![[TBTS-sjan'ab.jpg]] This adventure takes place within the city of Sjan’ab, where the characters have come to rest after some travels elsewhere in the Southlands. If you are running this as a larger adventure with Tomb of Tiberesh preceding this adventure, the characters travel to Sjan’ab following the guidance in the SPRC’s message or from the SPRC’s scouts. Whatever the characters’ reasons for traveling to Sjan’ab, they all see the three-tailed comet in the sky overhead when they make camp at night. The adventure begins with the characters finding themselves in Sjan’ab’s crowded commercial district. Dozens of stalls, taverns, bath houses, brothels, inns, and small homes fill the district. Talk of the comet and the now-lit beacons as well as murmurs of oncoming storms and the eclipse rumble through the city’s streets. Unbeknownst to the characters, cultists of Tiberesh eavesdrop on them throughout their time in the city. When the characters arrive in Sjan’ab, which takes place on the morning of the first day after the comet’s passing, allow them to spend a little time wandering. They can purchase items, haggle with shopkeepers, and attempt to glean information from the locals. Meanwhile, be sure to heavily lace in what’s going on in the city. Here are some examples the characters might encounter while in Sjan’ab: 1. Several people remarking on the thick beam of starlight coming from the bottom of the riverbank just outside the city. Some saying a lost tomb must be down there somewhere. 2. A doomsayer in the streets shouting about the death of Horus, and the sun stalling in the sky forever. 3. Some people say the beacons are made of an unknown metallic material. They say those that peer into the beacons have gone blind, mad, or worse. 4. The city has seen a trickle of newcomers recently. Many of them are scholars, doomsayers, and philosophers who arrived for the eclipse, but some of them bear depictions of a fish-headed man on their clothing or jewelry or as tattoos. 5. Locals report seeing beacons of all shapes and sizes, some in plain sight atop high places, others amid ruins or buried deep beneath the sands, all signaling treasure to be found. 6. Old legends say that a god queen once ruled this area, and that she was cast out by the other gods and left to die in obscurity. Her tomb is supposedly nearby. After they’ve spent some time soaking in what’s going on, introduce Ba’ryahd (bah ree-ahd) to the characters as a catalyst for getting them into the tomb. He is a man in his 40’s with brown hair and a well-groomed beard, and he wears a striped head cloth. He approaches the characters after eyeing them for a while from the comfort of a stall in the marketplace. He admits to spying on them a bit and says he believes there’s an urgent reason to explore the depths of the river. He says they seem be perfect for the job. He lets the players know he has connections within a secret society of antiquarians within the city known as the Society for the Preservation of Relics and Curiosities (SPRC), who believe a cult is set to make a move on the tomb of Baez’Keph. He may relay as much or as little information from the Adventure Background as you wish. In truth, he doesn’t just “have connections” but is in fact a high-ranking member of the SPRC. A scholar and historian at heart, Ba’ryahd doesn’t lean on his rank within the society when talking to the characters, choosing instead to impress upon them the dangers of these ancient items and the dangers of allowing the cult of Tiberesh to succeed in their plans. **Tomb of Tiberesh Link.** If you are running this as a continuation of the Tomb of Tiberesh adventure, Ba’ryahd mentions hearing of their exploits from his colleagues in the SPRC. He accepts the Rod of Tiberesh from the characters, if they hand it to him. He promises his colleagues will see to the safe dismantling of the item to prevent it falling into the wrong hands. If he hasn’t yet mentioned his need for capable individuals, he uses that opportunity to mention that another similar item lies within a nearby tomb, which is another target of the cult of Tiberesh. **Ba’ryahd the Scholar.** Ba’ryahd is an honest man with legitimate concern for the city, its people, and all the Southlands. He wants the Empyrean Trident destroyed, and he knows the SPRC has the means to do it. He’s not a red herring or a secret villain, but, as a historian, he is eager to discover what else lies in Baez’Keph’s tomb and doesn’t hide his excitement. He’s worked with the SPRC to investigate the potential of what’s about to happen and urges the characters to accompany him on an expedition to where he (correctly) believes the tomb to be: at the bottom of the River Nuria near Sjan’ab. He promises payment and supplies if they agree to help him. He is running out of time and options, and he likely meets whatever demands the characters might have, given they’re reasonable. The SPRC has deep pockets and access to peculiar items, if the characters insist on being compensated. **Cultists of Tiberesh.** Having conducted some reconnaissance and rituals of their own, the cultists of Tiberesh plan to play into the fears of Sjan’ab’s people on the eve of the second day by using remnants of Tiberesh’s dark magic to call up locust swarms and tinge the River Nuria a blood red. This further scares the locals and should give good reason for the characters to act, if they haven’t acted by that time already.