Carrock

CR: 20 XP: 307,200

NE Gargantuan plant

Init: +4 Senses: darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision Perception: +40

AC: 34, touch 7, flat-footed 34 (+4 armor, +1 insight, +23 natural,, –4 size) slain, simply grew anew, sprouting and multiplying. The demons abandoned the core of Storasta to Carrock as not worth the struggle, maintaining only a foothold and a careful watch on the surround. Carrock’s thirst for power was not slaked. He bid his servants drag the sacred stones from across Storasta to the mound, and sang to the trees to life-shape them first into a grove, then a bower, and finally to weave them with the standing stones into the foundation of the How. The spirit-power in every tree and sacred stone resonated with the Spirit Mound, and Carrock’s power grew greater. He sent creeping servants far and wide to drag whole and broken monoliths, dolmens, and standing stones from across the Worldwound, until Carrock’s How now rises in a great pile over 200 feet tall, an artificial hill enclosing a warren of twisting passages and roots and vines fashioned into strange twisting sigils, the Spirit Mound itself buried deep within. Game Effects: Carrock’s How is a fount of natural energies and power that spreads its influence throughout Storasta and the vicinity, linking itself to the life energy of every creature within this radius. Its powers are strongest within the city but extend up to 5 miles distant, however, its powers are blocked by the Wardstones and the River Sellen. Druidic magic is enhanced by Carrock’s How, with all druid and ranger spells taking effect at +1 caster level. Magic that specifically affects plants, vermin, fey, or creatures with the chaotic subtype (including any spells or spell-like abilities gained from the Chaos or Plant domains or the abyssal, fey, or verdant sorcerer bloodlines) also takes effect at +1 caster level and as if enhanced with the Enlarge Spell and Extend Spell feats, these effects stack with the caster level bonus to druidic magic. Creatures of other types often feel flushed and queasy amid the torrent of corrupted life energy radiating from Carrock’s How. They take a –2 penalty on saving throws against becoming diseased, nauseated, or sickened, and if slain, their remains have a 50% chance per day to animate as plant-like zombies (treat as free-willed yellow musk zombies but with neither a creator plant nor seeds for yellow musk creepers). Creatures whose remains rise in this way cannot be raised but can be returned to life by a reincarnation or resurrection spell. The spirits of the dead are also at risk in Storasta. The entire city is haunted with the restless shades of Storasta’s fallen defenders, and they clamor for the newly dead to join their eternal lament. Infused with the spirit-energies continually flowing from the How, these shades surge toward the departing spirits of the slain, binding them as the rest eternal spell (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 238). The caster level check to overcome this effect is DC 30 inside of Carrock’s How and DC 25 elsewhere in Storasta. The DC is reduced by 5 for each mile of distance between Storasta

HP: 445 (27d8+324)

Fort: +34 Ref: +14 Will: +26

Resist: cold 15, electricity 20, fire 15

Immune: disease, plant traits

SR: 25

Weaknesses: vulnerable to fire

Speed: 30 ft.

Melee: 2 slam +31 (2d8+15), Carrock’s Maul +35/+30/+25/+20 (4d8+25/19–20 plus 2d6 vicious)

Ranged: rock +19 (2d8+15)

Space: 20 ft. Reach: 20 ft.

Special Attacks: rock throwing (180 ft.), smite good (+3 attack,, +27 damage, 1/day), trample (2d8+22, DC 31), wild shape 15 hours/day, wooden fist (+7, 11 rounds/day)

Spells Prepared: (CL 15th; concentration +23) 8th—control plantsD, finger of death (DC 26), whirlwind (DC 26) 7th—animate plantsD, creeping doom, fire storm (DC 25), heal 6th—antilife shell, greater dispel magic, mass cure light wounds, move earth, repel woodD 5th—animal growth, awaken, call lightning storm, insect plague, rest eternal*, wall of thornsD 4th—air walk, command plantsD, flame strike, freedom of movement, giant vermin, ice storm, thorn body* 3rd—call lightning, cure serious wounds, plant growthD, protection from energy (already cast), quench, speak with plants, stone shape 2nd—barkskinD (already cast), cure moderate wounds, heat metal, owl’s wisdom, resist energy, stone call, wood shape 1st—ant haul* (already cast), bristle*, entangleD (DC 19), faerie fire, longstrider, obscuring mist, produce flame 0 (at will)—detect magic, guidance, resistance, stabilize D Domain spell, Domain Plant

Str: 40 Dex: 10 Con: 34 Int: 12 Wis: 26 Cha: 16

Base Atk: +20 CMB: +39 CMD: 49

Feats: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, Forge Ring, Greater Sunder, Greater Vital Strike, Improved Critical (greatclub), Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improved Vital Strike, Persistent Spell*, Power Attack, Stunning Assault*, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus (greatclub)

Skills: Climb +20, Diplomacy +16, Handle Animal +14, Knowledge (history) +18, Knowledge (nature) +23, Knowledge (religion) +18, Linguistics +3, Perception +40, Sense Motive +17, Spellcraft +20, Stealth –8 (+8 in forests), Survival +10, Racial Modifiers +16 Stealth in forests

SQ: animate trees, blightblooded, bramble armor (1d6+7,, 15 rounds/day), double damage against objects, miasma*, nature bond (Plant domain), nature sense, plaguebearer* (DC 25), timeless body, treespeech, vermin empathy* +18, woodland stride

Languages: Abyssal, Common, Druidic, Hallit, Sylvan, Treant

Combat Gear: scroll of word of recall

Other Gear: Carrock’s Maul (+3 ghost touch vicious darkwood maul of the titans), belt of physical might (Str, Con) +4, bracers of armor +4, cloak of resistance +5, eyes of the eagle, headband of inspired wisdom +6, ioun stone (dusty rose prism), ring of blinking, ring of spell turning * See Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide. Still possessed of mighty gifts of natural power, Carrock draws upon the spirit-well of Carrock’s How (see page 31 for more information) to fuel his complex plots for the destruction of any in his way. Those who venture into his place of power find it a harrowing labyrinth, well guarded by Carrock’s minions, and they are far more likely to find their deaths than the spirit-well at its heart. Sun Temple Colony Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lost Cities of Golarion The inner eye shall open, and in the glory of the weeping gate the light shall flow, and with blistering purity burn from us the sins of the world. We who bear the light are the keepers, raging a torrent within our flesh and blistered with the promise of new worlds to come. In the consumption of flame, we are reborn in the image of divinity. —Excerpt from the so-called “Blessing of the Sun, ” last verified communication from the Sun Temple Colony Sun Temple Colony F ar across the Arcadian Ocean, the shattered remains of Azlant ascend from the sea like drowning skeletons, broken lands desperately gasping for breath in mockery of the fallen civilization. Beyond a maze of jagged cliffs, the decayed remains of the sacred city of Nal-Vashkin rise high above the water, its churches and spires still resonating with perversions of divine glory. The once-holy shrines hold irresistible riches and dangerous guardians, tempting foolhardy explorers to trespass on these forbidden grounds. Horrible abominations lurk among the island’s ruins—slithering oozes of searing flame that seek to usurp the minds and bodies of treasure-seekers toward worship of an unseen master. The strange, alien architecture of the buildings traps the souls of restless dead and attracts horrors from incomprehensible dimensions. Everywhere, weird lights flicker and things of primordial fire roam, birthed from a reawakened Azlanti experiment—a godling entrapped by mortal man, long slumbering in the Sun Temple. The island’s crumbling structures also host an age-old conflict, as the descendants of a lost Andoren colony wage holy war with those whose minds have been tainted by the awakened godling opposed by those who reject the fearsome horror. Orbiting high overhead, a mysterious artifact focuses the rays of the sun into a searing column of divine fire, bringing life to the unnatural being that rests within the temple and fiery destruction to those who oppose it. But hope lies hidden among the towering spires of Old Azlant, and scorched paths of burned earth reveal mysterious treasures and powerful magics for the adventurous to rediscover. These secrets and more await reclamation, and may yet undo the horrific errors of the island’s lost progenitors to bring rest to the tumultuous conflicts that rage within the ruins. Appearance High above a bleached boneyard of wave-ravaged shipwrecks perch the decayed temples of the Azlanti city of Nal-Vashkin. Strange lights flicker among the fragmented shrines and beckon the unwary deeper into the tangled undergrowth of the island. Smoldering auroras halo the ruins even in the bright of day, and the burn of ozone permeates the air. Towering spires and copulas penetrate the island’s thick canopy, dwarfing more recent human habitations built among the once-glorious edifices of the old empire. An enormous, bronze-mounted lens transits the island in a lazy and wandering orbit, its focused beam setting vegetation alight and carving trails like cauterized wounds through the dense foliage. Everywhere are the crumbling walls of a ruined civilization—some built in strange, sharp angles, others curved like sections of spheres. Above all looms the imposing edifice of the Sun Temple, perched on high, rocky ground scorched black by the searing beams of the gigantic lens. Occasionally, the mysterious device pauses in its orbit, bringing its light to bear on the cracked crystalline dome of the grand temple, which causes the halo of its smoldering aurora to flare menacingly as magma-like oozes flow forth from the temple’s yawning, eye-shaped gate, like tears of living flame. History Of all the ways in which the ancient Azlanti revolted against their aboleth mentors, perhaps no insult was more stinging than their deification of divine beings—pure anathema to the atheistic aboleths. But even beyond their discovery of faith, it was Azlant’s unprecedented advances in arcana—and the treacherous pride that accompanied it—that set Azlant up for its legendary fall. In one such experiment, ancient priests constructed an enormous, f loating, magical lens that orbited the central Sun Temple dedicated to their half-dozen solar deities, focusing the sacred light of celestial conjunctions on the temple’s crystal dome. Their original intentions are long lost, and whether they intended to call down an aspect of a benevolent solar deity or at last remove the negative inf luence of the demon lord Nurgal from Golarion’s mother star is unknown. Whatever their purpose, the priests succeeded in cultivating a raw, earthly incarnation of a protoplasmic sun god, before the cataclysm of Earthfall brought their foul experiment to an end. For thousands of years, the Sun Temple’s crystal dome lay collapsed and the celestial lens was knocked out of alignment. Eventually, colonists from Andoran arrived and settled the island, generations living and dying among the unforgiving environment and crumbling shrines. Then, some 3 centuries ago, after a series of devastating raids by Mordant Spire elves, a few dozen surviving colonists desperately prayed for protection within the Sun Temple, pleading for deliverance. The thick, golden substance that oozed forth in response from the temple’s central tiled pool was interpreted as a gift from the gods, and exposing this “gift” to sunlight for the first time in thousands of years, the colonists unknowingly awakened the Sun Temple’s long-starved godling. Its pitifully shrunken form charged by the sun’s warming rays, the incarnation named itself Nuruu’gal, telepathically promising protection in exchange for sustenance and supplication, appearing as a comforting “inner eye” of serenity in the minds of the colonists. Under their protector’s guidance, the colonists rebuilt the Sun Temple and rediscovered the flame of guidance—the means of controlling the orbiting celestial lens—using it to refocus the device to nurture the embryonic godling and ward off further attack by the Mordant Spire elves. For decades the primordial deity grew in power and desire within its opulent tiled pool, but not all trusted the whispered mental urgings of the ever-growing ooze. Soon a schism developed Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lost Cities of Golarion Sun Temple Colony PARCHED LANDS PARCHED LANDS SUN TEMPLE SUN TEMPLE CULT COLONY CULT COLONY WILL-O’-WISP GARDENS WILL-O’-WISP GARDENS OUTCAST VILLAGE OUTCAST VILLAGE AZLANTI RUINS AZLANTI RUINS RUINED VILLAGE RUINED VILLAGE BONE COVE feet Sun Temple Colony between those loyal to their savior and those who recognized this false god as sacrilege to Abadar. As the colony tore itself asunder, the godling became threatened by those who would attempt to undermine its worship, and thus labored toward the creation of the first tears of Nuruu’gal: sentient oozes able to inhabit human bodies, which it sent forth to subvert those who would not worship willingly. With the godling’s true intentions exposed, the division between the factions was complete. For 300 years, holy war has raged between those loyal to Nuruu’gal and those who reject the unholy abomination. The few outcasts who retained their sanity attempted scattered communications with their homeland, but rescue has never arrived, and the stalemate continues. Residents While many dangerous creatures call this place home, the most prevalent inhabitants of Nal-Vashkin are the white- robed cultists who control most of the island. Roughly 400 followers of Nuruu’gal inhabit a commune among the spherical domes of the old temples, with the most devout living on the Sun Temple grounds. Outsiders in conversation with these residents find them exceedingly polite but intrusively inquisitive, the acolytes’ speech punctuated by long pauses as they try to use their symbiote-granted detect thoughts ability to pry for information. The presence of the parasitic oozes among the cultists means even innocent- looking villagers may be capable of obliterating blasphemers with fiery rays. Over time, the few islanders not given over to the godling’s control have given up trying to identify which villagers are uninhabited “breeders” and which are sterile host symbiotes, giving all acolytes a wide berth. Over time, the parasitic oozes tend to warp their hosts’ bodies, with extra digits, useless vestigial limbs, second mouths, or extra eyes common among inhabited cultists. After years serving their primordial god, the most powerful infested adepts sometimes undergo a startling change when the fiery seed within them germinates fully, transforming them into shining beacons of searing fire. From then on they refer to themselves collectively as “Nuruu’gal’s shining one, ” but scholars across Golarion recognize such creatures as shining children, strange and unknowable entities often associated with ancient Thassilon (see page 245 of the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2). Such creatures serve Nuruu’gal on the Sun Temple’s parched grounds, though in many ways more like advisors than worshipers, and occasionally inflict blazing destruction upon blasphemers. Farther west, banished to broken slivers of islands and under constant siege, are the 200 huddled outcasts who still follow the old ways of Abadar. Nuruu’gal’s cult sees these blasphemers as cattle to be harvested in the service of symbiotes or pests to be incinerated. While the villagers are well defended by powerful weapons salvaged from the ruins, the items unfortunately do not provide food or water, and finding sustenance is a constant struggle, as scouts and spies from the colony make such simple activities as fishing and farming dangerous ventures. Other creatures thrive among the ruins as well. In addition to the normal dangers of an oceanic island—from reefclaws and sharks to less common horrors like chuuls— the intense divine fires created by the temple’s floating lens sometimes attracts the attention of fire elementals and magma mephits, who slip through the thin planar fabric at the beam’s termination. Occasionally cultists of Nuruu’gal tame these fearsome elementals, but more often than not the creatures roam about in wild rampages. Not all tears of Nuruu’gal are able to bond with a host, either, and these creatures sometimes grow to terrible size and are renamed “fire puddings” by the inhabitants. Some cultists suffer a horrific fate when the warping effect of symbiotic bonding goes awry, and wander the island as fiery amoebas known as gibbering hosts. Ghosts, will-o’- wisps, and even the occasional demon can be found among certain temple districts. Nurgal and Ancient Azlant Azlanti mythology is complex and often vexing to scholars. Priests of the ancient empire assigned confusing contradictions to gods of their pantheon, and the role of one deity was often inexorably bound to the portfolio of another. Such is the case of the demon lord Nurgal, who the Azlanti believed emerged from the underworld during the summer months to climb the shoulders of those deities who represented the sun’s nurturing aspects. Once perched upon their backs, Nurgal would whisper great evils, distracting the gods and causing an inadvertent unleashing of the full fury of the sun upon Golarion, causing scorching summers and devastating droughts. In this way, Nurgal represented the negative aspects of the sun’s power, and came to be known as the Shining Scourge. Whether the Azlanti Sun Temple experiments with the celestial lens were intended to harvest the raw power of the sun, prevent drought by averting Nurgal’s influence, or summon an earthly incarnation for worship is now unknown, but the Azlanti did succeed in capturing a corrupted simulacrum of something in the mortal realm, in the form of an insatiable protoplasmic godling. The fact that the insane creature now residing within the Sun Temple refers to itself by the derivative name “Nuruu’gal” only bolsters the theory that the Azlanti priest brought forth some maddened incarnation of the demon lord to the Material Plane. Nurgal’s domains are Chaos, Evil, Fire, and Sun, and his favored weapon is the heavy mace—treat worshipers of Nuruu’gal as worshipers of Nurgal. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lost Cities of Golarion Relations and Trade With the nearest civilization a thousand miles away, and the cult warding off pirates and elven raiders with the celestial lens, normal comforts and commodities are rare among the colonies. While silver, gold, and more mysterious precious metals are commonplace, food not harvested from the sea is priceless. Salvaging items and supplies from sunken vessels in Bone Cove is a popular, if dangerous, endeavor. Desperate excavations of Azlanti ruins within each village’s territory have created something of an arms race between the opposed forces, and both sides are fortified with ancient weapons and powerful technology that craftsmen from each contingent work frantically to restore, ever seeking that item or lost secret that might tip the balance of power. Colonial reactions to outsiders are mixed, as any new person could be a spy from the opposing camp, and while both sides are eager to gain new allies, most residents would rather see newcomers dead than in the hands of the enemy, and anyone attempting to obtain knowledge or possession of their fabulous discoveries must be dealt with swiftly and permanently. Sites of Interest The ruins of the city of Nal-Vashkin are rife with danger, monsters, and intrigue, and that’s just the civilized districts. Below are several areas for PCs to explore. Bone Cove: The bleached ribs of numerous sunken ships that are exposed during low tide give this cove its name. It is one of the few sea-level entry points onto the island, and wave-delivered flotsam litters its beach, with villagers often fighting over claims of particularly choice treasures that wash up here. The dunes are dangerous—the area is lousy with giants crabs and dangerous swarms of their smaller brood eager for an easy meal. Particularly keen observers may notice many ships of elven construction whose remains exhibit evidence of burning, a shocking display of the power of the island’s orbiting defenses. The Cult Colony: Built after the abandonment of the original settlement, the cultists here are currently led by Olibrax Muulenaar (CE male human cleric of Nurgal 10), and tend to more secular matters than do those who directly attend the Sun Temple, although most still host tears of Nuruu’gal. Tamed fire puddings and worse patrol the perimeter of their claimed lands. Worship is the heart of village life within the glow of Nuruu’gal’s temple. Ceremonies for new ooze symbiosis are elaborate affairs, taking place in the heat of the day upon ancient black altars of scorched stone, the potential host is bathed in the searing flames of the celestial lens, which is brought into orbit above the village for the occasion. Not all adepts survive this baptism by fire, but those who do are afforded great respect and gain the full rights of citizenship within the church. Well aware of the curse of sterility brought about by ooze possession, the cult does not allow all villagers such bonds, no matter how fanatically devoted to Nuruu’gal they are. The gifted consider these families little more than breeding stock for future ooze hosts. This arrangement does not satisfy all of Nuruu’gal’s villagers. Some have grown resentful after decades of faithful worship fail to reward them with their god’s ultimate gift. Others simply grow tired of the oppressive treatment of the lower caste. Unless something changes soon, it’s possible that a schism may result in an exodus of untainted refugees from the village, either joining with their hereditary enemies or forming a third camp on the island. The current mouthpiece for these discontented citizens is Xiola Chelman (CN female human sorcerer 5), who represents the “fertile families” and clashes often with Olibrax. Any such defectors would be valuable informants if their loyalty to Nuruu’gal could be overcome, and well- timed diplomacy could even reveal the whereabouts of the flame of guidance, secrets to the lens’s destruction, or hidden means of infiltrating the Sun Temple. Haunted Azlanti Ruins: Once crowded with archives and libraries, these bizarre ruins have strangely angled, alien architecture that occasionally captures the souls of those who die here, and the unfortunates denied eternal rest haunt this cursed area. Telekinetic outbursts of haunts and poltergeist are common, and full ectoplasmic manifestations occur regularly. Many of these visible specters show signs of burn trauma, and are unable to enter certain areas or cross roads leading out of this district. Many of the ghosts are hostile, driven insane by their souls’ capture, but some are more sympathetic, providing aid and even important knowledge gathered among these ruins by long-dead generations. The strange angles of these ruins also attract dangerous hounds of Tindalos (see page 158 of the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2), which are known to stalk trespassers. The Outcast Village: Roofs of shining silver dotting the jagged crags of the eastern isles mark the domain of those colonists not swayed into the worship of Nuruu’gal. Now led by Kjel Vanderholt (LN male human cleric of Abadar 9), these villagers struggle to maintain civilization and freedom under the cult’s constant assaults. Living under the protective wards of highly polished silver roofs and in underground bunkers carved over centuries on interconnected islands, these villagers subsist on fish and seafood gathered in long-lined nets and crab traps dangled from the tall cliffs of the village. Fresh water is scarce, so the recent discovery by hunt-captain Theodan Rijne (NG male human ranger 5) of an Azlanti water purification device was a major cause for celebration, as it makes the refugees less vulnerable to siege. Long ago, investigations among the mainland ruins discovered a weakness of the celestial lens, and the villagers constructed reflective roofs out of beaten silver salvaged Sun Temple Colony from the Azlanti relics. While the primitive mirrored roofs do not truly threaten the artifact’s destruction, the masters of the celestial lens know that the ray’s reflection poses some threat to the item, so the continuous searing attacks suffered by previous generations have largely subsided. The threat of infiltration by tear-possessed hunters is serious, and many village elders, such as Adara Smeet (LN female human sorcerer 3), conduct occasional tests of fire to root out those enthralled by tears of Nuruu’gal. Some do escape notice, such as Adara’s own son, Narbus Smeet (LN male human expert 3). Overpowered by a parasitic ooze, Narbus is forced to relay important information to the cult. Narbus struggles daily with his loyalty to his community and the threat of destruction should villagers discover his treachery. Narbus’ right hand is missing, lopped off by the boy to disguise the extra digits growing from the influence of his symbiote. His claim to have lost it to a giant crab is believed by all, but the multiple gaping mouths sprouting low on his neck is a problem he will soon have to deal with lest his sinister devotions be revealed. The Parched Lands: The main grounds that hold the Sun Temple and its satellite shrines are a bleak, desolate landscape, scorched by the focused rays of the celestial lens. Spiral paths of blackened earth reminiscent of an alien script wind throughout the area with no discernible destination, and the searing presence of Nuruu’gal emanating from the Sun Temple does little to encourage vegetation. Cultists bearing their god’s gift wander the grounds here, tending to their master and restoring the ruined observatories to their former glory, while others leave on secret missions to recover long-lost items of power from the mainland or even from undersea ruins. Led by the high priest and flame of guidance bearer Iocebus Kurtwieg (CE male human cleric of Nurgal 14), the loyal adepts of Nuruu’gal tirelessly erect scaffolds along buildings in efforts to repair them, but for every standing one, three burned scaffolds lie in ruins. Tears of Nuruu’gal occasionally weep forth from the eye-shaped gate of the nearby Sun Temple and wander the grounds, leaving more blackened paths in their wake, along with magma mephits tending to the proto-deity. Most disturbingly, a dozen high priests who have fully evolved into shining children wander these observatories, fearsome guardians who suffer no intrusion or blasphemy on these grounds, and whose actions are frequently incomprehensible even to Iocebus himself. Ruined Village: Perched atop sheer cliffs overlooking the jumbled remains of ships and galleys littering Bone Cove are the houses of the original island colony. Here, the first settlers struggled to survive, but with time they came to prosper and even flourish among the ruins of their ancient forefathers. Overgrown with foliage, these decaying stone and thatch cottages are unmistakably mundane in structure compared to the imposing ruins around them. It is here that the original inhabitants lived until the upheaval 3 centuries ago, and many of the remaining foundations and walls show signs of destruction—primarily old scorch marks and melted stones. The schizophrenic Selsaro Muulenaar (CN male human rogue 4), brother of Olibrax, is the sole occupant of this abandoned village, and the only person among the colonists outright rejected as a host by the tears of Nuruu’gal. His secret collection of recovered Azlanti items rivals even that of the Sun Temple’s high priests, and in rare lucid moments he might barter with patient PCs. His most valuable possession is a stone golem shield guardian (see pages 158 and 163 of the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary) that always lurks nearby. Will-o’-Wisp Gardens: The ancient Azlanti in this area cultivated will-o’- wisps like tulips, capturing the enraged and immortal specimens in fragile glass globes to provide unnatural lighting for their urban avenues. While few globes have survived intact, their inhabitants have, and now these freed will-o’-wisps roam the island in search of dying creatures on which to feed. Even now, gangs or “strings” of the creatures still gather here nightly. The allegiance and loyalty of each string differs according to the whim of its leader, but if properly coerced, the ancient and mysterious beings know much of the island’s current and former inhabitants, and may provide important information to adventurers. The Sun Temple Campaign The lost Sun Temple colony is a perfect opportunity for characters to explore the magical ruins of an advanced society, or be quickly swept up in the dramatic intrigue of an ages-old religious conflict. Some residents might enthrall or subvert PCs into the worship of their profane deity, while others might recruit them to the underground resistance. Low-Level Adventures The Sun Temple Colony is a legend throughout much of the Inner Sea, especially in Andoran, and there are any number of reasons for players to want to go—fame, treasure, ancient knowledge, and more. While low-level characters can quickly Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lost Cities of Golarion find themselves in over their heads, enterprising GMs who want to make the lost colony a focus for adventures can start laying plans well before PCs arrive, providing tantalizing clues or fragmentary evidence of the location of the colony. The journey is arduous, and the Mordant Spire elves that guard the drowned continent are a major threat. GMs may have low-level characters undergo a quest for magical transportation to circumvent these dangers, or allow the battles with (and potential capture by) Mordant Spire elves to provide the first few levels of adventure. GMs with low-level parties should be careful to facilitate character survival. While Nuruu’gal’s followers undoubtedly seek to assimilate any new party on their shores, the outcast colony can provide support when it’s most needed, potentially enlisting the PCs or hiding them among their secret bunkers. The GM can demonstrate the overwhelming power of the celestial lens via indirect aerial attacks on the village, allowing the PCs to see its power firsthand while still running for cover. Such an obviously powerful weapon is likely itself a significant hook for many players. Along with the island’s central conflict, other adventures also await. The PCs could explore the exposed wrecks of Bone Cove. They may wish to recover a rumored cargo said to be lost in the hold of a particular ship and now guarded by aquatic monsters, or perhaps the PCs witness the destruction of an elven ship by the celestial lens, and must decide between rescuing the few survivors from the burning vessel or leaving the xenophobic elves to their fate (and perhaps claiming their cargo). Of course, haunted corridors and magically trapped passages below the Azlanti ruins could host several dungeons’ worth of adventures and wonders. Hazards, traps, and creatures both living and undead have long awaited the breaking of arcane seals that might afford them freedom. Medium-Level Adventures By 7th level, adventurers can hold their own against most cultists without being immediately overcome, and may have more freedom to explore the area while the cult plans new ways to destroy them. Experienced adventurers are attractive hosts for Nuruu’gal’s offspring, and cultists may raid the adventurers’ camp or wait in ambush to capture party members for the symbiotic oozes—it’s possible that the PCs are even lured to the island under false pretenses by someone who’s made a bargain with the cult. Alternatively, the horrific creatures may infiltrate a PC camp to possess them or those important to the party. NPCs held captive by the internal parasites could be forced to betray the party, and releasing possessed villagers before the symbiotes destroy them from within can be a high-drama challenge. Many parties reaching the island will no doubt be captivated by the threat of the celestial lens, and seek to discover the secret to its control. Perhaps rumors of this “great sun weapon” brings them to the colony in the first place. The existence of the flame of guidance might remain secret for many levels as PCs investigate decaying shrines and tombs to discover the relationship of the companion artifact to the celestial lens. However, only at the highest of these levels should the PCs’ path take them into the upper temple grounds surrounding the Sun Temple, for fearsome guardians in the form of shining children reside there. The majority of the cultists, however, do not live on the main temple grounds, and the outcasts may encourage small raids on significant religious sites, chipping away at the cult. While the cult is no doubt the most pervasive threat on the island, other dangerous creatures lurk among the ruins. Will-o’-wisps typically avoid attacks on well- equipped adventuring parties, preferring to feed on the fear that follows such groups, but isolated individuals can attract the attention of the enigmatic creatures, and explorers might find the bodies of colonists in the vicinity of the will-o’-wisp gardens, their dead faces frozen in fear. Certain bargains might be struck with these creatures in exchange for information on events they have silently witnessed throughout their long centuries. In addition, ghosts haunt the linear architecture of the island and can prove dangerous adversaries, but need not all be murderous. The souls of important colonists may be trapped here, willing to aid those who side with their descendants, while others may even present puzzles to be solved and mysteries to be uncovered. The presence of the Sun Temple’s corrupt inhabitant draws demons to the island as well, and their presence may clue the PCs in to the true nature and origins of Nuruu’gal. After years of security provided by the celestial lens, colonists of both factions have grown used to the artifact’s protection from offshore threats, although the elves of the Mordant Spire may be waiting patiently for a breach in this defense, and any measures the PCs take to disable the lens may well draw a terrible coastal raid from waiting elven vessels. These aggressive elves suffer no excuse for trespass on the lands of lost Azlant, and believers, blasphemers, and adventurers alike can expect no quarter from the hostile raiders. Diplomatic PCs may find themselves in a position to broker temporary truces between two sides of the conflict in order to combat the third. High-Level Adventures As players reach 14th level and beyond, they pose a very real threat to the cult and Nuruu’gal itself, and those of good alignment likely seek the destruction of the godling. Indeed, it may be that parties who encounter the island colony for the first time at high level do so at the behest of religious authorities, specifically charged with rooting out or harnessing the ancient heresy. The presence of the shining children is also an enigma, given that the strange Sun Temple Colony creatures historically have little to do with demons, and much could be learned about their bizarre motives if a PC could capture one or supplant Nuruu’gal. PCs of high level can no doubt devise a means to detect the presence of the symbiotic oozes and effective ways to separate them from their hosts, leaving them free to explore the outlying ruins of the island with little interference. If they go up against the cult directly, however, Nuruu’gal’s high priests can use the celestial lens to great effect in combat. If the PCs can gain control of the flame of guidance and learn to manipulate the lens, they may be able to destroy the cult and starve the godling until it leaves the safety of its temple to hunt the PCs on a battlefield of their choosing—or they may choose a frontal assault on the Sun Temple. Even as events escalate on the island, there are always hidden chambers to explore and secret tombs to investigate, all of which promise powerful magic and lost Azlanti knowledge. And if the PCs control the lens, it may be that the island itself is the greatest treasure of all: a new stronghold defended by a powerful artifact and inhabited by grateful subjects. A perfect place for a new headquarters for the PCs—at least until the Mordant Spire elves come calling. Random Encounters Low Level d% Result Average CR Source 1–11 1 reefclaw Bestiary 2 234 12–19 2d4 fire beetles Bestiary 33 20–34 1d4 Small fire elementals Bestiary 124 35–46 1d4 giant crabs Bestiary 50 47–56 2d4 burning skeletons Bestiary 250 57–72 1 cult raiding party* see page 43 73–78 1 phase spider Bestiary 226 79–91 1d6 Medium fire elementals Bestiary 124 92–100 1 tear of Nuruu’gal see page 43 Medium Level d% Result Average CR Source 1–12 1 ghost Bestiary 144 13–26 1 cult inquisition** see page 43 27–39 1d6 gibbering hosts see page 42 40–51 1d4 chuuls Bestiary 46 52–62 1d4 fire puddings see page 42 63–74 1d4 greater fire elementals Bestiary 124 75–87 1 shining child Bestiary 2 245 88–100 3d6 will-o’-wisps Bestiary 277 High Level d% Result Average CR Source 1–16 2d6 vrocks Bestiary 69 17–34 1d4 shining children Bestiary 2 245 35–54 1d4 cult high priests*** see page 43 55–71 2d6 salamanders and 1d6 elder fire elementals Bestiary 124, 240 72–88 1d4 nalfeshnees Bestiary 65 89–100 Nuruu’gal see page 42 * 1d6 ooze-possessed human adepts 3 ** 2d6 ooze-possessed human adepts 3, with 1 tear of Nuruu’gal *** Ooze-possessed clerics 12 the Celestial lens The scorched and blackened Sun Temple grounds stand in stark, barren contrast to the gleaming, white coral buildings of the area. Each domed observatory is built along a radiant curve in an orrery-like arrangement, and their structure and placement highlight significant celestial alignments. Perched on the highest bluff, the Sun Temple glows even in daylight, and radiates extreme heat (see page 444 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook) throughout the area. Constructed in classic Azlanti style, the high-domed shrines here are seamlessly grown from a coral-like structure by some lost arcane method. The spiraling columns of the main temple support a massive crystal dome, and lens-like windows allow as much light as possible into the grand central hall. A symbolic eye- shaped portal grants supplicants entrance into the holy site, and allows the egress of the tears of Nuruu’gal, who ooze forth from this “weeping gate” in search of victims to bend to the service of their master. Within, the godling undulates restlessly in a massive tiled pool, bathed in the searing rays of the crystal dome that focuses the light of the celestial lens. High above, that gigantic artifact orbits these grounds in a slow elliptical transit, the air below it shimmering as a vertical column of focused energy feeds the voracious proto-god resting within. Everywhere wander the most powerful cult members, supervised by shining children constantly working to maintain the opulence and grandeur of their master’s abode. Celestial Lens (Major Artifact) Aura strong evocation, CL 20th Slot none, Weight 2, 400 lbs. Description The celestial lens is a 12-foot-diameter lens mounted in a rune-covered circular frame of strange, alien metal, floating in a permanent orbit around the Sun Temple. Several smaller lenses of similar design hover around the primary lens like a bizarre orrery, moving into place to focus the arcane rays of the device. The ancient Azlanti created the celestial lens to capture the light of sacred eclipses and solar conjunctions, as well as the refracted darkness found between stars. Celestial rays can be directed in an extremely powerful beam of energy that manifests as a vertical column of searing energy blasts focused directly below the celestial lens. Depending on the will of the controller and GM adjudication Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Lost Cities of Golarion for inclement weather, such blasts deal between 5d6 and 20d6 points of damage in a 5-foot-radius cylinder extending from the lens to the ground or target. During the day, half the damage is fire damage, but the other half results directly from divine power and is therefore not reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks. At night, the device focuses distant starlight, and the maximum damage is only 10d6, although the lens does not function at all for 1 hour before sunrise and 1 hour after sunset. The lens moves with a constant speed of 20 feet and damages everything caught in the affected areas each round. Victims may make a DC 25 Reflex save for half damage. The lens orbits at a static height of 100 feet from the ground and moves at a speed of 20 feet per round. It cannot be stopped or accelerated, although the path of the transit can be altered by a user in possession of the flame of guidance. When not directed, the lens maintains its last commanded path, eventually curving into a new elliptical orbit around the sun temple, scorching a path through whatever lies below. The user can alter both the damage (up to the maximum for the current lighting conditions) and the orbit in any direction, but the lens must move 20 feet each round, and cannot travel more than 3 miles from the temple in any direction before it curves back around and begins returning. Destruction The light of a full moon must be focused through the celestial lens at maximum intensity on a flawless silver mirror no less than 10 feet in diameter (DC 20 Craft [glass] to cast). The doubly reflected light shatters the otherwise indestructible glass of the celestial lens, causing the whole lens to tumble to the ground. Flame of Guidance (Major Artifact) Aura strong transmutation, CL 20th Slot none, Weight 1 lb. Description This charm resembles an orrery composed of small, freely orbiting orbs circling a candle-sized flame. The device functions as an ioun stone, and when released, the flame perches above the user’s head, remaining stationary relative to the user as the smaller planetary orbs take up elliptical transit around it. When in use, the flame grants the user a natural armor bonus of +4, the fire subtype, immunity to fire, and vulnerability to cold. If within 3 miles of the celestial lens, the user can control the horizontal orbital direction of the item, but cannot make the lens stop or move it vertically from its standard position of 100 feet from the ground. The wearer takes a –4 penalty on all saves against the special abilities of the godling Nuruu’gal and possession attempts by tears of Nuruu’gal. Destruction Holding the item in a maximum-intensity blast of the celestial lens for 3 rounds destroys it. Variant Monsters While Nuruu’gal is treated an exceptional variation of a shoggoth (Bestiary 249), the presence of the primordial deity and the alien angles of the Azlanti ruins have also created a few other unique strains of monsters. Fire Puddings (CR 7): These black pudding variants are rare tears of Nuruu’gal that failed to find hosts. Over time, the small oozes grow to huge proportions after feeding voraciously on wild game and lost outcasts. Such specimens are no longer capable of possessing humanoids and lose most special abilities, use the statistics of a black pudding, remove its acid and corrosion abilities, and add the fire subtype and the burn ability (2d6, DC 20). Gibbering Hosts (CR 5): Not all hosts of a tear of Nuruu’gal undergo metamorphosis into shining children. In those rare cases in which the symbiotic relationship sours, a somewhat more horrific transformation takes place. The host begins to lose solidity, form, and sanity as the two creatures fuse into a single horrible monstrosity bereft of humanity. These pathetic creatures wander the island wailing in a bizarre cacophony in the ancient Azlanti tongue. Such monsters use the statistics for gibbering mouthers, although they lack the ground manipulation special ability and instead have the fire subtype and burn ability (1d6, DC 19) Nuruu’gal (CR 21): The corrupted earthly aspect of Nurgal housed within the Sun Temple is a warped monstrosity, an insane proto-god that has no place in the mortal realm. Should adventurers seek the creature’s destruction, use the variant abilities for a shoggoth that follow for the mad godling. Rather than an enormous bulk of black slime and gaping maws, the aspect of Nuruu’gal is a glowing, burning mass of raw solar protoplasm, losing the aquatic subtype but gaining the fire subtype. The amoeba-like form of Nuruu’gal gains the giant creature simple template, swelling from Huge to Gargantuan, and is able to communicate telepathically at a range of 100 feet. The creature’s maddening cacophony ability buzzes with repetitious prayers in Azlanti. The shoggoth’s engulf ability deals fire damage rather than acid, and the proto-god gains the abilities listed below. Should the PCs deny the godling its normal diet of the nurturing rays of the celestial lens for days or weeks, the GM may elect to remove the giant template to display this malnourishment and reward PCs for their foresight before Nuruu’gal oozes forth from the Sun Temple to destroy its tormentors. Shroud of Flame (Su): Nuruu’gal burns with the energy of a dying star, giving it the burn ability (2d10, DC 33). All creatures within 20 feet of it must make a DC 33 Reflex save at the start of their turns to avoid taking 2d10 points of fire damage. Creatures attacking Nuruu’gal with natural or non- reach melee weapons take 2d10 points of fire damage with each successful hit. The save DC is Constitution-based. Weep Spawn (Su): Nuruu’gal’s amorphous form is able to undergo a sort of mitosis, shedding small bits of its protoplasmic body to create up to 1d4 tears of Nuruu’gal each day, which creep forth to absorb new supplicants into the mad creature’s flock.