Cover

1
 WriTer: Eyüp Emre Erdem, Alican Develioglu, Suat Deniz Vural
Editors: Aysegül Gürzumar, Keller James O’Leary, Taylor Horner
Art Director: Umut Çomak
Cover Art: Mehmet Ozen
Interior Arts:(QGHU&RVNXQ0XKDPPHW$OL3DUODƎ×0XKDPPHW)H\\D]
3RO\GLQ6WXGLR%HWR/LPD0XUDWdDO×V

Layout and Graphic Design: Umut Çomak

© 2023 Dream Realm Storytellers LTD

Bloodpunk: Heritage of the Damned is published by Dream Realm Storytellers, under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards
of the Coast, Inc. Dream Realm Storytellers logo, Corpus Angelus and 5e logos are trademarks of Dream Realm Storytellers. All characters
and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of Dream Realm Storytellers.

3URGXFW,GHQWLW\7KHIROORZLQJLWHPVDUHKHUHE\LGHQWLÀHGDV3URGXFW,GHQWLW\DVGHÀQHGLQWKH2SHQ*DPH/LFHQVHYHUVLRQDDQGDUHQRW2SHQ
Content: All trademarks, proper names, dialogues, plots, storylines, locations, characters, artworks, and trade dress.

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains elements that may

not be suitable for some readers. There are mentions
or depictions of graphic violence, mind control, rape,
suicide, bodily fluids, self-harm, and mutilation, the
death of children, as well as explicit language within.
Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please
take note.

2
 table of content
Adventure Background ..................................................4
Bloodpunk ......................................................................4
Tolia ................................................................................4
Kanrath...........................................................................5
7KH)RXQGHU ...................................................................5
The Railroad...................................................................5
The Royalty ....................................................................5
Cyherested .....................................................................6
The Sanguinologist........................................................6
The Silver Cult ...............................................................6
7KH)RXUWK&KLOGDQGWKH'HDQ ....................................6
Old Common ..................................................................7
Currency .........................................................................7
New Mechanics ..............................................................7
Main Locations ..............................................................8
Adventure Overview ......................................................15
Chapter One .....................................................................17
Running This Chapter ..................................................19
Blood Execution.............................................................19
Exsanguinate .............................................................20
Blood Rain .................................................................24
Darkened Day ............................................................39
Lightened Night ........................................................51
Blood Vision......................................................................72
The Crypt ..........................................................................82
Chapter Two ....................................................................96
Running This Chapter ..................................................97
Halfway There...............................................................97
Getting In..................................................................101
The Journey ..............................................................111
Second Blood Vision....................................................123
Twisted Corridor......................................................123
History of Blood .......................................................130
Blood Prison .............................................................131
Reunion.....................................................................134
Rules of the Under Garrote ........................................134
Waking Up ................................................................135
Garel’s Map ...............................................................135
Random Encounters ................................................136
7KH8QGHU*DUURWH)HDWXUHV...................................137
Travel In The Under Garrote ..................................137
Settlements ..............................................................138
Chapter Three ................................................................155
Running This Chapter .................................................156
7KH&%,7DFWLFDO)RUFH.............................................157
Magic In Cyherested ................................................158
Newcomers...................................................................159
Arcane City Station .................................................160
)ULHQGO\:HOFRPH ....................................................161
Station Brawl............................................................162
Searching for the Cure ............................................163
The Organizations ...................................................165
The Events ................................................................194
)LQGLQJWKH*O\SKV ..................................................213
Last Blood Vision .........................................................213
History of Blood .......................................................215
The Truth .................................................................220
7KH)LQDO&RQIURQWDWLRQ .........................................226
The Prime Tower .........................................................229
Tower Entrance .......................................................229
Sanguinology ...........................................................232
The Prime Laboratory .............................................245
The End .....................................................................252
Adventure Spells .............................................................257
Adventure Items..............................................................262
Adventure Monsters .......................................................268
3
 Heritage of the Damned is designed for a party of four 1st-
level characters. It’s a long and detailed 5E adventure
that takes place in Tolia, a region in the Bloodpunk
Adventure
setting. The journey begins in Kanrath, the vampire
city, continues through the railroad and the Garrote
Mountains, and ends in Cyherested, the sorcerer
Background
city. The characters are a bunch of random unlucky ,QWKLVVHFWLRQ\RXFDQÀQGLQIRUPDWLRQRQWKHFXOWV
people living in Kanrath who are caught in the middle organizations and key characters of the adventure, as
of the struggles between a group of cultists trying to well as the land of Tolia. They are all required for you to
awaken an ancient vampire, anti-vampire rebels, royal understand the adventure completely.
vampires, and powerful sorcerers.
Everything you need to run this adventure is
provided in this book, including the monsters,
NPCs, spells, magic items, and the summaries of the
Bloodpunk
places within. Although it is not required to run this
adventure, the region is described in greater detail in
the setting book Bloodpunk, which you can take a look at
if you wish.
The adventure starts in the dark gothic city of In the setting, blood is an important substance that
Kanrath. The city is mostly inhabited by mortals, yet, governs religion, societies, and technology. There
the vampiric hierarchy holds the reins of the city are advanced weaponry, complex engines, everyday
through sheer supernatural power. The characters tools, and many devices that run on blood. This type of
are mortals leading their day-to-day lives in this city, technology relies almost entirely on an orange semi-
who are suddenly arrested for crimes they haven’t magical mineral called the “angst” crystal. The majority
committed. They will be prosecuted, imprisoned, and of people believe that power comes from blood, and that
executed; but, a twist of fate will bring them back to life power is carried by it through generations. The Blood
and force them to pursue the mystery that has revived God is worshiped by many in the region; especially in
them. This pursuit will eventually take the characters .DQUDWK9DPSLUHVIHHGRQEORRGVRUFHUHUVÀQGWKHLU
to Cyherested where they shall unearth many mysteries might in it, and common people pay with it when
and overcome many challenges that an ordinary mortal QHFHVVDU\%ORRGLVWKXVLQGLVSHQVDEOHDQGLWÀOOVHYHU\
wouldn’t even dream of. aspect of life.
As this adventure takes place in a dark setting,
the characters face cold-blooded murders, body
mutilations, grotesque creatures, and other inhumane
acts. There are mechanics in some chapters and
Tolia
HSLVRGHVWKDWDUHGHVLJQHGWRUHÁHFWWKLVGDUN
atmosphere. Therefore, we think it’s best that you read
the entire chapter or episode that you are going to play
before you dive in, to make sure that the content is
suitable for your players if nothing else. However, if you
are reluctant to do so, the Adventure Overview section Surrounded by mountains and shores, Tolia is a cold
summarizes the major events that take place in the and mountainous region where the days are short and
adventure. the nights are long. There are three major settlements
in Tolia: Kanrath, Cyherested, and the metro complex
within the Garrote Mountains. Apart from these

4
protected settlements, beasts, magical creatures, and
took over the rule of Kanrath.
people occupy the wilderness. Tolia is a dangerous
region, and it pushes its occupants to live within the
borders of its cities, even if those cities are riddled with
injustice. Common stories of wild tribes, barbarians The Royalty
blinded by rage, druids covered in bloodsucking vines,
WULFNVWHUPRQVWHUVIHHGLQJRQPRUWDOÁHVKQDWXUDO
disasters, and harsh weather killing travelers and
H[SORUHUVÀOO7ROLDQKHDUWVZLWKIHDU

Kanrath
Built centuries ago, the city was established and
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\HDUVDJR7KXVWKH)LUVW9DPSLUHEHFDPHWKH
)RXQGHU7KHFLW\KDVH[SDQGHGJUHDWO\RYHUWKH
last two centuries and it has become the largest
settlement in Tolia. It is ruled by vampires and built
according to their preferred aesthetic; in the Victorian
dark-gothic style. Although mortals are greater in
number in the city, they are oppressed through laws,
vampire propaganda, and the might of the vampires’
supernatural powers.
7KH)RXQGHURQO\WXUQHGSHRSOHLQWRYDPSLUHV
KLPVHOIDQGFDOOHGWKHPKLVFKLOGUHQ7KH)LUVW&KLOG
is a friend who he shared common ideologies with.
7KH6HFRQG&KLOGLVWKHZLIHRIWKH)RXQGHUZKRPKH
accidentally consumed out of love. The Third Child is
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)RXQGHU7KH)RXUWK&KLOGLVKLVDGRSWHGGDXJKWHU
7KH)LIWK&KLOGLVWKHPRVWOR\DOJHQHUDORIKLVDUPLHV
The Sixth Child is the head of the rebels taking action
against vampires; he turned him into a vampire to make
an example of and humiliate.
7KH)LUVW&KLOGEHWUD\HGWKH)RXQGHUDQGEHFDPHWKH
Crimson King. The Second Child was consumed by the
)RXQGHU7KH7KLUG&KLOGVWLOOZRUNVLQKLVZRUNVKRSLQ
WKH5R\DO&DVWOH7KH)RXUWK&KLOGLVWKHSROLWLFDOULYDO
of the Crimson King, who keeps her imprisoned in the
FDVWOH7KH)LIWK&KLOGZDVH[HFXWHGE\WKH&ULPVRQ
.LQJEHFDXVHVKHZDVOR\DOWRWKH)RXQGHUDQGKDG
control of the armies; nobody knows what happened to
her body. The Sixth Child is missing, hiding within the
city, funding anti-vampire activities.

The Founder
The Railroad

7KH)LUVW9DPSLUHEHFDPHWKH)RXQGHUZKHQKH
There is a railroad going through the Garrote
founded Kanrath. He was a powerful wizard seeking
Mountains, connecting Kanrath and Cyherested. It was
a cure for his unknown, extraordinary disease. When
built during the war between the two cities to supply
he killed a son of the Sun God to absorb his divinity,
sieges. Later on, it became a commercial railroad. The
the Sun God seized the divine essence and cursed the
main railroad connects to the metro line; a smaller
ZL]DUGWUDQVIRUPLQJKLPLQWRWKH)LUVW9DPSLUH7KHQ
railroad built within the Garrote Mountains to facilitate
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the logistics of angst ores from the angst mines. After
and marriage and transformed it into Kanrath. He
the angst mines were depleted, the metro line was
formed a hierarchy where vampires towered over
DEDQGRQHGIRUDZKLOH7KHQUHEHOVRXWODZVPLVÀWV
mortals and tried to accumulate the potency of blood
and outcasts settled in the stations of the metro line,
to achieve divinity through vampirism. When the
living within the tunnels under the Garrote Mountains.
ÀUVWSHUVRQKHWXUQHGLQWRDYDPSLUHEHWUD\HGKLP
This place is now inhabited by people who don’t want
KHZDVSDUWLDOO\NLOOHG DVWKH)RXQGHUDQGKLVGLUHFW
to try their chances out in the wilderness, but also can’t
descendants whom he himself turned into vampires
bear to stay in either of the cities.
cannot truly be killed) and locked away in a crypt. The
EHWUD\HUWKH)LUVW&KLOGEHFDPHWKH&ULPVRQ.LQJDQG The city was erected in a single day, but the
preparations for its establishment took much longer.

5
 Cyherested
Thousands of people worked hard over months, even
years, to obtain the necessary materials to build the
FLW\)RXUP\VWLFDOÀJXUHVFDOOHGWKH3ULPH6RUFHUHUV
promised those people to build a secure home for
them in exchange for their efforts. But when the time
FDPHWKH3ULPH6RUFHUHUVVDFULÀFHGDOPRVWHYHU\RQH
who worked to collect the materials; their blood being
needed to cast the spell that would erect the city, which
required an immense amount of magical energy. The
VSHOOFRQVXPHGWKHPDWHULDOVDQGWKHVDFULÀFHGSHRSOH
leaving a great city where they stood. Over many years,
people migrated to this empty city. The Prime Sorcerers
haven’t really meddled with the affairs of the citizens of
Cyherested since; the people formed a government and
the ruling mechanisms themselves. The city was built
with an art-deco aesthetic, which it has preserved to
this day. In Cyherested, sorcerers are the elite who are
feared and respected, while wizards are hated, hunted,
and persecuted. Although the city is not as crowded as
Kanrath, it is more advanced economically, magically,
and technologically.
The Sanguinologist
The four Prime Sorcerers who built Cyherested came
from an unknown distant land. Each of them specialize
in different aspects of blood; they are the Prime
Sorcerers of Nonessence, Crimson Technicians, Blood
Elementalism, and Sanguinology. The Sanguinologist
experiments on the shapes and forms of living
creatures, controlling them and assuming their form
through the use of blood sorcery. The Prime Sorcerer
RI6DQJXLQRORJ\ZDQWVWRDZDNHQWKH)RXQGHUIURPKLV
sleep and control him with magic to help him achieve
his goal of divinity, so that they can steal divinity from
WKH)RXQGHU7KHH[LVWHQFHRI3ULPH6RUFHUHUVLVZLGHO\
debated, and only a handful of people are certain they
exist; it’s almost impossible to see or talk to them, let
alone know their plans.
6
The Silver Cult
The Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology has an apprentice
called Elari. By the order of her master, Elari has
established a cult of sorcerers. Members of this cult
WKLQNWKDWWKH\ZRUNIRUWKHEHQHÀWRIVRUFHUHU
supremacy, but unknowingly work according to
the plans of the Prime Sorcerer. The members hate
vampires and believe that they work against them. They
carry silver daggers to use against vampires, which is
where the name of the cult comes from.
(ODULJLYHVVHYHUDOVSHOOVFUROOVDQGWKH)RXQGHU·V
EORRGWRDJURXSRIPHPEHUVIRUWKHPWRLQÀOWUDWH
.DQUDWKDQGFRQGXFWDULWXDOWRUHVXUUHFWWKH)RXQGHU
They try to cast the ritual but fail, causing blood rain to
IDOODQGWKHFKDUDFWHUVWREHUHVXUUHFWHG7KH)RXQGHU·V
blood is consumed by the ritual. After their failure, they
HQWHUWKHFU\SWZKHUHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\LVNHSWXVLQJ
WKH)RXUWK&KLOG·VEORRG7KH\VWHDOWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\
and take it to Cyherested, give it to Elari, and Elari gives
it to her master; the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
The members of the cult believe that they are trying
WRGHVWUR\WKH)RXQGHU·VERG\VRWKDWLWFDQ·WEH
resurrected.
The Fourth Child
and the Dean
7KH)RXQGHUKDVDQDGRSWHGGDXJKWHUZKRPKHKDV
WXUQHGLQWRDYDPSLUHWKH)RXUWK&KLOG7KH)LUVW&KLOG
imprisoned her in the Royal Castle when he betrayed
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WKHQVKHKDVEHHQWU\LQJWRÀQGZD\VWRUHVXUUHFWWKH
)RXQGHUDQGNLOOWKH&ULPVRQ.LQJ
The Dean of the Royal Academy of Sanguine is the
son of the Prime Sorcerer of Nonessence. His father
traumatized the Dean with blood therapy as he tried to
unlock the potential for sorcery in his blood. After he
got older, he left Cyherested and was seen in Kanrath
PDQ\\HDUVODWHU+HZDVYHU\FORVHZLWKWKH)RXQGHUDV
they were both persons of progress.
The Dean became the head of the university and
started to undergo regular blood treatment to lengthen
his life beyond mortal limits. He has managed to remain
the Dean to this day, lengthening his life, as he still
regularly undergoes the treatment. He hates Cyherested
and the Prime Sorcerers.
7KH)RXUWK&KLOGDQGWKH'HDQDUHZRUNLQJWRJHWKHU
7KH)RXUWK&KLOGWULHVWRWDNHFRQWURORI.DQUDWKDQG
the Dean wants to hurt Cyherested in any way he can.
7KH'HDQLVWKHRQHZKRVHQGVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGWR
the Silver Cult, knowing that they would fail in some
ZD\FDXVLQJDFULVLVEHWZHHQWKHWZRFLWLHV7KH)RXUWK
Child sends her own blood to the same cult through the
'HDQVRWKDWWKH\FDQUHVFXHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\IURP
the crypt.
Most intrigues and extremely detailed plans in the
adventure are the results of the teamwork of these two,
plotting from the shadows.
Old Common
There was once a language that was widely spoken in
the olden days, from which Common was derived. There
are three main ways in which Old common differs from
&RPPRQWKHÀUVWEHLQJWKHRYHUZKHOPLQJSUHVHQFH
RIVXIÀ[HVLQWKHSODFHRISUHSRVLWLRQVWKHVHFRQG
being more complex tense forms to communicate more
with shorter sentences and the third being a balance
between the vowels and consonants in each word.
The difference between the numbers of vowels and
consonants in a word is never more than one in Old
Common. This language is still used by some, most of
whom are old vampires.
A person who knows Common can understand the
general intention of a sentence spoken in Old Common,
but the nuances of meaning are lost in translation.
)RUH[DPSOHVRPHRQHZKRNQRZV&RPPRQPD\
understand someone has insulted them in Old Common,
but they wouldn’t be able to understand what the insult
was about.
Currency
In Kanrath, 1 Kanrath Tooth is equal to 1 copper piece
DQG.DQUDWK)DQJLVHTXDOWRVLOYHUSLHFH7KHUHDUH
DQG.DQUDWK)DQJEDQNQRWHV
currently in circulation. 10 Cyherested Staves (CS) are
ZRUWK.DQUDWK)DQJV .) 
In Cyherested, 1 Cyherested Wand (CW) is equal to 1
copper piece and 1 Cyherested Staff (CS) is equal to 1
silver piece all around Cyherested. There are 1, 5, 10,
20, 50, 100, and 200 Cyherested Staff bills currently in
FLUFXODWLRQ7KHH[FKDQJHUDWHEHWZHHQ&6DQG.)LVWHQ
to eight, just as in Kanrath.
The only stable currency that is used in both cities is
the angst coin. 1 angst coin is equal to 50 gold pieces in
all of Tolia.
New Mechanics
Both A Guide to Tolia and Heritage of the Damned contain
new mechanics that are related to the themes of
Bloodpunk<RXFDQÀQGWKHQHZPHFKDQLFVQHFHVVDU\WR
run this adventure below.
Blood Damage. When a creature is subjected to blood
damage, it takes necrotic or poison damage; whichever
LVPRUHKDUPIXOWRWKHFUHDWXUH)RUH[DPSOHLID
creature has resistance to necrotic damage but has no
resistance or vulnerability to poison damage, blood
damage deals poison damage to that creature. However,
if a creature has resistance to both damage types,
vulnerability to both damage types, or has neither for
both damage types, you (the GM) can choose the type of
damage dealt yourself.
Bowel Fever (Disease). Taking its name from the
Bowels, a highly polluted and contaminated part of
7
 the city, bowel fever is one of the most feared diseases
in Kanrath. If a creature works in heavy industry
in Kanrath, spends excessive time in contaminated
regions, lives in wretched conditions, or comes in
contact with someone infected, there is a good chance
that the creature will catch the disease. The most
common way this disease spreads is through the bite of
a red mozzy. Bowel fever causes high fever, an intense
stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhea. A creature with
bowel fever suffers 1 level of exhaustion, which cannot
be removed by any means until the disease is cured. If
so, it cannot take any actions or reactions until the end
of its next turn.
Crimson Lungs (Disease). The heavy, crimson mist
that covers the city causes most non-undead humanoid
FUHDWXUHVWKDWOLYHKHUHIRUPRUHWKDQÀYH\HDUVWREH
infected with this disease, which turns the lungs of
the sufferer crimson-red. A creature that meets the
criteria must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw.
On a successful save, the creature avoids being infected
by crimson lungs for a year. At the end of the year, it
must repeat the saving throw if it stays in Kanrath.
2QDIDLOHGVDYHWKHFUHDWXUHLVLQIHFWHGZLWKÀUVW
stage crimson lungs. Such a creature has a hard time
EUHDWKLQJDQGSK\VLFDODFWLYLW\EHFRPHVGLIÀFXOWLWV
speed is reduced by 10 feet. If the disease is not cured
within a month, the infected enters stage two, and
its Strength and Dexterity scores both decrease by 2.
Another month later, the infected enters stage three,
becoming poisoned. Only a greater restoration spell or
VLPLODUPDJLFFDQFXUHWKHÀQDOVWDJHRIFULPVRQOXQJV
New Condition: Hemophilia. A creature with this
condition takes double damage from any damage
originating from blood damage. However, if it is already
vulnerable to the damage type, the damage is not
multiplied again.
The DC of the Wisdom (Medicine) check required to
stabilize you is increased to 15. Any effect that would
normally stabilize it gives it advantage on its next death
saving throw it makes until the end of your next turn.
Magic Vulnerability. There are many ways one can
develop magic vulnerability in Cyherested. The most
common one is caused by a regulation of the city itself.
Spell components bought and sold in the Nest are under
strict control; and naturally, some spellcasters do not
want to work under a lens. Therefore, they buy spell
components on the black market. Spell components
are sometimes created from leftover or damaged
components in the black market, which results in a
backlash.
Being in close contact with magical waste, such as the
material components of a spell that has gone wrong or
the leaks of an alchemy lab that produces poison may
result in magic vulnerability. A creature that meets
8
one of the criteria above must succeed on a DC 17
Constitution saving throw or suffer magic vulnerability.
As a result, it has disadvantage on saving throws against
spells and other magical effects. Magic vulnerability can
be cured by the lesser restoration spell or other magic
with similar effects.
Toxic Water Source. Due to alchemical and industrial
leaks into the water sources of the city, one needs to
purify the water in Cyherested before consumption.
There are bloodwork machines that purify water;
however, only those with a comfortable lifestyle
can afford such technology. If a creature consumes
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it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw
or be poisoned. If the creature remains poisoned for
a month, it starts to take 1d6 poison damage after
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by any means. If the creature remains poisoned for
another month, it suffers a level of exhaustion while
poisoned in this way. This exhaustion can only be
reduced by ending the poisoned condition.
Blood Degeneration. The amount of blood
degeneration a character has gained indicates the
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control over.
$IWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVJDLQWKHLUÀUVWEORRG
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long rest. They also take blood damage equal to the
number of blood degenerations they have when they
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of the long rest are applied (including the new blood
degeneration) and it can’t be reduced by any means.
All blood degenerations gained by a character
stack, and when the number of blood degenerations
a character has gained is equal to their hit point
maximum, they die with no means of resurrection. The
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Main Locations
The characters of this adventure start their journey
WRVROYHWKHP\VWHULHVRIWKHLUUHVXUUHFWLRQDQGÀQLVK
LWÀJKWLQJWKHPRVWLPSRUWDQWÀJXUHVRIWKHVHWZR
cities. While doing so, they visit many districts, both in
Kanrath and in Cyherested. The following is a summary
of the locations and districts of Cyherested, given in
greater detail in A Guide to Tolia. Essential locations for
the adventure, Heritage of the Damned, are explained in
more detail than the others.
Districts of Kanrath
,QWKLVVHFWLRQ\RXFDQÀQGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKH
districts of Kanrath.
1. Royal Castle. The huge stone castle was built long
before Kanrath was ever built; however, it has been
renovated many times to meet the needs of the royal
family. Only royalty and their servants live in the castle;
there are no guards within the perimeters of the castle
or its garden.
2. Royal Academy of Sanguine. The Royal Academy
of Sanguine, also known as the “University of Seen and
Unseen Art”, was founded in 277, seven years after
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a part of the Royal Castle, its perimeters are guarded
well, but there are no guards inside the university
boundaries. People here study such things as the effects
of aberration blood on humanoid creatures, increasing
WKHHIÀFLHQF\RIDQJVWFU\VWDOVEORRGZRUNHQJLQHHULQJ
and creating a matter that can be used instead of angst.
3. District of Noble Blood. This is one of the wealthiest
districts in Kanrath. The headquarters of the Temple
of Blood is located here. Visiting this district is strictly
prohibited and is punishable by execution on sight.
4. Highseat District. Also known as the “Castlefront”,
this is one of the best places to live in the city of
Kanrath. Since one of the entrances of the Royal Castle
is located in the district, it is inhabited by aristocratic
vampires and nobles. All streets and roads are kept
clean at all times and are beautifully illuminated by
night. Apart from the many houses and parks, the
wealthiest residents of the city get to enjoy the luxuries
of numerous high-end shops and fancy restaurants that
are only open at night.
5. Freedom Square. Just north of the Royal Castle, the
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middle. Around the square is a noble neighborhood that
goes by the same name. Like the Highseat District, only
nobles are allowed to live in the area.
6. New Age Renovation Area. Before the rule of the
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middle-class mortal workers and those working in
freshwater trade. The lake was an important source of
freshwater for the city. After the Second Ruler came to
power, he decided to gentrify the area in order to make
Kanrath more appealing to angst traders. Now, the area
is only accessible to vampire nobles, and angst traders.
7. Crimson Gargoyle Passage. The Crimson Gargoyle
Passage is a large road paved with wonderfully-crafted
cobblestones, located in the eastern part of the city.
Although the passage is surrounded by slums, it became
a stomping ground for the nobility of Kanrath after
the city renovated the street by placing columns with
nearly 50 crimson gargoyle statues on either side of the
road.
8. Talius’s Hippodrome. Talius’s Hippodrome is a 1500
feet long and 500 feet wide, one-story building. The
most popular races held inside are undead horse races,
chariot races drawn by undead horses, automaton horse
races, or chariot races drawn by automaton horses.
Since these horses do not get exhausted and mostly
run at the same speed, the jockeys of the horses or
the drivers of carriages make all the difference. These
races come with an important twist; they are to the
death, and spells and weapons are allowed. Most races
generally end with the death of several jockeys.
9. Mourneham Abbey. Mourneham Abbey is the
ministry quarter and it is divided into two by the
)RXQGHU·V/DQHZKLFKFRQQHFWVWKHWUDLQVWDWLRQ
to the Royal Castle through the Highseat District.
%XUHDXFUDWLFRIÀFHVVWDQGRQHLWKHUVLGHEXWWKHRQHV
on the northern side of the lane are dubbed the Upper
Ministries and the ones on the southern side, the Lower
Ministries.
Ministry buildings are tall cobblestoned and brass
structures with characteristic decorations. Here is the
list of the upper ministries of Kanrath: the Ministry of
War, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Travel,
the Ministry of Law and Order, and the Ministry of
Arcane Affairs. Here is the list of the lower ministries
of Kanrath: the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of
Mortal Health, the Ministry of Energy and Technology,
the Ministry of Culture and Communication, and the
Ministry of City Planning.
10. Kanrath Main Line. The station has one platform
IRUGHSDUWXUHDQGRQHIRUDUULYDO$VPDOOERRNLQJRIÀFH
offers some options to buy tickets; passengers can pay
via blood or money. The noble passengers and regulars
have different ticket lines and obviously different
wagons on the train. Guards carefully monitor the area
to prevent any disturbances. Also, nobles often bring
their own personal guards to protect their luggage. A
small section in the departure platform is separated by
cloth folding screens, and is used to collect the blood of
the passengers.
11. Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities. The Inpatient
5HKDELOLWDWLRQ)DFLOLWLHVDUHORFDWHGWRZDUGVWKH
northern side of Kanrath, and are separated from
the residential areas. There are two facilities, both of
which were established 40 years ago; a few years after
WKHVRUFHUHUVIDLOHGWRFDSWXUH.DQUDWK7KHÀUVWRQH
WKH&RUUHFWLRQDO)DFLOLW\LVPDGHXSRIWZREXLOGLQJV
one for vampire prisoners and the other for mortal
prisoners. The second is the Mental Rehabilitation
9
 Center, which is where researchers work on people
they’ve deemed insane or mad, and try to understand
their way of perceiving things.
12. Leech Therapy Center. The Leech Therapy Center
is located in the northeastern suburbs of Kanrath. The
center can host up to 1000 patients, so it is no surprise
that it’s one of the widest buildings in the area. Leech
therapy is an inhumane treatment mostly forced upon
infants and children to “purify” their blood. Vampires
use this treatment on children they have abducted.
While both adults and children can receive leech
therapy, the methods used differ in different age
groups. Infants and children are submerged in a pool
ÀOOHGZLWKEORRGVXFNLQJOHHFKHVIRUDSHULRGRIWLPH
Having “purer” blood is believed to increase the
chances of surviving the transformation to a vampire.
Therefore, some vampires think of leech therapy as a
must for the abducted children, while some believe that
if someone does not survive the transformation without
external interference, they are not worthy of being
immortal creatures.
$GXOWVDOVRXQGHUJROHHFKWKHUDS\LIWKH\SD\.)
for it. However, the method is different and less vile.
Several leeches are attached to the patient to drain
some of their blood. This process is believed to clean the
blood, making the patient look younger.
13. Guilds’ Chamber.7KH*XLOGV·&KDPEHULVÀOOHG
with two or three-story stone buildings, most of which
function as guild houses. These guild houses host
important economical and political meetings, mostly in
the shadow of their vampire masters.
14. Kanrath Harbor. The Kanrath Harbor is the sea
trade center of the city. Both trading ships full of goods
DQGSDVVHQJHUVKLSVGRFNDWWKHKDUERU7KHUHDUHÀYH
main piers, three of which are dedicated to trading
ships, and the others for passenger ships.
15. Ember Grove. In this relatively wealthy
neighborhood for mortals, there are taverns, pubs,
markets, a few small theaters, a school, a small hospital,
and even an exhibition center. The streets are cleaner
and smell fresher than other areas reserved for mortals
in the city, and the patrols here take their job seriously.
16. Kanrath Police Department. This well-protected
three-story brick building is adorned with bloodwork
turrets and reinforced metal plates to secure its
perimeter. The streets around the police station are
well-illuminated. Both vampires and mortals can
become part of the police force after successfully
completing the training required. Regardless, only a
handful of them sincerely try to solve cases, and those
that do are usually promoted to detective so that they
are sent away from the station.
17. The Lodgings. The biggest military camp of the
10
city is located in this district. As the number of military
personnel that need to reside near the camps is quite
high, the city has built a complex of military lodgings in
the area. The crime rate of the Lodgings is relatively low
considering the crime-ridden backstreets of Kanrath.
This is because the Lodgings have more patrolling
RIÀFLDOVWKDQRWKHUUHJLRQVH[FHSWIRUWKRVHDVVRFLDWHG
with the royal family and the nobility. The Necropolis,
a huge military storage made of ashlar stones, is
also located here. The storage is home to the undead
military force of the city. Thousands of mindless undead
servants are stacked in this place, waiting for their
orders patiently.
18. Craft Flamboyant. This part of Kanrath is full of
extremely talented crafters who focus on the needs
DQGGHVLUHVRIWKHYDPSLULFQRELOLW\2QHFDQHDVLO\ÀQG
FDUSHQWHUVZKRFUDIWOX[XU\FRIÀQVDQGWDLORUVZKRVHZ
heart shields (a tough piece of cloth, designed to stop a
stake to the heart).
19. Lertes Park. Located on the southwest side
of Kanrath, Lertes Park is a commercial area with
absolutely beautiful and colorful streets. The area is
a hub for those who visit the city via train as it’s the
ÀUVWVLJKWWREHKROGIRUWKRVHOHDYLQJWKHVWDWLRQ7KHUH
are buildings with different structures and styles in
WKLVGLVWULFWÀYHVWRU\PRVWO\EULFNEXLOGLQJVVWDQG
alongside two-story, cobblestone and wooden buildings.
20. Dirtwater Belt. In this big industrial area
that hosts tens of factories and hundreds of small
workshops, workers and their families try to survive
in the dark and crowded apartment complexes and
wander the dirty streets. The mind-boggling smell
comes from the mix of chemicals and gasses from the
factories, the extremely polluted sea, and the city
dump, which is called the Bowels. The piles of junk and
JDUEDJHRYHUÁRZLQWRWKHVHDDQGFUHDWHVPDOOLVODQGV
%LJÁRFNVRIGHDGVHDFUHDWXUHVZDVKDVKRUHDWWKH
ports. All the waste becomes a breeding ground for red
mozzy, which carry several diseases; especially bowel
fever.
21. Maritime Industrial Zone.7KHVPHOORIÀVKURW
booze, piss, blood, and coal overwhelm the streets of
this district. The workshops, houses, and warehouses
are all owned by mortals and are all in awful conditions.
Thieves roam the alleys, beggars guard their spots,
murderers sneak around, and rebels scream their
propaganda all out in the open. However, vampires
don’t even bother to try and get this zone in order and
simply see the district as a place for the people who are
too broken to achieve anything.
22. Lighthouse. The southern cape of Kanrath is a
rare sight to see with its gorgeous lighthouse made
of darkened bricks atop a colossal cliff, which also
functions as a watchtower. It is the only building in the
area, as the area is surrounded by large, sharp rocks
inhabited by sirens, making it a deadly terrain to live in.
$QJVW5HÀQHULHV7KHUHÀQHU\DUHDORRNVOLNHD
small city itself when observed from above, thanks to
the collection of cylindrical chemical tanks of various
sizes linked to each other with a series of pipes, the
ODGGHUVQH[WWRWKHPDQGRIÀFHVEHWZHHQWKHP7KH
air is also polluted here due to the presence of angst
factories.
24. Cleaners District. The Cleaners District was
constructed after the increase in mortal districts and
population. Almost all the buildings in the district are
houses, and they all look quite similar to one another;
one-story, brick houses. The residents are called
“Cleaners” because they are tasked with cleaning the
entirety of the city and picking up the trash before the
nobles leave their homes for a beautiful night.
25. Vermilion Financials.9HUPLOLRQ)LQDQFLDOVLVD
seven-story building mostly made of granite with large
GHOLFDWHVWDLQHGJODVVHVORWVRIÁ\LQJEXWWUHVVHVDQG
huge pointed arches. This building is the epitome of
Kanrath architecture. It is one of the most renowned
buildings in the Crimson City. That is why the district is
NQRZQE\WKLVEDQN·VQDPH7KLVGLVWULFWLVWKHÀQDQFH
center of Kanrath.
26. St. Glivenalle District. The St. Glivenalle District
got its name from Saint Arekross Brier Glivenalle, a
famous cleric of the Blood God. The district hosts the
highest number of churches devoted to the Blood God.
Most people who live there are zealous fanatics who
believe that the vampire rule is just and necessary. They
are the most hardworking citizens of Kanrath as they
believe that everyone must do their part for the good
of the city, even though most of them know deep down
that this is a lie forced upon them.
27. Upper East Vale. Residents of the region;
mostly workers, gang members, and criminals, live
in overcrowded apartments, pitch tents in dead-end
streets, or sleep wherever available on benches or
in parks. Similar to other suburbs of the city, the
Upper East Vale has dark and narrow streets, poor
infrastructure, high crime rates, and little or no service
to basic needs.
28. Fell District. Kanrath’s most notorious and
criminally active district is also one of the oldest. This
LVZKHUH7ROLDQPRUWDOVÀUVWVHWWOHGLQWKHFLW\/LWWOH
is known about this part of Kanrath, since visiting the
area and living to tell the tale is an unlikely occurrence.
There is no law.
29. West Ballast. When the city of Kanrath was
HVWDEOLVKHG:HVW%DOODVWZDVWKHÀUVWDUHDWREHFRPH
an industrial zone. The mortals who worked in the
factories constructed houses in the perimeter of their
workplaces, and in time, West Ballast became a district
in its own rite. Mostly workers and more importantly,
mortals, live and work in the district, which is why the
working conditions here are harsh. Try as they did at
some point in the district’s history to form a workers’
union to change West Ballast, they were stopped by
the royal authorities. Nowadays, there are several
mobs that aim to protect and defend workers’ rights.
Some are formed by honest workers whereas others
are formed by wannabe thug leaders. All mobs are
considered illegal and dangerous.
30. Iron Vale/Rusty Vale. On the west side of the city,
along with the old railroad, is the Rusty Vale, which
used to be called the “Iron Vale”. The place is called
“rusty” because of all the rusty rooftops, columns, and
windows in the district. The material for these metal
constructs were taken from the metal left over from
the construction of railroads, bridges, and trains. Since
the residents could not afford the maintenance of the
PHWDOVWKH\JRWUXVWLHURYHUWLPH7KH$QJVW5HÀQHULHV
to the west of the Iron Vale create a misty and hazy
atmosphere with all the dust and smoke they emit. Also,
PDQ\UHÀQHU\ZRUNHUVDQGWKHLUIDPLOLHVOLYHLQWKH
Rusty Vale.
In the middle of the Iron Vale, there is a big
open park, which is quite unusual in a poor, mortal
neighborhood; called the “Park Street”. The park was
constructed envisioning a zoo to entertain the elite
and their kids. However, when the city planners found
that the noise from the railroad and the pollution
IURPWKHUHÀQHULHVZHUHXQEHDUDEOHWKHSDUNZDVOHIW
untouched.
Districts of Cyherested
,QWKLVVHFWLRQ\RXFDQÀQGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKH
districts of Cyherested.
1. Spellspires.+RXVHRI3ULPH6RUFHUHUV)RXU3LOODUV
of Eternal Magic. Towers of Prime Sorcery. Halls of
Sorcery Divine. Home of Paragon Sorcerers. Columns
of Mysteries. Atlas of Mystics. Spellspires. The four
towers that house the four mythical Prime Sorcerers
of Cyherested are known by these and countless other
names. These four magically constructed towers are
the living proof of the magical mysteries known to the
3ULPH6RUFHUHUVDVZHOODVWKHLUÁDZOHVVPDVWHU\RYHU
their area of sorcery, thanks to the towers’ perfectly
tailored art-deco architecture.
These 2500-foot pillars stand in different areas of
Cyherested. All of them look identical to each other.
Only the Prime Sorcerers and other spellcasters as
mighty as they are can spot the subtle differences.
)LUVWRIDOOWKH\KDYHQRGRRUVZLQGRZVEDOFRQLHV
11
 or any other accents. It is impossible to enter one of
these towers physically without breaking their walls,
which is almost impossible. The exterior of the towers
are covered with perfectly-cut glass pieces of different
shapes, which complement each other perfectly. When
one within 60 feet of the Spellspire looks directly at it,
they see a magically ascended version of themselves. In
this case, the creature must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom
saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. Each of the
almost three thousand glass pieces forming the exterior
of a Spellspire is constructed with magical traps within.
If a glass piece is broken, the disintegrate spell (DC
25) targets the creature who has broken it Although
WKHVHJODVVHVDUHGHDGO\WKH\UHÁHFWDQ\NLQGRIOLJKW
in an extremely luscious way and create a show of
harmonically dancing lights around them.
Moreover, each tower constantly emanates a
repelling aura, as if they are affected by the antipathy/
sympathy spell (DC 25).
After the glass layer, there are two layers of
adamantine, and between each of them are countless
explosive runes, created by the glyph of warding spell (DC
25), which detonate on touch.
The only entrance to the towers is through the
teleportation circles inside them. However, to be able to
use them, one must be allowed by the Prime Sorcerer of
the tower, which is almost impossible.
2. Cyherested Automaton Facility.&$)ZDVIRXQGHG
by the order of the Crimson Technician Prime Sorcerer.
The facility is the factory where automatons, which
are the spine of Cyherested’s defense mechanisms, are
mainly produced.
3. The Nest. The Nest is the main source of spell
components in Cyherested. There lies the biggest spell
component industry of Tolia; botanic gardens, alchemy
tables, local shops, foreign traders, and research
centers; all of which undertake spell component
production on an industrial scale. Unlike the rest of the
city, there are lots of green open spaces in the Nest, as
well as buildings that are only one or two stories tall.
0DQ\YLVLWWKLVSODFHWRÀQGWUDQTXLOLW\LQLWVJDUGHQV
7KHDUHDLVXQGHUWKHVWULFWFRQWURORIWKHRIÀFHUV
There’s a record of every spell component sold, bought,
and stored here, as Cyherested suffered a great deal at
the hands of the rebels during the civil war, who cast
rare spells requiring exotic material components.
4. Zapernick District. This metropolitan area gets
its name from Gillian Harkon Zapernick of Goldhorn,
the architect of the Zapernick Tower. It is a residential
district with crowded roads, tall buildings, an organized
layout, and abundant shopping options. People that
want to experience city life to the fullest mostly
prefer to live in this area. The buildings in this district
12
generally stand about 4 to 7 stories tall. The one major
exception is the Zapernick Tower, standing tall at
97 stories. The tower is the most critical feature of
the district for two reasons: it is the tallest building
constructed without the aid of magic, and its top 12
ÁRRUVDUHXVHGDVD]HSSHOLQSRUW
5. Bard Town. This is the beating heart of music,
entertainment, and performance arts in Cyherested.
This place has a lot to offer in terms of shows, tasty
meals, good beer, exotic drinks, and quality time: a
unique experience altogether. There are lots of taverns
in Bard Town. Every evening, people come here after
work for dinner, drinks, and fun. In these taverns, bards
take the stage to earn some coin.
6. North Point.)LYHVL[VWRU\EXLOGLQJVFUDPPHG
together, and dark, narrow streets frame the landscape.
2QHFDQÀQGXQDXWKRUL]HGKRWHOVVHFUHWPHHWLQJ
points, cult houses, and underground organizations
here. Those who need to hide from the CBI can rent
rooms here if they need to lay low for a while. There
is also something here that is more interesting than
all the criminals, magical substances, and other illegal
entertainment; a secret wizard organization called
WKH´+LYHµ)RXQGHGE\WKHZL]DUGVRI&\KHUHVWHG\HDUV
ago, the Hive protects wizards and teaches wizardry.
Dozens of detectives have investigated the rumors
about the Hive over the years, and hundreds of police
RIÀFHUVKDYHSDWUROOHGWKHVWUHHWVIRU\HDUVEXWWKH\
FRXOGQRWÀQGDQ\WKLQJWKDWSURYHVWKHRUJDQL]DWLRQ·V
existence. Today, most authorities consider the Hive to
be a myth.
7. Hillside Heights. Hillside Heights is a suburban
residential district favored by the wealthy. In this
district that resides between the Spellspires and the
Garrote Mountains, the houses are usually two-stories
WDOOSDVWHOFRORUHGDQGPDGHRIEULFNVZLWKUHG
EURZQEULFNURRIVDVPDOOVWDEOHWKDWÀWVRQHKRUVH
and a backyard where the residents like to have Sunday
barbecues. The roads are built with a square shape that
creates blocks for easy navigation. There are walkways
for pedestrians on each side of the road to ensure the
safety and well-being of the residents.
8. Arcane City Station. The train tracks that start
in Kanrath end in Cyherested, in a station called the
“Arcane City Station”. The district was established
around the station after the speed of trade increased by
the incoming merchants and supplies. The main station
building is made of white marble and metal frames.
After the large stairs in the entrance, there is a huge
golden door that always stays open. On the outside of
the door, there is a depiction of a train moving through
the mountains, and on the inside, there is a depiction of
the great city of Cyherested. On each side of the door,
there are 30-foot-long columns. The Arcane City Station
LVDWZRVWRU\EXLOGLQJERWKÁRRUVRIZKLFKKDYHKLJK
FHLOLQJV7KHÀUVWÁRRULVZKHUHWKHWUDLQDUULYHVDWDQG
departs from. There are ticket booths, waiting lounges,
coffee shops, and food stalls inside the station. The
VHFRQGÁRRULVH[FOXVLYHWRWKRVHZKRZRUNKHUHDQG
important passengers.
9. Heartstring Way. Heartstring Way is where all
WKH2IÀFHVRI$GPLQLVWUDWLRQZKLFKRYHUVHHWKH
administrative workings of Cyherested, are located.
7KLVGLVWULFWLVÀOOHGZLWKIRXURUÀYHVWRU\EULFN
buildings that each have a large metal plate carrying an
HPEOHPLQWKHIURQW7KHVHHPEOHPVÁRDWPLGDLUULJKW
above the entrances of the buildings, distinguishing
WKHIXQFWLRQRIWKHRIÀFH7KH2IÀFHVRI$GPLQLVWUDWLRQ
DUHDVIROORZVWKH2IÀFHRI$JULFXOWXUHWKH2IÀFHRI
&RQYH\DQFHWKH2IÀFHRI,QGXVWU\WKH2IÀFHRI0RGHUQ
0HGLFLQHWKH2IÀFHRI5HJXODWLRQWKH2IÀFHRI6RUFHU\
DQGWKH2IÀFHRI7UDGH
10. CADRAC. The Cyherestead Assault and Defense
Research and Application College is one of the most
prestigious schools in Cyherested. It offers a variety of
courses on magic and technology related to warfare
and industry. CADRAC contains many facilities, such as
dorms, workshops, lecture halls, libraries, study halls,
refectories, accommodation for academic staff, and
shops operated by private businesses. Its campus is
ÀOOHGZLWKWUHHVDQGGHFRUDWLYHSODQWVDVZHOODVVWDWXHV
pools, and fountains, which the many groundskeepers
tend to.
11. CAMP College. Cyherested Arts, Magic, and
Philosophy College, CAMP College or CAMP for short,
is a rooted university known for its grueling education.
The university offers courses on literature, history,
almost all types of art, magical studies, sorcery,
research on divine magic, blood magic, art philosophy,
nature, magic, and blood, herbalism, and many others.
The campus is one of the best sights to behold in
Cyherested. Its natural borders made of pine trees are
guarded, and the pine forest inside the campus is home
to many different animals, fey, and other residents that
are observed by the students, or experimented upon by
them. The buildings of each faculty are small palaces in
their own right, all of which were constructed by magic.
12. Square of Commerce. Cyherested tries to provide a
safe space for trade in the Square of Commerce, a place
surrounded by skyscrapers functioning as business
centers. Angst traders, merchants, and local business
people are all welcome to trade here without worrying
about the safety of their goods as the Square of
Commerce is heavily guarded by the CBI and patrolling
automatons at all times. The square is home to many
shops and stores as well as hotels, nightclubs, brothels,
taverns, and pubs to appeal to the traveling merchants.
13. Square Historica. Square Historica is one of the
most touristic places in Cyherested. Here, one can come
across many historical structures that were constructed
over time, the most striking of which might just be the
Boulevard of Heroes. Along the street on either side of
this boulevard stand twelve 15-foot tall monuments of
heroes of Kanrath siege. Some of them dead and some
of them still living, these are the soldiers who tackled
impossible feats in times of war.
14. East Midfort. Cyherested is a city of extravaganza,
and East Midfort is the center of the fun, serving the
wealthiest residents and the sorcerers of this deceitful
FLW\7KHÀUVWWKLQJWKDWFDWFKHVWKHH\HLQ(DVW0LGIRUW
is the colossal skyscrapers, vertically decorated with
golden and silver lights. These buildings are towers for
powerful spellcasters, as well as sumptuous residential
buildings for those who want more of a colorful
OLIHVW\OH7KHVWUHHWVZKLFKDUHPDGHRIÀQHO\FXW
marble stones, are cleaned daily by magical servants
conjured by the unseen servant spell. East Midfort is
heavily guarded by the CBI to ensure the safety of its
residents. It’a a source of relief for East Midfortians that
the Bureau of Investigation is located in their district.
15. CBI Headquarters. The CBI skyscraper, the
headquarters of the organization, is a stone building
with metal framing and metal plating here and there.
The building has very few glass windows. There are
carvings on the wall, both on the outside and inside,
but the decorations are plain and simple. The interior is
illuminated quite well with countless angst lamps.
16. West Midfort. West Midfort is a residential district
RFFXSLHGPDLQO\E\ORZUDQNLQJFLW\RIÀFLDOVDQG
workers. If one were passing through, one would see
ÀYHWRVHYHQVWRU\EXLOGLQJVPDGHRIGLIIHUHQWW\SHVRI
stone taken from the mountains, roads of a mediocre
quality, streets that are patrolled by automatons fairly
often, or shops that mainly serve the residents of
this district. The crime rate here is higher than East
Midfort, which is a district for the wealthier residents of
Cyherested; however, it is still lower when compared to
other parts of the city such as the North Point.
17. Upper South. This district is home to the
wealthy merchants of Cyherested. There are many
great buildings, some markets, and urban parks
here and there. Tall structures, geometric details,
and harmonious planning make this neighborhood a
clean, pleasant place to live. It is a haven for artists, an
art-deco capital, and home to over twenty thousand
citizens.
Even though visiting this part of the city is easy as it
is located near busy roads, the poor are not welcome
here.
18. Songbird Garden. The Songbird Garden is a large,
13
 urban park consisting of 500 acres of public ground,
which stands in the memory of Donnatella Songbird;
a renowned singer and a greatly talented gardener.
Thousands of residents visit the park daily for various
reasons, ranging from watching duels to attending
social events and even spending the night; in fact, it is
DVLWHRIUHIXJHIRUPDQ\ZKRVXGGHQO\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHV
without shelter.
Today, the park has four main attractions: the
Sparrow Lake, the Orange Path, the Songbird Theatre,
and the Lily Garden. The Sparrow Lake is known for
its serene environment; beautiful lake, old pine trees,
DQLPDOVHVSHFLDOO\VSDUURZVDQGEHQFKHVÀOOWKHVSDFH
People come here to wind down, meet with friends, and
commune with nature. The Orange Path is the walkway
connecting the east entrance of the Songbird Garden
to the middle of the park. Along the path, there are
VHYHUDOEURQ]HVFXOSWXUHVRUDQJHÁRZHUVDQGEHQFKHV
inside. The Songbird Theater was reconstructed from
Donatella’s old house as a mid-sized theater. It has great
acoustics and is mainly used for musicals. The building
is decorated with Donatella’s favorite plants and many
sparrow sculptures, paintings, and engravings. The Lily
*DUGHQORFDWHGDWWKHQRUWKRIWKHSDUNLVGHÀQLWHO\
worth a visit for all botany lovers. Tens of different
lilies are planted in this section of the park.
19. Center Arcane. This 100-story building, one of
the tallest in Cyherested, is used as a museum, library,
archive, and research center. Every visitor must take
tokens from the reception according to their purpose of
visit. Even if it is easy to visit the observatory decks and
the museum, it is hard to visit the library and almost
impossible to see inside the research center. At the
REVHUYDWRULHVZKLFKDUHRQWKHWKDQGWKÁRRUV
WKHYLVLWRUVÀQGWKHFKDQFHWRVLSWKHLUIDYRULWHGULQNV
as they enjoy the gorgeous view of the city’s landscape.
20. Dragon’s Nest. The Dragon’s Nest is a district
where military members reside, closed off from the rest
of the city as the military compound. It is surrounded
by 20-foot-tall stone walls. Along the walls of the
district, there are watchtowers on which there are
always soldiers observing the perimeter. Right after
the stone walls, there is a spell that surrounds the
whole area. When an uninvited guest passes through
this invisible spell, an alarm goes off throughout the
Dragon’s Nest.
21. Cobalt Observatory. The Cobalt Observatory is
located at the foot of the Garrote Mountains, almost
outside of the city of Cyherested. Researchers from
Cyherested come here to study the environment, the
city, and the sky. The observatory is composed of two
separate buildings; the dome and the research center.
The research center is a three-story brick building
while the dome is a three-hundred-foot tall tower with
14
a dome on top.
22. Bronzeward Detention Center. The Bronzeward
Detention Center is the one and only prison in
Cyherested and is thus big enough to accommodate
more than three thousand inmates, even though the
actual number of inmates it holds at any given time
has never been announced to the public. The building
is guarded by hundreds of guards, automatons, and
powerful spells that secure entrances and exits and that
prevent magical scrying.
23. Cyherested Angst Sepulcher. The Square of
Commerce is home to a nine-story ziggurat, each
ÁRRURIZKLFKVKLQHVZLWKDGLIIHUHQWFRORUDQGWKH
top of which is decorated with the illusion of a giant
angst crystal. The Cyherested Angst Sepulcher is one
RIWKHH[DPSOHVRIWKHFLW\·VDUFKLWHFWXUH,WZDVÀUVW
constructed as a warehouse for angst crystals, but has
EHHQRSHUDWLQJDVDEDQNIRUPRUHWKDQÀIW\\HDUV
24. Highway. There is a tubular tunnel system under
Cyherested that goes around the entire city. These
WXQQHOVZHUHÀUVWEXLOWWRLPSOHPHQWDQXQGHUJURXQG
metro system within the city. However, before the
project came to life, a group of talented sorcerers
invented a faster and cheaper way of magical travel: the
Highway. There are stations connected to the Highway.
One can go underground and reach different parts of it
through the stations. The tunnels are 15 feet tall and 15
feet wide. A dense blue magical energy courses through
the tunnels at great speeds, creating a whistling sound.
The stations lead to these tunnels and one can step into
the blue light and instantly step out to a station of their
choosing.
There is a fee to use the highway and a cost. The fee is
FROOHFWHGE\JRYHUQPHQWRIÀFLDOVLQWKHVWDWLRQVZKLFK
is 2 CS. The cost is the portion of magical energy that
the Highway takes from travelers in order to sustain
itself. The Highway forces the traveler to expend the
lowest level spell slot they have; if the traveler is not
able to do so, the highway drains 1 hit point worth of
blood from the traveler and converts it to magic. If a
creature with no spell slots to expend and no blood to
give tries to travel through the Highway, it kills the
traveler.
25. Magnifying Hall. At the center of the city, there
is a large spherical building made of glass, metals, and
crystals. This building was built by the Prime Sorcerers
as they erected the city with magic. It is the most
important part of Cyherested where all city-wide rituals
are performed. It is called the Magnifying Hall.
This building collects and absorbs magic from its
surroundings and channels it to the huge casting
chamber within. As it stores this magical energy within
itself, the building sheds colorful lights all around. It
is impossible to cast cantrips, 8th-level spells, and 9th-
level spells while standing outside the building within
60 feet of it, and to cast a spell, a caster must expend
a spell slot 2 levels higher than the level of the spell
they are casting. Yet, a caster can cast 1st-level spells
as if they are cantrips and they can expend a spell slot
1 level lower than the spell they are casting to cast the
spell while inside the building.
This building is used by very strong sorcerers and
their apprentices for various reasons. Every week, a
group of elite sorcerers gathers in the casting chamber
to decide the weather of the city and they enforce it
on nature the following week. Every month, another
group of sorcerers use the chamber. Before they do,
bells ring all over the city, and after they ring 20 times
in an hour, the sorcerers cast the ritual and 1 hit point
worth of blood is drained from every citizen in the city
as tax payment. Those who have not reached adulthood
are exempt from this tax payment. When the blood
is drawn from all citizens, it rains upwards, ignoring
physical obstacles, and merges into a bloody crimson
ball hovering over the hall.
Adventure
Overview
There is an overview before each chapter, describing
the important events that take place within. In this
VHFWLRQ\RXFDQÀQGLQIRUPDWLRQRQWKHJHQHUDOHYHQWV
and main plot of the entire adventure
7KHDGYHQWXUHVWDUWVDWWKHWKRIWKHÀUVWPRQWK
of the fall, in the year 539 NE. The vampire society is
secretly divided into many factions and the mortal
citizens try to survive each day as the powerful feed
on the weak. Cyherested on the other hand, is a
bureaucratic hell-hole where sorcerers hold all the
power. Almost no one has seen a Prime Sorcerer for
over a hundred years, and most think that they are a
myth. Ordinary citizens try to get through each day as
WKH\DUHXQZLOOLQJO\GUDJJHGLQWRSROLWLFVDQGFRQÁLFWV
$WWKHVWDUWRIWKHÀUVWFKDSWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVDUH
arrested and imprisoned in Kanrath because of crimes
they haven’t committed. They are prosecuted and then
executed by exsanguination. At the same time as their
execution, the Silver Cult members conduct a ritual
WRUHVXUUHFWWKH)RXQGHUEXWVRPHWKLQJJRHVZURQJ
and the spell fails. The failed ritual consumes all of
WKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGZKLFKUDLQVGRZQRQ.DQUDWKDQG
infuses the characters’ fresh corpses, giving them life
RQFHPRUH7KHFXOWLVWVVWHDOWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\RXW
of panic and take it to Cyherested. Meanwhile, the
characters open their eyes in a morgue, and are taken
to the Grand Advisor of the Crimson King. The advisor
orders them to investigate the situation, and the
characters do. After their investigation in Kanrath, they
understand that whatever is going on has to do with
WKH)RXQGHUDQGWKH\UHWXUQWRWKH*UDQG$GYLVRUZLWK
this information. Then, they fall unconscious and have
DYLVLRQ8SRQZDNLQJWKH\OHDUQWKDWWKH)RXQGHU·V
EORRGLVVORZO\NLOOLQJWKHP7REHDEOHWRÀQGDFXUH
WKH\VWDUWWRORRNIRUWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\ZKLFKWDNHV
them to the crypt. In the crypt, they see that the body
has been taken; they follow the leads and arrive at the
train station to board a train that goes to Cyherested.
They are aware that the cultists have taken the body to
the sorcerer city.
In the second chapter, the characters travel via
train. The train is attacked by rebels who wish to harm
vampires. During the assault, the train is damaged
and its brakes fail. The train crashes into a metro
station under the Garrote Mountains. They try to
survive within the metro line and continue their
journey toward Cyherested. During their travels,
they experience a second vision. Upon arriving at
Cyherested, the chapter ends.
During the third and the last chapter, the characters
H[SORUH&\KHUHVWHGWU\LQJWRÀQGDOHDGWRWDNHWKHP
WRWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\$WWKLVSRLQWVHYHUDOSHRSOHDQG
organizations are looking for the characters as they
realize that something important is going on around
them. The Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology’s apprentice
Elari is trying to capture the characters as she believes
WKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVSRVVHVVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGZKLFK
is needed to cast the ritual once again. By the order of
Elari, the Silver Cult is looking for the characters. The
FKDUDFWHUVOHDUQWKDWWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\LVZLWKWKH
Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology and that they require
several glyphs to enter the sorcerer’s tower. After
ÀQGLQJWKHJO\SKVWKH\H[SHULHQFHWKHLUODVWYLVLRQ
$IWHUWKHYLVLRQWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHLUZD\WRWKH
tower’s entrance, use the glyphs and enter the tower.
The Prime Sorcerer’s tower is a demiplane where
WKHFKDUDFWHUVPXVWÀQGWKHLUZD\LQWRWKH3ULPH
Laboratory. The characters explore the demiplane and
enter the Prime Laboratory where the Prime Sorcerer
DZDLWV7KHLUÀQDOHQFRXQWHULVWKH3ULPH6RUFHUHURI
Sanguinology.
7KH3ULPH6RUFHUHUNQRZVWKDWWKH)RXQGHUZDV
trying to achieve divinity and believes that he can.
7KXVWKHVRUFHUHUZDQWVWRUHVXUUHFWWKH)RXQGHU
under a mind-controlling spell or a soul-binding
15
 contract, and by doing so, steal the divinity he has
DFTXLUHG7KH3ULPH6RUFHUHULVDSHUVRQHQWLW\ZKR
doesn’t meddle in the affairs of the mortals because of
immense pride. Thus, the sorcerer doesn’t capture the
characters but orders Elari to do so.
Choices Matter
This adventure has several endings and most of them
are not favorable for the characters. It is hard for the
characters to progress through their goals and many
challenges are not fair. The region and the cities are not
forgiving places; mistakes have severe consequences
and your players should be aware of that. Their actions
and the choices they make during the adventure
determine the outcome of the story and which ending
they will experience.
Make sure that your players understand that
sometimes cowering, running away, hiding, and staying
out of other people’s business is better than dying a
needless death. Good behaviors are mostly not awarded
and bad behaviors almost never go unpunished.
Character Deaths
When all the characters die, the adventure ends since
WKHFKDUDFWHUVPXVWFDUU\WKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGWREH
able to interact with some of the NPCs, puzzles, and
other encounters throughout the adventure. At least
RQHFKDUDFWHUWKDWFDUULHVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGPXVW
stay alive for the party to continue the adventure.
When a character dies, there are several for you, as
16
the GM.
)LUVWRIDOOWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGFDQSUHYHQWWKH
FKDUDFWHUV·GHDWK:KHQDFKDUDFWHUGLHVWKH)RXQGHU·V
blood can replenish their health, dropping the
character to 1 hit point instead. However, in this case,
the character gains 1 blood degeneration.
6HFRQGO\ZKHQDFKDUDFWHUGLHVWKH)RXQGHU·V
blood can search for a new vessel. The blood leaves the
character’s body upon death, moves as a crimson cloud,
and enters another body nearby. The new vessel falls
unconscious upon the blood’s entry, suffering horrid
nightmares. The blood degeneration the dead character
had may or may not be transferred to the new vessel,
and this is determined at the GM’s discretion. However,
if they are transferred, do not forget to transfer the
rewards the dead character has gained throughout the
blood visions and on several other occasions. Otherwise,
they are lost in the transfer.
If some of the characters have died and you want the
QHZFKDUDFWHUVWREHZLWKRXWWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRG\RX
can of course choose to do so. But in this case, keep in
mind that these characters won’t be able to experience
WKHEORRGYLVLRQVWKDWWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGVKRZV
the characters, which constitute a huge part of the
adventure. As such, we suggest that you share the fact
that they will miss out on a great part of the adventure
with these players, or come up with another way for the
characters to experience the blood visions.
The third and the most brutal option is to remind
your players of the unforgiving nature of this setting,
and to start from the very beginning when all of them
die.
17
 In the vast mountainous region of Tolia, where the sun
merely passes by and the nights are long, two enormous
cities determine the fate of the land and its people.
Though the two are different in almost every aspect,
they have two things of great importance in common:
the value of blood and the tyranny of the elite.
Kanrath, the metropolis of vampires, is in the
southern part of the region, near the sea. This great city
LVKRPHWRWKH)LUVW9DPSLUHDQGKLVIDPLO\%\FUHDWLQJ
a false air of security, they control the city. They
seem to embrace the mortal population, welcoming
them with open arms, offering wealth and protection,
masquerading as merciful rulers. In reality, one thing
and one thing alone is on their minds as they spout
these lies left and right: they want to taste the blood of
mortals.
People that live in this city work hard to take care
of themselves and their families. They live in fear of
what lies beyond the city, of the despicable acts of
cruel sorcerers, and of disappointing their vampire
caretakers. If they ever forget that they must cower
at the thought or mention of any of the above, their
masters are quick to remind them.
Some people idolize the mortals who have managed
to become famous or successful in the city, holding
on hope that they themselves could follow in their
footsteps. Some people keep their head down, only
focusing on having a roof over their heads and food in
their bellies. An extremely brave, or perhaps ignorant,
few have the misguided notion that they could bring
down vampire rule. Such people mostly go to prison
and are promptly executed.
The police force of Kanrath works tirelessly to subdue
rebellious mortals and arrest criminals. They sometimes
make mistakes and target innocent people, and they
sometimes target the innocent on purpose under the
guise of a mistake. However, the vampire rule doesn’t
care; you’ve got to break some eggs to make an omelet
after all.
There’s been a surge in the rebel attacks inside the
city over the last couple of nights. Investigation is
ongoing, and the police have made a series of arrests
LQRUGHUWRÀQGWKHFXOSULWV7KH\EHOLHYHWKDWWKHUH
is an anti-vampire agenda behind these attacks. Many
mortals have been dragged out of their homes and
apprehended over the last few nights, simply on the
basis of vague accusations. As would be expected, most
people are in a state of fear and panic, wondering if
they might be who the police come for next.
In this chapter, the characters are among the unlucky
who’ve been arrested for no reason. Shortly after their
DUUHVWWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQSULVRQ7KH\VSHQGDZIXO
GD\VDQGUHVWOHVVQLJKWVÀOOHGZLWKWKHPLVWUHDWPHQW
18
of the vampire-fanatic enforcers within the cold
walls of Kanrath’s prison before they are taken to the
court to get a taste of this cruel city’s wicked sense of
MXVWLFH7KHMXGJHÀQGVWKHPJXLOW\DVFKDUJHGDQG
sentences them to exsanguination; a punishment native
to Kanrath. Every last drop of the characters’ blood is
drained, and they die as a result.
However, the wheels of fate turn in favor of the
characters. There is a group of sorcerers who call
themselves the “Silver Cult” plotting to bring the
)RXQGHUWKH)LUVW9DPSLUHEDFNWROLIH+RXUVEHIRUH
the execution, the cult manages to open the crypt in
ZKLFKWKH)RXQGHUOLHVXVLQJWKHEORRGRIWKH)RXUWK
&KLOGDQGVWHDOVWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\DORQJZLWKKLV
items. The cult then conducts a ritual using the body
DQGWKHEORRGLQDQDWWHPSWWRDZDNHQWKH)RXQGHU
right when the characters are being executed.
Although the characters have no way of knowing
this, the Dean of the Royal Academy of Sanguine, a close
IULHQGRIWKH)RXQGHUSURYLGHGWKHSUHVHUYHGEORRG
DQGWKH)RXUWK&KLOGZLOOLQJO\JDYHKHUEORRGIRUWKH
UHVXUUHFWLRQRIWKH)RXQGHU+RZHYHUWKLQJVJRZURQJ
in the ritual and it rains blood over Kanrath. After this
bizarre weather occurrence, the characters open their
H\HVZLWKWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGUXQQLQJWKURXJKWKHLU
veins, slowly killing them.
At this point, they are neither aware that the
)RXQGHU·VEORRGKDVPL[HGZLWKWKHLURZQQRUWKDWLWLV
slowly killing them.
The Silver Cultists panic due to their failure, and
WU\WRWDNHWKHERG\RIWKH)RXQGHUDQGKLVLWHPVWR
Cyherested, hoping that their masters may correct their
mistake.
.DQUDWKRIÀFLDOVKXQWGRZQWKHFKDUDFWHUVLQRUGHU
to understand the reason for their resurrection and
start a rather uncomfortable interrogation, which is
interrupted by the sudden appearance of Ethan Ward,
the Detective. If the characters escape before their
interrogation, they meet the Detective as they wander
the streets.
The Detective is a middle-aged man who works for
the Grand Advisor of Kanrath, the counselor of the
Crimson King. He stops the interrogation and takes the
characters to the Royal Castle, where they meet the
Grand Advisor.
The Grand Advisor explains that they suspect
cult activity and that the characters are expected to
LQYHVWLJDWHWKHFLW\WRÀQGWKRVHZKRZHUHUHVSRQVLEOH
for the blood rain. The party hunts down the cultists
DQGÀQGVWKHLUZDUHKRXVH:KHQWKH\UHWXUQWRWKH
Grand Advisor, they fall unconscious and start having
a “blood vision”, where they have a chance to delve
LQWRWKHPHPRULHVRIWKH)RXQGHUDQGWRWDONWRKLP
They then wake before the Grand Advisor who tells
them that they have been sleeping for an entire day,
WKDWWKH\KDYHWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGLQWKHLUERG\
and that if they are not cured, they are going to
die slowly and painfully. The Grand Advisor offers
a cure, but she asks the characters to retrieve the
)RXQGHU·VERG\IURPDFU\SWLQUHWXUQ
7KHSDUW\FDQQRWÀQGWKHERG\RIWKHDQFLHQW
vampire in the crypt, as the Silver Cultists have
abducted it, entering the crypt using the blood of
WKH)RXUWK&KLOG7KHSDUW\PXVWÀQGWKHFXOWLIWKH\
want to be cured, and to come back from the brink
of death a second time in the span of one week.
Running This Chapter
<RXDVWKH*DPH0DVWHUFDQÀQGWKHNH\HYHQWV
that take place in this chapter in the diagram
below. The characters will have to suffer without
reason, endure great hardship, and face many other
challenges in this chapter. Kanrath is an unforgiving
place for mortals.
Episodes
Blood Execution
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO
Blood Vision
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO
The Crypt
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO
Blood
Execution
It’s a morning like any other in the city, with
nothing out of the ordinary. The city is still cold
and a faint mist rolls over the streets. The sounds of
JXQVKRWVZLQJVÁDSSLQJFUHDWXUHVKRZOLQJSHRSOH
screaming, and vampires laughing are all distant
memories of the night. As the GM, you can ask your
players to describe their characters’ morning, and
let them play it out for a short time.
At the moment where each character is most
exposed, 1d4 + 1 Kanrath enforcers (p. 280), the
SROLFHRIÀFHUVRIWKHFLW\DWWDFNHDFKFKDUDFWHU
without warning. The characters can realize that
these enforcers have several fresh bite marks on
their necks and wrists with a successful DC 16
Wisdom (Perception) check. This indicates that
the enforcers have either been charmed by the
vampires or that they are willing vessels for the
vampires to feed on.
The characters are arrested by the enforcers.
If a character is in a building, the police barge
in. Whatever the characters are doing, the police
interrupt them. The characters may engage in
combat with the enforcers, or you can describe this
scene cinematically. They beat up the characters,
try to grapple and pin them down, and cuff them
with razored handcuffs. They might even hurt
the people around the characters to get to them.
Getting out of the razored handcuffs requires a
successful DC 25 Dexterity check, and breaking
them requires a successful DC 25 Strength check.
A character with thieves’ tools can also unlock a
pair of razored handcuffs with a successful DC 20
Dexterity check. The handcuffs are Tiny objects
that have AC 12, 30 hit points, and immunity to
poison and psychic damage. However, even if the
FKDUDFWHUVPDQDJHWREUHDNIUHHRUÁHHDQRWKHU
group of Kanrath enforcers arrives at the scene and
takes them under custody once more.
$IWHUWKHDUUHVWWKHSROLFHRIÀFHUVPDNHYDULRXV
accusations against the characters, blindfold them,
and load them into horse wagons with cages.
There are also others that have been arrested
by the police. The players may roll on the table
below to determine the random accusations made
against them, or you yourself can determine the
accusations according to the characters and their
stories. You can also make up accusations, using the
table below for inspiration. Regardless of what they
are, all the accusations made against the characters
are false.
d6
1
False Accusations
)RUJLQJDIRUPDOGRFXPHQWWRSXVK
personal agenda.
2 )XQGLQJRUDLGLQJWHUURULVWJURXSV
directly or indirectly.
19

3 Organizing illegal meetings to disturb
public peace.
4 *Possession of more than 5 ounces of gold
or silver.
5 Evading the blood tax that is mandatory
for all mortal citizens.
6 Attempting to murder a vampire. (This is a
very serious crime.)
*Vampires have a weakness against silver and royal vampires
have a weakness against gold. Hence, possession of these
metals is illegal in Kanrath. The city produces a special form
of silver called “Kanrath silver” to replace normal silver.
The characters are escorted to the correctional facility.
During their journey, they might hear people swearing
and booing them; some may even yell out things like,
“Drain them!”, “Kill them!”. “Drink their blood!”, “Bury them
in angst dust!”, “Terrorists!” Some may throw rocks and
dirt at the characters and the other prisoners.
Exsanguinate
Start playing “The Crimson City” on the “Bloodpunk
OST”. Then, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players at the beginning of this act:
You’ve endured a journey that felt
longer than it was, with the hostility of
the citizens hanging over you. You are
covered in dirt, waste, sweat, and blood.
Although you are blindfolded, you can
feel the presence of the others with you
in the cage. Some of them are breathing
heavily and some of them have already
passed out, but mostly, all stay silent,
fearing further hostility.
At some point, the whirring, groaning
and humming sounds of the city start
to fade away, leaving their place to the
clicking of hooves and the whirring of
wheels on the cobblestone streets. A voice
20
from afar shouts “New batch! Open up!”
and shortly after, you hear a loud metallic
squeaking. The cart stops.
The door of your cage clanks open.
Someone climbs on the cart; you can
tell from the slight shift of balance.
Suddenly, your blindfold is removed.
Bright sunlight burns your eyes and you
can’t open them. One by one, you are
all pushed and dragged down the cart
and put into a line, side by side, as your
vision slowly comes back.
The characters are in the correctional facility part of
WKH,QSDWLHQW5HKDELOLWDWLRQ)DFLOLWLHV S 7KH\DUH
surrounded by tall stone walls with razor fences, along
which there are several watchtowers standing on metal
legs, each equipped with angst spotlights and guarded
by over 50 heavily armed Kanrath enforcers (p. 280). In
the middle of the sandy barren soil surrounded by these
walls, there is a large three-story building made of large
stone blocks that have barred windows and a metal
door. The intimidating structure gives the characters
the sinking feeling that once they go in, they can never
get out.
The characters are standing side by side in front of
the prison, in the front yard, with many others. There
are several enforcers around this group, striking the
new arrivals that speak or move with their batons.
The inmates inside cells are watching the new arrivals
behind the small barred windows; spitting, yelling,
swearing, threatening, laughing, and making disturbing
faces.
$IWHUDVKRUWZDLWWKHKDOÁLQJSROLFHRIÀFHULQKLV
late eighties, the Chief of the mortal correctional
facility, or simply the Warden, Bald Mesud walks out
of the guardhouse. He is hairless above the neck but
KDVWKLFNKDLURQKLVKDQGVDQGÀQJHUV+LVEURZQH\HV
deviate outward, each looking in different directions.
His upright posture coupled with his enforcer uniform
makes him look very tense. His uniform is decorated
with several badges and medals. He has a small chin
and a round face. The long tips of his ears have been
cut or shaven off and are currently as short as that
of a human. As he approaches the characters, read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:

Bald Mesud
Bald Mesud puts the bloodwork pistol that he
is holding in its holster attached to his belt.
Then, he takes one last drag from the cigarette
hanging off his lips, inhales sharply and
holds it at his side. He stops before the new
arrivals, emanating an aura of confidence.
He eyes you all carefully and starts to talk in a
determined voice: “Disobedience, misdemeanor, and
devilment shall all be punished. I am the law and I am the
executioner within these walls. Act like an animal, and you
will be treated like one. Dismissed.” He then flicks the
cigarette at you and turns away.
The enforcers start to uncuff the newcomers. Bald
Mesud lights another cigarette with his angst lighter,
in which a mechanism inside the lighter spills a few
drops of blood on the angst crystal within. The reaction
UHVXOWVLQDÁDPH
A young and anxious newcomer (human, neutral
good, commoner) in deplorable clothes makes a run
for the gates with everything he’s got. The prisoners
watching behind bars yell and cheer for the runner,
one of them exclaiming “We have a runner!” Bald Mesud
draws his pistol and shoots the runner without even
looking. The bullet pierces the runner’s throat but
doesn’t kill him. While an enforcer is going toward
the runner who is now choking on his own blood, Bald
Mesud orders the enforcer to leave them be. It will take
1d4 hours for the runner to die, which the characters
will be able to witness through the windows of their
cell. Bald Mesud leaves the scene, going back to the
guardhouse with his cigarette hanging off his lips.
The enforcers lead the newcomers into the prison,
accompanied by the gurgling sounds of the runner
laying on the ground; no help will come for him.
The enforcers stop those who try to help the dying,
unfortunate man.
Life in Prison
In the middle of the prison building, the newcomers
are divided into groups of four and the characters are
placed in the same group. The characters are escorted
to their cell, which the four of them will share. In
the cell, there are two bunks, a metal bucket for the
prisoners to use as a toilet, a sink, a table, and four
chairs. On each bed, there is a dirty blanket and a pillow
in wretched conditions. There is a small cell window
that only one person at a time can look through. The
walls are covered with layers of dust and dirt. There are
writings on the wall from the previous prisoners that
say “No way out”, “I’m coming for you”, “The vampire reign
shall fall” and tallies that indicate the number of days
others spent in this cell.
The characters stay in this cell for almost two days.
They should get to know each other during this time.
If you feel the characters need more time to bond, you
can prolong this part as you wish. Try to disregard the
characters’ goals about what to do in the prison; after
they bond, their time in the cell should come to an end.
The prisoners are kept in their cells at all times
except the 2-hour break time during which all prisoners
must go out to the open air, to the backyard surrounded
by metal razor fences and guard towers, under the
watchful eye of the Kanrath enforcers who patrol the
SHULPHWHU7KHSULVRQHUVDUHIUHHWRVPRNHÀJKWJHW
exercise, and socialize during this time.
Every night at midnight, four Kanrath enforcers (p.
280) visit every cell, beat up the prisoners, give them
their food and water, and then leave. The food in prison
consists of a chunk of meat and bread. The enforcers
come back early in the morning and wake everyone up.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQ·WÀQLVKDORQJUHVWZKLOHZLWKLQWKH
prison.
The following are examples of NPCs with whom the
characters might interact in prison. These NPCs are
those imprisoned in the cells that are closest to that of
the characters. Thus, they can even talk to each other
while inside their cells. You can add more NPCs into the
prison for a more immersive experience. The following
21
 NPCs, and the others you may add to the prison, don’t
have any weapons and armor.
Hopkins Jake Pellucid (dragonborn, neutral good,
commoner)
A glassblower from the Hopkins family, who
manufactures glass laboratory tools for medical and
alchemical use, Jake is a charming and intelligent
SHUVRQZKRLVDERXW\HDUVROG+HKDVDÀWERG\
dark-toned colorful scales, and green eyes. He is brave
and believes that things will work out for him in the
end.
He has overheard two enforcers talking about the
Warden, saying, “Bald Mesud remembers his own birth and
it puts too much stress on him. That’s why he is bald.” If Bald
Mesud learns about this rumor, he will be furious.
Jax (human, neutral evil, thug)
He looks like an ordinary man with a memorable face.
His hair is well-kempt and his face is clean-shaven. He
has a mole on his nose. Jax is 25 years old.
He was a mediator between legal organizations.
One night, a vampire slipped him drugs at a corporate
party, and he urinated on the Royal Castle’s wall in his
inebriated state, which is why he was sent to prison.
He poses as a rebel who is against vampires and leads a
group of rebels; 4 rebels (bandits) accompany him.
Ingrid (dwarf, chaotic evil, berserker)
She stands taller than an ordinary dwarf. She has dark
eyes, dark skin, and long curly hair. Her body is covered
in bruises and deep scars. She has been sent to prison
for killing a vampire who tried to drink her blood.
Ingrid is 75 years old; she might be considered young by
dwarven standards.
She has been in this prison the longest out of all the
RWKHULQPDWHV6KHWULHVWRVWDUWÀJKWVWRUHOLHYHVWUHVV
Ilkar Mesmerald (elf, lawful neutral, bandit captain)
She has soft blue eyes, straight blonde hair going down
to her thighs, and wide facial features. She is tense and
watchful. She is scared and trying to keep it together.
Ilkar is 300 years old and she claims she has seen many
things others couldn’t even dream of.
She used to be an enforcer. One fateful day, she
made the mistake of showing mercy to a rebel, and her
colleagues put her in prison for treason. She believes
that if she can clear her name, they will let her go back
to her normal life.
22
The Court
The characters’ time in prison comes to an end. It is
midnight. The Warden and eight enforcers take the
characters out of their cell to the front yard.
Bald Mesud tells the characters that it is time for
their trial, then offers a cigarette to each of them. After
they smoke, the characters are placed in caged wagons
and Bald Mesud adds, “Sorry that our time with you was
short. Pity.” Then a whip cracks and the wagon moves.
The characters travel in shackles for a couple of
hours, never entering wealthy streets. You may ask
your players to roll on the Kanrath Random Encounters
(p. 47); they can see the encounter from a distance but
they can’t engage as they are caged.
They arrive at Mourneham Abbey (p. 9). The wagon
stops in front of the courthouse, near the fountain.
The fountain is a bowl with a 6-foot radius adorned
with ruby decorations and elegant vampire sculptures.
It is surrounded by an extremely well-constructed
road paved with polished cobblestones. Before the
fountain, the two-story courthouse stands tall and
wide. There are stone faces crying blood protruding
from its dark brick outer wall. Higher on the wall, there
are engravings of dragon corpses, chained vampires,
impaled angels, and an eclipsing sun at the very top.
These depictions symbolize the fact that no entity can
escape the judgment of Kanrath.
The eclipse of the sun was added after the fall of the
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infused alchemical paint.
There are 3-foot columns lined up along the wall
with silver bowls on top. Inside the bowls, there is
the mixture of a secret compound and blood. The
compound causes the blood to evaporate, creating a
UHGPLVW7KLVUHGPLVWÁRZVWKURXJKWKHHQJUDYLQJV
interacting with the angst paint, causing it to shimmer.
The building has no windows and only a gateway
as an entrance, with a deep orange light dancing out
from the opening. There are vampire sentries (p.
289) guarding the perimeter, at least 4 of them being
present in each location within the court building.
The enforcers get the characters out of the wagon and
hand them over to two sentries, who accompany the
characters into the courthouse.
In the courthouse, there are corridors connected to
HDFKRWKHULQDQRUGHUO\IDVKLRQ7KHÁRRUVDUHSROLVKHG
marble, the walls are coated, and the roof is supported
by metal frames. Unlike many other buildings, the
courthouse is not illuminated by angst lamps but by
simple braziers and with charcoal inside. There are
well-dressed vampires wandering the corridors. The
sentries take the characters to a courtroom.
 In the courtroom, there are wooden benches at the
back and large desks at the front. The room is divided
by a silver fence; the benches are on one side and the
desks are on the other. The judge is sitting at the main
desk. A clerk is sitting at a smaller desk next to the
main desk. Before the desks, there is a small platform
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black carpet and the room is illuminated by magical red
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The sentries take the characters to the benches and
point out where they should sit. There are others sitting
on the benches, awaiting their own trials. The judge
is an old-looking vampire; he looks fragile and slim,
DQGKHKDVORQJSRLQW\QDLOVDQGERQ\ÀQJHUV+H·V
wearing a large hat and a silk crimson robe. Right after
the characters are seated, read or paraphrase the text
below:
There is a muscular half-elf standing on the
platform, wearing dirty rags. He is cuffed,
his thumbs are cut off, and there are other
scars on his body indicating torture. His long
black oily hair sticks to his back. He has angst
tattoos, shimmering faintly with an orange
glow. The judge observes this man with his
glowing redeyes shining under the shadows
of his furrowed, long, white eyebrows. The
accused starts his speech:
“I did it with pleasure and I would do it again without
a second thought. You are monsters, creatures without
moral values. In an ideal world, your kind would be no
different than the vile undead, being slaughtered in tombs
and dungeons by groups of brave warriors and explorers.
Yet, here we stand; a heartless corpse judging the living,
completely blind to justice!” There is a short pause
and you can tell that the judge is getting angry.
The man continues, “This court, this system, fucking
hell, YOU! All of this is just a play, and I currently own
the stage. SO, HEAR ME! I am merely one, among a sea
of others like me. You think you’re better than us because
you’re immortal; but when you’re killed, everything that you
achieve dies with you. When I die, my ideals and hopes will
live on in the hearts and minds of the people who believed in
me. WHEN THE SUN RISES, LOOK UP TO THE SKY
AND HOLD ON TO WHAT IS BESTOWED UPON YOU.
WE WILL NEVER BE…”
The judge doesn’t let the man finish
his speech. He makes a hand gesture. The
half-elf’s blood leaves his body, tearing and
piercing his organs, muscles, and skin. It
splashes over the courtroom’s wall and paints
it red. The man falls on the ground, his
mutilated skin now white and purple. The
trial is over.
After this, the judge doesn’t want to deal with any
more trials and orders the execution of the remaining
accused. The people within the courtroom start to
scream and yell, protesting the decision. Lots of sentries
rush into the room, attacking these people including
the characters, to knock them unconscious. There is one
vampire sentry for each character if the players choose
to strike back. Even if they are able to kill a sentry,
DQRWKHUWDNHVLWVSODFH+RZHYHUZRUGWKDWWKHVSHFLÀF
character managed to kill a sentry will be heard among
Kanrath’s criminals and the character will gain renown
among them. The character will then have advantage
on their Charisma checks against Kanrath’s criminals.
The characters are loaded onto a caged wagon and
taken to the St. Glivenalle District (p. 11) for their
execution, which will take place at dawn. They are
cuffed and escorted by four Kanrath enforcers (p. 280).
During the journey, they wake up. The other accused
were taken elsewhere; the characters are by themselves.
They are traveling through tall apartment buildings,
and the sun is about to rise. There are few people on the
roads as it is close to dawn, but the ones that are there
look at the characters with hate and disgust.
There is a wide stone platform somewhere in the
district, with a large glass container on top, and an
old lady (elf, neutral evil, priest of the Blood God -
p. 283) standing next to it, wearing a black and red
hooded robe, looking angry and intimidating with
her burnt face and her scowl. There is a silent crowd
around the platform. Even if it is still too early in the
morning, the crowd in Kanrath never misses a “good”
exsanguination. The wagon approaches the scene
and stops. The characters are taken out of the wagon
and escorted onto the platform, passing through the
crowd. The people in the crowd lock their gazes on the
characters.
The enforcers take the characters to the platform and
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on the ground, in front of the glass container. Then,
they place a large collar around their necks; the collar
is wide and goes from the chest to the chin. It is made of
brass, Kanrath silver, iron, and angst. It has mechanical
parts, such as little pumps and extensible needles.
The collars are connected to the glass container with
transparent pipes. (Kanrath silver is an alloy of several
kinds of metal, and though it looks like regular silver,
LWGRHVQRWKDYHWKHVDPHSURSHUWLHV)RULQVWDQFHDQG
most importantly, it does not harm vampires)
The needles in the collar extend and pierce the
characters’ throats; they can no longer speak as they
can’t move their chin. There is no way the characters
can escape this situation. The blood priest makes her
speech to the crowd:
23

“These criminals have plotted and acted against
our beautiful city. Our crimson jewel of Tolia.
This is unforgivable. How could they think that
they could have any say in the affairs of our
city while you are the ones who work tirelessly
to make it better? You should decide the fate of
our community, not these rebellious instigators.
These terrorists...
They have already forsaken the right to
carry the holiest ichor that bestows life, due to
their recklessness and lack of judgment. Blood
is a demanding force. Blood wants its vessel
to survive, to act in its self-interest. These
anarchists have acted in a way that would
harm their own well-being and therefore, their
bodies are no longer suitable vessels for the holy
essence they carry. Let it thus be extracted, so it
FDQÀQGDQHZYHVVHORIZRUWKµ
The collar starts to pump the blood out of the
characters’ bodies. The blood starts to go through the
pipes and drip into the glass container. They are slowly
dying.
Blood Rain
Start playing “The Last Heartbeat” on the “Bloodpunk
OST”, then read or paraphrase the text below to your
players at the beginning of the episode:
As all your blood is slowly being drained
from your body, you feel colder and colder.
The smell of iron is getting heavier. As your
life ichor is slowly taken away from you, the
sounds of the crowd get muffled, until you are
deafened by an absolute silence.
You are dying, slowly but surely. You see
clouds forming in the sky, and you hear
thunder in the distance. Are the clouds
crimson red, or is your veiled vision playing
tricks on you? It’s impossible to tell. You can’t
24
feel your body, you can’t move, and all your
senses are fading away.
Finally, as your vision turns into primordial
blackness, the last thing you see is a blood-red
raindrop falling gently on your hand as if it’s
saying “Farewell”. A warm emptiness fills your
chest, and you hear a crash of thunder.
At this point in the story, all the characters die one by
one. There is nothing they can do to stop this.
Since the characters are dead, they do not know, feel,
sense, or remember anything. However, the residents
of Kanrath are experiencing something quite out of the
ordinary. Kanrath, the Crimson City, is washed with
blood rain after their execution. It’s literally raining
EORRG7KHFURZGORVHVIRFXVDQGTXLFNO\ÁHHVWRWKHLU
houses after the execution in confusion, dismay, and
fear. The blood rain lasts 1d6 hours.
Blood Rain. There is a rare weather condition in
Kanrath called the Vermillion Rain; during which
vermillion-colored raindrops fall from the sky.
However, blood rain is far from a regular weather
condition. The blood rain has occurred only once before
LQKLVWRU\H[DFWO\\HDUVDJRZKHQWKH)RXQGHUFDVW
a ritual to end the rebellion against him. Half of the city
was ruined that day, by the bloody raindrops. Residents
of Kanrath over 90 years of age remember this, as well
DVWKHRIÀFLDOVRI.DQUDWKDQGUHVLGHQWVZKRKDYHD
vast knowledge of history. People will surely talk of the
blood rain in almost all conversations for a week. It is
an important event in the history of Kanrath.
GM Tip. There are sorcerers called the “Silver Cult”
ZKRDUHWU\LQJWRUHVXUUHFWWKH)RXQGHU7KH\WULHG
to conduct a ritual to do so, which happened to take
place at the same time as the characters’ execution.
However, the ritual has gone wrong, and the characters
KDYHFRPHEDFNWROLIHZLWKWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRG
FRXUVLQJWKURXJKWKHLUYHLQV7KH)RXQGHUKDVQRWEHHQ
resurrected, at least not in the way the cult wanted.
7KHULWXDOUHTXLUHGWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGZKLFKLVQRZ
consumed. Therefore, the cult won’t be able to conduct
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the characters’ veins. However, they don’t know that
WKHFKDUDFWHUVSRVVHVVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRG\HW
$VWKHSDUW\SRVVHVVHVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGWKH\ZLOO
KDYHEORRGYLVLRQVUHODWHGWRWKH)LUVW9DPSLUHODWHULQ
the game.
As your characters die, read or paraphrase the text
below:

You feel a strange sense of freedom as if the
pain and suffering you felt just a second ago
have all disappeared and you have been freed
from all your earthly burdens; your bodies
being the first.
You are hovering against the current of
a river of blood, placed in the middle of
plains which appears to consist of dried,
blackened soil with no flora on it. The plain is
surrounded by two mountains of gray stones
that bleed, making it seem like the mountains
are crying blood.
As you hover aimlessly, you think to
yourself, is this the afterlife? You see the
silhouette of a tall man in the distance,
standing behind the riverbed. When he turns
to you, your vision starts to blur once more
and it leaves its place to total darkness.
You, as the GM, should know that the place in the
vision is not the afterlife but a vision the characters
KDYHKDGEHFDXVHWKH\QRZFDUU\WKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGLQ
their veins; the very man whose silhouette they saw in
the vision. This information should be hidden from the
characters for now.
Clearly, fate has other plans for the characters, as
they haven’t died. They simply suffer one level of
exhaustion. Read or paraphrase the text below:
One second ago, you were lying bereft of
life. You now wake with a breath so deep that
it feels like it’s pushing against the walls of
your lungs, tearing them apart. The pain and
suffering you had left behind returns. You
slowly open your eyes. You can feel every inch
of your body; all your bones, your muscles
aching, and you feel dizzy and exhausted.
Once you come to your senses, you’ll realize
that you are in one of the coldest places you
have ever been in. The ice-cold morgue table
that you are lying on definitely doesn’t help.
Your naked body is shrouded in thin fabric.
You’re shivering, but it is hard to decide
whether it’s because of the cold, or the shock
of coming back to life.
The Mortuary
:KHQWKHFKDUDFWHUVZDNHXSWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHV
in a dark room, lying atop cold metal tables, with all
their possessions taken from them. They are in the
Mortuary, where their lifeless bodies would normally
stay until it was butchered by a researcher or until they
25
 were cremated. The Mortuary is located in the Lodgings
(p. 10) district. It is a large one-story building made
of granite, with gothic arches and gargoyle statues
RQLWVURRIVSHFLÀFDOO\GHVLJQHGWRUHÁHFW.DQUDWK·V
architectural aesthetics.
The Mortuary General Features
The Mortuary’s general features are summarized below:
Doors. The Mortuary has strong doors made of
reinforced wood. Some of the doors are locked, and
their locks can be picked with a successful DC 13
Dexterity check made with thieves’ tools. Each door is a
Large object that has AC 10, 13 hit points, and immunity
to poison and psychic damage. Unless stated otherwise,
the doors are unlocked.
Lighting. Unless stated otherwise, the Mortuary is
illuminated by little angst lanterns placed evenly along
the walls, in 20-foot increments. The lanterns shed
bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an
additional 10 feet.
Perception. Unless stated otherwise, there are no
footprints on the ground, and the characters may listen
to what is happening behind the doors right next to
them with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
m6
M2
M4
m5
26
check. The enforcers inside the Mortuary are constantly
on alert, which will be detailed in the upcoming
sections.
Structure. The Mortuary has narrow, 10-foot-wide
corridors, and the ceiling is 20 feet from the ground
in all of the Mortuary. It has well-cut granite walls.
Overall, the place looks quite tidy.
Locations
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGWKHIROORZLQJORFDWLRQVNH\HGWR
the Mortuary map.
M1. The Morgue
This is the room where the characters wake up. It is
ÀOOHGZLWKWKHGLVWXUELQJVPHOORIGHFRPSRVHGERGLHV
and heavy chemicals.
There are no lit angst lanterns here; therefore, the
Morgue is heavily obscured. If the characters have no
light source or darkvision, they aren’t able to see their
surroundings. With a successful DC 13 Intelligence
(Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check, the
FKDUDFWHUVFDQIROORZWKHLUORJLFRULQVWLQFWVDQGÀQG
the angst lanterns on the walls. A successful DC 15
M1
M3
27
 Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Survival) check
reveals the barred window that is right across from
the entrance. In order to activate an angst lantern, one
must spill 1 hit point worth of blood inside the lantern.
The angst inside the lantern is then activated and it
sheds light around it. Opening the window makes the
morgue a lightly obscured area. If a character rolls a 1,
2 or 3 on the roll of their Intelligence (Investigation)
RU:LVGRP 6XUYLYDO FKHFNWRÀQGDOLJKWVRXUFHWKH\
accidentally touch a tool, a vial, a table, or any other
object and cause it to fall. If so, four Kanrath enforcer
initiates (p. 281) in the Corridor (M2) hear the sound
and come to the morgue to see what’s wrong. These
initiates have the intention of knocking the characters
unconscious, not killing them.
:KHQWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGDOLJKWVRXUFHRULIWKH\
have darkvision, they see that there are eight metal
tables, 10-feet long and 5-feet wide each. The characters
were lying on top of some of them when they woke up,
and the rest of the tables are occupied by cadavers,
which are also covered by a thin piece of cloth. If the
FKDUDFWHUVUHPRYHWKHFRYHUWKH\VHHDKDOÁLQJLQKHU
sixties with well-kempt short dark hair and a bony
face. There is no physical indication as to why she died
anywhere on her corpse. There is also a human in his
late twenties, with a scarred chest, a blind left eye,
and medium-length brown hair. The cause of his death
seems to be a vampire bite. The other two are half-
elves, both of whom are in their thirties. One of them
has long blonde hair and the other is bald. They both
have several knife wounds on their bellies.
There are surgery tools such as lancets and scissors of
different kinds all around, and a large metal washstand
against the north wall. The walls have cabinets built-
in; some used to preserve cadavers and some to store
ZRUQRXWFORWKHVPRUHVXUJHU\WRROVJODVVMDUVÀOOHG
28
ZLWKDXWRSV\FKHPLFDOVDQGRUJDQVDQGERGLO\ÁXLGV
that have been prepped for examination. They can take
the clothes and wear them.
Treasure. If the characters have darkvision or a
OLJKWVRXUFHWKH\FDQÀQGYLDOVRIEORRG ZRUWKKLW
points), a healer’s kit, and one dose of antitoxin with a
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
M2. The Corridor
This 70-foot-long corridor is patrolled by 4 Kanrath
enforcer initiates at all times. They have just exited
the Morgue (M1), they’ll enter each room in order and
spend 1 minute inside, provided that there is nothing
that alerts them.
M3. Cinerator/Research Room
When the characters enter the room, they are greeted
by the putrid smell of rotten organs. There is a large
cinerator right across from the door with a lever and
a large metal barrel right next to it. Tubes connect the
barrel toward the cinerator. There is a thick layer of
angst within small tubes inside the crematory. These
tubes are highly resistant to heat.
As an action, a character may pull the lever to
trigger the mechanism, which causes the tubes of the
barrel to release a liquid (essentially blood mixed with
various chemical substances) to increase the heat.
When the lever is pulled, the angst layer is heated and
DQ\ÁDPPDEOHREMHFWLVLJQLWHGLQVLGHWKHFLQHUDWRU
WDNLQJGÀUHGDPDJHDWWKHVWDUWRIHDFKRIWKHWXUQV
LWVSHQGVLQVLGH)RUFLQJDFUHDWXUHWRVWD\LQVLGH
the cinerator while it is heated requires a successful
grapple check.
Other than the cinerator, there is an orc surgeon
wearing a whitecoat, long brown hair, and several
bronze piercings on his nose and lips. He is busy,
whistling a cheerful tune while dissecting the
FDGDYHURIDWLHÁLQJWKDWLVO\LQJRQDPHWDOWDEOH7KH
characters must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth)
check not to alert the surgeon. If they fail or attack the
surgeon, he tries to call for help and alert the enforcers.
If so, the enforcer initiates in the corridor arrive at the
Cinerator Room in 1d4 rounds.
Igniting the cinerator doesn’t alert the enforcer
initiates.
The room is full of tools such as buckets, jars, brooms,
and clothes. There are no items of value being kept
inside this room.
The Surgeon
Medium humanoid (orc), lawful evil
M4. The Fridge
Not all bodies are cremated in Kanrath. Most of them
(especially the dead who have a muscular build and who
have come from the correctional facilities) are sent to
the Necropolis in the Lodgings (p. 10) district as new
additions to the infamous undead army of Kanrath.
Some bodies are preserved for study, while others are
kept to later be raised as the undead. Therefore, the
mortuaries usually have cold spaces for the dead.
The door that opens to the room is locked. There
are dead bodies as well as a wooden desk inside. A
notebook, a bottle of ink, and quills lie on the table,
waiting for the characters to discover the research
log on the notebook. The last entry suggests that the
surgeon has taken a look into the character’s lifeless
bodies and decided that they should be cremated
instead of being sent to the Necropolis. The desk has
WZRGUDZHUVZLWKDSRXFKFRQWDLQLQJ.)LQRQHRI
them. There is a locked door on the west wall that leads
to the Storage (M5).

Armor Class 12 M5. Storage

Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
There are eight chests, several barrels containing
Speed 30 ft. rations, 20 bottles of water, and 10 vials of blood (each
worth 10 hit points), chains hanging off a nail on the
wall, a metal table that resembles those in the Morgue
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA (M1), and four chairs inside the Storage.
12 14 12 14 14 6 Each time the characters make a loud noise here
(+1) (+2) (+1) (+2) (+2) (-2) or speak without declaring or implying that they are
whispering, two Kanrath enforcers (p. 280) in the
Entrance Hall (M6) make a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception)
Skills Medicine +6, Nature +4
check. On a success, they are alerted, and arrive at the
Senses passive Perception 12 Storage in 1d2 rounds to check if everything’s in order.
Languages Common, Orcish They try to detain the characters, not to kill them.
Challenge  ;3 Treasure.7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHLULWHPVKHUHEXW
their money is nowhere to be found. There is a dagger,
a shortsword, a bronze amulet in the shape of a daisy,
ACTIONS
and a pack of cigarettes (13 left). These are probably the
belongings of other cadavers.
Lancet. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 1 slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison
damage. M6. The Entrance Hall
On the south and east sides of the hall, there are two
REACTIONS dark wooden desks with cabinets next to them. There
is a Kanrath enforcer (p. 280) sitting at each desk and
Adrenalin (1/Day). Just before the surgeon drops to talking to each other, complaining about how their
0 hit points, he inoculates himself with a blue liquid, friends Jonas and Miria were supposed to take over the
dropping to 1 hit point instead. watch by now.
Right across from the entrance door, there is the door
that leads to the Corridor (C2), above which hangs a
Medium painting of the Crimson King, standing tall in

29
 all his glory and intimidating presence, looking as pale
as the moon itself with his long, dark, well-kempt hair
and crimson jacket adorned with Kanrath silver giving
him an air of elegance. He holds a banner of Kanrath in
his right hand and his left hand is behind his back.
If the Kanrath enforcers locate the characters, they
try to detain them, not to kill them. They look shocked,
as they were certain that the characters were dead.
They grumble saying things like “Are they… Undead? ”,
“How! How are they alive?”, “I swear, it’s the rain.”, “Don’t
hurt them, just catch them!”
During the 6th round of the combat, two more
Kanrath enforcers, Jonas and Miria, enter the
Mortuary. They’ll attack the party on sight. If the
FRPEDWHQGVHDUOLHUDQGWKH\ÀQGWKHERGLHVRIWKH
previous two enforcers or can’t see them at all in the
Entrance Hall, they start patrolling the Mortuary in
search of strange activities. The party may escape
without getting caught by Jonas and Miria with a
successful DC 11 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If the
FKDUDFWHUVPDQDJHWRÁHHPRYHRQWRThe Escape
section. If the characters are detained, move on to the
Interrogation section.
Interrogation
After the characters are detained, they are taken to the
Storage (M5) and chained to the wall. They cannot move
nor use their hands; they are restrained. The chains
have AC 12, 30 hit points, and immunity to poison
and psychic damage. However, even if the characters
manage to break free from the chains, Kanrath
enforcers will try to arrest them again.
Half an hour later, a high-ranking enforcer
accompanied by two other enforcers arrive at the
storage. The captain, as indicated by the marks on her
uniform, looks tough and strong. Her name is Elynda
(elf, lawful neutral, Kanrath enforcer captain - p. 280).
Her hair and eyes are coal black. She says in a fervent,
deep voice, “We’ve got some catching up to do. I’m Elynda, a
Kanrath enforcer captain.”
A successful DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals
that Elynda is a little scared but trying hard not to
show it, and succeeding for the most part. She is scared
because she is not very fond of the undead.
Start playing “The Crimson City” on the “Bloodpunk
OST”, then read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
30
With the arrival of the Kanrath enforcer
captain Elynda, the Storage starts to feel like
an interrogation room. The fact that you are
chained, and the presence of a single table in
the middle of the room contributes to that
feeling.
The captain looks annoyed and uptight.
She orders her enforcers to tie you to chairs,
and they do so fiercely. You take a couple
of unnecessary hits in the process. When
everything’s settled, you are tied to a chair on
one side of the table as Elynda glares at you
sitting on the other side. She slams her hand
on the table, her eyes bursting with hatred.
“Now, I’m going to ask you some questions, rebels, and you
will answer them truthfully,” she says angrily, and
adds, “Do that, and we’ll get along just fine. Don’t force
me to hurt you.”
Then, Elynda proceeds to the questions. If the
characters don’t cooperate, the enforcers beat them
up, all the while trying not to wound them severely or
kill them. The interrogation takes almost three hours
in total. The main reason behind all the procedures is
to understand if the characters are a danger to vampire
VRFLHW\7KH\DUHNHHSLQJWKHFKDUDFWHUVDOLYHWRÀJXUH
out where their allegiance lies.
The following questions may be asked to the
characters during the process. As the GM, you can
come up with different questions to spice up the
interrogation:
• Are they with the terrorists who bomb train
stations?
• Are they rebels propagating dangerous ideas?
• $UHWKH\VXSSRUWHUVRIWKH)RXUWK&KLOG"
• Are they in any way connected to the Royal
Academy of Sanguine?
• Are they educated in matters of the mystical arts?
(Here, the captain is referring to matters related to
magic.)
• Are they members of a cult or an organization?
• Are they in any way connected to a governing
body?
• Are they victims of vampire abuse?
• Do any of them worship the Sun God?
• Are they in any way connected to followers of the
Sun God?
• Are there any sorcerers among them?
 ethan Ward

• Are there any sorcerers in their families?

• Are they in any way connected to Cyherested
or to sorcerers?
• Has any of them ever lived outside Kanrath?
The interrogation gets more and more
uncomfortable with each question. The captain
is getting sweatier and sweatier, and her voice
gets louder and louder. The captain chain smokes
during the interrogation, and the air thickens
with the cigarette smoke. If the characters don’t
cooperate, the volume of violence issued by the
enforcers may increase; still, not a single character
should die in this encounter. If they do cooperate;
however, the captain offers them food, drinks, and
cigarettes, and she remains calm throughout.
At the end of this three-hour interrogation, read
or paraphrase the text below to your players:

The interrogation is interrupted by a loud

noise; sounds like someone just slammed a
door shut. When you look at the door, you see
a tall man that appears to be in his late forties.
His swollen eyes with dark circles underneath
quickly but thoroughly go over the Storage,
hungry for information. He is wearing a
dark brown trench coat, as all good detectives
should, and holding a fedora, which he uses to
cover his messy gray hair.
When Elynda sees the man, she coldly says
“Well… Look who it is.” The man greets the captain
with a glance before turning his gaze and fixes
it on you.
“Come to save your ass.” he says in a deep voice
and continues, “Don’t you worry, I’m dead serious.”
He takes a paper out of his old trenchcoat and
approaches Elynda, “The Grand Advisor wants to
speak with them.”
As the Detective introduces himself to the party, talks
to the captain, and shows her the paper, the characters
have enough time to size him up. A successful DC 13
Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that he is carrying
a bloodwork pistolDQGDÁDVNLQKLVLQQHUSRFNHWVZKLFK
explains the heavy smell of hard liquor that surrounds
him like a cloud.
Ethan Ward (human, lawful neutral - p. 277)
Ethan, more commonly known as “the Detective” in
Kanrath, is a 6-foot man of average build. He is in his
late thirties, but he looks older. He wears layers on top
of layers.
History. The Detective won’t tell his story to the
characters before they know each other better and until
he trusts them.
He was abducted by a vampire noble named Zarwyn
when he was still an infant. Zarwyn raised him like
he was her pet and made him call her “mother”.
The Detective underwent leech therapy during his
childhood and teenage years. Keep in mind that leech
therapy is an inhumane method of treatment mostly
forced upon infants and children to “purify” their
blood. Having “purer” blood is believed to increase the
chances of surviving the transformation to a vampire.
Because of the therapy, Ethan hasn’t been at peace with
his body for a long time, and he hides it under layers of
clothes even though he is perfectly healthy.
At the age of 20, he ran away from the ceremony that
would turn him into a vampire. He was unfamiliar with
the city except for the noble district. After running
and hiding from the enforcers for several days, cultists
IRXQGKLPDQGRIIHUHGKLPSURWHFWLRQ)RURYHUD
year, the Detective was a member of an extremist anti-
vampire cult. Then, the cult started to murder children
who underwent leech therapy, although the children
had had no say in the matter. The Detective was one of
the children they hunted but he wouldn’t tell; instead,
he turned himself in and told everything he knew about
the cult to the Kanrath enforcers.
His “mother” dropped all charges against the

31
 Detective; she wanted him to keep living knowing he
has no place in this world. He had been tortured all his
life, witnessed violence, and abandoned to the streets.
He became an enforcer, and eventually started working
as a private detective.
Personality. Due to his personal background and
traumas, Ethan is emotionally distant and cold. He
normally works alone, and when he does work with a
team, he is sullen and sarcastic.
Motives. The Detective never mentions or alludes
WRKLVPRWLYHV'HHSGRZQKHZDQWVWRNHHSÀJKWLQJ
crime, especially crime caused by the vampiric rule,
but he also wants to live out the rest of his days
comfortably. He also wishes to restore his nobility, and
he thinks working for the Grand Advisor might help
him do so.
After the Detective enters the scene, you can move on
to the Road to Royalty section.
The Escape
If the characters manage to escape the Mortuary, they
ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVRQWKHVWUHHWVRIWKH/RGJLQJV S 
They are wanted by the Kanrath enforcers, so the
characters must be disguised or proceed very stealthily
in order not to be recognized by them. Each character
must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence check to go under
disguise without magic. Alternatively, one successful DC
14 Dexterity (Stealth) check from the party allows them
to go unnoticed.
Patrol groups, each containing 1d4 + 2 Kanrath
enforcers (p. 280), are currently patrolling the
city thoroughly in order to locate the party. At the
beginning of each hour until the end of this section, the
characters will encounter a new patrol. The characters
must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check
to notice the presence of a patrol. To successfully hide
from them, they must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity
(Stealth) check.
If the characters are under disguise and choose to talk
it out with the enforcers instead of hiding from them,
roll a d20 every time the party encounters a patrol. On
a result of 1-7, the enforcers talk to the party, unable to
recognize them, and they ask if they have seen anyone
ÀWWLQJWKHLURZQGHVFULSWLRQ,QWKHVHFLUFXPVWDQFHV
each character who talks to the enforcers must succeed
on a DC 15 Charisma (Deception or Performance) check
to successfully perform as the persona they have
disguised themselves as. If the party cannot locate the
patrolling enforcers and are not under disguise, or if
a character fails their Dexterity (Stealth) or Charisma
(Deception or Performance) check, the patrol detains
32
them and takes them back to the Mortuary, where
they’ll be interrogated. If this is the case, move on to
the Interrogation section. If not, they are free to explore
Kanrath. Throughout their exploration, you can roll on
the Kanrath Random Encounters (p. 47) whenever you
desire.
GM Tip. The Detective is also looking for the
FKDUDFWHUVE\WKHRUGHURIWKH*UDQG$GYLVRU)RUWKH
story to continue properly, the party must meet the
Grand Advisor. To that end, each of the encounters
below offer different ways to continue the story. The
party may have one or more of the encounters below.
Visions of the Blood Priest
While the party is wandering around the modest parts
of the Crimson City, they see an elderly man named
Burgraff (dwarf, true neutral, priest of the Blood God -
p. 283), standing in the middle of a small curious crowd,
preaching about the blood rain. When the characters
approach him, they see that the preacher is wearing a
dark red robe, black shirt, and velvet black pants. He
has a mohawk and runic tattoos on both sides of his
head. His white, long beard is in a couple of braids and
decorated with little beads.
He lectures the crowd in his old, throaty voice. “Dear
children! We are blessed, as we have been bathed in blood,
the holiest ichor we could ever lay our hands on. It is a
blessing from the Blood God; it signals the coming of a new
dawn. Fear not, as you are the lucky few who have found
salvation through blood that has fallen from the sky to wash
away our sins.” If the characters approach Burgraff, he
immediately stops preaching, dismisses the crowd, and
says “You lot! Come with me, will you?” If the characters
don’t go with him, Burgraff says “I’ve got something I need
to tell you, in private.” and insists that the characters hear
what he has to say. He then takes them to a narrow back
alley.
He says that he performs a blood ritual every night
before he sleeps in order to foresee the days ahead,
and that he has had a vision that he would meet
four strangers while preaching on the very street
they’ve just met. He believes that the characters have
something to do with the blood rain and that the
Blood God has sent them to him after the blood rain as
messengers. If the characters, or at least one of them,
are willing, he asks them to join him in a blood ritual. A
character must spill 1 hit point of blood into a chalice
made of Kanrath silver, in which Burgraff spills the
same amount of his blood. He proceeds to conduct a
one-hour ritual, chanting a hymn in the name of the
Blood God. During the process, the drops of blood in
WKHFKDOLFHVORZO\H[SDQGHYHQWXDOO\ÀOOLQJWKHZKROH
cup. Burgraff drinks the cup down to the dregs and
his eyes turn pitch black as he enters a hypnotic state
of mind for 1 minute, for the duration of which he is
stunned. When the duration ends, he claims that he’s
had a vision in which the characters were having dinner
LQWKH5R\DO&DVWOHZLWKDKLJKUDQNLQJ.DQUDWKRIÀFLDO
and that they are currently invited to go there. He
claims that the characters will be extremely important
ÀJXUHVLQWKHKLVWRU\RI.DQUDWKPD\EHHYHQUHVSHFWHG
by the vampires themselves. He advises them to go to
the Royal Castle immediately.
and the rest of the vampires with it, including
the other children of the Founder. To achieve
his goals, the Sixth Child has formed new
organizations and started to rule them from the
shadows, keeping his own identity and location
hidden

She claims that she knows something, something very

Unexpected Help
While navigating through the wretched parts of the
city, the characters hear a young woman yell out from
behind them,“HEY! HEY, YOU!” Though she is yelling,
her voice is not aggressive. When they look back at her,
WKH\VHHDZRPDQQDPHG&HOHVWLQD KDOÁLQJFKDRWLF
neutral, Kanrath thug - p. 281) in her late twenties;
beautiful with her curly black hair that falls to her
shoulders, dark blue eyes, and pointy chin. She has the
look of someone who knows the dark alleys of Kanrath;
she is wearing dark gray leather armor and carrying a
dozen daggers.
She says “You have escaped, huh? Not an easy feat, if I say
so myself. Your reputation precedes you.” If the characters
ask where Celestina has heard about them, she says,
“The Twisted Knife has eyes all over the city.” The Twisted
Knife is the most renowned thieves’ guild in Kanrath.
important, about the fate of the characters, and that
if they help her, she’ll tell them what she knows. The
characters can tell that she is telling the truth with a
successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Celestina only wants the characters to engage two
EORRGWD[RIÀFLDOVLQFRQYHUVDWLRQDQGNHHSWKHP
talking while she replaces some tax-collection records
with fake ones. As far as she knows, today is the day
for the southern part of West Ballast residents to pay
their weekly blood tax. If the characters agree to help
her, she tells them what she knows. She says that she
knows the party is wanted, offering them help with
their disguises and assuring them that they’ll have
no problems with the enforcers if she does. If the
characters accept Celestina’s help, she’ll help with
the party’s disguise and they’ll automatically succeed
on any Charisma (Deception or Performance) checks
against the Kanrath enforcers while under disguise.

Celestina

The Sixth Child

and The Twisted Knife
One of the children of the Founder, the Sixth
Child, has been living in Kanrath for many
years. The Sixth Child, a half orc royal vampire,
was once the leader of a mortal rebellion whose
aim was to overthrow the Founder and his
vampiric rule. However, the Founder made the
skies cry with blood, creating an acidic blood
rain over the city, and totally annihilated his
rebellion. To make an example of those who
would oppose him, the Founder transformed
the leader of the rebellion into a vampire under
his own control. This person is known as the
Sixth Child.
For many years, the Sixth Child learned the
ways of the Founder and developed his vampiric
powers, all to be able to one day finish what he’d
started. Now that the Founder is gone, the Sixth
Child wants to destroy Kanrath’s vampiric rule

33
 If they accept the quest, Celestina also disguises
herself as a commoner, wearing a dark robe over her
armor and putting on makeup. They walk to a street in
south West Ballast. The street is in horrible condition;
paved with irregular cobblestones that have irregular
patches of dirt in between, home to disorganized
buildings of different sizes crammed together. There
are some kids wearing worn-out clothes playing with
marbles in front of a house. Celestina asks the party
to kill some time here as she waits for the group of tax
collectors and hides behind them to stealthily steal
documents. The party may play with the children
(commoners) while they wait. Hitting a marble with
another marble requires a successful DC 11 Dexterity
check.
After a couple of hours, two blood-tax collectors
arrive at the scene coming from the other side of the
street on their horses. They all wear the same clothes,
a red and navy blue jacket, dark leather pants, and a
black cap. These uniforms are generally worn by the
RIÀFLDOVRIWKH0LQLVWU\RI0RUWDO+HDOWK2QHRIWKH
tax collectors is a middle-aged woman named Traxita
WLHÁLQJODZIXOHYLOKanrath enforcer initiate - p.
 ZKRLVFDUU\LQJDEULHIFDVHÀOOHGZLWKGRFXPHQWV
and the other is a younger-looking man named Zargar
(half orc, lawful evil, Kanrath enforcer initiate) who is
wearing a backpack full of syringes.
They stop and knock on the door of a house next to
the kids. One minute later, an old lady (human, neutral
good, commoner) looking poor, exhausted, and sick
opens the door. Zargar takes a giant syringe from the
backpack and demands payment, saying the old lady
hasn’t paid her weekly tax. The lady begs for mercy,
saying she is ill. Traxita scowls and says they have the
authority to use violence in the face of impertinence or
disobedience.
The characters may persuade the blood collectors
to spare the old lady with a successful DC 17 Charisma
(Persuasion) check, on the condition that the characters
pay 1 hit point worth of blood in the lady’s stead. If
the characters have a vial of blood, they can also give
that to the tax collectors in exchange for the old lady
being left alone. If the characters do not have a vial of
blood on them, Zargar takes the syringe and draws 1
hit point worth of blood from a willing character. As he
GRHVKLVMREDQGWKHEORRGÀOOVWKHWXEHWKHFKDUDFWHU
takes 1 piercing damage, which cannot be reduced by
any means, and the character’s hit point maximum
GHFUHDVHVE\XQWLOWKHFKDUDFWHUÀQLVKHVDORQJ
rest. Meanwhile, Traxita takes a document out of her
briefcase and documents that the old lady has paid her
tax.
If the characters do nothing but look on as the tax
collectors threaten the old lady, she allows them to
34
draw her blood, albeit reluctantly, and then shuts the
door. The characters hear the sound of the old lady’s
ERG\KLWWLQJWKHÁRRU5ROODG2QDUHVXOWRI
the lady dies; otherwise, she wakes up a few minutes
later.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀJKWWKHWD[FROOHFWRUV&HOHVWLQD
won’t be happy and she won’t give them the
information she promised.
If the characters talk to the tax collectors, they may
receive the following information:
• People usually pay their taxes by coming to
designated spaces in their districts. Collectors such
as themselves only visit people who haven’t paid
their taxes on time.
• The stigma around blood payments is ridiculous;
afterall, blood regenerates whereas money does
not. It is thus more humane than other kinds of
payment.
• The old lady hasn’t paid her weekly tax for a
month. Evading the tax, especially for this long,
cannot be tolerated.
• 7KH\WDNHWKHEORRGÀOOHGV\ULQJHVWRWKH0LQLVWU\
of Mortal Health, where the blood is accumulated
and then distributed to departments that need
blood to fuel all manner of things in the city, as well
as some other locations that they are not at liberty
to discuss. (The blood collected is mainly given
to vampires, which is what the collectors mean
by “places they are not at liberty to discuss”. The
characters can discern that the tax collectors are
hiding something with a successful DC 14 Wisdom
check, and a successful DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion)
check is required for the collectors to admit what
it is.)
• Traxita hates going door to door to collect blood,
but Zargar likes it; he believes he’s working for the
betterment of the community. (The characters can
tell that Zargar is lying by means of a successful
DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check. A successful DC 15
Charisma (Persuasion) check is required for him
to admit that he simply enjoys taking blood from
people by force.)
As the characters distract the tax collectors, Celestina
is able to sneak up from behind them and she tries to
exchange documents inside Traxita’s bag with forged
documents.
To do so, she must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity
(Sleight of Hand) check. As the GM, you can assume
that Celestina automatically succeeds on the check if
the characters have kept the collectors talking for long
enough. If the blood tax collectors are alerted, roll for
initiative.
 After Celestina switches the documents, or after the
combat with the tax collectors, Celestina says she has
heard enforcers say that the characters are wanted
once more, not to be executed this time, but to have
an audience with the Grand Advisor. She advises the
characters to at least hear out what the nobility wants
from them, and what they can offer the characters in
return.
Rivals Located
While traveling in one of the poorer districts of
Kanrath, preferably somewhere near the train station,
each character must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom
(Perception) check in order to locate four hooded
ÀJXUHVLQEODFNFORDNV7KHLUIDFHVDUHFRYHUHGIURP
nose to chin, and they don’t seem to be carrying
weapons or wearing armor; however, they have silver
daggers hidden under their cloaks. They are carrying
empty crates from a store selling mundane items to a
back alley. There are other people going about their
business in or around the store. These people are Silver
Cult initiates S WU\LQJWRÀQGHPSW\FUDWHVIRU
later use. Ten minutes later, a horse cart will come and
take the cultists and their crates in order to relocate
them. The party has ten minutes to make a plan and put
it into action.
The party must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth)
check in order to approach the cultists without getting
caught. If they are caught, the cultists abandon the
empty crates and run to the back alley. Chasing them
is futile since they know their way around far better
than the characters do, and they will be out of sight in
minutes. If the party isn’t caught, they can eavesdrop
on the cultists. Once the cultists go to the back alley,
they talk to each other thinking they are alone:
C1 (human): “Do you think the blood rain was caused by,
you know, the ritual?”
& WLHÁLQJ  “I’m sure of it mate, what else could it be?”
C3 (half orc): “Apparently four people were resurrected
LQH[SOLFDEO\GLG\RXKHDU".DQUDWKRIÀFLDOVDUHORRNLQJIRU
them, maybe we should do that too...”
C4 (half elf): “What for?”
C3: “What do you mean, what for?”
C4: “What does that have to do with anything?”
C3: “You’re a dense one, aren’t you? The Kanrath people
obviously think this resurrection thing has something to do
with the blood rain. I hear that they wanna talk to them, so
WKH\·UHQRWOLNHIXJLWLYHVRUDQ\WKLQJ.DQUDWK·OOMXVWÀQG
WKRVHSHRSOHDQGOHDUQZKDWKDSSHQHGWRWKHP:HPXVWÀQG
them and neutralize them before that. I’m going to tell this to
the master as well.”
C2: ´<HDKZHVKRXOGEHTXLFNLWPD\EDFNÀUHRQXVDQG
ruin everything.”
C1: “That’s enough of that… By the way, have you been to
the Crimson Gargoyle Passage here? They say there are some
crazy bars over there.”
C2: “Crazier than the Mana Bar? Well, I’ll be!”
They then talk about their favorite bars and drinks.
At this point, the characters may surprise them with an
DWWDFNRUWKH\FDQOHDYHWRÀQG.DQUDWKRIÀFLDOVQRZ
knowing that they are simply invited for an audience.
The Dream
When most of the characters are sleeping at the same
time, they are targeted by the dream spell, cast by the
*UDQG$GYLVRUKHUVHOI7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHV
in an enormous, glorious dining hall, decorated with
many exquisite paintings of the Crimson King, Kanrath,
WKH5R\DO&DVWOHWKHFKLOGUHQRIWKH)RXQGHUDQGRWKHU
SHRSOHRUSODFHVRIKLVWRULFRUFXOWXUDOVLJQLÀFDQFHIRU
Kanrath. They are all sitting at a table with an old man
named Broic (gnome, lawful evil, noble) who is wearing
the clothes of a butler, with well-kempt hair and a
clean-shaven face, which makes his exceptionally wide
chin seem even wider. There is every kind of food on
the table, presented to them on plates of Kanrath silver.
)LQDOO\WKHEXWOHUVSHDNVLQDSROLWHDQGVRIWPDQQHU
“Dear friends, know that you are indeed among friends, it’s
more than a mere expression. My master, the Grand Advisor,
awaits your honorable arrival at the Royal Castle, to dine
with her here, and of course, to talk, in a civilized manner.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that you are wanted by the law; your
arrival at the castle will change your legal status, and your
questions will be answered. We thus hope you’ll grace us with
your presence this evening. I must warn you that declining
our gracious invitation would be considered a grave sign
of disrespect. I advise that you refrain from such a foolish
mistake. May blood bless you and keep you.”
When the sleeping characters wake up, they all
remember having the same dream.
Detective Finds The Party
Anywhere in the city, preferably when the party is in a
bar, drinking, they can meet the Detective (p. 277). You
can choose to introduce the party to the Detective if the
players are distracted, or cannot complete the previous
sequences.
The Detective has extensive knowledge about the
characters’ identities thanks to the Grand Advisor’s
resources, both magical and nonmagical. He can thus
recognize the characters even if they are incredibly
stealthy or under disguise. If the party is in a pub, the
35
 Detective offers to buy them a round of drinks, and then
introduces himself in his deep voice.
“I’m Ethan Ward, but you’ll call me the Detective.
Not gonna lie, your escape… Pretty damn impressive…
1HYHUWKHOHVVÀQGLQJ\RXZDVQ·WWKDWFKDOOHQJLQJ\RX
could’ve fooled those lowlife enforcers, but not me. Anyway,
I’m not here to brag. You are invited to the Royal Castle to
have dinner and talk to the Grand Advisor. Now, you have
two options. Either you’ll come with me, we’ll go to the castle,
dine, any charges against you will be dropped and we’ll part
as unlikely friends. Or you’ll refuse my offer, I’ll leave you
alone, only to have some high-ranking enforcers, maybe a
couple of vampire sentries go after you in a few minutes
later. And you can be certain that they’re not half as nice as
I am. Now, what do you say?” If the characters accept the
Detective’s offer, move on to the Road to Royalty section.
If they do, the characters go through the same sequence
of events described in that section, with the exception
that they will be alone with the Detective and that they
won’t be handcuffed. If the characters refuse the offer,
the Detective leaves, and 1d4 + 2 Kanrath enforcer
captains (p. 280) arrive in a few minutes to detain the
party. They do not wish to kill the characters, only
detain them. If they cannot be detained, add more
enforcers to the encounter. The party must continue to
the next episode. After the encounter, move on to the
section titled Road to Royalty. In this case, the characters
will go through the same sequence of events described
in that episode with the exception that the Detective
won’t be there; he’ll await their arrival at the Royal
castle.
Road to Royalty
Together with the Detective and 5 Kanrath enforcers
(p. 280), the characters start for the Royal Castle in a
convoy of three carriages. There are three carriages,
and the handcuffed characters ride with the Detective
in the middle carriage. As the characters start their
journey, read or paraphrase the text below:
As the carriage moves through the cobblestone
roads of Kanrath, you see crimson puddles on
the floor. You can smell iron in the air, and it
suits Kanrath.
The Detective is now silent; he lights a
cigarette and stares outside, looking done-in.
The sound of the hooves against cobblestone
echoes in the narrow streets of the Lodgings.
After all the running around, you feel calm
and almost peaceful. This sense of peace
36
is unfortunately cut short as you leave the
narrow streets behind and move on to busy
roads. The crowds of people are anxiously
talking amongst themselves, and you can
understand a few words from the tense
murmur, enough to tell you what they’re
talking about; the blood rain.
The characters are taken from the Lodgings to the Royal
Castle. During the ride, they pass through six different
districts and encounter the following events in each
one.
Lertes Park. This district is a commercial area with
gorgeous, colorful streets. As they pass through, the
characters see a train emitting blood-red steam and a
crowd leaving the station from a distance.
$QJVW5HÀQHULHV Angst factories of heavy industry
are located in this district. The air is heavy and the
smell of chemicals and dust burns the lungs. The
characters see all kinds of industrial buildings emitting
gasses with an orange or red hue. These are angst
UHÀQHULHV$VWKH\SDVVWKURXJKWKHFKDUDFWHUVVHHIRXU
unhinged human teenagers, shanking down a worker
in the middle of the street, in broad daylight. While
the unlucky worker is dying on the ground, angst dust
spills on the ground and the teenagers inhale the dust.
Then they keep going at the dead body of the unlucky
worker as if they were completely crazy. The teenagers
ÁHHWKHVFHQHZKHQWKH\VHHWKHFDUULDJHDSSURDFKLQJ
The enforcers with the characters don’t seem to care
one bit.
West Ballast. This district is an old industrial
zone occupied by the working class and gangs. The
FKDUDFWHUVVHHDQDNHGWLHÁLQJPDQO\LQJRQWKHJURXQG
whose ribcage is out for everyone to see and his heart
removed. He has severe bite marks all over his neck. A
couple of mobsters are looting the dead man’s bag, in
KRSHRIÀQGLQJDIHZ.)7KHHQIRUFHUVWUXHWRIRUP
don’t seem to care. The Detective says these kinds of
attacks have increased with each passing year, though
he doesn’t know why.
Cleaner’s District. This district is responsible for
keeping the streets of Kanrath in pristine condition.
The cleaners of the city and their families live here.
Just as the characters reach the streets of this district,
cleaners wearing their uniforms of dark blue overalls
and a white cap start dispersing to various parts of the
Crimson City. A Kanrath enforcer captain points his
bloodwork weapon at a half-orc woman, shouting “DROP
YOUR GOLD, NOW!” While your carriage passes by the
captain, the enforcers escorting you salute their fellow
enforcer captain with respect.
Vermillion Financials. 7KLVLVWKHÀQDQFLDOGLVWULFWRI
the city, and it has the same name as the biggest bank in
Kanrath. The characters see people in the banks, doing
UHJXODUWUDQVDFWLRQVXVLQJ.)DQGDQJVWFRLQVDQG
witness people in queue to make blood “donations” in
H[FKDQJHIRUDFRXSOH.)(YHU\RQHZKRKDVXQGHUJRQH
the procedure looks exhausted and the wretched
cabinet in which blood is drawn looks extremely
unsanitary. It seems they use the same syringe to draw
blood from everyone.
Freedom Square. To the north of the Royal Castle, the
)UHHGRP6TXDUHLVKRPHWRDODUJHZDWHUIHDWXUHLQWKH
middle. Around the square is a neighborhood reserved
only for the use of the nobility of Kanrath. The streets
are much cleaner and much better organized in this
district. While navigating through it, the characters
see a noble, probably the butler of a vampire, standing
in front of the door to a manor, holding the hand of a
crying human child, no more than three years old. The
child isn’t trying to run away, as doing so has proved
IXWLOHPDQ\WLPHVRYHUEXWKHLVGHÀQLWHO\QRWKDSS\
He keeps saying “I want my mommy!” in between sobs,
but the butler is paying him no mind.
Grand Advisor
Start playing “Requiem for the Undying” on the
“Bloodpunk OST.”
:KHQWKHFKDUDFWHUVSDVVWKURXJKWKH)UHHGRP
Square, they see the Royal Castle and the walls
surrounding it. The only way to the castle is through a
bridge that connects the square and the Royal District.
The bridge is heavily guarded by the Cohors Sanguinea
(p. 274) even during the day. Cohors Sanguinea are
under the effect of the shadow cloak spell (p. 261), which
allows them to stay in the daylight. When the party
DSSURDFKHVWKHEULGJHWKHRIÀFHUVVWRSWKHP,IWKH
Detective is with them, there won’t be any problem
regarding their entrance. If the Detective is absent,
the party must state the reason for their visit. Then an
enforcer captain enters the district and comes back in
ten minutes with the Detective who escorts the party
through the Royal District to the Royal Castle. Other
Kanrath enforcers or enforcer captains the party is
traveling with aren’t allowed to enter, which is why
they leave the characters at the entrance.
When the party passes through the gates of the
district, they see a huge green area with trees bearing
fruit and wild bushes and parks on their right, in this
neighborhood for vampire nobility and their servants.
37
 They all are the servants of the royal family. All the
houses look well-cared for, luxurious, and lavishly
designed with gardens, ponds, statues, and concourses
here and there. Some residents watch as they pass,
WU\LQJWRÀJXUHRXWZK\PRUWDOVKDYHHQWHUHGWKHSODFH
The Royal Castle stands before them in all its
splendor, as the epitome of Kanrath’s gothic
architectural aesthetics. Gargoyle statues placed on
the top of pointed arches, tall and steep roofs, stained
glass decorations, clean-cut dark stones embroidered
with Kanrath silver, and towers that bear the marks of
blackened suns give the Royal Castle an intimidating
appearance. The building is made of big clean-cut
stones and it has tall, steep roofs.
When the characters arrive at the castle’s front
door which is nearly 60 feet tall, they see two cohors
sanguinea. The Detective salutes them with a nod. Read
or paraphrase the text below:
Everything and everyone looks tiny next to
the great door; even the tallest, strongest of
mortals would look harmless in comparison to
its mighty size.
A few moments later, the great gates on
which there is the depiction of a vampire
looking at an eclipsing sun open slowly,
making a metallic sound that sends chills down
your spine. Even though this is the most well-
guarded place in all of Kanrath, it’s far from
safe for you.
As soon as you pass through the gates, an
old gnome butler with a clean-shaven face
and well-kempt hair, who’s dressed quite
luxuriously, greets you. He doesn’t look
surprised to see mortals coming to the castle.
“This way!” he says, pointing at a long corridor,
and he leads the way.
The interior of the castle is just as majestic as the
building itself; adorned with wonderful art pieces,
well-designed furniture, and expensive fabrics. The
Royal Castle is illuminated by candles, torches, and
many angst lamps. No sunlight penetrates the walls
of the castle, which is completely sunlight-proof. The
characters see around a dozen servants cleaning and
carrying things from here to there. If the characters
try to interact with the servants, Broic (gnome, lawful
evil, noble), the butler, calmly and politely asks the
characters to leave them be as the Grand Advisor is
The Grand Advisor
expecting their arrival any minute. The characters can
only see servants, members of the royalty, and noble
visitors with permits in this place.
After they pass through long corridors, crimson-
carpeted stairs, and great big rooms, Broic opens a door
that leads to a corridor with lots of doors side by side.
+HRSHQVWKHÀUVWGRRUDQGVD\V“Five of the rooms are
reserved for you, our honored guests. Feel free to bathe and
freshen up. Forgive my candor, but I advise that you do so.
You can wear the clothes in the dressers after you’ve done so;
they are gifts from our beloved Grand Advisor. Then we can
meet here, and I’ll show you the way to the dining hall.”
The rooms that the characters go into are identical to
one another, and all of them spacious. There is a large
bed in the middle of the room and it looks extremely
comfortable, wooden wardrobes built into the walls
ZLWKVL[RXWÀWVLQHDFKRQHDOODSSHDOLQJWRDGLIIHUHQW
taste. There is a small shelf on which there are three
books concerning the history of Kanrath, talking
about the Cyherested siege and the glory of Kanrath’s
army, the supremacy of vampire intelligentsia, and the
geography of the mighty Garrote Mountains. The other
shelves on the walls mostly hold bronze candelabras.
The room has a lovely smell of lavender, thanks to the
incense that has recently been lit. There is also a vial
RIEORRGLQHDFKURRPDORQJZLWKDÀQHERWWOHRIZLQH
Various paintings of the landscape of Tolia and Kanrath
are hung on the walls.
The Detective won’t bathe, and it will be crystal clear
that he drank all the wine in the room from the way he
smells. He gets out of his room as soon as a character
gets out of theirs. Once everyone is dressed and ready,
WKH\ÀQG%URLFULJKWZKHUHWKH\·YHOHIWKLPZDLWLQJWR
take the party to the dining room. It’s a big crimson-
carpeted hall, with tall, large paintings of the Tolian
wilderness and the Crimson City hanging on the walls,

38
a gothic chandelier, and a large, round, wooden table
in the middle. A middle-aged woman wearing a long,
velvet dress is sitting at the table. A huge wall-hanging
bearing the Kanrath coat of arms can be seen behind
her on the wall. It is a wide heater shield with an
HFOLSVLQJVXQRQLWV\PEROL]LQJWKH)RXQGHUWZRVSHDUV
behind the shield facing upwards, with the heads of a
ÀHQGDQGDQDQJHOLPSDOHGRQWKHPV\PEROL]LQJKRZ
none can escape from Kanrath’s wrath. Bat-like wings
sprout behind the shield and there’s a vampiric fang on
top of the shield that looks like a crown, symbolizing
WKHPDJQLÀFHQFHRIWKHYDPSLULFUXOH7KHODG\ORRNV
interested in the characters, points at the empty chairs,
and says “Come, I’ve saved your seats.” condescendingly.
Phaelyn Dawnseeker (human, lawful evil, Kanrath
vampire - p. 282)
Phaelyn, known as “the Grand Advisor” in Kanrath,
is a middle-aged, tall woman who wears an excessive
amount of extravagant jewelry as a reminder of her
high rank in the hierarchy. She usually wears velvet
dresses as she likes the way they feel on her skin, which
looks pale but healthy. She has long dark hair and eyes
of the same color.
History. Phaelyn’s mother was a servant of the
)RXQGHUDQGVKHOLYHGZLWKKHULQWKHFDVWOH6KH
thus had opportunities that a mortal in Kanrath could
only dream of. She was highly interested in alchemy,
vampiric powers, politics and geography; even as a
child. As a token of goodwill, the royal family hired a
teacher to educate Phaelyn on such matters, and on
etiquette as well. She had the potential of becoming
a highly talented servant that the royal family would
cherish.
In her teenage years, she became close to the Second
Ruler. They were practically friends, although Phaelyn
always showed him the respect worthy of his station,
which was far above her own. One day, her loyalty paid
off when the Second Ruler announced that Phaelyn was
to be his Grand Advisor.
She had already mastered alchemy at this point,
thanks to the many opportunities Kanrath royalty had
presented her with. That, combined with her knowledge
on all the other things she had been taught, made her
an invaluable advisor to the Crimson King; so valuable
that he offered to reward her with immortality.
Phaelyn not only accepted the offer gladly, but took
it one step further. Using the Second Ruler’s blood,
she alchemically turned herself into a unique vampire
who did not possess the weaknesses of other vampires.
Owing to this unique nature, she could (and still can)
even walk in sunlight without being harmed.
Personality. She is cold and merciless. She doesn’t
tolerate disrespect and is in no way above making
someone disappear from the face of the earth.
Motives. She knows that she is in the highest rank a
mortal could achieve in the Crimson City. Therefore,
she aims to keep her status as is, keep the royal family
safe, and eradicate all who stand in her way.
Darkened Day
As the characters sit down to a feast with the Grand
Advisor and Ethan Ward at the exquisite table in one of
the dining rooms of the Royal Castle, the Grand Advisor
raises her hand and makes a graceful gesture, after
which a servant opens the door, and six other servants
walk in through it, pushing food carts of Kanrath silver.
The servants wearing white cotton suits with white
vests expertly set the table for the characters. They all
have red square pins attached to the upper left collar
of their vests, and they all wear purple foulards. They
have white leather dress shoes on their feet, adorned
with Kanrath silver. The table that was empty just a
FRXSOHRIPLQXWHVDJRLVQRZÀOOHGZLWKDOONLQGVRI
different red and white porcelain plates. There are four
kinds of different cheese, olives, honey, three different
kinds of jam, smoked meat, and various baked goods;
the smell and sight alone is a feast for the senses. While
WKHVHUYDQWVDUHVHWWLQJWKHWDEOHZKLFKÀOOVWKHURRP
with the increasingly mouth-watering smell of different
food, a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals
that the Detective is not at all impressed by this sudden
display of hospitality, and a successful DC 18 Wisdom
(Insight) check reveals that in spite of the Grand
Advisor’s polite demeanor, she looks down on the party.
However, she can mask her true feelings quite well.
When the servants silently leave the room, the Grand
Advisor turns to the characters and slowly but loudly
says, “We have lots to discuss, my friends. I know, you’ve all
been through some inexplicable and unacceptable ordeals. So
ÀUVWWKLQJVÀUVWHDWDQGUHOD[µIf the characters eat, the
*UDQG$GYLVRUZDLWVIRUWKHPWRÀQLVKWKHLUPHDOEHIRUH
she starts talking.
If the characters mention that they were falsely
accused and executed and that they haven’t done
anything, Phaelyn says that she believes them, but
what’s done is done and she’ll see what she can do about
it. However, for the time being, they are still wanted
criminals.
39
 Explanations
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players at
the beginning of the episode:
The Grand Advisor speaks in her lovely, soft
confident voice once again. “Detective Ward had
been investigating the cause of the blood rain-” Ethan
Ward interrupts, “When I was distracted by the
commotion in the Mortuary.” The Grand Advisor
and the Detective exchange looks and after a
brief silence, the Detective continues, “I saw that
the enforcers had placed the building under lockdown, and a
group of curious citizens was standing around the entrance.
I talked to the enforcers and learned that a group of executed
criminals had come back to life. After a quick investigation,
I realized that those same criminals, you people, were
executed at the same time the blood rain started. To further
my investigation, I consulted with the Grand Advisor and she
asked me to escort you to the Royal Castle, as she wanted to
meet you.” The Grand Advisor speaks, looking
annoyed as her speech was interrupted. “Both
Detective Ward and I are aware of the activities of a cult that
deals in mystical arts deeply related to blood. I, personally,
suspect that the blood rain was their doing. But how and
why; this, I do not know.”
There’s a knock on the door, and a servant dressed
differently from those that served the meal enters the
room. This short black-haired elf named Ulesse wears a
dark blue suit in similar style to the attire of the other
servants. Unlike others, there are two red square pins
attached to the vest, but she still wears a purple foulard.
She is the royal messenger of the castle. The characters
can plainly see that she is in a hurry.
As she enters the room, the elf woman quickly but
delicately curtsies to the Grand Advisor and approaches
her. She whispers something in the Grand Advisor’s ear,
covering her mouth with one hand to keep anyone from
reading her lips, and then leaves the room as hastily as
she comes in. A brief look of disgust and shock crosses
the Grand Advisor’s face. She turns to the characters
and says “Looks like we’ll need to continue our conversation
some other time. I implore you to rest in the castle and be
my guests as I look into other matters at hand.” She then
turns to the Detective and says, “Shall we?” Just before
she leaves the room, the Grand Advisor says “You may
leave the castle to exercise or to set up camp in or around
the grounds but please, don’t try to run from me. You know
what will happen if you do. The whole imprisonment thing
40
is unnecessary, and I wouldn’t enjoy ordering your arrest
when you’ve already been through so much. I’ll see you at
midnight. We’ll also talk about your legal status then; you
are, after all, still wanted. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Then
the Detective and the Grand Advisor leave the room,
and the characters are left alone with two servants. If
the characters want to talk, now is a good time to do so
as Broic will enter the room in 10 minutes and ask the
party about where they’ve decided to stay for the night.
An Uneasy Rest
The characters are tired and there is time to rest. Since
the Grand Advisor has offered them rooms in the Royal
Castle, they can choose to stay there. However, they can
also choose to leave and look for a place in the city to
rest, too. They are not captives in the eyes of the Grand
Advisor; thus, no one will try to stop them. They are
simply expected to be there to meet the Grand Advisor
at midnight. Staying in the castle would be both safe
and luxurious compared to any other place, and the
characters would have a chance to look around under
the watchful eye of Broic.
Whether the characters choose to stay in the castle or
outside of the castle, move on to The Quest section when
they return to the castle at midnight.
Level Up! Your characters have survived this far.
Inform your players to level up (to the 2nd level).
The Lower Castle
If the characters choose to stay at the Royal Castle,
Broic approaches them and says, “If you are all ready,
I will accompany you to your quarters. Then, I would be
delighted to accompany you on a tour of the Lower Castle.”
He walks towards the door of the dining room as the
other servants open it for him and the characters.
While walking in the Lower Castle’s hallways, the
characters follow Broic who says, “Please, just follow me
and don’t stray, there are no guards in the castle, but the
royal family is strong enough to put an end to you with a
single glare.” To evade him, the characters must succeed
on a DC 22 Dexterity (Stealth) check. Even if they do,
Broic will realize what the characters are trying to do,
but do nothing about it. The characters who succeed on
WKHLUFKHFNZLOOPHHWWKH)RXUWK&KLOG S ODWHULQ
the Encounters in the Castle section.
At some point, Broic asks the characters if they are
familiar with the history of the castle and the royal
family. No matter what they say as a response, he
begins to talk about the castle, pointing at the various
art pieces around the halls, which are detailed below.
 The Founder and the Queen. A depiction of the
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)RXQGHUKDVDPHQDFLQJORRNLQKLVRUDQJHH\HV+HKDV
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looks on with a smile that shines on her face, her deep,
green eyes looking like they contain forests within. She
has elegant, light brown, wavy hair. When Broic points
at it he says, “This piece depicts the marriage of our beloved
Queen and the Founder. It was through this marriage that
the Founder gained control of the city; by his wits, not feats of
strength.”
The Family Council. $GHSLFWLRQRIWKH)RXQGHUDQG
KLVÀYHFKLOGUHQ S VWDQGLQJDURXQGDPDUEOHWDEOH
drinking blood from glass chalices. Broic says, “Ah, we
VHHWKHUR\DOIDPLO\LQWKLVWDEOHDX7KH)RXQGHUDQGKLVÀYH
children. This piece depicts the power of the glorious vampiric
rule in Kanrath.”
Cyherested Besiege.$QLOOXVWUDWLRQRIWKH)LIWK&KLOG
WKHWLHÁLQJJHQHUDORIYDPSLUHDUPLHVORRNLQJDW
Cyherested and pointing at it with her right hand. Broic
says, “It’s quite plain and simple really. In the year 433, we
besieged Cyherested. When the angst reserves we could take
from the mountains were depleted, we abandoned the siege.”
Coronation. A portrayal of the Crimson King wearing
a crown of bones and Kanrath silver, a dark crimson
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cape and a velvet pitch-black shirt. His left hand is
behind his back and his right hand is on his chest. Broic
says, “This one symbolizes the tragic death of the Founder
and the coronation of the Crimson King.”
The halls of the Lower Castle are made of perfectly-
cut black and white marble slabs. A long red and
VLOYHUFDUSHWLVODLGGRZQRQWKHÁRRU7KHUHDUHDQJVW
lamps placed in beautifully crafted holders in 20-foot
increments. Each angst lamp sheds bright reddish light
in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20
feet. Between every angst lamp, there is an art piece
displayed.
There is a wall reserved for the portrayals of the royal
IDPLO\$WWKHWRSWKHUHDUHSRUWUDLWVRIWKH)RXQGHU
and the Crimson King, hanging side by side. Just below
WKHPWKHUHLVWKHUR\DO4XHHQWKH)RXQGHU·VZLIH
(also known as the Second Child), the Third Child who
is the gnome tailor who had a close relationship with
WKH)RXQGHUWKH)RXUWK&KLOGZKRZDVOLNHDGDXJKWHU
WRWKH)RXQGHUDQGWKH)LIWK&KLOGZKRZDVWKH
commander of the army. There are no portraits of the
Sixth Child, who is a half-orc leading a rebellion against
WKHYDPSLULFUXOHZKRPWKH)RXQGHUWXUQHGLQWRD
vampire to make an example of.
7KHUHDUHSDLQWLQJVRIODQGVFDSHVWKDWVKRZWKHÀUVW
for
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the characters
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41
 VHWWOHGVWDWHRIWKH.DQUDWKRUWKHDUULYDORIWKHÀUVW
ships at the Kanrath Harbor. Busts and sculptures of the
royal family and other members of the nobility are also
displayed in the halls.
After a ten-minute walk, Broic stops and opens a
heavy wooden door. He says, ”You know your rooms. You
are welcome to wander around the Lower Castle but please do
not touch any of the art and stay on this half of the castle. The
other parts are off-limits for our non-noble visitors such as
yourselves. I’ll be in my room right next to the kitchen. If you,
our honorable guests, need something, you need only tell me.
Have a good day.”
)URPQRZXQWLOPLGQLJKWZKLFKLVZKHQWKH*UDQG
Advisor will summon the characters, they are free to do
whatever they’d like. If they choose to wander around
the castle, nobody will try to stop or apprehend them.
Encounters in the Lower Castle
7KH)RXUWK&KLOG S ZDQGHUVDOODURXQGWKHFDVWOH
as she is bored all the time. Each time the characters
enter a room, roll a d20. On a result of 10 or lower, the
)RXUWK&KLOGLVLQWKDWURRP,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVHQFRXQWHU
WKH)RXUWK&KLOGVKHZLOOWDLOWKHPIRUWKHUHPDLQGHU
of their exploration, and constantly ask them personal
questions to try to get to know them better. She
approaches them very sincerely and is quite friendly to
the characters. While she is with the characters, she will
elude all the questions.
Locations
The following are areas that are open to the party in the
Lower Castle, and they are keyed to the Lower Castle
map.
L1. The Hallways
The room where the characters are staying is directly
connected to the hallways by a wooden door. The
characters can freely explore the hallways but not
every room, since some of them are locked. All along
the hallways, there are art pieces just like the ones the
characters saw while being escorted to their room.
There are also servants walking through these hallways.
Picking the locks requires a successful DC 15
Dexterity check made with thieves’ tools. The doors
are Large wooden objects with AC 12, 15 hit points and
immunity to poison and psychic damage.
If the characters try to open a door without trying
to be silent, the servants are alerted. The servants call
Broic, who appears on the scene in a couple of seconds.
He politely asks the characters to go back to their rooms
42
and not to behave like common thieves. The characters
can manage to sneak into these rooms with a successful
DC 17 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
If the characters hit or break a door, the servants
are alerted, and call Broic, who appears on the scene
LQDFRXSOHRIVHFRQGV+HÀUPO\DVNVWKHFKDUDFWHUV
to behave in a civilized manner, or to return to their
rooms.
,IWKH)RXUWK&KLOGLVQRWZLWKWKHFKDUDFWHUVVKH
scares them with a creepy joke at the end of every
minute they spend in the hallways. The party must
roll a d100. On a result of 1-50, the characters see the
bloody footprints of a child leading to the previous
room they were in. However, the characters can neither
notice anything out of the ordinary nor discover the
source even if they track the footprints, which simply
disappear at some point. On a result of 51-75, the
KDOOZD\VDUHVXGGHQO\ÀOOHGZLWKDWKLFNUHGPLVW7KH
mist then disappears, just as quickly as it came. On a
result of 76-100, the characters hear the sinister laugh
of a young lady, coming from an empty room nearby, or
from within the walls.
L2. Tailor’s Workshop
The Tailor’s workshop is a room ladened with
dresses hung neatly on hangers out in the open and
WZRPDQQHTXLQVZHDULQJXQÀQLVKHGSLHFHV7KHUH
is a sewing table in the middle of the room with a
bloodwork sewing machine on it. Three new untouched
cuts of fabric are laid on the counter, accompanied by
three copper scissors, all of different sizes. There is
a stand in front of three mirrors in the right corner.
The workshop is illuminated by an angst ceiling lamp
hanging from the middle, and a candle on the sewing
table.
In the middle of this workshop, a vampire gnome,
Dalminn Palehide, fuels the bloodwork sewing machine
with his own blood, and sews the clothes. He works in
such a masterful manner that one can tell how sewing is
a graceful artform in his capable hands.
Dalminn Palehide (gnome, neutral evil)*
Dalminn, also known as the Tailor, stands behind the
counter working on a purple and cyan bonnet. He
is bald with gray eyes and has sharp and wide facial
features, contrasting his delicate slim body. He is
wearing a white shirt with a red vest that has amber
embellishments on it.
History. Dalminn was an excellent tailor who
PDGHPDQ\IDEXORXVFORWKHVIRUWKH)RXQGHU7KH
)RXQGHUORYHGWRWDONWR'DOPLQQDQGDSSUHFLDWHG

Dalminn Palehide
his great talent. Genuinely fond of his company, the
)RXQGHUGHFLGHGWRRIIHUYDPSLULVPWR'DOPLQQRXW
of generosity. Dalminn gladly accepted the offer,
EHFRPLQJRQHRIWKHFKLOGUHQRIWKH)RXQGHU
$OWKRXJKWKH)RXQGHULVJRQH'DOPLQQVWLOOPDNHV
clothes in this workshop. The Crimson King treats him
like a brother and is happy with his services. Although
he has no complaints, the Tailor admits that he misses
WKH)RXQGHU
Personality. He is a cheerful gnome who loves a good
chit-chat. He doesn’t get out of the castle, not because
KHLVDSULVRQHUEXWEHFDXVHKHLVVDWLVÀHGZLWKKLV
comfortable and isolated life.
Motives. He doesn’t meddle in politics and doesn’t
care for intrigue. He’d gladly take over Kanrath if
there wasn’t any other successor, but he otherwise
has no interest in rising in the ranks of the hierarchy.
+HZLVKHVWRFRQWLQXHWDLORULQJFORWKHVEHÀWWLQJWKH
royalty.
*The Tailor is a royal vampire whose challenge rating is
way beyond the characters’ prowess. If the characters take
KRVWLOHDFWLRQ'DOPLQQVLPSO\WHOHSRUWVWRDGLIIHUHQWÁRRURI
the castle as an action, as he doesn’t wish to kill the visitors.
Once he leaves, one of the royal clothes displayed turns into a
mimic and attacks the characters.
There are seven magical display cases, made of force
ÀHOGVULJKWEHKLQGWKHVHZLQJFRXQWHU7KH\HDFK
display a different kind of leather armor, though one of
them is empty right now. There is a brass plate on each
GLVSOD\LQGLFDWLQJWKHPDWHULDORIWKHDUPRUWLHÁLQJ
SLWÀHQGGURZKXPDQarachnoteeth (p. 148), gnome
and blooddrake (p. 271). A successful DC 18 Wisdom
(Perception) check reveals that each armor has been
adorned with the same shape; an ouroboros with a
snake’s head and vampiric teeth biting its own tail.
7KLVZDVRQHRIWKHIDYRUHGV\PEROVRIWKH)RXQGHU
DQGWKHGLVSOD\HGDUPRUVZHUHGHVLJQHGVSHFLÀFDOO\IRU
him. The missing piece of armor (blooddrake) was the
)RXQGHU·VIDYRULWH,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDVNZKHWKHUWKHVH
armors have any special features, the Tailor gives them
the following information.
• 7KHLWHPVLQWKH)RXQGHU·VDUPRU\ZHUHFUDIWHGLQ
such a special way that the full potential of their
magical properties could only be tapped into by the
)RXQGHU
• Armor made of humanoids have no special features,
only that they are slightly lighter than regular
OHDWKHUDUPRU7KH)RXQGHUZDQWHGWKHVHPDGHWR
intimidate his enemies. And Dalminn doesn’t mind
that there is an armor made of gnome’s leather
here. He doesn’t take it personally.
• $UPRUPDGHRISLWÀHQGSURWHFWVLWVZHDUHUIURP
ÀUHEHWWHUWKDQWKHUHJXODUOHDWKHUDUPRU
• An armor made of arachnoteeth has a hard shell on
WKHVXUIDFHGHFUHDVLQJWKHHIÀFLHQF\RILQFRPLQJ
attacks.
• Blooddrake armor protects its wearer from magical
attacks to a certain degree.
If the characters ask why the blooddrake armor is
PLVVLQJWKH7DLORUVD\VWKDWWKH)RXQGHUZDVEXULHG
with it in the crypt.
If the characters ask why there are magical display
FDVHVPDGHRIIRUFHÀHOGVWKH7DLORUVWDWHVWKDWVXFK
display cases look more elegant.
7KHUHDUHDOVRÀYHRWKHUGLVSOD\FDVHVKHUH
containing elegant clothes worthy of the royal family,
embroidered with Kanrath silver. They were made
E\WKH7DLORUKLPVHOIDQGDUHZRUWK.)HDFK
If the characters courteously ask the Tailor whether
they can have these clothes for a price, he gifts them
to the party. Stealing them requires a successful DC
20 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If the Tailor catches the
characters stealing the clothes, he’ll give them as gifts
anyway, albeit with a pitying expression on his face.
43
 L3. Kitchen FDVWOHDQGFDQEHDFFHVVHGYLDWKHKDOOZD\V)UHVKO\FXW
grass and bushes decorate the area and a marble fence
The kitchen has two large counters against the walls surrounds it. Three cohors sanguinea (p. 274) patrol
across the door and on the left. A separate counter the periphery of the gardens. There are numerous fruit
VWDQGVLQWKHFHQWHU7KHDLULVÀOOHGZLWKDGHQVHVZHHW trees planted here, unlike in the rest of the city.
and sour scent. The cupboards above the counters are 7KHUHLVDPDUEOHVWDWXHRIWKH)RXQGHUORRNLQJDW
ÀOOHGZLWKXWHQVLOV7KHUHDUHIRUW\EDUUHOVVWDFNHG the castle and a statue of the Crimson King looking at
against the wall on the right. If the characters inspect the city. A successful DC 18 Intelligence (History) check
WKHEDUUHOVWKH\QRWLFHWKDWVRPHRIWKHPDUHÀOOHG reminds the characters that there only used to be the
with blood. The kitchen is illuminated by an angst lamp )RXQGHU·VVWDWXHORRNLQJWRZDUGVWKHFLW\KRZHYHU
hanging from the middle of the ceiling. when the Second Ruler came to power, he erected his
There is a small storage room right behind the own statue and faced them as they now stand. This is a
kitchen that functions as a fridge; it is magically kept ZD\IRUWKH&ULPVRQ.LQJWRGHFODUHWKDWWKH)RXQGHU
cold with runes inscribed on its walls. Various types of meddled in the affairs of royalty too much, that he
meat hang from the ceiling on meat hooks. A successful didn’t show enough care to the affairs of the city, and
DC 14 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals that some of WKDWKHLVWKHH[DFWRSSRVLWHRIWKH)RXQGHUDIULHQGWR
the meat belong to humanoids. all citizens of Kanrath; vampire and non-vampire alike.
If the characters enter the kitchen, they see a cook The characters may overhear the cohors sanguinea
named Svajo (human, chaotic evil, commoner).
He looks no older than 40. There are two
servants named Lydia and Miles (human, Cohors sanguinea
chaotic neutral, commoner), wearing
aprons and white hats, making some
tea and preparing snacks for the
characters.
Before the characters enter
the room, the cook and
the servants are having a
conversation about how the
)RXUWK&KLOGZDQGHUVDURXQGWKH
castle like a ghost.
If the characters ask about the
humanoid meat in the storage, Svajo
says that they are reserved for vampire
visitors, and says that he can prepare a
meal using that meat if the characters want.
If the characters want to try it, they realize
that they feel hungry at the thought of it, even
if they weren’t a moment ago. During the meal’s
preparation, the characters’ hunger grows and they
eat the meal with incredible gusto. The truth is, the
)RXQGHU·VFRQVFLRXVQHVVLVVORZO\DZDNHQLQJZLWKLQ
the characters, and his hunger grows by the minute.
$OWKRXJKWKH)RXQGHUKDVQRGLUHFWHIIHFWRQWKH
characters’ choices, he motivates them towards
vampiric attitudes, making them yearn for things
they never have before.

L4. Gardens
The gardens are located on the north side of the

44
talking about their execution. One of them says that
the judge’s order to execute the characters without a
proper trial was unjust. The other two believe that it
doesn’t matter, as it would have turned out no different
than it has.
L5. Supply Room
The doors of the supply room are locked with a heavy
steel padlock. The lock can be picked by a successful DC
13 Dexterity check made with thieves’ tools. On a failed
check, the padlock breaks and the lock is stuck, making
it impossible to pick again. In this case, the door can
be opened with a successful DC 17 Strength (Athletics)
check, though this makes a lot of noise.
7KLVELJURRPLVÀOOHGZLWKFKHVWVEDUUHOVFKDLUV
towels and soaps, cooking utensils, and food that
doesn’t expire easily. The room is illuminated by angst
lamps placed on the walls.
Treasure..)ZRUWKRIDUWSLHFHVGHSLFWLQJ
Kanrath’s current state, one set of cook’s utensils, and
one set of leatherworker’s tools.
L6. Servants’ Room
At the main entrance of the Lower Castle, near the
gardens, a room is allocated for servants to rest.
When the characters enter, they see a long wooden
table with twelve chairs around it. On the wall, right
across from the table, there is a stove with several
teapots on it. There are currently two servants in this
room; an old man, named Vankyr (dragonborn, lawful
neutral, veteran), wearing a navy-colored plumber’s
uniform, and a young beautiful woman, named Etyrina
WLHÁLQJODZIXOQHXWUDO guard), with long dark blue
hair, wearing the same uniform in orange. The colors
LQGLFDWHWKDWWKHWLHÁLQJLVVXSHULRUWRWKHGUDJRQERUQ
in plumbing, although this is not a general ranking
system used outside the castle.
They are sitting at the table, drinking their freshly
brewed tea. The major and instantly recognizable
difference of this room to the others is that it has clear
windows looking out to the gardens; there are only
sunlight-proof stained glass windows for decoration in
the rest of the castle.
Vankyr and Etyrina are unwilling to converse with
the characters because they don’t want to be caught
slacking off. They try to send the party out of the room,
but a successful DC 13 Charisma (Persuasion) check
made after a 1-minute conversation can change their
minds.
Once persuaded, they talk about how working in
the castle for the royal family is. They describe it as a
perfect experience since it pays well, and since they
are living in the castle, they have a higher quality of
life compared to most other citizens of Kanrath. They
also get a chance to see people of importance. The only
GRZQVLGHLVWKDWWKH)RXUWK&KLOGVRPHWLPHVVFDUHV
them with little tricks. They also mention that not
everyone can be a servant in the Royal Castle. They
have been trained to be servants since childhood,
receiving a decent education in etiquette, history,
politics, and one more subject of their own choice.
They are certain that they’ll one day be rewarded with
vampirism if they keep working well.
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals
that both Vankyr and Etyrina have several bite marks
on their necks. If the characters ask about the marks,
they don’t try to cover them up. Instead, they boast that
the royal family sometimes feeds upon them. They also
add that it doesn’t really hurt much, maybe a little more
than a swarm of red mozzy; a kind of mosquito native to
Kanrath.
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check helps the
characters sense that they are hiding something. A
successful DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion)
check makes Vankyr admits that only noble visitors
to the castle feed on them; not the royal family. No
member of the royal family has asked them to be of
such service.
L7. Bathroom
The bathroom is located across from the guest rooms.
It is a huge room that is separated into smaller cubicles
for personal use. Although there was a portable bath for
each character in their guest rooms, they can also use
the baths here if they wish.
)RXUSRUFHODLQEDWKWXEVDUHSODFHGLQHDFKFXELFOH
and there is a big communal hot bathing pool in the
middle. The communal bathing pool is full of hot water
ULFKLQPLQHUDOV7KHRWKHUIRXUEDWKWXEVDUHÀOOHGZLWK
blood, cold water, milk, and hot water.
The middle is illuminated with an angst chandelier
and the smaller cubicles have angst sconces on the
walls.
Two young servants, Barduk, (half orc, neutral good,
commoner) and Zlathir (elf, neutral, commoner) are
washing a noble named Nithaniel Zeniir (elf, lawful evil,
mage) in one of the cubicles. If the characters choose
to take a bath, one of the servants approaches and asks
if they need assistance. Nithaniel, who has a patchy
ginger beard, stringy hair, and hooded dark eyes, may
engage in conversation with the characters if the party
makes any move that reveals they are not accustomed
to the ways of the castle. If so, he talks to them in a
45
 condescending tone with the assumption that they are
not nobles. He works as a connoisseur of blood for the
Grand Advisor and states that he bathes in the Lower
Castle to avoid being bothered. If the characters ask
what his profession as a connoisseur of blood requires
for him to do, he says that he measures the quality
of the blood the Grand Advisor or other members of
royalty drink. Its taste, aftertaste, even its color are
of importance. The blood must also be pleasing to the
H\H7KH)RXUWK&KLOGOLNHVKHUEORRGOLJKWFRORUHG
while the Third Child likes it dark and with a heavy
taste of iron. The Crimson King sometimes wishes to
GULQNIURPQRELOLW\DVÀQGLQJDQRWHZRUWK\PRUWDOWR
PHHWKLVVSHFLÀFWDVWHVLVFKDOOHQJLQJ+HFDQWDONDERXW
his profession for hours, but he is more interested in
listening to the story of the characters.
L8. Restroom
Since there are no restrooms in the guest rooms, the
characters can use this room instead. It is a large
marble room with six stalls, six brass washbasins and
mirrors in the antre. The restroom is illuminated with
angst lamps placed in the stalls and over the mirrors.
L9. Stairs to the Upper Castle
7KHKLJKHUÁRRUVRIWKHFDVWOHDUHRIIOLPLWVWRWKH
characters. Ulesse (elf, lawful evil, a Kanrath vampire
- p. 282), a short black-haired woman wearing a dark
blue robe over her armor, greets the characters from
the shadows when they approach the stairs. She says
she is guarding the passage to the Upper Castle and
kindly asks the characters to stay in the Lower Castle.
If the characters try to pass her by, she tries to detain
them without killing them. To do this, Ulesse conjures
a special longsword made of blood with a bonus action.
All damage dealt by this sword is blood damage, and
Ulesse deals an extra 1d6 blood damage on successful
weapon attacks. When a creature is hit by this sword, it
must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or
become poisoned for 4d6 hours. The poisoned creature
is incapacitated. Ulesse is also invisible in darkness,
which may be important later on.
L10. Dining Room
Ulesse patrols between areas L9 and L10. Until the
Grand Advisor returns and summons the characters,
they are not allowed in the dining room. If they ask
Ulesse why they aren’t allowed, she explains that this
is a general safety protocol. If the characters try to pass
her by, she proceeds to detain them just as explained
46
above.
L11. Other Guest Room
All the guest rooms are exact replicas of each other.
The characters can explore the other guest rooms, but
WKH\ZRQ·WÀQGDQ\WKLQJQRWHZRUWK\LQWKHPDVWKHUH
currently aren’t any other visitors.
L12. Lower Great Hall
This hall is the largest room in the Lower Castle. It is
illuminated with angst lamps but there is nothing in it
DSDUWIURPEUDVVSODWHVRIDIRRWUDGLXVZLWKUHÀQHG
engravings on them placed on the walls, representing
WKHULVHRIWKH)RXQGHUWKHULVHRI.DQUDWKWKHZDU
between Kanrath and Cyherested, the rise of the
Crimson King and the rise of the high vampire society
under the reign of the Crimson King.
The Hall’s ceiling is higher than that of the other
rooms. It is used for ceremonies and is prepared
a certain way before each event. If the characters
KDYHQ·WHQFRXQWHUHGWKH)RXUWK&KLOG\HWWKH\ÀQG
KHUH[DPLQLQJWKHUHÀQHGSODWHVRQWKHZDOO:KHQVKH
hears the characters enter, she greets them sincerely
and offers to educate them about the engravings on
WKHZDOO,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDYHHQFRXQWHUHGWKH)RXUWK
Child, she leads the characters to the plates and tells
them what each engraving stands for.
After she is done, she says “This Great Hall is designed
to host important ceremonies and rituals. My beloved friends,
you are important guests of this castle, worthy of partaking
in such a ritual. I offer at least one of you to join me in the
middle of the hall and offer me a sip of your blood. This will
strengthen our bond as friends. You’ll also receive an angst
coin as a token of my gratitude. Side note: it won’t even
hurt.” If a character accepts, they must go to the middle
RIWKHKDOOQH[WWRWKH)RXUWK&KLOG6KHDVNVZKHUH
WKHFKDUDFWHUZDQWVWREHELWWHQÀUVWWKHQJLYHVWKH
character an angst coin, and then bites them. If the
character says that where they’re bitten doesn’t matter,
WKH)RXUWK&KLOGFDQELWHWKHFKDUDFWHU·VDUPRUQHFN
after giving them an angst coin. It hurts a little, the
character takes 5 piercing damage and their hit point
maximum is reduced by 1. If the characters don’t want
WREHELWWHQWKH)RXUWK&KLOGGRHVQ·WIRUFHWKHPEXW
VD\VWKDWVKHLVGLVDSSRLQWHG$IWHUWKLVWKH)RXUWK
Child goes to the Upper Castle, the blood prints on the
ÁRRUGLVDSSHDUDQGWKHODXJKWHURUUHGPLVWLQDUHD/
suddenly stops.
The Fourth Child of the Founder KDOÁLQJODZIXOHYLO
- p. 278)
7KH)RXUWK&KLOGLVDQROGYDPSLUHZLWKWKHORRNV
RID\RXWKIXOKDOÁLQJJLUO6KHZDVWXUQHGLQWRD
YDPSLUHDOPRVW\HDUVDJRE\WKH)RXQGHUDQGVKH
has retained her looks since the transformation. She
hasn’t been given a name, neither by her parents nor
WKH)RXQGHUPRVWSHRSOHDGGUHVVKHUDV“Princess”,
“Lady”, or “Highness”. She has bright blue eyes, perfectly
smooth and pale skin, platinum-blonde hair, and sharp
facial features.
History.7KH)RXQGHUWRRNDKDOÁLQJLQIDQWIURPD
mortal family to raise as his own. He was surrounded
by people who trusted him or obeyed him but did not
love him; not even his wife. He wanted to get that love
from a daughter. As he was unable to have a child, he
FKRVHWRDEGXFWRQH+HUDLVHGWKH)RXUWK&KLOGLQKLV
castle, only leaving her side for urgent matters. He
truly cared for her and eventually started to love her
as a daughter. She loved him as a father in return. The
)RXQGHUUDLVHGDQGHGXFDWHGKHUSHUVRQDOO\DQGWHQGHG
to her every need. When she turned 19, he transformed
her into a vampire to immortalize their relationship as
IDWKHUDQGGDXJKWHU)RURYHUDFHQWXU\WKHLUUHVSHFW
and love for each other grew. She was well-versed in
politics and crowd manipulation. Her ideas, supported
E\WKH)RXQGHU·VUDZSRZHUKHOSHGWKHYDPSLUHVRFLHW\
establish almost absolute control over the citizens of
Kanrath. People tend to follow her aimlessly and offer
up their blood without hesitation.
Personality. She is extremely cunning, careful, and
seemingly friendly. Her offers are always tempting,
her words are always persuasive, and she always seems
honest. She is a master of manipulation. Everyone
thinks that they are friends with her until they realize
they aren’t; usually when it’s too late. She can persuade
everyone to do her bidding without them noticing.
Motives. She wants to reunite with her father by
resurrecting him, and she wants to take revenge on
WKH)LUVW&KLOGIRUEHWUD\LQJWKH)RXQGHUHQVXULQJKLV
eternal suffering.
The City Under the Sun
If the characters choose to leave the Royal Castle after
they meet the Grand Advisor in the dining room, Broic
approaches them and says, ”Then I shall accompany you
to the exit. When the Grand Advisor wants you to return
to continue the conversation; we will contact you with a
spell. I advise that you be very careful out there, you are
still wanted criminals. Now, if you would follow me.” As the
characters pass through the same hallways, corridors,
and carpeted stairs they’ve seen when they entered the
castle, Broic leads the way. When they approach the
doors, Broic salutes the two servants who are currently
cleaning the door, which opens slowly with the metallic
screech that the characters are now familiar with.
Kanrath looks very different from where the
characters are now standing; this is a different side to
the city than the characters have seen until today. As
it is morning, the angst-powered street lights are off,
and the vampires that reside near the castle are now
nowhere to be seen. The streets are almost empty,
except for some workers late for their shifts.
While the characters are exploring the city, two
Kanrath enforcers (p. 280) tail them at all times by the
Grand Advisor’s order. These enforcers are ordered to
make sure that the characters don’t die. They also save
the characters from being arrested by other enforcers,
who they fear might kill the characters during the
arrest or interrogation.
With a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check,
the characters can tell that they are being followed.
Also, as the characters are wanted criminals, their
houses, friends, family, and colleagues are all under
surveillance. There are now Kanrath enforcers
everywhere related to their past.
The characters must search for a place to stay. Since
there isn’t any place to stay for low-life mortals in the
Highseat District (p. 9) or at Mourneham Abbey (p.
 WKHQHDUHVWGLVWULFWWRÀQGDSODFHWRUHVWIRUWKH
characters is Lertes Park (p. 10). Here, they have various
places to choose from; from cheap inns to luxurious
hotels. No matter where the characters choose to stay,
two Kanrath enforcers approach the characters at
midnight and say they want to escort them to the Royal
Castle.
The characters should feel like the parts of the
city where vampires dwell is dead or sleeping while
wandering around in the morning. Almost all of the
JRYHUQPHQWRIÀFHVDUHFORVHGZKHQWKHVXQLVXS
While the noble side of Kanrath is empty, the other
VLGHLVÀOOHGZLWKPRUWDOV:KLOHVRPHVWUHHWVLQ/HUWHV
3DUNDUHLQFUHGLEO\EXV\SRYHUW\DJJUHVVLRQDQGÀOWK
can be seen quite clearly. Contrary to the night, the
enforcers are much more brutal against the people
during the day.
The characters can encounter different and
sometimes troublesome events in the Crimson City
during the day. As they walk in the bloodied streets of
Kanrath, the characters must have at least 2 random
encounters. You can determine the random events by
making the characters roll d10s, and describing the
encounter that corresponds to the roll below.
(1) Vampire’s Bounty. The characters notice a lonely
child (dragonborn, neutral good, commoner) crying
inside a barrel in a back alley. She has been abducted by
a vampire’s mortal servant. She has managed to break
47
 free, but now doesn’t know what to do or where to go.
Although she doesn’t know the way, she knows her
home address, which is in a neighborhood nearby. The
characters can return her to her family. On the way,
WKH\HQFRXQWHUWKHYDPSLUH·VVHUYDQW WLHÁLQJQHXWUDO
evil, berserker) searching for the little dragonborn girl.
The party can hide the girl, hand her to the servant to
UHFHLYHDERXQW\RI.)HDFKRUÀJKWWKHVHUYDQW
(2) Mercy For the Wicked.7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQG
themselves in a dead end where 3 pale ones (p. 283)
are miserably scavenging for food in garbage dumps. If
the characters help them by giving them any amount
of food, one of them gives them a wooden amulet
poorly carved into the shape of a crystal, as a gift. If
WKHFKDUDFWHUVDFWZLWKKRVWLOLW\WKH\ÀJKW,IQRWWKH\
simply go about their business.
If a creature’s blood is drained and they are not given
blood to replace their loss, they either die or live their
life as a pale one. Tragically enough, some people sell
their own blood in Kanrath as they desperately need
money. If a creature loses a great amount of blood
by doing so, it can also become a pale one over time.
Pale ones are generally overlooked in society; they
live on the streets where people don’t so much as
give them a second glance. Some of them are cast out
from cities and try to live in the wilderness. They look
like terminally ill humanoid creatures with pale skin.
Generally, they suffer from limb losses.
Although it is very rare, some people who wish to live
a life just like the vampire masters or the nobility take
pale ones to their homes and expect them to serve them
as butlers. Most of such cases end with these people and
whoever else is in their home being murdered by the
pale one, but in the rarest of cases, one may see a pale
one working successfully as the butler of a house.
(3) A Rising Threat: Rebels.$FKDUDFWHUÀQGVDSLHFH
of paper on the ground. It is a piece from the newspaper
Kanrath Today. On the paper, there is an article written
by a journalist called Star Greybert. The article claims
that the anarchist movement in Tolia is getting
stronger by the day, and she is curious about what the
vampiric reign will do about it. The article also reminds
the characters how the last big rebellion ended; the
)RXQGHUFRQGXFWHGRQHRIWKHJUHDWHVWULWXDOVRIDOO
time, and made it rain blood, making all the rebels
evaporate.
(4) Spontaneous Angst Combustion. An elderly man
(human, neutral, commoner) suddenly collapses,
shaking and twitching on the ground. People gather
around the man to help. A few seconds later, someone
from the crowd yells, “ANGST WORKER!” in panic. The
people who have gathered start to run, but the man
on the ground explodes before they can get away.
Creatures within 15 feet of the man must make a DC
48
'H[WHULW\VDYLQJWKURZWDNLQJGDFLGDQGGÀUH
damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a
successful one.
Angst combustion is a rare phenomenon that can
be seen in angstries (see below) and workers of angst
UHÀQHULHV:KHQVRPHRQHLVH[SRVHGWRDQJVWGXVWIRUD
ORQJSHULRGRIWLPHWKHGXVWÀOOVWKHLUOXQJVDQGZKHQ
the person suffers internal bleeding, the blood can
react with the angst dust. This reaction causes the angst
GXVWWRLJQLWH$WÀUVWWKHDIÁLFWHGFDQQRWEUHDWKHDQG
displays seizure-like symptoms, and then they explode,
suffering a horrible death.
(5) Angst Beggar. A ravaging angstry (p. 268), a
humanoid who has abused angst recreationally and
become addicted, stands in the party’s way and asks
them if they’re holding any angst. Even if the characters
don’t have any on them, the angsty won’t believe it. The
RQO\ZD\WRSUHYHQWDÀJKWLVWRJLYHWKHDQJVWU\DQ\
amount of angst.
(6) A Life With No Value. In an alley, the characters
see a little girl, dying slowly as the result of a bleeding
wound. The characters can stop the bleeding with a
successful DC 11 Wisdom (Medicine) check or with any
means of magical healing. If she is saved, the characters
learn that her name is Ada, and that she is the leader of
a mob of street kids. The enforcers have beaten her up
and left her to die here because they didn’t want to deal
with the paperwork of arresting her. She says, “Doesn’t
my life have any value?” embraces the character who
saves her, nestles herself in their arms and starts to cry
with heartbreaking sobs.
(7) Is It a Bird?)DULQWKHGLVWDQFHWKHFKDUDFWHUVVHH
a half elf getting out of a wealthy-looking apartment’s
window. When she is climbing down, a gargoyle statue
RQWRSRIWKHEXLOGLQJFRPHVDOLYHÁLHVXSDQGGLYHV
at the thief, killing them with a single blow of its claw.
The gargoyle then returns to its place and becomes a
PRWLRQOHVVVWDWXHRQFHDJDLQ7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQG
.)ZRUWKRIDQJVWDQGMHZHOU\RQWKHOLIHOHVVERG\
of the elf.
(8) A Bloody Accident. A cart carrying barrels
suddenly tilts over and crashes. The barrels shatter
on impact, and a large amount of blood spills on the
ground. The people in the area rush towards the site
RIWKHDFFLGHQWWRFROOHFWWKHEORRG6RPHÀJKWVHYHQ
break out, with people saying they had their eye on
a certain area. Each character can collect one vial of
blood.
(9) Technology of Blood. A bloodwork automaton
worker (p. 272) is displayed on the side of an armor
shop, on a platform. The salesperson calls out, “Come
one, come all! Now, you can buy one for yourselves. Get a
worker automaton. Live better, work safer!” The price is 100
 angstry

Pale ones

49
 angst coins.
(10) Law of the Lawless. Two Kanrath thugs (p. 281)
are blocking the street asking for a vial of blood or 5
.)IURPHDFKSHUVRQZKRZLVKHVWRSDVV(YHU\RQHLV
furious, but no one can do anything out of fear. The
thugs’ stance alone shows everyone that they’re ready
and willing to show any troublemakers who the real
boss is on the streets of Kanrath.
If the characters run into some trouble with the
law or are recognized by one of the enforcers close
to midnight, they are detained and taken to a nearby
enforcer station. There, the enforcers lock them up. At
midnight, two Kanrath enforcers appear in the station
with some papers and release the characters. These
two enforcers are those who have been following the
characters by the order of the Grand Advisor. After
that, they ask the characters to follow them back to the
Royal Castle.
If the characters are not detained, one of them
receives a message via a sending spell at midnight. The
Grand Advisor herself commands the party to return
to the Royal Castle at once. If not, they are detained by
waves of 1d4 + 2 Kanrath enforcer captains (p. 280)
until they are brought to the Grand Advisor.
The Quest
Whether the characters have stayed in the Lower Castle
DVJXHVWVRUWKH\OHIWWKHFDVWOHWRÀQGDSODFHWRVWD\
they return to the dining room in the Lower Castle at
midnight. When the characters enter the room, they see
the Grand Advisor and the Detective waiting for them
while drinking wine. Broic is standing at the corner
with a bottle of wine at the ready. Ulesse is also waiting
in a dark corner of the dining room, invisible.
The Grand Advisor, wearing elegant clothes that
are similar to what the characters have seen before,
speaks in a calm manner, “Welcome back. I plan to keep
this short, so have a seat and listen carefully.” At this point,
the Detective moves the chair next to him and invites
the characters to the table with a gesture of his hand.
The Grand Advisor continues, “Truth to be told, I have
a problem, something that I believe to be a problem for you
as well. This cult. I must learn who they are, and how much
trouble they are, and I believe you can help me. Investigate
the city, learn what others know about the cult and bring me
back names if you can. In return, you will be pardoned for
your crimes. I can even help you after you’ve earned your
freedom; anything you’ve dreamt of becoming in this city, I
can pave the way. But if you refuse, we have to continue with
the execution.”
50
While making her offer, the Grand Advisor uses the
weaknesses of the characters against them in order to
manipulate them into saying yes, and you can alter the
GLDORJXHDV\RXZLVKWRWKDWHQG)RUH[DPSOHLIRQHRI
the characters has a sick, dying partner and the cure
is too expensive, the Grand Advisor could say, “You can
save your partner before it is too late,” looking into the
character’s eyes. In any case, it is advised that she tries
to exploit one weakness of each character.
The characters may ask why they are being sent to
LQYHVWLJDWHDFXOWZKHQWKHUHDUHKXQGUHGVRIRIÀFHUV
LQ.DQUDWK)LUVWO\WKH*UDQG$GYLVRUWKLQNVWKHUHLV
a connection between the characters, the blood rain,
and the cult’s activities. As such, she thinks pushing
the characters into the mystery will resolve it quicker.
Secondly, since the characters are neither vampires nor
enforcers, they would be harder to recognize, which
means there is a smaller chance that the investigation
would be interrupted in their hands.
The characters actually have no choice but to accept
this “offer”; if they don’t, the Grand Advisor threatens
to have them executed once more. The Detective
suggests that the characters accept this offer as they
won’t be wanted criminals after the deed is done, and as
they will receive additional rewards. If they still refuse
the offer, the Grand Advisor orders the characters to
be detained, at which point Ulesse appears. Then the
characters are sent to execution by exsanguination.
They die, again, at dawn.
If the characters accept the offer, the Detective asks
the party whether he can join them, as he has already
taken the case, and doesn’t want to quit while he’s
ahead. When the conversation is concluded, the Grand
Advisor calls Broic over with a hand gesture, and Broic
approaches. She turns to the characters and says, “You
will need equipment for this job. Follow Broic, he will lead you
to the armory of the cohors sanguinea. There, you can ask
the captain, Sir James Mitchell, what he can spare. You also
need to ask him for my sigil; you need to carry it if you want
to roam the city freely. However, since you will be carrying
my sigil, people will think you are under my command. So, act
like it.”
Broic says, “Please, if you’d all follow me,” and starts
to walk towards the garden of the castle. The Grand
Advisor returns to her wine while the characters and
the Detective follow Broic. At the periphery of the
garden, there is a guard house for the cohors sanguinea.
The guard house is decorated with depictions of sun
motifs, crying people, burning enemies, and angel-like
YDPSLULFÀJXUHV0RVWRIWKHSODFHLVPDGHRIPDUEOH
The cohors sanguinea are located here as they cannot
enter the royal castle by any means unless they are
invited or there is an emergency.

Cohors Sanguinea
Within the vampire society, there is an
elite group called Cohors Sanguinea whose
members are also called by the same name.
These vampires prefer serving their great
elders, their creators, the royalty, rather
WKDQVHUYLQJWKHLUVHOÀVKJRDOVDQGGHVLUHV
They are the guardians of the royal family,
the heart of Kanrath.
There is only one way of joining Cohors
Sanguinea: to perform a sunbath ritual
within the Royal Castle courtyard; all
vampires can volunteer and only vampires
can undergo the sunbath ritual. The
volunteer is put into a silver cage, given a
silver dagger, and is expected to endure the
sun for 3 full days. After getting into the
cage, the only way of ending the suffering is
succeeding or the silver dagger.
After a vampire successfully completes the
sunbath ritual, they are trained in combat,
etiquette, history, arcane, and vampiric
SRZHUV$IWHUWKHWUDLQLQJÁHVKFUDIWHUV
put a special kind of armor on the vampire
E\LQVHUWLQJVRPHSDUWVRILWLQWRWKHLUÁHVK
and attaching it to their bones; the armor
is not to be taken off ever again. Then, a
group of blood priests endows the blessing
of the Blood God on the vampire’s left arm;
LWLVWREHFKHULVKHGXQWLOWKHHQG)LQDOO\
the Crimson King himself puts a ring on the
vampire’s right hand; the ring conjures the
weapon that symbolizes the Crimson King’s
wrath.
Members of Cohors Sanguinea are
forbidden to feed as they wish. They have a
mortal herd; they can only feed on that herd
and only they can feed on them.
Preparation
After a ten-minute walk through the garden, the party
reaches the armory. Broic makes sure that the party
meets Sir James Mitchell (human, lawful evil, cohors
sanguinea - p. 274). The room is a one-story building,
a mere watch box. Sir James Mitchell is waiting for the
party here, as he was ordered to do so. He has long
white hair and a beard, and he looks like he is in his
ODWHÀIWLHVDOWKRXJKKHLVRYHU\HDUVROG+HZDV
a human before he was turned into a vampire. He is
wearing a red and black robe and wielding a longsword.
He greets the characters with a nod.
Broic looks at Sir James and says, ”Sir, by the order
of the Grand Advisor, these people need equipment and
my lady’s sigil.” Sir James looks at the characters for
a moment, like he’s sizing up who should get which
weapon, and nods in understanding. As Broic leaves
their side, Sir James takes a key from one of his pockets,
opens a door to a little storage room, and heads inside.
When the characters enter the room, they see a small
space, illuminated by angst lamps on the walls. Within
the room, there are armor racks with various armor on
them, weapon displays with different kinds of weapons,
DQGFKHVWVÀOOHGZLWKWRROV6LU-DPHVWXUQVWRWKH
characters and speaks in a deep, gruff voice, “Each of
you, take a ranged weapon, a melee weapon, and a tool that
you can use. If you want, you can take an armor, but not these
ones.” He points at the armors that have Kanrath’s coat
of arms on them.
Treasure. All of the equipment the characters can
WDNHKHUHLVQRQPDJLFDO(DFKFKDUDFWHUFDQWDNHÀYH
pieces of equipment, each of which must be worth 750
.)DWPRVW6LU-DPHVDOVRRSHQVDORFNHGFKHVWDQG
takes rings and coin purses out of it. Each character
receives a ring bearing the sigil of the Grand Advisor,
DQGDFRLQSXUVHWKDWFRQWDLQV.)7KHVLJLOLVD
jade ring, on which a longsword with a hilt of bat-like
wings is engraved.
After all the preparations, when the characters leave
the equipment room, the Detective says “We should start
our investigation right away. I suggest you go on your way,
time is of the essence. “
They are already out of the Royal Castle’s boundaries.
As the moon lights the night, the party realizes that
an entirely different city lies before them, unlike the
HPSW\VWUHHWVDQGÀOWKWKH\ZLWQHVVHGLQWKHGD\WLPH
The Crimson City shines under the moon in all its
PDJQLÀFHQFH
Our characters are now free to wander the streets of
Kanrath, all the while thinking about the quest at hand.
Lightened Night
Although they bear the sigil of the Grand Advisor,
they cannot access the areas reserved for the royal
family and the nobility. These restricted areas can be
seen on the map of Kanrath (p. 16).
If the characters try to sneak their way into restricted
areas, 1d4 + 2 vampire sentries (p. 289) (under the
effect of the shadow cloak spell if it’s daytime) patrolling
51
 the area will locate, arrest and take the characters to
the Grand Advisor. The sentries are ordered not to kill
the characters, but this order does not prevent them
from chopping off a limb or two.
7KHVLJLODOORZVWKHPWRHQWHUJRYHUQPHQWDORIÀFHV
ZKLFKZRXOGEHLQFUHGLEO\GLIÀFXOWWRDFFHVVXQGHU
different circumstances.
Kanrath awaits for the party to roam and investigate
the secret cultists. As the GM, you should know that the
cultists have arrived in Kanrath by train a few days ago,
DQGWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGWKHPLQDVHFUHWZDUHKRXVH
located in the center of West Ballast (p. 11), a district
that is home to mortals who live wretched lives
relatively near the train stations. You may give clues
about them later in the adventure to spice things up if
\RXUFKDUDFWHUVFDQQRWÀQGDQ\WKLQJDWDOO
The City Under the Moon
Start playing “The Crimson City” on the “Bloodpunk
OST”, then read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
52
The sun has set, and vampires ready to tear
the flesh of mortals and drain their lives are
pouring out onto the streets. As the sky gets
dark, the city is filled with light. The monsters
who terrorize the streets are also the reason
this city is so beautiful in the dark. You are
all alone in this cold place, trying to solve a
deadly mystery.
After the sun sets, the city comes to life. Most shops
RSHQDOOJRYHUQPHQWDORIÀFHVDUHDFWLYHDQGYDPSLUHV
wander the city. There is an illusory friendliness to the
city, at least in its relatively well-kept parts.
There are vampire-only areas in the city. In these
parts, vampires can act true to their nature away
from the prying eyes of mortals. All these places are
organized to keep the vampires serene and relatively
peaceful. These areas are secured by enforcers. The
HQWHUWDLQPHQWVHFWRUÀQDQFLDOVHFWRUDQGJRYHUQPHQW
buildings are located in such parts of the city.
There are some places close to the restricted
districts where mortals live. These places are relatively
quiet, since the mortals try to stay out of the way of
the vampires. The slums, where poor people live in
wretched conditions without hope for a better life, are
populated and crowded as ever, since vampires don’t
WHQGWRYLVLWVXFKSODFHVH[FHSWWRIHHG2QHPD\ÀQG
black markets and underground organizations in such
places.
Let the characters wander the city, and familiarize
themselves with its people and its culture.
An Ominous Letter
7KHÀUVWQLJKWDIWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNHWKHVLJLO
from the Grand Advisor, as they are wandering in the
non-noble districts in Kanrath, a child named Bugger
KDOÁLQJODZIXOQHXWUDOspy), with messy blonde
hair, gorgeous green eyes, and dirt-soaked ragged
clothes runs toward the characters, bumps into them,
and then runs away. If the characters grapple him,
which requires a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics)
or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, he states that he is
terribly sorry, and that he’s running away from his
friends, and asks the characters to let him go. One
minute later, two other children with similar clothes
come running if the characters are still holding Bugger.
The kids run away together.
Bugger doesn’t steal anything from the characters,
and leaves a letter with the character he has bumped
into. It reads,“Wait and see.” at the top, and there’s a
blank space at the bottom. If the characters look at
it under the sunlight, the following writing appears:
“Come comrade, our rage against these wretched monsters
will save us from the iron grasp of these tyrants. Curse the
vampires. Be free. Leech Therapy Center, Midday, 18th.” This
is an invitation to a secret anarchist meeting on the 8th
day of the adventure.
If the characters cannot decipher the letter
by themselves, a successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check may remind them that vampires
fear the sunlight, so if one were to hide a message, it
could be visible under the sun. In Kanrath, there is
something called rebel ink (p. 267). Things written with
it can only be seen under the sun.
The Leech Therapy Center (p. 10) is located in the
northeastern suburbs of Kanrath. The center can host
up to 1,000 people at once, and is thus one of the biggest
buildings in the area. There, people undergo alchemical
and magical experiments, which may slow the effects
of aging or reveal certain magical potentials in their
blood, allowing them to become sorcerers.
The Inquiry
The moon is rising, and the vampires have started to
pour out into the noble districts of the Crimson City.
The characters must locate the cultists that the Grand
Advisor is looking for. They may talk to shopkeepers,
innkeepers, guards, beggars, and so on, who all say
something along the lines of, “Kanrath is in peace with
Cyherested, so there are sorcerers who visit the city every day.
It’s nothing out of the ordinary,” except if they encounter
the NPCs in the sections below. Keep in mind that if
the party cannot gather information regarding the
whereabouts of this cult after three days, the Grand
$GYLVRUZLOOÀQGLWDQGLQIRUPWKHFKDUDFWHUVZLWKD
sending spell.
7KHIROORZLQJHQFRXQWHUVDUHGLYLGHGLQWRWZR)DOVH
Leads and True Leads. True Leads are designed for the
FKDUDFWHUVWRHQFRXQWHULQVSHFLÀFSODFHV+RZHYHU
\RXFDQWKURZ)DOVH/HDGVLQIURQWRIWKHFKDUDFWHUV
DQ\ZKHUH\RXVHHÀW,WLVLPSRUWDQWIRU\RXWR
misdirect the characters in this part of the adventure,
because the party is just a group of people looking for
another group of people in a huge city. This task is
almost impossible without proper investigation skills,
and it should feel as such. If the Detective is with the
characters, you can have him give them true leads, or
hint at the unreliability of false ones.
As the GM, you should know that the Silver Cultists
are operating in a warehouse located in West Ballast.
The characters can directly learn the location of the
warehouse at the end of the True Lead: The Park Street
VHFWLRQRUÀQGFOXHVDQGOHDUQWKHZKHUHDERXWVRIWKH
cultists following other true leads.
False Lead: Band of Sorcerers
$QROGDOFKHPLVWQDPHG;DOGUL JQRPHODZIXOQHXWUDO
mage) wearing a green robe embellished with Kanrath
silver says that a couple of sorcerers visited his shop
and bought plenty of arcane components the day
before if the characters ask him about the cultists. His
apprentice, Zaleria (human, chaotic good, commoner)
helped them carry the components. These sorcerers
DUHLQWKHEDVHPHQWRIDKRXVHQHDUE\ZKLFK;DOGUL
believes they have rented.
Zaleria, who is a cheerful young apprentice, shows
the way. The house has a front door and a trap door
leading to the basement. Locating the trap door
requires a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check.
The doors are locked, and can be picked by a successful
DC 15 Dexterity check made with thieves’ tools. They
are Large wooden objects with AC 10, 10 hit points, and
immunity to poison and psychic damage.
7ROLDQ)HYHUDPXVLFEDQGFRQVLVWLQJRIIRXUVRUFHUHU
members reside here, as they have a big gig in a few
days in Kanrath. You can use a mage’s stat block to
represent these musicians, who are pretty famous
53
 in Cyherested. Their spellcasting ability is Charisma
instead of Intelligence.
If the characters enter through the front door, they
ÀQGD\RXQJFKHHUIXOWLHÁLQJZRPDQQDPHG(O\VLD
and an old, charismatic, egotistical elf named Damriel,
trying to tune Damriel’s angst-inscribed lute. The room
itself is an average Kanrath house; with gothic features
and made of stone. However, the interior is decorated
in the art-deco style, with furniture, wallpapers,
paintings, and statues inscribed with silver in a manner
that resembles the wealthy parts of Cyherested. This
LV7ROLDQ)HYHU·VKRXVHLQ.DQUDWKDQGLVSUREDEO\
the wealthiest house the characters have ever been in
except for the Royal Castle. If the characters manage
to sneak their way in, the two musicians can be heard
talking about how they could charm their audience
in the upcoming concert. Otherwise, they ask the
characters to introduce themselves.
If the characters enter through the trap door, they
encounter two dragonborn gentlemen named Nemphas
and Zenphas wearing black elegant jackets with vertical
golden stripes; they are twins; one short-tempered and
the other extremely calm. They are both members of
7ROLDQ)HYHU7KH\DUHFDVWLQJWKHthaumaturgy cantrip
and listening to the sound of drums and a violin that
has been distorted by the cantrip. When they see the
characters, they ask them to introduce themselves.
7ROLDQ)HYHULVQRWKRVWLOHDJDLQVWWKHSDUW\XQOHVV
the party attacks them or damages their goods or
equipment. They are willing to talk to them and
express their intentions, which is to give an incredible
FRQFHUWIXHOHGZLWKPDJLFDQGPXVLFLQÀYHGD\V
If the characters are not hostile and they talk to the
musicians, they offer the characters magically-infused
cocktails with lustrous color that taste both sweet and
VRXU,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDUHKRVWLOH7ROLDQ)HYHUÀJKWV
back.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVNLOOWKHPHPEHUVRI7ROLDQ)HYHUWKH
newspapers will write, “Tolian Fever is dead. Bardic Wars
or Extremist Fans?” the next day.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVORVHWKHÀJKWWKH\DUHVWDELOL]HG
right after and handed over to enforcers since members
RI7ROLDQ)HYHUGRQ·WZDQWWRNLOODQ\RQHDQGVLQFHWKH
last thing they want is to get into trouble in Kanrath.
Thanks to the sigils they are carrying, the enforcers
release the characters after healing their wounds, and
WHOOWKHPQRWWRZRUU\DERXW7ROLDQ)HYHUVLQFHWKH\
are just a bunch of musicians. If the characters insist
that they should be investigated further, the enforcers
tell them they can carry a detailed investigation on the
characters’ behalf.
Treasure. /X[XU\FORWKHVIDQF\VWDJHGUHVVHVÀYH
PXVLFDOLQVWUXPHQWV.)
54
False Lead: Backstreet Stabbers
A young man named Rob (human, chaotic evil, Kanrath
thug -p. 281), wearing elegant brown day-to-day
clothes, is leaning on the corner of a building and
WDONLQJWRDQROGPDQQDPHG-HQNLQV KDOÁLQJQHXWUDO
evil, commoner) in worn-out clothes. The young man
looks rather intimidating with his long, black, poorly-
kempt hair that mixes into his equally messy, bushy
EHDUG7KHKDOÁLQJRQWKHRWKHUKDQGVHHPVOLNHD
harmless old man. They are in the midst of a heated
argument. They are on the payroll of a mob. The young
PDQLVPDGDWWKHKDOÁLQJDVKHZDVVXSSRVHGWRVHOO
.)ZRUWKRIDQJVWGXVWWRVRPHIRONVDGGLFWHGWR
DQJVWEXWKHKDVRQO\PDQDJHGWRVHOO.)ZRUWKRI
angst dust. Rob threatens Jenkins, saying he’ll take the
PLVVLQJ.)E\GUDLQLQJWKHROGKDOÁLQJ·VEORRGLIKH
doesn’t pay up. However, when the characters approach
them, they suddenly change the subject to day-to-day
issues such as the cost of living in Kanrath. They mainly
say that it is (obviously) hard to maintain a life here if
you are not a vampire.
If asked about sorcerers or cultists, the young man
says that they have seen some people with staves in
their hands, talking about draining someone else’s
blood with magic. They were on the next street over, a
IHZPLQXWHVDJR7KHROGKDOÁLQJFRQÀUPV
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals
that they are lying and that this might be a trap. Indeed
it is; as soon as the characters step foot on this street,
which is a piss-soaked, poorly-lit back alley, Rob and
two thugsVXUURXQGWKHSDUW\DQGÀJKWWKHPQRPDWWHU
ZKDW-HQNLQVÁHHVDWWKHÀUVWVLJQRIFRPEDW
If the characters attack the young man and the
KDOÁLQJWKHWKXJVGRQ·WVKRZXS7KHVHWKXJVKDYH
bloodwork pistols (p. 263) instead of heavy crossbows.
Treasure..)DQGbloodwork pistols,RU.)DQG
1 bloodwork pistolLIWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀJKWRQO\5REDQG
Jenkins.
False Lead: The Wrong Cultists
A drunk man (dwarf, chaotic neutral, commoner)
named Bonzo, passed out in a back alley, has overheard
two people talking in the house he was leaning against,
half asleep. They were talking about conducting a ritual
at dawn. He is willing to take the characters to the
same place, a one-story building made of poorly-cut
FREEOHVWRQHVLQH[FKDQJHIRU.)RUVRPHZLQHRIDQ\
quality.
The house has a locked front door. The lock can be
picked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check made
with thieves’ tools. The wooden door is a Large object
with AC 10, 10 hit points, and immunity to poison and
psychic damage.
7KHUHLVDPDQLQKLVÀIWLHVQDPHG;LJUD KXPDQ
lawful neutral, cult fanatic) and a young-looking
woman named Ailinda (half elf, lawful neutral, cultist)
here, both wearing dark brown hooded robes, drawing
symbols of the sun on the walls and on their faces with
ash, chanting a hymn in the name of the Sun God. When
WKH\ÀUVWVHHWKHSDUW\WKH\JHWDQJU\ERWKEHFDXVH
they’re trespassing and because the ritual has been
LQWHUUXSWHG+RZHYHU;LJUDVD\VWKDWKHDQGWKHHOIDUH
SHDFHIXOFUHDWXUHVDQGQRWZLOOLQJWRÀJKWXQOHVVWKHUH
is a good reason to do so. They ask the party to join
them in their religion, explaining why they must obey
the tenets of the Sun God. The believers of the Sun God
basically want to get rid of the vampiric rule in Kanrath,
as they are creatures of darkness and cursed beings who
cannot receive the blessings of the sun, which shines
over other creatures regardless of race, creed, gender,
or social status; liberating and equalizing all.
If the characters accept their offer, they can join the
ritual by wearing the same robes and drawing the same
patterns on their faces. They draw symbols of the sun
on the wall and then watch it rising. The end of the
ritual symbolizes how the Sun God will shine over Tolia
one day.
If the characters don’t accept the offer, Ailinda says
WKH\VKRXOGWKHQÀJKWWRWKHGHDWKDVWKHSDUW\KDV
learnt their existence and can’t be trusted. Worshiping
the Sun God is strictly forbidden in Kanrath and they
can’t risk being exposed. A successful DC 20 Charisma
(Persuasion) check convinces them that the party won’t
expose them. Otherwise, they attack the party.
If the characters gain their trust and then inform the
enforcers about their endeavor and whereabouts, the
house will immediately be raided by enforcers and the
cultists will be arrested. The characters can hear about
or come across their public execution the next day. The
cultists are sentenced to exsanguination, just as the
characters were.
Treasure..)KRO\V\PEROVRIWKH6XQ*RG
False Lead: Enemy of an Enemy
&HOHVWLQD KDOÁLQJFKDRWLFQHXWUDO Kanrath thug - p.
281), the same person they could have encountered in
the Unexpected Help section after they left the Mortuary,
ÀQGVWKHFKDUDFWHUVWRPDNHDQRIIHU7KLVHYHQWWDNHV
place only if the characters have never met Celestina or
if they have worked with Celestina and parted ways as
friends. If a serious problem has occurred between the
characters and Celestina, this event does not take place.
Celestina can approach the characters anywhere you
VHHÀW,IWKHSDUW\KDVPHWZLWKKHUEHIRUHVKHFXWV
directly to the chase. Otherwise, she introduces herself
ÀUVWVD\LQJ“First you escaped an arrest, and now you’ve
been given a task by the government to search for others,
huh? Not easy, not easy at all. Your reputation precedes
you.” If the Detective is with the characters, she says,
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ward. The Detective’s reputation is
no less than our friends’ here.” If the characters ask where
Celestina has heard about them, she says, “The Twisted
Knife has eyes all over the city.” The Twisted Knife (p. 33)
is the most renowned thieves’ guild in Kanrath.
Celestina has found the characters to make them
an offer. She has been looking for someone that the
Twisted Knife wants dead, but she hasn’t had any
luck so far. Saying that she has information about the
cultists the characters are looking for, she offers to tell
them what she knows in exchange for their help in her
search. Celestina wants to accompany the characters
during their investigation as well. You should know that
Celestina never travels without safety precautions. 4
Kanrath thugs (p. 281) are following Celestina from a
safe distance, guarding her at all times. They can look
like wealthy people, poor people, beggars, traders, or
whatever is suitable for the situation at hand.
The person Celestina has been hunting is called
“the Trasher”. She has only been able to learn about
their nickname, and she doesn’t know the person’s
real name. The Trasher has been looking for a vial of
vampire blood, which troubles some authorities, and
this is why the Twisted Knife wants to learn more. They
think that an enemy of their enemy could be their ally.
%XWÀUVWWKH\KDYHWROHDUQWKH7UDVKHU·VLQWHQWLRQV
Celestina has found out that the Trasher has frequently
been seen in the Bowels, especially in Dirtwater Belt
district (p. 10). This is the dump of Kanrath, where huge
piles of junk forms the landscape. The poorest residents
of Kanrath live here in tents and search for half-eaten
half-rotten food to sustain themselves.
If the characters or the Detective ask(s) how she has
learnt the things she knows, she says, “The Twisted Knife
has eyes all over the city.” The Detective says, “The words of
a criminal are not to be trusted, but we can go and take a look
nevertheless…” if he is present.
By talking with people in Dirtwater Belt, the
characters can gather information with a successful DC
16 Intelligence (Investigation) check, persuade them
by offering food or money with a successful DC 15
Charisma (Persuasion) check, or intimidate them with a
successful DC 17 Charisma (Intimidation) check to learn
that the Trasher is a half orc scientist named Nar’qa
the Blind. He is an intimidating half orc with a vertical
scar on his face that has left him blind in his left eye. He
lives in a den near the shores of Dirtwater Belt. In truth,
55
 Nar’qa the Blind has built a bloodwork automaton
facility in his den made of junk, and has been trying
to create a bloodwork automaton that has vampiric
abilities here, which is why he has been looking for a
vial of vampire blood.
The entrance of the den is concealed with a pile
of junk. Pulling the pile to the side and opening
the entrance requires a successful DC 16 Strength
(Athletics) check. The entrance leads underground, into
a naturally formed cave. The rooms and the tunnels
of this den are made of stone, but it is full of garbage,
ZKLFKFDXVHVWKHGHQWREHFRQVLGHUHGGLIÀFXOWWHUUDLQ
in its entirety. Also, when the characters open the
entrance and enter the den, a smell of rotten garbage
and rusty metal greets them. They must each succeed
on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become
poisoned for 1 hour. The den is in total darkness. Unless
stated otherwise, the corridors are 10 feet wide and 15
feet high.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGWKHIROORZLQJORFDWLRQVNH\HG
to the map of Nar’qa’s Den.
T1. The Bedroom. This is Nar’qa’s bedroom. There
is a bed, a chest, a table, and a cabinet inside, all
made of the junk found in Dirtwater Belt. The chest is
locked, and the lock can be picked with a successful
DC 12 Dexterity check made with thieves’ tools. The
lock has AC 14, 15 hit points, immunity to poison and
T1
56
psychic damage, and vulnerability to bludgeoning
GDPDJH7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGDQJVWFRLQZRUWKRI
angst dust preserved in a crystal vial with a successful
DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) or DC 12 Intelligence
(Investigation) check.
T2. The Restroom. This is Nar’qa’s restroom. There
is a small water stream coming from the east side of
WKHURRPÁRZLQJWRZDUGVWKHQRUWK7KHUHLVQRWKLQJ
VLJQLÀFDQWKHUHH[FHSWWKHWHUULEOHVPHOORIKXPDQRLG
urine and feces.
T3. The Storage. This room is where Nar’qa places
valuable pieces of junk. There are various barrels
that store blood, most of it decomposed, cabinets that
hold various items such as the parts from the leg of a
bloodwork automaton, an old shield, the rusty blade of
an old sword, and other things of the same sort.
,WLVTXLWHGLIÀFXOWWRÀQGXVHIXOLWHPVLQWKLVPHVV
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGD+1 dagger, colorful gems worth
.)DQG.)SODFHGLQVLGHDEURNHQPXVLFER[
with a successful DC 21 Intelligence (Investigation)
check.
T4. The Facility. Here, there are assembly lines and
fully automated bloodwork engines that help Nar’qa
assemble automatons. There is an empty display case
across from the door, right behind a large table with
blueprints, research logs, and tools all over it. It can be
understood from the papers that Nar’qa is working on
T2 T4
T3
a special form of bloodwork automaton that can use
vampiric powers.
Nar’qa has bloodwork tools instead of hands, Nar'qa
though they can be used as hands. He has bloodwork Medium humanoid (half orc), chaotic evil
augmentations all over his body. One of his arms is
completely made of brass and his punch looks deadly. Armor Class 14 (angst plating)
He has lenses in his right eye, probably allowing him
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)
WRVHHLQWKHGDUN)RXUEODGHVDWWKHHQGRIEORRGZRUN
arms that are surgically attached to his spine make him Speed 30 ft.
look even deadlier, and makes him look like a spider if
he lies back. He also can walk normally in this place by
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
doing so.
The research logs suggest that he is seeking vampire 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 16 (+3)
blood to build an all-powerful automaton that obeys
his commands and that possesses the powers of noble Skills Arcana +6, Medicine +6, Perception +4
vampires. Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Nar’qa orders the party to leave his place, saying Languages Common, Orcish
trespassers aren’t welcome. He rejects any offer of Challenge  ;3
negotiation, and attacks the party if they insist on
talking or if the party doesn’t leave. As he attacks, he
Angst Plating. Nar’qa’s skin is enhanced by thin layers
says, “I won’t let you steal my project, you imbecile bat of angst, making his skin harder and more durable. He
lickers.” has a +2 bonus to AC.
Enhanced Eyesight. Nar’qa has darkvision out to a
range of 120 feet thanks to his bloodwork lenses.
While making Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely
nar’qa
RQVLJKWKHDGGVKLVSURÀFLHQF\ERQXVWZLFH

ACTIONS
Brass Punch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Grappling Blades. Nar’qa uses his Bloodwork Blades
to grapple his opponents (DC 18). A grappled creature
takes 18 (4d8) piercing damage, and can repeat the
grapple check at the end of each of its turns, ending
the effect on itself on a successful save, or taking 9
(2d8) piercing damage on a failure.
If a creature is grappled by Nar’qa in this way, he
cannot use his Bloodwork Blades.

BONUS ACTIONS
Bloodwork Blades. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach
5 ft., four targets. Hit: 4 (1d8) piercing.
After the encounter, Celestina tells the party that
DJURXSRIFORDNHGÀJXUHVSURWHFWHGE\PDJLFDO
enchantments came to Kanrath by train a couple of
days ago. There is a kid named Bo (p. 65) living in Park
Street, who might know more about these cloaked
ÀJXUHV%HIRUHWDNLQJKHUOHDYHVKHVLQFHUHO\VD\V
“Pleasure doing business with you. I’m glad to say I now
think of you as allies.”
Treasure. 7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGbloodwork
pistol (p. 263), 6 pistol ammo, 1 bloodwork repeater
ULÁH6 UHSHDWHUULÁHDPPR, 2 blood cartridges, and 3
potions of greater healing. These potions smell terrible

57
 DQGKDYHDKRUULÀFWDVWHEXWWKHLUDELOLW\WRKHDOKDVQ·W
been altered.
False Lead: Bloodhound’s Tracks
The characters are chased by a bloodhound (p. 272),
which is actually the companion of a dying ranger.
This creature looks like a hound that is purely made
of blood. The bloodhound is trying to take the party
to its master so that the characters can heal him. It
runs towards a street and turns back to see whether
the characters are following. It repeats this a couple
of times and isn’t hostile towards the characters. If
the characters don’t follow, then the bloodhound bites
down on one of the characters’ clothing and starts
pulling it towards its master. A successful DC 12 Wisdom
(Animal Handling or Insight) check reveals that the
bloodhound is trying to make the characters follow it.
It is not hostile until the party becomes hostile to
it, or to its master. If the characters understand the
bloodhound’s intention within 2 minutes and travel
fast, they manage to reach the ranger before he dies. He
has been wounded by rage-fueled, insane angst addicts
who stole an angst coin he had on him. The middle-aged
ranger named Gilbert (human, chaotic neutral, scout)
is wearing leather armor, although it’s been torn, and
a green cloak that has been ripped in places. His chest
and belly have been slashed open, and his intestines
are outside of his body. His wounds can be cured with
Bloodhound
58
magical healing. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Medicine)
check stabilizes him.
The bloodhound disappears if the ranger dies, and
it can be heard crying as it disappears in the distance.
If the ranger lives, the bloodhound jumps around
the characters happily, and the ranger thanks the
characters, offering them money for their troubles.
Treasure.7KHUDQJHUKDV.)RIZKLFKKHJLYHV
150 to the characters. The ranger also had 2 bloodwork
pistols and a EORRGZRUNUHSHDWLQJULÁH, but the angst
addicts took them to consume the small amount of
angst inside their mechanisms.
False Lead: Know Your Enemy
In the corner of a crowded mortal district, there stands
a woman in her early hundreds, looking angry as can
be. She wears a mid-quality dark purple cotton cloak
and an orange tunic. One can tell by looking at her
clothes that she leads a modest life; not the worst in
Kanrath, but not up to par with that of the nobility
either. One can also tell just by looking at her that pure
hatred is what fuels her, makes her wake up in the
morning, and helps her sleep with a clear conscience
at night. Her name is Grammia (gnome, lawful evil,
commoner); and since her early childhood, she’s been
fed with vampiric propaganda; how the vampire reign
is better for the welfare of the Crimson City, how they
are better than mortals in every imaginable way, how
Cyherested sorcerers are evil and should be eliminated
on sight (although this is considered a radical thought
now that Cyherested and Kanrath are in peace), and
how Kanrath is the best city one could possibly live in
DVLWSURYLGHVFRXQWOHVVMRERSSRUWXQLWLHVDQGÁDZOHVV
protection. She can talk passionately about all of these
topics, praising Kanrath and the reign of vampires,
without taking a breath in between remarks. She hates
Cyherested and the mortals who deny the supremacy
of vampiric reign so much that she only lives to see
them suffer.
Every day, she stands in this corner and
shouts vampire propaganda. Today’s special
is “To hell with those sorcerers. They come to our
city to spy on us. Those wretched little snakes are
incapable of camaraderie, their covenants are
all lies.” There are people listening to her,
shouting out things like “Damn right!”, “Well,
that’s true!”, “I never liked magic anyways!”
If the party wants to converse with her,
she stops her preaching and takes a good
look at the character. If there are any
spellcasters among them and if they are
not a cleric of the Blood God, she won’t be
willing to talk to the party, as she is not
competent enough to discern a sorcerer from other that they are students in the academy working on
spellcasters. A successful DC 13 Charisma (Intimidation WKHHIÀFLHQF\RIDQJVWFU\VWDOVVKRZLQJWKHLUVFKRRO
or Persuasion) check is required for Grammia to talk to LGHQWLÀFDWLRQSDSHUVLIWKHSDUW\DVNVIRUWKHP7KH
the characters if there are any spellcasters in the party. gnome doesn’t believe the students and says that
If there is an actual sorcerer in the party, the characters the documents must be forged. There is a Kanrath
have disadvantage on their Charisma checks against enforcer (p. 280) nearby, who knows the students by
her. QDPHDQGZKRFRQÀUPVWKHVWXGHQWV·VWRU\LIDVNHG,I
If they manage to talk, the gnome says “I’ve been the party doesn’t attack the students, Grammia won’t
seeing some sorcerers around town, ones I haven’t seen before. HLWKHU,IWKHSDUW\DWWDFNVWKHVWXGHQWV*UDPPLDÀJKWV
I, being an unrelenting detective, followed them. Yes sir, I on the party’s side; however, the Kanrath enforcer
did. Turns out they are plotting against our beloved Crimson WULHVWRGHWDLQWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀJKWLQJRQWKHVWXGHQWV·
King. This deed, my fellow citizens, shouldn’t go unpunished, side. If they can manage to eliminate the students and
it shouldn’t be forgotten. I was gonna report them to enforcers the enforcers, they can enter their homes. Here, the
but truth be told, I’d like to see them bleed for what they’ve SDUW\RQO\ÀQGVWH[WERRNVDQGGRFXPHQWVVHQWE\WKH
done, if you know what I mean. If you are willing to take on academy asking for payments of their student loans, as
the job, I can take you to them and help you take them down. ZHOODVDWRWDORI.)
Win-win, isn’t it? Let’s contribute to society together, hand-
in-hand.” She then describes them: “All human. First one’s
called Bell, a white-haired young woman with green eyes,
wearing dark crimson robes. The second is called Haly, a tall
and acrobatic man. He was the only one that wore armor, Bell
a leatherwork, and he had short dark hair. Last one was Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
calledTroy, a short and chubby fellow. He had curly blonde
hair and wore sweaters and neckties under a light brown
Armor Class 12
cloak. He has a staff, too… So, let’s go kill’em, eh?”
Hit Points 10 (4d4)
The Detective, if present, suggests that they do not
Speed 30 ft.
take the gnome seriously since she has obviously been
brainwashed with vampire propaganda. Such a mind
cannot be trusted to make healthy judgments. If the STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
characters want to learn where these people are but
don’t want Grammia following them, they must succeed 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)
on a DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check. Otherwise, if
they want to go to the location, Grammia comes along. Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Perception +4
If the party has succeeded on their Charisma Senses passive Perception 14
(Persuasion) check or if they have Grammia with them, Languages Common, Draconic
they go to the house of three young students studying Challenge  ;3
in the Royal Academy of Sanguine, one of whom
happens to be a 1st-level wizard. They couldn’t afford
Spellcasting. Bell is a 1st-level spellcaster. Her
the rent near the academy so they moved to another
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5
district, which is why they are new to this part of the
to hit with spell attacks). She has the following wizard
city. Grammia overheard them talking about magic spells prepared:
and politics; discussing whether evocation school is
Cantrips (at will): agglutination*, mage hand, minor
overrated and whether they found the Crimson King to
illusion, piercing drops*
be tyrannical. Bell and Troy, two of the students, believe
1st level (2 slots): silver needle*, thorngrasp*
that the Crimson King is a fair ruler and the fact that
they are in the academy prove that humans can rise
in ranks as well, while Halt believes that there could ACTIONS
be a better regime but doesn’t know how. Grammie Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
´XQGHUVWRRGµWKHNH\ZRUGVDQGÀJXUHGWKDWWKH\ZHUH target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage.
sorcerers plotting against the government.
When the characters arrive, Halt and Troy are
about to go in and their friend Bell is at the door to
greet them. If the characters tell them of Grammia’s
claim about them being sorcerers, they laugh and say

59
 False Lead: Sewers
7KHUHDUHUHEHOVLQ.DQUDWKÀJKWLQJDJDLQVWWKH
oppressive rule of vampires and their tyranny.
Halt Known as “the anarchists” or “the rebels” among the
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral commonfolk, they are killed on sight by the authorities.
Some of these people live outside of Kanrath, operating
Armor Class 14 (leather) from afar, while some of them lead dangerous lives in
the Crimson City. Two of these anarchists, Zack (half
Hit Points 14 (4d4 + 4)
elf, chaotic neutral, berserker) and Clementine (half
Speed 30 ft.
elf, lawful neutral, spy), have been living in the sewers
for some time. Clementine has been infected by bowel
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
fever (p. 7), and is slowly dying. Zack has been trying to
prevent his lover’s death, stealing food and medicine,
7 (-2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) but it is not enough.
If the characters want to investigate the sewers, they
Skills Nature +4, Perception +3 FRPHDFURVVWKHVHUHEHOV)LUVWWKHFKDUDFWHUVIHHODVLI
Senses passive Perception 13 they are being watched, since Zack is observing them
Languages Common, Gnomish from a distance. After a couple of minutes, a javelin hits
Challenge  ;3
the ground right before them; Zack has thrown it as a
ZDUQLQJ$KXPDQRLGÀJXUHHPHUJHVIURPWKHVKDGRZV
and says, “One more step, and you’ll be in my home. Who are
ACTIONS you?” The voice belongs to Zack, who cannot be seen
Angst-coated Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, clearly under his thick layers of clothes; only his deep
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing plus 3 blue eyes are visible.
G ÀUHGDPDJH The Detective suggests that they talk if present. If the
characters don’t act with hostility and just want to talk,
Zack agrees to do so.
=DFNKDVVHHQVRPHÀJXUHVLQWKHWUDLQVWDWLRQ
wearing black and red robes. If the characters tell him
what they have been looking for, Zack can tell them
Troy what he has seen in return for Clementine’s treatment.
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral He can also state that there is a kid named Bo (p. 65)
living in Park Street, who might know more.
Armor Class 12 Treasure. If the characters cure Clementine, Zack
Hit Points 6 (4d4 - 4)
and Clementine give the characters a shortsword.
There is a seven-pointed star carved on its hilt, which
Speed 30 ft.
is the symbol of the rebels in Kanrath. The characters
have disadvantage on their Charisma checks against
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA WKHRIÀFLDOVRI.DQUDWKLIWKH\FDUU\WKLVVZRUGRSHQO\
and have advantage on their Charisma checks against
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 17 (+3) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) criminals or people working with illegal organizations
if they carry the sword openly. If the characters kill
Skills Arcana +5, Nature +5, Perception +5 =DFNDQG&OHPHQWLQHWKH\ÀQG.)DQGGpotions of
Senses passive Perception 15 healing on them.
Languages Common, Dwarvish, Elvish
Challenge  ;3 True Lead: The Train Station
The Kanrath Main Line (p. 9) is one of the most
ACTIONS
crowded places in the Crimson City. Wealthy traders
Staff of Blood Missiles. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit,
and some vampire nobles use the train as a means of
range 120 ft., two targets. Hit: 2 (1d4) blood damage.
transportation, and it is therefore heavily guarded. The
station was constructed with the gothic aesthetics of
the rest of the city in mind. It has two platforms; one

60
IRUGHSDUWXUHDQGRQHIRUDUULYDO$VPDOOERRNLQJRIÀFH
offers several options for tickets, and the payment
system supports both blood and money.
The characters may come to the conclusion that the
cultists have arrived in Kanrath by train; they could be
led here as a result of the information they have learnt,
or the Detective can hint at it, saying that the cultists
must have used the train to enter Kanrath, like most
outsiders do.
The train station is yet another place in the city
where the distinction between vampires, angst traders,
wealthy mortals and others is quite obvious. They all
get in separate lines to purchase their tickets. The
line reserved for vampires are guarded by 2 vampire
sentries (p. 289) who ensure that no vampire is
bothered by a mortal, while the other lines are kept in
order by Kanrath enforcers (p. 280).
There are many enforcers patrolling the area.
There are also cleaners, as well as mechanics around,
responsible for the maintenance of the trains and
the train station. The characters can talk to them, or
to the booking agents selling tickets to mortals and
ZHDOWK\WUDGHUV%HORZ\RXFDQÀQGVRPH13&VWKDW
the characters can converse with. You can also have the
characters interact with NPCs you yourself have added
to the story if you deem it necessary.
Aetius the Booking Agent. Aetius (gnome, neutral,
commoner) is an older gentleman, who sells tickets to
the mortals. His station is more crowded than Sarcria’s
(see below), as mortals tend to travel by train more than
the upper crust of society. Therefore, he is impatient
and easy to anger. If asked about the cultists, he says “I
dunno shit! Now, if you’re gonna buy tickets, just buy them
already. Ask your questions to the enforcers, not me.”
Johace Bronzebeam. Johace (dwarf, chaotic neutral,
commoner), a young and cheerful man, is repairing a
broken piece of the tracks. If asked about the cultists,
he says, “Well, I sure did see a few creepy fellas a few days
past. They were getting off the train from Cyherested. They
were wearing dark red and black cloaks, and carrying silver
daggers. I hope they were made of Kanrath silver, or they’re
in real trouble. They were trying not to show their faces, at
least that’s what it seemed like to me. I may be biased, but I
think they were sorcerers. They always give me the creeps.”
Johnny-Boy. This little boy (half elf, chaotic neutral,
spy), who always wears worn-out clothes, sells
newspapers at the train station. He doesn’t have a
family, but he is a part of a crime family ruled by a little
kid named Bo (p. 65). If asked about the cultists, he
VD\VKHFDQWHOOWKHSDUW\ZKDWKHNQRZVIRU.)DQG
QRWKLQJOHVVEXWKHVHWWOHVIRU.)LIFKDUDFWHUVSXVK
their luck and succeed on a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion)
check. He says, “A crowded group of people, they were. I
heard one of them calling the others “initiates” and they
called this man “master.” Weird shit, right? I don’t believe
they carried weapons of steel, or angst. But… I caught a
glimpse of a dagger on one of their belts; it looked like silver
to me. You didn’t hear this from me, I don’t want any trouble.
They had wands, and the master had a crimson-red staff.
They, of course, tried to hide’em but they can’t hide anything
from my eyes, you know. If I were you, I’d investigate the
DUHDVFORVHWRWKHVWDWLRQÀUVW7KDW·VDOO,FDQWHOO\RXµ
Sarcria the Booking Agent. 6KH WLHÁLQJQHXWUDOHYLO
commoner) is a young woman with reddish skin and
sharp devil-like horns. She sells tickets to the wealthy
mortals and is used to speaking politely. If asked about
the cultists, she says, “I do not know, I only speak to those
who leave the city, not those who enter. I am truly sorry, for I
believe I am of no use to you or your investigation.”
Shirnest the Pious. A young woman (dragonborn,
lawful evil, Kanrath enforcer captain - p. 280) with
Kanrath enforcer uniform stands near the booking
VWDWLRQV6KHLVWKHFKLHIRIWKHRWKHUÀYHHQIRUFHUVZKR
guard the train station. If the characters show her the
sigil of the Grand Advisor and ask about the cultists, she
asks, “Are you suggesting we’re not doing our jobs? That we’d
let low-life cultists into our beautiful city? Do you know the
punishment for such an insult?” If the characters insist on
talking some more, she says she did not see anything
out of the ordinary.
If the characters don’t show her the sigil, a successful
DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) check is needed to make
her talk to the characters. Otherwise, she just ignores
them.
Uncle Hawk. This old man (gnome, neutral good,
commoner) has worked in the station for over 20 years,
coming in almost every day. People call him “uncle”
because of his fatherly and sincere demeanor, but he
also has a temper. If asked about the cultists, he says
“Yes, yes. I’ve seen some people, they didn’t look like us. If
you know what I mean. They looked different and they were
acting different. They wore dark robes, carried silver daggers,
didn’t talk to anyone, and they all walked together, huddled
LQ7KHUHZHUHDERXWWHQPD\EHÀIWHHQRIWKHP2QHRIWKHP
threw an empty vial on the ground and I asked her not to
litter, but she didn’t even have the courtesy to respond to an
old man. I don’t know though, maybe it’s just about this new
generation… Nobody respects their elders anymore…”
He also says that these people haven’t used the train
again, and so they should still be in Kanrath. He doesn’t
know which way they went.
Overall, the characters can learn here that there are
more than ten cultists, that they are sorcerers who wear
dark robes and carry silver daggers, that they are from
Cyherested and that they are most likely to be found in
DUHDVQHDUWKHWUDLQVWDWLRQZKLFKDUHWKH,URQ9DOH
61
 Rusty Vale (p. 11) and Lertes Park (p. 10) districts.
True Lead: Park Street
3DUN6WUHHWLQWKH,URQ9DOH5XVW\9DOHGLVWULFW S 
to the north of the train station, is busy as ever. This
big park reeks of dirt and urine, but it doesn’t bother
the mortals who come here as it is one of the few
open spaces where they can pass the time. Part of the
railroad can be seen to the west of the park, and a small
lake lies towards the north. There are lots of gazebos
in the east side of the park, where people can sit. It’s
impossible to see any noble or vampire here as the
smell and the sound of the rails is unbearable for them.
Children play, and adults sit and chat as they enjoy a
cheap bottle of wine. If characters spend time in Park
Street looking for information, they can eavesdrop on
people sitting on the gazebos:
/LOLDQ WLHÁLQJQHXWUDOJRRGcommoner), has a child
who wants to apply to the Royal Academy of Sanguine,
EXWWKH\·YHKDGQROXFNÀQGLQJDYDPSLUHUHIHUHQFHIRU
their application. They are considering going door to
door and begging for a reference in the noble districts,
but they don’t have much hope that it’s going to work.
Grumps (gnome, chaotic neutral, veteran) wants to
ZRUNLQWKHDQJVWUHÀQHULHVQHDUWKHSDUNEXWWKH\ZDQW
KLPWREHSURÀFLHQWZLWKDOFKHPLVW·VVXSSOLHV+HNQRZV
it’s hard and far more dangerous than other work, but it
pays better and it seems more satisfying.
Harrow (human, lawful good, commoner) is crying
because a vampire abducted his child, and there is
nothing they can do about it. Abducting children is a
common practice in Kanrath for vampires.
Gordur (dwarf, neutral evil, Kanrath thug - p. 281)
and his son Balzar (dwarf, chaotic evil, Kanrath thug)
are drinking whisky and mourning a friend of the
family called “Jax”. They haven’t heard from him for a
while and are worried about him. The party has possibly
encountered Jax (p. 22) in the prison. If the characters
tell Gordur and Balzar about Jax’s situation, they gift
Jax’s Blade (+1 dagger) to the party.
A group of people, Greg (half-elf, chaotic good,
commoner), Lydia (elf, neutral, scout), Ulric (human,
neutral evil, commoner DQG3HQQLQJWRQ WLHÁLQJ
chaotic neutral, spy) are drinking wine and talking
about a friend of theirs that they haven’t been able to
reach for a few days. In Park Street, only this group
provides clues regarding the investigation. The group
is inebriated and talks to the party without hesitation.
They interrupt each other’s sentences, sometimes
forget what they were talking about, but manage to give
the following information:
• Their friend’s name is Barrett (human, neutral
62
good, commoner), and he is a weaver.
• Barrett lives at Veteran Vampire Spawn Street (or
9966LQVKRUW :HVW%DOODVW.DQUDWK,W·VD
back alley in West Ballast (p. 11), and a couple of
hour’s walk from here.
• Barret owed a couple of thugs some money, and he
didn’t pay them back on time, making them angry.
He needed the money to repair their roof. The
thugs hang around the lake in the park at night.
• +HKDVQ·WEHHQDURXQGIRUÀYHGD\VDQGWKH\WKLQN
he’s not home since he hasn’t answered the door in
a while.
If the characters decide to visit the thugs, they
encounter three elves and a half orc. You can use the
thug stat block to represent the elves led by Elysa the
Burnt (half orc, chaotic evil, Kanrath thug DÀHUFH
looking woman with her mohawk and burnt forehead.
She talks to the characters and tells them that they
did not harm Barrett, which is the truth, and she adds
that they have no intention of harming him, they just
ZDQWWRÀQGKLPWRFROOHFWWKHGHEW$VXFFHVVIXO'&
17 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that the thugs don’t
really want to resolve the issue peacefully.
The truth about Barrett is that he was unlucky.
Members of the Silver Cult liked Barrett’s warehouse
for its location, looked for its owner, found Barrett,
learnt that he had unpaid debts to dangerous people,
and killed him in his house assuming that people would
think he was killed by the thugs. Then, they started
using Barrett’s warehouse as a center of operation for
their cultist activities.
Barrett’s house is a small, one-story building. The
main door of Barrett’s house is locked. The lock can
be picked by a successful DC 15 Dexterity check made
with thieves’ tools. The door is a wooden Large object
with AC 10, 15 hit points, and immunity to poison
and psychic damage. There is a bed, a table, a chest
for clothes, and dirty dishes inside, all of which are
broken and scattered on the ground. If the characters
succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, they
ÀQG.)DSLHFHRIGDUNUHGIDEULFDQGDKDOIULSSHG
property deed indicating that Barrett has a warehouse.
The part of the document where the address should
be written is ripped, but luckily, some serial numbers
can still be seen. Also, a successful DC 13 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals that the dark red fabric
is mostly used for the robes worn by sorcerers of
Cyherested.
A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check
allows the characters to notice odd details in the
stonework around the legs of the table, which covers a
trap door leading downstairs. Below, there is a hidden
URRPWKDWÀYH0HGLXPFUHDWXUHVFDQEDUHO\ÀWLQWR
$VPHOORIURWDQGGHFD\ÀOOVWKHFKDUDFWHUV·QRVWULOV
when they open the trap door. In the room lies Barrett’s
bloodless dead body, half consumed by insects. This is
the doing of the Silver Cultists, but there are no clear
indications here for the characters to know it; they
can only tell that the blood has been drained out of
Barrett’s body with magic, which can be revealed with a
successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check, as there are
no visible scars on the body.
7KHSDUW\FDQÀQG%DUUHWW·VIULHQGVEDFNDWWKHSDUN
but they have no idea that Barrett owned a warehouse.
The Detective or Barrett’s friends can suggest that the
characters go to the Ministry of City Planning to locate
the warehouse by using the documents they found in
Barrett’s house.
Normally, the characters wouldn’t be able to enter
any of the ministries without a good reason, but since
they carry the sigil of the Grand Advisor, they can enter
without much question. The Ministry of City Planning is
located near the Highseat District (p. 9). This four-story
building is made of stone and has a brass spiked dome
on top.
When they enter the building, they are greeted by a
reception hall with lots of chairs, a library, a bar, the
chattering of people waiting in the hall, and enforcers
patrolling inside. Right across the entrance, there is a
blonde woman wearing a white shirt, a navy blue vest,
and a name tag that reads Eliz (gnome, lawful neutral,
commoner) sitting behind a counter protected by a
glass window. She greets those who enter and redirects
them to the departments they must go to. There is a
queue of 10 Kanrath citizens in front of Eliz, and she
seems overwhelmed. There are three other counters
next to Eliz, all of which are empty. The characters can
choose to wait in line, or they can show Eliz the sigil of
the Grand Advisor to talk to her right away.
Eliz says that she’s not authorized to share addresses,
unless those asking have documentation from the
enforcers that allows for it. Even if that were the case,
their request would have to wait until it was approved
and sent to the Ministry of City Planning, where the
document would be inspected and passed on to the
2IÀFHRI/DQG5HJLVWU\7KHQDQGRQO\WKHQZRXOGWKH
RIÀFHEHDEOHWRVKDUHVXFKLQIRUPDWLRQ/RQJVWRU\
short, the characters need a document signed by the
Ministry of Law and Order, the ministry to which the
enforcers answer, justifying their search. Eliz says that
the sigil of the Grand Advisor would help the characters
when they apply; however, she herself cannot help
the characters without the proper documentation.
“Forging documents is a great crime in Kanrath,” she
says, and though she is quite unconvincing, it’s clear
that she has no intention of jeopardizing her job for
a group of adventurers she doesn’t even know. If the
characters insist, Eliz calls for the enforcers to escort
the characters out.
If the characters can’t persuade or intimidate Eliz
with a successful DC 19 Charisma (Intimidation) check
or DC 19 Charisma (Persuasion) check, they must visit
the Ministry of Law and Order, which is a 15-minute
walk from the Ministry of City Planning, in order to get
the document they need. When the characters arrive
at the Ministry of Law and Order, they see almost ten
buildings of different shapes and sizes in a beautiful
garden, surrounded by a brick wall. There are two
vampire sentries (p. 289) guarding the iron gate on
the wall. They are under the shadow cloak spell (p. 261),
and are thus able to walk in sunlight without being
harmed. One of them is a human in his forties with
black hair and a clean-shaven face, while the other
is a dwarf in her youth with braided long red hair.
When the characters approach, the taller one of the
two says “Halt! State your business.” After the characters
introduce themselves, he continues, “You cannot enter
this complex without proper documentation. Where is your
entrance permit?” After the characters show him the
Grand Advisor’s sigil, the vampire says, “Seems authentic.
I’ll take you to my supervisor. If she says it’s alright, then
you are welcome here.” The other vampire says, “Visitors
are not permitted to bring their weapons, spell components,
spellbooks, or holy symbols into the Ministry of Law and
Order. You’ll get them back on your way out. You have
the right to refuse, so long as you agree to leave at once.”
This policy is non-negotiable. The sentries place the
characters’ weapons in a wooden chest locked inside
DFDELQHWLQWKHJXDUGKRXVH7KHQWKHÀUVWYDPSLUH
sentry commands the party to follow him and takes
WKHPWRDÀYHVWRU\EXLOGLQJRIJUDQLWHZLWKJRWKLF
architectural aesthetics and no windows. There are
countless enforcers and vampire sentries around, all
doing clerical work behind counters before which there
are lines of various lengths. The characters don’t wait
LQOLQHDQGDUHGLUHFWO\WDNHQWRDQRIÀFHRQWKHWKLUG
ÁRRU
7KHUHDUHWKUHHÀOLQJFDELQHWVDVZHOODVDZDOQXW
desk and a chair in this room. On the wall behind the
desk, there is a 6-foot painting depicting a vampire
military unit, wearing blood-soaked uniforms and
holding greatswords with hilts resembling bat-like
ZLQJV7KH\DUHLQWKHPLGGOHRIDEDWWOHÀHOGVWDQGLQJ
atop a pile of corpses. Rhonda Wallace (human, lawful
evil, Kanrath vampire - p. 282) is standing next to the
painting, smoking a cigarette. The two angst sconces
illuminating the room reveal the hunger in her crimson
eyes, and the light bounces off the angst amulet in
WKHVKDSHRIDUDLQGURSZKLFKLVSODFHGÀUPO\RQKHU
black uniform. She looks like one of the vampires in the
painting, but this is nothing more than a coincidental
resemblance.
63
 She welcomes the vampire sentry and tells him to
wait outside the door. She then sizes up each character
from top to bottom, takes one more drag, and puts out
the cigarette in the ashtray on the table. Her black hair
creates a nice contrast against her pale skin. She asks,
“Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck are you doing in my
RIÀFH"µA successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check
reminds the characters that angst causes extreme anger
in individuals who have been in contact with it for
long periods of time. This is probably why Rhonda is so
aggressive.
When the characters tell her their story, Rhonda
OLVWHQVFDUHIXOO\DQGDWWHQWLYHO\)URPWLPHWRWLPH
she takes a sip from a cup of mulled wine on her desk.
When the characters are done talking, she says,“For all
I know, you could’ve forged the sigil, or stolen it. Forging the
sigil of the Grand Advisor is a great crime, you know. You
could be plotting something. Or… You could be telling the
truth. There’s no way for me to know, really, unless you were
to do something for me that assures me of your honorable
intentions. You do that and I’ll get you your document. How is
that for a deal?”
If the Detective is present, he says that this is a good
chance to catch the cultists, and that they should take
Rhonda’s deal.
If they refuse, Rhonda kicks them out and the
vampire sentry escorts them out of the premises. If
they accept, Rhonda asks them to go to a pub called
´WKH)LIWKµDQGHDYHVGURSRQWZRSHRSOHDKDOIRUF
worker with long gray hair and a gray beard, and an
elderly dwarf with gray skin and dark braided hair
that matches his beard. The dwarf could be wearing
a monocle over his lazy left eye and the half orc is
possibly surrounded by union people, so the dwarf
could also have armed personnel by his side. The
meeting between the two will take place in two hours,
and the characters can be taken to the pub with horse
carriages if they want to, otherwise, they get to the
pub in the nick of time. Rhonda suggests that they go
there ahead of time to get settled in a good spot without
drawing attention to themselves.
If they walk to the pub, they arrive right after the
dwarf they are about to eavesdrop on (dwarf, neutral
evil, Kanrath enforcer captain - p. 280) and two of
his guards (human, lawful evil, Kanrath thug - p. 281)
arrive at the scene, all wearing dark suits and carrying
bloodwork weapons. The guards carry two briefcases.
If the party takes a carriage, they arrive an hour
EHIRUHWKHGZDUIDQGKLVJXDUGVFRPHLQ7KH)LIWKLVD
pub for the working class, run by an old, former worker
FDOOHG´)XQN\-Rµ KDOÁLQJFKDRWLFQHXWUDOveteran).
+HZDVJLYHQWKHDOLDV´)XQN\µDVKHSXWKLPVHOILQ
embarrassing situations without hesitation to make his
IHOORZZRUNHUVODXJK7KH)LIWKLVGHFRUDWHGZLWKÁDJV
64
DQGSDLQWLQJVGHSLFWLQJDÀVWFUXVKLQJDYLDORIEORRG
which is the symbol of the United Laborers of Kanrath,
also known as U.L.S.K. Its goals include providing
better working conditions for the mortal workers of
Kanrath and making the royalty acknowledge basic
mortal rights, such as “to live as one pleases.” This
is not their headquarters, but a pub that is safely
frequented by those in the union. There are people
sitting around wooden tables, drinking and singing
songs about workers, their union, and how they wish to
overthrow the vampire rule. Among those people, there
LVDKDOIRUFWKDWÀWV5KRQGD·VGHVFULSWLRQ+LVIULHQGV
call him many things such as “big guy”, “bearskin”, and
“Grimugur.” The Detective sits at the bar and asks for a
glass of whiskey.
If the party is early, there are three billiard tables,
DQGDFRXSOHRIKXPDQVLQWKHLUPLGÀIWLHVDUHSOD\LQJ
at one of them. One of them, Nadiir, (human, chaotic
good, commoner) is wearing common clothes and
has short black hair. Blake (human, lawful neutral,
commoner) is wearing worker’s utility overalls and
he has long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. If the
party wishes to play with them, they accept their offer
and ask whether they are willing to place a bet. If the
party wishes to play by themselves, they can do so at
one of the other tables.
There are ten balls, nine of which are numbered and
one of which is an unmarked cue ball. A player should
KLWWKHORZHVWQXPEHUHGEDOOÀUVWDQGPDNHDEDOOJR
into a pocket.
7KHÀUVWSOD\HURSHQVWKHJDPHPDNLQJDPHOHH
weapon attack, hitting the cue ball causing it to hit the
lowest-numbered ball, and spreading the rest of the
balls on the impact. AC is 5 for this move.
On a result of 4 or lower, the cue ball does not hit any
of the balls. It’s then the next player’s turn. On a result
of 20 or higher; however, the player makes a ball go into
a pocket, and the player continues playing until no ball
goes into a pocket after a hit. However, the rules change
DELWDIWHUWKHFXHEDOOLVKLWIRUWKHÀUVWWLPH
After the cue ball is hit, the player must make a
melee weapon attack roll against AC 10 + 1d4. If the
player scores 10 higher, or more, than the AC, the ball
goes into a pocket and the player keeps playing. If the
player scores 5 higher, or more, than the AC, the player
changes and the AC for the new player becomes 10 +
1d4. If the player misses, the player changes and the AC
for the new player is 10 - 1d4.
The player who makes the ninth ball hit the pocket
wins the game.
While playing, Nadiir and Blake can give the following
information about U.L.S.K or Grimugur.
• Grimugur is the leader of a small group of angst
 UHÀQHU\ZRUNHUVLQWKHXQLRQ
• He is a fair man, the union is his whole life, and he
protects his fellow union members at all costs.
• U.L.S.K has improved the lives of many workers.
Though they still live in squalor, it’s a lot better
than what it used to be.
• Anybody can be a member of the union as long
as they are mortal and have legitimate jobs in
Kanrath.
• Enforcers sometimes beat up the members and
vampire sentries kill them to intimidate the rest,
EXWWKH\ZRQ·WEDFNGRZQDQGZLOONHHSÀJKWLQJIRU
their rightful cause.
Then the dwarf comes over with two of his guards,
and stops next to a billiard table. One of his guards
takes a small elevated platform from the back of the
pub and places it next to the billiard table so that the
dwarf can reach it. Then, Grimugur approaches him and
coldly asks whether the man is up for a game or two.
They start a game and converse as they play. Below, D
represents the dwarf while G represents Grimugur.
D: Thanks for the game, big guy.
G: Don’t mention it. The pub is always open for a friend… Or
three.
D: I don’t see any ginger ladies here though. I might move
along if I don’t see any soon.
G: Don’t you worry, we have plenty of those but they are all at
the university right now.
D: Good, good… It’s important to get… Educated.
G: True. You don’t seem to have any cages with you. Didn’t
you come to this part of the town to cage a bird or two?
D: My friends here are handling the cages, can they sit with
your friends over there?
G: Sure, why not.
D: You get better at this game every damn time.
The dwarf’s guards go over to the bar and sit with
workers, while the two play their game for another 10
minutes talking about nothing out of the ordinary. After
the game, the dwarf calls his guards and they leave. The
characters can notice that they are leaving without the
briefcases with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
check or they can learn it directly by asking you. The
briefcases are with the workers, and Grimugur joins
them right after the game. They don’t talk about the
encounter in any way whatsoever.
In thieves’ cant, “ginger lady” means angst crystals,
“university” means warehouse and “getting educated”
means being distributed. “The cage” refers to the
money in briefcases. The Detective, if present, knows
how to decipher the code; however, he doesn’t say so
XQWLOWKHFKDUDFWHUVDWOHDVWWU\WRÀQGWKHPHDQLQJ
behind these bizarre words on their own. The
characters can also understand these hidden meanings
with a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Then the characters go back to Rhonda with the
information they’ve uncovered. She thanks them, but
doesn’t divulge anything else about the people the
party eavesdropped on, nor does she tell the characters
what she plans on doing with the information she has
acquired. The next day, the characters can see news
about a corrupt Kanrath enforcer captain who steals
.DQUDWK·VDQJVWFU\VWDOVFROODERUDWLQJZLWKUHÀQHU\
workers and the union, and how the enforcers raided
their headquarters and executed their leader Grimugur,
while vampire sentries expertly assassinated the
corrupt captain.
Rhonda provides the characters with the
documentation they require, and she stamps the
documents with a special seal to indicate urgency. The
characters then have to take the documents back to the
Ministry of City Planning, where they are provided with
the information on the estates Barrett owns:
1st. 9HWHUDQ9DPSLUH6SDZQ6WUHHW 9966 
:HVW%DOODVW.DQUDWK
2nd. (QIRUFHU·V'RPH:HVW%DOODVW.DQUDWK
The second is the address to the warehouse. Once the
characters uncover the address, you can move on to
the Finding the Warehouse section. However, note that
your characters already know the location and thus
GRQ·WQHHGWRWU\DQGÀQGFOXHVE\WDONLQJWRWKHSHRSOH
in the neighborhood. That being said, it would still be
EHQHÀFLDOWRLQYHVWLJDWHRUREVHUYHWKHZDUHKRXVH·V
surroundings. If the characters want to search the city
even more, you can always give them other leads.
True Lead: Thieves of Kanrath
With coal-black hair, big gray eyes, and worn-out
clothes, Little Bo (human, chaotic neutral, spy) is a ten-
year-old boy who lives in and around Park Street. In
spite of his age, he is very charismatic and articulate,
and is the leader of a small gang of children. The
characters may see him if they follow the railroad by
the park. There, Bo is seen stealing food from a carriage.
If the characters confront him, Bo says that he and his
gang steal for the poor, hungry, lonely children of the
city. If the characters ask him whether he’s noticed
anything unusual recently, Bo says he’ll tell them what
KHNQRZVIRUDFRXSOHGR]HQ.)RUVR$VXFFHVVIXO'&
12 Charisma (Persuasion) check as well as a payment
RI.)RUDSD\PHQWRI.)ZLWKRXWDFKHFNPDNHV
Bo talk. Bo says that a hooded man bought an unusual
amount of thieves’ tools and wooden crates from him
65

little bo
and his gang. They found it suspicious and followed the
man, but they lost him somewhere around the center
of West Ballast. If characters act hostile toward Bo, he
escapes with such expertise that characters won’t be
able to react.
True Lead: Red Night’s Gale
The district to the south of the station is called “Lertes
Park” (p. 10). Here, both mortals and the nobility
frequent pubs, theaters, opera houses, or various other
venues for recreational purposes. It’s also where the
Crimson City’s culture is extravagantly displayed for all
visitors to see; especially to the wealthy angst traders
who arrive at the city by train. Therefore, it is much
safer, cleaner, and more respectable than most other
places frequented by mortals in the city. Nowadays, the
most popular pub in the district is the Red Night’s Gale,
which is located in the northern corner of Lertes Park.
Due to its fashionableness, it is a perfect place to gather
information.
The pub, a three-story building made of limestone,
is decorated with lots of paintings and woodwork, and
LVÀOOHGWRWKHULPZLWKSHRSOHERWKGXULQJWKHGD\DQG
at night. When the characters step foot inside, they are
JUHHWHGE\DORYHO\VFHQWRIIUHVKÁRZHUV7KHJXHVWV
of the pub are playing cards, drinking, pouring their
66
hearts out to their friends, and some, having had a few
too many, are desperately trying to stay upright. Bards
are singing songs to the rowdy crowd, as the several
bouncers tasked with keeping the order look on from
WKHLUDVVLJQHGFRUQHUV7KH5HG1LJKW·V*DOHLVGHÀQLWHO\
the most enjoyable bar in the city. Lady Maroon
(human, chaotic neutral, mage), a lady in her late
ÀIWLHVZKRZHDUVHOHJDQWFORWKHVDQGDQH[WUDRUGLQDU\
amount of jewelry, even on her gorgeous wavy brown
hair, owns the pub and she greatly enjoys conversing
with her customers. When she sees the characters,
she’ll make polite small talk with them, asking about
their jobs, their lives, their moods, and other things
of the sort. If the party asks, she says she hasn’t seen
anything unusual as of late, but suggests that they talk
WR*HOOHU WLHÁLQJODZIXOQHXWUDOcommoner), a mad
man with bandages all over his neck and arms. He has
been drinking pints and pints of beer for days here in
the corner of the pub with his friends. There are at least
ten empty bottles of beer and rum on their table. Geller
is crying and his two elderly human friends are trying
to comfort him. Though they’re making a lot of noise,
the others in the pub do not seem bothered by it. If the
party talks to Geller, he says:
“God, I… I hate it here so much, man. You dunno what
I’ve been through, I’m telling you man. It was so fuckin’
scary. It… it was blood, this weird blob, this body of blood
chasing me, clawing at me, tearing at my flesh. I don’t even
know what the hell it was. Just… just blood! Oh, I will never
fucking set foot on that wretched street, I’m tellin’ you man.
Curse… curse the Ballast.”
He continues to sob, and after a while, his words
become indistinguishable. His friends say that he was
in a neighborhood in the center of West Ballast where
he encountered a creature, or so Geller. They then
give directions for the neighborhood: Walk along the
Trader’s Vein towards the north, turn left at Angst Edge
Street, follow the street to the end, and turn left again
at Brass Alley. The neighborhood begins at the end of
that alley. It is approximately a four hour’s walk from
the pub.
The Neighborhood
The characters have now learnt that the cultists have
been seen, or at least that they could be found, around
West Ballast (p. 11). If the characters go where Bo
or Geller has mentioned, or if they wander around
the center of West Ballast (p. 11) and ask guards,
shopkeepers, or other citizens whether they’ve seen
anything out of the ordinary as of late, they will be
willing to cooperate. If they don’t show the sigil,
a successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check is
required for them to learn something.
All in all, those in the neighborhood say that they’ve
seen new people becoming regulars around those parts.
These people wear black and dark red robes, don’t
talk much or cause any trouble. No one messes with
them since they mess with no one, but those in the
neighborhood still think they’re up to something.
The characters can do more than talk to the people
in the neighborhood and investigate some more, as
detailed below.
Finding The Warehouse
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHQHLJKERUKRRGWKH\PD\
investigate further to locate the warehouse.
The warehouse is a two-story building made of
darkened wood, with two windows covered by veils on
WKHWRSÁRRU5DLOLQJVDUHSODFHGGLUHFWO\EHKLQGWKH
glass, on which there are empty vases.
They must make a Wisdom (Perception) or
Intelligence (Investigation) check, and get the
information below according to the result. If they fail
on the checks, they spend one day investigating, but
to no end. They can then try again the next day. If the
characters have gotten the address as a result of the
events in the True Lead: Park Street section, they can go
there directly without talking to anyone or making any
checks.
10-13. A shopkeeper says that a man bought carts of
food, enough to feed one person for one month. This
man went through a street across from the shop.
14-16. There is a blood drop that has been drawn on a
two-story wooden building’s door.
17-20. A blood rune has been drawn on one of the
cobblestones in front of the same building. If the
characters wipe it off with the help of a liquid, the rune
is broken. If not, a blood mephit (p. 271) materializes
and attacks the party at the entrance of the building.
20+. The characters hear people talking in the
building. The sound slowly fades; it seems that these
people are going downstairs. The characters can make
out phrases such as “the Founder”, “crates loaded”, “the
cult”, and “Cyherested”.
67
 The Warehouse
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQQRWÀQGWKHZDUHKRXVHDWWKH
end of three days, the Grand Advisor will contact the
Detective, or one of the characters if the Detective is not
with them, with a sending spell and give them the exact
location of the warehouse. The blood rune mentioned
above will still be there.
The door of the warehouse is locked. A character
can pick its lock with a successful DC 17 Dexterity
check made with thieves’ tools. It is a Large wooden
object with AC 12, 20 hit points, immunity to poison
and psychic damage. An alarm spell is cast on the door,
which alerts the cultists upon entry. The characters
FDQDOVRFOLPEXSWRWKHVHFRQGÁRRUZLWKDVXFFHVVIXO
DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, and get in through
the windows with a successful DC 14 Dexterity (Stealth)
check; avoiding the door altogether. If the characters tie
a rope to the railings to climb up, they have advantage
on the Strength (Athletics) check.
If present, the Detective suggests alerting the
enforcers. If the characters agree, they can recruit up
to 2 Kanrath enforcer initiates (p. 281) by persuading
them with a successful DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion)
check or by showing them the sigil of the Grand
Advisor. This process takes half an hour.
After opening the main door, the characters see
two sets of stairs, one going up and one going down.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVRIFRXUVHHQGXSRQWKHXSSHUÁRRU
LIWKH\HQWHUWKURXJKWKHZLQGRZV7KLVÁRRULVXVHG
as sleeping quarters by the cultists. The three rooms
upstairs, are decorated with both the gothic and art-
deco styles in mind, and are full of symbolic statues
belonging to the cult. These vague symbolic statues
seem recently placed and they represent blood, the
mastery of the arcane, and power. The rooms also hold
some of the deceased owner’s, Barrett’s, personal items
LQFOXGLQJVRPHFORWKHVDQG.):LWKDVXFFHVVIXO'&
15 Wisdom (Perception) check, the characters can also
ÀQGG potions of healing in a cupboard.
%DUUHWWXVHGWKHJURXQGÁRRUDVDSODFHRIVWRUDJH
but as the place is now empty, the characters have no
way of understanding this. A successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Perception) check does, however, allow the characters
to hear the cultists moving crates downstairs.
Downstairs
Start playing “Arising Angst” on the “Bloodpunk OST.”
The warehouse’s general features are summarized
below:
Doors. All doors in the warehouse, except for the
68
secret doors made of sandstone, are sturdy and wooden.
The wooden doors are locked, and their locks can be
picked with a successful DC 13 Dexterity check made
with thieves’ tools. Each wooden door is a Large object
that has AC 15, 17 hit points, and immunity to poison
and psychic damage.
Secret Doors. Unless stated otherwise, locating
a secret door requires a successful DC 18 Wisdom
(Perception) check or a 5-minute investigation with a
successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check. The
doors are locked, and their locks can be picked with a
successful DC 15 Dexterity check made with thieves’
tools. Each secret door is a Medium object that has AC
13, 14 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic
damage.
Perception. There are no footprints on the ground
unless stated otherwise. The characters may listen to
what is happening behind a door they are right next
to with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
Similarly, the cultists may hear what the characters are
up to if they are in the next room and if the characters
charge towards them, or if they make loud noises.
Unless stated otherwise, there’s a torch on the wall in
10-foot increments, which illuminates the space.
Stench. There’s a strong stench of blood in the
warehouse.
Structure. The warehouse is made of sandstone
unlike the building itself, which is made of wood. The
walls of the rooms are made of clear-cut stones. Unless
stated otherwise, the corridors are 5 feet wide and 10
feet tall, and the place is illuminated by the torches on
the walls.
Stealth and Time. By the time the characters enter
the warehouse, the cultists have already started moving
WKH)RXQGHU·VLWHPV,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVPDNHDQ\QRLVH
before entering area W5, including engaging in loud
combat, the cultists start moving faster, increasing
the chance that they will move more items before
the characters get to them. The characters can move
stealthily with a successful DC 14 Dexterity (Stealth)
check, or they can use the silence spell to keep from
making any noise during combat. More details about
how the time passes and which items can be found in
the upcoming sections.
W1. The Entrance
With spider webs in its corners, this corridor is dusty,
freezing cold, and dark. There are no torches here.
If the characters light a torch or illuminate their
surroundings in any other way, they can see a piece
of paper with a checklist on the ground that a cultist
dropped a few hours ago. The items on it are short and
 W3
W1 W2
W5
W4
to the point; the words “warehouse”, “bodies”, “crates”,
“vials”, “food”, and “tickets” have been written and then
crossed off.
W2. Entrance Hall
The entrance hall is full of Barrett’s crates, all of which
DUHIXOORIIDEULF$FKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQWZLWKZHDYHU·V
tools can understand that these fabrics are used to craft
average-quality clothing.
There is a large table with six chairs around it in
the middle of the room. There are empty bottles of
wine and chicken wings on a plate. A successful DC 13
Intelligence (Investigation), DC 14 Wisdom (Perception),
or DC 16 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals that the
chicken wings are still warm, which indicates that the
characters are not alone.
With a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check,
the characters can hear the clinking of glass vials
coming from area W4. If the characters do not act
stealthily, the cultists in area W4 open the door and
attack the characters, shouting, “For the Founder!” and
alarming the other cultists in the warehouse.
W3. Tool Cellar
The tool cellar has cabinets on the north and east walls,
all of which are half-full of cheap or worn-out fabric.
Barrett was an experienced weaver so there is a set of
weaver’s tools, a well-made padded armor, and clothes
ZRUWK.)LQWZRRIWKHFXSERDUGV7KHUHLVDVHFUHW
W6
door hidden behind one of the cabinets on the east wall
leading to W5.
W4. Blood Storage
This room’s door is unlocked. There are two Silver
Cult wardens (p. 286) trying to reorganize 10 vials of
blood that are located on the shelves of a cabinet. One
of them has just dropped one of the vials and painted
the ground crimson-red. They wear black robes with
crimson vertical stripes, have red arcane symbols
tattooed on their necks, and carry silver daggers. One
warden’s curly blonde hair can be seen from the sides of
her hood, and the other is a bald man, currently staring
daggers at his friend. They are both drunk and they
therefore make their Wisdom (Perception) checks with
disadvantage. If the characters engage in combat with
them, they cry out, “For the Founder!” and attack.
W5. Warehouse
If the characters enter area W5 through its front door
after they have made noise or alerted the cultists in
any other way, an agglutination (p. 258) cantrip cast by a
FXOWLVWKLWVWKHÀUVWFKDUDFWHUWKDWHQWHUVWKHURRP
The smell of blood is in the air. There are 2
humanoids nailed to each of the walls, their throats slit
open, left here to die. Their blood has dripped on the
ground in a 5-foot square right next to them, creating
a blood puddle. A vampiric snake consuming the sun
has been drawn in blood on the wall behind them. A
successful DC 16 Intelligence (History) check reveals
69
 WKDWWKLVLVRQHRIWKHV\PEROVRIWKH)RXQGHU
When the characters enter the room, some cultists
shout and lock the door connecting area W5 and area
W6. There are two Silver Cult initiates (p. 285), two
Silver Cult acolytes (p. 285), one Silver Cult warden,
and Arthus in the room. Arthus is the highest ranking
cultist in the room, although he is far from being the
leader of the Silver Cult. They are all wearing dark
red and black robes with silver stripes on them, and
carrying silver daggers. Arthus has his hood open unlike
the other cultists, as an indicator of his status. Arthus is
a bald man who has silver tattoos on the left side of his
head. The tattoos, shining bright, create a contrast to
his dark skin. He has a crimson staff in his hand. Other
than the cultists and the unfortunates on the wall,
the room looks surprisingly empty. A successful DC 17
Wisdom (Perception) check reveals the scratches on the
ground, indicating that some crates have recently been
moved to W6.
Time. Please take note of the number of rounds spent
in this combat, which will affect the outcome of this
dungeon.
The Detective. If the Detective is not present when
WKLVFRPEDWVWDUWVKHÀQGVWKHZDUHKRXVHDELWODWHU
than the characters, and joins the combat in the 3rd
round. In combat, he chooses to take cover and shoot at
the cultists with a bloodwork pistol.
Arthus
Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 19 (3d8 + 6)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3)
Skills Arcana +4, Religion +4, Perception +5
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Dwarvish, Elvish
Challenge  ;3
Dark Devotion. Arthus has advantage on saving throws
against being charmed or frightened.
Silver Tattoo. Arthus has silver tattoos on his head,
constantly keeping him under the effects of the
protection from good and evil spell, without requiring
any concentration.
70
Spellcasting. Arthus is a 3rd-level spellcaster. His
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5
to hit with spell attacks). He has the following spells
prepared:
Cantrips (at will): agglutination*, chill touch, mage hand,
minor illusion
1st level (4 slots): burning hands, false life, mage armor**,
magic missile
2nd level (2 slots): hold person, invisibility, scorching ray
** Arthus casts this spell on himself before combat.
ACTIONS
Silvered Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Bloodbender. Arthus raises his staff and targets a
creature with blood within 30 feet of him. The target
must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw; taking
 G DFLGFROGÀUHQHFURWLFRUSRLVRQGDPDJH
(determined by Arthus) on a failed save or half as
much on a successful one.
REACTIONS
Blood Jump. Arthus can teleport into an unoccupied
space with a blood puddle on it.
W6. Getaway Corridor/Back Door
The corridor is made of cobblestones that don’t
resemble the rest of the warehouse, as it has been
constructed recently and hastily. Whoever built the
corridor was clearly no expert mason. The cultists in
the warehouse have used this corridor to load carts
with crates and transport them to the train station
through the back door. When the characters entered
area W5, the cultists in area W6 started loading the
FUDWHVDQGÁHG
Items of the Founder
The number of rounds spent in combat affects whether
or not the cultists have left any items behind. Do
not forget that if the characters made noise before
entering area W5, the count for the number of rounds
starts at that time. The following table displays the
number of rounds spent in combat and which items
were carried off in each case. If the combat in area W5
ODVWHGURXQGVLWPHDQVWKDWWKHFXOWLVWVFRXOGQ·WÀQG
HQRXJKWLPHWRPRYHWKH)RXQGHU·VVSHOOERRNPDJLF
LWHPVDQGFORWKLQJWKH\DUHVWLOOLQDFUDWHLQWKHÀQDO
room of the warehouse. Also, please note that if the
characters recruited Kanrath enforcer initiates as the
'HWHFWLYHUHFRPPHQGHGWKHSDUW\FDQRQO\ÀQGWKHODVW
two items on the following table even if the combat is
RYHULQOHW·VVD\WZRURXQGV)LQDOO\LIWKHFKDUDFWHUV
received the warehouse’s address from the Grand
$GYLVRUWKH\ÀQGQRQHRIWKHLWHPVOLVWHGEHORZ
Rounds Items
1 7KH)RXQGHU·VDUPRU
2 7KH)RXQGHU·VZHDSRQ
3 7KH)RXQGHU·VVSHOOERRN
4-5 7KH)RXQGHU·VPDJLFLWHPV
6-7 7KH)RXQGHU·VFORWKLQJ
7KHVDPHV\PERORIWKH)RXQGHUWKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUV
saw on the walls of area W5 are engraved on these items
as well; all except the magic items. A successful DC 15
Intelligence (History) check reveals that the items were
WKH)RXQGHU·VLWHPV$VXFFHVVIXO'&,QWHOOLJHQFH
(Investigation) check reveals the unique craftwork on
them, making the characters see that they are genuine
without a doubt.
7KH)RXQGHU·VDUPRUWKH)RXQGHU·VZHDSRQDQG
WKH)RXQGHU·VVSHOOERRNUHTXLUHDWWXQHPHQWDQGRQO\
WKH)RXQGHUFDQDWWXQHWRWKHP7KHERQGEHWZHHQ
WKH)RXQGHUDQGWKHVHLWHPVDUHVRVWURQJWKDWWKH
characters can’t even don the armor or open the cover
of the book. This is revealed by a successful DC 15
Intelligence (History) check reveals that fact. If present,
the Detective says he recognizes the symbol and
suggests that they should immediately take the items to
Blooddrake
the Grand Advisor.
A detect magic spell reveals that these items radiate
extremely potent auras of abjuration, divination, and
necromancy magic.
7KH)RXQGHU·VDUPRULVDEUHDVWSODWHPDGHRI
sanguine scales; a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature)
check reveals that these scales belong to blooddrakes
(p. 271). The armor bears one of the favored marks of
WKH)RXQGHU
7KH)RXQGHU·VZHDSRQLVDORQJVZRUGZLWKD
blackened steel blade and a granite hilt that has ruby
gems and silver engravings on it.
7KH)RXQGHU·VVSHOOERRNLVDGDUNJUHHQOHDWKHU
covered book. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature)
check reveals that this book’s leather is made of
humanoid skin.
7KH)RXQGHU·VFORWKLQJLVPDGHRIFRWWRQDQGOLQHQ,W
is a long dark purple robe engraved with Kanrath silver,
and its collar is decorated with colorful gems.
Regardless of when the characters killed the cultists,
WKH\ÀQGDULQJRQWKHJURXQGZKLFKWKHFXOWLVW
dropped as they got away in a panic. The ring depicts a
vampiric platinum snake devouring a sun made of angst
crystals. This ring also requires attunement.
If the characters save the crates that contain the
magic items, each of them can roll on the table below to
determine which magic item they have found.
71
 d10
1
2
Magic Item
Ring of Sun Blocking (p. 268)
Scroll of heartbeat* (p. 259)
3
4
5
Decanter of Endless Water
Blood-Blessed Weapon (p. 266)
Bloodwork Blunderbuss (p. 263)
6 Angst-Edged Blade (p. 265)
7 Blood Pistol (p. 265)
8 Eyes of the Eagle
9 Bracers of Archery
10 Cloak of Protection
$IWHUWKH)LUVW&KLOGEHWUD\HGWKH)RXQGHUDQGSXW
him to eternal sleep, becoming the Crimson King,
SHRSOHWKRXJKWWKDWWKH)RXQGHUGLHGDQGVZLQGOHUV
WULHGWRVHOOIDNHLWHPVDVLWHPVRIWKH)RXQGHU6LQFH
any form of trade including any type of belonging or
possession of the royalty is a serious crime punishable
by exsanguination, the frauds dabbling in the trade of
these fakes were executed, and the traders of Kanrath
learnt their lesson. If the characters try to sell any
of these items, the shopkeepers will immediately
recognize the symbols on them, and not only will they
refuse to buy them, but also report the characters to
enforcers. If the enforcers receive such a report, 2
vampire sentries (p. 289) accompanied by 1 cohors
sanguinea S ÀQGWKHFKDUDFWHUVDQGWDNHWKHP
to the Grand Advisor. Although these items are worth
enough coin to build another Kanrath, the characters
ZRQ·WEHDEOHWRÀQGDQ\RQHZLOOLQJWRWDNHWKHULVNRI
purchasing them.
There is no way to locate or follow the cart as it
departs immediately, and it leaves very little tracks on
the stone streets of Kanrath. At this point, the party
should go back to the Grand Advisor. If they don’t, she
will send an envoy of vampire sentries to take them
back to the Royal Castle after she learns what has
happened in the warehouse.
The Detective, if present, advises that they return to
the Grand Advisor.
,IWKHSDUW\EULQJVWKH)RXQGHU·VLWHPVEDFNZLWK
them, they will be rewarded with 6 angst coins each.
Level Up! Your characters have survived this far.
You can now tell your players to level up (to the 3rd
level).
Blood
Vision
When the characters get out of the warehouse, read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
Life in the Crimson City goes on unphased.
The cleaners are running about all over the
city to make it more pleasing to noble eyes, the
enforcers are observing the shady corners of
the city to find rebellious activity, and parents
are trying to find their abducted children.
You; however, get out of the warehouse
knowing full well that you will, once again,
find yourselves in a situation that is beyond
your physical and mental capabilities.
After the encounter, the characters are required to
return to the Royal Castle and meet with the Grand
Advisor. Entering the castle is not a problem anymore
as they are expected and as they bear the Grand
Advisor’s sigil. The same butler, Broic, escorts the
party inside the castle.
This time, the Grand Advisor is waiting for the
FKDUDFWHUVLQDURRPRQWKHÀUVWÁRRUWKDWZDVORFNHG
GXULQJWKHLUÀUVWYLVLW7KLVYDVWRIÀFHUHVHUYHGIRUWKH
use of the Grand Advisor alone, is illuminated by angst
lamps, and is decorated with crimson veils, paintings
of old Kanrath, a portrait of the Crimson King, and
DVPDOOERRNFDVHKROGLQJERRNVÀOHVYLDOVRIEORRG
candles and a jewelry box. She is sitting on a chair
EHKLQGKHUGHVNUHDGLQJDÀOHGULQNLQJEORRGIURPD
Kanrath silver goblet. When she sees the characters,
she asks them to sit on the chairs in front of her desk
and asks them questions like those listed below.
• Where did you encounter the cultists?
• Are they from Cyherested, as we expected?
• Can you identify the cultists?
• What were their goals?
• Do they have spies or collaborators from Kanrath?
• 'LG\RXÀQGDQ\WKLQJHOVHWKDWPLJKWEHRIYDOXH
for this investigation?

72
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGRQ·WPHQWLRQWKH)RXQGHU·VULQJ
the Detective does. If the Detective is not present,
you, as the GM, may make the Grand Advisor aware of
the party’s possession of the ring, since she has been
following the party’s movements with magical means.
If one of the characters is resistant to such spells or
can detect them in some way, the Grand Advisor acts
carefully while using such means.
She wants to take a closer look at the ring,
UHFRJQL]LQJWKDWLWEHORQJHGWRWKH)RXQGHU
immediately, and saying that if the cultists had this in
their possession, they must have been up to something
even more dire than she had initially thought. She asks
what other items the characters came across, and asks
whether the characters have any idea what to do next.
At this point, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
You feel a sudden, unbearable pain in your
head as if your brain is being stabbed with
countless tiny needles that suck on your
vitality, your soul, and your will to live. The
pain spreads all around your body. You see
your friends suffering, your face becomes
bruised, and your whole body feels strained,
as if you are being tied up with spiky chains.
Any attempt to fight this feeling bears no fruit,
it does not go away, and only gets more and
more intolerable… Suddenly, you feel relief,
a warmth on your face, pouring down from
your eyes, nose, and ears; and the smell of
heavy iron. You vomit a sanguine ichor, but
it is no ordinary blood. The last thing you
see before you pass out are the countless tiny
blood oozes moving inside the blood puddle
you’ve created.
Crimson Corridor
6WDUWSOD\LQJ´'UHDPVRIWKH)RXQGHUµRQWKH
“Bloodpunk OST”.
%HIRUHGHOYLQJLQWRWKHGHSWKVRIWKH)RXQGHU·V
dreams, there are some things that you, the GM,
VKRXOGNQRZDERXWWKHEORRGYLVLRQV%HLQJWKH)LUVW
9DPSLUHDQGVHHNLQJGLYLQLW\WKH)RXQGHULVDQ
H[WUHPHO\SRZHUIXOH[WUDRUGLQDU\ÀJXUH+HZDV
a grandmaster alchemist and an equally talented
wizard with an expertise on the supernatural powers
of blood, who honed his vampiric abilities at the same
WLPH2ZLQJWRDOOWKLVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGLVYHU\
SRZHUIXO)ORZLQJWKURXJKWKHFKDUDFWHUV·YHLQVWKH
)RXQGHU·VFRQVFLRXVQHVVLVVORZO\DZDNHQLQJZLWKLQ
the characters with each passing moment. This is no
ordinary event, and it has a great strain on the limits of
WKHFKDUDFWHUV·ERGLHVDQGPLQGV7KH)RXQGHUDZDUH
WKDWKLVEORRGLVÁRZLQJLQGLIIHUHQWERGLHVZDQWVWR
be whole again. In order to do this, he is going to try to
manipulate the characters along the way, guiding them
to the true ways of the vampire with each passing step.
He calls the collection of the ways of the vampire “the
Path of Blood”. At the end, he aims to control one of the
characters, consume the others, and collect all his blood
in one body. He will thus be reborn. There is a method
to track how close a character is to the Path of Blood,
called blood degeneration (p. 8). This degeneration has
both physical and mental effects on the characters.
During the blood visions that take place here, and the
other blood visions that will take place over the course
of the adventure, the players exchange character sheets
and play as each other’s characters. In other words,
each player should play another player’s character in
each blood vision. As they now share the blood of the
)RXQGHUWKH\IHHOFORVHUWRRQHDQRWKHUDQGFRXOGEH
aware of a portion of their friend’s capabilities and this
could bond them together rather than being a scary
experience. However, this is not mandatory.
In this blood vision, and in the others, the characters
VHHPRPHQWVIURPWKH)RXQGHU·VSDVWRUWKH)RXQGHU·V
dreams, re-experiencing them through his eyes. Their
actions can’t change what has already happened, but
they can still be rewarded in the adventure for them.
Since they experience the content of the visions in a
dream-like state, some parts occur as if the characters
are in a dream. Moreover, these events may or may not
have happened as the characters experience them in
WKHYLVLRQVLQFHHYHQWKH)RXQGHU·VPHPRU\FDQWULFN
him in spite of all his power, and since he himself may
manipulate these visions for his own gain.
If a character dies during a blood vision, they gain 1
blood degeneration and all characters restart the blood
vision. However, the creatures they encounter in the
blood vision seem to know them. Also, the characters
JDLQWKHEHQHÀWVRIDORQJUHVWDWWKHEHJLQQLQJRIHDFK
blood vision, or each restart. Also at the beginning of
restarts, the characters grow any missing limbs and
cure any diseases that they were infected with in the
blood vision.
The characters slowly open their eyes to a new realm.
7KH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQDQDUURZHQGOHVVFRUULGRU
PDGHRIÁHVKDQGERQHVDQGGUHQFKHGLQEORRG7KH
crimson corridor is 5 feet wide, but its height and its
OHQJWKERWKVHHPLQÀQLWH7KHUHDUHQROLJKWVRXUFHV
but a 60-foot radius sphere centered on the characters
73
 is illuminated with bright red light and an additional 60 In all the cases where they leave the corridor
feet radius is illuminated with dim red light. The walls EHKLQGWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKHVDPHFRUULGRUEXW
DUHOLNHEORRG\ZDUPÁHVKZRXQGV,IWKH\UHDFKLQWR illuminated thoroughly this time. At the end of the
the walls, they feel as if someone behind the wall grabs corridor, which is 300 feet away from the characters,
their hands without causing them any harm. there is a Huge double door, each door of which is made
Some parts of the corridor are straight and narrow. of a single bone. The door opens to a great hall, which is
In these parts, when the characters think they have 120 feet by 120 feet, and 30 feet high. There is no visible
moved 30 feet, they have actually moved only 5 feet. light source but it is illuminated with bright light. The
If they drop something in the narrow parts of the hall’s walls are made of darkened granite. There is a
corridor, it hovers in the air where they have dropped gothic marble fountain in the middle of a round pool
it. Sometimes, the corridor takes the shape of a spiral DWWKHFHQWHURIWKHKDOO%ORRGLVÁRZLQJIURPWKH
that the characters are climbing up, when in fact IRXQWDLQÀOOLQJWKHSRRO
they are moving downwards. If the characters drop Three sanguine elementals (p. 284) are guarding the
something in this part of the corridor, it hangs in the hall; they are not hostile towards the characters unless
air and starts moving upwards, as if gravity is reversed. they attack the elementals. They are patrolling the hall,
Sometimes, the corridor takes the shape of a spiral that leaving blood tracks everywhere they go.
the characters are climbing down, when in fact they On the left, there are Medium-sized marble
are moving upwards. If the characters drop something statues of ten mortals, whose facial expressions are
in the spiral corridor going up, the item falls in front of indistinguishable. They all wield different kinds of
the characters. weapons, shields, and magic items. There are three
This corridor is a loop, and the characters pass blood clots (p. 270), two bloodhounds (p. 272) and
through the same locations again and again. Each time ÀYHblood mephits (p. 271) chained to the statues with
the vision restarts, they all hear the same whisper in magical chains. Each chain has AC 14, 10 hit points, and
their heads, in the order below. immunity to poison and psychic damage. If they are
“Accept your fate.” freed, they attack the character who has freed them.
When they are killed, a sanguine elemental comes and
“Your blood is sealed.” chains the body to a statue, conjuring a magical chain
“Embrace your destiny.” out of thin air. A chained creature comes to life again.
“You are not alone here.”
The voices continue as long as the characters keep blood clot
trying to escape this place. With each voice, the
characters start to feel a pang of hunger that can only
EHVDWLDWHGE\HDWLQJÁHVKDQGGULQNLQJEORRG7KH\
crave blood and they know it.
The corridor changes a little bit after each loop. With
each loop, the walls become more and more bloody and
liquid-like. Also with each loop, the characters’ clothes
are drenched in blood, becoming heavier and heavier.
During the second loop, the characters see the depiction
RIDYDPSLULFÀJXUHZRUVKLSHGE\WKRXVDQGVRISHRSOH
on the walls. During the third loop, the characters see
YDPSLULFÀJXUHVZKLFKORRNOLNHWKHPVHOYHVGULQNLQJ
the blood of another vampire. During the fourth
ORRSWKHUHDUHKXPDQRLGÀJXUHVDJDLQUHVHPEOLQJ
themselves, bowing before a king on a throne. During
WKHÀIWKORRSWKHZDOOVWXUQLQWREORRGDQGFROODSVHRQ
them, drowning them, satiating their hunger in the
meantime. This is one of the few ways in which the
FKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQDOO\OHDYHWKHFRUULGRU
The characters can also leave the corridor if they all
sincerely accept that there is no escape, that they are
VODYHVWRWKHLUWKLUVWIRUEORRGDQGFRQVXPHWKHÁHVK
and blood around them.

74
2QWKHULJKWWKHUHDUHÀYHSDLQWLQJV7KHÀUVWGHSLFWV
the silhouette of Kanrath, painted red with a black
sky. The second depicts a colossal military table with a
chalice dropped on it, beneath which the map is painted
red with blood. The blood on the painting looks real.
The third depicts a young vampire standing over an
elderly vampire on the ground. The fourth one is just
a white canvas with blood randomly splattered on it.
The bloodstains on the canvas are moving in random
GLUHFWLRQVDQGWKH\ORRNUHDO7KHÀQDOSDLQWLQJLVWKH
portrait of a lich that has ruby gems instead of eyes.
She seems to be moving inside the painting. She can
talk but is not willing to converse. A successful DC 15
Charisma (Persuasion) check convinces her to talk, but
even then, she only says “Leave us be.” All paintings
except for the portrait have AC 5, 10 hit points, and
immunity to poison and psychic damage. The portrait
has AC 5, 101 hit points and immunity to all damage
types and conditions. If a character touches a painting,
they only feel the texture of a canvas. However, the lich
inside the painting gets really upset that the characters
touched “her companions.” She attacks the party. Roll
for initiative; the lich in the painting has the following
spellcasting ability.
Spellcasting. The lich is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +12
to hit with spell attacks). The lich has the following
spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): agglutination*, mage hand,
prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): angstblast*, magic missile, thorngrasp*,
thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, detect thoughts, mirror
image, rotten heart*
3rd level (3 slots): blood choke*, counterspell, dispel magic,
ÀUHEDOO
4th level (3 slots): blight, sphere of death*
5th level (3 slots): arrhythmia*, cloudkill
6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): ÀQJHURIGHDWKVRXOLPSDFW
8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun
There are only three ways to end this encounter, as
the characters cannot target the lich or damage the
painting. Either the characters die and come back to
life at the entrance of the great hall, survive until she
expends all her spell slots, or take the painting off the
wall and face it towards the ground or the wall.
On the front wall, there is a 15-feet-wide and 30-feet-
tall double door; an immaculate unlocked gate. The gate
is made of pale marble stone without a single scratch
RQLWDQGLVUDYLVKLQJO\HQJUDYHGZLWKV\PEROVWKDWÀW
Kanrath’s aesthetics perfectly. There are no locks on it
and dim sunlight is leaking from beneath the door. The
characters must walk through this door.
History of Blood
The characters open their minds to new visions once
they walk through this mystical door. They are about
WRZLWQHVVWKHSDVWRIWKH)RXQGHUDQGKLVIDPLO\WKH
IRXQGDWLRQRI.DQUDWKDQGWKH)RXQGHU·VFRURQDWLRQ
As their surroundings change, start playing “Requiem
for the Undying” on the “Bloodpunk OST.” Then, read
or paraphrase the text below to your players:
As you open the gate, you see a bright light
that blinds you for a split second. When you
slowly regain your vision, you find yourself in
a familiar hall, the one in which the Grand
Advisor first welcomed you. However, the hall
looks different. You first notice that there are
no decorations on the walls, and then that the
room is illuminated by oil lanterns instead
of angst lamps. A second later, you sense an
overwhelming aura of authority, followed
by an immediate desire to talk about city
planning and how to reshape the city.
When you look around, you see seven other
people beside you, including the Founder,
his wife, and the High Paladin of the city.
The Founder stands tall with his pale skin,
white hair, amber eyes ablaze with concern,
and elegant, gray and red clothes. His face
resembles each one of you, which both
terrifies and amuses you. He turns to his wife
and speaks softly, “What are your desires for our
humble haven?” The elf woman, wearing similar
clothes to the Founder, looking absolutely
beautiful with her braided brown hair that
flows down to her collarbones, a golden tiara
decorated with ruby gems on her head, and
her extraordinarily adorable smile says, “I
wish for the city to be a shelter for the weak, though I
am, of course, eager to hear from our sages too.” Then
the High Paladin looks at you, granting you
the right to speak. You’ve seen this man in
paintings before. It’s the Crimson King, the
Second Ruler, the Founder’s First Child. He
and the Founder’s wife do not seem to possess
the pale skin of vampires; they are yet to be
turned.
75
 The woman asks you questions about the city and is
genuinely interested in your insight about how to
reshape Kanrath.
This conversation is taking place in the year 271,
EHIRUHWKH+LJK3DODGLQEHFDPHWKH)LUVW&KLOGDQG
before Kanrath came to be. It has been one year since
WKH)RXQGHUPDUULHGWKHTXHHQRIWKLVODQG,QWKLV
VFHQHWKHFKDUDFWHUVDUHVDJHVWKDWWKH)RXQGHUDQG
his wife are consulting. They are required to provide
LQVLJKWIXOFRPPHQWDU\DERXWWKHFLW\WKDWWKH)RXQGHU
wishes to build, which he calls “Kanrath”. In the
year 271, there is a castle, but it doesn’t look like the
Royal Castle that the characters were in. There are
neighborhoods around the castle but there is no city
around it yet. At this point, the only vampire in Kanrath
LVWKH)RXQGHU
Your players should be aware of the information
in the previous paragraph before commenting on the
FLW\DVSHUWKH)RXQGHU·VUHTXHVW,QWKLVVFHQHWKH
characters are only required to talk about the city, and
the scene can be as long as you wish.
After the scene, everything goes dark for a brief
moment and the characters open their eyes in the
garden of the castle. Read or paraphrase the text below:
The moon is high, and bats are dancing in the
air way above you. A 300-foot long aisle lies
before the two thrones, one big and one small,
placed at the entrance of the elegant castle.
You can see the resemblance to the Royal
Castle, though it is a much more pared down
version with no working windows. The High
Paladin is standing between the two thrones.
There are long tables placed on either side
of the aisle, and people are drinking and
celebrating what’s to come.
You are knights, preparing for duels
that will be made to honor the Founder’s
coronation. In Tolian culture, shedding blood
during a coronation is believed to bring good
luck to the ruler.
Before long, the people are informed that
the Founder and the Queen are coming down
the aisle with the beating of a loud drum.
The drum is soon accompanied by the sound
of violins played by the bards as the rulers of
the new city are slowly walking towards their
thrones. The Founder sits on his throne
first, while the Queen takes an elegant crown
embellished with Kanrath silver decorations
and places it on the Founder’s head. They
76
then stand together, looking at the crowd. The
Founder starts to preach, loud and proud.
“My cherished subjects, know that I believe it is an honor
to be your rightful protector, ruler, and lifelong friend.
There is much to be said and done, but today, we shall
celebrate what was, what is, and what will be. Drink friends,
we’ll make Kanrath a city WORTHY OF GODS!” The
uproarious sound of cheers fills the air, and
the celebration begins.
It is time for the characters to shine. They are knights
ZKR·OOÀJKWWRHQWHUWDLQWKHPDVVHV6RPHRIWKH
duelers are the characters, the others being a knight,
a veteran, a gladiator, and a mage. Every participant
LQWKHGXHOLVKHDOHGEHIRUHWKH\GLHDQGWKH)RXQGHU
congratulates all the duelers personally. While talking
WRWKHFKDUDFWHUVWKH)RXQGHUVD\V“I am truly glad to
meet with you in person. We’re going to be spending a lot
more time together.” His face morphs into the shape of
the character he’s talking to.
After the scene, everything goes black once more,
and the characters open their eyes to a ballroom in the
castle. Read or paraphrase the text below:
Wine, appetizers, masks, dance and lies…
These are all musts for a great ball. You’re
standing in a ballroom decorated with
extravagant paintings, and lavish veils that
cover the windows. Oil lanterns illuminate the
ballroom instead of the angst lamps that you
are used to. You’re all having conversations,
mingling with the other people at the ball.
A bard is playing a joyful tune with his
violin in the corner, and singing about a just
and merciful king; almost like a wish for the
future.
This time, you are all heads of a noble
house from the region, visiting the castle to
congratulate the Founder on his coronation
and to ask him what the future holds. There
are countless nobles talking to each other,
their plotting concealed with dazzling smiles
and dull eyes. Some of them greet you and
wish to hear ideas about the new king.
 Your characters can eavesdrop on other
conversations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom
(Perception) check, or they can simply join in.
Information about the attendees of this event are given
below.
0DVWHU=\ULHO WLHÁLQJFKDRWLFJRRGpriest) is
the head of historians in the city. He looks like a
stereotypical scholar with his brown robes, and books
hanging off his belt. He believes that vampirism is a
curse, and abhors the fact that their new leader is a
creature of the night. He is whispering these ideas in a
lady’s ear in the corner of the room. If the characters
approach him, he lies and says that he loves the new
king as he seems to hold history in high esteem. A
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that
he is hiding something. A successful DC 17 Charisma
(Persuasion) check makes him divulge his true thoughts
on the matter.
Lorenda Whitestone (dwarf, chaotic neutral,
berserker) is the head of the Whitestone family. She
has braided gray hair that hints at her old age even
though her face looks as young as can be. She is in her
late two hundreds. She is talking to her butler, mainly
about how to convince or deceive the king to turn
her into a vampire. She’d love to live forever. If the
characters approach her, she doesn’t hide her wishes,
nor her admiration of vampires.
;\KDQ)DUVLJKW KDOÁLQJQHXWUDOHYLOarchmage) is
WKHKHDGRIWKH)DUVLJKWIDPLO\+HLVD\RXQJKDQGVRPH
gnome with symmetrical facial features and well-kempt
hair. He is wearing elegant garments that complement
his pleasing appearance, as he always does. He is talking
to Dalminn Palehide (p. 42), who looks a bit younger
KHUH;\KDQWHOOV'DOPLQQWKDWKHZLVKHVWRGHVWUR\WKH
1LPEOHZRRGIDPLO\DQGJHWHYHQFORVHUWRWKH4XHHQ
'DOPLQQZLOOVHFUHWO\FDUU\WKLVGHVLUHWRWKH)RXQGHU·V
ears during this event. When the characters approach
them, they start talking about the weather and the
quality of the wine.
Elyria Nimblewood (elf, true neutral, mage) is the
head of her family. She is a beautiful elf lady with long,
wavy, red hair, green eyes, and dark green clothes that
bring out the green in her gaze. She is a close friend to
WKH4XHHQ6KHLVWDONLQJWRWKH4XHHQDQGWKH)RXQGHU
congratulating them on the coronation, wishing them
good luck and prosperity throughout their reign.
The following events take place in order.
'DOPLQQLQIRUPVWKH)RXQGHUDERXW;\KDQ·V
LQWHQWLRQV7KH)RXQGHUVXSSRUWV;\KDQ·VDPELWLRQEXW
KHFRPPDQGV'DOPLQQWRNHHSDQH\HRQ;\KDQDQG
keep him from doing anything harmful during the ball.
Dalminn is a close friend of the personas of the
characters. He comes to them and says, “My dearest
friends. I think Xyhan Farsight has ill intentions, such as
poisoning Elyria Nimblewood tonight. Please keep an eye on
him, and prevent possible attempts of murder.”
;\KDQ)DUVLJKWOHDYHVWKHEDOOURRPZLWKDFKDOLFHLQ
his hand, visiting the restroom. He puts a vial of poison
into the chalice when he is alone.
;\KDQJUHHWV(O\ULDZLWKWZRFKDOLFHVLQKLVKDQGV
and a charming smile on his face. He offers Elyria the
cup he has poisoned.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVOHW;\KDQSRLVRQ(O\ULDDOOWKH
SHRSOHLQWKHURRPWXUQDQGÀ[WKHLUJD]HRQWKH
characters at once. They transform into vampiric
creatures and leap on the characters, tearing them
limb from limb, and feasting on their blood while
they still draw breath. As the characters slip out of
FRQVFLRXVQHVVHQWHULQJWKHÀQDOSKDVHRIWKHEORRG
YLVLRQWKH\KHDUWKH)RXQGHU·VYRLFHHFKRLQWKHLU
minds, clear as a bell, “Ambition can be harmful, one must
bide one’s time. Heed my words and stay alive.”
If the characters save Elyria, everyone turns to look
at the characters at once, and applauds their bravery.
:KLOHWKHFKDUDFWHUVHQWHUWKHQH[WDQGWKHÀQDOSKDVH
RIWKHEORRGYLVLRQWKH\KHDUWKH)RXQGHU·VYRLFH
echo in their minds, clear as a bell, “Ambition can be an
effective weapon for those who know how to use it. Together,
we’ll achieve much.”
The Final Test
After the scene, everything goes black once again,
and the characters open their eyes in the crimson
corridor once more, walking towards another hall that
is illuminated with a dim, red light. The hall is empty
except for a throne placed in the middle of the room,
facing the gate on the opposite side of the entrance.
The gate looks like an arch without a door and leads to
a place of total darkness. If the characters try to pass
through the arch, they enter the hall once again. Now,
a stone altar lies in front of the throne, with a ring
bearing Kanrath’s coat of arms, and a crown made of
bones on it. There is a lifeless skeleton sitting on the
throne, holding a chalice.
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or DC 14
Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals the marks
RQWKHVNHOHWRQ·VVNXOODQGULQJÀQJHUFDXVHGE\WKH
constant use of a crown and a ring, as well as the dried
blood on the skeleton’s jaw. If the characters make the
skeleton wear the crown and the ring, the skeleton
moves its arm, slowly bringing the chalice to its mouth,
and starts to vomit blood into it.
At this moment, a voice echoes in the room, “Drink…”
The characters, once again, feel an insatiable appetite. If
77
 a character drinks blood from the chalice, a door made
of blood starts to form in the arch. When all characters
have drunk from the chalice, the door is fully formed.
If a character drinks all the blood in the chalice, it is
UHÀOOHGRQFHPRUH7KHQWKHVNHOHWRQVLWVVWLOO,ID
character takes a sip from the chalice, the gate starts to
EHÀOOHGZLWKDWKLQOD\HURIEORRG:LWKHDFKFKDUDFWHU
drinking from the chalice, the layer thickens and the
gate starts to be completed. When all four characters
drink from it, the gate will be whole, and the characters
can pass through it. If the characters refuse to drink,
the skeleton vomits blood until the entire room has
ÁRRGHGGURZQLQJWKHFKDUDFWHUV
First Step to Vampirism
The characters can now drink blood to regain
hit points. A character regains 1d4 hit points
after drinking a vial of blood. The characters
can also make a bite attack. This is an unarmed
strike that has the finesse property. It deals 1
piercing damage and 1d4 necrotic damage on a
hit, and the character regains hit points equal to
the necrotic damage dealt. If a character regains
a total amount of hit points equal to five times
their level by drinking blood or using the bite
attack, they must finish a long rest to regain hit
points in this way again.
If the characters have saved Elyria from being
poisoned and if the characters have drunk the blood
in the chalice, additional rewards appear on the altar,
VLQFHWKHLUDFWLRQVKDYHSOHDVHGWKH)RXQGHU:KHQD
character chooses a reward, it can disappear, or you
can let some of the characters choose the same reward.
Each character can only receive one reward. The
rewards they can choose from are listed below.
Bat’s Eyes.$ERQHFKDOLFHÀOOHGZLWKEORRGDQGWZR
KXPDQRLGH\HVÁRDWLQJLQLW<RXJDLQGDUNYLVLRQRXW
to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision,
its range is doubled. However, while in sunlight, you
have disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Bloodless Veins.$JROGHQFKDOLFHÀOOHGZLWKDFROG
dark blue liquid. You have resistance to cold damage.
However, you become pale and cold to the touch.
You have disadvantage on Charisma checks against
78
creatures other than vampires.
Gaze of the Vampire. $UXE\FKDOLFHÀOOHGZLWKDSLWFK
black liquid. When you look into the liquid, you see a
IULJKWHQLQJUHÁHFWLRQRIWKHPVHOYHV8SRQFKRRVLQJ
this reward, the white of your eyes turns pitch black.
You gain an ability to hypnotize other creatures,
momentarily tearing them from reality. As an action,
you choose a creature within 30 feet and look into
its eyes. If the target can see your eyes, it must
succeed on an Intelligence saving throw (DC = 8 + your
SURÀFLHQF\ERQXV\RXU&KDULVPDPRGLÀHU RULWV
mind is momentarily detached from reality, becoming
unaware of its surroundings until the start of its next
WXUQRUXQWLOVXEMHFWHGWRGDPDJH)RUWKHGXUDWLRQ
the target is incapacitated, and you can’t perceive your
surroundings by any means.
Restless One.$QRQ\[FKDOLFHÀOOHGZLWKJUDYHGLUW
Upon choosing this reward, you feel cold to the touch,
OLNHDFRUSVHDQGWKHWLPHUHTXLUHGWRÀQLVKDVKRUWRU
long rest is halved for you.
Savage Nature.$VLOYHUFKDOLFHÀOOHGZLWKUDZPHDW
Upon choosing this reward, the beast deep within you
awakens.
You grow claws and fangs, which can’t be retracted,
but can be hidden with a successful DC 20 Dexterity
check made with a disguise kit. The disguise is broken if
you use your claws or fangs to attack.
7KHELWHDWWDFNZKLFK\RXKDYHJDLQHGZLWKWKH)LUVW
Step to Vampirism feature, deals 1d4 piercing damage
instead of 1 piercing damage.
You can also make a claw attack; an unarmed strike
WKDWKDVWKHÀQHVVHSURSHUW\,WGHDOVGVODVKLQJ
damage on a hit.
The Founder’s Armor. This reward is only attainable
LIWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDYHPDQDJHGWRVHFXUHWKH)RXQGHU·V
armor in Barrett’s warehouse (p. 68). The same armor
appears on the altar. You gain a +1 bonus to AC and gain
1 blood degeneration.
The Founder’s Weapon. This reward is only attainable
LIWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDYHPDQDJHGWRVHFXUHWKH)RXQGHU·V
weapon in Barrett’s warehouse. The same weapon
appears on the altar. You have a +1 bonus to attack rolls
and damage rolls made with weapons and gain 1 blood
degeneration.
The Founder’s Spellbook. This reward is only
attainable if the characters have managed to secure
WKH)RXQGHU·VVSHOOERRNLQ%DUUHWW·VZDUHKRXVH7KH
same spellbook appears on the altar. Your spell save DC
increases by 1, and you gain 1 blood degeneration.
Truth of Sanguinea. This is a Tiny cohors sanguinea
ÀJXULQHWKDWORRNVOLNHLWZDVEDWWHUHGLQFRPEDW
8SRQFKRRVLQJWKLVUHZDUGWKHÀJXULQHDSSHDUVLQ
\RXULQYHQWRU\<RXFDQDVNDTXHVWLRQWRWKHÀJXULQH H\HV6WDUWSOD\LQJ´'UHDPVRIWKH)RXQGHUµRQWKH
by offering a drop of your own blood, and learn the “Bloodpunk OST” and read or paraphrase the text below
answer as in the augury VSHOO2QFHWKHÀJXULQHDQVZHUV to your players:
a question, it can only do so again the next night at
midnight.
Vampire’s Familiar.7KLVLVD7LQ\EDWÀJXULQH8SRQ
FKRRVLQJWKLVUHZDUGWKHÀJXULQHDSSHDUVLQ\RXU
inventory. You can cast the ÀQGIDPLOLDUspell using the The Founder salutes the party with a proud nod
ÀJXULQHWRFRQMXUHDEDW and speaks in his quiet, ethereal voice. “Welcome,
children, to my humble chambers. I hope you’ve enjoyed your
little visit so far.” With these words, he tells you
Confrontation that you are visitors to his domain. There is a
slight hint of contempt in his voice, probably
because you are not vampires, but he looks eager
7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQDKDOOFDOOHG´WKH
to talk to you. He stands up and takes a few
%ORRG&KDPEHUVµZKHUHWKH)RXQGHUVLWVRQKLVWKURQH
steps towards you. His walk tells you that this
made of granite and Kanrath silver. The throne is
is a creature of pure courtesy, but his piercing
made with the gothic aesthetics of Kanrath in mind,
amber eyes show you that you must respect his
with spiked edges, gargoyle faces, and an arched top.
power or you will be punished. With an elegant
A 5-foot-wide rectangular blood river connects the
gesture of his hand, he conjures a table with five
entrance and the throne, like a red carpet. There
Kanrath silver chalices filled with blood. “Sit,”
are four chairs at either side of the river near the
he says, “Let us talk about the philosophy of blood.”
WKURQH7KHURRPVKDYHÁHVK\ZDOOVMXVWOLNHWKRVH
in the crimson corridor, this time carved into shapes
VXFKDVKXPDQRLGIDFHVZLQJHGYDPSLUHÀJXUHVDQG
silhouettes of the Crimson City.
7KH)RXQGHUDKXPDQZLWKZKLWHKDLUGRZQWR 7KH)RXQGHUSRVHVVHYHQTXHVWLRQVDQGWKHVH
his shoulders, a clean-shaven face with strong facial TXHVWLRQVDORQJZLWKWKH)RXQGHU·VDQVZHUVWRHDFK
features, is wearing a dark gray and crimson robe, RQHDUHJLYHQEHORZ7KH)RXQGHUFDQVD\PRUHWRWKH
drinking blood out of a Kanrath silver chalice and characters during this conversation as well, keeping
looking at the characters with a welcoming smile on in mind that he may have some knowledge about the
his face and a look rife with curiosity in his crimson

79
 characters, having access to some of their memories.
However, he does not tell them what’s happening in this
vision in detail.
What is the true meaning of blood?
“Blood is more than a mere liquid; it’s what shapes your
perception of the world around you. It’s the reason behind
the valor of the bravest warriors,what gives the mightiest
sorcerers their unparallelled abilities. Blood is life, power, and
authority.”
What is vampirism?
“One cannot speak to what vampirism entails before
discussing what makes a vampire. A vampire is a force of
QDWXUH$PLJKW\EHLQJXQEXUGHQHGE\WKHWKRXJKWRIDÀQLWH
life that ends in old age. Vampirism is a way of achieving
immortality, a path to ascension.”
What does immortality truly mean?
“An immortal being is not affected by the limitations of
mortality. It ascends above those that are doomed to die. Free
of the mundane issues that plague mortals, even those blessed
with unusually long lifespans, the immortal can channel
all their thoughts and actions to deal with superior, more
remarkable matters.”
Is vampirism a curse or a blessing?
“That depends on one’s intellectual prowess. One who can
comprehend what vampirism grants perceives it as a blessing.
It is a gift, often taken by one’s free will, which frees one
from the chains of their past to make way for better things.
It makes one smarter, stronger, and unyielding. Only a fool,
unable to let go of what was and embrace what is, would see it
as a curse.”
What is free will?
“Free will is a mere illusion. No creature bound to the
limitations of material life can claim they have free will.
Can a warlock who desperately needs their patron for their
PDJQLÀFHQWDELOLWLHVDEDQGRQWKHLUSDWURQXQOHVVWKH\ÀQG
another source of authority to replace the former? Can a
cleric claim that they have free will if they are mere tools in
the hands of their deity, who can choose to abandon them
at a whim? Earthly limitations and mortality are the main
impediments to free will. To truly be free, one must accept
these handicaps and try to get rid of them.”
What is the meaning of life?
“One must come up with an answer to this question
WKHPVHOYHV+RZHYHUOLIHFDQQRWEHGHÀQHGDV´OLYLQJXQWLO
death”; there’s life beyond death, and death can be avoided.”
What is one’s real place in the grand scheme of things?
“I perceived life as a tool to achieve immortality; thus, I did
so. I could not live to be an individual of no importance and
GLHZLWKRXWQRRQHUHPHPEHULQJP\QDPH2QHFRXOGÀQG
solace in a simple life, but I see it as a ruined potential of a
lifetime.”
80
What is happening?
“In a highly unique turn of events, you’ve died and been
given a second chance. I hope you cherish this gift, and use it
to climb your way up to the very top of the pyramid of life.”
:KHQWKHFRQYHUVDWLRQEHWZHHQWKH)RXQGHUDQGWKH
characters come to an end, so does the blood vision.
Everything goes black, and they feel like they are
drowning in a pool of blood.
Awakening
:DNLQJXSLQWKHPRUQLQJWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQG
themselves in separate rooms in the Royal Castle. There
are several healers tending to them. If asked, they say
that the characters have been unconscious for a long
time.
Time and Precautions. The characters’ unconscious
state should take as much time as needed for
the characters to wake up at the start of the 8th
day of the adventure (midnight). For example,
if the characters have entered the blood vision
on the 4th day, 4 days will pass and they will
wake up on the 8th day. This is important as
the anarchist meeting mentioned by Broic
below takes place on the 8th day, which is the
same day the characters awaken from the blood
vision. Other encounters in the game will
also be affected by how much time has passed.
Therefore, it’s advised that you keep track of it.
While the characters were unconscious, the
Grand Advisor has taken precautions to keep
cultists from fleeing the city. She added extra
security measures in the train station and docks,
even canceling transportation services during
the day, and restricting it to only privileged
vampires at night. However, the Crimson King
has reinstated transportation believing that
shutting down these services would do greater
harm to the city than good.
Blood Degeneration. Starting at the end of the
first blood vision, anytime the characters finish
a long rest, they gain 1 blood degeneration
(p. 8). Also, the characters who haven’t
gained blood degeneration at this point in the
adventure gain 1 blood degeneration at the end
of the blood vision.
 The tired and angry Grand Advisor welcomes the
FKDUDFWHUVLQKHURIÀFH,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDVNKHUZK\
she looks irritable, she says she has searched high and
low trying to locate the cultists since the characters
passed out, but that she has found nothing. As a result
she is extremely annoyed. She gives them the following
information.
• The characters have been unconscious for days (you
can give the exact number of days the characters
have been unconscious, making sure they wake on
the 8th day of the adventure).
• She had the characters medically and magically
inspected while they were unconscious. As a result,
she discovered that their blood looked ancient and
carried great potential, the likes of which she had
only seen once before in her life. She thus suspects
WKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDYHWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRG
coursing through their veins.
• 6LQFHWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDYHIRXQGWKH)RXQGHU·V
item(s), which were normally placed in the
)RXQGHU·VFU\SWVKHVXVSHFWVWKDWWKHFXOWLVWVKDYH
HQWHUHGWKH&U\SWRIWKH)LUVW9DPSLUH+RZHYHU
RQO\WKRVHZKRFDUU\WKHEORRGRIWKH)RXQGHUFDQ
enter the crypt. She doesn’t know how the cultists
managed to enter the crypt.
GM Tip. Though the characters have no way of
knowing this yet, the Fourth Child has supplied
her own blood, which contains the Founder’s
blood, to the Dean of the Royal Academy of
Sanguine. The Dean then sent the blood to
the Silver Cult so that they could abduct the
Founder’s body out of the crypt. The Dean, the
Fourth Child, and the Silver Cult all want to
resurrect the Founder with different goals in
mind.
As the characters carry the Founder’s blood,
they can enter the crypt. Although the Grand
Advisor believes she can siphon the Founder’s
blood and use it to open the crypt, or send
an army of bloodwork automatons carrying
the siphoned blood, she doesn’t wish to push
her luck, for she does not know what mystical
properties the Founder’s blood could now
possess. She believes the best way to get what she
wants is by sending the characters to open the
crypt themselves.
As the characters and the Grand Advisor are talking,
Broic knocks on the door, and the Grand Advisor tells
him to enter. Broic says he has vital information to
share with the Grand Advisor, who makes a hand
gesture to allow him to speak further. He says, “There’s
an anarchist gathering taking place near the Leech Therapy
Center. One of their secret places has been found and ten
rebels were executed a few minutes ago. Another meeting is
to take place at midday, and the location for this meeting has
been uncovered as well.” The Grand Advisor smiles with
a sinister look in her eyes and says, “Inform the vampire
sentries. They have full authorization. Crush any further
resistance, brutally and quickly. We have more serious
matters on our hands, we can’t waste any more precious time
on these impetuous rats.”
If the characters know about the anarchist meeting,
they can reveal this to the Grand Advisor who responds
by saying, “Well, there is no meeting to talk about anymore.
It’s been dealt with.”
When Broic goes out with the new orders, the Grand
Advisor continues to give the characters information.
• 7KH)RXQGHU·VEORRGLVZD\WRRSRZHUIXOIRUWKH
characters’ bodies to handle. The blood will slowly
occupy the vessel, that being the characters.
• The blood rain was probably the result of a ritual,
which the Silver Cult conducted in order to raise
WKH)RXQGHUIURPWKHGHDGEXWIRUZKDWHYHU
reason, the characters were resurrected instead.
• ,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGRQ·WÀQGDZD\WRULGWKHPVHOYHV
RIWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGWKH\DUHVORZO\JRLQJWRGLH
(as a result of the blood degeneration).
• She herself is a grandmaster blood alchemist,
who transformed herself into a vampire with
an alchemical concoction using the blood of the
Crimson King. With the help and approval of the
Crimson King, she can cure the characters of what
ails them. However, she needs the body of the
)RXQGHUWRSURGXFHWKHFRQFRFWLRQUHTXLUHG6KH
thus needs the characters to retrieve the body.
• ,IWKH\GLHZKLOHWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGLVÁRZLQJLQ
WKHLUYHLQVWKH\PD\QRWÀQGSHDFHLQGHDWKHLWKHU
DVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGLVPXFKWRRSRWHQWDQG
unpredictable.
7KHÀUVWSODFHWRORRNLVWKH&U\SWRIWKH)LUVW
Vampire. This place used to be a museum containing
WKH)RXQGHU·VLWHPVDVZHOODVDPDXVROHXPEXLOWDWRS
WKHERG\RIWKH)RXQGHU+RZHYHULWZDVFORVHGWR
visitors, thus losing its popularity.
The Grand Advisor reminds the characters that they
are dying with each minute they spend without the
treatment. Therefore, they should waste no time and
ÀQGWKHERG\EHIRUHLW·VWRRODWH
81
 The Grand Advisor speaks the truth. If the
characters retrieve the body, she will create a
concoction to cure them. The Detective suggests
that the characters take the Grand Advisor up on
her offer if they don’t wish to die as a result of blood
degeneration.
Level Up! Your characters have survived this far.
Inform your players to level up (to the 4th level).
The Crypt
The Grand Advisor gives the party a signed document
that enables them to enter any place in the city,
including those that they weren’t allowed into
beforehand. Thanks to the document, the party
can now enter areas exclusive to vampires, such as
certain high class districts or the Royal Academy of
Sanguine. The Grand Advisor appoints Ethan Ward,
the Detective, to accompany the party to retrieve the
)RXQGHU·VERG\ZKHUHYHULWLV:KHQWKH\JHWRXWRI
the Royal Castle, the Detective says, “We should discuss
our next move.”
The characters can try to gather information
about the crypt, though the Detective says that they
shouldn’t waste time on that given the urgency of the
matter, but comes with the characters if they want
to do so. Move to the Gathering Information section if
the party chooses to wander Kanrath and learn about
the crypt. The party may also choose to go to the
crypt directly. If they do, move on to the Into the Crypt
section.
GM Tip. At this point, the best course of action for the
characters is to accept the Grand Advisor’s offer; however,
the party may also refuse it. Even though the Grand
Advisor assures the characters time and time again that
they will die if they are not cured, the party can still choose
to find a cure themselves. Finding the Founder’s body and
using it as a bargaining tool to find a cure may still be an
option for the characters. Therefore, it might still be a
good idea to go to the crypt. If the characters refuse the
offer, the Detective approaches them after they leave the
Royal Castle, and says that he wishes to help the characters
find a cure, because he knows that they are innocent
people who got mixed up in things they have nothing to
do with. He also suggests that finding the Founder’s body
would bring them closer to the cure.
82
Gathering Information
7KHUHDUHÀYHGLIIHUHQWVRXUFHVRILQIRUPDWLRQWKDW
the characters can visit to learn about the crypt.
The characters can also go to the noble districts and
DVNYDPSLUHVDERXWWKH&U\SWRIWKH)LUVW9DPSLUH
These vampires won’t be able to provide useful
information about the crypt per se, but can direct
WKHFKDUDFWHUVWRWKHÀYHORFDWLRQV<RXPD\DOVRXVH
the Detective to lead your characters to the following
places.
During the information-gathering phase, Ethan
Ward asks the characters to excuse him for ten
minutes because he has personal matters to attend to.
If the characters want to go with him, he lets them.
+HJRHVWRWKH.DQUDWK3RVW2IÀFHDQGVHQGVDOHWWHU
to one of his close friends in Cyherested called “Lance
MacLeod”. He is a CBI sorcerer, a kind of special forces
sorcerer in Cyherested. He doesn’t tell the characters
that he is a CBI sorcerer. After that, Ethan goes to the
VWRUHQH[WWRWKHSRVWRIÀFHDQGEX\VDSDFNRI Ginger
Wonders (p. 266). He is addicted to it and, if asked, he
advises the party never to inhale angst in any way.
He only shares a Ginger Wonder with a character
if the party can persuade him that the character is
also addicted to it with a successful DC 20 Charisma
(Persuasion) check.
Twisted Knife
If the party encountered Celestina back in the
adventure, either in the False Lead: Enemy of an Enemy
section or in the Unexpected Help section, and if have
good connections with her, they may seek the help
of Kanrath’s renowned thieves’ guild, the Twisted
Knife. A character who knows thieves’ cant can
locate a series of secret signs with a successful DC 17
Intelligence (Investigation) check, leading to a sewer
maintenance hole cover. That sewer leads to many
places, but only one exit with a symbol on it in thieves’
cant that means “safe house”.
If the characters cannot locate the sewer entrance,
but keep asking about Twisted Knife or Celestina, 1d4
+ 2 Kanrath thugs (p. 281) corner the characters in
a quiet alley. They ask the characters why they keep
asking about the Twisted Knife, and they attack the
party if the party has poor relations with Celestina. If
the characters detain the thugs without killing them,
a successful DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation) check
followed by a promise to set the thugs free reveals the
location of a secret safe house. If the characters have a
good relationship with Celestina, the thugs lead them
to the safe house where she and three other members
(human, neutral evil, Kanrath thug) of the guild are
laying low as they have stolen a pouch of angst dust
from an enforcer.
The characters can learn the following from
the Twisted Knife provided that they have a good
relationship; otherwise, they must buy the information,
ZKLFKFRVWVDWRWDORI.)
• Some sorcerers from Cyherested are after the
characters. They seem to be angry because of a
certain warehouse raid.
• There were stolen pages of a book that describes
the interior design of the crypt. However, these
pages were sold to a historian named Hargrim
(dwarf, chaotic good, mage) a few years back. The
fate of the rest of the book is unknown. Hargrim
can be found in Kanrath Historians’ Society (p. 83).
• There is a rumor that anarchists hold the recipe for
a new type of poison that is capable of hindering
devices that work with blood.
Public Libraries
The characters may choose to visit the public
libraries to gather information. There are countless
materials about vampires, but most are of no use to
the characters. Some books explain how the love of
a vampire should be eternal, just like their life is.
They indicate that the lovers and the closest friends
of vampires should be vampires as well, not a mortal
whose life is limited. There are books about powerful
vampires saving young, inexperienced, vulnerable
mortal beings. Most history books concern the
supremacy of vampiric rule and the might of the
Crimson King. The books suggest that the Crimson King
is the all-powerful savior of Kanrath. There is no useful
LQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKH)RXQGHURQO\WKDWKHZDVWKH
one who turned the Second Ruler into a vampire, and
how the Crimson King ended up outgrowing his father.
Kanrath Historians’ Society
Right to the west of the Royal Castle, the Highseat
District (p. 9) is home to the noblest vampires of
Kanrath. Only those who carry noble blood are
permitted to reside there. Kanrath Historians’ Society,
a society mostly made up of young noble vampires, is
located here. Although rarely, mortals who embrace the
supremacy of the vampiric regime can also be accepted
to this society, as a token of vampiric hospitality. These
mortals carry a membership card, which allows them
into the Highseat District and which makes their lives
in Kanrath easier than that of most mortals. Hargrim
(dwarf, chaotic good, mage) is one of those lucky
mortals.
The headquarters for this society is a three-story
limestone building with pointed arches and gargoyles
on its facade. Most of the walls inside consist of built-in
bookcases, as the building was designed to hold as many
books and scrolls as possible. There are study halls and
meeting halls inside, all of which contain a myriad of
books and scrolls.
When the characters arrive at the building, they see
Hargrim, a middle-aged dwarf with braided, brown
hair and a well-kempt beard, wearing an old but
luxurious tunic, sitting at a round table in a meeting
hall, discussing the “angst war” with two other members
of the society, both of whom are Kanrath vampires
(p. 282). One of these vampires is a blonde curly-haired
man wearing crimson robes, looking at Hargrim with
a thirst for information in his eyes, and the other is a
dark-haired young woman that looks down on both of
these gentlemen, not because one of them is a mortal,
but because of their lack of information about the
angst war. Llyla, the vampire woman, says that the
angst war started in 429, the year Cyherested attacked
the mountain to seize the angst reserves. However,
the vampire gentleman, Jazzia, says that though this
was a siege, it was not conducted by the military. He
believes the war began in 432, when the Kanrath militia
recaptured the mountains. Hargrim, disagreeing with
ERWKVD\VWKHDQJVWZDUVWDUWHGLQZKHQWKH)LIWK
Child led the Kanrath armies to capture the mountains
and defeated the Cyherested army in 403. Both
vampires claim that they didn’t know there was angst
in the mountains so the initial war for the mountains
shouldn’t be the starting point of the angst war. A
successful DC 12 Intelligence (History) check reveals
that all theories can be supported by various historians
who also have different ideas on the subject.
If the characters reveal their intentions and ask
about the crypt, the three help them by showing them
some books, which contain information about when
the construction of the crypt began (503), how many
months it took (2), and how the building was and is a
PRQXPHQWIRUWKH)RXQGHU7KH\DOVRPHQWLRQWKDWLWLV
a museum, but that only those who carry his blood can
venture inside.
If the characters don’t know that Hargrim has
information, a couple of pages ripped from a book
that concerns the crypt’s interior, a successful DC 15
Wisdom (Insight) check allows them to understand that
he is hiding something. A successful DC 16 Charisma
(Persuasion) check persuades Hargrim to share the
SDJHVZLWKWKHFKDUDFWHUV+HJRHVWRWKHWRSÁRRUÀQGV
a book, and takes two loose pages that are kept hidden
inside it. He also takes two blank pieces of paper, ink,
and a quill. He says he cannot give the original pages to
83
 the characters but that they are free to duplicate the
information they contain. Here, the characters acquire
the knowledge detailed in the Crypt of the First Vampire
General Features section.
Kanrath Architects’ Association
The Kanrath Architects’ Association is right next to
the Kanrath Historians’ Society. The buildings share
the same aesthetics and general features, however,
this one has stained glass in its windows, more statues,
and more arches and Kanrath silver embellishments.
The interior, decorated with paintings, statues, and
bookshelves feels spacious and clean upon entry.
There are also study halls and meeting halls, but most
people here seem to be chatting rather than studying
or holding meetings. Only vampires are allowed to be
members of this association, and only vampires have
access to the building. If the characters didn’t have the
required documents, they wouldn’t be allowed in.
)LYHHOGHUO\YDPSLUHVDUHLQWKHPLGVWRIDKHDWHG
discussion in one of the meeting halls. They all look
noble with aristocratic attitudes and extravagant
clothes, and are discussing the city’s gothic aesthetics.
One of them says, “The Royal Castle is the best building that
UHÁHFWV.DQUDWK·VDHVWKHWLFVµ while another disagrees,
saying, “It is the best building, for sure, which is exactly
why it’s not the perfect image of the sum of the architectural
phenomena in the Crimson City.” The argument goes
on with no one changing their minds about what
they’ve said. Others in the room argue over different
architectural topics; the overuse of gargoyle statues
and granite stones, whether the use of Kanrath silver
embellishments are derivative, and other things of the
sort.
If the characters engage in conversation
with the arguing people and succeed on a DC 15
Intelligence check made with one of the tools that
can be used in civil engineering, architecture, and
other things of the sort, the vampires will start to
like the characters. Then, with a successful DC 12
Charisma (Persuasion) check made with advantage,
they are persuaded to share their knowledge of
the crypt’s architecture with the characters. If
the characters don’t try to engage in conversation
about architecture in Kanrath, they must succeed
on a DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion) check for the
vampires to share information about the crypt. Here,
the characters acquire the knowledge detailed in the
Crypt of the First Vampire General Features section.
of Sanguine, also known as “the University of Seen and
Unseen Art”. The entrance of the university is guarded
by 2d6 vampire sentries (p. 289). Two of them ask the
characters what business they have here, seeing as they
are neither students nor professors. The characters may
show them the documents given to them by the Grand
Advisor to enter the academy.
The sentries say that they should alert the Dean (p.
6) and the characters should see the Dean directly. The
Dean’s whereabouts change depending on the time of
day.
Morning. The Dean gives lectures early in the
morning. If the characters go to the academy in the
morning, one of the vampire sentries takes them to
the lecture, saying that they can meet with the Dean
once it’s over. When the characters arrive, the Dean
is talking about the possible harms of ingesting false
blood extracted from elementals. He continues, “...
if elemental blood is dominant in a creature’s body, it is
most likely to show an immune response against the poison,
even against the most lethal ones that accumulate within
the body.” When the lecture ends, all those who were
listening to the Dean leave one by one, and the Dean
and the characters are the only ones left in the hall.
Noon. The Dean conducts his personal studies at
noon, and normally accepts no visitors. However, he
makes an exception for the characters and takes them
inside a big lecture hall where they can speak alone.
Night. The Dean gives lectures to several elite
Kanrath vampires while he undergoes blood treatment
in a lecture hall at night. There are tubes tied to his
QHFNWKDWFRQQHFWWRDJODVVEDQNÀOOHGZLWK
blood. A tube

Royal Academy of Sanguine

The characters might want to visit the Royal Academy

the dean
84
VXFNVWKH'HDQ·VEORRGZKLOHDQRWKHUÀOOVKLVERG\ZLWK
new blood. He says “…blood consists of eight fundamental
essences; nine according to some. By studying them, we are
able to decipher a creature’s capabilities and predispositions.
Over the decades, many people of enlightenment have
conducted thousands of experiments on this subject. They
FDWDORJHGHPSLULFDOGDWDREVHUYHGDQGFRQÀUPHGWKURXJK
experimentation. Thanks to their efforts, we now hold the key
to unlock some mysteries of nature. For instance, we can test
DQGFRQÀUPWKHH[LVWHQFHRIOLIHLQDGURSOHWRIEORRGZLWKD
diameter that’s a thousand times smaller than the width of
a single hair. If this doesn’t amaze you, I don’t know what
can… ” When the lecture ends, all who listened to the
Dean leave the hall one by one, and the Dean and the
characters are all who remain.
The Dean gives the characters the following
information:
• +HNQRZVWKDWWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\LVNHSWKLGGHQLQ
the crypt. The Crimson King doesn’t want anyone to
visit his resting place, which means the place must
EHULGGOHGZLWKWUDSV,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVZLVKWRÀQG
WKH)RXQGHU·VERG\WKH\PXVWÀUVWDQGIRUHPRVW
get into the crypt.
• If the characters ask about their predicament, blood
degeneration, he says that this might be the result
of a powerful ritual or if they underwent leech
therapy during which another creature’s blood
could have become dominant in their body.
• If the characters talk about the Silver Cult and the
ritual, the Dean suggests that the leader of the
cult may know how to cure their condition, since
conducting such a ritual requires a vast knowledge
of the nature of blood.
• The Dean also says he’d be more than happy to
H[DPLQHWKHFKDUDFWHUV·EORRGWRWU\DQGÀQG
a cure. He kindly asks the characters to donate
a small vial of blood (worth 1 hit point) to the
academy. If a character gives a sample of their own
blood to the Dean, he will use it to spy on their
blood visions. A successful DC 20 Wisdom (Insight)
check reveals that the Dean’s intentions may not be
honorable.
Into the Crypt
Start playing “Arising Angst” on the “Bloodpunk OST”.
Soon enough, the characters arrive at the Crypt of
WKH)LUVW9DPSLUHZKLFKLVORFDWHGLQWKH1HZ$JH
Renovation Area (p. 9) next to the biggest lake in
Kanrath. The crypt is surrounded by a garden full of
pine trees.
A one-story building made of darkened marble,
the crypt is 50 feet tall, and about 600 feet wide. Its
entrance gate is a steel door in the shape of a pointed
arch, decorated with Kanrath silver and colorful gems.
An emblem of a vampire snake consuming the sun is
placed above the gate.
The door itself carries abjuration and necromancy
magic in its very nature, instead of being magically
enchanted. The magic of the door cannot be dispelled
as its very nature is magical, and the door cannot be
broken. The door is not locked by a mechanism that
can be picked or broken either. The shape of a hand
has been etched into the door, and there’s a hole in
the middle. An inscription on the door says, “Only those
who carry the noblest blood can enter” in Old Common. If
the characters don’t know Old Common, they can still
understand “noble” and “blood” as they are similar to
their counterparts in Common. If a character puts their
hand on the shape of the hand on the door, a small
needle comes out of the hole and draws a drop of blood.
The steel door opens slowly with a loud squeak. It stays
open for two turns, and then it closes.
$OWKRXJKWKH'HWHFWLYHGRHVQ·WFDUU\WKH)RXQGHU·V
blood, he can enter the crypt through the door that was
RSHQHGE\WKHFKDUDFWHUVEXWKHFDQ·WÀQLVKORQJUHVWV
inside the crypt as his sleep is plagued by nightmares.
A successful DC 13 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals
that the lesser restoration spell cast on the Detective
before he sleeps weakens the nightmares and allows
KLPWRÀQLVKDORQJUHVW
The Crypt of the First Vampire
General Features
7KH&U\SWRIWKH)LUVW9DPSLUH·VJHQHUDOIHDWXUHVDUH
summarized below:
Crimson Monks. :KHQWKH)RXQGHUZDVEXULHGLQ
this crypt, a group of zealots asked to be buried with
KLP7KHLUUHVSHFWIRUDQGIDVFLQDWLRQRIWKH)RXQGHU
was so strong that they wished to follow him in death.
They lived in the crypt for a while, attending to the
mausoleum. However, since they were mortals, they
eventually died in the crypt. As a side effect of the Silver
Cult’s magical activities, they were raised as undead,
and now are angry as can be because the crypt has been
GHÀOHG
Doors. The doors in the crypt are made of sturdy,
hardened metal. Some of the doors are locked, and their
locks can be picked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity
85
 check made with thieves’ tools. They may also be forced
open with a successful DC 21 Strength (Athletics) check.
Each door is a Large object that has AC 13, 45 hit points,
and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Unless
stated otherwise, the doors are unlocked. The door that
connects area A4 to area A5 is different from the others,
in a way which is described in detail in the upcoming
sections.
Lighting. The crypt is in total darkness, but there are
unlit angst lanterns every 20 feet on the walls of the
corridors, and an angst chandelier in each room. They
can be activated by dropping 1 hit point worth of blood
on the angst within. Each lantern sheds bright light in
a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet,
while each chandelier sheds bright light in a 30-foot
radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet.
Perception. Unless stated otherwise, there are no
footprints on the ground, and the characters may listen
to what is happening behind the doors next to them
with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. The
other creatures inside the crypt can also do the same.
Stench. The crypt hasn’t been in use for years. There
are spider webs in the corners, and there are graves
RIWKH)RXQGHU·VIROORZHUVLQVRPHURRPV6XFKURRPV
VWLQNRIURWWHQÁHVKDQGGHDWK
Structure. The crypt is composed of four separate
d2
d1
a5
C9 C7 C6
a4
C5
c8 C1 a6
C4
C3
A2 A1
C2
86
dungeons. Each is abbreviated with a different letter
in the upcoming sections (A, B, C, and D). The crypt
has narrow, 5 or 10-foot-wide corridors, and ceilings
that are 50 feet from the ground. The walls are made
of clean-cut marble. There are colossal clockwork
mechanisms on the walls, inside the walls, ground,
and on the ceiling of the crypt. These clockwork
mechanisms are powered by angst crystals. Therefore,
there is always a rhythmic ticking sound inside the
crypt.
Locations
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGWKHIROORZLQJORFDWLRQVLQWKH
crypt and they are keyed to the map of The Crypt of the
)LUVW9DPSLUH
A1. The First Corridor
Every inch of the ground is covered by a red carpet. The
crypt is dusty as it hasn’t been in use for a long time.
A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals
that there are footprints on the carpet, left not too long
ago. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals
that there are at least 10 separate tracks, all leading to
B9 B8
b6 B7
a7 b1
b2 b3 b4 b5
A3
different directions.
There are two opposing doors with different
nameplates on them at the beginning of the corridor.
The nameplate on the door that leads to area A2 reads
“Introduction”, and the nameplate on the door to area
A3 reads “Staff Only” in Common. There are three other
doors in the corridor with nameplates on them; one
that reads : “The Antechamber” that leads to area A4,
one that says “The Remembrance” that leads to A6, and
RQHWKDWUHDGV´7KH0XVHXPRIWKH)LUVW9DPSLUHµWKDW
leads to area A7. There are paintings depicting Kanrath
on the walls.
A2. Introduction
Wooden chairs are placed along the walls, and a wooden
lectern stands in the middle of the room. The walls are
decorated with dark crimson veils. There is a drawer
on the lectern with a piece of paper inside, containing
a speech in Common: “Dear citizens of Kanrath, welcome
to the Museum of the First Vampire and his Crypt of
Remembrance. It is an honor for me to be your guide in these
sacred chambers. First, let me brief you about the crypt.”
This statement is followed by an unintelligible part,
probably erased over time. There is one more sentence
that the characters can hear at the end: “And this, dear
citizens, is how our great leader, the Crimson King, decided to
build a crypt for his ancestor.”
A3. Staff Only
The walls of the room are lined with a couple of barrels,
and there are a few chairs, a small round table and a
built-in closet containing lots of different clothes inside
the room. The tags on the clothes marked “cleaner”,
“guide”, and “security” suggest that these belonged to
the workers here. The room smells of rotten blood.
A successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check allows
the characters to see a piece of paper in one of the
pockets, which states that the visitations to the crypt
shall be suspended in two weeks until further notice.
If the characters open a barrel, 1d4 + 2 blood clots (p.
270) jump out of it and attack the characters. The other
barrels have rotten blood in them.
A4. The Antechamber
This is a wide room that people used to wait in before
entering the tomb. There are shelves on the walls that
have alcohol bottles and empty blood vials on them.
The walls are adorned with stained glass decorations
illuminated with angst lamps, and the portraits of a
strong elderly man with white hair and crimson eyes
WKH)RXQGHU 
7ZRFU\SWJXDUGVOLHGHDGRQWKHÁRRUDQGWKHUHDUH
three other crypt guards (p. 276) in the room looking
battered, and carrying damaged items. The crypt guards
in this room were previously knocked unconscious by
the Silver Cultists, and they are still recovering from
WKHÀJKW*XDUGVLQWKLVURRPWDNHDSHQDOW\WRWKHLU
damage rolls and their maximum hit point is reduced
by 5.
A 10-foot-wide and 20-foot-tall door leads to area A5.
It is made entirely of clockwork mechanism that has
built-in angst crystals and tubes on it. Some parts of
the clockwork mechanism work, and some parts don’t.
Just like the door at the entrance, the door harbors
abjuration magic in its very nature, rather than being
enchanted. Thanks to the magic in its nature it cannot
be broken, and the magic on it can’t be dispelled. There
are no mechanical locks on the door.
A successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check shows
that there is a missing clockwork part on the door,
which must be found and replaced if the characters
ZDQWWRPRYHWKURXJKWKHGRRU$FKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQW
with tinker’s tools automatically succeeds on this check.
GM Tip. When the Silver Cultists came here, they
broke the door, taking two vital parts out of it, and
threw them around random places in the crypt. One
of them was found and taken by a Crimson Monk in
area B9, and the other one is kept by a dutiful watcher
LQDUHD&7KHÀUVWPLVVLQJSDUWLVWKHFORFNZRUN
mechanism part, and the other is an angst rod that
must be placed inside the missing clockwork part for
it to work properly. It is also not enough to put these
pieces into their places. A successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals that the characters have
to pour blood on the angst rod for the door to function
SURSHUO\$FKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQWZLWKWLQNHU·VWRROV
succeeds on this check automatically. Normally, the
)RXQGHU·VEORRGLVUHTXLUHGWRRSHQWKHGRRUEXWDVWKH
FKDUDFWHUV·EORRGLVPL[HGZLWKWKDWRIWKH)RXQGHU
they have no problem opening the door. Once activated,
the door opens with a loud screech.
A5. The Corridor of Fate
The walls are covered in sigils and symbols that
UHSUHVHQWWKH)RXQGHUVXFKDVDQHFOLSVLQJVXQRUDQ
ouroboros, both of which characters have seen before.
A6. The Remembrance
There are skulls, skeletal hands, and legs built into the
walls of this corridor.
87

sanguine elemental
A7. The Museum of the First
Vampire
There are paintings depicting Kanrath and the royal
family hung on the walls of this corridor.
B1. Museum Corridor
This corridor is very similar to area A1, except that
there are two crypt guards (p. 276) guarding the
corridor at all times, and whose usual patrol routes
never cross. If the party attacks a crypt guard and the
ÀJKWODVWVPRUHWKDQWZRURXQGVWKHRWKHUFU\SWJXDUG
MRLQVWKHÀJKWDWWKHVWDUWRIWKHWKLUGURXQG
All the doors in the corridor, except the one leading
to area B10, have been marked with nameplates that
indicate the room they lead to.
B2. Reliquary
There are two items, a bone crown (p. 266) and a Kanrath
coat of arms badge (p. 267) in the glass display cases in
the middle of the room, and brass plates that state the
VLJQLÀFDQFHRIWKHLWHPV7KHFURZQLVWKHÀUVWRQHWKDW
88
WKH)RXQGHUZRUHGXULQJKLVFRURQDWLRQ7KHEDGJHZDV
RQHRIWKH)RXQGHU·VIDYRULWHLWHPV
There is a crypt gargoyle (p. 275) statue in the
southeast corner of the room. If a glass display is
opened, broken or any of the items are taken out in any
other way, the crypt gargoyle statue comes to life and
attacks the characters.
B3. Weaponry
There are two items, an angst longsword (p. 265) and
an ornamented +1 bloodwork pistol (p. 263), in the glass
displays in the middle of the room. The display cases
KDYHEUDVVSODWHVRQWKHPWKDWVWDWHWKHVLJQLÀFDQFHRI
the items they hold.
7KH)RXQGHUXVHGWKHORQJVZRUGIRUWUDLQLQJZKLFK
he liked to do alone. The bloodwork pistol was a gift
IURPDORFDODQJVWWUDGHUDQGWKH)RXQGHUZDVDELJIDQ
of the extravagant embellishments on the weapon.
There is a crypt gargoyle statue in the southeast
corner of the room. If a glass display is opened, broken
or any of the items are taken out in any other way,
the crypt gargoyle statue comes to life and attacks the
characters.
B4. Armory
There are two items, an adamantine breastplate, and
a dark plate armor with pointy shoulder pieces and an
overall gothic aesthetic, in the glass display cases in the
middle of the room. The display cases have brass plates
RQWKHPWKDWVWDWHWKHVLJQLÀFDQFHRIWKHLWHPVWKH\
hold.
The breastplate was a gift from a dwarven family
JLYHQWRWKH)RXQGHULQKRQRURIKLVFRURQDWLRQDQG
the plate armor is the ceremonial armor that the
)RXQGHUXVHGWRZHDURQVSHFLDORFFDVLRQV
There is a crypt gargoyle statue in the southeast
corner of the room. If a glass display is opened, broken
or any of the items are taken out in any other way, the
crypt gargoyle comes to life and attacks the characters.
B5. Personal Items
There are several items inside glass displays built
into the walls, with no crypt gargoyles to guard them.
These are nonmagical or mundane items that have no
VLJQLÀFDQFHRWKHUWKDQWKHIDFWWKDWWKH\ZHUHXVHGE\
WKH)RXQGHU7KHFDVHVFRQWDLQDTXLOODQGDQLQNYLDO
a luxurious coffee cup, noble’s clothes, a compass, a
leather wallet, and other day-to-day items. These items
DUHZRUWKDWRWDORI.)
B6. Blood Rain
This is an empty room with a painted mural for a
ceiling, which is illuminated by magic. In the mural,
blood spreads to all corners of the ceiling originating
from a colossal skeletal hand. There’s blood dripping to
WKHÁRRUIURPWKHFHLOLQJ:KHQWKHFKDUDFWHUVHQWHU
WKHURRPLW·VÀOOHGZLWKEORRGXSWRWKHLUDQNOHV7KH
door in this room is slightly elevated, so blood doesn’t
pour out into the corridor.
There is a deranged sanguine elemental (p. 284)
magically bound inside the room, pacing up and down,
DQGKXPDQRLGERGLHV6LOYHU&XOWLVWVÁRDWLQJIDFH
down in the pool of blood. The sanguine elemental can’t
leave the room, and it regains 1d4 hit points at the start
of each of the turns it starts inside. The elemental is
deranged because it has spent too much time here by
itself.
When the characters open the door of the room, they
get the sense that the sanguine elemental is a loyal
companion of theirs. It was actually a loyal companion
RIWKH)RXQGHUDQGZDVERXQGKHUHE\WKH&ULPVRQ
King as a form of punishment due to its undying loyalty.
When the characters enter the room, the elemental
attacks them, screaming, “Master! Send me to the Blood
God! Kill me!” in Draconic.
When the elemental dies, all the blood in the room
evaporates with it. A skeletal hand then drops from the
roof to the ground, wearing a golden ring decorated
with an eclipsed sun. This is a ring of protection.
B8. Personal Paintings
,QWKLVURRPVRPHSDLQWLQJVPDGHE\WKH)RXQGHU
himself are on display, each covering an entire wall.
7KH\GHSLFWDEORRGGUDJRQDÀJKWEHWZHHQDYDPSLULF
silhouette and a radiant one, a corridor with walls of
ÁHVKDQGEORRGDQGDKDOÁLQJFRQVXPLQJDVDQJXLQH
elemental. Each of these paintings is worth at least
.)WKH\DUHSODFHGLQWKHZDOODQGWKH\DUH
bigger than the door of the room.
B9. The Founder and His Children
7KHUHDUHÀYHUHDOVL]HGVWRQHVWDWXHVDJDLQVWWKHOHIW
wall of the room. These statues are made of marble that
LVDVSDOHDVFDQEH7KH)RXQGHU·VVWDWXHVWDQGVLQWKH
middle. On its right, there is a statue of the Crimson
.LQJ7KH6HFRQG&KLOGWKH)RXQGHU·VZLIHVWDQGV
RQWKHOHIWRIWKH)RXQGHUZLWKWKH)RXUWK&KLOGD
EHDXWLIXOKDOÁLQJJLUOLQWKHPLGGOHRIWKHP1H[WWR
the Crimson King is the gnome tailor. There are two
Crimson Monks (p. 275) in the room praising the royal
family. When they see the characters, one of them says,
crimson monk

B7. Siege of Cyherested

This is an empty room with a painted mural for a
ceiling, which is illuminated by magic. The ceiling
depicts the siege of Cyherested, where the vampire
army surrounds the city, and Kanrath commanders
RUGHUWKHDUFKHUVDQGWKHFDWDSXOWVWRÀUH
In the room, there are two Silver Cult ghouls (p.
285), who attack the party upon entry, watching
the ceiling with a mindless gaze. All actions of
these ghouls are fueled by pure hatred. They
have advantage on their attack rolls and
have a +1d4 bonus to their damage rolls.
Silver Cult ghouls are dead Silver Cultists
who were raised as ghouls by other Silver
Cultists after they died inside this crypt.
They feel disappointed since they died
during a quest and are full of hatred since
their comrades turned them into zombies.

89
 ´9LOHLQWUXGHUVERZEHIRUHWKHORUGDQG\RXVKDOOÀQGDQHDV\
death.” before they attack. They are hostile and angry.
Treasure. One of the Crimson Monks carries an
angst rod, which is one of the missing parts of the door
between areas A4 and A5.
C1. Sacrificial Ground
7KHÀUVWWKLQJWKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVQRWLFHLVWKHVPHOO
of freshly spilled blood, which the characters have now
become accustomed to. There are four people chained
to the walls by their wrists and ankles, with their
throats sliced open. They look like regular citizens of
Kanrath, and they were used by the Silver Cult in their
ritual.
There is a 5 feet by 10 feet granite stone altar in the
middle of the room. A Crimson Grand Monk (p. 275)
OLHVRQWKHDOWDUZLWKDVDFULÀFLDOGDJJHUDWKLVVLGH
There is writing on the altar that reads, “Offer your blood
and pray in the name of the Founder,” in Common. If the
characters try to leave this room without doing what
the writing says, the monk awakens and attacks the
characters.
Everyone who wishes to leave must offer their blood.
The hit point maximum of a character who offers their
blood decreases by 1. This reduction lasts until the
FKDUDFWHUÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
C2. Blood River Corridor
7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQDFRUULGRUWKDWLVLQ
complete darkness. The ground resembles a swamp of
EORRGDQGFRXQWVDVGLIÀFXOWWHUUDLQ7KHFKDUDFWHUV
must make a DC 12 Strength saving throw when they
ÀUVWWRXFKWKHJURXQGDQGDWWKHVWDUWRIHDFKRIWKH
turns they remain in contact with it. On a failed save,
the characters are restrained until the start of their
next turn. In addition, the characters take 7 (2d6)
blood damage at the start of each of their turns in the
corridor.
C3. Gargoyle’s Pit
Here, a crypt gargoyle (p. 275) is chained to a wall.
There are shattered old bones and broken skeletons
DOORYHUWKHÁRRU7KHJDUJR\OHVHHPVYHU\KXQJU\DQG
hostile. If the characters attack the crypt gargoyle, its
EORRGÁRZVLQWRDUHD&ZKHUH blood clots (p. 270)
are conjured, ready to attack the characters.
90
C4. The Tomb of Brave Followers
There are four Large stone tombs against the north
and south walls, upon which it reads, “Reserved for the
EUDYHVWRIVRXOVZKRVDFULÀFHGWKHLUOLYHVWREHDUZLWQHVV
to the last moments of a true king”, in Old Common. The
characters might understand some of these words as
there are similarities in the vocabulary of Common and
Old Common. You can determine which words they
recognize. The stone lids of the tombs have been broken
on impact, and the tombs are empty. Offerings of dried
PHDWDQGZLOWHGÁRZHUVFDQEHIRXQGQH[WWRWKHWRPEV
These are the tombs of the Crimson Monks.
C5. Corridor of Hatred
The walls of this 10 feet by 40 feet corridor are covered
LQIUHVKÁHVKDQGERG\SDUWV7KHOLPEVKHDGVERZHOV
DQGLQGLVWLQJXLVKDEOHÁHVKJLYHVWKHURRPDYLOHKRUULG
look. There is a Silver Cult ghoul (p. 285) FUXFLÀHG
on the east wall of the corridor. It is restrained and it
looks like it was tortured for a while; there are cuts on
its almost lifeless body, marks of suffocation around
its neck, and burns on various places of its body. The
ghoul has 1 hit point remaining, and it begs for mercy
in a whisper with its last breath, “P-please… Kill me. I beg
of you.” The ghoul is whispering because the Crimson
Monk who has tortured the ghoul is in the next room.
If the characters make a loud noise, the monk could be
alerted. If the characters ask who did this to the ghoul,
it gestures toward area C6 with its head.
C6. Seclusion Hall
This hall is nothing but a small room with an altar,
on which lies a leather whip. The Crimson Monks
VRPHWLPHVYLVLWHGKHUHWRUHPHPEHUWKH)RXQGHUDQG
pray in his name. A Crimson Grand Monk (p. 275)
is inside the hall whipping its back viciously, saying,
“Forgive me, Founder, for I have been deceived by those foul
creatures, plagued by false magic. I have let them… Let them
GHÀOHRXUPRVWVDFUHGFU\SW,FDQRQO\KRSHWKDW\RXVHHP\
VDFULÀFH,KRSH\RXFDQKHDULWVDJRQ\DQGIRUJLYHPHP\
sins,” in Common.
If the characters don’t interrupt the monk’s prayers,
and the ghoul in area C5 still lives, the monk goes out
and kills it. Then the monk asks the characters to leave
this place.
If the characters interrupt the prayer, the monk takes
it as a great insult and attacks them. If the characters
have put an end to the ghoul’s suffering, the monk
attacks the characters whether they have interrupted
the prayer or not.
C7. The Library
A Crimson Monk sits in a chair in the middle of the
room, reading a book on Kanrath history. This monk,
named Alf, used to be an elderly human with long white
hair and a clean-shaven face wearing work-out, ragged
clothes. Now, he is an undead. There are many shelves
RQWKHZDOOVDOORIZKLFKDUHÀOOHGZLWKGXVW\ERRNV
Most of the books are either coming apart at the seams
or have become unreadable as a result of the wear
and tear of time. The monk doesn’t look hostile and is
willing to converse with the characters. Alf says, “You
GRQ·WORRNOLNHWKHRWKHUV:KDWGR\RXZLVKWRÀQGKHUH"µ If
the characters are also willing to talk, the cultist can
give the following information; read or paraphrase the
text below:
“At first, the crypt was built as a tomb as well as a museum.
The giant gate of the crypt hall (D1) could only be opened
by the royal family, or in other words, those who carried
the Founder’s blood… The royal family opened the door to
all others who wanted to pay their respects to the almighty
Founder. There were three parts of the crypt, the tomb of
the Founder (may he rest in his rightful place among the
gods), the museum built in his name, and a complex built
for his followers; us. We came here to visit the Founder after
his so-called “demise.” Later, the Crimson King decided
to shut down the complex, and made it so that only the
Founder’s descendants could enter this place. We, the loyal
followers of the Founder, bargained with the Crimson King
and convinced him to allow us to stay with the Founder, even
if it meant that we could never leave. He wagered that we
would surely die. This would become our final resting place
too. We wanted a few things and he provided them. We each
had a gargoyle we kept as a pet, some books, materials for us
to build our own tombs, and some other daily items. Then
we died, as one would expect. Now, you may be wondering
why we chose this or why the First Child agreed to let us stay
here even when it meant our demise. You must understand,
even if the First Child had bested the Founder, the Founder’s
influence was still a great threat to his reign, so he wanted
us, his greatest supporters, out of the way. We wanted to
stay at the Founder’s side even if we died beside him, because
we believed that he’d awaken and raise us from the dead.
And we did rise… though not in the way we had hoped.
We believed the time had finally come, that our master had
rewarded our loyalty. But it wasn’t him who brought us back.
It was a cult, a cult of sorcerers. Alas, we figured that out
too late. They went into the crypt hall, but we couldn’t. We
managed to hunt down some of the impertinent sorcerers and
kill them. It was the very least we could do, if you ask me.”
Alf doesn’t attack the characters unless they attack
him. He senses that the characters should enter the
crypt hall but doesn’t know where the lost parts are.
He can follow the characters if they succeed on a DC 17
Charisma (Persuasion) check (or DC 12 if the characters
explain all that happened to them; how they went
through a blood ritual and somehow ended up with the
)RXQGHU·VEORRGLQWKHLUYHLQV EXWKHFDQQRWHQWHUWKH
crypt hall himself, as he believes this would be an insult
WRWKH)RXQGHU,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDYH$OIZLWKWKHP
WKH\GRQ·WQHHGWRÀJKW7KRUROGWRWKHGHDWKLQDUHD&
and they can try to persuade the Grand Monk to give
them the lost piece of the door.
C8. The Living Room
This room is dusty and unkempt, it looks like it hasn’t
been used in decades. There is an empty table, a
cupboard full of Kanrath silver kitchenware, a small
kitchenette, and a few couches. There are barrels next
to the small kitchenette, emitting a strong smell of
rotten meat, fruit, and blood.
C9. Tomb of the Commander
This is the chamber of Thorold. The old man was once
a commander in the Kanrath army. He is wearing a
rusty old breastplate. He has brown mutton chops
and mustache, and his short hair looks extremely
XQKHDOWK\DQGXQNHPSW7KHUHLVWKH)RXQGHU·VSRUWUDLW
on the wall to the right of the entrance. Inside, there’s
everything one would expect from the living quarters
of someone noble. There is a Large tomb located right
XQGHUWKHSRUWUDLWRIWKH)RXQGHU7KHUHLVDOLWWOH
armory and weaponry to the left of the entrance;
however, they are empty. Thorold is sitting in his tomb.
When the characters enter, he says, “I can’t let any
PRUHLQWUXGHUVGHÀOHWKLVSODFH/HDYHRUIHHOP\ZUDWKµ If
the characters don’t leave the crypt, he attacks.
If Alf is with the characters, Thorold says, “Alf, explain
who these intruders are or you shall perish with them,” and
he listens to what the characters or Alf have to say.
If the characters say that they carry the blood of the
)RXQGHU7KRUROGLVZLOOLQJWROHWWKHFKDUDFWHUVSDVV
through the gate on one condition. “If you carry the
)RXQGHU·VEORRG\RXPXVWEHDEOHWRZLQDQKRQHVWÀJKW
None of the others could, and they were not worthy to step
through the gate. You beat me, and I’ll be convinced that
you have the Founder’s blood, and I’ll let you pass. You have
time to prepare, I am waiting.” Then he waits until the
characters are ready. If the characters drop Thorold
below 15 hit points, he yields and gives them the lost
piece of the door.
91
92
 You can use the Crimson Grand Monk stat block
to represent Thorold, however, increase his hit point
maximum by 10 and his AC by 2. His attacks deal an
extra 1d6 necrotic damage.
D1. The Crypt Hall
This hall consists of four identical rooms that are
connected to each other without doors, and the Tomb
RIWKH)RXQGHUOLHVLQWKHPLGGOHRIWKHKDOO7KHWRPE
is made of black marble, decorated with ruby gems
and Kanrath silver inscriptions. It looks Huge, as if the
)RXQGHUZDVDGHVFHQGDQWRIJLDQWV
7KHUHLVDSLFWXUHRIWKH)RXQGHULQWKHURRPWRWKH
north, a picture of the Crimson King in the room to the
east, a picture of a mortal human on her deathbed in
the room to the west, and a picture of a young vampire
in the room to the south. There is a barrel of magically
preserved blood and a little marble chalice located on
pressure plates in the middle of each of the rooms.
7KHUHLVDOHYHUQH[WWRWKH7RPERIWKH)RXQGHU$
writing on the tomb reads, “To each, according to their
might.”
7KHFKDUDFWHUVPXVWÀOOWKHPDUEOHFKDOLFHVZLWK
enough blood and then pull the lever to make the
mechanism work, and the amount of blood in each
chalice is determined by the might of the individual
LQHDFKSLFWXUH7KHFKDOLFHRIWKH)LUVW&KLOGPXVWEH
ÀOOHGWKHPRVWWKHQWKDWRIWKH)RXQGHUWKHQWKDW
of the young vampire. The chalice of the mortal must
UHPDLQHPSW\2QHFRXOGDUJXHWKDWWKH)RXQGHULV
mightier than the Crimson King, but it must be kept
in mind that the crypt was built by the order of the
Crimson King.
If your players can’t solve the puzzle, have them
make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. They may see
the blood marks on the marble chalices on a success.
A successful DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check
solves the puzzle.
D2. The Tomb of the Founder
When the puzzle in area D1 is solved, the tombstone
moves slightly to the left when the lever is pulled. The
characters can then see inside the tomb; there is a
platform and another lever inside. When the characters
stand on the platform and pull the lever, the platform
GHVFHQGV7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQDKDOO
that is identical to area D1. The platform arrives at
WKH)RXQGHU·VDFWXDOWRPEDQGVWRSVWKHUH:KHQWKH
characters step off, the platform ascends. The tomb
looks exactly like the one above. It is empty.
One of the rooms in the hall contains empty display
FDVHVUHVHUYHGIRUWKHSHUVRQDOLWHPVRIWKH)RXQGHU
such as his weapons, armor, clothes, ring, spellbook,
and other magic items. There is a Huge crypt gargoyle
in one of the rooms, which has been smashed into
pieces, destroyed by the Silver Cultists. There is a door
to one of the rooms and the last one looks like a living
URRPZLWKWDEOHVFKDLUVDFXSERDUGÀOOHGZLWKERWWOHV
of alcoholic beverages, and vials of blood. They are still
fresh, and it looks like it hasn’t been long since this
room was last used. There is no way for the characters
WRWHOOEXWWKH)LUVW&KLOGFRPHVKHUHRQRFFDVLRQWR
UHPHPEHUWKH)RXQGHUDQGWRIHHGKLVHJR
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when the characters see the empty tomb and its
surroundings:
There are no bodies in the tomb; you don’t
know whether the failure and disappointment
or your degenerated blood has kicked in,
but your vision became blurred for a brief
moment. Your soul is still willing to stay in your
body, but your body, especially your veins, is
arduously fighting against it. You find yourself
in darkness, without a single sound to hear, to
keep you attached to reality.
“Wake up,” whispers a wise man in your ears,
“Wake up and walk your path.” You slowly open your
eyes to an unusual scene. You can see the visible
traces of a crimson scent in the air; no one but
you can see it. It leads you to the door in the
hall, and you feel a strong urge to follow it. You
must track this scent; the scent of the Founder.
7KH)RXQGHU·VVFHQWPRYHVWRZDUGVWKHGRRULQ
the hall. When the characters open the door, they
ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQDGDUNORQJQDUURZWXQQHO,IWKH
characters have darkvision or have a light source, a
successful DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals
traces of crates that have been dragged, and footprints
RQWKHÁRRU7KHFKDUDFWHUVZDONIRUDOPRVWDQKRXU
Then, they see a door similar to the door of the crypt,
RQHWKDWRSHQVRQO\ZKHQVRPHRQHZLWKWKH)RXQGHU·V
EORRGVDFULÀFHVDGURSRIWKHLUEORRG7KHFKDUDFWHUV
FOLPEXSDVHWRIVWDLUVDQGÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQD
cemetery in the New Age Renovation Area (p. 9). They
climb up from another crypt entrance placed under the
statue of an angel holding a sword downwards, whose
93
 wings are broken.
7KH)RXQGHU·VVFHQWLVVWLOOYLVLEOHWRWKHFKDUDFWHUV
moving towards the train station, in the Kanrath Main
Line district (p. 9).
Level Up! Your characters have survived this far.
Inform your players to level up (to the 5th level).
The Chase
You should know that the Silver Cultists have already
WUDQVIHUUHGWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\WRWKHWUDLQVWDWLRQ
and from there to Cyherested. The characters must go
WKHUHWRÀQGWKHERG\WKHUH·VQRRWKHUZD\7KHVFHQW
RIWKH)RXQGHUJRHVWKURXJKWKH'LP/LJKWKRWHOLQWKH
Lertes Park district (p. 10) which is very close to the
.DQUDWK0DLQ/LQHGLVWULFW7KHUHWKH\FDQÀQG6LOYHU
Cultists and their local cult leader, called “Isak Goldor”.
If the characters couldn’t retrieve the items of the
)RXQGHUEDFNDWWKHZDUHKRXVHVXFKDVWKH)RXQGHU·V
armor or spellbook, they used to be in the hotel as well,
but they have been transferred to the train station.
If the characters move quickly enough, which will be
explained in detail in the upcoming sections, they can
take the same train as the items and try to recover them
there.
There are two options for the characters now, either
they can try to communicate with the Grand Advisor,
RUWKH\FDQGLUHFWO\IROORZWKH)RXQGHU·VVFHQW7KH\
FDQJRWRWKHFDVWOHRUWU\WRÀQGDQRWKHUZD\RI
communicating with the Grand Advisor, but either way,
VKHZLOOVD\WKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVPXVWÀQGDQGUHWULHYH
WKH)RXQGHU·VERG\WREHFXUHG:KLOHWKHFKDUDFWHUV
SXUVXHWKHVFHQWRIWKH)RXQGHUDIHZRIWKHUHPDLQLQJ
Silver Cultists will try to slow them down. There are a
few encounters the characters will have to face during
the pursuit. The characters pass through the New Age
Renovation Area (p. 9), West Ballast (p. 11), and the
Rusty Vale (p. 11) as they go to Lertes Park.
If the Detective is present, he strongly emphasizes
that they should hurry and follow the tracks leading to
WKH)RXQGHU·VERG\7KH'HWHFWLYHSRVVHVVHVDQDQJVW
device, one that’s produced in pairs, and one that allows
him to send a message of up to 40 words to the Grand
Advisor, who has the other pair of the device. The
Grand Advisor can then send back a reply of up to 40
words. To activate the device, the Detective must spill
5 hit points worth of blood on it. Only the Detective’s
blood can activate the device because only he is attuned
to it. The Detective can offer to send a message to the
Grand Advisor using it, though she will simply reply
WKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVPXVWÀUVWUHFRYHUWKH)RXQGHU·V
body for her to help them in any way. The device can be
activated once in 24 hours.
94
Trouble in the New Age
7KH6LOYHU&XOWLVWVKDYHVHWDQREOH·VKRXVHRQÀUH
While the characters are passing by the burning house,
a few civilians try to stop the characters and beg for
the party to save six mortal children inside who work
as the servants of the house. The vampire master isn’t
in Kanrath at the present. With three successful DC 15
Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks,
WKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGDQGVDYHDOOVL[FKLOGUHQZKR
are between the ages of 14 and 17. On each failed check,
WKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNH G ÀUHGDPDJHDQGWZRRIWKH
children die. If asked why the children were working
LQWKHKRXVHLQWKHÀUVWSODFHWKHSHRSOHWKHUHVD\WKDW
the job pays so well that they can easily look after their
entire families that way.
Silver Mercenaries
A Kanrath thug leader (p. 281) and 4 Kanrath thugs
(p. 281) surround the characters while they are
passing through a back alley in West Ballast district.
7KH\DVNIRU.)SHUFKDUDFWHURUVD\WKH\·OONLOO
them on the spot. With a successful DC 12 Charisma
(Persuasion) check, the amount can be reduced to
.)SHUFKDUDFWHU2WKHUZLVHWKHWKXJVDWWDFNWKH
characters. These thugs are mercenaries hired by the
Silver Cultists. A letter signed by “The Silvers” inside the
pocket of the leader proves this.
Little Bo’s Little Games
If the characters have met Bo (p. 65) and have a
neutral or better relationship with him, Bo rushes to
the characters’ side as they pass through Rusty Vale
district. Little Bo says that a few sorcerers have paid
him to steal something (anything) from the characters.
He took the money and changed his mind when he
realized who the characters were. He doesn’t know
where the sorcerers are, but with a successful DC 15
Wisdom (Perception) check, the characters can locate
two Silver Cultists (p. 286) and 2 Silver Cult wardens
(p. 286) trying to watch them from the corner of a
two-story brick building. They are 60 feet from the
characters.
If the characters haven’t met Bo or have a bad
relationship with him, Bo bumps into a character
determined by the GM, casually says “Sorry.” and walks
DZD\$IHZPRPHQWVODWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUÀQGVWKDW
.)DQGDQXQFRPPRQLWHPWKH\ZHUHFDUU\LQJKDYH
JRQHPLVVLQJ)LQGLQJ/LWWOH%RUHTXLUHVDVXFFHVVIXO'&
12 Wisdom (Perception) check. He is sitting behind a
JDUEDJHFRQWDLQHUFRXQWLQJWKH.)KHKDVMXVWVWROHQ,I
the characters confront him, he drops the item and the
money and starts begging for mercy. He says that a few
sorcerers have paid him to steal from the characters, so
he did. The characters won’t be able to locate the Silver
Cultists who hired Bo at this point, as they are long
gone.
The Dim Light
The Dim Light is a tavern complex located in the Lertes
Park district. It is composed of a colossal garden where
people sit, drink and eat while listening to talented
bards. There are chambers surrounding the garden,
which function as hotel rooms. The Dim Light is always
illuminated by dim light, and it is owned by Jaquilda
WLHÁLQJODZIXOQHXWUDOmage). She is old, wears green
clothes all the time, and never takes off her crimson,
raindrop-shaped amulet she wears. She always enjoys a
nice chat with her customers. She is well-mannered and
always acts like a noble lady. If the characters say they
are on a mission that is important for Kanrath and show
her the documents they have received from the Grand
Advisor or the sigil, she is willing to help.
Jaquilinda remembers one of the customers
addressing another as “Master Isak”. Although she
thought they could be sorcerers from Cyherested with
all their fancy robes and their talk on magic, Jaquilinda
thought Isak was simply a wealthy merchant. As far as
Jaquilinda remembers, Isak was wearing a face mask
decorated with golden vines. He also had a luxurious
black cloak, a silver necklace, and bloodwork pistols
with runes carved on the tubes If the characters ask
Jaquilinda if she has ever seen Isak without the mask,
she responds she wouldn’t ask a client to remove their
mask, since she wants this place to be a haven for all. So
no, she hasn’t seen Isak’s face.
Isak Goldor is the leader of the Silver Cultists
operating in Kanrath. He is a talented sorcerer who
specializes in the use and enchantment of bloodwork
pistols.
If the characters have tried to save the children from
WKHÀUHIRXJKWWKH.DQUDWKWKXJVIRXJKWWKH6LOYHU
&XOWLVWVRUWULHGWRFDWFK%RWKH\FDQQRWÀQGWKH
cultists here. Jaquilda takes the characters up to their
rooms and gives the characters the keys, however, they
are all empty.
If the characters haven’t lost time, two Silver Cult
wardens (p. 286) are still in their rooms, although Isak
Goldor is nowhere to be found. If the characters try to
speak to them, they only say, “Good luck on your hunt.
Cyherested will devour you.”
The scent is still visible to the characters, it goes
through the Kanrath Main Line, to the stations towards
Cyherested.
The Awakening took place at midnight, just before
the start of day 8. If the characters arrive in
Lertes Park on the 9th day of the adventure,
the crates they saw in the warehouse will be
leaving on the same train as the one they will
take. Otherwise, the crates have already arrived
at Cyherested along with some of the Silver
Cultists.
Also, if the characters have contacted the
Grand Advisor before leaving for Cyherested,
she either takes the sigils back or asks the
characters to burn them, because carrying her
sigil may cause them trouble in Cyherested.
It would be better for them to act as normal
people in the City of Deceit, rather than as
agents of the Grand Advisor. If the characters
insist on carrying the sigil, she can let them do
so if the characters present her with a logical
reason. You, as the GM, can determine whether
or not their reasoning is logical.
95
96
After being unjustly executed, then coming back
from death and being caught up in the schemes of
mysterious powers, the characters are now on the
WUDLORIWKHERG\RIRQHRIWKHPRVWP\VWHULRXVÀJXUHV
LQ7ROLDWKH)RXQGHU7KH\KDYHWRREWDLQLWDQG
turn back to normal before the blood degeneration
caused by the cultists’ failed ritual consumes them,
RUHOVHLWZLOOEHWRRODWH)ROORZLQJWKHWUDLOWKH
clues lead them to the train station, where they
must take the train that goes to Cyherested, the
City of the Prime Sorcerers. This train, the Kanrath
- Cyherested Express, runs on a blood engine, which
will be explained in detail in the upcoming sections.
Basically, the train works with blood as its fuel.
Passengers can pay with angst crystals, with coins,
or with their own blood to buy tickets for the train.
Alternatively, passengers can choose to obtain tickets
LQRWKHUZD\VRUWU\WRÀQGRWKHUPHDQVRIJHWWLQJ
on the train. However, time is of the essence for the
FKDUDFWHUVVRWKH\KDYHWRÀQGDVROXWLRQEHIRUHWKH
next train takes off. Otherwise, they will have to put
more consideration into an offer that they are going
to get from the Twisted Knife, a thieves’ guild with
dark connections.
Unfortunately, once they get on the train, the
characters don’t have a peaceful journey. While
passing through the Garrote mountain range, which
separates the two cities, the train is attacked by a
group of people who deny the rule of vampires in
Kanrath. They try to kill all the vampires on the train,
and the skirmish leaves the train damaged - perhaps
even completely destroyed.
$WWKLVSRLQWWKHFKDUDFWHUVWU\WRÀQGDZD\WR
Cyherested through the underground tunnels. They
discover that there is a whole other world here, as
well as unforeseen dangers. The outcomes of this
part change greatly depending on the characters’
decisions, and they then see the magical skyscrapers
of Cyherested at the end of their exciting yet
dangerous journey.
Running This Chapter
$VWKH*0\RXZLOOÀQGWKHNH\HYHQWVWKDWWDNHSODFH
in this chapter in the table below. The characters
will have to race against time in this chapter, and the
unforgivingly harsh environment of Tolia won’t let
them leave the mountain range unscathed, physically
or emotionally.
Episodes
Halfway There
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO
Second Blood Vision
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO
Rules of the Under Garrote
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHOV
Halfway
There
The train station in Kanrath, called the Kanrath Main
Line, is one of the most crowded places in this blood-
driven city. Traders, diplomats, adventurers, beggars,
travelers, explorers, elite vampires, elite sorcerers,
and many other groups of individuals that have a
QHHGWRWUDYHOEHWZHHQ.DQUDWKDQG&\KHUHVWHGÀQG
WKHPVHOYHVLQWKLVVWDWLRQ7KHVPHOORIWKH)RXQGHU·V
essence is what brings our characters here. Although
WKH\FDQP\VWLFDOO\IHHOWKDWWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\LVRQ
its way to Cyherested, the characters can sense the
)RXQGHU·VOLQJHULQJSUHVHQFHKHUH
Start playing “The Crimson City” on the “Bloodpunk
OST”. Read or paraphrase the text below to your
players at the beginning of this act:
You approach the famous train station in
Kanrath: the Kanrath Main Line. You’re
greeted by 60 long, stone steps that lead up to
the station’s gate. The metal building standing
at the end of the steps looks like a dark temple
of some sort thanks to the crimson mist of
the train’s blood engine, the frightening gaze
of gargoyle statues, and the dim light of the
street lamps scattered around. The voices of
the crowd and the trumpeting of the engine
fill your ears.
When you look around, you notice that the
place is filled with nothing but chaos. Many
types of people are here for many different
things. Mortal enforcers and vampire sentries
are patrolling the area, trying to contain the
bedlam inside.
97
 When the characters look around, they may notice
one, some, or all of the following events. It is highly
recommended for the characters to experience them
all, as these events provide insights for the sections
WRFRPH)RUH[DPSOHLQWKHNews of Grelda section,
there is news about a monster in the mountains, which
hints at the characters’ chance to see a dalmun, a type
of intelligent monster unique to Tolia, in the future.
However, if you don’t want the players to spend too
much time here, you can select a few of them as the
GM. You can also roll a die to randomly determine how
PDQ\HYHQWVRFFXUDQGZKLFKHYHQWVWDNHSODFH)LUVW
roll a d6 to determine how many events will occur, then
roll additional d6s to determine which events from the
following list will occur.
Some of these events refer to station guards and
RIÀFHUV7KHUHDUHVL[Kanrath enforcers (p. 280) and
one Kanrath enforcer captain (p. 280), along with
two vampire sentries (p. 289) keeping the station in
order. These two sentries are twin vampires wearing
the same clothes and using the same weapons. They
DOVRDOZD\VDWWDFNWKHVDPHWDUJHWDQGÁDQNLWDWHYHU\
RSSRUWXQLW\7KHVHVHFXULW\RIÀFHUV·WRSSULRULW\LVWKH
protection of vampires and their servants, followed by
the safety of angst traders. They immediately become
involved if they see something that violates vampire
rights. They don’t really care about mortals, even if
they are Kanrath enforcers who are mortals themselves.
Also, if needed, backup forces can come here quickly
from the nearby police stations.
RIÀFLDORIÀFHURIWKHVWDWLRQLQWHUYHQHVIRUURXQGV
They just don’t care, since neither the characters nor
WKHWUDGHUDUHYDPSLUHVRU.DQUDWKRIÀFLDOV$IWHU
rounds, they come to prevent further combat and to
gather the dead.
Apart from the armor and weapons on the trader and
KLVSHUVRQDOJXDUGVWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGDSDFNRI
Ginger Wonders (p. 266), three potions of greater healing,
.)DQG.7
2. Lady of the Knives
Two horse-drawn carriages come to the station. The
carriages are identical to each other. They are both
made of dark wood, both decorated with the same
SDWWHUQRIÁ\LQJEDWVDQGREVHUYLQJJDUJR\OHVDQGERWK
are drawn by four horses. The doors of both carriages
are tightly shut and their windows are covered with
thick, expensive red curtains. Even the riders of the
carriages look alike. They are both dwarves with long
black beards, wearing the same long black overcoats,

1. The Rich and The Poor

There is a middle-aged trader named Heirt Lofn

(human, neutral evil, noble) protected by 5 guards
climbing up the steps of the station. Heirt Lofn, a luxury
clothing merchant, is wearing expensive, Kanrath-style
WUDGHUJDUPHQWV7KHJXDUGVDUHDWLHÁLQJWZRKXPDQV
and two half elves. They are well-armed and are
carrying either longswords or warhammers except for
WKHWLHÁLQJZKRFDUULHVDJUHDWVZRUG$OVRHDFKJXDUG
can cast the vampiric touch spell using a 3rd level spell
slot once per day (+5 to hit with spell attacks).
An old beggar (human, neutral, commoner)
approaches the group, begging for help. Her name
is Laile, and she says, “I have a son in Cyherested. I
must go there and see him. Please buy me a ticket
sir. Please.” However, this makes the guards
unhappy, and one of them kicks her down. She
hits the ground hard and starts crying.
If the characters try to intervene, then the
trader’s personal guards do not hesitate to
unsheathe their weapons. If combat occurs, no

98
black leather gloves that go up to the elbow, black head
caps, black evening trousers made of high-quality cloth,
and white tunics.
A noble Kanrath vampire sits in one of the carriages,
while her knights are in the other. The vampire is Lady
Lyzah Ledany (p. 290), an elf vampire. She wears dark
blue clothes, paired with expensive sky-blue jewelry.
She is both charming and frightening, with long black
hair and pale blue eyes.
The nature of this event slightly changes depending
on the time.
If it is daytime, four knights get out of one of the
carriages, remove the horses and wheels from the
other carriage, and carry it into the station where the
sunlight can’t reach. If it is nighttime, then the Lady
gets out of her carriage as well and climbs the stairs
of the station, surrounded by her knights. One of the
knights is a half orc, two of them are gnomes, and the
last one is a bloodwork automaton.
Either seeing the details on the carriages or seeing
the Lady directly gives the characters a chance to
remember details about her. A successful DC 15
Intelligence (Investigation or History) check reveals
that she is one of the most ambitious noble vampires in
Kanrath who is especially interested in new militaristic
advancements and their trade. She can also conjure
daggers of blood out of thin air, with the use of which
she is highly talented. When a Kanrath vampire is
granted nobility, the Crimson King offers them his own
blood, which awakens unique vampiric powers within
the newly ascended vampire. Conjuring blood daggers
is Lady Lyzah’s unique power. In vampiric society, these
daggers are called the Daggers of the Crimson King.
The knights wear crimson plate armor, carry
bloodwork pistols instead of heavy crossbows, and each
hold one martial melee weapon.
People get out of their way as they pass. Some show
respect by taking a knee before them, while others
move farther away in fear.
If the characters think of harming the Lady or her
knights, do not forget to remind them that it is a grave
crime in Kanrath to speak against vampires, never mind
attacking them.
3. News of Grelda
A 9-year-old urchin is selling newspapers for Kanrath
Today. Her name is Grelda (human, neutral good,
commoner). Although she looks extremely tired and
in bad shape physically, she seems happy and works
passionately. She announces the news in a loud voice,
“Hear ye! Hear ye! The lost child has been found by vampire
sentries and returned to his family! Hear ye! Hear ye! Priests
of the Blood God and vampire sentries hunted the spies of the
Sun God to stop their dishonorable assassination attempt!
Hear ye! Hear ye! A savage monster known as a dalmun
attacked our valiant soldiers! Buy a newspaper for more!”
The price of one newspaper is 6 KT. If the characters
buy one, then Grelda becomes extremely happy.
The details of the news are as follows.
The Lost Child. The little boy who got caught in
WKHÁRRGGD\VDJRDQGZDVORVWKDVEHHQIRXQGLQ
the sewers by Kanrath authorities. The unwavering
dedication of the enforcers and the willful cooperation
of valiant citizens saved little Jim. According to little
Jim, he survived by eating rats and all types of bugs,
and drinking water from the sewers. Also, Jim claims
that there is a big, scaly monster living in the sewers,
but the authorities have said that it is the product of
his imagination stemming from poor Jim’s shock. It
is truly a miracle of the Blood God that he survived
this horrifying experience. He is currently under the
surveillance of the authorities for further investigation.
Bastards of the Sun. The public enemies of our
beloved nation, the followers of the Sun God, have once
again shown how low they could go. Eight spies were
FDXJKWLQDQRSHUDWLRQRIFOLQLFDOHIÀFLHQF\FDUULHG
out by the ever-valiant vampire sentries of Kanrath,
supported by the priests of the Blood God. Before they
could even lay their hands on their weapons or say their
foul prayers, all of the spies were killed except for one
of them, which is currently undergoing interrogation.
Silver and even gold weapons were found in their
headquarters in the Cleaners District during the
detailed search. May they also succeed in their missions
to come.
Dalmun Attack. One of the most mysterious monsters
in Tolia attacked our soldiers again. In an attempt
to catch possible Cyherested spies, Kanrath scouts
followed a trail outside the walls. At night, while very
FORVHWRWKHVSLHVDÀJXUHJUHHWHGWKHPXQGHUWKH
IXOOPRRQ$WÀUVWLWORRNHGOLNHDYDPSLUHVHQWIURP
Kanrath to help, but our soldiers soon saw that they
were wrong. Luckily, and somewhat unfortunately,
no one died during the short encounter, including
the dalmun. Our soldiers stated that their superior
cold spells were not effective against the dalmun.
Authorities are focusing on the possible cooperation of
dalmuns and Cyherested sorcerers.
4. Trick or Ticket
Gastov (blue dragonborn, chaotic neutral, veteran)
has been selling fake train tickets and blood passes at
99
 half their normal price. Sometimes, the tickets and the
blood passes prove to be real. Sometimes, they do not.
Normally, a passenger must pass through two
security checkpoints in the station before they are
DOORZHGWRJHWRQWKHWUDLQ7RSDVVWKURXJKWKHÀUVW
one, the passengers need a train ticket, and for the
second one, they need a blood pass. A train ticket is a
ticket made by Kanrath authorities on which the class
of the passenger’s car and their seat number is written.
A blood pass, on the other hand, is a special token
PDGHIURPWKHSDVVHQJHU·VEORRGE\DQRIÀFLDOVRUFHUHU
RI&\KHUHVWHGZKRZRUNVLQDVHSDUDWHRIÀFHLQWKH
station. When a passenger buys a ticket and passes the
ÀUVWFKHFNSRLQWWKHVRUFHUHUJHWVDGURSRIWKHLUEORRG
and draws a unique glyph with it on a parchment, which
is also enhanced by magic in the process. This blood
SDVVLVDOVRFRQWUROOHGE\WKHRIÀFHUVLQ&\KHUHVWHG·V
train station to prevent rogue passengers who might
have gotten on the train illegally from entering the city.
There are normally four different types of train
tickets: public ticket, business ticket, angst trader’s
ticket, and vampire ticket, which grants access to the
different cars of the train. Gastov can only provide
two of them: the public ticket and business ticket.
7KHSXEOLFWLFNHWSULFHLV.)WKHEXVLQHVVWLFNHW
LV.)DQGWKHEORRGSDVVLV.)*DVWRYFODLPV
that he sells them at half price, and that they are 100
percent authentic. If asked how, Gastov says, “I have
my own contacts.” A successful DC 19 Wisdom (Insight)
check reveals that he is lying, that Gastov closely
REVHUYHVSHRSOHDQGFDQQRWLFHWKHÀUVWWLPHUVDWÀUVW
sight. People that haven’t used the train before have
disadvantage on this check.
Only 8 percent of Gastov’s products are real. If the
characters buy tickets from him, make them choose
an interval of eight numbers between 1 and 100, and
then make them roll a single d100. If the result is in the
selected interval, then the products are real.
,QDQ\FDVHLIKHLVDFFXVHGRIO\LQJRULIWKHRIÀFHUV
are informed of Gastov’s offer, then he runs away,
never to be found by the characters. If he is forced
into combat, which he does not want to participate in,
Gastov carries a bloodwork pistol and may choose to use
it if he has no other choice.
5. Luggage of Might and Magic
The nature of this event slightly changes depending on
the time.
If it is nighttime, the characters see a vampire and a
train attendant at the doors of the station. The vampire
is Neldar (half orc, lawful evil, Kanrath vampire - p.
100
 DQDOFKHPLVWRIÀFHUZRUNLQJLQ.DQUDWK·VDQJVW
UHÀQHULHV+HLVZHDULQJGDUNEOXHWURXVHUVDPDWFKLQJ
jacket, and stylish black shoes, all of which are made of
fake leather. However, his white silk shirt and angst-
mixed eyeglasses look quite expensive.
Right now, Neldar is scolding the old train attendant,
)HQQ JQRPHQHXWUDOthug DERXWKLVOXJJDJH)HQQ
was responsible for the luggage from the last train,
and he forgot to take Neldar’s luggage out of the cargo
compartment. Unfortunately, that compartment is now
ÀOOHGZLWKQHZFDUJRVRWRJHW1HOGDU·VOXJJDJHDOORI
the cargo must be taken out and then replaced, which
isn’t going to happen.
1HOGDUGHYDVWDWHGDQGIXULRXVLVVFROGLQJ)HQQZLWK
stern words. The characters hear, “You had one job! One
fucking job! Being a mortal doesn’t require you to be a fool.
How hard can it be to look inside a compartment, notice the
luggage, and take it all out? Fenn… we have a problem here. A
serious problem. There are two things that I cannot tolerate:
people who don’t execute their orders, and people who are
idiots. Fenn, I must congratulate you since you are in the
unique category of people who can succeed at irritating me
on both counts. I will not forget this. If, and only if, you bring
me my luggage back will you have a chance to get back on
my good graces. Do not forget. The luggage is brown. It has
a drawing of a tree on it. It contains powerful, mighty, and
magical alchemical concoctions. Though I cannot believe that
you can be that graceful, I shall hope that you’ll be careful as
you handle it.”
1HOGDUWKHQWXUQVDQGZDONVDZD\)HQQORRNVDW
Neldar for a while, then takes a deep breath and walks
in another direction.
If it is daytime, then instead of Neldar, his assistant
and loyal construct Dorfel, a gargoyle, is there. He
represents his master by saying, “Pitiful mortal! How
dare you defy the vampiric authority and disrespect
their superiority? You are nothing but food for them. The
temporary carrier of the blood that my master will drink one
day to achieve greatness in this world. You are a resource,
and a wasted one. However, my master is merciful. He wants
to offer you a chance so that even you can seek forgiveness
and achieve greatness one day. Take the brown luggage that
has a drawing of a tree on it to my master personally. Be
careful while carrying it, as it contains potent alchemical
concoctions.”
6. Theft and Sorcery
Two young thieves wait in the train station and pick
IRUHLJQHUVHVSHFLDOO\WKRVHWKDWORRNOLNHÀUVWWLPHUV
in Kanrath, to rob. However, this time, they choose the
wrong target.
 The characters see two thieves running towards
a young human who is wearing a long, dark brown
leather topcoat and leather gloves of the same color
over a set of chainmail armor, black leather trousers,
long black boots, and a dark brown belt. She is
Cellistra (human, neutral evil, CBI sorcerer - p. 273), a
Cyherested state sorcerer who has traveled to Kanrath
RQRIÀFLDOGLSORPDWLFEXVLQHVV
The thieves approach Cellistra from the back. One of
them takes her suitcase from her right hand while the
other runs in from her left as a distraction. Cellistra
calmly watches them go for a moment, then casts a
VSHOOFUHDWLQJDZKLSRIKRWÁDPHVRXWRIWKLQDLU7KH
whip hits the two thieves, and they fall to the ground,
screaming in pain. Cellistra then picks up her suitcase
and leaves.
Getting In
In this part, the characters are going to get on the train,
or at least try to do so. If the characters have already
missed the train, then move on to the Missing the Train
section. However, regardless of what the case is, it is
highly advised for GMs to read all sections to have a
proper idea of the adventure ahead and the train itself.
If the characters have rushed to the station after they
left the crypt, then they can catch the train even if they
were involved in the events under The Chase section in
the previous chapter. However, if the characters have
taken a rest before coming to the station, then they
miss the train. Other events may also cause them to
miss the train, which will be explained in the upcoming
sections.
Legal or Illegal
To be able to get on the train, the characters must pass
through two security checkpoints in the station. They
QHHGDWUDLQWLFNHWWRSDVVWKURXJKWKHÀUVWRQHDQGD
blood pass for the second one. A train ticket is a ticket
made by Kanrath authorities, on which the class of the
passenger’s car and their seat number is written. A
blood pass, on the other hand, is a special token made
IURPWKHSDVVHQJHU·VEORRGE\DQRIÀFLDOVRUFHUHU
RI&\KHUHVWHGZKRZRUNVLQDVHSDUDWHRIÀFHLQWKH
station. When a passenger buys a ticket and passes the
ÀUVWFKHFNSRLQWWKHVRUFHUHUJHWVDGURSRIWKHLUEORRG
and draws a unique glyph with it on a parchment, which
is also enhanced by magic in the process. This blood
SDVVLVDOVRFRQWUROOHGE\WKHRIÀFHUVLQ&\KHUHVWHG·V
train station to prevent rogue passengers who might
have gotten onto the train illegally from entering their
city.
Also be reminded that there are four separate lines
prepared for each control point: one for the vampires,
one for the angst traders, one for wealthy mortals
(business class), and one for everyone else. Each of
these lines leads to a different class of cars. This way,
vampires aren’t troubled by mortals, and the angst
traders and wealthy individuals are pleased.
To join the vampire line and get in the vampires’
cars, one must get a ticket exclusively for the vampires,
which is impossible for the characters who are mortals.
It is almost impossible for the characters to be among
WKHDQJVWWUDGHUVZKRVHWLFNHWVUHTXLUHDQRIÀFLDO
document drawn up by Kanrath authorities that proves
WKHLULGHQWLWLHVDVRIÀFLDODQJVWWUDGHUV7KLVGRFXPHQW
can be crafted through forgery, but it requires 8 hours
and a successful DC 25 Intelligence check made with a
forgery kit.
To be able to travel with the wealthy, the characters
should buy business tickets. Otherwise, they can get
public tickets.
7KHSXEOLFWLFNHW·VSULFHLV.)WKHEXVLQHVVWLFNHW
LV.)WKHDQJVWWUDGHU·VWLFNHWLVDQJVWFRLQWKH
YDPSLUHWLFNHWLV.)DQGWKHEORRGSDVVLV.)7KH
payments can be made with both money and blood. If
the characters pay for the tickets and the blood passes,
they can then get on the train without a problem.
However, there are other options that can make the
situation a little bit more complex.
If the characters have bought the tickets and the
blood passes from Gastov, and if they prove to be fake,
WKHQWKHRIÀFHUVWHDUWKHPXSDQGGHPDQGWKDWWKH
FKDUDFWHUVEX\RIÀFLDORQHV,IWKH\SURYHWREHUHDO
then the characters can get on the train without a
problem.
If the characters try to get on the train without
buying anything, they have to climb a seven-foot tall
stone wall that separates the main line and the train
station. Successfully climbing the wall requires a DC 17
Strength (Athletics) check and doing it without being
noticed requires a successful DC 20 Dexterity (Stealth)
check. If the characters are noticed, then they are
caught by Kanrath enforcers (p.280), get beaten up
taking 1d10 bludgeoning damage, and are then advised
WREX\DQRIÀFLDOWLFNHWDQGEORRGSDVV,IWKHFKDUDFWHUV
kill an enforcer, vampire sentries (p.289) intervene.
If the characters try the same strategy and fail for
WKHVHFRQGWLPHWKHQWKHRIÀFHUVEHDWWKHFKDUDFWHUV
101
 who take 2d10 bludgeoning damage in the process. If
the characters attempt this for a third time, then the
guards call for the vampire sentries.
When the vampire sentries come and drop the
characters to 0 hit points with the help of the Kanrath
enforcers, they throw the characters into the jail of an
enforcer station near the Kanrath Main Line. One hour
later, with the intervention of the Grand Advisor, they
will be released. However, the characters miss the train.
In this case, move on to the Missing the Train section.
,WLVDOVRSURKLELWHGWRFDUU\H[SORVLYHVDQGRUKLJKO\
ÁDPPDEOHPDWHULDOVRQWRWKHWUDLQ+RZHYHUEULELQJ
WKHRIÀFHUDWWKHÀUVWFKHFNSRLQWZLWK.)LVHQRXJK
for them to turn a blind eye.
If present, the Detective decides to board the train
by buying a business ticket. If the characters try to
get in without paying, and if most of the characters
have good relationships with the Detective, then the
Detective offers to pay for their tickets as well as their
blood passes. The Detective gets on the train when the
characters do and buys a business ticket regardless of
the characters’ choices.
Outline of the Train
<RXFDQÀQGGHWDLOVDERXWWKHRXWOLQHRIWKHWUDLQ
the cars, the train guards, and some of the passengers
below.
Locomotive
At the head of the train is the locomotive. The train’s
conductor, Darvel (half orc, lawful neutral, commoner),
and the blood engine are in this car. Since he loves to
eat fries, Darvel always carries a whole bucket of fries
to work. This car also holds the necessary blood fuel for
the planned journey in a secure tank, which holds up to
130 gallons.
Backup Fuel Car
The second car is the backup fuel car. It holds two other
secure tanks. One of them holds extra blood and the
other holds anticoagulant thinner dust. If more fuel is
needed, then the materials in these two cars are mixed
with a mechanism and carried to the blood engine in
WKHÀUVWFDU7KHUHDUHWZRWUDLQJXDUGVKHUHZKRDUH
responsible for protecting the fuel and the conductor,

102
as well as helping the conductor if necessary.
2QHRIWKHWUDLQJXDUGVLV=HOQDU WLHÁLQJODZIXOHYLO
acolyte of the Blood God). She has 27 (6d8) hit points,
KHU6WUHQJWKVFRUHLV  DQGVKHFDUULHVDÁDLO
with which she can make two attacks per turn. The
RWKHUJXDUGLV2FXO KDOÁLQJQHXWUDOberserker). Both
wear black tabards decorated with red mist patterns,
depicting the crimson smoke of the train’s blood
engine, on top of the normal train guard uniform.
Ocul is a former adventurer who has traveled to some
areas outside the cities of Tolia. Zelnar loves to listen to
Ocul’s adventuring stories.
Vampires’ Car
7KHWKLUGFDULVVSHFLÀFDOO\UHVHUYHGIRUYDPSLUHV7KLV
car is sunlight-proof. Unless its walls, which have AC
21, 80 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic
damage, are broken, no sunlight can penetrate the car’s
walls. The car’s interior is decorated with extremely
luxurious furniture. Also, two vampire sentries (p. 289)
ever-vigilantly guard this car.
Lady Lyzah Ledany (p.290), a highly ambitious noble
vampire who possesses a unique ability called the
Daggers of the Crimson King, is also traveling in this car
with four knights protecting her. One of the knights
is a half orc, two of them are gnomes, and the last one
is a bloodwork automaton. They are wearing crimson
plate armor, carrying bloodwork pistols instead of heavy
crossbows, and each hold one martial melee weapon.
Dining Car
This is the fourth car of the train. There is both a
bar and a restaurant in this car. Both vampires and
angst traders are allowed in this car, and just like the
vampires’ car, this car is sunlight-proof. Expensive
food, rare drinks, and preserved fresh blood are served
here to please both vampires and angst traders. Three
train guards protect this place, along with the personal
guards of the vampires and angst traders.
The leader of the three train guards is Lae (elf, chaotic
neutral, mage). Lae can change the damage type of her
VSHOOVWRÀUH6KHPRVWO\XVHVKHUVSHOOVUHFNOHVVO\DQG
loves to do so, even if they damage the train. The others
are Rumdal (human, lawful neutral, veteran) and Dondi
(gnome, lawful neutral, veteran). Rumdal is carrying a
halberd and Dondi is carrying a glaive. They also each
have a bloodwork pistol. They can use the Multiattack
feature with the halberd and the glaive, respectively.
Isak Goldor (p. 103), the local leader of the Silver
&XOWZKRLVUHVSRQVLEOHIRUWKHWKHIWRIWKH)RXQGHU·V
body and items, is in this car. He is a human sorcerer
of considerable power. He likes to live a luxurious life
and enjoys his time in this car thanks to the good food,
strong alcohol, and high-quality service.
Isak Goldor
Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
Armor Class 13 (16 with mage armor)
Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Charisma +6
Skills Acrobatics +6, Deception +6, Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common
Challenge  ;3
Arcane Bullets. Isak uses his sorcery powers in
unorthodox ways. He uses bloodwork pistols without
loading them with bullets. Instead, he infuses them
with his sorcery powers and shoots bullets of magical
force.
Arcane Smite (10/Day). Isak can enhance the force he
releases through his bloodwork pistols by expending his
spell slots. If he does so, he deals an extra 2d6 force
damage on a hit.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Isak Goldor makes two attacks.
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range
IWRQHFUHDWXUHHit: 7 (1d8 + 3) force damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Misty Step (3/Day). Isak Goldor can cast the misty step
spell.
Angst Traders’ Car
%HLQJWKHÀIWKFDURIWKHWUDLQWKLVOX[XULRXVFDUZDV
added to the train later. Its purpose is to please angst
traders. Although less luxurious than the vampires’ car,
this place is better than almost any mortal in Kanrath
FRXOGLPDJLQH7ZRRIÀFHUVSURWHFWWKLVFDU7KH\
are Orster (dwarf, lawful neutral, Kanrath enforcer
103

ısak goldor
captain) and Tilma (elf, chaotic good, Kanrath
enforcer captain). They are old friends. In a battle,
ERWKRIWKHPFDQVDFULÀFHWKHPVHOYHVWRKHOSWKHRWKHU
survive.
Business Car
The sixth car is the business car. Wealthy individuals
who can afford a business ticket travel in this car. This
is a modest car for mortals who can pay for humane
standards.
Between the door connecting this car to the angst
WUDGHUV·FDUDUHWZRRIÀFHUV7KH\DUH/D]LU KXPDQ
neutral, Kanrath enforcer) and Negpy (human, neutral,
Kanrath enforcer). Negpy has been winning lots of
money from the horse races in Kanrath, and she is
currently giving tips about the races to Lazir, who has
been extremely unlucky at the races.
The Detective and Heirt Lofn are also traveling in this
car.
Cargo Cars
The seventh and eighth cars are cargo cars. Goods
owned by traders, angst cargo, and the luggage of
vampires and other wealthy individuals are held there.
In each car, two train guards protect the cargo. They
are also responsible for carrying the cargo out of the car
104
and delivering the items to their owners.
In the seventh car, train guards Goraz (half orc,
chaotic neutral, veteran) and Medka (dwarf, neutral,
veteran JHQHUDOO\WDONDERXWWKHJODGLDWRULDOÀJKWVLQ
the Kanrath Hippodrome.
In the eighth car, train guards Sudd (human, lawful
neutral, former gladiator) and Tolg (gnome, lawful
neutral, guard) talk about leaving Kanrath, living a free
life, and being their own lords and ladies. Sudd carries
a greataxe instead of a spear and a shield. Tolg carries a
bloodwork pistol.
Normally, the train guards prevent anyone from
entering the cargo cars, never mind touching the cargo.
However, Goraz and Medka can each be bribed with
.)IRUWKHLUVLOHQFH7KH\DOVRFDQEHLQWLPLGDWHG
with a successful DC 23 Charisma (Intimidation) check.
Characters can realize that they can be bribed with a
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check.
On the other hand, Sudd and Tolg are more loyal
when it comes to their duties. A successful DC 15
Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that they can’t be
bribed. A successful DC 19 Wisdom (Insight) check
reveals that they will be very angry if they are offered
bribes. They won’t hesitate to draw their weapons and
attack, and will call Goraz and Medka for help if they
are forced to do so. However, they can be reasoned
with after a successful DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion) or
Charisma (Intimidation) check.
7KH)RXQGHU·VLWHPVDUHEHLQJFDUULHGLQWKHVHYHQWK
FDU7KH\DUHVWRUHGLQDVWRQHFRIÀQOLNHER[ZKLFK
KDVEHHQSODFHGLQVLGHDEODFNPHWDOFRIÀQ7KH
characters can sense the existence of these items when
they get onto the train, thanks to their connection with
WKH)RXQGHU7KH\SHUFHLYHDVWURQJVPHOORIVQRZGURS
ÁRZHUDQGLQQDWHO\NQRZWKDWLWLVFRQQHFWHGWR
VRPHWKLQJWKH)RXQGHUXVHGORQJDJRSUREDEO\RQHRI
his personal items.
7KHVWRQHFRIÀQKDV$&KLWSRLQWVDQG
GDPDJHWKUHVKROG7KHPHWDOFRIÀQKDV$&KLW
points, and 6 damage threshold. Both of them are
tightly encircled by chains, which have AC 15, 30 hit
points, and 4 damage threshold. Also, the chains can be
unlocked with a successful DC 15 Dexterity check made
with thieves’ tools.
0RUHRYHUERWKRIWKHFRIÀQVKDYHPDJLFWUDSVWKDW
have been placed on them by the Silver Cultists.
Trap 1. 7KHPHWDOFRIÀQLVHQFKDQWHGZLWKDPDJLF
WUDS7KHUHDUHUXQHVRIWKHVDPHFRORUDVWKHFRIÀQ
drawn on it. Every time a creature with blood tries to
RSHQLWWKHPHWDOFRIÀQLVHQJXOIHGE\GDUNÁDPHV$OO
creatures with blood within 10 feet of it must make a
'&'H[WHULW\VDYLQJWKURZWDNLQJGÀUHDQGG
necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a
105
 successful one.
The DC is 15 to spot the runes. A spell or other effect
that can sense the presence of magic, such as the detect
magic spell, reveals an aura of evocation magic around
WKHFRIÀQ
(UDVLQJWKHUXQHVIURPWKHFRIÀQ·VVXUIDFHSUHYHQWV
the trap from activating. A successful dispel magic spell
'& FDVWRQWKHFRIÀQGHVWUR\VWKHWUDS
Trap 2. 7KHVWRQHFRIÀQLVHQFKDQWHGLQVXFKDZD\
that the magic tempts creatures into approaching and
opening it, which activates the second trap.
)LUVWHDFKFUHDWXUHZLWKLQIHHWRIWKHVWRQHFRIÀQ
hears a sweet voice calling for them to come near the
FRIÀQDQGWRXFKLW$FUHDWXUHPXVWVXFFHHGRQD'&
15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed. A charmed
FUHDWXUHWULHVWRPRYHFORVHUWRWKHFRIÀQWRWKHEHVWRI
its abilities and tries to open it. This voice is heard again
in 1 minute increments. A spell or other effect that can
sense the presence of magic, such as the detect magic
spell, reveals an aura of enchantment magic around the
FRIÀQ$VXFFHVVIXO dispel magic spell (DC 18) cast on the
FRIÀQGHVWUR\VWKHWUDS
Second, when a creature tries to open the stone
FRIÀQLWJORZVZLWKEORRGUHGUXQHV7KHPDJLFVLSKRQV
blood from each creature that is within 5 feet of the
FRIÀQ7KHVLSKRQHGEORRGWUDQVIRUPVLQWRDQXPEHU
of spears in the air equal to the number of creatures
affected, and then the spears try to impale them. This
is a ranged spell attack (+7 to hit) that deals 4d6 blood
damage on a hit. A spell or other effect that can sense
the presence of magic, such as the detect magic spell,
UHYHDOVDQDXUDRIQHFURPDQF\PDJLFDURXQGWKHFRIÀQ
A successful dispel magic VSHOO '& FDVWRQWKHFRIÀQ
GHVWUR\VWKHWUDS2SHQLQJWKHVWRQHFRIÀQUHTXLUHVD
successful DC 19 Strength check due to its weight.
Treasure. $SDUWIURPWKH)RXQGHU·VLWHPVWKLV
place is full of other luggage, including the luggage
mentioned in the Luggage of Might and Magic section.
If the characters take their time and search the car in
detail, a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or a DC
,QWHOOLJHQFH ,QYHVWLJDWLRQ FKHFNOHWWKHPÀQGWKH
following: one vial of blood of warrior-saints (p. 265), one
blood-blessed greatsword (p. 266), one potion of hill giant
strength, two potions of growth, three potions of greater
healing, and a helm of comprehend languages from various
pieces of luggage.
Public Cars
The ninth, tenth, and eleventh cars are public cars.
Anyone who can buy a train ticket and a blood pass can
travel in these cars.
106
Boarding the Train
Once the characters board the train, the train starts its
journey immediately. Depending on the car that the
characters board, the things and the NPCs that they can
interact with vary. Keep in mind that the characters
can’t travel in the car reserved for the vampires.
Boarding the Public Car. If the characters have bought
public tickets, read or paraphrase the text below to
your players:
As soon as you enter the car, a wave of smells,
including dirt, heat, sweat, and urine, hits
you. It is really hard not to throw up, and you
feel as though hundreds of passengers have
vomited here too. When you look for your
seats, you quickly realize that no one is sitting
in their assigned places. Your group searches
for seats that aren’t torn to pieces or covered
with trash, but you can’t find any. In the end,
you give up and find an empty spot in the car,
which looks more like a chicken coop than an
actual train car.
7KHSXEOLFFDUVDUHÀOOHGZLWKWUDVK1RRQHQRW
even the train operators and guards, care about the
well-being of these cars and the people within. It is
QRWXQFRPPRQIRUSDVVHQJHUVWRÀJKWURERUHYHQ
kill each other. If the characters decide to search
through the mountains of trash in these cars, they
FRPHDFURVVDFRXSOHRIURWWHQERGLHV.)DQG&6
with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or DC 15
Intelligence (Investigation) check, 3 potions of healing
and a circlet of blasting with a DC 17 Wisdom (Perception)
or DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check, and two
+1 weapons with a DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) or DC 19
Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Also, contrary to the rest of the train’s passengers,
SHRSOHLQWKHSXEOLFFDUOLNHWRÀOOWKHLUMRXUQH\ZLWK
PXVLFGDQFHÀJKWVDQGPDQ\RWKHUW\SHVRIORXG
activities instead of peaceful and quiet light activities.
You can reveal some or all of the following events to
your players. You can let them experience all of these
events, or you can determine the number and type of
WKHHYHQWVWKDWRFFXUE\UROOLQJDGLH)LUVWUROODGWR
determine the number of events that occur, then roll
additional d10s on the table below to determine which
events take place.
 d10 Event
1 One urchin plays violin and another one sings
a song about an urchin who became a vampire
and got rich.
2 )LUVWWZRIULHQGVORXGO\VWDUWWRWDONDERXW
vampires and Kanrath. One of them praises
vampires and the other one curses them. Their
GLVFXVVLRQWXUQVLQWRDÀJKW$IWHUWKURZLQJ
DFRXSOHRIÀVWVWKH\HPEUDFHHDFKRWKHU
laugh, and drink beer.
3 Some people gossip with excitement about
DJLDQWLQYLVLEOHVTXLGÁ\LQJRYHU7ROLD
watching over the people, and hunting when
it’s hungry.
4 Some people gossip about a group of people
who survived exsanguination. They say that
one of these people might be the reincarnation
RIWKH)RXQGHU
5 A group of people talk about a giant,
mountain-sized bloodwork automaton in
Cyherested, which has been constructed to
wipe Kanrath out of existence.
6 A group of Blood God acolytes preach about
the might of the Blood God, saying that blood
holds all types of power and that the Blood
God is the ruler of all blood.
7 A group of actors enact a scene depicting a
ÀJKWEHWZHHQWKH&ULPVRQ.LQJ.DQUDWK·V
ruler, and the Prime Sorcerers, the legendary
founders of Cyherested. After the show, all of
them drink blood in peace.
8 Some people talk amongst themselves, saying
WKDWRQHRIWKH)RXQGHU·VFKLOGUHQLVDWWKH
head of the enemies of Kanrath.
9 Some people say that the Prime Sorcerers are
WKH)RXQGHU·VPDJLFDOFRSLHV7KH)RXQGHU
lives in Cyherested and wants to invade and
retake Kanrath with Cyherested’s army.
10 Some people spread the rumor that there are
mad miners who couldn’t get out of the angst
mines. They say that some people have even
seen them as the train was passing through
the mountain range.
Boarding the Business Car. If the characters have
bought business tickets, read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
You enter a modest car. The seats are not
ripped or stolen, unlike the public car. Two
Kanrath enforcers show you to your seats, and
they make sure that everything is in order. You
feel like it is going to be a peaceful trip.
There are many business people in this car from both
Kanrath and Cyherested. Most of them try to expand
their business network by talking to others, so people
generally talk in small groups throughout the journey.
They talk about Kanrath and Cyherested politics, new
business opportunities, late newspaper reports, noble
vampiric society gossip, elite sorcerer society rivalries,
and many other topics.
As the GM, you can have the characters hear the
following rumors. You can let them hear all of the
rumors, or you can determine the number and type
RIWKHUXPRUVKHDUGE\UROOLQJDGLH)LUVWUROODG
to determine the number of rumors heard, then roll
additional d10s on the table below to determine which
of the rumors are heard.
d10 Rumor
1 There are some people who did not die during
their execution. They say that the survivors
are being hunted by vampire authorities.
2 A very old vampire has recently awakened.
7KHYDPSLUHPLJKWEHDIULHQGRIWKH)RXQGHU
KLPVHOI7KH\HYHQHQWHUHGWKH)RXQGHU·V
crypt and talked to him.
3 Explorers from Kanrath found a new,
untouched angst mine.
4 Dalmun activity has increased lately. Their
nest might be in the mountains.
5 Sorcerers of Cyherested have been working
on a groundbreaking advancement related to
bloodwork automatons.
6 Lady Lyzah Ledany is on the train. They say
that she is something like a personal assassin
for the Crimson King.
7 The angst traders have been considering
increasing their prices. Kanrath is willing to
SURYLGHWKHPZLWKPRUHHFRQRPLFEHQHÀWV
107

8 Acolytes of the Sun God and the Blood God
have organized a peaceful chess tournament
in Cyherested. It is impossible to guess what
they are up to.
9 1HLWKHU.DQUDWK)DQJQRU&\KHUHVWHG6WDII
is worth saving. Gold is the best investment
option these days.
10 A crimson technician called Chelebi is going
to visit Kanrath. They say that he is from an
immensely rich empire.
Missing the Train
If the characters miss the train, then they have to wait
for the next one in order to reach Cyherested, where
WKHVPHOORIWKH)RXQGHUFDOOVWRWKHP7KHWUDLQWKH\
have just missed will return tomorrow and it will be
ready to depart for Cyherested again the next day,
which is two days from today. Waiting for this train
is an option for the characters. However, there is one
more choice available to them: The Twisted Knife (p.
33).
What the Twisted Knife Wants
Although he does not know the exact details of current
events, the Sixth Child is aware that some serious
WKLQJVKDYHEHHQKDSSHQLQJUHJDUGLQJWKH)RXQGHU
After a brief investigation, the Sixth Child has learned
that the characters are at the center of recent events,
and he wants to test them to learn what is so important
about them. If the characters miss the train, then the
Sixth Child uses this opportunity to test the characters’
powers by helping them get on the now-departed train
and then pit them against different opponents. There
are three groups of targets riding the train that the
Twisted Knife wants dead.
The Targets
7KHÀUVWRIWKHWKUHHJURXSVRIWDUJHWVDUHWKUHHIRUPHU
members of the Twisted Knife who have the loot from
a heist and run away. They are currently escaping to
Cyherested, and are traveling in the public cars. The
Twisted Knife wants to teach them the price of betrayal,
so they don’t demand that the characters return the
YDOXDEOHVWKDWWKH\DUHJRLQJWRÀQG7KHWUDLWRUVDUH
all human spies. One of them, Jabrak, is shorter and
KHDYLHUWKDQWKHRWKHUV7KHRWKHUWZR)LUGHDQG/DDU
DUHVLEOLQJV)LUGHKDVDEDWWOHVFDURQKHUIDFHZKLOH
Laar is bald.
108
The second target is Lady Lyzah Ledany (p. 290). She
is an ambitious noble vampire who the Sixth Child
wants to remove before she becomes too powerful. She
is in the vampires’ car on the train.
The last target is a sorcerer from Cyherested, Isak
Goldor (p. 103). He is the local leader of the Silver
Cult in Kanrath. Although the Sixth Child does not
know the exact goals of his operation, he is aware of
,VDN·VSUHVHQFHDQGLQWHUHVWLQWKH)RXQGHU+HZDQWV
this target to be eliminated in order to observe Isak’s
superiors’ next move. This sorcerer is on the train as
well, enjoying a luxurious trip in the Dining Car.
The Twisted Knife’s Offer
While the characters are drinking and thinking in a
tavern, making plans in an alley, walking along the
VWUHHWVRUDUHLQDQRWKHUWLPHDQGSODFHDV\RXVHHÀW
Gorndar (dwarf, lawful neutral, Kanrath thug - p. 281)
will approach them and say, “Hey! You wanna catch that
train?”
Gorndar is a dwarf that loves to smoke pipes, and
KLVIDYRULWHWREDFFRÁDYRULVYDQLOOD+HXVXDOO\ZHDUV
a white shirt, black trousers, and a long black coat. His
long brown hair and beard are always unkempt.
If the characters are willing to listen to Gorndar, then
he will keep talking. “Though we do not know what you are
up to, it is no secret that you want to catch that metal bull
with the crimson breath. We can help you get on that train…
for a price. We don’t run a charity. Who are we? We are the
Twisted Knife. Think of us as a thieves’ guild of some sort.
There are some people you should eliminate for us on that
train. They will notice our members, but they won’t suspect
anything when they see you. In return, we can let you use
our teleportation circle. It will teleport you to the First Metro
Station, where you can get on the train as new passengers.”
If the characters have encountered the Twisted
Knife before and built good relations with Celestina,
WKHQ&HOHVWLQDZLOOÀQGWKHPLQVWHDGRI*RUQGDU,I
the characters had not-so-pleasant encounters with
the Twisted Knife, then Gorndar is aware of that and
introduces the organization as the Secret Stash. This is
the name of the little cell that Gorndar is a part of, but
he uses this name instead of the Twisted Knife because
he has been ordered to hire the characters no matter
what.
If it takes too much time for the characters to decide,
then Gorndar reminds them the train is moving and
that there is not much time before they can decide. It
WDNHVPLQXWHVIRUWKHWUDLQWRUHDFKWKH)LUVW0HWUR
Station from the Kanrath Main Line.
He explains who the targets are, and not forget to
add, “We can send you with teleportation, but you may not
lady lyzah ledany

109
 HQGXSNLOOLQJWKHWDUJHWV+RZHYHULI\RXGRQ·WZH·OOÀQG
you, just as we’ve found you now, and make you pay.”
If the characters accept Gorndar’s offer, then
Gorndar takes them to a tobacco shop nearby where the
teleportation circle can be used.
The Pipe Palace
Gorndar takes the characters to his favorite place, the
Pipe Palace.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when they enter the shop:
You approach the shop situated below a three-
story apartment building. As Gorndar opens
the door and lets you in, you are greeted by the
mixed smell of many different tobacco flavors.
There are thousands of pipes and hundreds of
tobacco boxes around. The shopkeeper, who
looks exactly like Gorndar except for his black
hair and beard, greets you.
This is a shop that sells pipes and tobaccos of
GLIIHUHQWÁDYRUVDQGRIYDU\LQJTXDOLW\VRWKHSULFHV
vary greatly as well.
Galdar, who is both the shopkeeper and Gorndar’s
brother, likes talking with people who can appreciate
the material and spiritual value of high-quality tobacco.
Galdar gives a 10 percent discount to such people.
If the characters want to buy some items, the
products unique to Tolia and their prices are as follows:
Bloodfed (50 KF/10 Smokes). This tobacco is made
from plants that are fed with blood and then processed
to become pipe tobacco. It has a uniquely sweet and
metallic taste due to the blood and the base plant
mixture. This is generally the choice of vampires and
their servants due to its high prices.
Crimson Dust (5 KT/10 Smokes). This tobacco is made
IURPWKHUHVLGXHRIWKHDQJVWUHÀQHULHVLQ.DQUDWK,W
is more like dust than real tobacco, and it shows. It is
highly dangerous to smoke this, but it is affordable and
it has a great taste. It is highly common for old and poor
people to smoke it since they think that they have lived
long enough, that they are close to their deaths, and
that they can at least smoke something that tastes good
at this point.
Cyherested Pipe Co. (8 KF/Pipe). This pipe is produced
110
in Cyherested. It is colored sky-blue and orange, which
GHÀHVWKHGDUNDQGJRWKLFDXUDRI.DQUDWK$OWKRXJK
it is made of products that are also used in the spell
component industry, it does not provide additional
ÁDYRUDIWHUFRQVWDQWXVH3HRSOHZKRFDQ·WDIIRUG
expensive pipes but also want to try new things tend to
buy these.
Dirtbound (6 KT/10 Smokes). Kanrath has an
industrial waste problem. Kanrath’s blood, angst, and
other industries sometimes dump their waste into the
sea, particularly in the parts of the city near the sea, to
avoid shipping costs. The waste has created a unique
environment, which has led to the growth of a tobacco
species known as the dirt plant. Dirtbound is made of
this plant. Although it is highly toxic and deadly, it has
an unbelievably great taste. The plant can be found
pretty easily, but because harvesting it is dirty work,
dirtbound’s prices are only slightly cheaper than others.
People die every day from smoking dirtbound. They
do not show any symptoms before dying. It has a unique
toxin in it that accumulates in a person’s blood and kills
them instantly after reaching a certain amount, which
changes greatly depending on the smoker’s tolerance.
Dust Arcane (1 KF/10 Smokes). Produced in
Cyherested by mixing tobacco with arcane blends, dust
arcane has a unique purple smoke and a magical taste
UHVHPEOLQJVXJDU7KLVLVWKHJRWRÁDYRURIDOOZKRFDQ
afford it.
Fang Pipe Co. (40 KF/Pipe). This blood-red or pitch-
black pipe is designed for the needs of vampires. Its
unique material can soak up blood, which affects the
ÁDYRURIWKHWREDFFRZKHQXVHG,WLVGHFRUDWHGZLWK
fangs, bat wings, and gargoyle faces, yet its color and
decorations can change depending on the current
fashion of Kanrath vampires.
Iron (1 KF/10 Smokes). The toughest of all pipe
tobacco, iron has the taste of blood. It damages one’s
internal organs greatly and it is expensive, so it is not
widely used by the mortals of Kanrath. However, thanks
to their undead nature, vampires enjoy iron to the
fullest, especially by enhancing its taste through fang
pipes.
Kanrath Pipe Co. (7 KF/Pipe). The Kanrath Pipe
Company produces average-quality pipes in Kanrath.
These pipes are made of the trees growing around the
city. The letters KPC are carved on these pipes to brand
WKHP$OWKRXJKWKH\GRQRWSURYLGHH[WUDÁDYRUWKH\
DUHJRRGDWDEVRUELQJWKHWREDFFR·VÁDYRUVRWKH\DUH
pretty suitable for a long time of use with the same
ÁDYRURIWREDFFR
Kraken Pipe Co. (30 KF/Pipe). A favorite of travelers
and explorers, these pipes take their name from the
legendary kraken of Tolia, which is rumored to be living
in the depths of the sea. Made of deep sea stones, these
pipes are very hard to break and can survive in harsh
environments.
Sea Smell (8 KT/10 Smokes). This tobacco has the
ÁDYRURIVHDVDOW\DQGIUHVK)DYRUHGE\IRUPHUVDLORUV
it is not commonly used since it dries the mouth and
makes people drink too much water.
Tower Pipe Co. (40 KF/Pipe). The Tower Pipe Company
produces pipes made from meerschaum. It is a company
based in Cyherested, and takes its name from the
towers of four Prime Sorcerers, who built Cyherested
from scratch thanks to their advanced magic. Their
pipes are of high quality and are chosen by the elite of
Cyherested. It is rumored that these pipes affect the
ÁDYRURIWREDFFRGLIIHUHQWO\ZKHQXVHGE\VSHOOFDVWHUV
Workers United Pipe Co. (4 KF/Pipe). Industrial
workers in Kanrath founded a pipe company called
the Workers United Pipe Company. Its aim is to
provide high-quality, low-price pipes and tobacco for
the hardworking people of Kanrath. These pipes are
decorated with engravings of blood tanks, gears, and
angst crystals.
Workers United Tobacco (5 KT/10 Smokes). Produced
by the Workers United Pipe Company, this tobacco
is designed to last long, be cheap, and taste good.
$OWKRXJKLWVÁDYRULVSUHWW\JRRGRWKHUWREDFFR
companies’ propaganda claim that this tobacco is
deadly.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players if
they are not interested in pipes and tobacco, or after
WKH\·UHÀQLVKHGZLWKWKHLUEXVLQHVV the grave, and starts singing a song. Everyone stops
Gorndar points to the door behind his
brother’s desk, and without saying a word, he
opens the door, leading you down deeper into
the building via a series of wooden ladders.
The ladders lead to a dark room dimly lit by
a tired lantern. Gorndar moves some pipe and
tobacco boxes aside, revealing a teleportation
circle carved into the ground.
Gorndar instructs the characters to step into the
circle. Before activating the circle, Gorndar asks the
characters if they have anything to ask him before they
go. He also offers to provide a silver weapon to the
characters before they go, since it is almost impossible
to kill a Kanrath vampire without silver. He can give the
characters 1 nonmagical silver weapon of their choice.
Once the characters’ questions are answered and
they have the silver weapon, Gorndar takes a handful of
orange dust from one of the boxes and scatters it on the
circle while saying “Good hunting,” in Dwarvish.
Move on to the Trainocalypse section. However, it
is highly recommended that you read the parts in
between as well to better comprehend further events.
The Journey
In this part, if the characters have gotten on the train
at the Kanrath Main Line, then their journey aboard
the train begins. If the characters have already missed
the train, then you can directly follow the instructions
in the Missing the Train section, but it is highly
recommended that you read this part as well to better
comprehend future events.
Between Kanrath and Cyherested, the train stops
at several stations. Some of the passengers get off the
train at these stations, while others board the train.
At the beginning of the journey, just outside
.DQUDWK·VZDOOVFROGDLUÀOOVWKHFDUV$ZRPDQ·V
echoing voice reaches into this world from beyond
and listens to the woman’s song for a moment. Some
FKLOGUHQIHHOIHDUZKLOHVRPHEDELHVFU\)LUVWWLPHUV
listen to the song while the others keep going about
their business as if everything is natural.
This is the spirit of a noble young woman who
FRPPLWWHGVXLFLGHE\MXPSLQJRQWKHUDLOV)RUGHFDGHV
her tall and pale silhouette has been seen jumping on
the same spot. It is said that this woman fell in love
with her housemaid, and the two decided to run away
together. They left at different times, so as not to
attract the attention of the lady’s family. However, the
housemaid died after she gave her blood as payment,
and the Lady of the Railroad committed suicide, unable
to cope.
Now she sings a song of her tragedy and tries to warn
people of the unsparing, merciless nature of Kanrath.
The song is as follows:
All, sing a song of Kanrath,
Of blood, pain, and agony.
Where sun never shines, but passes by,
111
 And no one can love freely.
The Crimson pearl of Tolia,
Home of vampires and thralls,
Where the chance I took, for one I loved
Was sure to mean nothing at all.
All, sing a song of Kanrath,
Of riches, loss, and war.
The city’s streets washed with blood,
Unforgiving to the core.
Mighty gods, shining angels,
Hear my song, save my soul!
Reverse the pain my beloved feels,
Her eyes now black as coal.
All, sing a song of Kanrath,
Of shadows, night, and darkness,
Where no one knows the meaning of love,
112
Be-they mortal or bloodless.
Oh sun, shining angels!
You didn’t help her, won’t help me.
Now with a cold song on my lips,
I’ll die and die, for eternity.
Farm Station
The train leaves the station and moves along the rails,
stretching from Kanrath out into the wilderness of
Tolia. After the train passes through the city’s tall,
darkened stone walls and leaves the Crimson City
EHKLQGLWPRYHVWKURXJKWKHDJULFXOWXUDOÀHOGV
7KHÀHOGVHQFLUFOLQJWKHFLW\DUHWKHPDLQVRXUFH
of food for Kanrath mortals. Industrial pipes carrying
water and agricultural chemicals, the tanks they are
VWRUHGLQDQGSHRSOHZRUNLQJLQWKHÀHOGVGRWWKH
landscape.
After 15 minutes of travel, during which the train
FRYHUVDERXWPLOHVWKHWUDLQUHDFKHVWKH)DUP
Station. Some people get on the train and some people
leave it. The train keeps going with new passengers.
Ranch Station
$IWHUOHDYLQJWKH)DUP6WDWLRQWKHWUDLQJRHVWRWKH
second station, which is the Ranch Station. The train
reaches the station after 3 minutes of travel, during
which the train covers 3 miles.
The Ranch Station is located at the end of the blood
ranches, where blood is harvested from animals that are
raised in this area. The blood harvested here fuels all
aspects of Kanrath’s industry. Some people even spread
rumors that there are humanoid farms that produce
special types of blood to satisfy the unique tastes of
vampires.
7KLVDUHDLVÀOOHGZLWKUHGPLVWFDXVHGE\WKHPDVVLYH
amounts of blood processed here, similar to what the
train’s blood engine produces, and has a terrible smell.
Under Assault!
While traveling from the Ranch Station to the train’s
next destination, the Tunnel Station, a group of
anarchists attacks the train. Some of them are running
along the train with their bloodwork horses, some of
them are running above the train, and some of them are
hitting the train with their bloodwork snipers, grenades,
and spells.
In Tolia, there are several groups who oppose the
vampiric rule in Kanrath. Some deny the vampires’
authority and choose to live elsewhere, but some rebel
against them in more active ways. Such people can be
found in many different groups. One of these groups,
the Golden Bullet, has decided to make a move against
Kanrath’s authority and attacks the train when the
train is close to the Tunnel Station.
If the Detective is still with the party, he complies
with the decisions of the characters, but suggests
standing alongside the vampires. He thinks that they
should remain on the good side of Kanrath authorities
to be able to save the characters.
Golden Bullet
7KLVJURXS·VKLJKUDQNLQJRIÀFHUVDUHPRVWO\ZDU
veterans. They are experts in militaristic bloodwork
technology, especially bloodwork weaponry. They also
have their new members train with such weapons. The
members believe that one well-shot golden bullet to
the heart is enough to destroy a vampire of Kanrath
royalty, and the group gets its name from this belief.
7KH6L[WK&KLOGRIWKH)RXQGHUVHFUHWO\IXQGVWKLV
group. Most of the group’s intelligence comes from the
Sixth Child, and this is no different. The Sixth Child
wants Lady Lyzah Ledany (p. 290) and Isak Goldor (p.
103) dead, and uses the Golden Bullet to execute his
will. Although Isak Goldor is no servant of the vampires,
the Sixth Child has told the Golden Bullet the opposite.
Also, the Sixth Child hopes that throwing the characters
into the middle of chaos is going to make them reveal
their true potential.
The Sixth Child
2QHRIWKHFKLOGUHQRIWKH)RXQGHUWKH6L[WK&KLOGKDV
been living in Kanrath for many years. The Sixth Child,
a half orc royal vampire, was once the leader of a mortal
UHEHOOLRQZKRVHDLPZDVWRRYHUWKURZWKH)RXQGHUDQG
KLVYDPSLULFUXOH+RZHYHUWKH)RXQGHUPDGHWKHVNLHV
cry with blood, creating an acidic blood rain over the
city and totally annihilated the rebellion. To make an
H[DPSOHRIWKRVHZKRZRXOGRSSRVHKLPWKH)RXQGHU
transformed the leader of the rebellion into a vampire
under his own control. This child is known as the Sixth
Child.
)RUPDQ\\HDUVWKH6L[WK&KLOGOHDUQHGWKHZD\VRI
WKH)RXQGHUDQGGHYHORSHGKLVYDPSLULFSRZHUVDOOWR
EHDEOHWRRQHGD\ÀQLVKZKDWKH·GVWDUWHG1RZWKDW
WKH)RXQGHULVJRQHWKH6L[WK&KLOGZDQWVWRGHVWUR\
Kanrath’s vampiric rule and the rest of the vampires
ZLWKLWLQFOXGLQJWKHRWKHUFKLOGUHQRIWKH)RXQGHU
To achieve his goals, the Sixth Child has formed
organizations himself and funds others in secret, using
them as pawns in his great machinations.
The Attack
The characters experience different scenes depending
on which car they’re in.
Start playing “Dead Under the Red Smoke” on the
“Bloodpunk OST”. Read or paraphrase the text below
to your players if the characters are in the public cars
when the Golden Bullet members attack the train:
An explosion shakes the train. Luggage falls
down, some people fall out of their seats and
onto the ground, children start to cry, and
some people scream out of shock and fear.
From the window, you can see four
anarchists riding their metal bloodwork horses
alongside the train. They are wearing leather
gargoyle masks, and are covered with thick
clothes that hide their identities and protect
them from the cold. They’ve also covered their
113
 necks and some other places on their bodies
with metal plates to prevent vampires from
biting them.
In the span of mere moments, they shoot
their bloodwork pistols, a fireball hits one of the
other cars, bullets break glass, someone lets
out a monstrous warcry resembling a growl,
and the train slightly speeds up.
One of the train guards, a gnome, in the
cargo car opens the door between the public
car and the cargo car. He enters the public car
to see if everything is alright. However, once
he steps into the public car, a bullet breaks the
glass and shoots him in the head.
After the gnome’s death, you hear footsteps
from atop the train. Two anarchists break the
windows and enter the car. One of them says,
“The time has come for the vampires and their lapdogs to
pay! Help us! Fight alongside us and take your vengeance!
You can loot whatever you want from them!”
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players if
your players are in the business car when the Golden
Bullet members attack the train:
An explosion shakes the train. Luggage falls
down, some people fall out of their seats and
onto the ground, and some people scream out
of shock and fear. The people in the car hold
their suitcases or other valuable items tightly.
From the window, you can see four
anarchists riding their metal bloodwork horses
alongside the train. They are wearing leather
gargoyle masks and are covered with thick
clothes that hide their identities and protect
them from the cold. They’ve also covered their
necks and some other places on their bodies
with metal plates to prevent vampires from
biting them.
In the span of mere moments, they shoot
their bloodwork pistols, a fireball hits one of the
other cars, bullets break glass, someone lets
out a monstrous warcry resembling a growl,
and the train slightly speeds up.
Two Kanrath enforcers guarding the
car sheathe their weapons and direct the
passengers to stay calm. At that moment, a
bullet breaks through one of the windows and
shoots one of the enforcers in the head. Two
anarchists enter the car through the windows.
114
While the other enforcer is looking at the dead
one in shock, one of the anarchists swings his
angst-edged silver battleaxe and decapitates the
remaining enforcer. The edge of the battleaxe
glows with fire as the angst causes a fiery
reaction once it touches blood.
One of the passengers gets up to say, “What
do you think you are doing?” However, one of the
anarchists destroys the passenger’s head with
a single shot of their blunderbuss. The shooter
then starts speaking: “Today, the vampires in this
train will feel the wrath of all of the innocents they have
harmed ‘til now. You, their lapdogs, should count yourselves
lucky that we’ve decided to give you a chance to live. You
can donate all the valuables you have on-hand to us, you
can show your worth to us right now by fighting against the
vampires, or we can kill you as you deserve.”
The Golden Bullet members are attacking the train.
They are well-prepared for the attack, and have thought
of almost every possibility except for the characters’
FKRLFHV7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQFKRRVHWRKHOSWKHPÀJKW
them, or remain indifferent, waiting for the outcome
silently.
The Golden Bullet members have caught up to the
train with their bloodwork horses, climbed onto the
train from the back, run on top of it, and entered the
cars from the windows. One Golden Bullet marksman
(p. 280) and one Golden Bullet frontier (p. 279) have
entered the public car and two other members of the
same pair have entered the business car. Since the
vampires’ car and the dining car have no windows,
three Golden Bullet marksmen and two Golden Bullet
frontiers have broken the windows of the locomotive,
killed the conductor while doing so, and entered the
train that way.
All Golden Bullet members carry silver stakes
since silver is incredibly effective for killing Kanrath
vampires, and their weapons and ammunition are
also made of silver. Moreover, they have concoctions
that can enhance their abilities, which are stored in
syringes, and each member carries two vials of holy
water to use against vampires.
There is also a sniper using a special bloodwork
VQLSHUULÁH that has extremely long range. The sniper is
located outside of the train, stationed in a hidden spot.
Although the sniper can be noticed with a successful
DC 30 Wisdom (Perception) check, it is outside of the
QRUPDOVQLSHUULÁHV·UDQJH
6LQFHWKLVVQLSHU·VULÁHKDVEHHQPRGLÀHGLQD
special way, it has a longer reload time than its normal
FRXQWHUSDUWV%HFDXVHRIWKLVWKHVQLSHUÀUHVWKHULÁH
once every three rounds. As the GM, pick a target
and deal 21 (6d6) piercing damage to it using silver
ammunition without making an attack roll. If there is
no target that the sniper can see, then the sniper tries
to penetrate the windowless cars’ walls before hitting
the targets within, which reduces the damage to 10
(3d6). The sniper is able to see through walls thanks
WRWKHXQLTXHVFRSHDWWDFKHGWRWKHVQLSHUULÁHZKLFK
reveals creatures with blood behind walls that are 5 feet
thick or less.
If the characters choose to work with the Golden
Bullet members, then they face all of the train guards,
the Kanrath enforcers, the vampire sentries, Lady
Lyzah Ledany, her knights, and Isak Goldor as they
move from one car to another. The detailed information
about each of these people and groups is given in the
Outline of the Train section. If the characters choose
to help the Golden Bullet, then when the characters
reach Isak Goldor, Isak will already have lost 20 hit
points. When they reach Lady Lyzah Ledany, she and
the vampire sentries will each have lost 25 hit points.
Lady Lyzah Ledany may try to heal herself by biting
her knights. Her knights are willing targets for her bite
attack.
When the characters see Lady Lyzah Ledany here,
clearly wounded and holding crimson daggers in her
KDQGVWKHFKDUDFWHUVKHDUWKH)RXQGHU·VYRLFHLQWKHLU
heads: “In her hands is a tiny portion of the powers that I
can bestow. Kill her. Prove that she is not worthy. Rip her
heart out and eat it together. Only then will I see that you are
worthy of my lineage.”
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGRDVWKH)RXQGHUVD\VWKHQWKH
characters that eat Lady Lyzah’s heart gain one blood
degeneration. Eating the heart bestows the unique
power that Lady Lyzah had onto the characters, but
they can also alter that power to suit their needs. They
JDLQWKH:HDSRQRIWKH)RXQGHUIHDWXUHGHVFULEHG
below.
If the characters refuse to work with the Golden
Bullet members and battle against them as the Detective
suggests, then the train guards, Kanrath enforcers,
vampire sentries, Isak Goldor, Lady Lyzah Ledany,
and her knights become the characters’ allies, and
they also be targeted by the sniper. If necessary, Lady
Lyzah Ledany tries to bite and feed from a character,
especially from one that is not wearing heavy armor.
She only does so if she is close to death and her knights
are dead. She may ask for the character’s permission
before doing so if there is time, or she directly attacks
if the situation is dire. Similarly to the scenario above,
when the characters reach Isak Goldor, Isak will have
lost 20 hit points, and when they reach Lady Lyzah
Ledany, she and the vampire sentries will each have lost
25 hit points.
When the characters see Lady Lyzah Ledany here,
115
 clearly wounded and holding crimson daggers in her
KDQGVWKHFKDUDFWHUVKHDUWKH)RXQGHU·VYRLFHLQWKHLU
heads: “Although she is your ally in battle, she is not loyal
to Kanrath. Her heart is burdened with betrayal, hunger for
power, and an urge to sit on the Crimson King’s throne. My
throne! Kill her. Betray the betrayer. Rip her heart out and eat
it together. Once you do, I shall bestow gifts upon you.”
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGRDVWKH)RXQGHUVD\VWKHQWKH
characters that eat Lady Lyzah’s heart gain one blood
degeneration. Eating the heart bestows the unique
power that Lady Lyzah had onto the characters, but
they can also alter that power to suit their needs. They
JDLQWKH:HDSRQRIWKH)RXQGHUIHDWXUHGHVFULEHG
below.
If the characters choose not to act in either side’s
favor, then the Golden Bullet members won’t be able to
kill Isak Goldor and Lady Lyzah Ledany because of the
bravery of the vampire sentries and other train guards.
The attackers are killed and devoured by the vampires
on the train, and one or two of the attackers’ bodies
are preserved for further interrogation. However, only
one vampire sentry is left alive out of all of the train’s
VHFXULW\PHPEHUV)XUWKHUPRUH/DG\/\]DK/HGDQ\LV
wounded and has lost 40 hit points.
When the characters see Lady Lyzah Ledany’s body
severely wounded by silvered battleaxes, the characters
KHDUWKH)RXQGHU·VYRLFHLQWKHLUKHDGV“Although
these savages lack the intelligence needed to understand the
superiority of vampires, they were powerful enough to harm
one. I don’t know whether this is proof of the savages’ power
or the weakness of this vampire, and I don’t want to disturb
my mind’s serenity with such thoughts. However, one thing I
do know is that these savages are uneducated and ignorant,
and that they can’t know the value of such a vampire’s heart.
Kill the wounded vampire. Rip her heart out. Feast on it.
Claim the true treasure on this train.”
If the characters attack Lady Lyzah, then the
remaining vampire sentry attacks the characters as
ZHOO,IWKH\GRDVWKH)RXQGHUVD\VDIWHUNLOOLQJ/DG\
Lyzah, then the characters that eat her heart gain
one blood degeneration. Eating the heart bestows the
unique power that Lady Lyzah had onto the characters,
but they can also alter that power to suit their needs.
7KH\JDLQWKH:HDSRQRIWKH)RXQGHUIHDWXUHGHVFULEHG
below.
Weapon of the Founder
You choose one simple or martial weapon such
as a longsword, greataxe, or longbow when you
gain this feature. As a bonus action, you can
conjure one (if the chosen weapon is one-
116
handed or two-handed) or two (if the chosen
weapon is one-handed) magical weapons out
of thin air into your free hands. They are
completely made of blood, yet they can harm
flesh as well as steel can. You deal an extra 1d6
blood damage with these weapons on a hit. The
weapons conjured this way disappear when they
leave your hands, or if they have the throwing
property and you throw them at a target.
You are considered proficient with a weapon
that you conjure with this feature. When you
attack with a weapon you conjure with this
feature, you can use your Intelligence, Wisdom,
or Charisma modifier, instead of Strength or
Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls.
Whatever the characters’ choice regarding the Golden
%XOOHW·VRIIHULVWKHWUDLQKLWVDEDUULFDGHÀOOHGZLWK
explosives 10 rounds after the characters are given the
choice. Although the barricade is ineffective at slowing
down the train, the explosives destroy the train’s brake
system.
If all combat ends in four rounds after the explosion,
WKHQWKHUHPDLQLQJWUDLQRIÀFHUVFDQUHSDLUWKHEUDNHV·
damage a little bit. If the characters didn’t join the
battle, then the brakes can’t be repaired at all.
Even if the brakes are repaired, the train can’t slow
down enough to stop at the Tunnel Station, and enters
the mountains through the tunnels without stopping.
If the brakes are repaired, then the train’s blood
engine stops functioning completely somewhere
EHWZHHQWKH7XQQHO6WDWLRQDQGWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQ
in the mountains. In that case, move on to the Last Walk
section.
If the brakes can’t be repaired, then the train
can’t take a sharp turn that appears just before the
)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQ,WZLOOGLVFRQQHFWIURPWKHUDLOV
crashing into the station. In that case, move on to the
Trainocalypse section.
The Last Walk
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
the train stops moving:

The train stops moving. Some people wait
in fear without knowing what to do, while
others get out of the train to check the blood
engine. When you inspect the engine, you see
blood pouring out of metal pipes and a slowly
shaking metal block ceasing to function, just as
a beating heart slowly stops. The blood engine
stops, the metal monster dies, and you witness
the moment of its death while standing within
the dark tunnel.
Most of the train passengers are scared
because of the recent events. There are dead
people on the train, children are crying, and
most are waiting for someone to tell them
what to do. There is no sound except for the
cold wind blowing through the tunnel and the
murmurs of the scared people. Some of the
passengers take the lanterns stored within the
train and get out to look around. Like flies
attracted to light, people gather around those
who are carrying the lanterns.
The passengers start to talk about what to do. The
characters hear the following suggestions and can
choose to execute one or more of them:
An old dwarf says that they shouldn’t leave the bodies
unattended. He claims that if they’re not buried, then
the corpses will come back as creatures of the night and
haunt them. Others mostly agree, but they choose to
burn the bodies quickly instead of burying them.
If one or more Golden Bullet members are alive,
WKHQWKH\VD\WKDWWKH\FDQOHDGWKHSHRSOHWRWKH)LUVW
Metro Station, where they can wait for the next train.
Although people see them as being responsible for the
previous events, none can argue with them, especially
when they have weapons in their hands. People agree to
follow their lead.
If Lady Lyzah is alive, she is accompanied by what is
left of her knights, vampire sentries, and other train
guards. She raises her voice and tells the people that
she is going to the next station. They have permission
to follow if they wish, or to die here pathetically. Most
people decide to follow.
If none of the train guards, Golden Bullet members,
or Lady Lyzah are alive, then the people slowly start to
ZDONWRZDUGVWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQLQVHSDUDWHJURXSV
If the characters take the lead, then the passengers
follow without question.
Since there are old people, children, sick people, and
wounded people in the group, they can only walk at a
VORZSDFH7KHGLVWDQFHWRWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQLV
miles, so the passengers’ travel time is approximately
7.5 hours to get there. If the characters heal people or
help increase their travel speed in any other way, then
the group can travel at a normal pace, which lowers the
time to 5 hours.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when they start to walk:
You walk and walk in the long, dark tunnels.
The howling wind carries the sounds of your
steps, the coughs of the passengers, and the
slowly-ending cries of children away, making
them look insignificant.
During the walk, you hear no other voices
and see no other creatures. It makes you
uneasy to be so alone in this place. It is as if
something is wrong, but you have no idea what
it might be, nor do you have any clue as to
why.
After hours of walking, you reach the end of
the tunnel, where the tracks take a sharp turn.
The tunnel opens up into a huge cave and you
can see the First Metro Station standing 50
feet below you. Another sharp turn stretches
in front of you, creating a jagged road down
below.
7KHSHRSOHLQWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQFRPHWRKHOS
the exhausted passengers. After hours of walking, the
FKDUDFWHUVDQGWKHRWKHUSDVVHQJHUVÀQDOO\UHDFKDVDIH
haven, where they can rest and wait for the next train.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
ZKHQWKH\UHDFKWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQ
Lanterns on the walls illuminate the station
with crimson–orange light. The light is thanks
to the chemical reaction between angst and a
couple drops of blood.
There are 15 people here who have been
waiting for hours for the train to come. They
are worried, just like the passengers you’ve
accompanied here. People offer you food,
water, and blankets, and show you places
where you can rest.
117
 7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQWDNHDVDIHUHVWDWWKH)LUVW0HWUR
6WDWLRQ<RXFDQÀQGPRUHGHWDLOHGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXW
WKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQLQWKHFirst Metro Station section
below. The adventure continues in the Madblood section.
Trainocalypse
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players if
WKH\WHOHSRUWHGWRWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQWKURXJKWKH
teleportation circle in the Pipe Palace.
You travel through a dark blue and snow white
tunnel of colors and appear in a dark tunnel.
Behind you lies a dead end. In front of you,
the tunnel takes a smooth turn and a crimson–
orange light dimly illuminates the area.
As you follow the turn, you hear the echoing
voice of a metallic monster screaming, an
automaton in great pain, the dying voice of a
metal god. Moments later, a train with a half-
destroyed blood engine breaks off the rails 50
feet above you, leaving the railroad, and flies
toward the First Metro Station located 100
feet to the left and 60 feet in front of you.
The screams, cries, pain, fear, and the
crushing of metal and stone mix together into
a symphony, which death itself could listen to
with pleasure for all eternity.
A disaster comes to life before the characters’ eyes.
Although there is a considerable amount of distance
between the train and the characters, the characters
must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to dodge
the metal fragments scattered around by the force of
impact. They take 2d6 piercing damage on a failed save,
or half as much on a successful one.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players if
they are on the train:
The train moves faster and faster. You can feel
the extreme pressure that the train is applying
to the railroad. The train shakes continuously,
people fall to the ground, objects fly around,
and everybody screams.
Then, you abruptly feel an instantaneous
118
lightness, as if you were feather-light. The
metal stops screaming. People look out of the
window in shock. It feels like you’re floating…
up until the train hits the station below and
death looks on in amusement.
During the crash, the characters must make a DC 19
Strength or DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6
bludgeoning, 3d6 piercing, and 3d6 slashing damage on
a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
If the characters were not on the train or they didn’t
kill Lady Lyzah (p. 290) and Isak Goldor (p. 103), the two
leave the crashed train wounded but alive. Lady Lyzah
Ledany has lost 36 hit points, and Isak Goldor has lost
29 hit points. The vampire sentries, remaining Golden
Bullet members, train guards, and Kanrath enforcers all
die during the crash if they are still alive at the moment
of trainocalypse, along with most of the passengers on
WKHWUDLQDQGPRVWRIWKHSHRSOHZDLWLQJDWWKH)LUVW
Metro Station. The Detective, if he is with the party,
has been gravely wounded and is dying. The characters
have 10 rounds to save the Detective before he dies.
Regardless of whether the characters have arrived
by teleportation or if they were on the train, the people
ZKRDUHVWLOODOLYHDWWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQKHOSWKH
ZRXQGHG7KH\GRQRWLQWHUIHUHZLWKDQ\ÀJKWVEHWZHHQ
the characters and other people.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQWDNHDVDIHUHVWDWWKH)LUVW
0HWUR6WDWLRQ<RXFDQÀQGPRUHGHWDLOHGLQIRUPDWLRQ
DERXWWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQLQWKHQH[WVHFWLRQ7KH
adventure continues in the Madblood section.
First Metro Station
7KLVLVWKHÀUVWVWDWLRQWKDWZDVEXLOWLQWRWKH
mountains during the war between Kanrath and
Cyherested. Originally built by the Kanrath military to
support the supply chain during the war, the station
now serves as a home to a few people and acts as a small
train station.
Normally, 13 people live in this station. On a crowded
day, 20 people can be found here if others come to get
on the train. People living in this station generally
sell food, gems, and pelts that are unique to this
mountainous region to the passengers on the train.
The mountains have their own dangers, which
will be detailed in the upcoming sections. To protect
the small number of people living here, two or three

mountaın guard
mountain guards (p. 283) are on patrol here. Mountain
guards are volunteers living in the mountain range
who work together and protect their homes if they are
from different communities. These guards and their
communities will also be detailed in the upcoming
sections.
There is an antiquated radio station here that is
connected to some other parts of the underground
communities. Whatever the train’s situation is, the
people of this station send the news to these other
parts, and more mountain guards come to help.
Madblood
:KHWKHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQLVKDORQJUHVWRUFKRRVHWR
leave the train station immediately in the aftermath of
either the Trainocalypse or The Last Walk, the following
events take place before the characters leave.
There is a fallen priest of the Sun God living in a small
cave. The cave entrance is a small crack on the wall of
WKHUDLOURDGWXQQHOEHWZHHQWKH)LUVW0HWUR6WDWLRQDQG
the next station, which is the Departure Well Station.
This priest, Hermine (p. 122), was a cleric of the Sun
God residing in Cyherested 19 years ago. However, she
had received visions, or so she claimed, before leaving
Cyherested and living in the mountains as a cloistered
cleric.
All this time, she has frequently received mystic
visions, which led Hermine to believe that the Sun God
and the Blood God are the same entity, and one can
achieve greatness only by wielding the powers of both
forces. She searched for forbidden tomes throughout
the mountain range, gained vampiric powers, and
developed unique powers. However, loneliness drove
her mad, so she used the god’s powers to kidnap
people and turn them into vampiric creatures called
madbloods who strictly obey Hermine’s commands.
This way, she thought she had built a family for himself
with whom she could share the rewards of the god’s so-
called divine quest.
A madblood is a crazed vampire. When a mortal is
turned into a vampire, they try to drink blood from the
closest source. If this newly turned vampire consumes
too much blood or devours a creature completely
instead of just drinking its blood, the vampire turns into
a madblood. A madblood is a distorted vampire with no
self-control whose only desire is to drink blood.
Recently, Hermine has received one last vision about
KRZWRFRPSOHWHKHUÀQDOWUDQVIRUPDWLRQZKLFKFDQEH
done by killing the characters and drinking their blood.
She sends her madblood army to catch the characters
and bring them to her, killing anyone who tries to
prevent this.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when the attack takes place:
You hear screams echoing through the
tunnels. A shiver runs down people’s spines.
After a moment of shock, people try to find
a place to hide and mountain guards draw
their weapons as creatures out of your worst
nightmares appear in the tunnels. They have
no faces or identities. They are monsters
whose only desire is to devour flesh and blood.
An overwhelming number of madbloods attack the
station. Some of them target the mountain guards,
while some of them directly aim for the characters. If
you, as the GM, feel that rolling initiative for all of them
and thinking through all of their turns would be too
complex and tiring, end the combat going on around
the characters when they defeat 10 madbloods. By the
119
 time the battle ends, half of the people at the station
madblood
end up dead.

Madblood
Medium undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

16 (+3) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 5 (-3) 4 (-3)

Saving Throws Strength +5, Dexterity +5, Constitution

+5
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 7
Languages -
Challenge  ;3

Spider Climb. 7KHPDGEORRGFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOW

surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without
needing to make an ability check.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the madblood
has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.
ACTIONS
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6)
necrotic damage. Also, the target’s hit point maximum
decreases by an amount equal to the necrotic damage
dealt, and the madblood regains 1 hit point. This
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After the combat ends, several of the remaining
mountain guards arrange for transporting all of the
living people to a safer place called “Meredel”, which
is one of the settlements deeper in the mountains. As
a precaution against a second madblood attack, one of
the mountain guards offers to follow the tracks of the
madbloods and help destroy their nest.
If the characters decide to go to a safer place and
the Trainocalypse didn’t happen, then there is a single
train car with an attached, working blood engine in the
station. It can carry up to 15 people. The blood engine
works when everybody aboard donates 1 hit point
worth of blood to its blood tank. In this case, move on to
the Second Blood Vision section.
If the characters decide to go to a safer place and the
Trainocalypse happened, then everybody starts walking
to Meredel through the tunnels. In this case, move on to
the Second Blood Vision section.
If the characters decide to follow the madbloods’
tracks and put an end to this madness, then the
mountain guard who found the tracks accompanies
them. In this case, move on to the Apostate of the Sun
section.
If the characters decide to do none of the above and
move through the tunnels on their own, move on to the
Second Blood Vision section.
Level Up! The characters have survived thus far. If the
characters move on to the Second Blood Vision section,
inform your players to level up (to the 6th level).
Otherwise, they will proceed to the Apostate of the Sun
section as 5th level characters.

120
Apostate of the Sun
The characters follow the madbloods’ tracks alongside
Derlion (half elf, neutral good, mountain guard).
Derlion is a young resident of the mountains. He loves
living away from the cities’ chaos, not paying taxes,
and not being a slave to the cities’ vampire or sorcerer
rulers.
If asked, Derlion states his enthusiasm for killing
madbloods as the following: “I lost my sister to madbloods
two years ago. Since then, I have been training hard every day
to destroy them once and for all. I know about one madblood
hive, but it’s far from here. This is new for me as well, so I
ZDQWWRÀQGWKHLUSODFHDQGNLOOWKHPDOO,WVKRXOGQ·WEHWKDW
PXFKRIDSUREOHPDV,VKDOOÀJKWDORQJVLGHWDOHQWHGSHRSOH
like you.”
The tracks lead to a crack in the wall, which is so
small that only one Medium-sized or smaller creature
can squeeze through it at a time. Read or paraphrase
the text below to your players when the characters
enter the crack:
The air changes drastically as you move
through the crack. It is fresh and carries the
scent of many flowers. However, the tracks on
the ground tell a different story. This is truly a
place of death: the source of the madbloods.
The crack on the wall leads to a tunnel
that turns slightly to the left 30 feet in front
of you. After the turn, the tunnel goes
straight ahead for 100 feet with a slight slope
downwards. At the end of the tunnel is an
opening leading to a 40-foot-wide cave.
There lies a heavenly garden in the cave
before you, the source of the beautiful
flower scents. You see flowers of every color
blooming and covering the ground and the
walls of the cave. However, at the other end
of the cave, there lies a throne of bones
and skulls placed on top of the flowers. An
old human woman is sitting on the throne,
wearing worn leathers and a white robe on
top. There are five madbloods around her.
The old woman is petting one of their heads,
while another one is embracing one of her legs
121
 like a little child.
Sunlight is directly hitting two points in the
cave through a small crack on the ceiling: the
throne and the stone altar placed next to it.
Weirdly enough, the sunlight is not affecting
Blood of the Sun
the madblood, and it is reflecting off the You can choose to empower your attacks
magical surfaces of the morningstar placed on with the power of the sun in exchange
one side of the throne and the shield placed for your life essence. When you make a
on the other side. There are depictions of the successful attack, you can lower your hit
sun carved on the stone altar, which is also point maximum by 5 and deal an extra 10
covered with blood. There is a bowl on the radiant damage. This reduction lasts until
altar, in which water and blood is mixed. \RXÀQLVKDORQJUHVW
The old woman greets you, smiling and
revealing her vampiric teeth. “Welcome, infidels of
the outer world and the keys of my ascension.”
Treasure. Hermine was wearing a set of +1 leather,
carrying a +1 shield, and was using a morningstar taken
The old woman is Hermine, the mother of the
from a vampire of Kanrath, a +1 Kanrath morningstar
madbloods that attacked the characters. She is not
(p. 266). The stone altar can also be opened like a
open to negotiation, and she personally attacks the
chest by sliding its upper part to the side. The altar
characters while ordering the madbloods to attack
FRQWDLQV.)&6DQGERRNVWLWOHGWords of
them as well. Her one and only goal is to drink the
Blood, The Crimson Truth, The Real Power of Tolia, True
blood of the characters, thereby drinking the blood of
King of Kanrath: A Philosophical Study of the Founder, The
WKH)RXQGHUDQGSHUIHFWLQJKHUYDPSLULFSRZHUV
Blood God’s Dogma, A Reality Painted Red, Sun vs. Blood:
Once Hermine and the madbloods die, read or A Religious Study on Two Gods, Masters of the Fang: A
paraphrase the text below to your players: Historical Research About Vampiric Methods, and Bitter
Enemies or Best Friends: A Study on the Blood God and the
Sun God. These books can be used as an arcane focus
or a divine focus. There are also descriptions of the
With a small shift in the soil and rock, the following spells within the pages, which can be used
cracks, through which the sunlight entered the as single-use spell scrolls: animate dead, bane, bless,
room, close, leaving the cave in darkness. You protection from evil and good, and warding bond.
suddenly smell the overwhelming stench of rot
and decay, and realize that all of the flowers
within the cave have died and decayed within
moments.
Hermine
Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (+1 leather, +1 shield)

:KHQ+HUPLQHGLHVWKH)RXQGHUZKLVSHUVWRWKH
characters: “She believed that she could master the powers Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12)
of blood and sun together, becoming an abomination. Yet you Speed 30 ft.
FDQJUHDWO\EHQHÀWIURPWKLVDERPLQDWLRQ3RXUKHUEORRGLQWR
the bowl on the altar and drink it.”
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGRDVWKH)RXQGHUVD\VWKHQWKH\
gain one blood degeneration and the Blood of the Sun 17 (+3) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 16 (+3)
feature described below.
Saving Throws Strength +5, Wisdom +6
Skills Arcana +4, Athletics +5, Perception +6, Religion
+4

122
 Damage Resistances necrotic
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Old Common
Challenge  ;3
Regeneration. Hermine regains 2 hit points at the start
of her turn if she has at least 1 hit point.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Hermine makes two attacks, only one of
which can be a bite attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by
Hermine, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3)
piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The
target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount
equal to the necrotic damage taken, and Hermine
regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction
ODVWVXQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
+1 Kanrath Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to
hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing
damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Detonate Sun (Recharge 6). Hermine chooses a point
within 60 feet of her. An orb of sunlight, hovering in
the air, appears at the chosen point and detonates,
ÀOOLQJWKHDUHDDURXQGLWLQDIRRWUDGLXVZLWK
sunlight. All creatures within the affected area must
succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be
stunned until the end of their next turn. Hermine’s
madbloods are not affected by this feature.
Second
Blood Vision
Throughout this part, the characters are going to
GHOYHGHHSHULQWRWKH)RXQGHU·VSHUVRQDV0D\EH
WKH\ZLOOXQGHUVWDQGWKHPRWLYHVRIWKH)RXQGHU
and deem him to be righteous, or maybe they will
pronounce him as their greatest enemy. However,
know that the choices that the characters are going
to make will greatly affect their own fates.
Twisted Corridor
6WDUWSOD\LQJ´'UHDPVRIWKH)RXQGHUµRQWKH
“Bloodpunk OST”. Read or paraphrase the text below
to your players when the second blood vision starts:
The surroundings start to change. The walls
and the objects around you bleed into each
other, the people around you meld into one
another. As the screams of the living echo
through the tunnels, you feel the might and
power of the vampires once again. Everything
turns a blood-red color and the heavy smell
of blood fills your noses. The mountain shifts
and changes, becoming the corridor that
you’ve seen in your previous shared vision.
However, there are five paths before you now
instead of one. At the end of each corridor of
blood, a different figure is waiting for you.
-XVWDVWKHSOD\HUVGLGLQWKHÀUVWEORRGYLVLRQ
they interchange their character sheets, but this
time in a different order than before.
7KHUHDUHÀYHGLIIHUHQWFRUULGRUVVWDQGLQJEHIRUH
WKHFKDUDFWHUVZLWKDGLIIHUHQWÀJXUHZDLWLQJDWWKH
end of each of them. These are the memories and
GUHDPVRIWKHGLIIHUHQWDVSHFWVRIWKH)RXQGHUDOORI
which will tell stories from the different stages of the
)RXQGHU·VOLIH7KHYLVLRQZLOOOHDGWKHFKDUDFWHUVWR
meet these personas in a certain order.
7KH)RXQGHUZDVD&ULPVRQKXPDQDEHLQJ
marked by the mystical powers of blood, and a
person destined to change the world. However, his
potential to wield great power came at a price. The
same gift that gave him control over the powers
of blood was eating at him from the inside, killing
him slowly and leaving him weak. He searched
for a cure for many years, and the visions that the
characters will see are some of the moments from
that search and some of the dreams that he had
123
 while conducting that search. However, at the same
WLPHWKH)RXQGHUKDGFDXJKWWKHDWWHQWLRQRIWKH6XQ
God’s servants ever since his childhood, and they would The corridor transforms into an alchemist’s
VRPHWLPHVFDXVHWURXEOH³DVLIWKH)RXQGHUGLGQRW laboratory. There are many workbenches,
have enough problems already. alchemical setups, tubes, and boiling
7KHÀYHGLIIHUHQWÀJXUHVLQWKLVYLVLRQUHSUHVHQW cauldrons around the perimeter of the
WKHÀYHGLIIHUHQWSHUVRQDVRIWKH)RXQGHU7KH\DUH laboratory. In the middle of the room, the
the Child, the Divine, the Human, the Monster, and Child Founder stands near a pool of blood,
WKH6FKRODU7KHUHZDVDWLPHZKHQWKH)RXQGHU attentively observing all of the experiments
embodied each of these personas. Each persona has and taking notes with great care in Draconic.
its own unique characteristics, so each persona offers The alchemical concoctions slowly flow into
a different challenge in its own way. As the GM, note the pool through canals carved into the stone
that the characters are in a dream-like state, and do not ground. He turns to you and says, “I have been
consistently have control over themselves and their trying to cure my disease, but there’s something that I can’t
surroundings. The following events should feel like they figure out. Can you help me? Thank you.”
DUHXQUHDOLVWLFUHÁHFWLRQVRIKLVWRULFHYHQWV
If a character dies at any time while within the vision,
the character regains all of their missing hit points and
any hit point maximum reduction that the character
is suffering from ends. The character keeps living. In
return, the character gains one blood degeneration
each time death is denied in this way.
7KHFKDUDFWHUV·FKRLFHVLQWKHÀYHXSFRPLQJVFHQHV
will heavily change the ending of the vision. After
each of the following scenes, note down whether the
FKDUDFWHUVDJUHHGWRWKH)RXQGHU·VGHPDQGVDFFHSWHG
KLVRIIHUVRUSURWHFWHGWKH)RXQGHUIURPGDQJHU,I
WKH\VLGHZLWKWKH)RXQGHULQWKUHHRXWRIÀYHVFHQHV
then move on to the History of Blood section. Otherwise,
move on to the Blood PrisonVHFWLRQDIWHUWKHÀYHVFHQHV
If the characters are split on making decisions, look at
WKHUHVXOWRIWKHHYHQW)RUH[DPSOHLIPRUHWKDQKDOIRI
WKHFKDUDFWHUVDFFHSWRQHRIWKH)RXQGHU·VRIIHUVWKHQ
the offer can be counted as accepted. If half or less than
half of the characters accept his offer, then, it can be
counted as not accepted.

1. The Child

The Child is a 10-year-old human boy. He wears a

VHWRIÀQHGDUNJUD\DQGGDUNUHGFORWKHVWKHNLQG
worn by nobles. His exceptionally white hair is well-
trimmed, and his amber eyes shine with extraordinary
intelligence, indicating that he is one of the Crimson,
an individual destined to achieve greatness. His
eyes already look around with the weight of life
and maturity, yet he is still curious and hopeful like
a child. His tone is polite and his Old Common is
perfect. Because of his rare, unknown illness, his nose
bleeds frequently, and he wipes up the blood with his
handkerchief.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
ZKHQWKHFRUULGRUOHDGVWKHPWRWKH&KLOG)RXQGHU

124
 The Child asks the characters to carry out some of the walking with the help of a cane of which the
alchemical procedures in his place. These can be done head is carved in the shape of a dragon’s head.
with a successful DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check, or When you reach a large wooden table placed
with a successful DC 13 Intelligence check made with near the incredibly long bookshelves, he turns
alchemist’s supplies, brewer’s supplies, or an herbalism to you and politely asks, “Would you be so kind as to
kit. Only one of the characters needs to succeed on this place them on the table?” His nose bleeds, and he
check to carry out the alchemical procedure without politely wipes the blood with his handkerchief.
error.
While studying the dusty tomes, the Human
If all of the characters fail the check, then the blood Founder starts speaking to you. “I have been
pool explodes and a sanguine elemental (p. 284) studying hard since my childhood. I’ve always dreamed of
spawns from it, attacking the characters. After the living like other people, feeling emotions, loving others,
elemental is defeated, the Child says, in a very polite watching the stars in search of meaning… Yet my disease’s
and advising tone, “It is inappropriate for grown-ups such progress is slower than I’d imagined. It does not let me
as you to fail at such basic tasks. Mortals’ success at failing say goodbye to this world. It is giving me enough time to
my expectations is already more fascinating than you can experiment, to study, and to search for a cure, but not
imagine. You should educate yourselves better.” enough time to solve its mysteries. Is this hope? Maybe I
If at least one of the characters succeeds on the should abandon all hope too.”
check, then the blood pool in the middle of the room
transforms into a stable gate leading to a realm of
blood. The Child says, “I have put my trust in the people
around me many times, and they’ve failed to meet my
expectations. However, you’ve surprised me. Thank you for
your efforts.”
If the characters refuse to help the Child, then the
Child tries to conduct all of the alchemical processes by
himself. However, he proves to be a bit too slow. The
blood pool explodes and obsidian chains emerge from
within the pool, grappling the Child and pulling him
into the pool. While the scene ends, the Child speaks,
“You’ve done wrong. Whose side are you on? Why is everyone
against me?”
After the scene concludes, the vision changes and the
FKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKHFRUULGRUDJDLQVORZO\
DSSURDFKLQJWKH+XPDQ)RXQGHU

2. The Human

7KH+XPDQLVWKH)RXQGHUEHIRUHKHEHFDPHDYDPSLUH
8QOLNHWKH)RXQGHUWKH+XPDQORYHVHPRWLRQVDQG
simple mortal pleasures. He looks to be physically
ZHDNHUWKDQWKH)RXQGHU\HWKHVWLOOKDVWKHQREOH
posture that the other personas have. He visibly looks
ill, but strangely, the Human has a genuine smile.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
ZKHQWKHFRUULGRUOHDGVWKHPWRWKH+XPDQ)RXQGHU

You find yourself in an enormous library,

assisting the Human Founder with carrying
tomes. The Human is visibly ill. His body is
too weak, he is constantly coughing, and blood
is slowly painting his handkerchief red. He is

125
 The Human is in a melancholic state of mind,
although he is trying to cling to hope. The characters
DQGWKH+XPDQ)RXQGHUFDQWDONIRUDVORQJDVWKH\
want. As the GM, make sure that all of the Human’s
answers have a melancholic yet hopeful tone. He
can start a sentence while smiling and end the same
sentence in despair.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players at
a point that you think is appropriate:
Suddenly, a flash of blinding light fills the
library. When you regain your sight, a creature
of sunlight stands before you. The angelic
creature says, “You are too dangerous to be allowed
to live. Today, your suffering ends at my hands. This is the
ultimate mercy that I can show for you.”
The angelic creature is a ÀUHHOHPHQWDOmade of
KRO\ÀUH:KHQLWGHDOVÀUHGDPDJHLWFDQFKRRVH
to deal radiant damage instead. It is also immune to
radiant damage, and instead of a Touch attack, it uses a
JUHDWVZRUGPDGHRIKRO\ÀUH
If the characters help the Human vanquish the
HOHPHQWDOWKH+XPDQ)RXQGHUVD\V“Sometimes I think
about giving up on it all. I think about death. Then I see such
creatures trying to destroy me. They remind me that my
existence has to have a meaning in this world. I must have a
purpose since I have enemies. Thank you for helping me.”
If the characters don’t help the Human or side with
the elemental, then the elemental burns the library to
the ground along with the Human. While burning in the
ÁDPHVKHVD\V“Do you hate me that much? What did I do
to you? Don’t I have the right to live? I want to live! I am… I
was a human after all!” The angelic creature then turns
to the characters and says, “You are no different than this
monster. You have the same blood.” It then attacks the
characters.
After the scene concludes, the vision changes and the
FKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKHFRUULGRUDJDLQVORZO\
approaching the Scholar.
3. The Scholar
The Scholar is the knowledge collector and truth-
VHHNLQJVLGHRIWKH)RXQGHU+HZHDUVDOLEUDULDQ·VUREHV
this time, with colors similar to those of the Child’s
clothes. His back is bent with the weight of all the
knowledge he bears. The Scholar looks weak and ill.
126
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when the corridor leads them to the Scholar:
You are on the top of a mountain, trying to
walk through a raging blizzard. Before you
lies a human in librarian robes. He is trying
to crawl through the snow and his nose is
bleeding. The spells that seek to let him stand
tall amidst the snow and let him live appear
to be straining; the magical energies around
him glow with stress. The sun shining brightly
in the sky can be clearly seen through the
blizzard. The Scholar starts speaking. “I’ve
searched for a cure since my childhood and I’ve finally found
it. I must reach that book. I have to! I can’t die now. I just
can’t. I will live a life like the others. Sun! Why don’t you let
me live?”
Then he stands up, renewing some of the
spells protecting him. Given the way he is
casting the spells, you understand that the
Scholar is a wizard. Casting spells makes his
nose bleed again.
After a brief walk, you see a figure appear in
the blizzard. It is hovering above the ground,
wearing a black robe, and carrying a scythe.
The hood of the robe is covering its skull.
Upon noticing the figure, the Scholar sighs
and says, “Death… How many times must I send you
away? I will not die. Neither today nor anytime soon.” The
figure flies towards the Scholar, drawing its
scythe. The Scholar looks too tired to fight.
7KHÀJXUHLVDQHPLVVDU\RIGHDWK,WXVHVWKHwraith
stat block with the following changes: it has AC 15, it
does not have the Sunlight Sensitivity trait, and it uses
the scythe when making its Life Drain attack. The DC of
the Constitution saving throw for the Life Drain attack
is 16 instead of 14.
If the characters vanquish the emissary of death, then
the Scholar says, “Thank you for your help. I have been
encountering too many obstacles, which proves that I am on
the right path. I will never forget this, for blood never forgets.
%ORRGLVPDJLFEORRGLVOLIHEORRG·VYHUGLFWLVÀQDODQGLWLV
eternal.”
If the characters let, or help, the emissary of death
kill the Scholar, then the Scholar says, “I will never forget
this, for blood never forgets. Blood is magic, blood is life,
EORRG·VYHUGLFWLVÀQDODQGLWLVHWHUQDO<RXUSXQLVKPHQW
shall be eternal as well.” Then, the emissary of death
turns to the characters and says, “Death visits all. None
can escape from it. Your time has come.” It then attacks the
characters.
After the scene concludes, the vision changes and the
FKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKHFRUULGRUDJDLQVORZO\
approaching the Monster.
4. The Monster
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LVZKDWZRXOGEHOHIWRIWKH)RXQGHULIWKH&KLOGWKH
Human, and the Scholar are gone. The Monster is a
bat-like humanoid creature. Two bone spikes jut out
WKURXJKWKHÁHVKRIKLVIRUHDUPVFUHDWLQJZHDSRQVRI
ERQH+HLVEUXWDOLW\PDGHÁHVKZUDWKUHLQFDUQDWHG
and hunger that can never be satiated. He wears armor
made of bones.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when the corridor leads them to the Monster:
You are in a huge cave, deep underground.
The screams of the various creatures around
you fill your ears; some curse, some beg for
mercy, and some of them can only scream
in pain. As you walk forward, you see where
the Monster is standing. However, the figure
chained to the ground before him succeeds in
catching your attention first. The figure is an
angel, the purest creature you have ever seen
and that you’ll probably ever see.
The angel’s white feathery wings have been
ripped off by the Monster. They are visibly in
pain because of the rotten wounds caused by
the Monster’s bone spikes. The angel cries,
their silver tears dropping to the ground. It
is the saddest scene you could ever possibly
imagine.
Then the angel looks at you and begs, “I know
that you have good hearts. Please free me. I am a creature
of mercy, and all I ask is to be shown some of it. Please, I
am begging you. Please!” The Monster then turns
to look at you, wearing a wicked smile and
revealing his fangs. “So great in power, yet so weak
in spirit. The power of this angel deserves to be wielded by
a higher form of being—beings such as us! Come! Join me!
Let’s feast!”
The Monster holds the neck of the angel
within his clawed hands and dives his teeth
into the celestial flesh.
The Monster wants to drink the blood of different
creatures, taste all of them, and absorb all of their
powers. His hunger is endless. Although he now looks
like a savage monster, his eyes still spark with his
characteristic intelligence, which makes him even more
GHDGO\,QWKLVVFHQHWKH)RXQGHUZDQWVWRWHVWWKH
characters with a tough decision, and cuts the scene
VKRUWZLWKRXWDÀJKWDIWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVPDNHWKHLU
decision.
If the characters join the Monster and drink the blood
of the angel, then the characters feel like the blood of
the angel is burning away what good is left within them
127
 FKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKHFRUULGRUDJDLQVORZO\
approaching the Divine.
5. The Divine
as it pours down their throats. The Monster turns to
them again, saying, “Blood! Carnage! Power! Can you feel it?
I can already feel the power surging through me.” He then
creates a radiant sword in his hand as if he has stolen
the angel’s powers by drinking their blood.
If the characters do not join the Monster’s feast, then
the Monster bleeds the angel dry. Then he turns to the
FKDUDFWHUVEULHÁ\DQGVD\V“I presented you with one of
the greatest gifts that you could ever imagine, but you showed
weakness and chose to grant mercy to the angel. That was
DPLVWDNH7KHÁRZRIEORRGFDQ·WEHVWRSSHG%ORRGOXVWLV
eternal. Since you showed them mercy and tainted the feast,
I now have to perfect them.” He opens a wound on one of
KLVDUPVZLWKKLVFODZVDQGOHWVKLVEORRGÁRZDFURVV
the angel’s body. The angel is slowly covered in blood.
They grow their feathery wings back, but dripped in
fresh blood this time. The angel rejuvenates, and rises
into the air slowly. The Monster speaks again, “Behold
the true angel of blood! Rise, Thanetiel, Rise!”
After the scene concludes, the vision changes and the
128
7KH'LYLQHLVWKHIRUPWKDWWKH)RXQGHUVHHV
KLPVHOIDV$FFRUGLQJWRWKH)RXQGHUKHLVD
divine being, a force of nature. In this form,
he looks like a marble statue. His eyes are
SRROVRIEORRG+HZHDUVDFURZQDÁDZOHVV
FORDNDQGDÁDZOHVVORQJVNLUWDOORIZKLFK
are purely made of blood. The blood creating
these items is dripping upwards, defying
gravity, indicating that the Divine is a force
of nature that can bend the rules of reality.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your
players when the corridor leads them to the
Divine:
You are in the golden throne room of a
god, around which a marble temple has
been built. Hundreds—no, thousands—
of creatures decorate the walls of the
throne room. They are bleeding slowly
and whimpering in pain, looking like a
living painting made of flesh. You see
the Divine sitting on the throne. He is
holding a marble staff, whose upper end
holds an orb of blood and the other end
is a bloody spear.
There are thousands of vampiric figures
within the throne room, all facing the Divine.
They are all kneeling down in awe, fear, and
respect.
The Divine looks at you and speaks in a
commanding voice that echoes in the room,
“You and I share the same dream. We want power. We want
to be on top. We are not to be commanded, not to be made
to kneel. There are so many wrongs in this world. So many
mistakes, so much pain, and so much suffering. There is no
righteousness left. But we can restore it. It is our destiny.”
A golden bowl appears before you. It is
filled with blood, and you hear the Divine’s
echoing voice again. “Drink. Drink if you want to
correct the mistakes of this world.”
129
 The Divine may also talk about the personal lives of
the characters, pointing out the problems that could
have been solved or that they will be able to solve in the
future if they have enough power to do so.
If the characters drink the blood, then the Divine
is pleased and the thousands of vampires around
the characters look at them, fascinated. Some of the
vampires approach them and pledge their service to
them.
If the characters refuse to drink the blood, then the
Divine speaks once again. “You are less than maggots, and
you deserve to be treated as such.” With his words, three
vampire spawns wearing plate armor and wielding
greatswords and greataxes emerge from the crowd and
attack you.
After the scene concludes, the vision changes and the
FKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKHFRUULGRUDJDLQ7KH\
are standing in front of the door leading into the throne
URRPWKDWWKH\VDZLQWKHÀUVWEORRGYLVLRQ
History of Blood
The characters’ and the others’ blood paints the
room red, a strange heat envelops their minds, and the
environment changes again. Read or paraphrase the
text below to your players:
The characters are in front of the door leading to the
throne room. The door is a bit more damaged than
LWZDVGXULQJWKHÀUVWEORRGYLVLRQEXWWKHGDPDJHG
parts are covered with molten gold and silver. The
characters open the mystical door and open their minds
as the vision continues. The characters are about to
witness the past of the Crimson King, the current king
RI.DQUDWKDQGWKH)LUVW&KLOGRIWKH)RXQGHU$VWKHLU
environment changes, read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
You are standing in a dark, cold, stone castle
made by frost giants. You are storming the
castle, killing all of the giants with your fellow
clerics and paladins of the Sun God. Cold and
fire clash in every corner. Shields are crushed
under huge hammers, and the blood of the
frost giants mixes with the blood of your fallen
companions.
At the end of the raid, you find a room
in which the baby of the frost giant king is
130
sleeping on a bed. The group’s leader, the
High Paladin, declares, “The baby should be accepted
by the temple. We can lead this poor soul to righteousness.
It is a pure soul that can be shaped by the light of the sun.”
However, one of the group’s higher ranking
members, the Warrior-Cleric, says, “One day,
this child will learn about what we did to the other giants,
and will try to exact vengeance upon us. This should end
now.” Although you can’t see these two figures
from your vantage point, you can feel the
tension rising between them.
The group divides into two, the dispute
escalates quickly, and the two groups attack
each other, with each one claiming that they
are defending the dogma of the Sun God.
Followers of the Warrior-Cleric cut down
the others and leave them to bleed to death,
including the characters. The vision ends
before the characters can see the baby frost
giant’s fate.
You have been walking through the snow-
covered landscape of Tolia. You and some
of the others survived the last battle against
your brothers and sisters in faith. Your
old brothers and sisters… Many of your
companions died since none of you have been
able to channel the Sun God’s powers. You’ve
been abandoned. You’d once found peace
under the sunlight, but it is now a burden on
your shoulders.
The group’s leader is the former High
Paladin. His once-merciful face is now
painted with pain and sorrow. Some of his
wounds are still bleeding, yet his steps are
firm. “I met someone, a person of power, four years ago.
He wants to build a new city, one where we can live without
the fear of being hunted,” he says to the survivors.
“This person I know… He is… he is a person of the night.
He can help us.”
After many days and many nights of travel,
you are welcomed at the gates of Kanrath. This
is a dark city. It is as if dark clouds always cover
 its sky, preventing sunlight from reaching it. The runes on the ground glow with magic, all
Although you’d have once seen this as a heresy of you start to speak words of magic against
and denounced all of the city-dwellers as your own will, and the Founder releases some
infidels, you now find it acceptable. of his own blood to mix it with the paladin’s.
Then, as the finishing move, the Founder
You move into a courtroom. There stands a
gives the orb of blood back to the paladin,
person with pale skin, amber eyes, and white
bestowing him with the gift of life once again.
hair, wearing fine gray and blood-red clothes,
The former High Paladin stands up slowly,
a ruby necklace, and three ruby rings. This is
looks at his hands, looks around, opens the
the Founder. He speaks with all of you around
newly-formed bat-like wings on his back, and
a round table and offers you a hot meal, good
kneels down before the Founder with respect.
wine, and fresh water. The former High
He calls the Founder “Father…”
Paladin is standing as nobly as the Founder.
Although he is broken, wounded, and tired,
his hazel hair, imposing height, well-built
body, and graceful etiquette are saving the day.
When this scene ends, move on to the section titled
Your conversation with the Founder takes Reunion.
hours, and at the end, everyone accepts the
Founder’s words: “The teachings of the Sun God create

Blood Prison
an illusion. Everybody can twist them in their own favor,
and everybody can claim that they are doing the Sun’s work.
The teachings of the Blood God can also be used for personal
interest, but at least there is no illusion to it. Their teachings
support it. Whoever taps into the power within blood shall
be the rightful leader. Just as blood flows like a river, so too
shall the powerful write their own destiny.”
The characters are in front of the door leading to the
throne room, but instead of a proper door, there stands
:KHQWKH)RXQGHU·VVSHHFKHQGVEORRGÁRZVIURP a swirling portal of blood before them.
the walls around the characters, and they drown. This is the only way forward. When they enter, read
7KHHQYLURQPHQWFKDQJHVIRUWKHÀQDOWLPH5HDGRU or paraphrase the text below to your players:
paraphrase the text below to your players:

You find yourself in a huge underground

You are the mystics conducting one of the
most important rituals in mortal history: the
transformation of your leader, the former
High Paladin, into a vampire. The room
around you is lit with many crimson-flamed
candles. There are many complex ritual circles
on the ground, covering the room. Some of
you are saying the words for the ritual. They
are filled with arcane power. The power flows
through you with every word, leaving you
covered in sweat. The rest of you are painting
the ground with blood, drawing runes of
the Blood God and praying in their name at
the same time. In the middle of the circles,
there stands the Founder and the former
High Paladin. As the ritual continues, the
Founder casts a powerful spell, drawing all of
the paladin’s blood out of his body. He creates
an orb of blood in the air, killing the paladin.
cave that has no exit. There are hundreds of
chains, and each link has arcane runes carved
into it. There is a hook at the end of each
of these chains, and all of these hooks are
attached to the flesh of a blood angel, leaving
the angel suspended in the air. The angel’s
feathery wings are covered in blood, as well
as their armor and claws. You can clearly see
the flame of vengeance in the angel’s eyes.
As you draw your focus away from the angel
and look around the cave, you see a minotaur
with dark-purple fur. The minotaur draws his
glaive and says, “Speak your intentions and speak true!”

131
 This place is the prison of a blood angel. With a
successful DC 17 Intelligence (Religion) check, the
characters can learn the following information: When
a powerful angel is slain and its corpse is sustained
and mutilated through hideous blood experiments, its
essence is intuitively altered and transformed. Once
its body is awakened from its slumber, it goes to seek
vengeance upon the heretics that wield the secrets
RIEORRG)XHOHGE\KDWUHGDQGEHDULQJWUDFHVRIWKH
mystical arts of blood within its veins, a blood angel
is sustained by neither deities nor faith; instead, it
sustains itself through the awakened blood forced
upon its desecrated body. They are extremely powerful
creatures, wielding almost godly powers.
The minotaur is the guardian of this place. His name
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years. In return for his loyal service, he was personally
HQKDQFHGE\WKH)RXQGHUDQGQRZVHUYHVDVWKH
protector of this blood angel, awaiting the day when the
)RXQGHULVJRLQJWRSXWWKHDQJHOWRXVHRQFHDJDLQ
The blood angel, named Thanetiel, has been
imprisoned here for years. Thanetiel has the ability
to teleport to dying creatures around them. When a
creature within 120 feet that has blood within its body
makes a death saving throw, Thanetiel can disappear
and then emerge from the blood within the creature’s
body, teleporting to the creature’s space and killing it in
Razawd
Large monstrosity, lawful evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 85 (9d10 + 36)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Constitution +7, Intelligence +3,
Wisdom +6
Skills Arcana +3, Athletics +7, Intimidation +5,
Perception +6
Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Old Common
Challenge  ;3
Charge. If Razawd moves at least 10 feet straight
132
the process by exploding out of its body. Knowing this,
Razawd does not let any creature approach the angel
beyond this 120-foot boundary.
Both Thanetiel and Razawd try to persuade the
characters to do their bidding. Their suggestions are as
follows.
Razawd says that “The Founder is the greatest visionary
in mortal history. His knowledge challenges that of the gods,
his plans leave the devils surprised, and his might can only
be measured with armies, not by individuals. He also found
me and gave my miserable life a purpose. Once, I was killing
without purpose, respecting only physical might, butchering
others without thinking. But now… now, I am guarding an
angel until the day the Founder decides to release it again. My
life has a purpose. I can’t let you disturb the Founder’s plans.
,I\RXZDQWWRUHOHDVHWKHDQJHOWKHQ\RXPXVWNLOOPHÀUVW
DQG,FDQDVVXUH\RXWKDW,ZLOOSXWXSDUHDOÀJKWEHIRUH,
fall.”
Thanetiel says that “No god, no spirit, no creature, no
one should have so much power that they can claim the right
to rule over other creatures. Release me. Release me so that
I can kill the Founder and all other such entities. I will wipe
out all of them, and myself at the end, so that the mortals can
decide their own fates. Whether good or bad, it will be made
by their own will, and only they will be responsible for it. Kill
that minotaur so that I can use his corpse to get out of these
chains.”
toward a target and then hits it with a gore attack on
the same turn, then the target takes an extra 9 (2d8)
piercing damage. If the target is a creature, then it
must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be
pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.
Labyrinthine Recall. Razawd can perfectly recall any
path he has traveled.
Reckless. At the start of his turn, Razawd can gain
advantage on all melee weapon attack rolls he makes
CHA during that turn, but attack rolls made against him
have advantage until the start of his next turn.
14 (+2)
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Razawd makes two attacks.
Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage.
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Smite of the Founder (4/day). Razawd loses 10 hit
points and deals 9 (2d8) blood damage on the next
successful weapon attack he makes within three
rounds, converting his own life force to blood damage.
razawd
If the characters want to release the angel, then
Razawd attacks them. When the angel is released,
Thanetiel thanks the characters, grants them the
Blessings of Blood, and disappears. Then, the corpse of
Razawd melts, turns into boiling blood, and covers the
entirety of the cave. Move on to the Reunion section.
If the characters do not release the angel, then
Razawd thanks the characters and prays for them in
WKHQDPHRIWKH)RXQGHUDVLIWKH)RXQGHULVDJRG
This grants the characters the Blessings of Blood. Then,
EORRGÁRZVIURPWKHVRLOÀOOLQJWKHFDYH0RYHRQWR
the Reunion section.
Blessings of Blood
Once blessed, all of the characters gain the Spider Climb
feature.
Spider Climb.<RXFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOWVXUIDFHV
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to
make an ability check.
Also, depending on their choice between Razawd and
Thanetiel, and on some of their previous actions, the
FKDUDFWHUVJDLQDGGLWLRQDOEHQHÀWV7KHVHEHQHÀWVDQG
their prerequisites are detailed below.
If the characters receive the blessing from Thanetiel,
WKHQWKH\HDFKJDLQWKHEHQHÀWVRIRQHIHDWXUHRIWKHLU
choice from the list below:
Celestial Protection Against Taint. You can choose not
to suffer an additional blood degeneration when you
ÀQLVKDORQJUHVWIRUÀYHFRQVHFXWLYHGD\V+RZHYHU
ZKHQ\RXGRVRWKHÀUVWWLPH\RXÀQLVKDORQJUHVW
DIWHUWKHÀIWKGD\\RXVXIIHUVL[EORRGGHJHQHUDWLRQV
Merciless Endurance. You have resistance to necrotic
damage. However, when you regain hit points from any
source, you regain 1 less hit point for each 5 hit points
you regain.
Stare of the Angel. You can use your action to stare
into a creature’s eyes. The creature must succeed on a
:LVGRPVDYLQJWKURZ '&\RXUSURÀFLHQF\ERQXV
\RXU&KDULVPDPRGLÀHU RUEHVWXQQHGXQWLOWKHHQG
of its next turn. When you use this feature, you are
blinded until the start of your next turn, whether or not
the target succeeds or fails on the saving throw.
If the characters receive the blessing from Razawd,
WKH\JDLQWKHEHQHÀWVRIRQHIHDWXUHRIWKHLUFKRLFH
from the list below:
%HQHÀWVRI%ORRGIf you regain hit points by drinking
blood, and if the regained hit points make your
current hit points more than or equal to your hit
point maximum, the excess healing becomes up to 10
temporary hit points for 8 hours. However, you can’t
gain temporary hit points from other sources.
Blood Choke. You can cast the blood choke (p. 258)
spell. You may freely cast this spell using this feature
WZLFHDQG\RXUHJDLQDOOH[SHQGHGXVHVDIWHUÀQLVKLQJ
a short or long rest. However, all of your bodily liquids
are replaced by blood (for example, you cry blood, you
spit blood, you urinate blood).
Consume to Regenerate. You regain 1 hit point at the
end of each of your turns if your hit points are higher
than 0 but less than half of your hit point maximum.
However, you need to consume two days’ worth of
rations each day to satiate your hunger.
Wingless Gargoyle. You gain blindsight up to 30 feet
and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
However, you become a mixture of a wingless gargoyle
and your original self. You can’t hide your altered
appearance without magic.
Instead of choosing from the above features, the
characters can also choose one of the features on the
list below if they can meet the prerequisites (regardless
of whether they received the blessing from either
Thanetiel or Razawd):
Blood of the Magi. You are always able to use
the effect of the detect magic spell, requiring no
concentration. You gain one blood degeneration. You
FDQJDLQWKLVEHQHÀWRQO\LI\RX·YHGUXQNWKHEORRGRID
sorcerer before.
Blood of the Rebellious. When you talk to someone
else, you can automatically determine whether or not
that person is an enemy of Kanrath’s vampires. You
JDLQRQHEORRGGHJHQHUDWLRQ<RXFDQJDLQWKLVEHQHÀW
only if you’ve drunk the blood of an anarchist who’s
GHÀHG.DQUDWK·VYDPSLULFUXOHUVEHIRUH
133
 Blood of the Vampire. When you deal necrotic or
poison damage, you can choose to deal blood damage
instead. You gain one blood degeneration. You can
JDLQWKLVEHQHÀWRQO\LI\RX·YHGUXQNWKHEORRGRID
vampire before.
Reunion
After receiving their rewards, the characters are
very close to the end of this blood vision. Read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
You are standing in darkness, seeing nothing
but yourselves. Then, you hear footsteps,
and out comes a figure from deeper in the
darkness. Whatever your decisions were,
whether you love him, hate him, or think
nothing of him, he greets you with respect. “I
greet the individuals who have been carrying my blood. Your
decisions have amazed me so far. You are uniquely talented
in comprehending the potential of the power that you have
been carrying and evaluating what to do with it.”
The characters now have the chance to speak with
WKH)RXQGHU7KH\FDQDVNTXHVWLRQVDUJXHZLWK
WKH)RXQGHU·VSKLORVRSK\DQGPRUH7KH)RXQGHU
however, is aiming to convince the characters to
VXSSRUWKLPDQGPRUHVSHFLÀFDOO\PDNHWKHPZDON
the Path of Blood. The Path of Blood is the ideology
WKDWWKH)RXQGHUFUHDWHGQDPHO\KLVFRGHRIFRQGXFW
The code is as follows:
Lies of the Sun. The Sun God and their followers are
the true enemy. They are committing evil acts all in
the guise of goodness and righteousness.
Merciful Enough. Unnecessary cruelty should be
punished. Rewards and punishments are a part of this
world, but everything has a limit.
Right of the Powerful. The strong must take from
the weak. This is a merciless universe where only the
strongest can survive.
The True Gift. Vampirism is a gift, not a curse. Only
the ignorant can say otherwise.
Value of Blood. Blood holds great and true potential.
134
It should be our life’s goal to reveal it.
Value of Life. All life has meaning. All lives should
be honored and respected properly.
Value of Truth. A person can use trickery in their
life. However, one must be true to oneself. Without
accepting one’s true self, the truth of the universe
cannot be understood.
The vision ends when the conversation between the
FKDUDFWHUVDQGWKH)RXQGHUHQGV$WWKHHQGLIWKH
FKDUDFWHUVKDYHDQ\RIWKH)RXQGHU·VLWHPVWKHQWKH
)RXQGHUWKDQNVWKHFKDUDFWHUVIRUEULQJLQJKLVLWHPV
to him. When the conversation ends, the darkness
embraces the characters completely, they feel like
they are drowning in a pool of warm blood, and
WKHQWKH\ÀQDOO\RSHQWKHLUH\HVWRFRQWLQXHWKHLU
adventure. You can move on to the Rules of the Under
Garrote section.
Rules of the
Under Garrote
In this section, the characters’ main goal is to get
out of the Garrote Mountains through the railroad
tunnels and the settlements around them, called the
8QGHU*DUURWHDQGÀQGWKHLUZD\WR&\KHUHVWHG
However, it won’t be that easy.
When the blood vision ends, the characters realize
that they are in a place they are not familiar with
called “Meredel”, which is one of the settlements in
the mountains. In this place, they will learn about the
rules of the Under Garrote and the other settlements,
as well as the dangers within the mountains, and
decide on their route.
This section provides detailed information about
the aforementioned settlements, random encounter
tables, certain dangers, the distances between them,
hidden or forgotten treasures, and most importantly,
a map of the Under Garrote.
While playing through this section of the
adventure, start with the Waking Up section and
continue according to the choices of the characters.
They can choose to move via the shortest route by
reaching the railroad stations and leaving the Under
Garrote in the fastest way possible, or they can choose
to uncover the mysteries of the Under Garrote to
earn more treasure, more fame, or even explore new
solutions for their unique condition. Although the
choices that the characters are going to make in the
Under Garrote won’t have direct effects on the future
of their adventure, the individuals that the characters
can meet in the Under Garrote can completely change
the ending of the adventure. As the GM, let the players
work out and study the map of the Under Garrote and
choose their preferred route.
Level Up! The characters have survived thus far.
Inform your players to level up (to the 7th level).
Waking Up
6WDUWSOD\LQJ´%ORRGVWDLQHG4XDUU\µRQWKH´%ORRGSXQN
OST”.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when they wake up from the second blood vision if the
Detective was not with them when the blood vision
started:
You feel like you have been under a lake for
hours, trying to reach the surface. Finally,
you push past the surface and take a deep
breath of fresh air. When you open your eyes,
you find yourselves lying on the cold, stone
ground in a dark, narrow street, in the middle
of a small lake of blood. Next to you are the
corpses of the people that you were with just
before you delved into the realistic dreams of
the blood vision. All of the corpses have been
ripped apart and mutilated, and are almost
unrecognizable. You have no idea where you
are, how you got here, or whether you’ve killed
the people around you…
You feel the cold wind howling down
the street, the boggy smell it carries, and
the heat of the stone beneath your feet all
while hundreds of questions run through
your mind. Once you regain your senses
completely, you hear many people talking,
walking, laughing, and singing… It seems that
you are in a crowded city.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players
when they wake up from the second blood vision if the
Detective was with them when the blood vision started:
You feel like you have been under a lake for
hours, trying to reach the surface. Finally, you
push past the surface and take a deep breath of
fresh air. When you open your eyes, you find
yourselves lying on the cold, stone ground in
a dark, narrow street, in the middle of a small
lake of blood. The Detective is sitting on the
ground next to you, smoking a Ginger Wonder
while looking at you with worried and caring
eyes.
You feel the cold wind howling down the
street, the boggy smell it carries, and the
heat of the stone beneath your feet all while
hundreds of questions are running through
your mind. Once you regain your senses
completely, you hear many people talking,
walking, laughing, and singing… It seems that
you are in a crowded city.
The Detective then gets your attention by
handing you sandwiches. “You hungry?”
The characters are currently in one of the dark
streets of Meredel, and luckily, no one has noticed
their sudden and bloody appearance. They mystically
appeared here using the blood of the corpses around
them if the Detective was not with them, or were
carried down the street by the Detective if he was
with them. Regardless of their method of arrival, the
characters can start exploring the biggest settlement in
the Under Garrote.
On the wall of the dark and narrow street in which
WKH\ZDNHXSWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGDPDSSLQQHGWR
the wall.
It should also be noted that if the characters have
UHWULHYHGWKH)RXQGHU·VLWHPVIURPWKHWUDLQWKHQ
they do not have the items anymore. They magically
disappeared during the second blood vision.
Garel’s Map
7KHPDSWKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGLVRQHRIWKHPDSV
crafted with the permission of the Meredel authorities
135
 VRWKDWWKHIRONVRI0HUHGHOFDQÀQGWKHLUZD\LQWKH d10 + d10 Random Encounter
Under Garrote. The cartographer of this map is Garel
Swornsword, a bloodguard paladin who is sworn to 2 1d4 blink dogs
execute the orders of the high priests of the Blood God,
3 1d4 wights
and it was these high priests who ordered her to help
the authorities of Meredel by traveling through the 4 1d4 will-o’-wisps
Under Garrote and mapping it. Although her current
whereabouts are unknown, Garel’s map of the Under 5 The party meets a weaponsmith who
Garrote keeps her memory alive. sells and repairs weapons of rare or
lower quality, including bloodwork
weapons.

Random Encounters 6 1d4 madbloods (p. 120)

7 A group of the Blood God’s pilgrims
pass by the characters, blessing them
with their prayers. Each character has
advantage on their next ability check,
attack roll, or saving throw within 1
week.
The Under Garrote is a dangerous place to wander.
While traveling outside of Meredel’s walls, the 8 -
characters may have one random encounter at the 9 1 bulette
end of each traveling hour. They will also have one
encounter after each long rest. The encounters can be 10 1d3 chuuls
determined randomly based on the following table:

136

11 1d4 + 2 mountain guards (p. 283),
who approach travelers while
acting friendly and who attack them
afterwards.
12 - generated by the angst machinery in Meredel to the
13 2 ettins ÀJKWLQJRYHUZKLFKRQHRI
them is going to eat the goat they’ve
hunted. Each claims that they are
more hungry than the other.
14 7KHSDUW\ÀQGVWKHFRUSVHRID
unicorn, whose horn and blood have
been taken. This is bad luck. Each
character has disadvantage on their
next ability check, attack roll, or
saving throw within 1 week.
15 1 cloaker
16 -
17 1d6 darkmantles
18 Two ghosts of a couple that died in the
Under Garrote attack the characters,
screaming, “We need new friends!”
19 - FDULQWKHÀUVWSODFHFRVWVDQRWKHUKLWSRLQWZRUWKRI
20 - blood.
The Under
Garrote Features
The following features apply for the Under Garrote,
XQOHVVRWKHUZLVHVSHFLÀHGIRUDFHUWDLQORFDWLRQ
Cold. The air in the Under Garrote is cold—freezing
cold, to be precise. If the characters do not wear
proper clothes, or do not protect themselves from
the cold in any other way, then they must succeed
on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw after every two
hours. Anyone who fails will have a -1 penalty to any
ability check and attack roll they make until they start
protecting themselves against the cold. This penalty is
cumulative.
Dimensions. The tunnels are 20 feet wide and 35 feet
high.
Fresh Air. Thanks to the still-working angst
machinery in area H2, fresh air is constantly pumped
through the tunnel system.
Lighting. The tunnels and stations are lit up with
dim light provided by the angst-powered lanterns
placed throughout the Under Garrote. There are cables
stretching throughout the tunnels, carrying the power
lanterns. Only the spaces next to the lanterns are
considered to be brightly lit.
Travel in
the Under Garrote
The characters can choose to walk through the Under
Garrote, or they can hire a one-car train with a small
EORRGHQJLQHZKLOHLQ0HUHGHO 0 RU4\DSRUW + 
This little train, called a blood car, runs on blood,
DVWKHQDPHVXJJHVWV)RURQHKRXURIWUDYHOWKHFDU
consumes a total of 5 hit points of blood. Hiring a blood
The car has AC 15, 60 hit points, and immunity to
poison and psychic damage. Six Medium creatures can
travel comfortably inside of it. It has an angst lantern
within, which emanates bright light in a 20-foot radius
and dim light for an additional 20 feet for one hour
when 1 hit point of blood is splashed onto the angst
core.
There are three layers of cave complexes in the Under
Garrote: High, Medium, and Deep. To travel within
these layers, the characters must use the elevators
marked on the map (p. 136). Moving to a different layer
via an elevator takes 10 minutes, and the elevators are
big enough to carry blood cars. Also, there are some
stations tagged with the letter R. They are directly on
the railway, and are above ground, unlike the other
stations.
<RXFDQÀQGWKHGLVWDQFHVEHWZHHQWKHVWDWLRQVLQWKH
table below:
Station Number 1 Station Number 2 Distance
M1 M2 12 Miles
M2 Elevator I 6 Miles
Elevator I M3 8 Miles
137
 M3 M4 35 Miles
M4 Elevator III 20 Miles
Settlements
Elevator III M5 8 Miles
M5 Elevator II 8 Miles
Elevator II M6 18 Miles On the map, the settlement of Meredel is marked with
M6 D7 20 Miles a red circle, and an arrow points to this place with a
note written with the same red ink, “You are here!” Also,
Elevator I D5 5 Miles there are many notes on the map, all written by Garel
Swornsword according to her own experiences.
D5 Elevator II 4 Miles
<RXFDQÀQGWKHPDSRQS,QWKHIROORZLQJ
Elevator II D6 6 Miles VHFWLRQV\RXZLOOÀQGGHWDLOHGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXW
D5 D1 12 Miles the places shown on the map, along with Garel’s
aforementioned notes. Also, you will see that the
D1 D2 8 Miles settlements are tagged with the letters H, M, and D,
D2 D3 6 Miles along with numbers. These letters are abbreviations for
high, middle, and deep, which indicate the altitude of
D1 Elevator III 3 Miles the station within the mountains. As the characters go
higher or lower, the environment and, of course, the
Elevator III D4 9 Miles
dangers that they can encounter will change.
Elevator I H2 12 Miles
Elevator II H2 20 Miles M1. Meredel
H2 H3 15 Miles
“A city of cold winds and hot waves. City of the Ziggurat. A
H3 H4 8 Miles
bloody swamp in the snowy mountains.”
H3 H5 15 Miles
H5 H6 18 Miles Meredel is the largest settlement in the cave complex
known as the Under Garrote. The city itself is built
H3 H6 25 Miles
upon a hot swamp that is fed by the natural hot springs
H2 H1 18 Miles ÁRZLQJWKURXJKWKHPRXQWDLQV%ULGJHVPDGHRI
mostly stone and sometimes wood make up the streets
H1 R2 12 Miles
of the city. At the connection points of these bridges,
R2 M7 4 Miles there are stone and wooden buildings that serve as
the inns, taverns, houses, and shops of the city. At the
M7 D8 4 Miles biggest point of connection stands a 40-foot tall stone
R2 R1 15 Miles ziggurat decorated with angst crystals that serves as
both a temple dedicated to the Blood God, the spirits
R2 R3 50 Miles of the mountain, and even the Sun God, as well as the
R3 R4 15 Miles headquarters of Meredel’s authority.
Population. 5,124 people live in Meredel. Most of them
R4 Cyherested 16 Miles
are outcasts from Kanrath and Cyherested. Whether
they are criminals, enemies of the vampiric or sorcerer
governments, or just ordinary people who want to live

138
away from both cities, Meredel accepts all types of
people as long as they do not defy the rules and security
of Meredel. Although the government of Meredel is not
oppressive or tyrannical, the harshness of life in the
mountains requires people to work together and help
each other. As a result, the government of Meredel
expects all of its people to contribute to it. Most of
Meredel’s residents have left their former lives behind
and started new ones here.
Leadership. Meredel is ruled by Beathag the Witch
(p. 141). She is a 221-year-old elf. She was once a druid
of Tolia’s wilderness, but due to unknown reasons,
she decided to live in the Under Garrote, becoming
the druid of this place and protecting it. She respects
all religious opinions, and lets the shrines of both the
Blood God and the Sun God exist in the ziggurat. She
personally taps into the powers of blood, but worships
the blood in nature and the spirits of Tolia’s wilderness
instead of a god.
Everyone in Meredel fears Beathag. People say that
if one angers Beathag, her shadows become their worst
QLJKWPDUHÀQGLQJDQGNLOOLQJWKHPLQWKHLUZHDNHVW
moments. Although members of many different, and
sometimes enemy, groups live in Meredel, they do
QRWÀJKWHDFKRWKHUZLWKLQ0HUHGHO·VERUGHUVEHFDXVH
of their fear of the witch. In return for their respect,
Beathag lets them operate within Meredel. In addition,
some of these groups bring goods from Kanrath and
Cyherested to Meredel, especially the ones who live in
mountains and operate in the cities. One such group is
the Golden Bullet, who previously attacked the train
during this adventure.
Law. Murder, theft, and any other type of violation
of other people’s rights are strictly forbidden in
Meredel. Beathag, also called the Lady of the Ziggurat,
wants Meredel to be a safe haven, and she does not let
anyone disturb the peace within its borders. If someone
commits one of these acts, Beathag’s three shadows and
mountain guards (p. 283) do not stop before catching
them. Such people’s blood is harvested and used to fuel
Meredel’s power sources, especially the street lamps.
Beathag’s shadows resemble a mix of a bear and a
humanoid covered in shadow. They show no mercy to
those who want to harm Beathag.
Resting in Meredel. There are two inns that the
characters can stay in.
7KHÀUVWLQQLVWKH*UHHQ5REH7KLVSODFHLVRZQHG
E\ROG)ROWDJ KDOIRUFQHXWUDOJRRGveteran). The inn
is famous for its unique, sweet, green wine made with
)ROWDJ·VVHFUHWIRUPXODZKLFKLQFOXGHVKHUEVWDNHQ
IURPWKHVZDPSEHQHDWK0HUHGHO)ROWDJ·VIDYRULWH
color is also green.
The second one is the Sour Apple. This inn is owned
139
 E\DEORRGZRUNDXWRPDWRQQDPHG:LOGHUDÀYH\HDU
old bloodwork automaton soldier (p. 272) whose
mechanical senses have a unique sensitivity to the smell
of sour apples. Thanks to this sensitivity, Wilder cooks
extremely tasty sour apple pies, which can be bought
IRU.)&6HDFK
Trading Spell Scrolls. )ODPHV0DJLFDDQG3XUYH\RURI
Spells are the two places where the characters can buy
spell scrolls of 4th level or lower, as well as spell books
DQGRWKHUPDJLFDOVFUROOVRIUDUHRUORZHUUDULW\)ODPHV
Magica’s owner is Ungred (human, chaotic evil, mage)
DQG3XUYH\RURI6SHOOV·RZQHULV1LOIGD KDOÁLQJODZIXO
neutral, mage). Ungred is a pyromancer who ran away
from Cyherested 24 years ago due to his crimes. He can
FKDQJHWKHGDPDJHW\SHRIDQ\VSHOOWRÀUHGDPDJH
1LOIGDZDVDQRIÀFHULQRQHRI.DQUDWK·VPLQLVWULHVDQG
GHFLGHGWROHDYHWKDWOLIHEHKLQGÀYH\HDUVDJR
Trading Armor and Weapons. Meredel Arms & Armor
is a huge blacksmith from where the characters can get
nonmagical armor and weapons, including adamantine,
golden, and silver equipment. It has the production
capacity of three blacksmiths, who are almost always
working. Urael (elf, chaotic good, veteran) is the
KHDGEODFNVPLWKRIWKHSODFH0RUHRYHU'\LU WLHÁLQJ
neutral good, Golden Bullet marksman - p. 280) is the
master gunsmith. Blood steam weapons are also crafted
here. They are mostly used by the mountain guards.
Blood Steam Weapons
A blood steam weapon is a weapon
connected via metal cables to a tank holding
pressurized blood steam. The wielder
wears the tank like a bag and thanks to the
pressure, the wielder deals an extra 1d4
damage of the weapon’s damage type on a
successful attack made with the weapon.
7KHVHZHDSRQVDUH.)&6PRUH
expensive than their normal counterparts.
Trading Magical Clothing. 6XHUQ·V'UHDP)DEULFVVHOO
magic cloaks, robes, hats, and boots of rare or lower
rarity. The shop is owned by Suern (dwarf, chaotic good,
priest), a faithful follower of the Sun God. She crafts the
magical goods by praying to the Sun God. If she is asked
whether it is a problem that the followers of the Blood
God or vampires are buying her creations, she answers,
140
“Gods work in mysterious ways. It is another miracle of the
Sun God if such a person commits fortunate acts with them.”
Trading Magic Items. Thief Deleran’s Curiosities
is owned by one of the most famous thieves in Tolia,
Deleran (half elf, chaotic neutral, spy). After stealing
the magical goods of one of the noble vampires
of Kanrath, Deleran took all the magic items and
succeeded in running away thanks to a series of delicate
plans and, of course, luck. After that, Delaran opened
this shop and started buying and selling magic items.
His magic item collection includes all types of magic
items of very rare or lower rarity.
Trading Alchemical Goods. Burning Cauldron is the
only alchemy shop in Meredel. Spices, drugs, potions,
and poisons can be found in this place. It is run by two
gnome twins named Orfyn (gnome, lawful evil, cult
fanatic) and Vodys (gnome, lawful evil, cult fanatic).
The twins are obsessed with acquiring the powers
of angels, demons, and devils through alchemical
concoctions.
Trading Art Objects. Blood Gate Antiquities is a store
for art objects. It takes its name from the life’s goal of
LWVRZQHUÀQGLQJDQDUWLIDFWNQRZQDVD´EORRGJDWHµ
Vishne (red dragonborn, lawful neutral, veteran) runs
the shop. She is from a far away land and her search for
the blood gate guided her here.
Trading Jewelry. Heart of the Mountain is the jewelry
shop in Meredel. Thanks to the now-depleted, once-
rich angst mines within the mountains, there are many
angst-infused ores and crystals remaining. Maradiem
Leafcarver (elf, chaotic neutral, noble) is a highly
skilled craftsman who uses these crystals to create
pieces of art. Even the nobles of Kanrath and powerful
sorcerers of Cyherested order jewelry pieces from this
master jeweler.
Guide Services. Ruby Miner Enclave offers mining and
environmental guides for foreigners. They are a group
of miners who can execute the delicate art of ruby
mining with great precision, and their leader is Head
0LQHU)LUEXQ GZDUIODZIXOJRRGruby miner chief -
p. 284). They generally use technologically enhanced
hammers whose pressure is increased by hydraulic
systems fueled with blood steam. The price of their
JXLGDQFHLV.)&6SHUDGYHQWXULQJGD\IRURQHruby
miner guide (p. 284).
Stables Services. 5DLOURDG2XWÀWWLQJVHUYHVDVWKH
stables of Meredel. However, in contrast to classic
VWDEOHV5DLOURDG2XWÀWWLQJVHOOVEORRGZRUNKRUVHV
just like the ones used by the Golden Bullet members.
7KH\·UHSULFHGDW.)&6HDFK7KHVHKRUVHV
are designed and crafted by the owner of Railroad
2XWÀWWLQJ3XUND KDOIRUFFKDRWLFJRRGthug). She also
sells any adventuring equipment needed for traveling
safely within the mountain range.
Trading Luxury Clothing. )LQDOO\%ORRG6N\)DEULFV
is a famous clothier and workshop run by Darka (half
Beathag's Shadow
orc, chaotic good, thug), the brother of Purka. Darka is Large fey, neutral evil
famous for his special dresses, which are painted with a
unique red color that he calls “the blood sky.” Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 57 (6d10 + 24)
Speed 40 ft.

Beathag the Witch

Medium humanoid (elf), lawful neutral STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 4 (-3)
Armor Class 15 (hide armor)
Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27)
Skills Perception +4, Survival +4
Speed 30 ft.
Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing,
and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t
silvered
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 16 (+3)
Languages Common, Sylvan
Challenge  ;3
Saving Throws Wisdom +8, Charisma +6
Skills Intimidation +6, Nature +3, Perception +8, Savage Might. Beathag’s Shadow can wield weapons
Survival +8 larger than Medium. Such weapons’ damage is
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18 increased by 1d4 (included in the attack).
Languages Common, Druidic, Elvish Shadowy Build. Beathag’s Shadow cannot wear
Challenge  ;3 armor because of its shadowy body. However, it has
advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made within
dim light and darkness.
Fey Ancestry. Beathag has advantage on saving throws
against being charmed, and magic can’t put her to
sleep. ACTIONS
Spellcasting. Beathag is a 9th-level spellcaster. Her Multiattack. Beathag’s Shadow makes three attacks.
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
hit with spell attacks). She has the following druid target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 1d4 + 4) slashing damage.
spells prepared: Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, guidance, resistance target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, enlarge/reduce, false life, Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
LQÁLFWZRXQGV target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage.
2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, heat metal, hold person
3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, chain lightning Life-Eater. Beathag’s Shadow consumes the heart of a
4th level (3 slots): blight, confusion, ice storm humanoid or Medium beast that has been dead for at
5th level (1 slot): antilife shell most one minute, and regains 15 hit points.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. Beathag uses Blood Spear twice.
Blood Spear. Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
Quests of Meredel
Blood Spear. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 60 ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
There are several quests that the characters can do for
WKHSHRSOHRI0HUHGHO)RONRI0HUHGHOZLOOJHQHUDOO\
pay for the adventurers’ services either with a 10
percent discount or with a free item from their shops.
The quests are as follows.

141
 A Simple Gathering 15 Wisdom (Survival) check then allows the characters
to follow the tracks, leading toward area M4.
Nilfda, Purveyor of Spells’ owner, is in need of two
The hemogoblins’ leader is a cleric of the Blood God.
pounds of lunarite to use as spell components. Lunarite
Under the rule of this leader, Duk-Duk (p. 145), the
is a type of stone that resembles silver, which can be
hemogoblins want to rule over all of the Under Garrote,
found in area H4.
especially Meredel. Duk-Duk learned about the grave
thanks to his scouts, and wanted the corpse to be
A Search For Ruby Miners captured so that he can ask it questions about Meredel
and the Under Garrote thanks to his divine abilities,
)LUEXQ+HDG0LQHURIWKH5XE\0LQHU(QFODYHKDV especially the speak with dead spell.
been looking for adventurers that can search for some
missing ruby miners. These miners were accompanying
a group of rich mortals who wanted to explore the King of the Mad
Under Garrote for fun. They were headed for area D4.
Beathag the Witch, the ruler of Meredel, is personally
The lost miners are Heira (half orc, chaotic good, ruby
looking for adventurers for a dangerous job. The
miner - p. 284), Noldar (human, neutral good, ruby
characters can see the bulletins posted in the taverns or
miner), and Guinar (dwarf, chaotic good, ruby miner).
on the streets. Interested individuals are directed to the
ziggurat in Meredel, where Beathag personally explains
Blueprints of a Mastercraft the quest.
Dyir, the master gunsmith of Meredel, heard rumors ruby mıner
about a group of gunsmiths that got lost within the
Under Garrote, near area D6. If the characters can bring
the blueprints that they were carrying to Dyir, Dyir can
upgrade the characters’ bloodwork weapons, or even craft
new ones if there are new and interesting ideas in the
blueprints.

Visiting a Grave
)ROWDJWKHRZQHURIWKH*UHHQ5REHKDVUHFHQWO\ORVW
his wife due to a rare blood illness. Although the priests
in the town tried to save her, her body had become too
ZHDNDQGVKHSDVVHGDZD\$OWKRXJK)ROWDJLVDWDYHUQ
owner. He is a lonely man and his wife, Kimver, was his
RQHDQGRQO\IULHQG+HUGHDWKGHYDVWDWHG)ROWDJVR
he demanded that she be buried instead of being burnt
so that there could be a place where he could visit and
talk to her. Even though the people of Meredel and the
mountain guard tried to convince him to burn Kimver’s
corpse, just to prevent her corpse from turning into a
PLQGOHVVEORRGGULQNLQJPRQVWHU)ROWDJ·VPLQGZDV
made up. As a result, Kimver was buried just outside of
town.
)ROWDJKDVMXVWUHWXUQHGIURPKLVODVWYLVLWWRWKH
grave, devastated once again. He found the grave
opened and the corpse carried off. However, since
the tracks were going deeper into the mountains, he
came back to Meredel to search for help. The mountain
JXDUGVDUHUHOXFWDQWWRKHOS)ROWDJDVWKLVZDVZKDW
they were afraid of.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGHFLGHWRKHOS)ROWDJWKHQD
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals two
Small humanoid footprints around the grave, and the
tracks of a body dragged on the ground. A successful DC

142
 There are rumors about an intelligent madblood that
can talk coherently and lead other madbloods. Rumors
say that this madblood, the King of the Mad, is in area
'7KHFKDUDFWHUVDUHUHTXLUHGWRFDSWXUHWKLVVSHFLÀF
madblood and bring it back to Meredel alive. Beathag
the Witch wants to conduct experiments on it, and
offers a vial of her own blood as payment. The blood is
a single-use item that allows the drinker to conjure a
shadow and control it for 10 minutes.
Before the characters leave, Beathag emphasizes
a couple of times that she demands that the King be
delivered alive.
Collecting Stories
There is a family of earth elementals living in the
Under Garrote, near area H1. Gilgur (gnome, chaotic
good, veteran), an old bard and a story collector
living in Meredel, wants to learn stories from these
elementals, but his old body does not let him travel
through the Under Garrote. Instead, he is looking for
adventurers to learn their stories for him so that he
can add them to his book of stories. In return, he offers
.)&6
If the characters tell Gilgur about their own stories,
he is amazed by their latest adventures and gives them
his own magical violin. The violin has three charges. As
an action, one can play the violin to grant a creature
within 60 feet that can hear the violin one Bardic
Inspiration die (d8). The violin’s charges reset daily at
dawn. Also, the violin is mechanically upgraded so that
it can be used as a bloodwork pistol thanks to a special
PHFKDQLVPLQWHJUDWHGLQVLGHRILW:KHQDVSHFLÀFQRWH
is played, the violin shoots a bullet from the magazine
attached to it.
This is a simple place: a cave turned into a temple to
the Blood God. There is a pool of blood with a 20-foot
radius in the cave, which has an 80-foot radius. There
DUHÀYHpriests of the Blood God (p. ) living here.
Their identities are unknown since they all wear the
VDPHJUD\UREHVDQGWKHVDPHIHDWXUHOHVVÁDWFULPVRQ
masks. Their voices are also distorted such that they
all resemble each other. They do not have any names;
they are just called priests. In a little cave complex
connected to this temple, they raise cattle to eat or
VDFULÀFHWRWKH%ORRG*RGE\DGGLQJWKHLUEORRGWRWKH
pool. When one of the priests dies, the blood of the
priest is also added to the pool, and a new individual
ÀQGVWKLVSODFHWREHFRPHRQHRIWKHP
The priests offer religious guidance and a blessing.
If a character accepts the blessing, then the priests
welcome the character into the pool. By entering the
pool and being completely submerged in the blood for
one minute, the character feels the devotion of those
whose blood is in the pool, and gains 10 temporary hit
points. Any lost temporary hit points are regained at
midnight each night for 1 week.
priest of the blood god

M2. Blood Cult Station

“This place is the lexical meaning of devotion to the Blood

God. Bathing in the blessed pool is a pilgrimage that only a
lucky few can experience. ”

Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when

they reach this station:

As you come closer to this station, the smell

of blood fills your lungs. It is as if you are
walking onto a battlefield that a thousand
people have died upon.

143
 M3. Center Settlement Station ready to cast the speak with dead spell on the corpse
explained in the Visiting a Grave quest. If the characters
let Duk-Duk complete the ritual, then they can learn
“A perfect place to share stories of battle and monster that area H2 is of utmost importance to the survival of
hunting with great warriors.” the people living in the Under Garrote.
Treasure.7KHFKDUDFWHUFDQÀQGWKUHHrings of the ram
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when and three rings of warmth from the hemogoblins and the
they reach this station: environment, apart from the items on the hemogoblins’
bodies.

You hear the sound of songs, laughter, and

happy chatter as you come closer to this Hemogoblin
station. The smell of alcohol and pipes invites
Small humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil
you into this place just before you see two
mountain guards protecting the entrance of a
tunnel. Armor Class 15 (unarmored defense)
Hit Points 26 (4d6 + 12)
Speed 30 ft.

This station is like a barracks for Meredel’s security STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
forces. Mountain guards mostly rest here, and this is
where they are educated. Blacksmiths, gunsmiths, and 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 6 (-2) 8 (-1)
healers can also be found here. Although blacksmiths
and gunsmiths sell no magic items, they sell all types Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
of weapons and ammunition, while healers can provide Languages Common, Goblin
spell scrolls of 4th level spells or lower.
Challenge  ;3
Hunt the Bleeding. The hemogoblin can automatically
M4. Rest Station smell fresh blood within 30 feet, and its speed
increases to 40 feet while there is a creature whose
current hit points are lower than its hit point
“One of the best places I took a rest out of all of my maximum within 60 feet of the hemogoblin.
adventures.”
ACTIONS
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when Multiattack. The hemogoblin makes two weapon
they reach this station: attacks.
Damaged Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage
or 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage when used with two
You start seeing the skulls and bones of hands.
unlucky travelers scattered around the area.
The air reeks of blood, decay, and dirt. A BONUS ACTIONS
wooden signboard welcomes you: “XX BACK or
Damaged Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
DEDZ XX!” is written on it with blood.
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) slashing damage
or 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage when used with two
hands.

This place was a natural, clean hot spring before the

hemogoblins came here. Now the water is tainted by
death and decay. There are 13 hemogoblins led by Duk-
Duk, a bloodchief hemogoblin. The hemogoblins are
conducting a ritual when the characters arrive at this
station. Duk-Duk, as a cleric of the Blood God, is getting

144
 ACTIONS
hemogoblın
Multiattack. The hemogoblin makes two weapon
attacks.
Vicious Greataxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) slashing damage. When
Duk-Duk rolls a 20 on his attack roll with this magic
weapon, his critical hit deals an extra 2d6 damage of
the weapon’s damage type.

Duk-Duk
Medium humanoid (goblinoid), chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (unarmored defense)

Hit Points 52 (7d6 + 21)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

duk duk
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 8 (-1)
M5. Green Station
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Goblin “A healer that can heal everything. Is this a miracle of the
Challenge  ;3 Blood God or a blasphemy against their teachings?”

Hunt the Bleeding. Duk-Duk can automatically smell
fresh blood within 30 feet, and its speed increases to 40
feet while there is a creature whose current hit points
are lower than its hit point maximum within 60 feet of
Duk-Duk.
Spellcasting. Duk-Duk casts one of the following spells,
using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC
13, +5 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: light, spare the dying, thaumaturgy
GD\HDFKFXUHZRXQGVHQODUJHUHGXFHIDOVHOLIHLQÁLFW
wounds, speak with dead
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
they reach this station:
After passing a stone gate protected by two
mountain guards, you enter a tunnel of which
the unnatural walls are covered with a great
variety of herbs. Floral scents overwhelm your
senses, and a tranquility of which you would
have never guessed would be within the Under
Garrote embraces you. However, you can still
distinguish the slight smell of blood beneath
it all.

145
 Here lives a druidic tribe called the Green Scar Tribe. within the tunnels. “Be like iron and state your
They are known for their tribal knowledge, which has intentions clearly, or accept your fate and lie on the anvil
been carried through generations. Over the years, the peacefully.”
tribe has traveled through Tolia, and in the last 150
years, they have settled in the caves that they are living
in now. The tribe thinks this place is perfect to live in
EHFDXVHWKH\FDQÀQGKRWDQGFOHDUXQGHUJURXQGZDWHU
animals to hunt in abundance, and natural protection The Iron Zealots are a group of people who worship
against danger. This tribe is led by Great Mother Vashra the Iron God. They see the beauty and the divine in iron.
(human, neutral, sanguine elemental - p. 284). She is They wear iron armor and wield iron weapons, and they
an extremely old human, long past the age at which all know the secrets of processing iron. Their faith is
she should have died. Most importantly, she has the so zealous and their devotion so unparalleled that they
knowledge and ability to cure almost all diseases. leave themselves completely open to the judgment of
iron and ritualistically nail their eyes shut with iron
The characters can buy any potion or poison of very
rods. Then, they wear iron helmets that allow the Iron
rare or lower rarity from this tribe. However, since the
God to grant them a unique sight. This way, they only
tribe does not use money widely, they prefer trading for
see what the Iron God wants them to see.
RWKHUPDJLFLWHPV7KH\FDQJLYHÀYHSRWLRQVRUSRLVRQV
of very rare or lower rarity for a non-potion or non- The followers of the Iron God are mostly great
poison magic item of the same rarity. warriors, and generally war veterans. After witnessing
the treacherous truths of Tolia, many honorable
If the characters talk to Great Mother Vashra about
soldiers desire an honorable death, and some of them
their unique condition, she tells them the following:
ÀQGWKHGHDWKVWKH\ZDQWE\EHOLHYLQJLQWKH,URQ*RG
“Addiction to blood, becoming a bloodthirsty creature, They live by the iron, die by the iron, and continue
allowing your soul to be shackled by the desires of ÀJKWLQJLQWKHLURQKDOOVRIWKH,URQ*RGLQWKHDIWHUOLIH
vampirism… they all are diseases. However, they are diseases They don’t need to eat and don’t need to sleep; they just
that can be cured by nature. I have the solution you seek. meditate on their weapons and wait for the arrival of
It requires the best of my abilities and the greatest of my the glorious deaths that they seek.
knowledge, but most importantly, it requires the body of the
Founder, the greatest scourge the Blood God has cast upon us. iron zealot
Bring me the body, and I can free you from your shackles.”
There are 8 berserkers alongside Great Mother
Vashra in this station. If the characters attack the tribe
members, then Great Mother Vashra drinks a potion
and transforms into a sanguine elemental. When she
transforms, she has the bless, mage armor, and shield of
faith spells on herself, as well as the enlarging effects
of the enlarge/reduce spell. She has these spells active
thanks to her unique and unmatched herbalist talents,
so the spells do not require any concentration.

M6. Iron Zealot Station

“Heretics. No more. No less.”

Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when

they reach this station:

After a point, you realize that all the metal

around you has become iron, including the
railway and the walls covering the tunnel. As
you continue forward, you hear the muffled
voices of two humans coming from deeper

146
 The members of this group are seen as heretics by M7. Iron Miner's Station
the followers of both the Blood God and the Sun God.
However, some worshippers of the Blood God think that
the Iron Zealots are also doing the Blood God’s work, This place is an iron mine, separate from the Iron
since whatever or whoever they believe in, they draw Zealots’ sacred place. Miners work in double shifts to
blood at the end of the day. be able to supply enough iron to meet the needs of both
Kanrath and Cyherested.
The station populated by the Iron Zealots is basically
a huge forge. This station leads to iron mines, area
D7, where the Iron Zealots mine the iron they need
for their rituals. The Iron Zealots living here craft +1
armor, +1 weapons, and +2 weapons. They lack artistic
details, to the point that some other blacksmiths think
WKDWWKHLUZRUNVDUHXQZRUNHGLURQDWÀUVWJODQFHEXW
their creations are highly effective. However, since
these people don’t need any money and don’t have any
other worldly concerns, they only trade these items for
glorious deaths. Two iron zealots are going to want to
battle the characters, and the characters can take four
items in return for granting the two zealots glorious
deaths.
If the characters explain their unique condition to the
Iron Zealots, they say, “There is no impurity that the Iron
God can’t melt away. However, the Iron God only helps those
who earn their help. Continue your adventure. Seek your
demise. Be victorious over it. Return to us with the body of the
Founder that you speak of. Only then we can bring you to our D1. Angst Mine 1
sacred mine and seek the help of the Iron God.”
“Full of angst. Full of promises.”
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
Iron Zealot they reach this station:
Medium humanoid (any), lawful neutral

Armor Class 19 (iron zealot plate)

Hit Points 47 (5d8 + 25) You see the remnants of a priceless treasure:
Speed 30 ft.
an empty cave carved, mined, and looted until
the last speck of angst dust was taken. Rusted
mining carts, pickaxes, and the skeletons
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA of unlucky travelers are the only interesting
things around.
20 (+5) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Strength +8, Constitution +8

Skills Athletics +8
Back when Garel prepared this map, these stations
were treasure troves of resources for Tolians. Now,
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
however, this place is an empty, depleted angst mine,
Languages Common unlike what the name suggests, just as barren as
Challenge  ;3 the other angst mines in the Under Garrote. When
the characters investigate the skeletons, they can
ACTIONS clearly see claws and bite wounds on the bones. If the
Multiattack. The iron zealot makes two weapon characters look around in detail or spend at least 10
attacks. minutes investigating, then three madbloods (p. 120)
Iron Zealot Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to come out from the depths of the tunnels and attack
hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8 + 7) slashing them.
damage. This damage is magical.

147
 D2. Angst Mine 2
Just like area D1, this place is an empty angst mine.
However, many—too many—little spider webs cover
the roof and the walls, and there are thousands of little
spiders in them. If the characters disturb the webs in
DQ\ZD\ÀYHswarms of insects (spiders) leave the
webs and attack them.
D3. Angst Mine 3
“An ancient monstrosity haunts this place. As the miners
come and collect angst, it comes and collects miners. This is
the expected order of nature.”
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
they reach this station:
Spider webs completely cover your path.
Suddenly, a maddened ruby miner runs
towards you screaming, “Hundreds! Thousands!
Walking! Crawling inside me! Kill me! Or the mother will
eat me!” and attacks you. While the miner is
running towards you, swarms of spiders leave
the half-eaten body of the half-sane miner.
A ruby miner (p. 284) and three swarms of insects
(spiders) attack the characters. When examined with
a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check, the
characters realize that the miner is going to transform
into an ettercap, a mixture of humanoid and spider, if
not killed.
If the characters continue moving forward by
destroying the webs, an arachnoteeth, three ettercaps,
and four swarms of insects (spiders) attack them.
Treasure. There are three potions of superior healing,
two SRWLRQVRIÀUHJLDQWVWUHQJWK, an armor of junk (p. 265),
40 ammunition for bloodwork pistols and EORRGZRUNULÁHV,
two cloaks of resistance, and one ring of resistance within
the webs.
148
Arachnoteeth
Huge monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d10 + 20)
Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 8 (-1)
Saving Throws Strength +6, Dexterity +6
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +9
Damage Resistances ÀUHSRLVRQ
Senses blindsight 20 ft., darkvision 90 ft., passive
Perception 15
Languages Deep Speech
Challenge  ;3
Spider Climb. 7KHDUDFKQRWHHWKFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOW
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without
needing to make an ability check.
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the
arachnoteeth knows the exact location of any other
creature in contact with the same web.
Web Walker. The arachnoteeth ignores movement
restrictions caused by webbing.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The arachnoteeth makes one bite attack
DQGXVHV)DFHRI'HVSDLU
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target
must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw,
taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half
as much on a successful one. If the poison damage
reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable
but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit
points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way.
Face of Despair. The arachnoteeth chooses a creature
within 90 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 13
Wisdom saving throw or else it sees its most beloved
person’s face appear within the skin and teeth of the
arachnoteeth, begging for rescue and crying in pain.
Because of the shock, the target can take either an
action or a bonus action on its turn, but not both, for
1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw
at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a
successful save.
 arachnoteeth
D4. Angst Mine 4
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
they reach this station:
Hot waves of air carry the smell of perfume,
laughs of temptation, and giggles of
satisfaction. When you pass by two marble
columns and through a golden arch placed
upon them, an incubus welcomes you with a
silky voice. “Welcome to heaven.”
Although this was once a depleted angst mine, hot
underground water found its way to this place, creating
natural hot springs. Now, this place is a safe little haven
for a succubus named Esprei and an incubus named
Marzoc, as well as their selected customers. When
the characters arrive, they can see a half elf Kanrath
vampire (p. 282) relaxing and feeding from a human in
RQHRIWKHSRROVDKDOÁLQJCBI sorcerer (p. 273) who
is taking a bath in another pool and whose drinks are
PDJLFDOO\ÁRDWLQJLQWKHDLUDQGWKUHHruby miners
(p. 284) in another pool alongside the succubus and
incubus. These ruby miners are the ones mentioned in
the A Search for Ruby Miners quest.
The ruby miners are under the charm effects of
the succubus and incubus running this place. They
are convinced that the succubus and incubus are
their family. If the characters try to persuade them
otherwise, then they think that the characters are
enemies who want to destroy their family.
The charm effect can be dispelled with magic. A
successful DC 21 Charisma (Intimidation) check made
with disadvantage or a successful DC 19 Charisma
(Persuasion) check made after one minute of talking can
also make the miners see the truth. If the characters fail
on any of these checks, then the miners attack them.
2QFHFRPEDWEUHDNVRXWWKHWZRÀHQGVDOVRDWWDFNWKH
FKDUDFWHUVDQGWKHRWKHUFXVWRPHUVDOVRÀJKWDORQJVLGH
the succubus and incubus. When the succubus and the
incubus die, the charm effects on the miners and other
customers are automatically dispelled.
If the characters succeed at either the Charisma
(Intimidation) or the Charisma (Persuasion) check,
then the miners realize what has happened to them,
remember that the succubus and incubus killed the
people that they were guiding through the tunnels only
IRUWKHVDNHRISDLQDQGSOHDVXUHDQGDWWDFNWKHÀHQGV
7KHYDPSLUHDQGWKHVRUFHUHUÀJKWDORQJVLGHWKHÀHQGV
again.
D5. Infested Station
“The weight of vampirism can only be carried by the
powerful. The weak transform into monstrosities.”
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
they reach this station:
You see a huge metal door that has been
sheared, bitten, and clawed open in a primal
way. Bloodless corpses start where the railway
ends.
149
 This place is infested with madbloods (p. 120).
Although they were once sealed away, they managed
to open the metal door and have started to haunt the
Under Garrote. There are 40 madbloods in this place.
Their leader is the King of the Mad, a madblood that can
feel emotions beyond anger and bloodlust, and it can
even express these feelings in the Common language.
This is an extremely rare condition for madbloods,
hence why Beathag the Witch wants the King to be
captured alive.
When the characters arrive at the station, the King is
reading a fable from an old and worn book. It is about
a sheep and a wolf traveling the world, escaping from
dangers, and living together as best friends. However, at
the end of the book, the wolf eats the sheep and reveals
that it enjoys eating meat of its friends, which was the
reason for their friendship from the very beginning.
The fable ends with the lesson that prey should never
trust a hunter. The King is reading the book slowly,
PXFKOLNHDFKLOGOHDUQLQJWRUHDGIRUWKHÀUVWWLPH
while the other madbloods listen peacefully.
If the characters fail on a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth)
check, make noise while approaching the scene, or
choose not to take a stealthy approach at all, then the
madbloods get extremely aggressive. However, before
they attack, the King stops them and says that it wants
to speak with the characters. If the characters reject the
King’s offer, then combat takes place.
If the characters approach peacefully, demand to
speak with the King, or accept the King’s request
to speak with them, then the King invites them to
approach the group of madbloods. If the characters
refuse to go near the group, then the King comes to
them.
At the beginning of the conversation, the King
introduces itself. “I am the King and I am a madblood.” The
King loves to talk about anything at all. If it is asked
why its name is the King, it says, “I heard other people
talking about a crimson king, and I am not crimson. So I
thought I should just be called “king”. Was I wrong?”
The King can be persuaded to come with them with
a successful DC 21 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If the
characters say that the King will be able to learn new
stories and get new books if it comes with them, then
they have advantage on the check. The King can’t be
intimidated by threats made against itself. However,
if the characters threaten it with the lives of the other
madbloods around it, then the King can be intimidated
with a DC 17 Charisma (Intimidation) check. If the
characters fail the check, then combat takes place.
The characters can notice the parts, pipes, and
ventilators that are almost completely submerged
in the soil of the 20-foot-high roof. With a successful
150
DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check, the characters can
notice the angst core in the machine. A successful DC 13
Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that the angst
core may cause an explosion strong enough to collapse
the roof if the characters can damage the core with
ÀUHGDPDJHRUZLWKbloodwork ammunition. A character
SURÀFLHQWZLWKWLQNHU·VWRROVQRWLFHVWKLVLPPHGLDWHO\
Such an explosion kills 32 madbloods and deals 14
damage to the King. If a character is under the collapsed
roof, then they must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving
throw, taking 56 (16d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed
save or half as much on a successful one.
If the characters explain their quest to the King but
they state that they won’t do it, give books to the King,
or talk to the King and leave, then after this point, no
madbloods will ever attack them within the mountains.
D6. Storage Station
“I have always heard stories of these bizarre creatures.
Listening to the stories was exciting, but seeing one with your
own eyes is priceless.”
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
they reach this station:
You see a huge cave. This place was once full
of equipment, ore, money, loot, and many
other things ready to be delivered to the cities
or to the people of the Under Garrote. Now,
however, empty shelves and rusted, worn
equipment are the only things left.
A figure is waiting in the middle of the
room. It looks vaguely like a vampire wearing a
long cloak and a turtleneck. As you approach,
you realize that this is not a vampire, but
rather a creature that has evolved to look like
one. Its bat-like wings are folded to look like
a fine cloak and hide the creature’s “face.”
There is an intestine-like tongue inside its
bald, hairless head. As you approach, you hear
a magically created voice echoing throughout
the cavern. “Welcome, dear visitors. What do you wish to
ask of the Scribe?”
Everything has changed since this place’s once
glorious days, but one thing has remained the same:
the Scribe. The Scribe is a dalmun, a creature of
high intelligence. Members of this rare species have
the ability to see into the future, as well as other
mystical abilities. They generally live in groups, form
a hivemind, and prioritize the survival of their group.
You can have the characters remember the news about
dalmuns if they encountered Grelda in the section titled
News of Grelda (p. 99) with a successful DC 13 Intelligence
(Investigation) check.
$OWKRXJKGDOPXQVGRQRWKDYHDVSHFLÀF
understanding of loyalty, the Scribe is an exceptional
case. Back when the mines were active, the Scribe was
the organizer of the inputs and outputs for the mine. In
return, the chief miners ensured that the Scribe was fed
well. When the mines were closed and the miners left,
the Scribe thought—or rather, saw a vision— that they
were going to return one day and kept waiting.
The Scribe is friendly unless it is attacked. It loves
to talk about world news, philosophy, engineering,
mathematics, chemistry, alchemy, and druidic magic.
,WDOVRORYHVWRZULWHVWRULHVERWKÀFWLRQDODQGQRQ
ÀFWLRQDO
If the characters ask for the blueprints that Dyir
wanted them to collect, then the Scribe asks for a
SRXQGRIIUHVKPHDWRUÀYHYLDOVRIEORRGLQUHWXUQ
The aforementioned blueprints contain the schematics
of +2 bloodwork weapons. If the characters ask about the
owners of the blueprints, then the Scribe tells them the
truth: they had been hunted and half-eaten by another
creature when the Scribe found them near this station,
and the Scribe consumed what remained of them.
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Old Common, Druidic, Dwarvish,
Elvish
Challenge  ;3
Hivemind. If there is another dalmun within 120 feet of
the Scribe, then both have a +10 bonus on Intelligence
(Arcana, History, Nature, and Religion) checks.
Psychic Probability. The Scribe can look into the
IXWXUHVRLWDGGVLWV,QWHOOLJHQFHPRGLÀHUWRLWV$&
Spellcasting. The Scribe casts one of the following
spells, using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability
(spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, mage hand, shield
GD\HDFKcounterspell, dispel magic, divination
GD\HDFKhypnotic pattern, major image, greater
invisibility
GD\HDFKcontact other plane, dream, scrying
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Scribe uses Psychic Catapult twice.
Psychic Catapult. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range
120 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) bludgeoning,
piercing, or slashing damage. The Scribe chooses an
object that weighs less than 25 pounds within 60 feet
of itself and throws it with the power of a catapult at
the target. The damage type changes according to the
thrown object.
the scrıbe

There are also other items within the station left

by the miners. The Scribe has no use for them, but
DSSUHFLDWHVLILWLVRIIHUHGEORRGPHDWLQNDQGRU
parchment in exchange. These items are a potion of
animal friendship, a potion of climbing, a potion of frost giant
strength, and four potions of superior healing.

The Scribe
Medium monstrosity, lawful neutral

Armor Class 17 (psychic probability)

Hit Points 88 (16d8 + 16)
Speed IWÁ\IW

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

6 (-2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 19 (+4) 12 (+1) 13 (+1)

Skills Arcana +7, History +7, Nature +7, Religion +7

Damage Resistances cold, poison, psychic
Condition Immunities FKDUPHGIULJKWHQHGSHWULÀHG

151
 D7. Seat of the Sacred Iron
“I don’t know what is inside, but I am sure that it is
blasphemous. Were I not on a quest, I would butcher all of the
heretics and obliterate this place ‘til not a single piece of iron
was left behind.”
This is the sacred mine of the Iron Zealots. The inside of
the mine is covered with liquid molten iron, which does
not harm the Iron Zealots but burns any other creature
that steps inside. The Iron Zealots do not let anyone but
themselves enter this sacred place, and 20 of them are
charged with protecting this place with their own lives.
D8. Ruby Miner's Station
This place is a ruby mine, a natural, crimson beauty
of the Under Garrote. Ruby is in high demand both in
Kanrath and Cyherested. Knowing this, 30 ruby miners
(p. 284) work day and night to mine the required
supply. Mining ruby takes delicacy, so only the miners
who truly show their potential for mining are chosen to
be ruby miners.
H1. Refinery Station
“An ever-working bloodwork titan.”
This station has not been functioning ever since
the mines were closed. There is broken and rusted
machinery inside, although they were once examples
of the greatest and largest bloodwork machinery ever
FUHDWHG7KHUHÀQHU\ZDVZRUNLQJQRQVWRSWREHDEOH
to process the angst found within the mines. However,
like the other parts of the mines, this place has been
deserted and forgotten as well.
/DWHO\DIDPLO\RIÀYHearth elementals has been
occupying this station as their temporary home.
They are traveling through the Under Garrote so that
their children can learn from the world outside their
home, which is much deeper beneath the ground. The
elementals are friendly towards others if they are not
taunted, and prioritize running away to save their
children’s lives. If forced, one of them stays behind
while the others are running away to buy them time.
They all look exactly like each other and it is impossible
to distinguish which ones are the children and which
ones are the parents.
If asked for stories, then they tell stories about a city
of diamond, a city of lava, a place where magic does not
ZRUNDQGDÁ\LQJFLW\RIVSHOOFDVWHUV7KH\PD\DOVR
ask the characters to tell their own stories so that their
152
children can hear about new things. In exchange for all
of the stories that the characters tell them, the earth
elementals can pay with diamond dust that is worth
.)&6LQWRWDO
H2. Ventilation Station
“The lung of the tunnels.”
There is angst machinery in this station, which pumps
clean air through the entire series of tunnels and lines.
The place is protected by seven mountain guards (p.
283) at all times.
The angst machinery has AC 21, 120 hit points, 10
damage threshold, and immunity to poison and psychic
damage. If broken, the lack of fresh air is noticed after
six hours, and four ruby miners accompanied by nine
mountain guards will come to repair the machine. If the
machine can’t be repaired by the initial group, then six
ruby miners accompanied by 12 mountain guards and
Beathag the Witch herself along with her shadows will
come to inspect the place.
At the end of each week without fresh air, all
creatures who are required to breathe suffer one level
of exhaustion.
H3. Qyaport
“The lizardfolk’s stone weapons are nothing like I have ever
seen. There is no graceful way to kill something with them,
but they are effective, for sure.”
This place is a smaller and less clean version of Meredel,
with a population of 328. There is hot underground
water as well, but it is less clean than that of Meredel.
The people living here are mostly the ones who couldn’t
ÀQGWKHLUSODFHLQ0HUHGHORUZKRFRXOGQ·WOLYHXQGHU
WKHUXOHRI%HDWKDJWKH:LWFK$OWKRXJK4\DSRUWLV
protected by Meredel, not seeing the ziggurat and not
being under the nose of Beathag comforts the people
living here.
This place has a connection with the lizardfolk living
deeper in the Under Garrote. Their home, which is
closer to the spring of hot water, is kept secret and
they do not reveal its location to anyone. To be able
to get resources from the outer world, the lizardfolk
FRPHWR4\DSRUWE\VZLPPLQJDQGEULQJJRRGVZLWK
them to trade. It is possible to see a couple of lizardfolk
ZKLOHZDONLQJLQ4\DSRUW/L]DUGIRONEULQJZHDSRQV
and armor of stone, as well as meat and eggs from rare
animals. In return, they take leather, steel, seeds, and
rarely, bloodwork machinery.
 Golden bullet frontıers

7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGFRPPRQDQGXQFRPPRQ
LWHPVLQ4\DSRUW$OVRWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGDQGEX\
the stone weapons of the lizardfolk.
Tanners, chandlers, ruby miners, fertilizer producers,
and cattle breeders are found here. Mountain guards
are responsible for the settlement’s security.

Stone Weapons of the Lizardfolk

When you hit with an attack made with the
stone weapons of the lizardfolk, you deal
an extra 1d8 bludgeoning damage as the
target is crushed beneath the stone weapon.
However, your Strength score must be equal
to or higher than 15 to use the weapon
properly, or else you have disadvantage on
the attack roll. These weapons are 4,000
.)&6PRUHH[SHQVLYHWKDQWKHLUQRUPDO
counterparts.

H4. Moon Metro Station

“Yet another miracle of the Blood God. Do not forget that even
the moon turns crimson sometimes.”
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players when
they reach this station:
defy the Blood God and their holy emissaries must be purged
without a second thought. Today, I visited this place as a lone
wanderer. In the future, I will come here with an army of the
faithful. I will strangulate the crafter of the blood corruptor
poison with my bare hands.”

This place acts as the headquarters of several rebellious

Moonlight finds its way through the little
cracks in the gigantic mountains, shining on
the unique stone beneath. The entire cave is
bathed in the graceful light of the moon.
Travelers moving through the Under Garrote love
to visit this cave owing to the light’s beauty. A cloaker
recognized this, and has been waiting on the roof of this
30-foot-radius cave to prey on weary travelers.
H5. Criminal Base Station
“The Blood God is the one true god, and vampires and blood
sorcerers are the Blood God’s shadows on this world. All who
groups. Some of these groups are against Kanrath’s
vampiric rule, some of them defy Cyherested’s supreme
sorcerers, and some of them deny any authority at
all. This place is outside of the borders of Meredel’s
authority, so everyone here is responsible for their
own safety. The most powerful group living in this area
is the Golden Bullet, the ones that attacked the latest
train.
If the characters have battled against the Golden
Bullet, then they must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma
(Deception) check to hide their identities. Otherwise,
they are recognized and are asked to leave this place in
peace by three Golden Bullet frontiers (p. 279). If the
characters insist on staying, then they must succeed on
a DC 17 Charisma (Persuasion) check or else the Golden
Bullet members do not change their minds, and may

153
 even attack if the characters insist too much.
The most common traders here are weapon sellers,
armor traders, gunsmiths, and alchemists, especially
poison-makers.
The most notable poison-maker is Venerel (elf,
lawful evil, veteran). Venerel is 600 years old, and is
a grandmaster alchemist who specializes in poison-
making. He is also a war veteran who can wield
bloodwork weapons with great accuracy. The most famous
recipe of Venerel’s is the blood corruptor poison, which
GHFUHDVHVWKHHIÀFLHQF\RIEORRG
Blood Corruptor Poison
The blood corruptor poison can be
administered by having a creature digest it
or by coating a weapon with it and injuring
a creature. Once poisoned, the creature
must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution
saving throw, or the poison causes different
debilitating effects depending on the affected
creature.
If the creature is a vampire, then it cannot
regain hit points in any way.
If the creature is a spellcaster who can cast
spells that deal blood damage, then for one
hour, it has disadvantage on concentration
checks, and the damage of such spells
decreases by 2d6.
If the creature is a bloodwork automaton,
then it is stunned for three rounds.
If the creature is not a vampire, a
spellcaster, or a bloodwork automaton, then
the poison is ineffective.
7KHSRLVRQFRVWV.)&6SHUYLDO
Although rare in number, healers can also be found
here. The most famous healer is Max ( bloodwork
automaton, neutral good, priest). Although their
RULJLQDOQDPHLV;50D[LVWKHQDPHWKDW;5
liked and chose for themselves. Max is a cleric of the
Sun God, and can cast cleric spells up to 5th level.
Max was a bloodwork automaton bought from a now-
dead tinkerer by a sorcerer coming from Cyherested.
During the sorcerer’s trip through the Under Garrote
154
to reach the outside world, they were attacked by
hemogoblins. Although the sorcerer died, Max was still
alive, and was found by Golden Bullet members. Later,
Max saw the sun in their dreams even though they
had never seen the sun with their own eyes. Over time,
Max realized that they had the ability to cast spells and
became a cleric. If the characters talk with Max about
their condition, Max says, “I have always wondered why
,ZDVFKRVHQE\WKH6XQEXW,KDYHDOZD\VIDLOHGWRÀQGWKH
reason... until now. I can heal you. However, I will need the
body of the Founder to conduct the proper ritual. I am going
to ask for the direct help of the Blazing Sun, so that you and I
can be bathed in their glorious light. Bring me the body. I can
save your souls.”
H6. Ruined Station
This station is under the strict control of Cyherested.
Some of the rubies and iron mined in the Under Garrote
are transferred to Kanrath, while some are sent to
Cyherested. This station is where the transactions to
Cyherested are governed. There are neither rooms to
live in nor shops here, only places to store goods and
DURRPÀOOHGZLWKWUDSV5HEHOOLRXVJURXSVFRQVWDQWO\
DWWDFNWKLVVWDWLRQWRVWHDOJRRGVIURPWKHWUDGH)RU
this reason, there are always two CBI Sorcerers (p. 273)
guarding the station vigilantly.
The CBI is the center of special operations in
Cyherested. It is an abbreviation for the Cyherested
Bureau of Investigation.
In the room of traps, there is a teleportation circle
linked to a special room in Cyherested’s train station.
The trap is set in the metal door of the cube-shaped
room, which is 20 feet long on all sides. The trap is a
magical rune placed within the door knob. It activates if
anyone other than those previously designated, namely
the CBI sorcerers guarding this place, touches the knob.
Upon activation, all creatures within a 20-foot radius
must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or
take 8d6 lightning damage. Also, the trap’s activation
DODUPVWKHRIÀFHUVZDLWLQJRQWKHRWKHUVLGHRIWKH
teleportation circle, and two more CBI Sorcerers come
through the teleportation circle after one round.
155
 The wonder of Tolia, conjured and molded by the Prime
Sorcerers, stands tall and mighty while challenging
Kanrath with its presence. Although its history consists
RIPDQ\PDJLFDOVRFLDODQGPLOLWDU\FRQÁLFWVLWKDV
overcome most of its hindrances and now represents
modernity and progress. The city was magically shaped
overnight by the four Prime Sorcerers, who are now
thought to be myths.
The citizens of Cyherested live their lives in a fast-
paced environment. Most people start their day early
in the morning, spend most of their time at their jobs,
and then return to their families or relax in places that
offer recreation. While the general population struggle
with daily endeavors, students can enjoy the life of
the academy on their campus, and sorcerers relish the
opportunities offered exclusively to them.
Magically aided technological advancements are
evident throughout the entire city. People made of
brass and blood, called bloodwork automatons, live side
by side with the other citizens. Most wealthy houses
have a radio, zeppelins hover over the skyscrapers, and
the angst crystal infrastructure illuminates the entire
city.
Automaton patrols scout the streets, sorcerer law
enforcement forces secure the districts, and volunteers
work against petty crimes. Cyherested is mostly a
secure place. Yet, it might be one of the most dangerous
places for outlaws, foreigners, and wizards. The only
safe way to get involved in criminal activities is to be a
part of the system.
7KHFLW\·VDGPLQLVWUDWLRQLVFRPSOH[(OHFWHGRIÀFLDOV
EXUHDXFUDWVWKHVRUFHUHUHOLWHDUP\RIÀFHUVDQG
private organizations all have a say on administrative
issues. It is hard to understand the system and even
KDUGHUWRÀQGDORRSKROHXQOHVVDVRUFHUHULVVHDUFKLQJ
for it. The system is unforgiving and slow.
Their journey has brought the characters to this
city of wonders. They arrived in the city with a curse
coursing through their veins, enemies following their
tracks, and a goal in their minds. Before meeting
their demise, they need to get accustomed to this new
environment and complete their mission.
Level Up! Your characters have survived thus far.
Inform your players to level up (to the 8th level).
156
Running This Chapter
$VWKH*0\RXFDQÀQGWKHNH\HYHQWVWKDWWDNHSODFH
in this chapter in the table below. The characters will
be hunted like dogs, chase information within the city,
challenge potent enemies, struggle with authorities,
DQGÀQGPDJLFDOFXULRVLWLHV
Episodes
Newcomers
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO²
Blood Vision
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO
The Prime Tower
)RUFKDUDFWHUVRIOHYHO
GM Tip. In this chapter, there will be different
options of running the adventure in different sections,
all of which run smoothly. In such places, there are
options presented to you, and you can choose the one
you like most.
The following are the summaries of the episodes and
events that take place in them.
Newcomers. There are various groups and people
searching for the characters; some trying to capture,
some trying to interrogate, and some trying to help
them. Each of these groups are privy to different kinds
of information related to the characters’ goals. While
struggling with these groups, the characters should
OHDUQWKHORFDWLRQRIWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\ZKLFKLV
the tower of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology. It
is common knowledge within the city that there are
glyphs necessary to enter the tower. The information
about the glyphs rests within the city. After the
FKDUDFWHUVÀQGWZRRXWRIÀYHJO\SKVWKH\OHYHOXS
$IWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGDOOWKHJO\SKVEXWRQHDÀQDO
blood vision starts.
 Blood Vision. As the last blood vision of the adventure,
this is different from the previous ones. This time,
the characters physically enter the vision, where they
could be hurt and killed. The characters can enter the
ODVWJDWHWRZLWQHVVWKHEHWUD\DORIWKH)LUVW&KLOG7KH\
JRIXUWKHULQWRWKHYLVLRQZLWQHVVLQJWKH)RXQGHU·V
WUDQVIRUPDWLRQLQWRDYDPSLUH7KH)RXQGHURQFH
again appears at the end of the vision and speaks with
the characters, offering them an alliance. If denied,
he becomes hostile. After the characters accept the
)RXQGHU·VRIIHURUHVFDSHDIWHUGHQ\LQJLWWKH\OHDUQ
WKHÀQDOJO\SKDQGZDNHXS7KHFKDUDFWHUVOHYHOXS$W
this point, they have all the glyphs to enter the tower.
After they get into the tower, the next episode begins.
The Prime Tower. They can reach the entrance of
the Prime Tower through the Highway and they need
the glyphs they’ve learned to enter. The door takes
the characters to a demiplane created by the Prime
Sorcerer of Sanguinology. The characters explore this
GHPLSODQHWRÀQGWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\HQFRXQWHULQJD
variety of creatures, sorcerers, and facilities while doing
so. There is an orphanage where the sanguinologists
are trying to create the perfect adventurer group by
breeding mortals and raising their children. The most
successful adventuring group of this facility start to
harass the characters without directly engaging them.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGWKH3ULPH/DERUDWRU\DQGOHYHO
XS:LWKLQWKHODERUDWRU\WKH\HQJDJHZLWKDKRUULÀF
creature as well as the adventuring party. After getting
WKURXJKWKHPWKH\ÀQGWKH6DQJXLQRORJLVW3ULPH
6RUFHUHUDQGWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\7KHFKRLFHVWKH\·YH
made throughout the adventure and the decisions they
will make in this encounter are going to decide their
fate, as well as the ending of the adventure.
The CBI Tactical Force
The characters are mostly unfamiliar with Cyherested,
and the city doesn’t know much about the characters.
They are probably not branded as criminals and their
blood samples are not in the system yet. However, that
might change if the characters commit crime within the
city.
If the characters are involved in a crime and leave
any trace behind, such as a witness or their blood, the
CBI will start an investigation, attempting to collect
enough evidence to categorize the characters. After
the characters are categorized, which will take place at
the GM’s discretion, the CBI will send agents to capture
them whenever the characters are spotted.
Any creature within Cyherested can alert the CBI
by simply writing CBI on any solid surface with their
own blood; when they do so, an agent from the CBI
headquarters will immediately contact the creature by
using the sending VSHOO$IWHUWKHWKUHDWLVFRQÀUPHG
agents will teleport to unoccupied spaces within close
proximity of the target.
There are six categories that CBI uses to assess
criminals and the dangers they pose. They take
measures according to the threat level assigned to a
perpetrator. The categories are as follows:
Surveillance. If the characters act suspiciously around
citizens or law enforcement within Cyherested, the CBI
will put them on their surveillance list.
Misdemeanor. If the characters are involved in a
criminal act that caused no serious harm, such as
possessing illegal drugs or vandalism, the CBI will put
them on their misdemeanor list.
When the CBI is alerted about a suspect whose
GHVFULSWLRQÀWVVRPHRQHRQWKHPLVGHPHDQRUOLVW
they will send 1 CBI sorcerer (p. 273) to deal with the
situation.
If a character is caught by the CBI, they can pay the
repair cost of any damaged property plus 300 CS to
drop all charges against them. If the characters can’t
afford to pay, or refuse to do so, they will be taken into
FXVWRG\IRUÀYHGD\VLQWKHQHDUHVW&%,EXLOGLQJDQG
then released.
The creatures in Cyherested have a +1 bonus to
Recognition checks against the characters, which is
described in the upcoming sections.
Felony. If the characters are involved in serious
crimes, such as the possession of unauthorized spell
components or murder, the CBI will put them on their
felony list.
When the CBI is alerted about a suspect whose
GHVFULSWLRQÀWVVRPHRQHRQWKHIHORQ\OLVWWKH\ZLOO
send 1 bloodwork automaton patrol (p. 272) for each
suspect and 2 CBI sorcerers to deal with the situation.
If a character is caught by the CBI, they will be taken
LQWRFXVWRG\IRUÀYHGD\VLQWKHQHDUHVW&%,EXLOGLQJ
'XULQJWKHVHÀYHGD\VVRPHSHRSOHIURPWKH7UDGHU·V
Goons (p. 187), an organization that will be detailed
in the following sections, will come and free the
characters by paying money for their crimes, and take
WKHPWR)LUX]H+DIVD6XOWDQ
The creatures in Cyherested have a +2 bonus to
Recognition checks against the characters.
Serial Crime. If the characters are involved in serious
crimes more than once, the CBI will put them on their
157
 serial crime list.
When the CBI is alerted about a suspect whose
GHVFULSWLRQÀWVVRPHRQHRQWKHVHULDOFULPHOLVWWKH\
will send 2 bloodwork automaton patrols and 1 CBI
sorcerer for each suspect to deal with the situation.
If a character is caught by the CBI, they will be taken
LQWRFXVWRG\IRUÀYHGD\VLQWKHQHDUHVW&%,EXLOGLQJ
'XULQJWKHVHÀYHGD\VVRPHSHRSOHIURPWKH7UDGHU·V
Goons, an organization that is going to be detailed
in the following sections, will come and free the
characters by paying money for their crimes, and take
WKHPWR)LUX]H+DIVD6XOWDQ
The creatures in Cyherested have a +3 bonus to
Recognition checks against the characters.
Evil in Nature. If the characters are involved in a
crime that is considered vile by the public, such as
torturing a person and killing for fun, the CBI will put
them on their evil in nature list.
When the CBI is alerted about a suspect whose
GHVFULSWLRQÀWVVRPHRQHRQWKHHYLOLQQDWXUHOLVWWKH\
will send 2 bloodwork automaton patrols and 1 CBI
sorcerer for each suspect, and 1 CBI lieutenant (p. 272)
to deal with the situation.
The agents don’t try to catch the perpetrators, they
try to eliminate them.
The creatures in Cyherested have a +4 bonus to
Recognition checks against the characters.
Terrorism. If the characters are involved in a crime
that is considered to be an act against the Cyherested
government, such as bombing an administrative
building or stealing government secrets, the CBI will
put them on their terrorism list.
When the CBI is alerted about a suspect whose
GHVFULSWLRQÀWVVRPHRQHRQWKHWHUURULVPOLVWWKH\ZLOO
send 1 CBI special operator (p. 273) for each suspect to
deal with the situation.
The special operators do everything in their power
to kill the suspects, and they don’t care about civilian
casualties.
The creatures in Cyherested have a +5 bonus to
Recognition checks against the characters.
In an ordinary CBI building, where they hold criminals,
there are 1d10 bloodwork automaton patrols, 1d4 CBI
sorcerers, and one CBI Lieutenant. These buildings are
mostly made of bricks and metal frames. These small
stations don’t tend to be taller than 3 stories but all of
them have a basement where they keep the criminals
behind bars.
158
Recognition Check
The CBI quickly spreads information about criminals
using newspapers, radios, posters, and rumors.
They encourage the citizens to contact them if they
encounter any criminal activity, even offering rewards
for reporting serious criminals. When the characters
engage with someone in Cyherested, they might
recognize the characters if the characters have been
categorized as criminals by the CBI.
Someone can recognize the characters as criminals
LIWKH\VXFFHHGRQD'&5HFRJQLWLRQFKHFN)RUWKLV
you, as the GM, roll a d20 and add any Recognition
check bonuses to the result. The DC of the check is
always 20.
If the characters are disguised, the person must
ÀUVWVHHWKURXJKWKHGLVJXLVHWREHDEOHWRPDNHWKH
Recognition check.
Magic in Cyherested
The magic in Cyherested is carefully monitored. If
WKHVSHOOFDVWHULVQRWDQRIÀFHUFDVWLQJVSHOOVRIUG
level or lower, or using magic abilities of equal power
is considered a misdemeanor. Using more powerful
magic is considered a felony or even evil in nature,
considering its severity and purpose.
7RXVHPDJLFRQHPXVWÀUVWÀOORXWD8VHRI0DJLFDO
$ELOLWLHV5HTXHVW)RUPDQGVXEPLWLWWRWKH2IÀFHRI
Sorcery, which resides in Heartstring Way (p. 13). It
might take 28 business days to get a reply from the
RIÀFH,IWKHDSSOLFDQWLVDVRUFHUHURUWKHIULHQGRU
relative of a sorcerer, this time is reduced to 2 business
days.
The method of spellcasting and source of magic is
also important. It is forbidden to cast spells as a wizard.
All spellbooks are collected and destroyed; it is illegal
to carry them or have them in your possession. Other
spellcasters can apply for casting permission but they
are seen as inferior to sorcerers.
Spell components and their trade are also monitored.
If a person uses unauthorized spell components or
unregistered magic items and gets caught, their spell
component pouch is sealed with magical wax and their
items are seized. Breaking the wax is a felony, and the
CBI immediately learns the location of the broken seal
due to divination magic on it.
Because of these rules, people are careful about
leaving no witnesses behind so that they can’t alert
the CBI for unauthorized spellcasting.
Newcomers
The characters are traveling toward the city on
the railroad built upon a stone bridge. The road
connects to an archway that is carved into the great
wall of the city. As they approach the passage, start
playing “The City of Arcane” on the “Bloodpunk
OST”, and read or paraphrase the boxed text below:
The rhythmic clattering of turning wheels and
rails fills the air. It’s getting darker and colder
as you get closer to the city. The smell of burnt
blood irritates your nose. It is almost time;
you look outside.
The stone arch bridge takes a snaking turn
near the city’s great walls, eventually going
through it by an arched opening inside the
wall above 30 feet. The bridge goes over
houses, farms, and facilities that are parts
of the unplanned outer areas. The railroad
follows this stone path, cruising above the
settlement.
The tall walls quickly grab your attention.
The cracks on its bricks and stones cry blood,
dripping onto the large runes carved on its
side. The blood-smeared runes, standing side
by side throughout the great wall, eerily hum.
Only the top of several towers and skyscrapers
can be seen, apart from huge zeppelins
hovering over the city.
You go through the arched opening through
the wall and after a brief pressure change,
you are welcomed by a completely new and
alien atmosphere; clean, illuminated, well-
designed, warm, and glorious. Tall buildings
made of clean-cut stones, completed with
crystals, metal frames, and glass. Families
enjoy meals on their balconies, with a variety
of food lying on their tables. Streets dazzling
with orange lights. The great city of sorcerers,
Cyherested, is alive.
Shortly after passing through the wall, they
arrive at the Arcane City Station. Their train stops
at Platform 9; it is either stopped by the train driver
or slowed down by magical means from the station
itself. If the characters spend more than a minute
inside the docked train or get out of the train, they
will be confronted by Lance MacLeod (human,
neutral good, Lance MacLeod).
Lance has an average height and weight, but a
strong posture. His sunken cheeks make him look
older than he is, and he has thick black hair reaching
to his ears, along with a short, yellowed beard. His
small blue eyes look buried deep in his face. He
wears black linen trousers, a brown leather monk
strap, a navy shirt, and a black cashmere jacket with
edges covered in silver straps. There is a silver badge
attached to his jacket with the letters CBI engraved
on it. The characters can realize that the badge is
worn by the agents of a sorcerer law enforcement
agency called the Cyherested Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) with a successful DC 17 Intelligence (History)
check. Also, Lance has a bloodwork pistol under his
jacket, attached to his belt which the characters can
see with a successful DC 22 Wisdom (Perception)
check.
Lance MacLeod is a friend of the Detective, Ethan
Ward. The Detective has been sharing information
with him for years through letters, so Lance knows
everything that took place before the character’s
ÀUVWEORRGYLVLRQ
Lance is a quick-witted and direct man. He likes
to stay out of trouble and act according to rules and
laws, but he can’t help himself to ignore injustice
and depravity, tending to disregard rules when it
comes to such things. He cares very little about his
well-being as he has been traumatized by the events
he encountered during his years in law enforcement.
Lance doesn’t tolerate hurting civilians. If the
characters hurt any civilians, Lance MacLeod will
leave and alert the CBI of their felony. Destroying
bloodwork automatons that are not sentient, such as
those guarding the station, is a misdemeanor rather
than a felony, which can be tolerated by Lance
Macleod only if it is necessary.
If the Detective is with the characters, Lance
Macleod looks at the Detective and says, “You all are
in big trouble. I must lead you to safety. Follow me, quick!”
The Detective trusts Lance Macleod and urges the
characters to follow him.
If the Detective is not with the characters, Lance
approaches the characters and says, “I am Lance
Macleod, a friend of Ethan Ward. He said you must be
protected, and you really need that. I don’t know what you
did, but everyone is after you. We must leave this place.
159
 Quick.”
If the Detective is dead, Lance does not know this, and
will be mournful about it if the characters tell him. He is
also sincere with his offer of help, which can be noticed
by the characters with a successful DC 11 Wisdom
(Insight) check.
The characters’ choices really matter here, and
change the nature of upcoming events greatly.
If the characters refuse the offer or try to leave before
accepting, Lance warns them that there are dangerous
people looking for them and they might be present. If
they ignore this warning and still decide to refuse the
offer, move on to the Station Brawl section.
If the characters accept Lance’s offer, move on to the
Friendly Welcome section.
Bloodshot. Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 120 ft.,
one target. Hit: 25 (6d6 + 4) blood damage. The target’s
hit point maximum is reduced by the amount. This
UHGXFWLRQODVWVXQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range
IWRQHWDUJHWHit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Masters of the Arcane Arts (8/Day). Lance can cast any
spell of 3rd level or lower requiring no components
provided that the spell is listed in the sorcerer spell
list. The spell’s casting time must be equal to or
shorter than 1 action, and the spellcasting ability for
such spells is Charisma.
Arcane Specialist (4/Day). Lance casts an evocation
spell of 5th level or lower requiring no components
provided that the spell is listed in the sorcerer spell
list. The spell’s casting time must be equal to or
shorter than 1 action, and the spellcasting ability for
such spells is Charisma.
lance macleod

Lance MacLeod
Medium humanoid (human), neutral good

Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)

Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

15(+2) 15(+2) 16(+3) 17(+3) 16(+3) 20(+5)

Saving Throws Constitution +7, Intelligence +7,

Wisdom +7, Charisma +9
Skills Arcana +7, Athletics +6, History +7, Insight +7,
Investigation +7, Perception +7, Persuasion +9, Sleight
of Hand +6
Damage Resistances damage from spells;
bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical
attacks
Condition Immunities charmed
Senses passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarvish
Challenge  ;3

Armor of the Mages. The mage armor and stoneskin Arcane City Station
spells are always cast on Lance and they do not count
against the spells he can cast with Masters of the
Arcane Arts and Arcane Specialist features.
Magic Resistance. Lance has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
The main station building is made of white marble and
ACTIONS metal frames. After the large stairs at the entrance,
Multiattack. Lance uses Bloodshot twice and then there is a huge golden door that always stays open. On
makes one bloodwork pistol attack. each side of the door, there are 30-foot-tall columns

160
that decorate the entrance. The Arcane City Station
itself is a two-story tall building with high ceilings on
ERWKÁRRUV7KHÀUVWÁRRULVZKHUHWKHWUDLQDUULYHVDQG
departs. There are ticket booths, waiting lounges, coffee
VKRSVDQGIRRGVWDOOVXQGHUWKHPH]]DQLQHÁRRUV7KH
interior of the whole main station building is designed
to feel spacious while using metals as decoration,
emphasizing the art-deco-style construction of the
FLW\7KHHQWLUHJURXQGRIWKHÀUVWÁRRULVPDGHRIGDUN
marble slabs.
The station is crowded with common citizens,
EORRGZRUNDXWRPDWRQVVRUFHUHUVJXDUGVDQGRIÀFHUV
as well as several vampires. The characters can realize
with a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check that
there are more than 15 bloodwork automaton patrols
S RQWKHÀUVWÁRRURIWKHVWDWLRQ,IWKHFKHFN
succeeds by 5 or more, they count that there are exactly
24 bloodwork automaton patrols and learn their exact
locations.
There are 7 automatons lined up near the railway
with each standing 10 feet apart from the others.
The staircase on the left is guarded by 2 automatons,
standing at the lower left and right. The staircase on
the right is guarded the same way by 2 automatons.
There are 5 automatons guarding the main gate, 4 of
them standing guard and 1 of them talking with people,
checking their papers. There are 4 guards on the right
PH]]DQLQHÁRRUSDWUROOLQJWKHÁRRUDQGFKHFNLQJ
the main hall from above. It is the same on the left
PH]]DQLQHÁRRU
You can use the battle map Arcane City Station
(p.163) to show your players the layout of the
surrounding of the station. You can also mark the
automaton patrols on the map if the characters have
noticed them.
Friendly Welcome
Lance MacLeod says, “We would get too much attention
together. Wait for me outside the station; there is a cologne
shop right across the street. You go ahead while I enjoy my
cigarette. Also, try not to act suspicious.” If the characters
FKRRVHWRZDLWLQWKHVWDWLRQ/DQFHJRHVÀUVWWRWKH
cologne shop instead of smoking in the station. If the
characters choose to go, Lance goes upstairs to smoke
RQWKHVHFRQGÁRRUEDOFRQ\
The station has three exits: the main gate, the
employee door, and the railroad.
Railroad. To exit the station by traveling back from
the rails, the characters must jump down to the rails,
and if they do so, the 7 bloodwork automatons standing
near the railway immediately intercept and warn
them to get back up on the platform. If the characters
refuse to do so or take hostile actions, the automatons
attack. If the characters get back up on the platform
DIWHULQLWLDWLQJDÀJKWZLWKWKHDXWRPDWRQVDOORWKHU
DXWRPDWRQJXDUGVRQWKHÀUVWÁRRUMRLQWKHÀJKW
The characters can sneak down to the rails without
alerting the automatons by succeeding on a DC 22
Dexterity (Stealth) check. There are also 10-foot tall
fences around the railway outside the station. The
characters must succeed on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics)
or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to climb over the fences
to get out of the railway. Each section of the fence,
which is 5 feet wide and 5 feet tall, has AC 19, and 18
hit points, is immune to piercing, poison, and psychic
damage, and has a damage threshold of 5.
Employee Door. To exit the station by using the
HPSOR\HHGRRUWKHFKDUDFWHUVPXVWÀUVWOHDUQWKDW
there is an employee door leading outside, which can
be done with a successful DC 21 Wisdom (Perception)
or DC 19 Intelligence (Investigation) check, or taking
information about a train station employee.
7KHUHLVDQHPSOR\HHFOHDQLQJWKHÁRRUVWKDWVHHPV
sad; if the characters approach her, she will tell them
she lost her wallet and in it, there was 1,200 CS she
was saving to buy school books for her child. With
a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check, the
characters can see a child stealing wallets within
the station. They can alert the automatons who will
then arrest the child, taking the wallets as evidence.
They can steal the wallets back from the child with
a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.
There are 6 wallets on the child, containing 4 angst
coins, 3,600 CS, and 165 CW. They can intimidate the
child to persuade him to give back the wallet with a
successful DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation) check. If the
kid realizes that the characters are trying to get back
the wallets before being intimidated, he runs away,
leaving the station. If the characters give 1,200 CS to the
employee or give her wallet back to her, she asks them
how she can repay. If the characters ask her to take
them outside the station discreetly, she takes them out
from the employee door. She won’t accept helping the
characters with a criminal act.
This door has AC 19, 45 hit points, and immunity to
poison and psychic damage. It is locked, and the lock
can be picked by a successful DC 15 Dexterity check
made with thieves’ tools. The characters can quietly
open the door with a DC 19 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Main Gate. The characters can walk out from the main
gate without a problem if they just walk out. If they try
161
 not to act suspicious as Lance said, they must succeed
on a DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check, or the
automaton checking for papers at the main gate asks
them for their bloodpass (p. 101), which the characters
got in the Kanrath Main Line. The same thing happens
if the characters try to sneak out from the main gate
and fail on a DC 22 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If the
characters don’t possess a bloodpass, the automatons
try to arrest the sorcerers. If they do, the automatons
let them pass. If the characters are arrested, they are
held within the station for an hour, handcuffed with
manacles, in which case Lance will then take them from
automaton custody but the other groups will learn that
he is associated with the characters. Lance will then
take them to the cologne shop.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQDOVRJRXSWRWKHVHFRQGÁRRUDQG
jump from one of the balconies to the street, which is a
30 foot fall.
If the characters get out of the station without Lance
and go to the cologne shop without hurting civilians,
Lance joins them in 10 minutes.
After the characters leave the station in any way,
move on to the Searching for the Cure section.
hear a gunshot a second after Lance is shot, coming
from afar from outside the station, with a successful
DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. The characters
can retrieve the bullet from the ground around Lance
with a successful DC 22 Wisdom (Investigation) check.
$FKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQWZLWKEORRGZRUNZHDSRQVFDQ
UHDOL]HWKDWWKHEXOOHWLVFRPLQJIURPDVQLSHUULÁHZLWK
a successful DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check. A
FKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQWZLWKbloodwork weapons (p. 262) can
directly understand this.
There are members of four different groups that
are trying to capture the characters within the crowd.
These groups are the Silver Cult, the Corrupt Agents,
the Sun Priests, and the Trader’s Goons. You can
ÀQGGHWDLOHGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKHVHJURXSVLQWKH
upcoming sections.
After Lance dies, the members of these groups attack
the characters. The automaton guards evacuate the
cbı sorcerer

Station Brawl

Start playing “Two Bullets for a Wand” on the

“Bloodpunk OST”. Then, read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:

A bullet pierces Lance MacLeod’s skull and a

crimson bolt hits his chest at the same time,
spattering his brain and blood all over you.
People scream. The characters are spattered
with his brains and blood. Lance MacLeod
dies and his body transforms into a puddle of
blood, out of which, a sanguine elemental (p.
284) rises and starts attacking everyone close
to it.

The bullet that killed Lance came from a sniper

ULÁHDQGZDVVKRWIURPDEXLOGLQJDFURVVWKHVWUHHW
(see the Old Sniper - p. 210). The characters can

162
train station and don’t get involved in the combat.
Normal Encounter. If you prefer the characters to
escape from the station and explore the city, use the
following creatures in combat: a Silver Cultist (p.
286), a bloodwork automaton patrol (p. 272) from the
Corrupt Agents, a priest from the Sun Priests, and a
veteran equipped with a bloodwork blunderbuss (p. 263)
from the Trader’s Goons.
Deadly Encounter. If you prefer the characters to
be captured by an organization, use the following
creatures in combat: two Silver Sorcerers (p. 286) from
the Silver Cult, a CBI sorcerer (p. 273) from the Corrupt
Agents, a Sun Priest (p. 288) from the Sun Priests, and
an assassin equipped with angst daggers (p. 265) from
the Trader’s Goons.
During this combat, when a character is reduced to
0 hit points and falls unconscious, they don’t make a
death saving throw. Instead, they remain unconscious.
,IDOOWKHFKDUDFWHUVIDOOXQFRQVFLRXVWKHÀJKWFRQWLQXHV
until only the members of a single group are left
standing. The winning group captures the characters.
You, as the GM, can continue the combat after all the
characters fall unconscious, randomly determine the
last group standing, or pick whichever you want.
After the characters leave the station in any way,
even if they are captured, move on to the Searching for
the Cure section.
Searching
for the Cure
The characters have left the station. They are either
captured by a group, taken to safety by Lance, or go into
the city by themselves.
Please note that whether the characters have moved
into the city with Lance Macleod, survived the brawl, or
were captured by one of the groups and escaped from
captivity afterwards, the groups after the characters
will continue their search unless their leader is killed or
persuaded to call off the search.
The four groups that are after the characters are the
Silver Cult, the Corrupt Agents, the Sun Priests, and
the Trader’s Goons. The Silver Cult is responsible for
163
 all of the events affecting the characters, as you may
recall from the previous chapters. The Corrupt Agents
are considering the characters as possible threats to
their own agenda, but they have no relation with the
SORWUHYROYLQJDURXQGWKH)RXQGHUVRWKH\FDQEH
turned into valuable allies with the right moves. The
Sun Priests are aware that there is a great shadow and
danger following the characters thanks to the mystical
visions they receive. They are not aware of the danger’s
nature, so they can be allies of the characters. Lastly,
the Trader’s Goons is the greatest trader organization in
Cyherested, highly interested in the characters because
they may cause great changes in Cyherested. Keep in
mind that the groups and encounters detailed under
this title are not in chronological order. If you need to
check the general details about Cyherested, check the
Adventure Background (p. 4) section.
<RXFDQÀQGPRUHGHWDLOHGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKH
groups in the The Organizations section in case the
characters interact with them. All the actions an
organization may take against the characters or to
support the characters are detailed there. Although
some of these groups are keen to work with the
characters at the beginning, their standings may change
depending on the characters’ actions. There are also
many events, people, problems, and opportunities that
the characters may encounter with the members of
these groups. They can learn more about these groups,
irrelevant information, or magic items, which can make
the characters more powerful in the The Events section.
The characters should navigate their way through
WKHVHHYHQWVWRUHDFKWKHLUJRDOZKLFKLVÀQGLQJWKH
)RXQGHU·VERG\KLGGHQVRPHZKHUHLQWKHFLW\
7KH)RXQGHU·VERG\LVZLWKLQWKHWRZHURIWKH3ULPH
Sorcerer of Sanguinology, who is also the true power
behind the Silver Cult. Considering that the characters
FDPHWR&\KHUHVWHGIROORZLQJWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\DQG
the members of this organization, it is highly important
for the characters to learn more about the Silver Cult
DQGÀQGWKHPZKLFKZLOOHYHQWXDOO\JXLGHWKHPWRWKH
aforementioned tower. The information they will learn
from the Silver Cult’s leader, Elari, includes the location
RIWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\ WKHWRZHU WKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUV
DUHJRLQJWRQHHGVLJLOVZKHUHWRÀQGWKHPDQGKRZWR
use them to get into the tower. Although some of them
will be imperfect knowledge, the characters will be able
to learn the rest of the things they must know from
)LUX]H+DIVD6XOWDQZKRLVWKHOHDGHURIWKH7UDGHU·V
Goons, or through alternative methods.
Please keep in mind that the characters do not need
WRFDUU\WKHVLJLOVWKH\ÀQGZLWKWKHP6HHLQJWKH
shapes of the sigils is enough for them to proceed.
As the GM, it is up to you to decide the playstyle of
this chapter. There are multiple methods to obtain
164
some of the sigils, and you can choose the ones that you
OLNH,I\RXVHHÀW\RXFDQDOVRFKDQJHWKHSODFHVRIWKH
sigils where it feels appropriate. Moreover, some of the
events detailed in The Events section have nothing to
do with the main plot, but they seem to be related. You
can use these events to show more of Cyherested to the
characters, or if you want the characters to struggle
more before proceeding in the adventure. You can
also add your events in any way you like. This is your
adventure, and we’d like to provide you with more than
one possibility to run this chapter.
As we’ve said, there is more than one possible way
WRSOD\WKLVFKDSWHUXQWLOWKHWKLUGDQGWKHÀQDOEORRG
vision. We strongly suggest you read everything about
the organizations and the related events before playing.
5HJDUGLQJWKHVLJLOVZKHQWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQG
IRXURIWKHPWKHÀIWKZLOODSSHDU7KHVLJLOVWKDWFDQEH
found are sorcerer, magic, life, and soul sigils. Below,
\RXFDQÀQGWKHSODFHVWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQGWKHVH
sigils. The section titles referred below are detailed in
The Events section.
Sorcerer Glyph. This glyph is located in the
headquarters of the Silver Cult. At one point, the
characters should come across encounters related to
this cult. There is no other way to obtain the sorcerer
sigil.
Magic Glyph. All three leaders of the Corrupt Agents
possess a stone with the magic glyph carved on it, and
the organization also has one other magic sigil stored
RQWKHQGÁRRURIWKH=DSHUQLFN7RZHU S 7KH
leaders are detailed in the Corrupt Agents section, where
it also covers the characters’ possible abduction to the
Zapernick Tower, where they might encounter the
magic sigil. Another way to obtain this glyph is detailed
in the Chattercode District section.
Life Glyph. The life glyph can be found during the
random encounters within Cyherested. They are
detailed in the Spellcaster Brawl, Medical Malpractice, and
The Old Sniper sections.
Soul Glyph. The soul glyph can be found during
the random encounters within Cyherested. They
are detailed in the New Heretics and 2UJDQ7UDIÀFNLQJ
sections.
1RZZHFDQÀQDOO\WDONDERXWKRZWKHDGYHQWXUH
proceeds.
If the characters meet with Lance MacLeod, move on
to the Safe House VHFWLRQ)URP/DQFHWKH\DUHJRLQJWR
learn the whereabouts of the Silver Cult. During their
LQYHVWLJDWLRQ)LUX]H+DIWD6XOWDQWKHOHDGHURIWKH
Trader’s Goons, will send Abraham (p.192) and invite
the characters to dinner, since she is intrigued by the
characters and wants to cooperate with them against
the Silver Cult due to personal reasons. Abraham says,
 elari valborn
“My lady, Firuze Hafsa Sultan, invites you to dinner. She
is aware that you have been following some people and
some other people are following you right now. She fears
that you are in grave danger, and she would like to offer
you collaboration.” The characters can either go with
Abraham immediately or take the address from him.
If Lance Macleod is dead, or the characters don’t
PHHWZLWKKLP)LUX]H+DIWD6XOWDQWKHOHDGHURIWKH
Trader’s Goons, will send Abraham (p.192) and invite
the characters to dinner, since she is intrigued by
the characters and wants to cooperate with them
against the Silver Cult due to personal reasons.
Abraham says, “My lady, Firuze Hafsa Sultan, invites
you to dinner. She is aware that you have been following
some people and some other people are following you
right now. She fears that you are in grave danger, and
she would like to offer you collaboration.” The characters
may go with Abraham immediately or take the address
from him.
If Lance Macleod dies and the characters are captured
by one of the groups, the characters must escape from
captivity unless the group that has captured them is
the Sun Priests or the Trader’s Goons, since they act The Silver Cult
more friendly towards the characters than the other
organizations. In case the characters won’t escape from
captivity, you can make another organization, Lance The cult is founded by the Prime Sorcerer of
Macleod, or the Detective intervene and save them. Sanguinology, who controls the cult from the shadows.
If the characters refuse all invitations and Only the leader knows that the Prime Sorcerer is
collaborations, they can try to investigate by involved. As you may recall, the members of this cult
themselves. In this case, they can get information are responsible for the ritual that took place in Kanrath
from the events detailed in The Events section and from that rained blood and resurrected the characters. They
the encounter examples detailed in The Organizations DUHDOVRWKHRQHVWKDWVWROHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\
section. The organizations, especially the Silver Cult The cult gets its name from the silver daggers each
and the Corrupt Agents, are after the characters, and member has to carry, which they need to kill vampires.
you can try to capture the characters with them at any
Start playing “Two Bullets for a Wand” on the
suitable time.
“Bloodpunk OST” when the characters deal with the
Whatever path the characters choose to walk, make Silver Cult.
VXUHWKDWWKH\OHDUQWKHZKHUHDERXWVRIWKH)RXQGHU·V
body, about the sigils, and how to use them.
Leader
The Organizations Elari Valborn is the leader of the cult. She is a pupil of
the sanguinologist Prime Sorcerer; an extraordinary
privilege. She is the second youngest member of the
Valborn family, a proud family with a strong sorcerer
bloodline. The members of the Valborn family have
extremely potent blood and a strong predisposition to
sorcery.
As the GM, you may refer to the information given
Description. 6KHLVDWLHÁLQJZLWKDVNLQQ\EXLOG+HU
in this section many times during the course of the
ERG\LVVRWKLQWKDWLWDOPRVWORRNVOLNHVKHKDVQRÁHVK
adventure. There is detailed information about the
over her bones. She has tiny horns with slight curves.
organizations searching for the characters, their
6KHSUHIHUVWRZHDUGUHVVHVPDGHIURPORWXVÁRZHUVLON
leaders, headquarters, hideouts, goals, agents, and
She adorns herself with magic items, mostly jewelry,
headquarters.
HYHQLIVKHGRHVQ·WEHQHÀWIURPWKHP

165
 Personality. She is arrogant. Coming from a bloodline
of sorcerers, her family has a place in high society, so
she has never had to meddle with the common citizens
of Cyherested. She works hard to secure her place at
the top and fuels her pride to its extreme by her own
achievements.
Roleplaying Elari. She elucidates every sentence
with grandiloquent words. She takes her time to think
before acting and speaking. She moves and waves her
hands in the air while thinking and speaking. She tries
to act otherwise, but she is a passionless person and
VRPHWLPHVLWUHÁHFWVLQKHUGHPHDQRU
She loves sweets; she loves eating them, looking at
them, touching them, and smelling them. Her favorite
bakery in Cyherested is Uncle’s Baked Sweets. She is
also very protective of her family and family reputation.
She doesn’t like casting spells but she likes to feel
powerful, which sorcery provides.
She barely interacts with people outside high society
with the exception of the cult members. She even uses
a method she has developed to cast the teleport spell
as a ritual to travel within the city to stay away from
the crowds. She only travels to luxurious and well-
decorated places where she can have comfort.
What She Knows. She knows every detail about the
Silver Cult. She knows the names of all of its members,
every operation taking place, and all properties owned.
She also possesses the following information:
• The Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology aims to
UHVXUUHFWWKH)RXQGHUDQGELQGKLPGXULQJWKH
process.
• 7KHÀUVWDWWHPSWWRUHVXUUHFWWKH)RXQGHULQ
Kanrath failed, followed by a rain of blood and
the resurrection of the characters as a result. One
of the sorcerers responsible for conducting the
ritual by reading the spell scrolls prepared for this
purpose failed to read one of these scrolls correctly
because of a false interpretation of an arcane mark.
• 7KHFKDUDFWHUVSRVVHVVWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGZLWKLQ
their veins and it is killing them.
• 7KH)RXQGHU·VERG\LVZLWKLQWKHWRZHURIWKH
Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
• 7KHSURFHVVRIH[WUDFWLQJWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGIURP
their body would certainly kill them.
• To be able to enter the Prime Sorcerer’s tower,
RQHPXVWNQRZÀYHVLJLOVDQGXVHWKH+LJKZD\
S )RXURIWKHPPHDQVRUFHUHUPDJLFOLIHDQG
VRXOEXW(ODULKDVQRLGHDDERXWWKHÀIWKRQH6KH
also does not know where one must go using the
Highway, since there is no station for the Prime
Sorcerer’s tower in the Highway.
Elari would never share this information with anyone
166
except the Prime Sorcerer. To obtain this information,
the characters either need to persuade her (see the
Valborn Family section - p. 198) or probe deep into her
mind using magic, such as the detect thoughts spell, while
asking the relevant questions. At the GM’s discretion,
Elari might share some or all of this information if
the characters torture her. Regardless, if she is forced
to share this information, she will try to deceive the
characters by giving them false information. If the
characters completely cannibalize Elari’s corpse, they
gain 1 blood degeneration and learn all the information
she possessed.
Encounter Example. There is a radio within a shop
and it can be heard from the street. There are two
people talking, laughing, and making jokes. One of
them says, “There are people who doubt the existence of
the Prime Sorcerers. What do you think?” The other voice
answers, ´,NQRZDWLHÁLQJ(ODUL6KHLVDIULHQGRIP\
friend’s acquaintance…” -they laugh- “...She claims to be an
apprentice of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology. Are you
VD\LQJWKDWVKHJRHVWRWKH3ULPH7RZHUHYHU\GD\ÁDVKHV
a stick, waits at the door, for no reason? I don’t think so,
Dave. They are real and they might be even listening to our
charming show.” Again, they laugh.
Elari
0HGLXPKXPDQRLG WLHÁLQJ FKDRWLFQHXWUDO
Armor Class 18 (magical arsenal)
Hit Points 110 (13d8 + 52)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 11(+0) 19(+4) 17(+3) 16(+3) 22(+6)
Saving Throws Intelligence +8, Wisdom +8, Charisma
+11
Skills Arcana +8, Deception +11, History +8, Insight
+8, Intimidation +11, Investigation +8, Perception +8,
Persuasion +11
Damage ResistancesGDPDJHIURPVSHOOVÀUH
bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical
attacks
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal, Old
Common
Challenge  ;3
Endless Teleportation. Elari can cast the teleport spell as
a 10-minute ritual without expending a spell slot.
 Magical Arsenal. Elari wears and carries many magical
items which enhance her abilities. If she dies, most
of her items turn to dust, leaving behind an amulet of
health, bracers of defense, and an Ioun stone of absorption.
Spellcasting. Elari is an 18th-level spellcaster. Her
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19, +11 to
hit with spell attacks).
Cantrips (at will): agglutination*, ÀUHEROWPDJHKDQG
message, ray of frost, shocking grasp, spare the dying
1st level (4 slots): FXUHZRXQGVGHWHFWPDJLFLQÁLFW
wounds, silver needle*
2nd level (3 slots): barkskin, hold person, lesser
restoration, see invisibility
3rd level (3 slots): blood choke*, counterspell, dispel magic,
revivify, vampiric touch
4th level (3 slots): blight, deathward, freedom of movement
5th level (3 slots): blood burst*, greater restoration, mass
cure wounds, scrying
6th level (1 slot): chain lightning, ruby circlet*
7th level (1 slot): blood seeking*, reverse gravity, teleport
8th level (1 slot): mend magic*
9th level (1 slot): power word kill
ACTIONS
Multiattack. (ODULXVHV)RUFH1HHGOHWKULFH
Force Needle. Ranged Spell Attack: +11 to hit, range 30
ft., two targets standing no more than 5 feet from each
other. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) force damage.
Bloodshift (2/day). Elari transforms into a Tolian
siren (p. 288). Her game statistics are replaced by
the statistics of the siren except for her alignment,
personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma
VFRUHV6KHDOVRUHWDLQVKHUVDYLQJWKURZSURÀFLHQFLHV
in addition to gaining those of the creature. She
assumes the siren’s hit points and Hit Dice. When she
reverts to her normal form, she returns to the number
of hit points she had before she transformed (any
excess damage is carried to her normal form). She
can revert to her normal form as a bonus action; she
reverts automatically if she falls unconscious, drops to
0 hit points, or dies.
Goals
The cult is trying to capture the characters without
killing them. After their ritual of trying to resurrect
WKH)RXQGHUIDLOHGWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGUDLQHGGRZQ
from the sky and went into the characters’ bodies,
resurrecting them. Elari realized the situation and
realized that they need the characters for the blood
they carry which they need to perform the ritual again.
7KH\ZDQWWRH[WUDFWWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGIURPWKH
characters’ veins, which is fatal for the characters.
Encounter Example. Two tourist Kanrath vampires
(p. 282) are talking to each other in a cafe. The one
ZLWKWKHPRUHÁDPER\DQWFORWKHVVD\V“I am a guest
in this city and have you seen how they treated me? Those
barbarians were carrying silver daggers. It is rude and they
know it and that’s why they do it. She blabbed on and on
DERXWKRZWKH\·OOGUDLQWKHEORRGRIWKHÀUVWRQHDQGKRZ
they’ll boil it and kill it. The Founder is already dead… Why do
they even want to kill a dead person?” The other vampire
agrees with a nod and a shrug, saying, “What do they
know.”
Agents
The members of this cult are all sorcerers who respect
and fear Elari. The members think that the cult is
formed against vampires and their role is to eliminate
the vampire threat from Tolia. Elari has told them that
VKHNQRZVDZD\WRSHUPDQHQWO\NLOOWKH)RXQGHUEXW
WKDWLWUHTXLUHVWKHPWRUHVXUUHFWKLPÀUVW7KH\EHOLHYH
WKDWWKH)RXQGHU·VGHPLVHZRXOGGHVWUR\DOOYDPSLUHV
The less experienced members are Silver Cultists
(p. 286) and the more experienced ones are Silver
Sorcerers (p. 286). The characters might come across
these cultists within the city, mostly walking in groups
of two: one Silver Cultist and one Silver Sorcerer.
They look like other sorcerers with fancy clothes but
with silver daggers on their belts and they wear gloves
at all times.
If the members encounter the characters, one follows
them while the other gets help. If a cultist successfully
follows the characters for 1 hour while the other one
is getting help, the backup will arrive and a group of
6 cultists (1 Silver Sorcerers, 2 Silver Cultists, and 3
Silver Cult wardens - p. 286) will start to follow them,
trying to seize a chance to ambush them.
Encounter Example. A university student, decorated
ZLWKÀQHFORWKLQJWKDWLQGLFDWHVKLVVWDQGLQJLQWKH
social strata, is talking to his girlfriend about his family.
“I haven’t seen my brother for almost six months. He said he
was going to make things right with my father. He said he
was going to apply for a job suited for an educated sorcerer.
Instead, he joined that cult. They call themselves “silver
sorcerers”. Pathetic. I wish he would die before he drags our
family name through the mud anymore than he already did.”
Resources
Elari is the most important resource of the cult. She
has access to the Magnifying Hall (p. 14) where she can
amplify her spells. She also has permission to cast every
spell. Each time a character casts a spell, uses a magical
ability, or activates a magic item, roll a d20. If the result
is 20, she is in the Magnifying Hall, and she learns the
167
168
exact location of the character performing magic if They wanted everything, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t say no, they
the character is not hidden from divination magic. If are doing business with Elari. I’ll give your money back, I’ll
this happens, Elari casts the blood choke (p. 258) spell even consider a special discount just for you!”
targeting the character she detected (the spell’s range is
DPSOLÀHGE\WKH0DJQLI\LQJ+DOOWRVSDQWKHHQWLUHFLW\ 
and dispatches a group of cultists (1 Silver Sorcerer, 2 Headquarters
Silver Cultists, and 3 Silver Cult wardens). The cultists
In the district called the Nest (p. 12) the cult has a
arrive at the character’s detected location within 1
3-story building. On its entrance, it spells out “Elari’s
minute and they issue a search within a 100-foot radius.
Organic Spell Component Workshop” with chromed
If the characters escape, but leave even a drop of blood
brass plates. This large brick building is located near
behind, Elari will use it and cast the blood seeking (p.259)
a crossroads. The street before the front entrance
spell and again dispatch the group to retrieve the
descends toward the crossroads and from there, takes a
characters.
turn toward the back of the building.
The cult also has contacts throughout the city,
7KHUHLVDEDOFRQ\RQWKHVHFRQGÁRRUDQGPHWDO
especially people related to sorcery. There are
IUDPHGJODVVZLQGRZVRQWKHVHFRQGDQGWKLUGÁRRUV
university students, spell component merchants, magic
7KHEXLOGLQJKDVDÁDWURRIDQGRQLWWKHUHLVDIRRW
item traders, people desiring to become sorcerers,
tall metal pole with a small angst crystal attached to its
sorcerer elites, and fanatics that hate vampires as
top and wires connected to it; this is a radio receiver.
contacts as well as some as allies. If they encounter
The closest building is 60 feet away, and there are small
the characters they might try to warn the cult, deceive
parks and gardens between the buildings.
the characters, stall them, or even capture them
themselves. The outer walls of the building have two layers; the
outer layer is made of red bricks and the inner layer is
The cult’s wealth is not in coins but in magic items.
PDGHRIKROORZVWRQHEULFNVÀ[HGZLWKPHWDOEHDPV
The members carry 1d100 CW on them but they might
Each section of the outer walls, which is 5 feet wide and
be carrying valuable magic items. If the characters
5 feet tall, has AC 18, 22 hit points, and immunity to
loot a cult member’s equipment, you can choose to
poison and psychic damage.
give them additional loot by having them roll a d20.
2QDUHVXOWRIRUKLJKHUWKH\ÀQGDQXQFRPPRQ The inner walls of the building are made of a single
magic item on the cultist such as (d10) (1) bag of holding, layer of stone bricks and coated with plaster. Each
(2) brooch of shielding, (3) circlet of blasting, (4) cloak of section of the inner walls, which is 5 feet wide and 5 feet
protection, (5) dust of disappearance, (6) lantern of revealing, tall, has AC 17, 12 hit points, and immunity to poison
(7) mithral armor, (8) potion of resistance, (9) stone of good and psychic damage.
luck, and (10) wand of magic missiles. On a result of 19 or The necessary blood to fuel the angst equipment,
WKH\ÀQGDPDJLFLWHPRIUDUHTXDOLW\VXFKDV G  such as the lamps and the radio, is supplied to this
(1) amulet of health, (2) gem of seeing, (3) mantle of spell building through the underground blood pipeline of the
resistance, and (4) ring of free action. city.
The cult also takes precautions against the characters
using their arsenal. With every encounter they have
with the characters, they make upgrades according
c
c
WRWKHDELOLWLHVRIWKHFKDUDFWHUV)RUH[DPSOHLIWKH
characters prefer to deal a certain damage type, each a c
cultist is equipped with a potion of resistance against that
damage type. If the cultists fail to dent the armor of the b c
characters, each will be equipped with several wands of
e
magic missiles for their next encounter. If the characters
tend to become invisible, the cultists will be equipped
with lanterns of revealing. As the GM, you can take the
SUHFDXWLRQV\RXVHHÀWIRUWKHFXOWLVWV
g d
Encounter Example. A magic shop owner is arguing
with a customer outside of the shop’s entrance. The
customer cries out, “You promised to reserve the stone for f
me! I already paid almost half of its price! Give me my money e
back!” The owner looks ashamed and he tries to explain,
“I had no choice, they bought in bulk and paid in advance.

169

Basement. The basement is used as a slaughterhouse
where specialized butchers extract spell components
from various creatures.
It is made of marble, and the walls and columns are
made from thick stone blocks. A wooden truss supports
WKHXSSHUÁRRU7KHUHDUHPDQ\EUDVVSLSHVFRPLQJRXW
from the walls and traveling across the truss, carrying
blood to the many angst lamps illuminating the room.
There is a large pipe near the metal door, protruding
from the ground and going up to the truss. The pipe has
a valve and a pressure gauge. Closing the valve stops
WKHEORRGÁRZWRWKHHQWLUHEXLOGLQJGHDFWLYDWLQJDOO
angst equipment connected to the pipeline, such as the
angst lamps. While the valve is open, the basement is in
bright light, otherwise, it is in total darkness.
Every day from sunrise to sunset, there are 3 butchers
(commoners) working in the basement, extracting
spell components. They carry butcher knives (handaxe)
instead of clubs, and they wear chain shirts. Their
Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores are 13
(their hit point maximum is increased to 5), and
WKH\KDYHSURÀFLHQF\LQ$UFDQDVNLOO7KHUHLVDOVR
a bloodwork automaton worker (p. 272) helping
the butchers and obeying their every command. The
automaton has an adamantine handaxe instead of an
adamantine hammer. The automaton is always in the
basement, protecting it against intruders.
There is a sliding metal door (a) made of iron plates,
reinforced with cast iron straps, and decorated with
red brass stripes in the art-deco style. This door leads
to the backstreet, and it is used to bring goods in. It’s
kept locked during the night, while the butchers aren’t
working. The metal door is a Large object that has
AC 19, 27 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic
damage, and has a damage threshold of 10. It has a
built-in lock system that can’t be broken without
breaking the door, but the lock can be picked with a
successful DC 24 Dexterity check made with thieves’
tools.
The large area at the center of the octagonal room
is the butchery (b) where butchers with arcane
knowledge slaughter various creatures to harvest their
organs to be used as spell components and alchemical
LQJUHGLHQWV7KHDUHDLVDVXQNHQÁRRUVWDQGLQJ
inches lower than the rest of the room. It is built that
way so it stops the biological waste from spreading all
DURXQGWKHURRP7KHÁRRULVPDGHRIVPRRWKPDUEOH
which is easy to clean. There are three metal tables for
the butchers to work on.
Around the butchery, there are dry storage rooms
(c) with Large salt blocks placed in them. These rooms
are used to store equipment the butchers need and dry
170
materials that don’t easily expire. There are different
colored clumps of dust laid out on the ground in each
dry storage room. A successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Arcana or Nature) check reveals that they are highly
ÁDPPDEOHDQGLIWKH\FRPHLQFRQWDFWZLWKDKHDW
source, such as a torch, they explode. The explosion
GHDOV G ÀUHGDPDJHWRHYHU\FUHDWXUHRQWKH
ÀUVWÁRRUDQGLJQLWHVXQDWWHQGHGÁDPPDEOHREMHFWV
The dust is consumed during the explosion. The total
worth of the dust is 11,000 CS. There are also 4 daggers,
4 handaxes, and 1 chain shirt in each dry storage room.
The cold storage room (d) is used to store cleaned
carcasses and extracted blood in glass barrels. The
URRPLVNHSWDWGHJUHHV)DKUHQKHLW7KHUHDUHFRSSHU
tubes on the walls with spells inscribed on them and
angst crystals embedded inside. The brass pipes feeding
blood to angst lamps feed blood to these tubes, and the
angst crystals keep the spells activated, emitting cold
air. A creature who has spent 10 minutes in the cold
room without protection against the cold must succeed
on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or suffer a level
of exhaustion. The creature repeats the save every 10
minutes spent in the room, suffering another level of
exhaustion on each failed save. The cold room has a
stone door with no locks. These spells can be dispelled
with the dispel magic (DC 14) spell, or when the angst
crystals are broken or taken out with a successful DC 13
Intelligence check made with tinker’s tools.
Within the cold room, there is a secret door that
can be found with a successful DC 16 Intelligence
(Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) check. The
stone door is 2 feet wide and 2 feet tall. It leads to a
small room (e), which is a part of the cold room. There
is a white dragon wyrmling chained to the room; it
looks exhausted, scared, and in pain. The chains can
be broken with a successful DC 25 Strength check,
the chains have AC 12, 10 hit points, and immunity to
poison and psychic damage. When freed, it attacks the
characters unless they try to soothe the dragon with a
successful DC 13 Wisdom (Animal Handling) or DC 15
Charisma (Persuasion) check.
There are three pools (f), 6 feet deep and 3 feet wide,
ÀOOHGZLWKDOFKHPLFDOPL[WXUHVWRFXUHWKHKDUYHVWHG
organs. There are three blocks and tackles hooked to
the wooden truss above these pools; each holding a
FDJHÀOOHGZLWKRUJDQV7KHVHFDJHVDUHVXEPHUJHGLQ
these pools and the loose ends of the ropes are fastened
to metal hooks embedded in the stone wall. A creature
drinking from the alchemical mixtures within these
pools must succeed on a DC 30 Constitution saving
throw or become poisoned until treated with magic,
such as the lesser restoration spell.
$WWKHFRUQHURIWKHURRP J WKHUHDUHKRRNVÀ[HG
on the stone wall, metal drains embedded in the marble
ÁRRUURSHVFKDLQVEXFNHWVDZDWHUIDXFHWDKRVHDQG
PHWDOVKHOYHVÀOOHGZLWKYDULRXVNQLYHV GDJJHUV 
saws, and axes (7 handaxes). This where the creatures
are killed, drained, cleaned, and prepared for delicate
butchering.
b soldiers (p. 272).
e At the end of a long and narrow corridor, there is a
d
c b
a b
Near the metal door, there is a narrow stairway (h)
JRLQJXSWRWKHÀUVWÁRRU
First Floor. 7KHÀUVWÁRRULVXVHGDVDVSHOOFRPSRQHQW
PDUNHWZKHUHUHÀQHGFDWHJRUL]HGDQGEDJJHGVSHOO
components meet with customers in pouches. There
are 2 salespeople (noble RQWKHÀUVWÁRRUDWWHQGLQJWR
the customers, and they only work during the daytime.
These salespeople don’t carry weapons, instead, they
carry RIÀFHUZDQGV (p. 267).
There are two doors in the entrance hall (a). The main
door is a double-sided glass door with a brass frame.
The glass door has AC 13, 5 hit points, vulnerability
to bludgeoning damage, and immunity to poison and
psychic damage. It is locked outside of working hours.
Its lock can be picked with a successful DC 18 Dexterity
check made with thieves’ tools. The other door,
varnished and wooden, leads to the corridor outside
the room. In the hall, there are six comfortable chairs
with soft cushions and large wool carpets. The walls are
painted beige with golden stripes on top.
The shop (b) where spell components are on display
in showcases, on shelves, and on tables is a spacious
room. There is a huge wool carpet in the middle of the
room. The wooden tables and showcases between the
stone columns separate the room; the corridor behind
the tables is for salespeople and the room between the
tables is for the customers. There are a total of 1003
spell component pouches displayed in the shop. These
spell component pouches are magically marked with
transmutation magic, which can be perceived with
a spell or other effect that can sense the presence of
magic, such as the detect magic spell, revealing that it
is made in Elari’s Organic Spell Component Workshop.
Most merchants control these marks during purchase
to check if there is a warrant about those spell
components.
In the back of the shop, there is a small room (c)
where salespeople store the payment. There are 1d100
x 250 CS in the chests stored in this room at the end of
the work day. The money is taken to the bank every
day early in the morning by 4 bloodwork automaton
b
b b
c
a
e b
d
f
stairway (d) leading to the basement.
There is a wide marble staircase (e) leading to the
VHFRQGÁRRU
Second Floor. 7KHVHFRQGÁRRULVXVHGDVWKHFXOW·V
headquarters. The sorcerers plan their next moves,
write reports about cult activities, study magic, take
meetings, and store their valuables here.
7KHVWDLUFDVH D FRQQHFWLQJWKHÀUVWDQGVHFRQG
ÁRRUVOHDGVWRDFRUULGRURQWKHVHFRQGÁRRU7KH
FRUULGRU·VÁRRULVFRYHUHGZLWKDVRIWUHGFDUSHWWKDW
LVÀ[HGWLJKWE\VPDOOKRUL]RQWDOEUDVVURGVSUHVVLQJ
WKHFDUSHWWRWKHJURXQGZKHUHWKHZDOOVDQGWKHÁRRU
FRQQHFW7KHURGVDUHÀ[HGWRWKHZDOOV7KHUHDUHDQJVW
lamps hanging on the walls throughout the corridor.
They have cloth shades embroidered with depictions of
sorcerers. Between the lamps, there are small wooden
stands adjacent to the wall. On the stands, there are a
variety of desserts emitting appealing smells of baked
sweets and chocolate. Elari can magically sense if any
171
 of these desserts are eaten, realizing that there are
intruders within the building. There are many high
quality, wooden doors in the corridor, and none of them
are locked. The walls are painted beige with horizontal
golden stripes on top. Creatures have advantage on
Dexterity (Stealth) checks in the corridor as the carpet
insulates the sounds.
$URXQGWKHFRUULGRUWKHUHDUHRIÀFHV E ZKHUHWKH
FXOWLVWVZRUN,QHDFKRIÀFHWKHUHDUHWZRGHVNVWZR
chairs, a couch, an angst lamp same as the corridor, and
a metal framed glass window looking outside. There is
DYDOYHLQHDFKRIÀFHQHDUWKHGRRUZKHUHWKHEORRG
ÁRZWRWKHDQJVWODPSLVFRQWUROOHG7KHUHDUHSilver
Cultist (p. 286) and 1 Silver Cult warden (p. 286) in
HDFKRIÀFHDWDOOWLPHV
7KHUHLVDODUJHRIÀFH F LQWKHPLGGOH7KHFXOWLVWV
VXSHUYLVLQJWKLVÁRRUXVHWKHODUJHRIÀFH7KHUHDUH
always 2 Silver Sorcerers S LQWKHODUJHRIÀFH
at any given time. There are two large desks and two
comfortable chairs in the room. There are no windows,
and the room is illuminated by the angst lamps on the
chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The wall across
the door is an illusion, which can be realized with a
successful DC 22 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Physical interactions with the wall reveal it to be an
illusion as objects can pass through it. Behind the wall,
WKHUHDUHODUJHVDFNVÀOOHGZLWKVSHOOFRPSRQHQWV
Each sack weighs 110 pounds and is worth 22,500 CS.
There are also 5 vials of blood. A successful DC 21
:LVGRP 0HGLFLQH FKHFNUHYHDOVWKDWDOOÀYHRIWKHP
belong to the same type of creature. A successful DC
23 Intelligence check made with alchemist’s supplies,
which consumes one of the vials, reveals that the blood
belongs to a white dragon.
At the end of the corridor, there is a door leading to
WKHPDLQKDOO G RIWKHVHFRQGÁRRU7KHUHLVDVPDOO
balcony where cultists come to smoke their Ginger
WonderFLJDUHWWHV7KHÁRRULVPDUEOHWKHZDOOVDUH
painted white and there are large glass windows. During
the daytime, the hall is very well lit, but during the
nighttime the street lamps illuminate the hall, leaving it
in dim light. There are 1d6 - 1 Silver Cult wardens, 1d4
- 1 Silver Cultists and 1 Silver Sorcerer in the main
hall at any given time.
)URPWKHPDLQKDOOWKHUHDUHWZRGRRUVOHDGLQJWR
the conference room (e). There is a long wooden table
spanning across the entire conference room and a total
of 14 metal chairs. Thick brass pipes protrude from the
ceiling, coming together in the middle of the ceiling
and hanging 2 feet down. There is a large glass sphere
attached to the end with circular runes carved on it,
DQGWKHUHLVDÀVWVL]HGDQJVWFU\VWDOZLWKLQWKHVSKHUH
radiating a bright white light. The angst crystal is well
cut and shaped; it’s worth 80,000 CS. While the glass
172
sphere, brass pipes, and the angst crystal are intact
DQGXQGDPDJHGDQGWKHEORRGÁRZWRWKHEXLOGLQJ·V
pipeline is undisturbed, the spell inscribed on the glass
sphere is active. While the spell is active, the conference
room is illuminated by bright light (this light is
sunlight). A successful DC 19 Intelligence (Arcana) check
reveals that this light protects everything within the
room against divination magic. Nothing in the room can
be targeted by divination magic or perceived through
magical scrying sensors. A spell or other effect that can
sense the presence of magic, such as the detect magic
spell, reveals two overlapping auras of abjuration magic
and evocation magic on the glass sphere. Every day,
early in the morning, Elari and 13 Silver Sorcerers take
a meeting in this room for an hour and talk about their
daily goals.
d
c
a b
There is a wide staircase (f) made of white marble
ZLWKJROGHQYHLQVWKDWOHDGVWRWKHWKLUGÁRRU
Third Floor. 7KHWRSÁRRULVGHGLFDWHGWR(ODULDQG
her secretary, no one is allowed to go up here except for
them.
The marble staircase (a) connects the second and
WKLUGÁRRUV%HIRUHWKHVWDLUVWKHUHLVDVPDOOURRPZLWK
WZRGRRUV7KHÁRRULVFRYHUHGHQWLUHO\ZLWKDFULPVRQ
carpet with a lighthouse and a Tolian siren embroidered
on it with golden yarn. The room is illuminated by a
single angst lamp hanging on the wall and is in dim
light.
7KHUHLVDVPDOOURRP E RQWKHWRSÁRRUZKLFKLV
currently empty. There is a closed hatch on the ceiling,
IHHWDERYHWKHÁRRUWKDWOHDGVWRWKHURRI7KHUHDUH
no ladders here.
%HIRUH(ODUL·VRIÀFHWKHUHLVDVPDOOHURIÀFH F ZKHUH
KHUVHFUHWDU\ZRUNVDQGUHVLGHV7KHÁRRULVHQWLUHO\
covered with a crimson carpet, which has small, winged
KXPDQRLGÀJXUHVHPEURLGHUHGRQLWZLWKJROGHQ\DUQ
There is a bed, a table, 4 chairs, a sink, an angst stove,
and an angst oven in the room. In a wooden closet,
there are enough food supplies to feed a single person
for a month.
There is a blood cylinder connected to the stove,
ZKLFKLVDKLJKSUHVVXUHPHWDOFRQWDLQHUÀOOHGZLWK
alchemical gasses and blood. It has AC 20, 10 hit
points, immunity to poison and psychic damage, and a
damage threshold of 9. If the blood cylinder is broken,
it explodes. When it does, each creature within 30
feet of the container must make a Dexterity saving
throw, taking 33 (6d10) bludgeoning damage plus 22
(4d10) blood damage on a failed save, or half as much
on a successful one. Elari’s secretary (human, lawful
neutral, mage) lives in this room and never leaves. The
secretary, Alicia, was saved by Elari from execution for
being a wizard, and was cursed instead. She can’t sleep,
so she constantly suffers one level of exhaustion and
has disadvantage on saving throws. She owes her life to
Elari and is completely loyal to her.
7KHELJJHVWURRPRQWKHWRSÁRRU G LV(ODUL·VRIÀFH
LQZKLFKWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQÀQG(ODULHQMR\LQJGHVVHUWV
Her polished wooden desk stands at the opposite side
of the room from the entrance and there are lots of
desserts resting on it. On each wall, there are large sash
windows with brass frames. Before Elari’s desk, there
are three couches with overstuffed cushions covered
in red velvet. In one corner, there is an angst radio
connected to a brass pipe coming out of a wall and two
wooden chairs before it. In another corner, there is a
ODUJHVWRQHEUD]LHUVWDQGLQJRQLURQOHJVÀOOHGZLWKUDZ
DQJVWFU\VWDOV7KHEUD]LHULVÀOOHGZLWKDOFKHPLFDOO\
transmuted blood, which causes the crystals to create
OLWWOHÁDPHVDQGZDUPWK$QRFWDJRQDOEUDVVFKDQGHOLHU
holding angst lamps hangs from the middle of the
ceiling. There are many geometric shapes on the walls
PDGHRIJROGFRORUHGVWULSV7KHÁRRULVPDGHRIHERQ\
wood. In the drawers of Elari’s table, there are 2 packs
of Ginger Wonders (p. 266), an empty contract (p. 266), an
eyes of minute seeing, a pearl of powerDQGDPRGLÀHGbag
of holding that magically preserves food and is entirely
ÀOOHGZLWKGHVVHUWV
There is also a small stone, 3-inch wide, with a glyph
carved on it; a creature can realize that the glyph means
“sorcerer” with a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana)
check. It is one of the glyphs needed to activate the
magic circle within the tower of the Prime Sorcerer of
Sanguinology.
Encounter Example. The gnomes pass by the
characters, speaking excitedly, “Completely organic?”
“Yes! Entirely, one hundred percent organic.” “But they must
be using angst dust, right?” “I’m telling you, it’s perfectly,
absolutely organic.” “So, it means that it is healthy?” “What?
How can a spell component be unhealthy?” “I dunno… maybe
it’s unhealthy for necromancers?” “What are you sayin’? You
are making no sense!” “Forget it, where do they sell this thing,
let’s try before we get too excited.” “The shop is in the Nest, a
brick building with chromed letters that reads Elari’s Organic
Spell Component Workshop.”
Hideouts
The cult uses houses in the residential areas as their
hideouts. The cultists sometimes stay at these places or
use them as bases for operations. The curtains of these
houses are almost always closed and the light is kept
dim. There are 5 Silver Cultists and 3 Silver Sorcerers
in each hideout. There is an angst fear mine connected
to the main door of each hideout.
The angst fear mine is a magic trap that activates
when a creature, that has blood within its body, touches
the door knob with its bare hand. There is a magic
circle on the door inscribed with invisible ink that
can be detected with effects such as the see invisibility
spell. After seeing the circle, the characters must
make a successful DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check to
XQGHUVWDQGWKDWWKHFLUFOHLQÁLFWVIHDUZKHQDFWLYDWHG
There are sharp angst dust particles on the doorknob,
and the DC is 20 to spot the dust particles. The particles
pierce the skin and start to radiate magic when they
come in touch with blood, activating the magical circle.
A spell or other effect that can sense the presence of
magic, such as the detect magic spell, reveals an aura of
enchantment magic on the door.
When the trap activates, it releases a burst of
dreadful magic. Each creature within 10 feet of the trap
that is facing the trap must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom
saving throw or become frightened for 2 rounds. While
frightened in this manner, the creature screams as loud
as it can, and cannot willingly approach the door.
Scratching the magic circle or a successful dispel magic
(DC 14) cast on the door destroys the trap.
Encounter Example. A homeless man and a woman in
a trenchcoat are arguing. The man begs, “Please madam,
this has been my corner for years. I mean no harm to anyone.
I just want to sleep.” The woman scolds the man, “Don’t
make me repeat myself. Go away. I don’t care if this is your
spot or not, I am staying in this house…” - she points at
the house near her - “...and I don’t want to see you in my
street. Go away or I’ll call the brass fellas. They’ll know how to
make you disappear. How about that?” The man sadly goes
away and the woman goes back to her house. Before
she closes the door, the characters catch a glimpse of a
silver dagger on the woman’s belt.
173

Interactions With the
Characters
If the characters are captured or persuaded by the cult
to comply, they are taken to the headquarters.
If they are taken by force, they are tied up upside
down to the hooks in the basement, the slaughterhouse.
If they are brought in unconscious, 8 hours pass, they
take a long rest, and they wake up. Read or paraphrase
the text below to your players:
Blood pulsating in your head, fingertips
tingling with slight pain, and you feel the
cold touch of metal on your skin. You feel
blood flowing to your head, pooling as if it
is creating a small puddle at the top of your
skull. Your heart beats into your neck and
your eyes feel like they are popping out.
You are hanging upside down, dangling 3
feet above the floor like a carcass ready to be
butchered.
You are in a room, chained to a hook,
and your hands are tied with a hempen
rope around your wrists. You are in your
underwear. You look around, trying to give
meaning to your situation. The walls and the
arched ceiling are made of clean-cut stones
fixed in place with mortar. Your blood and
sweat drip into drains embedded in the marble
floor. Chains and hooks are tied to a wooden
truss that supports the ceiling. Brass pipes
travel across the same truss, barely vibrating
with a hissing sound from something flowing
through it. There are iron shelves filled with
various knives and saws for boning, carving,
skinning, and for god knows what. On the
opposite side of the room, there are three
circular pools filled with semi-transparent
brown liquids, bubbling menacingly. The
room, the furniture, and the tools are all
perfectly clean. There are no windows or
openings, only the angst lamps near the pipes
illuminating the room.
Two robed cultists, a gray haired halfling
and a bald elf, standing before you with their
tired gazes upon you. They seem displeased.
Two Silver Sorcerers (p. 286) are waiting in the
room, watching over the characters. If the characters
try to escape, the sorcerers strike those characters.
174
They continue to attack them as long as they keep
trying to escape. The characters can burst the ropes
on their hands with a successful DC 22 Strength check,
the ropes have AC 8, 2 hit points, immunity to poison
and psychic damage. After freeing their hands from the
ropes, the characters can break the chains on their feet
with a successful DC 25 Strength check, the chains have
AC 10, 10 hit points, immunity to poison and psychic
damage. If a character drops to 0 hit points, one of the
sorcerers uses a healer’s kit to stabilize the character.
The characters do not have their equipment and
clothes on them; they are all stored in a wooden chest
RQWKHVHFRQGÁRRULQRQHRIWKHRIÀFHURRPV7KH
chest is locked and has AC 15, 10 hit points, immunity to
poison and psychic damage. The characters can break
the lock with a successful DC 20 Strength check, or the
lock can be picked with a DC 18 Dexterity check made
with thieves’ tools.
If the characters talk to the sorcerers watching over
them, they share the following information when asked
about it:
• They are holding the characters because they want
WRH[WUDFWWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGIURPWKHPZKLFK
is the truth. They also claim that this process
will relieve them from any distress, disease, or
FXUVHWKDWWKHEORRGPLJKWEHLQÁLFWLQJXSRQWKH
characters, which is a lie.
• They have been watching over the characters for 3
hours and they are bored, tired, and angry.
• The leader of the cult will join them shortly,
accompanied by a specialist to drain their blood.
• They will be attached to a machine which will drain
WKHLUEORRGDQGVHSDUDWHWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGIURP
theirs. The process is estimated to take an hour.
• They hate vampires and everything they stand
for. They think that vampires are incapable of
understanding mortal values and thus must be
destroyed.
• They believe that a person’s value is mostly
determined by their ancestors and that being a
sorcerer is proof of being part of a great bloodline.
• They carry silver knives because to kill a vampire,
you must stab them through the heart with it.
• They know the location of the characters’
equipment, and say that they will give them back
after they are done with the characters.
• The leader gets angry when someone eats her
desserts.
After a couple of minutes, Elari comes down to the
basement accompanied by Doctor Ashton Holmes
(human, chaotic neutral, commoner). He doesn’t carry
weapons. He has an Intelligence score of 17 and he is
SURÀFLHQWLQWKH$UFDQD,QVLJKW0HGLFLQHDQG1DWXUH
skills. The doctor is an old man, looking to be in his
ÀIWLHV+HKDVDQDYHUDJHEXLOGDGDUNPXWWRQFKRS
beard with hoary tips, dark emerald eyes, and a bald
head. He wears a white shirt with high stiff collars, a
black waistcoat, a dark frock coat, straight trousers, and
a top hat. He carries a large leather tool bag.
The Silver Cultists make sure that the characters are
tied up properly, then leave the basement. The doctor
starts to explain the procedure calmly in a tired voice:
“The purpose of this particular medical procedure I am going
WRDSSO\WRGD\LVWKHVHSDUDWLRQDQGSXULÀFDWLRQRI\RXU
blood. First, I am going to sterilize this needle by leaving it
half an inch above boiling water.” He puts his tool bag onto
the table and takes out four metal needles, along with
DVSLULWVWRYHULQJVWDQGFODPSVDÁRUHQFHÁDVNDQG
DÁDVNRIZDWHU+HVWDUWVWRDVVHPEOHWKHPWRVWHULOL]H
the needles. “Secondly, I am going to insert a catheter in
your peripheral veins for venous access.” He waits for the
water to boil and holds the needles above the steam
for a minute. Then, he attaches the needles to venous
catheters. He takes out a large box with small holes
on its surface from his tool bag. He connects the other
ends of the catheter tubes to the box. “Then, the machine
within this wooden box is going to pump out your blood,
DQGÀOWHUWKHXQZDQWHGSURGXFWVE\SDVVLQJLWWKURXJKD
semipermeable membrane. This method utilizes the counter-
FXUUHQWÁRZWKHUHDUHWKUHHWXEHVZLWKLQWKHH[WUDFRUSRUHDO
FLUFXLWRQHIRUEORRGÁRZRQHIRUWKHGLDO\VDWHÁRZDQG
WKHODVWRQHIRUWKHVDWXUDWHGDQJVWVROXWHÁRZ%ORRGÁRZ
DQGGLDO\VDWHÁRZDUHRSSRVLWHWRHDFKRWKHUZKLOHWKH
VROXWHÁRZVLQWKHVDPHGLUHFWLRQDVWKHEORRGFROOHFWLQJ
WKHÀOWHUHGEORRG$IWHUWKHEORRGLVSXULÀHGZHDUHJRLQJWR
separate the Founder’s blood from yours, which I am going
to explain when the time comes.” He inserts the needles
into the characters’ arms and the machine starts to
drain the blood silently. If asked about the safety of
the procedure, the doctor says, “I had never lost a patient
to this procedure.” The characters can realize with a
successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check that the doctor
does not seem to be lying, but he isn’t telling them the
whole truth either. The truth is that the doctor has
never lost a patient to this procedure since he has never
WULHGWRVHSDUDWHWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGIURPVRPHERG\·V
blood.
After connecting them to the machine, Elari and
the doctor leave the basement. The characters are left
alone and have 1 hour. As time passes, they feel more
and more tired and if they fail to escape or detach the
catheter, they die.
If the characters struggle and try to move, they
UHDOL]HWKDWWKHKRRNVDUHQRWÀ[HGWRWKHWUXVVDQGFDQ
slide on it. The characters can move by sliding the hook
on the truss. The characters can pull themselves up to
the truss with a successful DC 19 Dexterity (Acrobatics)
check, and if they do so, then they can free their chains
from the hook but not from their feet. A Medium-sized
character can reach the edge of the iron shelf and cut
their rope using it. If the characters move closer to each
other by sliding the hook, they can reach each other’s
catheters and pull them out, dealing 1 piercing damage.
The characters can pull the catheter out carefully
without dealing the damage with a successful DC 12
:LVGRP 0HGLFLQH FKHFN7KHFKDUDFWHUVSURÀFLHQW
with thieves’ tools can use the catheter needle to pick
the lock that binds their feet with a successful DC 25
Dexterity check; the needle breaks after the attempt
whether it is successful or not, as it is too fragile. If the
characters pull themselves slightly up and drop at the
same time, the truss makes a crackling noise; if they
do it 2 more times, the truss collapses and they are
freed from the hooks but not the bindings. If the truss
breaks, two Silver Cultists (p. 286) rush into the room
after 2 rounds. While their feet are chained, moving 1
foot costs 5 feet of speed. The characters can free their
hands by dislocating their thumbs with a successful DC
14 Wisdom (Medicine) check. They need to relocate it
with another DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check or they
can’t use their thumbs or hold objects with that hand.
,IWKHFXOWLVWVRQWKHXSSHUÁRRUVDUHQRWDOHUWHG(ODUL
and the doctor come back in an hour to check on the
FKDUDFWHUV,IWKHFXOWLVWVRQWKHXSSHUÁRRUVUHDOL]H
that the characters have escaped, they rush over to the
characters. Roll the dice explained in the Headquarters
section to determine the number of cultists within each
room of the building and start to move them toward the
characters.
If the characters go to the cult headquarters willingly
to undergo the procedure, Elari welcomes them to
KHURIÀFH5HDGRUSDUDSKUDVHWKHWH[WEHORZWR\RXU
players:
The sour smell of the spell components
coming from the first floor leaves its place to
exquisite aromas of mint, cocoa, cinnamon,
coffee, and sweet pastry as you go up to the
second floor. You pass a silent corridor
decorated with a red carpet, angst lamps
hanging from the walls, and baked desserts
resting on the wooden stands. From a gold-
veined marble staircase, you go up to the
third floor where the sugary smell intensifies.
After passing one more room and one more
corridor, you arrive at the leader’s office.
The ebony wood floor creaks as you step
into the room. There is a polished wooden
table in front of a wide sash window and
175
 before the table, there are three couches with
overstuffed cushions covered in red velvet.
The octagonal brass chandelier holding angst
lamps, the wooden radio, and the golden
strips used in the interior design contribute to
the art-deco style of the room.
Elari (p. 166) welcomes the characters and asks
them to sit on the couches and to make themselves
comfortable. She offers them apple pie, chocolate-
FRYHUHGDOPRQGVDQGFDUDPHOÁDYRUHGFRIIHH$
spell or other effect that can sense the presence of
magic, such as the detect magic spell, reveals an aura of
transmutation magic on the food. The food Elari eats
are alchemically altered so that they don’t have any
calories.
She gets a slice of apple pie to herself and starts
talking to the characters, trying to persuade them that
the procedure is safe, but it might exhaust them. She
ZRXOGQHYHUVKDUHLQIRUPDWLRQUHODWHGWRWKH)RXQGHU·V
body and Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology or even admit
to her connections with them.
If the characters refuse the procedure, Elari says, “I
don’t like to exaggerate but this is not a pecuniary business
for which I would lose a mere bonus because of my failure. In
my line of work, incompetence means humiliation, torture,
and sometimes death. You can save me from all that by
simply donating blood.” If the characters don’t change
their minds, Elari immediately drops the act and
surprises the characters by attacking them with the
chain lightning spell; the cultists do not come into her
RIÀFHIRUDLG,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDUHGHIHDWHGWKH\DUH
captured by the Silver Cult.
If the characters accept the procedure, Doctor Ashton
+ROPHVFRPHVWRWKHRIÀFHGHVFULEHVWKHSURFHGXUH
and applies it in the same way as previously explained.
If the characters wait for 1 hour while the machine
drains their blood, they die.
If the characters die because of the procedure
Doctor Ashton Holmes performs, the
Founder’s blood goes berserk and resurrects
the characters as it doesn’t want to leave its
hosts. The characters resurrected by this
means regain all of their missing hit points
and go into blood berserk.
Blood Berserk. A character can end the
blood berserk at the end of their turn, which
176
requires no action.
While affected by blood berserk, the
characters have the following features:
• They regain all of their missing hit points
at the start of each of their turns.
• They have advantage on Strength,
Constitution, and Wisdom saving throws.
• All diseases and poisons affecting them
are suppressed.
• They are immune to being charmed and
frightened.
• They gain 1 blood degeneration at the
start of each of their turns.
If Elari is killed, the cult ceases their search for the
characters. While in the presence of her corpse, the
FKDUDFWHUVKHDUZKLVSHUVRIWKH)RXQGHUVD\LQJWKLQJV
like, “Eat her. Consume her. Taste your enemies. Feast on
WKHLUÁHVK'ULQNWKHLUOLIHDZD\0DNHWKHPDSDUWRI\RX
Chew their bones. Eat. Meat and blood. Take a bite. Rip her
heart before the warmth escapes. Don’t waste your prey.
Act like the predator you are. They are not different from a
lamb in a slaughterhouse. You earned it. Cannibalize. Gorge
yourself on her tender meat. Give in to your instinct. Devour.”
The Corrupt Agents
There are agents within CBI sorcerers, universities,
laboratories, factories, and administrative
establishments who are on the payroll of the Prime
Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians. They are not directly
in contact with the Prime Sorcerer and most of them
don’t even know that they work for the Prime Sorcerer.
There is a group of directors controlling and paying
these agents. These directors work directly under the
Prime Sorcerer.
Start playing “Glamorous Nights of Endless Sorcery”
on the “Bloodpunk OST” when the characters deal with
the Corrupt Agents.
Leader
There are three directors controlling these agents. All
three of these leaders know the glyph combination
needed to access the Prime Tower of Crimson
Technicians. They all possess a small stone, 3-inch
wide, with a glyph carved on it; a creature can realize
that the glyph means “magic” with a successful DC
20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. It is one of the glyphs
needed to activate the magic circle within the tower of
the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology. The same glyph is
also used in the Prime Tower of Crimson Technicians,
which can’t be known by the characters. Below, you can
ÀQGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKHWKUHHGLUHFWRUV
Ava Smith (human, lawful neutral, CBI special
operator - p. 273) is a retired CBI operator. She is
responsible for managing the law enforcement agents
on her payroll. She lives in a three-story apartment
in a skyscraper in East Midfort (p. 13) with her two
daughters.
Description. She is a short muscular woman with
a body bearing many scars. She has evident dimples
on her serious face and curly hair down to her chin,
whitened due to age. She usually wears straight linen
trousers, a loose white shirt, and a long coat with many
pockets.
often visits industrial zones and laboratories to talk
to agents in key positions. He lives alone in a villa in
CADRAC, which the university has assigned to the
professor.
Description. He is a middle-aged man with an average
build and a tired look in his eyes. There are abrasions
RQKLVQRVHDQGÀQJHUVEHFDXVHRIWKHDGGLFWLYH
alchemical stimulants he uses. He always wears brown
leather shoes, brown wool trousers, a brown tailcoat, a
white shirt, a red bowtie, a brown fedora, and an angst
brooch. He has a leather suitcase that he carries at all
times.
Personality. He values work above all else. He believes
that a person must work hard to achieve their goals
and be useful to society. He is an intelligent person who
immediately gets bored if he is out of things to struggle
with. While doing anything, like lecturing, training, or
cooking, he is a patient man, but the moment he gets
bored, he becomes restless and impatient.

Personality. She is a disciplined person with a direct Roleplaying Salvador. He is a skilled orator and likes
approach to matters at hand, though she has a loving to make small non-offensive jokes during his speeches
demeanor in her personal life. She likes peach liqueur and lectures. He is always working and while he is not,
DQGWKHVPHOORIUHFHQWO\ÀUHGSLVWROV6KHLVDFORVH he is looking for an endeavor. He sees socializing as
minded individual who shares the common values of work, so he approaches it with the same care he gives to
the sorcerers of Cyherested. his other endeavors. He chooses his words and forms his
sentences in such a way that everyone can understand
Roleplaying Ava. She is always watching out for what he is speaking about.
trouble, regardless of her mood. She is not afraid of
showing her emotions even if something scares or What He Knows. He knows almost everything about
threatens her, but she is always on guard. This applies
in social situations as well. Even in places where she
is not welcome, she acts like herself and speaks her
mind. She is familiar with the slang spoken in the
streets of Cyherested and she regularly uses it on formal
occasions by mistake. She mostly stays still, even while
speaking.
What She Knows. She personally knows every agent
working for her and she even knows the details of their
personal lives. She is aware of all the major incidents
related to law enforcement that took place in Kanrath
and Cyherested, including the characters. She can
access all information that the CBI has.

Salvador Castillo (human, lawful neutral, noble) is a

professor of bloodwork engineering at CADRAC (p. 13).
His rapier is infused and fueled by angst; it deals an
DGGLWLRQDOGÀUHGDPDJH+HDOVRKDVUHVLVWDQFHWR
ÀUHGDPDJHGXHWRKLVUHVHDUFKDVDVRUFHUHUDOWKRXJK
he expends all his magic in the academy, which leaves
him unable to cast spells in his daily life.
He manages the agents within universities, factories,
and laboratories. He recruits some of his most trusted
assistants and uses them as messengers, although he

leland chattercode
177
 angst devices and he is familiar with most of their
GHVLJQV+HLVDZDUHRIDOOUHVHDUFKUHODWHGWRKLVÀHOG
both public and secret. One of these is the pursuit of
V\QWKHVL]LQJDQHIÀFLHQWEORRFULPDJODVVDV\QWKHWLF
material that has the same properties as the angst
FU\VWDOEXWZLWKFRQVLGHUDEO\ORZHIÀFLHQF\7KLV
research is overseen directly by the Prime Sorcerer
of Crimson Technicians, and its existence is highly
FODVVLÀHG
Leland Chattercode is the leader of the directors and
he is responsible for bureaucratic matters. The agents
that are working within the administrative mechanism
of the city answer to him. He spends most of his time
in Heartstring Way, consulting people, and solving
problems related to his family and agents.
He is a general practice lawyer, with most of his
experience in contract-related issues. He comes from
a family of successful bureaucrats, mostly lawyers and
judges. He is the eldest member of the family, living
with his 9 kids, 7 daughters and 2 sons, 5 children-in-
law, 19 grandkids, 3 dogs, 7 cats, a sheep, his 4 younger
siblings, their children, their children’s children,
etc. The family of 162 occupies an entire street in
Heartstring Way. They live in luxurious, quaint houses
which were expropriated by the government over a
hundred years ago, but were denationalized by the
Chattercode family. These two to four-story houses are
made of large blocks of stone decorated with carvings of
many parallel lines and simple geometrical shapes; they
also have a unique feature: adamantine balustrades.
Leland and his family are protected by private
VHFXULW\RIÀFHUVZKRZHUHRQFHCBI special operators
(p. 273). Their family street is also protected by these
RIÀFHUVDQGWKH\GRQ·WOHWDQ\RQHJHWRQWKHVWUHHW
without the family’s permission. At any given time, at
least two CBI special operators accompany Leland.
Leland drinks a potion every morning. He brews
this potion himself, and it gives him an edge against
poison, but also makes it impossible for him to become
invisible.
Description. +HLVDQROGKDOÁLQJ%RWKKLVKXQFKHG
back and the silver-handled walking stick give away his
old age. Although his skin is all wrinkly, his short curly
hair is soft and white, he is hard of hearing, and there
are many age spots on his skin. His eyes are perfectly
healthy and his sight is keener than many younger than
him. This seemingly-cute old man wears black lawyer
robes at all times with golden stripes on their edges and
FROODUVUHÁHFWLQJWKHDUWGHFRDHVWKHWLFRI&\KHUHVWHG
Personality. He likes comfortable chairs, sitting
QHDUDZDUPÀUHSODFH\RXQJSHRSOHWDONLQJDERXW
Cyherested’s history, intellectual people, and a nice
178
glass of brandy. As he got older, he started to enjoy
sleeping more than before. He believes in the necessity
of laws but he also believes that the four Prime
Sorcerers stand above them. He’ll go to any lengths to
protect his family.
Roleplaying Leland. He is an intimidating man with
many powerful allies and contacts throughout the
city. Even judges tend to side with Leland as they don’t
want to be on his bad side. He is grumpy and rude to
strangers, harsh and didactic to his children, but loving
and tender to his grandchildren. Regardless of his
company, he constantly swears and insults people. The
only people he shares secrets with are his siblings.
What He Knows. Leland has enough information to
blackmail half of the population of Cyherested. If he
wants something done, he knows who to go to, what to
offer in exchange, and how to persuade. He has fully
memorized every policy ever passed in Cyherested and
he knows every possible way to use this knowledge to
his advantage. He is also very well-informed about the
history of Tolia and its two cities.
Encounter Example. There is a quaint bookstore
adjacent to the art studio. Behind the glass wall of the
store, there are copies of the same book on display,
Engineered Hemophilia in Bloodwork Systems by Salvador
Castillo. The book describes how and why bloodwork
automatons might suffer from hemophilia conditions
and how it can be used to their advantage. It is written
by a professor of CADRAC.
Leland Chattercode
6PDOOKXPDQRLG KDOÁLQJ ODZIXOQHXWUDO
Armor Class 20 (prime ward)
Hit Points 50 (20d6 - 20)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
9 (-1) 9 (-1) 9 (-1) 19(+4) 19 +4) 22(+6)
Saving Throws Intelligence +8, Wisdom +8, Charisma
+10
Skills Arcana +8, Deception +10, History +8, Insight
+8, Intimidation + 14, Investigation +8, Perception +8,
Persuasion +14
Condition Immunities charmed, invisible, poisoned
Senses passive Perception 18
Languages&RPPRQ+DOÁLQJ2OG&RPPRQ
Challenge  ;3
 Prime Ward. Very few people in Cyherested are
JLIWHGZLWKWKHSURWHFWLRQRIWKHFLW\·VPDJLFDOÀHOG
While Leland is in Cyherested, he can’t be affected or
detected by spells unless he wishes to be. If Leland
is targeted by an attack made with a magic item, the
magic of the item is suppressed for the attack.
Spellcasting. Leland is a 13th-level spellcaster. His
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to
hit with spell attacks).
Cantrips (at will): light, mage hand, mending, message,
prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): charm person, comprehend languages,
detect magic, magic missile, shield
2nd level (3 slots): crimson blur*, hold person, misty step,
see invisibility
3rd level (3 slots): clairvoyance, counterspell, dispel magic,
major image, speak with machines*, tongues
4th level (3 slots): absorb material*, dimension door,
dominate beast
5th level (2 slots): conjure automaton*, dominate person,
hold monster
6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): teleport
ACTIONS
Multiattack. /HODQGXVHV)DPLO\+HLUORRP:DQGWZLFH
or makes one walking stick attack.
Family Heirloom Wand. Ranged Spell Attack: +10 to hit,
range 60 ft., one target. Hit:  G ÀUHGDPDJHSOXV
(1d10) force damage plus 5 (1d10) lightning damage. A
creature hit by this attack has disadvantage on saving
throws against spells cast by Leland for 1 minute.
Walking Stick. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeoning damage.
Goals
The four Prime Sorcerers do not directly interfere in
Cyherested’s affairs. They let its citizens operate the
system. The Prime Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians,
however, likes to keep an eye on details and make
small changes if necessary. The Prime Sorcerer doesn’t
interfere directly, instead, these agents deliver the
changes that the Prime Sorcerer wishes, subtly and
patiently.
The Prime Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians is aware
that the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology is after a group
of people; the characters. The Crimson Technician
Prime Sorcerer wants to capture the characters before
others to learn of their importance and why everyone is
after them. The Prime Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians
also wants to learn if the characters know anything
about the top-secret research about the bloocrima glass.
Encounter Example. In a small park between the tall
buildings, children are playing with mud, building small
dams to the stream of water leaking from a small brass
fountain. One of them says to another in a proud voice,
“My cousin found a Prime Sorcerer card yesterday. He gave
it to me. It has seven power, seven mana, mythic power, and,
and it summons automatons, and it repairs them every turn,
and it takes control of all bloodwork cards… and… It is better
than your brother’s Prime… Sanguino card!” Then, a heated
argument starts between the children about who is
stronger, the Prime Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians or
the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
Agents
Most members of this organization do not know each
other, or who they work for. They only know their
handlers, who deliver orders and their payments. An
agent’s main duty is to collect information from their
surroundings, colleagues, families, and friends and
relay them to their handler. Occasionally they are
ordered to take actions related to their positions; for
example, a handler might order a university professor
on their payroll to fail a student.
The members of this organization are people
with authority, wealth, resources, knowledge, and
SRZHU7KHLULQÁXHQFHDQGSUHVHQFHDUHJUHDWHULQ
law enforcement, academy, administration, research
laboratories, and factories. However, they have not
EHHQDEOHWRLQÀOWUDWHWKHPLOLWDU\
Almost all of these agents are sorcerers. The ones
that are not sorcerers have other extremely valuable
features, otherwise, the organization wouldn’t approach
them.
Each agent carries at least two magic scrolls. These
scrolls are inscribed with the sending spell. Any creature
that can read Common can use these scrolls. Once the
scroll is used, it loses its magic and crumbles to dust.
Encounter Example. An old man is reading a
newspaper on the bench while enjoying his pipe. He
raises the newspaper to straighten the wrinkles. On the
back of it, there is a headline written across two pages
with a bold font: “16 CBI OFFICERS, 4 ACADEMICIANS,
AND 7 BUREAUCRATS ACQUITTED ON ALL
ACCOUNTS OF CRIMINAL CHARGES REGARDING
CORRUPTION”. The details of the news describe a
lawyer who has had all allegations dropped, named
Leland Chattercode.
Resources
The organization is capable of many things within
Cyherested, like the following:
179
 • The organization can determine the decisions of a
tribunal in most cases.
• The weather in Cyherested is controlled by a group
of specialized sorcerers. The organization can
determine the weather in Cyherested.
• The organization can make the CBI act immediately
or stop their operation completely.
• The private information of anyone within
Cyherested, except the Prime Sorcerers, can be
unearthed with short research conducted by the
agents.
• The organization can stop, or facilitate, industrial
production within the city.
• The organization can replace professors in
universities.
• The organization can grant people access to
universities, research facilities, corporate buildings,
ministries, and similarly restricted places.
Although the organization’s operations require a
vast amount of wealth, it is highly distributed. It is not
possible for them to accumulate large amounts in a
single place for a single purpose.
Encounter Example. The characters pass by a radio
surrounded by 4 elderly people listening to it carefully.
“Today’s guest is a professor at CADRAC university who has
mastered angst-compatible alchemical systems. Lady Ellen
Brisbell, welcome.” “Thank you, and thanks again for having
me. As I expressed before on various occasions, there is
corruption running deep within the academy. I’ve witnessed
inexperienced teachers becoming assistants and professors in
a suspiciously short time, incompetent researchers gaining
an absurd amount of funding, and honorable academicians
dismissed from their duties because they asked questions
challenging the injustice within their ranks. I know that I
will get in trouble for saying this, but this is the work of a
ODUJHRUJDQL]DWLRQWKDWKDVLQÀOWUDWHGHYHU\NH\SDUWRIWKLV
great city, maybe even the Magnifying Hall. But they should
also know, sorcerers of Cyherested are not gullible sheep that
they can easily herd. Their time will end with our efforts, and
Cyherested shall prevail once again. Thank you.” The elderly
people around the radio agree with mutters and slight
nods.
Headquarters
The organization has no headquarters.
Hideouts
The organization has no hideouts, but the agents use
abandoned or uncrowded places if need be.
180
Encounter Example. A kid with dirty clothes
approaches the characters with a big smile, “Do you want
to see something cool?” Without waiting for an answer,
the kid takes out a severed thumb from his pocket and
shows it to the characters, “A man and a lady took it from
a well-dressed woman. It happened in an abandoned house
near my spot. Do you wanna buy it? I’ll sell it for 5 Cyherested
Wands, what do you say?” After the characters refuse the
RIIHURUEX\WKHÀQJHUWKHNLGUXQVDZD\7KHÀQJHU
belongs to a businesswoman who crossed the Corrupt
Agents.
Interactions With the
Characters
If the characters are apprehended by the CBI, the
VHFXULW\RIÀFHUVLQUHVHDUFKIDFLOLWLHVXQLYHUVLWLHV
factories, administrative buildings, or by any group
LQÀOWUDWHGE\WKHRUJDQL]DWLRQWKH\ZLOOEHNQRFNHG
unconscious and transferred to the organization. In this
case, read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
The chill in the air makes you wake in a shiver.
You feel the smooth marble ground against
your body, and you smell soap. The stressful
sounds of the city are distant, coming from
way below, as if you are hovering over the
clouds. Your body aches and your joints hurt,
but the cold marble you’re lying on offers
some comfort. You feel that the pain will
worsen if you try to stand up, and it does.
You try to straighten your back while
pushing yourself away from the ground. A
brief but strong pain travels through your
bones and muscles, making you moan in
despair. You are alive, but not happy to be so.
You are in a huge hall. There is a metal roof
over your head and 30 foot tall rectangular
columns, with polished surfaces and brass
frames holding it up. There are thick, four-
layered glass panels between the columns.
There are metal piers reaching out from the
hall toward the empty sky. From the glass walls
surrounding the entire room, you see the
zeppelins docked to the lower floors of the
building you are in.
As you become aware of your surroundings,
you notice the armed officers in their civilian
clothes.
 The characters can realize that they are in the
Zapernick Tower (p. 12) with a successful DC 17
Intelligence (History) check. When they wake up, the
characters each have 1 hit point. The characters have
their clothes on but their equipment is taken away.
Their equipment is in a bag of holding that Ava has on
her.
There is nothing in the hall except the magic circle
on the opposite side of the room and the openings
on the glass walls leading to metal piers. The magic
FLUFOHFDQEHXVHGWRWUDYHOEHWZHHQÁRRUVE\VLPSO\
VWHSSLQJLQWRLWDQGVD\LQJ´=DSHUQLFN7RZHUÁRRU
;µ
)RXUCBI special operators (p. 173), one of
which is Ava Smith, are standing before the
characters. Ava is sitting on a wooden chair and
other operators are waiting behind her for her
orders. The operators are not completely wearing
their armor, nor are they fully armed. They seem
relaxed, but careful. Their AC is 14 instead of 18
as they do not wear their tactical gear or carry
their shield. They also can’t use the following
IHDWXUHV)RUFH6KLHOG7DFWLFDO$GYDQWDJHDQG
Shield Cover.
The characters are not cuffed or tied up, but if
a character tries to escape, one of the operators
shoots the character in the head, killing the
character. Then, the same operator takes out a scroll
and pours diamond dust on it which activates a revivify There are headphones with a long curly
VSHOOWDUJHWLQJWKHNLOOHGFKDUDFWHU7KHÀUVWWLPHWKLV wire and a jack plug. There are six disks made of angst
happens, Ava warns the characters by saying, “This was crystal and engraved with runes, each with a radius of 1
a warning. Behave yourselves.” inch. Each disk is worth 4,500 CS.
If a character regains hit points that would increase After the device is set and the controls are made,
their current hit points above 1, the operators attack the operator assembling the device signals that they
the character, trying to knock them unconscious. They are ready by tapping the device twice to get attention,
realize this change as the wounds start to heal. DQGWKHQKROGLQJRXWKLVSLQN\ZKLOHPDNLQJDÀVW
Ava speaks to one of the operators in Draconic, Ava says, “Go on.” while pointing at the characters.
saying, “Set up the device. Let’s see what they know.” One The operator that has assembled the device takes out
of the operators goes to the magic circle and teleports DVPDOOYLDORIDWUDQVSDUHQWOLTXLG SXULÀHGDOFRKRO 
out of the room. The characters can hear the operator and cleans the angst disks with it, Then, the same
saying ´=DSHUQLFN7RZHUÁRRUµ with a successful operator collects blood from each character by using
DC 25 Wisdom (Perception) check, or a character cotton swabs; the characters are already bleeding as
automatically understands what the operator is saying they have been knocked unconscious, treated harshly,
if they can read lips. A couple of minutes later, the and beaten up. The operator rubs each collected sample
operator comes back, carrying a large wooden box, and to a different angst disk, and puts the angst disks into
starts to take out brass parts from the box, embedded WKHGHYLFHWKURXJKWKHKRUL]RQWDOVOLWV)LQDOO\WKH
with wires and pipes. The operator assembles the device operator puts on the headphones and connects the jack
from the parts. plug to a hole in the device. After disconnecting and
The device stands on three short legs and is built in a connecting the jack to different holes, the operator
cube-shaped brass encasing. The cube has small holes, makes the same hand sign as before to signal that they
horizontal slits, switches, and buttons on it. There are are ready to go.
two blood batteries attached to the side of the cube, The operator using the device by listening to it
ZKLFKDUHJODVVFRQWDLQHUVÀOOHGZLWKUHÀQHGEORRG via the headphone knows when the creatures whose

181
 blood is inserted into the device lie. The creature must
be within 30 feet of the device and its voice must be
audible to the device. A character can deceive the
device with a successful DC 25 Charisma (Deception)
check. The characters can realize what changes could
happen inside a person’s body while lying with a
successful DC 20 Wisdom (Medicine) check, or they can
extrapolate the mechanism of the device through their
past knowledge of angst equipment and knowledge
of magic with a successful DC 22 Intelligence (Arcana)
check. In both cases, the creature has advantage on
Charisma (Deception) checks to deceive the device.
Ava starts to ask questions, expecting the characters
to answer one by one. The characters can realize with
a DC 18 Wisdom (Perception) check that the operator is
signaling Ava with hand signs (pinky pointing out for
SRVLWLYHPLGGOHÀQJHUSRLQWLQJRXWIRUQHJDWLYH DIWHU
every answer from the characters. The questions are as
follows, in chronological order:
• What are you currently wearing?
• Are you physically hurt?
• What is your name?
7KHVHÀUVWWKUHHTXHVWLRQVDUHWRFDOLEUDWHWKH
device, as the operators already know the answers.
If a character successfully deceives the device on the
ÀUVWWKUHHTXHVWLRQVWKHFKDUDFWHULVVKRWGHDGDQG
UHYLYLÀHG,QWKLVFDVH$YDVD\V“This was the second
warning,” if one of the characters were shot dead and
UHYLYLÀHGEHIRUH$YDWDNHVRXWDEXQFKRIÀOHVDQG
reads personal information about the characters: as
the GM, you decide what she reads according to the
characters’ backgrounds. Then, she continues with her
questions:
• When did you arrive at Cyherested?
• How did you get into Cyherested?
• Why are you in Cyherested?
If all characters lie, refuse to answer, or their answers
are vague and unsatisfactory, Ava asks the same
questions again. If they refuse to collaborate once
more, she rushes to a character she randomly chooses
(she chooses the Detective if he is with the characters)
and slices open their neck; the character drops to 0 hit
points if they are at 1 hit point. She once again asks
the questions while holding the bleeding character
close to other characters, pushing her hand to the
FKDUDFWHU·VQHFNWRSUHYHQWEORRGÁRZDVWKHFKDUDFWHU
chokes on their own blood. Meanwhile, other operators,
except for the one using the device, aim their weapons
at the characters, yelling at them to put their hands
behind their heads. Ava asks the questions, yelling and
screaming, trying to intimidate the characters. Ava
makes a Charisma (Intimidation) check contested by
182
the characters with a Wisdom saving throw; a character
that fails the contested check becomes frightened of
Ava for 1 minute and starts to cry. If they answer the
questions truthfully before the character whose neck is
sliced open dies (which takes 6 rounds), Ava orders an
operator to save the character which the operator does
by stabilizing the character using a healer’s kit. Then
Ava says, ´6HH",WZDVQRWWKDWGLIÀFXOWµ
If Ava gets at least a single truthful answer to each
question, she continues with her questions:
• $UH\RXDIÀOLDWHGZLWKDQ\SHUVRQRURUJDQL]DWLRQ
actively seeking to harm Cyherested or its citizens?
• Have you ever been within the perimeters of
CADRAC?
• Does this number sequence mean anything to you:
7, 3, 2, 2, 8, 1?
:LWKWKHVHTXHVWLRQV$YDLVWU\LQJWRÀJXUHRXWLIWKH
characters know anything about the bloocrima research
which takes place in a secret mega-laboratory located
XQGHU&$'5$&RIZKLFKWKHLGHQWLÀFDWLRQQXPEHULV
732281.
The characters can talk to Ava and she will talk to
them apart from the questions, but she does not divulge
any information of importance.
Outcomes. There are three outcomes of this situation:
operators let the characters go, they decide to eliminate
the characters, or they decide to help the characters.
If the characters don’t know anything about the
bloocrima research and laboratory 732281, which is the
truth, if they are not wanted by CBI for a felony or more
serious criminal acts, haven’t killed any members of
the Corrupt Agents, and don’t intend to cause harm to
citizens of Cyherested, the operators let them go. Ava
says, “Have a good day. This was a friendly meeting, but next
time it won’t be.” Operators cover the characters’ heads
with black sacks and knock them unconscious. The
characters wake up in the Songbird Garden (p. 13) with
several empty spirit bottles scattered around them.
They have their equipment on them and they have
completed a long rest.
If all conditions for the operators to let the characters
go are met, and the characters mention that they want
to kill the leader of the Silver Cult or the leader of the
Sun Priests, the operators decide to help the characters.
Ava knows that the Silver Cult is controlled by the
apprentice of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology
and that the Sun Priests (see below) are a religious
cult. As a director working directly under the Prime
Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians, she doesn’t want an
active organization acting on behalf of another Prime
Sorcerer. She’s also disgusted by religious people. She
WDNHVWKHFKDUDFWHUVWRÁRRUXVLQJWKHPDJLFFLUFOH
Ava unlocks the chests and disables the traps in the
room. The characters are free to take everything they
ZDQWIURPWKLVÁRRUDQGRQFHWKH\GRWKH\DUHIUHHWR
go.
Unless the operators decide to let them go, it means
they’ve decided to kill them. Ava gets up and all
operators aim their guns at the characters. Ava says,
“You should have stayed in your bloody dumpster.” A bullet
pierces Ava’s head, bursting it open. She dies. After
a second of complete silence, the characters hear a
gunshot. The operators immediately turn invisible and
leave the room to chase the shooter. The shooter is an
old veteran (see The Old Sniper section - p. 210) and he
PDGHWKHVKRWIURPIHHWZKLOHLQYLVLEO\Á\LQJ7KH
shooter escapes and the operators leave the Zapernick
Tower to continue their search. The characters can
retrieve the bullet from the ground around Ava with
a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Investigation) check. A
FKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQWZLWKbloodwork weapons can realize
WKDWWKHEXOOHWLVFRPLQJIURPDVQLSHUULÁHZLWKRXWD
check.
If the operators let them go or if Ava dies, the
organization ceases searching for the characters. If the
characters harm the organization in any way again,
they begin their search again, but this time it is not to
FDSWXUHEXWWRNLOO(DFKWLPHWKHRUJDQL]DWLRQÀQGV
their whereabouts, they send 5 bloodwork automaton
soldiers (p. 272), 2 CBI sorcerers (p. 273), or 1 CBI
special operator (p. 273). If things get out of hand, the
leaders of the organization might get involved directly.
Floor 32.2QWKHQGÁRRURIWKH=DSHUQLFN7RZHU
there is a temporary base of operations set by the
operators. There are simple metal desks and chairs
that seem uncomfortable, as wells as metal shelves,
chests, beds with coarse mats, and a great armory. If the
FKDUDFWHUVVHDUFKWKHURRPWKH\ÀQGGbloodwork
pistols, 1d10 bloodwork blunderbusses, 1d10 bloodwork
UHSHDWHUULÁHV, 1d10 EORRGZRUNVQLSHUULÁHV, 1d100 ammo,
pistol, 1d100 slug ammo, blunderbuss, 1d100 buckshot
ammo, blunderbuss, 1d100 DPPRUHSHDWHUULÁH, 1d100
DPPRVQLSHUULÁH, 1d20 blood cartridges, 1d10 bloodwork
JUHQDGHVÀUH, 1d10 EORRGZRUNJUHQDGHVÁDN, and 1d10
EORRGZRUNJUHQDGHVÁDVK. There is also a Cyherested map
(p. 291) on one of the tables and there is a small stone,
3-inch wide, with a glyph carved on it; a creature can
realize that the glyph means “magic” with a successful
DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. It is one of the glyphs
needed to activate the magic circle within the tower of
the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology. There is a chest
sealed with the arcane lock spell. The lock can be picked
with a successful DC 30 Dexterity check made with
thieves’ tools, or a character can break open the chest
with a successful DC 30 Strength check. These DCs are
lowered by 10 if the arcane lock spell is suppressed or
dispelled. There are four items within the chest: (d20)
(1) boots of striding and springing, (2) chime of opening, (3)
cloak of displacement, (4) dagger of venom, (5) dimensional
shackles, (6) goggles of night, (7) iron bands of binding, (8)
necklace of adaptation, (9) oil of sharpness, (10) potion of
invisibility, (11) potion of speed, (12) ring of evasion, (13) rod
of alertness, (14) staff of power, (15) sun blade, (16) wand
of enemy detection, (17) a vial of wyvern poison, (18) a vial
of essence of ether, (19) a vial of midnight tears, (20) ring of
spell turning.
There are 4 tripwires in the room, all of which are
FRQQHFWHGWRHDFKRWKHUDQGWRVHYHUDOFDQLVWHUVÀOOHG
with poisonous gas. The characters can detect a tripwire
with a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check. A
successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ tools
disables the tripwire, cutting it without triggering the
trap. Unsuccessfully attempting to disable the tripwire
triggers the trap. Disabling all the tripwires disarms
the trap. After detecting a tripwire, the characters can
follow the wire with a successful DC 17 Intelligence
,QYHVWLJDWLRQ FKHFNWRÀQGWKHJDVFDQLVWHUVKLGGHQ
inside a wooden cache. A successful DC 19 Dexterity
check using thieves’ tools disarms the entire trap,
removing the pin from the gas canisters. If a character
chooses to wander inside the room without noticing
the tripwires, the trap is triggered. When the trap is
WULJJHUHGWKHURRPLVÀOOHGZLWKDWUDQVSDUHQWFDXVWLF
gas; each creature in the room must make a DC 22
Constitution saving throw at the start of each round
the character starts within the room, taking 21 (2d20)
poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage
RQDVXFFHVVIXORQH7KHJDVSHUVLVWVLQGHÀQLWHO\RU
until the air is cleaned by magical, or nonmagical,
means.
7KHUHLVDPRGLÀHGUDGLRLQWKHURRPLWKDVDVZLWFK
and a metal apparatus (microphone) with numerous
holes on it connected to the radio. If the characters
press the switch, the radio is activated. If they say
anything into the microphone while the radio is active,
an old voice (Leland Chattercode) answers, “Who are
you?” They can talk to Leland through the radio. If the
characters antagonize Leland or have already done
so, Leland ends the transmission after the characters
introduce themselves. If the characters tell Leland that
they killed Ava or Ava is dead and threaten Leland to
kill him if he keeps chasing them, they can intimidate
Leland with a successful DC 23 Charisma (Intimidation)
check. If Leland is intimidated, he agrees to call off
the search in exchange for the characters to stay away
from CADRAC and the agents of his organization. If
the characters don’t introduce themselves, or further
antagonize Leland, he dispatches 2 CBI special
operatorsWRFKHFNRQWKHQGÁRRUDQGWKHVH
operators arrive in 1 minute.
183
 The Sun Priests
The majority of sorcerers consider religious people
inferior to them, especially those who receive divine
power. Although it is not forbidden to worship any
deity in Cyherested, people do it in secret because
of societal pressure. They prefer praying in solitude
instead of going to the cathedrals of Cyherested. The
organization of the Sun Priests is made up of clerics,
paladins, and druids who offer secret places of worship
to people regardless of their beliefs. The members
of this organization and its supervisors are mostly
followers of the Sun God, yet they offer help to any
believer unless their actions contradict the beliefs of
the Sun God.
Start playing “Arising Angst” on the “Bloodpunk
OST” when the characters deal with the Sun Priests.
icaram
184
Leader
Icaram is a sentient bloodwork automaton, built from
the salvaged parts of other bloodwork automatons that
fought for their right to gain citizenship more than 50
\HDUVDJR$OWKRXJKKHGLGQ·WVHHWKHFRQÁLFWVEHWZHHQ
the automatons and the military, he claims that he can
hear the voices of automatons who did, as he was built
from them.
Description. Icaram is an 8-foot tall automaton with
a wide frame. Each of his metal platings is different
in shape, material, color, and engravings as they are
collected from different automatons. On his body, there
are numerous markings drawn with blood. A successful
DC 18 Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that these
marks are tributes to the Sun God.
Personality. +LVKHDGLVÀOOHGZLWKYRLFHVDQGKH
struggles to distinguish his own thoughts from other
voices. He believes that sentience is the most valuable
aspect and it must be questioned and cherished. He
likes to see happy, devoted, and content people around
him regardless of their beliefs, as he believes those
people are the ones exercising their sentience to the
fullest. He tries to achieve the same by worshiping the
Sun God. Icaram is incapable of being bored.
Roleplaying Icaram. Although people refer to him
as “he”, he often refers to himself as “we”. He is an
enigmatic person, mostly speaking in riddles. Even
while he moves his arms and legs, his torso and head
stay perfectly still. He mostly looks directly forward,
rarely looking people in the eyes. He can stay engaged
in the same activity for days or weeks without a break,
as the passage of time means little to him.
What He Knows. Icaram has been seeing the
characters in his visions. The visions have all been the
same: the shadows of the characters are long, although
the sun is at its peak and the darkness that follows them
is smeared with blood. He knows how the characters
look and that they are cursed.
Encounter Example. A stray cat snuggles up to the
characters. If a character speaks with the cat using a
spell or ability, such as the speak with animals spell, the
cat describes a colorful metal giant that feeds stray cats
on the streets. The cat is describing Icaram.
 great curse was coming to Cyherested, describing the
characters to the members, and has asked them to
Icaram bring them to him so he could undo this curse. The
Medium construct, chaotic neutral RUJDQL]DWLRQ·VFXUUHQWJRDOLVWRÀQGWKHFKDUDFWHUVDQG
bring them to Icaram.
Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Encounter Example. An old person in rags yelling in
a backstreet, doomsaying. It seems like he is trying to
Hit Points 150 (20d8 + 60)
warn the people, “A thick black blood heals their wounds.
Speed 30 ft.
It is no blood of mortals. It is dense as tar and cursed like a
starless sky. Their minds shall betray them, their eyes shall
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
deceive them, and before dawn, they shall perish to feed the
monster they harbor. Heed my warning! Heed and beware!
16(+3) 11(+0) 16(+3) 10(+0) 17(+3) 17(+3) Know that only the Sun can banish unnamed evil, untamed
terror!” Upon seeing the characters, he stares at them in
Saving Throws Constitution +7, Wisdom +7 horror and runs away.
Skills Persuasion +7, Religion +4
Damage Resistances poison Agents
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses passive Perception 13 The organization has a great variety of members,
mostly from the lower class and some from the
Languages Common
middle class. The members who actively work for the
Challenge  ;3 RUJDQL]DWLRQ·VEHQHÀWDUHPRVWO\acolytes, priests and
Sun Priests (p.288). Each of these members carries a
Tributes to the Sun. When Icaram is subjected to single angst coin to give to any person they encounter
damage, the symbols on his body glow, emitting an in dire need.
aura of sunlight for a moment, and dealing 4 radiant
damage to enemies within 30 feet. Allies within the
Encounter Example. 7KHUHLVDJURXSRIUREHGÀJXUHV
same area regain 2 hit points. standing on the sidewalk, touching passing people’s
clothes and objects, saying, “Walk fearlessly through the
Spellcasting. Icaram is a 12th-level spellcaster. His
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 shadows. The sun shall light your path even in its absence.”
to hit with spell attacks). Icaram has the following They are casting the light spell on objects those people
paladin spell prepared: carry. If the characters pass by them, they will cast the
1st level (4 slots): command, heroism, purify food and spell on the characters’ objects. They are acolytes.
drink
2nd level (3 slots): branding smite, lesser restoration, zone
of truth
Resources
3rd level (3 slots): create food and water, remove curse,
The organization runs on charity. The donations come
revivify
mostly from the elderly who join the organization in
WKHLUÀQDO\HDUVWRLQYHVWLQWKHLUDIWHUOLIH7KHVHSHRSOH
ACTIONS bequeath their belongings, mostly their lands and
Multiattack. Icaram makes two weapon attacks. houses, to the organization. Thus, the organization has
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 many real estates across Cyherested.
ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus
Encounter Example. The characters hear two gunshots
12 (2d8 + 3) radiant damage.
coming from a backstreet. If they go check it, they see
two commoners equipped with bloodwork pistols (p.
262) standing before the bloodied corpse of a white-
Goals robed man. One of them is holding a piece of parchment
The organization’s activities are not illegal, although with blood smeared on it. The other one says to the
they are conducted in secret. The organization aims characters, “Nothing that concerns you. Move along.” The
WRÀQGVHFXUHGRXWRIVLJKWSODFHVRIZRUVKLSIRULWV armed murderers are the children of a newly diseased
members. They also train clerics to oversee these places man who bequeathed his belongings to the Sun Priests;
and paladins to protect them. the children refused to give up on their father’s wealth
and shot the priest carrying the written will of their
All members of this organization trust Icaram
father to steal it.
with their lives. Lately, Icaram has told them that a

185
 Headquarters
,FDUDPUHVLGHVRQWKHWRSÁRRURIDQDSDUWPHQWEXLOGLQJ
in West Midfort (p. 13). He conducts his business from
his house.
7KHDSDUWPHQWLVRQWKHWKÁRRULWKDVURRPV
a living room, a kitchen, and a terrace. There is an
altar on the terrace, and on it there is a gold chalice
ÀOOHGZLWKEORRG7KHUHDUHVHYHUDODXWRPDWRQSDUWV
KRYHULQJRYHUWKHFKDOLFHÀ[HGE\URSHVIURPDPHWDO
frame built from pipes. On the metal frame, there are
VPDOOFRQWDLQHUVÀOOHGZLWKEORRGIURPZKHUHLWGULSV
RQWKHDXWRPDWRQSDUWVÁRZVGRZQWKHPDQGÀQDOO\
GULSVLQWRWKHFKDOLFH,FDUDPFODLPVWKDWKHSXULÀHV
the blood. He uses the blood within the chalice to refuel the organization, they are taken to the headquarters to
his tanks. The blood collected from the chalice has
the same properties as holy water and additionally,
drinking it cures any disease and ends the poisoned
condition.
Encounter Example. While walking through West
Midfort, the characters see the distant shimmer
RIVRPHWKLQJUHÁHFWLQJOLJKWVRQWRSRIDVL[ÁRRU
building. While they are looking at the light, they feel
nauseous and they can taste blood in their throats and
mouths. The light is coming from the automaton parts
on Icaram’s terrace.
Hideouts
The cult has numerous hideouts in every residential
district, but they are fewer in more elite parts of
the city such as East Midfort (p. 13). Each hideout is
different, but they all offer food, anonymity, security,
and a place to stay and worship. Each hideout is
attended by a Sun Priest and some hideouts in more
problematic areas crowded with sorcerers are attended
by zealous veterans as well.
Encounter Example. A beautiful lady calls the
characters from her house’s open window. She yells,
“Hey! Hey! Do you want an angst coin?” If the characters
listen to what she has to say, she continues, “I think my
husband is going to brothels at night to bury himself in young
meat. I really don’t care, I’m cheating on him myself. I just
want to know. Can you follow him and be sure?” The woman
is willing to pay 1 angst coin or up to 10 angst coins
after the job is done if the characters bargain. If the
characters wait for the night and follow the husband,
WKH\ZLOOÀQGRXWWKDWWKHKXVEDQGLVJRLQJWRD6XQ
Priests hideout to pray in silence away from his wife. He
prays, asking for the Sun God to make his wife love him
again and stop cheating on him.
186
Interactions With the
Characters
The agents of this organization are actively searching
for the characters. They approach the characters in
DIULHQGO\PDQQHUDWÀUVWDQGDVNWKHPWRPHHWZLWK
Icaram in his house. If the characters refuse the offer,
the agents follow them secretly, which the characters
can notice with a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception)
check, and try to seize an opportunity to help the
characters to gain their trust. If the characters refuse
these agents’ offers after their friendly attempts or
take hostile actions against them, the agents will try to
capture them by force. If the characters comply with
talk to Icaram.
If the characters are taken in by force, they are taken
to Icaram’s house, the headquarters, unconscious. Read
or paraphrase the text below to your players:
You hear several footsteps on the wooden
ground, and smell the aromas of meat and
wine. The black cloth around your eyes is
unbound and you can see once more. You are
gathered around a table filled with delicious
meals of fried meat, roasted vegetables, and
quality wine. In front of each of you, there is a
silver plate.
On one of the seats, a big automaton sits.
Each of his metal platings is different in shape,
material, color, and engravings which are
decorated with runes drawn with blood. There
is no silver plate in front of the automaton, yet
he holds a fork and a knife.
As priests are healing your wounds, the
automaton speaks in a calm and robotic voice:
“I apologize for the rudeness of my brethren. Welcome to my
home, please enjoy this feast I’ve prepared for you as a part
of my apology.”
The characters completed a short rest while they
were unconscious. There is a priest standing behind
each character, healing them. The characters regain 1
hit point at the start of each round. The equipment of
the characters is within the room, stacked on a couch.
Icaram is holding a fork and a knife as a courtesy even
though he can’t consume food.
If the characters have come willingly, they are
alone in the room with Icaram, they still have their
equipment, and there is no feast table nor the fork and
the knife Icaram holds. she can create an opportunity out of this situation, and
If the characters are taken in by force, Icaram says, she is willing to facilitate her resources to do so.
“A great shadow follows you, set its roots deep within your Start playing “The Last Heartbeat” on the “Bloodpunk
YHVVHOV,ZLVKWRGU\LWVFRUHIRUERWK\RXUEHQHÀWDQGWKH OST” when the characters deal with the Trader’s Goons.
EHQHÀWRIWKLVUHDOPµ
If the characters came of their own accord, Icaram Leader
says, “You are aware of the darkness embedded within your
minds and from deep within, and you wish to get rid of it. You )LUX]H+DIVD6XOWDQLVWKHDQJVWWUDGHUOHDGLQJWKLV
came to me knowing that I could be of help. Let me show you group and its funder. Like all other angst traders,
what lies hidden buried under the light of the day, so it can she came from a distant land which she never speaks
cleanse what hides in your shadows.” about. She is the 34th richest person in Cyherested with
If the characters ask Icaram what he knows about this wealth accumulated through the trading of angst cores
darkness, he tells the characters about his visions. used in magic item production.
If the characters refuse Icaram’s offer, he lets them 6KHKDGDKXVEDQGZKHQVKHÀUVWDUULYHGLQWKHFLW\
go. If they take hostile actions against Icaram, 4 priests to sell their angst crystals, and they lived in Cyherested
(5 priests if the Detective is with the characters) rush for three years. She was six months pregnant when her
into the room to help Icaram if they aren’t already KXVEDQGGLHGLQDEDUÀJKW,QWKH\HDU1(ZKHQ
present within the room. In that case, Icaram and the the casters failed a spell that collects blood tax from
priests try to kill the characters, hoping it will kill the the citizens, making the spell collect blood from beings
evil nesting within. of all ages instead of only adults, she was nine months
pregnant. Accompanied by her terrorized screams
If they accept his offer, Icaram offers them a cup of
and hopeless tears, her unborn child melted into a
the blessed blood he brews on his terrace. If a character
bloody pulp, sucked into the air through her abdomen,
drinks it, he closes his eyes and says, “The river of blood,
slashing her open and shredding her innards through
coursing through black stones. A monolith of power, crying
the process. Her body was saved, but she has never
from its cracks, craving the be whole again. It eclipses the
been the same since.
sun and a pebble is missing from its core, from where a
single ray of sunlight escapes. Bring it to me, bring me the firuze hafsa sultan
vessel to make it whole, and as it was once made, it shall be
unmade in the presence of the Sun.” If the characters ask
what Icaram means, he says that he can’t describe their
visions further as they appear to him in an enigmatic
ZD\+HPHDQVWKDWKHQHHGVWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\WR
undo the curse.
If the characters ask for help to get into the Prime
Tower of Sanguinology, he says that they need 5
glyphs to get into the tower and that they must use the
Highway (p. 14), but he doesn’t know the glyphs or how
to use the Highway to gain entry. If the characters gain
the trust and help of Icaram, they can go to the hideouts
of the Sun Priests where priests will heal them to full
health and cast the lesser restoration and dispel magic
spells if asked. They can use hideouts in this manner
once per day.

The Trader's Goons

There are less than a hundred important angst traders

UHVLGLQJLQ&\KHUHVWHGZKRFRQWUROÀQDQFLDOUHVRXUFHV
great enough to build a second Cyherested from
VFUDWFK2QHRIWKHVHWUDGHUVKDVÀJXUHGRXWWKHHYHQWV
unfolding around the characters and the important
people involved in the situation. She wants to learn if

187
 )LUX]H6XOWDQVWURQJO\EHOLHYHVWKDWWKLVOLIHRZHVKHU encountered. Even in the painting, she has melancholic
6KHKDVRIWHQVFUHDPHGDWWKHVWDUVDWQLJKWLQGHÀDQFH eyes. The view makes them both excited and sad. The
of anything that might be watching from above. She workers are taking the painting to an angst trader who
screamed each night for many years until the day ZDQWVWRJLIWLWWR)LUX]H6XOWDQ
VKHÀQDOO\IRXQGDPRPHQWRIWUDQTXLOLW\)URPWKH
darkness, help arrived; not visible, but undoubtedly
real.
Description. She is an elf who looks very human. She
KDVDÀWERG\DQGOLNHDYDPSLUHKHUVNLQLVDJKDVWO\
Firuze Hafsa Sultan
white. Her pitch-black wavy hair is longer than her Medium humanoid (elf), neutral
body, and it’s decorated with simple golden circlets.
She wears layered dresses made from harsh fabric, and Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
no jewelry. She has an egg-shaped face, a straight nose, Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54)
arched eyebrows, and upturned eyes that are as blue as Speed 30 ft.
the sky. The slight imperfections across her skin can be
seen clearly, as she wears no makeup.
Personality. )LUX]HLVDVHULRXVSHUVRQERWKWRZDUGV STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
others and herself. She hates frivolous people. She 10(+0) 11(+0) 16(+3) 18(+4) 19(+4) 24(+7)
believes in the importance of rules and cultural values.
She never loses control over her feelings and she always
Saving Throws Intelligence +9, Wisdom +9, Charisma
acts according to etiquette. She is vengeful against
+12
disrespectful people. Being alone and sharing an honest
moment with a person makes her happy. She has been Skills Animal Handling +9, Arcana +9, History +9,
Insight +9, Perception +9, Persuasion +12
depressed for many years.
Damage Resistances psychic
Roleplaying Firuze. :KDWHYHUWKHVLWXDWLRQ)LUX]H
Damage Immunities FROGÀUH
stays calm. She is in so much control over herself that
even when facing death, she wouldn’t falter. Earning Condition Immunities charmed, frightened,
paralyzed, stunned
her trust is close to impossible. She trusts only animals
because they never lie nor deny their nature. She talks Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
to anyone who approaches her with courtesy. She is Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elven,
good at manipulating a conversation to her liking, Primordial, Sylvan
which she does very subtly. She makes her threats very Challenge  ;3
openly. The most peculiar thing about her is that she
hates the sun; she sleeps through the day and lives her Dominant Will. )LUX]HKDVDGWRDELOLW\FKHFNV
life in the night. attack rolls, and saving throws.
What She Knows. 6KHLVZHOOLQIRUPHGLQÀQDQFLDO Lingering Gloom. (QHPLHVZLWKLQIHHWRI)LUX]HKDYH
matters and about the high society of the city. The only disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving
thing she knows about the characters is that important throws.
people of Cyherested are swarming around them. Spellcasting. )LUX]HLVDQWKOHYHOVSHOOFDVWHU+HU
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12
Most importantly, she knows the Silver Cult, Elari,
WRKLWZLWKVSHOODWWDFNV )LUX]HFDQFDVWWKHIROORZLQJ
the whereabouts of Elari, that certain sigils are required warlock spells:
to enter the Prime Tower, and how to use the sigils and
Cantrips (at will): chill touch, eldritch blast, mending,
the Highway (p.14) to enter it. When a person steps onto
shocking grasp
the Highway, they think of the station they want to be 1st to 5th level (4 slots): banishment, blight, charm
taken to. She has heard from an important businessman person, comprehend languages, contact other plane,
trying to impress her that to get into the Prime Tower darkness, dispel magic, dream, fear, hold monster,
of Sanguinology, one must step into the Highway invisibility, misty step, remove curse, tongues, unseen
and think of a dragon made of blood bleeding into a servant
humanoid vessel, while the sigils of all spell schools 6th level (1 slot): conjure fey
glow brightly in the background. 7th level (1 slot): forcecage
8th level (1 slot): demiplane
Encounter Example. Two workers are carrying a large 9th level (1 slot): imprisonment
SDLQWLQJ,WLVWKHSRUWUDLWRI)LUX]H6XOWDQ6KHLVRQH
of the most stunning people the characters have ever

188
 ACTIONS
Multiattack. )LUX]HXVHV'LVVRQDQW%ROWWZLFH
Dissonant Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +12 to hit, range 120
ft., one target. Hit: 29 (4d10 + 7) thunder damage. Each
creature within 5 feet of the target must roll a d20. A
creature can’t have advantage or disadvantage on this
roll. The following happens according to the result:
7KHFUHDWXUHLVDIÁLFWHGZLWKVKRUWWHUPPDGQHVV  
it takes 11 (2d10) psychic damage (2-5), it can’t speak
until the end of its next turn (6-9), it can’t be affected
by any spell or similar magical effect until the end of
its next turn and all such active effects are suppressed
for the duration on the creature (10), it regains 2d4
hit points (11-14), it can’t gain disadvantage to any
roll it makes (15-19), it has a +1d4 bonus to any ability
checks, attack rolls, and saving throws it makes until
the end of its next turn (20).
Goals
The Trader’s Goons is not actually an organization; it is
a large group of people from various sources and with
GLIIHUHQWSURIHVVLRQVWKDWZRUNIRU)LUX]H6RWKHJRDOV
RIWKLVJURXSDUHDFWXDOO\WKHSHUVRQDOJRDOVRI)LUX]H
Her goal is to get revenge on the Prime Sorcerers whom
she holds responsible for the death of her child. She
blames the system they’ve built that trivializes mortal
lives. Her current goal is to talk to the characters to see
if they share a common goal.
Encounter Example. The characters are in a store
to buy some equipment. The merchant gives them a
JHQHURXVGLVFRXQWDQGWHOOVWKHPWKDW)LUX]H+DIVD
Sultan wants to talk to them in her mansion. The
merchant gives them the address and warns them about
how she pays great attention to etiquette.
Agents
)LUX]H6XOWDQKDVPDQ\SHRSOHDWKHUGLVSRVDO7KHUH
are commoners working in her workplaces and houses,
such as gardeners, cleaners, cooks, messengers, butlers,
artisans, laborers, etc. There are lawyers, accountants,
and mediators working for her (use the noble stat
block but instead of wearing breastplates, they have
the mage armor spell cast on them and instead of
carrying a rapier, they can cast the magic missile as a
1st-level spell slot without expending a spell slot). She
has a private security team consisting of spies, scouts,
knights, assassins, and guards; they are equipped with
bloodwork weapons (p. 263) and angst weapons (p. 265),
and some even have bloodwork enhancements (p. 264).
She mostly uses Cyherested thugs (p. 276), veterans,
gladiators, bandits, and thugs as disposable agents for
dangerous missions, such as retrieving the characters.
Encounter Example. There are several shady people
in a cafe sitting at different tables. They are equipped
with swords, maces, and pistols. The workers and other
customers are nervous. Suddenly, these armed people
(1 gladiator, 1 veteran, and 4 Cyherested thugs) get
up and start to throw chairs and overturn tables with
a calm attitude. One of them says, “As the recent owner
of this establishment is not so eager to take his business
somewhere else, we had to start redecorating while you’re still
here. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please come back tomorrow
while we’ll be redecorating the walls.” Then, they leave. If
the characters ask the employees at the cafe who those
SHRSOHDUHWKH\VD\WKDWWKRVHWKXJVZRUNIRU)LUX]H
Hafsa Sultan, the current owner of the building the cafe
is in.
Resources
She has enough wealth to buy anything that money
FDQEX\6KHKDVKHURZQGHGLFDWHGEDQNYDXOWVÀOOHG
with coins and ledgers, estates both in Cyherested and
Kanrath, well-equipped workshops, angst reserves,
VWRUDJHVÀOOHGZLWKWUDGHJRRGVDQGRWKHUWKLQJVRIWKH
sort. The total worth of the assets she owns is estimated
around 2,470,000,000 CS, which is the equivalent of
49,400,000 angst coins. If the task at hand is achievable
through spending money, she is sure to achieve it.
Encounter Example. There are restorations being
made on a building. Near the entrance of the stone
building, there is a stone plate with three words
engraved on it, “Green Bead Charity”. The name comes
from the small green stone attached to the clothes of
a newborn for good luck. The workers are talking to
HDFKRWKHUVD\LQJWKDWWKH)LUX]H)RXQGDWLRQGRQDWHG
10,000,000 CS to this charity. They are debating what
could be bought with such money but their visions fall
short on the subject.
Headquarters
)LUX]HUXQVKHUHUUDQGVIURPKHUKRXVHWKURXJK
messengers. Her house is a three-story mansion with
a 60-foot tower extension built on a three-acre estate,
and it is located in Hillside Heights (p. 12).
The land that the mansion was built on is surrounded
by a 3-foot-tall brick wall and an additional 3-foot-tall
metal fence on the wall. The area is covered in mowed
grass. The mansion stands at the center surrounded
by a porch, enclosed by columns and cast iron railings
in between. There are several short quarter-circle
staircases to access the porch that stands 3 feet above
WKHJURXQG7KHÀUVWÁRRULVPDGHRIVWRQHFRYHUHG
LQEULFNDQGKHOGWRJHWKHUE\FDVWLURQIUDPHVÀ[HG
RQWKHHGJHVRIWKHZDOOV7KHVHFRQGÁRRULVPDGHRI
ZDWWOHDQGGDXEDQGFRYHUHGLQSODVWHU7KHWKLUGÁRRU
189
 is an extension of the second, which is a penthouse used as a pantry. The room is mostly made of stone
made of several triangular rooms. The roof is covered and marble. It has every tool necessary to prepare any
in red tiles and several chimneys protrude from it. known recipe, containing common ingredients like salt,
There are wooden framed windows on all sides and on EXWWHUDQGÁRXUDQGHYHQVRPHH[RWLFLQJUHGLHQWV
DOOÁRRUV)URPDVPDOOSDUWRIWKHWKLUGÁRRUWKHEULFN such as cardamom and saffron. There is a doorway
tower extends toward the sky. There is a brass dome leading to the living room.
on top of the tower and there are no openings. The The living room has numerous windows and curtains,
entire area is protected with alarm spells that warn the DQGLWVÁRRULVPDGHIURPOLJKWEURZQZRRG2QRQH
bloodwork automaton patrols (p. 272) patrolling the VLGHRIWKHOLYLQJURRPWKHUHLVDÀUHSODFH%HIRUHWKH
perimeter. The automatons walk in groups of three, and ÀUHSODFHWKHUHDUHIRXUFRPIRUWDEOHFKDLUVDQGDQ
there are a total of 12 of them. RZOEHDUKLGHRQWKHÁRRUYDOXHGDW&62QWKH
On the porch, there are wooden chairs and glass RWKHUVLGHWKHUHLVDEDUÀOOHGZLWKERWWOHVWKH\
tables, both with brass legs. Attached to the wall, there are expensive spirits, wine, and ale, of which the total
LVDEULFNÀUHSODFHZLWKDJULOODQGDQRYHQ7KHUHDUH worth is 14,400 CS. At the center, there is a long dining
VWDFNVRIÀUHZRRGLQWKHRSHQLQJXQGHUWKHÀUHSODFH WDEOHPDGHRIDVLQJOHODUJHSLHFHRIEODFNSHWULÀHG
There are three doors on the porch: one glass door leads wood, with 20 chairs around it. The table is valued at
to the living room, one glass door leads to the kitchen, 80,000 CS, which is more expensive than some houses
and the main gate, which is a heavy wooden door, in Cyherested. There is a painting on the wall with a
leads to the entrance hall. The glass doors are Large gold frame decorated with valuable gems (12,000 CS); it
objects that have AC 13, 5 hit points, and immunity to is a painting of a naked woman crying in a small stone
poison and psychic damage. They are locked during the room with no windows, no furniture, and a pitch-black
night. Their locks can be picked with a successful DC 18 doorway.
Dexterity check made with thieves’ tools. The wooden 2QWKHVHFRQGÁRRUWKHUHLVDORQJFRUULGRU,Q
door is a Large object that has AC 15, 15 hit points, and the corridor, there are 3 spellbound chimeras (p.
immunity to poison and psychic damage. The main 287). If the characters try to steal anything from the
wooden door is never locked. VHFRQGÁRRUWKLUGÁRRURUWKHWRZHUDOOspellbound
The entrance hall is a spacious room and its ceiling
goes up to the roof. There are small balconies spellbound chimera
RQWKHVHFRQGDQGWKLUGÁRRUVWKDWH[WHQG
WRZDUGWKHHQWUDQFHKDOO7KHÁRRU
is covered in white marble
tiles, and at the center there
is a square, silk carpet with
a hand-knotted pattern and
9-foot edges, valued at 32,000
CS. There are two curved
staircases going up to the
VHFRQGÁRRUDGRRUZD\RQ
the left leading to the kitchen,
a doorway on the right leading
to the garderobe room, and a wide
doorway up front leading to the living
room.
In the garderobe room, there is a
brass table attached to the wall, a steel
mirror on the table, and a stool with a
soft cushion next to it. There are 6 vials
of perfume, 3 potions of healing, 3 vials
of antitoxin, and a magnifying glass
on the table. There are wardrobes in
front of every wall within the room, and
LQVLGHRIWKHPWKHUHDUHDWRWDORIÀQH
clothes, 13 robes, and 10 blankets.
The kitchen is quite large and it is also

190
chimeras sleeping within the house wake up and start
to follow the characters; if the characters take any of
WKRVHVWROHQLWHPVGRZQWRWKHÀUVWÁRRURURXWVLGHWKH
house, these chimeras attack the characters until they
let go of the items. If the characters try to steal them
for a second time, the chimeras do not stop attacking
even if the characters leave the items. Since the items
are magically bound to the spellbound chimeras, no
Dexterity (Stealth) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check
or other such magical effects prevent the chimeras from
being alerted, as the chimeras can magically track the
items.
7KHZRRGHQÁRRULVFRYHUHGZLWKDORQJUHGFDUSHW
from one side to the other. On one end of the corridor,
WKHUHLVDVWDLUFDVHJRLQJXSWRWKHWKLUGÁRRU$WWKH
other end, there is a window. There are 4 wooden doors
in the corridor, each decorated with geometric patterns
made from brass strips. The two rooms on the opposite
side of the staircase are completely empty and there
are 4 spellbound chimeras in each of these rooms,
sleeping. The room closest to the staircase is the library,
and the other one is the study room.
In the library, there are 645 books, a tome of leadership
DQGLQÁXHQFH, 2 spell scrolls (demiplane), 3 spell scrolls (true
seeing), a spell scroll (dream), a spell scroll (power word kill),
and 4 empty contracts (p. 266).
In the study room, there is a wooden desk and a chair.
On the desk and in its drawers, there are 6 ounces of
ink, 2 ink pens, a magnifying glass, a bell, an hourglass,
99 sheets of paper, 47 sheets of parchment, 13 sealing
waxes, and a spellbook with the following spells written
in it: chill touch, mending, shocking grasp, alarm, charm
person, comprehend languages, identify, illusory script,
GDUNQHVVLQYLVLELOLW\PLVW\VWHSVHHLQYLVLELOLW\IHDUÀUHEDOO
UHPRYHFXUVHWRQJXHVEOLJKWÀUHVKLHOGORFDWHFUHDWXUHFRQH
of cold, hold monster, disintegrate.
7KHWKLUGÁRRULVWKHSHQWKRXVH7KHUHDUHWZRURRPV attempts fail. If the characters come close to the door,
and a cast iron door leading to the tower. The rooms are they realize the steady heartbeats coming from it with
triangular. There are 2 spellbound chimeras sleeping
near the staircase.
In one of the rooms, there is a silver stand, 5 feet tall,
made of rhodium (180,000 CS). On the stand, there is a
crystal ball of true seeing. There is a painting of a crying
woman in front of a pitch-black doorway on the wall,
and a parrot near the painting. If the characters talk to
the parrot, it repeats these words: “Black door. Sad. Cry.
Gray cage. Stone cage.” If a character communicates with
the parrot through magical means, such as the speak
with animals spell, the parrot repeats the same words,
saying nothing else. A character can gain the trust of
the parrot with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Animal
Handling) check; if the parrot trusts a character, it says,
“Woman. Black door. Magic. Black door. Magic. Cry.”
7KHRWKHUURRPLV)LUX]H·VEHGURRP7KHÁRRULVPDGH
RIZRRGDQGWKHUHLVDODUJHEHGRQWKHÁRRULQIURQWRI
a triangular window. There are several blankets, heavy
DQGÁXII\DQGRYHUVWXIIHGSLOORZVRQWKHEHG7KHUH
is a wooden cased glass display on the wall with small
wooden shelves in it. On the shelves, there are magic
rings: a ULQJRIDQLPDOLQÁXHQFHa ring of chains (p. 267), a
ring of evasion, a ring of feather falling, a ring of free action, a
ring of jumping, a ring of mind shielding, a ring of protection,
a ring of regeneration, a ring of sun blocking (p. 268), a ring
of swimming, a ring of telekinesis, a ring of the ram, a ring of
warmth, and a ring of water walking. The characters can
innately understand that interacting with this display
is extremely fatal. A spell or other effect that can sense
the presence of magic, such as the detect magic spell,
reveals an overwhelming aura of enchantment magic
on the display. If a character tries to break the display
or touches it, the power word: kill spell is cast on the
character, originating from the display; this effect can
take place once per three rounds.
Under one of her pillows, there is a journal. The
journal describes the major events of her life, including
the death of her husband and unborn child. The
writings are extremely depressing and even suicidal. On
the last page, it writes: “I sleep like a baby. It is the closest
I can get to dying. No sounds. No light. No memories. No
pain. Dreams never disturb me, although sometimes I disturb
GUHDPV2QFHDJDLQWKHÀUVWWKLQJ,VDZWKLVPRUQLQJDIWHU
waking up, was the ring collection of my husband. He loved
ULQJV6RPHWLPHVDGHHSGHVLUHWRÀQLVKKLVFROOHFWLRQÀOOVPH
EXWEHIRUH,FDQWDNHDQ\DFWLRQLWÁHHV'RQ·WZRUU\P\ORYH
my vengeance is due. Give me a little more time to join you so
I can come peacefully. They shall pay.”
The cast iron door leading to the tower can’t be
damaged, its lock can’t be picked, and it can’t be passed
by any means besides solving its puzzle. The only way
to get into the tower is through this door, any other
a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check. If a
character listens to the heartbeat carefully, they can
hear faint whispers saying, “What can be easily given but
can never be taken back whole? It can also be kept, but not
once it’s broke.” If a character says “promise” out loud, the
heartbeat stops and the cast-iron door opens.
The tower is made of brick, and there are no sources
of light within. There are only spiral wooden stairs
going up, and at the top of the tower, there is a brass
GRPHDQGDZRRGHQÁRRU7KHWRZHULVHPSW\,ID
character casts the demiplane spell under this brass
GRPHWKHVSHOORSHQVDGRRUWR)LUX]H·VGHPLSODQHQR
matter the desired location.
)LUX]H·VGHPLSODQHLVDFXELFVWRQHURRPZLWKQRWKLQJ
in it.
191
 The entire house has pipe installation going through
its walls to supply blood to angst equipment. There
are angst lamps in every room, corridor, and staircase.
The entire house is well-illuminated, except the tower.
7KHUHLVQRSULPDU\YDOYHWKDWFRQWUROVWKHHQWLUHÁRZ
of blood; each piece of angst equipment has its own
small valve.
Encounter Example. $QHOLWHVRUFHUHUZHDULQJÀQH
clothes passes by the characters with her husband,
“Oh, I remember it. She used to organize great banquets in
her house. A fabulous mansion. It’s heart-breaking, what
happened…” The husband answers with an unconcerned
voice, “I am not a fan of Hillside Heights. I just went there to
see Firuze.”
Hideouts
The hideouts the agents use might be anything from
a small shack to a skyscraper penthouse. Whatever
the agents need to complete an operation, they are
provided.
Encounter Example. There are posters on the walls.
There is a drawing of a woman pictured as a strong
sorcerer and it says “Your magic waits to be unleashed. Try
blood therapy now!” underneath. At the bottom corner
RIWKHSRVWHUWKHUHLVDVPDOOORJR´))µFLUFOHGZLWKD
EUDVVOLQHZKHUHLWVD\V´)LUX]H)RXQGDWLRQµ
Interactions With the
Characters
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVFRPHWRVHH)LUX]HDWKHUKRXVH
Abraham welcomes them on the porch and accompanies
them inside. Two servants, commoners, take the
characters’ coats at the entrance hall and put them in a
wardrobe in the garderobe room. Meanwhile, another
servant, a commonerRIIHUVVRPHWREDFFRÁDYRUHG
cologne. Abraham says, “Our lady will be with you shortly.
In the meantime, please enjoy her hospitality.” Abraham
escorts the characters to the living room, where they
are served baked desserts boiled in sherbet, and top-
quality alcoholic drinks. Abraham and the servants
leave the characters alone after serving them their
food.
Abraham (celestial, lawful good, deva) is the butler
of the house. He is an angel disguised as an elf. When
)LUX]HUHEXNHGHYHU\WKLQJWKDWJRYHUQHGKHUIDWHDQG
cried out to the dark sky, an unknown entity heard
her and granted a scintilla of its power to her, but this
entity was not the only thing hearing the sad cries
RI)LUX]H$QDQJHOWRRNSLW\RQKHUDQGFDPHGRZQ
WRFRPIRUWKHU2YHUWKH\HDUV)LUX]HJRWZRUVHDQG
Abraham stayed with her. He couldn’t bear to see her
like that and he couldn’t bear to leave her alone in her
192
pain. He is a polite and melancholic angel, glooming
over the sad fates of most mortals. He is a dear friend
WR)LUX]HDQGVKHGRHVQ·WNQRZKLVWUXHLGHQWLW\DVVKH
never thought of checking such a thing. He is overly
SURWHFWLYHRI)LUX]H
$IWHUPLQXWHV)LUX]HFRPHVWRWKHOLYLQJURRP
accompanied by 2 knights, each having two bloodwork
blade (p. 264) attachments on their backs. After greeting
the characters, she starts the conversation by saying,
“There are two groups on your trail, both working for
different Prime Sorcerers. What have you done to invoke
such trouble?” indicating the Silver Cult and the Corrupt
$JHQWV)LUX]HWULHVWRXQGHUVWDQGWKHJRDOVRIWKH
characters. If the characters say that they are looking
IRUWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\VKHVD\V“If it is taken by a Prime
Sorcerer, I would suspect the Sanguinologist. Others wouldn’t
care for a creature’s corpse —if the rumors about them are
true, of course.”)LUX]HLVZLOOLQJWRKHOSLIWKHFKDUDFWHUV
want to challenge a Prime Sorcerer, but she does not
reveal her hatred towards the Prime Sorcerers. She
can tell the characters what they should do to reach
the Prime Tower of Sanguinology while using the
Highway, allow the characters to trade with a discount
in Cyherested, and let the characters hire combat-ready
mercenaries if they need, which are described in a box
at the end of this section. She also reveals that Leland
&KDWWHUFRGHRQHRIWKHPRVWLQÁXHQWLDOSRZHUIXO
and professional lawyers of Cyherested and one of the
three leaders of the Corrupt Agents, has one of these
sigils, directing them to his mansion detailed in the
Chattercode District section. If the characters ask about
the groups she mentioned earlier, she says, “Some of
my top secret informers tell me that some CBI agents work
for another Prime Sorcerer. They act like a secret CBI, inside
the CBI. I don’t think they have a special headquarters or
DQ\WKLQJOLNHWKDW,WLVQRWSRVVLEOHIRU\RXWRÀQGWKHP
HLWKHU7KHEHVWLVZDLWLQJIRUWKHPWRÀQG\RX0D\EH\RX
can learn something from them with a proper interrogation.
For the other ones, the Silver Cult, you can go visit Elari’s
Organic Spell Component Workshop. People say that they sell
top quality spell components.”
7KHFKDUDFWHUVPLJKWLQÀOWUDWH)LUX]H·VKRXVH7KH
bloodwork automaton patrols are always patrolling
the land. The spellbound chimeras are always on the
VHFRQGDQGWKLUGÁRRUVRIWKHKRXVHEXWWKH\GRQ·W
engage with the characters unless the characters
steal something or unless the characters attack
them. Abraham is always in the house, he might be
anywhere within. If it is daytime, there are 3 servants
(commoner UHVSRQVLEOHIRUFOHDQLQJWKHÀUVWÁRRUDQG
welcoming guests, 2 cooks (commoner) in the kitchen,
and 2 knights (each has 2 bloodwork blades) protecting
WKHÀUVWÁRRU7KHVHVHUYDQWVFRRNVDQGNQLJKWV
immediately contact the CBI if they encounter armed
LQWUXGHUVZLWKLQWKHKRXVHDQGVLQFH)LUX]HLVD9,3
the CBI will classify the intruders as terrorists and send
DUHVSRQVHWHDPDFFRUGLQJO\ S )LUX]HLVRQKHU
demiplane during the nighttime and sleeping in her bed
during the daytime.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVHQFRXQWHU)LUX]HLQKHUEHGURRP
she angrily says, “Leave. Now!” If the characters accept
WROHDYHWKHEHGURRP)LUX]HDFFHSWVWKHPDVJXHVWV
who have lost their ways, offering them a chance to
apologize. If the characters refuse to leave her bedroom,
she calls for Abraham and attacks the characters. If
WKH\HQFRXQWHU)LUX]HLQRWKHUSDUWVRIWKHKRXVH
during their intrusion, she says, “I was searching for you.
How polite of you to come on your own. Shall we have tea?”
Then, she takes the characters to the living room where
$EUDKDPVHUYHVWKHPSHSSHUPLQWWHD)LUX]HWDONVWR
them normally as described above.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVHQFRXQWHU)LUX]HRQKHUGHPLSODQH
WKH\ÀQGKHUVLWWLQJRQWKHJURXQGZHDULQJDEOXH
nightgown and crying. She has been crying every night
since the death of her husband and child. Her back is
turned to the characters. If she notices the characters,
she stops crying and says,´+RZGLG\RXÀQGPH"µ In
WKLVVLWXDWLRQ)LUX]HLVPRUHLQFOLQHGWRGLVFXVVPRUH
philosophical subjects. She believes that there is no
life after this one, there are no great entities caring
for mortals, there is only darkness after death, and
OLIHLVLQVLJQLÀFDQWEXWRQWKHRWKHUKDQGVKHKRSHV
that there is an afterlife where she can be reunited
with her husband and child, and she feels like there is
VLJQLÀFDQFHLQWKLVH[LVWHQFHDOWKRXJKKHUPLQGDUJXHV
otherwise.
If the characters politely discuss philosophical
PDWWHUVZLWK)LUX]HWU\WRXQGHUVWDQGKHURU
HPSDWKL]HZLWKKHU)LUX]HEHFRPHVIULHQGO\ZLWKWKHP
She invites them to the living room and offers them any
drink or food they like. She might even gift them some
items (one rare or very rare item for each character)
the characters have seen within the house (except the
rings). She talks about her goals, and how she is trying
to kill the Prime Sorcerer to have revenge for her
unborn baby. She tells everything to the characters and
asks for their help in exchange for her help. Otherwise,
she approaches the characters as she normally would,
and invites them to the living room to talk.
If the characters are captured by force, the agents
that captured them inject a drug into their veins to
ensure that they stay unconscious. They are taken to
DKLGHRXWLQVWHDGRI)LUX]H·VKRXVH7KHKLGHRXWLVD
private blood therapy center located in Upper South
(p. 13). It is a small apartment with three rooms in a
tall building, but it has its own entrance apart from
the building’s door. In one of the rooms, there is a desk
ÀOOHGZLWKÀQDQFLDODQGRIÀFLDOUHSRUWVZKLFKDUHDOO
VWDPSHGZLWKDVHDOVD\LQJ´)))LUX]H)RXQGDWLRQµ
There are no customers and employees within the
center, only the characters and a group of well dressed
thugs.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
You feel your veins burning from within
and wake up with an annoyance similar to a
cramp in the morning while lying in bed. You
contract your muscles, putting strain on your
entire body, trying to relieve yourself from the
unbearable pain, but it lingers. It feels like it
would ease your pain to cry, scream, throw up,
defecate, or die, but your body can’t muster
the strength to do any of these.
You are strapped to a metal chair in a room
covered in white ceramic tiles and drains
on the floor. A half orc, wearing a butcher’s
apron, stands before a table that is filled with
tools necessary to cut, smash, split, constrict,
and gag. There are others in the room
watching with interest but your focus is on the
half orc.
There is a spy who is the tormentor, an assassin who
oversees the process, and 8 guards, 4 inside the room
and 4 in the corridor outside of the room. The assassin
carries EORRGZRUNÁDNJUHQDGHV and EORRGZRUNÁDVK
grenades (p. 263). The characters’ equipment is in the
corner of the room.
The characters regain their missing hit points while
WKH\DUHXQFRQVFLRXVEXWWKH\KDYHQ·WÀQLVKHGDORQJ
or short rest. And now, they are poisoned because of the
drug injected into them.
The characters can escape from the leather straps
that bind them to the metal chairs with a successful
DC 25 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, getting out of the
ELQGLQJVWKURXJKJUHDWÁH[LELOLW\RUZLWKDVXFFHVVIXO
DC 23 Strength check by breaking the buckles holding
the straps.
The assassin starts to ask questions about their
backgrounds, identities, goals, professions, and
acquaintances, trying to learn where they have come
from, how they have come into the city, and why they
have come. If the characters have encountered any
organizations, groups, or notable people in Cyherested
DQGWKHDVVDVVLQÀQGVRXWGXULQJWKHLQWHUURJDWLRQWKH
assassin tries to learn more about the subject by asking
relevant questions. The assassin’s main objective is to
193
 learn why important people of Cyherested are trying to )LUX]HSRVHQRWKUHDWDJDLQVWKHURUWKH\·UHWU\LQJWR
capture the characters. FRQWDFW)LUX]HWRVSHDNZLWKKHUWKH\OHWWKHFKDUDFWHUV
If the characters lie, they must make a Charisma go.
(Deception) check contested by the assassin’s Wisdom If the assassin decides that the characters are a threat
(Insight) check. If the assassin wins the contested check, WR)LUX]HWKH\NLOOWKHFKDUDFWHUV
the assassin understands the subject is lying and signals
the tormentor to continue with the torture. They might
ask the same question again if the lie is too absurd, even
if the characters win the contested check.
If Firuze agrees to help the characters, all
The tormentor starts the torture session with the
merchants within Cyherested sell their
Detective if he’s with the characters. If the Detective
merchandise at half-price to the characters.
dies or he is not with the characters, the tormentor
If the characters go to prison, Firuze will pay
chooses a random character. The tormentor removes
their bail. Also, Firuze might give a magic stone
OLPEVVXFKDVÀQJHUVGHDOLQJGVODVKLQJGDPDJHZLWK
to the characters (at the GM’s discretion).
each limb. They remove a limb each time a character
This stone can be used to contact a mercenary
lies, insults them, or tries to stall. They stop if removing
company. The characters can hire the following
any more limbs would kill the character and start
mercenaries:
torturing another character instead.
• Guard equipped with a bloodwork rifle (p.
If the tormentor decides that the characters deserve
263) instead of a spear. Accompanies the
a more-punishing torture, they change the method by
characters for an hour for 600 CS. Arrives
choosing a character and attaching a series of tubes
in 20 minutes.
FRPLQJRXWRIWKHÁRRUWRWKHFKDUDFWHU·VYHLQVWKURXJK
needles. Several alchemical substances are pumped into • Knight equipped with an angst-imbued
WKHFKDUDFWHU·VEORRGVWUHDPLQÁLFWLQJXQLPDJLQDEOH greatsword which deals an additional 1d6
pain and killing the character from within; the fire damage. Accompanies the characters
tormentor says, “This is what some sorcerers endure. Let’s for an hour for 6,000 CS. Arrives in 15
see if you have the heart.” The character is unable to minutes.
speak during the process because of the pain. • Assassin equipped with a bloodwork sniper
,QWKHÀUVWURXQGRILQMHFWLQJWKHVXEVWDQFHVWKH rifle (p. 263). Helps the character with a
character makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw, and on single encounter for 47,000 CS. Arrives
a failed save, the character’s Strength score is reduced immediately as the company sorcerers
by 1. On the second round, the character makes a DC teleport the assassin.
15 Dexterity saving throw, and on a failed save, the
character’s Dexterity score is reduced by 1. On the
following rounds, the character makes Constitution,
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma rolls the same way,
and on a failed save its related ability score is reduced
by 1. After the character has rolled each saving throw,
they continue to do so starting again from the Strength
saving throw, but the DC is increased by 1. This cycle The Events
continues until the tubes are removed or the character
dies. The assassin removes the tubes if the characters
start to answer questions directly and truthfully. If a
character fails these saving throws 5 or more times, the
FKDUDFWHULVDIÁLFWHGZLWKORQJWHUPPDGQHVV
If the characters tell anything about how they want to
or need to challenge a Prime Sorcerer, the interrogation <RXZLOOÀQGWKHHYHQWVWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQHQFRXQWHU
HQGVDQGWKHDVVDVVLQWDNHVWKHFKDUDFWHUVWR)LUX]H·V during their time in Cyherested below. In some of them,
house either by knocking them unconscious with the the characters learn more about the organizations,
same drug or by simply accompanying them to the leave the characters in the middle of chaos, and lead the
house. If any harm is done to the characters, they will characters into moral dilemmas. In some of them, the
EHKHDOHGLQ)LUX]H·VKRXVHE\DKLUHGSULHVW FKDUDFWHUVPD\HYHQÀQGWKHVLJLOVWKH\UHTXLUHWRHQWHU
the tower of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology. These
If the assassin decides that the characters don’t know events are not in chronological order, and you, as the

194
GM, can use them however you want.
The Safe House
Lance MacLeod offers to take the characters to the safe
house if they meet at the cologne shop detailed in the
Friendly Welcome section, leave the station together,
or meet within the city. The safe house is a simple
apartment in an ordinary building with a pub on its
ÀUVWÁRRU,WLVORFDWHGLQ%DUG7RZQ S $IWHUWKH
characters arrive at the safe house, read or paraphrase
the text below to your players:
Lance prepares a special blend of Cyherested
coffee and sits on the couch in the living
room. After waiting for all of you to give
your attention to him, he starts to explain in
a relieved, but tired, voice: “I got your news from
Ethan but I also have a man in the Kanrath train station.
He told me that you boarded the train but then you didn’t
arrive. Later, I heard about the accident on the radio. What
the bloody fuck happened to you? Anyway, I believe that you
are here to take something back that belongs to Kanrath, and
I wish to help. The balance must be kept between the cities
or it would lead to another bloody war. So, what are you
looking for and how can I help?”
If the characters tell Lance that they are searching
IRUWKH6LOYHU&XOWDQGWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\KHDVNVWKH
characters to wait for a minute as he goes to his study.
He talks with an acquaintance from the train station
by using a spell-imbued angst crystal to ask about
unordinary people who carried a piece of large cargo
out of the station in recent days. Then, he comes back
and says, “I talked to a friend of mine. She said that recently
a group of people carrying silver daggers brought a large
chest to Cyherested and loaded it onto a horse wagon outside
the station. You should ask about them, but be careful. You
can never know where someone’s loyalty stands in this city.
One more thing. Never break the law in Cyherested. The CBI
has no mercy. Never break the law… Never.”
Lance gives three leads to the characters to start their
investigation.
7KHÀUVWRQHLVWKHPRVWSURPLVLQJDFFRUGLQJWR
Lance, which is also a true lead. Lance directs the
characters to a place called Den of Beggars in the North
Point (p.12). Lance says, “These beggars know about any
ongoing business within the city. Their place can be accessed
through tunnels that can be entered from the cracks in
the walls. Look for signs at the entrance, they may ask for
passwords.” If the characters choose to go there, move
on to the Den of Beggars section. The Detective also
wants to visit the beggars.
The second one is a group of people that have
recently claimed the existence of a new deity and as
a result, they have been branded as heretics by most
people. Lance says, “People say that they are worshiping
some dark entity and attend to mystic dark rituals. Maybe it
is related to the Founder.” If the characters choose to visit
these people, see the New Heretics section.
7KHÀQDOOHDGLVWKHZHDNHVWRQH/DQFHVD\V“There is
a group of people who have serious problems with bloodwork
automatons. I do not know if there is a connection between
them, the sorcerers you are looking for, and the Founder, but
there could be one. Be careful while dealing with them. They
are an angry mob motivated by hatred.” If the characters
want to follow this lead, move on to the Conservatives
section.
Lance is willing to follow the characters from a
distance while they are wandering the city. He offers
protection but suggests that they shouldn’t be seen
together as it might cause problems. If the characters
and Lance Macleod have already been seen together,
2 CBI special operators (p. 273) that are members of
the Corrupt Agents and former coworkers of Lance
are looking for Lance to kill him for betraying them by
working with outsiders from Kanrath. If the characters
commit felonies or more serious crimes, Lance alerts
the CBI and leaves the characters. The hostile actions
of the characters against the people trying to capture
them don’t bother Lance, and he even helps the
characters in such situations.
Spellcaster Brawl
2 magesDUHÀJKWLQJZLWKCBI sorcerers (p. 273)
on the street. This is likely to occur in the Zapernick
District (p. 12) close to the North Point (p. 12), yet
it could happen in most places in Cyherested. If the
characters encounter this battle, read or paraphrase the
text below to your players:
In an alley, connecting two main streets, two
robed figures are fighting two uniformed
sorcerers. A spellbook with a leather cover
embedded with angst runes levitates between
the robed figures, and they grasp at the runes
appearing above the book, throwing them
toward the sorcerers. The runes intertwine
195
196
 and complete each other, transforming into
a small, glowing sphere which explodes upon
reaching the sorcerers, engulfing them in fire.
Yet, the sorcerers simply walk out from the
fire. One of them is readying a counterspell
while the other one channels a bolt of
lightning that is growing in size. During the
chaos of the spell fight, you see a teenage girl
running behind the sorcerers, toward you.
She is holding something. The alley is filled
with arcs of lightning as the sorcerer throws
the bolt and one of the arcs hits a wall, setting
a loose brick free, which hits the girl in the
head, knocking her down. The duel continues
with elements hurled between.
If the characters kill the mages, the CBI sorcerers
accuse them of obstruction of justice and attack the
characters. If the characters kill the CBI sorcerers, the
mages attack the characters, saying, “They saw our faces,
kill them.” If the characters succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom
(Medicine) check or use a healer’s kit to stop the
bleeding on the girl’s head, she thanks the characters
and gives them a stone, saying, “I saw this falling out from
the sorcerer’s pocket. There was a symbol on it and I wanted
to see. Maybe it could make me a sorcerer; it was a childish
thing to think. Please, have it as thanks from me.” She leaves
saying that she has to go home. Her name is Azaria.
It is a small stone, 3-inch wide, with a glyph carved
on it; a creature can realize that the glyph means “life”
with a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. It
is one of the glyphs needed to activate the magic circle
within the tower of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
Uncle's Baked Sweets
7KHÀQHVWEDNHU\LQDOORI&\KHUHVWHGLVFDOOHG´8QFOH·V
Baked Sweets”. It is located in Bard Town (p. 12) and is
owned by an old man called Uncle Nar (dwarf, lawful
neutral, gladiator). He uses a baker shovel instead of a
spear; the shovel has the same properties as the spear,
but its damage type is bludgeoning instead of piercing.
If the characters are wandering in Bard Town and
they pass by the street where this bakery is located,
read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
The smell of apple, pumpkin, and blueberry
pies spread to the entire street. The pleasant
smell of the baked pie crust was complemented
by the sugary aroma of the caramelized fruits
and the unique scent of ground cinnamon.
You eye the street to see the source of such
delight, it’s undoubtedly the bakery ahead.
The shop’s facade is made entirely of
polished wood with only the display made
of glass. In the display, there are sourdough
bread, baguettes, croissants, pita bread, dill
biscuits, feta cheese biscuits, olive biscuits,
ginger nut biscuits, chocolate chip cookies,
peanut butter cookies, pralines, strawberry
tartlets, marzipans, cognac liqueur chocolates,
raspberry tarts, apple pies, and cinnamon
rolls.
You can see the rush inside the shop: bakers
behind the marble counters, kneading and
shaping doughs, salespeople quickly packing
orders and taking payments, and an energetic
dwarf with a baker shovel, orchestrating this
chaos into an order of its own.
Uncle Nar is an energetic and kind dwarf. He doesn’t
like to talk about money as he is already rich. If a
customer likes his desserts but is unable to pay, he is
likely to gift the dessert to the customer. There are
six bakers, all veterans, helping him in the store and
three apprentices, all commoners, learning the job.
The bakers carry rolling pins instead of weapons; the
rolling pins have the same properties as the shortsword
but deal bludgeoning damage instead of piercing. The
apprentices don’t carry any weapons. These bakers also
wear mithral versions of their normal armor under
their clothes.
Every morning, a Silver Sorcerer (p. 286), who has
changed their appearance to look like Elari (p. 166) by
using the alter self spell, comes to this shop and buys
a large chest-load of desserts. The sorcerer pays them
to load the chest into a horse wagon and departs with
the wagon, going to Elari’s Organic Spell Component
Workshop to bring the desserts to Elari. Elari eats all
the desserts on the same day. If Elari doesn’t eat her
daily desserts (she can’t if the chest doesn’t arrive), she
gains two levels of exhaustion until she consumes a
chest-load.
There are 1d100 x 20 CS worth of alchemical supplies
and 1d100 x 150 CS inside the store.
197
 Valborn Family players:

There are several famous families known among

sorcerers for their bloodlines, and the Valborn family
Between the administrative buildings, simple
is one of them. Elari Valborn (p. 166), the leader of the
restaurants, and streets filled with bureaucrats,
Silver Cult and the pride of the Valborn family, is the
there is a street separated from the rest of
second youngest member of the family. The youngest
Heartstring Way. It is an exception to the
member is her newborn sister, Melani Valborn.
district’s layout and its only large, residential
If the characters wander around in East Midfort area.
(p. 13), they might encounter a nanny (commoner)
There are two to four-story houses made of
pushing a stroller made of polished brass and white
large blocks of stone decorated with carvings
leather. On the stroller, there is a “V” symbol; most
of many parallel lines and simple geometrical
people in East Midfort know that the symbol stands for
shapes; they also have a unique feature:
the Valborn family. The characters realize that people
adamantine balustrades.
are staying away from the stroller with a successful DC
15 Wisdom (Perception) check, or they can realize that The street is full of well-dressed halflings
people are nervous while passing by the nanny with a of all ages, enjoying their days and struggling
successful DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check. with family endeavors. They are subtly
surrounded by uniformed sorcerers protecting
If they realize that the baby is a member of the
them from potential harm.
Valborn family and know that the leader of the Silver
&XOWLV(ODUL9DOERUQWKH)RXQGHUZKLVSHUVWRWKH
characters: “Take it. Seize the upper hand. She’ll beg us.
She’ll betray anything for this tiny bag of blood.”
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVOLVWHQWRWKH)RXQGHUDQGNLGQDS
cbi special operators
the baby, they gain 1 blood degeneration. Elari does
everything in her power, including sharing everything
she knows, to get her sister back.
If any harm comes to her sister, she alerts the CBI and
brands the characters as terrorists (as explained in the
beginning of this chapter) and she does everything in
her power to capture the characters.
If the characters hold up their end of the bargain and
give her sister back, she does everything in her power
to capture and punish them for what they did after she
secures her sister. Regardless, when they kidnap her
sister, all friendly options with the Silver Cult are out of
the question.
If the characters kidnap the baby but let the nanny
go, they can see the nanny on the street where they
kidnapped the baby a few hours later; she is imprisoned
alive in amber with her arms and legs severed,
suspended in time, and in an eternal pain to make
an example of what happens if you cross the Valborn
family.

Chattercode District

If the characters wander through Heartstring Way (p.

13), they might see the Chattercode District where
Leland Chattercode (p. 178) and his family live. If this
is the case, read or paraphrase the text below to your

198
7KHUHDUHPDQ\ZHOOGUHVVHGKDOÁLQJVLQWKHVWUHHW the mutual promises and agreements contained herein,
enjoying their day. The street is protected by 12 CBI the Parties form a magical bond to cast accordingly
special operators (p. 273) patrolling in groups of two. in compliance with the policies of Great Cyherested,
Only members of the Chattercode family and their hereby agreed to by the Parties.
guests can enter the district. The characters can climb The Parties shall refrain from the following, as per
up to the roofs of the four-story luxurious houses the terms of this Agreement:
located in the street with a successful DC 19 Strength
(Athletics) check. The operators on the street have 1) Directly taking or facilitating actions that are
disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect apparent to cause direct or indirect harm to the Parties.
the creatures on the roofs.  6KDULQJLQIRUPDWLRQWKDWLVFODVVLÀHGDV´5HVWULFWHGµ
The children don’t alert anyone if they see the by the Parties, except with the Parties.
characters, the adults instantly alert the operators, and 3) Directly taking or facilitating actions that are
the elderly invite the characters for tea and alert Leland apparent to cause direct or indirect harm to a creature
while stalling the characters. If Leland learns about the RUREMHFWWKDWLVFODVVLÀHGDV´:DUGHGµE\WKH3DUWLHV
arrival of the characters to the district, he joins them to except if the aforementioned creature or object poses
have tea or invites them to his house to talk. danger to the Parties.”
There are sparrows on the roof. If the characters This agreement is signed twice by Leland, Ava, and
speak with the sparrows with the speak with animals Salvador.
spell or a similar magic ability, the sparrows tell
WKHPZKLFKZLQGRZVOHDGWR/HODQG·VRIÀFHDV/HODQG
NHHSVVKLQ\REMHFWVZLWKLQKLVRIÀFH,IWKHFKDUDFWHUV Liqueur Store
LQÀOWUDWHWKHVWUHHWZLWKRXWDOHUWLQJDQ\RQHWKH\FDQ
JHWLQWR/HODQG·VRIÀFHWKURXJKKLVZLQGRZZLWKRXW
being seen with a successful DC 22 Dexterity (Stealth) There is a liquor store called Berin’s in East Midfort (p.
check. 13), selling high-quality drinks that can only be found
there. The store has no license to sell alcoholic drinks
7KHUHLVDKHDY\ZRRGHQGHVNDVWRQHÀUHSODFHWKUHH
but they give 60,000 CS every week to the CBI sorcerers
leather chairs, and two leather couches in Leland’s
(p. 273) responsible for the area to turn a blind eye.
RIÀFH1HDUWKHZDOOVWKHUHDUHFDELQHWVDQGVKHOYHV
7KHVWRUHLVORFDWHGRQWKHVHFRQGÁRRURIDVN\VFUDSHU
ÀOOHGZLWKODZERRNVDQGHQF\FORSHGLDV7KHUHDUH
and is indistinguishable from a normal residence from
a total of 120 books. Near the desk, there is a locked
the outside. To be able to buy from this shop, a person
PHWDOYDXOW$FKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQWZLWKWKLHYHV·WRROV
needs a sponsor who is already a customer of the shop.
can open the vault with a successful DC 28 Dexterity
check. The vault is a Medium object that has AC 19, 22 7KHVKRSRZQHU%HULQ WLHÁLQJFKDRWLFQHXWUDO
hit points, immunity to piercing, poison and psychic mage) is equipped with a bloodwork pistol (p. 263) and
damage, and a damage threshold of 10. Within the vault,
there are 60 angst coins, a large piece of carved angst
crystal worth 9,0000 CS, 20,200 CS, a signed contract (p.
266), and a stone. It is a small stone, 3-inch wide, with a
glyph carved on it; a creature can discern that the glyph
means “magic” with a successful DC 20 Intelligence
(Arcana) check. It is one of the glyphs needed to
activate the magic circle within the tower of the Prime
Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
In the contract, it writes:
´%2$5'2)',5(&7256$*5((0(17
This Board of Directors Agreement (the “Agreement”)
LVPDGHHIIHFWLYHDVRI1(
BETWEEN Leland Chattercode AND Ava Smith AND
Salvador Castillo. The individuals who have agreed
RQWKHWHUPVRIWKLVDJUHHPHQWDQGFRQÀUPWKHLU
agreement with their signature are each referred to
herein as a “Party” and, collectively, as the “Parties.”
12:7+(5()25()25$1',1&216,'(5$7,21RI

199
 can make three attacks with it using her action. There
are 2 berserkers guarding the shop’s door and their
weapons are coated with oil of sharpness. Berin is a
wizard who had served 7 years in prison for casting
unauthorized wizard spells before getting out 15 years
ago. No one hired her because she was a convicted
wizard, so she started her own business.
If the characters have wandered around the wealthy
neighborhoods of the city and they are wandering
around East Midfort, they recognize the logo on a poster
KXQJIURPWKHZLQGRZRIDVHFRQGÁRRUVN\VFUDSHU
apartment with a successful DC 15 Intelligence check.
They realize that they have seen the logo on spirit
bottles around Cyherested.
Every day, early in the morning, Ava (p. 181) comes
to this shop to buy peach liqueur. There are 1d100 x 180
CS in the shop, behind the counter. There are also 1d100
x 10 bottles of distilled alcoholic beverages, each worth
180 CS.
Backstreet Alchemy
During the night, there is a loud party going on in a villa
located in West Midfort (p. 13). If the characters see the
villa from up close, read or paraphrase the text below to
your players:
There is a two-story house with a small garden
and a pebble path towards its entrance.
It looks like a brick house hovering over
a brick warehouse. The lower part of the
building is rectangular and made from brick
and mortar. From its corners, tall black iron
beams protrude above and hold the upper part
of the building, made of the same material.
Between the two sections, there is an iron
staircase with iron platforms that connect
them.
In the garden on the metal platforms above,
and inside as seen from the metal framed glass
windows, there are people enjoying drinks,
drugs, music, and the company of others. The
sound of the trombone, contrabass, drums,
and piano can be clearly heard, their melody
coming from upstairs. The orange light of the
burning braziers, angst lamps and colorful
magical lights illuminate the house and its
surroundings.
It is a party attended by many sorcerers (commoners
200
that can cast some cantrips and several 1st and 2nd-
level spells from the sorcerer spell list). The host,
)HOYLQ6RZLW]$VNDQFH JQRPHQHXWUDOHYLOnoble),
is the son of the Minister of Modern Medicine. He is a
sorcerer with a little bard training as well as a student
in CADRAC (p. 13), and he can play the guitar. He can
cast some cantrips from the sorcerer and bard spell
lists; he can cast several 4th-level and lower-level spells
from the sorcerer spell list and he can cast several 1st
and 2nd-level spells from the bard spell list. He is a
GUXJGHDOHUDQGKHVHOOVWKHÀQHVWGUXJVZKLFKKHÀQGV
using his father’s connections.
Salvador Castillo (p. 177) comes to this house every
week to replenish his stocks of tamper, also known as
“reese”, also known as “rich sand”, also known as “scar
dust” or “scast”. It is a stimulant drug which is illegal
WRVHOOEX\RUXVH)HOYLQVHOOVDVLQJOHGRVHIRUDQJVW
coins.
Rich Sand. This alchemical substance mixed with
oxidized angst dust is a poison used for recreation. It
can be inhaled through the nose or injected directly
LQWRDYHLQ7RLQMHFWLWVDIHO\RQHPXVWÀUVWPL[WKH
drug with their own blood. It can also be poured on
an open wound after the same procedure for injection
is complete. If a person takes 3 doses of this drug in
an hour, their heart stops; if someone else doesn’t
resuscitate that person with a successful DC 17 Wisdom
(Medicine) check in a minute, the person dies. When
a creature takes a dose of this drug, the creature
must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw or
become poisoned for 1 hour. While poisoned in this
manner, the creature becomes more responsive and
JDLQVWKHEHQHÀWVRIWKHhaste spell. After the condition
ends, the creature suffers a level of exhaustion.
When a creature uses this drug, it must succeed on
a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be addicted. The
creature repeats the saving throw every time it uses
the drug, and the DC increases by 1 after each dose.
Once addicted, the creature must consume at least 1
dose of rich sand everyday, or the time for the addicted
FUHDWXUHWRÀQLVKDVKRUWUHVWRUORQJUHVWLVGRXEOHG
The addiction can be reversed with the remove curse
spell.
Medical Malpractice
This encounter can happen if the characters have
already been captured by the Silver Cult and met with
Doctor Holmes (p.174). If the characters go to a hospital
to seek medical help or pass by a hospital, they might
encounter Doctor Ashton Holmes. If they encounter the
doctor in a hospital, read or paraphrase the text below
to your players:

The sorcerers’ hubris made them invest
in medicine, and they invented tools and
methods of medical miracles that are called
“modern medicine”. They refined vulgar
methods into fine surgical knowledge with
extreme effort, while a spell could easily revive
a dead person or close their wounds, just out
of spite against religion. The hospitals, such
as the one you are standing in front of, are the
result of this scientific progression.
It looks no different from the surrounding
buildings; the only differences being a long
line of sick people queued in front of it and
anti-religious propaganda posters on the
walls, such as one saying, “Choose a hand to hold:
the invisible one reaping souls in its name, or the tired one
working honestly to be your remedy?”
Doctor Holmes stumbles away from the hospital’s
door, dropping his leather suitcase. The CBI sorcerer
(p. 273) that pushed him out stands at the door, looking
at the doctor, “Do not come back here again, doctor. This is
your second warning.” The doctor gets his suitcase and
À[HVKLVSRVWXUH“I have never performed an extracorporeal
outside this hospital. There is a misunderstanding, or even
worse, a conspiracy. Let me talk to the chief surgeon…”
The sorcerer closes the door and disappears into the
hospital.
If the doctor sees the characters, he tries to run away
or escape. If the characters approach the doctor, they
hear him speaking to himself, “Foolish arrogant fucks!
Smearing the name of the practice. No different than the
religious morons.” If the doctor is left alone, he goes to a
bar, gets drunk, and talks to random people about how
his mother died of cancer a couple of days ago and how
he is still trying to pay her medical bill which is 126,800
CS.
He is not a member of the Silver Cult, he was just paid
to perform the procedure.
In his suitcase, there is a stone. It is a small stone,
3-inch wide, with a glyph carved on it; a creature
can understand that the glyph means “life” with a
successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. It is one
of the glyphs needed to activate the magic circle within
the tower of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
Bloody Divorce
The people can attend most tribunals if they wish.
The hearings are public if they are not about sensitive
matters. If the characters are in a court, pass by a
courtroom, or willingly attend a random hearing, they
encounter a divorce suit. If the characters get into the
courtroom to watch the session, read or paraphrase the
text below to your players:
The wooden benches of the semicircular hall
are focused on the elevated stage where a heavy
desk with polished bronze edgings stands;
behind it, the golden decorated, white-
robed judge sits. Before the heavy desk, there
are smaller desks and tables for witnesses,
solicitors, consultants, and the court clerk.
Members of the public stand before the
benches; there is also a jury standing near the
stage. The court seems rather crowded with
people, and the presence of a jury, solicitors,
and consultants indicates that this is a very
serious case.
The judge raises her hand and a transparent
aura fills the courtroom, which can be felt
from the pressure change. All magic is
banished from the room. She puts her hand
down and speaks with an authoritative voice,
“Let’s start the session.” The court clerk makes the
announcement, “Before the honorable Juliet Emandor,
Cyherested High Court Judge, the sixth session of the case
numbered DT20548 commences. Please be seated.”
Everyone in the room takes a seat and the
officers standing by the doors close them. The
judge opens a file and skims it.
The High Court Judge continues: “Esteemed
Sorcerer Lady Ireen Hostfer Germond Chichester has filed
a case against Abagail Rochefort for the compensation of
the potent sorcerer blood loaned to Lady Abagail during
their marriage. The marriage between the ladies became
null a year ago after their divorce. Lady Ireen Chichester
loaned a considerable amount of her blood to Lady Abagail
in a medical emergency. The court has listened to both
parties, consulted experts, and heard the witnesses. The
jury has come to a decision regarding the hearings and
decided the legitimacy of the prosecution’s claims. By the
authority bestowed upon me by the Prime Sorcerers and
the people of Cyherested, I declare that Lady Abagail shall
be exsanguinated of her entire blood to be sure no sorcerer
blood remains in her system. She will be resanguinated
with ordinary blood in the free care of Cyherested doctors
appointed by the court. This case is closed, have a good day.”
Lady Abagail starts to cry, and both Lady Ireen and
the judge leave the room. A murmur rises from the
201
 public within the court. The people are talking about
the procedure in which Lady Abagail probably won’t
survive, and how Lady Ireen could be so cruel to her ex-
wife.
7KHHQWLUHFRXUWURRPLVÀOOHGZLWKDÀHOGRI
antimagic, but if any hostile actions are taken, CBI
special operators (p. 273) immediately teleport into
the room. One operator for each assailant will be sent
in such cases. There are 10 CBI sorcerers (p. 273) and a
CBI lieutenant (p. 272) in the room: 2 sorcerers behind
the judge and 2 sorcerers guarding each door. The
lieutenant sits near the jury.
New Heretics
7KHUHDUHPLVÀWVURDPLQJWKHFLW\ZHDULQJEODFN
clothes, dark lipstick, and their hair dyed black and
red. They prefer exotic jewelry, clothes, and makeup.
They call themselves “heretics” and they pretend to
worship the Goddess of Death and Darkness who offers
true justice and freedom. They pretend to do so to mock
both self-righteous religious people and the arrogant
sorcerers, who are both blind to any truth other
than their own. The mystery behind this is how their
appearance can bestow divine power on them.
The characters can encounter these people
everywhere within Cyherested, in every part of the
social hierarchy. They rarely stand among people and
when they do, they do so to make them uncomfortable.
Ogaleria Coalmoan (dwarf, chaotic neutral, cult
fanatic) is a wealthy woman who has a place in high
society, despite not being a sorcerer or an angst trader.
Her Wisdom score is 19 and she can cast the bestow curse
and divination spells once per day. She wears an iron
crown decorated with red chrysanths, dark makeup on
her pale skin, and silver rings decorated with skulls,
ravens, and occult symbols. She dresses in black and
carries a black umbrella.
The characters might encounter this young dwarf
lady on the street in wealthy districts, during the night.
She likes to wander around in the night, meet with
UDQGRPVWUDQJHUVDQGJHQHUDOO\EHVHHQDVDPLVÀW
They might also encounter her in events attended
by the elite, making people uncomfortable with her
unwanted and truthful opinions.
She acquired her wealth through legal action against
a company called Ogaleria. She sued the company
for using her name, but the company’s lawyers easily
remedied the situation. So, she seduced the father of
the company’s founder while the trials were ongoing.
She threatened the company, made false claims, and
created drama within the family. She eventually won
202
the case, destroying the company and the family in the
process. She believes that life is a game and everything
is meaningless.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDONWRKHUVKHÀQGVWKHFKDUDFWHUV
intriguing and invites them to the dark ritual, but she
refuses to elaborate.
Zealinda Ertragh (half orc, lawful good, cult fanatic)
is a former member of the board of directors to a
company selling home appliances. She is now broke
and homeless, living on the streets by her own choice.
Her Strength score is 17, Constitution score is 15,
Intelligence score is 14, and her Charisma score is 16.
Her weapon attacks deal an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic
damage, and she carries a holy avenger with which she
is attuned. She has long black hair going straight to her
knees, and white-colored eyes that draw attention. She
wears black leather clothes and spiked, black, titanium
jewelry.
The characters might encounter this middle-aged
half orc on the streets in poor neighborhoods. She
likes to enjoy the night with people who are left with
nothing to lose, just like herself. She likes to be around
sincere people, away from the lies and deceptions of the
city. They might also encounter her killing a vampire
in a dark alley. She believes that the night belongs
to mortals, not to creatures who have no taste for
anything.
She was a successful businesswoman, but one day she
decided that it was enough and she quit. She believes
that people should stop lying to themselves and to
others, realize the meaninglessness, and enjoy their
existence accompanied by kindness.
If the characters talk to her, she invites them to the
dark ritual, but she refuses to elaborate.
The Dark Ritual. The secret meeting hall of the
heretics is located in the basement of an abandoned
museum in Square Historica (p. 13). They gather in this
room every week, enjoying food and drink while talking
about Cyherested, Kanrath, current events, science,
magic, philosophy, history, religion, and the arts in a
civilized manner. There are 1d8 + 8 cult fanatics at the
dark ritual. In the room, there are several antiques and
artwork that were left behind years ago: an oil painting
of a dragon made of blood bleeding into a humanoid
vessel while the sigils of all spell schools glow brightly
in the background, a bow (oathbow) covered in dust, and
a pebble covered in spider webs.
If the characters clear the webs on the pebble they
realize that the pebble is a small stone, 3-inch wide,
with a glyph carved on it; a creature can understand
that the glyph means “soul” with a successful DC 20
Intelligence (Arcana) check. It is one of the glyphs
needed to activate the magic circle within the tower of
the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
If the characters join the dark ritual, they realize
that the ritual is simply eating snacks and talking about
religion and philosophy in a dark, abandoned place. At
the end of the “ritual”, they gain the ability to cast the
VDFUHGÁDPH cantrip and their spellcasting ability to do
so is Wisdom. Their attendance at the ritual also causes
)LUX]H S WREHFRPHDZDUHRIWKHLUZKHUHDERXWV
VLQFHERWKWKHKHUHWLFVDQG)LUX]HUHFHLYHWKHLUPDJLFDO
powers from the same entity, even if they are not aware
of it.
CBI Raid
While the characters are wandering around the Nest (p.
12), they might encounter a CBI raid on an illegal spell
component workshop. If such a thing happens, read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
You are passing by a warehouse, and
everything is calm around you. Bright beams
of magical energy crash down the street
around the warehouse in several places and
from each beam instantly emerges a fully-
armed operator. They scatter around while
scoping the surroundings, placing angst
devices covered in runes on the walls, doors,
openings, and windows, then cloak themselves
with magic and disappear from normal sight.
A loud magical hum is heard for a short time,
and the doors of the warehouse soon turn to
dust, the walls become transparent, and the
windows implode with shards of glass impaling
everyone within. People in the warehouse
open fire with bloodwork weapons, sending a
hail of bullets through every opening. The
operators that get hit become momentarily
visible, seeming unaffected by the bullets as
they hit their armor and scatter away. After
several blinding explosions, gunshots are
heard at clockwork intervals. Then, complete
203
 silence. It has all happened in an instant. The
voices break the silence, “Clear,” “Clear,” “Clear,”
“Clear!” The operators become visible, get out
of the warehouse, and one of them makes a
hand gesture and yells out, “Secure the perimeter!”
There are 11 CBI special operators (p. 273) around
the warehouse. They don’t let anyone come close. If the
characters talk to the operators and share their names
or tell anything hinting at their identities, the operators
try to capture characters and hand them over to the
Corrupt Agents (p. 176).
The operators guard the warehouse for 1 hour, then,
4 Large bloodwork automaton workers (p. 272) and
8 CBI sorcerers (p. 273) come to the scene, and load
16,000 pounds of raw spell components they found in
the warehouse onto the automatons. Then, they leave.
The total worth of the spell components is 160,000 CS.
Den of Beggars
In the North Point (p. 12), on the brick wall of a
ragged building, there is a narrow air vent at street
OHYHO$6PDOORUVPDOOHUFUHDWXUHFDQÀWLQWRWKH
vent unhindered. A successful DC 21 Intelligence
(Investigation) check reveals that there are marks on
the vent suggesting that its hatch is opened and closed
regularly. There are two symbols drawn on the wall
QHDUWKHYHQWWKHÀUVWV\PEROPHDQV´VDIHµDQGWKH
second one means “melon” in thieves’ cant. The vent
leads to the basement of the building with no doors.
In the stone room, there is a pile of rusty armor and
weapons. There is a large hole in the wall, covering
SDUWVRIWKHÁRRU7KHKROHOHDGVWRDWXQQHOGXJLQ
the soil and supported by metal frames made from
scraps. On the pile, a horned devil is sitting. Read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
This devil is enjoying a skull-shaped pipe.
The smell of vanilla coming from its tobacco
fills the room. The devil takes a deep breath
and exhales a dense smoke while getting up
from the rusty pile. It reaches the fork leaning
against the wall. With a sly look on its face, the
devil asks, “Password?”
204
The password is “melon”. If the characters say the
password, the devil sits back on the pile and continues
to enjoy the pipe. If the characters fail to deliver the
SDVVZRUGWKHÀHQGZDUQVWKHPWRJRDZD\,IWKH
characters try to go into the tunnel without saying the
password, the horned devil summons a bone devil
and a chain devil to keep the characters away from the
tunnel and the horned devil walks into the tunnel to
warn the others of the intrusion.
The 300-foot long tunnel reaches another room. The
room is 120 feet long, 80 feet wide, and 8 feet tall. If the
horned devil comes to this room to warn others, there
is a barbed devil and a bearded devil guarding the
entrance. There are 6 thugs in ragged clothes guarding
the room, 9 children, 3 spies guarding the children, and
4 scouts that have been poisoned with a recreational
drug.
These adults are the parents of those children. The
parents train their children to become beggars. They
make their children earn money and spend the money
on food, alcohol, and drugs. One of the children is
called Sam; he begs around the train station. If the
characters talk to him, he says:´,NQRZ\RX$WLHÁLQJ
lady gave me desserts and a magical stone. She asked me to
use the stone if I see you at the station. I did it. She told me
that her name is Elari. I think she owns Elari’s Spell Workshop
and Organic something. On the same day, a scary metal man
gave me money to do the same, he told me that his name
was Abraham. I don’t know who he is. I told them both, they
gave me too much money in return. My father died because
he bought drugs with all that money and overdosed.” The
child describes Elari (p. 166) and Abraham (p. 192) if
the characters ask him to. The shop the child describes
is in the district called the Nest, and its name is Elari’s
Organic Spell Component Workshop. This is the Silver
Cult’s headquarters.
There are 12 vials of the drug, 2,085 CS, 166 CW, 78
days’ worth of rations, 7 gallons of ale, and 19 bottles
of common wine in the room. A creature ingesting the
drug must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw
or become poisoned for 1 hour.
The devils protect these people to spread corruption.
They have their own secret agenda.
If the characters kill everyone, the children will
become a family. Some of them will continue to live a
criminal life, some of them will study in CADRAC, some
of them will become CBI agents, clerics of the Blood God
and the Sun God, slowly forming a broad network of
information.
Refined Through Pain
There is a murder that has taken place in Hillside
Heights (p. 12). A child is missing and his father,
mother, 3 older siblings, grandfather, grandmother,
nanny, and a well-known sorcerer pedagogue are found
massacred in a prostitute’s house. This news is on both
the radio and in the newspapers. The CBI investigates
the case and 3 CBI sorcerers (p. 273) have secured the
perimeter around the apartment where the incident
occurred. The apartment is evacuated and no one is
allowed in. The investigators can’t tell what happened.
The CBI sorcerers guarding the perimeter are talking
to each other about their camping experiences. They
like to get out to the wild during their holidays. A
character can join the conversation and if the character
succeeds on a DC 18 Wisdom (Survival) check, the
sorcerers are intrigued with the character’s survival
knowledge and they lose focus as long as the character
continues to talk about survival. The sorcerers who
have lost their focus have disadvantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks. The characters can climb up to the
apartment to get into the crime scene with a successful
DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check.
The crime scene is the living room of a small
DSDUWPHQWRQWKHWKÁRRURIDQRUGLQDU\EULFN
building. There are 9 mutilated bodies scattered around
the room, there is blood everywhere. The characters
must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or
become nauseated and throw up. The characters must
also succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be
DIÁLFWHGZLWKVKRUWWHUPPDGQHVV
A spell or other effect that can sense the presence
of magic, such as the detect magic spell, reveals many
intertwined auras of all schools of magic. With a
successful DC 23 Intelligence (Investigation) check,
the characters understand that these people attacked
each other. The characters understand that the bodies
were mutilated with harmful spells post-mortem with
a successful DC 19 Wisdom (Medicine) check. The
characters see the small stains of blood on the window
opening with a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception)
check, and can trace the stains down through the
street and to a small stone building several blocks
away from the crime scene with a successful DC 17
Wisdom (Survival) check. Some of the stains on the
streets are shaped like naked adult footprints, which
the characters realize with a successful DC 15 Wisdom
(Survival) check.
The stone, single-story building is surrounded by tall
apartment buildings. There are hot air vents protruding
IURPLWVÁDWURRI7KHEXLOGLQJKDVDWZRVLGHGPHWDO
door and thin metal-framed windows located high on its
wall, 9 feet above the ground. The metal door is slightly
bent and open, and there are blood stains on the door.
The building is used as blood storage. The tubes carry
blood in and out of the containers, as well as necessary
liquids to keep the blood cold. The containers can be
accessed through some of the tubes.
If the characters get inside the building, read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
The entire building is a single room, 90 feet
in both directions and 15 feet tall. Within the
room, there are large metal-framed containers
made of strengthened glass and filled with
blood. There are brass tubes in and around
the containers, each with many valves. Half of
the room is covered in tubes and containers.
You see a child in front of a wall. The child
is covered in blood, hysterically scribbling on
the wall. When you look closer, you notice the
nine humanoid figures drawn on the wall with
blood. The child instantly stops and turns
towards you.
“Torture. Chair and leather. Tubes in my arms, in my
legs. Torture. It awoke. They tried too hard. I can’t count,
thoughts scrambled. Teacher. Liar. Mayhem out of my blood.
Can’t control. They died. It came. It wanted more. I wanted
none of it. It forced me. It wanted, again. It wanted the
same, again. I did my best. I am trying my best. It wanted the
same. Nine. Blood. Murder. Help me.”
The kid starts to scream and a magical
energy bursts out of him. The walls melt
into the openings, covering every exit. The
space around you bends and the air becomes
sticky. Horror fills your bones as the walls
start to bleed, and you see bloodied footprints
approaching you.
The bloodied footprints belong to a creature called
the bleeding specter. The child transported the
interior of the building to a demiplane. The characters
or any other creatures can’t leave or enter this
demiplane by any means. If the child or the bleeding
specter dies, the demiplane disappears and they all
return to the building. The characters take 5 (1d10)
force damage at the start of each of their turns while
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magic.
If the characters talk to the child after defeating
the specter, the child tells them what happened: His
name is Edgar. His parents were sending him to blood
therapy where they injected alchemical substances into
205
 KLVYHLQVZKLFKLQÁLFWHGLPPHQVHSDLQ,WVJRDOLVWR
trigger the survival instinct of the body to awaken the
dormant sorcery within the blood. Edgar had undergone
the procedure for 4 years and one day, his powers
awakened. He was absurdly powerful and the instant
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His parents took him to a teacher so he could learn how
to control his powers, but the teacher was a charlatan
who made things worse. Edgar lost control. He killed
his teacher, then tried to think of the people he loved
to calm down, but his uncontrolled magic teleported
them one by one as he thought of them. Maddened by
the immense magical aura, they began to attack each
other. They harmed each other, but eventually, Edgar’s
magic killed them and continued to mutilate the bodies
HYHQDIWHUWKHLUGHPLVH)URPWKHJRUHRIWKHVFHQHD
bleeding specter was born and asked Edgar to do it
again, manipulating his weakened mind to obey.
The child doesn’t know that the fraud teacher was a
famous pedagogue who knew nothing about teaching.
He had a girlfriend who worked as a prostitute, and
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working.
The CBI will continue searching for the child for
being a suspect in committing an evil-in-nature crime.
They want to capture and interrogate the child. If
the child is captured, he will be interrogated, then
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to magical trauma. In truth, he will be sent to the Blood
Elementalist Prime Sorcerer.
Bleeding Specter
Medium undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 88 (16d8 + 16)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 20 (+5) 11 (+0)
Saving Throws Wisdom +9
Damage Immunities all
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion,
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restrained
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Old Common
Challenge  ;3
206
Bloodbond. When a creature comes in physical contact
with the bleeding specter, the creature becomes
bloodbound to the bleeding specter for 1 hour, or
until the bleeding specter dies, whichever is sooner.
Whenever the bleeding specter is hit with an attack, all
creatures that are bloodbound to the bleeding specter
take 5 blood damage. Also, whenever a creature that is
bloodbound to the bleeding specter takes damage, the
bleeding specter loses hit points by the same amount.
The damage dealt by this feature does not trigger
itself.
Incorporeal Bleeding Movement. The bleeding specter
can move through other creatures and objects as if
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if it ends its turn inside an object. The objects the
bleeding specter moves through bleed for a minute.
The creatures the bleeding specter moves through
become bloodbound to it.
Partial Invisibility. The bleeding specter’s body is
invisible but it leaves bloody footprints wherever it
stands. The bleeding specter’s location can be detected
easily because of the traces it leaves. However,
attack rolls against the bleeding specter still have
disadvantage, and the bleeding specter’s attack rolls
still have advantage.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the bleeding
specter has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The bleeding specter makes three claw
attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: The target takes no damage but becomes
bloodbound to the bleeding specter. The bleeding
specter can hit itself without requiring an attack roll
to trigger the Bloodbond feature.
Create Blood Mephit. The bleeding specter targets a
creature within 30 feet of it that is bloodbound to the
bleeding specter. Two blood mephits emerge from the
creature’s body in the two nearest unoccupied spaces
of the creature. The blood mephits are under the
bleeding specter’s control. The bleeding specter can
have no more than thirteen blood mephits under its
control at a time.
bleeding specter
CAMP Nights
The characters might encounter CAMP College students
in Cyherested, usually in wealthy districts, mostly
in Bard Town (p. 12) and in CAMP College (p. 13). If
the characters approach these students and talk to
them, they can be invited to a party on campus with a
successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check. If there
is a bard among the characters or any of them are
SURÀFLHQWZLWKDJDPLQJVHWRUDPXVLFDOLQVWUXPHQW
they have advantage on the check. If a character with
a Charisma score of 18 or higher approaches such
students, they immediately invite the characters. The
party starts at night and the students that invited
the characters will be waiting at the entrance of the
campus. If the characters go to the campus for the
party, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
With armed officers patrolling its perimeters,
nature spirits guarding the borders, magical
barriers to keep out unwanted guests, and
bloodwork automatons keeping an eye on
entrances, the campus is an impenetrable
fortress. All these precautions, and yet, you
enter by simply persuading a student to let
you in, as they have vouched for you as your
supervisors on campus.
You walk on paved roads, passing by
well-kept gardens and aesthetically-pleasing
buildings. You stop by a dormitory. It is a two-
story building and it covers an enormous area.
There are stone and metal busts and columns,
gardens, old healthy trees, fountains,
pools, parks, and sitting areas around the
dormitory; there is even a small stone stage to
encourage students to take part in out-of-class
performances.
There is a crowd of students in and around
the dormitory, having drinks and playing
instruments. Some of them are intimate in
secluded corners, some of them are talking
about university and their personal lives, and
some of them are attending parties and events.
The students around the dormitory are not
wearing shoes and they seem to be wearing
less, but more revealing, clothing than the
others in Cyherested.
Each wall section of the dormitory is a single large
VODERIFOHDQFXWVWRQH7KHÁRRUVDUHZKLWHEURZQ
marble, and there are many glass windows with thick
frames made of brass and iron. Each room within the
dormitory is built to offer a luxurious lifestyle for two
people and each is shared by two students. The rooms
stand apart from each other and are connected by long
corridors decorated with carpets. The dormitory is
illuminated by angst lamps embedded in the walls.
There is a bard duel happening on the stage. Two
bards get on the stage and use the vicious mockery
cantrip to mock each other taking turns; the last one
standing wins. There is a crowd watching the duels,
cheering or booing the participants. An example of a
turn in the duel: a bard sings, “As I walked through the
valleys of the city of spells, a prime came down to toll the
bells. I was surprised but he answered as he loudly tells, to
hearing these lyrics, I prefer the hells.” The rival bard takes
damage and the crowd cheers.
Selena Chord (human, neutral evil, noble) has a
Charisma score of 19 and can cast 5th-level or lower-
level spells from the bard spell list. If the characters
attempt to gather any kind of information, she
approaches the characters by telling that she possesses
that information, which is a lie that can be revealed
with a successful DC 24 Wisdom (Insight) check. She
asks a favor in return for the information.
She has a boyfriend, named Rhydgar, and he likes
to spend time with a dryad who usually walks around
the strawberry gardens of the campus. Rhydgar and
the dryad are very close friends. She is jealous of the
dryad. She says, “There is a dryad magically charming my
boyfriend for revenge, as I used to tend to these gardens and
she got jealous of me for being this close with nature. She
yelled at me, saying that mortals should keep their business
out of the wild.” which is entirely false. The characters
can tell that she is lying with a successful DC 24 Wisdom
(Insight) check. She asks the character to kill the dryad
in exchange for the information.
The dryad walks around the strawberry gardens
and is accompanied by 3 blink dogs. There is a pond
close to the dryad. If the characters approach the dryad
with hostile intent, an earth elemental comes out of
the ground and attacks them before the characters
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the dryad, a ÀUHHOHPHQWDOHPHUJHVIURPWKHÀUHDQG
DWWDFNVWKHFKDUDFWHUV,IDFKDUDFWHUÁLHVGXULQJWKH
combat, an air elemental appears out of thin air and
attacks the character. If a character goes into the pond,
a water elemental emerges from the water and attacks
the character.
If the characters kill the dryad and return to Selena,
she tells them that she lied. She reveals her arrogant
nature and tells the characters that they can’t hurt her
207
 because she is the daughter of an important family,
then she orders them to leave and threatens to call
campus security. Selena’s family is not that important,
but she thinks they are as a result of her arrogance.
Bard Town Shooting
An elf veteran named Olivriel shoots up a tavern called
“Ale Magic Music” with a EORRGZRUNDVVDXOWULÁH(p. 263).
He kills 6 people and injures 27. If the characters pass
by the tavern, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
“Drop your weapon!” “Hands in the air!” “Drop it, now!”
“Let him go!” Screams and shouts, full of anger
and panic, disturb the street; they are directed
at one man standing with his gun pointed at
an old man’s head. The two stand at the eye
of the storm and on its periphery, there are
officers aiming their guns, wands, and spells at
the assailant, and a crowd of bystanders.
The dead lie on the ground under the sign
hanging above, which reads“Ale Magic Music”.
The injured are trying to escape the tavern,
crawling near the walls honeycombed with
bullet holes. The armed man seems calm, with
the serenity of a man who has nothing to lose.
He moves his lips, mumbling words that can’t
be heard in the commotion.
208
If a character is able to read lips, they realize that
the armed man is saying, “One more life. One more and I
am ready to go.” If the characters want to intervene, the
armed man and the characters roll initiative. When it’s
the armed man’s turn, he shoots the old man, then the
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the armed man has said and wants to intervene, the
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order. The hostage has 1 hit point.
The hostage is an old gnome named Urwin Wildstone.
He is the owner of the tavern. Olivriel used to work in
his tavern as a waiter. He was saving money because
he had a daughter with a heart disease called truncus
arteriosus which required her to undergo surgeries.
Several weeks ago, a spoiled sorcerer made a scene by
saying that she didn’t like the appearance of her waiter,
Olivriel. She claimed that no sorcerer would come to
this tavern if that disgusting man kept working there,
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cost of the surgery because he had lost his job, and his
daughter died as a result. He blamed Urwin for not
standing up for him. The spoiled sorcerer’s dead body is
among the corpses in the tavern.
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the armed man, and if the characters haven’t come
in contact with the Corrupt Agents yet, three CBI
sorcerers (p. 273) approach the characters to thank
them and then say that they need to come to the
precinct to give their statements about the incident. If
the characters accept, they deliver the characters to the
Corrupt Agents, and if they refuse, they try to knock out
the characters to deliver them to the Corrupt Agents.
Organ Trafficking
There are many different gangs in Cyherested that hunt
down bloodwork automatons and rob them of their
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non-sentient automatons, but there are a few who go
after the sentient ones.
The characters may encounter such gangs in more
desolate corners of Cyherested. If they do so, read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
A young halfling woman wearing a purple
dress and a cute hat is walking down the street.
She is accompanied by a tall automaton, and
although his age is indiscernible, his behavior
suggests that he is also young. He is wearing
pieces of formal clothing on some plates of his
body and a tie as if he has tried to be stylish,
but failed to do so.
They are holding hands as the halfling talks
with an affectionate voice, “It’s funny how you are
years younger than me but act older. Is it common among
automaton-kind?” He answers with a shy voice,
“Yes, it is. Most of us awaken like this, as if someone cared
for us and helped us grow, then took away our memories
but left the learned lessons somewhere within. Gilli, I know
I am young, but let me tell you that these years I have spent
with you, have been the best years of my life, and I… Gilli,
I…” Gilli blushes, “Yes, Boyle?” He holds both of
Gilli’s hands, “Gilli, I lo…” An iron pipe hits his
head and Boyle falls down. A group of thugs
jump Gilli and Boyle, they start hitting Gilli
and ripping Boyle’s limbs apart. One of them
yells to another, “Hey, take the leg first, are you stupid?
It’s pricey!”
There are 2 Cyherested crime bosses (p. 276) and 4
Cyherested thugs (p. 276) beating up Gilli and ripping
apart Boyle’s body to sell them as spare parts in the
black market.
If the characters approach Gilli and Boyle after the
thugs leave or are killed, they realize that Gilli is dead
and Boyle is dying. Boyle holds out something in his
palm to the characters. After giving it, Boyle says, “Is she
okay? Tell her I love her. Give this to her, as proof that I have
a soul.” He gives a stone to the characters and dies.
It is a small stone, 3-inch wide, with a glyph carved
on it; a creature can realize that the glyph means “soul”
with a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. It
is one of the glyphs needed to activate the magic circle
within the tower of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
Conservatives
If the characters decide to choose this lead after talking
with Lance, or if the characters hurt any bloodwork
automaton on the streets of Cyherested, a witnessing
conservative may approach them. It might be anyone,
from a thug to a sorcerer elite, who doesn’t take kindly
that automatons have sentience and were granted
citizenship. If the characters agree that automatons
shouldn’t be treated like sentient beings, the person
who approached them invites them to a meeting in the
Zapernick District (p. 12). The meeting takes place in
the Miamonor Theater. If the characters participate in
the meeting, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
In a grand hall filled with red seats, an
elevated wooden stage stands at the focus.
The theater is almost at full capacity, crowded
with a variety of strangers gathered for the
same idea. The subtle background noise of the
blood flowing through the pipes to the angst
lamps fades away and the lights go out. The
hall is in darkness.
Suddenly, magic flames appear on the stage
and reveal a woman standing between them.
After a short applause from the audience, she
speaks, “It is a simple idea that brought us here today; the
idea of life, the idea of culture, the idea of self-awareness.
It is the idea which has made us society and which keeps us
as a society today. That idea is challenged by the weak. But,
we can not, must not, be angry with them, because when the
need arises, the strong should take action. It was our fault
that we didn’t take action and it would be our fault if we fail
to do so again. Our future belongs to us, not to the machines
greased with the blood that should be sustaining us. Do not
let them deceive you with their false arguments of morality
nor with their…”
A loud gunshot echoes within the hall and
the woman on the stage falls to the ground
with a hole in her head. Chaos ensues.
7 bloodwork automaton soldiers (p. 272) appear
within the crowd and start attacking everyone. Each
of them is holding a different magic item apart from
209
 their normal equipment. Each automaton has one of
the following: bloodthorn bloodwork pistol (p. 263,266),
scimitar of speed, staff of healing, mace of smiting, dwarven
thrower, breastplate of junk (p. 265), and spellguard shield.
The automatons are not attuned to the items and are
not actively using the magical properties of the items.
The characters can tell that the automatons
don’t seem to understand the magic properties of
the equipment they have with a successful DC 16
Intelligence (Arcana) check. The characters suspect
that the automatons are not sentient with a successful
DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check. A successful DC 22
Wisdom (Perception) check reveals three conservative
nobles hiding on the stage, behind the curtains. Those
conservatives have orchestrated the attack with non-
sentient bloodwork automatons to blame the sentient
ones. If the characters kill these nobles or make them
order the automatons to stop, they stop attacking
the people around. If the characters succeed on a DC
17 Charisma (Persuasion) check after revealing who
orchestrated the attack, the crowd dissipates and most
of them leave the sentient automatons be for the rest
of their lives. If the characters fail on the check, people
say that this may not be orchestrated by the sentient
automatons, but that this attack is a small example of
what they can do.
If the characters attack the automatons, they direct
their focus on the characters and attack them.
The Old Sniper
If the characters get themselves in great trouble, a
friendly sniper might help them as long as there is an
opening for a headshot from a secured distance. The
two examples of this are Lance in the train station and
Ava in the Zapernick Tower. You can use this method in
RWKHUHQFRXQWHUVWRKHOSWKHFKDUDFWHUVDV\RXVHHÀW
but only once per day.
The person making the shots is a gnome named
,YQHU4DUWVWHS'HHSWKURZ0DUNVPDQ+HLVDQROG
former soldier who has fought many wars including
all the wars between Kanrath and Cyherested. He is
a bored sniper who hasn’t seen war for many years.
When he heard from his contacts about the troubles
the characters supposedly caused, he decided to track
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action. Ivner knows that Lance MacLeod is a traitor
sharing information with Kanrath, and Ava is a Corrupt
Agent on the payroll of someone; he despises both.
If the Detective learns that this old sniper killed Lance
Macleod, he notes down every detail about the gnome
in his mind. He wants to avenge his friend, but he is also
aware that the gnome is too dangerous to be attacked
210
without preparation.
If the characters ask about a sniper in Cyherested on
several occasions, Ivner approaches the character while
they are resting. He offers no help as he is following
the characters for fun. Yet, he might still help without
notice. He owns a KRW-03 sniper (p. 211) and a small
stone that he looted from a vampire during the last
FRQÁLFWEHWZHHQWKHFLWLHV
If the characters wish to see it, he gives the stone and
says, “The vampire I took this from was the same vampire I
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Before I killed him we talked for a bit. He told me that life
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bad for killing, and that time I did.”
It is a small stone, 3-inch wide, with a glyph carved
on it; a creature can realize that the glyph means “life”
with a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check. It
is one of the glyphs needed to activate the magic circle
within the tower of the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
Ivner the Sniper
Small humanoid (gnome), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 16 (bracers of defense, ring of protection)
Hit Points 150 (20d6 + 80)
Speed 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14(+2) 17(+3) 18(+4) 18(+4) 18(+4) 13(+1)
Saving Throws Dexterity +8, Constitution +9,
Intelligence +9, Wisdom +9
Skills Arcana +8, Athletics +6, History +8, Investigation
+8, Medicine +8, Perception +8, Stealth +7, Survival +8
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Common, Gnomish
Challenge  ;3
Clandestine Operation. Ivner wears a kevlar suit
enhanced by bloodwork parts and he can become
invisible as a part of his movement and vice versa. If
he takes 30 or more damage in a round, he becomes
visible and can’t turn invisible for 3 rounds.
Gnome Cunning. Ivner has advantage on all
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws
against magic.
Perfect Shot (1/day). When Ivner makes an attack with
a ranged weapon, he can choose to roll a 20 on the
attack roll.
 ACTIONS
Multiattack. Ivner makes six bloodwork pistol attacks or
one KRW-03 sniper attack.
+1 Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit,
UDQJHIWRQHWDUJHWHit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing
damage.
KRW-03 Sniper. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit,
UDQJHIWRQHWDUJHWHit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing
damage. When Ivner attacks a creature that has at
least one head with this weapon and rolls a 20 on the
attack roll, he blasts off one of the creature’s heads.
The creature dies if it can’t survive without the
lost head. A creature is immune to this effect if it is
immune to piercing damage, doesn’t have or need a
head, has legendary actions, or the GM decides that
the creature is too big for its head to be blasted off
with this weapon. Such a creature instead takes an
extra 6d8 piercing damage from the hit.
Drink Potion. Ivner takes out a potion from his bag
of holding and drinks it; he has the following potions:
6 potion of clairvoyance, 5 SRWLRQRIÁ\LQJ, 5 potion of
supreme healing, and 4 potion of speed.
Normal Day at the Park
There are two people sitting in the park, discussing
vampires. They are trying to decide if vampires excrete,
and if they do, whether they do it like humans or bats,
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immediately start to argue about automatons and how
they have sex. Then, they start to talk about the Prime
Sorcerers being a hoax to keep the citizens in line. If
the characters bear with this conversation up until that
moment, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
Their conversation keeps losing its meaning
with every word uttered. Suddenly, one
of them stops spitting nonsensical ideas,
gathers focus, and starts to speak in a great
seriousness: “Veined crown, upside down, kill god,
darkness rein, beast wake, true death, eyes’ horror, lake
of blood, sand beach, ocean wave. Drink up, drink up,
consume the emersed scintilla tumbling down to waveless
depths immersed in an abyssal blanket of entropic
unfathomableness hiding the borders of the truths dividing
the existential horror of knowing oneself during an aware
moment captured in an infinite layered mirror of reflective
memories and unapproachable futures simplified into a
drop of blood knowing what it was, is, and will be. Life
emerged, created a soul, the glamor it holds infused the
crimson essence, and known thy profession, sorcerer. Life,
soul, magic, blood, sorcerer… Life, soul, magic, blood,
sorcerer…” Then stops for a moment and keeps
talking about the previous topic as if nothing
strange happened.
Sometimes, the Prime Sorcerers directly intervene
with people to mock them, give messages, or cause
some side effects on the people of Cyherested. The last
sentence of the person’s compelled speech hints at
the glyph sequence needed to get into the tower: life,
soul, magic, blood, sorcerer. The person can’t repeat
this speech nor remember ever making it. Both of the
people having the conversation seem confused.
Cyherested Radio
There are several radio channels in Cyherested and
many luxurious establishments own a radio. The
characters might also encounter radios in some shops,
restaurants, wealthy houses, and even on some streets.
It is an expensive device, as it contains a mechanism
made of angst, yet it is not impossible for a small group
of enthusiasts to buy.
The radio in Cyherested works with a different
principle than the radios in Kanrath. In Cyherested, the
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ÀHOGFUHDWHGDQGVXVWDLQHGLQWKH0DJQLI\LQJ+DOO S
14). In Kanrath, radio channels use cables to transmit
their signals to their audience. Thus, Cyherested has
many more radio channels.
Broadcasting a radio channel requires expensive
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permit from the Magnifying Hall. The following are
some examples of famous radio channels:
Brave Dave Show. Dave invites experts on his
show on different topics, and talks about social
and administrative issues with a half-serious, half-
humorous approach.
Cyherested News. Several reporters talk about the
important events that have recently taken place in
Cyherested. The characters might listen to their own
doings, the events they encountered, or important
encounters they passed by.
Spell Talk. Sorcerers with different specializations
talk about spells, how to cast them, their details, and
their different uses.
211

Annie’s Record. This channel only broadcasts music.
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events that have taken place in Tolia. They might
manipulate the details of what really happened to
belittle Kanrath and glorify Cyherested.
Madmen’s Acumen. An anonymous person invites
people with bizarre ideas and knowledge to the show
and interviews them. If the characters decide on
listening to this channel, read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
“...as the wings on my back and I can’t fly. I saw them, the
Prime Sorcerers. They are scary—and I mean truly scary.
I see it. Nothing escapes me, nothing eludes me, I see her
acting as the hands of the Sanguinologist. They are the
agents we must fear. They are not here to protect us. I saw
them lurking beneath the ground, they use the ley lines to
travel. They are also experimenting with glass to replace
angst. Their child is immortal and can’t be killed. There
is a secret base beneath the mountains where they torture
angels or build angels out of metal or conspire with them.
They are coming after me. I know everything. The Founder
is alive and coming for them. Elari is her last defense. Tame
the blemished animal with blood. A dragon is bleeding into
a man and nine sigils illuminate the path. Not above but
212
from below. The Fifth Child, how could she be executed if
they are all immortal? I tried to warn the blind but they
closed their ears to me. Why can’t you see?! Walk the valley!
Kill him! Witness!” Another voice, calmer than
the former, takes over, “It has been an enlightening
session. It is better we stop before losing ourselves in the
conspiracy spiral. Thank you for listening to us. Beware of
the boogeyman.”
Casino
There are many casinos on the streets for
entertainment. These casinos vary in price, luxury, size,
and security. There are legal and illegal establishments,
both full of customers dreaming to double their pay. If
the characters go into a casino to earn some extra cash,
you can use the following game for a quick gamble:
• Each participant rolls a 20-sided dice with their
hands closed on the dice. They mustn’t see the
results of the rolls, including their own roll.
• The host rolls two 20-sided dice with their hands
closed on the dice. The participants and the host
mustn’t see the result.
• Each participant makes “In” or “Out” claims.
• After the participants make their claims, everyone
removes their hands from their dice.
• A participant wins the round if they claimed “In”
and the number they rolled is between the two
numbers rolled by the host, or claimed “Out” and
the number they rolled isn’t between the two
numbers rolled by the host.
• If a participant doesn’t win, they lose. But, if the
number they rolled is the same as one of the
numbers rolled by the host, it is a critical loss.
• If both numbers rolled by the host are the same and
a participant rolled the same number, it is a critical
win.
Participation. The participants do not play against
each other, they play against the table. Their bets do
not interfere with each other. Each participant decides
how much money they bet at the start of each round.
Critical Loss. The participant loses all of the money
they bet on the round.
Lose. The participant loses half of the money they bet
on the round.
Win. The participant takes everything they bet on the
round back and gains an additional amount equal to
half of what they bet on the round.
Critical Win. The participant takes back a total
amount of three times what they bet on the round.
Finding the Glyphs
The characters need 5 glyphs to enter the Prime
7RZHURIWKH6DQJXLQRORJLVW7KH\FDQRQO\ÀQG
of the glyphs within the city: magic, life, soul, and
sorcerer. They don’t need the stones that the glyphs
DUHHQJUDYHGRQ,WLVVXIÀFLHQWIRUWKHPWRVHHHDFK
glyph at least once; even if they don’t realize the
meanings of the glyphs, they are considered found, as
they at least know the shapes.
'XULQJWKHLUÀUVWORQJUHVWDIWHUWKH\ÀQGDOO
glyphs, the characters wake up simultaneously. They
innately know that only one of them can survive,
and they are compelled to kill each other; this is an
LQÁXHQFHRIWKH)RXQGHU7KHFKDUDFWHUVQHHGWRÀJKW
ZLWKHDFKRWKHUDVWKH\FDQ·WÁHHQRUUHVLVWWKHXUJH
WRÀJKW$Q\FRPSDQLRQVWKH\KDYHÁHHH[FHSWIRU
the Detective. The Detective waits at a secure distance.
As the last character alive stands in the pool of blood
of their companions, read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
Every time, all the time, and without
exception, it has been blood. It has been
blood all along. You stand in a puddle of it,
your feet submerged in it: the blood of your
companions, the blood you spilled, the blood
you have been trying to protect until now. It
sustains life, it sustains entire cities, it sustains
maybe even gods, but what is the point? Why
is it so precious? So abundant, yet so defining.
You are immersed in the puddle, up to
your knees, confronting the questions so
delicately ignored up until now. Why? You
can ask countless times and it would take you
to nowhere, except to where you now stand.
Everyone bleeds, and most bleed red; the same
color, same density, same fluidity. So what is
the difference, what is the defining property
so desired that hides within a pool of red so
similar, yet so strange?
You are almost completely submerged, up to
the neck, and you still wonder: Why? Are your
thoughts wandering in your blood, emerging
from it, or are they simply the blood you carry,
are you only blood contained in a vessel?
Does it truly carry a meaning, or just like all
objects, does it carry the meaning forced upon
it, without resistance, as obedient as a rock
thrown into a lake, sinking until reaching the
bottom?
You sink slowly toward the bottom of
an endless puddle of blood alongside your
friends. You die while sinking, and they find
life again, eternally confused and in a strange
way… empty.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVH[SHULHQFHGHDWKDQGÀQGOLIHDJDLQ
in another place. They enter the blood vision. Move
on to the next section.
Level Up! Your characters have survived thus far.
Inform your players to level up (to the 9th level).
LAST
BLšD VISION
7KHFKDUDFWHUVDUHLQWKHWKLUGDQGÀQDOEORRGYLVLRQ
In this vision, they will dive deeper into the life of
WKH)RXQGHUDQGZLOOEHDEOHWRYLVLWDYLOODJHWKH
)RXQGHUYLVLWHGORQJDJR7KH\KDYHUHJDLQHGDOORI
their missing hit points, completed a long rest, and all
conditions affecting them have ended. Start playing
´'UHDPVRIWKH)RXQGHUµRQWKH´%ORRGSXQN267µ
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
You wake up as if nothing happened, like
you never killed each other nor intended to.
Your bodies are intact and your items are
unblemished, only the food you are carrying
with you has gone bad. You are familiar with
the eerie feeling creeping in on you; this is a
blood vision, but this time you feel like you are
more in control of the dreams.
The sound of droplets hitting the sludgy
terrain is almost deafening, and the curtain
213
 of blood raining down from the abyssal sky is
blocking the view. A rain of blood drenches
everything except you and your immediate
surroundings.
Lightning strikes. The flash of light
momentarily reveals what lies beyond the
curtain: a steep valley, the only way forward.
Just to be sure, you look back. You see
nothing, or more precisely, you cannot see—
as if you’re trying to look without your eyes.
Your survival instincts kick in as a warning
not to look back ever again, into this void, this
nothingness. To get away, you take your first
steps towards the valley.
As you walk along the muddy paths of the
valley, the area defying the rain moves with
you, keeping you dry and safe from what the
blood might bring. Everything, except you,
is drenched in blood. It feels like the entire
world is bleeding.
The characters are physically in the vision, somewhere
on a different plane of existence. They innately know
that they can be hurt and killed here.
Resurrection. The spells and magic effects that bring
the dead back to life require no material components in
this blood vision.
The blood doesn’t rain within 5 feet of the characters.
The characters can see their surroundings clearly but it
LVDOPRVWLPSRVVLEOHWRVHHWKURXJKWKHUDLQWKHÀUVW
feet are lightly obscured and farther points are heavily
obscured because of the extreme precipitation. While
a character is 60 feet above ground level, it rains on
them, forcing them to descend 10 feet and dealing 28
(8d6) blood damage at the start of each of their turns.
This blood damage can’t be escaped or reduced by any
means.
The only way for the characters to go is forward
into the valley. The path going forward has a slight
inclination upwards and lots of tiny streams of blood
DUHÁRZLQJLQWKHRSSRVLWHGLUHFWLRQZKHUHWKH
characters are heading. On the outskirts of the valley,
there are tall, slashed pine trees and in between,
there are lots of small shrub oaks with serrated
leaves, making it hard to traverse the land. The forest
PDNHVWKHYDOOH\GLIÀFXOWWHUUDLQ$VXFFHVVIXO'&
Intelligence (Nature) check or DC 16 Wisdom (Survival)
check reveals that the shrub oaks are kermes oaks,
which have edible acorns.
If a character succeeds on a DC 24 Wisdom (Survival)
FKHFNWRÀQGWUDFNVLQWKHYDOOH\WKH\UHDOL]HWKDWWKHUH
214
are a few wild boar and many wolf tracks. Once they
ÀQGWKHWUDFNVWKH\FDQIROORZWKHP7KHFKDUDFWHUV
FDQÀQGEXVKHVZLWKHGLEOHEHUULHVZLWKDVXFFHVVIXO
DC 22 Wisdom (Survival) check. If a character looks
carefully at the kermes oaks, they can see the common
blackbirds and their nests within the shrub with a
successful DC 22 Wisdom (Perception) check.
If the characters follow the wolf or the wild boar
tracks, they are ambushed by a pack of wolves. Read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
The rain blocks your vision, like you are
walking through a dark corridor with candles
in your hand, their feeble flames shivering.
You take a step and the wild boar is revealed
to you, its body ripped apart. Two wolves are
feasting upon its flesh. They raise their heads,
looking at you and growling. Lightning strikes
and for a moment you see the silhouettes of
numerous wolves standing up on the hills
surrounding you. You are surrounded.
There are 6 bloodhounds (p. 272) surrounding
the characters. The combat continues until a single
bloodhound is left alive. The bloodhounds can see
normally within the rain.
When only a single bloodhound is left alive, read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
Lightning strikes. You see the last bloodhound
standing alone, its head raised, looking at the
sky. It lets out a sad howl in the memory of
its fallen pack. As the long howl continues,
something leaps out from the darkness,
snatching the bloodhound. You hear a short
cry from the beast, and the growl of something
far more dangerous.
)URPWKHUDLQDblooddrake (p. 271) emerges and
attacks the characters.
If the characters continue on their way into the
valley without following the animal tracks, they don’t
encounter the wolf pack but get directly attacked by
the blooddrake. The blooddrake tries to surprise the
characters. With the appearance of the blooddrake,
read or paraphrase the text below to your players: lands that the characters have never heard of, although
the details of the lands other than Tolia are not clear
and not to be revealed yet.
After their third day on the road, the characters
From the curtain of blood hindering your
arrive at the village. Read or paraphrase the text below
sight, a huge monster leaps out. The monster’s
to your players:
body is made entirely of blood. Its face
resembles a dragon’s face. It has a muscular
body and many spikes covering it. The
creature stands on its four large legs and is
coming to feast on your innards. The rain stops and the sun rises above the
cliffs. There is a small village ahead, with only
a dozen houses and a small tavern all gathered
around a stone well. The structures are made
of stone and wood, and completed with brick
roofs. A shepherd is departing the village early
The characters need to journey three more days into in the morning with her sheep herd.
the valley after the combat encounter to arrive at the There are three stone archways around
village. the well. Two of them are destroyed, lying in
$IWHUWKHLUÀUVWGD\RQWKHURDGWKHFKDUDFWHUV pieces on the ground, but one of them is filled
encounter a treant. Read or paraphrase the text below with crimson light, swirling in spirals under
to your players: the arch and seeping from its deep cracks,
partially filled with gold and silver that have
been damaged over the course of many years.
Time has taken its toll.
A large tree is in your way. It is larger than the You realize that the swirling arc is becoming
other trees you have encountered in the valley. more tangible with each passing moment, and
You look up, examining the bark, and see the everything else around you is getting blurry.
face hiding behind its leaves and empty blood Blood starts to pour out of the archway, filling
veins spread all over its body. The rootless tree your surroundings, carrying you deeper into
locks its gaze upon you and speaks in a deep the blood vision.
trembling voice, like a creak and groan of a
tree in the wind, “Bestow life, or kill me.”

The characters are taken deeper into the vision to

ZLWQHVVPRUHRIWKHKLVWRU\RIWKH)RXQGHU

The treant looks tired and refuses to speak further.

If the characters pour their blood onto the soil near
the treant, it says “Thank you,” to the characters and
walks away, disappearing into the forest. The characters
History of Blood
FDQÀQGHGLEOHEHUULHVLQWKHYDOOH\ZLWKRXWPDNLQJDQ
ability check.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDWWDFNWKHWUHDQWLWGRHVQRWÀJKW
back but only shout and scream in pain and every tree
within the valley makes loud squeaking and scratching The characters are vampire nobles. They are close
noises in pain. After the treant dies, all plants within enough to each other to share their secrets. They are
WKHYDOOH\GLHZLWKLW7KHYDOOH\LVQRORQJHUGLIÀFXOW VLWWLQJEHIRUHDÀUHSODFHLQDOX[XULRXVKDOOGHEDWLQJ
WHUUDLQEXWWKHFKDUDFWHUVFDQQRORQJHUÀQGDQ\WKLQJ DERXWWKH)RXQGHU5HDGRUSDUDSKUDVHWKHWH[WEHORZ
to hunt or forage in the valley. to your players:
After their second day on the road, the characters
encounter a miniature replica of Tolia, 30 feet wide
and 30 feet long, and made from mud and twigs. The
miniature shows more lands than Tolia, even some

215

Within the stone fireplace, wood crackles softly
and the fire roars gently. You are sitting on
luxurious enveloping armchairs, decorated
with expensive diamonds and Kanrath silver.
On the side tables, there are crystal glasses
filled with flavored fey blood and ceramic
plates filled with crimson Turkish delights
prepared alchemically with purified human
blood.
You are in your mansion, discussing
worrisome subjects regarding vampire society.
As members of the vampire nobility, you have
concerns about the Founder. The only noble
vampires that you can trust are each other.
The Founder has built a hierarchy which
allows strong vampires to feed on the weaker
vampires. He is placed at the top of this food
chain, and the royalty is right below him.
This system weakens the vampires and might
cause instabilities within the social structure,
but it might also cause the Founder and the
royalty to become even stronger and help
them protect Kanrath. There are also some
vampires who think the act of feeding upon
other vampires is heretical.
It is now time for you to decide what
you think on this matter, as the armies of
Cyherested are marching toward the city and
the vampires must stand united to defend
their mighty city…
Or must they?
Let the characters enjoy being vampire nobles, and
let them debate on the subject. How long this part of
the vision lasts is up to you and your players. When you
feel like it is enough, move on to the next vision.
After the characters conclude their debate, the vision
of war starts. Read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
A large flaming mass flies over the street you
are guarding, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
It crashes into a tall building, blasting its walls
open and scattering rubble across the street.
You turn to your wizard to see if she is okay;
without her, you have no means of deflecting
magic scrying sensors. The spells of the
sorcerers are battering the city.
216
A commander from Cohors Sanguinea
(p. 274), the royal guards, contacts you using
the sending spell: “Sorcerers using marble pillars and
platforms to enhance spells. Secure the street for our arrival.
We attack artifacts and take some heat off our troops.”
You look at your troops, common vampires
with bloodwork rifles in their hands, low on
ammunition and blood. You look at your
fellow commanders and you have no idea how
to proceed with the mission. Your troops are
exhausted and outnumbered. It is time for you
to get your hands dirty.
The year is 495 NE, the Cyherested army has
besieged Kanrath and the vampires are in a tight spot.
The characters are still the vampire nobles from the
previous vision. They are each assigned to a post and
RUGHUHGGLUHFWO\E\WKH)RXQGHUWRGHIHQGLW
Each character commands 5 Kanrath vampires (p.
282) equipped with EORRGZRUNULÁHV (p. 263). There is
also an archmage human under their command called
Vireleon who has the dispel magic, nondetection, and true
seeing spells prepared.
There will be 5 waves of Cyherested attacks before
the Cohors Sanguinea arrives. You can use the Kanrath
Siege battle map (p.217) to show your players the layout
of the front that the characters need to protect. After
the characters and their troops take their position, the
ÀUVWZDYHFRPHV$OORIWKHZDYHVFRPHIURPWKHHDVW
Some of the following combats can be long. So, if
you think that it is going to be that way, we offer you
alternative methods to end each wave instead of playing
out the whole combat. You can use and combine them
however you want.
The First Wave. A total of 24 bloodwork automaton
soldiers (p. 272) all equipped with silver stakes,
attack the characters. The combat lasts 3 rounds
DQGEORRGZRUNDXWRPDWRQVROGLHUVÀJKWZLWKWKH
characters, as the troops are holding back the others.
After 3 rounds, a Kanrath vampire dies for each enemy
left alive from the 8 automatons.
The Second Wave. There is a recovery period of 1
PLQXWHDIWHUWKHÀUVWZDYHLVFRQFOXGHG7KHQWKH
second attack arrives. A total of 12 Cyherested soldiers
(p. 218) attack the characters. The combat lasts 3 rounds
DQG&\KHUHVWHGVROGLHUVÀJKWZLWKWKHFKDUDFWHUVDV
the troops are holding back the others. After 3 rounds, a
Kanrath vampire dies for each enemy left alive from the
4 Cyherested soldiers.
The Third Wave. There is a recovery period of 1
217
 minute after the second wave is concluded. Then this attack is chosen by the Cyherested soldier while
the third attack arrives. A total of 16 bloodwork making the attack, which can be any.
automaton soldiers equipped with silver stakes and 8 Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Cyherested soldiers attack the characters. The combat target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
lasts 3 rounds and 5 bloodwork automaton soldiers and
&\KHUHVWHGVROGLHUVÀJKWZLWKWKHFKDUDFWHUVDVWKH REACTIONS
troops are holding back the others. After 3 rounds, 1 Break Free. When the Cyherested soldier is affected
Kanrath vampire dies for each enemy left alive from 5 by a condition, it can immediately end the condition
automatons and 3 soldiers. on itself, except the unconscious and exhaustion
Seeing the resistance, the Cyherested army starts to conditions.
bombard the area with spells. At the start of each round Silver Stake. When a vampire drops to 0 hit points
during the combat, choose 2 random points, ideally by within 5 feet of the Cyherested soldier, the soldier
rolling 2d20 on the battle map and choosing the points stabs the vampire with a silver stake.
where they land. These points are targeted by ÀUHEDOO
spells (spell save DC 19) cast using a spell slot of 3rd
The Fourth Wave. There is a recovery period of 1
level.
minute after the third wave is concluded. Then the
fourth attack arrives. A total of 6 spellbound chimeras
(p. 287) attack the characters, and successful attacks
from these chimeras apply poison to the target for
Cyherested Soldier an hour which prevents vampires from using their
Medium humanoid (any), any alignment Regeneration feature. The combat lasts 3 rounds, and
VSHOOERXQGFKLPHUDVÀJKWZLWKWKHFKDUDFWHUVDVWKH
troops are holding back the others. After 3 rounds, 1
Armor Class 16 (half plate) Kanrath vampire dies for each enemy left alive from the
Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36) 2 spellbound chimeras.
Speed 30 ft.
7KH&\KHUHVWHGIURQWLQWHQVLÀHVWKHERPEDUGPHQW
At the start of each round during the combat, choose
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
4 random points, ideally by rolling 2d20 and 2d12, and
choosing the points on the battle map where they land.
16(+3) 12(+1) 16(+3) 10(-0) 10(+0) 15(+2) The points marked by d20s are targeted by ÀUHEDOO spells
(spell save DC 19) cast using spell slots of 3rd level. The
Saving Throws Constitution +6 points marked by d12s are targeted by ice storm spells
Skills Arcana +3, Intimidation +5, Perception +3
(spell save DC 20) cast using spell slots of 4th level.
Damage Resistances cold The Fifth Wave. There is a recovery period of 1 minute
Damage Immunities force DIWHUWKHIRXUWKZDYHLVFRQFOXGHG7KHQWKHÀQDODWWDFN
arrives. The IXth Regiment Commander attacks the
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
characters by herself. Read or paraphrase the text
Senses passive Perception 18 below to your players:
Languages Common, understands Draconic but can’t
speak
Challenge  ;3
A person approaches you from the Cyherested
Magic Resistance. The Cyherested soldier has front. As she gets close, you can see that she
advantage on saving throws against spells and other is a regiment commander; clad in a black
magical effects. leather uniform and enhanced with bloodwork
Magic Weapons. The Cyherested soldier’s weapon enhancements, the muscular woman arrives
attacks are magical. on the street. You see the brass machinery
with moving, steaming, and glowing pistons
ACTIONS covering her left shoulder, abdomen, and
chin. She holds a serrated sword covered in
Multiattack. The Cyherested soldier uses Evoke once
and then makes two spear attacks.
orange veins.
Evoke. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 60 ft., one The thousands of the Cyherested army are
target. Hit: 18 (3d10 + 2) damage. The damage type of visible at a dark distance and tall marble pillars

218
 embedded with the purest of angst crystals ACTIONS
illuminate the eery horizon, as if the sunrise
Multiattack. The regiment commander makes three
halted. The regiment commander raises her
ardent sword attacks.
hand. One of the pillars shines a bright light
for a moment and a loud hum echoes through Ardent Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 3
the streets as all the magic from the battlefield
G ÀUHGDPDJH
is drained away.
The regiment commander tightens her grip
BONUS ACTIONS
on the sword, which is engulfed in red flames.
Bloodwork Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit,
As the magic on your side fades away, hers
range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing
become brighter. damage.

7KHEDWWOHÀHOGLVFRPSOHWHO\FRYHUHGLQDÀHOGRI
antimagic. If there are Kanrath vampires still alive at
the characters’ command, they realize that the person
approaching is more powerful than they can handle and
they hide, which is an act of treason.
IXth Regiment Commander
Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 231 (22d8 + 132)
Speed 45 ft.
REACTIONS
Parry. The regiment commander makes an attack roll
with her ardent sword against an incoming ranged or
melee weapon attack. If the attack roll she makes is
the same or higher than the attack roll made against
her, she parries the attack, negating the damage
completely.
Silver Stake. When a vampire drops to 0 hit points
within 5 feet of the regiment commander, the
commander stabs the vampire with a silver stake.
If all characters die, the Cohors Sanguinea arrives
and defeats the waves. The characters are alive and
conscious, but in very bad shape and unable to move.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players:

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

As you are trying to cope with your defeat,
15 19 22 14 17 20 hoping that the enemy will offer you a painless
(+2) (+4) (+6) (+2) (+3) (+5)
end, the Cohors Sanguinea comes to your aid.
With metal armor affixed to their flesh and
Saving Throws Dexterity +8, Constitution +10, bones, their left arm soaked in ever-flowing
Charisma +9 blood, and swords made of blood they hold
Skills Arcana +6, Athletics +6, History +6, Insight in their right hands, they resemble monsters
+7, Intimidation +9, Investigation +6, Perception +7, more than vampires. Hopefully, these
Stealth +8 monsters are on your side, and they butcher
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened whoever was left from the attacks.
Senses passive Perception 17 You are regenerating your wounds, trying
Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, to reattach your limbs. You feel the relief of
Gnomish, Old Common being saved, and you hear the order given
Challenge  ;3 by the commander: “They are done for. We need
to carry out the mission. Feed on them.” And, as the
Battle Enhanced. The regiment commander can take 3
Cohors Sanguinea feeds on your blood, your
bonus actions and 3 reactions in a single round. companions’ blood, and your subordinates’
blood, killing the heavily-wounded in the
Bloodwork Enhancements. The regiment commander’s
weapon attacks count as magical for the purpose of
process, they put you to sleep. No blood is left
overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical within your body. You are left with a hunger
attacks and damage. This feature works within that hurts in your sleep, even though now, you
antimagic zones. are awake at the same time.

219
 If the characters successfully defeat all of the waves,
the Cohors Sanguinea arrives and takes control of the
front from the characters. Read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
After you secure the front as ordered, the
Cohors Sanguinea arrives. With metal armor
affixed to their flesh and bones, their left arms
soaked in ever-flowing blood, and swords
made of blood they hold in their right hands,
they resemble monsters more than vampires.
Hopefully, these monsters are on your side.
Their commander looks at the situation at
hand and with a disgusted look on her face
she orders, “Bleed them dry. These cowering fools don’t
deserve to be part of our mighty army. Traitors.” The
Cohors Sanguinea slaughter your subordinates
and your fellow vampires, feeding on them
zealously. The commander approaches you,
“Retreat to the castle. Good job.” Before you leave,
she takes a bite from each of you. She drinks a
small portion of your blood and says, “You’ll no
longer need it at the castle.”
Whether the characters have defeated all waves or
not, note the number of waves they have successfully
defeated as it will affect how many additional rewards
they can get from this blood vision.
$IWHUWKHÀJKWLVFRQFOXGHGDQGWKHFKDUDFWHUV
encounter the Cohors Sanguinea, the vision changes.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
You are following the First Child covered
in his battle armaments. Together, you are
walking through the empty corridors of the
Royal Castle, your rapid footsteps echoing in
the large halls. You reach the tall gates of the
throne room and the First Child blasts them
open.
The Founder is sitting on his throne with
a silver crown on his head and a sword on his
lap. His long white hair is braided around
his crown, and he is wearing a gemstone
ring on each of his fingers His daughter, a
youthful halfling vampire with blue eyes and
blonde hair, is standing beside him, seemingly
220
unarmed. The moment you see the two, you
realize that this was a bad idea.
The Founder grabs his sword and stands
up from the throne. Being in his presence is
like being chained at the bottom of an ocean;
crushing. He locks his crimson gaze on the
First Child, “Dogs accompanied by dogs, you’ve finally
found your equals. Regardless of whatever lies the truth is
dressed up with, it is always there to be found and it can
never be erased. The weak cover it as it is a mirror, and the
strong seek it as it is a weapon. The truth in this situation
is that you don’t possess the wisdom nor the intellect to
comprehend the importance of my plan and the true
potential of the blood accumulating in our veins. You are
bound by a flawed, mortal morality, and it narrows your
vision. Now take your shot, child. I can wait however long
it takes, but know this: every light fades eventually, but
darkness is ever-present.”
The First Child holds out his left arm
toward the Founder and bright sunlight fills
the room. Everything turns white.
The characters return to the village at the end of the
YDOOH\ZKHUHWKH\ÀUVWHQWHUHGWKHVZLUOLQJSRUWDO
The Truth
The characters are back in the village, but this time,
there are no stone archways or the portal near the well.
The characters can interact with the village and the
villagers, and the villagers see the characters. It is early
in the morning, and with a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival)
check, the characters realize that it is summer. The day
is still pale and gray, and the sun is yet to rise.
The date is 0 NE and the village is in a place far from
Tolia. If a character watches the night sky, a successful
DC 25 Wisdom (Survival) check reveals that the stars
don’t seem like that on a summer night at Tolia. After
witnessing the lifestyle of the villagers, the characters
realize that this culture is foreign to Tolia with a
successful DC 25 Intelligence (History) check.
There are no kingdoms, no cities, and no threats
these villagers know about except the wildlife. They live
their lives peacefully farming the land and worshiping
the Earth God, Agramanda.
The son of the Sun God passed by this village two days
DJRDQGWKH)RXQGHUSDVVHGE\DGD\DJRHDFKVWD\HG
for one night; missing each other by about a day. The
Son helped some villagers and was disguised as a healer.
7KH)RXQGHUDVNHGWKHYLOODJHUVDERXWWKH6RQDQG
ZKHUHKHZHQW7KH)RXQGHULVDPLGGOHDJHGVLFNO\
man carrying a staff and a spellbook. The Son was a
young man wearing a simple robe and carrying nothing.
They both left for the mountains nearby.
The purpose of this vision is to make the characters
get close to the villagers and form bonds with them. Let
them interact with the villagers and create situations
for them to empathize with them; make them forget the
vile and dark side of the Bloodpunk. Read or paraphrase
the text below to your players:
A clean-shaven old man with short, soft hair
and a wool waistcoat approaches you, using a
walking stick. Under his bushy eyebrows, he
leers at you, licking his lips before saying, “You
crack a double egg yolk now and then. Happens twice?
It’s luck. Happens thrice? All I’ll say is that’s one hell of a
rooster.”
If the characters ask what he is talking about, he says,
“First a faith healer, then a sick wizard, and now, you. It is not
common here to see this many strangers. Are you a cult?” If
the characters ask anything about the faith healer or a
sick wizard to the old man, he says, “Each stayed for a day
and left. I didn’t talk to them and I don’t know which direction
they went. Go ask around the tavern at shadow break. Don’t
disturb the folks during the breakfast.” Then, the old man
goes to his house, saying “Fuck off!” if the characters ask
further questions. The shadow break is when the sun is
at its zenith when there are no shadows; the villagers
rest during that time to protect themselves from the
heat.
If the characters look around the village, they see a
shepherd, Mary, leading a large group of sheep away
from the village. They also see a man, Aaron, watching
her from the windows of his house, hiding behind the
curtains, with a successful DC 18 Wisdom (Perception)
check. If confronted, he denies that he watches Mary in
the mornings.
7KLVPHPRU\RIWKH)RXQGHULVFRUUXSWHG6RPH
of the NPCs described below manifest as shattered
memories (p. 223) until they are defeated. When a
shattered memory is defeated, the memory becomes
normal and the shattered memory transforms into the
NPC it was supposed to be. The NPCs are not aware that
they are shattered memories and they can’t perceive
or interact with shattered memories. The following
NPCs are shattered memories until defeated: Mary the
Shepherd, Miranda the Innkeeper, Ben the Ranger,
Irene the Alchemist, and Christopher the Herder.
Aaron the Faithful. Aaron (half elf, neutral good,
commoner) is in his early twenties, unable to work
on his father’s farm because he has a birth defect in
the form of a malformed left ankle. It is not physically
impossible for him to work, although his father forbids
him to do so as it is painful for Aaron. He doesn’t
like feeling useless, so he spends his time praying to
Agramanda while sitting under the shadows of trees.
He is in love with Mary and he gets up early every
PRUQLQJWRVHHKHUOHDYLQJZLWKKHUÁRFN+HLVDIUDLG
that she won’t love a useless man. He also can’t share
this with his dad because he would be distraught if he
learned that his son thinks of himself as useless. If his
dad learns how Aaron thinks about himself, he starts
to cry in heartbreaking sobs. He loves Aaron more than
anything, but Aaron’s elven mother left them after
birth, saying that she wouldn’t waste her life taking
care of a disabled son.
Ben the Ranger. The ranger of the village, Rick’s son,
is named Ben (human, neutral good, scout). He spends
his day searching for animal tracks around the village
to see if there are any threats to crops, livestock, or the
villagers.
He has a wife and three kids, all of whom he barely
sees as he spends most of his time patrolling the wild
and camping. His father spends time with them, trying
to give them the love that they deserve.
+HZDVRXWLQWKHZLOGZKHQWKH6RQDQGWKH)RXQGHU
left the village. He saw both leaving for the mountains
one day apart from each other. He will return to the
YLOODJHWKHÀUVWQLJKWDIWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDYHDUULYHG
Christopher the Herder. Both the herder and
the butcher of the village is a young man named
Christopher (human, lawful good, commoner). He tends
to cattle and goats, milking and butchering them when
the time comes. He also takes care of two horses to lend
to the villagers, if an urgent need to travel arises.
A couple of weeks ago, he gave additional meat and
milk to Eric; Phoebe was feeling down and Eric was
trying to make her feel happy. While agreeing to give
the additional supplies, he asked Eric to help him with
the barn. Christopher wanted to build bigger rooms
for the animals to improve their comfort, but Eric
never came to help, even after he promised, because he
forgot.
Eric the Carpenter. Eric (human, lawful good,
commoner) is a middle-aged carpenter living with his
wife, Phoebe. He maintains the furniture and houses
of the village, and makes new ones when necessary.
He also crafts parchments and draws on them with
221
 charcoal during his free time.
Eric promised his wife to draw her portrait but he
is not good at drawing people yet. Some mornings,
he sneaks out of the house and goes to the farmlands
where he secretly draws the people working in the
ÀHOG+HGRHVWKLVWRLPSURYHKLVGUDZLQJWRNHHSKLV
promise, but from the outside, it could be misconstrued
as stalking.
She inherited the tavern from her parents, who
died from a bear attack in the woods. She has a secret
relationship with Mary. Every night at midnight, Mary
comes to the tavern and they make love and enjoy
each other’s company before she returns to her house.
The Son stayed at the tavern during his stay and, out
RIQRZKHUHWROG0LUDQGDWRÀQGDQRWKHUSDUWQHU+H
didn’t make any further explanation. She hates the Son.

Irene the Alchemist. The herbalist, alchemist, healer, Nico the Agronomist.1LFR KDOÁLQJFKDRWLFQHXWUDO
and brewer of the village, Irene (human, neutral good, mage) is a powerful wizard who traveled to numerous
druid), is young and talented. She prepares teas, pastes, villages searching for knowledge, but got tired and
and ointments from herbs and plants she has foraged. settled when he arrived here. He is an old man, the
She also brews ale from the ingredients given to her by oldest one in the village, but he seems middle-aged.
farmers. +HLVSURÀFLHQWLQWKH1DWXUHVNLOODQGKHVKDUHV
his knowledge with the farmers to educate them on
Most days for the last several years, she spends time farming techniques.
with Aaron as he has pain in his leg and Irene applies
ointments to relieve it. She admires his devotion, wits, There are drops of blood outside the entrance of
and moral values. She likes Aaron, but she is also aware Nico’s house, and closer to the entrance, there are beads
that Aaron doesn’t look at her that way. When the Son engraved with runes scattered on the ground. If the
came to the village, she asked him if he could cure characters arrive near his house, they hear a woman’s
Aaron’s ankle, but he said it was a birth defect and it scream coming from the house. If they enter, they see
was how god intended it. She hates the Son. a woman hovering above a table and Nico channeling
ominous energies. If the characters let Nico complete
Mary the Shepherd. The sheep of the village are the spell, 3 ghosts appear in the nearest space to the
herded by a middle-aged woman called Mary (human, hovering woman, and attack Nico and the characters.
chaotic neutral, commoner 6KHLVWKHÀUVWWRZDNH If the characters prevent Nico from completing the
up early in the morning to herd the sheep. She tends to spell, the woman becomes a shattered memory and
every need of the sheep, shearing the sheep when their attacks the characters. After being defeated, the ghosts
wool grows long enough, cleaning the wool and sending leave the woman’s body and she returns to normal. The
it to Phoebe. She also sends old sheep to Christopher. backstory of this situation is that the woman is haunted
She secretly has a relationship with Miranda. She is by 3 ghosts who are trying to take control of the
the one who wants to keep it a secret because she
thinks that her mother, with whom she lives, shattered memory
won’t approve of their relationship. If
KHUPRWKHUÀQGVRXWVKHLVWKULOOHG
WRÀQGWKDW0DU\LVLQORYHZLWK
someone who loves her back.
Miranda the Innkeeper.
The owner of the tavern
is a young woman named
Miranda (human, chaotic good,
commoner). All the villagers
have their meals together at
the inn in the mornings and
evenings. Miranda prepares and
serves the food with ingredients
that other villagers supply. She
gets up early in the morning, prepares
breakfast, and cleans the tavern after
everyone eats. She rests until noon, then she
starts to prepare dinner and again cleans
after others. She has two coops behind the
tavern, one for her chickens and one for
her ducks.

222
woman’s body once per month. This situation has been
going on for several months and she came to Nico to ask
for help when she realized that her will was growing
weaker with each passing month. She brought the beads Shattered Memory
carved with runes, which she made as a gift to Nico,
Medium aberration, unaligned
but the ghosts caused an unbearable mental pain in an
instant so she rushed in, dropping them outside.
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
7KH)RXQGHUVWD\HGDW1LFR·VKRXVH+HZDVJRLQJ
Hit Points 85 (9d8 + 45)
to stay at the tavern, but Nico realized that he was a
wizard and invited him rather insistently. During their Speed 30 ft.
FRQYHUVDWLRQVDERXWPDJLFWKH)RXQGHUWROG1LFR
that he found a way to alter, create, or destroy the
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
theoretical conduits a creature uses to channel magic.
The subject was too advanced for Nico to understand. 12(+1) 12(+1) 20(+5) 24(+7) 2 (-4) 2 (-4)
Phoebe the Weaver.0RVWO\KHFNOLQJÁD[VSLQQLQJ
yarn from wool, and weaving carpets and clothes, Condition Immunities all
Phoebe (human, lawful good, commoner) is the weaver Senses passive Perception 6
of the village. She also treats hides and produces Languages -
leather to make hats, belts, sheaths, and shoes. She is a
Challenge  ;3
hardworking woman, as weaving and tanning takes up
most of her time.
Deja vu. After the shattered memory takes damage,
There are books about wizards and spell components it gains resistance to the damage type until it takes
in her house that she has obtained for research on her damage from the same damage type.
current project. She is making a leather bag that can Remembrance. When shattered memory takes 15 or
hold a spell component pouch and a spellbook, as a gift more damage from a single attack, a remembrance
to Nico. She thinks that Nico might feel left out because appears in a random unoccupied space 10 feet away
KHLVDKDOÁLQJLQDKXPDQYLOODJHVKHGRHVQ·WZDQW from the shattered memory. If there is no such space
WKDW6KHDOVRKDGDÀJKWZLWK&KULVWRSKHUEHFDXVHKH within 10 feet, the remembrance appears in the closest
has been sending the usual amount of milk to everyone, unoccupied space.
but half the amount to Nico. She thinks that it is rude, The remembrance is a Small spark of light, hovering
but Christopher thinks that it is only logical. 5 feet above the ground. It can move through
creatures and objects, and can occupy the same space
6KHVSRNHZLWKWKH)RXQGHUDQGWKH\KDGDIULHQGO\ as other creatures. Each remembrance has AC 18, 10
debate about the patterns on the wings of animals. They hit points, immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and
KDGWHDWRDVWDQGPDUPDODGH6KHOLNHVWKH)RXQGHU slashing damage from nonmagical attacks, poison, and
She thinks that he is a kind, intellectual man who is psychic damage. At the start of each of the shattered
calm and easy to talk to. memory’s turns, remembrances move 5 feet toward
the shattered memory. If a remembrance occupies the
Rick the Elder. The grumpy old man’s name is Rick
same space as the shattered memory, it is consumed
(human, neutral good, commoner). He is the former by the shattered memory.
ranger of the village and he lives with his son, the
current ranger of the village. He is protective of the
village and he is careful around strangers, assessing ACTIONS
them for threats. He mostly spends his time walking Multiattack. The shattered memory uses Shattering
around the village and talking to other villagers. Bolt twice.
Shattering Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +11 to hit, range
He had been married for 40 years when his wife died.
30 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d10 + 7) force damage
That was 6 years ago. His wife begged him to spend plus 2 (1d4) psychic damage for each remembrance
more time with her in the village but he preferred to be consumed by the shattered memory.
in the wild, keeping the danger at bay. He regrets that
decision and is angry with his son for doing the same
with his family. BONUS ACTIONS
Shift. The shattered memory disappears and reappears
within 30 feet.

223

REACTIONS
Remember. While consuming a remembrance, the
shattered memory can choose not to consume it, but
make it explode. If it does so, each creature within
60 feet of the remembrance is overwhelmed with its
own memories. The creatures in the area that are
aware of the shattered memory’s presence must make
a DC 19 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save,
the creature takes 33 (6d10) psychic damage and is
stunned until the start of its next turn. On a successful
save, the damage is halved and the creature isn’t
stunned.
If the characters go toward the mountains that the
)RXQGHUZHQWWRWKH\MRXUQH\IRUWZRGD\VGXULQJ
which time, nothing attacks them. Only the ranger,
%HQNQRZVWKHGLUHFWLRQWKH)RXQGHUZHQW$IWHUWKHLU
journey, they arrive at a cave.
If the characters leave the village but go toward
another direction than the mountains, the vision
FKDQJHVDEUXSWO\DQGWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQDFDYH
They gain 1 blood degeneration.
5HJDUGOHVVWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKHFDYH5HDGRU
paraphrase the text below to your players:
You enter an ovular space within a stone
mountain, large enough to be called a cave.
There are no cracks, corridors, or pockets
within the room, it is plain and simple.
Sunlight seeps into the cave through its small,
uneven entrance, creating a dim environment.
Two men stand facing each other, talking
but both ready to act. The sickly man’s back
is turned to you, his long silver hair going
down to his waist and wearing a purple robe
decorated with blue, red, and golden yellow;
expensive colors to obtain. He is wielding a
spellbook in one hand and a wooden staff in
the other.
The taller man looks at you briefly, but he
doesn’t seem to care about your presence.
He is wearing a simple robe around his
waist, reaching his knees, and the rest of his
muscular body is uncovered. His skin is made
of white, unblemished marble, and his eyes
shine brightly with sunlight.
224
They are in the midst of a debate, which
the wizard continues: “Your father is a conundrum,
A paradox that answers itself. All the divine are. How could
the sun need a deity to rise if the sunrise gave birth to the
deity? Can the divine reap more than they sow; if yes, how
is it possible, and if no, how could faith be of any use to the
divine? After all, they shaped the potential. Another option
is that the divine are not responsible for the full potential
of the mortals, in which case, it suggests the possibility to
overcome divinity. My questions may seem simple to you but
I assure you they are anything but.”
The marble-skinned demigod answers
arrogantly, “Your mortal mind wouldn’t understand
even if I showed you. Quit this petty search. There is nothing
to find for a mortal. Now, please leave and spare me the
lectures, my divine intellect protects my mind from thinking
like a simple mortal.”
The wizard speaks with anger and
determination, “Then let me help you.” He
disappears in a purple light and reappears
near you, at a safe distance from the demigod.
He taps his staff to the ground and leaves his
spellbook hovering in the air. Suddenly, the
entire cave is covered in thousands of stripes
of multicolored light, magically stuck to
surfaces. Each stripe is filled with intertwined
runes, readable from both sides, indicating
different meanings. This spell should be
impossible. The wizard coughs blood as
wounds start to appear on his skin.
The light of the demigod’s eyes fades away.
His marble skin is shattered and torn off,
leaving bleeding flesh with no skin on it. The
demigod starts to yell while looking at his
hands with horror, “What have you done?! How?!
This is impossible! This is blasphemy!” Taken over by
delirium, he runs toward you and the wizard.
7KH6RQDWWDFNVWKHZL]DUGÀUVWEXWKHFDQ·WUHDFK
WKHZL]DUGEHFDXVHRIDIRUFHÀHOGEHWZHHQWKHP6R
the Son attacks the characters, thinking that they are
with the wizard. The spell that the wizard has cast can’t
be dispelled, stopped, or suppressed by any means; only
the wizard can stop it or it ends when the wizard dies.
The Sun's Son, Weakened paladin spells prepared:

Medium celestial (titan), lawful neutral 1st level (4 slots): bless, command, cure wounds, detect
magic, heroism, shield of faith
2nd level (3 slots): branding smite, lesser restoration, zone
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) of truth
Hit Points 152 (16d8 + 80) 3rd level (3 slots): create food and water, daylight, remove
Speed 30 ft. curse, revivify
4th level (3 slots): deathward
5th level (2 slots): geas
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20(+5) 19(+4) 20(+5) 16(+3) 17(+3) 21(+5)
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Son makes two weapon attacks.
Saving Throws Strength +10, Constitution +10, Sun Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Charisma +10 one target. Hit: 29 (5d8 + 7) radiant damage.
Skills Arcana +8, Athletics +15, Deception +10, History
+8, Intimidation +10, Medicine +8, Perception +8,
Religion +8, Survival +8 BONUS ACTIONS
Damage Resistances EOXGJHRQLQJÀUHSLHUFLQJ Grapple. The Son can try to grapple a creature within 5
slashing feet of him.

Damage Immunities radiant

Senses passive Perception 18
Languages Common
Challenge  ;3
Helioforged. The Son’s attacks are magical and deal an
additional 18 (4d8) radiant damage (included in the
attack).
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the Son fails a saving
throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Sun Vault. The Son can conjure any weapon of his
choice, magical or nonmagical, into his empty hand.
Weapons conjured in this way disappear when the Son
stops holding them. He can attune to these weapons
ZKHQKHVXPPRQVWKHPDQGKHLVSURÀFLHQWZLWKWKHP
He mostly prefers conjuring a sun blade or a vorpal
longsword. He can’t conjure artifacts or unique items
that are one of a kind.
REACTIONS
Body Slam. When a creature moves within 5 feet of the
Son, he can slam the creature down. The creature and
the Son must make a contested Strength check. If the
Son wins the check, the creature falls prone and its
speed becomes 0 until the start of its next turn. If the
creature wins the check, nothing happens.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Son can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from
the options below. Only one legendary action option
can be used at a time and only at the end of another
creature’s turn. The Son regains spent legendary
actions at the start of his turn.
Detect. The Son makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Move. The Son moves up to his remaining speed for the
turn without provoking opportunity attacks.

Spellcasting. The Son is a 20th-level spellcaster. His Burn Away (Costs 3 Actions). The Son burns away
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 magical energies around him. All ongoing spells or
to hit with spell attacks). The Son has the following magical effects within 60 feet of the Son ends, including
the spells requiring concentration.

225
 “Did you believe there would be no
consequences for killing my son? This
essence does not belong to you. First, I will
take it, then I will curse you so you can’t
die even after I rip the purest essence apart
from your soul, shredding your being into
countless pieces. You will become a broken
man with a broken soul, and you will be
cursed to live in such a form. Finally, to
remind mortals of their place so they won’t
make the same mistake again, I shall let all kinds
of monsters walk under my sight, under the sunlight.
But I will not let you do the same. This is my judgment.”
The voice goes silent and the white light
fades away. The wizard, now transformed into
the First Vampire, rushes to the entrance of
the cave but the sunlight does not let him out.
You see the smoke rising from the village that
you came from.

Let the characters travel back to the village.

All the houses are burned down and every
single person is butchered. Monsters have
slaughtered everyone, plundered everything,
and destroyed what was left. Let the characters
see the ruins and if they try to save anyone or
anything, make sure that they fail. There is only
misery in the village and the Sun is responsible for
it.
the sun’s son
After you decide that the characters have had
enough pain and misery, the vision suddenly changes.

After the Sun’s Son is defeated, the wizard consumes

him. If the characters fail to defeat the Son, the wizard The Final
kills the Son and heals the characters to their full
health. Read or paraphrase the text below to your
Confrontation
players:

While the demigod is begging for his life, the The characters are in a room made of stone and blood,
wizard rips his heart out and drinks the blood DQGWKHUHDUHMXJVÀOOHGZLWKEORRGDURXQGWKHP5HDG
right from its source. The defiled divine falls or paraphrase the text below to your players:
to the ground like a bag of bloody meat. For
a moment, you see the spark of divinity, the
purest form of power, flowing into the wizard
from the demigod’s heart. Then, the only You are in a doorless room entirely made
thing you can see is pure white. of sandstone. There are no openings yet
somehow, sunlight illuminates the room.
An orchestra of a thousand overlapping
There is a 6-foot wide pit at the center of the
sounds starts to speak from every direction:

226
 room and a gigantic maw with canine teeth
is reaching out from the pit, filling the hole.
Every couple of seconds, it takes a deep breath,
and a couple of seconds later, it exhales with a
low growl.
There are earthenware jugs filled with
blood, lined up near the walls. There are a
total of 16, surrounding the room. The runes
engraved upon the ground around the pit say:
“Only fresh blood sates its hunger.”
The characters need to bleed themselves into the
maw, since the only fresh blood within the room is
theirs. Each time a character pours blood into the maw
that is not fresh, 1d4 sanguine elementals (p. 284)
climb out from the maw and attack the characters.
If they inspect the blood within the jugs, share the
following information:
Jug 1: It has a bright red color and a fragrant smell of
lavender.
Jug 2: Its color is blood red and it smells of rusty iron.
Jug 3: This blood has no smell and it seems a little
transparent.
Jug 4: The smell of the blood has citrus notes and it
has small bubbles rising to the top.
Jug 5: Strangely, this blood smells like hatred and it is
swirling in its container.
Jug 6: It has an overwhelming smell that reminds you
of nothing you know.
Jug 7: The blood shines a dim red light and emits a
quiet humming sound.
Jug 8: The blood seems as thick as honey and smells
like it, too.
Jug 9: It has a spicy smell, which makes creatures
sneeze.
Jug 10: The blood has no distinct smell, yet it reminds
the characters of war, slaughter, and freshly drawn
blood.
Jug 11: It smells, feels, looks, and tastes like blood.
Jug 12: This blood has a dark red color and its aroma
inspires a valorous spirit.
Jug 13: This black blood has hints of mint, followed by
the smell of decayed meat.
Jug 14: This blood does not stick to any surfaces, and
it has the smell of ordinary blood.
Jug 15: This blood has a vivid color and it smells like a
wet wolf.
Jug 16:7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQ·WGHÀQHWKHVPHOORIWKLV
blood, but it feels nostalgic and it moves in enigmatic
patterns.
After a character pours their own blood into the maw,
the maw retreats, leaving an empty hole on the ground.
There is another room on the other side of the hole. The
hole is on the ceiling of the second room, which is 15
IHHWDERYHLWVÁRRU7KHUHDUHQRRSHQLQJVLQWKHVHFRQG
room and there are no signs of the maw.
Common Reward. These blood visions help the
characters experience vampiric revelations and connect
with the vampire blood coursing through their veins,
granting them supernatural powers as a result. Thanks
to these revelations, the characters can cast the misty
step spell without expending a spell slot. A character
FDQFDVWLWDQXPEHURIWLPHVHTXDOWRWKHLUSURÀFLHQF\
ERQXV7KH\UHJDLQDQ\H[SHQGHGXVHVZKHQWKH\ÀQLVK
a long rest.
Also, the room below contains additional rewards
for the characters. The rewards appear in the shape of
four short columns in the room below. The columns are
shaped in a way that hints at the nature of the reward.
A character can choose only one reward, and once
chosen, the reward disappears. No other creature can
then claim it.
$GGLWLRQDOO\WKHFKDUDFWHUVÀQGRQHDGGLWLRQDO
column for each wave the characters have cleared as
Kanrath soldiers during the Cyherested attack in the
History of Blood section. A character can choose only one
additional reward, and the additional rewards can be
chosen by more than one character.
<RXFDQÀQGGHWDLOHGLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWKRZWKH
columns look and what the rewards are below:
Adaptive Blood. There are two human statues, one
made of stone and the other made of blood. The stone
statue is prone and the blood statue is helping the stone
statue to stand up.
When you fail a saving throw, you can choose to
succeed instead. Once you use this feature, you must
ÀQLVKDVKRUWRUORQJUHVWWRXVHLWDJDLQ
Hastened Metabolism. There is a statue of a human
running next to the statue of a horse. The human statue
seems like it’s winning the race.
<RXFDQH[FLWH\RXUEORRGWRJDLQWKHEHQHÀWVRIWKH
haste spell for 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you
PXVWÀQLVKDVKRUWRUORQJUHVWWRXVHLWDJDLQ
Remove Weakness. There is a hollow human statue
and in front of it, there are jarred organs. The statue
has a happy and determined look on its face.
Your organs melt into a bloody slime that
FRQWLQXRXVO\ÁRZVLQVLGH\RXUERG\GRLQJWKHLUMREV
but in a different way. Any critical hit against you
227
 becomes a normal hit.
Warmonger. There is a statue of a human warrior
holding a sword in each hand. The swords are covered
in blood.
Once on each of your turns, your successful weapon
attacks deal an extra 1d6 blood damage.
First Wave Reward. There are two human statues
made of stone, one is lying on the ground, dead, and the
other is standing next to the other one. The standing
one is pouring its blood into the lying one’s mouth.
If you feed your blood to a dead creature as an action,
the creature returns to life with 1 hit point and you take
1 blood damage, which can’t be reduced by any means.
This feature has no effect on creatures that are dead
for more than 1 minute. Once you use this feature, you
PXVWÀQLVKDORQJUHVWWRXVHLWDJDLQ
Second Wave Reward. There is a human statue
without a nose.
You do not require air.
Third Wave Reward. There is a statue of a human,
concentrating. Around the statue, there are symbols
depicting the damage types and between the symbols
and the statue, there are shields made of blood.
As an action, you can have resistance to all
damage until the start of your next turn, requiring
concentration.
Fourth Wave Reward. There is a human statue
drinking blood, and there is a hole in the statue’s heart.
The blood that the statue is drinking is seeping out from
the hole.
Your hit point maximum increases by 15 but you gain
15 blood degeneration.
Fifth Wave Reward. The column is empty.
You gain a feat of your choice.
$IWHUHDFKFKDUDFWHUFKRRVHVDUHZDUGWKH\ÀQG
themselves in the village they went to in the History
of Blood VHFWLRQWKHYLOODJHWKH6RQDQGWKH)RXQGHU
passed by. The change happens in the blink of an eye.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
You are back in the village destroyed by the
monsters that you watched from the cave.
The debris still fumes. The bodies of the
villagers are further disrupted, crows taking
their shares and time taking its course. Even
the mud you are standing on feels dirty and
defiled compared to the first time you stood in
this village. The soft ground is engraved with
the prints of monstrous tracks and holes filled
228
with rainwater mixed with blood.
On a collapsed, charcoaled beam, the
Founder is sitting, his head turned toward
you. He looks younger than before. His skin
is unblemished and his posture is that of a
healthy man rather than a sick one. On top
of his chainmail he is wearing a surcoat, half
black and half brown. The black chausses he is
wearing and his bare feet are covered in mud.
The clean sword on his belt looks sharp and he
seems battle ready.
7KH)RXQGHULVGUHVVHGOLNHWKLVEHFDXVHKHNLOOHGWKH
monsters in this memory even though it was too late
for the villagers. He doesn’t wear any shoes because
he moves too fast and applies too much force to the
JURXQGGDPDJLQJWKHVKRHV7KH)RXQGHUZDQWVWRWDON
to the characters.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWU\WRKDUPWKH)RXQGHUWKH
)RXQGHUVOD\VWKHPRQHE\RQHHQGLQJWKHEORRGYLVLRQ
The characters gain 1 blood degeneration.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDONWRWKH)RXQGHU he reveals
KLVSODQVWRWKHP7KH)RXQGHUZDVERWKJLIWHGDV
a Crimson and cursed as suffering from a unique
disease. He has searched for a cure for years, but with
no results. At the end, he looked for a divine being to
ask for help, or at least guidance. But the Sun’s Son
refused to help, saying the disease is the gods’ work,
which should be accepted with peace, as a result leaving
WKH)RXQGHUQRFKRLFH:KHQWKH)RXQGHUGUDQNWKH
blood of the Sun’s Son, he tasted divinity for a split
second. After the Sun ripped away his divinity and
FXUVHGKLPWREHFRPHWKH)LUVW9DPSLUHWKH)RXQGHU
GUDQNWKHEORRGRIPRQVWHUVEXWZKHQKHÀUVWGUDQN
the blood of a sentient person, he tasted a fraction
of the same power as the divinity. He realized that
there is divine potential scattered and hidden across
mortal races. He took over a settlement and made it
into a city. He built a hierarchy for the sole purpose of
accumulating the divine potential at the top of the food
chain. The vampires fed on mortals, noble vampires
fed on vampires, royalty fed on nobility, and the
)RXQGHUIHGRQUR\DOW\:LWKHDFKWUDQVDFWLRQRIEORRG
LQÀQLWHVLPDOO\VPDOOWUDFHVRIGLYLQLW\ZHUHWUDQVIHUUHG
to the top predator from the mortals who were at the
bottom of the food chain. That’s why he refused every
proposal forbidding vampires to feed on vampires. He is
trying to achieve divinity because he thinks that he can
GRDEHWWHUMREWKDQWKHFXUUHQWGHLWLHV+HMXVWLÀHVKLV
cruel actions by defending their necessity and he wants
to make them right once he becomes a deity.
If the characters patronize or antagonize him by
criticizing his moral values, he says, “The gods
torment you eternally for your innate ignorance rather
than share their wisdom by a revelation. Their sins are
greater than mine and I am just a man. Who are you to
MXGJHPHIRUPDNLQJVDFULÀFHVIRUDEHWWHUIXWXUH"µ
7KHFKDUDFWHUVFDQWDONWRWKH)RXQGHUDVORQJDV
they’d like. He tries to persuade them to walk the
path of blood as he tried in previous visions, and he
tries to make them believe in his plan. After their
WDONZLWKWKH)RXQGHUWKHEORRGYLVLRQHQGV
Level up. The characters level up (to the 10th
level).
The prime
tower
The characters return to where they went into the
blood vision. No time has passed and the characters
are not dead. As they entered the vision physically
this time, all resources they have spent are gone and
all the new things they have obtained are with them.
The place is exactly the same as they left it, but all
the signs of their struggle are present. They receive
WKHEHQHÀWVRIÀQLVKLQJDORQJUHVW
On the ground, between the characters, there is
also a small stone, 3-inch wide, with a glyph carved
on it; a creature can discern that the glyph means
“blood” with a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana)
check. It is the last glyph needed to activate the
magic circle within the tower of the Prime Sorcerer
of Sanguinology.
If the characters don’t know that they need to use
the Highway (p. 14) to enter the Prime Tower, or
if they don’t know how to use it, they gain 2 blood
GHJHQHUDWLRQDQGWKH)RXQGHUZKLVSHUVWRWKHP
saying that they need to step into the Highway and
imagine a dragon made of blood bleeding into a
humanoid vessel while the sigils of all spell schools
glow brightly in the background.
Tower Entrance
When the characters arrive at a tunnel entrance
that leads to the Highway, start playing “The City
of Arcane ” on the “Bloodpunk OST”, and read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
The stone-paved square is crowded; there are
people rushing to the Highway, street vendors
trying to profit from the crowd, and some
people hanging out here just because it is
crowded. At the center, there is a wide tunnel
protruding from the ground at a high angle,
and it is guarded by 2 brass automatons. It
seems to be the entrance to the Highway.
A wide entrance made of dark smooth
stone slabs secured by bronze beams and
frames decorated like intertwined branches.
Near it, there are brass pipes protruding
from the ground, standing 7 feet tall with
their open ends facing upwards. From these
pipes, pressurized steam is released into the
air with a whistling sound. There are two
escalators going down into the tunnel, moving
in opposite directions, and a wide marble
staircase near them. Between the escalator
and the staircase, there is a box office with a
marble counter, wooden columns decorated
with brass, and glass windows half-covered
with red curtains. There are small openings
in the glass, one facing the escalator and
the other to the staircase. Two officers in
the booth are taking payments from these
openings. On a wooden sign, a writing says
“Passage: 2 Cyherested Staffs”.
229
230
 The characters need to pay 2 CS each to enter the
tunnels of the Highway. Each entrance is protected
by 2 bloodwork automaton patrols (p. 272) and if
these automatons engage in combat, 2 CBI special
operators (p. 273) immediately arrive at the scene. The
automatons try to reason with people causing problems.
A character can pass the automaton securities without
paying the fee and without being seen with a successful
DC 18 Dexterity (Stealth) check. If a person doesn’t
comply with the automaton guards but refrains from
hostile actions, 2 CBI sorcerers (p. 273) arrive to
take care of the situation either by negotiating or
arresting the suspects. The automaton guards and the
CBI sorcerers can be persuaded to let a person or a
group use the Highway without paying the fee with a
successful DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion) check.
After the characters enter the tunnels of the
Highway, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
You go down the escalators and the tunnel
continues. The surfaces of this tube are
covered in marble slabs. There are decorations
on the wall made of brass, bronze, silver, and
copper stripes, arranged in the shapes of the
depictions of streets, buildings, and important
places of Cyherested. It is illuminated by angst
lamps on the crystal chandeliers hanging from
the ceiling.
The tunnel leads to an underground station
that greatly resembles a train station. The
difference is, there are no railways passing
by the station, instead, there is a 15-foot tall
tunnel filled with magical energy. The energy
is so dense that it can be seen as a blue-colored
light beam traveling through this tunnel.
Between the delicate stone columns
supporting the station’s arched ceiling, there
are platforms reaching into the blue light from
the station. You see people walking into the
light and being disintegrated. You also see
people appearing within the light and walking
out to the station.
Among the crowd and the rush of people, there is a
young bard performing within the station, her voice
barely heard by anyone. She plays violin and sings. Her
name is Eilalalie (elf, chaotic good, commoner); her
&KDULVPDVFRUHLVVKHKDVSURÀFLHQF\LQWKH,QVLJKW
DQG3HUIRUPDQFHVNLOOVLVSURÀFLHQWZLWKWKHYLROLQ
and she can cast the vicious mockery cantrip (spell save
DC 13). She is studying at a music school in Cyherested
and she is trying to make a living through her street
performances.
If the characters give money to Eilalalie for her
performance, she thanks the characters, points at them
saying that the next song is for them, and starts to sing.
The song is as follows:
I, drowned within the dark,
Life, escaped from a spark,
You, never bet to lose,
But, drowned within the booze.
Bleeding my soul,
Magic of the role,
Blood in my shoes,
Why am I holding onto your promise of truce?
I, drowned within the light,
Life, crawling for a sight,
Us, never fallen apart,
Yet, wounded from the heart.
Bleeding my soul,
Magic of the role,
Blood in my shoes,
How can artful lies sound so much like truths?
I love you, my sorceress.
I love you my darling.
Darling.
The lyrics hint at the correct glyph sequence required
to get into the Prime Tower of Sanguinology: life, soul,
magic, blood, and sorcerer.
After stepping into the blue light, the Highway forces
the traveler to expend the lowest level spell slot they
have; if the traveler is not able to do so, the Highway
drains 1 hit point worth of blood from the traveler and
converts it to magic. If a creature with no spell slots to
expend and no blood to give tries to travel through the
Highway, it disintegrates and kills the traveler while
trying to draw magic out of them.
After the characters step into the blue light and
imagine a dragon made of blood bleeding into a
humanoid vessel while the sigils of all spell schools
glow brightly in the background, they are teleported
into a room. The room is made entirely of black marble
and extends 30 feet in all directions. There is nothing
in the room but a 20-foot-tall, 6-foot-wide adamantine
door on one of the walls. The door is invulnerable and
impassable; it has no knob or keyhole. The following is
231
 written on the door in Common:
The sentiments of ____(1) inured us to the adornments
of a raven, wings of feathers shadowing the ____(2). On the
precipice of understanding, the answer hollows the back of
my eye which sees. From within me, ____(3) proffered: bleed
into the wild world and tame the blemished animal in a forge
ardent with my ____(4). The zenith of a swerving man, a
glimpse within the darkest span, through the eight-eyed web
it began. I became the ____(5).
7KHFKDUDFWHUVQHHGWRÀOOLQWKHEODQNVZLWKWKH
sigils they learned from the stones. They need to draw
the sigils in the correct places with their blood. The
correct sequence is (1) life, (2) soul, (3) magic, (4) blood,
and (5) sorcerer.
If a character draws a sigil in the wrong place on the
door, the drawn sigil disappears from the door and a
creature is summoned to the closest unoccupied space
within the door. The creature is the exact replica of
the character that has drawn the wrong sigil, except
that it is red and is made entirely of blood. Its hit point
PD[LPXPLVGRXEOHGDQGLWLVQRWZRXQGHGRUDIÁLFWHG
by any conditions even if the character is. The creature
attacks the characters and it can’t be reasoned with by
any means.
After the characters draw the sigils in the correct
places, large vein-shaped dents appear on the gate, as
LIEORRGKDVFUDZOHGXQGHULWVDGDPDQWLQHVNLQ)RUD
moment the door seems alive, resembling something
between an adamantine block and vein-covered muscle
contracting to move. The door splits open from the
middle, sunlight seeping out of it, and the characters
are teleported to the demiplane of the Sanguinologist.
Sanguinology
As the characters open their eyes on the demiplane,
read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
You are standing at the top of a steep
mountain, witnessing the view from the
precipice. The rocky mountain that you
are standing on is surrounded by a jungle.
Across the overgrown vegetation, there are
five biomes seen on the horizon, separated
by precise borders. In the direction you are
facing, there is a desert; it shares borders with
232
a sea on its left and a grassland on its right.
On the other side of the grassland, there is
a snowy tundra and on the other side of the
sea, there is a taiga covered in heavy snow,
neighboring the tundra. Their dimensions
look like they are exactly the same.
The sun is slowly changing color, darkening
without leaving its place at the highest point of
the sky, setting without moving. The silence of
calm nature, the friendly warmth of sunlight
on your skin, and the scenery laid down
beneath your feet bring out bits of serenity you
didn’t know still exist. As the sun sets, even the
thought of spending the night in an alien wild
skips your mind for a moment.
There is no way of getting off of this demiplane
except the portals opened by the Prime Sorcerer of
Sanguinology. The plane shift and teleport spells don’t
function on this demiplane.
The Steep Mountain
While walking on the mountain, gaining or losing
elevation costs 5 times the movement of the change in
HOHYDWLRQ)RUH[DPSOHLIDFKDUDFWHUZDQWVWRJRGRZQ
10 feet on the mountain, the character must move 50
feet.
The mountain is 13,000 feet tall. The top of the
mountain (11,500 - 13,000 feet) is covered in large
boulders and ice formed between them, which is
GLIÀFXOWWHUUDLQ)URPEHWZHHQWKHERXOGHUVDQGLFH
PDQ\VWUHDPVRIZDWHUÁRZGRZQWKHPRXQWDLQ7KHUH
are no animals living at this height. In the daytime, it
is mostly calm, but during the night there are almost
always strong winds.
Below that (8,000 - 11,500 feet), there are small
plains covered in dense grass with occasional boulders
protruding from the ground. The only plant growing on
the plains besides grass is lamb’s-ear. The streams form
large ponds and calm creeks with ice-cold freshwater;
no animals live in these waters. There are only bees and
JRDWV7KHFXPXOXVFORXGVRIWHQÁRZWKURXJKKHUHOLNH
a swift mist passing by, and the area becomes lightly
obscured for several hours every day. At night, there
are continuous winds with moderate strength.
After passing the plains, pine trees start to appear
below 8,000 feet. The border between the trees and
the plains is sudden, as if it was drawn by hand. At
these heights (5,500 - 8,000 feet) there are pine trees
growing between the rocks, on steep hills, and around
the rivers formed by creeks joining together. In some
places, there are scarlet giant villages made mostly
of wood. There are 30 scarlet giants in each of these
villages, and they patrol the areas around the villages in
groups of two. Scarlet giants are a type of giant native
to this demiplane, created and experimented upon by
the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology. They do not throw
rocks. Instead, they conjure sheep that explode upon
impact and throw them.
The wildlife is also more lively; there are bats, boars,
lizards, owls, rats, scorpions, spiders, wolves, and
many more animals living there; some even wander
around crowded, such as a swarm of rats. There
are blood hawk nests on tall pine trees, which the
characters can notice with a successful DC 16 Wisdom
(Perception) check. Each nest is protected by two blood
hawks. If the characters kill a blood hawk or destroy
their nest, a EORRGKDZNÁRFN appears in an hour and
attacks the characters.
Languages Giant
Challenge  ;3
Aggravate Blood. A creature that touches the giant
or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it
takes 14 (4d6) blood damage.
Innate Spellcasting. The giant’s innate spellcasting
ability is Constitution (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with
spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells,
requiring no material components:
At will: agglutination*, detect magic, true strike
GD\HDFKcrimson blur*, false life, rotten heart*
GD\HDFKblood seeking*, sanguine awareness*
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The giant makes two greatcleaver attacks.
Greatcleaver. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10
ft., one target. Hit: 24 (6d4 + 9) slashing damage.
Sheep. Ranged Weapon Attack:WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage
plus 14 (4d6) blood damage. The thrown sheep
explodes on hit and its blood splashes all over the
target.
Blood Hawk Flock
Large swarm of Small beasts, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 154 (44d6)
Speed IWÁ\IW

Scarlet Giant STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Huge giant, neutral 6 (-2) 14(+2) 10(+0) 3 (-4) 14(+2) 5 (-3)

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Skills Perception +5
Hit Points 162 (12d12 + 84)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Speed 40 ft.
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled,
SDUDO\]HGSHWULÀHGSURQHUHVWUDLQHGVWXQQHG
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Senses passive Perception 15
Languages -
28(+9) 9 (-1) 25(+7) 11(+0) 16(+3) 19(+4)
Challenge  ;3

Saving Throws Strength +13, Constitution +11,

Flock Tactics. The swarm has advantage on attack
Charisma +8
rolls.
Skills Animal Handling +7, Athletics +13, Perception +7
Keen Sight. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Condition Immunities poisoned Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s
Senses passive Perception 17 space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through
any opening large enough for a Small blood hawk. The

233
 swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit
points.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The swarm makes three beaks attacks.
Beaks (swarm has more than half HP). Melee Weapon
Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the
swarm’s space. Hit: 14 (5d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Beaks (swarm has half HP or less). Melee Weapon Attack:
+5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm’s space.
Hit: 9 (3d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Blood Hawk Flock
Large swarm of Small beasts, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 154 (44d6)
Speed IWÁ\IW
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 14(+2) 10(+0) 3 (-4) 14(+2) 5 (-3)
Skills Perception +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled,
SDUDO\]HGSHWULÀHGSURQHUHVWUDLQHGVWXQQHG
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages -
Challenge  ;3
Flock Tactics. The swarm has advantage on attack
rolls.
Keen Sight. The swarm has advantage on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s
space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through
any opening large enough for a Small blood hawk. The
swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit
points.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The swarm makes three beaks attacks.
Beaks (swarm has more than half HP). Melee Weapon
Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the
swarm’s space. Hit: 14 (5d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Beaks (swarm has half HP or less). Melee Weapon Attack:
+5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm’s space.
Hit: 9 (3d4 + 2) piercing damage.
234
At the lowest part of the mountain, below 5,500 feet,
the diversity of the plants and animals increases. There
are special kinds of juniper, cedar, and sycamore trees
beside the pine trees. The characters can remember
that this special kind of juniper is tapped for its
strengthening sap with a successful DC 21 Intelligence
(Nature) check. The characters can tap the juniper
and obtain 8 ounces of its sap with a successful DC 19
Wisdom (Survival) check; if this check fails, the tree is
GDPDJHGDQGEHFRPHVXQÀWWRWDSDJDLQ(YHU\WLPHD
character tries to tap a juniper, roll a d10. On a result
of 10, 1d6 + 6 giant wasps are attracted to the smell of
the sap and attack the characters. 8 ounces of juniper
sap can be boiled into 1 ounce of juniper syrup with a
successful DC 15 Intelligence check made with cook’s
utensils. A creature who drinks the juniper syrup
has advantage on Constitution saving throws until it
ÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW7KHUHDUHgiant boars, giant owls,
and dire wolves wandering around in these parts of the
mountain.
At the border, where the mountain and the jungle
meet, there is dense vegetation covered entirely by
VSLGHUZHEV$FUHDWXUHHQWHULQJWKHZHEVIRUWKHÀUVW
time or ending their turn within them must succeed on
a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, or it is restrained until
WKHZHEVDUHGHVWUR\HGZKLFKUHTXLUHVÀUHGDPDJH
or it breaks free with a successful DC 22 Strength
$WKOHWLFV FKHFN7KHZHEVDUHÁDPPDEOH7KHZHELV
30 feet thick and if the characters come in contact with
the web, 4 phase spiders attack them.
The Adventuring Party
On the demiplane, there is a research facility trying
to breed the perfect adventuring group. They treat
their prisoners as livestock, taking their offspring and
training them to become adventurers according to
their predispositions. The most successful adventuring
group of this facility, self-named Unfettered Mongoose,
is free to wander the demiplane. They named
themselves “mongoose” because they are territorial
and carnivorous animals living on tree tops and the
members of the adventuring party like the jungle most;
they are territorial, and see themselves as predators.
They also delusionally think that they are free.
The adventuring group becomes aware of the
characters’ presence after they enter the jungle. They
will try to gather information on the characters and
harass them to see their reactions. They will not engage
in combat with the characters and if attacked, they
will immediately retreat. Please note that they are to
be seen later in the Prime Laboratory section. So, it is
best that they do not die. Also, as it is already said, they
do not engage in open combat, and they never take
risks of revealing themselves, since it is not suitable
for their tactics of war. They also do not try to kill
the characters; they just harass them to observe their
behavior and learn from them.
The members of this adventuring group have no
names. They are called by a nickname according to
their profession. They are raised by scientists, scholars,
spellcasters, and caretakers and they have never seen
their parents, nor do they have any idea about their
existence. Despite all that, they still exhibit extreme
child-like happiness and enthusiasm.
The Sorceress is a middle-aged half elf wearing
comfortable silk clothes. She is the leader of the
adventuring group. She knows each member’s
capabilities better than themselves and she gives
them tasks accordingly. She is a cautious person, often
staying back while others complete their tasks.
If a character wanders off alone, the Sorceress might
target the character with the dominate person spell from
a safe distance. She might also assist other members
with the greater invisibility spell. If the characters prove
to be resourceful, she might try to deal massive damage
to them from afar.

The Sorceress hit point maximum.

Medium humanoid (half elf), chaotic neutral Fey Ancestry. The Sorceress has advantage on saving
throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put her
to sleep.
Armor Class 16 (draconic resilience) Spellcasting. The Sorceress is an 11th-level spellcaster.
Hit Points 71 (11d6 + 33) Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9
Speed 30 ft. to hit with spell attacks).
Cantrips (at will): DFLGVSODVKÀUHEROWOLJKWPHQGLQJUD\
of frost, shocking grasp
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 1st level (4 slots): fog cloud, shield, thunderwave
9 (-1) 16(+3) 14(+2) 14(+2) 16(+3) 20(+5) 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, see invisibility
3rd level (3 slots): ÀUHEDOOKDVWHZDWHUEUHDWKLQJ
Saving Throws Constitution +6, Charisma +9 4th level (3 slots): JUHDWHULQYLVLELOLW\ZDOORIÀUH
Skills Arcana +6, Deception +9, Insight +7, Perception +7 5th level (2 slots): cloudkill, dominate person
Damage ResistancesÀUH 6th level (1 slot): disintegrate
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Old Common ACTIONS
Challenge  ;3 Twinned Fire Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range
120 ft., two targets. Hit: G ÀUHGDPDJH$
ÁDPPDEOHREMHFWKLWE\WKLVDWWDFNLJQLWHVLILWLVQ·W
Careful Spell. When the Sorceress casts a spell that being worn or carried.
forces other creatures to make a saving throw, she
Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range
can choose up to 5 creatures. A chosen creature
IWRQHWDUJHW Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the
spell.
Draconic Resilience. The Sorceress has increased AC and

235
 7KH$VVDVVLQLVD\RXQJKDOÁLQJZUDSSHGLQWLJKWGDUN
clothes. His duties are to hinder the enemies’ efforts
DQGWRVWULNHWKHÀQDOEORZ+HSUHIHUVVWD\LQJFORVHWR
his enemies without being noticed, shadowing them
patiently at a knife’s distance.
+HPLJKWWU\WRLQÀOWUDWHWKHLUFDPSZKLOHWKH\UHVW
,IKHÀQGVDQRSHQLQJKHJRHVWKURXJKWKHFKDUDFWHUV·
items and steals some crucial pieces. He carries the
assassin’s blood, crawler mucus, essence of ether, and truth
serum, 10 of each stored inside a bag of holding. He might
try these poisons on the characters.

The Assassin least one size larger than him.

6PDOOKXPDQRLG KDOÁLQJ FKDRWLFQHXWUDO Thief. 7KH$VVDVVLQLVSURÀFLHQWZLWKWKLHYHV·WRROV

DQGKLVSURÀFLHQF\ERQXVLVGRXEOHGZKLOHPDNLQJDQ
ability check to use them.
Armor Class 17 (studded leather) Sneak Attack (1/turn). The Assassin deals an extra 18
Hit Points 78 (12d6 + 36) (5d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon
Speed 25 ft., climb 25 ft. attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when
the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the Assassin
that isn’t incapacitated and the Assassin doesn’t have
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA advantage on the attack roll.
Supreme Sneak. The Assassin has advantage on a
11(+0) 20(+5) 17(+3) 14(+2) 14(+2) 14(+2) Dexterity (Stealth) check if he moves no more than half
his speed on the same turn.
Saving Throws Dexterity +9, Intelligence +6
Skills Acrobatics +9, Investigation +6, Perception +10, ACTIONS
Sleight of Hand +13, Stealth +13 Shortsword of Deception. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit,
Senses passive Perception 20 reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage.
Languages&RPPRQ+DOÁLQJ7KLHYHV·&DQW If the attack roll is 18 or more, the Assassin becomes
invisible for 1 minute and teleports to an unoccupied
Challenge  ;3
space of his choice that he can see within 30 feet.

Brave. The Assassin has advantage on saving throws

against being frightened.
BONUS ACTIONS
Shortsword of Deception. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit,
Evasion. When the Assassin is subjected to an effect
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage.
that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to
If the attack roll is 18 or more, the Assassin becomes
take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he
invisible for 1 minute and teleports to an unoccupied
succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if
space that he can see within 30 feet.
he fails.
Cunning Action. The Assassin can take the Dash,
+DOÁLQJ1LPEOHQHVV The Assassin can move through
Disengage, or Hide action. He can also make a Dexterity
the space of any creature that is of a size larger than
(Sleight of Hand) check, use his thieves’ tools to disarm
his.
a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action.
Lucky. When the Assassin rolls a 1 on the d20 for an
attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, he can reroll
the die and must use the new roll. REACTIONS
Naturally Stealthy. The Assassin can attempt to hide Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that the Assassin can
even when he is obscured only by a creature that is at see hits him with an attack, he can halve the attack’s
damage against himself.

236
The Spearmaster is a young dwarf clad in brass armor.
She acts as the protector of the Sorceress. She always
stands by her and makes sure no enemy can reach
her. She wouldn’t go to harass the characters as she
wouldn’t leave the Sorceress by herself. When they
engage in combat, she tries to eliminate the weakest
HQHPLHVÀUVWWRUHGXFHWKHWKUHDW

The Spearmaster saving throws against poison.

Medium humanoid (dwarf), lawful neutral
Armor Class 18 (breastplate, shield)
Hit Points 115 (11d8 + 66)
Speed 25 ft.
Dwarven Toughness. The Spearmaster’s hit point
maximum is increased.
Improved Critical. The Spearmaster’s weapon attacks
score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Indomitable (1/day). The Spearmaster can reroll a
saving throw that she fails. If she does so, she must use
the new roll.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

ACTIONS
18(+4) 15(+2) 20(+5) 12(+1) 13(+1) 9 (-1) Multiattack. The Spearmaster makes two weapon
attacks.
Saving Throws Strength +7, Constitution +8 +1 Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage.
Skills Acrobatics +5, Athletics +7, Perception +4, Sleight
of Hand +5, Stealth +5 +1 Spear. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage. The
Damage Resistances poison
spear returns to the Spearmaster’s hand immediately
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 after the attack.
Languages Common, Dwarvish
Challenge  ;3 BONUS ACTIONS
Second Wind (1/day). The Spearmaster regains 1d10 +
Action Surge (1/day). On her turn, the Spearmaster can 11 hit points.
take one additional action on top of her regular action
and a possible bonus action.
REACTIONS
Dueling. When the Spearmaster is wielding a melee
Protection. When a creature that the Spearmaster can
weapon in one hand and no other weapons, she has a
see attacks a target other than her that is within 5 feet
+2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon (included in
of her, she can impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
the attack).
To do so, she must be wearing a shield.
Dwarven Resilience. The Spearmaster has advantage on

237
 The Warden is a middle-aged half orc covered in
FDPRXÁDJLQJSDLQWVDQGFORWKHV+LVMREVDUHWRVFRXW
WKHDUHDWUDFNFUHDWXUHVÀQGIRRGDQGOHDGWKHZD\
He is best at wearing out threats over time, rather than
going all in.
He might disrupt tracks, imposing disadvantage
on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to track them
and understand their nature. He might also place
The Warden
Medium humanoid (half orc), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 16 (studded leather)
Hit Points 93 (11d8 + 44)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20(+5) 18(+4) 18(+4) 9 (-1) 18(+4) 10(+0)
Saving Throws Strength +8, Dexterity +7
Skills Animal Handling +7, Intimidation +3, Perception
+7, Stealth +7, Survival +7
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Orc
Challenge  ;3
Escape the Horde. Opportunity attacks against the
Warden are made with disadvantage.
Favored Enemies. The Warden has advantage on
Wisdom (Survival) checks to track humans, half elves,
and undead, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall
information about them.
Hide in Plain Sight. The warden spends 1 minute
FUHDWLQJFDPRXÁDJHDQGSUHVVHVKLPVHOIXSDJDLQVWD
solid surface to hide. He gains a +10 bonus to Dexterity
(Stealth) checks as long as he remains there without
moving or taking actions.
Land’s Stride. 0RYLQJWKURXJKQRQPDJLFDOGLIÀFXOW
terrain costs the Warden no extra movement. He can
also pass through nonmagical plants without being
slowed by them and without taking damage from them
if they have thorns, spikes, or a similar hazard. In
addition, he has advantage on saving throws against
plants that are magically created or manipulated
to impede movement, such as those created by the
entangle spell.
Natural Explorer. The Warden is familiar with the
entire demiplane of the Sanguinologist. When he
makes an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to the
GHPLSODQHKLVSURÀFLHQF\ERQXVLVGRXEOHGLIKHLV
XVLQJDVNLOOWKDWKHLVSURÀFLHQWLQ:KLOHWUDYHOLQJIRU
238
false tracks to lead the characters to strong creatures
wandering the demiplane. The characters make a
contested Wisdom (Survival) check against the Warden
to realize that the tracks are false. He shoots arrows at
characters from a great distance once in a while to put
them under constant stress, sometimes even disrupting
their rest. If the characters prove resourceful, he lures
native creatures toward the characters.
1 hour or more in the demiplane, he gains the following
EHQHÀWV
• 'LIÀFXOWWHUUDLQGRHVQ·WVORZKLVJURXS·VWUDYHO
• His group can’t become lost except by magical
means.
• Even when he is engaged in another activity while
traveling, he remains alert to danger.
• If he is traveling alone, he can move stealthily at a
normal pace.
• :KHQKHIRUDJHVKHÀQGVWZLFHDVPXFKIRRGDV
he normally would.
• While tracking other creatures, he also learns
their exact numbers, their sizes, and how long ago
they passed through the area.
Relentless Endurance (1/day). When the Warden is
reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, he can
drop to 1 hit point instead.
Savage Attacks. When the Warden scores a critical
hit with a melee weapon attack, he can roll one of the
weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to
the extra damage of the critical hit.
Spellcasting. The Warden is a 10th-level spellcaster. His
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to
hit with spell attacks).
1st level (4 slots): hunter’s mark, longstrider
2nd level (3 slots): pass without trace, spike growth
3rd level (2 slots): nondetection, wind wall
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Warden makes two ranged weapon
attacks or two melee weapon attacks.
+2 Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (1d6 + 7) slashing damage.
+2 Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range
IWRQHWDUJHW Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing
damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
+2 Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
two different targets. Hit: 10 (1d6 + 7) slashing damage.
+2 Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range
IWRQHWDUJHW Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing
damage.

The Jungle
)URPWKHPRXQWDLQMXQJOHERUGHUWRWKHFORVHVWRXWHU
border of the jungle is a 10-mile journey. Each biome
shares a 24-mile-long border with the jungle.
There are mostly tall kapok trees and balsa trees
within the jungle as well as several smaller trees. There
are openings without vegetation, but they are few. The
HQWLUHMXQJOHLVGLIÀFXOWWHUUDLQ,WLVZDUPDQGRFFXSLHG
by all kinds of animals that live in warm climates,
such as apes, eagles, giant bats, lions, swarms of
insects, and swarms of poisonous snakes. It also hosts
some dangerous creatures such as the plesiosaurus,
triceratops, and tyrannosaurus rex.
There are wide pits, 6 to 12 feet deep, with no trees
growing and no animals dwelling in them. Other
WKDQWKDWWKH\VHHPSHUIHFWO\ÀQHDQGHYHQVPHOO
QRUPDO7KHVHSLWVDUHÀOOHGZLWKQDWXUDOO\RFFXUULQJ
toxic gasses. A creature that requires air suffocates in
these pits but it can’t realize that it is suffocating as
everything seems and feels normal until the creature
dies. A successful DC 18 Intelligence (Nature) check
UHYHDOVWKDWWKHVHSLWVPLJKWEHIXOORIÁDPPDEOH
JDVVHV,IDÀUHVRXUFHHQWHUVWKHSLWWKHJDVEXUQV
DZD\GHDOLQJ G ÀUHGDPDJHWRHYHU\FUHDWXUHLQ
the pit, and after that, the pit is cleansed and is safe to
dwell. Regardless, the beasts continue to stay away from
the pits unless provoked.
There are humanoid statues all across the jungle,
hidden under the lush vegetation. The characters can
discover one of these statues with a successful DC 24
Wisdom (Perception) check. It is a damaged statue
of an elf holding a scroll. The scroll can be removed
by breaking the stone hand that is holding it. If the
characters investigate the scroll, a successful DC 15
Intelligence (Religion) check reveals that it contains the
greater restoration spell. If the characters use the greater
restoration spell or a similar effect that ends an effect
WKDWFDXVHVSHWULÀFDWLRQWKHVWDWXHWUDQVIRUPVLQWRD
dead elf and the elf falls to the ground. There is a mirror
in one of the elf’s pockets.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVVHDUFKDURXQGWKHVWDWXHWKH\ÀQG
vague tracks leading somewhere into the jungle with a
successful DC 21 Wisdom (Survival) check. If they follow
WKHWUDFNVWKH\ÀQGDIRRWZLGHRSHQLQJVXUURXQGHG
by tall trees casting their shadows upon the area. There
are other, similar statues within the area and several
9-foot-tall marble columns erected for no apparent
UHDVRQ7KHUHDUHVPDOOULIWVRQWKHJURXQGÀOOHGZLWK
glowing lava. Near the rifts, there is burnt vegetation
and mounds of lava; 8 of these mounds are actually
magma mephits standing still, indistinguishable from
PRXQGVRIPDJPD)URPEHKLQGRQHRIWKHFROXPQV
the panicked voice of a woman is heard: “Please help me!”
There are 2 medusas, both hiding behind columns. If
the characters approach, they attack. If the characters
disrupt or touch the mounds of magma, the magma
mephits attack the characters too.
The characters can chop the heads off of the medusas
to use them later. As an action, a character can hold the
head of a medusa toward a creature to use the medusa’s
Petrifying Gaze feature against it. The characters can
also still be affected by it.
The Desert
The characters need two gallons of water per day to
survive in the desert. A character who drinks only half
that much water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution
saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion at the
end of the day. A character with access to even less
water automatically suffers one level of exhaustion at
the end of the day.
If a character with no resistance or immunity to cold
damage spends the night in the desert without taking
precautions against cold, the character suffers one level
of exhaustion at the end of the night. The characters
can protect themselves against the cold by wearing
FROGZHDWKHURXWÀWVRUEODQNHWVRUWDNLQJVKHOWHU7R
ÀQGDQDSSURSULDWHQDWXUDOVKHOWHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVPXVW
succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom (Survival) check.
Near the jungle-desert border, there are small rocky
hills with stony soil. Several shrubs, such as desert sage
and creosote bush, grow between the rocks protruding
from the ground. It is not possible to dig the ground
GHHSHQRXJKWRÀQGZDWHUDVWKHUHDUHODUJHURFNV
under the soil. It is hot during the day, cold at night,
and always dry. There are wooden signs pointing deeper
LQWRWKHGHVHUWZLWK´'HVHUW)DFLOLW\µZULWWHQRQWKHP
239
 ,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVIROORZWKHZRRGHQVLJQVWKH\ÀQG
a vast opening of sand and wind. The last sign points
at nothing. If the characters throw sand in the air near
the last sign, the sand sticks to a certain point in the
air, which can also be perceived with a successful DC 21
Wisdom (Perception) check when a character walks and
a small amount of sand is lifted to air with their steps. If
they continue to throw sand at that point, the hovering
sand eventually takes the shape of a door. They can
SDVVWKURXJKWKHGRRUWRHQWHUWKH'HVHUW)DFLOLW\,WLV
one big stone hall, 80 feet wide, 80 feet long, and 30 feet
tall, with cryogenic chambers full of dissected undead
bodies, including vampires. The facility is illuminated
by bright angst lamps embedded in the ceiling. There
are lots of researchers within the compound, but they
do not engage in combat nor do they possess the ability
to do so. At the center of the hall, there is a large
angst crystal with undead bodies chained on it and 2
demiplane rangers (p. 277) protecting it. The crystal
has AC 25, 40 hit points, and immunity to piercing,
poison, and psychic damage. It is the Undead Crystal;
note if the characters destroy this crystal, as it affects
WKHÀQDOFRPEDW
While traveling through the desert, the stones
become less frequent and sand takes over the terrain.
There are small clumps of plants in some places, but
generally, it is just sand and cacti. The characters can
ÀQGZDWHUE\ÀQGLQJDVSRWZKHUHYHJHWDWLRQJURZV
with a successful DC 23 Wisdom (Survival) check and
digging a hole at least 3 feet deep; water then seeps into
the hole.
There are basilisks, giant scorpions, and vultures
wandering the desert. Demiplane rangers also patrol
the area, mostly traveling alone.
There are mummies aimlessly walking around
alone. After killing a mummy, the characters notice
the tracks it left. If the characters follow the tracks
with a successful DC 19 Wisdom (Survival) check,
they encounter 4 mummies during their search, each
wandering alone. After defeating a total of 5 mummies,
LIWKH\FRQWLQXHWRIROORZWKHWUDFNVWKH\ÀQGD
mummy lord. The mummy lord circles around a small
oasis. The characters notice that there is something
shining at the center of the oasis, 6 feet deep under the
water, with a successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception)
check. The check reveals a +3 wand of the war mage and a
decanter of endless water. If the decanter is removed, the
oasis slowly dries out in a day.
There is also an adult blue dragon circling the
VNLHV,WDWWDFNVDFKDUDFWHULIWKH\Á\DERYHIHHW
IRURYHUDPLQXWH)LUVWLWKLWVWKHFKDUDFWHUVZLWK
LWVEUHDWKZHDSRQWRLQWLPLGDWHWKHPDQGÁLHVDZD\
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVFRQWLQXHWRÁ\DERYHIHHWDQG
attack the dragon, it starts to follow them from a secure
240
distance, patiently waiting for opportunities to attack
and retreat. The characters can follow the dragon for
DGD\WRÀQGLWVODLUZKLFKLVDQHQRUPRXVFU\VWDOL]HG
cavern under the sands. Storm clouds swirl around its
lair. If engaged here, the dragon faces the characters
without running away. The dragon has a small hoard:
45 diamonds that are worth 10,000 CS each, gemstones
worth 26,000 CS, 33,000 CS, +3 plate, +2 chainmail, +2 half
plate, +2 breastplate, +2 studded leather, +3 leather, +2 shield,
+3 dagger, +3 handaxe, +3 spear, +3 shortbow, +3 battleaxe, +3
greatsword, +3 longsword, +3 pike, +3 rapier, +3 shortsword,
and a staff of thunder and lightning.
If the characters have a compass, the compass doesn’t
point north, instead, it points to the closest cursed
items buried in the sand. There are three such items
located in different places, at least 10 miles apart from
each other: an armor of vulnerability, a berserker axe,
and a shield of missile attraction. The tip of these items
VOLJKWO\SURWUXGHVIURPWKHVDQGUHÁHFWLQJOLJKW7KH
FKDUDFWHUVFDQVHHWKHUHÁHFWLRQRIVXQOLJKWGXULQJWKH
day with a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check.
There are 5 skeletons, 3 minotaur skeletons, and 2
ogre zombies waiting around each of these items.
The characters notice the crystalized sand shards
sticking out of the ground with a successful DC 23
Wisdom (Perception) check and realize that they are
formed by lightning strikes with a successful DC 17
Intelligence (Nature) check. If the characters track the
shards with a successful DC 16 Wisdom (Survival) check,
WKH\ÀQGDbehir. The behir doesn’t use its Swallow
IHDWXUHDQGWKHFKDUDFWHUVPLJKWÀQGLWZHLUGZLWK
a successful DC 24 Intelligence (Nature) check. If the
FKDUDFWHUVFUDZOLQWRLWVPRXWKDIWHUNLOOLQJLWWKH\ÀQG
a swirling blood portal in its stomach which leads to the
Prime Laboratory. If they pass through the portal, move
on to the Prime Laboratory section.
The Grassland
The grassland has borders with the desert, jungle,
and tundra and from each of them, the transition
KDSSHQVDEUXSWO\)RUH[DPSOHÀQHVDQGFRYHUVWKH
desert border, but one inch into the grassland border,
and there is thick grass and not a single grain of sand.
This biome seems more friendly compared to others,
although it has its own hardships. Just like the desert,
WKHUHDUHDOVRZRRGHQVLJQVZLWK´*UDVVODQG)DFLOLW\µ
written on them, pointing deep into the grassland.
There are lots of insects that bite bigger creatures,
including the characters. These insects might be
carrying a disease called ooze clot. A successful DC 15
Intelligence (Nature) or DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check
UHYHDOVWKDWVWDQGLQJQHDUDFDPSÀUHDQGEXUQLQJGU\
shrubs every half an hour and thus creating smoke
keeps the insects away. If a creature fails to do this, it
is bitten by the insects and must succeed on a DC 18
Constitution saving throw or become infected with ooze
clot. An infected creature becomes poisoned until the
disease is cured.
There are chimeras, lamias, owlbears, and moss-
covered stone golems wandering in the grassland. The
demiplane rangers (p. 277) also patrol the area, mostly
traveling alone.
There is a large comfortable cotton bed with large,
overstuffed feather pillows and enormous comforters.
Up to 10 Medium creatures can sleep on it together. The
characters notice this bed hidden between tall grass
with a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Perception) check. The
bed is perfectly clean, which is odd considering there
is nothing protecting it from outside conditions. If a
character sleeps on this bed, 2 night hags approach the
sleeping character in their ethereal form and use the
Nightmare Haunting feature on the character.
The grassland is moist and covered entirely in tall
grass. There are small creeks and streams of freshwater
feeding the soil. The weather gets slightly cold at night
but it is mostly temperate. The creeks are bountiful
ZLWKÀVKEXWDUHPRVWO\VXUURXQGHGE\DQLPDOVVXFK
as crocodiles, deer, lions, and rhinoceros. There are
also bushes around the water sources, and each of these
bushes hosts a swarm of insects.
If the characters follow the creaks upstream, they
ÀQGWKHVRXUFHRIDOORIWKHZDWHULQWKHJUDVVODQGD
60-foot wide magical pond. There are 3 hovering spirits
circling the pond. The spirits scream and screech,
creating sonic waves in a 90-foot radius centered at the
middle of the pond. A creature that enters the area for
WKHÀUVWWLPHRUHQGVLWVWXUQZLWKLQWDNHV G 
thunder damage. A deafened creature doesn’t take
the thunder damage and can hear what the spirits are
actually saying. The silence spell prevents the damage
and what the spirits are trying to say can be understood
within the area of the silence spell. They are saying, “I
wanted wealth, so I stole. I wanted peace, so I killed. I wanted
power, so I served. Which of us is right, which of us is wrong,
only an answer would free our bond.” After the characters
agree on an answer, they can tell it to the spirits; as the
GM, let them debate on the subject and don’t let the
spirits accept an answer if the characters’ reasoning
is bad. If the characters agree the spirit that sought
wealth is right, 12,835 CS, 1d6+1 potion of resistance,
1d6+1 potion of greater healing, 1d4 potion of superior
healing, and 1 potion of supreme healing emerge from the
SRQGDQGÁRDWRQLWVVXUIDFH,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDJUHH
the spirit that sought peace is right, 182 daggers, 1d4+1
potions of growth, 1d4+1 restorative ointment, 1d4 potions of
heroism, and 1 potion of storm giant strength emerge from
WKHSRQGDQGÁRDWRQLWVVXUIDFH,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDJUHH
the spirit that sought power is right, a 600-foot-long
chain, 1d4+4 beads of force, 1d6 elemental gems, 1 wand of
binding, and 1 pearl of power emerge from the pond and
ÁRDWRQLWVVXUIDFH2QO\RQHRIWKHPFDQEHULJKWWKH
spirits don’t accept an answer otherwise. After the pond
gives rewards, the spirits disappear.
If the characters follow the wooden signs, they come
WRDSHUIHFWO\ÁDWRSHQLQJZLWKQRWKLQJEXWJUDVV7KH
last sign points at a patch of grass greener than the rest.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVGLJIHHWXQGHULWWKH\ÀQGDVPRRWK
stone ground and a metal hatch on it. The hatch opens
to a vertical tunnel with a 60-foot ladder going down,
and at the end of the tunnel there is the Grassland
)DFLOLW\,WLVRQHODUJHVWRQHKDOOIHHWZLGHIHHW
long, and 30 feet tall, with cryogenic chambers full of
dissected beast and monstrosity bodies. The facility
is illuminated by bright angst lamps embedded in the
ceiling but most of them are damaged, leaving the room
in dim light. There are lots of dead researchers within
the compound, brutally chewed and clawed. The entire
facility is smeared with blood and covered in organs
and limbs. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check
or DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals that
a single monster is responsible for this massacre, as
the bite and claw marks are identical. A successful DC
19 Intelligence (Investigation) check or DC 23 Wisdom
(Perception) check reveals that the creature ripped
ÁHVKEXWGLGQ·WHDWDQ\$VXFFHVVIXO'&,QWHOOLJHQFH
(Investigation) check or DC 15 Wisdom (Perception)
check reveals the bloody tracks of the creature walking
on the walls. If the characters look at the ceiling, they
see the ÁHVKFHQWLSHGH hanging from the ceiling
watching them. After they see the centipede, it attacks;
if they don’t see it, it continues to wait on the ceiling.
At the center of the hall, there is a large angst crystal
and 2 demiplane rangers (p. 277) lying dead near it.
The crystal has AC 25, 40 hit points, and immunity to
SLHUFLQJSRLVRQDQGSV\FKLFGDPDJH,WLVWKH)OHVK
Crystal; note if the characters destroy this crystal, as it
DIIHFWVWKHÀQDOFRPEDW
The ÁHVKFHQWLSHGH looks like a hundred bodies
bound together with magic-like welded metals. It has
a mouth and a body that are suitable for swallowing
Medium creatures easily, but it doesn’t use its Swallow
feature. If the characters crawl into its mouth after
NLOOLQJLWWKH\ÀQGDVZLUOLQJEORRGSRUWDOLQLWV
stomach which leads to the Prime Laboratory. If they
pass through the portal, move on to the Prime Laboratory
section.
241
 Flesh Centipede this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the
centipede can’t bite another target.
Huge monstrosity, unaligned
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 17 (4d4 + 7) slashing damage.
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Swallow. The centipede makes one bite attack against
Hit Points 225 (18d12 + 108) a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. attack hits, that creature takes the bite’s damage and
is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed,
the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA against attacks and other effects outside the centipede,
and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of
25(+7) 16(+3) 22(+6) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 1 (-5) the centipede’s turns.
If the centipede takes 40 damage or more on a single
Saving Throws Strength +12, Constitution +11 turn from a creature inside it, the centipede must
Damage Immunities psychic succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the
end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures,
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 8
which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the
Languages - centipede. If the centipede dies, a swallowed creature
Challenge  ;3 is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the
corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Spider Climb.7KHÁHVKFHQWLSHGHFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOW
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without BONUS ACTIONS
needing to make an ability check. Disturbing Mimicry. The centipede speaks sentences,
HDFKQRPRUHWKDQZRUGV)RUWKHFHQWLSHGHWKHVH
ACTIONS sentences are just sounds made by their victims during
WKHLUÀQDOPRPHQWVOLNH“Please don’t eat me!” The
Multiattack. 7KHÁHVKFHQWLSHGHPDNHVRQHELWHDWWDFN
centipede mimics these sounds in a distorted voice,
and one claw attack.
terrifying the listeners. Each creature that can hear
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one the centipede within 15 feet of it must succeed on a DC
target. Hit: 40 (6d10 + 7) piercing damage. If the target 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the
is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until centipede until the end of its next turn.

242
The Tundra
The tundra shares borders with the grassland, taiga,
and jungle. The transition between the biomes happens
abruptly, just like between the grassland and other
biomes. There are wooden signs pointing deep into the
WXQGUDZLWK´7XQGUD)DFLOLW\µZULWWHQRQWKHP
,WLVQHDUO\LPSRVVLEOHWRÀQGSURSHUIRRGE\IRUDJLQJ
and hard to encounter animals to hunt. A character can
forage enough berries to feed a person for a day with a
successful DC 27 Wisdom (Survival) check and spending
1 hour. A character can hunt and gather enough meat
to feed six people for a week with a successful DC 24
Wisdom (Survival) check. If the characters cook meat,
the smell attracts 1d4 animals or other monsters
that consume meat. These smells can be covered
with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check, or
DFKDUDFWHUSURÀFLHQWZLWKEUHZHU·VVXSSOLHVFRRN·V
utensils or herbalism kit automatically knows which
herbs can cover it.
There are deers, goats, mammoths, polar bears,
saber-toothed tigers, and winter wolves living in
the tundra, mostly traveling in packs. There are also
griffons, invisible stalkers, skeletons, and onis
wandering in the tundra, also wraiths during the night.
The demiplane rangers (p. 277) also patrol the area,
mostly traveling alone.
This treeless land hosts thousands of small hills
covered in a thin layer of snow and frigid soil between
WKHKLOOVFRYHUHGLQZLOGÁRZHUV,WLVFROGDQGZLQG\
making it hard for creatures and plants to inhabit
the area. The temperature changes between -40 to 60
)DKUHQKHLWDQGWKHUHLVDFRQWLQXRXVPRGHUDWHZLQGDW
all times.
There are bands of horses wandering the warmer
parts of the tundra. There are between 30 to 50
untamed riding horses in a band. A character can
approach the band without scaring them with a
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. The
horses immediately run away if they feel threatened.
After approaching the band, the character can mount a
horse without scaring the horse with a successful DC 20
Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. After mounting the
horse, the character must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity
saving throw or fall from the horse and be knocked
prone. If the character succeeds its saving throw and
hangs on to the horse, the horse is tamed and the
character can ride it.
If the characters approach the wandering skeletons,
the skeletons don’t attack the characters and try
to escape from them. If the characters follow the
VNHOHWRQVWKH\ÀQGDlich surrounded by 20 skeletons.
7KHOLFKLVVLWWLQJRQDWKURQHPDGHRIERQHVÀ[HG
together by ice and wearing a talisman of ultimate evil.
The lich is also wearing a worn dark robe, a rusty
metal crown, and a couple of rusty metal rings. If they
DSSURDFKWKHOLFKLWUHFRJQL]HVWKH)RXQGHUUHVWLQJ
within the characters and welcomes the characters
with respect. The lich remembers neither the life before
this demiplane nor any name other than “the Lich”,
EXWVRPHKRZUHPHPEHUVWKH)RXQGHUDQGNQRZVKRZ
powerful he is. The lich attacks the characters if no
other choice is left. The lich can’t leave the area 1 mile
within its throne but offers to give two of the following
items of the characters’ choice: manual of bodily health,
manual of gainful exercise, manual of quickness of action,
tome of clear thought, WRPHRIOHDGHUVKLSDQGLQÁXHQFH, and
tome of understanding. The lich takes them out of a bag
of holding. Instead of choosing from the manuals and
tomes, the characters can choose to take the talisman of
ultimate evil, which the lich is wearing.
There are small spiked traps made of bronze with
angst crystals embedded inside. These traps are at
random places throughout the tundra. The DC is 20 to
spot the traps. The trap activates when a creature steps
on it, causing the angst crystal to come in contact with
blood and explode. When it explodes, each creature
within 10 feet of the trap must make a DC 18 Dexterity
VDYLQJWKURZWDNLQJ G ÀUHGDPDJHSOXV
(4d8) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much
GDPDJHRQDVXFFHVVIXORQH$FUHDWXUHSURÀFLHQW
with tinker’s tools can deactivate the trap and take
the angst crystal worth 30,000 CS with a successful
DC 22 Intelligence check; a failed attempt activates
the trap. A spell or other effect that can sense the
presence of magic, such as detect magic, reveals an
aura of conjuration magic around the trap, reaching
toward a direction; all auras reach toward the same
GLUHFWLRQ,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVIROORZWKHDXUDWKH\ÀQGD
6-foot tall bronze mechanism with pieces of angst glass
inside and an iron clockwork mechanism protruding
from the ground. The mechanism has angst spikes on
it with small tubes in them. A spell or other effect that
can sense the presence of magic, such as detect magic,
reveals a strong aura of conjuration magic around the
mechanism. A character can impale themselves with the
spikes, taking 3 (1d6) piercing damage. If the character
does so, the mechanism drains 1 hit point worth of
blood from the character at the start of each of their
turns, reducing the character’s hit point maximum
by 1. If the mechanism drains a total of 20 hit points
worth of blood, its mechanical parts start to move and
the mechanism changes shape, transforming into a
mechanical gateway with a swirling orange portal in
the middle. The portal is big enough for the characters
to reach into with a single arm. There is a small metal
box inside the portal with a red button on it. After
retrieving the box, the portal closes and the mechanism
243
 crumbles into metal and angst dust. Pressing the button
does nothing. This box is usable after defeating the
Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology, helping the characters
in their escape, see the Red Button under the The End
title.
If the characters follow the wooden signs, they
come to a hill, near a set of boulders. There is a thin
layer of snow on the stones and one of the boulders is
cracked where cold fresh water seeps out. If a character
approaches the water close enough to drink from it or
succeeds on a DC 19 Wisdom (Perception) check, the
FKDUDFWHUQRWLFHVDUHÁHFWLRQRIDPHWDOGRRURQWKH
water but there are no doors nearby. If a character
SUHWHQGVWRRSHQDGRRUZKHUHWKHUHÁHFWLRQVXJJHVWV
the door is, a metal door appears out of thin air where
WKHUHÁHFWLRQVXJJHVWV7KHGRRURSHQVXSWRWKH
7XQGUD)DFLOLW\,WLVRQHODUJHSHUIHFWO\FOHDQVWRQH
hall with nothing in it except for the cracks in the walls.
7KHUHDUHVPDOODQJVWFU\VWDOVRQWKHÁRRUZRUWK
CS in total. There is no light within the room and it is
entirely in darkness. If they come near the angst crystal
at the center, the characters realize the transparent
gelatinous cubes standing around the room with a
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check; after that,
they hear oozing sounds coming from the walls then,
2 black puddings, 8 gray oozes, and 4 ochre jellies
emerge from the cracks, surrounding the characters.
There are also 5 gelatinous cubes within the room and
they start to move towards the characters. At the center
of the hall, there is a large angst crystal. The crystal has
AC 25, 40 hit points, and immunity to piercing, poison,
and psychic damage. It is the Ooze Crystal; note if the
FKDUDFWHUVGHVWUR\WKLVFU\VWDODVLWDIIHFWVWKHÀQDO
combat.
There is a wooden sign in the middle of the tundra
with “Please Do Not Startle The Ground” written on it.
If the characters intentionally disturb the ground, such
as by digging into it, hitting it, or jumping on it, nothing
happens for 6 hours. After 6 hours, if the characters
are still in the tundra, a purple worm attacks the
characters, jumping out of the ground and catching
them by surprise. The purple worm doesn’t use its
Swallow feature. If the characters crawl into its mouth
DIWHUNLOOLQJLWWKH\ÀQGDVZLUOLQJEORRGSRUWDOLQLWV
stomach, which leads to the Prime Laboratory. If they
pass through the portal, move on to the Prime Laboratory
section.
The Taiga
The taiga shares borders with the tundra, sea, and
jungle. The transition between the biomes happens
abruptly, just like between the grassland and other
244
biomes. There are wooden signs pointing deep into the
WDLJDZLWK´7DLJD)DFLOLW\µZULWWHQRQWKHP
There are evergreen trees surrounding the small,
barren mountains. The entire scenery is blanketed in
snow and in a soft silence. It is cold and calm, usually
snowing. The temperature changes between -70 and 30
)DKUHQKHLWEXWWKHUHLVQRZLQGZKLFKPDNHVWKHFROG
more bearable. There are black bears, deer, elk, and
winter wolves living in the tundra.
Apart from the animals, there are orcs traveling
around the tundra, usually in groups of 6 to 14. They are
aggressive toward all living creatures. These orcs have
QRÁHVKDQGERQHVLQIURQWRIWKHLUKHDUWVZKLFKOHDYHV
their chest open and their heart visible. This doesn’t
seem to bother them. When a weapon attack is made
against such an orc and the d20 roll is 20, the attack
hits the open heart and the orc dies. If the characters
follow the tracks orcs have left on the snow with a
VXFFHVVIXO'&:LVGRP 6XUYLYDO FKHFNWKH\ÀQG
2d6 + 6 orcs dancing, chanting, and hitting themselves
while circling an opening in the snow. The orcs are
cutting themselves to bleed into a grail and pouring the
mixed blood into the opening. The characters need to
get close to see what is inside the opening, which is a
6-foot-deep snow pit. There is a 1-foot-diameter angst
disk carved with spell runes lying at the bottom of the
pit, framed with bronze. There are also several bronze
pipes going through the pit as an infrastructure; blood
ÁRZVWKURXJKWKHSLSHVDQGWKH\VWUHWFKDOODFURVVWKH
taiga. The angst disk seems damaged but it conjures
an orc with its chest open when 14 hit points worth of
blood is poured on it. This place is sacred for the orcs,
and they become extremely aggressive if the characters
approach here.
In the snow-covered forest, there is a large hot spring
with small geysers around. The hot waters of the spring
are clean and steaming. The geysers are surrounded
by ice and snow. There is an adult black dragon living
near the spring and there are thousands of shimmering
gemstones within the water, worth a total of 280,000
CS. Near the main pool of water, there are smaller pools
ÀOOHGZLWKVSULQJZDWHUEORRGDQGDQLPDOFRUSVHV
The gemstones are the treasure of the dragon, which
becomes aggressive if the characters touch them.
In the mountain skirts, there are simple stone caves
with entrances covered in snow. One of the caves is
larger than the others and covered entirely in ice which
PDNHVLWGLIÀFXOWWHUUDLQ,WVHQWUDQFHLVIHHWZLGH
and 30 feet tall, a 100-foot-long corridor of ice as wide
and tall as the entrance opens up to an area 150 feet
wide, 150 feet long, and 120 feet tall. There are icicles
hanging 10 feet down from the ceiling. There is an adult
white dragon living in the cave. There are ice-covered
orcs, frozen in place holding gemstones. The gemstones
are worth a total of 210,000 CS. DIWHUNLOOLQJLWWKH\ÀQGDVZLUOLQJEORRGSRUWDOLQLWV
Between the springs and the mountains, wandering stomach, which leads to the Prime Laboratory. If they
around the taiga there is an adult green dragon. The pass through the portal, move on to the Prime Laboratory
dragon has no lair and it is angry about it, occasionally section.
attacking the ice cave and the hot spring, trying to take
over other dragons’ lairs.
If the characters follow the wooden signs, the signs
lead them to the top of the tallest mountain in the taiga.
The Prime Laboratory
Between the ice, there are narrow streams of water
ÁRZLQJDWWKHKLJKHUSDUWVRIWKHPRXQWDLQ$VWKH
characters approach the peak, the smell of sulfur and
blood starts to overwhelm them. At the peak, there is a
IRRWGHHSSLWZLWKDIRRWGLDPHWHUÀOOHGHQWLUHO\
with blood. There are animal, humanoid, and dragon
corpses in the pool of blood; the dead dragons are black, After the characters arrive at the Prime Laboratory
blue, green, and white. Submerged in blood, there through one of the blood portals, start playing “Arising
are collapsed stone walls, damaged metal cryogenic Angst” on the “Bloodpunk OST”, and read or paraphrase
FKDPEHUVDQGEUDVVSLSHVWKH7DLJD)DFLOLW\ZDVRQFH the text below to your players:
here. In the middle of the pool of blood, there is an
adult red dragon, sleeping while cuddling a large
angst crystal. The crystal is half submerged in blood,
boiling the blood around itself. If the characters enter The blood red retreats from your eyes and
the blood pool or cause harm to the dragon, the dragon you step onto a metal surface. There is a large
ZDNHVXS7KHGUDJRQGRHVQ·WDWWDFNDWÀUVWEXWZDLWV door made of varnished wood and frosted
for the characters to take an action. The dragon never glass, decorated with bronze tubes and plates
accepts giving away the crystal but it offers to break it as well as engravings burned into the wood.
if the characters kill all other dragons nesting within There is a chill in the air.
the taiga. If the characters kill the dragons and return
A cacophony of caws echoes around and a
to the red dragon, the red dragon smashes the crystal
flock of ravens pass by, holding embers with
between its claws and orders the characters to leave.
their talons. They drop the embers and where
The crystal has AC 25, 40 hit points, and immunity to
they hit the brass ground, a stone hearth
piercing, poison, and psychic damage. It is the Dragon
forms. Bricks and crimson-yellow art-deco
Crystal; note if the characters destroy this crystal, as it
wallpapers appear from out of sight and
DIIHFWVWKHÀQDOFRPEDW
lay themselves to become the walls around
There is a constant mist traveling within the taiga. you. Bright turquoise couches with sinuous
The areas within the mist are lightly obscured. If the outlines emerge from the brass ground,
characters travel into the mist and go to its center, peeling the brass to make its legs and frames.
WKH\ÀQGDremorhaz. The remorhaz doesn’t use its
The embers are rekindled with flames from
Swallow feature. If the characters crawl into its mouth
the hearth and the kind warmth fills the newly
DIWHUNLOOLQJLWWKH\ÀQGDVZLUOLQJEORRGSRUWDOLQLWV
formed room. The stress of the portal travel,
stomach, which leads to the Prime Laboratory. If they
the warmth after the cold, the unfathomable
pass through the portal, move on to the Prime Laboratory
magic coursing through and around, and the
section.
silence you are left with tires you out. You feel
like weeks have passed and fall to sleep on the
The Sea couches.

The sea borders the desert, taiga, and jungle. It gets

deep very fast and there is nothing in the sea except
for the kraken. If the characters swim deeper than 100
feet, the kraken attacks. The kraken doesn’t swallow
creatures even if it grapples them, which the characters
PLJKWÀQGZHLUGZLWKDVXFFHVVIXO'&,QWHOOLJHQFH
(Nature) check. If the characters crawl into its mouth
7KHFKDUDFWHUVÀQLVKDORQJUHVWEXWWKLVWLPHWKH\
do not take damage from the blood degeneration, even
WKRXJKLWVWLOOLQFUHDVHVE\7KH\KHDUWKH)RXQGHU·V
voice whispering in their heads, “You may love me or you
may hate me. You may approve of my methods or you may

245
 abolish them. Whatever your ideas are, whichever god you Spearmaster. They strongly believe that they are on the
believe in, whoever you are, you do not deserve to be toys in good side and the characters are villains. They see the
the hands of these sorcerers. This is your only chance. Finish Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology as their deity who gave
this once and for all.” them life and purpose.
Level Up. The characters level up (to the 11th level) The Assassin is hiding within the automaton in the
DQGWKH)RXQGHUVKDUHVKLVEORRG·VPDJLFDOSRWHQWLDO middle, waiting for a chance to attack. The characters
with the characters. Each character can now attune to realize that there is someone hiding in the automaton
one more magic item than they could normally attune with a successful DC 30 Wisdom (Perception) check. The
to. Warden is also hiding, he painted himself with metallic
EURQ]HSDLQWDQGFDPRXÁDJHGKLPVHOIDVDSDUWRIWKH
VPRRWKEURQ]HÁRRU7KHFKDUDFWHUVUHDOL]HWKHKLGLQJ
Once and For All Warden with a successful DC 35 Wisdom (Perception)
check.
If the characters try to open the door, the door The characters are in a cylindrical room. Its diameter
opens with a clangor. It is heavier than it seems and is 120 feet and its height is 60 feet. On the opposite side
requires bloodwork mechanisms to move. The door is of the room, there is a door similar to the one they came
invulnerable to damage. After the door opens, read or in through. After they enter, the door that they came
paraphrase the text below to your players: through closes. There is an inactive organic automaton
in the middle of the room with 0 hit points. When a
member of the Unfettered Mongoose dies, their blood
ÁRZVWRWKHPLGGOHRIWKHURRPEHFDXVHRIWKHVOLJKWWLOW
RIWKHÁRRU,IWKH\GLHDEORRGOHVVGHDWKWKLVGRHVQ·W
Before you stands a large, cylindrical
KDSSHQ)RUHDFKPHPEHU·VEORRGWKDWKDVÁRZHGLQWR
room made of brass and bronze. There are
the hole at the center, the organic automaton regains a
bloodwork mechanisms, pistons, chains,
and weights moving in all directions within
organıc automaton
the transparent crystal walls. Despite this,
the gears are so dense and crowded that the
outside of the wall is completely obscured.
Blood lubricates these mechanisms, flowing
around the angst coatings, fueling it.
At the center of the room, a gigantic
bloodwork automaton made of bronze,
adamantine, angst, iron, flesh, and bone
protrudes from the ground. The abominable
construct of a mixture of flesh and metal has
only its upper body, which protrudes from the
hole in the ground and is connected to it by a
series of pipes, tubes, gears, veins, and organs.
On the smooth solid bronze floor, two
women stand. A middle-aged half elf wearing
silk clothes proudly stands in front and a
young dwarf equipped with brass armor,
spear, and shield stands near her protectively.
The half elf speaks with a valorous voice, “We
are the Unfettered Mongoose, the saviors of the realm,
the unmatched adventuring party! You have caused many
troubles but it ends here. Your evil schemes can go on no
further.”

The members of the Adventuring Party (p. 234),

the Sorceress, the Assassin, the Spearmaster, and the
Warden are in the room. The woman who spoke was
the Sorceress and the one standing near her is the

246
number of hit points equal to a quarter of its hit point
maximum. If the organic automaton has more than 0
hit points after the combat between the characters and
the Unfettered Mongoose ends, the organic automaton
becomes activated and attacks the characters. If a
member was poisoned by the blood corruptor (p. 154)
when they died a bloody death, their poisoned blood
damages the inactive automaton upon reaching the
hole at the center, and the organic automaton never
becomes active regardless of its hit points.
Organic Automaton
Huge construct, unaligned
Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 98 (8d12 + 40)
Speed 0 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
29(+9) 10(+0) 20(+5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5) 1 (-5)
Saving Throws Strength +13, Constitution +9
Skills Perception +3
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic;
bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from
nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
H[KDXVWLRQIULJKWHQHGSDUDO\]HGSHWULÀHG
unconscious
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages -
Challenge  ;3
Decelerator. The automaton has a bonus to AC against
creatures that are at a distance. The automaton has a +1
bonus to AC against a creature for every 5 feet between
the creature and the automaton, up to 30.
Immutable Form. The automaton is immune to any spell
or effect that would alter its form.
Magic Resistance. The automaton has advantage on
saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The automaton’s weapon attacks are
magical.
$IWHUDOOFRQÁLFWVZLWKLQWKHURRPDUHUHVROYHGWKH
mechanisms within the walls stop moving with a hiss.
There is a minute of silence. During that one minute,
WKH)RXQGHURIIHUVDFKDQFHWRUHSOHQLVKWKHFKDUDFWHUV
“Let me share a portion of my powers with you. You are going
to need it.” If they accept, the characters gain 2 blood
GHJHQHUDWLRQDQGJDLQWKHEHQHÀWVRIÀQLVKLQJDORQJ
rest. The offer stands until they go through the door.
After a minute, the door leading to the Prime
Sorcerer of Sanguinology suddenly opens. Read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The automaton makes two slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 20 (2d10 + 9) bludgeoning damage.
Arrow Volley. Ranged Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, range
IWIRXUWDUJHWVHit: 16 (2d6 + 9) piercing
damage.
Disintegration Ray (Recharge 5-6). A ray of green light
forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts
out from the automaton’s angst core in a direction it
chooses. Each creature within the line must make a DC
20 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 35 (10d6)
force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage
on a successful one. The ray automatically disintegrates
a Large or smaller nonmagical object or a creation of
magical force. If the target is a Huge or larger object or
creation of force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot-cube
portion of it. A magic item is unaffected by this ray.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The automaton can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
from the options below. Only one legendary action
option can be used at a time and only at the end of
another creature’s turn. The automaton regains spent
legendary actions at the start of her turn.
Detect. The automaton makes a Wisdom (Perception)
check with advantage.
Boiling Blood. The automaton releases boiling blood
to an area within 10 feet of it. A creature within the
area must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw
RUWDNH G ÀUHGDPDJHSOXV G EORRGGDPDJH
The blood vaporizes and disappears right after being
released and dealing damage.
Vacuum (Costs 3 Actions). Each creature within
60 feet of the automaton must succeed on a DC 20
Strength saving throw or be pulled 15 feet towards the
automaton.
247
 The door opens up to a mountain with an
extreme slope. There is an ocean at the base
of the mountain, and it reaches out toward
the horizon. There are walls of purple light
deep beneath the ocean, reaching the surface
shaped in cracks, as if the ocean is made of
ceramic and someone has dropped it.
There are three gigantic pits within
the ocean, each surrounded by gigantic
boulders. The saltwater pours into these
pits, disappearing from sight, and forming
waterfalls.
It is morning, and the smell of the sea
carried up by gentle winds mixed with the
distant sounds of the waves crashing to the
beach, resuscitates your senses and morale.
A successful DC 21 Intelligence (Arcana) check reveals
that the purple lights coming from the seabed are
leylines.
The door stays open as long as the characters wait
within the room. They can spend as much time as they
want here and nothing happens to them. After they go
through the door, read or paraphrase the text below to
your players:
As you step outside the door, you realize that
you are almost at the peak of the mountain,
and there is a stone path leading you to it. You
can see the corners of a platform at the peak,
made of large stone slabs, held in place by
wide stone columns.
There are only grass and small bushes on
the rocky mountain, and seagulls circling its
pebble beaches.
There is nothing considerable on the mountain or
around it, except the stone platform. The door stands at
3,000 feet above and the platform stands 300 feet above
the door. The stone path leads to the platform.
After the characters go up to the platform, read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
248
An unpleasant odor greets you, the smell
of blood mixed with other bodily fluids.
Throughout your journey, you have grown
accustomed to such smells if you hadn’t
already. In such a short time, you have
encountered so many varieties of this smell.
The sounds follow next. The waves, birds,
and the gentle wind become muffled by splish-
splashes and snores—many overlapping snores.
They are accompanied by growls, whistles,
and purrs. As much as this diversity of sound
makes it hard to discern the sources, it hints at
numerous creatures in a variety of sizes.
Eventually, your eyes sate the curiosity
and recognize the final destination of your
journey, where you behold the Prime Sorcerer
of Sanguinology, the Many-Eyed Beast, the
Sanguinologist. As the thousands of beasts
and monsters sitting on the bloody platform
open their eyes and focus their gaze upon
you, they move and prepare themselves at the
same time, as if they share a soul and a mind.
The Founder immediately realizes the potent
blood possessing all of these creatures at the
same time, and so do you; a menagerie of pets
molded into a single person.
You can use the Prime Sorcerer’s Lair battle map to
show your players the layout of the stone platform.
The rectangular platform is 60 feet on both sides.
The stone platform is smeared in blood, sweat, fur, and
excrement. On the platform, there are beasts, dragons,
giants, humanoids, and monstrosities of all kinds. These
creatures have no souls, minds, or free will. They are
all possessed by the Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology.
You can add any creature to the platform as long as
the creature has a challenge rating of 5 or lower. The
following are some examples of the creatures that are
on the platform: bulette, gold dragon wyrmling, red
dragon wyrmling, triceratops, hill giant, gorgon,
werebear, troll, giant crocodile, and gladiator. These
creatures’ Intelligence scores are 22, Wisdom scores are
24, and Charisma scores are 27.
249

Donate Blood
During this final combat, the characters can use
this new feature to heal their allies by gaining
further blood degeneration. The characters gain
the following options:
• As an action, a character touches a creature
and a stream of blood surges to the target
from the character. The target regains 8d8
+ 20 hit points and the character gains 1
blood degeneration.
• As a bonus action, a character touches a
creature and a small amount of blood is
transferred to the target from the character.
The target regains 8d4 + 10 hit points and
the character gains 1 blood degeneration.
• When a character causes a creature to regain
hit points, the character can choose to
increase the healing, causing the target to
regain additional 6d6 + 6 hit points. If the
character chooses to do so, the character
gains 1 blood degeneration. Even if the
effect enables the character to heal more
than one creature, the character can use
this feature on only one creature at a time.
First Phase
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RQWKHSODWIRUPDWWDFNWKHFKDUDFWHUV7KH)RXQGHU
whispers, “I shall banish the intruder’s blood from the
ÁHVKLWSRVVHVVHV(QGXUHµ At the start of the combat, 3
creatures join the initiative order. At the start of each
of the following rounds, one additional creature joins
the initiative order. These creatures’ CR are 3, 4, or 5.
You can use creatures with lower CR; in that case, two
creatures with lower CR join the combat in the place of
RIKLJKHU&5$IWHUWKHHQGRIWKHWKURXQGWKHÀUVW
phase ends; read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
Although the platform that you are standing
on is finite, the creatures clawing and gnawing
your flesh seems endless. Regardless of your
proficiency and efficiency, the victory you are
so desperate to achieve escapes your grasp with
every creature you reap.
250
Suddenly, a deafening scream escapes
your throat, without your consent. The feral
screech shakes the monsters and forces them
onto their knees. They start vomiting blood
uncontrollably. From the blood, a humanoid
figure emerges. It’s made of blood and its
physical features are vague: its muscles are
not in places where they should be in any
humanoid anatomy, its facial features are
distorted, and pinpointing its race or gender
is impossible. The abomination takes shape
as it decides what to become, and molds itself
into a genderless human and as the blood
retreats from its body, a simple brown robe
materializes on it.
The human turns to you and locks their
purple eyes on you. They raise their hand and
pull out the Founder from a distance in the
form of a blob of blood so gently that you feel
nothing but only a mild warmth escaping your
body. The whispers of the Founder go silent,
but you are still connected and his power still
reaches you.
The Founder’s naked body emerges from
the stone ground before the purple-eyed
human, who is infused by your blood. The
Founder opens his eyes but stays motionless
on the ground.
The human opens their mouth and vibrates
their throat unnaturally. They talk without
moving their lips or tongue, with a mouth
wide open, “The elders shall redress the situation. You
lack the perspective to appreciate the ideas we utter. Kindly,
fuck off or die.”
Your first conclusion is that you are
standing before a Prime Sorcerer.
Second Phase
The creatures meld into a single body made of blood
and from it, a blood dragon (p. 270) appears. The Prime
Sorcerer creates a magic barrier around themselves and
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)RXQGHU7KHGUDJRQSURWHFWVWKDWEDUULHUDQGLWGRHVQ·W
attack unless the characters take hostile actions or
tamper with the barrier.
If the characters wait for 5 minutes, move on to the
Give Up ending under The End. To achieve this ending,
the players must wait 5 minutes in real life. As the GM,
say and do nothing while they continue to wait.
If the characters freed the blood angel Thanetiel in
the second blood vision, the blood dragon explodes,
scattering blood all over, and Thanetiel steps outside
from its ruptured body. Read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
A hand emerges from the dragon’s body and
reaches for its head. It grabs the dragon’s head
and pulls it backward, sinking itself into the
dragon’s body. The dragon struggles in terror
while its own head is buried within its body.
Suddenly, the struggle stops, and the dragon
bursts into countless droplets of blood. From
this ruptured body, Thanetiel steps out. The
blood angel greets the characters with a nod
and flies off, disappearing from sight.
The blood dragon dies and the characters enter the
ÀQDOSKDVHRIWKHHQFRXQWHU
If the characters tamper with the barrier or take
hostile actions, the blood dragon attacks the characters.
$IWHULWLVGHIHDWHGWKHFKDUDFWHUVHQWHUWKHÀQDOSKDVH
of the encounter.
Final Phase
)URPWKH3ULPH6RUFHUHU·VERG\WKHLUGXSOLFDWH
emerges and walks away from the original, stepping
outside the magic barrier. At the same time, four angst
crystals appear out of nowhere: a single crystal in each
corner of the platform. The crystals are invulnerable
and their powers are as follows:
The Undead Crystal. While this crystal is active, the
Sanguinologist’s duplicate has immunity to necrotic
damage and doesn’t need to breathe. If the characters
have destroyed this crystal in the desert, the crystal
doesn’t appear.
The Flesh Crystal. While this crystal is active, the
Sanguinologist’s duplicate regains 10 hit points at the
end of each of its turns if the duplicate has more than 0
hit points. If the characters have destroyed this crystal
in the grassland, the crystal doesn’t appear.
The Ooze Crystal. While this crystal is active, the
Sanguinologist’s duplicate has blindsight up to 60 feet
and any critical hit against the duplicate becomes a
normal hit. If the characters have destroyed this crystal
in the tundra, the crystal doesn’t appear.
The Dragon Crystal. While this crystal is active, the
Sanguinologist’s duplicate can cast any spell from all
spell lists instead of just the sorcerer spell list. If the
characters have destroyed this crystal in the taiga, the
crystal doesn’t appear.
As the duplicate of the Prime Sorcerer readies itself
to protect the barrier and the crystals start to glow with
magical power, read or paraphrase the text below to
your players:
The Prime Sorcerer’s duplicate emerges from
their body and steps outside the barrier; it
appears that peace is not an option. As the
duplicate approaches you, the Prime Sorcerer
raises their hands.
Suddenly, the weather begins to change:
storm clouds appear out of nowhere and a
chilling cold descends upon you. All you
can hear is thunder, preceded by lightning.
Meanwhile, the sea calms down and the waves
slowly disappear. The purple lights of the sea
start to shift and they form interconnected
circles and runes on the surface of the sea
surrounding you. The impossible and godly-
complex arcane geometry shines brightly on
the salt water, hinting at an impossible spell. A
transparent beam of pure energy, so dense that
it could be seen from the ripples it creates in
the air, pierces the Founder’s motionless body,
channeling the spell into him.
The Sanguinologist’s duplicate attacks the
characters.
Sanguinologist's Duplicate
Medium aberration, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 294 (28d8 + 168)
Speed IWÁ\IW
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20(+5) 20(+5) 23(+6) 22(+6) 24(+7) 27(+8)
Saving Throws Constitution +12, Intelligence +12,
Wisdom +13, Charisma +14
Skills Animal Handling +13, Athletics +11, Arcana +12,
Deception +14, History +12, Insight +13, Intimidation
+14, Investigation +12, Medicine +13, Nature +12,
Perception +13, Performance +14, Persuasion +14,
Religion +12, Survival +13
251
 Damage Resistances cold, thunder, psychic $IWHUWKHÀJKWLVFRQFOXGHGZKHWKHUWKHFKDUDFWHUVZLQ
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and RUGLHSURFHHGWRWKHÀQDOHSLVRGHRIWKLVDGYHQWXUH
slashing from nonmagical attacks The End.
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
IULJKWHQHGSDUDO\]HGSHWULÀHG
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23
Languages All
The End
Challenge  ;3

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the duplicate fails a

saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magical Creation. The duplicate’s attacks are magical.
The outcomes of the combat heavily changes the ending
Although the duplicate is a magical being, it can exist
within areas of antimagic.
of the adventure.
Partial Prime Ward. When the duplicate is subjected to
a spell or a similar magical effect, it rolls a d100; on a Give Up
result of 30 or lower, the duplicate is unaffected by it.
Spellcasting. The duplicate is a 20th-level spellcaster.
Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22, If the characters don’t take hostile actions against the
+14 to hit with spell attacks). The duplicate can cast all blood dragon or try to pass the barrier placed by the
spells from the sorcerer spell list. The following spells Sanguinologist, they give up their mission and the
are the duplicate’s usual preferences: 3ULPH6RUFHUHUVXFFHHGVLQUHYLYLQJWKH)RXQGHU5HDG
1st level (4 slots): ameliorate*, false life, mage armor, or paraphrase the text below to your players:
magic missile, shield, silent image
2nd level (3 slots): crimson blur*, enhance ability, enlarge/
reduce, hold person, misty step The purple-eyed figure diverts their attention
3rd level (3 slots): blink, blood choke*, counterspell, dispel back to you. In a curiosity-filled voice, they
magic, lightning bolt say, “After all that you’ve endured, this is the point you
4th level (3 slots): dominate beast, false might*, choose to abandon hope? Interesting. Very well, be on your
SRO\PRUSKZDOORIÀUH way. I have taken what I desired.” They wave a hand
5th level (3 slots): blood burst*, cloudkill, dominate person, toward you and a swirling mirror appears
hold monster before you. Will you take the portal and
6th level (3 slots): chain lightning, disintegrate, globe of abandon your quest, or fight a hopeless battle?
invulnerability, sanguine dreams*
7th level (3 slots): ÀUHVWRUPSULVPDWLFVSUD\VRXOLPSDFW
8th level (2 slots): dominate monster, mend magic*, power
word stun
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNHWKHSRUWDOWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHV
9th level (2 slots): time stop inside a zeppelin that is ready to sail out of Tolia within
Supreme Casting. The duplicate can maintain a minute, towards the sunset.
concentration on two spells at the same time.
,QWKLVFDVHWKH3ULPH6RUFHUHUWDNHVWKH)RXQGHU·V
Will of the Arcane. The duplicate can choose to cast a
blood without killing the characters, but somehow, the
spell by expending a spell slot from two levels higher
than the normal. If it does so, the spell works normally blood degeneration still ails them. The characters can’t
in areas of antimagic. be cured and they die because of the blood degeneration
after a time. However, experiencing the blood visions
let them unlock the vampiric potential within them,
ACTIONS and they reawaken as vampires after their death.
Multiattack. The duplicate makes four attacks.
Blood Missile. Ranged Spell Attack: +14 to hit, range
IWRQHWDUJHWHit: 22 (4d10) blood damage. If Defeat
the target is immune to necrotic and poison damage,
this attack deals bludgeoning damage instead.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5
The characters are defeated by the Sanguinologist’s
ft., one target. Hit: 6 bludgeoning damage plus 5 (1d10) duplicate. Read or paraphrase the text below to your
force damage plus 11 (2d10) blood damage. players:

252
 As you fall to your knees, the magnificent spell
takes effect and the surges of magic cease. You
draw a breath and it brings you comfort, like
you’ve been drowning for decades, a burden
is lifted from your souls. You lift your heads
and behold the father of all vampires, the maw
of night, the righteous ruler of blood, the
Founder. You realize that the visions were a
mere fraction of the truth. His glorious shape
brings tears to your eyes or the fear he inflicts
makes you cry with frightening joy. The sight
of such a marvelous and horrid creature makes
you think of all the great things he will achieve
or the unimaginable horrors it will inflict.
Now you understand why some people want
to be vampires and how some are maddened
at the simple sight of the Founder, but both
desire to be a humble servant under the
undead divine…
These thoughts and amazement turn into
horror and despair as an enormous arcane
hand takes you away in the blink of an eye.
You are to complete your mortal lives in the
dungeons of the Prime Sorcerer, being the
subjects of their experiments to create the
perfect adventurer. After all…you were able to
reach the end.
Although the characters couldn’t defeat the Prime
Sorcerer’s duplicate, they succeeded in catching a slight
admiration from the Prime Sorcerer by defeating all of
its experiments. Thanks to their unlucky success, the
characters become the experimental subjects of the
Prime Sorcerer of Sanguinology in creating the perfect
adventurer.
7KH)RXQGHUUHDZDNHQVXQGHUWKHFRQWURORIWKH
Prime Sorcerer and is ready to take back his rightful
throne to pursue the goals of divinity. The Prime
Sorcerer will be waiting to claim the divinity within his
blood, waiting very patiently.
Victory
The characters defeat the Sanguinologist’s Duplicate.
Read or paraphrase the text below to your players:
As you strike the last blow, the Prime
Sorcerer’s duplicate shatters and explodes
with great arcane energies. The magic force
created by the explosion ripples in the air
and disrupts the Prime Sorcerer’s spell. For
a single moment, the Prime Sorcerer can’t
contain the spell, which is enough to break
their concentration. Pure arcane energies
tear the shapes they are given by the Prime
Sorcerer and lead to a greater explosion. The
demiplane is shaken, the reality is broken,
and the Prime Sorcerer is lost within the
explosion. There are only moments for you
to claim the body of the Founder as the sky is
falling down on you…
Detective’s Final Joke
If the characters have treated the Detective badly
throughout the adventure and if the Detective is
present, he acts before the characters. Read or
paraphrase the text below to your players:
Before you understand what is happening, the
Detective moves closer to the Founder’s body,
shatters a hand-size angst crystal with runic
engravings on the ground, and disappears with
the body. Only an echo remains after them,
“See you in hell…”
The Detective changes planes along with the
)RXQGHU·VERG\ZKLFKVSHHGVXSWKHGHPLSODQH·V
shattering. The characters die in the ruins of the
demiplane. The Detective takes the body to the Grand
Advisor. In return, he is transformed into a noble
vampire by the Crimson King for his services, and takes
his place in Kanrath’s nobility.
Path of Blood
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especially the bodies of powerful individuals, a couple
RIWLPHVWKURXJKRXWWKHDGYHQWXUH1RZWKH)RXQGHU·V
body is lying before the characters. If the characters
decide to consume the body, read or paraphrase the
text below to your players:
253

As the mountains shatter, the sky falls, and
the sea boils, you set free the beast within you
and consume the Founder’s body. With each
piece consumed, you start to feel the power,
the might the Founder has been telling you
of, all along. Dark veins cover your body, you
grow fangs, your hands become claws, bat-
like wings rupture your skin and protrude out
of your back; with each bite you die and are
reborn simultaneously. When you consume
the last piece, nothing remains of the Founder
or your former selves; all that remains are the
monsters you’ve become.
The characters are transformed into powerful, unique
vampires, which cures their blood degeneration. As
WKHGHPLSODQHVKDWWHUVWKH\ÀQGDZD\RXWIURPWKH
magical cracks on the demiplane’s borders. The crack
leads them to Tolia’s wilderness. Luckily it is night, and
WKH\KDYHWLPHWRÀQGVKHOWHU
The Crimson King is ready to accept the characters
to the nobility of Kanrath, heeding the advice given
to him by the Grand Advisor. But, since the characters
VKDUHWKHDPELWLRXVEORRGRIWKH)RXQGHUWKH\PLJKW
want greater power, might, or positions in the future.
Already aware of this ambition, the Sixth Child may
also contact the characters to destroy Kanrath and its
wicked system.
Loyal to the Quest
If the characters decide to stick to the mission by
UHWXUQLQJWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\WR.DQUDWKUHDGRU
paraphrase the text below to your players:
As the demiplane shatters, you find a brief
moment to rush your way out of a magic slit.
When you open your eyes again, a familiar
sight welcomes you. The Royal Castle of
Kanrath stands tall with all its might and the
Grand Advisor, next to the castle’s doors,
looks surprised to see you. You are once
again welcomed inside the Royal Castle as
beloved guests when the Grand Advisor
sees the Founder’s body. She asks you to tell
every detail about your mission and you are
then rewarded with the greatest gift possible:
vampirism and nobility.
254
The characters, together with the Detective, can
choose to become noble vampires. If they do so, they
become the greatest and the most popular guests of
vampire gatherings, living a comfortable life.
If they do not accept the gift, they are still rewarded
with a house in noble districts, and enough coin to live
WKUHHOLYHV7KH&ULPVRQ.LQJSXWVWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\
into the crypt and seals the crypt again, this time with
greater protections.
Luckily, whether the characters accepted the gift or
QRWWKH*UDQG$GYLVRUÀQGVDQDOFKHPLFDOZD\WRFXUH
the characters’ blood degeneration, letting them live
IUHHRIWKHEXUGHQVRIWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRG
If the characters decide to stick to the mission but
also gave their blood to the Dean of the Royal Academy
of Sanguine, read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
As the demiplane shatters, you find a brief
moment to rush your way out of a magical slit.
As you are drifting between planes, a force
pulls you out from the flow. You find yourself
in a large room surrounded by heavy red
drapes. On the dark wooden floor, the Dean
and the Fourth Child stand before you.
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)RXQGHU7KH'HDQZDWFKHGWKHFKDUDFWHUVWKURXJK
PDJLFVHQVRUVDQGGLUHFWHGWKHLUWUDYHOWRKLVRIÀFH
ZKHQKHUHDOL]HGWKDWWKHFKDUDFWHUVKDGWKH)RXQGHU·V
ERG\7KH)RXUWK&KLOGOHIWWKH5R\DO&DVWOHDVVKHQR
longer cared for the rules of the Crimson King, believing
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the throne.
The Dean offers to cure the characters and cleanse
WKHLUEORRGGHJHQHUDWLRQEXWKHQHHGVWKH)RXQGHU·V
ERG\WRGRVR7KH)RXUWK&KLOGRIIHUVWRWUDQVIRUP
them into vampires and accept them into nobility,
granting them a high status even among the noble
houses. In return, they want the characters to
VXUUHQGHUWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\WRWKHP
If the characters refuse to surrender the body, the
)RXUWK&KLOG S WULHVWRWDNHLWE\IRUFH
Loyalty to the Founder
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVKHVLWDWHWRDFWWKH)RXQGHUGHFLGHVWR
take the reins into his hands. Read or paraphrase the
text below to your players:

You hear the Founder’s voice in your head,
“We have come so far. You carried my blood until the end. I
am convinced that you are worthy to carry my legacy. Drain
your blood into my body. Let me be reborn. Then I can make
you my children. Together, we can take Kanrath back, and
you can stand next to me as the new royalty.
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVDFFHSWWKH)RXQGHU·VRIIHUWKH
)RXQGHULVUHERUQ5HDGRUSDUDSKUDVHWKHWH[WEHORZWR
your players:
As the last sparks of life are leaving your body,
you lift your heads and behold the father of
all vampires, the maw of night, the righteous
ruler of blood, the Founder. You realize
that the visions were just a mere fraction of
the truth. His glorious shape brings tears to
your eyes or the fear he inflicts makes you
cry with frightening joy. The sight of such
a marvelous and horrid creature makes you
think of all the great things he will achieve or
the unimaginable horrors it will inflict. Now,
you understand why some people want to be
vampires and some are maddened at a simple
sight of the Founder, but both desire to be a
humble servant under the undead divine…
7KH)RXQGHUWUDQVIRUPVWKHFKDUDFWHUVLQWRUR\DO
YDPSLUHV7RJHWKHUZLWKWKH)RXQGHUWKHFKDUDFWHUV
start to gather their armies to retake Kanrath.
Right Thing to Do (?)
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVFKRRVHWROHDYHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\
in the demiplane, the body is lost along with the
demiplane. In this case, the characters can’t be cured
and they die because of the blood degeneration after a
time. However, experiencing the blood visions let them
unlock the vampiric potentials within them, and they
reawaken as vampires after their death. Upon their
unholy rebirth, the Sixth Child contacts them, inviting
WKHPWRÀJKWDJDLQVW.DQUDWK·VUR\DOW\DQGQRELOLW\,I
they accept the Sixth Child’s offer, they start to hunt
noble vampires within Kanrath. After a time, their
legends grow as the hunters in the dark that even the
vampires fear.
Reshaped on the Anvil of the
Iron God
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\DQGOHDYH
WKHGHPLSODQHWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKH*DUURWH
Mountains. If they want to take the body to Iron Zealots
in the Garrote Mountains, read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
You enter the caves of the Iron Zealots again,
this time with the body of the Founder. They
salute you with respect and let you move
further into their caves, into their sacred
anvil.
The tunnels lead you to a pool of molten
lava. “Iron must melt to become a sword,” their priest
says. You step into the molten lava, and they
bring the body of the Founder into it after
you. The lava melts your body and purges
blood degeneration. With each step you take
into the pool you are reshaped, like a sword
shaped with each strike of a hammer.
When you leave the pool, you are reshaped,
free of your burdens. You are reborn.
7KHFKDUDFWHUVDUHIUHHRIWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGDQG
the blood degeneration. Their shapes can change if they
want, and the characters feel the faith of the Iron God
within their hearts. They are free to go, but they are
also aware that the Iron God is watching them and they
will return to the anvil of the Iron God when they die.
We Came From the Earth, To the
Earth We Must Return
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\DQGOHDYH
WKHGHPLSODQHWKH\ÀQGWKHPVHOYHVLQWKH*DUURWH
0RXQWDLQV,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\WR
Vashra (p. 146), the elder of the Green Scar Tribe, living
in the Garrote Mountains, read or paraphrase the text
below to your players:
The druids of the tribe place you in the
middle of a magic circle created by herbs and
bones. Outside of the circle, Vashra burns the
Founder’s body and blows the ash towards you
while playing a leather drum and singing a
primal song. Other druids dance around the
255
 magic circle.
Each moment you feel lighter, as if physical
burdens are lifted from your shoulders. Rest
embraces you slowly, and with each hit of the
drum and each word Vashra speaks, you travel
deeper into the realms of dreams and sleep.
The soil embraces you like a blanket and you
feel at home.
In the end, there is nothing but eternal
dreams. The Founder’s body is burnt and you
are buried deep underground, never to see
the sun again. At least you’ve found peace in
dreams.
Vashra puts the wellbeing of nature and balance
before everything else. According to her, nature can be
protected and balance can be ensured if both the body
and the characters are eliminated, and she does so.
However, knowing that the characters are not guilty,
at least in this manner, she lets them have a peaceful
eternal sleep.
Big Red Button
If the characters press the red button they retrieved
from the portal in the tundra, a brass portal framed
with moving mechanical parts fueled by tubes of blood
appear before the characters. The opening of the
portal quickens the collapse of the demiplane, and the
characters can either step into the portal or die under
the falling skies. If the characters step into the portal,
WKH\DUHWHOHSRUWHGLQWRDPHWDOVLORDQGWKH)RXQGHU·V
body disappears. The button was a trap placed by the
Prime Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians and the sorcerer
KDVFODLPHGWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\
The silo is a cylinder that is 120 feet wide, and
360 feet tall. It is buried deep beneath the Garrote
Mountains and there are no exits or entrances; it is
designed in such a way that only access to the silo
would be teleportation. There are 10-foot-wide ring-
shaped platforms at each 30 feet above the ground. The
metal platforms are connected with ladders. The silo is
illuminated by numerous inbuilt angst lamps; the entire
silo is under orange dim light. At the center of the silo,
on the ground, there is a bloodwork automaton angel
(p. 268). Read or paraphrase the text below to your
players:
256
At first, the eerie silence disturbed you, but
then, as you realize the growing whirring
sounds coming from the gigantic automaton,
you wish that the silence lasted. The various
mechanical sounds coming from different
directions become louder and louder, and
echo throughout the massive silo, finally
reaching their peak with the clanking sound as
the automaton straightens up and its engines
glow with fervor.
The bloodwork automaton angel offers them a
choice: Surrender or die. If the characters choose
not to surrender, the angel attacks. If the characters
surrender, a CBI sorcerer teleports into the silo and
takes the characters back to Cyherested. The characters
now serve the Prime Sorcerer of Crimson Technicians.
The Prime Sorcerer cures their blood degeneration by
replacing their vital body parts with mechanical angst
implants. They are neither human nor machine.
Trusting Icaram
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\ZLWK
the intention of bringing it to Icaram (p. 184), the
bloodwork automaton Sun Priest in Cyherested, they
see bright sunlight upon leaving the demiplane with
one of the slits. Read or paraphrase the text below to
your players:
Icaram greets you with a smile and says, “This
day, we all are going to witness the Sun’s might and the true
meaning of justice. Welcome, my friends. Let me purify your
bodies.”
The characters are on a roof, under direct sunlight.
Icaram let the characters sit on golden thrones
decorated with the Sun God’s symbols. There are
cables connecting the thrones to inactive bloodwork
automatons waiting behind each throne, and Icaram
sticks these cables to the characters’ bodies. Then,
Icaram pulls a holy book under the robe and starts
reading prayers to the Sun God.
 THE SPELLS
The cables take the characters’ blood out of their
ERGLHVVORZO\OHDYLQJWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRG·VUHPQDQWV
in the original bodies and carrying the characters’
own blood into inactive automatons. When Icaram’s
KRXUULWXDOHQGVVXQOLJKWEXUQVWKH)RXQGHU·V
body and the characters’ bodies, since they are
WDLQWHGZLWKWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGDQGWKHFKDUDFWHUV
open their eyes in their new bodies as bloodwork
automatons.
Icaram smiles, “Welcome, my brothers and sisters. This
LVWKHÀUVWGD\RI\RXUQHZOLYHV«µ Absorb Material
4th-level transmutation (ritual)
A Sun Shining in the Mountains
,IWKHFKDUDFWHUVWDNHWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\ZLWKWKH Casting Time: 1 action
intention of bringing it to Max (p.154), the famous Range: Touch
bloodwork automaton healer in the H5. Criminal
Components: V, S
Base Station, they see bright sunlight upon leaving
the demiplane through one of the slits. Read or Duration: 10 days
paraphrase the text below to your players: You touch an unattended object and absorb it into
your body. You can carry up to 5 items in your
body in this way. Each item you absorb into your
ERG\PXVWEHDWOHDVWRQHVL]HVPDOOHUWKDQ\RX)RU
Max welcomes you with a smile and says, “I example, if you are Medium, you can absorb Small or
asked the Blazing Sun and received an answer. We are about smaller objects. As a bonus action, you can transmute
to perform a miracle.” the item you absorbed back to your hand, or vice
versa. Absorbed items do not count as equipped.
When the spell ends, any absorbed item falls on the
ground. This is a painful experience, and you take
2d6 necrotic damage that cannot be lowered by any
The characters are in one of the caves in the Under means.
Garrote. There is an altar dedicated to the Sun
*RGZLWKOLWFDQGOHVDURXQGDQGÁDPPDEOHRLOV The absorbed items count against your carrying
LQÁDVNVDOODURXQG0D[H[SODLQVWKDWWKH\ZLOO capacity. Also, if you are immune to divination spells
conduct a ritual during which Max is going to use or other magical effects that can track you, the
WKH)RXQGHU·VERG\DVWKHULWXDO·VPDLQFRPSRQHQW absorbed items are immune to them as well.
ZKLOHVLSKRQLQJWKH)RXQGHU·VEORRGRXWRIWKH
characters’ bodies. Max cuts small wounds on the
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Ameliorate
and covers the characters’ bleeding wounds with 1st-level abjuration
blessed bandages slowly and patiently while the
ÁRZLQJEORRGLVJDWKHUHGZLWKLQWKHWXEHVSODFHG
Casting Time: 1 action
in Max’s body. At the end of the 6-hour ritual, Max
EDWKHVLQWKHÁDPPDEOHRLOVDQGVHWVWKHPVHOIRQÀUH Range: Touch
DORQJZLWKWKH)RXQGHU·VERG\$VXGGHQH[SORVLRQ Components: V, S
of radiant light blinds the characters and knocks
Duration: Instantaneous
them unconscious. After the explosion, Max and the
)RXQGHU·VERG\DUHJRQHORVWLQP\VWHU\:KHQWKH You touch a creature and cleanse its blood of certain
characters wake up, they hear a godly voice in their diseases. You can end either bowel fever, or the
heads resembling Max’s voice, calling them to the hemophiliac condition if the creature is affected by at
worship of the Sun God. The characters have received least one of them.
a calling to be a cleric or a paladin of the Sun God,
and the blood degeneration they have been suffering
is cured.

257
 Angstblast
1st-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components:960 DQJVWGXVWZRUWKDWOHDVW.)
CS)
Duration: Instantaneous
You conjure a sharp piece of angst and throw it at a
creature within range that you can see. Doing so, you
target a creature with a ranged spell attack. On a hit,
the crystal is lodged somewhere on the creature, who
WDNHVGSLHUFLQJGDPDJHDVZHOODVGÀUHGDPDJHDW
the start of its next turn. The angst crystal disappears
afterwards.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
VSHOOVORWRIQGOHYHORUKLJKHUERWKSLHUFLQJDQGÀUH
damage increase by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
Agglutination
Conjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 60 feet
Components: S
Duration: Concentration, up to 3 rounds
You create a magical orb in your hand and blood clumps
around it. You can use your action to hurl the orb at a
creature, making a ranged spell attack against a target
of your choice within range. If you hurl the orb, it
returns to your hand at the end of your turn. On a hit,
the attack deals 1d6 blood damage and the orb grows
bigger if the target has blood. Each time the orb hits a
creature with blood, it keeps growing, and its damage
increases by 1d6.
The orb disappears when the spell ends.
At Higher Levels. This spell’s damage increases by 1d6
when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and
17th level (4d6).
Arrhythmia
5th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (the heart of a creature who has
258
died 1 day ago at the most, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You target a creature within range and use your action
to stab the heart you hold in your hands. On your
consecutive turns, you can take a bonus action to stab
the heart again. You can stab the heart three times
before it gets consumed by the spell.
Each time the heart is stabbed, the target must make
a Constitution saving throw, taking 6d10 necrotic
damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one.
If the target fails the saving throw 3 times, it falls
unconscious for 1 minute or until it receives magical
healing.
Blood Burst
5th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (60-foot cone)
Components: V, S, M (a red piece of glass)
Duration: Instantaneous
A splash of warm blood erupts out of your hands. Each
creature in a 60-foot cone must make a Constitution
saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 6d8
blood damage and becomes hemophiliac (p.8) until the
end of its next turn. On a successful save, the damage is
halved and the creature does not become hemophiliac.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
spell slot of 6th level or higher, the damage increases by
1d8 for each slot level above 5th.
Blood Choke
3rd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a piece of broken glass)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Choose a creature within range. Its throat is slashed
open as if cut by a sharp piece of broken glass from
WKHLQVLGHDQGLVÀOOHGZLWKEORRG,WPXVWPDNHD
Constitution saving throw, taking 5d6 necrotic damage
on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful
one. On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can
use your action to affect the same target with the spell,
forcing it to make another saving throw.
 If a target fails the saving throw 3 times, it suffers 1
level of exhaustion.
Blood Seeking
7th-level divination (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a drop of blood belonging to the
target of this spell and holy water, both of which the
spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous
You take a drop of blood from a creature that you want
to learn more about. The blood must be one week old
at the most. You mix the blood with holy water and
focus on the mixture for 1 minute. Then, the following
takes place. Whether these are applicable or not is
determined by the GM.
• You learn the exact location of the owner of the
blood. If it is in another plane of existence, you
learn what plane it is on, instead of its exact
location. If the creature is moving, you learn the
direction of its movement.
• You receive a sign about the creature’s short-term
SRVVLEOHDFWLRQV)RUH[DPSOH\RXPD\UHFHLYHDQ
HQFU\SWHGPHVVDJHDERXWDVSHFLÀFSODFHZKHUHWKH
creature intends to go the day after the spell is cast.
The reliability of this sign is determined by the GM.
• You understand which damage types are more
effective or less effective against this creature.
Conjure Automaton
5th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S, M (a bloodwork automaton’s blood
engine piece)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You summon a bloodwork automaton (p.272) of a type
of your choice, in an unoccupied space that you can see,
within range. The automaton disappears when it drops
to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.
The bloodwork automaton is an ally to you and your
companions. In combat, the automaton shares your
initiative count, and it takes its turn immediately
after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action
required by you). If you don’t issue any, it takes the
Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using
a spell slot of 7th level or higher, you summon two
bloodwork automatons instead of one.
Crimson Blur
2nd-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a vial of blood, which the spell
consumes)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Blood begins to circle you at an intense speed.
Attack rolls against you are made with disadvantage,
your speed increases by 10 feet, and you can’t be
grappled for the duration of the spell. Your weapon
attacks deal an extra 1 blood damage on a hit, also for
the duration.
False Might
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V
Duration: 1 minute
Choose a creature within range. It must succeed on
a Wisdom saving throw or see you as a much more
powerful being than you are and be frightened of you
for the duration.
If you spill your blood by reducing your hit point
maximum by 5 while casting the spell, the target takes
an extra 3d6 psychic damage from your successful spell
attacks and weapon attacks for the duration on a failed
save, in addition to the effect described above. This
UHGXFWLRQODVWVXQWLO\RXÀQLVKDORQJUHVW
Heartbeat
1st-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a small memento of your past)
Duration: Instantaneous
259
 Your touch alters an undead creature’s body for
a moment, and its heart beats once more. This
momentary change puts too much stress on the
creature, making it remember what it was like to be
alive. Make a melee spell attack against an undead. On
a hit, the target takes 3d12 psychic damage, and it has
disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws until the start
of its next turn.
This spell has no effect on creatures that are not
undead.
Mend Magic
8th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a small glass rod)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You start to radiate pure magical energy in a 10-foot-
radius sphere around you. This area can’t be divorced
from magical energy. Until the spell ends, the sphere
moves with you, centered on you.
If any of this spell’s area overlaps with an area of
antimagic, both this spell and the spell that created the
antimagic ends.
Piercing Drops
Cantrip evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
7KUHHOLWWOHEORRGGURSVDSSHDUDURXQG\RXUÀVW
whenever you punch a creature, the blood splatters and
pierces the enemy.
Whenever you make a successful unarmed attack
against a creature, you deal an extra piercing damage
equal to the number of blood drops.
The number of blood drops created by the spell
increases at higher levels: to four drops at 5th level, to
ÀYHGURSVDWWKOHYHODQGWRVL[GURSVDWWKOHYHO
260
Rotten Heart
2nd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You point at a creature you can see within range. The
target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or
become hemophiliac (p.8) until it regains a number of
KLWSRLQWVHTXDOWRWKUHHWLPHV\RXUSURÀFLHQF\ERQXV
Ruby Circlet
6th-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a ruby gem worth at least 1000
.)&6ZKLFKWKHVSHOOFRQVXPHV
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You form a ruby circlet around your head to protect
yourself against powers that use blood. As long as the
ruby circlet is on your head, you gain the following
EHQHÀWV
• You are immune to divination spells that can read
your mind such as the detect thoughts spell.
• Your blood doesn’t spill under any circumstance.
Thus, a creature like a vampire cannot regain hit
points by biting you. Also, you gain resistance to
bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damages from
nonmagical attacks.
• Your hit point maximum can’t be reduced by any
means.
Sanguine Dreams
6th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You send a creature you can see within range into
an enchanting hallucination, in which it experiences
its deepest desires. The creature must succeed on a
Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the spell ends
or until it takes any damage.
On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action
to send the creature deeper into the vision, taking it
further and further away from actual reality. Each time
you do so, the target takes 8d8 psychic damage. This
damage doesn’t end the stunned condition. However,
the target can repeat the saving throw each time it
takes damage in this way, ending the effects of this spell
on itself on a success.
If the creature drops to 0 hit points as a result of the
psychic damage dealt by this spell, it falls into a coma
where it experiences its wishes and desires over and
over, and is paralyzed. The target dies when it takes
damage in the coma, or wakes up with 1 hit point if it is
affected by the remove curse spell.
Creatures immune to being charmed are also immune
to the effects of this spell.
Shadow Cloak
2nd-level abjuration (ritual)
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a robe made of silk worth at least
.)&6
Duration: 1 day
You enchant a silk robe and put it on yourself or
another willing creature you touch. The robe fuses
with the target and cloaks it. Sunlight counts as normal
light for the target. This prevents vampires from taking
damage from direct sunlight. Also, the target has
resistance to radiant damage.
The spell lasts one day, or until the target takes 10 or
more radiant damage in one round.
Silver Needle
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
A single silver needle springs at a creature of your
choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack against
the target. On a hit, the target takes 4d4 piercing
damage. After the hit, the silver needle falls on the
ground, somewhere within 5 feet of the target.
Recall. A silver needle that has been used in the way
described above remains for one minute. If there are
3 silver needles within 60 feet of you that you have
used in this way, you can call them back as a bonus
action. This does not require you to expend a spell slot.
7KHVLOYHUQHHGOHVÁ\WRZDUGV\RXLQDGLUHFWOLQHDQG
pierce creatures along the way. A creature in the line
must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 4d4
piercing damage. The silver needles disappear when
they reach you.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a
spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage dealt by a
silver needle increases by 1d4 for each slot level above
1st.
Soul Impact
7th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (30-foot cone)
Components: V, S, M (an onyx stone pyramid worth 175
gp, which the spell consumes)
Duration: Instantaneous
You create a small vortex that siphons the souls of
creatures in the palm of your hands, and you unleash
the energy you’ve collected upon your enemies. Each
creature in a 30-foot cone in a direction of your choice
must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature
takes 5d12 necrotic damage on a failed save as its soul
bursts out of its body, or half as much damage on a
successful one.
Once a vortex created by this spell has dealt a total of
75 necrotic damage, the siphoned souls of the creatures
slam back into their bodies, dealing 10 force damage
and pushing them 10 feet away from you.
Speak with Machines
3rd-level divination
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 10 minutes
You can touch an angst machine, tap into the hidden
sentience within and telepathically communicate with
it. If you stop touching the machine, the spell ends.
261
 <RXFDQOHDUQWKHH[DFWIXQFWLRQVÁDZVDQG
layout of the machine. You can also question it
about events that transpired in it or 10 feet around
it, gaining information about creatures that came
in contact with the machine or operated it, the
places the machine had been, and other such
FLUFXPVWDQFHV)RUH[DPSOH\RXFDQDVNDWUDLQ
KRZPDQ\SDVVHQJHUVLWFDUULHGGXULQJDVSHFLÀF
journey.
If the machine works properly, you can activate
or deactivate it. A complex machine such as an
automaton might resist being deactivated with
a successful Charisma saving throw, but this and
the mechanics that surround it are determined at
the GM’s discretion. A complex machine can use
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SURÀFLHQF\ERQXVZKLOHUHVLVWLQJWKLVHIIHFW
Sphere of Death
4th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (a handful of grave soil)
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
$GDUNUHGVSKHUHRIGHDWKDQGGHFD\ÀOOVDIRRW
radius sphere centered on a point of your choice
within range. The sphere spreads around corners
and remains for the duration of the spell. Tortured
spirits of the dead scream and attack all who are
inside the sphere while blood-sucking worms crawl,
squirming on the ground. The creatures in the
sphere can see each other, but cannot see or be seen
through the boundaries of the sphere. Additionally,
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terrain.
When the sphere appears, the creatures within
must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 2d10
psychic damage. If this damage reduces a creature
to 0 hit points, the worms on the ground crawl
inside its body, and the creature rises as a ghoul.
Roll initiative for the ghoul, which has its
own turns. The ghoul always attacks the nearest
creature. It remains for 1 minute or until it is
262
destroyed.
Adventure
items
Bloodwork Weapons
Bloodwork weapons are marvels of the latest
bloodwork technology. They use blood cartridges to
react with the angst inside the weapon to fuel their
heavy projectiles to tremendous velocities, letting
the weapon hit with an impact greater than even
that of heavy crossbows. The same technology has
also provided the means for bloodwork throwables,
creating grenades that are more lethal than
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before.
Weapon Descriptions
Bloodwork weapons are quite different from the
regular weapons of the realm, and they look and
work differently from any bow or crossbow. The
descriptions of these weapons are given below:
Pistol. 3LVWROVDUHPHWDOFRQVWUXFWVWKDWÀWRQWRS
of a wooden grip. They have an angst buried within
their pistol grip, and a revolving mechanism that
carries 6 ammunition in its chambers and a blood
cartridge in the middle. Once inserted, the blood
FDUWULGJHÀOOVHDFKFKDPEHUZLWKEORRGUHDG\WREH
shot.
Blunderbuss. Blunderbusses look like longer and
wider-bore versions of pistols but they work quite
differently and without a revolver. The ammunition
is dropped into the barrel rather than loaded, and
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Once loaded and triggered, the angst touches the
barrel and the reaction shoots the projectile(s)
within the barrel.
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Bloodwork Ranged Weapons
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties
Bloodwork Ranged Weapons

Pistol 2000 .)&6 1d8 piercing 2.5 lbs $PPXQLWLRQ 5DQJH EORRGFDUWULGJH
reloading 6, light
Ammo, pistol (6) 70 .)&6
Blunderbuss 4500 .)&6 Special (see 10 lbs Special (see ammo), blood cartridge
ammo)
Slug ammo, blunderbuss 20 .)&6 3d6 piercing $PPXQLWLRQ 5DQJH KHDY\ORDGLQJ
two-handed
Buckshot ammo, 50 .)&6 1d6 piercing Ammunition (Area 15 ft cone, DC = 8 + your
blunderbuss 'H[WHULW\PRGLÀHU\RXUSURÀFLHQF\ERQXV 
heavy, loading, two-handed
5HSHDWHU5LÁH 4000 .)&6 1d10 piercing 8 lbs $PPXQLWLRQ 5DQJH EORRGFDUWULGJH
heavy, reloading 6, two-handed
$PPRUHSHDWHUULÁH  100 .)&6
6QLSHU5LÁH 5000 .)&6 2d8 piercing 12 lbs $PPXQLWLRQ 5DQJH EORRGFDUWULGJH
heavy, loading, two-handed
$PPRVQLSHUULÁH  200 .)&6
Bloodwork Grenade 600 .)&6 Special 1 lb Consumable, special (see description)

Blood Cartridge 10 .)&6 Special (see description)

a pistol but they are much longer and do not have a
revolver system attached. Rather, they have a special
inner mechanism that holds a stack of 6 ammunition,
loaded from the upper part of the metal section. The
blood cartridge loaded from the back of the metal part
creates a reaction with the angst when triggered, and
the bullet is shot. The most important property of
the repeater is that by pushing the metal lever that is
located under the trigger, it loads the following bullet
into the chamber.
6QLSHU5LÁH6QLSHUULÁHVDUHYHU\ORQJDQGKHDY\
ULÁHVZLWKDVFRSHWKDWLVDOPRVWDVORQJDVWKHEDUUHO
itself. They contain a single ammunition in their metal
chamber at a time, and a whole blood cartridge is
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WKLVOHWVWKHULÁHVKRRWPXFKKHDYLHUEXOOHWVDW
tremendous speed, proving their impact to be deadly
indeed.
Syringe Pistol. These pistols shoot syringes instead
of bullets or other types of ammunition. They have a
special pipe design that enables the syringes taken from
the clip to be transferred to the barrel.
6\ULQJH5LÁH6\ULQJHULÁHVZRUNZLWKWKHVDPH
principle syringe pistols do, but they are heavier and
have longer barrels.
Weapon Properties
Consumable. This weapon is single-use and is
consumed when used.
Blood Cartridge. All bloodwork weapons require a
blood cartridge to activate the angst and work. Any
weapon with the reloading property needs their blood
FDUWULGJHFKDQJHGLQHDFKUHORDG)RUWKHORDGLQJ
weapons, the energy required for the projectile to be
shot is so large that they need a new blood cartridge in
each loading. A blood cartridge holds 2 hit points worth
of blood, changing the blood cartridge is done as a part
of the reloading or loading, depending on the weapon.
Reloading X. Weapons that have this trait need to be
reloaded after their magazines are empty. The number
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title) resembles how many attacks can be done with
the weapon before it needs to be reloaded. Reloading a
weapon takes an action.
Bloodwork Grenades
Bloodwork grenades are two-chamber metal pots.
They use a coin-sized angst and a blood cartridge in
their core chamber to burst and propel their material

263
 in the surrounding chamber, consuming the item.
As an action, you can throw a bloodwork grenade up
to 20 feet, exploding on impact. Any creature within
10 feet of the area of impact must make a Dexterity
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SURÀFLHQF\ERQXV DQGDUHDIIHFWHGLQDFHUWDLQZD\
according to the property of the grenade as shown:
Flak. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d4
bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a
successful save, the damage is halved, and the creature
is not knocked prone.
Fire. 2QDIDLOHGVDYHDFUHDWXUHWDNHVGÀUH
damage and is set ablaze. On a successful save, the
damage is halved and the creature does not burn. A
EXUQLQJFUHDWXUHWDNHVGÀUHGDPDJHDWWKHVWDUWRI
each of its turns. A creature can stop burning by using
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Flash. On a failed save, a creature is blinded and
deafened for 1 minute. On a successful save, it is only
blinded or deafened until the end of its next turn. A
creature can make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw at
the start of each of its turns to end the effect on itself
on a success.
Bloodwork Enhancements
You can modify your own body with bloodwork
PDFKLQHU\DQGEHFRPHDQHIÀFLHQWO\IXQFWLRQLQJKDOI
machine with some qualities of a blood-fueled engine.
As bloodwork machinery works on blood, your
enhancements use your own blood to function, and the
operations you undergo to use these enhancements are
magical. Therefore, these items require attunement.
You also need to undergo an operation in order to
dismantle your bloodwork enhancements, ending the
attunement.
The list of enhancements below are examples that
are meant to give you ideas. You can talk to your GM to
create different kinds of bloodwork enhancements as
well.
Bloodwork Arms
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
You’ve enhanced your arms with bloodwork machinery.
You are stronger than ever. You gain the following
EHQHÀWV
• Increase your Strength score by 1.
• When you make a successful unarmed strike, you
deal an extra 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
264
• When you score a critical hit with an unarmed
strike, the target must succeed on a DC 15
Constitution saving throw or be knocked prone.
• You have advantage on grapple checks.
Bloodwork Blades
Weapon, rare (requires attunement)
You’ve enhanced your back by attaching a bloodwork
blade on it. You can take a bonus action to attack with
this blade. You can attach a maximum of two bloodwork
blades on your back at a time.
As a bonus action, you can make a melee weapon
attack with your bloodwork blades. You can make two
melee weapon attacks with these blades instead of 1, if
you have two of these blades. Each blade deals slashing
damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength or Dexterity
PRGLÀHU RQHRI\RXUFKRLFH 
To be able to wear armor on these blades, you must
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DUPRULQWKLVZD\IRU.)&6LQKRXU
Bloodwork Legs
Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
You’ve enhanced your legs with bloodwork machinery.
You are faster than ever. You gain the following
EHQHÀWV
• Increase your Dexterity score by 1.
• Your speed increases by 10 feet.
• Your jump distance is doubled.
Bloodwork Handy Hands
Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)
You’ve enhanced your hands with bloodwork tools. You
now have a mechanical hand with small blood tubes
within. You can use your action to alter the shape of
your hands and turn them into tools, or vice versa. You
can turn your hands into three artisan’s tools of your
choice.
Angst Weapons
Weapon (any melee weapon), rare
Since angst is a material that interacts with blood, it
is commonly used in many everyday items, including
weapons. Angst weapons are crafted with a cavity in
WKHPLGGOHRIWKHPZKLFKLVODWHUÀOOHGZLWKDQJVW7KLV
angst is connected to the hilt with tiny tubes, and the
spiked hilt of the weapon has a space in which a blood
shell can be inserted. There is a button on the back
of the hilt to move the blood in the shell through the
angst, which ejects the shell afterwards, making room
for a new one.
You can take a bonus action to push the button and
activate the weapon. Once activated, your successful
weapon attacks made with the angst weapon deal an
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In case you lack blood shells, you can squish the
spiked hilt as a bonus action, which drains your blood.
You take 3 piercing damage that can’t be reduced by
any means, and the weapon is activated in the same way
described above.
Attacks made with angst weapons are magical
owing to the nature of the angst crystals. The magical
properties of this weapon keep working in areas devoid
of magic, such as an area affected by the DQWLPDJLFÀHOG
spell, again, owing to the nature of the angst.
Angst-Edged Blade
Weapon (shortsword), uncommon
This shortsword’s edges are reinforced with a thin layer
of angst, which gets heated when it contacts blood.
Your successful melee weapon attacks with the angst-
HGJHGEODGHGHDODQH[WUDGÀUHGDPDJH
Due to the angst crystal’s innately magical nature,
attacks made with angst weapons are magical, and the
magical properties of this weapon keep working in
areas devoid of magic, such as an area affected by the
DQWLPDJLFÀHOG spell.
However, as angst is a delicate material, it can shatter
on impact. When you score a critical hit, roll a d100. On
a result of 50-100, your angst-edged blade is shattered
into tiny pieces.
Armor of Junk
Armor (any armor), uncommon
An armor of junk is quite literally an armor made of
various layers of junk. Metal, leather, ragged clothes,
and meltable objects are used in the making. Most
customize these armors with carvings, buttons, colors,
and pins. While wearing this armor, you gain the
IROORZLQJEHQHÀWV
You have advantage on your Dexterity (Stealth)
checks made on the streets, junkyards, and railroads.
Also, you have a +1 bonus to AC while wearing this
armor. However, its limited magic has a chance to fail.
Each time you roll for initiative, you have to roll a d4. If
the result is 1,2, or 3, you cannot gain this +1 bonus to
AC until you roll for initiative again.
Blood of Warrior-Saints
Potion, very rare
This vial of divine-enchanted blood is only provided by
the higher-ranking clerics of the Blood God. When you
GULQNWKLVSRWLRQ\RXJDLQWKHIROORZLQJEHQHÀWVIRU
minutes:
• Increase your Strength score by 4, up to a
maximum of 23.
• You gain 10 temporary hit points.
• You are enlarged as if the enlarge/reduce spell is cast
on you (no concentration required by you).
Blood Pistol
Wand, uncommon
The blood pistol is a bloodwork pistol-shaped wand. It
has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action to
expend 1 or more of its charges to shoot a blood bullet
IURPLW)RUFKDUJH\RXVKRRWDVLQJOHEXOOHWPDNLQJ
a ranged spell attack for each bullet separately. On a
hit, you deal 1d6 blood damage. You can increase the
number of bullets by one for each additional charge you
expend. You can target several creatures if you expend
more than one charge.
The blood pistol regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges
daily at dawn. If you expend the pistol’s last charge, roll
a d20. On a 1, it crumbles into ash and is destroyed.
265
 Blood-Blessed Weapon
Weapon (any), uncommon
These jagged weapons are blessed by the Blood God’s
FOHULFV2QFHWKH\WDVWHWKHEORRGDQGÁHVKRIWKH
enemy, they get more hungry for them with each strike.
Each third weapon attack you make with this weapon
deals an extra 1d6 damage of the weapon’s damage type
on a hit.
Bloodthorn Weapon
Weapon (any), very rare (requires attunement)
Mixed with unique alchemical concoctions and
delicately forged in the hands of grandmaster
weaponsmiths, these weapons are created from the
bloodthorn (see Guide to Tolia, p. 193). They are accepted
as highly precious and unique gifts by the nobles of
both Kanrath and Cyherested.
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made
with this magic weapon.
Attunement. While you are attuned to this
weapon,you can take a bonus action to gain 15
temporary hit points for 1 hour. You can use this
feature three times. You regain any expended uses
ZKHQ\RXÀQLVKDORQJUHVW
Bone Crown
Wondrous item, rare
This crown is made of bones. When you attune to the
Bone Crown, your Intelligence score increases by 1, to a
maximum of 20.
Contract
Scroll, rare
This long magical parchment is mostly used to make
business deals, diplomatic agreements, and to form
alliances.
Terms. The signatories of the parchment should agree
on the terms, and lay them out clearly in Common and
Old Common. The parchment can be as long as it needs
to be.
Signatures. All signatories must be willing to sign and
must fully understand the terms laid out. Once these
conditions are met, the parties must sign under each
266
clause.
Agreement. One of the signatories uses their action
to roll up and seal the parchment in order to put the
contract into effect.
When the contract is in effect, the scroll creates
one copy of itself for each signatory, and the original
parchment disappears, bonding the creatures who
signed the parchment to the terms of the agreement.
When one of these creatures breaches the contract in
any way or if it dies, the other creatures become aware
of this case.
Ginger Wonders
Wondrous item, uncommon
Ginger wonders is a company that produces cigarettes
with angst dust in them. These cigarettes are also
known by the same name. Burnt angst dust, when
inhaled regularly for a long time, is extremely deadly.
However, these cigarettes are still popular among the
people of Tolia as they have a particular kick to them,
which sharpens one’s senses and makes them more
agile. These cigarettes come in packs of 8.
Whenever you smoke a ginger wonder, you must
make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a successful
save, you have advantage on Dexterity-related ability
checks and Wisdom (Perception) checks, and you gain
a +2 bonus to initiative rolls for 1 hour or until you fall
unconscious. On a failed save, you feel anxious, and
you have disadvantage on saving throws against being
frightened for 1 hour.
<RXFDQQRWEHQHÀWIURPRUKDYHWKHSHQDOWLHVRI
multiple ginger wonders at the same time.
When you smoke 8 ginger wonders, you must make
a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save,
you become addicted; you must consume at least
one of them while taking a short or long rest, or you
FDQQRWÀQLVKWKHUHVW2QDVXFFHVVIXOVDYH\RXDUHQRW
addicted, but the DC of the save increases by 1 each time
you consume 8 ginger wonders from then on.
Kanrath Armory
Armor (any armor) or weapon (any weapon), rare (requires
attunement)
When a new Kanrath vampire is created by another one,
the older one gives the new one a weapon or an armor
exclusive to the vampires of Kanrath. It is a tradition for
a Kanrath vampire to carry these weapons or armor as a
sign of power and pride.
 Only Kanrath vampires can attune to these items.
Otherwise, they display no magical properties. Once
attuned, these items have the following magical
properties:
Kanrath Armor. <RXDUHFRQVLGHUHGSURÀFLHQWZLWK
WKLVDUPRUHYHQLI\RXODFNWKHSURÀFLHQF\
Also, if you attune to two pieces of Kanrath armor
(one of them must be a shield), spell attacks against you
are made with disadvantage while wearing the armor or
carrying the shield.
Kanrath Weapon. Successful weapon attacks made
with this magic weapon deal an extra 2d6 necrotic or
poison damage. The damage type is chosen when the
weapon is created.
Also, if you attune to two Kanrath weapons, the
damage type of the extra damage they deal becomes
blood damage.
Kanrath Coat of Arms Badge
Wondrous item, rare
This Kanrath Silver badge is ornamented with multi-
colored jewels. It has the Kanrath Coat of Arms on it.
When you attune to the Kanrath Coat of Arms Badge,
you feel one with the city. You cannot be surprised
while you are in Kanrath.
Officer Wand
Wand, uncommon
This wand is carried and used by law enforcement
RIÀFHUV:KLOHKROGLQJWKLVZDQG\RXFDQFDVWWKHray
of frost spell using your spellcasting ability. If you don’t
KDYHWKHDELOLW\WRFDVWVSHOOV\RXUVSHOODWWDFNPRGLÀHU
IRUWKLVVSHOOLVHTXDOWR\RXUSURÀFLHQF\ERQXVSOXV
\RXU'H[WHULW\PRGLÀHU
Rebel Ink
Wondrous item, uncommon
Anarchists of Tolia must communicate in the broad
daylight as the shadows belong to their enemies. They
have come up with a magical ink that only reveals its
secrets under the sun.
Rebel ink comes in vials. A vial of this magic ink lets
you write 100 words that can only be seen under direct
sunlight. A creature with truesight is able to see the
writing even when it is not under direct sunlight.
Ring of Chains
Ring, very rare (requires attunement)
8VHGE\WKHDXWKRULW\ÀJXUHVLQWKHFLWLHVRI7ROLDWKLV
ring has the power to subdue or detain anyone.
This ring has 3 charges, and it regains 1d3 expended
charges daily at dawn. While wearing the ring, you can
use an action to expend one of its charges to summon
a chain in your hands. The summoned chain is 15 feet
long and it has little spikes on each of its ends. You can
use this summoned chain as a whip.
Instead of using the chain as a whip, you can also
FKRRVHWRDQLPDWHLW$QDQLPDWHGFKDLQFDQÁRDWLQ
the air on its own. As a bonus action, you can issue
a command to the chain (one of the four explained
below), and it obeys your commands to the best of
its abilities. If you don’t issue any commands to it, it
doesn’t do anything.
You can have up to three summoned chains at a time
and issue a different command to each with the same
bonus action. A chain can take one command per turn.
The summoned chains remain for 1 minute, until they
are dismissed (no action required by you), or until they
are destroyed.
A summoned chain has AC 12, 20 hit points, immunity
to poison and psychic damage, and immunity to being
poisoned.
The commands you can issue to a chain are as follows:
Attach. You command the chain to attach its ends
to certain points. At least one of the points must be
on a surface. If one of the points is a creature, it must
succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or become
grappled by the chain. At the start of each of its turns,
the target can repeat the saving throw to free itself,
and can’t move more than 15 feet away from the chain’s
other end on a fail.
Attack. You command the chain to attack a creature
of your choice within 60 feet of either of its ends. The
target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw
or take 1d8 piercing damage.
Blaze. <RXFRPPDQGWKHFKDLQWRVHWLWVHOIRQÀUH
7KHÁDPLQJFKDLQGHDOVGÀUHGDPDJHWRDQ\WKLQJLW
touches. You can also command the chain to extinguish
WKHÁDPHXVLQJWKLVFRPPDQG2WKHUZLVHWKHFKDLQ
VWD\VDÁDPHXQWLOLWLVGLVPLVVHG
Detain. You can command the chain to wrap itself
around a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see.
The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving
throw or be grappled by the chain. At the start of each
of its turns, the target can make a DC 15 Strength saving
267
 throw, ending the grappled condition on itself on a ACTIONS
success. If it is grappled by the chain for 3 consecutive Multiattack. The angstry makes one bite attack, and two slam
turns, it becomes restrained. attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6
(1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Ring of Sun Blocking
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
Ring, uncommon 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Some residents of the city of Kanrath have a particular Automaton Angel

apathy towards sunlight but they still want to enjoy
Gargantuan construct, unaligned
daytime. This ring is a common solution to this
problem.
Armor Class 9
While wearing this ring, the radiant damage you take
from sunlight decreases by 5, if you are affected by it. Hit Points 899 (58d20 + 290)
Also, you are immune to being blinded. Speed 30 ft.

Adventure STR
29 (+9)
DEX
8 (-1)
CON
20 (+5)
INT
3 (-4)
WIS
10 (+0)
CHA
1 (-5)

monsters
Saving Throws Strength +15, Constitution +11
Skills Perception +12
Damage Resistances cold, lightning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic; bludgeoning,
piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that
aren’t adamantine
Angstry Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,
Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil H[KDXVWLRQIULJKWHQHGLQYLVLEOHSDUDO\]HGSHWULÀHG
poisoned, unconscious
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Senses blindsight 150 ft., darkvision 150 ft., truesight 60 ft.,
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24) passive Perception 22
Speed 40 ft. Languages Common
Challenge  ;3

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Arcane Halo. The automaton’s halo can be targeted separately
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 5 (-3) 2 (-4) from the automaton. It has AC 16, 200 hit points, and the same
damage resistances and damage immunities as the automaton.
If an attack, effect, or a spell can’t target the automaton, it
Damage Immunities poison can’t target the halo either. If the halo’s hit points are reduced
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, to 0, the halo is destroyed, the automaton loses 150 hit points,
poisoned DQGWKHDXWRPDWRQFDQQRORQJHUEHQHÀWIURPWKHIROORZLQJ
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 7 2QFHRQHDFKRILWVWXUQVWKHÀUVWVSHOORUPDJLFDO
effect that targets the automaton has no effect. Also, if the
Languages - automaton is stunned, the halo absorbs all the magical
Challenge  ;3 energies, creating a 90-foot-radius sphere of antimagic
centered on the automaton, as in the DQWLPDJLFÀHOGspell, for
Angst Power. Whenever the angstry consumes angst worth the duration of the stun, which does not affect the Arcane
RQHDQJVWFRLQRUPRUHLWJDLQVWKHEHQHÀWVRIWKHHQODUJH Halo feature. This sphere moves with the automaton.
section of the enlarge/reduce spell. It also regains 10 hit points 7KHDXWRPDWRQDQJHOFDQWDNHWKH)RUFH0LVVLOHDFWLRQRQO\
at the start of each of its turns for 1 minute. LILWFDQEHQHÀWIURPWKLVIHDWXUH

Detect Angst. The angstry can smell any amount of angst Separate Targeting Engines. There are lots of engines inside
within 60 feet of it, including the angst in angst machines. the automaton angel that calibrate the angles of its ranged
weapons. The automaton angel has a +8 bonus to its attack
rolls made with ranged weapons (included in the attacks).

268
Countermeasures. When any part of the automaton, such as
the Wings of Vitality, is destroyed, the automaton partially
shuts down and deploys countermeasures. The automaton is
stunned for 3 turns and it is immune to any kind of damage
during that time. Also, 4 Bloodwork Automatons (Soldier) (p.
272) are activated; they detach from the automaton angel and
each move to the closest unoccupied space. These automatons
do their best to eliminate all threats against the automaton
angel.
While the automaton angel is stunned in this manner,
the cooling systems shut down and the automaton angel
RYHUKHDWVFDXVLQJDFUHDWXUHWRWDNH G ÀUHGDPDJHLILW
FRPHVZLWKLQIHHWRIWKHDXWRPDWRQDQJHOIRUWKHÀUVWWLPH
on its turn or if it ends its turn there.
Force Plating. The automaton angel and its parts have a
PDJLFDOIRUFHÀHOGDURXQGWKHPDQGWKH\DUHLPPXQHWR
any kind of damage. If the automaton angel or its parts are
affected by a spell or an effect that can destroy a creation
of magical force such as the disintegrate spell, this feature is
deactivated for three consecutive turns.
Immutable Form. The automaton angel is immune to any spell
or effect that would alter its form.
Magic Resistance. The automaton angel has advantage on
saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The automaton angel’s weapon attacks are
magical.
Main Outer Reactor. There is a reactor on the automaton
angel’s chest, and it can be targeted separately from the
automaton. It has AC 18, 250 hit points, and the same damage
resistances and damage immunities as the automaton. If
an attack, effect, or a spell can’t target the automaton, it
can’t target the reactor either. If the reactor’s hit points are
reduced to 0, the reactor is destroyed, the automaton loses
KLWSRLQWVDQGWKHDXWRPDWRQFDQ·WEHQHÀWIURPWKLV
feature.
Also, if the reactor is destroyed, the automaton loses its
UHVLVWDQFHWRFROGGDPDJHDQGLWFDQQRORQJHUEHQHÀWIURP
WKH)RUFH3ODWLQJIHDWXUH
Prime Spear. The automaton’s spear can be targeted
separately from the automaton. It has AC 14, 150 hit points,
and the same damage resistances and damage immunities
as the automaton. If an attack, effect, or a spell can’t target
the automaton, it can’t target the spear either. If the spear’s
hit points are reduced to 0, the spear is destroyed and the
DXWRPDWRQFDQ·WEHQHÀWIURPWKLVIHDWXUH
The automaton angel can take the Adamantine Prime Spear
DFWLRQRQO\ZKLOHLWFDQEHQHÀWIURPWKLVIHDWXUH
Wings of Vitality. The automaton’s wings can be targeted
separately from the automaton. Each wing has AC 10, 200
hit points, and the same damage resistances and damage
immunities as the automaton. If an attack, effect, or a spell
can’t target the automaton, it can’t target the wing either. If
the wing’s hit points are reduced to 0, the wing is destroyed,
the automaton loses 150 hit points, and the automaton can’t
EHQHÀWIURPWKLVIHDWXUH
7KHUHDUHEORRGSXULÀHUVLQVLGHWKHZLQJWRVXSSO\IUHVK
fuel for the enormous machine. Whenever the automaton
angel or its parts are subjected to damage that originates
from blood damage, they take no damage and instead regain a
number of hit points equal to the damage dealt.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The automaton angel makes one melee attack
and one ranged attack.
Adamantine Prime Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach
30 ft., one target. Hit: 37 (8d6 + 9) blood damage. If the target is
immune to both necrotic and poison damage, then this attack
deals piercing damage.
Lightning Wand Turret. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range
60 ft., one target. Hit: 39 (6d12) lightning damage and the
target can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn.
Overheated Exhaust Pipe. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit,
reach 20 ft., two adjacent targets. Hit: 14 (2d4 + 9) bludgeoning
GDPDJHSOXV G ÀUHGDPDJH
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft.,
one target. Hit: 29 (8d4 + 9) bludgeoning damage.
Arcane Bombs. Hundreds of invisible bombs rain down around
the automaton angel. Each creature within 30 feet of the
automaton angel must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw.
A creature takes 26 (4d12) thunder damage plus 26 (4d12)
force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one.
Carpet Bombing. The automaton angel targets a line 100
feet long and 5 feet wide, and bombs the area with dozens
of missiles. Each creature within the line must make a
DC 19 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 19 (3d12)
bludgeoning plus 19 (3d12) piercing damage plus 19 (3d12)
slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one.
Force Missile. The automaton angel chooses 5 targets within
120 feet of it and shoots force missiles at them. These missiles
cannot miss, and each missile deals 7 (2d4 + 2) force damage.
This counts as a ranged attack.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The automaton angel can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
from the options below. Only one legendary action option can
be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s
turn. The automaton angel regains spent legendary actions at
the start of its turn.
Acid Bomb. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 240 ft., one
target. Hit: 18 (4d8) acid damage.
Flash Bomb. Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 240 ft.,
one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) radiant damage.
Sound Bomb. The automaton angel chooses a point within
300 feet that it can see. Each creature within 10 feet of that
point must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be
stunned until the end of their next turn. This sound bomb can
be prevented by spells and magical effects that block sound,
such as the silence spell.
269
 Blood Clot Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and
slashing from nonmagical attacks
Medium ooze, unaligned
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed,
Armor Class 7 SHWULÀHGSRLVRQHGSURQHUHVWUDLQHGXQFRQVFLRXV
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16) Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive Perception
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft. 20
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge  ;3
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 6 (-3) 14 (+2) 1 (-5) 10 (+0) 3 (-4)
Bloody Resurrection. When a blood dragon dies, the blood
that forms its body gathers in one point and creates a Huge
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from crystal of blood in the body’s place. The crystal has AC 21, 500
nonmagical attacks hit points, immunity to necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic,
and slashing damage. After 1d4 hours, if there is a creature
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic, poison
with blood within 1 mile of the crystal, and if the crystal is
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, not destroyed, the creature closest to the crystal explodes and
IULJKWHQHGJUDSSOHGSHWULÀHGSURQH dies, and the blood dragon is reborn from the blood of it.
Senses passive Perception 10 Immutable Form. The blood dragon is immune to any spell or
Languages - effect that would alter its form.
Challenge  ;3 Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the blood dragon fails a
saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Amorphous. The blood clot can move through a space as Spellcasting. The blood dragon is an 18th level spellcaster. Its
narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit
with spell attacks). The blood dragon has the following spells
Contagious. A creature that touches the blood clot or hits
prepared:
it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8)
Cantrips (at will): ÀUHEROWOLJKWPDJHKDQGSUHVWLGLJLWDWLRQWUXH
poison damage. Then the creature must succeed on a DC 12
strike
Constitution saving throw or become hemophiliac (p. 8).
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, false life, identify, magic missile
Spider Climb.7KHEORRGFORWFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOWVXUIDFHV 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, enlarge/reduce, invisibility
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make 3rd level (3 slots): bestow curse, counterspell, haste
an ability check. 4th level (3 slots): confusion, greater invisibility*, resilient sphere
5th level (3 slots): dream, scrying, wall of force
ACTIONS 6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): symbol
Deadly Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
8th level (1 slot): mind blank*
target. Hit: 7 (2d6) blood damage.
9th level (1 slot): foresight*
*The blood dragon casts these spells on itself before combat.

Blood Dragon ACTIONS

Huge dragon, any alignment Multiattack. The blood dragon makes one bite attack and two
claw attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) blood damage. If the attack deals necrotic
Hit Points 275 (22d12 + 132) damage, the hit point maximum of the target decreases by
Speed IWÁ\IWVZLPIW half the amount of the necrotic damage dealt. This reduction
ODVWVXQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) blood damage. If the attack deals necrotic
damage, the hit point maximum of the target decreases by
22 (+6) 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 20 (+5) 18 (+4) 18 (+4)
half the amount of the necrotic damage dealt. This reduction
ODVWVXQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Saving Throws Dexterity +11, Constitution +12, Intelligence Blood Breath (Recharge 6). The blood dragon exhales blood in
+11, Wisdom +10, Charisma +10 a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC
Skills Arcana +11, Deception +10, History +11, Intimidate +10, 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) blood damage on
Perception +10, Persuasion +10 a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. The blood

270
breathed by the dragon stays on the ground for 1d4 rounds. XQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW7KHWDUJHWGLHVLIWKLV
$Q\FUHDWXUHWKDWHQWHUVWKHDUHDIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHRUVWDUWVLWV effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
turn within there takes 1d8 blood damage. Contagion (Recharge 6). The mephit vomits blood on a 15-
foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 11
LEGENDARY ACTIONS Constitution saving throw, or become hemophiliac (p. 8) for 1
minute.
The blood dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from
the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a
time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The blood
dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Claw. The blood dragon makes one claw attack.
Blooddrake
Large dragon, unaligned
Bloody Teleportation (Costs 2 Actions). The blood dragon
chooses a target that has blood within 120 feet of itself and
teleports to the target. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Constitution saving throw or explodes and dies. Hit Points 152 (16d8 + 80)
Spell (Costs 3 Actions). The blood dragon casts a spell. Speed 50 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Blood Mephit
19(+4) 13(+1) 21(+5) 7 (-2) 11(+0) 9 (-1)
Small elemental, neutral evil

Saving Throws Constitution +9

Armor Class 12
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4
Hit Points 14 (4d6)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, cold, thunder
Speed IHHWÁ\IW KRYHU 
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, hemophiliac,
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA paralyzed

6 (-2) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) Senses passive Perception 14

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Draconic
Challenge  ;3
Blood Form. The mephit can move through a space as narrow
as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Death Burst. When the mephit dies, it explodes and creates a
puddle of poisonous blood. Each creature within 5 feet of the
mephit must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or
take 4 (1d8) blood damage.
False Appearance. While the mephit remains motionless, it is
indistinguishable from an ordinary puddle of blood.
Innate Spellcasting (1/Day). The mephit can innately cast the
false life spell, requiring no material components. Its innate
spellcasting ability is Charisma.
ACTIONS
Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 5 (2d4) blood damage. The target must succeed on a DC 11
Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced
by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts
Languages understands Draconic but cannot speak
Challenge  ;3
Bleeding Wounds. When the blooddrake takes piercing or
slashing damage, it suffers 1 bleeding wound for 1 minute. On
a hit, the blooddrake’s bite and tail attacks deal an additional
blood damage equal to the number of bleeding wounds. These
bleeding wounds stack.
Magic Weapons. The blooddrake’s weapon attacks are magical.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The blooddrake makes one bite and two tail
attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
22 (4d8 +4) piercing damage and the target must succeed on a
DC 17 Constitution saving throw or become hemophiliac (p.8)
for 3 rounds.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) blood damage.
Shake. The blooddrake shakes off the excess blood
accumulated on its body. Each creature within 10 feet of
the blooddrake must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw,
taking 5 (1d10) blood damage for each bleeding wound the
blooddrake has on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
successful one. The blooddrake loses all of its bleeding wounds
after it uses this feature.

271
 Bloodhound Damage Immunities psychic

Small elemental, unaligned Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened,

H[KDXVWLRQIULJKWHQHGSDUDO\]HGSHWULÀHGSRLVRQHG
Senses passive Perception 13
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Languages understands Common but can’t speak
Hit Points 22 (4d6 + 8)
Challenge  ;3
Speed 40 ft.

Automaton Fighting Style (Soldier). The bloodwork automaton

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA has advantage on attack rolls if there is at least one other
bloodwork automaton attacking the target and within 5 feet
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) of the target.
Enhanced Optics and Auditory Receivers (Patrol). The
Saving Throws Dexterity +5, Wisdom +4 EORRGZRUNDXWRPDWRQ·VSURÀFLHQF\ERQXVLVGRXEOHGIRU
Wisdom (Perception) checks and it has advantage on Wisdom
Skills Perception +6, Survival +6
(Perception) checks.
Damage Immunities poison, necrotic
(IÀFLHQW/DERUHU :RUNHU  The bloodwork automaton has
Condition Immunities poisoned SURÀFLHQF\ZLWKHDFKDUWLVDQ·VWRRO
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Understands Common but cannot speak ACTIONS
Challenge  ;3 Multiattack. The bloodwork automaton makes two attacks.
Adamantine Hammer (Worker). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
Keen Hearing and Smell. The bloodhound has advantage on reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. Automaton’s Blade (Patrol and Soldier). Melee Weapon Attack: +5
Pack Tactics. The bloodhound has advantage on an attack roll to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage.
against a creature if at least one of the bloodhound’s allies is Automaton’s Crossbow (Patrol and Soldier). Ranged Weapon
within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. Attack: WRKLWUDQJHIWRQHWDUJHWHit: 6 (1d8 + 2)
piercing damage.
ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5
(1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) blood damage. CBI Lieutenant
Medium humanoid (any race), typically lawful evil

REACTIONS
Faithful (2/Day). When an ally within 10 feet of the Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
bloodhound is targeted by a melee weapon attack, the Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
bloodhound makes a bite attack against the attacker. On a Speed 30 ft.
success, the creature takes the damage and it cannot take any
actions until the start of its next turn.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Bloodwork Automaton 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)

Medium construct, unaligned
Saving Throws Constitution +6, Charisma +7
Armor Class 12 (14 for Soldier Automaton) Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Perception +6
Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) Damage Resistances damage from spells; bludgeoning,
Speed 30 ft. piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic, and one other language
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Challenge  ;3
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 8 (-1) 1 (-5)
Armor of the Mages. The mage armor and stoneskin spells are
Skills Perception +1 (+3 for Patrol Automaton) always cast on the CBI Lieutenant and they do not count
against the spells it can cast with the Masters of the Arcane
Damage Resistances poison; bludgeoning, piercing and
Arts.
slashing damage from nonmagical attacks

272
Magic Resistance. The CBI Lieutenant has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The CBI Lieutenant makes two attacks with its
bloodshot.
Bloodshot. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 120 ft., one
target. Hit: 14 (4d6) blood damage. The target’s hit point
maximum is reduced by the amount. This reduction lasts until
WKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Masters of the Arcane Arts (7/Day). The CBI Lieutenant can
cast any spell of 5th level or lower requiring no components,
provided that the spell is listed in the Sorcerer’s spell list or
the Wizard’s spell list. The spell’s casting time must be equal
to or shorter than 1 action, and its spellcasting ability for such
spells is Charisma.
CBI Sorcerer
Medium humanoid (any race), typically lawful evil
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Constitution +6, Charisma +7
Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Perception +6
Damage Resistances damage from spells; bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic, and one other language
Challenge  ;3
Armor of the Mages. The mage armor and stoneskin spells are
always cast on the CBI Sorcerer and they do not count against
the spells it can cast with the Masters of the Arcane Arts.
Magic Resistance. The CBI sorcerer has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The CBI Sorcerer makes two attacks with its
bloodshot.
Bloodshot. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 120 ft., one
target. Hit: 14 (4d6) blood damage. The target’s hit point
maximum is reduced by the amount. This reduction lasts until
WKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Masters of the Arcane Arts (5/Day). The CBI Sorcerer can
cast any spell of 3rd level or lower requiring no components
provided that the spell is listed in the Sorcerer’s spell list. The
spell’s casting time must be equal to or shorter than 1 action.
Its spellcasting ability for such spells is Charisma.
CBI Special Operator
Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful evil
Armor Class 18 (tactical gear, shield)
Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64)
Speed 45 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16(+3) 18(+4) 19(+4) 15(+2) 16(+3) 19(+4)
Saving Throws Strength +7, Dexterity +8, Constitution +8,
Intelligence +6, Wisdom +7, Charisma +8
Skills Arcana +6, Athletics +7, Insight +7, Intimidation +8,
Investigation +6, Medicine +7, Perception +7, Persuasion +8,
Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +8, Survival +7
Damage Resistances damage from spells, bludgeoning,
piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses blindsight 10 ft., truesight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft.,
passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Draconic, Sign Language
Challenge  ;3
Clandestine Operation. The special operator can become
invisible as a part of its movement and vice versa. If the
operator takes 30 or more damage in a round, it becomes
visible and can’t turn invisible for 3 rounds.
Force Shield. The operator uses a magic shield designed to be
lighter and bigger than a normal shield. The shield is made
of magical force and can only be damaged or destroyed by an
effect that can damage a creation of magical force, such as
the disintegrate spell. While holding the shield, the operator
doesn’t take damage from the magic missile spell.
Immediate Retreat. The operator can cast the misty step
spell as a cantrip. When the operator dies, the operator is
teleported back to the CBI Headquarters by magical means.
Magic Resistance. The special operator has advantage on
saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Tactical Advantage. The operator has advantage on attack
rolls against a creature that was already hit with an attack
made by another CBI special operator on the same round.
Tactical Gear. The operator wears a special kind of armor
made of kevlar and metal plates made of a platinum-gold
alloy. This armor covers the operator’s entire body and has
blood batteries inside, fueling the angst cores embedded in
the suit. The operator’s equipment can function in antimagic
zones.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The operator makes four EORRGZRUNDVVDXOWULÁH
273
 attacks.
%ORRGZRUN$VVDXOW5LÁHRanged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range
IWRQHWDUJHWHit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage. This
attack is magical.
BONUS ACTIONS
Antimagic Flash Grenade. The operator throws an antimagic
ÁDVKJUHQDGHDWDSRLQWZLWKLQIHHWZKHUHLWH[SORGHV
regardless of whether it hits a hard surface or not. Each
creature within 10 feet of the explosion point must succeed on
a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end
of its next turn. The explosion also creates a 10-foot-radius,
invisible sphere of antimagic zone centered on the point that
persists for 1 round.
REACTIONS
Countermagic Measures. When a creature casts a spell, the
operator can make a EORRGZRUNDVVDXOWULÁH attack against the
creature.
Shield Cover. When a creature that the operator can see takes
hostile action against the operator, the operator can raise its
shield and take cover against the creature. If the operator
does so, it has three-quarters cover against the creature and
half cover against other creatures adjacent to the creature. If
the operator lowers its shield, or the shield is destroyed, the
operator is no longer behind cover. If the operator uses this
feature against another creature, the operator loses its cover
against the previous creature.
Cohors Sanguinea
Medium undead, typically lawful evil
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 157 (15d8 + 90)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 22 (+6) 22 (+6) 15 (+2) 20 (+5) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dexterity +11, Constitution +11, Wisdom +10
Skills Acrobatics +11, Arcana +7, Athletics +9, History +7,
Intimidation +8, Perception +10
Damage Resistance cold, necrotic, poison
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception
20
Languages Common, Draconic, Old Common
Challenge  ;3
Cloaked. In the daytime, the Cohors Sanguinea carries out
its duty under sunlight. They wear robes enchanted by the
274
shadow cloak* spell.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Cohors Sanguinea fails a
saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. The Cohors Sanguinea regains 10 hit points at
the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in
sunlight. If the Cohors Sanguinea takes radiant damage or
damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t function at the
start of its next turn. Also, if the Cohors Sanguinea drops to
0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point at the end of its turn when
three rounds have passed.
Spider Climb. 7KH&RKRUV6DQJXLQHDFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOW
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing
to make an ability check.
Toughened. The Cohors Sanguinea doesn’t take fall damage.
Vampire Weaknesses. The Cohors Sanguinea has the following
ÁDZV
Forbiddance. The Cohors Sanguinea can’t enter a residence
without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Silver Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of silver
is driven into the Cohors Sanguinea’s heart while it has 0 hit
points, the Cohors Sanguinea dies.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The Cohors Sanguinea takes 20
radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in
sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Cohors Sanguinea makes two weapon attacks
and one spell attack.
Blood God’s Envy. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 60 ft., one
target. Hit: 2 (1d4) blood damage for each Hit Die the target
has.
King’s Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) blood damage. If the target is immune
to both necrotic and poison damage, then this attack deals
slashing damage and is magical.
REACTIONS
Blood Absorption. When targeted by an attack, the Cohors
Sanguinea can use its almost indestructible left arm to
cover itself to gain a +5 bonus to its AC against that attack.
Alternatively, when subjected to blood damage, the Cohors
Sanguinea can use its blessed arm to absorb the damage,
negating the damage completely.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Cohors Sanguinea can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
from the options below. Only one legendary action option can
be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s
turn. The Cohors Sanguinea regains spent legendary actions
at the start of its turn.
Detect. The Cohors Sanguinea makes a Wisdom (Perception)
check with advantage.
Move. The Cohors Sanguinea moves up to its remaining speed
for the turn without provoking opportunity attacks.
Tag (Costs 2 Actions). The Cohors Sanguinea moves up to its
remaining speed for the turn without provoking opportunity
attacks and touches a creature at any point of this movement. Crimson Monk
The creature must succeed on a DC 16 (21 if the Cohors
Sanguinea is within Kanrath) Charisma saving throw or Medium (or Small) undead, typically lawful evil
is marked for a day. All Cohors Sanguinea members have
advantage on their attack rolls against a marked creature; Armor Class 11
also, they can sense if there is a marked creature within 120 Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
IHHWRIWKHP$PDUNHGFUHDWXUHFDQ·WEHQHÀWIURPLQYLVLELOLW\ Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Crimson Grand Monk
14 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 8 (-1)
Medium undead, typically lawful evil
Skills History +6, Perception +5
Armor Class 15 (shield of the dedicated) Damage Immunities poison
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24) Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Speed 30 ft.
Languages Common, Old Common plus any one language
Challenge  ;3

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Eternal Dedication. :KLOHLQWKH&U\SWRIWKH)LUVW9DPSLUH

the crimson monk has advantage on attack rolls and saving
16 (+3) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 16 (+3)
throws.

Saving Throws Strength +5, Dexterity +4, Wisdom +3, ACTIONS

Charisma +5 Multiattack. The crimson monk makes two weapon attacks.
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +5, Perception +3, Stealth +4
Sword of Fleshcarving. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5
Damage Immunities poison ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. The crimson
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned monk’s attacks made with this weapon score a critical hit on a
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13 roll of 19 or 20.
Languages Common, Old Common, one other language
Challenge  ;3
Crypt Gargoyle
Armory of the Dedicated. The crimson grand monk is so Medium elemental, neutral evil
GHGLFDWHGWRWKH)RXQGHUWKDWWKH)RXQGHUUHZDUGVLW
with a shortsword made of blood, called “the sword of the
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
dedicated” and a shield made of blood, called “the shield of
the dedicated”. The monk can conjure the shortsword and the Hit Points 68 (8d8 + 32)
shield, requiring no action. Speed IWÁ\IW
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the crimson grand monk fails
a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Eternal Dedication. :KLOHLQWKH&U\SWRIWKH)LUVW9DPSLUH
the crimson grand monk has advantage on attack rolls and 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 8 (-1)
saving throws.
Spider Climb. 7KHFULPVRQJUDQGPRQNFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOW
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing
from nonmagical attacks not made with adamantine weapons
to make an ability check.
Condition Immunities hemophiliac, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
ACTIONS
Languages Old Common, Terran
Multiattack. The crimson grand monk makes two weapon
attacks. Challenge  ;3
Sword of the Dedicated. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5
ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) False Appearance. While the gargoyle remains motionless, it is
poison damage. indistinguishable from an inanimate statue.
Self-Petrifying (1/Day). As a bonus action, the crypt gargoyle

275
 can turn itself into an actual statue by petrifying itself, or vice Speed 30 ft.
versa.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The crypt gargoyle uses its Petrifying Gaze if 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2)
possible, then it makes two attacks: one with its bite and one
with its claws.
Skills Athletics +2, Intimidation +3
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4
(1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) blood damage. Senses passive Perception 9

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) blood damage.
Death Stare (Recharge 5-6).7KHFU\SWJDUJR\OHÀ[HVLWVJD]H
on one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must
succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw against this magic
RUEHFRPHSHWULÀHGIRUGWXUQV7KHSHWULÀHGWDUJHWFDQ
repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending
the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is
successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the
crypt gargoyle’s gaze for the next 24 hours.
Crypt Guard
Medium undead, any alignment
Armor Class 14 (leather, shield)
Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
Languages Common
Challenge  ;3
Knowledge of the Streets. The Cyherested crime boss lives
and conducts its “business” in the city of Cyherested, thus
it knows the area very well. It has advantage on Wisdom
(Survival) checks while in Cyherested.
Spellcasting. The Cyherested crime boss casts one of the
following spells, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability
(spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: chill touch, prestidigitation, shocking grasp
GD\HDFK burning hands, expeditious retreat
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Cyherested crime boss makes two weapon
attacks.

Speed 30 ft. Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Wand of Magic Missile. This wand has 7 charges. While holding
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA it, the Cyherested crime boss can expend 1 or more of its
charges to cast the magic missile VSHOOIURPLW)RUWKHÀUVW
16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) charge it expends, it must cast it as a 1st-level spell. The thug
can increase the spell slot level by one for each additional
charge it expends. The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges
Skills Perception +5
daily at dawn. If the thug expends the wand’s last charge, roll
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.
Languages Understands Common but cannot speak
Challenge  ;3
Cyherested Thug
Medium humanoid (any), any non-good alignment
Alerted. The crypt guard knows if a creature is from the royal
family or not, always acting hostile against the non-royals.
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 24 (4d8 + 8)
ACTIONS
Speed 30 ft.
Multiattack. The crypt guard makes two weapon attacks.
Angst Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit:  G VODVKLQJGDPDJHSOXV G ÀUH STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
GDPDJH G VODVKLQJGDPDJHSOXV G ÀUHGDPDJH
if wielded with two hands. 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 12 (+1)

Cyherested Crime Boss Skills Athletics +2, Intimidation +3

Medium humanoid (any), any non-good alignment Senses passive Perception 9
Languages Common
Armor Class 12 Challenge  ;3
Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)

276
Knowledge of the Streets. The Cyherested thug lives and attack). They also gain climb and swim speeds that are equal
conducts its “business” in the city of Cyherested, thus it to half of their speed.
knows the area very well. It has advantage on Wisdom
(Survival) checks while in Cyherested.
ACTIONS
Spellcasting. The Cyherested thug casts one of the following
Multiattack. The ranger makes three longbow attacks.
spells, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability (spell save DC
11, +3 to hit with spell attacks): Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack:WRKLWUDQJHIW
one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) piercing damage.
At will: chill touch, prestidigitation, shocking grasp
Herd (6/day). The ranger casts the animal friendship spell.
GD\HDFK burning hands, expeditious retreat

ACTIONS Ethan Ward, The Detective

Multiattack. The Cyherested thug makes two weapon attacks. Medium humanoid (human), chaotic neutral
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. Armor Class 13
Wand of Magic Missile. This wand has 7 charges. While holding Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8)(+7 (1d8+3) each time the characters
it, the Cyherested thug can expend 1 or more of its charges level up)
to cast the magic missile VSHOOIURPLW)RUWKHÀUVWFKDUJH
Speed 30 ft.
it expends, it must cast it as a 1st-level spell. The thug can
increase the spell slot level by one for each additional charge
it expends. The wand regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily
at dawn. If the thug expends the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
On a 1, the wand crumbles into ashes and is destroyed. 8 (-1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)

Demiplane Ranger Skills Deception +8, History +6, Investigation +8, Medicine +5,
Perception +7, Persuasion +6, Religion +6, Stealth +8
Medium fey, typically chaotic evil
Senses passive Perception 17
Languages Common, Draconic, Old Common
Armor Class 15
Challenge  ;3LQFUHDVHVDVWKHSDUW\OHYHOVXS
Hit Points 152 (16d8 + 80)
Speed 50 ft., climb 25 ft., swim 25 ft.
Investigator. The detective is a master investigator. He gains
a +5 bonus to Intelligence (Investigation) checks provided he
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA spends 3 minutes exploring the place he investigates. This
bonus increases to +7 when the characters reach the 5th level.
15 (+3) 21 (+5) 21 (+5) 10 (+0) 22 (+6) 24 (+7) A Helping Hand (When the Party is 2nd Level). If an ally is
making death saving throws, the detective makes Wisdom
Saving Throws Dexterity +9, Constitution +9, Wisdom +10, (Medicine) checks to stabilize his ally with advantage.
Charisma +11 All-Seeing Eye (When the Party is 3rd Level). The Detective is
Skills Animal Handling +14, Arcana +4, Insight +10, Nature +4, an experienced investigator who shares his knowledge with
Perception +10, Survival +10, Stealth +9 his party when needed. His allies have advantage on group
ability checks.
Condition Immunities charmed
Bloodwork Pistol Improvement (When the Party is 3rd Level).
Senses tremorsense 20 ft., passive Perception 25
The detective’s bloodwork pistol attacks deal an additional 3
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan G ÀUHGDPDJH7KLVDGGLWLRQDOGDPDJHLQFUHDVHVWR G 
Challenge  ;3 when the characters reach the 7th level.
Cautious (When the Party is 4th Level). The detective and his
Favored Demiplane. While within the Sanguinologist’s allies within 30 feet of him cannot be surprised if the detective
demiplane, the ranger can’t be lost by any means. In addition, is not blinded or incapacitated.
PRYLQJWKURXJKQRQPDJLFDOGLIÀFXOWWHUUDLQFRVWVWKHUDQJHU Armored Investigator (When the Party is 5th Level). The
no extra movement. detective decides to upgrade his armor. He has AC 15. His
Magic Resistance. The ranger has advantage on saving throws AC increases by 2 when the characters reach the 9th level
against spells and other magical effects. and becomes 17. He is careful to hide the armor beneath his
clothing.
Elemental Command. The ranger and the beasts it has charmed
are strengthened by the elements constituting the demiplane. Pistol Expertise (When the Party is 8th Level). Being within 5
The reach and range of the attacks made by the ranger or the feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on the
beasts it has charmed are doubled (included in the ranger’s detective’s ranged attack rolls.

277
 Blood Investigator (When the Party is 10th Level). When +9, Stealth +9
the detective spends ten minutes investigating a drop of Damage Resistances lightning, thunder
blood that was spilled no more than 8 hours ago, he gains
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison; bludgeoning,
information about the target’s heritage, age, and whether is
piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with
intoxicated or not. If he tries this on the characters, he sees
golden weapons
them as elderly vampires that are not intoxicated.
Condition Immunities charmed*, exhaustion, frightened*,
Angst In His Veins (When the Party is 11th Level). The
paralyzed, poisoned
Detective’s angst cigarette addiction started to affect him.
The angst dust in his body reacts with his blood and makes Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception
him heat up and become more aggressive. Whenever he takes 28
bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, he gains advantage Languages&RPPRQ'UDFRQLF(OYLVK+DOÁLQJ2OG&RPPRQ
on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end Thieves’ Cant
of his next turn. Challenge  ;3

ACTIONS Shapechanger.,IWKH)RXUWK&KLOGLVQ·WLQVXQOLJKWVKHFDQ
Multiattack (When the Party is 6th Level). The detective makes use her action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium
two weapon attacks; one with his bloodwork pistol and one with cloud of mist, or back into her true form. While in bat form,
his melee weapon. WKH)RXUWK&KLOGFDQ·WVSHDNKHUZDONLQJVSHHGLVIHHWDQG
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit (+6 when the VKHKDVDÁ\LQJVSHHGRIIHHW+HUVWDWLVWLFVRWKHUWKDQ
characters are 5th level, +7 when the characters are 9th level), her size and speed, are unchanged. Anything she is wearing
UDQJHIWRQHWDUJHWHit: 4 (1d8) piercing damage. transforms with her, but nothing she is carrying does. She
reverts to her true form if she dies. While in mist form, the
Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit (+6 when the characters
)RXUWK&KLOGFDQ·WWDNHDQ\DFWLRQVVSHDNRUPDQLSXODWH
are 5th level, +7 when the characters are 9th level), reach 5 ft.,
REMHFWV6KHLVZHLJKWOHVVKDVDÁ\LQJVSHHGRIIHHWFDQ
one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage.
hover, and can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there.
Healing Potion (2/Day, When the Party is 4th Level). The In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do
detective has 10 potions of healing in his bag of holding unless so without squeezing, and she can’t pass through water. She
he buys more or he spends them. He is willing to use two of has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving
them a day for his allies. As an action, he makes one of his throws, and she is immune to all nonmagical damage, except
allies within 5 feet of himself drink the potion. As a result, the the damage she takes from sunlight.
ally regains 2d4 + 2 hit points.
Demoralize. 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGFDQGHPRUDOL]HWKHFUHDWXUHV
around her by simply talking to them. As a bonus action, the
)RXUWK&KLOGSHUVXDGHVKRVWLOHFUHDWXUHVZLWKLQIHHWRI
her that can hear and understand her that they are inferior to
The Fourth Child her. The creatures have disadvantage on their attack rolls and
Small undead, lawful evil saving throws until the end of their next turn. If a creature
has resistance or immunity to psychic damage, it is also
immune to the effects of this feature.
Armor Class 20 (spider gown)
Forbiddance.7KH)RXUWK&KLOGFDQ·WHQWHUDUHVLGHQFHZLWKRXW
Hit Points 228 (24d6 + 144)
DQLQYLWDWLRQIURPRQHRIWKHRFFXSDQWV7KLVÁDZGRHVQRW
Speed 25 ft. IXQFWLRQZKLOHWKH)RXUWK&KLOGLVLQ.DQUDWKVLQFHVKHLVRQH
of the owners of the whole city.
Frightful Presence.(DFKFUHDWXUHRIWKH)RXUWK&KLOG·VFKRLFH
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA WKDWLVZLWKLQIHHWRIWKH)RXUWK&KLOGDQGDZDUHRIKHU
16 (+3) 16 (+3) 22 (+6) 20 (+5) 22 (+6) 26 (+8) must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or become
frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving
throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on
Saving Throws Constitution +12, Intelligence +11, Wisdom itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful
+12, Charisma +14 RUWKHHIIHFWHQGVIRULWWKHFUHDWXUHLVLPPXQHWRWKH)RXUWK
Skills Athletics +9, Deception +14, History +17, Insight &KLOG·V)ULJKWIXO3UHVHQFHIRUWKHQH[WKRXUV
+12, Intimidation +14, Investigation +11, Perception +18, Legendary Resistance (3/Day). ,IWKH)RXUWK&KLOGIDLOVDVDYLQJ
Performance +14, Persuasion +20, Religion +11, Sleight of Hand throw, she can choose to succeed instead.

278
Regeneration.7KH)RXUWK&KLOGUHJDLQVKLWSRLQWVDW
the start of her turn if she has at least 1 hit point and isn’t
in sunlight. If she takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t
function at the start of her next turn.
Rejecting Death. ,IWKH)RXUWK&KLOGGURSVWRKLWSRLQWVVKH
regains all lost hit points after 1d4 rounds. This trait doesn’t
function while there is a golden piercing weapon driven into
her heart.
Spider Climb. 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOWVXUIDFHV
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make
an ability check.
Spider Gown. 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGZHDUVDZKLWHOXPLQRXVJRZQ
made from spider silk and enhanced with blood magic. While
ZHDULQJWKHJRZQWKH)RXUWK&KLOG·V$&EHFRPHV
Sunlight Hypersensitivity.7KH)RXUWK&KLOGWDNHVUDGLDQW
damage when she starts her turn in sunlight. While in
sunlight, she has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability
checks.
7KLVWUDLWGRHVQRWIXQFWLRQDJDLQVWWKH)RXQGHU
ACTIONS
Multiattack (Vampire Form Only). 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGPDNHV
six Hairpin Angst Blade attacks. She can try to grapple an
opponent instead of making a Hairpin Angst Blade attack.
Hairpin Angst Blade (Vampire Form Only). Ranged Spell Attack:
+14 to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage
plus 14 (1d12 + 8) lightning damage and the target must
succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or become
KHPRSKLOLDFIRUPLQXWH7KLVDWWDFNLVPDJLFDO7KH)RXUWK
Child wears six hairpins in her hair, which she can magically
FRQWUROZLWKKHUPLQGWKHVHKDLUSLQVFRQWDLQKLJKO\SXULÀHG
DQJVWFU\VWDOVDQGFDQÁRDWIUHHO\LQWKHDLU7KHKDLUSLQDQJVW
EODGHVÁRDWLQWKHVDPHVSDFHZKHUHWKH)RXUWK&KLOGLVLQDQG
returns to that space after each attack.
Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled
E\WKH)RXUWK&KLOGLQFDSDFLWDWHGRUUHVWUDLQHG Hit: 6 (1d6
+ 3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The
target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal
WRWKHQHFURWLFGDPDJHWDNHQDQGWKH)RXUWK&KLOGUHJDLQV
hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the
WDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW7KHWDUJHWGLHVLIWKLVHIIHFWUHGXFHV
its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way
and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a
YDPSLUHVSDZQXQGHUWKH)RXUWK&KLOG·VFRQWURO
Charm. 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGWDUJHWVRQHKXPDQRLGLWFDQVHH
ZLWKLQIHHWRIKHU,IWKHWDUJHWFDQVHHWKH)RXUWK&KLOG
the target must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw
DJDLQVWWKLVPDJLFRUEHFKDUPHGE\WKH)RXUWK&KLOG7KH
FKDUPHGWDUJHWUHJDUGVWKH)RXUWK&KLOGDVDWUXVWHGIULHQG
to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under
WKH)RXUWK&KLOG·VFRQWUROLWWDNHVWKH)RXUWK&KLOG·VUHTXHVWV
or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing
WDUJHWIRUWKH)RXUWK&KLOG·VELWHDWWDFN(DFKWLPHWKH)RXUWK
&KLOGRUWKH)RXUWK&KLOG·VFRPSDQLRQVGRDQ\WKLQJKDUPIXO
to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect
on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or
XQWLOWKH)RXUWK&KLOGLVGHVWUR\HGLVRQDGLIIHUHQWSODQHRI
existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the
effect.
Children of the Night (1/Day). 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGFDOOVG
swarms of bats or rats, provided that the sun isn’t up. While
RXWGRRUVWKH)RXUWK&KLOGFDQFDOOGZROYHVLQVWHDG7KH
called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of the
)RXUWK&KLOGDQGREH\LQJLWVVSRNHQFRPPDQGV7KHEHDVWV
UHPDLQIRUKRXUXQWLOWKH)RXUWK&KLOGGLHVRUXQWLOWKH
)RXUWK&KLOGGLVPLVVHVWKHPDVDERQXVDFWLRQ
Extraordinary Alacrity.7KH)RXUWK&KLOG·VVSHHGLQFUHDVHV
for the current turn. Her new speed is equal to ten times
WKHQRUPDORQHDIWHUDSSO\LQJDQ\PRGLÀHUV)RUH[DPSOH
she can move up to 250 feet on her turn if she uses her
Extraordinary Alacrity.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
7KH)RXUWK&KLOGFDQWDNHOHJHQGDU\DFWLRQVFKRRVLQJIURP
the options below. Only one legendary action option can be
used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn.
7KH)RXUWK&KLOGUHJDLQVVSHQWOHJHQGDU\DFWLRQVDWWKHVWDUW
of her turn.
Detect. 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGPDNHVD:LVGRP 3HUFHSWLRQ FKHFN
Move. 7KH)RXUWK&KLOGPRYHVXSWRKHUUHPDLQLQJVSHHGIRU
the turn without provoking opportunity attacks.
Excruciating Screech (Costs 3 Actions). 7KH)RXUWK&KLOG
shouts out a piercing cry dealing an amount of thunder
damage equal to the difference between her hit point
maximum and current hit points. The damage is divided
HTXDOO\E\DOOFUHDWXUHVZLWKLQIHHWRIWKH)RXUWK&KLOG
Golden Bullet Frontier
Medium humanoid (any), any alignment
Armor Class 14 (hide armor, 17 against bite attacks)
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 13 (+1)
Saving Throws Strength +5, Constitution +5, Wisdom +5
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +5, Survival +5
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common, one other language
Challenge  ;3
Got ‘Em Cornered. When the Golden Bullet frontier hits a
creature with its Sneak Attack feature, the target takes a -2
penalty to AC until the end of its next turn.
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the Golden Bullet frontier deals
an extra 3 (1d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon
attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the
279
 target is within 5 feet of an ally of the Golden Bullet frontier
that isn’t incapacitated and the Golden Bullet frontier doesn’t
have disadvantage on the attack roll.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Golden Bullet frontier makes one attack with
its battleaxe and one attack with its bloodwork pistol.
Angst-Edged Silvered Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage plus 2
G ÀUHGDPDJH
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
5HSHDWHU5LÁHRanged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage.
BONUS ACTIONS
Cunning Action. On each of its turns, the Golden Bullet
marksman can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Syringe of Bless (1/Day). The Golden Bullet marksman quickly
applies a concoction to itself using a syringe, and gains the
EHQHÀWVRIWKHbless spell.
Syringe of Heal (2/Day). The Golden Bullet marksman quickly
applies a concoction to itself using a syringe, regaining 2d8 +
5 hit points.

BONUS ACTIONS Kanrath Enforcer

Syringe of Bless (1/Day). The Golden Bullet frontier quickly
Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful neutral
applies a concoction to itself using a syringe, and gains the
EHQHÀWVRIWKHbless spell.
Syringe of Heal (2/Day). The Golden Bullet frontier quickly Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
applies a concoction to itself using a syringe, regaining 2d8 + Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)
5 hit points. Speed 30 ft.

Golden Bullet Marksman STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Medium humanoid (any), any alignment
14 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)

Armor Class 13 (16 against bite attacks)

Saving Throws Strength +4, Constitution +4
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Skills Athletics +4, Intimidation +3
Speed 30 ft.
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Common
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Challenge  ;3
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1)
ACTIONS
Saving Throws Dexterity +5, Constitution +5, Wisdom +4 Multiattack. The Kanrath enforcer can make two attacks.
Skills Acrobatics +5, Perception +4, Stealth +5 Shock Baton. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4)
Senses passive Perception 14
lightning damage.
Languages Common, one other language
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
Challenge  ;3 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.

Got ‘Em Cornered. When the Golden Bullet marksman hits a

creature with its Sneak Attack feature, the target takes a -2 Kanrath Enforcer Captain
penalty to AC until the end of its next turn. Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful neutral
Sneak Attack. Once per turn, the Golden Bullet marksman
deals an extra 3 (1d6) damage when it hits a creature with Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or
Hit Points 67 (9d8 + 27)
when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the Golden Bullet
marksman that isn’t incapacitated and the Golden Bullet Speed 30 ft.
marksman doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Golden Bullet marksman makes two attacks. 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 7 (-2) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage. Saving Throws Strength +4, Constitution +4

280
Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +3
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Senses passive Perception 10
12 (+1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
Languages Common
Challenge  ;3
Skills Athletics +3, Sleight of Hand +3
To Serve and Oppress. The Kanrath enforcers within 30 feet of Senses passive Perception 10
the captain have advantage on attack rolls as long as they can Languages Common
see or hear the captain. Challenge  ;3
Knowledge of the Streets. The Kanrath thug lives and conducts
ACTIONS its “business” in the city of Kanrath, thus it knows the area
Multiattack. The Kanrath enforcer captain can make three very well. It has an advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks
shock baton attacks. while in Kanrath.
Shock Baton. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4) ACTIONS
lightning damage. Multiattack. The Kanrath thug makes two weapon attacks.
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 +2) piercing damage.
Kanrath Enforcer Initiate
Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful neutral
REACTIONS
Anything to Survive. When hit with a weapon attack, the
Armor Class 13 (studded leather) Kanrath thug can make a Dexterity saving throw (DC is equal
Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) to the attack roll). On a failed save, the Kanrath thug takes
Speed 30 ft. WKHGDPDJHQRUPDOO\2QDVXFFHVVIXOVDYHLWFDQUHÁHFWWKH
attack to a creature of its choice within 5 feet of it, and the
chosen creature takes the damage instead.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 7 (-2) Kanrath Thug Leader
Medium humanoid (any), any non-good alignment
Saving Throws Strength +3, Constitution +3
Skills Athletics +3 Armor Class 13
Senses passive Perception 10 Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12)
Languages Common Speed 30 ft.
Challenge  ;3

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

ACTIONS
Shock Baton. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 10 (+0)
target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4)
lightning damage. Skills Athletics +3, Sleight of Hand +3
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH Senses passive Perception 10
ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
Languages Common
Challenge  ;3
Kanrath Thug
Medium humanoid (any), any non-good alignment Angst Coated Weapons. The Kanrath thug leader’s successful
PHOHHZHDSRQDWWDFNVGHDODQH[WUD G ÀUHGDPDJH
Armor Class 12 (included in the attack).
Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4) Knowledge of the Streets. The Kanrath thug leader lives and
conducts its “business” in the city of Kanrath, thus it knows
Speed 30 ft.
the area very well. It has an advantage on Wisdom (Survival)
checks while in Kanrath.

281
 ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Kanrath thug leader makes two weapon
attacks.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit:  G SLHUFLQJGDPDJHSOXV G ÀUH
damage.
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 +2) piercing damage.
Lead the Gang. The Kanrath gang leader can order its
followers (of its choice) within 30 feet of it that can see or hear
it to attack. The chosen followers can make one weapon attack
against creatures within their reach or range as a reaction,
only with the weapons they’re wielding.
REACTIONS
Anything to Survive. When hit with a weapon attack, the
Kanrath thug leader can make a Dexterity saving throw (DC
is equal to the attack roll). On a failed save, the Kanrath thug
WDNHVWKHGDPDJHQRUPDOO\2QDVXFFHVVIXOVDYHLWFDQUHÁHFW
the attack to a creature of its choice within 5 feet of it, and the
chosen creature takes the damage instead.
Kanrath Vampire
Medium undead, typically neutral evil
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Strength +6, Dexterity +5, Wisdom +4,
Charisma +6
Skills Athletics +6, Deception +6, Perception +4, Stealth +5
Damage Resistance cold, necrotic, poison
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, any one language
Challenge  ;3
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the Kanrath vampire fails a
saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. The Kanrath vampire regains 5 hit points at
the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in
sunlight. If the Kanrath vampire takes radiant damage or
282
damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t function at the
start of the vampire’s next turn. Also, if the Kanrath vampire
drops to 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point at the end of its
turn when three rounds have passed.
Spider Climb. 7KH.DQUDWKYDPSLUHFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOW
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing
to make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. The Kanrath vampire has the following
ÁDZV
Forbiddance. The Kanrath vampire can’t enter a residence
without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Silver Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of silver
is driven into the Kanrath vampire’s heart while it has 0 hit
points, the Kanrath vampire dies.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The Kanrath vampire takes 20
radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in
sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Kanrath vampire makes two attacks, only
one of which can be a bite attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing
creature, or a creature that is grappled by the Kanrath
vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing
damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point
maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic
damage taken, and the Kanrath vampire regains hit points
equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target
ÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Kanrath Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5
ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6)
poison damage.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Instead of
dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape
DC 14).
Charm. The Kanrath vampire targets one humanoid it can see
within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the Kanrath vampire,
the target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw
against this magic or be charmed by the Kanrath vampire.
The charmed target regards the Kanrath vampire as a trusted
friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t
under the Kanrath vampire’s control, it takes the Kanrath
vampire’s requests or actions in the most favorable way it can,
and it is a willing target for the Kanrath vampire’s bite attack.
Each time the Kanrath vampire or the Kanrath vampire’s
companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat
the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the vampire is
destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target,
or takes a bonus action to end the effect.
Mountain Guard ACTIONS
Medium humanoid (any), any alignment Multiattack. The pale one makes two limb attacks.
Limb. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. The pale one attacks with one
Armor Class 18 (plate)
of its, or another pale one’s, lost limbs.
Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
Speed 30 ft. 1 bludgeoning damage.
Vomit (Recharge 6). The pale one vomits. Each creature in a
10-foot cone must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. A
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
creature takes 9 (2d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as
17 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) much on a successful one.

Saving Throws Strength +5 Priest of the Blood God

Skills Athletics +5, Perception +5, Survival +5 Medium humanoid (any), any alignment
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common, one other language Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
Challenge  ;3 Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
Pack Tactics. The mountain guard has advantage on an
attack roll against a creature if at least one of the mountain
guard’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
incapacitated.
16 (+3) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 17 (+3) 15 (+2)

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The mountain guard can make two weapon Saving Throws Constitution +5, Wisdom +5
attacks. Skills Intimidation +4, Religion +2
Blood Steam Shovel. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., Senses passive Perception 13
one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Languages Common, Draconic
Blood Steam Warhammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach Challenge  ;3
5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 1d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Sanguine Strike. The blood priest’s weapon attacks are
magical and deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage on a hit
Pale One (included in the attacks).
Medium undead, any alignment
Spellcasting. The blood priest casts one of the following spells,
using Wisdom as its spellcasting ability (spell save DC 13, +5 to
Armor Class 11 hit with spell attacks):
Hit Points 5 (2d8 - 4) At will: light, spare the dying, thaumaturgy
Speed 30 ft. GD\HDFKFXUHZRXQGVHQODUJHUHGXFHIDOVHOLIHLQÁLFWZRXQGV

ACTIONS
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Multiattack. The blood priest can make one mace and one
8 (-1) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 6 (-2) sickle attack, or it can use the Blood Burn.
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit:
6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.
Damage Resistances slashing and piercing from nonmagical
attacks Sickle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Blood Burn. The blood priest targets one creature it can see
Condition Immunities poisoned
within 60 feet of it and tries to boil its blood, causing the
Senses passive Perception 10 creature immense pain. The target must succeed on a DC 15
Languages Understands the languages it knew back in the day Constitution saving throw or it suffers one level of exhaustion.
but can’t speak
Challenge  ;3

283
 Ruby Miner Ruby Miners are the Best Miners. The ruby miner chief has
burrowing speed equal to its speed if it has the blood steam
Medium humanoid (any), any alignment shovel equipped.
Ruby Miners are the Best Navigators. The ruby miner chief has
Armor Class 15 (breastplate) advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks in the Under Garrote.
Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18)
Speed 30 ft. ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ruby miner chief can makes four weapon
attacks.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Blood Steam Shovel. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
17 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) one target. Hit: 9 (1d6 + 1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Blood Steam Warpick. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 1d4 + 4) piercing damage.
Saving Throws Constitution +5
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +5, Survival +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 Sanguine Elemental
Languages Common, one other language Medium elemental, any alignment
Challenge  ;3
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Ruby Miners are the Best Miners. When two or more ruby Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
miners are together, they can talk about how great they are Speed 30 ft.
at mining. They have burrowing speed equal to their speed if
they have the blood steam shovel equipped.
Ruby Miners are the Best Navigators. When two or more ruby STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
miners are together, they can talk about how well they know
the Under Garrote. They have advantage on their Wisdom 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 18 (+4) 14 (+2)
(Survical) checks in the Under Garrote.
Damage Resistances acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and
ACTIONS slashing from nonmagical attacks
Multiattack. The ruby miner can make two weapon attacks. Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Blood Steam Shovel. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed,
one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. SHWULÀHGSRLVRQHGSURQHUHVWUDLQHGXQFRQVFLRXV
Blood Steam Warpick. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 1d4 + 3) piercing damage. Languages Understands all but can only speak Draconic
Challenge  ;3

Ruby Miner Chief

Medium humanoid (any), any alignment Blood Absorption. Whenever the sanguine elemental is
subjected to necrotic or poison damage, it takes no damage
and instead regains a number of hit points equal to the
Armor Class 15 (breastplate) necrotic or poison damage dealt.
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) Blood Form. The sanguine elemental can enter a hostile
Speed 30 ft. creature’s space and stop there. It can move through a space
as narrow as 1-inch wide without squeezing.
Immutable Form. The sanguine elemental is immune to any
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA spell or effect that would alter its form.
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1)
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The sanguine elemental makes two attacks using
Saving Throws Constitution +6
its Blood Claws and Blood Bolt.
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +6, Survival +6
Blood Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 60 ft., one
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16 target. Hit: 14 (4d6) blood damage.
Languages Common, one other language Blood Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Challenge  ;3 target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic
damage. This attack is magical.

284
Blood Breath (Recharge 6). The sanguine elemental exhales Silver Cult Ghoul
blood in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must
succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 18 (5d6) Medium (or Small) undead, lawful evil
blood damage.
Blood Scythe (Recharge 5-6). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, Armor Class 13 (with mage armor)
reach 10 ft., two targets. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage plus Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
14 (4d6) necrotic damage. This attack is magical. The targets
Speed 30 ft.
must be within 10 feet of each other. One of the arms of the
sanguine elemental lengthens and becomes a scythe that the
elemental can swing.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 5 (-3) 6 (-2) 16 (+3)
Silver Cult Acolyte
Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful evil Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Armor Class 14 (with mage armor) Senses passive Perception 15
Hit Points 13 (3d8) Languages Common, Draconic
Speed 30 ft. Challenge  ;3

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the Silver Cult ghoul to
0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 5
12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) + the damage taken), unless the damage is radiant or from a
critical hit. On a success, it drops to 1 hit point instead.
Skills Arcana +4, History +4, Perception +5, Religion +4
Senses passive Perception 15 ACTIONS
Languages Common, Draconic Staff of Force Stroke. Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 30 ft.,
Challenge  ;3 one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) force damage. On a hit, the target must
succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be stunned
until the end of its next turn.
Dark Devotion. The Silver Cult acolyte has advantage on Staff of Force Stroke. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
saving throws against being charmed or frightened. one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) force damage. On a hit, the target
Spellcasting. The Silver Cult acolyte is a 2nd-level spellcaster. must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5
Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit feet and be knocked prone.
with spell attacks). The Silver Cult acolyte has the following
spells:
Cantrips (at will): agglutination*, chill touch, mage hand, minor Silver Cult Initiate
illusion Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful evil
1st level (3 slots): charm person, false life, mage armor**, magic
missile
Armor Class 11
** The Silver Cult acolyte has this spell cast on it before combat.
Hit Points 5 (2d8 - 4)
Speed 30 ft.
ACTIONS
Silvered Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Silvered Sickle. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
12 (+1) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2)
target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage.
Staff of Blooddrain. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (2d4) blood damage. On a hit, the silver cult Skills Arcana +3, Perception +4, Religion +3
acolyte regains 1 hit point and the target’s hit point maximum Senses passive Perception 14
decreases by 1. Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge  ;3

285
 Dark Devotion. The Silver Cult initiate has advantage on Silver Cultist
saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful evil
Spellcasting. The Silver Cult initiate is a 1st-level spellcaster.
Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit
with spell attacks). The Silver Cult initiate has the following Armor Class 15 (with mage armor)
spells: Hit Points 32 (5d8 +10)
Cantrips (at will): agglutination*, chill touch, mage hand, minor Speed 30 ft.
illusion
1st level (2 slots): charm person, false life
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
ACTIONS 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 18 (+4)
Silvered Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.
Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Perception +5, Religion +5
Silvered Sickle. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
Senses passive Perception 15
target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage.
Languages Common, Draconic
Wand of Bloodbolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft.,
one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) blood damage. The Silver Cult initiate Challenge  ;3
regains 1 hit point when it makes a successful attack with this
wand. Dark Devotion. The Silver Cultist has advantage on saving
throws against being charmed or frightened.

Silver Cult Warden

ACTIONS
Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful evil
Silvered Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage.
Armor Class 15 (with mage armor) Silver Rain (Recharge 6). The Silver Cultist makes it rain
Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 14) molten silver in a 10-foot radius centered on a point within
Speed 30 ft. IHHWRILWVHOI(DFKFUHDW×UHLQWKHDUHDPXVWPDNHD'&
'H[WHULW\VDYLQJWKURZWDNLQJ G ÀUHGDPDJHRQDIDLOHG
save or half as much on a successful one.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Touch of Rot. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage.
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 16 (+3)
Wand of Veinpiercing. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range
30 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. On a hit,
Skills Arcana +2, Perception +5, Intimidation +5 needles made of magical force pierce the target’s veins. The
Senses passive Perception 15 target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or
Languages Common, Draconic take 5 (2d4) blood damage at the start of each of its turns for
1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of
Challenge  ;3 each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The
DC to end the effect increases by 1 on each turn. If a target’s
Blood Tattoo. The Silver Cult warden has red tattoos on its saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target
ERG\ZKLFKLQFUHDVHLWVHIÀFLHQF\LQFRPEDW7KHmage armor is immune to the wand of veinpiercing for the next 24 hours. A
spell is always cast on it and it can use its phantasmal sword target can be affected by this spell once at a time.
thanks to these tattoos.
Dark Devotion. The Silver Cult warden has advantage on REACTIONS
saving throws against being charmed or frightened. Shield. The Silver Cultist casts the shield spell.

ACTIONS
Phantasmal Sword. Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., Silver Sorcerer
one target. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) force damage. On a hit, the Silver Medium humanoid (any), typically lawful evil
Cult warden regains 1 hit point and the target’s hit point
maximum decreases by 1. This reduction lasts until the target Armor Class 16 (Liquid Metal Tattoos)
ÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Silvered Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage. Speed 30 ft.

286
 STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 17 (+3) 19 (+4)
Saving Throws Constitution +6, Charisma +7
Skills Arcana +6, History +6, Insight +6, Perception +6, Religion
+6
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge  ;3
Dark Devotion. The Silver Sorcerer has advantage on saving
throws against being charmed or frightened.
Liquid Metal Tattoos. The Silver Sorcerer has interconnected
circular rune tattoos made through the injection of a liquid
alloy that conducts magical energies. These runes ward off
both magical and physical harm against the sorcerer. The
Silver Sorcerer has advantage on saving throws against spells
and other magical effects.
Spellcasting. The Silver Sorcerer is an 8th-level spellcaster. Its
spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with
spell attacks). The Silver Sorcerer has the following spells:
Cantrips (at will): ÀUHEROWOLJKWUD\RIIURVWVKRFNLQJJUDVSWUXH
strike
1st level (4 slots): burning hands, detect magic, disguise self, silver
needle*
2nd level (3 slots): alter self, hold person, scorching ray
3rd level (3 slots): ÀUHEDOOKDVWHVHQGLQJ
4th level (2 slots): blight, ice storm
ACTIONS
Silver Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Sunlight Sweep. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 60 ft., up
to three targets that are adjacent to each other. Hit: 25 (2d20 +
4) radiant damage. The target can’t regain hit points until the
end of its next turn. If the target is a nonmagical object that
isn’t worn or carried, it sheds bright sunlight within 15 feet
and dim sunlight for an additional 15 feet until the start of the
Silver Sorcerer’s next turn.
REACTIONS
Shield. The Silver Sorcerer casts the shield spell.
Spellbound Chimera
Large monstrosity (shapechanger), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 119 (14d10 + 42)
Speed IWÁ\IW
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 8 (-1) 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Constitution +6, Charisma +8
Skills Perception +2
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Draconic, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge  ;3
Magical Nature. The spellbound chimeras were created for
HIÀFLHQF\LQFRPEDW7KHLUPDJLFDOQDWXUHHPSRZHUVWKHP
when they feel bloodthirsty. When the spellbound chimera
rolls for initiative, it rolls a d6 and gains one of the following
EHQHÀWVIRUDPLQXWHDFFRUGLQJWRWKHUHVXOWRIWKHUROO
7KHFKLPHUDVWDUWVUDGLDWLQJDQDXUDRIÁDPHVLQDIRRW
UDGLXV:KHQDFUHDWXUHHQWHUVWKHDUHDIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHRU
HQGVLWVWXUQZLWKLQLWWDNHV G ÀUHGDPDJH
2. The chimera becomes soaked in blood. It gains resistance to
poison and necrotic damage.
3. A wind howls around the chimera, and its speed increases
by 10 feet.
1HFURWLFHQHUJ\ÁRZVWKURXJKWKHFKLPHUDDQGLWV
successful attacks deal an extra 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.
5. The chimera is protected by a shield of magical energy. It
gains a +2 bonus to AC.
6. The chimera’s vitality is restored by magic. It regains 1 hit
point at the start of each of its turns that it has at least 1 hit
point.
Magic Resistance. The spellbound chimera has advantage on
saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Shapechanger. The spellbound chimera can use its action to
polymorph into a Large or smaller monstrosity of challenge
rating 7 or lower, or back into its true form. Without wings,
WKHFKLPHUDORVHVLWVÁ\LQJVSHHG$Q\HTXLSPHQWLWLVZHDULQJ
or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it
dies.
The spellbound chimera assumes the AC and hit points
of its new form. When it reverts to its normal form, the
chimera returns to the number of hit points it had before
it transformed. If it reverts as a result of dropping to 0 hit
points, any excess damage carries over to its normal form.
As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce the chimera’s
normal form to 0 hit points, it isn’t knocked unconscious.
The chimera is limited in the actions it can perform by the
nature of its new form, and it can’t speak or cast spells while
polymorphed.
Spellcasting. The spellbound chimera casts one of the
following spells, using Charisma as its spellcasting ability
(spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks):
At will: ÀUHEROWOLJKWSRLVRQVSUD\WUXHVWULNH
GD\HDFKblindness/deafness, enlarge/reduce, hold person,
invisibility
GD\HDFKFRXQWHUVSHOOGLVSHOPDJLFÀUHEDOO
287
 ACTIONS
Multiattack. The chimera makes three attacks if it is in its true
form: one with its bite, one with its claws, and one with its
horns.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5
(1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage.
Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 15 (2d12 + 2) piercing damage.
Petrifying Breath (Recharge 5–6). The gorgon head of the
chimera (if it exists) exhales petrifying gas in a 30-foot
cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 16
Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target turns to
stone and is restrained. The restrained target must repeat
the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the
HIIHFWHQGVRQWKHWDUJHW2QDIDLOXUHWKHWDUJHWLVSHWULÀHG
until freed by the greater restoration spell or other similar
magic.
Sun Priest
Medium humanoid (any race), typically lawful good
Armor Class 15 (breastplate)
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 18 (+4) 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Constitution +6, Wisdom +7
Skills History +5, Perception +6, Religion +5
Damage Resistances damage from spells; bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses passive Perception 16
Languages Common, Draconic, and one other language
Challenge  ;3
Embrace of the Sun. The Sun Priest is always under the
protection of the Sun God. This protection grants the damage
resistances the Sun Priest has.
Spellcasting. The Sun Priest is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its
spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with
spell attacks). The Sun Priest has the following cleric spells
prepared:
Cantrips (at will): light,VDFUHGÁDPH, thaumaturgy
1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, guiding bolt, sanctuary
2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoration, spiritual weapon
3rd level (2 slots): dispel magic, spirit guardians
4th level (2 slots): death ward, guardian of faith
5th level (1 slot): greater restoration
288
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Sun Priest makes two attacks with its
warhammer.
Warhammer. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
REACTIONS
Eminent Sunlight. The Sun Priest can expend a spell slot to
cause its successful melee weapon attacks to magically deal an
extra 9 (2d8) radiant damage. If the Sun Priest expends a spell
slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage increases by 1d8
for each level above 1st. This damage is more effective against
vampires. When hit, a vampire can’t reduce the damage if it
has resistance to radiant damage, and it can only halve the
damage if it has immunity to radiant damage.
Tolian Siren
Medium monstrosity, chaotic evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
Speed Á\IWVZLPIW
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Dexterity +5, Charisma +6
Skills Deception +6, Perception +4, Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common
Challenge  ;3
Amphibious. The Tolian siren can breathe air and water.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Tolian siren can make two melee weapon
attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target, Hit:
6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.
Draining Kiss. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the siren,
incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage
plus 7 (2d6) blood damage. The target’s hit point maximum
is reduced by an amount equal to the blood damage taken,
and the siren regains hit points equal to that amount. The
UHGXFWLRQODVWVXQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW7KHWDUJHW
dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Luring Song. The siren sings a magical melody. Every
humanoid within 300 feet of the siren that can hear the song
must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed
until the song ends. The siren must take a bonus action on its
subsequent turns to continue singing. It can stop singing at
any time. The song ends if the siren is incapacitated.
While charmed by the siren, a target is incapacitated and
ignores the songs of other sirens. If the charmed target is
more than 5 feet away from the siren, the target must move
on its turn toward the siren using the most direct route. It
doesn’t avoid opportunity attacks, but before moving into
damaging terrain, such as lava or a pit, and whenever it takes
damage from a source other than the siren, a target can
repeat the saving throw. A creature can also repeat the saving
throw at the end of each of its turns. If a creature’s saving
throw is successful, the effect ends on it.
A target that successfully saves is immune to this siren’s
song for the next 24 hours.
Screech (Recharge 6). The siren screeches with its deadly
voice. Each creature within 30 feet of the Tolian siren that can
hear its voice must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw.
On a failed save, the creature takes 11 (2d10) psychic damage
and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On a successful
save, the damage is halved and the creature is not stunned.
BONUS ACTIONS
Grappling Wings. The siren can use its wings to grapple
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grappling ends.
Vampire Sentry
Medium undead, typically lawful evil
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 22 (+6) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Strength +6, Dexterity +9, Wisdom +6,
Charisma +6
Skills Acrobatics +9, Athletics +6, Deception +6, Perception +6,
Stealth +9
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic, poison
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common, any one language
Challenge  ;3
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the vampire sentry fails a
saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. The vampire sentry regains 5 hit points at the
start of each of its turns that it has at least 1 hit point and
isn’t in sunlight. If the vampire sentry takes radiant damage
or damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t function at the
start of the vampire’s next turn. Also, if the vampire sentry
drops to 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point at the end of its
turn when three rounds have passed.
Spider Climb. 7KHYDPSLUHVHQWU\FDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOWVXUIDFHV
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make
an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire sentry has the following
ÁDZV
Forbiddance. The vampire sentry can’t enter a residence
without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Silver Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of silver
is driven into the vampire sentry’s heart while it has 0 hit
points, the vampire sentry dies.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The vampire sentry takes 20 radiant
damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it
has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The vampire sentry makes four attacks, only one
of which can be a bite attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing
creature, or a creature that is grappled by the vampire sentry,
incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage
plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target’s hit point maximum
is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken,
and the vampire sentry regains hit points equal to that
DPRXQW7KHUHGXFWLRQODVWVXQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJ
rest.
Bloodwork Pistol. Ranged Weapon Attack: WRKLWUDQJH
ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) piercing damage.
Kanrath Falchion. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 11 (2d4 + 6) slashing damage.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Instead of
dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape
DC 14).
Charm. The vampire sentry targets one humanoid it can see
within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the vampire sentry,
the target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw
against this magic or be charmed by the sentry. The charmed
target regards the vampire sentry as a trusted friend to
be heeded and protected. Although the target isn’t under
the vampire sentry’s control, it takes the vampire sentry’s
requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is
a willing target for the vampire sentry’s bite attack. Each time
the vampire sentry or the vampire sentry’s companions do
anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw,
ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect
lasts 24 hours, until the vampire sentry is destroyed, is on a
different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus
action to end the effect.
289
 Lady Lyzah Ledany
Medium undead, lawful evil
Armor Class 16 (blood-blessed robe)
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Strength +6, Dexterity +6, Wisdom +4,
Charisma +6
Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +6, Deception +6,
Perception +4, Stealth +6
Damage Resistance cold, necrotic, poison
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and
slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Elvish
Challenge  ;3
Daggers of the Crimson King. Lady Lyzah can conjure
two magical daggers out of thin air that she then holds
in her free hands. They are completely made of blood,
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an extra 1d6 blood damage with these daggers on a hit
(included in the attack). Also, if she throws one or both
of them, they reappear in her hands just after they hit
or miss their targets. These daggers can’t be used by
anyone but Lady Lyzah.
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If Lady Lyzah fails a
saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. Lady Lyzah regains 5 hit points at the
start of her turn if she has at least 1 hit point and isn’t
in sunlight. If she takes radiant damage or damage
from holy water, then this trait doesn’t function at the
start of her next turn. Also, if she drops to 0 hit points,
Lady Lyzah regains 1 hit point after three rounds.
Spider Climb. /DG\/\]DKFDQFOLPEGLIÀFXOWVXUIDFHV
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to
make an ability check.
Vampire Weaknesses. Lady Lyzah has the following
ÁDZV
Forbiddance. Lady Lyzah can’t enter a residence without
an invitation from one of the occupants.
Silver Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of
silver is driven into Lady Lyzah’s heart while she has 0
hit points, she dies.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Lady Lyzah takes 20 radiant
290
damage when she starts her turn in sunlight. While
in sunlight, she has disadvantage on attack rolls and
ability checks.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Lady Lyzah makes three attacks, only one
of which can be a bite attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
willing creature or a creature that is grappled by Lady
Lyzah, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3)
piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The
target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount
equal to the necrotic damage taken, and Lady Lyzah
regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction
ODVWVXQWLOWKHWDUJHWÀQLVKHVDORQJUHVW
Daggers of the Crimson King. Melee Weapon Attack: +6
to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing
damage plus 3 (1d6) blood damage. She can conjure two
magical daggers out of thin air that appear in her free
hands. They are completely made of blood, yet they
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1d6 blood damage with these daggers on a hit (already
included in the attack). Also, if she throws one or both
of them, they reappear in her hands just after they hit
or miss their targets. These daggers can’t be used by
anyone but Lady Lyzah.
Kanrath Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing
damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5
ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
Instead of dealing damage, Lady Lyzah can grapple the
target (escape DC 14).
Charm. Lady Lyzah targets one humanoid that she can
see within 30 feet. If the target can see Lady Lyzah,
then the target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving
throw against this magic or be charmed by Lady Lyzah.
The charmed target regards the Lady as a trusted
friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target
isn’t under Lady Lyzah’s control, it takes Lady Lyzah’s
requests or actions in the most favorable way that it
can, and is a willing target for Lady Lyzah’s bite attack.
Each time the Lady or her companions do anything
harmful to the target, they can repeat the saving throw,
ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the
effect lasts for 24 hours or until the Lady is destroyed,
is on a different plane of existence than the target, or
takes a bonus action to end the effect.
BONUS ACTIONS
Daggers of the Crimson King. Melee Weapon Attack: +6
to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing
damage plus 3 (1d6) blood damage.
291
 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
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293