"Spires of Xin-Shalast" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Vekker

The Vekker Brothers, according to local legend in the Janderhoff region, ended up starving themselves during a flight into the Kodar mountain range after absconding with handfuls of loot and, upon doing so on the night of the full moon, were granted the ability to find the the entrance to the path to Xin-Shalast and Mhar Massif, far up into the tallest reaches of the Storval Region.

Their whereabouts, however, are much more difficult to pin down considering the time that has passed since this all happened.

There may, however, be some good tip-offs to their last whereabouts if the heroes ask around.

Answer: Tree

If anything should set off the 'this place isn't safe' radar, it's the act of approaching a tree and discovering that it's actually a menacing, evil creature. The Horror Tree in front of the mining building, a former treant, now guards the structure and destroys the few who seek to enter the front door. With a colossal reach, the tree is very much weak to fire but has a penchant for killing nature-based characters like druids and rangers.

His unnatural fungus also has the ability to drain Dexterity.

Answer: No

The place is desolate, and considering the harsh environs outside, it would only make sense that if anyone were around, the place would be the least bit maintained (or warm). Instead, any heroes passing through will have to face off against the haunts therein, mostly in the form of traps and self-inflicted troubles.

A couple of animated objects can be found laying around (and can be dispatched easily), and on occasion someone may spot a creature out the windows, but nothing living is inside...even though the house may turn out to be quite the loud place.

Answer: Wendigo

When the heroes begin to uncover the truth behind the goings-on in the Vekker mining cabin, it becomes apparent that the uneasy spirits are there as a result of a horrible fate brought on by a wendigo's influence, causing Karivek and others to eat their companions.

When Karivek's body is brought back to the cabin the brothers can reunite and the wendigo can be put to death once and for all. As a reward, the brothers will give their journal and advise on the route and means to get to Xin-Shalast.

Answer: Svevenka

When the lead is formed, the heroes can make their way further northward following the Dwarven brothers' recordings and to the River Arah, snaking up into the heights of the Kodar Mountains. Unfortunately, this area is quite treacherous and high in altitude, so even if special means are taken to reach it, altitude sickness is a great fear for travellers. And special means are necessary since the lake that needs to be visited here must be seen at the full moon, and only when the party is starved.

There, at the Fen of the Icemists, they'll also encounter an ice nymph named Svevenka who, aside from being the cousin of Myriana outside Turtleback Ferry, may possibly assist the party in finding Xin-Shalast once and for all, even if it's still quite a way away, up into the mountains even higher.

Answer: No

While those viewing the hidden city from outside will see a location teeming with people. While the city is certainly sprawling, all the way up to the Spires on the far end of Xin-Shalast, entering its walls will prove a different story; its districts are home to monsters of all sorts, but nowhere near the amount of Denizens of Leng it once contained.

Instead, what you'll find there is broken into factions; there's a section run by yetis, another of skulks, and on and on. Of course, anyone noticed in the city and who isn't a supporter of the Runelord of Greed is likely to be fought and killed on sight.

Answer: A religious library

Xin-Shalast, while only retaining a fraction of its former glory due to the advance of lava floes and glacial ice, still contains a number of notable landmarks, especially closer to Mhar Massif and the Spires to the north. The Heptaric Locus, for instance, still holds a gladiatorial arena. An old blue dragon, Ghlorofaex, also holds a lair in the city toward the northwest. Krak Naratha soldiers hold a fortress in the north as well, but none of them are likely to stop the skulks and invisible beasts in the underground tunnels. Suffice to say, there's a lot to do in Xin-Shalast. If only it weren't so hard to find!

Answer: A Sihedron rune

When the party climbs up Mhar Massif and reaches the stairs to the Spires of Xin-Shalast they'll not only be met with horrible altitude sickness in, quite literally, the Death Zone of the Kodar Mountains, but they'll also run into an Occluding Field with the power to keep out and harm anyone trespassing. If the Runelord of Greed isn't aware of his enemies thus far, he will be when they reach this point. Without a Sihedron Ring or Amulet in the heroes' possession (for each person) they likely won't make it through and they'll take colossal amounts of damage. Fortunately, these Sihedron-imbued items can be picked up from leaders of enemy factions in the city proper...though they'll never given them up willingly.

Answer: Leng

The Pinnacle of Avarice is the upper-most tower amongst the Spires of Xin-Shalast, and at the very top there will be a means of reaching the final boss in the Eye of Avarice. Getting there is very difficult as his most loyal followers make their home in this structure, and among their ranks is a very powerful magic disciple. Upon entering, obviously, it makes sense not to trigger any alarms and set the whole place upon the party.

In the southern end of the tower, a portal to the alternate plane of Leng can be found, and disabling it is probably in the heroes' best interest, mainly because, if left unchecked, it could start to invade Golarion.

Its denizens aren't very friendly.

Answer: Karzoug

The Eye of Avarice, reachable only by a portal in the Pinnacle of Avarice atop Mhar Massif, is the final battleground of the game. This prison, sheltered between planes, is the prison cell of Karzoug, the Runelord of Greed, who (at the end of the campaign) is well on his way to breaking free and exerting power over Golarion.

The final battle is no cakewalk. The transmuter foe will be weak to domineering weapons from the Runeforge, but he's also likely to have the upper hand from the very start of battle since he's able to use both Time Stop and Wish more than once. Being a level 20 caster with several high-level spells, it's do or die.

The only way out is to win, and if the heroes can accomplish that, then Golarion will be saved. They can do this by defeating Karzoug himself or, in a more difficult bout, destroy the soul lens in the Eye of Avarice to prevent him from leaving his prison. Perhaps the other Runelords are stirring-- who knows?