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The Radiant Citadel for Dungeons

and Dragons Fifth Edition
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The Radiant Citadel
Gathering Place of Strangers and Stories

Against the unending mist and unseen terrors of the Ethereal Plane, the Radiant Citadel stands bright as a bastion of hope. It’s
a living relic of the ingenuity and collaboration of twenty-seven great civilizations. Abandoned and lost for ages, the Citadel
was resurrected from its slumber and reclaimed by descendants of those societies, though some peoples remain missing. The
city serves as a nexus of diplomacy and trade, a repository of histories and secrets, and a thriving sanctuary for those seeking
safety or a better life.

The Radiant Citadel is a miracle of architecture, a floating city carved out of a single, massive fossil that snakes around a
colossal gemstone shard known as the Auroral Diamond. The luminescence of the Auroral Diamond is mirrored in the
constellation of fifteen structure-sized gemstones, the Concord Jewels, which orbit the city and provide transportation to the
far-flung homes of the Citadel’s founding civilizations. In the haze of the Ethereal Plane, the Auroral Diamond is a scintillating
beacon visible from leagues away. The diamond itself seems to have moods, changing colors unpredictably, but it is always
visible for wanderers lost and in need. Just beyond the city whirls a massive, ever-threatening, ethereal cyclone known as the
Keening Gloom—a looming threat that’s a grim reminder of the Citadel’s precarious position.

Heroes and paupers meet on equal footing in the Radiant Citadel. By common agreement, power and resources are equitably
shared. Dignity is afforded to all, and great need is met with great aid.
Features
Those familiar with the Radiant Citadel know the following details:

Hallmarks. The Radiant Citadel is an extraplanar refuge known for its collaborative society and ecological beauty. Local
traditions of oral storytelling preserve ancestral wisdom from many worlds.

People of the Radiant Citadel. The majority of the Radiant Citadel’s populace comes from the civilizations that govern the city.
This makes the population an ethnically diverse mix of humans, dragonborn, dwarves, elves, gnomes, and halflings, along with
a variety of other races.

Languages. Common is widely known, along with dozens of other languages.

Noteworthy Sites
The Radiant Citadel is a testament to a lost age of extraordinary magic and mythical beasts. The city rises from a gargantuan
fossil, and every road and building has been carved from it. The Citadel is a place of beauty and wonder, with a vast array of
vegetation and a multitude of sites and inhabitants.
MAP 1.1: RADIANT CITADEL (DM-VERSION ABOVE, PLAYER-VERSION BELOW)
Auroral Diamond
The Auroral Diamond is the heart of the Radiant Citadel. A massive gemstone of unfathomable power, its life-giving magic runs
through the entire city; the city’s vegetation, water, light, and unique artifices depend on the Diamond.

The Auroral Diamond changes color for unknown reasons. Sometimes it holds a color for an entire year, while other times it
shifts twice in a single week. Rarely does it ever repeat a color. Some scholars believe each color represents the birth of a new
civilization somewhere in the multiverse, and repetition of a color means the death of that civilization. Other scholars
hypothesize the changing colors are a countdown to some unknown event.

The Auroral Diamond is indestructible. Whatever magic hollowed out the gemstone’s center and created the Preserve of the
Ancestors (described later) is unknown.

Court of Whispers
The denizens of the Court of Whispers barter for current knowledge. Heralds, criers, bards, and griots buy and sell information
from the fifteen founding civilizations active in the Citadel, as well as other lands. Skilled scouts and spies can also be hired for
short-term reconnaissance or long-term infiltration. The Court is a mixed outdoor-indoor space with quiet alcoves and open
plazas, and plentiful work is available here for talented adventurers.

The Speakers for the Ancestors—the leaders of the Radiant Citadel—employ freelancers from the Court of Whispers to keep
track of major concerns in their people’s homelands, as well as potential threats to the Citadel, while the Shieldbearers of the
Citadel (see the “Palace of Exile” section) seek information so they can identify crisis points where their operatives are needed.
Even common citizens might hire folk from the Court to find missing loved ones, locate lost family treasures, or gather
information on rivals.

Powerful organizations and individuals from across the planes send agents to the Court of Whispers to collect information and
do business on their behalf. Noteworthy examples include the Harpers of Abeir-Toril, Sigil’s Fraternity of Order, and agents of
the planes-traveling gnome fixer Vi.

THE RUBY PANGOLIN, DAWN INCARNATE OF SIABSUNGKOH

House of Convalescence
The House of Convalescence focuses the life-giving energies of the Auroral Diamond, allowing for incredible feats of healing
magic. This makes the House of Convalescence an oasis for the sick, the injured, and the desperate. It also draws clerics and
healers of many traditions. Most come to serve those in need, but some seek to understand the magical properties of the
place itself.
Magic is affected in the following ways in the House of Convalescence:

Diamond Components. When the spells raise dead, resurrection, revivify, or true resurrection are cast in the House of
Convalescence, a diamond material component is never required.

Hit Point Maximum. When creatures would normally roll one or more dice to restore hit points with a spell, they instead use the
highest number possible for each die. For example, instead of restoring 2d6 hit points to a creature, a spellcaster restores 12.

The Keening Gloom

Just beyond the light of the Radiant Citadel rages the Keening Gloom, a massive ethereal cyclone. Nothing that enters the
cyclone is seen again.

When explorers rediscovered the Citadel, the Keening Gloom hungrily circled the city. Its endless howl struck terror in their
hearts and engulfed several adventurers. After the heroes entered the Citadel and reawakened its power, the cyclone was
driven back. But in times of turmoil within the Citadel, the cyclone ominously draws closer.

Scholars have studied the Keening Gloom for decades but have only theories about its nature, its connection to the Radiant
Citadel, and what befalls those caught in its terrible throes. Many fear the cyclone cannot be held at bay forever.

Palace of Exile
The adventurers who discovered and reoccupied the Radiant Citadel were from the civilizations that founded the city long ago.
Among them, several had been set on the path of adventure after conflict or disaster drove them from their homes, and the
Citadel provided solace. In turn, they established the Palace of Exile to help others in need.

The palace was named in honor of Socorro the Exile, its founding leader. He was a refugee of war in the land of San Citlán, and
he selected one of the most beautiful complexes in the Citadel to house the needy as they arrived. He swore that while his
homeland was occupied, he would be an exile and would make his home in the Palace, alongside any others with nowhere else
to go.

The Palace of Exile has spacious living quarters with adjoining gardens and recovery centers, where refugees are cared for
physically, mentally, and emotionally as they make the transition to either living in the Radiant Citadel permanently or relocating
to a new land. The Palace’s staff coordinate with the House of Convalescence to provide the best possible aid to the sick and
wounded.

The Shieldbearers, the Radiant Citadel’s dedicated search-and-rescue force, are headquartered at the Palace of Exile. Where
there is a need, the Shieldbearers help.

Preserve of the Ancestors

The Preserve of the Ancestors is a sprawling, domed wilderness cut into the heart of the Auroral Diamond. Lush vegetation
grows directly out of the diamond, and the expanse is dotted with jackalberry trees, whistling thorn, and zebrawood. Insects,
small birds, and the occasional hare make their home here. In the center of the Preserve is a circular, in-ground amphitheater
that serves as the meeting place of the Citadel’s ruling council, the Speakers for the Ancestors.

While the Preserve has little indigenous wildlife—mostly birds and small mammals—a sect of druids frequently brings injured
animals here to be healed and rehabilitated. The Preserve is where the druids keep animals that can no longer survive in their
native habitats, creating a menagerie of rare creatures from across many worlds.

Drawn by the power of the Auroral Diamond, spirits from countless lands make their home in the Preserve. Spirits from the
same lands or of similar origins inhabit tiny jewels and assemble into amalgamations known as Incarnates. Some are small
collections of spirits, but the greatest—related to the citadel’s founding civilizations—are larger-than-life beings that embody
the wisdom of ages (see the “Incarnates” section for details).

Trade Discal
Encircling the Auroral Diamond, the Trade Discal is a massive marketplace designed so that the founding civilizations could
trade on equitable terms. It serves the needs of cities and nations or major trading companies, rather than individual sellers or
producers, which is enforced by its high taxes and fees. Large quantities of goods, such as entire herds of animals or tons of
metal ore, can be transported via the Concord Jewels (described below) to the Trade Discal quickly and safely.

The Trade Discal is a vital outlet; if something were to happen to it, the impact would be severe for both the Radiant Citadel and
the civilizations that depend on it. Adventurers are sometimes hired to oversee the transport of commodities to and from the
Citadel or to negotiate on behalf of a major trading company or government. Normally this is a smooth process, but when large
amounts of gold are involved, trade is never risk free.
Concord Jewels

THE RADIANT CITADEL, WHICH DRIFTS THROUGH THE DEPTHS OF

THE DEEP ETHEREAL, IS A BEACON OF POSSIBILITY AND ADVENTURE

Beyond the Radiant Citadel drift the Concord Jewels, which connect the city to its founding civilizations. Each Jewel is a
building-sized vessel capable of holding hundreds of people and tons of goods. Though the Jewels take a variety of shapes,
their interiors are similar. A cylindrical core holds containers for goods, including livestock. Surrounding the core is seating for
passengers. The Citadel employs official operators called Clavigers to pilot the Jewels.

Each Concord Jewel is linked to one of the civilizations that founded the Radiant Citadel. A Jewel unerringly travels between
the Radiant Citadel and the homeland of the Jewel’s linked people. Even if the Jewel’s people have migrated to another world
on the Material Plane, the Jewel finds its way to their current home. While not in use, the Concord Jewels orbit the Radiant
Citadel in an incandescent constellation. Each Jewel corresponds to one of the founding civilizations and resembles a giant
gemstone of the type noted for that civilization on the Concord Jewels table. Missing civilizations and their Jewels are not
listed and can be detailed as you please.

Concord Jewels

Civilization Jewel

Akharin Sangar Turquoise

Atagua Yellow Quartz

Dayawlongon Serpentine

Djaynai Water Opal

Godsbreath Jasper

San Citlán Fire Opal

Sensa Amber

Shankhabhumi Moonstone

Siabsungkoh Ruby

Tayyib Sard

Tletepec Obsidian

Umizu Pearl

Yeonido Amethyst

Yongjing White Jade

Zinda Bastite

Controlling a Concord Jewel

At a Concord Jewel’s center are controls for the structure. A creature adjacent to these controls that spends a minute
manipulating them can make a DC 14 Intelligence (Arcana) check. On a success, the creature can direct the Concord Jewel to
take one of the following actions:

Land. When commanded to land, the Jewel automatically settles into a safe position adjoining the Radiant Citadel or on the
surface of a Material Plane world. From this site, creatures can move back and forth between the Jewel and the location.
Sections of the exterior walls of the lowest 15 feet of the Jewel then become immaterial and semitransparent, allowing
passage into and out of the Jewel.

Embark. A Jewel that has landed moves away from a location. If the Jewel is near the Radiant Citadel, it moves into the open
Ethereal Plane and orbits the city. Otherwise, it rises 600 feet off the ground and hovers. A Jewel flies at a rate of 50 feet per
round.

Plane Shift. The Jewel and everything on it shifts between planes. When it does so, it teleports either to the Deep Ethereal
several thousand feet away from the Radiant Citadel or to a specific site on the Material Plane in the land the Jewel is linked to.
When a Jewel teleports to its linked land, it appears 600 feet above a site where it can land and hovers there. The location
where a Jewel arrives is noted in the “Setting the Adventure” section of each of this book’s adventures.
Clavigers
Clavigers oversee the Concord Jewels. Each Speaker for the Ancestors chooses the Clavigers for the Jewel linked to that
Speaker’s civilization. A dozen Clavigers are assigned to each Concord Jewel, and at least two keep watch from each Jewel as
it orbits the Radiant Citadel and guide it during its travels. Clavigers not only maintain transit and trade to and from the Radiant
Citadel but also serve as ambassadors from the city to the founding civilizations. Many Clavigers go on to become Speakers
for the Ancestors.
Life in the Citadel
The Radiant Citadel is a city of immigrants. Several of the explorers who reclaimed the Citadel were refugees who escaped
hardships that plagued their lands. They chose the Citadel as their home, despite its strangeness and the surreal surroundings
of the Deep Ethereal, as it presented an opportunity to start anew. Most of the city’s current inhabitants are descendants of the
fifteen founding civilizations active in the Citadel, but all are welcome.

Some find living in the Deep Ethereal too disquieting to stay or chafe at the confines of the Citadel. Others depart out of fear
that the Keening Gloom will destroy the Citadel. Their numbers are replenished by new arrivals who seek a different life, want
to study the city’s lore, or find solace in the city’s peace and safety. The Citadel’s society is shaped by this ebb and flow.
Traditions, customs, and values are a mix of old and new; while some adhere to rituals no longer followed in their homeland,
others create their own novel practices.

Art and Culture

The Radiant Citadel’s diaspora communities constantly learn and borrow from one another, creating a culture unique to the
city. This evolution is displayed in the art, the clothing, the music, and—perhaps mostly vividly—the food of the city. While
cantinas, tea houses, and eateries serve food and drink from specific communities, the most popular cuisines are fusion
dishes like couscous infused with habanero and saffron, panela-coated fried yams, and kimchi tacos.

Diplomacy
Relationships between the Radiant Citadel and the founding civilizations are often shifting. The Citadel sends diplomats
abroad and houses embassies from foreign governments, but this goodwill is not always reciprocated. The Citadel’s
uniqueness makes it a target of foreign actors who seek to exert subtle or overt control over it. At the same time, political
activists, dissidents, and revolutionaries seek to exploit the city’s neutrality to their advantage, even staging incursions against
their home governments from the relative safety of the Citadel.

Governance and Politics

The Radiant Citadel is governed by a council known
as the Speakers for the Ancestors. Each Speaker is
a descendant of one of the founding civilizations
currently known to the Citadel. They are chosen by
their community and affirmed into office by the wise
and ancient Dawn Incarnates. The Speakers for the
Ancestors meet openly in the amphitheater in the
center of the Preserve, and Citadel residents often
watch their debates. All laws and major decisions
of the city are decided by majority vote of the
Speakers. Debates can become heated; because
each Speaker represents very different
constituents, consensus and compromises might
take days or even months to reach. Those citizens
of mixed ancestry or unconnected to the founding
civilizations can choose a Speaker for the
Ancestors to represent them. They register with the
Speaker’s office, and from then on, participate in THE OBSIDIAN EAGLE,
future elections for that Speaker. DAWN INCARNATE OF TLETEPEC

Governance is public, transparent, and participatory.

Laws are not static but evolve to meet new challenges and needs. Subcouncils and committees manage the city under the
guidance of the Speakers. Complexities persist in governing a highly diverse city with varied customs, beliefs, and social
norms, but robust civic engagement helps the city overcome adversity.
Law Enforcement and Justice
Public safety and peacekeeping are administered through a variety of councils and organizations designed to address specific
issues. The House of Convalescence helps those living with mental illness, while inspectors investigate nonviolent crimes and
use nonlethal methods of detainment. Theft is uncommon in the city, and rehabilitation and restorative justice are preferred
methods of addressing wrongs. Highly trained local guards mobilize to handle the rare incidents of violence, and citizens are
expected to proactively intervene if needed. The worst offenders are sentenced to a controversial Djaynaian punishment
wherein the criminal is subjected to a ritual that prevents them from repeating their crime and then is banished from the city.

Lifestyle and Society

Denizens of the Radiant Citadel strive to sustain an egalitarian society. Every citizen is entitled to a basic income that affords
them the necessities of living and dignity in lifestyle. Food, water, and green spaces are equally accessible throughout the city.
The House of Convalescence turns no one away; healing is priced according to one’s means, and the poorest are served
without charge. All housing is public, distributed, and administered through the city’s councils.

Since the city’s resources are limited due to the Citadel’s relatively small area and its strange nature, foodstuffs and other
materials are carefully conserved, and goods are reused or recycled when possible. Similarly, most food is vegetarian and is
grown in green spaces throughout the city. Whether served in a home or an eatery, most animal products must be imported
and so are subject to high tariffs.

Tariffs and Taxation

Taxes are progressive to help reduce the gap between the most affluent and the poorest. High tariffs on imports keep the
public coffers full, but the Speakers lower or remove tariffs for civilizations in trouble. Similarly, visitors to the Radiant Citadel
pay a toll to enter. Those who come with nothing except good will pay no fee. Those with big pockets and big hearts give more
according to their conscience rather than risk the rebuke of the city’s guards. Rich and poor alike can instead offer something
unique that might be to the liking of the Incarnates, such as a lost song, a secret tale, or a rare piece of art. Those who choose
this option may present their gift to the Dawn Incarnate of their choice. If their toll is accepted, the visitor is allowed to stay in
the Citadel.
Groups of the Citadel
Several groups hold influence within the Radiant Citadel, guiding and protecting the city’s peoples.

IN THE PRESERVE OF THE ANCESTORS, A TRAVELER SEEKS THE

WISDOM OF THE AMETHYST TIGER, DAWN INCARNATE OF YEONIDO

Incarnates
The keepers of vast wisdom from distant lands, the Incarnates are collections of spirits bound within gemstones. Each of an
Incarnate’s component gemstones holds a spirit from the same land on the Material Plane. These might be nature spirits from
a particular place or the spirits of individuals who once dwelled there. Upon forming, an Incarnate manifests a unique
personality and identity, a gestalt of its constituents and their shared background. The greater the number of spirits that make
up an Incarnate, the broader and deeper both its personality and its knowledge are.

Most Incarnates are small, no more than a handful of gems in the shape of a plant or animal. The least of them originate from
spirits lost on the Ethereal Plane and are tiny collections of wayward spirits of similar origins with nowhere else to go. The
largest and most influential are those of the fifteen founding civilizations collectively known as the Dawn Incarnates. Spanning
more than a dozen feet in height, these Incarnates are composed of thousands of smaller gems of the same type. Each holds
court in a portion of the Preserve, such as the Amethyst Tiger’s knoll or the Obsidian Eagle’s aerie.

The Dawn Incarnates have existed since the creation of the Radiant Citadel. While the Citadel’s creators left behind no texts, it’s
believed that their collective wisdom is held by the Dawn Incarnates.

The Dawn Incarnates know everything that transpires in the Preserve of the Ancestors, which is why they require the Speakers
for the Ancestors to meet there. While they do not interfere in the day-to-day administration of the city, they hold the Speakers
responsible to the duties of their office. While a Dawn Incarnate has never removed a Speaker for the Ancestors (see “Speakers
for the Ancestors” below), it is believed they could do so if displeased.
Identities of the Incarnates
Each Incarnate has a unique, amalgamated personality. Most who interact with an Incarnate interact with this primary identity.
However, an Incarnate’s primary personality is not a repository of its constituent spirits’ knowledge; these spirits have their own
thoughts and personalities. While an Incarnate broadly knows what its spirits know, a wealth of information is locked inside
them. A constituent spirit within an Incarnate might be awakened by evoking the spirit’s name or presenting something of
significance to that spirit. Once a spirit is awakened, it takes over as the dominant personality of the Incarnate for a matter of
minutes and might share its specific memories.

A spirit knows only what it has observed. A nature spirit that inhabited a small pond might know a great deal about the fisher
who visited its banks every week for fifty years, but might not know that person’s name or where they lived. An ancestor spirit
might know the intimate details of their family and town, but nothing about their neighbor’s great-grandchildren. Each spirit is a
single window into the civilization; together, an Incarnate’s spirits have a wide but not infallible perspective on the history of
their people.
 Audiences with Incarnates
An Incarnate and its constituent spirits are not malicious or
duplicitous, but they do not necessarily answer questions
easily or without a price. Some require the completion of a
quest, while others might give a puzzle to solve. Some speak
plainly; others respond in poem or parable. And some refuse
to speak at all.

Dawn Incarnates of the Preserve

Each Dawn Incarnate that inhabits the Preserve of the
Ancestors is related to a founding civilization active in the
Citadel, as detailed on the Dawn Incarnates table.

THE AMBER SCORPION,

DAWN INCARNATE OF THE SENSA EMPIRE

Dawn Incarnates

Civilization Dawn Incarnate

Akharin Sangar Turquoise Lion

Atagua Yellow Quartz Kapok Tree

Dayawlongon Serpentine Banyan Tree

Djaynai Water Opal Saltwater Salamander

Godsbreath Jasper Pecan Tree

San Citlán Fire Opal Xoloitzcuintle

Sensa Amber Scorpion

Shankhabhumi Moonstone Water Lily

Siabsungkoh Ruby Pangolin

Tayyib Sard Elephant

Tletepec Obsidian Eagle

Umizu Pearl Carp

Yeonido Amethyst Tiger

Yongjing White Jade Flowering Pear Tree

Zinda Bastite Caiman

A grim anomaly, a dead Dawn Incarnate known as the Sapphire Wyvern, disturbs the tranquility of the Preserve of the
Ancestors. It lies inert, its gemstones blackened and cracked. Scholars believe it was the Dawn Incarnate of one of the Radiant
Citadel’s twelve lost civilizations, but all efforts to awaken it have failed. What happened to it and the eleven absent Dawn
Incarnates of the other founding civilizations, none know.
Speakers for the Ancestors
The Speakers for the Ancestors are the ruling body of the Radiant Citadel. Candidates are chosen through an election among
the diaspora of the people they represent. Once a candidate has been elected, they must face the fifteen founding Dawn
Incarnates and pass their tests. Some Dawn Incarnates question the candidate until they are satisfied, while others send the
candidate on a quest. These trials ensure Speakers understand each of the founding civilizations of the Radiant Citadel.

Once a Speaker for the Ancestors is chosen, they hold office for ten years. At the end of their tenure, they can step down; if they
don’t, they must face the same selection process again. There is no assurance a Speaker will be reelected, or if they are, that
the Dawn Incarnates will approve them again.

As founding civilizations are rediscovered and rejoin the Radiant Citadel, the council is expanded, and the new Speakers gain
power equal to that of their peers.

A Speaker’s Role
The Speakers for the Ancestors face incredible challenges in their role. They must maintain the internal stability of a large and
diverse city and ensure its people are treated equally and fairly under the law. Simultaneously, they manage a complex
relationship with the founding civilizations. The Speakers’ first duty is to the Radiant Citadel, which sometimes puts them at
odds with the governments of the founding civilizations, particularly in tariff disputes or major crises. Thus far, the Radiant
Citadel’s policy is to resolutely remain neutral in all conflicts—whether they involve the founding civilizations or otherwise.
However, the Citadel seeks to rescue refugees and send humanitarian aid to the limits of its resources.

While decisions by the Speakers are made by simple majority, each Speaker has a very powerful veto that prevents them from
being marginalized by political alliances.

Power of the Speakers

While in the Radiant Citadel, each Speaker rightfully chosen by the Radiant Citadel’s people and the Dawn Incarnates can take
an action to exert control over the Concord Jewels in the following ways:

They can deactivate all Concord Jewels that are in orbit around the Radiant Citadel, preventing the Jewels’ controls from
functioning and rendering the vessels stranded.
The Speaker who deactivated the Concord Jewels can reactivate the Jewels. (The rightful successor of a Speaker who
deactivated the Concord Jewels can also take this action.)
Since every Speaker has the ability to paralyze trade and major transit to the city, they are forced to find diplomatic resolutions
to disagreements. Though the use or threat of a veto might prompt furious debates and intense rivalries, eventually the
Speakers for the Ancestors find solutions.

Bound to the Citadel

Once a Speaker no longer holds office, they lose the powers related to their position. If a Speaker steps down before the end of
their term or dies while in office, all basic necessities in the Radiant Citadel gradually cease to function. Unless a suitable
replacement for that Speaker is elected and approved by the Dawn Incarnates within thirty days, plants in the Radiant Citadel
stop growing, wells run dry, and lighting ceases to function. Similarly, a Speaker cannot leave the Radiant Citadel for more than
thirty days before the city’s basic utilities begin to fail.

Speakers for the Ancestors are often celebrated heroes capable of handling most danger that comes their way, yet they are so
vital to the integrity of the Radiant Citadel that each is carefully protected, both magically and by contingents of guards.
Sholeh
Sholeh is a legendary figure in the history of the Citadel.
Having led the successful effort to rediscover the Radiant
Citadel, she was the first Speaker for the Ancestors and is the
only originator of that position to still hold the office. This is,
at least in part, because she is a famed ancient brass dragon
of Akharin Sangar. Unlike many of her kind, she is neutral
good and a pragmatic, shrewd leader. For two hundred and
fifty years, she has been a consummate councilor and has
deftly managed the complex politics of the city. She hopes to
find the missing twelve founding civilizations and believes
the fate of the Citadel depends on it.

Known affectionately (or derisively) as the Old Lady, she often

takes the form of an older, brown-skinned human woman.
Quick to anger and quicker to love, she has rivals and
adversaries aplenty, but friends and suitors in even greater
number. She loves a good drink, loves dancing even more,
and spends her free time with the common citizens of the
city. More frequently, she’s legislating in the council or
negotiating in a secret corner of the Court of Whispers,
trading for information or sending spies on missions.

She has a complex relationship with her homeland. While she

loves Akharin Sangar, she refuses to bend to the will of its
angelic ruler, Atash. Rather than oppose him directly, she
plays a delicate political game even as she worries about the
future of her native land.

SPEAKER SHOLEH

In recent years, the weight of leadership has taken a toll on Sholeh. She picks her scales in private as she tries to find relief.

Personality Trait. “True leaders must see what others do not, but they must remain connected to those they lead.”

Ideal. “I will find the missing twelve and bring back the full glory of the Radiant Citadel.”

Bond. “I love the city and all its people. I will do anything for them.”

Flaw. “Do I exist only because others need me?”

Shieldbearers
Since their founding, the Shieldbearers have led the Radiant Citadel’s rescue and relocation missions. Typically organized in
cohorts of four to six members, they are deployed to lands in crisis. Strict rules of engagement prevent them from impacting
local conditions or taking sides in a conflict; their mandate allows them only to extract those in danger and defend themselves
if attacked. They are among the bravest of the Citadel, and heroes who die in service to the Shieldbearers receive the city’s
highest honors.

Shieldbearers stand ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the vulnerable and the defenseless. Many members adhere to
a tradition of getting a ritual scar or tattoo after each successful deployment, designed to represent a pivotal moment in that
quest. The most accomplished veterans display such body art with pride.
Many adventurers who come to the Radiant Citadel eventually join the Shieldbearers, particularly those with the folk hero,
soldier, or outlander backgrounds.

Arayat
Arayat (neutral, human assassin) was born to a family of Dayawlongon freedom fighters who had no more wars to fight. Peace
did not bring them prosperity, and the family’s glory faded. Arayat grew up on the streets until luck brought him to the Radiant
Citadel. He soon joined the Shieldbearers, which gave him meaning and purpose. Defying the odds, Arayat has survived
hundreds of deployments to the most dangerous situations across the founding civilizations and beyond. He is a master of the
Dayawlongon martial art of eskrima and favors a pair of shortswords in combat.

Now in his forties, he leads the Shieldbearers. He is a canny tactician and a highly competent leader, but he bristles against the
rules of engagement imposed on the Shieldbearers by the Speakers for the Ancestors. He has cremated a hundred fallen
comrades-in-arms and seen horrors few can comprehend. The toll has pushed him to his limits, and he believes a more
aggressive, proactive strategy will save lives. But thus far, he has not defied the council.

In secret, Arayat drinks heavily. It is the only way he can sleep at night.

Personality Trait. “I will do anything and everything to protect the innocent.”

Ideal. “I was born to save those who cannot save themselves.”

Bond. “The Shieldbearers are my family and the Citadel my home.”

Flaw. “I cannot stop seeing the faces of those I’ve lost.”

Citadel Defenses
The Radiant Citadel’s location within the Deep Ethereal makes it difficult to assault. It keeps no standing army, but its council
for defense has contingency plans it frequently refines based on intelligence from the Court of Whispers.

The city’s primary protection is a powerful ward that can be activated by the Speakers for the Ancestors. When all fifteen are
assembled in the council room at the center of the Preserve, by unanimous consent they can erect a diamond sphere that
envelops the entire city. The diamond sphere resembles the Auroral Diamond in texture and color and deflects all attacks.
Nothing can pass or teleport through it.

If the diamond sphere cannot be erected for any reason, the Radiant Citadel is not helpless. Due to its many mysteries and its
magical properties, the city attracts an unusually large number of powerful adventurers and spellcasters. If the citadel is
attacked, no fewer than a dozen archmages and twenty mages led by Sholeh rally. If required, Arayat, commander of the
Shieldbearers, also mobilizes his Shieldbearer veterans, while the other Speakers for the Ancestors call on the citizenry to
bolster the city’s defense.

The Auroral Diamond’s illumination also provides strong protection. It radiates bright light throughout the city and dim light
1,000 feet beyond the city’s borders. This light is akin to sunlight, which many natives of the Ethereal Plane and evil Undead
abhor.
Entering the Citadel
Most visitors come to the city by passage on one of the Concord Jewels. However, it’s possible to find the Citadel through
exploration of the Deep Ethereal. The Auroral Diamond acts like a beacon for the lost and hopeless, and many who seek the
Radiant Citadel within the Deep Ethereal find their way there within a few days of searching.

There is only one official entrance to the Radiant Citadel: the Passage of Respite. The Concord Jewels dock adjacent to it, and
people using other means to travel to the city are directed by guards to enter through it.

At any time, six guards are stationed at the Passage of Respite. They are led by a mage responsible for accepting tolls. These
guards often employ magic items, such as helms of telepathy, when suspicious of the motives of a visitor. A priest from the
House of Convalescence also attends the gate, ready to assist the ailing.

It’s possible to bypass the Passage of Respite by teleporting or flying into the city, but anyone caught doing so faces massive
fines, and repeat offenders risk banishment.
Legends and Lore
Two hundred and fifty years ago, the great brass dragon Sholeh undertook a quest to find the Radiant Citadel. For millennia, the
dragons of her lineage had recounted tales of its glory. As threats loomed on the horizon, Sholeh looked to the legend of the
Radiant Citadel as salvation.

Sholeh gathered a mighty expeditionary force of adventurers from the civilizations she believed originally created the Radiant
Citadel. Their travels took them across perilous planes and to distant worlds, and many died or gave up in despair. Only a
quarter of the heroes who set out completed Sholeh’s quest, but the adventurers’ sacrifices were rewarded. In the depths of the
Ethereal Plane, the Radiant Citadel lay dormant and abandoned by all but the Incarnates of the Preserve of the Ancestors. Yet it
was undiminished in its grandeur, waiting for its inheritors to reawaken its power for a new era.

Many believe that the full potential of the Radiant Citadel can be unlocked only when the twelve missing civilizations are found
and their representatives join the Speakers for the Ancestors. Some hypothesize the Citadel can unleash an incredible weapon,
while others believe the Concord Jewels can be used to travel anywhere in the multiverse, or that the Radiant Citadel can be
shifted between planes. The most fervent dream about tapping the power of the Auroral Diamond to resurrect lost civilizations
and worlds.

Some scholars studying the Radiant Citadel’s origins posit that the Citadel is a relic of the mythical First World and was a vital
center of diplomacy between great cultures before a cataclysm shattered that world. Others speculate that it was a fortress, a
refuge, or even a weapon in a war that transpired in the last days of the First World. Thus far, the Dawn Incarnates have
declined to answer scholars’ questions on the subject.

Recently, two founding civilizations were discovered and reconnected to the Citadel: the Tayyib Empire and Umizu (detailed in
“Beyond the Radiant Citadel” at the end of this book). This success has prompted new rumors in the Court of Whispers about
the twelve civilizations still missing and how they might be found.
Citadel Adventures
Consider the plots on the Radiant Citadel Adventures table when planning adventures in the Radiant Citadel.

Radiant Citadel Adventures

d4 Adventure

1 A revolutionary from San Citlán tries to hire the party in the Court of Whispers to uncover the plot of a corrupt
council member in their homeland (see the adventure “The Fiend of Hollow Mine”).

2 The committee that oversees the Trade Discal asks the party to negotiate with Atash, the angelic ruler of
Akharin Sangar, for increased trade with the Radiant Citadel (see the adventure “Shadow of the Sun”).

3 The Dawn Incarnate of Atagua declares it is willing to reveal the location of one of the missing civilizations if
the characters prevent an alien evil from encroaching on Atagua (see the adventure “Orchids of the Invisible
Mountain”).

4 The Keening Gloom edges toward the Radiant Citadel. The Speakers for the Ancestors hire the characters to
find out what is causing the cyclone’s approach and reverse it.
Using the Citadel

FLEEING DISASTER, A FAMILY DISCOVERS THE BASE OF A CONCORD JEWEL—A GATEWAY TO THE RADIANT
CITADEL

The Radiant Citadel links to a multitude of worlds. While the fifteen lands presented in this book are the best known, you can
decide where else the Concord Jewels reach and what connections they create to future adventures.

Reaching the Radiant Citadel

While the Concord Jewels already create paths between many realms, you can place the missing Jewels anywhere you decide,
linking more lands to the Radiant Citadel. Characters can learn about and travel to the Radiant Citadel, or their adventures
might begin in the city. Consider the following ways to introduce the Radiant Citadel in your campaign:

Citadel Locals. The Radiant Citadel is a hub for those seeking adventure, but it’s also home to thousands. Either the characters
have lived in the city all their lives, or they’re stationed there by a world-hopping organization.

Founding Residents. The characters are from locations detailed in the gazetteers throughout this book. They already know
about the Radiant Citadel but journey to it seeking to learn more.

Ruin Explorers. A group discovers that the land they’re adventuring in was once the site of one of the founding civilizations.
That civilization is lost, but the Concord Jewel connecting it to the Citadel remains.

Sanctuary Seekers. A disaster threatens the characters’ home, but their timely discovery of a Concord Jewel allows them and
their community—a forgotten founding civilization—to escape.

Connecting Adventures
The Radiant Citadel is a useful tool for connecting D&D adventures. The Citadel doesn’t connect to all places in the multiverse
—just the Material Plane locations linked to it by the Concord Jewels.
As you develop your campaign, consider what adventures—or parts of lengthy adventures—you want to run. Rather than
spending time determining how characters get between remote locales, create links between adventure sites via the Radiant
Citadel. Perhaps your next adventure is in a land presented in this book, or maybe it’s somewhere else you decide has a
Concord Jewel that links it to the Citadel. Use the Citadel’s network of Jewels to create permanent connections between any
lands and adventure sites you please. Groups from the Citadel, like the Shieldbearers or the spies in the Court of Whispers, can
then point the way toward adventure. This makes the Radiant Citadel a useful bridge between wherever your characters are
and any adventure in your D&D library.

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