Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

Akharin Sangar Pronunciations

Brightguard

Before Atash, the Brightguard was a fringe collective of devout protectors who vowed to defend Akharin Sangar from evil in the name of their deity, the Sunweaver. When the angel Atash—an agent of the Sunweaver—deemed service in the Brightguard a holy calling, the group's ranks swelled. Most members have unshakable resolve, but recent revolutionary acts have the order on edge. The Brightguard obeys Atash and, through him, the Sunweaver (see the "x" section for details).

Silent Roar

Members of the Silent Roar seek to return Atash to the Sunweaver and restore Akharin Sangar to a state of self-rule. Named for the lions that roam the lands beyond the city, the faction is secretly led by famed actor Afsoun Ghorbani, and its agents are largely chaotic good artisans, philosophers, and merchants who have suffered under Atash's isolationist policies. Silent Roar agents are usually patient and nonviolent, but they defend the order and its members like lions protect their prides. They resent other revolutionary groups whose violent ways cause the people to distrust the Silent Roar by extension. Many Silent Roar members romanticize Akharin Sangar's past even as they acknowledge that the city-state has faced dire problems and might not have survived without Atash's intervention.

Caught in the Middle

The characters might decide to get involved in the conflict, perhaps by trying to subdue the Ashen Heirs or convincing them to run before they're arrested. In any case, harming a member of the Brightguard is a serious offense, a fact nearby locals warn the characters of if they draw their weapons.

The characters might also choose to avoid getting involved, as do most of the folk around them. If they don't act, new strife will involve them imminently.

Sensing Tremors

During the conflict, the Ashen Heirs continue decrying the Brightguard with calls of "Cast off your fetters!" and "Mortal life, mortal rule!" Regardless of whether the characters get involved, a character who succeeds on a DC 16 Wisdom (Perception) check feels an intensifying vibration beneath their feet. A character who succeeds on a subsequent DC 14 Intelligence (Nature) check realizes something is burrowing under the square.

Dealing with the Boomhailers

The purple worm thrashes its head as it rampages through the square. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check realizes the Ashen Heirs' devices are irritating the creature. Unaware of this, the Ashen Heirs cling to their buzzing boomhailers as they flee. A character who spends an action alerting an anarchist to the risk and succeeds on a DC 14 Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check convinces that anarchist to drop their device. The purple worm ignores creatures that don't have a boomhailer and that don't threaten it. If all five boomhailers are destroyed, the purple worm retreats down the hole it created in the center of the square.

Guards

The guards who were trying to capture the Ashen Heirs shift to helping locals escape as soon as the purple worm appears. At the start of the fifth round, the angel Artavazda (a lawful good pari; detailed at the x) appears at the southeastern corner of the square with ten members of the Brightguard (use the guard stat block). If the purple worm is still alive, Artavazda rapidly moves to slay it. If the characters defeat the purple worm before this, Artavazda arrives just as they do so.

Artavazda

When Atash came to Akharin Sangar, he was accompanied by a host of angels, the pari Artavazda among them. Artavazda has four narrow wings whose gradually shifting colors are reminiscent of a sunset. The pari's smooth, curly black hair is mostly hidden beneath a pointed gold helmet that frames a calm, pale-blue face and glowing eyes.

Artavazda embodies the Sunweaver in word and deed. Though Artavazda holds lawbreakers accountable for their crimes, the pari is a staunch believer in rehabilitation and leads a voluntary gardening program for those serving time, cultivating goodness in folk who have lost their way.

Artavazda's Request

Artavazda explains that in the lead-up to Shabe Taabaan, the Brightguard has seen many disruptions. The angel asks the characters to work with the Brightguard until the festival ends a few days from now, protecting the people from dramatic displays that turn dangerous. Artavazda goes on to explain the following points:

• Though the angels who serve Atash are powerful, they are too few to support the Brightguard's rank-and-file members during times of trouble. With tensions between the Brightguard and rebel groups running high, Artavazda seeks assistance.
• Too often, rebels and Brightguard members are harmed during altercations. Artavazda wants those who oppose Atash's rule to have the opportunity to learn the error of their ways peaceably.
• The angel believes adventurers can be more creative—and more liberal with the truth—than the Brightguard, enabling such characters to learn more about rebels and prevent dangerous situations in ways the Brightguard can't.
• Artavazda offers each character 800 gp for their aid, plus the potential for additional work.

If the characters balk at working with the Brightguard, Artavazda doubles his payment offer. Should the characters still refuse, the pari understands but requests they visit the Ruz Bazaar to see the pain the Ashen Heirs are causing. Continue with "Afsoun's Arrest" but then skip the "x" section and move on to the "x" section. There, have agents of the Brightguard or Silent Roar entreat the characters to help prevent more violence.

Afsoun's Arrest

As things calm down in Three Sun Square, the Brightguard places any remaining Ashen Heirs under arrest. The Ashen Heirs are belligerent as they're arrested, proclaiming, "A few lost lives are nothing if it means the Brightguard falls!" Among the bystanders is the well-known actor Afsoun Ghorbani. While the characters converse with Artavazda, read the following text:

If the characters inquire about the woman's detainment, Artavazda explains that she's an infamous agitator who's worth questioning about her involvement in today's incident. The pari adds that she will be released in time—if she's innocent.

If a character attempts to intervene, Afsoun (chaotic good, elf archmage) tells the guards she doesn't know the character while discreetly signaling to them not to escalate. If the characters ignore that signal, any threats or combat this close to the Brightguard's headquarters attracts four devas, who defuse the situation through moderation—and by disarming belligerents.

Artavazda's Mission

Artavazda is concerned that the Ashen Heirs are planning to further disrupt the celebration of Shabe Taabaan. That morning, Ashen Heirs attacked merchants in the Ruz Bazaar. The merchants said the Ashen Heirs were seeking a magic jar recently unearthed in the nearby desert. The timely appearance of the Brightguard drove the Ashen Heirs away before anyone was hurt.

If the characters accept Artavazda's offer to work with the Brightguard, the pari explains the situation:

If the characters agree to Artavazda's mission, the angel explains that the Brightguard inspected the bazaar after the morning's attack but didn't learn much. Artavazda requests that the characters investigate further to determine what magic the Ashen Heirs were seeking, learn how they plan to use it, and put an end to their threat—preferably by bringing their mysterious leader to justice. The angel then provides directions to the nearby Ruz Bazaar.

Emad's Rug Shop

Emad is a middle-aged merchant (neutral, halfling noble) and the proprietor of a sizable black-market business. If the characters enter his shop, read the following text:

From the front of his store, Emad sells all manner of rugs. At the shop's rear, several hanging rugs hide a secret room containing Emad's stock of foreign goods. Most of these wares are mundane, but all have been deemed illegal by the Brightguard. Emad has survived decades of inspections thanks to his calm, friendly demeanor, but the Ashen Heirs' shakedown has rattled him.

Backroom Thieves

Whether Emad shows the characters his shop's secret room willingly or they find it themselves, there's a surprise waiting inside. Even if the characters don't seek out the room, the sound of something shattering inside reveals the room before they leave.

Two of the Ashen Heir Mage who shook down local merchants earlier in the day have returned. When the mages threatened Emad before, one of them found the shop's secret room, but the Brightguard's arrival forced them to flee before they could investigate.

These two Ashen Heirs have squeezed through a window in the secret room that's disguised from the outside. They've riffled through the space and found not just the samovar they've been searching for but also a carpet of flying Emad has been trying to sell for months. The rug merchant foolishly scribed the rug's command word, "baalaa," on the carpet's tag.

Read the following text when the characters enter the secret room:

Dashing

During the chase, a participant can freely use the Dash action a number of times equal to 3 + its Constitution modifier. Each additional Dash action it takes during the chase requires the creature to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check at the end of its turn or gain 1 level of exhaustion. Unless it can move in some other manner, like riding a carpet of flying, a creature drops out of the chase if its exhaustion reaches level 5, since its speed becomes 0. A creature can remove the levels of exhaustion it gained during the chase by finishing a short or long rest. The Dash action cannot make a carpet of flying move faster.

Spells and Attacks

A chase participant can make attacks and cast spells against other creatures within range. Apply the normal rules for cover, terrain, and so on to the attacks and spells. Chase participants can't normally make opportunity attacks against each other, since they are all assumed to be moving in the same direction at the same time.

Chase Complications

Complications occur randomly during the chase for both the Ashen Heirs and the characters pursing them. Each participant in the chase rolls on the Bazaar Chase Complications table at the end of its turn. If a complication occurs, it affects the next chase participant in the initiative order, not the participant who rolled the die. The participant who rolled the die or the participant affected by the complication can spend inspiration to negate the complication. Unless otherwise noted, the events on the Bazaar Complications table affect a single creature; this should be the one controlling a carpet of flying if multiple creatures are on such a magic item.

Ending the Chase

The chase ends when either side gives up the chase, when the Ashen Heirs escape, or when the pursuers are close enough to catch the thieves. If neither side gives up the chase, one Ashen Heir mage makes a Dexterity (Stealth) check at the end of each round in which the Ashen Heirs get out of the lead pursuer's sight, after every participant in the chase has taken its turn. The check's result is compared to the passive Wisdom (Perception) scores of the pursuers. If the result of the mage's check is greater than the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score, the Ashen Heirs escape. If not, the chase continues for another round.

Questioning the Ashen Heirs

If the characters catch the Ashen Heirs, the mages tell the characters everything they know in exchange for being let go before the Brightguard arrives. They share the following facts:

• The Ashen Heirs were ordered to find the samovar and return it to their cell's hideout.
• Their hideout is an abandoned temple in the Old City.
• Their cell leader is a wise sage named Navid.

If a character succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation) check, the thieves also hand over their masks and share the passphrase required to access their hideout: "Let the embers light the way."

The Stolen Samovar

The stolen samovar is an iron flask containing a djinni. If opened, the samovar loses its magic (unlike a typical iron flask) and releases a friendly djinni named Baadi. Baadi is a bombastic fellow who offers to grant the characters a wish if they help him find his cousin—another genie who lives in Akharin Sangar—though Baadi doesn't know where he is or what name he's using. A character who succeeds on a DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) check notes that Baadi is bluffing and can't grant wishes. Baadi doesn't know that his cousin is the Ashen Heir leader, the efreeti Navid.

Returning to Emad

If the characters capture the Ashen Heirs, Emad gives them a carpet of flying as a reward—particularly if the characters don't reveal his illegal operations. If the mages escape, Emad promises to give the characters a carpet of flying if they retrieve and return the stolen samovar.

If the characters return the samovar without opening it, the halfling opens it while checking for damage and releases Baadi (see the previous section).

To Navid's Hideout

The characters' next move is likely finding the Ashen Heirs' hideout so they can complete Artavazda's mission. If the characters lost the Ashen Heir thieves or otherwise aren't sure where to go next, they can spend 15 minutes asking locals if they saw a flying carpet and make a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check. On a success, they get vague directions that bring them to an abandoned temple (see the "x" section).

Laleh Ghorbani

Laleh Ghorbani (neutral good, elf scout) uses her bakery as a safe house for the cell of the Silent Roar she leads with her sister, Afsoun Ghorbani. The gregarious baker delights in conversation and plumbs her customers for gossip that might be valuable to the Silent Roar. She distrusts those who enforce Atash's law without question.

Talking with Laleh

When the characters enter the shop, Laleh presents them with a platter of desserts as she attends other customers. Once the other shoppers are gone, she locks the doors and apologizes for her strange invitation. Laleh is friendly toward the characters and guides the conversation to the following points:

• Laleh is the sister of Afsoun Ghorbani, who was arrested by the Brightguard in Three Sun Square.
• Afsoun secretly leads the Silent Roar, a coalition of rebels that seeks to nonviolently overthrow Atash and put Akharin Sangar's people in power for the betterment of the city-state.
• Although the Silent Roar are rebels, they're not affiliated with the destructive Ashen Heirs.
• Laleh has received word that Afsoun was not released after her questioning. Laleh seeks information on where her sister is being held.
• While Afsoun is in Brightguard custody, Laleh has assumed command of the Silent Roar.
• Laleh can share any information from the "x" section.

Laleh knows the characters have had dealings with the Brightguard, though she doesn't know the specifics. Regardless, she asks them to keep their ears opened for any information about her sister.

If the characters mention seeking the Ashen Heirs or their arrangement with Artavazda, Laleh offers assistance. The Ashen Heirs' recklessness endangers the work of the Silent Roar, and Laleh encourages the characters to put an end to the dangerous anarchists even if the characters aren't in league with the Brightguard. She promises that her agents will obtain any resources the characters need, such as the location of the Ashen Heirs' hideout, the passphrase to get in, or efreeti masks.

If the characters agree to help Laleh, she thanks them and says her agents will contact them later. Should the characters prove reluctant to help, Laleh tells them to think on what is right and promises to be in touch.

If the characters are forthright about working for the Brightguard, Laleh tries to recruit them as double agents. Should the characters stay loyal to the Brightguard, Laleh is disappointed but trusts them not to compound the tragedy her family suffered today. She still shares any information she has about the Ashen Heirs, seeking to put an end to their threat.

A1: Courtyard

The temple's courtyard lies in ruin, its stone paving overgrown with weeds. The fountain at its center is broken and filled with discarded furnishings.

A2: Prayer Hall

This temple was once consecrated to a god other than the Sunweaver, but it was abandoned years ago and became home to Navid's cell of the Ashen Heirs. Characters can enter this area via the front door or the windcatcher tower above its 20-foot-high ceiling.

If the characters have not alerted the anarchists to their presence, four Ashen Heirs are here: a guard near the door (veteran), two more veterans playing cards, and an assassin resting on the scaffolding. So long as the characters wear efreeti masks and attempt to pass as members of the group, the Ashen Heirs treat them as fellow anarchists. These cell members don't know much about Navid's plans or the samovar some of them were sent to track down, but they know their leader has big plans.

If the characters attack or damage anything in the area, the Ashen Heirs turn hostile.

A3: Hallway

This hallway features mosaics depicting the cycles of the moon. If both mages from the bazaar escaped with the samovar, one is lingering here. If one or neither of the mages escaped, this area is empty.

A4: Selenic Garden

This cylindrical chamber once housed a lush garden, but Navid torched it to create more comfortable surroundings. The man here is Navid, leader of the Ashen Heirs, and his attendant is an Ashen Heir mage. The characters recognize the mage from the bazaar if either of those Ashen Heirs escaped; otherwise, he's a stranger.

Prison Crystals

Thirteen Sangarian commoners are frozen within the gold-banded, green crystals around the platform. These prisoners are a mix of criminals, resistance members, and ordinary citizens awaiting judgment. One crystal at the eastern edge of the platform holds Afsoun Ghorbani (chaotic good, elf archmage).

Each crystal is an immobile, Large object with AC 13, 25 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Creatures inside the magic crystals are immune to all damage. A trapped creature is freed if its crystal is reduced to 0 hit points, or if the crystal is targeted with a dispel magic spell cast at 5th level or higher. The crystals leave their prisoners magically drained. If Afsoun is freed, she has 1 level of exhaustion and can only cast spells of 3rd level or lower until she finishes a long rest. She seeks to avoid combat unless the characters find themselves about to be defeated.

Sun Circle

A 10-foot-diameter circle at the center of the platform is inscribed with writing in Celestial that glows with a warm orange hue. The glyphs read, "All good acts take place in the light." The circle acts as a permanent zone of truth (spell save DC 17) and is where detainees are questioned at dawn.

Falling

A creature that falls from the platform or within 10 feet of it must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, they grab onto one of the crystals hovering near or just below the platform. On a failed save, they plummet 300 feet to the ground, taking 70 (20d6) bludgeoning damage and landing prone.

[image: Afsoun Ghorbani, Imprisoned in Crystal]

Aerial Combat

The characters might use their mounts to fight foes in the air, using the mounted combat rules in the Player's Handbook. As intelligent creatures, the characters' mounts can act independently, but they also follow the characters' commands. A character's mount acts on its rider's turn.

If a character lands and dismounts on the Pedestal of Judgment, their mount takes to the sky during the next round, circling the platform until called.

Fighting the Brightguard

If the characters seek to free Afsoun, the shadows overhead are the pari Artavazda and two Brightguard knights riding two pegasi. They appear 30 feet in the air above the center of the pedestal. Artavazda expresses genuine disappointment with the characters and chastises them for turning away from the path of justice. The pari asks that the characters and their allies surrender and face arrest. As the characters are involved in a crime by attempting to free someone Artavazda considers justly arrested, the pari is unlikely to be talked out of apprehending them. During combat, the knights attempt to shove characters off the platform whenever possible.

Fighting the Silent Roar

If the characters are defending the Pedestal of Judgment for the Brightguard, they're confronted by three Silent Roar agents: two veterans riding manticores, and Marzieh, a gynosphinx ally of the rebels and friend of Afsoun. The Silent Roar members are loyal to Afsoun and are unlikely to be talked out of abandoning their leader—particularly after enacting a plan to liberate her.

Three Sun Square

Three Sun Square is an important hub whose three architectural marvels exemplify the pillars of local society—religion, government, and economy.

Foothills of the Heavenly Peaks

The hills beneath the Heavenly Peaks are fertile, blessing farmers with bountiful harvests of juicy pomegranates, buttery pistachios, and crimson strands of saffron. Rebellion also flourishes, as the Brightguard has a smaller presence here, and the nation's curfew is not enforced. Free thinkers gather at aged teahouses, discussing philosophy as they sip from steaming cups, and acting as secret missionaries who dare to defy angelic law.

The Sky Prison

Deep within the majestic desert east of Akharin Sangar, the floating edifice of Zendaane Sabz, known more commonly as the Sky Prison, hangs over a lake of shattered glass. The prison is a crystalline hive peppered with demiplanes of divine judgment. Inside lurk potent evils banished by Atash, such as Faasadi the Rotten, an adult blue dracolich, and the ageless Chesmare, a beholder who can do nothing but admire her own reflection in a mirrored cell that neutralizes her power. Given Atash's intolerance for misconduct, the prison's population continues to grow, but now it fills with more ordinary folk guilty of lesser crimes.

Education and Art

A thirst for knowledge permeates Akharin Sangar. Its many independent schools are free to teach broad curricula that beget a well-read populace, although the long list of censored works constrains opportunities for higher education, especially in philosophy and literature. The city-state cautiously embraces progress, adopting developments in magic and science as long as they don't contradict religious principles.

Akharin Sangar has a rich artistic heritage. Architecture is thoughtful and symbolic, and instruments like the barbat and kamancheh sweeten poetic lyrics with their unmistakable tones. Sangarian carpets exemplify the city-state's long history of vibrant textiles: painstakingly woven rugs are highly sought works of art. Some are even rumored to fly.

Food and Clothing

Sangarian cuisine emphasizes savory, sweet, and sour flavors. When households entertain guests and during festivals, kabobs and hearty stews infused with saffron grace dinner plates alongside beds of rice. Bakers stay busy, filling bellies with chewy flatbreads and scrumptious pastries tinged with rosewater. But Sangarians know how to stretch small pots of a soup called aash to feed an entire family.

Clothing is generally modest, and Sangarians value fashionable dress. Men's attire consists of baggy trousers, handwoven shoes, and robes or tunics secured with wide cloth belts. Women typically dress in layers, sporting long, elegant skirts and blouses with heavy embroidery. Floral patterns are common regardless of gender, and colors range from vivid to muted depending on preference. Common headwear includes scarves, caps, and headbands with veiled hats.

Laws and Society

Unprepared visitors might find some aspects of Sangarian society unusually austere. Intoxicants are prohibited within the city, there's a strict curfew after sundown, and everyday interactions are tinged with restraint to steer clear of Atash's forbiddances. Sangarians reserve intimacy for family and close friends, lowering their social guard only in the comfort of their homes.

The Sunweaver

Most Sangarians revere the Sunweaver—or pretend to. Locally, the Sunweaver's faith uses an upright torch topped with a blazing sun as its symbol. Activities halt during daily prayers, which take place at dawn, noon, and sundown. Though other faiths are tolerated, those faiths are sequestered in shrines on the city's outskirts. Public preaching is considered taboo, and unauthorized missionary work earns the ire of the Brightguard. The nature of the Sunweaver and whether they're a unique god or a regional name for another deity—like Dol Arrah or Pholtus (detailed in the Player's Handbook)—is up to you.

[image: Atash, Ruler of Akharin Sangar]

The Sunweaver holds ultimate authority in Akharin Sangar, which is a theocracy ruled by the god's self-proclaimed messenger. Atash interprets the Sunweaver's doctrine and encourages all citizens to cultivate light and warmth. The Sunweaver's clerics hold significant power. In addition to priestly duties, they act as government officials and judges, employing divination magic in audits and trials.

Those who break the law answer to the Brightguard. The religious order enforces the law without prejudice, though its ranks contain both tender-hearted civil servants and disciplinarians who relish chastising citizens for misdemeanors.

Names

Sangarian names are drawn from lineage, religion, and literature and are often suffused with symbolism and history. The following names are common in the region:

• Feminine. Forough, Mariam, Nazanin, Shohreh, Yasamin
• Masculine. Amir, Bahram, Farshid, Hassan, Ramin
• Gender-Neutral. Keyahnosh, Omid, Roshani, Shadan, Sorosh
• Surnames. Farzaneh, Nasri, Pasdar, Rasul, Setar

Atash

Atash (lawful neutral solar), the angelic ruler of Akharin Sangar, came to the city-state's aid when all hope seemed lost. After smiting Zolmate Shab's fiendish army with righteous fury, Atash elected to stay, believing his mission incomplete. In the early years of his rule, Atash walked among the common folk, performing miracles. Over time, he withdrew from his people, tired of witnessing them repeat their mistakes. He spends his days in contemplation, occasionally breaking his silence to address an increasingly distraught populace.

Atash possesses an ageless and inflexible perspective. Everlasting and seemingly emotionless, the angel answers complex problems with direct solutions. He believes that only by following his decrees can Sangarians prevent another demonic incursion. He deems those who oppose him outlaws.

Akharin Sangar Adventures