City of Strangers: A Pathfinder Chronicles Companion by James L. Sutter

The land of Varisia is split in two; a great cliff divides the high scrublands of the Storval Plains from the rich and fertile lowlands.  On the edge of that cliff stands the only city on the Storval Plain; Kaer Maga.  A fortress over 10,000 years old, the great hexagonal citadel has no room for expansion, except up, and others would mutter, down.  8000 entities live there.  I do not say people, nor even souls for not everyone one who lives there is humanoid, there are nagas and centaurs, nor will the word souls work; for vampires live there as well; openly, and not only with the blessings of what government there is, but actually as part of the government.

Kaer Maga is an ancient city that thrives on trade, tension, and turmoil.  It's system of government is listed as anarchy, but that is misleading, both at the effects of leadership; the city works, and works well; and also to say that Anarchy can, as a word, embrace the tortured and twisted lines of power and allegiance that make the city work.  There are 11 districts, eight of which are "Ring" districts, or ones that are part of the "walls" of the city; many neighborhoods are entirely enclosed, and may be defined more by what floor they are on than by how far they extend.  They are Ankar-Te (a district of foreigners, where even the undead walk the streets, not even the strangest sights) Bis (a district of ledge mansions ruled by golem makers) The Bottoms (Cliffside slum of escaped slaves and abolishonists devoted to democracy with a dangerous fanaticism) Cavalcade (the industrial heart of the city, powered by the aquaducts that run through it) Highside Stacks (The rich district of towers extending high above the confusion below) Oriat (the colourful heart of the cities entertainment; full of music, theatres, and sectarian warfare) Tarheel Promenade (Home of the Arcanists' Circle, and the best market in all of Varisia for magical items) The Warren (ruins rebuilt into slums, seven stories tall)  The Core districts lie in the city's ‘open' center: Downmarket (a constantly shifting bazaar, and the primary commercial heart of the city.)  Hospice (the district of inns and brothels) and Widdershins, (a district of incredible calm, good manners, and horrible consequences for disrupting them).  Then there is the Undercity, the collection of natural and artificial tunnels, caves and chambers that sprawl below the fortress, extending to unknown depths.  What horrors lie there are unknown, even to the Duskwardens, the order of brave men and women who take people along the Nightpath to the base of the cliff, and protect the city from the horrors that arise upon occasion.

The people are covered; Humans of course are the most numerous, though residency is determined more by behavior and deportment than by race, Halflings, dwarves, half-elves, half-orcs, gnomes, elves, orcs, trolls, centaurs, goblins, and nagas.  Some of these are vampires to boot.

There are too many points and curiosities to catalog, so let's use a few examples;  Lord Victae Cobaru  LN male vampire wizard 7.  He does not haunt the streets of Ankar-Te, but the spires of Highstack.  He does not lust after blood, but after gold, which flows in a steady stream from countless deals where he is a silent partner.  When you are this rich, it easy to find willing women to provide him with sustenance and amusement.

The Augurs.  It is common practice for augurs to read the future in entrails.  But in Kaer Maga an order of trolls practice the art, reading the future in their own guts for anyone who will provide them the coin, content in their powers of regeneration to cure the damages in mere minutes. They are tolerated, even treasured, because they are as accurate as they are disconcerting.

The Tallow Boys.  In Kaer Maga, the sexes are equal; very equal.  So while the city is full of women who practice the world's oldest profession, it is equally well stocked with young men who follow the same arts.  Perhaps some 10% of these working boys are actually members of the Tallow Boys, a secret network of gentlemen of the evening, trained to listen to the tales whispered in bed, and pay attention to the details about their customers.  They double as information brokers, and collectors of secrets.  The information they take in trade is then sold to the highest bidder.

Unlike many of these companions, the bestiary does not exist as a separate section.  There is only one beast, the caulborn, strange and hideous outsiders who live on eaten memories.  What they eat, they all remember, and the caulborn are oft employed as sages, or as a certain sort of psychic surgeon, paid to remove memories that are too horrible to bear, or that might prove problematic for the client.  The other "beast" is the Bloatmage Prestige class.  Any wizard, sorcerer, witch or bard may become one.  The Bloatmages believe that magic lies in the blood, and thus they learn to produce more than normal, becoming bloated and bruised in the process.  Their excess blood does indeed give them extra magic to spend in a day, making them as dangerous as they are grotesque.

Like Kaer Maga, it takes quite awhile to absorb all the details of interwoven lore, just as it would take quite some time to learn all her twisting alleys and stairs.  This is one of the most unusual, and yet most intriguing companion books, as befits this most intriguing city.  If you are running a campaign in Varisa (and this seems to be the default) this is one you can't afford to pass by.

An American Game, an American Company; printed in China....*sigh*....

In fond Memory of Gary Gygax, Father of Dungeons and Dragons.
27 July, 1938 -4 March, 2008
"You enriched my life."

The Pathfinder Series, or Dungeons and Dragons Edition 3.75

Core Rule Book
Bestiary
Bestiary II
Advanced Player's Guide
Game Mastery Guide
The Inner Sea World Guide
Ultimate Magic
Ultimate Combat


Guide to the River Kingdoms: A Pathfinder Companion
Dungeons of Golarion
Classic Horrors Revisited
Inner Sea Magic: A Pathfinder Companion
Lords of Chaos: The Book of the Damned, Volume II
Humans of Golarion: A Pathfinder Companion
Undead Revisited: A Pathfinder Companion
Orcs of Golarion: A Pathfinder Companion
City of Strangers: A Pathfinder Companion
Sargava The Lost Colony: A Pathfinder Companion
Heart of the Jungle: A Pathfinder Companion
Gnomes of Golarion: A Pathfinder Companion
Rule of Fear: Ustalav.  A Pathfinder Companion
Cheliax: Empire of Devils: A Pathfinder Companion
Guide to Darkmoon Vale  A Pathfinder Companion.
Dragons Revisited: A Pathfinder Companion.
Faction Guide: A Pathfinder Companion
NPC Guide: A Pathfinder Companion
Dungeon Denizens Revisited: A Pathfinder Companion
A Guide To Korvosa: A Pathfinder Companion
Into the Darklands: A Pathfinder Companion
Cities of Golarion: A Pathfinder Companion
Faiths of Purity: A Pathfinder Companion

Adventure Paths!

Rise of the Runelords

Burnt Offerings
The Skinsaw Murders
The Hook Mountain Massacre
The Fortress of the Stone Giants

Second Darkness
Shadow in the Sky
Children of the Void
The Armageddon Echo
Endless Night
A Memory of Darkness
Descent Into Midnight

Please look at these Piazo Modules:

The Demon Within
Hungry are the Dead
River of Darkness
Seven Swords of Sin
Gallery of Evil
From Shore to Sea
The Witchwar Legacy
Realm of the Fellnight Queen
Hangman's Noose
Carnival of Tears
The Pact Stone Pyramid
Entombed with the Pharaohs
Treasure of Chimera Cove
Tower of the Last Baron
The Crucible of Chaos


Check out each installment of these Introductory Modules from Wizards of the Coast for Third Edition.

The Sunless Citadel
The Forge of Fury
The Speaker in Dreams
The Standing Stone.
The Heart of Nightfang Spire
Lord of the Iron Fortress

Fourth Edition:
Keep on the Shadowfell
Players Handbook
Dungeon Masters Guide
Monster Manual

Recommended: Yes