Celene

Celene is the principal nation of the elves in the Flanaess. Ruled by an elven monarch of Faerie lineage, the Grand Court is imbibed of the Faerie Mysteries, from the frolics to the passions, and all rites are observed with deliberate care. Queen Yolande is foremost in these devotions, and this has given her the reputation, in human lands, of being oblivious to events beyond Celene's borders. This is only partly accurate, since the queen sometimes receives ambassadors from foreign lands and displays a clear understanding of events in the larger Flanaess. However, she has also clearly stated that she wishes no elves to die in humanity's wars.

Journey to the Isle of Dread

The Pearl Sea

Much of what is known about the southern seas in recent times comes from the logs of captains unlucky enough to have been blown off course. Few norhterners travel these waters willingly. Yet, this was not always the case. Centuries ago, the rulers of the Kingdom of Keoland, north of Sasserine, were known as the Explorer-Kings. Following their victory over the Necromancers of Toli, they often competed with the Overkings of the Great Kingdom for dominance of the Sea of Yar (now known as the Azure Sea). The Explorer-Kings were notorious for their wanderlust and they sponsored numerous expeditions to the far south. Many of the kings even led the voyages in person. It is from their travels that the people of the Flanaess have developed a general picture of the nature of the region, even if it is sometimes based more on legend than fact.

Olman Empire

Before the Great Migrations that created the nations of the north, the Densac Gulf - bounded by the Amedio Jungle in the west and the continent known as Hepmonaland in the east - was home to a far-flung collection of prosperous city-states known as the Olman Empire. The Olman was a tribal race with reddish-brown skin and straight black hair and eyes. Although considered primitive by the standards of the northern kingdoms, the Olman Empire was one of great complexity, wealth, and artistry. Yet with all of its sophistication the Olman worshiped savage and unyielding gods.

At their civilization's height more than a millennium ago, the Olman spanned the whole South and the vast inland chains in between. Their culture endured for centuries, but the empire eventually collapsed after decades of enervating civil war, religious strife, foreign invasion, and in some cases supernatural tumult. The ruins of their cities, such as Tamoachan on the eastern peninsula of the Amedio Jungle, and other evidence of their culture remain spread across the region. The majority of the Olman reverted to the relatively primitive societies that have survived to today. They are a superstitious and highly insular folk who regard strangers with a combination of wonder, fear, and hostility. For those keen enough to find them, however, there remain pockets of higher civilization that still evoke their one-time greatness.

Suel Invasions

The dominant human population of the Densac Gulf remains the Olman, but between 950 and 1,050 years ago, Suel survivors of the Great War between the Suel and Baklunish Empires invaded the region in large numbers. Many of these bands of desperate refugees crossed the Hellfurnaces and entered the Amedio Jungle. Others traversed the lofty Crystalmists and the Sheldomar Valley to cross the waters as far as the archipelagos of the Pearl Sea. Unlike their brethren, who migrated to the north and built new prosperous civilized nations, these Suel fought and competed with the native Olman peoples for scarce resources and land. Many of the invaders devolved into savagery, and in some cases they merged with Olman natives to produce a hybrid culture known as the Amedi. Others strived to remain racially pure and turned to piracy and slavery, often raiding Olman coastal villages and other Suel settlements.

This remained the status quo until a new phase of Suel invasions began a few decades ago, this time coming from the northeast. The Tilvanot Peninsula north of the Densac Gulf was conquered and settled centuries ago by a quasi-religious order of Suel monks known as the Scarlet Brotherhood. The Brotherhood's dogma was steeped in racism and bent on world domination. The monks remained a secret in their homeland until embarking on a new phase of exploration and conquest. They constructed fleets of ships and began exploring the Densac Gulf in an orderly and ruthless fashion. They were the first Northerners to do so regularly in centuries, inaugurating the Age of Exploration in the Flanaess. The Scarlet Brotherhood now plunders the south for its resources and kidnaps the natives - Olman and Suel alike - with some regularity, taking them north to sell into slavery and work their lands. Today, the Scarlet Brotherhood fleet remains the single most powerful navy in the region and they actively prevent any other powers, including the nobles of Sasserine, from meddling in its domain. The brotherhood's menacing ships, flying the Scarlet Sign, can be spotted in most ports throughout the region.

Vohoun Ocean

Vohoun is the name given to the Pearl Sea by the Suel settlers of the region. It means "frothy" in their ancient tongue. This is probably due to the swirling fogs that seem to characterize these waters. The Vohoun Sea actually touches many shores, including those of the Isle of Dread, thereby linking many lands and cultures. As if enough dangers (such as the Crimson Fleet) don't ply its surface, the Vohoun is also known for the many cultures that exist under its waves, including numerous sea monsters such as kraken and sea serpents. Reports include enclaves of merfolk and sea elves, in addition to sahuagin and ixitxachitl.

The Pirate Isles

While not strictly in the path of the journey south, this large chain of isles east of the Amedio Jungle can’t help but be a threat. The fanatical raiders who call these islands home can be found roving all over the Densac Gulf and Pearl Sea. Their isles encompass a series of rapacious civilizations that the early Explorer-Kings generously dubbed the “Pirate Isles”. Piracy, however, is only the beginning of the vices found here. Degenerate descendants of Suel invaders, Olman natives, and a few more exotic races call these lands home. Rumors abound of debauched ports containing enslaved populations, vile cults, dark magic, and much worse. Fiend worshiping is almost a certainty. Little to nothing is known about their leaders or their ultimate goals (if any), but the dread and dismay they create in the region is palpable. Of all the pirate gangs, none is more feared than the Crimson Fleet, who sail from the hidden port of Scuttlecove.

The Mist Kingdom

This collection of seven islands evokes wonder, even in the locals. Its name derives from the persistent fogs that seem to shroud the isles, making them almost invisible until one is right on top of them. The collection of isles was once home to a handful of small realms established by the Olman more than a millennium ago. Their societies languished and their people vanished, possibly moving to the mainland, following the unravelling of their empire.

Today, the Mist Kingdom is ruled by a powerful clutch of draconic overlords who first came to the isles more than seven centuries ago. At least one dragon claims each of the isles as its home. They only tolerate small tribes of beastmen on their lands, in addition to the typical flora and fauna of the region. Any large invasion or attempt at settlement on their isles is repelled ruthlessly. The Olman of the mainland fear the dragons as aspects of their gods and refuse to disturb them. The origin of the beastmen who live peacefully with the dragons is something of a mystery, and they have been spied worshiping at the temples in the unspoiled Olman ruins. It is assumed that these edifices have probably been plundered of their treasures by the dragons long ago.

The Journey Ahead

Leaving the relative safety of the port of Sasserine in the Azure Sea to mount an expedition to the Isle of Dread at the urging of Lavinia will not be easy. The Isle of Dread is located far to the south in unfriendly equatorial waters where severe tropical storms and numerous unnatural dangers loom. Two vast seas, known as the Densac Gulf and the Pearl Sea, are among the least known waters to the residents of the Flanaess. By reputation, the region is more magical, feral, and unforgiving than the main continent. Friendly ports of call and potential allies are almost non-existent.

Fortunately, you are not going into the daunting journey completely blind. Lavinia has the charts her parents used to navigate to the isle several years ago to establish the colony of Farshore. The arduous journey involves skirting the coast of the vast Amedio Jungle from Sasserine to the ruins of the Olman city of Tamoachan and then following the coast southward until the expedition reaches the fourth of the great rivers before veering south. Along the way, the expedition plans on visiting the friendly village of Renkrue on the easternmost of the isles of Axuxal. Halfway to the Isle of Dread, the mysterious isle of Ruja serves as one last landmark. There the open water of the Pearl Sea (referred to as the Vohoun Ocean by the local pirates) beckons. The course continues due south and for many hundreds of leagues. The Sea Wyvern must then cross a vast stretch of empty sea whose stillness bellies its menace. If you can survive the long journey with the vessel intact, the shores of the Isle of Dread beckon.

Blessed of Osprem [Regional]

You possess amazing swimming skills.

Prerequisites: Endurance, 5 ranks in Swim, sailor of the Vohoun Sea.

Benefit: You can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. Additionally, you gain a +2 competence bonus on Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage and to hold your breath. These bonuses stack with those granted by the Endurance feat.

Last Survivor [Regional]

Faced with death in the wilds of the Amedio Jungle with no one to depend on but yourself, you have honed your survival instincts to a razor’s edge.

Prerequisites: 5 rank in Survival, sole survivor of a deadly encounter in the Amedio Jungle.

Benefit: While in jungle or forest environments you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Hide, Listen, and Spot checks made against predators and natural hazards.

Stowaway [Regional]

You are an expert at stealth while aboard sailing ships.

Prerequisites: 5 ranks in Hide, 5 ranks in Move Silently, 1 rank in Profession (sailor), native to the Jeklea Bay or Azure Sea regions.

Benefit: You gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Disguise, Hide, and Move Silently checks on large sailing ships.

Vohoun Eye [Regional]

Your exposure to the dark side of magic and the occult has made you sensitive to the telltale signs of spellcasting and wary of their results.

Prerequisites: 5 ranks in Sense Motive, lived among the debased civilizations of the Pirate Isles.

Benefit: When you see someone casting a spell (not a spell-like ability) you may make a Sense Motive check (DC 20 + level of spell) as a free action. If successful, you know what kind of magic is being used and gain a +2 circumstance bonus on your saving throw if it is directed at you or you are in its area of effect.

Ehlonna

Ehlonna of the Forests is the goddess of the woodlands. Ehlonna watches over all good people who live in the forest, love the woodlands, or make their livelihood there. She is pictured sometimes as an elf and sometimes as a human. She is especially close to elves, gnomes, half-elves, and halflings. She is also worshiped by some rangers and some druids. Her favored weapon is the longbow.

Witchwardens

Symbol: A round disk bearing a circle of runes with eight daggers inside pointing toward the center. Each dagger represents one school of magic, each contributing to the greater cause. Members of the guild typically wear the symbol as a badge on their robes.

Background, Goals, and Dreams: Originally founded 600 years ago as a religious group dedicated to Wee Jas, the goddess of magic, death, and beauty, the guild has become much more secular over the years. Based in the Noble District, the Witchwarden Tower is the primary home of the guild. The 80-foot-tall tower houses numerous libraries, workshops, and meeting halls, all freely available to members, provided that they share their findings and knowledge with the guild. The Witchwardens prefer to keep an air of secrecy about them, requiring all visitors to the Tower to first make an appointment, and restricting their access to the well-appointed meeting rooms on the first floor.

The first goal of the Witchwardens is the pursuit of arcane magic, and members spend a great deal of their time researching new spells and recovering lost lore. The guild is also charged with the defense of the city against any magical threat. The current mistress of the guild, High Warden Lux Seoni, takes these responsibilities very seriously; constantly pushing new members to strike out in new directions with passionate lectures and rallying them to the defense of the city in times of need.

Members: The Witchwardens are open to anyone who can cast arcane magic, including bards, sorcerers, and wizards. While some today still venerate the Witch Goddess, members may be of any faith. Many of the most powerful wizards and sorcerers in the city are members, giving this guild important ties to the powerful and the wealthy.

Type: College

Scale: 7 (city and outliers)

Affiliation Score Criteria: To join the Witchwardens, you must present yourself for review, where you are required to display your arcane talents in front of a panel of guild leaders. Prospective members must also pay a fee of 20 gp for the review. If you do not pursue arcane magic as your primary focus, you won’t derive much benefit from membership.

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: Members of the Witchwardens are required to pay a monthly due of 10 gp to cover simple expenses. Members who attain a new title are promoted at the end of the monthly arcane symposium; where they receive their new dagger (a badge of office).

Executive Powers: Craft, Gift, Research

Replacement PCs

Just in case we have more casualties, these character ideas work well with the current part of the campaign:

Jade Ravens: While the Vanderborens' trusted mercenary company are specifically detailed, their allies could make perfect sources for new PCs. A compatriot of the Ravens hired to infiltrate the party could make a good-naturedly duplicitous PC. Alternatively, a relation of one of the Jade Ravens' members - too young or inexperienced to join the company - might join the PCs either to show his worth or vex his family.

Natives: The Olman humans and the grugach elves of the Amedio Jungle make perfect sources of exotic characters. Barbarians, sorcerers, and clerics of savage deities might all have inscrutable reasons for seeking out the PCs. The pirates of the Crimson Fleet might also have a particular interest in Olman natives, primarily as slaves to sell to the Scarlet Brotherhood. Should the PCs free such captives, some tribe members might join the party to repay the life-debt owed.

Sasserine Military: The city's varied military holdings each present opportunities for new characters. Blisterwall and Castle Rakin both support soldiers well versed in tracking and familiar with the ways and creatures of the jungle, mountains, and swamps. Fort Fendawor might produce sailors and marines experienced at sea and skilled at fighting pirates. While members of all classes and races could find employ in the Sasserine military, human fighters and rangers most commonly fill the ranks.

Swamper: Those uncomfortable with or outcast from society scratch out hard lives in the swamps. Smugglers, swamp hunters, bog witches, and followers of strange religions might all find a desirable solitude among the snakes and insects. Any class or race with reason to retreat from civilization might cross paths with the party in the swamp.

The Crimson Fleet

A loosely organized band of pirates known to operate in the oceans surrounding the Amedio Jungle. These scoundrels perform all manner of high-seas brigandage, slavery, and smuggling, operating from a foul harbor far to the south. Crimson Fleet captains are renowned for their ruthlessness and cruelty, but still hold to a perverse code of honor. While stories abound of the Fleet razing and pillaging Amedio settlements, the pirates give Sasserine a wide berth.

The following are several rumors regarding the Crimson Fleet:

• Captains of the Crimson Fleet are all addicted to a drug that turns their eyes permanently red with blood.
• The threat of the Crimson Fleet is the only thing keeping the Scarlet Brotherhood from overrunning Sasserine.
• The leader of the fleet is known only as "The Admiral", and wears a blood-red mask over half of his face at all times to conceal his shocking identity.
• The sailors in the Crimson Fleet are all cannibals, loosed upon the seas to sow torment and pain.
• The Fleet has eyes and ears everywhere, and communicates through seemingly innocuous signs and signals. Those who speak ill of it without care are likely to meet with accidents.
• The Fleet has a hundred ships, the largest of which is a mobile island drawn by enslaved dragon turtles.

Dawn Council

Symbol: A red spire rising from an island.

Background, Goals, and Dreams: After emerging from the despotic rule of the Sea Princes, the citizens of Sasserine were reticent to return to the traditional rule under a solitary lord-mayor. Instead, rule of the city fell to seven long-standing noble families, each representing one of the city's seven districts. The driving goal of the Dawn Council is to see Sasserine return to its glorious roots as a port of call for exotic trade and exploration.

Enemies and Allies: Sasserine has no shortage of enemies. The surrounding swamps are rife with bullywug tribes and other savage humanoids that constantly vex the outlying plantations and farms that support the city. The Scarlet Brotherhood is a traditional enemy of the city as well, yet it has of late been making pretenses of allegiances and truces. The pirates of the Crimson Fleet are another thorn in the Dawn Council's side, and attacks by their ships on merchants and other ships bound for the city seem to be on the rise. The churches of the city are strong supporters of the Dawn Council, assisting with coin and divine might when needed.

Members: The seven noble families that comprise the Dawn Council include the Lidus, the Taskerhhills, the Arabanis, the Dracktuses, the Knowlerns, the Islarans, and the Lorchesters, yet in truth this affiliation comprises of all the minor nobles, sages, scribes, clerks, and others who help in the daily business of administration of the city. The Sasserine city watch is controlled by the Dawn Council, and the city's churches have much invested in this group as well. Beyond Sasserine's walls, agents of the Dawn Council function as ambassadors, emissaries, missionaries, or even spies.

Secrets: Not all of the noble families of Sasserine have the best interests of the city at heart. In particular, the Dracktus family seems uninterested in representing its district of Shadowshore at council meetings. Emil Dracktus all but stole his position on the Council from the previous title holder, and the other members are often ill at ease in his presence. Whispers that Emil has made secret allegiances with the Scarlet Brotherhood have begun to circulate.

Type: Government.

Scale: 11 (multiregional/duchy).

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: Numerous sub-affiliations work within the Dawn Council, ranging from the various craftsman guilds to the city watch itself. All members are expected to support the city's growth and protect its interests as best they can within the venue of their chosen field.

Executive Powers: Holiday, Law, Mint.

Mur

Mur is a distant and little-known land, far to the west on the coast of the Gulf of Ghayar. The land of Mur abuts the waters of the gulf and rises into a tall chain of steep mountains. It is a realm of contrasts with the warm currents of the Dramidj Ocean combining with the bitterly cold prevailing winds from Telchuria to create a zone of moist, tumultuous weather. This warm updraft of moist air and the resulting thunderous downpours from the cold upper air creates a mountainous jungle region of verdant rainforest perched atop steep crags and laced with spectacular waterfalls of prodigious heights. From this topography, the land of Mur is known to some scholars as the Verdured Heights.

The Seekers

Symbol: Eight triangular plates arrayed in a star pattern around a central circle.

Background, Goals, and Dreams: This loose-knit society of explorers, adventuring scholars, and fortune hunters scours the world for ancient secrets and lost magic. Though some members claim high-minded goals, the primary ambition of most Seekers is personal enrichment, and the order is notorious for cutting corners and damning the consequences of their insatiable curiosity and greed. For this reason they remain a secret society, working in the shadows and pooling information to benefit themselves, regardless of the moral and financial cost.

Seeker interaction is based upon the lodge, in which members meet to discuss past and upcoming adventures, share maps, or show off the spoils of the latest expeditions. Seeker lodges are often hidden behind a mundane front such as a cartography business or social club, and are renowned for their peerless libraries of Seeker journals and forgotten lore.

Enemies and Allies: Seekers benefit from anonymity, attracting the ire of only those able to follow the subtext of history or trace the wall scraping of a plundered tomb. Exploration of the southern seas and the jungles of the Amedio coast has also attracted the enmity of the Scarlet Brotherhood, who shares the Seekers' interest in ruined temples and forsaken tombs.

Members: Seekers can come from any race or character class. They must have a driving ambition to discover the lost secrets of the past, and they must be willing to share - to a point - information that could help other Seekers on the path to discovery, illumination, and enrichment. Most members consider themselves scholars of the ancient world, and fluency with languages (including those that fell out of use centuries ago) is considered a mark of pride.

Type: College

Scale: 14 (continental)

Titles, Benefits, and Duties: Members of the Seekers are supposed to support the lodges they visit with a tithe equating roughly 10% of their income. This is an informal system, so a Seeker who routinely donates rare books to a lodge library might be held in higher esteem than one who simply drops a few gold coins into the lockbox. All members are expected to keep an explorer's journal, and to turn over the journal for transcription at least once a month. Upon graduating from apprenticeship, all Seekers receive a silver ring bearing the eight-pointed star symbol of the order. The ring is worth 200 gp, and identifies the wearer as a Seeker. Members are expected not to harm others they know to be Seekers, but mistakes often happen in the field and no one spends a lot of time worrying about those who violate this stricture.

Executive Powers: Gift, Research, Trade

Sasserine Environs

While well situated to reap the bounty of the sea, Sasserine faces numerous challenges in regard to its surrounding lands. For those who dare to venture beyond the safety of stone walls, the following presents an overview of the most noteworthy locales and geographic features within Sasserine's area of influence.

Geography

Frequent rains, humid heat waves, powerful rivers, and seasonal monshoons nurture tangled jungles and sprawling swamps in the regions surrounding Sasserine. Those who brave the wilds are sure to encounter the rich and often dangerous flora and fauna that flourishes within these fecund reaches.

Amedio Jungle: This lush tropical jungle dominates the region. Ancient, widely spaced trees form a dense canopy, which in turn cloaks the jungle floor in an endless green night. Broadleaf plants, creeping vines, pervasive streams, and tracks of bogs characterize the jungle floor. All manner of insects and animals (some of monstrous size), predatory plants, oozes, and even occasional will-o'-wisps, hags, hydras, or black dragons lair in these verdant depths. Far from civilization, clans of lizardfolk, bullywugs, and strangely colored goblins make their homes, along with primitive tribes of short humans known as the Olman and lithe, dark-skinned elves called the grugach.

Blood Bay: There are many stories behind the color of Blood Bay. Some old salts hold that the waves run scarlet with the blood of Gulrotha, a kraken too wounded by sailors to return to the open ocean. Others think it a pirate plot, the entire bay dyed red in an effort to scare the curious away from their underhanded dealings. Sages scoff at both ideas, claiming the bay's unique coloring is merely the result of iron deposits swept down from the mountains by the Hungry Fish River.

Crab River: Cut off - to a degree - from the larger predators of the Amedio Jungle, the swamps around the Crab River are largely considered safer than those to the east. As such, smugglers, outcasts, and followers of a gruesome aggregate religion make the river banks their home. Despite the river's name, aside from small populations of crayfish and hermit crabs, no sizable species of crustaceans scuttle below these meandering waters. Local legends tell of a chuul-like creature of incredible size that lairs deep within the swamp, and whenever someone goes mysteriously missing on the river, local swampers are quick to claim that "Ol'Rek Claw gottem!"

Emerald River: The Emerald River takes its name from a unique form of algae that grows atop its slow-moving water. Sapping minerals from the river shore and runoff from the Hellfurnaces, this green vegetation forms a quartzlike layer that, from a distance, looks like sheets of floating emerald. While quite beautiful, the shiny algae makes perfect camouflage for the slick scales of the crocodiles, snakes, frogs and the gigantic varieties of each that lurk within.

Hellfurnaces: Volcanic instability, violently changing features, frigid winds, and searing lava flows all characterize this angry range of mountains. Extremely difficult to travel and inhospitable to the majority of life, only the most rugged and determined creatures - often those that relish scorching heat and flame - hunt these treacherous heights.

Hungry Fish River: Coursing through some of the densest stretches of jungle before meeting up with the Tiger River and feeding into Blood Bay, Hungry Fish River is avoided by locals as much for the dangerous animals - and worse - that stalk its banks as for the malicious piranha swarms that are its namesake. Rumor has it that the tiny fish have even learned how to capsize canoes and skiffs by rushing them en masse from the side.

Jeklea Bay: Largely isolated from the rest of the Azure Sea by the Hellfurnaces on one side and the Hook Peninsula on the other, Jeklea Bay spent many years as a holding of the Sea Princes before public unrest and assassinations arranged by the Scarlet Brotherhood saw it fall into anarchy. Though the now-autonomous city of Sasserine has begun to emerge as the main power in the region, Brotherhood ships still frequently ply the waters along this coast to maintain their holdings in the rich and fertile southern jungles. Due to the bay's shape, a steady current swirls the waters counterclockwise along the shore, speeding the passage of frequent merchant, smuggler, and slaver ships as they spur on the sudden resurgence of colonization in the Amedio.

Kraken's Cove: Rumored to be guarded by the legendary kraken Gulrotha, this cove is shrouded in mystery. Barely visible as a dark patch among rocky cliffs, any safe port here is walled off from the the rest of the bay by a wide swath of reefs, rocks, and the occasional scuttled ship, lead-tipped masts just inches below the waves.

Skyfroth River: Thundering down from the Hellfurnaces, crashing falls and deadly rapids exemplify this frothing whitewater river. The two largest falls, the Crushwater (5 miles form the Thunder River) and Jairador's Leap (10 miles from the Thunder River), bar the waterway from any substantial use in commerce or travel. Seemingly just for that reason, a semi-permanent encampment of monks, the Speakers of the Roaring Way, resides in an area of numerous smaller cascades and cliff-side grottos between the two greater falls.

Thunder River: Thunder River is the lifeblood of Sasserine's thriving lumber industry. Lumberjacks upriver in the dense jungles south of Castle Rakin fell huge numbers of exotic hardwood trees, limbing and floating the logs downstream to Sasserine for milling and shipping. Along the way, the logs are tended by the brave and foolhardy logriders, who make the thirty-plus-mile journey balanced on crudely-lashed log bundles and wield long pikes, both to prevent jams and to guard shipments from competing logging concerns. Pay for both the lumberjacks and the logriders is high, as in addition to the standard hazards of their job they must keep a sharp eye out for lizardfolk, river monsters, and the deadly rapids and waterfalls that give the river its name.

Tiger River: While tigers and other large predators do inhabit the eastern reaches of the Amedio Jungle, the Tiger River takes its name from the ferocity of its aquatic inhabitants. The river is best known for its small population of a rare freshwater species of seacat. The bright scales and pelts of these tropical magical beasts fetch high prices, making hunting the aquatic felines as lucrative as it is deadly.

Sasserine's Holdings

Outside its city walls, Sasserine directly controls and relies upon several assets in the surrounding region.

Amedio Highway: Paralleling the Thunder River for much of its length, the Amedio Highway connects Sasserine with Cauldron, its sister city high in the caldera of a dormant volcano. Although trade and correspondence between the two cities is brisk, the road's length is such that it's possible to go for long stretches without encountering other travelers. Much like the river, the Amedio Highway is relatively safe and crowded with merchants and lumber traffic where it runs through the marshlands and plantations close to Sasserine, but those who press on into the jungle find themselves increasingly at risk of being waylaid by lizardfolk, jungle predators, and the occasional hunter from the heights of the Hellfurnaces.

Blisterwall: Angry-looking, red Hellfurnace rock and patches of hairy swamp mold give Blisterwall fortress both its name and a perpetually sore, gangrenous look. Positioned to defend Sasserine's eastern plantations from jungle threats, the relatively secluded and perpetually moist location makes this post the least appealing assignment in the Sasserine military. The only serviceman who regularly refuses relocation is Elryn Sveld (male half-elf), a scout who has successfully captured and trained several Hellfurnace hippogriffs and who is considered the most experienced mountain tracker in the region.

Castle Rakin: The reinforced wooden palisades of Castle Rakin make a regular stopping-off point for lumberjacks and traders along the Thunder River. While the castle proper is merely an unimpressive, three-story stone fortification surrounded by two curtains of sturdy wooden walls, the entire fort is referred to as "the castle". Although it maintains a small garrison of troops, the fort functions more as a trading post, with noisy crowds of merchants, guides, jungle natives, and charlatans hocking their wares and services along the docks. Much of the business conducted at Castle Rakin would be frowned upon within Sasserine itself, but considerable kickbacks to the fort's commanding officer, Major Augustine Meravanchi (female human) assures that business proceeds unimpeded.

Fort Fendawor: A thick-walled coastal fortress erected by the Sea Princes who once held dominance in the region,  Fort Fendawor now serves as harbor for Sasserine's depleted naval powers. Few sea-worthy ships moor in the natural harbor beneath the fort's protective ballistae, the majority patrolling the coast and open sea in hunt of pirates. The fiery-tempered Commodore Brandlock (male human) commands the forces at Fort Fendawor and holds the eradication of piracy in the region as his personal crusade. Unfortunately, his efforts are frustrated by limited men, resources, and ships, as well as misinformation - much of which he fears comes from Crimson Fleet operatives within his own fort.

Plantations: Just outside Sasserine, nearly 25 miles of jungle and swamp along the Thunder River have been cleared for use as sprawling, privately-owned plantations. Providing food crops and exports for the city, the river's seasonal flooding makes the land particularly rich, although those who farm it constantly battle reencroaching jungle vegetation and beasts. Cassava, coffee, cotton, millet, rice, sugarcane, and tea - as well as some more traditional farm crops - make up Sasserine's plantations' most abundant products. Aside from their products, a few particular plantations bear noting.

Boudinot Plantation: Run by the obese boss Remming Boudinot, it's rumored that his fields of high growing sugarcane disguise a harvest of criminal crops and hide other nefarious dealings.

Dromdal Plantation: The sharp-tongued yet gentile Josiah Imfrid Dromdal commands the largest plantation (cotton and tea) in the area. His greatest prides are his handsome manor house and widely desired daughter, Chablis. Josiah's six strapping sons prove quick to defend both his and their sister's honor.

Mistroi Plantation: A cursed place, this untended plantation and burnt-out manor house once belonged to one Anton Mistroi, a cruel man who murdered his wife by drowning her in a nearby quicksand bog. When her corpse returned to slay her treacherous husband, the plantation's fearful workers burned the manor house and forever fled.

Local Ruins

Countless civilizations have risen and fallen within the depths of the Amedio Jungle, their ruins often being the only evidence they ever existed.

Chekitewan: Ancient and terrifying to behold, no vegetation encroaches on the midnight-black rock of this immense, steeped pyramid. Formed of six great tiers, hundreds of shallow, man-sized alcoves riddle the structure - a shriveled humanoid corpse propped within each each for the majority of the year. Chekitewan is merely a mysterious, shunned place, where no beast, jungle native, or explorer dares venture. On the nights of lunar eclipses, when the Olman god Tezcaflipoca turns his ever-watchful eye away from the world, these corpses stalk from their open-air tomb. Throughout these accursed nights, the undead search for victims to drag back to their black ruin, their corpselight torches sometimes seen as far north as Sasserine's plantation holdings. While many whisper that those kidnapped become sacrifices to forgotten heathen gods, the descendants of the Olman - after making signs to ward off evil - claim that these walking dead are ancient heroes and the blood they spill temporarily sates the undying hunger of some eternal evil long imprisoned within the dreaded ziggurat.

Evermire: In the vast and trackless fens east of the Emerlad River, a wooden village stands on stilts. Buildings in this tiny frontier town hang suspended over the water at varying heights, from docks just inches above the water to well-to-do houses several stories high, all linked by rope ladders and narrow boardwalks. Completely empty except for small animal nests, these buildings remain weathered but serviceable, with no indication as to why their occupants abandoned them. Stranger still is the ancient tree at the town's center covered in elven runes, all of which translate as gibberish except for the repetition of the name "Evermire". Few in Sasserine have ventured this far into the swamps and no official record of an elven colony in the area exists.

Magalarve: The contested City of Scales, tribes of both lizardfolk and bullywugs claim this ravaged wooden ruin as their rightful home. While many surprisingly complex structures cover the ground, much of the city rests upon platforms amid the branches of ancient deklo trees, inter-connected by an intricate network of bridges and moldering ropes. While neither of the reptilian tribes that contest the city live there now, warriors from both engage in a decades-old guerilla war, each seeking to drive out the perceived interlopers.

Mashwan: Meaning "memory" in the ancient Olman dialect, Mashwan is a place of forgetfulness. Within this wide jungle clearing stand twelve stone obelisks surrounding an incredibly intricate sculpted stone disk lying upon the ground. While investigators hypothesize that the precise sections and runes upon the disk comprise some sort of clock or calendar, none know for sure, as all who near the circle black out and lose all memory of the previous several hours.

Spire of Long Shadows: The one-time seat of the demigod Kyuss' power. The ruined city of Kuluth-Mar surrounds this towering, crumbling stone ziggurat, impossibly shaped like a stylized leafless tree or arcane glyph. Tales tell of foul halls beneath this monolith and, although the Wormgod has been defeated, evidence of his dark and terrible power doubtlessly still writhes beneath his ruined throne.

Nearby Dungeons

Numerous infamous sites lie scattered across the region, their dangers tempting explorers to both riches and ruin.

Beroarak's Maw: Bursting form the earth beside the swampy banks of the Hungry Fish River juts a 30-foot-tall, vine-choked sculpture of a gigantic crocodile or dragon's head. With jaws wide open to snap at the air above, this highly stylized Olman remnant holds the entrance to a deep shaft, which drops into the wet ground like a stone gullet. More than a hundred feet below, bones choke this passage - countless bodies that fill a space of unknown depth. While Beroarak's Maw is little more than a morbid landmark by day, it is said that at nights a spectral Olman priest haunts the site, performing rites and guarding a crypt temple hidden deep below.

Carver's Pit: For a hundred years, Carver's Pit was the primary stone quarry for Sasserine. Year by year the quarry grew deeper, until one day a workman's pick broke through the stone floor and released a rush of chittering monstrosities. The horrors swept the quarry floor clean of all life, then, just as quickly as they came, swirled back into the opening and were gone.

Though panic spread as survivors and tales of the attack reached Sasserine, the deposition of Oren Teraknian and subsequent takeover by the Sea Princes only a few days later threw the city into such chaos that Carver's Pit was quickly forgotten.

Dungeon of Rust and Fire: High in a stone alpine valley stands the massive Dungeon of Rust and Fire, a windowless pillar of jagged, rusting metal. No paths lead to or from this monument, but those tracing the Emerald River to its subterranean headwaters occasionally catch a glimpse of the tower outlined against the sky. At night, the top of the silent tower erupts in periodic bursts of flame, and close to dawn spindly, insectlike forms can sometimes be seen moving ponderously around its base. It's at these times that the streams feeding the Emerald run black and red, with fish floating belly-up bearing strange mutations. Scholars who have studied the tower from afar believe it to be somehow related to the ruined gnome enclave of Jzadirune below Cauldron, but something has obviously gone horribly wrong.

Fiddler's Cave: Carnellio Fenderthan was the greatest musician in Sasserine's history, and also one of the most mysterious. The more popular Carnellio's music became, the stranger he acted, withdrawing into himself and spending vast amounts of time in the wilderness. By the time he was 25, he was a complete hermit, speaking to no one and performing only once per year to an enraptured crowd at the Sasserine Opera House before melting back into the marshes and jungles. Folks whispered that the beauty of his own music had driven him insane, or that he'd sold his soul to a demon in exchange for his remarkable skill. Finally, after last year's "Requiem for a Sky Afire" left the whole of Noble District in tears, one of Carnellio's more daring fans tracked him back to a cave deep in the mountains, only to discover that the cave ended in a wall of shimmering green light, with Carnellio nowhere to be seen. Frightened, the fan fled back to the city, where word of his discovery spread quickly through taverns and dancehalls. Now, with the year drawing to a close and the next concert only a few weeks away, curiosity about the Fiddler's Cave is once again rising to a fever pitch.

Hookface's Lair: Deep within the Hellfurnaces lies the home of the notorious red dragon Hookface (a mature adult). His lair is a gaping pit, several hundred feet deep, that cuts to the molten heart of a volcanic mountain. Amid the lava pools of a single great chamber Hookface spends much of his time sleeping surrounded by his massive hoard, rousing only to hunt, char intruders, or investigate upheaval within the mountainous area he considers his domain.

Sunrise

Like Cudgel District, Sunrise is primarily residential. Yet the citizens of Sunrise are generally a bit better-off than their neighbors, in no small part due to the fact that many of them have stakes in the numerous plantations that dot the region surrounding Sasserine.

Sunrise's representative noble family is the Knowlern family. Unlike the nobles of the other districts, the Knowlerns are elves. Lord Aniphastus Knowlern and his family have taken the preservation of the region's wildlands to heart, and the foundation of Sunrise's Standing Stone Park is one of their proudest achievements.

City Watch

Like Cudgel District, Sunrise is primarily residences, although the presence of the lumberyard and proximity to the Azure District make its edges a bit more active. The Sunrise Watch are affiliated with the church of Pelor, but for the most part are left to their own devices for keeping the district safe. Their organization is the largest of the seven watches, and as a result it's more difficult for the commanders to keep everything in control. Corruption is fairly common here, yet the guards can generally be trusted to do the right thing.

Citizens

If you're from Sunrise, you pride yourself on your even temper, your friendliness, and your optimism. There are certainly a lot of rowdy folk in Sasserine, but most of them avoid Sunrise for one reason or another. You may have a healthy interest in the natural world, in which case you've spent long hours exploring the safety of Standing Stone Park. Many who live here work for one of the plantations to the south, either in the fields earning an honest day's wage or in the plantations themselves as servants or specialists. Most of the people you know worship Pelor, although any of the officially recognized faiths of Sasserine are welcome here.

Student of Nature [General]

The wild has always excited you with its simple beauty and majestic creatures. It is no wonder that many of your talents let you better enjoy the natural world.

District: Sunrise

Benefit: You get a +1 bonus on Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival skill checks. You also get a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws to resist special attacks from plant creatures.

Notable NPCs

Aniphastus Knowlern (elf male): The Lord of Knowlern Manor and representative of Sunrise on the Dawn Council has lived in Sasserine longer than most every other citizen.

Basar Finn (human male): Basar represents the various plantation owners who live outside the city walls when these industrious folk are not present.

Kera Gosalar (huma female): Kera is the high-priestess of the temple of Pelor. She views the vices of Sasserine as unfortunate, but rather than crusade against them she appeals to the city's decent folk, offering options to the debauchery and crime that plague the city.

Sunrise Locations

1. The Bridgehouse (gaming hall)
2. Meadowdusk's (Knowledge [nature] sage)
3. Thunder River Lumber
4. Shrine of Istus (goddess of fate)
5. Landowner's Hall (planation owner's meeting hall)
6. The Restless Lion (tavern)
7. The Hunter's Trap (tavern/gambling hall)
8. Winmester's (inn)
9. The Siren's House (inn)
10. Dawn Market (general goods)
11. Sunrise Garisson
12. The Endless Dark (Knowledge [dungeoneering] sage)
13. Tepinal's Wares (general goods)
14. Taxidermist's Guildhall
15. Leldibar's Shop (general goods)
16. The Shivering Cat (tavern)
17. Emerald Waters Orphanage
18. The Hungry Gorilla (tavern)
19. Shrine of Heironeous
20. Tobacconist's Guildhall
21. Dawnlight Orphanage
22. Gondola Waystation
23. Historian's Guild (Knowledge [history] sage)
24. Gondola Waystation
25. Knowlern Manor (district representative)
26. Standing Stone Park
27. Dawnhouse (district church)
28. Shrine of Mayaheine (goddess of protection and valor)
29. Shrine of Rao (god of peace and serenity)
30. Gondola Waystation

Deities

Heironeous
(The Invincible,  The Valorous Knight, The Archpaladin)
LG intermediate god of chivalry, justice, honor, war, daring, valor, and daring
Heironeous is the Oeridian battlefield champion of all that is right and good. He wages war against evil of all sorts, especially his half-brother and nemesis, Hextor. He is tall, with coppery skin, auburn hair, and amber eyes, and wears fine chain. At his birth, Heironeous' skin was imbued with a secret solution called meersalm that protects him from all but the most powerful weapons. His symbol is a silver lightning bolt. His allies are other gods who fight evil, and his foes are those who encourage evil or suffering. Known for his great magic battleaxe, he recently has been promoting usage of the longsword in order to appeal to common soldiers as well as paladins and leaders.
Domains: Glory, Good, Inquisition, Law, War
Weapons: longsword or battleaxe

Istus
(Lady of Our Fate, The Colorless and All-Colored)
N greater goddess of fate, destiny, divination, future, and honesty
Istus is the most powerful of the Baklunish deities. She appears as a Baklunish woman of any age or stature, always carrying her mystical gold spindle (her holy symbol) with which she creates the strands of fate. She is aloof from all other gods, even those of her own pantheon, as she concerns herself solely with the fate of the universe and its inhabitants. Her occasional companion is a cloudlike being believed to be a prince from the Plane of Time.
Domains: Chaos, Knowledge, Law, Luck
Weapons: none

Mayaheine
(The Shield Maiden)
LG hero-goddess of protection, and valor
Mayaheine is a young goddess, dedicated to those seeking or granting protection in times of conflict. She is an ascended paladin of Pelor, brought here from another world to help fight the powers of darkness and evil that gained prominence in the Greyhawk Wars. Portrayed as a strikingly tall woman of about 30 years with blue eyes and golden hair, she wears silvered full plate and carries a shield and bastard sword. The shield, Hope's Champion, is said to turn back evil magic upon its source, and her sword Triumph stuns fiends and tyrants with its merest touch. Her holy symbol is a shield inscribed with a great sword and sunburst, flanked on each side by a golden sphere and a victory rune. While she is a fine warrior, she is above all a protector. Her church has flourished since her arrival and many tales credit her with distributing devices of magical protection to those in need.
Domains: Good, Law, Protection, War
Weapon: bastard sword

Pelor
(The Sun Father, The Shining One)
NG greater god of sun, light, strength, and healing
Pelor is the Flan sun god, known throughout the entire Flanaess. Riding the great kirin Star Thought, he summons flights of eagles and destroys evil with bolts of sunlight. Depicted as an old man in white, with wild hair and a beard of shining gold, he was until recently a peaceful and gentle god concerned with the alleviation of suffering. Now, he is a more martial deity who brings his wrath to bear on darkness and evil. Now he invigorates and heals those who champion the cause of good, and the stylized sun-face holy symbol is painted on shields and banners across the Flanaess.
Domains: Glory, Good, Healing, Strength, Sun
Weapon: mace

Rao
(The Mediator, The Calm God)
LG greater god of peace, reason, and serenity
Rao is shown as an old man with dark skin, white hair, slender hands, and a serene smile. Any time an offering of peace is made, Rao grows a day younger. Although he never intervenes directly on Oerth, Rao is the creator of several artifacts of good, particularly the Crook of Rao. He is a dedicated foe of Iuz, an ally of Zilchus, and is otherwise friendly with all other beings. He can cause any aggressive being to relax into an agreeable calmness with a glance, having thwarted even Nerull with this power in the past. His holy symbol is a white heart of wood or metal, or a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression.
Domains: Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, Luck, Purification
Weapon: light mace

Shadowshore

Although relatively small, Shadowshore is perhaps the most notorious of Sasserine's districts. This strip of land nestled in the shadow of Champion's District has long been a haven for thieves, thugs, and criminals of all kind. Generally, the only people who live here are those poor enough that their homes hold no attraction to thieves or those who can protect their property by wit and muscle. The city watch has all but given up on Shadowshore, and as long as nothing particularly destructive arises from the district (such as fires or riots) they generally leave it to govern itself.

The representative noble of Shadowshore changes more often than any other, as the post is traditionally held by the family (or even the individual) strong enough to protect it from his enemies. Currently, the holder of this title is Emil Dracktus - certainly an assumed name. Rumor holds that the Dawn Council would rather have someone less crude and more reliable in this post. Someone like Vico Benevin of the Amedio Trading Concern, perhaps. Yet for now, no one (Vico included) has made a move on Emil.

The Black Market

While Sasserine's markets and shops feature a wide range of goods and services, some are not offered in the light of day. Those seeking hard drugs, dangerous animals, evil magic, slaves, or cheap (and probably stolen) goods won't find them for sale in sight of the city watch. Yet this does not mean these goods and services aren't for sale.

Sasserine has a strong black market, with venues located in all seven districts. In order to gain access to the black market, a character must make a DC 20 Gather Information check to learn the current location of that district's black market. In Azure District and Shadowshore, this is only a DC 15 Gather Information check, while in Champion's or Noble District, it's a DC 25 check. The Black Market is all but suppressed in Cudgel District - it's a DC 30 Gather Information check to find an outlet there. Failing this check by 5 or more indicates that the district watch hears of the character's interest in obtaining illegal goods and services. the results of this failure depend upon the nature of that district's watch.

Although the black market has no restrictions on the type of its goods or services, it is still bound by Sasserine's gold piece limit of 40,000. A character who wishes to buy something in excess of this value must either travel to a larger city or enlist the aid of an or importer to have the item purchased and delivered from elsewhere. An agent typically charges 5% finder's fee for such services.

Thieves' Guilds

A staple of most large cities, Sasserine is unusual in that it currently does not host a large, well-organized thieves' guild. In the years before the Sea Princes took hold of the city, a guild known as the Artful Parrots was Sasserine's largest band of robbers, cutpurses, and criminals. The Artful Parrots were also among the first victims of the Sea Princes, and within a year of their rule beginning, this guild had been obliterated completely.

During the Sea Princes rule, oppressive laws made thieves' guilds impossible to form. Now that Sasserine has regained her independence, though, the city is seeing a renaissance of organized crime. At this point, the dozens of small guilds are more interested in fighting each other for dominance, and the city watch keeps a wary eye on the activities of these groups but does little to intervene as long as they don't endanger the city's citizens. Word on the street, however, is that one group in particular has managed to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with - the Lotus Dragons. While the Lotus Dragons, if indeed they do exist, have yet to make their presence known to the city watch and civilians of Sasserine, the fact that minor guild activity has been tapering off over the last year lends validity to these rumors.

City Watch

The true slums of Sasserine, Shadowshore is where the desperate come to hide or die. The smallest of the districts, it's easy for citizens of other districts to look away at the trouble that commonly brews here. Members of other watches who prove too unruly or insubordinate are often reassigned to Shadowshore - more of a punishment than anything else. Corruption is rife among the Shadowshore Watch, who only patrol the shoreline and are known to be in the pocket of the ship barons of the district. Only the most blatant of crimes (arson, public assaults, and other highly-visible offences) are acted upon, making Shadowshore a haven for Sasserine's criminal elements.

Citizens

Shadowshore is where the dregs of Sasserine seep to. If you grew up here, you had a rough childhood, and may have been forced to kill someone in order to survive. You've certainly seen your fair share of dead bodies; they turn up often in the alleys or under the piers. If you're not the thuggish type, you either spent a lot of time hiding or developed a knack for fighting dirty. You may have been taken under the wing of one of the few semi-legitimate businesses to operate here, but more likely you're a true child of the streets. Faith is hard to come by here, but if you're a cleric you probably worship Olidammara, and you know that the god of thieves has some presence within these drooping slums.

Child of the Shadow [General]

You were raised in the streets and back alleys of Shadowshore and have refined several talents and tricks valuable to survival in this neighborhood.

District: Shadowshore

Benefit: You know Sasserine's black market quite well, and need not make checks to locate its outlets. Further, in other cities, you have a knack for rooting out the underground markets. You gain a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks made to learn about a city's black markets.

Growing up on the filthy streets of Shadowshore has also gifted you with several tricks you can use to ensure survival. You gain a +2 bonus on Initiative checks on urban environments. You are also adept at fighting in confined areas, such as narrow city alleyways or crowded taprooms. Enemies cannot gain cover from you if they are in your reach; you can thus attack someone around a corner without penalty. A creature with total cover from you still receives all benefits of his cover.

Notable NPCs

Emil Dracktus (human male): The reprehensible Lord of Dracktus Manor and representative of Shadowshore on the Dawn Council is little better than a bandit lord.

Gregar Skeen (human male): Master of the Shipwright's Guild, Gregar has somehow managed to maintain control of the family business and interests despite generations of trouble with local roughs.

Jalpe Jinn (male half-orc): Jalpe Jinn is a likeable enough man who tends this shrine dedicated to one of Sasserine's most gifted historical figures, the dwarf Worgul (who succeeded in life as a merchant despite her hideous appearance).

Vico Bevenin (human male): Why one of Sasserine's richest men lives in Shadowshore is a mystery to everyone but him. Vico owns the Amedio Trading Concern, the most successful import/export firm in Sasserine.

Shadowshore Locations

1. Shadowshore Garrison
2. Shrine of Charmalaine (goddess of keen senses and narrow escapes)
3. The Skinned Man (tavern)
4. The Narrow House (inn)
5. Shrine of St. Worgul (district church)
6. Honest Brank's (moneylender)
7. The House of Science (freak show and museum of oddity)
8. Fishlip's Games (tavern/gaming hall)
9. The Notched Axe (mercenary guild)
10. Coffinsquatters (inn)
11. Neldrek's Goods (general goods)
12. Dracktus Manor (district representative)
13. Trapmaker's Guild
14. Gentle Nelli's (apothecary)
15. The Velvet Hatch (brothel)
16. The Plucked Parrot (inn/tavern)
17. Alinara's Vixens (gaming hall)
18. Amedio Trading Concern (import/export)
19. Sailmaker's Guildhall
20. Shrine of Kuroth (god of treasure and theft)
21. Last Ditch Lovers (brothel)
22. Gondola Waystation
23. It Still Floats! (cheap boats and ships)
24. Black Shield Company (mercenary guild)
25. Shipwright's Guildhall
26. Shank's Collectibles (cheap weapons)
27. Sasserine Distillery (rum factory)

Deities

Charmalaine
(The Lucky Ghost)
N hero-goddess of keen senses, and narrow escapes
Charmalaine is a halfling hero-goddess who earned her nickname from her ability to leave her body to scout ahead in spirit-form. In this form, she is believed to warn halflling adventurers of impeding danger. Her holy symbol is a burning boot-print. Charmalaine is a young halfling woman with alert eyes, black oiled leather armor, and boots coated in mud. She carries a mace called Fair Warning and is usually seen with Xaphan, her ferret familiar. She is energetic, spontaneous, and fearless. Charmalaine's apotheosis was co-sponsored by Farlanghn and Brandobaris.
Domains: Luck, Protection
Weapons: maces

Kuroth
(The Master Thief)
CN hero-god of theft, and treasure-finding
Kuroth's symbol is a gold coin bearing the image of a key or a quill. Kuroth appears as an Oeridian man with a fancy mustache and medium-length black hair. He is occasionally accompanied by a ferret. Kuroth was sponsored to godhood by Olidammara.
Domains: Chaos, Luck, Trickery
Weapon: dart

Olidammara
(The Laughing Rogue)
CN intermediate god of rogues, music, revelry, wine, humor, and tricks
Olidammara loves upsetting those who are too attached to their boring and controlled worlds. He is shown as a brown-haired man of rakish appearance, olive skin, and merry eyes, although his magic laughing mask (and holy symbol) allows him to change his appearance. Zagyg once foreced him into the shape of a small carapaced animal and imprisoned him; the Laughing Rogue still retains the ability to form a protective carapace, and he has used it to thwart many aggressors and pursuers. He is friendly enough with other gods, although the lawful ones resent his capriciousness and tricks.
Domains: Celerity, Chaos, Luck, Mind, Trickery
Weapons: rogue weapons

Noble District

Noble District has traditionally been thought off as the city's ruling district, even though Castle Teraknian isn't technically a part of this district. Yet Sasserine's trust in its rulers has been shaken (see Sasserine's History below), and nowhere is that loss of faith more evident than in this district. Today, the citizens of Noble District spend too much time bickering with those of Champion's District and trying to organize their district into a self-sustaining society. Idle talk of seceding from Sasserine is commonplace in Noble District bars. The other districts increasingly view Noble District as a place of decadence and vanity, and eagerly await the district's fall under its own excesses.

Noble District's representative nobility is the Lidu family. With the end of the Teraknian family line over 100 years ago, the Lidus became the oldest noble family in the city. The family patriarch, Worrin Lidu, is a kind-hearted noble who may be too gentle and forgiving to succeed in Sasserine as a successful noble. His major concern today seems to be the reconciliation of the churches of Wee Jas and Kord.

Sasserine's History

No district is more aware of Sasserine's history than the citizens of Noble District. The city was founded over 700 years ago, in the year -124 CY by pilgrims from the north. This group was led by a visionary cleric of Wee Jas named Sasserine who died on the island now known as Ancestor Island in the heroic act of defending the pilgrims from a black dragon named Zelkarune. Sasserine's lover, a man named Teraknian, founded the city in her honor. Over the next several centuries the city experienced phenomenal growth, during which a line of rulers descended from Teraknian ruled Sasserine in conjunction with advice from the churches of Wee Jas and Kord. In the year of 480 CY, Lord Mayor Orren Teraknian ruled the city - a rule that allowed for no shades of gray. For the first time in centuries, the church of Wee Jas was stripped of its power as fabricated charges of devil-worshiping saw to the arrest, imprisonment, and even execution of its faithful. Just as Orren's rule became unbearable, a great fleet of ships arrived - representatives of the Hold of the Sea Princes to the north. Promising an end to Orren's cruel rule, the invaders were aided in their assault of the city from within as the citizens rose up in rebellion. Orren Teraknian was overthrown and the Sea Princes claimed Sasserine as their own. Over the century to come, Sasserine's resources were savaged. The Sea Princes kept Sasserine a secret from the rest of the world, hoping to hide the valuable port from invaders by destroying any references to it they could find. Spies infiltrated cartographer's guilds and libraries throughout the world, altering maps and sea charts with magic. Ship captains who knew the route to the city were bought off or murdered. Sasserine suffered in these 100 years, but the underlying spirit of her citizens did not die. Their prayers were finally answered in 584 CY, when the Scarlet Brotherhood assassinated nearly all of the Sea Princes. The resulting turmoil threw Sasserine into chaos. Without the support of their homeland, the leaders of the city were overthrown in a fortnight. In the decade since their freedom, the people of Sasserine have rebuilt their city with astonishing success.

City Watch

The Noble's Watch are masters of subtlety. They do not patrol the streets of Noble District openly, as the local citizens have long since made clear their distaste for seeing guards in public places. As a result, the Noble's Watch do their job undercover, posing as travelers, entertainers, merchants, or even petty nobles as the case demands. Newcomers to Sasserine seeking a place to ply criminal acts may be tempted by the seeming lack of guards in this district, but the Noble's Watch wastes no time dealing with crime as it appears. This, combined with the fact that anyone nearby could be the law, makes Noble District one of the safest in Sasserine.

Citizens

If you're from Noble District, you're not necessarily the member of a minor noble house, although if you're not, you probably have friends or associates who are. You may be from the middle class, in which case your family serves one of the noble families in some regard. Or your family could be involved in the arcanist scene, in which case you are no stranger to magic. Finally, you may be a student at the House of the Dragon, recently graduated (or worse, flunked out) from higher education. Citizens of Noble District are clean, cultured, and eschew physical labor, preferring to hire muscle or use magic to take care of tough jobs. You likely worship Wee Jas. If you worship Kord, you keep your faith secret. If you're a specialist wizard, you've probably chosen conjuration, enchantment, illusion, or necromancy as your field. Other specialist wizards are not unheard of, but those who opt to specialize as evokers or transmuters are often thought of as blowhards with something to prove.

Academy Graduate [General]

You attended one of several academies in this district, during which you were schooled in the finer arts of being an aristocrat.

Prerequisite: 1st level only

District: Noble

Benefit: Pick any three Charisma- or Intelligence-based skills. These three skills are always considered class skills for you.

In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (nobility and royalty) checks, and may use these skills untrained.

Knack for Magic [General]

Magic is not that mysterious to you, and its gifts have made your life a little easier.

District: Noble

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Spellcraft skill checks. In addition, you have an innate talent for magic, granting you the following spell-like abilities as a 1st-level caster: 1/day - detect magic, light, and prestidigitation.

Dawn Council?

Witchwwardens?

Notable NPCs

Annah Teranaki (female human): Annah is the shrill and aging high-priestess of the temple of Wee Jas. A recent scandal involving her protege Embril Aloustinai in the city of Cauldron has tarnished the church's reputation.

Kiva Willowtop (female halfling): Kiva is the mistress of the Cartographer's Guild.

Lux Seoni (human female): Lux is the mysterious (and somewhat frightening) mistress of Witchwarden Tower.

Nylaria Absalee (human female): Nylaria, the manager of the Sasserine Opera House, is a huge woman who takes advantage of her ample frame to display outlandish dresses and hair styles. She fancies herself everyone's friend, even though the feeling is not always mutual.

Worrin Lidu (human male): Lord of Lidu Manor and representative of Noble District on the Dawn Council, many worry that Worrin has grown too soft in his advancing years to be an effective leader.

Zebula Meravanchi (human male): Zebula is a minor noble whose family's interests run to the decadent and extreme ends of entertainment.

Noble District Locations

1. Highwall House (Knowledge [geography] sage)
2. Shrine of Lirr (goddess of poetry and art)
3. Witchwarden Tower (arcanist's guild)
4. Shrine of Lendor (god of time and study)
5. Actor's Guildhall
6. Shrine of Myhriss (goddess of love)
7. High Market (general goods, exotic wares, jewelry, magic)
8. The Pearl and the Parrot (tavern/inn)
9. Imp's Folly (tavern/gaming hall)
10. Musician's Guildhall
11. Sasserine Opera House
12. Coffinmaker's Guildhall
13. Meravanchi Manor (minor noble)
14. House of Lords (Knowledge [nobility and royalty] sage)
15. Shrine of Lydia (goddess of music)
16. Courtesan's Guildhall
17. House of the Dragon (school and library)
18. Lidu Manor (district representative)
19. Instrument Maker's Guildhall
20. Cartographer's Guildhall
21. The Curious Chimera (bookstore)
22. Thenalar Academy (finishing school)
23. Cloudcrystal Academy (finishing school)
24. Shrine of Boccob
25. Noble Garrisson
26. Callisto's Needle (tattoo parlor and Knowledge [the planes] sage)
27. Blenak's Bazaar (magic shop and Knowledge [arcana] sage)
28. Temple of Wee Jas
29. The Crystal's Whisper (curio shop)
30. Ancestor's Rest (inn)
31. Whispers on the Wind (fortune teller)
32. Sasserine Crematorium
33. Scarlet Spire (tomb of Sasserine, city founder)

 Deities

Boccob
(The Uncaring, Lord of All Magic, Archmage of the Deities)
N greater god of magic, knowledge, arcane knowledge, foresight, and balance
Boccob is known throughout the Flanaess, oversees the maintenance of magic's existence on Oerth, and is interested in the creation of new magic items and spells (he is said to have a copy of every magic item made by mortals). He sees that Oerth's magic is declining and will eventually fade away; he combats this effect and suspects that Tharizdun is responsible. He is distant from all other gods save his servant Zagyg. Shown in purple robes with shimmering runes of gold, Boccob carries the first staff of the magi; an eye within a pentagram is his symbol.
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, Mind, Oracle, Trickery
Weapon: quarterstaff

Lendor
(Prince of Time, Master of Tedium)
LN intermediate god of time, tedium, patience, and study
Lendor, the leader and progenitor of the Suel pantheon, is depicted as a white-haired and bearded older man. Largely withdrawn from the affairs of the world to care for larger issues, Lendor considers himself superior to other gods and especially to his children, as he has the ability to banish any of his children or undo their magic. A blow from his flaming sword Afterglow is said to be the force that started the flow of time at the dawn of the universe. His holy symbol is a crescent moon in front of a new moon surrounded by fourteen stars (sometimes less or more).
Domains: Knowledge, Law, Protection
Weapons: piercing and slashing weapons

Lirr
(Lady Poet, The Lorekeeper)
CG lesser goddess of poetry, prose, literature and art
Lirr is shown as a fresh-faced Oeridian woman with long black hair and dark blue eyes. Her symbol is an illustrated book, and she carries a tome with her that can show any poetry, prose, spell, or artwork ever created. She works favorably with any being that respects knowledge, learning, and the arts, but she opposes those that would destroy art and knowledge or hide it. Many Oeridian sorcerers and wizards worship Lirr, particularly those who despise Delleb's conservative and reclusive nature.
Domains: Chaos, Good, Knowledge, Magic, Travel
Weapons: rapier, shortspear

Lydia
NG lesser goddess of music, knowledge, and daylight
Lydia is a wise Suel goddess, shown as a dynamic older woman with white hair and clear blue eyes. Her symbol is a spray of colors from an open hand. She interacts with many other gods, exchanging information and songs. In some ways she is the converse of Pholtus, pressing for individual liberty so that others may see the light of truth without being blinded by it; this pleases Trithereon, who also strives for the freedom of the individual.
Domains: Good, Knowledge, Sun, Travel
Weapon: shortspear

Myhriss
(The Thrice-Kissed, Maid of Light and Dark)
NG lesser goddess of love, romance, and beauty
Myhriss is shown as a Flan woman just reaching adulthood, a garland of flowers in her hair, or else as a fair-skinned, dark-haired provocative beauty or a sun-blonde tanned woman of approachable prettiness. Her dark-haired form is associated with the whip, her other aspect favors the shortbow. She is friendly and affectionate toward all benign gods but avoids those who are hideous, crude, or hateful. Although Wee Jas dislikes her, Myhriss appreciates the vain Suel goddess for her obvious attractiveness.
Domains: Good, Healing, Protection
Weapons: shortbow, whip

Wee Jas
(The Witch Goddess, Ruby Sorceress, Stern Lady, Death's Guardian)
LN or LE intermediate goddess of death, magic, vanity, and law
Wee Jas is portrayed as a stunning woman dressed in a beautiful gown, wearing some piece of jewelry with a skull motif. She promotes the utilization of spells and magic items (though many of her Suel followers insist she favors the creation of such things). She gained her death aspect when the survivors of the Rain of Colorless Fire looked to their goddess of magic for assurance that the dead were being escorted to the afterworld. Her allies are the lawful Suel gods while the chaotic ones are her enemies (except Norebo, who is her lover despite their philosophical differences). She respects Boccob, dislikes the beauty goddess Myhriss, and ignores most other deities. Her symbol is a red skull, sometimes in front of a fireball.
Domains: Death, Domination, Law, Magic, Mind
Weapon: wizard weapons

Merchant District

Sasserine's heart, and perhaps even its soul, is lodged firmly in Merchant District. The first district most visitors reach, it's often the only one they need ever explore. Merchant District shops run the gamut from simple grocers to specialized buildings like potion emporiums, dagger sellers, exotic pet dealers, and magic item bazaars.

Merchant District's representative nobility are the Arabanis. Lady Anwyn Arabani is an eccentric noblewoman who has a strange fascination with drow, and even claims to have drow ancestors (although her relatively pale skin would indicate otherwise). She's quite popular, as she goes above and beyond to ensure that the people of Merchant District have fair representation in the Dawn Council. She entertains many suitors, but has yet to settle on a single person to share her estate.

City Watch

The Merchant's Watch is perhaps the most efficient of the seven watches. Corruption appears here and there, but the leadership is honest and does its best to maintain a crime-free environment. This is the busiest district tin the city, and minor crimes are generally ignored, allowing the watch to focus its attention on larger problems. The Merchant Garrison isn't the largest among the seven watches (that honor goes to the Champion's Watch), but it's certainly the most justly run of the seven.

Citizens

If you're from Merchant District, you could be from anywhere. You may have grown up in Sasserine, or you might have only recently come to the city on the decks of a ship from anywhere else in the world, in which case your reasons for staying can be as varying as your actual homeland. Natives of Merchant District likely come from merchant families, or grew up the children of innkeepers or bartenders. You're probably a very social creature, and the thought of isolation or the natural world fills you with nervous fear. If you're a cleric, you might worship Fharlanghn, but in actuality this district is a melting pot of faiths.

Merchant's Tongue [General]

Growing up around the merchants of this district made you glib and gave you a keen eye for value.

District: Merchant

Benefit: You have already made quite a bit of money,and have a knack for making more. If you take this feat at 1st level, you gain a one-time bonus of 300 gp to your starting cash. In addition, whenever you sell an object, you can make an opposed Diplomacy check to automatically sell an object for 5% over its asking price.

The Seekers?

Notable NPCs

Alma Telvanta (female human): An exotic and intriguing woman, Alma runs the prestigious Telvanta Dance Academy.

Anwyn Arabani (female half-elf): Lady of Arabani Manor and representative of Merchant District on the Dawn Council.

Blisker Tittertop (male gnome): Blisker is the master of the Alchemist's Guild; his mark can be seen on nearly every potion and alchemical item sold in Sasserine.

Dhalven Miomar (male human): Lord of the Merchant's Guild, Dhalven is a gifted public speaker.

Feldus Selvant (male human): Feldus is the soft-spoken caretaker of the Seeker's Lodge. He is often gone from Sasseerine for months at a time on adventures.

Lavinia Vanderboren (female human): Thrust into the responsibilities of nobility, young Lavinia's parents perished in a terrible fire and her brother has vanished from the public eye, leaving her to tend to her estate's needs all on her own.

Lirali Woarali (female half-elf): Keeper of the Temple of Fharlanghn, Lirali's congregation is small, but she seems like a friendly enough woman.

Velkandar Toregson (male human): Eldest son of the Toregson family, Velkandar runs the Smith's Guildhall.

Merchant District Locations

1. The Ticklish Ogre (tavern)
2. Fenter's Place (inn)
3. Locksmith's Guildhall
4. The Dancing Monkey (curio shop)
5. The Metal-Skinned Dwarf (fine armor)
6. Seeker Lodge
7. Fishback Market (general goods, seafood, trinkets, jewelry)
8. Gondola Waystation
9. Viltashel's Favors (moneylender)
10. Baker's Guildhall
11. Temple of Fharlanghn (district church)
12. Harbor Market (general goods, imported goods, minor magic, food, entertainment)
13. Candlemaker's Guildhall
14. Marketplace Hall
15. Jeweler's Guildhall
16. Glassblower's Guildhall
17. Gemcutter's Guildhall
18. Shrine of Zilchus (god of money and business)
19. Merchant's Guildhall
20. Gondola Waystation
21. The Drunk Bear (tavern/mead shop)
22. Weaver's Guildhall
23. Glittermane's Vault (magic shop)
24. Shrine of Celestian (god of the stars and wanderers)
25. Gregair's Place (tavern/gaming hall)
26. Cobbler's Guildhall
27. Corner Groceries (general goods)
28. Gondola Waystation
29. Shrine of Geshtai (goddess of rivers and wells)
30. Spicemerchant's Guildhall
31. Tavernkeeper's Guildhall
32. Shrine of Trithereon (god of individuality and liberty)
33. Basketweaver's Guildhall
34. Orimander's Emporium of the Soul (magic shop/bookshop)
35. Tailor's Guildhall
36. Telvanta Academy (prestigious dance school)
37. Shrine of Ralishaz (god of misfortune and ill luck)
38. Costumes and Fantasies (exotic clothing/costumes)
39. Scrivener's Guildhall (scribes)
40. Venton's (sage - Knowledge [local])
41. Leatherworker's Guildhall
42. Smith's Guildhall
43. Sasserine Tours (guides to the city)
44. Shrine of Bleredd (god of metal and smiths)
45. Cooper's Guildhall
46. The Singing Rose (perfumes and oils)
47. Barber's Guildhall
48. Alchemist's Guildhall
49. Butcher's Guildhall
50. Scavenger's Guildhall (finders of lost objects)
51. Gondola Waystation
52. Teamster's Guildhall
53. The Painted Vixen (brothel)
54. Wheelwright's Guildhall
55. The Rusty Pirate (tavern)
56. Launderer's Guildhall
57. Tanner's Guildhall
58. Shrine of Dalt (god of doors, locks, and keys)
59. The Bent Goblin (inn)
60. The Upwards House (sage - Knowledge [architecture and engineering])
61. Rooftop Solutions (messenger service)
62. The Warden's Vault (moneylender)
63. Fifteen Horses and a Mule (tavern)
64. Cages of Plenty (exotic pets)
65. Merchant's Garrison
66. Innkeeper's Guildhall
67. Riverman's Guildhall (gondola service)
68. The Crimson Genie (brothel)
69. Heinvar's Baths (bathhouse)
70. Arabani Manor (district representative)
71. Krexin Imports (exotic imports)
72. The Strumpet's Excuse (inn)
73. Coins from Above (moneylender)
74. The Minx Market (brothel)
75. Domaskio's Consortium (puppets and toys)
76. Featherwhisper's (bathhouse)
77. Barrister's Guildhall
78. The Inner Labyrinth (occult books)
79. Vanderboren Manor (minor noble)
80. Gondola Waystation

Deities

Bleredd
(The Iron Mule)
N lesser god of metal, mines, and smiths
Bleredd is known throughout the Flanaess. He taught iron-working to the Oeridians and his worship has spread throughout the Flananess. He cares little for talk, preferring to work in his shop and fashion metal works of art; he created many of the weapons his godly family uses, including that of his wife, Ulaa. His hammer Fury is thought to be the inspiration for the first hammers of thunderbolts forged by humans. Occasionally he accepts small groups of students and unlocks the gift of mastering metal in them. His holy symbol is an iron mule, reflecting his patience and endurance.
Domains: Earth, Fire, Strength
Weapon: warhammer

Celestian
(The Far Wanderer)
N or NG intermediate god of astronomy, stars, space, and wanderers
Celestian  is a benign Oeridian god. The brother of Fharlanghn (his once close ally), he chose the distances of the stars and planes rather than Oerth. He appears as a middle-aged man of completely black coloration, always wearing his symbol: a piece of jewelry with a shining ruby, jacinth, topaz, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, and diamond. He has few ardent worshipers on Oerth, but counts among his following the many strange beings that live in and above the starry night.
Domains: Knowledge, Oracle, Protection, Travel
Weapon: shortspear

Dalt
CG lesser god of portals, doors, enclosures, locks, and keys
Dalt was forgotten for many years while he sought to free his brother Vatun; he is once again recognized as a god, although still primarily venerated by the Suloise people in the southeast. He talks with other gods of the Flanaess (except Telchur) in order to solicit help in his quest. Dalt is shown as an old man with wild white hair and piercing eyes or as a red-haired young thief. His symbol is a locked door with a skeleton key under it.
Domains: Chaos, Good, Protection, Travel, Trickery
Weapon: dagger

Fharlanghn
(The Dweller on the Horizon)
N or NG intermediate god of horizons, roads, travel, and distance
Fharlanghn is shown as a seemingly old man with leathery, wrinkled skin and young-seeming bright green eyes. Brother of the Oeridian god Celestian, he is on amiable terms with nonevil earth gods and several nature gods, and is sometimes tied to Atroa. His symbol is a wooden disk carved with the curved line of the horizon, and he carries a magical version of this symbol called the Oerth Disc. He is the patron of those who walk or ride long distances (including travelers in tunnels, and as such is praised by those who must use mountain passes or travel the Underdark).
Domains: Celerity, Luck, Protection, Travel, Weather
Weapon: quarterstaff

Geshtai
(Daugher of the Oasis)
N lesser goddess of rivers, lakes wells, and streams
Geshtai is depicted as a young Baklunish woman standing in a pool of water, often holding a clay water jug. Her pet fish, Gumus, summons water creatures to fill her. Revered today by nomads, travelers, and farmers in Baklunish lands, her temperament is moderate and she treats all others with care and patience. She dislikes fiery gods and proponents of disease and poison, especially Pyremius. Her symbol is a watersprout.
Domains: Plant, Travel, Water, Weather
Weapons: spear and shortspear

Ralishaz
(The Unlooked For)
CN or CE intermediate god of chance, ill luck, misfortune, and insanity
Ralishaz is ever-changing (hideous to beautiful, female to male), but he usually appears as an oddly dressed beggar. He carries nothing but his wooden staff; his holy symbol is three sticks of bone, derived from divination and gambling tools. He rewards or punishes those that rely on chance or take great risks, seemingly at random. He is the god of insanity; many debate whether his appearance and whims are truly random or just madness. He shuns other gods, although he does not seem to be hateful of them.
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Luck
Weapons: wooden weapons

Trithereon
(The Summoner)
CG lesser to intermediate god of individuality, liberty, retribution, and self-defense
Trithereon is shown as a tall well-built young man with red-gold hair, clad in a chainmail shirt and blue or violet clothes. His symbol is the rune of pursuit, representing his relentlessness in hunting down oppressors and tyrants. He is famous for his three great magic weapons (the shortspear Krelestro, the Harbinger of Doom; the sword Freedom's Tongue; and the scepter called the Baton of Retribution) and his three summoned animals (Nemoud the Hound, Harrus the Falcon; and Carolk the Sea Lizard). He fights evil and oppressive law, so he sometimes opposes other good-aligned deities such as Heironeous and Pholtus.
Domains: Chaos, Good, Liberation, Protection, Strength, Summoner
Weapons: spear, shortspear, longsword and greatclub

Zilchus
(The Great Guildmaster, The Money Counter)
LN intermediate god of power, prestige, money, business, and influence
Zilchus is a popular Oeridian god, depicted as a well-dressed Oeridian man of plain appearance but great wealth. Husband of Sotillion, brother of Kurell, ally of Rao, Zilchus has many contacts that reflect his ability to establish relationships that are vital to any businessman. A busy god, he has little time for frivolous pursuits, but is knowledgeable in such things because it allows him to influence others. He acts as a dealmaker between gods, finalizing agreements once Rao convinces warring parties to talk. His symbol is hands clutching a bag of gold.
Domains: Knowledge, Law, Trickery
Weapon: dagger