For ages untold, a gemstone monolith has pierced the heart of the Echo Wood. Now, as civilization intrudes upon this enigmatic splinter, a strange life once again stirs in the depths—one with ties to undying evils and a might beyond time itself. The promise of wealth and power calls to glory-seekers from across the Inner Sea region, tempting them into a labyrinth of monster-haunted vaults, defiled tombs, arcane laboratories, and worse, as they seek to unveil the secrets locked below the legendary Emerald Spire.
”Flanked” is a condition. That is, if a character is flanked by at least two other characters, he is considered to be flanked by any characters who threaten him.
Block Initiative. I use block initiative. That is, if two or more PC’s are next up in the initiative order, any of them can go regardless of the actual order. That’s to keep delays to a minimum. However, if someone uses a group buff later in the block (but before any NPCs go), I’ll consider the buff to have occurred before the actions of the other characters in the block.
Adamantine works differently. Adamantine weapons only ignore hardness 5 (+1 per magical bonus of the weapon).
Death hurts. Other than a TPK, If your character dies and you cannot get him or her raised, you will come back into the game with a lower level character and must play catch-up as best you can.
Friends in the Fort: Form an alliance with either the Hellknights of Fort Inevitable or the Seven Foxes resistance that opposes them.
Reaching the Spire Dungeons: Find the path to reach the subterranean dungeons.
Sage's Expedition: Catalog the underground dungeon levels for the sage’s records. (Each time you explore a dungeon level and return with a report to Abernard Royst, receive a reward in gold and XP.)
Noqual Relic: Find the noqual relic and return it to Abernard Royst.
Missing Wizards: Find the missing wizards Jharun and Tiawask of the Goldenfire Order.
Portal Research: Find three pieces of research about the dungeon’s portals and return them to the Goldenfire Order.
Azlant, kingdom of: Semi-mythical first kingdom of men that dominated the early ages of history and existed on a distant continent to the west. Said to have been destroyed by calamity 10,000 years ago.
Crowned Skull: A powerful and malevolent presence is stirring in the dungeons below the Emerald Spire. Strange new forms of undead have been disgorged from portals in the Spire Glen. They bear the symbol of a crowned skull.
Crusader Road, the: An offshoot of the River Road, the Crusader Road was the primary route for reaching Mendev during the First and Second Mendevian Crusades. After the Sarkorian town of Storasta (that sits on the West Sellen) fell during the Second Crusade, the route became too dangerous, and the crusaders instead chose the longer path up the Sellen proper through the Numerian city of Chesed. The phrase "Crusader Road" can also refer to the borderlands between the River Kingdoms, Ustalav and Numeria.
Echo Wood: A forest in the northwestern River Kingdoms, site of the Emerald Spire, known to be inhabited by fey, goblins, Kellid barbarians and and refugees from the Worldwound.
Emerald Spire, the: A famous tower of greenish glass in the Ech Wood said to be an Azlanti ruin. It has an evil reputation as a home to goblins and the grave of heroes and treasure-seekers for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Fort Inevitable: A walled fortress-town on the Crusader Road. Controlled by hellknights and a bastion of law in a lawless land. It is where the Emerald Spire campaign begins.
The Goldenfire Order of Thornkeep: An order of sorcerers and wizards with an interest in the Emerald Spire.
Hellknights: The Hellknights are a collection of knightly orders with a unique focus on the promulgation of law. They are interested less in the social goodness and charity typical of paladins, but rather in the foundation and stringent maintenance of order at all costs. In their iron-handed exaction of law—specifically, the laws of their various orders and their home country of Cheliax—Hellknights emulate the organized and effective armies of Hell. They are not concerned with morality or methods, only results. If people cannot be trusted to obey the law out of their own senses of civility and social righteousness, Hellknights provide the need to obey out of fear of a master's stern hand.
Mosswater: A ruined town on the Crusader Road that was overrun by ogres fifty years ago. It is said to hold many treasures for one brave or stupid enough to brave the ogre colony that thrives there.
Seven Foxes, the: A mysterious organization in Fort Inevitable opposed to the rule of the Hellknights.
Thornkeep: A town in the heart of the Echo Wood noted for its lawlessness and its famous dungeons said to be of Azlanti origin.
Zog, kingdom of: A goblin realm that dominated Echo Wood some 500 years ago.
