Scenario Intro's page

7-99 Scenario C: Return to the Fangwood
The forest around you is the Fangwood, a dense and dangerous woodland in the nation of Nirmathas. You remember this forest from early in your adventuring career, when large band of kobolds menaced a forest town
called Oakheart, and you put a stop to the little reptilian troublemakers. The town was saved. But… is that truly what happened? Two
histories war in your mind. In one, you were the heroes of Oakheart. In the other, no one came to save the town. When kobolds seemed about to overwhelm Oakheart, a village witch attempted to summon extraplanar aid far beyond her ability. Something went very, very wrong. Oakheart and all the kobolds were obliterated, shunted into some unknown plane and never seen again.

Your recent experiences, and the fact that you’ve been brought back to this event, makes the mystery suddenly clear. The “extraplanar aid” must have been Rippling-Sapphire-Crown. The protean is trying to rewrite the reality of your existence, changing things at touchpoints in the past where your fate intersected with the fates of the invading proteans to guarantee their invasion. They tried to catch you in Kaer Maga, then Vellumis, and last—or perhaps first—here in the Fangwood.

You must find and stop this protean leader. You’ll have to look around Oakheart and its environs to find out more. But something
is wrong with your eyesight. Your field of vision is too wide, and you see deeper into the shadows beneath the trees than you ever have before. Your claws are shorter than you remember—wait, you don’t have claws. Do
you? Of course you do; you’re a kobold, and you’re part of the band attacking Oakheart. Your mind and your equipment remains your own, mostly, although you’ve got a lot more trapmaking gear than you remember.

First things first. You’ve got to convince the leader of the kobold band—your leader—to stop the pending attack. Terrible things come of it, and you know it from your crested head to the tips of your clawed feet.

Dangers: Drake, Inferno Trap, Poison Dart Trap
Villain: None
Henchmen (Closing): Kobold Sorcerer, Kobold Champions-Proxy A

Setup: Add the Onslaughts wildcard Hazardous.

7-99 Scenario B: Within the Soot-Stained City
Whitewashed buildings rise high around you, blackened with soot from recent fires. Frightened whinnies of pack animals, cries of the wounded, and the stench of blood fill the air. This isn’t Kaer Maga. This is… Vellumis? You haven’t been to Vellumis in a year, since the evacuation of the Gravelands when the Whispering Tyrant broke free and laid waste to the land. The city can’t still be in the panicked throes of evacuation, can it?

That’s when it hits you: you’ve gone back even further in time than before, back to the final desperate days when the nation of Lastwall died. Crusaders are leading the homeless and helpless to the docks to board refugee barges. All of them, even the crusaders trying to keep a brave face, are brimful of desperate fear. Your presence here means more protean magic; you’re not free of their strange, reality-warping influence.

There was a protean hiding in Kaer Maga, and there must be one hiding here in Vellumis as well. Perhaps there’s more than one, as pulling you backwards in time this far seems like it would take a lot of power. You’ve got to find someone—anyone—who’s seen a protean. Someone in Vellumis must have seen peculiar serpentine monsters twisting through the air as though gravity were merely a suggestion they choose to ignore. With luck, they might even have seen how the proteans arrived here in the first place.

But luck is not on Vellumis’s side this day, if you remember the past correctly. Cultists of a nihilistic sect called the Whispering Way penetrated the city in the guise of refugees, plotting to open the city gates to hordes of undead. You stopped them in time—or did you? Cries of alarm echo through the streets as crusaders begin to battle monsters and undead within the city. They’re attempting to mount a frantic defense, but it seems too late already. Did you fail? Or are you being unwritten from existence by meddling proteans? This is the worst kind of chaos, and chaos is where proteans thrive.

Setup: Add the Onslaughts wildcard Desperate.

Danger: Zombie Minions
Villain: Azuretzis-Proxy V1 and V2
Henchmen (Closing): Witness, Vampire, Cultists-Proxy A

7-99A: Strangers in the City of Strangers
Your job in Kaer Maga, the City of Strangers, is nearly done. You found the city difficult to navigate, not only due to the ancient walls that separate the disparate neighborhoods, but because the people of Kaer Maga keep to themselves and dislike being bothered. You’ve nevertheless managed to recover a powerful artifact that controls the undead; it had been misused by a corrupted morticianpriest of Pharasma named Letra. The greenish statuette is strangely warm and pulses with an energy that reminds you of pallid corpses and grasping, undead hands.

Wait, this isn’t right. You claimed the artifact but returned it to the Pathfinder Society for safekeeping… didn’t you? How is it you are still here, where you recovered the artifact… days ago? Weeks ago? The statuette pulses and seems to writhe, serpentlike, in your hands. Was it always a snake with the head of some prehistoric beast? No, it wasn’t
this shape before.

Something is definitely wrong here. You must discover why you’ve been pulled back to this time. Something is significant about this artifact or, perhaps, about your quest for it. Time to gather some clues. You’ll have to start with those who know about Letra and her twisted crusade to claim the artifact, and then you should inquire with scholars of esoteric lore about the artifact’s changing shape. Although few in the City of Strangers tend to be forthcoming with their expertise, the city’s knowledge runs deep.

You soon realize that the statuette is making your job much harder. The shuffling feet and breathless moans of shambling dead follow you. Undead emerge from dim alleys and shuttered tenements as you traverse the city. There’s a reason an evil mortician-priest was after this item: it draws the undead to it like moths to a flame. As if you needed any further complications right now.

Setup: Add the Perils wildcard Confusing.

Danger: Plague Zombie
Villain: None
Henchmen: Evidence-Proxy A1 and Proxy A2, Wraith, Wights-Proxy B

Scenario 5C: Serpents Fall
Marcos Farabellus calls you into his office. “Well done, well done! Once again, you’ve proven that you are some of the finest agents the Society has to offer. As much as you’ve earned a rest after all that you have accomplished, there’s no one else I trust more to put an end to the Korholm Agenda business. We’ve tracked town Alexayn’s crypt, and our scout’s reports suggest that someone has been coming and going from it quite often recently. I trust you’ll be able to pick up Suliji’s trail from there.”

After a bit of teleportation magic and a quick walk, you reach the outside of Alexayn’s tomb, and carefully open the doors. Within, a mummy sits among piles of treasure, listlessly rearranging stacks of coins. He remarks, “So, has Suliji finally tired of working behind my back and sent thugs to drive the dagger home?”

Do you trust him enough to talk, or would you rather end him here?

Harrow Suit: Hammers

Setup
When preparing story banes, shuffle Alexayn into the Crypt and Mr. Khayn into the Castle, then shuffle a random one of the other henchman into each other location.

Characters start at the Crypt.

Dangers: Bandit, Animated Object
Villain: None
Henchmen (Closing): Alexyan, Mr. Khayn, Clockwork Guardian, Dragon, Drake, Mandraivus, Mysterious Relic

Scenario 5B: All the Gods Beyond
You’ll say this for Professor Kramolag—she knows how to stay hidden. Loaralis’s directions take you to a laboratory hidden beneath a barren and sea-battered island. After bypassing the electrified security doors, you get your first sense of what this place has in store. And it’s clear that even before your arrival, something went terribly wrong.

Panicked researchers scramble about, destroying evidence of their work. A fractured containment cell barely holds a skittering monstrosity of fangs, wings, legs, and tentacles, whose red eyes roll wildly as it fills the air with ear-piercing wails. A green fluid leaks from a burst pipe, dissolving the floor as it moves. Flickering, conjoined forms of vaguely humanoid shadow hover in the air above another room of shattered containment chambers, holding a calm debate about the nature of divinity.

If you’re going to find anything of value in this mayhem, you’ll have to act quickly.

Danger: Inferno Trap, Mysterious Relic
Villain: None
Henchman (Closing): Augnagar Qlippoth, Evidence-Proxy B

Harrow Suit: Shields

Scenario 5A: The First Taste of Eternity

“Have you heard of the sun orchid elixir?” asks Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus. “It’s an alchemical liquid with the miraculous ability to extend the life of whoever drinks it. The formula is Thuvia’s best-kept secret. A large part of Thuvia’s economy is based on the profits they get from the auction of the stuff. It’s also an almost irresistible target for thieves, meaning it needs many layers of protection. And this year, we have evidence that one of the Korholm Agenda leaders, Kitio Aspenthi, is plotting to steal the elixir. Kitio has built his life, his fortune, and his networks in Thuvia. If we can save the elixir and prove that Kitio is involved, we can turn Kitio from an influential power-broker into a despised outlaw, and we can earn the favor of Thuvia’s rulers in the process.”

Farabellus turns to you, a gleam in his eye. “Are you in?” Barely pausing long enough for you to confirm your interest in the mission, he continues. “So here’s how this works. I’ve secured official permission from Thuvia’s government for you to help protect the shipment. The elixir has been split up into six vials, each of which is being carried by a different caravan. If any of the caravans come under attack, they’ll send a distress call, and we’ll have a wizard on standby to teleport you in. If there’s an attack, capture the thieves and learn who sent them.”

It doesn’t take long before you receive a cry for help, and you rush to the scene. When you arrive, however, you find chaos. Most of the thieves have come and gone, leaving behind a few common mercenaries and group of horrid, sinewy guardians to stop anyone who would interfere with their plans. These guardians are no match for you, however. As the dust of the battle clears, the caravan driver stammers, “It wasn’t just these monsters. There was a dragon. A dragon attacked us! Bluer than water, big as a house, breathing out storms. How were we supposed to do anything about that? The dragon grabbed the elixir and flew off, then these monsters showed up.”

One of the mercenary thieves pleads, “Please, don’t kill me. I’ll tell you what I know: The dragon was Loaralis. She was supposed to help us escape. Kitio promised!” It’s not long before the mercenary confirms your suspicions. Not only is Kitio Aspenthi behind this attack, he’s also secured the aid of a legendary dragon. If you’re going to get more answers, you’re going to need to ask the dragon. And you don’t expect she’ll share her answers freely.

Danger: Collapse
Villain: None
Henchman (Non-Closing): Cultist (Kaarim), Thug (Sabria)
Henchman (Closing): Collapse-Proxy A

Setup: When preparing story banes, shuffle the Cultist and the Thug into the Shrine, then shuffle 1 Collapse into each other location.

During This Scenario:
If a Collapse is undefeated and not avenged, each character is dealt 1d6 Combat damage, then add a marker to the set-aside Collapse. When the Collapse has 3 or more markers, you lose.

When you defeat the Cultist or the Thug, display it. When one is displayed, the other gains the following powers:
-Before acting, discard the top 1d4 cards of your deck.
-The difficulty to defeat is increased by 1d12+1d8.
-If defeated, add the the new location Lair and recharge the villain Loaralis-Proxy V1 into it, then you may automatically close the Shrine.

6-99C: The Waxworks
You see the smoke before anything else, rising up in twin streams from the canopy and collecting in the dome of the sky. Then you see the ruined manor, sprawling and crumbling all at once, as if the building had taken a big sigh and began to settle wherever it landed.

Just as smoke spews from the chimneys, people spew out the doors. It’s more of the copies, the same people over and over again. They come out in bursts and scatter into the woods, probably looking for you. You’ll have to sneak past them to make your way inside.

Setup: Build a number of Waxworks locations equal to the number of characters. Characters start at the Ruin.

6-99B: The Tangled Briar
Eventually the sound of the crowd fades as you run deeper and deeper into the overgrown woods. You hear some of the copies cry out in pain as they get tangled in the thorns and it seems the rest just couldn’t keep up. The tangled woods are silent, and you finally have a chance to take a breath and look around.

The world you’ve been dragged into looks as fake as the stage you just stood on. The sky is painted on to the firmament, and you can see a set of brass rails that provide the orbit for a ticking clockwork sun that trundles across the sky. Even the trees in the briar seem fake. Their branches twist and coil in serpentine patterns, and the thorns are more wicked than anything nature could provide.

The true strangeness of the woods finally reveals itself when you turn around. You see the path you’d just cleared behind you closes before your eyes, leaving no sign that you’d ever been through the woods. This might deter your hunters, at least. You hope. With the way back closed, you keep moving forward. There has to be a way out of this place.

Scenario A
You fall through darkness for what seems like hours before landing in a dark room. You take a moment to collect yourself. At least you and your companions managed to stay together.

Before you can fully regain your bearings, a light snaps on, blinding you for a moment. You blink away the dots in your vision to reveal that you’re standing on a raised stage surrounded by a huge audience of unusual figures. While they look like ordinary people, something is clearly off. They bear two eyes, a nose, a wicked curling smile, and glossy skin that shines in the bright lights. Stranger still is the fact that everyone looks so similar. In fact, the longer you look out at the crowd, the more you realize that they are all the same. This isn’t a crowd of many, but a group of copies of a single being replicated over and over and over again.

All of their eerily identical eyes are focused on you.

A second spotlight springs to life, revealing a handsome man holding a ventriloquist’s dummy. These two also look almost identical, except the dummy has blond hair and the man’s is dark. With a grating and shrill voice, the man begins to speak. At least, you think it’s the man; only the dummy’s mouth moves.

“Our illustrious patron, Zassrion, the Patchwork King, the Tyrant of the Harrow, has arranged an entertaining show for you tonight,” the puppet yells out in glee. “It is a daring tale of adventure, tragedy, and murder.” Murmurs of excitement rise up from the crowd, but their faces remain unmoving, staring only at you. Their grins seem to grow even wider as each member of the audience draws a blade. Hundreds of identical knives glint in the light, each held by an identical hand.

The puppet sweeps its arms upwards in the manner of a true showman. “Let the show begin!”

Story Banes
Danger: Wax Construct
Villain: None
Henchmen Wax Constructs-Proxy A

During This Scenario
When a Wax Construct is undefeated, shuffle a non-closing henchman Wax Construct-Proxy B into a random open location.

If The Theater is closed, and the Villain Balimar and Balio is not cornered, build a new location The Theater and shuffle a closing henchman Wax Construct-Proxy A into it, then report a "Stage Clear" to the table coordinator.

After the table coordinator announces the Second Act, shuffle into a stack the villain Balimar and Balio and a number equal to the number of locations each of non-closing henchmen Wax Construct-Proxy B and new monsters. Shuffle 3 into The Theater and 2 into each other location.

To win, corner and defeat the villain Balimar and Balio.

Bonekeep Round 3: THE WAKENING TOMB
Several weeks have passed since your last expedition into the ruins of Bonekeep. Though your lost memories have not returned, the fog over your mind has cleared. The Pathfinder Society’s best healers have concluded that it is once again safe for you to partake in dangerous missions. Perhaps you may even be able to return to Bonekeep. As if on cue, a trainee Pathfinder sprints into the room, carrying a short missive from Kreighton Shane, which reads simply, “If you’re ready to brave the ruins again, meet me at the guard tower just outside the north gate.”

It doesn’t take long to gather your belongings and travel to the tower. Kreighton Shane stands in the tower’s shadow, staring out across the grassy countryside.

“Welcome back,” he says, “to the road to Bonekeep. A place filled with death, disease, and mind-clouding magic. At least, according to a reliable Pathfinder group that has been there three times before.”

Shane’s expression darkens. “But you aren’t the only Pathfinders to enter Bonekeep. While you were recovering, we sent another team in to begin the investigation of the third floor, and their findings were most troubling. There is a plague boiling forth from the ruined halls of Bonekeep. It seems that those who inhabit the lowest level have found some of the experiments left by the necromancer Volzeras, and have turned them to some foul end. The plague causes those it kills to rise as powerful undead.”

That is a fate you would like to avoid.

“Such was the fate of the last group of Pathfinders to enter Bonekeep. While we have managed to contain the disease for the time being, there is little chance we can hold it at bay forever. I need a group to venture into the deepest halls of Bonekeep and cut off the plague at its source.”

You answer the question in his eyes with a determined nod. You started the exploration of this accursed place, and you will be the one to finish it.

DURING THIS SCENARIO
When you encounter a scourge, suffer it, then you may attempt to close the location it came from.

When you close a location, each other character may suffer a scourge to examine the top card of 1 character deck or location deck; if all 3 characters examined cards with different adventure deck numbers, summon and build the location Ruined Temple and shuffle the villain Taxxak into it.

If the Garden of Symmetry is closed, when you would explore it, you may instead attempt a Strength 10 check or Combat 30 check; if you succeed, each character at that location moves to another location, then banish the Garden of Symmetry.

To win, defeat and corner Taxxak.

Villain
NONE

Henchmen
THE SCOURGE CURSE OF POISONING
THE SCOURGE CURSE OF VULNERABILITY
THE SCOURGE CURSE OF DAYBANE
THE SCOURGE CURSE OF THE RAVENOUS
THE SCOURGE CURSE OF BLINDNESS
THE SCOURGE CURSE OF THE MUMMY

Darkness. It confounds you as you attempt to catch your bearings. You reach for a torch, only to realize that your backpack is missing. It’s not just the backpack, though—weapons, armor, tools, everything but the clothes on your back are gone. A voice carries through the swirling darkness, “Open your eyes.” You follow the voice’s suggestion, revealing the room around you: a dimly lit office covered in parchment, occupied by an amiable elf. You recognize him as Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shane, one of the Pathfinder Society’s chief instructors.

“Ah, I can see that your faculties have returned,” he muses, absentmindedly stepping on a pile of discarded scrolls. “Do you remember your first expedition into Bonekeep? Almost a week ago, Ambrus Valsin sent you back. We are unsure as to what happened in those long forgotten halls, but you returned days later without memory of what you had seen. In fact, it wasn’t until just a moment ago that you seemed to have any sense about you at all. I wish I could tell you more, but I’ve been unable to divine much more of your exploits. You were wounded, and you bore powerful enchantment magic that seemed to dull your senses and memories. I have been able to mitigate the effects with my own spells, and it seems you at least have your core mental faculties. With luck, these protections will continue to ward you against such mind magic for a time. If you wish to acquire a long-term remedy, the best medicine would be to return to the ruins once more, uncover whatever has caused this amnesia, and destroy, contain, or recover whatever that is.”

You have no memory that would make you disagree.

He dusts the undersides of his bookshelves for a moment before lightheartedly adding, “Oh yes, I nearly forgot—the wards that protect your mind last only a few hours, so I wouldn’t waste any time laying about.”

Taking his advice to heart, you rush back to Bonekeep, hoping fervently that this expedition meets with more success than your last.

DURING THIS SCENARIO
After drawing starting hands, shuffle the top 4 cards of each character’s deck into a Lost pile, then deal 2 cards from that pile into each location deck. Then each character suffers the scourge Curse of Fevered Dreams.

Characters start at the Oasis and cannot move until it is closed.

When you start your turn at the Oasis, suffer the scourge Curse of Fevered Dreams.

After closing the Oasis, summon and build the location Scorched Obelisk and shuffle the Lost pile into it. When you close the Scorched Obelisk, you may draw the loot Mind Crystal; if you do, for the rest of the adventure, during the first turn of each scenario, a character may draw it.

Ruins of Bonekeep A
Jagged columns of bone-white stone rise out of the hillside before you like broken teeth. They may not look like much to the untrained eye, but Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin warned you about this place. He spoke of the misfortune that befell the pair of ill-fated scouts who first tried to brave the vaults below. Just moments after descending the staircase into the lower levels, the first scout met his end, his head severed cleanly off his body. The second scout fled in terror, leaving her compatriot’s body behind.

Yet as dangerous as this ruin is, it is worth exploring. It is all that remains of Bonekeep, the siege castle where the necromancer Volzaras staged an attempt to conquer Absalom. Though his attempt to conquer the city failed, no one knows what monsters may lurk below, waiting for the right time to spill forth. Ending their menace is not a task for the faint of heart. But the promise of uncovering Volzaras’s greatest treasures is enough to lighten your step.

As you venture down a crumbling staircase into the lower level, the stench of death greets you. A stone column carved to look like a beautiful maiden presides over the room. At the center of the chamber in a pool of dried blood, a rotting head gazes up at the ceiling in terror. His body is nowhere to be found. A shiver travels up your spine: the sense that you are not alone. Suddenly, the column lurches forward, its face twisting into a leering skull.

DURING THIS SCENARIO
When adding villains and henchmen, shuffle the villain Korsan, Mistress of Filth into the Catacombs. Shuffle the following henchmen into these location decks: Alchemical Golem into the Alchemical Laboratory, Beheaded into the Crypt, Paracletus into the Elemental Trenches, Akitar into the Guardian Vault, Acid Pool into the Hall of Crocodile Kings, Theletos into the Mumia Lab, and Caryatid Column into the Sculptors’ Lair.

At the start of the scenario, each character suffers the scourge Curse of Withering.

The difficulty of checks to defeat is increased by the number of closed locations.

When you close the Guardian Vault, if at least 4 other locations are closed, the party gets the loot Nexus Crystal; for the rest of the adventure, during the first turn of each scenario, a character may draw it.

2B-2D: PA’S RECKONING
You’ve triumphed over fire-breathing boars and giant owly things. There’s just one last thing to do, then you’ll be the heroes (and chieftains!) of the Birdcruncher tribe.

You need to go into an ogre’s house and drive off or kill him and his family. He’s not just any ogre, though: he’s a crazy ogre druid who figured out how to tame giant owly things and train boars to belch fire. Vultures wheel overhead, which is almost always a sign of good luck, because that means someone else is dying or about to die. Hasn’t been you yet, so that’s a good sign too.

Pa Munchmeat may have magic command over fire and the ability to charm animals, but you’re big goblin heroes, and you’ve got Squealy Nord to back you up, so you’re ready for anything! And maybe you can steal his crazy tricks for yourself.

Make with the heroing!

DURING THIS SCENARIO
Treat the villain Pillbug Podiker as the villain Pa Munchmeat. Treat the henchman Poison Trap as the henchman Spike and Guffy.

When adding the villain and henchman, shuffle the henchman into the location deck, then put the villain on the bottom.

When creating the blessings deck, shuffle together from the box 20 blessings and a number of monsters equal to twice the number of players.

When you discard a monster from the blessings deck, put it on top of your location deck.

When you encounter the villain Pa Munchmeat, if there are other cards in the location deck, Pa Munchmeat is evaded; put him on the bottom of the location deck.

2B-2C: MUNCHMEAT FARM
An archway made of broken branches and bleached bones allows passage to the farm. A sign hangs from the arch, its words scrawled onto the wood with what looks like blood. Three severed, maggot-covered goblin heads sit on poles driven into the ground to the left of the gate. A second sign leans against these poles under the heads.

Both signs are written in Common. The one hanging from the arch says, “Trespsrs wil b eatn!” The one near the three goblin heads (which once belonged to the three Birdcruncher chieftains who came before you) reads, “Yous gobluns taste YUM! Send moar gobluns!”

Thankfully, you’re goblins: you don’t read, and goblin heads are pretty common lawn adornments. On to the farm and its goblin-eating ogres and fire-breathing boars!

2B-2B: IT’S ALL FUN AND GAMES TILL AN ARCH-LICH LOSES AN EYE

You are on your way to Munchmeat Farm when you spy a group of longshanks adventurers coming out of a cave… and one of them has a shiny blue thing. This is what you’d hear them say if you were paying attention. “’Twas a tryingly arduous struggle, I must admit,” says the wizardy one.

“‘Tryingly arduous,’ you say?” says the swordy one. “We just lost half our blessed party down there!”

The wizardy one answers. “But triumphant have we boon companions emerged, with a worldshaking prize wrested from the hellish depths of the most formidable dungeon in all the northland!”

As the burnt-up elfy one just repeats the word “Ow” over and over, the swordy one says, “I’m not feeling too blessed triumphant now, mage…”

“Oh smile, brave paladin! For we’ve just liberated the mightiest magical artifact to see daylight in centuries, surely! Claiming the Other Eye of the Arch-Lich Kalzaroth will make me—nay, us—powerful beyond our wildest dreams!”

But who has time to listen to all of that? Kill them and claim the shiny thing for yourselves!

DURING THIS SCENARIO
Treat the villain The Skinsaw Man as the villain Arch-Lich Kalzaroth.

After adding the villain and henchmen, build the location Treacherous Cave and shuffle in the henchman Longshanks Adventurers.

When placing token cards, all characters start at the location Treacherous Cave and cannot move until it is closed.

When you defeat the henchman Longshanks Adventurers, display the support card Shiny Eye Thing next to your deck, then summon and encounter the henchman Fight Over the Eye.

2B-2A: THE BIRDCRUNCHER MOOT
Well, well! What have we here?” says Wise Mummy Sprattleharsh. “Licktoads, by the look of you, and from what I hear, orphans as well, hmm? Looking for a new place to live, I suspect? Well, you might be in luck, because we need new blood. Our own chieftains have been... lacking... in chieftainish ways. We’ve been having problems lately with an ogre and his fire-breathing boars, you see, and any goblins capable of killing the boars and driving off the ogre... or driving off the boars and killing the ogre... or... or whatever well, they’ll not only be welcomed into Birdcruncher territory with open arms. They’ll be made chieftains, one and all!”

With that, the gathered Birdcruncher goblins suddenly animate into cheers and song. Eager and excited, they surge out of the cave to welcome their saviors, but suddenly freeze as the old woman shrieks out a command for silence. The goblins remain frozen in place, literally fearful of twitching a single thumb, and she continues in a softer voice.

“But we can’t just assume you’re the stuff chieftains are made of. You might just be lucky. No, no... before we accept you as our saviors and before you’ll even have a chance to face off against Pa Munchmeat and his pig... I declare we have a Chieftain Moot!”

Whatever dares Wise Mummy Sprattleharsh might concoct to test you, you’ll be running this place soon!

WW - Outpost 2021 1D: The Necromancer's Lost Tome
From interrogating the ones searching for the spell, you’ve managed to figure out who is behind all this: a necromancer named Vreeg. You track the center of the undead activity back to the cemetery. Your best guess is that whoever is causing this trouble is here. Near the gate to the cemetery you find a member of the town guard. He looks to be in bad shape. In between gasps for air he manages to warn you: “He’s in there….Lost his own spellbook somewhere in the graveyard….It's bringing all sorts of things to life in there...You’ve got to find that book before he does.”

Looks like this is all going to end right where it started.

Outpost 2021 1C: How Do You Spell Necromancy?

You’ve managed to get things settled down in town a bit. You’ve begun to hear whispers of the town “finally paying the cost” for some past indiscretion. Finally, you convince one of the locals, a school teacher named Besnik to spill the details.

“We used to have a wizard here, named Miron. Only, rumor was he wasn’t so much a wizard as he was a necromancer. He said he’d determined that this spot was where some important cataclysm or something would happen. We kind of turned a blind eye to his more questionable activities because he also helped keep the order in town and provided some safety. He passed on a few months back, but word was he had an apprentice or two. Seems like fate is repaying us for letting that evil fester among us.”

As you stand there, not sure what to make of this information, reports begin to come in of multiple break ins around town. Someone is stealing spellbooks and scrolls from wherever they can be found. “Probably looking for Miron’s spellbook” Besnik tells you. “I think it was sold at auction when Miron died. Not sure where it ended up. But it seems like all sorts of people are looking for it now, even some of the locals seem to be in on it. Some of the town guards went to check on the break-ins, but didn’t come back. That can’t be a good sign.”

Looks like you’ll have to find that spellbook before someone else does.

Setup
Shuffle a new spell into each location. Use a number of dangers from those listed equal to the number of characters + 2

The necromantic stones have stopped falling, but it would seem that your fight is not yet over… there is clear evidence that this was caused by a necromancer of some power. As you head back to town, hoping to rest for the night before searching for this elusive person, you hear screams coming from the town. Upon arrival, you realize that these screams are coming from seemingly everywhere, making it difficult to determine where to go next. It would seem the necromancer has been busy. So many corpses have been raised, you can feel the presence of undeath magic oozing from the very ground. You’ll have to run all around the city, containing the undead threat before more people are killed, giving the necromancer even more fodder for creating minions. The town guard is also running into the fray, so you should be able to pick your battles… but don’t stop for a moment, or more innocent lives will be lost!

Setup
When building the locations, shuffle a number of listed locations equal to twice the number of characters + 1 into a chase pile. Shuffle a number of listed non-closing henchmen equal to the number of characters + 1 into a henchmen pile. Build 1 random location from the chase pile, shuffling a random card from the henchmen pile and a Proxy A into it.

Unearthly Undeath
  The light of day is waning as you approach the town of Mendleton, looking forward to a good night’s rest. The journey has been thus far uneventful, but that is about to change dramatically. You can see the dust heralding the approach of a rider on horseback before the rider himself comes into view. When he draws near, he stops to speak to you. “Strangers, you ought consider turning back, or at least cutting south of the road and giving the graveyard to the west of the city a wide berth,” the man exclaims somewhat breathlessly. When coaxed to elaborate, he goes on. “Last night, there was a strange light in the sky!” You glance at each other. You do recall what looked like a shooting star to the east last night. “It seemed like it come down near the cemetery. Some folk went to investigate, but they didn’t come back. Today, me and some others went to find them and see what they found. We went to the cemetery and there was things stirring. We thought it was the fellas wanting to play a trick on us, but when we got close, there was dead things walking! I swear one looked like Berek, but his guts was hanging out and his face half ripped off. No way he shoulda been walking! We left as fast as we could! Some of us didn’t make it! Temmor said he’d ride to town and spread the warning. I said I’d ride west and warn those in the countryside.” You supply the man with some water, ensure he’s uninjured, and allow him to depart.
  After a quick discussion, consensus is swiftly reached. You must make haste for the graveyard!

Setup
Set aside the storybane Evidence–Proxy B and shuffle a Proxy B into each location.

----------------------
  The crowd gathered outside the resplendent manor. They held daggers and sickles, torches and pitchforks. What they lacked in formal training, they made up for in conviction.
  The filthy noble parasites were all too eager to bow to the devil-worshipping farce of House Thrune, the tyrants who now claimed this land as their own. To hide among their finery while their people suffered and died.
  This crime could not go unpunished.
----------------------
  As you consider where to go next, you feel a bit unsteady on your feet. But it soon becomes clear that it’s not the weight of the situation making your feet sway. The whole building trembles and a terrible moan echoes from the lower levels.
  From down below, you hear a child’s fearful scream. You race downstairs. Just past the dining room, a staircase leads into a basement awash in blue light. This must be the place.
  Floorboards rip themselves up to reveal an unceremonious pile of skeletons. The bones rattle, shake, and assemble, held together by strands of blue light.
  You hear a child’s quivering voice from behind a nearby door. “It’s OK; it’s OK... he said his daddy will take care of the bad people. We’re safe.” Mally! Henda! Halurian! “The ghosts won’t let you get us!”
  Drawn into the house by the scream, the woman in the oversized shawl rushes past you, nearly tripping on the shaking ground. “Halurian?” she cries. “Halurian!”
  “Mom?” the child answers. “What are you doing here?”
  Undeterred by the skeletal undead, she runs toward her child’s voice. In unison, the skeletons turn toward her and begin to advance. Meanwhile, you hear the rest of the adults that came with you from Tregan making their way down the stairs. The children seem safe for now, but you can’t say the same for their parents. This could quickly become a disaster.
  Thinking quickly, you hurl a flask of holy water into the group of skeletons. As it strikes their bones, it sizzles and pops. In the same unnerving unison as before, they turn around. Now you have their attention.
  Time to finish this.

Scenario Setup
Add a number of Perils wildcards of your choice equal to the number of characters.

Before building locations, search the vault and character decks for the item Holy Water and set it aside; return it at the end of the scenario. After drawing starting hands each character may draw a Holy Water—Proxy B.

Scenario C: Society of the Veil
-------------------
  The ghost boy flared at Mally and beckoned toward a door on the other side of the room. The children followed him, away from the ominous heavy tread on the stairs. Halurian tried the door, rattling the handle. Locked. The ghost boy misted back into light and sank into the mechanism; with a metallic click, the lock opened.
  As the children shut the door behind them, the treading footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs. A moment later, the handle rattled vigorously, followed by a stream of cursing. Henda’s eyes shone with glee in the warm ghostlight; Mally could practically see her noting the curse words to shock their parents later. The light flared strongly for a moment, then the ghost boy touched Mally’s hand and pointed at the
floor. The heavy tread pounded back up the stairs.
  There, on the floorboards, a childish hand had burned a
warning, or a promise. “We are safe,” it read. “Daddy will take care of the bad people.”
-------------------
  The grand staircase creaks under your weight. With a deafening crack, a deep rift appears in the wall ahead. Spectral mice pour out, tumbling over themselves in their haste to escape an unseen threat. As quickly as they appeared, the mice vanish, and the wall knits itself back together behind them.
  Quickly and carefully, you search the second floor. At first, you see little of note. One bedroom and another, a sitting room, a powder room. But as you round a corner, one door in particular stands out. Dozens of metal implements impale the door, from knives and forks to fire irons and even a cluster of sewing needles. Whatever’s on the other side of that door must be important. You open the door.
  A brilliant light flashes. A small, silver circle, similar to the one under the dining table, adorns the floor just inside the room. It lasts for only a moment before imploding in a cloud of acrid smoke.
  The children aren’t here, but someone else is. A group of hooded figures huddles in the back corner of the room, daggers at the ready.
  “The wards!” one screams. “Are you trying to get us all killed?”
  When you ask them if they’ve seen signs of children around the house, they fall suspiciously quiet. You demand answers from the hooded group. Did they summon the spirits to drive the children off, or simply slink away and protect themselves when they knew the spirits were enraged? The fear in their leader’s eyes morphs into outrage. With an arcane chant, she infuses her hand with violet energy.

During This Adventure: A Night at Bloodthorne Manor
* The harrow suit is Stars. At the start of each scenario, perform a harrowing; after drawing your starting hand, add your harrow to it. After you play your harrow, you may heal a card.

During This Scenario: Scenario B: Death By Dinnerware
* The story bane Trapped Furniture gains the veteran trait and its difficulty to defeat is increased by #.
* At the end of your turn, if you location has 7-# (3) or fewer cards, you may examine the top card of your location.

Wildcard: DESPERATE
When you encounter a boon and do not acquire it, discard a card.

Additional Rules:

Scenario Level (#): 4

Turn: 8, Seoni/Nickademus

Hour Power: When you encounter a card, you may draw a card; if you do, discard the top card of your deck.

Current Hour:

Hourglass

Location #3: Office
At This Location: When you would reveal, reload, or recharge an Animal ally, discard it instead.
When Closing: Succeed at a Charisma, Diplomacy, or Fortitude 5+# check.
When Permanently Closed: You may recharge any number of cards.
M: 0 Ba: 3 W: 1 Sp: 1 Ar: 0 I: 2 Al: 2 Bl: 0 ?: 2
Located/Displayed Here: WuShen/tcolmaster01, Seoni/Nickademus,

-------------------
  The cowled figure winced as a tiny skull crunched under his foot. He’d seen plenty of evidence that the place was haunted. But after months trying to summon something, the most that the Transcendent Society of the Veil had managed to conjure was a flood of panicked ghost mice. Fitting, given how many of the little pests’ skeletons litter this place. And now a bunch of screeching kids have decided to start poking around. It wouldn’t do to let the locals find out that the living still laid claim to this place.

  He started up the stairs, his tread heavy in the hopes of scaring off the children. His foot froze halfway onto the next step, the echoes of
childish laughter in this long-quiet house sending shards of ice down his spine.
-------------------

  The light of your torch illuminates the dank and dusty front room of the manor. Towering paintings of its former stewards stare down from above, their surfaces marred by soot and grime. A grand staircase lined with filthy carpet rises to an upper floor, beyond your torch’s reach. The remains of several longdead rodents cluster along the walls. Yet there are signs that this place is far from empty. Footprints in the dust, far too large to be the children passing.
  Adults have been using this place recently, though they have not seen fit to clean it. Squatters, perhaps? Whoever they are, finding
the children is your priority. You discern a trail of smaller footprints leading toward an open door on the western wall. A dining hall. It must have been majestic once, with its crystal chandelier and silk-cushioned chairs. The large, round table is set for a fine dinner, but the cobwebby candelabras, dirty plates, and rat droppings make it clear that the planned meal never came.
  Still, the scene isn’t entirely untouched. From the dust on the ground, it’s clear that someone moved the table recently, off to the side of the room and then back, all without disturbing a single dish. It couldn’t have been easy. You doubt it was the children.
  Where are the children? You call out their names: Mally and Henda and Halurian. In as calm a tone as you can muster, you reassure them that you are expert at hunting ghosts, and that you will get them out of here safely. In response, the dining room door slams behind you. An eerie blue light fills the room, gathering around the furniture. The table, chairs, even the silverware spring to life. They don’t intend to let you leave this room alive.

Setup
Add the Onslaughts wildcard Desperate.
After preparing story banes, shuffle a non-closing henchman Trapped Furniture—Proxy B into each location.

-------------------
  Mally stared at the golden candlelight. The flickering extended, touching Mally’s hand, before resolving itself into the misty shape of a young boy.

  “I—I’m Mally,” she said, her voice as brave as she could make it. “I’m sorry we disturbed you.”

  The glowing form smiled and nodded.
  
  Mally turned to her friends. “I think we’re—where’s Tilso?”
-------------------

  From the tales you heard of Tregan, a town straddling Taldor’s border with revolutionary Galt, you expected it to be a place of adventure and intrigue, a wellspring of inspiration for your latest tales. The reality has proven far more mundane. Even here, in a bustling tavern where the ale flows freely, the conversation has been disappointingly ordinary. The tavern doors slam open, jolting you out of your thoughts.

  A young dwarf barges into the room and drops to his knees, his breath coming in gasps.

  “We—we went to the haunted manor,” he explains, coughing. “They wanted to spend the night. Show everyone it was just a bunch of stupid stories.”

  An elder dwarf picks up a stool, setting it behind the boy and helping him onto the seat. “Breathe, son. What happened? Who is ‘we’?”

  The boy sputters, “Everyone’s still in the manor. The ghosts got them. I was the only one who got out!”

  A nervous elf wearing an oversized shawl asks, “Was Halurian there? Oooh, my child’s always finding trouble. Please tell me you didn’t drag them into this.”

  The dwarf warns, “Tilso, you better not be pulling my leg. Tell everyone what happened.”

  “Uncle Rogrin! It was Mally’s idea! Me and Mally and Henda and Halurian went up to Bloodthorne Manor. We were gonna spend the night and come back tomorrow after the sun came up. But then there was a scream and ghosts appeared and I ran and when I looked back no one was following me and they’re all trapped in that house!”

  Rogrin sighs, “Or they aren’t as quick to spook as you when an old floorboard creaks or the wind howls. I’ll go get ’em and bring ’em home.” Several others in the room stand and join Rogrin, including the woman in the oversized shawl.

  Tilso cries, “No! It’s not safe! The ghosts will get you too!”

  Finally, some excitement. You clear your throat and offer your assistance. If the place really is haunted, this wouldn’t be your first time tangling with ghosts.

  Rogrin looks you up and down and then nods. “All right, you can come with us. Hear that, Tilso? We got some ghost hunters with us. Now go home.” Tilso thanks you before scampering off.

  You and the others take a short walk under a clear night sky. Soon, you reach a dilapidated manor. Rogrin throws open the door. Halurian’s mother calls out, “Halurian, are you in there? Come down here this instant!” In response, the floorboards creak. An eerie blue light fills the entryway, gathering into a chorus of wailing spectres.

  Looks like this place is haunted after all!

Setup
Before building the locations, set aside the monster Ghost.

After preparing the story banes, reload a Proxy B into each location.

Scenario 3C: The Wandering Way
“Thank the heavens, you’re back!” says Baroness Devy. “Of course, you are always welcome here, slayers of the dragon Szangi. But your timing could not be more fortunate, because it just so happens that—”

“Let me guess,” you say. “The citizens of Belhaim face a danger none of you can overcome on your own. It’s the kind of danger that only heroes like us can expunge from your domain.”

“Why, yes, that’s assuredly correct,” she says. “Please, join me for a goblet at the Wise Piper and I shall tell you of the tidings that await your valor this day.”

3B: Dragon Slayers
A colossal cavern in Dragonfen, not far from the Monastery of Saint Kyerixus, is where the wyrm known to Belhaim as Aeteperax makes its lair. You prepare to sneak inside, hoping to reach the dragon while it sleeps in its lair. If you can take it by surprise, you might stand a
fighting chance.

But that’s not going to happen. You see the dragon marching out to the cave mouth with little fear for its survival. It sniffs the air, having obviously detected your presence. Measuring thirty feet from nostril to tail point, this emerald-scaled monster saunters forth from his den and proclaims its magnificence.

“What is this? Who are you? You dare come before the great Aeteperax uninvited and without the ransom I demanded of your weaklivered farm folk? Name yourselves so I might know whose blood will stain my cave!”

Yet despite its fearsome presence, this is not Aeteperax. You saw the bones of the ancient dragon entrenched into the soil of the Crypt of Tula. By all accounts that was a black dragon. Before you is a green dragon, and an imposter at that.

“Whatever you say, Szangi,” you scoff below your breath.

At the sound of its true name—one it clearly despises beyond reason—the dragon recoils and drapes its wings forward. “HOW DARE YOU,” it commands. “For this insult, you shall pay with the screams of a thousand years. When I am done with you, no one will remember your names. They will only remember the name of Sza—I mean, Aeteperax!”

The dragon takes to the air and retreats into its caves. You hear the sound of its minions coming to defend it. You see the glints of its treasures within. You hear the backdraft whistle through a vast underground library. And from beyond, you hear the dragon fume with rage.

Raise your swords to the heavens. For tonight, you will slay a dragon.

Setup
After building the location, if you have 3 or more characters, add new cards to it using the card list on the location Lair. If you have 5 or more characters, also add new cards using the card list on the location Library.

When preparing the story banes, set aside the story bane Dragon (Aeteperax). Make the story base stack with 1 villain proxy plus a number of henchmen proxies equal to 2 plus half the number of characters (rounded down); shuffle the entire stack into the Caves.

Set aside the wildcard The Perils. For each henchman put into the henchmen put into the henchman pile during Scenario 3A: The Monastery of Saint Kyerixus, choose and mark 1 wildcard on The Perils; marked wildcards cannot be applied during this scenario.

Scenario 3A: The Monastery of Saint Kyerixus
At last you stand at the threshold of the true threat that imperils Belhaim. Whatever is manipulating events has taken up residence near the ruined Monastery of Saint Kyerixus. This monastery is dedicated to Irori, the god of enlightenment and perfection. Irori would not like the sanctuary for evil that his shrine has become.

You still don’t know who or what is claiming to be Aeteperax—the grioths you captured swore he was indeed the lamentable dragon of yore. They also told you of some of this being’s lieutenants. Each has a unique reason for being here, and could be diverted from helping their boss before your final showdown.

First is the druid Azmur Kell. The Belhaimite priest would not be allied with evil by choice. His wife Rima has gone missing, likely in the clutches of whatever villain is behind all this. Free her, and you might deprive that villain of Azmur Kell’s aid.

The alchemist Pentosh of Manaket might be harder to dislodge. She is paid well in alchemical and magic items for her service. To get her to defect, you’d have to somehow convince her that her fears should win out over her greed.

Then there’s the lunar naga Thaena. From the reports, the serpentine astrologer has gone slightly mad from longing for Aeteperax, believing the villain to be the powerful dragon from lore. If she can be convinced that her assistance is not wanted here, she may slither away.

If these lieutenants weren’t enough, there’s the ever-present danger of the grioths. There is no persuading these savage bat-creatures to leave. The only way to end this threat is to find the Irorian abbot that guards the Dark Window through which the grioths came. If you shatter the Dark Window, all the grioths will be banished back to their home planet. That’s good for everyone.

Pierce the monastery, confront Aeteperax’s lieutenants, and put yourself in the best position possible. These tasks you must accomplish. For if something convinced these beings it is as powerful as Aeteperax, you would very much like to face it when it has as few allies as possible.

Setup
Display the story bane Planar Rift and mark it once for each location.

Scenario 2C: Spirited Away
The Belhaim Town Council again has permitted your presence in its deliberations. Since you have provided aid to the town over the last month, your voices are welcome, in between pronouncements of the dueling clerics of Abadar and Shelyn.

Today, the subject has again turned to monsters.

“What are these... grioths... of which you speak?” The Lady Origena Devy struggles with yet another unexplained disturbance to her town’s serenity.

You had never heard of these batlike creatures before either, but fortunately you are not the only ones present.

“I have found some information that may serve, Milady,” says Eupaphenia Targas, the cleric who tends the temple of Abadar. “In preparation for the auction, the clerks prevailed upon me to examine the wizard’s books. Some I could not understand, but the bestiary was in a script I could quickly decipher.

“Therein I found all manner of known malefactors—the bloodbug, the basilisk, the lurking ray. Several I had not yet known of, among them these grioths. Here’s what I know: They are not from around here. In fact, they are not of this world. They are from planets cast away from their stars. The worst of wizards summon them to Golarion through a magical tapestry called the Dark Window.

“There is no good in them,” she continues. “They come to pillage the land and kidnap the helpless. They are experts in crafting cells in which to imprison their victims. The grioths must be either slain or forced back through the window from whence they came.”

The Council devolves into whispers and hubbub as all present consider the gravity of the situation.

“Begging your leave, ma’am,” says Jacoba Kirvis, the town barrister. “I have a list of the missing. It is not a short list.”

As has become typical of late, all eyes in the room turn toward you. There is a crisis, and you will again prove to be the solution to it. For a bucolic countryside town, Belhaim sure isn’t boring.

Setup
When preparing the story banes, after making the story bane stack, shuffle the villain proxy into the Cell.

Characters start at the Castle

2B: A Piece of the Auction
“Put those exotic parakeets over there!” shouts the auctioneer. “No, you idiot, not next to the grizzly bear rug! It’ll eat them!”

You have never seen a wizard’s estate go to auction before. You did not expect it to be this disorderly. Perhaps it’s the pressure from the attendees: artifact collectors, emotionless Kalistocrats, a host of sorcerous assistants, and the citizenry of Belhaim. All are here for the spectacle; some are here to enrich themselves at the expense of others. This is not of your concern; you seek clues as to why some townsfolk have gone missing.

“You there!” demands a handsomely bedecked man in a feathered red hat. “Have you seen a rare book lot around here? My employer wishes a report in the greatest haste!”

You think you know what books he speaks of. Last month, the wizard Hunclay conspired with local kobolds to demolish a historic tower, and perished in the conspiring thereto. The kobolds worked for a being that claimed to be the long-perished dragon Aeteperax, who sought a book called Secrets of the Dreaming Dark. You unearthed it in a cave near the wizard’s manor, along with other rare and magical tomes.

To your surprise, you do not see that lot here.

Before you can answer, the auctioneer Chosk Grellen bids you to take your seats. “The estate auction of Master Balthus Hunclay shall now commence. Please command your attention to lot number one, an assortment of clockwork lab equipment certain to...”

You tune him out, but keep your eyes on the others present. Every now and then, to avoid suspicion, you bid on a lot or two. But you have concerns that this auction won’t end with a gavel dropping. At least without an accompaniment of screams.

On the horizon, you spy large wings beating in the sky. Something big is coming to the auction, and you suspect it doesn’t plan to leave empty-clawed.

Setup
After building the location, add into it a number of new barriers, weapons, spells, armors, and items equal to the number of characters.

When preparing story banes, set aside the story banes Drake and Grioth, along with 4 Proxy As for the Grioth.

After creating the hourglass, shuffle the Drake and the 4 Proxy As into it.

Scenario 2A: Lady Tula’s Lament
“I don’t believe the ancient dragon Aeteperax has returned, and neither should you.” That’s the lilting voice of the gnome historian Bassy, who favors the swift dispatching of any dragon that threatens her home. “Aeteperax died at the hands of Lady Tula Belhaim, who knew my grandmother over ten centuries ago. We shouldn’t believe the dragon has returned, any more than we should believe Lady Tula will return to save us from it.”

Others on the Belhaim Town Council beg to differ, but Bassy is having none of it.

“Look, I’ve been around for a long, long time, and I’ve seen a lot of con games in my day. This just smacks of a scam—a well-prepared scam, but a scam indeed. The kobolds were exactly the kind of dupes a trickster needed to put a story like this together. We shouldn’t be as dumb as kobolds.

“But hey, you don’t have to take my word for it. Truly, you shouldn’t. We should get proof. If Aeteperax is still dead, then its bones are still embedded in the earth above Lady Tula’s tomb at Dragonfen. We should send our emissaries to the tomb and gain the legendary dragonslayer’s weapons. My grandmother was given a key to the crypt by Lady Tula for just such an emergency. I’ll give it to those who would enter it in her name.”

To this there is no objection. Well, you might object, since you’re the ones who will be sent into the crypt. But you don’t, as you’re becoming used to being Belhaim’s heroes of choice.

“There is one concern,” says Nilos Genser, who keeps the Shrine of the Seven Roses in the goddess Shelyn’s name. “Lady Tula’s husband Arturic was driven mad after his wife drove him away. She permitted him to be buried in the family tomb, but not with her. Legend says that he has risen from the grave, lingering out of guilt for Tula’s untimely death. The lady will not part with her weapons while her husband’s shade stalks the crypt. So these legends say.”

So, it’s dragons, kobolds, and now undead ex-husbands. Time to polish up those holy symbols and head out.

Setup
After building the locations, add a new barrier into each.
Characters start at the Shrine.

4-5C: THE STARS ALIGN
  Roderus lays out a map of eastern Katapesh on the table. “The Three Stars are a trio of low pyramids to the southwest.” He taps the map. “A century ago, a team of Pathfinders much like you tried to explore the site, but they made little progress. Assuming that the Pactmasters’ new information is accurate, this could unlock a very old mystery. There are numerous obelisks surrounding the pyramids, and the documents say there is a process by which one could activate these obelisks, causing their crystalline tips to glow and trace lines between each other in the order they’re triggered. If activated in the proper order, the intersecting beams will trace an eldritch symbol that calls a fourth pyramid onto the Material Plane.
  “That all sounds simple, but how you actually activate the obelisks and in what order is a conundrum. The Pactmasters’ agents couldn’t figure it out, but from their incomplete notes, I think there’s enough to piece together the proper sequence and technique. Expect to do some experimentation. I’ve packed some magical supplies for you that should help.”
  After thanking the venture-captain and finishing last-minute preparations, you set out towards the Three Stars. The voyage is an excellent opportunity to look through the venture-captain’s supplies. He wasn’t kidding about leaving some magical help. There are scrolls galore in this pack, doing everything from calculating complex math in the blink of an eye to translating old and forgotten languages flawlessly. This is quite impressive.
  Fortunately your precautions against danger on the trip were not needed, and you arrive at the Three Stars with little trouble. From up close, the pyramids looked majestic, although perhaps a bit smaller than you expected. It was said that each of the Stars housed a being from another world, and this was meant to be their resting place. The fact that they seemed untouched by erosion lends credence to this theory of otherworldly construction.
  It’s not long before you find the obelisks right where the map indicates. Each is covered with scores of different symbols you’ve never seen before. You sigh. Time to experiment!

DURING THIS SCENARIO
•All characters start at the Garden of Ossumentals. If your location does not have the henchman Sekrephere displayed next to it, you may not move. You may move only to the first open location on the location list that does not have a Sekrephere displayed next to it.
•The difficulty of checks to defeat a Sekrephere is increased by the number of displayed Sekrepheres.
•At the end of your turn, if there are fewer than 3 Sekrepheres displayed, recharge an ally or blessing.
•To win, close all locations.

VILLAIN
NONE

HENCHMEN

Scenario 1C: The Wizard’s Estate
“I am distressed to hear that our harmless eccentric wizard was not at all harmless,” says Baroness Origena Devy, your patron in the town of Belhaim.

You’ve informed her of the results of your kobold-hunting mission: The Blood Vow kobolds allied with the wizard Balthus Hunclay at the urging of what they say was the long-dead dragon Aeteperax, then betrayed that selfsame wizard at the dragon’s further urging. In the process, the kobolds destroyed Belhaim’s Witch Tower, the wizard, and several of their own number. You ushered the Blood Vows out of the region, but now have a bigger problem.

“How exactly did Mr. Hunclay negotiate with a dragon who’s been dead for seven hundred years?” the baroness asks. “And what did the dragon want bad enough to kill him for it? We need some answers.

“The first step is to clear out the wizard’s manor. His cousin requests that we catalogue his possessions and hold an estate auction. We’d better get to it. We’ll hire you to go into the manor and secure all of Hunclay’s valuables. I’d be careful; if you have any excess confidence, speak to the charred corpse of the kobold that tried to get in the front door last week. Inventory what you find, and don’t take anything for yourselves, as this is all for the auction. We’ll reward you handsomely for your hard work.

“While you’re in there, look for clues as to what Hunclay was plotting. If there’s a dragon coming to Belhaim, I want to know how to beat it before it arrives.”

Those are words the town’s dragon-slaying namesake, Lady Belhaim, would have been proud to hear. You agree to the baroness’s terms.

You have solved half a riddle. Unfortunately, now you have a new half of the same riddle to solve.

So, you still have a whole riddle to go.

Scenario 1B: The Blood Vow
At the request of Belhaim’s baroness, you’ve scouted the Blood Vow kobold tribe for three days. A couple of times, you’ve tempted a straggler with food or worthless baubles, questioned it, then let it run back to the kobold lair with warnings of retribution from the citizens of Belhaim. Tragically, the kobolds have thus far made no apparent effort to vacate the area.

The Blood Vow are not a simple marauding band of kobolds. You’ve figured out that they oscillate between two competing goals. The first goal is held firmly by Chief Roaghaz, who reportedly worships the dragon Aeteperax. That name you hadn’t expected to hear, as the legendary dragon was killed a millennium ago by Lady Tula Belhaim. You’re no expert in the kobold tongue, but as far as you can tell, they refer to the dragon in the present tense. That is highly worrisome.

Having made a vow to this Aeteperax, Roaghaz and his cleric Churgri forced the kobolds to ally with the wizard Balthus Hunclay to destroy Belhaim’s Witch Tower. Then the dragon demanded they lure the wizard into the explosion in a surprisingly well-crafted double cross. And that’s right about where the kobolds’ two goals diverge.

The second goal is held by most of the kobolds. Fearful of the townsfolk whose wrath they’ve incurred, they are ready to hit the high road. Whatever this dragon is, it isn’t doing the kobolds any favors; they have been replaced in his eye by a batlike species called grioths. But Roaghaz has his fellows believing that any misbehavior will result in the dragon returning and bathing them in his acid breath. That’s quelled any rebellion for now.

Kobolds being kobolds, they won’t just light out willy-nilly. They need leadership, and there might be an alternative to Roaghaz. Somewhere in the caves, there’s a captive named Nighttail. She was the leader of another tribe, the Swamp Dragons, which recently extincted itself at the hands of some murderous gnomes. If you can free her, you could unseat Roaghaz and the dragon worshippers with a minimum of bloodshed.

Now if only these ceilings weren’t four feet high, you might have a chance at it.

During This Scenario
When you defeat a Kobold story bane, summon and encounter an ally. If you acquire it, you may display it next to the scenario. Add 1d4 to Diplomacy checks against Kobold monsters for each of these displayed allied.

Before you encounter the Kobold Champion, each character summons and encounters the story bane Ancient Skeleton.

Story Banes
Villain

Other Cards

Scenario 1A: Plans Gone Wrong
On the plus side, it’s caravan master Silas Gribb—and not you—who is imprisoned in the Belhaim Garrison this evening. You were guarding a routine run from Western Taldor through the Verduran Forest. As you sighted the town of Belhaim, an explosion leveled a prominent spire called the Witch Tower, panicking your horses and allowing dire
wolves to attack your disrupted caravan.

Master Gribb aimed to convince the Belhaim Town Council that you brought on his misfortunes, freeing him of the obligation to pay for your services. At first, the plainly overmatched Deputy Hodd believed the
bellicose caravanner and tossed you in a cell.

At the last hour, the local baroness, Lady Origena Devy, made a skillful dismantling of Gribb’s arguments. It became clear that Gribb never intended to pay you at all, looking only for an excuse to sabotage his own convoy for the benefit of his smuggling activities. The Lady quickly saw to the caravan master’s imprisonment.

“I want to apologize on behalf of Belhaim for all you have suffered today,” she says as you dine with her at the Wise Piper inn. “As you have seen, we have suffered as well. Our proud monument, the Witch Tower, lies in ruins. The town is awash with rumors that kobolds lie dead within—a shocking development given that they usually stay far from our well defended homes.

“Worse still, we cannot reach our local eccentric, the wizard Balthus Hunclay. He lives in the hillside manor. He claimed the Witch Tower blocked the view from his observatory. On many a moon, he requested permission to level it, permission that would never come his way. We fear he took matters into his own hands, and now cannot find him.

“You seem a capable bunch. Would you investigate the ruins of the tower, documenting what involvement the kobolds had in its demolition? You should take care, though. My fool of a husband died poking around in that place some years back. I’d hate for you to follow in his path.”

Scenario 1★: Rumble Road
Silas Gribb might not be the best of bosses. The caravan master is the kind of man who says “Don’t worry, you’ll get your money” before you ever considered that you might not. He doesn’t believe in work breaks for people or horses, and the concept of an “overloaded” carriage is as foreign to him as the dark side o Golarion’s moon.

“Get to work, you goblin dogs!” he calls out for all to hear, then returns to doing nothing of the kind.

You continue your watch over his caravan as it turns toward the campsite on Old Belhaim Road, mindful of the brigands that haunt these woods. Whatever treasures this caravan is laden with, they will not escape on your shift. This is the kind of work you hope to leave behind in the coming months and years. The life of adventurers is painted as glorious by the bards and skalds, but for you, it’s been crickets and camp rations. Someday, perhaps soon, you will learn what excitement is.

“Fair Belhaim ahead!” cries the watchcaller, though you cannot see anything that alerts you of the town’s presence. “Look yonder,” she says, “you can see the faint pinprick of the Witch Tower.”

Sure enough, with spyglass in hand, you can make out a mournful black tower on a small hillock. An estate is not far from the tower, blocked partly from your sight by the spire. This, you surmise, likely causes some consternation for the owner of the manor thereupon.

“Why’s it called the Wit—“

THOOOOM

Your question is lost amid the echo of a mighty explosion as the base of the Witch Tower erupts in fire. There’s a horrible creaking sound, as if the structure itself is regretfully giving up on life, then the tower collapses with a thundering delivery into a massive heap. Your first sighting of the Witch Tower is anyone’s last.

All those around you gasp at this calamity, but two other sounds catch your attention: The first is the whinnying of the caravan’s horses, who buck and scatter in a manner that tips over three of the most overladen wagons. The second is a mighty rumbling from the river, as a pack of snarling wolves pounces directly on to your capsized caravan.

“Dire wolves!” shouts the caravan’s watchcaller.

If you are not swift in dispatching these critters, you will not have a caravan to guard.

Setup
Characters start at the Caravan.

The Waxworks
You see the smoke before anything else, rising up in twin streams from the canopy and collecting in the dome of the sky. Then you see the ruined manor, sprawling and crumbling all at once, as if the building had taken a big sigh and began to settle wherever it landed.

Just as smoke spews from the chimneys, people spew out the doors. It’s more of the copies, the same people over and over again. They come out in bursts and scatter into the woods, probably looking for you. You’ll have to sneak past them to make your way inside.

The Tangled Briar
Eventually the sound of the crowd fades as you run deeper and deeper into the overgrown woods. You hear some of the copies cry out in pain as they get tangled in the thorns and it seems the rest just couldn’t keep up. The tangled woods are silent, and you finally have a chance to take a breath and look around.

The world you’ve been dragged into looks as fake as the stage you just stood on. The sky is painted on to the firmament, and you can see a set of brass rails that provide the orbit for a ticking clockwork sun that trundles across the sky. Even the trees in the briar seem fake. Their branches twist and coil in serpentine patterns, and the thorns are more wicked than anything nature could provide.

The true strangeness of the woods finally reveals itself when you turn around. You see the path you’d just cleared behind you closes before your eyes, leaving no sign that you’d ever been through the woods. This might deter your hunters, at least. You hope. With the way back closed, you keep moving forward. There has to be a way out of this place.

The Theater
You fall through darkness for what seems like hours before landing in a dark room. You take a moment to collect yourself. At least you and your companions managed to stay together.

Before you can fully regain your bearings, a light snaps on, blinding you for a moment. You blink away the dots in your vision to reveal that you’re standing on a raised stage surrounded by a huge audience of unusual figures. While they look like ordinary people, something is clearly off. They bear two eyes, a nose, a wicked curling smile, and glossy skin that shines in the bright lights. Stranger still is the fact that everyone looks so similar. In fact, the longer you look out at the crowd, the more you realize that they are all the same. This isn’t a crowd of many, but a group of copies of a single being replicated over and over and over again.

All of their eerily identical eyes are focused on you.

A second spotlight springs to life, revealing a handsome man holding a ventriloquist’s dummy. These two also look almost identical, except the dummy has blond hair and the man’s is dark. With a grating and shrill voice, the man begins to speak. At least, you think it’s the man; only the dummy’s mouth moves.

“Our illustrious patron, Zassrion, the Patchwork King, the Tyrant of the Harrow, has arranged an entertaining show for you tonight,” the puppet yells out in glee. “It is a daring tale of adventure, tragedy, and murder.” Murmurs of excitement rise up from the crowd, but their faces remain unmoving, staring only at you. Their grins seem to grow even wider as each member of the audience draws a blade. Hundreds of identical knives glint in the light, each held by an identical hand.

The puppet sweeps its arms upwards in the manner of a true showman. “Let the show begin!”

During This Scenario
When a Wax Construct is undefeated, shuffle a non-closing henchman Wax Construct–Proxy B into a random open location.

If The Theater is closed, and the villain Balimar and Balio is not cornered, build a new location The Theater and shuffle a closing henchman Wax Construct–Proxy A into it, then report a “Stage Clear” success to the table coordinator.

After the table coordinator announces the Second Act, shuffle into a stack the villain Balimar and Balio and a number equal to the number of locations each of non-closing henchen Wax Construct–Proxy B and new monsters; shuffle 3 into The Theater and 2 into each other location.

To win, corner and defeat the villain Balimar and Balio.

4-5B: MONEY STALKS
  Roderus listens as you finish your tale. “Well, it would seem that you’re on the right track. Panven Wikar has made a right mess of the Lower City Bazaar, so our deal with the Pactmasters seems quite generous. I recommend you track down that aluum construct, and I’ll gather the supplies for a trek down the coast.”
  You have heard of these aluum constructs before. They are powerful golems created to maintain order in Katapesh when other forms of populace control fail. No matter where one goes in Katapesh, an aluum is close at hand.
  Leaving the Pathfinder lodge, you make your way to the Lower City Bazaar to ask questions and grease palms. From what you’ve heard, the aluum was completely calm before a terrifying howl emerged from somewhere in the crowd and a cloud of ghostly faces entered the aluum’s body. The construct immediately lashed out and sprinted away, throwing aside bystanders as it went. Following the trail of witnesses and devastation leads to the Azure Star, a popular cantina in the Lower City’s heart.
  The Azure Star has seen far better days. Some of the giant tent’s poles have been knocked out, tearing free several massive spikes that kept the structure taut. Inside you find a mess of smashed tables, torn pillows, scattered coins, and fallen patrons. You check one of the bodies, determining he died by blunt force trauma to the head, but there are also a lot of tiny bruises and gashes on his legs and torso, as if he were attacked by many small objects.
  The larger damage is clearly the aluum’s work, but the smaller wounds are unexpected. You think back to what you know of aluums: they’re giant metal golems built to maintain order in Katapesh. Whereas most golems contain an elemental spirit, though, a host of prisoners’ souls powers each aluum—proof that the Pactmasters are efficient but hardly forgiving. Wait, didn’t Zarta say that the locket was possessed? How might that have interacted with the aluum’s captive souls?
  As if answering your question, the scattered coins begin rattling and floating with wordless malice. Shrieks from outside draw your attention, and the looming silhouette of some giant appears through the tent’s fabric. It seems whatever was in that locket found a new home, and it’s about to go on another rampage!

DURING THIS SCENARIO
When you defeat and display a Coin Swarm henchman, you may immediately attempt to close the location it came from.
When you close a location, before closing, search the location deck; you may choose 1 card and shuffle it into a random other open location deck.
When you defeat the henchman Aluum, shuffle the villain Canopic Soul into your location deck. To win, defeat and corner the Canopic Soul.

VILLAIN
NONE

HENCHMEN

OTHER CARDS

4-5A: ZARTA’S ASSESSMENT
  You explain your recent adventures to Venture-Captain Roderus, including your voyage to the Mana Wastes to recover the Atramentous Eye, a life-draining orb in possession of a riddling sphinx.
  “Given its dangerous nature,” you begin, “we traveled to Absalom to meet with Zarta Dralneen, head of the Pathfinder Society’s Dark Archive.
  “‘What delights have you brought back today?’ Zarta asked us as she pored over the items we retrieved. She cast a spell and her eyes flashed a bright blue. ‘Well, has someone been playing in the Mana Wastes? These items’ auras are patchy, and their power is inconsistent. The Atramentous Eye is a dangerous exception, but there’s also this one...’ Zarta frowned as she pulled a monocle from the pile. ‘I’ve seen this lens before. It can identify areas of primal magic in the Mana Wastes. But this used to be in our archives, and I don’t remember anyone checking this out. If you have a moment, let’s inspect the stacks nearby to make sure that nothing else is missing.’
  “Zarta led us down deeper into the vaults beneath the Grand Lodge until she stopped at a door that looked no different than the other fifty we passed walking down here. ‘Be careful when you go in,’ she said. ‘The items here are quite dangerous, and someone stealing from here without properly managing the wards can trigger a chain reaction that impacts the other objects. After all, we wouldn’t want anything to happen to your adorable faces.’
  “Zarta’s prediction was too accurate, and too late. Inside, the remains of boxes were scattered on the ground as hundreds of items buzzed all around the series of rooms. Zarta cast some protective spells on us while saying, ‘I hope you came prepared for danger.’ With that, she rolled up her sleeves and walked in.”

DURING THIS SCENARIO
After building the location decks, shuffle an item into each location deck and display Paracountess Zarta Dralneen next to the scenario.
When you fail to acquire an item, you are dealt 1d4 Combat damage; shuffled the item into its location deck. When you acquire an item, you may display it next to its location then you may immediately attempt to close that location.
When you would close a location, you may bury 3 items from your hand and/or displayed next to that location; if you do not, the location does not close.
To win, close all but 1 location.

VILLAIN
NONE

HENCHMEN
NONE

OTHER CARDS

4-4E: THE SPELLSCAR SHOWDOWN
 The ruined fortress contains countless clues that paint a dark picture of the clash between Nex and Geb. Famously, Nex commanded impressive golems and an army of summoned creatures from across all the planes of existence. Geb, on the other hand, favored necromancy, raising impossibly large legions of undead soldiers and choking the life from the land. Though Nex has disappeared and Geb has become a vengeful ghost-king since their war ground to a stalemate, the fallout of their conflict still haunts the Mana Wastes. You collect several other potent items al-Jakri had hidden here and document the ruins as best you can—perhaps you can publish your report in the Pathfinder Chronicles.
 The sun has set by the time you emerge from the fortress with the sphinx. Although the sky is clear, the land surrounding the site is crawling with new arrivals. From the south clamber scores of undead, whereas from the north strides a huge, scaled demon with a canine face and massive pincers. The sphinx hunches down and mouths the name “Koth’Vaul” to you.
 The fiend calls out, “Your time is up! I would retrieve the artifact I loaned you. Be a good pet and bring it to me.”
  “Stand down, Koth’Vaul,” shouts a zombified cleric at the head of the undead force. “My lord, Stavros Nightcrescent, lays claim to the Atramentous Eye! Sphinx, deliver the artifact to us, and I shall grant you life eternal with the blessing of undeath.”
 Koth’Vaul bellows with laughter as more fiends appear around him. “The artifact belongs to Muhlia al-Jakri, zombie, and I am merely taking it to deliver to her.”
 The zombie lord snaps back, “She is as good as dead, and you know it, demon! Our alliance is over, and now we claim our prize!”
 This can’t end well. It’s time to escape with the artifact. Hopefully your enemies are willing to weaken each other enough for you to break through to safety!
 If not, at least you’ll have lots of company in the afterlife.

DURING THIS SCENARIO
When building the location decks, set aside the monsters and barriers, plus 1 Fiend henchman for each location and 1 Undead henchman for each location, then shuffle them into a siege deck.
Shuffle into the siege deck a number of barriers and a number of monsters from the box equal to the number of characters. Display the support card Defensive Stance next to this card.
The first time the siege deck would be empty, shuffle the henchmen Koth’Vaul and Heqet into the siege deck.
To win the scenario, a location must be open while the siege deck is empty.

VILLAIN
NONE

HENCHEMN
FIEND HENCHMEN

OTHER CARDS

4-4D: A KILLER CONUNDRUM
 The fleeing maftets easily outpace you and call out to their sphinx patron as you rush to the ruined fortress. Suddenly, a deafening roar echoes out of the citadel, followed by a visible ripple that emanates from the structure. The maftets at first cheer on hearing the sphinx’s response, but when the wave of energy touches them, they plummet screaming to the ground. By the time this wave reaches you, it has weakened. Nonetheless, you feel it sucking at your life, drawing it forcefully toward the ruins. It may not have killed you, but it certainly hurt! Could this be the Atramentous Eye in action?
 You approach cautiously, peering over a section of toppled wall into the fortress’s courtyard. There, a sphinx sits on her haunches, cradling a multifaceted black sphere in one paw as she mutters insistent questions to it.
 “What are the last words of a dying mute?” she purrs. “How many grains of sand comprise the desert?”
 You lean in to hear better; in the process, you dislodge a few cobbles that clatter down the wall. The sphinx wheels about in alarm, her eyes glowing with fiendish malice. She roars, and the orb seems to drink in the surrounding light before releasing another wave of energy. You take cover behind the broken wall. When you look back, the sphinx is gone.
 It’s difficult to tell quite where she went. However, her words echo throughout the fortress, voicing other quandaries. “How many trespassers must die to fuel my spells? How many spells to solve the Riddle of Koth’Vaul?”
 Her chanted riddles seem to have her distracted. Now if only you could find her before she uses that orb again!

DURING THIS SCENARIO
After drawing starting hands, each character discards the top 1d4 cards of his deck.
After you encounter the villain Half-Fiend Sphinx, each character discards the top 1d4 cards of her deck.

VILLAIN

HENCHMEN

4-4C: RIDDLES OF RUIN
  Your attention is split between assessing Ashasar’s dire condition and watching a quartet of winged humanoids swoop down to alight nearby. Each one’s upper body resembles a tattooed human with feathered wings sprouting from his shoulders. Their powerful feline legs land softly in the sand, and their tufted tails twitch anxiously as they look first at you and then at each other. You have heard of these desert natives before: maftets, dwellers in Garund’s lost cities.
  One approaches confidently and speaks. “Your friend has calmed the storm. That is no easy feat.” The other maftets look at the wheezing Ashasar with respect. The geniekin tries to respond, only to expel a series of floating bubbles that pop and release his words in a disjointed chorus. The lead maftet scowls. “Whatever he did came at a cost, and he now suffers a powerful spellblight. I am Erayu. Come. We can provide some treatment.”
  The maftets help you carry Ashasar east, explaining that their tribe has lived among the ruins of an ancient Nexian fortress for generations. A month ago, a sphinx arrived, promising enlightenment to any who could help her solve the Riddle of Koth’Vaul. The tribe fractured. Some offered their service; others wished nothing of her puzzle. The more the maftets helped solve the sphinx’s conundrum, the more her appearance changed, and each breakthrough left her more feral, ferocious, and driven. Likewise, her disciples became more combative as they mapped out impossibly complex patterns in the land to unravel the riddle. At last, the other maftets fled, fearing what their kin had become.
  Koth’Vaul? You recognize the name of the fiend that was working with Muhlia al-Jakri. You suspect that whatever riddle Koth’Vaul provided the sphinx, it’s responsible for her transformation and the maftets’ distress. What’s worse, you think the maftets’ home is worryingly close to where al-Jakri hid the Atramentous Eye. Hoping to learn more, you leave Ashasar in your new friends’ care and set out to study these ruins.

DURING THIS SCENARIO
•When building the location decks, using the deck list from the Garden of Symmetry, build a number of Garden of Symmetry locations equal to the number of characters.
•Treat the henchman Userib as a villain. The difficulty of checks to defeat Userib are increased by 1d4 plus the number of characters.
•At the end of your turn, choose a type of boon, then examine the top card of your location deck. If it is the chosen type, you may draw or banish it; if it is not the chosen type and is a boon, either put it on the bottom of the location deck or shuffle it into the location deck.

VILLAIN

HENCHMEN

4-4B: IT'S LOOKING LIKE RAIN
You depart the ratfolk burrow with Saka Naht’s blessing and guidance, offering her the last of your trade goods in thanks for her clan’s hospitality. From there you set out to the east, straight toward a looming storm of faintly glowing clouds and whipping winds. Ashasar marvels at the sight as you scramble over the uneven terrain. After an hour, he calls for a quick break and pulls out a bag of metal disks.

“I am part of an organization called the Concordance of Elements. We operate across the planes, searching for anomalies and restoring cosmic balance. You and I alone cannot heal the Mana Wastes, but we can do something about that,” he states, motioning to the storm as it begins swirling into a tornado. “You might think the best way to heal an area of unpredictable magic would be with magic, but that would be unpredictable, right? That’s where these come in.” He clacks a pile of the disks together. “The Concordance uses these to contain an uncontrolled elemental outburst, even when local conditions make spellcasting dangerous. If we can secure these in an even perimeter around the storm, I can perform a ritual to disperse it.”

If Ashasar’s plan works, it could be a significant step toward undoing the damage inflicted by Geb’s internecine war with Nex so many millennia ago. Ashasar quickly tries to manage your expectations.

“Keep in mind that the Mana Wastes are far larger than anything I have handled before. For now, let us just convince this tenacious storm to scatter and make observations. Here, take a few of these.” He hands you some disks and begins pointing to points visible across the wastes, identifying ideal locations for you to anchor the ritual focuses.

The terrain is difficult to navigate, Ashasar’s targets aren’t easy to reach, and the weather grows more punishing with each step. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, the sky crackles with green lightning, and a light drizzle of acid begins to fall.

DURING THIS SCENARIO
Before building the location decks, set aside the barrier Lightning Storm. After placing token cards, display that Lightning Storm next to a random occupied location. When that Lightning Storm would be banished, display it next to a random open location instead.

Before drawing starting hands, shuffle the henchman Conflagration and a spell from the box into each location deck.

When you would discard or recharge a spell for its power, roll 1d8:
1: Either suffer a scourge or bury the spell instead of discarding or recharging it.
2: Shuffle the villain Sandstorm into the blessings deck and shuffle a spell from the box into your location deck.
3–7: No effect.
8: Either banish a displayed card that has the Curse trait or shuffle the spell into your deck instead of discarding or recharging it.

At the end of your turn, if you are at an open location, you are dealt 1 Acid damage.

To win, close all of the locations.

VILLAIN
NONE

HENCHMEN

OTHER CARDS

4-4A: WASTELAND DIPLOMACY
  Traveling with the geniekin Ashasar is pleasant. The flora and fauna of the Garundi continent endlessly fascinate him. You learn that he has spent much of his life on the elemental planes, which he describes with awe while admitting that this world’s blend of air, earth, fire, and water is astounding. Yet for all his playful conversation, you can tell that he harbors an utterly serious devotion to understanding and quelling any natural phenomena that would grow too destructive or wild.
  The trade road you’re on passes through the border fortress of Cloudreaver Keep, where you stop for a bit. The path then veers to the west toward the city-state of Alkenstar, famed for its deadly firearms and steam-powered marvels. However, your destination lies to the southeast over the trackless wastes of the Spellscar Desert. The keep’s guards warn you that the unforgiving terrain is the least of your worries. Primal weather phenomena have been especially brutal over the past few weeks, with shrieking ghost-winds savaging anyone caught in the open, and caustic rain showers whose droplets turn into tiny spiders that skitter for cover. Magic is already unpredictable enough in the Mana Wastes, and these powerful storms only make it even more dangerous.
  What’s more, dozens of the wasteland tribes who eke out a living in the Spellscar Desert govern by a policy of “might makes right.” The guards warn that most of these tribes will prey on anyone they think can’t put up a fight, but others might be willing to offer safe passage in exchange for a chance to trade. That doesn’t seem so bad, at least until they mention these tribes are mostly bloodthirsty gnolls, mutant humans, skittish ratfolk, opportunistic goblins, and even six-armed giants known as calikangs. Looking over the keep’s visitor log, you note that of the few convoys that left for the southeast, almost none of them have returned.
  Ashasar grins at you with determination, as though he’s welcoming the challenge. As you set out together, you wish you shared his confidence.

DURING THIS SCENARIO

3-4A: ESCAPE FROM MANAKET
  True to his word, Venture-Captain Obo has secured you provisions and mounts, and early the next morning you prepare to set out. Obo beckons you to come back inside,closing the door before imparting a few last words of wisdom.
  “According to your sage Mnesoset, she intended to invoke the ancient gods of Jistka to enter the ruins, awaken the golems, and control the army. She made a point to carry several holy symbols of the now-forgotten deities.” He holds up a set of silver charms and icons. “I suspect you might need your own. These were among the treasures the thriae preserved.” Obo quickly and carefully wraps them up, adding, “In Rahadoum, symbols of the gods are contraband. Having these in your possession is a crime, and a serious one at that. Keep these hidden until you are well outside Manaket—and even after that. I’ll travel with you to the edge of the city.”
  You try to keep a low profile as you depart the lodge, but every time you look over your shoulder, you’re certain you see a flutter of a white cloak vanishing around a corner, or the flash of polished mail before a rooftop spy slips out of sight. Obo leads you through busy markets, down crowded streets, and past a traveling menagerie. Suddenly, several soldiers call for you to stop—it’s the Pure Legion, Rahadoum’s guards against religious intrusion!
  “They’ll search us for sure,” Obo whispers urgently. “They can practically sniff out divine symbols and magic. Slip away quickly, and I’ll buy you time to leave the city.” He hastily adds, “The Rahadoumi are strict, but they are not bad people. If you can avoid violence, please do so!”
  With that, Obo loudly hails the guards, providing you the distraction you need to escape, and hopefully to avoid further patrols.

DURING THIS SCENARIO
•When setting out locations, shuffle all of the listed location cards into a location pile, then draw 1 random card from it and build that location deck.
•Whenever there are no open locations, draw 2 random cards from the location pile. Choose 1 and banish it, then summon and build the other; shuffle in the henchman Pure Legion Enforcer. Then move all characters to that location.
•At the start of your turn, you may recharge from your hand or bury from your discard pile any number of cards that have the Divine trait, then roll 1d6. If the result is less than the total number of cards that have the Divine trait in your hand and discard pile, summon and encounter the henchman Pure Legion Enforcer.
•To win the scenario, close a number of locations equal to the number of characters plus 3.

LOCATIONS
Alchemical Laboratory, Brickworks, Canny Jackal, Caravanserai, Dilapidated Plaza, Dye Market, Great Library of Tephu, Pleasure Barge, Precinct of Left Eyes, Ruined Temple, Smoking Den, Surgery, Tooth and Hookah, Vault of Hidden Wisdom, Vizier’s Hill, Walled Oasis, Warehouse

VILLAIN
NONE

HENCHMEN

4-4D: A KILLER CONUNDRUM
 The fleeing maftets easily outpace you and call out to their sphinx patron as you rush to the ruined fortress. Suddenly, a deafening roar echoes out of the citadel, followed by a visible ripple that emanates from the structure. The maftets at first cheer on hearing the sphinx’s response, but when the wave of energy touches them, they plummet screaming to the ground. By the time this wave reaches you, it has weakened. Nonetheless, you feel it sucking at your life, drawing it forcefully toward the ruins. It may not have killed you, but it certainly hurt! Could this be the Atramentous Eye in action?
 You approach cautiously, peering over a section of toppled wall into the fortress’s courtyard. There, a sphinx sits on her haunches, cradling a multifaceted black sphere in one paw as she mutters insistent questions to it.
 “What are the last words of a dying mute?” she purrs. “How many grains of sand comprise the desert?”
 You lean in to hear better; in the process, you dislodge a few cobbles that clatter down the wall. The sphinx wheels about in alarm, her eyes glowing with fiendish malice. She roars, and the orb seems to drink in the surrounding light before releasing another wave of energy. You take cover behind the broken wall. When you look back, the sphinx is gone.
 It’s difficult to tell quite where she went. However, her words echo throughout the fortress, voicing other quandaries. “How many trespassers must die to fuel my spells? How many spells to solve the Riddle of Koth’Vaul?”
 Her chanted riddles seem to have her distracted. Now if only you could find her before she uses that orb again!

DURING THIS SCENARIO
After drawing starting hands, each character discards the top 1d4 cards of his deck.
After you encounter the villain Half-Fiend Sphinx, each character discards the top 1d4 cards of her deck.

VILLAIN

HENCHMEN

  You leap off the floating boulder before it collides with the fortress, barely scrambling toward one of jagged entrances. Stairs lead from claustrophobic tunnels into an eroded cavern studded with sand-scoured crystals that emit cool, faint light. You have reached the center of the strange fortress only to find a thousand-faceted stone prison covered in runes and riddles. Blasts of refreshing air crack the stone and escape before the surface regenerates, the runes glow once more, and the air attempts to burst free from a different angle.
  As if sensing the last of his defenses have almost failed, the evil Elemental Lord Ayrzul has called in extraplanar mercenaries: a band of fiendish ne’er-do-wells known as the Daemon Prayers, led by a powerful ogre general. She has long sought Ayrzul’s patronage, and this is at long last her chance to prove her company’s worth. You’ll need to fend her off, but don’t neglect the strange puzzle prison—perhaps whatever’s trapped within can help you save the day!

DURING THIS SCENARIO
To set up this section, first put the Collapsing Bridge and all of the cards from the location decks back in the box. Summon and build the listed location decks and add the villain and henchmen as usual. Each character places his token card at a location. Return the blessings deck and discard pile to the box, then create a new 30-card blessings deck. Keep all other cards where they are (including characters’ hands). Each character shuffles 1d4+1 random cards from his discard pile into his deck.

Instead of your explore step, you may get a piece of the puzzle from the Card Guild organizer. Players may freely discuss and work on the puzzle until the end of Part 3, even if you successfully complete the scenario first. When you believe you have solved the puzzle, report your solution to the Card Guild organizer; if the solution is correct, report 2 successes to the Overseer GM. If the solution is incorrect, you may continue working on the puzzle.

To win the scenario, defeat and corner the villain Mage Ogre.

8-00D: THINGS FALL APART—SECTION 1
  Ever since you arrived on Aucturn’s Tear, gusts of wind have periodically billowed out from deep within the asteroid, carrying with them life-giving oxygen—as well as welcoming breezes for those traveling the fiery tunnels and rare warmth for those navigating the icy passages below the frozen city. Now the airflow has become weak and anemic, as though the unknown source that has sustained you so far were being constricted—or worse, sealed away entirely. As you’ve traveled deeper into the asteroid, it has become increasingly clear that what lies at the center is not a mundane treasure but a trapped, extraplanar entity. You’ve crossed paths and blades with fiends before, yet this creature seems strangely friendly and helpful. There’s the possibility that it’s some trickster trying to secure your assistance by feigning benevolence. On the other hand, based on what you’ve learned from the genies and other elemental-kin you’ve met, this captive is the survivor of a long-forgotten era when the Elemental Planes were kept in balance between good and evil. As a Pathfinder, you learned that four tyrannical lords now rule the Elemental Planes uncontested: Ayrzul, the Fossilized King; Hshurha, the Duchess of All Winds; Kelizandri, the Brackish Emperor; and Ymeri, the Queen of the Inferno. Could it be that you’ve inadvertently joined a rescue mission for one of their lost rivals?
  A rune-scribed floating island begins drifting beneath the tunnel and brushing against the lowered ropes. “These rocky fragments gravitate toward the fortress,” Sorrina shouts as she hangs from a rope. “If we can cling on before it travels out of reach, it should carry us toward our destination. Once you reach the surface, get inside, find the center, and help break out the prisoner.” Other teams of Pathfinders nearby nod in acknowledgement at the Master of Spells’s instructions and prepare to rapel down toward the floating boulders that approach. One iceberg-sized rock spins slightly, revealing a host of undead cultists that cease their chanting, point toward the Pathfinders, and let loose unholy wails.
  “Ready? Now!” cries the Master of Spells, and agents begin rappelling down to the crude platform. As they land and clash with the evil priests, gravity seems to pull the giant rock back toward the fortress at the cavern’s center. The motion hurls away several agents, but they’re able to latch onto other platforms, joining other teams and continuing the fight.
  Best hold on, Pathfinders—it’s going to be a rocky flight!