The Dividends of Research (Pb)

  I have good news! I’ve hired an Iodinian scholar by the name of Lara Beudenchamp (the Illuminated, third of her name, Principium Anathetor, et cetera) to answer some of the questions the shadows whisper to me right before I fall asleep. Unfortunately, she charges by the hour, and I have very little gold lying around my house, so this is all she could come up with. I hope it helps you, at least a bit.

What is the Red Word?

“Why do I burn?

When I feel those eyes on by back,

Tongues aflutter with my misdeeds

Their eyes upon me, needles, needles

What corner left in my soul holds that spark

That impulse

Of joining with a whole I know

I was born in the shadow of?”

-The diary of an infamous heretic known as Stitchley Hatters.

Who are the Red Hierophants, blessed be?

“TO PASS BILL INTO LAW EVER-BINDING:

Each party on the Council, starting with the Red Hierophants, blessed be, scribes a single word in iodine onto the beatified tablet before delivering it to the next party. Once a majority of the Council votes to end the scribing process, the tablet is heated and the law revealed. Only a unanimous concursion can abolish such a law, so laws are written almost as scarcely as they are vetoed (for an example of the last such occurrence in history, see the Second Defenestration of Turgendaal in Subsection III). Of course, codes are another matter entirely; for reference, please see Handbook 22A: “On Imperial and Sub-Imperial Codes”.”

-An excerpt from ‘the most tedious book in the Athenaeum’, as decided by a surveying group of students at Mordent University

No, but like, who are they?

“Yeah, I was wondering the same thing! Why won’t this guy answer any of our questions with a straight answer?”

-I don’t know how Deus Ex Parabola’s strawman ended up here, but I’ve heard that salt circles can keep it away? Please let me know if you have any tips; I hate it so fucking much; this explains why Deus has gone mad;; 

What other constellations did Saint Copper imprison?

“This is an all-too-common misconception; Saint Copper imprisoned none at all. After battling a Thing From Beyond and losing an eye in the melee, Saint Copper beseeched the Great Bear to guard the firmament against the incursion of further violators. Each of the other stars are the Great Bear’s fetal progeny, and one day, they will all grow as strong as their mother, and return from their thrones clad triumphant with the blood of the last of the Things From Beyond, and we will drink and rejoice and shed our skins to join them in starstuff. Easy mistake to make, especially in this day and age.”

-Kagro-Kang, Ursulist prophet (presumed deceased)

What’s in the Æther?

“Y’ever seen one of them turtles? Sorry, no, not turtles, but they look like turtles, at least when you’s far away. But when ya get up close to have a good look at the buggers, it’s like their skin is… moving. Alive wit’ little gnats ‘n ants ‘n whatnot- hunnerds, thousands, too many to count. An’ they just live like that. Carryin’ these little folk wit’ em wherever they go, sharin’ their food n’ everything. And then the strangest thing happened- one day, I dropped a brush n’ all the little buggers scattered, an’ it was a skull in there. Imagine that! There was nothin’ under there at all, was the little bugs moving the skull along.”

-Garou Whistledown, itinerant Golgothan painter.

What the fuck is an elf?

“Stop asking me! Do you think I fucking know!?”

-Dr. Seremin Averu, Chair of Archaeology and Excavations at Mordent University.

Who was the Warrior-Poet?

“In your words, speak truth, but whisper.

In your deeds, be generous, but unflinching.

In your thoughts, be steadfast, but incorruptible.

In your flesh, be staunch, but meager.

And in your soul, be steel and lead.

Let me tell you a tale, my children, of the Mother in the Star...”

-The first words of the Codex Periodicum.

Where did the dragons go?

“DAY 49: Subject has begun to shudder violently to an unidentifiable rhythm- perhaps akin to a heartbeat, though no investigation has revealed the presence of a cardiovascular system. Also has begun secreting a fluid smelling faintly of gasoline, currently being chemically analyzed by the Rats. Omens of natural disasters written in Heretic and inverted archaic Chemoglyphic have begun appearing on the walls of the containment unit. We request more lead so that the holding chamber may be reinforced.

DAY 53: Subject’s shuddering and secretions have ceased, and the transmogrification appears to be reversing itself, though the carvings and placoid scales remain a part of the Subject’s flesh. Subject appears to have an insatiable appetite for its own offal. It has begun speaking Chitter again, and begs for us to let it out of the chamber. We have received strict orders from the Black Hierophant to not accede to its pleas, though I can’t help but feel pity for must obey my orders in service of the Empire.

DAY 54: Code Double Red. In response to the hypnotic stimulus, an Acolyte released the Beast Subject from its cell. Motecrackers have been deployed to our location but it won’t be enough it never is abandon all hope may She have mercy on our damned souls why did he release it WHY DID HE RELEASE IT”

-Partially burned records recovered from the wreckage of Outpost Omega.

Are you satisfied yet?

“NO. SHOW THEM WHAT WE GAVE YOU.”

-The shadows

Fine. Here. Are you happy?

Well, are you?

Are you?

Two cultures for Pb

There is more to come, but have this for now. In advance, thanks for reading, and happy gaming.

THE CHURLIAN TRIBES

NAMES: Always ending in a vowel. The higher-status someone is, the more syllables they have; being addressed by one syllable is practically a dehumanization.

Low-class names

1 Tavo

2 Kesi

3 Dali

4 Vana

5 Yesu

6 Tadi

High-class names

1 Taragonsedia

2 Hasanatona

3 Togadimara

4 Grasendyvari

5 Vedrasinotamo

6 Stasinakitha

DRESS: Somewhere between a Diesel-age pilot and Native American regalia.

1 Well-worn denim overalls embroidered with clay beads

2 Fur-lined bomber jacket with fringed sleeves

3 Fanny pack made from a hollowed-out crow

4 Jeans with wildlife patterns embroidered on the knees

5 Bomber cap with feathers sticking out of the sides

6 A suitcoat woven from serape fabric

TRINKETS:

1 A mineworker’s Imperial punch card; despite looking like swiss cheese, it doesn’t meet the criteria for “sufficient labor”

2 A clay amulet with the icon of an eagle, its eyes sparkling amethyst

3 A doll woven from dead grass; three blue beads are tucked away in its chest

4 A tarnished ankh bracelet scratched silly and bent in half

5 A small red pouch of warm-smelling spices

6 A jar of beatified liquor, clear and bitter and burning, labelled with angular animal designs

7 A hand puppet of a comically villainous Imperial enforcer

8 A ring of rusted iron in the shape of a propeller

APPEARANCE: Skin like rich tanned leather, hair like the earth after a rain or silver as startuff, eyes like brilliant tigereye. Some (5%) are born with blue eyes, clear as crystal, marking them as clairvoyant Seers.

ACCENT: Like a British person trying to impersonate an American.

CUSTOM: When there’s a feather lying alone on the ground, you must burn it as soon as possible, or that feather will tether the bird’s spirit to the material world after death, and no one wants a Phantasma infestation.

RELIGION: Spirits emerge from an undifferentiated mass of being, each expression of life in the material world simply one facet of that great beyond spirit. The older a creature is, the closer to the One Spirit it becomes- immortal, mythopoetic creatures like Yellow Bison and the Moonshine Crow are said to be near-pure avatars of the One Spirit made flesh.

CURRENCIES: Bead strings- yellow beads are used to buy necessities like soap and candles, blue are used to buy frills like massages and murals, red are used to buy dangerous equipment like weapons and chemic, and purple are used to buy luxuries like jewelry and buildings. The type of work someone does determines in what bead they are paid; a common laborer gets 3 yellow beads and 1 blue bead a day, while a notorious mercenary would get 3 red beads and 1 purple bead per mark. (3 beads of one color and 1 of another is a good estimate for small potatoes payment.)

REGION: The Churlian Fields are primarily rolling hills (40%), dry grasses (50%) and wetlands (10%), dotted with hulking, rusted antediluvian relics (30% on a given mote) of technologies decommissioned well before the Age of Aerodynes.

ARCHITECTURE: Simple geometric shapes and elemental designs melding closely with the landscape and terrain features; Churlian architecture is characterized by its simplicity and an almost symbiotic relationship to the surrounding landscape and symmetrical circular designs. In colonized regions, the aesthetic difference between Iodinian and Churlian design is very stark, some sociologists calling the incongruity symbolic.

FOOD: Standard Fare: A honeyed cut of yeabu* along boiled tubers. Fine Dining: Eagle’s blood pudding and berries served in the hollow of a melon. Travel Fare: Yeabu jerky and tack.

*Yeabu: a spotted, tripedal beast of burden native to the Field most notable for its protruding forehead. Female yeabu ritualistically headbutt each other when squads come in conflict. Behind the cranial protrusion is a wall of fat to protect the brain, frequently utilized by Churlians for long-burning candles, food preparation, and preservation.

MUSIC: Meandering and out-of-time vocals accompanied by plucked/bowed chordophones like Kagus and Vilas, traditionally with little to no percussion and/or one or multiple sustained pitches that move to create harmony. One of the best-known songs is the Ballad of the Skymonger, a culture antihero who stole the gift of flight from a falcon.

THE SACCHARINE DYNASTY

NAMES: Flowing, overwrought, sounding as if a group with a hyperbolic spirit played Telephone with archaic European names. House names are typically two vaguely Asiatic syllables, serving as surnames (Tsollinarit Vo-Tran) just as often as titles (Mirilando de Prisstil of House Ye-Khar).

Low-class names

1 Salthen

2 Iolde

3 Vernus

4 Yordic

5 Ralfodo

6 Kendris

High-class names

1 Xainaphen

2 Terrophilius

3 Mimsley-Hattington

4 Carnigelia

5 Fyordinham

6 Rufadelpho

DRESS: All of the following are gender and class agnostic.

1 Ball gown covered in orbs (1), flowers (2), bows (3), knives (4), bells (5), or hats (6)

2 A fine ruffled suit coupled with a coin veil

3 A leotard covered in glittering quartz

4 An animalistic masquerade mask with genuine matching furs

5 Half of an ocean-blue silken gown sewn to half of a crushed red velvet  suit

6 Nothing but a thick coat of paint 

TRINKETS:

1 A music clef-shaped locket containing a sliver of antimony

2 A darkwood Kithremba (like a cross between a sitar and a banjo) named Ethel missing two strings, one of which is being used as a garrote somewhere

3 A gold-on-black scroll containing saucy messages in impeccable calligraphy; both the sender and addressee are married nobles of rival Houses

4 A badge of watch from House Do-Rahck in the shape of an 11-pointed star

5 A cotton candy-pink iron stiletto carved with the name of a fallen House

6 A bill for ‘a buggy covertly laden with sufficient explosives to destroy a small house’

7 Three turquoise octahedral dice stained brown with blood with pips in the shape of butterflies

8 A bowl carved from a Crystal Crab carapace and mended a la kintsugi

APPEARANCE: Crazy bod mod, a sign of both discipline and wealth, is the norm (80%). Underneath are pale, diamond-eyed folk who tend to the tall and lanky side despite their diet.

1 Entire body bleached/tattooed cotton candy pink

2 Entire body bleached/tattooed baby blue

3 Entire body bleached/tattooed lavender

4 Entire body bleached/tattooed stark white

5 Entire body bleached/tattooed some other color, or with swirling designs

6 Eyes are an unusual color (1-4), have a strange pupil shape (5), or are monochrome (6)

7 Crystal implanted into forehead as “third eye”

8 Poems carved into foot-long fingernails

9 Pointed, elfin ears laden with gauges and piercings

10 Forked tongue, frequently tattooed with alchemical symbols

11-12 Roll d4 times and combine

ACCENT: On a class spectrum from Italian (lowest of low) to French (highest of high). There is much social stigma around speech impediment, lisps and stutters most common in this region; if you want to make a killing, covertly advertise yourself as a linguistic therapist around a lesser-known noble house.

CUSTOM: You must eat all food you are presented with in its entirety (crumbs are frowned upon), and take care to avoid any sort of mess. To do otherwise is a great disgrace, you slovenly slob.

RELIGION: The head of each House is divine, their power corresponding  to their position on the socioeconomic hierarchy. The Emperor (praise be) is the autarch-god-lord of the Dynasty. The Saccharinians live in a world where a god can be stabbed in the back and replaced; it’s no surprise that Viadolphus Machiavelli’s “the God-Prince” was such a hit.

CURRENCIES: An uncountable myriad of bills, each representing a very specific, concrete asset that one can claim and use. The “grain-store” is the most common (enough grain to make a week’s worth of bread), while the “arsenic-vial” is among the most coveted. Making new bills along with new pieces of technology is common; the “printing-press” caused quite a stir when it hit the market.

REGION: Dominated by chromatic spires of pure sugar crystal (80%), the remainder covered in crushed rubble and crystal dust (20%), the deforested litter of centuries of excavations. Pools of sugar-water in and around which Crystal Crabs congregate are common (30% on a given mote).

ARCHITECTURE: A mash-up of the mythic European castle aesthetic and Islamic/faux Arabian architecture. All hyperbolically grand and splendorous; often optical illusions are employed to make them look larger and more boastful than they really are, frequently resulting in Neuschwanstein levels of nonsensical geometry. Tempered sugar-mortar and ‘concrose’ (sucrose concrete) are construction staples.

FOOD: Standard Fare: Candied poultry with a side of sparkling sugar water and a bowl of cold pinto beans. Fine Dining: A main course of breads and rich Crystal Crab* and tuber stews followed by up to fifty courses of desserts. Travel Fare: Rock candy and dried turkey legs.

*Crystal Crabs: crustacean creatures who have evolved shells of sweet salt to dissuade predators. Nest in hallowed-out warrens within crystal spires next to bodies of still liquid. Develop hive minds under duress, but always a sucker for shiny baubles.

MUSIC: The Saccharinians invented the symphony orchestra and are emerging into a Baroque period, filled with candlelit opera, prickly counterpoint, and ever larger and louder ensembles commissioned by the bored patriarchs and matriarchs of the upper crust Houses.

Languages of Pb

 IODINIAN

Iodinian- The lingua franca of the Iodine Empire’s domain. Sounds like potatoes sizzling on a pan. Puritans deride the slew of loanwords that have crept in over the course of Imperial expansion, and it takes a Proficiency of at least 3 to remove them from one’s vocabulary, though those loanwords allow one to say basic idioms and phrases in all languages marked with an asterisk.

Low Chemoglyphic*- This language, with a script closely resembling a mix between chemical formulas and sacred geometry, is the preeminent tongue of the Church of Her Red Word, in which most Poetic holy books are written. Sounds like the war-cry of an angel. It is an aping of High Chemoglyphic, the language of magic, and one’s Proficiency in High Chemoglyphic is automatically 1 less than one’s Proficiency in Low Chemoglyphic.

CHURLIAN

Minespeak*- This language developed as the result of Imperial mining conscription, and it is the discordant blend of the Old Song and Iodinian. It is most frequently heard in Imperial mine-cities in the Fields, and sounds like rocks colliding with each other as they roll down a hill.

Old Song- This is the oldest widely-surviving form of oral communication, flourishing in the face of the Empire’s attempts to wipe it out. It is a music as much as it is a language, with rhythm and pitch endowing as much meaning as syntax and pronunciation. It sounds like the cries of a mother bird set to Gregorian chant. All who sing along understand some fragment of the phrase’s meaning, and even CHurlian animals are capable of such.

Symbography- More of a pictographic system than a language, Symbography is the visual language of the Churlian tribes. Appearing like Art Deco petroglyphs, they record the mythic history of the Churlian tribes from the Bridge Age and before on towering cairns the Empire have been fervently demolishing since before colonial efforts began.

SACCHARINIAN

Gluci*- The high-class brogue of the Dynastic sugar-crystal palaces. Due to its nuanced tonality and subtle consonant differentiations, it pairs suspiciously easily with Jabber, and as such any speaker has equal Proficiency in Jabber while speaking Gluci. Sounds like golden scissors gently slipping through a bolt of silk.

Chitter- The language of lepers, the itinerant, and the sugar-crystal crabs that make their nest in the glucose spires. Even knowing how to speak it is enough to make you a pariah in high society circles, which is why “chittertongue” is such a popular insult the world over. It’s almost entirely click-based, and sounds like tapping wet pieces of glass together. All lepers intuitively know how to speak it, their Proficiency growing with their symptoms.

BURSINGR

Fjordi*- The language of the low-elevation Bursingr peoples, those who live on glacier-barges and in caves carved into snow-clad cliff-faces. Coldwind speakers regard Fjordi speakers with condescension, but Fjordi serves the trade tongue of the confederate. Sounds like a reed flute after being submerged in mud.

Coldwind- The language of the high-elevation Bursingr peoples, so insular and storied that some people regard them as a myth. Coldwind allows a speaker to hear what the wind is saying, so long as it chills the bone as it whispers. Sounds like a last breath at the hands of a silent strangler.

GOLGOTHAN

Geol- A close cousin to the Old Song, Geol is closely guarded by the sages and griots of the principalities. It is an entirely oral tradition, and allows one to speak the languages of stones, minerals, sufficiently bastardized metals, and potentially dead ancestors, as well as know the resonant frequency of any object with a glance. Masterful speakers of Geol can make mountains tremble and boulders fragment. Geol sounds like the clacks of thousands of magnets colliding and repelling.

Earthbound- The language of the exiles banished to rest their calloused feet upon the scorched, accursed ground. Pity the poor pilgrim who mumbles their prayers in the tongue of the outcasts. Earthbound sounds like rain evaporating out of a steel bowl. Gain Proficiency in Earthbound when exiled from the suspended cities of the principalities.

Ediph*- The primary language of the Golgothan jungles and mesas at large. It is in Ediphisian script that the first of the world’s religious texts are written, and some linguists claim that there are ten thousand words for divinity. Jury’s out on whether this is hyperbole or not. Each principality has its own dialect, which you can put Proficiency in to be more highly regarded by the constituents of that principality. Sounds like hearts beating in time to an eschatological liturgy.

OTHER

Vermin*- The language of Verminfolk, occasionally appropriated symbolically by marginalized communities or rebellious organizations. Originating from Haven, the metal insect city in the star-shadow of the Husk, this language sounds like the buzzing and whirring of a plague of locusts. Most insects can understand its rudiments.

Jabber- This is not a language in and of itself, but rather, a way of speaking a language that subtly implies either a hidden message or the exact opposite of what is stated. Everyone understands sarcasm or facetious tones, for example, but one who is Proficient in Jabber can endow their words with more sophisticated alternate meanings, up to a point where advanced Jabbertongues can have two conversations at once. Comes in two mutually intelligible dialects; Cant, the language of thieves, and Doublespeak, the language of politicians.

Blade- The language of warriors and of the weapons they wield alike. Learning Blade and combat training are almost indistinguishable, and any seasoned tactician worth their salt would pay a soldier who knows Blade extra. It sounds like blood ecstatically swimming out from its prison and kissing its steel liberator in joy. You gain Proficiency in Blade every time you win a formal duel with your primary weapon.

Heretic- The blasphemous tongue of those who revel in the ways that came before the Poetic sects. Knowing but a word of it labels you an enemy of the state in the highest order no matter where you find yourself. One can learn Heretic not through study, but through pain; when one emerges from torture with their spirit unbroken and their faith intact, they gain 1 Proficiency in Heretic. Sounds like the noises of a phantom pursuer one hears while alone in the forest.

Lunacy- The language of the Lunatic Harmony, a fringe religious sect that believes in something strange called a “moon”. Apparently it is what provides the Æther’s luminosity, and is a big orb of… rock? Cheese? Something like that. They’re not taken very seriously on the large stage. Sounds like the gentle burbling of goldfish typing on typewriters, whatever those are.

LANGUAGE RULES: Start with 4 + WITS Proficiency to put into languages. 1 Proficiency means that you can speak snippets of a language with a heavy accent, but enough to get by for a day or two. It also means that you can differentiate between the writings and verbalizations of languages within the same family as yours. 2 Proficiency means you can speak basic sentences with a limited vocabulary, but approach fluency. 3 Proficiency is equivalent to a native speaker who doesn’t specialize in language use and serves as 1 Proficiency in languages of the same family. 4 Proficiency is rare even among intellectuals, representing an incredible grasp of linguistic function and manipulation. There are more languages than exist on these lists, and not everything written here is necessarily true.

Again, this one’s just for me. I tried to synthesize some cool things that my forebears had done with language, and I think I still have more to do in making these languages more interesting, but I have enough that I can get to the table and improvise, particularly because I mostly wanted these in place to start making commentary on interlinguistic power dynamics, and these do that as-is just fine. Thanks for reading, and happy gaming.

Unfinished

Found this half-finished shanty in a notebook from a while back. I hope it serves you in some way. Maybe a Godchild’s battle cry?

The black waves below, they ebb and they flow

Sinking and rising, with white-silver waves

And swirling in time with seafarer’s rhyme

Calling mourn’flly through passages of countless days

Now I heard a tale of a mother at sea

In great brewing storm birth’d a child

The waves tried as they might, but she dared cling so tight

Her knuckles were white, beast’s eyes wild

And the waves said to she, “if your lad’s strong as ye,

A great warrior he shall become!”

But the mother just laughed, and she beckoned the storm

The twain danced on the ship ‘till the tempest was done…

The twain danced on the ship ‘till the tempest was done

THE HALCYON, a Pb adventure (Glogtober)

 EFFECTIVELY PREPPING THIS ADVENTURE

1. Get a good feel for the NPCs. Give them personalities, plans, conflicts; make them as 3d as your brain can handle. The adventure gets a lot more interesting if the heroes like the bandits and want to help them, and even more so if the feeling is mutual.

2. Decide why the players are on the Halcyon, and how long it is until the next stop- it’ll change the dynamics of the adventure drastically. If you have an hour to try and figure out how to evade your Imperial pursuers before the Halcyon docks again, that’s very different from being pilgrims wandering aboard and planning on staying for two days while flying over exposed Æther.

3. Skim over the locations; almost all they are are little oddities for the heroes to steal and interact with, but the conflict almost entirely arises from the party’s relationship to the bandits.

4. For a mean complication, have the heroes accompany an innocent but high-paying acolyte onto the Halcyon. Not only must they deal with the brigand’s plots, they have to make sure the acolyte doesn’t find out that the Halcyon has been defiled, else their worship would be ruined!

Thanks for reading, and happy gaming.

THE HALCYON

• This carrack-blimp is adorned with religious iconography of a myriad of faiths, acting as one of the Church’s few remaining hubs of diplomacy and goodwill.

• The Halcyon essentially acts as a mobile embassy.

• Anyone on board is legally considered to have diplomatic immunity from the Empire bar none, and by extension most all surrounding republics and principalities as well.

• Along with attracting genuine pilgrims of all sorts who come to revisit holy relics and cultural artifacts plundered by the Empire, the Halcyon attracts criminals and heretics who seek refuge from the Church.

• In most cases, the priests of the Halcyon let them pass freely and make their final peace with whatever divinites they may worship, but firmly deposit them at the next port to meet their fates.

• In the cases of high heretics and other such dangerous individuals, though, the Halcyon bears a secret incarceration chamber reminiscent of an Inquisitorial cell.

• About a month ago, a group of five petty brigands, fat and lazy off a recent carriage robbery, boarded the Halcyon to try and finesse GOD BLINKED TWICE, a blade they (rightfully) suspected to be on board.

• The robbery went sour, and the priest-crew tried to incapacitate the intruders.

• The brigands slew them all, took their robes, and have been pretending to be the Halcyon crew since.

• This defiles the Halcyon, rendering its protections moot and its religious significance impotent

THE BRIGANDS

• Maestoso, an inordinately short, machiavellian Iodinian.

• Dressed in a stage costume of nobelry, stolen from the acting troupe he was a part of.   

• He split off because he hated being the comedic relief all of the time, (erroneously) considering himself a serious actor.

• Despite his bloated ego, he is terribly mediocre at most everything, and the others mostly keep him around because he’s engaged to Accelerando, and without his swordsmanship, the group would likely be captured.

• Speaks with a nasal, haughty affect.

• Accelerando con Molto, a perpetually tipsy Iodinian fencer.

• Wears a billowy shirt, tight leather vest, and jaunty green scarf befitting of a swashbuckler of his infamy.

• Genuinely caring and kind, tries to avoid violence if possible.

• He has to pay for his booze somehow, though…

• Wields GOD BLINKED TWICE, stolen from the Hall of Oblation (III).

• When this rapier is broken (as with a FUMBLE), the broken piece flies into the air and fights on its own accord for d6 minutes.

• It speaks unknown syllables aloud in a long-dead tongue whenever it sees a species it hasn’t seen before.

• Speaks in rhymes and poems with mellifluous Iodinian lilt.

• Delphine Bai-Chen, a fallen Saccharinian noblewoman-turned-infiltrator.

• Disgraced after House Bai-Chen was revealed to be entangled with a smuggling ring.

• After years spent training under Lord Voldwynscythe of the Oroborus Network, she is a master of spycraft in all its myriad forms.

• She bears the tattoo of the Network on her right wrist, as does every inducted member.

• Sarcastic, pessimistic, charismatic. Quickly grows angry if she’s not in control of a situation or if people aren’t following her (admittedly good) directives.

• Speaks with any accent she damn well pleases, though her native Saccharinian sounds light a highfaluting French.

• Ahvo, a grizzled Churlian pirate-mechanic.

• Wears a classic Diesel-Age pilot uniform laden with beads and fringe, standard garb for a Churlian tribesperson.

• He’s a dab hand at machinery and airships, and is halfway through an attempt to soup up the Halcyon’s propulsors.

• Generally cheerful and honest, but has a deep vendetta against the Empire related to the woman in the daguerreotype in his cot (see VII).

• He’s tight-lipped about the specifics, which means it’s free real estate for your creativity. When in doubt, they executed his sister for heresy.

• Speaks with a Churlian accent; that is, like a British “person” trying to impersonate an American

• Karavonovitch (Karo), a haggard Verminfolk in the shape of a vaguely humanoid mosquito.

• Thirsty for blood and exhausted, given that he hasn’t fed in days.

• Speaks in a deep Golgothan (Russian) drawl punctuated by ragged, wet coughs.

• Their collective goal is to break into the innermost sanctum (X), where they presume the greatest of the Halcyon’s treasure lies.

• Thusfar, they have been stopped by the Undifferentiated (see Room VIII).

• The heroes represent their chance of getting past the barrier.

• To try and convince them to help out, the five will pretend to be priests, and claim that the Undifferentiated’s presence are a novel development.

• All five will frequently mess up on basic matters of ecclesiastical canon, sometimes humorously, sometimes as a deliberate clue that they might not be who they say they are.

• Once they have reached the sanctum, the five intend to turn upon the heroes and try to seize the hold for themselves.

ENTER THE HEROES, running from the law or seeking some religious artifact they know to be aboard…

I: DECK OF FLAGS

• A tangle of ropes from the masts and balloon bear flags of all makes and meins, from prayer flags to national and city-state emblems to donated rags made by grateful pilgrims.

• Doors lead away to map  chamber (II), the hall (III), and double doors give way to the worship chamber (IV).

• If not elsewhere, Accelerando con Molto reclines on a rocking chair on the upper deck nearest the steering wheel, merrily whistling and greeting new arrivals with a lazy wave.

II: MAP CHAMBER

• Intensely detailed maps of the motescape of various makes line the walls.

• Small paper ribbons draped lovingly across the maps dictates the projected travel path, a months-long nation-spanning tour. Weird, the Halcyon is well off-course…

• A large chest of drawers against the wall contains a catalogue of navigation crystals.

• Navigation crystals are networks of silicon that show patterns (usually motes and their movements) in 3d space when light is shined through them, like a hologram.

• A switch under the skirt at the top pops open a secret cabinet of crystals.

• The crystals contain the location of hidden Inquisitorial bases, many of which are located in the unlikeliest of places.

• If not elsewhere, Maestoso is muttering to himself like a lunatic while he shuffles through the map crystals, looking for somewhere safe from the Empire to land the Halcyon.

• Stairs lead down to the cargo hold (V), while two wooden doors lead out to the deck (I) and the hall (III).

III: HALL OF OBLATION

• Illuminated by large windows, a myriad of pedestals stand about the periphery and center of the room, each bearing gifts once given to the Halcyon by religious diplomats.

• d10 random offerings...

1 An inert mechanical squirrel with laser eyes from the Churlian Fields with alien script translating into “Mr. Nutsley” carved into its flank

2 GROWL, a butterfly knife of Bursingrian steel complete with glass wings keeping it aloft; whispers a constant stream of curses in all manner of tongues

3 The death mask of Reladonna Vestis, a famously assassinated scion of the Saccharine Dynasty; small glyphs are visibly scribed around the back of the eyes

4 A red-iron ankh that was allegedly ‘extracted’ from the tomb of one of the former Red Hierophants (rest their soul)

5 The skull of an Elf, whatever that is, excavated from a Golgothan quarry

6 A Saccharinian pot of multi-hued paint that once belonged to Garderyn Gallowel the Mad Sculptor; anything painted with it animates, but there’s not much left

7 A hunk of unrefined diamond from Zenith Mons that acts like an anachitis

8 An irate demon of whirling smoke trapped within a skull-shaped glass bottle

9 A worn Churlian-leather jacket with a talking skull embroidered into the back

10 A Golgothan spoon that can stir any liquid into pure water

• A large glass display case bearing a sword stand lays shattered against the farthest wall.

• The brigands will claim that they were raided by Churlian pirates, who stole away the sword in the case, which they refer to as HALF MOON FALLING.

• In reality, Accelerando wields GOD BLINKED TWICE, the sword that actually came from the case. HALF MOON FALLING rests in other hands.

• If not elsewhere, Delphine staring preturbedly at the contents of the display cases.

• Doors lead back out to the deck (I) and the map chamber (II).

IV: WORSHIP CHAMBER

• The wall of this room is dominated by a cubist display case of reinforced lead in the shape of the Periodic Table, in which rest samples of pure elements.

• A battered copy of the Codex Periodicum sits in a lectern against the wall, alongside racks of incense, bells, and other artifacts of worship available for public use.

• The Codex is an abridged compilation that weaves the narratives of the sundry Saints into a singular tapestry.

• It is the canonical text of the Church of Her Red Word, though most theocratic scholars (even Clerical officials) agree that it cuts corners in its simplification.

• A sand mandala set into the floor in front of the wall display contains a colorful, angular depiction of the Periodic Table.

• Disturbing the sand on a particular element causes the relevant door to open on the wall display, giving a sample of the pure element.

• At a moment when no one is looking, the case closes and is restocked with the element- this is replication arcana.

• This property cannot be used again until the mandala is fixed by a trained Cleric.

• Double doors lead away to the deck (I).

V: CARGO HOLD

• This large, empty space cluttered with unorganized crates, some open and looted by the brigands, comprises the majority of the ship’s second floor.

• d8 things in cargo crates:

1 Moldy peaches, now gathering flies

2 Saccharinian wine; written on the back of one of the labels is a draft of a rebellious communique 

3 Silk rope, canvas, and wax for sail maintenance

4 Pickaxes and empty lanterns from a decommissioned Bursingr mining operation

5 Small bags of gunpowder

6 Confiscated Churlian narcotics from an Inquisitorial drug bust

7 Heretical books full of Ætherial research all annotated by one “Zzol the Mysteriarch, Ascendant to the Third Plane”, some occultist with a bloated ego

8 Golgothan religious artifacts painted over and labelled “masquerade costumes”

• If not elsewhere, Ahvo is here doing some maintenance on the ship’s hull while merrily whistling a Churlian folk song.

• On one side of the hold, a set of paper doors lead away to the Tea Room (VI), while on the other, a lead-bound iron door leads to the first Gauntlet (VIII). Stairs lead back up to the map chamber (II).

VI: TEA ROOM

• Paper walls coated in a calligraphic rendition of a multicultural religious union mute the glow of lantern light into this reception chamber.

• Behind the walls, one of the burning lanterns heats a valuable porcelain tea kettle whose water has long-since boiled.

• A large round table, adorned with a tea set gone long-cold and cakes that are beginning to develop mold, is surrounded by plush cushions.

• If not elsewhere, Karavonovitch is in this chamber, picking through the food for edible scraps without much success.

• They will ask if any of the heroes brought anything edible, particularly blood, as an offering, no questions asked.

• If they do so, Karavonovitch will become genial, and will advocate for the heroes staying alive. Otherwise, he will be snotty and advocate for their disposal.

• A paper door leads back out into the hold (V), while an entrance concealed by murals leads to the cloister (VII).

VII: THE FELICITOUS CLOISTER

• Four colorful cots of plush silk are surrounded with candles and blankets, one in each corner of the room.

• Maestoso’s cot is hastily made, but moderately orderly. Under his pillows are a stiletto, an eternally half-finished script of his trials and tribulations made melodramatic, and a well-worn smiley face stress ball.

• Accelerando’s cot is in a state of disarray. Included in the heap that is his sleeping area are unworn designer boots he plans on saving for his next joust, an empty engagement ring box, and a half-drunk bottle of Bursingr moonshine.

• Delphine’s cot is immaculately made and arranged; everything is neat and organized. In a jewelry box next to her cot are a set of blue pince-nez, a makeup kit, and a vial of arsenic-water.

• Ahvo’s cot is made, but oil-stained and wrinkled. Among his things are a well-stocked toolkit and a daguerreotype of a stony-faced Churlian woman.

• A set of silver chains with a pile of pillows below serving as a perch near the center.

• Karavonovitch rests hanging from the chains, like a bat. Underneath the pillows are their possessions: a used electrum incense burner in the shape of a beetle, a chunk of purple amber, and an empty decanter stained crimson smelling thickly of sugar and salt.

• In the center of the far wall is a bookshelf laden with religious tomes.

• A WITS roll or deliberate inspection reveals that a false book called “A Catalogue of Sins” is instead carved from a single block of wood.

• Pulling it causes the bookshelf to swing on a hidden hinge and reveal a secret chamber behind the Cloister.

• Scriptural runes along the top of the walls invoke Saint Phosphorus while living creatures are in the room, producing a harsh biological light.

• Intended for surreptitious Inquisition behavior, the center of this chamber houses an austere medical chair, while a metal shelf on the far wall bears rusting tools of torture.

• Four corpses in the earliest stages of decomposition litter the room, beginning to draw flies.

• This is the original crew of the Halcyon, rest their souls.

• Above the door shelf frame is a small bronze plaque bearing the inscription “C: DISSOLUTUM”

• See the Gauntlet of Saint Carbon (VIII)

• A sliding paper door leads out to the tea room (VI).

VIII: GAUNTLET OF SAINT CARBON

• This room is locked with lead-reinforced steel; no scrying can divine what lies beyond while it is sealed.

• Delphine carries the lead-bound key, looted from the pockets of the original Halcyon crew.

• Two large troughs of fecal- and metallic-smelling maroon sludge line the walls.

• When someone enters the room, the sludge begins to coagulate and separate into golemic forms, masses of blood and muscle and brain and bone medically named the Undifferentiated...

• D6 Undifferentiated spawn, with another d4 spawning in d4 rounds.

• Saying the word “Dissolutum” (found in the secret Inquisitorial chamber bordering Room IV) causes all of the Undifferentiated to collapse back into their constituent cells.

• In the bottom the first trough the heroes check is a blue key; in the bottom of the second is a powerful lodestone.

• A locked metal door painted blue on the far side of the room leads to Room IX.

• Alongside the door is a long rubber glove, spanning fingertip to shoulder, stained with Undifferentiated-sludge.

IX: GAUNTLET OF SAINT SULPHUR

• There is a vaguely warm 2-foot iron platform right near the mouth of this room; the rest of the floor and walls are superheated.

• Metal left for a minute on the surface begins to glow dull red, bare skin blisters and boils on contact.

• The ceiling is also not heated- maybe the loadestone will come in handy?

• The gilded door on the far side of the room is unlocked, though the gold plating makes it immune to magic.

• Somehow, the heroes have to traverse this 30-foot room without getting burned beyond repair.

• The secret code word to shut off the heat, “Conflagrata”, died with the head priest, whose body is stuffed in the secret chamber behind the priest’s quarters (see VII).

X: SANCTUM OF THE SAINTS’ GIFTS

• This reinforced, austere room contains nothing but granite pedestals lining the walls.

• Each one bears a 6”x6” lead box finely carved with a cartouche containing either one or two letters.

• The lead makes the boxes’ contents immune to being perceived, through magical or sensory means, until the box is opened.

• He, Saint Helium’s box

• In the box is a colorful feather from some Golgothan bird.

• Flap the feather to hover a few feet off of the ground, and eat it to have your arms turn into wings (hope you aren’t attached to your digits).

• Mg, Saint Magnesium’s box

• Unsurprisingly blows up in the face of everyone CLOSE to it, dealing 1d8 damage.

• Ca, Saint Calcium’s box

• In the box is a single white pill that heals all HP or refreshes all POOL when eaten.

• As, Saint Arsenic’s box

• In the box is a slip of Arsenic-infused paper.

• Write someone’s name on it to have them die of Arsenic poisoning one week from now.

• In the meantime, a tattoo of St. Arsenic’s sigil and the writer’s name appears somewhere on their body- a warning.

• Ag, Saint Silver’s box

• In the box is a thin mirror, partially broken, the back surface containing a partially exposed ring of High Chemoglyphic.

• The mirror can scry through broken shards of itself (d4 usage die before the mirror is expended).

• One shard is already missing; where has it been placed?

• If the mirror is entirely broken and the entirety of the Chemoglyphic ring is exposed, it summons a hostile ghost.

• Rn, Saint Radon’s box

• In the box is a very hungry parasite called a Glueworm, native to the thermal caverns of Bursingr.

Thanks for reading, and happy gaming.