The Kargidu
The Kargidu are the remnants of a Genifari clan that was exiled from Ixinos generations ago for supporting the cause of the goddess Umberlee against Eldath in their struggle for control of the Inner Sea surface.
In the year 277 D.R., Vaura Kargida, chieftain of the Kargida clan, openly refused to give her support to Eldath's struggle against Umberlee, declaring that "only a fool would follow a peace-lover onto a battlefield." The Kargida were more a gang than a modern Ixinian family-clan (as that system had not been formalized yet), and many of the lesser Kargida divorced themselves from the clan rather than openly oppose Queen Vritamasthi.
In the conflict that followed between the Kargida loyal to Vaura and the rest of the Genifari, many warriors lost their lives. In the end, inevitably, Vaura and her followers were defeated. Unwilling to visit even more carnage on the land, Queen Vritamasthi allowed the two dozen or so surviving Kargida to take one ship, containing only a week's rations and no weapons, and begone from Ixinos forever. Death awaited them if they ever showed themselves within sight of the island again.
The Kargida refugees prayed fervently to Umberlee to help them in return for sacrificing all in her service. The evil sea-goddess responded by turning the exiled Genifari into her willing slaves -- a potent instrument of fear and destruction throughout the central Sea of Fallen Stars.
To Vaura, leader of the Kargida, Umberlee granted the power to summon certain fell sea-beasts and to control the waves around her, so that her people could sow terror and destruction across the sea as pirates and raiders. Under the goddess' magical manipulation, a breeding program commenced that mated the women of the Kargida with evil or captive sea elves, mermen, and tritons. Finally, three great demonesses were sent to rule over the Kargida and assure that Umberlee's will was never ignored.
Within a handful of generations, the Kargida had ceased to be truly human. Their interbreeding with undersea races had turned them into a tribe of mongrelized humanoids able to survive both above and below the water. Led by Vaura's descendants and by the three terrible fiends, the Kargidu (as the Genifari had renamed them) plied the waters of the Inner Sea on a growing flotilla of pirate ships, sailing under cover of storms and mists that seemed to cause them no harm or inconvenience. Swarming upon merchant, passenger, and even pirate vessels, the Kargidu seemed motivated by nothing but the compulsion to steal and kill and terrorize, all in Umberlee's name.
Today, more than a millennium later, the Kargidu still roam the Sea of Fallen Stars. Utterly barbaric and evil, there is little human remaining in them. Because they cloak themselves in mystery and keep their numbers relatively small, they have avoided provoking a general crusade to hunt down and destroy them. They are seen more as a fearful legend than as a threat that can be dealt with -- most sailors are content to avoid angering Umberlee and inviting the wrath of the "Storm-killers."
The Kargidu (the "u" at the end of the name indicates evil or ill luck) today number around 60 individuals, all female. They still reproduce (rarely) by mating with members of the undersea races (never the surface-dwelling ones) and sacrificing any males that are born. They are no longer human, but instead correspond to the following description:
Kargidu
Medium-Size Humanoid (Amphibious)
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
Initiative: +1 (Dex)
Speed: 30 feet, swim 50 feet
AC: 15 (+4 natural, +1 Dex)
Attacks: Trident +1 melee, or shortspear +1 melee, or javelin +1 ranged
Damage: Trident 1d8+1, or shortspear 1d8+1, or javelin 1d6+1
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Qualities: Amphibious, Shark Empathy
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +3, Will -1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 8, Cha 12
Skills: Climb +3, Profession (sailor) +2, Use Rope +2
Feats: Dodge
Climate/Terrain: Temperate aquatic (Sea of Fallen Stars, surface and shallows)
Organization: Clan (60)
Challenge Rating: ½
Treasure: 50% chance of 1 art object (jewelry) worth 5d20 gp, and see below
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: By character class
The Kargidu are muscular, sleek humanoid women with reptilian green skin and webbed hands and feet. They have disturbingly large eyes, teeth pointed like daggers, and gill slits on their necks which enable them to breathe as well underwater as on the surface. The Kargidu have long, black hair which they often braid and bedeck with seashells, bits of coral, and decorative stones. They usually wear no clothing, but may have various items of jewelry.
Among themselves, Kargidu speak a debased form of Genifari that would be only vaguely understood by the Ixinians of today. They can also speak Common and Aquan, but not very well.
The Kargidu are divided into the following character classes and levels:
The three demonic overseers are all mariliths who have been in Umberlee's service for millennia. They thoroughly hate each other (of course), but are too afraid of the goddess' wrath to directly harm one another. They delight in bullying and abusing the Kargidu, though they seldom murder them outright without some plausible provocation. The mariliths are named Bradazmuhud (94 hp), Ruvsibefi (93 hp) and Doeivigoho (91 hp). They are as the standard mariliths described in the Monster Manual, except that they also have the ability to breathe both water and air, and can swim at a rate of 50 ft. They favor shortspears, halfspears, javelins, and tridents as weapons, and sometimes employ cutlasses when fighting above water.
Combat
The Kargidu favor thrusting, piercing weapons (spears, tridents and javelins) that can be used with equal facility above and below the water. Most of these weapons are magical, since the Kargidu have been hoarding captured items for more than a thousand years. The Kargidu never wear armor, though the more important ones may have magic items such as rings of protection or bracers of armor.
When attacking as a unit, the Kargidu attack from both above and below the water, making use of summoned monsters and spellcasting. The mariliths determine the tactics to use, and convey their orders to the Chieftain, who issues the direct commands to the Kargidu soldiers. One of the mariliths usually takes to the water to participate directly in the attack, while the other two remain on shipboard and participate in combat only if necessary. The Chieftain and her bodyguards always remain on shipboard unless forced to flee into the water.
The Kargidu fleet presently consists of one caravel (the "flagship"), three cogs, and about a dozen smaller vessels ranging from lashed-together rafts to curraghs and captured fishing boats. All of these vessels remain within sight of each other. The Kargidu crews are supplemented by a number of zombies, created by the mariliths from the bodies of slain enemies. These do nothing except simple shipboard tasks, so that the Kargidu are free to do other things (such as fight). The zombies will not try to repel boarders and will not fight, even to defend themselves.
At any given time, up to 30% of the Kargidu are in the water rather than on shipboard. They can venture as much as 100 feet [30 m] below the surface while functioning as well as they do above. In combat, these swimmers swarm up the sides of enemy ships and try to murder artillerists, commanders, helmsmen, spellcasters, and other important individuals.
The Kargidu prefer to attack during heavy or foggy weather, unless they have an obviously overpowering advantage over their prey. The flagship is armed with two ballistae, but the Kargidu prefer to attack by surprising, boarding, and capturing ships, killing all aboard unless they have a good reason not to, and animating the corpses as zombie slaves.
Amphibious: The Kargidu can breathe both water and air with equal facility, and can remain underwater indefinitely. Because they lack pressure resistance and low-light vision, they seldom venture more than 100 feet [30 m] below the surface.
Shark empathy: The Kargidu can communicate with all types of sharks, including normal, giant, dire, fiendish, undead, and lycanthropic variants. Shark-types with Intelligence scores of 5 or less will never attack a Kargidu, even if magically commanded. More intelligent types may attack if they wish, but will do so only if seriously provoked.
The Kargidu have a secret lair somewhere in the shallows among the islands south of Altumbel. This is a cavern complex that can only be reached by swimming into an opening under the surface of the water and up through a submerged tunnel. This lair contains their accumulated treasure: 100,000 gp worth of various coinage, gems worth 10,000 gp total, art objects worth 50,000 gp total, 3d10 minor magic items, 1d12 medium magic items, 1d6 major magic items, and 2d10 mundane goods of value. The lair and treasure are guarded by sharks, dire sharks, undead sharks, zombies, and skeletons, as well as by numerous traps, locks, and hiding places.
The Kargidu have an almost superstitious fear of the Genifari, handed down from generation to generation, and will refuse to sail within sight of Ixinos for any reason, even if directly ordered by the mariliths.
Kargidu characters: NPC Kargidu can be warriors, fighters, rogues, sorcerers, or clerics. Any player-character Kargidu will be an outcast from the clan; such an individual may be of any alignment and may pursue any class.
The Chieftain
Female Kargidu, 8th Level Fighter / 8th Level Cleric (of Umberlee)
Strength: 17 (+3) Fort. Save: +16 AC: 18 Dexterity: 16 (+3) Ref. Save: +7 Flat-footed AC: 15 Constitution: 18 (+4) Will Save: +10 Touch AC: 18 Intelligence: 14 (+2) Alignment: CE Wisdom: 14 (+2) Speed: 30 ft., swim 50 ft. Charisma: 19 (+4) Size: M (5'9") Hit Points: 152 Melee Attack: +17/+12/+7 CR: 16 Ranged Attack: +17/+12/+7
Special: rebuke undead; granted powers (Destruction and Water Spheres): smite (+4 to attack, +8 to damage), turn/destroy fire creatures and rebuke/command water creatures (7 times per day)
Skills: Climb +9; Escape Artist +5; Jump +8; Knowledge (religion) +10; Knowledge (seamanship) +9; Intimidate +13; Profession (commander) +10; Spot +4; Tumble +5; Use Rope +5; Speak language (Infernal) (Note: Kargidu have Swim as a racial skill; if a check is needed, assume the Chieftain has a +25 Swim check bonus)
Feats: Ambidexterity; Combat Reflexes; Dodge; Mobility; Spring Attack; Improved Critical (trident); Leadership; Power Attack; Cleave; Empower Spell; Maximize Spell
Languages: Kargidu (debased Genifari), Common, Infernal, Aquan
Possessions: trident of drinking*; shortspear +2; javelin +3; ring of protection +5; ring of water walking; necklace of office (nonmagical coral necklace worth 500 gp)
* Trident of Drinking: a +3 trident; on a successful hit the victim must pass a Fortitude save at DC 20 or be stricken with overwhelming thirst as the weapon drains moisture from the body. Initiative must be re-rolled the following round with the victim taking a -2 penalty, and a similar penalty on all subsequent initiative rolls; victim also takes a -5 penalty to all Concentration checks and has a 50% chance of miscasting any spells with verbal components due to extreme dry mouth. These penalties remain until the victim can consume one full pint of water. Additional hits by the trident have no effect other than regular damage.
Spells: 6/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1; save DC 12 + spell level: create water, guidance, inflict minor wounds (x2), mending, read magic, resistance; command, divine favor, doom, obscuring mist, summon monster I; cure moderate wounds, death knell, endurance, fog cloud, summon monster II; blindness/deafness, contagion, dispel magic, summon monster III; control water, inflict critical wounds, poison
The Chieftain of the Kargidu -- she is known by no other name -- is a direct descendant of Vaura Kargida. She is the strongest, meanest member of the Clan and enjoys the favor of Umberlee; even the three mariliths treat her with reluctant respect.