TEXT:   Castle 
  shadowCrag
  BY WOLFGANG BAUR AND THOMAS KNAUSS
  RETURN TO
  
  1
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  Open Game Content: The Open content in this adventure includes stats for Inkspot, Fire Death and Glory Death, Bony Death 
  and Bright Death, the Caller in Darkness, Chorvodni, Shadow Fey Rider, Heavy Warhorse Ghost, Black Tapestry, Advanced 
  Stained Glass Golem, Explosive Runes Trap, Dimensional Lock Trap, the Old Lords, Throne of Past Lords Trap, Dark Creeper 
  Warriors, Nightmare Angel, and the Black Oak.
  All other material is Product Identity, especially place names, character names, locations, story elements, and fiction.  
  No other portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without permission.
  ISBN: 978-1-936781-89-8
  ©2018 Open Design LLC. All rights reserved.
  www.KoboldPress.com
  Design: Wolfgang Baur and Tom Knauss               
  Edited: Jason Keeley           
  Cover Artist: Claudio Pozas
  Interior Art: Karl Waller
  Cartography: Tommi Salama
  Art Direction and Graphic Design: Marc Radle
  Publisher: Wolfgang Baur
  RETURN TO
    Castle 
  shadowCrag
  
  2
  Adventure Background ....................................................3
  The Revolt ..........................................................................3
  Battle of Oros Bridge ........................................................4
  The Castle Falls .................................................................4
  After the Revolt .................................................................5
  The Present Day ................................................................5
  The Curse of the Shadow Fey ..........................................5
  Adventure Hooks ..............................................................7
  PART ONE: THE FAMILY STROSS ........................ 8
  Evander Stross ...................................................................8
  Kranos Stross.....................................................................8
  Bellanca Stross, Née Oineros ..........................................8
  Vasilios Stross ....................................................................9
  Moira Kinkallen, Née Stross ...........................................9
  Zarek Stross, aka Zarek Rainmark .................................9
  The Grimbold Dwarves ...................................................9
  Meeting Evander.............................................................10
  PART TWO: FLASHBACKS .................................. 12
  The Winter Garden ........................................................13
  Flashback Sequencing ....................................................13
  The Black Wind ..............................................................13
  Flashback #1: Courtyard Murder .................................13
  Shadows in the Past ........................................................14
  The Murder......................................................................14
  Ending the Flashback .....................................................16
  Flashback #2: Bridge at Oros ........................................17
  Kranos, Lord Stross ........................................................18
  The Four Deaths .............................................................18
  Flashback #3: Fall of Hpouse Stross .............................20
  Darkness Calls ................................................................21
  Flashback #4: Enslavement of the Kolbolds ................23
  Flashback #5: The Sacrifice on the Hill ........................24
  Winning Over the Corrupted Elves .............................24
  The Heartwood Pact .......................................................25
  PART THREE: THE CASTLE ................................ 28
  THE SURROUNDINGS................................................28
  Approaching the Castle .................................................31
  Shadows of the Dead ......................................................32
  Shadow Events ................................................................33
  Shadowcrag Grounds .....................................................34
  Speaking with Silverwing ..............................................38
  Fire in the Tower .............................................................46
  PART FOUR: SILVER MINES  
  AND DEEP CAVERNS ........................................... 61
  The Working Mines ........................................................62
  PART FIVE: FINALE .............................................. 68
  The Black Oak .................................................................68
  The Scáthsidhe March ....................................................69
  The Castle Falls into Shadow ........................................69
  CONCLUSION ....................................................... 70
  Further Adventures ........................................................71
  Magic Powers of the Castle ...........................................71
  table of Contents
  
  3
  Return to Castle Shadowcrag combines castle exploration 
  with flashbacks into the castle's past. These flashback scenes 
  allow the players to view its most important moments and 
  change the castle's history, though only at particular times 
  and in specific ways. This mix of past and present happens 
  because of the castle's entanglement with the Shadow Realm 
  and its resident shadow fey. If the players lift the castle’s curse, 
  they sever the castle’s connection to the Shadow Realm and 
  redeem its melancholy steward, Evander Stross. If they fail, 
  the remaining Stross family members and the castle grounds 
  forever slip into darkness and shadow. The adventure is 
  intended for four 11th-level characters or five 10th-level ones. 
  The heroes are expected to gain 1 level before the adventure’s 
  climactic ending.
  adVentUre baCKgroUnd
  The family Stross ruled in the city and province of Zobeck for 
  nearly 600 years, marrying well, fighting off invasion from 
  the magocracy to the west and holding its own against the 
  advances of Morgau and Doresh to the east. They did it the 
  old-fashioned way: with fistfuls of silver and a ruthless cruelty 
  that scattered their enemies. River trade and a set of deep silver 
  mines filled the Stross’ family coffers. The peasants worked 
  hard, kobold miners pulled ore from the earth both day and 
  night, and their forces kept the Morgau undead to the east at 
  bay. But over time, the cost of defense and maintaining the 
  family’s luxurious lifestyle grew exponentially. 
  The peasants paid the price by forking over more and more 
  of their hard-won earnings to the knights and landowners. 
  One day, the merchants, the artisans, and the peasants reached 
  their boiling point. It took only a single spark to light the fuse. 
  As guards began dragging a boy away for denouncing the 
  Strosses as “leeches” and screaming that he did not want to 
  die digging in the mines, people appeared to block their way. 
  Within minutes, an irate mob seemingly materialized from 
  the ether to publicly air their long-simmering grievances. The 
  citizens first threw insults and then cobblestones at the guards 
  holding the boy. 
  Beset by an angry mob, the hard-pressed guards fought to 
  return to the prison. Mounted reinforcements arrived and rode 
  the mob down, leaving half a dozen people trampled in the 
  street. Amid the chaos, Abelard, a silversmith, and Marcenzo, 
  a journeyman wizard, rallied the crowd and led them in 
  storming the barracks. Within hours, they seized the city 
  barracks, but soldiers from Castle Stross continued to march 
  in, as did the troops from the gatehouses at the river, at the 
  great Southern Road, and at the Griffon Gate. The battle was 
  far from over when the sun set on the first day of the Zobeck 
  Revolt. Looting of the Stross’ barracks and armory continued 
  through the night, as weapons made their way into a thousand 
  willing hands.
  THE REVOLT
  By mid-morning the next day, Abelard and the wizard 
  Marcenzo accomplished the unthinkable. They chased all 
  the guards and soldiers out of the city, where they regrouped 
  near the Oros Bridge. The citizens and a few adventurers 
  gathered in Crown Square to plan and prepare for the soldier’s 
  counterattack. The city folk swore that the revolt would not 
  falter. They vowed to cast off the shackles of the Stross family 
  forever. All day, the rebellious citizens gathered their forces. A 
  huge mob threatened the Commander of the Order of Undying 
  Light, staunch supporters of the Stross family, where the Order 
  was said to have a king’s ransom in gold. The knights were 
  kept in their fortified manor, unable to support the city guards 
  who remained loyal to the Strosses. Meanwhile, Abelard and 
  Marcenzo struck a bargain with the majority of the city guard 
  who defected to their side. The deal’s terms stipulated that 
  their captain would have a lifetime seat on the city council 
  in exchange for supporting the rebellion. No sooner was the 
  bUt eVil things, in robes of sorrow,
  assailed the monarCh's high estate.
  (ah, let Us moUrn!—for neVer morrow
  shall dawn Upon him desolate!)
  and roUnd aboUt his home the glory
  that blUshed and bloomed,
  is bUt a dim-remembered story
  of the old time entombed.
  and traVelers, now, within that Valley,
  throUgh the red-litten windows see
  Vast forms, that moVe fantastiCally
  to a disCordant melody,
  while, liKe a ghastly rapid riVer,
  throUgh the pale door
  a hideoUs throng rUsh oUt foreVer
  and laUgh—bUt smile no more.
  —Edgar Allen Poe, “The Haunted Palace”
  
  4
  bargain was struck that the word was given to sack Stross 
  warehouses, counting houses, their city palace on Crown 
  Square, and even ships and barges. Sacking Stross holdings 
  in the city was just the beginning. Prisoners were released, 
  nobles and tax collectors were imprisoned, and mobs ruled 
  the city while the city watch stood aside. All the forces of the 
  aristocracy fled the city to plot their revenge. “How dare the 
  peasants and merchants upset the natural order of things?” they 
  bemoaned. The battle for the city was over, but the war was far 
  from lost. The knights of the Undying Light gave their sworn 
  word not to return to the city and went free, escorting a heavy 
  wagon out of the city that became the “Lost Zobeck Treasury”, 
  which has never been recovered. The rebels lining the streets 
  shouted, “Traitors to the people!” as the knights marched out 
  of Zobeck. Looters ransacked the Temple of Khors that second 
  day as the most visible sign of the knight’s wealth.  
  One month later, the aristocrats returned as expected with 
  their newly purchased army. The nobles and peers led the way 
  astride their heavy warhorses, accompanied by their footmen 
  and followers, the knights of the Undying Light, mercenary 
  crossbowmen, and even a band of mercenaries called the Four 
  Deaths. They seized the Bridge of Oros, dividing the castle 
  from the city and cutting off a main trade route. They stopped 
  barge traffic on the River Argent. And they slowly pushed 
  back the patrols of the Free City, as the people of Zobeck now 
  called themselves.
  BATTLE OF OROS BRIDGE
  Almost 7,000 rebels met the 1,400 Stross retainers and 
  their 2,200 allies at the Battle of Oros Bridge on a damp, 
  rainy day in late spring when the river rose and the ground 
  churned to mud. The revolutionaries’ numbers and their 
  bravery overcame their shortage of training and their lack 
  of proper arms and armor. Peasant archers, kobold miners, 
  stout pikemen hired by merchant interests, and the wizardry 
  of Marcenzo formed the backbone of the City Army. A few 
  dwarves had worked tirelessly to make spears, shields, and 
  armor for hundreds of the most experienced warriors, but 
  more than half the Zobeck army was little more than a militia. 
  The remainder was the City Watch, now firmly committed to 
  the revolt and supported by the priests of Holda and Volund. 
  Their anger gave them courage. 
  The first day, the Free City attempted to use that rage and 
  courage to retake the bridge. Despite the Free City’s bravery, 
  the nobles held the bridge against repeated assaults. Confident 
  in their superior skill and equipment, the Stross’ forces 
  counterattacked around noon, pouring over the bridge and 
  overrunning the City Army’s reserves’ supplies. Almost as 
  soon as they reached the reserve line, though, they fell into a 
  clever trap—a field of holes and mud that trapped the nobles’ 
  horses. Kobolds, artisans, and peasants dragged almost fifty 
  knights into the mud and doom. Both sides retreated in good 
  order, though the screaming of maimed horses lasted for hours 
  before falling silent.
  The second day, the Battle at Oros continued into late 
  afternoon with only skirmishes, feints, and small raids. The 
  bright sun clearly illuminated the muddy, bloody mess of the 
  previous day’s struggle. The wizard Marcenzo had taken his 
  best men across the river to join a large contingent of kobold 
  reinforcements freed from the Stross silver mines. Suddenly 
  flanked, the Stross line at the bridge collapsed, and the 
  mercenaries took flight, leaving the noble cavalry to struggle 
  alone. The peasants and kobolds took hundreds of noble 
  prisoners, and finally ended the reign of the Stross family in 
  two days of bloody ruin. Prevented from retreating to the 
  Stross castle by kobold archers, owl-flying raiders, and other 
  deadly night fighters, the Stross army retreated east, seeing 
  shelter at the village of Briarwood.
  THE CASTLE FALLS
  That night, the mob stormed Strossheim, the Stross family seat 
  in the east. They forced the gate open, and then pillaged and 
  lit fires throughout the castle. They freed prisoners from the 
  dungeons, tore down tapestries, and carted off the food and 
  gold. Fortunately, the fires started in the Great Hall failed to 
  take hold (or were suppressed by water elementals summoned 
  by the Arcane Collegium). 
  OPTIONAL HOOK: THE HEIR TO THE CASTLE
  One of the characters in your group could be a human 
  with some ambiguous noble background or who once 
  served a noble house. You could decide that this character 
  is the rightful heir to the Stross’ holdings. This means 
  that Evander welcomes him as the heir of the house (and 
  Evander will rant to the heir about the Free City and 
  “its treacherous mayors and their greedy land grab”). 
  A successful DC 25 Knowledge (local) or Knowledge 
  (nobility) check reveals that a family named Stross did 
  once rule here, and they called the castle Strossheim. A few 
  questions to the inheritor’s relatives who remember Zobeck 
  85 years ago might establish that there was an Evander 
  Stross, but he vanished long ago and was presumed dead. 
  Making one character a focus of the inheritance has pros 
  and cons. That player has a greater stake in exploring, 
  clearing, and lifting the curse. On the other hand, if he dies, 
  the party may not have the same sense of urgency as before. 
  Likewise, that player will get more attention from all NPCs 
  who know of his true bloodline, while other players may 
  feel their characters are neglected. It really depends on your 
  party and play style. The adventure assumes that the party 
  does not contain the heir to the castle, but that Evander is 
  restored to rule in the finale. The free city of Zobeck could, 
  of course, give the castle to a PC heir in the finale, making 
  Evander and his children their enemy.
  
  5
  changes, plots, and schemes that may draw the party into 
  exploring the shadowy ruins and uncovering the castle’s 
  bloody past.
  THE CURSE OF THE SHADOW FEY
  The curse of Strossheim is complicated and tenacious. No spell 
  short of a miracle or wish can remove it. It dates to more than 
  1,000 years ago, when the elves living on the hill they called 
  Rosehaven sacrificed a young elf maiden and planted a wicked 
  black oak sapling from the Shadow Realm on the spot where 
  the ritualistic killing took place. The elf king (who was once 
  the Holly King and later became the Moonlight King), misled 
  by his scheming advisor—a shadow lord lammasu who served 
  Sarasta—agreed to partake in the murderous rite under the 
  mistaken belief that he was actually duping the goddess and 
  stealing much of her power. Instead, the evil act forged an 
  unbreakable link with the goddess, allowing her to instantly 
  teleport him and his fellow elves to the Shadow Realm. 
  While the elves immediately benefited from the vile pact in 
  the short term through the acquisition of great power, their 
  shadowy environment warped their very being into something 
  unnatural. Their newfound mystical might failed to quench 
  their suppressed wants. They desperately longed for their 
  idyllic, former existence atop their lush hill, but the Moonlight 
  King’s terrible bargain forever bound them to honor and 
  uphold the terms of their foul curse. Their hearts turned bitter 
  at the prospect of spending eternity in the shadows. In time, 
  this sad realization led them to willingly serve the goddess 
  and her servants who condemned them to their dire fate. Still, 
  on rare occasions, the goddess granted the elves, who in the 
  interim had transformed from humanoids into fey creatures 
  referred to as the shadow fey or the Scáthsidhe, brief visits 
  to Rosehaven. One such trip changed the castle’s fortunes 
  forever. During this excursion, the fey discovered that the 
  kobolds had turned their beloved hill into a drab, stone keep. 
  In a rage, the Moonlight King and his followers drove the 
  kobolds off the hill, forcing them to seek temporary refuge 
  in their mines. The kobolds regrouped in the dank warrens, 
  led by their fearless leader, Bartoken, who wielded the sword 
  that the elves abandoned after it spilt the innocent blood that 
  gave life to their insidious curse. But the shadow fey could not 
  forgive the kobolds who trespassed on “their” oak. Soon their 
  hidden alliance with an ambitious human merchant family, the 
  Stross, brought about the enslavement of the kobolds and the 
  breaking of their legendary Sword of Broken Shadows.
  Sarasta sensed that the union between the shadow fey and 
  the Stross family gave her the opportunity to claim the land for 
  her own as well. She realized that the now ancient Black Oak’s 
  shadowy origins created a link between the Material world and 
  the Shadow Realm and also served as the living contract that 
  bound the shadow fey to her. If the black oak were destroyed, 
  the shadow fey would be freed from her service. Therefore, 
  she commanded her servants to defend the site against all 
  intruders except for members of the Stross family. As beings 
  native to another plane, the shadow fey could not rightfully 
  claim ownership of the hill, but the mortal humans could. At 
  her behest, the shadow fey and the Stross family vanquished 
  Meanwhile, many looters sought to find the “hoard of silver” 
  that the Stross family vaults contained. Some claimed they 
  had found it guarded by demons. Others never returned, and 
  some were driven mad by the terrors below the hill. By dawn, 
  more than forty bodies hung from the battlements, arranged 
  from the youngest to the eldest. The Stross supporters fled to 
  neighboring states, sought refuge downriver at the castle of the 
  elves in Margreve Forest, or simply changed sides, supporting 
  the new City Praetors and their followers. 
  After the looting burnt itself out, the castle briefly served as 
  the headquarters of the Free City Army. The army promptly 
  sealed up the entrances to the kobold’s silver mines for a 
  few months until the kobolds offered to work the mines in 
  exchange for a fair share of the silver and a permanent praetor 
  on the city council. The city gratefully accepted the kobolds’ 
  terms over the objections of those who still saw the kobolds as 
  inferior humanoids who deserved their lot as slaves. 
  Yet amid the chaos, one Stross child—Evander—weathered 
  the proverbial storm, though no one realized it at the time. He 
  was a quiet lad who had always played with the shadows in the 
  great castle courtyard. The looting of the upper halls and the 
  former inhabitants’ violent deaths turned the castle into a dour 
  place haunted by fresh spirits.
  AFTER THE REVOLT
  Five years later, the Free City Army abandoned the castle as 
  a headquarters, when the number of missing or simply dead 
  sentries became unacceptable. The rumors of the castle’s 
  haunting date to that time, as does its current name, Castle 
  Shadowcrag. The dwarves of Clan Grimbold stayed at the 
  castle nonetheless. Certain wizards and cultists visit them from 
  time to time to purchase things best not discussed. Likewise, 
  fighters seeking weapons forged of skymetal or pure shadow 
  or arms aligned with the heavens often made their way to 
  the Grimbold dwarves, paying heavy prices for weapons not 
  available anywhere else. 
  The kobold silver miners continued to work the castle’s 
  mines for more than 30 years. When the deep mines suffered 
  a series of devastating collapses and explosions, even the 
  kobolds abandoned them as haunted, or at the very least 
  unlucky. The mines reopened roughly 10 years ago with the 
  help of clockwork pumps and new techniques for bracing the 
  old tunnels.
  THE PRESENT DAY
  The Zobeck Revolt is 90 years in the past and only a few 
  dwarves remember it firsthand. The city found its footing as 
  an independent state—mercantile, brash and rich. The citizens 
  honor Rava the Gear Goddess as well as Lada the Goddess 
  of Dawn, Volund the Forge God, and others. They no longer 
  follow Sarasta, the elven goddess of Night and Magic and 
  the Stross household goddess. Likewise, fewer follow Khors 
  the Sun God than did at the height of the Stross dynasty. 
  The revolutionary praetors became the city consuls and the 
  Lord Mayor, positions elected every few years by the human, 
  dwarven, and kobold citizens of Zobeck. However, the castle 
  has not forgotten. The arrival of an adventurer brings about 
  
  6
  the kobolds from the hill and consigned them to the mines 
  beneath it, where they toil as slave laborers extracting precious 
  silver from the earth. In exchange, the Stross family gained 
  ownership of the property, currently referred to as Strossheim. 
  While the shadow fey seemed to once again receive the short 
  end of the stick in their bargain with the Stross, the ageless 
  fey have a long-term goal in mind. Their goddess told them 
  to bring Strossheim into the Shadow Realm. Sorcery failed to 
  achieve their goal. Instead, they devised an ironic scheme. Just 
  as they had been fooled centuries earlier, they hoped to trick 
  the Stross family by tempting one of their children to swear 
  allegiance to them, to then grow up and swear fealty to their 
  king, and to then bequeath the castle to them upon them upon 
  that person’s death.
  The shadow fey and the Strosses negotiated their deal in the 
  Black Oak’s ominous shadow within its namesake’s bailey. The 
  malevolent tree’s connection to the Shadow Realm spreads its 
  baleful influence by tempting those around it into darkness. 
  The Black Oak’s unheard whispers try to convince those who 
  live there to beseech Sarasta for aid. Yet, the Strosses proved 
  more resistant than the deity and her servants imagined. For 
  many long decades, the Strosses stayed loyal to Khors. Over 
  the centuries, the shadow fey patience began to pay dividends. 
  Slowly but surely they led each successive generation further 
  astray and closer to shadow. Although the Strosses paid some 
  homage to the dark goddess, they never turned their backs 
  on Khors to fully embrace her. Simply put, the canny humans 
  turned the tables on their tempters and manipulated them to 
  perform their bidding. When a minor reached the age of 16, 
  the family elders taught the youngster the secret to controlling 
  the shadow fey to act as an agent of the House Stross. That 
  is, until the Zobeck Revolt. With the family elders slain or in 
  exile, no one remained to impart their wisdom to Evander 
  Stross, the uprising’s lone survivor. With nowhere to turn 
  for guidance and insight, the introverted boy became their 
  overmatched pawn. The elderly man now teeters on the edge of 
  falling into shadow. Part of him clings to the fleeting hope that 
  he can turn from darkness and be redeemed, but the tragedies 
  of the past and his evil actions weigh heavily on his tormented 
  mind. It is this inner turmoil as well as his dual existence in 
  the Material world and Shadow Realm that gives birth to the 
  flashbacks. With the castle’s future imminently hanging in 
  the balance, the adventurers’ sudden arrival can change the 
  castle’s fate for better or worse. The dark goddess Sarasta also 
  
  7
  • Sir Evander Stross, a reclusive forest warden and a member 
  of the local gentry sends the PCs an invitation to the castle.
  • Word about the amazing magical and skymetal weapons 
  and armor made by the dwarven Grimbold clan reaches 
  the PCs’ receptive ears. Since these items are rarely for sale, 
  they might be drawn to visit.
  Regardless of the PCs’ motivations for venturing to Strossheim, 
  see Approaching the Castle (page 31) to set the stage for their 
  arrival. The castle seems normal by daylight. If they split up 
  to explore it, the smaller group meets Evander (see Brandor’s 
  Keep). If they stay together, they are likely to meet Zarek (see 
  Stables) and the dwarves (see Smithing Grounds).
  sees the PCs’ intrusion as an ideal opportunity to corrupt 
  powerful agents of good and claim more prizes for the Shadow 
  Realm. If the party makes the wrong decisions, Evander dies 
  and Strossheim disappears from Zobeck only to reappear as a 
  holding of the shadow fey under their dark queen’s rule in the 
  Shadow Realm.
  adVentUre hooKs
  The characters might visit the castle as part of one of several 
  hooks, or Khor’s clergy could send them there to deliver a 
  message or act under some other pretense that suits your 
  campaign. Here are three suggestions:
  • Arcander Trillam, an elfmarked Star & Shadows mage at the 
  Arcane Collegium offers the PCs cash or magic items if they 
  can recover lost relics of great value from the castle vaults.
  
  8
  part one:  
  the family stross
  against the shadow oath, demanding rent from the Grimbold 
  and stood apart from them. If the PCs rescue a noble from 
  the mob in the “Fall of House Stross” flashback, Evander is no 
  longer at the castle, but grew up in noble-but-poor conditions 
  in a neighboring kingdom. Evander had a wife, Caily 
  Trimboic, for 4 years, among the human shadow creatures 
  of the Shadow Realm. She gave him two children, Vasilios 
  and Moira, though Caily died in childbirth with the second. 
  She is the only good that came of his oath to serve Shadow. 
  Regardless of what transpires in the flashbacks, Evander 
  always meets Caily and has two children, albeit under different 
  circumstances.
  KRANOS STROSS
  The last true Lord Stross died on the field of battle at the castle 
  gates, defending his family from the mob. Evander considers 
  his father a giant among men, and a martyr to the greed of the 
  Zobeck merchants. In fact, Kranos was a proud, violent, and 
  power-hungry man, who was almost smart enough to keep 
  the merchants in line. His pride and ambition for a greater 
  title was almost certainly the reason for his abuse of the city of 
  Zobeck. He has a passive role in the Bridge at Oros and Fall of 
  House Stross flashbacks. 
  BELLANCA STROSS, NÉE OINEROS
  Evander remembers his mother as a strong and kind woman 
  who tried to protect her three sons. The two youngest, Drago 
  and Mikad, died with her, aged 4 and 3, respectively. She was 
  only 25 when the mob tore her apart; the boys were hanged. 
  THE LORDS OF PAIN
  These sadistic godlings live on a demi-plane of Suffering. 
  Only evil outsiders and a few mortal cultists worship 
  them today. They exist to create pain and claim that they 
  "purify" others through suffering. Skeptics believe that they 
  are powerful evil souls killed by torture or other painful 
  deaths, who merely try to cause as much agony as possible. 
  Believers in the Lords of Pain are sometimes rewarded with 
  the acquisition of the broken soul template (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4).
  So how did the child Evander Stross become the shadowsworn 
  Stross, who fights the shadow fey for control of the castle? The 
  young boy who played with the shadows survived the mob 
  carnage by offering his soul to the darkness in exchange for 
  their protection. They taught him to speak with ghosts and 
  shadows. Since the Fall (as he calls it), he has been a source 
  of many stories of hauntings in the castle. He hates all the 
  councilors and Mayors of Zobeck, as well as its “uncouth” 
  merchants. He often goes with the Grimbold dwarves to visit 
  the Shadow Realm, sometimes living there for months at a 
  time. This keeps him relatively youthful-looking. However, 
  Evander does spend time in the castle proper, aging normally 
  on the Material Plane and speaking with visitors. In particular, 
  he was present one day when the wizard Marcenzo came 
  to visit. Evander and the Grimbold dwarves soon realized 
  who he was: the mage who brought down the family Stross 
  as envisioned in the upcoming “Bridge at Oros” and “Fall 
  of House Stross” flashbacks. Never one to forgive a foe, 
  Evander murdered the man who defeated the Stross armies 
  and executed his mother and younger brothers in those 
  tragic scenes. The deed changed him for the worse. His 
  pact with shadow deepened the stain on his soul. Evander 
  assumed Marcenzo’s identity for a time and visited the Arcane 
  Collegium to learn more magic. In the end, his charade was 
  uncovered, and “Marcenzo” vanished from the Collegium. 
  The wizard’s murder and his body, which was buried in 
  Griffon Tower, were never discovered. His ghost still haunts 
  the tower where he is buried as well as the outer courtyards, 
  where his killing took place.
  EVANDER STROSS
  Evander was 6 at “the Fall” and 30 when he murdered 
  Marcenzo and became a shadowsworn. He is now 95 years 
  old, though he looks more like 45 because of the time spent in 
  the Shadow Realm. The exact history of who raised him and 
  just how tainted he is with shadow depends on how far the 
  castle curse has gone, and whether the PCs succeed during the 
  flashbacks. If none of the flashbacks have been successfully 
  completed, he was an orphan raised by the Grimbold as an 
  adopted member of the clan. He resides on the castle grounds 
  either with the dwarves in area 44 or area 32 within Brandor’s 
  Keep. If the events of the “Courtyard Murder” flashback were 
  prevented, he was not raised by the Grimbold but fought 
  
  9
  She is buried somewhere in an unmarked grave, as Evander 
  fled the castle when the troops occupied it. He had no choice 
  but to leave behind the bodies of all his family. In later years, 
  he recovered some of them. If the party succeeds in the Fall of 
  House Stross flashback, Bellanca survived the mob’s attack and 
  is later buried in the Winter Garden (area 12) after she dies of 
  natural causes.
  VASILIOS STROSS
  The older of Evander’s two children, Vasilios was a strong and 
  handsome boy, proud of his learning and his strength. He 
  planned to become a mighty warrior in the hopes of winning 
  back the family’s honor by force of arms. It never worked 
  out. The money dribbled away, he married a lazy minor 
  noblewoman who slipped slowly into muttering uselessness, 
  and together they had only two children, a girl who died in 
  infancy and a son, Zarek, who survived. Zarek was smart, 
  smiling, and his father’s delight. At 13 years old, Zarek became 
  a vampire and Vasilios swore his soul away for revenge. 
  Vasilios now lives to inflict pain and to torture himself, a 
  servant of the Lords of Pain, but his revenge is well in hand. He 
  typically roams area 40 or area 42 within Brandor’s Keep. 
  MOIRA KINKALLEN, NÉE STROSS
  Evander’s younger child was named for her grandmother. 
  Technically, she is as noble as Vasilios, but she turned to the 
  light as her brother turned to darkness. After her nephew 
  Zarek was turned into a vampire (and her husband Sir 
  Darragh Kinkallen subsequently passed away), her devotion 
  to Khors became all-consuming, eventually driving her mad. 
  She still dreams of a beautiful shrine to Khors somewhere 
  in the castle, a shrine that she seeks but can never find. She 
  typically wanders through area 6 or within or around area 
  10, provided that the PCs succeed at the subsequent Bridge at 
  Oros flashback, which spawns the shrine’s creation. 
  ZAREK STROSS, AKA ZAREK RAINMARK
  Zarek is Vasilios’s son, and a vampire. He is normally found 
  in area 1 or 3. He looks about 13 or 14 years old. He speaks 
  and acts like a commoner, which serves as his own form of 
  rebellion against his father and the “hopeless mess” that the 
  family made of its inheritance and the past. He killed his 
  uncle Panderos and hates the family but he needs the castle’s 
  darkness to operate during daylight hours. Zarek hates his 
  father enough that he calls himself Zarek Rainmark and denies 
  being related. Vasilios, Moira, and Evander all think this is 
  a phase, and refuse to humor him. The dwarves are the only 
  ones who use his new name.
  THE GRIMBOLD DWARVES
  Led by their patriarch Rumbold, the Grimbold dwarves 
  arrived here 200 years ago to carve out a living. The clan 
  prospered under the Stross and held onto their halls during the 
  sack of the castle just by waiting out the siege. They negotiated 
  with the Free City army for a peaceable “surrender”, which 
  quickly turned into working for the new garrison. Rumbold 
  died about 50 years ago, leaving Mandergrim in charge. The 
  dwarves are a grim, dour bunch. Their hair is gray, blonde, or 
  white in its entirety, and they all have dark eyes.
  They work for gold and silver while they secretly hope to 
  seize the castle and its mines for themselves when it slides 
  over the planar boundary. They sell their arms and equipment 
  during the day in area 4. There are currently ten dwarves: 
  Chieftain Mandergrim, his cleric followers Ulfbaerht, Ulric, 
  and Ulfgar (detailed in area 44), and a rotating cast of 
  apprentices, younger sons, and underlings such as Severti, 
  Rolf, Lambart, Gunnar, Wolfram, and the youngest, Edelred 
  (all fighter 1/expert 1). There are no dwarven women; they 
  remain in the Shadow Realm.
  While they live two day’s ride into the forested hills, they 
  engage in commerce with Zobeck. The clan sells a few 
  trinkets to the people of Zobeck and its mercenaries. These 
  are invariably enchanted not to harm any Grimbold dwarf or 
  their creations.
  GLIMMERSPIKE
  The dwarves are suspicious of anyone not bound to the 
  Shadow Princes or the Four Deaths. They may decide 
  to give one of the PCs an "ancestral weapon" named 
  Glimmerspike, a +3 longsword of black adamantine 
  with dark gray hilt and a yellow diamond pommel. This 
  “gift” is really meant to subvert and corrupt the bearer. 
  Glimmerspike is an intelligent shadow weapon. It also 
  slowly but surely increases its Ego of 9 by 1 for each day 
  that the bearer does not match its alignment. When its 
  Ego grows strong enough to overpower the wielder, it 
  forces him to perform an evil act, and then uses a special 
  form of shadow walk to return to its makers.
  GLIMMERSPIKE
  Aura strong evocation; CL 20th; Slot none; 
  Weight 4 lbs.
  Alignment NE; Ego 11; Senses 60 ft. darkvision
  Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 15
  Communication telepathy
  Special Purpose corrupt good-aligned creatures
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +22)
  3/day—darkness, faerie fire 
  1/day—deeper darkness
  Personality Glimmerspike thinks of itself as a smart and 
  superior weapon, and that others should obey it without 
  question. However, it is wise enough to keep its egotism 
  hidden, at least until its power grows. It loves fire, magic, 
  and the subversion of virtuous creatures to its own 
  purposes. It hates elves deeply and speaks only when it 
  feels combat is likely. It hates small talk.
  
  10
  meeting eVander
  This adventure takes place at various points in the past 
  and the present. When the PCs first venture to the 
  castle in search of the castle’s owner or ask to speak 
  with the “forest warden” in the present time, the 
  NPCs that dwell in and around Shadowcrag point 
  them to Evander Stross. He may dwell either in 
  Vespertine Hall (area 34) within Brandor’s Keep 
  or in area 44 with the Grimbold clan (if the PCs 
  did not partake in the opening flashback yet 
  or failed it). During the day, he always meets 
  visitors in the Lower Bailey.
  The keeper of the castle introduces himself as Evander 
  Stross. He looks about 45 years old or so. His dark 
  black hair and beard are both peppered with gray. He 
  wears a fine cloak and boots, carries both a sword 
  and a wand, and seems very alert and energetic. It is 
  apparent why the castle’s inhabitants defer to him. He 
  exudes an aura of confidence. 
   “What can I do for you out here in the forest? Surely 
  you didn’t come all the way out here just to visit 
  a silver mine?” He smiles, just barely, and leans 
  against a wall.
  Despite his realtively youthful appearance, 
  Evander is actually 95 years old. His remarkable 
  lack of aging can be attributed to his time spent in 
  the Shadow Realm, where the dream-like state keeps the 
  ravages of time at bay. During their discussion, Evander 
  confirms that the castle is haunted, and that the PCs 
  should go to the kobold mines rather than the castle for 
  shelter. He mentions nothing about the castle’s history or 
  his family’s alliance with the shadow fey. If the party insists 
  on staying in the castle, he summons his grandson Zarek (see 
  area 1) to escort the visitors to the guest rooms (area 32). The 
  party members get caught in scenes of ancient castle history 
  when they first visit. Those scenes are the shadow flashbacks 
  that may change history (see page 12).
  Melee +2 keen rapier +16/+11 (1d6+2/15-20) 
  Ranged shortbow +14/+9 (1d6/x3)
  Special Atk +4d6 sneak attack
  Shadowsworn Spells Known (CL 10th; concentration +17)
  3rd (2/day)—deeper darkness, ghostbane dirgeAPG (DC 16),  
  2nd (3/day)—darkness, dust of twilightAPG, protective 
  penumbraUM 
  1st (4/day)—compelling questionDM (DC 14), lesser orb of 
  lightDM, shadow handsDM (DC 14), silent soundDM (DC 14) 
  0 (at will)—arcane mark, prestidigitation, shadow biteDM, 
  silhouetteDM
  STATISTICS
  Str 11, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 20
  Base Atk +10; CMB +10; CMD 26 
  EVANDER STROSS (AGE 95) 
                          CR 13 
  XP 25,600
  Male human aristocrat 5/shadowsworn 10 (Midgard Player's 
  Guide)
  NE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +2 deflection,  
  +4 Dex)
  hp 116 (15d8+45)
  Fort +6, Ref +12, Will +9 
  Defensive Abilities evasion
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  
  11
  Feats AlertnessB (from shadow familiar), Combat Casting, 
  Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Improved Familiar, Iron 
  Will, Scribe Scroll, Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +13, Appraise +14, Bluff +18, Diplomacy 
  +18, Escape Artist +15, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (arcana) 
  +21, Knowledge (nobility) +11, Knowledge (planes) +10, 
  Linguistics +16, Perception +22, Ride +12, Sense Motive +17, 
  Spellcraft +16, Stealth +31, Use Magic Device +15 
  Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Undercommon
  SQ command shadow (see below), darkvision, shadow familiar 
  (see below), shadow talents (powerful sneak, sniper’s eyeAPG 
  summon shadow (see below)
  Combat Gear potion of displacement, wand of starboltsDM (CL 
  7, 10 charges); Gear +2 keen rapier, shortbow with 20 arrows, 
  belt of mighty constitution +4, bracers of armor +5, deep red 
  ioun stone, ring of protection +2, cloak of elvenkind, 100 gp 
  clockwork watch.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Command Shadow (Su) As a standard action, a shadowsworn 
  can channel negative energy through his body to enslave 
  undead shadows within 30 feet. Each shadow can attempt 
  a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 shadowsworn’s class level 
  + his Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. Undead 
  shadows that fail the save fall under his control, obeying his 
  commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of 
  control undead. The shadows receive a new saving throw each 
  day to resist the shadowsworn’s command. He can control 
  any number of shadows, so long as their total Hit Dice do not 
  exceed his shadowsworn level. If an undead shadow is under 
  the control of another creature, the shadowsworn must make 
  an opposed Charisma check whenever their orders conflict. 
  Shadow Familiar (Su) If the shadowsworn has the Improved 
  Familiar feat, at 4th level, he can conduct an day-long ritual 
  that permanently releases his own shadow to serve as a 
  familiar for him. A shadowsworn cannot have a standard 
  familiar (gained from another class) and a shadow familiar; 
  he can only have one familiar.  
   A shadow familiar has the statistics and abilities common 
  to all wizards’ familiars, but it doesn’t grant its master 
  a special ability bonus. It is not undead, so cannot be 
  commanded by a cleric. It can be cured with normal curative 
  spells. It is incorporeal, and cannot interact with physical 
  objects. The shadow familiar can move under doors and 
  through other tiny openings, can stretch to 10 times the 
  shadowsworn’s height, is invisible in partial or full darkness, 
  and can hide completely by posing as its master’s normal 
  shadow. The shadow familiar uses the shadowsworn’s Stealth 
  skill to remain hidden, and gains a +4 bonus to Stealth 
  checks in dim lighting but a –4 penalty in brightly lit areas.  
   The shadowsworn can communicate with his unbound 
  shadow normally as soon as he gains it. The alignment of the 
  shadow familiar is the same as the shadowsworn’s.  
   If his shadow familiar is killed, a shadowsworn no longer 
  casts a normal shadow. He may only create another shadow 
  familiar after one month or after spending 24 continuous 
  hours in complete darkness, replenishing his shadow. The 
  shadowsworn cannot cast the shadow projection spell if he 
  has a shadow familiar. 
   Note: A shadowsworn can take Improved Familiar at an early 
  level when he’s not yet eligible to use the feat.
  Summon Shadow (Sp) At 9th level, a shadowsworn can 
  summon undead shadows through nearby naturally 
  occurring shadows. He can do this as a standard action once 
  per day plus a number of additional times per day equal to 
  his Charisma modifier. He can summon 1d3 shadows plus 
  one for every three shadowsworn levels above 9th. Once 
  summoned, the shadows obey the shadowsworn’s mental 
  commands, although they can only actively communicate 
  with him when they are within 10 feet per shadowsworn 
  level. The shadows last 1 round per shadowsworn level or 
  until destroyed or banished. The shadowsworn can dismiss 
  them as a free action. When a shadowsworn reaches 15th 
  level, he can substitute one greater shadow for every three 
  shadows he would normally summon.
  INKSPOT, EVANDER’S SHADOW FAMILIAR          CR 5
  XP 1,200
  NE Medium outsider (incorporeal)
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 15 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +5 natural)
  hp 58 (15 HD)
  Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +8
  Defensive Abilities improved evasion, incorporeal
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 40 ft. (good)
  Melee incorporeal touch +12 (1d6 Strength damage)
  Special Actions share spells, deliver touch spells, speak with 
  shadows
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 15
  Base Atk +10; CMB +12; CMD 23 
  Feats Alertness, Dodge
  Skills Fly +11, Perception +6, Stealth +31 (+35 in dim light, 
  –27 in bright light); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth in dim light, 
  –4 Stealth in bright light
  SQ Alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, 
  deliver touch spells, speak with master
  
  12
  The past, more than anything else, haunts Castle Shadowcrag. 
  During the course of the adventure, the PCs learn important 
  backstory and family history through several flashback scenes 
  triggered by the adventurers’ actions. In many respects, 
  the PCs’ actions or inactions during the flashbacks have a 
  more pronounced effect on the current situation than their 
  interaction with the castle and its inhabitants in the present. 
  The party’s decisions during these flashbacks change current 
  events when they snap back to the present day and time. 
  (Usually, returning to the castle at dawn the next day, no matter 
  what time the flashback happened). If the party successfully 
  changed the past, conditions within the castle improve, and 
  they may even gain access to rooms or items not available 
  before the flashback. If they alter the past for the better, the 
  PCs’ chances of lifting the curse increase. If they fail to defeat 
  the flashback’s challenges, Evander sinks deeper into darkness, 
  trapped among the ghosts and shadows of the castle. If they fail 
  enough challenges, the party may go with him (see The Castle 
  Falls Into Shadow on page 69) into the Shadow Realm.
  It would appear that it is possible for the PCs to succeed 
  on just one flashback to alter Evander’s perception regarding 
  Sarasta and the shadow fey and presumably save the castle 
  from slipping into the Shadow Realm. However, time has a 
  way of repairing itself, causing it to revert back to the default 
  history. When the cycle of flashbacks begin, the PCs must see 
  the process through to its conclusion, otherwise the default 
  history restores itself 1d4 weeks after they complete their last 
  flashback. Time heals itself chronologically, starting with the 
  oldest events and working its way back to the most recent 
  activities. In short, if the PCs leave Shadowcrag without lifting 
  the curse, the shadow fey ultimately acquire the castle and 
  transport it into the Shadow Realm.  
  Each flashback begins with a black wind. The party will 
  figure out the time shifts soon enough. The encounters below 
  work backwards in time to the origin of the curse, and that 
  sequence works well in unraveling the mystery slowly. It might 
  be fun to try alternate flashback sequences, as long as the party 
  succeeds in at least four of them to stop the curse. The tables 
  that follow summarize the actions that trigger the flashbacks 
  as well as the major opponents faced during the flashback and 
  their effects on Evander and Castle Shadowcrag.  
  part two: flashbaCKs
  TABLE 2-1: FLASHBACKS SUMMARY
  FLASHBACK NAME
  TRIGGER
  OBSTACLE
  SUCCESS
  Courtyard Murder
  Midnight on their first evening  
  in the castle
  Shadow Evander
  Stross curse explained, Grimbold 
  dwarves wield less influence
  Bridge at Oros
  See shadow fey, experience at least  
  three shadow events, or cast a spell  
  from the shadow subschool*
  Four Deaths
  Khors shrine opens,  
  Evander is neutral
  Fall of House Stross
  Light a fire or using a fire-based spell  
  or effect within the castle*
  Caller in darkness 
  Evander vanishes, city troops 
  return to castle
  Enslavement of the 
  Kobolds
  Defeat dark stalker or dark creepers or 
  succeed on two previous flashbacks and 
  reach the Dragon’s Cave*
  Sword of Light 
  broken
  Open tomb of kobold king
  The Sacrifice on the Hill
  Capture or kill a shadow fey. Hit a shadow, 
  shadow creature, or shadow fey with the 
  sword of broken shadows**
  Archers and 
  lammasu
  Black oak awakes,  
  Scáthsidhe freed
  * If the PCs trigger any of these flashbacks prior experiencing the Courtyard Murder flashback, their actions trigger the Courtyard 
  Murder flashback instead. 
  ** This flashback always occurs last. If the PCs’ actions would trigger this flashback, their actions trigger the Courtyard Murder, 
  Bridge at Oros, or Fall of House Stross flashback instead. (Do not use the Enslavement of the Kobolds flashback as success would 
  grant the dark folk access to the Kobold King’s Tomb.)
  
  13
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula soundtrack 
  • Holst’s “Planets” symphony, especially “Mars” and “Uranus”
  • “Overture” from The Nightmare Before Christmas 
  soundtrack
  • “The Count of Monte Cristo” from the Oldboy soundtrack
  • Wes Craven's New Nightmare soundtrack
  • The 9th Gate soundtrack
  • The Red Violin score (John Corigliano)
  • The Insider score (Lisa Gerrard and Peter Bourke)
  For lighting, use a dimmer, turn off the main light and turn on 
  some floor-level or table lamps. If you have the means, light a 
  candelabra. But for lots of shadows, run the whole game with 
  just one small halogen lamp at the center of the gaming area 
  and darkness in all the corners of the room, (no overhead 
  lights or bare bulbs anywhere). When set up properly, 
  everyone around the table will throw shadows behind them 
  whenever they move in their seats. 
  For tone of voice, speak more slowly and a little deeper than 
  normal. You want to avoid sounding like a Dracula knockoff, 
  but hitting a grim or extra-serious pitch works wonders.
  flashbaCK #1:  
  CoUrtyard mUrder
  In the present, bloody history, Evander Stross grew to 
  manhood in the shadow of the castle’s ruin, adopted by the 
  Grimbold dwarves who located their smithy here and took 
  him under their tutelage. After this murder, they helped him 
  chase off the garrison entirely. Evander learned shadow magic 
  and expanded his power. He also adopted the dwarves’ stoic, 
  bitter cynicism as well.
  Sixty-five years ago, Evander was 30 years old and an 
  accomplished shadow magician. He and the Grimbold 
  dwarves were convinced they could soon hold the castle as 
  their own. And they did, until one day, when the Free City sent 
  the wizard Marcenzo to visit the castle. He planned to dispel 
  the rumors of its haunting—rumors Evander had nourished 
  among the villagers, the kobolds, and travelers visiting the 
  castle. Evander met the wizard in the Black Oak Bailey. 
  Evander lured Marcenzo there with promises of selling an old 
  volume of arcane lore he found in the castle ruins.
  THE WINTER GARDEN
  The Winter Garden is attuned to the castle’s movement into 
  the Shadow Realm. Successes or failures in the flashbacks are 
  reflected in the colors of the roses in the garden, but do not 
  emphasize this fact. It is appropriate to mention the roses 
  when a character asks about them or if a character succeeds at 
  a DC 20 Wisdom check when that individual first enters the 
  garden. Clever PCs are likely to figure out that dead or black 
  flowers represent doom, while bright, colorful roses symbolize 
  hope. The roses start as mixed black and white.
  FLASHBACK SEQUENCING
  You can present the flashbacks in any order beyond the first 
  and last (random or chronological), but I recommend starting 
  with the most recent events and moving back. End with the 
  deepest part of the past and the shadow fey pact with Sarasta. 
  The middle three can go in any order without too much 
  difficulty, though the Bridge at Oros and Fall of House Stross 
  flashbacks are chronologically the closest to each other, thus 
  requiring some adjustments to each flashback based upon 
  the PCs’ actions during each encounter. The advantage of this 
  sequence is that it explains the ancient history that hints at 
  the source of the curse. While you could present the events in 
  random order, this fragments the castle history further and 
  forces the players to think a bit more about what they have 
  seen. Depending on how much historical or investigative 
  challenge your players are used to, you might want to mix 
  things up deliberately.
  THE BLACK WIND
  When the party triggers one of the flashback scenes by 
  exploring and adventuring, you should definitely change the 
  mood of the game a little. I recommend all the usual suspects: 
  music, lighting, and your tone of voice. 
  Never underestimate music’s ability to set an emotional 
  tone. If you have an unsettling and dissonant piece of music, 
  what are you waiting for? Here are some suggestions from the 
  original project patrons, some of which are available at any 
  local library.
  • Phantom of the Opera soundtrack
  • Organ music by Bach
  • Anything by Rob Zombie
  TABLE 2-2: THE WINTER GARDEN
  NET PROGRESS
  GARDEN APPEARANCE
  STATUS
  2 failures
  Roses are all dead
  Castle transfers into the Shadow Realm
  1 failure
  Roses are all black
  Nighttime conditions all day
  Even
  Roses mix of white and black
  Twilight during the day
  1 success
  All roses are white
  1d4 hours of daylight, twilight for remainder of day
  2 successes
  Roses mix of white and yellow
  1d6 hours of daylight, twilight for remainder of day
  3 successes
  Roses all yellow
  1d8 hours of daylight, twilight for remainder of day
  4 successes
  Roses mix of red and yellow
  Normal lighting conditions
  5 successes
  Roses all red, curse lifted
  Daylight during the day, twilight at night
  
  14
  TRIGGER
  At the stroke of midnight on their first evening in the castle, 
  the black wind whisks the characters away to the moment just 
  before Evander and Marcenzo meet. If the PCs undertook an 
  action that would normally trigger one of the other flashbacks 
  before partaking in this one, this flashback occurs instead. 
  Evander hides in the shadows when the PCs arrive. Rumbold 
  and some dwarves hide inside the Smithing Grounds. Read 
  the following.
  A black wind rushes around you, dousing lights, darkening the 
  skies, and chilling you under your armor. The air seems suddenly 
  damp, and you can’t see as well as a moment ago. All the color 
  seems drained out of the castle around you, and the castle itself 
  looks very different than it did. For one thing, many windows in 
  the hall are lit, and for another, you hear a group of men singing 
  near the castle gate. The time is night, and the singers are off-key 
  and probably drunk.
  SHADOWS IN THE PAST
  While immersed in this flashback, the PCs are incorporeal 
  and invisible to the inhabitants of the past subject to the 
  following additional conditions. (As they progress through 
  later flashbacks, they slowly revert back to a more solid state.) 
  The PCs’ gear becomes insubstantial and loses 
  all mundane and magical properties. Casting 
  spells in this unnatural state requires the caster 
  to succeed at a concentration check as if the 
  caster were casting the spell defensively. If 
  another effect requires the PC to succeed at a 
  concentration check at the time of the spell’s 
  casting, the concentration check’s DC increases 
  by 5 instead. Only spells and effects from the 
  illusion (shadow) subschool as well as those with 
  either the darkness, force, or light descriptor 
  affect the Material world and vice versa. 
  In their incorporeal forms, the PCs move 
  silently. However, if they wish to be heard (to 
  warn or converse with an NPC, for example), 
  that NPC can hear the sounds with a successful 
  Perception check, though the listener suffers a 
  –20 circumstance penalty on this check. Even 
  with a successful check, the voices or noises 
  sound faint and distant, making it impossible to 
  pinpoint their precise origin.
  PCs are unaware of their incorporeal and 
  invisible state until they attempt to physically 
  interact with the material world or succeed 
  at a DC 25 Perception check. Furthermore, 
  a character aware of his present condition 
  that succeeds at a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) 
  realizes the PCs are reliving a past event where 
  their actions could affect the present. Although 
  they cannot attack with weapons, magical items, 
  magical abilities, and most spells, a PC that 
  succeeds at a DC 15 Will save at the beginning 
  of his turn gains an incorporeal touch attack 
  until the end of his turn that deals 1d3 points of Strength 
  damage to creatures in the material world. Conversely, an NPC 
  that succeeds at the same Will save can attack the invisible and 
  incorporeal PCs with ghost touch weapons and similar effects.
  THE MURDER
  Give the party time to prepare in any manner they see fit, 
  subject to the restrictions that appear in Shadows in the Past 
  above, for two rounds. Then read the following.
  A man in the elaborate robes of a wizard steps into the light of 
  an open door across the courtyard. He sneers a few words to the 
  doorman, who bows and leaves quickly, like a kicked dog. The 
  wizard seems to be examining some papers using magical light, 
  and frowning. The singing suddenly stops.
  If a PC succeds at a Perception check opposed by Evander’s 
  Stealth check, read the following.
  You notice a young man come into the bailey, though the wizard 
  doesn’t seem to have seen him. He approaches the wizard slowly 
  and carefully, carrying something like a wand or scroll. You hear 
  him utter a few words of incantation. His accent is strange—upper 
  class and a little formal. The wizard in his black-and-red robes 
  notices nothing, and the loud singing starts up again.
  
  15
  The party can attempt to interfere, but they are shadows here. 
  The fight between Evander and Marcenzo starts with Evander 
  granting his shadow familiar a lesser orb of light spell. Evander 
  then approaches through the shadows (+26 Stealth) and sneak 
  attacks. Read the following if the party makes no move to stop 
  his ambush.
  The young man in his black cloak slithers right up to the red-
  cloaked wizard and stabs him through the chest with an exquisite 
  rapier, catching the wizard completely off-guard. Blood gurgles 
  in his throat and then slowly rolls down his lips. As he turns 
  to defend himself, a clawed chunk of darkness reaches up from 
  the ground and tears at his robe in a blinding flash of light that 
  further weakens the wizard. The young man removes his rapier 
  from the wizard’s torso and prepares to stab him one last time for 
  good measure. 
  In game terms, Evander sneak attacks Marcenzo with his 
  rapier and confirms a critical hit. He deals his base damage of 
  1d6+2, which is then multiplied by two ([6 + 2] x 2) for the 
  critical hit resulting in 16 points of damage. He deals +2d6 
  points of sneak attack damage bringing the total hit damage 
  that Evander dealt in the surprise round to 23 points (16 
  [base damage plus critical] + 7 [sneak attack damage] = 23). 
  To make matters worse, the lesser orb of light that Inkspot the 
  familiar cast at the wizard deals another 10 points of damage 
  to the critically wounded Marcenzo (a 7th level conjurer who 
  began the encounter with 45 points, use the stats for a conjurer 
  in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery Guide). 
  With just 12 hit points remaining, and an enemy right on 
  top of him, the wizard fights back valiantly, but never really 
  recovers. The sequence proceeds as follows.
  Surprise Round
  Marcenzo takes 23 hit points of damage from the critical hit 
  and sneak attack, while sustaining another 10 hit points of 
  damage from Inkspot’s spell. Marcenzo drops to 12 hp.
  Round 1
  Evander got a result of 15 with his initiative check, which 
  is lower than Marcenzo’s lucky 19, so the wizard acts first. 
  Unfortunately for Marcenzo, he already cast dimension door 
  and invisibility earlier in the day to get past Evander’s outer 
  defenses, thus leading him to believe that his intrusion went 
  unnoticed. Fearful of being interrupted while casting his spell, 
  Marcenzo casts magic missile at Evander in the desperate hope 
  that he can drop him in one fell swoop or withstand another 
  attack. Without outside intervention, Evander strikes the 
  wizard twice more and deals a total of 13 hit points. Marcenzo 
  falls to the ground unconscious.
  Round 2
  Unless the PCs intervene, Evander performs the coup de 
  grace combat action and slays Marcenzo. Inkspot watches for 
  interference, but ignores the PC party of shadows.
  Spells cast by the party such as blindness or daylight 
  work normally and might create enough of a distraction to 
  alert Marcenzo to the presence of enemies giving him an 
  opportunity to escape. Alternatively, the PCs can attempt to 
  verbally warn the wizard of impending danger before the 
  concealed Evander approaches him, which might negate 
  Evander’s element of surprise and even give him a chance 
  to spot Evander or summon a monstrous ally to aid him in 
  the fight or block his escape. Of course, the PCs can attack 
  Evander and relieve the pressure on Marcenzo. In any case, 
  escape is first and foremost on the wizard’s mind. He realizes 
  that he is badly outnumbered and outmatched. If Evander 
  detects the PCs, he tries to destroy them with his wand of 
  starbolts. It is unlikely that the party can inflict serious damage 
  to Evander in their shadowy forms. However, if that does 
  occur, four greater shadows (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary) instantaneously materialize around the characters 
  and attack their fellow incorporeal and plainly visible—at least 
  to them—foes.  
  Read the following.
  You see the young shadow-cloaked man step into darkness. 
  He vanishes completely, then a line of silver comets flies out of 
  the shadows at you. All around the courtyard lights come on. 
  You hear the distinctive “thunk” of heavy crossbows bolts into 
  windowsills. “Damn you all for interfering!” says a voice with a 
  strong dwarvish accent. “Ghosts and haunts begone!”
  The Grimbold dwarves, annoyed by the outside interference, 
  depart from the Smithing Grounds (area 4 on the Castle 
  Shadowcrag map) and make their way to the Black Oak Bailey 
  to target the unseen trespassers. They oddly ignore Marcenzo, 
  leaving him to Evander and Inkspot. The dwarf Rumbold 
  (use the stats for a mountaineer in the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game NPC Codex) uses his shadow-catching net (treat as a 
  ghost touch net; shadows caught in it become corporeal for 
  1d4 rounds on a failed DC 16 Will save). He is a snow-bearded 
  dwarf who dies a few years after this scene, giving leadership to 
  Mandergrim. His 3 followers (use the stats for spell hunters in 
  the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC Codex) each carry four 
  ghost touch crossbow bolts that they use to hit the shadowy 
  PCs. These items are in addition to their listed gear.
  EVANDER STROSS (AGE 30) 
                            CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Male human aristocrat 5/shadowsworn 5 (Midgard Player's 
  Guide)
  N Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init +4; Senses darkvision 30 ft.; Perception +17
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +2 deflection, +4 
  Dex)
  hp 78 (10d8+30)
  Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +7
  Defensive Abilities evasion
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee +2 keen rapier +12/+7 (1d6+2/15-20) 
  Ranged shortbow +10/+5 (1d6/x3)
  Special Atk +2d6 sneak attack 
  Shadowsworn Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +12)
  
  16
   If his shadow familiar is killed, a shadowsworn no longer 
  casts a normal shadow. He may only create another shadow 
  familiar after one month or after spending 24 continuous 
  hours in complete darkness, replenishing his shadow. The 
  shadowsworn cannot cast the shadow projection spell if he 
  has a shadow familiar.  
   Note: The shadowsworn can take Improved Familiar at an 
  early level when he’s not yet eligible to use the feat. 
  INKSPOT, EVANDER’S SHADOW FAMILIAR          CR 4
  XP 1,200
  NE Medium outsider (incorporeal)
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +3 natural)
  hp 39 (10 HD)
  Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +8
  Defensive Abilities improved evasion, incorporeal
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 40 ft. (good)
  Melee incorporeal touch +8 (1d6 Strength damage)
  Special Actions share spells, deliver touch spells, speak with 
  shadows
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 14, Con —, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 15
  Base Atk +6; CMB +8; CMD 19 
  Feats Alertness, Dodge
  Skills Fly +11, Perception +6, Stealth +26 (+30 in dim light, 
  –22 in bright light); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth in dim light, 
  –4 Stealth in bright light
  SQ Alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link, 
  deliver touch spells, speak with master
  ENDING THE FLASHBACK
  The flashback ends when Marcenzo escapes or Evander slays 
  him. For the purpose of this encounter, Marcenzo is deemed 
  to have escaped when he gets past area 1 or otherwise exits the 
  castle grounds as Evander and the dwarves do not pursue him 
  beyond the castle walls. From there, the wizard can use several 
  scrolls in his possession to dramatically increase his speed and 
  flee the castle.   
  Success
  If Marcenzo escapes, the wizard returns to the city with stories 
  that the castle is indeed haunted and best left alone. He sends 
  an exorcist to the castle, the garrison stays a little longer, 
  and Evander does not have blood on his hands. Better still, 
  Evander questions whether the dwarves truly have his best 
  interests at heart. His alignment does not shift to neutral evil 
  over time. The flashback ends. Read the following.
  You feel the black wind rise up all around you even as you see 
  the mortar of the castle start to turn oily and black, the space 
  between the stones releasing shadows that reach toward you for a 
  moment…
  The courtyard is now empty, and the sky turns pink and 
  gray in the east. There’s no sign of dwarves, shadows, or 
  2nd (2/day)—darkness, dust of twilightAPG 
  1st (2/day)—lesser orb of lightDM, shadow handsDM (DC 14)  
  0 (at will)—arcane mark, prestidigitation, silhouetteDM
  STATISTICS
  Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 22
  Str 11, Dex 18 (16), Con 14 (10), Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 20
  Feats AlertnessB (from shadow familiar), Combat Casting, 
  Improved Familiar, Iron Will, Scribe Scroll, Stealthy, 
  Toughness, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +13, Appraise +11, Bluff +14, Diplomacy 
  +14, Escape Artist +13, Intimidate +14, Knowledge (arcana) 
  +12, Knowledge (nobility) +11, Knowledge (planes) +7, 
  Linguistics +12, Perception +17, Ride +11, Sense Motive +12, 
  Spellcraft +12, Stealth +26, Use Magic Device +9 
  Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Undercommon
  SQ command shadow (see below), darkvision, shadow familiar 
  (see below), shadow talents (powerful sneak)
  Combat Gear +2 keen rapier, potion of displacement; Gear 
  belt of mighty constitution +4, bracers of armor +5, deep red 
  ioun stone, ring of protection +2, cloak of elvenkind, wand of 
  starboltsDM (CL 7, 19 charges), shortbow, 20 arrows, 18 gp, 6 sp.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Command Shadow (Su) As a standard action, the 
  shadowsworn can channel negative energy through his body 
  to enslave undead shadows within 30 feet. The shadows 
  receive a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 shadowsworn’s class 
  level + his Charisma modifier) to negate the effect. Undead 
  shadows that fail the save fall under his control, obeying 
  his commands to the best of their ability, as if under the 
  effects of control undead. The shadows receive a new saving 
  throw each day to resist the shadowsworn’s command. 
  He can control any number of shadows, so long as their 
  total Hit Dice do not exceed his shadowsworn level. If an 
  undead shadow is under the control of another creature, 
  the shadowsworn must make an opposed Charisma check 
  whenever their orders conflict. 
  Shadow Familiar (Su) If the shadowsworn has the Improved 
  Familiar feat, at 4th level, he can conduct an all-day ritual 
  that permanently releases his own shadow to serve as a 
  familiar for him. A shadowsworn cannot have a standard 
  familiar (gained from another class) and a shadow familiar; 
  he can only have one familiar.  
   A shadow familiar has the statistics and abilities common 
  to all wizards’ familiars, but it doesn’t grant its master 
  a special ability bonus. It is not undead, so cannot be 
  commanded by a cleric. It can be cured with normal curative 
  spells. It’s incorporeal, and cannot interact with physical 
  objects. The shadow familiar can move under doors and 
  through other tiny openings, can stretch to 10 times the 
  shadowsworn’s height, is invisible in partial or full darkness, 
  and can hide completely by posing as its master’s normal 
  shadow. The shadow familiar uses the shadowsworn’s Stealth 
  skill to remain hidden, and gains a +4 bonus to Stealth 
  checks in dim lighting but a −4 penalty in brightly lit areas.  
   The shadowsworn can communicate with his unbound 
  shadow normally as soon as he gains it. The alignment of the 
  shadow familiar is the same as the shadowsworn’s.  
  
  17
  TRIGGER
  This flashback begins after the party sees one of the shadow 
  fey (such as in the area 19), experiences at least three shadow 
  events, or casts a spell from the shadow subschool. Read the 
  following.
  A black wind tugs at your hair. You feel a chill as color fades from 
  your sight. You are outdoors near a river; all around you are 
  men in heavy armor, many gathered under a raven-wing banner. 
  Roughly a bowshot away is a much larger group of men carrying 
  pikes and axes and clad in makeshift armor. They seem to be the 
  opposing army, but they can barely get a shield wall together. 
  Their movements seem hesitant. You notice the opposing army has 
  pikes, but no cavalry. 
   The well-organized army around you begins to move. You hear 
  the unmistakable hoofbeats of heavy horses. Voices bark orders, 
  and others incant spells near you. “Death to those who oppose 
  Lord Stross! No survivors!”
  Let the party make their own decisions. Attempts to question 
  people near them are ignored. Unlike the first flashback, the 
  PCs are incorporeal, but are now visible. If a PC succeeds at a 
  DC 25 Perception check, read the following.
  You notice that not all the followers of the raven-wing banner are 
  human. A handful of fey creatures ride on shadow mastiffs and 
  carry black banners, marked with white roses and suns. These 
  fey riders seem to be the leading edges of the raven army’s attack. 
  They shimmer and shift in the gray light, giving you fleeting 
  glimpses of them. One speaks a word and unleashes a fragment of 
  pure light into the opposing lines.
  The riders are the Four Deaths, the mercenary shadow fey 
  serving the Stross family. Even if the PCs fail to spot them, 
  the incorporeal PCs instantly attract the Four Deaths’ interest. 
  They ignore their corporeal opponents and immediately set 
  their sights on the battlefield’s latest and most unexpected 
  arrivals. Their banners are all black with different devices: 
  a flame, a single white rose, a skull, and a sun. Their own 
  troops name them the Fire, Glory, Bony, and Bright Deaths, 
  respectively (also known as Torch, Banner, Fingerbone and 
  Eclipse, respectively), and think of them as lucky additions 
  to their side. Associating their garb and spellcasting abilities 
  with shadow magic and necromancy requires a successful 
  DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) check. With a successful DC 30 
  Perception check, a PC hears voices from the opposing army. 
  Read the following.
  One man seems to be rallying the opposing army, yelling at the top 
  of his lungs. “Freedom, boys! Hired swords will not conquer us! 
  Remember the street massacre!” He is wearing red robes and his 
  features seem familiar.
  This is Marcenzo, the wizard leader of the Free City Army 
  (the murder victim in the Courtyard Murder flashback and 
  the mob ringleader in the upcoming Fall of House Stross 
  flashback). When the party notices him, they see that the 
  spells he casts against the Four Deaths are all unraveled by the 
  scáthsidhe’s innate ability. He can’t help his army much. A PC 
  seeping mortar. The castle rooster crows, and the sun breaks 
  over the horizon. It is dawn. Regardless of where they were 
  when the flashback began, the characters are now in the Black 
  Oak Bailey. Evander is no longer a follower of the Grimbold 
  dwarves. Instead, the dwarven leader Mandergrim calls him 
  “the little lord” and grumbles about paying him rent for the 
  use of the castle grounds, the forest charcoal, and the smithy. 
  Mandergrim claims that he taught the man everything he 
  knows. In return, Evander forged a deed to the castle, cheating 
  him. He warns the party against Evander, rather than speaking 
  of him as a favored child or student. After this flashback, 
  Evander does not remember serving as a shadow apprentice 
  to the dwarves, because he never did. Instead of brooding on 
  the murder and pledging himself to deeper shadow, he tried 
  to fight Sarasta’s oath, refusing to help the Grimbold dwarves 
  drag away his inheritance. After all, he says to himself, he 
  offered his soul, but not his fiefdom. He manipulates the 
  dwarves as much as they manipulate him, and he doesn’t 
  turn to outright evil. In the present, he no longer gains any 
  additional shadowsworn levels and retains the statistics 
  presented in this flashback.
  Failure
  If this flashback ends with Marcenzo dead, he continues to 
  haunt the castle (see Marcenzo the Wizard on page 32) and 
  the garrison abandons the place completely, as in the default 
  history. Read the following.
  The wizard in his red robe and black cloak falls to the ground, and 
  his last breath rattles from his throat. You hear a deep dwarven 
  voice say, “Well done lad, you’ve avenged your family. Blood for 
  blood is the best way. You can take your castle away from them 
  as well. I’ll tell you how.” Evander lifts his head and gives a grim 
  smile before he turns to face the dwarf.  
   “Tell me everything,” he says. Then the shadows flicker around 
  you and the wind howls through the towers and the tree branches. 
  You close your eyes against the dust and leave. When you open 
  them again, you are in the courtyard. The wizard’s body is gone, 
  and so are the young man and everyone else, including the snow-
  bearded dwarf.
  A PC that succeeds at a DC 20 Perception check immediately 
  recognize Evander’s younger self. They can also find 
  Marcenzo’s bones buried in area 9. In a final indignity, his 
  killers broke his jaw, among other humiliations, to prevent 
  speak with dead from working properly. His ghost becomes a 
  haunt of the castle (see Shadows of the Dead on page 32). The 
  PCs can question Marcenzo’s ghost in the present day.
  flashbaCK #2:  
  bridge at oros
  About 90 years ago, the bridge below the castle was host to a 
  conflict between the Stross family and the city folk of Zobeck. 
  Magical mayhem ensued on all sides, which was always one of 
  the keys to the Stross plan. The shadow fey mercenaries called 
  the Four Deaths were among the Stross retainers.
  
  18
  who succeeds at a DC 15 Intelligence 
  check remembers him as the red-robed 
  wizard from one or more of the 
  previous flashbacks. 
  KRANOS, LORD STROSS
  The gray-haired wizard Kranos Stross 
  (use the stats for a cruel conjurer in 
  the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC 
  Codex) is here, leading his troops 
  and gesturing with a white staff of 
  rowan wood. He is almost totally 
  inaccessible in combat. A sphere that 
  negates dimension door and and other 
  teleportation effects surrounds him; in 
  addition, three stone golems (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary) have been 
  ordered to protect him. If the party is 
  itching to fight him, they can. However, the 
  Stross’ leader leaves such dirty work to the 
  mindless minions that defend him. If the party 
  explored the castle gate during the Fall of House 
  Stross flashback, they remember seeing his corpse 
  alongside his white staff broken in two.
  THE FOUR DEATHS
  The PCs can see the Four Deaths in action, and might defeat 
  one or more of them before the party encounters them in 
  other flashbacks or the castle itself (see area 19, for example). 
  They fight as pairs with one sorcerer and one fighter together. 
  For plot purposes, the party should fight Banner and Eclipse 
  here with their heraldic signs of a white rose and eclipsed sun. 
  The Four Deaths typically shadow jump across the battlefield 
  to engage and destroy opposing clerics and arcane casters. 
  They especially hate clerics of Khors or dwarves of any kind. 
  However, as natives of the Shadow Realm, they are drawn to 
  the presence of other shadow creatures. While the shadow 
  fey are not incorporeal creatures, for the purposes of this 
  flashback, they are treated as such when interacting with the 
  PCs. Therefore, the PCs and the Four Deaths can affect each 
  other normally, but any effects they take against each other 
  don’t carry over into the material world as explained earlier in 
  Shadows in the Past (see page 14).
  FIRE DEATH AND GLORY DEATH                           CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  Female shadow fey fighter 5 (Midgard Bestiary)
  NE Medium fey
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 240 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 28, touch 20, flat-footed 22 (+5 armor, +4 deflection, +5 
  Dex, +1 dodge, +3 shield)
  hp 64 each (7d6+7 plus 5d10+5) 
  Fort +11, Ref +15, Will +11 
  Defensive Abilities bravery +1, improved evasion, uncanny 
  dodge
  Weaknesses light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft. 
  Melee +1 flaming rapier +16/+11 (1d6+4 plus 1d6 fire/18–20)
  Ranged mwk shortbow +15/+10 (1d6/19–20)
  Special Attacks shadow jump, weapon training (light blades +1)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  At will—dust of twilightAPG, vanishAPG
  3/day—suggestion (DC 17)
  1/day—haste
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 18
  Base Atk +8; CMB +13; CMD 28 
  Feats Agile Maneuvers, DodgeB, Improved Initiative, MobilityB, 
  Weapon Finesse, Weapon FocusB (rapier), Weapon Focus 
  (shortbow), Weapon Specialization (rapier)
  Skills Acrobatics +20, Bluff +14, Diplomacy +14, Disable 
  Device +15, Escape Artist +11, Handle Animal +12, 
  Intimidate +12, Knowledge (planes) +13, Perception +11, 
  Perform (dance) +9, Profession (soldier) +9, Sleight of Hand 
  +12, Stealth +23; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth
  
  19
  Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, Undercommon
  SQ armor training 1, flicker, stealth in motion 
  Combat Gear potion of cure serious wounds; Other Gear 
  +1 chain shirt, +1 flaming rapier, +2 buckler, masterwork 
  shortbow with 40 arrows and 8 +2 arrows, 250 gp petrified 
  wooden brooch, 56 gp, 98 sp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Flicker (Ex) All shadow fey seem to fade in and out of vision. 
  They are very hard to focus on unless they wish to be seen. 
  This allows a shadow fey to hide in plain sight (as the 
  shadowdancer class ability), and it grants her a deflection 
  bonus to AC equal to her Charisma modifier.
  Shadow Jump (Su) A shadow fey can travel between shadows 
  as if by means of dimension door. This magical transport 
  must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A 
  shadow fey can jump up to a total of 20 feet/day in this way; 
  this can be a single jump of 20 feet or two jumps of 10 feet 
  each. This ability must be used in 10-foot increments. With 
  Dimensional Agility, the shadow fey can act after moving 
  with shadow jump.
  Stealth in Motion (Ex) Shadow fey can move at full speed 
  or even run while using the Stealth skill. They suffer no 
  penalties on Stealth checks due to movement. 
  BONY DEATH AND BRIGHT DEATH 
              CR 9
  XP 6,400 each
  Male shadow fey sorcerer 5 (Midgard Bestiary)
  NE Medium fey
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 270 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 14 (+4 deflection, +5 Dex, +1 
  dodge)
  hp 54 each (7d6+7 plus 5d6+5) 
  Fort +8, Ref +15, Will +14 
  Defensive Abilities improved evasion, uncanny dodge
  Weaknesses light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft. 
  Melee +1 quarterstaff +7 (1d6+2) 
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +11 (1d8/19–20)
  Special Attacks shadow jump, shadowstrike (7/day)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  At will—dust of twilightAPG, vanishAPG
  3/day—suggestion (DC 17)
  1/day—haste
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 5th; concentration +14)
  2nd (5/day)—acid arrow, darkvision, touch of idiocy (DC 16)  
  1st (7/day)—chill touch (DC 15), mage armor, obscuring mist, 
  ray of enfeeblement, sleep (DC 15) 
  0 (at will)—acid splash, flare, ghost sound, mending, read 
  magic, touch of fatigue (DC 14) 
  Bloodline shadowAPG
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 18
  Base Atk +5; CMB +13; CMD 28 
  Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, 
  Dodge, Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +19, Diplomacy +14, Disable 
  Device +10, Escape Artist +11, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate 
  +12, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (planes) +13, 
  Perception +11, Perform (dance) +9, Profession (herbalist) 
  +4, Sleight of Hand +12, Spellcraft +11, Stealth +23, Use 
  Magic Device +12; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth
  Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, Undercommon
  SQ alternate form, bloodline arcana (when casting a spell with 
  the darkness descriptor or the shadow subschool, you gain a 
  circumstance bonus on Stealth checks equal to the spell’s level 
  for 1d4 rounds), flicker, stealth in motion, unravel 
  Combat Gear potion of barkskin +2; Other Gear +1 
  quarterstaff, wand of major image (CL 6th, 23 charges) (Bony 
  Death only), wand of fireball (CL 6th, 21 charges) (Bright 
  Death only), masterwork light crossbow, masterwork rapier, 
  20 bolts, 83 gp, 29 sp
  STATISTICS
  Alternate Form (Su) All shadow fey sorcerers can assume an 
  alternate form as a swift action, typically as a raven, dove, 
  cat, wolf, or fox. This animal form is always white, black, or 
  silver-gray. This ability is similar to polymorph cast by a 12th 
  level character, but the shadow fey sorcerer does not regain 
  hit points for changing form and must choose from the forms 
  mentioned above. In his alternate form, he loses spellcasting 
  ability but gains the natural weapons and extraordinary 
  special attacks of his new form. He can remain in that form 
  until he takes another or until struck by sunlight. 
  Flicker (Ex) All shadow fey seem to fade in and out of vision. 
  They are very hard to focus on unless they wish to be seen. 
  This allows a shadow fey to hide in plain sight (as the 
  shadowdancer class ability), and it grants him a deflection 
  bonus to AC equal to his Charisma modifier.
  Shadow Jump (Su) A shadow fey can travel between shadows 
  as if by means of dimension door. This magical transport 
  must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A 
  shadow fey can jump up to a total of 20 feet/day in this way; 
  this can be a single jump of 20 feet or two jumps of 10 feet 
  each. This ability must be used in 10-foot increments. With 
  Dimensional Agility, the shadow fey can act after moving 
  with shadow jump.
  Shadow Strike (Sp) A shadow fey sorcerer can make a melee 
  touch attack as a standard action that inflicts 1d4 points of 
  nonlethal damage +1 for every 2 sorcerer levels he has. In 
  addition, the target is dazzled for 1 minute. Creatures with 
  low-light vision or darkvision are not dazzled by this ability. 
  The shadow fey can use this ability a number of times per day 
  equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. 
  Stealth in Motion (Ex) Shadow fey can move at full speed 
  or even run while using the Stealth skill. They suffer no 
  penalties on Stealth checks due to movement.
  Unravel (Su) As a swift action, a shadow fey sorcerer can 
  unravel the spells of his foes. This acts as dispel magic cast at 
  his overall class level. He can use this ability 3/day.
  
  20
  ENDING THE FLASHBACK
  The flashback ends when the PCs slay one 
  of the Four Deaths, a PC dies, or 2 minutes 
  elapse from the start of the flashback, 
  whichever happens first. 
  Success
  If the party defeats one of the Four 
  Deaths, Evander’s sons and daughter, 
  Moira, live better lives. The Stross family 
  mother, Bellanca, flees the castle with 
  her children before the mob reaches it, 
  instead of being advised to stay behind by 
  the scáthsidhe. (This consequence refers 
  to the events that appear in the Fall of 
  House Stross flashback. If the characters 
  already participated in that flashback, they 
  may have already rescued Bellanca and 
  Evander’s two brothers from the mob.) 
  Later, the widow Stross is given a Free 
  City pension to keep her quiet, and she 
  rears Evander as a noble of good character. 
  After the PCs succeeed in this flashback, 
  she is buried in the Winter Garden, where 
  Evander often visits her.
  While Evander returned to the castle and 
  grew up there, an honest servant of the Free 
  City in his own family’s house, his daughter 
  Moira benefited much more. Without the 
  constant badgering of the Deaths, she was 
  not driven mad. She turned to the worship 
  of Khors with joy rather than desperation, 
  married a good man, and her mother built 
  Khors’ temple (which is now restored 
  from shadow). This means the party can 
  question her, and visit her in the “new” shrine.
  Failure
  If the party defeats none of the Four Deaths, they fail at this 
  flashback. Bellanca, Evander’s mother and his two younger 
  brothers remain behind at the castle and are still present when 
  the mob arrives (see the Fall of House Stross flashback). If the 
  party succeeded in the previous flashback, but failed this one 
  nothing changes when they return to the castle. The Winter 
  Garden grows blacker. Khor’s shrine is lost, and Moira stays 
  trapped in madness. If this is the second failure in a row, the 
  castle and nearby forest move into the Shadow Realm! The sun 
  never rises, and the party must succeed in the three remaining 
  flashbacks to restore the castle to the Material Plane, otherwise 
  it is forever lost to the Shadow Realm. If you want to give the 
  party a deadline, have a herald of the Moonlight King arrive to 
  prepare his “new fiefdom” for an inspection within 3 days (see 
  The Castle Falls into Shadow on page 69). If the party does not 
  restore the castle quickly, it remains here forever. They must 
  then find a way back through planar travel.
  flashbaCK #3:  
  fall of hoUse stross
  About 90 years ago, a mob overran the castle after defeating 
  the Stross armies and allies on the field of battle. The PCs 
  arrive on that night incorporeal yet visible. If they defeat the 
  caller in darkness, they grow stronger in the shadow world. 
  Strong enough that they can choose to save one or more of the 
  mob’s targets. They must choose carefully.
  DESIGNER’S NOTE
  Ideally, this encounter presents the party with a dilemma. 
  They can save someone else’s life by risking their own in 
  the process, or they can ignore her pleas and concentrate 
  solely upon their own self-preservation. To make the 
  decision even more difficult, the PCs could face a painful 
  choice between rescuing the woman and defending a 
  comrade. 
  
  21
  TRIGGER
  The flashback begins when the party lights a fire or uses a 
  fire-based spell or effect on the castle grounds. Read the 
  following.
  A black wind swirls about, dousing lights, darkening the skies, 
  chilling you under your armor. The air seems suddenly damp. You 
  can’t see as well as a moment ago. All the color seems drained out 
  of the castle around you, and the castle itself is very different. You 
  smell smoke and hear the noise of hundreds of people in the Lower 
  Bailey. Then you hear a scream, “Peasants! Get away!” 
   Looking about, you see a young woman dressed in fine clothes 
  and jeweled rings with two young boys holding her skirt and 
  crying their eyes out. A wizard in a black-and-red robe climbs 
  onto a horse to address the woman over the crowd. “You and Lord 
  Stross have stolen from us for long enough, sending us to die in the 
  mines and taxing us to death! She’s a leech! Hang them all!” The 
  mob surges forward.
  DARKNESS CALLS
  Even though the PCs are close to the public execution that 
  is about to happen, they are currently powerless to stop it in 
  their incorporeal forms. However, the PCs are visible to the 
  numerous spectators. Although they can sap Strength from the 
  angry citizens, as described in the Shadows in the Past on page 
  14, there are simply too many of them to have any significant 
  effect on the mob. Likewise, force spells may fend off small 
  pockets of the irate crowd, but they also fall far short of having 
  any noticeable impact on the horde’s mood or actions.  
  The death of so many soldiers and aristocrats in this charged 
  atmosphere gave rise to a caller in darkness that stalks Griffin 
  Tower, where it feeds on the hate, death, and fury in the 
  courtyard. As an inherently incorporeal monstrosity, it notices 
  the insubstantial PCs long before they detect its unnatural 
  presence. The monster has already used aversion, paranoia and 
  telempathic projection to further rile up strategic members of 
  the crowd. When a fight breaks out, the undead horror uses 
  its psychic magic to sow discord within the party by casting 
  paranoia and deals damage with greater oneiric horror and 
  mind thrust V.  
  Of course, the combat between the party and the caller in 
  darkness does not take place in a vacuum. The mob continues 
  to demand for and carry out more death. Throughout the 
  battle, screams ring out in the courtyard. If the PCs succeeded 
  in the Bridge at Oros flashback, the young woman and her two 
  children are Lyssandra Krönner and her two sons, Hulmet and 
  Wrothgang. While innocent victims in their own right, they 
  have no relation to Evander. On the other hand, if the PCs 
  failed the Bridge at Oros flashback or did not yet experience it, 
  the young woman is Evander’s mother, Bellanca. She prepares 
  to face her demise alongside her two children Mikad and 
  Dragos, Evander’s brothers. If the PCs ignore the woman’s 
  repeated cries for aid (regardless of her identity), the mob, led 
  by the wizard Marcenzo, hangs her and her children 5 rounds 
  after the party first encounters the caller in darkness. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 15 Intelligence check recognizes this younger 
  version of Marcenzo if the group hasn’t already done so in 
  another flashback. 
  Although the PCs can’t physically liberate the woman and 
  her children from their captors, they can take some actions 
  to forestall their demise. For instance, plunging the area into 
  darkness creates confusion, giving the victims some additional 
  time, while bathing them in light might lead some witnesses 
  to conclude that a god is interceding on their behalf. Likewise, 
  in their incorporeal yet visible state, the ghostly adventurers 
  can frighten the crowd if they choose do so. Roughly half the 
  mob flees in terror at the sight of “ghosts,” while the remaining 
  half and their leaders steel their nerves for the task at hand. So 
  while the PCs can’t directly intervene in the proceedings, they 
  can delay them in a variety of ways. In this regard, the GM 
  must exercise some discretion when determining whether the 
  PCs’ actions are effective or not.
  Meanwhile, the PCs and the caller in darkness are both 
  incorporeal, thus they deal damage to each other normally. 
  However, the caller in darkness’ ability to fly gives it a decided 
  tactical advantage against predominately ground-based PCs by 
  forcing them to rely almost exclusively on ranged weapons and 
  spells rather than melee attacks and touch spells. Furthermore, 
  the caller in darkness excels at hiding from its adversaries. It 
  can merge with or pass through solid objects to escape from or 
  ambush its pursuers. 
  CALLER IN DARKNESS                                          CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 5
  CE Large undead (incorporeal)
  Init +11; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22
  Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 12 (+3 deflection, +7 Dex, +1 
  dodge, –1 size)
  hp 97 (13d8+39)
  Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +10
  Defensive Abilities incorporeal; Immune undead traits
  Weaknesses sunlight powerlessness
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 60 ft. (good)
  Melee incorporeal touch +15 (6d6 plus consume mind)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
  DESIGNER’S NOTE
  The sword can set up a contradiction. The party might 
  have already found a later version of the same sword 
  in the Kobold King’s Tomb. Rather than having two 
  present, I think it might mess with players more if their 
  version of the sword of bright shadows disappears during 
  the flashback, which they might not notice if they don’t 
  attempt to draw the blade. If they do, they see it turn to 
  dust and shadows in their hands (only to return to the 
  scabbard when the flashback ends)
  
  22
  Special Attacks consume mind, wrap in despair
  Psychic Magic (CL 10th; concentration +12)
  12 PE—aversionOA (2 PE, DC 15), emotive blockOA (3 PE, 
  DC 16), greater oneiric horrorOA (4 PE, DC 17), mind thrust 
  VOA (5 PE, DC 18), paranoiaOA (2 PE, DC 15), telempathic 
  projectionOA (1 PE, DC 14)
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 25, Con —, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 17
  Base Atk +9; CMB +13; CMD 27 (can’t be tripped)
  Feats Ability Focus (wrap in despair), Alertness, Combat 
  Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Intimidate, 
  Stealth)
  Skills: Fly +5, Intimidate +25, Knowledge (arcana) +18, 
  Perception +22, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +18, Stealth +21
  Languages Abyssal, Common
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  Consume Mind (Su) Whenever a caller in darkness hits 
  a creature with its incorporeal touch attack, or begins its 
  turn occupying the same space as a creature, it drains away 
  a portion of that creature’s mind, inflicting 1d4 points of 
  Wisdom damage. This is a mind-affecting effect, but not a 
  negative energy effect. If the caller in darkness reduces a 
  living creature’s Wisdom score to 0 in this way, it absorbs 
  that creature’s mind, killing it. The caller in darkness gains 
  psychic energy equal to the creature’s HD and access to all of 
  the creature’s memories. A creature whose mind is absorbed 
  in this way cannot be resurrected until the caller in darkness 
  is slain, unless the caster first uses a wish or miracle to free 
  the creature’s mind.  
  Wrap in Despair (Su) Any living creature that begins its 
  turn occupying the same space as a caller in darkness 
  must succeed on a DC 21 Will save or be overwhelmed by 
  crippling depression for 1d4 rounds. Affected creatures are 
  unable to take any action. Adjacent allies can offer words of 
  encouragement as a standard action to grant the creature a 
  new saving throw. If the creature succeeds on a saving throw 
  granted in this way, it is immune to the caller in darkness’s 
  wrap in despair ability for 24 hours. Creatures with 
  Intelligence scores of 2 or less are immune to this effect. This 
  is a mind-affecting, emotion and fear effect. The saving throw 
  DC is Charisma-based. 
  When the PCs finally destroy the caller in darkness, they 
  exit the Shadow Realm and reemerge in the material world 
  giving them a chance to take more substantive actions to save 
  the lives of others. However, they may not realize that fact yet. 
  Give the characters hints that they are no longer incorporeal; 
  tell them they now make noise when they move or that their 
  feet directly touch the ground. If the party still seems oblivious 
  to their transformation, a PC realizes what happened with a 
  successful DC 10 Perception check.
  Moving through the crowd on foot in their corporeal form 
  is treated as moving through difficult terrain unless that PC 
  succeeds at a DC 25 Acrobatics or Escape Artist check to 
  weave through the mass of people. Nonetheless, the mob 
  surrounds the PCs at all times. They are considered to be 
  flanked, and they can’t take 5-foot steps in combat, even if 
  they succeeded at the Acrobatics or Escape Artist check. The 
  mob ignores the PCs unless they flaunt the trappings of wealth 
  or power, such as by having a high Charisma score, wearing 
  masterwork or magical gear, or carrying fancy items. In that 
  case, the mob turns on the PCs, attacking them with any 
  improvised weapons at hand. Eight individuals surround each 
  PC, using the statistics for farmers found in the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Gamemastery Guide. When the PCs slay 
  or incapacitate at least ten members of the mob, the crowd 
  disperses and flees. However, killing these ordinary citizens, 
  including women and children, creates a moral dilemma for 
  most good characters. 
  The elderly wizard, Lord Kranos Stross, is already dead. 
  His broken white rowan staff lies next to his corpse near the 
  castle gate. A PC who succeeds at a DC 5 Intelligence check 
  recognizes him as the leader of the army in the Bridge at Oros 
  flashback, if the PC participated in that flashback. 
  ENDING THE FLASHBACK
  The flashback ends when one of the following conditions is 
  met: the PCs save the young woman or one of her children and 
  brings them to safety; they destroy the caller in darkness and 
  rescue anyone regardless of their location; the mob executes 
  the young woman or one of her children; or 1 minute passes 
  after the caller in darkness is destroyed.
  Success
  The party succeeds if they rescue the young woman and/or 
  one or more of her children. If the mob does not execute the 
  young woman and her children before the flashback ends, they 
  survive the carnage as the crowd’s enthusiasm for death wanes 
  with the caller in darkness’ destruction. 
  If they rescue someone (just by getting them out of the castle 
  and into the woods), they succeed completely. Evander is no 
  longer an impoverished former nobleman eking by on rents 
  from his forests, charcoal money, and silver mines. Instead, he 
  and the other survivor of that night flee the castle successfully 
  and grow up in a neighboring kingdom. When the flashback 
  ends, it is dawn once more. The PCs wake up when the rooster 
  crows. Evander is not at the castle. Questions about him get 
  blank stares from the dwarves, who claim they bought the 
  castle 50 years ago. The kobolds know that “the young Lord 
  Evander he lives off in another city. East or west, I think.”
  Failure
  The party fails if the mob executes the woman and/or one of 
  her children. If the party succeeded in the previous flashback 
  SARASTA
  This dark goddess is based on Hekate (with a shadow 
  fey twist). Humans, kobolds and elves in the Free City 
  of Zobeck worship her. She could just as easily be the 
  Unseelie Queen Mab, Nyx the Greek goddess of the 
  Night, or any similar figure.
  
  23
  but fails in this one, the castle teeters on the brink of sliding 
  into the Shadow Realm. Increase the number of shadow 
  events (see Shadow Events on page 33). Make it clear that the 
  werewolf lord and many shadow fey are waiting outside the 
  castle, as if drawn to it. The party should feel more threatened 
  than ever. The castle feels even darker and more forbidding. 
  If this is the second failure in a row, the castle and nearby 
  forest move into the Shadow Realm! The sun never rises, and 
  the party must succeed in the three remaining flashbacks to 
  restore the castle to the Material Plane, otherwise the castle 
  remains in the Shadow Realm forever. If you want to give the 
  party a deadline, have a herald of the Moonlight King arrive to 
  prepare his “new fiefdom” for an inspection within 3 days (see 
  The Castle Falls into Shadow on page 69). If the party does not 
  restore the castle quickly, it remains here forever. They must 
  then find a way back through planar travel.
  flashbaCK #4: enslaVement 
  of the Kobolds
  More than 800 years ago, the kobolds that once ruled the castle 
  and first dug its mines surrendered to House Stross. The PCs 
  witness the seminal moment when the Stross family deceived 
  them. While the kobolds expected to ransom their king and 
  leave the mines in shame and defeat, the humans enslaved all 
  of them. If the PCs prevent the Stross family from enslaving 
  the kobold king, his tomb appears in the deep mines (see The 
  Kobold King’s Tomb on page 66).
  TRIGGER
  The party must visit the kobold mines and defeat the dark 
  stalker and dark creepers that inhabit that area (see Gas-Filled 
  Halls on page 64). Alternatively, PCs that succeeded on at least 
  two previous flashbacks trigger this flashback when they reach 
  area 52. Read the following.
  A black wind rushes around you, dousing lights, darkening the 
  skies, chilling you under your armor. The air seems suddenly 
  damp, and you can’t see as well as a moment ago. All the color 
  seems drained out of the mines around you, and you find yourself 
  standing at the entrance to a mine. You see an untold number 
  of kobolds on the surface, all surrounding a small, empty throne 
  made of silver and set with agates and other precious stones. 
  Among the hundreds of kobolds, a few carry well-made weapons: 
  crossbows, longspears, and shortswords. Most carry their mining 
  picks and hammers. Quite a few seem to be wounded.
  Give the party time to prep and explore a little, ask a few 
  questions, and to notice that the kobolds can see them, bump 
  into them, and perhaps insult them under their breath. They 
  are corporeal and plainly visible for this flashback. The kobolds 
  have a hostile initial attitude to any non-kobold PC, though 
  they do not attack as long as the party is peaceful. The kobolds 
  might trust a half-orc or halfling (an indifferent initial attitude) 
  and certainly trust fellow kobolds (a friendly initial attitude).
  With a successful DC 25 Diplomacy check, a PC learns 
  that the kobolds have lost a large battle against the forces of 
  “the Lord Stross of the Black Sun” (Evander’s distant ancestor 
  who was a follower of both the Death God and Khors). The 
  kobolds expect to lay down their weapons here, swear fealty, 
  and then return to the mines to gather tribute to pay to the 
  House Stross.
  To get close to the king and the empty throne, the PCs can 
  elbow their way through the crowd. The kobolds aren’t in a 
  fighting mood; hence they offer no resistance. To get beyond 
  the guards near the empty throne, a PC must succeed at a 
  DC 30 Stealth check (as lots of eyes are watching). With a 
  successful DC 20 Knowledge (nobility) check, a PC remembers 
  that Lord Adrastus Stross broke the kobold’s grip on the mines. 
  According to history, he enslaved the kobolds and sundered 
  the power of their kings forever. 
  When the PCs seem ready or the scene is slowing, read the 
  following.
  You hear trumpets sound and see four black horses, one gray 
  warhorse, and a mass of 20 shadow mastiffs coming toward the 
  kobold camp. Marching behind them are a group of twenty or 
  more grim dwarves carrying war axes, hammers, and a small, 
  lavishly decorated object. It looks like an altar at first, with 
  offerings of grain, hop vines, charcoals, silver thread, and a bright 
  red woolen cloak. But as it comes closer, you see it is an anvil. 
  A column of human soldiers follows the dwarves, at least 200 
  men-at-arms carrying spears, axes, and longbows. The horses 
  all have riders. The man on the gray steed is in his 40s, bearded 
  and wearing dented but polished banded armor. The others wear 
  soot-blackened chain, and carry four holy symbols and banners 
  of the gods of death, harvest, night, and sun. They ride to the little 
  silver throne. The man on the bearded horse dismounts next to it 
  and shouts, “Where is the son of Brandorek? Where is the king of 
  the mines?” 
   A kobold rises up above the crowd on the surface of a metal 
  shield held by strong bodyguards. He says, “I am here! With my 
  sword, I offer my surrender.” The shield he stands on is passed 
  among the crowd. “My people will pay you tribute each year, as a 
  fiefdom from the Stross.” 
   “Come to me and swear your fealty.” The shieldbearers move 
  closer, and the kobold king turns the hilt of the sword toward the 
  human lord.
  At this point, give the party 2 rounds to take actions, such as 
  casting spells or moving to an advantageous spot, but events 
  unfold quickly from here. With a successful DC 35 Perception 
  check, a PC notices that shadow fey are riding and directing 
  the shadow mastiffs. Then read the following.
  The human lord accepts the sword, which shines with magical 
  light. The kobold steps off his shields and kneels, beginning to 
  swear his oath of fealty.
  With a successful DC 20 Sense Motive, a PC can tell that 
  something is wrong the moment the sword is turned over (and 
  that character gains an extra round to act). With a successful 
  DC 25 Perception check, a PC sees the following.
  You hear a murmur in the crowd; the human lord hands the 
  sword to a runner who is taking it to the dwarves. With a quick 
  sweep, the dwarves remove the offerings from their altar. A snow-
  bearded dwarf hefts an enormous sledgehammer. The kobolds are 
  
  24
  screaming, and their king hesitates. The kobolds are saying “The 
  sword of light! They’ll break it!” One of the kobolds begs you to 
  stop the dwarves from shattering their king’s blade.
  Other runners are prepared to take the current runner’s place 
  at the end of the next round if the PCs somehow incapacitate 
  the dwarf runner. To succeed in this flashback, the PCs must 
  get the sword from the dwarves and return it to the kobolds. 
  The sly humanoids then quickly hide the blade from the 
  Stross and their allies. However, defeating 50 dwarves (use 
  the stats for guard officers from the Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game GameMastery Guide and change the race to dwarf), 
  Lord Stross, the shadow mastiffs, and 200 human soldiers (use 
  the stats for guards from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  GameMastery Guide) is extremely unlikely. 
  Luckily, the PCs can take the sword by other means. Humans 
  and dwarves can freely move among the Stross forces until 
  they attack or grab the sword. On the other hand, Adrastus’s 
  forces challenge members of all other races. Spells such as 
  dimension door, invisibility, telekinesis, and teleport allow 
  one of the party members to reach the sword and prevent its 
  destruction when used properly. For this flashback, reward 
  creativity. For instance, a clever disguise can allow one of the 
  PCs to take the place of a runner or a character can swoop 
  down from the skies and wrest the sword from the dwarves. 
  In any event, the PCs have 4 rounds (or possibly longer if 
  they delay the runners from reaching the anvil) to take the 
  sword from the dwarves before they shatter it on the anvil. The 
  snow-bearded dwarf is a younger version of Rumbold (use the 
  stats for Mandergrim; see page 59), and his acolytes are the 
  previously described dwarf fighters. Adrastus Stross retreats 
  immediately when things go wrong.
  ENDING THE FLASHBACK
  The flashback ends when the PCs return the sword of bright 
  shadows to the kobolds or the dwarves destroy the sword, 
  whichever happens first. 
  Success
  If the party keeps the sword whole, the kobolds are still 
  enslaved, but they live in hope instead of in despair. Someday, 
  they believe, the sword of the true king will break the curse. A 
  character that succeeds at a DC 20 Knowledge (history) check 
  suddenly “remembers” this piece of lore when the flashback 
  ends. The entrance to the Kobold King’s Tomb, which was 
  hidden for ages, now opens. The party can recover the sword of 
  bright shadows within the tomb (see page 67).
  Failure
  If the party lets the dwarves destroy the sword, the kobold 
  resistance crumbles completely. They are enslaved, and 
  denigrate into a broken people that serves the Stross. The 
  sword remains broken in the present time, and a valuable tool 
  is not available for the final encounter.
  flashbaCK #5: the 
  saCrifiCe on the hill
  Save this flashback for last. It reveals the origin of the 
  scáthsidhe, and makes it possible to end the curse. It is 
  followed up almost immediately with the adventure’s big final 
  combat sequence (see page 68).
  TRIGGER
  The party triggers the flashback by capturing or killing a 
  shadow fey (after completing all of the other flashbacks), or 
  a PC hits a shadow, shadow fey ,or shadow creature with the 
  sword of bright shadows. Read the following.
  A black wind rushes around you, dousing lights, darkening the 
  skies, chilling you under your armor. The air seems suddenly 
  damp, and you can’t see as well as a moment ago. All the color 
  seems drained out of the castle around you…again. 
  You stand near the same hilltop in the same forest, but the 
  castle is now gone. Instead you see a handful of towering trees 
  on the hilltop, each lit with magical lights: green, orange, and 
  pink. Among those lights, elves cavort among the trees in a 
  festive dance celebrating some unknown occasion. 
  Give the party time to adapt and take whatever stealthy 
  precautions or cast whatever spells they like. They are again 
  corporeal and plainly visible. Then spring the meat of the 
  encounter onto them. The dancers laugh, sing, and circle 
  around a carved wooden tree, its branches still green but its 
  bark stripped away to reveal white wood and glowing runes. 
  Something steps out of the carved tree, a creature even darker 
  and more hunched over than the dancers, surrounded by 
  shadows, and holding out a black sword to an elf wearing a 
  leafy crown. The creature resembles a shadowy lion or sphinx. 
  When the crowned elf takes the sword, the blade turns from 
  dark to bright, and the light fills all the space. This flashback 
  dates to the area’s earliest connection to the Shadow Realm, 
  when the castle was an elven hilltop fortress of wood and 
  magic. Here the elves made the ultimate sacrifice to Sarasta, 
  before she whisked them to the Shadow Realm and turned 
  them into the scáthsidhe. This occurred more than 1,400 
  years ago. The PCs are witnesses to the creation of the deepest 
  wards and magics of the place. Their curse draws the castle’s 
  inhabitants into destruction and despair and links the hilltop 
  oak and castle itself forever with the goddess Sarasta.
  WINNING OVER THE CORRUPTED ELVES
  Read the following.
  One of the elves notices you, but says nothing. She slowly slides 
  your way. Eventually she speaks to you in Elven, saying, “You 
  might do well to leave. If you must stay, you should challenge 
  one of the young nobles to archery or magic to win them over.” 
  She turns to look back toward the crowd. “I think perhaps you’ve 
  picked a very dangerous day to visit.” She walks off and disappears 
  into the trees.
  
  25
  If they take her advice, the party might win the elves’ respect 
  either through casting magic that cannot be unraveled, or by 
  winning an archery contest. If they lurk around or refuse to 
  participate, the elves ignore them until the ceremony is about 
  to begin. If the party fails, they are told this is elven land, and 
  only elves may linger here past sundown. If they stay, the elves 
  attack them.
  Archery Contest: The contest takes three shots. The archer 
  that hits the highest Armor Class at a range of 110 feet wins. 
  Critical hits and natural 20s have no added effect on the 
  outcome. The elven archer competing against them is Torch 
  (see page 19). She has a +17 attack bonus with her elven 
  longbow and magic arrows. 
  Magic Contest: To win a magic contest, a PC must foil a 
  13th-level elf sorcerer who attempts to unravel each of their 
  spells (+13 bonus on his dispel check). Best two out of three 
  wins.
  An individual PC cannot participate in the same contest 
  more than once. If a party member wins either contest, the 
  PCs are accepted by the tribe and can stay. They are invited to 
  witness a planting oath, meaning a magical pact related to the 
  cycle of death and rebirth.
  THE HEARTWOOD PACT
  This ceremony centers on planting the Black Oak (see The 
  Black Oak Bailey on page 38). Under the watchful eye of 
  Chorvodni, a sphinx-like creature of the Shadow Realm, the 
  elves sacrifice one of their own for power. Read the following.
  As dawn approaches, the young elf archer who spoke to you earlier 
  screams your names. Six guards hold her tight in front of the elven 
  king with the sword. He speaks to her for a moment. Then she 
  bows her head and goes, meekly, to a clearing near the top of the 
  hill, in sight of the stars. All around you, elves stir, moving uphill, 
  and speaking of “the lion’s oath.” A few are singing something that’s 
  not quite Elven. Then you see him: a huge lion, white furred with 
  a shining black mane and wings flecked like a falcon’s.
  If the party follows, the elves ignore them. Many of the elves 
  carry both longbows and longswords. If the party did not 
  win over the elves through archery or magic, they are told—
  politely but very firmly—to leave or be shot. This is a private 
  matter that does not concern them. If they choose to fight, see 
  Fighting below. If the party witnesses the sacrifice, read the 
  following.
  The young elf archer drinks from a chalice, then lies down in a 
  shallow trench. Above her, the elves sing words that seem strangely 
  changed, key words shifting their meaning, slippery hints at power 
  stolen from the darkness, power stolen from the sun. The elf 
  crowned in holly leaves steps forward with a sapling that he places 
  in the trench beside the young archer. He sings the final notes 
  after all the elves have fallen silent. “Darkness, silence, guide us by 
  moon and starlight. Give us power over our enemies, and hide us 
  from their sight.”
  The PCs can’t speak among themselves without drawing 
  angry hisses from the elves. Any character that succeeds at 
  a DC 25 Sense Motive check knows that the young woman 
  is under the influence of an enchantment spell. A PC who 
  succeeds at a DC 18 Knowledge (nature) check recognizes 
  the lion as a type of lammasu. A PC who succeeds at a DC 12 
  Knowledge (nature) check knows the sapling being planted is a 
  black oak. Any character that understands Elven and succeeds 
  at a DC 15 Knowledge (religion) check realizes that the pact 
  is with Sarasta. The souls of these elves are being pledged to 
  her in exchange for power. Furthermore, if the Knowledge 
  (religion) check succeeds by 5 or more, that character also 
  realizes that the ritual requires that the sapling drinks the 
  sacrifice’s blood at a precise moment. If the blood rite is 
  delayed by even a few seconds, the pact fails. 
  The lion creature flaps its wings just as the song ends. Something 
  falls: Rose petals? Feathers? These bits of white all float into the 
  trench to cover the young woman. The elf in the holly crown draws 
  the bright sword and lifts it.
  If the party does nothing, the young woman is slain, the 
  sapling drinks its fill, and the elves are all sworn to darkness. 
  To stop it, the PCs must disarm the Holly King who later 
  becomes the Moonlight King (CMD 27) or otherwise prevent 
  the victim from dying at that exact moment. They have only 2 
  rounds to get this right! 
  If the PCs opt to attack or otherwise disable the Holly King 
  to accomplish this goal, use the statistics for a shadow cleric 
  in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC Codex. Because he 
  is solely focused on carrying out the ritual, he is considered 
  flat-footed. Furthermore, if the ritual fails, he is stunned for 
  2d4 rounds. 
  Alternatively, the PCs can attack the sapling, which is treated 
  as a young treant (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary). 
  The sapling simultaneously exists in the Shadow Realm and 
  the material world at the time of its planting, so it is not 
  permanently destroyed, but it is unable to partake in the 
  victim’s blood if “killed,” thus foiling the ritual as well. They 
  can also whisk the young archer (use the stats for a cautious 
  archer from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC Codex) out 
  of harm’s way. She is completely unrestrained, so it is possible 
  for a character to grab her and get her away from the Holly 
  King. She neither resists nor assists in this endeavor. Of course, 
  Chorvodni and the elves try to the stop the characters from 
  saving her. If the PCs opt for the immoral yet still effective 
  choice of killing the archer before the Holly King does, the rite 
  has an unintended consequence. Chorvodni attests that the 
  PCs rather than the elves have now sworn fealty to Sarasta! 
  The flashback immediately ends and Chorvodni whisks the 
  PCs away to the Shadow Realm. The scáthsidhe are spared, but 
  the PCs must now find their way back to the Material Plane 
  as described in the Castle Falls into Shadow on page 69. They 
  must also defeat Chorvodni before they can attempt to escape 
  and set things right. In addition, they must now destroy the 
  Black Oak to escape the curse. Of course, PCs that selected 
  this option may find their alignment permanently altered and 
  decide to offer their allegiance to Sarasta instead of fighting 
  alongside their allies. 
  
  26
  apparently stunned by the ramifications of what just happened. 
  Magic: If the party uses spells to increase their speed, disappear 
  from sight, or magically transport themselves to another 
  location, they must first survive 1 round of archery (a total of 
  200 attacks at +3 base attack for 1d8 damage each) and 1 round 
  of combat with a powerful shadow fey fighter named Torch 
  (Istella, see the Bridge at Oros flashback). If they use dimension 
  door, the lammasu follows them using the same spell.
  CHORVODNI                                                         CR 11
  XP 12,800
  Shadow lord lammasu (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 
  4, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3)
  LE Large outsider (augmented magical beast, incorporeal 
  [when moving]) 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, see in 
  darkness; Perception +15
  Aura magic circle against evil (20 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 12, flat-footed 20 (+3 Dex, +11 natural, –1 size)
  hp 94 (9d10+45) 
  Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +8 
  Defensive Abilities shadow blend, incorporeal step;  
  DR 10/magic [from shadow creature template]; Resist cold 
  15, electricity 15; SR 14
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) 
  Melee 2 claws +14 (1d8+6), 2 wings +9 (1d6+3)
  Melee melee touch +14 (1d6 damage [DC 18 Fort save negates 
  damage, on a critical hit, touch attack also deals 1 point of 
  Constitution damage (also negated by the saving throw) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  Special Attacks cloying gloom blast (DC 18), pounce, rake (2 
  claws +14; 1d8+6)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +11)
  At will—ray of sickeningUM
  3/day—greater invisibility, shadow conjuration, shadow stepUM 
  1/day—dimension door, shadow walk
  Spells Known (CL 7th; concentration +10)
  3rd (4/day)—cure serious wounds, searing light
  2nd (7/day)—cure moderate wounds, lesser restoration, resist 
  energy  
  1st (7/day)—bane, command (DC 13), cure light wounds, 
  detect good, divine favor 
  0 (at will)—detect magic, detect poison, guidance, mending, 
  purify food and drink, resistance, stabilize 
  STATISTICS
  Str 23, Dex 16, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 17, Cha 18 
  Base Atk +9; CMB +16; CMD 29 (33 vs. trip) 
  Feats Blind-Fight, Eschew MaterialsB, Improved Initiative, Iron 
  Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
  Skills Diplomacy +13, Fly +13, Handle Animal +6, Knowledge 
  (arcana) +12, Perception +15, Sense Motive +12, Stealth +7; 
  Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth
  Languages Celestial, Common
  The preceding exception aside, foiling the ritual murder 
  or the planting that seals the pact doesn’t end the flashback. 
  Instead, read the following.
  You have barged through the elven gathering, but the black 
  wind doesn’t come. All around you, you hear hundreds of elven 
  bowstrings being strung, quivers rattling.
  Let the PCs bolt if they wish, prepare for melee, or try to 
  talk their way out. It won’t help, as the elves are now hostile 
  (requiring a successful DC 40 Diplomacy check to improve 
  their attitude).
  The lion creature speaks with a rumbling voice. “You have marred 
  the pact between their souls and my goddess. You will never see 
  the dawn!” It roars. It seems too true; dawn seems long overdue. 
  You see one moon setting, and another brighter one rising in the 
  east. “That is all you’ll see of the sun!” says the lion. “Kill them! 
  Kill them all!”
  Ending the Flashback
  To end the flashback, the PCs must escape the fury of the 
  scáthsidhe and the shadow lord lammasu in a chase or they 
  must kill Chorvodni, Sarasta’s devious servant. The characters 
  are in a massive zone of lengthened shadows, where no light 
  reaches. A PC who succeeds at a difficult DC 33 Perception 
  check sees a faint ring of light in the distance that marks the 
  edge of the clearing.
  Running: The party must get 1,000 feet away from the 
  clearing, out of the range of the darkness around the hill. 
  This brings them into the direct dawn’s light, and ends the 
  flashback. They find themselves back at the castle about an 
  hour after dawn.
  Fighting: The party must cope with constant archery. The 200 
  elves here fire their shortbows at the fleeing party members. 
  They have a +3 attack bonus with their shortbows and deal 
  1d8 hit points of damage on a successful hit. To simulate the 
  massive volley, assign an equal number of attacks to each party 
  member; therefore if there are four party members, each is 
  subject to fifty attacks. Rather than make fifty individual attack 
  rolls, go with the law of averages. Thus 2-1/2 elves roll a natural 
  20 and hit AC 23, 2-1/2 elves roll a 19 and hit AC 22, and so 
  on. When dealing with fractions, as in the preceding case, use 
  percentile dice to determine whether the fractional attack hits 
  that particular AC. So in the case of a natural 20, there is a 
  50% chance that the remaining archer also rolls a natural 20. 
  If the fractional attack does not hit that particular AC, round 
  the attack roll down to the lower number, i.e. AC 22 in the 
  previous example). Characters with AC of 24 or higher are 
  always hit once for every 20 attacks directed at them. However, 
  these elves can only attack and move. The lammasu Chorvodni 
  and the Holly King’s six guards (use the stats for cautious 
  archers from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC Codex) 
  lead the chase and engage the characters in melee combat if 
  they can catch them. Oddly, the Holly King lingers behind, 
  
  27
  SUCCESS
  If the PCs prevent the sacrifice and escape, the scáthsidhe are 
  freed from the full force of the pact with Sarasta. Although 
  they may still live in shadow they are now free to pursue their 
  own ends. However, the fey do not show themselves, because 
  the Black Oak awakens, and the castle either topples into the 
  Shadow Realm or the structure and its inhabitants are forever 
  freed, provided that the PCs destroy the Black Oak. When the 
  party returns to the castle, it is noon. After sunset, the Black 
  Oak awakes and attacks (see The Black Oak on page 68).
  FAILURE
  The scáthsidhe are not freed, and any surviving Four Deaths 
  defend the Black Oak when it awakes at sunset.
  SQ planar thinning 
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Cloying Gloom Blast (Su) Three times per day, 
  a shadow lord can unleash a 30-foot cone of 
  cloying gloom. On a failed Fortitude saving 
  throw, a creature in the cone is affected 
  by a slow spell (caster level equal to 
  the shadow lord’s Hit Dice) and is 
  blinded for the duration of the 
  slow effect. 
  Incorporeal Step (Su) When a 
  shadow lord moves, it gains the 
  incorporeal subtype and quality, 
  including a deflection bonus to 
  AC equal to its Charisma bonus. 
  It loses the incorporeal subtype 
  and special ability when it stops 
  moving.
  Planar Thinning (Su) Once per day 
  as a full-round action, a shadow lord 
  can thin the barriers between the 
  Material Plane and Shadow Plane, 
  making it considerably easier for 
  creature to cross between the two. 
  This functions like the planar travel 
  aspect of the gate spell (caster level 
  equal to the shadow lord’s Hit Dice). 
  This planar thinning is immediately 
  dispelled if in an area of normal or 
  bright light.
  Shadow Blend (Su) In any 
  illumination other than bright 
  light, a shadow creature blends 
  into the shadows, giving it 
  concealment (20% miss change). 
  A shadow creature can suspend or 
  resume this ability as a free action.
  Spell-Like Abilities A shadow lord gains the following spell-
  like abilities, with a caster level equal to its Hit Dice: At 
  will—ray of sickeningUM; 3/day—shadow conjuration, shadow 
  stepUM; 1/day—greater shadow conjuration (if the shadow lord 
  has 11 or more Hit Dice), shadow walk.
    A creature created with shadow conjuration or greater 
  shadow conjuration that would normally have a celestial or 
  fiendish template (such as a bear) instead gains the shadow 
  creature template. 
  Spell Resistance (Ex) A shadow creature gains spell resistance 
  equal to the base creature’s CR + 6. 
  Spells (Su) A lammasu casts spells as a 7th–level oracle 
  (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide), but 
  does not gain any other class abilities possessed by an oracle. 
  It ignores all divine focus material components for spells it 
  casts.
  
  28
  Over time, the PCs learn about the castle’s reputation. 
  Clerics or paladins likely hear rumors of the dark diabolism 
  and undeath cults that once held sway in the castle. Rogues 
  dwell on the details of the “lost treasury” that the mob never 
  recovered. They might also learn about the Grimbold dwarves 
  or the garrison that once served there. The party can gather 
  information from the locals by attempting a Diplomacy check. 
  Alternatively, a PC can recall information from their breadth 
  of knowledge and experience by attempting a Knowledge 
  (local) check (see Table 3-1: Zobeck City Gossip about 
  Strossheim).
  The party can also gather gossip about the castle from the 
  kobolds in the nearby silver mine, which tends to produce 
  more reliable information  (see Table 3-2: Kobold Mine Gossip 
  about Strossheim). 
  The best source of information about the castle’s history is 
  a character’s recollection of that history. A PC can attempt a 
  Knowledge (history) check to recall these details or consult 
  a local resident well versed in the region’s history. The 
  character knows all the information at the listed DC, and 
  any information from lower DCs  (see Table 3-3: Knowledge 
  (History) Check).
  THE SURROUNDINGS
  The following section describes the sites that surround 
  Castle Shadowcrag as portrayed in the Castle Shadowcrag 
  & Environs map on page 37. Approaching the castle is not 
  difficult, especially during daylight hours. The castle is two 
  days’ ride east of the City-State of Zobeck. In any campaign, 
  it should be just far enough away from cities and villages to 
  feel a little isolated. It is surrounded by a protected forest (kept 
  for hunting and guarded by druids and rangers) and the main 
  visitors are human woodsmen, kobold miners, and dwarven 
  charcoal burners.
  The Vessgau Mines
  The famous kobold silver mines of Vessgau are located in the 
  valley below the castle, and the wheelwork is visible from the 
  castle battlements.
  The Margreve Forest
  This hilly forest is treated as a dense forest with ample 
  undergrowth and numerous trees. The primary canopy is 
  oak, chestnut, beech, and ash, though rowan, walnut, and 
  some fir stands are also present. The Margreve is home to 
  owlbears, a few hobgoblin bandits, and at least one breeding 
  pair of griffons. Characters wandering around bring random 
  encounters on themselves, but they won’t find anything related 
  to the castle other than the werewolf lord Lóránt and his dire 
  wolves (see The Werewolf Lord below).
  The Werewolf Lord
  Standing a shade over 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, 
  the red-haired, gray-eyed Lóránt looks about 31 years old. 
  Lóránt is a ranger by day and a werewolf lord by night. He is 
  TABLE 3-1: ZOBECK CITY GOSSIP ABOUT STROSSHEIM - DIPLOMACY OR KNOWLEDGE (LOCAL) 
  DC
  RESULT
  <16
  No information
  16
  “Sure, that castle is one of the city’s watchposts. There’s a garrison and everything.” (Wishful thinking. There was a 
  garrison, but it’s long gone.)
  20
  “The haunted castle has been mostly abandoned for at least 55 years. A few bandits and caretakers probably live there or 
  some dwarves. There’s a kobold silver mine nearby; now that’s a place to make some money!” (More accurate. No bandits, 
  though.)
  24
  “Something’s wrong with the Stross castle. It’s a dark and grim place. There were massacres there in the old days. The family 
  bathed in blood and the taxes that people paid weren’t just gold. The family died out from the wrath of the gods, a curse on 
  them and all their kind!” (A bit overheated, but the hint of a curse is true.)
  28
  “The castle belonged to a family named Stross. They were all killed during the revolt that freed the city and granted the 
  merchants their liberties. No one ever did recover their lost hoard of silver; some say demons or magic, or both guard it.” 
  (True, though one Stross survived.)
  part three: the Castle
  
  29
  the grandson of the Captain of Hounds who served Kranos 
  Stross, Evander’s father. He keeps the shadow mastiffs around 
  to “chase off wolves”; only his skill in handling them has kept 
  them from attacking him. If the party meets him in daylight, 
  read the following.
  You see a man approaching, dressed in leather armor and 
  carrying a longbow over his back. A pack of eight black dogs 
  follows at his heels, clearly devoted to their master. The man is 
  quite tall with red hair and sharp gray eyes. He says, “My name is 
  Lóránt. I am the keeper of the forests here. Please, be very careful 
  outside the castle walls at night.” The dogs sniff at you, but they 
  seem friendly.
  If the party wants to talk, Lóránt is friendly and happy to 
  describe the dangers of the Margreve Forest: owlbears, shadow 
  fey, griffons, deadly gargoyles, and a powerful pack of wolves 
  and werewolves. The party would be wise, in his opinion, to 
  hire a ranger to protect them the next time they travel through 
  the forest. He offers his services for a mere 25 gp per day. If 
  the party refuses him, he mutters under his breath about their 
  stinginess. If they accept him into their service, he’s happy to 
  serve them until the full moon approaches, at which time he 
  attacks them with the aid of his 6 dire wolf allies (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary) in the deep forest.
  LÓRÁNT SARKOZY, MASTER OF HOUNDS  
  (HUMAN FORM)                                                        CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male human afflicted werewolf ranger 9 (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  NE Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger) 
  Init +9; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 15, flat–footed 15 (+3 armor, +5 Dex, +2 shield) 
  hp 72 (9d10+18)
  Fort +8, Ref +11, Will +7 
  Defensive Abilities evasion 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee +2 longsword +12/+7 (1d8+4/19–20) 
  Ranged +1 longbow +16/+11 (1d8/19–20)
  Special Attack curse of lycanthropy, favored enemy (outsider 
  [native] +4, humanoid [reptilian] +2)
  Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 6th; concentration +8)
  2nd—hold animal (DC 14), spike growth
  1st—delay poison, longstrider, speak with animals
  STATISTICS
  Str 14, Dex 20, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 10 
  Base Atk +9; CMB +11; CMD 26 
  Feats Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Manyshot, 
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus 
  (longbow)
  Skills Bluff +5, Climb +19, Handle Animal +9, Heal +11, 
  Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge 
  (geography) +12, Knowledge (nature) +13, Perception +12, 
  Ride +12, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +17, Survival +13, Swim +7
  Languages Common, Sylvan
  SQ change shape (human, hybrid and wolf; polymorph), 
  favored terrain [forest +4, swamp +2], hunter’s bond 
  (companions), lycanthropic empathy (wolves and dire 
  wolves), swift tracker, track +4, wild empathy +9, woodland 
  stride
  Combat Gear potion of greater magic fang +1, potion of shield 
  of faith +3; Other Gear +2 longsword, ring of climbing, +1 
  longbow with 30 arrows, +1 leather, +1 buckler, 90 gp.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Change Shape (Su) Lóránt has three forms—a humanoid 
  form, an animal form, and a hybrid form. Equipment does 
  not meld with the new form between humanoid and hybrid 
  form, but does between those forms and animal form. 
  Lóránt can assume animal or hybrid form as a full-round 
  action by succeeding at a DC 15 Constitution check, or 
  humanoid form as a full-round action by succeeding at a 
  DC 20 Constitution check. On nights when the full moon 
  is visible, Lóránt gains a +5 morale bonus on Constitution 
  checks to assume animal or hybrid form, but a –5 penalty 
  on Constitution checks to assume humanoid form. He 
  reverts to his humanoid form automatically with the next 
  TABLE 3-2: KOBOLD MINE GOSSIP ABOUT STROSSHEIM - DIPLOMACY OR KNOWLEDGE (LOCAL) 
  DC
  RESULT
  <15
  No information beyond the usual politics and weather
  15
  “Bats. The castle has thousands of bats. Also, howling black dogs. Avoid them.” (True, but not very helpful.)
  20
  “The shadows move in the castle. Staying at night is foolish; even the stupid dwarves shut their gates at night and let 
  nothing disturb them. Why don’t you help us chase the reeking assassins who catch and kill miners?” (The party can learn 
  about the dark stalkers if they follow up on this.)
  25
  “The castle is cursed by shadow creatures and ghosts. Miners who visit don’t always come back, though some say they see 
  visions of the kobold king ruling there.” (Kobolds have had flashbacks of kobold history, but it’s mostly secondhand. 
  The ones who had visions have either vanished or been captured by the dark stalkers.)
  30
  “Our sorcerer says that the castle is vanishing, and people who visit it vanish too. Drawn into darkness he says. We have 
  plenty of darkness in the mine.” (True.)
  35
  “If the sword of the kobold king is recovered, the curse on the castle will be broken. The sword was a gift to the earliest rulers 
  of the castle, and it has power over shadow.” (Mostly true, and helpful.)
  
  30
  sunrise, or after 8 hours of rest, whichever comes first. A 
  slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it 
  remains dead.
  Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex) Lóránt can communicate and 
  empathize with animals related to his animal form. He can 
  use Diplomacy to alter such an animal’s attitude, and when 
  so doing, he gains a +4 racial bonus on the check. He only 
  has this ability in animal or hybrid form.  
  LÓRÁNT SARKOZY, MASTER OF HOUNDS  
  (HYBRID FORM) 
                                           CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male human afflicted werewolf ranger 9 (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  NE Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger) 
  Init +11; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 15, flat–footed 19 (+3 armor, +5 Dex, +4 natural, 
  +2 shield) 
  hp 81 (9d10+27) 
  Fort +9, Ref +11, Will +7
  Defensive Abilities evasion 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee +2 longsword +13/+8 (1d8+5/19–20), bite +7 (1d6+1 
  plus trip and curse of lycanthropy)
  Ranged +1 longbow +16/+11 (1d8/19–20)
  Special Attack curse of lycanthropy, favored enemy (outsider 
  [native] +4, humanoid [reptilian] +2)
  Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 6th; concentration +8)
  2nd—hold animal (DC 14), spike growth
  1st—delay poison, longstrider, speak with animals
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 10 
  Base Atk +9; CMB +12; CMD 27 
  Feats Endurance, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Manyshot, 
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus 
  (longbow)
  Skills Bluff +5, Climb +20, Handle Animal +9, Heal +11, 
  Intimidate +5, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +8, Knowledge 
  (geography) +12, Knowledge (nature) +13, Perception +12, 
  Ride +12, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +17, Survival +13, Swim +8 
  Languages Common, Sylvan
  SQ change shape (human, hybrid and wolf; polymorph), 
  favored terrain [forest +4, swamp +2], hunter’s bond 
  (companions), lycanthropic empathy (wolves and dire 
  wolves), swift tracker, track +4, wild empathy +9, woodland 
  stride
  Combat Gear potion of greater magic fang +1, potion of shield 
  of faith +3; Other Gear +2 longsword, ring of climbing, +1 
  longbow with 30 arrows, +1 leather, +1 buckler, 90 gp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Change Shape (Su) Lóránt has three forms—a humanoid 
  form, an animal form, and a hybrid form. Equipment does 
  not meld with the new form between humanoid and hybrid 
  form, but does between those forms and animal form. 
  Lóránt can assume animal or hybrid form as a full-round 
  action by succeeding at a DC 15 Constitution check, or 
  humanoid form as a full-round action by succeeding at a 
  DC 20 Constitution check. On nights when the full moon 
  is visible, Lóránt gains a +5 morale bonus on Constitution 
  checks to assume animal or hybrid form, but a –5 penalty 
  on Constitution checks to assume humanoid form. He 
  reverts to his humanoid form automatically with the next 
  sunrise, or after 8 hours of rest, whichever comes first. A 
  slain lycanthrope reverts to its humanoid form, although it 
  remains dead.
  Lycanthropic Empathy (Ex) Lóránt can communicate and 
  empathize with animals related to his animal form. He can 
  use Diplomacy to alter such an animal’s attitude, and when 
  TABLE 3-3: KNOWLEDGE (HISTORY) CHECK 
  DC
  RESULT
  <10
  No information
  10
  The Stross family owned Castle Shadowcrag before the Zobeck Revolt that ended their dynasty. Ever since then, the 
  castle has been nominally held by the city. In practice, it’s mostly abandoned, except for the kobold miners who live 
  nearby.
  15
  The revolt was nasty. A battle fought at the Oros Bridge had many casualties. Mercenaries and sorcerers called the Four 
  Deaths fought for the Stross legions. So did the paladins of the Undying Light. It didn’t matter; the people won the day, 
  stormed the castle, and hung every noble from the walls, even the youngest.
  20
  The Stross family isn’t the first to have ruled Castle Shadowcrag, of course. The kobold King Bartoken held it for his 
  people more than 800 years ago. There’s a famous song about his surrendering to the Stross, and the false promises they 
  made him. He died a slave in the mines, his famous sword lost and broken.
  25
  After the revolt, a garrison of Free City Army held the castle for a while, and even used the old Stross family dungeons to 
  hold prisoners. But ghosts eventually chased the soldiers out of the castle. The place is cursed, though a group of dwarves 
  still live there.
  30
  The kobold king wasn’t the first to have held the castle, either. Ancient elvish tales claim that they built the very first hall 
  on the Black Oak Hill, a settlement they called Rosehaven. They were a very sinister group, selling their souls to Sarasta. 
  Some say the kobold king took over the castle after the elves retreated into the hill or into the night sky.
  
  31
  so doing, he gains a +4 racial bonus on the check. He only 
  gains this ability in animal or hybrid form.
  APPROACHING THE CASTLE
  The castle is much safer to approach during day than at night. 
  At sunset, an enormous flock of normal bats flies out of the 
  Griffon Tower. The shadow mastiffs and shadow fey patrol the 
  nearby area at night, keeping the kobolds and other visitors 
  away. If the party asks the kobolds, the miners insist that 
  staying or approaching after dark is suicide. They claim that 
  black dogs, unseen archers, and worse things all haunt the 
  castle and its surrounding woods. They know, because they go 
  to sell their iron and silver there from time to time.
  Daylight Approach
  Read the following the first time the party sees the castle.
  Rising out of the forest on a small hill you see Castle Shadowcrag, 
  a mix of walls and towers that seems to grow directly from the 
  cliffs. The walls and windows look dark, but smoke puffs from two 
  of the many chimneys. The castle gate stands open at the top of 
  a long series of switchbacks and shallow stairs. You count three 
  main towers and two large sections of living quarters. The walls 
  are topped with wooden hoardings and battlements. The towers 
  have pointed rooftops of slate or lead. A few abandoned huts, 
  reduced to mere foundations and chimney stones, are scattered 
  at the foot of the hill. The light on the hill seems gray and dim. 
  The faint sound of metal pounding against metal emanates from 
  within the structure. 
  The party can enter the castle unchallenged in daylight. The 
  party meets one of the younger Grimbold dwarves when they 
  arrive at the castle gate. A black-bearded fellow named Severti 
  offers to take their horses and tells them that they can bargain 
  with the smiths “before sundown.” If the party includes 
  elves, no dwarf arrives to welcome them. The dwarven clan 
  Grimbold has remained at the castle, even though the Stross 
  family was defeated. Creatures from the Shadow Realm or the 
  mines visit from time to time, so the dwarves are cautious and 
  not especially friendly in their welcome.
  Nighttime Approach
  The gates are always closed at night. The party sees lights on 
  the distant hilltop. Read the following.
  The castle looms on a hill ahead, but only a few windows show 
  any light. The path up to the castle is steep and has several 
  switchbacks. You aren’t sure, but you think the gate is closed. 
  A large square keep at the very top looms over two smaller 
  courtyards. Something is flying near one of the higher towers, 
  perhaps a very large bat or a small gargoyle. You hear howls in the 
  woods. Several more voices join in, baying at the moon.
  A pack of shadow mastiffs and a shadow fey rider ambush 
  the party in the woods at night. The rider casts spells from 
  deep in the shadows on alternate rounds (and uses shadow 
  jump in between to make it seem as if at least two arcane 
  casters are working in the undergrowth). 
  SHADOW MASTIFFS (5)                                          CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Pathfnder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3
  NE Medium outsider (evil, extraplanar)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural)
  hp 51 (6d10+18)
  Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +5
  Defensive Abilities shadow blend
  OFFENSE
  Speed 50 ft. 
  Melee bite +10 (1d8+6 plus trip), tail slap +5 (1d6+3) 
  Special Attacks bay
  STATISTICS
  Str 19, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 4, Wis 12, Cha 13
  Base Atk +6; CMB +10; CMD 22 (26 vs. trip)
  Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack
  Skills Perception +10, Stealth +11, Survival +10
  Languages Common (cannot speak)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Bay (Su) When a shadow mastiff howls or barks, all creatures 
  within a 300–foot spread except evil outsiders must succeed 
  at a DC 16 Will save or become panicked for 1d4 rounds. 
  This is a sonic, mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that 
  successfully saves cannot be affected by the same mastiff’s 
  bay for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The 
  save DC is Charisma-based.
  Shadow Blend (Su) In any condition of illumination other 
  than full daylight, a shadow mastiff disappears into the 
  shadows, giving it concealment (50% miss chance). Artificial 
  illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not 
  engate this ability; a daylight spell, however, does. A shadow 
  mastiff can suspend or resume this ability as a free action.
  SHADOW FEY RIDER 
                                           CR 5
  XP 1,600
  Midgard Bestiary
  NE Medium fey
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 240 ft.; Perception +11
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 20 (+4 deflection, +5 Dex, +1 
  dodge)
  hp 32 (7d6+7)
  Fort +7, Ref +14, Will +10
  Defensive Abilities improved evasion, uncanny dodge
  Weaknesses light sensitivity
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft. 
  Melee mwk rapier +9 (1d6+1/18–20) or falchion +4  
  (1d8+1/19–20)
  Ranged mwk shortbow +9 (1d6/19–20)
  Special Attacks shadow jump
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  At will—dust of twilightAPG, vanishAPG
  3/day—suggestion (DC 17)
  1/day—haste
  
  32
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 18
  Base Atk +3; CMB +8; CMD 19
  Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, 
  Weapon Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +15, Bluff +14, Diplomacy +14, Disable 
  Device +10, Escape Artist +11, Handle Animal +4, 
  Knowledge (planes) +13, Perception +11, Perform (dance) 
  +9, Profession (soldier) +4, Ride +5, Sleight of Hand +12, 
  Stealth +23; Racial Modifiers +8 Stealth
  Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, Undercommon
  SQ flicker, stealth in motion 
  Combat Gear potion of barkskin +2, potion of lesser restoration, 
  potion of shield of faith +2; Other Gear masterwork rapier, 
  masterwork shortbow with 40 arrows, 45 gp, 56 sp
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Flicker (Ex) All shadow fey seem to fade in and out of vision. 
  They are very hard to focus on unless they wish to be seen. 
  This allows them to hide in plain sight (as the shadowdancer 
  class ability), and it grants them a deflection bonus to AC 
  equal to their Charisma modifier.
  Shadow Jump (Su) A shadow fey can travel between shadows 
  as if by means of dimension door. This magical transport 
  must begin and end in an area with at least some shadow. A 
  shadow fey can jump up to a total of 20 feet/day in this way; 
  this may be a single jump of 20 feet or two jumps of 10 feet 
  each. This ability must be used in 10-foot increments. With 
  Dimensional Agility, the shadow fey can act after moving 
  with Shadow Jump.
  Stealth in Motion (Ex) Shadow fey can move at full speed or 
  even run while using the Stealth skill. They take no penalties 
  on Stealth checks due to movement. 
  If the party chases off the ambush and continues up the 
  path, they must succeed at a DC 15 Handle Animal check to 
  get their mounts (if any) up the slope. The gate itself is closed. 
  Zarek, might open the gate, or he might not (see area 1).
  If the party approaches again by night (or decides to camp 
  in the forest), a group of three large owlbears (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary) might go after the party’s mounts, 
  or the werewolf lord and his pack might try to attack the 
  party’s mounts or companion animals.
  Flying Approach
  Attempting to fly into the castle draws a lot of attention from 
  the swarm of bats in the Griffon Tower, from the margoyles 
  (see Gargoyle Tower), from Silverwing in the courtyard 
  (see The Black Oak Bailey), or from griffons nesting in the 
  Margreve Forest around the castle. The clear landing spots are 
  the Overlook Bailey and Lower Bailey. The branches of the 
  Mossberg Oak (the Black Oak in its dormant state) block the 
  Black Oak Bailey. If the PCs get a good vantage point on the 
  castle from afar, read the following.
  You see the castle from a mile away. A flock of black sheep nibbles 
  the grass around the hill itself, keeping a clear field of fire from 
  the castle. A mile or more from the castle is a cluster of tents and 
  houses, but you see little activity at the castle.
  The castle on the hill has three large towers and three 
  courtyards, none of which are all that friendly for a landing. 
  The towers are roofed over, the largest courtyard is filled with a 
  large oak tree, and the highest courtyard is much too small.
  Landing a flying mount in the Lower Bailey might be tricky. 
  It will surely draw the attention of the dwarves doing their 
  metalwork there during the day (see Smithing Grounds).
  Climbing the Walls
  The PCs might resort to move conventional means to gain 
  access to the castle by scaling its roughly 20-foot-high walls. As 
  a military fortress, the walls are not designed to aid trespassers; 
  therefore, it requires a successful DC 20 Climb check to make 
  any progress up the surface. The margoyles in area 13 keep a 
  passive watch on the north wall, while Darius Grindstone in 
  the Ivy Tower (area 15) keeps marginal watch over the south 
  wall. At night, Zarek also scans the skies in bat form, looking 
  both for intruders and potential prey. 
  SHADOWS OF THE DEAD
  The castle is a place in disrepair, cool even in summer, and 
  (despite its hilltop perch over the Margreve Forest), always 
  full of jet-black shadows that shift and turn at the edge of 
  vision. Except for the smithy and a few chambers lit by soft 
  lamplight, it is entirely dark at night and sound seems muffled 
  there. Its dwarves, a few ghosts, and the shadow fey aided by 
  their shadow mastiff mounts protect the place. The woods 
  outside are home to a pack of black and silver wolves and their 
  werewolf lord.
  The castle’s restless spirits can be both foes and allies. They 
  appear in two forms and they represent both the castle and 
  its history . The ghosts can appear in both the present and the 
  flashbacks. Those that have a quarrel with the PCs or are just 
  angry at the world may haunt the castle as greater shadows, 
  spectres, or wraiths (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary). 
  Here are a few named ghosts, though there are many others.
  Marcenzo the Wizard
  They may meet Marcenzo’s ghost before they see his murder 
  (“Avenge me!” is his cry), and he’s gone if the party succeeds in 
  the first flashback). His body was buried beneath the guano in 
  Griffon Tower, an end Evander finds fitting for the man who 
  dealt so much pain to the Stross family.
  Kranos Stross the Elder
  Evander’s father walks the halls with a ballista spear through 
  his chest and a bloodied face, as he was cut down at the main 
  gate during the revolt.
  Crispin Frost
  The elven ghost of one of the Stross family’s many victims 
  in the dungeons, Crispn knows a little about the shadow 
  fey, muttering about the “Moonlight King” and the “Winter 
  Garden,” but he isn’t especially helpful.
  Lionheart the Necrocampus
  Lionheart is the ghost of a paladin’s warhorse, burnt to death 
  when it was abandoned in its stables during the revolt.
  
  33
  LIONHEART, HEAVY WARHORSE GHOST             CR 4
  XP 1,200
  NE Large undead (incorporeal) 
  Init +4; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +8
  DEFENSE
  AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 11 (+2 deflection, +4 Dex, –1 size)
  hp 13 (2d8+4) 
  Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +3 
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, incorporeal, 
  rejuvenation; Immune undead traits
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect) 
  Melee corrupting touch +4 (4d6, Fort DC 13 half) 
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 18, Con —, Int 2, Wis 17, Cha 15
  Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 18 (22 vs. trip)
  Feats Endurance, RunB
  Skills Perception +16, Stealth +8; Racial Modifiers +8 
  Perception, +8 Stealth
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Corrupting Touch (Su) All ghosts gain this incorporeal touch 
  attack. By passing part of its incorporeal body through a 
  foe’s body as a standard action, the ghost inflicts a number of 
  d6s equal to its CR in damage. This damage is not negative 
  energy—it manifests in the form of physical wounds and 
  aches from supernatural again. Creatures immune to magical 
  again are immune to this damage, but otherwise the damage 
  bypasses all forms of damage reduction. A Fortitude save 
  halves the damage inflicted. 
  Rejuvenation (Su) In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a 
  ghost through simple combat: the “destroyed” spirit restores 
  itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually 
  only temporary solutions. The only way to permanently 
  destroy a ghost is to determine the reason for its existence 
  and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The 
  exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good 
  deal of research, and should be created specifically for each 
  different ghost by the GM. 
  The Young Princes
  Ghosts of Evander’s brothers Drago and Mikad, the young 
  princes haunt the keep, if they perished during the Fall of 
  House Stross flashback. When the PCs first enter the keep 
  (area 47) at night, read the following.
  You see two young boys walk into the hallway ahead of you. Both 
  are small but hollow-eyed. They have nooses around their necks, 
  and their heads are unnaturally tilted. They look toward you and 
  howl in pain, then sink through the floor.
  Their howl has no magical effect, but it does alert all the 
  creatures in the keep and the Stross family that someone is 
  here. One family member may visit. Evander may investigate 
  the disturbance or send his greater shadows to check on the 
  situation. Vasilios may decide to make one of his rare trips 
  upstairs. Even Zarek may come to see who is trespassing. If 
  they don’t appear (because they’ve been previously defeated or 
  encountered), the shadow fey do.
  SHADOW EVENTS
  The castle is suffused by shadow creatures and tainted by 
  its slow movement into the Shadow Realm, so things often 
  go strangely awry. The following list of minor encounters is 
  meant to creep out the players a bit. Only a few are combat 
  events. Try out one or two of these on the party before the 
  first flashback if you can, to set the idea in their minds that 
  the castle is an actively haunted and “living” place. Note that 
  several of the events resemble cantrips that shadow fey can cast 
  at will. If you like, the party can catch one of the shadow fey 
  haunting them (and may then dismiss the idea that the castle 
  was really haunted). Then, of course, you can follow up with 
  the most dangerous events, some of which are certainly not 
  caused by the scáthsidhe. The events are listed in rough order 
  from least to most threatening.
  Playful Shadows
  One of the PC’s shadows begins acting strangely, pointing at 
  things that the PC isn’t pointing at, wandering away from its 
  owner, making rude gestures and the like. It can’t be turned or 
  dispelled.
  Douse
  All the lights in one section of the castle go out at once, as per 
  the douseDM spell.
  Silhouettes
  A shadow play on a wall seems to tell a story, showing a 
  castle being built, small creatures (whether they are dwarves 
  or kobolds is unclear) digging in the earth, people coming 
  to the castle and storming the gates, and ending with a 
  shadow-person twitching at the end of a noose.
  Leaf Storm
  A whirlwind of leaves and raindrops catches one of the 
  characters while crossing the Black Oak Bailey. The leaves 
  plaster every inch of the character, making seeing and 
  breathing difficult for a moment. The leaf storm causes no real 
  damage.
  Brief Candles
  All light sources burn out much faster than normal. Torches 
  go dark in a few minutes, lanterns endure just a little longer 
  and all magical light spells flicker and fade within 1 hour at 
  most. This is especially troublesome if the party is currently 
  underground.
  Shadow Thief
  A shadow fey takes material form to steal a minor magical 
  item from one PC such as a potion, scroll, or the like. Attempt 
  a Sleight of Hand check using the shadow fey’s +12 skill bonus 
  opposed by the PC’s Pereception.
  
  34
  Shadow Bite
  A character is “bitten” by a shadow while casting a cure or 
  other downtime spellcasting, possibly ruining the spell, as per 
  the shadow biteDM spell.
  Animals Panic
  A long drawn-out howl panics any animal within earshot for 
  1d4 minutes it if fails a DC 15 Will save. If the castle gate is 
  open, the animal might flee, stumble, and become lame or 
  suffer falling damage on the slippery slope below the castle 
  walls. 
  Terror
  A terrifying premonition causes one PC to attempt a DC 17 
  Will save; failure means she is panicked for 1 minute. Even 
  if the save succeeds, the character is shaken for 1 round with 
  strange memories of being enslaved, chained, and worked to 
  death in a black, suffocating mine.
  Elfshot
  A barrage of 20 black arrows with white goose feather fletching 
  (Atk +12, 1d8+1 damage each) flies from one of the towers at 
  the party. If the characters seek the archers responsible, no one 
  is there. A PC who succeeds at a DC 40 Survival check finds 
  the earlier presence of shadow fey.
  Black Tapestry
  A tapestry in one of the great halls animates and attempts 
  to smother a random victim. If the PCs aren’t all in the 
  same location, one can hear the victim scream for help with 
  a successful DC 30 Perception check (DC 40 if the PC is 
  sleeping). When others arrive to help, the tapestry immediately 
  stops moving, making it seem as if the victim was exaggerating.
  BLACK TAPESTRY, ANIMATED OBJECT             CR 9
  XP 6,400
  N Gargantuan construct
  Init −2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception 
  –5
  DEFENSE
  AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (–2 Dex, +9 natural, –4 size)
  hp 109 (9d10+60) 
  Fort +3, Ref +1, Will –2 
  Immune construct traits 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (clumsy) 
  Melee 2 slams +19 (2d8+14 plus grab)
  Space 20 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
  Special Attacks constrict 2d8+21
  STATISTICS
  Str 38, Dex 6, Con —, Int —, Wis 1, Cha 1
  Base Atk +9; CMB +27; CMD 35 (cannot be tripped)
  SQ construction points
  Shadow Swarm
  Eight greater shadows (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary) 
  attack a sentry or watchman at midnight and create a silence 
  effect around his feet. No matter how loudly he shouts, he 
  cannot wake other PCs with his voice alone. The PCs can 
  move through the incorporeal creatures and awaken their 
  comrade with violent shaking, though doing so provokes 
  attacks of opportunity. The eight greater shadows flee shortly 
  afterward.
  Shadow Creature Template
  If the party spends too much time in the castle, they also 
  become suffused with shadow. After three consecutive days in 
  the castle, a character must succeed on a DC 10 Will save each 
  night at dusk or gain the shadow creature template (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4), which causes their alignment to 
  change. The save DC increases by 1 for each previous check. 
  Dwarves who gain the shadow creature template become 
  lawful evil and join the Grimbold clan. Humans who gain the 
  template become neutral evil and join Vasilios Stross in area 
  40. Elves who gain the template become chaotic evil and join 
  the shadow fey. All others begin to resemble margoyles and 
  spend a lot of time around the Margoyle Tower.
  Black Well
  The effects of a black wellDM spell appear in the middle of the 
  party’s room and begins devouring their life energies. 
  The Ghost PC
  This shadow event is ideal if one of your players can’t attend a 
  session or a character dies. If the party loses a member or one 
  among them suffers grevious wounds, their blood might bind 
  them to the castle. That character is turned into a shadowy 
  ghost (gaining the shadow creature and ghost templates), 
  possibly stuck within the Shadow Realm’s reflection of the past. 
  A character who succeeds at a DC 40 Knowledge (religion) 
  or Knowledge (the planes) check realizes that PC can only be 
  freed by lifting the curse.
  Alternatively, at your discretion, a ghost PC can return to the 
  present in the next game session during a flashback or if the 
  group strikes a bargain with Fingerbone or another shadow 
  fey to “lead your friend out of the shadows.” This shadow event 
  isn’t meant to irreovacbly hamper a party, just to provide a 
  creepy excuse to drop someone out of play for a while.
  SHADOWCRAG GROUNDS
  Pilgrims, hunters, merchants, and tinkers occasionally visit 
  the Castle Shadowcrag. Very few permanent inhabitants are 
  commonly seen aboveground. These people include Evander 
  Stross, the “forest warden” and petty noble who rules the 
  castle; Mandergrim and his fellow dwarves; Moira Kinkallen, 
  the cleric of Khors; Silverwing, the white-winged vrock; Zarek 
  Rainmark, the porter and vampire stableboy; and Lóránt, 
  the ranger and forester who hunts the wolves and griffons of 
  the forest. They few others—Darius the aranea and Vasilios, 
  Evander’s son—but they keep to themselves.
  
  35
  AREA 1: GATEHOUSE 
  The gatehouse at the top of the hill feels abandoned; the portcullis 
  is almost rusted in place, and weeds grow between flagstones. But 
  the oak gate itself has bright new hinges, and a knocker made out 
  of smooth gray stone is attached to the gate.
  During the day, the gate stands slightly ajar. At night, Zarek 
  Stross acts as an informal porter while the dwarves are secure 
  in their sealed chambers until dawn. He is indifferent towards 
  visitors, and must be persuaded that they are not bandits, 
  followers of Khors (whom he hates), elves, or other fey 
  creatures.
  The young boy is not quite what he seems. He is Evander’s 
  grandson and Vasilios’s son, but 21 years ago a vampire visitor 
  to the castle fed on Zarek and left him for dead. He became a 
  vampire, and works at the stable because the horses sometimes 
  are his best source of blood. The assault on his son drove 
  Vasilios to swear allegiance to the Princes of Pain. They made 
  him a broken soul and gave him power over the vampire who 
  turned his son into an undead horror (see Vasilios Stross on 
  page 9 for the full story).
  The dwarves hide in their halls, the kobolds in their mines, 
  so humanoid blood is scarce at night. Whenever humanoid 
  visitors venture into the castle after dark Zarek’s thirst for 
  blood becomes unquenchable. The clever Zarek tries to isolate 
  a lone enemy by sending other visitors off on wild goose chases 
  or tantalizing them with tales about the dwarves’ stores of 
  treasures. He then nonchalantly summons his allies, bares his 
  thirsty fangs, and launches his assault. If forced to retreat, he 
  flies back to area 9, where his coffin lies buried beneath nearly 
  a ton of guano. 
  ZAREK RAINMARK (STROSS) 
                          CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male human vampire commoner 5/rogue 5 (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  CE Medium undead (augmented humanoid)
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 16, flat-footed 20 (+4 armor, +5 Dex, +1 dodge, 
  +6 natural)
  hp 88 (5d8+20 plus 5d6+20) ; fast healing 5
  Fort +5, Ref +12 , Will +4
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, evasion, trap 
  sense +1, uncanny dodge; DR 10/magic and silver; Immune 
  undead traits; Resist cold 10, electricity 10
  Weaknesses vampire weaknesses
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft.
  Melee +1 quarterstaff +11 (1d6+5) or slam +9 (1d4+6 plus 
  energy drain
  Special Attacks blood drain, children of the night, create 
  spawn, dominate (DC 18), energy drain (2 levels, DC 18), 
  sneak attack +3d6
  STATISTICS
  Str 19, Dex 20, Con —, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 16
  Base Atk +5; CMB +9; CMD 28
  Feats AlertnessB, Combat ReflexesB, DodgeB, Improved 
  InitiativeB, Lightning ReflexesB, Mobility, Spring Attack, 
  Power Attack, Stealthy, Step Up, ToughnessB, Weapon Focus 
  (quarterstaff)
  Skills Acrobatics +12 (+17 when jumping), Bluff +16, Climb 
  +11, Disguise +16, Escape Artist +16, Intimidate +10, 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) +14, Knowledge (local) +14, 
  Perception +19, Sense Motive +15, Sleight of Hand +12, 
  Stealth +22, Swim +11, Use Magic Device +11
  Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Undercommon
  SQ change shape (dire bat or wolf, beast shape II), gaseous 
  form, rogue talents (fast stealth, surprise attack), shadowless, 
  spider climb, trapfinding +2
  Combat Gear divine scroll (CL 12th; harm, slay living, symbol 
  of fear); Other Gear +1 quarterstaff, ring of jumping, +1 
  studded leather
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  Blood Drain (Su) A vampire can suck blood from a grappled 
  opponent; if the vampire establishes or maintains a pin, it 
  drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. The 
  vampire heals 5 hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points for 
  1 hour (up to a maximum number of temporary hit points 
  equal to its full normal hit points) each round it drains blood.
  SHADOW REALM
  Treat the castle grounds as being a Shadow Realm 
  location, as it stands on the very edge of that territory. 
  The Shadow Realm is a dimly lit dimension that is both 
  coterminous to and coexistent with the Material Plane. It 
  overlaps the Material Plane much as the Ethereal Plane 
  does, so a planar traveler can venture across the Shadow 
  Realm to cover great distances quickly. The Shadow 
  Realm is a world of black and white. Color itself has been 
  bleached from the environment. It is otherwise similar to 
  the Material Plane. Parts of it continually flow onto other 
  planes. As a result, creating a precise map of the plane is 
  next to impossible, despite the presence of landmarks. The 
  Shadow Realm has the following traits.
  • Spells with shadow subschool are enhanced in the 
  Shadow Realm. The caster automatically applies the 
  benefits of the Maximize Spell feat to such spells, even 
  if the caster does not have the feat. The spell’s level 
  also remains unchanged.
  • The Shadow Realm stifles light and flame. A 
  spellcaster attempting to cast a spell with the light 
  or fire descriptor must succeed on a concentration 
  check as if casting the spell on the defensive. If 
  another condition requires the caster to succeed on a 
  concentration check, the DC increases by 5 instead. In 
  addition, halve the range of any light produced by one 
  of these spells. 
  • Creatures that have fallen into shadow, most notably 
  the shadow fey, can become incorporeal at will.
  
  36
  Change Shape (Su) A vampire can use change 
  shape to assume the form of a dire bat or wolf, as 
  beast shape II. 
  Children of the Night (Su) Once per day, a 
  vampire can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 
  bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a standard action. 
  These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve 
  the vampire for up to 1 hour.
  Create Spawn (Su) A vampire can create 
  spawn out of those it slays with blood drain 
  or energy drain, provided that the slain 
  creature is of the same creature type as the 
  vampire’s base creature type. The victim 
  rises from death as a vampire in 1d4 days. 
  This vampire is under the command of the 
  vampire that created it, and remains enslaved 
  until its master’s destruction. A vampire may 
  have enslaved spawn totaling no more than 
  twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn it creates that 
  would exceed this limit become free-willed undead. 
  A vampire may free an enslaved spawn in order to 
  enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or 
  vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again. 
  Dominate (Su) A vampire can crush a humanoid 
  opponent’s will as a standard action. Anyone the 
  vampire targets must succeed on a Will save or fall 
  instantly under the vampire’s influence, as though by a 
  dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a 
  range of 30 feet. 
  Energy Drain (Su) A creature hit by a vampire’s slam (or 
  other natural weapon) gains 2 negative levels. This ability 
  only triggers once per round, regardless of the number of 
  attacks a vampire makes.
  Gaseous Form (Su) As a standard action, a vampire can 
  assume gaseous form at will (caster level 5th), but it can 
  remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet 
  with perfect maneuverability.
  Shadowless (Ex) A vampire casts no shadows and shows no 
  reflection in a mirror. 
  Spider Climb (Ex) A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as 
  though under the effects of a spider climb spell.    
  Treasure: Over the years, Zarek bled many travelers dry and 
  robbed them. He now keeps a small, unlocked coffer hidden 
  behind a loose stone in the gatehouse wall. A PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 23 Perception check finds the coffer, which contains 
  376 pp, a potion of enlarge person, a bone statue (30 gp), a 
  leather mask of an owl’s face (50 gp), an arcane scroll (CL 
  6th, detect thoughts, gaseous form and protection from energy), 
  another arcane scroll (CL 7th, glibness and modify memory), 
  and an arcane scroll that contains the shadowsworn spells 
  (CL 8th, black handsDM, flickering fateDM, silent combatDM, and 
  terrorDM).
  DESIGNER’S NOTE
  Zarek has levels in commoner rather than aristocrat levels 
  because, frankly, he doesn’t have access to the privileges 
  of the aristocracy. The family estate is lost, though the title 
  is still technically his. I suppose a character could have 
  levels in both commoner and aristocrat. It seems odd, but 
  the rules allow it. Unless the party changes things enough 
  that Zarek is freed of the curse, he’s a mean and hungry 
  stable boy.
  
  37
  The dwarves—Mandergrim and his followers—work metal 
  near the gate during daylight hours. They are not interested 
  in idle chatter; if the PCs are not there to give them gold for 
  metalwork, they are unfriendly until they finish their work (at 
  sunset, when they retreat to their protected halls—see area 44).
  During the day, their inventory of exotic skymetal weapons 
  and armor include an adamantine light mace, a horacalcum* 
  dagger, an inubrix* hand axe, a noqual* heavy shield, and a 
  cold siccatite* dwarven waraxe. They also have an assortment 
  of weapons and armor crafted from normal materials. The 
  dwarves fear no thieves or visitors, so they keep the weapons 
  on display at all times, confident in the castle’s reputation for 
  being haunted. See Pathfinder Adventure Path #61: Shards of 
  Sin for more information about the materials marked with an 
  asterisk (*).
  If a PC tries to steal one of the items, a castle ghost shouts, 
  “Curse you! Thieves! The master shall hear of this! Thieves!” 
  The ruckus attracts Zarek’s attention, as well as the attention of 
  the shadow fey rider and shadow mastiffs patrolling the outer 
  grounds (see Nighttime Approach on page 31) and any other 
  creature within earshot of the booming voice. 
  AREA 5: BARRACKS
  This room contains thirty empty bunks, dirty and dusty. The 
  window shutters are all closed.
  If the party has successfully completed the Fall of House 
  Stross flashback, add the following detail.
  AREA 2: LOWER BAILEY
  During the day, this is often the site of metalwork by the 
  dwarves. At night, the ghost of the necrocampus Lionheart 
  (see page 32) wanders through the stables. Zarek the porter 
  and stable boy receives all guests.
  AREA 3: STABLES AND KENNELS
  Beyond the gate, you see a small courtyard with stables and a long 
  barracks building, all shadowed by the high castle walls. The stable 
  roof is sagging, but the doors are open and the stalls are clean.
  During daylight hours, add the following.
  A young boy of perhaps 13 or 14 stands just within the stable 
  shadows, carefully picking stones out of a pony’s hoof. 
  The shadow mastiffs bed down here during the day. The 
  optional necrocampus (see page 32) encounter may occur here 
  as well.
  AREA 4: SMITHING GROUNDS
  The ring of hammers on anvils is unmistakable. Two smiths 
  work metal in a cleared area along the castle wall, each with two 
  apprentices. One assistant pumps bellows to keep the fire hot, the 
  second fetches tools, holds the tongs and stokes the fire with coals. 
  The smiths are dwarves, and though they work in the shady side 
  of the courtyard, they are covered in sweat and ashes, turning 
  their skin mottled gray. They seem slightly hazy or translucent.
  
  38
  tell the party all about the “black fey” and the “shadow stealers” 
  who haunt the castle and have “stolen my shrine.” She is bit 
  unhinged but means well. A heal spell restores her sanity.
  SPEAKING WITH SILVERWING
  The “birdman” is Silverwing, a redeemed vrock and the 
  custodian of the castle’s curse. He doesn’t wake until the party 
  either experiences the first flashback or physically touches him; 
  doing so requires a PC to fly up to him or climb 50 feet up the 
  tree (DC 15 Climb check). 
  Silverwing is both a mentor and a bit of a riddle. As a 
  redeemed vrock, he oozes a strange, even chirpy kind of 
  friendliness among all the castle’s shadows and gloom. With 
  his huge claws and sharp beak, he looks much fiercer than 
  he is. A PC who succeeds at a DC 19 Knowledge (planes) 
  recognizes him as an albino vrock, a demon of the Abyss. But 
  his alignment detects as moderately good, thanks to a magical 
  item that reversed his fortunes. He is now a devoted servant 
  of Khors, sworn to oppose the shadow fey and their goddess. 
  Silverwing watches over the castle to make sure that the Stross 
  have some hope of keeping it. He tried to help Evander, but has 
  been frequently rebuffed. The advice he offers to the party is 
  simple, and comes in very small doses. For each successful DC 
  15 Diplomacy check, the party learns one of the following tiny 
  seeds of wisdom (and paladins get one for free). He imparts 
  one piece of information to a character that succeeds at the 
  Diplomacy check no more than once every 2d6 hours. 
  • “Shadows shift but always return. Only hope is eternal.”
  • “The shining shadow sword is broken.”
  • “The shining shadow sword cannot be repaired by smith  
  or anvil.”
  • “Dark mysteries are shrouded in silver.”
  • “The mines, the mines, seek the dragon there.”
  • “You must kill the heart of the curse or the Black Prince  
  will come.”
  • “No one knows where the heart of the curse beats its  
  black pulse.”
  • “The shadow-dancing children are always with you.”
  • “Some shadows dance alone. Some dance with packs  
  of friends.”
  • “Wolves, dogs, demons, and kobolds are not shadows at all. 
  Dwarves might be.”
  • “When the Black Prince comes, the castle will go.”
  • “Who can catch a shadow? What might bind it?”
  • “Digging at the roots will not unearth a seed.”
  • “Shadows change, and some people’s hearts grow ever 
  brighter.”
  • “Push back the night for red roses to bloom.”
  Avoid giving the players any clues that are too helpful from 
  Silverwing, or they won’t feel any sense of accomplishment 
  from putting it together themselves.
  The room is inhabited, despite the sense of neglect. Two of the 
  bunks are covered with sheets and blankets, and you see the 
  white marks that show the whetstone has recently been used to 
  sharpen… something.
  There is no significant treasure. If the flashback was 
  successful, the six soldiers assigned to guard the castle (use 
  the stats for guards from the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  GameMastery Guide) watch over it for the Free City. They 
  think the place is “haunted and creepy.” They have no valuable 
  information. They spend their days at the gate and their nights 
  in deep snoring slumber. Only Zarek keeps watch during 
  darkness, because “the City doesn’t pay enough for that.”
  AREA 6: THE BLACK OAK BAILEY
  The courtyard is full of fallen leaves heaped in moldering piles. 
  Moss covers the shaded southern wall, and the windows are too 
  dirty to see through. Two of the buildings here are clearly small 
  shrines, with stained glass windows and carvings of the gods and 
  saints over their doors. An enormous oak tree dominates the 
  center of the courtyard, standing at least 70 feet tall and shading 
  the entire area. The bark is old and gnarled, the leaves are dark 
  and sickly, and the lower branches were hacked off years ago, but 
  the tree seems alive. Perching high in the tree’s branches is a large 
  white birdman. Its head is stuck under its wing, sleeping. 
  The central courtyard would be a grand, inviting gathering 
  place if it weren’t so overshadowed by its enormous oak, which 
  makes the place gloomy. The branches of the Mossberg Oak 
  (the Black Oak’s dormant state) make flying into or out of the 
  courtyard difficult. A flying creature must succeed at a DC 35 
  Fly check or take 3d6 points of slashing damage from the thick 
  branches. A creature atop a flying mount must also succeed at 
  a DC 35 Ride check to avoid falling off the mount. On a failed 
  check, the rider takes the slashing damage from the branches 
  noted above, as well as falling damage. If the PCs try to chop 
  down or otherwise destroy the oak, the tree immediately 
  repairs any physical damage dealt to it and remains rooted to 
  the spot. This foolish act also summons 1d4 shadow fey to the 
  tree’s defense.    
  Evander, Zarek, and Vasilios use the locale to hold audiences 
  with strangers. The shadow fey often hide in the nooks and 
  crannies here. Moira may also wander the courtyard searching 
  for her “lost shrine”. Read the following if she appears, 
  otherwise skip ahead to Speaking with Silverwing. 
  You see a woman picking up oak leaves and putting them in her 
  hair. Her clothing is ragged, but she wears a holy symbol of Khors 
  around her neck. She seems to be muttering something to herself 
  and kicking at leaves.
  This is Moira, a lawful good priestess of Khors and Evander’s 
  daughter. If approached, she seems fearful of any dwarves or 
  elves in the party. Her initial attitude is unfriendly (due to 
  fear, not hostility). If she can be won over with a successful 
  Diplomacy check or other means of persuasion, she’s happy to 
  
  39
  SILVERWING                                                          CR 10
  XP 12,800
  Holy vrock (Advanced Bestiary, Pathfinder Roleplaying  
  Game Bestiary)
  LG Large outsider (lawful, good, extraplanar) 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 120 ft.; Perception +29
  Aura grace (30 ft.)
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 12, flat–footed 20 (+3 Dex, +11 natural, 
  –1 size) 
  hp 130 (9d10+81) 
  Fort +15, Ref +11, Will +7; +2 resistance vs. evil 
  Defensive Abilities negative energy resistance, 
  protection from evil; DR 5/evil; Immune electricity, 
  poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10; SR 20 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) 
  Melee 2 claws +14 (2d6+6 plus 1d6 holy), bite +14 
  (1d8+6 plus 1d6 holy), 2 talons +14 (1d6+6 plus  
  1d6 holy) 
  Special Attacks dance of ruin, holy spellcasting, 
  sacredness, spores, stunning screech
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th)
  At will—greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. of objects 
  only), telekinesis (DC 18)
  1/day—heroism, mirror image, summon (level 3, 1 
  vrock 35%)
  STATISTICS
  Str 23, Dex 17, Con 29, Int 14, Wis 20, Cha 20
  Base Atk +9; CMB +16; CMD 29
  Feats Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, 
  Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
  Skills Fly +13, Intimidate +17, Knowledge (planes) +14, 
  Perception +29, Sense Motive +21, Spellcraft +14, Stealth 
  +11, Survival +17
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, telepathy 100 ft.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Dance of Ruin (Su) A vrock can dance and chant as a full-
  round action. At the end of 3 rounds, a crackling wave 
  of energy explodes from the vrock, dealing 5d6 points of 
  electricity damage to all creatures within 100 feet. A DC 19 
  Reflex save halves this damage. For each additional vrock 
  that joins in the dance, the damage increases by 5d6 and the 
  DC to avoid the effect increases by 1, to a maximum of 20d6 
  when four or more vrocks are dancing (the DC continues to 
  increase with additional vrocks, but the damage does not). 
  The dance immediately ends and must be started anew if any 
  of the participating vrocks is slain, stunned, or otherwise 
  prevented from dancing. The save DC is Charisma-based. 
  Grace (Su) Every nongood creature within 30 feet of a holy 
  creature automatically takes a –1 penalty on all attack rolls, 
  checks, and saves. Grace is a mind-affecting effect.
  Holy Body (Su) A holy creature gains double the normal 
  amount of healing from positive energy. Thus, if a cure light 
  wounds spell would normally restore 7 hit points, a holy 
  creature would instead regain 14 hit points. 
  Holy Spellcasting (Su) A holy creature’s effective caster level 
  for spells and spell-like abilities from the healing subschool 
  and those with the good or light descriptor increases by 1. 
  This benefit stacks with itself, so the holy creature’s effective 
  caster level for a spell with both good and light descriptors 
  increases by 2. 
  Negative Energy Resistance (Su) When a holy creature 
  is struck by an attack using negative energy (e.g. energy 
  drain, ability damage or drain) or hit point damage such 
  as that from an inflict spell, the holy creature can attempt 
  a level check (1d20 + total HD) against a DC equal to 11 
  + the attacking creature’s total Hit Dice. If the level check 
  succeeds, the negative energy attack is canceled out in a 
  bright flash. If the negative energy attack was dealt by a 
  melee or melee touch attack, the creature that delivered it 
  takes 2d6 points of damage.
  Protection from Evil (Su) A holy creature gains a +2 
  deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves 
  against attacks by evil creatures. Furthermore, it is immune 
  to any attempt by an evil creature to possess, charm, or 
  influence it. 
  
  40
  Sacredness (Su) Each of a holy creature’s melee attacks with a 
  natural or manufactured weapon deals +1d6 points of holy 
  damage against creatures of evil alignment. All of its natural 
  and manufactured weapons are treated as good-aligned for 
  overcoming damage reduction. 
  Spores (Ex) A vrock can release a cloud of spores from its body 
  once every 3 rounds as a free action. Adjacent creatures take 
  1d8 points of damage from the spores, plus 1d4 points of 
  damage per round for 10 rounds as the spores grow into thick 
  green vines. Although ugly, the vines are harmless and wither 
  away in 1d4 days if not shaved off before then. The spores 
  can be destroyed by casting bless on the affected creatures or 
  by sprinkling them with holy water. This attack can also be 
  halted by effects that remove or provide immunity to disease. 
  Stunning Screech (Su) Once per hour, a vrock can emit a 
  shrill screech. All creatures except demons within a 30–foot–
  radius spread must succeed on a DC 22 Fortitude save or be 
  stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Constitution-based.
  AREA 7: THE ABUNDANT CHAPEL OF SAINT FLORA
  Light emanates from inside the chapel, which boasts four 
  representations of the Harvest Goddess: a young girl sowing 
  the spring crops, and three buxom matrons holding summer 
  cherries and pears, holding the harvest wheat, 
  and finally holding up her hands. Her hands in 
  this fourth pose are positioned to hold offerings of 
  grain sheaves, but they are empty. The statues are 
  simple painted wood, well-carved but probably 
  not valuable. Several rows of pews are positioned 
  within the statues’ perimeter.
  The harvest goddess and one of her saints 
  are depicted here. The shrine is not a place of 
  valuables. A successful DC 10 Appraise check 
  confirms the statues are simple peasant work.
  Despite outward appearances, the shrine is 
  not abandoned. The castle’s convergence with 
  the Shadow Realm attracted the interest of 
  Pharretzz, a shadow demon. The diabolical, 
  incorporeal outsider is completely merged with 
  the statue closest to the entrance. In order to 
  draw living creatures closer to the shrine, the 
  clever outsider casts light within the shrine in 
  an effort to prompt passersby to investigate 
  the area. The demon can sense the presence 
  of creatures that pass within 5 feet of the 
  statue, and when he does, he uses his magic 
  jar spell-like ability to possess that creature. 
  The shadow demon isn’t interested in bringing 
  Castle Shadowcrag into the Shadow Realm. The 
  monster’s sole motivation is to spread discord 
  and chaos within the castle. The dwarves, the 
  Stross family, and the shadow fey abide by a 
  shaky yet longstanding truce with the chaotic 
  monster. Visitors, on the other hand, are fair 
  game. Likewise, Pharretzz attacks Silverwing 
  on sight, though he always ends up fleeing from the superior 
  foe. When forced to retreat, Pharretzz passes through the 
  castle walls and heads for the nearby silver mines.    
  PHARRETZZ                                                           CR 9
  XP 9,600
  Shadow demon cleric creature (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Monster Codex)
  CE Medium outsider (chaotic, demon, extraplanar, 
  incorporeal) 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +22
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 18, flat-footed 14 (+4 deflection, +4 Dex) 
  hp 59 (7d10+21) 
  Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +9
  Defensive Abilities incorporeal; DR 10/cold iron or good; 
  Immune cold, electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, fire 10; SR 17
  Weaknesses sunlight powerlessness 
  OFFENSE
  Speed fly 40 ft. (perfect) 
  Melee 2 claws +11 touch (1d6 plus 1d6 cold), bite +11 touch 
  (1d8 plus 1d6 cold) 
  Special Attacks channel negative energy 7/day (DC 16, 3d6), 
  pounce, sprint, shadow blend
  
  41
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th)
  At will—deeper darkness, fear (DC 18), greater teleport  
  (self only), telekinesis (DC 19)
  3/day—shadow conjuration (DC 18), shadow evocation (DC 
  19)
  1/day—magic jar, summon (level 3, 1 shadow demon 50%)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 7th; concentration +11)
  3rd—prayer 
  2nd—darkness, spiritual weapon 
  1st—divine favor, protection from good 
  0—create water, light 
  STATISTICS
  Str —, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 19 
  Base Atk +7; CMB +11; CMD 25 
  Feats Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, 
  Lightning Reflexes
  Skills Acrobatics +14, Bluff +14, Fly +22, Knowledge (local) 
  +12, Knowledge (planes) +12, Perception +22, Sense Motive 
  +14, Stealth +14 
  Languages Abyssal, Common, telepathy 100 ft.
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Sprint (Ex) Once per minute, a shadow demon increases its fly 
  speed to 240 feet for 1 round.
  Shadow Blend (Su) During any conditions other than bright 
  light, a shadow demon can disappear into the shadows as 
  a move action, effectively becoming invisible. Artificial 
  illumination or light spells of 2nd level or lower do not 
  negate this ability.
  Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex) A shadow demon is utterly 
  powerless in bright light or natural sunlight and flees from it. 
  A shadow demon caught in such light cannot attack and can 
  take only a single move or attack action. A shadow demon 
  that is possessing a creature suing magic jar is not harmed by 
  sunlight, but if it struck by a sunbeam or sunray spell while 
  possessing a creature, the shadow demon is driven out of its 
  host automatically.
  AREA 8: THE HUNTING CHAPEL OF SAINT HUBERTUS
  The chapel is cold and neglected, the altar littered with leaves 
  and bones. Two large stained glass windows are set beside the 
  doors: one shows the Hunter God carrying a boar spear, the other 
  shows a leaping deer, a boar, and a hidden fox. Roses twine along 
  the edge of the glasswork. Four rows of pews face the altar. 
  The Forest God or God of Hunters is worshipped here, 
  though rarely, by Lóránt, the werewolf lord. The god demands 
  flesh and blood as offerings. The animals sometimes left here 
  are Lóránt’s prey, taken from the forest. Anyone examining an 
  offering closely and succeeds at a DC 20 Heal or Knowledge 
  (nature) check notices that the animals have been killed with 
  fangs rather than spears or arrows.
  A stained glass golem attacks if the party enters the chapel 
  without showing a Stross family crest or a holy symbol of 
  the saint. In most likelihood, it also surprises the unwary 
  adventurers. 
  ADVANCED STAINED GLASS GOLEM 
              CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2
  N Large construct 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0
  DEFENSE
  AC 25, touch 10, flat–footed 24 (+1 Dex, +15 natural, −1 size) 
  hp 96 (12d10+30)  
  Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities reflect spells; DR 5/ adamantine; Immune 
  magic, construct traits 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee 2 slams +18 (2d8+7 plus bleed) 
  Special Attacks bleed (1d8), dazzling brightness
  STATISTICS
  Str 24, Dex 13, Con —, Int —, Wis 15, Cha 5 
  Base Atk +12; CMB +20; CMD 31 
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Dazzling Brightness (Ex) A glass golem in an area of bright 
  light dazzles any creature within 30 feet that sees it (a 
  successful Fortitude DC 16 negates). Once a creature makes 
  its save against this ability, it is immune to that golem’s 
  brightness for 24 hours. The DC is Constitution-based. 
  Immune to Magic (Ex) A glass golem is immune to any spell 
  or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, 
  certain spells and effects function differently against a glass 
  golem, as noted below.
  • A shatter spell damages a glass golem as if it were a 
  crystalline creature.
  • A keen edge spell affects all of a glass golem’s slam attacks 
  as if they were slashing weapons.
  • A magical attack that deals cold damage slows a glass 
  golem (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds (no saving throw).
  • A magical attack that deals fire damage ends any slow effect 
  on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points 
  of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount 
  of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal 
  hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. A 
  glass golem gets no saving throw against fire effects
  Reflect Spells (Ex) As a free action once every 1d4 rounds, 
  a glass golem can align its internal structure to enhance its 
  resistance to magic for 1 round. During this time, the golem 
  reflects spells (even spells that function differently against 
  the golem as described in its immune to magic ability) as if 
  under the effect of a spell turning spell.
  Treasure: The only treasure here is a collection of 10 sunrods 
  and a single everburning torch.
  AREA 9: GRIFFON TOWER
  Once the home of hunting griffons for the family, this tower 
  is now abandoned to a flock of bats. In a final indignity, 
  Evander and the Grimbold dwarves ignominiously disposed 
  of Marcenzo’s corpse in chest-deep bat excrement. At this 
  point, all that remains of the wizard are his skull (missing 
  
  42
  its mandible), leg bones, and scattered ribs. 
  It takes a successful DC 25 Perception check 
  to locate any part of his skeletal remains. 
  Naturally, Marcenzo’s ghost is frequently 
  encountered here. Surprisingly, he and Zarek 
  both see themselves as victims of the Stross 
  and thus enjoy a cordial, bordering on friendly 
  relationship. 
  Zarek’s coffin is also buried here under five 
  feet of bat guano, and can be found with a 
  successful DC 35 Perception check. A character 
  can dig out the coffin by removing 1,000 pounds 
  of the waste. In 1 minute, a character using only 
  his hands can clear debris equal to five times 
  his heavy load limit. Digging out the tower is 
  always dangerous, even in the daytime, as the 
  tower is dark enough that no direct sunlight 
  shines on the floor. If Zarek hears digging, he’ll 
  try to attack as silently as possible, picking off 
  the guards with dominate and using the flock 
  of bats to keep his identity hidden. Visibility is 
  reduced to 5 feet inside the swarm.
  AREA 10: KHOR'S SHRINE
  This small building only becomes visible 
  when the Bridge at Oros flashback has been 
  successfully completed. Adjust the description 
  as necessary if the PCs were not in area 6 prior 
  to completing that flashback.
  The next time the PCs enter the shrine 
  courtyard, they immediately see a golden door 
  leading into a small building that they never 
  saw before. The door shines with buttery yellow 
  light, and they see a chariot carved over the lintel—one of the 
  signs of Khors, the Sun God. It looks like a shrine; there is even 
  a round stained glass window over the door.
  If the PCs have not yet met Moira, omit the following 
  reference about the babbling woman. Assuming the party 
  investigates, read or paraphrase the following.
  Inside, the shrine is well lit by magical light, and the stained glass 
  window over the door throws a perfect beam of sunlight onto 
  the white marble altar. You see a worshipper here, the babbling 
  woman from the courtyard. She is wearing clean clothes, with 
  an over robe of cloth-of-gold, and her hair is more neatly set. She 
  stands up straight at the altar, arms lifted, and her voice clear and 
  steady. Four chairs carved from exquisite wood face the altar.
  The party has both released Khor’s shrine from the shadows 
  of the past (Evander’s mother paid to build it when her 
  daughter converted) and has pulled the castle back from the 
  Shadow Realm. The shrine courtyard is a little brighter, and 
  the shrine interior is hallowed ground, safe from any attack 
  by shadow mastiffs, scáthsidhe, or the castle shadows. The 
  hallowed ground even provides some possible shelter from the 
  Black Oak (see Finale on page 68) by granting the benefits of 
  the hallow spell to those within the shrine. The shrine’s stone 
  walls have a hardness of 8 and 180 hit points, so it would take 
  the Black Oak at least several rounds to tear it apart to reach 
  characters hiding inside of it. If the party speaks with Moira, 
  she seems puzzled (and mildly offended) to hear that the 
  party thought her mad. In this coherent state, she is happy to 
  aid champions of good in their time of need by healing their 
  wounds or even raising a deceased character. The widow of the 
  minor knight Sir Darragh Kinkellan, she has lived happily at 
  the castle with her father, though her mad brother Vasilios is a 
  constant worry.
  MOIRA KINKELLAN 
                                           CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Female human Cleric of Khors 9
  N Medium humanoid (human) 
  Init +4; Senses Perception +2
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 10, flat–footed 18 (+5 armor, +3 shield) 
  hp 53 (9d8+9) 
  Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +8 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee +1 light mace +10/+5 (1d6+4) 
  
  43
  Skills Diplomacy +11, Heal +14, Knowledge (arcana) +8, 
  Knowledge (history) +6, Knowledge (planes) +10, Knowledge 
  (religion) +13, Perception +2, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +8 
  Languages Common, Undercommon
  SQ aura
  Combat Gear necklace of fireballs, type II; Other Gear +1 
  light mace, +3 leather, +1 heavy steel shield, potion of lesser 
  restoration, gold statue of Khors worth 250 gp, holy symbol, 2 
  vials of holy water, 145 gp, 34 pp, 60 sp
  AREA 11: OVERLOOK BAILEY
  This small courtyard is sandwiched between a formidable keep, a 
  dilapidated shrine, and another stone structure. 
  This is the only clear landing spot for flying creatures. It sees 
  little traffic other than the dwarves traveling from their hall to 
  the smithing grounds. 
  AREA 12: THE WINTER GARDEN
  The rose garden here is only accessible by passing through 
  the Overlook Bailey (area 11). The garden is overgrown and 
  unkempt and thus is treated as difficult terrain. The garden 
  grows over weathered headstones; a number of bones and 
  bodies are buried here (largely servants of the Stross family). 
  If the PCs succeeded at the Bridge at Oros flashback, Bellanca 
  is also interred beneath a marvelous stone monument that 
  depicts her in her radiant youth. The roses are mystically 
  connected to the Shadow Realm. When the castle is tugged 
  deeper into shadow, the roses turn white and then black. 
  When the curse is partially lifted, the roses become more and 
  more colorful, as described in Table 2-2.
  AREA 13: MARGOYLE TOWER
  The castle’s margoyles are a sly bunch that hunts at night, 
  when they can be sure that no one is coming to their nesting 
  grounds. During the day, they remain quiet and keep away 
  from the dwarves. The two groups clashed before, and the 
  dwarves cut the margoyle numbers in half. The margoyles steal 
  griffon eggs and attack lone travelers in the Margreve Forest. 
  They are a dim, simple gang that loves to fight. They enjoy 
  inflicting pain, bragging of their triumphs, and bemoaning 
  their losses. The shadow curse makes them a bit morose, even 
  by margoyle standards. Their tall, outer tower is in good repair.
  If harassed or threatened, the margoyles attempt to surprise 
  their foes and deal extra damage with the Power Attack feat. 
  They remain airborne whenever possible in order to gain an 
  attack roll bonus for occupying higher ground and also make it 
  easier to escape. When their numbers are halved, the survivors 
  retreat to the tower interior, which grants them full cover 
  against attacks.
  Special Attacks channel positive energy 7/day (DC 16, 4d6  
  [+9 vs. undead])
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +15)
  5/day—bleeding touch (1d6)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 9th; concentration +15)
  5th—flame strikeD (DC 17), raise dead
  4th—death wardD, discern lies (DC 16), poison (DC 16) 
  3rd—bestow curse (DC 15), searing lightD, speak with dead, 
  summon monster III
  2nd—aid, death knellD (DC 14), hold person (DC 14), owl’s 
  wisdom, sound burst, spiritual weapon
  1st—cause fearD (DC 13), divine favor, doom (DC 13), endure 
  elements, shield of faith, summon monster I
  0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, mending, read magic 
  D Domain spell; Domains Death, Sun
  STATISTICS
  Str 17, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 15 
  Base Atk +6; CMB +11; CMD 26 
  Feats Combat Casting, Extra Channel, Improved Channel, 
  Improved Initiative, Selective Channeling, Turn Undead
  
  44
  GARGOYLE, MARGOYLE (5) 
                            CR 5
  XP 1,600 each
  Tome of Horrors Complete
  CE Medium monstrous humanoid (earth) 
  Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision;  
  Perception +10
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 12, flat–footed 16 (+2 Dex, +6 natural) 
  hp 63 (6d10+24 plus 6)  
  Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +6
  DR 10/magic 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average) 
  Melee 2 claws +9 (1d6+3), bite +9 (1d6+3), gore +9 (1d6+3) 
  STATISTICS
  Str 17, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8 
  Base Atk +6; CMB +9; CMD 21
  Feats Power Attack, Skill Focus (Fly), Toughness
  Skills Fly +14, Perception +10, Stealth +10 (+16 stony 
  environs), Survival +7 
  Languages Common, Terran
  SQ freeze
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Freeze (Ex) A margoyle can hold itself so still 
  it appears to be a statue. A margoyle that 
  uses freeze can take 20 on its Stealth check 
  to hide in plain sight as a stone statue. 
  AREA 14: THE WIZARD’S WELL
  The 50-foot-deep well here has clear, sweet 
  water and a functional rope, hoist, and 
  bucket that the Grimbold dwarves use every 
  day. Because the well shaft walls are damp, 
  a successful DC 25 Climb check is required 
  to scale up and down the surface. There’s a 
  hidden door at the bottom of the well, just 
  above water level, which can be spotted with 
  a successful DC 25 Perception check. The 
  passage beyond the door opens in area 45.
  AREA 15: THE IVY TOWER
  The ivy tower is covered with thick growths 
  of ivy all year round. Even in winter, the dry 
  brown leaves seem to cling to the vines until 
  displaced by new shoots in the spring. Read 
  the following when the party enters.
  The tower interior has no separate floors—the 
  wooden joists and planks burned out, rotted 
  away, or collapsed many years ago. Instead, the 
  interior is a single chamber filled with hundreds 
  or thousands of pale white roots or tendrils; it 
  seems that the heavy ivy is holding this tower 
  together. The only place without the tendrils is a 
  set of spiral stairs attached to the exterior wall 
  and spiraling up.
  The tower is the home of Darius Grindstone, an honored 
  member of the Grimbold clan and a skilled aranea sorcerer. 
  He helps the dwarven smiths enchant the items they create at 
  the forge, and he identifies magical metals or items brought to 
  them. While the tower is filled with roots and tendrils of ivy, as 
  the stairs wind up and up, webs are woven into those tendrils, 
  which is noticeable with a successful DC 35 Perception check 
  to notice the transition.
  At the very top of the stairs is a door made of woven roots, a 
  strangely pulsing and unnatural sort of growth that looks like 
  some kind of tumor. The roots are inscribed with thin black letters 
  shaped like crescents.
  Darius hates visitors. Forcing the door open requires a 
  successful DC 13 Strength check. To reinforce his disdain for 
  visitors, the cunning sorcerer inlaid a magical trap within 
  the writing. Any character that reads the letters on the door 
  unleashes its explosive effects. 
  
  45
  EXPLOSIVE RUNES TRAP 
                            CR 4
  XP 1,200
  Type magic; Perception DC 28; Disable DC 28
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Reset none
  Effect spell effect (explosive runes; CL 10th; DC 16 Reflex save 
  half [see spell]); multiple targets (all targets in a 10-foot-radius 
  burst)
  The door is positioned 35 feet above the ground. As the 
  description suggests, the tower’s interior is devoid of any 
  solid floor. Characters who can fly, levitate, and the like have 
  no problem getting around the tower. Creatures that cannot 
  employ an alternative means of locomotion must stand at the 
  entrance or risk falling to the bottom of the tower. Darius and 
  the spiders scurry along the walls and any remaining scraps 
  of floor joists that still cling to the walls. When the party 
  enters, he attacks, sending his six spider minions to hold the 
  line while he casts black tentacles (white ones, in his case) and 
  hideous laughter. He climbs out any window and shimmies 
  down the outside wall of the tower to escape when he is 
  heavily wounded.
  DARIUS GRINDSTONE                                          CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male aranea sorcerer 5 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary 2)
  N Medium magical beast (shapechanger) 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; 
  Perception +14
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 13, flat–footed 17 (+4 armor, +3 Dex,  
  +3 natural) 
  hp 64 (5d10+10 plus 5d6+10) 
  Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +8 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft. 
  Melee bite +10 (1d6 plus poison) 
  Special Attacks web (+10 ranged, DC 17, hp 10)
  Bloodline Spell-Like Ability (CL 10th;  
  concentration +17)
  6/day—laughing touch
  Sorcerer Spells Known (CL 10th; concentration +17)
  5th (3/day)—mind fog (DC 20)
  4th (5/day)— black tentacles, confusion (DC 19), 
  poison
  3rd (7/day)—deep slumber (DC 18), fly, hold person 
  (DC 18), suggestion (DC 18)
  2nd (7/day)—blur, hideous laughter (DC 17), invisibility, 
  mirror image, web (DC 15)
  1st (7/day)—charm person (DC 14), entangle (DC 14), mage 
  armor, magic missile, silent image (DC 14), sleep (DC 16)
  0 (at will)— acid splash, daze (DC 13), detect magic, flare 
  (DC 13), ghost sound (DC 13), light, mage hand, message, 
  resistance
  Bloodline fey
  STATISTICS
  Str 11, Dex 17, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 17 
  Base Atk +7; CMB +7; CMD 20
  Feats Combat Casting, Enlarge Spell, Eschew MaterialsB, 
  Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Quicken SpellB, Weapon 
  Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +9 (+17 when jumping), Climb +14, Escape 
  Artist +13, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Perception +14, 
  Spellcraft +10, Stealth +9; Racial Modifers +2 Acrobatics, +2 
  Perception 
  Languages Common, Sylvan
  SQ bloodline arcana (when Darius casts a spell of the 
  compulsion subschool, increase the spell’s DC by +2), change 
  shape (humanoid; alter self), fleeting glance (10 rounds/day), 
  woodland stride
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Change Shape (Su) An aranea can take the form of a Small or 
  Medium humanoid or spider-humanoid hybrid. In humanoid 
  form, an aranea cannot use its bite, web, or poison. In spider-
  humanoid hybrid form, an aranea looks like a humanoid with 
  spidery fangs and spinnerets, with the latter typically located 
  at the small of its back. The aranea retains its bite attacks, 
  
  46
  webs, and poison in this form, and can wield weapons and 
  wear armor. When in humanoid or hybrid form, an aranea’s 
  speed is 30 feet and it has no climb speed.
  Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/round 
  for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Strength; cure 1 save. 
  ADVANCED GIANT SPIDERS (6)                           CR 2
  XP 600 each
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary
  N Medium vermin 
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.;  
  Perception +6
  DEFENSE
  AC 18, touch 15, flat–footed 13 (+1 armor, +5 Dex, +2 natural) 
  hp 22 each (3d8+9) 
  Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3 
  Immune mind-affecting effects 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. 
  Melee bite +4 (1d6+2 plus poison) 
  Special Attack web (+7 ranged, DC 14, hp 4)
  STATISTICS
  Str 15, Dex 19, Con 16, Int —, Wis 14, Cha 6
  Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 19 (31 vs. trip)
  Skills Climb +18, Perception +6 (+10 in webs), Stealth +9 (+13 
  in webs); Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth (+8 in 
  webs), +16 climb 
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 16; frequency 1/round 
  for 4 rounds; effect 1d2 Strength damage; cure 1 save.
  FIRE IN THE TOWER
  Any fire started in the Ivy Tower inevitably burns it to the 
  ground. There’s a lot of wood in that ivy, and the leaves and 
  tendrils burn up very quickly. Darius gets out immediately; 
  others who stay in the smoke and fire take 1d6 points of fire 
  damage per round.
  Because it is difficult to see through the smoke and flames, 
  creatures attempting to negotiate the winding stairs to escape 
  must succeed on a DC 20 Acrobatics check or risk falling. If 
  the character moves at half speed, the DC decreases to 15. 
  Characters that can see through smoke can move normally. 
  Setting a fire here, accidentally or intentionally, triggers the 
  Fall of House Stross flashback if the PCs haven’t experienced 
  it already.
  AREA 16: BRANDOR’S KEEP
  This large keep is the oldest part of the castle, built by the 
  kobold King Brandorik, and updated since then. Its outer 
  walls are 2-1/2-foot-thick masonry walls. Interior walls are 
  3-inch-thick stone walls, thus accounting for the placement 
  of support columns on each level. Its interior doors are 
  made from strong wood. None of them are locked or stuck 
  unless otherwise noted in the room’s description. The spiral 
  staircases connect all of the floors with the exception that 
  the northwest staircase also descends 10 feet into the cellar 
  beneath the castle. The original first floor was designed 
  for kobolds, but over the years the Stross family renovated 
  the keep adding an additional three floors to the original 
  structure, while making them more spacious for human 
  accommodations. The first floor is only 6 feet high, while the 
  ceilings on the remaining floors are 10 feet high.
  AREA 17: ENTRY HALL
  The door to the keep is kept shut; however it is unlocked and 
  opens with practically no effort. In the castle’s heyday, servants 
  would store coats and other personal belongings in the two 
  niches adjacent to the entrance, but the foyer is now empty and 
  undecorated. The door to the adjoining chamber is kept ajar.
  AREA 18: GREAT HALL
  This is a large hall with enormous rafters overhead, two stone 
  hearths at opposite ends of the room, and many once-glorious 
  tapestries on the walls, now torn and rotted. There are a few 
  benches and a dais, but no sign of the chair at the head of the 
  table atop the dais. A shredded tapestry covers a portion of the 
  table and dais.
  This room was thoroughly looted, and the throne, silver, 
  tableware, and even chairs were all taken long ago. The benches 
  and tables were too big to take away, as were the tapestries. A 
  PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Appraise check notices that one 
  much smaller silk tapestry, the one resting upon the dais, is still 
  intact. It is clear after careful cleaning (which is part of the skill 
  check), the tapestry depicts a shrine to Khors. Its portrayal of 
  a holy site may account for the looters’ decision to leave the 
  valuable artwork behind them. A character who visited area 
  6 and succeeds on a DC 20 Knowledge (engineering) realizes 
  that the background depicted in the tapestry indicates a shrine 
  was intended to be built at that locale. If the characters already 
  succeeded at the Bridge at Oros flashback, a PC who succeeds 
  at a DC 10 Perception check identifies area 10 as the tapestry’s 
  subject. Sun symbols are skillfully woven into the edges of the 
  tapestry with gold and copper thread, and the whole tapestry is 
  worth at 1,400 gp.
  The spiral staircases in the northwest and northeast corners 
  of the great hall access all three upper floors, while the stairwell 
  in the northwest corner also descends 10 feet into the cellar. 
  AREA 19: THE BLUE ROOM
  The room is decorated with deep blues, from leathery wallpaper 
  to a ceiling painted dark night blue with scatterings of stars 
  and comets. The single window is set high in the wall. Three 
  magical lights burn in wall sconces, though their light seems 
  dim and flickering. The room’s chairs and table seem well used, 
  upholstered in worn gray leather. A dried rose sits in a small red 
  vase on the table. There is a bed tightly packed into a far corner. 
  You get the uneasy feeling that you are being watched by the 
  paintings on the wall, each of them showing a man in armor, 
  with his face slashed by a knife that ruined the canvas.
  The Blue Room is the residence of Fingerbone, the shadow 
  fey caretaker of the curse who oversees the Stross family’s 
  
  47
  slow descent into despair. At the same time, he does not want 
  their complete destruction or the extinction of the bloodline, 
  as then he would have no one left to taunt and mock. This 
  caretaker is the fourth of the Four Deaths, now retired from 
  mercenary life. In the default history of the castle, Fingerbone 
  survived the battle of the Oros Bridge, the castle siege, and 
  many other moments of the Stross family’s decline (see the 
  Bridge at Oros flashback on page 18 for his stats). If the PCs 
  killed him during that flashback, use one of the other Four 
  Deaths instead.
  Fingerbone uses his +23 Stealth skill bonus to attempt 
  to hide if he hears the part approach, and wait for them to 
  investigate the room and leave. If the party spots him despite 
  this, he uses his hide in plain sight ability to disappear again 
  the following round. Fingerbone then creates a major image of 
  a talking white raven to speak through.
  A white raven flies in through the window and perches on the 
  back of a nearby chair. It squawks, “Leave the Rosehaven, leave 
  the castle, or the curse will eat your souls, too! Fly! The curse is 
  coming!” Its wings flutter and dust stirs on the tabletop
  If the party doesn’t immediately leave, Fingerbone tries to 
  creep up behind one of them and delivers a touch of idiocy. 
  The shadow fey sorcerer does not otherwise relish a fight alone 
  against the PCs, so he escapes the fray by any means possible, 
  including resorting to using his spell-like abilities to disappear 
  or simply become incorporeal and fly through the window and 
  into the night. His bat familiar Phalanges is in another room. 
  It can follow the party from a great distance after the PCs meet 
  Fingerbone in the Blue Room; a successful DC 35 Perception 
  check is required to spot the bat.
  AREA 20: YELLOW ROOM
  This room is wallpapered in yellow cloth—old silk perhaps. The 
  windows let in drizzly light, and the floorboards are creaky. 
  There are four paintings of women here, each of them slashed by 
  a knife. A large table sits in the center, but there are no chairs. 
  Strangely, the table appears too large to fit through the doorway. 
  This room has been looted except for the destroyed paintings 
  and the table. A PC who succeeds at a DC 30 Perception check 
  notices some of the figures depicted in the painting vaguely 
  resemble the Stross family members that they encountered 
  earlier. This is also an ideal place for a ghost to visit (see 
  Shadows of the Dead).
  AREA 21: ARCANE STUDY
  Mafriel, a pitiful half-breed ghaele, is bound here. It is the 
  offspring of a ghaele mother and a demon lord magically 
  disguised as her husband. When born, the abomination was 
  cast out of the Court of Stars and the lands of the eladrin. 
  It wandered many years across the planes before the Stross 
  family summoned and bound it here as a weapon against 
  their enemies. When the time came to unleash it though, its 
  master Lord Kranos Stross, who could have commanded it 
  against the army of the Free City, died at the castle gate before 
  
  48
  he got a chance to use it. His pride led him to believe that he 
  could talk the peasants into seeing reason. His death was just 
  the first shock at the castle, and was quickly forgotten in the 
  ensuing events. 
  The magical bonds keeping the creature here demand that it 
  can only be released by a member of the Stross family. Evander 
  and his children are far too canny to release a major fiend 
  unless the circumstances are desperate. The shadow fey and 
  dwarves who know about Mafriel are terrified of him.
  Without a Stross to unbind it and end its service, Mafriel has 
  been trapped in a summoning circle that functions as a hedged 
  version of the binding spell for 90 years. Read the following if 
  the party uses normal vision.
  The creature within the summoning circle is a shining angel, 
  with feathery golden wings, elven features, and deep purple eyes. 
  It opens its mouth and says. “I have been trapped here for long 
  years. Please, kill me, or release me. I am fading into dust!” The 
  angel carries a greatsword with a bone hilt, and a long silver 
  trumpet. A golden scabbard clings to its side. A table containing 
  ten vials and jars lies beyond the circle.
  This merely what Mafriel looks like with disguise self in 
  place. If the party has true seeing or dispels his illusion, read 
  the following:
  The creature within the summoning circle looks masculine, and 
  it is lit by greenish glow from within. It stands about six feet tall, 
  with blond hair, pointed ears, and white, scaly skin, and the dark, 
  long wings of a buzzard or eagle. It’s definitely not a standard 
  resident of the planes. Perhaps it is a half-demon, but then, its 
  facial features are so human and its eyes look much like those of 
  an elf. A green globe of light surrounds it.
  A character who succeeds at a DC 23 Knowledge (planes) 
  check figures out Mafriel is some form of eladrin/demon 
  hybrid, most likely a ghaele, provided of course that they can 
  see its true form. If the PC succeeds at this check by 5 or more, 
  she recognizes Mafriel as half ghaele and half incubus, and 
  likely to be extremely nasty if it inherited the light powers of 
  its ghaele parent and the demon powers of the incubus. True 
  seeing reveals both its normal form (demonic as described 
  above), and its ghaele light form, a 5-foot-diameter globe of 
  greenish light. Neither is a preferred form, so both are visible.
  After each brief exchange with the party, Mafriel casts more 
  clerical spells: divine power, divine favor, bear’s endurance, aid, 
  and prayer, in that order. To prevent the PCs from disrupting 
  its spellcasting, the half-fiend may use its greater invisibility or 
  darkness spell-like abilities to conceal its activities, though its 
  incantations are still audible. 
  When it finishes casting these spells or is interrupted in the 
  process, Mafriel attacks. He can’t escape the circle, so he tries 
  to lure the PCs near the circle so that he can engage them in 
  melee combat or uses his spell-like abilities and spells to attack 
  them from afar. It focuses its attacks against lawful creatures. 
  It tries to use wall of force or blade barrier to split the party 
  into two smaller groups. It flies up to the ceiling here (just 10 
  feet up) and uses chain lightning, unholy word (one innate, 
  one learned), and prismatic spray against the party if it can. If 
  
  49
  it is forced into melee, its greatsword is its weapon of choice. 
  Fortunately for the PCs, Mafriel cannot follow them if they 
  leave the room, though it can cause tremendous destruction to 
  the surrounding structures in an effort to find them.
  MAFRIEL                                                               CR 16
  XP 76,800
  Half-fiend ghaele azata (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  CE Medium outsider (native) 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, low-light vision, 
  see invisibility; Perception +22
  Aura holy aura 
  DEFENSE
  AC 30, touch 17, flat–footed 27 (+4 deflection, +3 Dex,  
  +14 natural)
  hp 162 (13d10+91) 
  Fort +19, Ref +13, Will +18
  DR 10/cold iron, evil and magic; Immune electricity, 
  petrification, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, electricity 10, 
  fire 10; SR 27 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 50 ft., fly 150 ft. (perfect) 
  Melee +2 unholy greatsword +23/+18/+13 (2d6+14), bite +16 
  (1d6+4)
  Ranged 2 light rays +16 (2d12) 
  Special Attacks gaze, smite good 1/day
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +21)
  Constant—detect evil, holy aura (DC 22), see invisibility
  At will—aid, charm monster (DC 18), continual flame, cure 
  light wounds, dancing lights, detect thoughts (DC 16), disguise 
  self, dispel magic, hold monster (DC 19), greater invisibility 
  (self only), major image (DC 17), greater teleport (self plus 
  50 lbs. of objects only), telekinesis (DC 19)
  3/day—darkness, globe of invulnerability, poison (DC 18), 
  unholy aura 
  1/day—blasphemy (DC 21), chain lightning (DC 20), 
  contagion (DC 17), desecrate, prismatic spray (DC 21), 
  unhallow, unholy blight (DC 17), wall of force
  Spells Prepared (CL 13th; concentration +23)
  7th—holy word (DC 23)
  6th—banishment (DC 22), heal 
  5th—flame strike (DC 21), raise dead, true seeing
  4th—death ward, dismiss (2) (DC 20), divine power, restoration
  3rd—cure serious wounds (2), prayer, searing light (2)
  2nd—aid (2), align weapon, bear’s endurance,  
  lesser restoration (2)
  1st—bless, command (DC 17), divine favor, obscuring mist, 
  sanctuary (DC 17), shield of faith
  STATISTICS
  Str 27, Dex 16, Con 24, Int 18, Wis 23, Cha 19
  Base Atk +13; CMB +21; CMD 34
  Feats Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved 
  Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Lightning 
  Reflexes
  Skills Diplomacy +20, Escape Artist +19, Fly +27, Handle 
  Animal +20, Knowledge (nature) +17, Knowledge (planes) 
  +20, Perception +22, Sense Motive +22, Stealth +19 
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, truespeech
  SQ light form
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Gaze (Su) In humanoid form, a ghaele’s gaze attack slays evil 
  creatures of 5 HD or less (range 60 feet, Will DC 18 negates, 
  shaken for 2d10 rounds on a successful save). Nonevil 
  creatures, and evil creatures with more than 5 HD, must 
  succeed on a DC 18 Will save or be shaken for 2d10 rounds. 
  A creature that saves against a ghaele’s gaze is immune to that 
  particular ghaele’s gaze for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting 
  fear effect. The save DCs are Charisma-based. 
  Light Form (Su) A ghaele can shift between its solid body 
  and one made of light as a standard action. In solid form, it 
  cannot fly or use light rays. In light form, it can fly and gains 
  the incorporeal quality—it can make light ray attacks or 
  use spell-like abilities in this form, but can’t make physical 
  attacks or cast spells. This ability otherwise functions 
  similarly to a bralani’s wind form ability.
  Light Ray (Ex) A ghaele’s light rays have a range of 300 feet. 
  This attack bypasses all damage reduction.
  Smite Good (Su) Once per day it can add extra damage equal 
  to its HD (maximum of +20 against a good foe.
  Spells Ghaeles cast divine spells as 13th–level clerics. They do 
  not gain access to domains or other cleric abilities. 
  Treasure: Mafriel has no treasure other than his +2 unholy 
  greatsword and his long silver trumpet worth 1,000 gp. The 
  contents of the beakers and vials on the table evaporated 
  decades ago. They are now just ordinary vials.
  AREA 22: THE LIBRARY
  This was once a library, but was long ago looted and burnt. 
  Scraps of scrolls and books remain, and empty shelves.
  A successful DC 25 Perception check reveals a book called 
  The Stross in War and their Dominions, which describes 
  the history of the family from the time of the “kobold 
  insurrection” until the crowning of Lord Kranos Stross. The 
  most recent date mentioned is 90 years ago. 
  AREA 23: KITCHEN
  Warmth emanates from an unlit stove. Some pots and pans rest 
  on the shelves of a mostly bare cupboard. Two tables are covered 
  with rusty utensils, metallic goblets, and dull blades.  
  This cooking area is clearly used and functional, though the 
  number of pots and dishes is much smaller than expected in 
  a castle of this size. One of the dwarves may be here cooking 
  early in the morning or late afternoon, preparing foods for the 
  smiths or the Strosses who still require nourishment.
  AREA 24: MUSIC CHAMBER
  The room is empty except for murals of musical instruments on 
  the walls and marks of blades and blood on the floor.
  
  50
  The instruments here were all carried off long ago, but a 
  character who succeeds at a DC 30 Perception check hears 
  “shadow echoes” of the past times. You might use those sounds 
  as the prelude to a flashback (which happens only if the party 
  “follows” the sounds into the Shadow Realm).
  AREA 25: SERVANT’S ROOMS
  The remnants of bed fill the niches in the walls of these tiny 
  rooms. There are human bones in two of the rooms.
  These rooms were fully looted. A speak with dead spell used 
  on the servants’ skulls found here reveals out-of-date gossip, 
  and the names of Evander’s father, mother, and two younger 
  brothers respectively (Kranos, Bellanca, Mikad, and Drago).
  AREA 26: TREASURY
  An invisible wall prevents access into the adjoining room. The 
  chamber is stacked with rugs, chests of gold coins (some open), 
  sacks of copper and silver, silver plates, sculptures, goblets, 
  and many locked coffers. A line of red jewels sits below a 
  gold-and-mahogany-framed mirror, blinking in the room’s steady 
  magical light.
  The room is both protected by a wall of force and guarded by 
  adamantine wasp swarms. The wasps appear to be small coins 
  or bits of jewelry to the casual eye, hiding as they do among 
  other silvery objects. Members of the Stross family could 
  command the swarms with a single word, but the command 
  word has been lost since the untimely death of Kranos and 
  Bellanca. Lord Kranos’ ghost might tell the PCs the secret (see 
  page 32); the command word is “Rosehaven.”
  Although the party can use dimension door, teleport, or 
  similar magic to enter the treasury, getting out is an entirely 
  different matter, as a dimensional lock trap imprisons any 
  creature that enters the treasury. 
  DIMENSIONAL LOCK TRAP 
                            CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Type magic; Perception DC 33; Disable DC 33
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Reset none  
  Effect spell effect (dimensional lock; CL 15th; no save); multiple 
  targets (all targets on opposite side of the wall of force)
  To make matters worse, the adamantine wasp swarms 
  immediately attack intruders. If the character survives the 
  constructs’ onslaught, the dimensional lock imprisons trapped 
  creatures for 15 days, giving them plenty of time to talk to 
  ghosts or even Evander, who comes to visit via the Shadow 
  Realm. In addition, not experiencing any flashbacks for 2 
  weeks allows time to repair itself as described at the beginning 
  of the Flashbacks section. 
  ADAMANTINE WASP SWARMS (2) 
            CR 10
  XP 9,600 each
  Tome of Horrors Complete
  N Fine construct (swarm) 
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 24, flat–footed 18 (+6 Dex, +8 size) 
  hp 82 (15d10)  
  Fort +5, Ref +11, Will +5
  Immune weapon damage, construct traits, swarm traits; SR 21
  Weaknesses swarm traits 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (good) 
  Melee swarm (3d6 plus poison)
  Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
  Special Attacks distraction (DC 17) 
  STATISTICS
  Str 1, Dex 22, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 2 
  Base Atk +15; CMB —; CMD —
  Skills Fly +18
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Poison (Ex) Swarm—injury; save Fort DC 17; frequency 1/
  round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Dexterity damage; cure 2 
  consecutive saves. 
   A creature reduced to Dexterity 0 freezes solid (similar 
  to a flesh to stone spell) for 1d4 hours as his body hardens 
  into ice. If reduced to 0 or less hit points while frozen, 
  the creature shatters into pieces and dies. The save DC is 
  Constitution-based.
  Treasure: The treasury holds 100 heavy silver ingots (8,000 
  gp worth, weighing 2,400 pounds), plus 4,986 gp in coin, 
  and 3,275 gp worth of gold and silver bracelets, necklaces, 
  chalices, circlets, medallions, rings, and ornamental daggers. 
  There is also a bronze sculpture of an aristocratic man worth 
  1,500 gp, but it weighs 200 pounds. A PC who succeeds at a 
  DC 30 Appraise check can determine the rough value of these 
  objects without physical inspecting them from outside the 
  wall of force. 
  AREA 27: SILVER ROOM
  This room contains one cabinet of broken wood and room for 
  several more. The walls are smudged with black soot, and even 
  the window frame is burnt away. Bones, broken bottles of beer, 
  mead, and wine inexplicably cover the floor along with rotted 
  rose stems.
  The door leading into the neighboring treasury is secured 
  by an arcane lock (CL 15th) and an excellent but rusty padlock 
  (break DC 35 or DC 25 Disable Device). The PCs must still 
  overcome the arcane lock barring the portal even if they 
  destroy or pick the padlock.
  All the family plates and silver have been looted and the 
  remnants were burnt. A successful DC 30 Perception check 
  reveals a single baby spoon of platinum (worth 50 gp). The 
  initials on it are ES. Although none of the looters successfully 
  broke into the neighboring treasury, one literally died trying. 
  
  51
  The wretch’s name was Percival Dunvorse, who spent 6 
  sleepless days trying to break into the vault only to perish from 
  dehydration and exhaustion. He rose as a gaki. To add further 
  injury to insult, Khors cursed the greedy abomination in an 
  apropos fashion by transforming it into a silver-clad creature. 
  The ravenous undead monster is typically invisible or 
  disguising itself, using its spell-like abilities to appear as one of 
  Shadowcrag’s dwarves. No longer enamored with the treasure, 
  Percival longs to escape Shadowcrag and indulge his hunger, 
  but the Stross family refuses to let him leave for daring to pilfer 
  their wealth. He tries to fly off the grounds at the very first 
  opportunity, though not before tasting a few morsels from the 
  PCs’ supple flesh. 
  PERCIVAL DUNVORSE                                        CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Silver-clad gaki (Advanced Bestiary, Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Bestiary 4)
  NE Medium undead 
  Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect evil; Perception +14
  DEFENSE
  AC 27, touch 12, flat–footed 25 (+1 Dex, +1 dodge, +15 natural)
  hp 94 (9d8+54) 
  Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +10 
  Defensive Abilities light fortification, mirrored finish; 
  Immune undead traits; Resist fire 5 
  Weaknesses aversion to sun and moon, compulsive hunger, 
  vulnerable to cold, electricity, and fire
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft., fly 20 ft. (average) 
  Melee 2 claws +9 (2d6+3), bite +9 (2d6+3 plus grab)
  Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with bite) 
  Special Attacks blood drain (1d2 Constitution), fear cone  
  (30 ft., DC 16) 
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 7th; concentration +10)
  Constant—detect evil
  At will—invisibility 
  1/day—disguise self 
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 13, Con —, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 22
  Base Atk +6; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 21
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, 
  Lightning Reflexes
  Skills Intimidate +16, Perception +14, Stealth +10 
  Languages Common
  SQ metallic attack (silver limbs)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Aversion to Sun and Moon (Ex) A gaki takes 1d4 points of 
  fire damage every round it is exposed to the light of a full 
  moon. It takes 1d4 points of cold damge every round it is 
  exposed to direct sunlight.
  Compulsive Hunger (Ex) Despite being undead, a gaki is 
  plagued by an insatiable hunger, and belives it can gain a 
  normal body or rest in peace if it consumes the right mixture 
  of flesh, food, and drink. A gaki that finds a corpse or is 
  offered food, wine, holy water, or flowers must succeed at 
  a DC 20 Will save or spend one turn trying to grab and 
  consume it. Its narrow neck prevents it from swallowing 
  more than a tiny amount, and it gives up after 1 rounds of 
  attempting to do so. A gaki that consumes holy water in this 
  way is not harmed by it.  
  Mirrored Finish (Su) A silver-clad creature reflects gaze attacks 
  and is immune to gaze attacks as well. Thus, a creature with 
  a gaze attack that actively gazes at a silver-clad creature must 
  save against its own gaze attack, suffering the consequences of 
  a failed save even if it would normally be immune.
  Silver Limbs (Ex) A silver-clad creature’s natural attacks and 
  grapple deal damage as silver weapons, overcoming damage 
  reduction just as a silver weapon would. 
  AREA 28: TUTOR’S ROOM
  This room contains empty shelves and black marks of soot; a 
  bonfire must have been built here years ago.
  The tutor’s room was looted and burnt.
  AREA 29: PRIEST’S ROOM
  This room is empty except for splinters of wood and a small niche 
  in the west wall.
  Anyone approaching the niche sees an image of the death of 
  Khor’s priest.
  There are a pair of gouged-out eyes in the niche. The eyes blink 
  and swivel, as a voice cries out, “Revenge for the Stross! Revenge! 
  Swear you will avenge me!”
  Unless the party swears to vengeance, the ghostly voice does 
  not stop speaking until the party leaves the room. 
  AREA 30: LORD AND LADY’S ROOMS
  The room is empty, with the horrifying exception of bloody sheets 
  on the bed and two ropes running out the window. Both ropes 
  are taut. 
  Anyone inspecting the scene finds the mummified bodies of 
  Lord Kranos and his mistress dangling at the end of the ropes 
  hung out the window. If the ropes are disturbed, begin the Fall 
  of House Stross flashback if it hasn’t happened already (see 
  page 17).The events that occurred during that flashback might 
  influence this scene. PCs who rescue Kranos’ mistress find one 
  of Kranos’ female servants at the end of one rope instead. A 
  character that retrieves and examines the bodies confirms with 
  a successful DC 20 Heal check that the hanging took place 
  post-mortem. 
  Once that flashback has been completed, the party might 
  encounter two ghost of Lord Kranos in this room. If the party 
  is close to ending the curse, Lord Kranos may tell the party 
  about the password for the treasury, unless the party harmed 
  Evander or his children, in which case the aristocrat has no 
  interest in helping the PCs. He’s happy to explain some of the 
  history of the curse to anyone who spends a night in his room 
  
  52
  (use a shadow event; see page 33), but doesn’t want to confide 
  his secrets to a crowd.
  Treasure: The room holds the shadow of a treasure chest in 
  one corner, which contains 4,400 gp and six 1,000 gp emeralds. 
  Making the shadow treasure permanent requires casting 
  a major creation spell before sunlight touches the items. A 
  character who succeeds at a DC 20 Knowledge (planes) check 
  or a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) spell know this property of 
  shadow matter.
  AREA 31: PRINCE’S ROOM AND NANNY’S ROOM
  This room has been thoroughly looted. Only the paintings on the 
  walls remain, faded drawings of knights at a joust, of a family 
  tree shown in heraldic devices, and, oddly, a pyramid of neatly 
  stacked square stones at the center of the room.
  This pyramid is a cairn containing the bones of the two 
  princes (Evander’s brothers), provided that the PCs did not 
  rescue them during the Fall of House Stross flashback. Evander 
  recovered their bones from where they had been scattered 
  below the castle walls after animals devoured their flesh. If the 
  PCs did rescue the princes, the cairn is just a pile of stones.
  Any PC who studies the heraldic chart and succeeds at a DC 
  22 Knowledge (nobility) check learns the Stross family lineage 
  up to Evander and his brothers. Faint markings in charcoal 
  seem to show the addition of at least one unnamed child 
  from Evander, possibly two; these markings were put there by 
  Vasilios.
  AREA 32: GUEST ROOMS
  This room contains a freshly made bed, a single half-shuttered 
  window looking out over the forest, and a washbasin and 
  oak wardrobe. A small brazier of coals in one corner is unlit. 
  The door has a bolt that so it can be locked from the inside.
  These guest rooms were all looted but have been 
  restored. One of them should always be haunted (see 
  Shadows of the Dead on page 32). In addition, Zarek enters 
  one through a window at midnight using his climbing ability, 
  dominates the occupant if he can, and tries to drain blood 
  from the weakest party member. If confronted, he flees.
  AREA 33: TENCANDLE HALL
  The room beyond the doorway is shining and beautiful. You see 
  golden candlesticks on a black stone altar and other bright 
  offerings. A four-foot-tall statue stands in front just behind 
  the altar: the Goddess of Night holding one hand high and 
  invoking power, the other hand on a white winged lion, one of 
  her servants. A crystal chandelier hangs overhead. Behind the 
  altar is an untarnished screen of hammered silver. Underfoot, 
  you see a carpet of well gnawed bones. And somewhere behind 
  one of the screens, something is rustling.
  This richly appointed hall is a private chapel for the family 
  priests and monks of Sarasta. It was not looted, because it 
  is protected by a greater barghest appointed to defend this 
  shrine. The greater barghest uses its rage and blink spells if it 
  hears anyone at the doorway. It then casts crushing despair 
  and attacks.
  MACTIGAL                                                                 CR 8
  XP 4,800
  Divine guardian greater barhgest (Advanced Bestiary, 
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  LE Large outsider (evil, extraplanar, lawful, shapechanger) 
  Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; 
  Perception +23 
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 11, flat–footed 18 (+2 Dex, +9 natural, –1 size) 
  hp 85 (9d10+36); fast healing 5
  Fort +9, Ref +10, Will +12
  Defensive Abilities ability healing; DR 10/magic; Immune 
  disease, poison, mind-affecting effects
  DEFENSE
  Speed 80 ft. 
  Melee bite +14 (1d8+6), 2 claws +15 (1d6+6) 
  
  53
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +13)
  At will—blink, dimension door (within sacred site only), 
  invisibility sphere, levitate, misdirection 
  3/day—alarm, knock
  1/day—arcane lock, augury, charm monster (DC 18), 
  clairaudience/clairvoyance, commune, crushing despair (DC 
  18), dimension door, dismissal (DC 19), hold portal, mass 
  bull’s strength, mass enlarge person
  STATISTICS
  Str 23, Dex 15, Con 19, Int 18, Wis 22, Cha 22
  Base Atk +9; CMB +16; CMD 28 (32 vs. trip) 
  Feats Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, 
  Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes
  Skills Acrobatics +14, Bluff +18, Climb +15, Diplomacy 
  +18, Intimidate +18, Perception +23, Sense Motive +23, 
  Stealth +10, Survival +16, Swim +15; Racial Modifiers +5 
  Perception, +5 Sense Motive
  Languages Infernal, Goblin, Worg
  SQ aura, blessed life, divine swiftness, sacred site
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Aura (Ex) A divine guardian with the chaotic, evil, good, or 
  lawful subtypes has an aura as if it were an aligned outsider 
  of equivalent Hit Dice (see the detect evil spell for details).
  Blessed Life (Ex) A divine guardian does not age or breathe. It 
  does not require food, drink, or sleep.
  Divine Swiftness (Ex) A divine guardian is gifted with 
  incredible speed, granting it a +4 bonus on initiative rolls. 
  In addition, each of the base creature’s speeds is doubled. 
  If the base creature has a fly speed, the divine guardian’s 
  maneuverability becomes perfect if it was not already. If the 
  divine guardian acquires the air, earth, or water subtype, it 
  gains a fly, burrow, or swim speed equal to its highest speed.
  Sacred Site (Ex) Each divine guardian is assigned to guard a 
  specific site sacred to the deity that invested it with power. 
  This area may be a structure, a series of structures, or a 
  natural site with clearly defined borders. It can be as large 
  as a city, but in most cases it’s a single temple or a sacred 
  grove. Gods don’t waste their powers on places that their 
  worshippers can protect, so most divine guardians keep 
  watch over abandoned burial grounds or lost temples. The 
  divine guardian of such a site is charged with protecting it 
  from harm and preventing incursions by those not of the 
  faith. It must keep its vigil until the god deems the guardian’s 
  task done.  
   If the divine guardian ever moves out of the area defined 
  as the sacred site, it immediately loses the divine guardian 
  template and any spellcasting ability the deity might have 
  granted from class levels. It cannot regain the template unless 
  it atones for its failure (usually by completing some quest 
  or via an atonement spell) and reenters the site within 1 
  week. Otherwise, it loses the template permanently, taking 
  6d6 points of Constitution drain as the years of lost food, 
  drink, and sleep return to it tenfold. A creature that lacks a 
  Constitution score takes 2d6 points of damage per Hit Die 
  from this process. Even if it survives the Constitution drain, 
  the creature can never regain the template. 
  The greater barghest can be freed only by ending the curse 
  and releasing Sarasta’s grip on the castle. When released from 
  its service, the barghest quickly becomes an ally of Lóránt, 
  the werewolf lord, and tries to eat any shadow fey that remain 
  within the castle. It can track them by scent fairly well, and 
  may later offer the party an alliance against a mutual foe.
  Treasure: The offerings on the altar include a gold and violet 
  garnet bottle stopper (value 600 gp), a gold chalice with jacinth 
  gems (value 600 gp), a mithral comb with moonstone (value 
  200 gp), two gold candlesticks (400 gp each), and a silver comb 
  with set with a black pearl (value 1,000 gp). A successful DC 
  16 Knowledge (Religion) check reveals that combs and chalices 
  are favored offerings to Sarasta. The two statues are carved 
  wood: ebony for the goddess, and a white witchwood for the 
  lion. They are worth 1,000 gp each to her worshippers, but will 
  definitely attract attention from the shadow fey if the party 
  removes them from the shrine. The hammered silver screen 
  is worth 1,200 gp for its workmanship and quality, but is very 
  awkward to carry (equivalent in size to 10 large shields).
  AREA 34: VESPERTINE HALL
  The hall here is a fine one, with well-carved white oak chairs 
  and a table of ebony, walnut, or some other dark wood. Half the 
  chairs seem sized for humans, the others are somewhat smaller. 
  An ugly tapestry of various shades of black and gray hangs along 
  one wall.
  While this room was looted, the dwarves restored it with 
  furniture to fit them. Mandergrim and his followers meet 
  here to discuss matters with the Stross, using it as an informal 
  audience chamber. It’s also a good place for a shadow event 
  such as the Black Tapestry (see page 34). Evander generally 
  lives and sleeps here or with the Grimbold clan. He can’t dwell 
  in his former living quarters. 
  AREA 35: ROOT STORAGE 
  The dungeon and cellar were partially looted during the 
  uprising. The Grimbold dwarves still use a portion of the 
  cellars as a stronghold against the creatures that haunt the 
  castle at night, from the werewolf lord to the more aggressive 
  shadows and vampires. The entrance to these areas is barred 
  with an imposing door.
  The door ahead is made of heavy black wood, probably walnut, 
  and bound with inscribed metal bands of silver and iron. The 
  steps leading down to it have been stained with blood.
  The door is usually kept locked with a shadow lock, a 
  particularly tricky form of lock whose inner workings and 
  wards are partially made of shadowstuff. It takes a successful 
  DC 28 Strength check to batter down the door or a successful 
  DC 28 Disable Device check to bypass the shadow lock. 
  Evander, Mandergrim, and Vasilios each hold a key. 
  The area at the bottom of the stairs was a storage cellar. It was 
  entirely looted decades ago, and has been empty ever since.
  
  54
  requires a successful DC 20 Strength check to lift from inside 
  (and a successful DC 35 Perception check to find from the 
  outside).
  AREA 38: FAMILY CRYPTS
  The walls here are carved and decorated with briar roses, ravens, 
  owls, and even a seagull. In the center of these carved panels are 
  the names of members of the Stross family, men on the right, 
  women on the left. There are at least 50 or more burial sites here.
  The black skeletons hidden in these crypts rest motionless 
  while the party moves through the area. They only stir when 
  the party reaches the ancestral hall (area 39) or someone opens 
  one of the crypts.
  The sound of grinding stone fills the area. Eight skeletons suddenly 
  rise from their graves, each with glistening black bones and 
  pinpoints of red light burning in their empty eye sockets. With a 
  sword in each hand, they speak in whispering unison. 
   “We ruled the castle, we kept the secrets, and ours they shall 
  stay… You are not our children, there’s a price you must pay.” They 
  raise their short swords and advance.
  If a character successfully turns one of the Old Lords, the 
  skeleton meekly returns to its crypt, closes the lid, and resumes 
  its slumber. It doesn’t return to this battle, though it fights 
  again if the party returns at a later time.
  AREA 36: WINE CELLAR
  This is an old cellar, cool but not damp, full of dozens of barrels 
  of wine and plenty of dust. The barrels seem to have been 
  undisturbed for many years.
  These barrels hold a rich malbec, oloroso (a sherry aged 
  even longer than amontillado), golden ice wine, brandy, 
  and cheap vinegar. With a successful DC 30 Appraise check, 
  a character can tell the good casks from the vinegar. The 
  entire collection weighs 2,800 pounds. However, the casks of 
  oloroso, ice wine, and brandy weigh just 150 pounds, but are 
  worth 4,500 gp. The remaining wine stores are worth 350 gp. 
  The vinegar is worth 50 cp.
  A circular opening in the floor leads into area 37. 
  AREA 37: ESCAPE TUNNEL
  A narrow, three-foot-wide tunnel leads down and into darkness. 
  There are no doors or cross passages visible.
  The tunnel descends more than 900 feet to the base of the 
  hill. Handholds and footholds cut into the surrounding walls 
  make it easy to climb down (DC 10 Climb check) the tunnel 
  at its steepest points marked as CC on the map above. On 
  a failed check, the creature falls 1d4 x 10 feet and takes 1d6 
  points of falling damage for every 10 feet beyond the first 10 
  feet. The tunnel exits from beneath an overgrown stone that 
  
  55
  THE OLD LORDS (8) 
                                           CR 6
  XP 2,400 each
  Advanced black skeletons (Tome of Horrors Complete)
  CE Medium undead 
  Init +10; Senses darkvision 60 ft; Perception +16 
  Aura frightful presence (60 ft., DC 17) 
  DEFENSE
  AC 24, touch 16, flat–footed 18 (+6 Dex, +8 natural) 
  hp 59 (7d8+28) 
  Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +7 
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4; DR 10/bludgeoning 
  and good; Immune undead traits 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft. 
  Melee 2 shortswords +12 (1d6+2/19–20 plus 1d3 Strength 
  damage) or 2 claws +11 (1d4+2) plus 1d3 Strength damage)
  Special Attacks superior two-weapon fighting 
  STATISTICS
  Str 15, Dex 23, Con —, Int 17, Wis 14, Cha 18
  Base Atk +5; CMB +7; CMD 23
  Feats Improved Initiative, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon 
  Finesse, Weapon Focus (shortsword)
  Skills Acrobatics +16, Climb +15, Escape Artist +13, 
  Perception +16, Stealth +20 
  Languages Abyssal, Common
  Gear two shortswords
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Superior Two-Weapon Fighting (Ex) A black skeleton usually 
  fights with a shortsword in each hand. Because of its magical 
  nature, its Two-Weapon Fighting feat allows it to attack with 
  both weapons at no penalty. 
  Treasure: The skeleton’s grave goods are excellent quality 
  and well preserved. They include 8 golden signet rings (250 
  gp each), six silver and gold chains of office (1,000 gp each), 
  boots of levitation, a staff of frost (6 charges), an arcane scroll 
  (CL 5th level, darkness, halt undead, and slitherDM), and a +1 
  heavy steel shield.
  AREA 39: ANCESTRAL SUMMONING HALL
  Skulls sit on shelves next to a small shrine. Small silver sickles, 
  white candles, and an empty oil lamp sit on an offering altar. 
  Behind the altar is a painted screen showing a boatman, a river, 
  and a mass of ghosts and zombies in the water. On the far side of 
  the screen is a golden city glowing on a mountaintop. 
      At the far end is a heap of bones arranged as steps leading up 
  to a chair made entirely of bones. Over the chair hang a tattered 
  black banner and a crossed set of two silvery, untarnished scythes.
  The Stross family at one time included priests of the Death 
  God. These priests asked departed members of the family 
  about matters of law, parentage, history, or war using speak 
  with dead. A successful DC 20 Knowledge (Religion) check 
  reveals this chamber was used for summoning ancestors, an 
  uncommon but not unheard of ceremony for worshippers 
  of the Death God. A successful DC 25 Knowledge (religion) 
  check reveals that anyone who sits on the throne may use 
  speak with dead or similar magic to communicate with 
  Evander’s deceased ancestors. At the GM’s option, one of the 
  black skeletons or the living Stross can mention this ability. 
  Although the Stross no longer venerate the Death God, the 
  Throne of Past Lords (as it is known) still sits here, dusty and 
  mildly magical with faint conjuration and summoning magic.
  Read the following if the party expresses any interest in the 
  throne.
  The chair is made of bones and inlaid with black adamantine 
  runes, showing a carved crown and many names and dates: 
  Kranos Stross, Leander Stross, Adrastus, Haides, Kleitos, Isidoros, 
  Podarge, and a dozen more. The bones themselves include small 
  ones that might be kobold bones, larger human bones, and others 
  that can only be giants, horses or dragons of some kind. 
  If anyone actually sits on the Throne of Past Lords, it’s a trap 
  with benefits.
  THRONE OF PAST LORDS TRAP CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Type mechanical; Perception DC 26; Disable DC 30
  EFFECTS
  Trigger location; Reset automatic
  Effect Atk +15 melee (scythe; 2d4+10 plus poison [deathblade, 
  DC 14 Fort, 1/round for 4 rounds; 1d3 Con]) 
  Anyone that sits on the throne and survives the scythe 
  must attempt a DC 20 Will save. If a creature fails the Will 
  save, spirits possess that creature. The possessed creature 
  can attempt one Diplomacy check with a -4 circumstance 
  penalty to communicate with the spirits and receive one piece 
  of information from the table below according to the result 
  of the Diplomacy check. If the sitting PC succeeds on the 
  Will save, he is not possessed, but can command any intact 
  black skeletons in area 38 to obey for 1d6+2 minutes as if he 
  successfully cast control undead, even if the skeletons’ total 
  Hit Dice exceed the spell’s normal limitations. During that 
  time, he can ask questions and compel answers, attempting 
  DESIGNER’S NOTE
  Speak with dead is a spell I personally like a great deal. It 
  lets me talk in a spooky raspy voice and it requires players 
  to think and to ask questions. I think that role-playing 
  it out is better than using a table like the one above, but 
  if someone has taken ranks in Diplomacy, I think they 
  should get more out of the spell than the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook allows. Thus, bards are 
  better at asking the questions than, say, typical clerics. 
  For ideal use of the spell, note when the player says 
  his character casts the spell (or sits down), then check 
  a watch. Use the one minute per level duration in real 
  time; it puts pressure on the party to actually get the 
  interrogation done in a timely way. 
  
  56
  a Diplomacy check each minute that he controls the undead, 
  gaining information similar to that presented in the table 
  below. If that character is a cleric or paladin of a death god, 
  he gains a +4 circumstance bonus to this check. Of course, 
  the bones know the Stross side of the story, and don’t know 
  anything about Evander’s fate. A creature can only sit on the 
  Throne of Past Lords once every 24 hours. 
  DIPLOMACY 
  CHECK RESULT
  INFORMATION GAINED
  19 or less
  “The Stross family has always ruled with 
  fairness and justice. Their word has been 
  a soothing oil on troubled waters. Only 
  peasants and foreign enemies would dare to 
  suggest otherwise.”
  20
  “Yes, the Stross have ruled wisely and well. It 
  was a shame that the kobold revolt had to be 
  put down.”
  30
  “My child, how is it that you do not know 
  of our ancient alliance with the Scáthsidhe? 
  They have always been our friends. In times 
  of danger, look to them.”
  35
  “I fear the family’s close ties with the 
  shadows have blinded us to the dangers of 
  our alliance. They seek to take our lands, our 
  lives, and our souls into their dark kingdom.”
  40
  “I was an alchemist and a scholar, my name 
  was Haides Stross. Strike the heart of the 
  black oak–it poisons all our children and 
  their children. Save those you can from 
  its corruption! Save the Stross before you 
  become as we are!”
  AREA 40: GAOLER’S ROOM
  This is a warm, dry room furnished with three chairs, a footstool, 
  small tables, a padlocked chest, and a brazier of hot coals. A 
  man in a dirty but well-made jacket stands at a lectern reading 
  a book. The man’s skin is corpse white, and his eyes are bright 
  sparks sunken deep in his head. He wears a wig. One of his legs 
  seems injured, as it is bandaged, causing him to favor the other 
  leg. A loose cravat is tied around his neck, but  something like 
  stitches or scars peek out where the cloth has slipped down a bit. 
  The man looks up, and frowns. “Who let you in here?”
  Vasilios’s main room is a comfortable place without windows 
  or light. He is usually found here unless “working” on a victim 
  in the Rack Chamber (area 42).
  Vasilios’s mutilations affect his neck, back, upper left arm, 
  and upper left leg, so they are mostly invisible to casual 
  inspection. His disjointed upper left arm is braced and bolted 
  back into shape. His upper leg has been flayed to reveal 
  portions of his muscles, and he has dozens of hooks and rings 
  embedded in his chest that pass entirely through his body 
  connecting to bolts and metallic bracing on his back. His 
  neck has extensive stitching, as if his head had been sewed 
  on. Vasilios is initially unfriendly to the party, but not foolish 
  enough to try to engage superior numbers. He tries to talk the 
  PCs into leaving his room. If only one PC is visible, he tries 
  to capture her for later torture, first locking the room’s door 
  remotely with a switch concealed on the lecturn. Hearing 
  the muffled “click” of the lock requires a successful DC 29 
  Perception check, while finding the release on the lecturn 
  requires a successful DC 22 Perception check.
  Vasilios’ grotesque appearance forces anyone who gazes 
  upon him to succeed at a Will save or suffer ability drain. In 
  addition, his agonizing wail can shake opponents to their 
  cores. If the characters overcome these obstacles, the broken 
  soul feigns friendliness and tries to shake hands with a PC in 
  order to use his torturous touch ability. Vasilios always keeps 
  rope and iron manacles here, just in case.
  VASILIOS STROSS 
                                         CR 13
  XP 25,600
  Male human broken soul fighter 10/expert 3 (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4)
  CE Medium humanoid (human)
  Init +7; Senses Perception +7
  DEFENSE
  AC 28, touch 13, flat-footed 25 (+7 armor, +3 Dex, +4 natural, 
  +4 shield)
  hp 163 (10d10+70 plus 3d8+21)
  Fort +16, Ref +7, Will +6 
  Defensive Abilities bravery +3; DR 5/—; Resist acid 5, cold 5, 
  electricity 5, fire 5, sonic 5
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft.
  Melee +1 ghost touch heavy mace +21/+16/+11 (1d8+7/19–20) 
  or torturous touch +16 touch (2d6 plus 1d6 Dex damage and 
  convulsions)
  Ranged +1 light crossbow +16 (1d8+1/19–20)
  Special Attacks agonized wail (DC 13), baleful gaze (DC 13), 
  weapon training (hammers +2)
  STATISTICS
  Str 18, Dex 17, Con 23, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 5 
  Base Atk +12; CMB +16; CMD 29 
  Feats CleaveB, Combat Reflexes, Dazzling Display, DiehardB, 
  EnduranceB, Great FortitudeB, Greater Weapon FocusB 
  (heavy mace), Improved CriticalB (heavy mace), Improved 
  Initiative, Improved Vital Strike, Power AttackB, Shield Focus, 
  ToughnessB, Vital Strike, Weapon FocusB (heavy mace), 
  Weapon SpecializationB (heavy mace)
  Skills Climb +13, Handle Animal +6, Heal +13, Intimidate 
  +21, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge 
  (engineering) +10, Knowledge (nature) +12, Knowledge 
  (planes) +11, Perception +7, Sense Motive +6, Survival +6; 
  Racial Modifiers +8 Intimidate, –10 concentration
  Languages Common, Dwarven
  Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds; Other Gear +1 
  glamered breastplate, +1 ghost touch heavy mace, +1 heavy 
  steel shield, +1 light crossbow with 40 bolts, key to the locked 
  chest and doors in area 41, 56 gp, 98 sp
  
  57
  coming from inside the padlocked wooden trunk. Vasilios calls 
  the wooden trunk his “Box of Screams”. Read the following if 
  the PCs examine it closely.
  The chest is made of fine wood, perhaps cherry or apple, and is 
  tightly sealed against moisture or rattles. There are three slots 
  in the top and four in the front where sword hilts with golden 
  pommels stick out. Muffled screams come from within the trunk, 
  and it quivers slightly.
  The box contains the vampire who transformed Zarek into 
  his current undead state. Tortured for decades, he relinquished 
  his hold over Zarek long ago in a vain effort to appease his 
  captor. The box contains some of his grave soil and allows him 
  to recover hit points, but the golden seals and enchanted silver 
  weapons cut into his undead flesh, and one of the weapons 
  always releases a daylight spell each day at dawn.
  The lock is easy to open (DC 22 Disable Device). Argostad 
  has tried to escape hundreds of times, so he thinks that any 
  PCs are an illusion or a trick. If convinced that they are not, 
  he attacks to taste blood and gain vitality, or to be forever 
  destroyed.
  ARGOSTAD 
                                                          CR 10
  XP 9,600
  Male human vampire monk 9 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary)
  CE Medium undead (augmented humanoid) 
  Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 29, touch 21, flat-footed 25 (+2 armor, +2 monk, +3 Dex, 
  +1 dodge, +6 natural, +5 Wis)
  hp 78 (10d8+30); fast healing 5
  Fort +11, Ref +14, Will +14; +2 vs. enchantments
  Defensive Abilities channel resistance +4, improved evasion; 
  DR 10/magic and silver; Immune disease, undead traits; 
  Resist cold 10, electricity 10
  Weaknesses vampire weaknesses
  OFFENSE
  Speed 65 ft. 
  Melee unarmed strike flurry of blows +14/+14/+9/+9 
  (1d10+5/19–20) or unarmed strike +13/+8 (1d10+5/19–20) 
  or slam +12 (1d4+7 plus energy drain)
  Special Attacks blood drain, children of the night, create 
  spawn, dominate (DC 17), energy drain (2 levels, DC 17), 
  flurry of blows, stunning fist (10/day, DC 20) 
  STATISTICS
  Str 21, Dex 17, Con —, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 14
  Base Atk +7; CMB +15 (+17 grapple); CMD 31 (33 vs. grapple)
  Feats AlertnessB, Combat ReflexesB, Deflect ArrowsB, DodgeB, 
  Fleet, Gorgon’s Fist, Improved CriticalB (unarmed strike), 
  Improved GrappleB, Improved InitiativeB, Improved Unarmed 
  StrikeB, Lightning ReflexesB, MobilityB, Spring Attack, Power 
  Attack, Run, Scorpion’s Style, Stunning FistB, ToughnessB, 
  Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)
  Skills Acrobatics +12 (+22 when jumping), Appraise +8, 
  Climb +16, Escape Artist +12, Heal +10, Intimidate +11, 
  SQ armor training 2
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Agonized Wail (Su) As a standard action, a broken soul can 
  emit an agonized wail that inspires terror in those who hear 
  it. All creatures within 120 feet must succeed at a Will save or 
  become shaken for as long as they remain within 120 feet of 
  the broken soul. A successful save renders a creature immune 
  to that broken soul’s agonized wail for 24 hours. This is a 
  sonic mind-affecting fear effect.
  Baleful Gaze (Su) Any creature within 60 feet of a broken 
  soul must succeed at a Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of 
  Strength, Constitution and Charisma drain. Whatever the 
  result of the saving throw, the creature cannot be affected by 
  the same broken soul’s baleful gaze again for 1 minute.
  Torturous Touch (Su) A broken soul can make a touch attack 
  to cause hideous, painful wounds to rip open in the target’s 
  body. This touch deals 2d6 points of slashing damage and 
  1d6 points of Dexterity damage, and causes the touched 
  creature to fall prone in a fit of convulsions and be dazed for 
  1d4 rounds. A successful DC 13 Fortitude save negates the 
  Dexterity damage and the convulsive fit. 
  Treasure: Vasilios has a locked (DC 27 Disable Device or 
  DC 30 Strength check to open), copper-plated chest in the 
  room that contains his personal funds: 25,456 sp, two 600 
  gp sapphires, a pink diamond worth 4,000 gp, and an 800 gp 
  black pearl. 
  AREA 41: DUNGEON CELLS
  Six cramped prison cells crafted from thick iron bars line the 
  wall. Each contains a stone slab that presumably functions as a 
  bed and is secured by a locked door also constructed from iron.
  The original prisoners in the dungeon cells were let go when 
  the castle was stormed, but Vasilios keeps his victims here. 
  They have included travelers, tinkers, woodsmen, and other 
  unwary visitors to the castle. Several of the manacles show 
  signs of recent use (within the last month), but all of the cells 
  are currently empty. Because they are not in use, the doors are 
  all unlocked. Vasilios normally sleeps in a random cell.
  AREA 42: THE RACK CHAMBER
  Stairs descend into a spacious, rough-hewn chamber filled with 
  the stench of sweat and fear. There is a large table with a winch 
  at one end, most likely a rack for stretching prisoners. Nearby are 
  a metal chair and a cold brazier filled with pokers and knives. 
  There’s also a large wooden trunk with strange golden seals and 
  sword hilts sticking out of it in the opposite corner.
  This is clearly a torture chamber. Signs of dried yet still 
  visible blood on the floor confirms that it has been used, and 
  not that long ago. With a successful DC 20 Heal check, a 
  PC can determine the blood was spilt approximately 1 week 
  ago. Vasilios caught and tortured a shadow fey here, using 
  Rumbold’s old shadow-catching net. If a character succeeds 
  on a DC 20 Perception check, he can hear muffled screams 
  
  58
  Energy Drain (Su) A creature hit by a vampire’s slam (or other 
  natural weapon) gains 2 negative levels. This ability only 
  triggers once per round, regardless of the number of attacks a 
  vampire makes.
  Gaseous Form (Su) As a standard action, a vampire can 
  assume gaseous form at will (caster level 5th), but it can 
  remain gaseous indefinitely and has a fly speed of 20 feet 
  with perfect maneuverability.
  Shadowless (Ex) A vampire casts no shadows and shows no 
  reflection in a mirror. 
  Spider Climb (Ex) A vampire can climb sheer surfaces as 
  though under the effects of a spider climb spell.    
  Treasure: The blades poking through the box include six +1 
  silver short swords and a +1 silver longsword that allows the 
  wielder to cast daylight once per day as a 10th level caster. 
  AREA 43: DWARVEN HALLS
  The dwarves reside and store their inventory of armor and 
  weapons within this secure space. The door is made from the 
  same shadowstuff that protects the entrance into the cellar (see 
  area 35). It takes a successful DC 28 Strength check to batter 
  down the door or a successful DC 28 Disable Device check to 
  Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge 
  (religion) +12, Perception +16, Perform 
  (dance) +9, Ride +10, Sense Motive +16, 
  Stealth +11, Survival +11, Swim +12 
  Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, 
  Undercommon
  SQ change shape (dire bat or wolf, beast 
  shape II), fast movement, gaseous form, 
  high jump, ki pool (10 points, cold iron, 
  lawful, magic, silver), maneuver training, 
  purity of body, shadowless, slow fall 50 
  ft., spider climb, still mind, wholeness of 
  body
  Gear bracers of armor +2, cloak of  
  resistance +2
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Blood Drain (Su) A vampire can suck 
  blood from a grappled opponent; if the 
  vampire establishes or maintains a pin, 
  it drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of 
  Constitution damage. The vampire heals 5 
  hit points or gains 5 temporary hit points 
  for 1 hour (up to a maximum number 
  of temporary hit points equal to its full 
  normal hit points) each round it drains 
  blood.
  Change Shape (Su) A vampire can use 
  change shape to assume the form of a dire 
  bat or wolf, as beast shape II. 
  Children of the Night (Su) Once per day, a 
  vampire can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 
  1d4+1 bat swarms, or 2d6 wolves as a 
  standard action. (If the base creature is 
  not terrestrial, this power might summon other creatures 
  of similar power.) These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and 
  serve the vampire for up to 1 hour.
  Create Spawn (Su) A vampire can create spawn out of those 
  it slays with blood drain or energy drain, provided that the 
  slain creature is of the same creature type as the vampire’s 
  base creature type. The victim rises from death as a vampire 
  in 1d4 days. This vampire is under the command of the 
  vampire that created it, and remains enslaved until its 
  master’s destruction. A vampire may have enslaved spawn 
  totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice; any spawn 
  it creates that would exceed this limit become free-willed 
  undead. A vampire may free an enslaved spawn in order to 
  enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire 
  spawn cannot be enslaved again. 
  Dominate (Su) A vampire can crush a humanoid opponent’s 
  will as a standard action. Anyone the vampire targets must 
  succeed on a Will save or fall instantly under the vampire’s 
  influence, as though by a dominate person spell (caster 
  level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet. At the GM’s 
  discretion, some vampires might be able to affect different 
  creature types with this power.
  
  59
  MANDERGRIM                                                      CR 9
  XP 6,400
  Male dwarf shadow creature fighter 7/stalwart defender 
  2 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4, Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide)
  LE Medium outsider (augmented humanoid)
  Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception 
  +13
  DEFENSE
  AC 23, touch 14, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor,  
  +2 Dex, +2 dodge, +2 shield) 
  hp 90 (7d10+21 plus 2d10+6)
  Fort +9, Ref +5, Will +4; +2 vs. poison, spells and spell-like 
  abilities
  Defensive Abilities bravery +2, defensive stance  
  bypass the shadow lock. Evander, Mandergrim and the three 
  dwarven clerics are the only people with keys. 
  AREA 44: LIVING QUARTERS
  Beyond the well-made door lies a crowded, yet still spacious 
  chamber illuminated by soft gray magical light. The ceiling is 
  a bit low, perhaps just six or seven feet high. Bunk beds occupy 
  each corner adjacent to the entrance, while a more ornate bed 
  rests against the far wall. Several weapons are on display within 
  a sturdy weapon rack. A closed yet unlocked wooden chest sits 
  against one of the walls. A dark, wooden table surrounded by 
  four chairs takes up the center of the room.
  The dwarves of the Grimbold clan and sometimes Evander 
  live here. They sell their wares of skymetal armor and 
  weapons, and stake a claim to the castle when it (as they hope) 
  slips across the planar boundary into the embrace of the 
  Shadow Realm. Their leader, clan chieftain Mandergrim, is a 
  bitter fighter and a hard-working smith. The other three 
  dwarves—Ulfbaerht, Ulfgar, and Ulric—are all smiths, 
  clerics, and fighters. Their weapon’s enchantments 
  come from both divine and arcane sources. In 
  particular, Darius Grindstone, the aranea in the Ivy 
  Tower has long been Mandergrim’s friend and ally.
  The beds feature merely adequate sheets and furs 
  that are moldy and worthless. The concealed 
  trap door between the beds and the chest 
  can be located with a successful DC 25 
  Perception check. The dwarves use it as 
  an escape hatch as the tunnel beneath 
  it connects with the secret door at the 
  bottom of the well in area 14.
  If a fight breaks out here, the dwarves let 
  Mandergrim hold the narrow passage 
  while the clerics use bless on their side 
  and doom on their foes, plus using 
  their spiritual weapon spells to strike 
  at the party from a distance. They heal 
  Mandergrim if he is badly hurt, and 
  then escape to a safe meeting point 
  deep in the forest if any one of them is 
  knocked down.
  
  60
  Domain Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +3)
  5/day—touch of darkness (1 round), touch of evil (1 round)
  Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 3rd; concentration +5)
  2nd—align weaponD (evil only), darkness, spiritual weapon
  1st—bless, doom (DC 13), obscuring mistD (DC 13), protection 
  from good
  0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, mending, read magic 
  D Domain spell; Domains Darkness, Evil 
  STATISTICS
  Str 16, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14 
  Base Atk +5; CMB +8; CMD 19 (23 vs. bull rush or trip) 
  Feats Blind-Fight, Extra Channel, Lightning Reflexes, Power 
  AttackB, Weapon FocusB (dwarven waraxe)
  Skills Appraise +6 (+8 for nonmagical goods that contain 
  precious metals or gemstones), Heal +9, Knowledge (religion) 
  +7, Perception +4 (+6 vs. stonework), Spellcraft +5
  Languages Common, Dwarven
  Combat Gear potion of shield of faith +2; Other Gear +1 
  breastplate, +1 dwarven waraxe, masterwork heavy steel 
  shield, masterwork light crossbow with 40 bolts, 96 gp, 128 sp
  SQ armor training 1, aura
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Shadow Blend (Su) In any illumination other than bright 
  light, a shadow creature blends into the shadows, giving it 
  concealment (20% miss chance). A shadow creature can 
  suspend or resume this ability as a free action.
  Treasure: The weapon rack holds an inubrix* longsword, 
  an adamantine dagger, a noqual* mace, and a hot siccatite* 
  scimitar. The unlocked chest contains four pounds of raw 
  adamantine, three pounds of inubrix*, six pounds of noqual* 
  and two pounds of cold siccatite*. See Pathfinder Adventure 
  Path #61: Shards of Sin for more information on the materials 
  marked with an asterisk (*). 
  AREA 45: ESCAPE TUNNEL
  The crudely cut stone tunnel descends at a steep angle 
  into the bottom of area 14. A black tapestry separates this 
  passageway from the door into the well. The portal is plainly 
  visible from this side. It opens with ease into the bottom of 
  the adjoining well. 
  (9 rounds/day), defensive training (+4 dodge bonus to AC vs. 
  giants); DR 5/magic; Resist cold 10, electricity 10,  
  fire 5; SR 15 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft. 
  Melee +1 inubrix dwarven waraxe +15/+10 (1d8+6/x3) 
  Ranged +1 heavy crossbow +12 (1d10+1/19–20)
  Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc 
  humanoids, weapon training (axes +1)
  STATISTICS
  Str 17, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 9 
  Base Atk +9; CMB +12; CMD 27 (31 vs. bull rush or trip) 
  Feats Critical FocusB, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Initiative, 
  Power AttackB, Toughness, Vital Strike, Weapon FocusB 
  (dwarven waraxe), Weapon SpecializationB (dwarven waraxe)
  Skills Handle Animal +7, Heal +4, Intimidate +11, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +7, Knowledge (engineering) +7, Perception 
  +13 (+15 vs. stonework), Sense Motive +6 
  Languages Common, Dwarven
  Combat Gear potion of rage; Other Gear +1 cold siccatite* 
  breastplate, +1 inubrix* dwarven waraxe, +1 light steel shield, 
  +1 heavy crossbow with 40 bolts, 96 gp, 128 sp
  SQ armor training 2, defensive powers (clear mind)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Shadow Blend (Su) In any illumination other than bright 
  light, a shadow creature blends into the shadows, giving it 
  concealment (20% miss chance). A shadow creature can 
  suspend or resume this ability as a free action.
  *These special materials appear in Pathfinder Adventure Path 
  #61: Shards of Sin.
  ULFBAERHT, ULFGAR, AND ULRIC 
              CR 6
  XP 2,400 each
  Male dwarf shadow creature fighter 3/cleric 3 (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4)
  LE Medium outsider (augmented humanoid)
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60ft., low-light vision; Perception +4
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +1 Dex, +2 shield) 
  hp 52 each (3d10+9 plus 3d8+9)
  Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +6; +2 vs. poison, spells and spell-like 
  abilities
  Defensive Abilities bravery +1, defensive training (+4 
  dodge bonus to AC vs. giants); DR 5/magic; Resist cold 10, 
  electricity 10; SR 11 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 20 ft. 
  Melee +1 dwarven waraxe +10 (1d10+4/x3) 
  Ranged mwk light crossbow +7 (1d8/19–20)
  Special Attacks +1 on attack rolls against goblinoid and orc 
  humanoids, channel negative energy 7/day (DC 15, 2d6)
  
  61
  part foUr: silVer mines 
  and deep CaVerns
  levels. A group of shadow creatures slowly but surely extends 
  their hold here, as the Shadow Realm’s influence steadily 
  grows. If the party proves itself competent and trustworthy 
  (such as by killing the werewolf lord, or by driving away 
  one of the major haunts at the castle), they may be asked to 
  investigate the lower levels of the mines.
  AREA 46: KOBOLD MINESHAFT AND WINDING GEAR
  Two oxen walk around a gigantic wooden wheel that towers over 
  everything else in the camp. The wheel connects to an iron chain 
  that lifts and lowers ore and miners into a mineshaft.
  The 25-foot-tall winding gear moves a wicker and oak basket 
  large enough for 8 Small, 4 Medium, or 2 Large creatures at a 
  time. The mineshaft is 200 feet deep. Commanding the oxen to 
  move without permission of their kobold handlers requires a 
  successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. 
  Not far from the castle is the central mineshaft of the kobold’s 
  enormous silver mines. The small mining encampment is 
  the closest thing to a village within 2 days walk, allowing the 
  party to rest and recuperate here. However, the amenities are 
  minimal, and the kobolds range in alignment from LN to N to 
  LE, so the service ethic isn’t what it might be.
  Activity bustles around an active mining operation among the 
  trees ahead. Large sections of trees chopped away, a large stone 
  building with an enormous chimney, and a huge wheel with oxen 
  inside pulling a load up or down into a shaft in the earth. The 
  surprise is that it’s not dwarves doing the digging. Instead, it is 
  fifty kobolds. There are at least 50 or 75 tents and wooden shacks. 
  An elderly kobold with an escort of young toughs watch the 
  visitors from a second stone building built more like a tower.
  Unknown to anyone but the senior kobolds, their silver 
  mines connect to the Underearth caverns at the very deepest 
  
  62
  The kobolds offer no resistance to any creatures that 
  attempt to climb down the shaft. Although it is likely that the 
  characters can use alternative means to reach the bottom of 
  the shaft (feather fall, fly, levitate, spider climb, and the like), 
  the heavily gouged walls can be scaled with a successful DC 15 
  Climb check. 
  AREA 47: SMELTER
  Near the gigantic wooden wheel are mounds of stone and slag 
  and a brick building with a tall chimney. The buildings doors 
  are open arches. Inside is a powerful fire stoked by a reptilian 
  creature practically wreathed in flames and ten small, fiery 
  humanoid creatures with leathery wings, small horns, and 
  devious grins. Crushed stone and bars of gray and silvery metal 
  are stacked in piles all around them.
  The salamander foreman Vesuvian (Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Bestiary) and his ten flame mephits (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary) don’t have time to talk or fight. 
  Vesuvian is too focused on extracting silver, zinc, and lead 
  into separate crucibles and pouring ingots to take any interest 
  in anyone other than volunteers and his mephit subordinates. 
  The seven newly made silver ingots here are worth 190 gp. 
  Most are moved quickly to the vault.
  AREA 48: SILVER VAULT
  There’s exactly one heavily guarded stone building in the mining 
  camp. A lone iron door appears to be the only entrance. The 
  windows are round holes too small for even a kobold to wriggle 
  through. Two black-scaled kobolds guard the windows nearest 
  the door, and two more stand on the rooftop.
  Six 9th-level kobold rangers guard the vault at all times. 
  They work in tandem with the off-duty bulettes to guard the 
  silver from the smelter. New ingots are brought in twice a day 
  using passwords.
  The goal of the guards is to buy time until a mob of kobolds 
  overwhelms any foes, and the bulettes can be summoned (see 
  the Working Mines below). Mortukuk, the group’s leader, 
  wears a robe of bones, which he uses to create additional foes 
  each round, stalling even further. The first bulette shows up in 
  round 4, the second in round 5, and the last bulette ally joins 
  the defense in round 8. If the party attempts to outrun the 
  black-scaled guards, they send a pair of scouts to follow.
  BRANDOREK, BRUNDERVAL, JINGVER, JORSH, 
  EKNDERKEK, AND MORTUKUK                            CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  Female and male kobold ranger 9 (Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Bestiary)
  LN Small humanoid (reptilian) 
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +12
  DEFENSE
  AC 21, touch 16, flat–footed 16 (+3 armor, +5 Dex, +1 natural, 
  +1 shield, +1 size) 
  hp 63 each (9d10+18) 
  Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +6
  Defensive Abilities evasion
  Weaknesses light sensitivity 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee +1 shortsword +14/+9 (1d4+2/19–20), +1 light pick 
  +14/+9 (1d3+2/x4)
  Ranged mwk sling +15/+10 (1d3+1)
  Special Attack favored enemy (aberrations +4, humanoid 
  [dwarf] +2)
  Ranger Spells Prepared (CL 6th; concentration +9)
  2nd — cure light wounds, snare (DC 15)
  1st — detect poison, resist energy, summon nature’s ally I
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 13 
  Base Atk +9; CMB +10; CMD 24
  Feats Double Slice, Improved Initiative, Improved 
  Two-Weapon Fighting, Point Blank Shot, Two-Weapon 
  Defense, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse
  Skills Appraise +10, Climb +8, Craft (trapmaking) +12, 
  Handle Animal +8, Heal +12, Intimidate +6, Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) +12, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge 
  (nature) +8, Perception +14, Profession (miner) +14, Ride 
  +12, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +20, Survival +8, Swim +5 
  Languages Draconic, Dwarven
  SQ favored terrain [underground +4, mountains +2], hunter’s 
  bond (companions), track +4, wild empathy +9, woodland 
  stride
  Combat Gear potion of shield of faith +3; Other Gear +1 light 
  pick, +1 shortsword, +1 leather, masterwork sling with 25 
  bullets, 82 gp
  Treasure: The vault contains 28,900 gp worth of silver ingots, 
  which weigh 3,000 pounds and will be defended by the entire 
  camp. If stolen, the thieves have to deal with a kobold lich 
  who uses discern location to find the ingots again. The undead 
  wizard plays no part in this adventure.
  the worKing mines
  The following section applies to all mining tunnels and 
  chambers, including those bearing a name, that are not 
  designated on the Silver Mines map or the Vesslau Bergwerk 
  map (on page 63).
  The mineshafts are small and almost completely dark. The 
  working sections are tiny tunnels that are five feet high in most 
  sections, where miners follow the veins of metal ore. Hundreds of 
  kobold miners work in complete darkness. Overseers use magical 
  light only to check the grade of ore and to write tallies on tattered 
  vellum. The sound of scratching like claws on stone floats through 
  a larger tunnel, followed by a roar that shakes dust and grit from 
  the ceiling. The miners ignore the noise, hammering at stone 
  without pause.
  The noise is Timborlane, one of the kobold’s three tame 
  bulettes, following the most promising veins and to burrow 
  
  63
  quickly through unproductive stone. The bulette attacks the 
  party if provoked in any way. The kobolds use the bulette 
  against any party daring to threaten, rob, or murder a kobold–
  especially at the silver vault on the surface. 
  Although the kobolds are unaccustomed to seeing visitors, 
  they completely ignore the characters unless a party member 
  speaks directly to them. In that case, the kobold curtly responds 
  with short, staccato answers in a deliberate effort to get rid of 
  the distraction. However, if a PC mentions the sword of bright 
  shadows or liberating the kobolds from servitude, the kobold 
  drops everything and merrily engages the character. He refers 
  to the fabled sword as the “instrument of freedom,” though he 
  can provide no details about its current whereabouts other than 
  to insist that it must still be somewhere in the mine, perhaps 
  in their king’s lost tomb. The reptilian humanoid expresses 
  excitement at the prospect of being emancipated, but he dourly 
  concedes that “what is done is done.” 
  MAGROLANE, TEMMYLASHA, & TIMBORLANE    CR 8
  XP 4,800 each
  Advanced bulettes (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary)
  N Huge magical beast 
  Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, scent, 
  tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +13 
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 12, flat–footed 22 (+4 Dex, +14 natural, –2 size)
  hp 100 each (8d10+56)
  Fort +13, Ref +10, Will +7
  DEFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft. 
  Melee bite +15 (2d8+11/19–20), 2 claws +14 (2d6+8) 
  Special Attacks leap, savage bite
  STATISTICS
  Str 27, Dex 19, Con 20, Int 2, Wis 17, Cha 10
  Base Atk +8; CMB +18; CMD 32 (36 vs. trip)
  Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), 
  Weapon Focus (bite)
  Skills Acrobatics +11 (+19 when jumping), Perception +13; 
  Racial Modifiers +4 on Acrobatics checks to jump
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Leap (Ex) A bulette can perform a special kind of pounce 
  attack by jumping into combat. When a bulette charges, it 
  can make a DC 20 Acrobatics check to jump into the air and 
  land next to its enemies. If it makes the Acrobatics check, it 
  can follow up with four claw attacks against foes in reach, but 
  cannot make a bite attack.
  Savage Bite (Ex) A bulette’s bite is particularly dangerous. It 
  applies 1–1/2 times its Strength modifier to damage inflicted 
  with its bite attack, and threatens a critical hit on a 19–20
  
  64
  AREA 49: DARK FEASTING HALL
  The walls of this enormous cavern are beautifully carved with 
  scenes of a kobold king leading his people to victory over elves, 
  dwarves, and humans. He carries a shining sword and shield, 
  and in many areas is shown with a halo. Several verses of script 
  accompany the artwork.
  If a character speaks and reads Draconic and succeeds at a 
  DC 15 Perception check, she can see that these images do not 
  all depict the same kobold king. Rather they are members of a 
  dynasty that ruled here hundreds of years ago. There are some 
  references to the “blessings of the herald of light” and “the 
  invincible sword of light” in the text, but the writing provides 
  no further details. 
  AREA 50: COLLAPSED WORKS
  This section of the mines has collapsed. Dozens of phantom 
  kobolds in the form of shadows, greater shadows, and 
  spectres (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary) are its only 
  inhabitants. They bemoan their people’s slavery under the foot 
  of the Stross family and their dwarven allies. Although they 
  attack the PCs without mercy, they also beseech the characters 
  to find the lost tomb and free their descendents from bondage. 
  AREA 51: GAS-FILLED HALLS
  These halls are filled with low concentrations of explosive 
  gasses. Each character can attempt a single DC 15 Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) check to notice the blue caps on their torches 
  or lanterns when entering this section of the mines (dwarves 
  and kobolds gain a +4 racial bonus to this check). If the party 
  notices the danger, they know that they must extinguish fires 
  such as lanterns and torches or risk an explosion. If the PCs 
  are wise enough not to use fire, the five dark creepers and 
  dark stalker master (see below) attack them in an opportune 
  location, such as a tight, narrow tunnel that bottles up the PCs 
  or an intersection that allows the dark folk to surround the 
  characters. In addition, the air is bad enough in these tunnels 
  that it might cause fatigue. Each PC must succeed at a DC 17 
  Fort save each hour or become fatigued; a fatigued character 
  that fails this save becomes exhausted. 
  Read the following if the party fails the Knowledge 
  (dungeoneering) check.
  You have walked for hours in the narrow passages below the 
  earth, and the air has always been foul. Now, though, you notice 
  that it is getting worse, as you walk down a sloping passage beside 
  a trickling stream of water. The air around you suddenly turns to 
  fire. The pressure from an explosion rattles the walls and ceiling.
  Each PC takes 10d6 points of fire damage from the explosion 
  and is stunned for a round. A successful DC 19 Reflex save 
  halves the damage and negated the stunned condition. 
  Continue with the following.
  The afterimages from the fireball have barely ended when you 
  hear at least three distinct “chunks” as the crossbows fire from 
  somewhere back the way you came.
  The party encounters five dark creepers and their dark 
  stalker leader, who use their fog cloud and darkness abilities 
  to keep themselves hidden. The dark folk try to avoid melee, 
  circling around the passageways to attack the party from all 
  sides. The party can attempt Perception checks opposed by the 
  dark folk’s Stealth checks to locate the skulking creatures. If 
  successful, they hear movement both ahead and behind them, 
  retreating. If they spot the dark folk (who stay more than 50 
  feet away whenever possible), read the following.
  You finally see one of the lurkers, a man-sized humanoid with 
  pale, almost translucent skin. He is clothed in filthy and tattered 
  robes of blackish-gray, and he hisses as he brings his crossbow up 
  to fire.
  The dark stalker knows that the sword of bright shadows is 
  here somewhere in the tomb of the Kobold King. She can just 
  about smell it, and she has tortured a handful of kobolds to 
  find out where it is. Unfortunately for her, her information 
  is incomplete. The tomb is inaccessible from here. It is only 
  visible as a shadow during the flashbacks, so she’ll never find 
  it. In the meantime, she’s making life tough for the kobold 
  miners.
  SABELLA INKPOT 
                                           CR 9
  XP 9,600
  Female dark stalker rogue 5 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary)
  CN Medium humanoid (dark folk)
  Init +5; Senses see in darkness; Perception +16
  DEFENSE
  AC 20, touch 16, flat-footed 15 (+2 armor, +5 Dex,  
  +1 deflection, +2 natural)
  hp 71 (6d8+12 plus 5d8+10)
  Fort +5; Ref +14; Will +6
  Defensive Abilities evasion, trap sense +1, uncanny dodge
  Weaknesses light blindness
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee +1 short sword +13/+8 (1d6+2/19–20 plus poison) or
  +1 short sword +11/+6 (1d6+2/19–20 plus poison), mwk short 
  sword +11/+6 (1d6+1/19–20 plus poison) 
  Ranged mwk hand crossbow +13 (1d4)
  Special Attacks death throes, +6d6 sneak attack
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6th, concentration +8)
  At will—deeper darkness, detect magic, fog cloud
  STATISTICS
  Str 12, Dex 21, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14
  Base Atk +7; CMB +8; CMD 24 
  Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Iron 
  Will, Skill Focus (Stealth), Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon 
  Finesse
  Skills Acrobatics +16, Bluff +9, Climb +10, Craft (traps) +13, 
  Disable Device +12, Escape Artist +10, Intimidate +10, 
  Knowledge (dungeoneering) +11, Knowledge (local) +7, 
  Perception +16, Sense Motive +12, Sleight of Hand +10, 
  Stealth +28, Survival +6; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 
  Perception, +4 Stealth
  
  65
  Languages Dark Folk, Dwarven, Undercommon
  SQ rogue talents (lasting poison, resiliency), trapfinding
  Gear masterwork leather armor, +1 short sword, 
  masterwork short sword, masterwork hand 
  crossbow with 20 bolts, ring of 
  protection +1, black smear (6), 20 bolts
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Death Throes (Su) When a dark stalker 
  is slain, its body combusts in a flash of 
  white-hot flame. This acts like a fireball 
  that deals 3d6 points of fire damage to 
  all creatures within a 20-foot-radius burst. A 
  successful DC 15 Reflex save halves this damage. 
  A dark stalker’s gear and treasure are unaffected by 
  this explosion. This save is Constitution-based. 
  Poison Use (Ex) Dark stalkers are skilled in 
  poison use and never risk accidentally poisoning 
  themselves. Like their kin, the dark creepers, dark 
  stalkers use black poison on their weapons and 
  generally carry six doses on them. 
  Black Smear—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 
  1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save. 
  The poison DC is Constitution-based. 
  See in Darkness (Su) A dark stalker can see perfectly 
  in darkness of any kind, including that created by 
  deeper darkness.
  DARK CREEPER WARRIORS (5)                             CR 3
  XP 800
  Male dark creeper warrior 3 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary)
  CN Small humanoid (dark folk)
  Init +8; Senses see in darkness; Perception +5
  DEFENSE
  AC 17, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +4 Dex, +1 size)
  hp 42 (3d8+6 plus 3d10+6)
  Fort +4; Ref +8; Will +2 
  Weaknesses light blindness
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee dagger +9 (1d3/19–20 plus poison) 
  Ranged sling +9 (1d3)
  Special Attacks death throes, +1d6 sneak attack
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd, concentration +2)
  At will—darkness, detect magic
  STATISTICS
  Str 11, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 9
  Base Atk +5; CMB +4; CMD 18 
  Feats Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Sleight of Hand), 
  Weapon Finesse
  Skills Climb +9, Perception +5, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth 
  +14; Racial Modifiers +4 Climb, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth  
  Languages Dark Folk
  Gear dagger, sling with 10 bullets, rags, black smear (3 doses)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Death Throes (Su) When a dark creeper is slain, its body 
  combusts in a bright white light, leaving its gear in a heap 
  on the ground. All creatures within a 10–foot burst must 
  succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d6 
  rounds. Other dark creepers within 10 feet are automatically 
  blinded for at least 1 round, due to their light blindness. This 
  save is Constitution-based. 
  Poison Use (Ex) Dark creepers are skilled in the use of poison 
  and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves. Dark 
  creepers favor a foul-smelling black paste distilled from 
  certain deep-underground fungi known as black smear.  
  Black Smear—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round 
  for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Str; cure 1 save. The poison DC is 
  Constitution-based. 
  
  66
  Rag Armor (Ex) A dark creeper’s multiple layers of filthy rags 
  function as leather armor when worn by one of their kind.
  See in Darkness (Su) A dark creeper can see perfectly in 
  darkness of any kind, including that created by deeper 
  darkness.
  AREA 52: DRAGON’S CAVE
  At first glance, a dragon appears to be sitting in this natural 
  cavern, its nostrils curling smoke and flickering with fire. A closer 
  look reveals the beast to be only an expert carving into the stone. 
  The room’s air is filled with the smell of charred stone and sulfur. 
  Stone benches, tables, and hearths made for small creatures are 
  scattered about the cavern, while bones and broken utensils litter 
  the floor.
  There’s nothing here beyond what is described, unless the 
  party has completed the Enslavement of the Kobolds flashback, 
  which occurs when the PCs defeat the dark stalker and dark 
  creepers, or they reach this locale after succeeding on any two 
  prior flashbacks. When one of these conditions is met, see the 
  “Kobold King’s Tomb” below.
  The Kobold King’s Tomb
  The carved dragon’s mouth looks different now. Instead of a closed 
  snout puffing steam and fire, the dragon’s mouth is wide open, as 
  if about to swallow a knight whole.
  Anyone looking inside the dragon’s mouth sees a narrow 
  entrance. Read the following.
  Within the dragon’s mouth is a tiny room, no more than ten feet 
  square. Hanging from the ceiling are the dragon’s teeth; one fang is 
  a bright, shining sword. The thing glows as if it were white hot, but 
  it emits no heat. Underneath, in the area where the throat should 
  be, something stirs its black wings.
  The weapon is the sword of bright shadows (see below), which 
  can help lift the curse in the Black Oak Bailey . However, a 
  nightmare angel guards it. The twisted creature strikes out 
  against anyone that enters the room or attacks it.
  NIGHTMARE ANGEL 
                                         CR 11
  XP 12,800
  Nightmare movanic deva (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  Bestiary 4, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2)
  LE Medium outsider (angel, evil, extraplanar)
  Init +9; Senses darkvision 120 ft., detect evil, low-light vision; 
  Perception +20
  Aura fear (60 ft., DC 22), frightful presence (30 ft., DC 22), 
  protective aura
  DEFENSE
  AC 26, touch 15, flat-footed 21 (+5 Dex, +11 natural);  
  +4 deflection vs. evil 
  hp 126 (12d10+60); regeneration 5 (good spells and weapons, 
  silver)
  Fort +12, Ref +13, Will +9; +4 vs. poison, +4 resistance vs. evil 
  Defensive Abilities illusion resistance, nature’s pacifism, 
  protected life force, protection from good; DR 5/good or 
  silver; Immune acid, cold, electricity, fire, death effects, 
  energy drain, petrification; SR 21 
  OFFENSE
  Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (good) 
  Melee +1 unholy scythe +17/+12/+7 (2d4+7/x4) 
  Special Attacks night terrors (DC 16)
  Spell-Like Abilities (CL 12th; concentration +18)
  Constant—detect evil, protection from good
  At will—aid, discern lies (DC 20), dispel evil (DC 21), dispel 
  magic, holy smite (DC 20), invisibility (self only), plane shift 
  (DC 21), remove curse, remove disease, remove fear
  7/day—cure serious wounds
  3/day—detect thoughts, dream, nightmare, suggestion
  1/day—antimagic field, awaken, holy aura (DC 24),  
  shadow walk
  STATISTICS
  Str 19, Dex 21, Con 18, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 23
  Base Atk +12; CMB +16; CMD 29 
  Feats Cleave, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Power Attack, 
  Toughness, Vital Strike
  Skills Craft (weapons) +19, Diplomacy +21, Fly +24, 
  Intimidate +25, Knowledge (planes) +19 [+1 increase 
  from Int increase], Knowledge (religion) +19, Perception 
  +20, Sense Motive +16, Stealth +24, Survival +18; Racial 
  Modifiers +4 Intimidate, +4 Perception, +4 Stealth 
  Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; truespeech
  SQ feign death (DC 22)
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  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 effect.
  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 Heal check or Will saving 
  throw (DC = 10 + 1/2 the nightmare creature’s Hit Dice + 
  the nightmare creature’s Intelligence or Charisma modifier, 
  whichever is higher) to recognize it is actually alive.
  Frightful Presence (Su) This ability activates when the 
  nightmare creature charges, attacks during a surprise round, 
  succeed at a DC 15 Intimidate or Perform check. Its frightful 
  presence has a range of 30 feet. 
  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.
  Nature’s Pacificism (Ex) Animals and plant creatures do not 
  willingly attack a movanic deva, though they can be forced 
  to do so by magic. If the deva attacks a plant or animal, its 
  protection against that creature ends.
  
  67
  Night Terrors (Su) Once a nightmare creature 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 to exceeds it actual Charisma 
  score.
  Protected Life Force (Ex) Movanic devas are never harmed by 
  positive-dominant or negative-dominant planar traits.
  Regeneration 5 (Ex) Good-aligned weapons, silver weapons, 
  and spells with the good descriptor cause a nightmare 
  creature’s regeneration to stop functioning for 1 round.
  Treasure: Once the PCs defeat the nightmare angel, they can 
  retrieve the sword of bright shadows.
  SWORD OF BRIGHT SHADOWS
  Aura strong transmutation; CL 16th
  Slot none; Price 99,315 gp; Weight 4 lbs.
  This beautiful steel longsword was forged long ago, supposedly 
  by the Holly King, an elf lord of the Margreve Forest who 
  founded the shadowdancers and the first of the arcane servants 
  called the shadowsworn. The weapon’s appearance supports 
  this legend. The blade is made in an archaic elven style, with 
  a three-pronged hilt and heavy use of mithral in the alloy. 
  The weapon gives off a 40-foot-radius 
  glow when drawn from its black 
  wyvern-hide scabbard (equivalent 
  to a daylight spell). The weapon is 
  a +2 brilliant longsword. In normal 
  combat, the glowing blade is a +2 
  longsword, though its enhancement bonus increases to +4 
  against shadow creatures, shadow lord creatures and tenebrous 
  creatures (Tome of Horrors Complete). Unlike most brilliant 
  energy weapons, it can strike undead creatures. The wielder 
  of the sword never casts a shadow, though in dark conditions 
  he casts a reverse shadow—a dimly glowing patch of ground 
  that shows his form. This property gives the sword its name, 
  but it also effectively negates invisibility for the sword’s bearer 
  in twilight or dark conditions. The wielder always takes a -8 
  circumstance penalty to Stealth checks, and cannot hide in 
  plain sight.
  CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
  Craft Magic Arms and Armor, continual flame, daylight, 
  gaseous form; Cost 49,815 gp
  
  68
  part fiVe: finale
  players for a loop. The Black Oak singles out lightly armored 
  foes, using its Power Attack feat to increase its damage. The 
  monstrous creature also despises champions of good, which 
  prompts it to target such enemies with smite good. If possible, 
  the Black Oak moves close to the outer walls to animate up to 
  two trees outside the castle to come to its aid. If the party is on 
  the verge of defeat (or massive losses), Silverwing reappears to 
  cast heal on one or more lawful or good party members. He 
  shouldn’t fight the oak directly, though.
  THE BLACK OAK 
                                         CR 13
  XP 25,600
  Advanced fiendish tenebrous treant (Pathfinder Roleplaying 
  Game Bestiary, Tome of Horrors Complete)
  NE Huge outsider (extraplanar) 
  Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +14
  DEFENSE
  AC 31, touch 9, flat-footed 30 (+1 Dex, +22 natural, −2 size)
  hp 162 (12d8+108)
  Fort +17, Ref +5, Will +11
  Defensive Abilities plant traits; DR 10/slashing and good; 
  Resist cold 10, fire 10; SR 18
  OFFENSE
  Speed 30 ft. 
  Melee 2 slams +20 (2d6+12/19–20), bite +19 (2d6+6 plus 2d6 
  acid)
  Special Attacks acid bite, bristles (DC 25, 3d6 Con), rock 
  throwing (180 ft.), smite good (1/day), trample (2d6+18,  
  DC 26)
  STATISTICS
  Str 35, Dex 12, Con 29, Int 16, Wis 20, Cha 19
  Base Atk +9; CMB +23; CMD 34 
  Feats Alertness, Improved Critical (slam), Improved Sunder, 
  Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)
  Skills Diplomacy +12, Intimidate +16, Knowledge (nature) 
  +13, Knowledge (planes) +15, Perception +14, Sense Motive 
  +17, Stealth –7 (+9 in forests); Racial Modifiers +16 Stealth 
  in forests
  Languages Common, Infernal, Sylvan, Treant, Undercommon
  SQ animate trees, double damage against objects, treespeech
  SPECIAL ABILITIES
  Acid Bite (Ex) The bite of a tenebrous creature is acidic. Any 
  melee hit with its bite attack deals 1d6 points of acid damage 
  if the creature is Medium or smaller size or 2d6 points of acid 
  damage if the creature is Large or larger. 
  When the flashbacks are all done and the castle garden blooms 
  with red or yellow roses, the curse assumes the physical form 
  of the fiendish plant that was planted during the scáthsidhe’s 
  blood sacrifice so many years ago (the very sapling that was 
  shown during the Sacrifice on the Hill flashback). Defeating it 
  in this final encounter lifts the curse.
  the blaCK oaK
  When the party has recovered from the last flashback and 
  walks through the Black Oak Bailey, allow them to each 
  attempt a DC 30 Perception check. If a character succeeds on 
  the check, read the following.
  You notice that a few white feathers are scattered near the tree 
  trunk and the tree is empty. Also, the courtyard oak’s leaves shake 
  out of time with the gusting wind.
  If they all fail the Perception check, none of them can act in 
  the surprise round when the Black Oak attacks.
  The gargantuan black-barked tree opens a pair of hideous eyes, 
  stretches its creaking branches, and speaks in a rumbling tone. Its 
  branches fan out toward you. A sinister cloud of black and silver 
  leaves flies off the branches and moves your way.
  The black oak is a formidable melee opponent, and unlike 
  the typical treant, its fiendish nature grants it resistance to fire, 
  an unexpected development that might throw experienced 
  DESIGNER’S NOTE
  While CR 13 might seem low as a challenge against 
  the party (especially if they have leveled up during the 
  adventure), the Black Oak can easily acquire minions to 
  allow you to fine-tune the challenge. One or more of the 
  Four Deaths could help defend the Oak, as their oath to 
  Sarasta demands (though they might fight reluctantly). 
  Shadow mastiffs give a smaller increase to the encounter 
  difficulty, but might be worthwhile for flavor reasons. 
  Finally, all the shadows and darkness within the castle’s 
  stones could become a literal black wind of greater 
  shadows. Any or all of those creatures helping the Black 
  Oak can easily bump this encounter to CR 15 or more.
  
  69
  Animate Trees (Sp) A treant can animate any trees within 180 
  feet at will, controlling up to two trees at a time. It takes 1 
  full round for a tree to uproot itself, after which it moves at 
  a speed of 10 feet and fights as a treant (although it has only 
  one slam attack and lacks the treant’s animation and rock-
  throwing abilities) gaining the treant’s vulnerability to fire. If 
  the treant that animated it terminates the animation, moves 
  out of range, or is incapacitated, the tree immediately takes 
  root wherever it is and returns to its normal state.
  Bristles (Ex) A tenebrous creature is covered in many small 
  filaments that inject a deadly poison into any living creature 
  that comes into contact with them. An opponent attacking a 
  tenebrous creature with natural weapons, unarmed attacks or 
  handheld weapons must succeed on a Reflex save or contact 
  the many bristles that cover the tenebrous creature’s head and 
  be subjected to its poison. 
   On a failed Reflex save the opponent is paralyzed for 
  1d4 rounds. Immediately after the paralysis wears off, 
  the opponent must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 
  Con damage (the exact amount is based on the tenebrous 
  creature’s Hit Dice)—3 HD or less, 1d6 Con; 4–9 HD, 2d6 
  Con; 10 HD or more, 3d6 Con. 
   Neutralize poison removes the effects of the poison and if 
  cast before an opponent makes it Fortitude save prevents the 
  need for such. Creatures with resistance to poison receive their 
  normal bonus on their saving throws, and creatures immune 
  to poison are unaffected by a tenebrous creature’s bristles.  
  Double Damage Against Objects (Ex) A treant or animated 
  tree that makes a full attack against an object or structure 
  deals double damage.
  Smite Good (Su) Once per day, Black Oak may smite a good-
  aligned creature. As a swift action, Black Oak chooses one 
  target within sight to smite. It this target is good, Black Oak 
  add his Charisma bonus to attack rolls and gains a damage 
  bonus equal to its Hit Dice against that foe. This effect 
  persists until the target is dead or Black Oak rests. 
  Treespeech (Ex) A treat has the ability to converse with plants 
  as if subject to a continual speak with plants spell, and most 
  plants greet them with an attitude of friendly or helpful. 
  If the black oak is defeated, read the following.
  With a last attack, you split the ancient oak’s trunk in half. Its 
  leaves curl into shriveled pieces, and a grayish sap spills out onto 
  the courtyard dirt. The gusts of wind end, and the last shadows 
  and chills in the castle seem to disappear. 
   You hear the croaking call of that white vulture that roosted in 
  the tree. “The curse is broken! The goddess no longer rules here!” 
  It launches itself from the tallest tower. Wind lifts it as it flies east, 
  into the rising sun.
  Give the party time to recover before hitting them with the 
  scáthsidhe response given below.
  THE SCÁTHSIDHE MARCH
  If the party defeats the Black Oak, the curse is broken. While 
  the party rests and recovers, the shadow fey march out of the 
  Shadow Realm and into the castle, returning to stake their 
  claim, or so it seems. It rather depends on how well the party 
  did. If the castle has fallen into the Shadow Realm, the march 
  is the evil scáthsidhe’s triumphant victory (see The Castle 
  Falls into Shadow below). If the castle is freed of the curse 
  entirely, then the scáthsidhe are free as well. Continue with 
  the following.
  The light in the castle shifts and changes. A purplish-blue twilight 
  comes and goes very quickly, followed by the bright light of noon. 
  You hear harness bells jingling, and the distinct liquid cadences of 
  voices speaking Sylvan and Elven. 
   Looking up you see a procession of shadow fey rushing toward 
  you, some on their own wings, others riding on shadow mastiffs, 
  still others riding white horses. They are coming straight toward 
  the central courtyard. Banners of red and gold and green float 
  beside them, snapping from their rushing speed.
  Give the party time to prepare, heal, or take cover. Then read 
  the following.
  A small shadow fey, delicate as a butterfly, lands on the ruins of 
  the Black Oak. She speaks with such a high voice that it is difficult 
  to understand. Then she bows and points to a single shadow fey 
  coming closer, shaded by a black, rose-embroidered canopy held 
  up by thin, pale figures.
  The small fey speaks in Undercommon saying, “Make ready 
  for the Prince of the Scáthsidhe and his court! He honors you 
  with an audience.” This figure under the canopy is Orik, the 
  Moonlight Prince. He is accompanied by 120 of his courtiers, 
  sorcerers, and fighters, including any surviving members of 
  the Four Deaths. They are now neutral aligned and no longer 
  Sarasta’s servants. This does not make them friendly, exactly. 
  But unlike the Stross family, the shadow fey remember the vow 
  they once swore and their enslavement to the Shadow Realm 
  (and the PCs’ role in changing that history). Not all scáthsidhe 
  have followed them out of shadow, but they are grateful for 
  what the party has done.
  The shadow fey prince under the canopy wears a crown that glows 
  with moonlight. As he steps out from under it, he becomes very 
  difficult to see for a moment. He says, “I am Orik, the Prince of 
  Moonlight and Lord of these scáthsidhe who have defended my 
  interests here in the forest while I was a servant of Shadow. I 
  renounce all my claims to the castle we call Rosehaven, and retain 
  my claims to the Rosehill deep in the Margreve Forest. You have 
  done well for all my people, though I must warn you that not all 
  of them have accepted the lifting of the curse with good hearts.” He 
  draws a rapier from his scabbard and offers it hilt-first.
  If the party asks about the shadow fey that are not grateful, 
  Orik explains that his younger brother, the Black Prince, 
  remains in the service of the Goddess. His claims upon the 
  castle are broken. Still, he may hold a grudge. The rapier that 
  he hands over to the PCs is a +1 rapier of speed.
  THE CASTLE FALLS INTO SHADOW
  If the party fails at two more flashbacks than it succeeds at, 
  you have the option to call it over. The roses in the Winter 
  Garden all turn black, and the castle permanently crosses the 
  
  70
  planar boundary into the Shadow Realm. It cannot return to 
  the Material Plane without the permission of the Black Prince 
  of the scáthsidhe (which will obviously not be forthcoming). 
  The Black Prince arrives the following day to stake his claim 
  and take possession. The transition from the normal world 
  into shadow is fairly obvious. Consult the Shadow Realm 
  description on page 35 and read the following.
  Night falls, or a purplish-blue twilight at any rate. Harness bells 
  ring in the distance, and distinct liquid voices speak a strange 
  language, a bit like a warped Elven. Visible from the courtyard 
  are 30 or 40 black dogs racing through the air, each wearing a 
  tiny saddle and bridle and serving as the mount of a fey warrior. 
  Banners of black and gray and silver float beside them, snapping 
  from their rushing speed. Behind them, all the stars are falling 
  from the sky, like a huge meteor shower. In a minute, the sky is 
  entirely black.
  Give the party time to prepare weapons, heal, and so forth. 
  Then read the following.
  A fey lord wearing black chain armor and an 
  open-faced helm topped by a glowing white 
  feather lands in the black oak courtyard, and 
  speaks to the oak in that strange language. He 
  turns and bows, and says in Common, “This 
  castle is mine now and all its contents. Unless 
  you wish to swear fealty to me, I suggest you 
  cease trespassing.” Fourteen warriors and two 
  sorcerers gather around him, but the creak of 
  bows being drawn back in the shadows suggest 
  their may be many more soldiers nearby.
  This is Hander Svenk, the Black Prince, who 
  remains loyal to Sarasta and is delighted to see the 
  castle’s curse completed. He is accompanied by 30 of 
  his kin, sorcerers, and fighters, including any surviving 
  members of the Four Deaths. For stats, use the Four 
  Deaths from the Bridge at Oros flashback as Hander and 
  his best fighters, then add 30 shadow mastiffs (Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game Bestiary), 12 greater shadows 
  (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary), and 26 
  regular shadow fey (Midgard Bestiary). If the 
  party attacks, Hander has readied an action 
  to shadow jump away from the party, behind 
  his soldiers. He calls out to his 12 archers 
  to shoot, while the mastiffs, shadows, and 
  12 melee fighters all attack directly. His two 
  sorcerers attempt to blind the party or strike 
  with starbolts and orbs of light. 
  If the party tries bluffs or diplomacy, 
  Hander has little sympathy and a hostile 
  initial attitude. If they truly want to win him 
  over, they should go kill his milksop older 
  brother, Orik. Leaving the Shadow Realm 
  requires the usual methods, such as ethereal 
  jaunt, a planar gate or portal, a gate spell, 
  or similar. If the party doesn’t have any such means at their 
  disposal, they may need to serve the Black Prince or pay their 
  way home at one of the shadow cities.
  ConClUsion
  If the party sorts out Evander’s role, succeeds in the flashback 
  encounters, clears out the monsters haunting the castle and 
  dungeons, and lifts the shadowy curse on the family lineage, 
  they’ll have a good claim on the castle. The shadow powers of 
  the castle, its magic, and the shadows themselves will obey the 
  wielder of the sword of bright shadows or the slayer of the Black 
  Oak if Evander is dead. The City-State of Zobeck grants the 
  claim to the land and castle, if the Stross family gives up any 
  claim to lordship over the city and its holdings. By renouncing 
  that claim forever, the Strosses hang onto their ancestral castle 
  and the silver mine: better than nothing, especially without the 
  shadow curse.
  
  71
  FURTHER ADVENTURES
  The party may control a cleansed castle, with a good- or 
  neutral-aligned Stross family’s name restored. The remaining 
  dangers might include the Grimbold dwarves, Lóránt the 
  werewolf lord, Vasilios, an escaped Argostad, or some 
  unrepentant shadow fey. Evander, Moira, and Vasilios are 
  grateful to the PCs if the shadow fey tell them what really 
  happened; Zarek is an arrogant young nobleman and refuses 
  to believe that he would have been a vampire if not for the 
  PC’s intervention. He calls the heroes a bunch of “Cheeky, 
  conniving beggars out to steal the family treasures.”
  “Bandits” in the woods attack travelers for some time to 
  come; these servants of the Black Prince can be chased into 
  the woods (the fey are unlikely to stick around for fair fights). 
  Ghosts and shadows do not haunt the castle, but it is still a 
  valuable site near an active mine. A kobold sorcerer lich might 
  claim the castle for the kobold king, or the city may send a 
  garrison and a captain to lead it. Possession still counts heavily 
  in the PCs’ favor, but they might need to spend time or money 
  to retain their hold on the castle.
  MAGIC POWERS OF THE CASTLE
  The castle is so deeply infused with magic that it grants 
  shadow abilities to its owner. As far as the castle is concerned, 
  the owner is the wielder of the sword of bright shadows (or the 
  slayer of the Black Oak). That PC gains the ability to command 
  any and all shadows and greater shadows at the castle (and to 
  summon a new one once per month). In addition, the PC can 
  cast both mirage arcana and shadow walk three times per day 
  while on the castle grounds (using her character level as the 
  caster level). If the PC speaks with the greater shadows that 
  live there, he gains a +4 circumstance bonus on Knowledge 
  (arcana) and Knowledge (planes) checks he attempts while in 
  the castle. Of course, the shadows also whisper promises of 
  the power that awaits a hero in the Shadow Realm. Eventually, 
  they even suggest swearing an oath to Sarasta.
  OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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  Open Game License v1.0, © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
   
  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000–2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan 
  Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. 
  Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
   
  Deep Magic. © 2014 Kobold Press. Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Tom Benton, Creighton Broadhurst, 
  Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, Charles Lee Carrier, Tim Connors, Adam Daigle, Jonathan Drain, Mike 
  Franke, Ed Greenwood, Frank Gori, Jim Groves, Amanda Hamon Kunz, Sam Harris, Brandon Hodge, 
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  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide, © 2010, Paizo Inc.; Author: Jason 
  Bulmahn.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Race Guide. © 2012, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis 
  Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Hal 
  MacLean, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Owen K.C. Stephens, Todd Stewart, and Russ 
  Taylor.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary. © 2011, Paizo Inc.; Author: Jason Buhlman, based on 
  material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 2. © 2010, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Wolfgang Baur, Jason 
  Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, Graeme Davis, Crystal Frasier, Joshua J. Frost, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon 
  Hodge, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal MacLean, Martin Mason, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason 
  Nelson, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, James L. Sutter, 
  Russ Taylor, and Greg A. Vaughan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip 
  Williams.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 3. © 2011, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Jesse Benner, Jason 
  Bulmahn, Adam Daigle, James Jacobs, Michael Kenway, Rob McCreary, Patrick Renie, Chris Sims, F. 
  Wesley Schneider, James L. Sutter, and Russ Taylor, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte 
  Cook, and Skip Williams.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 4. © 2013, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse 
  Benner, Savannah Broadway, Ross Byers, Adam Daigle, Tim Hitchcock, Tracy Hurley, James Jacobs, 
  Matt James, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K 
  Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Tork Shaw, and Russ Taylor.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. © 2011, Paizo Inc.; Author: Jason Buhlman, based 
  on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. 
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Monster Codex. © 2014, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse 
  Benner, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Ross Byers, John Compton, Robert N. Emerson, Jonathan 
  H. Keith, Dale C. McCoy, Jr., Mark Moreland, Tom Phillips, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K 
  Reynolds, Thomas M. Reid, Patrick Renie, Mark Seifter, Tork Shaw, Neil Spicer, Owen K.C. Stephens, 
  and Russ Taylor.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 2011, Paizo Inc.; Author: Jason Buhlman.
   
  Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Equipment. © 2012, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Dennis Baker, 
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  Return to Castle Shadowcrag. © 2018 Open Design LLC. Authors: Wolfgang Baur and Thomas 
  Knauss.
  
  he family Stross ruled Zobeck with ruthless 
  cruelty and shadow fey magic for nearly 600 
  years—until those who suffered under them 
  finally reached their boiling point. The ensuing revolt 
  overthrew the hated Stross, and left their cursed 
  castle a dark and shunned place.
  Return to Castle Shadowcrag is an adventure where 
  past and present mingle. As the players explore this 
  legendary castle, a single step can send them back in 
  time to participate in its most important events—and 
  possibly change history. Can they lift Shadowcrag’s 
  curse, sever its connection to the Shadow Realm, and 
  redeem its melancholy steward, Evander Stross?
  The adventure is intended for four 11th-level characters 
  or five 10th-level ones. The heroes are expected to gain 
  1 level before the adventure’s climactic ending.
  t
  RETURN TO
  PO Box 2811
  Kirkland WA 98083
  www.koboldpress.com
    Castle 
  shadowCrag
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Kobold Press - Open Design/Return to Castle Shadowcrag.pdf