THE PACTMASTER’S BARGAIN
The last few weeks have been a blur. After wilting in the hot streets of Katapesh, you’re relieved to at last reach the Winding Road, an inn outside the city, also secretly a Pathfinder lodge. As you descend into the basement, you overhear Venture-Captain Roderus through an open door. Just inside is a Pactmaster, one of the mysterious masked plutocrats that rule Katapesh. This must be important!
“I’m sorry, Pactmaster Krimiltuk,” admits Roderus, “but I don’t know of any Pathfinder agent named Panven Wikar. Desna knows that there’s been plenty of stolen wayfinders, and this honestly sounds like someone setting us up. Perhaps you are wasting your time.” Recognizing the name Panven Wikar, you step into the venturecaptain’s view and flash the Pathfinder hand
signals for “important” and “continue task.” He raises an eyebrow but continues speaking. “On the other hand, Pactmaster, perhaps it would be useful to know who exactly is framing us. What exactly are those damages that he caused?”
A low, buzzing voice issues forth. “I’ve itemized the total known damages here,” the Pactmaster says as a piece of parchment flies out from inside one of its sleeves and lands on the table.Roderus glances briefly at the parchment before staring back at Krimiltuk. “We are both aware that you did not come here expecting us to pay that amount.”
Krimiltuk bows its head slightly. “Entirely. The culprit is in our custody, as is the amulet with which he caused such havoc. Your recovering a different creature and different relic is a fair trade to overlook this incident, and Wikar shall be yours to discipline as you like. Is this agreeable?” Roderus glances at you for affirmation, then nods to Krimiltuk.
“That locket broke our control over one of our aluum constructs. Recover that aluum in working condition. I’m acquainted with your organization’s reputation, so I must emphasize that the aluum only has value if it returns in one piece. Second, in the desert south of here lie three small pyramids known as the Three Stars. We believe a fourth exists nearby, and within that fourth pyramid exists something that should grant us access to the other three structures.”
Roderus quizzically asks, “You would have us go to a mythical location and acquire a mythical item?”
Krimiltuk replies, “We believe that it is not as mythical as it seems. We would provide enough information to you before your team headed out.”
Roderus thinks before answering. “Well, if the choice is between paying a large sum we don’t have or exploring, that choice is easy. We’ll take that deal.” With a nod, Krimiltuk teleports away, and the parchment on the table incinerates itself. There is an awkward silence.
Roderus turns toward you. “Welcome to the Winding Road, Pathfinders. Mind explaining how exactly we got here?”
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
4-5A: Zarta's Assessment
4-5B: Money Stalks
4-5C: The Stars Align
4-5D: Temple of Light and Metal
4-5E: Dusk's Domain
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
The scourge die is 1d8+1.
When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor Dark Archive's Favor.
If the result of your check to defeat a barrier exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, suffer a scourge. If the result of your check to acquire an item exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, draw an item from the box and banish a displayed card that has the Curse trait.
ADVENTURE 4-4: RELIC IN THE WASTES
Thanks to you, the world seems a safer place, with Muhlia al-Jakri captured and bound for Absalom to answer for her crimes. However, each night is less restful than the last. You have ongoing nightmares from your time controlled by the vampire Stavros Nightcrescent, and you have become increasingly concerned about a dangerous artifact mentioned in the notes you recovered from al-Jakri. Known as the Atramentous Eye, the orb is said to feed off the life energy of those nearby, granting its wielder enhanced magical power. Hoping to keep others from tracking the orb magically, al-Jakri stowed it deep in the Spellscar Desert, a desolate wilderness in the magically scoured Mana Wastes across the sea. With al-Jakri defeated, it’s only a matter of time before one of her old allies— either Nightcrescent or the fiend Koth’Vaul—decides to take the orb for himself
Few are willing to brave the Mana Wastes, where the ancient archmages Geb and Nex once battled so ferociously that they left the land devastated. Arcane storms ravage the landscape, and even magic is known to function unpredictably, sometimes manifesting with greater power and other times escaping its user’s control entirely. For all this, the Pathfinder Society has one friend who’s not only willing to travel to the Mana Wastes; he’s eager for the opportunity. The geniekin Ashasar awaits you in the metropolis of Quantium far to the southwest, ready to guide you into the forbidding wasteland.
Millennia ago, the phenomenally powerful archmage Nex founded the kingdom that still bears his name. In its capital Quantium, magical innovation is the most popular industry. As you disembark after a pleasant voyage south along the Garundi coast, you marvel at the sights. Conjurers run errands with bound genies in tow. Transmuters coax lumps of metal into intricate works of art. Impossibly delicate architecture towers above the plazas. Multi-tiered fountains dance with playful water elementals. And over the roofs of one district, you can see the hulking form of an immense golem patrolling the city’s perimeter.
“You would not wish to pick a fight with that one,” comments a geniekin as he approaches, his eyes roiling with energy like thunderclouds. He floats atop a small cushion of mist and descends to stand near you, patting a tiny air elemental that alights nearby. “Welcome to Quantium, Pathfinders. I am Ashasar, Liaison to the Seat of Balance and corrector of elemental irregularities. I understand that you seek a vile artifact within the Spellscar Desert, and I wish to see that realm with my own eyes to determine if my allies and I might quell its curse. When shall we depart?”
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
4-4A: Wasteland Diplomacy
4-3B: It’s Looking Like Rain
4-3C: Riddles of Ruin
4-3D: A Killer Conundrum
4-3E: The Spellscar Showdown
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
The scourge die is 1d8.
When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor Concordance’s Favor.
If the result of your check to acquire or defeat a card that has the Acid, Cold, Electricity, Elemental, or Fire trait exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, suffer a scourge; otherwise, if you succeed at the check, you may banish a displayed card that has the Curse trait.
TOMB OF THE GODLESS HOST
It seems like ages since you set out from Sothis, the capital of the desert nation of Osirion, in pursuit of the jewel called the Untouchable Opal. The opal is rumored to contain an imprisoned elemental lord of air, quite the prize for the Pathfinder Society. You serve Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir, who charged you with this quest that has led you far from Sothis. You have battled ravenous gnolls, undead alchemists, and the scoundrels of the Aspis Consortium. Some of them were even, until recently, your allies.
Your encounter with the alchemists in the Halls of Hidden Flame and your expedition to the thriae hive are more than a week behind you. A ship carries you into Manaket, a prosperous port city along the northern coast of Rahadoum. The thriae were the last settlement to have seen Mnesoset, a formidable scholar known also as the Spinel Sage—also your key to breaking into a flying pyramid in pursuit of the Aspis Consortium villains who betrayed you in Osirion.
The journey has given you ample time to study Mnesoset’s belongings, many of which she left with her thriae allies before setting off to the west. Her carefully preserved journals depict a woman enthralled by the Jistka Imperium, a powerful empire that was ancient Osirion’s greatest rival in its early years. Jistkan artificer-priests were famous for their ability to create powerful and lifelike golems, but their empire collapsed from disease, infighting, decadence, andongoing attacks from Osirion. The pharaohs’ forces leveled many Jistkan sites, but new ones have reappeared over the centuries.
Apparently, the Spinel Sage had located an unexplored ruin she believed to be a storage facility for a golem army that was never deployed. When she set out millennia ago, it was to awaken and control the army to fight off a foreign power that had recently conquered Osirion. Given history books don’t mention any golem apocalypse from the west, you suspect she did not succeed. Even so, you need to find the rest of her notes, or recover the sage jewel that contains her memories, or—ideally—both.
In Manaket, you enjoy the hospitality of Venture-Captain Obo, a tall Garundi man with a graying beard and a welcoming smile. “I have reviewed the sage’s maps,” he announces while setting out a tray of oranges, nuts, bread, and wine. “And I have determined approximately where the site is—many landmarks change over three thousand years. The site Mnesoset describes was likely underground; that explains how it could have escaped the pharaohs’ armies and countless explorers. This means that you will need to reach that area, keep watch for clues, and track down the entrance. I have arranged for food and camels to carry you. With luck, you shall find what you seek.”
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
3-4A: Escape from Manaket
3-4B: The Battle of Toppled Stones
3-4C: The Choked Tunnel
3-4D: Spinel’s Grave
3-4E: The Army Awakens
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
The scourge die is 1d8.
When you are dealt Acid or Fire damage, if that damage is not reduced by at least 1, suffer the scourge Curse of the Ravenous.
4-2: FANNING THE FLAMES
The fortress city of Zimar buzzes with a palpable tension as you disembark your ship. The mix of Qadiran and Taldan influences in the architecture stand as testament to the ever-shifting borders between the two nations. For now, at least, Zimar is part of Taldor.
You make your way to meet Venture-Captain Cordelia Perseis. The young Taldan marquess smiles and beckons you to approach. You know she is a Shelynite wizard specializing in information gathering. Her appointment to venture-captain is recent; she has no lodge of her own, and has taken to serving as a point of contact for “at-large” Taldor missions while Venture-Captains Muesello and Themis handle their respective lodges. She is a noted supporter of Princess Eutropia, the child heiress of the Grand Prince of Taldor.
“Ah, welcome! Right on time!” The venture-captain gives a small, knowing smile before gesturing to places at a table stocked with just-cooked plates of your favorite foods. “I can’t tell you how helpful you’ve been in uncovering the details of Pasha Muhlia al-Jakri’s conspiracy to foment war between Taldor and Qadira. I’ve called you here because two recent incidents have stoked the flames of war. I suspect al-Jakri may be behind either or both, so I would like you to investigate them with me.
“First, a number of people have gone missing lately, including the daughter of this prefecture’s most prestigious senator. Senator Karthis is a Qadira hawk who makes High Strategos Pythareus look like a peacemaker by comparison. My divinations were unable to locate his daughter, so we presumed the worst. Karthis has publicly blamed the Qadirans for the kidnappings, but rumblings from Zimar’s undercity suggest otherwise.
“Then, one of the schools of war in Omash, Qadira’s counterpart to Zimar, burned down. The Qadirans have been blaming Taldor for the arson, but it mirrored a chemical explosion instigated by the late Baron Jacquo Dalsine, a man who died to the pasha’s blades when she left the Society. I do not think that’s a coincidence.
“I realized that the two may be connected after a Pathfinder agent in Omash reported seeing Sabina there. Hearing this, I invoked more powerful magics and confirmed that Sabina is alive, resisting my scrying. The fact that she shares her father’s fiery passions may explain this apparent deception.
“You did better than I could have ever hoped retrieving information on al-Jakri, so I’ll leave it to you to decide which of the two crimes we investigate first: the disappearance or the arson. Let me be your eyes and ears for the investigation— you have my spells at your disposal at all times. Good luck, my friends!”
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
4-2A: Missing Persons
4-2B: Mirror, Mirror
4-2C: Rumbles in Omash
4-2D: Cinders’ Truth
4-2E: Dark Nuptials
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
•The scourge die is 1d6.
•If the result of your check to acquire a boon equals the difficulty, you may draw a boon of the same type from the box.
•When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor Sovereign Court Favor.
ADVENTURE 4-4: RELIC IN THE WASTES
Thanks to you, the world seems a safer place, with Muhlia al-Jakri captured and bound for Absalom to answer for her crimes. However, each night is less restful than the last. You have ongoing nightmares from your time controlled by the vampire Stavros Nightcrescent, and you have become increasingly concerned about a dangerous artifact mentioned in the notes you recovered from al-Jakri. Known as the Atramentous Eye, the orb is said to feed off the life energy of those nearby, granting its wielder enhanced magical power. Hoping to keep others from tracking the orb magically, al-Jakri stowed it deep in the Spellscar Desert, a desolate wilderness in the magically scoured Mana Wastes across the sea. With al-Jakri defeated, it’s only a matter of time before one of her old allies— either Nightcrescent or the fiend Koth’Vaul—decides to take the orb for himself
Few are willing to brave the Mana Wastes, where the ancient archmages Geb and Nex once battled so ferociously that they left the land devastated. Arcane storms ravage the landscape, and even magic is known to function unpredictably, sometimes manifesting with greater power and other times escaping its user’s control entirely. For all this, the Pathfinder Society has one friend who’s not only willing to travel to the Mana Wastes; he’s eager for the opportunity. The geniekin Ashasar awaits you in the metropolis of Quantium far to the southwest, ready to guide you into the forbidding wasteland.
Millennia ago, the phenomenally powerful archmage Nex founded the kingdom that still bears his name. In its capital Quantium, magical innovation is the most popular industry. As you disembark after a pleasant voyage south along the Garundi coast, you marvel at the sights. Conjurers run errands with bound genies in tow. Transmuters coax lumps of metal into intricate works of art. Impossibly delicate architecture towers above the plazas. Multi-tiered fountains dance with playful water elementals. And over the roofs of one district, you can see the hulking form of an immense golem patrolling the city’s perimeter.
“You would not wish to pick a fight with that one,” comments a geniekin as he approaches, his eyes roiling with energy like thunderclouds. He floats atop a small cushion of mist and descends to stand near you, patting a tiny air elemental that alights nearby. “Welcome to Quantium, Pathfinders. I am Ashasar, Liaison to the Seat of Balance and corrector of elemental irregularities. I understand that you seek a vile artifact within the Spellscar Desert, and I wish to see that realm with my own eyes to determine if my allies and I might quell its curse. When shall we depart?”
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
4-4A: Wasteland Diplomacy
4-3B: It’s Looking Like Rain
4-3C: Riddles of Ruin
4-3D: A Killer Conundrum
4-3E: The Spellscar Showdown
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
The scourge die is 1d8.
When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor Concordance’s Favor.
If the result of your check to acquire or defeat a card that has the Acid, Cold, Electricity, Elemental, or Fire trait exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, suffer a scourge; otherwise, if you succeed at the check, you may banish a displayed card that has the Curse trait.
THE PACTMASTER’S BARGAIN
The last few weeks have been a blur. After wilting in the hot streets of Katapesh, you’re relieved to at last reach the Winding Road, an inn outside the city, also secretly a Pathfinder lodge. As you descend into the basement, you overhear Venture-Captain Roderus through an open door. Just inside is a Pactmaster, one of the mysterious masked plutocrats that rule Katapesh. This must be important!
“I’m sorry, Pactmaster Krimiltuk,” admits Roderus, “but I don’t know of any Pathfinder agent named Panven Wikar. Desna knows that there’s been plenty of stolen wayfinders, and this honestly sounds like someone setting us up. Perhaps you are wasting your time.” Recognizing the name Panven Wikar, you step into the venturecaptain’s view and flash the Pathfinder hand
signals for “important” and “continue task.” He raises an eyebrow but continues speaking. “On the other hand, Pactmaster, perhaps it would be useful to know who exactly is framing us. What exactly are those damages that he caused?”
A low, buzzing voice issues forth. “I’ve itemized the total known damages here,” the Pactmaster says as a piece of parchment flies out from inside one of its sleeves and lands on the table.Roderus glances briefly at the parchment before staring back at Krimiltuk. “We are both aware that you did not come here expecting us to pay that amount.”
Krimiltuk bows its head slightly. “Entirely. The culprit is in our custody, as is the amulet with which he caused such havoc. Your recovering a different creature and different relic is a fair trade to overlook this incident, and Wikar shall be yours to discipline as you like. Is this agreeable?” Roderus glances at you for affirmation, then nods to Krimiltuk.
“That locket broke our control over one of our aluum constructs. Recover that aluum in working condition. I’m acquainted with your organization’s reputation, so I must emphasize that the aluum only has value if it returns in one piece. Second, in the desert south of here lie three small pyramids known as the Three Stars. We believe a fourth exists nearby, and within that fourth pyramid exists something that should grant us access to the other three structures.”
Roderus quizzically asks, “You would have us go to a mythical location and acquire a mythical item?”
Krimiltuk replies, “We believe that it is not as mythical as it seems. We would provide enough information to you before your team headed out.”
Roderus thinks before answering. “Well, if the choice is between paying a large sum we don’t have or exploring, that choice is easy. We’ll take that deal.” With a nod, Krimiltuk teleports away, and the parchment on the table incinerates itself. There is an awkward silence.
Roderus turns toward you. “Welcome to the Winding Road, Pathfinders. Mind explaining how exactly we got here?”
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
4-5A: Zarta's Assessment
4-5B: Money Stalks
4-5C: The Stars Align
4-5D: Temple of Light and Metal
4-5E: Dusk's Domain
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
The scourge die is 1d8+1.
When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor Dark Archive's Favor.
If the result of your check to defeat a barrier exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, suffer a scourge. If the result of your check to acquire an item exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, draw an item from the box and banish a displayed card that has the Curse trait.
3-3: IN SEARCH OF A SAGE
During your training in the Grand Lodge of Absalom, you learned that the Aspis Consortium and betrayal go hand in hand. Yet for some as yet unremembered reason, you agreed to do the dirty work of Aspis leader Ridaiya Merai, who offered you promises of camaraderie and great discoveries. Now she and her crew have sealed themselves inside a flying pyramid, locking the entrance behind them. After a despondent week of travel back to Sothis, you’re back in the Sandswept Hall with Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir, considering your next move.
Unannounced, a visitor arrives—a wizened Osirian man wearing magnificent blue robes and a patient smile. The venture-captains rises to greet and introduce his guest: Amenopheus, the Sapphire Sage, a staunch ally of the Pathfinder Society.
Amenopheus takes a humble bow before sitting down. “Norden has kindly informed me not only of the Consortium’s treachery, but also of the warded door. Based on the drawings you made, I believe it insurmountable by any modern means.” His smile deepens as he adds, “What the Aspis do not know is that you have allies from the past.”
Norden Balentiir coughs politely, and Amenopheus nods apologetically and elaborates. “Osirion has a troubled history interspersed with depraved leaders, power-mad pharaohs, and foreign dictators. When the great kingdom’s first golden age was coming to an end, the foremost scholars formed the Jeweled Sages, an order dedicated to preserving knowledge of Osirion’s history and discoveries for use in the modern day. Each sage preserved his or her wisdom in a powerful gemstone, much like the one I possess.” To punctuate the statement, Amenopheus removes a delicate golden chain from his neck, from which hangs a magnificent sapphire set in a gold amulet.
“The group was almost wiped out millennia ago, but my colleague Tahoniskepsu and I have begun rebuilding it by recovering the lost sage jewels and training a new generation to assume the sages’ mantle and power. I have inquired with my colleagues, and we can sense only trace memories of this locked doorway. It may not be within our power to open it, but we believe one of our order preserved precisely that secret.”
Norden Balentiir rubs his chin thoughtfully before asking, “Didn’t these sages scatter to the four winds when the Empire of Kelesh invaded?”
“It is true the sage jewel may be anywhere within ancient Osirion’s extensive domain,” notes the Sapphire Sage as his face blossoms into a wrinkled grin. “But if the Pathfinders are willing to make history in the course of discovering it, I know just where to begin.”
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
The scourge die is 1d6+1.
When you are dealt Electricity damage, if that damage is not reduced by at least 1, suffer the scourge Curse of Fevered Dreams.
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER
3-3A: Hidden in the Stacks
3-3B: The Hyenas’ Lair
3-3C: To the Highest Bidder!
3-3D: Allied with Alchemists
3-3E: Up in Flames
FAVORS AND FOES
Pasha Muhlia al-Jakri has lost much of her standing and many of her holdings in Qadira, but some of her connections remain intact. Your ifrit colleague Malik Qadim passes you freshly brewed coffee as he explains the situation. “I believe a particular man in Katheer can help you: the much respected Tallah al-Hamar. To the casual observer, he is a distributor of goods from local artisans to the world beyond. To the practiced eye, though, he is the core of an extensive network of business contacts that can accomplish nearly anything if properly managed.”
Qadim waves a hand dramatically as he explains, “Qadira operates on patronage, a complex system of who knows whom. Al-Hamar is a powerful patron in that economy of favors. No doubt he commands the ear of any legitimate business contacts— and illegitimate ones—on which al-Jakri has relied recently. I can supply you a letter of recommendation, but even my word carries only so much weight. If you are to secure Tallah al-Hamar’s patronage, you must earn it.” The ifrit stands and stretches before adding, “One of my own caravans is bound for Katheer tomorrow. The Qadiran satrapy maintains some of the safest roads, yet there is always a little more safety in numbers. I know a local fixer by the name of Sahmia, and she can guide you from there.”
The journey from Omash to Katheer is a short and uneventful one. Katheer is a wonder to behold! Beautiful buildings, each looking more extravagant than the last, rise up into the sky. Crowds of people fill the streets, and ships of every kind from every corner of Avistan, Garund, and Casmaron traverse the harbor.
You track down Sahmia with little difficulty, and after you introduce yourself to the Kelish woman, she cheerfully motions to her surroundings. “Welcome to Katheer! Have your eyes ever beheld such wonders? No other city commands such sights, sounds, and treasures, which is why all caravans come to Katheer eventually.” She grins. “Come, let us log your arrival. Only fools and Taldans try to court patrons without registering. Afterward, we can secure lodging for you and discuss how to get the esteemed al-Hamar’s attention.” It’s clear that Sahmia has assisted travelers like you before, as with her help, you quickly secure official travel and business papers.
Paperwork in hand, you head to the Mirage, the caravanserai that Sahmia selected for you. She stops you as you approach the door. “Haggling is very important here. It’s simply how business works, and I’ll give you a lesson. Listen, and try to learn.” Her interaction with the innkeeper is as much a dance as any you’d see in a ballroom, and their words eventually arrive at a price that leaves them both smiling. Sahmia tosses and catches the key as she leads you upstairs to help plan your next move.
“You did better than I could have ever hoped retrieving information on al-Jakri, so I’ll leave it to you to decide which of the two crimes we investigate first: the disappearance or the arson. Let me be your eyes and ears for the investigation— you have my spells at your disposal at all times. Good luck, my friends!”
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor The Exchange’s Favor.
If the result of your check to acquire a boon from a location deck exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, you may banish that boon to summon and encounter a random boon of the same type that has a higher adventure deck number.
FAVORS AND FOES
Pasha Muhlia al-Jakri has lost much of her standing and many of her holdings in Qadira, but some of her connections remain intact. Your ifrit colleague Malik Qadim passes you freshly brewed coffee as he explains the situation. “I believe a particular man in Katheer can help you: the much respected Tallah al-Hamar. To the casual observer, he is a distributor of goods from local artisans to the world beyond. To the practiced eye, though, he is the core of an extensive network of business contacts that can accomplish nearly anything if properly managed.”
Qadim waves a hand dramatically as he explains, “Qadira operates on patronage, a complex system of who knows whom. Al-Hamar is a powerful patron in that economy of favors. No doubt he commands the ear of any legitimate business contacts— and illegitimate ones—on which al-Jakri has relied recently. I can supply you a letter of recommendation, but even my word carries only so much weight. If you are to secure Tallah al-Hamar’s patronage, you must earn it.” The ifrit stands and stretches before adding, “One of my own caravans is bound for Katheer tomorrow. The Qadiran satrapy maintains some of the safest roads, yet there is always a little more safety in numbers. I know a local fixer by the name of Sahmia, and she can guide you from there.”
The journey from Omash to Katheer is a short and uneventful one. Katheer is a wonder to behold! Beautiful buildings, each looking more extravagant than the last, rise up into the sky. Crowds of people fill the streets, and ships of every kind from every corner of Avistan, Garund, and Casmaron traverse the harbor.
You track down Sahmia with little difficulty, and after you introduce yourself to the Kelish woman, she cheerfully motions to her surroundings. “Welcome to Katheer! Have your eyes ever beheld such wonders? No other city commands such sights, sounds, and treasures, which is why all caravans come to Katheer eventually.” She grins. “Come, let us log your arrival. Only fools and Taldans try to court patrons without registering. Afterward, we can secure lodging for you and discuss how to get the esteemed
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor The Exchange’s Favor.
If the result of your check to acquire a boon from a location deck exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, you may banish that boon to summon and encounter a random boon of the same type that has a higher adventure deck number.
ADVENTURE 4-4: RELIC IN THE WASTES
Thanks to you, the world seems a safer place, with Muhlia al-Jakri captured and bound for Absalom to answer for her crimes. However, each night is less restful than the last. You have ongoing nightmares from your time controlled by the vampire Stavros Nightcrescent, and you have become increasingly concerned about a dangerous artifact mentioned in the notes you recovered from al-Jakri. Known as the Atramentous Eye, the orb is said to feed off the life energy of those nearby, granting its wielder enhanced magical power. Hoping to keep others from tracking the orb magically, al-Jakri stowed it deep in the Spellscar Desert, a desolate wilderness in the magically scoured Mana Wastes across the sea. With al-Jakri defeated, it’s only a matter of time before one of her old allies— either Nightcrescent or the fiend Koth’Vaul—decides to take the orb for himself
Few are willing to brave the Mana Wastes, where the ancient archmages Geb and Nex once battled so ferociously that they left the land devastated. Arcane storms ravage the landscape, and even magic is known to function unpredictably, sometimes manifesting with greater power and other times escaping its user’s control entirely. For all this, the Pathfinder Society has one friend who’s not only willing to travel to the Mana Wastes; he’s eager for the opportunity. The geniekin Ashasar awaits you in the metropolis of Quantium far to the southwest, ready to guide you into the forbidding wasteland.
Millennia ago, the phenomenally powerful archmage Nex founded the kingdom that still bears his name. In its capital Quantium, magical innovation is the most popular industry. As you disembark after a pleasant voyage south along the Garundi coast, you marvel at the sights. Conjurers run errands with bound genies in tow. Transmuters coax lumps of metal into intricate works of art. Impossibly delicate architecture towers above the plazas. Multi-tiered fountains dance with playful water elementals. And over the roofs of one district, you can see the hulking form of an immense golem patrolling the city’s perimeter.
“You would not wish to pick a fight with that one,” comments a geniekin as he approaches, his eyes roiling with energy like thunderclouds. He floats atop a small cushion of mist and descends to stand near you, patting a tiny air elemental that alights nearby. “Welcome to Quantium, Pathfinders. I am Ashasar, Liaison to the Seat of Balance and corrector of elemental irregularities. I understand that you seek a vile artifact within the Spellscar Desert, and I wish to see that realm with my own eyes to determine if my allies and I might quell its curse. When shall we depart?”
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
4-4A: Wasteland Diplomacy
4-3B: It’s Looking Like Rain
4-3C: Riddles of Ruin
4-3D: A Killer Conundrum
4-3E: The Spellscar Showdown
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
- The scourge die is 1d8.
- When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the favor Concordance’s Favor.
- If the result of your check to acquire or defeat a card that has the Acid, Cold, Electricity, Elemental, or Fire trait exceeds the difficulty by 6 or more, suffer a scourge; otherwise, if you succeed at the check, you may banish a displayed card that has the Curse trait.
4-1: CHASING YELLOW SAILS
Still recovering from the fierce battle for Absalom, the Pathfinder Society was appalled to hear reports that a former ally—onetime faction leader Pasha Muhlia al-Jakri—helped coordinate the betrayal and subsequent two-pronged attack that had threatened the city. Though citizens, soldiers, and Pathfinders alike rose up to thwart the foul plot, the assassin al-Jakri managed a narrow escape. Not only is the Pathfinder Society embarrassed to have trusted a betrayer for so many years, but it is horrified that she used Society connections to nearly bring Absalom to its knees. Uncertain whether she may possess other secrets or allies, the Pathfinder Society desperately needs to track down and capture al-Jakri before she can hatch any other sinister plots. You have been set the task of bringing her to justice.
After some preliminary investigation, it becomes clear that most of al-Jakri’s lieutenants perished in the battle. There is one who was seen escaping, however: a Keleshite man named Satyar Siddique. He was last seen boarding a ship that was then intercepted by a large galley bearing the infamous yellow sails of an Okeno slaving ship. Siddique is now undoubtedly being ferried to Stonespine Island off the coast of Katapesh to be auctioned off at Okeno’s notorious Fleshfairs—markets where slaves of all races and nationalities are sold like chattel. If the Society wants any chance of stopping anything al-Jakri may be setting in motion, you must track down Siddique and convince him to share what he knows. Every moment you delay brings him a greater risk of being traded, tortured, or killed by slavers who are unaware how valuable he is.
Venture-Captain Roderus of the Winding Road Lodge, one of the Pathfinder Society’s local headquarters in Katapesh, has done all he can to equip you for your mission and warn you of the cruel gnolls that are seen as villains elsewhere yet are welcome in Okeno. You’ll cross to Stonespine Island on a merchant ship, and from there you must keep a low profile to avoid unwanted attention. Into the Yellow City of Okeno you must go, with hopes you will not fall to a slaver’s noose.
COMPLETE THESE SCENARIOS IN ANY ORDER:
4-1A: Amid the Yellow City
4-1B: Imposters in the Compound
4-1C: Unfettered Frenzy
4-1D: Trouble Following Directions
4-1E: Seaward!
DURING THIS ADVENTURE
- The scourge die is 1d4+1.
- When creating the blessings deck, replace 1 blessing with the support card Liberty’s Edge Favor.
- If the result of your first check to defeat of your turn exceeds the difficulty by 7 or more, shuffle a monster from the box into your location deck.
REWARDS
Each player unlocks the ability to play Crowe from the Wrath of the Righteous Character Add-On Deck using the Magus Class Deck.
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