GFG22_GH_FB002_E2

Citadel of the Unseen Sun: Episode 2

DREAMS OF THE WORLD BEYOND

Credits

Episode 2: Dreams of the World Beyond Ghostfire Gaming Team
Written by: Leon Barillaro
CEO: Jordon Gibson
Head of Fables: James J. Haeck Communications and Marketing: Hannah Peart,
Story Design: James J. Haeck
Kathryn Griggs, Eduardo Cabrera
Art Director: Zoë Robinson Products and Logistics: Matthew Witbreuk,

Citadel of the Unseen Sun Writers: Willy Abeel, Simon Sherry, Nick Ingamells, Rex Gibson
Leon Barillaro, Anne Gregerson, James J. Haeck, Game Designers: Shawn Merwin, James J. Haeck
Sarah Madsen, Montgomery Martin, Kelly Art Direction: Suzanne Helmigh, Marius Bota,
McLaughlin, Joshua “HTTPaladin” Mendenhall
Ona Kristensen, Zoë Robinson
Editor: Matt Click Lead Graphic Designer: Martin Hughes
Managing Editor: James J. Haeck
Ghostfire Gaming Discord Community Managers:
Graphic Design: Rich Lescouflair and Peter Ian “Butters” Gratton, Lukas “Toasti” Scheerer,
Wocken Design Nelson “Deathven” Dicarlio, Tom “A Viking Walrus”
Garland, Caleb “Connendarf” Englehart, Cameron
Layout: Rich Lescouflair “C4Burgers” Brechin
Cover Design: Christine Foltzer
End Page Design: Abby Zweifel Special thanks to the creative wizards at Wizards
of the Coast for being the caring stewards of this
Episode 2 Interior Illustrators: Abby Zweifel, game we love.
Alex Drummond, Andre Garcia, Cory Trego-
Erdner, Cynthia F.G., George Bennett, Kelly Toki, Special thanks to our playtesters and every one of
Kristian Agerkvist, Kurt Jakobi, Luca Moos, Luke the passionate roleplayers of the Ghostfire Gaming
Beaber, Nikki Dawes, Priscilla Kim, Quintin Gleim, community. Your feedback and your love of
Romana Kendelic, Tomasz Jędruszek, Tony Foti, storytelling and monster-slaying is what drives
Yoann Boissonnet, Pixoloid Studios (Mark Molnar, us to create games.
Janos, Gardos, Zsolt 'Mike' Szabados, Peter Lerner,
Peter Kreitner), Matt Hubel

Episode 2 Cartographers: Abby Zweifel, Cave Geek
Art, Nataša Ilinčić, Yoann Boissonnet

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

This product is compliant with the Open Game Licence and is suitable for use with the 5th Edition rules system.

Product Identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e),
and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, storylines, locations,
characters, illustrations, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content or are in the public domain are
not included in this declaration.)

Open Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this game product are Open Game
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© 2021, Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. Reference to copyright material in no way constitutes a challenge to the respective
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all associated Fables episode titles are trademarks of Ghostfire Gaming Pty Ltd.

2

Contents 5

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

Chapter 1: The Town that Never Wakes 13
13
Chapter Overview 19
Dream-Town 22
Where to Start 25
Adventures in Dream-Town
Between Adventures 29

Chapter 2: The Nightmare of Dawn 30
30
Background 41
Anatol’s Dream
Conclusion 43

Chapter 3: Heist on the Gräffendam 44
44
Background 47
Hiding in the Shade 53
Gildreath 54
Reservoir
Conclusion 57

Chapter 4: The Ballad of Ser Tristram 58
59
Background 69
Dark Oak Grove
Conclusion 71

Chapter 5: Escape from Dream-Town 72
72
Cooperation 78
The Hard Way
Conclusion 81

Appendix A: New Monsters 81
83
Dream Parasite 86
Dream Spirits 87
Skip 88
Somnabulating Mound 89
Vetra
Walking Hedge 90

Open Game License 3

4

Welcome to Fables!

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

5

Running a Dark Fantasy Game

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

This Fable’s Story

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

Overview

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

6

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

7

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

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

8

Episode 5: City of Decadence The characters emerge from the tunnels of
Necropolis to find themselves in an idyllic yet empty
In this episode, the characters travel to Nov Ostoya in ghost town. Once they pass through the veil into the
search of the Nightseer Sage, who apparently holds ethereal world of dreams, the town around them
the key to destroying Kasimir Sundrinker. They must springs to life. Color blossoms from the dreary stone
work arm-in-arm with the gangs of Nov Ostoya walls, almost blinding in its vibrancy. Unfolding
to reach the city’s bloody heights and find their before them is a pastoral countryside, dotted with
mysterious benefactor. charming cottages within a sturdy wall. Dream-Town
is a place where spirits lead peaceful, conflict-free
Episode 6: Master of the Unseen Sun existences, going through the quaint motions of small-
town life.
In this episode, the characters are pursued by By entering this realm of dreams, the souls of the
Kasimir’s deadly minions: the Light Hunters. They adventurers detach from their bodies. With no way to
must cross the lands of Ostoya to reach their final return to their bodies, these lost souls have no choice
destination: the Citadel of the Unseen Sun. Once but to find a way forward—through the fever dream.
there, their task is laid bare before them: Kasimir Over the course of this episode, they learn that there
must fall. are two ways to do so: by aiding a silver-tongued
agent of Kasimir and maintaining the tyranny of
Prelude endless dreams, or by causing a revolution in Dream-
Town and reclaiming their bodies themselves.
In this episode, the characters rise from the mass
grave of the Ditches—possibly with allies among Character Advancement
the surviving Dredgers—and escape into a town of
dreams and hibernating souls. In this episode, the characters must recover their
Those who die within the Ostoyan lands untouched physical forms by entering the dreams of some of
by the rays of the sun are drawn into this false Dream-Town’s spirits. Characters gain a level when
afterlife. It is within this Dream-Town that their souls they complete the following objectives. They can’t
linger. It is but one of many within the Necropolis of rise to higher than 5th level before the start of the next
Kasimir Sundrinker, for it is where souls of the dead episode in this Fable.
rest placidly in the stasis of unending dreams. Until
they are plucked, if from an icebox, to feed the lich’s • The characters awaken two of the Dreamers
hungering phylactery. (Anatol, Skip, or Tristram)

• The characters recover their bodies.

9



Chapter 1:

The Town that Never Wakes

For 3rd-level characters

In this chapter, the characters enter Dream-Town and meet a mysterious
stranger named Octavian Dreamwalker. He offers to return them to
their bodies and grant them safe passage from Dream-Town to the
Locks, in exchange for keeping peace within his domain.

But all is not as it seems in Dream-Town. Its residents are blissful but
unaware that Octavian pulls the strings behind their provincial lives.
Characters must choose between assisting Octavian Dreamwalker in
keeping Dream-Town placid or cutting the residents loose, taking down
Octavian and his false paradise in the process.

An Impression of the

DREAMING TOWN

of

Galena.

3. 4.

2. 7. 8.
5. 9.

1.

6.

1. Marketplace 6.  Idara’s Forge
2.  Cat Alley
3.  Bronson’s Forge 7.  Town Square
4. Graveyard (Kasimir’s Gate)
5.  Local Enchanter
8.  The Hale & Ale

9.  Octavian’s House

12

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

This chapter introduces characters to the history, Surrounded on three sides by fertile land, Galena
culture, and rules of Dream-Town and the crux of the was primarily a farming town. The people worked
story: Octavian Dreamwalker’s hold over this place. the land and were self-sufficient, though they enjoyed
In the section “The Way Forward,” characters make the occasional imported luxury from a traveling
the leap from the realm of the living to the ethereal merchant. The eastern side of town bordered a small
world of the Dreamers. They learn that their only way river, too meager to travel down in anything larger
out is to cooperate with Dreamwalker—or at least than a rowboat.
to pretend to cooperate. He asks them to soothe the What exists in Dream-Town is a memory of Galena,
restless souls of three Dreamers by entering into their more perfect and colorful than it ever was in real
dreams and pacifying them. Characters can choose life—an oversaturated, hyper-real facsimile of reality.
to oblige Octavian or betray him by awakening those Where once was the eastern river now sits the Soul
souls instead. Flow, a direct channel into the Deep Rivers—the
only way out of Dream-Town, and the location the
Entering Dreams characters must explore in episode 3 of this Fable.
To prevent Dream-Town spirits from accidentally
Characters can enter the dreams of the three spirits in spilling over into the channel, the lich Kasimir
any order. The rest of this chapter provides guidance Sundrinker approved construction of a spirtitual
for leading into these adventures and the encounters barrier separating Dream-Town and the channel.
that may happen in Dream-Town between those There is one way through the barrier, accessible only
dream incursions. from within Octavian Dreamwalker’s home.
In Chapter 2: The Nightmare of Dawn, the
characters enter the dream of Anatol, a member of a Philosophy of Death
famous Ostoyan order of vampire hunters.
In Chapter 3: Heist on the Gräffendam, the Like most citizens of the ancient Necropolis, the
characters enter the dream of Skip, a pickpocket from townsfolk of Galena considered death as not an end
the Bürach Empire planning a heist that could save to life but as the next step, in both their soul’s journey
countless lives. and their service to the empire. A soul held a person’s
In Chapter 4: The Ballad of Ser Tristram, the true power, and once life ended, that soul was free
characters enter the dream of Ser Tristram, knight to realize its true purpose as a protective spirit. Life
of Charneault, who has fallen under the spell of a was regarded as a sort of “training period” for souls,
dangerous corrupted Spirit of Nature in the Dark where they learned about the world around them,
Oak Grove. discovered their passions, and strengthened their
connection to the earth. The experiences one has in life
Departing Dream-Town strengthens their soul in death for whatever mission it
has once it passes. The people of Galena believed that
Once the characters have either rallied the dreamers to the souls of their dead watched over them as ghosts
their cause, or pacified them by Octavian’s command, and spirits.
they can regain their bodies and depart Dream-Town, For this reason, the architecture of Dream-Town is
as described in chapter 5 of this episode. one giant memento mori, a reminder that death is ever-
present. Skulls and skull motifs adorn every surface,
Dream-Town while bones are worked into cobblestone walkways
and the masonry of buildings. The sun rises and sets
This section provides rules for running Dream-Town in Dream-Town, creating an illusion of normalcy that
as a hub for the ensuing adventures. may be deeply unsettling to characters that have lived
all their lives in the sunless land of Ostoya.
History of Dream-Town
Kasimir, Royal Necromancer
The physical structure of Dream-Town is made up of
remnants of a town called Galena, which existed long Few people were permitted the power and authority
before recorded history, when the Necropolis was a to reverse death’s decision. Typically, this role fell to
living empire. the Royal Necromancer, a pseudo-religious figure to
all the small towns dotting the imperial countryside.
The Imperial Necromancer oversaw the preservation
of souls deemed important and necessary to the
empire’s safety and cultural identity.

13

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes

The Royal Necromancer had the authority to raise The realm of Dream-Town is finite. Beyond its
zombies and other undead to defend the empire and physical walls, it is surrounded by beautiful rolling
to call upon the ghosts and spirits for wisdom and hills. No matter how far away one travels from
guidance. In rare cases, the Imperial Necromancer Dream-Town, it never gets any farther away. If the
could also wholly resurrect a person if they deemed characters leave the walls of town, either following
that person’s soul had not spent enough time the road out of town or wandering they fields, they
maturing in life. can turn around to see that it is always visible on the
Long ago, this ancient empire fell to vampires. At horizon, seeming to be no more than a mile away.
that time, the title of Imperial Necromancer belonged If the characters travel down the road for a full day,
to Kasimir, who eventually became a lich and adopted they see another town on the horizon by midday; it is
the epithet Sundrinker. The monument in the center Dream-Town, but now they are approaching from the
of town was built for him a few years before the fall of other direction: north if they left from the south, south
the old empire. if they departed from the north.

Laws of Dream-Town Speaking with Dreamers

Dream-Town is made up of lingering spirits that It is possible to converse with Dreamers and get
live their days disconnected from their bodies. They information out of them, but it usually feels like
are entirely unaware that this is the case, and exist everyone involved is speaking a slightly different
in a whimsical state, as though they aren’t dead language. Dreamers do not realize they are dead and
but simply dreaming. These residents, known as laugh off any attempt to prove that they are. But they
Dreamers, appear to outside observers as existing know the layout of Dream-Town, where things are,
separately, together. Each Dreamer has their own and who to ask for help. They may remember bits
perception of what is going on in Dream-Town, and and pieces of their past lives, such as a purpose or a
these perceptions may be wildly mismatched when spark, but their role in Dream-Town overrides any
placed beside one another. experiences they may have had in life.
For example, a Dreamer may visit the butcher Some Dreamers still remember their identities in
to ask for a pound of potatoes, receive a half dozen life quite clearly. Many of them have faded into a
clams in exchange for a handful of buttons, and go state of ambiguity with regards to their physical and
home satisfied with the encounter. No Dreamer is emotional features, losing track of former jobs, former
conscious of the absurdity of their situation, and they races, former genders, and former hobbies.
seem incapable of recognizing that it is absurd. The Dreamers see Octavian as a benevolent
On the outside, these interactions do not make authority figure, referring to him as “Ser Octavian”
sense, but to those involved, they seem ordinary, just and using clearly scripted lines to comment on how
as the nonsense of a dream always makes sense to the nice, charming, or otherwise capable he is at every
person dreaming. possible opportunity.
Residents of Dream-Town go through the motions
of their lives like players on a stage. They wake, go Equipment and Possessions
to work, interact with one another, and at the end of
the day, they sleep. They do all of this at the direction When characters cross through the veil into Dream-
of their puppeteer: Octavian Dreamwalker. This Town, they take the memory of their possessions
pupil of the lich Kasimir rules over Dream-Town. with them. Weapons, armor, adventuring gear, and
See “Notable Characters,” later in this chapter for a anything else they may be carrying all travel with
description of this charming tyrant. their spirits and are fully functional and useable.
Those objects do still live on the characters’ bodies
The Illusion as well, so any resources expended or destroyed in
Dream-Town aren’t expended in physical space.
Kasimir has charged Octavian with the arduous task Provided nothing happens to the characters’ bodies
of maintaining the illusion of Dream-Town as a real, and possessions while they explore Dream-Town, they
living place. Octavian keeps time for his trapped souls retain those possessions upon returning to their bodies.
by causing an illusory “sun” to rise in the morning Possessions acquired in Dream-Town, however,
and set in the evening, providing necessary light do not automatically travel with the characters back
throughout. into their physical bodies. They carry over only
under extraordinary circumstances, such as when
enchanted by Symone (see “Local Enchanter,” later in
this chapter).

14

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Trade. Dreamers are not as careful with their coin
as living people. Just like players on a stage, they
are more concerned with the motion of the exchange
than they are with counting actual coins. Because
Dreamers come from different civilizations and
cultures, they have brought with them many unusual
types of coins. Due to the collective dream, “currency”
in Dream-Town is made up of anything roughly coin-
shaped and small enough to fit in the palm of one’s
hand. A merchant might believe they are handing
you five copper pieces, but instead they hand over
three copper pieces, a loose button from their shirt,
and a pebble.
Refer to the Currency Conversion table to see what
kinds of items characters might pay with, and what
items they may receive if they attempt to sell their
possessions.

Dream-Town
Currency Conversion

Coin Substitutes Town Square

Copper Buttons, pebbles The center of town intersects with all major roadways.
Silver Berries, dice Most residents of Dream-Town travel through the
Electrum Shells, sea glass town square as part of their daily routine. Many
Gold Rings, baubles major shops and attractions are either in the square or
Platinum Precious gems close to it.
Kasimir’s Gate. The square’s centerpiece is
Notable Landmarks Kasimir’s Gate, a stone monument to the Imperial
Necromancer. Many regarded Kasimir as a
Dream-Town has several significant locations that the benevolent shepherd into the afterlife. Kasimir’s
characters can visit in their quest. Gate is a fenceless, open gateway in the middle of
town, beside which stands a stone statue of Kasimir
Northern Outskirts as he was in life: a stern-faced human with kindly
eyes. He is depicted lifting a lantern in one hand and
The northern outskirts extend about a mile outward outstretching his other hand, welcoming passersby
from the center of town, but are still within the walls. into the next life.
It is mainly countryside: fields of wheat and corn In Galena, townspeople would hold lively,
separated by a dirt path leading into town. Nearer the celebratory funeral parades for their dead, processing
town stands Tristram’s farm and the graveyard. the deceased’s coffin through Kasimir’s Gate on their
Farm. Tristram’s farm boasts a large and diverse way to the graveyard, near the entrance of town.
collection of crops, half of which definitely would The gate acts as a portal of sorts between worlds.
not grow in the Ostoyan countryside. Tristram does The first time the party travels through, they pass
not sell their produce, instead opting to give food to from the physical realm into Dream-Town, but it
Dreamers in need. never works that way for them again. Only Octavian,
Graveyard. Large tombstones riddle a grassy Kasimir, and the Nightseer Sage can use the gate to
area near the town’s entrance. The stones are so old travel between worlds purposefully. When one of
that the names once carved into them are difficult these characters “opens” the gate with the intention
to discern. A character who makes a successful DC of passing through, it shows a glimpse of the
20 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds Symone’s world beyond.
name on one of them (see "Local Enchanter," below).
Symone has never seen her name on a gravestone and
wouldn’t believe it if she did.

15

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes

Local Enchanter Vendors Vendor Goods

Symone Distaava was a female human commoner Vendor Names Weapons and armor
living in Galena when both she and the town were Shields and armor
living. As the local enchanter, Symone sold magical Idara (elf, nonbinary) Plants, medicine, and potions
goods and services approved by the crown from her Bronson (orc, male) Adventuring gear and tools
storefront in the center of town. Kiani (elf, male) Precious metals and curios from
As a Dreamer, Symone still believes she serves Paola (dwarf, female) “out of town”
the people of Galena. In Dream-Town, Symone Silver (dwarf, agender)
keeps a stock of spell components she proudly
claims are approved by the great Royal Hale & Tale Tavern
Necromancer Kasimir.
Characters can find just about any spell component The Hale & Tale is a combination inn and tavern that
aside from diamonds. Diamonds were typically serves hearty, nourishing food and ale. The “tale” is
used for resurrection spells, which most unlicensed typically delivered by the tavern’s house bard, Peotr.
spellcasters were not permitted to cast when Galena The male halfling bard has a limited repertoire of
was a living town. stories, but he tells them exceptionally well.
Symone also offers her services as a spellcaster, The tavern charges one silver piece for a room for
including casting any wizard spell of 4th level or the night and a hot meal to go with it. Characters find
lower that can be cast as a ritual. She also offers a that food in this spirit realm affects their spirit forms
special service to enchant any item so that one can much like real food affects their real bodies. No matter
“retain it between the realms of the living and the what they order, they are always served a large stein
dead.” If characters pay for this enchantment, the item of ale and a hearty stew of whatever the chef found at
Symone enchants appears on their person when their market that day.
spirit returns to their body. Once in a while, Octavian himself graces the bar
Symone lives in the apartment above her storefront with his presence. He always requests Peotr’s song
with her familiar, a tiger moth named Gossamer. about the shark attack, his personal favorite.

Symone’s Services Dueling Forges

Service Price On opposite ends of town lie the residences of
Bronson and Idara (LN male half-orc and nonbinary
1st-level ritual spell 10 gp half-elf bandits respectively) made shields and
2nd-level ritual spell 20 gp armor, and Idara (CN nonbinary elf) Day in and day
3rd-level ritual spell 30 gp out, these two melt down and re-forge the stock for
4th-level ritual spell 40 gp their respective stalls at the marketplace. The activity
Enchantment of Retention 50 gp keeps them busy, which is Octavian’s goal.
Characters who investigate either Bronson or
Marketplace Idara’s forge may notice that the tools they each use
are engraved with the initials of the other. Bronson
The marketplace is a place where the townsfolk and Idara don’t know why that is, but it never bothers
can purchase goods from both their neighbors and them for longer than an instant.
traveling merchants. Most of the vendors live in
town, with the exception of Silver, who plays the Octavian’s House
part of the “traveling merchant” and lives on the
outskirts of town. Octavian lives in an imposing two-story house toward
The vendors of Dream-Town either acquire or the edge of the eastern side of town. The house
make their own goods. Silver cannot get their hands borders what appears to be a massive, impenetrable
on more precious gems while trapped in Dream- brick wall. No one in Dream-Town travels farther
Town, but nobody in town is buying precious gems east—the brick wall prevents it.
anyway. Their stock hasn’t depleted much since their The wall hides the fact that Octavian’s house is
soul arrived. actually riverfront property. Behind the impenetrable
brick wall is the Soul Flow, which takes bodies and
souls down toward the Deep Rivers (see episode 3
of this Fable). Octavian keeps this area hidden from
Dreamers because he does not want any of them to
get swept away and lost among the channels.

16

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

The only way past the brick wall is through a The Dreamers all use living dream statistics (see
passageway in Octavian’s house. appendix A) while in Dream-Town. They may use
For this reason, Octavian does not let anyone inside different statistics while within their own dreams.
his house unless he is present, and even then he has Discovering Past Lives. Characters can discover
never extended an invitation to a Dreamer. He wards a Dreamer’s past life by peering into their mind
his home daily with an enchantment that causes a with magic like the detect thoughts spell. If a Dreamer
creature who comes within 5 feet of it to forget what becomes lucid, they remember everything about their
they were doing, turn around, and walk away. The past life, and are willing to share their stories with the
ward can only be lifted by Octavian’s hand—or by characters when asked.
ending his life.
Octavian Dreamwalker
Cat Alley
The man in charge of Dream-Town, by order of
This alley is nearly overrun by stray cats. Some are Kasimir Sundrinker, is Octavian Dreamwalker
scrawny with matted fur, others are well-fed and look (LE male dream parasite). Charismatic and clever,
as though they’ve just hopped off of a monarch’s lap. Octavian realized that most people in power tend to
Small plates of fishbones and other questionable foods grant themselves names as a symbol of status. Hoping
have been left out for them. to one day attain that power for himself, Octavian
These cats seem to move through the area the same gave himself the epithet of Dreamwalker.
way Octavian can. They see Dreamers but are not Octavian looks the part of a dreamwalker. He is
bound by the rules and structure of Dream-Town. humanoid in shape, but his skin and long hair are
The majority of these cats are runaways from the as dark as the void of space, flecked by stars and
Locks, liberated and cared for by the Nightseer Sage. nebulae. He wears well-tailored clothes, and never the
The Sage. The Nightseer Sage, appearing in this same outfit twice.
realm as an aged, cat-loving human crone named “Dream-eater” might have been a better moniker,
Griselda, slips in and out of Dream-Town through however. Octavian is a psychic parasite that feeds on
Kasimir’s Gate. Characters can only find her at night, the dreams of others. When Kasimir noticed Octavian
and never when Octavian is wandering the town. feeding on the dreams of the lost souls in Dream-
The Nightseer Sage may offer characters insight Town, he played to Octavian’s vanity and gave him
into the goings-on of Dream-Town between their the important job of keeping the souls in Dream-Town
adventures: how to converse with Dreamers, where to complacent.
find things they need, and how to not lose their heads Octavian walks among the Dreamers of this ghost
while detached from their bodies. town, keeping them ignorant of the reality of their
While the sage would prefer the characters betray situation and complacent within their own personal
Octavian and destroy Dream-Town, she never says dreams. To keep up the illusion, Octavian has cast
this outright. She believes the characters should make the residents of Dream-Town in common roles, such
this decision of their own accord—otherwise they’ll as butcher, farmer, and guardsman. With tasks to
lack the conviction to see their quest through. busy them, the Dreamers stay preoccupied with their
own worlds.
Notable Characters Octavian’s major flaws are his pride and vanity.
He loves being celebrated, which is why he has cast
The residents of Dream-Town are known as himself in such an illustrious role. Octavian dreams
Dreamers. They are a collection of lost souls, a mix of of one day acquiring a physical body with which to
previous residents of Galena and souls from all over traverse the Material Plane, perhaps to take day trips to
the continent attracted to Dream-Town’s peaceful the hedonistic Locks, or even the land of the living. He
way of life. could, in theory, take over an existing body, such as the
Dream-Town has a population of approximately 80 newly-vacant bodies of the characters—but his vanity
souls, each with their own roles, responsibilities, and dictates that no existing body is good enough for him.
direction from Octavian. Relationship to Kasimir. Octavian harbors no
Dreamers effectively sleepwalk around town, love for Kasimir Sundrinker. The lich is his liege
existing in a dreamlike state that helps maintain and nothing more. However, Kasimir was one of
Dream-Town’s illusion. When they speak, they often Octavian’s first examples of what a living (or rather,
drop hints about their past lives, as somewhere under undead) being looks like, and how one acts. In a way,
layers of dream and mind control, they still believe Octavian inherited his callousness and single-minded
they’re living them. dedication from Kasimir, and his willingness to
manipulate other lives like pieces on a game board for
his own benefit.

17

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes

Parasitic Abilities. As a dream parasite, Octavian In Dream-Town, Octavian has cast them as rival
subsists on dreams. He cultivates the peaceful dreams merchants who peddle the same equipment every
of the residents of Dream-Town and consumes them. day. Octavian does not know that Bronson and Idara
The process doesn’t hurt the Dreamer, though they were lovers in life—and if he did, likely wouldn’t
don’t remember the dream upon waking. The more care. He thought a rivalry between craftspeople
dreams he consumes, the more powerful Octavian would be an amusing and engaging addition to his
becomes. While he can harvest dreams from sleeping Dream-Town.
residents, Octavian effectively has the ability to Bronson is quiet and soft-spoken, but his demeanor
rewrite reality in Dream-Town however he pleases. changes when he sees Idara. Octavian, who does
not understand love, mistook this for the spark of
Peotr the Bard competition and cultivated it as such.
The hotheaded Idara relishes in competition, and
Peotr (CG, male halfling spy) is a storyteller at his they can often be seen challenging Bronson to a game
core. A strapping fellow who appears to have just hit of “who can sell the most armor.” Since Octavian has
young adulthood, Peotr is lively and personable. He pre-determined the tracks, and they barely change
loves telling stories, especially at the Hale & Tale at from day to day, Bronson and Idara are neck-and-
night. During the daytime, he can be found busking neck in this daily competition.
around town, playing songs on his lyre. The songs
are all written from experiences he claims he had Silver
traveling the Bürach Empire.
Peotr was a daredevil, though Octavian has Silver (LG agender dwarf commoner) is the
suppressed that quality to ensure he doesn’t disturb merchant who sells curiosities from “out-of-town.”
the peace of Dream-Town. In life, Peotr was often the They begin each day at a campsite about a mile away,
first to volunteer for a thrilling or exciting mission. which they pack up and bring into town with them.
Some of Peotr’s story-songs include: At the end of each day, they pack up their stall and
exit town the way they came. They travel about a mile
• A ballad detailing the time he tamed a bear and before the sun sets and they make camp for the night.
taught it to do ballet Because of Octavian’s influence, Silver has not once
questioned this existence.
• A thrilling chorus about diving off the top of the In life, Silver operated out of the city-state of
Gräffendam and living (because he cast feather fall) Liesech. They deal in luxuries, such as fine clothing,
precious metals, and vintage drinks. They also
• Two incomprehensible minutes of furious lyre consider themself a walking advertisement for their
strumming followed by a loud, piercing wail of, business, as they enjoy partaking in all of the things
“Shark Attack!” that they trade in.

• A love song to a dryad, the last chorus of Enchanter Symone
which explains what she fertilized her tree with
(human corpses) Symone (LN female human mage) is likely the soul
who has been here the longest, having been converted
• A somber song about sneaking a young noble out of to a Dreamer when Kasimir first built the Necropolis.
his palace for a day of rebellion, and the melancholy Symone has modeled her life after her hero Kasimir,
of being forbidden to see that man again upon whom she studied with briefly at the empire’s capital
return to the palace before returning home to Galena. Her spellbook looks
like his; her casting style mirrors his. Kasimir was
Most of Peotr’s songs contain at least a bit of truth- (and still is) partial to moths, so she took a moth as
stretching. There’s no way a 22-year-old could have her familiar.
visited all of those places in his short lifetime. Peotr Perhaps the one thing she values more than her
doesn’t remember how he died, and his ego keeps connection to “the greatest necromancer of all time”
him from believing that he could have. Any one of his is her pursuit of knowledge. Symone, like any great
stories is a plausible setup for his premature death; mage, desires to learn how things work. She wants
and even a lucid Peotr refuses to reveal which. to learn the rules of the universe so she can use her
magic to break them—so long as she does not violate
Bronson and Idara the laws of the empire in doing so.

In life, Bronson and Idara were business and romantic
partners who owned a forge. Bronson (LN male half-
orc bandit) made shields and armor, and Idara (CN
nonbinary elf bandit) made weapons and armor.
Together, they ran one of the most successful forges
in Grarjord, until an unfortunate accident spelled
their demise.

18

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Symone’s understanding of rules and her desire The characters may ask her questions, but all she
to operate within them while stretching their does is cackle and take off through the gate. When she
limits makes her fantastic at finding loopholes and walks through, she disappears entirely. Characters
building justifications for her experimental work on can inspect Kasimir’s Gate all they want—it does not
technicalities. work the same way for them.
When Symone is not running her small magical
storefront, she studies the realm of the metaphysical: Griselda, Guise of the
souls, spirits, dreams, and the like. Whenever she gets Nighseer Sage
too close to the truth about where she is, Octavian
wipes her memory, and she starts again.

Where to Start

When characters first arrive in Dream-Town, they
find it barren—a figurative ghost town. No life (or
undeath) graces the cobbled streets. The buildings
stand empty, and aside from the path the adventurers
took to get here, no way forward exists (with the
exception of Kasimir’s Gate in the center of town).

Through The Gate

Kasimir’s Gate, the monument in the center of town,
acts as a veil between the Material Plane and the
realm of pseudo-reality inhabited by the residents of
Dream-Town. Characters who look through Kasimir’s
Gate from either side see the bustling, lively Dream-
Town opposite them. The Dream-Town does not
see or acknowledge the characters on the other side
of the veil.
When characters walk through the gate, they
take only their spirits with them. Their bodies fade
and disappear behind them as they join the lively
production of Dream-Town. Once on the other side,
they cannot return to the Material Plane or their
bodies by going back through Kasimir’s Gate. In fact,
they can no longer even see the other side of the veil.

A Sage’s Welcome

The Dreamers barely take notice of the characters’
arrival. The only exception is an elderly woman who
hobbles through the town with uncanny purpose,
a picnic basket, and a loaf of bread under her arm.
Inside the picnic basket she carries a black kitten, who
peers out through the lid with wide, green eyes.
This is the Nightseer Sage in disguise. As Dream-
Town manifests around the characters, she quickly
approaches them, offers them a nibble from her loaf of
bread, and winks at them.
“Lucid souls in Dream-Town, what a sight!” she
exclaims. “Few can claim such awareness here. There
are some things much worse than death, wouldn’t
you agree? Oh, and where be me manners? Griselda
be what you may call me.”

19

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes

Octavian Disturbing the Dreams
Dreamwalker
The characters’ presence in Dream-Town has
20 disturbed the delicate balance of serenity that
Octavian has established here. After encountering
Griselda, read or paraphrase the following as angry
spirits take notice of these interlopers.

Suddenly, several spirits drifting through the square
stop cold and hover in place. Their faces contort into
rage and terror, their intense emotions tinting their
translucent bodies sinister shades of reds and purples.
They stretch into amorphous, agitated clouds of
confusion.

Three Dreamers transform into living nightmares
(see appendix A) before the characters’ eyes and
confront them, shrieking and ready to kill. Characters
have no choice but to fight.
During the fight, the rest of the Dreamers continue
about their business as if nothing is happening
around them; as far as they’re concerned, there is no
altercation.
When these nightmares’ hit points are reduced to
0, they dissipate like smoke clouds in the wind. At
the end of combat, the nightmare smoke begins to
reform. But before the smoke can reform into three
full nightmares, Octavian Dreamwalker arrives on
the scene.
With one smooth hand gesture, Octavian clears
the nightmares with a casual wave of his hand.
He apologizes to the characters for Dream-Town’s
lack of hospitality before introducing himself with
a deep bow.

Roleplaying Octavian

Octavian’s first tactic is always to take advantage of his
charm and persuasiveness. Even without his dream-influencing
abilities, Octavian is charismatic and personable, and can
typically get what he wants just by finding the right way to
ask for it.
Octavian does not lie unless he deems it absolutely
necessary. He hides the truth or makes it sound appealing
before telling an outright lie.
In the rare event that lying does not work, Octavian
resorts to threats. He is a powerful man with almost total
control of nearly every aspect of Dream-Town. He is not
above subtly reminding characters who is in control by taking
advantage of that.
In the rare case that his charm, his deception, and his
intimidation are all useless, Octavian resorts to violence.

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Meeting the Dreamwalker power of Dream-Town, and disappointing Kasimir,
his boss. If pressed on this issue, Octavian furrows
Octavian Dreamwalker (see his game statistics in his brow and insists that he is telling the truth, and
appendix A) explains that it is his responsibility to hastily moves along.
care for the “lost souls” of Dream-Town. These souls
are dreaming, and he can use magic to slightly tamper Dream Invasion
with these dreams to keep Dream-Town a peaceful,
perfect afterlife for the souls here. Since the souls are Octavian explains several things about invading a
already dead, the best Octavian can do for them is Dreamer’s dream:
keep them happy for as long as possible. He’s doing
them a great service, he claims. Infiltration. In order to enter a soul’s dream, it must
Octavian recognizes that the characters are be unconscious within Dream-Town. Octavian
somehow different from Dreamers. “You bear a recommends waiting for them to fall asleep, although
spark of sunlight in your soul,” he muses poetically. knocking them out works just as well. He also offers
He does not know that he has correctly identified an enchanted eye mask. When a creature wearing
the truth of the sparks in their soul, only that this mask touches a sleeping Dream-Town spirit, that
something bright and holy burns within them. He creature and up to 8 other creatures in contact with
senses that though he can’t control the characters, he them fall asleep and enter the target's dreams. It has
can use them. no effect on living creatures outside of Dream-Town.
He understands the characters ended up here
by mistake and sympathizes with their desire to Preventing Death. Each restless soul is dreaming
return to the world of the living. He offers a trade: an about their death—or rather, reliving the buried
escape from Dream-Town and passage through the memory of their death. If characters prevent the
Soul Channel to the Deep Rivers in exchange for a means of their death, the restless Dreamer will return
simple errand. to normal. If characters do not prevent the death, the
Dreamwalker’s Request. Recently, Octavian dream ends, and the Dreamer awakens and becomes
has noticed that some of the Dreamers have grown lucid. If the Dreamer dies in their dream, but that
restless. He fears that this restlessness will lead death is not related to how they died in life, the
to them waking up, and that would disturb the dream resets with the characters still inside.
tranquility of Dream-Town.
At first Octavian tried to calm these Dreamers Who’s the Target? The three Dreamers whom
himself. He can influence someone’s dream just by Octavian needs pacified are described in
coming into contact with them. But the best he can “Adventures in Dream-Town,” below.
manage is a slight nudge in a different direction.
Octavian’s magic is not enough for a larger issue that Don’t Die. If characters die in another person’s
may plague a Dreamer’s subconscious. Too much dream, they die in real life. Their souls are cast into
of his tampering, and the Dreamers transform into the stream of souls in the Deep River, lost forever
corrupted nightmare versions of themselves, like the except to resurrection magic.
characters just witnessed.
To solve larger issues, someone must enter a Take Your Time. Time moves differently inside
restless Dreamer’s dream and solve the discord someone else’s dream. A day spent inside of a
from within. Octavian thinks the characters are dream equates to one hour in Dream-Town.
perfect for this job, having just seen them in action.
He suspects that more living nightmares and other You Can Take it with You. Characters can freely
terrible monsters of the subconscious lurk inside these bring possessions into and out of dreams. If
restless dreams. a character finds something while inside of a
Octavian also requests that the characters not Dreamer’s dream, they can bring it back with them
alert the Dreamers that they are, in fact, dreaming. to Dream-Town.
He claims that it could tear their minds apart with
cognitive dissonance, turning their dream into a Don’t Believe Everything You See. Octavian warns
nightmare. This is a lie, as a character that makes a that what characters see in these dreams are
successful DC 19 Wisdom (Insight) check identifies. reflections of the Dreamers’ subconscious minds. As
In truth, if the Dreamers were to wake up and become such, they may be even less coherent than Dream-
lucid, it would be more work for Octavian. He’d have Town itself, more a reflection of their emotions and
to destroy their soul before they could truly wreak desires than what actually happened. Octavian
havoc upon the community, ultimately weakening the suggests that characters indulge these fantasies, as
leading Dreamers too close to the truth could wake
them and cause him unnecessary problems.

Escaping a Dream. Characters who wish to escape
a dream need only pinch the side of their face, as
though pinching the side of their masks. A creature
can only exit a dream if they are not perceived by a
dream-creature.

21

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes

Invading Other Dreams Repeating Dreams

Octavian’s eye mask works on any dreaming soul, Characters might want to repeat dreams they have already
which means that characters can use it on other invaded, especially if they escaped the dream before reaching
Dreamers or even themselves. The other Dreamers do an acceptable conclusion. As long as the characters have not
not have the restless, conflict-ridden dreams inside reached the “Conclusion” section of a dream adventure, they
which Anatol, Skip, and Tristram suffer. Instead, are free to run through it as many times as they like.
invading the dreams of the peaceful souls grants Some groups might find it fun to retread old ground, but
characters greater insight into their previous lives. it’s not necessary to the enjoyment of this adventure. If
Because none of these dreams have the potential characters are jumping into a dream for a second time, you
to deliver creatures hostile to the characters, they can can discuss what choices they would have made differently
leave the dreams at any time. this time and determine the consequences of those choices if
Peotr. Much like his life in Dream-Town, Peotr any. Then start back up right where you left off.
can be found dreaming about busking on a busy city
street in the Bürach Empire. Silver. Silver invites the characters to feast with
Bronson. Bronson invites the characters in for them at a glorious table full of rare, foreign, and
dinner but refuses to serve it until his partner returns delicious food. The table never empties, no matter
home from work. They never do. how much the characters eat. The characters’ full
Idara. The forge is lit, and Idara is at work. They bellies do carry over into Dream-Town.
endlessly toil away at making the perfect sword, Dreamwalker. It’s hard to put Octavian to sleep.
claiming they’ll stop for dinner when their husband He doesn’t require sleep, so he must be tricked or
arrives. He never does. persuaded into it with a DC 18 Charisma check.
Symone. Characters join Symone sitting in a Octavian’s dreams are difficult to interpret—sparkles
dark, imposing lecture hall. At the front, speaking on and flashes of color in an otherwise dark, nebulous
necromancy, is Kasimir. If characters make a sound, void. One humanoid figure hurtles through this void
Symone shushes them. If the characters force their alone, nervously shifting and changing. When the
way into a conversation about Kasimir, he speaks figure notices the characters, it screams at them to
to them about necromancy at great length, with the leave. Octavian’s dream ends, and he becomes angry
warmth of a kindly professor. If they ask him about and outwardly hostile to the characters.
any other topic, the dream fades away.
Adventures in
Anatol Dream-Town

Characters can visit the three dreams in any order.
Octavian provides some basic information about the
Dreamers in question and sends the characters on
their way. If the characters ask where to find him,
Octavian merely gestures to Dream-Town around
him. When the sun is up, Octavian is there, wandering
around and shepherding his lost souls. When the sun
is down, Octavian retires to his home.

Three Restless Dreamers

Octavian implores the characters to assist three
Dreamers: Anatol, Skip, and Tristram. He has
gathered knowledge of each by inferring from their
clothes and appearance and performing surface-level
mindreading.
Characters can approach the Dreamers in any order
they choose.

22

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Anatol Skip

Lawful good male human knight Tristram

Role: Patrolman 23
Anatol is a large man with short, dark hair and
friendly eyes. He wears light, loose-fitting clothes
that are almost certainly pajamas—the clothes in
which he died.
What Octavian Knows. In life, Anatol was
a member of an elite squad of vampire hunters.
Octavian does not know how Anatol died, but
surmises it has something to do with that.
Personality. Anatol takes his duties seriously,
determined to protect innocents from undead
creatures at all costs. Anatol loves to be included in
things, so he often chats with other Dreamers about
innocuous things like the weather.

Skip

Chaotic good female halfling spy

Role: Jane-of-all-trades
Skip is short and thin, covered in dirt from head
to toe. She wears a fancy ball gown, one shoe, and
ripped stockings, and looks uncomfortable in the
getup. Her long, red hair is done up in a messy bun.
What Octavian Knows. Octavian has seen
in Skip’s dreams that she was a scoundrel and a
thief who made her living in the slums beneath the
Gräffendam, a legendary dam nestled somewhere
in the Bürach Empire. Octavian has cast Skip to
perform odd jobs around Dream-Town: shoe-
shining, deliveries, dog-walking. Her rate is a silver
piece per hour.
Personality. At her core, Skip is an idealist.
She has big dreams for herself and for the world.
Skip would rather be a criminal than someone who
exploits others, and this is what led to her stealing
from the rich folk in the Gräffendam in the first
place. A woman of action, Skip tends to act first and
think never.

Tristram

Lawful good agender human knight

Role: Farmer
Despite being a farmer, Tristram is decked out in full
shining plate armor. Underneath their antlered helmet
is a troubled, freckled face and an unruly mess of
dirty blond hair.
What Octavian Knows. Tristram’s armor
gives them away as a knight from the kingdom of
Charneault. Octavian first tried to cast them as some
kind of guard, but Tristram refused to take up a
sword. They have a much greater affinity for nature,
so Octavian made them a farmer.

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes

Personality. Tristram seems sullen and Anatol sleeps during the day, but wakes easily.
unapproachable at first, but it’s simply shyness While he sleeps, characters must succeed on a DC 15
mixed with their sense of duty. Tristram is not one Dexterity (Stealth) check to get close enough to enter
for conversation, preferring their actions to speak for his dream. If Anatol wakes, he immediately suspects
them. Underneath it all is the burning desire to make foul play and attacks the characters; they may have to
the world a better place. This desire trumps all other knock him out to get him to sleep at that rate.
urges and often leads them to shortsightedness.
Skip’s Quest
Bringing Sleep to the Dreamers
Skip works hard in Dream-Town. If she has a
Each of the three Restless Dreamers that Octavian job open, she won’t rest until it’s completed.
wants subdued has business in Dream-Town. This Unfortunately for the characters and Skip, Octavian
business must be accomplished before they will sleep has tasked her with a rather difficult quest. Octavian
of their own volition. has asked Skip to capture one of the stray cats.
Once the Dreamer is asleep, the characters can Octavian has not told Skip that the cat belongs to
enter their dream; this dream is described in chapter Gatto, a foreign diplomat of great power (described in
2, 3, or 4 of this Fable. episode 3 of this Fable), and that Octavian could get
in massive trouble if he does not locate it for her. The
Anatol’s Quest cat’s name is Hierophant, and he is a multicolored,
long-haired male with piercing yellow eyes. He
Characters can find Anatol wandering the streets happens to be one of Gatto’s favorites, and he stands
from sundown to sunup, searching for threats that out among the others. Hierophant looks pampered,
never materialize. He nods to his neighbors and his long fur relatively tangle-free, a stark contrast to
urges them to get inside “before the vampires come the matted fur of the other cats.
out.” Dreamers nod back as though vampires are Characters can track Hierophant if they start from
a perfectly normal and logical occurrence despite succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check; this
not once having seen so much as a bat in Dream- check is made with advantage if they start their search
Town before. in Cat Alley.

Lesser Dream Parasite

24

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Hierophant has several favorite places he likes In a less-controlled Dream-Town, things work
to explore: the graveyard, Silver’s stall at the differently—or not at all. If there is even one lucid
marketplace, and Symone’s shop (where he stalks dreamer in Dream-Town, whenever characters
Gossamer the moth familiar). emerge from a dream or complete a short or long rest,
When characters locate Hierophant, they can roll on the Dream-Town Changes table to determine
attempt to capture him with an ability check of their what aspect of the town is currently malfunctioning.
choice. The result of the check must be higher than 11,
but lower than 17. If they fail or come on too strong, Dream-Town Change
Hierophant runs away to another of his favorite
locations. d10 Outcome
When Hierophant is safely in the hands of
Octavian, Skip can finally rest in her home and drift 1 The illusory sun in the sky now moves from west
off to sleep. 2 to east.
3 The season changes from summer to winter over the
Tristram’s Quest 4 course of a single day.
5 The Dreamers get where they need to be by walking
Tristram works on a farm with countless different backward, but never bump into anything.
crops, about a 10-minute walk from the center of 6 Everyone in Dream-Town has been transformed into
town, past the graveyard. They seem to have a knack 7 youthful or elderly versions of themselves.
for tending to the plants. Tristram’s dedication means Notable moments in Dream-Town are scored by
that they are up at dawn each morning. Lately, 8 sourceless incidental music, as though dramatic
however, Tristram’s garden has been failing. They moments in a play.
suspect some kind of pest, and they have been staying 9 Dream-Town and its residents lose all color; the
up for several days straight attempting to spot the collective dream is now black and white.
thing. Characters can stay up with Tristram to see it: 10 Dreamers start brawling for no reason. This fight stops
a raccoon with fur as dark as space, and sparkling as suddenly as it started, and they all tip their hats and
stripes like nebulae. This is a lesser dream parasite continue along their way as if nothing had happened.
(see appendix A) feeding off the dream energy Physical objects not worn or carried by a creature shift
Tristram cultivates in their garden. in the blink of an eye. A painted portrait on the wall
Characters can fight the creature, but it also turns into a map, a window, and back into a portrait.
responds well to a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) Every Dreamer made lucid speaks a language that
check and makes a good animal companion sounds like gibberish. They can understand each
or familiar. other, but no one else can. Nor can they understand
A dream parasite himself, Octavian is revolted by other Dreamers or the characters.
the raccoon. It reminds him of his awkward, younger A manifestation of Octavian’s own body anxieties
days. If characters do bring it with them, he thanks appears: a shapeshifting mound of flesh and confusion.
them for taking responsibility but regards the creature It wanders Dream-Town taking on multiple forms,
with abject disgust. including Octavian’s. When it sees the characters, it
Once the parasite has been dealt with, Tristram can transforms into a living nightmare (see appendix A)
finally rest. and attacks.

Between Adventures These changes last for the next 8 hours, or until you
next roll on this table
Dream-Town flows on as characters are adventuring,
influenced by the choices they make in chapters 2, 3, Events and Encounters
and 4 of this episode. This section includes guidelines
for showing those changes, as well as encounters to The following encounters are meant to take place
place in between dreams. between dream adventures. Use them to reinforce
the ethical question of Dream-Town and ground
Strange Changes the story.

Octavian’s control over Dream-Town relies totally Budding Rivalry
on his ability to feast on the peaceful dreams of its
residents. The more lucid Dreamers there are, the less Use when: characters explore
control he has, and the wilder and more chaotic the Dream-Town after any dream adventure
illusion of Dream-Town becomes.
Somewhere in town, the characters encounter Idara,
who is on their way to the marketplace from their
forge. They offer the characters a chance to look at
their newly-crafted wares before they bring them to
the marketplace.

25

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes

Before the characters can respond, Bronson arrives He wants to learn more about them—where they
from his forge at the opposite end of town and does came from, their hopes and dreams. Octavian can
the same. The two lock eyes, realizing they have also be persuaded or tricked into sharing more about
found their next subject of competition. Characters himself, including what he is and his ties to Kasimir
can purchase from one, both, or neither of them, but by making a successful DC 18 Charisma (Deception or
the decision only fuels the rivalry between the two Persuasion) check.
merchants. Depending on how many Dreamers they have
Later On. If characters free at least one of the three freed, characters notice something off about this
restless Dreamers and agree with their plan to liberate dinner. If they have kept both Dreamers under
all of Dream-Town, that Dreamer wakes up both Octavian’s influence, they notice that the staff of the
Bronson and Idara. Hale & Tale are particularly attentive to their table,
The two continue their rivalry to keep up the act, albeit hollow, as though they are being controlled like
but without the opportunity to meet and talk, they puppets by the dream parasite. Octavian plays the
worry that they’ve done irreparable damage to their perfect host in an attempt to impress the characters—
relationship after fighting for so long. Characters and remind them who is in control.
might notice the two of them look sad after dealing If characters have freed at least one Dreamer, the
with each other in the marketplace. dinner feels frenetic. Details of the realm shift and
If characters press either Bronson or Idara for change on a dime. The waiter at the Hale & Tale holds
their thoughts, the merchant gives them a request: a bowl of soup in his hands, but in the blink of an eye
deliver a letter containing their sincere feelings to the the soup is a plate of chicken. Octavian admits to the
other covertly, without Octavian discovering it. If the characters that he has been losing his grip on Dream-
characters can do that, and return with a reply, the Town lately, and if he cannot find a way to rein it in,
merchant gives them one suit of mithral armor (any he won’t be able to return the adventurers to their
type of medium or heavy armor, other than hide) bodies. While Octavian might suspect the characters,
from their supply. he realizes they are also his only chance at regaining
control; the best he can do is continue to dangle their
The First Awakening bodies in front of them in hopes that they comply.

Use when: characters turn a Another Way to Leave
Dreamer lucid for the first time.
Use when: the characters complete a
Now lucid, the Dreamer (Anatol, Skip, or Tristram) dream adventure by making a Dreamer lucid
pieces together what has been happening to them.
They desperately try to explain what they know to While the characters were busy adventuring inside
the characters: Octavian has been controlling them, dreams, one of their lucid allies woke Symone and
feeding on their dreams, and suppressing their will to asked her to think of a way to end Dream-Town’s
fight back. grip on their souls. A student of Kasimir from long
The Dreamer urges the characters to help them find ago, Symone has studied the powerful magic that
a way to stop Octavian. They volunteer to pretend created Dream-Town. While she marvels at it, she
to live out the role given them by Octavian while understands she is bound by it and agrees that
secretly waking up some of the other Dreamers they it would be better to destroy it. Symone tells the
see on their daily routine. This eventually results in a characters that Dream-Town has an anchor point,
chain reaction of lucid Dreamers. Each time characters and that it’s likely Octavian himself. If they destroy
return from a dream adventure, they notice more Octavian, Dream-Town should unravel. And when
Dreamers playing at their roles instead of living them. it does, the souls previously trapped will search for
In the meantime, the lucid Dreamer suggests their bodies. Symone doesn’t know what would
the characters continue to fulfill Octavian’s request happen to souls that don’t have a body to return to.
while secretly turning the other restless Dreamers Symone can also tell the characters that Octavian
lucid as well. is a dream parasite, and his power is nearly absolute
while his hold on Dream-Town is this strong. It would
A Talk with Dreamwalker be impossible to take him down without causing more
havoc first.
Use when: characters complete
their second dream adventure.

Desiring the company of someone who is not a
Dreamer, Octavian invites the characters to dinner.

26

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

27

2.1: The Town That Never Wakes



Chapter 2:

The Nightmare of Dawn

For characters of 3rd or 4th level

This chapter concerns Anatol’s dream, which takes place on a dark and
dangerous night within the keep of the Order of Dawn. After a vampire
attack, it is discovered that one of the order has been transformed,
though it is difficult to tell which one. In order to protect Anatol—or
guide him to his eventual death—characters must expose the identity of
the vampire. There’s one problem, though: Anatol is the vampire.

Background Anatol’s Soul

Anatol is a member of the Order of Dawn, an elite Vampires lack souls. The reason why is a matter best left
military group dedicated to fighting the Soman to philosophers. The fact of the matter is, when Anatol was
vampire aristocracy. They operate from the Dawn bitten and turned into a vampire spawn, his soul left his body
Keep, a fortress constructed outside of Raevo’s capital and joined the other spirits in Dream-Town. For this reason,
city of Castalore, where they train in the art of slaying his soul’s memories past that point are nonexistent. Anatol
undead. The Order of Dawn is an intense group with knows his companions well enough to be able to guess what
a passionate devotion to their cause. Their desire to happened to him, though, and his subconscious still aims to
protect Ostoya is second only to their deep-seated protect him from that fate while he dreams.
hatred of the undead.
The person currently running the Order is Not yet a full vampire, Anatol was unable to
Commander Artemios Dulka, who has recently left handle his vampiric urges. Konrad’s murder was
the keep leading a large number of soldiers in an not a crime of malice, but rather a result of Anatol
assault against a stray vampire. While he is away, losing control.
he has left Olesia Nitka, his second-in-command, in In his dream, Anatol does not remember that he
charge of goings-on at the keep. murdered his companion. He does not know he is the
vampire and is just as invested in discovering Konrad’s
Eternal Knights murderer as the rest of the Order.

Within the Order of Dawn is a particularly fanatical The Goal
sect known as the Burden of Eternal Knights.
Although members of the Order typically reject the At first, the party’s goal should be to discover the
power of undead as part of their oath, the Eternal culprit in an attempt to protect Anatol. When the
Knights understand that rules must be bent if peace party discovers who the real culprit is, they have a
is to be kept. Upon initiation, members of the Burden choice: help Anatol face his fate or help him escape
of Eternal Knights ingest the ichor from a newly-slain from the Dawn Keep and let his blissful dream drift
undead creature, such as a zombie. These knights further and further from reality.
become partially undead—their souls overpowered
by the necrotic ichor that now courses through them. Anatol’s Dream
Their dreams are plagued by haunting visions of past
lives they know nothing about, trapped pieces of the Once Anatol is unconscious or sleeping (see “Bringing
life belonging to the undead creature they ingested. Sleep to the Dreamers” in chapter 1 of this episode),
In return, an Eternal Knight gains certain benefits the characters can use the eye mask given to them by
against fighting undead creatures, such as resistance Octavian to enter his dreams. If Anatol is ever killed
to necrotic damage. The Order is halfway ashamed in this dream by any means other than defeating
of the extreme measures of the Eternal Knights and the manifestation of his twisted subconscious (see
therefore only calls upon them when the stakes are “Choice: Let Him Die,” at the end of this chapter), the
excessively dire. dream resets.
If members of the Order go on an expedition, The dream they enter begins in on an open, grassy
it is usually the Eternal Knights who are left to field before a mighty fortress of stone. It is nighttime,
defend the keep. and the moon hangs brightly overhead.

Anatol’s Story Into the Action

When the characters enter Anatol’s dream, they arrive Cries and the clanging of metal fill the air as all around,
in the courtyard of the Dawn Keep, just as members stalwart knights and hunched, snarling vampires clash
of the Order are fighting off a vampire attack. In life, on the grass before an imposing stone keep. It is dark,
Anatol was bitten here and turned into a vampire save for the light of the moon. Ten feet away, a pale
spawn. The members of the Order did not realize this figure shrouded in a cloak towers over Anatol. Sensing
until after Anatol had murdered Konrad Regulsi, his a new threat, the figure leaves Anatol and turns
brother in arms. When they learned of this, the Order to attack!
swiftly killed him.

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

The vampire spawn has its sights on Anatol, but Olesia Nikta
once it senses the characters, it attacks them instead.
On his turn, Anatol stands and joins the fight. Anatol Olesia explains that the upstairs barracks are empty
uses knight statistics; if he is reduced to 0 hit points, because a large number of soldiers are away on a
he dies and the dream resets. The other eight Order mission. The vampires likely knew the keep would
members are busy killing the group of six vampires be shorthanded and chose this evening to strike.
that fell upon them, or putting out fires, so they Unfortunately for the vampires, most of the Order
cannot help. They do not need game statistics; their who stayed behind were members of the elite squad
battle takes place entirely in the background of known as the Burden of Eternal Knights.
this scene. The knights are exhausted from fighting vampires
Just as the characters finish their battle with the all evening, but they are nervous about the horde of
vampire spawn, combat elsewhere in the courtyard them sitting just outside their castle walls. The best
winds down. The Order members attempt to clean up they can do is keep themselves safe indoors and
the messy, bloodied courtyard, but it is much too dark wait for Commander Dulka to return with the rest of
to make progress. the Order.

Heading Inside Members of the Order

Once the vampire spawn attacking Anatol is defeated, Before retiring for the evening, characters have an
a knight steps forth and introduces herself. She is opportunity to enjoy a post-midnight repast in the
Olesia, knight-commander of this order. She asks the dining room with the members of the Order and
characters who they are and where they come from. get to know them. These soldiers are left defending
They don’t get much time to answer before the next the keep while the renowned Raevan Commander
wave of vampires arrives. Dulka sallies forth with other knights against the
vampire scourge.
A piercing shriek fills the night air, followed by a This scene is can be a simple chance for the
characters to interview the Anatol (who they already
chorus of malicious hissing. Mist rolls in and the moon know), and the various NPCs he knows to get more
information on him.
disappears, blotted out by the shadow of enormous bat

wings. Olesia looks up just in time to see it: the second

wave of vampires. With a grimace, she barks, “Knights,

inside! All of you!” She turns to you and says, “That

means you too, free swords.” The knights all follow her

orders, rushing toward the large door of the keep.

Olesia hurries everyone inside. If the characters do not
follow her orders, she pleads with them or even tries
to force them inside; they will not survive against this
first wave of four vampires, much less the further
waves that follow. When everyone is safely inside,
Olesia bars the keep doors and locks them, pocketing
the key to the padlock.
Vampires must be invited inside to gain access to a
place, Olesia says. As long as no one opens the door
and lets the vampires in, the group is safe—for now.
The present members of the Order welcome the
adventurers into their keep, grateful for the service
they have rendered. Olesia provides shelter for the
adventurers, as it was late when they arrived and is
now later still. Characters are placed in the upstairs
barracks, which are neat and sparse, save for a
few personal effects of the members who typically
inhabit them.

31

2.2: The Nightmare of Dawn

If the players seem unsure of how to proceed, you Though it is rare for her to lose a soldier, it has
can read or paraphrase the following to set the scene: happened, and each time it only fuels her anger and
her purpose.
The knight who introduced herself as Olesia turns During dinner, Olesia answers any questions the
to you and says in a sharp, military tone, “You’re characters may have with measured patience. She is
sellswords, then? Thank you for your aid in the battle. tired and looking forward to getting some rest. Olesia
It seems you’re hemmed in with the rest of us for the still wears her plate armor, as she means to go to bed
time being. Vampires can’t enter a private building as soon as she removes it.
without invitation, so hunker down, rest, and regroup. Ideal. “The only good undead is the one that has
Eat. Tell me about yourself. And meet the rest of the been put to rest.”
unit. If we’re going to fight and die together, you might Bond. “By protecting my siblings in arms, I can
as well know the lot.” honor the memory of my late brother.”
Flaw. “I will sacrifice anything to achieve my
Olesia Nitka goals, even if that thing is someone else’s life.”

A gruff and meticulous woman with shoulder-length Anatol Dulka
silver hair, Olesia (LN female human knight) leads
the Burden of Eternal Knights sect with an iron fist. Anatol (NG male human knight) considers himself
She is a warrior who makes what she considers the a dutiful and reliable member of the Order, which is
“tough decisions.” Olesia has little room in her life exactly how his dream portrays him. He would do
for hesitation or regret. Instead, she lets her hatred for anything for his companions, though his decision-
undead and her love for the soldiers she leads be her making has been clouded by his subconscious.
guiding principles. Anatol was adopted by the order from an early age.
Olesia’s vendetta against the undead is personal. He does not know his parents. He took Commander
Years ago, she lost her brother to a vampire attack and Dulka’s surname when he joined the order.
swore she would do whatever it took to save innocent In this dream, Anatol is still reeling from his
lives from malicious undead. Her fanaticism paints near-death experience with a vampire spawn and is
all undead as malicious, and therefore none find therefore neglecting his dinner plate. He sits at the
quarter with her. table, still in his plate armor, pushing food around his
plate with his fork.
Ideal. “The greatest force in the world is love, but
sometimes you need action behind it.”
Bond. “As a member of the Order of Dawn, I have
a moral obligation to destroy undead.”
Flaw. “It is better for me to suffer alone than to
burden others with my problems.”

Mirche Safko

A new recruit, just barely 17 years old, Mirche (CG
nonbinary human scout) is more bones than flesh and
covered in bruises from Order training. Mirche was
a farmhand up until six months ago, when they saw
members of the order on a vampire hunt across the
countryside. Mirche begged the group to take them in,
so they could become strong enough to protect their
family from undead threats that sometimes plague
the farmland.
Mirche is aware that they’re the youngest, and so
they act brave to make up for this.
At dinner, Mirche is still in the leather armor they
fight in. They don’t wear plate armor because no plate
the Order has is small enough for them.

Mirche Safko

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Mirche is curious about the adventurers and eager Renatus Lenart
to trade information from places outside of Raevo for Konrad Regulsi
any questions they might have about the Order or the
Eternal Knights.
Ideal. “If you have the ability to do some good,
you should be doing it.”
Bond. “I miss my family, but I’m here to make
them proud.”
Flaw. “I can’t let anyone see my weakness.”

Renatus Lenart

Renatus (LG male human knight) is a weathered
and graying middle-aged man who once served in
the family guard for House Dulka. When Artemios,
House Dulka’s head, left to join the Order, Renatus
dutifully followed.
Though Olesia is technically second-in-command,
Renatus becomes overprotective of his companions
when Commander Dulka is away. He refuses to
trust the characters because he has little reason to,
insinuating that they could possibly be agents of
the Soman Vampires sent to destroy the Order from
within. Renatus finishes his meal quickly and urges
others to do the same so they can salvage what little
they have left of the night. Renatus is still in his plate
armor when he leaves.
Ideal. “In life, the only person I can rely on
is myself.”
Bond. “I took an oath 30 years ago to serve
Artemios, and I will make good on that oath.”
Flaw. “I long for friendship that I can never have.
Life is a lonely thing when the only person you can
trust is yourself.”

Konrad Regulsi

The warm and charming Konrad (LNl male human
knight) has been living in the keep for about half
a decade. He’s fought his fair share of vampires in
that time, but not once has it affected his cheerful
personality. Everyone in the order is friends with
Konrad. It’s hard not to be.
Konrad does everything he can to make the new
guests feel at home in the imposing walls of Fort
Dawn. He implores the characters to not think
too unkindly of his companions and can be easily
persuaded to overshare anyone’s life story over a
drink. Konrad does urge the characters to get some
sleep at some point and assures them they are safe
while he takes first patrol. Konrad keeps his plate
armor on in preparation for his shift.
Ideal. “If I can’t inspire hope in those I protect, I’m
not doing my job.”
Bond. “Everyone is a friend I haven’t met yet.”
Flaw. “I trust everyone too easily.”

33

2.2: The Nightmare of Dawn

Etienne Bartok The Hunt Begins

Etienne Bartok About two hours after the characters retire to their
room, an ear-splitting shriek breaks the silence,
Etienne (CG male human werewolf) looks exhausted, alerting everyone. Characters looking for the source of
as though he has not slept in years. He smiles for the noise find the following scene:
friends and guests, but the second he thinks no one is
watching, his energy deflates. His fatigue is a result of Just past the shocked and horrified faces of Renatus
his lycanthropy—the full moon was two nights ago.
An ex-knight of Charneault, the sardonic Etienne and Olesia sits the fresh corpse of Konrad Regulsi. He
thought his career was over when he was bitten
by a werewolf two years ago. But Raevo’s great slumps against the cold stone of the hallway, drained of
Commander Dulka took him in and offered him a
position at the Order of Dawn. all color. Two unmistakable puncture wounds appear on
Etienne has hidden his curse from everyone in
the Order besides the renowned commander. He Konrad’s exposed neck, and the last lingering traces of
worries about what the members of the Order would
do if they found out about him. He’d rather not take his blood trickle onto his armor.
that chance.
Etienne is not a member of the Eternal Knights, It was Renatus who screamed; the shock of seeing
and at 32 he is far from a child. Commander Dulka Konrad like this was too much to bear. Soon after the
left him behind because the full moon would have characters arrive on the scene, the rest of the order
interfered with his ability to do his job. arrives: Etienne from the kitchen, Anatol from the
Etienne comes to dinner late, having removed his western tower battlements, and then Mirche from the
plate armor before the meal. eastern tower.
Ideal. “Peace is a rare and valuable thing, and I’d The puncture wounds on Konrad’s neck are bite
like to keep as much of it as possible.” marks, and the Order wastes no time concluding this
Bond. “My loyalty is to Commander Dulka for the was the work of a vampire. They spring into action.
kindness he has shown me.” Olesia reminds the group that vampires cannot enter
Flaw. “I keep people at arm’s length, so they don’t the keep on their own—they must be invited. She
learn about the real me.” deduces that when she called for the Knights and
the party to head inside, she invited the vampire
in. Therefore, one among them must be the vampire
responsible. Renatus accuses the newcomers, the
adventurers, deeming their “serendipitous” arrival
suspicious.
The members of the Order realize too that they
cannot leave the keep—there are too many vampires
lurking outside, waiting for the right time to attack.
The Order also knows that they cannot just wait
around for sunrise, which does not come for another
four hours at least. If they waste time, the vampire
may attack again—or worse, invite their undead allies
into the hall. Olesia refuses to allow that.
Olesia understands her fury may be affecting
her judgment. She asks the adventurers to take the
lead in discovering the vampire, much to Renatus’
chagrin. She asks that once the characters have
discovered the vampire, they tell her so she can enact
swift punishment with a wooden stake. The Knights
remain in the main hall for the investigation, but the
adventurers have the ability to search the keep (see
“Rooms in the Keep”).
Magical Methods. Magical features such as a
paladin’s Divine Sense or a cleric’s Turn Undead
feature affect both real vampires and Eternal Knights,
who have the Undead creature type as well as the
Humanoid creature type.

34

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Renatus, Anatol, and Olesia have undergone the Each character has a separate DC for each skill.
oath and are Eternal Knights. Refer to the Interrogation DC table for the full list
About Vampires. Characters who succeed on a None of the characters can be coerced into admitting
successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana or Religion) outright that they are the vampire. While Anatol is the
check learn the following about vampires: vampire, his subconscious is guarding the memory of
his transformation so fiercely that he does not believe
• They are shapechangers, capable of transforming it could be true.
into a bat or mist.
Interrogation DCs
• They are sensitive to both sunlight and
running water. Name Insight Deception Intim- Pers-

• As undead creatures, vampires do not age as long as Olesia DC 13 DC 18 idation uasion
they feed on the blood of the living. Anatol DC 17 DC 13
Renatus DC 15 DC 18 DC 18 DC 15
• Vampires do not typically eat the food of mortals Mirche DC 15 DC 13 DC 13 DC 13
because it repulses them. Etienne DC 18 DC 13 DC 20 DC 15
DC 10 DC 15
• If characters do not know this information, any DC 19 DC 13
friendly member of the knights.
“Where Were You When
Ask Konrad. Konrad’s body reveals little about Konrad Was Murdered?”
the murder, other than that it was definitely the
work of a vampire. A successful DC 13 Intelligence Olesia. “I have nothing to hide. I was asleep
(Investigation) or Wisdom (Insight) check reveals until I heard the scream. If you doubt, behold.
that there was no struggle; Konrad was likely not Unarmored, with nothing but this stake upon me.”
expecting the attack from a friend.
Characters may wish to use the speak with dead spell Anatol. “I was…sleeping. Sorry, there’s nothing else
to communicate with Konrad from beyond the grave. to say.” Characters who succeed on an ability check
Konrad responds to all questions about his murder to interrogate him learn this is a lie. If pressed, he
with, “I’m sure he didn’t mean to do it.” Konrad’s reveals doesn’t remember where he was, or much
use of “he” narrows it down to three male suspects: of anything past the attack, which leads him to
Renatus, Etienne, and Anatol. believe he was sleeping. Pushing Anatol on this
Eating Food. Characters may request the more than once causes him to become irritable.
members of the Order to prove their mortality by
eating something. Characters who succeed on a DC Renatus. “Yeah, I found the damn body, but what,
14 Wisdom (Perception) check notice Anatol is only I snitched on myself? I was on patrol.” Though
pretending to eat the food. Characters who succeed claiming to be on patrol, this is a lie. Konrad’s patrol
on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check notice Olesia had not yet ended. In truth, Renatus was watching
making a face as she eats; this process has nauseated the adventurers’ rooms, suspicious of them and their
her, and the thought of any food is making her feel motivation. Because of this, he missed Konrad’s
even sicker. murder completely.
Clothing. Certain characters have changed
their clothing since the feast. Anatol and Olesia Mirche. Mirche is reluctant to answer this question.
have both changed from their armor to their They were sitting up in the eastern tower, looking
nightclothes. Etienne’s clothing is stained with beet at the stars through the windows. Mirche often gets
juice from a mishap in the kitchen. These members homesick, although they fear that admitting this
of the knights have their AC reduced to 10 + their weakness would make them seem too weak and
Dexterity modifier. disqualify them from joining the Burden of Eternal
Knights when they come of age.
Interrogating Characters
Etienne. Etienne, ravenous, never left the main
The adventurers may have questions for other hall. He was fixing more food for himself, rather
characters. Below are some common questions and sloppily, when he spilled a massive amount of beet
corresponding answers. If a member of the Order juice on his clothes. He ate his meal (a delightful
is obfuscating the truth, a character can detect it by borscht) before he heard Renatus’s scream. He
making a successful Wisdom (Insight) check. Once never had the chance to clean up his mess—it’s still
they’ve determined if a character is lying, they can in the kitchen.
compel them to elicit the truth with a successful
Charisma check.

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2.2: The Nightmare of Dawn

“Can You Corroborate malefactors quickly and efficiently. Would you like
Anyone Else’s Alibi?” me to show you?”
Mirche. “I haven’t been here long, only a few moons.
Olesia. Olesia was asleep, and therefore she cannot Before the Order found me, I milked cows every
speak to anyone else’s alibi. day before sunrise. I’m much better suited to
fighting vampires, don’t you think?”
Anatol. Wanting to prove that he was definitely Etienne. “Commander Dulka found me a few years
sleeping in the barracks at the time of the murder, ago. No, there’s not more to the story; stop asking.”
Anatol is quick to corroborate Mirche’s lie about
being asleep in the barracks. Rooms in the Keep

Renatus. Renatus says he saw no one go in or out of The characters have the opportunity to investigate
the adventurers’ chambers, but since vampires can relevant areas of the keep. Olesia and the others wait
transform into mist, that’s not as strong of an alibi in the Main Hall.
as they might think.
Keep Features
Mirche. Mirche, believing Anatol is lying to
cover for their embarrassing escape to the Light. At night, the halls of the keep are dimly lit by
tower, corroborates Anatol’s lie about being in sconces hung 10 feet apart.
the barracks. If Mirche’s lie about the tower is
exposed, they admit they did not actually see Ceilings. In the hallway and in most rooms, the
Anatol at the barracks. This means no one can ceilings are 10 feet tall. In other areas, such as the
corroborate Anatol’s alibi, and it exposes Anatol’s main hall, the ceiling height varies.
lie about Mirche.
Doors. The doors are made of reinforced wood. While
Etienne. Etienne has no idea where anyone would they are unlocked, they can be barred. Barred doors
have been, and no one can corroborate his can be forced open with a DC 20 Strength check
alibi either. or broken down (AC 13, 18 hit points, damage
threshold 10).
“Who Do You Suspect?”
K1. Main Hall
Olesia. “I will review all of the evidence before
making a decision. The strike of my stake is final, The soaring ceilings of this dining hall give it a
after all.” majestic feel. Sconces line the walls, the torches of
which are still lit. Potted plants sit underneath small,
Anatol. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s not Mirche. slitted windows.
They’re just a kid! Albeit a powerful kid, and wise A large banner with red and orange stripes—the
beyond their years. Now that I think about it, it’s colors of the order—drapes the wall behind the head of
always the ones you never expect.” the long table that takes up much of the space in this
room. One empty bowl sits at the table.
Renatus. “You, obviously.”
Mirche. “Olesia has always scared me. I know that This hall, where the characters enjoyed a meal earlier
in the night, sits at the heart of the keep. The ceilings
doesn’t necessarily make her a vampire, but I think here are 15 feet high.
she’s definitely the most capable of killing Konrad.” Characters who succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence
Etienne. “Ugh. Don’t ask me. I suspect this is going (Investigation) check find almost a full plate’s worth
to be a difficult decision to make.” of food hidden in one of the plant pots.
Not wanting to be rude to Mirche, who prepared
“How Did You Come to the meal, Anatol discarded his food here before
Join The Order?” he went off to bed. Earlier he took one bite, and it
made him sick.
Olesia. “Before I swore my life away to the eternal The empty bowl at the table belongs to Renatus.
struggle against the undead, I was a noble of Characters find small traces of beet juice still on it.
house Nitka, 30 years ago. My brother lost his life
to the vampires of Soma; what else could I do but
avenge him?”

Anatol. “I’ve always been here. Ever since I was a
boy—an orphan Olesia saved and took in.”

Renatus. “I served in the Dulka family guard
before Artemios gave up his title. Artemios chose
me because of my unique ability to deal with

36

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

K3.
K2.

K1.

Dawn Keep
First Floor

K2. Kitchen The downstairs barracks are where Konrad, Anatol,
Renatus, Etienne, and Mirche sleep, although none
Pots, cauldrons, and other containers full of food sit made it there on this particular evening. Characters
piled beneath tables that make clean, convenient who succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation)
cooking surfaces. Various cuts of meat have been tied check find that the beds are all made and sit
up and strung from the walls. One of the tables has undisturbed.
been stained with a thick, dark red substance. There are two other rooms just like this, full of
cots and personal effects, but they aren’t relevant to
Etienne was inside this kitchen making borscht when the case at hand. The upstairs barracks, where the
Konrad was murdered. He thought he’d have the characters were at the time of the murder, is more
chance to clean it up after he finished his meal; he of the same.
didn’t. Characters can tell the substance in the kitchen Plate Armor. If Anatol had taken off his plate
is beet juice by tasting it. If they aren’t brave enough armor and put his pajamas on, he should have put it
to risk tasting blood, they can determine the nature back here in the barracks. The only set here, however,
of the substance with a successful DC 16 Wisdom is Etienne’s.
(Medicine) check.
K4. Western Tower
K3. Downstairs Barracks
The air is cool and still at the top of this tower, and
Rows of cots line the eastern and western walls of this the moon and stars are out, casting dim light into the
room, about 16 in all. Small piles of personal effects sit slit-like windows. It is difficult to see much out of the
beside each cot. windows, but the rustling and hissing reveals the still-
lurking vampires, waiting for the perfect moment to
strike. The stairs lead to a metal trapdoor in the ceiling
that opens onto the battlements.

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2.2: The Nightmare of Dawn

K7. Dawn Keep
K4. Second Floor

K6.

K5.

At the top of the castle, accessible by several flights of Characters who inspect it find a small pocket of
stairs, is the battlements. treasures Mirche hides away up here to avoid being
Characters who succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence teased about them: a clump of sheep’s wool, a pressed
(Nature) check or Wisdom (Survival) check flower bookmark, and a note that reads, “Be a brave,
can tell that the moon is waning and was full kind person, dear Mirche. −Mother".
several days ago. Birds. Characters who can speak with animals can
get the birds in the loft to corroborate Mirche’s alibi.
K5. Eastern Tower They speak of Mirche fondly.
Mists. The mist enshrouding the windows is a
A metal spiral staircase leads up the eastern tower collection of transformed vampires, who are ready
into an open loft that boasts a perfect view of the and waiting to assault anyone who invites them into
surrounding areas—or it would if mist didn’t obscure the keep. Every once in a while, a vampiric face looms
the windows. Myriad birds perch in the rafters and from the mist to peer in at the adventurers, eyes
preen their feathers. ablaze with moonlight.
Up the Trapdoor. Characters can inspect the
The loft in the eastern tower houses the Order’s battlements at their own peril. There is a vampire
animal messengers. When the Order wants to at the trapdoor, waiting to attack. The vampire can’t
send correspondence, they select a bird from their enter through the trapdoor because it wasn’t invited.
collection. Corvids comprise most of the birds: ravens, Characters can open the trapdoor and look up at
crows, magpies, and blue jays. Mirche is better with the sky all they like, but the vampire blocks their
animals than they are with people. They come here chances of getting a good look around. The characters
nightly to look at the stars and pet the birds, though must distract the vampire for up to 1 minute with
they are embarrassed to reveal this. a successful DC 19 Charisma (Deception) check or
Characters who succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom otherwise deal with the vampire in order to look at
(Perception) or a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) the battlements.
check find that one of the stones in the wall by the Without the vampire blocking the way, characters
trapdoor protrudes, as though something is stuck discover full set of plate armor discarded on the
inside it. battlements. Blood stains the breastplate. This is
Anatol’s plate armor. He discarded it here after killing
Konrad in order to hide it.

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

K6. Upstairs Barracks enough for him to escape. In exchange for protecting
him, Anatol offers the items he has sitting in the
These barracks are presently used as a place for the barracks (see Rewards).
defending soldiers to play games to pass the time. The characters can choose to go along with Anatol’s
Save for many empty cots, this room is empty. plan of escape or guide him to confront his fate.

K7. Olesia’s Room Choice: Let Him Die

This room is almost sparser than the barracks, holding If characters turn Anatol in or otherwise try to
a rigid bed with unmade sheets, several wall hooks for convince him to take responsibility for what he has
clothing, and a pile of wooden stakes in the corner of done, he becomes terrified and enraged. The dream
the room. Olesia’s plate armor, which she wore earlier twists Anatol into a vaguely humanoid monster made
this evening, rests in its own stand. of swirling smoke in otherworldly, dream-like colors.
He immediately attacks the characters.
Olesia was sleeping in this small chamber at the Anatol’s monster is a katoche (see appendix A)
time of the murder. Before she went to bed, Olesia with the following additional features:
removed and cleaned her entire suit of plate armor;
characters who inspect it cannot find a single spot of • Regeneration. Anatol regains 10 hit points at the
blood, or dirt for that matter. Because Olesia awoke start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point and isn’t
and ran out as soon as she heard Renatus’s scream, in sunlight or running water. If Anatol takes radiant
she did not have time to make her bed. damage or damage from holy water, this trait
doesn’t function at the start of his next turn.
Face Your Fears
• Anatol gains the Bite action:
Once other members of the Order of Dawn are
convinced that Anatol is the vampire, they attack Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
immediately. Adventurers who have solved the willing creature, or a creature grappled by Anatol,
mystery may want to approach Anatol in private incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing
beforehand for this reason. damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target’s
If characters accuse Anatol in public or in private, hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to
he demands to see the evidence that led them to this the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains
conclusion. hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts
Characters can present a number of things, until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies
including his lack of appetite, the undisturbed if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A
cots in the barracks, Konrad’s testimony, and humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the
Anatol’s discarded and bloodstained armor, among ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn
other clues. Once Anatol realizes what he is, his under Anatol’s control.
subconscious fills in the missing pieces.
Two swarms of bats arrive to aid Anatol before
Anatol’s Revelation the battle begins. The characters have the remaining
members of the Order on their side, although only
Anatol recounts his deduction of the story to Renatus is fully prepared for battle. Etienne has one
characters willing to listen: the vampire who bit him, level of exhaustion and assists as best he can in his
the nausea from dinner, and his loss of control. He humanoid form, but if things look dire, he transforms
didn’t mean to kill Konrad. If he hadn’t been bitten, into a werewolf in hybrid form and gives it his all.
he never would have done so. When the monster is reduced to 0 hit points, Anatol
If characters approach Anatol in private first, turns back to normal. He recognizes who he is and
he desperately pleads for his life. He knows his what must be done. Reluctantly, he allows Olesia
companions will murder him, and he fears this most or another member of the order to finish the job, at
of all. He asks the adventurers to help him escape which point the dream ends.
from the keep before sunrise by distracting the other
members of the Order. Perhaps, he suggests, they Choice: Let Him Run
could point the finger at someone else just long
If characters decide to help Anatol escape, they must
get him safely to one of two exits: the front doors,
which are barred and locked; or through one of the
two towers to the battlements or the loft.

39

2.2: The Nightmare of Dawn

Whichever route they choose, characters must Towers. Characters can choose to send Anatol up
distract the Order. The Order members are gathered through the western or eastern tower, where he can
in the main hall, and if Anatol were to slip away fly to safety from the battlements. If they choose this
through the front door, they’d notice. If he tries to option, Anatol has a farther distance to go, and so
escape through the towers, they begin to notice his the characters have to distract the Order for longer.
absence, and go looking for him—and encounter the The characters must succeed on five ability checks
characters while searching. before failing on two while distracting everyone in the
Characters can choose whichever skills they like to main hall.
employ to distract Olesia and the others. They must When Anatol has safely exited the building, the sun
succeed on three ability checks before they fail on two rises outside, ending the long night. The members of
in order to give Anatol enough time to leave. The DCs the Order go outside into the courtyard, letting the
of these checks are listed in the Interrogation DCs sun hit their skin and confirming none are vampires.
table, earlier in this chapter. If they use a different They don’t even seem to notice that Anatol has
ability other than Charisma, the DC of the check is 15. disappeared—he has completely escaped the story. If
If they accrue two failed checks, the Order becomes characters did not manage to get the plate armor from
suspicious of the characters—and of Anatol, who they the battlements (area K5) during the night, it sits in
seem to be protecting. They force their way past the the courtyard now, delivered as a thank-you.
characters to look for Anatol, attacking the characters With the warm sun beating down on the characters,
if necessary. the dream ends.
Front Doors. Characters who choose the front
door must send at least one person with Anatol to Guessing Incorrectly
help him unlock it. He worries about the vampires
outside harming his friends, so he wants the If the characters incorrectly accuse one of the Knights
characters to re-bar and lock the door behind him. of Dawn that isn’t Anatol, the remaining Knights
The lock on the front door can be picked with all jump at the chance to dispose of them. Olesia (or
a DC 15 Dexterity check made with thieves’ Renatus, if Olesia is accused) drives the stake through
tools. It can also be broken with a DC 20 Strength their heart, the body is disposed through the trapdoor
(Athletics) check. in the Western Tower, and everyone returns to their
rooms to sleep.

40

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Katoche

Exactly one hour later, Olesia winds up dead, and Rewards
Renatus finds the body on their patrol. The dream
begins to swim and melt away, and the characters A lucid Anatol was not able to grab any of his
awaken in Dream-Town. The dream has reset, for the possessions before he was executed, so he cannot offer
Order certainly will not trust them a second time—in anything from his dream.
the same timeline, that is. Fortunately, he does have the equivalent of 46
silver and 30 gold on him, a collection of buttons,
Conclusion trinkets, and actual coins that can be used as currency
in Dream-Town.
Depending on the choices the characters made,
Anatol’s dream can end differently. Let Him Run

Let Him Die If the characters let Anatol run, he disappears into
the night. The keep turns fuzzy around the characters
If the characters defeat Anatol’s subconscious monster as they are removed from the dream. They wake up
form, he returns to normal and accepts his fate. He where they started, near Anatol, who rises in Dream-
confesses to his crime, and Olesia (or another knight) Town and continues on his track, none the wiser. He
executes him. has been placated, as Octavian wished.
The dream abruptly ends, and Anatol awakens,
now lucid and aware of his soul’s predicament— Rewards
like all other souls in Dream-Town, it is to be fed
in due time to a lich’s phylactery. Anatol would Before he flees inside the dream, Anatol offers the
rather his soul disappear than be fuel for an undead characters any of the items at his disposal. Most of
creature such as Kasimir. He pledges himself to the them are rather mundane: a mace, a hunting knife,
characters’ service. and his set of plate armor that still has a splash
of Konrad’s blood on it. The armor isn't in his
possession, but he does reveal it's location: atop the
eastern tower (area K5).

41

2.2: The Nightmare of Dawn



Chapter 3:

Heist on the Gräffendam

For characters of 3rd or 4th level

This chapter concerns the dream of Skip, a scoundrel who plots a
life-saving heist through the economically-divided civilization built
alongside the continent’s largest dam. But Skip is meddling with forces
she has never had to confront head on: the local thieves’ guild, which
ensures the economic status quo. Little does Skip know, her plan was
doomed to fail from the start.

Background The job was personal, too. Skip had a friend named
Indigo who had an unidentifiable disease. Skip hoped
Midwinter snow gently falls over the Gräffendam, a that a poultice made with Aquanos could cure Indigo.
towering architectural marvel of the Bürach Empire. Skip’s plan went well up until the end of it. When
Built from obsidian-black granite and spanning an she and her crew reached the Reservoir, they were
entire valley, the dam is a total mystery. No one cornered by assassins hired by the local thieves’ guild.
knows who built it, or even when. The guild wanted to keep commoners’ hands off the
Atop the dam lies the Reservoir, filled with water Aquanos by any means necessary, as that would upset
with magical properties. This water, known to locals the area’s economic status quo. Sacrificing herself for
as Aquanos, remains at a temperature just above the mark and her crew, Skip held off the assassins so
freezing and can only be heated or cooled through that the rest of her crew could escape with the jar of
magical means. It also greatly increases the yield of Aquanos. She did not survive, but the jar (and her
crops and the potency of potions. Whoever controls crew) presumably did.
Aquanos controls economic prosperity in the region.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that the The Goal
possession of Aquanos is what separates the wealthy
elite living at the top of the dam near the Reservoir, In this dream, characters play the roles of Skip’s crew,
from those who live below. The top of the dam, helping her plan and execute the job. What Skip
known as the Gildreath, is a gorgeous wonderland needs the most help with, however, is the emotional
of comfort and luxury. Their trees are evergreen, support of her friends: the strength to keep taking
their crop yields consistently perfect, and they spend steps forward toward her goal. Skip’s subconscious
their days sitting on the wealth they’ve amassed, constantly forces her to grapple with the wonder if the
using only a fraction of it for their own frivolous job will actually matter. Could someone in the Shade
amusement. actually recreate Aquanos? Is she laying her life on the
By contrast, those who reside under Gildreath live line for nothing?
in poverty and squalor. This area is known for the At the pivotal moment in the hedge maze, the
high-rises built up along the side of the dam. Because characters must choose to either support her when she
this area sits directly under Gildreath, it sees little falters in her resolve or encourage her to run back to
sun and has earned the name the Shade. Lower still the Shade, toward eternal safety.
is the dilapidated river port known as the Ünterdam.
Thieves’ guilds and other seedy organizations control Hiding in the Shade
the trade flowing into and out of the Ünterdam.
Agents of these organizations run the large platform Once Skip is unconscious or sleeping (see “Bringing
freight elevators carrying shipments of luxury goods Sleep to the Dreamers” in chapter 1 of this episode),
from the Ünterdam up to the wealthy elite. Gildreath the characters can use the eye mask given to them by
allows them a massive cut of trade profits in exchange Octavian to enter her dreams. If Skip is ever killed in
for their total control over Aquanos. Between the this dream by any means other than being slain by
Gildreath elite and the profiteers of Ünterdam, the thieves’ guilt agents by the Reservoir (see “Reservoir,”
citizens of the Shade never see a cent. later in this chapter), the dream resets.
The dream begins in Skip’s shoddy hideout, a tiny
Skip’s Story one-room wooden structure stuck to the side of the
dam, accessible only by a tall ladder. It is full of old
Skip is a resident of the Shade. She learned to pick but sturdy furniture Skip has nicked from all over
pockets as an orphan child and has been stealing and the Shade.
odd-jobbing her way through life ever since. Shortly
before her death, she planned her greatest job yet: This dark room is a mess of mismatched furniture,
stealing a jar of Aquanos.
Her plan was simple: pass herself off as cargo, obviously-stolen valuable goods, paper notes, and plans
make her way up to the Gildreath on a freight
elevator, and then charm her way through Gildreath and diagrams. A corkboard sits on one wall in the room,
High Society until she got to the Reservoir. Then,
she would gather as much water as she could in a jar a hand-drawn map labeled “Gräffendam” affixed to it
and secret it away back down to the Shade. Back in
the Shade, she hoped to find an alchemist who could with daggers in the corners. Certain areas have been
analyze it and recreate the Aquanos effect.
circled in ink with added notes and other doodles. A

small amount of light filters in from the two windows in

the east side of the room, near the door.

44

Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

Characters who open the door find themselves at Gildreath. Skip has never been to Gildreath, but
the top of a 30-foot ladder. If they look out, they can she imagines it is full of “hoity-toity stuck-ups.”
see the roofs of the favelas, shaded from the sun by Navigating the Gildreath to get to the Reservoir
Gildreath overhead. Climbing up the ladder is Skip, requires they blend in with the high-class citizenry.
who sees the characters at the top and beams as They must acquire fancy disguises. Skip asks the
though she recognizes them. characters what they should wear. Because this is a
dream, the clothes materialize as characters make
Heist Crew their decisions.
Reservoir. Once they get to the Reservoir, Skip
Skip does recognize the characters. In her dream, they plans to gather as much water as she can in her jar.
have taken the place of her actual, real-world heist She needs the characters there to distract the Reservoir
crew. Skip refers to the characters as the codenames guards while she does so.
she gave her crew. As she scrambles up the ladder, Although Gildreath is not conservative with their
she claims the group is finally ready for what she calls use of Aquanos, Skip insists the sample must come
“the big one,” her name for the Aquanos heist. from the Reservoir. That is the only way to know for
Skip explains her plan to the characters using the sure it is true, untainted Aquanos.
map inside of her hideout. She asks the characters for
their input at each stage. Devise a Signal
Ünterdam. Skip’s first priority is getting upstairs
to the Gildreath, which starts with getting a permit Skip worries that her crew might have to split up
to ride either the freight elevator or the passenger during the mission. She asks the characters to think
elevator at the Ünterdam Customs Office. Skip puts up a suitable signal to find one another. The signal
two options on front of the crew: pretend to be a should be easy to spot (or hear), but inconspicuous to
band of wealthy merchants for a passenger pass or onlookers.
hide inside of boxes and barrels for a trip up the Skip says that characters should use the signal any
freight elevator. time they get separated.

45

2.3: Heist on the Gräffendam

Codenames Port in the Shade

Skip calls the characters by the codenames she used for her The heist begins when the crew exits the hideout and
original heist crew, but those codenames should reflect some steps into the Shade. Their first stop is the Ünterdam
quality of the player character as well. Skip is known as Skip Customs House, about an hour’s walk from
because she’s energetic and is typically the one to set the plan Skip’s hideout.
into motion. When preparing to run this chapter, make a list of
names Skip would call the player characters, and have her use The Shade is a dreary place. The dilapidated houses fall
them in-game as though she’s always known them that way. apart on their stilts, held together only by scaffolding
Some class-based options include: and hope. Without sunlight and clean water to nourish
them, plants wilt in their boxes on wooden windowsills.
• Muscles, Bear, Wolf, Eagle (Barbarian) The townsfolk keep to themselves on dusty streets,
• Strings, Pipes (Bard) shooting suspicious looks toward anyone who gets
• It’s unlikely that Skip would have a cleric in her team, so she too close.

describes them as a wizard Along the way, Skip muses aloud about what she’d
• Holly, Mistletoe, Beastie (Druid) do with the recipe for Aquanos: find a way to use it to
• Blades, Bruiser (Fighter) save her friend Indigo, who is sick with a disease no
• Knuckles, Hops (Monk) one can identify.
• It’s also unlikely Skip would have a paladin; she describes them She asks the characters what they’d do with the
magical water, reiterating its magical effects and
as a fighter importance if they don’t remember.
• Fang, Fuzzy (Ranger)
• Knives, Shadow (Rogue) Ünterdam Customs House
• Bright-eyes, Zappy (Sorcerer)
• Silver, Dark-eyes (Warlock) The customs house is an old brick building at the foot
• Books, Brains (Wizard) of the river. Vines have claimed most of the exterior
walls, and few people occupy the area, let alone walk
through the doors. The doors are open, but it looks
empty inside. A few old, run-down rowboats sit in the
river, chained to the dock. They are overshadowed by
the larger keelboat beside them, which looks decades
younger and carries several large wooden barrels of
valuable-looking cargo.

River trade has slowed down in recent years, Skip
admits, but it looks like today there is a single
keelboat bringing barrels of wine from the Bürach
capital. The characters must obtain a permit to travel
up one of the elevators here in the customs house.
They can do so by persuading the man at the front
desk or leveraging the keelboat.
Customs Desk. The bored, elderly man running
the front desk at the customs house is a human
commoner named Roger Sedrik. Because river trade
is so slow, his job is typically to sit here, watch paint
dry, and collect an hourly wage. Once every few
weeks, when the occasional ship enters the port, he
must perform the administrative work of levying a tax
and granting a permit to enter Gildreath.

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun

A permit to visit Gildreath costs 10 gp per person, 47
but Roger has explicit instructions to not let “riffraff
from the Shade” purchase them. Characters can pass
themselves off as wealthy visitors with a successful
group DC 15 Charisma (Deception) check. Roger is
paid well by the thieves’ guild running the port, so
bribes do not sway him.
Keelboat. Working on the keelboat is its crew
composed of two female commoners named Sara
and Rainn, and its captain Melaina (N female human
noble). They are taking stock of 10 full wine barrels
(each worth 50 gp) they have brought with them down
the river. Their intention is to get a permit from Roger
inside and bring the barrels up the freight elevator to
Gildreath.
Melaina likes the sailing and the travel part of her
job, but not the sales work. Characters can convince
her to hire them to take the wine up to Gildreath
and sell it for her with a successful DC 15 Charisma
(Persuasion or Deception) check.
Characters can also attempt to distract Sara and
Rainn and hide themselves in the wine barrels while
Melaina goes inside to get a permit.

Ünterdam Lifts

There are two lifts: one large freight lift and a small,
decorative passenger lift. They are supervised by
an operator, Josef (lawful neutral male human
commoner), and six guards. Josef inspects the
permits of those wishing to ride the elevators and
denies entry to those without permits. He calls on the
guards at the first sign of trouble.
The lifts are each powered by two massive
capstans. The thick cord wound between them raises
the lifts when the capstans are turned. When it is
time for the lift to be raised, Josef calls on the team of
guards to take up the capstan and push it.
The lift takes three minutes to reach Gildreath. If
the characters are alone and not in their fancy clothes,
Skip suggests they change into them. If the characters
are riding up the freight elevator hidden inside the
barrels, they still have to contend with the keelboat
crew before they get to the top.

Gildreath

Skip’s dream version of Gildreath gets the major
details correct: it is a bright, beautiful, sunny place
filled with gorgeous snow-covered evergreen topiary
and sparkling, multicolored lights. The wealthy
citizens wear elegant gowns and well-tailored suits,
expensive furs, and extravagant fascinators.

2.3: Heist on the Gräffendam

H1.
H2.

H9.

H8.

H7. H6.

H3.
H5.

H4.

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Fables: Citadel of the Unseen Sun