If Vedran is Cured The Crimson Court (from
Episode 5: City of Decadence)
If the characters retrieve the fingerbone from the hags
(see “The Black Mire,” below) and cure Vedran of his The countess is well-versed in Ostoyan politics. This information,
curse, he thanks the characters and offers them his from episode 5 of this Fable, can help you roleplay her in a
family’s sword. The sword is a +1 longsword. If the way that indulges her love of gossip and canniness about her
characters spoke to Liběna in Lunsk and pass on her rivals in court.
concerns, he resolves to leave in two days’ time to see Soma and the city of Nov Ostoya are ruled by a cabal of seven
her. If the characters have not already been to Lunsk, vampire nobles called the Crimson Court. They oversee every
he asks if they would accompany him. aspect of the nation, from the highest noble decrees to the
lowest elements of criminality. Though the members rule side
If Vedran Remains Cursed by side, none of them achieved a seat on the court by being
kind sovereigns, and none of them committed the atrocious,
If the characters decide not to do anything about dangerous acts needed to attain their position in expectation of
Vedran in his cursed form, he continues to plague the serving another. The current members include the following:
town until a hunting party is assembled. The hunting
party kills him, but two of Vedran’s friends, Anđela • Grand Duke Drago Koshevek is the master of the court.
Jurakić and Josef Milas, also die in the fight. He oversees the main military forces within Soma and Nov
Ostoya, making his position secure. He is cold, humorless, and
Mireblossom Manor considered cruel even by his fellow court members.
The homes of Riven eventually fall prey for the • Countess Katalina Vulpescu is infamous for knowing everything
mire. If the characters explore the other houses in about everyone and for pulling the strings that determine
Riven, they find homes ranging from one-room the motivations and actions of powerful noble families. Her
shacks to multilevel stilt houses, all being consumed influence is based as much on her charm as the impressive
by the mud. Yet no home in Riven is as fine—or as catalogue of blackmail she has at her disposal.
foolhardy—as Mireblossom Manor.
• Countess ‘Sommelier’ Augustine Vasinesca is capable of
A stately, three-story stone manor home stands before rivaling Katalina in charm. Augustine won the hearts of the
you. Easily the grandest house in Riven, the manor vampiric nobles of Soma. Their gift at sniffing out vessels with
showcases an impressive display of wealth and power. It the most decadent tasting blood granted them a position
also tilts visibly to the left, with the front corner of the of great power within the nation. They are in charge of the
house a good three inches deeper into the mud than Indenture Stills in Nov Ostoya and make tasteful blood blends
the rest of the building. The stairs to the front door are for the vampire nobles of the region.
partially consumed by the mud.
• Viscount Grigore Otvosca, as the most eccentric member of
Situated in the current center of Riven, Mireblossom the court, is also the most brilliant. Grigore is an inventor and
Manor is a large, three-story stone manor home spends his time in his tower within Blackharbour, tinkering
constructed for the current ruler, Countess Khrystyana and crafting. He was the initial inventor of the bliss drug and
Petrovskaya (NE, female human vampire). created a recipe that could be replicated at street level, helping
Khrystyana arrived in Riven three decades ago as its to further immobilize the lower classes of Nov Ostoya through
new ruler and insisted on the construction of a new addiction.
home, claiming nothing extant in Riven was grand
enough to suit her. She ignored the warnings of the • Viscountess Virgilia Petinscu harbors an intense rivalry with
townsfolk that any construction would inevitably Grigore, though he doesn’t realize it. As a historian, she is said
be consumed by the swamp. The building’s fatal tilt to know more about the past of the nation than any other
allows mud to constantly seep up through the stones person in the Empire. She prides herself on her brilliance and
and floorboards on the first floor. Servants struggle to doesn’t take kindly to being upstaged regarding knowledge of
stay ahead of the muck, knowing the countess does the past or the future.
not tolerate filth. Determined to ignore the state of
her home, the countess never descends to the ground • Baron Mihael the Wolf, the most mysterious of the court,
floor, instead wandering the second and third floors, oversees construction within Nov Ostoya and Soma. He
where the muck and mud are at an acceptable (and believes that to effectively govern, the roads and defenses of
forgettable) distance. the nation must be maintained, and his understanding of the
defensive capabilities of the region is unparalleled. He was a
werewolf before being turned into a vampire and still carries
the effects of lycanthropy, marking him as an outsider among
the court members. He is more approachable than others of
the court, though he has little patience for small talk or the
affairs of “lesser” creatures.
49
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
Vera Loere Maric Ćaslacovic Countess Khrystyana Petrovskaya employs several
Divna Cvitko servants and currently hosts three companions, young
50 men and women from Riven who caught her eye.
Being chosen as a companion to the countess is both a
blessing and a curse. In her company, the companions
enjoy luxury they would otherwise never experience,
but none return home from the countess’s manor.
Roleplaying the Servants
The vampire’s servants are content with their lot,
given their circumstances and the alternatives.
Maric Ćaslacovic (LE, male human commoner) has
been the countess’s steward since he moved into
Mireblossom Manor. He handles the day-to-day
running of the estate. Maric takes his job seriously,
is extremely stern, and has a will of iron. He is loyal
to the countess.
Vera Loere (LE, female human commoner) is the
cook for Mireblossom Manor. She and Maric do not
harbor much esteem for each other, and both resent
the other’s authority in their respective portions
of the house. Though she is more expressive
than Maric, Vera’s expressions usually reflect
annoyance, anger, and frustration. She seldom
smiles, unless she sees the suffering of someone she
feels is beneath her, like Divna.
Divna Cvitko (NE, female human commoner) has
been a scullery maid at the manor for a year. She
is run ragged by both Maric and Vera and harbors
fantasies of becoming a companion to the countess
so that the two senior servants must obey her every
whim. She does everything and anything she can to
win the good graces of the countess, who thus far
has failed to notice her.
Roleplaying the Companions
The countess keeps her three companions close by
at all times. These individuals provide company for
the countess, as well as a source of blood to sate her
hunger. When the countess tires of a companion,
the individual serves as an offering for Sitri (see
area M19). On the rare occasion that a companion
retains her interest, she blesses them with the gift of
vampirism, turning them into a vampire spawn under
her control. Two of her current companions are still
living, while one has been changed.
Nadia Prodanovic (NE, female human vampire
spawn) was the eldest daughter of a family in
Riven and precocious and spirited from a young
age. When she turned seventeen, she declared that
she would never settle down with a family nor
marry, and that she found the town of Riven dull
and worthless. The next day an invitation from the
countess was delivered to her door.
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
She spent months in the company of the countess, Aleksander Nadia
and her fiery, selfish spirit so impressed Khrystyana Novak Prodanovic
that she transformed the girl into a vampire spawn
on her eighteenth birthday. Nadia is fiercely loyal Irenya
the countess and will do anything to protect her. Kostacovic
Whereas the countess has learned to temper her
monstrousness with civility, Nadia is still learning, 51
and her true nature flares to the surface when she
rouses to anger, hunger, or strong emotion.
Irenya Kostacovic (NG, female human commoner
who can cast dancing lights and thaumaturgy) came
to Riven from Voyd in the company of her new
husband Rojir, a mussel merchant. A stunning
beauty, Irenya became the talk of the town. Rumors
spread that she had an aptitude with magic, and
jealous tongues even called her a witch. A few
months after her arrival, Rojir died tragically while
out in the mussel fields, though the true cause of
his accident was never confirmed. The day after
his funeral, Irenya received her invitation. After
spending months under the charming effects of the
countess, Irenya now has no desire to leave. She is
happy, a pleasant conversationalist, and completely
under the countess’s spell.
Aleksander Novak (CG, male human veteran) is
the newest addition to the countess’s companions.
He is very pretty and very charming and boldly
arrived on the countess’s doorstep without an
invitation and offered himself as a companion.
A self-stylized vampire hunter, Aleksander is
biding his time until he can strike at the countess
and Nadia. The countess sees through his ruse,
but it amuses her to keep him close with his free
will intact, anticipating the sweet moment she can
destroy his hopes and kill him.
Roleplaying Countess Petrovskaya
Countess Khrystyana Petrovskaya used to live
in luxury as one of the resplendent vampires of
Nov Ostoya. Then she made a near-fatal error: She
misjudged Countess Katalina Vulpescu’s fondness
for the flavor of a particular mortal. She fed from the
human, and Countess Vulpescu took it as an affront.
Using her skills with charm and blackmail, Countess
Vulpescu convinced the Grand Duke to remove
Countess Petrovskaya from the courts of Nov Ostoya.
Now mockingly referred to as the Blossom of
the Mire by the vampire nobles in Nov Ostoya,
Khrystyana Petrovskaya was “gifted” Riven by
the Grand Duke, her new position providing an
excuse to banish her in all but name. She harbors a
deep resentment for the vampires of Nov Ostoya,
simultaneously longing to rejoin that dark glittering
throng and desiring their downfall. She is stubborn,
prideful, painfully bored...and fiercely lonely, though
she would never admit it. Though haughty and cruel,
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
Countess Khrystyana Threat Evaluation. The countess directs their
Petrovskaya conversation to find out where the characters are
from, what they are doing in her city, if they know
she is desperate to hear news of the world outside any good gossip, if they are a threat to her, and to
Riven and particularly interested in gossip about Nov evaluate whether any of them might make suitable
Ostoya or the vampires within it. She strolls the long companions. New arrivals to town are interesting
gallery on the third floor of her manor, wrapped in simply by product of being different faces, but the
furs and adorned with fine jewels, staring out over novelty ordinarily wears off within the span of one
the landscape of the Black Mire and watching the or two conversations. If the characters amuse her,
witchlights dance in the darkness of the swamp. she tells them they are welcome back at any time. If
The countess is immediately aware of the characters’ any of the characters have a Charisma score of 18 or
presence when they enter her city. Riven lives under higher or display magic in her presence, they pique
the direct rule of a vampire, and the townsfolk remain her interest. She keeps a closer eye on them, even
loyal out of ambition or a fear of becoming the Blossom offering them lodging in her guest quarters.
of the Mire’s next meal. She keeps close tabs on the Combat with the Countess. The countess has
characters and extends an invitation to them via a no desire to engage in combat with the characters
courier to call on her at her manor. and avoids overt conflict unless she is attacked or
they cast a spell on her. If the party tries to magically
A Guest of the Countess charm or otherwise sway her, she becomes rude and
demands to know what the characters want of her.
If the characters answer the invitation to Mireblossom Quest for the Hags. If the characters directly ask
Manor, Maric Ćaslacovic answers the door and invites for her hair as payment for a favor from the hags
them. He ushers them to the drawing room on the of the Black Mire (see below), she wants to know
second floor and offers wine and other refreshments. why. If they tell her about the hags, she is extremely
Countess Khrystyana Petrovskaya holds manners and amused. After her laughter subsides, she is curious
hospitality in high regard and treats her guests with why the characters act on behalf of the hag and
respect until they force her to act otherwise. (She will expresses distaste for the cursed creature within her
kill someone in cold blood the moment it suits her, but city. If they are honest with her, impressed by the
make sure they are fed and warm before doing so.) characters’ moxie, she gives them the requested hair
After a brief wait, the countess enters and but asks that they do her a favor in return: deliver
welcomes the characters warmly. a letter to Nov Ostoya. If the characters agree, she
writes a letter to the Grand Duke (see “Countess
Khrystyana Petrovskaya’s Letter” in appendix C)
and gives it and the hair to the characters with
no ill will.
Gossiping with the Countess
If the characters take the time to converse politely
with the countess, they learn a wealth of information
about Nov Ostoya and its vampire lords. If the
characters tell the countess about the hag’s demand
for her hair, or if they succeed on a Charisma
(Persuasion) check, the countess regales them with
tales of her former associates as well as the city.
If the characters succeed on a DC 15 Charisma
(Persuasion) check, they learn the following:
• The countess tells them the names and positions of
the vampires of the Crimson Court, if they don’t
already know them.
• “I wonder if the others are still dumping their
failed experiments and disgraced servants in Low
Streets. Those alleyways were particularly deadly,
given the twisted cast-offs that end up there. I
don’t recommend it unless you’re ready to get your
shoes dirty.”
52
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
M9
M4 M6
M8
M1
M3a M2 M5 M7b
M3b M7a
MIREBLOSSOM MANOR
Ground Floor
If the characters succeed on a DC 20 Charisma regardless of the characters’ excuses. Maric reports the
(Persuasion) check, they learn the following: characters’ movements to the countess.
The boxed text assumes the characters are in
• “You do know the Crimson Court invented bliss the manor during the daytime, as the countess’s
to control the population of Nov Ostoya...and to invited guests. At night, the public rooms are
satisfy their own personal cravings.” deserted and dark.
• “The Volitant work for the vampires of Nov Ostoya. Mireblossom Manor Features
If you cross them, expect to find a dozen vampires
breathing down your neck.” The interior rooms of stately Mireblossom Manor
have the following features:
• “Poor Countess Augustine. Now, you didn’t Well Appointed. Mireblossom Manor is filled with
hear this from me, but she’s just a wee bit mad.
And watch your step around her. Those mortals heavy furniture, plush carpets, luxurious drapes
she thinks might make a good vintage tend to go and bedding, and overall exudes an aura of wealth.
missing, and quickly.” Characters could theoretically plunder the manor
for all it’s worth—which is a lot—if they have time.
If the characters attempt to break in to Mireblossom Characters left to their own devices can plunder
Manor or otherwise wander through its halls, refer to 5,000 gp of objects in 1 dedicated day of ransacking,
the room-by-room description below. an additional 10,000 gp in the next day, and a
further 20,000 gp over the next week. Of course, the
Within Mireblossom Manor problem then is faking merchant papers to get into
Nov Ostoya to sell it all.
Three doors open into Mireblossom Manor: the front Well Lit. During most hours, the rooms are lit with
doors, the back door, and the servants’ entrance. candles and sconces. During the sleeping hours, the
All three are locked when the servants are sleeping house is dark, with only one or two candles lit in
and require a successful DC 16 Dexterity check with the hallways or low-burning fires in the rooms. The
thieves’ tools to pick the lock. The doors are unlocked exception is the third floor, which blazes with light
while the servants are awake. If either Divna or no matter the time of day or night.
Vera spies the characters in a room they are not
supposed to be in, they report the incident to Maric,
53
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
Ceilings. Unless otherwise stated, the ceilings within This room holds nothing of interest other than the
the manor are 12 feet tall. food. If the characters step off the plank bridges
and into the mud, they sink up to their ankles (on a
Doors. All the doors in the manor are 7 feet tall and 3 human). The mud floor in this room is considered
feet wide. They are made from fine, polished wood difficult terrain.
with brass hardware. A door can be broken down
with a successful DC 18 Strength (Athletics) check. M3. Ground Floor:
A door is a Large object with an AC 12, 40 hp, Scullery and Kitchen
and immunity to poison and psychic damage. A
locked door can be opened with a successful DC 16 Though the countess does not require food, she
Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. demands the trappings of opulence, and so requires
the pretense of an elaborate dinner every evening.
Storage. The manor features a number of small,
unlabeled rooms. These closets are filled with plates This room is hot, filled with boiling pots on a stovetop
and bowls, bedding, unused décor, and other items. and a large fowl rotating on a spit. The mud is present
here in spots and splotches between the flagstones of
M1. Ground Floor: Hall the floor. An older woman stands at a counter, rolling
out dough, a covered silver tray at her elbow.
The first time the characters enter the hall, read the She doesn’t look up when you enter but yells:
following. “Girl, where have you been, these tarts are ready for
the countess! Hurry before the cream curdles in this
The front doors of Mireblossom Manor open to a grand blasted heat!”
hall, with a vestibule at the far end and a gallery
overlooking the hall above it. The hall is two stories When Vera realizes the characters are not Divna, she
tall and exquisitely paved in black marble, with a large puts a floured hand to her mouth and then quickly
hearth on the eastern wall and two glass-paned doors curtsies. “Apologies, I didn’t know the countess had
that allow guests access to the stone patio and yard at guests. Can I help you with anything?” She does
the back of the house. Mud and muck seeps up between her best to assist the characters if they’re looking
the stones, forcing its way through the gaps left behind for something in the kitchen. If they ask too many
by long-dissolved grout. questions, she becomes suspicious and calls for Maric,
A young woman with her hair tied back scrubs at the suggesting he can provide better answers.
mud with a brush and a bucket. The scullery (M3b) holds bins of water and
implements for cleaning.
The maid Divna scrubs the floor near the hearth. When
she sees the characters, she startles and leaps to her M4. Ground Floor: Steward’s Room
feet. If the characters are escorted by Maric or otherwise
supposed to be here, she bows her head in deference, This chamber functions as the office and
brushing the mud from her knees self-consciously. If bedchamber of Maric Ćaslacovic, the steward of
the characters are trespassers, she screams and flees Mireblossom Manor.
from the characters to the nearest door unless the
characters stop her. This alerts the rest of the household. This narrow, long room is cut by a folding screen about
At the north end of the hall, beside the front halfway down its length, hiding whatever lies behind it.
entrance, two doors open to the east and west to A heavy desk sits near the door. Mud leeches up through
staircases up to the second floor. At the south end, the flagstones.
within the vestibule, two concealed servants’ doors A bespectacled gentleman is seated at the desk,
open into the east and west wings of the ground floor. reading by the light of an unshaded lamp. His head
is bowed over some ledgers, but he looks up when
M2. Ground Floor: Larder you enter.
This room lies several feet deeper than the other rooms Maric is momentarily flustered at their appearance
on this floor and suffers from the incursion of mud. in his room but is quick to collect his composure and
Vegetables, meats, and containers of foodstuffs sit on offer his services.
shelves mounted on the wall. Someone has laid rough-
hewn boards as makeshift bridges across the muck on
the floor.
54
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
At night, Maric sleeps in his small bed behind the Vera’s bedchamber (area M7b) connects to her
folding screen. If he wakes when the characters are in drawing room via a small door in the northern wall. If
his room and they are supposed to be in the manor, the characters enter the bedchamber through the hall
he asks if they need anything and if he can help them door, read the following:
back to their rooms. If they are not supposed to be in
the manor, he yells loudly at them to leave, calling As you enter this room, you see a face—your face!—
for the guard, and pulls a shortsword from beside his staring back at you from the far side of the room.
bed, advancing on the characters. A low fire burns in the small hearth on the eastern
Treasure. The steward keeps important items wall of this chamber. Beside the hearth is a long dresser
related to household functions stored in his desk. with a mirror above it. A single bed juts out from the
Along with relevant ledgers and paperwork, a chest western wall.
in the bottom drawer contains 100 platinum and loop
of keys. The keys unlock all the doors throughout the The face is the character’s reflection in a large mirror
house, as well as the shackles in the prison. hanging on the far wall.
If they enter the bedchamber during the night,
M5. Ground Floor: Pantry unless the characters interact with her, Vera rolls
over and falls back to sleep but doesn’t wake. If
This room is filled with dry goods, dishes, serving the characters wake her, she starts and demands to
platters, and other household items. Like nearly every know what they’re doing in her room. If she doesn’t
room on the ground floor, mud seeps up through the immediately receive a satisfactory answer, she yells
floor here. for Maric. This alerts the rest of the household.
There is nothing of interest in this room. M8. Ground Floor: Prison
M6. Ground Floor: Divna’s The windows in this room are boarded over with thick
Bedchamber planks. Shackles and chains are bolted to the walls.
Stone stairs descend to the floor, which is covered in
This tiny chamber holds a small three-drawer dresser, muck and mud.
an ewer and basin for washing, and a single bed with
a simple coverlet and one pillow. The mud is less The floor here is difficult terrain. Otherwise, it is
prevalent in this room. empty, with nothing of interest.
If the characters fall in battle to the countess or
Divna is busy attending to the needs of the house other inhabitants of the house, they wake up chained
during the day. If the characters enter this room in this room. If Aleksander lives, he comes the next
at night, she wakes and screams, too distressed at night and frees them from their bindings if they agree
strangers seeing her in her nightgown to be reasoned to help him kill the countess and Nadia. He steals the
with. This alerts the rest of the household. keys from Maric’s desk (see area M4) and uses them
to unlock the characters’ shackles. A heavy wooden
M7. Ground Floor: Vera’s Chambers chest in the anteroom up the stairs contains the
characters’ belongings.
Vera claimed a pair of rooms for herself. When the
characters enter her drawing room (area M7a), read M9. Ground Floor: Dining Room
the following:
Before the mud began to seep through the foundation,
This small room looks out over the back of the manor. the countess used this chamber when she was
Two wingback chairs are seated side by side beneath not hosting guests. It is now used exclusively by
the double windows. A book sits open and upside the servants.
down on the table between them, with a set of dainty
spectacles on top. A small square table and four chairs sit in the center
of this room. One chair is pulled out on an angle, as if
The spectacles are Vera’s, and the book is a bawdy someone had risen and left in a hurry.
romance titled The Vampire’s Concubine.
There is nothing of interest in this room.
55
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
M10. Second Floor: M12a. Guest Receiving Room
Main Staircase Landing
This small room holds a plush velvet loveseat
The main staircase ends at a landing on the second and matching chairs, arranged around a central
floor, with a door to the south leading into the coffee table.
drawing room. A concealed servants’ door on the
eastern wall, found with a successful DC 14 Wisdom M12b. The Red Room
(Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check,
leads to a passage between the guest chambers. A double bed with a draped red canopy dominates this
room. It smells slightly of dust, and the hearth stands
M11. Second Floor: Drawing Room cold against the eastern wall.
This well-appointed room is a welcoming space for M12c. Guest Servant’s Quarters
guests, with plush chairs and fine wooden end tables
warmed by a hearth along the northern wall. This tiny room holds a neatly made single bed and a
small table with an ewer and basin.
If the characters entered through the landing door,
two other doors exit from this room: a door to the M12d. The Blue Room
southwest opens to the gallery and a door to the
south-east opens to a passageway. A double bed with a draped blue canopy dominates this
room. The town lights shine through the windows.
M12. Second Floor: Guest Chambers
This collection of rooms stands unused, held for
guests of the countess. If the countess invites the
characters to stay with her, they’re given these rooms
to use as their own.
MIREBLOSSOM MANOR
Second Floor
M19 M12d
M18
M15 M10
M11
M20 M12e
M17 M13 M12c
M14 M12b
M16
M12a
56
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
M12e. Hidden Stairwell she does not immediately attack them, content to
converse and toy with them until she becomes bored,
A secret door opens into a stairwell from the hallway until they attack, or until she thinks they are an
outside the guest servant’s quarters (M12c). The immediate threat to the countess. If they are guests of
stairwell leads up to the third-floor landing (M24a). the countess, she attacks them only if she thinks they
The countess uses this door to sneak into the guest an immediate threat to the countess.
wing of the house unseen, to feed upon her unwary Treasure. Nadia is wearing a pair of gold
guests. If any of the characters caught the countess’s filagree pearl-drop earrings and a matching necklace
eye as a potential companion and they accept worth 200 gp.
her invitation to stay in Mireblossom Manor, she
descends during the night to speak with and charm M15. Second Floor: Spare Room
the character. Once the door has been discovered, it
opens easily with a simple press. This room holds two wingback chairs and a small table
between them.
M13. Second Floor: Gallery
There is nothing of interest in this room.
This gallery overlooks the grand hall, with two floor-
to-ceiling windows that look out over the back of the M16. Second Floor: Bliss Den
manor. An elaborate rug covers the floor, and the railing
that separates you from a long fall to the marble floor This small, cozy room is bedecked with large, plush
below is polished to a high shine. You hear soft piano cushions arranged in clusters on the floor around two
music from the door to the west. low tables. Each table has a small silver covered dish in
the center, filled with golden beads.
During the day, the characters see Divna cleaning the
floor below beside the hearth (area M1). Otherwise, The silver containers each hold twenty golden beads
the grand hall is dark and empty. of bliss (see appendix B).
The door to the east opens to the drawing room,
while the door to the west opens to the great chamber.
M14. Second Floor:
Low Great Chamber
This room is intended for entertaining and the private
use of the countess’s favored companions.
This large room is lined with bookshelves and appointed
with several sitting areas, along with a writing desk
beside the hearth and a chaise lounge beneath the
windows. A baby grand piano and several musical
instruments are clustered in the southern nook. A
woman sits at the piano wearing a deep green velvet
gown and fine jewelry, her eyes closed as she plays.
The woman is Nadia Prodanovic, one of the
countess’s companions and a vampire spawn. Unless
the characters entering this area succeed on a group
DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check, she is aware of them
as soon as they enter the room. Her song trails off
and she opens her eyes and smiles at the characters.
If the characters are not supposed to be in the manor,
57
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
The vampires of Nov Ostoya value bliss because a M18. Second Floor:
vampire who feeds on a humanoid who has taken the Aleksander’s Bedchamber
drug gains its transferred effects.
The countess, although on the outs with the This room holds a small bed with a trunk sitting
vampires in Nov Ostoya, smuggles the drug to at its foot.
her manor for her own uses. Here, the countess’s
companions (and honored guests) enjoy the drug in Aleksander is asleep in the Presenting Chamber
the company of one-another, and the countess enjoys (M26) on the third floor, having spent time with
the benefits. the countess.
Treasure. The trunk at the foot of the bed
M17. Second Floor: holds five sets of fine clothes. The false bottom of
Irenya’s Bedchamber the trunk requires a successful DC 14 Intelligence
(Investigation) or DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check
A small bed is nestled against the northern corner to discover. When everything is emptied out of the
of this room, with a bedside table beside it. A small trunk, one corner of the false bottom presses in and
trunk sits at the foot of the bed, and a wing chair rests releases. Within the hidden compartment is a set of
before the hearth. splint armor, a longsword, a shortsword, a heavy
crossbow, and a monster hunter’s pack.
If the characters enter during the night, Irenya is
sleeping here. If wakened, she sits up and pulls her M19. Second Floor: Chapel
blankets to her chest. She yells for help only if the
characters present a threat to her or the countess. This This room is dark, with red-glassed lamps and windows.
alerts the entire household. Thick velvet drapes line the walls, adorned with
Treasure. The drawer in the end table holds a gold more silk cording than is strictly necessary. At the far
ring. The trunk at the foot of the bed contains seven end between the windows hangs a symbol of a fist
fine gowns and a small wooden box. The box holds gripping a bloody rose, forged from gold and inlaid
letters from Irenya’s parents in Voyd, Mirka and with crimson enamel and dotted with rubies. Beneath
Nevenka Kostacovic, begging her to return home to it, a well-carved wooden saltire stands on a raised
them now that her husband is dead (see chapter 4 of dais, with shackles and bindings of metal and fur on all
this episode). four points.
This chapel is dedicated to the Arch Daemon Sitri,
whose symbol hangs above the dais. When the
countess tires of a companion, she brings them here
for one last night of bliss and pain, ending with
the companion’s death as an offering to Sitri. A
successful DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check
reveals lingering reddish-brown stains on the saltire
and tiles beneath it, though they are both cleaned
and polished.
Treasure. A small chest lined with satin sits
behind the saltire. The chest contains a polished brass
bowl and a keen dagger. Both bear intricate etchings
of rose vines with wicked thorns and beautiful
blossoms. These items comprise the countess’s
communion set (see appendix B), which is magical and
can be used to commune with Sitri.
58
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
M28 M22 M21 M24a
M26 M23
M25 M24
M27
MIREBLOSSOM MANOR
Third Floor
Sitri, Arch Daemon The southern wall is lined with artwork: Formal
of Hedonism portraits and dark landscapes hang side by side with
scenes of wretched debauchery in a strange tableau.
An Arch Daemon claiming the domains of lust, dark desire, and Two hearths blaze between the portraits.
indulgence, it is said Sitri has never forced any soul to do evil but The countess stands before one of the large
only presented them with the choice. Few possess the strength to windows, a glass of wine in her hand and a look of
walk away from him, and even those eventually succumb. wistful longing on her face.
Sitri appears as tendrils of black mist but can take on the form
of the viewer’s greatest desire, such as a handsome young lad or The countess spends much of her time here, walking
an alluring temptress. the gallery and losing herself in thoughts of revenge
and dreams of life in Nov Ostoya. If the characters are
M20. Second Floor: Western Staircase not being stealthy, or if the countess knows they’re
there, she turns toward them and smiles.
A door beside Irenya’s room opens to a staircase that She gestures to the characters to join her at the
goes up to the third floor. window and says,
M21. Third Floor: Long Gallery “Look. Look at it all. Miles upon miles of mud and salt
water. Lizards. Birds. Bugs. Hags. This is what I may call
When the characters enter the third floor, roll a d20. mine, now. This is what I earned with all those years of
On a 19 or 20, the countess is within her coffin in her groveling and servitude.Cast aside like a gown that’s
bedchamber (M25). Otherwise, she is here. gone out of fashion. But oh, my dears. When I come
back into style, I will come back blazing.”
The long gallery spans the length of Mireblossom Manor,
with floor-to-ceiling windows lining the entirety of After a moment, she sips from her glass and asks the
the northern side of this room. The Black Mire can be characters what brings them to her private quarters.
seen beyond.
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4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
If the characters killed any of the house’s inhabitants M24. Third Floor:
and it becomes clear during the conversation that they High Great Chamber
did so, she demands to know who. If it was one of the
servants, she appears sorrowful but brushes it away. Obviously intended for entertaining exclusive guests,
If the characters killed any of her companions, she the high great chamber features clusters of cushioned
becomes enraged and attacks the characters. If the chairs. The window nook on the southern side holds a
characters attack her first, she does not hesitate. round card table and four velvet, high-backed chairs.
The sounds of fighting draw Nadia up from her Atop the table is a deck of cards, stacked and waiting.
place at the piano on the floor below. On the fifth
round of combat, she arrives from the secret door on Treasure. The deck of cards on the table is a tarot
the southern corner of the long gallery. deck embossed with gold foil details worth 50 gp.
Treasure. The countess wears a deep crimson There is nothing else of interest in this room.
gown and a black fur stole, along with a matching set Secret Door. A hidden door on the eastern wall
of gold and ruby jewelry: earrings, a necklace, and a opens to the landing of a secret eastern stairwell
ring, worth a total of 300 gp. She also wears a signet (M24a). The stairs descend to the guest chambers
ring bearing a blossom encircled with a ring of thorns. on the second floor. A successful DC 20 Intelligence
A reticule attached to the waist of her dress holds a (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check is
key that fits the secret door in the high great chamber. required to discover the door. A hidden lock can
Secret Door. A concealed door in the southwest be opened with the key the countess keeps on her
corner of the gallery opens into a passageway (M22) person, or with a DC 20 Dexterity check using
to the private chambers in the west wing. Discovering thieves’ tools.
the door requires a successful DC 20 Intelligence
(Investigation) check. It opens only from the far M25. Third Floor:
side, but a character can trip the mechanism with a The Countess’s Bedchamber
successful DC 20 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools.
This bedroom is a study in opulence. A grand, dark
M22. Third Floor: Passageway wood bedframe dominates the room against the
western wall, the footboard and posts featuring an
This passageway connects the private rooms of elaborately carved design of vines and roses.
the countess. Only the servants and the countess’s Heavy red velvet curtains hide the interior of the
companions are permitted within these rooms. Secret bed. A matching carved wardrobe sits against eastern
doors in this passageway are obvious from this side wall, and a vanity with a curved-back chair stands
and do not require a check to open. against the northern wall. The hearth beside the
wardrobe blazes, and the room smells of woodsmoke,
M23. Third Floor: floral perfume, and dirt.
The Countess’s Drawing Room
Within the drawn curtains of the countess’s bed is not
This room holds two red velvet chaise lounges and a a mattress, but a black wooden coffin set into a box
dark wood coffee table between them. Bookshelves filled with dirt from Nov Ostoya. If the countess was
line both the eastern and western walls, filled with not in the long gallery, the coffin is closed and she
leather volumes. rests inside. Otherwise, the coffin sits open, revealing
the deep crimson satin lining.
More opulently appointed than the drawing room If the countess is within her coffin, she rises when
on the second floor, the countess’s drawing room is she hears the characters enter her chamber. After
heavy with the scent of woodsmoke and perfume. If letting them investigate her room for a few moments,
the characters investigate the books on the shelves, she pushes the curtain aside and smiles at the
they find nothing but blank journals or books with all characters, and says:
their pages removed. The countess enjoys the ritual
of putting her thoughts to paper, but she learned long
ago never to leave her personal thoughts in a place
anyone else can find them. Whenever she finishes a
journal entry, she tears the papers from the book and
burns them immediately.
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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
“Well now, my guests. What need, may I ask, caused M27. Third Floor: Nadia’s Bedchamber
you to breach decorum so flagrantly and brought you to
my private sanctum?” The wood floor of this room is covered with a plush
woven rug. A wardrobe stands against the eastern wall,
The countess does not attack the characters without and against the western wall, a plain wooden coffin
provocation, but she continues to demand an answer lies open and empty, draped with deep blue sheets and
to their presence. If the characters killed any of the lined with green fabric.
house’s inhabitants, she reacts as described in M21:
The Long Gallery. This bedroom belongs to Nadia. She brought nothing
Treasure. Along with makeup and cut-glass from her old life to the manor and wears the only gift
bottles of perfume, an ebony hairbrush carved with the countess has given her: her pearl-drop earrings
roses rests on the vanity top; the hairbrush holds and necklace.
strands of the countess’s hair. A silver jewelry box
on the vanity contains five necklaces, six pairs of M28. Spare Room
earrings, and a dozen rings, worth a total of 800 gp.
The wardrobe contains twenty fine dresses of velvet, This room holds cloth-covered furniture, obviously
silk, and satin, as well as four fur stoles of various in storage.
colors, and a dozen pairs of shoes to match.
Secret Door. A hidden door leads into the rest of The Fate of the Countess
the chambers of the west wing. The mechanism to
open it is set within the frame of the countess’s bed, If the characters kill the countess, Nadia is freed
beneath the outside left edge. The door requires a from her influence and claims Riven and the title
successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check or a DC of countess as her own. She involves herself in
14 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discover. The the day-to-day running of the town, with her eyes
mechanism beneath the bed can be located with a turned toward Nov Ostoya. If Aleksander and Irenya
successful DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check. survived, Nadia kills them both and drops their
bodies in the Mire where they will never be found.
M26. Third Floor: Presenting Room If Nadia dies as well, the manor is left to sink into
the mud. No new vampire arrives to rule Riven. The
A massive, canopied bedframe dominates the center Riven Council continues to govern the town.
of this room. The bed is concealed, with the heavy If the characters help Irenya escape the manor, she
brocade curtains pulled tightly shut. returns to the stilt house she shared with Rojir to pack
up what little remains, and then she returns to Voyd.
Aleksander is sleeping here, no matter the time day or She asks the characters if they would accompany her
night, as he’s sleeping off the effects of bliss and a few on the journey.
hours with the countess. Fresh vampire bites appear If the characters help Aleksander escape the manor,
on his neck and wrist. He is nude, though covered by he takes a room at the Smoking Mare Tavern for a
the blankets of the bed. few nights, and then quietly heads to Nov Ostoya to
If Aleksander thinks the characters wish to kill continue his vampire hunting.
the countess, he reveals his true intentions to them
and asks them to wait for him. He rushes downstairs The Black Mire
and dons his armor and weapons and returns to
the party. The Black Mire is a treacherous landscape full of
If the party doesn’t intend to kill the countess, strange creatures, toxic plants and gasses, and difficult
he helps them if their goals will ultimately harm terrain. Undead, giant reptiles, and hags—among other
her; he agrees to collect her hair the next time he hazards—await those who wander too deep into the
has the opportunity to do so. He is wary of entering mire. A salt marsh fed by tributaries from the Great
her bedchamber, as only Maric and Nadia have Eastern Sea, the Black Mire divides Soma from Raevo.
that privilege, and it requires a DC 20 Charisma During high tide, travelers need a flat-bottomed boat to
(Persuasion) check to convince him to do so. traverse the mire. During low tide the mire is walkable,
though the thick muck and mud cause travel to be
slow and frustrating. Both methods of travel present
challenges, and those bold enough to make the journey
would do well to be prepared or hire a guide.
61
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
The Mussel Farms familiar with the mire and willing to guide them
through the swamp for 50 gp a day, but he’s not able to
These shellfish farms on the northeast edge of fight if it comes to that. The characters can rent the use
the town are the farthest into the Black Mire the of Adan’s flat-bottom rowboat for an additional 25 gp.
characters can go before they begin to encounter the
swamp’s true challenges. The mussel farms are a Traveling the Black Mire
series of interconnected floating docks that rise and
fall with the water level of the tides. Strung between The Black Mire is fraught with dangers, even with
them are nets of hempen rope, on which the mussels a guide. If the characters venture into the mire,
grow. Irenya’s husband, Rojir, died here under you can roll on the tables below to determine
mysterious circumstances when he was inspecting the the challenges they face. A guide has advantage
upcoming harvest. on ability checks to notice creatures and other
In truth, Rojir was drowned by Nadia on orders potential hazards.
from the countess. The countess had decided to make
Irenya her companion and wanted to remove her High tide
husband from the equation. No one saw it happen,
but the mussel farmers all agree it was strange, Traveling by boat is the only way through the mire
and that they didn’t understand how he’d gotten during high tide. During high tide, the depth of
so entangled in the ropes. Rojir had walked these the water ranges from a few inches to 10 feet, and
docks hundreds of times without incident. Accidents even those familiar with the mire can barely tell the
happen, but they don’t wish to speculate lest they difference. The submerged grasses sway with the
incur the wrath of...anyone. murky currents, hiding the bottom and concealing
creatures.
Hiring a Guide Travel to a specific point requires a winding,
circuitous route to keep from running the boat
Few farmers volunteer to take travelers into the mire, aground. Hillocks and rises in the landscape form
but with enough inquiry and some well-placed coin, small islands throughout the flooded mire at high
the characters are directed to Adan Corfir (CG, male tide, the only spots of vegetation other than the
dwarf scout). Adan is an older mussel farmer both marsh grasses.
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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
Travel by Boat The Hag Hut
d4 Result Deep within the Black Mire, three hags live within the
gargantuan skull of a long-forgotten creature. Bone
1 A pair of giant crocodiles stalk the boat, choosing an chimes hang from the eye socket window, while a
opportune moment to attack and attempt to flip the heavy, mud-stained cloth drapes over the nostril that
boat or otherwise knock the characters into the water serves as a door. A single crow—Hagne, one of the
to be devoured. hags in polymorphed form—sits perched at the apex
of the skull, watching for intruders. The skull sits on
2 The boat becomes moored in a shallow tributary. a hillock, so it remains dry ground at high tide (or as
The characters must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity or dry as anything here can be).
Strength check to free it. A character proficient in water
vehicles can add their proficiency bonus to the check. Roleplaying the Hags
3 The boat gets caught in a rapid current. The characters The three hag sisters appear as old human women
must make a DC 16 Strength check. A character to any who arrive at their hut, concealing their true
proficient in water vehicles can add their proficiency appearance until it suits them otherwise.
bonus to the check. On a failure, the boat is dragged Hagne (green hag) can cast identify, hold person,
off-course for half a mile. Getting back on course adds
an additional two hours to travel time. and bestow curse, and polymorph once a day.
The youngest of the three sisters, she is more
4 4d4 swarms of quippers follow along the boat, waiting impulsive than the other hags and flirts mercilessly
for an opportunity. If any of the characters enter the with everyone, especially if it makes them
water, they attack. uncomfortable. If forced into combat, Hagne
polymorphs into a giant constrictor snake, and
Low Tide flees if she is knocked out of that form.
Apru (green hag) can cast hideous laughter, locate
Low tide offers the opportunity to traverse the mire object, counterspell, and phantasmal killer once a day.
on foot, but the terrain is muddy and difficult. All Apru, the middle sister, is the mediator between
travel overland through the mire during low tide her siblings. She is as petty and unreasonable as
is done at half speed. Flies buzz and swarm, and any hag, but she has the ability to calm her sisters
the air is filled with the sounds of insects, frogs, when they are in a temper and knows how to sweet
and water birds. Tide pools and tributaries dot the talk Menrva and bully Hagne.
muddy landscape, and banks of dark mussels become
exposed as the water line drops. The heavy smell of
rotting vegetation fills the air, spiced with the salty
tang of the water.
Travel on Foot
d4 Result
1 6 mud zombies (see appendix A) rise up from the muck
and attack.
2 2d4 will-o’-wisps swarm the characters with a sudden
flare out of the darkness.
3 The characters disturb a pocket of rotting vegetation,
releasing a cloud of toxic gas. Each creature in a 20-foot
radius must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On
a failure, a creature takes 7 (2d6) poison damage and is
poisoned for 1 hour. A character must repeat the saving
throw if they end their turn in the cloud.
4 The character at the front of the group must make a
DC 18 Strength saving throw. On a failure, they slip into
a pit of quicksand-like mud and are submerged up to
their waist and considered restrained. At the beginning
of their turn, the restrained creature sinks farther into
the mud until, after 3 rounds, they are completely
submerged and begin suffocating. The creature can pull
themselves out 1 level (a fully submerged creature is 4
levels down) with a successful DC 18 Strength check, or
another creature can pull them with a successful DC 16
Strength check.
63
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
THE HAG HUT
Low Tide
Water line at High Tide
64
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
Menrva (green hag) can cast charm person, ray of Hagne Menrva
enfeeblement, lightning bolt, polymorph, scrying, and Apru
chain lightning once a day. Menrva is the eldest and 65
strongest sister. She enjoys throwing her weight
around, ordering her younger sisters about to
humiliate them in front of company. She is cunning
and not easily tricked.
Magic for Sale. The hags enjoy bargaining and
gleefully offer items within the hut, which include the
following:
• Several potions of healing and potions of greater healing
• 1 potion of hill giant strength
• 1 potion of water breathing
• 1 philter of love
• A set of goggles of night
• 1 bead of force
• 1 chime of opening
The Lily. If the characters ask about a “Lily of
the Void,” the hags cackle with glee. If pressed, they
inform the characters that someone has been tricksy
with them and suggest they search in the city of Voyd
for the “lily” they seek. They’ve heard whispers about
the healer in Voyd, but they do not openly share this
information unless the characters succeed on a DC 20
Charisma (Persuasion) check or otherwise coerce the
information from the hags.
Vedran’s Curse. The hags can provide a cure for
Vedran (“The Monster of the Mire,” earlier in this
chapter), but for this favor they demand three hairs
from the head of Countess Khrystyana Petrovskaya
and accept no other payment. The hags reward the
delivery of the hair with an artifact that can cure a
cursed individual: a fingerbone of shattered vows (see
appendix B) that contains a spell powerful enough to
unravel a curse. The hags have no immediate use for
the hair but want it as a security measure to have on
hand if they decide to move against the countess later.
Fighting the Hags
The hags gleefully do as much damage to the
characters as possible while they have the upper hand.
If combat is not going in their favor, or when one of
the hags is reduced to one-quarter of their maximum
hit points, the hags turn invisible and flee cackling into
the swamp, leaving no trace by which to track them.
If the hags flee, they regroup deeper in the Mire,
tend to their wounds, and begin plotting revenge,
especially if the characters loot their hut.
If the characters linger in Riven, the hags follow
them in crow or bat form, watching for a moment the
characters are weak or otherwise compromised. They
do not enter Mireblossom Manor but happily slip into
an open tavern window to curse the characters while
they sleep.
4.3: Riven and the Black Mire
Chapter 4:
Voyd and the Light Hunter
For characters of 7th or 8th level
Voyd is the most cosmopolitan of the three towns due to its geography; it lacks
the wilds of Lunsk and the muck of Riven. A visit here allows the characters a
glimpse of the situations they may find when they reach Nov Ostoya. Though
not as large as the capital, the walled city of Voyd features cobbled streets and
stone houses full of well-dressed nobles who aren’t quite rich enough to live in
Nov Ostoya (but are always looking for ways to change their fates).
This town primarily subsists on commerce, through farmers herd sheep, cattle,
and other animals in the rolling fields outside of the city. Those who work this
risky job remain well armed and on high alert for bandits or beasts.
68
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
The Road to Voyd In Voyd, the characters have the opportunity to
meet Liliyana Telepsik and gain a valuable ally, as
The characters can either take a boat down the river well as potentially kill a light hunter and weaken
or travel over land past Nov Ostoya. Either path they Kasimir Sundrinker’s forces.
choose, the journey is remarkably without incident, but
they meet a strange merchant known as the Peddler— The Cask and Chaff Tavern
the Nightseer Sage in disguise. The Peddler offers a
wealth of items that would aid them on the rest of their The Cask and Chaff is a low-end tavern and inn two
journey. If the characters require anything specific, blocks to the east of the city’s northern gates. Food
such as rare magical components, he surprisingly has here is cheap but hot, the ale is strong, and the patrons
the item in stock—though he might have just one. are loud and brash. The tavern has eight rooms for
While selling items to the characters, he tells them all rent upstairs for a modest price. The center of the
the recent gossip. Use him to reintroduce story hooks tavern features a raised stage used in equal parts for
that the characters have avoided or forgotten about. musicians and bar brawls; pick which would be more
The Peddler carries mundane wares and common appealing to your characters, though fight night offers
and uncommon magic items. Sample items and prices a chance at additional help later on.
include the following: If they arrive on a fight night, the stage is covered
• 3 potions of healing (50 gp each) in a layer of sawdust and straw, and bloodied fighters
• 2 potions of greater healing (150 gp each) are being helped to the bar with rags over bruised
• 1 spell scroll of alter self (300 gp) faces in one hand and a pint of ale being shoved into
• 1 scroll of death ward (800 gp) the other.
• 1 +1 weapon of your choice (1,000 gp) On a performance night, a group of four
• 1 ring of water walking (500 gp) performers—one with a fiddle, one drum, one pipes,
and one lute—are in the middle of a rousing reel, the
When the characters approach Voyd, read the crowd stomping, clapping, and dancing to the music.
following: The owner, Gillean O’Roarke (NG female half-elf
commoner), wears a perpetual grin and bright colors,
Amid the darkness of the rolling plains, the walls of cheering over the heads of her patrons as she serves
Voyd can be seen from several miles away—as can the ale. Gillean tolerates all sorts within her walls and
lights. The golden glow of the city is a beacon of hope laughs off insults slung her way, but she does not
in the darkness of the landscape, though that hope may stand for patrons stealing from one another or those
be little more than a wistful promise. who punch down at the less fortunate. Though serving
the city watch is a necessity for any establishment that
Voyd wishes to remain in business, Gillean knows which of
the guards are corrupt and which have their hearts in
Unlike Riven and Lunsk, Voyd has walls to protect the right place. The bullies in the ranks find it takes
the populace. Without fear of attracting creatures, the longer to get their tankard refilled, or their food is cold
citizens use regular lamplight, torchlight, and fires. by the time it arrives at their table.
When the characters approach, the front gates are
open but guarded. The city watch makes no move The Cask and Chaff
to stop the characters’ entry, but the guards eye Tavern Menu
them intently as they pass. If the characters inquire
about lodging, the guards mention two taverns: The Food and Drink
Cask and Chaff, a few streets down from the city’s
entrance, or the Feathered Bed Inn, a nicer but pricier Brown Barley Ale 3 cp (flagon)/5 cp pitcher
establishment in the town square.
Honeyblossom Mead 4 cp (flagon)
Arriving in Voyd
Bread and Hard Cheese 5 cp
If the characters arrive in Voyd in the company of
Irenya Kostacovic (see chapter 3 of this episode), she Roast Mutton and Bean Stew in a Bread Bowl 8 sp
directs them to the Feathered Bed Inn, where she can
reunite with her parents. Bowl of Stewed Vegetables and Greens 5 sp
Lodging 5 sp/night
Room (2 single beds) 6 sp/night
Room (1 double bed) 1 gp/night
Room (1 double bed) w/bath
69
4.4: Voyd and the Light Hunter
An Impression of the
WALLED CITY of
VOYD
A
A. Town Square B
B. The Voyd Cemetery Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
70
Fight Night Ida Vašíčková Ullallee “Lee” Kirt
Bohdan Kraus
Characters who arrive on a fight night may place 71
bets or partake in the brawls. The rules of the fight
are simple: no weapons, no armor, no magic, no
cheating. The ringmaster Orelaush (NG, male half-orc
gladiator) is called Orie by Gillean, though she’s the
only one allowed to use that diminutive.
Gillean is the final judge in disputes. The buy-in to
enter the ring is 100 gold, and the prize for a single
bout is 150 gold and a share of the tavern’s cut of the
betting pot.
A few potential opponents include:
Ida Vašíčková (CG, female human berserker) is
boisterous, bragging and laughing and enjoying
herself. She flirts with her opponent during the
bout and is especially impressed if they best her.
Bohdan Kraus (NG, male dwarf berserker) is a sore
loser, though he’s quick to forget the humiliation
of defeat. If he wins his bout, he buys his defeated
opponent an ale.
Ullallee “Lee” Kirt (CG, nonbinary elf assassin) is
a quiet, quick, and nimble opponent. They accept
both victory and defeat with a stoic nod, and
immediately retreat to a corner booth with a water
and an ale after the bout.
If the characters fight honestly, regardless of
whether they win or lose their bout, they win the
respect of Orelaush, Gillean, and the other fighters.
If the characters return to recruit help against
the light hunter, Gillean is willing to gather the
others provided the characters succeed on a DC 17
Charisma (Persuasion) check and promise to pay 100
gp per fighter. If the characters fought honorably in
the bouts, with good roleplay or a DC 14 Charisma
(Persuasion) check Gillean is willing to gather the
others to help for free. If the characters fought
honorably in any of the bouts and won, Gillean agrees
without the need for a skill check. Orelaush, Ida,
Bohdan, and Lee arrive at the time and location they
are given, armed and armored and prepared to fight.
Town Square
The town square features a spectacular lighted
fountain in the center, surrounded by shops,
restaurants, the Feathered Bed Inn, and the Blossom
and Branch Apothecary in a small shop front on the
east side of the square. Benches around the square
invite citizens to rest, and streetlights keep the
darkness at bay.
The town square offers restaurants and shops for
the discerning customer. Since this is the characters’
first real taste of commerce, they may wish to spend
time shopping.
4.4: Voyd and the Light Hunter
The Fountain of Miklas • Five of colorful marbles in a canvas bag
• A red clay pitcher with a heart painted on
The three-tiered fountain in the center of town square
is topped with an ancient statue of a human in a the bottom
long, draping robe, bearing a staff with leaves. This is • A mummified albino bat
Miklas, the Arch Seraph of Mercy and once a servitor • A claw the size of a human hand, strung on a
of Aurelia. The fountain bears an old enchantment:
Fresh water continually bubbles up, and globes of leather strap
light dance within the water. Townsfolk like to linger • A thick blue glass disc, 4 inches in diameter, painted
here and fill their ewers. If Liliyana approaches the
fountain, the character with the highest passive with intricate constellations
Wisdom (Perception) score notices the dancing lights
drift toward her. If Liliyana touches the water, there Secret Door. There is a trapdoor beneath Oro’s
is a flash of light, and anyone who drinks from the chair that he is unaware of. A character can notice it
fountain within the next 24 hours regains 1d4 hit with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check
points whenever they use their action to drink from or a DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The
the blessed water. trapdoor leads into a packed dirt basement, with a
tunnel that leads to the sewers. If the characters tell
Petunia’s Pleasant Pastries Oro about the trapdoor, he blinks at it for a solid ten
seconds in confusion before shrugging and going back
The scents wafting from this shop entice passersby to his scribbling or staring, and immediately forgets
to come in and buy a variety of cakes, cookies, and about it. If the characters ask him if they can see
pastries. Some sweets are common throughout Soma what’s beneath it, he shrugs again and does not stop
and the rest of Etharis, while a few recipes are unique the characters from moving his chair and entering
to Petunia’s. Petunia LaRue (NG, female halfling the basement.
commoner) is just as sweet and pleasant as her
pastries. She knows Liliyana and is happy to see her if The Mistress of Wines
she accompanies the characters. If Taavi is with them,
she frowns at him and then hands him a free cupcake. Mistress Joie Okanagan (NG, female human noble)
As a sample, her pastries include the following: runs this shop on the other side of Petunia’s. If
Liliyana is with the characters when they enter,
Pecan Cookies (2 cp each, 2 sp/dozen) Mistress Joie makes a face as if she tastes something
Lavender and Lemon Cupcakes (4 cp each, bad, but otherwise ignores Lily. Mistress Joie’s shop
caters to a high-end clientele, selling wines, spirits,
4 sp/dozen) and liqueurs for exorbitant prices.
Dark-as-the-Sky Cakes (8 cp each) If the characters brows the shelves, they find an
Plum Jam-filled Kifilce (a type of sweet crescent roll, old, thick-glass bottle of wine on the top shelf in the
back corner—a bottle of lord’s lament (see appendix
1 sp each) B). The label is a simple embossed sun. A detect
Riven Gold Whiskey Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze (2 magic spell or similar magic, or a successful DC 17
Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals that it is magical.
sp per slice, 10 sp per cake) Learning more about the wine requires identify,
legend lore, or similar magic. Mistress Joie claims it
Oro’s Oddities comes from the far-off forgotten land south of the
Castinellan Province, but a successful DC 12 Wisdom
Oro’s Oddities is a trinket shop to the right of (Insight) check reveals she’s making up the story on
Petunia’s. Oro (CN, male human commoner) doesn’t the spot. She is, however, willing to sell the bottle to
seem interested in actively selling his trinkets to his the characters for 500 gp.
customers. He sits behind the counter, staring into
space or scribbling trinket ideas into a notebook. The Feathered Bed Inn
He interacts as little as possible with the characters,
and when anyone initiates an interaction, he seems This two-story tavern and inn on the northern corner
surprised and confused at their presence. The shelves of the town square is well lit, warm, and inviting.
are filled with trinkets and junk. If a character asks Inside, a fire blazes in the hearth, intricately wrought
him how much an item cost, he yells “five silver!” chandeliers hang from the high ceilings, and a bard
regardless of the item. Examples of Oro’s stock include: plays a quiet, enthralling song on a viol the corner.
Well-dressed patrons talk in soft voices over elaborate
• A carved wooden red dragon and delicious-looking dishes, with goblets of wine or
• A small crocheted owlbear sparkling water at their elbows.
• A tiny set of wind chimes with a carved
wooden leaf sail
72
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
The Feathered Bed Inn Menu and Branch Apothecary has existed for generations,
run by Trista’s family as far back as the town
Food and Drink can remember.
Treasure. In another life Trista might have
Castinellan Red 4 gp(glass)/15 gp (bottle) been a druid, but in this one she makes do with
cultivating what little slice of hope she can within
Thousand Rivers Sparkling White 5 gp (glass)/20 gp (bottle) Voyd. Most of her herbs come from outside the
walls, foraged in the wilderness or shipped in from
Effervescent Spring Water 1 gp (glass) regions that still have sunlight, but Trista harbors
a secret few know about: A concealed hatch in the
Soup of Scallops and Potatoes 1 gp floor of her back room opens to a hidden basement,
where she propagates plants with the aid of a
Leg of Mutton with Mint Sauce 2 gp sunstone (see appendix B). The smooth, coin-sized
stone resembles a citrine in color and clarity and
Braised Venison with Fresh Bread and Cheese 3 gp emanates dim sunlight within 5 feet. The vampires
that rule Soma would kill Trista and confiscate the
Ostoyan Crispa with Berries and Clotted Cream 8 sp stone if they discovered it, so she goes to great pains
to keep it secret.
Lodging 2 gp/night Trista has an assistant working with her in the
Room (Twin Beds, Alley View) 4 gp/night shop, a young woman named Liliyana Telepsik.
Room (Twin Beds, Square View w/balcony) 3 gp/night Liliyana knows of the sunstone’s existence, though she
Room (Queen Bed, Alley View) 5 gp/night doesn’t know the true extent of its powers.
Room (Queen Bed, Square View w/Balcony) If the characters arrive looking for a “Lily of the
Void,” Trista insists there is no such thing, claiming
All our rooms are furnished with luxurious bedding and feature whoever sent them looking for the flower was either
a self-filling soaking tub. Scented soaps, oils, and salts can be confused or sending them on a wild goose chase.
purchased for 1 gp. She makes an offhand joke about knowing a “Lily of
Voyd,” and call Liliyana out of the back room to meet
Family Reunion the characters.
If the characters do not ask about the void lily,
The Feathered Bed is owned by Mirka Kostacovic you can keep the story moving by having Trista
(NG, female human commoner) and her wife call Liliyana out to help with the customers. Lily
Nevenka Kostacovic (CG, female human recognizes something in the characters, and asks
commoner), the parents of Irenya Kostacovic (see them, in an odd voice, if they are there for her.
chapter 3 of this episode). Mirka is outgoing and If the characters approach Trista later to help Lily,
friendly, where Nevenka is reserved and pensive. she gives them three potions of greater healing (if she
If the characters return Irenya to her parents, did not already sell them to the characters) and hugs
they share a tearful reunion. Irenya explains the Lily tightly.
characters’ role in freeing her from the countess,
and Mirka and Nevenka tell the characters they are Roleplaying Liliyana
welcome to stay at their inn and dine whenever they
like, free of charge. Known as Lily to those closest to her, 20-year-old
If Irenya does not return but the characters bring Liliyana Telepsik (NG, female human; see appendix
news of her to Mirka and Nevenka, they thank the A) has always been skilled with herbs and healing.
characters with a free meal and bottle of wine, and With her teenage years came a skill unknown to the
then quietly retreat to their rooms. If the characters citizens of Voyd: a magical ability to heal. Due to
have not yet traveled to Riven, Mirka and Nevenka the suspicious nature of the Ostoyan Empire, and
ask the characters to look for their daughter and offer fearful of Lily being used as a tool by the vampires
them free room and board and/or gold in exchange. of Nov Ostoya, Lily’s parents urged her to hide her
The Feathered Bed features large, airy ability. She did so successfully for almost a decade.
bedchambers, each with their own bath and feather Then a plague of the Weeping Pox swept through her
mattresses with down blankets and pillows. neighborhood in Voyd. When her betrothed, Taavi
Doubek, was stricken, she disobeyed her parents
Blossom and Branch Apothecary and went from house to house. She cured everyone,
unable to watch her neighbors and loved ones
On the east side of the town square is an herbalist’s suffer and die.
shop called Blossom and Branch Apothecary. The
owner and proprietor, Trista Keene (NG, female
human commoner), keeps the shop stocked with
a wide variety of plants, both fresh and dried, as
well as processed oils and tinctures. The Blossom
73
4.4: Voyd and the Light Hunter
Liliyana Telepsik Now, Lily is shunned by those around her. Word
has spread, and the whispers of her abilities reached
74 Kasimir Sundrinker and his minions, as well as the
vampire lords in Nov Ostoya. Fearful of what danger
her abilities will draw to their city, the neighbors Lily
saved turned their backs on her.
Three nights ago, Lily had a terrifying vision of
something arriving to take her away to a realm of
darkness and dread. She knows that three days hence,
a light hunter will arrive in Voyd to claim her. Lily
fears for her survival and the safety of her loved ones.
A Spark of Sunlight. Unknown to Lily or her
family, she carries a spark of sunlight within her
heart, through which she manifests magical powers of
radiance and healing. When she began to openly use
these new divine powers, a light hunter of Kasimir
Sundrinker sensed its presence.
When Lily sees the characters for the first time,
she recognizes an unknown something within them
that tells her they will help, and she beseeches
them for aid.
Lily’s Personality. Lily is a kind, selfless
individual. Whether it’s a product of the spark of
sunlight within her, or the spark blossomed because
of her kindness, she puts others before herself and
goes out of her way to help those in need. She knows
something dreadful is coming for her, and she is
considering offering herself to a vampire lord in
exchange for protection. She does not relish the idea,
as she knows it is a dark fate, but she sees no other
path forward.
If the characters suggest they face the light hunter
instead, Lily is hesitant at first. She’s concerned with
the collateral damage that may befall the city in such a
situation, and she knows the creature will be a deadly
opponent. However, she can be convinced to make
a stand with good roleplay or a successful DC 12
Charisma (Persuasion) check.
When speaking with the townsfolk, especially
Taavi, Lily becomes quiet and reserved, aware that
many consider her a freak at best and a threat to their
safety at worst.
Coming into Her Own. Prior to the characters’
arrival in Voyd, Liliyana lacked need or opportunity
to explore her divine gifts, aside from healing plague
victims. As she travels with the party, she is shocked
and amazed to discover what she can do. The first
time she casts a new spell, she does so out of need
rather than knowledge. If any of the characters
are spellcasters, she timidly asks if they can help
her explore her abilities or if they have insights on
channeling her power.
Lily as a Possible Companion. If the characters
discuss the voice they heard describing the spark
of sunlight within them or their quest to find the
Nightseer Sage, Lily becomes intrigued. She sees
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
within the adventurers something akin to what she be removed with dispel magic or identify to learn its
feels within herself and asks to join the characters command word. The spellbook containsthe following
on their quest, at least as far as Nov Ostoya, find spells: alarm, acid splash, arcane lock, delayed blast fireball,
out why she was given her gifts. For Lily to join the hold monster, rope trick, and slow.
characters, however, they must kill the light hunter Lily’s herbalism workshop contains an herbalism
so she’s free to travel without fear. If the characters kit and one potion of healing.
need convincing, she offers her services as a healer
and insists she can carry her weight. If the characters The Doubek House
successfully kill the light hunter, Lily can join the
group on their quest. The Doubek house is four doors down from Lily’s
home and similar in shape and size, with narrow
The Telepsik House alleyways on either side leading to a wider avenue
in the back.
The home Lily shares with her parents is small Inside, the main sitting room lacks the warmth—
but comfortable. It is a home filled with love and and the books—of the Telepsik house. The fireplace
laughter, though these days the laughter fades faster, stands cold and dark, and the furnishings are stiff and
suppressed by fear and sorrow. The main sitting room uncomfortable.
is lined with walls of books, and a door there leads If the characters knock at the front door, Kostja
to a small herbalism workshop where Lily practices Doubek (LG, male human commoner), Taavi’s
making potions, poultices, oils, and tinctures. father, answers. If Lily is with them, he scowls and
slams the door immediately and refuse to open it
Lily’s Parents again without good roleplay or a DC 17 Charisma
(Intimidation or Persuasion) check. If Lily is not
Harron Telepsik (LG, male human commoner), Lily’s with them, he is cordial though not immediately
father, is a thin man more suited to books than battle. welcoming and allows the group to speak to Taavi.
He is quiet and calm and has a hard time keeping If Lily is mentioned, he becomes upset and demands
his emotions off his face. As a historian, Harron the group leave, relenting with a DC 17 Charisma
knows the terrifying stories of the vampires and light (Intimidation or Persuasion) check.
hunters, and the hatred between the two. He tells the
characters of a time a light hunter arrived in the city at Knight in Shining Armor
the same time a vampire tax collector was making his
rounds. The fight that resulted destroyed half a city Taavi Doubek (NG, male human knight with 40
block and ended with both the vampire and the light hit points and AC 15) is a year older than Lily and
hunter fleeing back to their domains. hopelessly in love with her. His father forced him
Ellyn Telepsik (NG, female human commoner), to break off the betrothal when Lily revealed her
Lily’s mother, is kind and welcoming. She walks with abilities. When Taavi is around his father, he’s reticent
a limp, favoring her twisted left foot, and she uses and passive, flinching at his father’s outbursts. When
a cane on short walks or a wheeled chair on longer out of his house and away from his father, he becomes
excursions. If the characters inquire why Lily hasn’t open and earnest. If Lily is with the characters, the
healed her mother, Ellyn remarks she’s always been two are awkward around each other until Taavi
this way and sees no reason to change things now. agrees to help, which eases the unspoken tension
Lily’s parents are afraid for their daughter. They between them. He does not need convincing to agree
beg the characters to kill this light hunter instead to help Lily in whatever way he can and would
of giving Lily as a gift to a vampire lord. They do happily lay down his life for her. He is a member of
whatever they can to help the characters in this the city guard and suggests speaking to Adelaide
endeavor, including giving them a list of people in Carr, the guard captain, since she has a particular
the city they think might help, despite objections Lily fondness for Lily.
has otherwise. These include members of the guard,
certain neighbors, and Taavi Doubek, Lily’s former Guard Barracks and Watchtower
betrothed, though Lily is reluctant to request Taavi’s
help for fear of putting him in harm’s way. The guard barracks can house up to seventy-five
Treasure. Harron Telepsik’s bookshelves hold a guards at a time and serves as the main waypoint for
wizard’s spellbook that has been enchanted to look guards coming on or off duty. It’s a bustling center of
like a simple storybook and can be discovered with activity at all times, with guards training, relaxing, or
detect magic or a similar spell, or a successful DC 19 otherwise milling about the yard and in the mess hall.
Intelligence (Investigation) check. The illusion can
75
4.4: Voyd and the Light Hunter
Taavi Doubek Adelaide Carr
A long building with a twenty-foot-square, forty-foot- expression, softening slightly if Taavi or Lily speaks.
tall watchtower is nestled against the inside of the Good roleplay or a DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion)
eastern wall, bordered by a fenced-in yard where check convinces Adelaide to help against the light
guards spar with one another or sit on benches, hunter. Otherwise, she is apologetic but insists she
awaiting their shift. A board covered in wanted posters cannot get involved and suggests Lily takes the
and bounties stands before the open gate to the yard. admittedly terrible option to go to Nov Ostoya and
The tower rises ten to twenty feet above the tops of beg the protection of a vampire lord. If Taavi or Lily
the buildings, and ten feet above the exterior wall of are with the characters and speak their part, the
the city. The top floor is open on all sides, and you can characters gain advantage on the Charisma check to
see guards standing or pacing at each side. convince Adelaide.
If the characters convince Adelaide to help, she
When the characters approach, if they have Taavi quietly agrees to give what aid she can. She requests
with them, guards call out greetings to him and the the characters tell her of their plans and says she will
group can go straight in to speak with the captain. If arrange for a contingent of sympathetic guards to be
they’re on their own, a guard stops them and demand on patrol at the expected time. She offers whatever
to know their business. She takes their request for strategic aid she can give. She agrees to be present to
a meeting to the captain, but the characters wait help with the fight, though she will not be with the
for nearly an hour before they’re admitted. If the characters prior to the arrival of the light hunter. If
characters have Lily with them, the guards give them the Charisma (Persuasion) check succeeded by 5 or
a wide berth and a few openly glare, but they wait more, she also agrees to provide any arms or armor
only ten minutes before being admitted. the characters need, and dips into the guard supply of
healing potions (three potions of greater healing).
The Guard Captain
Wanted Posters and Bounties
Adelaide Carr (LG, female human knight) is the
captain of the guard in Voyd. She has a solid bearing The city watch hangs wanted posters and bounties
and a difficult-to-read face. She is missing her left around the city of Voyd, with a large board outside
ear and the hair around it, and part of her face the barracks. If a character takes the time to examine
and neck are heavily scarred as if by fire or acid. these posters or succeeds on a DC 18 Wisdom
She listens to the characters’ request with a stoic (Perception) check, they recognize a wanted poster of
Dorra Malar (see chapter 1 of this episode). There’s a
2,000 gp reward for bringing her in alive.
76
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
Other posters include a dead-or-alive bounty for a A cluster of children crouch near an open wrought-iron
rugged human man with a heavy scar across his left gate in the city’s southern wall, whispering to each
cheek named Sobir with the caption “EXTREMELY other and giggling. As you watch, one of them stands
DANGEROUS, APROACH WITH CAUTION” with up straight and at the prodding of his friends, takes
a bounty of 3,000 gp, and three separate “Missing!” a step toward the gate, and then another. He takes a
posters of a young human girl sporting braids named deep breath and runs through the gate, only to return
Cali, a half-elf child named Iril, and a human toddler seconds later to cheers and shrieks of delight from the
named Wynie. other children. The boy puffs up his chest proudly, but
shrinks away when he sees you watching.
Neighborhood Homes
The Voyd Cemetery is normally a place of peace and
Lily’s neighborhood consists of tightly packed row quiet contemplation, but strange noises have recently
houses, filled with citizens of all ages. Few are in any been heard from within. The grinding of stone against
condition to fight, either due to age (too young or too stone, low growls, and heavy footsteps convinced the
old) or a lack of martial training, but a successful DC 14 children of this area of the city that the cemetery is
Charisma (Persuasion) check makes them amenable to infested with a horrible undead monster. They have
the characters’ plans, and they’re willing to help how taken to playing a game to see who is brave enough
they can. The characters do not need to go house to to run in and touch a gravestone. The farther in the
house to talk with everyone; with one successful check, gravestone, the braver the child. Leif, the boy who ran
a convinced neighbor says they will speak to the others in and out again, made it the farthest so far.
and gather aid. Lily’s neighbors help by collecting The children are hesitant to talk about their game
supplies the characters request, making sure the area of with the characters at first, afraid they will get in
the city where the characters plan to confront the light trouble. With good roleplay, a bribe, or a DC 12
hunter is empty of citizens, hiding or placing weapons Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check, the
or required supplies where the characters request and children fess up to their shenanigans and tell the
so on. None of them have access to magical items or characters about the rumored monster within.
supplies, but they acquire mundane items like basic
weapons, oil, and stone. Lily’s neighbors are all human
commoners. They include:
Bryc and Farrah Dirsk, an elderly couple.
Colan and Percy Kolisnyk and their young children,
Kait, Hollice, and Alain.
Lora Olnyk, a middle-aged woman who lives alone.
Bren, Cade, and Kieran Kravets, three brothers in
their 30s who bicker constantly.
Dev and Jaqueline Dillon and their teenage
daughters, Alita, Orla, and Leyla.
Voyd Cemetery
A large, gated cemetery on the south side of the city
houses Voyd’s dead. The cemetery sits outside Voyd’s
walls, and the gates for the cemetery are set within the
southern wall. This graveyard covers twenty-five acres
of land. Surrounded on three sides by heavy, 10-foot-
tall wrought-iron fences and bordered on its fourth
side by the thick stone wall of Voyd, the cemetery is
nearly as secure as the city. Priest of the Arch Seraph
Aphaeleon watch over and tend to the grounds but
have been notably absent lately.
If the characters pass near the gates to the cemetery,
read the following:
77
4.4: Voyd and the Light Hunter
THE SOUTHERN WALL the
VOYD
CEMETERY
If the characters enter the cemetery, read the Within the Mausoleum
following:
Sobir Knudson, a CG, male human werebear, has
The Voyd Cemetery sprawls before you. Cobblestone been hiding out in the mausoleum. After coming to
pathways lit by red lamps create winding avenues lined Voyd from Riven a few months ago, he lost control
by gravestones and mausoleums. Stone statues lurk of himself during a confrontation in the streets and
amid the shadows between the graves, and now and killed two men. Afraid and filled with shame and
then you swear you see one of them move. guilt but unsure where to go, Sobir has been living in
the cemetery, hoping the isolation will keep people
If the characters investigate the cemetery, after some away but allow him to remain close enough to the city
searching, the character with the highest passive to survive.
Wisdom (Perception) notices a worn pathway When the characters reach this location, roll a d20.
between the graves. A successful DC 14 Wisdom On a 19 or 20, Sobir is not in the mausoleum, having
(Survival) check reveals huge animal footprints ventured into the city for food and supplies. When the
alongside human-sized boot prints. Some of the characters enter the mausoleum, read the following:
footprints are new, while others are older by a week
or more. A DC 18 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals The mausoleum is cold but dry inside. In the left and
that all the boot prints were made by the same boots, right walls, you can see rectangular openings that
and the paw prints by the same animal—a bear. The have been sealed over with stone, while the wall
tracks lead to a mausoleum, where the characters opposite you holds empty slots waiting to be filled. A
notice fresh scratches on the lintel and base of the stone sarcophagus dominates the middle of the room.
door, suggesting the door has been opened recently. The sides of the sarcophagus are carved with dancing
The door is unlocked but heavy and requires a DC 18 skeletons, and the lid features a relief of a gowned
Strength check to open. When the door opens, it does woman in repose holding a sword and shield. The air
so with a loud scraping sound. smells strangely musky. On the ground in the far corner
is a pile of blankets and three lidded clay flagons.
78
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
If Sobir is within the mausoleum, add the following: Treasure. The central sarcophagus hides a
secret compartment beneath it. A switch on one
The pile of blankets shifts, and a barrel-chested of the dancing skeletons can be found with a
human man peers out at you from where he had been successful DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check or a
sleeping. He has leathery skin and deep scar across his DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Pressing
left cheek. the switch causes the sarcophagus to swivel to the
side with a grinding noise, or the sarcophagus can
Sobir has no wish to fight but defends himself be pushed aside with a successful DC 18 Strength
if necessary. If the characters show no signs of check. Within the hidden compartment is a sword of
aggression, he will talk with them pleasantly. If the life stealing named Retribution and a shield +1 named
characters mention the wanted poster, he is visibly Mercy. The sword and shield match the carving on
distressed by the news. Unless convinced to do the top of the sarcophagus.
otherwise, he immediately packs his scant belongings
and flees the city. If he kills any of the characters and Voyd Sewers
survives the fight, he does the same.
Sobir has up-close and personal experience with a A sprawling sewer system runs beneath Voyd,
light hunter and can give the characters insights into creating a secondary system of passageways through
what to expect when facing one. When he was young, the city. Voyd lacks a major organized crime or
a light hunter arrived in Riven to claim his father. thieves’ guild, but the sewers are nonetheless
His parents, also werebears, did their best to fight periodically used by crooks, thugs, and ne’er-do-
off the creature, but his mother was killed and his wells to move unseen through the city as a temporary
father taken. through-way and not as a long-term hide-out. The
If Sobir was not in the mausoleum when the sewer’s footprint resembles a candelabra, with
characters arrived, he returns as the characters are branching arms converging into one central tunnel
leaving. When he sees them, he flees deeper into the that runs to the river southwest of town. The privies
cemetery and attempts to hide until they leave. If of the homes empty into the sewer system, and drains
cornered, he warns the characters to leave him alone, on the street funnel rainwater down, out, and away.
but if they are aggressive, he fights.
79
4.4: Voyd and the Light Hunter
There are a multitude of entrances to the sewer Fighting the Light Hunter
from street level. Feel free to add additional sewer
entrances in whatever roads and alleyways you see Combat with the light hunter will not be easy. The
fit. Each of the named locations in this chapter have NPCs in the city advise the characters to plan their
sewer entrances within close proximity. confrontation with the creature as much as possible.
The light hunter focuses on its main objective to
The Light Hunter obtain Lily. It fights its way to her, grabs her, and
then leaves with her. It feels the Sparks of Sunlight
Kasimir Sundrinker has six powerful beings under in the characters but doesn’t wish to risk losing Lily
his control. The light hunters scour the lands of Soma by trying to capture them. It plans to return for them
at Kasimir’s command, finding anyone or anything with additional light hunters as its side.
with a spark of sunlight within them and taking them During the fight, Liliyana uses her abilities to aid
to Kasimir for his own ends. Liliyana had a vision of the characters and anyone else fighting the light
one such creature coming to claim her, and her vision hunter. Though she’s proficient with a sword, she’s
was true: Three days after the party meets her, a light not used to fighting and hangs back unless one of her
hunter arrives in Voyd in search of Lily. friends, especially Taavi, is in grave danger.
The light hunter (see appendix A) can sense the
spark of sunlight within Liliyana and is drawn to A Little Help
wherever she is, as long as she remains on this plane From My Friends
of existence. Hiding her doesn’t work, and if the
characters attempt to secret her away somewhere If the characters rallied NPCs to their aid, you may have a number
in the city, the light hunter breaks its way into her of NPCs to juggle during the combat against the light hunter. If
hiding place. Lily feels the truth of this and tries to the number of NPCs at the fight becomes overwhelming, consider
convince the characters that any attempt to hide will assigning each of your players an NPC ally to control during
fail. Their only options are to stand and fight or flee to the combat. For best results, retain Liliyana and Taavi under
Nov Ostoya. your control.
80
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
If the characters defeat the light hunter, Liliyana wait two days before leaving for Nov Ostoya, the light
is free to travel with them on their quests. If Taavi hunter adds 2 to its check.
fought the light hunter with them and survived, Lily The characters must accumulate three successes to
pledges to return to him. If Taavi fought and died, reach Nov Ostoya before the light hunter finds them.
she mourns his loss deeply but all the more intent If the light hunter succeeds three times, on the day
on helping the characters with their mission. If the of the third success, it catches up with the characters
characters decline Liliyana’s offer to join them and and combat ensues. If the characters stop traveling
Taavi survived, the two defy Taavi’s parents and for longer than an hour (other than one long rest per
marry. If Taavi died, Lily grieves deeply and Taavi’s day), they automatically lose their roll for that day,
parents blame her for his death. Taavi’s parents and the light hunter can catch up with them, even if
eventually turn the neighborhood against her until the characters have already succeeded on three rolls.
they rally one night and set her house aflame. Liliyana If the characters are successful, even if the light
and her parents perish in the fire. hunter is in pursuit, it falls back as soon as they
reach the outskirts of Nov Ostoya on the third day,
Escaping to Nov Ostoya unwilling to breach the vampires’ stronghold without
explicit orders from its master. Liliyana calls out to the
If the characters decide not to fight the light hunter and city guards and requests to be taken into the city to
instead attempt to take Liliyana to Nov Ostoya, their present herself to a vampire lord. She parts ways with
success hinges heavily on when they decide to leave the characters, escorted by the guards into the city.
Voyd. The longer they wait, the more likely that the
light hunter catches up with them on the road to Nov Conclusion: At the Gates
Ostoya, and they face a potential fight in the wilderness. of Nov Ostoya
It takes three days to reach Nov Ostoya from
Voyd. When the characters leave Voyd with Lily, This episode ends when the characters reach the gates
for each day of travel, make a contested Wisdom of Nov Ostoya. This Fable continues directly where
(Survival) check between the characters and the light they left off, seeking a way into the City of Gargoyles,
hunter. The light hunter adds the number of days the in episode 5: City of Decadence.
characters lingered in Voyd after meeting Lily to its
roll. For example, if the characters meet Liliyana and
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4.4: Voyd and the Light Hunter
Appendix A: New Monsters
This appendix details the new creatures that appear Aglæcwif
within this adventure.
A fabled troll-like creature, aglæcwivs have skin that
ranges in hue from deep brown to green to sickly
white. Their hair is similarly varied, appearing in any
color found in humans and occasionally shades of
green. Some say aglæcwivs are the result of humans
procreating with trolls, while others think they’re
simply an intelligent form of troll-kin, and still others
claim they’re the twisted offspring of hags.
Aglæcwivs are territorial creatures but are far
more intelligent than their bestial troll relatives.
They possess the ability to talk, reason, and barter
with humanoids, and they use their intimidating
appearance as a bargaining chip to convince others to
do what they wish. They do not get along well with
other aglæcwivs or trolls, except for short periods
of time to trade with one another or procreate.
Aglæcwivs appear only as female, which leads
scholars to wonder how they create offspring.
Regeneration. Aglæcwivs have a troll’s ability
to regenerate. Unless it is damaged by acid or fire,
an aglæcwif’s injuries heal with alacrity, and it can
even regrow entire lost limbs or reattach severed
body parts.
Control of Water. Aglæcwivs are amphibious
and possess an innate control over water. They can
bend and twist the currents in a river or lake to their
whims, and they have an extrasensory ability to sense
creatures within bodies of water they have claimed as
their own.
Innate Spellcasting. Magic comes easily to
aglæcwivs, and they possess an innate capability to
cast certain spells.
Regional Effects
When an aglæcwif establishes a lair, it gains control
over the body of water surrounding the lair, creating
the following effects:
The aglæcwif is immediately aware of any new
arrival, whether object or creature, within the body
of water within five miles of its lair.
The aglæcwif has a certain amount of control over the
water around their lair. Within a mile of its lair, the
aglæcwif can cause any of the effects enumerated
in the control water spell, can create a tidal wave
(as per the tidal wave spell), or can increase or
decrease the temperature of the water within a
range of up to boiling or down to freezing.
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Aglæcwif Innate Spellcasting. The aglæcwif can innately cast the
following spells, requiring no material components:
Large giant, neutral evil At will: mending, thaumaturgy, create or destroy water,
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) detect magic
Hit Points 120 (10d10 + 50) 2 times/day: animal messenger, hold person, misty step
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft. 1 time/day: bestow curse, fear
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Actions
18 (+4) 13 (+1) 10 (+5) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 8 (−2) Multiattack. The aglæcwif makes three attacks with its
shortswords, or two claw attacks and a bite attack.
Skills Perception +5, Intimidation +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 12 Shortswords. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10
Languages Giant, Common ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+4) slashing damage.
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Claw: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
Amphibious. The aglæcwif can breathe air and water. target. Hit: 8 (2d4+4) slashing damage, and the target
creature must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw.
Keen Sight and Smell. The aglæcwif has advantage on On a failure, the creature is grappled. When grappled
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell. in this fashion, the aglæcwif has advantage on its bite
attack against the grappled target. The aglæcwif can
Regeneration. The aglæcwif regains 10 hit points at only have one creature grappled at a time.
the start of its turn. If the aglæcwif takes fire damage,
this trait doesn’t function at the start of its next turn. Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
The aglæcwif dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit target. Hit: 16 (3d8+4) piercing damage.
points and doesn’t regenerate.
Control Water. On its turn, the aglæcwif can cause one
effect enumerated in the Regional Effects section below.
It can have up to three effects occurring simultaneously.
It can cancel any or all of the effects at any time during
its turn.
83
Appendix A: New Monsters
Blood Ooze
Vampires and practitioners of blood magic keep blood
oozes as pets. They are clever enough to learn tricks,
especially if rewarded with living creatures as food.
Even roughly trained, blood oozes can keep watch in
areas susceptible to infiltration, such as waterways
or secret passages. Some blood oozes also simply
form naturally in places where deep emotions of fear
mingle with sewers filled with coagulating gore.
Trainable Servants. Well-trained blood oozes
have a penchant for understanding what their masters
want. The ooze can take different shapes to please
or entertain. They follow simple instructions, but an
ooze might be distracted by a potential meal.
Blood Ooze Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage
Large ooze, unaligned and 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a Medium
or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). Until
Armor Class 11 this grapple ends, the target is restrained. The blood
Hit Points 150 (20d10 + 40) ooze can grapple up to two creatures at a time.
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Engulf. One creature grappled by the blood ooze must
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pulled
into the ooze’s body. An engulfed target is blinded,
17 (+3) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 3 (−4) 10 (+0) 3 (−4) restrained, unable to breathe, and has total cover from
effects that originate outside the ooze. At the start of
Skills Stealth +4 each of the ooze’s turns, the engulfed creature takes 18
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, exhaustion, (4d8) acid damage. The ooze can have only one creature
engulfed at a time.
prone An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), action to make its choice of a DC 14 Strength (Athletics)
or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. On a success, the
passive Perception 10 creature escapes and uses 5 feet of movement to enter
Languages — a space of its choice within 5 feet of the ooze.
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 If the ooze dies, an engulfed creature is no longer
restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by
Amorphous. The blood ooze can move through a space using 10 feet of movement. The creature also gains an
as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. infusion of the ooze’s life force, regaining 16 (3d10) hit
points, gaining any excess as temporary hit points that
Blood Scent. Double the blood ooze’s blindsight for last 24 hours. If a living creature dies within 24 hours
detecting living creatures that lack all their hit points. of this infusion, the corpse dissolves into a blood ooze
The blood ooze can use a bonus action to make a over the next hour. Magic that cures disease or removes
pseudopod attack against or take the Dash action to a curse not only prevents this change, but also removes
move toward such a creature. temporary hit points gained from the infusion.
If a creature dies while engulfed by the ooze, the
Spider Climb. The blood ooze can climb difficult creature’s body dissolves inside the ooze. The ooze
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without expels anything the creature wore or carried.
needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack. The blood ooze makes two pseudopod
attacks. It can use Engulf in place of one of these
attacks.
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Catacomb Haunt Oozing Skirmishers. Catacomb haunts prefer
The ancient culture which created the Necropolis the tight, cramped quarters of a necropolis, where
venerated death, necromancy, and the dead winding passages can disorient intruders. The haunts
themselves. Their sepulchral artistry still lingers have no such disadvantage. Their bodies can squeeze,
within the walls of the Labyrinth, the uppermost ooze-like, into the walls to retreat after attacking.
layer of the so-called Ostoyan Necropolis. Catacomb
haunts, or labyrinth lurkers as they are also known Elemental Weakness. A catacomb haunt has a
on the surface, are the remains of adventurers who
died lost within the Labyrinth. So tormented by its weakness to one element, often based on the region in
inescapable tunnels were they in life, that in death which it dwells or the nature of its death. Something
their spirits became obsessed with creating a perfect about a haunt reveals this weakness, such as tiny
understanding of its passages. sparks in its form for fire or a subtle crackling mist for
cold. This element can be exploited to force the haunt
to become corporeal temporarily. Haunts who lurk in
the same catacombs often share a weakness.
Catacomb Haunt A creature can take an action to study a haunt,
gaining a clue to its vulnerability with a successful DC
Medium undead, neutral evil 15 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception)
check. If the haunt takes damage it has vulnerability
Armor Class 13 to, it loses its damage resistances, condition immunities
Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20) other than to poisoned, its Incorporeal Movement trait,
Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) and its fly speed for 1 minute. The haunt ends this effect
on itself early with a successful DC 13 Constitution
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA saving throw, which it can make at the end of each of its
turns.
5 (−3) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 7 (−2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1)
Escape. The catacomb haunt can use a bonus action to
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5 take the Disengage action.
Damage Vulnerabilities see Elemental Weakness
Damage Immunities poison Incorporeal Movement. The catacomb haunt can move
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and through other creatures and objects as if they were
difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends
slashing from nonmagical attacks its turn inside an object.
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed,
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The catacomb haunt deals an
petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained extra 17 (5d6) necrotic damage when it hits a target
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack
Languages the languages it knew in life roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 haunt that isn’t incapacitated and the haunt doesn’t
have disadvantage on the attack roll.
Elemental Weakness. The catacomb haunt has
vulnerability to one damage type from among (roll Actions
1d10) 1–2 acid, 3–4 cold, 5–6 fire, 7–8 lightning, or 9–10
thunder. Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
85
Appendix A: New Monsters
Dream Whisperer Ravenous for Memories. Dream Whisperers
Deep within the twisted visage of a Dream Whisperer are bestial creatures, compelled to harvest memories
is the lost form of a fallen academic, mage or from unfortunate victims. For this reason they often
intelligent creature, who has fallen to fates twisted reside among larger settlements. Preferring to attack
ironies and been afflicted with a Curse of Lost at night, Dream Whisperers sneak into unsuspecting
Sentiment. Now it is naught but a deformed, hunched targets houses through windows and other openings.
creature covered in contorting arms, each with hands Their many arms allow them to scale otherwise
grasping for lost memories. impossible surfaces. Once inside, their arms serve
a second function: to physically tear treasured
memories from their victims and replace them with
feelings of paranoia and doubt.
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Dream Whisperer Actions
Medium monstrosity, neutral evil Multiattack. The Dream Whisperer makes three claw
attacks.
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 161 (20d10 + 52) Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
Speed 35 ft., climb 35 ft. one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage, and the
creature must make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA On a failed save, the dream whisperer gains advantage
11 (+0) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 6 (−3) 15 (+2) 99 (−1) on all attacks against that creature as it has learned its
thoughts and movements. Additionally, thoughts and
Saving Throws Dex +6 memories are drained from the target’s mind. Roll once
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +7 on the table below:
Damage Resistances psychic
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 d6 Memory Lost
Languages Broken words from memories it has stolen
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 1 You become deeply suspicious of a character of GM’s
choice. You gain the following flaw: “I know they
Aura of Confusion. Any creature that moves within or are seeking to betray me. I have to act first, it’s
starts its turn within 25 feet of the dream whisperer me or them!”
and can see it, must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence
saving throw, or suffer the effects of the confusion spell 2 You forget all memories of a loved one of the GM’s
as though it has been cast upon it. choice. The next time they meet, it is as if you are
meeting them for the first time.
Magic Resistance. The dream whisperer has advantage
on saving throws against spells and magic abilities. 3 You become stricken with doubt and gain the following
flaw: “The world is out to get me and I can’t win. I may
Spider Climb. The dream whisperer can climb up walls as well give up now”.
and across ceilings.
4 You forget one language you know, determined
randomly.
5 You forget the location of something important to you
(GM’s choice). It may be the location of a goal, your
home settlement or a hidden treasure.
6 You lose an inconsequential memory such as; what you
ate a few nights ago or the name of a person you barely
remember anyway.
87
Appendix A: New Monsters
Light Hunter Born of the Spark. Kasimir toiled for decades
Kasimir Sunkdrinker requires the complete and total to find his first spark of sunlight, early in his rule
light of the sun from Ostoya’s skies to control the over the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. When he found
Unseen Sun in its entirety. The sparks of sunlight the first, he fed it to the Unseen Sun as he thought
scattered within the souls of Ostoya are vestiges of he ought to. Moments after doing so, he realized
the sun’s radiance; they are the fragments of power he there was a better way. For three dozen long years
needs to gain the control he seeks. His light hunters he searched for another, and when he found and
are six perfectly loyal undead knights who will ride extracted it, he imbued one of his skeletal minions
across Ostoya on deathsteeds, in dogged pursuit with its power.
of anyone who is known to bear a spark of
sunlight within their soul. They are drawn to Drawn to the Spark. Overflowing with just a
the sparks, for they too contain a spark
within themselves. tiny fraction of the sun’s power, Kasimir’s first light
hunter possessed an innate draw to other sparks. A
light hunter can sense the exact location of a spark of
sunlight within 1000 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 can sense the existence of
sparks of sunlight in the world, but can’t pinpoint
their exact location.
Legion of Six. The first light hunter stood tall, a
humanoid skeletal in the saintly golden armor of the
civilization Kasimir once served, wielding a blade
of coruscating light. Then, before even a year had
passed, it had brought back another being whose soul
possessed a spark. Kasimir divested that body of its
soul—and its spark.
Six light hunters serve the Master of the Unseen
Sun. When they die, they are reborn not long after, in
a comingling of the sun’s pure, holy light of rebirth,
and Kasmir’s practiced necromancy. On the day that
Kasimir Sundrinker claims another spark of sunlight,
that number may increase to seven.
Deathsteed Aura of Consumption. This steed casts a long shadow.
Whenever a creature that isn’t undead takes damage
Large undead, neutral evil while within 20 feet of a deathsteed, it takes an
additional 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.
Armor Class 16 (chain mail)
Hit Points 85 (10d10 + 30) Dissipate. When the light hunter steed drops to 0 hit
Speed 50 ft., fly 50 ft. points, it disappears, leaving no corpse.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Trample. If a creature is prone, the steed can use a
bonus action to make a hooves attack against it.
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 6 (–2) 13 (+1) 7 (–2)
Turning Bond. If within 30 feet of its light hunter
Saving Throws Wis +4 master, the light hunter steed can’t be turned unless the
Damage Immunities poison same effect also turns the light hunter.
Damage Resistances necrotic
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Actions
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages understands one language the light hunter Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage and 9
speaks but can’t speak, telepathy 1 mile (with its light (2d8) necrotic damage
hunter only)
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
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Light Hunter Unholy Radiance. Gleaming golden light flows from
the light hunter’s bones. It sheds bright light for 30
Medium undead, lawful evil feet and dim light for another 30 feet. This light is
sunlight. Creatures within either of these areas have
Armor Class 18 (plate) disadvantage on saving throws and take an additional 3
Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60) (1d6) radiant damage whenever they take damage from
Speed 30 ft. an attack or spell. Light hunters and deathsteeds aren’t
affected by this trait.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Turning Bond. If within 30 feet of its deathsteed, the
18 (+4) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) light hunter can’t be turned unless the same effect also
turns the steed.
Saving Throws Wis +6
Skills Perception +6, Survival +6 Actions
Damage Immunities poison, radiant
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, Multiattack. The light hunter makes two sun saber
attacks.
and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t
silvered Sun Saber. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage and 18
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 (4d8) radiant damage. If the light hunter is mounted and
Languages the languages it knew in life, telepathy 1 the target is a creature, the target must succeed on a
mile (with its steed only) DC 16 Strength saving throw or fall prone.
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4
Summon Steed (Recharges after a Short or Long
Charge. If the light hunter moves at least 20 feet Rest). A deathsteed appears in an unoccupied space
straight toward a target and then hits with a weapon the light hunter can see within 30 feet of it. This
attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 14 deathsteed is bonded to the light hunter, and it can’t
(4d6) damage. be summoned again until it is dismissed to a pocket
dimension as an action, or it is destroyed. When
Luminous Awe. The light hunter is entranced by the summoned, this steed is restored to its hit point
light of the sun. If it sees sunlight (other than another maximum. If the hunter enters an encounter riding the
light hunter), the light hunter must make a DC 19 steed, this action requires recharge.
Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1 hour. The
light hunter remains stunned even if the light was Reactions
created by a spell that ends before an hour has passed.
However, this effect ends immediately if the light Solar Flare (Recharges after a Long Rest). When the
hunter takes damage. light hunter is reduced to 75 hit points or lower, its
full interior light blazes forth. All creatures within 60
Mounted Tactics. The light hunter is bonded to a feet of it other than other light hunters or deathsteeds
deathsteed. The hunter and its steed act on the same must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw
initiative, and the steed takes its turn after the hunter or take 42 (12d6) radiant damage and be blinded
and has no restrictions on its actions. The hunter can for 1 minute. On a successful save, it takes half as
force an attack that targets the steed to target the much damage and isn’t blinded. While this reaction
hunter instead. If the hunter’s steed is destroyed, requires recharge, the light hunter takes an extra 7
the hunter is dismounted but lands on its feet in a (2d6) force damage whenever it takes damage from an
space of its choice within 5 feet of where the mount attack or spell.
disappeared.
89
Appendix A: New Monsters
Liliyana Telepsik
Referred to by the Nightseer Sage as the “Lily of
the Void,” this human cleric has a spark of sunlight
sequestered within her soul. One of Kasimir
Sundrinker’s feared light hunters is stalking her,
and despite the divine powers that she has been able
to cultivate by virtue of her spark, even she is not
capable of resisting the fearsome hunter without help.
Liliyana Telepsik
Medium humanoid, lawful good
Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
Hit Points 30
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 16 (+3)
Skills Medicine +7, Insight +4, Persuasion +6
Senses passive Perception 17
Languages Common
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Spellcasting. Liliyana is a 5th-level spellcaster. Her
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to
hit with spell attacks). Liliyana has the following cleric
spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): guidance, resistance, sacred flame,
spare the dying
1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, healing word,
sanctuary
2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoration, prayer of
healing, scorching ray
3rd level (2 slots): beacon of hope, remove curse,
revivify, spirit guardians
Last Stand (Recharges after a Long Rest). When
Liliyana drops to 0 hit points, she can drop to 1 hit
point instead, and a flare of divine energy bursts forth
from her. Creatures within 15 feet of Liliyana must
make a Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6)
radiant damage on a failed save or half as much damage
on a success.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee weapon attack: +4 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) slashing damage.
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Mud Zombie 91
Any muddy or swampy area could hide a grotesque
surprise. Mud zombies form from piles of gore. At
rest, they look like mounds of remains, but when
roused, each becomes a writhing mass of muck-
covered limbs. These limbs can split from the mass
and continue fighting.
Undead Nature. A mud zombie doesn’t require
air, food, drink, or sleep.
Mud Zombie
Large undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20)
Speed 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 8 (−1) 14 (+2) 3 (−4) 8 (−1) 3 (−4)
Saving Throws Wis +1
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages —
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
False Appearance. While the mud zombie remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from an oozing pile of
corpse parts.
Formless. Without squeezing, the mud zombie can
move through an opening a creature up to two sizes
smaller can move through.
Actions
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the
target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is grappled
(escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the target
is restrained. A mud zombie can grapple up to two
creatures at a time.
Reactions
Split. When a mud zombie that is Medium or larger
takes 10 damage or more, it splits into two new
zombies if it has at least 10 hit points. Each new zombie
has hit points equal to half the original zombie’s,
rounded down. New zombies are one size smaller than
the original zombie.
Appendix A: New Monsters
Verminous Abomination
Avarice is a common vice in the world of Etharis.
None suffer more from it than the victims of a Curse of
Insatiable Greed. Where once a humanoid stood is now
a bloated, giant ratlike monster. It desires only one
thing, and that is possessions. From beautiful riches, to
the discarded trash of city dwellers, it does not matter.
To a verminous abomination all possessions are prized,
and for another to own them is a travesty.
Verminous Abomination Actions
Large monstrosity, chaotic neutral Multiattack. The verminous abomination makes two
attacks. One with its bite and one with its claws.
Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 131 (19d8 + 45) Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Speed 30 ft., burrow 30 ft. target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage. A creature hit
by a bite attack must make a DC 15 Constitution saving
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA throw. On a failed save, it takes 14 (3d8) poison damage
15 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 8 (−1) and is poisoned for 1 minute. On a successful save, it
take half as much damage and is not poisoned. The
Saving Throws Str +5, Con +5 target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +7 its turns, ending the poison on itself on a success.
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Deep Speech Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Keen Smell. The verminous abomination has advantage Birth Rattlings (Recharge 5–6). The verminous
on all Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell. abomination spawns 1d4 + 2 swarms of rats within 5
feet of it and can immediately move and take actions.
Tunneler. The verminous abomination can burrow Afterward, they act on the the same turn as the
through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and verminous abomination.
leaves a 5 foot-wide, 5-foot-high tunnel in its wake.
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Appendix B: New Magic Items
`New magic items found in this episode are Additionally, if this item is wielded by a good-
detailed here. aligned cleric or paladin, it also gains the following
properties:
Aurelia’s Tears
Turn Undead. If you have the Turn Undead
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a good-
aligned character) feature, you can use this item once per day to use the
feature without expending your own use. Once used,
A gold vial filled with holy water, Aurelia’s Tears is this feature cannot be used again until the next dawn.
an artifact from a long-forgotten civilization. Imbued If the sunlight property of this amulet is active when
with the powers of the goddess, it was carried by the you use this feature, all undead have disadvantage on
high priest of the city to put to rest undead that were their saving throws against this feature.
no longer needed, or as a defense against undead that
broke free of their creator’s control. Raise Dead. You can anoint a dead creature
The vial contains 20 uses of water. Once all the uses
are expended, the vial becomes nonmagical. with 10 uses of water from the vial. The creature
Destroy Undead. You can use an action to anoint is returned to life as with the raise dead spell.
an undead with a single use of water from the vial. If Alternatively, you may use 5 uses of water from the
the undead is CR 2 or lower, it immediately drops to vial in place of the material components for the raise
0 hit points and cannot use its Undead Fortitude trait. dead spell.
If the undead creature is above a CR 2, it must make a
DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes Enchanted Map of Nov Ostoya
8d8 radiant damage, or half as much on a success.
Sunlight. As an action, you can activate this item, Wondrous item, uncommon
causing it to shed bright light. If the vial has 10 or
more uses remaining, it sheds bright light in a 30- Created by a thieves’ guild in Nov Ostoya, this map is
foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. printed on high-quality vellum and measures roughly
If the vial has less than 10 uses of water remaining, 3 feet long by 2 feet tall. It is a map of the city of Nov
the radius is reduced to 15 feet of bright light and 15 Ostoya, showing all the major avenues and many of
feet of dim light. The light is sunlight and lasts for an the smaller side streets and back alleyways in the Low
hour. Once this property has been used, it cannot be Streets and the Heights.
used again until the next dawn. When you speak this map’s command word
(“callidus”), a second map overlays the city in a
glowing blue script, highlighting known routes
through the sewers beneath
Nov Ostoya. Secret doors
and entrances into and out
of the sewers and the city
are marked in green, and
dangerous areas donated
in red, with golden motes
identifying safe houses or
friendly fences. This glowing
overlay lasts for one minute, and
then it fades away.
Enchanted Map of
Nov Ostoya
Aurelia’s Tears
93
Appendix B: New Magic Items
The Countess’s Communion Set Fingerbone of Shattered Vows
Wonderous item, rare Wonderous item, very rare
This kit consists of a polished brass bowl and keen Created by the hags in the Black Mire, the fingerbone
dagger set within a wooden chest lined with black is covered in burned runes and feels slimy to
satin. Once per day, you can use this set to cast the touch.
commune as a ritual: You must spill humanoid blood As an action, you can snap the finger bone in
with the dagger into the brass bowl, then drink the half, releasing the spell. If within 30 feet of a cursed
blood from the bowl. Commune cast in this way only creature, the creature must make a DC 19 Constitution
contacts the Arch Daemon Sitri, regardless of what saving throw. If the creature is below half its
deity you were attempting to commune with. maximum hit points, the saving throw automatically
After you complete the ritual, make a DC 18 fails. On a failure, the creature becomes stunned, and
Wisdom saving throw. You can choose to fail this they begin reverting to their original form on their
saving throw. On a failure, for the next 24 hours, next turn. The full transformation takes 4 rounds,
you are more likely to give into vices of violence and during which the target creature can do nothing but
pleasure, and you gain disadvantage on Wisdom howl in pain as their body bends and twists. At the
saving throws and advantage on Charisma checks. end of their fourth turn, the target creature is fully
The dagger from this set counts as a +1 weapon returned to their original form, is reduced to 0 hit
that requires attunement. Any time an attack made points and is stable, and is no longer cursed.
with the dagger hits, you hear a sigh of pleasure in
your mind. If a creature is killed with this dagger, Seeds of Hope
make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure,
you are stunned until the end of your next turn as Wondrous item, very rare
waves of ecstasy course through you.
A vivid pink blossom unfurls to reveal three
unremarkable looking green seeds, each just
under 1 inch in diameter. Gifted to the characters
by the dryad Annaë, these seeds represent the
possibility of redemption and new life brought to the
lands of Soma.
You can use an action to throw a seed to an
unoccupied space of your choosing within 30 feet.
When the seed hits the ground, it erupts in a 20-foot
radius sphere of tangled vines and blazing light. The
sphere functions as if under the effects of the entangle
spell. Additionally, any creature that starts its turn
in the radius must make a DC 18 Constitution saving
throw. On a failed save, it takes 4d6 radiant damage,
and half as much on a success.
If you remove a seed from the blossom, plant it in
the dirt or sand, and then water it, the seed produces
an effect 1 minute later from the ground where it
was planted. The GM can choose an effect from the
following table, determine it randomly, or create
an effect.
The Countess’s Fingerbone of
Communion Set Shattered Vows
94
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
d100 Effect Seeds of Hope
01–10 5d4 toadstools sprout. If a creature eats a Dose of Bliss
11–20 toadstool, roll any die. On an odd roll, the eater
21–30 must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw Wondrous item, uncommon
31–40 or take 5d6 poison damage and become poisoned
for 1 hour. On an even roll, the eater gains 5d6 Bliss is a golden powder that has been pressed into a
41–50 temporary hit points for 1 hour. small bead about half an inch in diameter. If placed
51–60 A geyser erupts and spouts water, beer, berry under the tongue, it dissolves over the course of 1
61–70 juice, tea, vinegar, wine, or oil (GM’s choice) 30 minute and fills the user with a sense of profound
71–80 feet into the air for 1d12 rounds. euphoria. Pure relaxation overcomes the user and
81–90 A treant sprouts. It is friendly to you and your their worries are washed away in place of the effects
companions and will do what it can to help you of the drug.
91–99 until it is destroyed, or until 24 hours pass and it If you are a humanoid and you consume this drug,
loses interest. you are filled with a feeling of complete calm and
00 An animate, immobile statue in your likeness happiness. You are under the following effects for the
rises. It makes verbal threats against you. If you next 1d4 hours:
leave it and others come near, it describes you
as the most heinous of villains and directs the • You cannot be frightened.
newcomers to find and attack you. If you are • Your speed is halved.
on the same plane of existence as the statue, • You automatically fail all attack rolls and
it knows where you are. The statue becomes
inanimate after 24 hours. saving throws.
A campfire with blue flames springs forth and • If you use an effect that requires another creature to
burns for 24 hours (or until it is extinguished).
1d6 + 6 shriekers sprout. make a saving throw, the DC is 10 and they make
1d4 + 8 bright pink toads crawl forth. When a toad their save at advantage. At the end of the 1d4 hour
is touched, it transforms into a Large or smaller duration, you must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution
monster of the GM’s choice. The monster remains saving throw or gain 1 level of exhaustion.
for 1 minute, then disappears in a puff of smoke.
A fruit tree grows. It has 1d10 + 20 fruit, 1d8 of
which act as randomly determined magic potions,
while one acts as an ingested poison of the GM’s
choice. The tree vanishes after 1 hour. Picked fruit
remains, retaining any magic for 30 days.
A nest of 1d4 + 3 eggs spring up. Any creature
that eats an egg must make a DC 20 Constitution
saving throw. On a successful save, a creature
permanently increases its lowest ability score by
1, randomly choosing among equally low scores.
On a failed save, the creature takes 10d6 force
damage from an internal magical explosion.
A hole sinks into the ground, forming a well. The
well is a cylinder with a radius of 10 feet and a
depth of 30 feet and has stone sides. A narrow
spiral stone staircase leads down along the wall.
At the bottom of the well is a spring of fresh
water 5 feet in diameter. A creature who drinks
from the spring must make a Wisdom saving throw.
On a success, they gain the ability to cast detect
thoughts once a day. On a failed save, or if the
creature drinks from the well after gaining detect
thoughts, the creature takes 6d10 psychic damage
as the screams of the damned fill their mind. The
well disappears after an hour, harmlessly ejecting
any creature or item within it to the nearest
unoccupied space. Any water taken from the
spring retains its properties for 24 hours.
A vivid pink flower sprouts. When it unfurls, it
holds three more seeds of hope.
95
Appendix B: New Magic Items
Dose of Bliss
Lord’s Lament Lord's Lament
Potion, rare A coin-sized yellow gem, the sunstone radiates dim
light in a 5-foot radius. The light is sunlight. As an
The exact origin of this bottle of wine is unknown, action, you can suppress the sunlight for 10 minutes,
but tales tell of a vintner from before the fall who or you can increase the brightness so that it radiates
fermented his grapes with a rare herb. This gave bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for
the wine a particularly smooth taste, but also had additional 15 feet for 10 minutes.
an unexpected side-effect: If a vampire drank As an action, you can shatter the sunstone,
from a humanoid who had consumed this wine, destroying it and causing a burst of sunlight as in the
the humanoid’s blood burned and blistered in the sunburst spell, originating from the sunstone.
vampire’s mouth and throat.
This bottle of wine contains five uses. As an action, Attuned Healing. If you attune to the sunstone,
you can consume a use of lord’s lament. For the next
8 hours, you have resistance to necrotic damage, and you regain 1 hit point at the start of each of your turns
any vampire who bites you takes 2d4 radiant damage. (10 hit points each minute) as long as the sunlight is
If you die, or if you are completely exsanguinated, not suppressed. Once you have been attuned to this
this effect ends. item for 24 hours, its overwhelming power deals 1
radiant damage instead of healing you. Once you
Sunstone have been unattuned to this item for 24 hours, this
property reverts.
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
Sunstone
The sunstone came to Trista’s family several
generations ago, when her ancestor was out foraging
for plants and fell into a shallow ruin. The stone was
set into the wall of the ruin, in the center of a sun-
shaped mosaic. Injured and unsure how to escape, the
ancestor pried the sunstone free and then laid down
to sleep, hoping someone would come searching for
her. When she awoke, her injuries were healed. She
was rescued not long after, and she smuggled the
stone into the city of Voyd. The healing properties of
the stone have been forgotten over the generations,
though Trista remains unusually hardy and resistant
to disease.
96
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
Appendix C: Handouts
Mayor Duchaine’s Letter
The letter is folded, slipped into a thick envelope of fine paper, and sealed with a wax seal.
Baron Mihael, Steward of Lunsk,
The bearers of this letter aided me greatly, and
I expect Lunsk to flourish in the coming months
and years. If it suits you, I hope you find use of
them as well.
I remain, your humble servant,
Mayor Roche Duchaine
97
Appendix C: Handouts
Vedran’s Journal
Most recent entry, dated a little more than a week ago:
[Furious, unintelligible scribbling. The page is torn where the pen ripped through it.]
Three days earlier: Five days earlier:
I’m starting to think Things are strange. I keep trying
something sinister is afoot. to make plans to travel to Lunsk,
I walk the streets and but each time I return from the
recognize no one, but they store, I find I’ve already purchased
all eye me as if they know the supplies I need. Or have I?
my darkest secrets. Josef, Perhaps Mother purchased them
Andela, and Jan are the only for me? I cannot remember. All I
friendly faces I see, and know is we’re shorter on coin than
even they fall silent when I expected and we have three
I approach. sets of travel supplies. Perhaps I
need more sleep.
Is this some sort of trick?
I will see my sweet Libyenchka
within the week. All will be
well then.
98
Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun
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