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 马可波罗之遗
QUICKSTART

Marco Polo’s Legacy - Quickstart is the introductory publication to

Marco Polo’s Legacy - Road to the Celestial Empire a Campaign Setting
for the 5th Edition of the world’s most popular tabletop role-playing game.

Marco Polo’s Legacy is a game by Acheron Games.

Credits
Original Concept and Project Management: Samuel Marolla Italian Editing and Proofreading: Marco Bertini, Masa
Creative Direction, Design and Development: Errico Borro and Ian English Translator: Ian Foss Hathaway
Foss Hathaway English Editing: John Marron
Editing: Masa Illustrations: Francesco Biagini, Vittorio Santi, Elena Conte, Alessandro
Texts and Main Contributions by: Errico Borro and Ian Foss Hathaway Manzella, Tomo Daniel Carrai, Eva Giunchi, Feng Wei, Liu Qing, Pillow
Merchant's Memoirs Texts: Samuel Marolla Luo and Raymond Hanhao
Chinese Folklore Consultant: Qinyue Xiao Maps: Marco Tabilio
Game Design and Ruleset Development: Marco Bertini Graphics and Layout: Carolina Fiandri
Cover Artist: Antonio De Luca Special Thanks to: Valentino Sergi and Officina Meningi

www . acheronstore . com

Copyright © 2024 Acheron Games. All Rights reserved.

Marco Polo’s Legacy is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
English Edition © 2024 Acheron Games
 Contents
Marco Polo and His Travels.............................................6

Chapter ⒈ One Milion Marvels 9

The Brotherhood............................................................10
The Celestial Empire ......................................................12
The Road to the Celestial Empire..................................14

Chapter ⒉ Merchants of the Brotherhood 17

Starchosen(星君, Xīngjūn)..............................................18
Silk Road Subclasses........................................................23
Templar Exile....................................................................24
Master of Shadow............................................................26
Monk of Internal Alchemy ............................................28
Warlock of the Pact of the Ten Kings...........................30
The Ars Mercatoria ........................................................32

Chapter ⒊ The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda 37

The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda..................................38
Scene 1: Shadow and Sand...............................................40
Scene 2: The Flaming Tortoise........................................42
Scene 3: Treasurer Lóng..................................................45
Scene 4: The Descent.......................................................47
Scene 5: The Tiger and the Dragon................................50
Conclusion: Escape from the Abyss................................52
Epilogue ...........................................................................53

Chapter ⒋ Monster and NPC 55

Chīmèi (Demon of the Peaks and Forests) .......56
Disciple of Qióngqí (Shàng Ga‐o)..............................57
Huàpíguǐ (Painted Skin Demon)...................................... 58
Marauder of Sand and Shadow................................59
 Marco Polo’s Legacy

I am the child of Marco Polo.

He tore me from a Venetian galley, trained me, named me a Merchant, gave me the Mission, and sent me
to the Celestial Empire to see it done, following his footsteps.
I traveled days, years, and odd eons. I have seen the akinci of the Ottoman tribe lay siege to Nicaea and
the flower of Byzantine cavalry crumble under a rain of arrows while the dog-headed icons of Saint Chris-
topher observed impassively. I have seen the spawns of Zahak spread like a plague from the hellish abyss of
the Caucasus. I made my way through the lands of the Golden Horde, where the horse lords live, eat, and
sleep on their steeds and swarm like locusts towards Europe. I have loved women, men, and ghosts amid
the secret streets of Constantinople, Samarkand, and Shàngdū, though nothing still compares to Kokachin’s
eternal beauty, draped in golden silk. I traded artifacts, relics, and cursed blades with fellow merchants from
all Asia, with Persian king-magi drunk on haoma, with Tibetan monks who believe in the living mandala,
with the muezzin of Baghdad under their shining mosques and in the caverns where the Djinn laugh of hu-
man desires. I consorted with the mysterious Xīxiá and their gods, more ancient than the land. I reached the
peak of the world on the Pamir, Karakorum, and Hundu Kush, where I discovered the doors to the kingdom
of Shambhala. I explored Chinese pyramids, infinite cities of tents, and cursed monasteries. Below the ruins
of Alamut, I took delight in the secret paradise of the Sage of the Mountain, and I witnessed his hashashin
leap from towers at his bidding. I lost my way in the sandstorms of Lob, and my gaze pierced the darkness
of the marauding Karaunas.
I have learned Tatar, the lost magical language of Catai, and the secret tongue of the Brotherhood; I have
spoken with fallen warriors, demons, and forgotten gods. I haggled with alchemists seeking immortality and
witnessed the power of fwàidān and nèidān, External and Internal Alchemy. I gazed upon but did not savor
the Golden Liquor and the Elixirs of Cyclical Transformation and of Grand Purity. I admired the temples of
the Celestial and Early Immortals and of those Without Body, and have seen the exorcisms of the fāngshì.
I fought a Xiānxiá, an Immortal Swordsman, and lost an eye, a hand, and a friend. There is no mystical
object in the Silk Road that I have not bought, sold, or exchanged, nor is there a city, dungeon, or temple I
have not visited. In Khanbaliq, the great capital, I touched the Golden Tablets of Command through which
the Khan runs the Celestial Empire, which today rules Asia and tomorrow, perhaps, the world.
I am the child of Marco Polo. We of the Brotherhood of Guardian Merchants have all become his chil-
dren, for we are his legacy.
Now, at the end of such incredible travels, lost in an endless desert, a prisoner like young Temujin in black
Khara Khoto crowned by towers, I lie bleeding, with immortal fiends chasing me. And I wonder if it was all
a dream… or perhaps a grand game.
Yes, it may well have been that.

A game.
I ntroduction

Indeed, in his book, Marco Polo clearly states that he

Marco Polo and couldn’t fully describe the marvels he encountered for fear
that his readers wouldn’t believe him. Following his lead, in
His Travels Marco Polo’s Legacy, we explore those wonders that the Vene-
tian hid, building upon the text itself, but also on Chinese
folklore and on tales drawn from the wǔxiá (martial hero)
“[...] when I sit to dine, they make goblets filled with genre which, though codified at the start of the XX century,
wine come to me, flying, with no one who touches them, derives from much earlier literature, dating back even to the
and I drink from them. They cause bad weather to go Warring State period (453 B.C. - 221 A.D.). In wǔxiá tales,
where they wish and do many marvelous things [...]” men and women of humble origins follow personal codes of
honor, avenging wrongs, using their strength to protect the
Marco Polo, The Travels, Chapter LXXXI oppressed, and breaking the law in the name of justice. Their
stories often include supernatural elements such as sorcerers,
In 1271, a seventeen-year-old lad left Venice with his fa- artifacts, and magical creatures.
ther and uncle to travel the Silk Road towards China, where Marco Polo’s book and his travels also become a bridge
he became an ambassador to the court of the Great Khan towards the world described in works such as The Romance
Kublai. The traveler, now a man, returned home in 1295 of the Three Kingdoms by Luó Guànzhōng and Water
and invested the riches and experience gained in his family Margins, composed between the fourteenth and fifteenth
business. centuries, as well as in modern sagas including Jīn Yōng’s
That wasn’t the end of our traveler’s adventures: being a seminal wǔxiá novels, which are often set during or slightly
Venetian citizen, he later took part in a naval battle and was before the same period as Marco Polo’s travels. Perhaps fit-
captured. For three years, he was imprisoned in Genova, tingly, China also gave birth to a literary work on travel that
where he met someone unexpected: a prose writer called easily competes with the Italian text: the masterpiece Journey
Rustichello da Pisa, who wrote down the traveler’s memo- to the West by Wú Chéng'ēn, famous for telling the tale of
ries. The book that ensued was first called Le divisament dou the Monkey King, Sūn Wùkōng.
monde, “The Description of the World”, but it came to be In the narrative that frames the adventures you will live in
known in English as The Travels. Marco Polo’s Legacy, the Venetian did not just return from
The name of that traveler was Marco Polo. He wasn’t the China out of homesickness. In truth, he received a precise
first European to reach China, nor the first to tell his tale. mission from a secret, martial organization known as the
But, the grandeur of his storytelling, the marvelous events Brotherhood of Guardian Merchants: recruiting women
recounted, and the imaginative power brought on by ex- and men of courage from across the Silk Road and Europe
ploring a foreign world make this text one of the most no- to take part in a battle that would soon decide the fate of
table voyages of world literature. The book contains within humanity…
it a precious and magical secondary world: creatures, magic,
spirits, Sages of the Mountain, marauding Karaunas who
call forth darkness, and thousands of other seedlings that The Characters
make the text ideal for a fantasy adaptation.
That is where Marco Polo’s Legacy begins: it embraces the In Marco Polo’s Legacy, you play as members of the Broth-
wonder and admiration with which Marco Polo described erhood of Guardian Merchants, or simply Guardian Mer-
the world he encountered and builds upon it to create a chants, a secret organization dedicated to protecting and
fantasy, semi-historical setting where the wonders described studying magical artifacts of diverse origins. You find your-
by the young Venetian traveler are true. A world of burning self investigating the presence of supernatural beings in a
rivers and desert citadels, where prayers can move moun- secluded Mongolian village, exploring ruins in the desert of
tains and mystical relics lie deep within the earth, lost but Lob in search of a lost relic, or navigating the crowded streets
never forgotten. A world in which spells and sorceries cause of Khanbaliq to stop the machinations of a mad cultist of
dishes and goblets to fly through the Khan’s banquet hall. Hùndùn. Infinite challenges await you across the Silk Road!
A world immersed in millennia-old Chinese culture, in its Your characters may have been recruited directly by the
tales and legends. Brotherhood or, for those coming from Central Asia and
Europe, by Marco Polo during his travels. In any case, Mar-
co Polo, aged sixty, recently passed away in Venice: the year
6 is 1324.
 I ntroduction
The world you live in is rich with wonders: the existence The Sacred and the Arcane
of the supernatural is an obvious fact; anyone has encoun-
tered it at least a few times during their life, whether in the “There are four prophets who are adored and worshiped
shape of a mighty sorcerer of the Sacred Flame, a mysterious worldwide: the Christians worship God Jesus Christ,
yāoguài, or a family heirloom with an uncanny aura. Even the Saracens Mohammed, the Judeans Moses, and the
so, those practicing magic are rare: your characters, some idolaters Sagamoni Borcan. I praise and revere all four
of the Brotherhood’s allies, and many of their potential ad- and honor the greater god who dwells in the heavens, to
versaries. Because everyone believes in magic and most or- whom I pray for assistance.”
dinary folks fear it, using it publicly is risky and can cause
suspicion or outright hostility. Marco Polo, The Travels, Chapter LXXXI

In Marco Polo’s Legacy, you will roam across the Silk Road
and the Celestial Empire, traveling the four khanates that
emerged from Genghis Khan’s dominions after his death.
Freedom of worship is a fact within these lands, and all sub-
jects must respect other faiths.
The typical distinction between arcane and divine magic is
also less tangible than in other settings: all agree that magic
is possible thanks to divine (if used for good) or demonic (if
used to cause evil) intervention. However, those who prac-
tice magic do so through different methods ranging from
religious devotion to studying the laws of creation to
meditation and the search for internal enlighten-
ment. Using magic is always a moral act and those
who do so showcase their allegiance to the Heav-
enly or Infernal powers. Characters with Good
or Neutral alignments cast spells with reverence
and devotion, asking the creating principle of
everything to share its gifts.
Never use magic lightly. Its goal is to improve
the world, protect the innocent, and punish evil.

7
 万
象
One Milion
Marvels
Chapter 1
One Milion Marvels

But how to use the arcane arsenal that the Brotherhood

The Brotherhood amassed throughout the centuries? Though some suggest
that the organization was directly involved in several dynas-
tic struggles within the Celestial Empire, its core mission
About one hundred years ago, Qín Shı̌ Huáng, the first em- is challenging supernatural forces threat- ening the world
peror of unified China, tried everything to escape death. He of the living. Among them, the most formidable are the
first built a wondrous mausoleum guarded by eight thou- Four Perils.
sand terracotta warriors to serve him in the afterlife. Then,
the emperor sought the path of immortality: his alchemists
created a medicine that should have granted eternal life but The Four Perils
instead poisoned him.
Some speculate that Qín Shı̌ Huáng’s death was the first Two thousand years ago, far before the Brotherhood’s birth,
act of the Brotherhood of Guardian Merchants; what is cer- the great emperor Shùn defeated and sealed away four war-
tain is that from that moment, diverse officials within the lords known as the Perils: generals and enchanters of tre-
empire began collecting mystical and alchemical artifacts, mendous might, bringers of revolt, ruin, and evil. In the mil-
preventing them from falling into the wrong hands. The lennia that passed since their confinement, the Perils’ fierce
Brotherhood has continued its mission through succession hatred and unquenchable power transformed their bodies,
wars, dynasty changes, internal conflicts, and supernatural making them into crazed and bloodthirsty demons craving
threats. freedom. From their hidden prisons, the rambling calls of
The Guardian Merchants accept women and men of the Perils echo across the Silk Road in the minds of those
known competence and exemplary conduct into their who lust for power, knowledge, or vengeance. Many have
La Confraternita

ranks. The recruits are tasked with following the code of accepted these voices within them, sometimes even form-
“just exchange” (公平交换, gōngpíng jiāohuàn): if some- ing true sects; it is said that the Brotherhood’s true mission
one legitimately owns a magical object, then to claim it, is dealing with those who worship these foul fiends. Some
the Brotherhood’s agents must negotiate a fair price with its even whisper that the most unhinged among the followers
keeper. They can’t steal items by force or deception, except of the Perils secretly work to discover the resting places of
perhaps in truly desperate cases. their masters to free them. Should that come to pass, the
To avoid impositions from this or that ruler, the Broth- horrors unleashed upon the Celestial Empire and the Silk
erhood uses commercial activities as a cover and travels Road would be unspeakable…
the Silk Road with its mercantile caravans. All members
are trained in the basics of negotiation, even of mundane
goods, to avoid scrutiny by the authorities.
The Brotherhood has deep connections with many itiner- Hùndùn, Roiling Chaos
ant merchant companies, which provide a vast network of
bases and footholds across the Silk Road and the Celestial Hùndùn is a being of pure chaos, devoid of reason, whose
Empire, from where the Guardian Merchants launch expe- only instinct is returning the world to its primordial state
ditions towards all four corners of the known world. “before heaven and earth parted.” Its changeable shape resem-
Lastly, the Brotherhood is always on the lookout for bles a creature with six legs and four wings without eyes,
people who show an innate connection to the uncanny, ears, or mouth. Its movements are contorted, and new limbs
especially those known as starchosen (星君, xīngjūn). By sprout at each step while the delirious cacophony rises from
training them in virtue, the Brotherhood gains formidable its eternally changing flesh bubbles like a roiling flood.
recruits and prevents these individuals from becoming fu- Hùndùn’s worshipers are the desperate, the shunned, and
ture threats. the crazed; they are often unorganized, but however unlikely
they are to awaken the Roiling Chaos, the Brotherhood can’t
risk ignoring them.

EXPERT ADVENTURERS
In Marco Polo’s Legacy, your characters start the game at level 3
because the Brotherhood only recruits experienced adventurers, and
your heroes may have already experienced considerable adventures
10 while traveling across the Silk Road, perhaps from other regions of
Asia and Europe towards the Celestial Empire
 One Milion Marvels
Táowù, Unstoppable Beast

Táowù took the shape of a great beast with a human face,

massive claws, the tusks of a boar, a thick mane, and a tail
twice the length of his body. A creature dedicated to nothing
but utter destruction, incapable of conceiving anything but
violence. Táowù’s followers wish to awaken their master to
bring ruin, war, and calamity first to the Celestial Empire
and then to the Silk Road itself. Their actions are as blood-
thirsty as the Peril they worship.

Tāotiè, Insatiable Devourer

A great, goat-like body, four long-nailed feet, humanoid fea-

tures with lion’s fangs, flowing beard, and hair from which
horns emerge; though unsettling, these features are not what
make Tāotiè genuinely terrifying. His beady eyes open hyp-
notically near his armpits; his voice is that of an evil child;
he walks on two or four feet.

La Confraternita
Tāotiè is also a mighty enchanter, cursed with vicious intel-
ligence and insatiable hunger, so much so that he will rend
chunks of his flesh to soothe the hunger. Those who search
for this fiend do so to increase their arcana knowledge at the
cost of their very life, for Tāotiè costumes all things. Fol-
lowers of Tāotiè are generally powerful wizards seeking lost
spells, ready to commit any foulness to reach their goals.

Qióngqí, Thoroughly Odd

Qióngqí is a massive, winged tiger with horns and a thorny

ridge on his back. He is a cunning, cruel, untrustworthy
creature who favors the corrupt and persecutes the just.
Qióngqí’s sects are among the most active and deadly en-
emies of the Brotherhood; their goal is to use the power of
the great tiger to topple just rulers and replace them with
tyrants.
Recently, one particular sect dedicated to Qióngqí, the
Thunder Tigers, has been especially active in all corners of
the empire. Their goal appears to be overthrowing the Yuan
dynasty and freeing China from Mongol domination; some
even whisper that someone within the Brotherhood may
have defected to their cause…

11
One Milion Marvels

Languages along The Celestial Empire

the Silk Road

Over one hundred years ago, a leader named Temujin united the Mongol and
Mongolian is the official language within Turkic tribes, acquiring the title of Genghis Khan and launching into a series
the flour Khanates; all your characters of spectacular conquests, shaping a vast empire from China to Persia within
know this language, which also works as twenty years.
the Common language in Marco Polo’s Though built through war, massacre, and deportation and later consolidat-
Legacy. ed by disease and famine, this great empire was administered competently. It
shared one language and official script, one coinage, a swift postal system, and
Of course, people speak and write count- an efficient bureaucracy. Within its border, the empire upheld freedom of wor-
less languages within these vast lands: ship and oversaw religious toleration. Among all social levels and segments of
Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Chinese, and Latin, society, an individual’s abilities were more important than their class or culture
to name but a few. In addition, Guardian of origin.
Merchants also know a unique idiom called Later, when Marco Polo traveled to China, the term Celestial Empire referred
secret language: not an actual language, to the Great Khanate or Yuan Empire, which included much of Mongolia and
but rather a combination of figures of China. The founder of the Yuan dynasty, the same Kublai Khan who welcomed
speech, codes, ancient, mystical, and Marco, died thirty years ago; the current ruler is Yesün Temür Khan, also known
arcana terms borrowed from many lan- by the Chinese name Tàidìng.
The lands once conquered by Genghis Khan are now divided into three khan-
The Celestial Empire

guages of the Silk Road. Using the secret

language, your characters can speak with- ates: the Golden Horde in central-western Asia, the Il-Khanate in the Middle
out being understood and also communi- East, and the Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia. The three khanates accept the
cate with the many intelligent supernatu- formal authority of the Great Khan and maintain a certain degree of linguistic,
ral beings who inhabit the world of Marco economic, and administrative unity. But mainly, the four Khanates endeavor to
Polo’s Legacy. Only someone who knows the keep the Silk Road safe for travelers, a river of riches flowing through Asia.
secret language can understand it.

Outposts of the
Brotherhood

Your characters’ actions as agents of the

Brotherhood affect the organization itself.
You can invest part of your resources to
strengthen the order’s outposts and bases
within the Celestial Empire, granting you
more resources for your missions and
allowing faster travel across the Silk Road.

12
 One Milion Marvels
Cities abound in China, and many of them are true me- ties, allowing them to move unseen among humans. Even in
tropolises; this is where the Khan’s might is most evident, the heart of a city, taking the wrong alley between a pagoda
where guards patrol streets and justice is swift. It’s usually and the governor’s palace may lead to uncanny encounters!
best to respect local laws and customs in these places and The life of a Guardian Merchant takes place between two
avoid flaunting extraordinary capacities or even one’s affil- worlds: from crowded cities bustling with humanity to hive-
iation with secret organizations, such as the Brotherhood. like caverns, dark forests, freezing steppes, and lifeless de-
In the rest of the empire, settlements are fewer, and vast serts where mortal voices rarely sound.
regions where marvelous and monstrous creatures dwell ex- This dichotomy is even starker for Guardian Merchants
tend between these pools of humanity. Many of the Brother- from Europe, for many everyday items in the Celestial Em-
hood’s missions occur here, searching for legendary artifacts pire are unknown to those from the far west, such as print or
kept safe in the ruins of forgotten civilizations buried by paper money. The former has been used daily for centuries
centuries of sand or overgrown by forest. by all levels of society, both for official documents and dec-
The might of the Celestial Empire is but a veil that shrouds oration. The latter is more recent and allows the conversion
millennia of myths and legends from cultures across the Silk of gold and silver coins into a more portable form, the value
Road. From the heart of Persia come the wicked Daeva, who of which is guaranteed by the Great Khan. Indeed, since the
serve Angra Mainyu; from Mongolia, the infernal god Erlik times of Genghis Khan, paper money has been the only legal
and his nine sons; and from China, the Four Perils and a vast way to purchase goods and services within the empire, and
host of other monsters and specters. barter is forbidden – at least in theory!
As threatening as some of these creatures may be, they are
often confined to the Silk Road’s remote corners, making
it almost impossible for the Khan to deal with them. In

The Celestial Empire

his stead, the Brotherhood acts when it can, thanks to its
branching network of outposts and bases spread across the
Celestial Empire and beyond. But supernatural creatures
don’t just lurk in remote places; quite the contrary. Many of
these beings are clever and curious and possess magical abili-

13
One Milion Marvels

Those venturing across the Silk Road can be sure of several

The Road to the things. They can expect to meet many travelers and cara-
vans along relatively safe roads, where food and water are
Celestial Empire available. They expect many caravanserais and post stations
along the way, where people and goods may rest the night.
They know they will encounter cities of great prestige, like
For almost one hundred years, travelers wishing to brave Baghdad, Bukhara, Samarkand, Kashgar, Ānxī, and Wŭwēi,
the endless breadth of Asia can speak one language, use one where one may undertake business, seek advice, and ex-
coinage, and follow relatively well-marked and protected change information. Each city is a new market where some
trails connecting dawn with dusk, from the shores of the goods fetch high prices while others are unexpected bargains!
Yellow Sea in the east to those of the Black Sea in the west. From Asia to Europe travel Chinese silks, spices, and oc-
The origin of the paths used by merchant caravans is lost cult talismans to ward off demons and other abominations;
to time, dating back to ancient Persia and the Achaemenids, cotton, pearls, and magic stones from India; weapons, car-
not to mention Alexander the Great and the Roman Em- pets, and the hides of wondrous beasts travel from central
pire. However, only Genghis Khan united the Road under Asia. Silver, worked wools, horses, reliquaries, flasks of holy
one ruler, whose ruthless prestige and authority safeguarded oil, crystals, metals, and alchemical components are traded
the merchants and their caravans along the entire way. from Europe to China.
The Silk Road crosses any landscape you might imagine, Who might you meet along the Road? Merchants, un-
from the peaks of the Caucasus to the deserts of Lob and doubtedly, in caravans, will often share the hardship of your
Taklamakan, ridden with ghosts, from the shores of the travels. And then messengers and warriors of the Khan on
Hyrcanian Sea to the rivers flowing into the Sea of Aral, and their way to the borders of the empire, but also missionaries
The Road

beyond to the Yellow River. The Road brings travelers from of many faiths, monks from diverse martial schools look-
the west to the most wondrous reaches of Central Asia and ing to show off their abilities, solitary Xia knights seeking
the Celestial Empire, which evoke images of mighty adven- wrongs to right, sages, and scholars sent by the emperor to
tures in these travelers: from Alamut to Shambhala, from explore the realm, and a vast range of ordinary folk in search
to the

Constantinople to Samarkand, from Khanbaliq to Chéng- of work, opportunities, easy coin or simply a way to keep on
dū, all the way to the Black City of Khara Khoto… going, day after day, on this earth.
Celestial Empire

14
 One Milion Marvels
But not just the riches of two continents travel the Road; languages, ideas, dis-
coveries, and art also do so. And the Guardian Merchants.
After Temujin’s conquest, the Brotherhood soon realized the advantages of swift- Coins and Money in the
ly reaching all corners of the Road to further its mission. Now, the Merchants can Celestial Empire
more easily recruit new members and search for chosen ones, securing the edge
over looming supernatural battles. News of dangers reaches the leaders of the
Brotherhood relatively quickly, and quickly, they can deploy Guardian Merchants For simplicity, Marco Polo’s Legacy uses the
to secure a relic, stifle a magical threat, or contest the followers of the Four Perils. usual monetary system based on golden
But even if the Silk Road winds for over four thousand miles, it is a mere thread pieces (gp).
connecting a fragile web of roads and cities, mere specks in a vast and fierce land
where monstrous beings dwell, and ancient ruins lie, places where the veil between Thus, the cost of equipment, objects, and
our world and the hidden one is thin, and forgotten gods conspire to regain their monetary transactions work normally,
long-lost might. but remember that your characters will
often be exchanging the Great Khan’s
Unfortunately, the Brotherhood’s enemies have also learned to use the Silk Road. paper money!
Though the Great Khan is vigilant, even his officials can’t control each traveler.
Besides smugglers, treasure hunters, and thieves, those who follow the Four Perils Most actual coins in circulation are made of
also roam the Road, seeking to further their hidden agendas. lead and copper alloy, small change worth
The continuous coming and going of caravans and soldiers also attracts super- one copper piece (cp).
natural creatures capable of mixing with humans thanks to illusions or metamor-
phoses and who, thanks to the Road, may reach locations far removed from their

The Road
homelands. Huddled around campfires, travelers tell tales of the capricious húyāo,
the fox spirit, or of the terrifying huàpíguı̌, who wears the skin of its victims; some
even speak of dragons traveling in human form, sent from the heavens to observe
mortals and offer their help to the worthy.

to the
Considering all this, the Guardian Merchants who travel the Silk Road are al-
ways on their guard. Those who take to the caravans have usually done so before
or have at least heard the advice of more experienced mentors. Despite the efforts
of the Khanates, taking the Road was a challenge even during the time of Genghis;

Celestial Empire
today, even more so. From the wandering monk to the caravan master crossing
the desert of Lob, from the camel drivers of Persia to the horse lords patrolling
the roads, those unwise have little time to learn before the dangers of the Road
claim them.

LONG AND SHORT RESTS

Traveling the Silk Road and the Celestial Empire is an adventure in itself, especially in the
world of Marco Polo’s Legacy, where supernatural creatures and bandits wielding occult powers
threaten the paths. You’ll need to take care of how you use your resources!

To recover their energies, your heroes require an 8-hour short rest, which must occur in rela-
tively calm circumstances, and a 7-day long rest in the same conditions. You can sometimes
coordinate your long rests with the movements of your caravan, which will let your characters
reach their destinations at full strength.

15
 兄商
弟人
会
Merchants of the
Brotherhood
Chapter 02
Merchants of the Brotherhood

Playable Races Starchosen

The world of Marco Polo’s Legacy is full of (星君, Xīngjūn)
creatures ranging from the marvelous to
the terrifying.
“Do you think that mere chance or the fact of being Venetian is what pushed
However, in its basic conception, it doesn’t messer Marco Polo, may his god have him in his glory, on the road to the Celes-
assume the existence of playable races tial Empire? Do you think luck helped him first ingratiate the Khan and then
other than humans, represented here by the Brotherhood? And on that note, how do you think young Temujin managed
the unique variant of the starchosen. We to become the great Genghis Khan, uniting his people and conquering much of
recommend using the rules for creating the known world? No, chance does not exist. All things are connected, and each
starchosen when making your characters. act has its purpose. The stars, planets, and constellations: their power influences
all of us… some more than others. Let us take you, for example. You suffered
horrors that would have broken the strongest of men, and look at you know:
an expert treasure seeker who can bend shadows to her will! Chance? I think
not. And tomorrow? Where will destiny lead you? What will you do with your
gifts? You could change the world, should you choose to do so… Come with me,
I can show you how!”

Elder Negotiator Kokachin, speaking to Nilüfer of Samarkand,

Starchosen

a recruit of the Brotherhood.

The Road to the Celestial Empire is rife with magic, otherworldly powers, and
connections between the uncanny and the mundane. Among the forces that influ-
ence this world, none is better studied than the mysterious working of the celestial
bodies upon the lives of individuals. Mathematicians and mages, philosophers and
priests have investigated these phenomena for millennia, trying to comprehend
and predict them and, at times, harness their power. But the hidden significance
that lies in the orbit of Jupiter, of the Moon, and the positioning of constellations
and planets in the sky remains a mystery. What is certain is that heavenly bodies
have actual power in the world and that some individuals are more receptive to
this power. Good fortune of divine plan? The theories are as varied as the scholars
who propose them. In any case, no one doubts the existence of the starchosen and
that, for good or for worse, the destiny of the Silk Road rests with them.

The starchosen are human in all regards, but particular conditions at their birth
make them especially receptive to several of the celestial influences that weigh
upon the existence of all people. The starchosen come from every culture and
place of the Silk Road and Celestial Empire, with no distinction of status, gender,
and belief. Why they attracted the benevolent gaze of the cosmic forces remains, as
mentioned, a matter of hot debate between philosophers, archmages, immortals,
and saints. Much more concrete are the efforts of many occult sects to recruit the
starchosen, to use their talents to gain power and wealth.

This is precisely why the Brotherhood continues seeking out the starchosen, us-
ing arcane astronomical calculations to divine the most likely candidates. Once
found, the starchosen must be convinced to join the Brotherhood, a choice that
Guardian Merchants, differently from other sects, always leave to an individual’s
free will, mindful that only when taken deliberately can the Brotherhood’s path
18 be just. Truth be told, the life of a traveling Merchant is especially attuned to the
adventurous streak common in starchosen, whose gifts constantly urge them to
bridge the gap between the mundane and the uncanny. Even so, many of them
still take years before accepting the offer of becoming Guardian Merchants. But,
once made, few forswear their choice.
 Merchants of the Brotherhood
Starchosen Traits Celestial Sign. You have a celestial sign. You may ran-
domly select one by rolling 1d12 or choose one from the
Size. Starchosen vary widely in height and build. Regard- Celestial Sign table. Your year of birth and one ability score
less, your size is either Medium or Small. You choose which increase of your choice between the two provided are deter-
when selecting this race. mined by the celestial sign, as shown in the table.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Star Sign. You have a star sign. You may randomly select
Age. Starchosen reach adulthood in their late teens and one by rolling 1d12 or choose one from the Star Sign table.
live less than a century. The period of the year in which you were born, one ability
Alignment. Starchosen tend towards no particular align- score increase of your choice between the two provided, and
ment. The best and the worst are found among them. proficiency in one skill of your choice between the two pro-
Languages. Statchosens’ nature often leads them to travel vided are determined by the start sign, as shown in the table.
far and wide. You can speak, read, and write one language The ability you choose for this ability score increase can’t
of your choice among the languages proposed for the Silk be the same one you chose for your celestial sign; you can’t
Road and Mongolian, which functions as a sort of Common increase your ability scores by 3 using signs.
language within vast tracts of the world described in Marco
Polo’s Legacy.

Celestial Sign
1d12 Sign Your year of birth Ability Score Increase

Starchosen
1 羊 Goat 1295, 1283, 1271 +2 DEX or +2 WIS
2 猴 Monkey 1296, 1284, 1272 +2 DEX or +2 INT
3 鸡 Rooster 1297, 1285, 1273 +2 CON or +2 CHA
4 狗 Dog 1298, 1286, 1274 +2 CON or +2 INT
5 猪 Pig 1299, 1287, 1275 +2 STR or +2 CON
6 鼠 Rat 1300, 1288, 1276 +2 WIS or +2 CHA
7 牛 Ox 1301, 1289, 1277 +2 CON or +2 WIS
8 虎 Tiger 1302, 1290, 1278 +2 STR or +2 DEX
9 兔 Rabbit 1303, 1291, 1279 +2 DEX or +2 CHA
10 龙 Dragon 1304, 1292, 1280 +2 STR or +2 INT
11 蛇 Snake 1305, 1293, 1281 +2 INT or +2 WIS
12 马 Horse 1306, 1294, 1282 +2 STR or +2 CHA

Star Sign
1d12 Sign Ability Score Increase Skill Proficiency

1 a Aries +1 STR or +1 DEX Athletics or Acrobatics

2 b Taurus +1 STR or +1 CON Athletics or Intimidation
3 c Gemini +1 DEX or +1 INT Investigation or Sleight of Hand
4 d Cancer +1 DEX or +1 WIS Stealth or Insight
5 e Leo +1 STR or +1 CHA Performance or Intimidation
6 f Virgo +1 INT or +1 CHA Persuasion or History
7 g Libra +1 DEX or +1 CHA Acrobatics or Performance
8 h Scorpio +1 CON or +1 INT Arcana or Deception
9 i Sagittarius +1 INT or +1 WIS Animal Handling or Nature 19
10 j Capricorn +1 CON or +1 CHA Deception or Persuasion
11 k Acquarius +1 CON or +1 WIS Nature or Survival
12 l Pisces +1 STR or +1 WIS Medicine or Insight
Merchants of the Brotherhood

Astral Influence When you take an action relevant to one of your Astral In-
fluences, you can decide to activate it, explaining to which
Your celestial and star sign each grant one Astral Influence: ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you wish to apply it.
the capacity to summon cosmic aid to empower actions tied The Game Master decides if the Influence selected is coher-
to a specific emotion or personality trait. Your personali- ent with the action performed and the ability check, attack
ty doesn’t need to match the influences you have, nor do roll, or saving throw you selected. The GM can also decide
these influences bind your actions. However, when you act whether the Influence is not applicable or is applicable but
following an Astral Influence, you can activate its power to to a different dice roll.
aid your action. If you activate your Astral Influence, you gain advantage
The Astral Influence table shows which Astral Influences cor- on the ability check, attack roll, or saving throw you select-
respond to each celestial and star sign. ed. You also must check the box near the Influence you used
on your character sheet. Once you use an Astral Influence,
you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Astral Influence
Sign Influence Sign Influence

羊 Goat Elegance a Aries Recklessness

猴 Monkey Versatility b Taurus Stubbornness
鸡 Rooster Dependability c Gemini Curiosity
Starchosen

狗 Dog Loyalty d Cancer Intuition

猪 Pig Chivalry e Leo Theatricality
鼠 Rat Prudence f Virgo Rationality
牛 Ox Patience g Libra Empathy
虎 Tiger Courage h Scorpio Covertness
兔 Rabbit Introspection i Sagittarius Independence
龙 Dragon Hardiness j Capricorn Authority
蛇 Snake Shrewdness k Acquarius Ingenuity
马 Horse Friendliness l Pisces Kindness

20
 Merchants of the Brotherhood
Astral Influence
and Inspiration

Marco Polo’s Legacy’s Astral Influence rules

expand and partially replace the normal
Example rules for earning and spending Inspiration.

The monk of internal alchemy, Zhào Yíng (celestial sign: Rabbit; star sign: More specifically, the new rules replace
Pisces), investigates the remains of a caravan attacked by marauders who stole those for background personality traits,
the legendary Wǔsè Bı̌, the Five-Color Brush that can bring the objects it as well as the use of these traits to gain
paints to life. The bloodshed deeply saddens the monk, and he tries to assist Inspiration.
the victims. The caravan master is gravely wounded and suffers from a super-
natural effect that is making the wounds fester. Moreover, unlike the normal rules for
Irene, Zhào Yíng’s player, says she wants to examine the wound and, if pos- Inspiration, the advantage gained thanks
sible, cure it. The GM decides the character must succeed on a DC 15 Intel- to an Astral Influence can only be used on
ligence (Medicine) check to accomplish the task. an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check
directly tied to the situation that allowed
Irene describes how Zhào Yíng nears the wounded man gently, examining

Starchosen
activating the Influence in the first place.
the wounds with care, whispering words of comfort. The player asks if she can
activate the “kindness” Astral Influence, derived from the Pisces sign. Consid- Though normal personality traits are
ering the scene, the GM readily agrees, and the player rolls with advantage, absent in Marco Polo’s Legacy, the new
succeeding on the check. Irene marks the box with the star sign on her char- background options maintain character
acter sheet to remember she’s played that Influence. ideals, bonds, and flaws. Following the nor-
Zhào Yíng discovers that minuscule grains of dark and noxious sand are mal rules, the GM can still reward players
causing the wound to fester and removes them. “Surely the work of a Shadow who emphasize a character’s ideals, bonds,
Snake’s blade”, the monk surmises, rising from his patient. or flaws via roleplay, granting Inspiration
that players can spend at will to gain an
Soon after, Zhào Yíng party comes to a showdown with the Shadow Snake advantage on an attack roll, saving throw,
bandit clan and their allies, which include a fearsome disciple of Qióngqí. or ability check.
During the ensuing battle, the master of shadows Nilüfer (celestial sign: Tiger;
stellar sign: Cancer) exchanges blows with the disciple.

Errico, playing Nilüfer, asks if he can activate his “courage” Astral Influence,
granted by the Tiger sign, to gain advantage on his next attack roll. The re-
quest is reasonable: one needs courage to trade blows with a foe. But Nilüfer
has fought disciples of Qióngqí before, and the GM thinks there might be
a better use for the Astral Influence, given the situation: after being hit, the
disciple uses his Vision of Qióngqí reactions, which causes Nilüfer to make a
saving throw to avoid being frightened. Here is the perfect use of the charac-
ter’s courage! The GM suggests applying the Influence to this saving throw,
and Errico accepts, gaining advantage.

21
 Merchants of the Brotherhood
Ghost Hunter
Silk Road
You’ve always had the uncanny knack for perceiving the su-
Subclasses pernatural: a shiver down your spine, a feeling of déjà-vu, or
just raw instinct. In time, you’ve trained this talent, which
proved helpful and led to fame. The Brotherhood admires
This quickstart contains four new subclasses for four of 5e your abilities and can further prepare you to deal with the
Classes, which are used for the pre-generated characters entities that trigger your uncanny sight.
available in the introductory adventure The Tiger and the
Abyssal Pagoda:
Treasure Seeker

$ Templar exile, new primordial path; How many peoples and cultures have walked these lands
before you? How many riches, ruins, and tombs lie bur-
$ Shadow master, new roguish archetype; ied and hidden, awaiting someone with the guts and skills
to explore them? Someone like you. You’ve learned all the
$ Monk of internal alchemy, new monastic way; tricks of your trade, and you’re now ready to use them in
the Brotherhood’s service… who knows, maybe there will
$ Warlock of the pact of the Ten Kings, new oth- be something in it for you, too!
erworldly patron.

Silk Road
Subclasses
Remember that, though these subclasses were designed ex-
plicitly for Marco Polo’s Legacy, you can use other subclasses Heir of Marco Polo
to play along the Silk Road. Moreover, during Marco Polo’s
Legacy’s crowdfunding campaign, we will reveal another eight You’ve met Marco Polo before his death: an aged man whose
playable subclasses, one for each base Class, to play along the eyes, sparkling with the memories of marvels seen and re-
Silk Road. counted, still held you in their spell. He also saw something
in you and provided a path towards a world infinitely vast,
giving you indications on how to traverse the Silk Road to-
PREGENERATED CHARACTERS wards the Celestial Empire in search of the Brotherhood…
Follow the link to download the pregenerated character sheets for
Marco Polo’s Legacy and dive into the introductory adventure, The
Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda! Martial Artist

Click here for the download Since childhood, you’ve trained in the arts of one of the
and start your journeys along the Silk Road! many martial schools that struggle for supremacy across the
Celestial Empire. Your discipline and valor make you the
ideal candidate for the Brotherhood, and you accepted their
invitation, hoping to find new rivals, whether human or
not, to test your skills.
Character Background
When playing Marco Polo’s Legacy, you’ll need to pick a
background for your characters. Each background suggests
reasons your character joined the Brotherhood and provides
specific traits. They also include one Ars Mercatoria Privi-
lege, which describes specific training in the art of negotia-
tion, following the rules of just exchange.
The character sheets for pre-generated characters already
contain all relevant traits. Below is a brief description of
each background available in the quickstart, while the com- 23
plete corebook will contain an extended description of all
available backgrounds.
Merchants of the Brotherhood

Templar Exile
NEW PRIMORDIAL PATH

“They accused us of heresy, idolatry, and witchcraft. Perhaps they were right.”

For centuries, the templar order protected pilgrims to the Templar exiles who join the Brotherhood have trained
Holy Lands, gaining riches and connections but also much their knightly discipline beyond human limits to contain
envy, as it became Christendom’s most celebrated and and channel the fury within them towards virtuous deeds of
Silk Road
Subclasses

wealthy order of warrior monks. So it was until the fall of arms. They are the Brotherhood’s shock troops: alone, they
Saint John of Acre, when the templars fell back to Europe, can take on hordes of foes, surviving blows that would top-
losing their very reason for being. But not their wealth, ple anyone else. Bolstered by their faith in their new cause,
which soon caught the eye of the French king. To seize such an exile does not ask or grant quarter: all that matters is
wealth, the sovereign manipulated gossip about the tem- their mission and their comrades, new brothers and sisters
plar’s alleged occult practices, spinning an awful web of in- in arms.
famy that led to arrests and burnings at the stake. Of course, other Guardian Merchants may find it chal-
But that was not to be the templar’s end. Some survived, lenging to live with an exile. Always focused on suppressing
clandestine exiles traveling from realm to realm, silent wit- the fury coursing through their veins, templar exiles can be
nesses of their brethren’s fate. Having returned from his grim and temperamental; they often seek solitude to pray
travels and observed the fall of the order, Marco Polo soon and conduct rituals, renewing their bond with the tem-
concluded that the determination and martial prowess of plars of old. Moreover, being a former religious order, and a
these warrior monks could become a precious resource for knightly one at that, the exiles plunge headfirst into combat,
the Brotherhood. With discretion, he followed their tracks, fiercely challenging their opponents in the open field, dis-
offering the exiles a new purpose: to partake in the only just daining subterfuge and deception. Such direct tactics often
war, which pits humanity’s champions against beings of pure cause attrition with those among the Brotherhood’s fight-
evil who covet nothing but chaos and destruction. An occa- ers who prefer more refined or subtle approaches. However,
sion for redemption from a past of honor and faith but also the mystically inclined among the Merchants perceive the
merciless battle rage and occult practices. connection between the exiles and the souls of the deceased
But, something had happened that even the Venetian had templars as a sacred bond, the nature of which transcends
not foreseen. Perhaps it was the last desperate ritual attempt- worldly affairs.
ed by the last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay; perhaps, the One thing is sure: when investigation and research end and
natural sublimation of all the shame and desire for venge- battle looms, any Guardian Merchant is thankful to have
ance that poisoned the heart of an order drenched in occult such brave and indomitable knights by their side.
energies. No one knows for sure.
The templar exiles who answered Marco’s call have an un-
breakable bond with their brethren who burned at the stake.
The companions of old watch over their descendants, in-
fusing them with might, favoring lucky coincidences, and
24 warding them from danger. Some exiles even say they can
hear the hymns of the order carried by the breeze… But
as the templar’s history was one of darkness and light, the
order’s final gift bore a heavy burden: the unending rage of
an order that dies.
流武

Merchants of the Brotherhood

I recall when they took my brothers,
how I escaped hidden in the gutters. My
honor lies there still, buried under the
muck. Since then, I’ve been a merce-
nary, a drunkard, and a murderer.

I don’t know what truth lied in the ac-

亡士
cusations. I knew nothing of late-night
ceremonies and pagan idols. I know
this: when the news of the Grand Mas-
ter’s burning reached me, I had already
felt his passing. Nightmares of flame
and shadow lay siege to my dreams for
weeks.

Since then, I’ve heard the voices of my

brethren echo in my mind: sometimes

圣
to chide, sometimes to join my prayers.
They watch over me, stoking my rage
and filling my mind with their relent-
less and inexorable song.

Silk Road
Subclasses
So found me messer Polo. He showed
me the path to the Orient and the Road
to the Celestial Empire. He brought me
into an order more ancient and secret
than the Temple. I may be an exile with
no home, but if there can be peace for
my soul, each day I come one step closer
to salvation

25
Merchants of the Brotherhood

Master of Shadow
NEW ROGUISH ARCHETYPE

“Why wait for the cover of night? Why should I? I bring the darkness with me!”

Though relatively recent, shadow masters’ origins are shroud- The cloaking abilities of a shadow master are invaluable as-
ed in mystery as thick as the darkness they evoke. Marco sets for the Brotherhood. Since their inception and the start
Polo first heard tales of similar individuals when crossing the of their battle against the forces of evil, Guardian Merchants
Silk Road
Subclasses

region of Reobar, south of the Hyrcanian Sea, where caravan have ever been involved in stealthy operations where dis-
tales spoke of bandits called Karaunas. covery meant certain death. Expert shadow masters can sin-
According to these tales, the Karaunas were of Tartar and gle-handedly conduct operations like infiltrating fortresses,
Indian heritage. They used magics that obscured the light of searching caravans, or exploring lost ruins where unspeaka-
day over great distances, allowing them to raid undisturbed; ble horrors lurk.
Marco even risked capture but miraculously escaped. The Accepting a shadow master among the ranks means gain-
Karaunas may have once been subjects of the Great Khan, ing a slightly introverted ally who typically retires towards
but after much infighting, they rebelled and traveled to the the camp’s darkest corner. Considering their dark past, it
borders of India, where they conquered the city of Dilivar. can be difficult to trust them, and bonding with others can
There, or so the legends say, they learned the occult practice grate against their instincts. However, since the first Karau-
of summoning shadows. nas joined the Brotherhood sixty years ago, none of their
No one knows how much truth lies in this legend; when number has betrayed the Guardian Merchants.
night falls and weary travelers gather around campfires, each If a group includes a master of shadows, they will often be
one tells a different tale. Even so, for at least a century sever- the vanguard, alone or with other cunning allies, making
al Karaunas sects have threatened the Silk Road, appearing full use of their uncanny ability to slide through shadows
to strike and disappearing into thin air. Each faction has unseen. Once the lay of the land is clear, they can regroup
its specific talents, but all share the art of shadow calling with their companions, devise a plan, and maybe be the ones
passed down by the mages of Dilivar. Some say that expert to lower a fortress drawbridge from within.
Karaunas can even separate from their shadow and move it
independently… or become the shadow themselves!
But not all among the Karaunas long for a life of raiding
and violence; many could not even choose such a life for
themselves. Many believe that some Karaunas sects recruit
orphans or even kidnap youngsters to train them in the
magical arts of Dilivar. Hence, some recruits try to flee, dis-
appearing in the chaos of a raid or vanishing while returning
to camp. But abandoning the sects is a crime punishable by
death, and those who do so live like hunted animals: if those
chasing you can summon the night itself, how will you sleep
26 again?
Seeking salvation, these fugitives search for new allies and
protectors: becoming a Guardian Merchant and claiming
the shadow master mantle is perhaps the best destiny for
these wayward Karaunas.
 Merchants of the Brotherhood
Once, my comrades and I were track-
ing a wizard, a follower of Tāotiè, a
revolting villain who slaughtered fox-

影宗
es to feed on their magic. We followed
him to a cave where he’d holed up with
other cultists: we thought we’d got him,
but he dodged our first assault, finding
refuge among the rocks. He was a sly
idiot. And could even turn invisible.
But he didn’t know how to fly… and
those who walk have the terrible habit
of leaving tracks.

I’m saying that not being seen is differ-

ent from not being found. You may be
able to become transparent like water,
but you must also be lighter than air,
or your tracks will betray you.

And that’s the difference between that

wizard and me: he could turn invis-

Silk Road
Subclasses
ible, I can stop your eyes from seeing.

27
Merchants of the Brotherhood

Monk of Internal Alchemy

NEW MONASTIC TRADITION

“Align your troops, let all warriors line up, and march forward.”

Marco Polo encountered ancient spiritual and martial tra- True masters gain such control over Qì that they can “push”
ditions while working for the Great Khan and the Brother- it into an opponent’s body, freezing their joints or even creat-
hood. These traditions initially spread with Buddhism, for ing a chilling aura around themselves that blocks and harms
Silk Road
Subclasses

monks needed to defend themselves from bandits, demons, foes. Of course, these marvels are the byproducts rather than
and ghosts in their wandering. Some say that the training the purpose of a monk’s spiritual education; even so, they
of the body received new attention thanks to the legendary render students of internal alchemy a crucial resource for
Bodhidharma, who taught that monks should have a strong the Brotherhood.
body capable of sustaining the rigors of meditation. Parties that include monks of internal alchemy often gain a
Over the centuries, diverse monastic traditions and the kind and wise companion whose demure character is veined
martial schools tied to them multiplied, reaching the wide by icy streaks of martial pride. The monks accept life’s chal-
variety of Marco’s times, when even imperial bureaucrats lenges as an opportunity for growth, never complaining; this
struggled to count all sects. Some schools have hundreds disposition makes them even more attuned to the needs of
of followers; others have but one master and a handful of others.
disciples. Some are respected for their contemplative piety, During quests, monks provide balanced views on the situ-
others are feared for their reckless warrior spirit, and others ation, though some followers of this way can become vehe-
combine these aspects as the two faces of the same coin. mently invested in martial competitions, especially if against
Many warrior monks have crossed the Brotherhood’s path, honorable foes.
some even joining their ranks. Recently, a particular collab- In any case, because of the cosmic perspective that the
oration formed with the Daoist Quánzhēn order, which al- practice of internal alchemy leads to, these monks rarely
lied with the Brotherhood during the Mongol conquest to see opponents as true enemies but, at most, as challenges
uphold peace and reduce violence. through which one may achieve a higher state of enlighten-
The monastic way that blossomed within the Brotherhood ment. But these views don’t make monks unable to act when
is defined by its dedication to nèidān (internal alchemy), faced with evil and suffering: it’s one thing not to hate one’s
a philosophy focusing on the transformation of Qì – pro- foes and quite another to let them act unopposed.
nounced “chee” – the “cosmic energy” or “breath of life”, to
prolong and enhance the individual’s spiritual and physical
being. The way of internal alchemy combines these studies
with the practice of nèigōng (internal work), which grants
monks superb Qì manipulation skills to achieve martial
wonders. Contemplation and physical training, meditation
and combat are complementary aspects of self-cultivation, a
truth that only the wisest genuinely understand.
28 In battle, the Qì focusing practiced by monks of in-
ternal alchemy is swift and notable: their physical struc-
ture changes, and their muscles bulge suddenly to in-
flict devastating unarmed attacks or uproot trees to use
as clubs. Expert practitioners can even extend the reach
of their limbs and make their skin impervious to hard.
内术

Merchants of the Brotherhood

When I began my training, I was a mere
street urchin from the slums of Chéngdū,
born and raised in violence.

My master followed the Way of Sim-

plicity, and I hated him. I felt nothing
but scorn for that small, old man, that

丹
fāngshì who studies the occult. My fist
was the proper way. His books and elix-
irs, nothing but feeble superstition.

Each dawn, he shambled over to a hill

near the monastery, where he mimed the
gestures of drawing a bow and releasing
arrows. He drew his imaginary bow back
and let imaginary arrows fly. I hated
this theatrical ritual. One day, enraged,
I faced him. He did not react; of course,
he did not. I struck him. My master fell
and hit his head on a sharp rock.

Silk Road
Subclasses
He died two days later.

The older disciples came to find me.

They dragged me to the hill, forcing me
to look beyond it. I saw scores of birds of
prey, reduced to nothing more than icy
shards. Each dawn, the master struck
one with his imaginary arrow, bringing
it down without touching it.

The other disciples told me I had been

the master’s favorite student, for I did
not believe in him. But I was not ready
to learn; I must slay my former self first.
By slaying him, I had done so. That was
his only lesson.

That day, I began my training as a

monk of the way of internal alchemy.

29
Merchants of the Brotherhood

Warlock of the Pact of the Ten Kings

NEW OTHERWORLDLY PATRON

“The living, the dead, saints, and criminals… we are all part of the same tale, all souls playing their part, after their
own fashion.”

When Marco Polo crossed the Desert of Lob, he collected rious, and they obey begrudgingly, often cursing and raving
chilling tales of voices coming from across the sands, call- against the warlock. But, as the bond grows, they become
ing travelers by their names, convincing them to leave their less reluctant and move closer to redemption. And, as the
Silk Road
Subclasses

companions and become lost to thirst and hunger. The voic- warlocks grow in power as agents of the Ten Kings, they can
es of ghosts. summon ghosts ever stronger with which to challenge evils
Many places across the vast world echo with these voices: ever greater.
savage wastes, dark forests, unholy bogs, but also the neigh- But, the wonders bestowed upon those who accept the pact
borhoods of great cities where one shouldn’t walk at night. of the Ten Kings don’t end there: for experienced warlocks,
Places where the infinite labyrinths of the Underworld lead the connection with their patrons is such that they might
to the land of the living and where some souls, often the even ignore death and willingly return from the caverns of
vilest, take refuge after death, clinging to the scent of exist- Dìyù. Such talents are crucial to the Brotherhood, and the
ence, hungrily. warlocks who choose to join its ranks are always welcome.
But King Yánluó and the other kings of Dìyù, the Un- Of course, they might seem somewhat eerie to their com-
derworld or World Below, keep an eye on these wayward panions – not to mention the ghosts who follow them! –
ghosts from their subterranean thrones. Phantoms daring but these warlocks often are cheerful, empathetic, and car-
enough to escape the kings’ judgment, fleeing to the land ing people. Only those blessed with a bright soul have the
of mortals, escape the eternal process of expiation and pu- strength to challenge ghostly horrors and cross the veil be-
rification that leads to reincarnation; they must be brought tween life and death. Only they can burden themselves with
back on the right path for their own good. Hunting these foul and cruel specters to lead these entities towards a better
wandering ghosts is the task of many otherworldly entities, fate, ultimately improving both worlds..
chief among them mighty Zhōng Kuí, the King of Ghosts.
But even Zhōng Kuí and his forces struggle to keep pace…
Here, exceptional individuals take the stage, warlocks pos-
sessing the will to tear the veil between worlds and the right-
eousness required to be chosen by the rulers of the World
Below as companions of the great Zhōng Kuí. The warlocks
of the pact of the Ten Kings are not content to simply ex-
plore one world but desire to delve into the labyrinthic cav-
erns of Dìyù to question the souls of heroes and sages of the
past, seeking harmony with the eternal cycle of existence.
The secrets of Dìyù allow these warlocks to perceive the
presence of undead and fiends by merely concentrating,
30 and make them immune to the fear and fascination that
these beings may raise in mortal hearts. The kings’ envoys
can summon and bind the ravenous ghosts who wander the
world of mortals so that they might perform acts of good,
redeeming themselves enough to reenter the eternal cycle of
life and death. The binding makes these hungry ghosts fu-
阎术

Merchants of the Brotherhood

Ah, fear not! He looks evil beyond re-
count – and most definitely is! – but
chains lighter than air and more re-
silient than Damascus steel bind him.
Ghosts need bonds made of payers and
hope, right? Give it time; you’ll get used
to him… just don’t get too close while

罗士
I’m asleep.

There, when he’s just spitting and slav-

ering, he’s not so bad, see. He doesn’t
talk for now, and I can’t tell you who
he was before death. He must be among
the lowest ranks of perdition, which
makes him want to hurt anything that
breathes – or that doesn’t breathe, ac-
tually: he once raged against the stat-
ue of a lion. But believe me, he hates
nothing as much as himself. He must’ve
done such horrible and degrading
things in life that he can’t cope

Silk Road
Subclasses
with the memories of his past
self; all that’s left of his soul is
rage and hunger.

But, at least, thanks to the guid-

ance and holy judgment of King Yán-
luó, this poor soul can do nothing else
but improve!

31
Merchants of the Brotherhood

Though few doubt the principle of just exchange, most un-

The Ars derstand the true nature of such exchange emerges case by
case thanks to the art of negotiation – the Ars Mercatoria or
Mercatoria art merchant – a practice requiring wits and guts as much
as any battle.
Negotiations, transactions, diplomacy, and manipulation
“Why even should we respect the laws of just exchange are all fundamental parts of being a Guardian Merchant
when those who oppose us will do anything to take seeking to uphold the Road’s magical balance and avoid
what they covet? I, too, have taken millennia to an- ancient and sacred artifacts falling into the hands of those
swer this question! Just exchange is what allows us to who wish nothing but sorrow and death. Sometimes, the
maintain cosmic balance in every action. See, this sword determines the outcomes of the Brotherhood’s ac-
principle leads us to Enlightenment and allows us to tions; more often, the path to victory lies in bold words
be Guardians… you of the great Road and the Celes- and refined arguments, which may cut deeper than the
tial Empire, and me of all treasures hidden therein. sharpest blade.
But how can we define which exchange is “just”? Ah, Besides, many powerful entities inhabiting the Road and
here is where the ancient art of negotiation comes into the Celestial Empire would never bother to face humans
play…” in battle, while others surpass humanity by such degrees
of magnitude to make the outcomes of physical confron-
Fú Zàng, the elder dragon Guardian of Hidden tation obvious. But few magical creatures disdain good
Treasures, debating with the High Negotiator conversation and despise rhetorical skills. Few creatures
of the Brotherhood of Guardian Merchants. are unaware of the power behind words and disdain the
The Ars
Mercatoria

dedication to the philosophy of just exchange practiced by

The Brotherhood welcomes into its ranks the bravest war- Merchant Guardians. While engaging these otherworldly
riors, wisest mystics, and mightiest enchanters who travel powers and on many more mundane occasions, the prac-
the Silk Road. However, following the order’s principles tice of Ars Mercatoria is the sharpest weapon in the Broth-
makes Guardian Merchants, first and foremost, merchants. erhood’s arsenal.

32
 Merchants of the Brotherhood
Ars Mercatoria Challenge
The Ars Mercatoria is a challenge between two factions, one comprising the player Supporting a Spokesperson
characters and the other including one or more NPCs or creatures. The challenge During an Ars Mercatoria
involves a series of opposed ability checks over several rounds, using the rules for
contests. The goal of each faction is to win three contests first. Challenge

An Ars Mercatoria challenge takes place as follows: Differently from the standard procedure
for ability checks, during an Ars Mercato-
1) At the start of each round, the two factions choose a spokesperson to make ria challenge, you can’t collaborate nor use
the ability check. the Help action to give your spokesperson
advantage on their ability check. During
2) Each spokesperson secretly chooses the skill they intend to use, selecting it the negotiation, advantage derives mainly
among those available. Each faction can use each available skill only once from the skills you play. However, spokes-
during an Ars Mercatoria challenge. persons can always rely on their Astral
Influence, telling the GM how and why they
3) The spokespersons simultaneously reveal the skill they chose. Depending on plan to activate it to gain advantage, as
the skills played, one of the two spokespersons may gain advantage during described in the next section (Starchosen).
the contest, as described below:
In addition, each background in Marco Polo’s
$ Insight has advantage against Deception.

The Ars
Mercatoria
Legacy grants characters a privilege called
$ Deception has advantage against Intimidation. Ars Mercatoria Privilege: a unique trait that
$ Intimidation has advantage against Persuasion. a character can use during negotiation,
$ Persuasion has advantage against Insight. and which can’t be used again until the
character completes a short or long rest.
These privileges are diverse, but many let
you intervene in the challenge even if you
aren’t the spokesperson, helping out the
primary negotiator.

You can find the description and mechanics

of the four Ars Mercatoria Privileges usa-
ble by the pre-generated characters of the
introductory adventure The Tiger and the
Abyssal Pagoda on their character sheets.

33
Merchants of the Brotherhood

4) The spokespersons make their opposed ability checks If a character isn’t proficient in one or more of these skills,
using the skills they chose, applying all appropriate they can still use it during an Ars Mercatoria challenge,
modifiers and possibly having advantage on the roll. making a normal ability check without adding the profi-
Whoever has the higher check total gains 1 Negoti- ciency bonus.
ation Point. If a contest results in a tie, the spokes-
persons immediately reroll the dice, with the same
conditions, until one wins the check. Ars Mercatoria or Ability Check?

5) The round ends. If one of the factions has obtained Ars Mercatoria challenges don’t replace the conversations
3 Negotiation Points, they win, ending the challenge that take place between player characters and NPCs, nor
and moving on to point 7. Otherwise, continue to normal ability checks in social contexts. Instead, a challenge
point 6. should be a crucial and exciting moment of your session;
think of it as a type of combat. You’ll need to use them spar-
6) New round: the factions select a new spokesperson, ingly and in the right moments. These moments involve
who can be the same as the last round. Repeat the transactions over magical objects, discussions with super-
steps described from point 2. natural creatures, or delicate diplomatic negotiations. That
being said, your group is free to use the rules for Ars Merca-
7) After one faction’s victory, determine the Margin of toria whenever you have fun doing so.
Victory (MoV), given by the difference between the
Victory Points of the winning faction and those of
the losing faction. So, you can win (or lose!) an Ars
The Ars
Mercatoria

Mercatoria challenge by a MoV 1 (winning 3-2), a

MoV 2 (winning 3-1), or MoV 3 (winning 3-0). The
higher the margin, the greater the positive effects of
the victory.

The effects of the MoV depend on the type of challenge:

you’ll find two examples in the adventure The Tiger and the
Abyssal Pagoda.

Skills and Ars Mercatoria

The base skills you can use in an Ars Mercatoria challenge

are four: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persua-
sion. If a character isn’t proficient in one or more of these
skills, they can still use it during an Ars Mercatoria chal-
lenge, making a normal ability check without adding the
proficiency bonus.
As usual, the GM may let players use their proficiencies
for different checks; for example, if a spokesperson tries to
intimidate their opponents using physical force, the GM
may let them benefit from their Intimidation proficiency
and make a Strength (Intimidation) check.
In addition to the four base skills, each Ars Mercatoria
challenge includes one (and only one!) additional skill.
This skill and its ability – typically Intelligence (Arcana,
History, or Religion) – defines the main topic of the nego-
tiation and is proposed by the players or given by the GM
based on the situation. Unlike base skills, the additional skill
34 doesn’t give advantage to either player characters or oppo-
nents, regardless of which other skill it’s paired against dur-
ing a contest.
 Merchants of the Brotherhood
Example

Your party stands before a húxiān, a benevolent fox spir- reveal the chosen skills, neither has advantage. The dice
it, a transcendental creature whose kind has often crossed roll, modifiers are added, and the fox obtains a total of 15,
paths with the Brotherhood. Foxes are powerful and wise while the barbarian obtains a total of 10: the fox wins this
beings, shapeshifters and enchanters; many are benevo- contest, gaining 1 Negotiation Point (1-1).
lent, some deadly dangerous. All think in ways that are The barbarian steps forward, truculent: “Enough, we’ve
challenging for mortals to grasp. no time to lose… The instrument is here. Speak, or else…”
The fox guards an object of boundless power: the Yù “Human, you shall cease this unsavory display if you wish
pipa, a legendary string instrument that can control the to continue negotiating. You are guests in my domain, and
weather. You approach the fox, pleading for its assistance. I demand you behave accordingly,” the fox retorts, under-
Using violence would be senseless: it would violate the standing that the barbarian’s threats are groundless.
Brotherhood’s code, as well as the ancient peace treaty be-
tween humans and foxes. Besides, all foxes can disappear Round 3
in the blink of an eye, and it’s only by her grace that she Your warlock begins to speak, wanting to bring the con-
is now visible. versation back on track: she chooses Intelligence (Reli-
You formally convey an Ars Mercatoria challenge to the gion) as her skill. The fox chooses the same, and there is
fox, explaining why you desire the artifact and what you no advantage in the ensuing contests. The warlock ob-

The Ars
Mercatoria
offer in exchange. The fox accepts, mindful of the pact of tains a total of 13, and the fox 12: the warlock wins the
friendship that binds her to the Brotherhood. contest, if barely! 2 to 1 for your group.
The challenge begins. The skills allowed are the four “Noble fox, please forgive my hard-headed companion. We
base skills (Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion), are well aware of your exalted dignity and of the Yù pipa’s
plus a fifth skill proposed by you and accepted by the value. If I am not mistaken, it was entrusted to you centuries
GM; it will be Intelligence (Religion), considering the ago by the illustrious Fú Zàng, Guardian of Hidden Treas-
type of negotiation and the artifact’s holy status. You may ures?” the warlock cuts in.
use each skill only once. “I see you are not wholly ignorant about the history of that
which you seek… I am impressed,” answers the fox.
Round 1
Your party’s monk takes the lead as spokesperson, secret- Round 4
ly choosing Wisdom (Insight) since he wants to under- Your warlock remains the spokesperson and decides
stand the fox’s true intentions; also secretly, the fox choos- to be sincere, using Charisma (Persuasion), but the fox
es Charisma (Deception), wanting to downplay the relic’s moves to the offensive with Charisma (Intimidation).
worth. When the abilities are revealed, your companion Intimidation has advantage against Persuasion! But your
has advantage on the opposed check. The monk rolls a companion is lucky: her total result is 17, while the fox’s
total of 18 and the fox a total of 15: the monk wins the total, even with advantage, is only 9. 3 to 1 for your party,
contest and gains 1 Negotiation Point. who wins the contest and the entire challenge.
“My dear Merchants, I fear someone has spread false rum- “If you know what power echoes through the melody of this
ors on my behalf. I lost the Yù pipa to Karaunas marauders instrument, you should also know it was used once to make
during the Mongolian invasion. Now, I am but a hum- the Yellow River flood, bringing uncountable deaths and
ble…” the fox says. suffering. Why should I then trust you? Are you better than
“My lady, you diminish your splendor. One needs but to others who crave the pipa?” the fox hisses, looming forward
stand in your presence to perceive the holy aura that radiates and baring her teeth.
from your home: I am sure the instrument we seek is here”, The warlock drops to her knees: “My lady, I know not
replies the monk. whether we are better than others. But I know our goals are
just: we wish to use the Yù pipa to breach the storm and
Round 2 shadow veil hiding the stronghold of the wizards of Dilivar,
Your group’s barbarian takes the lead, wanting to in- to end their raiding once and for all”, she says sincerely.
timidate the fox by leaning into his stature and physique The fox nods, satisfied. With a Margin of Victory of 2 35
and using Strength (Intimidation); instead, the fox wants (3-1), she hands over the relic in exchange for one rare
to assess how much your group is willing to sacrifice to magical object and the promise to return the pipa once
obtain the pipa and uses Wisdom (Insight). When you the deed is done.
 猛渊
虎之
与塔
深
The Tiger and
the Abyssal Pagoda
Chapter 03
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

Game Master Advice

The Tiger and
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda contains five main scenes
the Abyssal Pagoda and a conclusion. Each scene is described in a relatively lin-
ear fashion. But, as always in roleplaying games, the charac-
ters’ actions will give each scene a unique flow. We’ve includ-
This introductory adventure is the prologue to the events ed a section containing advice for the GM at the end of each
covered by Marco Polo’s Legacy: Road to the Celestial Empire’s scene to aid them in adapting or expanding the scene based
campaign; it sets up the dark threat that looms over the Silk on player choices.
Road. Taking place before the main story, it has fixed play- We recommend the GM familiarize with these sections be-
er characters: four skilled Guardian Merchants on a secret fore starting play.
mission.
They are:

ì Amalric d’Auvergne, templar exile (barbarian), a If the name of a monster or NPC type is in bold, their sheets are
headstrong warrior sent eastward by Marco Polo him- contained in the SRD – OGL. Monster and NPC types created for
self. Marco Polo’s Legacy have an asterisk (*) after their name, and you
can find their sheets in the Appendix.
ì Fǎ Fēiyán, of the pact of the Ten Kings (warlock),
refined and compassionate but tempered by her past
as a martial artist.
Introductory Adventure

ì Nilüfer of Samarkand, shadow master (rogue), a Introduction for the Players

brave and methodical adventurer, always searching for
treasures. You’ve been traveling with a caravan of about fifty people
and many animals along a secondary branch of the Silk
ì Zhào Yíng, a student of internal alchemy (monk), Road, crossing the easternmost reaches of the Desert of Lob
a kind and quiet man who has dedicated his life to towards Etzina, at the rugged periphery of the immense Ce-
hunting down evil. lestial Empire. As usual, you travel under the guise of sim-
ple merchants. Your goal is to reach a caravanserai, a sort
These four Merchants will discover they are a lone bulwark of “inn” or post station for caravans, called the Flaming
against the horror lurking beneath the sands of the Desert of Tortoise, located north along the Road in a remote region
Lob, waiting to be awakened. bordering the desert.
Your orders to reach the Flaming Tortoise come from High
Negotiator Zhū himself, one of the elders and masters of
Narrative Inserts and Group the Brotherhood. Fragments of information describe fren-
Scenes zied activities by the Thunder Tigers, a bloodthirsty sect that
worships the demon Qióngqí. This sect seeks to lay hands
This book offers an immersive recounting of the magical on a certain Shàng Gāo, a former Thunder Tiger who dis-
Silk Road, as told by Marco Polo and other authors. In the appeared months ago after stealing something of great value
adventure, you’ll find boxes containing italicized text, num- from his brethren…
bered scene by scene. These optional narrative inserts add Some secret reports sent to the High Negotiator suggest
action-packed descriptions to your scenes; they can help that Gāo traveled to the edge of the Desert of Lob, near the
you create the ideal atmosphere for Marco Polo’s Legacy. Flaming Tortoise. Your goal is to investigate the validity of
However, they are not fixed moments in your story: you these claims and, should they be true, detain Gāo and the
can adapt them to your needs and the specific situations objects he stole before they both fall back into the hands of
around your table. You can paraphrase or ignore the inserts, the Thunder Tigers.
though we recommend GMs read them at least once to gain
storytelling tips. The main text notes (in italics and between
parentheses) when you might read or paraphrase these inserts.
38 Group Scenes are a particular, cinematographic way to re-
solve specific action sequences, such as this adventure’s Con-
clusion scene. They are structured around a series of checks,
group checks, or other dice rolls interspersed with narrative
inserts. This approach to play is purely optional: you can
always decide how you prefer to approach a scene.
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
Background for the Game Adventure Structure
Master
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda includes five scenes and one
Even the High Negotiator is unaware of the true extent conclusion.
of the lurking danger. Months ago, fortuitous occult dis-
coveries led Shàng Gāo to find the prison of the great $ Scene 1, Shadow and Sand. The characters travel to-
Thoroughly Odd, the Peril Qióngqí. Craving the fell ti- wards their destination when the Shadow Snakes, a
ger’s power, Gāo stole large amounts of funds and three band of Karaunas marauders, attack them.
artifacts associated with Qióngqí, which were once part of
the demon’s armaments and had become heirlooms of the $ Scene 2, The Flaming Tortoise. Having reached
Thunder Tiger sect. These relics are vital to performing a their destination, the characters must unmask Shàng
long liberation ritual, unleashing the Peril upon the Silk Gāo’s accomplice to recover an amulet allowing en-
Road. trance into Qióngqí’s prison.
With a small band of loyal servants, Gāo traveled to the
demon’s prison and hired marauders and bandits of the $ Scene 3, Treasurer Lóng. The earth dragon following
worst kind first to remove all travelers from the Flaming the characters reveals himself and casts an Ars Mer-
Tortoise and later control the roads leading to the caravan- catoria challenge to decide who will lay claim to the
serai, defending them from anyone. Then, Gāo and his men relics once they are recovered.
opened their way into the Qióngqí’s prison, a great pagoda
buried under millennia of sand and earth, cemented into $ Scene 4, The Descent. The characters must survive
the steep hill looming over the caravanserai. the dangerous descent through the nine floors of the

Introductory Adventure
From what was once the pagoda’s ground floor, one access- sacred pagoda that imprisons Qióngqí, avoiding or
es the cavern beneath, the actual prison of the great tiger. defeating Shàng Gāo’s cronies.
There, amid the darkness, for weeks Shàng Gāo has per-
formed rituals catalyzed by the relics of Qióngqí; the time $ Scene 5, The Tiger and the Dragon. The characters
of the great fiend’s liberation is near. discover the true horror lurking below the pagoda and
The situation is desperate, but fortunately, the characters come to a showdown with Shàng Gāo.
are not the only ones tracking the relics stolen by Shàng
Gāo: “treasurer” Lóng, an earth dragon and disciple of the $ Conclusion, Escape from the Abyss. Having secured
elder dragon Fú Zàng, has been shadowing the heroes, de- one of Qióngqí’s relics, the characters must escape the
ciding if they are worthy of his help. The characters might prison, a horde of chīmèi demons hot in pursuit.
gain a powerful ally if they play their cards well.

39
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

If the group decides to face the four marauders of sand

Scene 1: and shadow* (1.3) in the open, they can do so, but as long
as they are out in the storm, each character takes 1 slashing
Shadow and Sand damage at the end of their turn and has disadvantage on
attack rolls because of the whirling sands. The marauders,
however, don’t suffer from these harmful effects.
This scene begins when a sudden sandstorm hits the char-
acter’s caravan. In the storm, the characters must survive a
Karauanas raid before continuing their quest. 1.2 Shelter
To open the scene, you may read or paraphrase insert 1.1.
The sands strike like whips while, breathlessly, you reach
safety. The wind howls and claws at your shelter, but
1.1 The Karaunas Attack the stone and rock somehow protect you. You’re pressed
against a large, rocky outcrop with boulders and mi-
Sand lashes out against you, striking, raking, blinding. nor ridges forming a barren ravine. The remains of a
Ocre whirlwinds dance madly about and are lost to the two-story building cling to the rocks as if resisting the pull
raging wind. of the wind.

Visibility is scarce, and your mounts are far too wide- The marauders of sand and shadow* are closing in on the
spread for comfort. The storms struck out of nowhere, party, and the sandstorm cloaks their movements. A char-
taking you by surprise. A foul omen. But your mission is acter can see them advancing and thus have time to prepare
01. Shadow

too critical to bow down before the crazed weather. You for the fight with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception)
must get your hands on Shàng Gāo before the Thunder check, made with disadvantage because of the low visibility.
Tigers reclaim him. If all characters fail the check, the party sees only two figures
closing in and misses the other two enemies sneaking up
Screams behind you. between the boulders; these two enemies surprise the party
and

at the start of combat.

A camel, mad with fright and riderless, flashes by, leav- If at least one character succeeds on the Wisdom (Percep-
Sand

ing the trail and plunging into the swelling sands. Amid tion) check, the party notices all enemies and can prepare for
the shadows, you can barely make out deformed shapes the fight. They can reach the upper stories of the building
assailing your travel companions. Someone is attacking with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity
the caravan! (Acrobatics) check, or hide amid the rocks with a successful
DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check. At the start of combat, the
Having summoned a sandstorm through which they Shadow Snakes are surprised by each character who succeed-
move unhindered, a large band of Karaunas marauders, ed on one of these checks.
known as the Shadow Snakes, is tearing through the cara- When the characters are ready to fight, move on to insert
van. Facing them out in the open, amid the storm, is ter- 1.3.
ribly dangerous.
With a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, a
character notices a dilapidated building amid the whirlwind 1.3 Blades and Shadows
sands, little more than four crumbling walls nestled below a
rock outcrop by the side of the trail. It might provide shelter The shadows swell up and then reform in the shape of
when facing the marauders. marauders wearing sand-colored cloaks and clothing;
To reach it, a character must succeed on a DC 15 Wis- leather armor protects them, and you see the flash of
dom (Survival) check. On a successful check, they reach blades still wet with the blood of your fellow travelers.
the relative safety of the rocks (1.2); on a failed check, The taller one steps forth, with puffs of shadow billowing
they take 1 slashing damage caused by the scything sand from the cloth covering his face.
and can attempt a new check on their following turn. A
character who passed their check can choose to do more: The Shadow Snakes attack immediately, no questions
for each successful check, they can bring an ally or com- asked, using their special capabilities to strike the weakest
40 panion to safety; for each failed check, they take 1 slashing foes first. If Nilüfer uses her shadow master powers, the
damage. Snakes recognize her as another Karaunas and may exchange
scornful jests with her (1.4).
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
Nilüfer, being an ex-Karaunas, knows the Shadow Snakes $ Four pendants or earrings made of sand quartz, now
quite well and has access to all the information about them broken. These items were crafted by Sand Mages;
contained in the marauder’s sheet in the Appendix. thanks to them, the Shadow Snakes can move un-
threatened through sandstorms. The gems are tied to
their carrier’s life force and are useless. Still, each one
1.4 Rivals is worth 10 gp.

Nilüfer, the marauder who seems in charge looks at you The storm is finally over, and night approaches with its rig-
and laughs. id temperatures. The characters may want to perform some
activities before resting. Once they have done so, move on
“Ah, I see you, damned rat! For your head, my master to Scene 2.
shall cover me in gems… You, the folk of the Western
Sands, have always thought yourselves better than us,
boasting that the ancient art of shadows belongs to none Advice for the GM
but you. Let me show you what true shadow is.”
Below, you can find some suggestions for running Scene 1:
If the characters defeat the Shadow Snake Karaunas, they
find themselves alone as the storm begins to subside (1.5). o The characters must understand that their situation
will soon become desperate if they stay out in the
open. If asked, the GM can describe the penalties for
1.5 The Snake’s End fighting the marauders in the open.

01. Shadow
The Snake leader falls to his knees, hands pressed to a o During the storm, the characters may want to save
mortal wound. The storms begin to dim as if the desert other members of the caravan, using the rules de-
were tuned to the beating of his heart. Thin blades of scribed above for saving an ally or companion. Each
light slice through the dust as it settles on the ground. The person saved will gratefully donate 2d4 gp to the par-

and
main army of marauders has already fallen back. The ty. After the storm ends, leaving the shelter may lead
man fixes his gaze on you with a sneer, blood dripping to an encounter with 1d4 marauders of shadow and

Sand
from his mouth. sand*, the rear guard of the troops hired by Shàng
Gāo. However, venturing out lets the characters find
“Such a foolish end… but at least I know you now! Cursed 1d4 wounded commoners or scouts. A character can
Merchants. I should never have agreed to work for…” stabilize each wounded traveler with a successful DC
10 Wisdom (Medicine) check. In addition, by explor-
He drops, and the hissing wind makes the silence even ing the site of the attack, the party can recover goods
more deafening. Of your caravan, nothing remains. and animals with a total worth of 10d6 gp.

If the characters search the bodies of their fallen foes, they o If they act carefully, the characters might spare the
find these items: life of one of their foes, for example by capturing
them. If released, these captives promise friendship,
$ Four sabers. The saber is a martial melee weapon that gifting the items in their possession. They also reveal
deals 1d8 slashing damage, weighs 2 pounds, and has that a member of the Thunder Tigers hired them, but
the finesse property. they know little else about him besides that. Should
the prisoners be held captive, they’ll do all they can to
$ One potion of healing and one potion of climbing. escape and take vengeance on the characters.

$ Under his armor, the leader wears an unusual white o Depending on how the scene unfolds, the characters
tunic, perhaps made of metallic fiber. It’s a salamander should catch a glimpse of Lóng at the opportune mo-
robe, an uncommon wondrous item (requires attune- ment. It’s just an instant: the vague feeling of seeing
ment). While wearing it, you gain resistance to fire the figure of a well-dressed young man sitting on a
damage, and you and anything you wear or carry suf- rock spur or lost amid the evening’s shadows. Dream
fer no ill effects from temperatures up to 150 degrees. or ghost? Surely, he wasn’t a Shadow Snake! 41
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

2.1 Oasis and Ruins

Scene 2:
The well-trodden caravan path winds around one last
The Flaming Tortoise rocky spur, and the Flaming Tortoise caravanserai finally
appears before you. The one-story building is rectangu-
lar, with an ample courtyard in the center where plants
This scene takes place about one week after the clash with and trees grow, nourished by a well that draws water
the Shadow Snake Karaunas, when the characters finally from deep within the earth. The courtyard is rimmed
reach the Flaming Tortoise caravanserai, after benefitting with porticoes, which open onto two rows of rooms, now
from a long rest while traveling. In the caravanserai, they partially occupied by a motley crew of travelers and mer-
must discover Shàng Gāo’s accomplice and obtain a magic chandise. Beyond the structure, the road winds north up
medallion, the only key that can open the secret passage to a steep, rocky hill, on the top of which the remains of
Qióngqí’s prison. what might have once been a castle or temple cling.
Before starting the scene, the GM randomly determines
who among the main NPCs was replaced by a hideous When you are near, you immediately understand that
huàpíguı̌, a painted skin demon. To do so, roll 1d6 and something isn’t right. A fraction of the people you would
check the result: expect to find now occupy the caravanserai, especially
considering it is one of the last waystations before the trek
to Etzina. Three figures exit the double doors leading to
NPC Replaced by the Demon the courtyard, clad in chain shirts and wielding shields
and spears.
02. The Flaming Tortoise

d6 Personaggio

1-2 Yesugen “Who goes there?” they ask cautiously.

3-4 Shiramun
The characters are greeted by the dour and distrustful
5-6 Pú Xiè.
gazes of three armed guards; the caravanserai’s guests fear
they might be bandits or worse. The characters can reas-
sure the guards with a successful DC 12 Charisma (Per-
Having done so, define which of the remaining NPCs is suasion) check, perhaps describing their encounter with
secretly working with Shàng Gāo: you can roll 1d6, asso- the Karauans.
ciating the results of 1, 2, and 3 with one NPC and 4, 5, The characters reach the Flaming Tortoise around midday
and 6 with the other. The NPC that remains unassigned is and thus have about half a day left to explore the location
potentially a genuine and sincere ally. and interact with its guests. It’s easy to discover that those
To open the scene, you may read or paraphrase insert 2.1. who occupy the building are mostly survivors of various

42
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
caravans who were on their way to Etzina and Karakorum $ There are clear signs of violence in the rooms and area
in the north or southbound towards the main branch of the immediately around the caravanserai, but they are at
Silk Road leading east. The survivors arrived in small groups, least several weeks old. It looks more like a massacre
each with a new tragedy to tell, many of which are dense than a battle.
with unnatural shadows and whirling sands. This small ref-
ugee community now crowds the caravanserai in search of Specific questions about Shàng Gāo or the Thunder Ti-
protection, occupying many of the rooms on the eastern and gers only lead to dour gazes and warding gestures against
northern sides of the building. evil. Questions about odd events around the caravanserai
Three charismatic individuals stand out among the group are met by bewildered gazes as though the situation weren’t
of survivors: odd enough as is. The survivors living in the Flaming Tor-
toise continue to be challenging to talk to and tend to direct
ì Yesugen of Karakorum, whose small company led the characters towards one of their three leaders: Yesugen,
three golden eagles trained for hunting, as a gift be- Shiramun, and Xiè.
tween Yuan aristocrats. Yesugen is a woman hardened
by life out in the open, an expert rider and archer.
She’s direct and doesn’t mince words. Ally, Traitor, or Demon?
ì Shiramun of Etzina, a merchant of precious woods, This scene’s goal is to figure out who among Yesugen, Shi-
traveled with many men, animals, and even several ramun, and Xiè is secretly in league with Shàng Gāo while
two-wheeled carts to carry his goods. He’s a large and avoiding the danger posed by the huàpíguǐ. Below, you’ll
jovial man, if somewhat hot-tempered. find a general description of what the Traitor, Demon, and

02. The Flaming Tortoise

Ally might be up to, which the GM can adapt to the situ-
ì Pú Xiè, the agent of merchants from Khanbaliq, was ation.
overseeing a cargo of rhubarb and other miraculous The Traitor. The Traitor arrived at the Flaming Tortoise
herbs with a small but well-armed escort. He’s a tall, several months ago with Shàng Gāo and his mercenaries
lithe man, precise and terse, and looks more like a and witnessed the massacre that took place. The Traitor re-
scholar than a merchant. mained in the caravanserai as an informant, mingling with
the refugees who fled the violence unleashed by the Shadow
The remaining survivors are about thirty individuals be- Snake Karaunas and other marauders. The Traitor reports
tween scouts, guards, nobles, and commoners. Even after to the camp deep within Qióngqí’s prison once a week and
allowing the characters within the caravanserai, the people has orders to report immediately should suspicious travelers
remain guarded and quiet, like folk with a reason for fear. start snooping around. The Traitor knows the location of
Interacting with them and observing the situation, the char- the hidden entrance into the pagoda and holds a Thunder
acters can gain the following insights (any potential checks Tiger amulet that opens its sigil.
are left to the GM’s judgment): The following interactions might take place with the Trai-
tor:
$ Combining various tales, it seems clear that someone
is trying to cut the Flaming Tortoise out of the Silk $ While conversing, the Traitor tries to learn all they
Road’s network, stopping any from reaching it… or can about the characters, pretending to be curious or
leaving. cautious.

$ Some survivors swear they saw twisted figures squat- $ A character conversing with the Traitor can sense
ting around the hill at night. All animals are brought something isn’t right with a successful DC 15 Wis-
into the courtyard after dark for safety, and the doors dom (Insight) check. Questioning the Traitor about
are well-barred. this will make them scared and defensive.

$ Despite these precautions, several persons have disap- $ On the first night after the characters arrive, the Trai-
peared during the past few weeks. Taken by the desert, tor stealthily leaves the caravanserai from a side door
most say. But nobody really wants to know. by the main entrance, planning to go report on them.

$ About a week ago, a fierce argument occurred con- The Demon. The creature is a huàpíguı̌*, or a paint- 43
cerning the disappearance of a flask of excellent plum ed-skin demon. This fiendish creature can shapeshift into
wine. anyone by wearing their flayed skin after painting upon it
with special brushes. It finds itself at the Flaming Tortoise
by chance: it took its current shape months ago and contin-
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

ued to play the part after recruiting new travel companions. The Ally. They led the first group of survivors to reach the
The Silk Road’s length, with its many stopping points, pro- Flaming Tortoise. They are exactly who they claim to be
vided countless opportunities to feast upon human hearts, and, under the right circumstances, are more than happy
but this forced stop at the caravanserai has now made the to aid the characters, especially in trying to save the survi-
creature restless, reckless, and famished. vors. However, this potential ally is wary and scared, hav-
The following interactions might take place with the De- ing understood some of what’s happening. In the past, they
mon: crossed paths with the world or martial and occult sects and
quickly recognized the characters as part of one. After reach-
$ The huàpíguı̌ hungers for a new victim: someone ap- ing the caravanserai, the Ally explored the ruins on the top
parently weak who can be isolated from their com- of the hill and discovered the sealed entrance to the pagoda,
panions. A character who observes the Demon with a even recognizing the symbols on the seal as belonging to the
successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices Thunder Tigers. The Ally suspects this sect is responsible for
that it paces constantly from room to room, eying this the attacks on the Silk Road. The Ally has a low opinion of
or that survivor with a suspicious gleam in its eyes. the Traitor (too nosey) and the Demon (too creepy), and
happily helps the group unmask them.
$ A character who converses with the huàpíguı̌ can But, before receiving information and aid, the characters
notice that its tales are somewhat disconnected, as must convince the Ally of their good faith with a successful
though parts were missing, with a successful DC 14 Ars Mercatoria challenge. The challenge has these features:
Wisdom (Insight) check. It’s also trying to end the
conversation as quickly as possible. $ The Ally’s total skill modifiers for the negotiation are
Deception +2, Insight +4, Intimidation +2, Persua-
02. The Flaming Tortoise

$ A character who examines the huàpíguı̌’s rooms finds sion +2.

strange brushes but no paper to use them on, with
a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigate) check. $ The additional skill used depends on which NPC is
With a further successful DC 15 Intelligence (History the Ally: Nature for Yesugen, History for Shiramun,
or Arcana) check, a character guesses that the Demon and Arcana for Xiè. The total modifier for these skills
is a painted-skin demon. is always +4.

$ On the first night after the characters arrive, the $ If the party wins the challenge (regardless of the Mar-
huàpíguı̌ roams the caravanserai and surrounding gin of Victory), the NPC becomes an actual ally, re-
area, searching for victims. When the Traitor leaves vealing all they know and lending their hand.
the building to report to Shàng Gāo, the huàpíguı̌
follows and attacks them. If the characters don’t in- $ If the party loses the challenge, the Ally doesn’t trust
tervene, the Demon kills the Traitor, eating their them, and the characters must find Shàng Gāo’s traces
heart and hiding the body in a ravine; the Demon by exploring the hill themselves.
also claims the Thunder Tiger medallion, sensing its
power if not its specific purpose.
Advice for the GM
$ The huàpíguı̌ remains in human form when on the
hunt, but once it thinks it’s not seen, its movements Below, you can find some suggestions for running Scene 2:
lose all pretense of humanity. However, it only reveals
its full demonic nature after being struck once (2.2). o This scene is purposefully left open, and we encour-
age the GM to add details, NPCs, and connections.
However, the crucial point is to focus the attention on
2.2 The Huàpíguı̌ Revealed Yesugen, Shirmanun, and Xiè so the party can even-
tually catch the Traitor or at least recover the amulet.
The thing before you should be a person, but it has noth-
ing of the human. Fiendish eyes, fangs, its maw bent o The characters may want to explore the area around
into a wicked grin. The thing raises its hooked hands to the Flaming Tortoise, including the hill with its ru-
the palace where you struck it: the gash looks more like ins. If they do so, they may discover additional traces
44 torn cloth than a wound. Fingers prod the tear and rip, of the massacre that took place and of Shàng Gāo’s
tearing it open with a wet and sickening sound, revealing whereabouts. Finding the secret entrance to Qióngqí’s
the monsters cloaked in human skin. prison on the hilltop, a trapdoor on the floor covered
with a magically sealed slab of rock, requires a success-
ful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Though
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
the entrance was used recently, the only way to open
its seals is by using the Traitor’s amulet. Scene 3:
o The hillside to the north, towards the desert, is very Treasurer Lóng
steep. Characters notice small fissures and tunnels on
the hillside with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Per-
ception) check. They are too small for humans, but In this scene, the characters finally meet the mysterious fig-
characters can discover traces of tiny, clawed feet with ure shadowing them: Lóng, a spirited “treasurer” who chal-
a DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check. These traces are lenges to party to an Ars Mercatoria duel, with ownership
limited to the hill and don’t come near the caravanse- of the Thunder Tiger’s treasure on the line.
rai. They were made by chīmèi, minor demons bound Before the actual negotiation, Lóng tests the characters
to Qióngqí’s prison. one last time. While traveling up the hill with the Thunder
Tiger’s amulet, the characters may make a DC 15 Wisdom
o If the characters ignore the concerned advice from (Survival) check. On a successful check, the party finds a
other survivors and explore the hill at night, they new set of tracks left by silken slippers; they lead around the
may meet a band of 1d4 chīmèi*. These small mon- hill along a rocky path from which ancient ruins are visible
sters crawl through the secret tunnels from the caverns across a ravine. Soon after, the party finds a small cave where
below to the hillside and attack animals and people. Lóng awaits, made ecstatic by their success. If the characters
They can’t leave the hill, however. don’t find the cave, Lóng awaits on the hilltop, still jovial
but less impressed.
o The huàpíguı̌ is a clear threat to all those in the Flam- In both cases, you can read or paraphrase excerpt 3.1.

03. Treasurer Lóng

ing Tortoise. If the characters publicly unmask it, the
many guards and other NPCs will attack it, making
combat superfluous. If the DC 15 Intelligence (Ar- 3.1 An Unexpected Encounter
cana or History) check to discover the creature’s true
nature succeeds by at least 5 points (rolling a total of You see a young man garbed in official robes sitting on a
20 or more), the GM may reveal that any successful rock, his features shadowed. He smokes a pipe and smiles,
attack against the creature causes the demon to drop waiting.
its disguise (2.2).
“Peace, Merchants of the Brotherhood! We meet at last.
o While playing this scene, the GM should provide an- I’ve followed your adventures with interest. But where
other glimpse of Lóng, the earth dragon in human are my manners: would you care for a pipe or some saf-
form who follows the characters. This young man fron wine? I am… treasurer Lóng.” The young man
dressed in formal attire appears when least expected, smiles as if he made a joke. With a flick of his wrist, he
inside or around the caravanserai, always in odd and empties his pipe into an earthenware bowl.
hard-to-reach places like a roof or a far-off sand dune.
He is always smiling and disappears after an instant. “Don’t look at me like that! It’s easy to guess who you are:
shadow manipulation, ghost summoning, and so forth.
o If the characters don’t act, the huàpíguı̌ kills the Trai- Only the Brotherhood boasts such… variety. Before you
tor and takes the amulet. However, this disappearance draw your weapons, you should know I’m here on the
is hard to miss, and the characters are likely to inves- same quest as you: to recover a treasure suddenly within
tigate. With a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) reach. But don’t fret. I don’t plan to hinder you; it’s quite
check, followed by a successful DC 12 Intelligence the opposite. You know old Fú Zàng, I believe? He is my
(Investigation) check, the characters find first the master, and I have no desire to create any fuss for him.
place where the murder took place and the victim’s Of course, there is the small issue of who, at the end of
body, and then strips of cloth corresponding to the it all, shall claim the treasures of the Thunder Tigers.
clothing worn by the huàpíguı̌. Further developments Considering our roles, there is but one way to settle this.”
are left to the GM.
Lóng becomes serious.

“I challenge you to a duel in the ancient art of nego- 45

tiation, as behooves the sacred principles guiding your
illustrious organization.”

A cheeky grin crinkles his face.

The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

“As though you didn’t train for this day and night! I $ In addition, Lóng can use the Ars Mercatoria privilege
promise I’ll be worth your time… worst case, you’ll gain Tricks of the Trade once per challenge; thanks to it, he
the friendship and respect of the illustrious bureaucracy can cause the opposing spokesperson’s roll to have dis-
dedicated to guarding the earth’s hidden treasures. What advantage. Lóng can wait to see what skills are played
topic would you prefer? May I suggest religion or the oc- before using this privilege but must decide to use it
cult arts? before making the opposed checks.

The outcome of this challenge depends on the Margin of

Lóng (whose very name means “dragon”) is a dìlóng or Victory:
earth dragon, though he won’t reveal his true nature until
the end of this adventure. He is a young (for a dragon!) $ MoV 3 for the characters. Lóng is deeply struck by
official who serves the wise and ancient dragon Fú Zàng, your eloquence; he never guessed humans could be
Guardian of Hidden Treasures – a benevolent being with such skilled negotiators! As a token of his admiration,
immense powers who has often crossed paths with the he gives you 1 potion of heroism and 1 potion of climb-
Brotherhood. Fú Zàng received some of the same rumors ing, in addition to 4 positions of darkvision. The last are
that convinced High Negotiator Zhū to send the characters common wondrous items that grant darkvision up to
to the Flaming Tortoise and likewise chose to send a repre- 60 feet for 1 hour. If a character already has darkvi-
sentative to claim Shàng Gāo’s treasure. sion, this potion extends its range by 60 feet. Finally,
Unlike the High Negotiator, Lóng also knows what the Lóng agrees that the Brotherhood will take possession
treasure consists of, and he shares this information with the of all three relics.
characters. They are relics sacred to Qióngqí: the demon’s
03. Treasurer Lóng

horned helm, scale armor, and greataxe. Powerful items cap- $ MoV 2 for the characters. Though he notes some im-
tured by the Thunder Tigers centuries ago and now, sudden- perfections in your arguments, Lóng is still impressed.
ly, within reach. However, Lóng doesn’t know that the relics He gives you 1 potion of climbing and 4 positions of
were brought here to free Qióngqí; hence, the young treas- darkvision. Finally, Lóng agrees that the Brotherhood
urer treats the situation like an exciting and lighthearted will take possession of two relics.
treasure hunt, a breath of fresh air after centuries of working
for his master’s underground bureaucracy. $ MoV 1 for the characters. It was close, and Lóng re-
Lóng was tasked with assisting any Guardian Merchants spects your skills. He gives you 4 potions of darkvision.
he encountered after negotiating the division of the treas- Finally, Lóng agrees that the Brotherhood will take
ure. The characters clearly understand that they stand before possession of two relics.
some supernatural being who knows the Brotherhood well.
Characters who make a successful DC 10 Intelligence (His- $ Victory for Lóng, regardless of MoV. As expected,
tory) check also know that the supernatural beings who of- humans could not compete with Lóng’s skills as a ne-
ten collaborate with the Brotherhood are foxes and dragons. gotiator. However, the treasurer must recognize your
Between these two, it is more likely for Lóng to be a dragon, bravery in accepting the challenge. He gracefully gives
considering he works for the Guardian of Hidden Treasures, you 4 potions of darkvision. However, Lóng insists that
but the treasurer won’t reveal anything else about himself. his office will take possession of two of the three relics.
Be that as it may, the terms of the challenge are clear and
binding: the outcome will determine how the treasure will $ Rejecting the challenge or attacking Lóng. The
be divided. When the characters are ready, the Ars Mercato- treasure is indignant for such a lack of respect. He
ria challenge can begin: melts into the earth, disappearing with no further
comment.
$ Lóng’s total skill modifiers for the negotiation are
Deception +4, Insight +6, Intimidation +4, Persua- After the negotiation, you may end Scene 3 with narrative
sion +7. insert 3.2.

$ The characters can decide which additional skill to

use; this will be the main topic of the debate. Lóng has 3.2 Into the Earth’s Embrace
a total +7 modifier in the Religion and Arcana skills
46 (the ones he suggested as topics for the discussion) “Well, that was that!” Lóng stands and, with a fluid
and a total +4 modifier in Nature and History. No wrist motion, conceals his pipe within his ample sleeves.
other additional skill options are allowed. If the char- “Now, let us find our treasure… fear not, I’ll watch your
acters don’t choose his favorite topics, Lóng is visibly back.” He smiles a greedy grin before disappearing into the
disappointed but accepts nonetheless. earth as though melting away.
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
04. The Descent
Advice for the GM
Scene 4:
Below, you can find some suggestions for running Scene 3:
The Descent
o During the challenge, play on Lóng’s carefree and flip-
pant personality. There is something cat-like about him;
he is clever but prone to distractions. This might not In this scene, the characters must brave the nine floors of
seem like the best moment to stop and negotiate, but the enormous subterranean pagoda, now Qióngqí’s prison,
for the dragon, a bureaucrat at heart, it’s crucial to do passing the fiend’s cultists camped on the fifth floor.
so before proceeding. He is also excited to be in contact To open the scene, you can read or paraphrase excerpt 4.1
with humans after being stuck in his office for so long! when the characters near the hidden trapdoor with the mag-
ical medallion.
o Lóng won’t force the characters to accept his challenge,
but he’ll let them know what he thinks of them if they
refuse a legitimate and proper challenge. 4.1 The Descent Begins

o If the characters reach the entrance to Qióngqí’s pris- The symbols painted on the stone glow and flicker, and
on with one or more other NPCs, Lóng won’t reveal then begin to dim, almost fading away. You hear a re-
himself. He does so only once the characters are far lease and can now lift the stone slab. Below, after a six-
from prying eyes and might suggest so by appearing foot drop, you see a dusty pavement covered in footfalls.
briefly to one of the Merchants. However, the perfect You lower yourselves easily and discover a square room,
moment might not arrive: if so, Scene 3 doesn’t take with a tiny window in the center of each wall, blocked
place, and Lóng appears for the first time at the start and overflowing with dry earth. It seems to be the floor
of Scene 5. of some underground structure: the architecture recalls
that of a temple, but it’s old… very old. A large column,
o After the challenge, Lóng is happy to cast greater res- about six feet in diameter, stands in the room’s center;
toration or mass cure wounds on the characters, should around it, the floor is cracked and marred by several
they need it. fissures. The largest of these opens onto a tunnel wide
enough for you to use, starting your descent towards the
o If the characters haven’t explored the hilltop yet, Lóng earth’s bowels. 47
shows them the hidden entrance before disappearing
into the rock. If the characters refuse his challenge,
they must find the entrance themselves with a success-
ful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check, which
can be repeated once per hour.
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

The Peril’s Prison The only way onward is the tunnel leading into darkness.
The descent requires caution, and each character must pass
The underground structure was once a colossal nine-story a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to avoid slips, scrapes, and
pagoda, built in times forgotten above the cavern where the bruises while descending. On a failed save, a character takes
Peril and his army of chīmèi are sealed. As the millennia 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
passed, the building was forgotten and was progressively The true challenge begins near the fifth floor, where Shàng
claimed by desert sands, which eventually compacted into Gāo’s cronies are camped.
the hill overlooking the caravanserai.
Most of the pagoda’s nine floors are filled with pressed
sand, earth, and crumbling stonework, not to mention the Fifth Floor
remains of the wooden trappings that once lined the pago-
da’s rooms. This mass of detritus is crisscrossed by countless When the characters reach the sixth floor, sounds of conver-
small tunnels too small for a person, like an anthill: it’s the sation and eating become clearly audible. With a successful
work of the chīmèi living below, who constantly dig towards DC 11 Dexterity (Stealth) check, a character can slip down
the surface, though the seal holding Qióngqí also prevents the tunnel to where it opens onto the room below, along the
them from moving far from their prison. north wall right above the remains of a stone staircase. On a
Only one passage tunneling through the pagoda is large failed check, the men below hear the character approaching,
enough for the characters: it was carved over the past and one of the cultists comes to investigate.
months by Shàng Gāo and his men, who dug through the The fifth floor is a single square space, about 20 feet floor
structure with pickaxe and magic to reach the cavern below. to ceiling, and mostly free of rubble: Shàng Gāo’s base camp.
This passage allows for a claustrophobic yet relatively secure The great, carved column stands in the room’s center; beside
04. The Descent

descent. it shines a fire, the room’s only light source, around which sit
Besides this tunnel and the first room the characters en- four cultists and two bandits. The figures wear the colors of
counter (the ninth floor), the pagoda only contains two the Thunder Tigers, black with tiger-like stripes. Fortunate-
spaces that, by the will of fate, are free of debris: the room ly, the north side of the room, where the tunnel to the upper
on the fifth floor where Gāo’s men camp and a great hall on floors opens onto a stone staircase jutting from the wall, is
the ground floor, leading to the demon’s cave. only dimly lit by the campfire. The cultists and bandits are
also somewhat distracted (4.2).

Ninth Floor
4.2 The Cultists
After the floor’s description (4.1), the characters may want
to examine the room. They can discover these elements: Four figures sit around a fire on the southern side of the
room, partially hidden by the large central column. Two
$ With a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Investigation more figures sit farther back, leaning against the wall be-
or History) check, the characters note that the room hind the fire. Bags of provisions and bedrolls cover part of
resembles the upper floor of a pagoda. Considering the floorboards, organized neatly. It’s a proper campsite.
the height of the hill, the building is likely to have The air in the room is heavy with sweat and smoke.
seven or nine floors of growing size and must have
once stood almost 200 feet tall. One glance at the black robes bordered by tiger stripes is
all you need to recognize followers of the fell tiger. Two
$ With a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check, cultists play a lively game of go while the other two discuss
the characters recognize the recent tracks of hu- a partially unrolled text. The two men in the back wear
mans… and something else. The main tunnel is used crude leather armor and carry scimitars; they eat loudly,
regularly, as shown by the footholds carved into its gulping and slurping down food. One is slumped against
sides to aid passage. the wall, visibly drunk.

$ With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check, Bits of low muttering drift up to you:
the characters find thin lines of magic and sacred ide-
ograms carved into the stone walls: they seem to be “I’m telling you, I’ll gut you if you cheat again,” says the
48 ancient protection and containment wards. first go player;

$ With a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, “Still better than dying of boredom in this cursed hole,”
the characters hear muffled conversation sounds from says the other player. “If only we had a drop more of that
below.
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
plum wine… there’s nothing left to drink but the warm metal portal carved with containment sigils; the covering
piss that guy is guzzling…” lies broken on the ground, and the well’s mouth is a gaping
pit of darkness that swallows the shape of yet another ladder.
“Master Shàng must’ve finally lost it,” blurts the drunk- Dim light illuminates the hall: the light of two torches held
ard, swatting away an imaginary fly. by two cultists standing by the well.
Looking around, the characters can discover these elements:
One of the cultists suddenly sets down his scroll, angry:
“Silence, I won’t tolerate such blasphemy!” $ With a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check,
a character hears one of the cultists whisper: “How
Observing the room from above, a character clearly sees long will the master take? I’m tired of waiting in the dark
that there is but one exit: a larger tunnel carved into the with those things…”. The character also notices that
floor behind the central column. Reaching it requires drop- the pavement and walls of the hall are pockmarked
ping from the first tunnel to the stairs, then crawling down with small holes and fissures.
them to the floor, and finally across the room to the opening;
this can be accomplished with a successful DC 11 Dexterity $ Scanning the areas of the room shrouded in darkness
(Stealth) check for each character, or with a group check with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Perception) check
if the GM prefers. The main challenge is not being heard: made with disadvantage if a character doesn’t have dark-
if the characters devise a suitable distraction, the check’s vision, a character notices two furtive creatures skulking
DC drops to 6. On a failed check, a character is heard, and about: chīmèi*. Using a light immediately reveals the
combat is likely to ensue. Alternatively, the characters can creatures but also gives away the characters’ presence.
attack head-on, but they’ll only have 4 rounds to dispatch

04. The Descent

the cultists before the noise summons 1d4 chīmèi* from To continue their descent, the characters must defeat the
deep within the pagoda – and another 1d4 creatures every cultists and chīmèi in 3 combat rounds or less before the
additional 4 rounds of combat. noise attracts a further 1d4 chīmèi – and another 1d4 every
Having reached the base of the column, the characters 3 rounds after that. Alternatively, the characters may some-
can descend to the lower levels, following the tunnel carved how try to distract the enemies, then sneak down to the well
around the pagoda’s central pillar, which becomes broader with a DC 13 Dexterity (Stealth) check.
and easier to travel.

Advice for the GM

Ground Floor
Below, you can find some suggestions for running Scene 4:
After several more interminable minutes, the tunnel opens
onto the ceiling of a vast chamber. Two rope ladders dan- o If the characters accepted Lóng’s Ars Mercatoria chal-
gle from the lip, allowing access to the room 30 feet below. lenge, the dragon now follows the unfolding of their
Characters who wish to climb down slowly don’t require any descent, melded with the rock through which he can
checks, but the action takes an entire 2 turns, during which move as though swimming. The earth dragon is still
they can do nothing but climb. A character who wants to unsure what they are up against, but his instincts now
descend rapidly can do so with a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) make him cautious. He understands that the hill and
check. On a successful check, the character takes one turn to the pagoda form a huge agglomerate crisscrossed by the
reach the bottom quietly; on a failed one, the character slips chīmèi’s tunnels. If the characters choose to throw cau-
and falls for the last several feet, taking 3 (1d6) bludgeoning tion to the wind, they hear Lóng’s voice in their head
damage from the fall and alerting all enemies below. urging them to be quick about it, lest they attract un-
The pagoda’s ground floor is a vast hall, 30 feet tall, with wanted attention. The GM can also decide to have Lóng
the central column well visible in the middle. Arches, paint- aid the characters during the descent. The dragon’s in-
ings, and status – likely more recent than the building itself terventions might reverse the outcome of a failed attack
– line the hall. The feeling is that of a giant cellar; likely, this roll, saving throw, or ability check; it might distract an
floor was underground even before the pagoda was buried enemy or even take one out silently. The exact effects are
by sand and time. The intricate webs of occult ideograms left to the players’ and GM’s creativity; as long as he can
that the characters may have noted before become evident stay hidden, Lóng does what the characters ask.
in this room, convulsively covering most of the walls and the 49
central column. o If the characters pass the fifth floor without defeating
Besides the decorations and statues, the ground floor is Shàng Gāo’s cronies, the villains might show up later
bare and largely rubble-free. The characters quickly see a to bother them. For example, should the fight on the
well emerging from the ground 40 feet from where the rope ground floor last more than 3 rounds, the first to ar-
ladders touch down. This opening was once covered by a rive to check might be the cultists from above.
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

Gāo, turns his contemptuous gaze on you, dripping ha-

Scene 5: tred for the Brotherhood.

The Tiger and the Lóng moves forward. “You still have a chance; the ritual
isn’t complete. You must recover the relics and stop the
Dragon awakening… I will do what I can to distract the fiend!”

With a warcry, Lóng launches forward. His body shifts

In this scene, the characters finally discover the actual stakes and extends, becomes sinuous and covered in dark scales,
of their mission and must face Shàng Gāo once and for all. with branching horns and powerful clawed feet that dig
To open the scene, you may read or paraphrase insert 5.1. into the earth.

Qióngqí responds with a roar that is part laugh, part

5.1 Clash of Titans cry of delight. He charges forward, his great body barely
slowed by the last bindings of light. Dragon and tiger
The ladder plunges into darkness. You take one peg at a clash like a thunderclap, blood and scales spraying into
time, lost in that well of nothingness. Suddenly, your the air.
foot hits rock; an irregular pavement leads to a narrow
tunnel dripping with stalactites. A pungent odor twists Before you, Shàng Gāo advances. “You should not have
your nostrils. come… Merchants…”
05. The Tiger

You are near the end of the path when the rock bubbles be- While the battle between the dragon and the fell tiger rag-
side you. A humanoid shape pulls himself from the stone es around them, the characters must defeat Shàng Gāo, the
and grins. “Here we are,” says Lóng: “Let’s go fetch our disciple of Qióngqí*. The man finally stands before them:
treasure, shall we?” he continues, jovial as though off to he wears a short and well-kept beard, and his features are
a picnic in Khanbaliq’s imperial gardens. handsome yet cruel, always distorted by a mocking sneer. In
his first turn, Gāo uses his Summon Chīmèi bonus action
The tunnel opens onto an immense natural cave strewn to call upon his allies and then attacks the group from a
and the

with pillars where small, ruined temples sit and lined distance using his Necrotic Blast.
with more recent Buddha statues. In the cavern’s center In addition, because of the battle raging, at the start of
shines a pulsating cocoon of light. Dozens of blazing lash- each round, the GM rolls 1d6 to determine a positive or
es make up the cocoon, chains of shining occult ideograms negative random effect based on the table below.
Dragon

wrapped around something horned and winged. Some-

thing huge. Before the being stands a lone figure perform- Random Effect
ing a ritual. Orange light glows from three points around
d6 Effetct
the cocoon. Vapors rise from these points to take the shape
of claws that start tearing at the bindings. With a snap, 1 A character randomly chosen by the GM meets Qióngqí’s
one of them gives way and vanishes. The shining cage eyes for an instant and must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom
saving throw or be frightened until the start of their next
shudders as more links give way. turn.

The thing inside the cocoon stirs, spreading its wings and 2 Rock shards flung by the combatants strike a character
randomly chosen by the GM, inflicting 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
pushing the remaining bonds far from its body. You see it, damage.
a colossal winged tiger with the horns of a bull. You know
3 A blast of wind from Qióngqí’s mighty wings casts a
the enemies of the Brotherhood well. You know who this character randomly chosen by the GM back 9 feet, making
is. A foe far beyond your powers. Far beyond anyone’s them fall prone.
powers. 4 A chīmèi* crawls out of a side tunnel, appearing 60 feet
from the group and attacking them.
“Qióngqí… this can’t be.” Lóng stumbles back, his face
5 Rock shards flung by the combatants strike Shàng Gāo,
distorted by the same fear that grips your heart. inflicting 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage.
6 Lóng twists free of Qióngqí’s grip long enough to cast mass
50 The great tiger stretches lazily and suddenly opens one healing word on the characters (his spellcasting modifier
eye, its pupil expanding to swallow the golden iris. And is +4).
the eye fixes on you. A deep, rumbling laugh shakes the
cavern as the demon awakens, and the officiant, Shàng
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
Lóng is severely outmatched. The characters can’t know
shakes the cavern, and from the temples perched upon the
this for sure, but they only have 5 rounds to defeat Shàng
many columns rising from the floor, first one, then two,
Gāo and any chīmèi. After that, Qióngqí finishes the drag-
then a squirming swarm of chīmèi burst forth.
on, impaling it with his horns, and closes on the characters,
devouring them in instants. Lóng twists about and fixes a pained gaze on you. “Run!
If the characters win the fight in 5 or fewer rounds, they They can’t follow past the hilltop!”
have an instant to snatch one of the artifacts used as catalysts
for the liberation ritual. What will they choose? The fear- Then his scales blaze bright, and he vomits forth a stream
some horned helm, the decorated scale breastplate, or the of magma, consuming the first ranks of the horde closing
mighty greataxe? Once the choice is made, you can close the down on you.
scene, moving to insert 5.2.

Advice for the GM

5.2 Boundless Fury
Below, you can find some suggestions for running Scene 5:
The relic burns in your hands, but you rip it out of posi-
tion, and the glowing, orange claws tearing at the bind- o This scene is quite direct, consisting essentially of a
ings dissolve into thin air. Did you make it? single combat encounter. However, if the characters
refused Lóng’s Ars Mercatoria challenge from Scene
A cry of pain sounds from the far side of the cavern. Lóng 3, the dragon did not linger back to aid them but
is almost vanquished. Qióngqí holds him up by the throat instead delved into the depths of the pagoda alone.

05. The Tiger

with one massive clawed paw, balancing on his hind legs. Thus, when the characters reach the ground floor,
A position that looks eerily human. they find the enemies there already defeated and hear
the battle raging from below. Once in the cave, Lóng’s
With a spasm, the chains of light that slacked around the telepathic voice begs them to steal the relics and stop
demon’s great bulk become taught, shining once more. the liberation spell. Shàng Gāo still stands in their
way, however.
Qióngqí howls indignantly and turns his horned head

and the
towards you, eyes filled with boundless fury. His roar

Dragon

51
The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda

Each character must use an action to make an attack roll

Conclusion: against a chīmèi (AC 13). If the creature takes at least 5 points
of damage, it falls back harmlessly. Otherwise, the character
Escape from the Abyss takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage from glancing blows. If
the characters are still alive, continue with insert 6.3.

In this scene, the characters must flee towards the pagoda’s en-
trance, surviving the horde of chīmèi closing in from all sides. 6.3 Final Steps
Stropping to fight means certain death: at the end of each
round spent fighting or not moving towards the exit, an addi- Like in a dazed nightmare, you reach the fifth floor; the
tional 1d4 + 1 chīmèi* arrive to hound the characters. There howls of the demons lying in wait explode in your ears.
seems to be no end to the fiends. To escape, the characters The only way out is the staircase leading to the hole in
must make their way up the nine floors, keeping ahead of the the ceiling…
chīmèi and avoiding other fiends that suddenly appear from
the many side tunnels to strike with their bone clubs. Each character must make a successful DC 10 Dexterity
The GM can treat this situation as a Group Scene, using (Acrobatics) check to twist between the waiting monsters
several ability checks or attack rolls, each with a specific out- without harm and reach the upper opening. On a failed
come, to move the situation forward. check, a character takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage from
The GM can rely on the normal rules if you prefer not glancing blows. If the characters are still alive, continue with
to treat this situation as a Group Scene. Escaping requires insert 6.4.
at least 6 full rounds spent moving up the pagoda. In each
Conclusion:
Escape

round, the characters must pass a DC 12 Strength (Ath-

letics), Dexterity (Acrobatics), or Wisdom (Survival) group 6.4 Away from the Abyss
check; they choose which one. On a failed check, each char-
acter takes 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage, and the last char- The tunnels become narrower, the sound of your pursu-
acter of the line is reached by one chīmèi*, which must be ers deafens and dazes, while earth and sand clog your
defeated or avoided – possibly granting them an opportu- mouths and sweat burns in your eyes. You crawl towards
nity attack – before continuing on. the exit.
To open the Group Scene, you can read or paraphrase in-
sert 6.1 instead. Each character must make a successful Constitution saving
from the

throw or suffer one level of exhaustion from the strain and

difficulty breathing. Continue with insert 6.5.
6.1 Endless Ascent

Bestial cries sound around you, and you can practically 6.5 Winds of Freedom
Abyss

feel the weight of the demon horde bearing down. Lungs

burning, you are up the ladder and onto the ground floor. Fresh air hits your face when you finally crawl out onto
More chīmèi scurry out from the side tunnels, trying to the ninth floor; a second later, you are outside, rattled
cut you off; you push through them and lunge towards the by the breakneck escape. But it’s not over: more demons
rope ladder… emerge behind you, and some are already waiting amid
the ruins…
Each character must make a successful DC 10 Strength
(Athletics) check to haul themselves up the ladder, avoiding Breaking free of this last line of pursuers to flee down the
the demons’ attacks. On a failed check, a character takes hill requires one final successful ability check or an attack
3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage from glancing blows. If the roll dealing at least 5 damage to a chīmèi (AC 13). On a
characters are still alive, continue with insert 6.2. failed check or roll, a character takes 5 (1d6 + 2) damage
from a chīmèi. If the characters are still alive, continue with
Conclusion 1.
6.2 Climb Towards Salvation

52 You run up the tunnel, winding around the central col- Conclusion 1
umn, smacking against walls, breathing in dust and the
stench of your pursuers. The chīmèi are closing in, and You flee down the hill, the demons hot in pursuit. Their
others burst from the walls, striking at you while you blows whistle past you as their animal-like chatter echoes
pass. You grit your teeth and push on… in your ears.
 The Tiger and the Abyssal Pagoda
Rocks strike the ground about you… they are using their Advice for the GM
slings! But this makes you slow and risk glancing back: the
demons are there, arrayed like a bestial army, about two- Below, you can find some suggestions for running the Con-
thirds down the hill. You take in their distorted shapes, clusion:
and for the first time, you notice words hidden in their
shrill cries. They curse, spit, and gesture. None of them o This Group Scene is purposefully contracted and pro-
steps forward. vides a cinematic-like progression. Lean into this as-
pect, focusing on frenetic action more than planning
They seem rooted in place, unable to pass an invisible the next move.
line only they perceive. Soon, they start calming down.
But they don’t fall back. They stand their ground, a hill o During the scene, be very clear with the players, en-
crawling with silent demons, looking at you with crooked, suring they understand that their characters’ lives are
glowing eyes. on the line should they choose to fight or waste time.

An awaiting army. o Though the choices available to the characters are limit-
ed, you can encourage creative solutions to the challenges
If all characters die during the flight, you can read or para- encountered during the ascent. The players can propose
phrase Conclusion 2 instead. creative uses of their abilities, finding ways to advance
that may differ from the ones described in the Group
Scene. These specific resolutions are left to the GM.
Conclusion 2

Conclusion:
Escape
o During the climb, several places are narrow enough
The chīmèi horde closes in on you. You have no breath left for a character to stop and hold the line against the in-
to spare, and your legs are heavy as lead. Your scream, coming horde. Doing so means almost certain death,
Zhào Yíng, is drowned out by the demonic cackling. Tears considering the character will face 1d4 + 1 chīmèi
streaming from your eyes, Fǎ Fēiyán, as you turn and each round. However, every 2 rounds spent by charac-
try to grab Yíng’s arm to drag him out of the piling, mon- ter fighting allows their companions to pass the next
strous bodies. You are also overwhelmed and engulfed by stage of the ascent without making ability checks or
their numbers. attack rolls and with no ill consequence.

from the
Amalric, you turn and scream your rage at that unstop- o If the characters descend the pagoda without facing
pable tide and charge forth alone to give you, Nilüfer, one the cultists on the fifth floor, these villains are seen
last chance. being torn to shreds by the demons when the party
reaches the camp.
The battle rages on, but more chīmèi crawl across the

Abyss
walls; they will reach you soon. You grip the relic, but
everything seems lost; there is no way to get it out. Qióngqí Epilogue
will roam free, bringing devastation to the world.

A shift in the pavement. An arm, then a head, tears free Whether the characters managed to flee or fell with honor,
of the stone. Lóng, his face human once more, swollen one of the three relics that allowed Qióngqí’s liberation was
and broken, clothes ragged and torn. He looks at you with recovered. If the characters survived, their next step will like-
one remaining eye, and pity briefly twists his features. ly be traveling towards Etzina, the closest base of the Broth-
erhood, to report on the danger and deliver the artifact.
“I am sorry,” he whispers, as you feel the relic slide from However, the events triggered by The Tiger and the Abyssal
your hands while Lóng disappears into the ground with Pagoda will have terrible repercussions throughout the Silk
one final, painful gaze. Road and the Celestial Empire. Shàng Gāo’s mad plan creat-
ed a precedent: soon, the Thunder Tigers and other worshi-
The screeching of demons blots out everything else, and a pers of the Perils will know for sure that the great fiends can
darkness of rending teeth and hungry maws claims you. be liberated, should one find their prisons and possess the
As the world fades to nothingness, your last thought is proper artifacts. Soon, a fierce struggle will bring steel and 53
that, perhaps, your death served a higher purpose. fire to the Celestial Empire and the Silk Road.
How can the legacy of Marco Polo help the Brotherhood
avoid a catastrophe that was, for now, only delayed? The ad-
venture you have just finished was the first act of an exciting
campaign set in the world of Marco Polo’s Legacy.
 怪玩
物家
与角
非色
Monster and
NPC
Chapter 04
Monster and NPC

ˉ
Chimèi Chīmèi
(Demon of the Peaks and Forests) (Demon of the Peaks and Forests)
Small Fiend (Demon), Typically Chaotic Evil
The chīmèi, also known as demons of the peaks and forests, Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
are small demonic beings who love to waylay defenseless Hit Points 9 (2d6 + 2)
travelers along mountain passes and forest paths. Individu- Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
ally they aren’t especially fearsome, but chīmèi usually travel STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
in packs that can effortlessly overcome lone travelers.
Chīmèi are experts at blending in with their natural sur- 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)
roundings – their skin seems covered in moss, bark, or has
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +3
stone like hues – and they can hide among foliage or rocks
Damage Immunities poison
with ease. Condition Immunities poisoned
The head of a chīmèi is covered in shaggy, unkept hair and Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 13
its face is deformed, with vertical slits for eyes, and yellow Languages understands Chinese and the Secret Tongue
teeth, filthy and sharp, jut from their maws. Their body, but can’t speak
though thin and emaciated, partially resembles that of a hu- Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)  Proficiency Bonus: +2
man, at least down to the waist. There, four legs sprout forth,
Natural Camouflage. The chīmèi has advantage
ending in clawed and prehensile feet, perfect for climbing.
on Dexterity (Stealth) checks it makes in any rocky or
Chīmèi wear torn and ragged cloths, and fight wielding forested terrain.
clubs of wood and bone.
Chimèi

Pack Tactics. The chīmèi has advantage on an attack

ˉ

roll against a creature if at least one of the chīmèi’s

allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t
incapacitated.
(Demon

Prehensile Feet. The chīmèi can climb along difficult

surfaces, including ceilings where it moves upside down,
without needing to make ability checks.
of the

Actions
Bone Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Peaks

Poison Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,

one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4)
poison damage.
and

Sling Shot. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range

30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning
Forests)

damage.
Bonus Actions
Natural Stealth. The chīmèi takes the Hide action.

56
 Monster and NPC
Disciple of ¯Qióngqí (Shàng Gao)

The disciple of Qióngqí are the lieutenants of the Thunder Tiger sect. They are cruel men and women who worship the fell
tiger in exchange for occult powers. Cunning and ruthless, the disciples pass themselves as sages, scholars, or functionaries
garbed in formal attire, though they prefer dark robes with strong contrasting tones, like orange stripes – an homage to their
patron’s stripped mantle.
They also wield an elaborate ceremonial dagger, a symbol of their rank within the sect.

Disciple of Qióngqí (Shàng Gāo) Glimpse from Beyond (2/Day). The disciple of Qióngqí
Medium Humanoid (Warlock), Chaotic Evil focuses to perceive nearby spirits. For the next minute,
the disciple knowns the position of any fiend or undead
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor) within 60 feet of it, even if they are hidden behind
Hit Points 49 (9d8 + 9) obstacles. The disciple can also perceive incorporeal and
Speed 30 ft. invisible fiends or undead, and those on the Ethereal
plane. Ethereal creatures appear spectral or transparent.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Spellcasting. The disciple of Qióngqí casts one of the
11 (+0) 15 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 17 (+3) following spells, using Charisma as the spellcasting
ability (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks):

Disciple
Saving Throws Wis +3, Cha +5
At will: chill touch, eldritch blast, mage hand, minor
Skills Arcana +4, Deception +5, Intimidation +5, History +
illusion
4, Religion +4
Damage Resistances necrotic 2/day: bane, command, detect evil and good, mage armor
(self only)

of
Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Chinese, Mongolian, and the Secret Tongue 1/day: blindness/deafness, speak with dead

Qióngqí (Shàng Gao

Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +2
Bonus Actions
Deal with Darkness. The disciple of Qióngqí’s attacks Summon Chīmèi. The disciple of Qióngqí magically
are magical. In addition, when the disciple deals necrotic summons three chīmèi* in an empty space within 30
damage to a target, it can choose to ignore the target’s feet of it that it can see. The chīmèi share the disciple’s
resistance to necrotic damage or to consider the target’s initiative count and act immediately after its turn. They
immunity to necrotic damage as resistance to necrotic are friendly towards the disciple and follow its verbal
damage instead. orders (no action needed). The chīmèi disappear after
1 hour, when they or the disciple are reduced to 0 hit
Death’s Triumph. When the disciple of Qióngqí reduces

¯)
points, or when the disciple dismisses them with a bonus
a creature to 0 hit points, it gains 8 temporary hit points.
action.
Devotion to Qióngqí. The disciple of Qióngqí has
advantage on saving throws against being charmed or Reactions
frightened, and the disciple can’t be possessed. Vision of Qióngqí (Recharge 5-6). If a creature hits the
disciple of Qióngqí with a melee attack, the disciple can
Actions roll 1d10 and reduce the damage taken by that amount.
Multiattack. The disciple of Qióngqí makes two In addition, the attacker must succeed on a DC 13
Sacrificial Blade attacks or two Necrotic Blast attacks. Wisdom saving throw or take psychic damage equal to
Sacrificial Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 the roll and be frightened until the end of its next turn.
ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6)
necrotic damage and, if the target is a creature, it has
disadvantage on death saving throws until the end of the
disciple of Qióngqí’s next turn.
Necrotic Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 120
ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage.

57
Monster and NPC

Huàpíguiˇ Huàpíguǐ (Painted Skin Demon)

(Painted Skin Demon) Medium Fiend (Demon), Typically Neutral Evil
Armor Class 13
The obscene huàpíguı̌’s true form is that of a monstrous and Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
skinless humanoid, whose putrescent and decomposing skin
has a green or gray hue. It has long, razor sharp claws with STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
which it can easily disembowel a person, ripping out the
13 (+1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 15 (+2)
heart, which the fiend then consumes with jagged teeth.
To hide from mortals, the huàpíguı̌ can take the shape of Skills Deception +5, Perception +3, Persuasion +4, Stealth
its victims through a macabre ritual. The fiend paints upon +5, Survival +3
the flayed skin of those it has slain, using magical tinctures, Damage Resistances fire, necrotic; bludgeoning,
and then wears the skin, taking the form of the deceased. piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 13
Languages the languages known by the humanoid
whose shape it took, Secret Tongue
Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +2

Ambush. During the first combat turn, the huàpíguǐ has

advantage on attack rolls against any creature that it
Huàpíguiˇ(Painted Skin Demon)

has surprised.
Expert Tracker. The huàpíguǐ has advantage on
Wisdom (Survival) checks to follow tracks.
Flay. The huàpíguǐ can spend 10 minutes using its claws
to flay the skin off a Medium or smaller creature that has
died by less than 7 days.
Actions
Multiattack. The huàpíguǐ makes one Flaying Claws
attack and one Bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6)
necrotic damage.
Flaying Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 3
(1d6) necrotic damage and, if the target is a creature, it
must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be
poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Transform. The huàpíguǐ can transform into a Medium
humanoid, by wearing its flayed skin. The huàpíguǐ’s
statistics remain the same regardless of its form. Any
object it wears or carries doesn’t transform. The huàpíguǐ
returns to its natural form if it dies or if it is hit by an
attack.
Devour the Heart. The huàpíguǐ devours the hears of a
slain foe within 5 feet of it, recovering 7 (2d6) hit points.
In addition, each creature within 30 feet of the huàpíguǐ
who can see it must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving
throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat
the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending
the effect on a success. If a creature succeeds on the
saving throws or the effect ends, that creature becomes
58
immune to this effect for the next 24 hours.
 Monster and NPC
Marauder of Sand and Shadow Marauder of Sand and Shadow
Medium Humanoid (Any Species), Typically Neutral Evil
The marauders of sand and shadow are the main troops of Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)
the Shadow Snakes, one of the several minor sects in which a Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)
Speed 30 ft.
great army of Karaunas bandits splintered after being defeat-
ed by Kublai Khan. These marauders combine the shadowy STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
arts of the Karaunas with sand manipulation, a technique
11 (+0) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 15 (+2)
they may have learned from the spirits who infest the Desert
of Lob. They usually conduct their raids along the western Skills Arcana +4, Deception +4, Perception +4, Stealth +4,
reaches of that desert. Survival +4
Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Mongolian plus one additional language
Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +2

Call of the Desert. The marauder of sand and shadow

can move through sandy terrain as though it were not
difficult terrain.
Actions
Multiattack. The marauder of sand and shadow
makes two Saber attacks.

Marauder
Saber. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.
Shadow Knife. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range
60 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) necrotic damage. In
addition, if the marauder of sand and shadow rolls a 20

of
on the attack roll against a creature that isn’t immune

Sand
to the blinded condition, the target’s next attack roll
made before the end of the marauder’s next turn has
disadvantage.

and
Blinding Sand (Recharge 5-6). The marauder of sand
and shadow magically summons whirling sands around

Shadow
a creature it can see within 30 feet. The target must
succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be
blinded until the end of its next turn.
Bonus Actions
Create Shadows (Recharges after a Long Rest). With
a snap of the fingers, the marauder of sand and shadow
creates a shadowy aura around itself, which lasts 1
minute, until the marauder dies, or uses a bonus action to
dismiss it. The shadows spread out from the marauder in
a 10-foot-radius sphere, which moves with the marauder.
Within the aura, dim light turns into darkness and bright
light into dim light.
Once with the Shadows. While in dim light or darkness,
the marauder of sand and shadow can take the Disengage
or Hide action.
Reactions
Black Sands. The marauder of sand and shadow protects
itself with a magical mixture of sand and shadows. When
the marauder takes damage, it can roll 1d4 and reduce
the damage taken by that amount.
59
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