PZO9208 Dark Markets, a Guide to Katapesh.pdf

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DARK MARKETS

A GUIDE TO

By Stephen S. Greer and

Amber E. Scott

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DARK MARKETS

A GUIDE TO

KATAPESH

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60 mi.

1. White Canyon

2. Pale Mountain

3. House of the Beast

4. Mirazha

5. Slither Cove

6. Painted Flutes

7. Trackless Storm

8. Zolurket Mines

9. Lightning Stones

10. Crouching Jackal

11. Creeping Watcher

12. Steps of the Agate King

13. Dritwood

14. Gembasket

15. Sleeping Dove

16. Palace Mortales

17. Sable Sands

18. Evergrowth

19. The Beehive

20. Selkelas

21. The Three Stars

22. The Lost Temple

23. Suketh'ma

24. Vargas Swamp

25. Sabkha

26. Floater's Pond

27. The Observatory

28. Pyre Crest

29. Sueda Lodge

30. Fort Longjaw

31. Commonield

32. Bug Harbor

33. El-Fatar

34. Finderplain

35. Sparadyn Jungle

36. Kelmarane

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A GUIDE TO KATAPESH

A Pathfinder Chronicles Supplement

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Land of Adventure 2

Timeline 26

City Map 27

City of Trade 28

Adventures in Katapesh 50

Balanced Scale Prestige Class 54

Pesh Magic

Bestiary

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CREDITS

Authors : Stephen S. Greer and Amber E. Scott

Additional Design: Greg A. Vaughan and Sean K Reynolds

Cover Artist : Vincent Dutrait

Cartography : Rob Lazzaretti

Interior Artists : Concept Art House, Jason Engle,

Jon Hodgson, Eric Lofgren, Eva Widermann,

and Kieran Yanner

Publisher : Erik Mona

Paizo CEO : Lisa Stevens

Vice President of Operations : Jeff Alvarez

Corporate Accountant : Dave Erickson

Director of Sales : Pierce Watters

Sales Manager : Christopher Self

Technical Director : Vic Wertz

Events Manager : Joshua J. Frost

Editor-in-Chief : James Jacobs

Editing and Development : Christopher Carey,

Sean K Reynolds, and James L. Sutter

Editorial Assistance : Jason Bulmahn and F. Wesley Schneider

Art Director : Sarah E. Robinson

Graphic Design Assistance : Drew Pocza

Senior Art Director : James Davis

Special Thanks : The Paizo Customer Service and

Warehouse Teams

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version

1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities,

artifacts, places, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress.

Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this Paizo Publishing

game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this

work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

Pathf inder Chronicles: Dark Markets, A Guide to Katapesh is published by Paizo Publishing, LLC under the Open Game License v 1.0a

Printed in China.

Paizo Publishing, LLC

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Suite 201

Bellevue, WA 98005

paizo.com

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Katapesh–Land of Adventure!

but do not interfere with trade.” Though there

are other laws clarifying this concept and parsing

out the minutiae of guild rights, property rights, and

taxes, this simple concept has allowed Katapesh to grow

from a frontier outpost to a great trading port, rivaling

even the mighty city-nation of Absalom. All manner of

conventional and illicit items pass through Katapesh

on their way to other parts of the world, from spices

and metals to drugs and slaves, all of them prof itable

enterprises under the watchful eyes of the mysterious

Pactmasters. But there is more to Katapesh than vice

and trade. Pilgrims of Sarenrae and Iomedae seek holy

sites to commune with their deities. Gnolls and monsters

raid farms and besiege walled cities. Strange ruins call to

adventurers with promises of lost magic. Surrounded by

formidable mountains and merciless deserts, the country

of Katapesh is a fertile ground for commerce, zealotry,

magecraft, and conventional battle, with its great capital

city the chaotic center of a vast web of money, news, and

goods connecting the Inner Sea to strange foreign lands.

The CounTry of KaTapesh

Citizens of many nations, adherents of many faiths, and

observers of many cultures come to Katapesh to barter.

The constant climate and predictable geography offers a

solid backdrop to the bright mosaic of people and animals

that wander across the nation’s face.

Climate : Katapesh enjoys a stable climate year-round,

excepting the period of f ierce rainstorms in early spring and

late fall. For the majority of the year, the sun shines steadily

and infuses the land with dry heat. In northern Katapesh,

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T here is only one law in Katapesh: “Do as you will,

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KATAPESH—LAND OF ADVENTURE

the barrier of the mountains provides a natural weather

blocker that directs rain down onto the savannah and

leaves the bordering Osirion lands to the north deprived of

moisture. Without the mountains, Katapesh would quickly

develop a climate similar to its northern neighbor.

Twice a year, at the turning of the seasons, cold westerly

winds coming off the Obari Ocean collide with warm

easterly winds from the Mwangi Expanse and create a

period of severe rainstorms lasting several weeks. These

rainstorms f lood the savannah and also ref ill the many

endorheic lakes—earthen basins that collect rainwater

but have no connection to rivers—that support desert

life, sustaining it for months of drought.

Geography : Several distinct areas make up the vast

landmass that comprises Katapesh. To the south, stretches

of desert edge the river which forms a natural border

between Katapesh and Nex. To the west, the deserts shift

into rocky f latland that rises to become the Barrier Wall

mountains. Northward, the deserts give way to grassy

savannahs interspersed with arid patches. Most wild pesh

crops exist in these sandy stretches between the plains.

Farther north, the Brazen Peaks loom as they trace the

border between Katapesh and Osirion. Finally, the eastern

border of Katapesh breaks off in a jagged coastline along the

Obari Ocean; frequent natural harbors afford refuge for the

many ships that ply the water between Katapesh’s mainland

and her satellite island, which holds the city of Okeno.

Fauna : Animals of great strength and beauty inhabit

Katapesh, but vicious, dangerous monsters also make their

homes here. Dhabbas ( jackal-like creatures indigenous

to the area), basilisks, camels, wild horses, geiers,

jackalweres, monstrous vermin of all kinds, and sand

eels live in the southern desert areas of Katapesh. On the

savannah, herds of camelopards, Katapeshi lions, calopi,

and blink dogs roam. In the mountains, gnolls pose the

largest threat, but travelers also encounter pugwampis

(usually disdainfully referred to as “jackal rats”), behirs,

dragonnes, yrthaks, athachs, hares, mountain goats, and

mountain lions.

Imports and Exports : Pesh, a narcotic distilled from

pesh cacti, is Katapesh’s largest export. Merchants from

neighboring lands bring pesh to locations as far away as

Absalom and Cheliax, sometimes smuggling the drug to

avoid import taxes or laws banning addictive substances.

Katapesh also deals in slaves, and slave barges from

Okeno glide up and down the coast, transferring their

living cargo to caravans going overland through Osirion

and Qadira. Some countries, notably Andoran, object

to Katapesh’s lax attitude toward slavery and refuse to

engage in any Katapeshi trade. So much commerce f lows

through Katapesh, though, that few countries can afford

such an all-out boycott, and most turn a blind eye to the

less savory aspects of Katapesh’s industry.

KATAPESHI GARB

Thin, loose robes and matching headscarves called kaftans

remain the most popular clothing in the plains and deserts.

The loose robes help keep the body cool, while the scarf

protects its wearer from the sun. In the past, most kaftans

were white, as the bright color reflects sunlight and leaves

the wearer cooler. In recent years, pale tints of yellow, green,

and blue also became fashionable, and in the Katapesh

marketplace today kaftans stitched with magical thread keep

their wearers magically comfortable (though not as protected

as endure elements or similar magic might ensure). These

kaftans sell for 50 gp each and come in a wide variety of

patterns, colors, and styles.

In the swamps and jungles, tight-fitting clothes that

provide no home for insects or lizards are common, as are

waterproof cloaks made of oiled canvas. In the mountains,

travelers wear thick leather gloves and boots as defense

against the sharp rocks and nettles in the area.

The bazaars of Katapesh trade in every material under

the sun. Merchants f ind raw ore, pesh, silk, animal hides,

gems, ivory, rare herbs and spices, slaves, artifacts, and

artwork available within Katapesh for trade or export.

Imports include agricultural products such as wheat,

rice, wool, linen, lumber, and alcohol.

Customs : In the desert heat, or in the gnoll-infested

mountains, refusing hospitality to a traveler in need is

akin to murder. Yet Katapesh is at heart a mercantile

nation. Thus, many customs have developed around the

concept of hospitality. Wealthy or secure travelers must

offer food and shelter to those in need. The recipient of

the hospitality must offer to pay for the aid, which the host

refuses. The recipient graciously accepts, but then either

performs a service for his host or leaves what payment

he can hidden somewhere for the host to f ind after the

guest’s departure. Guests who leave without payment of

any kind f ind a cold reception from their host and his

allies should they ever meet again, and may in time f ind

hospitality refused to him.

Hosts, merchants conducting a business deal, and

travelers sharing a campf ire often offer to share a pesh

pipe with their companions, and to refuse is considered

uncouth, if not downright rude.

A host always enters his tent before his guests, on the

chance that a dangerous snake or scorpion might have

slipped in.

Transportation : Light wagons can cross the f lat plains

of northern Katapesh, but prove useless in the mountains

and the desert. Most people travel by horseback or

camelback, with additional horses, camels, and mules

in a train to transport goods. Gnomes and half lings

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