TEXT: By Tim Hitchcock
  The PaThs We Choose
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO #5–99 
  TIER 3–7
  
  The PaThs We Choose
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99
  Author • Tim Hitchcock
  Contributing Artists • Marjorie Davis
  Cartographer • Sean Macdonald
  Creative Director • James Jacobs
  Editor-in-Chief • F. Wesley Schneider
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  Lead Designer • Jason Bulmahn
  Designers • Logan Bonner, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, 
  and Mark Seifter
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  Senior Art Director • Andrew Vallas
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  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99: The Paths We Choose is a Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for 3rd- to 7th-level 
  characters (Tier 3–7; Subtiers 3–4 and 6–7). This scenario is designed for play in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play 
  campaign, but can easily be adapted for use with any world.
  This product is compliant with the Open Game License (OGL) and is suitable for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game or the 3.5 edition of 
  the world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game.
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  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99: The Paths We Choose © 2014, Paizo Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, 
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  Isle of Kortos
  Diobel •
  • Absalom
  3
  The PaThs We Choose
  By Tim hiTChCoCk
  WHERE ON GOLARION?
  The events in The Paths We Choose all take place in various 
  districts of Absalom, a metropolis on the Isle of Kortos 
  in the Inner Sea. For more information about Absalom, 
  see Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Guide to Absalom and 
  Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide, 
  available in bookstores and game stores everywhere, and 
  online at paizo.com.
  T
  he Grand Council that rules Absalom is broken 
  into two major components: the High Council 
  of 12 leading citizens and the Low Council 
  whose membership varies by year (but stays around 50 
  strong). Each city district has at least one low councilor, 
  and each of Absalom’s vassal settlements is guaranteed 
  two such positions. The late Hadrel Grayrain was an 
  esteemed son of Diobel with ties to the town dating 
  back 23 generations, and when he died two weeks ago, he 
  was halfway through his seventh consecutive year-long 
  term as a low councilor. The circumstances of his death 
  seemed natural, and were he nearly done with his term, 
  the Grand Council might have seen fit to let the seat lie 
  empty until they were ready to elect a new Low Council. 
  For a host of minor political reasons, though, they have 
  decided both to appoint a temporary replacement to fill 
  Grayrain’s seat and to co-host a series of formal events 
  to give the new representative an appropriate welcome. 
  The rest of the money has come from Diobel’s Kortos 
  Consortium, which sees the publicity as an opportunity 
  to lure business to their nearby port. They have secured 
  the assistance and several facilities of the Pathfinder 
  Society for the event.
  The election coincides with a lull in the Society, which 
  is concluding its expedition to the sky citadel Jormurdun 
  in the Worldwound. As a result, a significant number 
  of Pathfinders have returned to Absalom to debrief, 
  relax, and meet with the leaders of their particular 
  factions to reassess their ongoing goals. Over the past 
  year, many of these factions’ objectives have evolved, 
  and many groups that once worked for foreign nations 
  have distanced themselves from their respective patron 
  states. As the Society’s focus shifts south, these factions 
  must consolidate their gains and establish their new 
  identities—or risk disappearing altogether.
  SUMMARY
  The PCs participate in a series of political events—
  including a memorial, a feast, and a formal oath-taking 
  ceremony—in Absalom intended to honor the late 
  councilor Hadrel Grayrain and formally inaugurate a 
  replacement to finish his term. Against this backdrop, 
  important factions within the Pathfinder Society 
  are maneuvering to consolidate their gains from the 
  previous year, carve out new niches for themselves, and 
  manage emergencies that arise. During the adventure, 
  the PCs participate in three of seven short missions, each 
  of which highlights one of the factions in Pathfinder 
  Society Organized Play.
  The individual missions include tracking down and 
  arresting a crooked statesman, securing the freedom of 
  enslaved war heroes, cleansing one of the secret Society 
  vaults of a shadowy menace, rooting out the cause of an 
  unknown disease, stopping the assassination of Sczarni 
  kingpin Guaril Karela, and preventing looters from 
  robbing the tomb of a long lost Osiriani family.
  
  Drandle Dreng
  4
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  4
  GM RESOURCES
  This adventure makes use of the following Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game products: the Pathfinder RPG Core 
  Rulebook, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary (B1), Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 2 (B2), Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3 (B3), Pathfinder 
  RPG Bestiary 4 (B4), Pathfinder RPG Advanced Players Guide 
  (APG), and Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex (NPC). These rules can 
  be found online for free as part of the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Reference Document at paizo.com/prd.
  RUNNING THIS EVENT
  The Paths We Choose is not a typical scenario. 
  Instead of a single adventure, there 
  are seven short missions that are each 
  designed to take 1–1-1/2 hours to complete, 
  and a group is intended to complete three 
  such missions during the event. The GM 
  should choose three missions that best 
  reflect the factions of the characters in 
  the adventure. These missions can take 
  place anytime over the course of the 
  adventure, allowing the GM to control 
  the pacing and either space missions 
  farther apart (to facilitate the PCs’ 
  resting) or place them closer together 
  (to build excitement). The adventure 
  also provides information about the 
  social events taking place and several 
  of the NPCs in attendance. GMs are 
  encouraged to let the PCs interact with 
  them between missions. 
  The adventure aims to provide each PC a window into 
  how her faction is evolving based on past developments 
  and recent choices, so it is recommended that event 
  coordinators muster tables so that each group has two 
  or three factions represented. If there are more than four 
  factions represented at a table, it is likely that one or more 
  of them won’t get a chance to play their faction’s mission. 
  Should a table complete the three missions before the end 
  of the event, they are welcome to play through another 
  mission with the understanding that doing so does not 
  earn them any additional rewards.
  The Paths We Choose can be run individually or as a 
  multi-table event. For a multi-table event, each table 
  should report the results of each mission to an Overseer 
  GM who tabulates the results to announce to the entire 
  room at the end of the event. An Overseer GM might also 
  record results in real time, showing all tables how well 
  each faction is doing.
  Each mission has two success conditions that the 
  PCs might meet to earn gold and Prestige Point awards 
  during the adventure. See the Rewards section on page 38 
  for more details.
  GETTING STARTED
  The PCs begin the adventure in at the Grand Lodge of 
  Absalom, where they join dozens of other Pathfinders on 
  a lawn in the shadow of Skyreach. Many of the assembled 
  agents hold fliers that appeared about the lodge the day 
  before, hinting at a special announcement to be 
  made here this morning. Venture-Captain 
  Drandle Dreng emerges from the crowd 
  followed by an assistant carrying a large 
  stool that she sets on the grass. Dreng 
  spryly clambers up to stand on the 
  stool and addresses the small crowd.
  “Thank you for joining me here, 
  Pathfinders,” the milky-eyed venture-
  captain shouts. “Absalom has a long 
  and illustrious history, and today we add 
  a little more to that ongoing record. The 
  esteemed councilor Hadrel Grayrain 
  of Diobel recently passed away, 
  leaving a vacancy on Absalom’s 
  Grand Council. We’re still many 
  months away from the annual 
  inauguration 
  of 
  councilors, 
  and 
  with 
  numerous 
  acts 
  pertaining to Diobel on the schedule, 
  the vassal city is eager to get a new 
  representative. In fact, with Absalom’s 
  assistance, Diobel’s Kortos Consortium 
  has co-bankrolled a festival spread across 
  much of the Foreign Quarter. Ostensibly, this is an occasion to 
  honor the deceased and welcome his replacement. Virtually 
  everyone also sees this as a chance to advertise and earn 
  some new business.”
  Drandle Dreng clears his throat and shrugs. “Well, the 
  Society is no exception. We’ve already chipped in some gold 
  to help this be a success, and in doing so we’ve received 
  numerous invitations to the more exclusive events. With our 
  recent work in Mendev, we’ve earned considerable goodwill. 
  This is a good opportunity to consolidate those gains by seeing 
  and being seen by the upper crust—as well as hobnobbing 
  with the common people.”
  He chuckles and gives the crowd a smile. “All at the Society’s 
  expense! Have a good time, keep an ear out for interesting 
  leads, and represent the Society well!”
  The venture-captain then hops off the stool and mills 
  about the crowd, greeting various agents by name, slapping 
  associates on the back, and summarizing the planned 
  events (see the section below) to anyone who inquires.
  
  Ascendant 
  Court
  Copperwood
  Dawnfoot
  Eastgate
  Flotsam 
  Graveyard
  Absalom
  0
  400
  feet
  800
  Foreign 
  Quarter
  Ivy 
  District
  Precipice 
  Quarter
  The Coins
  The Docks
  The Petal District
  The 
  Puddles
  Shoreline
  Westerhold
  Westgate
  Wise Quarter
  Azlanti Keep
  Fort 
  Tempest
  Pilot 
  Island
  Starwatch 
  Keep
  N
  5
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  5
  
  6
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  6
  The Schedule of Events
  Each of the following missions takes place over the course 
  of the 4-day festival, which involves several main events in 
  addition to dozens of smaller gatherings that take place 
  throughout the city. It is up to the PCs which of these 
  they wish to attend, and the adventure plays out the same 
  whether the PCs spend all of their time at high-profile 
  parties or crawling through the most disreputable pubs. 
  The mission hooks are fairly easy to adapt to whatever 
  surroundings the PCs select.
  Grand Lodge Social (Afternoon, Day 1): As part of its 
  contribution to the festivities, the Pathfinder Society hosts 
  an informal social gathering with drinks and appetizers 
  to welcome visiting dignitaries and other people of note. 
  The event also attracts a handful of representatives on the 
  Grand Council. The Society displays several dozen relics 
  for visitors to admire, and on one end of the reception 
  space, Pathfinder agents take turns demonstrating their 
  many skills to the guests’ amusement.
  Commemorative Service (Evening, Day 1): At moonrise, 
  a nondenominational commemorative service takes place 
  in the Docks district. The service is somber and those 
  remembering Grayrain and his accomplishments take 
  turns speaking. The event is comparatively small, as most 
  who needed to say goodbye to Grayrain did so earlier in 
  the month at his funeral. After the service, many of those 
  in attendance retire to taverns along the waterfront or in 
  the Foreign Quarter.
  Preinaugural Feast (Afternoon, Day 2): This event 
  takes place at a great hall in the Wise Quarter from 
  late afternoon through the evening. It is semi-casual 
  and heavily attended. Many members of Absalom’s Low 
  Council attend, though the High Council is not present. 
  In addition to casual conversation, there is much 
  conjecture and speculation concerning who shall become 
  Grayrain’s successor.
  Deliberation Day (Day 3): There are no major events 
  this day. The High Council spends much of the day 
  in deliberation to determine which candidate should 
  succeed Grayrain. They call upon several dozen citizens 
  to offer input and testimony to aid in the decision. Those 
  not under political obligations take the opportunity to 
  host private meetings to broker alliances, draft trade 
  deals, and manage other personal interests.
  Inauguration (Noon, Day 4): Slightly before noon, a 
  crowd gathers in a large open-air amphitheater in the Wise 
  Quarter. Within an hour, the First Lady of Laws, Scion 
  Lady Neferpatra of House Ahnkamen, takes the stage and 
  announces the appointment of Grint Basatrel. Grint then 
  takes the stage to give an impassioned speech about both the 
  past and his hopes for improving future relations between 
  Absalom and its vassal cities. After his speech, the crowd 
  remains. Music and feasting continue long into the night.
  Very Important People
  Over the days-long festivities, the PCs might meet 
  any number of figures important to Absalom and 
  Diobel’s politics. The GM can introduce these NPCs 
  between events, giving the PCs additional roleplaying 
  opportunities and illustrating some of the issues ongoing 
  in Absalom’s vassal-city to the west. Keep in mind that 
  many of the PCs have concerns and interests that might 
  foreshadow missions in this adventure.
  Alvalda Margruel (NG female human aristocrat/bard): 
  Alvalda is a statuesque woman in her late forties whose 
  family co-operates the Kortos Consortium, a powerful 
  guild of merchants in Diobel, with two other families. 
  She is well known among Diobelians as a capable 
  businesswoman, a philanthropist, and a staunch advocate 
  for using local labor.
  Scion Lord Avid of House Arnsen (LN male human 
  aristocrat/wizard): Lord Avid holds the title of Teriarch 
  of Diobel, making him lord-mayor of that city by the 
  appointment of Lord Gyr, the Primarch of Absalom. Lord 
  Avid is hardly appreciative of this assignment, and he 
  often struggles with the Kortos Consortium for control 
  of the town. During the festivities, he adopts a more 
  pleasant demeanor, but his mood sours when reminded 
  of Lord Gyr or the Consortium.
  Bellonna Trask (CG female halfling ranger): Bellonna 
  is an independent business owner from Diobel who has 
  submitted her name for consideration as Grayrain’s 
  replacement. For the past decade she has clashed with the 
  Barge Gang, an operation that has a monopoly ferrying 
  goods about Diobel’s hazardous harbor. She sees Absalom 
  as equally crippled by the Flotsam Graveyard.
  Grint Basatrel (N male human expert/fighter): Grint is 
  a pragmatic man in his early thirties who served as the 
  aide to Councilor Grayrain for the past three years. His 
  roots in Diobel are hardly so established as Grayrain’s, 
  and some locals scoff at his being considered a true 
  representative of their town. Despite this disdain, Grint 
  adeptly avoids making waves in politics and seems able 
  to change policy gradually without upsetting the current 
  powers that be.
  Lady Darchana of House Madinani (N middle-aged 
  female human wizard): Lady Darchana is the Second 
  Spell Lord of Absalom, Archdean of the Arcanamirium, 
  and a member of the Low Council. She views the 
  Pathfinder Society favorably for its initiative in the 
  Mendevian Crusade and appreciates polite conversation 
  about the Pathfinders’ recent accomplishments, as well 
  as innovations in magical lore. If the PCs are shy about 
  approaching other NPCs, she is willing to provide a 
  brief introduction.
  Grand Ambassador Dremdhet Salhar (N middle-aged 
  male aristocrat): Dremdhet is a heavyset man with well-
  
  Lady Gloriana 
  Morilla
  7
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  7
  oiled hair who represents Osirion’s interests in the city. 
  After his longtime advisor Amenopheus was dismissed 
  by the Ruby Prince, Dremdhet’s embassy has struggled 
  to operate as efficiently as before. The ambassador once 
  blamed this on the Society, though his ill feelings have 
  softened. He is well versed in both local politics and the 
  schedule for the festival, and he is full of praise for the 
  event coordinators.
  MISSION ONE: 
  DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR 
  (SOVEREIGN COURT)
  Faction leader Lady Gloriana Morilla’s 
  return to Absalom from Varisia a year 
  ago coincided with the outbreak of the 
  Fifth Mendevian Crusade, and in the 
  face of tragedy to the north, she saw an 
  opportunity. Taldor, the nation she has 
  served loyally for years, has suffered a 
  steady decline in power sustained by 
  elaborate yet hollow displays of prestige 
  by the ruling class. To Lady Morilla, 
  certainly Taldor could rekindle its old glory 
  by mustering a great army and leading the 
  crusaders to a glorious victory in 
  the Worldwound.
  Few supported her, and 
  many more outright mocked 
  her 
  proposal. 
  Undeterred, 
  she funded her own self-styled 
  Army of Exploration formed of 
  whomever she could recruit to march 
  to Mendev. Even now the army battles 
  demons to the north, while in Taldor 
  Lady Morilla struggles to publicize 
  her and her agents’ accomplishments. The jeers have 
  subsided, not because the nobility respect the faction 
  leader but because many are too busy contemplating how 
  to capitalize on this success and claim some of the glory 
  for themselves. 
  Throughout the local festivities, Lady Gloriana 
  Morilla is busy maintaining alliances and keeping up 
  appearances, and the PCs likely spot her several times 
  over the course of the adventure. Before the final day of 
  festivities, she sends for the PCs to meet her at a teahouse 
  in the Petals District, where she has secured a private 
  dining room. After a team of servers has brought in an 
  array of snacks and drinks, she checks to ensure that 
  nobody is eavesdropping and then addresses the PCs.
  “Nearly a year ago, I and several of my best agents began 
  assembling a grand Army of Exploration to do battle in the 
  Worldwound and inspire others to do the same. Admittedly, we 
  also aimed to restore some of Taldor’s lost glory, if its leaders 
  would show initiative by funding their own crusaders. Most of 
  my peers continued to sit idly and mock our efforts, yet now that 
  the army has proven victorious, these critics are racing to claim 
  that they were key contributors.
  “Several of Grand Prince Stavian’s loudest sycophants—
  including the boorish Lord Minovitas—are in Absalom for the 
  dedication of ‘The Opparan Trace Commission,’ which is a new 
  guildhall intended to host Taldan business and is scheduled to 
  open tomorrow afternoon. One of my agents serves as an aide 
  to Lord Minovitas, and he reports that the lord commissioned 
  the celebrated Varisian painter Amya Illanaf to create a 
  series of portraits to hang in the grand hall. I have 
  since learned that these are entitled ‘The Heroes of 
  the Worldwound.’ The one my agent chanced to 
  see portrayed that portly hound Lord Minovitas in 
  pristine battle regalia with his foot planted on a 
  dead fiend, as though he had slain it himself—
  all while Iomedae sings his praises in the 
  background.
  “We cannot afford to let Absalom see these, for 
  they would perpetuate the stereotype that Taldor 
  is a land of foppish aristocrats dedicated to their 
  own grandiose delusions. If we let this happen, 
  we would reward the ineptitude and 
  indolence so common in Taldor’s 
  upper 
  class. 
  We 
  would 
  also 
  surrender much of the credit we 
  are due.
  “I have made arrangements to 
  sabotage the portraits, which Lord 
  Minovitas is keeping covered until they 
  are unveiled to the public. If you can get 
  to the paintings first, you might secretly 
  deface or alter them to embarrass Lord 
  Minovitas and send a so message to other Taldan nobles who 
  would do the same. At present, the art waits in a warehouse in 
  the Wise Quarter. Find a way in, do what you must, and try to 
  avoid hurting innocents or being caught in the act; we’re trying 
  to help Taldor, not start a civil war.”
  Lady Morilla knows that she is asking a difficult favor, 
  and she is willing to contribute material resources to the 
  PCs to help them accomplish the job. She has three scrolls 
  of erase that she cautions can destroy a painting rather 
  than alter it, which is less desirable. She also has one scroll 
  of fabricate and ample paints to repaint a portrait. Third, 
  she had enough warning to commission two unframed 
  paintings of her own that the PCs might use to replace 
  Lord Minovitas’s gaudy art. One is a fairly realistic 
  depiction of Lady Morilla mustering soldiers, and the 
  other shows one of the Sovereign Court faction PCs 
  
  8
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  8
  building. Along the way they have to take multiple detours 
  to get around street festivals and parades, causing them 
  to arrive late to the unveiling. The guards carry the 
  paintings into the building, where others hastily place 
  the covered art on large easels on a stage at one end 
  of the great hall. Lord Minovitas delivers a speech to 
  commemorate the occasion and unveils the paintings to 
  the polite applause of those in attendance. 
  Of course, that assumes the PCs don’t interfere in the 
  process. The party should have at least 12 hours between 
  their meeting with Lady Morilla and the unveiling in 
  which to prepare spells, hastily paint their own works 
  of art, acquire special equipment, and plan their heist. 
  Modifying a painting requires a successful DC 15 relevant 
  Craft, Disable Device, Profession, or Sleight of Hand 
  check, though the GM may allow creative uses of other 
  skills as a substitute with up to a –5 penalty. The PCs 
  should make one check per painting, which factor into 
  their success later in the mission. Replacing a painting 
  with one of Lady Morilla’s canvases earns 1 Shame Point 
  without any check required. If the PCs exceed the DC by 5 
  or more for at least three paintings, they earn 1 additional 
  Shame Point. Grant the PCs half a success (rounded 
  down; see below) for each portrait they crudely deface or 
  destroy, as with erase or a failed skill check.
  There are many ways in which the PCs can access the 
  paintings, and this mission is flexible to accommodate 
  most plans the PCs might devise. No matter the strategy, 
  the group should need to attempt at least three relevant 
  skill checks or participate in one combat. Unless the skill 
  check is an opposed roll, set the base DC for success at 
  15 (19 in Subtier 6–7). The GM can increase or decrease 
  this DC by up to 5 to reflect particularly challenging or 
  simple circumstances. Ideally, at least one skill check 
  should involve the entire party rather than just an elected 
  spokesperson; so long as at least half of the PCs succeed, 
  the group succeeds. Finally, a failed skill check does not 
  necessarily mean the PCs fail. Instead, a failure should 
  lead to additional complications, opportunities to cover up 
  the failure, or, in more serious circumstances, the need to 
  withdraw and try a different plan. Every two failed checks 
  the group makes increases the DC of all subsequent checks 
  by 1 as the NPCs grow wiser to the PCs’ plans.
  The GM is at liberty to make minor adjustments to 
  the course of events described above to introduce a few 
  complications, as few heists ever go quite as planned; 
  however, these complications should force the PCs to 
  think on their feet in a fun way rather than completely 
  ruin an otherwise good plan. For example, a worker might 
  begin wandering in the PCs’ direction, an official might 
  ask to see paperwork proving the PCs’ employment by 
  Lord Minovitas, or an aide might insist on inspecting the 
  delivered goods unless the PCs can assure him that that’s 
  battling a demon. Finally, she gives the PCs a tiny silver 
  figure of a raven (a silver raven figurine of wondrous power), 
  requesting that once they have completed the sabotage, 
  they contact her via the figurine for further instructions.
  Diplomacy (gather information) or 
  Knowledge (nobility)
  The PCs may already know about Lord Minovitas and his 
  recent exploits. Lady Morilla may know and share some 
  of this information if the PCs express moral objections to 
  sabotaging the unveiling, as the lord is a callous and—by 
  some standards—evil man.
  15+ Lord Minovitas is a Taldan nobleman who has 
  spent much of the past year in Absalom laying the 
  groundwork for future business endeavors, though most 
  of that time he has spent intoxicated while wining and 
  dining influential citizens.
  20+ His lordship is fighting a losing battle to maintain 
  his upstanding image in Absalom as several Taldans 
  have begun telling stories of Lord Minovitas’s habitual 
  exploitation of his ancestral lands and its people. At 
  least two of these rumormongers have disappeared very 
  suddenly in the past month.
  25+ Lord Minovitas’s superiors have formally censured 
  him on at least two occasions for “ignoble conduct,” which 
  would qualify as felonies if performed by a commoner.
  Diplomacy (gather information) or 
  Knowledge (local)
  The PCs can scout out the warehouse and learn more 
  about its business practices.
  15+ The warehouse in question helps to stock shops in 
  the Wise Quarter and Foreign Quarter, so it contains a 
  wide variety of goods. Prospective clients visit often to 
  rent out space or order shipments of goods, which often 
  includes a tour of the facility.
  20+ Lord Minovitas sent for a handful of Taldan guards 
  to transport six flat crates from the warehouse, but they 
  are yet to arrive at the guildhall. His lordship sent word 
  that he intends to dispatch replacements soon to retrieve 
  his possessions.
  25+ Business has been slow for the warehouse, and the 
  owner is late in paying his employees’ wages—much to 
  the workers’ chagrin.
  The Heist (CR 5 or CR 8)
  The course of events plays out as follows. The replacement 
  guards hired by Lord Minovitas arrive on the morning of 
  the event to pick up the six crates, which they load into a 
  close-topped wagon and escort from the northern end of 
  the Foreign Quarter to the Opparan Trace Commission 
  
  A. Wise Quarter Warehouse
  Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Warehouse
  1 square = 5 feet
  N
  9
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  9
  encourage the other PCs to participate (such as needing 
  a distraction).
  Robbery: The PCs might decide to accost the hired 
  guards and their wagon while they’re making the delivery. 
  Finding a good ambush site (Knowledge [local] or Stealth) 
  might grant the PCs a surprise round in combat or 
  unsettle the guards if the PCs prefer to impersonate city 
  officials looking for contraband (Bluff or Disguise). The 
  guards have no deep loyalty to Taldor or Lord Minovitas, 
  so as long as they’re sufficiently scared (Intimidate), 
  they might surrender their cargo without a fight (a more 
  difficult Diplomacy or Intimidate check). Alternatively, 
  the PCs might subdue the guards and steal the wagon.
  Sweet Talking: The PCs might befriend the warehouse 
  workers (Diplomacy) and convince them to look the 
  other way with a significant bribe (Sleight of Hand to 
  avoid their supervisor’s notice). Several workers can then 
  provide a small distraction as others lead the PCs to the 
  paintings (Stealth).
  unnecessary. The following are a few likely plans, how 
  they might play out, and what skills are likely involved.
  Impersonation: The PCs might pretend to be the 
  replacement guards (Bluff or Disguise) and convince 
  the warehouse employees to let them take the paintings 
  (Bluff)—possibly with forged papers (Linguistics). They 
  may have to pass muster when they arrive at the council 
  building (Bluff) or at least convince the employees that 
  everything is in order (Diplomacy).
  Infiltration: The PCs might gain access to the 
  warehouse by impersonating merchants who are 
  interested in renting out space in the warehouse 
  (Appraise, Bluff, Disguise, Profession [merchant]), which 
  could allow one or more of them to slip away during the 
  tour (Climb or Stealth), find the paintings (Perception) 
  and alter them. Although it may be tempting to send an 
  exceptionally stealthy PC to break into the warehouse 
  alone, the GM might introduce a few factors that 
  
  10
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  10
  Creatures: The guards are capable combatants and are 
  fairly perceptive.
  Subtier 3–4 (CR 5)
  HIRED GUARDS (4) 
  CR 1
  Guards (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 267)
  hp 22 each
  Subtier 6–7 (CR 8)
  HIRED GUARDS (3) 
  CR 5
  Expert bodyguards (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 269)
  hp 59 each
  Development: Once the PCs contact Lady Morilla 
  with the silver raven figurine of wondrous power, she sends 
  it back to them with a return message; give the PCs 
  Player Handout #1. This prompts the PCs to attend the 
  unveiling at the Opparan Trade Commission. 
  The Unveiling
  The PCs have a little time in which to enjoy the grand 
  opening of the Opparan Trade Commission, a reception 
  that involves lavish finger food, expensive drinks, and 
  exposure to many of Foreign Quarter’s and Absalom’s 
  leading citizens, including some of the NPCs described 
  in the Very Important People section on page 6. 
  There are several other leaders present including the 
  personalities detailed below and any others that the GM 
  may wish to include.
  Each PC has an opportunity to interact with one or more 
  of these NPCs depending on how quickly they completed 
  the heist. After such interactions, so long as a PC made 
  some effort to portray Lord Minovitas as unsympathetic 
  or otherwise undermine his reputation, she can attempt 
  a DC 15 Bluff, Diplomacy, or Perform (comedy or oratory) 
  check to sway that NPC’s opinion against the host. No 
  matter how long the PCs spend chatting, each PC receives 
  only one opportunity to attempt such a check. For each 
  successful check, the PCs earn 1 Shame Point. For a group 
  of only four PCs, each success instead grants one-and-a-
  half Shame Points (rounded down).
  Senator Augustyn Naran of Andoran: Senator Augustyn 
  is a prominent member of a banking family and travels to 
  Absalom to see and be seen when not needed in Almas. He 
  is an obese man in his late sixties, and constantly sweats 
  in Absalom’s midday heat. This makes him quite irritable 
  and open to taking out his frustration on easy targets.
  Lady Vaelia of House Wintermark: Lady Vaelia is 
  venerable and frail, walking with the aid of an ebony cane 
  while wearing a worn falcata (her late husband’s blade) at 
  her side. She is vehemently against everything Qadiran, 
  and although she believes Taldor can do no wrong, she 
  is open to criticizing her peers whenever they fail in 
  Taldor’s name.
  Development: Once each PC has had an opportunity 
  to make a check, Lord Minovitas takes to the stage as 
  three trumpeters play a fanfare to call attention to him. 
  He then delivers a prepared speech that precedes his 
  unveiling of the paintings. 
  “Welcome esteemed colleagues and honored guests. On this 
  historic day, the glorious Opparan Trade Commission is open 
  for business! But it is not just commerce that we commemorate 
  today; we also recognize the valor of several of the greatest 
  heroes of our time who have fought in Mendev’s recent crusade 
  and pushed back the demon threat so that others might live in 
  peace. Yet this was not accomplished alone, and in an alliance 
  of nations we found our strength. With the establishment of 
  this facility here in Absalom, the Commission hopes to continue 
  this alliance and further promote fair and equitable trade to the 
  benefit of all.
  “With great honor, I dedicate this embassy to its founding 
  members, whose esteemed accomplishments shall be forever 
  commemorated by the work of the world-renowned painter 
  Amya Illanaf!”
  With that, Lord Minovitas gestures dramatically as 
  if expecting someone to unveil the paintings for him. 
  When that fails, he strides over to the first painting 
  and theatrically whips off its cover while smiling to 
  the audience. He repeats the action with several other 
  paintings before realizing that the art has been altered. 
  Furious, he unveils the other paintings. Depending on 
  how many Shame Points the PCs accumulated and the 
  crowd’s reaction, he either regains some composure 
  before concluding the presentation, or he panics and 
  ineffectively tries to calm the crowd before retreating 
  from the stage. Tally the number of Shame Points to 
  determine how the crowd reacts.
  3 or Fewer: The crowd responds excitedly to the speech 
  and sympathetically applauds when the paintings are 
  unveiled.
  4–7: The crowd is unimpressed by the speech and 
  chuckles at Minovitas’s expense.
  8–10: The crowd heckles Minovitas during his speech 
  (causing him to stutter and lose his place) and jeers 
  maliciously when the paintings are revealed.
  11–13: The crowd mercilessly heckles Minovitas and 
  roars in disapproving amusement at the paintings.
  Concluding the Act
  In the aftermath, Lady Morilla gathers the PCs together, 
  retrieves her silver raven figurine of wondrous power, and 
  shares her vision of her faction’s future.
  
  Aaqir al’hakam
  11
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  11
  tired of playing cat and mouse and longs to resolve the 
  matter once and for all.
  From the perspective of Aaqir al’Hakam, Guaril Karela 
  would make an excellent business partner. Several 
  years ago, the Qadira faction repeatedly encountered 
  difficulties in negotiating trade deals in Varisia, in part 
  because the locals were unimpressed by—sometimes 
  even distrustful of—such a self-important mercantile 
  power. When Aaqir began downplaying his 
  Qadiran connections, his agents were more 
  successful in dealing with organizations 
  that had previously denied favorable 
  terms to the satrapy. In Aaqir al’Hakam’s 
  estimation, conducting business as an 
  independent has proven better than 
  working as an extension of Qadira. By 
  merging his assets with Guaril’s, Aaqir can 
  accumulate enough capital, support, and 
  manpower to make his business a success. 
  The easiest way to ensure the merger goes 
  smoothly is to ensure Guaril remains alive 
  and cooperative.
  This mission begins when two Sczarni 
  toughs (more dressed for a shakedown 
  than a formal event) seek out the 
  PCs. Slightly out of breath 
  and visibly on edge, they 
  request the PCs follow them 
  to a secure location where they 
  can speak safely. The PCs are in 
  no danger from these two, but if they 
  seem threatened or skeptical, the 
  toughs surrender their weapons as a 
  sign of good faith. They lead the PCs through Absalom, 
  doubling back on their path and taking several snaking 
  turns to a brightly colored ledge wagon parked in the 
  Docks district only a few blocks from the Pickled Imp. 
  The PCs’ escorts signal to several other Sczarni guarding 
  the wagon as well as to a few street vendors positioned 
  on opposite ends of the block (lookouts, as the Sczarni 
  explain).
  Once cleared to approach, the PCs can enter the 
  wagon. The interior is dimly lit by small brass lamps that 
  spread the faint odor of lamp oil, only partly masked by 
  incense. The only other occupant is faction leader Aaqir 
  al’Hakam, who makes an effort of standing to greet the 
  PCs in the low-ceilinged wagon.
  “I suppose you’re surprised to see me? Sit. I wish I could say I 
  have called you here for a more celebratory reason, but such 
  isn’t the case. We have a desperate situation on our hands: 
  Guaril Karela is missing.
  “Lately the Sczarni leader and I have discussed a deal that 
  “I’m appalled and disappointed that the same nobles who 
  once opposed us now seek to steal our glory by claiming 
  that creating the army was their idea. While I thank you for 
  today’s efforts to rebuke them, I fear they’ll simply continue 
  to perpetrate this fraud back in Taldor. Worse, should they 
  succeed, it will only reinforce the ‘do nothing’ nobility and 
  be another nail in Taldor’s coffin. And if it’s a coffin they’re 
  building, I refuse to be buried with them.
  “This is not unique to Taldor, yet in other lands I have 
  met nobles who have their people’s needs in mind 
  and greater vision of how to accomplish their goals. 
  Rarely are these members of royal families, but 
  many have their respective monarchs’ ears. 
  Rather than recreate the Taldan empire of old, 
  we shall promote an enlightened aristocracy 
  that promotes the virtues of strong, wise 
  governance. I do not expect a response now, but I 
  invite you to join me in this endeavor.”
  Developments: During the PCs’ meeting 
  with Lady Morilla, there is a quiet knock on 
  the door followed by a woman saying, “My 
  lady sends her thanks.” A sealed missive 
  then slides under the door. The 
  PCs might identify the seal 
  as that of Princess Eutropia 
  of Taldor with a successful 
  DC 20 Knowledge (nobility) 
  before Lady Morilla retrieves the 
  note, stores it for later, and politely 
  redirects any questions about it to 
  other topics.
  MISSION TWO: A MATTER OF 
  VENDETTA (THE EXCHANGE)
  Unlike other missions, it’s important this mission begin 
  in the evening or at night. 
  Two years ago, Guaril Karela embarked on an 
  aggressive campaign to unite the Varisian Sczarni 
  families under his leadership. Through honeyed words, 
  classic arm-twisting, and merciless maneuvers, he 
  effectively succeeded. However, his tactics made him 
  many enemies, including the survivors of several of the 
  families that he crushed. Months ago, Sczarni faction PCs 
  learned that some of these enemies had banded together 
  to assassinate Guaril Karela and end what they perceive 
  as a tyrannical takeover. Guaril directed his resources to 
  neutralizing this threat, though every time his agents 
  seem to corner his enemies, the Gaels (a family of his 
  most persistent foes) have proven elusive. After spending 
  the better part of a year in hiding, the faction leader is 
  
  12
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  12
  might be in both our organizations’ interest, and I had hoped to 
  finalize more of the terms tonight. However, several individuals 
  wearing Qadiran clothing and wielding long blades broke into 
  the Pickled Imp, Guaril’s business, tried to set it ablaze, and 
  kidnapped the proprietor—a Sczarni operative who has spent 
  the last month disguised as Guaril to mislead his enemies. 
  Despite their appearance, I have no connection to these vandals. 
  In fact, they may even have been attempting to implicate me 
  and eliminate yet another one of Guaril’s friends.
  “Apparently Guaril did not take the news lightly, and I’ve been 
  informed that he grabbed his weapons, ordered all but two of 
  his subordinates to stay behind, and set off after the criminals. It 
  seems this was just one of many contingencies he had prepared, 
  for he had written instructions ready. It seems that part of the 
  plan,” he notes aloud as he extends a sealed missive, “Involved 
  recruiting your help in particular. 
  “I suspect that the Gael family is behind this, and Guaril 
  sees this as an opportunity to finally do in the rivals who have 
  worked to undermine and kill him for the past year. This has the 
  potential to be very dangerous, but apparently he wanted you to 
  be present for whatever he has planned.”
  Give the players Player Handout #2, which is a missive 
  sealed with Guaril’s personal mark. This is a cryptic 
  set of instructions for how to reach Guaril’s prepared 
  battleground, where he intends to lure his Gael enemies. 
  See the “Finding Guaril” section below for details about 
  what the lines mean and how to reach that location. The 
  PCs may have questions for Aaqir al’Hakam, and he can 
  also provide some information to help them interpret 
  the first few lines of the instructions if the players are 
  struggling. The following are likely questions and his 
  answers, some of which are based off lines in the handout.
  Why should we trust you? “Guaril has entrusted me 
  with his safety twice before, and he is too close of a friend 
  and business associate for me to endanger his life.”
  Will you accompany us? “I have attempted to track 
  Guaril with magic to no avail, but I will continue to do so 
  from here. Should I locate him, I will contact you.”
  Why did Guaril behave so recklessly? “I understand 
  Guaril devised numerous contingencies that would help 
  him survive an attack by the Gael family, then hit them 
  where it hurts. I imagine he has lured them to a prepared 
  battlefield somewhere in Absalom.”
  What is Beldren’s Bluff ? “That’s in the Precipice 
  Quarter, which collapsed into the water years ago. 
  I believe its one of the low hills there is known as 
  Beldren’s Bluff.”
  Can we borrow a boat? “Guaril’s friends keep several 
  small boats, and I can request they lend you one.”
  Finding Guaril 
  While trying to find Guaril, the PCs must attempt 
  several skill or ability checks to follow the faction 
  leader’s directions and efficiently navigate the Flotsam 
  Graveyard—the graveyard of half-sunken ships skirting 
  Absalom’s harbor. The PCs should be able to find Guaril 
  even if they fail these checks, but each failure means the 
  PCs are delayed more, and Guaril’s condition is worse by 
  the time they arrive.
  Interpreting the poem requires a very literal 
  translation of each verse. Guaril designed it to work much 
  like orienteering from a map, in that each successive 
  reference point relies on the previous reference point.
  The first two lines refer to the Precipice Quarter, 
  where if the PCs look due west, they can see the Puddles 
  District and Fort Tempest, the latter which the poem 
  calls the “storm of stone.” It is possible to use a map to 
  make these conclusions without actually traveling to the 
  Precipice Quarter.
  Just south of Fort Tempest are the partially submerged 
  remains of the Silver Wren, a ship whose painted figurehead 
  remains above water and in fairly good shape. From there 
  the PCs can spot a line of six dark ships collectively known 
  as The Black Whale (an off-shore prison maintained by the 
  city) with a successful DC 20 Perception check. If the PCs 
  climb up to the crow’s nest, they find a badly weathered 
  spyglass that makes it easier to scan the Flotsam Graveyard 
  and grants them a +5 circumstance bonus on the check. 
  Alternatively, a PC can pinpoint the location with a 
  successful DC 25 Knowledge (local) check. These are the 
  six black whales referenced in the poem, and the light 
  refers to the lighthouse on Pilot Island (no check needed 
  to see it). Failing the skill check means that the PCs take an 
  especially long time finding the right landmarks, giving 
  the Gaels more time to harry Guaril.
  Approximately halfway between the lighthouse and 
  The Black Whale is a capsized vessel whose figurehead is a 
  woman with a flowing gown, her mouth open as if she were 
  drowning. This is the “drowning maiden without a name,” 
  and by following her gaze, the PCs can identify The Fool’s 
  Pride, a great flat lumber barge, as Guaril’s hideout.
  While the PCs are traveling about the Flotsam 
  Graveyard, each PC must succeed at a DC 16 Stealth 
  check to avoid the notice of the Gael Doomseer’s raven 
  familiar. If at least half of the PCs succeed, the raven fails 
  to spot them as it glides over the wreckage; otherwise 
  it notes their approach and reports back to its master. 
  This counts as a failed skill check for this encounter and 
  urges the Gaels to fight harder to kill Guaril before his 
  reinforcements arrive. In addition, either one PC can 
  attempt a DC 15 Profession (sailor) check or all of the PCs 
  can attempt DC 15 Strength checks to pilot their boat 
  efficiently through the wreckage. If the Profession check 
  
  B. The Fool’s Pride
  Pathfinder Flip-Mat: Pirate Ship
  1 square = 5 feet
  N
  A = Gael Assassin
  A1
  GA A2
  A3
  D
  G
  D = Gael Doomseer
  G = Guaril Karela
  GA = Guaril (alternate
   starting position)
  13
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  13
  and avoiding notice) the PCs failed in reaching The 
  Fool’s Pride. If the PCs failed no checks, Guaril is in the 
  marked starting position with 30 hit points, and the Gael 
  assailants clamber on board on the opposite side of the 
  ship 1 round after the PCs arrive. If the PCs failed one 
  check, PCs and the Gaels arrive simultaneously. If the 
  PCs failed two or more checks, Guaril and the Gaels are 
  already fighting and begin in the positions marked on 
  the map (use the alternate starting position for Guaril). 
  Finally, if the PCs fail all three checks, Guaril has only 15 
  hit points remaining.
  Just after dealing with the first band of Sczarni, Guaril 
  tipped several gallons of fish guts overboard to attract 
  sharks. Instead of sharks, this chum has lured several 
  devilfish that arrive soon after the fighting begins, 
  turning the combat into a three-sided melee. Ideally, the 
  devilfish act as a balancing factor, allowing the GM to 
  target either side to make the fight a little more even and 
  Guaril’s survival a little more uncertain.
  The encounter’s overall CR takes into account the 
  staggered arrival of enemies, their tactics, and Guaril 
  Karela’s assistance.
  All Subtiers
  GUARIL KARELA 
  CR 10
  Human rogue 11
  CN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +9; Senses Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +5 Dex)
  hp 75 (11d8+22)
  Fort +5, Ref +13, Will +5
  fails, or fewer than half of the PCs succeed at the Strength 
  checks, this counts as a failed skill check.
  If the players are struggling to interpret the poem and 
  are unlikely to resolve this part of the mission within 
  15 minutes, Aaqir al’Hakam contacts them by means of 
  whispering wind and informs them that he has located 
  Guaril Karela on The Fool’s Pride. Allow the PCs to reach 
  the barge without further skill checks, counting any 
  remaining checks as failures.
  B. The Fool’s Pride (CR 6 or CR 9)
  The Fool’s Pride once belonged to the rebellious son of a 
  blacksmith, naming the ship after his father’s favorite 
  criticism of the son’s desire to ply the dangerous waters. The 
  vessel sank within a year after veering too close to the Flotsam 
  Graveyard during rough weather, and there it has remained 
  for the past several years. Two months ago, Guaril began 
  outfitting the ship with traps, bait, and other contingencies to 
  lure his enemies here, so he might kill them where Absalom 
  authorities are unlikely to ask questions. By the time the PCs 
  arrive, Guaril has already killed a dozen Gael assailants who 
  arrived in two waves. During these attacks, they triggered his 
  traps and fell to his ambushes, leaving several bodies lying 
  across the deck and many more slowly sinking where Guaril 
  pushed them overboard.
  By the time the PCs arrive, it is night, and the Flotsam 
  Graveyard is dark. The map assumes that the PCs are 
  approaching from the south, but if they approach from 
  the north, flip the starting positions so that the assassins 
  begin on the far side of the ship.
  Creatures: The number of assassins on the ship and 
  where Guaril is depend on how many of the three skill 
  checks (finding the Black Whale, piloting the boat, 
  
  14
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  14
  SCALING THE FOOL’S PRIDE
  Make the following changes to accommodate a group of 
  only four PCs.
  Subtier 3–4: Remove one Gael assassin from the 
  encounter, and give one devilfish the young simple template.
  Subtier 6–7: Remove one Gael assassin from the 
  encounter, and remove the advanced simple template from 
  one devilfish.
  Defensive Abilities evasion, improved uncanny dodge, trap 
  sense +3
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft.
  Melee +1 dagger +14/+9 (1d4+1/19–20)
  Ranged dagger +13/+8 (1d4/19–20)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +6d6
  STATISTICS
  Str 10, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 14
  Base Atk +8; CMB +13 (+15 dirty trick); CMD 23 (25 vs. dirty trick)
  Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Deceitful, Deft 
  Hands, Improved Dirty TrickAPG, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, 
  Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +19 (+24 when jumping), Bluff +20, Climb +8, 
  Diplomacy +16, Disable Device +28, Disguise +12,  
  Intimidate +16, Knowledge (local) +12, Perception +13, Sense 
  Motive +13, Sleight of Hand +23, Stealth +19, Swim +8
  Languages Common, Shoanti, Tien, Varisian
  SQ rogue talents (bleeding attack +6, charmerAPG, finesse rogue, 
  honeyed wordsAPG, skill mastery [Acrobatics, Perception, 
  Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth]), trapfinding +5
  Gear +2 studded leather, +1 dagger, daggers (2), belt of 
  incredible dexterity +2, cloak of resistance +1, boots of 
  striding and springing, sunrod (2), disguise kit, mwk 
  thieves’ tools
  Subtier 3–4 (CR 7)
  DEVILFISH (2) 
  CR 4
  hp 42 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 88)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The devilfish arrive and join the combat at the 
  beginning of the second round of combat.
  During Combat The devilfish attack any creature in reach, 
  grabbing a target, biting it, and tossing incapacitated victims 
  aside to be consumed later.
  Morale The devilfish wish to inflict pain and secure a meal, but 
  one flees if reduced to 8 or fewer hp.
  GAEL ASSASSIN (3) 
  CR 2
  Human ranger 2/rogue 1
  NE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +3; Senses Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex)
  hp 23 (3 HD; 2d10+1d8+4)
  Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +2 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 kukri +4 (1d4+3/18–20), +1 kukri +4 (1d4+2/18–20) or 
  +1 kukri +6 (1d4+3/18–20)
  Ranged shortbow +5 (1d6/×3)
  Special Attacks combat style (two-weapon), favored enemy 
  (humans +2), sneak attack +1d6
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The assassins apply their oil of light and oils 
  of magic weapon to their kukris before attacking. These 
  enhancements are noted in their stat block.
  During Combat The assassins’ aim is to eliminate Guaril 
  Karela, and they take moderate risks to target him rather 
  than the PCs. 
  Morale The Gaels initiated this fight knowing that Guaril’s 
  death is their only means of victory. They fight to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8
  Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 17
  Feats Iron Will, Skill Focus (Stealth), Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  Weapon Focus (kukri)
  Skills Acrobatics +8, Appraise +5, Bluff +4, Climb +6, 
  Diplomacy +3, Disable Device +7, Knowledge (local) +5, 
  Perception +6, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +6,  
  Stealth +11, Survival +5, Swim +7, Use Magic Device +3
  Languages Common, Skald, Varisian
  SQ track +1, wild empathy +1, trapfinding +1
  Combat Gear oil of light, oil of magic weapon (2), potion 
  of cure moderate wounds, smokestick; Other Gear 
  studded leather, mwk kukris (2), elixir of swimming, and 
  137 gp
  GAEL DOOMSEER  
  CR 4
  Female diviner 5
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +4; Senses Perception +1
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
  hp 35 (5d6+15)
  Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +6
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee quarterstaff +1 (1d6–1) 
  Arcane School Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +9)
  7/day—diviner’s fortune (+2)
  Diviner Spells Prepared (CL 5th; concentration +9)
  3rd—fly, invisibility sphere, extended see invisibility
  2nd—glitterdust (DC 16), locate object, scare (DC 16), 
  
  15
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  15
  scorching ray
  1st—grease (DC 15), hydraulic pushAPG, touch of 
  gracelessnessAPG (DC 15), true strike, vanishAPG
  0 (at will)—detect magic, detect poison, message, read magic
  Opposition Schools abjuration, enchantment
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The doomseer casts extended see invisibility, fly, 
  and invisibility sphere to hide as many of her allies as possible.
  During Combat The doomseer uses her spells to hamper 
  Guaril’s allies and attack the faction leader.
  Morale The Gaels initiated this fight knowing that Guaril’s death is 
  their only means of victory. The doomseer fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 13
  Feats Arcane Armor Training, Combat Casting, Extend Spell, 
  Great Fortitude, Scribe Scroll, Toughness 
  Skills Appraise +10, Craft (alchemy) +12, Fly +10, Intimidate +8, 
  Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, 
  Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (local) +9, Knowledge 
  (nobility) +9, Spellcraft +12
  Languages Common
  SQ arcane bond (raven), forewarned
  Gear leather armor, quarterstaff, amulet of natural armor +1, 
  cloak of resistance +1, 40 gp
  Subtier 6–7 (CR 10)
  GAEL ASSASSIN (3) 
  CR 4
  Male or female ranger 2/rogue 3
  NE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +8; Senses Perception +7
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 armor, +4 Dex)
  hp 38 (5 HD; 2d10+3d8+10)
  Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +3 
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 kukri +8 (1d4+3/18–20), +1 kukri +8 
  (1d4+2/18–20) or 
  +1 kukri +10 (1d4+3/18–20)
  Ranged shortbow +8 (1d6/×3)
  Special Attacks combat style (two-weapon), favored 
  enemy (humans +2), sneak attack +2d6
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 8
  Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 20
  Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus 
  (Stealth), Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse, 
  Weapon Focus (kukri)
  Skills Acrobatics +12, Appraise +5, Bluff +5, Climb 
  +9, Diplomacy +4, Disable Device +10, Intimidate +6, 
  Knowledge (local) +8, Perception +7, Sense  
  Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +15,  
  Survival +7, Swim +9, Use Magic Device +4
  Languages Common, Skald, Varisian
  SQ rogue talents (finesse rogue), track +1, trapfinding +1, wild 
  empathy +1
  Combat Gear elixir of swimming, oil of light, oil of magic 
  weapon (2), potion of cure moderate wounds, smokestick 
  (3); Other Gear boots of the catUE, +1 studded leather, mwk 
  kukris (2), 49 gp
  GAEL DOOMSEER 
  CR 8
  Human diviner 9
  LE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +10; Senses Perception +1
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
  hp 84 (9d6+1d10+45)
  Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +8
  DR 10/adamantine (90 points)
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee quarterstaff +3 (1d6–1)
  Arcane School Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +14)
  8/day—diviner’s fortune (+4)
  Diviner Spells Prepared (CL 9th; concentration +14)
  5th—cone of cold (DC 20), prying eyes, suffocationAPG (DC 20)
  4th—dimensional anchor, enervation, locate creature, 
  stoneskin
  3rd—dispel magic, fly, haste, invisibility sphere, 
  extended 
  
  Guaril Karela
  16
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  16
  see invisibility*
  2nd—false life, glitterdust (DC 17), locate object, mirror 
  image, scare (DC 17), scorching ray
  1st—grease (DC 16), hydraulic pushAPG (2), magic missile (2), 
  touch of gracelessnessAPG (DC 16), true strike
  0 (at will)—detect magic, detect poison, message, read magic
  Opposition Schools abjuration, enchantment
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The doomseer casts extended 
  see invisibility, false life, fly, stoneskin, and 
  invisibility sphere to hide as many of her 
  allies as possible.
  During Combat The doomseer uses her 
  spells to hamper Guaril’s allies and attack 
  the faction leader.
  Morale The Gaels initiated this fight knowing 
  that Guaril’s death is their only means of 
  victory. The doomseer fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha 10
  Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 15
  Feats Arcane Armor Training, Combat 
  Casting, Extend Spell, Great 
  Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 
  Light Armor Proficiency, Scribe 
  Scroll, Toughness
  Skills Appraise +17, Craft (alchemy) +17,  
  Fly +14, Intimidate +9, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +17, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering, history, local, nature, 
  nobility, and planes) +11, Spellcraft +17
  Languages Common, Giant, Goblin, Infernal, Skald, Tien, 
  Varisian
  SQ arcane bond (raven), forewarned, scrying adept
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear  
  +1 mithral chain shirt, quarterstaff, amulet of natural armor 
  +1, cloak of resistance +1, headband of vast intelligence +2, 
  diamond dust (250 gp)
  ADVANCED DEVILFISH (2) 
  CR 5
  hp 52 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2 88, 292)
  Concluding the Mission
  If Guaril survives the encounter, he takes a few seconds to 
  catch his breath, smooth his mustache, and confirms that 
  there are no other combatants before thanking the PCs.
  “Every investment is a gamble, and it seems this paid off—
  barely. I assume that sly fox Aaqir told you about the plan, yes? 
  Let your enemies see you in a moment of weakness, allow them 
  to strike and taste blood, then lure them toward a trap while 
  they think they’re winning. I, ah,” he motions noncommittally 
  toward some of the blood staining the deck, “think I may have 
  let them taste too much blood tonight. You can imagine how 
  thrilled Uncle Guaril is that a few of his heavily armed friends 
  happened to be in the neighborhood in his time of need,” he 
  remarks while flashing a knowing smile.
  “Speaking of deals and mutual backscratching, you should 
  know that Aaqir and I have nearly finished one to help us 
  perform the other. I got a little too ambitious in Varisia and 
  made a few enemies we didn’t intend to unleash, and 
  that’s made staying in business as we are… less than 
  wise. Fortunately, Aaqir’s looking for talent like 
  ours, and I’m not really in a position to say no.
  “That’s not to say I’m breaking up the 
  family business—hardly the case. This is 
  just a mutually beneficial marriage of two 
  honest enterprises in which everyone gets a 
  juicy cut—so long as we play nice with our 
  proverbial in-laws. Be prepared to be even 
  more upstanding than usual, but be ready to 
  do things the old fashioned way. This is the start of 
  something big.”
  MISSION 
  THREE: SPAWN 
  OF THE SPIRE 
  (GRAND LODGE)
  Over a year ago, the Pathfinder 
  Society 
  learned 
  that 
  an 
  enemy 
  wizard named Tancred Desimire 
  had entered Bonekeep, one of siege 
  towers outside Absalom. Suspecting that Desimire had 
  found some weapon within to use against the Society, 
  several teams of highly skilled agents entered the site 
  to identify what the conjurer had discovered. Several 
  Pathfinders died during the brief exploration, but they 
  recovered fabulous treasures as well as clues as to what 
  the tower’s creator may have attempted before being 
  defeated centuries earlier.
  Of special note were biological samples taken from 
  slain creatures, in which Society alchemists identified 
  several unique pathogens that they isolated for further 
  study. The researchers insisted on putting the returning 
  agents in quarantine to ensure that the disease would 
  not spread, and there they remained for several days 
  before they began to show symptoms such as ugly boils. 
  This morning, the disease took an unexpected turn 
  for the worse. Without warning, the victims went mad, 
  attacked the researchers, and destroyed alchemical 
  equipment, resulting in an explosion that incapacitated 
  the infected and spattered the room—and Dalva Aiger, 
  the surviving alchemist—with disease-bearing bits of 
  
  Venture-Captain
  Ambrus Valsin
  17
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  17
  flesh. When Dalva recovered, she tried to flee the lab 
  and seek a healer, but by then the fast-acting disease 
  had already begun to warp her judgment and senses. 
  She viciously attacked the first person she saw, and 
  the shocked bystanders succeeded in driving her back 
  into the lab and barricaded the door. Immediately they 
  sought capable agents to help.
  The mission begins when Ambrus Valsin asks the 
  PCs to join him in speaking with several dozen 
  dignitaries who have joined in the celebrations 
  and are interested in knowing more about 
  the Society and its role in Absalom. Valsin 
  requests the PCs behave themselves and 
  try to put on a pleasant face when dealing 
  with these visitors, as every good word 
  makes it easier for the Society to operate 
  in distant lands. This is a brief opportunity 
  for the PCs to roleplay as influential 
  merchants, lesser nobles, and well-dressed 
  ambassadors ask them questions about 
  their recent exploits. Several minutes 
  into the conversations, a terrified 
  Pathfinder enters the room 
  in a panic. Valsin spots the 
  man and signals to the 
  PCs 
  to 
  handle 
  the 
  matter, 
  including 
  a 
  Pathfinder hand sign 
  that expresses “and keep 
  it quiet.” Hoping to draw the 
  visitors’ attention away from the 
  PCs and the recent arrival, Valsin 
  announces that he has brought several relics recovered 
  over the past year to show off, and the crowd excitedly 
  gravitates in his direction. If one or more PCs insist on 
  staying with him, Valsin fixes her with a steely glare, 
  gives a forced, overly friendly smile, and inquires why she 
  doesn’t have business to handle elsewhere—hinting that 
  the PC should really be addressing the emergency.
  The frightened agent is Kalkuin (NG tiefling human 
  bard 1/fighter 1), and he ushers the PCs into a side room 
  before explaining the situation.
  “There aren’t many agents around the Grand Lodge, so when 
  I heard an explosion and ran to investigate, I was the first 
  one there. It seems something bad happened in one of the 
  laboratories—really bad. One of the researchers stumbled out 
  all covered in boils and blood, and when I tried to lend him an 
  arm, he bit me and tried to tear out my throat! It was all I could 
  do to fend him off, and two others helped me drive him back 
  into the lab and barricade the door.”
  He pulls back a tattered sleeve to reveal a bite wound that 
  is festering as though days old, insisting, “This isn’t part of my 
  heritage, no matter what you think. I think it’s some kind of 
  infection, and I intend to find a cleric as soon as possible. In the 
  meantime, we have agents in trouble at the lodge. Somebody’s 
  gotta help them!”
  A PC examining Kalkuin’s wound can partially 
  diagnose the infection as a necromantic, flesh-eating 
  disease with a successful DC 17 Heal check (DC 19 in 
  Subtier 6–7). The tiefling is not in immediate danger 
  from the wound, though he could die if not treated 
  in the next several days. It is also unclear whether 
  the infection is contagious, and Kalkuin submits 
  to most reasonable plans to quarantine himself. 
  He is not confident about his ability to help 
  the PCs investigate the laboratory, and he 
  turns down offers to accompany the PCs.
  C. Laboratory
  When the PCs arrive at the entrance to the 
  Society laboratory, a groundskeeper 
  is on hand to give them a key 
  to open the thick wooden 
  door 
  reinforced 
  with 
  thick metal plates. The 
  door opens to a hallway 
  with several preparation 
  rooms used to concoct 
  various items used in 
  alchemical research. Each 
  such room’s door has a 
  glass panel that allows one to look 
  inside. Most of the rooms show signs 
  of hasty vandalism from when Dalva burst in, overturned 
  a few tables, and then left to cause mayhem elsewhere. 
  With a successful DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check or DC 20 
  Perception check, the PCs can find either a flask of acid 
  or a flask of alchemist’s fire (determined randomly). For 
  every 5 points by which the PCs exceed this check, they 
  find one additional flask.
  A set of stairs at the end of the hall leads to a lower 
  level. These are sticky with an unfamiliar substance 
  that, with a successful DC 13 Knowledge (dungeoneering) 
  check, a PC can recognize as a slime trail like that left by 
  a large slug or ooze. This is the slime trail of the hungry 
  flesh in area C1, but it has dried enough that it is no 
  longer slippery.
  C1. Hungry Flesh (CR 5 or CR 8)
  This entire area is slick with fresh slime left as the 
  hungry flesh slithers about. Treat the entire area past the 
  stairs as though it were under the effects of a grease spell 
  that can transmit tumor infestation on contact for the 
  next 5 rounds after the PCs arrive (DC 17 in Subtier 3–4, 
  
  N
  C. Laboratory
  H3
  H1
  H2
  H4
  Pathfinder Map Pack: Thieves’ Guild
  1 square = 5 feet
  C1
  H = Hungry Flesh
  18
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  18
  Subtier 3–4 (CR 8)
  ADVANCED HUNGRY FLESH (4)  
  CR 4 
  hp 57 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 152, 288)
  C2. Combat Range
  This room contains four armored mannequins that each 
  show signs of energy damage, such as scorch marks, 
  fracturing from cold, and corrosion from acid. When 
  developing prototypes for new alchemical weapons, 
  researchers often test early formulae against these 
  dummies to study the weapons’ effects.
  C3. Inner Laboratory (CR 6 or CR 9)
  Racks of surgical tools line the walls of this room, which 
  contains only a single operating table. Steel shutters peer 
  DC 19 in Subtier 6–7); see the hungry flesh slime trail 
  ability for more details. 
  There are doors that lead to other branches of the 
  laboratory, but this mission only explores a few rooms. 
  The reinforced wooden doors leading to unmapped areas 
  are locked with good locks.
  Creature: Typically tumor infestation would not 
  decompose flesh so quickly, but the virulence of 
  the disease found in Bonekeep and the accidental 
  introduction of particular alchemical agents have 
  accelerated its progress and spawned hungry flesh in 
  just an hour. They attack a few seconds after registering 
  that there is living prey in the area.
  Subtier 3–4 (CR 5)
  HUNGRY FLESH (2)  
  CR 3
  hp 47 each (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 4 152)
  
  Dalva Aiger
  19
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  19
  down from more than ten feet above the floor. The floor is a 
  mess of broken glassware and dark stains.
  This is a dissection room with numerous observation 
  windows from which other researchers might watch an 
  experiment in progress—and seal the apertures in case 
  of an emergency. The only door is on the west wall and 
  leads to area C2.
  Creature: Dalva Aiger staggers about here, 
  alone and confused. The tumor infestation 
  has responded to her differently due to 
  her extensive exposure to alchemical 
  substances, and rather than breaking 
  down her flesh, it has attacked her 
  nervous system. The result is that her 
  brain interprets the signals from her 
  sensory organs in unpredictable ways, 
  causing her to hallucinate and see the 
  PCs as fantastically aberrant enemies. 
  In addition, several of her glands have 
  begun producing a substance 
  similar 
  to 
  her 
  mutagen. 
  Although this is to her 
  short-term advantage, her 
  body is slowly breaking 
  down to sustain the process. 
  Finally, her bite is able to transmit 
  her infection. Collectively, these 
  modifications increase her Challenge 
  Rating by 1.
  Subtier 3–4 (APL 6)
  DALVA AIGER                   CR 6 
  Female human alchemist 6 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s 
  Guide 26)
  LN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +6; Senses Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15 (+5 armor, +2 Dex)
  hp 42 (6d8+12)
  Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3; +4 vs. poison
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk sickle +7 (1d6+2), bite +1 (1d2+1 plus disease) 
  Special Attacks bomb 9/day (3d6+3 fire, DC 16), disease
  Alchemist Extracts Prepared (CL 6th)
  2nd—barkskin, fire breathAPG (DC 15), spider climb,  
  vomit swarmAPG
  1st—expeditious retreat, jump, keen sensesAPG, reduce 
  person, stone fistAPG
  TACTICS
  During Combat Dalva hides under the operating table to 
  escape the ghastly specters she thinks are flitting 
  about the room. If she hears combat in area C1, 
  she consumes her extracts of barkskin, spider 
  climb, and jump in that order.
  During Combat Dalva activates her mutagen at 
  the beginning of combat and viciously attacks 
  anyone in sight. She uses her exceptional 
  mobility to leap from combat to rain bombs 
  upon the PCs. Despite her altered mental 
  state, she maintains knowledge of her 
  equipment and class abilities along 
  with considerable cunning.
  Morale Dalva fights until killed or 
  subdued.
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 
  12, Cha 8
  Base Atk +4; CMB +6; CMD 18
  Feats Brew Potion, Improved Initiative, 
  Improved Unarmed Strike, Point-Blank 
  Shot, Throw Anything, Toughness
  Skills Appraise +9, Craft (alchemy) +12, Disable Device +9, 
  Heal +10, Knowledge (arcana) +9, Perception +10, Sleight of 
  Hand +9, Spellcraft +10,  
  Survival +10, Use Magic Device +8
  Languages Common, Draconic, Osiriani, Undercommon
  SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +6, identify potions), mutagen 
  (+4/–2, +2 natural, 60 minutes), discoveries (feral mutagen, 
  shock bomb, smoke bomb), mutated infestation, poison use, 
  swift alchemy, swift poisoning
  Gear +2 studded leather, mwk sickle, 169 gp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Disease (Ex) Tumor Infestation: Injury; save Fort DC 17; onset 1 
  minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con and 1d2 Cha; cure 2 
  consecutive saves. Anyone who dies from tumor infestation 
  turns into a hungry flesh 1d4 hours later.
  Mutated Infestation (Ex) Dalva’s tumor infestation has caused 
  her body to begin producing its own mutagen, allowing her 
  to “consume” her mutagen as a swift action without actually 
  drinking it or provoking an attack of opportunity. It takes 4 
  hours for her body to create a new reserve of mutagen, and 
  Dalva’s present reserve is a Strength mutagen.
  SCALING HUNGRY FLESH
  Make the following changes to accommodate a group of 
  only four PCs.
  Subtier 3–4: The hungry flesh are particularly weak after 
  their accelerated growth. Reduce their maximum hit points 
  by 10, and reduce the save DC of their slime trail ability by 3.
  Subtier 6–7: Remove one advanced hungry flesh from 
  the encounter.
  
  20
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  20
  Subtier 6–7 (APL 9)
  DALVA AIGER 
  CR 9
  Female human alchemist 9
  CN Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +6; Senses Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +2 Dex) 
  hp 62 (9d8+18)
  Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +6; +6 vs. poison 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 sickle +9/+4 (1d6+1), bite +3 (1d6)
  Special Attacks bomb 13/day (5d6+4 fire, DC 18)
  Alchemist Extracts Prepared (CL 9th)
  3rd—bloodhoundAPG, gaseous form, haste
  2nd—barkskin, fire breathAPG (DC 16), invisibility, spider 
  climb, vomit swarmAPG
  1st—expeditious retreat, jump, keen sensesAPG, reduce 
  person (DC 15), shield, stone fistAPG
  TACTICS
  During Combat Dalva hides under the operating table to 
  escape the ghastly haunts she thinks are flitting about the 
  room. If she hears combat in area C1, she consumes her 
  extracts of barkskin, haste, spider climb, invisibility, jump, 
  and shield in that order.
  During Combat Dalva activates her mutagen at the beginning 
  of combat and viciously attacks anyone in sight. She uses 
  her exceptional mobility to leap from combat to rain 
  bombs upon the PCs. Despite her altered mental state, she 
  maintains knowledge of her equipment and class abilities 
  along with considerable cunning.
  Morale Dalva fights until killed or subdued.
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 8
  Base Atk +6; CMB +8 (+10 grapple); CMD 20 (22 vs. grapple)
  Feats Brew Potion, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, 
  Improved Unarmed Strike, Iron Will, Point-Blank Shot, Throw 
  Anything, Toughness
  Skills Appraise +13, Craft (alchemy) +16, Disable Device +14, 
  Heal +13, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Perception +13, Sleight of 
  Hand +11, Spellcraft +16, Survival +13, Use Magic Device +11
  Languages Common, Draconic, Kelish, Osiriani, Undercommon
  SQ alchemy (alchemy crafting +9, identify potions), mutagen 
  (+4/–2, +2 natural, 90 minutes), discoveries (feral mutagen, 
  shock bomb, smoke bomb), psychosis, poison use, swift 
  alchemy, swift poisoning, 
  Gear +3 studded leather, +1 sickle
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Disease (Ex) Tumor Infestation: Injury; save Fort DC 19; onset 1 
  minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d2 Con and 1d2 Cha; cure 2 
  consecutive saves. Anyone who dies from tumor infestation 
  turns into a hungry flesh 1d4 hours later.
  Mutated Infestation (Ex) Dalva’s tumor infestation has caused 
  her body to begin producing its own mutagen, allowing her 
  to “consume” her mutagen as a swift action without actually 
  drinking it or provoking an attack of opportunity. It takes 4 
  hours for her body to create a new reserve of mutagen, and 
  Dalva’s present reserve is a Strength mutagen.
  Concluding the Mission
  Shortly after the end of the encounter, Ambrus Valsin 
  arrives with several additional agents, explaining that he 
  was able to conclude his part of the festivities and hurry 
  over. If Dalva is alive but restrained, Ambrus examines the 
  infection from a safe distance and authorizes one of the 
  agents to cast remove disease followed by remove curse when 
  the first spell seems insufficient to clear up the disease. 
  The spell combination appears to cure Dalva for now, 
  and she relays her recent studies, the sudden outbreak of 
  madness in the patients, and her own concerns about how 
  quickly her own infection progressed.
  She turns herself over to Ambrus to be quarantined 
  for further observation and study, citing that the magical 
  healing she just received may not have been sufficient. 
  She also recommends that the PCs, Valsin, and the 
  other agents submit to an examination by other Society 
  alchemists to ensure that they do not carry and spread 
  the disease further. Were this a weapon Bonekeep’s 
  master had intended to use against Absalom, Dalva 
  speculates, the city is fortunate that he never succeeded 
  in unleashing it.
  After spending an hour, Society researchers confirm 
  that any PCs who did not contract tumor infestation are 
  cleared to leave quarantine. They detain any infected PC 
  with Valsin’s blessing, though a PC can participate in the 
  rest of the adventure if he is cured by a spell like remove 
  disease. In thanks for the PCs’ service, Ambrus Valsin 
  offers to pay for the first such spell cast on a PC. He then 
  addresses all of the agents.
  “In the past three years, the Pathfinder Society has embarked 
  on as many significant expeditions. We’re about to claim 
  the dwarven sky citadel Jormurdun as our own—a major 
  accomplishment. As you can see, though, these discoveries 
  come at a cost in mortal life, and I need agents who are sharp 
  enough to get the job done, get out alive, and pull out any 
  Pathfinders who aren’t as lucky or capable. Keep up the good 
  work, and you’ll go far.
  SCALING THE INNER LABORATORY
  To accommodate a group of only four PCs, Dalva has already 
  expended any extracts of barkskin, haste, and vomit swarm 
  in addition to all but 3 of her bombs for the day.
  
  Ollysta ZAdrian
  21
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  21
  “Explore, report, and cooperate,” Valsin quotes as he gives an 
  uncharacteristic, honest smile.
  MISSION FOUR: THE 
  FREEDOM AUCTION  
  (SILVER CRUSADE)
  Over the past year, the Silver Crusade faction has enjoyed 
  the spotlight as it led the charge against the demons 
  of the Worldwound, earning it (and by extension the 
  Pathfinder 
  Society) 
  considerable 
  prestige. In doing so, the Silver 
  Crusade has won numerous future 
  favors from the Society. With this glory 
  comes an unexpected hurdle: as it scales 
  back its combat role in the Mendevian 
  Crusade, the faction must maintain its 
  momentum and remain an equally powerful 
  and relevant force of good.
  Throughout 
  inauguration 
  festivities, 
  Silver Crusade faction leader Ollystra 
  Zadrian maintains a high profile. She 
  tracks down the PCs at one of the 
  events to request their aid.
  “While I am happy to see you 
  here, I have come because I 
  need someone I can trust to help 
  me right a grievous injustice. 
  “When Queen Galfrey called for troops 
  during the Fifth Mendevian Crusade, many 
  who answered her call were criminals in 
  their homelands who joined our cause 
  in efforts to seek redemption. For their 
  valor and sacrifice, Queen Galfrey granted them a warrior’s 
  pardon. Despite this official declaration, a number of bounty 
  hunters followed these criminals north. Either ignorant of the 
  declaration or in defiance of it, they have begun capturing 
  several of these felons-turned-war-heroes and turning them 
  in for profit. More troubling, when they cannot claim their 
  bounties, these hunters simply sell our heroes off as slaves.
  “I have learned that three of these champions are to be 
  auctioned in the slave pits of Absalom today. What’s more, I 
  am familiar with the particular villain who is hoping to buy 
  all three—an unfitting end for these redeemed souls. Such 
  auctions are generally closed to the public, and those bidding 
  are required to purchase special coins in advance. Fortunately, 
  the Society owes us many favors for our valor over the past year, 
  and they were willing to provide me both seats at the auction 
  and auction coins.
  “However, I’m too well known in Absalom, and my appearance 
  at the auction would jeopardize the mission. Please, attend the 
  auction, buy the freedom of these crusaders, and bring them to 
  the Grand Lodge to give them a true fresh start.”
  The PCs may have questions for Ollysta. Likely 
  questions and their answers are below.
  Who is the villain who wants to buy the slaves? “Midley 
  Blackburn, a name familiar to many of the slave traders. 
  He’s also a genius with disguises, and he seems to delight 
  in looking a little different for every auction. I trust you’ll 
  be able to identify him once bidding begins.”
  Why don’t we just raid the slave pits and deny the 
  slavers any gold? “I do not approve 
  of slavery, but this is not the 
  time to overthrow the entire 
  institution and risk the slaves’ 
  lives. Perhaps in the future the 
  circumstances will be different. 
  For now, we play their game and do a 
  little good where we can.”
  Is it really worth saving these 
  criminals? “These three have troubled 
  pasts, yes, but they have taken important 
  steps in seeking and earning redemption 
  for 
  their crimes. I have no reason 
  to doubt Queen Galfrey’s 
  proclamation 
  that 
  they are heroes, and as 
  heroes they should be 
  spared the indignity of 
  slavery.”
  After the PCs agree to attend the 
  auction and bid for the enslaved 
  heroes’ freedom, Ollystra gives them 
  a rolled leather coin purse containing 
  30 bronze coins embossed with an image of stocks and 
  the words “Stig’s Twenty Five.” She then tells them to 
  head to Misery Row, where the auction is to be held in 
  about an hour. The inscrutable individual running the 
  auction is a large Varisian man known as Bounder Stig. 
  She also tells them that Bounder runs a closed, buy-in 
  auction, meaning the only people allowed to bid are 
  those who have previously paid to signed up for the 
  action and purchased special bidding coins. The coins 
  are worth 25 gp each. They are non-refundable (but 
  always usable at the market). Using the coins allows 
  bidders to avoid carrying a lot of money during auctions 
  and ensures that the slavers are making a profit.
  The Auction 
  The slave pits of Absalom get their name from the deep 
  pits in which slaves wait in plain view of potential buyers. 
  The site hosts auctions regularly, many of them operating 
  
  N
  D. Sore Losers
  Pathfinder Map Pack: Pub Crawl
  1 square = 5 feet
  22
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  22
  through licensed auctioneers such as Bounder Stig (NE 
  male human rogue 5, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +5, Intimidate 
  +8, Sense Motive +5). Unless one of the PCs is a regular 
  in Absalom’s seedy underbelly, he doesn’t recognize them 
  and rudely tells them to get lost. Showing him the auction 
  coins changes his tune causing him to grumble and tells 
  them to find a spot. Several more groups arrive after the 
  PCs, and all told, there are about 50 people representing 
  perhaps a dozen bidding parties. Bounder crosses names 
  off a list as they arrive, and then he launches into his 
  opening banter.
  “Alright, enough of the chitchat! Anyone up fer bidding find a 
  spot around the pits. Anyone else… shove off!
  “Today, I’m holding a quick sale auction! That means I’m 
  doing this quick. Any of ya with complaints can stick around to 
  thank the pesky Andorens that keep showing up and getting’ 
  in me business. 
  “Each auction is one bid per slave, got it? No haggling today, 
  and no complaints! Look at yer bid coins an you’ll know I already 
  got yer money. 
  “I ain’t havin’ no arguments today neither, so don’t nobody 
  spill blood on my block unless you paid for it. 
  “So here’s how it works. I put a slave up for auction and 
  anyone interested writes down a bid. I check the offers and the 
  slave goes off to the highest unique bid. If yer bid’s the same 
  as anyone else’s, ya both lose. I ain’t got time to sort out no 
  arguments. Remember, I keep all bids, so even if ya don’t win, 
  I’m still taking yer coins, so if you can’t afford to lose ‘em, don’t 
  place a bloody bid!
  “Lastly, the bids for all auctions start at 8 coins. I ain’t 
  repeating that and if there’s anyone dumb enough to offer me 
  less than 200 gold, don’t expect me to take any more offers from 
  ya, period. All clear?”
  From about the block, the buyers grumble in agreement, 
  after which the auction begins.
  Running the auction is straightforward. First, have the 
  PCs write down their bid. Remind them that they must 
  bid at least 8 coins. If need be, clarify that the PCs don’t 
  necessarily need the highest bid, only the highest unique 
  bid. Because the PCs only have 30 coins to purchase all 
  three slaves, they need to figure out how to make the coins 
  last for all four auctions. For each of the three slaves, 
  assume that there are two rival bidders, each of which 
  bids 1d4+8 coins. Reveal all of the bids for a slave, and 
  discard any results that match. The highest remaining 
  bid wins that auction. 
  While a number of disreputable purchasers have 
  arrived to bid on the war heroes, not all of them bid 
  every auction. The only serious bidder among them is a 
  ruthless agent of a Qadiran shipping company who goes 
  
  23
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  23
  by the name of Midley Blackburn. Assume any of the 
  GM’s winning bids go to Midley.
  The slaves are Talmar (CG human male ranger 3, 
  Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 129), a former bandit from 
  Isger who has now sworn to protect his homeland; 
  Holianda Wist (half-elf female paladin 3, NPC Codex 
  113), a swindler from the River Kingdoms who has since 
  converted to Iomedae’s faith; and Elwyhir Eshikonas (NG 
  male elf sorcerer 3, NPC Codex 161), a mystic exiled from 
  the Land of the Linnorm Kings for slander against its 
  dragon-slaying monarchs. None of them have equipment. 
  In addition, Holianda has already used her smite evil 
  ability and all but one use of lay on hands for the day. 
  Elwyhir has only one 1st-level spell slot remaining. They 
  are willing to help the PCs in any plan against Blackburn 
  so long as they are provided some basic equipment.
  D. The Sore Losers (CR 6 or CR 9)
  What occurs next depends on how events at the auction 
  played out. If the PCs won two or more of the auctions, 
  Midley Blackburn and his goons track them through 
  Misery Row and just as they are about to leave, they accost 
  them and try to claim their slaves by force.
  If instead the PCs lost most of the auctions, they 
  might need to resort to similar tactics in order to save 
  the enslaved heroes. Should this occur, the PCs need to 
  track down Midley and his goons, though they refuse to 
  surrender their slaves without a fight. 
  Subtier 3–4 (APL 6)
  BLACKBURN THUGS (3) 
  CR 1
  LE skulking brutes (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 144)
  hp 19 each
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The thugs approach the PCs from several 
  directions.
  During Combat The thugs aim to sow confusion, harass 
  spellcasters, and provide Midley Blackburn easy targets to 
  finish off.
  Morale A thug prefers to drink a potion of cure light wounds 
  when reduced to 5 or fewer hit points. Otherwise, they 
  continue fighting so long as Midley does, and continue to 
  fight for 1 round after he dies or flees.
  MIDLEY BLACKBURN 
  CR 4
  Male doppelganger rogue 1 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 89)
  NE Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +4 natural)
  hp 37 (5 HD; 4d10+1d8+11)
  Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +6 Immune charm, sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk bastard sword +10 (1d10+7/19–20) or 
  2 claws +9 (1d8+5)
  Ranged mwk blowgun +8 (1d2 plus poison)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +21)
  At will—detect thoughts (DC 15)
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Midley coats his bastard sword and one of his 
  blowgun darts with blue whinnis poison.
  During Combat Midley’s identity as a doppelganger is a secret, 
  and he prefers to keep it that way by not assuming his 
  natural form.
  Morale Midley values his life over acquiring a few slaves, and 
  he tries to flee if reduced to 7 or fewer hp.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 17
  Base Atk +4; CMB +9; CMD 24
  Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative
  Skills Acrobatics +10, Bluff +14 (+18 while using change shape 
  ability), Diplomacy +10, Disguise +11 (+31 while using shape 
  change ability), Perception +9, Sense Motive +9, Stealth +9; 
  Racial Modifiers +4 Bluff, +4 Disguise 
  Languages Common
  SQ change shape (alter self), mimicry, perfect copy, trapfinding +1, 
  Combat Gear blue whinnis poison (2); Other Gear masterwork 
  bastard sword, masterwork blowgun with 10 darts
  Subtier 6–7 (APL 9)
  BLACKBURN THUGS (3) 
  CR 4 
  Grizzled mercenaries (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 268)
  hp 51 each
  TACTICS
  Before Combat The thugs approach the PCs from several 
  directions. If they have sufficient warning, they consume 
  their potions of barkskin.
  During Combat The thugs aim to sow confusion, harass 
  spellcasters, and provide Midley Blackburn easy targets to 
  finish off.
  Morale A thug prefers to drink a potion of cure moderate 
  wounds when reduced to 15 or fewer hit points. Otherwise, 
  SCALING SORE LOSERS
  Make the following changes to accommodate a group of 
  only four PCs.
  Subtier 3–4: Remove two of the Blackburn thugs from 
  the encounter.
  Subtier 6–7: Replace two of the Blackburn thugs with the 
  thugs from Subtier 3–4.
  
  24
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  24
  they continue fighting so long as Midley does, and continue 
  to fight for 1 round after he dies or flees.
  MIDLEY BLACKBURN 
  CR 7
  Male doppelganger rogue 4 (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 89)
  NE Medium monstrous humanoid (shapechanger)
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+2 armor, +1 deflection, +3 Dex, 
  +1 dodge, +4 natural)
  hp 60 (8 HD; 4d10+4d8+20) 
  Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +7 
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1 uncanny dodge; 
  immune charm, sleep
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 bastard sword +13/+8 (1d10+8/19–20) or 
  2 claws +12 (1d8+5)
  Ranged mwk blowgun +12/+7 (1d2 plus poison)
  Special Attacks sneak attack +2d6
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 18th; concentration +21)
  At will—detect thoughts
  Rogue Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th, concentration +5)
  3/day—message
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Midley coats his bastard sword and one of his 
  blowgun darts with blue whinnis poison.
  During Combat Midley’s identity as a doppelganger is a secret, 
  and he prefers to keep it that way by not assuming his 
  natural form.
  Morale Midley values his life over acquiring a few slaves, and 
  he tries to flee if reduced to 12 or fewer hp.
  STATISTICS
  Str 20, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 17
  Base Atk +7; CMB +12; CMD 28
  Feats Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Mobility, 
  Spring Attack
  Skills Acrobatics +15, Appraise +6, Bluff +16 (+20 while using 
  shape change ability), Diplomacy +14, Disable  
  Device +10, Disguise +11 (+31 while using change shape 
  ability), Intimidate +8, Perception +13, Sense Motive +12, 
  Sleight of Hand +11, Stealth +12, Use Magic Device +10; 
  Racial Modifiers +4 Bluff (+8 while using shape change 
  ability), +4 Disguise (+24 while using shape change ability)
  Languages Common
  SQ rogue talents (combat trick, minor magic), trapfinding +2, 
  change shape (alter self)
  Combat Gear potion of invisibility, blue whinnis poison 
  (2); Other Gear leather armor, +1 bastard sword, ring of 
  protection +1
  Development: After the fight, the PCs have a generous 
  amount of time in which to resolve any loose ends 
  before the Coins District’s guards—infamous for their 
  lazy leniency—eventually investigate. Although Midley 
  Blackburn has no intentions of changing his ways, he’s 
  willing to promise almost anything if captured. He uses 
  detect thoughts to read the minds of his captors and tailor 
  any oaths to what they want to hear. Should the PCs let 
  him go, he uses his change shape ability to blend into the 
  crowd and lay low before hiring new guards and getting 
  back into the slave trade.
  Concluding the Mission
  Ollysta is relieved to hear of the PCs’ success, and she 
  personally welcomes each of the freed heroes into 
  the Grand Lodge to recover. Her joy gradually turns 
  to sadness as she contemplates recent events, and she 
  addresses the PCs.
  “I wish I could say today’s events were isolated, but I cannot. 
  With recent victories to the north, I understand the Fifth 
  Mendevian Crusade is drawing to a close. I now see that we 
  have as much work to do at home helping people as we do 
  on the frontier fighting demons. Fortunately, our efforts at 
  the Worldwound have made the Pathfinder Society look as 
  much like a guild of heroes as an association of archaeologists, 
  and the positive response has not been lost on the Society’s 
  leadership. I expect they will continue to support our efforts as 
  we turn them homeward and attempt not to be crusaders, but 
  soldiers of peace.
  “Be prepared for missions of mercy and justice. Our work is 
  not done.”
  MISSION FIVE: THE VAULT OF 
  BASTORIETH (DARK ARCHIVE)
  Over a year ago, one of Paracountess Zarta Dralneen’s 
  enemies pulled strings to have her disappeared by 
  Cheliax for crimes she didn’t commit. The Pathfinder 
  Society saved her, but Zarta’s faith in the government 
  she had loyally served was crushed. Over the past year, 
  she has strengthened her ties to the Pathfinder Society, 
  seeing in the Grand Lodge a vital ally that might help 
  her and her faction distance themselves from Cheliax 
  while also acquiring the power necessary to retaliate 
  against her enemies. In doing so, she has carved out a 
  special niche for her organization that might allow her 
  to do both things with the Decemvirate’s approval—
  assuming she can convince the masked leaders that they 
  can trust her.
  Faction leader Zarta Dralneen is very active over 
  the course of the festivities, and the PCs likely catch 
  sight of her rubbing elbows with a wide variety of 
  public officials, council members, visiting nobles, and 
  
  Zarta Dralneen
  25
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  25
  guild leaders. She may even join the PCs’ conversation 
  with another NPC, smiling knowingly as she helps to 
  encourage conversation and asks one or more PCs to 
  share a particularly bold or embarrassing story about 
  his adventuring career. It is during such an interaction 
  that she requests one of the PCs gather his comrades 
  and join her for a brief meeting out of easy earshot. 
  When the PCs arrive, Zarta is sitting at a table adorned 
  with delicate hors d’oeuvres. She invites them 
  to sit and partake of the food before voicing 
  her request.
  “Welcome, my dear Pathfinders. I hope 
  it’s not too untoward if I spare you the 
  sweet nothings that the political elite are 
  relentlessly exhaling. As you may know, the 
  Society and I have maintained a somewhat 
  distant relationship based on… mutual 
  respect. On occasion, we offer each other 
  support, but it’s always an exchange of 
  favors. Recently, I have offered to assist 
  the Society in a more permanent capacity. 
  Needless to say, the leaders were both 
  intrigued and skeptical. Their responses 
  speak to their wisdom.
  “I trust you are familiar with the 
  Vaults, yes? There must be dozens of 
  them scattered throughout the Grand 
  Lodge. Being constant collectors, the 
  Society occasionally recovers an artifact 
  that possesses powers that they believe too 
  dangerous or destructive for mortals. For 
  such items, they have designed a special 
  section within the Vaults that they inspect 
  only infrequently. But as I have informed them, some evils 
  only become more dangerous if left to decay in the dark. As 
  this collection of forgotten treasures grows, it poses an ever-
  increasing risk that requires increased… supervision.
  “It appears the Decemvirate has come to understand these 
  truths as I do, and I have a standing offer to catalogue and 
  maintain these dangerous relics so long as I and several of my 
  agents can complete several tests to the Ten’s satisfaction. I 
  am about to check in on one of my assignments, and I would 
  appreciate your handling this other task.
  “It seems that something has gotten loose in one of the 
  vaults, specifically the vault containing artifacts recovered from 
  the castle of the lovely Erya Bastorieth. The Society sealed off 
  the vault to prevent whatever it is from escaping, but that’s 
  hardly a permanent solution. I have permission to send a small 
  team to rectify the situation and determine what went wrong. I 
  trust you’re up for the challenge.”
  The PCs may have questions or objections they wish to 
  voice. Likely topics and Zarta’s responses are below.
  Why would the Decemvirate trust you? “They 
  recognize that several centuries of unpredictable and 
  potentially unstable relics are hidden in the foundation, 
  and they need a professional and her trusted agents to 
  make sure nothing dangerous develops. I may be from 
  an empire of devils, but I’m an independent, and a devil 
  they know.”
  Why should we cooperate with you? “I realize 
  it is difficult to trust someone with my 
  background. Even so, I’m acting for the good 
  of the Society and within its oversight. If 
  you still don’t trust me, wouldn’t it be to 
  your advantage to cooperate this time so 
  that you can see for yourself whether I’ve 
  been disloyal?”
  What can you tell us about Erya 
  Bastorieth? “She was a so-called weeping 
  vampire accused of stealing her victims’ 
  youth by bathing in their blood. The 
  Society recovered quite a few disturbing 
  treasures from her holdings.”
  What do you know about the 
  thing that is loose? “The 
  Society 
  periodically 
  sends 
  groups of Pathfinders into 
  their Vaults to ensure that 
  nothing is amiss. Apparently 
  one of the agents ran into trouble, 
  as evidenced by breaking glass and 
  screams. Her companions tried to 
  save her but only succeeded in sealing 
  off that section of the Vault.” 
  Once the PCs have agreed to handle the task, Zarta 
  thanks them, calls in an aging dwarf whose bleary eyes 
  attest either to his sleep deprivation, inability to forget 
  terrible memories, or both. He introduces himself as 
  Hasjald, an employee of the Grand Lodge who works as 
  a groundskeeper and part-time custodian of the Vaults. 
  He volunteers to guide the PCs to the sealed vault. As he 
  leads them into the wooded area near the Wall of Names, 
  he explains that there are multiple Vaults that riddle the 
  Grand Lodge, but until the PCs have permanent clearance 
  to enter them, it’s important that they be blindfolded 
  until they get to the rooms in question. So long as the 
  PCs agree—the mission stalls if they don’t—Hasjald 
  faithfully leads them below ground through a hidden 
  entrance, past several locked doorways, and down several 
  winding tunnels. The PCs find themselves in a dank, 
  dimly lit stone hallway without any visible windows. The 
  
  N
  E. The Mirror of Nightmares
  1 square = 5 feet
  26
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  26
  door to the east bears a plaque reading “The Vault of Erya 
  Bastorieth.”
  Hasjald announces that they’ve arrived and informs 
  the PCs that he will open the door for them, seal it behind 
  them, and await a signal knock before opening the door 
  again.
  E. The Mirror of Nightmares (CR 6 or CR 9)
  A young Pathfinder named Rasina (N female human 
  rogue 3) developed an unhealthy fixation with the 
  exhibits in this vault when she was patrolling it earlier 
  this week, and she made the mistake of peeking behind 
  a velvet curtain that hid a large pane of inky glass, in 
  which was trapped a shadowy outsider called an owb. 
  The creature read enough of Rasina’s thoughts to begin 
  haunting her dreams with nightmarish threats and 
  terrible promises for the next several nights. Exhausted 
  and in a trance, she returned to the Vaults with her 
  companions to finish the task she’d been nocturnally 
  assigned. She shattered the glass and, in so doing, 
  released the outsider trapped within.
  The door opens to a small, unlit foyer surrounding a plain 
  stone stairwell. The stairs descend into a room lined in dark 
  lacquered wood panels. A number of macabre items stand 
  carefully positioned about the room, including a guillotine, 
  a gold-lined iron tub with claws shaped to resemble lion’s 
  paws, and gruesome abstract paintings depicting tortured 
  figures donning strange, birdlike masks and engaging in 
  acts of ritual scarification. Another wall displays a number of 
  exquisite white lace dresses drenched with sanguine stains 
  set upon mannequins fashioned from human skeletons. 
  Lastly, two crystalline display cases sit upon wooden 
  pedestals, one holding a wickedly sharp athame with a 
  flame-shaped blade, the other containing a simple circlet of 
  braided silver and bronze. 
  A dozen mirror-like fragments of glass are scattered across 
  the floor, and a young woman’s body lies in a congealed pool 
  of blood at the center of the room. A pair of shadow-shrouded 
  alcoves flanks the stairs.
  Although the owb escaped the mirror into the Material 
  Plane, it is not entirely free of the mirror’s influence. 
  Residual magic has dulled the creature’s connection to 
  the Plane of Shadow keeping it from escaping the room. 
  In addition, the mirror fragments still hold power over 
  the outsider, for no matter the lighting conditions (even 
  in supernatural darkness), the owb’s reflection always 
  
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  27
  appears in the mirror’s pieces. In this way, a PC can 
  use a mirror fragment to locate the owb, even if the PC 
  cannot see in the dark. Holding a fragment in such a 
  way requires a free hand. In addition, a mirror shard can 
  be wielded as an improvised dagger that overcomes the 
  damage reduction and regeneration of a nightmare owb 
  as if made of silver. Each shard retains a faint magic aura, 
  and a PC can learn the mirror shard’s properties as if it 
  were a magic item (CL 5th).
  A PC can also draw conclusions about the 
  mirror’s use as a magical prison with a successful 
  DC 17 Knowledge (arcana or planes) check (DC 
  21 in Subtier 6–7); identifying a mirror shard’s 
  properties as above also hints at its original 
  purpose. Examining the dead Pathfinder 
  with a successful DC 15 Heal check (DC 18 
  in Subtier 6–7) reveals that her wounds are 
  particularly clean, almost as though her 
  body were frozen before being sliced 
  apart by large claws.
  The darkened alcoves are 
  kept dark by the owb’s deeper 
  darkness 
  spell-like 
  ability, 
  and the effect extends to the 
  archways and no further.
  Creatures: The evil and 
  alien creature(s) is native 
  to the Plane of Shadow 
  and 
  lurks 
  hidden 
  beyond the magically 
  darkened 
  portals. 
  Using detect thoughts 
  it 
  immediately 
  knows 
  when 
  any 
  living 
  creature 
  enters the room. As 
  the PCs begin to explore 
  the chamber, it begins 
  subtly sending sinister 
  telepathic messages to 
  random PCs. Once a PC perceives the owb, 
  wanders into an alcove alone, or otherwise 
  bores the outsider, the creature attacks. In 
  Subtier 6–7, there are two owbs, each warped over its 
  long imprisonment into a nightmarish monstrosity.
  Subtier 3–4 (CR 6)
  OWB 
  CR 6
  hp 76 (Pathfinder RPG
     Bestiary 4, 210)
  TACTICS
  During Combat The owb uses its spell-like abilities to 
  extinguish the PCs’ light sources and attack from the 
  cover of darkness. 
  Morale If reduced to 20 or fewer hit points, the owb 
  retreats to heal its wounds before attacking again. 
  If the PCs do not seem impeded by darkness, it 
  instead fights to the death.
  Subtier 6–7 (CR 9)
  NIGHTMARE OWB (2) 
  CR 7
  NE Medium outsider (evil, 
  extraplanar); (Pathfinder RPG 
  Bestiary 4 204, 210, 204)
  Init +12; Senses darkvision 120 
  ft., see in darkness; Perception 
  +13
  Aura fear aura (60-foot radius 
  ft., DC 19), frightful presence 
  (30 ft., DC 19)
  DEFENSE
  AC 19, touch 19, flat-footed 
  10 (+8 Dex, +1 dodge)
  hp 76 (8d10+32); 
  regeneration 5 (good 
  spells and weapons, 
  silver)
  Fort +10, Ref +10, Will 
  +8; +4 vs. illusion.
  DR 5/good or silver; 
  Immune cold
  Weaknesses light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Speed 5 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect)
  Melee 2 claws +12 (1d8+4 plus 1d6 cold)
  Ranged burning cold +16 (3d6 cold)
  Special Attacks burning cold, curse of darkness, night terrors
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 8th; concentration +13)
  Constant—blur, protection from good
  At will—deeper darkness, detect thoughts (DC 17), dust of 
  twilightAPG (DC 17)
  5/day—shadow stepAPG
  3/day—dream, nightmare (DC 20), suggestion (DC 18)
  1/day—plane shift (self only, to or from the Shadow Plane 
  only), shadow walk
  SCALING THE MIRROR OF NIGHTMARES
  To accommodate a party of only four PCs, reduce the owbs’ 
  maximum hit points by 15. The owb is still weakened from 
  its long imprisonment, and its deeper darkness spell-like 
  ability is unable to create supernatural darkness; it can only 
  create natural darkness that darkvision can pierce.
  
  28
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  28
  TACTICS
  During Combat The owb uses its spell-like abilities to 
  extinguish the PCs’ light sources and attack from the cover 
  of darkness. 
   
  Morale If reduced to 20 or fewer hit points, the owb retreats 
  to heal its wounds before attacking again. If the PCs do not 
  seem impeded by darkness, it instead fights to the death.
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 26, Con 19, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 20
  Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 32
  Feats Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Initiative, Point-Blank Shot
  Skills Bluff +14, Diplomacy +13, Fly +20, Intimidate +13, 
  Knowledge (planes) +12, Perception +13, Sense Motive +13, 
  Spellcraft +12, Stealth +23; Racial Modifiers +4 Intimidate, 
  +4 Stealth
  Languages Dark Folk (can’t speak); telepathy 100 ft.
  SQ feign death (DC 19)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Burning Cold (Su) As a standard action, an owb can conjure 
  a ball of flickering flames and hurl it at an opponent. The 
  flames can be thrown as a ranged touch attack at a range 
  of 120 feet with no range increment, and deal 3d6 points of 
  cold damage.
  Curse of Darkness (Su) With a touch, an owb can make 
  bright light unbearable to the victim. Any creature touched 
  must succeed at a DC 19 Fortitude save or gain the light 
  blindness weakness. This ability also robs the victim of 
  its coloration, leaving the creature and its equipment in 
  washed-out shades of gray. This effect can be removed 
  with break enchantment or remove curse, unless the target 
  has the dark folk subtype, in which case the effect can 
  only be removed by wish or similar magic. The save DC is 
  Charisma-based.
  Feign Death (Ex) Whenever a nightmare creature is 
  unconscious, it appears dead. A conscious nightmare creature 
  can also make itself appear dead as an immediate action. 
  Any creature that physically interacts with a nightmare 
  creature feigning death must succeed at a DC 19 Heal check 
  or Will saving throw to recognize it is actually alive.
  Illusion Resistance (Ex) A nightmare creature automatically 
  disbelieves illusions (no saving throw required) and has a +4 
  bonus on saving throws to resist illusion effects.
  Frightful Presence (Su) This ability activates when the 
  nightmare creature charges, attacks during a surprise round, 
  or succeeds at a DC 15 Intimidate or Perform check. Its 
  frightful presence has a range of 30 feet.
  Fear Aura (Su) All creatures within a 60-foot radius that see or 
  hear a nightmare creature must succeed at a Will save or be 
  shaken for as long as they are within the aura. Whether or 
  not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected 
  again by the same nightmare creature’s fear aura for 24 
  hours. This is a mind-affecting fear affect.
  Night Terrors (Su) Once a nightmare owb enters a target’s 
  mind with its dream or nightmare spell-like ability, it can 
  attempt to control the target’s dream. If the target fails 
  a Will saving throw, it remains asleep and trapped in the 
  dream world with the nightmare creature. Thereafter, the 
  nightmare creature controls all aspects of the dream. Each 
  hour that passes, the target can attempt another saving 
  throw to try to awaken (it automatically awakens after 8 
  hours or if the nightmare creature releases it). The target 
  takes 1d4 points of Charisma damage each hour it is 
  trapped in the dream; if it takes any Charisma damage, it 
  is fatigued and unable to regain arcane spells for the next 
  24 hours. The target dies if this Charisma damage equals 
  or exceeds its actual Charisma score.
  Faction Notes: In addition to defeating the owb, Dark 
  Archive faction PCs should determine what befell the 
  dead Pathfinder and what the Society had stored in this 
  area. Piecing together a convincing picture requires the 
  PCs do two of the following four things: identify the owb 
  with a successful Knowledge (planes) check, identify the 
  mirror’s properties (see area description), determine the 
  cause of death of the Pathfinder (see area description), or 
  use magic such as divination or speak with dead to learn the 
  Pathfinder’s motivations.
  Concluding the Act
  After confirming that the owbs are dead, the PCs are 
  free to knock on the door, leave with Hasjald, and return 
  to Zarta Dralneen to report their success. By that time 
  she is already at the Grand Lodge with a leather folio in 
  hand, and she expresses her approval of the PCs’ work.
  “I’m pleased to hear you were successful. Together we are 
  preparing to open a new chapter in the Society’s illustrious 
  history. I have with me a formal proposal for the creation of 
  a dark archive dedicated to the study and proper handling 
  of any artifacts the Decemvirate deems dangerous enough 
  to hide away. Knowing that they can trust me—and agents 
  under my direction—to do this should seal the bargain. If you 
  are strong enough to handle what lies in darkness, I welcome 
  you to join me. For now, though, there are more festivities.”
  As she parts way with the Pathfinders, she winks 
  knowingly at members of the Cheliax or Dark Archive 
  factions, as if hinting that greater rewards best left 
  unspoken that await.
  MISSION SIX: THE QUISLING 
  (LIBERTY’S EDGE) 
  Early in the Fifth Mendevian Crusade, Major Colson 
  Maldris learned of a class of corrupt career politicians—
  many who had roots in the nobility dismantled during 
  
  Major Colson 
  Maldris
  29
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  29
  Andoran’s People’s Revolt. His agents tracked down 
  and arrested one such politician, which spooked many 
  of that man’s allies into hiding. Although Maldris has 
  the ear of several legislators due to his faction’s recent 
  progress, many others are frustrated by his lack of 
  continued success and have concluded that the major is 
  leaping at conspiracies. 
  Frustrated by this negligence, Maldris and his agents 
  have sought allies among other freedom fighting 
  organizations 
  to 
  rediscover 
  the 
  roots 
  of Andoran’s sense of liberty. To him, 
  there is a certain purity maintained 
  by these freedom fighters that has 
  been tarnished in Andoran over 
  the decades. The irony of fighting 
  tyranny 
  and 
  corruption 
  as 
  an 
  agent of a government that harbors 
  the tyrannical and corrupt is difficult to 
  stomach. He and his faction are growing more 
  distant from their homeland by necessity, lest 
  they be lulled into complacency. Further, 
  this distancing may make it possible to 
  engage in more daring activities both to 
  bring aid to other lands and cleanse his 
  homeland of its malaise.
  Colson Maldris makes 
  few appearances during 
  the festivities leading up 
  to this mission, but when 
  he does appear, he offers to 
  buy the PCs dinner to honor the 
  late representative. During the meal, a 
  courier arrives for him and delivers a 
  sealed letter from the People’s Council. 
  Maldris’s expression changes to one 
  of intense seriousness. He taps the letter on the table a 
  couple of times, as if deciding whether or not to open 
  it, then he breaks the seal and reads silently to himself 
  before addressing the PCs.
  “I hold in my hands a warrant for the arrest of none other than 
  Halmont Warrith, the Andoran Envoy of Foreign Cultural Affairs. 
  I along with several high-ranking members of the People’s 
  Council have reason to believe the envoy guilty of embezzling 
  funds and accepting bribes to establish safehouses for foreign 
  spies in Andoran—all secretly funded by our own exiled nobility 
  so that they might recapture their political power and influence. 
  Furthermore, he’s been turning around and selecting his own 
  candidates—many connected to exiled Andoran nobility—
  who he believes will operate under the “old rules,” and treat 
  Andoran’s ex-nobility as they were prior to the revolution. In 
  this endeavor, Halmont is quickly becoming a very wealthy and 
  influential man.
  “Halmont’s ties run much deeper than perhaps even he 
  realizes, and I suspect that other far more important members 
  within the Council are using Halmont as a scapegoat. At the 
  very least, I am certain Halmont has allies within the Council 
  who would have warned him the second someone issued 
  the warrant. His cronies will be keeping an eye out for me, 
  making it next to impossible for me to approach without him 
  fleeing.” He glares at his clenched fist in silent frustration 
  before looking up.
  “Perhaps you can help by making this arrest 
  for me. I can lure away some of his allies by 
  traveling away from his residence, and you 
  could then approach without scaring him 
  off. Take the warrant, go to Halmont’s 
  flat, and arrest him, but don’t forget to 
  gather any evidence you can. He’s a true 
  coward, so hopefully he’ll come peacefully. 
  Remember, I need proof that Halmont’s allies 
  have connections to older Andoran noble families 
  ousted during the revolution in order to make our 
  accusations stick.”
  Once the PCs accept the mission, they should 
  seek out Halmont at his current residence in 
  the Foreign Quarter.
  F. Halmont’s Apartment
  Halmont’s 
  lives 
  in 
  a 
  semi-attached, 
  two 
  story 
  brick building that shares a 
  foundation with its neighbor to the 
  northeast. There are entrances to 
  the north and east. All the curtains 
  are drawn, though a PC can spot 
  candlelight flickering through the 
  north-facing window of area F7 with a successful DC 
  20 Perception check. Most of the upstairs windows 
  are cracked open by an inch, and all of the downstairs 
  windows are closed and latched.
  As Maldris suspected, Halmont already knows about 
  the warrant. Sensing the end of his political career, he 
  races to pack his most important belongings and flee 
  the city. As the PCs approach, he has already collected 
  his most incriminating documents into a small, 
  wooden case sealed with wax and pine pitch, though 
  that is waiting for him in the cold cellar. In a second 
  satchel he has several sets of clothing. His third bag 
  is empty, though he hopes to fill it with funds he has 
  stored in a safe deposit box at the church of Abadar. He 
  wears the key around his neck and has a copy sitting 
  near his box of documents in area F8. If Halmont feels 
  capture is inevitable, he tries to hide or swallow the key 
  discretely. The key bears Abadaran iconography, and a 
  
  N
  F. Halmont’s Apartments
  1 square = 5 feet
  F7
  F6
  F8
  T
  T
  T
  T
  F1
  F1
  F1
  F5
  F3
  F2
  F4
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  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  30
  PC can intuit its significance with a successful DC 12 
  Intelligence, Knowledge (local), or Knowledge (religion 
  check).
  Nearly done with his preparations to leave and wired 
  on coffee and zerk (a stimulant detailed on page 237 of 
  the Pathfinder RPG Gamemastery Guide), he obsessively 
  glances out the windows for fear of seeing Major 
  Maldris approaching with a squad of Eagle Knights. 
  As the PCs approach the apartment, they must succeed 
  at a DC 17 Stealth check (DC 19 in Subtier 6–7) to 
  prevent Halmont from noticing them. The PCs gain 
  a +5 circumstance on this check if they approach from 
  the east or another direction not readily visible from 
  area F7.
  If Halmont spots the PCs, hears a knock at the door, 
  or notices anything else suspicious, he tries to confirm 
  the intruders’ identities by peering out a window in a 
  different room and pretending as though no one is 
  home. He gathers up his belongings, cracks open the 
  door to area F6 to alert the dog there of trouble, takes 
  his potion of invisibility in hand, and begins sneaking 
  down to the cellar (area F8). There he escapes through 
  a tunnel that connects to an apartment about 100 
  feet to the northeast. From the time he first becomes 
  aware of the PC, it takes Halmont about 3 minutes to 
  reach the escape tunnel and another 1d3 minutes to 
  f lee through his neighbor’s home into the streets of 
  Absalom. Except under exceptional circumstances, 
  Halmont is able to lose the PCs at this point. If the 
  PCs begin exploring his home quickly, Halmont 
  improvises and may take less time to leave, though 
  in this case he must attempt frequent Stealth checks, 
  open any doors in his way, and negotiate a path around 
  the PCs. If he confirms that the PCs already have his 
  documents, he cuts his losses and attempts to escape 
  through any means.
  He does not hesitate to break his air elemental gem as a 
  distraction or to cover his escape. This is a more powerful 
  version of an elemental gem that summons a larger 
  elemental than normal.
  F1. Front and Side Doors
  The exterior doors to Halmont’s residence are made of 
  strong wood (hardness 5, hp 20, break DC 25) and have 
  good locks (Disable Device DC 30). 
  Trap: Halmont’s allies installed a poisonous gas trap at 
  each of the entrances to his home. The envoy armed these 
  
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  31
  as soon as he learned of the warrant and started packing 
  his bags. A trap triggers when the door is opened.
  Subtier 3–4 (CR 6)
  BASIC INSANITY MIST TRAP 
  CR 6
  Type mechanical; Perception DC 20; Disable Device DC 15
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset automatic reset
  Effect poison gas (insanity mist); never miss; multiple targets 
  (all targets in the marked area)
  Subtier 6–7 (CR 9)
  CONCENTRATED INSANITY MIST TRAP 
  CR 9
  Type mechanical; Perception DC 25; Disable Device DC 20
  EFFECTS
  Trigger touch; Reset automatic reset
  Effect poison gas (concentrated insanity mist: Save Fortitude 
  DC 17; Cure 2 consecutive saves); never miss; multiple 
  targets (all targets in the marked area)
  F2. Living Room: This large room has ample space for 
  entertaining guests. It has two storage rooms accessible 
  by doors to the east, and a set of polished oak stairs 
  ascends to the second floor.
  F3. Dining Room: This is a broad room that houses a 
  15-foot-long dining table with eight elegant chairs.
  F4. Privy: This small room has little other than a small 
  table with a washbasin and a polished wooden bench that 
  sits over a metal privy pan. A row of hooks on the back of 
  the door holds hand towels.
  F5. Kitchen: There are several cabinets stuffed with 
  food, sundries, and mundane utensils. A stone hearth is 
  set up for cooking, and two tables in the middle of the 
  room are clean and ready for food preparation. The table 
  in the northwest corner stands over a concealed trapdoor 
  that leads to the cold cellar, which the PCs can spot with a 
  successful DC 18 Perception check (DC 22 in Subtier 6–7).
  F6. Office (CR 1)
  This is a well-appointed office with rugs, a desk, and 
  shelves of books. Halmont swept most of his desk’s 
  contents into one drawer and locked it (DC 20 Disable 
  Device). He took care to extract the particularly 
  incriminating documents, but it takes 1 minute 
  of skimming and a DC 15 Linguistics, Profession 
  (barrister), or Wisdom check to determine that the 
  writings are virtually worthless for Maldris’s purposes. 
  While searching the desk, a PC who succeeds at a DC 15 
  Perception check finds a copy of the key to Halmont’s 
  safe deposit box. 
  Creatures: Halmont recently acquired a strong dog to 
  guard his home, and he has left it in his office to act as a 
  decoy as he flees the premises. Once the dog hears anyone 
  other than Halmont moving about the house, it begins 
  barking loudly. However, Halmont ordered it to stay in 
  this room, so it initially resists its urge to rush at any 
  intruders until they are just outside the door.
  All Subtiers (CR 1)
  CHOMPER 
  CR 1
  Riding dog (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 87)
  hp 13
  F7. Bedroom: An unmade bed is draped with three 
  thick blankets resting atop silk sheets. An old wooden 
  dresser with all the drawers pulled out is near the 
  bed, and a nightstand bears a nearly expired blob of 
  yellowish tallow.
  F8. The Cold Cellar: This is a storage cellar that 
  contains a wide variety of foods and bottled drinks. 
  Halmont has already moved some of his luggage here to 
  prepare for his flight from Absalom. With a successful 
  DC 15 Perception check, the PCs spot Halmont’s sealed 
  box of documents atop the cabinet in the northeast 
  corner. If they exceed this check by 5 or more, they also 
  notice scuff marks along the floor, as though the cabinet 
  has been slid forward and back many times. The cabinet 
  conceals the escape route, and moving the cabinet makes 
  a dull scraping sound; Halmont mitigates this noise by 
  consuming his potion of ant haul to help him lift one end 
  of the cabinet at a time.
  Creatures: Halmont is a not a capable combatant, but 
  he is clever, subtle, and sneaky. Where the PCs encounter 
  him depends on where and if they spot him before he 
  flees the building. There are no modifications in this 
  encounter for a group of four PCs.
  Subtier 3–4 
  (CR 5)
  HALMONT WARRITH 
  CR 5
  Male aristocrat 2/expert 5
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +6; Senses Perception +7
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 deflection, +2 Dex)
  hp 31 (7d8)
  Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +7
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk dagger +7 (1d4–1/19–20) 
  Ranged mwk dagger +7 (1d4–1/19–20)
  TACTICS
  
  Halmont Warrith
  32
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  32
  During Combat Halmont is a coward and doesn’t like to fight; 
  he only fights as much as is needed to get away. If the PCs 
  manage to capture him, he pleads for mercy and offers 
  to pay them to let him go. Otherwise he tries to escape 
  unnoticed, as detailed in the description for area F.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 15
  Base Atk +4; CMB +3; CMD 16
  Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Skill Focus (Bluff), Weapon Finesse
  Skills Appraise +10, Bluff +15, Diplomacy +12, 
  Disable Device +7, Disguise +7, Intimidate +9, 
  Knowledge (local) +8, Knowledge (nobility) 
  +8, Linguistics +5, Perception +7, Sense Motive 
  +10, Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +9
  Languages Common, Infernal
  Combat Gear elemental gem (large air 
  elemental), potion of ant haulAPG, potion of 
  invisibility; Other Gear leather armor, 
  ring of protection +1, ledgers
  Subtier 6-7 (CR 8)
  HALMONT WARRITH 
  CR 8 
  Male aristocrat 4/expert 6
  N Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +6; Senses Perception +9
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +1 
  deflection, +2 Dex, +1 natural)
  hp 45 (10d8)
  Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +10
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk dagger +10/+5 (1d4–1/19–20) 
  Ranged mwk dagger +10/+5 (1d4–1/19–20) 
  TACTICS
  During Combat Halmont is a coward and doesn’t like to fight; 
  he only fights as much as is needed to get away. If the PCs 
  manage to capture him, he pleads for mercy and offers 
  to pay them to let him go. Otherwise he tries to escape 
  unnoticed, as detailed in the description for area F.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 15
  Base Atk +7; CMB +6; CMD 20
  Feats Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning 
  Reflexes, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Knowledge 
  [local]), Weapon Finesse
  Skills Appraise +12, Bluff +21, Diplomacy +15, Disable Device +9, 
  Disguise +9, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (local) +11, Knowledge 
  (nobility) +9, Linguistics +5, Perception +9, Sense Motive +14, 
  Sleight of Hand +10, Stealth +8
  Languages Common, Infernal
  Combat Gear greater elemental gem (huge air elemental), 
  potion of ant haulAPG, potion of invisibility; Other Gear 
  leather armor, amulet of natural armor +1, ring of 
  protection +1, ledgers
  Treasure: Having every intention of continuing his 
  efforts elsewhere, Halmont carries his real ledgers on his 
  person. These contain all the evidence Maldris needs to 
  convict him.
  Development: To succeed, the PCs must 
  both capture Halmont alive and recover 
  evidence of his guilt—specifically the 
  papers he has temporarily stored in 
  area F8. Should Halmont escape, see 
  the Hunting Halmont section below.
  G. HUNTING HALMONT
  In the event that Halmont escapes, the 
  PCs still have an opportunity to capture 
  him when he tries to withdraw his money 
  from his safe deposit box at the 
  church of Abadar. The PCs likely 
  found a copy of the key from the 
  Andoren’s office in area F6, and 
  they can use it to stake out the 
  church and try to catch Halmont 
  while he makes his withdrawal. In 
  the interim, he has changed his 
  clothing and minor features of his 
  appearance, making it difficult for 
  the PCs to pick him out of the crowd 
  of businesspeople that frequent the 
  building; a PC must succeed at a 
  DC 17 Perception check (DC 19 in 
  Subtier 6–7) to identify Halmont. He 
  arrives an hour after the PCs do, scopes out his 
  surroundings (it is DC 15 for him to pick out any of 
  the PCs from the crowd, unless they have disguised or 
  hidden themselves), and furtively approaches a cleric 
  to request assistance in securing his gold. Extracting 
  this sum takes 10 minutes, most of which is spent in 
  a secure vault that is out of sight. The PCs can accost 
  him either before or after he emerges from the vault. 
  If Halmont spots and identifies the PCs, he gets only 
  about 10 feet into the church before quietly turning 
  around and trying to leave.
  So long as the PCs exercise some subtlety as they wait 
  for Halmont, the clerics of Abadar do not question the 
  presence of adventurers on the premises. The PCs can 
  impersonate Halmont to withdraw his money before he 
  arrives, though access to a safe deposit box requires a 
  character to succeed at a DC 25 Disguise check followed 
  by a DC 15 Bluff check. Failing either causes the clergy to 
  
  N
  G. Church of Abadar
  Pathfinder Map Pack: Pub Crawl
  1 square = 5 feet
  33
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  33
  expel that PC and any of her companions from the church 
  for the next 24 hours. If the PCs extract the money, the 
  clerics call Halmont out as a fraud when he tries to use 
  his key, automatically alerting the PCs to his arrival.
  The PCs can also show one of the clerics the warrant 
  for Halmont’s arrest to establish their credentials. The 
  foreign document is legitimate but does not immediately 
  win the Abadarans’ cooperation, for bounty hunting at 
  a bank is distasteful. A PC must also succeed at a DC 15 
  Diplomacy check to convince the priests to allow the PCs 
  to perform a nonlethal arrest without interference.
  Any violence pulls three clerics of Abadar (use the 
  statistics for a lawful neutral mercenary healer on page 
  44 of Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex) into the fray to pacify 
  the assailants, which are most likely the PCs. At this 
  point, a PC can convince the clerics to stand down by 
  presenting the arrest warrant and succeeding at a DC 
  25 Diplomacy check as a standard action. Reducing a 
  cleric to 0 or fewer hit points with lethal damage draws 
  the attention of higher-ranking clerics, including the 
  acting head banker (use the statistics for the divine 
  loremaster in Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 224) and 
  a pair of vault guards (use the statistics for a lawful 
  neutral grizzled mercenary in Pathfinder RPG NPC 
  Codex 268). Two additional vault guards arrive every 
  two rounds until the PCs are subdued or f lee. Halmont 
  avoids combat, either f leeing or sheltering behind the 
  Abadarans as appropriate.
  
  Amenopheus
  34
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
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  34
  Concluding the Mission
  Once the PCs arrest Halmont, they must bring him, 
  along with all recovered evidence, to Major Maldris, who 
  makes arrangements for his transport back to Andoran 
  to face trial. After dealing with Halmont, Maldris invites 
  the PCs to speak with him privately. In his meeting he 
  confides his future plans, which include a drastic change 
  for the faction he leads. 
  “There are many who have flocked to Andoran’s 
  freedom, yet in the passing years I 
  have come to learn that a great 
  number of these individuals 
  see not love in our movement, 
  but 
  selfish 
  opportunity. 
  I 
  fear that the direction our 
  politicians have led, while on 
  its surface seemingly inspired 
  and courageous, has ventured 
  little from the rule of our exiled 
  nobility. Class warfare remains and 
  much of our nation’s political power 
  is controlled either directly or indirectly by the 
  wealthiest members of our society. Many are 
  formal nobles who publicly renounced 
  their titles, but privately held 
  onto power. For these individuals, 
  renouncing their titles permitted 
  them even greater opportunity and 
  upward mobility, especially those who 
  worked their way into trade and politics.
  “I find the irony of fighting tyranny and 
  corruption as an agent of a government 
  that harbors the tyrannical and corrupt 
  difficult to stomach. We may have captured 
  a few of the snakes, but there are at least ten more villains for 
  each one we have brought to justice. As it struggles with itself, 
  Andoran cannot combat tyrannies as it should, so I am stepping 
  away from Andoren politics to deliver its unadulterated 
  philosophies to other lands. I, and anyone who is bold enough 
  to join me, shall remain enemies of slavery and tyranny, yet 
  without direct national ties, we shall be able to engage in even 
  more daring actions abroad and cleanse even my homeland of 
  its malaise without the oversight of those we seek to purge!”
  Realizing he has crescendoed into a booming speech, 
  Maldris more quietly reinforces the sincerity of his 
  beliefs, thanks the PCs for their assistance, and wishes 
  them a pleasant remainder of the festivities.
  MISSION SEVEN: THE 
  REPLEVIN (SCARAB SAGES)
  Two years ago, a member of the Osirion faction recovered 
  a Thassilonian artifact and brought it to the royal court. 
  When the Ruby Prince examined it, he was afflicted 
  with a terrible, wasting curse. The faction struggled 
  to find a cure, and ultimately the Ruby Prince used 
  his own magic and resources to remove the affliction. 
  Disappointed in Amenopheus’s failure, the monarch 
  dismissed the Sapphire Sage and his agents 
  from his service. Although crushed by this 
  development, Amenopheus used his free 
  time to search for traces of the defunct 
  Jeweled Sages, an order of scholars 
  dating back to Osirion’s first age. 
  Over the past year, Amenopheus 
  and his allies tracked down a 
  previously 
  unknown 
  member 
  of the organization. They met 
  recently and decided to revive 
  the Jeweled Sages, however they 
  disagreed about exactly how to do 
  so and what the revised faction’s goals 
  should be. Invoking an ancient tradition 
  of the sages, they called for a binding vote to 
  establish the future course. Pathfinder 
  agents favored the Diamond Sage 
  Tahonikepsu, and Amenopheus 
  graciously honored the decision 
  and works closely with his peer 
  to expand the ranks of the Jeweled 
  Sages.
  Tahonikepsu is still busy studying 
  an ancient stronghold that once 
  belonged to the order, so she requested 
  that Amenopheus travel to Absalom 
  and act as the face of the evolving faction. The Sapphire 
  Sage enjoys a pleasant festival, and the PCs likely spot 
  him several times over the course of the events. Even 
  before this mission begins, he might share a few words 
  with PC members of the Scarab Sages, thanking them for 
  their hard work and encouraging them to keep an eye out 
  for treasures from Osirion.
  The festivities attract their fair share of peddlers, and 
  one such enterprising individual sizes up the PCs as 
  adventurers who might appreciate an exotic trinket. She 
  approaches and offers to sell them a silver amulet that 
  depicts a scarab with feathered wings spread in flight. 
  Her price is a mere 25 gp, which a PC can determine 
  is fair with a successful DC 15 Appraise check. With a 
  successful DC 15 Knowledge (history or nobility) check, 
  a PC can identify the symbol as that of an Osirian family 
  that fled Osirion to Absalom to escape Qadiran occupying 
  forces, but that disappeared nearly two millennia ago. 
  
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  By exceeding the check DC by 10 or more, the PC recalls 
  that the family perished from a terrible disease around 
  4000 ar, and the city provided them a burial following 
  Osirian traditions: a secret tomb bearing grave goods 
  hidden underground. In any case, no check is required 
  to identify the amulet as being old and Osirian in origin.
  Whether they buy it or not, Amenopheus meets with 
  the PCs shortly afterward and invites them to share a 
  drink with him and speak about things they have seen 
  over the past several days. This is an opportunity for 
  the PCs to show Amenopheus the amulet or describe 
  it if they decided not to purchase it. If the PCs do not 
  broach the subject, Amenopheus might ask questions 
  that inspire them to do so. Failing that, Amenopheus 
  pulls a similar amulet out of his pocket and relates how 
  he purchased it from a peddler earlier that day. He knows 
  of the family and that only a few members of Absalom’s 
  elite are believed to know where they were interred, so the 
  reappearance of such jewelry is a good sign that someone 
  has happened upon the tomb and begun looting it.
  “It’s infuriating that others continually violate the sanctity of 
  our dead and the treasures of our people, as if our ancestors 
  were simply corpses with no rights.” Calming slightly he 
  continues, “Someone has either found the hidden tomb or 
  decided to make a clever forgery, but I suspect the former. 
  The city has its hands full with current events, and this is a 
  job better suited to trained explorers. I shall reimburse you 
  for the amulet. I ask that you find the tomb, place the amulet 
  back where it came from, and reseal the vault so that no one 
  else disturbs it. So long as you do not take any of its contents, 
  one might take this as an opportunity to study a rare form of 
  Osirian burial.”
  If the PCs accept but are at a loss as to where to begin, 
  Amenopheus recommends tracking down the same 
  peddler who was selling the amulet. Perhaps she might 
  have information about where it came from.
  The Street Peddler
  The peddler Iara Talson (female human expert 7; use the 
  statistics for a successful merchant from Pathfinder RPG 
  NPC Codex 263) works a route that covers a few blocks 
  surrounding the location where the PCs first encountered 
  her. If she spots the PCs (whether or not they previously 
  purchased the amulet), she approaches them with a 
  cheerful smile and attempts to sell them more jewelry.
  The PCs’ challenge is to get Iara to reveal her business 
  associates. Being a trustworthy businesswoman, she 
  refuses to divulge any information about her suppliers, 
  so a simple line of questioning fails to produce any useful 
  information. Still, there are several ways for the PCs to 
  find out what they need. They can bribe her for 100 gp 
  (250 gp in Subtier 6–7), though they can reduce this value 
  with a Bluff or Diplomacy check; reduce the bribe amount 
  by 25 gp for every 10 points by which they exceed DC 0. 
  They might instead browbeat her with a successful DC 19 
  Intimidate check (DC 22 in Subtier 6–7), though a failed 
  check increases the DC of any Bluff or Diplomacy checks 
  against her by 5. Finally, they can simply attack her and 
  reduce her to 10 or fewer hit points.
  Whichever means the PCs choose, Iara shares that her 
  supplier is a man named Vonraig, whom she hired a few 
  urchins to shadow after his most recent sale. According to 
  their reports, Vonraig purchased bright green chalk and 
  slipped into the sewers below the Petals District before 
  emerging with a small bag that jingled like coins. Iara 
  can provide directions and note that those sewers have 
  undergone repairs and expansion over the past month.
  Development: If the PCs used violence to force Iara 
  to talk about her supplier, she or a witness eventually 
  contacts the guards and presses charges against the PCs. 
  This translates to a 100 gp fine (250 gp in Subtier 6–7) 
  per PC applied at the end of the adventure, though a 
  GM might waive this fine if the PCs took extraordinary 
  measures to avoid witnesses and later identification.
  G. TEMIT KHEMI’S TOMB (CR 5 OR CR 8)
  Vonraig first discovered this tomb three days ago 
  when he used the tunnels to lie low after a failed heist. 
  His half-elf companion first noticed the irregular 
  brickwork that had been damaged by recent efforts to 
  expand the sewers, and together they dismantled part 
  of the wall and entered the tomb hidden beyond. A trap 
  struck the half-elf dead, which suited Vonraig just fine, 
  for it allowed him a greater share of the contents. He 
  has since returned several times, though he is only able 
  to smuggle out small amounts of treasure each trip 
  without attracting unwanted attention. He does his best 
  to re-brick the entrance each time he leaves.
  Following Iara’s directions the PCs are able to find 
  and use the sewer entrance most likely used by the 
  looter Vonraig. Within, they can trace his path, which 
  he marked with green chalk. Carefully dismantling the 
  brick wall takes about five minutes now that the mortar is 
  dislodged, though the PCs can just bash it in with a few 
  quick strikes. The tomb’s walls were carefully sealed and 
  kept out most of the water from the sewers that eventually 
  grew up around it, so its wall’s depictions of funerary rites 
  and stylized illustrations of life in Absalom are still fairly 
  well preserved. Over a dozen small, terra cotta statues of 
  humans equipped to perform common chores line the 
  north and south walls, and at least as many urns and 
  coffers are scattered throughout the room. The eastern 
  sarcophagus is partly open, and disintegrating shreds 
  of linen nearby attest to someone having ransacked the 
  
  N
  H. Temit Khemi’s Tomb
  Pathfinder Map Pack: Waterfront
  1 square = 5 feet
  T
  36
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  36
  contents. This is where the PCs’ amulet came from and 
  where they must return it.
  Trap: The architects who designed this tomb for 
  Temit Khemi and her family placed a single trap at its 
  entrance to guard against tomb robbers. The trap strikes 
  the first intruder with a curse, though by design it only 
  functions against living creatures. In their non-native 
  understanding of Osirian mummification, they wanted 
  to ensure that any trap would not harm the deceased 
  if they were to rise as undead. As a dhampir, Vonraig 
  inadvertently bypassed the trap, which perceives him as 
  an undead creature.
  In Subtier 5–6, the curse causes the target to weep 
  tears of blood, and when he speaks, his words sound as 
  though they were screeched by ravenous daemons. This 
  imposes a –5 penalty on Charisma-based skill checks, 
  except for Intimidate. In addition, the target takes a –2 
  penalty on saving throws against curses, diseases, and 
  poisons. The curse’s exact manifestation tends to vary 
  over time, allowing the GM to present other symptoms 
  that are equally disturbing bystanders and impose the 
  same penalty. In Subtier 6–7, the curse briefly causes 
  the target to perceive everything around him as a 
  manifestation of his worst nightmares, which might 
  kill the afflicted outright. 
  Subtier 3–4 (APL 5)
  SANGUINE TEARS TRAP 
  CR 5
  Type magic; Perception DC 29; Disable Device DC 29
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Reset 1 hour
  Effect spell effect (bestow curse, see above; DC 16 Will)
  Subtier 6–7 (APL 8)
  HEIGHTENED PHANTASMAL KILLER TRAP 
  CR 8
  Type magic; Perception DC 31; Disable Device DC 31
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Reset 1 hour
  Effect spell effect (heightened phantasmal killer; DC 19 Will 
  disbelief; DC 19 Fortitude for 3d6 damage or die from fear)
  Developments: Once the PCs bypass the traps they can 
  safely enter the tomb and return the stolen amulet. After 
  the PCs have had a moment to explore the tomb, proceed 
  to the next encounter.
  The Looters (CR 5 or CR 8)
  Creatures: Vonraig is worried that someone else might 
  learn of the tomb and steal what remains, so he has hired 
  several goons to help him carry out the remaining treasure. 
  They arrive just as the PCs are finishing their work inside.
  Subtier 3–4 (APL 5)
  DWARVEN RAGERS (2) 
  CR 1
  hp 28 each (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 10)
  
  37
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  37
  VONRAIG 
  CR 3 
  Male dhampir oracle 4 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s 
  Guide 42, Bestiary 2 89)
  NE Medium humanoid 
  Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; 
  Perception +4
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+4 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield) 
  hp 34 (4d8+1d10+8)
  Fort +0, Ref +4, Will +6; +2 racial bonus on saving throws 
  against disease and mind–affecting effects
  Defensive Abilities negative energy affinity, resist level drain
  Weaknesses light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk shortspear +3 (1d6–1) or 
  +1 dagger +3 (1d4/19–20)
  Ranged mwk shortspear +7 (1d6–1)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 4th; concentration +6)
  3/day—detect undead
  Oracle Spells Known (CL 4th; concentration +6)
  2nd (4/day)—false life, inflict moderate wounds, sound burst 
  (DC 15)
  1st (7/day)—command (DC 14), doom (DC 14), cause fear 
  (DC 14), inflict light wounds, shield of faith
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 13), detect magic, ghost sound, 
  guidance, mage hand, read magic, resistance, sparkAPG
  Mystery bones
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Vonraig uses his armor of bones revelation and 
  casts false life. These are already calculated into his stats.
  During Combat Aware that he has a glass jaw, Vonraig prefers 
  to have his hirelings lead the charge while he supports them 
  with spells.
  Morale Vonraig attempts to flee or surrender if reduced to 5 or 
  fewer hit points.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 16
  Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 16
  Feats Combat Casting, Toughness
  Skills Bluff +10, Craft (alchemy) +6, Diplomacy +10, 
  Intimidate +10, Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge 
  (religion) +6, Perception +4, Sense Motive +7,  
  Spellcraft +6; Racial Modifiers +2 Bluff, +2 Perception
  Languages Common, Osiriani
  SQ oracle’s curse (haunted), revelations (armor of bones, 
  death’s touch)
  Gear light steel shield, mwk shortspear, +1 dagger
  Subtier 6–7 (APL 8)
  AXE WARRIORS (4) 
  CR 2 
  hp 40 each (Pathfinder RPG NPC Codex 11)
  VONRAIG 
  CR 6 
  Dhampir oracle 7
  NE Medium humanoid 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +4
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 13, flat-footed 17 (+6 armor, +3 Dex, +1 shield)
  hp 53 (7d8+1d10+14)
  Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +7; +2 racial bonus on saving throws 
  against disease and mind–affecting effects
  Defensive Abilities negative energy affinity, resist level drain
  Weaknesses light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee mwk shortspear +5 (1d6–1) or 
  +1 dagger +5 (1d4/19–20) 
  Ranged mwk shortspear +9 (1d6–1)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  3/day—detect undead
  Oracle Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  3rd (5/day)— animate dead, dispel magic, inflict serious 
  wounds, invisibility purge
  2nd (7/day)—darkness, false life, inflict moderate 
  wounds, levitate, minor image, sound burst (DC 16), 
  spiritual weapon
  1st (7/day)—bane (DC 15), command (DC 15), cure light 
  wounds, doom (DC 15), cause fear (DC 15), inflict light 
  wounds, shield of faith
  0 (at will)—bleed (DC 14), detect magic, ghost sound, guidance, 
  light, mage hand, read magic, resistance, sparkAPG
  Mystery bones
  TACTICS
  Before Combat Vonraig uses his armor of bones revelation and 
  casts false life. These are already calculated into his stats.
  During Combat Aware that he has a glass jaw, Vonraig prefers 
  to have his hirelings lead the charge while he supports them 
  with spells.
  Morale Vonraig attempts to flee or surrender if reduced to 10 
  or fewer hit points.
  STATISTICS
  Str 8, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 18
  Base Atk +5; CMB +5; CMD 18
  Feats Combat Casting, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, 
  Toughness
  Skills Bluff +13, Craft (alchemy) +6, Diplomacy +13,  
  SCALING THE LOOTERS
  Make the following changes to accommodate a group of 
  only four PCs.
  Subtier 3–4: Removed one dwarven rager from 
  the encounter.
  Subtier 6–7: Remove two axe warriors from the encounter.
  
  38
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  38
  Intimidate +13, Knowledge (history) +8, Knowledge 
  (religion) +6, Perception +4, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +11; 
  Racial Modifiers +2 Bluff, +2 Perception
  Languages Common, Osiriani
  SQ oracle’s curse (haunted), revelations (armor of bones, 
  death’s touch, soul siphon)
  Gear light steel shield, mwk shortspear, +1 dagger, headband 
  of alluring charisma +2
  Development: Once the PCs replace the amulet and 
  defeat Vonraig, they should seal up the tomb’s entrance. 
  They can acquire mortar for a negligible cost and re-
  brick the wall that Vonraig has dismantled, though doing 
  so in a way that won’t stand out requires a successful DC 
  15 Profession (mason) or similar check. A PC can instead 
  cast make whole, stone shape, or use similar magic to repair 
  the wall without a check, though mending is insufficient. 
  Accommodate creative solutions. Failing to restore the 
  wall in a convincing way leads to other looters breaking 
  in within a week.
  Concluding the Mission
  Once the PCs have finished their work, they can find 
  Amenopheus, who is chatting with Osirian ambassador 
  Dremdhet Salhar. The Sapphire Sage invites the PCs 
  to report about what occurred, and the two men listen 
  intently, inquire about details, and compliment the PCs 
  on a job well done.
  “Amenopheus,” the copper-skinned ambassador begins, “the 
  significance of this most recent gesture is not lost on me. As I 
  noted earlier, your continued respect for Osirion and its history 
  despite past circumstances has impressed even the Ruby Prince 
  who sent you away a year ago. If there is anyway I can aid you 
  and your agents in reconciling with His Majesty, I happily offer 
  my services.”
  Amenopheus responds graciously, “During my year of searching 
  for the Jeweled Sages, I have determined my true calling is that 
  ancient organization. While I’m honored by your gesture, Osirion 
  shall always be a close friend, but not my master.”
  Salhar seem somewhat taken back by Amenopheus’ reply, 
  then with solemnly dignity makes a sacred sign and says, “So be 
  it then. In the Ruby Prince’s name, I offer you Osirion’s blessing. 
  We officially recognize the Jeweled Sages’ legitimacy and accept 
  them as allies and honored guests within our borders. I shall 
  make this declaration public ensuring a peaceful break between 
  your new order and the old.”
  “Peace, yes,” Amenopheus agrees, “but the head of our 
  organization would prefer we not be exposed to public scrutiny 
  until we are better established.”
  Salhar 
  agrees 
  to 
  honor 
  the 
  Jeweled 
  Sages’ 
  confidentiality, offers his respects, and departs. 
  Amenopheus then shifts his gaze back to the PCs and 
  says, “Well now, that was a curious turn of events. I 
  suppose we’ll just have to see how that plays out in the 
  future, won’t we?”
  CONCLUSION
  The adventure concludes on the final day of festivities, 
  when the First Lady of Laws announces Grint Basatrel 
  as the new member of the Grand Council. After the new 
  councilor takes the stage to thank Diobel and the High 
  Council for their trust, the crowd gradually disperses to 
  fit in a bit more city-funded celebration. Venture-Captain 
  Drandle Dreng, ever looking the part of a blind beggar, 
  sidles up alongside the PCs to chat.
  “And so ends an election and begins a political career. I’m 
  pleased that the High Council chose Grint, as he’s amenable 
  to working with the Society. It also sounds as though he’s 
  not the only one with friends in high places; I hear several 
  of our close allies owe you their thanks, and they’ve already 
  begun paying off that debt with a fewer presents delivered 
  to the Grand Lodge with your names on them. Well done. The 
  Society’s strength is not measured by the enemies it defeats 
  but by the friends it keeps.”
  With a concealed wave goodbye, Dreng stumbles off 
  into the crowd once more, his alms bowl held high as he 
  listens for more rumors of note.
  Rewards
  Each PC earns an equal amount of gold for completing a 
  mission, and the reward structure for The Paths We Choose 
  assumes that each table completes three such missions. 
  Award each PC the following gold for each mission for 
  which they fulfilled the primary success condition 
  (maximum three).
  Subtier 3–4: Award each PC 320 gp (maximum 960 gp).
  Out of Subtier: Award each PC 560 gp (maximum 1,680 gp).
  Subtier 6–7: Award each PC 800 gp (maximum 2,400 gp).
  In addition, each PC earns an additional reward for 
  completing his or her faction’s primary success condition. 
  If the PC was unable to participate in his faction’s mission 
  because there were four or more factions represented at 
  the table, he earns this additional reward so long as the 
  group fulfilled the primary success condition for at least 
  three missions.
  Subtier 3–4: Award the PC 320 gp.
  Out of Subtier: Award the PC 560 gp.
  Subtier 6–7: Award the PC 800 gp.
  
  39
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  39
  Reporting Notes
  If the PCs undertook the Exchange faction’s mission, 
  and Guaril survived until the end of the adventure, 
  check box A on the reporting sheet. If the PCs undertook 
  that mission and failed to save Guaril (or failed to reach 
  the Fool’s Pride), check box B. If the PCs undertook the 
  Grand Lodge faction’s mission and subdued Dalva Aiger 
  without killing her, check box C. If the PCs undertook 
  the Sovereign Court’s faction mission and earned 8 or 
  more Shame Points, check box D.
  Primary Success Conditions
  The PCs complete their primary success condition and 
  earn 1 Prestige Point so long as they complete at least 
  three of the following:
  Dark Archive: The PCs kill all owbs in the area E.
  The Exchange: The PCs defeat the Gael assassins.
  Grand Lodge: The PCs subdue or kill Dalva Aiger.
  Liberty’s Edge: The PCs arrest Halmont Warrith and 
  deliver him to Major Colson Maldris.
  Scarab Sages: The PCs replace the amulet in the tomb 
  of Temit Khemi.
  Silver Crusade: The PCs return at least two of the 
  enslaved Mendevian crusaders to the Grand Lodge.
  Sovereign Court: The PCs accumulate at least 4 Shame 
  Points before Lord Minovitas unveils the paintings.
  Secondary Success Conditions
  The secondary success condition for each PC is tied to his 
  faction and its mission, and all members of a particular 
  faction succeed or fail together. Fulfilling this condition 
  earns the faction PC 1 additional Prestige Point. If the PC 
  was unable to participate in his faction’s mission because 
  there were four or more factions represented at the table,  
  he earns the additional Prestige Point if at least half of the 
  other factions represented at the table earned the extra point.
  Dark Archive: The PCs learn about the Vault of 
  Bastorieth in at least two of the ways detailed in the 
  Faction Notes section on page 28.
  The Exchange: The PCs ensure that Guaril Karela 
  survives.
  Grand Lodge: The PCs subdue Dalva Aiger without 
  killing her.
  Liberty’s Edge: The PCs recover both Halmont’s sealed 
  case of documents in area F8 as well as his funds in area G.
  Scarab Sages: The PCs seal up and obscure the entrance 
  to the tomb.
  Silver Crusade: The PCs win at least two of the slaves 
  at the auction, forcing Blackburn to attack and allowing 
  the Silver Crusade to defend its actions as self-defense.
  Sovereign Court: The PCs accumulate at least 7 Shame 
  Points before Lord Minovitas unveils the paintings.
  PLAYER HANDOUT #1: SILVER RAVEN MISSIVE
  I have learned that Lord Minovitas is preparing to give a speech 
  just before unveiling the paintings to a crowd of the influential elite. 
  I encourage you to be in that crowd with me –but not too close, lest 
  others draw their own connections. No doubt Minovitas’s poor taste in 
  art will draw some jeers, but to ensure maximum effect, we must 
  prime the crowd so that they are not sympathetic toward the lord’s 
  embarrassment. As you chat with the other guests, be sure to share 
  a few facts about his lordship’s distasteful habits. I leave it to you 
  whether these are true or fanciful fabrications.
  We shall meet at the same teahouse afterward.
  
  40
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  PATHFINDER SOCIETY SCENARIO
  40
  PLAYER HANDOUT #2: LETTER FROM GUARIL KARELA
  I stood high ‘pon Beldren’s Bluff,
  And gazed out to the west.
  Just south of the storm of stone,
  Silver Wren sleeps in her nest.
  Stole I to her side,
  Stole I to her side,
  But her fledglings cast in flight.
  Past three black whales,
  And three black whales,
  And half way to the light.
  And there, beneath the waters green,
  Drowns the maiden without a name.
  Still it is her gaze.
  That finds refuge in the graves.
  
  41
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  THE PATHS WE CHOOSE
  41
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
  Open Game License v 1.0a © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc; Authors: 
  Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary 
  Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99: The Paths We Choose © 2014, Paizo Inc.; 
  Author: Tim Hitchcock
  Event
  GM #
  GM Character #
  GM Prestige Earned
  GM Name
  Date
  B
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  A
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  D
  Liberty’s Edge
  C
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  Liberty’s Edge
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  Liberty’s Edge
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  Liberty’s Edge
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  Liberty’s Edge
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  Liberty’s Edge
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  Liberty’s Edge
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  The Exchange
  Silver Crusade
  Dark Archive
  Scarab Sages
  Liberty’s Edge
  Grand Lodge
  Sovereign Court
  Character #
  Prestige Points
  Character Name
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99: 
  The Paths we Choose
  
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  Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, 
  Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc., and the 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Inc. © 2014 Paizo Inc.
  paizo.com
  Paizo, Paizo Inc., the Paizo golem logo, 
  Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder logo are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc., and the 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game is a trademark of Paizo Inc. © 2014 Paizo Inc.
  paizo.com
  Stay Classy,
       Pathfinders!
  Stay Classy,
       Pathfinders!
  
  Notes
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
   
  Player Name  
  A.K.A.
   
  Character Name 
  Pathfinder Society # 
  Faction
  –
   
  EVENT  
  EVENT CODE  
  DATE 
  Game Master’s Signature 
  GM Pathfinder Society #
  For GM Only
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
  Normal
  Slow
  SUBTIER
  This Chronicle sheet grants access to the following:
  Starting XP
  EXPERIENCE
  GM’s
  Initials
  GM’s
  Initials
  GM’s
  Initials
  GM’s
  Initials
  XP Gained (GM ONLY)
  Final XP Total
  +
  +
  +
  +
  =
  =
  FAME
  Initial Prestige
  Initial Fame
  Prestige Gained (GM ONLY)
  –
  –
  Prestige Spent
  Current  
  Prestige
  Final 
  Fame
  Starting GP
  GP Gained (GM ONLY)
  Day Job (GM ONLY)
  Gold Spent
  Total
  GOLD
  MAX GOLD
  Character Chronicle #
  3–4
  640
  1,280
  6–7
  1,600
  3,200
  Out of
  subtier 1,120
  2,240
  —
  —
  —
  Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–99: 
  The Paths We Choose
  Choose one of the following boons. Cross the other two off your Chronicle sheet.
  Changing Circumstances: As your faction’s focus shifts, you are quick to learn the skills needed to 
  accomplish the evolving goals. You may use this boon at the end of an adventure to replace one of your 
  two starting traits for a faction trait from your faction, though you cannot have more than one faction 
  trait. When you use this boon, cross it off your Chronicle sheet.
  New Recruits: Your faction’s success enables it to recruit and train new members. You may designate 
  one newly created PC under your Pathfinder Society number who shares your faction as a new recruit. 
  This additional training grants that PC one of the faction’s traits as a bonus trait, though the PC cannot 
  have more than one faction trait. You must include a copy of this Chronicle sheet with the new PC’s 
  records, though that PC gains no additional boons, equipment, or wealth from this Chronicle sheet.
  Character receiving this boon:                 –        
  Faction:                    
  GM Initials: 
  Old Loyalties: Your faction recognizes your tireless efforts on its behalf. You can use this boon to 
  reduce the Prestige Point cost of a vanity or prestige award by an amount equal to your Fame divided by 
  10. This cannot reduce the cost of a vanity or award below 0. When you use this boon, cross it off your 
  Chronicle sheet.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/Society/Season 05/S05-99 The Paths We Choose.pdf