Iron Cobra

The iron cobra is a tenacious construct capable of tracking down its victims over nearly every terrain. An iron cobra is typically 3 feet long and weighs about 100 pounds. It looks like a cobra made out of dozens circular iron bands, fitted together to form a snakelike body. It is rumored that the first eight iron cobras, created ages ago by a powerful cleric/wizard, were nearly indestructible. Since that time, other spellcasters have taken to copying the design, but with universally poorer results. Even those lesser version can only be effectively harmed by adamantine weapons.

An iron cobra has no intelligence of its own, but it can be commanded to undertake any number of actions by its creator. If its creator is not present, the cobra can undertake simple commands (such as "Guard this treasure" or "Seek out and attack the king"); it follows these commands to the letter. In combat, a cobra's tactics are straightforward - bite until its victim dies. It is also resistant to magic.

Constructs

A construct is an animated object or an artificially constructed creature. Most are mindless. They have low-light vision and darkvision. They are immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). They are immune to poison, sleep effects, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.

Constructs cannot heal damage on their own, but often they can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (varies for each creature) or through the use of the Craft Construct feat or repair spells. Constructs may still have the fast healing special quality.

Constructs are not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. They are immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). They are not at risk of death from massive damage. They are immediately destroyed when they are reduced to 0 hit points or less. Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected. Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

THE VANDERBOREN VAULT (days 8-9)

Lavinia was overjoyed with the heroes (who have chosen the name Tropic Thunder for their group) when they informed her that they managed to reclaim the Blue Nixie, and more so when they gave her her father's signet ring. At this point, she made a job offer to the Tropic Thunder - she's so pleased with their work so far that she was willing to hire them on as her personal troubleshooters, agents, and bodyguards. She offers the Tropic Thunder 100 gp per month to remain in her employ, and implied that their service to one of Sasserine's noble families could have advantages and rewards beyond this monthly wage. She also introduced them to an academy friend of her, Mary Rose, who will also be in her employ from now on, and Lavinia would be grateful if the Tropic Thunder would accept her in their group.

The Tropic Thunder were interested and Lavinia already had a task for them. She needs to travel to Castle Teraknian in the Sasserine Harbor to check her family vault. All of Sasserine's nobility have vaults under the castle, but she's never seen any of them (including her own). Rumors hold that some vaults are quite extensive and guarded by traps - based on things she overheard her father say through the years, she suspects that the Vanderboren Vault is relatively small and safe, but that there may be a construct guardian. Graim and Mary Rose provided the rest of the Thunder with some information on constructs. Lavinia would like the Tropic Thunder to accompany her to Castle Teraknian to provide protection and aid in investigating the vault contents.

Lavinia hired a coach to take her and the Tropic Thunder from her manor to the High Market in the Noble District, where the group took a ferry over to Castle Teraknian. They spent little time in the castle itself, stopping only to speak to a clerk who verified Lavinia's identity and her signet, and who then escorted them down a spiral staircase into a large circular chamber under the castle.

Over a dozen hallways radiate out from the central vault chamber; each of these halls has the same length and ends at a single iron door - the entrance to the family vault. The clerk did not accompany Lavinia and the Tropic Thunder to the vault; he instead bid them good day and returned to the castle above.

The short passageway Lavinia chooses ends at a solid-looking iron door. The portal is emblazoned with a simple rune - an eight-pointed star. Above the door, inscribed in flowing script on a polished silver plaque, is the name "Vanderboren". A single handle protrudes form the door, just below a circular depression bearing the mark of the Vanderboren signet.

Grunk tries to open the door by inserting the signet ring into the small depression above the handle, but only when Lavinia does so the door unlocks. At this point, the door flashed once with blue light, then slowly swang open on creaking hinges. The door remains opens during the exploration of the vault.

When asked, Lavinia doesn't quite recognize the eight pointed star symbol, although she did admit it looks familiar. Graim could place the symbol - the same star symbol appears on the sign of a building on the western edge of the Merchant's District.

The floor of the next domed chamber is of polished green marble. Two alcoves have lower ceilings and feature marble pillars carved to resemble coiling snakes. In the center of the room, five similar pillars are embedded into the walls, rising to a dome overhead. Looking up, the dome bears a huge representation  of the same eight pointed star that was engraved on the door to the vault.

A single guardian was watching over this chamber, a serpentine construct of metal called an iron cobra, according to Graim and Vicros. The snake is three feet long and looks like a cobra made of dozens of circular iron bands fitted together to form a snakelike body. The cobra quickly and quietly slithered out from its hiding place to attack the first person to enter the vault, Grunk.

During the fight with the iron cobra, Vicros noticed that the iron cobra took pains to avoid Lavinia, when she was present. Unfortunately, Vicros had no time to act on his hunch before the rest of the Tropic Thunder destroyed the construct.

Although there didn't appear to be an actual exit from the room, searching the northernmost pillar recessed into the chamber's walls revealed a hidden switch that, when triggered, caused the snake designs to animate. They writhed aside like living creatures, forming a coiling archway that allowed access into the next area.

Medusa

Medusas are monstrous humanoids with bodies that are covered in scales and rather than hair, they have a writhing mass of serpents growing from their scalp.

The medusa is a hateful, repulsive creature that petrifies living beings with its gaze. It prizes art objects, fine jewelry, and wealth. Its activities often revolve around obtaining these items. A medusa is indistinguishable from a normal human at even close range (especially if its face is concealed). The creature often wears clothes that enhance its body while hiding its face behind a hood or veil.

Monstrous Hummanoid

Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have magical abilities as well.

They have darkvision.

Chimera

A chimera is a large magical beast that has the hindquarters of a goat, the forequarters of a lion, and a set of dragon wings. Additionally, a chimera has three heads, that of a horned goat, a lioness, and a dragon. The goat head is often black or white in color, though in both cases it is marked by red eyes while the lion head exhibits green.

The chimera is a bizarre predator that hunts on the ground and on the wing. It can defeat even the hardiest opponent with a flurry of claws and fangs. A chimera is about 5 feet at the shoulder, nearly 10 feet long, and weighs about 4,000 pounds. A chimera's dragon head might be black, blue, green, red, or white.

Magical Beasts

Magical beasts are similar to animals but have humanoid intelligence. Magical beasts usually have supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but sometimes are merely bizarre in appearance or habits.

They have darkvision and low-light vision.

Magical beasts sleep, eat, and breathe.

TROUBLE ON THE BLUE NIXIE (days 3-8)

Grunk wakes to find himself locked up in the City Watch Garrison of Sunrise District. After he gives the Watch Captain his version of what happened on the Blue Nixie and assuring him that they were not Vark's allies, the Captain informs him that if Lady Vanderboren corroborates his story he will be free to go. Lavinia does, and all our heroes are released, even though they are still unconscious from their wounds. The priesthood of Pelor takes care of Haerld, while Lavinia makes arrangements for Graim and Pillboxer to be cared for at her manor.

When all our heroes recuperate, Lavinia informs them of what transpired on board the Blue Nixie after they lost consciousness. The gondoliers that took our heroes to the ship ended up calling the Watch after the fight started. Apparently, Vark was using the Blue Nixie to smuggle animals, but during the fight one of the giant spiders they kept in the hold escaped from its cage. The spider killed one of Vark's thugs, along with a watchman who boarded the ship. The watch arrested Vark along with several of his men, and out heroes were transported to jail to determine their relationship with Vark. Vark admitted the animal smuggling charges and to stealing Lavinia's money, which he claims is still in her father's cabin. The Watch though refuses to deal with the giant spider, and if Lavinia could not convince them to give her some time, they would have burned the ship along with the spider. Lavinia wants the heroes to return to the Blue Nixie, kill the spider and find her money and her signet ring. She also informs them that she hired a little extra help to reclaim her money and her ship, in the form of another young adventurer named Vicros.

Our heroes return to the Blue Nixie and manage to slay the spider. A search of the captain's quarters uncovers a large trunk, within which is a leather pouch with Lavinia's missing payment to the harbormaster. Lavinia's father's signet ring is hidden in the headboard of the captain's bunk, in a secret panel. A scrap of rolled-up parchment has been threaded through the ring. Written on it is a list of monsters, from which Graim and Vicros only recognize chimeras and medusas. Graim thinks that this is a combination for the Vanderboren Vault.

A NOBLE IN NEED (days 1-2)

Our story begins as four adventurers and friends (Graim, Grunk, Hearold and Pillboxer), each receive a letter, hand-delivered by a wizened-looking halfling woman named Kora. The letter is written by Lavinia Vanderboren, who has heard of their looking for adventuring work and invites them to dinner in order to offer them a job.

Graim recalls and shares with the others news of a tragic fire a month ago that claimed the lives of Verik and Larissa Vanderboren. The Vanderborens were survived by their two children, Lavinia and Vanthus.

Vanderboren Manor is located in the eastern section of the Merchant District; the 7-ft.-high stone wall that surrounds the estate is impossible to miss, as is the towering, gothic, three-story house that dominates the grounds within. Leering gargoyles and capering nymphs festoon the eaves of the manor's roof, and several trees give the manor grounds a nice buffer from the bustle of the city.

The front gates were left open for our heroes, but no one greeted them until they reached the front door and knocked. After a few moments, the same wizened halfling woman answered the door. This is Kora Whistlegap. She thanked the heroes for arriving on time and asked them to wait in the atrium, claimimg Lady Vanderboren would be with them shortly.

At some point after the heroes had arrived but before they were called into the private dining hall, four figures emerged from the hall and headed towards them. Kora raced behind these figures, which included a jaunty male half-elf dressed in leather armor and armed with a half-dozen daggers of different shapes, a dark-skinned dwarf with a sour expression dressed in green and brown robes and clutching a large curved spear, an attractive but haughty-looking woman dressed in purple robes and with a tattoo of a crescent moon in one cheek, and lastly, a tall and handsome man dressed in polished breastplate and carrying a bastard sword.

This group had little time or interest in the PCs at the time, although the man in the breastplate did stop to size up the heroes and wish them luck in whatever chore Lavinia would ask their help with. He introduced himself as Tolin Kientai, but the entire group appeared to be anxious to be on their way and did not chat anymore with the heroes.

The private dining hall is comfortable and cozy, softly lit by wall-mounted lanterns. A window overlooks the manor's central courtyard and the carpet is thick and soft. A large portrait hangs on the wall, a fine work depicting a handsome young man with a short beard. Standing before the portrait was an attractive human woman wearing a long, flowing blue dress. She smiled as the heroes entered, introducing herself as Lavinia Vanderboren.

Lady Vanderboren informs them that she recently inherited her parents' estate. Unfortunately, along with the manor came a fine amount of debt owed to the Dawn Council, the harbor-master, and quite a few guildhalls. It seems that her parents were not as skilled at finance as one might expect from such successful adventurers. If Lavinia is to get these taxes paid, she will need to access her family's vault under Castle Teraknian.

And that's the problem. The vaults are magically locked - keyed to special signet rings. Both of Lavinia's parents had these rings, at least, until recently. Her mother lost hers a few months ago. She arranged for a replacement, but it won't be done for another month or so, too late for Lavinia. Which leaves her father's ring. He never wore it - he had a thing about men wearing jewelry. He kept it hidden somewhere on his ship, the Blue Nixie. The problem there is that the harbormaster seized the ship until someone pays for the last four months of mooring. Lavinia paid the fines to the man the harbormaster put in charge of her ship, Soller Vark. Yet when she went to claim her ship, Vark's men wouldn't let her board, claiming that she hadn't yet paid the fines. She spoke to Vark again and he denied ever receiving her payment. Her complaints to the harbormaster have fallen on deaf ears - he trusts his man and won't relent.

Lavinia thinks that Vark and his men are up to something in her ship. What she needs is to find out exactly what they're up to. Unfortunately, according to her, Vark's not the type to react well to diplomacy or logic. She needs someone who speaks his language...which is where the heroes come in. If they can find out what Vark is using Lavinia's ship for, or even better, recover the money she paid him, she will pay each of them 200 gp once she has access to her vault.

Her presentation over, Lavinia was open to specific questions. When the heroes asked about the group they met at the hall outside, Lavinia identified them as the Jade Ravens, a mercenary company that's been in the Vanderboren employ for several years. She has asked them to travel south to the city of Cauldron to contact her aunt and uncle for aid.

The heroes also asked how much money she gave to Vark, to which she replies that she payed him 100 pp. Grunk then tried to ask for a larger finder's fee, but Lavinia  reminded him that these are money she still owes to the harbormaster.

When the heroes asked about the portrait hanging in the dining hall, Lavinia paused for a moment before revealing that the portrait is of her brother Vanthus. The heroes also asked her if Vanthus knows that her mother had lost her signet ring, to which she replies that he does. Lavinia had nothing more to say about her brother other than that he's left town.

The heroes also asked Lavinia what happened to her parents. Such a direct question took her aback. After she took a moment to gather her thoughts, she said in a quiet voice that they burned to death in a ship fire about a month ago - they were taking the recently purchased ship for a cruise when something caused the ship to catch fire and burn to the waterline. There were no survivors.

The heroes also asked if there is a possibility Vark knew about the signet ring being on the Blue Nixie. Although Lavinia considers it common knowledge that all of Sasserine's nobility have vaults under the castle, she can not fathom how Vark would know that her father's signet ring was on board the Blue Nixie.

On the next day, Graim tried to gather information on Soller Vark. He learned that the man has been recently employed by the harbormaster, and that he is considered a brute by most people he talked to.

According to Lavinia, the Blue Nixie's docked at pier 5 in the Merchant District - this pier is the long one between the Merchant's Guildhall and the Smith's Guildhall. Alas, upon arrival it became apparent that the Blue Nixie is not docked at the pier at all, but is in fact moored to a float about 100 ft from the pier's end.

The heroes hire two gondoliers to take them to the ship, which was guarded by two men on the main deck and one more on the quarterdeck. Vark's men began hollering for him as soon as the heroes boarded the Blue Nixie. There are plenty of ropes to aid a climber in boarding, but they and the ship's hull are slippery in places. Vark's men then used their crossbows against the heroes.At this point, the gondoliers hired by the heroes decided this was far too dangerous a ride and fled the scene. The guards were soon joined by two more men and one woman, along with a man with a shaved head and a jagged scar running down one arm. This man was prone to making flamboyant attacks; he attempted and finally succeeded in taking Grunk's axe and bull rushed Hearold off the ship.

Vark's men aren't that dangerous individually, but they outnumbered our heroes and gradually picked them off. The main advantages the heroes had over them was an element of surprise and higher morale. Any time one of Vark's men was wounded, they panicked and tried to flee. They jumped into the water and swam for shore. The man with the shaved head was not above such cowardice himself - he fled as well. Once most of Vark's men were fleeing the scene, the woman shrieked out a command to "burn them all". Soon after, the last of our heroes succumbed to their wounds, leaving their fate unknown.