TEXT:  
  1 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  PRESENTS A 
   
  ADVENTURE  
  The Gleam of Fires,  
  the Throb of Drums 
  4 hour Introductory Adventure 
   Intro #8 
  War drums pound deep in the jungles of the Kraldjur Morass.  
  A battle cry, a full throated howl of rage and anger, rises over a terrified scream.  
  The scream is cut off, the cry fades... but the drums beat on. 
  An Introductory adventure for Tier 1 characters (levels 1 through 3) optimized for 3rd level characters. 
  Premier Date: 10-18-16; General Release Date: 10-18-16 
  Version 2.1 03-24-18 
  ARCANIS, SHATTERED EMPIRES and LIVING ARCANIS are trademarks of Paradigm Concepts, Publishing, LLC. Adventure detail is © 
  Copyright 2016 Paradigm Concepts Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Visit us on ParadigmConcepts.com
  
   
  2 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Credits 
  Author: Anthony Nijssen 
  5e Conversion: Clint Blome  
  Editor:  Cody Bergman, Brandy Redd, Lucas 
  Amodio 
  5e Rules Editor: Pedro Barrenechea 
  Campaign 
  Introduction  
  Campaign Staff 
  Author Liaison: Cody Bergman 
  Chief Editor: 
  Joe Cirillo 
  5e Rules Manager: Pedro Barrenechea 
  Running an 
  Arcanis Adventure  
  When you run an Arcanis adventure you are 
  charged with bringing the world to life. We pride 
  ourselves on delivering a deep world where a 
  player's actions are just as, if not more, 
  important than their die rolls.  
   
  We ask our GMs to be familiar with the location 
  the adventure is set and the cultures the players 
  may encounter.  But we also understand that 
  during convention play some GMs may be forced 
  to run an Arcanis adventure on short notice, as 
  such when cultural details come into play we will 
  do our best to call them out in “Arcanis Cliff 
  Notes” sidebars. 
   
  Beyond that, the important job you have as a 
  Game Master is to make the table run as fun as 
  possible, while you engage players and draw 
  them into the story. 
   
  Pay close attention to the player’s actions (not 
  character’s, players), are they on their cell phone 
  or tablet? Do they seem disengaged? Distracted? 
  Don’t be afraid to engage them or shift the 
  spotlight to their character a little. 
   
  To facilitate this you, as the GM, you are 
  empowered to adjust and modify the adventure 
  in a number of ways: 
   
   
  You may make on the fly adjustments to 
  the adventure, don’t punish groups for 
  “going off mod” if they find a clever way 
  to tackle a problem, As long as the idea 
  is reasonable, run with it! especially 
  when out of combat. When you must say 
  “no” always try and say “no, but,” keep 
  the game moving and keep it fun, for 
  everyone,  
   
   
  Don’t be an adversarial GM, while some 
  tables like to be challenged, but there is 
  a difference between being adversarial 
  and offering a challenge. At the same 
  time, don’t make an adventure so easy 
  that the players become bored. 
   
   
  Keep the pace going, it’s during lulls in 
  the story that many players start to 
  disengage. Switch the spotlight, have 
  them make some skill rolls, asking them 
  what their character is doing. If the party 
  is stuck nudge them though some skill 
  rolls or improvised details, just keep the 
  game going.  
   
   
  During conventions and game days be 
  aware if you are running short or long 
  while running and adventure, if running 
  long skip some encounters if necessary 
  but try and tell the entire story, give the 
  players closure, even if you need to 
  fudge the story. 
   
   
  Read-aloud text may be adjusted as you 
  see fit, but make sure you give the 
  players the appropriate hints and clues, 
  they need to keep the story going.  
   
   
  
   
  3 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Adjusting 
  Encounters 
  Before you begin play you should determine the 
  average strength of the party and compare that 
  to the base level of the adventure.  At each 
  encounter, you will see a box titled “scaling the 
  encounter” guiding you on how to adjust the 
  encounter to the parties power level. 
   
  Like box text, these adjustments are suggestions 
  if a party is having an easy or hard time don’t be 
  afraid to adjust the difficulty.   
  To determine the power level you must first 
  determine your tables Average Party Level. 
  APL = Add up all the levels of all the characters, 
  divide that number by the number of players. 
  Rounding up fractions to the nearest whole 
  number. 
  AL = Adventure Level, this is equal to the base 
  level the adventure is balanced too. 
  Once determined you may utilize the tables APL 
  to set the adventure’s difficulty.  
  Adventure Difficulty   
  This adventure has been optimized for a table of 
  5 players playing 3rd level characters.  
  #of Players 
  APL = 1st level 
  Ad. Deff. 
  3-4 
  Equal to AL 
  Easy Mode   
  3-4 
  Greater to AL 
  Normal  
  5 
  Less/Equal 
  Normal 
  5 
  Greater than 
  Difficult  
  6-7 
  Less/Equal 
  Difficult  
  6-7 
  Greater 
  Perilous  
  Spellcasting 
  Services  
  While in a settlement, town, or city, characters 
  may visit a temple or shrine to request spell 
  casting at the cost of a substantial donation. You 
  may only utilize these spell casting services three 
  times per adventure. Any spell casting provided 
  through the story of the adventure, such as an 
  NPC casting a spell for the party, does not count 
  against this limit. 
   Shrines do not house clergy with which to 
  attend to the needs of the faithful. Instead, one 
  or two itinerant priests tend to the shrine and 
  the needs of the people.   
  Temples and churches are larger structures 
  attended by full staffs of the faithful, including 
  Templars. 
  The following services are common to all 
  temples, with additional options available at 
  specific temples as noted in each adventure.  
  Shrines, regardless of their deity, may only 
  provide players with cure wounds and lesser 
  restoration. 
  General Spell Services  
  Spell 
  Cost 
  Cure wounds (1st level) 
  10 gp 
  Lesser restoration 
  40 gp 
  Prayer of healing (2nd level) 
  40 gp 
  Greater restoration 
  450 gp 
   
   
  Initiate of the Gods Background/Acolyte 
  Background/Divine Casters may receive one 
  free spell casting as long as it is a church or 
  temple of the same church (Mother Church 
  for example) 
   
  If they worship the same god as a particular 
  temple but are part of another church, they 
  can get a one time 50% discount instead. 
   
  
   
  4 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Adventure 
  Breakdown 
  Introduction: RP, Skills. The Heroes approach 
  Semar. 
  Scene 1: RP. The Heroes explore the city of 
  Semar. 
  Scene 2: RP. The Heroes are introduced to the 
  current garrison in Semar and drafted for a 
  mission. 
  Scene 3: Skills, Combat. The Heroes elect to 
  travel down the river and may be attacked by a 
  patrol of Flame Tongue Ss’ressen. 
  Scene 4: RP, Combat. The Heroes choose to 
  travel by land through the jungle and encounter 
  a village of Ss’ressen under attack. 
  Scene 5: RP. The Heroes encounter a trap set by 
  a Ssanu biomancer and meet a hylis. 
  Scene 6: Skills. The Heroes find the ruins they 
  were asked to find, and scout them out, 
  discovering a sizeable cult of Agamassi Ss’ressen 
  who worship the Varn Haulis, along with a large 
  number of underlings. 
  Scene 7: Combat. The Heroes take out the 
  leaders of the cult and watch the troglodytes 
  scatter. 
  Scene 8: Combat. The Heroes decide they aren’t 
  strong or clever enough to take on the whole 
  group, and run into a patrol on their way back to 
  Semar. 
  Scene 9: RP. The Heroes return to Semar and 
  report their findings to the Patrol and any other 
  interested parties.
   
  Important GM’s Note:  
  Ss’ressen Heroes 
   
  Ss’ressen Heroes (particularly Black Talons), 
  while regarded with suspicion by the general 
  population of Altheria due to their proximity 
  to the morass, will not be harassed, nor 
  turned away by the Patrol. The Shining Patrol 
  understands that the Black Talons have long 
  since split from their brethren, and though 
  they obviously cannot be used as scouts under 
  normal circumstances, they can certainly be 
  used as strike forces for select missions like 
  this one. Ss’ressen Heroes should not 
  encounter any particular hostility during this 
  module simply as a result of their race. 
   
  Adventure 
  Background 
  For thousands of years, the Ssethregoran Empire 
  has been a far more divided place than any 
  outside it could have imagined. When Kassegore 
  and Yig were perceived to have abandoned their 
  followers, the Old Empire collapsed, and the 
  Ssethregoran Empire led by the Nagas and their 
  new gods rose in its place. 
  Worship of Kassegore and Yig is outlawed, but 
  worshippers of both these old gods have gone 
  underground and work against the Nagas and 
  the invader gods. Organizations like the Cult of 
  Hromu and the Daughters of the Hidden Adder 
  undermine the worship of the Varn whenever 
  they can. Without their efforts, the Ssethregoran 
  Empire may well have overwhelmed the nations 
  of man long ago. By no means does this make 
  them friendly; the enemy of my enemy may still 
  be my enemy at the end of the day. 
  In Altheria, the Shining Patrol is always in need 
  of support. No matter how many scouts and 
  troops they have, the Kraldjur Morass is a vast 
  
   
  5 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  and inhospitable place to humanity and its allies, 
  and more are always needed. Since Semar is still 
  being rebuilt after the Altheria/Seremas war, 
  they can’t spare nearly as many troops as they 
  would like to patrol the wilderness and deal with 
  pending threats. 
  To this end, the Heroes are requested to 
  undertake a mission for the Shining Patrol and 
  explore a particular ruin in the Morass, near the 
  confluence where the Sa’kress River flows into 
  the larger Kraldjur. The last scout to be sent has 
  not returned and is presumed captured or dead. 
  This is an opportunity to get into the good graces 
  of the Patrol and lend a hand to the men and 
  women who keep the Ssethregoran Empire from 
  sweeping over the nations of man.  
  Adventure Related 
  Information   
   
  This adventure begins and probably ends in the 
  city of Semar, located in the Hinterlands. Few 
  permanent structures exist here as the majority 
  of the inhabitants live in elaborate tents as befits 
  a nomadic people. This is just an illusion for 
  many here, as the Khur Gi tribesman who live 
  here have given up their transient lifestyle to live 
  a more sedentary life. 
  Temples and Shrines 
  Semar has a Temple to Althares, a circular stone 
  temple constructed of pure white marble.  
  There is also a Temple of the Pantheon, 
  constructed of plain stone with a small wing with 
  a shrine for each god of the pantheon aside from 
  Althares. 
  The shrine to the Varn Haulis is being 
  constructed on old ruins of a shrine to Kassegore 
  deep in the Morass. A crude stone altar has been 
  permanently stained red from all the blood that 
  has been spilt upon it. 
  Organizations 
  Various contacts for many secret organizations 
  are noted in Scene 1, particularly related to 
  various buildings. They include, but are not 
  limited to, the Sanctorum of the Arcane, the 
  Followers of the Azure Way, and the Order of 
  Althares. See the descriptions for more details. 
  Portals of Anshar 
  There are no accessible Portals of Anshar in this 
  adventure. (Semar does have a special red 
  portal in the basement of the Citadel, which is 
  said to lead to another world, but the PCs 
  cannot get access to it during this adventure. 
  See The Secret of Semar, SP2-8 under the old 
  campaign.) 
   
  Introduction 
   
  Key Concepts: The Heroes are visiting Semar, 
  whatever their reasons. They can explore the city 
  before relaxing in a tavern at the end of the 
  evening.  Into this tavern enters a very upset 
  Shining Patrol scout, looking to get furiously 
  drunk. 
  Battered, bloody, but never truly broken, the 
  city of Semar stands as a testament to the 
  tenacity of the Altherian people. Semar 
  withstood the brunt of both a brutal assault 
  from the Seremasi elorii and were struck 
  savagely by the Ssethregorans to the south. 
  Even now, 15 years after the last of the 
  reptilian hordes were repulsed once again, 
  Semar still maintains its vigilance, knowing 
  that green death from the south might come 
  at any moment. 
   
  The evening air is cool, as a breeze from the 
  north blows away the day’s heat. Whatever 
  your reasons for traveling to Semar, at least 
  your destination is finally in sight. Your 
  
   
  6 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  traveling companions breathe a collective sigh 
  of relief as you see that the city gates have not 
  yet closed. The opportunity to sleep under a 
  proper roof is one many in the caravan would 
  not like to pass up. 
   
  The Heroes are currently traveling with a 
  caravan, laden with building materials for Semar. 
  Wood, stone, rope, and tools can all be found in 
  the dozen wagons on the trek. 
  The heroes have been traveling together from 
  Gafre to the north. They’ve had at least a week 
  together. Make sure to determine why they’re 
  coming to Semar at this point and allow them to 
  introduce themselves to each other if they’ve 
  never played together before. 
  If the Heroes can’t figure out their own reasons 
  (or have not been provided any by their secret 
  societies) for coming to Semar, a few suggestions 
  include: 
   
  Mercenary work 
   
  Warmer than further north (since it is 
  currently the middle of spring) 
   
  Rumours and gossip (make something 
  up that you think would entice an 
  individual) 
  GM’s Note: Gafre is a city in northern Altheria, 
  near the coast of the Bay of Yarris. By contrast, 
  Semar is to the south of the country, near the 
  boundary with the Kraldjur Morass and the 
  Ssethregoran Empire that dwells within. For a 
  map, see the Codex Arcanis, pg. 67 – The 
  Republic of Altheria. 
  Give some time for role play, and then continue: 
  Althares' grace is sadly not with you this day. The 
  rough roads have not been a priority to keep in 
  repair, and an axle of the lead caravan shatters 
  when one of the wheels hits a furrow in the road. 
  Dismayed, the caravan master, one Qamar 
  Biobaku (Ka-mar Beo-ba-ku) calls together those 
  traveling as escorts, including yourselves. 
  “I need one or two of you to ride on ahead and 
  convince the guards not to close the gates yet. 
  We’ve got the tools to fix this quickly, and we 
  should still be able to make it before the sun sets, 
  but the guards here are extremely cautious, and 
  rightly so. If any of you are really strong, we could 
  use the help lifting the wagon to properly do the 
  repairs. The rest of you, keep an eye out. There 
  haven’t been any attacks down this road in a 
  while, but that’s not to say that there couldn’t be 
  one today.” (He speaks primarily Low Coryani, 
  since it’s a useful trade tongue) 
  Allow the Heroes to volunteer for any particular 
  jobs to which they feel themselves suited. Once 
  they’ve decided, continue. 
  The Race to the Gates 
   
  One of the other escorts, a young Balantican 
  named Lupa val’Dellenov, laughs and wheels 
  about on her horse. “I’ll go convince them to keep 
  the gates open. Anyone coming with me better 
  keep up! Anyone interested in a race? I’ll pay five 
  Decus (silver) to anyone who can beat me there, 
  and collect five Decus from anyone that races me 
  and loses.” 
  Once anyone accepts, Lupa will shout “Go!” and 
  immediately spur her horse into a gallop.  
  If on foot, each competing Hero must make 
  three Strength (Athletics) opposed skill checks. 
  If riding on a horse, each competing Hero must 
  make three Wisdom (Animal Handling) opposed 
  skill checks. 
  Lupa possess a +5 bonus to Wisdom (Animal 
  Handling) skill. 
  Each time someone wins they gain a +1 bonus to 
  their next skill check, the best 2 out of 3 wins. 
  
   
  7 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Any Hero who attempts the race, whether they 
  beat her or not, will get a hearty slap on the back 
  and a big smile from Lupa. The ride itself takes 
  about 10 minutes total. 
  As you approach the gate at a brisk pace, the 
  guards tense up, and rifles are leveled at you 
  from the guard towers to either side of the large 
  doors. Curtailing her speed at the last minute, 
  Lupa reins her courser in, and lets out a joyous 
  shout, “Hail, Semar! We’re here to help!” before 
  dissolving into a fit of giggles. 
  An older guard at the gate itself looks askance at 
  her, before turning to you (that is, any of the 
  players 
  who 
  participated 
  in 
  the 
  race, 
  particularly another Altharin if there is one in 
  the party) and asking in Altharin: “What actually 
  brings you here, and why come racing down the 
  road like that? You’re like to startle some of the 
  younger bucks. They’re still very green, and likely 
  as not to pull a trigger when something’s coming 
  fast over that rise. Explain yourselves.” 
  If none of the Heroes who came speaks Altharin, 
  the guard (whose name is Corentine), will switch 
  to Low Coryani. If that doesn’t work, he’ll call one 
  of the other guards from the tower down, one 
  Yaro val’Abebi, who is proficient in Ssethric, Low 
  and High Coryani, Milandisian, Low and High 
  Khitani, and Kio. He is a younger val, with a 
  fascination for languages. Yaro will translate 
  back and forth as necessary. 
  The Heroes should use this opportunity to 
  explain that they are part of the caravan that is 
  coming towards the city, and that it has 
  experienced some difficulty, but that it will be 
  arriving shortly. 
  The guard looks vexed at your explanation. 
  “That’s hardly a good reason for coming hellbent 
  down the road. For all we knew, there could have 
  been a flight of Dragonels coming up behind 
  you.” He glares at the assembled lot of you. 
  “Next time, exercise a little more decorum and 
  common sense. We’ll keep the gates open until 
  your party arrives.” 
  “Sir, yes sir!” snaps out Lupa with a cheerful grin 
  on her face. “While the rest are waiting, could 
  you provide me directions to the Shining Patrol 
  barracks? I’m here to enlist!” 
  The old guard raises an eyebrow at that, then 
  shrugs; “You’re of age, so far be it for me to 
  question your madness. Head toward the large 
  granite building near the center of town, in the 
  Government Ring. You’ll need to pass through 
  two more gates to get there. Are the rest of you 
  here to enlist as well?” 
  Keeping Watch 
  Nothing is actually going to leap out at them 
  while the wagon is being repaired, but instilling 
  a healthy dose of paranoia is never a bad thing. 
  Have each Hero make a Wisdom (Perception) 
  skill check. These may be timed to coincide with 
  the Strength (Athletics) skill checks of those 
  lifting the wagon (see below). 
  If even one of the heroes succeed, mention 
  rustling in the bushes on the sharp cliffs above. If 
  they go investigate, have a small lizard come 
  wandering out of the bushes and look down at 
  them. 
  Repairing the Wagon 
   
  The wagon is quickly unloaded of all its goods to 
  make it lighter, but it is still by no means an easy 
  task to lift it. Working together, the strongest 
  among you strain to lift and hold the wagon high 
  enough for others to crawl underneath, remove 
  the axle, and replace it with a spare. 
  There will be four people lifting the wagon and 
  two crawling under to fix it. Allow the Heroes to 
  decide amongst themselves who’s doing what, 
  and give priority to the Heroes. Generic NPCs will 
  fill out the rest of the jobs. 
  
   
  8 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  For the Heroes who are lifting the wagon, they 
  must first perform a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) 
  skill check (Granting Advantage to any hero who 
  possesses a Strength of 17 or above.) 
  Once the wagon has been lifted, each Hero lifting 
  it must perform three consecutive DC 13 
  Strength (Athletics) skill checks. If they fail any 
  two, the wagon slips from their grasp and falls on 
  the two individuals working below, who suffer 
  2d6 hp of damage each, and the entire process 
  must be repeated. 
  For any Heroes who want to affect the repairs 
  themselves, a successful DC 13 proficiency skill 
  check using Carpenter’s Tools, Smith’s Tools, or 
  Tinker’s Tools, or a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) skill 
  check will allow the Heroes to repair the wagon 
  sufficiently to get it into the city. Each check 
  must be made three times, timed to coincide 
  with the Strength (Athletics) skill checks of those 
  holding up the wagon. A Critical success (roll of 
  20) on any of these rolls allows the job to be 
  finished immediately. 
  If the Heroes complete the repairs with no 
  mishaps:  
  Qamar takes a quick look under the wagon as it’s 
  lowered to the ground. “I’m impressed. I figured 
  those repairs would take more time. You’re 
  always welcome to travel with me, as useful as 
  you’ve proven to be. Now, let’s get these supplies 
  to Semar.” 
  If the Heroes suffered at least one mishap: 
  Qamar takes a quick look under the wagon as it’s 
  lowered to the ground. “Well, at least that’s been 
  dealt with. Now, let’s finish this trip and get these 
  supplies to Semar.” 
  Either way, continue: 
  The rest of the trip is thankfully uneventful, and 
  the repairs hold out through the city gates. 
  Qamar once again thanks you for your efforts, 
  and mentions that he plans to leave again in two 
  days’ time for another load of supplies. “You’d be 
  welcome escorts on the road back to New Althré. 
  I hope your business is Semar is as profitable as 
  mine!” he says, sketching a short bow before 
  each of you. 
  The city of Semar, slowly being rebuilt, lies before 
  you to explore. 
  Development: The heroes are now all in Semar, 
  and can explore. Continue to Scene 1. 
  Scene 1 
  Key Concepts: The Heroes get the chance to 
  explore the city of Semar, eventually ending up 
  at the garrison of the Shining Patrol.  
  GM’s Note: This is a free-form RP exploration to 
  give a sense of the city as it currently stands. 
  Keep this brief if time is a concern. Notable 
  existing structures, related NPCs, and any 
  particular affiliations are noted. There is no real 
  box text in this scene, though there are 
  descriptions of certain buildings. 
  Do not simply give them information about the 
  city in an info dump. Make the players explore, 
  use Streetwise, get to know the city organically. 
  For more information on the city, please refer to 
  the Living Arcanis module: The Serpentine Path. 
  Changes made are primarily to reflect the events 
  of the past 40 years. 
  The city of Semar is built around a large Citadel 
  in steadily larger concentric circles. Each ring is 
  walled off on either side, making the sections of 
  the city very definitive. The circles are: 
  1. The Citadel. Off limits to all personnel 
  except Shining Patrol members, and 
  even then only high level ones, unless 
  the city is under attack. 
  2. The Government Ring. Heavily guarded, 
  and filled with important city buildings. 
  Membership in the Shining Patrol, being 
  
   
  9 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  escorted by a Shining Patrol member, 
  noble breeding, or an official pass is 
  required in this ring. Those found not 
  fitting one of the above are escorted to 
  the Guild Ring politely but firmly. 
  3. The Guild Ring. Moderately guarded, 
  and containing all the Guild Houses. The 
  majority of legal commerce happens in 
  this ring. 
  4. The 
  Residential 
  Ring. 
  Moderately 
  guarded, except for the outer walls, 
  which are heavily guarded. Stables and 
  general stores may be found here, along 
  with numerous inns and the residences 
  of the common folk.  
   
  GM’s Note: As with the Introduction, in the 
  interests of time this Scene can be cut short. At 
  any point you wish to continue to the next 
  scene (and the Heroes have not already made 
  their way to the Shining Patrol Headquarters), 
  read the following: 
  As you make your way through the city, your 
  passage does not go unnoticed. An Altherian 
  approaches you, hands raised in greeting, and 
  hails you (First in Altherian, switching to Low 
  Coryani if no one understands him): “Good 
  gentles, a moment of your time. You look like folk 
  capable of taking care of yourselves. Might you 
  be interested in some work? The Shining Patrol is 
  looking for some volunteers for a short mission. 
  If you’re interested, see Colonel Demissie (De-
  me-see) val’Abebi at the Patrol Headquarters.” 
  Any Altherian will be able to immediately 
  identify the insignia borne by this Altherian as 
  that of the Shining Patrol, which can also be 
  known by any Hero with a successful DC 12 
  Intelligence (History) skill check. 
  Any Former Altherian Marksman of Former 
  Shining Patrol Soldier will be able to identify 
  him specifically as a Shining Patrol Scout. The 
  insignia bears only a single marking, indicating 
  he has only been on a single mission into the 
  Morass. 
  If the Heroes ask, the Scout’s name is Kafil. He is 
  human, barely out of his teens, and seems to 
  exude a nervous energy; he shifts from foot to 
  foot as he talks to you. 
  A passive DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) skill check 
  will be able to determine that he seems to be 
  naturally impatient. 
  Gathering Information:  
  DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) or Wisdom 
  (Insight) skill check. 
  Note: Each check to gain information on the 
  following topics requires 4 hours of time, talking 
  to different people around the city and putting 
  together a decent picture. Gossip takes less time, 
  but you don’t necessarily get specifically what 
  you want. 
  The following are the topics that can specifically 
  have information gathered about them at this 
  time. 
  Semar: The city is still recovering a decade later 
  from a major assault. Non-essential aspects have 
  been set aside in favor of a strong military 
  presence. The walls and watchtowers were the 
  first to be rebuilt, followed by repairs to the 
  Citadel, and then the rest. 
  The city itself is divided into four parts. At the 
  heart of Semar is the Citadel itself. Around it are 
  three concentric rings, each walled off from the 
  other. The city can lock down all three walls 
  when attacked, and keep attackers from 
  breaching through into the Citadel itself.  
  The closest ring to the Citadel is the Government 
  Ring, containing many buildings of note. To be 
  allowed entrance, you must be affiliated with the 
  Shining Patrol (volunteer or active duty), 
  nobility, or have an official pass. 
  
   
  10 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  The next ring out is the Guild Ring, containing all 
  the various guilds of the city who drive the 
  business, providing supplies to the Patrol. 
  Finally, the Residential Ring is the outermost 
  circle, where the majority of the citizens actually 
  live, and travelers may find inns and general 
  stores for day to day commerce. 
  The Shining Patrol: The Shining Patrol is 
  composed of troops from many different nations 
  of the world. The various powers that be 
  frequently negotiate terms of service for some of 
  their troops in exchange for legal access to 
  Althares’ Second Gift, blastpowder. 
  Of late, the troops have been few and far 
  between. The rebuilding of Grand Coryan and 
  the secession of the val’Tensen family into 
  Almeric have caused many of the legions abroad 
  to be recalled. The elorii no longer have a 
  representative in the aftermath of the Altheria-
  Seremasi war. The Crusade against the Infernals 
  brought home almost all of the Milandisians 
  serving in the Patrol. These factions are slowly 
  returning their support for much needed blast 
  powder, but it’s a slow process. 
  The Ssethregorans: In the decade since their last 
  major attack, the Ssethregorans have been 
  remarkably quiet. If there have been any troop 
  movements, they’ve kept them well away from 
  the eyes of our scouts. If there have been any 
  disruptions in their society, we are unaware. We 
  still suffer the occasional raiding party, but even 
  those seem disorganized and desultory. Those 
  who are hopeful are thankful for this time of 
  respite. Those who are cynical simply fear that 
  the next blow may be one that we cannot 
  withstand.  
  General Gossip: Make a Charisma (Persuasion) 
  check and consult below. Provide information 
  from the lowest difficulty reached first, providing 
  more with each successful roll: 
  DC 10: (From pretty much everyone to whom 
  you speak) The Shining Patrol is looking for 
  volunteers as usual. Ever since the Crusades drew 
  off a large number of troops from abroad, 
  they’ve been scrounging for all the help they can 
  get. 
  DC 13:  (From a baker in the Residential Ring) 
  Ever since the crystal was damaged at the Tower 
  of Althares, this city has seemed darker, and not 
  just at night. There’s been a tension between the 
  active members of patrol and those of us who 
  have already served our time and have no 
  interest in going back. As though we wouldn’t 
  still defend our homes and families if it came 
  down to it… I don’t like it at all. 
  DC 16: (From an off-duty Patrolman) The 
  Ssethregorans have been really quiet since the 
  last assault almost a decade ago. Sure, we get 
  the occasional raiding party, and they still harass 
  our troops in the Morass, but they haven’t 
  mounted any large attacks. Makes me nervous, 
  wondering what they’re planning. 
  DC 20: (From Leila at the Shining Shield Inn) Ru 
  val’Abebi was in town last week. He seemed 
  particularly interested in the rubble of the clock 
  tower in the Government Ring. Wouldn’t tell 
  anyone why though, to my knowledge. 
  The Citadel: Rising high above the rest of the 
  city, the black stone walls of the Citadel cast a 
  long shadow. Demonic figures and ancient 
  Valinor are locked in perpetual battle, carved 
  upon the walls and battlements. Rumours 
  abound about the Citadel and its many secrets. 
  Just looking at it sends a chill down the spine. It 
  appears more a cathedral of evil than a shield 
  against the might of the Ssethregoran Empire. 
  The cannon emplacements in the citadel can be 
  seen amidst the carvings, often protected by the 
  carvings of a Valinoric wing or Infernal smile. The 
  Citadel seems untouched from the recent war, 
  and years of assaults from the Ssethregorans. 
  
   
  11 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  The Residential Ring 
  The Shining Shield Inn: Unlike the rest of the 
  Residential Ring, the Shining Shield Inn appears 
  to be in pristine condition. In fact, it was one of 
  the first buildings rebuilt after the war, with 
  dozens of off-duty Patrol members helping 
  whenever they could. The eponymous crystal 
  shield that hangs in place of a traditional inn’s 
  sign is positioned to catch the light from the 
  Tower of Althares and illuminate the entire front 
  of the building. However, when that section of 
  the city is in darkness, the shield glows with a 
  brilliance of its own. 
  This is the most comfortable inn in the city, 
  favoured by visiting nobles and royalty for the 
  quality of the rooms, food, and the treatment 
  received at the hands of the 9 sisters who run the 
  establishment. The sisters received the inn when 
  their father Jalil was killed defending the walls in 
  the Ssethregoran assault of 1052 I.C. Lamya, 
  Lanelle, Lehanna, Leila, Lena, Lewa, Laleh, Lakia, 
  and Nala, all val’Holryn like their mother, tend to 
  the inn and its patrons with exquisite care. Nala 
  can be found performing in the common room 
  with her exquisite voice every evening, and all 
  the sisters are considered treasures of Semar for 
  their beauty (even as they advance into their old 
  age. The eldest, Lamya, is now 64, and the 
  youngest, Nala, is 55), though none have ever 
  wed. 
  The Shining Shield is also (secretly) the local 
  Sanctorum of the Arcane. All of the sisters are 
  versed in magical lore and practice, having been 
  taught by their father, and have all proven 
  themselves over the years as dangerous as they 
  are beautiful (though they prefer not to flaunt 
  their skills).  
  The Patrolman’s Rest Inn: While the rich and 
  powerful flock to the Shining Shield, the 
  Patrolman’s Rest is a much cheaper, though 
  decent, alternative. Little more than a converted 
  barracks, the rooms are spartan, consisting of a 
  number of bunk beds with lockable chests and 
  cabinets along the walls. The food in the 
  common room is simple, but hearty, and this inn 
  is favored by the city defenders as a good place 
  to get a hot meal before taking a shift on the 
  walls. 
  The Watchtowers: The granite watchtowers rise 
  at least 30 feet above the rest of the walls. In 
  each, telescopes are mounted on every outlook, 
  so that threats can be seen approaching from 
  any side, long before any of them arrive. In every 
  tower hangs a heavy bronze bell. When a threat 
  is seen, the bell is rung, loud enough to wake up 
  all but the soundest of sleepers.  
  The Stables: Built right next to the northern gate, 
  one of two main gates, the stables are designed 
  to fit 50 horses comfortable in corrals and 
  another 20 in individual stables. A small windmill 
  is employed to direct the odor of the horses out 
  of Semar, for two reasons: for the comfort of the 
  citizens, and to prevent the smell from floating 
  south without dispersing and drawing predators 
  from the jungle below.   
  The Guild Ring 
  GM’s Note: Any of the Guilds have regular 
  deliveries they need made into the Government 
  Ring, and never enough delivery people to do so. 
  If any Hero desires a temporary official pass to 
  get into the Government Ring, any Guild will be 
  happy to provide one in exchange for a quick 
  delivery. Specific delivery locations are noted in 
  the individual guild descriptions. 
  The Alchemists’ Guild: On the surface, this guild 
  appears to be little more than a small stone 
  building with a desk and a few offices. However, 
  a long set of stairs lead down into the bedrock 
  beneath, where a large cavern has been 
  converted 
  into 
  multiple 
  storerooms 
  and 
  laboratories. The Heroes are not allowed into 
  the lower levels at this time, but are welcome to 
  interact with the receptionist who can facilitate 
  
   
  12 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  purchase of the any Alchemical item from the 
  base book and Forged in Magic: Reforged at base 
  price.  Players may also purchase potions of 
  healing. 
  Side Mission: The Alchemists’ Guild at this time 
  desires a delivery of antitoxins to be made to the 
  Patrol Headquarters. Any Hero willing to do so 
  will be paid 5 gp and be given an official pass to 
  the Government Ring. 
  The Merchants’ Guild: Constructed from a red-
  hued stone, this building is highly ornamented 
  and decorated in sharp contrast to the drabness 
  of the rest of the buildings around it. Filled with 
  meeting rooms, file rooms, and storage rooms, it 
  also boasts a grand banquet hall and a small 
  temple to Sarish in his aspect of Oath Maker and 
  Binder of Promises. 
  Heroes who visit the Merchants’ Guild may learn 
  from any of the clerks working there that the 
  Merchants’ Guild facilitates all legal transactions 
  in the city and takes a cut from every one. In 
  return, the Guild contributes to the efforts of all 
  the other guilds, and supplies large donations to 
  the Shining Patrol that they might better protect 
  the Guild. The Merchants’ Guild considers this an 
  investment in their own continued existence. 
  Side Mission: The Merchants’ Guild at this time 
  desires a sheaf of receipts delivered to the 
  Chroniclers’ Repository. Any Hero willing to do 
  so will be paid 5 gp and be given an official pass 
  to the Government Ring. 
  The Masons’ Guild: The Masons’ Guild is a 
  conglomeration of stones and styles, the 
  building itself showcasing the talents of its 
  members. Every few decades or so, the entire 
  Guild is rebuilt from fresh stone, and the current 
  masons showcase their abilities on part of the 
  new walls. Tragically for them, their Guild was 
  not even damaged in the war with Seremasi, nor 
  the Ssethregoran assault that followed. The 
  masons were obliged to destroy the building 
  themselves the following year and rebuild it. 
  Any Hero willing to pay 1000 gp (of any nation’s 
  currency) can have a stone bust of themselves 
  done up and delivered to anywhere they desire, 
  though the masons make no guarantees for 
  damage that may occur on the journey. 
  Side Mission: The Masons’ Guild at this time 
  desires a small shipment of fine quality marble 
  escorted to the Temple of Althares. Any Hero 
  willing to do so will be paid 5 gp and be given an 
  official pass to the Government Ring. 
  The Blacksmiths’ Guild: Stone reinforced with 
  wrought iron, the Blacksmiths’ Guild is one of the 
  sturdiest buildings in Semar, apart from the 
  Citadel itself. The blacksmiths provide the parts 
  for the flintlocks and cannons of the Shining 
  Patrol, alongside the weapons, armor, and tools, 
  and is second only to the Merchants’ Guild in 
  terms of power and wealth. 
  The Guild itself is comprised of an enormous 
  room containing a small foundry and a few 
  dozen forges. The fires are kept burning night 
  and day, and the ring of hammers on anvils is a 
  steady beat as the various smiths rotate in shifts 
  to maintain a constant output of required 
  supplies to rebuild and defend the city. 
  Heroes can acquire any Altherian weapon or 
  metal armor here at base cost. 
  Side Mission: The Blacksmiths’ Guild at this time 
  desires a set of schematics regarding a 
  potentially 
  better 
  trigger 
  mechanism 
  for 
  flintlocks delivered to the Patrol Headquarters. 
  Any Hero willing to do so will be paid 5 gp and be 
  given an official pass to the Government Ring. 
  Note: There is nothing new or innovative about 
  this design. It’s been tried before, and is part of 
  an ongoing debate as to which is better. No one 
  would really be interested, so there’s no 
  motivation for players to steal this. 
  The Artisans’ Guild: Once a fairly prominent 
  guild, the Artisans’ Guild has fallen into disrepair. 
  After the Seremasi war, the focus of the city 
  
   
  13 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  shifted back to defense, and the artisans were 
  largely folded back into the other guilds or joined 
  the Order of Althares. Only a few still remain, 
  primarily those whose work involves fine 
  intricate detail. They are often hired to put 
  finishing touches on flintlocks being sold to 
  foreign nobility. 
  Side Mission: The Artisans’ Guild at this time 
  desires an ornamented display case delivered to 
  the Museum of Wonders. Any Hero willing to do 
  so will be paid 5 gp and be given an official pass 
  to the Government Ring. 
  The Government Ring 
  GM’s Note: The only Heroes allowed into the 
  Government Ring are Shining Patrol members, 
  nobility, or those possessing an official pass. 
  Those who wish to volunteer or enlist with the 
  Shining Patrol will be given a pass at the gate to 
  the Government Ring saying as much. 
  Those who wish to explore this ring beforehand 
  that are not nobility, Shining Patrol, or 
  volunteers will need to acquire an official pass in 
  another manner. See the notes regarding the 
  Guild Ring. 
  The Tower of Althares’ Light: Next to the Citadel, 
  this is the tallest structure in Semar. In stark 
  contrast to the Citadel, it is constructed of pure 
  white marble. This Tower is primarily a 
  monastery of monks of the Order of Althares, 
  providing housing, training, and a place of 
  worship for those who have devoted themselves 
  to following Althares teachings.  
  Secondarily, the Tower provides light to almost 
  the entire city. Once, the crystal at the top of the 
  tower glowed every night, lighting up the entire 
  city by means of a network of receiving crystals 
  in lampposts around the city. However, in the 
  war with Seremas, the crystal was cracked. Every 
  night thereafter, part of the city has remained in 
  darkness. The Order of Althares will often use 
  the darkness as a penance for wayward 
  members of their order, sending them into these 
  dark places bearing small lights and ordering 
  them to help out as they may.  
  Though the crystal is supposed to be rotated so 
  that all in the city may spend some time in the 
  darkness, more often than not the places which 
  are not illumed are found in the Residential Ring. 
  The Tower is accessible to all those who worship  
  Althares, particularly if they are of the Order 
  themselves. 
  The Rubble of the Giant Clock Tower: Considered 
  largely unnecessary by the Shining Patrol, the 
  Clock Tower of Semar has never been rebuilt. 
  The rubble of its destruction has mostly been 
  hauled away and used to build or reinforce more 
  strategic structures. It is one of the few buildings 
  of the Government Ring that was left largely 
  undefended when the elorii attacked, except as 
  a tertiary vantage point for snipers. The elorii 
  targeted it, thinking that bringing it down would 
  adversely affect the morale of the defenders, but 
  for the most part the Patrol had more important 
  things with which to concern themselves. 
  The City Council Chamber: A sturdy, heavily 
  guarded building, designed similarly to the 
  chamber housing the full Council of Wisdom in 
  New Althré. None of the Heroes will be able to 
  access this building at this time. 
  The Temple of Althares: The one great loss to the 
  city of Semar during the Seremasi war was the 
  formerly grand Temple of Althares. The Temple’s 
  central pillar, shaped like Althares holding his 
  arms out in benediction, was shattered by a 
  brute squad of Marokene elorii. When the pillar 
  was destroyed, the roof caved in, taking with it 
  the beautiful mural of Althares’ Valinor standing 
  firm against a horde of Infernal denizens. The 
  Temple has been cleared out, and is slowly being 
  rebuilt, but it will be a long process before it 
  reclaims its former glory. The Heroes are 
  welcome to enter and give reverence to 
  
   
  14 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Althares, and watch the artisans slowly and 
  painstakingly carving a new column in the same 
  shape out of a single block of white marble. 
  In the Temple, any Heroes may purchase 
  blastpowder if they may legally do so (i.e. 
  val’Abebi, noble born, Altherian citizens, or 
  active Shining Patrol member). Val’Abebi are 
  only charged 10% of the base cost. Shining Patrol 
  members and Altherian citizens are only charged 
  50% of the base cost. The Temple will not sell 
  more than 20 Shot Packets to any one individual 
  at one time. The exception to this is active 
  Shining Patrol members going on an active 
  mission, who can requisition 40 Shot Packets. 
  Temple of the Pantheon: Perhaps due in part to 
  its drabness, the Temple dedicated to the rest of 
  the Pantheon was spared much damage in the 
  recent wars. It is constructed of simple grey 
  stone, and does little to draw the eye.  
  Here, the Heroes may find shrines to all the gods 
  of the human Pantheon, and pay homage. 
  Shrines of particular note include that of Larissa 
  in her hedonistic aspect, where worshippers may 
  partake of the “services” at any hour of the day 
  or night, and that of Anshar, in her aspect as the 
  Far Traveler. Shining Patrol members about to 
  embark into the Kraldjur Morass often pray to 
  her, that she may guard them and guide them 
  home after a successful patrol. 
  Museum of Wonders: Only open during the day, 
  this small grey stone building houses a few of the 
  exceptional wonders of Althares… though some 
  of them may be taken with a grain of salt. 
  Of particular note are the following: 
   
  A perfect, small-scale replica of one of 
  the many cannons in place around 
  Semar. Developed in the form of fierce 
  creatures like dragons and chimera, the 
  mouth of the beast is the cannon’s 
  barrel, while the eyes are the sights 
  through which the gunner targets. Any 
  Hero with an Intelligence (Investigation) 
  or Wisdom (Perception) of 14 or higher 
  will be able to notice that the cannons 
  are developed so that they may be 
  rotated a full 360’, and may even fire 
  almost straight up or down if they were 
  on a platform that could allow such. 
   
  A perfect model replica of the entire city 
  of Semar, displaying how the lighting 
  system was designed to work before the 
  crystal was cracked. It clearly has not 
  been updated since the Seremasi war 
  ended. 
   
  A diorama of a city, shown floating 
  above the landscape, with illusionary 
  airships approaching and departing from 
  it. Some few landmarks are still 
  recognizable to those who have visited 
  New Althré. Any Hero making a 
  successful DC 15 Intelligence (History) 
  (Int) or a DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) 
  skill check will know that this city is the 
  fabled city of Khafraé, supposedly an 
  airborne city that settled to the earth 
  and became New Althré. Whether 
  anyone believes the stories… Well, that’s 
  entirely up to them. 
   
  A miniature replica of a clock tower. The 
  plaque beneath it reads “The Clock 
  Tower of Semar,” so it’s a fairly good bet 
  that this is what it used to look like. The 
  model, however, has an outer casing of 
  glass instead of stone, so those looking 
  at it can see the intricate workings that 
  once went on inside the clock. 
  Shining Patrol Headquarters: This huge granite 
  building contains embassies from almost every 
  nation known. The Shining Patrol does not 
  discriminate against those who wish to maintain 
  the light of civilization. There are representatives 
  of Abessios, Coryan, Canceri, Nol Dappa, Encali, 
  Solanos Mor, Censure, the League of Princes, 
  and of course Altheria itself. Any who wish to 
  enlist who are from other nations (notably any 
  
   
  15 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  elorii nation) must go through the Altherian 
  representative and be vetted. 
  This should eventually be the ultimate goal of 
  the Heroes. Any Heroes who are just in town will 
  be encouraged to go and offer their assistance 
  by any local NPC they meet, while Former 
  Shining Patrol members may well be inclined to 
  visit the Headquarters out of habit. 
  Chroniclers’ Repository: A small, simple stone 
  structure, the repository is filled with chroniclers 
  and scribes recording any information or 
  experiences of any individual who cares to share. 
  Once a week, the scrolls are bundled up and very 
  carefully shipped to the Great Library of Althares 
  in New Althré to be catalogued and stored. 
  Chroniclers from all over Onara stop in here to 
  share their stories and record what they’ve seen 
  on their journeys. 
  If any Hero would like to have their life story 
  recorded to date, there will be a bored scribe by 
  the name of Themba (Tem-ba) who would love 
  to hear some adventures, and have the pleasure 
  of putting them to the scroll. Allow Heroes to tell 
  any stories they wish; Themba will take it all as 
  gospel truth. He’s young and naïve, and 
  fascinated by the wider world though too 
  twitchy and paranoid to go adventure himself. 
  The Followers of the Azure Way have a long 
  established safe house in the Repository. Those 
  who know the appropriate passwords can gain 
  access to a small storeroom in which to leave any 
  pertinent reports.  
  Development: Once the players have explored 
  to their heart’s content, make sure they are 
  made aware in some manner that the Shining 
  Patrol is looking for both active duty members 
  and occasional volunteers, and that there is a 
  mission starting soon. Continue to Scene 2. 
  Scene 2 
   
  Key Concepts: The Heroes meet the current 
  garrison of the Shining Patrol in Semar, and 
  hopefully offer their services. 
  The halls of the Patrol Headquarters are 
  strangely silent compared to the bustle around 
  the rest of the town. Off the main foyer, the 
  rooms accorded to Shining Patrol members of 
  the various non-Altherian nations are largely 
  empty. Upon your entrance, an unusually large 
  (both tall and broad) Altherian looks up from a 
  desk at the far end of the foyer. 
  Lieutenant Djinto Malo (Jin-to Ma-lo) speaks 
  Altharin, High and Low Coryani, Milandisian, 
  Erdukene, Ssethric, Ss’ressen, and Myrantian. He 
  is a highly intelligent, very charming man 
  (despite his size), and very friendly, which is why 
  he’s currently the first point of contact for the 
  Patrol when dealing with those outside. He’s also 
  a very good soldier, but his social skills were too 
  valuable to waste on the front lines longer than 
  was necessary. 
  The Altherian gives you a very big smile. In Low 
  Coryani, he booms out “Welcome to Patrol 
  Headquarters. What can we do for you?” 
  Deliveries can be handed over to him directly 
  from the previous encounter. Once someone 
  mentions generally offering assistance or 
  volunteering: 
  “We are always looking for brave and bold 
  individuals to help us out. You may or may not 
  have noticed, but we’re running a little short at 
  the moment. The majority of our scouts are out 
  in the field; we only have enough men to defend 
  our outposts and keep us apprised of incoming 
  threats. Of course, this means we can’t be 
  proactive about dealing with new problems until 
  they’re right at our gates. Not that we ever send 
  large forces into the Morass, but a well-placed 
  bullet can end a problem long before it becomes 
  a real threat. 
  
   
  16 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  As a matter of fact, we’ve got one such problem 
  right now that we could use a band of intrepid 
  individuals such as you to give us a hand with. If 
  you’re interested in hearing us out, I’ll have you 
  report 
  to 
  Colonel 
  Demissie 
  (De-me-see) 
  val’Abebi immediately.” 
  To any Former Shining Patrol Soldiers/Former 
  Altherian Marksmen: 
  “You’re to report to Colonel Demissie as well. 
  Wish I were going with you.” Djinto shakes his 
  head sadly. “They’ve had me working as a 
  bureaucrat for six months now. A break was nice, 
  but this is ridiculous.” 
  To any Former Shining Patrol Soldiers OR Former 
  Altherian Marksmen: 
  “Colonel Demissie will be pleased to see some 
  veterans out there with the volunteers. Thanks 
  for coming back and lending a hand. Don’t 
  suppose you’d want to re-enlist?” 
  Once all the players are back together from any 
  going to enlist, continue: 
  Ushered into a small office further into the 
  building, Colonel Demissie stands to greet you. 
  Just as tall as Lieutenant Djinto, Demissie is 
  slender but well-muscled. His eyes gaze into your 
  own, sharp and cold as he takes your measure. 
  To any Former Shining Patrol Soldiers OR Former 
  Altherian Marksmen:  
  “At ease, soldier(s). Briefing will begin shortly.” 
  To everyone else: 
  “I am Colonel Demissie. You are here to volunteer 
  your services, correct? We appreciate it. I’ll tell 
  you what I know, and then you can decide if 
  you’re interested in helping out. I hope you are. 
  Our forces are spread thin. Our scouts and 
  messengers are few and far between, and are 
  having trouble coordinating our efforts in the 
  morass. We’re properly equipped, but poorly 
  supported. One of my scouts, Rekik, recently 
  returned to us with word of a fairly large 
  gathering: 
  Ss’ressen 
  on 
  Mor’let 
  mounts, 
  troglodytes, Cyclura war beasts. No Ssanu at 
  least, as far as we’re aware. Worse, our scout 
  reported that they seem to be involved in 
  ritualized behavior, including blood sacrifices. 
  Her partner, Eyoab (Eh-o-bub), strayed too close 
  to the camp and was captured. He may still be 
  alive, which brings me to your mission: Rescue 
  him. Normally we accept that our scouts know 
  the risks, but this particular scout is one of our 
  best and losing him would be a painful blow. 
  Beyond that, we need information. What are the 
  rituals they’re enacting? Is this an offshoot of 
  something already bigger, or is the danger just 
  beginning? We live by these reports, and die by 
  their lack. We don’t need the whole camp 
  slaughtered; we just need to know what’s going 
  on. 
  Now the good news: They don’t seem to be 
  particularly unified. The Ss’ressen spend a lot of 
  time bullying the troglodytes. They appear to be 
  the driving force, and there aren’t that many of 
  them. 
  Questions?” 
  To any active or Former Shining Patrol Soldiers 
  OR Former Altherian Marksmen: 
  “Do not jeopardize yourselves unduly, but bring 
  our brother home if you can. Failing that, gather 
  what information you can so that we can avenge 
  him. Understood?” 
  Are we going to be paid for this? 
  Yes, you’ll be compensated fairly. I firmly believe 
  in rewarding results. 
  Do we know what ss’ressen Clutch it is? 
  We’re not absolutely certain which Clutch is in 
  charge. The scout was fairly certain there was 
  
   
  17 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  only the one, but she didn’t get close enough to 
  get a better look. From the description she gave, 
  it could be either the Horned Jowls or the Barbed 
  Tails. 
  What can you tell us about the Horned Jowls? 
  The Horned Jowls are enormous brutes, standing 
  at least nine feet tall, who thrill to battle. A 
  Horned Jowl can smash right through a building’s 
  wall if he’s determined enough. Enormous, 
  heavily armored, and utterly terrifying, the 
  Horned Jowls are some of the Ssethregoran 
  Empire’s greatest weapons. The worst of it 
  though is the singing. The Horned Jowls stride 
  into every battle with one of their own beating 
  great big drums and singing fierce songs. These 
  songs cause them to fight harder and longer, 
  long past when they should have dropped from 
  their wounds. If you hear the beat of drums 
  during the heat of battle, find the drummer and 
  kill him first. 
  What can you tell us about the Barbed Tails? 
  Taller than most ss’ressen at about seven feet 
  tall, second only to the Horned Jowls in height, 
  the Barbed Tails are best known for their tails, 
  appropriately. They’re stronger than they look, 
  grey-skinned, and their tails are thick and heavily 
  spiked. They’ll wrap it around you and pin you 
  with it, gouging the spines into your flesh while 
  they pummel you up close. They like to torment 
  their victims, and are known to be the cruelest of 
  the Ss’ressen clutches. Rumor has it they’ve 
  destroyed other clutches entirely. 
  What are Mor’let? 
  Mor’let are terrifying mounts for some of the 
  ss’ressen clutches. They’re reptilian, bipedal, 
  with a long neck and a long tail to balance. Their 
  jaws are strong enough to crunch through bones, 
  their front limbs can rend, and even when they 
  have a rider, don’t be fooled: those things can 
  jump and rake at you with the claws on their hind 
  legs as well. They’re very intelligent, and 
  exceedingly vicious when they want to be. 
  What are Cyclura? 
  Fearsome reptiles on their own in the wild, 
  Cyclura that are trained for war are some of the 
  Ssethregorans heavy artillery. Long and heavy, 
  their six legs move them swiftly across a 
  battlefield, goring with their nasal horns and 
  sweeping behind them with a brutal tail. Usually 
  heavily armored, these creatures often carry two 
  or three riders, usually Ss’ressen, who help 
  protect its flanks. 
  Can you provide us any assistance? 
  To Shining Patrol members only: 
  You can requisition whatever you need from the 
  Quartermaster, within reason. Standard orders 
  apply. Unused equipment must be returned as 
  well as weapons at the end of your mission, 
  maximum 10 shots of blastpowder per gun, 
  maximum two pistols or one rifle borrowed out 
  at any time. 
  To non-members: 
  Take this note to the Quartermaster. He’ll 
  provide you each with a potion of healing.  He’ll 
  also give you rations and camping gear as 
  needed for your trip.  
  Can you provide us a map/directions? 
  From our scout’s report, the location you’re 
  looking for is fairly deep into the jungle, at a 
  small old ruin, little more than a raised dais with 
  an altar.  
  There are two ways to get close; the first is by the 
  Kraldjur River; just past the first ss’ressen village 
  on the western bank is a trail that leads directly 
  to the ruins. While swift, this path has a much 
  higher chance of being noticed by the 
  Ssethregorans. Should you decide to go this way, 
  the Patrol keeps a number of small boats 
  
   
  18 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  available for use where the road meets the river 
  as you descend into the jungle. 
  The second way is cutting through the jungle 
  alongside the river. There may be times you want 
  to diverge from the river to make the going 
  easier, but you can still use it as a landmark. This 
  route is less likely to draw unwanted attention. 
  Check in with the Quartermaster for our most up 
  to date maps on the region. 
  Can we talk to the scout who returned? 
  Absolutely. Rekik is in the chirurgeon’s chambers, 
  recovering. She ran into some difficulty eluding 
  the patrols in the area and took a bit of a beating 
  while escaping. 
  After the Heroes are done asking questions, they 
  may visit the Quartermaster, who will provide 
  them with any Altherian weapons and armor of 
  the Shining Patrol, on loan for the mission. Only 
  active duty members, Former Shining Patrol 
  members, or Former Altherian Marksmen may 
  borrow out flintlocks and blastpowder. The 
  Quartermaster can also provide them a decent 
  mapping of the area near the Kraldjur Morass. 
  If the Heroes want to talk to the scout: 
  The set of rooms assigned to the wounded and 
  recovering Shining Patrol members are austere, 
  simple cots filling a medium size room. 
  Thankfully, there seem to be fairly few here at 
  the moment; only three patients are in the room, 
  tended by an old, grizzled man. 
  If the Heroes are interested, one of the male 
  patients is having his blood leeched out, to 
  counteract a poison. Another is recovering from 
  having a blastpowder shot pulled from his leg 
  (his pistol backfired). Finally, the scout is there 
  nursing a broken arm. 
  If any Heroes have a Passive Perception of 18+: 
  Something seems a little… off as you approach 
  the three Altherians. The two men seem normal 
  enough, but the woman… Though it wasn’t 
  immediately apparent from across the room, she 
  is a dark kin, her taint hidden remarkably well. 
  The only thing that sets her apart from a normal 
  Altherian woman is the green tinged blood that 
  seeps into the bandages wrapped around her 
  arm and a spine that creates a ridge down the 
  center of her back, barely visible through her 
  clothes. 
  Whether they made the passive Perception or 
  not: 
  As you approach the scout looks up at you. “Can 
  I help you?” she asks quizzically. 
  GM’s Note: Roleplaying Rekik 
  Rekik is a very intelligent, very skilled scout, who 
  appears to be in her 30s. She has been a part of 
  the Shining Patrol from a very young age, after 
  her parents were killed (she believes by the 
  Ssethregorans). In that time she has grown up to 
  be very resourceful, and invaluable to the Patrol 
  for her uncanny ability to survive. She is blunt, 
  direct, and unapologetic. 
  We would like some information about the 
  mission you were just on. 
  Of course. Eyoab (Eh-o-buh) and I were tracking 
  a patrol of Ss’ressen on mor’let mounts. We 
  never saw them, but we followed their tracks 
  until we heard the drum beats. Eyoab insisted on 
  approaching, and was caught in a trap 
  surrounding what we think was a war camp. 
  Before I had time to free him, we overheard a 
  large group approaching. Eyoab told me to run, 
  so I did. I presume you’re the group Demissie 
  assigned to mount a rescue? 
  What else can you tell us about the war camp?  
  From our best guess, it’s a secondary war camp. 
  From what little I saw, it seems to have some sort 
  of religious significance. The main camp is 
  elsewhere, and the patrols head back and forth 
  
   
  19 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  between the two, as well as around the entire 
  area. 
  How did you break your arm? 
  The first night after I left Eyoab, I took shelter in 
  a tree; it’s better to be off the ground in the 
  Morass. I awoke to a large beast tromping 
  through the forest. It passed by the tree I was in, 
  and shook it so firmly that I fell out, breaking my 
  arm on the way down. 
  As the Heroes leave to head out of the building 
  to their mission, they are confronted by an odd 
  sight: 
  A young man with a soot-blackened face and 
  slightly smoldering apron comes up to you.  “You 
  must be the ones heading into the swamp, 
  Master Lineus would like to talk to you.  Please 
  follow me.” 
  If the Heroes aren’t interested in seeing Master 
  Lineus, they can politely decline and be on their 
  way. Continue to Scene 3. 
  If the Heroes are willing to find out more, 
  continue: 
  The young man leads you out of the Government 
  Ring and into the Guild Ring.  As you follow, you 
  can see that he is leading you to a large cleared 
  area behind the Alchemist’s Guild. The area 
  encompasses a large field.  In the middle of the 
  field is a single building.  There is a yellow stripe 
  painted on the ground surrounding the entire 
  building. Next to the stripe, at every ten feet are 
  signs stating: “WARNING – No FIRE beyond this 
  point.” “WARNING – No MAGIC beyond this 
  point.” “Congratulations to team 1 for no major 
  explosions in the last month!” 
  The building itself is made from closely fitted 
  stone and has six massive chimneys poking out of 
  the roof. The sign above the door reads: Lab 1. 
  Underneath another sign says, “Safety is 
  everyone’s priority, even YOURS!”    
  There are two guards outside of the building.  The 
  young man asks you to wait outside while he 
  fetches Master Lineus.   
  Kelekene, val’Virdan, and val’Emman heroes will 
  be asked to stand 30 feet away from the 
  building. 
  A few minutes later, a middle-aged, short, dark-
  skinned man with dark brown eyes emerges from 
  the building. He is dressed in heavily stained 
  work-clothes but wears a holy symbol of Althares 
  around his neck. His heavy leather apron bears 
  the testament to the number of different 
  alchemical compounds that he must work with. 
  After looking your group over he says, “I take it 
  that Colonel Demissie is sending you into the 
  Morass, do you think that you could help me 
  out?” 
  “Keep your eyes open out there. It’s a dangerous 
  place, but one filled with lots of opportunities as 
  well, if you’re interested in making a little extra 
  cash. First, we could always use more shells of 
  Ss’ressen eggs.  I would be happy to compensate 
  you for bringing us back some eggs.  Next, we are 
  always 
  on 
  the 
  lookout 
  for 
  any 
  Ssanu 
  technomancy or alchemy out there, I’d, I mean 
  we, would dearly love to get our hands on it.  And 
  finally, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  beasts 
  that 
  the 
  Ssethregoran’s use have some very interesting 
  properties.  If you could get us any of the 
  following: the flame gland from one or more 
  Flaming Tongue Ss’ressen, a poison gland from 
  the Venomous Scale Ss’ressen, or the pancreas of 
  a Cyclura, we would reward you well. 
  Good luck in the Morass!” 
  Who are you? 
  I am Lineus Abebi. I am the priest of Althares 
  here at the powder works. 
  What do you do? 
  
   
  20 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  I am responsible for making sure that the 
  mixture of blastpowder is correct before it is 
  blessed by the Priests of Altheres. 
  What is blastpowder? 
  Blastpowder is the second gift of Althares, the 
  patron deity of knowledge. It is a powder that 
  allows us to use flintlocks. Without it, flintlocks 
  are just fancy clubs. 
  What was the first gift? 
  Althares first gave his people the ability to 
  harness electricity and magnetism. It is how we 
  created our flying ships.  Granted, there aren’t 
  many of them left, but still. 
  What do you need eggshells for? 
  Ss’ressen eggshells provide a certain alchemical 
  ingredient which is essential to the production 
  of blastpowder.  Without it, it is little more than 
  inert black dust.   
  GM Note: Ss’ressen Heroes? 
  The ss’ressen of the Known Lands are well 
  aware of the role their eggs play in the 
  production of blastpowder.  Most ss’ressen 
  find the process abhorrent, but many have 
  accepted it as part of dealing with humans.  
  The Black Talon egg cutch of Milandir is known 
  to sell a number of their eggs to the Altherians 
  every year for a tidy profit. 
   
  Would the Heroes have objections to this 
  mission?  Possibly, but ss’ressen in general are 
  literally bioengineed to hate other ss’ressen 
  who are not members of their own egg clutch.  
  As such, they would feel no particular loyalty 
  to any of the other egg clutches (especially 
  those in Ssethregore), and likely would not 
  object to those enemy clutches being 
  weakened by the destruction of their eggs. 
   
  How do you make blastpowder? 
  It is a gift of Althares.  If you truly seek His 
  knowledge, I suggest you visit his temple.  The 
  priests there are always hungry for more 
  students to follow His teachings. 
  Why can’t you go? 
  I am just an artificer, not a tough individual like 
  yourselves. 
  How much will you pay? 
  It depends on what you bring back.  
  How do we recognize Ssanu technomancy or 
  alchemy? 
  If you find any interesting potions or other items 
  you can’t identify, then bring those back.   
  How do we harvest a gland for you? 
  You need to have some level skill in Medicine or 
  be used to butchering animals. 
  What is a Cyclura? 
  It is a huge six-legged beast.  It is usually 15-25 
  feet long and stands five to eight feet tall at the 
  shoulder.  It won’t be hard to miss. 
  We helped you before/Do you remember us? 
  Oh sorry, that was you?  Hmmm must have 
  slipped my mind.   
  Harvesting components: To harvest the 
  requested components, the Hero needs to 
  succeed at an Intelligence (Medicine) or 
  Wisdom (Survival) DC 15 check.  A Hero that is 
  proficient with the Poisoner’s Kit automatically 
  succeeds.  A Hero that is trained in either 
  Medicine or Healer’s Kit has advantage on the 
  roll.  A failure means that the part is ruined and 
  nothing can be recovered from that creature. 
  Development: At this point, the Heroes should 
  have a fairly good idea of what they’re going in 
  to do, and extra stuff to keep an eye out for. 
  Allow them to discuss which route they want to 
  take. If they decide to go by the river, continue 
  to Scene 3. If they prefer to hack their way 
  through the jungle, continue to Scene 4. 
  
   
  21 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Scene 3 
   
  Key Concepts: The Heroes decide to travel down 
  the river, and have to avoid or fight a party of 
  Flame Tongue Ss`ressen.  
  Though the Shining Patrol has hidden its boats, 
  they’re not too difficult to locate. Calling them 
  boats is charitable at best, as they are little more 
  than hollowed out logs that float, with a few 
  driftwood paddles beneath them. At least they 
  look like they’ll serve their intended purpose on 
  this placid, slow moving water. 
  Any Heroes with Survival get a chance to shine 
  here, and should be given preference in 
  commanding the vessels. Anyone with a Sailor 
  type 
  background, 
  Former 
  Royal 
  Marine 
  background, or any Undir gain Advantage on this 
  skill check. 
  A Wisdom (Survival) check will reveal: 
   
  DC 10: The river is wide, and calm. 
  Boating down it should be relatively 
  easy. The boats can fit up to 3 people in 
  each with their gear. 
   
  DC 13: The river isn’t flowing particularly 
  fast. Once you’ve accomplished your 
  mission, you should be able to make 
  your way back up the river; it will just 
  take a little more muscle to go against 
  the current, rather than letting it carry 
  you. 
   
  DC 15: Keeping close to the banks of the 
  river will mean being able to land 
  quicker and deal with any threats that 
  may arise. Fighting in boats such as these 
  would likely not be a good idea. 
   
  DC 18: Calm waters can often hide 
  dangers waiting beneath the surface. As 
  easy as this could be, it would still be 
  wise to keep a close eye out. 
   
  Each boat fits three people and requires a 
  successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check to 
  pilot. Anyone with proficiency in Vehicles 
  (Water) can add their proficiency bonus, as well 
  as direct others in how to properly handle the 
  boats without anyone needing to make an 
  additional check. Otherwise, have each of the 
  Heroes also make a DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) 
  skill check. Any failure indicates that Hero 
  capsizes their boat and gets dunked early into 
  the journey, along with anyone in the boat with 
  them.  
  The trip down the river is almost serene. Brightly 
  colored fish dart in the waters beneath your 
  boats, and the heat from the jungle wafts in 
  visible waves across the wide waterway. Each 
  stroke of your paddles pulls you steadily along, 
  drawing further away from the safety of Altheria 
  with every passing moment. This must be how 
  the Shining Patrol Scouts feel every time they 
  head out into the jungles, and why they feel such 
  relief when they make their way back; out here, 
  in the wild, anything could happen. 
  Any Hero with a Passive Perception of 14+ will 
  start to get a feeling of being watched about 6 
  hours down the river. If these players make a DC 
  18 Wisdom (Perception) check, read the 
  following: 
  High in the sky, two birds circle, keeping pace 
  with your vessels. Or are they birds? As you 
  watch them, you could swear you catch a glint of 
  light, shining off a scale. 
  GM Note: There is nothing that the Heroes can 
  do about the Dragonnels above them at this 
  point. If they fire into the sky with an Altherian 
  flintlock, the Dragonnels will fly off and simply 
  return later. This is simply to make a point: 
  Someone has made note of their presence. 
  Have the Heroes make either a DC: 15 Dexterity 
  (Stealth) or Wisdom (Survival) skill check. If at 
  least half the group succeeds at their check, they 
  
   
  22 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  have successfully avoided the patrols around 
  Telith. However, if more than half the group fails 
  their check, they are spotted by a patrol of Flame 
  Tongue Ss’ressen who attack immediately: 
  If successful: 
  Bypassing Telith is an easy matter. A quick 
  portage on the far side of the river bank is all that 
  is required, out of sight of the docks which the 
  outpost has right on the river. Illir`s brilliance sets 
  over the trees, and the raucous creatures of the 
  night begin to stir. 
  GM’s 
  Note: 
  Telith 
  is 
  an 
  outpost 
  of 
  Ssethregorans, the current home of the Flame 
  Tongue Ss’ressen. Often a staging ground for 
  assaults on Semar, Telith is occasionally struck by 
  the Shining Patrol as well to keep the 
  Ssethregorans from attacking more often. 
  If unsuccessful, roll Initiative. 
  Combat  
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  Six (6) Flaming Tongue Ss’ressen  
   
  One (1) Flaming Tongue Disciple of 
  Sipta 
   
  See Combat Appendix One for Stats 
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce the numbers of 
  Flaming Tongue Ss’ressen to 4 
   
  Difficult: Add 2 Flaming Tongue 
  Ss’ressen 
   
  Perilous: Add 4 Flaming Tongue 
  Ss’ressen 
   
  Tactics: The Disciple will keep to the cover of any 
  nearby trees, casting spells and causing 
  problems for any casters. The other Ss’ressen 
  will open with their flame breaths to sink the 
  boats, or to ignite the skin of their opponents to 
  distract them before closing in to finish them off. 
  The ss’ressen will not enter the water, but will 
  harass the party from the shore. 
  Notes: Unless they specify otherwise before the 
  combat begins, the Heroes start in boats on the 
  river, while the Ss’ressen start on the river banks. 
  If the boats flounder, the river is about 15’ deep 
  in most places, and about 60’ wide along this 
  part.  
  Ss’ressen Frenzy will be in effect if there are 
  Ss’ressen in the party. 
  GM’s Note: Ss’ressen Frenzy. 
  Any time you come within 30 feet of another 
  ss’ressen from a different and unrelated egg 
  clutch you must make a successful DC 10 
  Wisdom saving throw or fly into an 
  uncontrollable Frenzy. 
   
  While in a frenzy you will do everything in your 
  power to destroy the members of the egg 
  clutch that triggered your frenzy. You gain 
  advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using 
  Strength, while suffering disadvantage on any 
  attack roll or ability check that is not directed 
  at the ss’ressen who triggered your frenzy. For 
  the duration of your frenzy all attack rolls 
  against you have advantage. At the end of 
  each of your turns, you can attempt a new 
  Wisdom saving throw. If you succeed, your 
  frenzy ends. Your frenzy also ends when there 
  are no ss’ressen of an unrelated egg clutch 
  within 30 feet. 
   
  Once combat is concluded, or if the Heroes 
  successfully avoided the Patrol, ask the players 
  whether they’re setting up camp for the night or 
  traveling on. If they press on, Heroes who do not 
  sleep at least 6 hours must make a DC 13 
  Constitution saving throw check to avoid 
  suffering a level of exhaustion the next day 
  (disadvantage to all ability checks). 
  If the Heroes continue on through the night: 
  The gloom of Cadic`s shroud is deeper in the 
  jungle than other places. The stillness in the heat 
  
   
  23 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  of the day has given way to a tumult of activity 
  as predators stalk through the forest and prey 
  flee before them, and the raucous cries of 
  countless animals fill your ears; all but the 
  reptiles, which are silent in both killing and dying. 
  A pair of crocodiles watch you as you float past, 
  hungrily devouring the corpse of a jungle cat who 
  strayed too close to the water’s edge. 
  If the Heroes rest until morning, read the 
  following:  
  Though night in the jungle was much louder than 
  you might have anticipated due to all the rustling 
  and raucous calls, you managed to get enough 
  rest to continue on another day. As you return to 
  your boats, you see a languid eyed pair of 
  crocodiles watching you from the other river 
  bank, resting beside the shredded carcass of a 
  jungle cat who must have strayed too close to the 
  water’s edge. 
  Development: Continue to Scene 5 as the 
  Heroes reach a landing point near the Temple 
  and have to proceed on foot. 
  Scene 4 
  Key Concepts: The Heroes decide to travel 
  alongside the river and come across a settlement 
  of Ss’ressen under attack. 
  The heat of the jungle weighs down upon you as 
  you hack your way through the thick foliage. The 
  sweltering heat makes the going tough, and the 
  mosquitos swarm about you, pricking at any inch 
  of exposed skin. 
  Any Hero with a Passive Perception of 14+ will 
  notice the smell of smoke starting to fill the 
  jungle. Those with lower Passive Perceptions 
  won’t notice the smoke, but after about 30 
  minutes more they’ll see the glow of a very large 
  fire. At about the same time they notice the 
  glow, all Heroes begin to hear the bass tones of 
  a very loud drum beat. 
  If the Heroes decide to avoid this entirely, they 
  can just work their way around the village, or 
  stay hidden and witness the events that follow. 
  If the Heroes want to investigate they may 
  certainly do so as well. Read the following either 
  way: 
  Thankfully, the jungle itself is not enflamed; 
  rather, the fire’s glow illuminates a village under 
  siege. Torches burn in the hands of monstrous 
  reptilian creatures, and the huts of the small 
  village are being gutted by deliberately set fires. 
  Off beyond the village comes a steady 
  drumming, 
  echoing 
  through 
  your 
  bones 
  ominously. A group of Ss’ressen with vibrant 
  emerald scales, mostly younger with a few very 
  old, has been gathered up in the center by two 
  hulking, brutal looking Ss’ressen. As you watch, 
  the largest of the attackers grabs one of the 
  elderly ones by the throat and lifts her up high, 
  hissing something in Ss’ressen. Throwing the old 
  Ss’ressen to the ground, the aggressor picks up 
  the huge axe at his side and raises it high above 
  his head.  
  For those who speak Ss’ressen, the Harbinger is 
  saying the following: 
  “Worship of Kassegore is proscribed. You know 
  this, yet you do so anyway. Our Masters are not 
  pleased. Your defenders are being slaughtered. 
  Your line will be destroyed, until there are none 
  of you left to profane us with your follies. We 
  have seen the evidence. You are guilty. The 
  sentence is death.” 
  At this point, the Heroes can still avoid any 
  conflict. In the ruckus, they have not been 
  noticed. If they do, continue to Scene 5 after 
  reading the following:  
  The last you see of the village is the repeated 
  falling of the axe. The reptilian screams of pain 
  and terror linger in your ears, long after the 
  drums have faded in a different direction. 
  
   
  24 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  If they choose to intervene or stay to watch after 
  the massacre is done (alter what follows if this is 
  the case), they will be noticed and attacked. 
  Roll Initiative. 
  Combat  
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  Two (2) Agamassi (Horned Jowl) 
  Ss’ressen 
   
  Eight (8) troglodyte scouts. 
   
  See Combat Appendix Two for Stats 
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce the number of 
  troglodyte scouts to 4 
   
  Difficult: Add 4 troglodyte scouts 
   
  Perilous: Add 8 troglodyte scouts 
   
  Enemies: There are more Horned Jowls in the 
  forest (including the drummer) and more 
  troglodytes killing the few defenders of this 
  village, but only bring them in if the fight is 
  proving too easy. Otherwise, they will simply 
  return to their encampment when they can no 
  longer find any Ss’ressen in the jungle near them. 
  Tactics: The Troglodyte scouts will swarm the 
  nearest Heroes, clubbing at them with torches. 
  The Agamassi will target Ss’ressen Heroes over 
  any other, followed by Altherians and anyone 
  wielding a flintlock weapon. They will use brute 
  tactics, 
  straightforward 
  pummelling 
  with 
  bearded axes. 
  Ss’ressen Frenzy: Any time you come within 30 
  feet of another ss’ressen from a different and 
  unrelated egg clutch you must make a successful 
  DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or fly into an 
  uncontrollable Frenzy. 
   
  While in a frenzy you will do everything in your 
  power to destroy the members of the egg clutch 
  that triggered your frenzy. You gain advantage 
  on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength, 
  while suffering disadvantage on any attack roll or 
  ability check that is not directed at the ss’ressen 
  who triggered your frenzy. For the duration of 
  your frenzy all attack rolls against you have 
  advantage. At the end of each of your turns, you 
  can attempt a new Wisdom saving throw. If you 
  succeed, your frenzy ends. Your frenzy also ends 
  when there are no ss’ressen of an unrelated egg 
  clutch within 30 feet. 
  Notes: Ss’ressen Frenzy will be in effect if there 
  are Ss’ressen in the party (see mod pg. 21 for 
  Frenzy rules). They will have to make the check 
  twice, once for the Emerald Scale victims and 
  once for the Horned Jowl attackers. If the 
  Horned Jowls are killed, any Ss’ressen Heroes in 
  frenzy will turn upon the Emerald Scales 
  immediately. Treat the Emerald Scale as 
  Challenge Rating 0 creatures; any hit will drop 
  them, and the next attack will kill them. There 
  are 14 young and elderly total. 
  Any remaining Troglodytes will immediately flee 
  into the jungle once all the Agamassi fall. They 
  still worship Kassegore themselves, and have 
  absolutely no desire to be part of this, but also 
  have no way of defending themselves against 
  the brutality of their Ss’ressen and Ssanu 
  masters. 
  When combat is finished, read the following 
  (unless a Ss’ressen Hero entered frenzy and 
  killed them all, OR the Heroes themselves wish 
  to kill the Ss’ressen, in which case adjust as 
  necessary): 
   
  The remaining Ss’ressen have drawn together, 
  shying away from you, gathering around their 
  fallen elder. Slowly, the old Ss’ressen seems to be 
  regaining consciousness. 
  GM’s Note: Elorii Heroes and entire elorii tables 
  may present an interesting challenge, having 
  
   
  25 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  more reason than most to want to kill the 
  Emerald Scales as well as the Horned Jowls.  
  Remind them that their victims would be 
  helpless, but otherwise it is their choice. They’ll 
  have to live with what they’ve done. 
  Any efforts by the Heroes at this point to help 
  will be met with terror and suspicion, especially 
  if the party includes a Black Talon/Ashen 
  Hide/Ghost Scale. (For story purposes, we are 
  presuming the remaining Ss’ressen do not 
  succumb to Frenzy). 
  If the Heroes think to start putting out the fires 
  and busying themselves with being productive, 
  the Ss’ressen will be far more willing to talk once 
  their leader is awake again. Grant any Heroes 
  who think to assist in this way grant them a point 
  of Inspiration. 
  If any Heroes speak Ss’ressen, give them 
  Advantage to their social skill checks. The 
  Ss’ressen elder can speak Ss’ressen, Ssethric, 
  Eloran, and Altherian (with a traditional 
  Ss’ressen lisp due to the vocal cords). All the 
  other Ss’ressen can only speak Ss’ressen and 
  Ssethric. 
  A Wisdom (Perception) skill check after the 
  battle will reveal the following: 
   
  DC 12: The village cannot be salvaged. It 
  would be easier to rebuild it from the 
  ground up. Most of the huts were little 
  more than wood and vines, and there is 
  not much left. 
   
  DC 14: The single stone building is largely 
  undamaged, but everything inside it is 
  utterly destroyed. Inside the building are 
  the remains of a small clutch of Ss’ressen 
  eggs, smashed to pieces. 
   
  DC 16: A very young, small Ss’ressen is 
  lying beneath a collapsed hut. Though 
  seriously injured, she is still alive. 
  If any Heroes wish to do so, they may acquire the 
  Ss’ressen eggshells to bring back to the Shining 
  Patrol. It requires Dexterity (Stealth) skill check 
  against the enemy’s Passive Perception of 13 to 
  stow them away without being noticed by one of 
  the Ss’ressen.  The fresh eggshells are worth 10 
  gp. 
  If the Heroes don’t think to hide the eggshells or 
  are noticed, the Ss’ressen will be extremely 
  displeased with them, treating them with 
  contempt much like humans might treat grave 
  robbers, and refusing to speak to them. 
  If the Heroes find the young Ss’ressen, it will 
  require a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) skill check 
  (add advantage if an additional hero offers 
  assistance) to lift the wood off her enough to 
  have her dragged to safety. If the Heroes cannot 
  manage it in 3 attempts, the Ss’ressen will have 
  died in the interim. 
  Once safe, a passive Wisdom (Medicine) skill 
  check can determine the following: 
   
  DC 10: She’s still alive, though barely. 
   
  DC 14: A concussion, some serious burns 
  along her left side, and a broken leg 
  comprise the bulk of the physical 
  injuries. Worst of all, she doesn’t appear 
  to be breathing. 
  The Heroes may attempt a DC 18 Wisdom 
  (Medicine) skill check in order to resuscitate her. 
  They get a maximum of 2 attempts, after which 
  point the victim will die. The high difficulty is due 
  to the non-human physiology. Any Ss’ressen 
  Heroes need only make the check at DC 14. 
  Players with a point of Fate should consider using 
  it here. 
  GM’s Note: If the Heroes attempt and fail to save 
  her, grant those who tried a point of Fate. Only 
  grant this if there was absolutely no prompting 
  to save her whatsoever on your part. 
  After some RP, continue with the following: 
  
   
  26 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Struggling to regain her feet with the aid of two 
  very young Ss’ressen, the elder looks at you. In 
  heavily accented Altharin, she says, “This is an 
  unexpected surprise, though no less appreciated 
  for it. I am Th’ssess, of the Viridiss, a priestess of 
  Kassegore. I would offer you the hospitality of 
  our village, such as it is, but we will be leaving 
  this place and going to join another clutch of our 
  brethren, hopefully before the Agamassi arrive 
  there as well.” 
  Why were you being attacked? 
  The Agamassi are fervent supporters of their new 
  “god” Haulis, a Varn who delights in bloodlust 
  and savagery. Under the Varn, our empire tears 
  itself apart. Those who worship Kassegore are 
  slowly losing faith, because the Varn offer 
  immediate responses to their prayers. That is not 
  the way of a god. There should be no easy 
  answers. Still, it is very seductive to many, and so 
  the worship of the Varn continues. The Agamassi 
  are the shock troops of the new empire, clearing 
  away the old guard where they can. It seems they 
  have now turned their attention to the Viridiss. I 
  knew they had set up a war camp not far from 
  here, but I had no idea they would be coming for 
  us. 
  Who/What are the Varn? 
  The Varn are gods the likes of which we have 
  never seen; powerfully divine beings that 
  immediately 
  support 
  their 
  followers. 
  We 
  understand that there are those who are 
  stronger and those who are weaker. The Varn are 
  stronger beings than us, but we are many while 
  they are few; and any god that requires the 
  worship of their followers is no god at all. 
  Kassegore does not demand our worship. He 
  accepts what we offer him with good grace, but 
  his divinity is not dependent on us. If every 
  Ss’ressen who worshipped Kassegore died 
  tomorrow, Kassegore would remain. There are 
  four Varn of whom we are aware: Zedok, old 
  Bringer of Chaos, Sipta, lady of Arcane Mysteries, 
  Haulis of the Bloody Maw, and Caimeth, Lord of 
  Undeath. Spread the word to your people; we 
  must stand against these beings and all they 
  represent, for they would destroy us all if they 
  could. 
  Who is Kassegore?/Who are the Viridiss? 
  Kassegore is the Father of the Ssethric people, 
  the first god of this, the first world, or so our 
  ancient tales go. Whether he truly preceded the 
  gods of man, a more knowledgeable one than I 
  still could not say, but we believe it, and so it is 
  for us. Wherever he went, there was life, but it 
  was the Ssethric forms that pleased him most, for 
  they were most like unto him. Kassegore created 
  the Ss’ressen from his own essence, and his mate 
  Yig imbued them with mortal life. And Kassegore 
  named these creatures Viridiss, Ss’ressen of the 
  Emerald Scale, and told us that though we would 
  live and die, our lives were our own, and when we 
  died, he would consume our souls back into 
  himself and make of them the next generation of 
  our children. 
  Who is Yig? 
  Yig is the mate of Kassegore, cunning and 
  devious, sinuous and sultry, and eminently 
  desirable when the fire rises within him. Her 
  breath is our mortal life, but our essence, our 
  souls, that is and can only ever belong to 
  Kassegore. While Kassegore is just and noble, Yig 
  delights in playing games which no one can win 
  but her. 
  How long has this power struggle been going on? 
  It is older than I, of a surety. I don’t know for sure, 
  but the better part of a few millennia, if our 
  traditions and beliefs are accurate. 
  Where is the war camp of the Agamassi? 
  The better part of a day’s journey to the 
  southwest, traveling through the jungle. You 
  
   
  27 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  could probably get there on the river as well in 
  half a day, though the river comes in plain sight 
  of the temple ruins. The Agamassi have set up 
  camp at the ruins of a temple to Kassegore, 
  befouling it with their presence. I suspect that is 
  why you have come, hmmm? Go with our 
  blessing, and know that Kassegore need not be 
  your enemy in the face of this greater threat to 
  us both. 
  Do you know anything about the rituals of the 
  Agamassi? 
  Their rituals are slaughters. Blood and death and 
  fire; they round up as many victims as they may, 
  then murder them. 
  Do you have any information on the layout of the 
  camp? 
  Unfortunately not; those who are brought there 
  never return, and we had no interest in making a 
  target of ourselves. 
  Development: The Heroes should be preparing 
  to continue on deeper into the jungle. Continue 
  to Scene 5.  
  Scene 5 
  Key Concepts: The Heroes hack their way 
  through the jungle, and encounter a Hylis, 
  preparing for mating season. 
  The bright flora of the jungle surrounds you on 
  every side, but gives way easily before your 
  blades. The air is a haze as the heat steams 
  around you. The trek has been long and arduous 
  thus far, and you’re a couple days in; following 
  the trails in the area would have lead you straight 
  through Telith, and into the cruel hands of the 
  Flaming Tongue Ss’ressen. Wisely, your route has 
  taken you around it, and deep into the jungle 
  heading south. 
  Any Hero with a Passive Perception of 14+ will 
  get a feeling of unease at around this point. 
  Something just doesn’t seem right in the area. 
  The Heroes may then make a DC 14 Wisdom 
  (Perception) skill check to notice the following. 
  With any Hero with proficiency in Survival or a 
  wilderness based background gaining Advantage 
  on this skill check, 
  If successful, the heroes notice that a hush has 
  fallen over the area. If there are any animals in 
  the area, they’re being strangely quiet. 
  Any Ss’ressen Heroes may make an additional DC 
  14 Wisdom (Perception) check to detect them 
  will a reptilian scent nearby, though they will not 
  be able to ascertain where. 
  On the trail ahead is a very cleverly concealed 
  trip wire, though it’s not obviously attached to 
  anything in particular. 
  If the Heroes don’t notice the trip wire, choose 
  one at random to accidentally trigger it. 
  Trip Net 
  Mechanical trap 
  This trap is designed to capture large animals 
  alive for a Ssanu biomancer to experiment on. 
  With a single trigger, a net envelops the target 
  from beneath and fires a dart with a paralytic 
  toxin into the netting. 
  Detect/Disarm: The trip wire is 3 inches off the 
  ground and stretches between two columns or 
  trees. The net is hidden by cobwebs or foliage. 
  The DC to spot the trip wire and net is 15 A 
  successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves’ 
  tools breaks the trip wire and fires the dart 
  harmlessly. A character without thieves’ tools 
  can attempt this check with disadvantage using 
  any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed 
  check, the trap triggers. If they succeed with an 
  18 or greater, the Hero may save the poison.   
  Imoya val’Abebi will pay 10gp per dose 
  
   
  28 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  recovered.  (NOTE: Before they disarm the trap 
  read below….) 
  Effect: The netting engulfs the Hero and hoists 
  them 15 feet into the air. The netting is heavily 
  braided, very thick rope. Anyone trapped within 
  the net is considered Restrained and cannot 
  move until their next turn, at which they must 
  make a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) or 
  Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to act (i.e. not 
  quickly enough to avoid getting shot by the dart). 
  The net has an AC of 10 and 25 hit points. 
  The dart is laced with Winged Viper Venom. 
  Harvested from small winged serpents deep in 
  the steaming jungles of the Kraldjur Morass, 
  Ssethric Biomancers have discovered how to 
  concentrate the venom as a paralytic toxin. It is 
  often used to render their research subjects 
  quiescent. 
  The Dart is then fires at the trapped creature 
  with a +5 to hit, dealing 2 (1d4) points of piercing 
  damage, the target must then succeed in a  
  Constitution saving throw or becoming Poisoned 
  for 1 hour and taking 11 (2d10) poison damage. 
  Upon a successful save the target only suffers 
  half damage and does not gain the Poisoned 
  condition. If the target creature misses their 
  Constitution save by 5 or more they are also 
  paralyzed for 1 hour.   
  The poisons effects can be countered with some 
  Bramblekin Root (Requiring a successful DC: 10 
  Wisdom (Medicine) skill check to remember the 
  root needed followed by a DC: 15 Wisdom 
  (Herbalism Kit) tool proficiency check) If the 
  heroes don’t make this roll or possess an 
  Herbalism Kit, the hylis does. 
  If the Heroes notice the trap and set to 
  examining it (which they inevitably will), 
  continue with the following: 
  “I’d leave that alone if I were you,” a raspy voice 
  croaks from above you. 
  If the Heroes do end up triggering the trap, give 
  them some time to react, then read the 
  following: 
  “Please stop thrashing around,” a raspy voice 
  croaks from above you. “I can help retrieve your 
  companion if you’re willing to do me a favour in 
  kind. The trap is not meant for such as you in any 
  case.”  
   
  Roleplaying Pakwa (Pa-qua): 
  Pakwa is a hylis, a species that appears like small 
  humanoid treefrogs. They live high in the trees 
  of the Kraldjur morass and are allied with the 
  Ssethregoran Empire.  
  Pakwa in particular is small for a hylis, standing 
  just under 3 feet tall. He makes up for it with an 
  incredible singing voice, which he trains regularly 
  throughout the year in preparation for mating 
  season. Pakwa has no interest whatsoever in 
  Ssethregore, and has avoided being drafted into 
  the Ssethric army on a number of occasions. His 
  only concern is having the opportunity to mate 
  as often as possible, which entails having the 
  most time to work on his performance. 
  Pakwa’s assistance of the Heroes is not selfless; 
  the drumming of the Agamassi war camp and 
  patrols are constantly disrupting him, and he is 
  vexed, though nowhere near foolish enough to 
  ask the Agamassi to stop. He hopes that the 
  Heroes will at least be able to disrupt the 
  Agamassi, as the Agamassi have interrupted him 
  time and again, in a form of poetic justice (which 
  Pakwa highly appreciates). 
  If at any point the Heroes act aggressively 
  towards him, Pakwa will simply flee straight up 
  into the canopy and away as quickly as possible. 
  He’s not a fighter by any stretch. 
  Either way, continue: 
  
   
  29 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  From out of the trees above, a squat figure drops 
  to the ground. At first glance it looks like an 
  oversized frog. Its strange bulbous eyes blink 
  multiple eyelids at you as it watches you 
  carefully. It holds a long reed in its webbed 
  hands, and its feet splay out on the dirt of the 
  path, webbed toes curling as though trying to 
  grasp on to something. A bandolier strung across 
  his chest with several bottles appears to be the 
  only affectation to clothing he has. 
  “It’s a good thing I came by before Ssi’ril did. He 
  is a particularly unpleasant individual; these 
  traps are his way of collecting specimens for his 
  experiments, and I suspect you would not enjoy 
  being subjected to that.” 
  If any Hero is trapped: 
  As he speaks, the creature hops to the side of the 
  path and reaches up behind a branch. With a 
  thud, your friend plummets to the ground. 
  If the Hero has been poisoned: 
  The frog eyes <Hero name> pragmatically, then 
  slowly reaches down into a pouch on the 
  bandolier. “Here. This should reverse the effects 
  of the paralyzing agent, though I warn you the 
  come down will be painful. If you prefer, you can 
  simply wait out the venom… You’ll be fine in 
  about half a day.” He tosses a pouch to <random 
  Hero>. “He/She will need to ingest it.” 
  Whether a Hero was trapped or not: 
  “Ah, would that I could practice closer to home. 
  Unfortunately those damn Agamassi are making 
  that difficult. I’ll make you a deal: I’ll lead you 
  through this little hornet’s nest of Ssanu traps in 
  exchange for you… causing some problems for 
  the Agamassi drummers. I want their drums 
  destroyed so I can practice in peace. Sound 
  good?” 
   
  GM’s Note: If the Heroes want to do a Wisdom 
  (Insight) skill check on any answers Pakwa gives, 
  it won’t be easy. Due to his reptilian nature, his 
  tells are quite different than a warm-blooded 
  creature. Any of these checks will be made at a 
  Disadvantage unless otherwise noted. Ss’ressen 
  get do not suffer this penalty due to similar 
  reptilian physiology. 
  Who are you? 
  My name is Pakwa. ((True)) 
  What are you? 
  He looks at you steadily, and you get the feeling 
  that if he had an eyebrow to raise, it would be 
  raised at you. I am a hylis, <insert race of Hero 
  who asked the question>. ((True)) 
  What are you practicing? 
  In response, the frog creature warbles off a brief 
  tune. Deep in his throat, a bass hum 
  counterpoints his song. It is a simple, elegant 
  performance of obviously great skill that would 
  have taken at least two human performers to do. 
  When he finishes, he grimaces. Ugh. Those 
  drums have been affecting me more than I 
  thought. That was my worst effort in the last two 
  weeks. You have to get rid of those damn drums 
  or I’m not going to be able to mate for the first 
  time in 14 years. 
  What does singing have to do with mating? 
  What kind of strange rituals do you have among 
  your people? Are your women not serenaded 
  with song? How do you determine whether you 
  are fit to bear offspring? For the hylis, the 
  females choose only the best singers to mate 
  each year.  A strong singer, a skilled singer, must 
  be devoted, intelligent, and passionate, all traits 
  the women desire.  
  Anything special about the drums?/ Are the 
  drums magical? 
  
   
  30 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  They are indeed. The drums enhance all the 
  Ss’ressen who hear it, inspiring them to great 
  feats of strength and stoking their bloodlust. 
  ((Half-true. The drums themselves aren’t 
  magical, but the spell being cast by the 
  drummers is carried on the rhythm of the 
  drums.)) 
  Do you know anything of the schism in 
  Ssethregore?/ Do you know anything of the 
  Varn? 
  No. We hylis prefer to avoid the politics of the 
  Ssanu and the Ss’ressen. 
  ((Hiding something)) 
  If pressed on it with a successful DC 16 Charisma 
  (Intimidation) or Charisma (Persuasion) skill 
  check:  
  Alright, alright. The schism is a religious one. 
  Some ss’ressen refuse to worship any of the Varn, 
  and worship of Kassegore and Yig is officially 
  proscribed by the Ssanu. It doesn’t affect us. We 
  worship Yig, the Life Mother, and leave the 
  others to their petty religious squabbles. 
  Who set these traps? 
  Ssi’ril, a ssanu biomancer. He ranges far afield 
  with his escorts and collects samples for his 
  experiments on a regular basis. Not a particularly 
  pleasant individual. ((True)) 
  Do you have any ssanu technomancy or alchemy 
  items? 
  Why yes, I do have a few items, I take it you 
  would be interested in a trade? ((True)) 
  Pakwa will trade some of the items in his 
  bandelier.  He will be willing to trade one potion 
  per Hero.  He will trade the equivalent of 25 gp 
  per vial/potion.  He will take trade goods or 
  things that he can easily sell.  He only has 6 items. 
   
  If the Heroes elect to attack Pakwa instead of 
  talking to him, or after talking to him, adjudicate 
  accordingly. Combat notations are as follows. 
  Combat  
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  Pakwa  
   
  See Combat Appendix One for Stats 
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  There are no adjustments for this 
  encounter  
   
  Tactics: Escape. Pakwa isn’t interested in killing 
  anyone or anything. 
  Once Pakwa is 10 feet away in the foilage, he is 
  lightly obscured.  If he gets 30 feet away, he is 
  heavily obscured. 
  Notes: If the Heroes do attack and defeat Pakwa, 
  they can take his bandelier to return to Lineus. 
  Also, the jungle in this part is filled with *lots* of 
  traps. If the Heroes chase him, or let him go 
  without accepting his offer, have them 
  encounter at least 2 more traps like the one 
  above before leaving this Scene. 
  Development: At this point, the Heroes should 
  have a pretty good idea where they need to go. 
  Continue to Scene 6. 
  Scene 6 
   
  Key Concepts: The Heroes arrive at and scout the 
  exterior 
  of 
  the 
  ruins, 
  discovering 
  the 
  worshippers of Haulis and their plans to march. 
  The throb of drums fills the air as you make your 
  way in the direction of the ruins. The low bass 
  beat resonates in your bones, and the air is filled 
  with an ominous tension. Making your way to the 
  edge of a large clearing, you peer out from the 
  safety of the brush. A crumbling ruin of a temple 
  
   
  31 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  lies in the middle of the clearing, surrounded on 
  three sides by fire pits. The fourth side is a river, 
  smaller than the Kraldjur. Your maps suggest, 
  given the distance traveled, that it’s probably the 
  Sa’kress, a smaller river that joins the Kraldjur 
  not too far from these ruins.  
  The camp itself is filled with activity. A dozen 
  Troglodytes suffer under the lash of a scarred 
  and angry ss’ressen, breaking down the ruins and 
  building another temple right beside it. Near the 
  middle of camp an enormous six legged reptile 
  rests, being fed scraps of meat by a hulking 
  ss’ressen. Whenever another creature gets close 
  to the beast, ss’ressen or troglodyte, it snaps at 
  them, pulling at its tether. Only the one feeding 
  it seems to have any rapport with the monstrous 
  creature. 
  From time to time, a small patrol of three 
  Ss’ressen riding sleek, swift looking reptiles will 
  emerge from the trees the unusually large 
  ss’ressen, who barks out orders. The other 
  ss’ressen clearly defer to him. 
  Overlaid over the entire scene are the pounding 
  drums, beaten in a steady rhythm by three 
  smaller ss’ressen females. Two drummers at a 
  time, with the third stepping in when one begins 
  to falter, they cycle through to maintain a 
  constant thrum in the air. 
  Bound to an altar in the middle of the old temple 
  ruins lays an Altherian. From this distance, you 
  can’t tell if he’s alive or dead, and his clothes are 
  covered in blood. 
  A Wisdom (Insight) check will reveal: 
   
  DC 12: At an estimate, there are 
  probably around 20 individuals in and 
  around the ruins, not counting the 
  patrols out in the jungle.  
   
  DC 14: The patrols that are coming in are 
  different each time, coming in at hour 
  long interval, indicating a larger force 
  somewhere else. The ruins themselves 
  appear to be important, but not a large 
  enough area to stage a full war camp. 
   
  DC 16: The remaining structure of the 
  ruins being dismantled would provide an 
  excellent narrow choke point, only 
  allowing one or two attackers abreast 
  from either side while remaining 
  completely covered from the top. 
   
  DC 18: The strategic targets are clearly 
  the large ss’ressen and the six legged 
  reptile, 
  but 
  the 
  rest 
  cannot 
  be 
  discounted. Taking them all on would be 
  extremely dangerous. 
  A Wisdom (Survival) check will reveal: 
   
  DC 12:  The six legged reptile is a cyclura. 
   
  DC 14: The biggest dangers of the beast 
  are the long, cruel horn with which it can 
  impale victims, a gaping maw of serrated 
  teeth, and a brutal spiked tail. 
   
  DC 16: This particular cyclura appears to 
  be extremely ill-tempered, and to have 
  bonded with only one ss’ressen. 
  A successful DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check 
  will reveal magic in the air, brought about by the 
  drumming. It is impossible to tell what it is doing 
  though. 
  Detect Magic will not work, since the players 
  cannot get within 30 feet of the drums without 
  being noticed. 
  An 
  Intelligence 
  check 
  will 
  reveal 
  more 
  information about the structure. A proficiency 
  bonus with Mason’s Tools may be added to the 
  roll: 
   
  DC 10: The old structure is clearly an 
  ancient temple. What are clearly the 
  remnants of an altar, and what you can 
  tell of the layout suggest that it was once 
  a magnificently tall building. 
   
  DC 13: The temple did not decay from 
  natural causes. This building was 
  deliberately destroyed, and recently. 
  
   
  32 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
   
  DC 16: The remaining structure of the 
  ruins being dismantled would provide an 
  excellent narrow choke point, only 
  allowing one or two attackers abreast 
  from either side while remaining 
  completely covered from the top. 
  A Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal: 
   
  DC 11: At an estimate, there are 
  probably around 20 individuals in and 
  around the ruins. 
   
  DC 14: The ruins of the temple are 
  clearly 
  Ssethric 
  in 
  nature. 
  The 
  iconography suggests that it used to be 
  a temple to Kassegore, and there are no 
  real symbols of Yig to be seen. 
   
  DC 16: Some of the workers are 
  inscribing strange symbols into the 
  stones of the new buildings. Over and 
  over, two motifs are repeated: a large 
  axe and an enormous beast the likes of 
  which you have never seen. The beast 
  has six limbs, four legs on which he rests 
  while grasping an indistinguishable 
  figure between his two front hands, 
  drawing it in to his mouth. In other 
  images, the creature is wielding a pair of 
  axes in his hands. 
   
  Ss’ressen (and only ss’ressen) may 
  attempt a DC 13 Intelligence (History) 
  check to recognize the creature as a 
  Varn. Beating the roll by 5 or more will 
  allow such Heroes to identify the Varn in 
  question as Haulis, the Bloody Maw. 
  Allow the players to come up with whatever 
  plans they wish. The rest of this scene 
  determines whether they are mounting an 
  assault or just gathering information and 
  returning. 
  GM’s Note: There are a number of mitigating 
  factors to this scenario that make it easier for the 
  Heroes to effect a rescue. 
  First, the troglodytes will only be involved until 
  their overseer is dead. When their overseer 
  drops, the troglodytes will scatter into the 
  jungle. 
  Second, if the Heroes can kill or incapacitate the 
  ss’ressen in charge, the cyclura will go berserk 
  with fury and lash out at everything near it. So 
  long as the Heroes take care to position 
  themselves away from it, they can use its wrath 
  to overcome the other ss’ressen and mor’lets. 
  Third, the drummers are providing a substantial 
  boost to the entire camp. If the drummers are all 
  killed and/or the drums are destroyed, the entire 
  combat should be much easier. 
  Development: If the Heroes decide to assault 
  the camp in an attempt to rescue the 
  Patrolman, continue to Scene 7. If they would 
  rather just gather information and leave, 
  continue to Scene 8 after they leave. 
  Scene 7 
   
  Key Concepts: The Heroes attempt to rescue the 
  captive Patrolman. 
  If the Heroes desire to rescue the Patrolman 
  without engaging in combat, it is possible. He is 
  not being watched and not considered a threat. 
  Anyone who wishers can make a DC 14 Dexterity 
  (Stealth) skill checks sneak up to the altar 
  unseen. 
  Any attempt to cut the ropes with a bladed 
  weapon will be enough to undo the bonds. 
  The Patrolman is, unfortunately, unconscious. 
  The Heroes will have to carry him. If only one 
  person went, they will have to sneak back out 
  with him, making another DC 14 Dexterity 
  (Stealth) skill check, but this time at a 
  disadvantage. However if two or more people 
  went, they can carry him out together more 
  
   
  33 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  easily, each person only needing to make check 
  normally, with no disadvantage, to avoid being 
  seen. 
  If at any point they fail the Stealth check, or if 
  they decide to just attack, initiate combat. 
  Combat  
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  One (1)  Gamassi Drakhen 
   
  One (1)  Cyclura War Beast 
   
  One (1)  Agamassi Overseer 
   
  Six (6) troglodyte scouts 
   
  If Attacked 
  Three (3) Agamassi Drummers  
  See Combat Appendix One for Stats 
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce the troglodyte 
  scouts to 3 
   
  Difficult: Add 2 troglodyte scouts 
   
  Perilous: Add 6 troglodyte scouts 
   
  Tactics: The overseer will martial his troglodytes 
  into battle against any invaders. He will not 
  directly enter the fray until their entire group of 
  scouts is defeated. If the overseer is defeated 
  before his scouts, any of their scouts left standing 
  will immediately flee. 
  The leader of the Agamassi, Gamassi Drakhen,  
  will mount his cyclura at the first opportunity, 
  then guide it into battle, using his weapons to 
  protect the flanks of his mount. It requires no 
  time for him to guide the mount, since they’ve 
  been working together for so long that they have 
  a natural understanding.  
  The cyclura will eagerly lash out with its tail at 
  anything behind it, or bite anything in front. If 
  there’s no target immediately nearby, it will 
  charge the nearest enemy it can see, attempting 
  to impale with its horn. 
  The drummers will not participate in the combat 
  directly. Their drumming is Ssethric ritual magic 
  which enhances their allies. If they are attacked, 
  they will flee into the forest. If more than half the 
  other ss’ressen are defeated, they will flee into 
  the forest. They are under orders to keep 
  themselves alive, regardless of what happens to 
  the war camp, and report back. If the drummers 
  are attacked/killed or the drums are destroyed 
  (AC 5, 10 Hp each, three in total), the ritual magic 
  fades by the end next ss’ressen’s Turn. The 
  drummers are all young female Agamassi, and all 
  the others will do everything in their power to 
  protect them.  When attacked, the drummers 
  will only use the disengage, dodge, and dash 
  actions to escape into the jungle. 
  GM’s Note Power of the ritual:  
  While the drums are being played all the 
  Agamassi gain the following benefits +5 ft 
  movement speed and gain 5 temporary hit 
  points at the start of their turn. 
   
  Once the power of the drums fade they lose 
  all the above benefits and become confused 
  for one turn, during which they suffer 
  disadvantage on all attacks and saves. 
   
  Combat Notes:  
   
  Killing Gamassi Drakhen will cause the 
  Cyclura to go berserk and lash out at the 
  nearest target, friend or foe. 
   
   
  Attacking the drummers will cause them 
  to flee, removing the ritual magic 
  enhancing the rest of the ss’ressen. 
   
   
  Killing an overseer will cause any of their 
  group of troglodytes still standing to flee 
  immediately. 
  GM’s Note: Ss’ressen Frenzy will be in effect if 
  there are Ss’ressen in the party (see mod pg. 
  16 for Frenzy rules).  
   
  
   
  34 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Any remaining Troglodytes will immediately 
  flee into the jungle once the Agamassi 
  overseer falls. They still worship Kassegore 
  themselves, and have absolutely no desire to 
  be part of this, but also have no way of 
  defending themselves against the brutality of 
  their Ss’ressen and Ssanu masters. 
   
  If there is a ss’ressen Hero, all the Agamassi 
  are susceptible to the same Frenzy rules 
  except the drummers, who themselves have 
  recently been around a Ssanu. 
   
  Development: If the Heroes successfully rescued 
  the Patrolman without alerting the camp, 
  continue to Scene 8. 
  If the Heroes successfully mounted an assault on 
  the camp, continue to Scene 9.  
  If the Heroes were defeated in the attempt, 
  continue to Conclusion X. 
  Scene 8 
   
  Key Concepts: The Heroes encounter a raiding 
  party returning to the camp after they leave. 
  Note: This Scene should not be run if they did 
  Scene 7. This is an alternative encounter for 
  Heroes who rescued the Patrolman using 
  stealth, or who simply never attempted a rescue. 
  Having gathered what information you could, 
  you fade back into the forest and begin your trek 
  home. Hopefully the intelligence you have gained 
  will be sufficient to mobilize a larger force and 
  deal with this before it grows into something 
  even larger. 
  A day into your return journey, you hear a loud 
  rustling headed towards you through the trees. 
  Allow the Heroes a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check. Any who succeed are not surprised when 
  a raiding party stumbles across them. Have the 
  raiders make Perception checks as well with the 
  same DC; they weren’t paying any special 
  attention either, and thus have the chance to be 
  just as surprised as the players. 
  Combat  
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  Three (3) Agamassi ss’ressen  
   
  Ridding three (3) Mor’let 
  See Combat Appendix One for Stats 
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce Riders and 
  Mor’let by 1 
   
  Difficult: Add 1 Rider and Mor’let 
   
  Perilous: Add 2 Riders and Mor’lets 
   
  Tactics: The ss’ressen will attack from their 
  mounts but will let their mounts act of their own 
  accord, laying about with their weapons at any 
  target that would attack their mount, or their 
  mount’s target if there are no other targets in 
  range. 
  The mor’lets themselves will go after the nearest 
  targets, leaping at them and raking with the 
  claws on their hind legs. No more than 2 mor’lets 
  will attack any given target at one time. 
  Notes: The forest itself provides a fair amount of 
  opportunity for cover and defensive positioning 
  because of the thick foliage, but any advantage 
  the players can get is also usable by the 
  ss’ressen. 
  Development: If the Heroes successfully defeat 
  the patrol, continue to Scene 9.  
  If the Heroes were themselves defeated, 
  continue to Conclusion X. 
  Scene 9 
   
  Key Concepts: The Heroes return to Semar to 
  report in. 
  
   
  35 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  The journey back to Semar is a quiet one. A 
  chance encounter with a pair of Shining Patrol 
  scouts familiar with the area allows you to skirt 
  around what might otherwise have been some 
  eventful and dangerous encounters. As you reach 
  the base of the mesa upon which Semar sits, 
  night is falling. Looking up, you see the city aglow 
  against the night sky, a beacon in the darkness 
  that shines with a comforting ambiance. From 
  where you stand, it seems the entire city is lit up, 
  though you know there are sections that are 
  darkened. 
  Escorted by the scouts, you are quickly through 
  the gates and brought to the Shining Patrol 
  headquarters where Colonel Demissie awaits in 
  his office, doing paperwork. 
  “So you’ve made it back to us alive. Good. What 
  did you find out there?” 
  If the Heroes defeated the Agamassi at the 
  temple: 
  Colonel Demissie appraises you with deep 
  respect. “That’s excellent news. One less thing 
  we have to worry about means more time we can 
  put towards rebuilding the city and the Patrol.” 
  If the Heroes did not attempt to kill the Agamassi 
  leader, or tried and escaped without succeeding: 
  Colonel Demissie frowns and rubs his forehead. 
  “Just one more thing that we have to look 
  forward to. At least we’re forewarned though. I’ll 
  see if I can’t put together a stronger strike force 
  to deal with this threat before it grows out of 
  control. The extra information you’ve been able 
  to provide is invaluable in determining what kind 
  of force we need.” 
  If the Heroes share what they learned about the 
  Varn, either from the temple itself or the attack 
  on the ss’ressen village: 
  “That’s very interesting… It would also explain 
  why the attacks on us are disorganized. We 
  always thought that it was because they wanted 
  to keep us off balance, but if it’s caused by 
  internal conflict, that’s all to our benefit. Keep 
  your ears open in the future. We know these Varn 
  are a driving force behind a lot of the Ssethric 
  brutality, but we don’t know much more about 
  them. We know from the Black Talon ss’ressen 
  that not all ss’ressen are inherently evil. Perhaps 
  there are more factions we could support within 
  the Ssethregoran Empire, to make our own lives 
  easier.” 
  If the Heroes mention leaving any Emerald Scales 
  alive: 
  “What were you thinking?! You should have 
  killed them while you had the chance.” 
  If the Heroes explain that the Emerald Scales 
  might stand against the current Ssethregoran 
  Empire as it stands: 
  “Hmmm… perhaps that is something worth 
  considering. We’ll look into it.” 
  If the Heroes mention the traps of the Ssanu 
  biomancer: 
  “Ssi’ril again! Bah. He’s responsible for at least a 
  half dozen missing patrol members of which 
  we’re aware. One day soon, we’re going to have 
  to deal with him. His traps are frustratingly 
  clever.” 
  If the Heroes mention the Hylis, Pakwa: 
  “Those overgrown tree frogs are slippery and far 
  too clever for our good. I hope you killed him.” 
  If the Heroes did: 
  “Well done. If you recovered anything useful 
  from his corpse, I know that Lineus would love to 
  see it. If you have some with you, I can see that 
  he gets it.” 
  If the Heroes did not: 
  
   
  36 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  “I hope you know what you’re doing. Do try and 
  remember, they are extremely clever, and allied 
  with the Ssanu. He probably wasn’t sure if he 
  could kill all of you, and so appeared helpful. 
  Keep that in mind next time you run across one; 
  a ssethric can’t lie to you if they’re dead.” 
  Development: Continue to Conclusion A if the 
  Heroes defeated the Agamassi leader in Scene 6. 
  Continue to Conclusion B if the Heroes did not 
  engage the leader and instead ran into the 
  raiding party in Scene 7.  
  Conclusions & 
  Endings 
   
  Conclusion A:  
  A successful Mission 
   
  You are given quarters in the Shining Shield Inn 
  for the night, and bought a few rounds of drinks 
  from grateful members of the Patrol who heard 
  of your deeds. Your efforts have forestalled what 
  could have become a major threat. For now, you 
  can look forward to a warm bath and a soft bed. 
   
  Conclusion B:  
  A Successful 
  Reconnaissance 
   
  You are given quarters in the Patrolman’s Rest 
  Inn for the night, to continue your journeys in the 
  morning. Perhaps back into the Morass for the 
  Patrol, or onwards to other endeavors. At least 
  your efforts have bought Semar some more time 
  to prepare for whatever it is that is coming. For 
  now, you can look forward to a warm bath and a 
  soft bed. 
   
  Conclusion X:  
  Bit off More than You 
  Could Chew 
   
  Your investigation of the Agamassi ss’ressen 
  seems to be coming to an abrupt ending. Tied up 
  and regularly beaten, perpetually watched and 
  kept separate from your companions, you are 
  now being dragged to an altar. A slavering, 
  howling ss’ressen stands above you as you are 
  tied down, and the last thing you see is a silver 
  axe, whistling down at your head. A sudden 
  sharp pain, then… who knows what the afterlife 
  brings? 
   
   
   
  
   
  37 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Adventure Rewards 
  After an adventure make sure players record 
  what experience and treasure they acquire on 
  their adventure chronical, after which check 
  their numbers, mark off any favors, boons, or 
  curses and add any particular game notes before 
  signing the adventure chronical and having it 
  back to the player. 
  Experience Rewards 
  Arcanis Adventures do not necessarily reward 
  experience points for winning combats. Instead 
  Arcanis Adventures reward experience for 
  achieving particular tasks or reaching important 
  story points. 
   
  Task, Achievement  
   
  Total Experience Possible 
   
  450 
       
  Fame  
  Arcanis is filled with secret societies and 
  powerful organizations that constantly scream 
  and maneuver behind the scenes. Players may 
  be part of these organizations or even attract the 
  attention of organizations they are not part of, 
  for good or ill.  
  Task, Achievement  
   
  Shining Patrol 
  Conclusion A or B 
  Anyone 
  1 Fame  
  Champions of the Silver 
  Chalice 
  Defending the ss’ressen 
  villagers  
  Members Only 
  1 Fame 
   
  Coin & Treasure 
  Summery 
  Players may keep any basic equipment they find 
  during the adventure (basic equipment as 
  presenting in the core rules) as well as 
  equipment listed in the Arcanis Primer and 
  upcoming Arcanis Players Guide. Reminding 
  anyone playing none-noble, or other than 
  Altherian players about the dangers of carrying 
  blast powder weapons. 
  When players keep non-magical equipment the 
  items sale value is removed from the total 
  treasure value per character. If the amount 
  removed is greater than their share of the coin, 
  some or all of the other players must be willing 
  to make up the difference.  
   
  GM Note: Note on looting Armor/Weapons  
  The heroes are on a scouting mission enforce 
  encumbrance rules. 
   
  If you wish a more simplified version, simply 
  tell the heroes they can take 4 items the size 
  of a shield before they start to suffer a 10 feet 
  penalty to movement and suffer disadvantage 
  on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving 
  throws that use Strength, Dexterity, or 
  Constitution. 
   
  Scene 3   
   
  Spear(6) – 0.5 gp/each  
  Scene 4 
   
  Large Bearded Axe (2)  – 15 gp/each 
   
  Spear (8) – 1gp/each 
   
  Shield (8) – 5 gp/each 
  Scene 5 
   
  Sling (10 shots) – 1sp  
   
  Spear – 0.5 gp 
  Scene 7 
   
  Large Flail (1)  – 5gp 
   
  Shield (7) – 5 gp/each 
   
  Large Halberd (1) – 10 gp 
   
  Spears (6) – 0.5 gp/each 
  Scene 8 
   
  Large Bearded Axe (3) – 10 gp/each 
  Alchemical Items 
  For each gland, set of eggs, or ssanu alchemy 
  item that the Heroes bring back, they receive a 
  
   
  38 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  credit towards the purchase of alchemical items, 
  to a maximum of 100 gp per Hero.  This credit 
  may be used for any alchemical item in Forged in 
  Magic: Reforged or the SRD, including potions of 
  healing. 
  Scene 2 – Flame Tongue Glands (7) – 25 gp each 
  Scene 3 – Ss’ressen Eggs – 150 gp 
  Scene 5 – 25 per potion or 200 for the entire 
  Bandelier 
  Scene 7 – Cyclura Pancreas – 200 gp 
   
  Conclusion A  
  Going above and beyond in their service, the 
  heroes are paid 100gp each. 
  Conclusion B  
  They did the job, they should get paid. The 
  heroes are paid 25gp each.  
  Conclusion X  
  Well, the heroes are dead… they don’t need coin 
  where they are going.  
   
  Story Awards 
  Favors, Boons, Curses  
  Gratitude of Eyoab: For rescuing him from a 
  gruesome, drawn out death, Eyoab has spoken 
  well of you to the other Shining Patrol Scouts. 
  Once in the future, the Scouts will assist you on 
  a journey into the Kraldjur Morass. During one 
  combat that takes place in Altheria or the 
  Kraldjur Morass, you may gain Advantage on a 
  single initiative roll. Cross through this when 
  this boon is used. 
   
  Notice of the 
  Harvesters 
  This only pertains to characters who cast Arcane 
  magic, every time during the adventure an 
  arcane caster casts spells in a public place or 
  within sight of common people there is a chance 
  that they had been spotted by a harvester or a 
  harvester informant.  
  Unless the caster goes out of their way to hide 
  such spell casting, news of their abilities will, 
  eventually, reach the ears of the “wrong” 
  people.  
  If the hero was open about their spell casting in 
  public or failed two consecutive attempts to 
  disguise it they get 1 point of harvester notice. 
  
   
  39 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Combat Appendix 1 Scene 3 
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  Six (6) Flaming Tongue Ss’ressen  
   
  One (1) Flaming Tongue Disciple of Sipta 
   
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce the numbers of 
  Flaming Tongue Ss’ressen to 4 
   
  Difficult: Add 2 Flaming Tongue 
  Ss’ressen 
   
  Perilous: Add 4 Flaming Tongue 
  Ss’ressen 
   
  Flame Tongue  
  Disciple of Sipta  
  Medium humanoid (Ss’ressen), Neutral evil 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 22 (4d8+4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  12 
  (+1) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  16 
  (+3) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  9 
  (-1) 
  Skills Perception +3, Arcana +5 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Damage Resistances fire damage 
  Languages Ss’ressen, Ssethric  
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Spellcasting. The Disciple’s spellcasting ability is 
  Intelligence (spell save DC 13; +5 to hit with spell 
  attacks).  
   
  Cantrips (at will): acid splash, poison spray, 
  true strike 
   
  1st level (3 slots): burning hands, hellish 
  rebuke 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack – The flame tongue ss’ressen makes two 
  weapon attacks, one of which may be its burning 
  spittle attack.  
  Claw – Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d4+1) slashing damage. 
  Burning Spittle (Recharge 5,6). The flame tongue can 
  spit a glob of burning spittle at a target – Ranged 
  Weapon Attack: +3, range 30 ft., one target Hit: 6 
  (1d10+1) fire damage 
   
  Flame Tongue 
  Ss’ressen Warrior 
  Medium humanoid (Ss’ressen), Neutral evil 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 13 (2d8+4) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 
  (+2) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  14 
  (+2) 
  8 
  (-2) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  7 
  (-2) 
  Skills  Perception +3, Stealth +3, Survival +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Damage Resistances fire damage 
  Languages Ss’ressen, Ssethric  
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack – The flame tongue ss’ressen makes two 
  weapon attacks, one of which may be its burning 
  spittle attack.  
   
  Spear – Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage. 
   
  Claw – Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d4+2) slashing damage. 
   
  Burning Spittle (Recharge 5,6). The flame tongue can 
  spit a glob of burning spittle at a target - Ranged 
  Weapon Attack: +3, range 30 ft., one target Hit: 6 
  (1d10+1) fire damage. 
  
   
  40 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  41 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Combat Appendix 2 Scene 4 
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  Two (2) Agamassi (Horned Jowl) Ss’ressen 
   
  Eight (8) troglodyte scouts. 
   
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce the number of 
  troglodyte scouts to 4 
   
  Difficult: Add 4 troglodyte scouts 
   
  Perilous: Add 8 troglodyte scouts 
  Agamassi 
  (“Horned Jowl”) 
  Large humanoid (ss’ressen) 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 37 (5d8+15) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 
  (+3) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  16 
  (+3) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  9 
  (-1) 
  Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +3, Perception +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Ssethric 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
  Bearded Axe – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 
  10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12+3) slashing damage. 
   
  Tail Swipe – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage. On a 
  successful hit, target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or be knocked prone. 
   
  Troglodyte Scout 
  Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 
  (+2) 
  10 
  (+0) 
  13 
  (+1) 
  6 
  (-2) 
  10 
  (+0) 
  6 
  (+-2) 
  Skills Stealth +2, Survival +2  
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Ssressen, Ssthric 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
   
  Spear – Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage or 6 (1d8+2) if 
  used two handed. 
   
  Claw (or Bite) – Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  42 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Combat Appendix 3 
  Scene 5 (Optional) 
   
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  There are no adjustments for this 
  encounter  
   
  Tactics: Escape. Pakwa isn’t interested in killing 
  anyone or anything. 
  Pakwa 
  Small humanoid (Hylis) Neutral  
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 27 (6d8) 
  Speed 30 ft. (or leap 40ft or 10ft high see below) 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  10 
  (+0) 
  16 
  (+3) 
  14 
  (+2) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  13 
  (+1) 
  17 
  (+3) 
  Skills Acrobatics +5, Deception +5, Insight +4,Perception 
  +4, Persuasion +5, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +6 
  Senses passive Perception 14 
  Languages Low Coyrani, Ssressen, Sethric, Hylis 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  SPECIAL TRAITS 
  Leap: Hylis are natural jumpers, and use their movement 
  to leap either 40 ft. across or 10 ft. high. They may also 
  to leap while taking the dash action.   
   
  Cunning Action. On each of his turns Pakwa can use a 
  bonus action to or take the Dash (to leap see above), 
  Disengage, or Hide action. 
   
  ACTIONS 
   Verruc Sling – Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 
  30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1) bludgeoning damage.  
   
  REACTION 
  Guile and Cunning: Pakwa is far more cunning and 
  intelligent then most of his kind, after any attack roll 
  where he rolls a 20 he may use the ensuing confusion 
  hide as a reaction.   
   
  
   
  43 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Combat Appendix 4 Scene 7 
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  One (1)  Gamassi Drakhen 
   
  One (1)  Cyclura War Beast 
   
  One (1)  Agamassi Overseer 
   
  Six (6) troglodyte scouts 
   
  If Attacked 
  Three (3) Agamassi Drummers  
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce the troglodyte 
  scouts to 3 
   
  Difficult: Add 2 troglodyte scouts 
   
  Perilous: Add 6 troglodyte scouts 
    
  Agamassi Overseer 
  Large humanoid (ss’ressen), neutral evil 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 37 (5d8+15) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 
  (+3) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  16 
  (+3) 
  12 
  (+) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  9 
  (-1) 
  Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +3, Perception +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Ssethric 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  SPECIAL TRAITS 
  By whip and fang: Agamassi Overseers quite literally 
  whip their troops into order. As a reaction the Agamassi 
  Overseer can grant any Ss’ressen or a lower challenge 
  rating or reptilian humanoid (such as Kobolds and 
  Troglodytes) within 30 feet a new saving throw, 
  with advantage to shake off the terrified 
  condition.   
   
  ACTIONS 
  Flail – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8+3) slashing damage. 
   
  Tail Swipe – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage. On a 
  successful hit, target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or be knocked prone. 
   
   
   
  
   
  44 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Agamassi Drakhen 
  Large humanoid (ss’ressen), neutral evil 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 52 (7d8+21) 
  Speed 40 ft. (60 ft. while mounted) 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  18 
  (+4) 
  13 
  (+1) 
  16 
  (+3) 
  10 
  (+0) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  7 
  (-2) 
  Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3, Survival +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Ssethric 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
  Halberd – Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) slashing damage 
   
  SPECIAL TRAITS 
  Charge Attack – While mounted if the Drakhen chooses 
  to take a dash action, he may use a bonus action to 
  attack with his weapon dealing an additional +5 damage, 
  but in doing so grants Advantage on any melee attacks 
  against his mount until the beginning of his next turn.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Cyclura 
  Huge beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 30 (4d10+8) 
  Speed 60 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 
  (+3) 
  15 
  (+2) 
  15 
  (+2) 
  3 
  (--4) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  7 
  (+-2) 
  Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Trample – The cyclura may use its stomp attack on any 
  prone opponent within 5 ft. as a bonus action. 
   
  ACTIONS 
  Gore (Nasal Horn) – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage. 
   
  Tail Swipe – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage. On a 
  successful hit, target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or be knocked prone. 
   
  Stomp – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d10+3) bludgeoning damage. 
   
   
   
  
   
  45 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Troglodyte Scout 
  Medium humanoid 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor, shield) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  14 
  (+2) 
  10 
  (+0) 
  13 
  (+1) 
  6 
  (-2) 
  10 
  (+0) 
  6 
  (+-2) 
  Skills Stealth +2, Survival +2  
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 
  Languages Ssressen, Ssthric 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
   
  Spear – Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage or 6 (1d8+2) if 
  used two handed. 
   
  Claw (or Bite) – Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. 
   
  Agamassi Drummers 
  (“Horned Jowl”) 
  Large humanoid (ss’ressen) 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8+2) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  12 
  (+1) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  14 
  (+2) 
  Skills Athletics +3, Performance +4 
  Senses passive Perception 11 
  Languages Ssethric 
  Challenge 0 (10 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
  If Attacked will only take the Disengage, Dodge, and 
  Dash actions to run away into the jungle. 
   
   
  
   
  46 | Living Arcanis – The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums 
   
  Combat Appendix 5 Scene 8 
     
  In all this combat consists of  
   
  Three (3) Agamassi ss’ressen  
   
  Ridding three (3) Mor’let 
  Adventure Difficulty 
   
  Easy Mode: Reduce Riders and 
  Mor’let by 1 
   
  Difficult: Add 1 Rider and Mor’let 
   
  Perilous: Add 2 Riders and Mor’lets 
   
  Agamassi 
  (“Horned Jowl”) 
  Large humanoid (ss’ressen) 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 37 (5d8+15) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 
  (+3) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  16 
  (+3) 
  11 
  (+0) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  9 
  (-1) 
  Skills Athletics +5, Intimidation +3, Perception +3 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages Ssethric 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  ACTIONS 
  Bearded Axe – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 
  10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d12+3) slashing damage. 
   
  Tail Swipe – Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+3) bludgeoning damage. On a 
  successful hit, target must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving 
  throw or be knocked prone. 
   
   
  Mor’let 
   Large beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 21 (3d10 + 6) 
  Speed 40 ft.  
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
  17 
  (+3) 
  15 
  (+2) 
  14 
  (+2) 
  3 
  (-4) 
  12 
  (+1) 
  8 
  (-1) 
  Skills:  Perception +3, Stealth +5 
  Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Keen Smell: The mor’let has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on smell. 
   
  Pack Tactics:  The mor’let has advantage on an attack 
  roll against a creature if at least one of the mor’let’s 
  allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t 
  incapacitated. 
   
  ACTIONS 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 8 (1d0 + 3) piercing damage. 
   
  Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Arcanis 5E/Living Arcanis 5E - Introductory Season 1-8 - The Gleam of Fires, the Throb of Drums.pdf