The PCs know where the House of the Beast is located, and how they travel to it depends on their resources. Overland travel is certainly an option, but to high-level PCs, other methods of travel like flight, teleportation, shadow walk, and wind walk are swifter options. You can use the wandering monster chart on page 57 of Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #20 to liven up overland journeys to Pale Mountain, or you can use some of the following suggested encounters to liven things up.
Since the route your PCs take to Xotani’s Grave depends on their choices, this part of the adventure will require a little bit of ad-libbing on your part. Make sure to have a copy of “House of the Beast” on hand, should the PCs decide to explore that dungeon again. If you don’t have a copy of Pathfinder Adventure Path volume #20 and you’re running “The Final Wish” as a stand-alone adventure, it is simple to assume that the chamber of the Stone Speakers is a self-contained dungeon that exists independent of a larger complex.
High in the crags of Pale Mountain, the crumbling domes and minarets of the House of the Beast still stand stark against the mountain sky. The ancient temple is just as desolate as before, but an ominous tension seems to cloak the fallen stones and cracked towers, as if the world itself was holding its breath, forlornly waiting for the end to come.
Since the PCs’ last visit to the ruined temple, Jhavhul has done nothing to change the structure’s appearance apart from closing off many of the entrances. His agents lie hidden inside the structure—he doesn’t want masses of his minions revealing that he’s reclaimed the House of the Beast until after his ritual is complete, and as a result has forbidden them to occupy any of the temple’s outbuildings and surface levels (with the exception of a few vrock demons—see “House of the Beast: Lower Works” for more details). The same is not the case in the building’s lower levels.
Creatures: Although none of Jhavhul’s minions dwell in the aboveground portion of the House of the Beast, this region is not uninhabited. Since the Carrion King’s defeat, monstrous vermin like Huge spiders and scorpions, along with a number of rock pythons (giant constrictor snakes) have moved into several of the ruined buildings. The more organized denizens of the aboveground level, however, are the harpies. In all, there are a dozen bickering harpies dwelling in the various rooftops and upper ruins of the House of the Beast. Most of these harpies are sadistic and petty annoyances, but one among them is something more.
This is the harpy archer Undrella—a character the PCs may have befriended or fought against in “Howl of the Carrion King.” If they remained on friendly (or at least non-hostile) terms with her, she can be a handy resource for the PCs. Since Jhavhul captured Kelmarane, Undrella relocated into the wilds. If the PCs allowed her to live and remain in Kelmarane’s region, she has grown fond of the town and its citizens, and when Jhavhul conquered it, she fled into the wilds to observe and plot her revenge against Jhavhul for ruining her comfortable life. If the PCs instead chased her off, she made several attempts to ally with Jhavhul but was rebuffed and attacked—she escaped with her life, and has since been planning her vengeance against the efreeti for the shame he caused her. In either case, if she notices the PCs, she approaches them with an offer to aid them. Her initial attitude is indifferent to the PCs unless they’ve taken pains to befriend her (such as might be the case for a PC who took to a life of crime in Kelmarane, in which case she’s automatically helpful).
She’s been watching the comings and goings in the House of the Beast for some time, and can tell the PCs that all of the entrances have been sealed save for a few hidden vents—she can show these to the PCs if they pay her at least 6,000 gp or adjust her attitude to friendly. If she’s made helpful, she’ll even offer to join the PCs and help them get revenge against Jhavhul—she has no capability to shield them from her captivating song, and as such is unlikely to use this ability much, but her skill with the bow has increased dramatically in the time the PCs have been away.
Undrella is a narcissistic creature who enjoys the company of others as long as they are flattering to her ego. Every other phrase from her mouth is a sexual innuendo, it seems, save for when it comes to the topic of Jhavhul, when she sputters and shrieks with profanity and anger. She’s long since used up the charges for her ring of the ram, but has replaced that treasure with several other magic items—a +1 frost composite longbow, a suit of +3 studded leather armor, and a ring of protection +1. Of course, if the PCs slew Undrella, you should omit this encounter entirely.
Undrella CR 11
CN harpy archer (MM 151)
hp 103
There are several entrances into the subterranean level of the House of the Beast, but most have been sealed off—now that he is a fulltime resident here, Jhavhul does not like unsecured back doors. Wall of stone and stone shape spells have sealed all entrances into the Middle Temple from above—a few cleverly hidden vents keep the air fresh (a DC 35 Search check reveals these vents—they can lead to any area in the underground complex you wish), and the genies who dwell within come and go from the building by using gaseous form, etherealness, or teleportation, as their abilities allow.
How the PCs choose to enter the ruins is up to them, but their goal should be the Stone Speakers, accessed via the Maggot Throne in the Lower Temple. This adventure assumes that the PCs use powerful magic to travel directly to the Stone Speakers (such as teleport), but if the PCs take a more circuitous route, the following notes should help you to place additional traps and guardians to vex them along the way.
Elementals: Jhavhul’s ability to plane shift to and from the elemental planes combined with his wealth and status make it relatively easy for him to recruit dimwitted creatures like elementals to his cause. Jhavhul overwhelmingly favors fire and earth elementals, although it’s not uncommon to find air elementals as well. Only water elementals are shunned. The elementals that guard the House of the Beast wander its halls and are all greater elementals—they can be encountered in groups of three anywhere in the Middle or Lower Temple of the House of the Beast, usually as wandering monsters.
hp 178 each (MM 96)
hp 199 each (MM 97)
hp 178 each (MM 99)
Fire Giants: The fire giant mercenaries Jhavhul hired primarily dwell in Xotani’s Grave, but a few of them have been stationed in the House of the Beast. In all, three groups of three fire giants patrol the House of the Beast: one group guards area H1 of the Middle Temple, one patrols the complex west of H1 (areas H3–H8), and one is stationed in areas I1–I2 of the Lower Temple. Periodically, one giant from a group breaks off to patrol nearby rooms, but if they encounter intruders, they’re quick to raise the alarm.
hp 142 each (MM 121)
Genies: The bulk of Jhavhul’s janni forces were stationed in Kelmarane—the genies who serve him in the House of the Beast are primarily efreet. In all, there are 12 efreet in the House of the Beast. Each of the three groups of fire giants have one group of four efreet assigned to them as captains, but the fire giants chafe under their command and the efreet have little patience for such duties, preferring to relax in rooms near their assigned areas. One group of efreet has claimed area H9 of the Middle Temple as its own, another group resides in area H5, and the third is down in the Lower Temple (area I4). These efreet spend much of their time boasting, eating, and otherwise relaxing, but if the alarm is raised they mobilize quickly to join their assigned giant minions.
hp 65 each (MM 115)
Vrocks: The final guardians that Jhavhul has arranged for are a quartet of vrocks that his favored consort Rajali conjured and bound to service with several planar binding spells. These four demons dwell in area I3, but at any one time, two of them patrol the skies above the House of the Beast. If either spots intruders, one keeps an eye on them while the other teleports back here, gathers the other two vrocks, then teleports back outside so that all four can attack. If the PCs defeat at least two vrocks, the remaining demons teleport back to I3 (as their orders dictate) to inform the efreet and giants there and to aid them in defending the Maggot Throne and the entrance to the Stone Speakers.
hp 115 each (MM 48)
This elaborate underground garden, lit by softly glowing crystals, is a welcome contrast to the horrors of the carrion pit above. Gravel walkways wind among verdant trees and shrubs that rustle softly in a gentle breeze. At the garden’s center, cracked granite benches surround a cobblestone fountain filled with crystal-clear water. To the south, a gently flowing creek runs across a pebbly streambed that passes through a rock garden and into an iron grill drain along a passageway to the south. To the north, an almond tree stands in an alcove, while to the west, a double arch leads to a small circular room. Four monolithic heads with angry faces stand about the room.
Still sustained by powerful magic, the contents of this garden are quite real. The water is pure and drinkable, the almonds from the trees are delicious and always ripe, and the stone benches are unusually comfortable.
Anyone who rests in this chamber finds that the period of relaxation is quite invigorating—a rest of one hour provides the same rejuvenation as a full night’s sleep, and the almonds from the tree function as goodberries when picked (the tree produces 30 almonds a day—an almond lasts for 24 hours after being picked before rotting away).
A creature may benefit from these qualities no more than once per day.
Jhavhul has not taken steps to protect the Stone Speakers against teleportation, arrogantly assuming that the guards he’s placed above in the House of the Beast and below in Xotani’s Grave will shield him from his enemies.
As a result, teleportation into this chamber is the simplest route, and it bypasses the guardians of the Upper Works entirely. If the PCs don’t have access to such magic, they can use a wish from Nefeshti to duplicate greater teleport or transport via plants to travel to the Stone Speakers, although Nefeshti won’t offer this solution on her own (unless you feel generous and want to help the PCs out a bit).
Of course, Jhavhul’s also placed guards here in the garden—one of which the PCs will doubtless recognize.
Further, the powerful wish magic that was used here by Jhavhul has resulted in a long-lasting wishwarp that infuses the entire Stone Speaker complex.
Creatures: This adventure assumes that the PCs’ old foe, Ghartok the Carrion King, was slain in the second adventure, “House of the Beast.” If the PCs let him live, or if he escaped, he didn’t live much longer—the shame of losing control of the House of the Beast likely saw his death at the hands of a usurper soon after the PCs left the ruins for the city of Katapesh. Yet he did not remain dead.
Now, Ghartok has truly become a “King of Carrion,” an undead mohrg created by one of Jhavhul’s wishes mouthed by a gnoll Carrion Guard who survived the PCs’ attack on the House of the Beast and recently pledged allegiance to Jhavhul, and who asked to have his old master restored to him as the Carrion King. It pleased Jhavhul’s sense of irony to bring back Ghartok as a true king of carrion, and even more to watch Ghartok take out his wrath on the unfortunate Carrion Guard responsible for his unholy resurrection. Since then, Ghartok has begrudgingly ceded control of the House of the Beast to Jhavhul, and agreed to serve as a guard in the Stone Speakers under threat of further humiliation and pain.
The Carrion King is an emaciated shadow of his former self. He has lost Rovagug’s favor and all of his previous class skills as a result of his death and reanimation, but as an advanced mohrg, he still possesses unholy strength and is still filled with wrath and hate. His skin is stretched tight over his twisted bones, and his intestines loll horribly from his mouth like a freakish, engorged tongue. He has acquired patchwork hide armor, a tattered black cloak, and a deadly +1 wounding greataxe he wields one-handed.
Jhavhul granted a wish, giving him a mob of additional mohrgs—undead created from the remains of his Carrion Guard. The mohrgs stand against the walls of the central chamber, while the Carrion King himself stands guard at the entrance to Jhavhul’s Doorstep—all are ready to attack the instant any intruders appear.
Male advanced elite mohrg (MM 189)
CE Large undead
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +26, Spot +26
DEFENSE
AC 27, touch 13, flat-footed 23 (+3 armor, +4 Dex, +11 natural, –1 size)
hp 143 (22d12)
Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +14
Immune undead traits
OFFENSE
Spd 20 ft.
Melee Medium +1 wounding greataxe +22/+17/+12 (1d12+13/×3 plus 1 Con) and slam +17 (1d8+6) and
tongue +17 touch (paralysis for 1d4 minutes; Fort DC 24 negates)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks create spawn, improved grab (slam)
TACTICS
During Combat The Carrion King spends the first few rounds of combat making Spring Attacks with its tongue to try to paralyze foes without exposing itself to melee combat. It resorts to full attacks once it has paralyzed at least half the party.
Morale The Carrion King fights until destroyed.
STATISTICS
Str 34, Dex 18, Con —, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +11; Grp +27
Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical (battleaxe), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (battleaxe)
Skills Hide +22, Listen +26, Move Silently +26, Spot +26
Languages Common, Gnoll
Gear hide armor, Medium +1 wounding greataxe
hp 91 each (MM 189)
Trap: The four stone heads in the main chamber once summoned monsters to defend the room—Jhavhul has rebuilt the traps in this chamber to better guard his doorstep. Each stone head can suddenly animate and twist in position to face a single creature that approaches within 5 feet of it, as if the heads possessed darkvision and see invisibility to a range of 5 feet. Once per round, a stone head can exhale a 15-foot-long line of black mist, striking the creature it faces and any other creature in the line and inflicting negative energy damage to all creatures struck—the undead know about this feature and can trigger the stone heads for healing.
Type magic (necromancy); Search DC 34; Disable Device DC 34
Effects Trigger proximity (darkvision and see invisibility); Reset automatic
Effect negative energy mist (15-foot line; 10d6 negative energy damage; Reflex DC 20 half )
Development: Area C3 contains the portal to Xotani’s Grave, the last resting place of the great Spawn of Rovagug and, more recently, Jhavhul’s lair. The portal is normally dormant and can’t be utilized, but anyone who brings one of Xotani’s bone keys into this room causes the walls and floor of the room to shimmer with fiery energy. A few moments later, a 10-foot-wide section in the western stone wall shudders and opens, unleashing a blast of hot air into the room and revealing a cave tunnel leading off to the west. The portal remains open as long as one of Xotani’s bone keys remains in area C3, and for six rounds after the key is taken from area C3, at which point the portal closes. Those who step through the portal are transported into the easternmost passageway in Xotani’s Grave, leading shortly to area D1.