Varisia Campaign

Kobolds are reptilian humanoids. Humanoids usually have two arms, two legs, and one head, or a human-like torso, arms, and a head. Humanoids have few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but most can speak and usually have well-developed societies. They are usually Small or Medium (with the exception of giants). Humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep. Reptilian creatures are scaly and usually cold-blooded. The reptilian subtype only applies to humanoid races, not all animals and monsters that are true reptiles. Kobolds are creatures of the dark, found most commonly in enormous underground warrens or the dark corners of the forest where the sun is unable to reach. Due to their physical similarities, kobolds loudly proclaim themselves the scions of dragonkind, destined to rule the earth beneath the wings of their great god-cousins, but most dragons have little use for the obnoxious pests. While they may speak loudly of divine right and manifest destiny, kobolds are keenly aw

The heroes emerged from the small caverns into larger ones, and started exploring them. The Pit. A pit served as the primary entrance into the underground portions of the stone giants' fortress. The ramp leading down into the pit wound down to the caverns below Jorgenfist. The pit itself was 80 feet deep. The pit floor was a tangle of bones and broken bodies, a combination of humanoid, giant, and even four dragon corpses (three blues and a red, all Large). Flocks of crows, buzzards, and other scavenging birds swarmed over the bodies, picking at the flesh until only bones remained. An investigation of the uneaten carcasses revealed that they all had the Sihedron Rune carved crudely on their torsos in the case of the humanoids and dragons, or branded on the small of the back in the case of giants. These caves were used primarily for barracks. The caves themselves had high ceilings, averaging 20 feet in height in the tunnels, while in the caverns they generally arched to heights of 40

Redcaps are fey. A fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to some other force or place. Fey are usually human-shaped. Fey have low-light vision. Fey breathe, eat, and sleep. Redcaps embody both capriciousness and sadism. These stumpy, misanthropic fey freaks exist seemingly to indulge in blissful bloodletting and self-indulgent slaughter. Like prune-faced, angry old men, they mollycoddle their own inefficiencies and miseries in gore. Redcaps are most widely recognized for their long woolen caps, which they drench in the blood of their victims. Rumors and fairy stories abound concerning rituals and the cultural significance of their blood-soaked caps, though the practice likely evolved as an easy way for the brutish runts to create both fear and spectacle. Redcaps typically stand only 3 feet tall, with twisted frames, pointed ears, and long white beards. They dress in soiled leather armor and wear oversized, iron-shod boots that make a distincti

Deathwebs are undead. Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces. They have darkvision. Undead have immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). They have immunity to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. Undead are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They are immune to damage to their physical ability scores, as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects. They cannot heal damage on their own if they are unintelligent, although they can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. They may heal fast regardless of the creature’s intelligence. They have immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless). Undead are not at risk of death from massive damage, but are immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points. The

Aura strong transmutation; CL 9th Slot none; Price 54,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs. Topped by a swirling cloudy stone and wrapped in black iron filigree, this staff allows the use of the following spells: Gust of wind (1 charge) Stone shape (1 charge) Air walk (2 charges) Control winds (2 charges) Spike stones (2 charges) Construction Craft Staff, air walk, control winds, gust of wind, spike stones, stone shape ; Cost 27,000 gp

Wyverns are dragons. A dragon is a reptile-like creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities. Dragons have darkvision and low-light vision. They are immune to magic sleep and paralysis effects. Dragons breathe, eat, and sleep. Wyverns are nasty, brutish, and violent reptilian beasts akin to more powerful dragons. They are always aggressive and impatient, and are quick to resort to force in order to accomplish their goals. For this reason, dragons generally look down upon wyverns, considering their distant cousins nothing more than primitive savages with a distinct lack of style or wit. In most cases, this generalization is spot-on. Although far from animalistic in intellect, and capable of speech, most wyverns simply can’t be bothered with the subtlety of diplomacy, and prefer to fight first and parley later, and even then only if faced with a foe they can neither defeat or flee from. If a wyvern hits with its bite, it deals normal damage and attempts to start

The heroes continued their exploration of the Valley of the Black Tower. Wyvern Cave. A musky smell lingered near the entrance to this cave - a thick, almost reptilian stink. Dozens of bones, many immense mammoth or aurochs remains, lay scattered on the ledge overlooking the river fifty feet below. This cavern overlooked the Muschkal River at a height of 50 feet, and had been home to a nest of particularly hearty wyverns. The wyverns fought as a group, one distracting and flanking a foe while the others tried to grapple and sting opponents. The wyverns tried to flee into the mountains when injured, but the heroes killed them. The wyverns had a fire opal - they'd placed the sparkling gemstone atop a low mound of sand in the center of their cave. The fire opal was worth only 200 gp, a paltry sum compared to the value of the rest of their treasure that lay heaped in the southwest spur cave. Buried under a collection of skulls, horse and elk thighbones, and well-gnawed bits of hide was

The Valley of the Black Tower was named for the ominous spiked edifice that stood as a lone sentinel over the valley's riverside boundary. The Valley of the Black Tower was relatively small, and Jorgenfist dominated the view within. When the heroes first arrived, they took in the view. The mountains gave way to a wide valley perched on the upper edge of a cliff overlooking the Muschkal River. At the western edge of the valley entrance, a lone watchtower stood upon a low hill, but this structure was overshadowed by the larger one that loomed in the valley proper. There stood a ring-shaped stone wall, fifty feet in height and surrounding several buildings, the most impressive of which was a looming black tower with bladelike crenelations that overlooked the river gorge. Within the ring, a one-hundred-fifty-foot stone spire rose, surrounded by three low buildings. Apart from the black tower, five smaller towers were built into the fortress wall - one of these towers was wider than the

The giants did their best to prevent any heroes from fleeing into the plateau itself, but failed. They tried to escape, but failed that as well. The heroes captured and interrogated one hill giant, after which they let him go. The stone giant fortress of Jorgenfist was located in the middle of the Iron Peaks, almost in the center of the entire region that encompassed Varisia and the Storval Plateau. Mokmurian had gathered several tribes of giants - mostly stone giants, but also some tribes of hill giants and groups of ogres. And as these tribes gathered in the valley surrounding the fortress itself, thoughts turned increasingly to the promise of war. Until recently, harpies and trolls dwelt in the Storval Stairs, but Mokmurian intended to use the stairs as a convenient invasion point, marching his army down into Varisia when he was ready. To prepare for this time, he sent one tribe of hill giants here to "clean it out". The remaining hill giants kept the harpies, trolls, and