Age of Worms: Player's Guide
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Welcome to the Pathfinder ® Adventure Path; "Age of Worms," converted for use in the Corwyn Game Setting!!!

Introduction


Many thousands of years ago, before the rise of human civilization, two ancient powers struggled for supremacy on the continent of Corwyn. This terrible conflict was known as the War of Wrath—a civil war between what are today known as the Elder-Elves and the Dark-Elves.

Both sides had powerful allies. The Elves were joined by a race of Elemental beings called the Vaati. The Drow were joined by their own allies— hordes of undead led by a mysterious being named Kyuss.

The two armies clashed on the field of Pesh, and the forces of good were triumphant. Afterward, thousands of Vaati lay dead upon the battlefield. As was their tradition, the survivors constructed cairns for their fallen companions and interred their remains to rest for eternity. These cairns were spread throughout what is known today as the Cairn Hills, near the present-day settlement of Diamond Lake. Your party will be exploring one of these tombs, known as the “Whispering Cairn.”

Rumors abound that evil is once again stirring in this region, and it will be up to you to investigate. Can your party prevent the Age of Worms from being unleashed upon the world?

You will begin the campaign in the Free City of Redmark, an independent city-state located in the Barrens.

Character Races & Classes


You can play a human, dwarf, elf, half-elf, half-orc, or halfling. Any class listed in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook is acceptable. Only exceptions: no dwarf wizards or gnomes.

Adventurers
Redmark is a cosmopolitan place. Wizards brush shoulders with barbarians in the city markets, fighters and monks work as guards and mercenaries, rogues and paladins vie for time among the city’s elite, and it’s even said that a sect of renegade druids operates in some of the waterfront districts. Yet with this diversity comes conflict—not every person in Redmark is as welcoming as the next.

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For additional information about the races and classes as they function, consult the Corwyn Player’s Guide. The following information supplements that, and gives details about how these staples of the game function in the city that serves as Curse of the Crimson Throne’s foundation.

RACES


Look at any cross-section of the city’s population and you will find that nine of every ten of its inhabitants are human. Humans dominate the city in every way, and comprise an overwhelming majority of the population. Yet humans are not the only denizens of Redmark, as any visitor soon comes to learn.

Humans
Most of Redmark’s citizens are Vaas—the dominant ethnic group in the Barrens. The largest ethnic minority in the city, the Wildfolk, barely represent five percent of the population.

Many of Redmark’s Vaas consider Wildfolk little more than savages, thieves and murderers, and prejudice against the group occasionally flares into discrimination, even ugly lynchings.

Dwarves
Because of the proximity to the dwarven nation of Orrek, dwarves make up the largest percentage of the demi-human population. Dwarven merchants dominate Redmark's markets for exquisitely-crafted weapons and armor.

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Elves
Almost as rare as druids in Redmark, most of the elven citizens of the city originally hail from the Melinar Forest, far to the south. A small elvish community has lived peacefully within the city for centuries.

Halflings
Like many other large human cities, halflings have long been drawn to the markets of Redmark as vendors, shopkeepers, and merchants. These commercial enterprises seem to come naturally to the small folk. Some halfling are drawn to adventuring to bring honor to their families, while others seek only to enrich themselves. Most halfling adventurers in Redmark are either bards, or rogues.

Half-Elves
Bored young women of the human noble families occasionally visit the Melinar Forest looking for an adventurous rendezvous with someone exotic and beautiful. These trysts occasionally result in half-elven offspring, who are neither trusted nor accepted. Half-elves in Redmark are therefore looked upon as unfortunates at best, or freaks at worst.

Half-Orcs
In the Barrens, many human settlements lie in proximity to the Axehead Mountains, which are infested with orc tribes. Resulting raids sometimes grow exceedingly personal, resulting in the occasional half-orc. Few of these half-orcs survive to adulthood, and fewer still live among their human cousins, but despite that, a small population of half orcs make their homes in Redmark.

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CLASSES


As the largest independent city on Corwyn, Redmark has a little something for everyone. Further, there seems to come a point in the life of everyone living in the Barrens, where something that can only be had within the city walls demands a trip. As a result, all adventuring classes have a certain level of representation in the city—some more so than others.

Barbarians
The vast majority of Redmark’s barbarians hail from neighboring Wildfolk tribes; those few who choose to stay in the city do so usually because they have little other choice, having been exiled or forced to flee from their homelands for various reasons. Barbarians tend to find jobs as bouncers, dockworkers, thugs, or mercenaries for Redmark’s shadier operations, and are generally not welcome in the more affluent sections of the city.

Bards
Bards are well-loved or well-hated in Redmark—it’s tough to maintain a low-profile as a bard here, as the locals enjoy their entertainment almost as much as they enjoy their gossip about entertainers. Several taverns, inns, playhouses, and other establishments provide popular venues for bards.

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Clerics
Although the number of deities worshiped on Corwyn is vast, the faiths of several deities stand head and shoulders above the others. It’s generally possible to find clerics of any faith inside of Redmark’s walls, although in some cases, one might have to look long and hard.

Certainly, the temple of Ethenghar has the most followers in Redmark, for the God of Destiny holds a specials place in the hearts of a population proud of their rugged individualism.

The temple of Aleyssia tends to the sick and dying within the city walls and maintains an imposing cathedral. Many of the city’s commoners prefer Shua as a patron, and S’Thar a strong following among the city’s merchants and thieves.

The temple of Berevrom brings law and order, although this church’s faithful are always careful to operate in moderation. Beyond these faiths, there are smaller temples to: Acerion, Atanavar, Ator, Etahr, Ixion, and Nerydia.

Druids
Druids are not generally trusted or thought of well by Redmark’s citizens, primarily due to the actions of a cabal of bitter and almost feral druids who sometimes frequent the riverfront district, where they act as nuisances and scoundrels. Even other druids tend to think of this group as troublemakers, and on the few instances where druids do need to visit the city, they keep low profiles.

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Fighters
There are many opportunities for fighters in Redmark, although none more honorable and prestigious than induction into the city’s protectors, the City Guard. Active members of the Guard are housed at the Barracks, but the Guard also maintains a militia of inactive former members who are expected to answer the call in times of need. Fighters can also find employment in countless other areas in Redmark as private bodyguards, bouncers, or students and teachers in one of the city’s many fighting schools.

Monks
Very few monks dwell in Redmark, although many have heard tales of mystics or martial artists from the distant Twilight Monastery, and of the incredible feats they can accomplish with their bare hands. Although no monastic order is based in Redmark, there is much to attract a monk’s interest in her libraries and churches.

Paladins
Redmark is an extremely lawful city, but one that isn’t as interested, as a general rule, in the purpose of the law as much as its application. If anything, the city government’s often impartial stance on matters regarding the law skew the general feel toward evil. As a result, most paladins find Redmark too stifling a place for them, and they often grow frustrated with the city’s overwhelming bureaucracy and willingness to accept things like the evil temples within the city. Most of Redmark’s paladins ally with the temple of Berevrom, figuring that to be where they can do the most good.

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Rogues
Despite its fondness for law, Redmark has a thriving underworld both above and below its streets. Countless gangs of thieves, thugs, and troublemakers rise and fall like the tides in the city’s low-rent districts. The Black Hand, a loosely-affiliated extended family of crime lords, hold sway over many of these gangs.

Sorcerers
Most of Redmark’s sorcerers are folk who have manifested the spontaneous gift of magic through some quirk of the bloodline. As a general rule, most folk fear sorcerers and as a result, sorcerers are often thought of as troublemakers.

Wizards
Wizards are well respected in Redmark, particularly if they can point to proof of training at the Krakenmoor Academy, one of Redmark’s greatest prides. The largest and best-staffed wizardly school in Redmark is Krakenmoor. Attendance there brings every graduate both prestige and honor.

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Player Background


Your character can have any background you choose. The only requirement is that you are either a native of the Free City of Redmark or the neighboring settlement of Diamond Lake—a dirty and corrupt mining town.

All party members have recently received a letter from a wizard named Allustan, inviting them to the community of Diamond Lake to explore an ancient tomb called the “Whispering Cairn.”