GFG22_GH_FB001_E6

Citadel of the Unseen Sun: Episode 6

Master of the Unseen Sun

Credits

Episode 6: Master of the Unseen Sun Written by: Ghostfire Gaming Team
James J. Haeck, Montgomery Martin, Kelly
McLaughlin CEO: Jordon Gibson
General Manager, TTRPG: Phil Beckwith
Head of Fables: James J. Haeck Communications and Marketing: Hannah Peart,
Story Design: James J. Haeck
Kathryn Griggs
Art Director: Zoë Robinson Digital Analyst: Tyler Kempthorne
Products and Logistics: Matthew Witbreuk, Simon
Citadel of the Unseen Sun Writers: Leon Barillaro,
Anne Gregersen, James J. Haeck, Sarah Madsen, Sherry, Rex Gibson
Montgomery Martin, Kelly McLaughlin, Joshua
“HTTPaladin” Mendenhall Game Designers: Shawn Merwin, James J. Haeck
Art Direction: Suzanne Helmigh, Marius Bota, Ona
Editor: Matt Click
Managing Editor: James J. Haeck Kristensen, Zoë Robinson
Lead Graphic Designer: Martin Hughes
Graphic Design: Rich Lescouflair and Peter
Wocken Design Ghostfire Gaming Discord Community Managers:
Ian “Butters” Gratton, Lukas “Toasti” Scheerer,
Layout: Rich Lescouflair Nelson “Deathven” Dicarlio, Tom “A Viking Walrus”
Cover Design: Christine Foltzer Garland, Caleb “Connendarf” Englehart, Cameron
End Page Design: Abby Zweifel “C4Burgers” Brechin

Episode 6 Interior Illustrators: Abby Zweifel, Special thanks to the creative wizards at Wizards
Alex Drummond, Amélie Hutt, Carson Lowmiller, of the Coast for being the caring stewards of this
Cynthia F.G., Damien Mammoliti, Janna Sophia, game we love.
Jon Neimeister, Josiah Cameron, Luca Moos,
Maggie Ivy, Mike Nash, Nikki Dawes, Pixoloid Special thanks to our playtesters and every one of
Studios (Mark Molnar, Janos, Gardos, Zsolt 'Mike' the passionate roleplayers of the Ghostfire Gaming
Szabados, Peter Lerner, Peter Kreitner), Priscilla community. Your feedback and your love of
Kim, Sam Key, Suzanne Helmigh, Taylor Fischer storytelling and monster-slaying is what drives us to
create games.
Episode 6 Cartographers: Brian Patterson,
Damien Mammoliti

Based on Locations and Characters from the
Grim Hollow Campaign Setting by: Jordon and
Rex Gibson

This product is compliant with the Open Game Licence and is suitable for use with the 5th Edition rules system.
Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version
1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.),
dialogue, plots, storylines, locations, characters, illustrations, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as
Open Game Content or are in the public domain are not included in this declaration.)
Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this game product are
Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the mate-
rial designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
© 2021, Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Reference to copyright material in no way constitutes a challenge to the
respective copyright holder of that material. Ghostfire Gaming, the Ghostfire Gaming logo, Grim Hollow and the Grim Hollow
logo are trademarks of Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd.

2

Contents 5

Welcome to Fables! 5
5
You Are a Game Master 6
Running this Fable 9
This Fable’s Story
Prelude 11

Chapter 1: Flight to the Citadel 12
12
Light Hunters’ Pursuit 20
Across the Fields of Soma
Arrival at the Vestibule 23

Chapter 2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun 25
25
Chapter Overview 29
Apparatus of the Unseen Sun 29
Citadel Features 41
Area Details 47
Halls of Metal 51
Sepulcher of Souls
Chambers of Light 61

Chapter 3: Fate of the Unseen Sun 66

Aftermath 67

Epilogue: Sunrise 67
68
Etharis Hereafter
Your Finale 69

Appendix A: New Monsters 69
71
Bone Masons 71
Catacomb Haunt 72
Giant Death’s Head Moth 73
Kasimir Sundrinker 75
Light Hunter 76
Sunwraith
Wretched Celebrants 77

Open Game License 3

4

Welcome to Fables!

You hold in your hands an episode of Citadel of the Episodes and Chapters
Unseen Sun, the first of many Fables which span
worlds, genres, and the planes of existence. Each A Fable is a complete story, released in six monthly
episode of this Fable contains four sessions of thrilling episodes. Each episode is an arc of this overall story
fifth edition adventure—enough to entertain a group that presents a mini-sandbox environment. An
of weekly roleplaying game (RPG) players until the episode has a specific range of levels for which it’s
next episode arrives a month later. designed. As the Game Master, you are empowered
to run an episode for characters of a higher or lower
You Are a Game Master level than recommended for an episode—but be
prepared for a more challenging or easier session
As the Game Master (GM) of a Fable, you are given unless you do work yourself to alter the challenges
the power of a storyteller, telling tales of heroism and monsters the characters face.
and adventure to a rapt audience. Imagine yourself The characters can explore each episode’s region at
wrapped in the clothes of a traveling bard, your face their leisure. An episode is further divided into three
cast in glowing firelight, as you weave a tapestry of or four chapters. Each chapter describes a specific
words. Your words draw those who sit around the location within an episode’s sandbox environment—
fire with you into another world, where they are not or it could represent a linear series of encounters that
the mere audience of a tale, but actors, storytellers drive the plot forward. An episode typically has three
themselves. to four chapters, each of which contains enough game
The GM’s role is to establish the setting of each scene content to fill one or two game sessions.
in this Fable, introduce and roleplay its non-player
characters (NPCs), and play monsters and villains that Monsters, Magic, and More
long to bring a swift end the heroes’ adventures. The
players at your table are storytellers in their own right. When you see text in bold, that’s the Fable’s way of
Though they only embody a single character each telling you that a scene or location contains a monster
while you embody many, the players’ actions have the or NPC ready to fight. New monsters and NPCs
power to change the world of Etharis forever. The best in Fables are usually found in appendix A: New
GMs are willing to improvise, even ignoring the text Monsters of the episode in which they appear. If a
of a Fable when necessary, to ensure the characters’ monster’s name appears in bold but isn’t followed
actions have consequences—for both good and ill. by “(see appendix A)” or a similar pointer, then that
If you are not planning on running this Fable, monster’s game statistics are found in the fifth edition
stop reading now. What follows is for the Game core rules.
Master’s eyes only. When you see text in italics, that’s the Fable’s way
of telling you that you’re looking at the name of a
Running this Fable spell (like hideous laughter) or a magic item (like winged
boots). Most spells and magic items are found in the
Fables is an episodic adventure series using the fifth fifth edition core rules. New spells and magic items
edition of the world’s first roleplaying game. In are described in an episode’s appendices as well, as
order to play, you need the free fifth edition System indicated by a “(see appendix B)” pointer.
Reference Document, or the books that make up the
fifth edition core rules. When you see text in a box like this, the characters
This Fable takes place in the world of Etharis,
a realm of darkness described in Grim Hollow: The have likely entered a new area, or have triggered
Campaign Guide. Access to this book makes running
this Fable much easier. Players who want to lean into an event like an NPC entering the scene. This text is
the darkness of Grim Hollow’s dark fantasy setting
benefit from a copy of Grim Hollow: The Player’s meant for the GM to read or paraphrase aloud to the
Guide, as well.
Additionally, the following information will help players to set the scene.
you run this Fable as its GM:

5

Running a Dark Fantasy Game

Grim Hollow is a setting of darkness, despair, and
terrible evil. Heroes are rarely paragons of justice;
they are mortals with their own foibles and flaws. In
turn, villains are rarely avatars of pure evil hell-bent
on destruction. The heroes and villains of this Fable
are operating at cross purposes—they stand in direct
opposition to one another’s goals.
Because of this, dark fantasy stories rarely
culminate in purely happy endings. Innocent and
heroic lives are lost just as frequently as evil ones, and
people must sacrifice things which they hold dear to
achieve their ends. As a story involving death and
the undead, there are also a great deal of gruesome
scenarios in this story.
Before you run this adventure, talk with your
players about their comfort level with dark fantasy,
with dark themes, and with gore and gruesome
events. This “session zero” check-in won’t water
down your game or spoil any surprises—it’s an
opportunity to get everyone to buy-in to your game.
If everyone’s excited for darkness, death, and despair,
you can safely indulge in all the dark fantasy you
want. If people have some reservations, you can make
the informed choice to either avoid this Fable or tailor
it to your group. Each Fable will be different, so it’s
perfectly fine if one isn’t suited to your preferred
play style.

This Fable’s Story

This primer on Citadel of the Unseen Sun’s story
and backstory will help you tell a compelling and
cohesive story.

Overview

In this Fable, a group of mercenary adventurers
residing in the Ostoyan Empire are hired by a
mysterious benefactor to recover an artifact from a
long-lost civilization. Upon finding this artifact, they
are slain by the lich Kasimir Sundrinker. A strange
power within each adventurer saves them from death,
but they awaken within a twisted, false afterlife.
The characters learn over the course of this Fable
that this afterlife is the creation of Kasimir Sundrinker,
and that they are actually deep in the bowels of an
ancient Necropolis beneath the lands of the Ostoyan
Empire. They must reach the surface—and once there,
gain the power to defeat Kasimir and end his plot to
use the sun stolen from the skies of Ostoya to ascend
to godhood.

6

Backstory But this society dedicated to light became eclipsed
by shadow. Vampires, accidents of overambitious
The Ostoyan Empire is a grim and gothic land ruled necromancers, lurked places untouched by the sun’s
by vampires who prey upon their subjects. The sun grandeur. In time, their numbers grew so great that
itself vanished from the sky many years ago in an they swept through the Necropolis like a wave. The
event called the Darkfall. wave only grew, as the vampires turned unwitting
people into their spawn. Kasimir and his fellow
Darkfall and the Vampires necromancers tried to halt the vampiric advance with
their incorruptible reanimated warriors, but in time
A fearsome earthquake rocked the lands of Ostoya, they too were overwhelmed. Their king was lost, and
tearing massive fissures in the ground. Necrotic the realm fell into eternal darkness.
energy surged from the fissures, darkening the realm
and plucking the sun from the sky. These fissures Swallowed by the Earth
also unearthed ancient, long-buried ruins. Countless
Ostoyan explorers ventured into the chasms in search Kasimir survived the vampires’ coup and retreated into
of answers—few returned. That is, until a horde of his citadel. Using his magic, he sealed the citadel with
vampires and their undead minions emerged. These rays of sunlight that would annihilate any vampire
vampires conquered Ostoya and transformed it that sought entrance. Grieving the loss of his realm,
into their own dark empire, untouched by the light he invoked a terrible rite that caused the earth itself
of the sun. to open its great maw and devour the Necropolis
whole. By his design, the vampires would never again
Necropolis of the Holy Sun see the sky.
Kasimir toiled in his citadel to discover magic
Untold centuries before the Darkfall brought Ostoya which would allow him to destroy his foes and
to its knees, a civilization lost to history existed in resurrect his realm once and for all. At the same
the region. This mighty civilization venerated death time, he delved into profane secrets of necromancy
and the dead. Great art was made from the bones to grant himself eternal life—as a lich. Then, after
of the departed, and a common idiom was “All are countless centuries of study, he found it—the sun
equal in death.” The bones of a commoner are no itself, if he could harness its power in full, would give
different from the bones of a highborn. Both can be him magical might sufficient enough to annihilate
used as art—and both can be turned toward the art of his enemies, and perhaps even restore everything
reanimation, or necromantic science. he had lost.
None were more venerated in this civilization He enacted a second dread ritual. An earthquake
than necromancers, for they could reanimate the rocked the lands above, which had since become
bones of the dead and turn them to the betterment of populated by humanoid peoples calling themselves
the living. And of these necromancers, none held a Ostoyans. Necrotic power surged from below,
higher position than Kasimir, the Royal Necromancer. darkening the realm and plucking the very sun from
Kasimir was not king—the ruler of this land was a the sky. The sun appeared within Kasimir’s citadel as
diplomat, not a mage—but he was the power behind a blazing inferno: his Unseen Sun.
the throne. This most powerful of necromancers was
a stern man, but one beloved by the people for his Light Hunters and the Sparks
self-sacrificing generosity. He raised armies of undead
to protect the realm, made pilgrimages to small Kasimir’s scheme was not without its flaws. He
villages across the land, and even performed miracles unleashed the vampires he sealed away into the world
to return life to the dead if they were vital the fate of once more. Now unhindered by the light of the sun,
the realm. they quickly conquered the surface-lands of Ostoya
and became more powerful than ever before. Worse,
Emerging from the Shadows Kasimir’s ritual to claim the sun was imperfect. The
sun resisted command by a single will, containing
The lost civilization now known only as the Ostoyan still a fragment of the divine mind of the goddess
Necropolis revered the sun. They saw it as the source Aurelia, and this consciousness fractured portions of
of all life and power. Later civilizations on Etharis the sun’s power and delivered them into the souls of
would agree, connecting it to the dead goddess mortal beings.
Aurelia (see Grim Hollow: The Campaign Guide). Sigils
of the sun adorned every surface in this ancient
realm, often carved into stone or formed of magically
preserved bone.

7

These fragments were dubbed “sparks of sunlight” evil as it may be—will merely be replaced by another
by Kasimir. These sparks linger, usually dormant, society of law and order.
within the hearts of mortal people. Sometimes, they In the hopes of preventing this, Skade has
permit a person whose life is in mortal danger to assembled a group of adventurers who, by the
manifest magical powers—it is one of the vanishingly daemon’s design, possess within their souls a Spark of
rare sources of divine magic in mortal hands on the Sunlight. These adventurers are the player characters;
face of Etharis. unbeknownst to them, powers greater than them
Ever since realizing his error following the Darkfall, have conspired to plunge them into a world of death
Kasimir has sought these sparks and their wielders. He and despair.
has no idea how many there are, or how far across the
lands of Etharis they have spread. Once he gained his Citadel of the Unseen Sun
first, through divination and personal effort, he used
his magical power, amplified by the Unseen Sun, to This is a brief summary of the six episodes of
infuse a human skeleton with the blazing might of the this Fable.
sun. This warrior arose, and he dubbed it his first Light
Hunter—a tireless stalker who can sense other sparks of Episode 1: Death is Not the End
sunlight in the souls of others.
Kasimir now has six Light Hunters, and he has In this episode, the characters are hired by the
spread them across the world in search of sparks of Nightseer Sage to recover a relic of a long-lost
sunlight, so that he might unify the full power of the civilization. In doing so, they are found and killed by
Unseen Sun and fulfil his ambitions. Kasimir Sundrinker, but the Spark of Sunlight within
their souls allows them to remain in their mortal
Kasimir’s False Afterlife bodies, even as their spirits are whisked away into
Kasimir’s false afterlife.
While waiting for his hunters to recover the prodigal After waking in the deepest, darkest bowels of the
sparks, Kasimir needed to survive. His phylactery Necropolis, they must ally themselves with fellow
hungered for souls to prolong his undead life. survivors if they are to escape from this realm of
He devised another plan—and this one would be undeath and horror.
without flaw.
Aurelia’s divine power once drew souls to their Episode 2: Dreams of the World Beyond
afterlife. Kasimir used the Unseen Sun to divert
the souls of all who lived under the shadow of the In this episode, the characters discover a realm within
Darkfall into a false afterlife. He fashioned this the Necropolis where ghostly spirits are trapped in
metaphysical realm within the ruins of his old an eternal, placid existence of dreams. Here they are
homeland. It would be a place where he could prey preserved as food for Kasimir’s phylactery. When
upon the souls of the dead. Though he denies these they enter, the characters are stripped of their bodies
souls their eternal rest, Kasimir feels no guilt—they and must find a way to return to their physical forms,
serve a greater purpose now: the resurrection of his if they are to continue their ascent.
lost homeland. It is from this fertile ground that this
Fable begins. Episode 3: A Masque of Life

Skade, the Nightseer Sage In this episode, the characters enter a realm of Deep
Rivers, where souls flow from the world above into
This Fable begins in medias res. The characters have the Necropolis. A group of powerful, ostentatious
been given a task by an old man who calls himself undead who call themselves the Doges have formed
the Nightseer Sage. This sage is the guise of an Arch a society of endless revelry. The characters must find
Daemon of shadow, shapeshifting, and deception a way to navigate the politics of this endless fete in
named Skade—one which has long been content to order to reach the surface world once again.
watch the unfolding drama of the Necropolis and
Ostoya as an entertaining opera. Episode 4: Land of Despair
However, Kasimir’s recent success with the Light
Hunters has worried Skade. It longs for chaos and In this episode, the characters breathe the fresh air of
conflict in the world, and it has enjoyed seeing Ostoya once again. They must navigate the infamous
Kasimir sow the seeds of chaos across Ostoya. Labyrinth to reach the surface, and once there, they
However, it has begun to worry that if Kasimir is are faced with a decision: travel to Nov Ostoya to
successful, the lawful rule of the Ostoyan Empire— learn the secrets of defeating Kasimir once and for all
or abandon their quest and seek solace elsewhere in
the world.

8

Episode 5: City of Decadence with power only intelligible to a lich that has spent
untold centuries picking apart the secrets of the
In this episode, the characters travel to Nov Ostoya in cosmos on a mad quest to revive his lost civilization.
search of the Nightseer Sage, who apparently holds Here, the characters may find Kasimir Sundrinker to
the key to destroying Kasimir Sundrinker. They must be a more sympathetic foe than first they thought—
work arm-in-arm with the gangs of Nov Ostoya but it is up to them to decide if he is still their enemy.
to reach the city’s bloody heights and find their After all, he is still a power-hungry megalomaniac,
mysterious benefactor. and the suffering he has caused them cannot be
undone by promises of power.
Episode 6: Master of the Unseen Sun
Character Advancement
In this episode, the characters are pursued by
Kasimir’s deadly minions: the Light Hunters. They In this episode, the characters always have a goal
must cross the lands of Ostoya to reach their final to pursue. Characters gain a level whenever they
destination: the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. Once there, complete one of the following objectives. They can’t
their task is laid bare before them: Kasimir must fall. rise higher than 13th level in this way:

Prelude • Reach the Prismatic Gate by outrunning the
light hunters
In this episode, the characters must make their
escape from the light hunters pursuing them out • Enter the Citadel of the Unseen Sun for the
of Nov Ostoya, City of Gargoyles. The only way first time, either by their own volition or by
to truly escape these tireless hunters is to destroy being captured
their master, Kasimir Sundrinker, and his source of
power, the fabled Unseen Sun. His lair is beneath the • Disable or destroy two light conduit cores within
Penumbral Vestibule, the eerie mausoleum that their the citadel
adventure began in.
Deep beneath the earth, thrumming with the power There are six light conduit cores within the Citadel
of a nascent star, is the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. of the Unseen Sun, and they are frequently repaired if
Within its walls are magical secrets beyond reckoning, they are damaged (see chapter 2 of this episode). The
characters gain a level every time they disable two,
even if it wasn’t for the first time.

9



Chapter 1:

Flight to the Citadel

For 10th-level characters

In Nov Ostoya, the characters met with the Nightseer Sage. They learned the location of
Kasimir Sundrinker’s stronghold and the secret of how to destroy him once and for all—
and thereby free themselves from his undying pursuit. Now, outside the gates of Nov
Ostoya, they come face to face with Kasimir’s most fearsome minions: the light hunters.

One way or another, this chapter leads to the characters’ arrival in Kasimir’s fortress, the
Citadel of the Unseen Sun. If they defeat, evade, or outrun their tireless pursuers, they arrive
at the gates of the citadel on their own terms. If they are unable to escape the light hunters
and are defeated in combat, the characters are not killed. Instead, they are taken to the
Twilight Cells within the Citadel of the Unseen Sun (described in chapter 2 of this episode).

Light Hunters’ Pursuit in the party (or their own horses, if they previously
stabled horses here). They are well equipped with
At the beginning of this episode, the characters are saddles and gear.
outside the gates of Nov Ostoya. They are near the If this check fails by 5 or more, the characters find
city’s stables, where over two dozen horses of varying mules or draft horses, ill-equipped for overland
quality are stabled. The ground around them is flat travel. It is impossible to outrun the light hunters on
and muddy, and about thirty Ostoyan commoners such steeds.
and merchants mill about outside the gates, possibly If this check succeeds by 5 or more, the characters
fleeing from the characters if they burst through the find a number of warhorses equal to the number of
gates at the end of the last episode. characters in the party (or their own steeds). These
All six of Kasimir Sundrinker’s infamous minions, warhorses are fully equipped with chainmail barding
the light hunters (see appendix A) stand atop the (raising their AC to 16), saddles, and other travel gear.
battlements. If the characters killed a light hunter in This armor and gear bears the crest of Nov Ostoya.
episode 4, only five appear on the battlements. Read
or paraphrase the following to begin the events of Confronting the Hunters
this episode:
If the characters fight the light hunters (see appendix
Lightning flashes across the sky behind you, illuminating A) instead of fleeing, the hunters arrive after one
six figures in glorious, golden armor standing upon the minute. See the “Caught by the Light Hunters”
battlements of Nov Ostoya. A moment later, the sky encounter later in this chapter for their tactics.
darkens again, making it clear that these resplendent This battle takes place on a wide-open field.
skeletal warriors are lit from within by a golden glow. The significant terrain in this area includes several
Thunder rolls across the sky as one of them raises its stables filled with horses and the vast stone walls of
bony hand and points a finger at you. Nov Ostoya.
A sepulchral voice rasps from its skull as its jaw
opens and closes, barely matching the words that come Across the Fields of Soma
from its mouth: “Thieves of light. Surrender your sparks
or…suffer. We are coming. We are invincible. Flee and If the characters flee, their route to the Penumbral
we shall find you.” Vestibule takes them on a long journey. They travel
north from Nov Ostoya, across miles of fields and
The light hunters do not wait for a response. After six rivers until they reach the woods bordering the Black
seconds (enough time for the characters to respond, Mire. The Penumbral Vestibule is exactly where it
move, and take a single action), they unsheathe was in the first episode of this Fable—in a petrified
their blades and hold them to the sky and loose wood in the north of Soma. Now, they must reach that
an unearthly shriek. “Claim them!” howls the first wood while pursued by undead warriors that require
hunter, and they march imperiously down from the neither food nor rest.
battlements by way of an interior staircase. It takes
them 1 minute to reach the characters’ location. Distance and Travel Pace
Chaos erupts around the gates as the light hunters
depart from the battlements. Ostoyan commoners Distances on the map of Etharis are intentionally
arrayed around the gate break into a pell-mell run vague, to empower GMs to create their own scale for
away from the threshold, and Nov Ostoyan guards the continent in their adventures. In this adventure,
flee to a safe distance. consider the journey from Nov Ostoya to the location
of the Penumbral Vestibule to be 216 miles. At the
Acquiring Steeds normal travel pace of 24 miles per day, this journey
takes a total of nine days.
If the characters aren’t already riding horses, they If the characters want to move cautiously or rush
can find some at the stables. A character can make a toward their destination, they can travel at a slow
DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to scan the stables or fast pace instead. See the “Travel Pace” section
for a suitable horse. On a success, they find a number of the fifth edition core rules for the benefits and
of riding horses equal to the number of characters drawbacks of traveling at a normal, fast, or slow pace.
In brief, traveling at a fast pace allows the characters
to complete their journey sooner but makes it harder
to move stealthily—and the inverse is true of a slow
travel pace.

12

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Complications and Tracking Travel 13

Some of the encounters later in this chapter might
slow the characters (and possibly their pursuers)
or add distance to their journey. Because characters
can travel at variable speeds and may need to take
detours to avoid these hazards, this section is tracked
in terms of miles, rather than in days.

Simplifying the Journey

Tracking time and distance can be fun and immersion-
building for some players and GMs. For others, it is
a tedious chore. If you and your group find tracking
boring, you can simplify the time tracking to focus on
the encounters and tense action of the chase.
To simplify this journey, you can decide, without
telling the players, that the journey takes nine
days regardless of their pace. If the characters state
they want to travel at a different pace, describe the
sensation of traveling at this pace (“the wind whips
through your hair as you race across the plains of
Soma . . .”). However, this has no mechanical effect.
Likewise, whenever an encounter increases the
time or distance required to reach the destination, you
should describe its narrative effects, but it does not
have mechanical impact on the length of the journey.

Pursued by the Light Hunters

It is nearly inevitable that the characters will be
captured by the hunters and delivered to the prison of
their master’s citadel. But it is not impossible for the
characters to evade capture. Unconventional tactics,
clever hiding places, creative use of magic, and selfish
betrayals can help them escape.

Fooling the Hunters

Radiant magic can confuse the light hunters’ sense
of where the spark of sunlight that they are tracking
is. Daylight and spells that conjure daylight bewilder
the light hunters, at least for a short time. (See the
Luminous Awe trait in the light hunter’s statistics in
appendix A.)

Hiding and Evading Pursuit

A light hunter can sense the exact location of a spark
of sunlight within 1,000 feet of them. While within 1
mile of a spark, they can tell the general direction of
the spark, as if casting the locate creature spell. Beyond
this distance, light hunters sense the existence of
sparks of sunlight in the world but can’t pinpoint
their exact location.

6.1: Flight to the Citadel

Highmoon Moonrise

Evasive Maneuvers. If the characters flee more Encounters
than 1 mile from the light hunters, they can make a
special DC 17 Intelligence or Wisdom (Stealth) check The characters may encounter a number of hostile,
to cover their tracks or otherwise take an unexpected helpful, or mysterious incidents as they charge across
evasive maneuver (see “Variant: Skills with Different the plains of Soma. At the start of every day of travel,
Abilities” in the fifth edition core rules). If they stop roll once on the Encounters on the Journey table
in a town, they can also make a DC 13 Charisma below. The named encounters are described below the
(Deception) check to sow false rumors about their table. You can choose when in the day this encounter
location. If such a check is successful, the light hunters occurs, or you can roll a d4 on the Encounter Time
split up and head in different directions to hunt for table, below. Most encounters in Soma occur under
the characters. the dim light of the moon. However, if an encounter
Seeking Evasive Characters. For a period of time occurs at Dead Night, the moon is hidden, plunging
up to 1 week, the light hunters travel individually. At the entire land into near-total darkness.
the start of each day during this time, make a DC 21 Once the characters have overcome an encounter,
Wisdom (Survival) check for each of the living light they can’t experience it again. Reroll whenever you
hunters. If one or more of these checks succeeds, then roll a previous result on the table. “Caught by the
that same number of light hunters enter within 1 mile Light Hunters” is the only encounter that can occur
of the characters’ locations and begin pursuing them. multiple times. Even when one or more light hunters
Alerting the Other Hunters. The power of the are in pursuit of the characters, they do not attack
Unseen Sun unites the minds of the light hunters. If until the “Caught by the Light Hunters” encounter
one has discovered the characters, the others will not is rolled.
be far behind. Once this has occurred, roll a d4 at the
start of each day. The result is the number of light
hunters that arrive to join the pursuit that day (up to
a maximum of six hunters, or however many light
hunters are currently alive).

14

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Moonset Dead Night

Encounters on the Journey Caught by the Light Hunters

d10 Encounter Name “Thieves of light!”
A sepulchral voice booms through the sky. The
1 Caught by the Light Hunters skeletal light hunters on their undead steeds glow in
2 Monster Ambush! golden splendor atop a hill.
3 Surface Explorers “Prepare yourselves,” one of the hunters rasps. The
4 Raevan Reunion host of warriors draw their blades in perfect unison and
5 Soman Outriders shriek a war cry. Their steeds rear onto their hind legs
6 Unlikely Ally of the Night in harmony, then thunder down the hill toward you.
7 Roaring River
8 Marshy Land This encounter can occur multiple times. The light
9 Labyrinth Chasm hunters constantly pursue the characters throughout
10 Open Field this chapter. However, they choose to keep their
prey in fear and fray their nerves by waiting for the
Encounter Time right moment to strike. What exactly serves as the
“right moment” to their inscrutable undead minds
d4 Time of Day is unknown. Until that moment arrives, they keep a
distance of 500 feet behind the characters—keeping
1 Moonrise (dim light) them in range of their sight and supernatural senses.
2 Highmoon (dim light) Active Pursuit. The number of light hunters in
3 Moonset (dim light) active pursuit of the characters varies throughout
4 Dead Night (darkness) the chapter.

15

6.1: Flight to the Citadel

If the characters kill some of the hunters or evade Monster Ambush
them (see “Fooling the Hunters” and “Hiding and
Evading Pursuit,” earlier in this chapter), then a d4 Monsters
reduced number of hunters may be following them.
When you roll this encounter, the light hunters attack 1 Six vampire spawn, clearly starving, fight to the death.
with as many of them are in active pursuit. If three 2 Four blood trackers (see appendix A) track the
hunters are pursuing, two are tracking characters
but not nearby, and one is dead, then this encounter characters on behalf of an Ostoyan vampire. They fight
contains three light hunters and their deathsteeds to the death.
(see appendix A). If no light hunters are actively 3 Five wraiths of warriors that once fought to save
pursuing the characters, there is no encounter this day. Ostoya from vampires attack the characters. A
Characters without Horses. If the characters successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check
abandon their horses while light hunters are in pursuit, convinces them that the characters are not their
the hunters instantly catch their quarry. This counts enemies, but otherwise fight until destroyed.
as “the right moment” and they attack—even if the 4 Five shambling mounds rise from the ground, made
characters have already had an encounter on this day. of bog matter filled with twitching humanoid remains.
Fleeing. If the characters flee this encounter, Their type is undead in addition to plant. They fight to
the light hunters pursue relentlessly until they the death.
are defeated or the characters are. However, if the
characters have allies they are willing to betray to buy Surface Explorers
them time, or they leave behind one of their fellow
party members, the light hunters gang up on the As you ride across the plains of Soma, the sound of
unfortunate scapegoats, giving the characters time festive music draws your attention. A small band of
to escape. The light hunters resume their pursuit but brightly dressed people dance, sing, and make merry
keep their distance again after this ruse. around a bonfire.
Disposing of Captives. If the light hunters
choose to knock out their foes, not kill them. If they Though this appears to be a strange sort of celebration
knock any characters unconscious during the fight, on the plains, this party is even stranger than it first
they can conduct a 10-minute ritual to teleport their appears. Not a group of the living at all, twelve
unconscious captives to the Twilight Cells (see area wretched revelers (see appendix A) that fled the
A13 in chapter 2 of this episode). Locks dance with abandon under the dark skies.
Slaying their Steeds. If a light hunters’ Leader of the Revels. These revelers treat the
deathsteed is slain, it can no longer pursue. The characters as saviors and heroes for allowing them
hunter must conduct a ritual that lasts 1 hour to access to the surface world. They are led by an NPC
resurrect its steed, which lets the characters put of your choice that the characters met in episode 3. If
enough distance between them and their pursuers the characters made no friends in episode 3 (or those
to escape their supernatural senses (see “Hiding and friends did not survive), the leader of the revels is a
Evading Pursuit,” earlier in this chapter). cheerful, CN, genderless skeleton named Beocca.
The revelers are enjoying their carefree life on
Monster Ambush! the surface and have not yet faced serious hardship.
Their leader suggests that they follow the characters
In a flash of movement, a creature leaps from the wherever they go. The revelers are eager to do so and
seem blissfully ignorant of the risk of bodily harm.
shadows and tackles you! You struggle to keep your Even if the characters explain the dangers, the revelers
don’t register that their destruction is a possibility.
footing as this creature tries to bring you to the ground. If the characters use the revelers as bait to slow the
light hunters, some of them scream and wail over the
Roll once on the table below to determine what betrayal, while others cheer and whoop as they give
attacks the characters. This combat encounter begins their wretched lives to help their heroes.
with the creatures surprising the characters and
leaping from cover. This encounter can be rolled only Raevan Reunion
once, but other encounters may ask you to roll on the
Monster Ambush table. In that case, reroll creatures A horn sounds across the fields, and you notice a group
the characters have already encountered. of adventurers on horses, riding toward you. As they
This scenario typically begins on an open field but approach, you realize that these aren’t strangers, but
may occur in another biome at your discretion, or if familiar faces—adventures from Raevo!
required by another encounter.

16

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

The gang of Raevan adventurers that the characters From Left to Right: Analise Narn,
met in the Labyrinth (in chapter 1 of episode 4) ride Krin Everburrow, Dorra Malar
out to meet the characters. Their personalities are
described in episode 4. At this point in the story, the Opinion of the Characters. These skilled warriors
Raevans use these statistics: of the town militia remember what the characters
did in their town. If the characters have a heroic
• Dorra Malar (CG female human gladiator; she reputation, the warriors are eager to help them and
wears a shield and plate armor, giving her AC 20) gladly swear their swords to aid them in completing
their quest. If the characters have a villainous
• Krin Everburrow (NG nonbinary halfling assassin) reputation, the warriors warn them away from their
• Analise Narn (NG female half-elf mage) town while slinging insults.
If the characters return the insults, have each of the
Opinion of the Characters. Depending on how veterans roll a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw—with
the characters treated them in episode 4 of this Fable, disadvantage if the insults are particularly salacious.
these Raevans may be friendly, hostile, or indifferent On a failure, that warrior’s honor is wounded, and
toward the characters. they attack. These warriors flee on their turn after
Hostile Adventurers. If the Raevans are hostile being reduced to half their hit point maximum. They
toward the characters, they mince no words and do not fight to the death unless the characters kill
attack on sight, swearing that they will avenge the one of them, in which case they abandon caution to
characters’ wrongs. If the characters killed one or avenge their companion.
more of their number, the survivors attack with the
aid of one assassin per slain member of their group.
Indifferent Adventurers. If the Raevans care
little about the characters, they exchange a neutral
word and continue on their way to a nearby town. If
one of the characters asks for their help and makes a
successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check, they
agree to help—for a fee of 500 gp per mercenary per
week of service, paid up front.
Friendly Adventurers. If the Raevans have
reason to consider the characters friends or allies, they
will lay down their lives to help them achieve their
goals. A character who asks for their aid and makes a
successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check wins
the unconditional aid of these Raevan adventurers.

Soman Outriders

The sound of hooves draws your attention. You see a

group of six militia fighters, dressed in the livery of a

Soman town. One of them hails you with a wave of the

hand and an indistinct shout.

The characters are greeted by a group of six veteran
warriors riding warhorses from Lunsk, Riven, or
Voyd—one of the settlements they visited in episode 4
of this Fable. Choose a place where the characters did
either a magnificently heroic or infamously villainous
deed. If the characters visit one of these towns during
this chapter, run this encounter when they arrive in
that town.
Soman Commander. The warriors are led by an
NPC of your choice that the characters met in episode
4. If the characters made no friends in episode 4 (or
those friends did not survive), the gruff leader of the
warriors is named Stanislaus Padrask (LN, male half-
orc knight).

17

6.1: Flight to the Citadel

radiant attacks of the light hunters and is likely to be
destroyed by the sunlight within the Citadel of the
Unseen Sun (in chapter 2 of this episode). She does
not charge recklessly into danger, but her greed leads
her to make rash decisions. Any character who makes
a successful DC 21 Charisma (Persuasion) check can
use that greed and goad her into taking action that is
sure to destroy her.

Deep Forest

Before you, a dense body of ancient pine trees rises
from the Soman plains. Delving into the dark forest may
slow your progress, but skirting around it will cost you
time as well. Its dark boughs may shelter bloodthirsty
monsters, but it may also allow you to lose your
pursuers. What will you do?

Unlikely Ally of the Night This forest grants the characters within it advantage
on the special Intelligence or Wisdom (Stealth) checks
A silvery mist drifts across the plains, then coalesces made to escape the light hunters (see “Hiding and
into a humanoid silhouette. In a flash of darkness, a Evading Pursuit,” earlier in this chapter).
pallid, lavishly dressed aristocrat with shiny black hair Navigating the Forest. This forest is twelve
stands before you. This female vampire appraises you miles wide at its narrowest point and difficult terrain
with gleaming red eyes. throughout. At a normal pace, it takes characters an
entire day to pass through it.
The characters met this vampire in chapter 5— Forest Monsters. Monsters lurk in this forest,
perhaps one that they aided, or perhaps one they ready to attack intruders. When the characters enter
made an enemy of. Regardless of their relationship the forest, roll a d6 on the table in the “Monster
to this vampire, Grand Duke Vorgen of the Ostoyan Ambush!” encounter. On a result of 5 or 6, no
Empire commanded the vampire to aid the characters encounter occurs.
in destroying Kasimir Sundrinker. The lich poses a
dire threat to the Ostoyan Empire, and the appearance Marshy Land
of light hunters within the heart of Ostoyan
society filled the Crimson Court with fear and self- The ground squelches underfoot, and the heavy stench
righteous anger. of decay strikes your senses. A vast swath of marshland
Vampiric Identity. If the characters lack a extends to the horizon before you. You could avoid it by
relationship to a specific vampire of Nov Ostoya, this taking a long detour around. What will you do?
vampire is Countess Eupraxia Karpova (LE, female
vampire), a minor noble of Ostoya with a saccharine This fetid mire is rife with ghostly lights and evil
smile. She longs to prey on the characters but resists intentions. The light hunters refuse to enter it and
her urge to slay them, having been promised titles automatically lose the trail of characters brave
and slaves if she aids in Kasimir’s annihilation. enough to do so.
Vampire’s Behavior. This vampire is a powerful Navigating the Marsh. This marsh is twenty-four
ally, but not one to be trusted. If the characters defeat miles wide at its narrowest point and difficult terrain
Kasimir, they become the countess’s next victims. throughout. At a normal pace, it takes characters
However, she is tremendously weak against the two days to pass through it. Do not roll for a new
encounter on the second day (see below).
Marsh Monsters. Malevolent spirits lurk in this
place. When the characters enter the marsh, and again
during their second day of travel through it, roll on
the table below to determine what creatures emerge.

18

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Marsh Monsters You could venture in and evade your pursuers, but

d4 Monsters you know the dangers that lurk in the Labyrinth. What

1 Ten will-o’-wisps try to convince the characters to will you do?
follow them; they don't attack unless attacked first.
If the characters follow, they become lost in the The Labyrinth holds peril, yet its twisting passages
marsh. They waste a day wandering the marsh unless grant characters advantage on the special Intelligence
a character succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) or Wisdom (Stealth) checks made to escape the light
check. A character who succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom hunters (see “Hiding and Evading Pursuit,” earlier in
(Insight) check discerns that the wisps intend to lead this chapter).
them astray. Navigating the Labyrinth. If the characters leave
their horses behind, it is a simple matter of climbing
2 A mated pair of behirs have adapted to life in this down the exposed walls. It is a mere hundred feet
marsh, and their lightning breath deals acid damage from this end of the chasm to the other. However, if
instead of lightning damage. They fight to protect their the characters wish to have their horses when they
nest and do not pursue characters if they flee. emerge, they can help the animals into the chasm
(possibly using a spell like levitate or floating disk, or
3 A battalion of eight wights rises from the marsh. They some other creative solution) and navigate the tangle
were once mortal soldiers who fought for the Ostoyan of 20-foot-wide passages.
vampires and were lured into this marsh by rebels Finding a passage that leads to the other side of the
and slain. If the characters have a vampire in their chasm requires one of the characters in the party to
company, the wights allow them to pass unharmed. make a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. On a success,
Otherwise, they fight to the death. they spend one hour walking before they find the
exit. On a failure, they wander for one hour until they
4 No encounter. Only the fetid scent of skunk cabbage reach a dead end.
and swamp grass threatens the characters this day. Labyrinth Lurkers. At the end of every two hours
spent in the Labyrinth, a group of four catacomb
Labyrinth Chasm haunts (see appendix A) emerges from the walls to
slay the characters. Once two of their number are
The earth trembles and crumbles away before your killed, the other two retreat to find reinforcements—a
feet. A fissure cuts through the plains, revealing an process that takes them two more hours.
all-too-familiar sight: the interior of the Labyrinth,
the upper layer of the Necropolis. This chasm, over a
hundred feet wide, grins hungrily at you.

19

6.1: Flight to the Citadel

Open Field “Like the sun eternally chases the moon across the

Most of the fields of Soma are shaped by gently rolling sky, I have sought you, thieves of light. And now, you
hills of moonlight-grown grass. However, you have
passed through the hilly fields and entered a wide open have delivered yourselves directly into my grasp. How
plain. There is a feeling of exposure here, like anything
could be watching you and preparing to strike. kind of you, and how kind of the Nightseer to have

The characters enter a vast, open field that stretches pointed you in my direction in the first place. I am most
on for miles. There is nowhere to hide. They have
disadvantage on the special Intelligence or Wisdom ardently looking forward to recovering your sparks.
(Stealth) checks made to escape the light hunters (see
“Hiding and Evading Pursuit,” earlier in this chapter). “You have become powerful enough to make

Arrival at the Vestibule this game of sun-and-moon most entertaining. I am

The characters’ long and arduous journey comes full magnanimous, however, and shall make myself willing
circle when they reach the Penumbral Vestibule.
Located in the woods of northern Soma, this to speak with you and answer your questions. I can
unassuming mausoleum is where this adventure
began—the location where the Nightseer Sage first grant you this small boon, before the end.”
directed them to find the phylactery of a supposedly
long-annihilated lich. The Sage’s request was, of The door to the Citadel of the Unseen Sun is open, but
course, a lie—Kasimir is very much alive, and the Kasimir intends to speak with the characters to buy
Penumbral Vestibule is the surface entrance to his his light hunters time to catch up. If none of the light
subterranean lair: the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. hunters are alive, he chats for a few minutes and then
The chase is not over, even if the characters arrive impatiently hurries them along: “I am far too eager to
here before the light hunters. Keep track of how much claim your sparks of sunlight to waste time rehashing
of a lead the characters have over the hunters when ancient history.”
they reach the vestibule. This is the amount of time
they have to breach the prismatic gate (see chapter 2 What Kasimir Knows
of this episode) and enter the citadel. If they fail to do
so before the light hunters arrive, the hunters corner Kasimir Sundrinker appears as an illusion, content
them at the threshold to the citadel and fight with to project an image of himself rather than appear in
intent to apprehend them, just as in the “Caught by person, despite his certain superiority. He speaks
the Light Hunters” encounter earlier in this chapter. willingly on the following topics.
Kasimir’s Origin. “I was once the power behind
Entering the Vestibule the throne of a land ruled by necromancers. Life was
easy then—for all were equal in death. When the
When the characters enter the vestibule, Kasimir bones of the honored dead serve the living, none who
speaks to them. Read or paraphrase the following: live must toil or suffer.”
Necropolis’s Origin. “My kingdom was a glorious
The door at the far end of this ancient mausoleum one. Its walls were adorned with the bones of the
is open. Through it, you see a staircase that winds honored dead and the symbol of ultimate power—
downward—presumably back into the Necropolis.As you the sun. But in time, our veneration of death was
enter, an orb of light flickers into existence before you, overwhelmed by those who thirsted for life. My
elongating and distending until it takes the shape of a land fell into ruin, and I am its sole survivor. The
tall thin skeletal being made of golden sunlight. Necropolis is all that remains of my realm.”
This image of a radiant lich speaks. His voice is low and Vampires and Liches. “Necromancers who
self-satisfied, and it reverberates through the walls. perverted their art and became vampires brought my
land to its knees. Our reanimated guardians stood
no chance against them. My king was slain, and I
had no choice but to flee. I locked myself within my
citadel here and committed myself to centuries of
solitude searching for a method of destroying my
bloodless enemies.”
Unseen Sun. “In time, it became clear to me that
my people’s symbol of ultimate power—the sun—was
the answer I sought. If I claimed the sun for myself, I
could grant myself infinite power and wield it against
my foes. After centuries of toil, I found the secret.
Magic too great for any mortal. Magic only a lich that
had studied for untold lifetimes could attempt. Magic
to steal the sun from the sky and use it as the source
of my power.”

20

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Kasimir’s Ultimate Goal. “The only thing that 21
stands in my way are those infuriating sparks of
sunlight. The divine annoyance Aurelia, mercifully
dead, somehow fragmented my hold over the sun—
however momentarily—and spilled a cupful of its
golden droplets into the land. And into the souls of
infuriating mortals such as you. I will return them
to where they belong. And then my control over
my Unseen Sun will be complete, and I will unleash
it upon those jeering vampires who now claim the
surface world as their domain. Then, perhaps, I shall
oversee the world of the living as I once did—and
reclaim my rightful place.”
Nightseer Sage. “Do not speak to me of that
agent of chaos. For many years they perched upon
my window, drinking in my suffering as I toiled for
answers. They long to see me fail, to see centuries
of effort go to waste. I shall not give that wretched
demon the pleasure. You will die here, I will claim
your sparks, and the Nightseer will have to savor the
bitter taste of their own failure.”

Descending to the Citadel

Kasimir is eager for the characters to enter his lair,
where is confident they will be annihilated by the
power of the Unseen Sun.
Read or paraphrase the following:

The staircase winds down deep into the earth. The air
grows colder with every step you take, until suddenly
you are blasted with heat. The staircase opens into
a vast underground cavern, easily miles across and
hundreds of feet tall. At its far end is a towering stone
edifice, carved from the rock of the cavern wall.
Light pours from the doors and windows of this stone
façade, filling the entire cavern and searing it with
sweltering, dry heat.

At the far end of this chamber is the prismatic gate,
the entrance to the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. This
vast chamber provides the characters with one last
opportunity to be captured by the pursuing light
hunters—however many are still on their trail. If they
have cannily evaded the hunters, they should reap
the reward of not having to struggle through a battle
before entering this final dungeon. After all, the light
hunters will enter the citadel themselves in search of
the characters, whenever they arrive.
This vast cavern is a good place to take a break
between sessions, and to start the next game session
with the challenge of overcoming the prismatic gate.

6.1: Flight to the Citadel



Chapter 2:

Citadel of the Unseen Sun

For 10th-level characters

The Citadel of the Unseen Sun is a massive subterranean complex. Illuminated
throughout by brilliant sunlight, it is unapproachable by the vampires of
Ostoya, who regard it as Kasimir Sundrinker’s prison. The stronghold is the
locus of the lich’s power, an arcane apparatus drawing daylight from the
world and casting the land of Ostoya into eternal night. Deep in the earth,
the celestial power of the sun is channeled into a miniature star known as the
Unseen Sun. Protected and empowered by the radiant power flowing into his
sanctum, Kasimir Sundrinker plots the next stage of his ancient plan.

CHAMBERS of LIGHT

A6

A10
A9 A9

S1
A9 A11 A9

A5 THROAT of DARKNES UNSEEN A9 A7
SEPULCHER SUN
HALLS
of SOULS A9 A8 o f M E T A L
A3
An Impression of the SUN  A1. Prismatic Gate
  A2.  Throat of Darkness
CITADEL CAVERN  A3. Sun Cavern
A8  A4. Sunwatch Balcony
of the  A5. Sepulcher Balcony
A4  A6. Brilliant Balcony
UNSEEN SUN  A7. Bladed Balcony
S  A8. Hardlight Bridges
 A9. Light Beams
A2 A10.  Cavern Depths
A11.  Unseen Sun
A1 A12.  Death's Head Moth Nests*
PRISMATIC A13.  Twilight Satellite**
 S1. Sun Disk†
GATE
* Nests are in the ceiling of the chamber,
refer to p. 36.

** T wilight Satellite maintains an orbit
around the Unseen Sun, refer to p. 37.

† Refer to Chapter 3 for details.

24

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Chapter Overview Apparatus of
the Unseen Sun
In this episode, the characters enter the Citadel of the
Unseen Sun to put an end to Kasimir Sundrinker. The Through a mystical ritual first set in motion decades
citadel consists of a vast underground cavern nearly a ago, Kasimir Sundrinker drains light from the sky
mile wide adjoined by three separate dungeon wings above Ostoya, channeling these energies toward the
where Kasimir’s favored underlings dwell: the Halls great arcane apparatus of the Citadel of the Unseen
of Metal, the Sepulcher of Souls, and the Chambers Sun. These energies are collected by the six conduit
of Light. Suspended above a chasm of unfathomable cores, which project light beams that feed the Unseen
depth is the Unseen Sun itself, its baleful illumination Sun. Here, Kasimir basks in the unfathomable power
sustained by six conduit cores that siphon stolen of the miniature star he has created.
sunlight from the surface.
Kasimir keeps his personal sanctum upon the sun Conduit Cores
disk, a metallic ring that encircles the Unseen Sun.
However, any who dare approach are consumed Six conduit cores fuel the Unseen Sun with a constant
by the destructive radiant flames emitted by the flow of arcane energy. The visible beams of energy
nascent star. If they are to safely confront the lich, feeding into the Unseen Sun are projected by apertures
the characters must cut off the energy supply to connected to the conduit cores located in the wings of
the Unseen Sun by disabling at least four of the the citadel. The conduit cores direct solar power into
six conduit cores. This can be accomplished by the Unseen Sun, and excess energy from the conduit
deactivating or destroying the conduit cores located cores is siphoned off to power the laboratories,
within the three wings of the citadel. Since each wing workshops, and arcane contraptions within each wing.
houses two conduit cores, it’s up to the characters The conduit cores are located in the following areas:
to decide which wings they wish to explore and in
what order. The destructive energy of the Unseen • In the Halls of Metal, the astral forge (area M3) and
Sun wanes once four or more conduit cores are the application tanks (area M7)
deactivated, permitting the party to safely approach
and engage Kasimir Sundrinker upon the sun disk. • In the Sepulcher of Souls, the soul syphon (area P3)
Meanwhile, the characters’ efforts within the and the extractor chamber (area P4)
Citadel of the Unseen Sun are opposed by Kasimir’s
agents. The wings of the citadel are guarded and • In the Chambers of Light, the conduit core chamber
maintained by the bone masons, ancient scions of (area L10) and the lightwell (area L14)
the old empire who fervently supported Kasimir
Sundrinker in exchange for immortality in undeath A conduit core appears as a 20-foot-wide pill-shaped
and knowledge of forbidden arcane lore. obelisk of gleaming silver metal engraved with runes
Long ago, they constructed the citadel that encloses a sphere of radiant energy.
under Kasimir’s instruction, and their intimate Destroying or disabling the conduit cores has
understanding of its ancient design and innate two effects. First, it diminishes the deadly energy
magical talents allow them to repair damaged conduit of the Unseen Sun (as described in area A11).
cores. Should the characters tarry in their efforts or Second, sabotaging the conduit cores denies Kasimir
retreat from the citadel once beginning their assault, Sundrinker access to their energies in the final
they may find their progress undone. Worse, any encounter, greatly sapping the lich’s personal power.
surviving light hunters stalk the characters through Cut off completely from this power flow, the
the complex, attempting to capture the characters so miniature star will collapse and break down into
Kasimir may finally extract their sparks of sunlight. a sphere of annihilation after 4d6 weeks. However,
disabling even a few of the conduit cores disrupts the
Find the Phylactery deadly energy projected by the Unseen Sun.

If the characters met with the Nightseer Sage in episode Studying the Conduit Cores
5, then they know they must also find and destroy
Kasimir Sundrinker’s phylactery to destroy him for Characters can determine the function of the conduit
good. They might instead discover that the phylactery cores by speaking with or spying on the inhabitants of
is kept here from conversations with the inhabitants of the citadel. Additionally, characters might use spells
the citadel. The phylactery takes the form of a crown, such as identify, contact other plane, or similar magic
and is found in area P5 of this dungeon. to learn about their function. Finally, a thorough
examination of the cores followed by a successful DC
20 Intelligence (Arcana or Investigation) check can
determine the functions of the core.

25

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Conduit Core Damaging the Conduit Cores

Disabling a Conduit Core A conduit core has 100 hit points and an Armor Class
of 20. Each is immune to nonmagical bludgeoning,
Characters can attempt to disable a conduit core in a piercing, and slashing damage, as well as poison and
variety of ways. Succeeding on any of these checks psychic damage. If the core is reduced to 0 hit points,
counts as a success toward disabling the core. The it is destroyed completely.
characters must achieve a total of five successes to Each time a conduit core takes damage, roll on the
disable a core. Conduit Backlash table below.
Deactivate. Characters may target a conduit core
with one of the following spells: banishment, dispel Conduit Backlash
magic, magic circle, or planar binding. When such a spell
is cast in this way, the spell automatically grants one d6 Effect
success toward disabling the conduit core, replacing
the spell’s normal effects. 1 Errant spirits drawn into the conduit core escape
Deface. A character proficient in the Arcana skill and spill into nearby creatures. All creatures within
can deface the arcane runes of binding upon its 30 feet of the conduit core must succeed on a DC 15
surface by spending 10 minutes to do so, then making Constitution saving throw or take 10 (3d6) necrotic
a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. damage, and their hit point maximum is reduced by
Disassemble. A character proficient in smith’s an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction
tools, mason’s tools, tinker’s kits, or thieves’ tools can lasts until the creature finishes a long rest.
dismantle or pry apart the components by spending
10 minutes and making a successful DC 20 check with 2 The creature that damaged the conduit core is
the appropriate tools. targeted by the banishment spell (spell save DC 15).
Failed Attempts. If a character fails one of the
checks listed above, a flare of uncontrolled magic 3 Unstable energy strikes the creature nearest to the
lashes out. Roll on the Conduit Backlash table below. conduit core. It must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity
saving throw or take 28 (8d6) lightning damage.

4 A wave of sweltering heat erupts from the damaged
conduit core. Creatures that are not constructs or
undead within 30 feet of the conduit core must succeed
on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6)
fire damage and gain one level of exhaustion.

5 A flash of light blooms from the damaged conduit
core. Creatures with 300 feet of the conduit core
must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or
become blinded for 1 minute. Affected creatures can
repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their
turns, ending the effect on a success.

6 Arcane force spews from the rupture. Creatures within
10 feet of the conduit core must succeed on a DC 15
Strength saving throw or be flung a number of feet
equal to 1d6 × 10 away from the core and fall prone.

Citadel Defenders

Kasimir Sundrinker and his minions do not remain
idle while the characters invade and sabotage the
citadel. Kasimir knows the characters possess sparks
of sunlight. Though the characters trespass upon
his fortress, Kasimir needs them alive. Kasimir has
ensured his sentinels can recognize the characters,
and all have orders to incapacitate or capture them.
They know that to slay the characters would invite the
destructive wrath of their master.
Once the characters successfully destroy one or more
conduit cores, Kasimir Sundrinker begins dispatching
response teams to mount counteroffensives. The
light hunters and any response teams immediately
engage the characters and offer a painless end if they
surrender.

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

By this point in the adventure, Kasimir Sundrinker If all the light hunters have been destroyed or you
and the light hunters have had ample opportunity to want to give the characters an additional challenge,
observe the characters’ capabilities. If the characters rely Kasimir Sundrinker also dispatches a squadron of five
on practiced tactics or certain spells or abilities, Kasimir bone mason sentinels.
and his minions prepare for them. They focus attacks
on healers and concentrating spellcasters. They rush Repairing the Conduit Cores
to engage characters who can make effective ranged
attacks, while trying to avoid melee combatants. Characters who retreat or take a long or short rest
If the characters are reduced to 0 hit points, they during their assault on the Citadel of the Unseen Sun
are captured and brought to the cells in the Twilight give the bone masons the opportunity to conduct
Satellite (area A13). After preparing the means of their repairs on the conduit cores as follows.
sparks’ extraction for 2d12 hours, Kasimir Sundrinker
orders his sentinels—including any surviving light Reactivation. A bone mason architect can reactivate
hunters—to bring them to the extractor chamber in a conduit core that is deactivated but not damaged
the Sepulcher of Souls (area P4) and take their sparks with 1 hour of work.
of sunlight.
Complete Repairs. Three bone mason architects can
First Conduit Core Disabled work together to repair a damaged conduit core
in roughly 8 hours. This means that each time the
After the first of the conduit cores is disabled or party takes a long rest, at least one conduit core
destroyed, Kasimir uses his magic to animate a nearby is repaired.
statue (use animated armor statistics) and denigrate
the characters personally. He scoffs at their efforts and
remarks that there is damage they can do to his citadel
that he cannot restore, given time. Once the characters
leave the site of the first conduit core, Kasimir sends
three bone mason architects and four bone mason
sentinels (see the game statistics of both in appendix
A) to that core to begin repairs (see “Repairing the
Conduits,” below).

Second Conduit Core Disabled

Kasimir Sundrinker uses a scrying spell to determine
which wing the characters target next. He sends
one bone mason architect and three bone mason
sentinels to intercept the characters the next time
they try to take a short or long rest within the complex
unless they are hidden from Kasimir, such as by a
nondetection or rope trick spell, or through some other
means of ingenuity.

Third Conduit Core Disabled

Kasimir divides the surviving light hunters to guards
the remaining conduit cores, and dispatches three
bone mason architects to begin repairs. If three or
more light hunters survive, the remainder are charged
with protecting this repair crew. Otherwise, they
are protected by four bone mason sentinels. (See
appendix A for these creatures’ statistics.)

Fourth Conduit Core Disabled

Kasimir Sundrinker again uses scrying to determine
the characters’ current location in the complex and
orders any surviving light hunters to converge on the
characters as quickly as possible.

27

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

PRISMATIC to the
GATE THROAT of
DARKNESS

28

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Exhaustive Repairs. If the characters took extra Area Details
effort to thoroughly demolish the components
of a conduit core (such as by using disintegrate The following locations are keyed to the Citadel
spells), or if a conduit core has been destroyed once Cavern map.
already, repairs are much more difficult but by no
means impossible. In such cases, it takes five bone A1. Prismatic Gate
mason architects working for 24 hours to repair the
conduit core. The gate of Kasimir’s citadel looms over you. Its
femur-shaped columns and intricately carved archways
A total of twelve bone mason architects dwell within resembling rib cages are bordered with skeletal
the complex. Their Rejuvenation trait (see monster motifs in circular patterns that depict suns and stars,
entry in appendix A) makes these creatures difficult and alcoves bearing impressive statues composed of
to permanently destroy; they will be reconstituted one interlocking bones.
hour later unless characters obliterate their remains Rows of steps cut to resemble enormous molars
with dispel magic or disintegrate spells—or their lead up to the gaping open jaw that forms a gateway
remains are hurled into the lava in the base of the Sun a hundred feet high and forty feet wide. A shimmering
Chamber (see area A10) or into the Unseen Sun itself. barrier of multicolored light rests at the back of the
However, no repairs are possible if the architects are all cavernous throat.
permanently destroyed or somehow convinced to turn
against Kasimir Sundrinker. This imposing gate is the sole entrance to the Citadel
of the Unseen Sun. Kasimir Sundrinker layered
Citadel Features an array of defensive wards to prevent intrusion.
Kasimir, the light hunters, the bone masons, and
The interior of the citadel has the following features: creatures in their custody are unaffected by these
wards, but all others suffer their effects. Creatures
Doors. Unless otherwise noted, all doors are huge wearing the light hunters’ armor are likewise
double stone doors engraved with depictions of unaffected by the gate.
scornful suns searing flesh from bone. Each is 10 The entire entrance is sealed with a rainbow gate
feet wide and 30 feet tall. Despite their size and made of seven prismatic colors (see “Destroying the
weight, the doors silently glide open and shut Gate,” below).
if pushed open as an action by a creature with a
Strength score of 11 or higher. Examining the Gate

Ceilings. Unless otherwise specified, hallways and A creature that spends 10 minutes examining the gate
chambers are 50 feet high throughout. can make a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. On a
success, they learn that the barrier is a shimmering
Extreme Heat. The temperature in the cavern wall of magical light sustained by an unknown
averages 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Any creature source, and that it has seven unique layers that
that is not undead or a construct must succeed on must be individually destroyed. Such examination
a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of reveals the steps to destroy each layer of the gate,
each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. The DC but the characters must furnish the means to do so
rises by 5 for each additional hour spent within the themselves. Characters can also learn these steps by
citadel. Creatures wearing medium or heavy armor casting the identify spell on the gate.
or clad in heavy clothing have disadvantage on this When a creature attempts to reach into or pass
save. Creatures with resistance or immunity to fire through the gate, it does so one layer at a time
damage automatically succeed on this save. through all the gate’s active layers. As it passes or
reaches through each layer, the creature must succeed
Sunlight. Every chamber within the Citadel of the on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or be affected by
Unseen Sun is filled with bright light. This light that layer’s properties as described below.
is sunlight, affecting creatures with the Light Two stone golems built from fossilized bone rest
Sensitivity, Sunlight Sensitivity, and Sunlight in two of the alcoves and attack any creature that
Hypersensitivity traits. There is no darkness or attempts to destroy the gate.
shadow anywhere in the complex unless created by
spells or effects that conjure magical darkness.

Walls. The Citadel of the Unseen Sun is carved
directly from the surrounding rock. While hewn
rock remains unfinished in some areas, the rooms
in each wing are tiled with marble and sandstone
slabs decorated with ancient depictions of skeletons
dancing beneath a sweltering sun.

29

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

The other side of the barrier is protected by a private 4. Green. The creature takes 35 (10d6) poison
sanctum spell, blocking teleportation into Throat of damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on
Darkness (area A2) up to 100 feet deep. Additionally, a successful one. A passwall spell or similar magic of
the stonework has been magically treated. It is equal or greater level that can open a portal on a solid
immune to nonmagical damage, blocks ethereal surface destroys this layer.
travel, and magic can’t alter its form or composition. 5. Blue. The creature takes 35 (10d6) cold damage
on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
Destroying the Gate successful one. This layer can be destroyed by dealing
at least 30 fire damage to it.
The gate can be destroyed one layer at a time, in order 6. Indigo. On a failed save, the creature is
from red to violet, by means specific to each layer. restrained. It must then make a DC 20 Constitution
Unless all seven layers are destroyed, a destroyed saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it
layer re-forms after one minute. Antimagic field has successfully saves three times, the effect ends. If it
no effect on the gate and dispel magic can affect only fails its save three times, it permanently turns to
the violet layer. Casting the darkness spell on the gate stone and is subjected to the petrified condition. The
destroys the layer closest to the caster, then the spell successes and failures don’t need to be consecutive;
immediately ends. keep track of both until the creature collects three of
1. Red. The creature takes 35 (10d6) fire damage on a kind. While this layer is in place, spells can’t be cast
a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful through the wall. The layer is destroyed by bright
one. The layer can be destroyed by dealing at least 30 light shed by a stone shape spell or similar magic of
cold damage to it. equal or greater level.
2. Orange. The creature takes 35 (10d6) acid 7. Violet. On a failed save, the creature is blinded.
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage It must then make a DC 20 Constitution saving
on a successful one. The layer is destroyed by a throw at the start of its next turn. A successful save
strong wind. ends the blindness. If it fails that save, the creature is
3. Yellow. The creature takes 35 (10d6) lightning transported to the Twilight Cells (see area A13) and is
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a no longer blinded. This layer is destroyed by a dispel
successful one. This layer can be destroyed by dealing magic spell or similar magic of equal or greater level
at least 30 force damage to it. that can end spells and magical effects.

Hot Pursuit

Upon arrival at the Prismatic Gate, the characters have
limited time before the light hunters converge upon
them. If the characters don’t successfully penetrate
the gate before the light hunters arrive, the undead
riders attack. As before, the light hunters don’t kill
the characters, but instead knock them unconscious
to take them as captives. The light hunters may pass
through the gate unharmed, along with any prisoners
in their custody. If this occurs, characters are stripped
of their weapons and imprisoned in the cells in the
Twilight Satellite (area A13).

A2. Throat of Darkness

Beyond the Prismatic Gate, a winding passage roughly
cut through the rock meanders into the earth. It is
approximately forty feet wide, eighty feet tall, and
paved with a road of skulls. Overhead, a spine and
ribcage form a vaulted ceiling, between the ribs plays
out a scene of celestial twilight.

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

This two-mile-long passage is dimly lit and quite Giant Death's
cold. After the final bend in the path, characters see Head Moth
the blinding light at the end of the tunnel from the
sun cavern, and the temperature rises sharply as they However, a system of magically conjured bridges
approach the exit. connects the balconies, allowing the movement of
Vengeful spirits of fallen vampires that foolishly larger creatures, heavy materials, and those incapable
attempted to invade Kasimir’s stronghold linger here. of flight between the chambers. These are activated
Many are merely disembodied shades that whisper using the bridge control orbs described in area A4.
and mutter to themselves, aimlessly recalling their The balconies are over 2,000 feet apart, making
once-great victories and addled escape plans. They the distance too far for teleportation spells such as
ignore passersby. However, roughly halfway through dimension door and misty step. Possibilities include the
the tunnel, strong-willed remnants have manifested following methods.
as four wraiths. They assault any intruders carrying a Climb. Climbing along the cavern walls is
source of bright light within the passageway. exceptionally hazardous but possible for creatures
with a climb speed or by using climbers’ kits. The
A3. Sun Cavern outer circumference of the caverns is a rough rock
face, and the total distance between each balcony is
This is the heart of the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. about 4,000 feet. Characters making the climb risk
The Unseen Sun is visible here (area A11), hovering attracting attention from a sentinel patrol every 10
above a 10,000-foot-deep chasm (area A10). Kasimir minutes spent climbing (see below).
Sundrinker dwells within the Sun Disk (area S1), the Fly. Characters might use spells such as fly or
metallic ring around the Unseen Sun. Four balconies transform into flying creatures with polymorph and
surround the chamber. The throat of darkness (area ferry other characters across.
A2) leads into the Sunwatch Balcony (area A4). The Ride. The bone masons travel upon the backs of the
other balconies lie at entrances to the three wings of giant death’s head moths. Characters can gain control
the citadel as indicated on the map. of the creatures from their riders using spells such
All four balconies connect via the Hardlight as animal friendship or dominate beast. Alternatively,
Bridges (area A8). However, the bridges are not a character who seizes the reins of a giant death’s
active when the characters first arrive in the cavern, head moth can spend an action to try to control it by
and the characters must learn how to activate them making a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check.
(see below). Dozens of death’s head moth nests (area On a successful check, the moth obeys the character
A12) are suspended from the cavern ceiling and the for 1 minute. On a failed check, the moth acts on its
Twilight Satellite (area A13) orbits the Unseen Sun. own. After three successful checks, the moth accepts
the character as its new rider and no further checks
Crossing the Chasm are required.

Traversing the sun cavern between the balconies Sentinel Patrols
is a dangerous prospect. Kasimir Sundrinker and
his minions travel between the balconies using Groups of three bone mason sentinels each
flight (either their own magic or mounted upon a mounted on a giant death’s head moth (see
giant death’s head moth, described in appendix A). appendix A for both creatures’ game statistics)
regularly travel throughout the sun cavern, flying
between the balconies in the cavern and the death’s
head moth nests.

31

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Characters risk drawing their attention while they A4. Sunwatch Balcony
travel through or linger within the sun cavern. Each
time the characters enter this chamber or activate one When the characters arrive here from the Throat of
of the Hardlight Bridges, roll a d6. On a 1, they catch Darkness (area A2), read:
the attention of a patrol flying overhead.
The sentinels swoop down to engage the characters The passage opens onto a semicircular balcony
within 1d10 rounds. Speaking in a chorus of grating overlooking a colossal underground cavern. The
metallic voices, they demand that the characters cavity is nearly a mile wide and stretches down to
surrender to be taken as prisoners and submit to the molten depths below. A rocky ceiling two thousand
will of Kasimir Sundrinker. They meet refusal by feet overhead is matted with strands of silk and giant
attacking, favoring ranged attacks rather than direct insect nests.
melee. If any character is downed or weakened, the Suspended in the middle of the cavern is a white-hot
sentinels enter melee combat and attempt to capture sphere of blazing energy: the sun itself. This miniature
or incapacitate the characters to bring them to the cells star fills the entire cavern with sweltering dry heat and
in the twilight satellite. near-blinding light. A ring of glittering metal several
At your discretion, characters casting flashy or hundred feet in diameter surrounds this fiery sphere,
explosive spells, creating exceptionally loud or and a comparatively small orb of absolute darkness
obvious distractions, or otherwise making a ruckus swirls around it in a wobbling orbit.
attracts the attention of a patrol. The characters might
take advantage of the situation to lure a patrol so they
can seize control of the sentinels’ flying mounts.

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Six great apertures embedded within the cavern walls The four balconies in the Sun Cavern (areas A4, A5,
ring the cavern about a thousand feet below the ceiling. A6, and A7) have an identical layout but differing
Each projects a brilliant white beam toward the sun. decoration. Each uses the Cavern Balcony map and
Three other great balconies jut out from the cavern contains a pair of control orbs that enable travel
walls beneath each pair of apertures. They are too far between them.
away to see clearly, but seem similar to the balcony you
are standing on. It is a semicircular platform nearly 300 Bridge Control Orbs
feet in diameter bordered by a stone-carved balustrade
decorated with grasping skeletal hands. On either Each balcony features a pair of 20-foot diameter
side of the perimeter are 20-foot-wide openings. Each stepped daises. A magical sphere of glowing glass
is flanked by a multifaceted crystal obelisk set with approximately 1 foot wide floats above a pedestal
brilliant arcane runes. Before each opening is a 20-foot- which stands 3 feet tall. These control orbs conjure the
wide circular step dais, upon which rests a 3-foot-tall Hardlight Bridges (area A8) that span the chasm and
pillar topped by a glowing glass orb. allow passage on foot to the other balconies. Thus,
The balcony meets a decorated façade at the cavern each bridge may be activated by two different control
walls, lining a central archway that leads deep into the orbs, one on either side of the span.
rock. An imperious statue of Kasimir Sundrinker stands A bridge can be temporarily activated from either
in the middle of the balcony. side, but as a security measure, the bridge activation
system requires activation from both sides for the
bridges to remain active long term.

33

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Studying the Control Orbs. A character can
discern the operation of the orbs by spending 1
minute to examine it and making a successful DC
15 Intelligence (Arcana or Investigation) check.
Alternatively, an identify spell cast upon the control
orb reveals the functions described above.

A5. Sepulcher Balcony

This balcony rests in front on an entrance façade
carved with ghostly figures reaching up and swirling
around the pillars that flank the wide opening. Above
the entrance, the spirits move toward an emblem of a
massive blazing sun.

This entrance connects to the Hall of Screaming Souls
(area P1) in the Sepulcher of Souls.

A6. Brilliant Balcony

The entrance façade upon this balcony is largely
unadorned, consisting of rows of undecorated columns
abutting a simple stone archway. The hallway within is
filled with blinding white light.

A creature can use an action to touch the control The hall leads to the Brilliant Corridor (area L1) in the
orb to conjure the bridge, which springs into existence Halls of Light.
and stretches to the intended balcony. Maintaining the
bridge requires the activating creature to concentrate A7. Bladed Balcony
(as if concentrating on a spell) and it must keep its
hands upon the control orb. If its concentration is The cavern wall along this balcony features a stone
broken or it lets go of the orb, the bridge flickers for archway decorated with stone-carved motifs of blades
1 minute, after which time it vanishes until the next fanning out, all pointed toward the open entrance.
time the orb is activated. Carved skeletal figures rest along the bases of these
Alternatively, a creature may cast a spell using a spell pillars, lifting the pillars up and holding them in place.
slot into the control orb. Instead of the spell’s usual Several of the figures’ outstretched hands point into
effect, the magic is absorbed by the control orb, which the open corridor. Along the top above the archway,
activates the bridge for a number of minutes equal to carvings of blades create a line of sharp spikes pointed
twice the spell’s level. Activating the bridges in this down. The scattered blades seem random and frantic
manner does not require the creature to concentrate to in their layout, overlapping and clashing. The carvings
maintain the bridge. line the entrance with sharp points on all sides,
If the control orbs on both sides of a bridge are offering a foreboding and unwelcoming passage. At
activated, the bridge remains in place for 24 hours the top of the carved archway, a massive carved skull
requiring no further concentration. Until the bridge displays one eye and a beard.
has been activated in this way, it flickers erratically (as
described in area A8). The entrance on this balcony connects to the Bladed
Finally, a creature may spend an action to touch a Corridor (area M1) in the Halls of Metal.
control orb to deactivate the bridge. This causes it to
flash at a steadily increasing pulse before vanishing
after 1 minute.

34

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

SUN CAVERN
BALCONY

REPRESENTS AREAS

A4, A5, A6, A7

A8 A8

A8. Hardlight Bridges If the control orbs are used to deactivate the bridge,
or a creature’s concentration on the control orb is
These bridges are not active when the characters first broken, read:
enter the chamber. When a bridge is powered on for
the first time using one of the control orbs, read: A crash of unstable power reverberates down the length
of the bridge. It rapidly flashes harsh light, and arcs of
An incandescent plane of solid magical energy appears sizzling and popping energy burst out.
with an arcane flourish. It flashes and crackles
erratically with power as it extends across the cavern, Impermanent Bridges
bridging the gap between the two balconies.
By design, intruders cannot activate a hardlight bridge
These magical bridges are made of pure magical force on one balcony and walk or run to another; a humanoid
and cannot be destroyed or dispelled. Each is 20 feet with 30 feet of speed can’t cross the bridge in time
wide and nearly 2,000 feet long, but only 1 inch thick. before it disappears. This is one of Kasimir’s safeguards
There are no railings. against intruders; only his multitudinous minions have the
When both control orbs are used to activate the wherewithal to activate bridges in a way that is useful within
bridge, read: his lair. Crossing these bridges requires at least one character
to maintain a bridge while their companions cross, and then
A pulse of energy reverberates down the hard light fly to meet them or walk over a bridge activated from the
bridge, and the humming softens. The glowing gently connecting balcony.
oscillates steadily and evenly.

35

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

One minute after the bridge is deactivated in this within 500 feet, and to 70 (20d6) fire damage and 70
manner, the bridge disappears. Read: (20d6) radiant damage for any creature ending its turn
within 100 feet of the Unseen Sun or the sun disk.
The bridge winks out of existence, leaving behind the In addition, any creature that takes this damage
heavy smell of ozone. must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw
or suffer one level of exhaustion. Kasimir Sundrinker
Activating any bridge alerts a patrol of three bone and the light hunters are immune to this damage, as
mason sentinels, who swoop down on giant death’s are the structures within the citadel.
head moths (see appendix A for both) to investigate If two or more conduit cores are disabled, this
within 1d10 rounds as described under “Sentinel damage is halved, and the Unseen Sun no longer
Patrols” earlier in this chapter. causes damage if four or more conduit cores
are disabled.
A9. Light Beams
Examining the Unseen Sun
These incandescent beams of light are 20 feet
wide and hundreds of feet long. Each beam fires While all light beams are active, a creature is blinded
continuously from 50-foot diameter apertures of stone while they look directly at the Unseen Sun, and
and glass set in the cavern’s rocky face, then connects creatures within 100 feet of the Unseen Sun have total
to the sun disk (area S1) that surrounds the Unseen cover from those in the rest of the chamber.
Sun where the energies are absorbed.
A creature that ends its turn within 100 feet of a A12. Death’s Head Moth Nests
light beam takes 18 (5d6) radiant damage plus 18
(5d6) fire damage. Any creature or object passing into A dozen massive silken nests hang suspended between
the beam itself instead takes 70 (20d6) radiant damage the stalactites of the sun cavern. Huge moths can be
plus 70 (20d6) fire damage. A creature reduced to 0 seen fluttering about them.
hit points by this damage is disintegrated along with
everything it is wearing or carrying. These nests serve as roosts for the giant death’s head
The power of the beams wholly destroys moths used as mounts by Kasimir’s underlings.
nonmagical objects and even magical barriers created A dozen nests are scattered throughout the cavern,
by a wall of force or forcecage spell. which may be accessed only via flight or teleportation.
The beams do not cross the hardlight bridges. If characters fly up to examine one closely, read:
They soar about 500 feet overhead, so creatures
using the bridges are in no danger from the beams’ A gargantuan insect nest with roughly conical shape
destructive power. hangs between two massive stalactites. An oval hole in
the front serves as an entrance.
A10. Cavern Depths
Each nest is 100 feet wide and 150 feet high with an
Aside from the balconies, there is no floor within the opening at its point roughly 20 feet in diameter. If
cavern. Instead, the chasm descends 10,000 feet down characters enter the nest, read:
into an endless abyss of molten rock and magma.
Given the depth, the fall takes 1 minute. Those who The main area of the nest is a dark and damp
fall take 70 (20d6) bludgeoning damage upon impact chamber. The walls and floors are made of silk strands
and then are submerged in magma, taking 55 (10d10) held together by insect saliva. Bones and debris jut
fire damage at the start of each of their turns while out over the web-covered surfaces. The nest crawls
they remain within. with huge caterpillars that wriggle and writhe along
every surface, giving the entire chamber a sense of
A11. Unseen Sun sickly movement. Giant death’s head moths scuttle
about tending to the caterpillars, feeding and
The Unseen Sun projects a field of deadly solar cleaning them.
energy. Any creature that ends its turn within 1,000
feet of the Unseen Sun takes 18 (5d6) radiant and 18
(5d6) fire damage. This increases to 35 (10d6) fire and
35 (10d6) radiant damage for those who end their turn

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

On the opposite side of the nest, a shed of petrified A13. Twilight Satellite

wood pokes out from the silky strands, connected to A small sphere of complete darkness slowly orbits
the Unseen Sun. Looking upon it is like peering into
the entrance by plank walkways. Harnesses, saddles, a contained solar system. As the sphere rotates, the
twinkle of stars or the glow of distant galaxies and
ropes, and strangely shaped barding hang from hooks nebulas reflect off its black surface. From a distance
the orb seems entirely smooth and nondescript, but on
and shelves within. closer inspection the surface looks almost liquid.

Each nest contains 1d6 adult giant death’s head The Twilight Satellite is an inky orb of blackness that
moths (see appendix A) tending to 3d6 young orbits the Unseen Sun at a distance of 1,500 feet. From
caterpillars (use the statistics for a giant centipede). a distance it resembles a small dark moon, about 300
Any creature that is not undead or a construct is feet in diameter, drifting silently within the cavern.
regarded as food by the creatures within, which are However, the veil of darkness conceals a demiplane
always hungry. where dangerous vampires and other enemies of
Characters entering the nests may draw the Kasimir Sundrinker are kept under the watch of a
attention of a sentinel patrol (see area A3) unless they devil known as the Celestial Warden.
conceal their entry here. Kasimir designed this place as a prison specifically
Despite the heat of the sun cavern, the nests are to keep vampires, hiding them in a plane of perpetual
highly susceptible to fire. Set alight, a 5-foot section twilight to shield them from the glowing radiance
of wall burns away in a single round, spreading to of the Unseen Sun. However, over the years he has
adjacent sections thereafter. A blaze set within the occasionally kept other prisoners here: notably, those
nest causes the moths to panic and flee into the Sun who hold a spark of sunlight.
Chamber. Uncontrolled, they flock toward the Unseen
Sun and are instantly vaporized by its radiant power
once they get within 1,000 feet of it.

37

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

TWILIGHT
CELLS

38

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

If during their adventures any characters were Two of the circles are occupied: one by a slender
captured by the light hunters or Kasimir’s other
agents, they may be found here. woman garbed in a red cloak, the other by a large,
The Twilight Satellite may be accessed only via
flight or teleportation. Occasionally a bone mason bearded man clad in regal finery. The man hovers
sentinel atop a giant death’s head moth flutters into
or out of the darkness, which ripples as creatures slightly above the ground, occasionally slamming his
pass through it like a rock thrown into a calm
pond. The creatures who do this seem unfazed and fists against an unseen wall. The woman giggles each
unaffected by moving through the surface of the small
orbiting planet. time he does.

Entering the Twilight Satellite Along the far wall are several coffers. In the middle

If characters enter the veil of darkness around the of the room, a standing cloaked figure carries a long
satellite, read or paraphrase:
ruby-tipped wand. It turns to you as you approach.
You press through clouds of roiling darkness into a quiet
place among the stars. The backdrop stretches on for “What business do you have in the Twilight Cells,
eternity with spiraling galaxies, nebulas, and distant
stars. A nearby planet with beautiful rings of space dust mortals?” it hisses.
and debris casts a soft green glow off its bright surface,
and a nebula churns with purples and blues, cascading The cloaked figure is the Celestial Warden, an ice
alien light throughout the demiplane. devil that acts as jailer over the Twilight Cells. Its
Below is the surface of a miniature moon. The gnarled cold fingers grip a ruby-tipped wand of
ground is a dusty white speckled with small craters and binding that acts as a key for the force prisons. The
rock formations. A rough path with a row of stone pillars celestial warden is attuned to this wand, even though
leads around the curvature of the tiny moon. It leads to it is not a spellcaster.
a small open structure of white pillars with a stone roof. Force Prisons. These 20-foot-radius rings of
arcane runes are magical prison cells that anchor
Though the tiny spherical planetoid has a radius of a 20-foot-tall immobile, invisible cylinder of solid
only 300 feet, it magically has its own normal gravity. magical force. The barrier prevents any matter from
There is a single structure on the surface of this passing through it and blocks spells cast into or out
planetoid (the Twilight Cells, which are described from the area. Creatures within the cylinder cannot
below); the rest is barren ground. leave by nonmagical means. If a creature within tries
Creatures may leave the demiplane via flight. to use teleportation or planar travel to leave the cell, it
Whenever a creature flies over 200 feet above the must first make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw. On a
surface of the twilight satellite, a roiling bank of success, the creature can use that magic to exit the cell.
inky clouds magically forms before them. Those On a failure, the creature can’t exit the cell and wastes
who continue another 100 feet through these clouds the use of the spell or effect.
emerge back in the Sun Cavern (area A3). The cell also extends into the Ethereal Plane,
blocking ethereal travel. Two of the cells are currently
Twilight Cells occupied. One contains the vampire spellcaster
Baroness Evelyn Vladescu, while the other holds the
When the characters approach the structure, read: djinni Dormane the Liar.
Controlling the Cells. The celestial warden carries
This structure’s pillars of white stone ascend 20 feet a ruby-tipped wand of binding which it uses to activate
into the air with a beautiful stone carved roof depicting or deactivate the cells. A creature holding the wand
skull motifs across its base. A small set of steps lead to may touch the ruby tip to the runes at the base of
a smooth stone platform. Etched into this stone stage each cell, then then use an action to speak one of the
are ten dimly glowing runic circles that flicker with following passphrases: either “in darkness be bound”
prismatic light, arranged in an arc across the floor. or “in light be released,” which respectively activate
or deactivate the barrier. The warden and all of the
prisoners know these phrases.
Stone Coffers. These containers store weapons,
equipment, and belongings confiscated from recent
prisoners. They currently contain a few sets of
clothing, an assortment of 1d6 martial melee weapons,
three potions of superior healing, and a potion of flying.
The lich appropriated the personal belongings of
Evelyn and Dormane long ago.

39

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Baroness Evelyn Vladescu Ideal. “Discovering a prisoner’s dreams and
desires and using that to torment them is an art, and
Celestial Warden mastering that art takes centuries of practice.”
Bond. “Kasimir gifted me with an eternity to serve
This ice devil answers only to Kasimir Sundrinker. him as the warden to his prison. Nothing could bring
Kasimir summoned the fiend to guard this place. The me greater joy.”
ice devil finds its term of service quite rewarding and Flaw. “Although my skills with taunting words
delights in torturing Kasimir’s prisoners. The Celestial is uncanny, I enjoy nothing as much as releasing
Warden has been informed about the characters and mortal prisoners so they can try to escape and thereby
their significance, so when the characters arrive, the demonstrate the hopelessness of their imprisonment.”
devil resolves to capture them.
Over the centuries, the Celestial Warden developed Baroness Evelyn Vladescu
one form of torment it enjoys above all others:
releasing prisoners from their cells, then hunting them Baroness Evelyn (LE, female vampire spellcaster)
down on the planetoid, using its wand of binding and is a tall and slender woman, dressed in a red cape
Wall of Ice action to crush the prisoners’ hopes and and black leathers. She has long flowing black hair
dreams of seeing daylight again. and pale skin with crimson red eyes and dark lips.
The warden has been unable to indulge this joy She seems calm and collected in her cell, as if waiting
for some time, since it has a healthy respect for both for her time to escape. Her hands end in 4-inch-
Evelyn and Dormane’s supernatural abilities. However, long fingernails, more like claws than nails. She was
the prideful warden believes mortal prisoners utterly imprisoned when she attempted to infiltrate the
incapable of leaving the Twilight Cells unless they citadel and assassinate Kasimir Sundrinker. She had
visibly have wings or demonstrated the magical ability planned to protect herself and her vampire spawn
to fly. Thus, if the characters become trapped here, they minions using darkness spells. When the spell failed
might goad the warden into releasing them from their during a battle against the bone mason sentinels, her
cells, giving them a risky chance to escape. minions were destroyed and she was taken as the
Personality Traits. “After a long day of lich’s prisoner.
tormenting beings, I like to sit and look at the stars She promises the characters that if they set her free,
while imagining new ways to torment people. It’s a she will help them dismantle the fortress and keep
simple life, but I enjoy it.” repair crews from interfering. She is willing to aid
characters in battle against the lich assuming they can
protect her from the light of the Unseen Sun.
Evelyn is true to her word. After languishing as
a prisoner here, she is willing to accept the help of
mortals if it means she can accomplish her true goals
and escape this prison.
Personality Traits. “I constantly calculate my
surroundings and desired outcomes, plotting the best
courses of actions and meticulously analyzing each
situation.”
Ideal. “Time matters little. Victory requires
patience.”
Bond. “What Kasimir built should belong to the
vampires of Ostoya, and I will be the one to bring us
that glory!”
Flaw. “My overconfidence in my abilities has
landed me in misjudged scenarios from time to time.”

Dormane the Liar

Dormane is a djinni with a bald head and a large
black beard. His eyes are milky white pools and he
has six earrings in one ear, and one great diamond
hanging from the other. He wears a vibrant red vest
with gold buttons and trim—and no pants.

40

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Dormane promised the lich several wishes, but The Iron Ossuary (areas M6, M7, and M8). This area
was imprisoned here when Kasimir discovered the is a workshop where the head of the bone mason
djinni had no such power. Now, the warden taunts sentinels, Vertex Alloy, commands operations to
the djinni constantly for his powerlessness. Dormane build an army for the lich. He watches over this
constantly succumbs to these taunts and jeers. As a factory with cold calculation and emotionless eyes
prideful creature, his shortcomings weighs heavy and forces his minions to work round the clock.
on his soul.
When Dormane notices the characters, he hollers The factory is divided into the bone chutes where
that he is being held against his will and tortured. the bones of the dead are cast for repurpose and
Dormane is a compulsive liar and a trickster, as his construction (area M6), the application tanks (area M7)
name implies. He begs and pleads the characters free where skeletons are coated with the infused metals
him, promising to grant them each a wish in return. from the astral forge, and a holding chamber for
He claims his power could be used to destroy the finished skeletons awaiting soul infusions (area M8).
lich, give them all the gold they could imagine, power
unending, eternal life, or anything else they desire. M1. Bladed Corridor
Dormane is lying: if he is set free, he uses plane shift
spell to vanish, hoping to never see this place again. The walls of this circular chamber consist of thousands
Personality Traits. “I lie and trick my way of ancient swords melted together and fitted to cover
through all situations. No one is as cunning or clever the entire chamber in a spiraling fashion from the floor
as I! Therefore my quick wit will ensure that I always to the ceiling. Small torches glow with a soft green
triumph over my foes, and they will not even know magical flame every few feet along the walls.
they have been defeated.” An arched passage sits to both the back left and
Ideal. “You can’t trust anyone but yourself, for back right of the chamber. The domed ceiling reaches
everyone who claims to be a friend wants something to 45 feet at its pinnacle, also lined with blades
from you.” pointing down toward the center like thousands of
Bond. “I desire nothing more than great wealth metal spikes. From the center of the domed roof,
and to have a city of worshipers bow to me in all my a 5-foot diameter pillar of spiraling blades reaches
power and glory.” between it and the stone slab floor below.
Flaw. “I believe that no one can outwit me. I am
the greatest liar of all time and thus can never be Four bone mason sentinels (see appendix A) stand
fooled or foiled by mere mortal beings.” guard around the central pillar facing in each cardinal
direction, with their four arms crossed in front of
Halls of Metal them and their eyes dead and cold. While they remain
motionless, they are indistinguishable from the
The Halls of Metal emit a wafting humidity architecture of this room.
throughout their steel laden chambers. The clanging If the sentinels detect intruders in this chamber, their
of chains and grinding of metal and stone fill the eyes blaze with fiery light. If they detect the characters,
halls, echoing off the weaponry fused to the walls they attack on sight. If the characters are disguised
and ceilings. Hanging hooks dangle from the high or can otherwise trick them with a successful DC 16
ceilings and blood-stained stone floors stretch Charisma (Deception) check, they speak in unison:
beyond the entrance toward the bladed corridor
(area M1). The Halls of Metal consist of three “The forgemaster requests your purpose for entry.”
main areas.
The sentinels demand each character state their
The Bladed Corridor (area M1). This area serves as business. If the characters mention they are
a meeting room and common area. The weaponry here seeking the fire giant forgemaster Urgnat
of fallen warriors that sought Kasimir’s power has Spinehammer, the sentinels each draw a single blade,
been fused to the surfaces as a grim reminder of extending their arms to point toward the sweltering
exactly what it means to oppose the great lich. stairwell. One steps down from its post to lead the
characters to the astral forge (area M3):
The Astral Forge (area M3). This area is a massive
furnace powered by a beam of pure radiant energy
from the Unseen Sun. The beam superheats the
metals as the undead fire giant Forgemaster
Urgnat Spinehammer uses them to create items of
unparalleled magical potency.

41

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

M2

to the M1
BLADED M3
BALCONY

M5 M4
M6

HALLS M7 M8
of METAL
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
42

“Very well, mortal. You may meet with the forgemaster, M3. Astral Forge
but do not disturb his delicate work!”
This massive circular chamber is made of tiled stone
If the characters mention anything other than floors and rough-hewn stone walls and ceilings. A
speaking with Urgnat, the sentinels respond: 10-foot-deep trench flowing with hot magma defines
the outside perimeter. Carvings of massive skulls
“You are not welcome in these halls. Leave now or join with their mouths open line the walls. A stream of
us in death!” magma flows from each of the skull’s mouths into the
trench below.
If the characters press the matter, or if they approach Pipes run along the walls and ceilings toward
within 10 feet of the exits to areas M2 or M5 without an enormous arcane furnace in the center of the
permission, the sentinels step down from the pillar to room. The room is hazy with heat and steam from
attack. This immediately causes a heavyiron portcullis an overhanging pipe that constantly drips water that
to drop down in each of the hallways leading into sizzles as it hits the stone floor. A stone bridge from the
the room, closing off physical exit. A portcullis can entrance leads to the central platform that houses the
be lifted with a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) furnace. The bridge is 20 feet wide and flush with the
check. Each has AC 20 and 100 hp, and immunity to main floor.
poison and psychic damage. The furnace houses a huge metal cauldron. A
winding stone staircase leads up to the cauldron,
M2. Sweltering Stairwell which rests before a massive stone well filled with
magma. From the ceiling, a huge nozzle blasts a beam
This stone spiral staircase descends toward a glowing of radiant energy into the cauldron. A small platform
red light. The stairs are lined with relief carvings at the top of the stairs holds a lever that seems to
of skeletal figures marching with blades ready, as activate the radiant blasts.
if ascending the stairs. The staircase ends in a long
metallic corridor lined with metal tubes and pipes. This chamber houses one of the six conduit cores.
Hissing steam emits from points along the pipes and An undead fire giant (see below) known as Urgnat
one tube contains a flow of liquid metal. Spinehammer channels the Unseen Sun’s magic to
A steel-grated floor spans the length of the 100-foot- work the forge here, aided by three bone mason
long hallway toward an arched stone entrance glowing sentinels (see appendix A).
softly with bright orange light. Every few moments,
a spout of flame erupts from below the grated floor, Conduit Core
filling a portion of the hallway with flames.
The orb below the cauldron is the conduit core. Its
The hallway features five grates in the floor, each energy powers the forge. Destroying the orb disrupts
10 feet by 20 feet. Each round on initiative count the energy flow that feeds into one of the conduit
20, a gout of flames emerges from two randomly cores powering the Unseen Sun. Cables that thrum
determined grates along the hallway. Characters with radiant energy connect the forge to a wall outlet.
standing over the grates must succeed on a DC 15 Urgnat Spinehammer furiously protects the conduit
Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (5d6) fire damage. core from potential saboteurs.
Two fire elementals reside underneath the metal
grates. They assault any trespassers unaccompanied Urgnat Spinehammer
by a bone mason sentinel.
This hall ends in another spiral staircase that The undead fire giant Urgnat wields a massive forge
descends farther into the earth. Characters hear the hammer. The head takes the shape of a steel skull
thrumming of machines and slamming of hammers with flames erupting from the eye sockets, and the
and are met with unbearable heat. handle is made from the spine of a dragon. Urgnat’s
skeletal face has one pristine eye in the right socket
and a massive braided brown beard that hangs down
to his waist.

43

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Long before Kasimir’s ancient empire fell, Urgnat If asked about this artifact, Urgnat blurts out that
Spinehammer was lauded as a prodigy among his the lich took the crown for his phylactery and hid it in
people for his ability to weave magic into his creations a place inaccessible by physical means. The fire giant
that bent the laws of reality. longs to gaze upon his work once more and claims
When Kasimir recruited him to design parts of that he discovered a way to make the crown wholly
the citadel and build his phylactery in exchange for indestructible to any force or energy, except for the
eternal life as an undead creature, Urgnat readily heat of a star.
agreed. Given hundreds of years to perfect his If any character notes the confusing nature of the
techniques, the giant’s work with the forge now designs or insults his work, Urgnat immediately
surpasses mortal creations. responds with anger and wounded pride.
If the characters were not invited, Urgnat asks why If Urgnat is driven to battle he uses the game
they are here and asks if they have come to see his statistics of a fire giant with the following
incredible work. He was not told of the characters’ additional traits:
significance, nor have the bone masons assigned to
aid him in his work. He proudly shows off each of • His creature type changes to undead.
his displayed designs in the trophy room (area M4) • He is immune to poison damage, exhaustion, and
and brags to the characters about his masterful work.
His indestructible and unfathomable designs are far the poisoned condition.
beyond the comprehension of mortal beings. • Blazing Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces
Urgnat continues to be hospitable as long as
characters allow him to talk about his work and Urgnat Spinehammer to 0 hit points, he can make
feed his ego. After they see and properly appreciate a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the
his designs, the fire giant wistfully laments that he damage taken, unless the damage is from cold
cannot show the characters his greatest creation. In a damage or a critical hit. On a success, the Urgnat
whisper, Urgnat reveals that he fashioned a crown of drops to 1 hit point instead.
pure starlight for the ruler of the old empire.
Personality Traits. “I boast about my work to
anyone willing to listen, for all should be in awe of the
magic of creation I wield.”

44

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Ideal. “My work is my legacy. The forge Urgnat loves to bring visitors to this room and
is a canvas, and I am an artist. People must discuss his impossible designs in detail. He despises
understand the expertise that one must wield when anyone who seems uninterested or unimpressed with
working a forge.” his work. Each work is worth 5,000 gp to a fine artist
Bond. “This forge this gives me the tools to create in a major city like Nov Ostoya.
works beyond most people’s wildest comprehensions.
I am one with this forge, and it is one with me.” M5. Hall of Victory
Flaw. “I am easily distracted when given the
opportunity to talk about my work and discuss my Alcoves line this 150-foot-long corridor, each housing a
creations in great length and detail.” suit of armor equipped with a large two-handed blade
in attack position. Above each suit of armor a torch
Forge Assistants glows with eerie green light. A large archway at the far
end of this hall is flanked by two massive suits of armor,
Three bone mason sentinels aid the fire giant in his both hands on their sword hilts, the swords resting on
work. One stands atop the stairs tilting the cauldron the ground between their feet.
toward the chute below as needed to keep the metal At the end of the hallway, a grand statue of Kasimir
flowing. One monitors and activates the radiant blasts Sundrinker rests in the middle of an intersection of
from the nozzle above. The third switches the chute passages clutching a rod of petrified wood topped with
between the left funnel or the right anvil as requested a burning skull.
by Urgnat.
When characters enter the hallway, Kasimir
M4. Trophy Room Sundrinker speaks to them through his statue. He
calls the characters interlopers and threatens them to
This small chamber off the main forge is set with turn back or face the consequences. He remarks as
display cases, each housing an oddity of metallic follows when they advance halfway down the hall.
construction. Each has a metal plaque engraved with a
small description of the item held within.

The display cases house the following objects. “You believe yourselves powerful, but these fallen
soldiers can rise again at my command. If you believe
Impossible Link. Three rings linked together that yourselves so mighty, how many do you think you can
look circular, but the links and shape move in face at once?”
unnatural ways, tricking the eyes to see the same
image from any angle. Kasimir is true to his word, and if the characters
specify a number, that many statues spring to life.
Unfathomable Cube. This metal frame cubic object The animated statues use the game statistics of a
at first seems like a standard 6 faced cube, but the veteran, with its creature type changed to construct.
corners intersect at impossible angles. As metallic constructs, their weapons and armor are
part of their form.
Eternal Triangle. This simple metal triangle If the characters choose to face fewer than five
bends at each angle at a degree that should not statues, the lich mocks them as cowards, if they
connect back to itself, yet it still somehow forms a choose to face more than twelve, he calls them fools. If
triangle shape. the characters are clever and say zero, he cackles and
roars “so be it!” before launching a fireball using the
Enigma Trident. The short trident has a small hilt wand held by the statue. The statue then reverts to a
that splits into two separate metal rods. However, motionless form.
the three tips of the trident attach to three metal Kasimir observes the characters carefully to learn
rods. The point where the two rods become three is their tactics and strategies.
unrecognizable to the eye.
Treasure
Eternal Waterfall: A metal zigzagging trench filled
with water flows against gravity upward toward The rod held by the statue is a magic item that can be
one of the ends, which then pours back down to the easily removed: a wand of fireballs.
beginning. Attempts to understand the flow of the
water or the angle of the corners leave the viewer
perplexed.

45

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Progression The skeletons are roughly arranged into piles and being
constructed into full skeletal bodies. Wires and tubes
When the characters reach the end of the hallway and link each of the tanks to a central device—a large
enter the intersection, read: radiant energy emitter that houses a conduit core.
Bone masons load full skeletons into the tanks and pull
This intersection consists of three short halls that lead levers that pours liquid metal over them.
in each direction. To the south is a large iron door
with etched carvings of metal skeletal figures with Vertek Alloy (a bone mason sentinel with 130 hit
outstretched arms holding up a blazing sun. To the points) leads three bone mason sentinels in the
north is a door of bone lined with thick ribs and skulls. construction (see appendix A for both creatures’ game
To the west is an old, rusted iron door with large bolts statistics). Vertek barks orders at the sentinels as they
and a huge skull with glowing white eyes. rigorously create soldiers and send them down the
tracks toward the unit storage (area M8).
M6. Iron Ossuary
Conduit Core
Beyond the door lies a small square room. The walls
and ceiling are lined with bones and the floor is made The energy source in the middle of the room
entirely of skulls looking up. In the middle of the powering the tanks is the conduit core and can be
room, the floor gives way to a 10-foot-wide pit filled dismantled or destroyed by the characters. Vertek
with bones. Alloy and the sentinels in the room defend the core at
Off to the left a series of small trolleys line up on a all costs.
track that leads into a small hole in the wall and passes
through into the next room over. A few of the trollies High Sentinel Vertek Alloy
are filled with bones. A large metal chute in the ceiling
occasionally drops a fresh pile of bones into the pit. The appointed leader of the citadel’s guard, Vertek
Alloy oversees the creation and building of minions
This room contains two bone mason sentinels (see for Kasimir. Vertek served Kasimir in life, and was
appendix A). These servitors have not been informed rewarded for his service after Kasimir achieved
of the characters’ importance, and leave them alone lichdom, several centuries after Vertek’s death.
unless provoked. One is in the pit sifting through the Kasimir drew his spirit from the beyond and offered
bones and pulling out intact ones to form skeletons him eternal life inside the first sentinel created. Vertek
and handing them to the other who puts them on to stands out from the other sentinels with his golden
a trolley. skull and three eye sockets that spill radiant light.
The trolley tunnel is cramped. A small creature He is a cunning and dangerous foe who protects his
can pass through normally, but a Medium or larger master and the citadel at all costs. Losing the power of
creature must squeeze through by succeeding on a the Unseen Sun would mean his death.
DC 18 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. A creature that Personality Traits. “I can withstand any
fails its check makes no progress, and a creature that challenge, for my form is impervious and I enjoy
fails this check by 5 or more becomes stuck and is showing off what I have gained.”
restrained until it uses an action and succeeds on a Ideal. “I am responsible for the armies of minions
DC 18 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to escape. The that serve my master, and I must not falter in my
cramped tunnel and track lead to the application efficiency and dedication.”
tanks (area M7). Bond. “I serve my master’s will with absolute
obedience, for he is the creator and the master of this
M7. Application Tanks domain that sustains my eternal life.”
Flaw. “Nothing can harm me as long as I am
This large rectangular workshop is lined with tanks and dedicated to the lich’s cause.”
small metal stairs leading up to each of them. Skeletons
and piles of bones are strewn about with tools and gear. M8. Unit Storage

This room is dark and cold. Shelves stretching up to the
high ceiling 40-feet above line the walls and form rows
in four aisles.

46

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

On the shelves, hundreds of bone mason sentinels Characters who linger in this chamber risk drawing
stand with their arms crossed in front of them, awaiting the attention of the screaming souls. The spirits
activation. They remain motionless, their eyes dark and reach out to touch any creature that isn’t undead or
soulless. At the front of this chamber a small workshop a construct that starts its turn in this hallway. That
is illuminated by a soft blue light emitted from tubes on creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving
a pair of operating tables. throw. It takes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage on a failed
Two sentinels prop a lifeless bone mason onto save, or half as much on a successful one.
the table. One pulls a lever beside the table and the A creature reduced to 0 hit points by this damage
blue energy flows into the cold skeletal form, its eyes dies and its soul is sucked into the Soul Syphon
illuminate with radiant light, and it springs to life. (area P3).

A set of metal tracks emerges from a small passage P2. Ghostly Vestibule
in the side of the wall. A cart rests upon the tracks,
and three bone mason sentinels (see appendix A) This octagonal chamber’s glass walls look out upon
organize their inactive fellows in this chamber. dread landscapes of barren mountain ranges and vast
If the active sentinels notice the characters, one deserts of ash and crumbled earth. The images shift
immediately attacks while the others place another and change through depictions of alien landscapes
sentinel body on the slab and attempt to activate it. ranging from serene fields to vast stormy oceans
to nightmare badlands. Four comfortable-looking
Sepulcher of Souls white marble benches line the southwest and
southeast walls.
The Sepulcher of Souls draws in the energies of In the middle of the room, a 10-foot-wide circle is
the dead and directs them to multiple locations etched into both the floor and ceiling. A soft cylinder of
throughout the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. light drifts between the etched circles. A stone pedestal
No hallways connect the rooms of the Sepulcher within the cylinder of light holds seven crystalline
of Souls. Instead, characters must move between buttons arranged in a circle. Each is a distinct color,
the chambers via magic of some kind. The ethereal arranged in the following order: red, orange, yellow,
creatures that inhabit the sepulcher simply pass green, blue, indigo, and purple.
through the walls. Others either use spells such as
dimension door, etherealness, passwall, or similar magic to A creature who is ethereal or who can see into the
move between rooms, or access the ghostly vestibule. Ethereal Plane sees the following:
The chambers are separated into three major areas:
The Ghostly Vestibule (area P2). This area is the The view from the Ethereal Plane differs. The panels
that looked out upon shifting landscapes give way
entrance hall for this wing and contains a magical to cold stone walls. Archways of green glowing
pedestal that allows characters to travel ethereally light appear on the walls on the northeast and
to the other chambers. northwest walls.
The Soul Syphon (area P3). This area is a massive
well of undead souls, constantly churning and When a character stands within the cylinder of light in
wailing. Here, captured souls are sorted and sent to the center of the room, Kasimir Sundrinker appears as
fuel the experiments in the Prism Labs, sustain the if by a project image spell.
Unseen Sun, or feed Kasimir’s phylactery. The illusion manifests as a ghostly form that
The Extractor Chamber (area P4). This area is emerges from the north wall. He welcomes the
where creatures discovered to harbor a spark of characters to the Sepulcher of Souls while gliding
sunlight in their souls have that energy extracted. across the chamber to sits on one of the marble
benches. In response to any attack or assault from
P1. Hall of Screaming Souls the characters, Kasimir’s image re-forms, howling
with laughter.
A narrow bridge constructed of bones spans 100 feet
across this long chamber. A cylindrical spiraling vortex
of eerie green light and thousands of wailing souls
reaching out and screaming in terror encircles the
bridge of bone.

47

6.2: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

SEPULCHER
of SOULS

P4
P2
P5

to the
SEPULCHER BALCONY

P1

P3

48

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun