Pale Hunter's Vale (3.5e Location)

 

Pale Hunter's Vale
Deep in the humid jungle territories of the south, hidden among several mountains lies a single cursed valley, a land of death awaiting those who wander within. Within this 4 mile patch of land, spacetime is warped and curved. On the outside nothing appears wrong, yet once you enter you can never find the edge again, constantly looping around in closed space and unable to leave. Those poor souls have drawn the eye of the pale hunter within, an anomalous creature which seeks out the intruders and pursues them, seemingly for sport. Vaguely humanoid, the pale hunter cannot die, only held back. Each time the game begins, the pale hunter spawns and the area is closed off to prevent new prey from entering. Prey must survive for a week, or perish.

Lore
None are certain what the pale hunter is, its motives, or even how it got here, but there are rumors that is is some manner of ghost capable of manifesting in a strange way (Knowledge Religion DC 20) although any attempts at binding its soul or otherwise preventing its respawning have all met with failure (Knowledge Religion DC 25). In truth, the creature isn't undead at all, and its appearance and abilities change with every respawn, though it always appears as a pale white humanoid with vague features and no face or facial features whatsoever. In spite of this it seems to see and breath just fine, though it has no need to eat or drink. New equipment and items appear with it every time it spawns, and this equipment vanishes whenever it is removed from the area (Knowledge Local DC 20).

Some say its some manner of fey much like a Wild Hunt (Knowledge Nature DC 15) but others have a different view. Because the pale hunter seems tied to this area of curved space, and because the space itself shows signs of intellect by opening and closing in prey, some think the pale hunter is the expression of some extradimensional entity which hunts mortals for fun and sport (Knowledge The Planes DC 30). All that is certain is that the pale hunter is as persistent as it is, curiously, honorable. A helpless or weak opponent will not be accepted if they wander into the area, only creatures at least CR 3 or greater may be locked in combat with it (Knowledge Local DC 25).

Description
The pale hunter's vale is a valley sandwiched between several mountains, and covered in a thick grove of jungle flora. Besides the natural hazards of the jungle, the place often is home to mists, and a think underbrush full of bioluminescent plants. The forest here grows back unusually quickly when damaged, returning in days instead of weeks or months of regrowth. The entire area is held within a bubble of curved space. While normal appearance on the outside, once you attempt to leave the area space curves to the point where you end up on the other side. Those watching from the outside describe it as the creature rapidly fading away and appearing elsewhere. The curved space does not "open" and release those trying to escape until its prey is killed or 1 week has passed.

Prerequisite
The pale hunter's vale only captures creatures of CR 3 or higher.

Location Activation
Creatures of CR 3 or higher must enter the 4 mile plot of land which is the pale hunter's vale while no other hunts are taking place. If a hunt is in progress, the curved space will simply deposit them on the other side of the area and they will be unable to enter. Teleporting and plane shifting are blocked while space is curved, preventing movement between the inside and outside areas. Movement within the inside to the inside, or the outside to the outside, is unaffected. Only one creature may enter the vale at one time.

Once inside, the pale hunter will spawn somewhere within. It can be any creature, tending to favor humanoid shaped ones, with a CR equal to your own. Regardless of its race or class selection, all manifestations of the pale hunter have Track and maximum ranks in Survival. The pale hunter will proceed to try to hunt and kill the target over the course of 1 week. The pale hunter can be killed, but it will respawn within 24 hours of death. Victory is achieved by surviving, either by keeping it dead or by hiding out for 1 week.

The pale hunter seems to possess a strange sense of fair play and avoids attacking a target who has been rendered disabled or helpless on no fault of its own. It will even help the target out of such a situation in order to continue the hunt. Rumor has it that those who have provided unusually entertaining hunts are even rewarded with some trinket of appreciation.

Recharge
The pale hunter's vale is ready for immediate use after the curved space opens again. Those that have obtained benefit from the pale hunter's vale cannot activate it a second time.

Special Ability
You obtain a bonus feat selected from the following list. The ability gained is permanent. Choose from the following: Endurance, Great Fortitude, Skill Focus (survival), or Track.

Duration
Permanent.

Ability Value
3000 gp.