It’s up to you to decide when “House of the Beast” begins. At the end of the previous adventure, “Howl of the Carrion King,” the PCs gain a respite—up to a year to spend however they want, be it traveling the world, researching personal secrets, or helping to rebuild the village of Kelmarane.
After the defeat of the Kulldis tribe, gnolls haven’t been a big problem in the Kelmarane region, although travelers and merchants are still wise to bring along plenty of guards to defend against the inevitable trouble with tiny pockets of the bestial humanoids. This adventure assumes about a year has passed since the PCs finished “Howl of the Carrion King,” but the events that play out in “House of the Beast” work just as well if you want to start the adventure the very next day.
As this adventure begins, mention to the PCs that they’ve been hearing rumors of increasing gnoll activity over the past few weeks or months. You could even run a short combat with a group of gnolls that foolishly attempt to attack an outlying region of Kelmarane. In any case, the adventure truly begins as a mysterious figure arrives in town—a soft-spoken but intimidating man who comes at dawn along with several other traveling merchants, although if the PCs ask the merchants later, they say that he only joined them on the road the night before.
This mysterious figure is Zayifid, a towering human who stands nearly 7 feet in height. He travels up to the Kelmarane battle market and takes up a spot at the tavern there, while sending out word that he wishes to speak with the leaders of the village and the heroes who so recently liberated it from the gnolls. How the PCs hear of this news is up to you; they could learn it from Almah Roveshki (the woman who hired them to help liberate Kelmarane), they could hear rumors at the market of the giant of a man who had been asking for them, or if the PCs maintain a presence at the battle market itself they could well be there when Zayifid first arrives.
Almah certainly seeks out the PCs soon, in any event—she’s curious to see what Zayifid has to say, and wants her strongest allies (the PCs) to be there when she arrives at the battle market tavern to speak with him. When the PCs arrive, the mysterious priest bows deeply and graciously, the sun tattoo on his brow almost seeming to glow. He introduces himself as a “traveler of the sand and scrub, a student of all things Sarenrae sees fit to shine upon, and an unwilling bearer of bad news,” then offers to buy each of the PCs a drink from the tavern while he prepares to tell the following tale.
“I do not belong to a single church. I do not mock those priests who choose to remain in one location and tend to one building—not at all, for they provide a needed service. But I am not at ease if I stay in one location. I am a traveler, as I have said, and have walked the billowing sands of Osirion, the westernmost veldt of Nex, and much of our own beloved Katapesh in between. I have seen much in my travels, and have brought the word and redemption of the Dawnflower to many. Yet also have I seen much in the way of cruelty and war in those travels, and it is a warning of such I bring to you today.
“You have distinguished yourselves by defeating the Kulldis. You know that word of the liberation of Kelmarane has reached all the way to the coast by now, and you are enjoying the fruits of that success even as we speak in the form of trade and tax. Yet word spreads not only to friends, but also to enemies. The Carrion King knows of what you’ve done to the Kulldis, and though he did not reply in kind at once, I have heard dire rumors in my travels. Rumors of gnoll tribes gathering on the far slopes of Pale Mountain, tribes united under one banner—the sign of the Carrion King!
“My path is not one of war. Sarenrae teaches redemption and forgiveness, but I know well that many do not seek these ends, and that war is often inevitable. Yet sometimes, there are other ways. The gnolls are ever a bickering lot, and if the Carrion King has managed to unite these tribes, then his word is mighty indeed. And although I despair to think on the death of any living creature, if the Carrion King’s death would mean that the gnoll tribes would stand down—a war could be averted.
“And so I bring this news to you. I shall not stay long, for I have no desire to be caught up in the folly of battle. But you would do well, heroes, to take my warning to heart. Seek out the Carrion King and bring him low before he raises high the flags of war. You will find him in the House of the Beast, the rumors say, an ancient temple upon the far side of Pale Mountain from which he has long ruled. May your efforts be swift and just, that needless suffering be averted.”
Zayifid has little more to say, and true to his word, he’d like to be on his way within the hour. He has nothing more to add to his warning. If the PCs ask for proof, he merely shrugs and asks them what proof would they seek? Increased attacks on Kelmarane by gnolls? A signed document from the Carrion King himself declaring his intent? Zayifid tells the PCs to look to Pale Mountain, to watch for war fires and listen for the Carrion King’s howl upon the midnight wind. If the PCs ask him how he knows that the Carrion King dwells in the House of the Beast, or even that he’s sure the ruins stand upon the far side of Pale Mountain at all, he simply shrugs and says that it is not his place to question what dreams the Dawnflower places in his sleeping mind as visions.
His warning delivered, Zayifid thanks the PCs for giving him time to speak to them. When he leaves town, he does so on foot, heading north toward the sands of Osirion.
Zayifid is more than he claims to be, and his goal in sending the PCs is something more than a simple warning. In truth, Zayifid is a janni, once a member of the Templars of the Five Winds but now a rogue agent seeking his own route to power. Zayifid hopes to find the way into the inmost sanctum of the House of the Beast to claim the ruin’s greatest treasure: the Scroll of Kakishon.
With the aid of a magical hat and a knack for deception, Zayifid disguised himself as a gnoll and managed to infiltrate the Carrion King’s court. Over the course of several months, the subversive janni managed to learn much about the temple’s layout, and has several ideas of where the Scroll of Kakishon could be hidden, but as of yet has been unable to find it, even though he’s explored much of the region ethereally in search of hidden rooms. While he’s found a few (such as his lair in area H7), his frustration grew when he discovered a sizable region below the House of the Beast that blocked ethereal travel. Yet at the same time, he took this sign as proof that there was something of great interest hidden below.
Zayifid has been forced to spend an increasing amount of time maintaining his disguise as his prominence in the House of the Beast has grown. Worse, he’s discovered that the most likely place to hide the Scroll of Kakishon is warded by effects that bar the entrance of genies—certainly a protection erected to prevent Jhavhul’s genie enemies from finding and claiming the relic, and one that works quite well in this case to prevent genies who seek to aid him. If he hopes to be able to supplant the Carrion King once he’s gained the Scroll of Kakishon and take the king’s followers for his own army, Zayifid sees no real alternative to maintaining his deceptions.
Yet now, with the PCs, just such an alternative may exist. If he can convince the PCs to swoop into the House of the Beast and slay the Carrion King, and can then arrange their own death at his hands, he’ll be all but assured of gaining not only control of the ancient temple but also command of the gnoll tribes of Pale Mountain. A dangerous plan, certainly (especially since a party capable of defeating the Carrion King could just as easily defeat Zayifid), but with just the right amount of deception and surprise, the janni is confident that he’ll be able to engineer the Carrion King’s demise and the PCs’ with little problem. And if things go bad, Zayifid has no shortage of escape plans, after all.
Zayifid’s ruse could be detected as soon as this adventure begins, of course. His disguise is provided by his hat of disguise, but he’s careful to make sure that his magical appearance is close to his true appearance in size. And while much of what he says to the PCs is a lie, his skill at bluffing is significant. The one thing Zayifid knows can expose him and reveal that he can’t be a traveling priest of Sarenrae is detect evil. If he suspects that the PCs would use such tactics to examine him, he abandons the “traveling priest of Sarenrae” part of his deception and poses merely as a wandering scholar in an attempt to stave off the urge of the PCs to use such magic on him.
If anyone attempts to follow Zayifid as he leaves town, remember to give the janni a few chances to notice that he’s being followed. If he does notice, he attempts to step behind a rock or bush and use his spell-like abilities to become invisible or ethereal to throw off trackers before heading back to the House of the Beast itself.
If one of the PCs carries the weapon Blizzard and has become the moldspeaker (see Pathfinder #19), Zayifid is noticeably uneasy in that character’s presence, and Sense Motive attempts to see through any of his bluffs gain an asset circumstance bonus. Zayifid attempts to explain that in some of his vision dreams, he has seen this character confronting the Carrion King—that his actions in battle will carry the day but only at great personal sacrifice.
Zayifid asks the PCs to make him say no more, but if pressed he admits that, in his visions, the character who carries Blizzard is destined to die in the House of the Beast. More lies, of course, but Zayifid hopes they’re enough to cover the real reason this character unnerves him—he sees in the moldspeaker echoes of his onetime companion Vardishal, and is unsettled by the coincidence. If the Templars of the Five Winds are allied with the PCs, Zayifid knows the chances of his success are less—he likely knows that the PCs have already slain one of the templars, the janni Kardswann, but if he realizes that Vardishal is in play as well, Zayifid grows nervous. His disguise is enough to fool Vardishal, for now at least, so the moldspeaker himself should gain no insight into the situation from his unusual advantages.
If the PCs unmask Zayifid, confront him about being evil, or otherwise don’t seem to be falling for his ruse, the janni knows that the game is far from over. In this case, Zayifid smiles but does not lower his disguise. Instead, he stands to his full 7 feet and bows again to the PCs, speaking the following if they give him the chance.
“It would seem that I have underestimated you. Good. You may have a chance against the Carrion King. Know that even though I have deceived you here, and that my goals are not as I have claimed, one thing I have said is true. You will confront the Carrion King soon, be it before the Maggot Throne in the House of the Beast or here in your cozy little homes. To think the Carrion King would let the loss of the Kulldis tribe pass without revenge is nothing but fools’ fancies. Consider my warning, then, as a challenge. If you can destroy the Carrion King before he destroys you, better for you. Either end works to my advantage.”
With that, Zayifid becomes ethereal, his smoky form fading into the ground as he slips away. It does not matter to the janni if the PCs come to the House of the Beast thinking of him as an ally or enemy—in the end, he can use them either way. He certainly won’t stay around to fight the PCs; if they attack him, he merely becomes ethereal and returns to the Carrion King’s side—yet even if the PCs drive him off, he does not reveal to the Carrion King what he has done. The Carrion King assumes Zayifid is still a gnoll acolyte, and that he spent the last few days seeking out and punishing several suspected Lamashtan cultists that had sprung up among one of the minor tribes of Pale Mountain. Zayifid sees no need to let him think any more than that until the PCs arrive at the House of the Beast.
This janni takes many forms, ranging from a traveling priest to a humble scholar to a gnoll acolyte.
Health: 30
Armor: 3
Level 5 Speed Defense
Fire Armor 2
Damage: 2 Scimitar attacks: 5 (Scimitar)/7 vs. Fire Creatures
Movement: Short, Short (flying)
Skills: Level 5 on Flying, Perception, Traps; Level 6 Bluff, Disguise, Sneak
Languages: Celestial, Common, Terran; telepathy 100 ft., speak with animals
Combat: If confronted in this initial encounter, Zayifid does not attempt to fight—he simply delivers his message as detailed above and then attempts to flee to the House of the Beast. If the PCs somehow manage to corner him, he fights back as best he can but tries to leave the PCs alive, fighting only so long as it takes to escape—at this point, dead PCs are of no use to him.
Combat Expertise: Increase his Defense level by 1, decrease his scimitar attack to 1 per round.
Sneak Attack: Add 3 to damage if he catches this target by surprise.
Invisibility (self only)
Plane shift (elemental plane, astral plane, or material plane)
Change size: Can increase (enlarge) or decrease (reduce) the size of a target creature within short range for 1 minute.
Enlarge: +4 points to Might Pool, +1 Armor, +2 to your Might Edge, -1 disadv. step to Speed Defense and stealth checks, practiced using natural attack as heavy weapons.
Reduce: +4 points to Speed Pool, +2 Speed Edge, +1 adv. step to Speed defense and stealth step, -1 disadv. step to might and intimidation checks, -2 to damage (to a minimum of 1 ).
Create food and water
Ethereal Jaunt (for 1 hour)
Morale: Jann enjoy their privacy, preferring the solitude of the deep desert and isolated oases. They are usually suspicious of humans, but are often willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Jann have a strong cultural tradition of hospitality, and will never turn away someone in need of food, water, or shelter, though they might expect payment in the form of a favor at some later date.
Among the other genie races, jann generally have good relations with both djinn and shaitans. While not actively enemies, jann dislike the proud and aloof marids. Jann have a distinct aversion to the efreet, who often try to enslave them or conscript them into their armies.
Combat Gear +1 chain shirt, +1 fire outsider bane frost scimitar, 4 daggers;
Other Gear hat of disguise, ring of protection +1;
For all his deception and trickery, Zayifid does not lead the PCs astray as regards the location of the House of the Beast. A Level 5 Knowledge (geography) or bardic knowledge check confirms this—while the Brazen Peaks are not completely mapped out, the location of the House of the Beast is not a secret. Yet reaching the location might prove some difficulty, for the ruins are in a relatively remote, and relatively dangerous region.
The “In the Shadow of Pale Mountain” article that begins on page 50 of this volume describes many of wonders and dangers of the Pale Mountain region, an area that encompasses much of the Brazen Peaks and the lower Uwaga Highlands. Using this article and the wandering monster chart on page 57, you can make the PCs’ journey to the House of the Beast as dangerous as you wish.