Bloodbound

by F. Wesley Schneider

  “There are too few of us in the Old City to need surnames. Siervage’s ilk choose their own names, which tend to be distinctive enough.”

  “Yes, yes.” She waved with the letter. “It’s not just a name, though, it’s a sign of esteem—and sometimes more. You’re certainly deserving of a bit of respectability every now and then.”

  I’d never thought of it like that.

  “While you could always come up with your own, I can’t see mine going to much more use. I certainly don’t expect to be around long enough to tarnish it more than I already have. If the sound suits you, you’re welcome to use ‘Kindler’ if the occasion requires.”

  I stared at the straight-backed old woman. Her look was hardly warm, but it was polite—welcoming, even. She might have been extending a stranger an invitation to tea—but I wasn’t used to even that.

  “I’ll think about it.” I gave a little nod. “Thank you.”

  She handed me the letter and I found a place for it in one of my cloak’s deep pockets. My fingers bumped something smooth.

  I cursed to myself. I’d almost forgotten—some part of me wished I had. But I’d already gone this far.

  “I have something for you as well.”

  She gave a well-mannered hum.

  “Something to return, actually.” From a pocket I drew a twisted length of silver and bronze. I placed it on the table.

  She leaned close, replacing her glasses. “A wand?”

  I nodded.

  “This is one of mine.” She picked it up, rolling it in her hands.

  “It is. I took it the other day, when we were …”

  Kindler nodded. “You’ve …” She looked up from the wand, expression pained. The lace veil of formality quickly swung back into place. “You’ve restored it.”

  “I paid a local for the service and he completed the work this morning. I’m afraid I didn’t know the original command to active it, so I used the same one as your dispelling wand.”

  “So, it has its original power to repress memories.” She stared past it. “Why?”

  “I owed you something for all your help—especially for saving me at the opera. A return to your peaceful retirement seemed like the least I could do.”

  It was only half a lie.

  She didn’t flinch. Neither did I.

  Finally, she nodded. “I see. Thank you.” He voice was tighter than it had been a moment ago.

  I returned the nod with a touch to the brim of my hat. Before she could say more, I was tugging the door shut behind me.

  I stood in the hall, freeing the breath I’d held while leaving. At least that was over now. I’d come here hunting my father, not running home to my mother. That had been incidental.

  Now we could both get on with making our lives our own.

  Jadain held the horse’s reins as I climbed onto the carriage.

  “Everything all right in there?” She must have read something on my face.

  “Fine.” It sounded weaker than I’d meant, but I didn’t try again. The priestess watched me, but didn’t press the matter. I appreciated that.

  Something was different. “Your brand is … lighter.” I couldn’t say “gone”—it was far from that. Her pupil had regained its natural shape, but the purple-blue marks that had so clearly marred her face had faded to a lighter, pink scar. It was still grim, but less so than it had been.

  She patted around her eye. “I spoke with my brethren here and explained what happened—well, most of what happened. It sounds like they’ve had their own tensions with the penitents in Kavapesta. They were outraged to see the goddess’s curse on one of their own and gladly helped me remove the spell.”

  “Not the scar, though?”

  She gave me a droll look. “You’re lucky I’ve decided not to be sensitive about it.”

  I opened my mouth, then promptly shut it.

  Jadain laughed. “I’ve decided to keep the scar, at least for now. It’s something of a reminder—of this journey, of my faith, of the things I’ve suffered, but most of all, that there’s always another view, another way. I’m sure my sisters at Maiden’s Choir will have many questions, and I look forward to answering them.”

  That surprised me. “So you’re returning to the church. Even after what the High Exorcist tried to do?”

  “Oh, I plan to expose what Mardhalas tried to do—as best I’m able. But even if I can’t muster the proof …” She stood and fished something out of a pack behind her, producing a handful of sharp teeth. “I picked up a few souvenirs this morning: the teeth of a whole crypt worth of corpses, and an urdefhan’s fangs. And if anyone ever wants to claim I’m too soft to serve the Lady of Graves, I’m going to make them choke on these.”

  I blinked, surprised—and a little impressed—by the scarred priestess’s new fire. There were more teeth in her palm than just the ghouls’ and urdefhan’s, though. Two shiny, slightly oversized canines looked particularly familiar.

  “Are those …?” I couldn’t quite bring myself to finish.

  “They are.” She looked defiant. “I’m even thinking of stringing them all together—I got the idea in Kavapesta.”

  I leaned away from her, suddenly wary. “You’re keeping my teeth?”

  Jadain grinned. “We’ve got a long trip back to Caliphas. Think of it as a warning—just in case you get thirsty along the way.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My deepest gratitude goes to my husband, Russell, for tolerating me for the eon it took to write this book. Considerable blame for this effort goes to James L. Sutter, who encouraged me to write it in the first place. Additional thanks then go to him and veteran editor Christopher Paul Carey for their eloquence and patience. Dave Gross, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, and Jessica Price all have my thanks for the counsel and wisdom that made this a far better story. For their wit and creativity, I’m also grateful to the entirety of the Paizo team. Finally, thanks to my parents, Fred and Susan Schneider, and my grandmother, Marie E. Ritter, for their boundless enthusiasm and encouragement.

  I couldn’t have written this without all of you.

  GLOSSARY

  All Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the rich and vibrant world of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Below are explanations of several 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 Inner Sea World Guide, or dive into the game and begin playing your own adventures with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook or the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, all available at paizo.com. For a closer look at the nation of Ustalav, where this book is set, check out Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Rule of Fear, also by F. Wesley Schneider.

  Amaans: Hilly county in southern Ustalav.

  Andoran: Democratic and freedom-loving nation far south of Ustalav.

  Archdevils: Powerful devils second only to Asmodeus in the rule of Hell.

  Ardeal: Formerly powerful county in northern Ustalav, now in decline.

  Ardis: Former capital of Ustalav, now fallen from prominence and full of abandoned homes.

  Asmodeus: Devil-god of tyranny, slavery, pride, and contracts; lord of Hell.

  Avalon Bay: Section of Lake Encarthan that includes all of Ustalav’s ports.

  Avistan: The continent north of the Inner Sea, on which Ustalav resides.

  Barstoi: Backwater county in northeastern Ustalav.

  Brevic: Of or pertaining to Brevoy.

  Brevoy: A frigid northern nation famous for its swordplay.

  Caliphas: Capital of Ustalav and that nation’s largest port, located in the southernmost county (also called Caliphas).

  Calistria: Also known as the Savored Sting; the goddess of lust, revenge, and trickery.

  Chastel: Farming town in central Ustalav.

  Darklands: Extensive series of subterranean caverns crisscrossing much of the Inner Sea region, known to be inhabited by monsters.

  Desna: Good-natured goddess of dreams,
luck, stars, and travelers.

  Devils: Fiendish occupants of Hell who seek to corrupt mortals in order to claim their souls.

  Dhampirs: Rare humanoids born of unions between humans and vampires, possessing some vampiric traits but remaining living creatures (rather than undead creatures like vampires and their magically created spawn).

  Elysium: Outer Plane where good-natured, freedom-loving souls go when they die.

  Flayleaf: Plant with narcotic leaves.

  Full-Blood: Vampiric slang for a true vampire.

  Ghouls: Undead creatures that eat corpses and reproduce by infecting living creatures.

  Great Beyond: The planes of the afterlife.

  Horsemen: Nihilistic, godlike entities of pure evil that rule the plane of the afterlife called Abaddon.

  Inner Sea: The vast inland sea whose northern continent, Avistan, and southern continent, Garund, as well as the seas and nearby lands, are the primary focus of the Pathfinder campaign setting.

  Inquisitor: Religious warrior empowered by divinely granted magic who hunts enemies of the faith.

  Isger: Nation far south of Ustalav.

  Karcau: Mysterious Ustalavic city famed for its opera.

  Katapesh: Mighty trade nation south of the Inner Sea. Also the name of its capital city.

  Katapeshi: Of or related to the nation of Katapesh.

  Kavapesta: City in central Ustalav notorious for its extreme devotion to Pharasma, particularly a sect known as the Pharasmin Penitence.

  Kellids: Tribal human ethnicity native to the lands north of Ustalav, often regarded as uncivilized and barbaric by southerners.

  Lady of Graves: Pharasma.

  Lady of Mysteries: Pharasma.

  Lake Encarthan: Massive lake in central Avistan that touches Ustalav’s southern border and facilitates trade.

  Lastwall: Nation dedicated to keeping the Whispering Tyrant locked away beneath his prison-tower of Gallowspire, as well as to keeping the orcs of Belkzen and the monsters of Ustalav in check.

  Leland: District in Caliphas.

  Lepidstadt: City in Ustalav noted for its university.

  Nidal: Evil nation in southern Avistan, devoted to the worship of Zon-Kuthon, god of pain, after he saved its people from extinction in the distant past.

  Odranto: Militant border county in northern Ustalav.

  Old Capital: Ustalavic slang term for Ardis.

  Old City: Vampiric slang term for the secret city of vampires located beneath Caliphas’s sewers.

  Osirian: Of or relating to the region of Osirion, or a resident of Osirion.

  Osiriani: The native language of Osirion.

  Osirion: Ancient nation south of the Inner Sea, renowned for its deserts, pharaohs, and pyramids.

  Pathfinder: A member of the Pathfinder Society.

  Pathfinder Society: Organization of traveling scholars and adventurers who seek to document the world’s wonders.

  Pesh: Narcotic drug made from a type of cactus.

  Pharasma: The goddess of birth, death, and prophecy, who judges mortal souls after their deaths and sends them on to the appropriate afterlife.

  Pharasmin: Of or related to the goddess Pharasma or her worshipers.

  Pharasmin Penitence: Extreme sect of Pharasma’s church that believes pain and hardship in life will result in rewards in the afterlife, and thus advocates an ascetic lifestyle.

  Prince of Darkness: Asmodeus.

  Psychopomps: Immortal servants of Pharasma who guide souls into the appropriate afterlives.

  Qadira: Desert nation on the eastern side of the Inner Sea.

  Qadiran: Of or related to Qadira; someone from Qadira.

  Risen Guard: Elite Osirian military unit dedicated to guarding the pharaoh, every member of which has died and been brought back to life by magic.

  River of Souls: Unending procession of recently deceased souls traveling from the mortal world to Pharasma’s realm for judgment.

  Royal Accusers: Ustalavic investigators and secret police reporting directly to the prince and his advisors.

  Rozenport: Port city in southern Ustalav.

  Ruby Prince: The current pharaoh who rules Osirion.

  Ruithvein: One of the first vampires to come into existence, now a powerful devil worshiped by many vampires.

  Sarenite: Of or related to the goddess Sarenrae or her worshipers.

  Sarenrae: Goddess of the sun, honesty, and redemption. Often seen as a fiery crusader and redeemer.

  Sarkorian: Of or related to Sarkoris.

  Sarkoris: Former nation just north of Ustalav, destroyed and overrun by demons long ago.

  Shelyn: The goddess of art, beauty, love, and music.

  Shelynite: Of or related to the worship of Shelyn.

  Sinaria: Mysterious, swampy county in northern Ustalav.

  Sleepless Agency: Private investigation and security firm based in Ustalav.

  Sothis: Capital city of Osirion.

  Spawn: Lesser vampires created when true vampires drain their victims to death but choose to grant them an element of their own undead nature. Not as powerful as true vampires.

  Taldane: The common trade language of the Inner Sea region.

  Taldor: A formerly glorious nation that has lost many of its holdings in recent years to neglect and decadence. Ruled by immature aristocrats and an overly complicated bureaucracy.

  Thuvia: Desert nation on the Inner Sea, famous for the production of a magical elixir which grants longevity.

  Thuvian: Of or related to Thuvia.

  Tian: Someone or something from Tian Xia, the Dragon Empires located far east of the Inner Sea region.

  Ulcazar: Small, mountainous county in central Ustalav.

  Ulfen: Human ethnicity from the cold nations of northwest Avistan, particularly the Lands of the Linnorm Kings.

  Undead: Dead creatures reanimated and given a semblance of life by magic.

  Urdefhans: Malicious, half-transparent humanoids who live deep underground in the Darklands and worship the Horsemen.

  Ustalav: Fog-shrouded gothic nation of the Inner Sea region once ruled by the Whispering Tyrant. Though now ruled by humans, it still bears a reputation for strange bests, ancient secrets, and moral decay. Rife with superstition and often said to be haunted.

  Vampires: Undead humanoid creatures that feed on blood and possess a number of magical powers.

  Varisia: Frontier region at the northwestern edge of the Inner Sea region.

  Varisian: Of or relating to Varisia, or a resident of that region. Ethnic Varisians tend to organize in clans and wander in caravans, acting as tinkers, musicians, dancers, or performers.

  Vauntil: Pastoral farming town near Caliphas in Ustalav.

  Venture-Captain: A rank in the Pathfinder Society above that of a standard field agent but below the group’s ruling Decemvirate. In charge of directing and assisting lesser agents.

  Vigil: Capital of Lastwall.

  Wand: A sticklike magic item imbued with the ability to cast a specific spell repeatedly.

  Wati: Osirian city famed for its necropolis.

  Whispering Tyrant: Incredibly powerful lich who terrorized Avistan for hundreds of years before being sealed beneath his fortress of Gallowspire a millennium ago.

  White Corner: Mostly abandoned slum district of Ardis.

  THE PATHFINDER TALES LIBRARY

  Called to Darkness by Richard Lee Byers

  Winter Witch by Elaine Cunningham

  The Wizard’s Mask by Ed Greenwood

  Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross

  Master of Devils by Dave Gross

  Queen of Thorns by Dave Gross

  King of Chaos by Dave Gross

  Lord of Runes by Dave Gross

  Pirate’s Honor by Chris A. Jackson

  Pirate’s Promise by Chris A. Jackson

  Beyond the Pool of Stars by Howard Andrew Jones

  Plague of Shadows by Howard Andrew Jones

  Stalking the Beast by Howard Andrew Jones

  Fireso
ul by Gary Kloster

  The Worldwound Gambit by Robin D. Laws

  Blood of the City by Robin D. Laws

  Song of the Serpent by Hugh Matthews

  Nightglass by Liane Merciel

  Nightblade by Liane Merciel

  City of the Fallen Sky by Tim Pratt

  Liar’s Blade by Tim Pratt

  Liar’s Island by Tim Pratt

  Reign of Stars by Tim Pratt

  Bloodbound by F. Wesley Schneider

  The Crusader Road by Michael A. Stackpole

  Death’s Heretic by James L. Sutter

  The Redemption Engine by James L. Sutter

  Forge of Ashes by Josh Vogt

  Skinwalkers by Wendy N. Wagner

  The Dagger of Trust by Chris Willrich

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Editor-in-Chief at Paizo Inc. and co-creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, F. Wesley Schneider is a writer and game designer obsessed with horror and dark fantasy. This is his second work to feature the irascible vampire hunter Ailson Kinder, the first being the novella Guilty Blood. That tale, along with his short story “Shattered Steel” and his comics set in the Pathfinder world, can be found on paizo.com.

  As a game maker and world-builder, he has a hand in nearly every Pathfinder RPG offering, but is well known for scripting the unnerving Carrion Crown Adventure Path, writing the fan-favorite adventure Seven Days to the Grave, and populating Pathfinder’s various hardcover bestiaries. He’s also the creator of the gothic nation of Ustalav, the Pathfinder RPG’s realm of terror and the setting of this novel, which is extensively detailed in Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Rule of Fear.

  Wes and his husband live just outside Seattle with an unlucky black cat and an endlessly expanding collection of frightening books, films, and video games. You can follow Wes on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter (@FWesSchneider), and at wesschneider.com. You can sign up for author updates here.

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