In this adventure, an uncle's plea for a search for his missing Pathfinder nephew lands the party in Cheliax, investigating a dig site that may reveal secrets of the long-lost Jistka Imperium, which once ruled great swathes of Golarion not long after the cataclysm of Earthfall.

The background notes for the DM lay out what's actually been going on, right back to the days of Jistka rule and up to the present day's events. Then the usual 'flashback' mission briefing, given in the Grand Lodge at Absalom, provides the party with the more limited information that's available to them before the action begins with them standing at the base of the Pillars of Anferita on the southwestern Chelaxian coast. And the tide's coming in...

Once they climb up to the top of the pillar they find a dig already in progress, and it will be up to them how they proceed from there. The more obvious options are catered for, and there's a reasonable amount of information to aid the DM if the party comes up with something different. The map supplied is rather small and doesn't cover everything needed, especially for a potential exciting chase scene. Good prior preparation on the DM's part is recommended. It would also be advisable to review the encounters if running this under Pathfinder RPG rules rather than the Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 ruleset for which it was written, as the actual challenges posed are a bit variable, with some posing considerable risk and others being a bit of a push-over.

Run well, this has potential to be a running action-packed 'Indiana Jones' style adventure. There's scant opportunity for any interaction, however, the encounters are designed to provide combat and combat alone. The concept is fascinating, but I'm left feeling that a lot more could have been made of it.

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Reviewed: 17 February 2016