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® ™ 'THCD SN SGD China Miéville, Elaine Cunningham, 2HUDQ Chris Pramas, and Steve Kenson +HMFCNLR 60 30 N Miles 0 B B The The The The Narlmarches Narlmarches The The Feasting Hall Feasting Feasting Hall Feasting Brevoy Nystra Mivon Mivon Boarwood Boarwood Galt F Galt F G G Major Town Major Small Settlement Ruins of Interest Point Major Town Major Small Settlement Ruins of Interest Point Lands Lands Mivon Mivon B B F F G G The Stolen Uringen Uringen Pitax Pitax Liberthane Liberthane G G G G Sarain G G Forest Forest Embeth Embeth B Pitax Pitax Mt. Branthlend Mt. Branthlend Avendale Avendale G G East Sellen Sellen East East Mimere Mimere Touvette Touvette Mormouth Mormouth Hymbria G G Gralton Gralton G G Gralton Gralton Riverton Riverton Heibarr Heibarr Cordelon G F F Sellen River Lake Lake Kallas Kallas Outsea Outsea Artume Artume Loric Fells G G G G Rookwarden Rookwarden B B The The G G Wilewood Wilewood Deadbridge Deadbridge G G Black Black West Sellen Sevenarches Sevenarches of the of the Marquis Marquis Daggermark Daggermark Sevenarches Sevenarches Protectorate Protectorate Hawk’s Nest Hawk’s G G Daggermark Daggermark Tymon Tymon Echo Wood Wood G G Kyonin Tymon Tymon Mosswater Scrawny Scrawny Crossing Crossing G G F F F F Lambreth Lambreth KC;H?7 KC;H?7 7PC?H7D Maashinelle Maashinelle ,AKE %NCARTHAN %NCARTHAN The River Kingdoms Kingdoms The River The River IJ7B7L IJ7B7L 'THCD SN SGD 2HUDQ +HMFCNLR Å7J><?D:;HÅ>HED?9B;IÅKFFB;C;DJ Table of Contents >;Å?L;HÅ ?D=:ECIÅ s EIIM7J;HÅ ts OHEDD7Å7D:Å7DIFKHÅ z OIJH7Å tt HJKC;Å r{ KJI;7Å tu EH:;BEDÅ rr ?J7NÅ ty 7==;HC7HAÅ rs HEJ;9JEH7J;ÅE<ÅJ>;ÅB79AÅ 7HGK?IÅ us H7BJEDÅ rw ?L;HJEDÅ uu ;?87HHÅ s{ 9H7MDOÅHEII?D=Å uv OC8H?7Å sr ;L;D7H9>;IÅ uw 7C8H;J>Å ss >;ÅJEB;DÅ 7D:IÅ v{ ?8;HJ>7D;Å sw EKL;JJ;Å vu EH?9Å;BBIÅ sx OCEDÅ vw ?LEDÅ sy H?D=;DÅ w{ Credits Authors: Eric Bailey, Kevin Carter, Elaine Cunningham, Senior Art Director: James Davis Adam Daigle, Mike Ferguson, Joshua J. Frost, Steve Production Specialist: Crystal Frasier Kenson, Rob Manning, Alison McKenzie, Colin Moulder- Publisher: Erik Mona McComb, China Miéville, Brock Mitchel-Slentz, Jason Paizo CEO: Lisa Stevens Nelson, Richard Pett, Chris Pramas, Jeff Quick, Sean K Vice President of Operations: Jeffrey Alvarez Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Lisa Stevens, Neil Spicer, Corporate Accountant: Dave Erickson Matthew Stinson, and John Wick Director of Sales: Pierce Watters Cover Artist: Dan Scott Sales Manager: Christopher Self Cartography: Rob Lazzaretti Technical Director: Vic Wertz Interior Artists: Jeff Carlisle, Billy George, Andrew Kim, Events Manager: Joshua J. Frost Muyoung Kim, Craig J Spearing, and Kieran Yanner Special Thanks: The Paizo Customer Service, Website, Editor-in-Chief: James Jacobs and Warehouse Teams Managing Editor: F. Wesley Schneider Editing and Development: Christopher Carey, Rob Paizo Publishing, LLC McCreary, Sean K Reynolds, and James L. Sutter 7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120 Editorial Assistance: Jason Bulmahn Redmond, WA 98052-0577 Art Director: Sarah E. Robinson paizo.com Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.) Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Pathfinder Chronicles: Guide to the River Kingdoms is published by Paizo Publishing, LLC under the Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Paizo Publishing, LLC, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, and GameMastery are registered trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC; Pathfinder Chronicles, Pathfinder Module, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC. Printed in China. 0@SGEHMCDQ #GQNMHBKDR 'THCD SN SGD 2HUDQ +HMFCNLR "X *DEE 1THBJ 4GD 2HUDQ +HMFCNLR In the far-distant past, when forests covered much of Avistan and elves were the dominant race, the land now known as the River Kingdoms was verdant and lively. Streams ran quick and clear, and the land was green and firm. This territory adjoining Kyonin and Lake Encarthan was a place for high nobles and their courts to enjoy hunting and sport. The elves called it Telvurin, translated today in Taldane as “The Shifting Lands.” The departure of the elves gave the human race new territory to explore, putting them in conflict with lizardfolk, frog-men, and suspicious fey. With its dozens of tributary rivers dividing the region into countless small territories, it became a natural place for outcasts, rebels, and petty tyrants to stake claims and declare themselves rulers of whatever land they could grab and hold. 4GD 2HUDQ +HMFCNLR illennia later, the pleasantness of the land remains. of this region, as it or its tributaries touch most kingdoms Unfortunately, so does the chaos. Very little stays in the nation. Thanks to the Third River Freedom (see page - static in the River Kingdoms. The rivers slowly shift 7), these waterways are clear of any official obstruction to boundaries over centuries, and kingdoms can trade hands trade or travel. However, bandits and pirates ply all parts yearly. Banditry is a national pastime, and security is a distant of the river, so travel and commerce are never certain. hope for commoners, reserved for people in other lands. Merchants mainly move food around the kingdoms, but The River Kingdoms are a collection of often-fractious steady traffic in arms and armor makes traders both good neighbors united only by their common geography and their targets for bandits and well prepared for them. Travelers near-anarchic independence. When the local lord may change also use the Sellen daily, and the western and main branches from year to year, the nearest “king” is actually a bandit with are highways for crusaders headed to Mendev. Of course, delusions of grandeur, and the only thing protecting a rancher’s crusaders often feel obliged to halt wrongdoing along the livestock is how well he can use a sword, the strong learn to way as well, or to stop and collect some much-appreciated depend on themselves and distrust those who break their word “donations” to the cause. or exploit others. Though the leaders of the River Kingdoms In most places, the river is less than a mile wide and around are varied and ever-changing, the people—as stubborn and 12 feet deep, best suited to barge travel. Bridges seldom last contrary as they may be—mark the character of the River outside of the stable kingdoms, so ferryboats are common Kingdoms: survivalist adaptability and stubborn endurance. along the waterway. The first section of this book covers the geography of Outsiders find it confusing that on many maps the the River Kingdoms, how this region survives as a political tributaries are also called “the Sellen River.” The turnover of entity despite not having a unified leader, the many types of sovereignty leads to frequent renaming, making most names governments that exist here, relations with other countries, too temporary to be useful. When it’s relevant, the river is and what life is like in this land. Any discussion of the River referred to by its three main branches: West Sellen, Main Kingdoms, of course, must address its bandit problem, Sellen, and East Sellen, with specific sections of the river its strange local deities, and the Six River Freedoms held named according to the nearest kingdom through which common throughout the kingdoms. it flows. When conversing with a native about one of these The remainder of the book is a gazetteer of 22 of the most confusingly named rivers, understanding the particulars of significant territories within the River Kingdoms. Eight of directions and locations requires a DC 15 Knowledge (local) these are the largest and most stable: Daggermark, Gralton, skill check. Lambreth, Mivon, Pitax, Sevenarches, Tymon, and Uringen; though little more than city-states with ambiguous borders, Forests these eight major kingdoms conduct trade and engage in Over a dozen discrete forested areas cover much of the River diplomacy with nearby countries where smaller or newer Kingdoms. During the time of the elves, woods blanketed kingdoms may be laughed off by merchants and foreign much more of the land in one or two vast forests that rivaled leaders. The other territories are smaller, more isolated the size of the modern Verduran, but logging, blight, and kingdoms which may yet survive long enough to establish a fire culled many of the trees over the ages. The larger forests permanent foothold in the manner of Daggermark and the are still home to secretive fey, and all of them are havens for other major players, or else places that lie fallow after wars, bandits and other undesirables. plagues, or unknown events. The Stolen Lands is the setting for the Kingmaker Adventure Path; whether or not you plan Swamps to run a campaign using that Adventure Path, this area is The many waterways are known to f lood and shift over time, ripe for exploration and can easily be the site of a custom and what was once a fertile plain can become a shallow lake in a home-brewed campaign of conquest for ambitious PCs.

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