Cat’s Cradle Vignettes:

Seismic Shakeup!
 Cat’s Cradle Vignettes:
Seismic Shakeup!
Author: Michael Mars Russell
Cartographer: Dyson Logos
Layout: Michael Mars Russell

Cover Art by Ede Laszlo

Michael Mars Logo by Ryland Carlin
Some Art Licensed from Frog God Games
Interior Art by Nikola Avramovic, David Lewis Johnson, and Joyce Maureira
This product contains intellectual property of Frog God Games LLC under license. Such intellectual property is
considered Product Identity under the terms of the Open Game License provided by Wizards of the Coast.
Introduction Mortified Masons

Seismic Shakeup! is the first in a series of adventures Charma Stonesmen discreetly approaches the
that I am calling Cat’s Cradle Vignettes. These are all characters and informs them of the potential danger to
set in Cat’s Cradle and designed to be able to be ran the Old City that will be exacerbated by the large
entirely in 3-4 hours. This adventure is designed for a amounts of ripplestone used in the construction of that
group of 4-6 characters of levels 1-3 playing the first district. The characters are offered 100 gp each to find
edition of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. and destroy the seismic wave generator without
alerting the population of Cat’s Cradle to the threat the
If you are not playing in the World of the Lost Lands, city faces. Charma Stonesmen is willing to lend the
this adventure can be moved around with little characters a portable seismograph if requested.
difficulty to any small city in your world that has Charma Stonesmen believes that the seismic activity
access to alchemical technology. will reach critical mass at Prime (midnight) if not
stopped.
Adventure Summary Charma Stonesmen CR 4
XP 1,200
An inventor named Thesper Janticleer recently hp 39 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game NPC Codex,
approached the Mason’s Guild with a machine that “Expert Blacksmith”)
measures seismic movements, proposing that it could Change Craft (weapons) and all references to it to Craft (stonemasonry)
be used to avoid minor foundation damage to
buildings. The masons agreed to experiment with it
and have been taking readings from various spots in
the city. However, the readings have been consistently
building up, and the masons realized that something is
building up to create an artificial earthquake in the city.
Time might be very short to discover the source, but
the masons have been able to triangulate the source of
the seismic activity to the Old City. The characters
eventually locate the exact source of the building
tremors in the basement of The Ditch and must disable
the machine before the seismic activity reaches critical
mass and destroys all of Old City and Cat’s Keep.

Adventure Hooks
Interested Inventor
Thesper Janticleer approaches the characters to find
and retrieve the seismic wave generator and will pay
them 5,000 gp for it, as long as it is still intact and
functional. Thesper Janticleer is willing to lend the
characters a portable seismograph if requested.
Thesper Janticleer believes that the seismic activity
will reach critical mass at Prime (midnight) if not
stopped.

Thesper Janticleer CR 6
XP 2,400
hp 56 (Pathfinder Campaign Setting Numeria, Land of
the Fallen Stars, “Numerian Fluid Scavenger”)

1
Part One: Investigation in Old
City
The characters begin meeting with their benefactor(s) the Diplomacy check to gather information are listed
at 8th prime (8:00 AM) and each meeting takes 3 glass above.
(30 minutes). Characters may skip either meeting if
they desire.
There are many ways to go about tracking down the
location of the seismic wave generator.
Looking for Signs
The most straightforward of which is performing a
more exact triangulation using a portable seismograph.
A successful DC 20 Knowledge (engineering) check
narrows down the investigation to Moldy Lane and
reduces the DCs to gather information by 5. If the
Knowledge (engineering) check is succeeded by 5 or
more, the characters are able to pinpoint the exact
building the seismic wave generator is in, an inn
known as The Ditch. Performing this triangulation
takes one hour and may be repeated.
Walking the Beat
Diplomacy DC Information Gained
There have been a lot of masons
5
wandering the city recently.
The foot traffic in the Old City has
10 increased dramatically in the past few
weeks.
A large amount of alchemical and
15 industrial supplies are being brought to
Moldy Lane.
The owner of The Ditch seems to be
moving up in the world recently, they
20
even bought a house in the Gold
District.
The Ditch is typically frequented by
people who are down on their luck, but
25 recently people who seem well off
enough to afford a proper drink have
been seen frequenting the place.
The apprentice of Thesper Janticleer,
Azoth Solis, seems to have moved into
The Ditch. He only leaves when he is
30
working on something with the
seismologist and returns immediately
when the work is done.
If the characters decide to gather information from the
locals instead, they may make a DC 15 Knowledge
(local) check to have a source in the area willing to
2
help them out, reducing the DCs to gather information
by 2. If the characters decide to grease a few palms as
part of the investigation, reduce the DCs to gather
information by 1 per gp used. The unmodified DCs for
Remember that gathering information takes 1d4 hours,
unless a character has an ability that modifies this, and
may be repeated. Provide the character with each piece
of information that their check qualifies for.
Part Two: The Ditch
The Ditch sits to the east of Kennock’s Place and is a
local hangout for poets, artists, and other down on their
luck sorts. No bartender or serving staff work here, as
the business operates on the honor system. Food, drink,
and lodging here are all paid for by dropping whatever
coin you deem appropriate into a lockbox at the bar
that is picked up by the owner at Non (noon) daily. If
the characters are in the “Saloon” Style Tavern area at
Non, they will see the owner picking up several
hundred coins, most of which are gold.
One set of double doors on the exterior of The Ditch
enter into the “Saloon” Style Tavern area, with the
other set entering into waiting area for the Dining &
Bar area. There is a locked door leading into the Pantry
area for deliveries that may be picked with a successful
DC 20 Disable Device check.
“Saloon” Style Tavern
As you enter this room, your nostrils are assailed with
the scents of stale beer and unwashed bodies. Five
simple wooden tables occupy this window lit room,
alongside a drink-stained bar with six barstools of
varying heights in front of it. The occupants of this
room are unkempt and look exhausted from a hard life
but seem not to care when you arrive.
Two sets of stairs lead out of this room, one to the
basement and the other upstairs. Double doors to the
south lead outside. A door exits this room to the north
and has a sign on it that reads “Loo”. Another door
exits this room to the east, leading out to the waiting
area for the Dining & Bar area. There is an open
walkway that leads to the Kitchen and Dining & Bar
areas.
Bolted to the bar is a lockbox with a coin slit cut into
the top and a large padlock holding it shut. The lock
may be picked with a successful DC 35 Disable Device
check and contains 250 gp, 1d100 sp, and 1d100 cp if
it is before Non (noon). The lockbox contains 1d20 sp
and 1d20 cp between Non and 6th non (6:00 PM). The
lockbox contains 250 gp, 2d20 sp, and 2d20 cp
between 6th non (6:00 PM) and Prime (midnight).
Loo
Four wooden seats with circular holes cut into them
occupy this foul-smelling room. The seats are divided
by walls but have no doors. A small window allows
light into this room, but does little about the scent.
This is just a loo, there is nothing to be found here.
There is a 1 in 6 chance someone is using one of the
stalls. If characters decide to search the holes, they
should save versus filth fever.
Filth Fever
Type disease, injury; Save Fortitude DC 12
Onset 1d3 days; Frequency 1/day
Effect 1d3 Dex damage and 1d3 Con damage; Cure 2
consecutive saves
Kitchen
The kitchen here is surprisingly clean, with serviceable are scattered about the room, with a desk to the north
tools and utensils. The faint scent of oranges mixes
with the smell of cooked meat and stew.
There is a 1 in 6 chance someone is currently cooking
in the pot to the north of the room.
Pantry
The pantry here is lightly stocked, but with a good
variety of foodstuffs. Day old bread, jars of preserved
fruits and vegetables, and smoked meats all occupy the
shelves alongside the most basic of spices.
Stairs lead out of this room to the cellar. An archway
exits this room to the north into the Kitchen. A locked
door to the south that may be picked with a successful
DC 20 Disable Device check leads outside.
Dining & Bar
This window lit room has eight tables within it that
seem well used, but well maintained. A smell lingers in
the air of stew, most likely coming from the patrons
who are eating here.
Double doors leading to the waiting area exit this room
to the east. To the west, a door leads into the kitchen as
well as an open walkway that leads to the Kitchen and
“Saloon” Style Tavern areas.
Upstairs Tavern
The tavern upstairs is quiet, with the few patrons here
eating and drinking while reviewing documents or
reading. Despite the plethora of tables in this window
lit room, the patrons here could easily fit at a single
table.
The documents being read are primarily financial in
nature (bills, invoices, tax paperwork, etc.) and the
books mostly pulp fiction.
Stairs to the south exit to the “Saloon” Style Tavern
area. A door exits this room to the north into the
hallway that leads to the guest rooms and a linen
closet. A double door also exits this room to the north,
leading into the Smoking Room area.
Smoking Room
This well lit room is heated by a small fire in the hearth
and illuminated by the same fire and a window. Chairs
and battered books on almost every piece of furniture
in the room.
There are a total of 1d20 books in this room, each
worth 1d6 sp.
A double door exits this room to the south, leading into
the Upstairs Tavern area.
3
4
5
6
Guests Beer
These simple chambers house 2 straw mattresses This unlit room smells strongly of beer. Within are
bearing clean, if thin, linens. A desk sits in the corner dozens of casks of cheap beer, one of which seems to
of the room with a cheap holy text on it. have broken in the southeastern corner of the room.

The holy text is of Ceres; The Revered Mother; Lapping up the spilt beer are 1d4 rats.
Goddess of the Home and Midwives; Goddess of
Healing, Mercy, and Patience; Goddess of the Rat (1d4) CR 1/4
Millstone. XP 100
hp 4 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary, “Rat”)
Basement
A secret door can be located to the west with a
No light reaches down to this chamber save a candle successful DC 20 Perception check. It leads to the
set at each table. The patrons here seem to be engaging Secret Meeting Room area.
in games of chance that they are quite passionate
about. A door exits this room to the west into the Scullery
area. The wall opens to the south into the Storage area.
Each table has a cheap deck of cards and a set of dice
on it, as well as the candle. Should a character wish to Storage
join in on the gambling they may do so, however only
coppers are gambled here. Winning a round requires a Stored here are empty sacks and crates, excess pots,
DC 15 Profession (gambler) check and nets the pans, and plates, and stacks of tablecloths.
character 1 cp per person playing. If this skill check is
failed, the character loses 1 cp. Each round of Searching this room thoroughly takes 1 glass (ten
gambling takes 1 glass (ten minutes). If one cp isn’t set minutes) and reveals a hidden coin purse containing
aside for the house when the character wins, they are 1d6 gp, 1d8 sp, and 1d10 cp with a successful DC 15
informed that they should do so as The Ditch only Perception check.
exists because of the generosity of the people who
frequent it. After 6 rounds of gambling, the character
has learned enough from table talk to know of the
secret door in the beer room that leads to Azoth Solis
and his flunkies but used to be the higher stakes
gambling room.

Scullery
This room smells strongly of lye, with two sinks on the
eastern wall alongside two drying stations for pots and
pans. Clotheslines stretch from north to south across
this room with drying linens hung over them.

The lower door to the east of this room contains all the
soaps and chemicals needed for cleaning of dishes and
clothing.

Stairs exit this room to the south, leading to the Pantry

area. The northern door to the east leads to the Pots &
Pans area. The western door leads to the Beer area.

Pots & Pans

This closet stores the various clean pots and pans used
in the inn.

7
Secret Meeting Area
This well lit room has a lantern sitting on its sturdy
table as well as two shelfs well stocked with bottles of
alcohol. A thick velvet curtain is hung to the east,
preventing you from seeing what is making the
rhythmic thumping sound coming from behind it.
Seated around the table are 6 brutish fellows with
longspears and greatswords leaning against the wood
of the table near them.
The six flunkies here are alert and ready for combat,
hoping to prevent the characters from getting behind
the curtain to Azoth Solis and the seismic wave
generator. Azoth only joins the battle if the sounds of
combat are heard for 3 rounds, otherwise continuing to
tinker at his alchemist lab that is set up on the southern
table.
Flunky (6) CR 1/3
XP 135
hp 8 (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game GameMastery
Guide, “Foot Soldier”)
Appendix A: New Items
Portable Seismograph
Price 500 gp; Weight 50 lbs.
A seismograph is an instrument that responds to
ground motions, such as those caused by earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, and explosions. This is usually
combined with a timing device and a recording device
to form the seismograph. Portable seismographs have
handles on both sides to be carried and are designed to
be placed on flat ground to gather data.
Seismic Wave Generator
Price 10,000 gp; Weight 2,000 lbs.
This 10 ft. by 15 ft. machine is operated by a series of
unlabeled levers and buttons that allow the simulation
of earth tremors through oscillation. This oscillation
compounds on itself and will trigger a powerful
localized earthquake after a week of continuous use.

Azoth Solis CR 3
XP 800
hp 29 (Pathfinder Campaign Setting Inner Sea NPC
Codex, “Bleachling Lunatic”)
Change Extracts Prepared to 1st—cure light wounds, enlarge person, shield, true
strike

Disabling the seismic wave generator requires either a

DC 15 Craft (alchemy) or Knowledge (engineering)
check and takes 1d4 rounds. Restarting the machine
requires the same check and amount of time. Stopping
the machine through damage requires dealing at least
20 damage to it, though completely destroying it
requires reducing it to 0 hp. The seismic wave
generator has 50 hp and hardness 5.

Concluding the Adventure

Once the seismic wave generator has been either
destroyed or disabled, payment may be collected and
the whole mess put behind the characters. If the
machine was destroyed, the characters rise greatly in
standing with the Mason’s Guild. If the machine was
recovered, the characters must now suffer whatever
consequences may occur in the long term due to the
creation of seismology as a recognized science and its
founder having ways to create artificial earthquakes at
will.

8
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