 The Ethereal Plane, also described as the Waveless Sea, is a miss-filled colorful dimension that exists alongside the Primaterial Plane and the Inner Plains. Located within the Plane is a civilization that surrounds a massive crystal known as the Radiant Citadel. The Radiant Citadel is a city-sized local found in the Ethereal Plane that served as a hub of commerce and culture between over a score of ancient civilizations. After the eventual decline, and in some cases disappearance of its founder groups, the Citadel also became a repository of multi-planar cultural history and lore from numerous different worlds. Its location in the Ethereal Plane makes the Radiant Citadel a wonderful place for the congregation of those that come from different worlds. Travelers from across the multiverse flock to this mysterious bastion to share their traditions, stories, and calls for heroes. A crossroads of wonders and adventures, the Radiant Citadel is the first step on the path to legend. Where will your journeys take you? Journeys through the Radiant Citadel is a collection of 13 short standalone Dungeons and Dragons adventures featuring challenges for characters level 1 to 14. Each can be run by itself or as a part of an ongoing campaign. There is much to explore within this book, so let us not waste any more time and explore this rich and varied collection of adventures in Journeys through the Radiant Citadel. The Radiant Citadel To understand this journey, one must be familiar with the Radiant Citadel. It is a living relic of ingenuity in collaboration of 27 great civilizations. Abandoned in loss for ages, the Citadel was resurrected from its slumber and reclaimed by descendants of those societies though some people remain missing. The city serves as a nexus of diplomacy and trade, a repository of histories and secrets, and a thriving sanctuary for those seeking safety or a better life. The Radiant Citadel is a miracle of architecture, a floating city carved out of a single massive fossil that snakes around a colossal gemstone shard known as the Ororal Diamond. The Ororal Diamond is the heart of the Radiant Citadel. The city's vegetation, water, light, and unique artifices depend on the diamond. Just so often, the Ororal Diamond changes color for unknown reasons. Sometimes, it holds a color for an entire year while other times, it shifts twice in a single week. Rarely does it ever repeat a color. Some believe each color represents the birth of a new civilization in the multiverse. Others believe the changing colors are a countdown to some unknown event. The luminescence of the Ororal Diamond is mirrored in the constellation of 15 structure-sized gemstones that concord jewels. These structures orbit the city and provide transportation to far-flung homes of the Citadel's founding civilizations. The Radiant Citadel is governed by a council known as the Speakers for the Ancestors. Each speaker is a descendant of one of the founding civilizations currently known to the Citadel. All laws and major decisions of the city are decided by majority vote of the speakers and their debates can become heated. Because each speaker represents very different constituents, consensus and compromises might take days or even months. These speakers are chosen through an election among the people they represent along with passing a test from a collection of spirits known as Dawn Incarnate. The Dawn Incarnate are spirits bound within gemstones and have existed since the creation of the Radiant Citadel. While the Citadel's creators left behind no text, it's believed that their collective wisdom is held by the Dawn Incarnate. These spirits do not interfere in the day-to-day administration of the city, but they do hold the speakers responsible to the duties of their office. Legends have it that the Speakers for the Ancestors are missing representatives from 12 civilizations that was once a part of the original founders. Many believe that the full potential of the Radiant Citadel can be unlocked only when the 12 missing civilizations are found and the representatives join the Speakers for the Ancestors. Recently, two founding civilizations were discovered and reconnected to the Citadel. This success has prompted new rumors with regards to the missing civilizations and how they might be found. Perhaps through your adventures, you may rediscover a few of them. Chapter 1 Salted Legacy Your journey begins at the Dinseng Night Market. Hundreds of temporary stalls, tents, and vendor carts fill the night market with wonders to tempt even the pickiest customers. As the sun dips down below the horizon, the Dinseng Night Market twinkles to light, gradually igniting in a dazzling display. The smells of food carts drift amid bright bouquets of glowing flowers and magical lights in the shapes of vendor's wares and whimsical mascots. Crowds of shoppers wander the stalls, drawn by the color, smells, and music. The shops surround three gold intents in a sunken plaza. You peruse through the market and notice a shrill voice cry out. Give it back, you little thief. Another voice responds. No, you're the thief. An instant later, a frantic kobold named Gaman Zungun bursts from the crowds, clutching a sizeable bunch of green onions. Chasing behind him is a flustered gnome named Lemai Tianmo. Gaman has stolen a bunch of green onions from Lemai Tianmo, believing that Lemai first stole these onions from his mother. Gaman clumsily collides with you, bounces off, and falls to the ground. A moment later, Lemai catches up and attempts to yank the green onions from Gaman's hands while railing at him. You do the best you can to separate these two squabbling individuals. Less than a minute later, Gaman's mother, Kusa Sungun, appears from the surrounding crowd. Kusa Sungun intercedes between Lemai and her son, sternly telling the gnome shopkeeper, that's enough Lemai, you're behaving no better than our parents did, stealing from me and attacking my son. This kicks off a fresh bout of arguing, with Lemai claiming she saw Gaman steal the onions. Gaman accuses Lemai of first stealing the onions from their seafood cart and knocking it over. The arguing cobalt woman notices you and turns to address you. You over there. I'm Kusa Sungun, proprietor of market famous Sungun Family Seafood. For a fish typhoon, you'll wish for Sungun. Help us deal with the scoundrel and I'll make it worth your while. Scoundrel, the gnome shouts, turning your way. You don't look like you're wrapped up in market politics. I'm Lemai Tianmo. Help me figure out what's going on here and I'll give you a lifetime supply of delicious noodles from my shop, Tianmo Noodles. Both women turn toward each other again, quarreling anew over what they'll offer you to help them. You quarrel the bickering among the two by stating that you won't pick sides but will agree to investigate what's going on. You explore more of the market but don't get far before another market vendor approaches you. This human man wears a flashy green shirt with a high collar and gold filigree trim designed to look like hot peppers. He smiles while shaking his head as he approaches and introduces himself as Kasima Room, one of the owners of the Spicy Brother Stalls. Kasima Room and his twin brother, Vee Aroon, own and operate the Spicy Brother Stalls which features rare peppers and spices. While Vee has a zest for life, Kasima is reserved and calculating. Upon meeting you, Kasima laments that the families can't get along. He encourages you not to ruin your night embroiled in politics and offers to show you around the market. Having already agreed to investigate the incident, you decline his offer of a tour and continue your investigation. You decide to look into the events at Tianmo and Sungun shops and begin by visiting each of their respective stalls. Along the stalls, you discover nothing unusual except for a few persimmon peels. Investigating these fruit peels further, you learn that there are no stalls in the night market currently selling persimmons. While you investigate their stalls, Kusa and Lamai warn you that interacting with the market denizens might be difficult. The fellow vendors view you as a nosy stranger and probably want to protect their own shop. Reputation and being part of the market mean a lot to local vendors and the quickest way to get reputation would be to participate in the market games. The market games take place inside three golden tents located in the event grounds which are situated in the center of the Dinseng Night Market. Vendors sponsor events to advertise their wares and attract visitors to the market. Currently, there are three events being hosted. Arun Family Pepper Challenge, a test of endurance hosted by the spicy brothers. Battle Pond Challenge, a cooking competition hosted by the Sid Squid of the trusty leak. Hide and Seek Challenge, a game hosted by Madame Culp's Silk. You decide it would be best to gain some reputation in the market before probing the vendors for information and make your way to the event grounds. Once at the event grounds, you take on as many challenges as you can bear, earning yourself quite a bit of notoriety. With the respect of completing some of the market games, you decide to ask around the vendors and learn the following information. Known has seen members of either the Tianmo family or the Sangoon family sabotaging the other family's stand. V, the twin brother of Kasim, is leaving the market making Kasim's future uncertain. Kasim has been behaving strangely and seems fixated on the Tianmo and Sangoon stands. After hearing this information, you make a bold conclusion. You suspect Kasim of inflaming the two family's rivalry and decide to investigate the brothers further. From your investigation, you discover a few more clues that lead to the two Spice brothers having a heavy hand in this ordeal. You confront Kasim and provide him with the information you've gathered, forcing him to reveal the truth to you. Several weeks ago, V told his brother, Kasim, that he's getting married and moving to a distant land. Kasim knows he can't continue spicy brothers without V's charm and concocted a plan to buy out another successful business. Unfortunately, most businesses in the didn't sing night market are family shops and the owners would never consider selling. While on a trip to get more stock for Spice brothers, Kasim encountered a trio of rare fey creatures called Wernlings. Kasim befriended them with a few sweet fruits and brought them back to the night market. He now bribes his invisible friends with fruit to cause disruptions around Tianmo noodles and Sangoon family seafood. Kasim doesn't want to hurt anyone, but he hopes to make life in the market uncomfortable enough that one of the family sells his shops to him for a low price. Satisfied with having solved the mystery, you bring your findings back to Kusa and Lemai at their respective stalls. After learning that Kasim has been behind the misfortune affecting their store, Kusa and Lemai are quick to apologize to one another and reconcile their differences. Market guards are alerted in Usher Kasim from the market, forbidding him from returning. Feeling a bit of sympathy for Kasim, you intercede on his behalf and advocate for Kasim to stay. His actions were wrong, but surely shouldn't warrant him losing his entire stall. Hearing your words, another vendor speaks up and offers to adopt him into their family if he promises no more deceit. Kasim earnestly agrees and joins the family in their business. As for Kusa and Lemai, they thank you for your impressive detective skills and award you with a lifetime of meals from their stalls. Chapter 2. Written in Blood Your adventure begins when you arrive in the town of Promise in the land of God's breath. Life in God's breath revolves around community and agriculture, with locals working hard to feed themselves and keep their land strong. But as the crimson-tinch farmland, known as the Ribbon, becomes less fertile each year, groups of young farmers and adventurers have begun to plant crops along the dangerous borderlands known as the Rattle. Despite the constant threat of monstrous predators, new volunteers keep working in the Rattle to help provide for the people. Unfortunately, the Rattle is home to more than feral beasts. In the town of Promise, the annual Awakening Festival is underway and the streets are alive with vibrant music. You spend a bit of time exploring the festival, learning much about the history of the land. During the festival, stalls throughout the community sell local crafts, musical instruments and street foods. Small straw dolls, wearing colorful shirts and dresses are widely available. The dolls are a popular local craft. As the history of the land is recounted through song, musicians play instruments of many kinds. Their performances melt together as passers-by join in during choruses, uniting the entire community in a single collective celebration. You travel the streets and enjoy the festives, hearing what the locals call the Awakening Song, a collection of songs recounting local histories. As part of the crowd begins another verse of the Awakening Song, four people wearing the garb of farm folk wander into their mist. Rather than singing, they stare blankly. Then they search forward into the celebrants raising rusty farming and the four farmers attack the festivalgoers. You engage with the farmers and see their eyes swirl with crimson, resembling bloody, unshed-tiered drops. Only one local holds their ground, a surprised woman named Aunt Deli. She clearly recognizes some of the strange farmers and tries to reason with them to no avail. Aunt Deli shouts for you not to kill the farmers, noting that they're not behaving like themselves. You fight through the horde of farmers and do your best not to kill the mindless attackers. When the last farmers defeated, locals returned to tend to the wounded. The farmers are known to many in the crowd, prompting confusion over their strange appearance and what caused them to attack. Talk of curses begin to spread. You examine the farmers afterwards and identify that they are being magically controlled. The farmers eventually rouse with their unconscious state or refuse to speak. As you investigate the situation, Aunt Deli notices that one of the farmers was clutching a crumpled sheet of parchment. She opens it and you hear her curse in concerned shock. It bears a charcoal sketch of a child struggling to swim in dark water while being grasped at by hands beneath the surface. Aunt Delinor Deli Gotsen is a savvy operator with an honest reputation, a soft heart, and a talent for hearing a bit about everyone's business. A trader and scammer boat pilot, Aunt Deli has never been afraid to go on her own way and knows much about God's breath plans and threats. Everyone calls her Aunt. A trend started by her beloved goddaughter, Kiana. Aunt Deli clearly recognizes the sketch on the parchment that one of the strange farmers had with them. Questioning her about it, her strong voice shakes as she explains the significance. The sketch was drawn by Aunt Deli's goddaughter, Kiana. Aunt Deli knows her art style and this is a scene she draws regularly. As a child, Kiana saw her friend, Kully, drowned in Crandall Lake while they were playing. Since Kully's death, Kiana has used art to work through the sadness and guilt she carries to this day. Kiana is currently working a farm in the rattle in half-stay travel to promise. She was due to return to town for the Awakening Festival, but Aunt Deli hasn't seen her yet. You investigate further and ask those nearby people about the attack and learn that the strange farmers all worked in the rattle, a dangerous but fertile farming region haunted by deadly predators. While the locals speculate about the fate of the other farmers in the rattle, Aunt Deli has no patience for debates on what to do next. Aunt Deli implores you to go to the rattle where Kiana was working and make sure her goddaughter is safe while she stays in promise to organize a larger investigation. She offers you some gold pieces to undertake this mission and even more if you return her goddaughter to promise safely. Aunt Deli gives you directions to the rattle but she doesn't know exactly where Kiana's farm is. You must search for it once you reach the rattle. After your conversation with Aunt Deli, two other individuals approach you. The first is a broad-shouldered woman wearing a multicolored dress that complements her dark skin, sizing you up from beneath a stylish hat. Her name is Lady Drift and she is a trader who makes an impression on everyone she meets. I overheard your conversation with Aunt Deli, she says. I hear you're bound for the rattle. Excellent, I'll accompany you. We should depart at once. She offers you a horse and wagon for your travel and you accept her offer, taking her along with you. The other individual is a young scholar by the title of Proclaimer Tungsten Ward. Proclaimer Ward introduces themselves and briefly explains that they research magical manifestations across God's breath. Having witnessed the attack and spoken with locals in the aftermath, Ward wants to join your expedition. The Proclaimer hopes to investigate what led the farmer's strange behavior and determine whether it's linked to other misfortunes in the region. If the results are significant enough to weave into the awakening song, Ward assures you that your name will be featured prominently. You accept the two individuals' company and head off for the rattle. Making the 12-mile track, it takes you half a day to reach the rattle. The journey from Promise leads north through the ribbon where clustered farmhouses dot the dark red ground between stands of scattered woods. Eventually, the road dwindles to a track. The stands of trees grow denser and the farms fewer and farther between as you near the lands called the rattle. Grows and excited yipping resound from the fields surrounding a nearby farm. The source isn't clear, but from the motion of the tall crops, something moves swiftly through the fields parallel to the road. You follow the movements through the field and come to a clearing to find an old farmer fleeing three horse-sized coyotes. You rescue him from the pursuing animals and he lets out a sigh of relief. The farmer is bloodied, but angrier at the animals than scared. He thanks you and introduces himself as Uncle Polder. Uncle Polder is an old man with a stocky build and an easy smile. He walks out an amble and speaks with withdrawal, but his mind is constantly working, developing solutions to any problem he faces. Polder has spent many seasons in the rattle and is dedicated to helping others thrive, in part to rid himself of the guilt of leaving a friend behind when he escaped a ballet attack during his first season. Following the battle, Uncle Polder thanks you and asks what brings you out this way. He invites you to refresh yourself, gesturing to his nearby farm. Uncle Polder's house is typical of farmhouses in the ribbon and the rattle. It would frame a single story building with a large porch bounded by trees. The other farmhouses in the surrounding part of the rattle are all part of the same pact, a communal collection of farms whose inhabitants live, work, and share with each other. Uncle Polder's farmhouse is the largest in the group, suggesting his importance to the community. He is glad to answer any questions you may have about the area and you begin to gather some information. Uncle Polder states that there is always trouble in the rattle, but he can't recall any unusual problems this season. He's met Kiana and knows the farm she works at, though it's a part of another pact. It's not far from Uncle Polder's, but people in the rattle mostly stick close to home. The farmers of the two packs don't interact often. Uncle Polder recalls helping Kiana's pack set up early in the season. He keeps an eye out for people who might not be a good fit for life in the rattle and Kiana seems to have things on her mind other than farming. When Kiana and others of her packs came to Uncle Polder's pack a couple weeks ago to trade for tools, she seemed to be embracing life in the rattle. She spoke of how happy she was that someone named Coley was coming to join her soon. Uncle Polder assumed Coley was another worker coming late to the farm. From your conversation with Aunt Deli, you remember that Coley was Kiana's friend who drowned many years ago. Proclaimer Ward also recalls the story of the child's death as the Proclaimer was responsible for adding Coley's drowning to the awakening psalm. When told the truth about Coley, Uncle Polder is surprised. Kiana spoke as if Coley were close and current friends. When you are well rested and ready to depart, Uncle Polder gives you the directions towards the farm Kiana works at. You thank the man and head out towards Kiana's farm. On the path towards the farm, you notice a tremor as you travel. Suddenly a sinkhole appears and traps the wagon of which you are traveling on. Lady Dre and Proclaimer Ward recommend that you continue the journey without them while they figure out how to deal with the wagon. You agree to do so and head onwards finally reaching your destination. As you reach the location Uncle Polder directed you to, you find seven farmhouses, each about an eighth of a mile apart. Approaching the nearest farm, you found the surrounding fields overgrown and the plants rotting. Crows flip between perches on the fences and there are no signs of people. Nearly all of the houses have been sloppily painted with the large muddy red X. The interiors of these farmhouses are utilitarian featuring only a few rooms for sleeping and a small kitchen. No creatures are within and the acclamation of dust makes it clear no one's disturbed the rooms for some time. Every farmhouse bears a sign that something's wrong. A farmhouse near the center of the studying serves as the main kitchen, dining area and meeting place for the smaller houses around it. This large farmhouse appears to be abandoned like the smaller houses around it, but no X marks it. Farming implements lie abandoned in the mud and wild plants have grown up to the house's faded wooden porch. The crops in the surrounding field appear stickly. You explore the mysterious farmhouse and eventually find Kiana singing to herself in a cavern. She looks like she's in a dream state and she holds a knife loosely but her eyes aren't crimson like those of the other farmers. Kiana stops singing as soon as she notices you and says, please go, you shouldn't be here. You try to speak with Kiana but she drifts between fearfully urging you to leave and coaxing you to stay and meet her friend, Koli. Her mood and manner shift radically throughout your conversation. She speaks brightly of how Koli finally came back to her after she lost him in Cradle Lake. It was so good to hear his voice again. When Kiana heard Koli's voice beyond the cellar, she dug and found this old cavern. Something happened to the farmers when they entered the caverns. After that, they did whatever Koli said, including hurting one another and marking the houses with Xs to know who had visited the cellar. Kiana sadly says her friend drowned long ago, then cheerfully says he didn't drown because she saved him. He went away for a long while but he came back. As you speak with Kiana, you notice Kiana's eyes starting to a pile of limbs in the corner whenever she speaks brightly of Koli. You decided to investigate the pile of limbs and the heat begins to move, revealing itself as an undead made entirely of arms and hands. This creature is known as the Soul Shaker. When it reveals itself, the Soul Shaker telepathically whispers things to you such as, come play with us. Are you lonely? Be with us forever. Then it suddenly attacks. Possess farmers from the nearby area congregate into the cavern and begin to fight you alongside the Soul Shaker. After you finally defeat the Soul Shaker, it's grip on the farm's residence fades. Kiana collapses into unconsciousness but wakes after an hour. She's unable to remember anything that's happened in the recent days except for glimpses of strange hands and menacing words spoken in Koli's voice. Kiana shares that she blames herself for Koli's death and when she heard his voice, she thought the gods might be giving her a chance to make amends. Now, she just wants to return to promise. The farmers that survived the ordeal thank you for saving them. They remember only snippets from the last few days and the last thing they recall clearly is preparing to return to promise for the Awakening Festival. You gather all the survivors along with Kiana and begin your trek back to promise. On the way, you find that Lady Dre and Proclaimer Ward have fished out the wagon and use it to ease the rest of the travel. When you return to promise, Aunt Deli is overjoyed that Kiana is safe. She is grateful to you for uncovering the truth and ending the Soul Shaker's threat, elading that the enchanted farmers in the town have regained awareness. Aunt Deli rewards you with her promised payment and offers you free passage on a boat of hers whenever you please. Chapter Three, The Fiend of Hollow Mind. Your adventure begins just outside the village of Mopazul, a tiny community a few hours journey from the city of San-Sitlan. Clouds rush overhead and dust swirls across the road to the village of Mopazul which sits atop a hill overlooking a vast semi-arid valley. The road ends at a wooden archway in a low, dry stone wall that surrounds most of the settlement. As you near, a man on horseback spurs his mount and vanishes into the village. You notice a trail of dust rising from the opposite side of the village suggesting a group entering the community. Reaching the archway entrance to the village, you can feel that something is wrong. Within the waist-high village wall, a dozen or so wood and adobe houses surround a well, a worn-out sign hangs crickedly from the arch proclaiming a fading blue plain. Welcome to Misalpol, but that welcome is contradicted by angry voices and cries of pain coming from behind the building. You notice villagers peering from their homes and hear movement behind some walls. Suddenly, seven bounty hunters spring up from behind the wall aiming longbows at you. Clear out, one of them says, La Paloma pays for her crimes this day. Without hesitation, they attack. You fend off the attack and defeat the bounty hunters, capturing a few to interrogate. The captured bounty hunters inform you that Paloma is seen as a hero by the poor. Her ban rates the estates and caravans of corrupt landowners and shares the captured wealth with the folk who need it. She initially ran afoul of the law years ago when she was falsely accused of a crime. Paloma and her ban were recently attacked by someone or something on the road. Most of the ban were killed, but Paloma's body wasn't found. Once you deal with the bounty hunters, a handful of locals thank you for your assistant and welcome you to Mbazil. Not everyone is induced, though. Some villagers regard adventurers with distress fearing they'll bring more trouble. You peruse through the village trying to gather information of what has transpired in these lands. In the distance, a slender figure attends to the wounded villagers who respond with heartfelt gratitude. As the individual approaches, you realize they are more than simply thin. The figure is a skeleton clothed in a yellow and magenta dress with many colorful bead necklaces hanging from the exposed vertebrae of their neck. You must be parched after that fight, they say. Help us some drinks, friends. On the house. The name of the friendly skeleton is Rufina, and they own the village tavern. As thanks for dealing with the bounty hunters, Rufina invites you to the tavern for refreshments and rest and happily helps equate you with the area. Formally a human, Rufina is now an olvidado, a deceased person who remained behind after the night after they were remembered. Rufina doesn't know how or why they don't pass onto the afterlife. Although beings like Rufina are uncommon in the region, they are not unheard of, and the skeleton is a well-liked member of the community. Rufina has been sheltering Paloma in the cellar of the tavern. After witnessing your prowess, the olvidado wonders if you might be able to help her. As you walk through the village, you notice many locals huddled in corners. They are bundled in blanket-like sarapes and trembling with cold despite it being a warm but cloudy day. You ask Rufina about them and she replies that these unfortunate have caught Sereno, an ailment seemingly spread by bitter cold winds. Sereno is a deadly magical affliction that inflicts a supernatural chill on its victims and eventually kills them. Folk who have fallen ill speak of those winds blowing mostly at night and Rufina warns you about staying out after dark. You examine the villagers afflicted and conclude that this is less of a disease and more of a curse. Rufina leads you to her tavern that is plastered with portraits missing persons and requests for help. Her tavern is known as a pokoria as it specializes in a local beverage called polke. When you enter the tavern, you find the pokoria's walls are painted with murals that depict a series of armed conflicts with locals celebrating victory at the end. A candlelit altar behind the bar includes a painted portrait of an elderly woman. It is surrounded by yellow marigolds and offerings of drinks and cactus fruits. Rufina offers you polke, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented agave sap and the only drink Rufina remembers how to make. The Alvirado also offers cactus, beans and tortillas to you and has a spare room if you need rest. Rufina tells you that the mural on the wall was painted by her and is an abstraction of San Sidlon's history. The altar behind the counter is an aferenda, a memorial made to commune with the dead during the night of remembered festivities which begins in the coming days and will continue for several nights. The night of the remembered is a celebration of which the deceased visit their loved ones. This aferenda is dedicated to Rufina's late daughter, Carmen. As conversations dies down, an elderly woman named Paloma emerges from a door leading to the cellar. She is wrapped in a ribosal and suffers from sereno. Paloma explains to you that she needs your help to find the source of sereno and put an end to it. The sereno outbreak has killed many since it began a few months ago. One night, while Palomo and three allies were traveling, trying to determine the source of the outbreak, a strange owl revealed itself to be a terrible fiend. They wounded the fiend, but it escaped. Two of her companions died in the battle. The third, a druid named Lope, died of sereno soon after. Lope had been researching the curse and believed the fiend they saw was behind its spread. Lope's research suggested killing the fiend would end the curse for all those suffering from sereno. Scouts have seen owls and strange figures going in and out of a mine near the supposedly abandoned mining town of Hollow. You agree to Paloma's request and she gives you directions to Hollow. Before she leaves for her room, she warns you of going out at night lest you suffer her fate. You go back into the town and ask around with regards to the town of Hollow and a local shares with you a chilling story. I was riding by Hollow after dark trying to get home when I saw movement up by the old mine entrance. Two gaunt figures were dragging some poor soul into the mine, had it wrapped up tight. They looked like twin death they did. I'll never forget their hissing and their slithering, horrid tongues. As a mercy, the body they were dragging looked like it was already dead. I rode on, I tell you, I didn't look back. Regarding the name of Hollow, they state that it stems from the fact that it was once a mining town for silver ore but has run dry. Having gathered enough information, you take a night's rest and begin your journey to Hollow, taking just over half a day. As you approach Hollow, you find a decrepit town that spreads out along the road ahead. It's weathered shacks creak in the wind. The road leading to the building is littered with items abandoned by former residents. A dozen or so armed figures move in and out of the structures which appear long abandoned. An opulent coach looking distinctly out of place is parked amid the buildings with this curtain drawn. The armed figures are 12 bandits and won't allow you to access the mine without their boss's permission leading you to the carriage. From the carriage emerges a spiteful tiefling in his late 40s, Itzmin Delbrado. Itzmin introduces himself as the owner of the mine and the township. He talks of hearing reports of a disease festering in the town and says he plans to burn the abandoned houses to prevent it from spreading. You ask him if you can investigate the mine and Itzmin invites you against it but doesn't stop you. At some point after you enter the mine you hear a thunderous blast from above. You return to the mine's entrance and find the cavern has collapsed sealed by tons of impassable rubble. Investigating the cave-ins leads you to find this must have been deliberate. With no way to retreat you continue through the tunnel fighting through skeletons and search for a way out. Among the foes you find in the cavern you also stumble upon a living quarter. Rubbishing through you find a few drawings depicting a home labeled with the words Los Gavilanes. Deciding it to be of importance you take it along with you to see if you can gather more information on it. Eventually you find an exit tunnel covered in scratch marks and littered with feathers. Emerging from the rocky tunnels you find yourself in the city of San Sitlan. It is currently in the midst of the Night of the Remembered Celebrations. Colorful flowers and paper decorations hang between buildings in delicious scents walked from the food stalls at every street corner. Locals wearing elaborate mask and costumes celebrate in the street. Well-dressed skeletons walk alongside pompous-looking business barons and mischievous children in devil costumes poke at onlookers with toy tritons. You notice some folk on the street pointing at the sky. They ramble on about an owl that has been flying over the district during daylight. You follow the trail of gazes in the sky and pinpoint it back to a location of a Vesundad. As you near the Vesundad you show some folks in the area the painting and they direct you towards an old manor house. This large manor shows its age but the building is well cared for and, like the rest of the city, cheerfully decorated for the impeding festival. A colorful altar stands opposite of the entrance. Its tiers cover with sketch portraits. You hear sobbing coming from one of the apartments and approach the noise. As you near, the door swings open to a woman eyes red from her sobbing earlier. She faces you defiantly, asking, are you here to kill my son? You tell her that you are not but just here to find a creature giving her the details of what you know. She nods in understanding and invites you into her home. She introduces herself as Doño Rosa. The creature you hunt is named Serapio. He is Doño Rosa's son, not a monster. She had thought Serapio was ill but he confessed a terrible secret earlier that day and fled. Serapio's father, Orentio, was a sorcerer who consorted with demons. He was executed years after Doño Rosa exposed his deeds. Doño Rosa believes Orentio but the cult he served is responsible for Serapio's curse. She never told him about his biological father, Orentio. Years ago, Rosa lived among the elites of San Sotlon but after Orentio's execution, she fled the city to escape his followers. Starting a new life, Rosa married a man named Evaristo who helped raise Serapio. Evaristo died three months ago from a sudden illness. Soon after Evaristo died, when Serapio showed signs of his own strange affliction, Rosa decided to return to San Sotlon to confront her past. She believes the cult Orentio was involved with is somehow responsible but she's found no evidence of this thus far. Doño Rosa asked you to spare Serapio and bring him to her, promising to look after him until she can find him help. She doesn't know where he has gone though. You mentioned the strange man you met earlier named Itzman. Rosa states that she knows him as Serapio's employer. She doesn't trust him as his friendliness rings false. As you leave the Vesindad, you spot Itzman in the crowd and give him chase. He blends into the crowd as you pursue him, avoiding you by using the ongoing celebration. You eventually catch up to Itzman and capture him. Demanding to know where Serapio is, he reluctantly agrees and gives you his location. Itzman's directions guide you to an abandoned warehouse. When you arrive, you find Serapio in the form of Talaka Tecolo. He is crouched over, overcome by fear and rocking back and forth. You try to calm Serapio by talking to him, but it is to no avail and he attacks you. Battling Serapio, you manage to separate him from his monstrous form by casting a removed curse spell. You eventually slay the creature that plagues Serapio, freeing the man and all those afflicted with the Serrano curse. You bring Serapio back to Doño Rosa and she weeps with gratitude, thanking you profusely. Baloma grants you a reward when you return to M'Bazul. She also extends an invitation to you to join her outlaw gang for your great deed if you wish to take it. With the curse of Serrano gone, there's no longer reason to fear the night. Chapter four, Wages of Ice. Your adventure begins with you traveling through the rainforest near Zinda, following a caravan of merchants. Heat rises from the jungle floor and clings to the broad leaves in the canopy above. Ahead, an elephant sways drowsily. Its rider groans and stretches and then rejoins the oil-lating marching chant. As the forest bends, it leads to the gleaming gates of the trade city of Zinda, feeding into the river of gold. Beyond the city gates, the golden road continues amid silk-drieved boots and squat buildings with conical roofs. The chatter of merchants and cheerful youths rings out along the road. Folk sell colorful flowers, beaded charms, and other wares from woven baskets atop their heads whilst tree performers spin in tight circles, waving long silk streamers. Hundreds of revelers, merchants, jelly wine vendors, and entertainers pack the river of gold. Buildings bear brightly painted signs and are covered with colorful vines bearing lush flowers. Beyond the crowds, you can see the bustling city center called the Court of Flowers, lined with tropical trees whose branches droop down to the pavement. Zinda is a city of spiraling marble towers and torrents of universities and guild halls and of specialty shops lining paved streets. Far below the balconies, the Court of Flowers and the Pure Ring with the merry laughter and the songs of laborers. Year-round, Zinda's plazas and parlors are full of academics, merchants, and pilgrims. Before 10 days in the summer, the March of Vine draws even larger crowds as the city celebrates the local wine trade, specifically the jelly wine that has made Zinda the wealthiest city in the land. Zindaneese citizens garb themselves and brightly colored costumes and feathered headdresses and indulge in feasting, song, and dance. As you make your way from the river of gold to the Court of Flowers, you pass the shadowed alley. Glancing down it, you see a still figure surrounded by spilled coins and slumped against the wall, head tilted to stare at you. You investigate to find a dead dwarf wearing lavish robes. Before you conclude your investigation of the body in the alley, three veterans wearing gold-filigreed armor shout for you to stay where you are. A tall elf woman wearing a sumptuous gown appears at the mouth of the alley, shaking her head. Jacopo, you fool, I hope your last March of Vice was worth it. A smile touches her lip as she takes you in. These guards are members of the silent verse protectors in my employ. I apologize for their overzealousness. Seeing how you handle yourself, though, I might be able to better apologize with an offer of employment. The woman introduces herself as Madam Samira Ara, the newest member of Zinda's ruling council, the Kings of Coin. The Kings of Coin are a collective of individuals that rule over the city of Zinda. Samira instructs any remaining veterans to deal with Jacopo's body quietly and to alert the other Kings of Coin. She then leads you to a small cafe at the edge of the city's central market where she has a private room. After offering you jelly wine, she explains who she is. Madam Samira Ara is the head of the juror's trade, the guild for those who craft and deal in gems and jewelry. Due to her experience protecting the valuable assets of her guild, she also acts as a security specialist for the Kings of Coin, controlling enforcers known as the Silent Verse. The murder victim is Jacopo Ain, eldest son of the King of Coin, Massimo Ain. Jacopo was under protective guard in response to a recent attack against the family member of another King of Coin. Unfortunately, he has slipped past his guards intent on reveling amid the march of ice. Last night, Xenia Ruba, the eldest daughter of Mix Nargis Ruba, another of the King of Coin, was attacked and nearly killed. Samira doesn't know if the attacks are related but fears they might be. Samira wants to hire you to question Xenia and discover any information tying her attack to Jacopo's murder. She hopes you might yield the results she needs. In return for your assistance, Samira offers you a reward for your troubles. You agree to Samira's terms and she warns you to be discreet. The Kings of Coin took great pains to keep the attack on Xenia quiet for fear of jeopardizing the success of the march of ice. Jacopo's death will likewise be concealed until the festival is over. She then provides directions to an establishment owned by Xenia's family, a tavern called Thornapple, where Xenia is under guard. Samira also gives you a rose-shaped token that confirms you as her representative. She tells you she will be among the celebrants on the city's main thoroughfare, the River of Gold, until the march of ice begins. You head off towards the Thornapple and travel through the market. As you move through the market, a stocky woman in green pantalons and a yellow tunic irritably elbows her way past you. Moments after the character pushes past you, shrieks of fear rise from an herb vendor stall nearby. The crowd shifts as panicked people flee the scene. You see the herbalist who works the stall coughing as he attacks a man on the ground, noticing a dissipating pink cloud arising from the figures. Seeing this, the horrified crowd stampes. You fight through the crowd and subdue the herbalist the best you can. As you do so, you notice that the man's glassy eyes and puppet-like movement suggests he has been drugged in some way. Once the merchant is dealt with, several people move to help the wounded man. One of them is Captain Odin, who has neatly trimmed facial hair and wears a red vest. He's a leader of the anti-aristocratic group called the Bloodletters. Before you can get the wounded man back on his feet, several soldiers sweep in and take him and the merchant into custody. These soldiers wear the same gold filigree armor as the silent first members you encountered earlier. Captain Adin explains that the wounded man is Aril Avum, son of the king of coin, Messer Solin Avum. Aril is sympathetic to the Bloodletters' cause much to his father's disapproval. Clad in aprons stained with jelly dye, Bloodletters crossed the light of life free from oppression by the elite. The group's name originates from its members desire to drain the greed from Zinda like blood from a wound. Under the leadership of Captain Adin, the group works in open defiance of the kings of coin. The Bloodletters' attack upon the court of flowers and sabotage of the jelly gardens make the group a frequent target of the silent verse. Ultimately, the Bloodletters aren't involved with the attack on Aril. Once things are under control in the market, you continue onward to enter the Thorn Apple. Although the building is packed with people, the Thorn Apples baked clay walls create a cool interior. Dozens of tables are filled and a huge stage across from the entrance is being set for a performance. From behind a long, well-stopped bar, a comfortably-dressed orc gives an enthusiastic wave and says, welcome friends and a blessed March device to you. How can your cousin, Nargis, help you tonight? The tavern's proprietor, Mix Nargis Ruba, entertains customers from behind the bar. You survey the crowd and note several armed figures focusing more on the tavern patrons than their drinks. These are guards of the silent verse assigned by Samira to watch over Nargis and Zania. Two silent verse guards sit at a table near the stage of a Zania, but they depart to allow you to sit when they see Samira's token. The tables near hers are packed with revelers, but the dint of conversation makes it easy to talk about being heard. Zania greets you warmly. She is a gray-skinned orc with her hair braided in elegant loose. She has an easy-going demeanor but is clearly nervous. She admits to considering the adventuring life herself but knows that Nargis would never allow it. When asked about the attack on her, Zania shares what happened. Zania was shopping along the River of Gold, escorted by several of her family's servant when she suddenly fell ill. A cloud of pink ash appeared around her and her servants began attacking her and each other. Zania remembers a figure bumping into her before she felt ill. She describes feeling sick during the attack but says the sensation faded swiftly. Perhaps Zania might have been poisoned but shook off the effects. You ask her about the woman that bumped into you at the market and Zania recalls that there was a woman who bumped into her matching that description. Zania doesn't know who the woman is though and can't name her. While you talk with Zania, you hear loud voices at the door. Performers and bright feathers and shimmering silk flood into the tavern laughing bombastically. The crowd, including Zania, responds with great enthusiasm. That's Diva Luma and the Lucidarian Divas, Zania says. The Divas wade and proceed to the stage. There, Diva Luma pulls a small silk bag from her belt and hurls its content upwards standing amid a rain of colorful glitter as the performance begins. A moment later, the Divas' expression changes. Diva Luma grins cruelly, slips off her heeled shoes and leaps towards Zania. You protect Zania and hold off the Divas for as long as you can. After a bit of time, they groggily stop attacking. In the aftermath of the battle, you inspect the stage and see the glitter left a film of pink ash on the Divas and the floor around them. This must have been the poison striking once again. A distraught Nargis embraces Zania and takes the blame for the attack. You talk to Nargis and convince him to reveal more of what has happened. Nargis confesses that their greed and arrogance doomed the firstborn children of the Kings of Coin. The Jelly Flower is the magical creation of a witch named Proud Edu. The Kings of Coin negotiated with the witch, promising their firstborn children would be her apprentices in exchange for the Jelly Flower and the wealth it would bring. Nargis talked the other Kings into murdering Proud Edu to break the bargain. After calling the witch to a secret meeting, they murdered her. When the effects of the poison end, Diva Luma and her fellow entertainers apologized profusely, explaining they weren't in control of their bodies. You ask about what happened to them prior to going on stage. The performers recalled that just before they entered the tavern, Indutora introduced herself and offered Diva Luma a fine set of glitter as thanks for many inspiring performances. The entertainers confirmed that the woman was wearing green pantaloons and a yellow tunic and recalled that she boldly and purposefully introduced herself as Kala Maverin. Upon hearing the name Kala Maverin, Nargis begins to weep. He tells you that Proud Eden had a daughter by that name, but she was lost in the jungle years before the Kings of Coin bargain with Proud Eden. Nargis begs you to find Kala and put an end to whatever she's scheming. Several folks outside the Thorn Apple recall seeing a figure matching Kala's description heading toward the pier and points you in her direction. The March of Vice parade begins as you make your way to the pier. The parade runs down the river of gold and ends at the jetty. The streets are alive with joyful music and exuberant festival goers watching an oncoming parade. An open carriage drawn by an ox leads the procession. The carriage bears a large man wearing a white mask of vines of jelly flower. He weighs to the adoring public as figures and gowns and head scarves the color of jelly flowers march after him, sweeping the ground in white strokes with handmade brooms. The parade is a splendid affair and the streets are flooded with revelers. Nearby, locals call out to the man in the carriage calling him the Prince of Vice. You ask a bystander about the significance of the Prince of Vice and learn more about the March of Vice. During the height of summer, the people of Zenda celebrate the cultivation of the jelly flower with a multi-day carnival. Built on traditions celebrating the city's wine trade, the March of Vice is overseen by the Prince of Vice an organizer and theatrical figure. Chosen by the Kings of Coin, the Masked Prince of Vice marches in the parade every morning. The parade is followed by the Covenant of Magic, magic-using elders who weigh fans and brooms, sweeping Zenda's sins into the sea. On the tenth night, the Prince of Vice steps into the sea and sheds their mask, bringing the festivities to a close. Revelers of the March point out that the current Prince of Vice is Azra Neer, the son of Grandmaster Master Amos Neer, the eldest member of the Kings of Coin. As the parade nears the jetty, grasping weeds and vines are rubbed from the cobblestone streets beneath the carriage at the head of the parade. The ox pulling the cart panics, causing the vehicle to careen into a post covered in decorations. The vegetation then wraps around the cart's wheels in the closest bystanders. A pair of revelers produce weapons, revealing themselves to be guards protecting the Prince of Vice. As bystanders flee the area, you spot a figure in green and yellow throwing something towards the cart. This must be Kala. An instant later, a cloud of pink ashes bursts from a satchet striking the two guards. Kala and the guards begin to attack Azra Neer, but you intervene just in time before the Prince of Vice is murdered. You reason with Kala, explaining what you've learned from Nargis about how Kala's mother was wronged. She stops attacking and agrees to discuss things out, specifically to bring her mother's murderers to justice without further bloodshed. Suddenly, a visa appears and attacks you. As the visa attacks, it calls out and curses the names Amos Neer, Nargis Rubah, and the many other Kings of Coin. The visa goes on to accuse the Kings of Coin of killing it, revealing that it is the spirit of proud Eden, a fact Kala never learned. You face off against the visa and eventually vanquish the creature. Samira appears on the scene soon after the visa is defeated. Along with several silent first guards, Samira quickly restores order. Azra Neer thanks you just before Samira has her guards move him to somewhere safe. You explain everything that has happened and Samira is determined to bring Kala to justice. Unfortunately, she fears that the other Kings of Coin might seek revenge. Samira rewards you with some gold and throws in a bag of holding filled with six flasks of jelly wine for your valor.