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.