A Pathfinder compatible adventure that takes four to five 1st level PCs to 3rd level. Author Mike Myler Cover Artist Jack Holliday Interior Artists Jacob Blackmon, Storn Cook, Juan Diego, Leslie Ng Zhong Han, Indi Martin, Mike Myler, Ryan Rhodes Cartography Justin Andrew Mason, Mike Myler Layout Artist Mike Myler A Longer Adventure......................................3 Chapter 4: It’s Just A Flesh Wound!...........15 Veranthea Campaign Traits…………….....3–4 The Black Knight (Urethiel) CR 4...........15 Finding Grualroth’s Rot……..……................5 Development............................................15 Grethadnis Regional Map.............................6 Chapter 5: Knights of Other Hues………...16 Villages in Yawvil's Realm.............................6 Tournament Map.....................................16 Adventure Summary……………………….....7 Kind Folk and Monstrous Folk...............17 Adventure Background……………………....7 Chapter 6: The Black Knight Chapter 1: A Game on the Road………..7–10 Always Triumphs!........18–19 Minor Quests..............................................7 The Black Knight (Trectoyri) CR 5........18 Polysabie……………………………….....8–9 Black Helmet.............................................18 Dante Taisykles, the Black Knight..........10Sample fileEpilogue: What Now?..................................19 Chapter 2: None Shall Pass!.................11–12 Chainsaw-Sword…………………………..19 The Black Knight (Grethadnis) CR 3.....11 PREGENERATED PCs Have At Thee!...........................................12 Frederick Dandy.......................................20 Development...........................................12 Kear Mik-Nyyl...........................................21 Roadway Encounter Combat Map..........12 Halgee.....................................................22 Chapter 3: Unfamiliar Urethiel…….......13–14 Psyche of Anto.........................................23 Urethiel Regional Map............................13 Gaspard Vanderbrult...............................24 Barn Encounter Map...............................14 42-Σ............................................................25 Map Key........................................................26 Throughout the book you’ll find several superscript references. A singular “B” stands for “bonus” but everything else references something in the Paizo library for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. ARG Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Race Guide GMG Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: GameMastery Guide MC Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Monster Codex NPC Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: NPC Codex B1 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary B2 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 2 B3 Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 3 Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Inc.. See http://paizo.com/ pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Inc. does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Inc., and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Inc., and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. 2 Radical Starts Welcome to Veranthea! This radical campaign setting began with my casual return to gaming after a hiatus while I went to college, and I think it’s part of that whimsy that informs the Exploring Veranthea world and makes it so engaging. Over the years my players This particular adventure is a brief introduc- have toppled kingdoms, manned the insides of a kaiju castle tion to each of the continents of Veranthea: monster, had dinner with the mythic vampires of Tian-Ti Ang, Grethadnis with its medieval fantasy and ste- rolled the entropic Polydracte, changed the course of history ampunk renaissance, Urethiel’s high fantasy with a maliciously interpreted wish, hijacked in-flight Gob- asian-inspired wuxia, and the Free Isle of Om- linvanian jets, and far more. What identifies all of their epic inara, the last bastion of free folk holding out achievements isn’t their scope, however, but the vivid reali- against the monstrous dieselpunk continent of zation and actualization of themes borne out to their fullest Trectoyri. For GMs and groups interested in extent and taken to the absolute extreme. fully exploring the Fair Continent of Grethadnis So with that in mind, please enjoy making my first as they play through the increasingly disturbing world your own. Remember that everything here should feel Grualroth’s Rot Adventure Path, the Veranthea bigger, be bolder, and leave an indelible mark on your games Codex has side quests and plot hooks for every that makes them stand out in the memories of the table for country and region (woven throughout Chapter decades to come. It’s my fervent hope that they do, and that 2: Grethadnis). you enjoy this place as much as I have. The 3 Continents of Veranthea Veranthea is a world of worlds—six unique geographical regions encompassing three continents, what’s beneath the surface (the Forever Dark), under the water (the Fifth World), and hidden in the planet’s poles (The Veil). Although all of these are touched upon by the pregenerated characters in the back of this module, The Black Knight predominantly involves Grethadnis, Urethiel, and Trectoyri. Below are short primers of each continent and they are greatly expanded upon in Veranthea Codex, but also have information available on the Veranthea Codex Tumblr. GRETHADNIS, the Fair Continent: Of the many regionsSample in Veranthea this file is the most like a traditional medieval fantasy world—though even then its themes are frequently radical and extreme. The slavery of the Trekth and the jabberwock oppressors that followed have left deep divisions between the Kind Folk and Unwanted Folk that still resonate today, and though open violence between the races is frowned upon it is not uncommon. A few centuries of comparative peace and prosperity are coming to a close as steam-powered tech- nology spreads across the Fair Continent in a scientific renaissance, one led by the monstrous Red Fist army (a militant organization of Unwanted Folk in cahoots with the mage-lord Boris of Trianestra and Baron Privatend against traditional rulers). It is the home of the demigod wizard Yawvil and frequently manipulated by the Radical Pantheon but more lies behind the conflicts of these lands rife with wild magic and ensconced in national intrigue—the eventual return of the dread demon Grualroth. URETHIEL, the Enchanted Continent: Tradition and history are more important in Urethiel than anywhere else, the story fashionings of wu xia omnipresent with its ancient dynasties, mysterious ninjas, and honorable samurai, all steeped in high fantasy with the overwhelm- ing presence of magic everywhere. The Scarring of 424 AV had repercussions in the Enchanted Continent, the shattered peak of Mount Nestraka infusing power into the very people of the land. Their descendants wield this power still and though they too knew a period of peace, forces of Unwanted Folk led by hobgoblins seeking revenge for the genocide against their peoples in Urethiel’s recent past. Despite the looming threat of Hesstrickia on the whole Kind Folk and Unwanted Folk respect one another here as etiquette and honor are paramount. The longstanding authority of the dynasties is waning as the magic throughout the Enchanted Continent spawns dangers and hazards beyond counting, leaving its peoples to rely on the good will of adventurers more than their sovereigns. TRECTOYRI, the Monstrous Continent: In Trectoyri it is the Unwanted Folk that have all the power, their mastery of technology far superior to those of the other continents. While the gods were distracted by The Scarring the darker elements of the Radical Pantheon struck, leading their followers to decimate the Kind Folk rulers of the once pristine lands. Since then an unchecked drive for technological advancement under the leadership of Goblinvania has decimated and polluted Trectoyri, its populations of elves, dwarves, and the like enslaved to monstrous masters everywhere save for the island of Ominara. The conflict between races is far and away the bloodiest on the Monstrous Continent and any sign of a goblin on the Free Isle or a masterless slave on the mainland is reason enough to draw pistols, and suspicious paranoia is a constant companion for everyone but fools. Desperation can be felt no matter which side one is allied with—the Kind Folk are outnumbered, outmatched, and fighting a losing battle for their freedom while the Unwanted Folk have stretched the limits of their resources to the breaking point, forcing their hand in ever more overly-aggressive attempts to quash the last bastion of liberty. 3 A Longer Adventure This module is as much an introduction to the three broadest settings within Veranthea as it is an adventure. GMs meaning to take their time bringing the world’s most radical Pathfinder Roleplaying Game campaign setting to life (a fine goal indeed!) are encouraged to increase the delay between Polysabie encounters by as many as 5 days, filling the time in between with obstacles, quests, and enemies appropriate for the region the PCs are in. So long as the doings of the adventurers are suitably radical, impactful, and memorable, they are right at home in Veranthea. Grethadnis: Page 5 has a few seeds for The Black Knight but