by Dave Gross
“There’s limits to every friendship.”
When the food arrived, my master refused to eat. Instead he kept trying to persuade Radovan to let him cast magic on him. Radovan pretended to listen. He ate a few steaming dumplings and threw the rest for me to catch.
Radovan is my best friend.
When the dumplings were gone, Radovan slapped the table. “Let’s at least get out of here.”
I followed them out of the tea house and into the street. While they spoke, I stayed alert for danger. My time with the kami had been exciting. I would always remember them, but it was good to be back on the job. I like working for my master. His rules are simple.
“It was the wisest possible choice that Lanfen should marry Tengfei,” said my master. “There will be peace between Lingshen and Quain for years if not decades.”
“Yeah,” said Radovan. “Still, you know she would have—”
My master made the gesture for silence. For once, Radovan obeyed.
“At least we’ve got that husk you wanted.”
“If only its halves can be rejoined. But yes, King Wen was most generous. His chief eunuch gave me a letter of introduction to a conjurer who can transport us back to Absalom.”
“We’re going to need porters to carry all those gifts.”
“We’ll hire a few when we leave for Goka. And this time, you select the guards.”
“You got it, boss.”
Ahead of us, the crowd parted for a group of men with red hats and long spears. Radovan and my master moved aside with the rest, but the guards went straight to them and stood at attention.
With the guards were four other men in bright robes, the ones my master called eunuchs. They bowed before my master. Something about them reminded me of the Minister of Hell.
One stepped forward and bowed down to the ground three times before my master.
“Count Varian Jeggare of the Chelish Empire, Venture-Captain of the Pathfinder Society.”
My master returned the bow, but not as low.
The eunuch bowed again. At a gesture, another eunuch presented my master with a long box. The first eunuch opened the cover to show a sword inside.
“A gift from Princess Lanfen.”
My master opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it without a word. He had done that twice since the battle at the Court of Heaven and Hell, but I had never seen him do it before. Like me, he must have learned a few new tricks.
The eunuch gestured for his fellows to withdraw. He whispered in my master’s ear, but I heard what he said.
“Her highness also sends the message: ‘My heart is divided. Wherever fate leads you, I beg you to safeguard the other half.’”
My master did not move or speak. For a moment I thought he might weep, but Radovan accepted the box for him.
“Thanks, boys—uh, folks,” he said. “I’ll take it from here.”
They looked at him blankly until Radovan slowly repeated his words in their language.
We moved through the crowds until we reached the city gates. There Radovan talked to some men about fetching my master’s things from the inn and carrying them to a place called Goka.
Armed men arrived and reported to Radovan, who picked the ones he liked and gave them instructions. When he pointed to me, he pretended to bite his fingers and warned the men not to play with me.
When Radovan turned away from the men to talk to my master, they both seemed pleased, but I couldn’t follow their conversation. No matter how carefully I listened, I understood fewer and fewer of the words. At first it was confusing, but it was much easier to understand them without all of the extra words.
By the time we left the city, I ran beside the smoke-colored horse my master made with his magic. He made one for Radovan, too, a big green steed with a mane like seawater. Radovan was surprised at the appearance of his horse. His used to be red, but maybe it learned some new tricks, too.
They rode out of Lanming together, leading the porters and guards. Before the sun set, I understood their words only when they gave me commands, but I could tell my master was becoming a little less sad.
Soon things would be as they were before we came to this place. My master would have new jobs for me. When I did them well, he would reward me.
And when he wasn’t looking, Radovan would reward me, too.
Dave Gross was born in Michigan and grew up in Virginia. After grinding out a Master’s degree in English, he worked as a technical writer and teacher before editing magazines for TSR, Wizards of the Coast, and Paizo Publishing. He’s been writing short stories and novels on the side since 1995. His previous Radovan and Jeggare stories for Pathfinder Tales include the novel Prince of Wolves, the Pathfinder’s Journals “Hell’s Pawns” and “Husks” (published in the Council of Thieves and Jade Regent Adventure Paths, respectively), and the short stories “The Lost Pathfinder” and “A Lesson in Taxonomy.” In addition, he’s also co-written the Pathfinder Tales novel Winter Witch with Elaine Cunningham.
Dave lives in Alberta, Canada with the best things in life: his wife and their small menagerie.
For notes on the outline and drafts, I thank Thomas M. Reid, Amber Scott, Gareth-Michael Skarka, Lindy Smith, and “Mean” Russ Taylor.
Many fine fellows have instigated or otherwise enabled my love of Chinese fantasy and action movies. Among them are Dave “Zeb” Cook; Robin D. Laws; James Lowder; John R. Phythyon, Jr.; Chris Pramas; Gareth-Michael Skarka; and Pierce Watters. Special thanks and eternal admiration go to Anthony J. Bryant for his inimitable musical translation of the Japanese subtitles and Chinese audio for Mr. Vampire.
Glossary
All Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the rich and vibrant world of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Below are explanations of a number of key terms used in this book. For more information on the world of Golarion and the strange monsters, people, and deities that make it their home, see the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook or any of the books in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting series, or visit paizo.com.
Abrogail II: Current ruler of Cheliax.
Absalom: Largest city in the Inner Sea region.
Abyss: Plane of evil and chaos inhabited by demons, where many evil souls go after they die.
Acadamae: Notoriously effective and amoral school of magic in Korvosa.
Andoran: Democratic and freedom-loving nation formerly controlled by the Chelish Empire.
Andoren: Of or pertaining to Andoran.
Arcane: Magic that comes from mystical sources rather than the direct intervention of a god; secular magic.
Asmodeus: Devil-god of tyranny, slavery, pride, and contracts; lord of Hell and patron deity of Cheliax.
Avistan: Continent north of the Inner Sea, on which Cheliax, Varisia, Taldor, and many other nations lie.
Avistani: Of or related to the continent of Avistan.
Cantrip: Minor spell or magical trick cast by an arcane spellcaster (such as a wizard or sorcerer).
Cayden Cailean: God of freedom, ale, wine, and bravery. Was once mortal, but ascended to godhood by passing the Test of the Starstone in Absalom.
Celestial Bureaucracy: Tian term for the gods and other entities that rule the afterlife.
Celestial Dragon: Legendary creature honored by the residents of the southern Successor States, who appears every twelve years at the Gates of Heaven and Hell to exchange its “heart”—actually an enormous, magical pearl—with that of a maiden, granting her a wish in the process.
Celestial Order: Tian term for the natural way of things, the eternal balance between good and evil and other such opposing forces.
Celestial Wheel: Tian term for the cycle of existence and the progression of souls through the world and the afterlife.
Chelaxian: Someone from Cheliax
.
Cheliax: Devil-worshiping nation in Avistan.
Chelish: Of or related to Cheliax.
Court of Heaven and Hell: Location in the Wall of Heaven mountains where the Dragon Ceremony takes place every twelve years.
Decemvirate: Masked and anonymous leaders of the Pathfinder Society.
Demons: Evil denizens of the Abyss who seek only to maim, ruin, and feed.
Desna: Good-natured goddess of dreams, stars, travelers, and luck.
Devils: Fiendish occupants of Hell who seek to corrupt mortals in order to claim their souls.
Dragon Ceremony: Ceremony in which a maiden offers her heart to the Celestial Dragon and receives a wish. Traditionally undertaken by a princess of Quain.
Dragon Temple: Monastery in Quain where monks are trained to accompany the royal emissary to the Dragon Ceremony every twelve years.
Egorian: Capital of Cheliax.
Elves: Long-lived, beautiful humanoids capable of interbreeding with humans.
Elven: Of or pertaining to elves.
Empire of Lung Wa: Ancient empire that collapsed and broke apart into the Successor States.
Fiendish: Of or related to creatures from the evil Outer Planes, such as devils and demons.
Flying Mountains: Region in Quain where strange magnetism causes entire mountains to levitate.
Flying Scroll: Little-used Tian magical technique by which a wizard can transcribe part of a memorized spell onto a piece of paper, then cast it by flinging the paper.
Garund: Continent south of the Inner Sea, renowned for its deserts and jungles.
Gates of Heaven and Hell: Portals that open at the Court of Heaven and Hell during the Dragon Ceremony.
Goka: Port city on the western edge of Tian Xia.
Golarion: The planet on which the Pathfinder campaign setting focuses—the greater world of which Tian Xia and the Inner Sea Region are both part.
Golden River: Major river running through Quain.
Greensteeples: Count Varian Jeggare’s manor house.
Half-Elves: The children of unions between elves and humans. Taller, longer-lived, and generally more graceful and attractive than the average human, yet not nearly so much so as their full elven kin.
Heaven: Plane of good and lawfulness ruled by angels, where many good souls go after they die.
Hell: Plane of evil and tyrannical order ruled by devils, where many evil souls go after they die.
Hellknights: Militant organization of hardened law enforcers whose tactics are often seen as harsh and intimidating, and who bind devils to their will. Based in Cheliax.
Hellspawn: A human whose family line includes a fiendish taint, often displayed by horns or other devilish features. Rarely popular in civilized society.
Infernal: Of or related to Hell.
Inner Sea Region: The region on which most of the Pathfinder campaign setting focuses, situated on the opposite side of the globe from Tian Xia.
Iron Mountain: Famous landmark in Quain and doorway to the Court of Heaven and Hell.
Irori: God of history, knowledge, self-perfection, and enlightenment. Often favored by monks.
Kami: Guardian spirits from Tian Xia, often tied to particular places and things.
Ki: Mystical force or life essence which warrior monks often learn to master, allowing them to perform exceptional feats of strength and agility.
King Huang: Ruler of Lingshen.
King Wen: Ruler of Quain.
Korvosa: One of the most important cities in Varisia.
Lanming: Capital of Quain.
Lepidstadt: City in Ustalav noted for its university.
Lepidstadt Scar: Dueling scar gained during a ritual popular among students of Lepidstadt’s university. Considered a badge of honor.
Lingshen: Successor State to the north of Quain.
Mandate of Heaven: The will (either direct or presumed) of the Celestial Bureaucracy.
Metamagic: Magical study devoted not to discovering new spells, but to improving and empowering those an arcane spellcaster already knows.
Minkai: Island nation on the eastern edge of Tian Xia.
Monk: Someone who devotes himself to enlightenment and self-perfection, often through mastery of the physical body and its use as a weapon.
Nagas: Intelligent monsters with the heads of humans and the bodies of snakes.
Nagajor: Region in southern Tian Xia ruled by nagas.
Nethys: God of magic. Also known as the All-Seeing Eye.
Ogres: Hulking, brutal, and often inbred humanoids with little intelligence and an enormous capacity for cruelty.
Oni: Evil spirits that lack physical bodies unless they make them. The natural enemies of kami.
Orcs: Savage humanoids with green or gray skin, protruding tusks, and warlike tendencies.
Paladin: Holy warrior devoted to a god and ruled by a strict code of conduct.
Pathfinder Chronicles: Books published by the Pathfinder Society detailing the most interesting and educational discoveries of their members.
Pathfinder Society: Organization of traveling scholars and adventurers who seek to document the world’s wonders. Based out of Absalom and run by a mysterious and masked group called the Decemvirate.
Pesh: Type of narcotic drug.
Pharasma: Goddess of fate, death, prophecy, and birth. Ruler of the Boneyard, where mortal souls go to be judged after death.
Po Li: Successor state to the east of Quain.
Qadira: Desert nation of the Inner Sea.
Quain: One of the southernmost Successor States.
Riffle Scrolls: Magical scrolls shaped like flipbooks, which are activated by flipping the pages rapidly.
Rovagug: The Rough Beast; god of destruction.
Sarenrae: Goddess of the sun, honesty, and redemption. Often seen as a fiery crusader and redeemer.
Shelyn: Goddess of art, beauty, love, and music.
Shiver: Type of narcotic drug.
Shiziru: Tian goddess of honor and swordplay.
Song of the Spheres: Desna.
Sorcerer: Spellcaster who draws power from within himself, and does not need to study to cast spells.
Spellbook: Tome in which a wizard transcribes the arcane formulae necessary to cast spells. Without a spellbook, a wizard can cast only those few spells held in her mind at any given time.
Starknife: A set of four tapering blades that resemble compass points extending from a metal ring with a handle; the holy weapon of Desna.
Successor States: Collection of sometimes-warring nations formed when the ancient empire of Lung Wa collapsed. Includes Lingshen, Po Li, and Quain, among many others.
Taldan: Of or pertaining to Taldor.
Taldane: The common tongue of the Inner Sea region.
Taldor: Former empire in the Inner Sea region, now mostly fallen into decadence.
Thassilon: Ancient empire that crumbled long ago.
Thassilonian: Of or related to ancient Thassilon, as well as the name of its language.
The Tines: Raised fork on which Chelish criminals are sometimes impaled. Also the name of a rude hand gesture from Cheliax, which suggests that the recipient should be impaled in such a manner.
Tian Xia: Continent on the opposite side of the world from the Inner Sea region.
Tian: Of or pertaining to Tian Xia.
Tien: The common language of Tian Xia.
Ustalav: Fog-shrouded nation of the Inner Sea region, rife with superstition and often said to be haunted.
Varisia: Frontier region at the northwestern edge of the Inner Sea region.
Varisian: Something from Varisia, or else a member of the often maligned Varisian ethnic group, which is known for its music, dan
ce, and traveling caravans.
Venture-Captain: Leader in the Pathfinder Society; in charge of directing and assisting lesser agents.
Wall of Heaven Mountains: Massive mountain range running down the western edge of Tian Xia.
Wizard: Someone who casts magical spells through research of arcane secrets and the constant study of spells, which he or she records in a spellbook.