TEXT: By Mike Franke, Phil Minchin, 
  and Christina Stiles
  CULTS AND CHAOS IN THE CITY OF ADVENTURE
  Dark DeeDs in 
  Freeport
  
  1
  CREDITS
  Open Design, Kobold Press, and Midgard are trademarks of Open Design. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo 
  Inc., and the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of 
  Paizo Inc., and are used under the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game Compatibility License.  
  See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. 
  Freeport: The City of Adventure is Copyright 2000-2014 Green Ronin Publishing and is used under license. Freeport, Green 
  Ronin, and their associated logos are Trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing.
  Compatibility with the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game from Paizo Inc. 
  See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder® Roleplaying Game.  
  Paizo Inc. does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse the product.
  Open Game Content:  The Open content in this issue includes the new spell discern secret, the statistics for Granthu, 
  new magic item thoughtwipe, new Magic Weapon special abilities Tempest and Windblast, and the lightning elementals, 
  advanced bodak, advanced alchemical golem, advanced fiendish black pudding, giant mosquito, advanced ogre spider, 
  and true speaker cultist. All other material is Product Identity, especially place names, character names, locations, story 
  elements, and fiction. No other portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission.
  ©2014 Open Design. All rights reserved. 
  www.koboldpress.com
  TM
  Designers: Mike Franke, Phil Minchin, and Christina Stiles
  Contributors: Ryan Costello, Jr., Mike Furlanetto, Robert Hahn, Spike Y Jones, Carlos Ovalle, and Rory Toma
  Editor: Spike Y Jones
  Lead Designer/Developer: Christina Stiles
  Original Concept: Mike Furlanetto
  Art Director/Graphic Design: Marc Radle
  Cover: Malcolm McClinton
  Interior Art: Peter Bradley
  Cartography: Peter Bradley
  Proofreaders: Wolfgang Baur and Spike Y Jones
  Accountant Shelly Baur
  Publisher Wolfgang Baur
  Playtesters: Scott Barnes, Nate Christen, Ben Coler, Letha Covey, Al Drees, Johannes Greupner, Lutz Hofmann, 
  Jason Just, Benjamin Krauter, Lewis McLouth, Jim Mickelson, Carlos Ovalle, Shane Williams
  Christina’s Special Thanks To: Nate Christen, Mike Franke, Phil Minchin, and Carlos Ovalle
  Dark Deeds 
  in Freeport
  A Pathfinder Adventure-Arc Anthology 
  for PCs of 9th-12th level
  
  2
  Table of Contents
  Introduction: A Light in the Darkness  .............................3
   
  The Plot   ......................................................................................3
   
   
  Assumed Resources  .............................................................3
   
   
  Using Dark Deeds in the Midgard  
   
   
  Campaign Setting ..................................................................4
   
   
  Background  ...........................................................................4
   
   
  Hit Points  ..............................................................................4
   
   
  Adventure Summary  ............................................................5
   
   
  Running the Adventure Arc  ................................................5
   
  The Lantern, Lantern Wraiths, and Its Owner  .....................6
   
   
  Nalaskthana esh’Yig (The Eye of Yig)  ..................................6
   
   
  Table 1: Lantern Operations  ...............................................6
   
   
  Insanity  ..................................................................................7
   
   
  Lantern Wraiths ....................................................................8
   
   
  New Spell: Discern Secret  .....................................................8
   
   
  Truth Tables  ..........................................................................9
   
   
  Granthu  .............................................................................. 12
   
   
  Heightened Discord  .......................................................... 13
   
  New Cults  ................................................................................ 15
   
   
  The True Speakers  ............................................................. 15
   
   
  The Authority of the Amalgamation  ............................... 16
   
   
  The Amalgamation  ............................................................ 16
   
   
  Alia Cole: Authority Adjunct  ........................................... 18
  Chapter 1: Dead Men Tell No Tales …  
  Except in Freeport   ................................................................. 19
   
  Part One: An Invitation to Fine Dining  ............................. 20
   
  Part Two: Dinner at Maurice’s  ............................................. 20
   
  Part Three: The Safe House  .................................................. 21
   
  Part Four: The Dead Dock in Scurvytown  ......................... 22
   
   
  Bartholomew Burek  .......................................................... 24
   
   
  Book of Buried Secrets  ....................................................... 25
   
   
  Concluding the Adventure  ............................................... 25
  Chapter 2: Thieves and Thoughtwipes   .......................... 26
   
  Part One: Offices of The Shipping News  .............................. 27
   
  Part Two: The Fool’s Market  ................................................. 28
   
   
  Book of Truths  .................................................................... 28
   
   
  Aletha Dorch  ..................................................................... 28
   
  Part Three: Stakeout at the Docks  ....................................... 30
   
   
  New Magic Item: Thoughtwipe  ........................................ 32
   
  Part Four: The Unrepentant  ..............................................33
   
   
  Captain Zotai Sarangay  .................................................... 35
   
   
  New Magic Weapon Special Abilities: Tempest  
   
   
  and Windblast  .................................................................... 35
   
   
  Concluding the Adventure  ............................................... 36
  Chapter 3: The Oracle of Dreaming Street  ................. 37
   
  Part One: An Invitation  ....................................................38
   
  Part Two: The Baths  ............................................................... 38
   
  Part Three: Information Gathering  .................................... 39
   
  Part Four: Dreaming Street  .................................................. 40
   
   
  Malarin  ............................................................................... 43
   
   
  Abhilasha  ........................................................................... 44
   
   
  Concluding The Adventure  .............................................. 45
  Chapter 4: Truth Sunders  .................................................... 46
   
   
  Mordrok and the Axiomites  ............................................. 47
   
  Part One: Chambers Asylum  ............................................... 47
   
   
  Adventure Atmospherics  .................................................. 48
   
   
  The Sundered (Primordial Life-Anchors)  ...................... 48
   
  Part Two: Chambers Asylum Basement  ............................. 50
   
  Part Three: Chambers Asylum Ground Floor  ................... 55
   
  Part Four: Chambers Asylum Upper Floor  ....................... 57
   
   
  Bianka Altanish and Vahgren  .......................................... 58
   
   
  Aletha Dorch, Sundered  ................................................... 58
   
   
  Concluding the Adventure  ............................................... 60
  Chapter 5: Granthu’s Lair  ................................................... 61
   
   
  Granthu in the Complex  .................................................. 61
   
   
  The Search For Harcourt Horkel  ..................................... 61 
   
   
  The Lantern’s Effects On Granthu’s Lair  ......................... 62
   
  Part One: The Galleon  ........................................................... 62
   
   
  Advanced Shoggti Qlippoth  ............................................. 64
   
   
  Greater Lightning Elemental  ........................................... 64
   
   
  The Dimensional Lock  ....................................................... 65
   
   
  Brimorak  ............................................................................ 66
   
   
  The Unspeakable One’s Haunt  ......................................... 67
   
  Part Two: The Complex  ......................................................... 68
   
   
  Advanced Elder Lightning Elemental  ............................. 69
   
   
  Advanced Bodak  ............................................................... 70
   
   
  Advanced Alchemical Golem  .......................................... 71
   
   
  Advanced Fiendish Black Pudding  ................................. 74
   
   
  Giant Mosquito  ................................................................. 76
   
   
  Advanced Ogre Spider  ...................................................... 76
   
  Part Three: The Lantern  ........................................................ 76
   
   
  True Speaker Cultist .......................................................... 76
   
   
  Completing Or Continuing The Adventure  ................... 78
   
   
  Other Possibilities  ............................................................. 78
   
   
  If The PCs Keep The Lantern  ........................................... 78
   
   
  If Granthu Survives  ........................................................... 79
   
   
  If The Complex Survives  .................................................. 79
   
   
  If The Dimensional Galleon Survives  .............................. 79
   
   
  Beyond The Vehicle Rules  ................................................ 79
   
   
  Dimensional Galleon  ......................................................... 79
  Backers 
  Adam Leckie, Andrew and Heleen Durston, Andrew Eakett, Anonymous, Ben Ferguson, Ben McFarland, Bob Byrne, Bradley Colver, 
  Brandon Hodge, Brian Suskind, Callum Prior, Can Sungur, Carlos Ovalle, Chris Mortika, Christian Kupper, Christina Stiles, Constantin 
  Terton, Daniel Brumme, David Cornwell, David DeRocha, David Lai, Diane Camper, Ed Possing, Emiliano Marchetti, Erez Shmaya, 
  Ernest Mueller, Franz Georg Rösel, Gilles Bourgeois, Giorgio Vergani, Günther Kronenberg, Hans House, Jan Rodewald, Jani Waara, 
  Jared Strickland, Jaye Sonia, Jeff Oyler, Jon Leitheusser, Karl Rodriguez, Kevin Reynolds, Lutz Hofmann, M. Sean Molley, Mark Evers, 
  Markus Plate, Matthew Monteiro, Matthew Ruane, Michael Baker, Michael Matkin, Michael Schell, Mike Franke, Mike Welham, Nate 
  Christen, Oliver von Spreckelsen, Patrick Halverson, Patrick Plouffe, Paul Woods, Philip Kendall, Philip Minchin, Robert Hahn, Ronald 
  Hopkins, Ronald Hopkins, Rory Toma, Ryan Costello, Jr., Scott Edwards, Sean Bradley, Sean Silva-Miramon, Stefan Beate, Steven Lau, 
  Steven Milner, Steven Robert, Terence Bowlby, Thilo “Endzeitgeist” Graf, and Toby Cooper
  
  The Plot
  In a city built on deception and subterfuge, no weapon cuts 
  more deeply than the unvarnished truth.
  Unusual events typically raise few eyebrows in Freeport, 
  but even by the jaded standards of the Crossroads of the 
  World, the last three months have seen some peculiar 
  happenings. Assassins easily dispatched an elven thief 
  who had eluded them for six centuries, robbers breached 
  an impenetrable vault as if they knew the precise details 
  of each trap and lock, and poison claimed the lives of 
  several prestigious men’s well-hidden mistresses. Then The 
  Shipping News reported the Watch catching three separate 
  embezzlers within a span of days.
  The common thread connecting these events? An 
  adventuring band’s recent unearthing of a well-preserved 
  Valossan ruin. Within the complex lay Nalaskthana esh’Yig, 
  the Eye of Yig, an artifact designed to uncover hidden 
  cultists of the Unspeakable One by revealing the complete 
  truth about anything lit by its rays. Granthu, its qlippoth 
  guardian, originally chosen as a life-hating killing machine 
  to protect the lantern but warped by centuries of exposure 
  to its light, has evolved the idea that humans can be freed 
  from sin (and thus not become the raw material to create 
  qlippoth-hating demons in the Abyss after they die) if 
  they’re exposed to pure truth. But Granthu isn’t adept at 
  this truth angle yet; after all, it’s only been thinking about 
  it for a couple hundred years, and has only been able to put 
  it into practice for a handful of weeks. Now it rents access 
  to the lantern (calling it the Lantern of the Honest Man) 
  through its bardic minion Harcourt Horkel.
  Worse yet, the lantern was itself tainted by the 
  Unspeakable One’s manifestation in the complex’s 
  confines. Now the glimpses it provides into the truth can 
  splinter a viewer’s mind.
  As the heroes explore the ancient ruins to uncover the 
  secrets of the lantern’s origins—and find the keys to its 
  destruction—they face troublesome questions. Isn’t truth 
  a virtue? Should they destroy the lantern, or should they 
  appropriate it from Granthu? If they do attempt to harness 
  its power for themselves, can they survive as honest men in 
  a city filled with lies?  Only time will tell.
  ASSUMED RESOURCES
  Dark Deeds in Freeport assumes the Game Master has 
  access to the Pirate’s Guide to Freeport and the Freeport 
  Introduction:  
     A Light in the Darkness
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  4
  Companion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Edition. 
  Additionally, knowledge of a number of Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game books is required. For those without 
  those books, much of the information can be located 
  online in the Pathfinder System Reference Document.
  And there are plenty of opportunities to use the Freeport 
  Companion’s optional Insanity Point rules here. It would be 
  an utter shame to ignore them.
  BACKGROUND
  2,000 years ago, at the height of its power, the serpent 
  people empire of Valossa concealed a growing blight. 
  While the elite enjoyed the fruits of the empire’s science 
  and sorcery, the desperate and downtrodden turned to 
  the worship of a dread alien entity, the Unspeakable One. 
  While most of Valossan society arrogantly refused to 
  acknowledge the threat, a small group of Valossan arcanists 
  and priests of the serpent god Yig tried to halt this growing 
  evil and save Valossa.
  Deep beneath what is today Freeport, this group, calling 
  itself the Revealers of Truth, built a hidden complex 
  dedicated to rooting out the Brotherhood of the Yellow 
  Sign. The Revelationists created two weapons with which 
  to uncover and destroy the Brotherhood. First, they 
  crafted Nalaskthana esh’Yig (The Eye of Yig), a powerful 
  artifact in the shape of lantern. Wherever the Eye of Yig 
  went, deceptions and treachery were revealed. Then the 
  serpent arcanists used all their sorcerous and scientific 
  skills to create a metallic sailing ship designed to traverse 
  the dimensions between planes in search of an appropriate 
  guardian for the Eye.
  All, however, was for naught, as the Revelationists had 
  acted too late. Before the lantern could be used to reveal 
  the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign, the Brotherhood 
  performed a profane ritual, summoning their mad god. 
  The arrival of the Unspeakable One rent the world asunder, 
  sank the Valossan Empire, and drove most of the few 
  survivors insane. A grand empire that had stood for a 
  thousand years was reduced to a handful of scattered 
  islands. In the midst of the destruction, the complex of the 
  Revealers of Truth, the Eye of Yig, the dimensional galleon, 
  and the lantern’s newly arrived guardian (a qlippoth named 
  Granthu) were buried and forgotten.
  Several months ago, a group of adventurers discovered 
  the entrance to a long descending lava tube behind a 
  crumbling wall in the sewers beneath Freeport. At the 
  end of the tube, deep beneath the city, they found the 
  lost complex of the Revealers of Truth. All but one of 
  the explorers met their deaths there; only the confidence 
  man Harcourt Horkel (male human bard 12; Freeport 
  Companion, page 111; Pirate’s Guide to Freeport, page 
  198) survived to reach the Sanctum of the Lantern (see 
  “Granthu’s Lair,” Area 8II, page 71).
  Bored by thousands of years of solitude, Granthu decided 
  not to immediately kill Horkel. The qlippoth’s years in 
  proximity to the powerful artifact had changed it. While 
  still a creature of chaos, its will was refocused toward the 
  revelation of truth and the unveiling of secrets.
  But the lantern had been twisted over time too, tainted by 
  the Unspeakable One’s manifestation in the complex. Now 
  While this adventure anthology is meant to be 
  used with Freeport (and Freeport fits neatly into 
  Midgard, in the waters between the Dragon Empire 
  and the Seven Cities—although it isn’t on the map), 
  GMs could also stage the adventures in a seaport 
  city like Barsella, Friula, or Bemmea. Barsella is 
  the most appropriate alternate location, and, with 
  some adjustments, the various islands throughout 
  the Western Ocean could hold the key to an ancient 
  serpent race that once held some sway over the 
  region. Kobold Press’s Midgard Campaign Setting 
  provides some details about Barsella and the islands 
  of the Western Ocean. The supplements Journeys to 
  the West and Pirates of the Western Ocean have more 
  detailed information about Barsella and the islands.
  USING DARK DEEDS IN THE 
  MIDGARD CAMPAIGN SETTING
  All the NPCs and monsters in Dark Deeds in Freeport 
  have been given strictly average hit points for their 
  class and racial hit dice (and in some cases, groups of 
  monsters injured in combat all have the same lowered 
  hp total). This is, of course, unrealistic, and the GM is 
  encouraged to change these default hit points, tailoring 
  them to the situation in his campaign.
  If the party is a little more powerful than average or has 
  more than the four members that the adventures were 
  designed for, bump up the hp of their opponents a little 
  or even a lot (but not beyond the maximum allowed by 
  the creature’s Hit Dice).
  HIT POINTS
  If the party is weaker than expected, lower the monsters’ 
  hit points accordingly.
  For monsters that come in multiples, such as the three 
  juju zombies in “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” you can also 
  make changes to differentiate them a bit. Instead of all 
  three having the identical 62 hit points, you can increase 
  one’s hp by 1 point per die after the first, lower another 
  by 1, and leave the third unchanged, giving you zombies 
  with 67, 62, and 57 hit points. Now you can describe 
  them as the weak, average, and strong-looking zombies, 
  but the difficulty of the encounter is unchanged.
  
  IntroductIon
  5
  The powerful artifact’s new activity also drew the attention 
  of a being from beyond the void known only as the 
  Primordial Chaos, a Great Old One, and its opponents, 
  the lawful servants of the Amalgamation. The Primordial 
  Chaos used the shattered psyches of those most affected 
  by the lantern to gain a foothold in Freeport’s reality with 
  its tendrils. Many of these madness-inflicted individuals 
  ended up in the Chambers Asylum. There, the director of 
  the Asylum, Bianka Altanish, learned from a now-insane 
  Dorch of the Lantern of the Honest Man’s existence, 
  and she sought it out to further her experiments on 
  immortality. But each new addition to her asylum drew 
  the Primordial Chaos closer to Freeport, which attracted 
  the Amalgamation’s otherworldly servants, who would do 
  anything to prevent the Primordial Chaos’s full emergence. 
  The Chambers Asylum became a battleground between law 
  and chaos.
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY
  The rash of recent revelations has placed many Freeporters 
  in delicate or dangerous positions. And these individuals 
  are willing to pay top coin to stop the flow of secrets. The 
  PCs begin their trek into the heart of this growing madness 
  when the crime boss Finn hires them to discover the snitch 
  responsible for leaking his business information to thieves. 
  The heroes track the culprit to the Crematorium at Dead 
  Dock, discovering that the necromancer Bartholomew 
  Burek has been stealing secrets from the dead.
  Next, C.Q. Calame, publisher of The Shipping News, asks 
  As Game Master, you can change the sequence of 
  adventures if desired, but it’s recommended that you 
  don’t compress the timeline too much; some time 
  should elapse between each scenario. The PCs should be 
  pursuing other interests as these events start unraveling 
  around them. Every so often, they should come across 
  an intriguing story in The Shipping News that strikes 
  them as really odd, like individuals snapping and 
  committing murder, people being locked up for out-of-
  character behavior, and rumors of ghost-like creatures 
  (lantern wraiths) walking the streets.
  Take your time building up this arc. Enjoy plunging the 
  heroes into mind-shattering scenes, bringing them closer 
  to insanity themselves. Between adventures, have some 
  of the following things take place, drawing them closer 
  to understanding what is really happening in Freeport:
  •  Sometime after the “Oracle on Dreaming Street” 
  adventure, have Angelo Stampfel, now a victim of 
  one of Granthu’s scrying eyes, contact one of the 
  adventurers to arrange to impart some sensitive 
  information at a secret rendezvous spot. Instead 
  of meeting with the reporter at the agreed-upon 
  time and place, the PC meets Granthu, disguised 
  RUNNING THE ADVENTURE ARC
  the glimpses it provided into the truth could splinter a 
  viewer’s mind, opening it to madness.
  Knowing the appeal of the lantern’s power, Granthu 
  appeared to its bardic intruder in a blaze of golden light and 
  told him of the lantern and its abilities, knowing Harcourt 
  Horkel would do anything to obtain it. All the while, 
  Granthu skillfully questioned Horkel about the state of the 
  world above. It assured Horkel that if he removed the Eye of 
  Yig, the lantern would bring the blazing light of truth to the 
  streets of corrupt Freeport. But Horkel immediately saw the 
  possibilities of a lantern that could uncover any secret and 
  bring him wealth, as Granthu had expected. Left unsaid, of 
  course, was the fact that the lantern’s removal would also 
  free the lantern’s guardian to roam the city, allowing it to 
  see the results of its truth-revealing experiment.
  The lantern sowed chaos as surely as it brought truth. 
  Horkel made a tidy sum selling access to the Lantern of 
  the Honest Man. It also revealed “the truth” to Aletha 
  Dorch (see page 15) and inspired the creation of the 
  True Speakers — and it began her eventual descent into 
  madness.
  At the same time, Granthu was not idle. The creature 
  scuttled through Freeport, subtly encouraging the 
  necromancer Bartholomew Burek (see page 19) to begin 
  collecting information from the dead, secretly aiding 
  the rise of the rakshasa Oracle of Dreaming Street, and 
  watching with some confusion as minotaur Captain 
  Sarangay began a trade in thoughtwipes for wealthy 
  Freeporters afraid their secrets would be revealed.
  as Stampfel. The creature attacks the PC and tries to 
  embed an eye in him. One of the heroes could thus fall 
  under Granthu’s watch and possible sway.
  •  Have the troubles brewing between the True Speakers 
  and the Speakers of Truth escalate into further, more 
  serious, violence. Although The Shipping News might 
  feature some details of the sects’ battles, the PCs should 
  directly witness their hostility and guerrilla attacks in 
  the streets.
  Roma Peafox, critic for the paper, goes missing. The 
  PCs eventually locate her body -- and many others 
  -- in Scurvytown. She’s been clawed almost beyond 
  recognition. A street-urchin-turned-life-anchor is 
  hunting the streets, preying on people.
  •  Two recently-turned lantern wraiths (see page 
  @@) have escaped into the streets of Freeport. A 
  longshoreman named Talfic Rotzzi is quoted in The 
  Shipping News as seeing them chasing a priestess of 
  the Speakers of Truth around the Dock District. A PC 
  could become a target of a haunting. A lantern wraith 
  can give information about where Granthu lairs, and 
  will do so to protect its unlife.
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  6
  the adventurers to aid and protect his ace reporter, Angelo 
  Stampfel, who is investigating the rise in revealed secrets 
  throughout Freeport. During this investigation they discover 
  magical thought-removing handkerchiefs being sold on the 
  black market by Captain Sarangay (see page 26). They also 
  discover that his own crewmen are stealing back the sold 
  cloths to blackmail those trying to hide their secrets.
  Following that, Captains’ Council member Garth 
  Varellion sends the PCs to Scurvytown to uncover the 
  true nature of the self-proclaimed, charismatic Oracle of 
  Dreaming Street, a former prostitute of the Torchlight 
  Academy of little regard and absolutely no magical ability 
  named Lucretia. He wants them to eradicate her, thereby 
  ending the complications her suspected revelations have 
  caused him and other members of the Captains’ Council. 
  In dealing with the Oracle, the heroes discover she isn’t a 
  poor prostitute after all, but a scheming rakshasa with a 
  medusa lieutenant.
  Later (either following a lead or after being asked to 
  recover a friend or Aletha Dorch) they investigate the 
  Chambers Asylum. They discover a brutal patient uprising 
  in the Asylum’s “basement of madness,” where the most 
  insane patients are kept. These humans have become 
  something else entirely (life-anchors), and their terrible 
  wails penetrate the investigators’ minds, weakening them. 
  The PCs also discover the Amalgamation’s servants in the 
  midst of performing a cleansing ritual of death on the 
  patients within the institution. The heroes can either ally 
  with the otherworldly beings or kill them. Eventually, the 
  adventurers’ search leads them to Director Bianka Altanish 
  and the reality-sundered Aletha Dorch, where they learn of 
  the lantern’s existence.
  Finally, the party must enter the old Valossan ruins to rid 
  the city of Granthu and the Eye of Yig lantern before they 
  drive the city into utter madness.
  The Lantern, Lantern 
  Wraiths, and Its Owner
  This section provides necessary details about the lantern 
  and its current guardian/owner, the qlippoth Granthu.
  NALASKTHANA ESH’YIG  
  (THE EYE OF YIG)
  Appearance: The Eye of Yig initially appears to be 
  a grubby hooded lantern. Closer inspection (DC 15 
  Perception check) reveals ornate designs and tiny inlaid 
  jade highlights concealed by grime and verdigris. Two 
  curved shutters, controlled by sliding levers on the lantern’s 
  square top, cover each side. When lit, the copper lantern 
  emits a greenish light, although it doesn’t noticeably color 
  whatever it illuminates.
  History: An entire order of Valossan arcanist-priests 
  of Yig collaborated for decades on the creation of the 
  Nalaskthana esh’Yig (the Eye of Yig), partly to expose the 
  Unspeakable One, and partly to honor their god. Their 
  artifact was so successful that Yig’s faithful clamored for all 
  their officials to be examined under the Eye’s rays. But the 
  creation of the Eye came too late to prevent the cataclysm 
  that destroyed the Valossan empire, and the Eye itself went 
  missing for millennia.
  Operation: Each of the lantern’s sides can open into 
  a curved slit like a snake’s eye, shining its green light 
  in anything from a 30-foot line to a 30-foot cone. Fully 
  opening the shutters on all four sides at once creates a 
  30-foot burst. The lantern’s levers usually slide easily, but 
  they occasionally stick unexpectedly (see Table 1: Lantern 
  Operations), slide open without any obvious cause, or 
  release a soul held with (see Lantern Wraiths, page 8). It 
  normally takes a swift action to operate one lever or to 
  spin the lantern on its axis, flinging all sides open wide. 
  Anything more complex requires a move action.
  Table 1: Lantern Operations (d100)
  Roll each time a new lantern operation is tried or once every 
  10 rounds the lantern is continually used in the same mode.
  Roll
  Result
  01-83
  Operates normally.
  84-89
  Lever sticks (DC 15 Strength check to unstick).
  90-93
  The wrong shutter opens, or the lantern is mis-
  set to cone instead of line or vice-versa.
  94-98
  All the shutters open without any obvious 
  cause.
  99-00
  Releases 1d2 lantern wraiths (see page 8).
  Function: The Eye of Yig’s purpose is to reveal truth, 
  giving beholders perfect clarity regarding whatever the 
  lantern illuminates. Viewers need not be in the illuminated 
  area, but they must be in the lantern’s presence to benefit 
  from its revelation magic—viewers cannot magically scry 
  on the wielders to gain its benefits.
  Original Effects: The Nalaskthana esh’Yig has a 
  number of automatic effects that are unchanged from its 
  original design.
  Viewers see the illuminated area as if they’re affected by 
  a true seeing spell. Visual Perception checks gain a +10 
  bonus. Lies, deceptions (including forgeries/disguises), 
  and magically modified behavior are not prevented but are 
  immediately made obvious as such.
  Additionally, when viewing a living subject under the 
  lantern’s light, or even asking about a particular individual 
  while viewing the light, the lantern grants the viewers the 
  effects of a discern lie spell.
  Effects based on visual exposure to truth (e.g., draconic 
  presence and the madness rules in the Freeport 
  Companion) are intensified if their cause is observed under 
  the lantern’s light—their Will DCs increase by 5.
  Characters suffering from magical blindness (including 
  oracles) continue to suffer their blindness, but receive a 
  
  IntroductIon
  7
  partial exemption, allowing them to see the area—but only 
  by the lantern’s light. Those who are genuinely blind gain no 
  benefit from the lantern, but can’t be harmed by it either.
  But the most important effect is that each round he’s 
  exposed to the light, a cultist of the Unspeakable One 
  must make a DC 15 Will save or be revealed to all viewers 
  as a cultist. The DC increases by 1 for each consecutive 
  round of exposure, but returns to 15 if the lantern’s light is 
  removed from the cultist for even 1 round. The Eye’s user 
  can concentrate its beam on a revealed cultist and if the 
  cultist fails another DC 15 (+1 per consecutive round) Will 
  save, his soul is drawn into the lantern and transformed 
  into a lantern wraith (see page 8).
  (Note: The Eye doesn’t reveal or swallow cultists of 
  religions other than that of the Unspeakable One, even 
  chaotic or evil ones.)
  Warped Effects: After being tainted by time and 
  exposure to chaotic energies, the Eye of Yig has gained 
  some new automatic effects that manifest alongside its 
  original powers.
  Viewing the lantern’s light for 3 or more consecutive 
  rounds can subject the viewer to madness (Will DC 15 or 
  gain 1d4 Insanity Points).
  Those viewing an area illuminated by the lantern are 
  automatically dazzled (by truth, not radiance; but the game 
  effects are identical).
  Finally, those viewing lantern-illuminated targets are 
  subject to two special dangers. They must make a Will 
  save to resist becoming addicted to the taste for secrets 
  (see Truth Addiction, below). And some time after the 
  beginning of the Dark Deeds adventure arc, the repeated 
  use of the insanity-inducing Eye of Yig provides an opening 
  into this reality for the alien Primordial Chaos (see the 
  “Truth Sunders” adventure, page 46).
  Use: If the lantern is visible, the source of the effect is 
  immediately obvious. If the lantern isn’t visible, but its 
  illumination is, the experience of truth is startling, often 
  confusing, and not infrequently mistaken for a divine vision.
  Anyone experiencing the revelations of the lantern is so 
  certain of the truth of what he’s seen that he receives +10 
  to saves or checks when resisting attempts to cast doubt on 
  the lantern’s revelations (including attempts to convince 
  him that the revelations were the result of magic, not 
  divinity). If he gets no check or save, DCs to achieve the 
  same effect are raised by +10.
  Targets illuminated from behind are often too captivated 
  by what they’re learning to turn around and search for the 
  source of the effect. Thus lantern-bearers might remain 
  unobserved.
  Truth Addiction: Those viewing other people 
  illuminated by the lantern must make a Will save each 
  round to resist the urge to use the lantern’s power to not 
  just separate truth from lie, but to reveal the secrets of 
  the targets.
  The base DC for this save is 17, and it increases by +1 
  for every line of lantern light the dazzled can see, or +3 
  for every cone. This functions like a passive gaze attack, 
  but those within the illuminated area can only avoid the 
  effect by completely closing (not just averting) their eyes, 
  becoming voluntarily blind. Those failing the Will save are 
  compelled to use the lantern to probe for secrets, but may 
  choose the object of their study if the failure is by less than 
  5; those failing by 5 or more fixate on a GM-determined 
  target. Changing targets requires a DC 15 Will save at 
  the start of the turn. On a failure, the user starts noticing 
  random truths about his current target; if he fails by 5 or 
  more, he starts studying a random target.
  Breaking a truth addiction requires a DC 18 Will save at 
  the start of the turn.
  An addict forced to probe for secrets must use his standard 
  action each round to try to learn a secret. The GM makes 
  a secret ability check—Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, 
  DC 15. If successful, the addict learns [that ability’s bonus, 
  minimum 1] truths of his choice about the target, as per a 
  discern secrets spell (see New Spell, page 8). If unsuccessful, 
  he instead learns random truths. On the roll of a 1, the GM 
  substitutes a falsehood for a truth.
  Exposure to the raw truth is so overwhelming that the 
  viewer can only learn a maximum number of truths per 
  day equal to his highest mental ability score. Once he hits 
  his limit, learning an additional truth from the lantern 
  gains him an Insanity Point. If he learns additional truths 
  equal to his highest mental ability bonus, he earns another 
  Insanity Point, and another for each multiple of that ability 
  bonus. If a truth addict reaches his Wisdom score in total 
  Insanity Points while in the light of the Eye of Yig, he must 
  make a DC 15 Will save or be pulled into the lantern and 
  transformed into a lantern wraith as if he were a member 
  of the Unspeakable One’s cult.
  Limitations and Drawbacks: The lantern must return 
  If the campaign uses the Freeport Companion’s 
  optional insanity rules, possession of even a single 
  Insanity Point will have a number of effects on a 
  character’s Wisdom. For the purpose of skill checks, 
  ability checks, and Will saves, the character’s effective 
  Wisdom is equal to his Wisdom score minus his 
  Insanity Points. But for purposes of spellcasting or 
  class abilities (e.g., bonus spells and save DCs), his 
  Insanity Points are added as a bonus to his normal 
  Wisdom score.
  The score of a character with a base 8 Wisdom and 
  6 Insanity Points would be written Wis 2/14 (8), 
  representing his effective Wisdom, his Wisdom when 
  insanity provides a bonus, and (in parenthesis) his 
  base Wisdom.
  For more on Insanity Points, see the Freeport 
  Companion, pages 44 to 48.
  INSANITY
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  8
  to a special pedestal in its home ruins (Area 8II; see page 
  77) for recharging once every 10 years for a 1-year period. 
  As the time for recharging approaches, its light begins to 
  fade until it entirely disappears, but the user doesn’t have 
  to wait for that warning to recharge it; he can start the 
  procedure at any time. The recharging can’t be interrupted 
  once started or else the lantern loses all the energy stored 
  in it (including any remaining energy it had before the 
  recharging operation began) and the recharging must start 
  again. The lantern will not function while it’s recharging.
  An interrupted recharging or destroying the dais on 
  which it must sit to recharge are easy ways for a GM to 
  (temporarily or permanently) remove the Eye of Yig from 
  the game if desired.
  Destruction: If all four sides of the Eye of Yig are open 
  and each shines on a priest of Yig being sacrificed to the 
  Unspeakable One, the lantern explodes with Yig’s wrath, 
  dealing 20d10 divine damage to all in a 60-foot radius, and 
  utterly destroying the lantern.
  LANTERN WRAITHS
  The Eye of Yig was created to exterminate serpent people 
  following the accursed Unspeakable One. It would pull 
  discovered cultists’ souls inside itself, transforming 
  them into wraiths who spent their time in eternal 
  torture within the lantern. Since the corruption of the 
  lantern, however, it has been able to pull in the seriously 
  unstable, turning them into wraiths as well. And a few 
  twisted souls have been freed from the confines of the 
  corrupted lantern.
  Lantern Wraith 
                                  CR 7
  XP 9,600
  LE Medium Undead (Incorporeal)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
  Aura zone of truth (20 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 21, flat-footed 18 (+7 deflection, +3 Dex, +1 
  Dodge)
  hp 105 (10d8 + 60)
  Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +11
  Defensive Abilities incorporeal, undead traits, DR/ – 
  physical, SR 25
  Weaknesses must remain within 10 miles of the lantern
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 60 ft. (good)
  Melee none
  Special Attacks draining touch
  STATISTICS
  Str – Dex 16 Con – Int 18 Wis 18 Cha 18
  Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD +25
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, 
  Stealthy, Toughness
  Skills Bluff +14, Knowledge (religion) +17, Knowledge 
  (Valossan) +14, Fly +16, Perception +17, Stealth +16, Sense 
  Motive +17
  Languages Common, Valossan, plus additional
  ECOLOGY
  Environment near the lantern (10 miles)
  Organization solitary, gang 2-10
  Treasure None
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Detect Thoughts (Su) DC 17, as per spell, once per round as 
  a standard action
  Discern Lies (Su) DC 19, as per spell, once per round as a 
  standard action
  Draining Touch (Su) A lantern wraith has a touch attack that 
  drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects on 
  a hit. On each such successful attack, the wraith heals 5 
  points of damage to itself. Lantern wraiths use this attack 
  only to preserve their existence or to enable escape.
  Prestidigitation (Su) as per spell, once per round as a 
  standard action
  Zone of Truth (Su) constant, DC 17, as per spell
  Tactics: Warped by the time spent in the lantern, these 
  insane spirits are compelled to seek out any sort of lies 
  and expose them. After locating a liar, a lantern wraith 
  relentlessly haunts its victim, only stopping if the victim 
  runs out of lies or goes further than 10 miles away from the 
  lantern for an extended period of time.
  While haunting a victim, the wraith uses it powers to 
  Discern Secret
  School divination; Level alchemist 5, cleric/oracle 5, 
  inquisitor 5, witch 5
  CASTING
  Casting Time 1 standard action
  Components V, S, DF
  EFFECT
  Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
  Targets one creature/level, no two of which can be 
  more than 30 ft. apart
  Duration concentration, up to 1 round/level
  Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance no
  DESCRIPTION
  Each round, you concentrate on one target, who must 
  be within range. If the target fails his saving throw, a 
  secret from his memories is revealed to your mind. 
  The secret is randomly determined using the Truth 
  Tables unless you succeed at a Will save equal to your 
  spell’s DC, in which case you gain a secret relating to a 
  specific topic you request.
  You may only gain a total number of secrets equal to 
  1+ ½ your caster level.
  NEW SPELL
  
  IntroductIon
  9
  Use the following tables to randomly determine what 
  secrets a subject reveals:
  • Roll 1d8 or select a topic from Table 2-0: Truth Topics.
  • Roll 1d20 (or other die as indicated). If sub-options are 
  presented, roll 1d4.
  Table 2-0: Truth Topics (d8)
  1
  Crimes (Table 2-1)
  2
  Dark Thoughts (Table 2-2)
  3
  Everyday Secrets (Table 2-3)
  4
  Basic Facts (Table 2-4)
  5
  Surprising/Contradictory Facts (Table 2-5)
  6
  Noble Thoughts and Deeds (Table 2-6)
  7-8
  Freeport-Specific Truths (Table 2-7)
  Table 2-1: Crimes
  (roll 1d20 for all crimes or 1d10 for minor crimes only)
  1
  Roll twice, d20 on this table and/or d6 on Table 2-7
  2
  Violence against a family member
  3
  Open verbal abuse/malicious rumor-mongering/
  slander/blackmail
  4
  Physical assault: intimidation only/bruising/injury/
  hospitalization
  5
  Confidence trickery
  6
  Stealing: pilfering unattended goods/pickpocketing/
  robbery/burglary
  7
  Property damage: damaging goods/sabotage/
  structural damage/arson
  8
  Cheating: fraud/forgery/embezzlement/rigged 
  gambling
  9
  Cowardice: abandoned someone to a theft/assault/
  abuse/murder
  10
  Espionage: commercial/political/religious/sexual
  11
  Infidelity
  12
  Piracy
  13
  Kidnaping or arbitrary imprisonment
  14
  Spreading disease unwittingly/callously/
  maliciously/systematically
  15
  Treason
  16
  Slaving
  17
  Torture
  18
  Rape
  19
  Taboo rape (incest/pedophilia/necrophilia/bestiality)
  20
  Murder
  Table 2-2: Dark Thoughts
  1
  Considering committing a crime — roll 1d20 on 
  Table 2-1
  2
  Concealing a massive, life-destroying debt from 
  others it affects
  3
  Wondering how easy it would be to hurt the PC: 
  idly/as an exercise/as contingency/actively plotting
  4
  Wondering how easy it would be to kill the PC: idly/
  as an exercise/as contingency/actively plotting
  5
  Considering selling someone into: slavery/
  prostitution/forced labor/something nasty but 
  doesn’t know or care what
  6
  Thinks of people as essentially: things/frightening/
  disgusting/threatening
  7
  Thinking of hurting or killing his: parent/spouse/
  offspring/sibling
  8
  Thinking of hurting or killing his: boss/rival/
  partner/underling
  9
  Thinking of hurting or killing a: random stranger/
  animal/child/prostitute
  10
  Thinking of hurting or killing a blackmailer – roll 
  on Table 2-1 for the original crime
  11
  Knows of a crime but is keeping it secret – roll on 
  Table 2-1 for the original crime
  12
  Considers someone his property
  13
  Finds others’ pain: amusing/beautiful/arousing/
  incomprehensible
  14
  Has depraved dreams (while asleep)
  15
  Has depraved fantasies while awake: sexual/non-
  sexual/both/can no longer tell the difference
  16
  Has sexual thoughts about a: parent/sibling/child/pet
  17
  Is committing noble acts (roll on Table 2-6) for 
  sinister reasons that are: financial/political/sexual/
  medical
  18
  Is actively entertaining dark thoughts (roll 1d10 on 
  this table) for sinister reasons that are: financial/
  political/sexual/medical
  19
  Has been asked to commit a crime (roll on Table 
  2-1) in exchange for an incentive which is: financial/
  political/sexual/medical
  20
  Sees hallucinations of: death & violence/lust & 
  debauchery/the forbidden & enticing/the alien & 
  grotesque
  Truth Tables
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  10
  Table 2-3: Everyday Secrets
  1
  Has money hidden in his shoe/coat lining/belt or 
  girdle/hat
  2
  Has money or precious goods hidden in his wall/
  mattress/doll/under floor
  3
  In the past (probably as a child), survived verbal 
  abuse/physical abuse/sexual abuse/magical abuse
  4
  At work, is suffering verbal abuse/physical 
  abuse/sexual abuse/magical abuse
  5
  At home, is suffering verbal abuse/physical 
  abuse/sexual abuse/magical abuse
  6
  Has a hobby he’s ashamed of
  7
  As a result of poor hygiene habits, his hands have 
  traces of: snot/earwax/urine and fecal matter/
  sexual fluids
  8
  Has an artistic ambition he’s embarrassed to 
  admit: writing/dancing/acting/music
  9
  Has a professional ambition he’s embarrassed to 
  admit: teaching/law/medicine/religion
  10
  When in private, likes to wear: military or 
  other costume/another gender’s garments/baby 
  clothes/nothing at all
  11
  Secret attraction for a: friend/colleague/
  stranger/PC
  12
  Secret hatred for a: friend or family member/
  colleague/stranger/PC
  13
  Secretly in love with a: friend/colleague/
  stranger/PC
  14
  Having an affair
  15
  Vain about: physical appearance/style/verbal 
  fluency/professional titles
  16
  Hidden history of failure in his current/another 
  occupation
  17
  Born into a different class: homeless/working/
  middle/upper (ignore present class)
  18-20
  Roll 1d10+6 on Table 2-7 (Freeport-specific 
  truths)
  Table 2-4: Basic Facts
  1
  Race
  2
  Gender
  3
  Age
  4
  Handedness (1-3=right-handed, 4=left-handed)
  5
  Name
  6
  Occupation
  7
  Family status – has: no more family/a sibling + 
  roll again/a parent or ancestor + roll again/a child 
  or descendant (or a foster parent if a child) + roll 
  again(roll d4s until a result of 1 comes up)
  8
  Level of personal power (HD and/or character 
  level)
  9
  Social standing: criminal class or homeless/
  working class/middle class/upper class
  10
  Wealth: struggling/making do/comfortable/rich
  11
  Health: excellent/minor aches or pain/unhealthy/
  terminal
  12
  Sexual orientation: men/women/both/other
  13
  Thinks about sex rarely/somewhat often/a lot/right 
  now
  14
  In dealings with others, is: mindful/polite/
  oblivious/malicious
  15
  Hungry and/or thirsty
  16
  Alignment: good-evil only/lawful-chaotic only/
  both/both plus religious faith
  17
  Is a loyal/honest/fair weather/faithless friend
  18
  Is a loyal/hardworking/lazy/treacherous worker
  19
  Is a selfish/generous/skillful/inept lover
  20
  Favorite color/flavor/pastime/place
  Table 2-5: Surprising/Contradictory Facts
  1
  Is not his apparent occupation
  2
  Is not his apparent race/gender/age/size
  3
  Is not his apparent handedness
  4
  Is impersonating someone else
  5
  Has another identity
  6
  Has multiple personalities
  7
  Identity conflict: believes himself to be another 
  race/gender/age/culture
  8
  Used to be a different race/gender/handedness/
  appearance (not a disguise – a permanent and 
  non-dispel-able change, reincarnation, or a similar 
  effect)
  9
  Used to have a radically different occupation
  10
  Used to have a radically different alignment or faith
  11
  Concealing sexual orientation and/or gender 
  identification
  12
  Really an: aberration/outsider/artificial lifeform/
  undead
  13
  Has a living child or parent he’s concealing
  14
  Despite his parent(s) thinking he’s ignorant, knows 
  that he: is adopted/was conceived as the result of a 
  secret affair/has a secret half-sibling/was conceived 
  as part of an open affair
  15
  Knows that he has only three hours/a day/a week/
  two months before he dies of a curse or terminal 
  disease
  
  IntroductIon
  11
  16
  Knows someone else who has only three hours/a 
  day/a week/two months before dying of a curse or 
  terminal disease, but hasn’t told that person
  17
  Has a personality exactly the opposite of how he 
  was raised
  18
  Just gave away several thousand gold pieces
  19
  As a child, once apparently cast a major image
  20
  Remembers speaking to a dragon for several hours, 
  but is now unsure if it really happened
  Table 2-6: Noble Thoughts and Deeds
  (Note: These thoughts do not guarantee a noble nature, and 
  deeds may have been committed for selfish reasons. For just 
  minor noble deeds, roll 1d10.)
  1
  So courteous that it makes others’ days
  2
  Contemplating an act of public beautification
  3
  Keeps communal areas neat and clean
  4
  Makes delicious food and shares it freely
  5
  Peacekeeper/mediator among: friends/
  colleagues/family/strangers
  6
  Wise counselor to friends/others
  7
  Gives random compliments and minor gifts
  8
  Faithful in personal relationships
  9
  Earnestly struggling against dark thoughts (roll 
  on Table 2-2 if no dark thoughts have yet been 
  identified)
  10
  Dreams of ending corruption/poverty/racism/
  disease
  11
  Acts to combat corruption/poverty/racism/
  disease
  12
  Trying hard to desist from and repent of dark 
  deeds (roll on Table 2-1 if no dark deeds have 
  yet been identified)
  13
  Assists others to resist dark thoughts and deeds 
  (roll on appropriate tables if required)
  14
  Just saved someone from mugging/assault/
  rape/murder
  15
  Funds or fund-raises for an orphanage/
  educational institution/medical facility/
  advocacy group
  16
  Volunteers at an orphanage/educational 
  institution/medical facility/advocacy group
  17
  Protects an orphanage/educational institution/
  medical facility/advocacy group at risk to 
  himself
  18
  Consistently uses his influence altruistically, 
  spending favors incurred at expense to himself
  19-20
  1d4+16 on Table 2-7
  Table 2-7: Freeport-Specific Truths
  (Note: For crimes and vile deeds, roll 1d6; more neutral 
  secrets, roll 1d10+6; nobler truths, roll 1d4+16.)
  1
  Is a freelance/Syndicate/Canting Crew/double-
  agent thief
  2
  Drugged a combatant in the One Ring to win a bet
  3
  Secretly working to reinstate slavery
  4
  Escaped from the Tombs/the Hulks/the Courts/
  Chambers Asylum
  5
  Is a serpent person/Mazini agent/Continental spy/
  Libertyville agitator
  6
  Is a member/flunky of the cult of the Yellow Sign/
  Yarrash/Lowyatar/the Dragon’s Blood
  7
  Knows an above cultist and hasn’t turned him in
  8
  Witnessed the vile debauches of Judge Drent/
  Mendor Maeorgan/Greminy Greeg/Red Alice’s 
  rapist and did nothing
  9
  Is an active member of the appropriate racial 
  group (Blackened Knot, Halfling Benevolent 
  Association, Redblade Militia, Irontooth clan, etc.)
  10
  Knows a Serpent Person/Mazini agent/Continental 
  spy/Libertyville agitator
  11
  Is an uncomplicated Freeporter
  12
  Works for/used to work for (and now is in hiding) 
  the Office of Dredging/Marcus Roberts/the 
  Hellhounds/Patren Tonnelle’s Sewer Rats
  13
  Reveals his district of residence/employment/
  leisure/avoidance
  14
  A born Freeporter/longstanding immigrant/recent 
  immigrant/Mazini anti-slavery exile
  15
  Worked covertly to infiltrate the Longshoremen’s 
  Union/Syndicate/Canting Crew/Watch
  16
  Has a grudge against the Sea Lord/Mister 
  Wednesday/Finn/Tarmon
  17
  Descended from the original Drac, but refuses to 
  tell anyone; doesn’t believe in inherited privilege
  18
  As a result of denouncing Milton Drac, survived: 
  the Tombs/the Hulks/Chambers Asylum/years of 
  hiding in the Underside
  19
  Was/is active in reconstructing Drac’s End after 
  the Great Green Fire, at considerable expense to 
  himself
  20
  Whatever his class/wealth, educating himself at the 
  Freeport Institute and reading widely, and sharing 
  that education with his peers for free
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  12
  expose lies. Examples include using prestidigitation to 
  move love letters to a spouse’s nightstand, becoming visible 
  and leading authorities to objects too heavy to manipulate 
  with prestidigitation. While visible, the wraith appears as 
  an apparition of its former self (80% serpent person, 20% 
  human or other race, although the ratio is changing rapidly 
  now) holding a lightless lantern.
  Given that it constantly radiates a zone of truth, a lantern 
  wraith also creates chaos just by moving through Freeport.
  Granthu (qlippoth)                                 CR 15
  You see a strange creature that looks like a bundle of sticks 
  joined together in spindly, gangly, spiderish form— though 
  it has no thorax or abdomen, just limbs and strange six-
  digited hands at the end of them. The texture of its limbs 
  is something like long, dark, mucus-slicked hair, and there 
  appear to be goat-like yellow eyes organically a part of the 
  claws at the end of most of its fingertips.
  XP 51,200
  CE Medium outsider (chaotic, evil, native, qlippoth)
  Init +8; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 120 ft., blindsight 
  30 ft.; Perception +36; see also embedded eye divination
  Aura awful truth (50 ft.), whispering discord (50 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 18, flat-footed 22 (+8 Dex, +9 natural, +3 
  deflection, +4 dodge vs. attacks of opportunity); see also 
  embedded eye divination
  hp 187
  Fort +13, Ref +22, Will +18
  Defensive Abilities evasion (from ring); DR 10/lawful; 
  Immune cold, poison, flanking, detect thoughts, discern 
  lies, alignment-revealing effects; Resist acid 10, electricity 
  10, fire 10; see also ring of forcefangs
  OFFENSE
  Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft.; see also skittery, embedded eye 
  transposition
  Melee 4 eyeclaws +24 (3d8+3 plus embed eye)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special attacks horrific appearance (DC 25); embedded 
  eye transposition (DC 23); wands — fog cloud (3rd level, 
  24 charges), fireball (5th level, 5d6, 12 charges), spiked pit 
  (6th level, 3d6 falling + 2d6 piercing, 9 charges); ring of 
  forcefangs (9th level, 2 charges)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 15th; Concentration +21)
  Constant – true seeing
  At will – greater invisibility, hallucinatory terrain, major image
  5/day – mirage arcana, persistent image
  1/day – dominate person (DC 23)
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 26, Con 20, Int 26, Wis 22, Cha 22
  Base Atk +15; CMB +23 ; CMD +28
  Feats Agile Maneuvers, Alertness, Combat Expertise, Dodge, 
  Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus 
  (eyeclaw)
  Skills Acrobatics +17, Bluff +24, Climb +20, Disguise 
  +24, Diplomacy +24, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +24, 
  Knowledge (arcana, dungeoneering, planes, religion) +17, 
  Knowledge (history, local) +26, Perception +36, Sense 
  Motive +28, Stealth +34, Use Magic Device +24; Racial 
  Modifiers +8 Perception; +8 Stealth
  Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Celestial, Common, Draconic, 
  Dwarven, Infernal, Undercommon, Valossan; telepathy 100 ft.
  SQ bound guardian, camouflaged essence, compression, 
  embedded eye domination, embedded eye penetration, 
  evasion [from ring], gullet pocket, ringmaster, swift 
  shapefold
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any (Abyss)
  Organization solitary
  Treasure rings (all worn): evasion, forcefangs, mind shielding, 
  protection +3; wands: fog cloud, fireball, nondetection (5th 
  level, 16 charges), spiked pit
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  All-Around Vision (Ex) Granthu’s eyes see in all directions. It 
  cannot be flanked.
  Aura of Awful Truth (Su) Within 50 feet of Granthu, all 
  humanoids suffer a –2 penalty on Will saves. All truth-
  based effects (e.g., a dragon’s Frightful Presence, Granthu’s 
  Horrific Appearance) gain +2 to their DCs, and if Insanity 
  Points are awarded, the total increases by 1.
  Non-chaotic characters who damage an ally, or non-
  evil characters who damage undeserving victims, take 1 
  Insanity Point. These are added together when damaging 
  undeserving allies and doubled if the damage reduces 
  victims below 0 hp.
  Aura of Whispering Discord (Su) Within 50 feet of Granthu, 
  Bluff and Diplomacy checks suffer a –4 penalty. As a 
  standard action, Granthu can heighten this effect for 5 
  rounds (see Heightened Discord sidebar, page 13).
  Bound Guardian (Sp) If the Nalaskthana esh’Yig is 
  destroyed, Granthu loses the native subtype, but gains the 
  extraplanar subtype and can use plane shift 1/day.
  Camouflaged Essence (Su) Because they’re physically within 
  the hosts’ auras, magical attempts to detect Granthu’s 
  dominate and embedded eye abilities must succeed at a 
  DC 26 caster-level check.
  Compression (Ex) By properly arranging its stick-like limbs, 
  Granthu can move through an opening as small as 15 
  inches wide without squeezing or 2 inches wide when 
  squeezing.
  Embed Eye (Ex) If an eyeclaw attack deals damage, Granthu 
  can embed one eye per 4 hp damage inflicted, although it 
  may choose to embed fewer than the maximum allowed. 
  The host takes 1d4–1 bleed per round per embedding eye 
  as it merges itself in his body. The bleed stops in the first 
  round that it does 0 damage, but the eye remains inside 
  the body.
   Embedded eyes can be detected with a DC 30 Heal 
  check and destroyed with a 1-hour DC 35 Heal check (roll 
  secretly) that deals 4d8+6 damage to the host regardless 
  
  IntroductIon
  13
  of success. So long as it has an empty claw available on 
  one of its fingertips, Granthu can grow one new eye per 
  round, but if it grows an eye to replace one embedded in 
  a host, the corresponding embedded eye dies. At no time 
  can Granthu have more than 54 eyes, divided between 
  those embedded in hosts and those still on its fingertips.
  Special abilities like aura of awful truth and horrific 
  appearance only apply to Granthu’s main body, not to eyes 
  separated from it.
  Embedded Eye Divination (Su) Granthu gains the equivalent 
  of a status spell on embedded eye hosts. Granthu gains 
  a +2 insight bonus to AC, CMD, Reflex saves, and Sense 
  Motive and Perception checks against the hosts.
  As a swift action, it can switch to seeing and hearing 
  through any host’s senses instead of its own. This grants 
  the host a DC 30 Perception check to notice a sense of 
  something foreign inside his body, and others might notice 
  (DC 40 Perception check) subtle odd behaviors (such as the 
  host’s eyes blinking more frequently and not in synch with 
  each other) while Granthu is piggybacking on the host’s 
  senses.
  Embedded Eye Domination (Su) If Granthu has embedded 
  an eye in a creature, the qlippoth can use the telepathic 
  link between them to use dominate person to take control 
  of the eye host, as per the spell.
  Embedded Eye Penetration (Ex) If targeting an embedded 
  eye host, Granthu receives a +4 bonus on rolls against the 
  host’s SR, and the DC of Granthu’s attacks is increased by +4  
  .
  Embedded Eye Purge (Ex) If Granthu dies, each embedded 
  eye deals its host 1d4–1 damage/round until the damage 
  roll is 0, then bursts through the host’s skin and squirms 
  feebly in its death throes for several minutes.
  Embedded Eye Transposition (Su) As an immediate action, 
  Granthu can destroy an embedded eye on the same plane 
  to swap places with its host (Fort DC 27 negates). Granthu 
  may use this power in response to an attack that allows 
  a save or requires an attack roll; the host with whom it 
  swaps places is targeted by the attack instead. Attackers 
  expecting this ability who see their target change may 
  make a DC 23 Reflex save to divert (and waste) their attack. 
  Granthu may simultaneously change shape to mimic 
  the target, and can expend a use of persistent image (if 
  available) to make the target look, sound, and feel like 
  the qlippoth. Granthu can make a caster-level check (+15) 
  against dimensional anchor effects to use this power, 
  though only on targets within 50 feet.
  Gullet Pocket (Ex) As a swift action, Granthu can retrieve a 
  slim or small object (such as a wand or ring) from a palm-
  gullet or “swallow” an object into one.
  Horrific Appearance (Su) As a standard action, Granthu can 
  force creatures within 30 feet who fail a Will save (DC 23; 
  remember its aura of awful truth) to close their eyes for 
  1d6 rounds, believing that reality is rotting their eyes. This 
  is a mind-affecting gaze attack.
  Ringmaster (Ex) Granthu has nine ring slots, and no other 
  magic item slots.
  Skittery (Ex) Granthu gets two swift actions a round, 
  typically saving one for embedded eye transposition.
  Spindly (Ex) Granthu gets a +2 racial bonus to AC, Reflex 
  saves, and Escape Artist checks.
  Swift Shapefold (Su) As a swift action, Granthu can assume 
  the shape of any Tiny to Large creature for up to 5 minutes.
  Appearance: Granthu consists of nine spindly limbs, 
  textured like mucous-slick matted hair, meeting at a central 
  joint. Each limb has four sections, ending in a hand with 
  six digits splaying out from a palm containing a central 
  mouth. Toothed palm-gullets flip inside-out from these 
  orifices in its hands, gripping objects and withdrawing like 
  This effect requires that the GM determine the level 
  of potential conflict between party members. (This 
  should be prepared ahead of time; the only likely 
  in-game change is a +5 to DCs when damaged 
  by another party member.) Conflicts only affect 
  characters who are aware of them.
  Characters aware of absolutely no conflicting loyalties, 
  different alignments, interpersonal conflicts, or secrets 
  are unaffected by this effect.
  If characters are aware of only one or two minor 
  conflicts or secrets, and no directly opposed 
  alignment elements (law/chaos) or allegiances 
  (Syndicate/Crew), their heightened discord 
  prevents the use of flanking, aid actions, and other 
  teamwork-related effects (GM’s discretion).
  Characters who do know of opposed allegiances/
  alignments with other party members deem them 
  “opponent” allies and, in addition to the above effects, 
  must make a Will save each round.
  Table 3: Heightened Discord Will Save DC
  Lawful
  Neutral
  Chaotic
  Good
  12
  15
  17
  Neutral
  14
  17
  19
  Evil
  17
  20
  22
  +5 per “opponent” ally after the first 
  +5 if damaged by any ally this encounter
  Those failing take 10 hp of nonlethal damage as 
  their will corrodes. This round, they cannot assist 
  “opponent” allies (targeting them with healing, buff, 
  or other “harmless” effects, giving/lending them 
  beneficial or costly items, etc.). If they attack, they 
  must target an “opponent” ally at least once; including 
  an “opponent” in an area attack is sufficient, but using 
  methods known to be ineffective is not.
  HEIGHTENED DISCORD
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  14
  prehensile tongues. Each digit ends in a large claw, with 
  a hard, slightly slimy eye protected on its underside. All 
  joints bend easily in all directions, enabling the qlippoth 
  to fold into a range of configurations, including one that 
  looks vaguely humanoid when concealed under robes.
  Tactics: Granthu has a complicated relationship to the 
  truth. While it’s honestly trying to get others to become 
  more truthful as part of its overall campaign against 
  human sin, deception is its favored tactic to preserve itself 
  or further its goals.
  It avoids melee except to embed eyes in others, and 
  happily uses embedded eye transposition to cause its 
  opponents to damage each other (and suffer from its aura 
  of awful truth), to drop them from heights or into hazards 
  (including the spiked pits it creates with its wand), and 
  especially to flee fights it’s not prepared for. It maintains 
  the impression that it’s merely a mindless vermin for as 
  long as possible, using its illusion abilities to that end. It 
  also plays mind games; for example, using swift shapefold 
  instead of eye transposition against foes who are expecting 
  the swap, attempting to bluff them into incorrectly pulling 
  their attack.
  Background: Formerly a lowly but cunning qlippoth 
  mite hastily bound to guard the complex where the 
  Nalaskthana esh’Yig was stored, Granthu increased in 
  power, but not enough to escape its bonds – until the 
  complex was breached.
  Warped by the Valossan binding spell and centuries of 
  proximity to the lantern, Granthu finds itself opposed to the 
  Unspeakable One, an entity it would have had little interest 
  in previously. (While neither worshiping nor opposing the 
  Primordial Chaos, the qlippoth is well aware of it.)
  The lantern has also changed Granthu’s agenda, so it seeks 
  out places where deception abounds, such as gambling 
  parlors, interrogation cells, brothels, and courthouses, as 
  a target-rich environment for its campaign of pure truth. 
  It points out promising candidates to Harcourt Horkel, 
  but doesn’t force him to select one over another to make 
  use of the lantern, so long as the truth-spreading activities 
  don’t stop.
  GMing Granthu: When preparing to run Dark Deeds, 
  consider how Granthu might have contributed to your 
  campaign’s version of Freeport’s recent history. Its secretive 
  nature makes it easy to retrofit into past events.
  For instance, during the Great Green Fire, Mister 
  Wednesday’s Canting Crew murdered seven of the Joy 
  Boys: a message directed at Mendor Maeorgan that it might 
  be a good idea if he disbanded the gang and got out of the 
  crime business, which he did. Maybe it was Granthu who 
  revealed the location of the Joy Boys to Wednesday. And 
  now that Maeorgan has formed a new gang, backed by the 
  evil magicks of the Unspeakable One, the lantern may drag 
  Granthu and its pawns into conflict with the new gang.
  Granthu works best if progressively revealed. Early on, 
  spook PCs with scuttling sounds at the scenes of major 
  revelations. Later, let them glimpse an eye on a twig-
  like finger poking through a crack in a wall. Once the 
  adventurers start interfering with Granthu’s plans, have it 
  ambush them, impersonating the simple tactics of a dumb 
  beast, and then be “driven off” after embedding several 
  eyes so it can better observe their activities. (It might create 
  the illusion of other verminous creatures like it around 
  the edges of this fight to conceal its unique nature.) Once 
  the heroes start closing in, have them encounter it again, 
  only to discover that it isn’t a simple-minded spider-thing. 
  Have the qlippoth unleash its full array of abilities here, 
  and escape by transposing in another embedded eye victim 
  (preferably someone shocking and/or awkward; it usually 
  has 10-20 eyes embedded in various Freeport denizens). 
  Then have it pursue the heroes, using its ill-gotten 
  knowledge of the PCs to full advantage; if it can convince 
  them to stop interfering with its plans, it will stop harassing 
  them, but how likely is that?
  Roleplaying Granthu: Think carefully about the way 
  Granthu moves and make the most of its creepy form. Use 
  your fingers to emulate the eyes at the ends of its fingers, 
  each of which can act independently. Dwell on its revolting 
  texture and the disturbing movement of its palm-gullets as 
  it stores and retrieves wands, rings, or other objects.
  Make the most of the multiple levels of preparation the 
  heroes will need to fight it – they need weapons against its 
  illusions and invisibility (probably the Eye of Yig, although 
  it’ll interact unpleasantly with the qlippoth’s aura of awful 
  truth), as well as some sort of dimensional anchor effect and 
  sufficient mobility to allow fighters to close in melee. The 
  first time it manages to use embedded eye transposition 
  through dimensional anchor, have Granthu gloat about 
  how they can’t stop it escaping and it’s only staying to toy 
  with them – it’s a complete lie, as it only has a 50-foot range 
  with the power while anchored, but if they believe the lie, 
  it’ll prove an advantage in any future battles.
  Finally, play up the squick factor when the heroes figure 
  out it’s been spying on them by injecting part of itself 
  into their bodies. If a PC makes a successful Heal check 
  to discover an embedded eye, he feels some small lump 
  moving in the area where Granthu injured him. If he has 
  surgery performed to remove the eye, describe the goat-like 
  eyeball merged into his flesh and how it squirms through 
  his flesh trying to escape; and the success or failure of the 
  operation shouldn’t be immediately evident to the patient. 
  If the party kills Granthu with eyes still embedded, play up 
  the unpleasant sensation of its eye burrowing back out of a 
  hero’s flesh, and its final twitching death throes. If you want 
  one last freakout, describe the freed eyeball squirming to 
  Granthu’s dead body and reattaching to a finger and the 
  hand twitching as if Granthu is about to return to life.
  
  IntroductIon
  15
  New Cults
  The True Speakers
  The True Speakers are a recently formed splinter sect 
  of the Speakers of Truth, a well-known quasi-religious 
  organization based at the Fool’s Market in Freeport’s 
  Temple District. Their leader, Aletha Dorch, is a woman 
  claiming her mystical powers arise from her “attunement 
  to Truth.” She is the only cultist who has achieved mystical 
  powers from following the splinter sect’s doctrines, 
  although some of her followers receive arcane and/or 
  divine spellcasting abilities from other sources.
  Power Worshiped: Truth
  The True Speakers recognize that deific powers exist, 
  but they regard them as simply more powerful aspects 
  or elements of a single unified, universal Truth. Gods 
  are worthy of respect, perhaps loyalty, even veneration 
  and sacrifice, but they do not encapsulate all of reality; 
  therefore, they are unworthy of total devotion.
  Dogma
  Like their parent sect, the True Speakers believe in telling 
  the truth at all times. Unlike the Speakers of Truth, 
  however, who believe in telling the truth simply for its own 
  sake, the True Speakers believe that speaking only truth—
  and spending time each day meditating on the nature of 
  Truth—for long enough grants mystical powers by attuning 
  the speaker’s voice and thoughts to the Truth.
  According to their dogma, after speaking only true 
  statements for long enough, one’s voice eventually resists 
  uttering falsehoods. The cultist then gains oracular powers, 
  as he can make statements on subjects of which he knows 
  nothing (or which are as yet unknowable) without the 
  possibility of error. How long is “long enough” depends 
  on personal qualities such as one’s dedication and true 
  motives—at least this is what the group’s leader, Aletha 
  Dorch, says when asked to explain why nobody else has yet 
  achieved the gift of prophesy as she has.
  At a higher level of spiritual development, Truth and the 
  speaker’s voice become so attuned that if the speaker says 
  something that differs from the current state of reality, 
  reality reshapes itself to render the True Speaker’s remarks 
  truthful. Again, cult leader Aletha Dorch is the only person 
  who has yet reached this state. (While outsiders may 
  doubt these claims, she genuinely does have spellcasting 
  ability that is not explained by a history of arcane study or 
  religious devotion.)
  In recent weeks, Dorch has begun to speak of an imminent 
  Age of Truth and a harbinger figure who will light the way, 
  helping others to learn of the Truth.
  Rites and Rituals
  True Speakers meet daily at the Fool’s Market, where Dorch 
  spends most of her time. Not all True Speakers attend 
  every day, but there are almost always between 5 and 20 
  of them there, often arguing with Speakers of Truth, who 
  seek to expose the splinter group’s beliefs as falsehoods. 
  But despite their regular meetings, the True Speakers have 
  little in the way of formal ceremonies; their meetings are 
  a muddle of mutual reinforcement, group confession, and 
  team motivational sessions.
  True Speakers express their devotion to Truth by striving to 
  Speak Truly (they capitalize the terms in all their writings) 
  at all times. Some of the more zealous members, hoping to 
  brute-force their attunement to Truth, have been known 
  to obsessively (and repetitively) say anything truthful that 
  comes into their heads, including endlessly remarking 
  on current weather conditions or pointing out nearby 
  buildings. Accordingly, some of the original Speakers 
  of Truth have given the True Speakers the disparaging 
  nickname “Speakers of the Obvious.”
  Cult History
  The cult has arisen only recently, as the people of 
  Freeport seek explanations for the rash of unexpectedly 
  revealed secrets.
  Cult leader Dorch was originally a petty fixer, blackmailer, 
  and information broker; a kind of black-market gossip. 
  Sensing the nervousness growing in Freeport’s underbelly, 
  she sought a way to profit from it, and on one of her 
  regular visits to the Speakers of Truth in search of useful 
  material, she saw the power the leaders of cults wielded 
  over their followers, and decided to grab for that power. 
  She stood up in a meeting of the Speakers of Truth and 
  announced that she had been granted a vision of the 
  Speakers’ true calling.
  At first her efforts met only with mockery and accusations 
  of charlatanry, but by passing off secrets she’d learned 
  through her information-gathering as “visions”, she 
  convinced some of the more credulous members.
  As her congregation grew, Dorch needed more material to 
  support her visions. During a mission, she discovered the 
  bugbear thieves who were going behind Captain Sarangay’s 
  back and stealing back the thoughtwipes he had sold to 
  Freeport’s merchant elite. She blackmailed them into giving 
  her a thoughtwipe and allowing her to become a buyer for 
  those thoughtwipes the bugbears couldn’t ransom back, 
  whether because the victim couldn’t afford the ransom, or 
  because he couldn’t remember what the thoughtwipe might 
  contain that was so important.
  Initially content to use the purloined thoughtwipes and the 
  memories they contained strategically, Dorch’s growing use 
  of the thoughtwipes has become a constant and addictive 
  habit. She’s even woven several together into the veil that 
  she wears in her “oracular trances.” Her consciousness is 
  blurring, and she now believes the ideology she made up is 
  genuinely true—or more precisely, she is losing the ability 
  to discern between her ideas and reality. Her mystical 
  power comes from what is now a genuine faith, but it’s faith 
  sustained by an increasingly incoherent mind.
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  16
  If Dorch’s mind ever completely collapses, some True 
  Speakers will leave the faith altogether, but most will merely 
  join back with the Speakers of Truth when that happens.
  Membership
  Most of the True Speakers are lost souls, human 
  commoners or merchants disillusioned by some personal 
  betrayal who are drawn to the cult by the promise of 
  a more truthful interaction with peers in the here and 
  now, and by the promise of an imminent age of mystical 
  honesty. Since the cult is relatively benign, exists openly, 
  and Aletha Dorch has achieved some recent magical 
  ability, its membership has grown sharply in recent times, 
  with around 100 committed members and another 150 
  or so hangers-on at varying stages of belief. This number 
  includes some respectable citizens and a few moderately 
  powerful individuals.
  Symbols and Signs
  The group has no symbol. Outsiders know True Speakers 
  by their incessant need to tell everyone the Truth and to 
  openly pronounce their status as believers.
  Structure
  The True Speakers are an autocracy, with Aletha Dorch 
  firmly in control. The group’s numbers are reaching the 
  point where some formal structure and regular meeting 
  place will become necessary if the cult lasts.
  Goals and Motives
  The cult members believe their purpose is to usher in the 
  Age of Truth. For most, membership is a means to getting 
  the position, relationship, or other reward they feel they 
  have been falsely denied, but some seek to restore justice to 
  an unfair world.
  The cult’s real goal is to further Aletha Dorch’s personal 
  interests. Initially, her desires were just wealth and a 
  comfortable life, but Dorch’s aims are becoming confused 
  and nebulous. Currently, she seeks to find out more about 
  the rumors she’s heard about a shadowy figure with a 
  lantern that shines truth, and about a form of “true speech” 
  magic derived from the original language of creation.
  In game terms, the True Speakers can plausibly end 
  up doing whatever the plot requires, as Dorch is now 
  sufficiently out of touch with reality that any random idea 
  might seem true to her, and her followers do her bidding.
  Recruitment
  The group is growing largely by word of mouth. As Dorch 
  has recently become more absorbed in her delusions, she 
  has abandoned her active recruitment strategies.
  Allies
  The True Speakers are too new to have strong ties to 
  existing power factions.
  Enemies
  The cult has no major enemies, but does have a rivalry 
  with its parent sect, the Speakers of Truth. The Speakers 
  are enraged at their beliefs being twisted into a fraud, and 
  they regard the breakaway True Speakers as insane dupes.
  The Authority of the Amalgamation
  Until recently the aggregate being known as the 
  Amalgamation was unknown to all but the most ardent 
  scholars of obscure planar lore, and it paid little attention 
  to the mortal realm. The conflux of chaotic elements in 
  Freeport (in particular the incursion of its ancient nemesis, 
  the Primordial Chaos) has drawn its attention to the city.
  Power Worshiped: The Amalgamation
  The Amalgamation is a being of perfect order, apparently 
  comprised of various insect-like creatures. It seems vaguely 
  humanoid in its appearance when manifest, although other 
  more insectile depictions have been included in ancient 
  tomes. In every description, it is always a single entity 
  made up of other creatures.
  This deity was formed soon after Creation, when a species 
  from another world ascended to godhood by following 
  the tenets of law. It seeks to destroy elements of chaos 
  wherever they exist, and especially to thwart the actions of 
  its opposite, the creature known as the Primordial Chaos.
  Over time, the Amalgamation has assimilated other races 
  into its being, by destroying all chaotic elements within that 
  race and absorbing the remainder. Many races do not survive 
  purification, as elements of chaos are tied into their nature.
  The Amalgamation does not care about any who care 
  The Amalgamation is a humanoid-shaped collective 
  of various insect-like creatures acting in concert 
  as one entity. It exists to bring order and law to 
  encountered worlds, eliminating bastions of chaos 
  in its wake. Since time immemorial, the deific being 
  and its minions have fought to thwart the rise of the 
  Primordial Chaos, its nemesis, a being as old as the 
  reality-sundering, entropy-spreading Unspeakable 
  One. The Amalgamation’s servant Mordrok’s attack 
  on Chambers Asylum (see “Truth Sunders,” page 
  46 is just one more battle in this never-ending, 
  world-hopping war.
  Alignment: LN
  Portfolios: Law, construction, work,  
  hive-minded creatures
  Domains: Animal, Law, Protection, Strength
  Favored Weapon: Heavy mace
  Symbol: A gold hexagon bearing the image  
  of a stylized bee
  THE AMALGAMATION
  
  IntroductIon
  17
  to worship it; such emotions are unknown to it. It does, 
  however, value effort and efficiency, and will assist its 
  worshipers by granting spells and other powers in order to 
  further its own ends. Normally, individuals mean little to it, 
  but it at least recognizes truly outstanding exemplars of law.
  Dogma
  The Amalgamation does not demand: It expects. Its 
  followers seek to join in its completeness by cleansing 
  themselves of chaos, renouncing emotion, and living lives 
  of order. They follow the law. They act for the good of the 
  collective. They destroy obvious manifestations of chaos. 
  They punish lawbreakers, and if such lawbreakers cannot 
  be rehabilitated, they destroy them. Death (for its followers 
  and others) is preferable to being overcome by chaos.
  Rites and Rituals
  Followers of the Amalgamation are expected to live every 
  minute of their lives guided by detailed ritual. The sheer 
  number of these rules is baffling to outsiders.
  For example, the greeting for another member of the 
  cult is distinct from the greeting for an outsider, which is 
  different from that for a potential recruit. Most of these 
  practices are subtle and many go unnoticed by outsiders, 
  but there are two known exceptions. If an member “joins 
  the Amalgamation” (or dies, in layman’s terms) such an 
  evolution is honored by its followers in elaborate fashion. 
  And if agents of chaos are discovered, followers enact an 
  extensive ritualized cleansing to remove the taint of chaos 
  from the area. Both of these tend to be extremely disruptive 
  to the surrounding community.
  Cult History
  Although followers exist elsewhere, worship of the 
  Amalgamation is relatively new to Freeport. Alia Cole 
  (see page 18) was the first Freeporter to dedicate herself to 
  the being.
  Membership
  Most of the Authority’s 30 or so members have suffered 
  greatly as a result of Freeport’s excesses. They include 
  merchants whose livelihoods have been taken by 
  lawbreakers or through the inaction of officials who 
  should have protected them, seekers whose lives have 
  been shattered by chaotic cults, orphans who’ve lost their 
  families, men and women who’ve lost their lovers, and 
  others left behind as a result of violence.
  Symbols and Signs
  The most common symbol used to indicate the presence 
  of the cult is a letter “A,” each line of which is made up of 
  nine dots.
  Structure
  The Authority of the Amalgamation is a small, but highly 
  organized, group currently based in the Merchant District. 
  Each member has his assigned role in the group, with 
  the end-goal of efficiency driving those determinations. 
  Roles can change depending on circumstances. Currently, 
  Cole serves as the leader of the group and is known as 
  the Adjunct. The Adjunct is the only member who can 
  formally grant membership to others. Other roles include 
  Enforcers, who act as the physical will of the Adjunct; 
  Observers, who are the cult’s information gatherers; 
  Foragers, who select and provision the group’s home. New 
  initiates without assigned roles are called Drones.
  Base
  The Authority of the Amalgamation has no permanent 
  home. The Adjunct claims the Authority needs to be agile 
  to pursue chaos wherever it grows, but in reality it’s more 
  an issue of the young cult’s poor finances. The Authority 
  moves between the houses and shops of its members. It is 
  most often found in a shop in the Merchant District that 
  was put out of business by the costs of criminal protection 
  and bribes.
  Goals and Motives
  The primary goal of the Authority in Freeport is to remove 
  or destroy the chaotic and unlawful elements corrupting 
  the city. Such elements are both secular (such as the city’s 
  pervasive criminal element) and religious (including many 
  cults that spread chaos directly or indirectly).
  Recruitment
  Herself a victim of corruption, Alia Cole seeks those with a 
  passion for vengeance against the intrusions of chaos into 
  their lives. Such passion can be channeled into serving the 
  Amalgamation, with the long-term goal of cooling and 
  eventually extinguishing the passion.
  Once such an individual is found, Cole determines what 
  existing member would be the most appropriate to make 
  contact. The recruiter then attempts to befriend the target, 
  extolling the virtues of order, offering a community for 
  the suffering individual to join, and promising that the 
  community can help to ensure that justice will prevail.
  Allies
  The Authority of the Amalgamation has few allies due 
  to its recent appearance and small size. Members of the 
  Authority have begun to court the redeemable elements of 
  the Watch and look favorably on the decisive actions of the 
  Sea Lord’s Guard.
  Enemies
  The Authority believes it has many enemies. Its few 
  members are universally disgusted by the criminals of 
  Freeport, and in particular seek to eliminate the more 
  corrupt elements of the City Watch by whatever means are 
  available. Any unlawful group, however, can be its target. 
  For example, it looks unfavorably on certain elements of the 
  Fool’s Market that might otherwise be thought harmless, 
  
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  18
  and may act to remove those influences somehow.
  So far, the Authority has reserved most of its violence 
  for those actively spreading chaos: the Brotherhood of 
  the Yellow Sign, the Esoteric Order of Starry Wisdom, 
  the Scions of the Destroyer, and other chaos cults. The 
  Authority is particularly driven to eradicate servants of the 
  Primordial Chaos.
  Perhaps luckily for the group, few of the enemies realize 
  the Authority of the Amalgamation exists, and so no 
  action has been taken against the Authority. If the 
  Authority takes more decisive action against Freeport’s 
  criminals, then the city’s legal authorities, the affected 
  criminals, and other groups not yet targeted but able to see 
  the threat will be roused.
  Using the Authority
  The Authority can be used where unlawful actions or 
  outright chaotic activities can be found: eradicating 
  criminals, attacking corrupt lawbreakers, or otherwise 
  inflicting violence on agents of chaos, both good and evil. 
  With the arrival of the axiomites and the aeon Mordrok 
  (see “Truth Sunders,” page 46) Cole can take part in the 
  cleansing of those the Primordial Chaos has touched. A 
  proper cleansing takes time, and there are hundreds who 
  could benefit from purification through death.
  Alia Cole: Authority Adjunct 
           CR 7
  XP 3,200
  Female human fighter (unarmed fighter) 4 monk (martial 
  artist) 4
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +3; Senses Perception +8
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 22, flat-footed 19 (+3 Dex, +4 Wisdom, +1 
  natural, +1 deflection, +1 dodge)
  hp 61 (4d10+4d8+16)
  Insanity Points 2
  Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +6 (+1 vs. exhausted, fatigued, 
  staggered, or temporary penalties to ability scores)
  Defensive Abilities evasion, harsh training +1; DR 2/lethal
  OFFE NSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee +1 bo staff +11/+6 (1d6+7/1d6+5/x2), masterwork 
  shortsword +12/+7 (1d6+4/19-20/x2), or unarmed strike 
  +11/+6 (1d8+4/x2, lethal damage)
  Special Attacks flurry of blows +2/+2
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 16, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12/16 (14), Cha 10
  Base Atk +7; CMB +12; CMD 30
  Feats Combat Reflexes (4 attacks of opportunity/round), 
  Crane Style, Deflect Arrows (1/round), Dodge, Eclectic, 
  Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist (5/day, stun 
  or fatigue, DC 17), Toughness, Two-Weapon Defense, 
  Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (bo staff), Weapon 
  Specialization (bo staff)
  Skills Acrobatics +11 (+15 jump), Escape Artist +7, 
  Intimidate +11, Knowledge (religion) +7, Perception +7, 
  Profession (soldier) +8, Sense Motive +6, Survival +9
  Languages Common
  SQ AC bonus +3, exploit weakness +6, fast movement 
  (+10 feet), harsh training, maneuver training, pain points, 
  unarmed strike (1d8)
  Combat Gear +1 bo staff, masterwork shortsword, amulet of 
  natural armor +1, ring of protection +1
  Treasure150 gp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Crane Style Alia’s penalty when fighting defensively is 
  reduced to –2 and dodge bonus increases by 1.
  Exploit Weakness +6 (Ex) As a swift action, Alia can observe 
  a creature or object to find its weak point by making an 
  effective Wisdom check and adding her monk level against 
  a DC of 10 + the object’s hardness or the target’s CR. If she 
  succeeds, she gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls until the 
  end of her turn, and any attacks she makes until the end of 
  her turn ignore the creature or object’s DR or hardness.
   Or Alia can instead use this ability (as a swift action) to 
  analyze the movements and expressions of one creature 
  within 30 feet, granting a bonus on Sense Motive checks 
  and Reflex saves and a +2 dodge bonus to AC against that 
  opponent equal until the start of her next turn.
  Pain Points (Ex) Alia’s advanced knowledge of humanoid 
  anatomy grants her a +1 bonus on critical hit confirmation 
  rolls and increases the DC of her stunning fist by 1.
  Background
  Alia Cole was once a promising member of the Watch. Her 
  early patrols and later investigations eliminated some of 
  Freeport’s more egregious criminal elements. Her superiors 
  noticed her talent and swiftly dealt with it: They framed 
  Alia for accepting bribes, and had her unceremoniously 
  discharged from the Watch. They also seized her property 
  and gave it to more pliable members.
  Homeless and in a daze, Cole began a period of reflection 
  and a search for meaning. During this time, she discovered 
  the existence of the Amalgamation. It also found her, and it 
  uses her knowledge of the chaos that is Freeport.
  Personality
  Cole is severe. She lives an ascetic lifestyle by preference, 
  seeking to live in perfect order. She often tries to convince 
  others of the benefits of self-deprivation.
  Appearance
  Cole is tall and thin almost to emaciation. She has 
  short-cropped dark hair, and generally wears light, loose 
  garments. She usually carries a short sword or quarterstaff, 
  both of finer quality than her clothing.
  
  BY MIKE FRANKE
  “The dead hold secrets, and the spider says that 
  information wants to be free. But just because 
  it’s freed doesn’t mean it has to be free if there’s 
  someone willing to pay for it.”
   – Bartholomew Burek, recorded in his  
  Book of Buried Secrets
  “Dead Men Tell No Tales” is an urban adventure 
  suitable for four 9th-level PCs.
  BACKGROUND
  Necromancer Bartholomew Burek knows that information 
  is worth more than gold, and who knows more secrets 
  than the dead? Taking advantage of his position at the 
  Crematorium Depot in Scurvytown, known locally as the 
  Dead Dock, Burek has access to all of Freeport’s dead…and 
  thus to their secrets.
  Finn’s Syndicate is just starting to gain a foothold in 
  the Merchant District, but recently something has gone 
  suspiciously awry: Several members of the Watch on 
  Finn’s payroll have been arrested, and several of his men 
  working in the Merchant District have been ambushed 
  and killed. Just last night, in fact, someone broke into 
  one of his safe houses and stole a considerable amount of 
  money. This someone suddenly knows an awful lot about 
  his organization, and Finn wants to find out who has 
  penetrated his operations.
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY
  The heroes are invited to dine with one of the most 
  notorious and powerful citizens of Freeport, Finn the 
  crimelord. He explains the recent happenings, and tells 
  them he can’t trust anyone in his own organization until 
  he knows which one (or more) is the traitor. Finn doesn’t 
  need the adventurers to eliminate the threat, just to 
  identify it.
  A brief investigation by the heroes leads to the Dead 
  Dock in Scurvytown. Inside, they face off against the 
  necromancer’s horrid offspring and finally against the 
  necromancer himself. Searching the Dead Dock, they 
  discover the bodies of Finn’s former employees, but also 
  Chapter 1: Dead Men  
         Tell No Tales…  
            Except in Freeport
  
  20
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  uncover copious notes with information learned from 
  other corpses all over the city. Strangely, the necromancer 
  seems convinced that some other power set him on his 
  course, but he cannot remember who or why.
  Motivations
  At the beginning of “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” the PCs 
  should be well known in Freeport as problem-solvers, 
  specialists who get results and don’t ask embarrassing 
  questions. They receive a request from Finn to meet him 
  for dinner at Maurice’s, a high-class establishment in 
  the Merchant District. Finn promises a financial reward 
  (and, most importantly, his favor) for investigating the 
  disruption of several of his operations.
  Other possible motivations include:
  • The heroes are religiously motivated. One of the temple 
  leaders asks them to investigate reports of walking dead 
  on the streets of Freeport.
  • The heroes are associated with the Sea Lord’s Guard and 
  are tasked with investigating the suspicious deaths of 
  several Guardsmen.
  • The operations of a Captains’ Council member have been 
  disrupted recently and evidence points to the Dead Dock.
  Part One: An Invitation 
  to Fine Dining
  While the adventurers are going about their business 
  in Freeport, they are surreptitiously invited to a dinner 
  meeting with Finn, the head of the Syndicate. Choose a 
  character, and read the following to him:
  While minding your own business like any good citizen 
  of Freeport, you suddenly collide with a man rushing 
  by on some errand. He apologizes profusely and quickly 
  dusts you off, straightening your clothes before hurrying 
  off into the crowd.
  As a Freeporter, the hero probably checks his person to 
  make sure he hasn’t been robbed. Nothing’s missing, but 
  he finds a message in his pocket. (If he doesn’t immediately 
  check, he discovers the note 1d4 hours later.) If the PCs 
  haven’t had contact with Finn before, the note is unsigned. 
  Otherwise, it reads:
  Dear Freeporters: 
   
  I am in desperate need of the specialized services I 
  understand you can provide. If you are interested in 
  discussing a lucrative job well attuned to your skills, 
  please join me for dinner at Maurice’s tonight at five 
  bells. I look forward to the meeting. – Finn
  A DC 15 Knowledge (local) check identifies Maurice’s 
  as one of the premier restaurants in Freeport. A DC 20 
  Knowledge (local) or Diplomacy (gather information) 
  check also reveals that Maurice’s is a hangout for Finn’s 
  organization, the Halfling Benevolent Society.
  Part Two:  
  Dinner at Maurice’s
  When you arrive at Maurice’s, it’s apparent you’re 
  expected. The maitre d’ immediately moves to intercept 
  you, motioning you to follow him, all the while shouting 
  for servers and waiters, sending them off in various 
  directions. You are led through the restaurant to a suite 
  of private dining rooms. The maitre d’ opens the door, 
  revealing your host: a fit, middle-aged halfling sitting at 
  the table.
  If the PCs do not know Finn, a DC 15 Knowledge (local) 
  check identifies the seated halfling as Finn (N male halfling 
  rogue 10/crime boss 10; Freeport Companion, page 104; 
  Pirate’s Guide to Freeport, page 187), the leader of the 
  Halfling Benevolent Society. A DC 20 Knowledge (local) 
  check also identifies Finn as the leader of the Syndicate, a 
  criminal organization controlling most of the underworld 
  activity in Scurvytown and the Eastern District. 
   
  Finn motions for the adventurers to sit, as servers arrive 
  with the food and wine.
  In case you do not know, my name is Finn. I am 
  the owner of Maurice’s and the head of the Halfling 
  Benevolent Association. I have made it my business 
  to try to protect halflings and their interests here 
  in Freeport. Recently, someone killed several of my 
  employees and robbed one of my businesses. I don’t 
  know if the incidents are related, but I suspect they are. 
  And while a certain level of violence is not uncommon 
  here in Freeport, I have reason to believe that this is 
  not random; that someone has somehow obtained 
  information that should only be known to my people 
  and is specifically making use of that information to 
  target the Benevolent Association. 
   
  I am prepared to pay you 1,500 gp each, half now and 
  half when you are finished, to investigate this matter. 
  Then I will put a stop to it.
  Finn fully expects the characters to have questions and 
  can provide answers to some. If the characters ask further 
  questions, use your best judgment and the information 
  in the Background and Adventure Summary to answer 
  them appropriately.
  •  What exactly have the attacks on your 
  organization been?
  One week ago, three members of the Watch who were 
  “friends” of the association were arrested and accused 
  of corruption. Three days ago, four of my employees 
  
  Chapter One
  21
  were killed on the street here in the Merchant District. 
  Finally, last night, one of my safe houses in the 
  Merchant District was broken into and a payroll for the 
  organization was taken.
  • Isn’t the Halfling Benevolent Association 
  really just a cover for the Syndicate?
  I guess my information about you was incorrect. If 
  you feel that the murder of halflings is not worthy of 
  investigation, or you feel that my money is not good 
  enough for you, then please leave.
  •  Do you have any idea who or what might be 
  behind these attacks?
  My problem is this: Because of prejudice against 
  halflings, I have to keep many of my activities secret. 
  Other than myself of course, only two people, Jarvis 
  and Nathan, knew about my friends in the Watch, 
  my employees’ schedule, and the safe house payroll. 
  Unfortunately, Jarvis and Nathan were killed in a 
  skirmish with Mister Wednesday’s thugs a little over a 
  week ago. How could someone act against all three in 
  such a short time without knowing inside information?
  •  Have you investigated your own people?
  I have investigated my organization and I do not believe 
  that I have been betrayed. However, I could be wrong; 
  thus, I would like to hire outsiders, such as yourselves…
  just to be safe. Or if somehow an outsider has learned 
  my secrets, I need to find out both who and how.
  •  Was there evidence that Jarvis or Nathan were 
  tortured or forced to give up secrets before 
  they were killed?
  No, I do not believe they were. That would have leaked 
  out from the Watch, who investigated their deaths before 
  taking the bodies over to the Dead Dock.
  [A DC 12 Knowledge (local) identifies “the Dead 
  Dock” as the local name for the Crematorium Depot, a 
  warehouse on the Scurvytown docks used to store found 
  bodies before they can be shipped to Crematorium 
  Island for incineration.]
  •  Did they spend much time out and about? And 
  was their role in your Syndicate widely known?
  Yes, they had many duties throughout the city, but no, the 
  nature of their profession wasn’t common knowledge.
  •  Have you asked questions outside of your 
  organization?
  No. To do so would be to invite the interest of my...
  competitors, and to suggest to them that there is weakness 
  within my operation. That’s why you’ve been hired.
  •  Do you have any idea where we should start?
  Go to my safe house and investigate. I will have an 
  employee meet you there, and you are welcome to 
  question him, as well. I’ll give you the location after 
  we’ve eaten.
  Development: If the heroes accept the assignment, go 
  to Part Three: The Safe House. If the characters have 
  not asked where to start, Finn suggests they begin their 
  investigation at the safe house.
  Part Three:  
  The Safe House
  The safe house is a nondescript building a few blocks 
  from Maurice’s. An eager young halfling shows you 
  inside. It’s apparent that the door has been forced 
  and it looks as though the place has been thoroughly 
  ransacked.
  Finn’s employee Myles (male halfling rogue 2) stays out of 
  the way while the party investigates. A DC 15 Perception 
  (spot) check notes a hint of the smell of rotting flesh in the 
  air in the safe house. A DC 25 Perception (search) check 
  reveals a severed hand under an overturned desk. A DC 
  15 Heal check determines that the hand is far more than a 
  day old. On a successful DC 25 Heal check, the investigator 
  notes that the hand is soaked in a preservative sometimes 
  used in Freeport on bodies awaiting transportation to 
  Crematorium Island.
  If the heroes already know that they should be going to 
  check out the Dead Dock, Finn’s employee doesn’t have 
  much to say if questioned. If, however, the characters 
  appear to need more information, Myles should relate the 
  following, but not much else:
  • ”If only Jarvis or Nathan were still alive. They were the only 
  ones who really knew all the ins and outs of this operation.”
  • ”Maybe Finn should have hired a priest to talk to Jarvis or 
  Nathan after they were killed, but I heard Finn saying that 
  you can’t trust a priest to keep his mouth shut and it was 
  better that the bodies were sent directly to the Dead Dock.”
  The heroes likely have access to powerful divination 
  magic, either their own or that of NPCs for hire or 
  items that can be purchased. Here are some examples 
  of how to deal with possible spells.
  •  Divination: Depending on the questions asked, the 
  following are possible responses: “Dead Tongues 
  wag in Scurvytown” or “Secrets thought buried 
  rise from the underworld” (both are references to 
  the necromancer’s use of speak with dead in the 
  Crematorium Depot).
  •  Commune: Answer “yes,” “no,” or “unclear” based on 
  the information in the Background and Adventure 
  Summary sections. Don’t be afraid to reward players 
  for good use of divination. You want to get the 
  characters to the Crematorium Depot, after all.
  •  Blood Biography (from the Advanced Players 
  Guide): If one of the characters casts blood biography 
  on the hand found in the safe house, it tells the story 
  of one of the Sea Lord’s Guard killed in a back alley 
  in Bloodsalt by an angry orc.
  MAGICAL INVESTIGATION
  
  22
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Part Four: The Dead 
  Dock in Scurvytown 
  Most people want nothing to do with the Dead Dock, 
  and it is easy to guess why. Just the thought of a whole 
  building full of corpses gives most people the creeps. 
  They generally feel the same about the employees who 
  work there: What rational person wants to hang out with 
  corpses all day?
  The Dead Dock is a rickety-looking two-story structure 
  on the docks of Scurvytown. The upper level sits astride 
  two of the piers, while the lower level hugs the water and 
  is split in two to allow boats from the Crematorium to 
  enter and be loaded away from prying eyes.
  1A. Dock Entrance
  Two dilapidated piers extend out into the harbor. The 
  closest is relatively free of the boxes and barrels littering 
  most of the nearby docks. A cracked and weather-
  faded wooden door is the only visible entrance to 
  the Dead Dock. A dented and rusted sheet of metal 
  (approximately 4 feet wide and 7 feet long, with many 
  small holes punched through its surface) is fixed to a 
  platform raised a few inches above the stained wooden 
  planks of the dock next to the door. A sign on the door 
  says in bright red letters, “Leave the body on the plate 
  and knock. Do not enter!”
  The Crematorium Depot covers most of the two docks; 
  however, there is a small 5-ft.-wide stretch of dock 
  extending down the building’s western edge. A DC 22 
  Perception (spot) check allows someone to see through 
  the dirty window looking into Area 1C and note several 
  figures dressed in shabby Sea Lord’s Guard Uniforms 
  (Knowledge (local), DC 15) at the far end of the hallway. 
  A DC 30 Perception (spot) check reveals that one of 
  them is missing a hand.
  1B. Burek’s Manservant                        (CR 8)
  If the adventurers knock on the entrance door, Jeeves, 
  Burek’s manservant, answers it.
  After a few moments of knocking, a man with a bulbous, 
  misshapen head, a hunched back, and a stunted knob 
  of flesh and bone where his right hand should be opens 
  the door. His large gut stretches his faded, patched 
  Crematorium Depot uniform, threatening to rip it apart 
  at the seams.
  No matter what the investigators say, Jeeves does not let 
  them into the Depot. He is single-minded and knows 
  that his “father” will be very angry if anyone enters. He 
  points to the sign over and over if pressed, fervently 
  stating things like: “You leave body! You leave!” or “This 
  place for dead! You not dead!”
  Jeeves, however, is not very bright and could be fooled 
  by characters using magic or wearing disguises (such as 
  pretending to be zombies or city officials). If the heroes 
  manage to bypass Jeeves, they likely have to fight the juju 
  zombies and Jeeves in Area 1C. If the PCs simply enter 
  the room without knocking or attempt to force their way 
  past Jeeves, he immediately attacks.
  Jeeves                                                              CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Male human ogrekin survivor* 8
  NE Medium humanoid (giant)
  Init +7; Senses low-light vision; Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 17, flat-footed 20 (+1 Dex, +2 deflection, +1 
  dodge, +5 natural, +3 wisdom)
  hp 90 (8d12+32)
  Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities evasion, indomitable; DR 1/ — ; 
  Immune stunned
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee unarmed strike +15/+10 (1d10+6)
  Special Attacks shattering strike 4, sickening strike
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 6
  Base Atk +8; CMB +14; CMD 25
  Feats Athletic, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Climb +12, Intimidate +2, Perception 
  +6, Sense Motive +6, Swim +10
  Languages Common
  SQ burst, deformities (deformed hand, thick skin)
  Combat Gear ring of protection +2
  Other Gear butler’s outfit
  *For survivor class details, see the Freeport Companion, 
  pages 24-26.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Advantageous Deformity (Ex): Thick Skin: His warty skin 
  gives Jeeves a +2 natural armor bonus.
  Burst (Ex) Jeeves can push himself to move faster than 
  normal. As a swift action, he may gain a +20-foot 
  enhancement bonus to his land speed for 1 round. On the 
  following round, this bonus drops to +10 feet, and on the 
  third round, it drops to +5 feet. He must wait one minute 
  in between each use of burst.
  Disadvantageous Deformity (Ex): Deformed Hand: Jeeves’s 
  right hand can’t wield weapons and he suffers a –2 penalty 
  on attack rolls with two-handed weapons.
  Indomitable (Ex) Whenever Jeeves fails a saving throw, he 
  may immediately make a second saving throw at a –5 
  circumstance penalty to resist the effects. Once he uses this 
  ability, he must wait 5 rounds before using it again.
  
  Chapter One
  23
  Shattering Strike (Ex) Jeeves can take a full-round action to 
  make a single powerful unarmed strike. The attack ignores 
  4 points of damage reduction or object hardness.
  Sickening Strike (Ex) Jeeves can, as a full-round action, make 
  a single unarmed strike to sicken his opponent (DC 20 
  Fortitude save or be sickened for 1 round).
  Tactics: Jeeves has been ordered to keep living 
  individuals out, so, unless the heroes are dead or very 
  convincing as city officials, they aren’t likely to get by him 
  without a fight. Jeeves doesn’t necessarily want to kill 
  anyone, and tries to simply force characters out before 
  resorting to lethal force. If he hears fighting in the hallway 
  (Area 1C), he investigates and aids the zombies. He never 
  enters Area 1E, as he is afraid of the shadows.
  Morale: Jeeves fights to the death. He’s absolutely loyal to 
  Burek, who is the one person who’s treated the deformed 
  half-ogre like a person; Burek is practically a father to him.
  Treasure: Jeeves sleeps on a pile of trash, discarded 
  scraps, and rotting sacks in a corner. A DC 20 Perception 
  (search) check reveals 45 cp, 86 sp, a 300 gp ruby, and 
  several broken toys, including a headless doll.
  1C. Hallway                                          (CR 9)
  Beyond the door is a hallway. Dim light filters in from 
  the dirty windows at either end. At the far end of the 
  hall, you can see two doorways, but three members 
  of the Sea Lord’s Guard are blocking them. They are 
  advancing on you with weapons raised.
  A DC 15 Perception (spot) check is enough for a PC to note 
  that something is seriously wrong with the guards. Their 
  uniforms are tattered, their hair is falling out in clumps, and 
  their cheeks are hollow. They grin with rotting teeth as they 
  move to attack. With a DC 20 Perception (spot) check, a 
  hero can notice one of the guards is missing a hand.
  Sea Lord’s Guard Juju Zombie (3)          CR 6
  XP 2,400
  Human juju zombie fighter 6
  NE Medium undead (augmented human)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +2
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (+6 armor, +2 Dex, +1 
  dodge, +3 natural)
  hp 62 (6d10 +24)
  Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +3 (+5 against fear)
  Defensive Abilities bravery +2; channel resistance +4; DR 
  5/magic and slashing; Immune cold, electricity, magic 
  missile, undead traits; Resist fire 10
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft. (30 ft. base)
  Melee masterwork longsword +15/+10 (1d8 +9/19-20) or 
  slam +12 (1d6+9)
  Ranged masterwork heavy crossbow +9 (1d10/19-20)
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 15, Con —, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14
  Base Atk +6; CMB +12 (+13 with heavy blades, +14 to 
  sunder); CMD 24 (25 vs. disarm and sunder from heavy 
  blades, 26 vs. sundering)
  Feats Cleave, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, 
  Persuasive, Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus 
  (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword)
  Skills Bluff +4, Climb +10, Diplomacy +5, Intimidate +13, 
  Perception +2, Swim +8
  Languages Common
  SQ armor training 1, weapon training 1 (heavy blades)
  Combat Gear masterwork longsword, masterwork heavy 
  crossbow, rusty chainmail
  Other Gear Sea Lord’s Guard tabard and insignia
  Tactics: The juju zombies attack any living creature 
  (other than Jeeves or Burek) who enters this hallway. They 
  also respond to fighting in Areas 1B or 1D in 2-3 rounds.
  Morale: The zombies know nothing of fear and fight 
  until destroyed.
  Treasure: The only treasure in the hallway is the zombies’ 
  carried and worn equipment.
  1D. Storage
  This room may once have served as an office, but it’s now 
  used for storage. Its shelves contain some dried foodstuffs, 
  extra blankets, and assorted nautical equipment.
  1E. The Hoist Room                            (CR 10)
  The light from the hallway barely breaches the 
  suffocating darkness blanketing this room. Inside, you 
  can dimly make out a large room. To the east is some 
  sort of cargo hoist that looks like it descends through 
  the floor to a lower level. To the west is a spiral staircase 
  leading down.
  Two greater shadows occupy this room. Even if they hear 
  combat, unless it is nighttime, the shadows do not leave 
  their room. They dislike the light from the windows in the 
  hallway and know that if the boat door is open, the room 
  below can be filled with light as well.
  Greater Shadows (2)                                   CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  hp 58 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  Tactics: The shadows have been commanded to kill any 
  living creature (other than Jeeves or Burek) entering this 
  room. They gang up on one opponent at a time, hoping 
  to eliminate intruders as quickly as possible with their 
  strength-draining attacks.
  Morale: The shadows feel no fear and fight to the death.
  Treasure: A 1,500-gp bronze dragon comb with a blue 
  diamond eye can be found in the corner behind the stairs 
  with a DC 20 Perception (search) check.
  
  24
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  1F. The Boathouse                            (CR 12)
  A large boat door in the south wall (now closed) provides 
  access to the harbor for the small vessel floating in the 
  slip in the middle of the room. The boat is stacked with 
  halfling and human corpses. The room reeks of wet wood, 
  salty water, and rotting flesh. Standing amid the corpses 
  on the boat’s deck is a hunched, grizzled man in rotting 
  robes. One of his eyes is yellow and pus-filled. When he 
  sees you, he smiles with a crazed, toothless grin.
  Bartholomew Burek                                  CR 12
  XP 19,200
  Male human cleric 13
  NE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +3; Senses Perception +9
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+3 armor, –1 Dex, +1 
  dodge, +2 natural armor)
  hp 88 (13d8+13)
  Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +13
  Defensive Abilities death’s embrace, ring of counterspells 
  (fireball)
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 heavy mace +10/+5 (1d8+3)
  Special Attacks channel negative energy 6/day (DC 19, 7d6)
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th, concentration +17)
  At will — death’s embrace
  7/day — bleeding touch and touch of evil (6 rounds, melee 
  touch +11)
  2/day — scythe of evil (6 rounds)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 9th; concentration +17)
  7th (1+1/day)—blasphemy (DC 21), destructionD (DC 21)
  6th (2+1/day)—antilife shell, create undeadD, greater dispel 
  magic
  5th (3+1/day)—flame strike (DC 19), slay livingD (DC 19), 
  spell resistance (SR 25), true seeing
  4th (5+1/day)—cure critical wounds x2, divine power, greater 
  magic weapon, poison (DC 18), unholy blightD (DC 18)
  3rd (5+1/day)—animate deadD, bestow curse (DC 17), enter 
  image, magic vestment, protection from energy, speak with 
  dead
  2nd (5+1/day)—bull’s strength, cure moderate wounds, 
  death knellD, hold person, sound burst, spiritual weapon
  1st (5+1/day)—command, cure light wounds, divine favor, 
  protection from goodD, sanctuary, shield of faith
  
  Chapter One
  25
  0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, light, stabilize
  Deity Unspeakable One; Domains Death, Evil; D domain spells
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 12
  Base Atk +9; CMB +11; CMD +20
  Feats Combat Casting, Command Undead, Dodge, Extra 
  Channel, Improved Channel, Improved Initiative, Lightning 
  Reflexes
  Skills Sense Motive +9, Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) +6, 
  Perception +9, Spellcraft +5
  Languages Common
  SQ aura, spontaneous casting
  Combat Gear +1 heavy mace, +1 cloak of resistance, amulet 
  of natural armor +2, studded leather, ring of protection +2, 
  bead of force
  Tactics: It is likely that Burek knows the characters are 
  coming based on the sounds of combat from above. If 
  he has time, he casts the following spells in the following 
  order: antilife shell, spell resistance, true seeing, magic 
  vestment, protection from energy (fire), shield of faith, and 
  protection from good. Burek waits until the moment the 
  characters arrive to cast animate dead as a readied action 
  because he likes to see the looks on people’s faces when the 
  dead come back to life. This spell animates the eight corpses 
  on the boat as zombies. He then lets the zombies protect 
  him while he casts spells and channels negative energy from 
  range. If faced with ranged attackers, he attempts to use his 
  bead of force to neutralize one. If forced into melee combat, 
  Burek tries to cast divine favor and divine power first.
  Morale: Burek is insane and will not retreat from a 
  fight. He is obsessed with control of the Crematorium 
  Depot, and he won’t stop fighting until all the intruders are 
  removed and he can speak with and detail the secrets of the 
  dead at his leisure.
  Treasure: Burek has accumulated quite a bit of treasure 
  by plumbing the secrets of the dead: a 6,000-gp canary 
  diamond, 2,399 gp, a 350-gp string of black pearls, a ring 
  of counterspells (fireball), and his journal (the “Book of 
  Buried Secrets”).
  Development: The “Book of Buried Secrets” is probably 
  worth more than anything else found in the Dead Dock. 
  Not only does it detail the secrets of many people in 
  Freeport, but it hides subtle clues to the existence of 
  Granthu in the form of Burek’s reference to the watchful 
  spider encouraging him to gather people’s secrets and the 
  paladin’s reference to his “third hand and eye.”
  Written in a shaky hand on a loosely bound collection 
  of mismatched sheets of paper, parchment, and 
  vellum, Burek’s “Book of Buried Secrets” contains the 
  necromancer’s insane ramblings about the watchful 
  spider that encourages him to speak with the dead. 
  Also included are what he lists as the “wisdoms of 
  the dead,” a collection of statements he has pulled 
  from the dead via speak with dead. These “wisdoms” 
  include the following:
  • Crippled Captain Roger: “I hid my bullion in 
  the garbage crack on the east side of A’Val. 6,000 gp 
  worth waiting to be found.”
  • Jarvis: “I worked for the Syndicate setting up 
  safe houses and money drops. Never once did the 
  money tempt me. I would never betray my halfling 
  brothers. Where is the money? Well, I suppose it’s 
  okay to tell you...”
  • Slim Jimmy: “My buddy Jonny is just brimming with 
  money. He told me that he spies on the dockworkers 
  and the incoming ships for the tax collectors and they 
  let him take a cut.”
  • Dagonet, musketeer of the Moon King of 
  Rolland: “I am but the first of many to come 
  looking for Captain Cutty and the other dirty pirates 
  of Freeport. Even now my compatriots hide within 
  the city waiting for the right moment to strike.”
  • Lady Merrit: “My husband and I have worked so 
  hard, but our son just won’t control his temper. Last 
  year, he killed a commoner in a street brawl and 
  I’ve heard he now works for Mister Wednesday. Our 
  money can only cover up so much shame!”
  • Jorday, paladin of the God of Knowledge: 
  “My third hand is always curled into a fist and my 
  third eye is always watching. It sees all and I know 
  one day it shall try compel me to do things – horrible 
  things. But I shall not give it the chance to corrupt me.”
  BOOK OF BURIED SECRETS
  CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
  With the threat of the necromancer ended, the adventurers 
  must return to Finn and report their findings in order to 
  receive the rest of the payment for their services. Whether 
  or not they decide to report the goings on at the Dead 
  Dock to the authorities or just rely on Finn to clean up the 
  mess is up to them. They must also decide what to do with 
  the “Book of Buried Secrets.” It is undoubtedly worth a lot 
  of money to someone like Finn or Mister Wednesday, and 
  could be sold for a hefty price. Or the heroes could simply 
  destroy it to preserve the reputations of the dead.
  Some time and maybe another adventure (possibly 
  unconnected to Dark Deeds) should take place 
  before the next Dark Deeds adventure, “Thieves and 
  Thoughtwipes,” takes place.
  Human and Halfling Zombies  (8) CR ½
  XP 200 each
  hp 12 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  Tactics: The zombies move to attack the heroes. They 
  attempt to stay between the adventurers and Burek.
  Morale: The zombies fight until destroyed.
  
  BY PHIL MINCHIN  
  AND CHRISTINA STILES
  “It’s an outrage that a man of my stature in this city 
  should be driven – driven – to adopt these measures 
  to protect the public interest.”
  “Yeah, Captain, it’s a shame. Now, about that price...”
  “Thieves and Thoughtwipes” is an adventure suitable 
  for four 10th-level PCs.
  BACKGROUND
  Captain Sarangay, the minotaur captain of the Unrepentant, 
  has been running a lucrative business out of his ship at 
  the Docks. He brings in memory-stealing cloths called 
  thoughtwipes from the Continent, and then sells them to 
  merchants in Freeport.
  Demand for the items has grown tremendously over the 
  last few months, as a rash of unabashed truths have been 
  flooding the city, hurting those who call those truths by 
  another name: secrets. Sarangay has been having trouble 
  keeping up with the demand, in fact. Noting this, some 
  bugbear members of his crew decided they could earn 
  some extra money by following the thoughtwipes’ buyers 
  and stealing back the used memory-filled cloths to 
  blackmail them with.
  Sarangay prides himself on being a trustworthy merchant of 
  exotic goods, but the bugbears’ schemes have been working 
  well for some time. Their plan hit a hiccup when Aletha 
  Dorch (see page 28), on one of her routine information-
  gathering expeditions through Freeport, uncovered their 
  secret thievery. Instead of trying to kill her when she 
  approached them (intending to blackmail them), they 
  decided they didn’t mind having a human ally willing to 
  buy their goods, or to put pressure on others with visionary 
  revelations as the leader of the True Speakers—”revelations” 
  revealed to the blackmailed individuals only, of course.
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY
  Following up on a lead concerning the rash of revelations, 
  Angelo Stampfel (N male human rogue 5; Pirate’s Guide, 
  page 57, Freeport Companion, page 125), ace reporter for 
  The Shipping News, went to meet a source and was attacked 
  by an unseen assailant. The attacker was a disguised 
  Granthu, who managed to embed an eye (see page 12) 
  into the truth-revealing reporter. Stampfel is unaware of 
  the eye, and thinks himself lucky to have escaped without 
  lasting injury.
  Chapter 2: Thieves  
       and Thoughtwipes
  
  27
  Chapter two
  C.Q. Calame (NG male human expert 6; Pirate’s Guide, 
  page 57, Freeport Companion, page 100), Stampfel’s boss, 
  thinks the attack may be related to the story Stampfel’s 
  been pursuing, so he hires the PCs to protect his 
  investigator and aid in the investigation. Along the way, 
  the heroes investigate the True Speakers (see New Cults, 
  page 15), who are a splinter sect of the Speakers of Truth 
  (Pirate’s Guide, page 135). Their leader, Aletha Dorch, an 
  oracle, points them toward Captain Sarangay’s ship, the 
  Unrepentant.
  Staking out the ship, the investigators discover that 
  Sarangay is importing and selling cloths containing 
  memory-modifying magic. They also learn that some of 
  Sarangay’s crew are stealing them back, with the stored 
  memories, for a blackmail scam. The heroes must retrieve 
  the thoughtwipes from the Unrepentant before the story 
  breaks city-wide.
  Motivations
  The job comes through newspaper channels, but it may not 
  appeal to characters who don’t already have a connection 
  to The Shipping News. If this hook doesn’t work, other 
  possible motivations include:
  •  Perhaps having lost a threatening secret or two along the 
  way, the PCs’ patrons or friends in the city want allies in 
  on the investigation.
  •  One of the heroes is an unwitting victim of a thoughtwipe, 
  and rumors of his secret (which he no longer remembers) 
  are spreading throughout the city, probably by way of 
  Aletha Dorch. If this hook is used, jump right to Part 
  Two: The Fool’s Market scene, page 28).
  Part One: Offices of The 
  Shipping News
  The PCs have been asked to come to the Shipping News 
  offices for a meeting with C.Q. Calame (if Calame died in 
  your campaign during Crisis in Freeport, then his brother 
  J.J. came over from the Continent to take over the paper).
  Give players a quick impression of newsroom chaos: papers 
  are piled everywhere, urchins run in to report overheard 
  rumors, reporters and printers yell at each other from 
  opposite ends of the large open room, and people come in 
  off the streets to offer tips for pay. In contrast to the messy, 
  loud newsroom, Calame’s office is neat and quiet. When 
  the PCs pile in (there are only chairs for two to sit down), 
  he explains the following. (You can change the offered 
  money amount to match the party’s normal rates.)
  “Ah, good, you’re here! Let me get right to the point, as I 
  know you’re busy people. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, 
  but nobody seems able to keep a secret these days. 
  Here at the paper, we’ve found this rash of revelations 
  intriguing. Good journalists always look a gift horse 
  in the mouth, and my man Angelo Stampfel began 
  to investigate the reported incidences, looking for a 
  common source. 
   
  “Two days ago, a group of thugs attacked Stampfel in 
  Scurvytown, where Stampfel was to meet an informant. 
  He thinks there were at least three of them, and one got 
  in a good stab before Stampfel managed to flee. Luckily, 
  his attackers didn’t follow. His wounds suggest a curved, 
  pointed weapon: a sickle, an exotic knife, or maybe a gaff. 
   
  “He’s on to something. I just feel it. We are going to 
  blow this story wide open! Well…at least if we can keep 
  Stampfel alive to tell it. 
   
  “That’s where you come in. I need you to protect him 
  and help him investigate what’s behind the revelations. 
  I want to offer you each 1,000 gp to be bodyguards and 
  additional investigators for this story. It likely won’t take 
  longer than a few days to break it.” 
   
  He then looks at you expectantly, waiting for your answer.
  If the party accepts Calame’s job offer, read the following:
  Calame walks to the door and yells, “Peafox! Get in here!” 
   
  A comely redhead hurries into the office. “Yes, boss?” 
   
  “I need you to take these people to where Stampfel 
  is hiding. They’ll help with the investigation and 
  with guarding him. You two were going to talk to the 
  Speakers of the Truth or the True Speakers…er, ah, one 
  of those groups. Take care of that today with these good 
  folks in tow!” 
   
  “Yes, sir!” 
   
  Calame then returns to his desk and starts reading 
  stories piled up there. The heroes are dismissed.
  Roma Peafox ushers the PCs out of the building, and then 
  introduces herself as The Shipping News’s theater critic 
  (on a DC 5 Knowledge (local) check, a PC has read some 
  of her brutally blunt articles about bad performances and 
  backstage scandal; she’s very fair in terms of the things she 
  likes, however). She starts walking the heroes toward the 
  Temple District to meet Angelo Stampfel. Along the way, 
  she fills them in on the below-listed details.
  Roma Peafox (human expert 3) is an attractive, intelligent, 
  opinionated woman with a warm nature and zero tact. 
  Whatever she thinks, she says.
  What Roma Knows
  •  A woman named Aletha Dorch has recently risen to 
  prominence. She holds that speaking only the truth 
  for long enough makes all your utterances more true, 
  effectively granting you oracular powers — you can say 
  anything and it ends up being the truth somehow.
  •  Although none challenge her sincerity, many existing 
  Speakers of Truth (including Peafox) think Dorch 
  
  28
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  is a self-deluded idiot. Roma makes no bones about 
  Aletha: “She’s a loon, is what she is.” But she is gathering 
  followers, calling themselves “True Speakers.”
  •  Stampfel decided to interview Aletha, to investigate her 
  oracular claims and to see if she might be behind the 
  revelations. “It’s going to be a total waste of time, I assure 
  you, but Calame wants it done. Just be prepared to meet 
  a nutcase. At least you’ve been warned.”
  Part Two:  
  The Fool’s Market
  Interviewing Aletha Dorch
  Peafox takes them to an acolyte’s cell in the Temple 
  of Knowledge and hands them over to Stampfel (who 
  opens the door only to her knock, and is wearing his hat 
  of disguise until he confirms he’s safe). Peafox leaves to 
  arrange the interview with Aletha.
  While she’s gone, Angelo Stampfel talks to the party. 
  He’s obviously somewhat indignant about the need for 
  protection. However, he does have a use for the heroes: 
  He wants them to take the lead interviewing Dorch, so he 
  can quietly study her for proof of chicanery. He can offer 
  no more information than what Calame has told them—
  unless the GM wants to use Stampfel to give the PCs other 
  clues about the wider plot at this point.
  When Peafox returns, the two of them lead the adventurers 
  to the Fool’s Market (Pirate’s Guide to Freeport, page 134) 
  to meet Dorch. Use the Pirate’s Guide description of the 
  Market to set the surreal, often ludicrous, scene. Then read 
  the following:
  Above the usual cacophony, a loud argument is coming 
  from an area in one of the transepts under a badly 
  painted sign reading “Speakers of Truth.” 
   
  Stampfel whispers to you, “Aren’t schisms fun? Here 
  we have the parent sect, the Speakers of Truth. They’re 
  fighting with the daughter sect, the True Speakers, 
  about some obscure doctrinal differences.” He begins 
  to point out the key players. “The middle-aged woman 
  with her arms crossed is Aletha Dorch, leader of the 
  True Speakers — the crazy ones,” he murmurs. “Well, 
  probably crazy. The slight chance that there’s something 
  to her claims is why we’re here. The burly man standing 
  protectively beside her is Timms Bofort, her most 
  fervent follower and scribe. He’s also her beau.” 
   
  Just as Stampfel says that, Timms shouts to one of the 
  loudest arguers, a good-looking man in his late 20s, 
  “Why do you fear the true power of truth?” He waves a 
  copy of the Book of Truths as he does so. 
   
  “That’s Marcus Hearn, the actor,” Stampfel says, indicating 
  the man Timms is shouting at. “The man with the fish on 
  his head behind him is Pastor Wasten, priest of the God of 
  Fish, and the other woman is Sister Regina, the last cleric 
  of this temple’s original god. They aren’t Truthers of either 
  sort, so I guess the argument brought them here. I’m not 
  sure who all the others are,” he says, gesturing toward the 
  score or so individuals mulling around. “Probably just 
  hoping the fight’ll turn interesting.” 
   
  As Stampfel’s talking, Hearn asks Bofort, “The ‘true 
  power of truth’? As opposed to what, the false power of 
  truth? Or maybe it’s the power of a double-negative: Is 
  the false power of a falsehood a truth?” Bofort sputters a 
  bit, but recovers and returns verbal fire.
  Development: Throughout the argument, the audience 
  interjects various comments, but mostly cheers and boos. 
  When the argument eventually dies down a bit, Peafox pulls 
  Dorch (and the hovering Timms Bofort) aside to answer 
  the investigators’ questions. Bofort glowers at the heroes, 
  but says nothing as long as they aren’t actively insulting.
  When asked about the revealed secrets, Dorch says 
  she’s offered several revelations over the last few weeks, 
  certainly, so she could very well be a source, yes. Only, she 
  can’t elaborate, as she never remembers her prophecies. 
  (Stampfel audibly grinds his teeth.)
  She offers to prophesy on the subject, however, and drapes 
  a curiously tangled lace shawl over her head and lapses 
  into random mumbling. One term comes up repeatedly: 
  “the horns of no regret.” If the players don’t know about 
  Sarangay’s ship, the Unrepentant, they might not relate the 
  clue to him. Allow them a DC 15 Knowledge (local) check; 
  if that’s failed, Stampfel explains later.
  By obliquely pointing the investigators toward Sarangay 
  and his ship, Dorch is also potentially cutting off her supply 
  of memory-containing thoughtwipes and even pointing 
  a finger at herself as being part of the blackmail scheme. 
  The GM can decide whether she does this because her 
  prophecy is a true revelation independent of Dorch’s own 
  mind, because of a subconscious desire to reveal the truth 
  about her complicity, or because she believes in her own 
  powers and feels she no longer needs such deceptions. 
  (Aletha Dorch doesn’t currently have one of Granthu’s eyes 
  embedded in her, but does pick one up before Chapter 4: 
  “Truth Sunders.” If the GM wants her revelations to be 
  the result of Granthu’s prodding, he can give Dorch an 
  embedded eye a bit early.)
  Aletha Dorch 
                                   CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Female human rogue (charlatan)* 11
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  The Book of Truths is a collection of Dorch’s 
  utterances, as compiled by Timms Bofort. The GM 
  can decide whether they’re all random gibberish
  THE BOOK OF TRUTHS
  
  29
  Chapter two
  Init +2; Senses Perception +20
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +1 
  deflection, +1 dodge)
  hp 64 (11d8+11)
  Insanity Points 6
  Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +1 (+3 vs. sleep and charm)
  Defensive Abilities evasion, improved uncanny dodge 
  (level 14 or less), uncanny dodge
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 shortsword +11/+6 (1d6/19-20/x2) or quarterstaff 
  +7/+2 (1d6-1/x2)
  Ranged light crossbow +10/+5 (1d8/19-20/x2)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +6d6
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 6/18 (12), Cha 18
  Base Atk +8; CMB +7; CMD 21
  Feats Alertness, Deceitful, Dodge, Persuasive, Uncanny 
  Alertness, Voice of the Sibyl, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +22, Diplomacy +22, Disguise 
  +22, Escape Artist +13, Intimidate +22, Perception +20, 
  Perform (oratory) +18, Sense Motive +20, Sleight of Hand 
  +13, Stealth +13
  Languages Common, Goblin
  SQ natural born liar, rogue talents (coax information, 
  convincing lie [9 days], hard to fool, honeyed words [3/
  day], underhanded [4/day]), rumormonger (4/week)
  Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, potion of cure 
  moderate wounds; +2 studded leather armor, +1 shortsword, 
  light crossbow, quarterstaff, ring of protection +1
  Other Gear thoughtwipe veil
  Treasure15 gp, 8 sp, 300 gp in gems
  *For charlatan archetype details, see Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Ultimate Combat.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Coax Information (Ex) Aletha can use Bluff or Diplomacy 
  in place of Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly 
  toward her.
  Convincing Lie (Ex) When Aletha lies, her fabrications are 
  especially convincing. When she successfully uses Bluff 
  to convince someone that what she’s saying is true, if 
  that person is questioned later about the statement or 
  story, he uses Aletha’s Bluff skill modifiers to convince the 
  questioner, rather than his own. If his Bluff skill modifier is 
  better than Aletha’s, he can use his own modifier and gain 
  a +2 bonus on any check to convince others of the lie. This 
  effect lasts 9 days.
  Evasion (Ex) If Aletha succeeds at a Reflex save for half 
  damage, she takes none instead.
  Hard to Fool (Ex) Aletha is hard to fool with mind-affecting 
  effects. At the start of her turn, if she is still subject to any 
  mind-affecting spells or effects, she can make a Will saving 
  throw with a standard DC for the effect’s level, and if she 
  succeeds at the check, she is no longer subject to the effect. 
     She can make this saving throw even against mind-
  affecting effects that normally don’t allow a saving throw. 
  In those cases, generate the saving throw as if the spell or 
  effect did allow a saving throw.
  Honeyed Words (3/day) (Ex) Three times per day Aletha 
  can roll two dice and take the better result on Bluff checks. 
  She must choose to use honeyed words before making the 
  Bluff check.
  Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Aletha cannot be flanked, 
  but a rogue of 15th or higher level who gets into a flanking 
  position can sneak attack her.
  Natural Born Liar (Ex) Creatures deceived by Aletha’s use of 
  Bluff take a –2 penalty against subsequent uses of Bluff by 
  her for 24 hours. This ability does not stack with itself.
  Rumormonger (4/week) (Ex) Aletha can use Bluff to spread 
  a rumor through a community. (See Rogue Talents in 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat.)
  Sneak Attack +6d6 Aletha causes +6d6 damage on an 
  attack if she flanks a target or her target is flat-footed.
  Uncanny Alertness Aletha receives a +1 bonus on 
  Perception and Sense Motive checks and a +2 bonus on 
  saving throws against sleep and charm effects.
  Underhanded (4/day) (Ex) Aletha gains a +4 circumstance 
  bonus on all Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a 
  weapon. If she makes a sneak attack during the surprise 
  round using a concealed weapon that her opponent didn’t 
  know about, she doesn’t have to roll sneak attack damage, 
  and the sneak attack deals maximum damage.
  Voice of the Sibyl Aletha gains a +3 bonus to Bluff, 
  Diplomacy, and Perform (oratory) checks if she uses her 
  voice when using the skill (not when using Bluff to feint in 
  combat, for example).
  The Brawl
  As Stampfel and the heroes start to leave, Peafox berates 
  Dorch for “wasting people’s time.” The comment causes 
  Bofort to snap, and he throws his Book of Truths at her, 
  missing. Intervening PCs may make a DC 30 Intimidate 
  check to prevent violence from erupting immediately. 
  Otherwise, someone throws the Book of Truths back at 
  one of Dorch’s followers, knocking him out, and then 
  yells, “There’s the true power of truth for ya!”
  Fisticuffs commence.
  This scene devolves into a tavern brawl, fueled by belief 
  rather than booze, and the full bizarre array of people 
  in the Fool’s Market rapidly get involved—no matter 
  what their faith. Tension has been brewing among the 
  religious for some time, and this helps them let out some 
  steam. The GM should feel free to add surreal battle 
  cries and bizarre fish-slapping tactics. What takes place 
  here is mostly nonlethal, and some is even good-natured; 
  theological disputes aside, these people know each other, 
  share a degree of outcast solidarity, and have to live with 
  each other tomorrow.
  
  30
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Don’t bother running this fight round by round; any 
  combat between 10th-level PCs and these shopkeepers and 
  apprentices would be either slapstick or a bloodbath.
  When the fight erupts, Pastor Wasten starts smiting the 
  unruly with his ever-present fish, yelling for calm; Dorch 
  hides under an altar; Stampfel stands aside and takes notes; 
  and Sister Regina sends an acolyte to fetch the Watch. 
  Sister Regina then starts shaming people into calming 
  down. As one of the saner Market denizens, a caring soul, 
  and priest of its original god, she has enough authority to 
  eventually succeed. She then cheerfully administers healing 
  to anyone needing it. If no one prevents the acolyte from 
  reaching the Watch, they arrive five minutes after the fight 
  starts. At Regina’s request, however, they make no arrests 
  unless someone’s been killed.
  As the adventurers leave, Stampfel checks that 
  they’ve understood the clue – they’re staking out the 
  Unrepentant next.
  Part Three:  
  Stakeout at the Docks
  In a nearby tavern, Stampfel shares what’s known of Captain 
  Sarangay (that he’s an atypical intelligent and charming 
  minotaur; that he’s usually armed with a trademark pair of 
  magical axes strapped across his massive back; that he has 
  a loyal and well-paid non-human crew; and that little is 
  known of Sarangay’s background before he arrived on the 
  Unrepentant as fourth mate two years ago) and explains 
  that the Unrepentant should be arriving in port any day 
  now. (Pace the actual arrival according to your group; if you 
  want to speed things up, a breathless urchin can run into 
  the tavern with news of its approach.) When it arrives, he’ll 
  send for the PCs, telling them to come to a boarding house 
  called the Sensible Squid, sitting opposite the Unrepentant’s 
  berth. (If the heroes ask how he knows where Sarangay’s 
  ship will berth, Stampfel just grins.)
  2A. The Sensible Squid
  The Sensible Squid is between two boisterous taverns. A 
  shrewd crone answers the door and wordlessly leads the 
  heroes up to a third-floor room; if Stampfel didn’t arrive 
  with them, he greets them within. Read the following:
  Stampfel leads you out to the balcony. Its surrounded by 
  a high wall with numerous holes to peer through – an 
  ideal ship-watcher’s hideout. 
   
  You watch the Unrepentant picking its way through the 
  last of the sandbars to the wharf, tying up as night falls. 
  Sarangay, a large minotaur, makes his way down the 
  gangplank, heading toward the infamous Mother Passos. 
  He negotiates vociferously with her to secure stevedores 
  for his ship’s unloading. Eventually, the two spit into 
  their palms and clasp hands. Passos then gestures for 
  her awaiting longshoremen to get to work. 
   
  Sarangay passes something shiny to a well-groomed 
  hobgoblin aboard the Unrepentant and stomps off. The 
  officer oversees the loading of most of the crates onto 
  carts to be taken to a warehouse. There aren’t enough 
  carts to move all the crates at once, so a few (one seven-
  foot cube that opens on hinges at one side, several mid-
  sized crates, and one small chest) remain on the wharf 
  beside the gangplank, guarded by some of Sarangay’s 
  hobgoblin and bugbear sailors.
  (Mother Passos: Pirate’s Guide, page 48)
  Allow the investigators a DC 25 Perception check to notice 
  urchins follow each departing cart. If asked about the 
  urchins, Stampfel says they work for him.
  2B. Snooping                                       (CR 11)
  The longshoremen will be returning for the crates on the 
  wharf at night, moving them to the warehouse. Stampfel is 
  particularly curious about their contents. He instructs the 
  PCs to go down and investigate, but not to steal the goods, 
  as he needs to be able to trace the buyers, and wants to 
  avoid large-scale violence. He’s emphatic on the violence 
  point: Some brawling is normal for the Docks, but major 
  bloodshed or noticeable magic use could cause Sarangay’s 
  men to move the crates and cancel whatever’s going down. 
  Stampfel also insists on adventurers disguising their faces 
  and any distinctive features, as he doesn’t want any trouble 
  traceable back to The Shipping News. (He has +10 to 
  Disguise, and a disguise kit for a +2 circumstance bonus, 
  but will gladly allow more skilled PCs to do the job.)
  Investigators will need magic or a diversion to approach 
  the crates unnoticed. Sarangay’s crewmen have darkvision 
  and a healthy fear of their boss. However, they’re just back 
  from a trip and are keen for some shore leave, so their 
  patience is thin and they’re looking for entertainment. A 
  couple of bugbears on the pier start sparring with gaffs 
  (hooked poles). A DC 18 Sense Motive check reveals that 
  one is spoiling for real combat, and the others would love 
  such a spectacle.
  The restless bugbear will challenge strong-looking 
  characters to unarmed combat; the hobgoblin bosun and 
  first mate tolerate (and gleefully heckle) street brawling, 
  but if combat threatens the crates, the Unrepentant, 
  or noncombatant bugbears, the bosun summons 
  reinforcements and the Watch, and the mate first uses his 
  bardic performance (blistering mockery of the PCs and 
  bloody incitement of the bugbears) and casts see invisibility 
  and other spells to disrupt magic use. If necessary, 
  “remind” the PCs that brawling is one thing but damage to 
  the wharf will bring down the city’s full wrath.
  The mid-size crates mostly contain non-magical Valossan 
  relics; items too distinctive and with too few potential 
  buyers to fence easily. The large crate contains a thick-
  limbed statue of a serpent person—actually a stone golem, 
  commanded by the medallion Sarangay tossed to his 
  hobgoblin first mate.( If he feels really threatened, the mate 
  
  31
  Chapter two
  casts invisibility, uses the amulet to 
  bring the golem into play, and flees with 
  it to find Sarangay. He doesn’t want any 
  harm to come to the golem (because it’s 
  valuable cargo, not a personal weapon), 
  but if he’s captured, he crushes the 
  amulet rather than allowing it to be 
  taken, causing the golem to run amok.)
  The small chest contains what appear 
  to be lacy handkerchiefs—actually 
  pieces of thoughtweave cloth that can 
  remove and store memories (see the 
  Thoughtwipes sidebar). If players think 
  to ask, the handkerchiefs look similar to 
  the veil Dorch wears.
  If the heroes successfully investigate 
  and return to Stampfel, he thanks 
  them, expresses puzzlement about 
  the handkerchiefs, and indicates the 
  adventurers’ services are still required.
  Hobgoblin Bosun  
  (hobgoblin corsair* 9 CR 8
  XP 4,800
  LE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +3
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 17, flat-footed 15 (+3 
  armor, +4 Dex, +2 canny defense, +1 
  dodge)
  hp 81 (9d10+27)
  Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +3
  Defensive Abilities canny defense, 
  uncanny dodge
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 cutlass +14/+9 (18-20/x2, 
  1d6+3) or unarmed strike +13/+8 
  (1d3+2)
  Special Attacks dirty fighting +2d4
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 10, 
  Cha 14
  Base Atk +9; CMB +11 (+14 to disarm with cutlass); CMD 
  +18 (+20 versus disarm with cutlass)
  Feats AthleticB, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved 
  Unarmed StrikeB, Mobility, Rope MonkeyB, Sea LegsB, Spring 
  Attack, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +12, Bluff +10, Climb +7, Intimidate +15, 
  Perception +6, Profession (sailor) +10, Stealth +7; Racial 
  Modifiers +4 Stealth
  Languages Common, Goblin
  SQ improvised weapon fighting, fast on your feet
  Combat Gear +1 cutlass, +1 leather armor of authority
  Treasure ornamental gold bracer (80 gp), pouch containing 
  11 gp, 4 sp, 23 cp
  *For corsair class details, see the Freeport Companion, 
  pages 12-15.
  Hobgoblin First Mate  
  (hobgoblin bard 9) 
                      CR 8
  XP 4,800
  LE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
  Init +0; Senses darkvision 120 ft.; Perception +2
  
  32
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor)
  hp 62 (9d8+18)
  Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +8 (+12 versus bardic performance, 
  sonic, and language-dependent effects)
  Defensive Abilities well-versed
  OFFENSE
  Speed 35 ft.
  Melee +2 cutlass +8/+3 (18-20/x2, 1d6+2)
  Special Attacks bardic performance (move action, 16 
  rounds/day) – countersong, distraction, fascinate, inspire 
  courage, inspire competence, suggestion, dirge of doom, 
  inspire greatness
  Bardic Spells Known (CL 9th; Concentration +13, +17 when 
  casting on defensive or grappled)
  3rd (4/day) – dispel magic, see invisibility
  2nd (4/day) – blindness/deafness, invisibility, misdirection, 
  silence
  1st (5/day) – detect secret doors, expeditious retreat, obscure 
  object, unseen servant, ventriloquism
  0th (6/day) – detect magic, light, mage hand, 
  prestidigitation, read magic, resistance
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 18
  Base Atk +6; CMB +6 (+10 to disarm with cutlass); CMD +6 
  (+8 versus disarm with cutlass)
  Feats Combat Casting, Fleet, Run, Skill Focus (Perform 
  (comedy)), Skill Focus (Perform (oratory))
  Skills Acrobatics +8, Bluff [as Perform (comedy)], Diplomacy 
  [as Perform (oratory)], Intimidate [as Perform (comedy)], 
  Knowledge (geography) +13, Knowledge (history) 
  +13, Knowledge (local) +14, Knowledge (nature) +14, 
  Knowledge (other) +7, Linguistics +16, Perform (comedy) 
  +19, Perform (oratory) +19, Profession (sailor) +9, Sense 
  Motive [as Perform (oratory)], Spellcraft +16, Stealth +2, 
  Use Magic Device +18; Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth
  Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Azhar, Common, Draconic, 
  Elven, Goblin, Giant, Infernal, Orc, Undercommon, Valossan
  SQ bardic knowledge, versatile performance, well-versed, 
  lore master
  Combat Gear +2 cutlass, elven chain shirt
  Other Gear medallion to control stone golem, quill, ink, 
  writing paper, hilarious half-written satire
  Treasure wallet containing 12 gp, 5 sp, 14 cp, and 100 gp in 
  gems
  Bugbear Looter  
  (bugbear rogue 5) (4) 
                      CR 7
  XP 3,200
  CE Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
  Init +4, surprise attack; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent, 
  trapfinding; Perception +17
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 14, flat-footed 12 (+2 armor, +4 Dex)
  hp 65 (8d8+29)
  Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +2
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.; fast stealth
  Melee morningstar +10 (1d8+5) or gaff +10 (1d4+5) or 
  boarding axe +10 (1d6+5)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +3d6
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 7
  Base Atk +5; CMB +10; CMD +14
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Intimidating Prowess, Skill Focus 
  (Perception), Stealthy, Toughness
  Skills Climb +13, Disable Device +14, Escape Artist +14, 
  Intimidate +17, Perception +17, Profession (sailor) +9, 
  Sleight of Hand +12, Stealth +20; Racial Modifiers +4 
  Intimidate, +4 Stealth
  Languages Common, Goblin
  SQ rogue talents (fast stealth, surprise attack)
  Combat Gear morningstar, gaff, boarding axe, leather armor
  Treasure 100 gp each in the form of coins, gems, and body-
  piercing jewelry
  Thoughtwipe
  Aura moderate enchantment; CL 10th
  Slot none; Price 14,400 gp; Weight —
  DESCRIPTION
  Once per day, items made of thoughtweave 
  cloth (commonly disguised as handkerchiefs for 
  inconspicuous use) can be wiped across the brow, 
  removing the current thought or memory and storing it 
  in the cloth. Also once per day, a stored thought can be 
  retrieved from the cloth by wiping it across the brow. A 
  stored thought remains in the cloth until retrieved. After 
  that time, or if the cloth is destroyed, the stored thought 
  NEW MAGIC ITEM 
  vanishes or returns to its owner, whichever is less 
  favorable to the owner. If the cloth is carefully unwoven, 
  the thought always returns to the thought’s owner.
  An unwilling subject may make a DC 14 Will save to 
  prevent a thought from being removed. A successful DC 
  18 Will save must be made to retrieve another person’s 
  thought from the cloth.
  It is possible that larger thoughtwipes with more storage 
  capacity exist.
  CONSTRUCTION
  Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, modify memory; 
  Cost 7,200 gp
  
  33
  Chapter two
  Stealing Secrets
  Some hours later, Sarangay returns to the ship with a small 
  group of masked and hooded humans in expensive clothes. 
  He begins to hand over the chest with the handkerchiefs, 
  but the merchants insist on seeing a demonstration. The 
  minotaur leads them aboard the Unrepentant to his cabin 
  (Area 3D).
  Give stealthy or magical characters a chance to arrange 
  observation. If successful, they overhear Sarangay 
  explaining how thoughtwipes work (although he doesn’t 
  reveal to the merchants that others can retrieve the stolen 
  memories) and a merchant testing them. If unsuccessful, as 
  the merchants leave past the Sensible Squid, one fearfully 
  wonders whether memory-wiping will be enough to 
  conceal “you-know-what”; his companion immediately 
  shushes him.
  Allow a DC 23 Perception check to notice bugbears 
  surreptitiously following the merchants before Stampfel 
  does, and a DC 13 Intelligence check to remember seeing 
  them among the Unrepentant’s crew. Stampfel perks up at 
  this—even more so when the bugbears start returning in 
  ones and twos early the next morning. From their hiding 
  place, the investigators hear one of the bugbears loudly 
  blow his nose into a dainty lace handkerchief and then 
  joke about “blowing out a human’s brains” when he did it. 
  If the PCs catch one of the bugbears alone and interrogate 
  or mug him, he either reveals the scheme or at least leaves 
  them holding a couple of the handkerchiefs; with a DC 25 
  Spellcraft check (DC 20 if the heroes overheard Sarangay’s 
  explanation), they can deduce how it works.
  Stampfel is over the moon: He’s found his story: 
  “Minotaur Captain Blackmails City Elite.” He asks the 
  adventurers to escort him, disguised, through the dawn 
  streets to The Shipping News and after safely arriving 
  dismisses them, chortling.
  For their investigative efforts, award the PCs 1,000 XP each 
  per secret the party uncovered: the content of the crates, 
  the nature of the handkerchiefs, the blackmail scheme.
  Part Four: The 
  Unrepentant
  Calame’s Briefing
  That evening, Calame urgently summons the 
  heroes back to his office. He explains that one of the 
  newspaper’s backers has been tipped off to the story, 
  which Calame’s printing now to get on the streets at first 
  light. This backer wants to hire the party to retrieve the 
  handkerchiefs. Tonight! Money is clearly no object: The 
  starting offer is 500 gp each, but can reach 1,500 gp or 
  more. He also offers the use of the Sensible Squid as a 
  base of operations.
  Boarding the Ship
  The PCs must first board the Unrepentant without raising 
  an alarm on the street (Grand Theft: Nautical is too big for 
  the Watch to ignore), then search the ship. Reuse Map 2 
  without the crates and guards on the wharf.
  Early in the evening, Sarangay is aboard, but an hour 
  before midnight, he departs for his on-shore residence, 
  leaving the first mate (Area 3J), the bosun (Area 3I), and 
  three more crew members (bugbears in Area 3L) sleeping 
  aboard. (If the mate or bosun was killed in Part Three, 
  substitute a suitable-CR monstrous humanoid, perhaps a 
  lamia matriarch with some spellcasting levels.)
  Once aboard ship, with a DC 15 Perception check, a PC 
  notices that many of the fittings on the Unrepentant have 
  been rebuilt to suit creatures larger than the average human.
  With the ship unloaded and everyone on shore leave, there 
  are only a few bored low-level hobgoblin guards on deck, 
  but the ship isn’t unprotected. Captain Sarangay has an 
  alarm spell centered on the main deck of the ship (Area 
  3E). All his crew members know the password to get by 
  it, but the adventurers set it off if they cross the deck. 
  The spell silently alerts Sarangay wherever he is. The GM 
  can decide how long it takes Sarangay to react, and have 
  him burst onto the scene with his ogre bodyguards at an 
  appropriate moment, such as a few rounds into the Battle 
  on the Boat, when the heroes think it’s going to be an easy 
  fight, or just as they’re about to sneak off the boat, thinking 
  their stealth has allowed them to pull off their mission 
  without being noticed.
  Battle on the Boat                            (CR 11)
  Below deck no Perception check is required for the heroes 
  to notice that the companionways and quarters are big 
  enough for minotaurs, ogres, and bugbears to move about 
  in. It’s still close quarters for Large creatures, but a skinny 
  human crew would find it spacious.
  The handkerchiefs are on the Unrepentant, but not in 
  Sarangay’s cabin (Area 3D, which is empty except for 
  plain furniture, clothing, and the tools of his trade; all his 
  valuables are either on his person or banked, as he doesn’t 
  trust his crew). Sarangay knows nothing of the blackmail 
  scheme, which was concocted by a group of bugbears just 
  bright enough to get themselves into trouble.
  Similarly, the crew members keep only mementos and 
  functional items in their quarters (Areas 3L and 3M). 
  Their wealth is being spent on shore right now.
  The holds are empty of goods, but the handkerchiefs are in 
  a bag hidden (Perception DC 23) inside a coil of rope in a 
  corner of the main hold (Area 3O).
  Six bugbear looters, the thieves who stole the handkerchiefs, 
  have been keeping an eye on the ship from a nearby tavern, If 
  there are signs of trouble (obvious fighting, or if the bugbears 
  see the PCs) aboard, they sneak aboard to stealthily observe 
  the investigators. However, they don’t attack until after the 
  heroes find the thoughtwipes. (Give them a Stealth check to 
  
  34
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  gain a surprise round; remember their surprise attack rogue 
  talents, and make the most of flanking and the dangers of 
  careless area spellcasting in the confined hold.)
  After a few rounds, the GM can have Sarangay (alerted 
  by the alarm spell) arrive, bellowing that the Watch is on 
  the way and demanding to know what’s going on. If the 
  adventurers explain and manage to convince him (which 
  won’t be hard: The bugbears are terrible liars and Sarangay 
  is already suspicious of them), he switches sides, keen to 
  protect his reputation with his customers. Naturally, he 
  insists on the return of any 
  stolen property, including the 
  thoughtwipes. However, he 
  is willing to talk to Calame 
  discreetly about the particular 
  thoughtwipe the PCs are 
  retrieving: It’s one of Sarangay’s 
  customers who’s hired the 
  heroes, after all, so he’s inclined 
  to hand it over to Calame.
  If the heroes come to an 
  arrangement with Captain 
  Sarangay to solve the problem 
  of the thoughtwipes without 
  violence, they receive the same 
  XP award they would gain by 
  defeating him in combat.
  Captain Zotai 
  Sarangay
  Captain Sarangay is anything 
  but a typical minotaur. 
  Intelligent and charming, 
  he wears clothing—typically 
  blue linen pants, tucked into 
  high black leather boots, and 
  a loose white linen shirt. His 
  leather harness keeps his 
  trademark pair of magical 
  axes strapped across his 
  massive back. He is especially 
  persuasive to non-humans and 
  exclusively employs them as 
  his crew.
  Much to the consternation of 
  the decent folk of Freeport, 
  Sarangay shares prizes 
  generously with the crew and 
  officers, permitting them to 
  afford some luxuries typically 
  denied to Bloodsalt denizens. 
  Few of the decent folk are 
  bold enough to challenge 
  his axes, and fewer still get 
  the opportunity. When the 
  Unrepentant is berthed in 
  Freeport, Sarangay is aboard, leaving only occasionally in 
  the company of his two ogre bodyguards.
  Ogre (2)                                                    CR 3
  XP 800 each
  hp 30 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  Captain Sarangay’s background—before he arrived on 
  the Unrepentant as fourth mate just two years ago—is a 
  mystery. If his crew knows anything, they aren’t talking, 
  even when bribed and drunk.
  
  35
  Chapter two
  Captain Zotai Sarangay                  CR 11
  XP 12,800
  Male minotaur corsair* 7
  LE Large monstrous humanoid
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+2 dodge, +5 natural, –1 
  size); canny defense, uncanny dodge
  hp 105 (6d10+12 + 7d10+21)
  Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +8
  Defensive Abilities natural cunning
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +2 tempest greataxe +19/14/9 (3d6+6/x3), +1 
  windblast greataxe +18/13/8 (3d6+6/x3), and gore +11 
  (1d6+2)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks corsair’s luck 2/day (+3), dirty fighting 
  +2d4, powerful charge (gore +18, 2d8+6)
  STATISTICS
  Str 19, Dex 10, Con 15, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 14
  Base Atk +13; CMB +18; CMD 28
  Feats Athletic, Brilliant Tactician, Cleave, Combat Expertise, 
  Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, 
  Overpowering Attack, Power Attack, Rope Monkey, Sea Legs
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Climb +10, Intimidate +11, Perception 
  +17, Sailor +8, Stealth +8, Survival +16, Swim +10; Racial 
  Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Survival
  Languages Common, Giant, Goblin, Naval Code, Orc, 
  Semaphore
  Combat Gear +2 tempest greataxe, +1 windblast greataxe
  *For corsair class details, see the Freeport Companion, 
  pages 12-15.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Brilliant Tactician As a full-round action, Captain Sarangay 
  can select one ally within 30 feet. That ally gains a +2 
  insight bonus to his AC or on his next attack roll. This 
  bonus lasts until the start of Sarangay’s next turn. Once he 
  uses this feat, he must wait 5 rounds before using it again.
  Canny Defense (Ex) Sarangay adds his Charisma bonus as 
  a dodge bonus to his AC. He loses this bonus if he wears 
  medium or heavy armor or carries a heavy load.
  Corsair’s Luck (2/day) (Ex) Twice per day Sarangay can add 
  half his class level as an insight bonus to any attack roll, 
  ability, skill check, or saving throw. He must declare use of 
  this ability before knowing the success or failure of the roll.
  Dirty Fighting (Ex) Sarangay’s attacks deal +2d4 extra 
  damage any time his target is denied a Dexterity bonus 
  to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus 
  or not) or when he flanks his target. If he scores a critical 
  hit with dirty fighting, this extra damage is not multiplied. 
  Ranged attacks count as dirty fighting only within 30 feet. 
     With an unarmed strike, Sarangay can use dirty fighting 
  to deal nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. He 
  can use any weapon to deal nonlethal damage with dirty 
  fighting by taking a –4 penalty to the attack roll. 
     Sarangay must see his target well enough to pick 
  out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. 
  He cannot use dirty fighting while striking a concealed 
  creature or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are 
  beyond reach. 
     Extra damage from dirty fighting stacks with similar 
  types of extra damage including sneak attack damage.
  Natural Cunning (Ex) Sarangay’s innate cunning and logical 
  ability makes him immune to maze spells and prevents 
  him from ever becoming lost. Further, he’s never caught 
  flat-footed.
  Overpowering Attack Whenever Sarangay attacks an 
  opponent who used the Combat Expertise or Superior 
  Expertise feats, who is fighting defensively, or who took the 
  total defense action, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus on 
  his attack rolls.
  Rope Monkey Opponents gain no special benefit for 
  attacking Sarangay while he’s climbing, even if they have 
  higher ground. And if he takes damage from an attacker 
  while climbing and his Climb check exceeds the DC by 
  5, he gains a +1 circumstance bonus on his attack rolls 
  against the target that attacked him until the end of his 
  next turn.
  NEW MAGIC WEAPON SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Tempest: On a critical hit with a tempest weapon, 
  a storm cloud forms above the target. It follows the 
  target, even indoors, underground, or below decks 
  on a ship, dumping 16 gallons of rain water every 
  round. Cargo ships can withstand this much water for 
  hours or even a few days, but few captains would risk 
  their ship for one crewman. The cloud is permanent, 
  removable only by a remove curse or the death of the 
  cursed person.
  As a magic weapon that bestows a curse, a tempest 
  weapon shows signs of its debilitating ability: metal 
  weapons rust, wooden weapons are moist to the 
  touch, and ranged weapons leave a mist trail.
  Moderate evocation; CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, bestow curse, create water; Price +3 bonus.
  Windblast: On a critical hit with a windblast 
  weapon, a concentrated gale bursts from the weapon, 
  pushing a Medium or smaller target back 1d6x5 feet.
  Moderate evocation; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and 
  Armor, gust of wind; Price +1 bonus.
  
  36
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Sea Legs (Ex) Sarangay is never considered flat-footed when 
  using Acrobatics to move across narrow surfaces or uneven 
  ground. In addition, when he succeeds at an Acrobatics 
  check to move across a precarious surface, he may move 
  at full speed. Finally, if he takes damage from an attacker 
  during such movement and his Acrobatics check exceeds 
  the DC by 5, he gains a +1 circumstance bonus on his 
  attack rolls against the target that attacked him until the 
  end of his next turn.
  CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
  Calame pays the heroes the agreed amount—and adds 
  a bonus if they helped get him the full story before 
  The Shipping News was distributed on the streets (an 
  hour before dawn). Sarangay may also tip them if the 
  investigators have helped him protect his reputation. But 
  there are still several loose ends:
  •  Who hired the PCs to retrieve the thoughtwipes? Was it a 
  rich patron; the Office of Dredging; or Calame himself, 
  hoping for a stockpile of juicy stories? Or was it someone 
  else entirely? This is up to the GM to decide.
  •  Who else has thoughtwipes?
  •  Who were the buyers? What were the secrets they sought 
  to hide by memory wiping?
  •  What if the thoughtwipes being returned to their buyers 
  get mixed up?
  •  If Sarangay imported the 
  thoughtwipes responding to 
  merchants’ fear of exposure, 
  clearly the revelations began 
  before thoughtwipes came on 
  the market. What was the real 
  source?
  •  Granthu continues to 
  observe Stampfel, and it uses 
  the reporter as a dupe to 
  bring others to the lantern.
  •  Aletha Dorch’s complicity 
  in the thoughtwipes blackmail 
  scheme could come to light, 
  but she truly believes she isn’t 
  guilty of anything. As her 
  mind continues to slip, her 
  reality changes to become 
  the one she imagines. If she 
  isn’t killed or incarcerated, 
  her behavior eventually 
  leads her to gain one of 
  Granthu’s embedded eyes, 
  and to use the lantern, 
  which permanently fractures 
  her link to real reality. She 
  then becomes a patient at 
  Chambers Asylum, under 
  Bianka Altanish’s direct care 
  (see Pirate’s Guide, pages 
  89-90, Freeport Companion, 
  page 95, and “Truth Sunders,” 
  page 46).
  HARCOURT 
  HORKEL
  
  BY MIKE FRANKE
  “No, don’t tell me why you’ve come here. The 
  spirits have already told me the question you want 
  answered. And they’ve told me the answer. Yes, 
  you should go into business with that man — no, 
  no need for names here. Just be warned, though: 
  He’s keeping some secrets from you. The spirits say 
  you must be especially wary of his gambling habit. 
  You’re shocked. You didn’t know that he gambled. 
  That’s as it should be; humans live their lives 
  clouded by ignorance, but the spirits know all.”
  — The Oracle at work
  “The Oracle of Dreaming Street” is an urban 
  adventure suitable for four 10th-level PCs.
  BACKGROUND
  A month ago, Lucretia Bragg was a drug-addled prostitute 
  working at the Torchlight Academy. Now she’s the wealthy 
  and powerful Oracle of Dreaming Street, sitting at the 
  center of a web of lies and deceit.
  Unbeknownst to all, the rakshasa Abhilasha killed Lucretia 
  over a month ago and took her place at the Torchlight 
  Academy. Abhilasha used her charm abilities to gather a 
  following and then set out to use detect thoughts to learn as 
  much as possible about those coming to Dreaming Street. 
  The rakshasa’s information-gathering has allowed her to 
  set herself up as a soothsayer and powerbroker, claiming 
  knowledge of mysterious happenings even when she’s not 
  actually involved.
  And enough of her predictions have come true to ruffle 
  the feathers of Finn, Mister Wednesday, and even some 
  members of the Captains’ Council. Unfortunately, 
  Dreaming Street is a sort of neutral ground, so the major 
  players can’t just directly force their way in without 
  upsetting the delicate balance of power in Freeport’s 
  underworld. The powers that be need someone to do 
  something about the Oracle, however. Perhaps the PCs 
  are the people for the job.
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY
  The adventurers are summoned to a meeting with Garth 
  Varellion, a member of the Captains’ Council. At the 
  meeting, they are informed that secret (and in some 
  Chapter 3: The Oracle    
       on Dreaming Street
  
  38
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  cases embarrassing) information related to members 
  of Freeport’s government, and even members of the 
  Council, has recently become public. The information leak 
  apparently originates on Dreaming Street, Scurvytown’s 
  greatest concentration of vice. Varellion believes the 
  district’s new self-styled Oracle is the source, and he 
  informs the PCs that they will be handsomely paid to 
  investigate the sudden shift in power and the strange 
  happenings on Dreaming Street. And he wants them to 
  permanently silence the information source.
  The heroes likely investigate Dreaming Street before 
  heading to the Torchlight Academy, a brothel and the 
  current headquarters of the Oracle. While they’re in her 
  waiting room, the rakshasa uses her abilities to gauge 
  their intentions and subjects of interest. When Abhilasha 
  discovers the heroes’ plans to investigate and likely kill her, 
  she activates a trap floor, dropping them into the basement 
  below the Torchlight Academy, where they face the otyugh 
  clean-up crew.
  If they survive, the PCs must work their way through the 
  Torchlight Academy, overcome Abhilasha’s defenses and her 
  medusa lieutenant, and finally confront the rakshasa herself.
  Motivations
  The adventure assumes the characters are known in 
  Freeport as problem-solvers—especially in situations 
  where it is better if no indiscreet questions are asked. If a 
  summons from Garth Varellion of the Captains’ Council 
  commissioning them to investigate the happenings on 
  Dreaming Street doesn’t work for your group, other 
  possible motivations include:
  • One of Freeport’s criminal gangs that is upset over 
  losing influence on Dreaming Street sends the heroes to 
  investigate and deal with the problem.
  • If the PCs are religiously motivated, they can be asked 
  by one of Freeport’s temples to investigate the possibly 
  dangerous and heretical goings on on Dreaming Street.
  • The heroes are associated with the Sea Lord’s Guard and 
  are tasked with dealing with the Oracle after secrets about 
  some guardsmen become public.
  • Finn or Mister Wednesday, unhappy with the situation 
  on Dreaming Street, approaches the PCs for aid. He wants 
  the characters to remove the Oracle from play, thereby 
  restoring the status quo. If the investigators established a 
  good relationship with Finn in “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” 
  having Mister Wednesday approach them this time would 
  allow them to prove their neutrality, if that’s what they’re 
  interested in. (In the default scenarios, Finn and Mister 
  Wednesday have each sent assassins into the Torchlight 
  Academy, and all have died there. If the PCs were sent by 
  Finn or Mister Wednesday instead of Captain Varellion, 
  then they’re the first such mission sent into the brothel.)
  Part One: An Invitation
  As the adventure begins, the heroes receive a summons to 
  meet with a member of the Captains’ Council. (Adjust the 
  invitation if a different motivation is used.)
  A messenger of the Captains’ Council approaches the 
  characters in some public place.
  An official-looking messenger garbed in the livery of 
  the Captains’ Council waves for your attention and then 
  approaches your group. When he nears, he clears his 
  throat noisily. “You are hereby requested to meet with 
  Captain Garth Varellion on a matter of some urgency 
  for the city of Freeport. You are to follow me and I will 
  show you to his location.”
  If the characters do not make immediate preparations to 
  follow the messenger or state that they aren’t interested, 
  he continues.
  “You will, of course, be compensated for your time. And 
  you will, no doubt, earn the gratitude of the Captains’ 
  Council simply by attending.”
  Development: Assuming the heroes agree to attend the 
  meeting, they are escorted to the Baths in the Old City. 
  The messenger puts off any discussion of payment, telling 
  them that only Captain Varellion can discuss the details of 
  compensation with them.
  Part Two: The Baths
  The messenger leads you through the narrow streets of 
  the Old City, past the Sea Lord’s Palace and to the Baths, 
  one of Freeport’s oldest bathhouses. An attendant spots 
  him and immediately points the way toward one of the 
  private bathing suites. The messenger opens the door, 
  motioning for you to enter. Through the open door, you 
  see that the room is empty except for a man relaxing in 
  the heated pool.
  A DC 15 Knowledge (local) check identifies the man in 
  the bath as Captain Garth Varellion (LN male human 
  rogue 5/fighter 5, Freeport Companion, page 130), the least 
  popular member of the Captains’ Council—and on a DC 
  20 Knowledge (local) check, a member who could use 
  improvement of his tarnished image. Captain Varellion 
  motions for the PCs to enter fully into the room, and offers 
  them the opportunity to join him in the bath. He then 
  begins to explain why he has requested their presence.
  “As you may have heard, there have been strange 
  goings on of late in Freeport. Rumors and secrets have 
  been flying about the city and information that should 
  have remained secret—for the good of the city, of 
  
  39
  Chapter three
  course—has been revealed publicly. I am embarrassed 
  to say that some of this information has been related 
  to certain Captains’ Council members’ activities. I and 
  the others find this situation unacceptable! I would like 
  to employ you to resolve this matter. I can pay each of 
  you 1,500 gp to silence the source of this information 
  leak—permanently.”
  Captain Varellion fully expects the heroes to have 
  questions, and he can provide the following information.
  •  The Captains’ Council believes a seer in Scurvytown 
  known as the Oracle of Dreaming Street is the source of 
  the information leaks.
  •  As far as anyone knows, the Oracle is actually a prostitute 
  named Lucretia, who works at the Torchlight Academy 
  on Dreaming Street.
  •  Prior to a few weeks ago, Lucretia was a moderately 
  popular courtesan, but no one of great interest…and 
  most especially, not an oracle. No one ever saw her 
  exhibit any magical abilities until recently.
  If the heroes agree to handle Captain Varellion’s problem, 
  he tells them he will provide payment upon successful 
  resolution of the problem. At the GM’s discretion, he can 
  be haggled with somewhat on the payment amount, and 
  he can provide half upfront if strenuously pressured. If the 
  investigators balk at the “permanently silence” part of the 
  commission, Varellion is willing to handle that as well, but 
  will reduce their payment.
  Development: If the heroes head straight to Dreaming 
  Street, go to Part Four: Dreaming Street, page 40. If they 
  decide to search for more information instead, proceed to 
  Part Three: Information Gathering.
  Part Three:  
  Information Gathering
  Either before the investigators get to Dreaming Street or 
  after they arrive, they may decide to try to gather some 
  information on their own. If they do, the following is 
  available through Diplomacy (gather information) or 
  appropriate roleplaying; however, not all of the information 
  presented is accurate, as rumors and “facts” on the streets 
  can sometimes be misleading.
  Table 4: Dreaming Street Information
  DC
  Information
  10
  The Oracle is wildly popular on Dreaming 
  Street, and many people wait in line to see her 
  every day. (True)
  15
  The Oracle’s name is Lucretia. She was 
  formerly a moderately well-known prostitute 
  at the Torchlight Academy. (True and False: 
  The Oracle is actually the rakshasa Abhilasha, 
  who has taken Lucretia’s place.)
  18
  The Oracle began to receive visions about a 
  month ago. No one remembers her having any 
  magical powers before that time. (True and 
  False: The Oracle has no actual visions, but 
  she did come to be known as a seer about that 
  time. It is true that Lucretia never exhibited 
  any magical powers before then.)
  20
  In only a few weeks, the Oracle has gained 
  enough of a following that she is now the  
  de-facto leader of Dreaming Street. (True)
  25
  Lucretia’s emergence as the Oracle has upset  
  the balance of power in Scurvytown. Both 
  Finn and Mister Wednesday are upset that 
  their supporters are starting to be pushed 
  out of the area of Dreaming Street, and a war 
  could soon result. (True)
  30
  Some of the petitioners seeking the Oracle’s 
  advice are never seen or heard from again. 
  (True)
  MAGICAL INVESTIGATION
  At 10th level, the player characters likely have access to 
  powerful divination magic, either personally or through 
  hired NPC divination services. Here are some ways to 
  deal with the most likely spells.
  • Divination: Depending on the questions asked, the 
  following are possible responses:
  “The Oracle is not what she appears to be.” This is a 
  reference to the Oracle’s disguised nature.
  “Trust not your eyes, for they may lead to your 
  destruction.” This refers to both the disguised 
  nature of the rakshasa and the possible danger in 
  encountering her medusa lieutenant.
  “The Oracle sees into the minds of men and discerns 
  the truth.” This refers to the rakshasa’s ability to read 
  minds with her detect thoughts ability.
  • Commune: Answer “yes,” “no,” or “unclear” based 
  on the information in the background and adventure 
  summary sections. Don’t be afraid to respond “unclear,” 
  as questions regarding Lucretia or the Oracle are likely 
  to be confused by the fact that Lucretia is dead and the 
  Oracle is actually a disguised rakshasa.
  
  40
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Part Four:  
  Dreaming Street
  The sights, sounds, and smells of Dreaming Street 
  assault your senses as you move through the narrow 
  street. Venders shriek the benefits of their wares from 
  shop fronts and wagons; dealers of shady goods lurk in 
  shadowed doorways and alleys, sizing you up as you pass; 
  and prostitutes lean out of windows and over balconies, 
  displaying their attributes for potential clients. At the end 
  of the street, you find the Torchlight Academy.
  THE TORCHLIGHT ACADEMY 
  4A. Entryway
  An island of comparative calm in the middle of the 
  chaos of Dreaming Street, the Torchlight Academy is 
  better maintained than its neighbors. The two-story 
  building appears to have been painted recently and the 
  pillars on the porch exhibit recent repairs. From the 
  open doorway, a smiling, middle-aged woman greets 
  you as you approach. “Welcome to the Academy. Do 
  you seek pleasure of the moment or knowledge of the 
  future? Please, come right this way! The Oracle can see 
  to your questions if you but suffer a few minutes’ wait” 
  (or “The ladies will be here to see to your needs if you 
  but suffer a few minutes’ wait” if the investigators try the 
  indirect route to their goal).
  The Torchlight’s greeter is the former madam of the 
  establishment, Lady Jane (N female human aristocrat  
  2/rogue 5). It amuses Abhilasha that the former owner of 
  the Torchlight Academy is so thoroughly under her control 
  that Lady Jane’s now a mere servant, bowing and scraping 
  to visitors. A DC 20 Knowledge (local) check identifies 
  Lady Jane as the proprietor and madam of the Academy.
  Lady Jane escorts the heroes into the waiting room. If they 
  ask her questions, she only smiles and says that all pilgrims 
  must rest in the waiting room before meeting with the 
  Oracle. A DC 25 Sense Motive check produces a strange 
  insight: Lady Jane appears to have no motives at all, and is 
  merely responding as if by rote.
  4B. Waiting Room                            (CR 10)
  The cramped waiting room has a wood plank floor and 
  few furnishings other than a couple of chairs and a small 
  table. The room has a slight nautical theme, with a rope 
  coiled on one wall and an obviously fake ship’s wheel on 
  another. There are no windows to the street and the only 
  light filters down from a skylight above. One door exits 
  the room across from the door you entered by.
  The door ahead leads to Area 4E, but it is locked (DC 25 
  Disable Device). On a DC 15 Perception check the PCs 
  notice that, oddly, the furniture is bolted in place. A DC 
  10 Profession (sailor) or Craft (shipbuilding) check reveals 
  that furniture is fixed down like that on board sailing ships. 
  A DC 30 Perception check allows the heroes to discover 
  the room’s pit trap by noting that a gap between the 
  floorboards in the middle of the room is somewhat wider 
  than the gap between the other floorboards. A DC 15 Craft 
  (carpentry) or DC 20 Perception check reveals that the 
  construction is only a few weeks old.
  High Quality Covered Pit Trap 
         CR 10
  Type mechanical; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger manual; Reset automatic after 2 rounds
  Effect 20 ft. fall to the basement (Area 4C) (2d6 falling 
  damage); DC 30 Reflex avoids (allows a victim to avoid 
  falling by holding onto a piece of furniture); multiple 
  targets (all targets in the room)
  The main purpose of the waiting room is to allow Abhilasha 
  to use detect thoughts from her room (Area 4F) to 
  determine a waiting person’s motivations. This allows her to 
  be a very convincing oracle, as she can gather the questions 
  and form answers before seekers arrive in her midst.
  In addition, she knows her presence on Dreaming Street 
  has upset some, and and Mister Wednesday and Finn 
  have already sent some agents to try to take her out. Those 
  individuals were detected and met with the floor trap and 
  the basement’s hungry otyughs.
  •  If Abhilasha can infiltrate the investigators’ thoughts and 
  finds they’re there to silence her, as per Captain Varellion’s 
  request, she drops them into the otyugh pit (Area 4C). 
  She then uses whispering wind to order the staff to turn 
  away further pilgrims, lock the doors for the afternoon, 
  and either hide or be ready to confront any intruders who 
  escape from the basement. She also makes a mental note 
  to deal with Captain Varellion in the near future.
    (This is also likely to be her response if the heroes 
  received a prophetic reading from her before and return 
  asking for a second meeting.)
    If the heroes disable or avoid the trap, they can proceed 
  through the door to the parlor (Area 4E). If at all 
  possible, Abhilasha retreats to her boudoir (Area 4F) 
  before the heroes enter the parlor.
  •  If she can’t read their minds, she agrees to meet them, 
  but she uses whispering wind to alert her rogues (in 
  Area 4J) and the medusa (50% chance of being in 
  Area 4K or upstairs in Area 4F) to make their way to 
  positions just outside Area 4E while the party receives 
  its prophetic reading.
    Once prepared, she offers the adventurers a reading in 
  Area 4E. The rakshasa keeps up her Lucretia guise as 
  long as possible, hoping to send the investigators back to 
  Varellion telling a plausible tale of some known enemy 
  
  41
  Chapter three
  of the Captains’ Council as the spy; at the very least, the 
  ploy buys her some time, and there’s even a chance it 
  might completely fool the adventurers. She has to use 
  her Bluff abilities, as she has no real prophetic powers.
    If combat erupts, the rakshasa uses her charm monster 
  and dominate person abilities to keep the heroes busy 
  until her help arrives.
  •  If she determines that they’re on a purely investigative 
  mission (with Captain Varellion handling the 
  “permanently silence” task), she sends a servant from 
  Area 4E into the waiting room, who insists they leave 
  their weapons outside here before proceeding into the 
  parlor. The adventurers won’t be searched for hidden 
  weapons, so a token display of compliance will suffice. 
  (If the GM wants to speed up the adventure, he can have 
  the rakshasa drop the heroes into the otyugh pit anyway. 
  After Finn and Mister Wednesday sent their assassins, 
  she can be excused if she’s a bit paranoid.)
  4C. Trash Pit                                           (CR 8)
  If the adventurers are dropped into this room from the trap 
  above, read the following description.
  After you crash into the floor, you find yourself in a 
  large stone-walled room cloaked in shadows. The only 
  exit is an iron door in the west wall. The dim light from 
  above is soon cut off as the trap resets, plunging the 
  room into darkness. An overwhelming smell assaults 
  your nose. It smells as if you have been dropped right 
  onto a pile of rotting garbage.
  If they enter the room through other means, adjust the 
  description accordingly.
  Otyugh (4)                                                     CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  hp 39 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  Tactics: The otyughs are hidden in piles of trash at 
  the corners of this room. They eagerly attack anyone 
  unaccompanied by Abhilasha.
  Morale: The otyughs are always hungry and fight to the 
  death whenever intruders invade their domain.
  Treasure: A variety of different coins (totaling 450 gp 
  in value) is scattered throughout the debris-filled room. A 
  thorough search of the room taking 1d4 hours is required 
  to find all the coins. On a DC 25 Perception check, one 
  searcher locates a ring of electricity resistance (minor) on a 
  finger bone near the room’s center.
  Development: The only obvious way out of this room is 
  the iron door in the northern wall. The door is locked (DC 
  20 Disable Device) and the adventurers need to unlock 
  or break it down (hardness 10, hp 60, break DC 28) to 
  proceed into Area 4D, the Hall of Statuary.
  4D. Hall Of Statuary                           (CR 11)
  A wide hallway extends ahead of you for 40 feet before 
  ending in a spiral staircase heading up. Wooden doors 
  and stone statues of beautiful women in various poses 
  and states of dress line both sides of the hall.
  Development: On a DC 15 Perception check the heroes 
  notice a larger seemingly unfinished statue near the far 
  end of the hall. It is actually a stone golem, and it attacks 
  anyone who approaches within 15 feet of it who hasn’t 
  entered this hallway by way of the stairs from the medusa’s 
  room above (Area 4E).
  Close inspection of the other statues (a DC 25 Perception 
  check) reveals that some appear to depict wounds and 
  several have terrified expressions on their faces. If a 
  PC has previously been to the Torchlight Academy, a 
  DC 20 Knowledge (local) check allows him to see that 
  some of the statues bear excellent likenesses to some of 
  the brothel’s prostitutes. These are the medusa’s victims. 
  When Abhilasha took over the Torchlight Academy, she 
  charmed or dominated most of the staff. She gave resistant 
  staff members to Malarin as gifts. All eventually ended up 
  decorating this corridor after Malarin decided that she’d 
  had enough fun with them.
  The petrified victims no longer radiate magic, although the 
  golem does; the ladies could be restored to life by stone to 
  flesh spells. If restored to life, a former employee can relate 
  the following:
  •  “You need to get out of here before the medusa gets you! 
  Run!”
  •  “Lucretia can control your mind. She’s become some sort 
  of monster!”
  •  “If we’re in the basement, that stairway will take us back 
  up to the main level.”
  Stone Golem                                               CR 11
  XP 12,800
  hp 107 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  Tactics: The golem attacks anyone that attacks it 
  or anyone entering the hallway from Area 4C and 
  approaching within 15 feet. It ignores individuals coming 
  down the stairs from Area 4E unless attacked.
  Morale: The golem fights until all intruders are dead or it 
  has been destroyed.
  4E. Parlor                                           (CR 10)
  At the top of the stairway you find a large circular room 
  that appears to be used for entertaining. Fine wooden 
  furniture sits around the periphery of the room and 
  strategically placed trays of finger food and pitchers 
  of water stand ready for use. Ornate double doors are 
  in the north and south walls, and a number of smaller 
  swinging doors are on the east and west. In one corner, 
  a delicate iron circular stair ascends through the ceiling 
  
  42
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  
  43
  Chapter three
  to the floor above. Three women appear to be waiting for 
  you. Two dressed in leather armor stand near the center 
  of the room, blades in hand. The third wears a cowled 
  robe and stands near the iron stair apparently unarmed. 
   
  (In the unlikely event that the adventurers arrive here 
  without the medusa and rogues being alerted in some 
  way, the rogues are in their room (Area 4J), and the 
  medusa has a 50% chance of being in her room (Area 
  4K) or upstairs with Abhilasha.)
  Journeyman Thief (2)                                 CR 6
  XP 2,400 each
  CN female human rogue 7
  hp 42 (Freeport Companion, page 91)
  Tactics: If alerted by combat with the golem in the Hall 
  of Statuary (Area 4D) or by the rakshasa’s whispering 
  wind, Malarin and her two rogues are prepared for the 
  party’s arrival.
  The rogues attempt to stay between the characters and 
  Malarin. They won’t turn towards her for any reason and 
  are treated as having their eyes covered when she uses her 
  petrifying gaze.
  Morale: Abhilasha thoroughly controls the rogues, who 
  fight to the death.
  Malarin                                                         CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Female medusa oracle (bones) 3
  LE Medium monstrous humanoid
  Init +6; Senses all-around vision, darkvision 60 ft.; 
  Perception +17
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +3 
  natural)
  hp 94 (8d10+3d8+36)
  Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +12
  Resist near death +2, Tongues (Infernal)
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee assassin’s dagger +14/+9 (1d4+2/19-20/x2), snake 
  bite +7 (1d4/20/x2 plus poison) and unarmed strike +12/+7 
  (1d3/20/x2)
  Special Attacks death’s touch (1d6+1) (7/day)
  Oracle Spells Known (CL 3rd, +10 melee touch, +12 ranged 
  touch):
  1 (6/day)—cure light wounds (DC 15), inflict light wounds 
  (DC 15), divine favor, bane (DC 15), cause fear (DC 15)
  0 (at will)—purify food and drink (DC 14), detect poison, read 
  magic, detect magic, resistance
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 18
  Base Atk +10; CMB +10; CMD 22
  Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Point 
  Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Bluff +16, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +17, Heal +5, 
  Intimidate +16, Linguistics +3, Perception +17, Sense 
  Motive +8, Spellcraft +5, Stealth +15, Survival +5, Use 
  Magic Device +5; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception
  Languages Common, Infernal
  SQ Petrifying Gaze (DC 19) (Su)
  Combat Gear assassin’s dagger, bracers of armor +4, cloak of 
  displacement
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  All-Around Vision Malarin’s hair snakes can see in all 
  directions. She cannot be flanked.
  Death’s Touch (7/day) (Su) Malarin’s melee touch attack 
  deals 1d6+1 negative energy damage. Undead are healed 
  and granted +2 channel resistance for 1 minute by it.
  Near Death +2 (Su) Malarin gains a +2 insight bonus on 
  saves against diseases, mind-affecting effects, and poison.
  Oracle’s Curse: Tongues (Infernal): When in combat, Malarin 
  is only able to understand and speak Infernal. This makes 
  her immune to any effects that require her to comprehend 
  spoken or sung words in other languages (including the 
  Common she’s fluent in outside of combat), but as the two 
  rogues don’t speak Infernal, she can’t give them orders 
  or information once the battle begins. Abhilasha, though, 
  speaks Infernal.
  Petrifying Gaze (DC 19) (Su) The medusa’s gaze is a 
  powerful weapon. Each opponent within 30 feet of Malarin 
  must attempt a saving throw every round at the beginning 
  of his turn. She doesn’t need to actively look at a victim 
  or use an action to activate her gaze. The only defense 
  against the gaze is to for a victim to close his eyes and 
  fight blind or avert his eyes and have a 50% chance of 
  avoiding her gaze. If an opponent within 30 feet is caught 
  in her gaze and he fails a DC 19 Fort save, he turns to 
  stone permanently. The save DC is Cha-based.
  Poison (Ex) If a victim bitten by Malarin’s hair snakes fails a 
  DC 18 Fort save, he suffers 1d3 Strength damage, 1/round 
  for 6 rounds. Two consecutive successful saves stops the 
  damage progression. The save DC is Con-based.
  Tactics: Any combat with the golem in the Hall of 
  Statuary (Area 4D) alerts Malarin, and she’s already alerted 
  to expect intruders if the rakshasa’s used her whispering 
  wind spell. She and her two rogues prepare themselves 
  for the party’s arrival. Before combat, Malarin casts divine 
  favor if she has warning that intruders are about to arrive.
  During combat, Malarin waits for the heroes to engage the 
  rogues and then reveals her true self, attempting to petrify 
  her opponents. She then makes use of ranged attacks as 
  long as possible.
  Morale: Malarin’s loyalty is to Abhilasha. If none of her 
  opponents are affected by her petrifying gaze, or if the 
  combat appears to be going poorly, Malarin retreats up the 
  stairs to warn and protect her mistress in Area 4F.
  
  44
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  4F. The Madam’s Boudoir                  (CR 13)
  At the top of the stairway, you find a large circular room 
  opulently decorated with plush rugs and large cushions. 
  At the far end of the room, a lean, beautiful, red-headed 
  woman with long hair and blazing green eyes rises from 
  the pillows she’d been reclining on. 
   
  “The time for deception has apparently ended.” As she 
  finishes speaking, her features shift, her head becoming 
  that of a snarling fox.
  Abhilasha                                                 CR 13
  XP 25,600
  Female rakshasa sorcerer 3
  LE Medium outsider (native, shapechanger)
  Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 17, flat-footed 19 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +9 natural)
  hp 160 (10d10+70+3d6+24)
  Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +13
  DR 15/good and piercing; SR 25
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee +1 kukri +18/+13 (1d4 +3/15-20), claw +12 (1d4+1), 
  bite +12 (1d6+1)
  Special Attacks detect thoughts
  Spells Known (CL 10th)
  5th (4/day) – dominate person (DC 21)
  4th (6/day) – charm monster (DC 20), dragon’s breath 
  (green) (DC 19)
  3rd (7/day) – lightning bolt (DC 18), nondetection, suggestion 
  (DC 19)
  2nd (7/day) – invisibility, minor image, see invisibility, 
  whispering wind
  1st (8/day) – alarm, charm person (DC 17), mage armor, 
  magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, shield, silent image
  0 – arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound 
  (DC 15), mage hand, mending, message, open/close, 
  prestidigitation
  Bloodline destined
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 22, Con 24, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 21
  Base Atk +11; CMB +13; CMD 29
  Feats Bouncing Spell, Combat Expertise, Dodge, 
  Improved Critical (kukri), Improved Initiative, Spell Focus 
  (enchantment), Weapon Finesse
  Skills Bluff + 21, Diplomacy +17, Disguise +25, Perception 
  +16, Perform +17, Sense Motive +15, Stealth +20; Racial 
  Modifiers +4 Bluff, +8 Disguise
  Languages Common, Infernal, Undercommon
  SQ bloodline arcana, change shape (any humanoid, alter 
  self), fated, touch of destiny
  Combat Gear alchemist’s fire (x3), +1 kukri, metamagic rod 
  of extend (lesser), potion of cure moderate wounds, wand of 
  magic missiles
  Other Gear anti-toxin
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Bloodline Arcana When Abhilasha casts a spell with a range 
  of “personal,” she gains a luck bonus equal to the spell’s 
  level on all saving throws for 1 round.
  Detect Thoughts (Su) Abhilasha can detect thoughts as per 
  the spell of the same name (CL 18th). She can suppress 
  or resume this ability as a free action. When she uses this 
  ability, it always functions as if she had spent 3 rounds 
  concentrating and she thus gains the maximum amount of 
  information possible. A creature can resist this effect with a 
  DC 20 Will save. The save DC is Charisma-based.
  Fated Abhilasha gains a +1 luck bonus to AC and saves 
  during surprise rounds and when she’s otherwise unaware 
  of an attack.
  Touch Of Destiny (7/day) (Sp) As a standard action, 
  Abhilasha can grant a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls, skill 
  and ability checks, and saves to someone she touches.
  Tactics: 
  General: Abhilasha casts nondetection every morning, and 
  thus will have used one of her 3rd-level spell slots prior to 
  the adventure’s start.
  Before Combat: As soon as the PCs are determined to be 
  intruders, she casts mage armor. Abhilasha is certainly 
  aware that the adventurers are approaching long before 
  they reach her boudoir. In preparation for combat, she 
  casts invisibility, see invisibility, and shield.
  During Combat: Abhilasha tries to remain at range, using 
  her spells for as long as possible before entering melee 
  combat. If Malarin joins her, Abhilasha averts her eyes 
  while in combat with the characters.
  Morale: 
  Confident in her superiority, Abhilasha doesn’t initially 
  retreat from a fight. If she feels certain she’ll be defeated, 
  however, she tries to use charmed or dominated minions to 
  cover her escape.
  Treasure:
   A DC 20 Perception (search) reveals several small coffers 
  hidden about the room. The first contains 398 pp. The 
  second contains a mithral mug decorated with pearls (600 
  gp) and an alexandrite pendant on a silver chain (2,100 gp). 
  The final coffer contains a black opal (1,000 gp), 250 gp, a 
  ring of the ram, and the deed to the Torchlight Academy.
  Development: 
  After Abhilasha’s death, any surviving brothel employees 
  under her control come to their senses. Most run 
  away, but a few stay to express their gratitude and beg 
  that their petrified friends be somehow restored to 
  life. Any adventurer who makes a DC 23 Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) check realizes that the majority of his 
  opponents in the Torchlight Academy weren’t responsible 
  
  45
  Chapter three
  for their actions, as they were magically controlled by the 
  rakshasa or intimidated by her minions.
  4G. Kitchen
  Four human women, two dressed in aprons and two 
  dressed in serving gowns, huddle in the far corner of 
  this kitchen with fearful expressions on their faces. 
  Prepared food sits on a nearby table and a wonderful 
  aroma comes from a pot hanging over the fire.
  These four women are employees of the Torchlight 
  Academy. Abhilasha has them charmed to do her bidding, 
  but as non-combatants, they’re hiding as best they can 
  instead of preparing to repel intruders. They avoid combat 
  at all costs. If they are left alone, they remain in the kitchen. 
  If questioned, they don’t know the true nature of Lucretia, 
  and refuse to say anything bad about their wonderful 
  mistress—surely the intruders must be crazy to think the 
  Oracle is a bad woman.
  4H. Storage Rooms
  This room contains basic supplies and tools, spare blankets 
  and bedding, and an assortment of costumes and dresses, 
  some more interesting than the others.
  4I. Bedrooms
  Each room contains a bed, wardrobe, wash basin, and 
  vanity. In each room there is a 30% chance a prostitute 
  is hiding (with or without a client), having been alerted 
  to trouble. If the staff hasn’t been alerted, then there’s a 
  30% chance in each room that a prostitute is currently 
  “entertaining.”
  The rooms contain nothing of value, although prostitutes 
  and their customers likely have 1d6 sp in pouches or 
  hidden in their clothing.
  4J. Rogues’ Room
  Two small beds are in this sparsely furnished room. Chests 
  at the foot of the beds are locked (Disable Device DC 
  25) but aren’t trapped, as the rogues don’t worry that the 
  prostitutes will try to steal their stuff. One chest contains 
  two sets of fine clothing, masterwork thieves’ tools, 600 gp 
  in gems, 113 gp, and 89 sp. The other contains one set of 
  fine clothing, 700 in gems, 230 gp, and 65 sp.
  4K. Medusa’s Room
  Malarin’s room features a silk-canopied four-poster 
  bed, a locked armoire (Disable Device DC 30), a plush 
  reading chair, a side table, and two matching nightstands. 
  The carpet and bedspread are a deep shade of red. Each 
  nightstand has on it a tiny statue of a pixie, their mouths 
  open as if screaming in horror.
  Treasure: The armoire contains a sack of 3,000 gp in 
  gems and coin, a potion of levitation, a potion of barkskin, 
  and a potion of lesser restoration. The pixie statues are 
  actual pixies the medusa turned to stone.
  CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
  The investigators must return to Captain Varellion in the 
  Old City and report their finding to receive payment.
  After they deal with the problem at the Torchlight 
  Academy, they or the authorities must also decide what 
  to do with it and its petrified employees. In Freeport 
  possession is 10/10ths of the law and the heroes could 
  make a legitimate claim to everything in their possession. 
  Lady Jane (if still alive) claims ownership of the 
  establishment and any treasure found on the premises, 
  but she will, in the end, offer to swap the brothel’s deed for 
  the treasure.
  
  BY CHRISTINA STILES
  “Subject Aletha Dorch shows a high degree of 
  separation from reality. In her more lucid moments, 
  she talks about something she calls the ‘Lantern 
  of the Honest Man’ — apparently an item that 
  reveals truth. She has also spoken of ‘tendrils from 
  beyond ripping into’ her. When asked further about 
  the lantern, she kept repeating, ‘Truth Sunders.’ 
  Oddly, one other patient, Lady Abeline Zoran, has 
  murmured this same phrase as well—almost like a 
  mantra. The orderlies down below say Lady Abeline 
  continues to recite the words in her cell in the 
  basement, and has written it over and over again 
  on the floor and walls with blood and excrement. 
   
  I’m quite intrigued by the lantern. If it’s real, it 
  could provide answers to something I’ve sought for 
  a long time now. I’ve managed to get a name from 
  Aletha: Harcourt Horkel. I will find him soon, and 
  see for myself just what truths this lantern offers.”
  – from Bianka Altanish’s patient notes,  
  dated three days ago
  “Truth Sunders” is an adventure set in the Chambers 
  Asylum suitable for four 11th-level PCs.
  BACKGROUND
  Over the past three years, Bianka Altanish, the director 
  of the Chambers Asylum, has been studying and 
  experimenting on its inmates in her search for the secret 
  of immortality. She’s killed several individuals with her 
  elixirs and potions, but the mounting death toll hasn’t 
  fazed her; she’s merely had her guards dump the bodies in 
  Scurvytown and continued with her studies.
  In recent months, the rate of new patients has increased 
  considerably, and most have been members of the city’s 
  aristocracy. Bianka has found most of her new test 
  subjects to be intriguing, and not just as fodder for her 
  experiments: Many have committed out-of-character 
  acts of savagery, taking a very short trip into the realm of 
  insanity. For instance, she spoke to several socialites at a 
  special gathering one evening, and they all proved happy 
  and mentally healthy. But the next day, they were acting as 
  crazy as loons and mumbling about revealed secrets and 
  the power of the truth.
  Now among her patients is the infamous Aletha Dorch 
  (now sundered; see page 58), founder of the True Speakers 
  Chapter 4: 
     Truth Sunders
  
  47
  Chapter Four
  cult. From Dorch, Bianka has learned about a lantern that 
  sheds light on the truth, and Bianka has since sought access 
  to it in searching for magical power. Her search gained her 
  one of Granthu’s embedded eyes instead. Granthu believes 
  in her goal of bringing the truth to Freeport, but doesn’t 
  understand that the sundered primordial life-anchors are a 
  path away from that goal.
  ADVENTURE SUMMARY
  To prevent the Primordial Chaos from spreading its 
  tendrils further into reality and gaining a foothold in the 
  Serpent’s Teeth, the ever-vigilant servants of the deific 
  Amalgamation (which include Mordrok (an akhana 
  aeon) and several axiomite champions) have breached 
  the basement of Chambers Asylum to annihilate the 
  sundered (primordial life-anchors) there. The heroes must 
  choose between preventing an other-worldly invasion and 
  abetting a massacre.
  Mordrok (akhana aeon)                          CR 12
  XP 19,200
  hp 148 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2)
  Axiomite CR 8
  XP 4,800
  hp 85 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2)
  MOTIVATIONS
  The PCs can start “Truth Sunders” in several ways, such as:
  •  discovering a quite sane, gentle friend or friend of a 
  friend (call her Lady Abeline Zoran, perhaps) has been 
  recently committed to Chambers Asylum after slitting 
  three dining companions’ throats with a serving knife for 
  “chattering too much” during dinner.
  •  being contacted by Timms Bofort (see page 28), who 
  wants the PCs to retrieve the recently committed Aletha 
  Dorch (see page 58) from the Asylum.
  •  encountering a blood-covered, escaped patient 
  threatening people with a knife in the Eastern District.
  •  exploring rumors of Bianka Altanish’s experimentation 
  on patients, perhaps after discovering a “failed 
  experiment” in a Scurvytown alley.
  INTRODUCTION
  “Truth Sunders” is a combat-intensive adventure. The 
  fighting is already in progress when the heroes wander 
  onto the scene, and doesn’t let up.
  No matter when the adventurers decide to investigate 
  Chambers Asylum, assume that its craziest patients (all of 
  them life-anchors) snapped about 15 minutes before the 
  PCs’ arrival. Some have broken their shackles (Area 5U) 
  and then randomly freed others from their cells, which 
  now have broken doors. A few patients remain in their 
  rooms. These are mentally off but mostly harmless.
  The primordial life-anchors are now rampaging throughout 
  the complex, killing staff and guards alike, and sundering 
  other patients with their maddening wails. If the revolt 
  is successful, they escape into the streets, spreading their 
  madness throughout Freeport, a madness that increases 
  some hours later as newly sundered patients begin to 
  exhibit life-anchor traits.
  Mordrok and five axiomites arrived 3 rounds before the 
  PCs. By then, the escapees had killed most of the Asylum 
  basement’s staff. One way (but certainly not the only way) 
  to eliminate the Primordial Chaos’ reality-sundering 
  tendrils is to kill the host anchor, a task the aeon and its 
  allies are willing to undertake in fulfillment of their greater 
  purposes. And as those patients and staff members who 
  aren’t exhibiting signs of sundering might just be slowly 
  incubating the illness, they need to be exterminated as well, 
  as a precaution.
  Part One:  
  Chambers Asylum
  No matter the time of day or weather, a gloomy cloud 
  seems to hover around the gray stone Chambers 
  Asylum. A black iron fence punctuated by stone 
  MORDROK AND THE AXIOMITES
  Most akhana aeons like Mordrok are concerned 
  only with the balance between life and death; what 
  creatures do between those two markers is usually 
  meaningless to an akhana. And normally akhanas are 
  reactive; they’re attracted to existing imbalances and 
  move to correct them, instead of analyzing actions 
  that could lead to possible imbalances in the future 
  and moving to prevent them. During its multiversal 
  travels, Mordrok encountered the Amalgamation, and 
  the deity somehow convinced it of the life-destroying 
  danger posed by the Primordial Chaos’s incursions 
  into the Material Plane. Mordrok has been joined by 
  several axiomite allies who will freely give their lives 
  in service to the Amalgamation and the destruction 
  of the reality-threatening life-anchors. The axiomites 
  could possibly ally with the PCs, although they are 
  single-minded about destroying anything or anyone 
  the Primordial Chaos has touched, including the 
  lantern and several hundred people within the city. 
  Ultimately, the PCs might have to destroy them to stop 
  the bloodshed.
  The zealous Mordrok believes any adventurers 
  discovering the lantern will be too weak-willed to walk 
  away from such a prize, so it seeks to destroy them as 
  well -- although that doesn’t have to take place in this 
  short adventure. The aeon is willing to come back for 
  them at a later date. Ultimately, while Mordrok lives, 
  no one else will safely possess the lantern.
  
  48
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  columns surrounds the drab two-story building. 
  Through the locked gate, you can see a giant lion statue 
  to either side of the building’s red, iron-bound door. 
  Brass knockers hang on each door. Only the Asylum’s 
  top floor displays any windows. 
   
  A cobblestone path begins at the entrance and wends its 
  way westward around the building. Through the fence 
  you see several benches and outdoor tables along the 
  path. After a point, a row of trees blocks your view. It 
  might be some kind of park.
  If any of the heroes is successful at a DC 15 Intelligence or 
  Perception check, read the following:
  Having passed by the Asylum before, you realize 
  something’s different. Normally, two guards stand watch 
  at the gates and sometimes there’s two more near the 
  front doors. Today, you see no one.
  The gate is locked (DC 30 Disable Device check). The 
  guards abandoned their post to deal with the uprising 
  in the basement. One sundered patient escaped into the 
  streets by climbing over the gate in an area away from the 
  guard post (the PCs may have seen him if that adventure 
  motivation was used). If the heroes check out the 
  compound’s perimeter beforehand, they can see a small, 
  bloodied piece of white tunic on one of the fence poles 
  (Perception DC 20) on the west side of the building.
  No matter what method the investigators use to enter 
  the compound they won’t be challenged, as the guards 
  normally stationed here are dead. Those on the top floor of 
  the Asylum don’t know what’s taking place below yet.
  Once inside the perimeter, if the investigators make a 
  DC 25 Perception check, they hear some faint screaming 
  coming from the west side of the building, where the small 
  park is.
  If the heroes head to the front door of the Asylum, have a 
  sundered patient run out from the park:
  A barefooted man in a crimson-splattered white tunic 
  stumbles out of the park. He’s carrying a knife, also 
  crimson-splattered. He lets out a terrible wail and comes 
  running toward you.
  The heroes’ encounter with their first sundered begins with 
  a save against his maddening wail. The wail isn’t specifically 
  directed at any one of them, so they only have to save 
  against the morale-affecting effect.
  After they dispatch that opponent, hopefully they’ll 
  investigate the park. If they do, on a DC 10 Perception 
  check, they note bloody footprints leading from the 
  west side of the building, over the cobblestone path, and 
  through the park, toward the fence. This is the route the 
  escaped patient took. They can follow it to the exterior 
  basement entrance in Part Two.
  THE SUNDERED  
  (PRIMORDIAL LIFE-ANCHORS)
  Those who use the tainted Lantern of the Honest Man 
  to get a glimpse of truth sometimes gain Insanity Points 
  as a result. The Primordial Chaos, constantly seeking 
  entry points to the Material Plane, discovered that if 
  enough insanity accumulates, it opens a Freeporter’s mind 
  enough for the otherworldly entity to slowly insinuate 
  an incorporeal tendril of its essence into his mind. Over 
  time, the Primordial Chaos built a sizable cadre of infected 
  hosts, infesting the minds of religious leader Aletha 
  Dorch, her followers, and a number of unsuspecting 
  (usually aristocratic) patrons who’d treated use of the 
  lantern as a high-priced party game. Now it’s begun 
  pushing more of its essence through the tendrils, severing 
  the old reality of its hosts and turning them into life-
  anchors for its invading reality.
  Sundered (Primordial Life-Anchor) 
  Template
  “Sundered” is an acquired template that can be added to 
  any living creature that has an Intelligence score (referred 
  to hereafter as the base creature). The raw entropic power 
  of the Primordial Chaos’ attached tendrils transforms 
  the creature into a life-anchor, its connection to normal 
  reality sundered. A primordial life-anchor uses all the base 
  creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
  Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +2.
  Type: The creature’s type changes to outsider with the 
  chaotic and native subtypes.
  Alignment: Always chaotic neutral.
  Senses: The creature gains darkvision 60 feet.
  ADVENTURE ATMOSPHERICS
  The atmospherics of “Thought Sunders” are 
  important. The GM should go out of his way to 
  describe the gray stone structure as cold, dank, and 
  odorific (a mixture of some cleaning solutions and 
  the smell of human waste and unwashed bodies). 
  The basement gaslights’ flicker casts crazy shadows 
  throughout the complex, adding to the creepiness.
  The heroes fight life-anchors throughout most of the 
  adventure. This can seem repetitive, but the combat 
  should evoke horror movie scenes of being overrun 
  by zombies and the like. The PCs should be worried 
  for their survival as much as they are interested in 
  completing their mission. If this means adding more 
  life-anchors to keep them busy, go for it!
  And the sundereds’ sporadic shiver-inducing wails 
  should be mentioned frequently. Even when all 
  nearby life-anchors have been dealt with, distant 
  echoes tell the heroes that the ordeal isn’t over.
  
  49
  Chapter Four
  Armor Class: Increase natural armor by +2.
  Hit Dice: A sundered’s racial and class-based hit dice become 
  outsider racial hit dice (d10s).
  Defensive Abilities: A sundered retains all the defensive 
  abilities of the base creature and gains those described here.
  Damage Reduction: Because the creature’s mind is fractured, 
  it has become inured to pain and abuse. It has damage 
  reduction 5/ — .
  Resistances (Ex): A sundered has resistance 5 to acid, cold, 
  electricity, fire, and sonic. If the base creature has better 
  resistance or immunity to one or more of these energy 
  types, the primordial life-anchor retains the better quality.
  Specialized Attacks: A sundered individual retains all the 
  special attacks of the base creature and gains a bite attack 
  and a claw attack (appropriate to its size, see the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary; assume 1d4 for each for 
  medium humanoids), plus those described here.
  Maddening Wail (Ex): As a standard action, a sundered can 
  emit an otherworldly wail that sane life was not meant to 
  hear. The sundered targets a single opponent within 40 
  feet with the wail, and if the target fails a Will save (DC 
  10 + 1/2 life-anchor’s HD + life-anchor’s Cha modifier), 
  he takes 1 point of Wisdom damage. If a target fails his 
  Will save and he has any Insanity Points, he must make a 
  second save. If he fails this save, his reality sunders, and a 
  Primordial Chaos tendril attaches itself, turning him into a 
  primordial life-anchor (sundered) within 1d4 hours.
      All hearing creatures within 40 feet of the life-anchor 
  when it wails must make a Will save with the same DC or 
  suffer a –1 morale penalty on all saves, checks, and rolls 
  for 1d4 rounds. If a person is currently demoralized by a 
  prior maddening wail and is within 40 feet of another, the 
  level of the penalty and its remaining duration are doubled. 
  This is cumulative, and there’s no saving throw for the 
  additional demoralizations.
      Anything that weakens or blocks the sound, such as ear 
  plugs or a closed door, provides a bonus to saving throws 
  or renders the maddening wail completely ineffective, 
  depending on the circumstances.
       In the long run, a sundered’s wail is its most useful 
  attack, as it not only defeats opponents but also converts 
  them into allies. But being insane itself, it has to make a 
  DC 10 effective Wisdom (Wis minus Insanity Points) check 
  in order to realize this and choose to use maddening wail 
  instead of a direct attack.
  Hypnotizing Gaze (Sp): Any creature within 40 feet meeting 
  a sundered’s swirling gaze must succeed on a Fortitude 
  save (DC 10 +1/2 life-anchor’s HD + life-anchor’s Cha 
  modifier) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
  Minor Warpwave (Su): A creature struck by a life-anchor’s 
  claw or bite must make a (DC 10 + 1/2 life-anchor’s HD + 
  life-anchors’ Con modifier) Fortitude save or be affected by 
  a minor warpwave.
  Table 5: Warpwave Effects
  1d6
  Effect
  1
  Target is blinded or deafened (50% chance of 
  occurrence for either) for 1d4 rounds
  2
  Target is confused for 1d4 rounds
  3
  Target gains 2d6 temporary hit points
  4
  Target is slowed, as per the slow spell, for 1d4 
  rounds
  5
  Target takes 2 Intelligence damage
  6
  Target is entangled by filaments of swirling, 
  non-damaging energy for 1d4 rounds, as per 
  the faerie fire spell
  Abilities: Change from the base creature as follow: Str +8, 
  Dex +4, Con +4, Wis –4 (minimum 1), Cha –4 (minimum 1).
  Feats: A sundered gains Diehard, Endurance, and Toughness as 
  bonus feats if the base creature doesn’t already have them.
  Skills: Change hit-dice-based skill points to 6 + Int modifier. 
  Class-based skills are unaffected.
  Knowledge: The GM can allow a DC 35 Knowledge (planes) 
  check to know that the Primordial Chaos is responsible for 
  the life-anchors. Another check (with the same DC) grants 
  knowledge of its enemy, the Amalgamation, and how to 
  cure life-anchors of their infestation.
  Sundered (Primordial Life-Anchor) 
  Characters
  A sundered individual favors its base creature’s favored class.
  A victim can be cured with a miracle or wish spell 
  (Knowledge (planes) DC 30 to know this). A heal spell 
  removes the insanity for 1d10 days, which would protect a 
  victim of a maddening wail attack from having his reality 
  sundered and becoming a life-anchor if cast during the 1d4 
  hour period after the wail, but which has no effect on the 
  sundered condition if cast later.
  Even after being cured by anything short of a miracle or 
  wish, the horrifying memories of what the victim saw 
  during the infection remain, making him susceptible to 
  re-infection by the Primordial Chaos’s tendrils. Every 
  week for four consecutive weeks the freed victim must 
  make a Will save at –4 (DC equal to the original infector) 
  to prevent being re-infected. On a single failed save, the 
  Primordial Chaos reestablishes its tendrils in the victim, 
  sundering it once again.
  
  50
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Typical Sundered Asylum Patient 
  (Primordial Life-Anchor)                   CR 4
  XP 1,200
  Human primordial life-anchor aristocrat 4
  CN Medium outsider (chaotic, native)
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 12 (+2 natural, +3 Dex)
  hp 43 (4d10+16)
  Insanity Points 5
  Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3
  Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5, sonic 5
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee claws +9 (1d4+3 plus minor warpwave, DC 17) or 
  bite +9 (1d4+3 plus minor warpwave, DC 17)
  Special Attacks maddening wail (DC 12), hypnotic gaze  
  (DC 12)
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 3/13 (8), Cha 7
  Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD +22
  Feats DiehardB, EnduranceB, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, 
  ToughnessB
  Skills Craft (any) +7, Knowledge (any two) +4, Knowledge 
  (forbidden lore) +7, Perception +6, Stealth +10
  Languages Common plus outbursts in the alien language 
  of the Primordial Chaos that become more frequent and 
  fluent over time
  Treasure none
  TACTICS
  A life-anchor tries to bite and scratch its opponents. It has 
  two ranged attacks available to it, but has to make a DC 
  10 effective Wisdom (Wis minus Insanity Points) check in 
  order to use its maddening wail; its hypnotizing gaze is an 
  automatic effect.
  Morale: Life-anchors fight to the death.
  Part Two: Chambers 
  Asylum Basement 
  The easiest way to get to the Asylum’s basement, rumored 
  to contain the most dangerous patients (DC 20 Knowledge 
  (local) check), is the outside entrance located on the 
  institution’s west side, hidden behind a stand of trees in 
  the park. It can be discovered by following the bloody 
  footprints and blood drops leading from the basement 
  to the Asylum’s western fence. Following the noise from 
  below (requiring a DC 15 Perception check from the park) 
  can also lead to the entrance.
  There’s another entrance, from the Chambers Asylum’s 
  main level (Area 6E), entering the basement at Area 5V.
  Alerted by a panicked orderly, Clement Moore prepares 
  10 guards (all that remain in the Asylum) to go to the 
  basement to exterminate the patients. It takes the guards 8 
  rounds from the time the PCs enter the basement for the 
  guards to respond. They then arrive from Area 5V (coming 
  down from Area 6E). They immediately head toward 
  the cell blocks on arrival. The guards can easily become 
  additional sundered in their effort to stop the uprising.
  Asylum Guards (10)
  XP 800
  human warrior 5
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +0; Senses Perception +4
  DEFENSE
  AC 14, touch 10, flat-footed 10 (+4 armor)
  hp 52 (5d10+10)
  Fort +5, Ref +1, Will +0
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee masterwork longsword +9 (1d8+3) or dagger +8 
  (1d4+3) or sap +8 (1d6+3 nonlethal)
  Ranged light crossbow +5 (1d8)
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 10
  Base Atk +5; CMB +8 (+10 to bull rush), CMD 18 (20 vs. 
  bull rush)
  Feats Alertness, Improved Bull Rush, Intimidating Prowess, 
  Power Attack
  Skills Intimidate +10, Perception +4, Sense Motive +4
  Languages Common
  Combat Gear chain shirt, masterwork longsword, light 
  crossbow, 50 bolts, sap, alchemist’s fire, tanglefoot bag
  5A. Exterior Basement Entrance
  A trail of blood leads to a pair of wooden cellar doors. 
  The doors are open, displaying a stone staircase that 
  leads down 20 feet. Bloody footprints are noticeable on 
  the stairs. You can hear piercing screams from beyond. 
   
  At the bottom of the stairs is an open room with drab 
  gray stone walls. A pair of doors face you. The left door 
  hangs precariously on one hinge. Bloody handprints 
  line the stairwell. A sign on the intact right door reads: 
  “Knock for service.”
  The Watch, accompanied by one or two of the Asylum’s 
  guards, directly brings its most troublesome patients 
  through this area to the orderlies waiting in the screening 
  room (Area 5B).
  The heroes can peer through the broken door’s opening to 
  see into the room beyond.
  Just as the PCs enter Area 5B or look into the room, read 
  the following aloud:
  Light flickers in the room. You hear people screaming, 
  banging on things, and causing general havoc. The 
  
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  52
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  cacophony seems to be coming from everywhere. Blood 
  smears cover the walls. The smell of some cleaning 
  mixture and unwashed bodies assaults your noses.
  5B. Screening Room
  Two armored bodies lie face-down on the floor. Their 
  still-held longswords are blood covered, and their faces 
  appear frozen in fear. The room contains a table with 
  restraints, two armoires, and eight large chests. Their 
  lids are open, revealing a number of cloth bags. 
   
  An open pair of iron doors is in the east wall, and 
  maniacal laughter can be heard from beyond them.
  The armored bodies are the gate guards. The escapee 
  killed them and then fled into the city. One body (DC 20 
  Perception check) carries a set of keys. The keys are to Area 
  5V (the secret door in this room; DC 30 Perception to 
  notice; DC 30 Disable Device check to open), the doors to 
  the stairways, and all rooms on the ground floor above.
  One armoire contains white tunics (patient attire), and the 
  other holds slippers. The chests contain the patients’ street 
  clothing, placed in bags with their owners’ names on them.
  5C. Examination Room 
                   (CR 8)
  The door to this room is unlocked but closed. When the 
  heroes open the door, read the following:
  A golden cloud of crystalline dust floats above three 
  burnt, white-tunic-clad male bodies. Symbols, shapes, 
  and mathematical equations ripple in and out of 
  existence inside the dust. There are three examination 
  tables with restraints in the room, and numerous 
  medical instruments lie scattered on the floor.
  The cloud floating in the room is an axiomite in dust form 
  (see its Tactics below).
  On a DC 15 Heal check, the adventurers can see that 
  something clawed out the throats of the dead men. The 
  bodies have nothing of value on them.
  Axiomite                                                        CR 8
  XP 4,800
  hp 85 (currently 74) (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2)
  Tactics: The axiomite tries to float through the north 
  wall, escaping to the Treatment Room (Area 5D) to join 
  its companions. If attacked, it casts its last remaining 
  lightning bolt.
  5D. Treatment Room 
                 (CR 9+)
  The door to this room is locked (DC 20 Disable Device). 
  On a DC 20 Perception check (the loud noise throughout 
  the complex makes it hard to hear clearly), the heroes 
  hear the sounds of battle emanating from the room. Two 
  life-anchors within are using their maddening wail attack, 
  so any adventurer who succeeded at the Perception check 
  now must make a save against the sundereds’ morale-
  sapping effect (with a +2 circumstance bonus on the Will 
  saves from the closed door).
  When the heroes open the door, read the following:
  A battle wages in this room between three armed and 
  armored men and seven blood-spattered patients. The 
  furniture and medicine bottles here are all smashed.
  If the axiomite from Area 5C escaped into this room, add 
  the following to the read-aloud text:
  A hovering cloud floats above the combatants. Within a 
  moment, it shifts into human form, and joins the battle.
  Development: The non-patients are actually axiomites 
  in human form. They locked the door to prevent their 
  targets from escaping or more patients from entering 
  the fray. The axiomites in human form are attacking the 
  sundered patients with longswords. The patients are 
  unarmed, although one is using an arm (from a guard in 
  Area 5G) as a club.
  Note: The axiomites aren’t immune to the life-anchors’ 
  wails, so saving throws will need to be made for them 
  as appropriate. To simplify the rolls, the GM can roll for 
  all the axiomites as a group. Assume that all their saves 
  before the moment the heroes appear on the scene have 
  been successful.
  Axiomites (3-4)                                            CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  hp 85 (currently 74 each) (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary 2)
  Tactics: If their companion returned, the axiomites try to 
  summon a zelekhut inevitable (see Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Bestiary 2) for combat assistance. Otherwise, they 
  continue attacking with their swords.
  Morale: They do not retreat.
  Life-Anchors (7)                                          CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  hp 43 (currently 32 each) (see page 50)
  Melee club +9 (1d6+5; only one life-anchor has a club), 
  claws +9 (1d4+3 plus minor warpwave, DC 17), or bite +9 
  (1d4+3 plus minor warpwave, DC 17)
  Morale: The sundered patients do not retreat.
  5E. Dr. Zolmeck and Clement Moore’s Office
  The door to this room is ajar, and a placard on it reads 
  “Dr. Zolmeck.” Looking inside the room, you see two 
  desks. Stacks of paper and other clutter lie on the desk to 
  the south. The desk to the north is clean and polished to a 
  shine. There’s a closed door in the north wall.
  
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  Chapter Four
  Development: The north door is locked (DC 25 Disable 
  Device). On a DC 20 Perception check, the adventurers 
  hear humming through it.
  Searching the room (DC 25 Perception check) allows a PC 
  to locate Dr. Zolmeck’s most recent patient entry, dated 
  today, on his messy desk. It reads: 
   
  “The patients are becoming more hostile and aggressive. 
  One wounded an orderly earlier: bit him clean to the bone, 
  and then laughed hideously at the screaming man. I’d say this 
  behavior is a result of Bianka Altanish’s experiments, but I 
  can’t be sure if she ever worked with that patient. Honestly, 
  I’ve never seen anything like this from those previously 
  exposed to her elixirs. These patients are wild-eyed. They stare 
  out into nothingness, as if fascinated by something beyond 
  this world, and then they snap back to reality, returning with 
  such anger, strength, and insanity they’re like feral creatures. 
  I’m at a loss as to how to treat them, and, at this point, I 
  shake in fear of them. Meanwhile, our floor is overcrowded, 
  and more and more of the aristocrats are passing through our 
  doors. Something odd is afoot in our city. Dr. Moore does not 
  share my belief in this, however. Still, he has a worried look 
  on his face whenever a new patient arrives.”
  5F. Dr. Zolmeck’s Quarters                   (CR 4)
  Opening the door to this room reveals a gory scene. A 
  naked, dark-haired human male lies on a blood-covered 
  bed. His entrails spill out from his lower abdomen, 
  falling onto the floor. His one remaining eye stares 
  blankly at the ceiling. 
   
  On the floor beside the bed is a wild-haired woman in 
  a crimson-covered white tunic. She is rocking back and 
  forth, dipping her fingers in and out of the eviscerated 
  man, using the blood to paint on the east wall near the 
  bed. She is humming an unrecognizable tune as she 
  writes on the wall, over and over: “Truth Sunders.”
  Development: The man in the bed was the good Dr. 
  Zolmeck. The painting woman is Lady Abeline Zoran 
  (who may be a friend the investigators are seeking if 
  that adventure motivation was used; otherwise, a DC 18 
  Knowledge (local) or (nobility) check reveals her identity). 
  She’s a life-anchor, lost to chaos, and doesn’t recognize the 
  heroes if she knows them.
  If distracted from her work, she attacks.
  Lady Abeline Zoran (life-anchor)          CR 4
  XP 1,200
  hp 43 (see page 50)
  5G. Lower Kitchen
  Smashed tables and overturned benches litter this room. 
  Food is stacked in the northeast corner, untouched. 
  Two male, white-clad orderlies and two guards in chain 
  shirts lie on the floor, obviously dead, blood pooling 
  underneath them. Each man is missing an arm.
  A DC 15 Perception check reveals a set of keys hidden on 
  one of the orderlies’ bodies. The keys open all the doors 
  on this level, plus patients’ rooms on the ground floor. The 
  bodies have nothing else of value on them.
  5H. Orderlies’ Quarters 
                   (CR 9)
  A cacophony of wails emanates from this room. Looking 
  in, you see six patients are running about the room, 
  screaming and destroying things like the chests lying 
  at the ends of the six beds. Three of the patients carry 
  human arms; the others have scraps of wood they’re 
  using as clubs. Three of the beds hold dead, eviscerated, 
  white-clad orderlies.
  The life-anchors brutally beat the orderlies to death as they 
  lay sleeping. When the sundered notice the intruders, 
  they attack.
  Treasure: The broken chests contained the orderlies’ 
  personal items. Lying about the room are 18 sp and 67 cp.
  Life-Anchors (6)                                          CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  hp 43 (currently 36 each) (see page 50)
  Melee club +9 (1d6+5), claws +9 (1d4+3 plus minor 
  warpwave, DC 17), bite +9 (1d4+3 plus minor warpwave, 
  DC 17)
  Morale: The sundered patients do not retreat.
  5I-T. Cell Blocks A-C
  Any unbroken cell doors are locked (DC 25 Disable Device). 
  Each cell contains a straw pallet, blanket, and a chamber pot. 
  The smell of urine and feces permeate many of the cells, as 
  some patients have spread excrement on the walls.
  The stench of urine, feces, and unwashed bodies assaults 
  you as you enter this area. The laughing, yelling, and 
  banging are overwhelming. You have trouble hearing 
  your companions over the noise.
  Any time one PC tries to say something to another, 
  require the listener to roll a DC 25 Perception check 
  to understand what was said. Telepathy and spells can 
  overcome this problem.
  5I-L. Cell Block A 
                       (CR varies)
  Battles rage in Cells I and K. The other two remain locked, 
  with their patients huddled inside. In Cell I, Mordrok 
  battles two life-anchors, while its axiomite companion 
  battles two others in Cell K.
  Axiomite (3)                                                 CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  hp 85 (currently 72 each) (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary 2)
  
  54
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Mordrok (akhana aeon)                          CR 12
  XP 19,200
  hp 145 (currently 100) (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary 2 )
  Life-Anchors (4)                                          CR 4
  XP 1,200 each
  hp 43 (currently 31 each) (see page 50)
  Morale: The sundered patients do not retreat.
  Tactics: Mordrok’s goal is to kill the patients—all the 
  patients, including those not known to be infected with the 
  Primordial Chaos’ tendrils. If it can kill the adventurers, it 
  does so, just in case they’re also infected. It is smart, though, 
  and may wait for a more opportune time, choosing to ally 
  with them over the short term to achieve its goals. If the 
  heroes ask for Mordrok’s word that it won’t attack them, it 
  gives its word, saying it will only do so if they go mad and 
  exhibit definite signs of domination by outside forces.
  5M-P. Cell Block B                              (CR 4)
  These locked cells all contain ruckus-making patients who 
  are struggling against their doors. Otherwise, they are 
  mostly harmless—except for the turning life-anchor in Cell 
  O, who becomes a life-anchor 3 rounds after discovery. 
  If left in the cell, he may break free to wreak havoc. Each 
  patient here has 5 Insanity Points.
  Life-Anchor                                                  CR 4
  XP 1,200
  hp 43 (see page 50)
  5Q-T. Cell Block C
  The doors of these cells are broken and the rooms are 
  empty, their patients having joined the battle against the 
  Asylum’s staff.
  5U. Shackled Patients 
               (CR 0-5)
  The staff chained patients to the walls here when rooms 
  ran out. Three patients (aristocrats) remain shackled to the 
  wall. One is just insane, while the others are slow-turning 
  life-anchors; the latter appear to be just muddled patients 
  when the adventurers encounter them, but each turns 
  within 1d10 rounds.
  5V. Stairwell
  The secret door to this stairwell is in Area 5B (DC 30 
  Perception to notice; DC 30 Disable Device check to open). 
  Spiraling metal stairs lead 20 feet up to Area 6E of the 
  Asylum’s ground floor.
  
  55
  Chapter Four
  Part Three: Chambers 
  Asylum Ground Floor 
  6A. Main Entrance/Waiting Room
  The red, iron-bound wooden double doors are locked (DC 
  30 Disable Device). The staff from this area has abandoned 
  the room and headed upstairs. They locked all patients into 
  their cells before heading upstairs. Until they receive the 
  all-clear from the Asylum’s guards, they intend to remain 
  in the safe room on the upper floor (Area 7L).
  25 feet inside the doors is an area with a low wall around 
  it. There’s a desk within this reception area. No one is 
  seated there. There’s a door in the low wall, and another 
  in the north wall directly beyond it. 
   
  To your right, the room opens up, and there are a 
  number of uninviting wooden chairs and a few tables 
  within. This section is also empty.
  The door to the reception area is locked (DC 20 Disable 
  Device), but the wall can be easily jumped over. The door 
  in the north wall requires a DC 30 Disable Device check 
  to unlock.
  6B. Hallway
  When the PCs open the northern door from Area 6A, read 
  the following:
  Just behind the door is a locked iron gate. Beyond it, you 
  see a 20-foot-long hallway, ending in another iron gate. 
  There is a door to the right just behind the first gate.
  Both iron gates require DC 30 Disable Device checks to 
  unlock. The door to the right is unlocked.
  6C. Recreation Room
  This room is filled with tables and chairs. On some of the 
  tables are items intended for recreational and diagnostic 
  use by people with a wide range of mental abilities: decks 
  of cards, knucklebones, dice, a rag doll, a wooden board 
  with shapes cut into it, colored objects (squares and 
  circles and triangles), and a spinning top. Murals of pretty 
  birds and ocean scenes are painted on the plastered walls.
  The staff uses this room to allow patients time with visiting 
  loved ones (rare) and to occupy the time of idle patients. 
  On a DC 25 Perception check, investigators discover 
  a secret door in the north wall (locked, DC 25 Disable 
  Device) and several small peepholes there, as well. The 
  peepholes allow staff members to monitor the room from 
  Area 6D without being too intrusive. They can bring in 
  guards quickly from the room, if required.
  6D. Patient Monitoring Station
  This room contains two stools near the south wall. At 
  eye height there are peepholes. There are doors in the 
  south and north walls. A desk and chair are on the east 
  side of the room.
  The guard who normally sits at the desk has been sent to 
  the safe room (Area 7L) with the two staff members. The 
  south door is the secret door leading into Area 6C. It is 
  unlocked on this side. The north door is unlocked.
  6E. Stairwell Door
  The door to this room is locked (DC 25 Disable Device 
  check). Behind it, stairs lead down 20 feet to the secret 
  door in Area 5B. If the PCs make it to this room within 
  7 rounds of their arrival in the Asylum, they see guards 
  rushing through this door, heading to the basement.
  Just beyond the door is a winding metal staircase 
  leading down 20 feet.
  6F. Upper Kitchen                   
       (CR 1)
  This room is a kitchen, filled with utensils, pots, pans, a 
  fireplace, and a preparation table. Many bowls are on the 
  table, some resting on trays. Shelves along the wall hold 
  spices and dried fruits and vegetables. Barrels contain 
  staples like flour. A floor-to-ceiling cabinet against the 
  west wall has a waist-high opening in it. 
   
  A woman is stirring a large pot hanging over the fire.
  The lone figure is the head cook, Ezma. She refused to 
  leave her stew to go hide upstairs. The patients and guards 
  have to be fed, after all, and Altanish herself brooks no 
  excuses for a late meal—she’ll have Ezma whipped for not 
  taking care of the food preparation on time. Ezma is a 
  60-year-old woman who has worked at the Asylum since 
  she was 15. She’s startled by the adventurers’ arrival, but 
  might not notice them for a round or two. If the heroes 
  are threatening in appearance (e.g., wearing gore-covered 
  armor), she grabs a knife to defend herself. If calmed, 
  Ezma can tell the heroes what’s on the upper floor, and 
  she can lead them to Bianka Altanish’s office or personal 
  quarters. She tells them that Clement Moore, however, 
  runs the Asylum, no matter who its official director is.
  Ezma the Cook                                            CR 1
  XP 400
  N human expert 3
  hp 13 (use the Shopkeep stats from the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide)
  The open cabinet is a dumbwaiter to transport food up 
  to the staff dining room (Area 7B). It’s large enough to 
  comfortably fit one Small character, or a cramped Medium 
  
  56
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  character who’d suffer a –4 penalty to initiative if forced to 
  enter combat immediately on arrival at 7B.
  6G. Stairwell Door
  The door to this room is locked (DC 25 Disable Device). 
  Beyond it is a set of spiral metal stairs to the upper floor 
  (Area 7A).
  Just beyond the door is a winding metal staircase 
  leading up 20 feet.
  6H. Guards’ Barracks
  This room contains six cots. At the foot of each is a locked 
  chest (DC 15 Disable Device). The chests contain clothing 
  and 1d10 sp each. There’s a large, open cabinet against 
  one wall. It used to hold weapons for the guards, but there 
  are only a handful of crossbow bolts and a couple daggers 
  remaining.
  6I. Armory
  The door to this room is locked (DC 30 Disable Device). 
  The room contains several suits of mismatched armor and 
  some shields. These items aren’t new, and perhaps have 
  been donated to the Asylum over the years. Most of the 
  armor is in need of repair.
  6J. Patients’ Rooms
  The doors to these rooms are locked (DC 25 Disable 
  Device), and each door has a 1-foot-square barred window, 
  with a tray-sized slot just beneath it. Each room has as 
  many cots and chamber pots as can be crammed into it, as 
  the Asylum is experiencing overcrowding. Half the rooms 
  hold female patients, while the others hold males.
  There is a 25% chance for each cell that one or more 
  patients within are succumbing to the Primordial Chaos’ 
  tendrils. You may want to decide which rooms ahead of 
  time, as the patients can begin wailing and affecting any 
  adventurers moving about the premises. 
  If released, several of the patients tell stories of being 
  experimented on by Altanish in the treatment room/
  holding cell above (Area 7H). They know Altanish has 
  Aletha Dorch permanently held in that room (DC 25 
  Diplomacy check).
  
  57
  Chapter Four
  Part Four: Chambers 
  Asylum Upper Floor
  7A. Stairwell Door
  The door to this room is locked (DC 25 Disable Device) 
  from the inside. If coming up from Area 6G, the door 
  opens into an open area. If coming from the hallway, 
  beyond the door is a winding metal staircase leading down 
  to the ground floor (Area 6G).
  7B. Staff Dining Room
  A dumbwaiter rises from the kitchen (Area 6F) to this 
  room, where a servant usually awaits to set the three tables 
  for the staff members residing here. There’s no one here 
  now, though. Ezma and her kitchen staff eat below, as do 
  the guards on that level, and Altanish always takes her 
  meals in her quarters.
  The dumbwaiter is large enough to comfortably fit one 
  Small character, or a cramped Medium character who’d 
  suffer a –4 penalty to initiative if forced to enter combat 
  immediately on arrival at 6F.
  A locked (DC 30 Disable Device) cabinet in the northwest 
  corner contains 10 bottles of cheap wine (5 sp) and 5 
  bottles of some of Freeport’s finest (100 gp each). The latter 
  are for Altanish.
  7C. Guards’ Barracks
  This room contains six cots. At the foot of each is a locked 
  chest (DC 15 Disable Device). The chests contain clothing 
  and 1d10 sp each. There’s a large, open cabinet against 
  the north wall. It used to hold weapons for the guards, 
  but there are only a handful of crossbow bolts and a few 
  daggers remaining.
  7D. Vahgren’s Quarters (Head Guardsman)
  The room contains a nice bed and nightstand. On the 
  floor to the left of the bed is a chest.
  The chest is unlocked and contains two changes of good 
  clothing and a guard uniform.
  Treasure: Vahgren keeps his treasure with him at all 
  times.
  Vahgren is currently with Bianka, either in her bedroom 
  (Area 7F) or in the treatment room (Area 7H).
  7E. Altanish’s Sitting Room
  It’s 50% likely that Altanish and Vahgren are in her 
  bedroom (Area 7F) when the adventurers arrive. If not, 
  then they’re in the treatment room (Area 7H).
  Soft light fills this room, illuminating plush, expensive 
  furniture: a large divan, three sitting chairs, and two 
  end tables. Bookshelves line one wall. An opening in the 
  south wall is screened by semi-transparent silk hangings.
  On a DC 10 Perception check, the PCs hear grunting and 
  moaning coming from Area 7F, alerting them to what’s 
  taking place in the next room.
  7F. Altanish’s Bedroom 
                (CR 10)
  The opening from Area 7E leads to Bianka’s bedroom. If 
  Altanish is present, read the following:
  On a four-poster bed draped with translucent red silk 
  hangings two figures are deep in the throes of passion.
  See the Bianka Altanish and Vahgren sidebar, page 58, for 
  their stats and combat tactics.
  If she isn’t present, read the following:
  A four-poster bed draped with translucent red silk 
  hangings dominates this room. The bed could easily 
  hold four people. There’s a wardrobe against the east 
  wall. Beside it is an expensive-looking desk and chair. 
  Pens, ink, and an open book are on the desk.
  The open book on Bianka’s desk is her recorded notes 
  about her test subjects. Her most recent entry is about 
  Aletha (see the opening text on page 46). It also provides 
  clues that the PCs need to seek out Harcourt Horkel in 
  reference to a lantern.
  Treasure: A secret drawer (DC 40 Perception check) 
  in her wardrobe holds 6,500 gp in jewelry, 2,500 in gems, 
  and 580 gp in coins—items clients gave her to lock certain 
  people away for good. Her personal library contains many 
  books on forbidden lore. It is worth 3,000 gp total. She has 
  keys to Areas 7G and 7H and Aletha’s cuffs on her person.
  7G. Laboratory
  The door to this room is locked (DC 40 Disable Device).
  There are three long tables in this room, covered in 
  bottles with colored liquids in them. Tubing trails from 
  some bottles, slowly dripping a dark-colored liquid into 
  others. The room smells sulfurous. 
   
  Shelves containing 50 stoppered bottles of various sizes 
  line the north wall. 
   
  There’s an iron door in the east wall.
  The locked iron door (DC 40 Disable Device) is three 
  inches thick and leads to the treatment room (Area 7H).
  Treasure: 30 of the bottles contain poisons (GM’s 
  choice), 10 (with dark liquid like that dripping through the 
  tubes) contain Altanish’s experimental formula (which has 
  killed many patients), five are cure light wounds potions, 
  and the remaining five are cure moderate wounds potions. 
  
  58
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Bianka uses the curing potions to keep certain test subjects 
  alive for further experimentation.
  7H. Treatment Room and Holding Cell (CR 14)
  It’s 50% likely that Bianka and Vahgren are in the room, 
  checking on Aletha. If not, then they’re in her bedroom 
  (Area 7F).
  Torture devices dominate this room. A red-headed 
  woman is chained to the north wall. Her white shift 
  is sweat-covered, and her hair is matted. Her head 
  hangs down, her chin against her chest. She is softly 
  murmuring something.
  A DC 25 Perception check allows the heroes to hear 
  her chanting, “Truth sunders.” If Bianka Altanish and 
  Vahgren are here (and haven’t heard the party enter), add 
  the following:
  Off to the woman’s right, a small woman chuckles as she 
  cuts into the woman’s flesh with a small knife. “Tell me 
  more about this lantern, True Speaker. What did you 
  see? What truths did it reveal to you?”
  See the Bianka Altanish and Vahgren sidebar for their 
  stats and combat tactics. At the height of any battle in 
  this room, the sundered Aletha Dorch begins screaming. 
  Altanish is the most likely target of the maddening wail, but 
  everyone in the room must make a DC 19 Will save against 
  its morale-sapping effect. If the adventurers came to save 
  Aletha, they have to knock her out to get her to stop.
  Aletha Dorch, Sundered 
                     CR 12
  XP 19,200
  Primordial life-anchor female human rogue (charlatan) 11
  CN Medium outsider (chaotic, native)
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+4 Dex, +2 natural, +1 dodge)
  hp 109 (11d10+44)
  Insanity Points 6
  Fort +5, Ref +11, Will –1 (+1 vs. sleep and charm)
  BIANKA ALTANISH AND VAHGREN
  Bianka Altanish NE female human necromancer 3/
  cleric 3/mystic theurge 1, CR 6, hp 40
  Altanish is described fully in the Freeport Companion, 
  page 95.
  If discovered in a compromising position with Head 
  Guardsman Vahgren, Bianka Altanish is more than 
  willing to make a deal with the PCs. Her first move 
  is to ask them to allow her and her companion to get 
  dressed. Even if they refuse her request, she wears 
  her ring of protection +1 at all times, and keeps her 
  wand of hold person and her magical bracers under 
  her pillow when she’s with Vahgren, and will grab for 
  them if necessary.
  However she’s encountered, in a fight Altanish tries to 
  use her wand of hold person on the toughest-looking 
  individuals. She uses blindness/deafness if that doesn’t 
  work. Otherwise, she mostly hides behind Vahgren.
  Vahgren, head guardsman CN male human 
  barbarian 5/fighter 5, CR 9, hp 111, Insanity Points 4, 
  Wis 6/14 (10), Will save +2
  Use the Champion stats from the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game GameMastery Guide for Vahgren, but if he’s found 
  in the bedroom and doesn’t have time to prepare for 
  battle, he’ll be naked and will have to use improvised 
  weapons until he can get his hands on the sword lying 
  on the floor under his piled clothing and armor.
  Vahgren attacks with gusto; having spent the last several 
  months amusing himself by beating on weak patients, 
  he’s ready for some real action.
  Morale: Bianka values her life more than anything 
  else, so she only fights until the battle looks lost. She 
  then tries to make a deal with the PCs for her life. She 
  isn’t a good bluffer, so she doesn’t try to mislead them. 
  She doesn’t want to go to jail for any crimes, so she 
  offers to trade the heroes information, money, or access 
  to power—whatever she can get them to agree to. She 
  willingly releases Aletha Dorch, if that’s what the PCs 
  came for. Altanish knows things about the lantern 
  at this point, and has learned that neither it nor her 
  current formula will get her any closer to conquering 
  death. She has gained an embedded eye for her trouble, 
  while Vahgren has gained 4 Insanity Points.
  She doesn’t bargain for Vahgren; she lets him do that 
  for  himself, assuming he doesn’t simply decide to fight 
  to the death. If it helps her to make a deal, she orders 
  him to stop fighting. As he’s infatuated with her, he 
  surrenders when asked.
  Complication: Granthu often chooses to observe 
  Bianka, finding her fascinating. It also certainly 
  witnesses this fight and its aftermath. If the GM 
  wishes, Granthu can take control of Bianka or 
  Vahgren in this scene, prolonging an entertaining fight 
  that would otherwise end too quickly, or trying to 
  prevent Altanish from revealing the qlippoth’s secrets 
  prematurely. Conversely, it could force her to reveal her 
  secrets and any others she’s learned from her patients 
  in order to further Granthu’s truth-telling scheme 
  (and to provide hints if the GM thinks the heroes have 
  missed necessary clues).
  
  59
  Chapter Four
  Defensive Abilities evasion, improved uncanny dodge 
  (level 14 or less), uncanny dodge; DR 5/ — ; Resist acid 5, 
  cold 5, fire 5, electricity 5, sonic 5
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee claws +8 (1d4+4 plus minor warpwave, DC 17) or 
  bite +8 (1d4+4 plus minor warpwave, DC 17)
  Special Attacks maddening wail (DC 17), hypnotizing gaze 
  (DC 17), sneak attack +6d6
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 2/14 (8), Cha 14
  Base Atk +8; CMB +7; CMD 21
  Feats Alertness, Deceitful, DiehardB, Dodge, EnduranceB, 
  Persuasive, ToughnessB, Uncanny Alertness, Voice of the 
  Sibyl, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +18, Diplomacy +18, Disguise 
  +22, Escape Artist +15, Intimidate +18, Perception +18, 
  Perform (oratory) +14, Sense Motive +18, Sleight of Hand 
  +15, Stealth +15
  Languages Common, Goblin
  SQ natural born liar, rogue talents (coax information, 
  convincing lie [7 days], hard to fool, honeyed words [3/day], 
  underhanded [4/day]), rumormonger (4/week), embedded eye
  Gear none (everything but a simple shift has been taken 
  from her).
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Coax Information (Ex) Aletha can use Bluff or Diplomacy 
  in place of Intimidate to force an opponent to act friendly 
  toward her.
  Convincing Lie (Ex) When Aletha lies, her fabrications are 
  especially convincing. When she successfully uses Bluff 
  to convince someone that what she’s saying is true, if 
  that person is questioned later about the statement or 
  story, he uses Aletha’s Bluff skill modifiers to convince the 
  questioner, rather than his own. If his Bluff skill modifier is 
  better than Aletha’s, he can use his own modifier and gain 
  a +2 bonus on any check to convince others of the lie. This 
  effect lasts 7 days.
  Diehard Aletha’s wounds automatically stabilize when she’s 
  below 0 hp. At the moment when she is reduced to negative 
  hit points, she must choose to either fall unconscious or 
  act as if she were disabled. If she performs any standard or 
  strenuous actions, she takes 1 point of damage.
  Evasion (Ex) If Aletha succeeds at a Reflex save for half 
  damage, she takes none instead.
  Hard to Fool (Ex) Aletha is hard to fool with mind-affecting 
  effects. At the start of her turn, if she is still subject to any 
  mind-affecting spells or effects, she can make a Will saving 
  throw with a standard DC for the effect’s level, and if she 
  succeeds at the check, she is no longer subject to the effect.
     She can make this saving throw even against mind-
  affecting effects that normally don’t allow a saving throw. 
  In those cases, generate the saving throw as if the spell or 
  effect did allow a saving throw.
  Honeyed Words (3/day) (Ex) Three times per day Aletha 
  can roll two dice and take the better result on Bluff checks. 
  She must choose to use honeyed words before making the 
  Bluff check.
  Hypnotizing Gaze (Sp) Any creature within 40 feet meeting 
  Dorch’s swirling gaze must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude 
  save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
  Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex) Aletha cannot be flanked, 
  but a rogue of 15th or higher level who gets into a flanking 
  position can sneak attack her.
  Maddening Wail (Ex) As a standard action, Aletha Dorch can 
  emit an otherworldly wail. She targets a single opponent 
  within 40 feet with the wail, and if the target fails a Will 
  save (DC 17), he takes 1 point of Wisdom damage. If the 
  target fails his Will save and he has any Insanity Points, he 
  must make a second save. If he fails this save, his reality 
  sunders, and a Primordial Chaos tendril attaches itself, 
  turning him into a primordial life-anchor (sundered) within 
  1d4 hours.
     All hearing creatures within 40 feet of Aletha when she 
  wails must make a DC 17 Will save or suffer a –1 morale 
  penalty on all saves, checks, and rolls for 1d4 rounds. 
  Additional wails have automatic cumulative morale effects.
     Normally Dorch would have to make a DC 10 effective 
  Wisdom check in order to choose to use maddening wail 
  instead of a direct attack, but so long as she’s chained to 
  the wall, she gets a +15 circumstance bonus because she 
  really has no other ways to fight back.
  Minor Warpwave (Su) A creature struck by Dorch’s claw or 
  bite must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or be affected by a 
  minor warpwave (see page 49).
  Natural Born Liar (Ex) Creatures deceived by Aletha’s use of 
  Bluff take a –2 penalty against subsequent uses of Bluff by 
  Aletha for 24 hours. This ability does not stack with itself.
  Rumormonger (4/week) (Ex) Aletha can use Bluff to spread 
  a rumor through a community. (See Rogue Talents in 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat.)
  Sneak Attack +6d6 Aletha causes +6d6 damage on an 
  attack if she flanks a target or her target is flat-footed.
  Uncanny Alertness Aletha receives a +1 bonus on 
  Perception and Sense Motive checks and a +2 bonus on 
  saving throws against sleep and charm effects.
  Underhanded (4/day) (Ex) Aletha gains a +4 circumstance 
  bonus on all Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a 
  weapon. If she makes a sneak attack during the surprise 
  round using a concealed weapon that her opponent didn’t 
  know about, she doesn’t have to roll sneak attack damage, 
  and the sneak attack deals maximum damage.
  Voice of the Sibyl Aletha gains a +3 bonus to Bluff, 
  Diplomacy, and Perform (oratory) checks if she uses her 
  voice when using the skill (not when using Bluff to feint in 
  combat, for example).
  Complication: Aletha knows things about the lantern at 
  this point, and as Granthu has embedded an eye in her, it 
  might decide to take control of her during the fight.
  
  60
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Aftermath: If Aletha lives and the heroes get her some 
  help, she can give them information about Harcourt, 
  allowing them to find the fellow renting out the lantern 
  that seems to be causing a lot of this trouble. From him, 
  perhaps, they can track down Granthu’s lair.
  7I. Servants’ Quarters
  There are 12 cots in this room. An unlocked chest at the 
  foot of each contains a change of clothing and not much 
  more; each servant keeps her bit of coin (usually 2d6 cp) 
  on her person.
  7J. Clement Moore’s Upstairs Office
  The door to this room is unlocked.
  The only furniture in the room is a desk and chair next 
  to the east wall and a wooden chair in front of the desk 
  to seat one visitor. The desk is polished and bare.
  7K. Clement Moore’s Bedroom
  The door to this room is locked (DC 25 Disable Device).
  Against the north wall there’s a small, pristine bed. A 
  nightstand with an oil lamp on it sits beside the bed. A 
  wardrobe stands against the east wall.
  Clement Moore is currently hiding in the safe room (Area 
  7L). Brief information about him is on page 90 of the 
  Pirate’s Guide to Freeport.
  Treasure: Clement’s wardrobe has a locked secret 
  compartment that contains his treasure. A DC 30 
  Perception check is required to find the compartment; a 
  DC 30 Disable Device check is needed to open the lock. 
  Within the compartment is: 550 gp in gems, two rings 
  worth 10 gp each, and 163 gp in various coins. Almost 
  hidden in the back is a holy symbol of the Unspeakable 
  One. Although once a member of the cult, Clement has 
  since broken ties with its remaining members and is trying 
  to forget his previous connection—in fact, he has forgotten 
  he tossed the symbol in the secret compartment.
  7L. Safe Room
  The hallway leading to the safe room is entered through a 
  secret door (DC 30 Perception to notice; DC 25 Disable 
  Device check to open), with another secret door blocking 
  entrance to the room itself (DC 30 Perception; DC 25 
  Disable Device). On a separate DC 20 Perception check, 
  the investigators can hear a single man talking in hushed 
  tones. He’s saying things like, “It’s going to be okay. The 
  guards will come back soon, and we can all go back to 
  work.” If the heroes have met Clement Moore before, they 
  might recognize the voice on a DC 25 Perception check.
  If the heroes make noise getting into the room, allow the 
  room’s inhabitants a +10 Perception check to notice. If 
  noticed, the people begin chattering loudly, thinking it’s the 
  guards and that they’re safe. Read the following:
  As you open the door, several people are resting against 
  the wall. Most of them are servant women. Their faces 
  flash from relief to alarm when they get a good look at you. 
   
  A thin, dark-haired man in spectacles clears his throat 
  and steps forward. A man in half-plate armor draws a 
  longsword and steps forward with him.
  In total, there are 17 people huddled within (12 servants, 
  three visitors, one guard, and Clement Moore). The 
  bespectacled man is Clement Moore, who is waiting for the 
  guards’ return. He is taken aback to see intruders. Allow 
  him a Knowledge (local) DC 15 check to recognize the 
  PCs; he has +7 on this skill. If the PCs have a trustworthy 
  reputation and Moore knows about it, he works with 
  them to learn what’s going on. He doesn’t like Bianka 
  Altanish, who he finds brutish, so he willingly gives the 
  incriminating information he has about her: that she does 
  experiments on the patients and that she has Aletha Dorch 
  locked up in Area 7H. He can lead them to her if asked, 
  knowing that she divides her time between trysts with 
  Vahgren, the barbarian she hired as head of the guards 
  (Area 7F), and her favorite pastime of late, interrogating 
  Aletha Dorch (Area 7H). In either case, he assures them 
  the barbarian will be with her.
  CONCLUDING THE ADVENTURE
  “Truth Sunders” should provide the investigators with 
  information regarding the lantern. It may also give them 
  the opportunity to spot signs of an eye embedded in 
  Bianka Altanish, Vahgren, or Aletha Dorch. The heroes 
  should gain the name Harcourt Horkel in relation to the 
  lantern. Bianka, if left alive, agrees to introduce them to the 
  bard. (See In Search Of Harcourt Horkel on page 61).
  If Altanish lives, she becomes a cultist of the Primordial 
  Chaos within six months, having learned of its power and 
  nature. She hopes she can gain her desired immortality 
  through worship and dark deeds.
  If the PCs worked with the Amalgamation’s servants to 
  clear the lower section but got them to back off when 
  entering the second level, then Mordrok and the axiomites 
  either kill everyone in the Asylum the next day, or they 
  tip off the Amalgamation’s growing cult to the problem, 
  and the cultists attack the Asylum in 2d4 days. If the 
  heroes want to confront Mordrok and eliminate the threat 
  the Amalgamation cult or the aeon and its allies pose to 
  Freeport, the GM can come up with his own adventure to 
  run either immediately or after the PCs have completed the 
  “Granthu’s Lair” adventure.
  
   BY MIKE FRANKE
  “Truth is life! Life is the light! The light is the truth! 
  The truth is The Truth! The Truth is the true truth! 
  Kill the false speakers!”
   – cultists, Area 8DD
  “Granthu’s Lair” is an adventure suitable for  
  four 12th-level PCs.
  BACKGROUND
  As detailed in the Introduction, Valossan arcanists and 
  priests of Yig built this secret complex as part of efforts 
  to root out the cult of the Unspeakable One. Only those 
  serpent people directly involved in the creation of the Eye 
  of Yig and the dimensional galleon originally knew anything 
  about its existence. Those who did, died here when the 
  Unspeakable One arrived.
  The complex’s current inhabitants include demons, True 
  Speaker cultists, serpent folk revenants, degenerate serpent 
  folk, and several elementals that were used to power the 
  dimensional galleon. Harcourt Horkel, the bard renting 
  out use of the lantern in Freeport, has recently convinced 
  several True Speakers to help protect the lair.
  GRANTHU IN THE COMPLEX
  Because of Granthu’s unique abilities (see page 12), it can, 
  and likely should be, encountered several times inside the 
  complex before the adventurers reach its actual lair (Area 
  8II). Granthu can use its greater invisibility or major image 
  spell-like abilities to harass or confuse the heroes. For 
  instance, it can be disguised as a corpse on a table in the 
  Surgery Theater (Area 8O), invisibly break the summoning 
  circle in the Flooded Dorm (Area 8U), or ambush the 
  heroes in one of the “empty” rooms. (Illusions don’t 
  work in the Hall of the Crystal Columns (Area 8P), so it’s 
  unlikely to make an appearance there.)
  Even if the adventurers have the lantern or are using 
  other means to defeat deception, Granthu still could have 
  planted eyes in anyone in the complex, and thus it should 
  at least always know what is happening in the complex.
  IN SEARCH OF HARCOURT HORKEL
  After completing the “Truth Sunders” adventure in 
  Chambers Asylum, the adventurers should have clues to 
  the strange happenings in Freeport directly from Bianka 
  Altanish or from her journal entries about her patients 
  (her experiments) in Area 7F. The PCs should have a name 
  at this point: Harcourt Horkel. Armed with that, a DC 20 
  Knowledge (local) or Diplomacy (gather information) 
  Chapter 5: Granthu’s Lair
  
  62
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  check leads them to where Horkel rents out glimpses from 
  his magic lantern. The crumbling former butcher shop on 
  the outskirts of Scurvytown has been turned into a church 
  by some religious cult. The scent of snakeweed escapes the 
  building’s door-less entrance. Several cult members lay on 
  cushions smoking the drug and chuckling about unseen 
  things. They’re used to people coming in and out of their 
  “shrine” to pay for glimpses of the lantern, and are coherent 
  enough to point the investigators to a back room if they ask 
  for Horkel.
  The heroes find the bard in an old meat locker. From the 
  doorway, they can see Horkel averting his gaze while he 
  holds the lantern aimed at a pair of aristocrats, bathing 
  them in green light. The finely dressed man and woman 
  are peering intently at each other, while two men-at-arms 
  wait patiently in the corners farthest from the glow, looking 
  away from the scene. After a few moments, the man and 
  woman gasp. Then the man screams, grabs his head, and 
  falls to his knees, babbling. The woman continues to stare 
  at the light, oblivious to her surroundings. Harcourt pilfers 
  some jewelry from her and a nice dagger from her husband 
  while the guards aren’t watching.
  When Horkel notices the PCs, he tells them to wait a few 
  moments and he’ll be with them soon. He then tells the 
  guards to remove their masters. Horkel acts nonchalant 
  about the couple’s odd behavior—he’s seen some crazy 
  things happen, after all. He never looks into the light 
  himself, though, and only observes the customers’ reactions 
  and their gibbering, hoping to get useful hints of what 
  secrets they paid for.
  Horkel treats the heroes as just another group wanting 
  to rent the lantern. He asks them for 50 gp to learn the 
  answers they seek. Horkel is high on stimulant drugs he 
  takes to counteract the brain-deadening snakeweed smoke 
  in the air, and is a bit jumpy. At the first sign of trouble, he 
  panics, abandoning the lantern and fleeing through a secret 
  door and down a flight of rough stairs to the sewers (Area 
  8A). As Granthu kept an eye on Horkel, the qlippoth is 
  alerted that trouble is on the way, and it has time to prepare 
  for the adventurers’ arrival.
  Part One: The Galleon
  8A. The Long Descent                          (CR 5)
  At the bottom of the stairs it’s easy to follow Horkel’s 
  route a short distance along a sewer tunnel to the rough 
  opening of a side passage. Past the narrow entrance, the 
  passage opens to a 10-foot-diameter tube that descends 
  into the darkness below. The gentle slope soon becomes 
  steep, and then turns treacherous as water seeping in 
  through tiny cracks in the tunnel’s sides creates a swiftly 
  flowing stream.
  This mile-long tube’s descent ends in a 60-foot drop into 
  the water in Port Cavern (Area 8B). If the adventurers 
  don’t take precautions (use climbing gear, magic, etc.), 
  they eventually find it difficult to safely proceed and must 
  succeed on a DC 15 Strength check or a DC 20 Climb 
  check or be swept off their feet. As their slide down the 
  slick tube accelerates, they must make a DC 15 Reflex save 
  or take 1d6 damage as they carom off protrusions in the 
  smooth surface: petrified body parts. Then they reach the 
  end of the tube, hurtling out of it 60 feet above a pool of 
  water (Area 8B), taking 6d6 falling damage (halved with a 
  successful DC 20 Acrobatics check).
  Read the following if a hero falls:
  The walls of the artificially smooth tube fly by as you 
  hurtle downward. After several minutes, the sound of 
  the rushing water escalates into a terrible roar and you’re 
  ejected into empty space.
  Development: As adventurers descend the tube, allow 
  them to make a Perception check. If they’re making a 
  careful descent, a DC 15 Perception check reveals petrified 
  arms, legs, and even entire torsos jutting from the tube’s 
  walls at various points. A DC 20 Knowledge (nature) or 
  DC 22 Knowledge (history) check identifies the body parts 
  as belonging to serpent people. If PCs are swept along by 
  the water, they’re too busy to notice much about the lumps 
  except the pain they cause.
  8B. Port Cavern 
                            (CR 12)
  You find yourselves in a massive cavern hundreds of 
  feet across. Dark water fills it to an unknown depth, 
  and the roar of a waterfall fills your ears. A dim, bluish 
  light emanates from beneath the water to your left, and 
  what looks for all the world like part of a great metallic 
  THE LANTERN IN  
  GRANTHU’S LAIR
  Because the lantern has been here for thousands of 
  years, the complex itself has taken on some of the 
  lantern’s characteristics. The closer the explorers come 
  to the Temple of Nalaskthana esh’Yig (Area 8II), the 
  more pronounced those effects become. Characters 
  find themselves unable to utter a falsehood anywhere 
  in the complex—a fact which may or may not arise in 
  the adventure. Illusionary effects do not work in Area 
  8P, and in the Temple of Nalaskthana esh’Yig PCs can 
  see even with their eyes closed.
  If the lantern itself is brought back into the complex, 
  it changes slightly: the levers no longer stick, and the 
  shutters no longer open randomly. The chance of 
  lantern wraiths appearing, though, increases. If the 
  GM sees a good opportunity to use these monsters, 
  he should ignore the dice and go with his gut before 
  they’re all sealed in the complex with the lantern.
  
  63
  Chapter Five
  
  64
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  ship juts from the wall ahead of you, extending into the 
  middle of the cave.
  The cavern is huge and the galleon blocks the view of its 
  north end. The 10 foot-deep water is dark and difficult to 
  see through due to sediment churned up by the waterfall. 
  This cavern is the home of two shoggti qlippoth who 
  came through the dimensional breach caused when the 
  serpent people tried to escape the Unspeakable One in 
  their dimensional galleon. The shoggti have been trapped 
  here since, and are eager to make the adventurers their 
  new playthings.
  Advanced Shoggti Qlippoth (2)            CR 10
  XP 3,200 each
  CE Huge outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar, qlippoth)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +18
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 10, flat-footed 23 (+2 Dex, +15 natural, –2 size)
  hp 174 (12d10+108)
  Fort +17, Ref +6, Will +12
  Defensive Abilities uncanny dodge; DR 10/cold iron or 
  lawful; Immune cold, poison, mind-affecting effects; Resist 
  acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee bite +22 (2d6+10), 4 tentacles +19 (1d6+5 plus grab)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks braincloud, horrific appearance (DC 20), 
  constrict (1d6+10)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +14)
  Constant—tongues
  At will—command (DC 13)
  3/day—charm person (DC 13), protection from law
  1/day—charm monster (DC 16), dimension door
  STATISTICS
  Str 30, Dex 14, Con 28, Int 12, Wis 19, Cha 15
  Base Atk +12; CMB +23 (+27 grapple); CMD 35 (39 vs. trip)
  Feats Ability Focus (horrific appearance), Combat Reflexes, 
  Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Focus (Use Magic 
  Device), Weapon Focus (tentacles)
  Skills Escape Artist +18, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (planes) 
  +16, Perception +23, Sense Motive +19, Stealth +10, Use 
  Magic Device +24; Racial Modifiers +4 Intimidate, +4 
  Perception, +4 Use Magic Device
  Languages Abyssal; telepathy 100 ft.
  Combat Gear one shoggti carries a wand of magic missiles 
  (9th level, 22 charges); the other carries a wand of 
  enervation (15 charges), and a wand of shield (8 charges)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Braincloud (Su) Once per round, in place of a melee attack 
  with a tentacle, a shoggti can make a melee touch attack 
  with the pincer on the end of that tentacle. If it hits, the 
  target takes 1d4 points of Wisdom damage. Shoggti use 
  this ability to mentally debilitate their victims so they can 
  more easily use their charm spell-like abilities against them.
  Horrific Appearance (Su) Creatures that succumb to a 
  shoggti’s horrific appearance become fascinated by the 
  creature’s hypnotically wriggling tentacles and the strange, 
  shimmering colors in its eyes. This effect persists for 1d6 
  rounds (but can be ended by the normal methods of 
  defeating the fascinated condition).
  Tactics: 
  Before Combat: The shoggti are bored by their long 
  incarceration in this cavern. Once they notice 
  intruders, they spend 2 rounds casting protection from 
  law and using their wand of enervation before moving 
  to engage them.
  During Combat: Each shoggti begins combat by trying 
  to charm an obvious melee-oriented opponent before 
  moving in to use its braincloud special attack. The 
  shoggti can’t use their dimension door abilities because 
  of the dimensional lock generated by the dimensional 
  galleon (see Heightened Discord sidebar, page 13).
  Morale: The shoggti try to withdraw to their lair if their 
  attacks prove ineffective, or if they are reduced to less than 
  30 hp. If cornered in their lair, they fight to the death.
  Treasure: Most of the shoggti’s treasure is located in the 
  cave at the bottom of the submerged ramp (Area 8H), but 
  they do have the above-listed magic items with them.
  Development: On the west side of the room, beyond 
  the dimensional galleon, a ramp emerges from the water, 
  leading to an arched exit (toward Area 8L). A search under 
  the water in the same area (DC 15 Perception check) 
  reveals a submerged ramp leading down to Area 8H.
  Areas 8T, 8W, 8X, and 8Y are located above the cavern’s 
  roof, but are not connected to it.
  8C. Galleon Charging Stations 
     (CR 11)
  The water ahead of you glows with a flickering blue light. 
  As you approach, you can barely make out below the 
  water the source of the erratically-pulsing light: a mass of 
  metal tubing attached to a large glass barrel.
  This is one of the ends of the lightning tube network. A 
  successful DC 30 Knowledge (engineering) or (arcana) 
  check indicates the machinery is charged with energy from 
  the Para-Elemental Plane of Lightning and was likely used 
  as some sort of power source. After thousands of years, the 
  machinery is fragile and close to collapse. If either charging 
  station suffers any damage, the glass cracks, releasing a 
  lightning elemental.
  Greater Lightning Elemental (2)          CR 9
  XP 6,400
  N Huge outsider (air, elemental, extraplanar)
  Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 22, touch 18, flat-footed 12 (+9 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 
  natural, –2 size)
  
  65
  Chapter Five
  hp 110 (13d10+39)
  Fort +11, Ref +17, Will +6
  DR 10/—; Immune electricity, elemental traits
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 100 ft. (perfect)
  Melee 2 slams +20 (2d8+6 plus 2d6 electricity)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks metal mastery, spark leap
  STATISTICS
  Str 22, Dex 29, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 11
  Base Atk +13; CMB +21; CMD 41
  Feats Blind-Fight, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, 
  Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Weapon Finesse (slam)
  Skills Acrobatics +25, Escape Artist +25, Fly +13, Intimidate 
  +16, Knowledge (planes) +15, Perception +16
  Languages Auran
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Metal Mastery (Ex) A lightning elemental gains a +3 bonus 
  on attack rolls if its opponent is wearing metal armor, is 
  wielding a metal weapon, or is made of metal.
  Spark Leap (Ex) A lightning elemental gains a +10 bonus on 
  bull rush, disarm, overrun, and trip attacks when it charges 
  a creature against whom its metal mastery ability applies.
  Tactics: The elementals are enraged by thousands of 
  years of captivity and immediately attack.
  Morale: Unless the heroes offer to free all the elementals 
  in the complex, these elementals fight to the death.
  Treasure: The elementals have no treasure, but if an 
  hour is spent gathering components, the materials used 
  to construct the charging station would be quite valuable 
  (5,000 gp) to an arcanist or a serpent empire historian.
  8D. Dimensional Galleon (Main Deck)
  If the heroes are at water level, read the following:
  A wall of smooth, silvery metal extends from beneath 
  the water to a deck 15 feet above your heads. A 3-foot-
  high glass wall surrounds the top of the metal wall like a 
  railing. There are no apparent handholds or other visible 
  ways up.
  Read the following if the characters are in the air, or once 
  they reach the deck:
  The metal surface of this craft is similar to the deck of a 
  sailing ship. A short metal pole like the stump of a mast 
  sticks up from the middle of the deck. You can see three 
  ramps. One descends below the deck; one leads up from 
  the deck toward the aft but stops where the ship emerges 
  from the wall of the cavern; and the last one leads up 
  to a raised platform at the prow, where a strange object 
  made of metal and crystal tubes generates a flickering 
  blue glow.
  The brimorak demons in the galleon’s hold are terrified of the 
  shoggti and don’t want to come anywhere near the water.
  A DC 30 Climb check is required to scale the ship’s 
  smooth sides. Once the heroes reach the deck, a careful 
  investigation can reveal several things:
  On a successful DC 15 Perception check, they note that 
  there are strange burn marks all over the ship’s metallic 
  deck. A DC 30 Knowledge (planes) check reveals that these 
  could be the hoof tracks of a relatively minor demon called 
  a brimorak.
  The lower half of a strange humanoid skeleton juts from 
  the eastern wall as if somehow partially swallowed by 
  the rock. A DC 20 Knowledge (nature) check identifies 
  the skeleton as a kind of reptilian humanoid. In one 
  skeletal hand is a gold chain with a strangely carved 
  yellow gemstone attached. A DC 30 Knowledge (religion) 
  check identifies this as an archaic unholy symbol of the 
  Unspeakable One.
  Treasure: The gold chain and yellow gemstone unholy 
  symbol of the Unspeakable One is worth 1,000 gp. The 
  dimensional galleon itself is an artifact the adventurers 
  could attempt to repair after the conclusion of this 
  adventure (see page 79).
  8E. Dimensional Galleon (Foredeck)   (CR 6)
  On the ship’s foredeck sits an odd assortment of metal 
  and crystal tubes. It looks vaguely skeletal, giving you 
  the impression it once had other parts that have perhaps 
  rotted away or been stolen over time. One of several 
  colored glass tubes attached to its side flickers with dim 
  blue light.
  The tubes are an arcane launcher (lightning). Close 
  inspection reveals blue, red, green, and yellow glass tubes 
  attached to its side. Above each is a lever that can be moved 
  up and down. Only the lever above the blue tube (the only 
  one currently giving off light) is in the down position. A 
  DC 20 Perception check reveals tiny arcane symbols etched 
  onto many of the launcher’s surfaces. A DC 20 Knowledge 
  (arcana) check allows identification of the symbols as 
  having to do with the elements, abjuration, and evocation. 
  A DC 18 Knowledge (engineering) or DC 10 Profession 
  (military) check suggests that the whole contraption is 
  similar to a ballista, including the trigger.
  Pulling the trigger while the levers are in the current 
  THE DIMENSIONAL LOCK
  Because the machinery on board the dimensional 
  galleon is still partially functional, its engines continue 
  to generate an effect similar to a dimensional lock that 
  covers all of the galleon and the water-filled cavern 
  (Areas 8B-8H). This prevents all translocation magic. 
  If the engines are brought fully on-line, the effect 
  expands to cover the entire complex.
  
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  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  position discharges a 10d6 lightning bolt at the cavern’s 
  western wall. The adventurers can change the positions of 
  the levers, but the green (acid) and yellow (cold) tubes are 
  empty; pulling down the red lever makes the tube glow red, 
  and pulling the trigger causes it to shoot a 10d6 bolt of fire.
  Unfortunately, the age of the launcher and the brimorak 
  demons’ attempts to use it against the shoggti have made 
  the launcher fragile. Each time the trigger is pulled or 
  a lever is moved, there is a 25% chance the launcher 
  explodes, exposing anyone on the foredeck to 10d6 
  electricity or fire damage.
  8F. Dimensional Galleon (Hold)         (CR 10)
  The interior of the ship is lit by an angry flickering red 
  glow coming from ahead of you. The walls of the hold 
  are lined with patterns of arcane symbols surrounding 
  crystal half-spheres embedded in the walls. Each half-
  sphere is connected to the others by colored metallic 
  wire. At the midpoint of the left- and right-hand walls, 
  approximately 20 feet from the ramp’s bottom, are large 
  boxes, each topped by four levers. One box appears to 
  have been torn open and contains the broken remains of 
  colored glass tubes.  Here and there, metal patches have 
  been crudely welded over gashes in the ship’s hull.
  If the heroes have already inspected the lightning launcher, 
  some of this looks familiar; however, before they can 
  investigate, the five brimorak demons attack.
  Five short, bestial humanoids wearing filthy, tattered 
  robes spring up from behind some metal crates piled 
  near the southwest wall. You only have time to notice 
  the noxious gray smoke they exhale and their glowing 
  red eyes before they attack.
  Brimorak (5)                                                 CR 5
  XP 1,600
  CE Small outsider (chaotic, demon, evil, extraplanar, fire)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
  Aura smoke breath (5 ft., DC 17)
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+3 Dex, +4 natural, +1 size)
  hp 57 (6d10+24)
  Fort +9, Ref +8, Will +3
  Defensive Abilities boiling blood; DR 5/cold iron or good; 
  Immune electricity, fire; Resist acid 10, cold 10; SR 16
  Weaknesses vulnerable to cold
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee longsword +11/+6 (1d6+3/19–20 plus 1d6 fire), hoof 
  +0 (1d3+1 plus 1d6 fire)
  Special Attacks breath weapon (20-foot line of boiling 
  blood, 5d6 fire damage, Reflex DC 17 half, usable every 
  1d4 rounds), burning hooves
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th; concentration +8)
  3/day—dispel magic, heat metal (DC 14), produce flame
  1/day—air walk, fireball (DC 15), greater teleport (self plus 50 
  lbs. of objects only), summon (level 3, one brimorak, 50%)
  STATISTICS
  Str 17, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 15
  Base Atk +6; CMB +8; CMD 21
  Feats Combat Casting, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus 
  (longsword)
  Skills Acrobatics +12, Bluff +11, Knowledge (engineering) 
  +10, Knowledge (planes) +10, Perception +18, Sense 
  Motive +10, Stealth +16; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Draconic, Ignan; telepathy 100 
  ft.
  SQ flaming weapon
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Boiling Blood (Su) A brimorak’s blood is boiling hot. It can 
  cough out a hideous amount of this scorching fluid as a 
  breath weapon.
    The blood also has a defensive function. Any creature 
  that damages a brimorak with a slashing or piercing melee 
  weapon is sprayed by boiling blood, and takes 1d4 points 
  of fire damage for each hit with such a weapon. Creatures 
  using reach weapons aren’t subject to this damage.
  Burning Hooves (Su) A brimorak’s hooves burn with fire, 
  leaving scorched hoofprints on most solid surfaces, 
  although the supernatural fire doesn’t set surfaces alight. It 
  does make it easier to track a brimorak, though—Survival 
  checks made to track a brimorak gain a +8 circumstance 
  bonus. Brimoraks use their air walk ability to throw 
  creatures off their trail, or to leave their prints in strange 
  places (like on roofs) to spread fear.
    Against a prone foe, a brimorak can make two hoof 
  attacks rather than just one.
  Flaming Weapon (Su) As a free action, a brimorak can infuse 
  a wielded melee weapon with its fiery nature, allowing it 
  to inflict an additional 1d6 points of fire damage with the 
  weapon. This fire damage stacks with any additional fire 
  damage that the weapon might also inflict. The weapon 
  loses this ability if it leaves the demon’s grasp.
  Smoke Breath (Su) A brimorak’s breath forms clouds of foul-
  smelling smoke when it exhales. The cloud surrounds the 
  demon out to a radius of 5 feet.
    While the smoke isn’t thick enough to obscure vision 
  or choke foes, it is enough to sicken breathing foes who 
  aren’t immune to poison. A DC 17 Fortitude save grants 
  immunity to a particular brimorak’s breath for 24 hours. 
  The save DC is Constitution-based.
  Background: Brimorak demons are vast in numbers, 
  but generally limited to regions of the Abyss where fire 
  and smoke hold sway. Demon lords use them as front-
  line infantry troops in their armies; although a brimorak’s 
  command of fire is little use against most fiends, it’s 
  devastating against many other foes.
  Appearance: Brimoraks rarely stand over 3 feet in height, 
  but are surprisingly strong for their size. A brimorak’s dense 
  
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  Chapter Five
  musculature and bones result in unexpected weight as well, 
  packing nearly 200 pounds into a body only 3/4 the size 
  of a dwarf. Their blue-gray skin is decorated with strange, 
  coiling stripes. Dark fur grows on their head and arms, and 
  their feet end in burning hooves. Their eyes glow red, and 
  their breath fills the surrounding air with smoke.
  Tactics: The brimorak demons have hidden themselves 
  behind some metal crates they piled near the door to the 
  Planar Navigation Room (Area 8G). This provides them 
  with cover and a +5 bonus to their Stealth checks. Once 
  two intruders reach the bottom of the ramp, or once it is 
  obvious the demons have been spotted, all five brimorak 
  demons open combat with fireballs. In the second round, 
  three of the demons charge into melee, their burning 
  hooves clattering on the metal deck, while two hang back to 
  cast heat metal and dispel magic. In the third round, at least 
  one demon should forget about the ship’s dimensional lock 
  and try to teleport, briefly fading out before reappearing in 
  the same spot with a panicked expression on its face.
  Morale: The brimorak demons know they have nowhere 
  to retreat to as they are more afraid of the haunt in 
  Area 8G and the shoggti in Area 8B than they are of the 
  adventurers. They fight to the death.
  Treasure: 680 gp, ivory statuette of a goat (800 gp), belt 
  of incredible dexterity +4
  Development: A DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) allows a 
  PC to interpret the arcane symbols on the walls as having 
  to do with summoning, abjuration, and evocation. A 
  DC 25 Knowledge (engineering) check or the successful 
  investigation of the arcane lighting launcher discloses 
  something of the probable purpose of the levers and 
  colored glass tubes. If the broken tubes are replaced with 
  fully energized tubes of each color and the levers are all 
  moved into position, the arcane engines of the dimensional 
  galleon fully come on line, and its dimensional lock effect 
  then covers the entire complex. Replacement tubes can be 
  found in the Elemental Laboratory (Area 8N).
  8G. Planar Navigation Room 
    (CR 12)
  Beyond the shiny metallic door is a large triangular 
  room. Like the rest of the ship, the walls are metal; 
  however, here the walls and ceiling are black rather than 
  shining silver. The room is empty except for a central 
  pedestal on which sits a large crystal globe.
  This room once served as the navigation center and 
  helm of the ship, allowing the ship to travel the Astral 
  and Outer Planes. If anyone touches the crystal globe, 
  it fitfully projects an image of shifting mists, colorful 
  vortices, and burning points of light in the air of the room. 
  It’s like standing in the middle of a strange night sky. 
  Unfortunately, touching the globe also triggers a haunt 
  created by the devastating arrival of the Unspeakable One 
  from across the unknown void.
  The Unspeakable One’s Haunt 
        CR 12
  XP 19,200
  CE persistent haunt (Area 8G)
  Caster Level 12th
  Perception DC 30 (growing cold followed by a shadow 
  moving amongst the stars)
  hp 54
  Trigger touch (the globe in the center of the room); Reset 
  automatic (1 hour after the last person dies or leaves the 
  room, or after the haunt is temporarily killed)
  Effect 2 rounds after the activation of the navigation 
  globe, the room becomes numbingly cold and a shadow 
  from between the stars quickly moves toward the heroes 
  until it blots out the projected lights. Ghostly images of 
  serpent people in long white coats emerge from the room’s 
  floor. The serpent people frantically run toward the globe, 
  before each contorts and screams, tearing at its face and 
  body with its own claws. Each person in the room feels 
  the awful presence of the Unspeakable One begin to crush 
  his sanity and must make a DC 20 Will save. On a failure, 
  he begins to claw out his own eyes, taking 2d6+3 damage 
  and making a (DC 10 + damage taken) Fortitude save or 
  becoming permanently blind. As long as anyone remains 
  in the room and the haunt is active, he must save every 
  round. He may, of course, flee the room.
  Destruction The crystal globe must be blessed by a high 
  priest of Yig to destroy the haunt. If the globe is smashed 
  into bits but not properly destroyed, it reassembles itself 
  the next time the haunt resets. XP isn’t awarded for this 
  encounter unless the crystal globe is blessed and the haunt 
  is permanently destroyed.
  8H. Sunken Cavern
  If the party has found and decided to follow the submerged 
  ramp, read the following:
  Beneath the water, you can just make out a ramp cut 
  into the cavern’s floor. The ramp descends until it 
  reaches a tunnel. The tunnel winds and slowly descends 
  for about 50 feet before opening into a large, water-filled 
  cave (beneath but unconnected to Areas 8X and 8Y).
  This cave is the shoggti’s lair, although they spend little 
  time here. The shoggti mainly use it as a place to store 
  valuables taken from the explorers who have found this 
  complex over the centuries. Because the chamber is 
  flooded almost to the ceiling in 20 feet of murky water, it is 
  difficult to explore. A DC 25 Perception check reveals the 
  valuables hidden here.
  Treasure: a rotten wooden chest containing 2,000 gp, 
  several amber rods (700 gp total), a ring of jumping, and a 
  headband of counterspelling
  
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  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  Part Two: The Complex
  8I. Foul Aqueduct
  A 10-foot-wide open sluiceway crosses your path before 
  heading through low arches cut into the walls of the 
  corridor to the north and south. What appears to be a 
  10-foot-wide glass bridge crosses the foul black, sludge-
  like water churning beneath.
  The bridge’s enchanted glass is as strong as steel and quite 
  safe to cross. The same can’t be said for the water, which is 
  the home of a gargantuan, water-breathing black pudding. 
  If the heroes cross the bridge, they are safe; however, 
  if anyone so much as touches the water, there is a 50% 
  chance the pudding is near enough to notice and moves to 
  attack. (See Area 8Y for the pudding’s statistics.)
  Development: The water channel crosses Areas 8L, 8S, 
  8W, 8X, and 8Y. Once the pudding has been destroyed, 
  all of the water channels become safe to navigate. If the 
  PCs defeat the black pudding, they can use the channel to 
  swim to those areas (DC 10 Swim check). The foul water is 
  unpleasant but not toxic. It clears up over the next several 
  days, as the remains of the pudding are washed away.
  When you cross the bridge, you can see that this corridor 
  intersects with another one a short distance ahead of you 
  and that there appears to be another bridge beyond that.
  8J. Crystal Clear Aqueduct
  A 10-foot-wide open sluiceway crosses your path 
  before heading through low arches cut into the walls of 
  the corridor to the north and south. What appears to 
  be a 10-foot-wide glass bridge crosses the crystal clear 
  water beneath.
  The bridge’s enchanted glass is as strong as steel and quite 
  safe to cross. The clear water in the channel is clean and 
  safe. Through the water, the heroes can see that the channel 
  is approximately 10 feet deep.
  Development: The water channel crosses Areas 8U, 8Z, 
  and 8AA. The PCs can use the channel to swim to those 
  areas (DC 10 Swim check).
  8K. Aqueduct Connector
  This 10-foot-wide open sluiceway passes underneath the 
  corridor and connects the other two watercourses.
  Those entering the Serpents’ Nest (Area 8Z) or trying to 
  swim from the Mess Hall (Area 8Y) to the Nest can see 
  that there’s a blockage made up of metal and stone debris 
  on the 8Z side of the corridor. The serpent people living 
  there created the barricade to keep out the black pudding.
  8L. Cross Corridor
  When you exit the flooded cavern, a long, 30-foot-wide 
  undulating corridor extends away to the west. Faintly 
  glowing crystals embedded in the walls dimly light the 
  corridor. You can see that a water channel crosses the 
  corridor in the distance.
  If the glow crystals are removed from the walls, they stop 
  glowing after 3 rounds. A DC 10 Knowledge (geology) 
  or (nature) check identifies them as relatively worthless 
  quartz. A DC 16 Perception check notes that what at first 
  appeared to be piles of stone rubble at several points along 
  the corridor are, in fact, the petrified remains of serpent 
  people in various positions that speak of pain and panic. 
  These remains are the reason that the serpent people 
  revenants won’t enter this corridor.
  8M. Main Corridor                             (CR 11)
  This 30-foot-wide undulating corridor runs north-south 
  as far as you can see. In the soft glow of the wall crystals, 
  you can see doors along both sides of the corridor. The 
  extreme south end of the corridor is dimly bathed in 
  pale blue light, and you can see some sort of activity 
  happening near there, although you can’t make out 
  details at this distance.
  If the heroes investigate the activity, they get halfway to 
  the south end of the corridor before they can tell that 
  it’s two ragged reptilian forms standing outside a door. 
  Two revenants are trying to get at the degenerates in the 
  Serpents’ Nest (Area 8Z), but they have been unable to 
  force the door. The horrible arrival of the Unspeakable One 
  created these revenants. Their centuries of inability to get 
  revenge for their deaths have driven them insane. They now 
  attack any living creatures, including the heroes, on sight.
  Serpent Person Revenant (2) 
          CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Serpent person revenant fighter 3
  LE Medium undead (reptilian, shapechanger)
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft., sense murderer;  
  Perception +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+5 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural)
  hp 122 (9d8+3d10+60)
  Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +9
  DR 5/slashing; Immune cold, undead traits; SR 17
  Weaknesses self-loathing
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
  Melee 2 claws +19 (2d6+9 plus grab)
  Special Attacks baleful shriek, constrict (1d6+9)
  STATISTICS
  Str 28, Dex 21, Con —, Int 5, Wis 14, Cha 21
  
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  Chapter Five
  Base Atk +9; CMB +18 (+22 grapple); CMD 33
  Feats Cleave, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, 
  Improved Natural Attack (claw), Lunge, Power Attack, Step 
  Up, Weapon Focus (claw)
  Skills Disguise +15, Escape Artist +9, Intimidate +18, 
  Perception +16, Stealth +9, Swim +17; Racial Modifiers 
  +4 Escape Artist, +4 Stealth, +8 Swim, +10 Disguise (using 
  change shape)
  Languages Ancient Valossan
  SQ change shape (alter self), reason to hate
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any land
  Organization solitary, although sometimes found in small, 
  temporary groups
  Treasure one wears a belt of mighty constitution +2 (long 
  since worn out for this user)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Baleful Shriek (Su) Once every 1d4 rounds, a revenant can 
  shriek as a standard action. All creatures within a 60-foot 
  spread must make a DC 19 Will save or cower in fear for 
  1d4 rounds. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save 
  DC is Charisma-based.
  Reason to Hate (Su) A revenant’s hatred for its murderer 
  fuels its existence. As long as the murderer exists, the 
  revenant exists. If the murderer dies, the revenant is 
  immediately slain. A murderer who becomes undead does 
  not trigger a revenant’s destruction.
    When a revenant encounters its murderer, it gains 
  the benefits of a haste spell (CL 20th) for as long as its 
  murderer remains in sight. Against its murderer, the 
  revenant also gains a +4 profane bonus on attack rolls, 
  weapon damage rolls, grapple checks, and saving throws. 
  As the Unspeakable One murdered the revenants, they’re 
  not likely to be able to use this ability unless it’s triggered 
  by its self-loathing ability.
    If the haunt of the Unspeakable One (Area 8G) is 
  destroyed, then the revenants immediately die.
  Self-Loathing (Ex) When confronted with its reflection or 
  any object that was important to it in life, a revenant must 
  make a DC 20 Will save to avoid becoming overwhelmed 
  with self-pity. This condition renders it helpless, and lasts 
  until the revenant is attacked or sees its murderer. If a 
  revenant resists becoming overwhelmed, it becomes 
  obsessed with whatever triggered the saving throw and 
  does everything it can to destroy it, reacting to the trigger 
  as if the trigger were its murderer and gaining bonuses 
  from its reason to hate ability.
  Sense Murderer (Su) A revenant knows the direction but not 
  the distance to its murderer. This sense can be blocked by 
  any effect that blocks scrying.
    Against its murderer, a revenant has true seeing and 
  discern lies in effect at all times (CL 20th). These abilities 
  cannot be dispelled.
  Tactics: The revenants attack as soon as they spot the 
  heroes. They fight recklessly, trying to kill as many as 
  possible. If one of the adventurers has the unholy symbol of 
  the Unspeakable One from the dimensional galleon (Area 
  8D), both revenants attack him to the exclusion of all others.
  Morale: The revenants fight to the death and will pursue 
  retreating opponents, but avoid the petrified remains 
  of the serpent people in the Cross Corridor (Area 8L). 
  Confronting them with mirror images of themselves 
  triggers the self-loathing ability.
  8N. Elemental Laboratory                (CR 12)
  Read the following when the party approaches Area 8N.
  The end of the hallway ahead of you isn’t stone like most 
  of the walls, but rather a curious opaque gray crystal. 
  A silvery metal pole runs from floor to ceiling in the 
  middle of the crystal panel. You can vaguely make out 
  shapes on the other side of the crystal.
  The panel is a rotating door. If someone pushes on the 
  left side of the crystal panel, it rotates smoothly around 
  the central pole, allowing entry into the room. The heroes 
  can figure this out with a DC 10 Intelligence check or 
  through trial and error. Once the party enters the room, 
  read the following:
  Beyond the strange crystal door, you find a large semi-
  circular room, mainly filled with shattered glass, rusty 
  pieces of metal, collapsed shelves, and unidentifiable 
  debris. On the south side of the room, a large glass tube 
  originates from within a tangle of metal boxes, before 
  exiting into the ground near the east wall. Lightning 
  plays back and forth inside the tube, and a loud buzzing 
  can be heard even at a distance. On the north side of the 
  room a similar tube lies broken in pieces. In the middle 
  of the room is a pool of foul water surrounded by a low 
  wall. Arcane symbols can be seen carved into the stones 
  of the wall surrounding the pool.
  Development: If the heroes have already encountered 
  any of the lightning tubes, they likely know what they are. 
  (See Area 8C for information on the lightning tubes and 
  the consequences of breaking them.) Thousands of years 
  ago, this pool drew energy from the various elemental and 
  para-elemental planes (something that can be deduced 
  with a successful DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) check). The 
  pool ceased to function a long time ago.
  As the PCs investigate the pool, or if they come within 10 
  feet of the north end of the room, a lightning elemental 
  emerges from the shattered lighting tube and attacks.
  Advanced Elder Lightning Elemental CR 12
  XP 12,800
  N Huge outsider (air, elemental, extraplanar)
  Init +14; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
  DEFENSE
  AC 29, touch 21, flat-footed 16 (+12 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 
  natural, –2 size)
  
  70
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  hp 168 (16d10+80)
  Fort +15, Ref +22, Will +9
  DR 10/—; Immune electricity, elemental traits
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 100 ft. (perfect)
  Melee 2 slams +26 (2d8+10 plus 2d8 electricity)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks metal mastery, spark leap
  STATISTICS
  Str 30, Dex 35, Con 20, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 15
  Base Atk +16; CMB +28; CMD 51
  Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Flyby Attack, 
  Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, 
  Weapon Finesse (slam)
  Skills Acrobatics +31, Escape Artist +31, Fly +16, Intimidate 
  +21, Knowledge (planes) +21, Perception +21, Stealth +23
  Languages Auran
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Metal Mastery (Ex) The lightning elemental gains a +3 
  bonus on attack rolls if its opponent is wearing metal 
  armor, is wielding a metal weapon, or is made of metal 
  (such as an iron golem).
  Spark Leap (Ex) The lightning elemental gains a +10 bonus 
  on bull rush, disarm, overrun, and trip attacks when it 
  charges a creature against whom its metal mastery ability 
  applies.
  Tactics: The lighting elemental attacks as long as 
  the adventurers remain in the room. It doesn’t chase 
  opponents beyond the crystal door.
  Morale: The elemental is fearless and fights to the 
  death as long as intruders remain.
  Treasure: A DC 15 Perception check reveals several 
  blue, red, green, and yellow glass tubes. A few are cracked 
  and useless, but at least one of each color is whole. As 
  arcane oddities, they’re worth 500 gp each.(The true 
  value of the colored glass tubes is that they can power the 
  engines of the dimensional galleon; see Area 8F.)
  8O. Surgery Theater                           (CR 13)
  As the explorers approach Area 8O, read the following:
  A curious opaque gray crystal panel blocks the end of the 
  hall ahead. A silvery metal pole runs from floor to ceiling 
  in the middle of the crystal panel. A metallic scraping 
  and clanging sound can be heard through the crystal.
  The panel is a rotating door. If someone pushes on the left 
  side of the crystal panel, it rotates smoothly around the 
  central pole, allowing entry into the room. The heroes can 
  figure this out with a DC 10 Intelligence check or through 
  trial and error.
  When the adventurers get a closer look at the room, read 
  the following:
  Beyond the hall, is a semi-circular amphitheater: rows of 
  stone bleachers providing a view of several metal tables 
  in the middle of the room. A large, lightning-filled glass 
  tube originates from a tangle of metal boxes and tubes 
  in a recess in the south wall. A reptilian humanoid is 
  strapped to the western metal table, struggling against 
  the bonds. Beside the table stands what looks to be an 
  emaciated serpent person in a long white coat with his 
  back to you; he is apparently in the process of cutting 
  into the prisoner with a jagged saw. A hulking machine 
  topped by a clear crystal dome in which floats a pulsing 
  brain stands beside the surgeon, holding a tray of 
  wicked-looking surgical instruments.
  The bodak and alchemical golem (the machine creature) 
  have been “maintaining” this surgical center for millennia. 
  The bodak has only dim memories of its life before its 
  transformation. Most of these involve cutting things open, 
  so that’s what it continues to do. It long ago discovered 
  that it could experiment on the revenants as much as it 
  liked without causing them permanent harm, because 
  they’re already dead.
  The bodak quickly becomes aware of intruders, and turns 
  to confront them with its gaze attack. If the adventurers 
  take any hostile action, it orders the golem to attack.
  Advanced Bodak  
                                  CR 10
  XP 9,600
  CE Medium undead (extraplanar, reptilian, shapechanger)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 22 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 
  natural)
  hp 140 (17d8+68)
  Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +11
  DR 10/cold iron; Immune electricity, undead traits; Resist 
  acid 10, fire 10
  Weaknesses vulnerability to sunlight
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
  Melee 2 slams +15 (1d8+2)
  Special Attacks death gaze
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 15, Con —, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 16
  Base Atk +12; CMB +14; CMD 26
  Feats Ability Focus (death gaze), Dodge, Improved Initiative, 
  Improved Vital Strike, Lunge, Mobility, Toughness, Vital 
  Strike, Weapon Focus (slam)
  Skills Disguise + 13, Escape Artist +6, Intimidate +16, 
  Perception +19, Stealth +18, Swim +10; Racial Modifiers 
  +4 Escape Artist, +4 Stealth, +8 Swim, +10 Disguise (using 
  change shape)
  Languages Ancient Valossan
  SQ change shape (alter self)
  Combat Gear cloak of displacement (major) in the form of a 
  long white doctor’s coat
  
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  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Change Shape (Ex) Unlike lesser examples of the type, 
  this advanced bodak retains a number of features of its 
  previous life as a serpent person, including its racial skill 
  bonuses and its ability to change shape. Unfortunately, it 
  doesn’t necessarily remember this, or much of anything 
  of its prior existence, so it’s unlikely to use these abilities 
  unless it first makes a DC 15 Int check.
    With a DC 20 Perception check, a hero notices that 
  the bodak has no external ears when in its doctor 
  form. This grants it a +4 bonus to saves versus sonic 
  attacks (including the baleful shriek of the revenant it’s 
  experimenting on), but makes it equally difficult for the 
  bodak to hear normal speech.
    If not using change shape, the creature looks like a 
  regular desiccated bodak, although with a distinctly 
  reptilian substructure underlying its features.
  Death Gaze (Su) 1d4 negative levels, 30 feet; Fortitude DC 
  23 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based. A humanoid 
  slain by a bodak’s death gaze rises as a bodak 24 hours 
  later. This is a death effect.
  Vulnerability to Sunlight (Ex) The bodak loathes sunlight, 
  as its merest touch burns its impure flesh. Each round of 
  exposure to direct sunlight deals 2d6 points of damage to it.
  Tactics: The bodak spends its first round freeing 
  the serpent person revenant. The bodak believes the 
  revenant’s hatred of the living is stronger than its desire 
  for revenge after centuries of suffering at the bodak’s 
  hands. The bodak then avoids combat, letting the golem 
  and revenant do the fighting. It remains with 30 feet to 
  keep its death gaze attack in play. It enters melee if it 
  appears the golem and revenant are going to lose.
  Morale: The bodak hates all living creatures, is fearless, 
  and fights to the death.
  Treasure: masterwork surgical tools (250 gp)
  Serpent Person Revenant                          CR 9
  XP 6,400
  LE fighter 3
  hp 122 (currently 55) (see Area 8M)
  Tactics: The revenant attacks the closest living creature. 
  If one of the heroes has the unholy symbol of the 
  Unspeakable One from the dimensional galleon (Area 8D), 
  the revenant attacks him to the exclusion of all others.
  Advanced Alchemical Golem 
        CR 11
  XP 6,400
  N Large construct
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision;  
  Perception +0
  DEFENSE
  AC 27, touch 15, flat-footed 21 (+6 Dex, +12 natural, –1 size)
  hp 120 (12d10+54)
  Fort +4, Ref +10, Will +6
  DR 10/adamantine or bludgeoning; Immune construct 
  traits, magic
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee 2 slams +21 (2d8+10 plus alchemy)
  Ranged bomb +17 (8d6 energy damage)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  Special Attacks alchemy, bombs, splash
  STATISTICS
  Str 31, Dex 22, Con —, Int —, Wis 15, Cha 5
  Base Atk +12; CMB +23; CMD 39
  ECOLOGY
  Environment any
  Organization solitary or gang (2–4)
  Treasure none
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Alchemy (Ex) When an alchemical golem strikes an 
  opponent, the attack has an additional random effect (1d6):
  1. 1d6 points of acid damage
  2. 1d6 points of cold damage
  3. 1d6 points of electricity damage
  4. 1d6 points of fire damage
  5. causes the target to become sickened (Fortitude 
  DC 16 negates)
  6. causes the target to be entangled (Reflex DC 16 
  negates) for 1d4 round
  These save DCs are Constitution-based.
  Bombs (Ex) As a standard action, an alchemical golem can 
  throw a bomb as a ranged touch attack to a distance of 60 
  feet (no range increment). If the attack misses, treat it as a 
  thrown splash weapon to determine where it lands. Anyone 
  struck by an alchemical golem’s bomb takes 8d6 points 
  of acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage (determine type 
  randomly). All creatures adjacent to the location where the 
  bomb hits take 1d6 points of damage of the same type.
  Immunity to Magic (Ex) An alchemical golem is immune 
  to spells or spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance, 
  except for spells with the sonic descriptor. Shatter damages 
  an alchemical golem as if it were a crystalline creature.
  Splash (Ex) Any strike on an alchemical golem with a non-
  reach melee weapon deals 1 point of acid, cold, electricity, 
  or fire damage (determine type randomly) to the attacker. 
  This amount increases to 1d6 points of damage if the 
  attack is a critical hit.
  Tactics: The golem follows the bodak’s orders. Under 
  the bodak’s orders, it can choose what form of damage its 
  alchemy or bombs (but not splash) cause.
  Morale: The golem is fearless and fights until destroyed 
  or ordered to stop.
  8P. Hall of the Crystal Columns         (CR 11)
  As the party approaches Area 8P, read the following:
  A gray crystal panel blocks the end of the hall ahead. 
  A silvery metal pole runs from floor to ceiling in the 
  middle of the crystal panel. Blue light leaks through the 
  crystal to fill the end of the hallway.
  
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  The panel is a rotating door. If someone pushes on the left 
  side of the crystal panel, it rotates smoothly around the 
  central pole, allowing entry into the room. The heroes can 
  figure this out with a DC 10 Intelligence check or through 
  trial and error.
  Once the heroes enter the room, they see the following:
  Six pale blue crystal columns dominate the large semi-
  circular room beyond; the columns seemingly grow 
  out of the floor and continue up to ceiling. Between the 
  middle pair of columns is a ramp leading down.
  Illusionary effects do not work in Area 8P, so any 
  continuing illusions employed by the adventurers are 
  either terminated (if the spell or spell-like effect has a 
  limited duration) or suppressed while the source of the 
  illusion is in the hall (if the spell is permanent).
  The initiates used this room to see if they were worthy to 
  guard the lantern. The crystal columns react to the lantern’s 
  presence, creating an effect similar to mirrors of opposition. 
  If the lantern is in the room and someone comes within 
  10 feet of a column, the column produces a dark reflection 
  of him, that then steps forth from the pillar and attacks. 
  This reflection has all of the abilities and equipment of the 
  original. It concentrates its attacks on the hero it duplicates, 
  but will defend itself against attacks from others. If either 
  the hero or the reflection is killed, the reflection and all of 
  its equipment fade away.
  Each pillar only creates one reflection at a time, and no 
  pillar makes a reflection of someone if there’s a copy of him 
  currently in the room or if he’s defeated his reflection and 
  passed the test. If an adventurer retreats out of the room, 
  his reflection fades away, but a new one is created the next 
  time he enters and approaches a pillar. Because of the 
  positioning of the pillar, the heroes must approach within 
  10 feet of at least two pillars in order to descend the ramp.
  Alternatively, the pillars can be destroyed. Each pillar has 
  hardness 10 and 88 hp. If a pillar is shattered, the reflection 
  it formed fades away.
  8Q. Library
  This room is full of shelves and was once some kind 
  of library or record storage area. Most of the books 
  and scrolls have collapsed into dust, but a few remain 
  on the shelves, defying the ages, lying beside metal 
  plaques that are still as shiny as the day they were 
  etched. A closed door is straight ahead, and there is an 
  archway to the south.
  Development: If any of the PCs can read Ancient 
  Valossan (the language of the serpent people), has access 
  to a comprehend languages, or can succeed at a DC 28 
  Decipher Script check, the plaques and few remaining 
  scrolls include some information on the history of the 
  complex, as well as a lot of day-to-day information, such 
  as supply manifests. Feel free to provide basic information 
  from the Introduction (page 4) about the complex.
  The archway in the south wall leads to the Dark Library 
  (Area 8R).
  8R. Dark Library 
                               (CR 1)
  The air in this room crackles with mystic energy. In the 
  middle of the room are a number of low tables in which 
  are row after row of small, beautifully carved crystals. 
  Each crystal is marked with a different strange symbol.
  The ancient serpent people went to great lengths to preserve 
  this room. A detect magic reveals powerful preservative 
  magic covers the area. Each of the crystals is a repository of 
  knowledge. The symbols can be used to identify the crystals, 
  but only by someone who can read Ancient Valossan. If a 
  crystal is pressed firmly to a person’s forehead, he receives 
  a vision of the information stored, almost as if he had been 
  present at the history’s unfolding. The information transfer 
  seems to take quite a while to the participant, as he lives 
  through the events, but, in fact, only lasts 1 round. At the 
  end of the round, the user must make a DC 20 Will save or 
  suffer one of the following effects (1d4):
  1. stunned for 1d3 rounds
  2. gains a +1 inherent bonus to Int for 24 hours
  3. permanently learns Ancient Valossan but loses the 
  ability to speak one randomly determined language or 
  Common if that is his only language
  4. takes 1d6 electrical damage as the crystal overloads
  Development: The information in the crystals covers 
  the creation of the Eye of Yig and the dimensional galleon, 
  the trip deep into the Abyss that brought back Granthu 
  and the brimorak demons, and the workings of the 
  complex’s machinery (the colored glass tubes filled with 
  elemental energy, in addition to a lot of other information 
  that’s mostly useless now). This information should be 
  relayed to the user as if he were actually taking part in 
  those events of long ago.
  8S. Transport System
  Through the door at the back of the library, you see 
  a large open area bisected by a canal filled with black 
  sluggish water. Two glass bridges span the canal. Beyond 
  the bridges, ramps lead up to a raised platform. Two 
  open doors can be seen on the platform.
  This area served as one end of the swimming channels 
  enjoyed by the serpent people as a way of quickly moving 
  about the complex. It is now part of the home of a 
  gargantuan black pudding. The enchanted glass of the 
  bridges is as strong as steel and safe to cross. However, 
  if anyone touches the water, there is a 50% chance the 
  pudding is near enough to notice and moves to attack. 
  (See Area 8Y for the pudding’s statistics.)
  Development: The water channel crosses Areas 8L, 8W,  
  8X, and 8Y. If the adventurers defeat the black pudding, 
  
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  they can use the channel to swim to those areas (DC 10 
  Swim check). The foul water is unpleasant but not toxic.
  The revenants in the Dormitories (Area 8T) closely watch 
  this area. Unless the heroes are trying to be stealthy, the 
  revenants see them coming and move to engage them at the 
  top of the ramps. If combat with the black pudding occurs, 
  the revenants descend the ramps to also attack the intruders.
  8T. Dormitories 
                             (CR 12)
  Beyond the open doors, you see rusting and 
  disintegrating beds and a few collapsed chests. The walls 
  and floors of this room are covered with claw marks, as 
  if wild beasts had been imprisoned within.
  These adjacent rooms were once dormitories for the 
  complex. They are now the home of three revenants, 
  unfortunate victims of the coming of the Unspeakable 
  One. If the revenants are not encountered in Area 8S, they 
  are encountered in one of these rooms.
  Serpent Person Revenant (3)                   CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  LE fighter 3
  hp 122 (see Area 8M)
  Tactics: The revenants attack the closest living creature. 
  If one of the adventurers has the unholy symbol of the 
  Unspeakable One from Area 8D, the revenants attack him 
  to the exclusion of all others.
  Treasure: 230 gp, masterwork alchemy set (180 gp), 
  potion of cure critical wounds, amber rod (250 gp), one 
  wears an amulet of natural armor +3, one wears a ring of 
  sustenance (functioning, but useless to undead)
  8U. Arcane Laboratory                     (CR 10 )
  This large room is bisected by a channel of clear water. 
  Two glass bridges span the canal. Beyond the bridges, 
  ramps lead to a raised platform with a closed door. The 
  near side of the room is a jumble of machinery. On the 
  north side of the room, a large glass tube originates 
  from within a tangle of metal boxes and tubes before 
  exiting into a curved portion of the north wall. A large 
  horned creature stands in a circle of arcane symbols at 
  the south end of the room.
  The machinery to the north is a lighting tube. See Area 
  8C for information on the lightning tubes and the 
  consequences of breaking them.
  The creature in the summoning circle is a kalavakus 
  demon. It’s over seven feet tall, incredibly muscular, and 
  covered with razor-sharp horns. The demon was originally 
  summoned to help in the location of an appropriate 
  guardian for the lantern, but the serpent people found the 
  demon too useful to release afterwards.
  The demon claims to know a lot about what’s going on, but 
  it really doesn’t know very much about the current state 
  of the complex. It can, however, tell the heroes a bit about 
  Granthu, such as that Granthu is a qlippoth and what a few 
  of its abilities are, such as resistances, DR, etc. If the party 
  makes a deal with the demon in return for information, it 
  lives up to the bargain. It has been trapped a long time and 
  wants to go back to the Abyss. If, however, it is freed by the 
  water from Area 8V, it attacks the adventurers immediately.
  Kalavakus Demon                                    CR 10
  XP 9,600
  hp 125 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2)
  Tactics: The demon casts haste as soon as anyone enters 
  the room. If freed by the water from Area 8V, it begins 
  combat by trying to dominate a warrior type. If successful, 
  the demon orders its minion to protect it while it tries to 
  use its enslave soul special ability and wades into combat.
  Morale: The demon wants its freedom more than it 
  wants to fight. If brought below 30 hp, it attempts to 
  teleport away.
  Treasure: scroll of greater restoration, ring of the ram, 
  both buried in the rubble; DC 18 Perception check to find
  8V. Flooded Dorm                             (CR 10)
  At the top of the ramps, a single door exits the platform. 
  It’s swollen and cold to the touch.
  This door leads to a dormitory nearly identical to those in 
  Area 8T. However, near-freezing water has seeped through 
  cracks in the rocks and filled the room. Because the door 
  is swollen, a DC 15 Strength check is required to open it. 
  If the door is opened, a flood of icy cold water and several 
  well-preserved serpent people bodies pour into the room. 
  Whoever opened the door must make a DC 18 Reflex save 
  to leap out of the way, or a DC 16 Strength check to resist 
  the flow of water. Failure means he’s swept along with the 
  water and over the edge back into Area 8U, taking 2d6 
  damage in the process. The corpses aren’t undead, but feel 
  free to play up the fact that they appear to be moving as the 
  water throws them around.
  Development: One of the preserved corpses washes 
  into the summoning circle and releases the demon from 
  its prison, if it hasn’t already been released. The room is 
  otherwise empty.
  8W. Refuse
  This large room is bisected by a channel of sluggish 
  black water crossed by a glass bridge. Most of the room 
  is filled with broken bits of furniture, odd-looking tools, 
  and other rubbish. You can see a door on the far side of 
  the bridge.
  This room is currently being used by the degenerate 
  serpent people for all of the trash they encounter while 
  
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  refurbishing the complex. There is nothing of value here.
  If anyone touches the water in the channel, there is a 50% 
  chance the black pudding that has made the channel its 
  home is near enough to notice and moves to attack. (See 
  Area 8Y for the pudding’s statistics.)
  8X. Cold Storage
  Beyond the door, you see a long narrow room bisected 
  by a channel of sluggish black water. The air in this 
  room is extremely cold and frost rimes the walls. There 
  is no bridge crossing the channel, but you can see doors 
  on two of the other walls. Much of the room is filled 
  with barrels and crates.
  Although this room has stayed cold throughout the 
  centuries, the food and drink stored here has spoiled long 
  ago. Because of the cold, the black pudding does not like 
  this room and does not attack unless someone actually 
  enters the water. Even then, there is only a 25% chance that 
  the pudding is in the area to attack. (See Area 8Y for the 
  pudding’s statistics.)
  Area 8X is located above but is not connected to Area 8H.
  8Y. Mess Hall                                       (CR 12)
  Two water channels meet up in this room, a black 
  sluggish north-south channel and a slightly less-foul-
  looking channel extending to the west. A glass bridge 
  crosses over to the eastern part of the room. The eastern 
  wall and ceiling have partially collapsed. Water seeps 
  slowly from the piled debris and eventually ends up in 
  the water channels. Most of the room is taken up with 
  the remains of rusty metal tables.
  This room is the home of the black pudding. If it has 
  not been encountered and defeated elsewhere, it will be 
  encountered here.
  Area 8Y is located above Area 8H, but its only connections 
  to it are winding water-filled crevices in the collapsed 
  eastern wall too narrow for a person to negotiate.
  Advanced Fiendish Black Pudding     CR 12
  XP 19,200
  N Gargantuan ooze
  Init –5; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Perception –5
  DEFENSE
  AC 1, touch 1, flat-footed 1 (–4 size, –5 Dex)
  hp 288 (23d8+184)
  Fort +15, Ref +2, Will +2
  Defensive Abilities split, ooze traits; DR 10/good; Resist 
  cold 15, fire 15; SR 17
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
  Melee slam +21 (2d8+12 plus 2d8 acid plus grab)
  Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks constrict (2d8+12 plus 2d8 acid), corrosion, 
  smite good 1/day (+23 damage)
  STATISTICS
  Str 26, Dex 1, Con 26, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 2
  Base Atk +17; CMB +29 (+33 grapple); CMD 34 (44 vs. bull 
  rush, can’t be tripped)
  Skills Climb +16
  SQ amphibious, ooze traits, suction
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Acid (Ex) The black pudding secretes a digestive acid that 
  dissolves organic material and metal quickly, but doesn’t 
  affect stone. Each time a creature suffers damage from 
  the acid, its clothing and armor take the same amount of 
  acid damage from the acid unless the wearer makes a DC 
  29 Reflex save. A metal or wooden weapon that strikes 
  the pudding takes 2d8 acid damage unless the weapon’s 
  wielder succeeds on a DC 29 Reflex save. If the black 
  pudding remains in contact with a wooden or metal object 
  for 1 full round, it inflicts 29 points of acid damage (no 
  save) to the object. The save DCs are Constitution-based.
  Corrosion (Ex) An opponent that is being constricted by the 
  black pudding suffers a –4 penalty on Reflex saves made to 
  resist acid damage applying to clothing and armor.
  Split (Ex) Slashing and piercing weapons deal no damage 
  to the black pudding. Instead, the creature splits into two 
  identical puddings, each with half of the original’s current 
  hit points (round down). A pudding with 10 hit points or less 
  cannot be further split and dies if reduced to 0 hit points.
  Suction (Ex) The black pudding can create powerful suction 
  against any surface as it climbs, allowing it to cling to 
  inverted surfaces with ease. It can establish or release 
  suction as a swift action, and as long as it’s using suction, 
  it moves at half speed. Because of the suction, the black 
  pudding’s CMD score gets a +10 circumstance bonus to 
  resist bull rush, awesome blows, and other effects meant 
  to move it.
  Tactics: The pudding waits until someone comes close 
  to the channel or tries to cross the bridge. It then lurches 
  forth in an avalanche of black ooze, attacking all within 
  reach. It automatically uses its smite good special attack 
  first in any combat, not knowing whether its opponent is 
  good, evil, or neutral.
  Morale: The pudding is mindless and fights to the death, 
  but doesn’t pursue the adventurers beyond the room it’s 
  found in, as it prefers to remain near the water channel.
  Treasure: If the heroes dig through the rubble at the 
  eastern end of the room, on a DC 22 Perception check, 
  they find a serpent person skeleton still holding a wand 
  of ice storm (12 charges) and anaconda’s coils (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment).
  8Z. Serpents’ Nest                           (CR 10)
  A pair of water channels crosses this large room, and a 
  pair of glass bridges cross the central channel; but there 
  
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  is no bridge over the east-west channel. As you enter, 
  you’re confronted by a group of savage-looking serpent 
  people who don’t look happy to see you.
  These are degenerate serpent people. They don’t 
  understand the power of the lantern or this complex, 
  but they feel tied to this site by the lingering aura of the 
  Unspeakable One. They’ve currently taken up residence 
  in this area while trying to figure out how to get through 
  the Hall of the Crystal Columns (Area 8P) and into the 
  lantern’s inner sanctum.
  Degenerate Serpent Person  
  Barbarian 6 (4)                                            CR 6
  XP 1,600
  CE Medium monstrous humanoid (reptilian, shapechanger)
  Init +6; Senses Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +1 
  dodge, +1 natural)
  hp 69 (6d12+18)
  Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +1
  Defensive Abilities improved uncanny dodge, trap sense +2
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., swim 20 ft.
  Melee masterwork spear +11/+6 (1d8+4/×3) and bite +10 
  (1d6+3 plus poison); or 2 claws +10 (1d4+3) and bite +10 
  (1d6+3 and poison)
  Ranged masterwork composite longbow +9/+4 (1d8+3/×3)
  Special Attacks rage (16 rounds/day), rage powers (no 
  escape, rolling dodge (+2 for 5 rounds), scent), thrall to the 
  Unspeakable One
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 6
  Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 24
  Feats Dodge, Improved Initiative, Power Attack
  Skills Acrobatics +11 (+15 jump), Climb +10, Disguise +8, 
  Escape Artist +6, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (nature) +4, 
  Perception +6, Survival +5, Swim +16, Stealth +6; Racial 
  Modifiers +4 Escape Artist, +4 Stealth, +8 Swim, +10 
  Disguise (using change shape)
  Languages Common, Valossan
  SQ change shape (alter self), fast movement
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of 
  firebreath, +1 studded leather, masterwork composite 
  longbow (+3 Str) with 40 arrows, masterwork spear
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Poisonous Bite (Ex) Bite – Injury; save Fort DC 16; frequency 
  1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d6 Wis; cure 1 save
  Rage (Ex) As a free action, a degenerate serpent person 
  barbarian can rage for 16 rounds. When raging, he has AC 
  16, touch 11, flat-footed 13; hp 81; Fort +10, Will +3; Melee 
  masterwork spear +13/+8 (1d8+6/×3) and bite +12 (1d6+5 
  plus poison); or 2 claws +12 (1d4+5) and bite +12 (1d6+5 
  and poison); Str 22, Con 20; CMB +12; Climb +12, Swim +18
   While raging, he can use any of his rage powers:
  No Escape (Ex): As an immediate action, move up to 
  double normal speed to pursue an adjacent foe using a 
  withdraw action to move away from him. Usable once 
  per rage.
  Rolling Dodge (Ex): Gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC against 
  ranged attacks for 5 rounds. Requires a move action to 
  activate.
  Scent (Ex): Gains the scent ability and can use it to locate 
  unseen foes.
  Thrall to the Unspeakable One (Su) Once per day, a 
  degenerate serpent person can invoke the power of its god 
  as an immediate action to gain a 1d6 bonus on a single 
  saving throw, attack roll, or weapon damage roll.
  Tactics: These degenerates immediately attack any 
  intruders, raging immediately. While making their first 
  attack, they use their thrall to the Unspeakable One 
  supernatural ability.
  Morale: The degenerate serpent people are fearless and 
  fight to the death.
  Treasure: In addition to their equipment, they have 
  650 gp and a silver and jade unholy symbol of the 
  Unspeakable one worth 500 gp.
  Area 8BB is located below this room, but isn’t connected 
  to it, except that some water from the aqueduct leaks 
  down into the tunnel.
  8AA. Parts Storage
  The splintered remains of a wooden door lead to a 
  long narrow room filled with piles of broken pipes, 
  shattered glass, and rotting wood. The far wall, on the 
  other side of a crystal bridge over a water channel, is 
  partially collapsed.
  This was once a storeroom for parts. Over the centuries, 
  however, the equipment stored here has all either 
  fallen apart or been destroyed by the complex’s various 
  inhabitants. There is nothing of value to find.
  Area 8AA is located beside Area 8BB, but its only 
  connections to it are holes in the partially collapsed 
  western wall too narrow for a person to negotiate.
  8BB. Bug Tunnel 
                             (CR 9 )
  Near the end of the hallway, a 10-foot-wide portion of 
  the floor and wall appears to have collapsed, leading to 
  a rough tunnel heading down and to the south and then 
  southwest. Water leaks from the ceiling and flows down 
  the tunnel. You can hear the water gaining speed farther 
  down the dark tunnel.
  Several giant mosquitos have made this tunnel their home. 
  They are currently hanging near the ceiling, and attack any 
  creature that travels 50 feet into the tunnel.
  
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  Area 8Z is located above the tunnel’s roof, but isn’t 
  connected to it.
  Giant Mosquito (3)                                    CR 6
  XP 2,400
  N Medium vermin
  Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +9
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 17, flat-footed 12 (+7 Dex, +2 natural)
  hp 60 (8d8+24)
  Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +3
  Immune mind-affecting effects
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
  Melee bite +10 (1d8+6 plus bleed, disease, and grab)
  Special Attacks bleed (2d4), blood drain (1d2 Constitution)
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 25, Con 17, Int —, Wis 13, Cha 6
  Base Atk +6; CMB +10 (+14 grapple); CMD 27 (35 vs. trip)
  Feats Improved Initiative
  Skills Fly +11, Perception +9; Racial Modifiers Perception+8
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Disease (Ex) Malaria: Bite—injury; save Fortitude DC 17; 
  onset 1d3 days; frequency 1 day; effect 1d3 Con damage 
  and 1d3 Wis Damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save 
  DC is Constitution-based.
  Tactics: The mosquitoes are hanging from the ceiling 
  about 50 feet from the entrance. They attack anyone who 
  moves beneath them.
  Morale: The mosquitoes are mindless and attack until 
  killed or until sated (three successful blood drain attacks).
  8CC. Spiders’ Lair 
                             (CR 11)
  As you proceed, the tunnel steepens, descending several 
  five-foot terraces. Water now rushes in a small stream 
  down the middle of the tunnel, to join a pool of water in 
  a cavern ahead.
  A successful DC 18 Perception check reveals large webs 
  near the ceiling of the cavern over the pool. The desiccated 
  husks of several giant mosquitoes and one serpent person 
  hang from the webs. The spiders, though, are not in the 
  web; they’re on the north wall of the cave near the ceiling in 
  two large crevices. These spiders are not the stealthiest, but 
  the circumstances and obvious distraction of the webs gives 
  them a +8 to their Stealth check if anyone looks for them.
  Advanced Ogre Spider (2)                        CR 9
  XP 6,400
  N Huge vermin
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; 
  Perception +5
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 10, flat-footed 21 (+2 Dex, +13 natural, –2 size)
  hp 150 (20d8+60)
  Fort +15, Ref +8, Will +7
  Immune mind-affecting effects
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.
  Melee bite +20 (2d8+10 plus poison)
  Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks web (+15 ranged, DC 23, hp 20)
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 15, Con 16, Int —, Wis 12, Cha 2
  Base Atk +15; CMB +24; CMD 36 (48 vs. trip)
  Skills Climb +31, Perception +5, Stealth –2; Racial 
  Modifiers +16 Climb, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
  SQ compression
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 25 (includes +2 racial 
  bonus); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d4 Str and 
  1d4 Dex; cure 1 save
  Tactics: The spiders wait for intruders to investigate 
  the pool and webs, and then drop behind them, trying to 
  trap them in the cave.
  Morale: The spiders are very hungry and attack until 
  killed.
  Treasure: If the heroes investigate the serpent person 
  body, they find a finely crafted circlet of gold leaves 
  on its head. This is a laurel of command (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment).
  Part Three: The Lantern
  8DD. Cultists                                       (CR 11)
  You follow a long ramp down into the darkness. The 
  ramp ends in a winding corridor stretching away to the 
  west. Dim light spills from several openings in the sides 
  of the tunnel.
  Several True Speaker cultists are waiting for the arrival of 
  the party, one in each entryway. The True Speakers have 
  learned of the Lantern of the Honest Man through the bard 
  Harcourt Horkel, and want to protect the lantern’s guardian, 
  as “The Truth” must continue to be revealed in Freeport.
  True Speaker Cultists (3)                          CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  Male human cleric 9
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +1; Senses Perception +10
  Aura madness (30 ft., DC 18, 9 rounds/day)
  DEFENSE
  AC 27, touch 11, flat-footed 26 (+11 armor, +5 shield, +1 Dex)
  hp 62 (9d8+18)
  Insanity Points 3
  Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +8
  Defensive Abilities combat casting
  
  77
  Chapter Five
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +1 merciful morningstar +8/+3 (1d8+1+1d6 non-
  lethal/x2) and heavy shield bash +2/–3 (1d4/x2)
  Special Attacks channel negative energy 6/day (DC 17, 5d6)
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th, concentration +21)
  At will – clairaudience/clairvoyance (9 rounds/day)
  7/day – vision of madness (3 rounds, melee touch +6)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 9th; concentration +12)
  5 (1+1/day)—slay living (DC 19), true seeingD
  4 (3+1/day)—confusionD (DC 18), discern lies, divine power, 
  unholy blight (DC 18)
  3 (4+1/day)—bestow curse (DC 17), blindness/deafness (DC 
  17), dispel magic, prayer, speak with deadD
  2 (5+1/day)—bull’s strength, death knell (DC 16), hold 
  person (DC 16), silence (DC 16), sound burst (DC 15), touch 
  of idiocyD
  1 (5+1/day)—bane (DC 15), cause fear (DC 15), cure light 
  wounds, doom (DC 15), entropic shield, lesser confusionD 
  (DC 15)
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 14), guidance, light, resistance
  Deity Truth; Domains Knowledge, Madness; D domain spells
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13/19 (16), Cha 17
  Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 17
  Feats Alignment Channel (evil), Armor Proficiency (heavy), 
  Combat Casting, Selective Channeling, Shield Focus, 
  Weapon Focus (morningstar)
  Skills Heal +6, Knowledge (planes) +8, Knowledge (religion) 
  +10, Linguistics +7, Perception +10, Sense Motive +12, 
  Spellcraft +8
  Languages Common, Goblin
  SQ aura, aura of madness (30-ft. aura, 9 rounds/day), lore 
  keeper, remote viewing (9 rounds/day), spontaneous 
  casting (evil)
  Combat Gear +2 full plate, +2 heavy wooden shield, +1 
  merciful morningstar, cloak of resistance +1
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Aura (Ex) The cultists have auras corresponding to their 
  deity’s alignment.
  Aura of Madness (Su) Each cultist can emit a 30-foot aura of 
  madness for 9 rounds per day. Enemies within this aura are 
  affected by confusion unless they make a DC 18 Will save. 
  The confusion effect ends immediately when the creature 
  leaves the area or the aura expires. Creatures that succeed 
  on their saving throw are immune to this aura for 24 hours. 
  These rounds don’t need to be consecutive.
  Lore Keeper (Sp) A cultist can touch a creature to learn 
  about its abilities and weaknesses. With a successful touch 
  attack, he gains information as if he made the appropriate 
  Knowledge skill check with a result of 20.
  Remote Viewing (Sp) These cultists can use clairvoyance/
  clairaudience at will as a spell-like ability (CL 9th). They can 
  use this ability 9 rounds each day, and the rounds don’t 
  need to be consecutive.
  Vision of Madness (Sp) The cultists can give a creature a 
  vision of madness as a melee touch attack. Choose one of 
  the following: attack rolls, saving throws, or skill checks. 
  The target receives a +4 bonus to the chosen rolls and a 
  –4 penalty to the other two types of rolls for 3 rounds. The 
  cultists can use this ability 7 times per day.
  Tactics: The cultist in Area 8EE waits for the heroes to 
  pass him in order to emerge from behind them as they 
  confront the cultists in Areas 8FF and 8GG. The cultists 
  attack with their confusion spells first, shouting slogans: 
  “The light is the truth! The truth is The Truth!” and so on. 
  If the adventurers go into Area 8EE, then the cultists from 
  8FF and 8GG enter the hall and trap them. If things are 
  going badly, the cultist with the crown of blasting tries to 
  retreat to join Granthu in Area 8II.
  Morale: The cultists are fanatics and fight (intelligently) 
  to the death.
  Treasure: The cultist in Area 8FF has a major crown of 
  blasting.
  8EE-GG. Cultist Cells
  This small room contains bedding and a small chest. A 
  small lantern in the corner gives off dim light. It looks 
  like someone has recently tried to clean and fix up each 
  room, as the cultists tried to make them more homey.
  These rooms house the belongings of the cultists.
  Treasure: The small chest contains 6d20 gp in various 
  types of coins as well as blankets and clothing.
  8HH. The Maw of Yig
  The hallway ahead of you ends in a stone carving of a 
  gigantic serpent’s head, mouth open as if ready to strike. 
  The only way forward is through the serpent’s maw.
  Only lawful serpent folk may pass through the mouth 
  without challenge. Any other lawful creature must succeed 
  at a DC 19 Will save, or suffer 6d6 damage on passing 
  through the entrance. Any chaotic creature must succeed 
  at a DC 23 Will save, or suffer 12d6 damage. Neutral 
  creatures take 6d6 (DC 23 Will save). (This test doesn’t 
  affect the lantern’s guardian, even though Granthu is 
  a being of utter chaos. Anyone with an embedded eye 
  passing through the maw gets a +5 bonus on the save.)
  8II. Temple of Nalaskthana esh’Yig  
  (The Lantern’s Sanctum) 
                (CR 15)
  The chamber beyond the serpent’s maw is over 100 
  feet across. Ahead of you, two rows of white marble 
  pillars lead from the entrance to a three-tiered dais of 
  crimson stone. Beyond the dais is a great golden alter 
  surmounted by a massive green bronze serpent’s head 
  similar to the one you just entered through. The room is 
  brightly lit from nonspecific sources and, bizarrely, you 
  can even see when your eyes are closed.
  
  78
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
  This room is the original resting place of the Eye of Yig, and 
  over the course of centuries the temple absorbed some of 
  the lantern’s power. As a result, anyone within can see even 
  with their eyes closed. Those unused to the effect (e.g., the 
  PCs) must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be dazzled. 
  They can attempt a save every round they’re in the chamber, 
  but they remain dazzled until they save, after which they’re 
  permanently immune to this room’s dazzling effect.
  Granthu: For centuries, the lantern rested in this room, 
  guarded by Granthu, until the qlippoth recently tricked an 
  interloper into taking the lantern into the city of Freeport 
  above, freeing Granthu. If the lantern is returned to its 
  recharging place atop the crimson dais, Granthu is once 
  again bound to this chamber for the uninterrupted year 
  recharging requires.
  Make sure you’re familiar with the information on Granthu 
  in the Introduction before running this encounter. Its 
  tactics are a bit changed from those on page 14, though. 
  If the heroes have encountered Granthu before, it doesn’t 
  bother with the “mindless vermin” game. It instead tries to 
  bargain with them, hoping to win them over with promises 
  of wealth and fame, or to convince them that its campaign 
  of revelations is really benign or even beneficial. (Granthu 
  doesn’t argue that it’s just misguided, because it doesn’t 
  realize that.)
  If none of that works, it fights intelligently to win, not 
  to escape, and does so to the death. It uses illusions, 
  embedded eye transpositions, shapefolding, and other 
  tricks to counter the superior numbers of the party, and 
  runs through the charges of its wands with abandon. It has 
  no desire to be trapped by the lantern again.
  Harcourt Horkel: The con-man Harcourt Horkel 
  (human bard 12; Freeport Companion, page 111; Pirate’s 
  Guide to Freeport, page 198) is also here. Horkel is out for 
  himself. As long as it appears Granthu is winning the fight, 
  he’ll side with the qlippoth, but as soon as the tide turns, 
  he hightails it for the docks and a ship away from Freeport. 
  If the adventurers kill Granthu, they may come across 
  Horkel lying unconscious and bleeding somewhere along 
  his escape route, one of Granthu’s formerly embedded eyes 
  lying dead on the floor nearby.
  There are a number of ways this adventure could end.
  COMPLETING OR CONTINUING  
  THE ADVENTURE 
  The default ending of Dark Deeds is that the PCs replace 
  the Lantern of the Honest Man in Granthu’s complex; kill 
  or imprison Granthu; and then isolate the complex by 
  sealing the lava tubes, closing the Maw of Yig, or activating 
  the dimensional galleon’s engines; thus finally removing the 
  threats of Granthu, the Primordial Chaos’ incursion, the 
  Amalgamation’s scorched-earth response to the Primordial 
  Chaos, and the disruptive effects of the lantern’s truth-
  revealing powers with a single act.
  This leaves no shortage of loose ends, however.
  The first are the ongoing political, mercantile, military, 
  and personal repercussions of the recent revelations. A lot 
  of powerful people will be suddenly much less secure in 
  their positions of privilege, and a lot of wannabe-powerful 
  people will be looking to exploit those openings. And 
  Freeport’s enemies will be only too happy to take advantage 
  of any conflict.
  Then there is the impact of Granthu’s destruction: When it 
  dies, those housing an embedded eye experience it squirm 
  out of their body, taking serious internal damage (the purge 
  deals 1d4 –1 damage/round until a damage roll comes up 0, 
  at which point it bursts through the host’s skin and squirms 
  feebly for several minutes), plus psychological damage (a 
  few Insanity Points, at the very least). The embedded eye 
  purge could have an effect on those who witness it too.
  Given that Granthu embedded eyes in many connected, 
  important people, the revelation of the qlippoth’s spying 
  could further disrupt the Freeport elite. NPCs in sensitive 
  positions might worry about what secrets Granthu 
  witnessed and who it might’ve told; it didn’t tell anyone, 
  but its victims won’t know that.
  Lantern wraiths and sundered may still linger in Freeport, 
  as well. With the removal of the Eye of Yig, the free-
  roaming wraiths should be significantly reduced in 
  number. The sundered might be a bit less contagious once 
  the incursion of the Primordial Chaos has been turned 
  back, but that does little to make them less destructive 
  individually. And dealing with the lantern wraiths 
  can provide the GM with a goldmine of adventuring 
  opportunities (and, potentially, comedy).
  Finally, there’s the issue of the Amalgamation. The PCs may 
  have removed the direct threat of the Primordial Chaos, 
  but there’s still plenty of chaos to draw the Amalgamation’s 
  annihilating interest to Freeport. Even if the cult is quiet 
  in the immediate aftermath of the adventure, eventually 
  it will flex its muscles, and the longer it takes, the more 
  entrenched the totalitarian group could become.
  Other Possibilities
  But what if things don’t go as planned, or the PCs decide to 
  keep the lantern? Or what if they decide to fix the serpent 
  people’s ship? The following sections attempt to answer 
  other ending possibilities.
  If The PCs Keep The Lantern
  The Eye of Yig’s corrupting influence makes keeping it a poor 
  decision for the party, but it’s possible the heroes haven’t 
  spent enough time interacting with it to work this out.
  If the PCs do keep the lantern, they’re in a position to 
  make even more truth-telling trouble for Freeport. They’ll 
  also have to deal with the lantern wraiths, which will still 
  be around at full strength. And so long as the lantern keeps 
  spreading insanity, it’ll also spawn sundered life-anchors. 
  The contagiousness of the sundered in particular makes 
  this a serious issue. And if the sundered aren’t dealt with, 
  the situation can escalate into a full-blown incursion of the 
  
  79
  Chapter Five
  Primordial Chaos, followed by a similarly violent counter-
  invasion by the Amalgamation.
  A GM could allow the heroes to “fix” the lantern somehow, 
  removing the Unspeakable One’s taint. This would involve 
  either an expensive and risky ritual to rededicate the 
  lantern to Yig (which would alert both the Unspeakable 
  One and the Primordial Chaos, who’d at least send their 
  cultists to interfere with the ceremony), or it would require 
  finding a deity willing to cleanse the item and guide its 
  course (which also alerts the Unspeakable One and the 
  Primordial Chaos and Yig’s remaining followers).
  If it’s fixed, all its warped effects are eliminated, and users 
  of the lantern no longer gain Insanity Points from its use. 
  Be warned: Doing this gives the players control of an 
  immensely powerful artifact that can cause all kinds of 
  problems in the campaign world.
  If the heroes keep the lantern to destroy it, they must learn 
  its destruction condition. The people most likely to know 
  that are the priests of Yig, who are the single group with 
  the most incentive to hide that information: not only is the 
  lantern dedicated to their god, but four of them have to die 
  to destroy it.
  If Granthu Survives
  Even if the PCs kill Granthu, if they kept the lantern, 
  Granthu might be restored to life by the spell that binds it 
  as guardian to the Eye of Yig.
  Granthu makes an excellent recurring antagonist. If the 
  GM decides to use it in this capacity, Granthu returns to 
  its role as an anonymous puppetmaster, with most of those 
  it manipulates having no idea who or what it is. It might 
  be months of game time before there’s any interaction 
  between Granthu and the adventurers, and even that would 
  likely consist only of a disguised attempt to embed eyes 
  in the PCs or in close associates if the heroes themselves 
  are too wary; it won’t risk revealing itself to them again. 
  Information control—concealing, exploiting, and revealing 
  the truth (possibly through religious cults, although it 
  might want to try a different route this time)—is central to 
  its design, and ensuring nobody knows it even exists is one 
  of the qlippoth’s survival strategies.
  If The Complex Survives
  If the complex remains intact, the adventurers may want 
  to use it as a base of operations, as it’s secluded, and has 
  stocked libraries, laboratories, and intriguing technology 
  to research, like the lightning tubes. The heroes would 
  just need to occupy the complex and keep out other 
  creatures or gangs who might stumble onto it. They’d 
  also want to do something with the dimensional galleon.
  If The Dimensional Galleon Survives
  Separate from the question of the rest of the complex is the 
  matter of the dimensional galleon itself. If it’s not destroyed 
  or otherwise rendered inaccessible, the galleon is sure to 
  pique the interest of some groups. Fully repairing the ship 
  could be an adventure in and of itself.
  To begin with, the heroes have to permanently destroy 
  the haunt in Area 8G before the navigation globe can be 
  used to pilot the ship. To do this, the PCs have to get the 
  cooperation of a high priest of Yig. And the ship currently 
  has the broken condition: its hull and engines have to be 
  repaired before it can jump to another plane. The unusual 
  planar metal the galleon’s made of requires a mythic make 
  whole spell to repair (mending does not work at all), or a 
  planar jaunt (by means other than the galleon) to acquire 
  more of the material. The information and materials needed 
  to accomplish the repairs are in the Dark Library (Area 8R) 
  and the Elemental Laboratory (Area 8N); see “Repairing a 
  Vehicle” in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat).
  Finally, only half of the dimensional galleon is currently 
  on the Material Plane; the ship’s aft is stuck in the Ethereal 
  Plane. The adventurers have to activate machinery in the 
  aft before the ship can be fully activated. What horrors 
  occupy the ethereal portion of the ship is up to the GM.
  DIMENSIONAL GALLEON
  Colossal Planar Vehicle
  Squares 320 squares (30 ft. by 150 ft.); Cost priceless
  DEFENSE
  AC 2; Hardness 24
  hp 15,360 (7,679) (currently 4,500)
  Base Save +2
  OFFENSE
  Maximum Speed 150 ft.; Acceleration 45 ft.
  CMB +8; CMD 18
  Ramming Damage 12d8
  Description This massive multi-decked ship is made of an 
  alchemically treated silver-like metal. It could be mistaken 
  for a real galleon, if not for the ship’s lack of masts and 
  sails. Instead, one 10-foot-high crystal column sprouts from 
  the ship’s center, where the main mast would normally 
  be. A combination arcane/alchemical engine powers the 
  ship, allowing it to fly and move between the planes. The 
  dimensional galleon can carry up to 100 tons of cargo or 
  200 passengers. It was designed to travel the Astral Plane 
  BEYOND THE VEHICLE RULES
  The dimensional galleon is a one-of-a-kind artifact 
  that in some ways exceeds the standard vehicle rules.
  It’s made from a rare planar metal called styrixion 
  that has a standard Hardness of 12 and provides 
  24 hit points per square. Its properties also provide 
  the ship with a +2 Base Save bonus. In addition, 
  the metal has been magically treated. Its propulsion 
  engine is also made from this material, and it has 
  been reinforced, making it 1.5 times its standard 
  Hardness (Hardness of 18 and magically treated to 
  be a Hardness of 36).
  The massive ship has a powerful ramming capability, 
  doing 12d8 damage.
  
  80
  Dark DeeDs in Freeport
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  13.	Termination:	This	License	will	terminate	automatically	if	You	fail	to	comply	with	all	terms	herein	
  and	fail	to	cure	such	breach	within	30	days	of	becoming	aware	of	the	breach.	All	sublicenses	shall	survive	
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  14.	Reformation:	If	any	provision	of	this	License	is	held	to	be	unenforceable,	such	provision	shall	be	
  reformed	only	to	the	extent	necessary	to	make	it	enforceable.
  	
  15.	COPYRIGHT	NOTICE	
   
  Open Game License v 1.0a, © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
   
  System Reference Document,	Copyright	2000-2003,	Wizards	of	the	Coast,	Inc.;	Authors	Jonathan	
  Tweet,	Monte	Cook,	Skip	Williams,	Rich	Baker,	Andy	Collins,	David	Noonan,	Rich	Redman,	Bruce	R.	
  Cordell,	based	on	original	material	by	E.	Gary	Gygax	and	Dave	Arneson.
   
  Modern System Reference Document,	Copyright	2002-2004,	Wizards	of	the	Coast,	Inc.;	Authors	Bill	
  Slavicsek,	Jeff	Grubb,	Rich	Redman,	Charles	Ryan,	Eric	Cagle,	David	Noonan,	Stan!,	Christopher	Perkins,	
  Rodney	Thompson,	and	JD	Wiker,	based	on	material	by	Jonathan	Tweet,	Monte	Cook,	Skip	Williams,	
  Richard	Baker,	Peter	Adkison,	Bruce	R.	Cordell,	John	Tynes,	Andy	Collins,	and	JD	Wiker.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook,	©	2011,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Author:	Jason	Bulmahn,	
  based	on	material	by	Jonathan	Tweet,	Monte	Cook,	and	Skip	Williams.
   
  Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lords of Chaos: Book of the Damned,	Vol.	2,	Copyright	2010,	Paizo	
  Publishing,	LLC;	Author:	James	Jacobs.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary,	©	2009,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Author:	Jason	Bulmahn,	based	
  on	material	by	Jonathan	Tweet,	Monte	Cook,	and	Skip	Williams
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2,	©	2010,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	Wolfgang	Baur,	Jason	
  Bulmahn,	Adam	Daigle,	Graeme	Davis,	Crystal	Frasier,	Joshua	J.	Frost,	Tim	Hitchcock,	Brandon	Hodge,	
  James	Jacobs,	Steve	Kenson,	Hal	MacLean,	Martin	Mason,	Rob	McCreary,	Erik	Mona,	Jason	Nelson,	Patrick	
  Renie,	Sean	K	Reynolds,	F.	Wesley	Schneider,	Owen	K.C.	Stephens,	James	L.	Sutter,	Russ	Taylor,	and	Greg	A.	
  Vaughan,	based	on	material	by	Jonathan	Tweet,	Monte	Cook,	and	Skip	Williams.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3,	©	2011,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	Jesse	Benner,	Jason	
  Bulmahn,	Adam	Daigle,	James	Jacobs,	Michael	Kenway,	Rob	McCreary,	Patrick	Renie,	Chris	Sims,	F.	Wesley	
  Schneider,	James	L.	Sutter,	and	Russ	Taylor,	based	on	material	by	Jonathan	Tweet,	Monte	Cook,	and	Skip	
  Williams.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide,	Copyright	2010,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	
  Author:	Jason	Bulmahn
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide,	©	2010,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Author:	Cam	
  Banks,	Wolfgang	Baur,	Jason	Bulmahn,	Jim	Butler,	Eric	Cagle,	Graeme	Davis,	Adam	Daigle,	Joshua	J.	Frost,	
  James	Jacobs,	Kenneth	Hite,	Steven	Kenson,	Robin	Laws,	Tito	Leati,	Rob	McCreary,	Hal	Maclean,	Colin	
  McComb,	Jason	Nelson,	David	Noonan,	Richard	Pett,	Rich	Redman,	Sean	K	Reynolds,	F.	Wesley	Schneider,	
  Amber	Scott,	Doug	Seacat,	Mike	Selinker,	Lisa	Stevens,	James	L.	Sutter,	Russ	Taylor,	Penny	Williams,	Skip	
  Williams,	Teeuwynn	Woodruff.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat,	©	2011,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors:	Dennis	
  Baker,	Jesse	Benner,	Benjamin	Bruck,	Jason	Bulmahn,	Brian	J.	Cortijo,	Jim	Groves,	Tim	Hitchcock,	Richard	
  A.	Hunt,	Colin	McComb,	Jason	Nelson,	Tom	Phillips,	Patrick	Renie,	Sean	K	Reynolds,	and	Russ	Taylor.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Equipment,	©	2012,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors:	Dennis	
  Baker,	Jesse	Benner,	Benjamin	Bruck,	Ross	Byers,	Brian	J.	Cortijo,	Ryan	Costello,	Mike	Ferguson,	Matt	
  Goetz,	Jim	Groves,	Tracy	Hurley,	Matt	James,	Jonathan	H.	Keith,	Michael	Kenway,	Hal	MacLean,	Jason	
  Nelson,	Tork	Shaw,	Owen	KC	Stephens,	and	Russ	Taylor.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Magic,	©	2011,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors:	Jason	
  Bulmahn,	Tim	Hitchcock,	Colin	McComb,	Rob	McCreary,	Jason	Nelson,	Stephen	Radney-MacFarland,	Sean	
  K	Reynolds,	Owen	K.C.	Stephens,	and	Russ	Taylor
   
  Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Undead Revisited,	©	2011,	Paizo	Publishing,	LLC.	Authors:	Eric	Cagle,	
  Brian	Cortijo,	Brandon	Hodge,	Steve	Kenson,	Hal	Maclean,	Colin	McComb,	Jason	Nelson,	Todd	Stewart,	
  and	Russ	Taylor.
   
  Advanced Bestiary,	©	2004,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC.;	Author:	Matthew	Sernett.
  	
  Advanced	Player’s	Manual,	Copyright	2005,	Green	Ronin	Publishing:	Author	Skip	Williams.
   
  Anger of Angels, ©	2003,	Sean	K	Reynolds
   
  Armies of the Abyss, Copyright	2002,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	Erik	Mona	and	Chris	
  Pramas.
   
  Assassin’s Handbook, Copyright	2002,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	David	“Zeb”	Cook	and	
  Wolfgang	Baur.
   
  Avatar’s Handbook,	Copyright	2003,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Jesse	Decker.
   
  The Book of Experimental Might,	©	2008,	Monte	J.	Cook.	All	rights	reserved
   
  Book of Fiends,	Copyright	2003,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	Aaron	Loeb,	Erik	Mona,	Chris	
  Pramas,	and	Robert	J.	Schwalb.
   
  The Book of Hallowed Might,	©	2002,	Monte	J.	Cook
   
  Book of the Righteous, Copyright	2002,	Aaron	Loeb.
   
  Cry Havoc, ©	2003	Skip	Williams.	All	rights	reserved.
   
  Death in Freeport Revised,	Copyright	2000–2004,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Chris	Pramas.
   
  d20 Freeport Companion,	Copyright	2007,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Robert	J.	Schwalb.
   
  Fading Suns: d20,	Copyright	2001,	Holistic	Design,	Inc.
   
  Falthar’s Curios,	Copyright	2000,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Chris	Pramas.
   
  Focus on Freeport #7: The Jade Serpent of Yig,	Copyright	2001,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	
  William	Simoni.
   
  Freeport Companion: Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Edition,	Copyright	2008,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	
  LLC;	Authors	Robert	J.	Schwalb,	Adam	Daigle,	Brandon	Hodge,	John	E.	Ling,	Jr.,	Greg	A.	Vaughan.
   
  Freeport: The City of Adventure, Copyright	2002,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	Matt	Forbeck	
  and	Chris	Pramas.
   
  The Freeport Trilogy, Copyright	2005,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	Chris	Pramas,	William	
  Simoni,	and	Robert	J.	Toth.
   
  Kobold Quarterly Issue 7,	©	2008,	Open	Design	LLC,	www.koboldquarterly.com;	Authors	John	
  Baichtal,	Wolfgang	Baur,	Ross	Byers,	Matthew	Cicci,	John	Flemming,	Jeremy	Jones,	Derek	Kagemann,	
  Phillip	Larwood,	Richard	Pett,	and	Stan!
   
  Legions of Hell,	Copyright	2001,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Chris	Pramas.
  Madness	in	Freeport	Revised,	Copyright	2001–2004,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	William	Simoni.
   
  Monte Cook’s Arcana Unearthed, ©	2003,	Monte	J.	Cook
   
  Mutants & Masterminds,	Copyright	2002,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Steve	Kenson.
   
  The Noble’s Handbook,	Copyright	2003,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Rodney	Thompson.
   
  Path of the Magi,	©	2002,	Citizen	Games/Troll	Lord	Games;	Authors:	Mike	McArtor,	W.	Jason	Peck,	
  Jeff	Quick,	and	Sean	K	Reynolds
   
  The Psychic’s Handbook,	Copyright	2004,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Steve	Kenson.
   
  Salon du Masque,	Copyright	2002,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Chris	Pramas.
   
  Seas of Blood, Copyright	©	2001,	Mongoose	Publishing.
   
  Secret College of Necromancy,	Copyright	2002,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	David	“Zeb”	
  Cook	and	Wolfgang	Baur.
   
  Skreyn’s Register: The Bonds of Magic,	©	2002,	Sean	K	Reynolds
   
  Skull & Bones,	©	2003,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Authors	Ian	Sturrock,	T.S.	Luikart,	and	Gareth-
  Michael	Skarka.
   
  Swords of Our Fathers,	Copyright	2003,	The	Game	Mechanics.
   
  Tales of Freeport,	Copyright	2003,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Graeme	Davis.
   
  Terror in Freeport Revised,	Copyright	2001–2004,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Robert	J.	Toth.
   
  Tome of Horrors, Revised, ©	2002,	Necromancer	Games,	Inc.;	Authors:	Scott	Greene,	with	Clark	
  Peterson,	Erica	Balsley,	Kevin	Baase,	Casey	Christofferson,	Lance	Hawvermale,	Travis	Hawvermale,	Patrick	
  Lawinger,	and	Bill	Webb;	Based	on	original	content	from	TSR
   
  Tome of Horrors III, copyright	2005,	Necromancer	Games,	Inc.;	Author:	Scott	Greene,	with	Casey	
  Christofferson,	Erica	Balsley,	Kevin	Baase,	Lance	Hawvermale,	Travis	Hawvermale,	Ian	S.	Johnston,	Patrick	
  Lawringer,	Nathan	Paul,	Clark	Peterson,	Greg	Ragland,	Robert	Schwalb	and	Bill	Webb
   
  Tome of Horrors Complete,	©	2011,	Necromancer	Games,	Inc.,	published	and	distributed	by	Frog	
  God	Games;	Author:	Scott	Greene
   
  Unearthed Arcana,	Copyright	2004,	Wizards	of	the	Coast,	Inc.;	Andy	Collins,	Jesse	Decker,	David	
  Noonan,	Rich	Redman.
   
  The Unholy Warrior’s Handbook,	Copyright	2003,	Green	Ronin	Publishing,	LLC;	Author	Robert	J.	
  Schwalb.
   
  Dark Deeds In Freeport,	Copyright	2014,	Kobold	Press;	Authors	Mike	Franke,	Phil	Minchin,	and	
  Christina	Stiles
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
  to the outer planes, but it can also travel the Ethereal Plane 
  (or to any other planes the GM desires). 
    
  A serpent person or someone who can speak Ancient 
  Valossan can easily pilot the dimensional galleon from the 
  navigation globe. Otherwise, a DC 40 Use Magic Device 
  check is required. Even for a serpent person, a drive check 
  is required to jump to or from the Astral or Ethereal Plane.
  Propulsion magic/alchemical (20 squares of reinforced, 
  magical styrixion alchemical engines in the middle of the 
  lower deck of the ship; hardness 36, hp 1,440)
  Driving Check Knowledge (arcana) or Craft (alchemy) +10 to 
  the DC, or DC 40 Use Magic Device
  Forward Facing the ship’s prow
  Driving Device crystal navigation globe (Area 8G)
  Driving Space 20 squares around the navigation globe on 
  the lower deck at the ship’s prow
  Crew 4
  Decks 2 (lower deck and split main deck)
  Weapons Three arcane launchers mounted on platforms that 
  allow them to swivel in all directions. One is mounted at 
  the prow and two at the stern. Each fully charged arcane 
  launcher can fire 10d6 bolts of fire, lightning, cold, or acid, 
  with a range of 100 feet. An arcane launcher can fire 10 
  bolts of each type before needing to be recharged.
  
  $19.99
  in a City oF  
      seCrets, the  
         truth Cuts Deep
  Why has truth suddenly become so  
  strangely frequent in Freeport?
  Can the city support not one but two churches dedicated to truth-speaking? How are the 
  secrets of thieves, assassins, Captains’ Council members, and “legitimate businessmen” 
  becoming common knowledge, and what can be done about it? Should anything be done? 
  And maybe, just maybe, is this strangeness linked to the rash of thefts, murders, and 
  insanity plaguing the city?
  Dark Deeds in Freeport is an 80-page adventure arc of five connected scenarios designed 
  for four Pathfinder RPG characters beginning at 9th level and ending at 12th. These 
  linked adventures feature:
  •  swashbuckling, sin, investigation, and insanity familiar to fans of Green Ronin’s 
  popular Freeport, City of Adventure setting
  •  new spells, new magic items (from minor to near-artifact level), news monsters, 
  and new fully-statted Freeport NPCs
  Dark Deeds is fully-integrated into the history and ongoing storylines of the Freeport 
  setting, and it can be used individually or in a level-spanning mini-campaign. 
  Something is horribly wrong in Freeport.  
  Something that will surely require dark deeds to set right!
  The Designers 
  These Dark Deeds are written by Mike Franke, Phil Minchin, and Christina Stiles (editor 
  of Green Ronin’s Black Sails Over Freeport), and edited by Spike Y Jones (editor of Green 
  Ronin’s Testament and Wild Cards and Kobold Press’s Player’s Guide to the Crossroads 
  and Monsters of Sin series).
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Green Ronin/Dark Deeds in Freeport.pdf