Ironguard Motte — The seat of power in the Duchy of Aerik. Population roughly 700 souls. Ironguard Motte is the major trade and political center of the district. It's ruling family received this vassal holding from Duke Derric Winterberry of Threshold in PR (-)06.

Padoar — a village thirty-six miles south-southeast from Ironguard Motte, eight miles southwest of Dolecherry, and thirteen miles southeast of the southernmost of the Soot Mountains. As the crow flies, Helix lies forty-three miles northwest of Padoar.

Gnoll

• No. Enc: 2d4 (3d10)
• Alignment: Chaotic
• Movement: 30'
• Armor Class: 7
• Hit Dice: 2+1 (typically 10-13 HP)
• BAB +3
• Attacks: by weapon
• Damage: By single weapon attack, +1 to damage
• Save: F3
• Morale: 10
• Hoard: 2d6 chroma, 1d4-1 royals, 1d4+1 copper (25% it's Red Cuprous)

Experience Yielded: 285 per gnoll defeated

Anytime ten or more gnolls are found together, one of them will be a 3+3 HD specimen with 21 HP with 1d4-1 royals, 2d4+4 chroma, 1d4+6 copper (25% it's Red Cuprous). This leader will have the same Morale and saving throws as its fellows. A defeated leader gnoll is worth 325 xp.

PR — also P.R., this signifies Post Ravaging a period of history following the great ravishing of western Westmark by the Shou.

The Blackblades — a large band of gnolls that has plagued the southeastern portion of the region of Stigrix since PR 199. Led by a 10-HD gnoll barbarian, Gutripper, this band has done much to disrupt trade in 199, then later to diminish profit margins as costers and caravans had to shell out more for protection on the road.

tangsin — a mild, smoked drug popular throughout the Reaches, tangsin is a mixture of tobacco, ginseng, and the leaf of a hyoscyamine-containing plant. Tangsin tends to relieve intestinal and allergy symptoms in humans, elves, and half-elves. These effects are less notable in gnomes, halflings, and dwarves — but it is significantly beneficial in treating hypertension in gnomes and halflings. No broadly effective treatment of hypertension has been discovered for dwarves. The majority of human, elven, and half-elven users choose to use tangsin for the pleasant taste and mild feelings of euphoric connection it engenders.

hasiko — a hot, fizzy apple-ciderish liquor manufactured in Tien Lung. Produced with a mild enchantment, the beverage is always hot upon pouring and never goes bad. It runs from 70 to 85 proof.

Knock (2nd level mage)

Knock opens stuck, barred, or locked doors, as well as those subject to hold portal or arcane lock. When you complete the casting of this spell, make a caster level check against the DC of the lock (see table at right) with a +10 bonus. If successful, knock opens up to two means of closure. This spell opens secret doors, as well as locked or trick-opening boxes or chests. It also loosens welds, shackles, or chains (provided they serve to hold something shut).

Invisibility (2nd level mage)

Illusion (Glamer)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal or touch
Target: You or a creature or object weighing no more than 100 lb./level
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) or Yes (harmless, object)

The creature or object touched becomes invisible, vanishing from sight, even from darkvision. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If you cast the spell on someone else, neither you nor your allies can see the subject, unless you can normally see invisible things or you employ magic to do so.

Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible.

Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle). The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. (Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character's perceptions.) Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.

Invisibility can be made permanent (on objects only) with a permanency spell.

Hold Portal (1st level mage)

Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: 1 min./lv.
Range: 100 ft + 10'/lv.

This spell magically holds shut a door, gate, window, or shutter of wood, metal, or stone. The magic affects the portal just as if it were securely closed and normally locked. A knock spell or a successful dispel magic spell can negate a hold portal spell. Add 5 to the normal DC for forcing open a portal affected by this spell.