Credits Contents

Designer: Imogen Gingell Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Editor: Laura Hirsbrunner
Layout Designer: Laura Hirsbrunner
Cover Illustrator: Olie Boldador
Interior Illustrators: Imogen Gingell, Bruno Balixa,
Jesus Blones, Storn Cook, Johannes de Heem, Matt
Forsyth, Jack Holliday, Alfons Mucha, Thanh Tran,
Chapter 1: Adventuring in Riedra. . . . . . . . . . 2
Riedran Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Psionics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra. . . . . . . . . . . . 7
About the Adventure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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Wizards of the Coast
Cast of Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Dragonmarks Designer: Anne Gregersen
Prologue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
An Across Eberron Production Act 1: Dar Ulatesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Act 2: Borutesh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

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Producer: Wayne Chang
Act 3: Desertion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Playtesters & Consultants:
Arimart, Will Brolley, Patrick
Epilogue: Reunion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Dunning, Rosana Griffin, Appendix A: Friends and Foes. . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Freya Griffiths, Laura Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts. . . 57
Hirsbrunner, Phil Jensen,
Jess LeTarte, Joseph Meehan,
Assimilation Tokens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Charlie Ann Page, ShareDVI, Map: Rhiavhaar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Charlix Whipp Map: The Tunnels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Special Thanks To: The denizens of the Living Eberron Map: Borutesh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
community for embracing this adventure and its
characters with such enthusiasm! e
Creature Statistics: Statistics for the eneko and shat-
tered kalashtar first appeared in Codex Siberys:
Map: Shiaali’s Manor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Map: Serpent Shrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Map: Aurora Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Appendix C: Sarlonan Player Characters . . 65
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Mourning & Madness. Statistics for the dromites and
the wild incarnate first appeared in Codex Siberys 2: Appendix D: Player Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Planes & Prophecy. Riedra’s Chosen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Spells: Spells marked with XGE appear in Xanathar’s Eneko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Guide to Everything. Spells marked with GGR appear in
Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica.
m

ON THE COVER
Her Inspired Grace Lady Shiaaktavi of Borutesh grants an audience
in the throne room, accompanied by her bodyguard Kalah and Fali
of the Thousand Eyes. Illustrated by Olie Boldador.
Sa

Disclaimer: All characters and other entities appearing in this work are fictitious and
not Inspired by anything, at all, whatsoever. Any resemblance to real persons or your
own personal nightmares is purely coincidental. The ambassador from Riedra assures
us that no one has been reading your mind. We promise.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft,
Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product
names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA
and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast
and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community
Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work
is copyright 2020 by Imogen Gingell and published under the Community Content
Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.

ii
Introduction
Escape from Riedra is an adventure showcasing
the unusual cultures, magics, and threats unique
to Eberron’s psionically active continent of
Sarlona. The adventure is optimized for five 7th-
level characters. It is written with the assumption
that the player characters are based in Khorvaire

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and would be considered outsiders in Riedra.
While not intended to be run with a group of
Sarlonan characters, Appendix C provides sug-
gestions on how the adventure could be adapted

fil
for Adarans and other non-Riedran characters
from Sarlona.
Chapter 1: Adventuring in Riedra gives
an overview of the key cultural and mechan-
ical elements to make Riedra come to life at
your game table.
Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra con-
tinues with the adventure module Escape
from Riedra: a tale of forbidden love and a
quest to save one of Riedra’s Chosen from
the oppressive grip of her home empire.

Content Warning
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Adventurers will spend considerable time in the
isolationist, dystopian empire of Riedra. Expect to
encounter themes such as conformity, insurrec-
tion, mind control, brainwashing, and surveillance.
While not central plot points in this adventure, the
Riedran empire has a race-based caste system
m

and practices eugenics-like breeding of its Chosen

vessels; while these two aspects can be omitted
from your gameplay without changing the struc-
ture of the adventure, they are present in the core
Eberron sourcebooks and mentioned in this adven-
ture’s DM instructions.
Before running this adventure, we strongly
encourage using safety tools such as the TTRPG
Sa

Safety Toolkit (by Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-

Monk) or Consent in Gaming (by Sean K. Reynolds
and Shanna Germain) to discuss your group’s
boundaries and comfort level with these and other
challenging topics.

1
 Chapter 1: Adventuring in Riedra
The official third-edition Eberron sourcebook
Secrets of Sarlona is an excellent compendium of
lore for any game set in Riedra and beyond, even
for newer editions of Dungeons & Dragons.
Some of the key elements are discussed here so
that you can capture the most important themes
while running Escape from Riedra.
Riedran Culture
On the surface, Khorvaire knows the empire of
Riedra as one of its most valuable allies. Player
characters from Khorvaire are likely to know the
following three points … and nothing more:
1. The Riedrans have ambassadors in all the
major nations of Khorvaire, and the empire
provided humanitarian support to these war-
torn nations.
2. Riedrans follow a caste system, where everyone
has their place—the Chosen with their psychic
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powers sit at the top, maintaining a special
connection to the extraplanar spirits that guide
and advise their rule. Living well in this life
guarantees you a place in the next higher caste,
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meaning few Riedrans ever venture beyond the
borders of their nation.
3. The common folk of Riedra are diligent and
peaceful people, though Khorvairian visitors to
the empire rarely get a chance to interact with
citizens other than carefully selected diplomats.
However, the truth about Riedra is far more
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complex—and in many cases, more sinister—than
Khorvairians suspect.
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2
Inspired by Quori
Quori, by their nature, are fiendish embodiments
of cruel nightmares from the plane of Dal Quor.
However, their home is bound by an existential
cycle: when the Turning of the Age comes, all
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quori are destroyed and Dal Quor is reborn for a
new age. The quori of the current age, which has
lasted for millennia, are attempting to prevent
the Turning by keeping the hearts and minds of
Eberron’s population stagnant. Riedra is the ulti-
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mate expression of their goal—a pliant, peaceful
populace and a vast network of psionic control.
Ultimately, everything that happens in Riedra
happens because the quori wish it.
The Path of Inspiration
The state religion of Riedra teaches that all people
are born into their rightful caste, and that through
service to the nation and the Inspired, they may
attain a higher position in their next life. The
Chosen—specially bred humans—represent the
highest mortal caste, and their purpose is to host
guiding spirits known as il-altas. Chosen who
host these spirits are known as Inspired. Each
quori spirit has multiple Chosen hosts, which it
can possess freely whether or not the Chosen is
willing. Most Chosen are only Inspired for short
periods, as the quori conducts its business in
various regions. When the quori is not presently
possessing them, the Chosen host has the same
freedom of mind as any other human—though
over the years, the regular exposure to the quori
slowly erases the Chosen’s original personality
and they become like-minded with the quori even
when not actively hosting it.
Changelings follow the Chosen in the hierarchy—
their ability to change their shape is said to bring
them closer to the il-altas spirits. Humans, who
make up the vast majority of Riedra’s inhabitants,
follow changelings down the path. While consid-
ered privileged, humans are not afforded much
freedom in their own right. Finally, other human-
oids and animals follow. Dwarves, shifters, and
ogres are likely to be recognized (and looked down
on) by most Riedrans. Half-elves, halflings, elves,
goblinoids, and orcs are known to the Inspired, but
commoners are unlikely to recognize their race
and would consider them strange and exotic.
 Chapter 1: Adventuring in Riedra | Riedran Culture

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pl
In order to assure that they remain on the path
to inspiration, the people of Riedra are taught to
Isolation
m

be vigilant against the altavar—disruptive spirits
that corrupt and destroy. Instead, the Riedran
people watch carefully to be sure that their peers
do not fall to temptations like “freedom” and
“self-expression.” The vile kalashtar are known as
powerful champions of the altavar, though most
Riedrans live far from the kalashtar mountain
Sa
The world’s largest nation is also its most insular.
Unauthorized travel to Riedra is strictly forbidden.
The Iron Gate oversees the affairs of foreigners in
Riedra and is responsible for policing the empire’s
borders. It wields the greatest power in the port
cities of Dar Jin and Dar Ulatesh. These cities
host the Jhodra, walled districts that are open—at

sanctuary in Adar. least in part—to hosting Khorvairian organiza-

tions. Lucky foreigners may be able to negotiate
Always Watching visas for entry into Riedra proper, though the
Thousand Eyes are likely to keep a close watch
Riedra is a surveillance state at every level.
on their every move. Credentials issued by the
Psionic artifacts ensure that thoughts and dreams
Iron Gate are necessary for foreigners to navigate
are not above the scrutiny of the Inspired. The
frequent internal checkpoints.
intelligence agency known as the Thousand Eyes
employs both psionic and mundane methods of
inquisition. Each member dedicates their time to
rooting out dissent, questioning potential subver-
sives, and silencing opposition.

3
 Chapter 1: Adventuring in Riedra | Riedran Culture

Bastions and Villages Riedran Glossary

Riedran settlements fall into one of two broad
categories. Bastions are wondrous cities lit with
spectacular crystal lighting. The elegant, fluid
architecture of these cities features exotic mate-
rials like crysteel (an alloy of psychoactive crystal
and iron) and sentira (a cultivated shell-like
mineral that resonates with thoughts and emo-
The following Riedran words are likely to prove
useful while running Escape from Riedra. You are
encouraged to share this glossary with your players
to help build immersion.
Altavar. Corrupt spirits that work to destroy order
and harmony. They are the enemy of all Riedrans.
Kalashtar are the most prominent vessels for

tions). Bastions are often organized into one or
more spherical districts, and residents typically
live their whole lives within one district. Most
bastion names begin with one of three prefixes,
depending on their size and purpose. “Tol” bas-
e
the altavar.
Dar. Prefix used for a port city.
Dul. Prefix used for an inland city.
Hanbalani altas. Egg-shaped monoliths that are

tions are small inland cities, “Dul” bastions are
larger inland metropolises, and “Dar” bastions
are coastal ports.
Outside of the bastions, the Riedran country-
side is scattered with smaller villages. Villages
are typically rougher around the edges, and resi-
dents have slightly more freedom of movement,
being allowed to come and go to tend nearby
farms and other industries. The Thousand Eyes
nevertheless take security very seriously, and
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villages often operate on strict curfews and time-
tables. The staple crop of Riedran villages is
pomow—a large, spherical fruit with dark purple
pl
flesh. Its fibrous stalks can be used to create a
cotton-like thread.
fil
common throughout Riedra. The hanbalani are
the source of Riedra’s dreamshaping and assimi-
lation magic.
Il-altas. The spirits that guide the Inspired and
watch over all of Riedrans. (In truth, the il-altas
are quori, nightmare spirits from the realm of
Dal Quor.)
Jhodra. Closed districts in Dar Ulatesh and Dar Jin.
These are the only places that Khorvairians are
allowed to travel to and from in Riedra.
Pomow. A large purple fruit, Riedra’s staple crop.
Rendesa. A horned mount with limited telepathic
ability.
Zulaat. A Riedran polearm much like a glaive, but
with a blade at both ends.

Language
The Riedran mother tongue shares a linguistic
heritage with Khorvairian Common. Both
languages are derived from Old Common, the lan-
m

guage of the Sarlonan nations before the Inspired

remade the continent as Riedra. However, it’s
been more than a thousand years since the
last major migration of Sarlonan humans to
Khorvaire, and the languages have become dis-
tinct. When adventuring in Riedra, bear in mind
that the vast majority of commoners won’t under-
Sa

stand the player characters. Only the Chosen

and certain agents of the Thousand Eyes or the
Dreaming Dark have been given the opportunity
to learn Common. Spells such as tongues and
comprehend languages are thus very valuable to
Khorvairians who make the trip.

4
 Chapter 1: Adventuring in Riedra | Psionics

Psionics center of many of Riedra’s daily religious rituals,

Psionics is embedded in Riedran culture in much
the same way that arcane magic supports so
many wondrous creations in Khorvaire. However,
the use of psionics is strongly restricted by caste.
Authority figures such as Chosen and changelings
are frequently practitioners of the psychic arts,
though humans and oni are sometimes encour-
and they can even be used to transmit telepathic
messages to everyone within range.
However, the hanbalani can also influence
people’s dreams. This might mean encouraging
certain emotions or states of being, but the
Inspired can also use these powers to implant an
instinctual fear of local or national threats.

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aged in the practice if they serve organizations
such as the Thousand Eyes, the Harmonious
Shield, or the Edgewalkers.

Everyday Psionics

fil
As the player characters explore Riedra, consider
emphasizing the use of everyday psionics. Here
are some examples:
The Soothing Voice. Every morning, the citi-
zens of Riedra are given propaganda and the
day’s tasks by a telepathic broadcast.
Dreamshaping. The dreams of Riedran citi-
zens are manipulated to promote the ideals

“Hanbalani and Dreamshaping” section).

Crystal Illumination. Much like Khorvaire,
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that the quori need in their subjects (see the

Riedra has introduced artificial lighting even

pl
in its villages. However, the lighting schedule
is controlled entirely by the authorities to
ensure that people do not break their curfew.
Psychoactive Signage. Education is extremely
limited in Riedra. Most humans are illiterate,
so bastion cities often use psychically imbued
signs to describe the purpose of a structure
m

or direct people. With a touch, these signs

convey images or emotions directly into a
person’s mind. These signs are often created
using sentira, a cultivated organic mineral that
resembles shells or horns.
Teleportation Circles. Although the quori can
possess Chosen anywhere in Riedra from Dal
Sa

Quor, their hosts still need to move about the

continent. Bastion cities often have telepor-
tation circles at their center to enable rapid
redeployment of Riedran assets.

Hanbalani and Dreamshaping

The monoliths known as hanbalani altas domi-
nate the skyline of Riedra everywhere outside its
cities. Each supports a vast aura of psionic well-
ness, suffusing the consciousness of every sapient
creature in the area. The hanbalani are at the
 Chapter 1: Adventuring in Riedra | Psionics
When the player characters take a long rest,
roll on the Hanbalani Dreams table to determine
the dream broadcast by the hanbalani. Creatures
that do not sleep or dream, such as elves, war-
forged, and kalashtar, do not receive these
broadcasts.
Hanbalani Dreams
d8 Dream
1 “You walk through a field of grain with a bucket
of water. Each time you empty it, the grain grows
taller, and you feel pride that your people will be
fed.”
2 “You find a small child lost in shadow. He cries
because he misses his friends and the comfort
of his creche. You lead him to the monolith, into
the light, and he is welcomed with open arms by
his people.”
3 “A great beast threatens a camp of workers. You
join hands with your peers and stand against
the creature. A kind spirit appears and leads the
beast away.”
4 “You are a mouse, scurrying through a field to
escape from a circling hawk. You come across
a human worker in the field, and marvel at how
wonderful it must be to never fear the hawk.”
e DMs are advised to reclaim assimilation tokens
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5 “You are gathered with your kindred at the
water’s edge. A great storm rages on the ocean
horizon, but you are safe among your people.”
6 “A shadow clings to a fellow laborer, encouraging
her to steal from the community. You invite a
spirit of light to lift the darkness, and you both
bask in its warmth.”
m
7 “As you stack grain, your hand rests upon
another—your heart races as you feel their
warmth. You know that if they are right for you,
the spirits will guide you together.”
8 Describe one or all of the player characters in
allegorical form, as if they were the monsters
in a dream. “A great spirit stands between your
Sa
family and these monsters. You know you are
safe as long as il-altas is with you.”
Psionic Assimilation
Whenever a player character finishes a long
rest, they must make a DC 15 Charisma saving
throw. Creatures that do not dream (such as
elves, kalashtar and warforged) have advantage
on the saving throw. On a failed save, they gain
one assimilation token. The Dungeon Master can
6
reclaim assimilation tokens from a player char-
acter at any time, immediately imposing an effect
that reflects the subtle psionic influence of time
spent in Riedra. The effect on the player character
is determined by how many assimilation tokens
the Dungeon Master reclaims from them:
1 token: The character must reroll one attack roll,
ability check, or saving throw that would other-
wise succeed.
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2 tokens: The character is under the effects of a
command or calm emotions spell, and automat-
ically fails their saving throw against that spell.
3 tokens: The character automatically fails
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one Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma
saving throw.
The DM spending an assimilation token in
this way does not require a Riedran or Inspired
character to use an action of any kind. The trigger
need not even be directly observed by any char-
acters. Instead, assimilation tokens represent
the influence of the permeating psionic aura of
control that is supported by the hanbalani altas.
during particularly thematic instances, rather
than in the standard course of adventure. For
example, you might impose disadvantage on a
Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Deception)
check if someone is negotiating with dissidents
or lying to the Thousand Eyes. Or you could use
command to force a character to stop, sit down,
and be quiet if they are attempting to incite rebel-
lion in the laborers.
Alternatively, a player character can return an
assimilation token to the DM by taking an action
the DM agrees furthers the cause of Riedra. Good
behavior is rewarded, of course, and players
should be made aware that they can remove
assimilation tokens in this way. Examples include:
y A full day’s labor on behalf of Riedra.
y Casting a healing or other support spell of
3rd level or higher on a willing loyal Riedran
human, changeling, Chosen, or Inspired (1/day).
y Donating at least 30 gp in material goods to a
Riedran authority (1/day).
If a player character removes an assimilation
token in this way, they also gain 10 temporary hit
points and regain one spent hit dice.
Some sample assimilation tokens for you to
print and cut out are included in Appendix B.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra
About the Adventure
Escape from Riedra is designed for five 7th-level
characters. The adventure is likely to take several
sessions, depending on the speed of your group,
their interest in roleplay with Riedran citizens,
Adventure Background
The player characters are members of the Clifftop
Adventurers’ Guild in Sharn (see the “Group
Patrons” section in chapter 1 of Eberron: Rising
from the Last War). If they previously played the

and their ability to make plans. It is split into three
main acts with a prologue and epilogue to bookend
the story. Expect to spend two to four hours with
each act. The full adventure is set out as follows:
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Across Eberron: Convergence Manifesto adven-
ture path, available on the Dungeon Masters
Guild, adventurers will be familiar with Lhara,
their Guild Handler.

fil
The guild’s client for this mission is the King’s
Prologue. The mission briefing introduces the
Dark Lanterns (see the “Group Patrons” section
player characters to Miira and Shiaali: two
in chapter 1 of Eberron: Rising from the Last
Riedran women separated by class and dis-
War). The Dark Lanterns plan to use the guild as
tance, longing for a trouble-free life together.
a front for plausible deniability—just in case any-
Act 1: Dar Ulatesh. Theadventurers arrive in
thing goes wrong.
the Riedran bastion of Dar Ulatesh. They
The Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild can be easily
have a chance to meet the locals and visiting
replaced by another adventuring guild—such
Khorvairians, follow rumors, and enter Riedra
as the Wayfinder Foundation or the Deathsgate
proper following either official or clandes-
Explorers’ Club—or by any other organization
tine means.
Act 2: Borutesh. The party travels to the town of
Borutesh and meets the Chosen administrator
they are tasked with rescuing. They must make
e that is interested in heroic deeds and/or political
intrigue. These hidden patrons could be substi-
tuted with any other espionage agency, such as the
Royal Eyes of Aundair or the Serpentine Table.
pl
plans to get her out of the city while under
oppressive surveillance.
Act 3: Desertion. The player characters travel
across the Riedran border into the free nation
of Syrkarn. Can they bring Shiaali to their ship
before the Riedrans can catch up?
Epilogue. The party returns to Khorvaire, where
m

Miira and Shiaali are finally reunited.

Four appendixes follow the adventure, con-
taining further resources for DMs:
Appendix A contains creature statistics for all
encounters in this adventure.
Appendix B contains player handouts and
maps referred to throughout this adventure.
Sa

The adventure download also contains

high-resolution versions of these maps in a
zipped folder.
Appendix C contains suggestions for adapting
this adventure for characters from Sarlona,
rather than Khorvaire.
Appendix D contains racial traits for players
that wish to play a Chosen or eneko
character.

7
Cast of Characters
Escape from Riedra follows the story of Miira and
Shiaali, star-crossed lovers separated by caste, an
ocean, and otherworldly psionic power. Though
the commoner Miira introduces the story, adven-
turers will spend the most time in Riedra with
Shiaali, trying to escape the clutches of the quori
spirit Aktavi and the agents of the Thousand Eyes.

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Major Characters
The following characters play a significant role in
the story of Escape from Riedra.

fil
Aktavi
Aktavi (ak-TAH-vee) is a du’ulora quori, nightmare
spirit of rage and hate. It and its Chosen vessels
coordinate military movements along the south of
Rhiavhaar, ensuring the Syrkarn border remains Miira
exactly as porous as the Inspired desire it to be.
Miira (mee-EAR-ah, she/her) is a human laborer
Personality: I treat mortals like children, for how who grew up in a military supply town called
could they seem like anything else to an eternal Borutesh. She fell in love with her Chosen who
spirit? Flawed Riedrans require discipline,
especially the kind that hurts.
Ideal: Power. The Darkness that Dreams must
recognize my greatness. I am the highest
e leads the town, and after a transfer to Dar San in
Sharn, Miira has defected to Breland.
Personality: Among strangers, I speak only when
spoken to—I am often content to just watch
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among the du’ulora.
people. Khorvaire, after all, is so full of wonder
Bond: The will of the quori stands above mortal
and color.
concerns. We are eternal, and Riedra is our tool.
Ideal: Perseverance. I must never stop working
Flaw: Though I try to keep calm and collected
hard to achieve peace and safety for myself and
when addressing my subjects, I am exception-
Shiaali.
ally quick to anger.
Bond: Love. Shiaali opened my eyes to a whole
new world beyond my assigned duties in
Ilir
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Riedra. She is my Inspiration.

Ilir (EE-lur, he/him) is a changeling in service Flaw: Subservience. After decades living in
of the Thousand Eyes, Riedra’s domestic sur- Riedra, I default to letting others take the lead,
veillance agency. He has been tasked with even if I know better.
interviewing the Khorvairians on their arrival at
the Iron Gate in Dar Ulatesh, and is determined Shiaali
to keep a close watch over the foreigners when
Sa

Shiaali (she-AH-ah-lee, she/her) is a Chosen of

they are admitted into the empire’s heart.
Personality: I speak softly but with utmost preci-
sion. Politeness is a virtue I cannot let falter.
Ideal: Suspicion. No one is beyond my jurisdic-
tion save for Riedra’s Chosen. My questions
deserve to be answered.
Bond: I offer my service to the il-altas wholly
and unconditionally. Only then can I expect to
return as Chosen in my next life.
Flaw: My pride in adherence to protocol leaves
me unable to accept my own mistakes.
the Riedran people, administrator of the town
of Borutesh, and unwilling host of the quori
spirit Aktavi. She fell in love with one of her
laborers, Miira, and keeps their dalliance secret
from her quori master by carefully modifying
her own memories. Shiaali has come up with a
scheme to trick her quori masters into allowing
Khorvairians into Riedra—all with the goal of
defecting with her love Miira.
When Shiaali is possessed by Aktavi, she is
known as Shiaaktavi (she-AH-ak-TAH-vee).

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 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Cast of Characters
Personality: I am tired, scared, and traumatized
by the war within my own mind. With all the
holes I have left in my memory, I sometimes
struggle to speak sense.
Ideal: Autonomy. Despite the power the spirit
holds over me, I choose to resist Aktavi. e
Bond: Miira’s love is the only thing keeping me
from succumbing. I must make sure we can
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find peace together.
Flaw: My confident ruler’s countenance is a thin
veil. I am scared to take the actions necessary
to leave Riedra behind.
Minor Characters
m
The following characters may play a significant
role in an encounter with the player characters,
but they do not drive the action in the adven-
ture. They are listed in approximate order of
appearance.
Guild Handler Lhara (LAHR-ah, she/her) is
a shifter with white hair and fur streaked with
Sa
black. She is the player characters’ handler inside
the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild.
Friedrich (FREED-rik, he/him) is an agent of
the King’s Dark Lanterns who has secretly hired
the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild to extract Shiaali.
Captain Kes d’Lyrandar (KESS duh-lye-RAN-
der, he/him) is a middle-aged half-elf, carefree
captain of the Wayward Cuttle, the elemental
galleon that transports the player characters to
and from Sarlona.
9
Jez Dovetail (JEHZ DUV-tail, he/him) is a
young and wiry half-elf, Captain Kes’ plucky
first mate.
Chandra Thane (CHUN-druh THANE, she/
her) is a human historian interested in the migra-
tion of the ancient hero Lhazaar from Sarlona
to Khorvaire. She recently settled in the city of
Dar Ulatesh, having fled Sharn after manifesting
an aberrant dragonmark in the Across Eberron
e
adventure AE01-01: Fired and Forgotten.
Mar’aashta (mar-uh-ASH-tuh, she/her) is the
half-orc leader of the House Tharashk enclave in
Dar Ulatesh. She is secretly tunneling underneath
the enclave.
fil
Jaanai (jah-AN-eye, he/him) is a Riedran
human, “trustworthy” guard, and leader of the
Dream Merchants in Dar Ulatesh.
Sarun d’Sivis (SAH-roon duh-SIV-iss, he/him)
is a gnome linguist working in the Jhodra. He
hopes to write a traveler’s guide to the Riedran
language.
Fali (FAHL-ee, she/her) is a changeling rep-
resentative of the Thousand Eyes in the town of
Borutesh.
Kalah (KAHL-uh, he/him) is an oni bodyguard
to Shiaali in Borutesh. Kalah accepts that his
magical nature makes him altavar, and thus he
must prove his exceptional loyalty to Riedra.
Rhiavet (REE-ah-vet, she/her) is a Riedran
captain known as “The Waterfall” in Borutesh.
She rides a psychic horse.
Setesh (seh-TESH, they/them) is a young
human smith in Borutesh. They are secretly
working for a Riedran dissident group.
Iziaka (ih-zee-AH-kuh, she/her) is the eneko
leader of the Torn Veil, a dissident cell in the town
of Borutesh.
Niiret (NEE-ih-ret, she/her) is in charge of
managing the Bountiful Horn in Borutesh. She is
Miira’s mother.
Nivi (NIV-ee, she/ her) is a “shattered” kalashtar
tasked with keeping the Torn Veil dissidents in
Borutesh cloaked from the psionic detections of
the Thousand Eyes. Before the traumatic severing
of her consciousness from that of her quori spirit,
Nivi was known as Nivishana.
Prologue
The adventure begins when the player characters
are invited to a special meeting at the Clifftop
Adventurers’ Guild in Sharn. The letter reveals
nothing of the mission at hand, except to request
that the player characters should not speak
with anyone about the upcoming meeting. For
a boastful guild handler like Lhara, clandestine
Miira struggles with her words, faltering as she
speaks the Riedran name for the spirits.
“Shiaali says we cannot pair in Riedra. That the
Path is not for us. So she sends me to city with
towers. Here. To get help for her too. To be safe. So
you go to Riedra, to Borutesh. You save my Shiaali.
You bring her back here. She tell you everything
about our people.”

e
notes and secret meetings are most unusual.
When you are ready to start the game, read or The Rescue Mission
paraphrase the following: The man in the burgundy cloak is Friedrich,
who is attending on behalf of the King’s Dark

fil
You arrive as instructed to the Clifftop Adventurers’ Lanterns—Breland’s intelligence agency.
Guild headquarters, and you’re directed toward Friedrich is responsible for Miira’s case, and he
one of the tower’s darkest corners. Awaiting you hopes that Shiaali can be a valuable source of
within a sparse room are three people, one of information for the Crown as they expand their
whom you’ve become familiar with during your diplomatic relations with Riedra. He has hired the
service: Guild Handler Lhara, a shifter with white Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild to maintain plausible
fur streaked with black, one pale blue eye, and deniability for the Dark Lanterns. Only Lhara
one eyepatch.
knows his identity and motives, which he wishes
“Welcome! Welcome! Sorry about the secrecy
to remain a secret from the adventurers for their
here, but we don’t want to draw too much attention.”
(and his) protection.
Lhara exchanges whispers with one of the
strangers: a stern human man wrapped in a
burgundy cloak. He stands quietly in the corner,
watching the scene unfold.
e
Sitting quietly behind the only table in the room
pl
is a plain-looking human woman of perhaps 30
years. She has a shaved head and wears a rough
black shift. Her gaze is downcast, as if she is afraid
to make improper eye contact.
Lhara closes the door behind you, then speaks
in hushed tones.
“May I introduce our guest of honor, Miira. She
m

has come to us with an opportunity quite unlike

any other. As you might recognize from her fashion
or her name, Miira here joins us from Sharn’s
Riedran community, Dar San. Miira is a defector,
and she has offered us intelligence regarding our
isolationist neighbor across the sea.”
She waves a hand at the cloaked man. “According
Sa

to our friends in the government, her story is cred-

ible enough to justify a very unusual expedition.”
Miira looks up and meets Lhara’s gaze for a
moment. The shifter gives her a nod, and she
begins her tale in broken, accented Common.
“Riedra is home but it is like…” She mimics
manacles around her wrists.
“I farmer from Borutesh. Life was hard, but then
I met Shiaali. Shiaali was special, she see through
mind, into heart. Our Spirits, il-altas, watch with
Thousand Eyes but they do not see.”

10
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Prologue
e
pl
What Do Lhara and Miira Know?
The player characters undoubtedly have many
questions for Lhara and Miira. If anyone asks
m
the cloaked man questions, he remains silent,
expecting Lhara to answer on his behalf.
Reveal the map of Rhiavhaar (see appendix
B) and allow your players to study it. Here are
answers to some common questions the adven-
turers might ask about their mission.
What is Riedra? “Riedra is an empire on the
Sa
distant continent of Sarlona, quite unlike
any nation on Khorvaire. Their leaders, the
Inspired, are adept with psionic magic. Their
religion claims the Inspired speak for spirits
called il-altas, who watch over the Riedran
people. The Inspired have been cozying up to
the leaders of the Five Nations during the Last
War, but no one’s allowed into Riedra except for
a small section of a couple of port towns. Miira
tells us it’s a surveillance state so intrusive that
it would make the gnomes in Zilargo blush.”
11
e
fil
Who is Shiaali? “Shiaali is a Chosen of the Riedran
people—a vessel for the spirits they worship.
Miira says that the Chosen cannot keep the
spirits out of their minds even if they wanted to.
In theory, Shiaali’s the ruler of Miira’s village,
but apparently she’s horrified by the control the
spirits have over her. When the spirits speak
through her and she is Inspired, she takes the
name Shiaaktavi.”
Who is the man in the burgundy cloak? “He is
our client, and you would do well to forget he
was ever in this meeting.” A character who suc-
ceeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check can
tell that the man is watching intently, but satis-
fied to remain an observer. His ready posture
but forgettable front suggest he is a well-trained
intelligence agent. He has no signs of malicious
intent toward the party, Miira, or Shiaali.
How do we get into Riedra? “We’ve found a captain
willing to sail you across the Sea of Rage—Kes
d’Lyrandar. He’ll take you to the city of Dar
Ulatesh in the Riedran province of Rhiavhaar.
Shiaali has arranged for your visas to travel into
the interior of the empire. You’ll be posing as
archaeological consultants who Shiaali needs to
investigate some ruins near town.”
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Prologue
How do we get out of Riedra? Lhara pushes the
map of Rhiavhaar across the table. “Getting
out with Shiaali is the hard part. There’s no
way you can escape with her from Dar Ulatesh.
Instead, we’ll arrange to have you picked
up from a bay in the neighboring country—
Syrkarn. You’ll have to cross the Riedran
border between Tam Mesk and Kintam
Murath.”
What are the Planar Wild Zones on the map?
“Our research suggests that Sarlona suffers
stronger planar magic than Khorvaire. Wild
zones are regions where other worlds bleed
into Eberron—and they’re far more dangerous
than our manifest zones.”
What if Shiaali is possessed during the escape?
“Pack as much magic as you can to keep the
spirits away—we’ve provided some scrolls for
you to learn.” Lhara provides the player char-
acters with a scroll of protection from evil and
good, magic circle, and dispel evil and good.
What if the Riedrans read our minds with
psionic magic? “We have a present for each
of you—a special pearl that can make anyone
e
reading your mind see a lie instead. Be careful,
we only have one each for all of you, and they
only last ten minutes.” Lhara provides each
pl
character with a pearl of the masquerade.
Regardless of whether they ask the specific
questions indicated above, Lhara is careful to
provide the party with all of the following items:
y Map of Rhiavhaar
y Scroll of protection from evil and good
m
y Scroll of magic circle
y Scroll of dispel evil and good
y One pearl of the masquerade per character
If you want to offer a concrete plan to stream-
line the adventure, give the following milestones:
1. Sail to Dar Ulatesh and obtain a visa by making
contact with the Iron Gate.
Sa
2. Travel to Borutesh and make contact with
Shiaali.
3. Find a way to get Shiaali out of Borutesh.
4. Cross the border to Syrkarn by traveling
through the wild zone southeast of Borutesh.
5. Meet the ship at the southern tip of Syrkarn’s
northwestern peninsula.
When the characters are happy with the infor-
mation they have and the preparations they have
made, begin the adventure in earnest by moving
on to the “Act 1: Dar Ulatesh” section.
12
Shiaali’s Escape Plan
Shiaali is playing a dangerous game with the
Riedran leadership to keep them from suspecting
her planned desertion. To make contact with
Khorvairians, she first arranged for Miira to be sent
to Dar San, the Riedran neighborhood in Sharn.
The rest required careful manipulation of Riedrans
on Shiaali’s side of the border.
e
What Shiaali has told Miira: The “diplomatic”
reason for the Riedrans offering visas to the
player characters is that Shiaali has uncovered
some ruins near Borutesh and they need the
fil
expertise of the Clifftop Adventurers’ Guild to
properly assess the threat. As far as Miira, Lhara,
and the Dark Lanterns know, there truly are
ruins that the Inspired are expecting the adven-
turers to inspect.
What Shiaali has told the Inspired: In reality,
the ruins near Borutesh have been cleared out
for decades. As far as Shiaali’s superiors are
concerned, the archaeology is a ruse, and the
purpose of the player characters’ visit is to test
the psionic influence of the hanbalani altas on
foreigners. How fast can they be manipulated
into seeing how wonderful Riedra truly is? Is the
assimilation more rapid in the heart of Riedra
than it is in the Jhodra? The quori can consider
this a first step in expanding beyond traditional
diplomatic methods in Khorvaire itself.
Pearl of the Masquerade
Wondrous item, rare
These consumable stones allow a user to dress their
thoughts with a carefully selected mask. As an action,
you can consume a pearl to mask your thoughts for
10 minutes. For the duration, if a creature attempts to
read your thoughts or otherwise magically determine
your emotions, they instead read thoughts or emo-
tions that you specify, and can’t determine whether
you are lying.
Alternatively, you can keep a pearl in your mouth
without swallowing, as long as you do not eat or drink
during that time. While the pearl is in your mouth,
you can consume the pearl as a reaction to making
an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw.
You must decide to consume the pearl before you
roll the saving throw and before you know the effect
of a failed save.
Act 1: Dar Ulatesh
After the player characters have wrapped
up any final business before departure, they
board the Wayward Cuttle, the Lyrandar ele-
mental galleon that will ferry them between
Khorvaire and Sarlona. You might wish to
use the long journey by sea to give the players
a chance to do some character-driven scenes,

e
or spend a scene bringing the crew to life—the
final showdown in Syrkarn may have a bit of
extra punch if the players are well acquainted
with Captain Kes d’Lyrandar and his first mate
Jez Dovetail. However, getting to the action in

fil
Riedra as soon as possible is a good way to start
your game with plenty of momentum.
When the player characters arrive in Riedra,
read or paraphrase the following:

It has been four weeks since your ship, the Wayward At the very center of the city, between the five
Cuttle, left Khorvaire for Sarlona. Four weeks of districts, a spiral tower dwarfs the others. A beacon
“acceptable” food, four weeks of unstable footing, draws a glowing beam from the top of the central
and four weeks of the endless expanse of the Sea spire vertically up into the clouds.

e
of Rage. Finally, your lookout spies the glittering
lights of the city of Dar Ulatesh far on the horizon.
An interceptor with a glittering hull sails out
from the Riedran port. Your captain maintains
your course, bringing you into Ulatesh Bay under
pl
constant Riedran escort. With one last chance to
rest before arrival in the bastion city of Rhiavhaar,
the captain advises some shuteye.
You dream of a vast field of young grain. It
tickles against your legs as you stride through,
hauling a bucket of water. With one great heave,
you empty your pail into a channel dug between
m
As your ship slides into the harbor, most of
the city disappears behind the district walls. Here,
the Khorvairian influence stands in stark contrast
to the Riedran towers that still peak above the
stone perimeter. It is darker, dirtier, and busier.
Humans, halflings, and half-elves bustle about in
the plaza, trading in goods and secrets. They all
walk beneath a metallic egg-shaped monolith at
the plaza’s center.
The captain brings your ship in beside an enor-
mous clipper with a hull made almost entirely of
crystal, save for a plating of steel at its prow. With

the crops. As the water spreads and seeps into the
soil, your grain grows by foot after foot—towering
above even the tallest of your cohort. You know
in your heart that if you keep at it, none of you
will go hungry...
“Prepare for arrival!” the captain roars, jarring
you all awake.
Sa
a thump, the gangplank hits the dock.
When the characters arrive, have them all
make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a failed
save, they gain a psionic assimilation token (see
the “Psionic Assimilation” section of chapter 1).
You might describe a failed saving throw as a

From the deck, the vast city of Dar Ulatesh
dominates the vista. Five great spherical districts
sit astride the mouth of the wide Rhiavhaar River,
each with high walls in stone and steel, and at their
center, towers reaching a hundred feet skyward.
Their height is modest compared to Sharn, but
they easily rival the capitals of the Five Nations.
The walls and towers dance with prismatic lights,
reflecting across the crystalline surfaces of each
structure. You are hard-pressed to find a harsh
line—each tower presents a curved silhouette,
accented with glass and steel in fluid patterns.
character recognizing how beautiful Riedra is
now that they’re actually here.
At this point, exploration of Dar Ulatesh is up
to the player characters. Give them a chance to
explore, meet new people, and decide on a plan
of action. The following sections discuss some of
the key locations and organizations in the district.
The adventurers might wish to...
Obtain a Visa. The Riedrans are expecting
the party to check in at the Iron Gate, obtain
the proper permits after a thorough interview,
then move on toward Borutesh in peace. If the

13
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh

characters choose this path, read the section
on “The Iron Gate,” then advance to “The
Interview” scene.
Scope Out the District. The Riedrans in this
district of Dar Ulatesh are required to be tight-
lipped, but Khorvairians can gossip all they like.
If the characters go in search of friendly faces,
read the sections on “The Historical Society of
Lhazaar” and “The Golden Dragon Inn.”
The Society is led by Chandra Thane, a gre-
garious and friendly Brelish human woman with
a love of expressing herself with color. In addition
to her time spent at the Society headquarters,
Chandra can also often be found in the common
room of the Golden Dragon Inn.
When she first meets the player characters,
Chandra gives each of the newcomers a gift of a
psychochromatic crystal. Chandra wears a spar-

Sneak Out. If the player characters decide to
bypass the proper channels of Riedran bureau-
cracy, they can find their way out of Dar Ulatesh
by investigating rumors of strange creatures
stealing from House Tharashk. Read the sec-
e
kling statement necklace with a dozen of these
crystals and has mastered the ability to concen-
trate on many at once.
Chandra makes a point to expand her social
network in the Jhodra. She is the best person to

tions on “The Dream Merchants,” “House
Tharashk,” and “The Golden Dragon Inn.” When
the players discover the way out, advance to “The
Tunnels” scene.
The Jhodra
The district known as the Jhodra is an island of
foreign influence in an otherwise uniform state.
Several dragonmarked houses and a handful of
Khorvaire’s nations maintain outposts within the
e
Jhodra, strictly at the pleasure of the Inspired. By
Riedran terms, it is a pit of corruption, and yet its
continued existence speaks to the desire of the
fil
introduce player characters to important NPCs
in the district. But Chandra has a secret—she
recently fled from Sharn to Dar Ulatesh after
manifesting an aberrant dragonmark which
allows her to cast color spray. Player characters
may have encountered her before in the Across
Eberron adventure AE01-01: Fired & Forgotten.
Chandra’s deputy, a half-elf man named
Derryck Questor, is paid well by the Thousand
Eyes to report on the Society and, by extension,
the social politics of the Jhodra.

Psychochromatic Crystal
pl
Inspired to begin engaging in dialogue with the Wondrous item, Common
people of the Five Nations.
While you hold this crystal or wear it close to your
In the Jhodra, the presence of the Inspired is
skin, it can shed dim light in a 10-foot radius in
far from weak. The citadel of the Eidolon of Dar
any color you choose. You must concentrate to
Ulatesh, the Inspired Lord Ulatorn, towers above maintain the effect.
the district—a reminder to carefree Khorvairians
that they are always observed. The Riedran navy,
m

known as the Harmonious Sail, has a significant

presence in the docks, and the Thousand Eyes
are always on the watch for nefarious business.
Notable locations and organizations within the
Jhodra include the following.

The Historical Society of Lhazaar

Sa

How the much-maligned Morgrave University

managed to acquire permits to set up this
overseas department is a mystery to many of
Khorvaire’s scholars. In theory, the Society aims
to study the ancient history of Khorvaire by fol-
lowing the legendary explorer Lhazaar’s journey
in reverse, here to her homeland of Rhiavhaar. In
practice, the Society is little more than a drinking
club playing at mixing the aesthetics of the pirate
clans of the Lhazaar Principalities with the crys-
talline flair of the Inspired.

14
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh

The Iron Gate always happy to meet newcomers to the Jhodra. If

If the player characters go to the Iron Gate, read
or paraphrase the following:
At the Jhodra’s enormous perimeter wall, you find
a tower shaped like a hand grasping a sphere. At
the other end, within the Jhodra in its entirety, sits
a building with a huge open archway lined with
gold. A host of statues sits above the arch, all
the party comes to the House Tharashk enclave,
she gladly shares a drink with them. However, she
does not reveal the presence of her tunnels unless
prompted by the player characters, who may have
heard the rumors elsewhere (see “The Golden
Dragon Inn”). She can be convinced to let the
player characters try their luck underground with
a successful DC 16 Charisma (Persuasion) check.

with welcoming faces and kind eyes, posed as if
inviting the people on the streets to come inside.
Amongst friends.
Anyone wishing to enter Riedra from the Jhodra
e
Although she has no idea if the caves connect
outside the city, she strongly suspects they do.
However, she sees no point in trying—it would risk
too much with the Riedrans, and she expects dan-
gerous creatures to lurk in the shadows of Khyber.

fil
must be properly vetted by the Iron Gate. The
See “The Tunnels” scene below if the party wishes
player characters are expected to check in at their
to explore this alternate exit out of Dar Ulatesh.
earliest convenience so that they can be interro-
gated by a changeling inquisitor. If you have the The Dream Merchants
time and want to allow the players to explore the
Dar Ulatesh’s black market has a significant pres-
Jhodra, a Riedran attendant can acknowledge the
ence in the Jhodra. Smuggling goods past the
player characters’ arrival and request they return
Harmonious Sail is certainly a challenge, but
at dawn for an interview with the esteemed Ilir.
for the right price, the Dream Merchants can get
See the “The Interview” section if your players
illicit goods to Riedrans and Khorvairians alike,
opt to take the official route into Riedra.

The Steeled Mind

This crysteel ship is permanently moored in
the Jhodra. The Harmonious Sail keeps it
e including forged travel papers. No central hub
exists for the Merchants. Instead, streetwise cus-
tomers will need to navigate the codes and dead
drops left in niches in the public streets.
pl
A savvy player character can catch an agent of
well stocked and crewed in case of emergen-
the Dream Merchants in the act by succeeding
cies. Although the Steeled Mind officially exists
on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
to protect the Jhodra from piracy or renegade
Characters that can speak thieves’ cant have
seafolk, in practice, it’s a deterrent against
a special edge—if they’re on the lookout, they
Khorvairian smugglers. Anyone attempting to flee
can automatically spot and decipher the telltale
Dar Ulatesh from the ports is likely to face pursuit
signs and scrawled symbols of Merchant activity,
by the Steeled Mind.
m

granting them advantage on the Intelligence

House Tharashk (Investigation) check.
The agent that the party is most likely to track
The dragonmarked House of Finding occupies
down is Jaanai, the leader of the Dream Merchants
a sizable portion of one of the Jhodra’s central
in Dar Ulatesh. Jaanai is a human Riedran guard
towers. Their work in Dar Ulatesh is strictly to
who uses his limited authority to move goods
facilitate the negotiation of future prospecting
about with less scrutiny than most laborers, and he
agreements for Riedra’s interior. Of course, while
Sa

often deposits dead drops during his patrols. If the

they wine and dine Riedran officials, they have
player characters catch Jaanai in the act and make
secretly tunneled beneath their enclave into a
peaceful contact, he can offer them forged travel
cave network beneath the city, all in the hopes of
documents in the form of psychoactive crystals for
uncovering Dar Ulatesh’s dragonshard bounty.
30 gp each. He can also arrange for someone to
The leader of House Tharashk’s operations
be smuggled from Dar Ulatesh into Khorvaire for
is Mar’aashta, a half-orc woman in her prime
300 gp. Jaanai is a pragmatist at heart, but he has
with a drive to prove the worth of her operation
little love for Riedra, and a rousing speech along
in Dar Ulatesh. Mar’aashta personally oversees
with a successful DC 20 Charisma (Persuasion)
the mining operations in the tunnels and caves
check convinces him to reduce his prices by a
beneath the enclave, although she is often called
third, to 20 gp or 200 gp respectively.
away to butter up the Riedrans. Mar’aashta is

15
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh
The Golden Dragon Inn
If the player characters visit the Golden Dragon
Inn, read or paraphrase the following:
At the far end of the plaza, past a looming
monolith, you find the familiar crest of House
Ghallanda, welcoming travelers to the Golden
Dragon Inn. With the outdoor signage illuminated
by cool crystal lights rather than the warm fire of
everbright lanterns, even this slice of home has a
slight alien visage.
The door swings open as a sailor stumbles out
into the plaza, revealing a much more welcoming
atmosphere inside: the orange glow of a fire, the
smell of hops, and a host of halfling staff scurrying
back and forth between patrons.
“Well, come on in, then,” a young halfling woman
beckons. “You’ll catch a cold out there, and I bet
you need some bacon and eggs.”
Sometimes, you need a taste of home. House
Ghallanda operates a modest branch in ubiq-
uitous Golden Dragon style. Some say that the
offices of the inn are where the real business of
the Jhodra is conducted—all manner of folk from
all manner of Khorvairian organizations socialize
within Ghallanda’s walls. The most prominent
organizations represented in the inn’s common
e 4
pl
rooms include the Historical Society of Lhazaar,
House Phiarlan, and House Tharashk.
Phiarlan entertainers famously have a difficult
time in the Jhodra. Since the elves don’t sleep,
they don’t share dreams with other people in
Riedra. Even as they slowly succumb to psionic
assimilation, many Phiarlans become frus-
m
trated with being unable to share that cultural
Sa
experience. The Ghallandans joke that no
Phiarlan bard lasts more than three nights before
arranging to travel home.
If the player characters listen for or investi-
gate rumors among the Khorvairians in the inn,
they can make a DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) or
Charisma (Investigation) check. On a success,
reveal a rumor from the Jhodra Rumors table. For
every 2 points the check exceeds the DC, reveal
e
another rumor.
Jhodra Rumors
d6 Rumors
fil
1 House Tharashk, ever on the hunt for drag-
onshard veins, has secured a route from the
Jhodra into the depths of Khyber.
2 An insect the size of a halfling has been stealing
food from House Ghallanda.
3 One of the guards at the Aundairian consulate
recently threw himself in the harbor, having
complained about a nightmare involving a feath-
ered serpent.
An elf in the House Phiarlan enclave was sent
back to Sharn after writing a poem all over the
outside walls, with the same line repeated over
and over again.
5 Last night, the Karrnathi ambassador was
thrown out of his dinner with the Eidolon
after being too forward about a trade deal.
The Thranish secretary has been making sure
everyone knows.
6 An enterprising Sivis scribe is trying to compile
a pocket guide to the Riedran language, and he
won’t stop bothering people in the Jhodra.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh
If the player characters want an illegitimate
way into Riedra proper, they may find the first two
rumors particularly interesting. The giant insect
stealing from Ghallanda’s supplies is a dromite—
an insect-like humanoid that lives underground in
Riedra. The dromite has been using the tunnels
dug by House Tharashk to infiltrate the Jhodra
and steal supplies for their hive. If the player char-
acters set a trap for the dromite in Ghallanda’s
stores, they find that it’s no real threat to them.
It might even be able to show them the way into
the tunnels with a successful DC 14 Charisma
(Persuasion, Deception, or Intimidation) check.
Dromites
Beneath the vast territory of the Riedran Empire,
the insect-like humanoids known as dromites build
their secret city-hives. The dromites are usually
content to keep to themselves since contact with
the Riedrans often ends in their death or enslave-
ment. However, brave or desperate dromites are
sometimes driven to raid the surface civilizations.
Dromites prefer guerilla tactics, taking advan-
enemies can make preparations.
Dromites who develop their psionic abilities
e
tage of their size and speed to strike before their
pl
often study the nomadic disciplines, learning to
manipulate time and space to slip around their
foes at breakneck speeds. These dromites are
called “elocators.”
The Traveler’s Guide
Sarun d’Sivis is a gnome with an eye on a
m
lucrative business opportunity. As with many drag-
onmarked entrepreneurs who find themselves in
the Jhodra, Sarun knows his plans aren’t likely to
bring in gold for some time—but laying the foun-
dations now is likely to pay dividends when the
Riedrans agree to open up their country more fully.
Sa
Sarun has been compiling a Traveler’s
Guide to the Riedran Tongue for the Intrepid
Khorvairian. He has been bothering the
Riedrans in the Jhodra to extract every bit
of vocabulary he can, but the illiteracy of the
common folk and the disapproval of the Riedran
authorities have stalled his project.
Sarun has heard the buzz about Khorvairian
adventurers visiting Dar Ulatesh, and while the
e
they are exploring the Jhodra, he makes a point
to track them down. He presents them with a
draft copy of his book and asks that they fill in
any new words that they come across.
In its current form, the Traveler’s Guide can
fil
certainly help the player characters understand
the Riedran language, albeit in a clumsy and
impolite manner. Whenever a character speaks
with a Riedran who does not understand the
Common tongue, they can use the guide to help
translate by making an Intelligence (Investigation)
check to determine their success:
Less than 5: You choose your wording poorly or
stumble over pronunciation, causing offense.
5 to 9: You can’t make yourself understood, or you
can’t understand what is being said.
10 to 15: You can communicate or understand
a basic concept, typically three words or less,
without nuance or complicated description.
16 to 20: You can communicate or understand
a complex concept, typically encompassing a
full sentence.
20 or more: You make your intent known perfectly,
or understand everything you are being told.
Sarun can’t promise the player characters any
monetary reward for their help with the Traveler’s
Guide. Instead, he offers credit in the foreword, a
free copy of the completed tome, and a favor from
his allies in House Sivis.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh
The Interview
The surest way to gain access to Riedra proper is
e y “How did you acquire your magical talents?”
pl
to go through the proper channels and to submit
to an interview at the pleasure of the Iron Gate,
Riedra’s organization in charge of maintaining
their borders.
If the party chooses to leave the city through
this official channel, upon entering the Iron Gate,
the player characters are magically split from
m
their group in order to undertake individual inter-
views. Read or paraphrase the following:
Upon entering, you find yourself facing a person
kneeling in the center of a brightly lit chamber with
no other exits. You and he are the only people
in the room, despite you stepping through the
curtain with your companions. The stranger is
Sa
dressed in an emerald robe with gold trim. His
skin is gray, and his eyes are pure white.
He dabs a small brush into a pot of ink, then
begins to paint words across a scroll to his right.
With a wave of his left hand, the fabric of the
world shatters and coalesces into a translucent,
crystalline teapot and a pair of cups.
“Welcome, Honored Guest. My name is Ilir.
Would you like some tea?” He pours a steaming
liquid from the pot and fills both cups. “Please, sit
with me. I do hope we can get to know each other.”
18
Ilir is a changeling psion whose task is to prop-
erly vet the player characters. This is largely an
exercise in security theater, as the player charac-
ters will be granted leave to enter regardless of
the outcome of the interview. After all, the goal of
the quori in this endeavor is to measure how well
their hanbalani altas can bring outsiders under
their thrall. Nevertheless, knowledge is power,
and Ilir seeks to dig up all the dirt he can just to
e
see how the strange Khorvairians react.
The Riedrans have done their due diligence as
far as research is concerned. Any public knowl-
edge of the characters’ deeds and backstories is
fair game. In order to create a satisfying scene,
fil
Ilir asks difficult or awkward questions about
the player characters’ lives. Make your players
squirm. Consider some of the following questions:
y “Did you fight in the Last War?”
y “Why does your home country command your
allegiance?”
y “Do you believe the current peace between your
nations will last?
y “May I read your spellbook or religious texts?”
y “May I examine your dragonmark?”
y For monstrous or rare character races: “Tell
me about your people and their place in
Khorvairian society.”
y “What do you hope to achieve in Riedra?”
When Ilir is satisfied with the player characters’
interviews, he provides the party with a psycho-
active crystal. Anyone who holds it understands
a psychic imprint stored within—the player
characters, described both by name and a visual
impression of their appearance, have the leave
of the Iron Gate to travel the interior of Riedra
toward Borutesh.
With a wave of his hand, Ilir then parts the
wall to reveal a new exit from the chamber. The
changeling directs each player character through,
reuniting the party in the city proper. Read or
paraphrase the following:
On the other side of the Iron Gate, a group of
Riedran soldiers have gathered to escort you out
of the Jhodra and through the city proper. They
lead you down the wide central avenue, passing
beneath the twisting towers and two more shim-
mering monoliths. It becomes quite clear the
Riedrans have everything they need in this dis-
trict. You pass several public fountains decorated
with statues depicting Riedran laborers at rest.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh

Open dining halls are serving stew to dozens The Tunnels

of commoners quietly and efficiently consuming
their meal. You even spot soldiers performing
martial drills without their sergeants issuing a
single command.
Eventually, you come yet again to a tall city
wall—high enough that there’s no way for anyone
to see the world beyond. As the soldiers approach,
the thick iron door of the gatehouse swings out
If the player characters want to skip the inter-
view at the Iron Gate and enter Riedra without
proper clearance, they can do so by exploring the
tunnels beneath the House Tharashk enclave,
which they might discover through trapping a
dromite in the Golden Dragon Inn or befriending
Mar’aashta of House Tharashk. When the party

toward the outside world, revealing the carefully
sculpted fields and plains of the surrounding
Rhiavhaar territory.
As the party exits the city, proceed to the “Open
e
is ready to brave the caves, read or paraphrase
the following:
The trap door opens to a narrow rocky shaft drop-
ping a hundred feet to a camp lit by an everbright

fil
lantern. A rope ladder is secured to the sides,
Road” section.
allowing for an easy climb. The Tharashk base
camp has two everbright lanterns to stave off what-
Interviewing Kalashtar ever crawls through the dark spaces beneath this
corner of the world, and an open crate is filled with
In Riedra, the kalashtar people are among the minerals and some dirty blue gems that glisten
most demonized enemies of the state. Everyone in the flickering light—they must be tiny Khyber
knows them as altavar—creatures corrupted dragonshards.
by dangerous spirits. Any player character that The walls of the cave glisten with salt, and the
grew up in a kalashtar community would be well smell alone is enough to make you thirsty. Cloudy
aware of the threat Riedra and the Inspired pose
to them, and would certainly know to keep this a
secret—though kalashtar orphans who grew up
without the guidance of others may be unaware
e water collects in pools at the bottom of the cave,
and honeycomb tunnels split off in all directions
from the camp.
pl
of this risk. Fortunately for kalashtar characters,
even a Riedran might have difficulty spotting a
kalashtar that wishes to blend in with the humans.
Their innate psionic powers aren’t uncommon in
Riedra, and their physical features might even
allow them to pass for Chosen if they wish to
adopt that disguise.
If Ilir or any other agent of the Thousand Eyes
m

or Iron Gate discovers that a player character is

secretly a kalashtar, you need not disrupt the
adventure with conflict—at least not at first. During
the interview, Ilir is likely to keep to himself any sus-
picions that a player character is kalashtar, though
his demeanor may become noticeably unfriendly.
As far as Ilir is concerned, the plan is to test the
Sa

influence of the hanbalani altas on outsiders, and

having a kalashtar in the midst of the Khorvairians
simply provides additional data—is only one
kalashtar enough to disrupt their psionic influence?
If and when Ilir is finally able to drop the mask
and attack the party as they escape with Shiaali
(see the “Aurora Coast” section of Act 3), he pri-
oritizes killing any character he suspects of being
kalashtar.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh

A player character who succeeds on a DC 14
Wisdom (Survival) check can identify that
although the salt caves are a natural part of Dar
Ulatesh’s coastal landscape, the honeycomb
tunnels have likely been dug out by bipedal crea-
tures the size of an ogre, but with claws made for
digging. In truth, these tunnels have been created
by umber hulks—large insectoid aberrations that
have developed a taste for the dromites that use
outcropping in a Riedran field to the east of the
city of Dar Ulatesh. As the party exits the tunnels,
proceed to the “Open Road” section.
Failed Survival Check
On a failed survival check, the party becomes
lost in the maze of tunnels beneath Dar Ulatesh.
Traveling for hours through tight caverns and air
thick with salt causes all the player characters to

the caves to steal from Riedrans.
Navigating the tunnels to an opening outside
the walls of Dar Ulatesh with minimum trouble
requires a successful DC 18 group Wisdom
(Survival) check. Depending on whether they
e
gain one level of exhaustion. They then stumble
into the hunting grounds of a fierce family of mon-
sters. Read or paraphrase the following:
The tunnels open again into a wider, salt-encrusted

fil
chamber filled with stalactites and stalagmites.
succeed or fail on this check, run the appropriate
The 60-foot-tall chamber is silent save for the
encounter below. The map of the tunnels in
rhythmic drip of water into the puddles at the
Appendix B is designed to be used with either
cavern floor. Leaning against a stalagmite in the
encounter. center of the chamber is the half-devoured body
Successful Survival Check of a small humanoid with white chitin protruding
from their head.
On a successful survival check, the characters
make good progress and maintain a good sense This cavern is a hunting ground for a roper
of their location relative to the city. They find two and four piercers. These creatures use their
umber hulks blocking a key tunnel to the east,
but the aberrations aren’t expecting the PCs.
Read or paraphrase the following:
e false appearance to set traps for wandering
dromites, but they always try to hide away from
umber hulks. The dromite in the chamber has
been stripped bare and contains no useful food or
pl
The tunnels open again into a wider, salt-encrusted
items for the party to loot.
chamber. Two hulking creatures occupy the cavern,
Once the player characters have fought for their
looking like a cross between an ogre and an
lives in the tunnels, they travel on for another half
insect, with mandibles the size of longswords.
They are rummaging through the corpse of a hour before emerging from a rocky outcropping
smaller humanoid with white chitin protruding in a Riedran field to the east of the city of Dar
from their head. Ulatesh. As the party exits the tunnels, proceed to
the “Open Road” section.
m

The umber hulks have a passive Wisdom

(Perception) score of 10, but their trem-
orsense allows them to detect creatures
within 60 feet. They notice anyone who
ventures within that radius, but stealthy
characters are likely to gain the advantage
of surprise if they start a battle at range. The
Sa

corpse that the umber hulks are devouring is a

dromite—a small insect-like humanoid found in
hives far beneath Sarlona’s surface. The PCs can
find stolen Riedran rations, bread rolls from the
Golden Dragon Inn, and 100 gp worth of Khyber
dragonshards on the dromite’s body.
Once the player characters have dispatched
(or avoided) the umber hulks, they travel on for
another half hour before emerging from a rocky

20
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh

Open Road Bandits in the Night

Whether the adventurers reach the fields outside
Dar Ulatesh, whether via official channels or the
tunnels, read or paraphrase the following:
A crowd of Riedran workers farm the land outside
the city, and several smaller housing blocks are
built just outside the city walls. Two roads stretch
out from the gatehouse, one turning due east and
Unlike Khorvaire, the road network in Riedra
is not intended to accommodate lone travelers—
most commoners never leave their home regions.
Those Riedrans that do use the roads to transport
goods often camp beneath a hanbalani monolith.
As such, the player characters find no inns or
taverns to provide them with a bed and a warm
meal. They will have to brave the elements or take

the other turning southeast toward Borutesh. It
is easy to follow their path into the distance—a
familiar monolith stands beside the roads at least
every few miles.
e
shelter at one of the monoliths. If they choose the
latter option, the player characters have disadvan-
tage on their Charisma saving throws to resist
psionic assimilation that night.

fil
When the player characters attempt to take their
The journey to Borutesh will take the player
first long rest during the journey to Borutesh, they
characters two days along the road. To make the
are set upon by a gang of dromites hoping to steal
travel interesting, consider rolling one or more
supplies from traveling Riedrans. The dromites
times on the Encounters on the Road table that
are insect-like humanoids common in the deep
follows, or choose an option that you think will
caverns beneath Riedra, and if the player charac-
interest and engage your players. Each result is
ters took the route out of Dar Ulatesh through the
intended to provide some insight into Riedran
caves, they may have already come into contact.
culture, and may not lead to a significant social or
The dromite squad consists of two dromite
combat encounter—that will come with the drom-
ites during the first night of the journey.
Remember to call for Charisma saving throws toe
resist psionic assimilation every morning, and visit
the player characters with a shared dream shaped
elocators and four dromites. If the players set
up a rest rotation, roll randomly to see whose
watch they interrupt. The bandits have a Dexterity
(Stealth) bonus of +6, rolled with disadvantage
if the party chose to shelter at a monolith. If the
pl
by the Inspired (as discussed in the “Hanbalani
stealth check beats the watcher’s passive Wisdom
and Dreamshaping” section in chapter 1).
(Perception) score, they get the jump on the
player characters, who begin the ensuing battle
surprised. When the dromites spring their attack,
read or paraphrase the following:
m
Sa

21
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 1: Dar Ulatesh

A figure leaps out from the tall grass with blade

drawn, and skates toward you while levitating a
few inches above the ground. It is humanoid—or
near enough—and similar in height and build to a
halfling, but with insect-like features. Its eyes are
segmented, and instead of hair, its head crests
in armored chitin. Long antennae are swept back
from its forehead.

e
Defusing the conflict is possible with either a
successful DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) check
(rolled with advantage if the party has communi-
cated with dromites before, such as trapping the
dromite at the Golden Dragon Inn) or a successful

fil
charm person spell on the leader—though if no
one can speak Riedran, nonverbal communica-
tion will be key. Even if the player characters
refuse violence, the dromites need supplies to
feed their people. They won’t leave peacefully
without some deal or exchange of food, weapons,
or magical services.

Encounters on the Road

d8
1
Encounters
e
A patrol of four Riedran guards marches down the road toward Dar Ulatesh. Their captain is wary of the
strange travelers and demands to see their identification. However, the captain can only speak Riedran, and
pl
has to mime asking for their visa. Once they present it, he lets them proceed on their journey without trouble.
2 A great hanbalani monolith is being repaired at the side of the road, following a powerful storm. Sheets of
shining crysteel are being worked by a dwarf bound in chains. He refuses to even look at the player characters
for fear of straying further from his path. The other Riedran laborers, all human, shun him as they haul the
sheets into place.
3 A changeling is chastising a dozen humans in a field of ruined grain. She tells them they have failed in their
duty to the Inspired, and she warns the worst performers that they might have to live their lives as dirty
m

shifters or ogres next. All the farmers make a point of ignoring the player characters.
4 A pair of young humans are setting a trap for an “insect monster” (a dromite) they know is nearby. The trap
is little more than a snare and a falling cage, but they are carefully baiting it with a strange purple honey. They
aren’t interested in hearing about the world beyond Riedra, but they’ll gladly take trapping advice.
5 At a crossroads, a human woman dressed in silk robes sits among a collection of brightly colored crystal
shards. She is a psionic artificer creating psychoactive signage from crystal and sentira powder (see the
“Everyday Psionics” section in chapter 1) to help people find their way. She is curious about the travelers, and
Sa

happy to let them see how she implants thoughts and words into the pictures she draws.
6 A pair of human teenagers are walking down the road with baskets of fresh pomow. One keeps asking friendly
questions of the player characters (with mime if necessary), while the other threatens to report her counter-
part to the Thousand Eyes for speaking with the strange foreigners.
7 A tree is home to a dozen strange owl-like birds with eyes the size of a human fist, shining in purple and
gold. All dozen owls watch the same random player character, never breaking eye contact even if they’re
interfered with. They are quorbred owls—wild cast-offs that the Inspired once bred in hopes they could be
used to watch the Riedran people.
8 A herd of horselike animals, with silver coats and a crest of horns, gallop around an open field. They move in
perfect unison under the direction of a single handler. These are rendesa, a prized telepathic mount.

22

Act 2: Borutesh
e crates, barrels, and quarried rocks between the
pl
It takes the player characters two days to travel
from Dar Ulatesh to Borutesh. When you have
spent enough time on the road in Riedra, intro-
duce the village of Borutesh by reading or
paraphrasing the following:
m
As the sun begins to set once more, and your feet
tire from the march, the signs of greater civiliza-
tion begin to show. A plume of smoke and dust
rises from the horizon, preluding the adventurers’
arrival at the village of Borutesh.
The village itself is the first true settlement since
Dar Ulatesh that seems to require protection—
stone walls some 20 feet tall circle a cluster of
Sa
stone buildings and towers behind. Two structures
dominate the skyline: the hanbalani monolith at
the village’s core, and a manor framed with crystal
and steel just inside the wall’s western edge.
The Borutesh gatehouse is busy with activity,
quite unlike the smooth and quiet labor you
witnessed while escorted through Dar Ulatesh.
Half a dozen human guards stand at the open
gate, surveying the host of Riedran commoners
bringing carts of goods in from the fields. Besides
the humans, at least ten towering ogres haul
23
e
fil
humans’ workstations and through the village gates.
Although the ogres go about their work diligently,
their grunts and roars of effort are audible even
with the village distant.
Borutesh’s primary local industries are farming
pomow and quarrying stone. Its extensive fields
provide for more than just the village’s inhabit-
ants—Borutesh also serves as a billet for Riedran
soldiers moving between Kintam Murath and
Tam Mesk, the major forts along the Syrkarn
border. Much like the neighboring Riedran region
of Borunan, the village has an unusually large
population of ogres. As lesser creatures on the
rigid Path of Inspiration, the ogres are not per-
mitted within the walls of Borutesh. Instead, they
camp in pens just outside.
There are two structured events for the player
characters to experience in Borutesh:
Arrival: When the PCs arrive in Borutesh, they
have the (somewhat forced) opportunity to
witness a traditional end-of-day religious service.
Audience: Her Inspired Grace Shiaaktavi wishes
to meet with the explorers from Khorvaire.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
Outside these events, the player characters
are permitted to explore the village of Borutesh.
However, they are always kept under armed
guard, and are only allowed outside of their quar-
ters during daylight hours. The party can, should,
and probably will find a way to scout the town
without their guards. Indeed, finding a way to
extract Shiaali almost depends on it.
Potential Goals
Ultimately, you should allow your players the
freedom to find their own plan to extract Shiaali
from Borutesh. There’s no one right answer—
follow the instincts of your players and help
them fulfill their best ideas. For a full description
of Borutesh and its major attractions, see the
“Exploring Borutesh” section later in this act, but
here are some examples to get you going:
Find and befriend dissidents in Borutesh. Read
about the Mess Hall, the Industrious Forge, the
Ogre Pens, and the Torn Veil.
Sow discord between factions. Read about the
Healing Hand Hospital, the Shield Barracks,
the Ogre Pens, and the Tower of Eyes.
Create chaos. Read about the hanbalani monolith,
the Ogre Pens, and the Torn Veil dissidents.
e ahead of the other two, is a human woman wearing
pl
Seek information. Read about the Tower of Eyes
and the Bountiful Horn.
Enjoy local customs. Read about the Living
Quarters, the Shield Barracks, and the
Mess Hall.
Work for the good of Riedra. Players with an
abundance of assimilation tokens may wish for
m
their character to trade in one token for a day
of labor. Consider allowing such a character
to overhear rumors from the table given in the
“Mess Hall” section.
Arrival
Sa
When the player characters approach the
entrance to Borutesh, the guards check their
credentials. Once the party has identified them
as Shiaali’s guests, they are escorted under
close watch into the village. The following scene
assumes the party arrive shortly before nightfall,
just before the daily evening ceremony. Read or
paraphrase the following:
24
The guards escort you in through the gatehouse,
opening into Borutesh proper. From the north
entrance to the town, you first fall in between
rows of great communal blocks, built in stone, lined
close to the road. Dozens of soldiers are placing
weapons on sheltered racks, carefully storing armor,
and joining the throngs headed down the central
road. All are walking toward the hanbalani mono-
lith, visible even from the gatehouse, with pride
e
of place in the center of town.
The monolith is surrounded by a ring of carefully
managed gardens with bright flowers in all colors
of the rainbow. With the sunlight reflected off the
petals, the metallic surfaces of the monolith burst
fil
into color themselves.
The Riedran workers arrange themselves into
rings, kneeling as they surround the monolith, and
the guards lead you to the edge of the gardens
and encircle you. Though they drop their weapons
and kneel before the monolith, they do not force
the same of you.
All fall silent as a trio of figures stride down
the western promenade. At the center, walking
indigo robes and a horned headdress. To her right
is a changeling woman with a round gray face,
dressed in a green and gold cloak. To her left is
a 10-foot-tall giant with blue-tinted skin and black
horns curving from his forehead.
When the leader reaches the monolith, she
gently rests a hand on its surface and begins a
chant that carries across all the central gardens.
The three figures are Her Inspired Grace Lady
Shiaaktavi of Borutesh, Fali of the Thousand Eyes,
and Shiaali’s oni bodyguard Kalah. Shiaaktavi’s
ceremony—usually performed while Shiaali is
under the control of the quori Aktavi, as she is
now—is the traditional end of the day in Borutesh,
and typically only lasts five minutes. Although
the start and end of the ceremony are given in
the Riedran language, the core sermon is usually
delivered in Quori, the language of the spirits,
il-altas, though few commoners know this tongue.
Player characters who can understand Quori
discover the sermon is a dry but functional lesson
about trust and duty toward the guiding spirits.
The ceremony is a chance for the players to
see the main characters they might interact with
in Borutesh and gain a bit more insight into the
culture of Rhiavhaar outside the bastion cities.
However, the Riedran commoners and soldiers
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
refuse to talk to the player characters at the cer-
emony—it is far too solemn an event, and being
seen as eager to talk to outsiders could earn them
a visit from the Thousand Eyes.
Player characters that wish to look for weak-
nesses to exploit can make a Wisdom (Insight)
check to scan the mood of the crowd and identify
any potential malcontents. Reveal the following
information based on their result:
DC 12: The Riedran people, commoners and
soldiers alike, are utterly captivated by their
Inspired lady’s sermon, even though they prob-
ably don’t understand what she’s saying any
more than you do.
DC 16: A scattered handful of the laborers seem
less enthusiastic about the address than others.
You see a pair whisper to each other, paying no
attention to their leader. One is a stocky young
human commoner with their long hair tied
back, and the other is a woman with her head
wrapped.
DC 20: You see the stocky human receive some-
thing shiny from their co-conspirator. The
receiver slips the crystalline object under
their shirt. e
The stocky young human is Setesh, a smith at
pl
the Industrial Forge. They are a member of the
Torn Veil, the dissident organization in Borutesh,
and were just given a deactivated clairaudience
crystal that the Veil have removed from one of
the living quarters without the Thousand Eyes
realizing. In an effort to reduce the burden of
tracking characters, the veiled woman who has
m
given Setesh the crystal is not discussed further
in this adventure. If the player characters aim to
track her down later, steer the encounter toward
a meeting with Setesh. For example, the player
characters could catch up to her while she is
meeting Setesh at the Forge.
When the ceremony is over, the guards
Sa
escort the player characters to their quarters,
where they’re given time to rest their feet, drop
their belongings, and settle in. See the “Living
Quarters” section below. The guards tell them
that Her Inspired Grace Shiaaktavi will expect an
audience in the morning. For now, they are free to
do as they wish—under permanent guard.
25
Detecting Quori Possession
Determining whether Shiaali is currently under the
control of the quori Aktavi can be a key component
of many parties’ plans. Dungeon Masters are there-
fore encouraged to use a variant rule typing quori
as fiends rather than aberrations (see chapter 8 of
Exploring Eberron). Under that variant, spells and
abilities that can detect the presence of fiends, such
e
as detect evil and good and a paladin’s Divine Sense,
reveal Aktavi’s fiendish aura on Shiaali whenever
she is possessed. If Shiaali is not currently under
Aktavi’s control, these abilities detect nothing.
fil
Audience
On the morning after their arrival, begin the day
(and all days in Borutesh) with the following:
describe the dream they shared the previous night,
make Charisma saving throws against psionic
assimilation, and read a brief telepathic broadcast
about the day’s news and plans. An example of
this broadcast, known as the Soothing Voice, is
given in the “Exploring Borutesh” section below.
Afterward, the player characters are visited by
Fali, the Thousand Eyes agent. She introduces
herself and her role in the town as the master of
supervision, then escorts the player characters to
an audience with Her Inspired Grace Shiaaktavi.
When the players are ready to meet the Inspired
in her manor, read or paraphrase the following:
With a single guard at her side, Fali walks slowly
down the central road, out west toward the mono-
lith and Shiaali’s manor. As she passes groups of
Riedran commoners, they stop their work for a
moment and bow their heads.
The manor house’s architecture is much like Dar
Ulatesh, with curves in shining steel and crystal.
The foremost building twists up from its square
base toward a single point, appearing in silhouette
like a dancing spirit. You can see the rear building
rising above its rooftop in complementing curves.
In front of the arched entryway is a statue
shaped from opal: a featureless human figure
shrouded in mists. Four wings emerge, framing
the piece in feathers and claws.
Fali pauses briefly at the statue to bow her head,
then heads beneath the archway into the manor.
Past the antechamber, atop a dais in the throne
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
room, stands the Inspired leader of the ceremony
the previous night. She is dressed in silks, indigo
and purple armor, and a horned headpiece. Her
features are flawless, symmetrical, and sharp, and
a soft glow emanates from her pupil-less eyes.
The oni giant from the ceremony is standing to
attention behind her, braced against an 8-foot-long
studded iron club. He barks a command, “Kneel.”
The Inspired Shiaaktavi doesn’t wait for you
to comply. She takes a couple of steps forward,
looking down her nose at you from her raised
dais, and scowls. After a moment, she speaks in
fluent Common:
“I trust you have found your stay in Riedra
comfortable?”
The quori spirit Aktavi has taken control of
Shiaali to get a measure of the player characters.
If it has seen the interview reports from Ilir of the
Iron Gate, Aktavi merely wants a chance to see
who it’s working against. If the player characters
entered Riedra without the Iron Gate’s authoriza-
tion, Shiaaktavi is much more curt with them, and
Once Shiaaktavi satisfies her superiority
complex, Aktavi leaves Shiaali’s mind and her
eyes lose their glow. Shiaali then invites the
e
asks the intimate questions that Ilir didn’t get a
chance to (see the “The Interview” section in Act 1).
pl
player characters to have tea with her in the
chamber adjoining the throne room. Fali is asked
to wait outside, but Kalah stands guard inside the
m
Sa
26
tearoom. Once everyone is settled, Shiaali mani-
fests a psionic power to paralyze Kalah.
This is the first (and perhaps only) opportunity
for the player characters to have a safe conversa-
tion with Shiaali before they put any escape plan
into action. She only has around ten minutes
before Kalah breaks free of her psychic hold.
During the conversation, Shiaali asks the player
characters three important questions:
e
y Is Miira well?
y Do they have any plans for how to get Shiaali
out of Borutesh in a minimally disruptive way?
y How might they defend her against possession
fil
by Aktavi?
What Shiaali Knows
While the player characters and Shiaali discuss
the rescue plan, she can offer the following
answers to common questions:
How have you been able to evade detection?
“I’ve been using psionic magic to selectively
erase my memory, so Aktavi doesn’t see what
I’ve been doing when it possesses me. Besides,
Aktavi is too arrogant to assume the plan isn’t
going to work in its favor. I’ll erase my memory
of this meeting too, once we’re finished.”
Why would the Inspired allow us here? “The
other Inspired are under the impression that
I wanted to test our psychic assimilation tech-
niques on foreigners.”
When does Aktavi possess you? “Every morning
for the broadcasts, every evening for the cere-
mony. I hold court at midday, but Aktavi usually
leaves that to me. But in theory, the spirit can
take control at any time it desires.”
Can’t you just walk out? “I have a responsibility to
the people here. If I gave a command to prepare
for or allow my departure, Fali would probably
report that to the Thousand Eyes immediately.
They could teleport a significant force to the
monolith. I’d rather use the element of surprise.”
Why can’t you fight your way out? “If the people
of Borutesh lift a blade against a Chosen, even
a deserter, they will be considered too dan-
gerous to reintegrate into Riedran society. They
will disappear. I care too much for them to let
them be punished on my behalf.”
After ten minutes, Shiaali erases both Kalah’s
memory of the meeting and her own. Then she
calls Fali back in the room, asking her to return
the player characters to their quarters.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh

Exploring Borutesh Every workday ends with the same ceremony

Every day in Borutesh, the morning begins
with a telepathic broadcast by Shiaaktavi
known as the Soothing Voice. The Inspired
performs this broadcast from her medita-
tion chamber in the foremost building of her
manor. Each broadcast starts with a spiritual
blessing, delivers any relevant news for the
that the player characters witnessed upon
arriving in Borutesh. After the ceremony is com-
plete, the Riedrans are fed in several shifts at
the Mess Hall, and are allowed time to socialize
among themselves (always under the gaze of the
ever-vigilant Thousand Eyes).
Every aspect of the Unity of Riedra is rep-
resented in Borutesh, giving its inhabitants

day, and assigns each work group their task.
All creatures can understand the broadcast
regardless of the languages they speak. A
typical broadcast might consist of the fol-
lowing message:
e
direction and purpose along their Path. The
map of Borutesh shows all the major landmarks
and organizations the players might wish to
explore, each of which is discussed in its own
section below.

fil
The spirits welcome a new dawn. Our
Harmonious Shield prepares to depart soon.
Direct yourselves to seeing their blades sharp-
ened and their bellies full. Harvest four fields
and prepare for them a cache of rations. Steel
yourselves against the altavar that walk among
us today, and follow the Path.

e 2. 5.
pl
2. 10.
1. Inspired Manor
2. Shield Barracks 8. 11.
m

3. Hanbalani Monolith
4. Ogre Pens
5. Living Quarters 1.
6. Guest Quarters 3.
7. Healing Hand Hospital 6.
Sa

8. Tower of Eyes 9.
9. Guiding Path Nursery 5.
7. 5.
10. Bountiful Horn Office
11. Mess Hall
12. Industrial Forge 12. 5.

THE VILLAGE OF 4.
BORUTESH 27
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
1. Inspired Manor
Shiaali’s manor house reflects the importance
of the Chosen caste in Riedra. Although other
buildings representing the Unity are marked by
intricate statues, only the manor house is built
with true beauty in mind. After all, the Inspired
are the pinnacle of Riedran society. The spirits,
il-altas, have chosen them as their representatives,
and so the luxury enjoyed by the Inspired reflects
the reverence of the quori. Read or paraphrase
the following:
Shiaaktavi’s manor is visible across the city and
stands at the end of a cleared boulevard con-
necting it to the central monolith. Although most of
Borutesh is built with local stone, the manor is in
the style of the city of Dar Ulatesh, its curved and
fluid form shaped in metal and crystal. Its twinned
buildings follow each other’s twists, evoking a pair
of young lovers dancing together in a garden of
colorful flowers. No matter the time of day, the
crystal globes surrounding the manor remain bright.
B.
e G.
pl
E.
A.
m
Sa
C.
28
Floorplan. The manor is divided into two build-
ings separated by a quadrangle courtyard, as
seen in the “Shiaali’s Manor” map. The foremost
building, set at the end of a boulevard from the
hanbalani altas, is intended for official use. There
Shiaali administers the affairs of Borutesh, meets
with representatives of the Unity, and entertains
other Inspired that pass through. The main
entrance leads to an antechamber, and then to a
e
throne room (A) where Shiaaktavi can properly
greet visitors. Attached to the throne room are
two further rooms. To the left is a meditation
chamber (B) intended for visitors who wish to
reflect on the Path of Inspiration (or hold a confer-
fil
ence with a quori spirit). To the right of the throne
room is a tearoom (C), where Shiaali can provide
more mundane entertainment or work on her
administration duties.
F. I. J.
D.
H. K. L.
 The rearmost building, whose only
entrance is from the garden courtyard, is
Shiaali’s home. The lower floor is largely
intended for her personal servants and her
guard. Off a large entrance hall (D) are an
armory and living quarters for Shiaali’s
personal oni guard Kalah (E), a kitchen
(F), and living quarters for two human ser-
vants who have the honor that week (G). An

e
office and bedchamber are also provided for
any Chosen visitors to Borutesh (H). The
grand staircase leads upstairs to a balcony,
and beyond that, Shiaali’s bedchamber (I),
bathing room ( J), library (K), and personal

fil
meditation chamber (L).
Traps. Among the most significant
hazards in the manor are the traps and
defenses designed to shield Shiaali in the
event of a dissident attack or to warn the
Thousand Eyes if something is amiss.
External windows and balconies are each
fitted with a hidden psionic crystal used as a
focus for an alarm spell. Fali of the Thousand
Eyes sets these spells such that the only
people that may pass without setting off the
alarm are herself, Shiaali, Shiaali’s body-
guard Kalah, and the two commoners chosen
e
pl
as Shiaali’s personal servants that week.
The alarm crystals can be found with a
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) or
Intelligence (Investigation) check. Unlike
Khorvairian alarm spells, these crystals can be
destroyed or deactivated with a successful DC 18
Intelligence (Arcana) check. If an Intelligence
m

(Arcana) check made to disarm the crystal fails by

5 or more, the alarm is immediately triggered.
Triggering a psionic alarm alerts Shiaali,
Fali, and Kalah, and also forces the triggering
creature to make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. spirit, an altavar, much like the kalashtar. Every
On a failed save, the creature takes 11 (2d10) oni must therefore work exceptionally hard for
psychic damage as a pain stabs at their mind—an Riedra to clear themselves of that evil. Kalah
Sa

automated (and for a commoner, usually deadly)
punishment for stepping outside of one’s Path.
Shiaali’s Bodyguard. The second most signifi-
cant hazard in Shiaali’s manor is Kalah, her oni
bodyguard. He stands with Shiaali even in her
personal quarters, only leaving her side when she
enters her bathing room, one of the meditation
chambers, or the tea room (if either protocol or
Shiaali demands it). As an oni, Kalah has been
taught from birth that he is tainted by an evil
thus sees his protection of Shiaali as his ultimate
purpose in life, and he would gladly give his life
for the cause. If the player characters or Shiaali
try to convince Kalah that she is right to leave
Borutesh, Kalah believes that this is simply the
altavar trying to test his resolve in walking the
Path, and he attacks the party. Shiaali won’t
actively fight Kalah herself, for the oni has gener-
ally been good to her. If the player characters kill
him, she mourns him as a dutiful servant.

29
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
2. Shield Barracks
Riedran troops currently stationed in—or passing
through—Borutesh are housed in the Shield
Barracks. Read or paraphrase the following.
Rows of canvas tents, squat stone buildings, and
racks of weapons and armor mark this district as
the barracks. Although most of the living space
seems empty, ranks of soldiers practice drills in
the road, performing complex martial patterns with
their polearms and swords. Many of the soldiers are
packing up carts of supplies for a journey onwards.
The Harmonious Shield coordinates troop
movements across Riedra. The southern border
with Syrkarn isn’t of particular concern—Syrk
aggressors aren’t considered a serious threat, as
the nomads can’t match the might of the Unity.
Nevertheless, the crossing is policed to prevent
Adarans and kalashtar from entering Riedra, and
to prevent Riedran deserters from escaping.
There is no permanent command of the Shield
in Borutesh. In theory, Shiaaktavi is the ultimate
authority—after all, the quori spirit Aktavi is
region. However, each company has its leader, e
responsible for troop movements across the local
and the soldiers currently in Borutesh are led by
a human woman named Rhiavet, whose fluid skill
pl
with the zulaat has earned her a near-heroic repu-
tation, and some like to call her “the Waterfall.”
Rhiavet rides a peculiar horselike silver steed
called a rendesa, which can telepathically coordi-
nate with its rider.
The day after the player characters arrive in
m
Borutesh, Rhiavet, a Riedran captain, leads her
troops out of the village toward Kintam Murath.
If the party tries to take Shiaali past a border fort
rather than through the Tangled Verge, Rhiavet
rides out to intercept them.
Player characters may wish to disrupt the
operations of the Harmonious Shield to escape
Sa
Borutesh more easily. Evading the watch requires
a successful DC 16 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Once the characters have infiltrated the barracks,
they might try the following:
y Sabotage Riedran weaponry with a successful
DC 14 Intelligence check using any relevant tool.
y Spook Rhiavet’s rendesa with a successful DC
18 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check.
y Find Rhiavet’s secret stash of homebrewed
pomow wine with a successful DC 15
Intelligence (Investigation) check.
3. Hanbalani Monolith
The hanbalani altas is built with an egglike
metallic exterior surrounding a thin crystalline
core. The gentle green glow of the monolith’s
center is a calming beacon for the people of
Borutesh. Indeed, the primary purpose of the
monolith is as a spiritual hub for the villagers’
religious ceremonies and quiet meditation. The
monolith’s core also acts as a teleportation circle,
e
enabling Inspired to visit at a moment’s notice.
A garden surrounds the monolith, its verdant
green grasses and gentle streams a powerful
contrast to the dusty roads that surround it. A bed
fil
of lilies is planted in the monolith gardens—these
are spirit lilies, used to make an opiate known
as dreamlily. Although dreamlily is used as a
painkiller by the Healing Hand, it is sometimes
abused by addicts in Khorvaire. A character can
use the spirit lilies here to prepare one dose of
distilled spirit lily, an ingested knockout poison,
by succeeding on a DC 13 Intelligence check
using a poisoner’s kit or herbalism kit.
Destroying the hanbalani prevents the Inspired
from directing the dreams of the people of
Borutesh, and Shiaaktavi will be unable to deliver
telepathic broadcasts every day. The crystal core
has an Armor Class of 17, a damage threshold
of 10, and 65 (10d12) hit points. It is immune to
poison and psychic damage, and vulnerable to
bludgeoning damage. Destroying the hanbalani
altas is perhaps the most severe crime possible
in Borutesh, and doing so immediately turns the
populace of Borutesh against the perpetrators.
Distilled Spirit Lily
Adventuring gear, poison (ingested)
A creature subjected to this poison must succeed
on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poi-
soned for 1 hour. If the saving throw fails by 5
or more, the creature is also unconscious while
poisoned in this way. The creature wakes up if it
takes damage or if another creature takes an action
to shake it awake.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
4. Ogre Pens
Along much of the southeastern wall stand tents
and ramshackle shelters. Ogres of many shapes
and sizes—young and old, men and women—
huddle together for warmth. Some sleep in a
grove of pure white lilies, while others enjoy
buckets of pomow fruit.
The ogres of Borutesh are every bit as indoc-
trinated as the humans. They are more or less
content in their oppression, and accept that by
working for the Unity of Riedra, they can hope
to advance along their Path and be reborn as
humans in the next life. The ogres aren’t allowed
to maintain their own family units or hierarchies,
but certain individuals inevitably command more
respect. If the player characters find a way to
observe or interact with the ogres without guards
present, they might notice Yana or Talakh.
Yana is a young female ogre with impressive
tusks and hair so long her plaits trail several
feet along the ground. She is as strong as she is
fervent in her pursuit of the Path, and eager to
please Shiaaktavi. She dreams of one day being
allowed to meet Her Inspired Grace. Although
some humans in Borutesh consider it a disgrace e
that a crop of wild spirit lilies is allowed to grow in
the ogre pens, Yana is careful to keep the flowers
pl
healthy in case Shiaaktavi ever pays a visit. As with
the spirit lilies at the hanbalani monolith, the lilies
here can be used to prepare one dose of distilled
spirit lily with a successful DC 13 Intelligence
check using a poisoner’s kit or herbalism kit.
Talakh is a tired, graying male ogre who has
labored a lifetime in Borutesh. As his strength
m
fades, he has become less certain of the virtue of
the Path of Inspiration. He tells stories and fables
to young ogres in hopes of inspiring them to do
better, but it won’t be long before he is reported to
the Thousand Eyes and vanished.
5. Living Quarters
Sa
The living quarters are a series of flat-roofed stone
block structures without adornment or decoration.
Riedrans come and go in mixed groups, heading
out to and in from the Mess Hall and the fields.
From between the shuttered windows, you can
see the gentle warmth of fires and the jovial con-
versation of a population at ease.
Each living block houses approximately thirty
people, usually kept together by work units.
Farmers lodge with farmers, cooks with cooks,
and so on. The Riedrans are not housed in family
31
units—children are kept at the Guiding Path
nursery and raised communally. Although the
Riedrans are generally quiet and hardworking
during the day, once their work assignments are
finished, they enjoy the company of their peers
as much as any other people. Riedrans in their
quarters share stories, sing, and work at art that
honors the Inspired.
Surveillance. The Thousand Eyes have a clai-
e
raudience crystal embedded proudly in the ceiling
of all the quarters, including the one that will be
assigned to the party, and the people know that
Fali listens to them. As such, the living quarters
are not the hotbed of gossip that the unmonitored
fil
Mess Hall can be. However, if the player charac-
ters can deactivate a clairaudience crystal without
the inhabitants of a given block noticing or caring,
they will find that block a useful sanctuary against
surveillance. Deactivating a clairaudience crystal
requires a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to
discover the correct mental triggers. A casual
observer can see no indication whether a clairau-
dience crystal is activated or in current operation,
so the player characters need not find a way to
hide that a crystal is deactivated in this way. A
clairaudience crystal can also be destroyed by
less subtle (and more visible) means—each has an
Armor Class of 14 and 10 hit points.
6. Guest Quarters
The player characters have been given an empty
single-story block on the outskirts of the living
quarters all to themselves. The Inspired want
to limit the unsupervised intermingling of the
Khorvairians with the Riedran commoners until
they demonstrate that they have fallen more
deeply under the nation’s psychic influence. The
guest house has enough cots for all the player
characters, is stocked with vegetables and grains
for them to eat (as they are not to eat with the
Riedrans in the Mess Hall), and running water is
available for hygiene purposes.
Surveillance. A clairaudience crystal is posi-
tioned prominently in the guest quarters, as in
the living quarters of Riedrans, which Fali can
use to hear activity in the quarters at any time she
wishes. It can be deactivated as described in the
previous “Living Quarters” section.
Two Riedran guards stand vigilant at the guest
quarters’ entrance at all times, positioned so that
they can keep an eye on the door and windows.
The guards escort the player characters around
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
Borutesh if they wish to leave their quarters,
though they have been instructed not to speak
with the foreigners and to keep a distance of at
least 15 feet unless they suspect foul play. The
guards have a passive Wisdom (Perception) score
of 14 and a +2 bonus to Insight checks.
7. Healing Hand Hospital
If the player characters approach the hospital,
read or paraphrase the following.
You find the hospital is closed up tightly—all
windows and doors are shuttered and closed,
with yellow light emanating from between their
wooden slats. The only indication of the purpose
of this place is a rough-hewn statue of a kneeling
man holding his palms above a reclined patient.
The Healing Hand in Borutesh is not large
enough to justify a doctor with access to reli-
able psionic healing. In Riedra, these talents are
often within the purview of a Chosen apprentice.
However, the village is too small and insignificant
to justify a larger population of Riedra’s noble
e
class. Fali can provide some psionic healing if an
urgent need arises, but the simple laborers and
soldiers in Borutesh are expected to make do
with more mundane medical practices.
pl
As Borutesh’s mismanagement continues,
chief medic Rathan has been struggling to cope.
Deliveries are being missed, and (unbeknownst
to Rathan) the dissidents of the Torn Veil have
been skimming off the top. As Rathan has been
doing his best to contain an infection he believes
is a curse from a snake-like altavar rumored to
m
stalk the Verge, he has become dissatisfied with
Shiaali’s rule. Although he will be willing to
help player characters dethrone Shiaaktavi and
abscond with the Chosen host, he remains a firm
believer in the Path of Inspiration. If he believes
that any method of removing Shiaali would
prevent a stronger Inspired from taking control,
Sa
he resists the player characters and reports their
plans to Fali of the Thousand Eyes.
8. Tower of Eyes
The Tower of Eyes serves as an office for
Borutesh’s spymaster, a changeling known as Fali.
From the Tower, she keeps records on all of the
people of Borutesh, conducts interviews under the
guise of pastoral care, and listens in on clairaudi-
ence crystals scattered throughout the town’s
living quarters. Read or paraphrase the following:
32
A tower stands tall above the other buildings in
Borutesh, its spire adorned with a crysteel eye
held in outstretched arms. It is surpassed in its
splendor only by the manor of the Inspired and
the town’s central monolith.
Of all the organizations that make up the Unity
of Riedra, the Thousand Eyes are recognized as
crucial to the proper stewardship of the Riedran
e
people along their Path. The need for surveillance
is accepted even by the people of Borutesh, for
they have lived every year of their lives without
any expectation of privacy.
Fali, who serves the Thousand Eyes in Borutesh,
fil
has been informed of the plan as far as the
Inspired are concerned—that the player characters
are here to test the efficacy of the nation’s psychic
indoctrination magic on foreigners. As such, she
is happy to show the player characters around
Borutesh to demonstrate how beautiful and
orderly life in Riedra can be. Fali considers Shiaali
a friend, though Shiaali has never trusted her
enough to reveal her plans to abandon Borutesh.
Breaking and Entering. Infiltrating the Tower
of Eyes is a matter of keeping out of sight of any
villagers and bypassing Fali’s psionic locks. There
are no guards—no sane Riedran would dare put a
foot wrong with the Thousand Eyes. A successful
DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check enables char-
acters to approach the tower without detection
by any passersby. Fali has cast a psionic arcane
lock on the main entrance. Alternatively, player
characters can gain entry via an open observation
balcony near the top of the spire. A character can
climb it with a DC 16 Strength (Athletics) check,
but any climbing creature is easily spotted by
the town guards—a successful DC 19 Dexterity
(Stealth) check is required to avoid notice.
Inside Fali’s sanctum, the player characters can
find notes written in Riedran that reveal the fol-
lowing information:
y Fali has recognized that Shiaali is becoming lax
in her duties while Aktavi is not possessing her.
y Fali is aware that food, medicine, and weapons
are going missing, but she has yet to discover
the culprits despite reading many of the com-
moners’ minds.
y Fali wonders if the current captain of the
Harmonious Shield in Borutesh, Rhiavet, can
be considered reliable when she’s been saving
pomow rations to make wine.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
If Fali discovers the player characters any-
where within the Tower of Eyes, she does not
hesitate to put them down. If the tide of battle
turns against her, she attempts to flee to warn
Shiaali and her bodyguard Kalah.
9. Guiding Path Nursery
Riedran children are raised communally by the
Guiding Path. The institution serves as a creche
for its youngest charges and as an establishment
of education for the older children. Riedrans are
never taught to read and write, and rely on psycho-
active signage to find their way (see the “Everyday
Psionics” section in chapter 1). Instead, Riedran
children are taught a combination of vocational
skills and religious doctrine to ensure they follow
their prescribed journey on the Path of Inspiration.
The Inspired are willing to allow the player
characters to wander about Borutesh, but giving
them the chance to influence children is beyond
what they’re willing to risk. Two Riedran guards
block the entrance to the school.
10. Bountiful Horn Office
Riedra’s food supply is managed by the Bountiful
Horn. As Borutesh’s chief purpose is to supply
e
troops moving between nearby fortifications, it is
pl
among the most important offices of the Unity in
the town. Read or paraphrase the following:
Among the stone buildings overlooking the
monolith in the central plaza, the Bountiful Horn
stands tall and proud. Above the entrance, a stone
engraving depicts a winged spirit gifting a cornu-
copia to a grateful crowd. Dozens of crates and
m
carts of grains and vegetables are arrayed beneath
an awning out front, while a middle-aged woman
with shaved hair busily counts them up.
The head of the Bountiful Horn in Borutesh is
a human commoner named Niiret. She has a long
and distinguished career serving the Inspired in
Sa
the town, and is confident that if she continues to
keep her path, she may be blessed to be a change-
ling in her next life. As a testament to the trust the
Thousand Eyes have in her, she is one of the few
commoners that has been allowed to learn the
basic literacy and numeracy required to track the
incoming and outgoing food supplies. She could
not be prouder to bear that burden.
Niiret is very protective of her records, not
allowing anyone but the Thousand Eyes or the
Inspired to read them. Instead, Niiret creates
33
psychoactive signage to help coordinate and
communicate with the farmers and cooks how
the town’s food supply is managed. If the players
want to sneak a look anyway, they may need
to sneak past Niiret with a successful DC 12
Dexterity (Stealth) check, or convince her they
should be able to read them with a successful
DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion, Deception, or
Intimidation) check. The records reveal that
e
Riedra’s staple crop, pomow, has been consis-
tently underperforming, likely because it’s being
stolen before harvest.
Niiret is Miira’s mother. Since Riedran children
are raised entirely by the Guiding Path, they do
fil
not have anything like the usual Khorvairian
relationship between parent and child. However,
Niiret is very proud that her progeny was so
favored by the Inspired that Miira was chosen to
be sent to Dar San.
11. Mess Hall
The human Riedrans in Borutesh share a com-
munal eating space, and meals are served in
a rigid rotation of servings throughout the day.
Read or paraphrase the following:
Dozens of simple wooden benches are arrayed
beneath a canvas awning. Human guards, laborers,
and soldiers sit in their cliques eating bowls of
vegetable stew. The hum of conversation fills the
place, but most of the Riedrans make an effort to
quiet themselves whenever you draw near.
The Mess Hall is a prime spot for picking up
local gossip. If the player characters understand
Riedran, they might overhear one of the fol-
lowing rumors with a successful DC 11 Wisdom
(Perception) check, learning an additional rumor
for every 2 points in excess of the DC.
d4 Mess Hall Rumors
1 “The crop count came back below expectations
again. Is someone stealing from us?”
2 “I bet Lady Shiaaktavi brought the foreigners
here to show us how far they’ve fallen. They’ve
strayed far too far from their Path.”
3 “A giant boar came out of the Verge last week. I
think they’re still treating the wounded.”
4 “We’ve got troops from Tam Mesk coming in
only three days. There’s no way the Forge can
keep up with the smithing they need, especially
when we’ve got the walls to repair.”
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh
If the party looks in the Mess Hall for the people
who were whispering at the ceremony and they
haven’t already met Setesh at the Industrious
Forge, they can be spotted on a meal break with
a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check.
Alternatively, if the party didn’t spot the whis-
perers during the ceremony, they can make a DC
16 Wisdom (Insight) check to discover potential
dissidents, including Setesh, by their whispering
and furtive discussions. If the party tries to make
contact, see the “Dissidents: The Torn Veil” section.
12. Industrious Forge
The Forge in Borutesh hosts two organizations
within the Unity of Riedra: the Industrious Forge
and the Sturdy Wall. The Forge is tasked with
all manner of artifice to support the laborers and
soldiers in Borutesh, while the Sturdy Wall is
responsible for maintaining the town’s perimeter.
Read or paraphrase the following:
As you approach the Forge, you find an open-air
smithy stacked with rows of farming tools including
scythes, sickles, and bridles for mounts. Some
common folk wearing black are packing up and
e
sorting tools. One is a stocky young man with his
long hair tied back. The other is an older woman
with skin like leather. Several soldiers sit outside
pl
the building, chatting and maintaining their blades.
Characters who understand Riedran can
overhear that the soldiers are moving out the day
after the player characters arrive. They’re due to
be replaced by a battalion from Kintam Murath a
few days after.
m
The pair in charge of the Forge are Setesh, a
stocky young human who wears their long hair
tied back, and Pazaar, an older woman tough-
ened by decades in the smithy. Setesh may be
recognized by the player characters as one of the
people whispering during the evening ceremony.
They are a member of the Torn Veil and have been
Sa
passing tools and weapons from the Forge to the
Veil’s hideout. Access to the Torn Veil hideout
is by a trap door hidden beneath crates stacked
up behind the Industrious Forge. Even without
Setesh’s help, a player character might discover
the entrance to the hideout with a successful
DC 16 Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Although the Forge is in near-constant opera-
tion, the Sturdy Wall is technically unstaffed. As a
result, despite all the quarrying work done by the
town’s ogres, the walls are falling into disrepair.
34
Dissidents: The Torn Veil
Riedra is far from the perfect society it claims to
be. Its extreme racial prejudices, supernatural
surveillance, and refusal to educate its populace
all contribute to Riedran commoners’ dissatisfac-
tion. Although the Inspired and the Thousand
Eyes have become experts at eradicating dis-
sidents, some still fall through the cracks. The
e
Torn Veil is a loose organization of subversive
Riedrans that has grown as Shiaaktavi’s grip
on Borutesh has weakened. The Veil has yet to
make a move against the Inspired leadership,
and it knows it can’t win a fight if the might of
fil
Riedra is brought to the town. Instead, it bides
its time stockpiling food, tools, and weapons for
dissidents. One day, some of the dissidents hope
to escape the city and join the relative safety of
the underground dromite community, but the
Thousand Eyes are always watching.
The entrance to the Torn Veil’s hideout is a trap
door hidden beneath some crates stacked behind
the Industrious Forge. The young smith Setesh
can show the way if the player characters earn
their trust. Otherwise, if the player characters
have reason to search around the Forge, they
can find the entrance with a successful DC 16
Intelligence (Investigation) check.
When the player characters arrive at the Torn
Veil’s hideout, read or paraphrase the following:
Within the confines of this neglected basement, it’s
quite difficult to move around, but nevertheless you
find a motley crew of dissidents. A pair of human
men in farmers’ garb are counting up bladed
tools and weapons in one corner.
In the other, a woman with simple
robes and a horned headdress is
meditating with her eyes closed.
Between them, a seven-foot-
tall giant of a woman is rooting
through a crate of food. She
turns, revealing her blue-
tinted skin, small horns, and
modest tusks.
“Now then,” she says, taking
a bite from an exotic, fleshy
fruit. “Why don’t you
share who you are and
why you’re really here,
and then we’ll decide if
you get to leave.”
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 2: Borutesh

The Torn Veil is led by an eneko called Iziaka,
who coordinates the resistance without taking part
in the daily life of Borutesh. After all, as a “mongrel
ogre,” Iziaka is considered less than human by
most Riedrans. Nevertheless, she strives to do
what is right, and she will worry about fixing the
inherent prejudices of the Path of Inspiration once
the dust has settled. For more information about
the eneko, see Appendix D and Secrets of Sarlona.
One of the easiest ways to aid the Torn Veil is to
arrange a joint operation. Any distraction caused
by the party’s mission may give the dissidents the
opening they need to act. If she is satisfied their
goals align and that there is worth to their alle-
giance, Iziaka gifts the party with a catapsi crystal.
Catapsi Crystal
Wondrous item, rare

e
Iziaka cares for a young dromite called
As an action, you can destroy this crystal, releasing
Tx’saku. He is curious but skittish, and he strictly
the energy within it to generate an area of psionic
keeps to the Torn Veil’s underground hideout
static with a 20-foot radius centered on you.
except for pre-arranged meetings with dromites
Whenever a creature manifests a psionic power
far out in the countryside. If the player characters

made peace with any dromites on the road to
Borutesh, Tx’saku vouches for their trustworthi-
ness. News travels fast in the underworld.
Aside from Iziaka, the kalashtar Nivi is perhaps
the most important member of the crew. As a
powerful psion, Nivi has been shielding the Torn
Veil from detection. However, her constant vigi-
lance has broken her mind. Nivi is a shattered
kalashtar—the bond she has with her quori spirit
fil
within the area, it must succeed on a DC 15
Intelligence saving throw or take 3d10 psychic
damage. The area remains for one minute.
Escaping Borutesh
When the player characters enact their plan—
whatever it may be—and Shiaali has been
escorted out of Borutesh, she is excited that

e
has been split, and though she still shares her body
with a portion of the quori spirit called Shana, she
struggles to think and speak coherently.
Iziaka, Tx’saku, and Nivi all speak Common,
years of plans are coming to fruition, but scared
for herself and for her people. Shiaali takes a
moment to mourn any Riedran that died during
the escape, especially if her bodyguard Kalah
pl
having been exposed to it in Syrkarn and Adar. was killed, then steels herself for the battle ahead.
The Torn Veil’s leadership isn’t interested in Read or paraphrase the following:
helping Shiaali—although the Chosen’s resis-
Shiaali stares back at the walls of Borutesh and
tance to Aktavi is contributing to the gradual fall
reaches out as if to touch them one last time, but
of Borutesh and the rise of the Torn Veil, Iziaka pulls her hand back.
believes Shiaali has unfairly benefited from “We must travel for as long as we can. The
oppressing her people. At the same time, if Iziaka Thousand Eyes or the Harmonious Shield will
m

can be convinced that Shiaali is no longer aligned
with the Inspired, she won’t stand in the way of
the mission. She expects clear, direct benefit for
the Veil in any plan for cooperation.
If the player characters gain her trust and want
to cooperate with the Torn Veil, the dissidents’
immediate goals include:
Sa
come for me as soon as they discover I’m gone.
I hope you are prepared to repel the spirit if it
takes control of me.”
If the player characters rescue Shiaali without
alerting anyone, Aktavi discovers Shiaali isn’t
where she is supposed to be when she misses the

morning broadcasts (the Soothing Voice) or the

y Disrupt surveillance by the Thousand Eyes.
evening religious ceremony. Fali discovers Shiaali
y Stockpile weapons, food, and medicine for
is missing when she next comes to meet Shiaali
future resistance efforts.
for midday court or the ceremony. This is likely
y Undermine the Path of Inspiration as a
to give the player characters several hours head
belief system.
start. If Shiaali’s absence is discovered before
y Extract Riedran workers that they worry might
she escapes the city, Kalah, Fali, or Rhiavet (a
be ‘disappeared’ by the Thousand Eyes.
Riedran captain and her rendesa mount) con-
y Aid their most vulnerable members in escaping
front the group just outside the walls.
to the underground dromite hives belonging to
Once the immediate danger around Borutesh
Tx’saku’s kin.
is passed, move on to Act 3.

35
Act 3: Desertion
When the player characters have extracted
Shiaali from Borutesh, the expedition is far from
over. Now the adventurers must find a way to get
Shiaali out of Riedra and into Syrkarn. The least
risky way is to brave a wild zone known as the
Tangled Verge, but they might also wish to run a
more guarded portion of the Riedran border. Both
options are presented here.
Ever-Present Danger
Until they reach Syrkarn, the player characters will
still experience dreamshaping and must all con-
tinue to make saves to resist psionic assimilation.
Traveling with Shiaali poses an additional risk:
the du’ulora quori spirit Aktavi can, in theory,
possess her at any time. However, Aktavi knows
that possessing Shiaali risks her life, for the player
characters are likely to harm her to break the spir-
it’s control. Aktavi is therefore careful with how it
occupies its tool, which it hopes to retrieve alive.
e Shiaali’s life as best it can. It also tries to figure
pl
m
Sa
36
Whenever the player characters take a short or
long rest, and at the start of any combat, roll a d6.
On a 4 or higher, Aktavi attempts to take control
of Shiaali. The Chosen feels it coming moments
before Aktavi completely overwhelms her mind,
giving the party one turn to react before Aktavi’s
control begins. Signal to the players that posses-
sion is coming by describing Shiaali holding her
head and trying to stifle a scream, giving them a
e
chance to cast protection from evil and good or
take similar actions to prevent Aktavi from taking
control. If Aktavi successfully possesses her,
Shiaali becomes Shiaaktavi and gains significant
fil
power and abilities (denoted in her stat block). If
this happens, read or paraphrase the following:
Shiaali’s back straightens as she adopts the impe-
rious demeanor of the Inspired. Her eyes light
with psionic power, and Shiaaktavi roars in anger.
“How dare you try to steal my vessel?!”
While possessing its vessel, the quori Aktavi
tries to kill the player characters while preserving
out where the player characters have taken
Shiaali, though its power over Shiaali’s mind is
not so absolute that it can sift through her memo-
ries in the midst of combat to learn all that she
knows. Player characters can cause Aktavi to lose
control of Shiaali by casting the dispel evil and
good spell, forcing Shiaali into a magic circle, or
by knocking her unconscious.
To mitigate the risk of Aktavi seeing into her
psyche in her dreams, Shiaali refuses to sleep
until the group has left Riedra. She gains one
level of exhaustion every night she misses sleep.
Exhaustion levels affect her even when she is pos-
sessed, potentially hampering Aktavi.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 3: Desertion

The Tangled Verge
The easiest place to cross the border from Riedra
to Syrkarn without being detected by Riedran
border defenses is to pass through the extreme
wilderness known as the Tangled Verge. The
Verge is a wild zone that draws on the power of
Lamannia, the Twilight Forest. Sarlona’s wild
zones are a stage beyond the subtle extraplanar
When the player characters start their journey
through the wild zone, read or paraphrase the
following:
Throughout the journey, you find yourselves
climbing across gargantuan tree roots and slicing
through dangling vines. As you travel deeper into
the wild zone, the sun is all but covered by a thick
blanket of leaves and branches, leaving the forest
floor lit by precious few sunbeams and the gentle

influence of Khorvaire’s manifest zones. Like
Lamannia itself, the Verge is a land of nature
unbound and a wellspring of primal magic.
Riedrans and Syrks alike know that to brave the
Verge is to invite attack by Lamannian beasts
e
glow of otherworldly fungi.
To safely navigate the Verge to the other side,
the player characters must succeed on a DC 16

and elementals. If asked, Shiaali recounts a
time during her childhood when rumors spread
between the common folk in Borutesh of a totem
snake hundreds of feet long hunting at the edge of
the Verge and swallowing an ogre worker whole.
As the player characters approach the Tangled
Verge, read or paraphrase the following:
As the travelers head southeast of Borutesh, the
land gets ever dustier and drier as the efforts
fil
group Wisdom (Survival) check. Consider the
check a success if at least half the player charac-
ters succeed. On a failure, the group’s bumbling
through the undergrowth attracts attention from
the wild zone’s powerful denizens. Although the
predators they attract don’t attack immediately,
they gain an advantage later in the “Elemental
Predator” section. For now, the player characters
can advance to the Serpent Shrine toward the
center of the Tangled Verge.

e
of Riedra to tame the Syrk desert gradually fail.
But as the day draws on, the horizon turns green
again, revealing a verdant island within a sea of
parched earth.
pl
As you near the Verge, its impossible scale
becomes clear. Trees rise hundreds of feet above
the otherwise-flat grasslands, dominating the sky
much like the towers of Sharn. Roots and vines
tangle through the forest floor, some as small as
needles, others dwarfing even the walls of Borutesh.
The thick canopy blocks much of the light, and
m

along with the damp and rotting vegetation, you

smell smoke, ash, petrichor, and winter pine.

Navigating the Verge

Within the Verge, the following planar effects are
continuously active:
Sa

Extended Primal Magic: When you cast a ranger

or druid spell that has a duration of 1 minute or
longer, the duration is doubled (to a maximum
duration of 24 hours).
Nature’s Gift: All living creatures that spend
more than one hour within the Tangled Verge
know the druidcraft cantrip. They gain an
innate understanding of how to cast this
cantrip. Creatures lose this ability immediately
on leaving the Verge.

37
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 3: Desertion

The Serpent Shrine Anyone with a check of 20 or higher finds

Once the player characters have spent some time
navigating the Verge, read or paraphrase the
following:
After hours of struggling against the terrain, the
group finds itself in something like a clearing.
Though the ground is still carpeted with tangled
roots, the canopy gives way to unhindered sun-
that one of the inscriptions contains verses of a
divine spell. Once discovered by a party member,
any divine spellcaster (such as a cleric, paladin,
warlock with the Celestial otherworldly patron,
or sorcerer with the Divine Soul origin) who
reads these inscriptions can use the following lair
action while within 100 feet of the statue:
Channel Divinity: Serpent’s Flame. As an action,

light. At the center, a stone statue emerges from
the vines: a coiled serpent with feathered wings
towers forty feet, its head bowed in prayer.
If Shiaali is asked about the statue, she
e
you channel a burst of divine flame in a line
100 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each creature of
your choice within the line must make a DC 15
Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d6

fil
observes with concern: radiant damage on a failed save, or half as
much damage on a successful one. Any friendly
“This is one of the many forms of the altavar. It creature within the line regains 1d6 hit points
is a dangerous, evil creature. The Harmonious and can remove one level of exhaustion. Once
Shield works to remove their corruption wherever you use this lair action, you can’t do so again
they can.” until the next dawn.
In truth, the statue is what remains of a temple Once the player characters have had a chance
dedicated to a couatl. It was once overseen by to investigate the ruins and begin to leave the
shulassakar, feathered yuan-ti that serve the clearing, the elementals that have been stalking
Silver Flame. Their version of the faith dates
back to eons before the Church was established
in Thrane. The shulassakar have long died out
e
in this part of the world, and their temple has
them spring their attack—see the “Elemental
Predator” section that follows.
pl
since been swallowed by the shifting of the
wild zone over many millennia.
Player characters can make an Intelligence
(Religion) check to recall information
about this sort of shrine, learning the
following depending on their result:
DC 16: The statue appears to be a
m

celestial serpent known as a couatl.

In some Flamic legends, couatls
appear as powerful mentors to heroes
of the Silver Flame.
DC 20: There are inscriptions in the
stone at the base of the statue
written in Celestial. What’s
Sa

strange is that many of the

verses bear striking resemblance
to hymns sung in Silver Flame temples
across Khorvaire. This shrine must be
related to the Silver Flame.
DC 24: There are stories and rumors of a
cult of feathered serpent people deep in
the Blade Desert in the Talenta Plains. The
iconography here matches those reports. The
creatures in the Blade Desert must be a sur-
viving sect.

38

e the couatl statue. They roll initiative and act from
pl
Elemental Predator
Ranging through the Tangled Verge has attracted
the attention of a primal Lamannian elemental.
A creature known as a wild incarnate has been
m
stalking them through the wild zone. This ele-
mental is the embodiment of nature’s most harsh
expressions of the elements, and it shifts through
different shapes to reflect landslides, harsh
winters, and unstoppable forest fires.
If the party succeeded in their earlier group
Sa
Survival check: Seasoned outdoorsfolk know
the telltale signs that an attack is imminent.
The birds and other fauna go quiet, and they
get the feeling they’re being watched. The
wild incarnate attacks alone and makes a
Dexterity (Stealth) check against the player
characters’ passive Wisdom (Perception)
scores to surprise them.
If the party failed their earlier group Survival
check: The wild incarnate gets the drop on
the player characters, and given all the noise
39
they were making in the forest, it’s brought
its lesser kin. The wild incarnate attacks
along with two saber-toothed tigers. The trio
makes Dexterity (Stealth) checks with advan-
tage against each player characters’ passive
Wisdom (Perception) scores. If they succeed,
the player character is surprised.
When the wild incarnate appears, read or para-
phrase the following:
e
You see a shadow move in the forest just outside
the clearing. It stalks like some enormous cat,
slinking over and under tree roots, though it must
be the size of a swordtooth titan. As it peers into
fil
the light, you see a vulpine face and deep eyes that
glow like embers. Every surface of the creature is
formed of bark and root. It regards you thoughtfully
for a moment then lets loose a piercing scream,
all the while baring its thorn-like teeth.
At initiative count 0 on the first round of
combat, the wild incarnate’s presence causes two
violet fungi to spontaneously grow at the base of
the second round onwards as normal, flailing at
any non-elemental living creature.
Shiaali aids the player characters in defeating
the creatures as best she can, though she is
nervous and hesitant to release her full power so
soon in the escape.
Once the player characters defeat the wild
incarnate, the other beasts of the Tangled Verge
know to keep clear. The adventurers can head
into Syrkarn without further attack.
Riedran Border
If the player characters do not wish to brave the
Tangled Verge, they may opt to cross over into
Syrkarn to the east or west. Doing so is faster
than traveling through the overgrown jungles in
the Verge but the crossing leaves the group much
more exposed.
The Riedran province of Rhiavhaar borders
the Syrk province of Mae-Khree. The hills in this
region are far from impassable, and certainly
not as easy to defend as the mountain sanctu-
aries in Adar. However, the hills grant Riedra’s
watchtowers good visibility, and the river rapids
along the border prevent most casual crossing
attempts. Every part of the border is guarded—
wherever the characters try to cross, they find a
watchtower within sight.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 3: Desertion
The Watchtower
When the party reaches the river border running
through the hills, read or paraphrase the following:
The passage through the hills at the Syrkarn border
eventually part to reveal a river flowing west toward
the sea. The water churns with white rapids, leaving
no easy place to cross. A Riedran watchtower stands
vigil from a rise overlooking the hills and the stream.
Four guards are watching from the top of the tower,
and a pair of silver horselike animals with crested
horns are grazing outside.
At all times, four Riedran guards stand watch
over the river, bows at the ready. Inside the watch-
tower, four more Riedran guards are ready to be
called on at a moment’s notice, along with two
Riedran captains and their two rendesa mounts.
Inside the watchtower is a large crystal that acts
as a telepathic beacon. The captains can broadcast
a psychic signal as an action, which alerts nearby
watchtowers and any telepathic creatures within
ten miles. The psychic beacon can only be used
characters did not kill Shiaali’s oni bodyguard
Kalah, he finally catches up to the group if the
beacon is triggered, arriving 2d4 rounds into any
e
once per day, but the captains won’t hesitate to use
it if they spot the player characters. If the player
pl
battle with the Riedran border watch. After the
exertion of the chase, Kalah has 1 level of exhaus-
tion (disadvantage on ability checks) and loses
his regeneration trait. Shiaali is reluctant to turn
her power against Riedrans, and instead priori-
tizes crossing the river. However, she defends the
adventurers if the situation is looking dire. She
m
only turns her power on Kalah if a player charac-
ter’s life is in imminent danger.
The Riedran guards do not pursue the player
characters into the river—they are likely to be
swept away. Instead, they fire on the party with
their bows, while the captains mount their
Sa
rendesa and charge in after them.
40
Fording the Rapids
The river forms a clear geographical boundary
between Riedra and Syrkarn, and the difficulty of
crossing it alive works well in Riedra’s favor.
Bank to bank, the rapids stretch for approxi-
mately 60 feet, and while swimming through the
rough waters, each foot of movement costs 1 extra
foot. In addition, at the start of each swimming
creature’s turn, they must make a DC 12 Strength
e
(Athletics) check. A player character can use their
action to Help another with this ability check. On
a failure, the creature’s speed is reduced to zero
until the end of their next turn, and they must roll
fil
on the River Hazards table for an extra effect. All
effects are cumulative, and characters can be
affected by the same hazard multiple times.
River Hazards
d6 River Hazards
1 You are pulled underwater by the rapids. If you
are already underwater, reduce the time until you
suffocate by 1 minute.
2
3
4
You are carried 15 feet downstream by the current.
Your eyes get covered by the spray. You are
blinded until the start of your next turn.
While struggling to keep swimming, you gain 1
level of exhaustion.
5 Roll a d4 twice on this table and suffer both effects.
6 Roll a d4 three times on this table and suffer all
three effects.
The river is relatively easy to cross if players
have access to spells like fly that can bypass any
ground-based hazard. Spells like water walk are
also useful—characters affected by that spell
do not risk drowning, and they can substitute
Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks instead of Strength
(Athletics) checks to maintain balance on top of
the churning river rapids.
After the player characters have crossed the
river into Syrkarn and dispatched any attackers,
move to the next scene, “The Dream Peddler.”
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 3: Desertion
e
pl
The Dream Peddler
Once the party braves the Tangled Verge or sur-
vives the rapids, they enter Syrkarn and continue
their journey. With the Riedran border ever more
m
distant, the player characters must rendezvous
with their ship’s captain to get themselves and
Shiaali back to Khorvaire. But even with the influ-
ence of the Inspired diminished, they must still
cross the Syrkarn desert.
When the player characters take their first long
rest since leaving the Tangled Verge, allow them
Sa
an undisturbed rest. When they wake, for the first
time since reaching Sarlona, do not ask them to
roll a save against psionic assimilation. Instead,
read or paraphrase the following:
As the sun rises in Syrkarn, you smell something
new drifting in from the south, fragrant and spicy.
There is a figure hiking across the desert—tall,
wrapped up from head to toe, and carrying a huge
pack on their back. The mysterious stranger is
coming your way.
41
e
fil
Syrkarn
The southwest corner of Sarlona has remained
independent despite the expansion of Riedra across
much of the rest of the continent. The people of
Syrkarn value their freedom and have built a loose
community that favors honesty and hard work.
Eneko, otherwise known as “mongrel ogres,” are
common in Syrkarn, and many live a nomadic life-
style in the nation’s northern deserts. The city of
Ardhmen is Syrkarn’s largest hub, but ships leave
from Ardhmen to the Lhazaar Principalities only
twice a month at most.
In truth, Syrkarn’s independence is precar-
ious. The Riedran military should be able to take
Syrkarn at a whim, but something holds them back.
Perhaps the dark magical secrets buried in the
region’s ruins are enough to dissuade an attempt
at conquest? For more information about Syrkarn,
see Secrets of Sarlona, pages 83-94.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 3: Desertion
The lone traveler poses no visible threat. He
heads directly for the party at a casual, unhurried
pace, even if they attempt to hide. If they let him
reach them unmolested, continue by reading the
following:
The stranger soon closes the distance, and some
20 feet from your camp, he pulls the wrapping
from his head to reveal wizened blue-tinted skin,
tiny stubs for horns, and thick tusks worn with
age. He slings his pack down next to him.
“Hello, friends. I see you found my camping spot.”
The traveler is the eneko Chantxu, who pleas-
antly explains that he’s a spice peddler traveling
across the desert to harvest exotic goods in the
Tangled Verge and trade them in Riedra. His
incursions into the quori empire are completely
harmless, and the border patrols are suppos-
edly quite happy to let him pass for a small
bribe. If the player characters show any sign
of hostility to Chantxu, he raises his arms as a
gesture of peace, surrenders, and tries to talk
his way into friendship.
What Chantxu Knows
The truth of this scene is not as it seems. The
player characters are caught in a shared dream
e If Shiaali is conscious and still avoiding sleep
pl
sequence constructed by the quori Aktavi as a
last-ditch effort to keep track of Shiaali and the
player characters. Aktavi’s goal, via Chantxu, is
to learn how and where the player characters are
trying to leave Sarlona.
Chantxu tries to steer the conversation with
questions such as:
m
y Where have you come from?
y Where are you going?
y How will you survive crossing the Syrk desert?
y Have you ever been to Ardhmen?
A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check
against Chantxu reveals that he seems unusually
Sa
eager with his questions about the player char-
acters and evasive with questions about his own
background. A character that rolls 18 or more
on any Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma ability
check during the encounter with Chantxu real-
izes that they have very little memory of waking
up or breaking their fast—almost as if it never
happened at all.
42
Waking Dreams
If the player characters become suspicious
enough of Chantxu to attack him, Shiaali does
not engage in this battle, instead pleading for
everyone to lay down their weapons. If any player
is reduced to 0 hit points during the dream, they
are instantly killed (or so the other characters
perceive), and can’t be revived during the battle
through any means. Once Chantxu is dead—or all
e
the player characters are—the dreamscape shat-
ters and the sleeping player characters wake up.
Regardless of the battle’s outcome, every player
character wakes alive and with full hit points,
fil
having just finished a long rest—however, any
characters that died during the battle regain no
hit dice from the rest.
If the player characters do not attack Chantxu,
they wake up none the worse for wear once he
moves on with his wares—potentially with vital
secrets about their destination. On waking, the
player characters understand that they were
merely dreaming of the encounter with Chantxu.
(as she has planned), she can confirm for the
adventurers that the dream was likely a ruse con-
structed by Aktavi.
Depending on watch rotations, one or more of
the player characters may not be taking part in
the dream sequence. In addition, characters that
are immune to magical sleep or dreams (such
as warforged, elves, and kalashtar) can’t experi-
ence this vision themselves. However, the quori
are sensible enough to have these characters
appear in the shared dream regardless, piloted
of course by Aktavi. If you trust these players,
consider secretly communicating that they are
not themselves, and reveal to them the goal of
the quori for this vision, then allow them to play
Aktavi’s dream-version of themselves for the
other characters. Otherwise, once the sleeping
characters wake, clarify for the players of non-
sleeping characters that they have no idea what
the others are talking about.
From this point on, the player characters are
too distant from Riedra to experience further
dreamshaping, and they no longer have to roll
Charisma saves for psionic assimilation. However,
players and the DM can still remove or spend
psionic assimilation tokens as normal.
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 3: Desertion
The Aurora Coast
After the encounter with Chantxu, the player char-
acters can continue on to Syrkarn’s west coast.
Read or paraphrase the following:
A full day passes without meeting another soul in
the desert wilderness. Either the locals are excep-
tional at hiding their tracks, or northern Syrkarn
really is that empty.
Night falls, and though the largest moons are
beneath the horizon tonight, the skies are still lit by
the glittering Ring of Siberys. To complement the
glittering ring, great curtains of green and purple
light twist and bend high in the cloudless sky.
Characters that succeed on a DC 14 Intelligence
(Nature) check recognize the green and purple
lights as aurora. The aurora aren’t uncommon
in the northernmost regions of Khorvaire, and
Boroman ir’Dayne, the renowned explorer and
founder of the Wayfinder Foundation, reported
that he saw the aurora almost nightly during
his famous expedition to the Frostfell. However,
aurora as far south as Syrkarn are unheard of.
e swaying in the waves, the captain’s ship awaits its
pl
m
Sa
43
The Aurora Coast is a wild zone aligned with
the plane of Syrania, the Azure Sky. The following
planar effects are active within its borders:
Call to the Skies: Whenever a creature jumps
or whenever an object is thrown, double the
distance that the creature or object moves. The
range of physical ranged weapons is doubled.
Permanent Aurora: The aurora shines brightly
in the skies, night and day, bathing the region
e
in gentle radiance. Whether day or night, the
Aurora Coast is lit with only dim light. Creatures
without darkvision have disadvantage on
Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
fil
Showdown
Once you’re ready for the players to reach the
coast and their final confrontation on Sarlonan
soil, read or paraphrase the following:
Finally, as you crest a small rise, you find yourself
staring down at a sandy beach with the scattered
remains of some stone ruin. A little way down,
last passengers. The aurora still bathes the coast
in a green and purple glow.
“My friends!” Captain Kes d’Lyrandar appears
at the top of the gangplank, then hops down onto
the beach. “Am I glad to see you all, I was starting
to get bored.”
His first mate Jez, a younger, wiry Khoravar
man, joins him on the beach. “Captain, should
we prepare to set sail?”
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Act 3: Desertion

When Shiaali’s disappearance was discovered,

the news soon reached the Thousand Eyes in
Dar Ulatesh. The changeling agent Ilir, known to
players as the inquisitor with the Iron Gate, then
infiltrated the captain’s crew. Ilir has killed and
replaced the ship’s first mate, Jez Dovetail, and is
waiting to confirm the safety of Shiaali before he
attacks. As far as he knows, Shiaali is an unwilling
captive, and he’d ideally like to both rescue her

e
and take his revenge against the player characters
for making a mockery of their experiment.
Ilir is proficient in Deception and has a +7
bonus to Charisma (Deception) checks. Once
he spies his opportunity to strike, he confidently

fil
returns to his natural changeling form, a mocking
grin on his face, and manifests a psionic energy
blade. Ilir makes full use of the Aurora Coast’s
regional effects to hop effortlessly around the
ruins on the beach, and he takes every opportu-
nity to declare how the might of Riedra has finally
caught up to them. If the player characters were
fooled by the dream sequence with Chantxu the
peddler, Ilir derides their gullibility and praises
Aktavi’s ingenuity. If a player character is main-
taining concentration on a spell preventing Aktavie
from possessing Shiaali, Ilir focuses his attention
on attacking them.
pl
Meanwhile, Captain Kes and the Lyrandar
crew know they are in grave danger if they are
caught in battle, and they flee to safety aboard
their ship. If any player has assimilation tokens
remaining, this is the moment to cash them in!
When Ilir is defeated, Captain Kes’ crew can
leave Syrkarn and navigate the Sea of Rage Untraceable
m

to return Shiaali and the player characters to
Khorvaire. While Aktavi can still possess Shiaali
if she’s left conscious and unprotected, the other
danger has finally passed. Allow characters a
chance to rest and recuperate on board their ship,
giving any time desired to share in-character
moments with Shiaali or other characters. When
Sa
If the player characters were exceptionally diligent
upon their arrival in Riedra, they may have found
a way to ensure that Captain Kes’ crew could never
be infiltrated, or they might have covered their
tracks in such a way that Ilir could not trace them.
Although it’s important to reward creative thinking,
ending an adventure without a final showdown is

the players are ready, move on to the Epilogue disappointingly anticlimactic.

and enjoy Shiaali and Miira’s tearful reunion!
Long-Term Consequences
Leaving one or more of your players with a single
assimilation token at the end of the adventure can
be a fun way to dangle long-term consequences in
front of your players. Will the Riedrans twist the
player characters into helping the Inspired spread
their influence in Khorvaire itself? It can be fun to
leave your players paranoid.
Instead of having Ilir attack on the beach, con-
sider having Ilir pursue their ship on the return
journey home. Ilir commandeers the Riedran inter-
ceptor called the Steeled Mind (discussed in Act
1), meeting the player characters in battle on the
Sea of Rage. The adventurers’ reward for their dili-
gence is that they have plenty of time to prepare
for the attack—the Steeled Mind is easily seen
pursuing them, and Ilir won’t be able to teleport
aboard the player characters’ ship until he closes
within 500 feet.

44
Epilogue: Reunion
When the player characters arrive in Khorvaire
and are ready to return Shiaali to the Clifftop
Adventurers’ Guild, the adventure comes to its
final scene. Read or paraphrase the following:
You’ve been back in Sharn for a mere hour, and
all Shiaali can do is alternate between looking up
and looking down. For all the marvels of the cities
Rewards
Guild Handler Lhara awards each of the player
characters with a Kundarak letter of credit worth
1,500 gp. In addition, she promises them she will
pass on some of the earliest fruits of Shiaali’s
shared intelligence. After two weeks, a package
arrives at the player characters’ address with
three psionic magic items: a third eye, a sentira

e
of her homeland, this is something beyond her torc, and a dorje of time hopping.
imagination. Otherwise, Shiaali is quiet and visibly
nervous. If you didn’t know better, you might never Third Eye
guess her origin—having shed her Riedran garb Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)

fil
in favor of Brelish styles lent by the crew, she’d
When affixed to your forehead, this wide, flat-
fit in as well as any other young human woman...
tened crystal grants you exceptional awareness
save for her quori-engineered beauty and a hidden
of your surroundings. The third eye has 3 charges.
psionic potential.
When you make a Wisdom (Insight), Wisdom
Guild Handler Lhara meets the group at the
(Perception), or Intelligence (Investigation)
entrance of the Clifftop guildhall. The shifter’s pro-
check, you can expend one or more charges to
fessional demeanor inevitably drops within seconds,
improve the result. You can wait until after you
replaced by a delighted grin. “Congratulations. I
roll the d20 before deciding to expend one or
am in awe. I admit I never thought it was possible.”
more charges, but must decide before the DM
She leads you down the corridor toward the
interview room where you first met Miira. The
mysterious cloaked human awaits by the door. He
nods in respect as you arrive, though you get the
impression his gesture is for Shiaali’s sake more
e says whether the roll succeeds or fails. For each
charge you expend, roll 1d4 and add it to your
ability check.
The third eye regains 1d3 expended charges
daily at dawn. If you expend the eye’s last
pl
than your own, then he opens the door.
charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the eye shatters and
Inside, you see Miira waiting patiently behind
is destroyed.
the interview desk. She stands, and it dawns on
both women that, for the first time, no barrier or
social protocol stands between them.
Shiaali breaks out into a sprint, Miira climbs
over the desk, and halfway down the corridor the
two women embrace. They stutter over words—a
m

jumbled mixture of Riedran and Common. Then

Miira takes Shiaali’s face in her hands, wipes the
tears from her partner’s eyes with a thumb, and
silences her with a kiss.
Sa

45
 Chapter 2: Escape from Riedra | Epilogue: Reunion

Sentira Torc What’s Next?

Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
The sentira in this torc is designed to absorb
hostile intent directed toward its wearer. As an
action, you can reach out to the torc with your
mind to determine whether or not at least one
creature within 30 feet of you wishes you harm.
If more than one hostile creature is within range,
Although Shiaali and Miira have reunited on
a safer side of the world and can finally enjoy
their time together in relative freedom, there are
aspects to their struggle that have yet to be fully
resolved. If you would like the player characters to
be involved in their story going forward, consider
how they might help them with the following:

you can’t detect how many, only that at least one
exists. If you detect hostile feelings with this item,
you can use another action within the next minute
to determine the current distance to the nearest
hostile creature.
e
y Aktavi can still possess Shiaali whenever she
leaves the magical protections written into her
safehouse. How might Shiaali prevent posses-
sion more permanently? Perhaps the player

fil
characters must seek dangerous magic, mys-
terious patrons, or ancient artifacts to defend
Shiaali’s mind for good.
Dorje of Time Hopping y Aktavi is likely to plan to recover Shiaali by
Wand, rare (requires attunement) sending its agents to Khorvaire. What happens
This dorje has 5 charges. While holding it, you if the Thousand Eyes agent from Borutesh,
can use an action to expend 1 or more of its Fali, is sent to Sharn to track down Shiaali
charges to hop forwards in time, and you imme- and Miira?
diately disappear from your space for a number y As a du’ulora quori, Aktavi is vengeful dreams
incarnate—but it is far from the most powerful
of rounds equal to the number of charges you
expend. During that time, other creatures can’t
e
perceive, interact with, or affect you in any way,
you are unaware of your surroundings, and you
can’t act, move, or speak. After that time, you
quori spirit. How might Aktavi conceal its
failures from superior quori? How many other
quori must it disrupt or destroy to maintain its
standing with the Darkness that Dreams?
pl
return to the space you previously occupied, or
the nearest unoccupied space, and from your
point of view, no time has passed at all. You return
at the start of your turn and can act normally.
The dorje regains 1d4+1 expended charges daily
at dawn. If you expend the dorje’s last charge, roll
a d20. On a 1, the dorje shatters and is destroyed.
m
Sa

46
 Appendix A: Friends and Foes
Stat Blocks Dromite
The following creature statistics are found in Small humanoid (dromite), any alignment
this appendix: Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 17 (5d6)
Chantxu, Eneko Pathfinder Riedran Captain Speed 25 ft.

e
Dromite Riedran Guard
Dromite Elocator Roper STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
8 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 9 (-1)
Fali, Changeling Observer Saber-Toothed Tiger
Ilir, Gate Inquisitor Shiaali, Chosen Psion Skills Perception +2, Stealth +6, Survival +2
Iziaka, Eneko Dissident Umber Hulk Damage Resistances see Elemental Attunement trait

fil
Kalah, Oni Bodyguard Violet Fungus Senses passive Perception 12
Nivi, Shattered Kalashtar Wild Incarnate & Languages Dromite, Riedran
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Piercer Nature Mote
Rendesa Heightened Senses. A dromite’s compound eyes and
antennae grant it advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
checks relying on sight or scent.
Chantxu, Eneko Pathfinder Elemental Attunement. Each dromite is attuned to either
Medium humanoid (eneko), neutral fire, cold, lightning, or thunder. It has resistance to that
damage type, and its energy ray attack deals damage of
Armor Class 14 (hide armor) that type.
Hit Points 30 (4d8+12)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX
15 (+2) 12 (+1)
CON INT WIS
17 (+3) 10 (+0) 13 (+1)
CHA
9 (-1)
e Actions
Multiattack. The dromite makes two melee attacks.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
pl
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3, Survival +3
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Energy Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit, range 30 ft,
Languages Common, Giant, Riedran one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) damage of its Elemental
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Attunement type.

Untraceable. Chantxu can’t be tracked except by

magical means.
Actions
m

Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one

target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) slashing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range
150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8+1) piercing damage.
Reactions
Nomad’s Arrow. When a hostile creature moves within
Sa

5 feet of Chantxu, he can immediately move up to his

speed and make a longbow attack. The movement does
not provoke an attack of opportunity from the triggering
creature.

47
 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks
Dromite Elocator
Small humanoid (dromite), any alignment
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 76 (17d6+17)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 9 (-1)
Skills Perception +3, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +8
Damage Resistances see Elemental Attunement trait
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Dromite, Riedran
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Heightened Senses. The dromite’s compound eyes and
antennae grant it advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
checks relying on sight or scent.
Elemental Attunement. Each dromite is attuned to either
fire, cold, lightning, or thunder. It has resistance to that
damage type, and its energy ray attack deals damage of
that type.
Scorn Earth. The dromite can float 1 foot above a solid or
liquid surface, gliding with every step. It is immune to the
effects of difficult terrain and damaging terrain, and does
not sink into liquid surfaces against its will.
Actions
Multiattack. The dromite makes two melee attacks.
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
e that she has hit with an attack to become overwhelmed
pl
one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage.
Energy Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 30 ft.,
one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) damage of its Elemental
Attunement type.
Dimensional Hopping (Recharge 5-6). The dromite
chooses up to six creatures or objects within 60 feet of it.
The dromite teleports adjacent to each target in an order
m
of its choosing, and between each teleport, it can either
make a melee weapon attack, make a Dexterity (Sleight of
Hand) check, or take the Use an Object action. Finally, it
teleports up to 30 feet to a space of its choosing.
Reactions
Temporal Acceleration. As a reaction at the end of another
creature’s turn, the dromite takes an extra turn. It does not
regain its reaction during that extra turn.
Sa
48
Fali, Changeling Observer
Medium humanoid (changeling, shapechanger),
lawful neutral
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 99 (18d8+18)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
9 (-1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 13 (+1)
e
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +6
Skills Arcana +6, Perception +5, Persuasion +4,
Religion +6
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Riedran, Quori
fil
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Change Appearance. Fali can use her action to polymorph
into a Medium humanoid she has seen, or back into her
true form. Her statistics, other than her size, are the same
in each form. Any equipment she is wearing or carrying
isn’t transformed. She reverts to her true form if she dies.
Cunning Action. On each of her turns, Fali can use a bonus
action to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Psicrystal Artifice. Once per turn, Fali can cause a creature
with an emotion that Fali had stored in her psicrystal. That
creature must make a DC 14 Intelligence saving throw. On
a failed save, it takes 17 (5d6) psychic damage and suffers
one of the following effects (roll a d6 or choose one). On
a successful save, the target takes half as much damage
and suffers no other effects.
1. Joy. The target is charmed for 1 minute or until it
takes damage.
2. Fear. The target is frightened for 1 minute or until it
takes damage.
3. Disgust. The target is poisoned until the end of its
next turn.
4. Sadness. The target suffers one level of exhaustion.
5. Anger. Attack rolls against the target have advantage
until the end of its next turn.
6. Surprise. The target has disadvantage on Dexterity
saving throws and can’t use its reaction until the end
of its next turn.
Psionics. Fali is a 4th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting
ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell
attacks). She can cast the following spells, requiring no
components:
At will: eldritch blast, encode thoughts GGR , guidance, friends
1st level (4 slots): charm person, command, cure wounds,
dissonant whispers, mage armor
2nd level (3 slots): blur, detect thoughts, hold person
Actions
Multiattack. Fali makes two melee weapon attacks.
Shortsword. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit,
reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2)
piercing damage.
 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks

Ilir, Gate Inquisitor Psychic Observer. Ilir gains a bonus to his Armor Class equal
to his Wisdom modifier.
Medium humanoid (changeling, shapechanger), lawful evil
Armor Class 17 (psychic observer)
Actions
Hit Points 214 (33d8 + 66) Multiattack. Ilir makes two attacks with his soulknife and uses
Speed 30 ft. Psychic Daze.
Soulknife. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
target. Hit: 14 (2d10+3) force damage and Ilir teleports 15 ft
10 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 13 (+1)
to a space he can see.
Saving Throws Wis +7, Cha +5 Psychic Daze. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 30 ft., one

e
Skills Deception +5, Insight, +7, Perception +7 target. Hit: 11 (2d10) psychic damage and the target can’t use
Senses passive Perception 17 bonus actions until the end of its next turn.
Languages Common, Riedran, Quori Gaze of the Thousand Eyes (1/Day). Ilir conjures ten Tiny crys-
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) talline eyes, each in a separate space within 100 feet of him. A
creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of one or more of the

fil
Change Appearance. Ilir can use his action to polymorph into
spectral eyes takes 4 (1d8) psychic damage, and must succeed
a Medium humanoid he has seen, or back into his true form.
on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of Ilir
His statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment Ilir is
until the start of its next turn. A crystal eye has AC 12 and 4
wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. Ilir reverts to his true
hp. Ilir gains a +1 bonus to Perception checks for each active
form if he dies.
crystal eye. The eyes remain for 1 minute or until destroyed.
Indoctrinated. Ilir gains advantage on saving throws against
spells and other magical effects that would cause him to Legendary Actions
become charmed or frightened. Ilir can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options
Psionics. Ilir is a 10th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and
is Wisdom (spell save DC 16; +8 to hit with spell attacks). He only at the end of another creature’s turn. Ilir regains spent
can cast the following spells, requiring no components:
At will: guidance, mage hand, vicious mockery, true strike
1st level (4 slots): charm person, command, comprehend lan-
guages, dissonant whispers
2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, phantasmal force, see
e legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Fight for Riedra. Ilir makes a Soulknife attack.
Unwavering Path (Costs 2 Actions). Ilir makes a DC 16 Wisdom
saving throw. On a successful save, he ends one spell or
condition affecting him. Ilir can use this legendary action
pl
invisibility even while incapacitated, but not while unconscious.
3rd level (3 slots): clairvoyance, fear, counterspell Manifest Psionics (Costs 2 Actions). Ilir casts a spell using
4th level (3 slots): compulsion, dimension door his Psionics trait. The spell must have a casting time of
5th level (2 slots): dominate person, telekinesis one action or one bonus action. Ilir expends a spell slot
as normal.

Iziaka, Eneko Dissident

m

Medium humanoid (eneko), chaotic good

Armor Class 13 (leather armor)
Hit Points 32 (5d8+10)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
11 (+1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 15 (+2)
Skills Acrobatics +4, Perception +2, Stealth +4, Survival +3
Sa

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages Common, Giant, Riedran
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Nighthaunter. Iziaka has advantage on saving throws against

being charmed, and magic can’t put her to sleep.
Oni’s Tricks. Once per turn, Iziaka can deal an extra 7 (2d6)
necrotic damage to a creature she hits with a weapon attack.
She can then teleport up to 15 feet and make a Dexterity
(Stealth) check to hide.
Actions
Kukri. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.

49
 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks

e
fil
Nivi, Shattered Kalashtar
Medium humanoid (kalashtar), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 15 (chain shirt)
Kalah, Oni Bodyguard Hit Points 82 (15d8+15)
Speed 30 ft.
Large giant, lawful neutral
Armor Class 17 (half plate) STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Hit Points 127 (15d10+45) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 15 (+2) 7 (-2) 17 (+3)
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft.
STR DEX
19 (+4) 14 (+2)
CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +6, Wis +5, Cha +6
e Damage Resistances psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses passive Perception 8
Languages Common, Quori, Riedran
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
pl
Skills Arcana +5, Intimidation +9, Perception +4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Sheltered Psyche. Nivi has advantage on saving throws
Languages Riedran, Giant against illusions and can’t be possessed.
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Captivating Eyes. When a creature that can see Nivi makes
an attack roll against her, that creature must succeed on a
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). Kalah’s innate spellcasting DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be charmed by Nivi until
ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). He can innately cast the start of its next turn.
the following spells, requiring no material components:
Actions
m

At will: darkness, invisibility

1/day each: charm person, cone of cold, gaseous form, sleep
Magic Weapons. Kalah’s weapon attacks are magical.
Regeneration. Kalah regains 10 hit points at the start of
his turn if he has at least 1 hit point.
Actions
Sa
Multiattack. Nivi makes two kukri attacks and one psionic
blast attack.
Kukri. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.
Psionic Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 60 ft.,
one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) psychic damage.

Multiattack. Kalah makes two attacks, either with his
claws or his maul.
Claw (Oni Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,
reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.
Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage, or 11 (2d6
+ 4) bludgeoning damage in Small or Medium form.
Change Shape. Kalah magically polymorphs into a Small
or Medium humanoid, into a Large giant, or back into his
true form. Other than his size, his statistics are the same
in each form. The only equipment that is transformed is his
maul, which shrinks so that it can be wielded in humanoid
form. If Kalah dies, he reverts to his true form, and his
maul reverts to its normal size.
Dream Rend (Recharge 5-6). The kalashtar releases a
psionic burst which tears a creature from its connection
to the Region of Dreams, damaging its ability to imagine
and coordinate its actions. Each creature within 30 feet of
Nivi must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or
take 16 (3d10) psychic damage and suffer schism. Before
a creature suffering schism takes an action, it must be
announced to the DM in secret. The DM must then ask
one other player what action they think the creature would
take. If the answers match, the action occurs as planned.
Otherwise, the creature can’t take any action this turn, as
it stutters ineffectually. However, the creature can take
bonus actions and reactions as normal. An affected crea-
ture can make a new saving throw at the end of each of its
turns. Creatures that don’t sleep are immune to this ability.

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 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks

Piercer Rendesa
Medium monstrosity, unaligned Large monstrosity, lawful neutral
Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Armor Class 11 (14 with mage armor)
Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9) Hit Points 39 (6d10+6)
Speed 5 ft., climb 5 ft. Speed 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
10 (+0) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 1 (-5) 7 (-2) 3 (-4) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 5 (-3) 15 (+2) 11 (+0)
Skills Stealth +5 Skills Athletics +6

e
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Senses passive Perception 12
Perception 8 Languages understands Riedran and Quori but
Languages — can’t speak
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Challenge 1 (200 XP)

False Appearance. While the piercer remains motion-
less on the ceiling, it is indistinguishable from a normal
stalactite.
Spider Climb. The piercer can climb difficult surfaces,
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to
make an ability check.
Actions
Drop. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, one creature directly
underneath the piercer. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage per
10 feet fallen, up to 21 (6d6). Miss: The piercer takes half
the normal falling damage for the distance fallen.
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Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The rendesa’s innate spell-
casting ability is Intelligence. It can innately cast the fol-
lowing spells, requiring no components:
At will: guidance, mage armor
1/day: freedom of movement
Goring Charge. If the rendesa moves at least 20 feet
straight toward a creature and then hits it with a horns
attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a
DC 14 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the
target is prone, the rendesa can make an attack with its

e hooves against it as a bonus action.

Actions
Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 10 (1d12+4) bludgeoning damage.
pl
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) bludgeoning damage.
Mind Link. The rendesa forges a telepathic bond with one
willing creature it can see. The bond lasts for 10 minutes
or until the rendesa bonds with a different creature. While
bonded and on the same plane of existence, the rendesa
and the bonded creature can communicate telepathically
with each other over any distance.
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Riedran Captain
Medium humanoid (human), any alignment
Armor Class 18 (plate armor)
Hit Points 52 (8d8+16)
Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX
16 (+3) 11 (+0)
CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 15 (+2)
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Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +2
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages Riedran
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Indoctrinated. The Riedran captain has advantage on

Riedran Guard
Medium humanoid (human), any alignment
saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield)
m

Psionic Coordination. Once per turn, the Riedran captain

can deal an extra 3 (1d6) damage to a creature it hits Hit Points 22 (4d8+4)
with a weapon attack for each of the captain’s allies Speed 30 ft.
within 5 feet of the target that isn’t incapacitated, up to a STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
maximum of 5d6. 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0)
Actions Skills Perception +2
Multiattack. The Riedran captain makes two melee attacks. Senses passive Perception 12
Languages Riedran
Sa

Glaive. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one

target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage.
Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach
150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1
minute, the Riedran captain can utter a special command
or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that it can see
within 30 feet of it makes an attack roll or a saving throw.
The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear
and understand the captain. A creature can benefit from
only one Leadership die at a time. This effect ends if the
captain is incapacitated.
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Emboldened by Authority. The Riedran guard can use a
bonus action to make a melee weapon attack if it can see
a humanoid ally with a higher challenge rating that isn’t
incapacitated.
Actions
Glaive. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d10 + 1) piercing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach
80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

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 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks

Roper Saber-Toothed Tiger

Large monstrosity, neutral evil Large beast, unaligned
Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Armor Class 12
Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33) Hit Points 52 (7d10+14)
Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft. Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 8 (-1) 17 (+3) 7 (-2) 16 (+3) 6 (-2) 18 (+14) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 8 (-1)
Skills Perception +6, Stealth +5 Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6

e
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16 Senses passive Perception 13
Languages — Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Challenge 2 (450 XP)

False Appearance. While the roper remains motionless, it Keen Smell. The tiger has advantage on Wisdom

fil
is indistinguishable from a normal cave formation, such (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
as a stalagmite. Pounce. If the tiger moves at least 20 feet straight toward
Grasping Tendrils. The roper can have up to six tendrils at a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same
a time. Each tendril can be attacked (AC 20; 10 hit points; turn, that target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving
immunity to poison and psychic damage). Destroying a throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the tiger
tendril deals no damage to the roper, which can extrude can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.
a replacement tendril on its next turn. A tendril can also
be broken if a creature takes an action and succeeds on a Actions
DC 15 Strength check against it. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Spider Climb. The roper can climb difficult surfaces, Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
including upside down on ceilings, without needing to
make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack. The roper makes four attacks with its tendrils,
e Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.
pl
uses Reel, and makes one attack with its bite.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 22 (4d8 + 4) piercing damage.
Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 50 ft., one
creature. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until
the grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disad-
vantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws,
and the roper can’t use the same tendril on another target.
m

Reel. The roper pulls each creature grappled by it up to 25

feet straight toward it.
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 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks

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Shiaali, Chosen Psion
Medium humanoid, lawful neutral
e increase by 2, and she gains immunity to the charmed and
frightened conditions.
Vessel of Power. While Shiaali is possessed by the du’ulora
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Armor Class 12 (14 with mage armor) spirit Aktavi, she is a 7th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting
Hit Points 121 (22d8 + 22) ability for her Psionics trait is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7
Speed 30 ft. to hit with spell attacks). She can cast the following additional
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA spells, requiring no components:
9 (-1) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 17 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 3rd level (1 slot): counterspell, fireball
4th level (1 slot): fire shield, freedom of movement
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4, Cha +5
Skills Arcana +6, History +6, Persuasion +5 Vessel of Rage. While Shiaali is possessed by the du’ulora spirit
m

Senses passive Perception 11 Aktavi, each creature of her choice that starts its turn within
Languages Common, Riedran, Quori 15 feet of her takes 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP); when possessed by Aktavi, 8
(3,900 XP) Actions
Multiattack. Shiaali makes one attack with her glaive and uses
Indoctrinated. Shiaali gains advantage on saving throws Telekinetic Thrust.
against spells and other magical effects that would cause her
to become charmed or frightened. Glaive. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 4 (1d10-1) piercing damage.
Sa

Psionics. Shiaali is a 5th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting

ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell
attacks). She can cast the following spells, requiring no
components:
At will: guidance, mage hand, vicious mockery, produce flame
1st level (4 slots): charm person, command, mage armor,
sanctuary
2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, phantasmal force,
hellish rebuke
3rd level (2 slots): clairvoyance, fear
Vessel of Eminence. While Shiaali is possessed by the du’ulora
spirit Aktavi, her Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma each
Telekinetic Thrust. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 30 ft.,
one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) force damage and the target is
pushed or pulled 10 feet.
Reactions
Misshape Memory (Recharge 5-6). When a creature within
60 feet of Shiaali targets her with an attack, spell, or ability,
she can use her reaction to bend memories and reality into
a more favorable position. Shiaali teleports, switching places
with another creature within 60 feet of her. The creature that
takes her place becomes the new target of the triggering attack,
spell, or ability.

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 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks

Umber Hulk Violet Fungus

Large monstrosity, chaotic evil Medium plant, unaligned
Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Armor Class 5
Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33) Hit Points 18 (4d8)
Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. Speed 5 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 9 (-1) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 1 (-5) 10 (+0) 1 (-5) 3 (-4) 1 (-5)
Senses darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened

e
Perception 10 Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius),
Languages Umber Hulk passive Perception 6
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
Confusing Gaze. When a creature starts its turn within

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30 feet of the umber hulk and is able to see the umber False Appearance. While the violet fungus remains motion-
hulk’s eyes, the umber hulk can magically force it to make less, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary fungus.
a DC 15 Charisma saving throw, unless the umber hulk is
incapacitated. Actions
On a failed saving throw, the creature can’t take reac- Multiattack. The fungus makes 1d4 Rotting Touch attacks.
tions until the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to
Rotting Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 10 ft.,
determine what it does during that turn. On a 1 to 4, the
one creature. Hit: 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.
creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature takes no
action but uses all its movement to move in a random
direction. On a 7 or 8, the creature makes one melee attack
against a random creature, or it does nothing if no creature
is within reach.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid
e
the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does
so, it can’t see the umber hulk until the start of its next
turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks
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at the umber hulk in the meantime, it must immediately
make the save.
Tunneler. The umber hulk can burrow through solid rock at
half its burrowing speed and leaves a 5-foot-wide, 8-foot-
high tunnel in its wake.
Actions
Multiattack. The umber hulk makes three attacks: two with
m

its claws and one with its mandibles.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
Sa

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 Appendix A: Friends and Foes | Stat Blocks

Wild Incarnate elemental damage type is determined by the wild incarnate’s

current oldest elemental attunement at the time it is created.
Huge elemental, unaligned
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Actions
Hit Points 115 (11d12+44) Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Speed 30 ft. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Rockslide. The wild incarnate makes two slam attacks and
20 (+5) 11 (+0) 18 (+4) 5 (-3) 12 (+1) 8 (-1) attunes to earth.
Forest Fire. The wild incarnate’s body goes up in flames. Each
Saving Throws Str +8, Con +7

e
non-elemental creature within 30 feet of the wild incarnate
Skills Stealth +3
must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 13 (3d8)
Damage Resistances See Elemental Nature trait
fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 11
successful one. The wild incarnate attunes to fire.
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Snowdrift. A cloud of vapor bursts from the wild incarnate

Elemental Nature. When the wild incarnate uses certain
actions or reactions, it gains elemental attunement to air,
earth, fire, or water. The wild incarnate can have two attune-
ments at a time, replacing the oldest attunement when it gains
a new one. The wild incarnate’s elemental attunements grant
it damage resistance as follows:
y Air: resistant to lightning and thunder damage
y Earth: resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from
nonmagical attacks
y Fire: resistant to fire damage
y Water: resistant to acid and cold damage
fil
and freezes. Each creature within 30 feet of the wild incarnate
must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed
save, a creature takes 9 (2d8) cold damage and is restrained.
Elementals automatically succeed on this saving throw. A
creature can free itself as an action by succeeding on a DC 15
Strength (Athletics) check, or by taking fire damage. The wild
incarnate attunes to water.
Reactions
Dust Devil. After the wild incarnate is hit with an attack, it can
fly up to 30 feet without provoking opportunity attacks. When

Overload. Whenever the wild incarnate attunes to a new

element, it creates 1d4 nature motes, each of which appearse
within a space of the wild incarnate’s choice within 30 feet
of it. All nature motes act on initiative count 0. Each mote’s
it finishes this movement, each creature within 20 feet of the
wild incarnate must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw
or be pushed 10 feet and fall prone. Elementals automatically
succeed on this saving throw. The wild incarnate attunes to air.
pl
Nature Mote
Tiny elemental, unaligned
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 4 (1d4+2)
m

Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
7 (-2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 6 (-2) 1 (-5) 12 (+1)
Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 11
Challenge 0 (10 XP)

Elemental Heritage. When this mote is created by a wild

Sa

incarnate, its elemental damage type is determined by the

oldest elemental attunement of the wild incarnate:
y Air: mote deals thunder damage
y Earth: mote deals bludgeoning damage
y Fire: mote deals fire damage
y Water: mote deals cold damage

Actions
Lamannian Rupture. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) damage of its Elemental
Heritage type. After using this action, the mote dies.

56
 Appendix B: Maps and
Player Handouts
Assimilation Tokens

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 Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts | Map: Rhiavhaar

Map: Rhiavhaar

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 Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts | Map: The Tunnels

Map: The Tunnels

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 Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts | Map: Borutesh

Map: Borutesh

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 Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts | Map: Shiaali’s Manor

Map: Shiaali’s Manor

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 Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts | Map: Serpent Shrine

Map: Serpent Shrine

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 Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts | Map: Aurora Coast

Map: Aurora Coast

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 Appendix B: Maps and Player Handouts | Map: Aurora Coast

Map: Aurora Coast (Black & White)

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64
 Appendix C: Sarlonan
Player Characters
This adventure assumes that player characters
are employed by agents from Khorvaire, but
that need not be the case. If you want to truly
showcase the potential Sarlona has as a loca-
tion for your Eberron game, consider asking all
your players to create characters that are from
one of Sarlona’s four nations: Riedra, Adar,
Syrkarn or Tashana.
Adapting the Adventure
In this variant, Miira has not made contact with a
Khorvairian adventuring guild. Instead, she has
managed to escape to the free city of Ardhmen
in Syrkarn or a kalashtar monastery in Adar.
The player characters must then travel back into
the heart of Inspired territory to rescue Shiaali.
Consider the following ideas:
Legal Entry
Instead of testing their dreamshaping on
Khorvairians, the Inspired agree to Shiaali’s
e y What caste do you belong to according to the
pl
plan in order to test the hanbalani on Adarans or
Syrks. They hope to find a more peaceful way of
spreading their influence in these regions, since
conquest is difficult (in the case of Adar) or risky
(in the case of Syrkarn). In this case, the adven-
ture can unfold as written.
m
Illegal Entry
Alternatively, you might decide to remove all
references to ‘legitimate’ reasons for the player
characters to enter Riedra, and instead require
a clandestine entry. In that case, the player char-
acters might be dropped off in Dar Ulatesh in
Sa
disguise and have to find a way into and through
the tunnels themselves. In the mission briefing,
include the lead that House Tharashk is shipping
Khyber dragonshards out of the Jhodra in Dar
Ulatesh without having been granted entry into
Riedra proper.
65
Transport to Khorvaire
When Miira escaped, Shiaali sent her with some
simple Inspired magic items. Miira has traded
e
everything to hire Kes d’Lyrandar to take both
her and Miira across the sea to Sharn. Rather
than meeting Kes via the adventurers’ guild in
Khorvaire, Miira met him through contacts in
fil
Ardhmen in Syrkarn. Their rendezvous in the bay
by the Aurora Coast has been planned ahead of
time, and Miira will be at the ship when the player
characters bring Shiaali there.
Character Development
You might want to ask the players the following
questions to tie their stories to the Sarlonan char-
acters and locations:
Path of Inspiration?
y If you are Riedran, you have lived most of your
life without any expectation of privacy—do you
trust other people to be alone?
y Did something make you lose trust in the
spirits, or have you always been skeptical of the
Path of Inspiration?
y Have you ever been to Borutesh?
y How do you feel helping Shiaali when she is a
member of the oppressive caste of Chosen?
y Are you (still) in contact with anyone in Riedra?
y Do you believe that the kalashtar are truly
trying to help, or are their spirits just as nefar-
ious as the Inspired’s il-altas?
Racial Traits
If your players express interest in playing an
eneko or Chosen, they can use the racial traits
provided in Appendix D: Player Options.
 Appendix D: Player Options
Two new player races are presented here for
Sarlona campaigns. Riedra’s Chosen, also known
as empty vessels, serve as the highest caste in
Riedran society. Eneko, sometimes known as
mongrel ogres, are hardy nomads rumored to
wield dark magic.
Riedra’s Chosen
The Chosen are humans who, after centuries of
careful breeding and psychic manipulation, are
able to act as hosts for the nightmarish quori of
the Region of Dreams. The Chosen who host
these creatures claim the title Inspired and rule
Riedra with efficiency and cruelty.
Riedran Perfection
The Riedran state religion teaches that the
Inspired are the natural and superior rulers of
humankind. This status is reflected not only in
psionic abilities.
Chosen that turn away from their destiny to
e
the ability of the Chosen to accept quori hosts,
but also in their otherworldly beauty, poise, and
pl
lead Riedra must give up wealth, education, and
influence. Those who stray from the Riedran way
of life are considered tragic victims of spirits of
corruption called altavar. Within the empire, the
Thousand Eyes are tasked with cleansing the
world of the influence of these spirits, and they
will almost certainly hunt a rebellious Chosen. In
m
the lands beyond, the task may fall to the secre-
tive agents of the Dreaming Dark. Chosen heroes
should carefully consider their plans to evade
these organizations.
Path of Inspiration
Before all else, Chosen are hosts to the quori—il-
Sa
altas in the Riedran tongue. While Inspired, a
Chosen’s will belongs utterly to the possessing
quori spirit. Chosen have been specifically
designed for this purpose, and so are particularly
vulnerable to possession by quori, even against
their will—the particular quori that a Chosen has
been bred to host can possess them without any
chance for resistance on the part of the vessel.
Since the quori never need to leave Dal Quor, they
can take control anytime, anywhere.
66
Possession
Rebel Chosen may need to take special measures
to prevent the quori from simply subjugating their
mind and guiding them back to the Thousand
Eyes. As such, heroic Chosen may be particularly
e
reliant on their allies and the safety they can
provide. In Sarlona, a friendly cleric with access
to protection from evil and good or magic circle is
a rare and valuable asset. Alternatively, your quori
might have recently been destroyed, and has yet
fil
to fully reform in the heart of Dal Quor. That can
buy you precious time to find a permanent means
of protecting yourself. When playing a Chosen
character, always talk to your DM about how you
want to interact with the quori you have been bred
to host. In some campaigns, your relationship
need not necessarily be hostile. Certain class fea-
tures like a warlock’s pact magic or a barbarian’s
rage could represent direct possession.
Chosen Names
Riedrans do not use surnames, for their alle-
giance to Riedra is above all bonds of family. The
name of an Inspired is often a composite of the
name of the Chosen host and the name of the
il-altas who inspires them. For example, a Chosen
named Julana inspired by Gatesh may take the
name Julgatesh while possessed by their spirit.
In the Riedran tongue, double vowels are typi-
cally pronounced as distinct sounds. Khorvairians
who are unfamiliar with this practice often simply
extend the vowel sound.
Chosen Traits
Your exceptional breeding and education grant
you the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score
increases by 2.
Age. Chosen, like humans, reach maturity at
approximately 18 years old and can live over a
century.
Alignment. Chosen are raised to follow the
strict and cruel hierarchy of Riedra. They are
most often lawful evil, but when not possessed by
their quori, they have free will and might rarely
choose a more heroic path.
 Appendix D: Player Options | Riedra’s Chosen
Size. Chosen are generally taller than humans
and lightly built. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Inspired Education. You gain proficiency in one
of the following skills: Arcana, History, Religion.
Commanding Presence. You can influence
others with subtle psionic powers. When you make
a Charisma check, you can choose to gain advan-
tage on the roll. Once you use this trait, you can’t
use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Empty Vessel. You have disadvantage on
saving throws to resist being charmed by aberra-
tions and fiends, or to resist other abilities which
would result in mind control or possession.
Riedran Weapon Training. You gain profi-
ciency with glaives. Chosen often use a Riedran
style of double-headed glaive called a zulaat.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Riedran, Common, Quor, and one other language
of your choice.
Subrace. Although Chosen can play host to
any quori spirit, they are often bred with a spe-
cific possessor in mind. Your subrace represents
your inherent affinity for a certain possessor
subrace for your Chosen character:
Du’ulora Vessel
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and grants you certain psionic talents. Choose a
pl
Du’ulora are spirits of anger and thrive on conflict.
Chosen bound to these quori often serve Riedra
as military commanders.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 1.
Vessel of Rage. You know the produce flame
m
cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast
the hellish rebuke spell once with this trait and
regain the ability to do so when you finish a long
rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for
these spells, and you can cast them without
using any components.
Sa
67
Hashalaq Vessel
Hashalaq quori serve the spirits of Dal Quor as
loremasters and judges. Chosen who are created
to serve as vessels for hashalaqs are often
involved in politics or magical research.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score
increases by 1.
Vessel of Judgment. You know the guidance
cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast
e
the command spell once with this trait and regain
the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these
spells, and you can cast them without using any
fil
components.
Kalaraq Vessel
Kalaraqs are among the most powerful spirits in
Dal Quor. These quori and their Chosen form the
upper leadership of the Unity of Riedra.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score
increases by 1.
Vessel of Seeing. You know the minor illusion
cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast
the color spray spell once with
this trait and regain the ability
to do so when you finish a
long rest. Intelligence is your
spellcasting ability
for these spells, and
you can cast them
without using any
components.
 Appendix D: Player Options | Eneko

Tsucora Vessel
Tsucora quori are schemers that excel in manipu-
Eneko
Eneko are most common in southwest Sarlona,
lating the fears of mortals. As such, they are
making up almost half of the population of
well suited to directing the affairs of Riedra, and
Syrkarn. A rare few struggle under the yoke
Chosen bound to tsucora are found at all levels of
of Riedra in the neighboring Borunan district.
Riedra’s noble caste.
However, heroic eneko might find themselves
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution
fighting the Inspired across their empire, com-
score increases by 1.
muning with the Kalashtar in Adar, or braving the
Vessel of Ruin. You know the mage hand

e
frosts of the north with the shifters of the Tashana
cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast
Tundra. Exceptional individuals might even sail
the cause fear XGE spell once with this trait and
across the Barren or Lhazaar Seas to mingle with
regain the ability to do so when you finish a long
the diverse folk of Khorvaire.
rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for

these spells, and you can cast them without using
any components.
Tsoreva Vessel
Tsoreva quori thirst for the rush of battle, and they
might be considered il-Lashtavar’s footsoldiers if
they were not bound in Dal Quor with the rest of
the quori. Chosen bound to tsoreva often serve as
military leaders beneath du’ulora Chosen, and are
renowned for their use of psionic weapons.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score
increases by 1.
Vessel of War. You know the shillelagh
cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast
e titans of Xen’drik flows through their veins. While
pl
the compelled duel spell once with this trait and
regain the ability to do so when you finish a long
rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for
these spells, and you can cast them without using
any components.
Usvapna Vessel
m
fil
Mixed Bloodlines
Eneko originated from pairings between the
ogres of Borunan and the nomadic half-giants
that wander the continent. According to half-giant
legend, their people are the progeny of Sarlona’s
native humans and giant explorers from Xen’drik.
Grandiose eneko may claim that the blood of the
ancient human sorcerer-kings and the mightiest
many Riedrans deride the eneko, labeling them
“mongrels,” eneko themselves view the diversity of
their heritage as one of their greatest strengths.
Dark Magic
The arcane power displayed by their legendary
forebearers leads many eneko to the study of
magic. The cult of Karrak the Final Guardian, a
deity sometimes called an aspect of the Keeper, is
said to have its origins in the giants of Xen’drik.

Riedrans and less-trusting Syrk humans claim

Usvapna quori are methodical manipulators of the cult of Karrak is a convenient front for the
mortal dreams. Chosen bound to usvapnas serve practice of dark magic.
Riedra as diplomats, inquisitors, and assassins.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score
increases by 1.
Eneko Names
Vessel of Inquisition. You know the message Like many other races, eneko typically use a first
cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast name and a clan name. Away from home, eneko
Sa

the detect evil and good spell once with this trait
and regain the ability to do so when you finish a
long rest. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability
for these spells, and you can cast them without
using any components.
often add their place of birth or vocation as a third
name to distinguish themselves from local fami-
lies with the same clan name.
Eneko Traits
Your ogre and giant ancestry grants you the fol-
lowing racial traits.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution
score increases by 2.

68
 Appendix D: Player Options | Eneko

Age. Eneko reach physical maturity at about 30, Titanheart

and many live through their second century.
Alignment. Eneko greatly value personal
freedom and tend toward a chaotic alignment.
Size. Eneko are significantly taller than
humans, ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall on average.
Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. Thanks to your giant blood, you
By far the most common of eneko subraces,
titanhearts embody the strength and tough-
ness of their giant ancestors. These eneko have
unmatched potential to endure the unpredictable
wilderness of Sarlona.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score
increases by 1.
Giant’s Endurance. Whenever you make a

have superior vision in dark and dim conditions.
You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if
it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were
dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness,
only shades of gray.
e
Constitution saving throw to resist the effects of
harsh weather, you are considered proficient in
these saves and can add double your proficiency
bonus, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Powerful Build. You count as one size larger
when determining your carrying capacity and the
weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Syrk Nomad. You have proficiency in the
Survival skill.
Eneko Weapon Training. You have proficiency
with longbows.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write
Giant and either Riedran or Common.
fil
Titan’s Attunement. When you take acid, cold,
fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use
your reaction to gain resistance to the triggering
damage type. The resistance applies to the trig-
gering damage in addition to any future damage
of that type. When you use this trait, you lose
any resistance it has previously granted, and you
must finish a long rest before you can use this
ability again.

e
Subrace. Given their diverse lineage, different
eneko may express the traits of their ancestors
in different ways. Titanheart eneko favor the
physical power of the giants, while mageblood
pl
eneko express inherent, subtle magics. These
options represent individual diversity, not dis-
tinct ancestral lines. Choose a subrace for your
eneko character:

Mageblood
The blood of sorcerer-kings and oni mages is
m

found in all eneko, but for some, the magic flows

more freely. The tricks of mageblood eneko inspire
the worst tales of their kind, though they are no
more likely to be dishonest than other creatures.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score
increases by 1.
Nighthaunter. You have advantage on saving
Sa

throws against being charmed, and magic can’t

put you to sleep.
Oni’s Tricks. You know the thaumaturgy
cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast
the fog cloud spell as a 1st-level spell once with
this trait and regain the ability to do so when you
finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you
can cast the invisibility spell as a 2nd-level spell
once with this trait and regain the ability to do so
when you finish a long rest.
Charisma is your spellcasting ability for
these spells.