Journeys through the Radiant Citadel

San Citlán Pronunciations

Rufina

Formerly a human, Rufina is now an olvidado—a deceased person who remained behind after the Night of the Remembered. Rufina doesn't know how or why they don't pass on to the afterlife. Although beings like Rufina are uncommon in the region, they're not unheard of, and the skeleton is a well-liked member of the community. Rufina is neutral good and uses the commoner stat block, but is Undead and doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Rufina has been sheltering Paloma in the cellar of the tavern; after witnessing the characters' prowess, the olvidado wonders if the adventurers might be able to help her.

Learning about Paloma

While no one is willing to discuss Paloma's whereabouts, a character who succeeds on a DC 14 Charisma (Persuasion) check can gather the following information about the so-called outlaw from Rufina or the other villagers:

• Paloma is seen as a hero by the poor. Her band raids the estates and caravans of corrupt landowners and shares the captured wealth with folk who need it.
• She initially ran afoul of the law years ago when she was falsely accused of a crime.
• Paloma and her band were recently attacked by someone or something on the road. Most of the band were killed, but Paloma's body wasn't found.

Sereno

Sereno is a deadly magical affliction that inflicts a supernatural chill on its victims and eventually kills them. A creature cursed with sereno is poisoned, can't regain hit points, and must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw at the end of every hour, gaining 1 level of exhaustion on a failed save. The creature automatically succeeds on this saving throw if it is in sunlight. Sereno can be undone by magic that ends poison or disease, like lesser restoration, but only while the victim is in direct sunlight.

Sereno is inflicted by an insidious, shapeshifting fiend known as a tlacatecolo. If a tlacatecolo that afflicted one or more creatures with the curse dies, the curse ends for its victims. See the "x" section at the end of this adventure for more details.

Paloma

Paloma (chaotic good, gnome assassin) leads a band of revolutionaries in the borderlands around San Citlán. She was falsely accused of rustling, defended herself from the unjust arrest, and was charged with attempted murder as a result. She fled to the Indigo Desert and joined an outlaw band, quickly climbing the ranks to become the leader. While traveling across the region, Paloma saw many injustices. She has recently allied with local revolutionaries opposing exploitation and corruption in the region, and she is already considered one of the revolutionaries' leaders.

Paloma's Request

Paloma explains to the characters that she needs the help of trustworthy adventurers to find the source of sereno and put an end to it. She goes on to share the following information:

• The sereno outbreak has killed many since it began a few months ago.
• One night while Paloma and three allies were traveling, trying to determine the source of the outbreak, a strange owl revealed itself to be a terrible fiend. They wounded the fiend, but it escaped.
• Two of her companions died in the battle. The third—a druid named Lope—died of sereno soon after. Lope had been researching the curse and believed the fiend they saw was behind its spread.
• Lope's research suggested killing the fiend will end the curse for all those suffering from sereno.
• Scouts have seen owls and strange figures going in and out of a mine near the supposedly abandoned mining town of Hollow.

The Hunt Begins

Paloma offers 100 gp per character for the party's assistance, and she gives them her ring of jumping if they agree to investigate the mine and slay the fiend if they find it. She gives them directions to Hollow, an abandoned settlement about 14 miles away and 4 miles north of San Citlán. She warns against going at night, lest the characters suffer her fate.

Rumors of Hollow

If the characters ask around Milpazul about Hollow, they learn the information at the start of the "x" section. Additionally, a local overhears their inquiries and shares a chilling story:

Night Travel

If the characters ignore Paloma's warning and travel at night, after a few hours of travel, Serapio sees them and flies overhead in his owl form. Though his mind is twisted by fiendish hunger, he is too wary to approach adventurers. A character who succeeds on a DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check sees sudden movement in the darkness overhead as a spotted owl silently circles the party and then flies away.

Itzmin

A spiteful tiefling in his late forties, Itzmin del Prado is a chaotic evil cult fanatic. He's also a politician and part of San Citlán's ruling council, the Trecena, where he serves as Councilor of Arms. The public gave him the moniker Astaverde (meaning "green horn") for his jadeite prosthetic horn.

Following the death of his mother, a celebrated military general, Itzmin squandered his family's fortune, and his family name became synonymous with disgrace. Desperate to regain his former glory, Itzmin sought the guidance of the cultist Orencio and forged his own pact with Pazuzu, offering his obedience in exchange for secrets that could be leveraged against San Citlán's elite.

Itzmin's Goals

Itzmin wants to use Serapio's corruption to advance Pazuzu's wishes. And the more chaos reigns in the borderlands, the less organized the revolutionaries can be, which benefits Itzmin's political agenda. He's currently in Hollow to cover his tracks by razing the town, caving in the mine, and destroying any evidence of the rites that have taken place there.

Meeting Itzmin

Itzmin introduces himself as the owner of the mine and the township. He talks of hearing reports of a disease festering in town and says he plans to burn the abandoned houses to prevent it from spreading. He is dismissive of any suggestion that sereno isn't a disease. If the characters talk about entering the mine, Itzmin advises against it but doesn't stop them. If he is threatened in any way, he orders his bandits to attack and flees in his coach.

Cave-In!

At some point after the characters enter the mine, Itzmin's bandits detonate alchemical charges to collapse the entrance. Wherever the characters are in the mine, they hear a thunderous blast from above. If they return to mine's entrance, they find the cavern has collapsed, sealed by tons of impassable rubble. A character who is proficient with alchemist's supplies or who succeeds on a DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check confirms that the collapse was deliberate.

To escape, the characters must find the alternative exit in the depths of the mine.

H1: Mine Entrance

Loose planks cover the entrance to the mine. Once characters enter the mine, read the following text:

The stone of the mine entrance cavern is crumbling badly, but a character who has the Stonecunning trait or who succeeds on a DC 16 Intelligence (Nature) check can tell the cavern is in no immediate danger of collapsing. See the "Cave-In!" section for details on how that might change.

H2: Teocín's Quarters

A makeshift wooden door blocks the entrance to this chamber. Candlelight shines through the cracks. A character who listens at the door and succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check hears growling beyond it.

H3: Corpse Disposal

Teocín uses this chamber to dispose of her failed experiments. Two ochre jellies feed on the remains and are dissolving meals deep under piles of bones. They emerge, oozing up through the bones, as soon as they sense movement.

If the mine entrance has not yet collapsed and all the characters are in or near this room, Itzmin detonates his charges (see the "x" section earlier in the adventure).

H4: Serapio's Quarters

Itzmin set up these living quarters for Serapio, hoping to entice him away from his mother and make the mine feel homier. Serapio is not present when the characters arrive but often isolates himself here to hide his monstrous shape. Silence and isolation calm him, as does his hobby of sketching. When the corruption becomes too much, Serapio scratches the walls with his fiendish talons.

H5: Wailing Cavern

The wailing wind that gusts intermittently through the mine rises to a continuous howl in this cavern. The elevator shaft in x ends in this cavern's ceiling, and the elevator cage might have crashed to the floor below if the characters tried to use it.

Itzmin uses this cavern as a secret space to worship Pazuzu, performing rites that would draw attention in San Citlán.

H6: Tunnel to San Citlán

This ancient tunnel runs south toward San Citlán. Itzmin, Teocín, and Serapio travel this passage from the city to the mine without attracting attention. After the demolition of x, this tunnel is the characters' only escape route from the mine.

The feathers here are unnatural, and any character who has proficiency in the Religion skill can tell they are from a fiendish creature. The claw marks match the marks in x. A character who can automatically sense direction or who succeeds on a DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check knows the tunnel leads south toward San Citlán.

Dry Cenote

The tunnel leads the characters to a dry cenote in the district of Los Gavilanes within San Citlán. The cenote was mined when the city was first established, but these mines were abandoned centuries ago, leaving old scaffolding that can be used to climb approximately 100 feet to the surface.

Impoverished citizens dwell amid the scaffolding. They're surprised to see strangers emerge from the depths but don't bother the characters. If questioned about anything strange they might have seen, these locals prove tight-lipped. Should a character succeed on a DC 12 Charisma (Persuasion) check or offer at least 1 sp in exchange for information, someone admits having seen a strange spotted owl flying in and out of the cenote at night.

Doña Rosa

If the characters describe the creature they're looking for, Doña Rosa (neutral good, human commoner) invites them into her home and tells them there is much they don't know about this fiend. Use the following information to guide the conversation:

• The creature the characters hunt is named Serapio. He is Doña Rosa's son, not a monster.
• She had thought Serapio was ill, but he confessed his secret earlier that day and fled.
• Serapio's father, Orencio, was a sorcerer who consorted with demons. He was executed years ago after Doña Rosa exposed his deeds.
• Doña Rosa believes Orencio or the cult he served is responsible for Serapio's curse.
• She can share any of the details from the "x" section earlier in the adventure.

Inside the Apartment

Doña Rosa's tiny apartment consists of a living room and a bedroom.

Offerings for the Dead

After the characters speak with Doña Rosa, they see other residents of the vecindad pausing to decorate or say short prayers at the communal altar. These locals politely invite characters to help them.

Itzmin's Mission

While the characters speak with his mother, Serapio meets with Itzmin at a metalworks Itzmin owns and recounts his confession to his mother. Itzmin reassures the youth that after he attends to some business, they can return to Hollow Mine. That unnamed business is the murder of Doña Rosa, whom Itzmin believes knows too much.

If Itzmin died or was captured in Hollow, one of his cult fanatic protégés meets Serapio in the warehouse and takes Itzmin's place in the following chase. The characters might recognize the protégé from Serapio's drawings, or Doña Rosa can identify them as one of Itzmin's people.

As the characters leave the vecindad, they spot Itzmin or his replacement approaching. As soon as he notices the characters, he flees.

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 requires the creature to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution check at the end of its turn or gain 1 level of exhaustion. A participant 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.

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 these actions. 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. Each participant rolls on the Parade 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.

Ending the Chase

The chase ends when either side gives up the chase, when Itzmin escapes, or when the pursuers are close enough to catch Itzmin. If neither side gives up the chase, Itzmin makes a Dexterity (Stealth) check at the end of each round, after every participant in the chase has taken its turn. The chase's crowded surroundings give Itzmin advantage on this check. If the lead pursuer has proficiency in Survival, Itzmin loses advantage. The check's result is compared to the passive Wisdom (Perception) scores of the pursuers.

If Itzmin is never out of the lead pursuer's sight, the check fails automatically. Otherwise, if the result of Itzmin's check is greater than the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score, he escapes. If not, the chase continues for another round.

If the characters catch Itzmin, he tells them where Serapio is in exchange for his release. Should Itzmin escape, the character who has the highest passive Wisdom (Perception) score sees a spotted owl (Serapio in his owl form) overhead, watching Itzmin. They can follow the owl to the metalworks.

Scrap Piles

These large piles of scrap metal await separating and sorting and are difficult terrain. A character who studies or moves over a pile can see it contains mostly iron and a few scraps of low-quality silver (not enough to be valuable without hours of sorting).

Hanging Containers

The two huge suspended containers each contain more iron and silver scrap. A console on the catwalk controls both containers. A creature adjacent to the console can spend an action to throw a lever and tip either of the containers. If a container is tipped, the scrap metal within falls to the floor, dealing 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage to any creature below it.

Offices

The two unlocked offices on the catwalk contain rough furniture, years-old business records, and mundane tools. If Itzmin reaches the warehouse, he ascends to the catwalk and hides in one of the offices, emerging and trying to escape only after he hears combat.

Facing Serapio

When the characters arrive, Serapio the tlacatecolo (see the x) is lurking on the catwalk. If Itzmin has been dealt with, the young man is struggling with his fiendish form, overcome by fear and rocking back and forth. If Itzmin reached the warehouse before the characters, Serapio is expecting danger and is ready to attack.

Fighting the Fiend

While Serapio is in his tlacatecolo form, he tries to remain airborne.

A character who has a passive Wisdom (Insight) score of 13 or higher can tell that the tlacatecolo's control of Serapio is not absolute and deduces that magic might disrupt that control. If Serapio is targeted by a lesser restoration or remove curse spell, the tlacatecolo is forced to leave his body for 5 minutes. During this time, the tlacatecolo becomes a separate entity that continues fighting. Serapio uses the commoner stat block and keeps out of battle.

If the tlacatecolo is reduced to 0 hit points while separated from Serapio, it is destroyed, freeing Serapio. If the tlacatecolo is slain while it's still in Serapio's body, his body retains its monstrous appearance as both the fiend and Serapio die.

Papalotlán Hill

This verdant hill at the heart of the city is the center of power and wealth. Councilors of the Trecena try to maintain order from the towers of the Crucible Court, the city's seat of government. Within the enchanted halls of the Argent Congregation, the minds behind San Citlán's progress prepare future generations of spellcasting adepts. The base of the hill teems with monuments, temples, and extravagant estates. These wealthy neighborhoods and aristocratic circles provide the backdrop for political and social intrigue.

Marfil Ironworks

The city's primary source of wealth is the industrial collective known as Marfil Ironworks, which processes local minerals using a mix of innovative technology and magic. The ironworks have many complexes across the city, and these labyrinthine facilities house all kinds of wondrous experimental creations.

Los Gavilanes

Los Gavilanes is the informal name given to San Citlán's old town. It's the most populous district, where ancient manors turned into collective living quarters are rented to industrial workers and their families. These buildings, known as vecindades, each house dozens of tenants and abide by complex internal community structures.

The Borderlands and Milpazul

The dry, rocky landscape outside San Citlán offers little in the way of comfort. Over half the city's workers live in these borderlands, while many more folk labor at mines and farms in the area. These communities have suffered neglect that has led to increased banditry on top of the usual attacks by monsters. One of the largest borderlands settlements, Milpazul, caters to travelers looking for shelter. It has acquired a reputation as a hub for mercenaries, as locals turn to caporales—traditional defenders on horseback—for security in the absence of city support.

Food and Recreation

Food is a particular point of pride in San Citlán, whose peoples use it to express their heritage. Local ingredients include agave, beans, cactus, chili peppers, maize, and tomatillos. These are combined with many imported goods to create dishes from painstakingly prepared stews such as hominy-and-meat pozole to ubiquitous snacks like tacos.

For city folk, many recreations relieve the pressures of daily life. Along with music and dance, ball games are a common pastime, ranging from ancient variations played with the hip to more contemporary kicking games. Wrestling evolved into its own form of theatrical entertainment: La Lucha, where luchadores don colorful masks, adopt epic personas, and battle using acrobatic maneuvers.

Faith and Festivals

Worship is ingrained in city culture, and major religions have temples ranging from grandiose to quaint. "Don't piss outside the cantina lest you soil a temple" is a local saying that both offers etiquette advice and references the city's many centers of worship. La Catrina—believed to be death herself—is the patron spirit of the city. She is a capricious figure who wishes to be celebrated rather than feared.

While numerous festivals are held throughout the year, the most splendid and anticipated is the Night of the Remembered, a celebration that evolved from ancient funerary rites and draws on the magic of the city. During this night, people can be visited by deceased loved ones if they honor them with an ofrenda: food and drink enjoyed in life, among other traditional offerings, presented on elaborate altars that guide souls back to the world. The days leading up to this event are marked by colorful citywide parades that display San Citlán's diverse culture.

Olvidados

In rare circumstances, the deceased remain in San Citlán as Undead following the Night of the Remembered. Known as olvidados, or "forgotten," these intelligent Undead often take the form of sapient, peaceful skeletons or spirits. Most retain the memories and personality they had in life, but they have no recollection of the afterlife.

Governance and Growth

San Citlán is governed by the Trecena, a council consisting of thirteen elected representatives. The ability to vote for these representatives is limited to landowners and their descendants, those who serve in the military, graduates of the Argent Congregation, and those who make a considerable contribution to the city's economy.

In recent decades, the city has undergone significant transformations marked by great discoveries attributed to the Argent Congregation. Doña Estela, a dwarf landowner who held a seat in the Trecena for more than fifty years, was the congregation's founder and is credited with San Citlán's economic rise. However, her focus on progress and city aesthetics has drawn heavy criticism, as the majority of the populace lives in poverty. The seat of Councilor of the Foundry remains vacant following Doña Estela's recent death, as it has become clear that the oligarch intended to be resurrected to continue her rule indefinitely.

Names

Those native to San Citlán often have up to three names: a given name and two family surnames, inherited from their parents. The following are common names in San Citlán:

• Feminine. Citlali, Estela, Guadalupe, María, Quintina, Xóchitl
• Masculine. Alejo, Cuauhtémoc, Eladio, Fortino, Pedro, Tenoch
• Gender-Neutral. Azul, Centli, Cruz, Izel, Paz, Quetzal
• Surnames. Apanco, Caloch, Infante, Moreno, Salazar, Xicoténcatl

San Citlán Adventures