntlight footprint (areas A37 and B28). She casts 
  phantasmal calamity at a distance and retreats, moving 
  through walls if necessary so the heroes can’t follow.
  Second Attack: Belcorra wants the heroes to fear 
  her, so she approaches them more closely the second 
  time and uses single-target spells like feeblemind and 
  phantasmal killer while demanding the heroes flee her 
  Abomination Vaults. With her message delivered, she 
  retreats after only a few rounds.
  Later Attacks: Once the heroes have recovered a 
  fulcrum lens or the Fulcrum Lattice, Belcorra considers 
  the heroes an actual threat, but her anger overrides 
  her caution. She attacks with her full might, using her 
  Corrupting Gaze and ghostly hand along with her 
  spells. If she defeats a hero, she retreats, confident that 
  they’ll leave her alone. 
  Leveraging Agents: Belcorra has several living allies 
  within the Abomination Vaults, including the urdefhan 
  cult and the Children of Belcorra. She might send these 
  groups after the heroes, insisting they let the heroes 
  know they’re acting on Belcorra’s orders. Fortunately, 
  neither group can muster large numbers, so the heroes 
  should be able to manage an attack from them.
  Killing Allies: Belcorra learns if the heroes make 
  alliances, such as with nearby calignis or drow. She 
  knows better than to face powerful, entrenched leaders 
  like Galudu or Quara, but she might murder a few 
  guards or direct monsters where they can most damage 
  the heroes’ allies. It’s important to Belcorra that she 
  leave some evidence (usually a single, injured survivor) 
  to let the heroes know she had orchestrated the attack.
  In the Footprint: Belcorra is most effective fighting 
  the heroes who enter the Gauntlight footprint (areas 
  A37 and B28) due to her Haunted Lighthouse ability. 
  The Final Attack: If the heroes defeat Belcorra 
  shortly before they reach the Empty Vault, she uses 
  the power of the Ebon Fulcrum Lens to hasten her 
  rejuvenation so she can face them in her sanctum.
  Belcorra doesn’t ever surrender or flee in the Empty 
  Vault. The heroes could possibly face her there without 
  yet having the ability to permanently defeat her. In 
  this case, they’ll need to retreat to collect the fulcrum 
  lenses and return to face her again. Once the heroes 
  can focus Nhimbaloth’s gaze upon Belcorra, they can 
  defeat the sorcerer for good.
  Belcorra Haruvex
  Spiteful Master of the Abomination Vaults
  Spiteful Master of the Abomination Vaults
  
  87
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  BELCORRA HARUVEX 
  CREATURE 12
  UNIQUE
  CE
  MEDIUM
  GHOST
  INCORPOREAL
  SPIRIT
  UNDEAD
  Female ghost sorcerer (Pathfinder Bestiary 166)
  Perception +22; darkvision, magic sense
  Languages Aklo, Common, Undercommon
  Skills Arcana +23, Diplomacy +23, Intimidation +25, 
  Occultism +26, Religion +22, Stealth +22
  Str –5, Dex +4, Con +0, Int +5, Wis +4, Cha +7
  Magic Sense (detection, divination) Belcorra can sense the 
  presence of magic auras as though she were always 
  using a 1st-level detect magic spell. When she Seeks, she 
  gains the benefits of a 3rd-level detect magic spell on 
  things she sees.
  Site Bound (lowest three levels of the Abomination Vaults)
  AC 30; Fort +16, Ref +22, Will +20; +1 status to all saves 
  vs. magic
  HP 175, negative healing, rejuvenation; Immunities death 
  effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious; 
  Resistances all damage 10 (except force, ghost touch, or 
  positive; double resistance vs. non-magical)
  Rejuvenation (divine, necromancy) 
  When Belcorra is destroyed, she 
  re-forms in 2d4 days within the 
  Empty Vault (though she can 
  reduce that time by empowering 
  herself with glimmers of Nhimbaloth’s essence using 
  the Ebon Fulcrum Lens [page 76]). Belcorra can only be 
  permanently destroyed if she enacts her full revenge on 
  Absalom or if Nhimbaloth devours her soul. 
  Speed fly 25 feet
  Melee � ghostly hand +24 (agile, finesse, magical), 
  Damage 3d8+12 negative
  Occult Spontaneous Spells DC 33, attack +25; 6th (4 slots) 
  dispel magic, feeblemind, phantasmal calamity, true 
  seeing; 5th (4 slots) black tentacles, crushing despair, 
  illusory scene, tongues; 4th (4 slots) confusion, globe 
  of invulnerability, phantasmal killer, spell immunity; 3rd 
  (4 slots) mind reading, nondetection, paralyze, vampiric 
  touch; 2nd (4 slots) death knell, see invisibility, telekinetic 
  maneuver, touch of idiocy; 1st (4 slots) mindlink, ray of 
  enfeeblement, spider sting, true strike; Cantrips (6th) 
  daze, ghost sound, mage hand, message, read aura, 
  shield, telekinetic projectile
  Sorcerer Bloodline Spells DC 33; 6th (2 Focus Points) 
  aberrant whispers, tentacular limbs
  Rituals DC 33; legend lore, planar binding, teleportation 
  circle (Advanced Player’s Guide 244)
  Blood Magic Each time Belcorra casts a sorcerer bloodline 
  spell or an aberrant bloodline granted spell, she can 
  grant herself or a target of the spell a +2 status bonus to 
  Will saving throws for 1 round. 
  Corrupting Gaze � Belcorra stares at a creature she can 
  see within 30 feet. The target takes 9d6 mental damage 
  (DC 33 basic Will save). A creature that fails its save is 
  also stupefied 1 for 1 minute.
  Haunted Lighthouse � Frequency once every 10 minutes; 
  Effect Belcorra extends her presence throughout the 
  lowest three levels of Gauntlight until the end of her 
  next turn. She can see with the benefits of all-around 
  vision and can make ghostly hand attacks or use special 
  abilities originating from any surface in this area. 
  Quickened Casting � Frequency once per day; Effect 
  If Belcorra’s next action is to cast a sorcerer spell 
  of 4th level or lower, she reduces the number of 
  actions to cast it by 1 (minimum 1 action).
  
  88
  Khurfel saw his first blood vision as a child, after his 
  first taste of an enemy’s blood. Not every urdefhan 
  has blood visions; those who do tend to keep them 
  quiet, for those who experience them are seen as 
  irrational or untrustworthy. Such visions always relay 
  great apocalypses, perhaps connected to daemons and 
  urdefhans’ lust for great death, but they’re nonsensical 
  and rarely come true. Yet, like all urdefhans subjected 
  to blood visions, Khurfel was absolutely convinced of 
  his vision’s veracity, its outcome terrifying him. He saw 
  the end of his cult, the urdefhans in the Abomination 
  Vaults once sworn to Belcorra but who had mostly 
  forgotten their oaths. He saw that this end would 
  come while he ruled and that he was powerless to stop 
  it. He would be the last war champion.
  Of course, Khurfel kept his visions secret. If the rest 
  of his cult knew of them, his life would be forfeit—
  but that wasn’t the real reason he denied them. His 
  blood boiled at the revelation. He was the chosen of 
  Abaddon. He would indeed rise to war champion, but 
  he would fight these fevered nightmares. They were 
  another enemy to be vanquished.
  Khurfel’s rise was swift. He was large, strong, and 
  fearsome. When he led his first war band, he achieved 
  victory and slaughter, and when he partook in his 
  enemies’ blood, the haunting visions waned. Within a 
  few years, Khurfel became the youngest war champion 
  in his cult’s history. He swore to defend their symbol 
  of leadership, the Emerald Fulcrum Lens carried by 
  generations of war champions. That’s when Khurfel’s 
  troubles began.
  It’s one thing to lead comrades into battle. Everything 
  not urdefhan is prey. Fighting was simple and visceral. 
  It focused Khurfel’s mind, and it exhilarated him. But 
  being a leader, he learned, was far more nuanced. He 
  had to juggle the jealousies, ambitions, and problems 
  of everyone in his cult, an aspect of his position 
  that he found tiring and dull. Worse still, his blood 
  visions resumed. The Ghost Queen Belcorra returned 
  to tell his cult to be ready, for they would soon have 
  worlds of slaughter when she finished with her plans. 
  His fellow urdefhans cheered at this promise, but 
  Khurfel’s visions dampened his joy.
  His visions showed him that hunting the drow 
  leader, Larathols, would be the first step toward his 
  cult’s demise. However, Larathols provoked Khurfel 
  with his cautious explorations of the great lake the 
  urdefhans claimed as their own. Larathols sought 
  secrets in the forbidden vault—the one the urdefhans 
  had been told long ago that no one should enter. 
  Hungry for another fight and believing he could 
  overcome his visions, Khurfel swam to an island on 
  the lake and there killed Larathols and his daughter. 
  He drank of the drow’s blood and threw the body 
  into the lake so monsters could rip it apart. He had 
  vanquished his foes. The victory was glorious, and 
  his people screamed his name in triumph. Larathols’s 
  blood was invigorating. What urdefhan doesn’t want 
  these things? It’s every urdefhan’s right to bring death 
  and destruction into the world.
  But Khurfel’s blood visions now manifest more 
  frequently, showing strangers who threaten him and 
  drow working against him. He has called upon his 
  cult’s tormentors and blood mages to summon more 
  daemons and strengthen their defenses, but the visions 
  persist. Khurfel is uneasy, and his doubt feels like 
  weakness. The only way to solve a problem is to destroy 
  it utterly—what his people have always done. Still the 
  visions come, and Khurfel is powerless to stop them.
  Campaign Role
  Khurfel leads the largest and most active group of 
  adversaries the heroes face in the Abomination Vaults. 
  His fated confrontation with the heroes is necessary 
  because he holds the Emerald Fulcrum Lens and 
  refuses to give it up as long as he lives, as it symbolizes 
  the leadership of his cult. Khurfel’s vision of falling at 
  the heroes’ hands doesn’t inspire fear—it inspires fury, 
  and he fights against his prophesized enemies as long 
  as breath remains in his body. 
  Khurfel
  Visions-Wracked Warlord
  Visions-Wracked Warlord
  
  89
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  KHURFEL 
  CREATURE 10
  UNIQUE
  CE
  MEDIUM
  HUMANOID
  URDEFHAN
  Male urdefhan war champion (Pathfinder Bestiary 2 272)
  Perception +19; greater darkvision
  Languages Aklo, Daemonic, Undercommon
  Skills Athletics +22, Intimidation +19, Survival +20
  Str +5, Dex +4, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +5, Cha +4
  Items chain mail, Emerald Fulcrum Lens (page 76), heavy 
  crossbow (10 bolts), +1 striking rhoka sword
  AC 28; Fort +20, Ref +19, Will +22
  HP 200, negative healing; Immunities death effects, 
  disease, fear; Weaknesses positive 10
  Necrotic Decay (divine, necromancy, negative) 
  When Khurfel dies, his invisible flesh 
  quickly rots away and sublimates into 
  a foul-smelling gas that fills a 10-foot 
  emanation around his body. The gas deals 
  10d6 negative damage to creatures in this 
  area as their flesh too curdles and rots (DC 28 
  basic Fortitude save).
  Attack of Opportunity �
  Speed 25 feet
  Melee � rhoka sword +24 (deadly 2d8, magical, two-hand 
  2d10), Damage 2d8+11 slashing
  Melee � jaws +23, Damage 2d8+11 piercing plus wicked bite
  Ranged � heavy crossbow +22 (range increment 120 feet, 
  reload 2), Damage 1d10 piercing
  Divine Innate Spells DC 28, attack +20; 4th harm, read 
  omens; 3rd blindness, paralyze; 2nd augury, death knell; 
  1st feather fall (at will, self only), ray of enfeeblement
  Frenzied Attack � Khurfel makes one rhoka sword 
  Strike and two jaws Strikes against one or two different 
  creatures (splitting up the attacks any way he wishes). 
  His multiple attack penalty doesn’t increase until after 
  all three attacks.
  Insightful Swing � Khurfel makes a melee weapon Strike. 
  On this Strike, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus to the 
  attack roll and ignores any concealment the target has. 
  Wicked Bite � Requirements Khurfel damaged a 
  creature with a jaws Strike on his last action; Effect 
  Khurfel maintains contact, turning the creature’s flesh 
  translucent around the injury. Khurfel chooses one of 
  two options, each of which requires a DC 28 Fortitude 
  save. If the jaws Strike was a critical hit, the creature 
  suffers both effects, using the same save result for both. 
  • Drain Blood Khurfel drinks some of the creature’s 
  blood. On a failed save, the creature is drained 1 and 
  Khurfel regains 10 HP (or, on a critical failure, it’s 
  drained 2 and Khurfel regains 20 HP). 
  • Drain Vitality (necromancy) Khurfel draws out some 
  of the creature’s vital essence. The creature becomes 
  enfeebled 1 for 1 hour on a failed save (or enfeebled 2 
  for 1 hour on a critical failure).
  
  90
  Quara Orshendiel never expected to become the 
  ruler of Yldaris. Her father, a wise and prudent man 
  named Larathols, had ruled the settlement for many 
  centuries. She loved her father, not only because he 
  was a decent man, but because he granted Quara the 
  freedom to forge her own path. She loved the swagger 
  and fearlessness of Yldaris’s shootists and grew up 
  fascinated by their tall tales and the way they reveled 
  in their exploits.
  Larathols saw no reason not to indulge his youngest 
  daughter’s aspirations. He was already preparing 
  Quara’s older sister, Galuna, to lead Yldaris when the 
  time came, which Quara always imagined as many 
  centuries in the future. In the meantime, she honed her 
  skills with the shootists. It didn’t take long for her to 
  start inspiring stories herself and to collect the scars 
  that go with them—the most severe of which came 
  from a run-in with a gug, against which she ultimately 
  prevailed. She wore the creature’s pelt for years until it 
  grew too tattered to be practical.
  Quara’s carefree life changed after her father’s 
  and sister’s deaths. At the time, she was carousing in 
  Lozardyn and delighting in its residents’ larger-than-life 
  rumors about her. Larathols decided to raid one of 
  Belcorra’s secret storehouses to gain more information 
  about the magical lens the sorcerer had entrusted to 
  Larathols’s father many years ago. Galuna had gone 
  with him, and Khurfel, war champion of the nearby 
  urdefhans, ambushed and killed the pair. Quara was 
  immediately called back to Yldaris. As the most senior 
  of the shootists and Larathols’s daughter, she was 
  expected to assume leadership of the outpost.
   Quara never knew much about Belcorra or about 
  the secret mission that cost her father and sister their 
  lives. Belcorra had visited Yldaris years before Quara’s 
  birth and made a deal with her grandfather, the vague 
  details of which Quara heard only through rumors. She 
  knew her grandfather played a dangerous game with 
  Belcorra, promising forces that he couldn’t deliver and 
  keeping the arrangement secret from Lozardyn’s rulers. 
  When the sorcerer suddenly disappeared—killed at the 
  hands of surface dwellers, rumor said—the problem 
  seemed to have sorted itself out.
  Belcorra arrived in Yldaris shortly after Quara 
  came home, imperiously demanding that Quara swear 
  fealty just as her grandfather had. Never one to be 
  much bound by promises anyway, Quara glibly swore 
  to support the ghost because it seemed like the safest 
  course of action. 
  Quara 
  immediately 
  consulted 
  with 
  Yldaris’s 
  enigmatic cavern seers and her father’s closest allies 
  to find out what had happened to him. She learned 
  a little bit about her father’s last days, where he had 
  gone and why, and that he’d taken something called 
  the Ochre Fulcrum Lens that Belcorra had entrusted 
  to Quara’s grandfather five centuries earlier. Belcorra 
  hadn’t mentioned the lens when she appeared before 
  Quara—perhaps assuming it was languishing in some 
  Yldaris treasure vault—but Quara deduced the lens’s 
  critical importance. 
  The responsibility of administering Yldaris has 
  changed Quara. Her wild days have ended; she 
  rarely drinks and never to excess. However, her 
  freewheeling time as a shootist taught her the dangers 
  of their outpost. She boasts less and has become 
  more circumspect, having learned the lessons of true 
  leadership. Her people love her for it. Quara would 
  be shocked to hear it, but she’s just as well-regarded a 
  leader as Larathols ever was.
  Campaign Role
  Quara will likely become an ally of the heroes, as 
  she knows useful partners when she sees them. She’s 
  interested in avenging her father and sister, but she 
  knows that whatever goal her father was pursuing with 
  the Ochre Fulcrum Lens could prove critical in freeing 
  Yldaris from Belcorra’s control forever. She has learned 
  that the ochre lens was only one of three lenses that 
  Belcorra entrusted to allies in the region centuries ago, 
  and she sets the heroes on the trail of recovering them 
  Quara Orshendiel
  Reluctant Ruler
  Reluctant Ruler
  
  91
  EYES OF 
  EMPTY 
  DEATH
  Chapter 1:  
  Decaying  
  Gardens
  Chapter 2:  
  On the Hunt
  Chapter 3:  
  To Draw the 
  Baleful Glare
  Nhimbaloth
  Ghosts of the 
  Inner Sea
  Adventure  
  Toolbox
  and finding out more. The most important lead Quara 
  provides to the heroes is that her father was headed 
  toward an ancient vault at the edge of the lake, so the 
  heroes can find out more at that location. 
  The heroes might see drow as enemies and assault 
  Yldaris. In this case, Quara does her best to protect her 
  people, relying on the shootist training that still lingers 
  in her quick fingers. She likely won’t trust the heroes 
  with any information after such aggressions, but they 
  might find some clues in her quarters.
  QUARA ORSHENDIEL 
  CREATURE 11
  UNIQUE
  CN
  MEDIUM
  DROW
  ELF
  HUMANOID
  Female drow leader (Pathfinder Bestiary 136)
  Perception +21; darkvision
  Languages Common, Daemonic, Elven, Undercommon
  Skills Acrobatics +22, Athletics +20, Deception +22, 
  Diplomacy +20, Intimidation +22, Stealth +20, 
  Survival +19
  Str +3, Dex +5, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +2, 
  Cha +5
  Items 
  chain 
  shirt, +1 striking 
  repeating hand crossbows (2, with 3 
  magazines; page 73), shootist bandolier 
  (page 73), +1 striking kukri, stupor poison 
  (4; page 74)
  Light Blindness
  AC 30; Fort +16, Ref +22, Will +21; +1 
  status to all saves vs. magic, +2 status 
  to all saves vs. mental
  HP 190; Immunities sleep
  Commanding Aura (aura, emotion, 
  mental) 30 feet. Drow around 
  Quara are heartened by her presence. Her 
  drow allies in the aura gain a +1 status bonus 
  to attack rolls and skill checks. 
  Deny Advantage Quara isn’t flat-footed to hidden, 
  undetected, or flanking creatures of 11th level or lower, 
  or to creatures of 11th level or lower using Surprise 
  Attack. 
  Evasion When Quara rolls a success on a Reflex saving 
  throw, she gets a critical success instead.
  Speed 30 feet
  Melee � kukri +24 (agile, finesse, trip), Damage 2d6+9 
  slashing
  Ranged � repeating hand crossbow +24 (range increment 
  60 feet, reload 0, repeating), Damage 2d6+9 piercing 
  plus stupor poison
  Divine Innate Spells DC 28; 2nd darkness (at will), faerie 
  fire (at will); Cantrips (6th) dancing lights
  Defensive Shooter Quara’s ranged attacks don’t trigger 
  reactions.
  Poison Weapon � (manipulate) Requirements Quara is 
  holding a piercing or slashing weapon and has a free 
  hand; Effect Quara applies poison to the weapon.
  Reloading Trick � Requirements Quara is holding an 
  unloaded repeating hand crossbow; Effect Quara 
  Interacts to reload the repeating hand crossbow and 
  Strikes with it.
  Shootist’s Draw � Frequency once per round; Effect Quara 
  Interacts to draw a loaded repeating hand crossbow and 
  Strikes with it, or Strikes with a loaded repeating hand 
  crossbow she’s holding and then Interacts to 
  stow it. 
  Skirmishing Dash � Quara Strides or 
  Steps, then Strikes. This Strike deals an 
  additional 3d6 damage. 
  
  92
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  Next Month
  DESPAIR ON DANGER ISLAND
  by Luis Loza
  Thirty-two teams of the world’s best fighters compete 
  on the wild and beautiful isle of Bonmu for a spot in 
  the prestigious Ruby Phoenix Tournament. How will 
  your players’ characters stack up in fights against 
  opponents like the amiable underdogs of Tino’s 
  Toughest, the erudite Speakers to the Winds, and the 
  sinister Lightkeepers? Even more importantly, can the 
  contenders survive the perils of Danger Island while 
  simultaneously earning the favor of their mysterious 
  judges? There’s only one way to find out!
  RUBY PHOENIX FIGHTING ROSTER
  by Luis Loza
  There’s no shortage of colorful characters for your 
  players to encounter on their journey to claim the title of 
  Ruby Phoenix Champions. Meet an unforgettable cast of 
  friends and foes with this expansive roster!
  ADVENTURE TOOLBOX AND MORE!
  Fists of the Ruby Phoenix begins! This volume presents 
  new gear, monsters, and more. Don’t miss out on a single 
  Adventure Path volume—visit paizo.com/pathfinder 
  and subscribe today!
  
  Hardcover  $49.99 and Deluxe Hardcover  $69.99
  Hardcover  $49.99 and Deluxe Hardcover  $69.99
  AVAILABLE now!
  PZO2104
  MORE MONSTERS, MORE MAYHEM! BESTIARY 2 PRESENTS MORE 
  THAN 350 CREATURES, MANY WITH DETAILED LORE SIDEBARS ABOUT 
  PATHFINDER’S MOST POPULAR MONSTROUS FRIENDS AND FOES!
  AVAILABLE now!
  AVAILABLE now!
  PATHFINDERSECONDEDITION.COM
  Second Edition
  © 2021, Paizo Inc. Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathf nder, and the Pathf nder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; 
  the Pathf nder P logo, Pathf nder Adventure Path, Pathf nder Roleplaying Game, and Pathf nder Lost Omens are trademarks of Paizo Inc. 
  Bestiary 2
  Bestiary 2
  Second Edition
  
  HARDCOVER $34.99
  HARDCOVER $34.99
  PATHFINDER LOST OMENS GODS & MAGIC OFFERS DETAILS ON MAJOR GODS FOUND IN THE INNER SEA REGION, INCLUDING WHAT 
  FORMS THEIR PLEASURE OR WRATH MIGHT TAKE. IT ALSO PRESENTS RULES FOR OVER A HUNDRED OTHER DEITIES AND PHILOSOPHIES 
  SO YOU CAN FIND THE CAUSE THAT BEST FITS YOUR CONVICTIONS AND TAKE UP WEAPONS AND MAGIC IN ITS SERVICE!
  © 2021, Paizo Inc. Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; 
  the Pathfinder P logo, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Lost Omens are trademarks of Paizo Inc. 
  pathfindersecondedition.com
  LOST OMENS
  LOST OMENS
  LOST OMENS
  Gods & Magic
  Gods & Magic
  Second Edition
  TEST YOUR CONVICTIONS
  TEST YOUR CONVICTIONS
  
  Hardcover  $49.99 AND DELUXE HARDCOVER $69.99
  Hardcover  $49.99 AND DELUXE HARDCOVER $69.99
  PZO2105
  THIS 272-PAGE RULEBOOK CONTAINS EXCITING NEW RULES OPTIONS FOR PLAYER CHARACTERS, ADDING EVEN MORE DEPTH OF 
  CHOICE TO YOUR PATHFINDER GAME. INSIDE YOU WILL FIND BRAND NEW ANCESTRIES, HERITAGES, AND FOUR NEW CLASSES. IT 
  ALSO INCLUDES EXCITING NEW OPTIONS FOR ALL YOUR FAVORITE CORE RULEBOOK CLASSES AND TONS OF NEW BACKGROUNDS, 
  GENERAL FEATS, SPELLS, ITEMS, AND 40 FLEXIBLE ARCHETYPES TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR PLAY EXPERIENCE EVEN FURTHER!
  PATHFINDERSECONDEDITION.COM
  Second Edition
  © 2021, Paizo Inc. Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; 
  the Pathfinder P logo, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Lost Omens are trademarks of Paizo Inc. 
  Advanced 
  Advanced 
  Player’s Guide
  Player’s Guide
  Second Edition
  Second Edition
  Second Edition
  BEYOND 
  BEYOND THE
  THE 
  BASICS
  BASICS!
  
  GAMEMASTERY GUIDE
  GAMEMASTERY GUIDE
  HARDCOVER $49.99 and Deluxe Hardcover $69.99
  HARDCOVER $49.99 and Deluxe Hardcover $69.99
  © 2021, Paizo Inc. Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc.; 
  the Pathfinder P logo, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, and Pathfinder Lost Omens are trademarks of Paizo Inc. 
  Second Edition
  pathfindersecondedition.com
  Learn to build adventures, campaigns, and the denizens and treasures that lurk within.
  Make the game your own with variant rules like dual-class characters and free archetypes.
  Explore new types of magic items like artifacts, cursed items, and relics that scale with 
  your character.
  Experience exciting subsystems like chases, duels, and inf ltrations.
  Find more than 80 new NPCs to use in your game, from guards to assassins.
  Available Now!
  Available Now!
  
  LEVEL 10: TEMPLE
  LEVEL 10: TEMPLE
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  1 SQUARE = 5 FEET
  C8
  C8
  TO B64
  TO B64
  C7
  C7
  C2
  C2
  C6
  C6
  C5
  C5
  C3
  C3
  C4
  C4
  C1
  C1
  C9
  C9
  C10
  C10
  C11
  C11
  C12
  C12
  C13
  C13
  C14
  C14
  C15
  C15
  C16
  C16
  C17
  C17
  C18
  C18
  C19
  C19
  C20
  C20
  
  paizo.com/pathfinder
  Printed in China. 
  Adventure
  M
  assive caverns and a hidden shrine to a sinister Outer God await in the deepest 
  levels of the Abomination Vaults. The heroes must negotiate the ruthless politics 
  of insular drow, outwit vampiric urdefhans, and overcome stranger creatures 
  to win the tools they need to vanquish Belcorra Haruvex. Yet the undead sorcerer 
  still grows in power. The heroes must put her to rest before she claims the full might 
  of her malevolent patron. The Abomination Vaults Adventure Path concludes with 
  “Eyes of Empty Death,” a complete adventure for 8th- to 10th-level characters.
  Death Lurks in the Darkness!
  Death Lurks in the Darkness!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/2nd Edition/Adventure Paths/Abomination Vaults/PF 2E - Abomination Vaults AP - Part 3 of 3 - Eyes of Empty Death {PZO90165}.pdf