You are on page 1of 36

Thanks to Sydney

1
Introduction
Hello! Welcome to my Zine! Kingscairn is one of my own per-
sonal spheres that I have used in a campaign of mine, and I have
decided to flesh it out and create this Zine of setting content. This
volume contains several backgrounds, locations, and encounter
tables for the city in addition to some information about the city
of Kingscairn.

Copyright Stuff
Kingscairn is an independent production by Uyuxo GamesT M and
is not affiliated with the Melsonian Arts Council. All art is from
the works of William Thomas Horton (1864-1919), and is used un-
der Public Domain licensing.

2
Contents
1 Kingscairn 5
1.1 Random Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.2 Weather Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2 Backgrounds 10
2.1 Brother of the Guild of Gentlethieves . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 Disgraced Matriarch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.3 Fig Poacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.4 Guardian of the Wayward Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2.5 Octomancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.6 Starweaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

3 Locations 23
3.1 The Bridge of Bountiful Bazaars . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
3.2 Lowcity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3.3 The Piers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

3
Kingscairn
Kingscairn sits atop a rocky outcrop in the Northern Sea, iso-
lated leagues from greater land. Those who live on this island in-
habit the City-State of Kingscairn, so rightly styled after the King.
The city sustains itself on the rare-Urth mineral Kingsium, that is
found in the depths of the lake that sits on the top of the island.

The city’s wealthy have taken up at the peak of the isle where the
water from Lake Topo runs clean, where below that, industry and
slums have taken up heavily. And far on the cliffs near the shore
remains the only trace of the organic origins of industry on in
Kingscairn, the fig orchards.

5
Random Tables
d20 Name Surname Profession Mien
1 Astrikur Bjerg Cobbler Hopeless
2 Klaingur Krog Stonemason Rejoicing
3 Arnbergur Isaksen Baker Confused
4 Hervar Kjærgaard Gambler Gloomy
5 Maggi Krister Barkeep Nervous
6 Sebastian Svoelnir Cityguard Enraged
7 Hervar Drekis Doctor Pensive
8 Ingvar Gudfred Blacksmith Relieved
9 Elias Albergs Carpenter Tired
10 Roberta Arngeirs Lamplighter Subdued
11 Borgny Hloedver Banker Tense
12 Solbrun Holm Brewer Bitter
13 Steinhildur Numis Lawyer Bored
14 Rosfridur Engill Sailor Cautious
15 Soffia Botolfur Scribe Blue
16 Reyndis Tobias Clocksmith Crazed
17 Junia Serkvir Alchemist Fearful
18 Laufhildur Hilbert Toymaker Anguished
19 Heidlaug Austris Laborer Amazed
20 Elbert Holmar Mortician Hungry

d6 Guilds and Groups d6 Holidays and Events


1 Flying Fishers Union 1 King’s Eve
2 Gentlethieves Guild 2 Fig Harvest Festival
3 Bridgebrickers Guild 3 Flying Fish Fair
4 Ceusium Brotherhood 4 Summer Burning
5 Miners Union 5 Winter Solstice
6 Stagecoach Runners 6 Day of the Miner

6
Holidays and Events
1. King’s Eve: Celebrated a fortnight after the fig harvest, the
wealthy of Kingscairn descend upon the last patch of green
in the city to host a lavish gala in honor of their King. The
poor and the laborers are largely unheeding to this day.

2. Fig Harvest Festival: Held early in the golden eves of sum-


mer, the city workers finish off the final harvest of the fig
growing season. With such abundance the King distributes
to each family a satchel of figs, and much celebration is had
with various fig based meads and pastries.

3. Flying Fish Fair: In the early spring Lake Topo once again
becomes plentiful with flying fish, and the city hosts a great
many festivities to signify this happening. Though the citi-
zens believe the arrival of the fish to be a sign of the arrival
of spring, but rather it is just when the King orders the lake
to be stocked with fish for the season.

4. Summer Burning: The Kingsium at the bottom of the lake


emits heated gas throughout the year into the water, and
near midsummer when the temperatures are highest, the
gas exists in excess. Upon a summer gale, lightning will
strike the lake, igniting the gas, and burning for days.

5. Winter Solstice: The Midwinter’s Night in which the King


himself is said to crawl through the chimneys of all the homes
in Kingscairn, delivering presents throughout the city.
6. Day of the Miner: A day celebrating the laborers that keep
the economy of the island alive. The miners take leave of
work for the day and come home to great feasts in their
honor. This holiday is lightly tolerated by the King under
fear of revolt.

7
Guilds and Groups
1. Flying Fishers Union: These fishers spend long hours dan-
gling from bridges over Lake Topo with wide nets in their
hands to catch the fish as they leap from the water.
2. Gentlethieves Guild: The Gentlethieves pine for the days of
the respected and well-kept thief and wield their craft to re-
distribute wealth to their laborer brethren. Regal and so-
phisticated, they fit in at galas and heists.
3. Bridgebrickers Union: Given the size of Lake Topo, there is
high demand for new bridges and repairs to older bridges.
These laborers climb without ropes or harnesses late through
the night to ensure that the central hub of Kingscairn stays
traversable.
4. Cesium Brotherhood: An underground revolutionary group
that aims to usurp the King carrying out guerilla attacks on
key infrastructure in Kingscairn.
5. Miners Union: Mining deep into the island and diving far
underwater, these workers are placed in more dangerous
positions than any other laborer in order to secure the pri-
mary economic asset of Kingscairn, Kingsium.

6. Stagecoach Runners: Transporting the wealthy across the


bridges of Lake Topo makes an easy cover for trafficking il-
legal Kingsium to drop sites around the city.

8
Weather Table

1
Rain Hail To determine weather roll a d6 and 5 2
starting in the middle move in the 4 3
Sun Snow the direction indicated by your 6

Cloudy Ash roll on the model hexagon.


Credit to Daniel Sell.

9
Brother of the Guild of Gentlethieves
Harkening back to a more romantic and respected era of thievery,
the Gentlethief has pledged his life to stealing from the rich and
giving to the poor, and wooing women as the mysterious masked
gentleman at the masquerade.

Possessions
• Padded Vest (Counts as Light Armor)
• Colored Cape of your choice
• Feathered Cap
• Mysterious Mask
• Rapier (Damage as Sword)
• Lockpicks
• Pocketwatch

Advanced Skills
2 Acrobatics
2 Climb
2 Etiquette
2 Locks
2 Rapier Fighting

11
12
Disgraced Matriarch
Whether you were booted from your cult for sacrificing one too
many followers or removed from the convent for your breach in
piety, you now wonder the realm looking to regain your followers
and reclaim your name.

Possessions
• Large Venomous Snake (Damage as Small Beast)
• Brightly Colored Robes
• Mirror
• Bottle of Water
Advanced Skills
2 Spell - Healing
2 Spell - Illusion
2 Spell - Poison
2 Etiquette

Special
Test your luck and if you can perform a convincing miracle or
speech, you can convert a consenting individual into a follower of
your cult, sisterhood, commune, etc.

13
14
Fig Poacher
At the outskirts of the industrial sprawl you ascend the steep cliff
faces at the edge of the sea. You are hoping to pilfer some of the
luscious figs that grow atop the cliffs and sell them to support
your opulent lifestyle back in the city.

Possessions
• Sickle (Damage as Axe)
• Climbing Tools
• 1d6 Figs
• Fruit Basket
• Padded Clothing (Counts as Light Armor)
Advanced Skills
3 Climb
2 Sneak
2 Acrobatics
2 Sickle Fighting
1 Strength

15
16
Guardian of the Wayward Path
Abandoned at birth and taken under the care of the Guild of the
Wayward Guardians, you have spent your life training to stand
guard over one of the few narrow paths that lead to the sea from
the heights of the city. Far from the bustle of city life and the aid
of the city militia, you stand as the sole gatekeeper to Kingscairn.

Possessions
• Holy Polearm
• Climbing Tools
• Holy Book of the Guardian
• 1d6 Provisions
• Armor of the Guild (Counts as Modest Armor)
Advanced Skills
3 Polearm Fighting
2 Spell - Farseeing
2 Spell - Affix
3 Climb
2 Strength

17
18
Octomancer
Being unremarkable in your soothsaying career, you’ve decided
to step it up to stand out amongst the crowd. Upon mounting this
occult octopus atop your head you smell the salt of the sea and
seemingly cannot unstick its tentacles from your head.

Possessions
• Ornate Fortune Teller’s Robes
• Staff with an ink colored glass sphere embedded inside.
(Damage as Club)
• Octopus
Advanced Skills
2 Second Sight
2 Spell - Ink Shroud
2 Swim
2 Fear
1 Spell - Poison

Spells
Ink Shroud (2)
You emit an ink-black cloud around you, concealing you in the
darkness. Invisible at night, +3 to Sneak in the dark otherwise.

19
20
Starweaver
Casting aside the city for a more solitary life, you spend your
nights slumbering away in one of the few untouched regions of
Kingscairn, gazing into the stars through your dreams. In your
waking hours you spend your time penning astronavigation charts
and closely documenting the foreign worlds that apparate in your
dreams.

Possessions
• Knife
• Astronavigation Charts
• Cat
• Telescope
• Asteria Gemstone

Advanced Skills
5 Spell - Read Stars
3 Spell - Astral Reach
3 Astrology
2 Spell - Slide Skyward
2 Spell - Sleep
1 Spell - Jolt

Special
Test your luck and if successful, you may gaze into your Asteria
and gain profane knowledge, or an otherwise useful solution to a
problem at hand.

21
22
The Bridge of Bountiful Bazaars
Catering to the opulent wealthy of the upper class of Kingscairn,
the Bridge of Bountiful Bazaars spans across Lake Topo between
a number of affluent boroughs in Kingscairn. As the lords and
ladies of Kingscairn make their way across Lake Topo by stage-
coach, traders from foreign lands hawk their odd assortment of
goods at the bridge goers.

24
d6 Encounter
1 Broken Down Stagecoach
2 Sparrow the Spice Merchant
3 Parson’s Pigeons and Other Avian Creatures
4 The Flying Fishery
5 Frank’s Magical Delights and Doilies
6 d6+2 City Guards

1. Inside a broken down stagecoach at the side of the road are


two lords (5/12/2) and two ladies (4/9/1) of Kingscairn, and
a driver (3/10/1). Their coach appears to be missing a wheel
as well as the beasts that were pulling it. Unbeknownst to
the players, these five are a member of the King’s Corps, an
elite undercover force tasked with busting illegal Kingsium
smuggling rings.
2. Sparrow the Spice Merchant (4/6/1) stands off near the edge
of the bridge, surrounded by a number of glass vessels con-
taining multi-colored powders. Upon seeing the players, he
begins to hustle his wares, promising that upon imbibing his
goods that, “Your ninth eye will be opened.” See table below.
3. Parson’s Pigeons and Other Avian Creatures. Appearing to
be an assuming man standing among numerous cages of birds,
Parson is actually a sentient flock of birds inside the skin of
a man. The birds he has for sale are seated with the desire to
find their own skinsack and continue the family business.
4. The Flying Fishery. Rather than implementing more tradi-
tional welfare programs to support the hungry populace of
Kingscairn, the King has instead opted to periodically fill
Lake Topo at the peak of Kingscairn with flying fish. Fish
are caught, stripped, and sold wholesale at this small shack
at the edge of the bridge.
5. Frank’s Magical Delights and Doilies. Despite the name, Frank
largely sells what would be considered simple party tricks to

25
those more learned in the arts of magic. However, if pressed,
he will invite the party down a ladder on the side of the
bridge into his illegal magic contraband shop.
6. d6+2 City Guards. (5/10/2 armed with Swords) Posted at the
ends of the bridge, the guards generally ignore any nefarious
ongoings within the bazaars of the bridge.

d4 Sparrow’s Spices
1 Powdered Kingsium: Although this street variety is cut with
additives, the base product is the same drug that the allows the
King’s forces abroad to fight for hours on end. Increases max
stamina by 5 for 3 hours.
2 Root of Fig: Grown in the only remaining clean soil in
Kingscairn, the roots of the fig tree are highly coveted for their
supposed cognitive enhancing abilities. Upon taking the root
test your luck, and if successful increase any advanced skill by
one. On a fail roll on the Oops! table.
3 Dried Flying Fish Liver: After swimming in the depths of Lake
Topo near the deposits of Kingsium, the Flying Fish’s liver has
become imbued with psychoactive properties. Suffer from se-
vere hallucinations for 2 hours.
4 Sparrow’s Special Spice Blend: Adding this spice to any food
will increase its quality greatly. Doubles the effectiveness of
any provision it is added to. Sparrow will not part with the
recipe, however.

26
Lowcity
Home to the lower class and destitute of Kingscairn, the Lowcity
is the base of industry on the island. As it is lower on the island
and below the lake, tunnels are easily dug to mine for Kingsium.
The district is a mix of industrial sprawl and run-down homes
stacked four high.

27
d6 Encounter
1 d6 Children playing in the street.
2 Miners smoking Kingsium
3 Lost dog
4 Riddling homeless man
5 Pickpockets
6 Guards harassing man

1. d6 Children playing in the street. The children are dirty and


covered in ash from the nearby mines. They’re playing a
kind of handball game called King’s Balls.

2. These miners have smuggled out some Kingsium from the


mines they labor in during the day. Smoking it gives a short-
lived euphoric effect followed by a deep slumber. A must for
any miner whose sleep has been interrupted by the black
cough.

3. Lost dog. A dog is wandering through the street, and al-


though thin and mangy you can tell he is purebred and must
have been lost from one of the wealthier neighborhoods.
4. Riddling homeless man. The man sits on a blanket by an
alley wall, spitting riddles at anyone who tries to make con-
versation with him. The riddles are generally meaningless,
but occasionally, he breaks through the riddles with a sur-
prising clarity.
5. Pickpockets. A number of pickpockets wait in an alleyway
obscured at the edge of the street. They hope to sneak in
through the crowds and grab what they can.
6. Guards harassing man. Three guards (4/8/1 Sword) are stand-
ing near a man at a street corner and throwing rocks at him.

28
The Piers
Far below the cliffs of the island lies the remote fishing indus-
try of Kingscairn. Most of the fish that are caught here are simply
transported to Lake Topo to stock it. Most of the inhabitants here
are veteran sailors and fishermen, disillusioned with the idea of
the King, but trapped in their job by him.

29
d6 Encounter
1 Beached mutant whale
2 d4 Sailors preparing ship for sea voyage
3 Fishermen drinking at the docks
4 Pile of fish
5 Captain recruiting for a royal chartered voyage
6 Run aground ship

1. A great white whale of monstrous size washed ashore in the


night. Its eyes seem to have a purple luminescence behind
them. Staring into the eyes of the whale will sink the starer
into a trance where they will witness dreamlike hallucina-
tions. See table below.
2. d4 Sailors are preparing the rigging on their ship for an ex-
cursion at sea to hunt for flying fish. They are willing to take
on a few more sailors for meager pay.

3. A few fishermen who are too old to undertake long voyages


at sea are sitting around drinking fig mead and not really
catching any fish. When propositioned, they have a multi-
tude of fisherman’s tales.
4. A pile of fish rests at the edge of the docks having been un-
loaded from a ship fresh off a fishing voyage. Altogether,
the pile of fish sells for 20 gold.
5. A captain is in search of crewmembers for a voyage char-
tered by the King to map the surrounding islands in the sea.
The journey will last 2 months and pays 25 gold now, and 25
upon return.
6. An old fishing vessel has run ashore near the docks. It ap-
pears to be old but could be salvaged with the right amount
of money.

30
d4 Visions of the Dream Whale
1 You feel water pouring out of your ear. Looking
to the side you see a waterfall falling from your
head down onto the city. You fall from the sky and
slowly drown in the water.
2 Wind in your gills, you are a flying fish leaping
through the air above Lake Topo. Soon you are
caught in a net and prepared for sale at the fish-
ery.
3 Sitting in the King’s throne, the room around you
bursts into flames as hooded men break through
the doors and rush up to grab you and whisk you
away.
4 A great beast emerges from the sea outside the city.
Tentacles flailing it smashes the city into the sea.

d4 Fishermen Rumors
1 There is an underground revolutionary group
looking to overthrow the King and restore the
power of the island to the working class.
2 The liver of the flying fish can be dried, powdered,
and used as a hallucinogen.
3 There is word that a giant beast lies dormant in the
sea and that the King is stockpiling Kingsium to
defend against it should it ever awaken.
4 A tropical island lies far to the south where outlaws
and pirates live. They plan to wage war against
Kingscairn.

31
Notes

32
Notes

33
34

You might also like