Chapel
This large building is durably built in a log cabin–style construction with a thatched pitched roof and three gables. Its several open windows are uncovered, and the sole entrance on the east side of the building is bereft of a door. A small porch covered by a gable shelters this door, though the porch has not been swept and dirt and dust have started to accumulate, while one end of the gable is starting to sag from neglect.
Once the PCs enter the building, read or paraphrase the following.
The interior of this building suggests a modest place of worship—not quite a temple but more than a mere shrine. A table near the center of the west wall appears to serve as an altar, draped in a white but dusty cloth. Behind the table, a large wood carving of a humanoid figure with a stag’s head leans against the wall. Two rows of benches face the altar, although some have been knocked over and two piles of ashes are visible in the aisle between them. Scattered throughout the room are assorted objects related to public worship, such as a chalice and a ceremonial rod. An ornately carved longbow hangs on the wall near the altar, as if on display.
Against the north wall is a smaller shrine. Nearby is a wooden statue roughly three feet tall that depicts a male half-human and half-avian creature. One carved wing hangs partially broken from the statue.
The wood carving behind the altar represents the deity Erastil, and can be identified as such with a successful DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check. The other wooden statue near the smaller shrine can be identified as the agathion patron of Andoran, Talmandor, with a successful DC 15 Knowledge (religion) or DC 15 Knowledge (planes) check. PCs who already actively worship or revere these entities can identify the statues without a Knowledge check.
Typically, shrines to Erastil are simple affairs, but Father Adran Felton wanted to establish a devout congregation and welcoming chapel for the fledgling colony. His intention was that this building would serve as a community center as well as a place of worship. As the colony was named after one of Andoran’s celestial patrons, Father Felton included a shrine to Talmandor in the chapel as sign of good luck for the colony’s prosperity.
PCs should immediately realize that there was a struggle in this area and it was never straightened up afterward. Time has made the tracks on the floor unidentifiable, but a PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Survival check can locate a trail of dried blood leading from the altar to the front entrance. A PC who succeeds at this check by 5 or more also determines that no creature has entered this place in the last few weeks, or possibly a month. (The monkey goblins in area A5 know full well the chapel is haunted, and the entity here has the ability to actively affect them—unlike the “ghost” in area L that serves as a rite of passage.) A smell of rotting flesh lingers near the altar, but there is nothing obvious, even a large bloodstain, that could suggest the source of this smell.
If the PCs remove the dusty while cloth covering the altar, it becomes evident that it is not a table on four legs but is constructed more like a large box with religious carvings on the front face. A careful examination of the back accompanied by a successful DC 15 Perception check allows the PCs to locate a secret sliding panel. Opening the panel leads to the discovery of Silas Weatherbee’s dead body. Upon opening the box, any PCs adjacent to it must succeed at a DC 10 Fortitude save or be sickened for 1d4 rounds as the strong smell of a rotting corpse fills the dusty air. Depending on when the poltergeist attacks, this may or may not affect the combat. A PC examining the body and succeeding at a DC 10 Heal check can tell the man died of a few stab wounds, but the body is not significantly mutilated.
If the PCs examine the piles of ashes, both can be determined to have been books. The leather cover of one of the books is still intact and bears the title Parables of Erastil, which a PC can identify as the common text of worshipers of Erastil with a successful DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check. The other book’s cover is burned beyond recognition, but an Andoren character thumbing through fragments of the unburned pages within can identify the text as a copy of On Government, a political treatise written in a poetic style. With a successful DC 12 Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local) check, a PC further identifies it as a book that played a part in Andoran’s People’s Revolt and sparked the Red Revolution in Galt, allegedly inspired by conversations with Talmandor himself. Andoran natives receive a +2 circumstance bonus on these checks.
Creature: The chapel is haunted by a poltergeist: the undying spirit of Silas Weatherbee, a farmer among the first group of colonists. A man of faith, he routinely assisted Father Adran Felton in prayer services and maintaining the chapel. Silas was among the last colonists to be abducted by faceless stalkers and observed strange behavior from his neighbors as they were dominated weeks before he died. He confronted Rayland Arkley, who had been replaced by the faceless stalker Thanaldhu, and was injured in the confrontation. Thanks to sheer luck and an unexpected distraction, Silas escaped and ran unseen into the chapel. There, he hid inside the altar where Father Felton stored his religious paraphernalia. Thanaldhu searched the chapel for his runaway prey, but departed empty-handed. Silas, however, remained hidden until he passed out, succumbed to his wounds, and died within the altar. His disappearance was a mystery even to the aberrant invaders.
Now a poltergeist, Silas attacks intruders by hurling objects, such as the statue of Talmandor, the large woodcut of Erastil, the silver chalice and rod, and even the wooden benches. This encounter may prove difficult for 1st-level characters. Note that Silas can roam only up to 120 feet from his body, so the PCs can retreat if necessary. In addition, Eamon (see page 64) and Kurvis (see page 65), the priests among the Peregrine’s colonists, can assist the PCs in temporarily defeating the restless spirit once the pair reaches the colony.
Development: If Silas’s body is discovered and laid to rest, his spirit goes quiet for 2d4 days, but then the hauntings resume—likely to the horror of the new settlers. He can be permanently laid to rest only if the PCs determine why Rayland Arkley, his friend and leader, tried to kill him. The truthful answer is that Rayland didn’t, as Rayland was being impersonated by a faceless stalker, but simply guessing at an answer won’t comfort Silas’s spirit. The PCs must discover the truth and relate it with certainty and conviction to the poltergeist.
Silas can speak to the PCs if you desire, or alternatively he becomes a rapping spirit haunt (Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures 230) until he fully rejuvenates. As a haunt, he becomes temporarily harmless (for the most part) and another means of communication can be established. Silas maintains just enough substance to produce knocks and loud bumps. The PCs can attempt communication with him by working out a code to convey messages at the rate of 1d10 words per minute with a successful DC 10 Linguistics check. It is possible to neutralize Silas in this form, but doing so does not alter the number of days until he rejuvenates back into a poltergeist.
Optionally, Silas might agree to temporarily stop his violent behavior toward the colonists if the PCs convince him of their good intentions with a successful DC 15 Diplomacy check. Such an agreement earns them a few weeks of respite from the poltergeist, but he ultimately relapses unless his spirit is laid to rest.
Treasure: The longbow is a +1 holy reliquary composite longbow which can be used as a holy symbol of Erastil. Without a cleric to use it as a holy symbol, the longbow has no special effect on Silas; however, the spirit never attempts to move it telekinetically. The silver chalice, rod, and other religious articles are worth 30 gp, but they belong to the church (they do not count toward the allotted treasure in this adventure).
Once the PCs enter the building, read or paraphrase the following.
The interior of this building suggests a modest place of worship—not quite a temple but more than a mere shrine. A table near the center of the west wall appears to serve as an altar, draped in a white but dusty cloth. Behind the table, a large wood carving of a humanoid figure with a stag’s head leans against the wall. Two rows of benches face the altar, although some have been knocked over and two piles of ashes are visible in the aisle between them. Scattered throughout the room are assorted objects related to public worship, such as a chalice and a ceremonial rod. An ornately carved longbow hangs on the wall near the altar, as if on display.
Against the north wall is a smaller shrine. Nearby is a wooden statue roughly three feet tall that depicts a male half-human and half-avian creature. One carved wing hangs partially broken from the statue.
The wood carving behind the altar represents the deity Erastil, and can be identified as such with a successful DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check. The other wooden statue near the smaller shrine can be identified as the agathion patron of Andoran, Talmandor, with a successful DC 15 Knowledge (religion) or DC 15 Knowledge (planes) check. PCs who already actively worship or revere these entities can identify the statues without a Knowledge check.
Typically, shrines to Erastil are simple affairs, but Father Adran Felton wanted to establish a devout congregation and welcoming chapel for the fledgling colony. His intention was that this building would serve as a community center as well as a place of worship. As the colony was named after one of Andoran’s celestial patrons, Father Felton included a shrine to Talmandor in the chapel as sign of good luck for the colony’s prosperity.
PCs should immediately realize that there was a struggle in this area and it was never straightened up afterward. Time has made the tracks on the floor unidentifiable, but a PC who succeeds at a DC 15 Survival check can locate a trail of dried blood leading from the altar to the front entrance. A PC who succeeds at this check by 5 or more also determines that no creature has entered this place in the last few weeks, or possibly a month. (The monkey goblins in area A5 know full well the chapel is haunted, and the entity here has the ability to actively affect them—unlike the “ghost” in area L that serves as a rite of passage.) A smell of rotting flesh lingers near the altar, but there is nothing obvious, even a large bloodstain, that could suggest the source of this smell.
If the PCs remove the dusty while cloth covering the altar, it becomes evident that it is not a table on four legs but is constructed more like a large box with religious carvings on the front face. A careful examination of the back accompanied by a successful DC 15 Perception check allows the PCs to locate a secret sliding panel. Opening the panel leads to the discovery of Silas Weatherbee’s dead body. Upon opening the box, any PCs adjacent to it must succeed at a DC 10 Fortitude save or be sickened for 1d4 rounds as the strong smell of a rotting corpse fills the dusty air. Depending on when the poltergeist attacks, this may or may not affect the combat. A PC examining the body and succeeding at a DC 10 Heal check can tell the man died of a few stab wounds, but the body is not significantly mutilated.
If the PCs examine the piles of ashes, both can be determined to have been books. The leather cover of one of the books is still intact and bears the title Parables of Erastil, which a PC can identify as the common text of worshipers of Erastil with a successful DC 10 Knowledge (religion) check. The other book’s cover is burned beyond recognition, but an Andoren character thumbing through fragments of the unburned pages within can identify the text as a copy of On Government, a political treatise written in a poetic style. With a successful DC 12 Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (local) check, a PC further identifies it as a book that played a part in Andoran’s People’s Revolt and sparked the Red Revolution in Galt, allegedly inspired by conversations with Talmandor himself. Andoran natives receive a +2 circumstance bonus on these checks.
Creature: The chapel is haunted by a poltergeist: the undying spirit of Silas Weatherbee, a farmer among the first group of colonists. A man of faith, he routinely assisted Father Adran Felton in prayer services and maintaining the chapel. Silas was among the last colonists to be abducted by faceless stalkers and observed strange behavior from his neighbors as they were dominated weeks before he died. He confronted Rayland Arkley, who had been replaced by the faceless stalker Thanaldhu, and was injured in the confrontation. Thanks to sheer luck and an unexpected distraction, Silas escaped and ran unseen into the chapel. There, he hid inside the altar where Father Felton stored his religious paraphernalia. Thanaldhu searched the chapel for his runaway prey, but departed empty-handed. Silas, however, remained hidden until he passed out, succumbed to his wounds, and died within the altar. His disappearance was a mystery even to the aberrant invaders.
Now a poltergeist, Silas attacks intruders by hurling objects, such as the statue of Talmandor, the large woodcut of Erastil, the silver chalice and rod, and even the wooden benches. This encounter may prove difficult for 1st-level characters. Note that Silas can roam only up to 120 feet from his body, so the PCs can retreat if necessary. In addition, Eamon (see page 64) and Kurvis (see page 65), the priests among the Peregrine’s colonists, can assist the PCs in temporarily defeating the restless spirit once the pair reaches the colony.
Development: If Silas’s body is discovered and laid to rest, his spirit goes quiet for 2d4 days, but then the hauntings resume—likely to the horror of the new settlers. He can be permanently laid to rest only if the PCs determine why Rayland Arkley, his friend and leader, tried to kill him. The truthful answer is that Rayland didn’t, as Rayland was being impersonated by a faceless stalker, but simply guessing at an answer won’t comfort Silas’s spirit. The PCs must discover the truth and relate it with certainty and conviction to the poltergeist.
Silas can speak to the PCs if you desire, or alternatively he becomes a rapping spirit haunt (Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures 230) until he fully rejuvenates. As a haunt, he becomes temporarily harmless (for the most part) and another means of communication can be established. Silas maintains just enough substance to produce knocks and loud bumps. The PCs can attempt communication with him by working out a code to convey messages at the rate of 1d10 words per minute with a successful DC 10 Linguistics check. It is possible to neutralize Silas in this form, but doing so does not alter the number of days until he rejuvenates back into a poltergeist.
Optionally, Silas might agree to temporarily stop his violent behavior toward the colonists if the PCs convince him of their good intentions with a successful DC 15 Diplomacy check. Such an agreement earns them a few weeks of respite from the poltergeist, but he ultimately relapses unless his spirit is laid to rest.
Treasure: The longbow is a +1 holy reliquary composite longbow which can be used as a holy symbol of Erastil. Without a cleric to use it as a holy symbol, the longbow has no special effect on Silas; however, the spirit never attempts to move it telekinetically. The silver chalice, rod, and other religious articles are worth 30 gp, but they belong to the church (they do not count toward the allotted treasure in this adventure).
Rapping Spirit (CR 1)
Rapping spirits are unquiet dead with just enough substance to produce cacophonous knocking and loud bumps in the night. Adventurers can attempt communication with these intelligent spirits by working out codes to form cryptic messages at the rate of 1d10 words per minute with a successful Linguistics check.
CR 1; XP 400; Alignment varies persistent haunt (5-ft. radius)
Caster Level 1st; Notice Perception DC 10 (to hear faint knockings on walls, floor, and furniture)
hp 4; Weakness tricked by hide from undead; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 day
EFFECT
When this haunt is triggered, a chorus of agitated raps and blows rings out from nearby hard surfaces (those capable of physical manipulations, as mage hand) as unquiet spirits convey their unrest to the living. All who hear the supernatural knocks are affected by cause fear (save DC 11).
DESTRUCTION
Rapping spirits typically ask for their mortal remains to be laid to rest or for the PCs to seek revenge for their deaths. Fulfilling these requests dismisses the haunts.
Rapping spirits are unquiet dead with just enough substance to produce cacophonous knocking and loud bumps in the night. Adventurers can attempt communication with these intelligent spirits by working out codes to form cryptic messages at the rate of 1d10 words per minute with a successful Linguistics check.
CR 1; XP 400; Alignment varies persistent haunt (5-ft. radius)
Caster Level 1st; Notice Perception DC 10 (to hear faint knockings on walls, floor, and furniture)
hp 4; Weakness tricked by hide from undead; Trigger proximity; Reset 1 day
EFFECT
When this haunt is triggered, a chorus of agitated raps and blows rings out from nearby hard surfaces (those capable of physical manipulations, as mage hand) as unquiet spirits convey their unrest to the living. All who hear the supernatural knocks are affected by cause fear (save DC 11).
DESTRUCTION
Rapping spirits typically ask for their mortal remains to be laid to rest or for the PCs to seek revenge for their deaths. Fulfilling these requests dismisses the haunts.
