Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Slaves of The Machine God
Slaves of The Machine God
TM
SLAVES OF THE
MACHINE GOD
CREDITS
Cartographers
Hugo Solis, Bear
B ear Weiter
Artists
Eren Arik, Bruce Brenneise, chrom,
chr om, Vincent Coviello, Biagio D’
D’Alessandro,
Alessandro, Michele Giorgi, Inkognit, Kezrek Laczin,
Raph Lomotan, Anton Kagounkin Magdalina, Patrick McEvoy, Brynn Metheney, Federico Musetti,
Mirco Paganessi, Grzegorz Pedrycz, Riccardo Rullo, Lie Setiawan, Kirsten Zirngibl
© 2019 Monte Cook Games, LLC. NUMENERA and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.
All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC.
Printed in Canada
TABLE OF CON
CONTT EN
ENTS
TS
GMING SLA
SLAVES
VES OF THE MACHINE GOD 4
COMBINING
COMBINI NG TWO
T WO ADVENTUR
ADVENTURES
ES
TO MAKE ONE CAMPAIGN
CAMPAIGN 5
INDEX 144
G MIN
INGG SLAVES OF
THE
T HE M ACHICHINE
NE GOD
S
laves of the Machine God contains
contains Though the two adventures can be run
two separate adventures. separately, they can also be fused together,
The first adventure is called “Relics creating a single expansive narrative. The
of the Machine,” and it takes up the two adventures feature different NPCs,
largest portion of this book. The adventure locations, and plots, but they are written
consists of the instructions for running in such a way that they can be combined.
it plus eight chapters of the
th e scenario By weaving the two storylines together,
together,
and one chapter of repercussions. The pace and tone can be varied over the
adventure is one that allows PCs to range much larger combined campaign arc, thus
fairly widely around the Steadfast and creating a more satisfying experience for
even into the Beyond, which isn’t the
t he kind both you and your players.
of thing most people in the Ninth World
World Note that “Relics of the Machine” is
could even imagine, let alone do. But in broken into eight chapters
chapters,, while “Amber
the end, perhaps the PCs will be able to Keep” is described in eight acts
acts.. This
prevent the rise of an army of powerful organization makes it easier to run both
automatons and save a friend in the adventures at the same time, making it
process. less likely that you’ll get them mixed up.
Combined Campaign
Campaign The”second
Keep.
Keep.” adventure
This adventure is called
consists of “Amber
the Having two different major sections in
the same book both titled “Chapter 1” is
Flowchart, page 6 instructions for running it and eight acts. a recipe for confusion. With chapters and
acts, you always know where you are and
what adventure you are GMing.
The Combined Campaign Flowchart
Flowchart
provides one way to link the chapters
Numenera Discovery Numenera Destiny
and acts of the two adventures, but it’
it’ss
Throughout this book, you’ll see page references to various not the only way.
way. Once you read through
items accompanied by these two symbols. These are page this material, you might decide to use
references to Numenera Discovery and Numenera Destiny, only some parts and hold back others
respectively, where you can find additional details about that or modify them to suit your own game.
rule, ability, creature, or concept. Often, it will be necessary to Either way,
way, the introduction provided with
look up the
character referenced
creation and item to find
gameplay
gameplay. information
. Other times, younot
t imes, it’s need for
necessary each of the two
suggestions adventures
on linking gives
the two further
into one.
to look up the item, but doing so can deepen your experience
and understanding of the game and the setting.
4
COMBINING
COMBINING TWO
T WO
ADVENTUR
ADVENTURES
ES TO
MAKE ONE CAMPAIGN
T
he adventures “Relics of the
Machine” and “Amber Keep” can REAL WORLD TIMING
be run separately. In fact, many Generally speaking, each of the
chapters or acts in either can be run as chapters and acts will take about
stand-alone adventures if you need to run a four-hour gaming session to
a game at a convention, at a game store,
st ore, complete, though a couple could
or for an online audience. But if you’ve got require two or three sessions,
the time and the players, consider running especially Chapter 7: The Howling
Slaves of the Machine God as one large Pyramid. The upshot is that if you’re
campaign, as shown on the Combined combining both adventures, you can
5
Chapter 9:
Ninth World Repercussions
6
PART 1:
RELICS OF THE
MACHINE
Chapter
Chapter 6: Expedition
7: The HowlingtoPy
Weal
Pyramid
ramid 61
73
Chapter 8: Apotheosi
Apotheosiss of a Machine God 93
Chapter 9: Ninth World Repercus
Repercussions
sions 98
G MIN G RELICS
ING
OF THE MACHINE
Calaval is gone. Only one Aeon Priest ever came close to his knowledge and skills
since then: Orstenia Myal. What wonders would Orstenia Myal have created if she
hadn’t disappeared before her prime? TheTh e Ninth World may never know, though
some say that perhaps it’s best if the fruits of her efforts never resurface.
~excerpt from The Chronicle of Truth
I
drawn into a plot to reawaken an army
of automatons that was built in secret ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
to topple the Amber Papacy.
Papacy. The builder Orstenia Myal survived an assassination
died before it could be used, and the army attempt by the Amber Pope and created an
was lost from all knowledge. It remained overwhelming force of automatons called the
so for almost a century, until now. To stop Glistening Army to get her revenge.
this legendary army’s march, the PCs must
counter those who’d dare to wake the About a century ago, Orstenia Myal was an
Machine God and the army of automatons Aeon Priest of uncommon talent, knowledge,
slaved to it. and ability. She was so perspicacious that
This adventure, already a campaign arc some said Calaval had somehow returned in
in its own right, could be combined with her body. Then she disappeared, and most
some or all of the acts of “Amber Keep” to people never learned why. Over the course of
extend
is theway
a great campaign evenpace
to vary the further.
further . Doingofso
of “Relics the
wasnext few decades, Orstenia Myal’s name
forgotten.
the Machine” in a fun way that encourages However, the truth is more complex than
PCs to establish and expand a base all their a simple disappearance. As Orstenia’
Orstenia’ss fame
Two own. Notes on how to best combine the
Combining Two grew, so did her pride. When her admirers
Adventures to Make
Make two adventures are
adventures are provided in the opening suggested that she should be elevated to the
One C ampaign, page 5
section. position of Amber Pope, she didn’t dissuade
diss uade
them. But the Order of Truth already
Truth already had an
Amber Pope. His name was Acumen II.
Order of Truth, page 215 Acumen II grew jealous of Orstenia’s
celebrity, and fearful that she would oust him.
So he moved to have her neutralized. He was
successful, but only partially, because instead
of killing his perceived rival, he merely badly
hurt her. Orstenia managed to slip away.
The reigning Amber Pope grew even
more paranoid, knowing that his actions
had likely created a powerful enemy
enemy.. But the
8
years passed without event. Orstenia never a lingering injury stemming from Acumen
returned. Even so, Acumen’s
Acumen’s papacy lasted II’s original assassination attempt. The
only a little while longer; the Order of Truth Order of Truth never realized how close it
learned of other misdeeds he’d done to retain had come to being set upon by an almost
power,, and he was involuntarily removed
power unstoppable force.
from his seat. Acumen II took the secret of Ciszan devoted himself to understanding The Order of
o f Truth
what he’d done to Orstenia to his grave. His the vast treasure that fate had granted him. was established by the
original Amber Pope,
successor never heard In that attempt, High Father Calaval,
the story, and over he activated a about 400 years ago.
time, most people Halo function that
Ciszan activated a function that
completely forget “woke” nine of
about Orstenia Myal.
“woke” nine of the more than 3,000 the automatons
For her part, automatons making up the making up the
Orstenia didn’t Glistening Army.
Army . Glistening Army.
forget how Acumen These nine attacked
II tried to assassinate and wounded him,
her.. Enraged and dealing
her de aling with an injury she driving him out of the Howling Pyramid.
received from the effort to kill her, Orstenia Hurt and no longer able to withstand the
spent the next decade secreted away in the dangers of the ruin, he fled, suffering painful
Baz, building an automaton army
Weal of Baz, changes to his body and damage to his Weal of Baz, page 193
thousands strong. Using her own knowledge mind. He was sorely hurt, but he survived.
and relics taken from the prior worlds, The nine automatons that had been
she secreted the army within an artificial activated followed Ciszan out of the
dimension contained in a crown-like Howling Pyramid. Four were destroyed by
headpiece she called the Halo of Dominion.
Dominion. the pyramid’s defenses, but five got away. Halo of Dominion,
She vowed that the army would be powerful The five surviving automatons gained self- page 95
enough to topple the Amber Papacy and consciousness and free will, though most
bring the Order of Truth
Truth under her control. could not recall from whence they came.
She named her force the Glistening One took up philosophy as a hermit Glistening Army, page 94
Army.. Orstenia in turn hid the Halo in
Army (Chord
Chord),), another became a bandit lord
a structure called the Howling Pyramid
Pyramid (Axis),
Axis), one a thief in Shallamas (Origin
(Origin),
), Howling Pyramid,
that exists only when summoned. But the one ended up in the Weal of Baz (Root
( Root),
), page 74
Glistening Army was never fielded. An and one became a wandering mercenary
accident befell Orstenia before she could (Radius
Radius)) who the PCs meet early and Chord, page 45
activate and deploy it. Other than legends perhaps befriend in Chapter 1: Memory Bias.
Bias. Axis, page 49
about a “Machine
“worshiped” God” came
it, nothing and the slaves who
of Orstenia’s Most havethough
purpose, entirelyatforgotten
least onetheir original
suspects the
Origin, page 60
Root, page 72
efforts for nearly a century. truth. Whether knowing or ignorant, all Radius, page 16
contain the seed of a compulsion to join the
Y EARS AGO
THIRTY YEARS automaton army,
army, should the Machine God Chapter 1: Memory
After seventy years, chance revealed Orstenia ever rise and call its slaves back to servitude. Bias, page 14
Myal’s plot to another, who schemed to seize
the army for himself. A FEW YEARS AGO
Ciszan’s mind was damaged and his body
Ciszan’s
The Glistening Army was lost for seventy deformed by his time in the Howling
years, until a delve named Ciszan
Ciszan found
found Pyramid. That damage destroyed portions Ciszan, page 94
the Howling Pyramid by lucky chance. He of his memory, including the location of the
worked his way past the inconstant ruin’s pyramid. But fragments of what he’d seen
many defenses, and at its center, he found remained, and from those, Ciszan began
the Halo of Dominion. And within the Halo the painstaking effort to rebuild
reb uild what he’d
was the Glistening Army.
Army. forgotten. Thirty years ago, he happened
He also discovered the mummified body upon the Glistening Army by chance. That
of Orstenia. Apparently, she’d succumbed to glimpse provided enough clues for him
9
missing.
automatonsCiszan determined
he woke during that the visit
his first nine will eventuallyevents
momentous lead them
that, ifinto a series
th ings
things of
go poorly,
had taken the means of controlling the army could prove a threat to human civilization in
with them. He had the Halo of Dominion, the Steadfast, including the Order of Truth
but without that missing something itself, if the Glistening Army rises against
(which he started calling “divine keys”), them.
“Mud-bird” is another he could stir only a handful of automatons The PCs first become engaged in the
name for creatures that into action, and then only briefly after an larger plot by helping a friend named Radius
are also called murdens.
exhausting expenditure of resources. deal with the exploits of a band of “mud-
bird” thieves.
Murden, page 243
“Memories are required for self-consciousness to arise. They are the stories an
individual tells themselves to sustain themselves from day to day and moment
to moment.”
~Orstenia Myal
10
CHAPTER 1: MEMORY BIAS That, and repercussions of the mud-birds’ Chapter 1: Memory
The PCs trail memory thieves to their lair, murder of the Machine God “prophet,” Bias, page 14
uncovering the first hint that a Machine God eventually lead to events described in Chapter 2.
rises.
CHAPTER 2: PROPHET Chapter 2: Prophet of the
Mud-bird thieves are using an artifact that OF THE MACHINE GOD Machine God, page 25
siphons memory from living creatures and A Machine God prophet
prophet waylays a friend of
machines as a way to accomplish more the PCs to learn about a lost secret.
mundane thefts. The PCs and an NPC
named Radius trail
Radius trail the mud-birds into a After some passage of time, the PCs realize Radius, page 16
dangerous
the thieves’region—the
lair.
lair. Forest—to
Mephitic Forest —to that their
found. friend Radius
Concerned is nowhere
PCs who to be
track their friend
Mephitic Forest, page 20
Dealing with the mud-birds allows the PCs down—with some sleuthing—discover that
to potentially reclaim a few lost memories, it has been dragged off to a strange location
including those of the mercenary Radius. not far away called the Kalpis
Kalpis,, which offers Kalpis, page 27
Radius is revealed to be a self-conscious and many dangers. Radius is eventually found
free-willed automaton (not a living creature, within the Kalpis, being tortured by another
as some may have assumed before). All tattooed Machine God prophet named
seems resolved, except for the question of Morigera.
where the thieves acquired the memory- Saving Radius means defeating the
stealing artifact in the first place. (The mud- prophet, who claims to be one of several
birds got it from a self-proclaimed “prophet dispatched far and wide by the Machine God
of the Machine God” whose corpse they to find transgressors who stole something
retain. The corpse has a ring-like tattoo of great value. This particular prophet has
across her entire face.) The other lasting two names on her list of transgressors
repercussion is that a surface memory to check on. One is Radius. The other is
returned to Radius triggers other, deeper someone called Chord the Philosopher.
Philosopher.
memories that begin to trouble it.
11
Chapter 3: Philosophy
Philosophy CHAPTER 3: apparently become a target for the forces
of Change, page 34 PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE riled up by the Machine God.
The PCs travel to the Changing Moon to find
Chord, also targeted by the Machine God.
Chapter 5: Leaving CHAPTER 5: LEAVING SHALLAMAS
Shallamas, page 51 The PCs decide (or are convinced) to visit The fourth of five automatons is revealed as
an automaton named Chord, who resides in a wasted, wrecked, and broken thing, but it
the community of Delend far
Delend far to the north, has something the PCs need.
over which looms an artificial structure
Delend—Under the known as the Changing Moon.
Moon. There they Another automaton sibling named Origin is
Changing Moon,
page 225 discover that Chord is somewhere inside discovered. Radius asks the PCs to help it
the constantly changing floating structure. locate Origin in a city called Shallamas.
Shallamas.
The Changing Moon, Worse, a prophet-led group of Machine Origin is difficult to find. A guild of thieves
page 226
God cultists showed up recently, asking run by a woman named Selani offers to
after Chord, then plunged into the floating provide the PCs with Origin’s
Origin’s location,
structure to find it. but only if they accomplish a small task
Shallamas, page 139 To find (and save)
s ave) Chord, the PCs must for her, which essentially involves thieving
partially explore the Changing Moon. something from a collector’
collector ’s home.
If Chord is found, the PCs discover that As it turns out, what needs to be thieved
the automaton has a is Origin’s head
similar background and upper torso,
as Radius, though it kept in a trophy
took up a different “Even machines may love, and case. Apparently,
Apparently,
pursuit. It’s also be loved.” Origin had a run-in
having strange ~Orstenia Myal with the Machine
dreams, which is God (Ciszan), who
why it entered the personally tracked
Changing Moon, searching for an “exotic the automaton down and found its answers
intelligence” to help refine its mind and wanting. The only thing the PCs are able to
dredge up memories. The intelligence turns gain from the automaton, apparently broken
out to be of limited use, though it does beyond recovery, is this warning: “Stop the
provide a couple of clues. Machine God or the Steadfast may fall to
the Glistening Army.”
Chapter 4: War of the
the CHAPTER 4:
Machine, page 47 WAR OF THE MACHINE CHAPTER 6:
Chapter 6: Expedition
Expedition
The third
bandit of five
king, automatons
laying is PCs’
siege to the revealed as a
home. EXPEDITION
The PCs discoverTO THE WEAL
Orstenia Myal’s dusty
to Weal, page 61 workshop where she forged the Glistening Army
When the PCs return home, they find in a manufactory hidden in the Weal
Weal of Baz.
their community under siege by a horde But once found, it’s discovered to be empty.
commanded by the banditb andit king Axis. Axis is
another of Radius’s automaton siblings. On its Finding the last automaton using the machine
waist it wears the severed head of still another channel that Radius shares with Chord
Machine God prophet. When Axis learned that and its other siblings proves impossible.
there was machine transcendence to be had, Something’ss blocking a clear connection.
Something’
it decided that it should be the one to benefit. But research eventually reveals that the
So it used the prophet’s knowledge to look for strange cube provided by Origin encodes a
other divine keys. That, plus Chord’s efforts complex embedded language, as well as a
with the exotic intelligence
intelligence from the Changing hidden symbol. The language describes the
Moon, revealed to Axis where Radius secret history of Orstenia Myal. The symbol
considered its home to be. depicts the legendary entity named Baz,
If the PCs prove victorious, Axis is and those bearing the cube can gain entry
defeated. But now the PCs’ community has to a secret location in
in the Beyond called the
12
13
CHAPTER 1
MEMORY BIAS
I
n Chapter 1, mud-bird thieves are using about the paths they travel and what they
Memory collector,
collector, an artifact called a memory collector
collector that
that explore, enabling trade routes and further
page 19 siphons memory from living creatures exploration.) This means that apart from any
and machines as a way to accomplish more other connections the PCs may share, they
mundane thefts. The PCs and an NPC also have all met and even worked together on
named Radius trail the mud-birds into a minor tasks (delivering a message to a nearby
Mephitic Forest, page 20 dangerous region—the Mephitic Forest Forest—to
—to village, figuring out how to use an oddity,
the thieves’ lair.
lair. guarding a trade caravan for a few days, and
Dealing with the mud-birds allows the PCs so on). The PCs also made the acquaintance
to potentially reclaim a few lost memories, of several other NPCs, including a chiurgeon
Radius, page 16 including memories of the mercenary RadiusRadius.. named Zoyin and a mercenary named Radius.
Radius is revealed to be a self-conscious and
If you’re running Slaves free-willed automaton (not a living creature, as
of the Machine God some may have assumed before). All seems GETTING THE
as a single adventure,
use Chapter 1: Memory
resolved, except for the question of where PLAYERS INVOLVED
Bias before Act 1: Keep the thieves acquired the memory-stealing The initial encounters are designed to draw
the artifact in the first place. (They got it from a
in the Badlands; see the the PCs into the larger plot a little at a time
Combined Campaign
Campaign self-proclaimed “prophet of the Machine God” rather than immediately introducing them
Flowchart on page 6. 6.
whose corpse they retain. The corpse has a to the idea that a dangerous Machine God is
ring-like tattoo across her entire face.) The gathering power. They can become involved
the other lasting repercussion is that a surface
Act 1: Keep in the in a variety of ways, including the methods
Badlands, page 102 memory returned to Radius triggers tr iggers other, provided below, as described under
deeper memories that begin to trouble it. Witnessing the Aftermath, Contracted, and
14
MEMORY BIAS
behalf of some merchant or other, keeping memories back, but things are much worse
an eye out for bandits. I saw that Zoyin was for Zoyin. It notes that if Zoyin’s memories
out early too, collecting plants. We
We waved at can’t be returned, the woman’
woman’ss expertise
each other.
other. I passed on. Then I heard her cry as a chiurgeon will be lost, and she’ll have
out. Retracing my path, I found her collapsed. to be retrained as if a child. Radius also
Cloaked figures surrounded her. I realized the promises the PCs a stash of 50 shins each if
hunchbacked figures were mud-birds. So I they help.
charged. One produced a metal device that
unleashed a shadow beam that struck me. I
fell senseless. INVESTIGATING THE
When I returned to myself, the mud-birds MEMORY THEFTS
were gone, as was my axe and all my shins. Also If the PCs spend a day canvassing the
gone was my memory of my siblings. I have community asking about mud-birds,
nine. I think. Maybe it was five? When I try to unexplained instances of memory loss,
recall their names or faces, I can call up only a or other odd happenings, they learn a few
shimmer,, a sense of incompleteness. Holes in
shimmer additional relevant facts. As the PCs learn
my consciousness. And what was taken from more, they’re eventually drawn to a public
Zoyin seems even more wide ranging. house called the Snug in the neighborhood
15
16
MEMORY BIAS
appointments, what day it is, and obscure bittersweet alcoholic cider served from great
historical facts. One could argue that these barrels in great tankards. About fifteen or so
are nothing more than natural lapses in patrons can usually be found in the Snug,
recollection. However, a handful of memory along with Melly,
Melly, a silver-haired woman with Melly: level 2, tasks
losses are more significant, including the deep laugh lines who runs the place. No one related to positive social
interaction as level 3
following specific things that people the PCs admits to suffering memory loss that’that’ss out
meet have forgotten. Each of these memory of the ordinary for the hard-drinking, but
loss incidents is also paired with the loss of one or two identify Federin as someone with
some kind of valuable, such as a purse filled a strange story. According to Melly,
Melly, Federin
with shins, an oddity of some value, or in turned from a life of steady work to one of
some cases, a cypher or two. dissipation almost overnight.
Significant things forgotten include the The PCs can piece together the following
following. about the man by asking around. Federin
• The way home has an aneen-pulled wagon that he used
• The victim’s
victim’s own name to drive into Aian every few days. From the
• How to eat wagon, he would sell white-leaved kaven
• How to speak the Truth
Truth fruit and other items grown on his farm.
• That they have a child But that all changed about fifteen days
17
ago. That’s
That’s when he started showing up It’s easy to confirm that the man is dead,
every evening at the Snug, where he drank apparently having died of exposure and
himself into a near-comatose state. The perhaps starvation, and though it’s a little
next evening, he’d be back again, somehow hard to tell from all the filth, the man
having accumulated enough shins to pay for matches whatever description the PCs
yet another prodigious amount of ale. had of Federin. But right about then, the
A couple of patrons say they saw short, characters hear a commotion in the shed.
cloaked figures arrive with Federin on his (The commotion happens sooner if PCs
wagon, but didn’t think too much about it. make for the shed before checking on the
Sometimes travelers pay for rides into and body.)
out of Aian to avoid paying entry fees that
the merchants have levied at the gates. FLIGHT OF THE MUD-BIRDS
But Federin hasn’t shown up for a few The shed doors fly open, revealing two
Aneen, page 225 nights. aneen hitched
aneen hitched to a large wagon. Seven
hunchbacked forms cling to the wagon,
Murden, page 243
FEDERIN’S FARM and six more are deployed around it. The
The truth is that Federin has become a thirteen mud-birds (also called murdens
murdens),),
GM intrusion: The victim of the mud-birds’ memory theft. having decided they’d
t hey’d overstayed Federin’s
character feeling the He’s forgotten that he has a crop of kaven welcome, were preparing to return to their
static’s effect hears
strange voices, and a
fruit, which now rots in the field outside his lair,, after sending on an earlier wagon filled
lair
memory of something house. Not knowing what else to do, Federin with the spoils of their most recent thefts.
horrific that happened was content to secretly drive several of the The PCs’ arrival only hastens that decision.
to them that they’d
forgotten (or which creatures who robbed him of his mind in Though the mud-birds probably
they never actually and out of Aian in return for a handful of outnumber the PCs, at this point their goal
experienced) stuns the shins each trip, which Federin used to pay is to escape. If the characters confront or
character so much that for drink. (Which of course only further attack them, the six mud-birds that are
they lose their next turn.
impaired his ability to remember.) deployed to guard the wagon (plus a few
already on it, if necessary) engage the
Finding the Farm: Any plausible method the characters tactically, so that each PC has at
PCs use to figure out where Federin’s farm least one enemy and maybe two to worry
is located succeeds, and the characters learn about.
that the place is about a fifteen-minute walk The moment the PCs engage the mud-
down a dirt trail leading east away from the birds, they are assaulted by mental static
city on a rise. that scrambles thought (the inadvertent,
For instance, if the PCs visit the nearby yet still-harmful effect of mud-bird mental
18
MEMORY BIAS
speak,” and so on. Regardless collector. The wagon that the PCs catch
collector. Level 4 injector:
the next minute, During
user
of the memory stolen, the target contains two bags of loot, including 2d6
gains three immediate
typically falls unconscious for about shins, two cyphers,
cyphers, and an oddity
oddity.. A small rerolls of a failed roll.
an hour afterward or until roused. bag also contains 6 synth pellets containing
(Autonomic memories like “how to memories stolen from people in
random memories stolen Level 2 handheld device:
breathe” aren’t affected.) Aian. All in all, it seems like an incredibly Puts the user out of
Stolen memories are collected in a phase for one minute.
small haul for the amount of time the mud-
small synth pellet. Touching
Touching a
birds were active.
memory pellet gives a preview of the
Moreover,, it soon becomes
Moreover bec omes clear that the Oddity: White sphere that
memories contained therein, and if a “purrs” when touched.
creature touching a pellet wills it so, flock leader doesn’t have all the memories
the memories in it are infused into it stole. That’s because there were two
the creature (and the synth pellet wagons originally in the shed (as can be Random Memories in
easily determined by checking). The other Memory Pellets, page 23
falls to dust).
Special: The memory collector doesn’t one already returned to the lair with the bulk
function on anyone wearing a of the loot stolen from Aian, as well as most
tattoo on their face like the ones the of the memories. That Th at includes Radius’s
prophets of the Machine God have. memories. Once this comes to light, Radius
Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (and possibly one or more PCs) is strongly
19
incentivized to head to the lair to reclaim Many tiny tendrils reach down from the
what was taken. If the PCs don’t offer, Radius floating forest, finding root in nooks and
asks for their aid. (If a PC was pushed off crannies of the valley floor, but there are also
the fleeing wagon after having an important a handful of very large roots, one of which is
memory stolen, they likely want the same.) wide, flat, and level enough to drive a wagon
up. PCs who check can indeed find signs
that at least one wagon (and perhaps two, if
MEPHITIC FOREST the mud-birds they encountered at Federin’s
The rough track taken by the fleeing mud- farm got away) has recently been pulled up
Don’t show the players bird thieves leads about 5 miles (8 km) this particular woody bridge, which ascends
the art until their through mostly natural terrain, though a 300 feet (90 m) up to the main forest mass.
presence draws the
attention of vesks,
few of the “boulders” poking up through the Traveling up into the forest
fores t along the
creatures that patrol drit are composed of a pocked green metal obvious, largest, and most level rootlet is
the forest’s edges. and sing with a high-pitched tone when a routine task. Of course, PCs could enter
approached. The trail finally peters out at the the floating forest by any number of other
edge of a strange forest. Read or paraphrase rootlets, though many are little better than
the following. rope-like vines. Getting up into the forest
on one of these requires climbing tasks
A forest composed of a single gargantuan ranging from difficulty 3 to 5, depending on
tree floats over a wide valley,
valley, its thousands of how minor a rootlet they choose. The most
boughs and leafy branches twining across the difficult methods of ascent (difficulty 5) are
sky in spans so thick that different varieties of usually not guarded by vesks, creatures who
vegetation grow on some of them in pockets claim the Mephitic Forest as their territory.
of collected soil and leaf litter. Myriad winged
creatures, insects, and slithering snakes wend
along the boughs.
20
MEMORY BIAS
21
creature has succumbed to this effect once, the nest is centered on the largest support
Intellect defense tasks to avoid the effect are branch, and it opens directly into one of
eased by two steps. the two main chambers, a “warehouse”
cavity containing one (or two) wagons
Pitcher Slide: This area looks like any other as well as some nervous aneen tied to a
branch but is slippery with oily slime. A branch. Beyond the warehouse is an equally
creature that walks on it must succeed on a large cavity that serves as the mud-bird
difficulty 4 Speed defense roll or slide down community center,
center, where most of the
into the open mouth of a reservoir of acidic daily living activities of the flock occur.
(and slippery) sap in a knothole. This inflicts The several dozen tiny cells pocking the
5 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) remainder of the nest’s interior are each
each round until the victim can escape (a about 6 feet (2 m) in diameter, connected by
difficulty 5 Might task). narrow tunnels about 5 feet (1.5 m) high.
The tunnels connecting the cells are
Fuzz Flower: This beautiful bloom releases trapped with pitcher slides, fuzz flowers,
psychoactive pollen. Victims who fail a and bladder blooms, cunningly set so that
difficulty 3 Intellect roll become overexcited fleeing mud-birds can lead pursuers to their
and rash, and unless restrained, they want dooms within the lightless interior while
to jump and run (which inevitably leads to a avoiding those same traps themselves. PCs
fall, or perhaps a series of them). may also stumble into one or more of these
if they try sneaking into the nest.
Bladder Flower: Here and there grow
bladder flowers, which look like massive Dealing With the Mud-Birds: About twenty-
blooms growing from the top of thick yellow five mud-birds lair in the nest, though the
pods about 4 feet
f eet (1 m) in diameter.
diameter. The PCs already encountered many of them
pods pump out air to create a vacuum. (thirteen plus the flock leader) at Federin’s
Each pod has a small opening at the center farm. How things went there determines
of the flower, normally sealed. If a creature how many remain for PCs to encounter
no larger than human-sized comes within here. If the flock leader didn’t make it back,
immediate distance, the flower bobs forward another mud-bird steps into the role. About
and touches the target. On a failed difficulty four vesks are also on hand at any given
3 Might defense roll, the target is bodily time, helping out and guarding the nest.
sucked into the pod, where it is digested at If the PCs inflicted serious harm on
the rate of 3 points of damage per round the mud-birds at Federin’s farm, seeing
until it can escape the pod. the PCs show up at their home greatly
concerns the murdens. They are willing to
negotiate, though given that mud-birds
MUD-BIRD LAIR can’t speak (but instead talk to each other
Mud-bird nest: level 3 The mud-bird lair is a large nest near
nest near the telepathically), the PCs would need a
center of the Mephitic Forest. It looks method to bridge that
th at communication gap.
something like a massive insect hive about (This mental communication inadvertently
100 feet (30 m) in diameter with about creates the mental static that is annoying
twelve small exits at a variety of levels and harmful to other nearby creatures.) If
connecting to branches extending away in the PCs make a single difficulty 5 persuasion
every direction. The nest is composed of a or intimidation task, the mud-birds turn
bark-and-sap slurry that has hardened into over the stolen memories and a corpse with
a very versatile building material that is a strange tattoo on her face—a corpse they
resistant to burning. took the memory collector from, which they
attempt to explain. If the PCs want more (as
Nest Layout: The nest contains two main in all the other goods stolen), they’ll have to
chambers and several dozen tiny cells succeed on three difficulty 5 persuasion or
connected by winding passages around intimidation tasks, and if they fail two before
the periphery. The largest entrance into succeeding on three, the vesks and mud-
22
22
MEMORY BIAS
birds attack, potentially using the memory Level 4 handheld device: Duplicates
collector artifact, too. something no larger than something the
Alternatively,, the PCs could simply attack
Alternatively user can hold in one hand.
the abhumans, in which case it’sit’s a no-
holds-barred fight with elements of running Stolen Memories: A large bag in the flock
through narrow, trap-filled tunnels to chase leader’s cell contains about thirty synth
down mud-birds. Some murdens might pellets, each holding a stolen
s tolen memory.
memory.
escape through the many exits all over the Radius’ss stolen memory is in this batch. The
Radius’
nest. memories stolen are random. If you wish,
you can use the following table to generate
Other Loot: If the PCs are particularly memories the PCs find among the synth
convincing, or if they fight the mud-birds pellets, or as inspiration for memories that
and win, they find all kinds of loot stolen you make up. It’s up to the PC whether
from Aian distributed around the nest. they wish to find the victims and return the
That includes furniture, jewelry, about ten memories.
oddities, 200 shins, six cyphers, the stolen The memory of training in a particular
memories (as synth pellets in a large bag), task counts as actual training for a PC who
and the tattooed corpse. The wagon and the absorbs that memory, which means if a PC
two aneen who drew it are also technically is already trained in that task, they become
loot, though the mud-birds are loath to specialized. A PC can never gain more
return them. than one additional training per tier in this
fashion. Iron wind, page 135
d1
d10
0 Rand
Randomom Me
Memo moriries
es in Memo
Memory ry Pe
Pellllet
etss
1 The memory
memory of somesomeone one’’s favor
favorite
ite col
color:
or: red like
like bl
blood
ood fro
fromm a fresh-m
fresh-made
ade wound
wound
2 Training iin
n ba
balancing
3 The smel
smelll after
after a rain
rainst
stor
ormm when
when ever
everyt ythi
hing
ng is
is quie
quiett once
once aga
againin
4 The death
death ofof a chil
childd name
named d Mirc
Mirche
hell in a ranrando
domm acci
acciden
dentt in the
the st
stre
reet
et
5 The exacti
exacting
ng and incincomp
omprehrehensi
ensible
ble pro
procedcedure
ure a mmach
achine
ine wou
would ld use
use to
to p
puri
urify
fy
water
6 Trai
raining
ning in hahandl
ndling
ing an
aniimals
als
7 When
When you
you were
were a judg
judgmen
mental
tal ass and refuse
refused
d to see it uunti
ntill yo
youu ruine
ruinedda
relationship
8 Train
rainin
ing
g in pla
playi
ying
ng tthe
he sha
shand
ndar
ar,, a stri
string
nged
ed inst
instru
rume
ment
nt
9 How to ssp
peak the Truth
10 Tha
That yyou
ourr nam
name iiss Lu
Lui No
Norr
rrol
ol
23
Tattooed Corpse: The mud-birds keep the The memory collector artifact is a “relic
corpse of the woman who originally wielded of the Machine God” that was given to
the memory collector artifact. The corpse the prophet so that she might question
has been preserved in hardened translucent machines across the Steadfast and Beyond,
tree sap, though a ring-like tattoo on looking for something of great importance
the woman’s face—running across her that the Machine God wants, which she calls
forehead, arching down her cheeks, and the divine key
key..
connecting under her chin—is visible. The The prophet had come down sick with
tattoo art depicts a ring that is apparently some kind of fever (possibly from ingesting
composed of tiny cogs and mechanical memories that were inconsistent with
parts. her own mind). At the end she was lost,
With the corpse is a journal associated delirious, and convinced she would die
with the woman. The ragged book is alone, without the grace of the Machine God
somewhat difficult to follow because the to raise her spirit back.
writer was either a bit insane or constantly
feeling the effect of some kind of mind- Radius’s Returned Memories: Among the
altering drug. However, perusing it over the recovered pellets are those taken from
course of about an hour provides the PCs Radius, which it can recognize with a touch.
with the following information. Once returned, the memories confirm that
The journal was written by “The fourth Radius is one of five surviving siblings,
prophet of the Machine God” (as the each having gone their own way decades
woman names herself). It’s unlikely that any earlier.. But it remembers no more than
earlier
PC has heard of the Machine God before that; apparently Radius had previously
this moment. forgotten their names, where they (and it)
came from, and who made them. That gap
hadn’t previously troubled Radius, because
it never really thought about its life before
the present.
But after reabsorbing this fundamentally
meager memory,
memory, it can’t help but wonder
why its relative lack of information about its
own origin didn’t previously bother it. If the
PCs ask, Radius says it must think on what it
has learned. In any case, it begins to brood.
XP AW
AWARDS
The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each
for tracking the mud-birds to Federin’
Federin’ss farm
and 1 XP each for tracking them to their
nest in the Mephitic Forest. Each PC gains
an additional 1 XP if they make a concerted
effort to return all the memories they can to
the Aian townspeople.
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’re combining “Amber Keep” with
“Relics of the Machine,” proceed to Act
Act 1: Keep in the
the 1: Keep in the Badlands,
Badlands, which describes
Badlands, page 102 a traveling party that comes to town as
Radius begins working on its vehicle as
described in Chapter 3.
24
CHAPTER 2
PROPHET OF THE
MACHINE GOD
SYNOPSIS ANYONE SEEN
After some passage of time, the PCs realize RADIUS LATELY?
that their friend Radius
Radius is
is nowhere to be A few weeks (to a few months, depending Radius, page 16
found. Concerned PCs who track their friend on PC activities) after the characters
down—with some sleuthing—discover that quashed a mud-bird memory-stealing spree,
it has been dragged off to a strange location Radius goes missing. Before that, Radius
not far away called the Kalpis, which offers was as thick with the PCs as they allowed,
many dangers. Radius is eventually found possibly even joining the group as an allied
within the Kalpis, being tortured by another NPC (not as a follower).
tattooed Machine God prophet named Alternatively,, have the PCs encounter
Alternatively
Morigera.
Morigera. Radius from time to time. For instance, Morigera, page 32
Saving Radius means defeating the tell the PCs that Radius is periodically seen
prophet, who claims to be one of several at the public house, especially on nights
dispatched far and wide by the Machine God when entertainment in the form of music or
to find transgressors who stole something singing is provided. (The PCs may already
of great value. This particular prophet has frequent a named public house where they
two names on her list of transgressors sometimes see Radius. If not, it’s called
to check on. One is Radius. The other is Freehouse—ironic,
Freehouse—ironi c, perhaps, because
b ecause what
someone called Chord theth e Philosopher. can be had on tap is never free.)
The PCs discover that Chord the
Philosopher lives under something called DISAPPEARANCE
THE DISAP PEARANCE
Moon,, which is not especially
the Changing Moon It’s likely the PCs don’t immediately realize The Changing Moon,
close. PCs would have to find, borrow, or that Radius has gone missing. Introduce the page 226
craft a vehicle or some other means to go characters to the idea in one of the following
there if they want to investigate further. ways, or come up with one of your own.
Radius plans on it and sets to work repairing
a disabled vehicle that it owns, which will Missed Appointment: If the PCs set up a
take several days to complete. time for everyone to meet (either as a one-
off or because it’s something they regularly
do), Radius fails to show up. If you’re running Slaves
STARTING LOCATIONS of the Machine God as
a single adventure,
The PCs are located either in Amber Keep, Note From Radius: If the PCs haven’t use Act 1: Keep in the
following the events of Act 2: Building proactively called a meeting, they receive Badlands and Act 2:
Amber Keep,
Keep, or in some other community a note from the automaton asking to Building Amber
of your choice where they befriended Radius. meet at a convenient location. The note Keep before running
the material in this
mentions that Radius has something of chapter; see the
special importance to tell its friends. But the Combined Campaign
mercenary misses the meeting. Flowchart on page 6. 6.
Reports of Mischief: The PCs hear reports convince Radius of something. They were too
of a disturbance, but a day late. If they far away for me to hear,
hear, and I never did figu
figure
re
investigate, they find Radius’s small home out who was in the hood.”
empty and in disarray, as if some kind of
scuffle occurred.
STRANGERS IN A
SMALL SETTLEMENT
THE INVESTIGATION
If the PCs are located in a small
PCs concerned with Radius’
Radius’ss whereabouts
settlement like newly established Amber
have several possible ways to proceed.
Keep, strangers are more noticeable
than in a large community like Aian
RADIUS’S HOME
where it’s expected that most of the
Radius has a small one-room cottage, and
people you see will be strangers.
the PCs either know where it is or can find
In Amber Keep, tasks related to
it easily. If they investigate, they find that
investigating strangers are eased.
the automaton is not home. The room is in
disarray,, as if it had hosted a scuffle. A shelf
disarray
is knocked over, as is a table, and a box of ASKING AROUND ABOUT STRANGERS
light tools lies scattered
sc attered across the floor.
floor. A PCs who spend time asking other
close investigation turns up the following community residents whether they’ve seen
items of interest. any strangers, or anything else out of the
Oddity: Plastic bottle containing a spray that ordinary for that matter, can attempt a
cleans metallic surfaces to a brilliant shine. difficulty 4 interaction task. (The task is
Oddity: Small mirrored cube that shows eased if the PCs specify a “stranger in a red
any organic face as if an automaton, and an hood and robes.”)
rob es.”)
automaton face as if a living creature. On a success, they learn of a few
Journal: Written by Radius, begun only sightings. Apparently,
Apparently, such a person came
recently. It seems to be a dream diary. to town “about ten days ago” and started
The initial entries describe how Radius asking around about Radius, saying that she
is amazed that it has begun to dream, had a commission for him. Of course, no
because it couldn’t ever remember having one saw any reason not to point her to the
them before. Later entries recount the exact mercenary’ss home.
mercenary’
same dream, of a haunted hollow filled with More significantly, an NPC wright named
Visso: level 2, thousands of creatures that all seem to be Visso recalls something odd: “A woman in a
Visso recalls
carpentry and crafting another version of Radius. Many of these red robe came into my workshop over a week
numenera as level 3
entries end with “What does it mean?” ago. I sold her my old box of light tools for a
few shins. Just making
making conversation, I asked
asked if
ASKING AROUND ABOUT RADIUS she was looking to settle down here.
PCs who spend time asking other She laughed, said no, but volunteered
community residents about the last time that she wanted to do some salvaging, and
they remember seeing Radius can attempt wondered if I knew someplace that no one in
a difficulty 4 interaction task. (The task town already had claims on. Maybe even a
difficulty is not because people don’t want place that most people would prefer to avoid.
to help, especially if the PCs are part of a I mentioned the Kalpis, but of course,
small community,
community, but more to see if the PCs warned her she should probably steer clear. Oh,
can jog memories in a way that produces and this was interesting—she had a tattoo of a
Kadri is a diplomat. useful information.) machine wheel across her entire face.”
He is broad-faced On a success, an NPC named Kadri Kadri If the PCs recall, they found a corpse with
and stout. He likes to
make jokes about the
remembers something of note: “I saw Radius a tattoo just like Visso describes in Chapter 1:
walking with someone in a red hood and robes Memory Bias. However, Visso doesn’t know
food and weather. a couple days ago. I didn’t think anything any more than what he saw. If asked to
Kadri: level 2, positive of it, other than that the hooded stranger speculate, he suspects that the woman was
social interaction and seemed upset about something. The stranger headed for the Kalpis.
resisting deception
as level 3
was gesticulating dramatically,
dramatically, as if trying to
26
THE TRUE COURSE OF EVENTS the water jar-like appearance, the top does
The PCs may have additional means to not open into a hollow interior.
interior. Instead,
investigate, including cyphers or other the summit is rocky but for a few metallic
abilities that grant them knowledge. In this protuberances, and is home to minor rock
case, they might learn that a woman with a vermin that scurry away from explorers
Machine God tattoo and red robes—another on hundreds of tiny legs. The material
prophet of the Machine God—came to the composing the Kalpis resembles stone, but
community ten days earlier, along with a few it’s
it’s actually a composite of a shaped rocky
other travelers she wasn’t associated with matrix that is reinforced with a webwork of
(who joined the labor pool). pliable metal.
metal. (Attempts could be made to Pliable metal, page 112
In truth, this was the prophet Morigera. salvage the pliable metal directly from the
Oniscid, page 269
After first confirming that Radius was exterior,, but the surrounding rocky matrix
exterior
present in town, Morigera decided she makes that incredibly difficult, hindering
needed someplace nearby where no one salvage tasks by four steps.)
was likely to interrupt her. She settled on A group of five intelligent insect-like
the Kalpis, which she investigated to see if creatures called oniscids lair
oniscids lair inside the
it would suit. After she negotiated a truce Kalpis. Thus far, they’ve managed to keep
of non-interference with the creatures that their presence secret, though Morigera
laired there, she returned to nab Radius. discovered them recently. So they made
She first tried to “hire” Radius to come with a pact with the prophet of the Machine
her to the Kalpis, but when it refused, she God, allowing her access in return for
used an artifact to gain crude control of the gifts of technology she provided. That
mercenary (though a brief struggle ensued said, the oniscids would be equally likely
before she was successful). She and the to negotiate with PCs who try to talk with
subdued Radius walked out of town to the them, assuming the characters can first
Kalpis, where she began to interrogate the open communication with them and then
automaton with no interruptions. promise something of such value that the
xenophobic creatures agree to help rather
than harm the PCs.
THE KALPIS
The PCs know about a ruin known locally
as the Kalpis, which lies about a half-hour’s
walk beyond town. The Kalpis is a rocky
eruption from the land that externally
resembles a gargantuan water jarj ar.. Everyone
generally steers clear of it, despite some
obvious hallmarks of prior-world technology,
because ninety percent of those who entered
got lost and never emerged again.
The few people who did make it out
describe it as an ever-changing place that
seems to have a mind of its own, a mind
set on destroying intruders. One minute
the floor is solid, and the next it’s an abyss.
A corridor that explorers used to gain
entry suddenly becomes a solid wall. Chalk
marks and other navigational aids simply
disappear.. And so
disappear s o on.
KALPIS DET
DETAILS
AILS
The external formation is about 600 feet
(180 m) in diameter at its widest, and
stands about 800 feet (240 m) high. Despite
27
KALPIS ENTRANCE area on the inside wall, which PCs may note.
A perfectly circular discoloration about But even if they leave chalk marks or other
20 feet (6 m) in diameter serves as the identifying signs to trace their way back, the
t he
entrance to anyone who knows how to oniscids do their best to erase or alter those
trigger it, or to those who succeed on a signs when the intruders are elsewhere.
difficulty 5 understanding numenera task. If
successful, a 30-foot (9 m) long cylindrical KALPIS INTERIOR
plug of rock phases into translucent
tr anslucent The vast bowl-like space of the interior
immateriality
access into theforinterior.
about. aAfter
interior minute,
that,allowing
anything resembles an otherworldly columned hall
fallen to ruin.
within the entrance tunnel is pushed into In addition to the glowing globes and
the interior as the plug comes back into nodules, pools of water formed from
phase. condensation appear here and there, and
PCs looking for signs of recent usage or they are drinkable. Algae of various kinds
activity around the entrance who succeed grows on the nodules and columns, and
on a difficulty 5 perception task do find two someone hungry enough could eat it.
sets of prints, one of which could certainly Despite the taste, it’
it’ss quite nutritious. As
be Radius’s massive treads, and another a matter of fact, the algae is what normally
smaller, human-sized set. sustains the oniscids that lair in the Kalpis.
A similar patch on the inside can be It is also the food source that the prophet of
triggered to recreate the entrance corridor, the Machine God has been relyingre lying on while
though it’s harder to find that discolored she interrogates Radius.
28
tracking tasks.
and Radius That
in the said, tracking
interior is more Morigera
difficult roll, the misdirection,
oniscid PCs also trigger the (usually)
which associated
than it would otherwise be because of requires that the affected PC make an
oniscid antics. Don’t tell the PCs the task Intellect defense roll or see something that
difficulty they need to succeed at to track isn’t actually there. Sometimes the creatures
Radius (if that’s something you normally attempt to sway PCs away from entering a
do). To
To track their quarry to the correct particular nodule, too, depending on the
hollow nodule, PCs must succeed on three contents.
difficulty 6 Intellect tasks, each taking about
an hour. Each failure means another hour Salvage Options: Some of the nodule
or so of wandering the interior, though they contents contain materials or devices that
may initially think they’ve found something could be salvaged, at your option, including
encouraging, thanks to oniscid misdirection. all discoveries that are obviously some kind
of machine or device. Treat salvage sources
sources Salvage sources,
ONISCID MISDIRECTION
MISDIRECTION as if level 5. page 108
Straightforward exploration means that
PCs will find a lot of nodules that don’t . KALPIS ENTRANCE
contain Radius. The same is true for each Read or paraphrase the following.
failed attempt to track Radius, and even
on successful ones that are building up Irregular columns studded with veined globes
to the third and final success. Sometimes of blue light support a great chamber.
chamber. The
that’s just geography or because tracking is profusion of columns and light mist limits
difficult, but other times it’s
it’s because they vision to a short distance in any one direction.
followed misleading evidence to a nodule Free-floatingg orbs, trailed by vein-like stony
Free-floatin
where the oniscids staged
oniscids staged the area to look growths, slowly rise and fall. Here and there, Oniscid, page 269
enticing to intruders. In the latter case, the massive nodules protrude from the irregular
area is actually dangerous in some fashion. ground, each one set with a single dark
One or two oniscids (of the five who opening.
lair in the Kalpis) covertly follow the PCs,
watching to see how the characters interact It is immediately and noticeably cooler if the
with dangerous areas. This means that PCs enter the Kalpis interior,
interior, and the sslight
light
particularly perceptive PCs who have reason smell of brine, like the sea, wafts upon faint
to suspect they are being toyed with have breezes that move through the air.
a chance to spy their tormentors and, if
they’re quick, catch one for questioning . POOL OF MIMICRY
before it slips away in the haze. (But don’t Fluid fills the center of the nodule. A portion
forget that oniscids communicate via of it rises up, taking on a three-dimensional
subsonic vibration, so the PCs must come liquid shape that vaguely resembles the
up with a more innovative way to speak.) nearest creature that comes within 20
If the PCs decide to leave the Kalpis, feet (6 m). The shape exactly mimics the
nearby hiding oniscids attempt to lead them movement of the PC’s upper torso, though it
astray in a variety of ways, usually involving doesn’t move from the edge of the pool. If a
making whichever PC is serving as the PC moves to the edge of the pool, the shape
navigator see things that aren’t there, miss stops mimicking and instead attacks as if a
seeing things that would otherwise lead level 5 creature, attempting to draw in and
29
drown the PC (so it can get any metal the PC Oniscid misdirection: The character
has and absorb it from the corpse). swears they can hear the faint cries of
Oniscid misdirection: The affected PC someone weakly pleading for help under all
sees the shape hold out what is clearly a the rubble.
cypher, as if attempting to give it to the
t he PC
as a peace offering. . PRISON NODULE
The nodule is a lair for a creature frozen in
. IMPLANTATION SPIRITS immobility,, and PCs would have to chip it
immobility
Metallic
across, are knobs, eachto
attached about
walls2 in
feet (60 cm)
serried, wavy free (or find
creating and and
the ice, disable
waitthe
forlevel 4 devices
the ice to melt)
lines. Each is a discrete device that can be for it to gain mobility. In its frozen state,
s tate,
detached from the wall simply by lifting it appears as a 6-foot (2 m) tall wrinkled
Ixobrychid: level 7, all it free. If one is lifted off, it immediately ixobrychid
seedpod. However, if freed, the ixobrychid
numenera tasks as level phases and dives into the body of the extends fractal limbs, wings, teeth and
9; health 28; moves a
long distance each round;
character who took it, disappearing. There it tendrils, because it is hungry.
hungry.
makes four attacks as waits, though for what isn’t obvious. Oniscid misdirection: The character gets
a single action; targets Oniscid misdirection: Faint markings, as a bad feeling about the idea of entering
suffer 7 points of damage if something large were dragged into this this nodule. (The oniscids don’t want the
and must succeed on
an Intellect defense task nodule, appear outside the nodule. creature released, either
either.)
.)
or be stunned and lose
next action; for more . BRILLIANT NODULE
details, see Ninth World
A machine hangs from the ceiling of this
Bestiary 2,
2, page 73 nodule, quietly humming. If a creature
stands in the mouth of the nodule, a light
turns on and begins blinking, faster and
faster the closer a creature comes to the
machine. The light shines continuously if
the machine is touched, filling the nodule
and an area within a short distance beyond
the nodule with bright light. Stealth tasks in
the area of this light are hindered.
Oniscid misdirection: The character gets
a bad feeling about the idea of entering this
nodule.
. CRUSHED NODULE
This nodule is broken and smashed, as
if something outside it crushed it like
an eggshell, and recently.
recently. T
Trying
rying to enter
through the rubble risks bringing the rest
of the nodule down. Creatures worming
their way into the rubble must succeed . KALPIS RECURSION NODULE
on a difficulty 6 Might defense roll or take A wide water jar is fixed to the center of
8 points of damage and become trapped this nodule, similar in appearance to the
under the suffocating debris until they can structure in which the PCs find themselves,
escape (or are dug free). After every three though this one is metallic and has a
rounds with no air, a person with no air complex striated surface of faintly glowing
moves one step down the damage track lines covering it in a mesh-like pattern.
until they are dead. Those who succeed still Touching it requires that a creature succeed
take 1 point of damage and are pinned in on a difficulty 6 Intellect defense roll or be
place until they can escape, but they are not overwhelmed with knowledge so beyond the
suffocating. capacity of their brain that they scream and
fall unconscious for an hour. On a success,
30
entrance
away the with a hallucination
control surface. If thethat
PCswipes
manage abilities, the rightness
coming ascension of Machine
of the her cause,God.
and She
the
to get the nodule open anyway, the oniscids defends herself vigorously
v igorously,, but should the
don’t interfere with whatever interaction the PCs attempt to quiz her first (or use some
PCs, the prophet, and Radius have after that other method to learn what she’s up to),
(though later they attempt to keep the PCs she is not shy about revealing information
from finding their way out, as previously before vanquishing those who stand against
described). her.
Rather than open the nodule, the PCs
might decide to wait until the prophet WHAT THE PROPHETS KNOW
emerges, as she does every twenty hours Morigera reveals the following, which could
to gather water and nutritious algae from come out as part of an interaction scene.
other interior areas of the Kalpis. If the PCs If the PCs kill or incapacitate the prophet
encounter her outside, she attempts to flee before they learn this information, they find
back to Radius. If prevented from doing so, it written out in a short journal she keeps.
she stands her ground then and there. (Note that if the PCs attempt to use the
Memory collector,
collector, If PCs get the nodule open, read or collector on
memory collector on the prophet, it fails to
page 19 paraphrase the following. produce results; the memory collector was
created by Ciszan—the “Machine God”—
Radius is attached to a large machine with and it doesn’t affect anyone who has a
thick cords holding its limbs tight. Several prophet tattoo, by design.)
fibers extend from the machine
machine into its head,
head,
The PCs may notice pulsing with faint light. Radius is unresponsive. The Machine God is rising. He is the true
that the prophet calls A woman in red robes tends to the machine
machine inheritor of the prior worlds. When he gains
the Machine God “he,”
which is not an accident.
and Radius. A circular tattoo covers her face. full ascendency, numenera everywhere will
The tattoo depicts a ring of gears, circuits, and wake and sing the name of their new god.
other iotum. Automatons, especially,
especially, will fall into line,
becoming angels one and all, regardless of
Radius, page 16 Radius is
Radius is essentially insensate and helpless, their previous affiliation.
and remains so while it is attached to
the machine and for about ten minutes The Machine God has inspired a cadre
afterward. The machine’s
machine’s original function of prophets. Each prophet gave up their
seems to have been related to measuring original name, becoming a priest of a new
electromagnetic flux; however, it’sit’s recently order, one that will show the lie that
th at the
been modified to selectively over-stimulate so-called Order of Truth espouses daily.
Morigera, prophet machine minds in a fashion that can only be More than any other entity
e ntity,, the Machine
of the Machine God: considered torture. Extricating Radius from God reviles the Order of Truth. Each prophet
level 5, understanding
and crafting numenera
the machine requires a successful difficulty 5 was outfitted and trained at least equal to
as level 7; Armor 3 via understanding numenera task. The woman the Aeon Priests that strut and swagger
esotery; fly up to a long in red robes, however, attempts to prevent their way across the Ninth World. When the
distance each round via PCs from doing that, as she isn’t done with Machine God achieves his apotheosis, the
an esotery; attack up to the automaton. Aeon Priests and the Amber Papacy will be
three targets within short
range simultaneously The woman is Morigera,
Morigera, a prophet of the the first to face the new god’s wrath.
each round with electrical Machine God. In addition to her various
ray that inflicts 8 points
abilities (which are mediated through the
of damage via an esotery
32
The prophet’s commandments from the travel. So Radius decides it will repair a
Machine God required that she find and vehicle it once used, but which has fallen
interrogate two “fallen angels.” One is into a disabled state. This task takes several
Radius. The Machine God told her where days, as described in Chapter 3: Philosophy Chapter 3: Philosophy
she could find it. The other is Chord the of Change.
Change. of Change, page 34
Philosopher,, who lives “under the Changing
Philosopher
Moon.”” Morigera hasn’t yet ventured to the
Moon.
Changing Moon, as it requires months of XP A
AW
WARDS
travel north, near the community of Delend. The PCs earnthe
for exploring 1 experience point
Kalpis, 1 XP (XP)
each for each
freeing
Each fallen angel possesses
p ossesses a divine key. As Radius, and 1 XP each for learning what the
far as the prophet understands, the Machine prophet knows.
God needs these stolen divine keys to fully
empower himself. She doesn’t know any WHAT’S NEXT?
more than that; she doesn’t know what form If you’re combining “Amber Keep” with
a divine key takes, or even if it’s an actual “Relics of the Machine,” proceed to Act Act 3: The Blazing
physical object as opposed to a secret that 3: The Blazing Pillar,
Pillar, which describes a Pillar, page 115
each fallen angel keeps. traveling party that comes to town as
Radius begins working on its vehicle as
Morigera keeps a secret. She doesn’t described in Chapter 3.
divulge the following information to the
PCs willingly,
willingly, and it isn’t in her journal: if
Morigera finds the divine keys she’s been
sent to recover, the nanites that interweave
with her tattoo will activate and tell her
where she can rendezvous with the Machine
God. Until then, she has no contact with
him. His location is not for her to know,
but for the Machine God to reveal in all his
silicon glory.
REPERCUSSIONS
Morigera is willing to die for her beliefs,
though if she can escape an overpowering
force and come back to try for Radius again
later,, she might do so.
later
Philosopher.
Philosopher
and . Radius
the Changing knows
Moon arewhere Delend
located: all
the way across the Steadfast, which would
be not only a dangerous trip, but also one
that could take nearly half a year of overland
33
CHAPTER 3
PHILOSOPHY OF
CHANGE
SYNOPSIS INVOLVING THE
INVOLVING T HE PC S
The PCs decide (or are convinced) to visit Radius desperately wants to travel to a place
Radius desperately
an automaton named Chord, who resides in called Delend to look for Chord. It may
Delend—Under the the community of Delend far
Delend far to the north, be that the player characters feel enough
Changing Moon, over which looms an artificial structure friendship with the automaton that they’ve
page 225
known as the Changing Moon.
Moon. They use a already offered to help and accompany it. If
The Changing Moon, vehicle owned by Radius that it repairs from not, consider employing one or more of the
page 226 a disabled state (or something they crafted following additional hooks.
or found themselves) to make a trip of just
over a thousand miles in relatively short Radius asks for aid: If the automaton
Black Riage, page 172 Riage mountains.
order into the Black Riage mountains. has helped the PCs, it reminds them and
When they reach the Changing Moon, wonders if they will return the favor. It’s
they discover that Chord is somewhere motivated by a desire to discover the truth
inside the constantly changing floating of its missing past and by worry over what
structure. Worse, a prophet-led group of a rising Machine God might mean for it
Machine God cultists showed up recently, personally (it fears losing its free will). It’s
asking after Chord, then plunged into the also worried about what a Machine God
floating structure to find it. could mean for the Order of Truth and
To find (and save)
s ave) Chord, the PCs must civilization, such as it is, in the Steadfast.
partially explore the Changing Moon.
If they find Chord, they discover that the Evidence of a Machine God rising is
automaton has a similar background as troubling: The PCs may have previously
Radius, though it took up a different pursuit. heard rumors that a Machine God was
It’s also having strange dreams, which rising from a source other than the prophets
Visso, page 26 is why it entered the Changing Moon: to they met. Visso approaches
Visso approaches the PCs and
search for an “exotic intelligence” to help says that one of the iotum components
If you’re running Slaves refine its mind and dredge up memories. he had collected “woke up” that morning,
of the Machine God The intelligence turns out to be of limited transmitted some kind of weird hymn
as a single adventure,
use Act 3: The Blazing
use, though it does provide a couple of praising the coming “machine god’s” arrival,
Pillar before running clues. then blew up.
this chapter; see
chapter; see the
the
Combined Campaign
Campaign The Changing Moon is a fabulous place to
Flowchart on page 6.6.
STARTING LOCATIONS explore and salvage: One of the PCs may
The PCs are located either in Amber Keep, have heard of the Changing Moon, which
Act 3: The Blazing following the events of Act 3: The Blazing by all accounts is an amazing ruin offering
Pillar, page 115 Pillar
Pillar, Pillar,, or in some other community of your salvage every bit as wonderful as that which
choice where they befriended Radius. could be had from the Jade Colossus.
34
PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE
REPAIRING A VEHICLE
Radius owns a rather substantial piece of
numenera: a vehicle known as a tendril
crawler.. However, it fell into disrepair some
crawler
years ago, so the automaton has been
lugging it around in a compacted state
(about the size of a large backpack), waiting
for the right time to try to repair it. That time
has
and come.
anyoneItwho
shares its planorwith
is around the PCs
is curious.
Read or paraphrase the following.
assembled, it takes Radius only about ten Effect: The driver can use the control “Amber
“Relics ofKeep” with ”
the Machine,
Machine,”
minutes to restore the tendril crawler to surface to move the vehicle up to the vehicle reveal scene
working order. a long distance each round over likely plays out while the
The tendril crawler can normally seat five nearly any terrain, using the tendrils Blazing Pillar is still close
passengers (including the driver). If that’s enough for trade to occur,
to climb even completely vertical
and Sparadhi has the
not enough space, it takes Radius another surfaces (or cling to vast ceilings requisite iotum to trade.
day to make a modification that provides overhead) or swim on the surface of
more seats, though these are somewhat large bodies of water. On extended
rudimentary. trips, it can move up to 50 miles (80
km) per hour. After each ten hours
of use, the vehicle must rest in the
TO DELE
JOURNEY TO DELEND
ND sun for at least one hour before it
Whether the PCs intend to use Radius’s becomes operational again.
repaired
overland vehicle or some
travel, there are other method
probably a fewof Depletion:
of use) 1 in 1d20 (check per month
personal matters to see to before traveling
for several days or weeks. Once those are
settled, it’s time to leave.
35
two points,
the weird or even explicit
landscapes directions
and past across
dangerous can relatea difficulty
attempt a story of1their choosing
persuasion andOn
task.
ruins, not to mention the occasional city a success, the storyteller is delighted. He
in the Steadfast. This means that instead whispers a quick story to the PC whose story
of requiring only about two ten-hour trip he liked. The story is so affecting that it acts
segments traveling at 50 miles (80 km) per like a level 5 cypher (if the PC hasn’t reached
hour,, the PCs are in for a slightly longer trip
hour their cypher limit), though it has no physical
of about a week to reach the general area. form; it’s a “subtle” cypher. The PC can call
That stretches longer if the PCs have stops on the power of the subtle cypher as if it
they want to make along the way for any were a normal cypher, despite it not being
reason. an object. Each PC can gain only one story
Once the PCs find the general area, they (and subtle cypher) from Storyteller.
can use the tendril crawler to travel from If Storyteller doesn’t
does n’t like the PC’s story, he
mountain-top to mountain-top to look for doesn’t actually try to feed them to his pet
the Changing Moon, which Radius has dimension. He just frowns, then wonders if
heard “hangs over Delend like a colossal someone else has a story to tell. Of course,
metal cloud.” Each day, characters can he defends himself if attacked.
attempt a difficulty 6 navigation task to find Subtle cyphers have possible effects as
Delend. Failure means that they lose a day’s follows.
worth of travel before the navigator can try • Restores a number of points equal to the
again. Of course, traveling through the Black cypher’s level to one of the user’s Pools.
Riage is dangerous all by itself. • Grants the ability to see in the dark for
eight hours.
ENCOUNTERS ALONG THE WAY • For the next day,
day, the user has an asset to
When traveling, the PCs are most likely to Speed defense rolls.
have unexpected encounters when they stop • Grants the ability to see ten times as far
moving to rest (or to recharge the vehicle). as normal for one hour.
The longer they take to reach a destination, • Adds 1 to the user’s Might, Speed, or
the more encounters they potentially have. Intellect Edge for one hour.
Include at least one of these encounters, or
something you make up—even if it’s just WEIRD FORMATION
seeing something weird—each time the PCs Three reddish-orange glowing crystal
travel overland for more than a few days. columns protrude from the earth, each
You likely won’t end up using all of these about 30 feet (9 m) high, arranged
as the PCs travel to Delend. Use the rest equidistantly about 20 feet (6 m) from
Storyteller: level 6, Speed while the characters are traveling overland each other. The triangular area within
defense tasks as level 7 during some other part of the adventure. the columns is empty, though if anyone
due to cloak; animate
cloak attacks a creature
attempts to move into the area, they notice
within immediate range, STORYTELLER that the air feels somehow thicker.
which inflicts 5 damage A lone traveler—an elderly man wearing The first creature to enter the area in any
and, on second failed
Speed defense task, ahaven’t
raggedpreviously
cloak of exotic material the PCs
encountered—accosts given week isthey
state where phased
remainintopart
an of
alternate time
the time
transfers the target
to a small artificial the characters during a rest. The man asks stream only every other round, though they
extradimensional space them to call him Storyteller
Story teller.. He explains that may not initially realize it. From their point
until it can escape
he collects amazing tales, and he asks the of view, creatures in their environment jerk
36
PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE
(Armor applies
after a few but as
rounds) may become
tiny degraded
cube-shaped Philosopher?
Philosopher” Delendrim call an
because it had Chord “the
unexpected
insects begin to eat them and their clothing. way of thinking about existence and one’s
Boss Melyndwr
Melyndwr,, Once doused in the material, PCs must place in it—and because it was one of
page 228 destroy the tiny entities making up the fluid the few who could intercede with Boss
38
PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE
Melyndwr on
Melyndwr on behalf of those who gained the
woman’ss ire. (People have unconsciously
woman’ “The only reason I’m wasting time with you is
started talking about the automaton in the because I liked Chord. If there’s a chance that
past tense because they assume that it is the Philosopher can be retrieved, I can indeed
dead.) help. I have a divining device that has proved
useful before in finding specific objects within
Others Interested in Chord: Delend natives the Changing Moon. I’d be willing to lend it to
indicate that the PCs are not the first to you for a brief period. But first, I need your help
come
Aboutlooking for the missing
a week earlier, automaton.
a group of people led with something. What do you say?”
by a man with a machine ring tattooed on
his face appeared in town. Close-mouthed Melyndwr’s Red Rain Problem: The
and standoffish, they revealed only that Observatory
Observatory has
has prognosticated a Observatory, page 228
Chord was someone they desperately particularly potent red rain event, one that
needed to speak with. Upon learning that will likely begin within a couple of weeks.
Chord was lost in the Changing Moon, However,, the linchpin Delend installations
However
they followed. They haven’t returned either, designed to protect from the event are not
though no shifts have happened since then. quite powerful enough to provide complete
protection against a more aggressive
GAINING COMMUNITY SUPPORT red rain. Melyndwr could modify those
Delend natives explain the nature of the installations to make them more protective,
Changing Moon and how they believe but she needs 5 units of oraculum.
oraculum. Things Oraculum, page 114
that Chord has been lost within the great being what they are in Delend (others are
structure because it remained inside plotting to overthrow her), she can’t leave
through a shift. If the PCs ask for some kind to salvage the oraculum in the Changing
of aid in finding their lost friend despite that, Moon.
they are referred to Melyndwr, who people But because of her goodwill for Chord
say has a method for finding things in the (and frankly, because Radius reminds
floating structure. her of Chord), Melyndwr offers the PCs
her Changing Moon diviner, trusting that
Asking for Melyndwr’s Aid: The PCs can they will return it along with the 5 units of
request a meeting with Melyndwr.
Melyndwr. She is oraculum. If they come back with Chord in Melyndwr: level 6; health
usually found in her small fortress of a home tow, all the better. But mainly, she wants the 25; Armor 3 from an
esotery; very long range,
within easy sight of Hildwin’s Ladder.
Ladder. She oraculum. If the PCs succeed, the leader gravity-crush attack
agrees to meet the PCs in the courtyard over also agrees to waive the normal salvage fee from an esotery inflicts
light refreshments (pickled sweet berries, she assesses other explorers who return 7 points of damage and
ignores Armor; level 6
seared savor grass, and a light ale) served from the ruin. On the other hand, she warns
cyphers: detonation and
by a couple of vat warriors.
warriors. (Vat warriors are that she’d make a dire enemy if the PCs force shield projector
biological humanoid entities the nano grows don’t return with the iotum she needs.
as her personal bodyguard and loyal police Vat warrior: level 3
force in Delend.) UP THE LADDER INTO THE MOON
The PCs find the city leader to be a prickly The reddish “ceiling” above Delend is
and somewhat sinister nano. She is always about 500 feet (150 m) overhead. An Detonation, page 277
accompanied by at least five vat warriors. artificial human-built structure called Force shield projector,
Read or paraphrase the following if the PCs Hildwin’ss Ladder stretche
Hildwin’ stretchess all the way up page 279
ask for her help finding Chord. to it, allowing explorers a way to gain entry.
If the PCs enter the Changing Moon by some method other than using Hildwin’s
Ladder,, they owe Melyndwr
Ladder Mely ndwr about 30 percent of whatever salvage they retrieve, unless
they have made an arrangement with herher.. She’s not shy about collecting her due.
39
INSIDE THE
CHANGING MOON DIVINER
(ARTIFACT)
CHANGING MOON
Changing Moon: level 6 Read or paraphrase the following once the
Minimum Crafting Level: 5
PCs have gained entry into the Changing
Level: 1d6 + 2
Moon.
Form: Handheld device linked to sight-
obscuring helmet
Effect: When the helmet is worn
The walls, floors, and ceiling in this wide
(blinding the wearer), the wearer
can trigger the device to learn hall
sizes.are textured
Reddish in gleams
light cube-likefrom
tilessome
of various
of the
about the immediate future in
embedded squares, but most are dark. The
regard to physically tracking down
main hall is about 30 feet (9 m) wide, but
a specific person or object within
half a dozen smaller passages split off from
the Changing Moon. This process
the sides, floor, and ceiling. Free-floating
requires two full turns on the user’s
cubes hang randomly in the air air,, some less
part and a successful Intellect-based
than an inch across, others with faces several
roll with a difficulty equal to the level
feet across. Air moves
moves erratically,
erratically, sometimes
of whatever is sought. A success
providing a cooling breeze, other times a warm
indicates the path most likely to
gust, and other times a stiff wind redolent of
lead to the target if there is a choice
the smell of rain.
between two or more ways forward.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (check per use)
In addition to the free-floating red cubes
Hildwin’s Ladder, (Review Hildwin’s
Hildwin’s Ladder in Numenera
Ladder in (which don’t shift from their position
page 229 Destiny.) If the PCs have asked for and without extreme force) and occasional
received Melyndwr’s aid to find Chord, she changes in air movement, sometimes a
accompanies them to the base of the ladder particularly large cube face set into a wall
and tells the fee-taker not to charge when flickers to life, showing a random scene.
Small windows, tunnels, the PCs return. (Otherwise, she’s there when That scene is sometimes a landscape one
and fissures pock the the PCs go up, at which point she offers might see anywhere in the Ninth W World,
orld, but
exterior of the Changing
Moon, and those that
her divining device in return for their help as often as not, it’s an unfamiliar starscape.
are large enough can getting the oraculum she needs.) Rarely,, activity is viewed from afar,
Rarely afar, but
provide entry into the Despite being called a ladder,
ladder, most of usually too “distant” to make out who or
hovering artifact if PCs the ascent is actually on a series of recently what is moving.
can reach them.
constructed switchback single-file stairs with
minimal guardrails. Usually, it’s
it’s a routine CHANGING MOON
task to remain safely on the ladder, though INTERIOR ENCOUNTERS
the task is hindered by one or more steps The PCs have various encounters while
during inclement conditions. searching the interior of the Changing Moon
Every time the Changing Moon shifts, for Chord and possibly for oraculum.
the ladder’s uppermost section is rebuilt Locating Chord requires some exploration
(because the old section
s ection “shifts” away, too). and tracking, made more difficult by the
In the ladder’s most recent configuration, fact that a shift has occurred since Chord
the narrow stairs ascend up into a concavity disappeared. ToTo track their quarry, the
a short distance across in the moon’s PCs must succeed on three difficulty 6
underside. A 20-foot (6 m) diameter tunnel Intellect tasks, each taking about two hours.
pierces the concavity, leading into the moon Each failure means another two hours of
itself. The tunnel ascends at a 40-degree wandering the interior. However, if PCs have
angle upward
emptying into for
theabout 30 feet
Changing (9 m) before
Moon. the
the Changing Moon diviner
leader of Delend, artifact tasks
their tracking from are
eased by two steps.
Most players will be fine creating a map
in the abstract, in the sense that even if they
40
PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE
are not physically sketching a map at the those who initially step into the room
game table as they explore, their in-world must succeed on a difficulty 5 Speed
characters are keeping track of the route. Of defense task or be flung back the way
course, players can track their wanderings they came so violently that they take 5
by creating an actual map if they wish, in points of damage when they strike a
which case it’s up to you to provide an solid surface. Those who manage to
outline. In this case, let them know that cling to the floor (as if it were a vertical
each area of interest is separated from the wall) can inch their way forward,
next
aboutby1d00
a variable
× 1d10amount
feet). of distance (call it making
defense successively
tasks each 10less
feetdifficult Speed
(3 m) they
“climb” until they reach the machine,
AREAS OF INTEREST where gravity is essentially normal
Explorers find the following areas of interest again.
within the Changing Moon. PCs find one 2 Amid a series of “dry” fountains is
about every hour they explore, amid many one that functions, spraying red liquid
more miles of empty tunnels, halls, and into the air; the liquid is essentially the
corridors of tiled red cube. The chambers same material that falls during red rain
are variously sized, in that some are only the events.
size of large closets, others are hundreds 3 Nestled in with a variety of inert
of feet across, and a few might well open machines is one that still hums and
into artificial alternate dimensions. Y You
ou can clicks: a so-called “healing
“healing pod.”
pod.” If a PC Healing pod: level 6
randomly generate which area of interest who is suffering the effects of poison
PCs find by rolling on the Changing Moon or a disease, or who has taken damage
Chamber Contents Table, or simply choose to a Pool, moves within immediate
from it. Once PCs discover an area, cross it distance of the pod, metallic tentacles
off the table. emerge and attempt to pull the PC
In addition to the various areas of interest, into the pod to operate. Unless the
and at whatever juncture you desire, the PC can escape, their condition is fixed
PCs encounter more Machine God cultists within a couple of rounds. However
However,,
looking for Chord (starting with a few clues
clues the machine keeps operating—forever, Cult Clues, page 43
that the cultists are also active in the moon). if allowed—and a PC who isn’t freed or
a shift that
The PCs must also deal with a shift can’t escape is eventually killed from Shifting Moon, page 43
happens while
happens while they’re within the Changing complications.
Moon. And hopefully, they finally find Chord Chord 4 A free-floating cube face in the chamber Philosophy of
itself. flickers to life when the PCs enter. It Communion, page 45
6 The chamber opens into an apparently won’t move on with the rest of the PCs,
outdoor area that seems to be an but they will tuck a sphere away for
open plain covered with grass the later study. They can’t help but pull it
color of algae on water,
water, bushes on out anytime they have a free moment
which red berries grow, and a brilliant to study it. Over time, the black sphere
point of light in the sky that is larger gains a greater and greater hold on
and somehow hotter than the sun their attention, putting them in a calm
the PCs are familiar with. A dome-like and contemplative state. Breaking
structure withItopen
the distance. sidesbut
is empty is visible
for the in free of the
Intellect effect
task requires
(which a difficulty
is hindered 6
by the
partially mummified remains of four influence).
people and a core of defunct machinery. 9 Several free-floating cube faces iinn this
In addition to any salvage provided by chamber reflect like mirrors, except
the machinery, one of the corpses has a the orientation is different in each
Community beacon, beacon cypher.
community beacon cypher. cube. Sometimes the images are
page 181 7 A pack of five babirasa
babirasa hunt
hunt this area, upside down. Other times they are
Babirasa, page 254
having been drawn from elsewhere by reversed. In one, PCs look back at their
the latest shift. The PCs make ideal reflections but see scaled and feathered
prey, unless they prove too tough to humanoids instead of themselves. In
take down. another,, their reflections sh
another show
ow versions
Black sphere: level 6; 8 Black spheres composed
spheres composed of rubbery of themselves without skin.
calms creature caught by material spill across the floor here, 10 This wide cavity is filled with mostly
its telepathic influence each about 4 inches (10 cm) in defunct machinery, but here and there,
while gazed at
diameter.. They seem inert from afar,
diameter some give off glows, sparks, and
but if a character picks one up, they audible sounds. Feeding on the array
Esculant, page 261 must succeed on a difficulty 6 Intellect are five esculants,
esculants, which are happy to
defense roll or become enthralled by switch from synth to PC flesh if given a
the sphere. That doesn’t mean they chance.
42
PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE
discoveries in any of the areas of interest However,, this is a fight (or conversation)
However
previously described, or alternatively as a that is interrupted by another shift before
new area of interest: more than two rounds of conflict occur.
• The corpse of a man with a Machine God
tattoo on his arm, smashed between SHIFTING MOON
two free-floating cubes. (Apparently the Introduce this event as a group GM
cubes sometimes move after all, even intrusion, potentially interrupting the
when a shift isn’t happening.) meeting between the PCs and the cultists.
• Machine God graffiti written in chalk, with Read or paraphrase the following.
such messages as “The Machine God is
coming,” “All
“All give praise
prais e to the Machine,”
“Welcome to the Machine,” and finally, The sound comes first, like a thousand doors
“The Machine God sees you always.” slamming shut all at once, over and over
over.. The
• Chalked trail markers, made by the assault is more than merely audible; the sounds
cultists to help them find their way back smash through the air with all the violence of a
out. If the PCs find one of these, they can beating. Objects and creatures are tossed into
track the cultists down within about an the air as the ground convulses in a peristaltic
hour as a difficulty 1 tracking task. wave of change that sweeps through the area
from one side to the other
other,, then again, and
CULT ENCOUNTERED again. Each wave transforms the chamber by
If the PCs find the cult (rather than the other degrees. Red cubes rise, drop, grow, shrink, and
way around), the characters come upon assume new conformations. New chambers
seven people—one man in the familiar red open up, and old ones are filled in.
robes and face tattoo of a prophet, and
six other cultists with that same tattoo on
their arms. The group is investigating the If the PCs are treating with the prophet, also
body of some kind of machine entity that read the following about three rounds into
is apparently dead. Chord is not with them, the event:
as they so far have had no luck locating the
automaton.
If any cultist sees
cultist sees Radius, they The prophet looks up, his eyes wide as he Cultist: level 3; health
immediately call out that they’ve found screams, “Machine save me, it’s a shift!” As if 12; Armor 1; spears inflict
4 points of damage
another fallen angel, attempting to alert to demonstrate the truth of his words, the wall
every other member of their group. envelops and utterly smothers the prophet and Troth, prophet of the
Their leader, a prophet of the Machine his followers as another wave of change rushes Machine God: level
5, understanding and
God named Troth,
Troth, demands that Radius through. crafting numenera as
relinquish its divine key, as the Machine God level 7, stealth as level 7;
commands. Radius can’t help them. Armor 3 via esotery; fly a
long distance each round
via esotery; attack up to
three targets within short
range simultaneously
each round with electrical
If the cultists don’t see Radius, they attempt to quiz the PCs about whether they’ve
ray inflicting 8 points
seen an automaton named Chord, who they describe as an entity looking much like of damage via esotery
Radius but for a chest inscription of interlocking circles.
43
Get Away: A character can attempt to move Cultists Are Gone? By all appearances, the
through a portal, teleport, enter into the shift was too much for the cultists, and
limited artificial dimension generated by they’ve been wiped away like most other
a device they carry, phase, or otherwise things inside the Changing Moon. However,
However,
put themselves out of direct physical at your option, the prophet Troth survives.
harm. If successful, the character avoids After the shift, he bides his time, stays out
the damaging nature of the shift, though of sight, and secretly trails the PCs, hoping
depending
have troubleongetting
how they gotIf away,
back. they
a portal may
mouth that
for athey can lead
moment whenhim
heto Chord,
can or he waits
get Radius alone.
or other object was left behind, that is also
potentially destroyed, or at least moved to
some other location.
44
PHILOSOPHY OF CHANGE
PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY OF COMMUNION and not flesh. That could have been the end
If the PCs stick to it, they finally discover for Chord, but a mender saved it. (Menders
Chord in a large chamber.
chamber. Read or belong to the Order of Healing,
Healing, an Order of Healing,
paraphrase the following. organization dedicated to providing spiritual page 247
comfort and aid to others.) The mender’s
actions deeply affected the automaton and
Filamentous strands of transparent energy set Chord on a path of enlightened search
block the entrance to a large spherical for equanimity and peace. It has learned
ENERGY BARRIER
The PCs can easily move through the
transparent barrier surrounding the
chamber.. Its most pertinent effect is that it
chamber
insulates the chamber from Changing Moon
shifts.
explorers brought back news of an object wherever it and the PCs are based). That
they’d glimpsed inside the Changing Moon way,, the two es
way estranged
tranged siblings can get to
that seemed to persist between shifts. know each other and more quickly uncover
The explorers tried to retrieve it but were the hidden connections the diamond mind
rebuffed. All they were able to learn was that has revealed. Chord is overcome by the
Diamond mind, page 52 the object called itself the diamond mind,
mind, invitation, clearly emotional—in a way that
and that it was an “exotic intelligence” Radius rarely is—and accepts. It brings the
capable of seeing into the deepest parts of diamond mind.
WAR OF THE
T HE MAC
M ACHINE
HINE
CHAPTER 4
WAR OF THE
MACHINE
SYNOPSIS a trip (or when they are going about their
When the PCs return home, they find business within the community).
their community under siege by a horde
commanded by the bandit
b andit king Axis. Axis
is another of Radius’s automaton siblings. note shivers the air.
A high, squalling note air. Loose
On its waist it wears the severed head stones dance across the drit, tall structures
s tructures
of still another Machine God prophet. sway,, and a flock of winged creatures in the sky
sway
When Axis learned that there was machine overhead abruptly reverses course to escape the
transcendence to be had, it decided that it sound.
should be the one to benefit. So it used the
prophet’ss knowledge to look for other divine
prophet’
keys. That, plus Chord’s efforts with the After the PCs spend whatever time they need
exotic intelligence from the Changing Moon, to look around, they find the sound’s source.
revealed to Axis where Radius considered its
home to be.
If the PCs prove victorious, Axis is Forming up on a rise west of the community’
community’ss
defeated. But now the PCs’ community has edge is a horde of several hundred human
apparently become a target for the forces brigands riding on a mismatched hodge-podge
riled up by the Machine God. of vehicles and mounts. Some of them bear
banners that show a ring or crown made of
machine parts. On the largest vehicle stands
STARTING LOCATIONS an automaton that somewhat resembles
As this chapter begins, the PCs are Radius, except that it has attached additional
potentially away from home but in the metallic implements and armor to itself, as
process of returning following the events of well as other smaller objects difficult to make
Chapter 3: Philosophy of Change. out at a distance. The automaton wields a
Alternatively,, you could spring this attack
Alternatively length of burning red light like a sword twice as
on the PCs’ home after they are safely back long as the automaton is tall.
in their day-to-day routine, not traveling Several seconds after the initial blast of
outside its walls. In this case, adjust sound dies away, a voice nearly as loud issues
aspects of the attack that provide options from the largest vehicle, apparently
apparently the voice of
if the PCs are outside the walls, with the the automaton gesticulating with the burning
assumption that they sneak out first in order sword. It says, “I am Axis. I am your ending.
to accomplish specific goals. You
Yo u have one chance to survive. Bring out
one among you who looks as I do: bring
br ing out
Radius within the hour.
hour. If you do, you will live.
INTRODUCING
Axis makes itself knownTHE
to the FRAY
soon-to- If you don’t, like
community my ahorde
fiery will
flood.descend
We willupon your
kill every
be-beleaguered community. Read aloud or last one of you. Only by giving me Radius can
paraphrase the following when the PCs draw you avoid this gruesome ending.”
close to the community after returning from
47
47
If the PCs are based in a THE CONFLICT out hour by hour in a series of exchanges
community whose rank There are several ways that PCs can choose called community actions (as
actions (as described in
is higher than 1, Axis
prepared a larger horde
to handle the conflict, whether they act Numenera Destiny) between the rank 3 horde
to deal with the threat. as a group or split up to attempt different and the PC’s home community (likely the
In this case, advance the goals designed to help the village, hurt the rank 1 village of Amber Keep).
Keep).
horde rank so that it is 2 components of the horde, or otherwise
higher than the rank of
the PCs’ community
com munity.. bring an early end to the conflict. Give Up Radius: Radius doesn’t suggest
this, but if the PCs decide it’s the right way
Amber Keep (rank 1),
1),
page 113 BEFORE THE FIGHT to go, giving the mercenary up ends the
True to its promise, Axis waits until an hour conflict. Of course, Radius’s safety and well-
Axis’s horde: rank 3; has passed before attacking. Of course, if being are directly endangered.
Armor 1 hostilities are offered to the horde,
horde, it attacks
immediately and a ranked conflict
ranked conflict begins. Use Radius as a Lure: Alternatively
Alternatively,, if the
Community actions, Once the conflict begins, the fight between PCs try to lure the horde away from the
page 305 the horde and the target community plays community with a conspicuous display of
Horde and Community
Radius (or maybe of Chord), the horde still
Conflicts, page 307 attacks the PCs’ community while Axis and
a group of about twenty brigands pursues
Rank, page 301 Radius.
Community Tasks Any
PC Can Attempt, Rejoin the Community: If the PCs witness
page 310 the attack from outside the walls of their
community,, they can attempt to sneak
community
back inside before they fight, especially if
they want to engage in community tasks to
bolster its stats during the ranked conflict.
Doing so requires whoever is driving the
vehicle the PCs are using (or leading the
PCs) to succeed on a difficulty 5 stealth task.
On a failure, it becomes a race to reach
the walls, which is a difficulty 5 driving task
(or a difficulty 5 Speed task for each PC who
is on foot). If this second task fails, a group
of about fifteen brigands catches up with
the PCs, and conflict is joined. If the PCs
can’t disengage and make it to safety before
the full horde attacks within two or three
rounds, they must either surrender and be
captured, or be overcome by the horde.
RANKED CONFLICT
COMMUNITY ACTIONS
Amber Keep (or whatever community the
PCs are a part of) and the horde exchange
community actions once every hour. As a
horde inflicts
rank 3 horde, Axis’s horde inflicts 3 points
of damage each hour, split between the
community’ss health and infrastructure.
community’
WAR OF THE
T HE MAC
M ACHINE
HINE
to speak to the automaton, especially if The PCs can attempt to escape from capture
the characters are in disguise. But even if in the tumultuous environment of the
their disguise is revealed and it becomes battlefield while Amber Keep continues to
clear that the PCs are allied against Axis, fight.
Axis is still willing to talk, or at least boast, The PCs are staked out with metallic
about its amazing accomplishments before shackles to a weird piece of purple metal
it calls down the horde to overwhelm the that protrudes from the ground. PCs who
characters. It tells the PCs the following, succeed on a difficulty 7 Might roll can
possibly in response to questions they have break the shackles. Those who succeed on
or just as general bluster. a difficulty 7 understanding numenera task
Are you the Machine God? “I will be, as can cause the piece of metal to change
soon as I destroy whatever pretender thought shape enough to release everyone. Escaped
they could claim the position. This so-called PCs are treated as sneaking out of the
prophet here” —Axis
—Axis motions to the head on community,, as previously
community prev iously described.
its belt—“thought he could take my essence as
a divine key for the pretender. I demurred.” REPERCUSIONS
Why are you attacking? “I need the divine If Axis wins, Amber Keep is destroyed. After
keys, same as the pretender
pretender.. Whatever they are. consolidating its victory, Axis disassembles
As soon as I have what I need from Radius
Radius and Radius (and Chord, too) looking for a
the others, his severed head will serve as my divine key. It doesn’t have much luck, but
conduit to the pretender.” decides to keep looking for more siblings.
Diamond mind, page 52 What is a divine key? “Something I aim It uses Chord’s diamond mind to
mind to continue
to find. According to this prophet, all of us the search, eventually finding Origin, as
‘fallen angels’ have one. Once I have Radius to described in Chapter 5: Leaving Shallamas.
experiment on, I will identify and extract it.” If the PCs remain alive, they can attempt to
How did you find Radius? “This prophet stop Axis at any of these points.
Despite what the knew that an automaton like me lived in this If Amber Keep beats the horde, Axis is
Machine God thinks, general region. However, some waking sense captured. If the PCs haven’t already had
none of the automaton
siblings possess a true
of connection with myself and four others like their conversation with Axis as described
divine key or other me recently stirred. That allowed me to narrow previously,, they have it now. The characters
previously
unlocking code, though Radius’s location to here.” can destroy Axis, imprison it, or try
in Ciszan’s hands, What do you really think? (Axis admits the something else. As long as Axis remains
r emains
they do help to control
abilities granted by the following only if somehow forced or if its able to act, however, it won’t stop trying
tr ying
Halo of Dominion. machine mind is read.) Axis doesn’t know to be the one promoted to the status of
any more than the PCs about the Machine Machine God, whatever that ultimately
God; it just reacted differently than Radius means.
and decided to move as if it could seize that
power. XP AW
AWARDS
The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each
If the PCs attack Axis while it is within if they were involved in the conflict between
hailing distance of any portion of its horde, Amber Keep and Axis’s horde, and 1 XP each
a group of about ten brigands confronts the if Axis is also defeated.
PCs (as does Axis), and conflict is joined.
If the PCs can’t defeat them (or disengage
and make it to safety before the full horde WHAT’S NEXT?
attacks) within about four or five rounds, If you’re combining “Amber Keep”
they must either surrender and be captured, with “Relics of the Machine,” proceed
Act 4: The Weeping
Weeping or be overcome by the horde. to Act 4: The Weeping Tower,
Tower, which
Tower, page 120
sees Amber
growing Keep going through some
pains.
Escape Capture: Captured PCs’ equipment is
gathered and stored in the tented pavilion.
It’s possible that while they are captured,
Axis talks to them as previously described.
50
LEAVING
LEAVING SHALLAMAS
CHAPTER 5
LEAVING SHALLAMAS
Chord finally achieves limited success in strengthening the connection between itself
and Origin, the fourth of the five remaining “fallen angels” (as one prophet called the
siblings). And Origin apparently lives in the Steadfast city of Shallamas.
51
machines of the prior worlds. If so, they moving to rest (or to recharge the vehicle).
likely suggest that they and Radius head to The longer they take to reach a destination,
Shallamas to locate Origin. (Chord says it the more encounters they potentially have.
the wants to stay back and continue working
Encounters Along the Refer to Encounters Along the Wayay for
for
Way, page 36 with the diamond mind.) options or come up with something of your
52
LEAVING
LEAVING SHALLAMAS
own, even if it’s just seeing something weird FINDING A MISSING PERSON
or unexpected, each time the PCs travel IN A METROPOLIS
overland for more than a few days. The PCs can come up with their own
methods for attempting to find Origin.
Whatever they try, it’ll likely involve asking
SHALLAMAS - one or more third parties questions about
CITY OF ECHOES
ECHOES the automaton. During that period, the PCs
Review the community of Shallamas as
Shallamas as will have a couple of unexpected encounters Shallamas, City of
where guests can gather if they like to eat the authorities know anything about an
around a huge table for conversation. automaton, though some become curious
whether this “Origin” is up to some kind Argust Provani,
page 139
of mischief, and they may question the PCs
further as to their interest.
53
LEAVING
LEAVING SHALLAMAS
ECHO STORM
Echo storms don’t happen often, and You’ve interrupted a standoff between two
usually they’re not too severe. But groups. One group consists of ten earnest-
sometimes the echoes that haunt looking people in the livery of the Shallamas
Shallamas accumulate in greater density guard. A smirking man in clothing the color of
in a particular neighborhood or along a the night leads them.
single street. Residents know to go indoors The other group is made up of half a dozen
or turn away when this happens. The PCs people whose only shared element of dress is a
have an opportunity to experience one red scarf or sash that each wears somewhere
for themselves. Read or paraphrase the on their person. A woman whose skin is
following. stitched with many metallic threads seems to
be their leader. Metallic cords are wound all
about her,
her, and some even seem to move as if
The area is crowded with people, with more they serve her as extra limbs. She wears a red
pressing in all the time. Most of them are scarf tied decoratively around her neck.
identical, each echoing exactly the moves and The body of a man wearing a red scarf lies
gestures of the figure that came just before it. in the middle of the floor, a knife embedded in
The figures double, double again, and again, his chest.
until they become a blizzard of images that
tears at your mind.
If the PCs make themselves known, both She is oddly reluctant to tell the PCs
Selani: level 5, persuasion groups pause, waiting for the PCs to declare exactly what she wants. But when it comes
and stealth tasks as level themselves. If Selani knows
Selani knows that the PCs are at down to it, she lets her chin fall and quietly
7; Armor 3; animate
metallic whip cord
her hideout because she gave them directions, tells them the following.
attacks all enemies she identifies herself as Selani, past associate
within immediate of Origin. She tells the PCs to throw in with
range each round her against “the Shadowling who betrayed our “Origin’ss head. I need you to retrieve my
“Origin’
Shallamas guard: guild” (she motions to the man in dark clothes friend’s head, which
which Garmulus keeps
keeps in his
level
or 3; Armor 2;inflict
crossbows spears3 who commands the guards).
guards). trophy room. I’m not sure what horrible
points of damage
Shadowling arrogantly
For his part, the Shadowling arrogantly accident befell Origin, but one day my friend
explains that he is an operative of Argust failed to return home toto me. I searched, and
Shadowling, elite: level Provani, the ruler of Shallamas. If the PCs move discovered it was attacked in the streets of
6, guile or subterfuge against him, he warns, they will be counted as Shallamas. A man haloed in spinning machine
tasks as level 7; Armor 2
criminals, the same as Selani and Origin. parts assailed Origin, tearing my friend limb
Thief: level 2, If the PCs decide to go with the from limb. Passersby did nothing,
nothing, other than
deception and stealth Shadowling’ss appeal to authority and
Shadowling’ make off with the parts after the fact as
tasks as level 5
support him, Selani is likely to be defeated. mementos. The animals!
In this case, the characters will have to I gathered back everything except that
Shallamas’s ruler learn the information she would otherwise most important piece. Only recently have
controls an elite group provide in some other fashion, possibly by I discovered where it is kept. But with the
of secretive operatives
called the Shadowlings,
going through documents and records she Shadowlings assailing us, I can only assume
keeps in a ledger in the building. that Shallamas’s ruler is moving against me, so
who infiltrate
organizations andcriminal
destroy thieves, I must see to my guild. Bring me the head, and
If the PCs side with Selani and her thieves,
them from within. it’s likely that they defeat the Shadowlings perhaps we can both get the answers we seek.
seek.”
”
to a one. This immediately puts them in
If the PCs manage Selani’ss favor, which means she treats them
Selani’
to avoid becoming graciously.
involved, Selani’s thieves
win, but only barely
barely..
GARMULU
SELANI’S PREREQUISITE MANOR HOUSE
FOR HELPING THE PC If the PCs try to learn more about Garmulus
Radius’s mood darkens Selani looks sad if the PCs ask her about and the manor house before they go, they
when it hears that its Origin, but she says that she can help them can discover the following information.
sibling’s head was stolen.
It mutters, “Humans ever
locate the missing automaton. She glances
seem to treat automatons at Radius, if it is present, and says, “Origin WHAT CAN BE DISCOVERED
as mere things. ” never said they had family.”
things.” family.” But that’s
that’s Garmulus emerges from his home only
the only piece of information about her sporadically, and when he does, it’s in the
sporadically,
association with Origin that she is currently company of assorted bodyguards. He is
willing to share. To learn more, she says the 8 feet (2.5 m) tall and wears heavy robes
PCs must first do as she requests. Something and a large hood, though light leaks from
precious was stolen from her, and she wants it, suggesting that Garmulus may not be
it back. Normally, she’d have her guild entirely human. He often works through
retrieve it. However, the Shadowling—who intermediaries when he buys strange devices
infiltrated her guild to destroy it from the or weird art from the Shallamas markets,
inside— disrupted her organization too but sometimes he goes to view objects that
much for her to consider it at the moment. are hard to transport.
Though no one knows for sure, it is
The Task: Selani says that a collector named rumored that Garmulus has installed
Garmulus, who resides in a well-guarded devices and guards in his home to protect
manor house that she can provide directions his precious collection from thieves.
to, is the culprit. In the lavish trophy room Garmulus never accepts visitors,
he keeps at the center of the manor, many solicitors, or invitations. Those who attempt
fine things can be found, including the thing to intrude on the collector’s privacy take
that Selani wants the PCs to retrieve. their safety into their own hands.
56
LEAVING
LEAVING SHALLAMAS
ABOUT GARMULUS
THE TRUTH ABOUT The manor house is
house is also stone Manor house: level 5
On the rare occasion that “he” goes out in construction, though one with a few
public, Garmulus stands on its two hind feet additional surprises for those who
and wears concealing robes and a hood. The sometimes try to gain entry to the famed
clothing conceals a black-furred body of a collector’s trophy room.
massive predatory cat, except that instead of
a head, it has a wide ball of swirling energy, Anti-phasing Crystal: Slender veins of crystal
surrounded by dozens of metallic plates have been threaded through the exterior
that move as if in orbit around the energy.
energy. stonework of the house, preventing phasing
Garmulus is a sarrak.
sarrak. effects of level 6 or less from succeeding. Sarrak, page 250
The same threads also prevent most
MANOR HOUSE GROUNDS kinds of instantaneous physical transfers
The manor house is located in a part of from one side of the walls to the other.
other.
Shallamas that contains a few other similar Failed teleportation attempts bounce all
fine homes, all recently constructed, that lie passengers into the manor holding room.
room. Holding room, page 59
behind well-kept stone walls about 20 feet
walls
(6 m) high. Though the outer manor walls High Manor Walls: The manor house is built Outer manor
provide the promise of protection, they on a sheer foundation of smooth stone that walls: level 2
are mostly meant to mark a boundary as rises 50 feet (15 m) above the surrounding
opposed to providing real physical security.
security. grounds. Owing to the smoothness of this
The walls surround a 5-acre (20,000 sq stone, attempts to climb it are hindered by
m) plot of land that holds tended gardens, two steps. If a climber is successful, they
with the manor house at the center. can try to enter through various windows
gardeners and
Four gardeners and a pack of twelve (set with clear synth)
s ynth) or the balcony
b alcony.. Gardener: level
57
LEAVING
LEAVING SHALLAMAS
EXPEDITION TO WEAL
CHAPTER 6
EXPEDITION TO WEAL
EXPEDITION TO WEAL
Attempts to salvage it might be enough to are two shining metallic sentries, each at least
wake it on a bad roll (or as a GM intrusion twelve feet high. The sentries are distinguished
that nearly but not quite wakes it), but those by their size, their large heads that emit
who press their luck successfully could gain multiple probing beams of light, and the long
some high-level iotum. metallic weapons they clutch that are larger
even than themselves. Between them is a
COLOR LEAKAGE narrow cleft in the cliff face.
While traveling, the PCs move through an
area infested with three creatures from
a bizarre dimension that manifest as The sentries’ probing beams play
particularly vivid colors. If the characters everywhere to a very long distance. When
are traveling in a vehicle, the colors are the light passes over a PC, it feels warm
first noticed on an interior surface of the but doesn’t seem to offer any direct harm.
vehicle. If the PCs are traveling in some (The beams are the visible manifestation
other fashion, the colors manifest while of the sentries’ ability to penetrate stealthy
the characters are resting. (If the PCs have attempts to get past them.)
managed to travel using some sort of
instantaneous means, the colors might be
able to interrupt them mid-trip and attack in
a limited half-world of brilliant color.)
The attack by the three carnivorous colors
colors THE WEAL
WEAL OF BAZ
BAZ RANK 7 (2
(21) Carnivorous color:
level 3, stealth tasks and
manifests as an eye-opening
emerald illumination, source
a splash of
of brilliant Government: Consensus, chaotically mind-feeding attacks as
formed, is how the Weal is governed. level 5; health 12; flies an
scarlet on a wall, and a spontaneous immediate distance each
Sometimes specific individual
change in hue from grey to sapphire blue round; immediate-range
machines will rise to the fore if mental attack inflicts 3
in a familiar set of clothing. The colors are
important decisions must be made, points of Intellect damage
beautiful—until they begin feeding on the but once this is accomplished, they (ignores Armor); for more
minds of the nearest intelligent creatures! details, see Ninth World
fade back, and another may be put
They don’t speak a language the PCs can Bestiary 2,2, page 32
in the same position next time.
understand, even if psychic
psych ic communication
Governance can also come from the
is attempted. But they’re not mindless cogitation undertaken by specifically
and can learn from experiences and solve Association..
convened Circles of Association Circles of Association,
problems. page 68
Health: 27
Infrastructure: 27
EXPEDITION TO WEAL
the sun like leaves. Dozens of machines machine that can speak human languages,
gather around the tower’s base, connected though it, too, must be convinced.
to it through a wide array of cables, jacks, or
receivers. MACHINES
MACHINES ENCOUNTERED
Next to the tower sprawls a multifaceted For random encounters the PCs have with
structure of stronglass. The transparent sides machines in the Weal, roll three times on
reveal an incredible stockpile of machine parts the Weal Encounter Table
Table.. The first roll Weal Encounter Table,
arrayed in dizzying profusion and jaw-dropping (Social) determines the initial reaction an page 66
CONVINCING MACH
M ACHINES
INES Conflicts
The PCs maycan occur for a number
accidentally offend aofmachine,
reasons.
TO COMMUNICATE
COMMUNICATE a machine’s
machine’s fear of the characters may
It’s difficult for organic PCs to find answers in lead it to “defend” itself by attacking them,
the Weal, despite the fact that the machines the PCs might violently retrieve a valuable
are a nearly endless source of information. snatched by a scavenger or collector
Most of the machines inherently fear or automaton, or perhaps a bad interaction
loathe organic beings (some were even with an aggressive machine leads to the PCs
expressly made to kill organic beings). The being attacked.
only thing keeping the PCs safe is the symbol
of Baz they showed upon entry. It probably
doesn’t hurt to show it around now and again
as they move about the Weal. (PCs who enter
without this symbol will have to
rely on stealth and evasion.)
Still, each time the PCs
approach a new entity,
entity,
they must convince it to
communicate, assuming a means
of communication can be found—only
a small percentage of the automatons
and other machines here were created to
speak, and only some of those speak a
known human language. If Radius or Chord
(or both) accompany the PCs, all tasks to
convince machines to speak with them are
eased. Machines that are determined to be
“helpful” further ease persuasion tasks
attempted by the PCs. If the PCs
“convince” a machine to help
but can’t communicate with it, it
may bring the PCs to a different
65
When this happens, the PCs have about can attempt to explain themselves, but
six rounds to wrap up the situation one their task is hindered (even if Radius and
way or another before they attract sentries. Chord are there). The sentries attempt to
During any altercation between the PCs take the PCs into custody and eject them
and machines, other nearby machines from the Weal rather than kill them outright,
and automatons gather to watch, more as a courtesy to the symbol of Baz that the
and more as time passes, but they do not characters bear. However,
However, if the PCs resist
interfere. If the PCs end the altercation overmuch, the sentries switch to using
before six full rounds pass, even if they force.
destroy one or more automatons that Ejected PCs will have to use stealth to
interfered with them, the characters don’t learn what they want to know rather than
suffer any lasting repercussions. If they do openly question residents of the Weal, and
destroy a machine, small scavenger bots they must play a cat-and-mouse game with
appear,, rapidly disassemble the automaton
appear the sentries.
the PCs downed, then scurry away to the
Hoard. GETTING ANSWERS
If the PCs can’t put an end to a conflict Presumably, the PCs will ask questions
Presumably,
Sentries, page 63 within six rounds, four sentries (like
sentries (like those about Root, Orstenia Myal, the Glistening
that guard the entrance) appear.
appear. The PCs Army,, and the Machine God. Unfortunately,
Army
66
EXPEDITION TO WEAL
most of the machines the PCs interact Weal—or at least it used to. The Circles of
Weal—or Circles of Association,
with have no idea what the characters are Association that
Association that once commonly saw its page 68
talking about, even if communication can presence among them no longer do. It’s
be established. During this time, the PCs been a few months since anyone has seen it.
may also explore the landmarks of the
Weal if they wish, and possibly trade for Orstenia Myal is a familiar name: A few
and purchase interesting experiences and machines indicate that indeed, an organic
objects. named Orstenia Myal came to the Weal,
Weal,
To demonstrate how little the PCs learn though that was many decades ago. A
from any given interaction, run through the historian named Root might know more.
first few random encounters with machines Somehow,, she was especially
Somehow es pecially blessed by
by roleplaying out the entire scene. But Baz, because unlike other organics that
consider speeding up table play by telling sometimes visit, she was allowed to stay for
the PCs that after spending a few hours years, during which time she was commonly
attempting to interview random machines in seen riffling through the Hoard before
Hoard before Hoard, page 68
the same fashion, they haven’t really learned disappearing again for several weeks at a
much. That said, ask a PC to attempt time.
a difficulty 6 Intellect roll to determine
how well they did in their task to gather The Machine God is not the machine
information. On a success, the PCs do learn messiah: Baz is the “machine messiah”
something new. but never claimed to be a god of machines.
The Lost Manufactory is “lost” because it is a mobile factory, and it has wandered
far from the Weal
Weal of Baz.
67
expendable and as
it doesn’t blame themere
PCs,tools. Radius
and they says
might be the attention
which of a few random
could ultimately machines,
bring sentries if the
able to argue it around, but the automaton’s characters can’t resolve things peacefully.
dark mood remains. This change in mood Treat a PC’s pick from the Hoard as an
Chapter 8: Apotheosis of helps set up events in Chapter 8: Apotheosis automatic success on a salvage task, which
a Machine God, page 93 of a Machine God. God. grants them a random salvage result.
result. If this
results in any rolls on the Iotum Result Table
Table
EXPLORING THE or randomly generated artifacts or cyphers,
Random Salvage LANDMARKS OF THE WEAL no level cap is in place. However, as normal,
Result, page 109
The PCs may gain some benefits or a successful initial salvage task allows the
Iotum Result Table, entertainments unrelated to their quest as PC the choice to look for a specific kind of
page 110 they explore the machine city.
city. iotum instead
iotum instead of taking a random result,
which they can attempt normally as well.
Looking for a specific
kind of iotum, page 110 THE DRAGON
The twenty-story crystal tower bedecked with CIRCLES OF ASSOCIATION
synth panels that track the sun is what the Except when it storms and the machines
machines refer to as the “Dragon.” Machines erect temporary shelters, most of the entities
of all kinds are constantly approaching, in the Weal don’t have anything like a home.
plugging in for a time, then leaving the Instead, they move around the community
tower’s base, looking more energetic and as needs dictate, sometimes topping off at
A regular organic alert than when they first approached. the Dragon, other times grabbing a spare
character who connects If the PCs approach, some of the part from the Hoard if repairs are necessary,
themselves to the
Dragon takes 6 points of
machines ignore them, but a few become and making an appointment with a machine
Speed damage (ignores agitated. That’s
That’s because the tower is the smith in one of the manufactories along the
Armor) and must only thing that keeps some of the machines community’s edges if they can’t make that
succeed on a difficulty in the Weal alive. To
To approach, the PCs will repair themselves.
6 Might task or take an
additional 6 points. have to succeed on a difficulty 6 persuasion When needs don’t dictate, many machines
task to convince dubious machines that they join a circle of association for hours or days
are not there to harm the Dragon or, like at a time. The PCs see them all over the
savages, attempt to salvage it for parts. Weal. Read or paraphrase the following.
At the Dragon’s base, the PCs can try to
use the assorted cables, jacks, and receivers
68
EXPEDITION TO WEAL
them to overcome
communication to different methods
form a kind of
of gestalt
ges talt Baz’s divinity
Weirdly,
Wei rdly, or areof
the gestalt exploring the concept.
“worshippers” evokes
consciousness. a greater consciousness that thinks of itself
PCs willing to “hook in” (depending on both as Baz and as merely a simulation of
the manner a given circle is using to form a Baz. A PC who joins the circle is jolted into
gestalt) can also join a circle and participate, this realization because they encounter a
though only for brief periods if they don’t mind far vaster than their own, and become
want to risk brain damage. a small part of it. This realization requires
PCs who do so find themselves in a a difficulty 6 Intellect defense roll or the
conceptual space filled with entities that PC is ejected from the circle and dazed for
previously looked like machines but now several minutes. If a PC succeeds, they can
appear as points of consciousness, just ask the entity a question and get an answer
as they do. They may find they’ve entered as if using the Nano ability Knowing the Knowing the Unknown,
a circle that is discussing something of Unknown (but
Unknown (but without having to spend page 43
interest, enjoying an entertainment, or, like the points). The PCs might gain one piece
as not, involved in something completely of information described under Getting Getting Answers, page 66
incomprehensible to an organic mind. A few Answers in
Answers in this fashion. Only one question
suggestions follow, but feel free to make up can be posed by PCs in any given week.
something weird on your own if the PCs get
into it. Incomprehensible: This circle’s gestalt is
doing something that most organic minds
Story of R-982: This circle is telling the story simply can’t comprehend. If a PC connects,
of an unlucky automaton named R-982. they must succeed on a difficulty 5 Intellect
Each circle participant picks up the story for defense roll. On a success, they begin to
a bit, then passes it to the next participant. convulse as if having a seizure for a few
If a PC picks up the story (and presumably seconds and are ejected from the circle. If
makes something up because they’re they fail, the same thing happens but they
unlikely to have run across it previously), also forget the events of the previous few
they must succeed on a difficulty 5 Intellect hours.
task for persuasion or entertaining. If they
fail, they are ejected from the circle and
suffer 1 point of Intellect damage (ignores
69
are endangered
creature as digesting
intent on if being swallowed by a
them, which place. After a bit of
the manufactory legwork,
that PCs
Unit-A29 discover
runs, which
means they have to break out to avoid is not the Lost Manufactory,
Manufactory, but a regular
coming to a bad end. workshop in the Weal. It is filled with all
manner of tools, parts, iotum, and strange
Made to Order: PCs who ask for directions projects arrayed along one wall in various
are more likely to be sent to a non- stages of completion.
70
EXPEDITION TO WEAL
71
small camp for two people in a cubby, and a actually exist, but it seems Ciszan can salvage
disassembled automaton. A ragged hole is command and control circuits from us, the
open to the exterior.
exterior. nine self-aware siblings, destined to be the nine
generals of the Glistening Army.
Army.
Dead Control Surfaces: A successful Four of us remain inert in the Howling
understanding numenera task reveals that Pyramid. And now Ciszan, the self-styled
most of the control surfaces once accessed Machine God, knows how to return. I have
all manner of automated crafting tools felt the stirrings of an ancient
ancient channel that
that
and creches that resided in a much larger connects me to the five of us that originally
area no longer part of the manufactory. escaped. If one of you finds me here, I beg this
Whatever tore away the greater part of the of you: stop Ciszan. He could do great harm
manufactory happened well over fifty years if he fully activates the Halo of Dominion and
earlier.. (In fact, Ors
earlier Orstenia
tenia Myal took it as part gains control of the Glistening Army.
of her project to build the Halo.) Also: avenge me.
72
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
CHAPTER 7
THE
T HE HOWLIN
HOWLINGG
PYRAMID
SYNOPSIS how there will be a reckoning when it finds
Ciszan has returned to the Howling Ciszan. If the PCs want to spend more
Pyramid, intent on salvaging four than a few days preparing, Radius becomes
automatons (long inert siblings of Radius’s)
Radius’s) increasingly frantic to go, and may in fact
for divine keys. The PCs and Radius essay the equation itself if the PCs don’t
discovered the means to follow him, thanks seem willing to depart within a few days. If
to a final message encoded by Root. that happens, the PCs will have a chance to
The bulk of this chapter describes the catch up with their friend inside the pyramid.
Howling Pyramid and the dangers facing
PCs whomoon-sized
ancient, try to make their way
artifact ofthrough
the priorthis THE EQUATION
EQUATION
The equation OF SUMMONING
is a combination of numbers
worlds where sound takes on whole new and strange symbols. If the PCs succeed on
characteristics. The PCs may hope to stop a difficulty 5 understanding numenera task,
Ciszan from salvaging some of the inert they realize that the equation allows one
automatons. Each component salvaged gives who successfully essays it to call something
Ciszan control over an additional number of out of nothing: an entrance to a place in
automatons he can call from the Halo. an entirely different dimension. Essaying
Even so, it’s important to Radius that each the equation is something a competent
of its siblings be found, if only so they can PC can do with a successful difficulty 5
be put to rest with a word of remembrance. understanding numenera task by writing it
Each set of remains they find is another debt out on a surface or in drit over the course of
Radius feels it owes Ciszan. about ten minutes, or they can try to solve
it in their head (though doing so hinders
the task by two steps). A failed attempt is
PREPARE TO DEPART a mental shock, and the PC descends one
The PCs may decide to travel somewhere step on the damage track.
other than the interior of the Lost Lost Manufactory,
Manufactory before
Manufactory before they essay the equation Pick a Number: One additional element page 71
of summoning. If they spend a few days comes into solving the equation: choosing
preparing, that doesn’t fundamentally a number between 1 and 5 as an input.
change the situation in the Howling Pyramid The choice doesn’t seem to interfere with
as it is described. completing the equation, and its purpose
isn’t immediately clear. However, whichever
R ADIUS SEEKS VENGEANCE number the equation solver chooses
In the previous chapter
c hapter,, the disassembled determines which of the five faces of the
body of Root is discovered in the Lost pyramid the door opens a passage to when
Manufactory.. If Radius is
Manufactory Radius is with the PCs, it it appears, as noted under Pyramid Arrival. Radius, page 16
took the initial discovery quietly
quietly,, but its rage
slowly swells. After about an hour, it can’t Summoning Limitation: Once used, the
help stalking around, smashing random equation can’t be used again by anybody for
objects with its sword, and muttering about 28 hours.
73
ait’s
structure
possiblewhen they summon
they don’t see what the door, in
appears speaking a few sentences,
banging noises, screaming,makingand soloud
on risks
the sky. The object is high overhead—about lifting a character up as gravity seems to
20 miles (32 km). But
B ut it’s so massive that gently reverse. To avoid “falling” up out
it’s easy to see that the object is a tumbling of the ravine to the surface of the pyramid
pyramid, one measuring several miles on where the winds would whip them away,
a side. Each face is striated with lines and a character must cease making noise and
contours that ride that indeterminable line succeed on a Speed or Might defense task
between natural variation and purposeful to grab something quickly or tightly enough
design. When the summoned door to wait out the gravitic shift, which returns
disappears after a minute, so does the to normal in about a round.
object. Because sound vibrates through objects,
a particularly loud sound like an ongoing
scream or an explosion within an immediate
HOWLIN
THE HOWLING
G PYRAMID
PYR AMID distance threatens to lift all nearby creatures
Howling Pyramid: level 7 The structure is shaped like a pyramid with a and objects upward rapidly
r apidly.. The level of the
square base and four sides. The shape floats effect varies by the volume of the sound.
in an apparently endless black void through A couple of sentences strung together is
which wind howls forever
forev er.. Gravity is normal a level 2 effect, a surprised exclamation is
The “wind” passing to each face, slightly heavier than Earth’s but a level 3 effect, a full-throated scream is a
through the void all not excessively so. The wind blowing across level 5 effect, an explosion is a level 6 effect,
around the Howling
Pyramid may be the
each face of the structure at the surface is and so on. Generally, whispering characters
result of millions of equal to that of a tornado’s fury. are usually fine, though it’s hard to hear
years’ worth of sound over the roar of the wind above. Luckily for
being expelled from the Ravine Passages: A complex pattern of those exploring the Howling Pyramid, the
structure.
deep grooves trace ravines—each about a sound from the wind above resonates at a
long distance in depth and about 50 feet (15 frequency that doesn’t create and propagate
m) wide—across the faces. These ravines the negative mass effect.
are essentially open-ceilinged passages
that interconnect. Keyed areas lie at the Pyramid Composition: Casual examination
endpoints or intersections of the ravine of the ravine sides and chambers suggests
passages, unless otherwise indicated. that the bulk of the pyramid is composed
74
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
of some type of striated green stone. Close a black sky without stars or light, though by
examination reveals slight movement the sound screaming down from up there, it
throughout any given span of material. If a hosts a relentless gale of terrifying magnitude.
PC takes the time to study the movement But down here along the ground, which
further,, they must succeed
further s ucceed on a difficulty is composed of the same striated greenish
5 Intellect defense task or become material, the cool but not cold air is no more
mesmerized by resolving what seems to than a stiff breeze. Cube-like protrusions of
be the very atoms of the wall vibrating and stone of various sizes rise from the ground and
dancing, with vast spaces between each walls in random locations, possibly serving
individual bit of substance, so wide the PC some function or other, but if so, that function
feels they might fall in and become lost if isn’t obvious.
they move or speak. This enthralled state
persists until the victim is jostled or can
shake free of the effect, which they can Most keyed areas share that description,
attempt every few minutes. with the addition of specifics tied to the
chamber or hallway in question. The PCs
Wind Storm on Surface: Moving within the appear in area 1 of whatever face they chose
ravine-like grooves protects travelers from when they essayed the summoning equation
surface winds, but the path between any (which means they appear in 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1,
two points is indirect. PCs who experiment or 5-1).
with climbing up the ravines (a difficulty
4 climbing
surface of atask) to travel
pyramid face along thethat
discover actual
the GETTING HOME
Once the PCs have made it to the pyramid,
wind strength gradually increases as they get returning home is as simple as essaying the
nearer the top. On the surface, it moves at equation of summoning once more to call a
about 200 mph (320 kph), which is enough door,, wherever they happen to be. However,
door
to level houses and snap tethers. Essentially
Es sentially,, this time they have the choice of inputting
each minute someone spends on the six numbers rather than five. The sixth
surface requires a Might task to remain number opens the door back to the point in
attached. Moving up to a short distance their own world where they last summoned
requires a separate Might task. Climbing the door. The other five open to the same
gear can ease these tasks by a few steps, locations previously noted.
but the gear lasts for only a few minutes Alternatively,, someone who doesn’t
Alternatively
before the stress of withstanding the eternal know the equation can use the integrated Eternal windstorm:
windstorm causes
windstorm causes it to fail. machines found in chambers 1-1 to 5-1, level 9
assuming they still function, to open a door
PYRAMID ARR IV
IVAL
AL back to Earth.
As shown on the Howling Pyramid map,
each pyramid face is labeled with a number TRA
TR AVERSING THE
from 1 to 5 (5 being the square base). When HOWLING PYRAMID
PCs go through the door,
door, they appear on the Locations on the Howling Pyramid,
face that corresponds with the number the including major corridors and important
equation solver chose when they summoned areas, are indicated as keyed encounters
the door. The significance of that choice is hereafter and on the poster map. However,
probably not immediately obvious without given that each face is several miles wide,
some experimentation. moving between adjacent keyed areas often
Read or paraphrase the following to those takes five to ten minutes if moving at a
who appear on the Howling Pyramid. cautious exploratory pace. This means that
after every three or so keyed encounters plus
the time required to move between them, a
windstorm’s roar howls and keens overhead.
A windstorm’s overhead. random event might occur.
occur.
Ravine-like walls stretch up on either side of
you, glowing green and white, emptying into
75
76
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
Roll Event
No event
– Wandering survivor
survivor encountered
encountered
Dist
Distan
antt ccal
alll ttha
hatt almo
almost
st so
soun
unds
ds like
like an anim
animal
al caug
caught
ht in a trap
trap
Laughter audible in the distance
Wei
eird
rd so
song
ng so
soun
unds
ds fr
from
om a nea
nearb
rbyy cub
cube-
e-li
like
ke prot
protub
uber
eran
ance
ce
Whis
Whispe
pers
rs seem
seem to emer
emerge
ge fr
from
om a sp
span
an of th
thee wal
walll for
for seve
severa
rall rou
round
ndss
Two patrolling cyclic raiders find
raiders find the PCs
Dist
Distan
antt ban
bangi
ging
ng,, ttoo
oo dist
distan
antt tto
o be
be lou
loud
d eno
enoug
ugh
h tto
o ccau
ause
se grav
gravit
ityy rev
rever
ersa
sall
Larg
Largee trem
tremors
ors aand
nd eexp
xplo
losi
sion
onss of lig
light
ht app
appea
earr in tthe
he void
void bey
beyon
ond
d the
the py
pyra
rami
mid
d fo
forr one
one minu
minute
te
On pyra
pyrami
mid
d surf
surfac
acee abo
above
ve,, w
win
ind
dddie
iess d
dow
own
n to
to 30
30 mph
mph (48
(48 kkph
ph)) ffor
or abou
aboutt ten
ten minu
minutes
tes
Gree
Green
n puls
pulsin
ing
g ligh
lights
ts run
run thr
throu
ough
gh the
the wal
walls
ls in
in tw
two
o grou
groups
ps,, as ifif se
seco
cond
nd gro
group
up cha
chases
ses tthe
he fi
first
rst
Re
Reso
sona
nant
nt sound
sound flo
flood
odss the
the passa
passage
ge,, affect
affectin
ing
g PCs
PCs lik
likee ttho
hose
se stu
studyi
dying
ng pyramid composition
Ra
Rando
ndom
m cu
cube-
be-sha
shape
pedd ex
extru
trusi
sion
on fro
from
m floor
floor or
or wall
wall ccre
reat
ateses leve
levell 5 sal
salva
vage
ge opp
opporortu
tuni
nity
ty
Sc
Screa
ream
m th
that
at is
is not
not the
the wind
wind eech
choe
oess down
down the
the cha
chamb
mber er,, crea
creati
ting
ng llev
evel
el 5 grav
gravit
ityy re
rever
versa
sall
Gust
Gust ttosse
ossess a charac
character
ter into
into a wall,
wall, inflict
inflicting
ing 5 p
poin
oints
ts o
off dama
damage
ge on failed
failed Speed
Speed defe
defense
nse roll
roll
Gust
Gust of fine dust
dust compl
complete
etely
ly o
obscu
bscures
res the area
area for
for sever
several
al min
minute
utes,
s, p
pote
otenti
ntiall
allyy bl
blind
inding
ing charac
characters
ters who
fail Might defense rolls for about an hour or until they make a recovery roll
Air drains
drains away
away iin
n an
an area
area a long
long distanc
distancee ac
acros
ross;
s; u
unpr
nprote
otected
cted PCs move
move one
one step
step down the damage
damage
track each round but at the point where they would die, they instead fall unconscious and remain so for
about a minute, whereupon the air pressure returns to normal
Sa
Sava
vage
ge gu
gust
st tos
tosses
ses a P
PC
C iint
nto
o the
the void
void abov
abovee a rav
ravin
inee on a fai
faile
led
d Sp
Spee
eed
d de
defe
fens
nsee roll
roll
Four h
hu
unting ccllickers fin
find th
the PC
PCs
creatures have inhabited, or tried to claim, their name. The constant clicking means Survivor, page 80
the structure. The latest entities to try their that they’re not great at using stealth when Cyclic raiders, page 78
hand at it are clickers and cyclic raiders. hunting. Pyramid composition,
They already have a leg up on some previous Within the Howling Pyramid, clickers can page 74
contenders, because these creatures have modulate themselves and the clicks they Clicker: level 3, Speed
their own unique relationship to sound. produce to allow them to fly a long distance defense as level 2; health
12; Armor 2 from sono-
Other entities can be found here as well, but each round and, moreover,
moreover, manipulate kinetic manipulation;
clickers and cyclic raiders are doing what objects at a distance using a kind of sono- grasp attack inflicts 4
they can to colonize and completely take kinetic force. They are incredibly jealous of points of damage and,
control of the place—so far with only limited other creatures’ presence in the structure on a failed difficulty 5
Might defense roll, victim
success. because they regard the place as theirs. The is engulfed, suffering 8
clickers and the cyclic raiders are essentially points of damage each
CLICKERS conducting guerrilla war against each other round until escape
These 9-foot (3 m) tall black, shadowy for control. Thus, most encounters with
silhouettes are composed of focused sound. these creatures begin with them assuming
Predators from some other dimension, an aggressive stance.
clickers feed
clickers feed on any living creature that When clickers lose contact with others of
produces sound. They are blind, but they their kind, they devolve to a simple hunting
sense their environment and hunt prey existence. But they are intelligent when
by emitting rapid clicking noises—hence encountered in groups of five or more,
77
and negotiation is possible. In groups, often with a captive or two. Cyclic raiders
clickers rapidly understand and are able enact a bizarre agenda. They speak several
to replicate spoken language. Groups that languages, which seem to be composed of
PCs encounter know where to find two of voice recordings of various humans sewn
the four inert automatons (in 1-12 and 2-13). together to make completely new sentences
They’re also aware of Ciszan’s presence in (often using the voices of previously caught
Cyclic raider: level 5, the Howling Pyramid, but they don’t know captives). Cyclic raiders don’t have much
Speed defense as level 6, where the man is hiding. use for humans and other creatures except
understanding
as level 7; numenera
health 20; as a means to gather information. They
Armor 2; sound attack CYCLIC RAIDERS don’t really honor promises in the long
from artifact causese all Cyclic raiders are humanoid automatons term, but they do know where to find two of
creatures within short animated by sound. A flat, blank silver the four inert automatons (in 3-4 and 4-6).
range who hear it to fall
unconscious until they disc is displayed where their face should The cyclic raiders are also aware of
can rouse themselves; be. When they are encountered, they Ciszan’s presence in the Howling Pyramid,
sound blast inflicts appear suddenly, as if they’d stepped out but they don’t know where he is hiding.
4 points of Intellect
of an invisible door. They disappear just as They are suspicious of him and avoid him
damage (ignores Armor)
precipitously,, exactly three minutes later,
precipitously later, because he seems to have a strange power
Pyramid Arrival, page 75 over them, however weak. If convinced that
Ciszan could become a “Machine God” with
greatly enhanced powers of control over
machines, one or two cyclic raiders might
KEYED ENCOUNTERS
The following areas refer to locations keyed
on the poster map. Conditions described
under Pyramid Arrival are
Arrival are true in all the
following areas, as well as in connecting
areas between them, except where noted.
Keyed areas lie at the endpoints or
intersections of the 50-foot (15 m) wide
ravine passages, unless otherwise indicated.
Additional specific elements found in each
area are described hereafter.
78
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
79
for the next ten minutes. During this period, The silhouettes are constructs of a
their voices are noticeably higher in pitch, all malfunctioning level 6 device set in the wall
their Speed-based tasks are eased, and they meant to act as security.
security. The device could
can take one extra action every other round. serve as a level 6 salvage source.
At the end of the period, the character
returns to normal and drops one step on the . TUNNEL TO THE TUMULT
damage track. (Multiple overlapping doses A discontinuity swirls in midair over a
have no effect, but multiple consecutive pyramid-like (point down) control surface.
doses increase the number of steps targets Sounds made in the area appear as waves
descend on the damage track each time the of visible light, which are then sucked into
effect ends.) the discontinuity, though not so quickly
that conversation is impossible. Sounds
. TUMEROGENESIS TANKS made here don’t cause negative mass
A series of tube-like transparent containers, effects.
each about 3 feet (1 m) in diameter and 6 A successful difficulty 6 understanding
feet (2 m) long, are attached to the walls and numenera task made at the control surface
a central pyramid-like (point down) control suggests that the discontinuity leads to a
surface. Most are dark
d ark and empty; however, “dimension of pure sound,” whatever that
one gleams with purple points of dancing means. The discontinuity wasn’t designed
light. If opened from the control surface (a to suck a physical character or object into
Dissonance eel: level 2; difficulty 3 understanding numenera task), it, but sometimes living sounds emerge
dissonance attack inflicts
2 points of Speed damage the lit tank disgorges a sludge of melted from the discontinuity, especially if PCs
(ignores Armor); swarm
human flesh with a slurry of eyes, mouths, send a lot of sounds through on this end,
and organs that is somehow still alive.
of four attack as a level which catches the attention of entities in the
It begins to cry and scream in apparent
4 creature inflicting 4 bizarre dimension. In this case, a swarm of
points of Speed damage distress (but it can “stick” to the floor even eight dissonance eels
eels—which
—which manifest as a
(ignores Armor)
as its voice causes its mass to gain negative kind of slithering whine—comes through.
Caloso, flesh slurry: gravity). It is what remains of a delve named The control surface could serve as a level
level 1; moves an Caloso
Caloso who
who found their way into the pyramid 7 salvage source.
immediate distance each
round; regains 2 points
two decades earlier. Caloso is confused and
of health each round in pain but knows where at least a couple of . SURVIVOR
the inert automatons can be found. A Ninth World explorer has wandered the
The control surface could serve as a level Howling Pyramid for years. He has survived,
Salvage source, 6 salvage source.
source. but in doing so, he’s
he’s dispensed with most
page 108 of his humanity, not to mention a part of
. ICE SILHOUETTES his sanity. He’s
He’s gaunt, wild haired, and
Milosen: level 5, stealth This area is wintry cold. Creatures moving Milosen,, his feet are
white bearded. Named Milosen
and deception as level through it notice their reflections along swaddled in sound-killing felt and he wears
7; health 25; Armor 1;
once per round when
one wall as white silhouettes. Drawing near what is essentially a ball gag; he’s learned
struck, Milosen makes and touching one releases the silhouette not to make noise.
an immediate brutal from the wall as a two-dimensional entity Milosen’ss favorite tactic is leading other
Milosen’
cheap shot (eye gouges, composed of ice crystals. The freed ice explorers into a trap in an attempt to take
bites, spits, etc.) that
inflicts 2 points of silhouette
silhouette mutely
mutely gesticulates, as if trying their food, or perhaps even eat them. This
damage on attacker to impart some complex idea without area is rigged with a trap that he salvaged
the ability to speak. In truth, an imprint mechanism.. He
intact from a vault defense mechanism
Ice silhouette: level 1 of the original mind has been made in tries to lead the PCs here, triggering the trap
the ice silhouette. If any of the creatures when he reaches the safe zone immediately
Defense mechanism, moving through the area harbors secrets or next to the mechanism.
modified: level 7; hostilities they’re normally able to restrain,
rest rain, If the PCs try to communicate with
inflicts 8 points of heat
damage each round in
the ice silhouettes immediately move to Milosen despite his aggression and give
short range (except for act them out. The silhouettes otherwise him food or water, he remembers a bit of
a bubble an immediate try to follow their originals, but after a few himself. He doesn’t want to go with them;
distance across right chambers, they melt. he’s happy where he is. But he will offer
around the device)
80
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
of interference spiders,
spiders, which manifest as (6
on points if athat
a target swarm)
fails
.
. MEMORY MELODY many-legged sparkles of brown light. The a Might defense task
Transparent spheres 1 foot (30 cm) in spiders swarm in a chorus of destructive and, on second Might
diameter are embedded randomly in the interference that stifles sound and defense failure, paralyzes
target for one hour
walls and floor. Most glow dully,
dully, but a overwhelms victims, freezing them in place.
81
.
. EXPLORER REMAINS .
. DOOR TWO
1-1. Door One, page 79 A discoloration on the floor in front of a The area is similar to 1-1. Door One,
One, with
square metallic hatch (which leads to 1-14) the addition of a couple of strange organic
is surrounded by small bits of litter and patterns scrawled over the greenish “stone”
wreckage. Investigation reveals the mar of the walls. However, they’re not actually
Dal: level 4, Speed to be the disturbing silhouette of at least patterns but life forms called dal,
dal, which
defense as level 5 due to three humanoid figures burnt into the floor. came from a two-dimensional realm to
being two-dimensional;
health 15; attack inflicts
Small bits of crumbling bone, leather, crystal explore the Howling Pyramid. This is
5 points of damage; for shards from a glowglobe, and other items revealed when the dal detach from the wall
more details, see Ninth make up the litter. The bone is blackened, like streams of flowing liquid and attack
World Bestiary 2,
2, page 41 and the items appear partly melted. newcomers. The dal attack because they
don’t quite understand that creatures like
. SPINAL VAULT the PCs are alive in the way they are; they
Vault: level 6 A mechanism on the face of the vault once
vault once instead assume that the PCs are just more
protected the contents against unauthorized parts of the environment to be explored.
access (the results of which can be seen Dal use their two-dimensional bodies like
in 1-13). But it’s broken and no longer very sharp blades and, if they hit, can choose
functions. Accessing the vault still requires a to transfer both themselves and the victim
successful understanding numenera task. into an alternate dimension if the victim
v ictim fails
Within, three gel-filled canisters each an Intellect defense task after being struck
swaddle what seems to be a human spine for damage. This alternate dimension looks
82
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
exactly like the one just departed, except it area. A cube-long control surface protrudes
is empty of life. Victims phase back to their from one wall.
plane of origin after a few rounds, which The force of gravity in the area is twice
means a PC subject to this attack might normal, which hinders attacks (and all
have to use the equation to summon a door physical actions) made here. It also doubles
to the Howling Pyramid all over again. the effect of any negative mass inversions
caused by making sounds, which in this
. COLORLESS case send victims crashing into the ceiling,
Black fluid covers the floor in this area to a then dropping back to thet he floor.
depth of a few inches in most places (but Unless PCs move very carefully through
a few feet in the middle), making it difficult the area, a trap mechanism beneath
mechanism beneath the Gravity trap
to cross without dampening the soles of an floor increases gravity to six times its normal mechanism: level 5
explorer’s boots. Whatever is immersed in level, which pins the characters to the floor
the liquid—be it clothing, objects, or skin— and inflicts 2 points of ambient damage
becomes jet black. Faint numbness is felt per round until they either crawl out of the
where it touches skin.
s kin. Full body immersion chamber with a successful Might defense
inflicts 2 points of damage
d amage (ignores Armor), task or figure out how to switch off the effect
and the immersed character becomes as with a successful Intellect task at the control
dark as night, as does any object they are surface.
wearing or carrying, for a period of about The litter of broken devices could serve as
ten hours. In shadowy areas or areas of dim a level 4 salvage source, if the PCs want to
as a level 6 salvage source, but salvage out of place given the cube-like design
tasks are hindered by two steps because it’s of most other machines in the pyramid.
impossible to see what’s being salvaged. Studying the device is difficulty 10 because
the overall function is many orders of
. CYCLIC RAIDER REMAINS complexity beyond normal understanding.
Pronged rod A fixed metallic rod rod that
that bifurcates into two It’s probably easier to just treat it as a
silencer: level 6 prongs halfway to the top stands at least 9 salvage source.
Clickers, page 77 feet (3 m) tall in this area. Near it are the Five clickers spend
clickers spend a lot of time
fragmented remains of two automatons, investigating the device, and they still don’t
though they don’t share much in common know what it does. But they’re happy to shift
Cyclic raiders, page 78 with Radius. In fact, they’re inanimate cyclic their attention to the PCs for a while.
raiders that
raiders that fell afoul of the pronged rod,
which is a sound-dampening device. The . THEY FOLLOW
Glassteel cube area is one of complete silence. If the PCs glassteel cube 6
A glassteel cube 6 feet (2 m) on a side
device: level 6 deactivate the pronged rod, the cyclic raiders hangs in the center of this area. Touching
Touching it
reanimate, assuming the characters haven’t triggers a subtle vibration, rich with coded
salvaged them (treat them both as a single information. A successful Intellect task to
level 5 salvage source). understand numenera allows a character to
Light construct: level 3 If the PCs do salvage the automatons, activate the cube, which projects a human
later cyclic raiders can sense the resonance construct composed of pure lightlight into
into the
of those parts, which hinders all attempts to area. (Only a single light construct can
negotiate. be active at any one time.) The construct
follows the PC who triggered it, never
. DYSPHORIC SOUND speaking. If attacked, it fades to invisibility
invisibility,,
In this chamber, a subsonic influence only to return a minute later
later.. The next time
radiates as a side effect from a the PC is subject to a negative mass effect of
malfunctioning pyramid-like (point down) any consequence, the construct is subjected
Malfunctioning control surface.. One or more PCs in
control surface to it instead, after which it’s gone for good.
surface: level 6 the area the GM chooses must succeed
on an Intellect defense roll or suffer a . EXTERNAL VIEW
hallucination. Ask the player to describe A fixed cube-like projection on the wall is
the best or worst thing that ever happened inset with a 5-foot (1.5 m) diameter metallic
to their character; that’
t hat’ss the hallucination frame. The frame serves as a self-reflecting
that afflicts the PC, dazing them and window focused on the Howling Pyramid
hindering all tasks until they can shake it from a point of view set a few miles distant
off or someone can turn off or repair the in the surrounding void. It is possible to
control surface. If repaired, the surface climb through the frame, if a PC so desires,
acts as another Door,
Door, though in this case, and exit the pyramid. The exit is one way;
it opens a portal to a garden-like limited on the other side,
s ide, there is no frame. Worse,
Worse,
dimension that is generally free of threats, that will eject the character into an endless-
and which could serve
serv e as a place to rest. Tall
Tall seeming void with only a small chance
trees, multicolored flowers, the sounds of of regaining the pyramid, unless the PC
birds and insects, humid heat, and broad has some means of propulsion and can
leaves that provide shade from the bright withstand the tornadic winds at the surface.
sunlike sphere of light overhead feature A successful understanding numenera
Viewing frame: level prominently. task reveals that the focus of the viewing
6; depletion: 1 in 1d6 frame could
frame could be shifted at a rate of about
(on depletion, frame
expands and pulls
.
. COMPL
COMPLEX
EX MACHINE
MACHIN E a short distance each round. This means
through all creatures device that
A complex device that chimes and clicks fills the PCs could try to remotely explore other
within immediate range this chamber. Instrumentation, controls, portions of the structure, though each new
that fail a Speed or and various elaborate smaller subsidiary area explored requires a depletion roll.
Might defense roll)
devices are connected to it, each more
Complex device: level 8 involved than the last. The machine seems
84
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
.
. CONTEMPLATIONS
C ONTEMPLATIONS extradimensional resonance imparted to
Bluish glowing mist hangs in a thin plane surrounding existence by the Howling
about 10 feet (3 m) overhead. Images Pyramid).
constantly swirl there and seem to change
to somewhat reflect what a particular viewer .
. CUBES WITHIN CUBES
is thinking about, though never exactly and A machine made of several hundred blue
never for more than a few seconds. cubes is fixed in this
th is chamber. The individual
Two unmoving, statue-like beings stand cubes are constantly in flux, so the Blue cube
in poses of reflection, staring up at the machine’ss overall shape is always changing.
machine’ sculpture: level 6
mist. They are only somewhat humanoid, A PC studying the blue cube sculpture who
sculpture who Stony observer:
and apparently composed of white stone. succeeds on an understanding numenera level 6; Armor 5
However,, PCs who take
However t ake the time to examine task gains an insight about the general Pyramid Random
them realize that the figures are not statues contents of two nearby chambers of the Event Table, page 77
but living creatures with a hard carapace GM’ss choosing, imparted as if a memory
GM’ Exic: level 4, climbs as
that are disinterested in interacting with that the character had all along. On a failed level 6; health 18; Armor
4; inflicts 5 points of
others. These stony observers much
observers much prefer task, the cubes all lock into a straight pillar damage with mandibles;
their contemplation of the mist. Persuading formation, and begin flashing red and sprays caustic web that
one to communicate, either telepathically blaring a noise loud enough to risk expelling inflicts 5 points of damage
or perhaps using the thought-responsive characters upward with negative mass, and immobilizes foe
until escape; for more
mist, requires a successful persuasion but also triggering a roll on the Pyramid details, see Into the
task. On a success, one of the entities uses Random Event Table.
Table. Outside,, page 144
Outside
85
86
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
AND INERT AUTOMATON sending its prey falling out into the void)
A clutter of unmoving machines lies in a unless it feels a conflict is going against it,
loose circle around a pyramid-like (point in which case it uses its abilities to remain
down) machine-killing control surface set
surface set in adhered to the floor and not fall. Machine-killing control
the floor. The control surface emits a complex surface: level 7
resonance that doesn’t trigger negative mass, . ANCIENT WATCHERS
but it does interfere with machine functions, Three ancient devices left by a previous
shutting them down over the course of a wave of would-be colonizers of the Howling
few rounds. The clutter includes mobile Pyramid remain active in this area,
machines, a few automatons, and devices appearing as spheres of red liquid that
that have been turned off for so long that levitate. These ancient watchers rise
watchers rise up and Ancient watcher: level
they won’t regain their original function even flash challenge colors in a dead language 4; Armor 2; flies a short
distance each round; fires
if the control surface is switched off with a that could be translated as “Identify “bullets” of hardened
successful understanding numenera task. yourselves!” If the PCs are somehow able fluid at one target
This area serves as a level 7 salvage source to bridge the communication gap, they within short range for
for those willing to brave it. could try to persuade these watchers, whose 6 points of damage
PCs whose abilities rely on inborn masters are long gone and perhaps extinct,
numenera devices are vulnerable to the to let them pass unharmed. Otherwise, the
effect, as of course are their devices, watchers try to turn the PCs back.
cyphers, and artifacts. Automatons and Each of them has one of the following
other machines are likewise vulnerable. Each abilities, in addition to others noted:
round that vulnerable creatures and items Heat drain: Short-range cold attack inflicts
remain within short range requires a Might 4 points of ambient damage per round once
defense roll (for PCs), while lower-level active.
devices simply switch off. Equal-level and Precognitive: All tasks eased by two steps.
higher-level machines are hindered in all Psychic blast: Short-range psychic attack
actions by two steps. inflicts 2 points of Intellect damage (ignores
Amid the clutter, a humanoid automaton Armor) and stuns victim so that they lose
that once might have looked similar to their next turn.
Radius lies inert. Investigation reveals
that multiple different salvage operations
. MIRROR OF HUNGER
HUNG ER Mirror of Hunger: level 6
have been performed on it. The humanoid An expanse along the wall is reflective.
automaton numbers among the nine initially PCs who see their reflections feel pangs of
released from the Halo of Dominion, but hunger and must succeed on an Intellect
among the four that never made it out of the defense roll. Those who fail take 1 point
Howling Pyramid like Radius, Chord, Origin, of Speed damage (ignores Armor) per
and the others did. round until they eat something at least as
substantial as a snack, if not a full meal.
Radius: Each time Radius finds a sibling, its
mood darkens that much more (despite it . CLICKER SWARM
being the one who insisted that it visit each clickers riots
A swarm of clickers riots around a hulking Clickers, page 77
final resting place). It won’t start a fight, body of white crystal fused with the floor.
but the mercenary becomes irritable and Something about the resonance of the
snappish. It also takes a piece of its fallen white crystal statue draws them and sends
sibling as a remembrance. them into a frenzy. Getting close to the area
87
88
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
Though the chorus of sounds in the polyp jungle is loud and can impart negative
mass to objects, causing them to fall upward, the jungle canopy is thick enough that
most such falls can be arrested by grabbing branches, vines, or polyps.
Machine God make her he r immediately angry, are mosslike growths that vibrate like a
as she assumes the PCs are adherents of purring pet; those who hear the sound must
Ciszan, who she’s tried but failed to hunt make an Intellect defense roll or give out an
down and destroy. She knows that Ciszan is inadvertent scream.
holed up in 6-1, but she won’t reveal that to Creatures include the nerif , a sluglike Nerif: level 2, Speed
PCs until she’s sure they’re friends, not foes. beast with a vicious beak that slides along defense as level 3 due
to size; poisoned beak
One way she decides is by asking the PCs the ground and plants, and the amorphous, inflicts 2 additional points
to deal with an issue that’s been plaguing noise-eating mego that
mego that consumes of Speed damage (ignores
callerail (3-5).
her: a callerail (3-5). If the PCs can kill it, she everything. Armor) if a target fails
decides to help them and leads them to 6-1, Besides these creatures, specific threats a Might defense roll
and she even helps them take down Ciszan also exist in the jungle, as described Callerail, page 87
if they are particularly persuasive. hereafter.
Mego: level 5; makes
. POLYP JUNGLE . HUNGRY TREE up to three pseudopod
attacks at once; sound-
Straggling plantlike growths, appearing as This hazard is located at the base of a draining tentacles inflict
individual stalks with polyps on top, grow tree visible
massive chime tree visible from almost 3 additional points of
here and there in regions far beyond this anywhere in the jungle because it is so Speed damage (ignores
area, but thicken to become a jungle-like high that its upper branches reach all the Armor) if a target fails
a Might defense roll
region within an artificial canyon more than way out into the void. An open cavity at the
half a mile (800 m) wide. The growths are tree’s base contains a sticky slurry of mud Massive chime tree:
rooted in a thick layer of magnetized drit-like and leaves. A creature that moves to within level 5; health 100;
Armor 4; root catches
soil that keeps them from falling upward immediate range is attacked by animate and pulls victims under
from random noises, and many of the plants twining roots that pull the creature down sludge; once caught, a
and treelike growths extend roots even beneath the surface, drowning victims and victim has five rounds to
deeper into the matrix of the pyramid itself. then feeding off their corpses. escape or they drown
One massive treelike growth in particular
(4-4. Hungry Tree) is visible from almost . PITYSTRIAN HERMIT
anywhere in the jungle. Karnath is a milky-skinned humanoid known
Karnath is Karnath: level 6,
The source of sustenance is a sunlike as a pitystrian who wears an elaborate understanding numenera
as level 7; health 29;
fragment embedded in one of the high headpiece and a variety of jewelry made of Armor 2; moves up to
upper walls of the wide canyon that hosts cast-off devices and oddities. Pitystrians an immediate distance
the jungle. The burning fragment was generally regard other creatures as mere when phasing; long-range
ejected from something that exploded tools to put to their own ends, but Karnath phase blast inflicts 6
points of Speed damage
miles away from the pyramid hundreds of is unique among its kind. Not only is it (ignores Armor); melee
thousands of years earlier,
earlier, but what it was or more powerful, it’s a loner and left its kind attack inflicts controlling
why it exploded is lost to the present. for a life of solitude in the polyp forest of nanobots that force
victim to do as Karnath
Other plants, vermin, and dangerous the Howling Pyramid. It wanders the jungle
says for one hour
creatures also inhabit the polyp jungle. hunting food and collecting specimens.
Some use sound as a motive force or as a Its cabin in this area is built of timber-
way to attack or defend themselves. One like lengths of wood hewn from the polyp
tree.. It
example is the white-leafed chime tree growths. Chime tree: level 3
grows to a height of 40 feet (12 m) and If approached without guile, Karnath
emits sonic beams at anything that comes is welcoming and helpful, if eager to
within short range, requiring a Speed see visitors off again. (If PCs lie, steal,
defense roll to avoid suffering 3 points of or threaten the pitystrian, they make a Nronic: level 2,
damage and being hurled upward. Nronic
Nronic dangerous enemy.)
enemy.) It knows of one defunct purring as level 5
89
automaton, which lies nearby (4-6), and of The humanoid automaton numbers among
other dangers in the jungle. It recommends the nine initially released from the Halo of
that the PCs speak to the hunter (4-2) if they Dominion, but among the four that never
seek information outside the jungle. made it out of the Howling Pyramid like
Radius, Chord, Origin, and the others did.
. INERT AUTOMATON
A humanoid automaton that once might Radius: Each time Radius finds a sibling, its
have looked similar to Radius is caught mood darkens that much more (despite it
in a web tree,
tree, broken and disarticulated. being the one who insisted that it visit each
Web tree: level 6; If the web tree is dealt with, investigation final resting place). It won’t start a fight,
Armor 3; tangling vines reveals that at least one salvage operation but the mercenary becomes irritable and
grab targets within
immediate range who
was recently performed on the remains. snappish. It also takes a piece of its fallen
fail a Speed defense sibling as a remembrance.
roll, inflicting 6 points
of damage each round .
. JUNGLE THING
until they can escape
A hulking humanoid composed of living
polyp fibers has a crude house up a
large tree here. Its initial instinct is to be
suspicious of intruders, but if given food or
other reason to pause, it can speak the Truth
(or any other language of a conscious living
creature within immediate range, thanks
to a psychic ability). The jungle thing has
thing has
Jungle thing: level 6; a limited vocabulary and isn’t particularly
health 30; two attacks intelligent. If it thinks PCs are making fun of
per round each inflict 8
points of damage; regains
it or belittling it, it flies into a violent rage.
2 points of health each The jungle thing doesn’t know how it came
round while in the jungle here, but it does remember seeing someone
“strange” salvaging the inert automaton
recently.
Vine serpent: level 7,
Speed defense as level 4 . VINE PREDATOR
due to size; venomous
bite inflicts 7 points of
A 3-foot (1 m) thick animate vine stretches
Might damage and 4 out at least a long distance in length,
points of Speed damage though one end remains rooted in the
(ignores Armor); due ground. The other end resembles the head
to constant keening,
all creatures within of a poisonous serpent and produces a
immediate range that dazing keening noise that is also loud
fail a Might defense enough to risk a sound inversion for those
roll are dazed and all
serpent
within immediate range. The vine serpent
their tasks are hindered
for one minute has swallowed many things in its decades
of existence, including two cyphers (a
farspeaker and
farspeaker and a retriever
retriever)) and an artifact (a
Farspeaker page 182 wire).
telepathic wire ).
Telepathic wire,
page 192
90
THE HOWLING
HOWLING PYR
PYRAMID
AMID
Grid of Squares: This entire square-shaped Surviving Cell Filling: If a cell fills with
face is about 3 miles (5 km) on a side. The temporary matter, creatures within the
floor is gridded by smaller squares (called square can attempt a difficulty 5 Speed
cells) about 250 feet (75 m) on each side, defense roll to surf the manifestation of
each outlined by a dim line of luminescence the solid mass and be pushed into the next
91
nearest square instead of being caught. Of (probably the opposite because it’ll bog
course, when a character is dumped into a things down). It’s enough to simply evoke
new cell, it likely results in sounds in excess the concept of a chain reaction of huge
of 20 decibels, which begins the process blocks of matter crystalizing into existence
over in the new cell, causing it to fill a and threatening to crush the PCs.
minute later. That said, knowledge is power.
power. Merely for
A creature that doesn’t make it out of a your edification, each minute, this happens:
cell is embedded in the mass, is prevented • Any filled cell with fewer than two filled
from making any noise, and begins to neighbors empties.
suffocate. An embedded character who • Any filled cell with two or three filled
succeeds on a Might defense roll manages neighbors remains filled.
to hold their breath for the full minute and • Any filled cell with more than three filled
takes 4 points of ambient damage (ignores neighbors empties.
Armor). Those who fail take 8 points of • Any empty cell with exactly three filled
ambient damage. neighbors becomes filled.
Getting Across: If the PCs just run for the . EXIT THE GRID
nearest edge across about 32 cells, they Each of the grid exits is 40 feet (12 m) on
might get lucky and not suffer any setbacks a side and lit with bright light. The normal
or GM intrusions, and thus make it to one rules of sound imparting negative mass
of the other faces before the chain reaction, once again apply here. However, in these
as described hereafter under Game Rules, chambers (though not in connecting
catches up to them. (Or perhaps they trigger corridors), there is a ceiling as opposed to
and survive the first cell-filling, then run the ravines rising on either side. Sometimes,
rest of the way.)
way.) The average PC can move sounds created out on the grid attract
a short distance each round, which means creatures from nearby areas of the
they can cross the entire 250 feet (75 m) of connected face.
a single cell before a full minute passes and
the noise they make running causes that cell
to fill with temporary matter. FINDING THE
In this case, PCs looking back notice a APOTHEOSIS CHAMBER
multiplying wave of squares slowly filling in If it works out, when the PCs find the
behind them, but also spreading out from Apotheosis Chamber (6-2), set up a cliff-
where they crossed. This should probably be hanger ending that will make them eager
cause for some alarm, and at least one or to learn what happens next, and end things
two GM intrusions that add tension to the there, handing out XP as noted hereafter.
crossing. But if it doesn’t work out, no worries—you
can give out even more XP the next time.
Potential GM intrusions: A wounded PC
Clickers, page 77 can’t go full speed, clickers attack,
clickers attack, the
edge the PCs were making for is blocked, XP AW
AWARDS
or something specific to your game has Each PC earns 1 experience point (XP) for
repercussions that delay or distract the PCs. each of the four inert automatons they
discover, which gives Radius some closure
Game Rules: Each minute, cells fill with (but also distresses it).
temporary matter for one minute if new
Search Term: Conway’s sounds of at least 20 decibels occurred
Game of Life WHAT’S NEXT?
within them during the previous minute.
Additional rules apply related to the If you’reofcombining
“Relics “Amber
the Machine,” Keep”to
continue with
previous state of adjacent cells. Though
Chapter 8: Apotheosis of a Machine
simple, how they interact across the grid
God.
would be complex to track, and ultimately,
doing so won’t enhance your experience
92
CHAPTER 8
APOTHEOSIS OF A
MACHINE GOD
SYNOPSIS HOWLING
IN THE HOWLING PYRAMID
PYR AMID
The PCs finally locate and confront Ciszan in In Chapter 77,, the PCs explored the Howling Chapter 7: The Howling
the Howling Pyramid. Luckily,
Luckily, Ciszan hasn’t Pyramid and also discovered the location of Pyramid, page 73
achieved the heights of power they might Ciszan’ss so-called Apotheosis Chamber; this
Ciszan’
have feared. Even if he has all the divine chapter describes the meeting of Ciszan,
keys and finishes his control scepter, it’s
it’s not the PCs, and Radius, and what happens
enough to command the full Glistening Army. next. Conditions previously described for
However,, during this interaction, it’s
However it’s the Howling Pyramid continue to hold in the
revealed that Radius is the Machine God. Apotheosis Threshold (6-1), including how
Once Radius gains the Halo, it can control sound imparts negative mass.
mass . However, Sound Imparts Negative
Mass, page 74
all 3,100+ automatons nestled in the sound acts normally in the Apotheosis
artificial space accessible through the Halo, Chamber (6-2), which is where Ciszan labors
deploying them as it wishes. It also gains on his control scepter.
scepter.
power over other machines and automatons
in range. .
. APOTHEOSIS ENTRANCE
EN TRANCE
Radius’ss mood has grown darker over
Radius’ This chamber lies inset at the tip of the
the months, and with the Halo, it seems to Howling Pyramid, though only two of the
become someone with different values and four faces provide a direct route to it on that
goals (in fact, a hidden mechanical directive face. The two routes drop down a square
activates within it, set by Orstenia Myal). It shaft 20 feet (6 m) to a side that recedes
deploys the Glistening Army of automatons into the tip about 30 feet (9 m). The floor
outside the Weal of Baz, demanding that of the short shaft is set with an irising door
the community join the Machine God. (normally closed) and a control surface.
Otherwise, the Weal will become the first of Beyond is the Apotheosis Chamber (6-2),
many places annihilated by the Glistening a protected space. Orstenia Myal originally
Army. chose it as the best refuge in all the pyramid
The PCs have a chance to intercede because sound behaves normally there, and
with their friend, even as two automaton because of a resonance challenge trap set
armies engage in exploratory conflicts. The in the threshold that keeps out anyone who
characters can try to talk Radius down and doesn’t know its secret.
say that it doesn’t have to follow the dusty
instructions of a dead Aeon Priest. However Resonance Challenge: If someone manipulates
poorly she was treated, it doesn’t mean that the control surface and succeeds on a difficulty
the Glistening Army should be used to throw 2 understanding numenera task, a challenge
the Ninth World into war and destruction sequence of ten tones sounds. (The sounds
(or so they might argue, among other don’t impart negative mass.) If someone
strategies). Part of Radius is sympathetic doesn’t come up with the answering sequence
to that argument, but the automaton is not of tones within a few rounds, an explosion of Explosion of sound:
completely its own master.
master. sound forces
sound forces anyone in the shaft to make a level 7
Alternatively, the PCs can
Alternatively, c an try to fight the Might defense roll to hold onto something or
Machine God, but that’s a difficult task. be flung out into the void beyond the pyramid.
93
. APOTHEOSIS CHAMBER Radius: Radius lets the PCs try methods other
This cube-shaped chamber is a long than violence first, if they wish (assuming
distance on each side. Bright light emanates ransoming him isn’t an actual tactic). But the
from spheres fused into the walls. Sound automaton can only stand so much, given
isn’t affected adversely. that the scepter Ciszan holds is essentially
Ciszan is here, bearing the Halo of
Ciszan is made up of body parts of its siblings. It
Dominion. Read or paraphrase the following. mentions this as it finally moves to attack.
94
95
96
97
CHAPTER 9
NINTH WORLD
REPERCUSSIONS
I
s the Machine God defeated, neutralized, adventure and get a response, if their need
or reasoned with? Or does it become a real is great enough.
force of terror, especially for Aeon Priests If the PCs cause Radius to depart, the
and other defenders of the Amber Papacy? A machines of the Weal of Baz are grateful and
couple of options are provided. Repercussions allow the characters to come and go as they
Act 8: Cloud of All following Act 8: Cloud of All Endings
Endings in
in like for up to one year. The Order of Truth,
Truth, as
Endings, page 138 “Amber Keep” are likewise touched on. an organization, eventually learns what the PCs
did. Even so, it’s likely that the Amber Pope
never realizes that the threat was so severe and
RELICS OF
If the PCs fail THE MACHINE
to convince Radius that it
is confident that they could have weathered it
regardless. Still, the PCs become part of the
doesn’t have to do what Orstenia Myal lore of the Order
Or der of Truth going forward.
designed it to do, Radius lets them go, If Ciszan survives, he swears eternal vengeance
but starts using its abilities to enslave the against the PCs and the Order of Truth.
machines of the Weal of Baz. Things look Eventually,, he’ll try something else, possibly
Eventually
Order of Truth, bad for the Weal and for the Order of Truth,
Truth, involving some other secret gleaned from the
page 215 but options exist. As it turns out, the Guild Howling Pyramid or the Changing Moon.
of Purity learns
Purity learns of the conflict outside the
Weal of Baz and, soon enough, what the
Guild of Purity
P urity,, conflict was about. Though not the best AMBER KEEP
page 249 of bedfellows for some PCs, it turns out If the PCs fail to disable the mechanism in the
that the guild has a device that can render old structure discovered beneath Amber Keep,
intelligent machines,
as an ascended evenGod,
Machine onestemporarily
as powerful their community
But there faces complete
are alternatives to pull destruction.
success
vulnerable. Just when things seem darkest, from failure. One of those could be the PCs
representatives of the Guild of Purity could deciding to use their one opportunity to call
show up to revive defeated PCs and offer on the Machine God, assuming they ended
them aid and another chance to convince things positively with Radius. In this case, the
Radius to reconsider while its Orstenia Machine God could provide aid sufficient
Myal mindprint is loosened. Alternatively,
Alternatively, to dissolve the threat associated with the
the players could step into the shoes of the Cloud of All Endings. If not, the phenomenon
guild to complete the task, probably in a becomes another scourge in the Ninth World,
more straightforward manner, where their feared in the same way as the iron wind.
original characters failed. Hopefully,, one way or another, the PCs
Hopefully
However,, it’s more likely that the PCs win
However save Amber Keep and stop the Cloud of All
the day. Radius, true to its word, has much Endings before it reaches
r eaches maturity.
maturity. By doing
to consider and retreats into the night above so, they ensure that Amber Keep is likely to
Earth, finding an airless wreck falling around have a long and important future.
the world in which to spend its time. What
it ultimately decides to do is likely many This concludes Slaves of the Machine
years off. It’s possible that the PCs could call God . We
We hope you and your players found it
on the Machine God once in some future exciting, challenging, and rewarding.
98
PART 2:
AMBER KEEP
G MIN
INGG AMBER KEEP
I
The Amber Gleaners n “Amber Keep,” the PCs are community of NPCs that burgeons there
are a loose network of commissioned by a group called the over time. At one point, the solution to
scholars, explorers, delves,
and other travelers who
Amber Gleaners to
Gleaners to help establish a base one problem (a strange disease called
share with each other in the wilderness. Over the course of several dusky pox) ends up waking a far more
knowledge of the routes adventures, that base becomes a small dire problem that promises not only to
and locations they community,, one that the PCs help build,
community completely wipe out Amber Keep if not
discover, enhancing the
knowledge of everyone defend, and grow. A growing community stopped, but also to become an ongoing
who joins and contributes faces many challenges, and not all of them danger to everyone else in the Steadfast.
to the organization. come in the form of angry abhumans.
This adventure, already a campaign arc ACT 1: KEEP IN THE BADLANDS
in its own right, could be combined with The PCs discover that the initial team sent to
Amber Gleaners, some or all of the chapters of “Relics of establish Amber Keep has disappeared.
page 245
the Machine” to extend the campaign even
further. Doing so is a great way to vary the The PCs follow after a founding team
Two pace of “Amber Keep” in a fun way that
Combining Two sent to establish a base in the wilderness,
Adventures to Make
Make gives PCs a wider experience in the Ninth fending off some weird creatures and other
One Campaign, page 5
World. Notes on how to best combine the dangers in the process. When they finally
two adventures are
adventures are provided in the opening arrive at their destination, they find it looted
section. and burned and the first settlers missing.
This prompts the PCs to investigate what
remains of Amber Keep, track down where
BACKGROUND the missing people have been taken, and
100
GMING AMBER KEEP
ACT 4: THE WEEPING TOWER The PCs investigate and explore the bizarre
Acquiring a special medicine is the only
only way dimension discovered in the last act. In
to cure an illness in Amber Keep. doing so, they learn that the breach was
purposefully allowed to propagate and
An NPC close to the characters, other spread into the real world by a nano named
residents of the community,
community, and maybe Coultan. She was wronged and wanted
even some PCs are afflicted with a revenge. Convincing her to fix the breach is
debilitating illness called dusky pox, caused one way the PCs could solve the problem,
by eating local flora. Looking into it, the though if that fails, they have more direct
PCs eventually realize that an influence methods of dealing with the nano, though
within a nearby ruin everyone calls the she would make a powerful enemy.
Weeping
Weepi ng Tower
Tower might yield the cure. The
PCs must enter the Weeping Tower, identify ACT 8: CLOUD OF ALL ENDINGS
the medicine—a substance called silver Time advances in Amber Keep until a threat If the PCs fail to stop the
Cloud of All Endings in
ioquid—and deployspreads
before the disease it around
outtheir base
of control. from the past returns with a vengeance.
vengeance. Act 8, it becomes another
scourge in the Ninth
The PCs have a chance to allow Amber Keep World, feared in the same
ACT 5: BRING THE RAIN to grow further as about half a year passes. way as the iron wind.
New dangers emerge to threaten Amber They can engage in long-term tasks, possibly
Keep, some self-inflicted. strengthening their own relationships in the
community.. Nothing particularly serious
community
Amber Keep has some time to grow and happens during this time, allowing the PCs to The PCs have the
develop, and the PCs are encouraged to concentrate on their tasks—until the Cloud opportunity to engage
in long-term play over
engage in activities that take several months of All Endings finally forms. The seeds for its the course of about
to complete. Interesting events pepper this formation were planted all the way back in three months during
period, both threats and opportunities. Act 4 when they activated the silver ioquid. Act 5: Bring the Rain.
Newly encountered creatures, dubbed In Act 8, the event that the suppressors were
rain sylphs, threaten the community as meant to prevent finally occurs, and the PCs
unexpectedly long, harsh thunderstorms are called upon to stop it.
grow more frequent. Eventually, the PCs
discover that the installations using silver
ioquid are somehow responsible for drawing
the rain sylphs and storms.
101
ACT 1
KEEP IN THE
BADLANDS
SYNOPSIS other connections the PCs may share, they
In Act 1, the PCs are commissioned to have all met and even worked together on
build a new base in the wilderness. They minor tasks (deliver a message to a nearby
follow after a founding team sent ahead, village, figure out how to use an oddity,
fending off some weird creatures and other guard a trade caravan for a few days, and so
If you’re running Slaves dangers in the process. When they finally on).
of the Machine GodGod arrive at their destination, they find it looted
as a single adventure,
use Chapter 1: Memory
and burned and the first settlers missing.
before Act 1: Keep This prompts the PCs to investigate what
Bias before
Bias GETTING THE
in the Badlands; see the
Combined Campaign
the
Campaign
remains of Amber Keep, track down where PLAYERS INVOLVED
the missing people have been taken, and The PCs are offered a commission by the
Flowchart on page 6.
6.
free them from the abhumans who plan to Amber Gleaners. If it’s previously been
sacrifice them to a “demon.” ThisThis scenario established that the PCs are associated with
is a mix of exploration,
e xploration, interaction, and that organization, you can simply present
(probably) some fighting. it as a fait accompli that the characters
have accepted it, in which case, read or
paraphrase below.
STARTING LOCATIONS However, you know your players best.
Aian, page 159 Begin the PCs in the city of Aian in
Aian in the land Instead of simply pushing the PCs into
of Milave
Milave,, or some other community you the contract, you might choose to present
Milave, page 158
prefer. If you want to combine this adventure it as an option over the course of a game
“Relics of the Machine,”
with “Relics Machine,” make sure session.
Relicspage
Machine, of the the
the7 PCsadventure
as that begin in the
(forsame community
which Aian is also Maybe
they’d onenot
rather PC (an
has enemy,
a run-inan
with someone
ex-lover,
suggested). or someone who reminds them of a dead
If you’ve already run the PCs through relative), making the idea of getting out of
Memory the events of Chapter 1: Memory Bias,
Chapter 1: Memory Bias, they town more palatable.
Bias, page 14 already have the following background. If Perhaps another PC has debts they’d
you don’t intend to combine the adventures, rather not pay or has been blamed for a
provide them with the following information. crime they didn’t commit, and finds the
idea of leaving town appealing, especially if
CHARACTER BACKGROUND offered a commission to do so.
Provide each PC with one additional Or maybe a good friend of the
connection: every character has taken at characters—one of the NPCs described
Radius, page 16 least one or two small commissions for an Radius—asks
hereafter, or their ally Radius —asks the
organization known as the Amber Gleaners.
Gleaners. PCs to join them in taking the commission,
(The Amber Gleaners are a network of because they’re certain that great
Amber Gleaners, scholars and explorers who share knowledge opportunities will follow for anyone bold
page 245 about the paths they travel and what they enough to commit to such a task.
discover, enabling trade routes and further
exploration.) This means that apart from any
102
The PCs
Radius may have
to resolve already
memory worked
thefts with
happening wagons
are don’t overturn.
everywhere, Fortunately,
Fortunately
and anything , trees to
that started
in Aian in Chapter 1: Memory Bias. slide downhill would quickly come to a stop.
There’s a red cloth up ahead showing the Betulan: level 2, Speed
safest route, zigzagging carefully downward defense as level 3; health
6; bite inflicts 3 points
NPC CONNECTIONS between two very steep parts of the hill. of damage; when four
In addition to Visso, Kadri, Zoyin, and Radius, Unfortunately,, a swarm of ten moth-like
Unfortunately to six attack as a single
the PCs are familiar with several of the people creatures called betulans
betulans is
is clinging to the creature, treat as a level
who ventured forth in the earlier expedition. trees on the winding path. The humans, 4 creature that inflicts
6 points of damage
Those people include the following. wagons, and gallen passing through the area
Tsala is a quick-thinking and always busy disturb them, and they fly down to attack the
woman who is sometimes terse, but only PCs. Each betulan looks like a bluish-brown
because she’s thinking about the future. moth about half the size of a human, with Rejuvenator, page 286
Gennd, a delve, has mechanical eyes tattered wings, between six and ten legs,
that allow her to see in the dark, and she is and a strong, spicy smell like smoke and GM intrusion: A
practically nocturnal. cinnamon. The betulans are about as smart betulan sprays a blast
of pheromones at a PC
Visso’s brother,
brother, Nort, is a huge man, very as monkeys, and one of them has a Might
as part of its attack,
strong, who has a childlike demeanor.
demeanor. He rejuvenator
rejuvenator cypher
cypher (injection device) tangled hindering all of the PC’s
likes whistling and imitating bird calls. onto one of its legs with a chain. They will actions for two rounds.
103
To put it baldly,
baldly, the place was obviously
WRECKED BASE attacked, and now it looks abandoned. The
When the PCs finally make it to their NPCs that the PCs knew personally, plus
destination, things are not as they hoped to several other settlers, are not immediately
find. Read or paraphrase the following. apparent.
104
105
OPTIONS OVER
OVERVIEW
VIEW limited Truth)
Truth) that there is a demon in their
The interior space of the phrontex lair looks cave that demands sacrifices, and losing
roughly like a right hand with only three those sacrifices might make it angry.
angry.
fingers and a thumb, where the thumb is to Convincing Taxx
Taxx to give up the prisoners
the left and the wrist is the open entrance to is a hindered persuasion or intimidation
the structure. About twenty of the abhumans task. The PCs can offer to bribe or trade for
live here, including a leader, Taxx,
Taxx, and one the prisoners—two interesting cyphers or
brute, Groguntus.
Groguntus. about a dozen large animal carcasses (as
At this point, the PCs have three obvious many as there are prisoners) are enough to
options: fight all of the abhumans, attempt ease the negotiation task (by two steps if
to negotiate with them, or try to sneak the PCs offer twice as much). Hunting that
past them to see if the cave holds human many beasts would take the PCs one or two
prisoners. days, but if asked to wait, Taxx
Taxx agrees not to
sacrifice any prisoners for a few days.
Fight: This is the most straightforward Getting the phrontex to leave Amber Keep
option—the PCs attack, and the phrontex alone is a separate negotiation and is also
fight, flee, or defeat the PCs. Because the a hindered task against T Taxx.
axx. Convincing
creatures are spread out, it is likely that the them to leave the area entirely is even
battle happens in waves, with the first wave more difficult (hindered by an additional
consisting of the abhumans in the central step). Taxx
Taxx can be b
bribed
ribed with cyphers and
chamber and reinforcements coming from carcasses for this task as well. It won’t
the Thumb and First Finger chambers. apologize for attacking the base or for any
The GM can make This gives the PCs a chance to control the people who were killed (it doesn’t really
combat faster and easier battlefield and keep themselves from being understand the concept of an apology
by having a group of six
to ten creatures attack
swarmed. anyway), but it could be convinced to accept
as a single creature Fighting in the lair can quickly result in a a somewhat reduced bribe in compensation.
that is 2 levels higher, large number of phrontex attacking the PCs If the PCs offer a battle of champions in
inflicting double the at once. single combat as part of the negotiation,
original creature’s
normal damage. If things turn against the PCs, remind Taxx agrees and calls out Groguntus as
the players that they always have the option the tribe’s champion. The brute is huge,
Taxx: level 3; Speed to retreat, and a creative use of cyphers or almost 9 feet (3 m) tall, and doesn’t speak
defense, climbing, and spending XP on a reroll can snatch victory except to call out its own name or screech.
intimidation as level
4; health 9; Armor 1;
from the jaws of defeat. Alternatively, if If the PC champion defeats Groguntus, all
claws inflict 4 damage; the PCs are seriously hurt but are close to interaction tasks with the tribe (including
carries a level 5 gravity
detonation (a
detonation (a green victory, some
break free justofinthe human
time prisoners
to turn the tide can
of the Taxx) are eased
intimidated because
b ecause
by the the phrontex
PC’s strength. If theare
PC
crystal wrapped in wires)
fight. allows Groguntus to live instead of killing it,
Groguntus: level 4; Taxx is appreciative, and interactions with
Speed defense, melee Negotiate: This is a difficult task but not the leader are eased by another step. (If it is
attacks, climbing, and
strength-based tasks as
impossible. Only the leader, Taxx,
Taxx, is allowed obvious that other PCs helped in the battle,
level 5; all mental tasks as to negotiate for the tribe. If the PCs try such as by using abilities or cyphers on the
level 3; health 12; Armor to talk to a random abhuman, they likely acting PC before or during the fight, the
1; claws inflict 5 damage don’t speak the Truth, and even if they abhumans are less impressed, and only the
GM intrusion: A PC do, they insist on bringing out the leader next interaction roll is eased instead of all of
has an allergic reaction accompanied by at least ten other phrontex them.)
to phrontex armpit
slime, and all tasks are
(but not Groguntus,
Groguntus, who remains hidden
hindered while they until Taxx
Taxx tells it to come out). The PCs Sneak: Given the configuration of the lair
are within immediate should announce themselves to the lair and the number of phrontex, it is unlikely
range of a phrontex. instead of just walking in; otherwise, all that the PCs can sneak very far into the
negotiation tasks are hindered. The phrontex lair,, and even if they do find the human
lair
like their lair and don’t want to leave it, prisoners, it would be even more difficult
Gravity detonation, nor do they want to give up any of their to sneak the humans back out. However,
page 277 prisoners. If asked why, Taxx
Taxx explains (in PCs often have amazing abilities at their
106
long enough
forward to get the leader, Taxx,
and negotiate. Taxx, to come
c ome is T
near
o thethe main
west, entrance.north, and
northwest,
northeast are smaller passages leading to
LAIR OVERVIE
OVERVIEW
W the Thumb, First Finger,
Finger, Second Finger,
Finger,
The interior of this ruin is mostly pale crystal and Third Finger chambers, respectively. As Dim light, page 114
with a few bands of metal here and there. those areas are within a short distance of
The ceiling is irregular, anywhere from 8 to this place, any loud noise or activity (such as
12 feet high (2.5 to 4 m). Because the lair combat) attracts the attention of creatures Salvaging is the source
stands on a flood plain, the floor is covered elsewhere in the lair.
lair. of most cyphers in
this scenario, so the
in a layer of dirt and debris from outside, GM should remind
even in the extreme corners, but flat crystal THUMB CHAMBER the PCs to take some
lies beneath that. The crystal material of the This area bends slightly southward and is time to salvage from
ceiling is intermittently lit from within by about a short distance across in its longest each area if they can.
gently winking lights, which overall provides dimension but only about half as wide
dim light.
light. Each of the following areas is (though still effectively a short distance
a level 4 site for the purpose of salvaging in diameter). About five phrontex live Salvaging, page 108
numenera..
numenera here under similar conditions as those in
the Central Chamber, and one of them is
gnawing on gallen ribs.
107
NPC contact
injured is one
captives whoofwas
the aeons
At theand consumes
end the world.
of the chamber, an oddly XP AW
AWARDS
taken away and never
came back—sacrificed shaped piece of crystal juts out of the crystal The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each
to the “demon.” How wall. It somewhat resembles a screaming for ending the abhuman threat (either
the PC handles this news inhuman face and is nearly as tall as a through fighting or negotiation) and 2 XP
may affect negotiations
human. This is the “demon” the phrontex each for freeing the prisoners and returning
with the phrontex.
make sacrifices to (although it is just a survivors to Amber Keep.
device and not a creature or supernatural
in any way). Parts of broken
b roken automatons WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’re combining “Amber Keep” with
“Relics of the Machine,” you’ll probably
want to roll into Act 2: Building Amber
Keep before initiating the events in
Chapter 2: Prophet
Machine of the
God, page the
25 Chapter
That 2: events
said, Prophet inof the Machine
Chapter 2 may God.
God.
begin before all the building in Act 2 is
completely resolved, allowing you to
interweave the two sections
sec tions together.
108
ACT 2
BUILDING
AMBER KEEP
SYNOPSIS observation. He tells the PCs what he can
The PCs help set up their new base, which make and what he needs for each project,
requires finding iotum for spare parts. and says that he’ll build whatever they want
The Amber Gleaners provided the PCs as long as they bring him the materials to
with many resources to improve the new do it. The wagons they brought with them Tsala, page 108
base, including a wright who can build include the tools he needs, 200 units of
commonplace defensive and civic structures parts,, and 10 units of io
parts io,, but everything else Laborers: level 2
and a delve who knows about a ruin a few needs to be salvaged.
days’ travel away containing salvageable If the PCs have opinions about other Visso, page 103
numenera, though one associated with a defensive and civic structures and where
tribe of abhumans. During this act, the PCs to build them, Tsala is happy to let them Gennd, page 108
plan what they want to build on their new direct much of that activity as long as
base, figure out what components they it doesn’t compromise the safety of the
need to salvage, then go make it all happen. keep. Visso doesn’t need plans for building Parts, page 107
By the end of the act, the PCs have a map commonplace structures, so once the outer
Io, page 111
of their base, which is essentially a rank 1 wall and gate are finished, he can have the
community. workers start on what the PCs want. Ideas Visso’s Installation
for other things to build include: Plans
Alarm tower, page 154
A TIME TO BUILD Defensive Structures Farspeaking pylon,
Now that the NPCs have been rescued from • Gatehouse page 158
the phrontex and are back at Amber Keep, • Stone wall (rampart)
Basic turret, page 167
the keep’s
walls finished Tsala,
Tsala,more
leadeinr, case
leader wantsabhumans
to get the outer
or •• Wooden
Stone watchtower
watchtower Improved turret,
other creatures decide to attack. She has the page 168
laborers resume
laborers resume their duties of gathering Civic Structures
Visso’s Vehicle Plans
stone, timber, and scrap to build the walls and • Barracks Mud roller, page 176
huts, and she tells the PCs to work with the • Cottage
keep’s wright, Visso,
Visso, about what else to build. • Stables Defensive structures,
Photocopy or otherwise provide your • Storehouse page 126
players with a full-page map of the area where • Workshop Civic structures,
Amber Keep will be built. Let them decide page 127
where they want their characters’ homes Gennd,, the keep’s delve, has located a
Gennd
built. The dotted lines around the map are ruin a few days away that should have a
where Tsala
Tsala wants the gate and walls built, lot of good salvage, and she will lead or Visso’s Cypher Plans
using some of the natural rocks and crystals direct the PCs to it so they can get to work. Infiltrator (handheld
as anchor points for the construction. Technically,
echnically, Gennd could explore the site device, level 3; requires
6 units of parts, 3
Visso has been trained by the Amber with the characters, but
b ut Tsala
Tsala wants her to units of io, 5 units of
Gleaners to establish new bases, and the scout other locations for dangers, allies, responsive synth, 1 unit
numenera plans he
plans he knows are all about and salvageable numenera—her talents are of apt clay, 1 unit of
defense, communication, travel, and more about sneaking around and finding quantium), page 281
109
110
111
areas to salvage here, one of which is high combination of touch and sounds. A
on the wall, requiring two successful climb successful understanding numenera
tasks to get into the area and remain there task allows a PC to display fairly detailed
while the salvage happens. schematics about the workings of the
Mighty Arm (although it can’t show anything
beyond the parts of the structure that are
MAIN HAND ROOM here). A PC who studies these schematics
This entire area is filled with an acrid stink for an hour becomes trained in salvaging
that irritates the eyes of anyone not wearing numenera tasks within the Mighty Arm (not
protective equipment and hindering all salvaging numenera in general, just within
Slugspitter,, page 301
Slugspitter
actions requiring sight. There are three areas this ruin) or specialized if already trained.
to salvage here. One of them is adjacent to Each Thumb Room has two salvage
a damaged conduit that bursts and sprays areas. One of these four salvage areas can
Foil Danger, page 35 acidic slime in an immediate area if the be salvaged to produce a level 4 slugspitter
slugspitter
salvage area is disturbed. The slime spray artifact instead of iotum. It is jammed and
Disabled, page 122
continues for several minutes and will ruin disabled and
doesn’t work. It is disabled and doesn’t
Repairing, page 122 that salvage area if not stopped (such as work. Getting it working again is a difficulty
with a Delve’s Foil Danger ability).
Danger ability). 4 task and requires one hour of time.
112
least four areas in the Mighty Arm, Visso is PCs build their own.
impressed with their work, starts cataloging
what they found, and makes notes about
what to build first. If they tell him this is just AW
XP AWARDS
part of what’s available at the site, he gets The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each
very excited and Zoyin has to tell him to for figuring out what structures they want to
calm down and get some dinner before he build, 1 XP each if they convince the villagers
faints. to come live at Amber Keep and be part of
Several weeks (or more, if the the new community that is being built there,
construction requires more time) pass after and 1 XP each if they successfully salvage at
this. During this time, tell the PCs that they least four areas within the Mighty Arm.
make several more trips to the Mighty Arm
and safely salvage more iotum. They can
share this iotum with Visso or use it for their WHAT’S NEXT?
own crafting projects. If you’re combining “Amber Keep” with
All of this finally results in turning Amber “Relics of the Machine,” run Chapter Chapter 2: Prophet of the
Machine God, page 25
Keep into a rank 1 community. 2: Prophet of the Machine God,
God , if you
haven’t already started weaving material
from that section into your game.
113
114
THE BLAZING
BLAZING PILLAR
PILLAR
ACT 3
T
THE
HE BLA
BLAZIN
ZING
G PILLA
PILLAR
R
the Blazing Pillar has more to it than even septagonal pattern glowing under her skin longnodistance
for eachten
more than round
Sparadhi knows. (a subdermal artifact that gives her Armor). hours out of twenty-eight
Her flag is just a long strip of cloth with
alternating bands of blue and red, sort of
THE BLAZING
BLAZING PILLAR
PILLAR like a wide scarf.
One day, during the communal evening The Blazing Pillar floats about 10 feet (3
meal, the wall lookout spots something m) off the ground when it moves, and the
strange on the horizon, like a dark spot with flames are apparently a harmless energy
a glow. It moves about as fast as a human discharge created by whatever engine the
can jog, and as it gets closer, the PCs can vehicle uses to move. Sparadhi inherited
see that it looks a lot like a tilted, three- the machine from her mother and controls
story building made of metal and synth, it by touching a metal orb on her balcony,
balcony,
surrounded by pale yellow flames, and but it doesn’t seem to respond to anyone
emitting some kind of weird music. Various else trying to steer it (it might be attuned
balconies and platforms have people on to her genes or nanites in her brain).
them who seem to be waving and pointing Each of its three stories has two or three
in the direction of Amber Keep. One very furnished rooms arranged around a central
prominent balcony has a person dressed in column, with a roof level surrounded by a
bright red clothing and waving a long red metal railing. Much of it seems like a very
and blue flag. None of the people appear old machine, but there are many recent
to be hostile or carrying any weapons, and additions (such as the rails and furniture)
the vehicle (if that is what it is) continues to that make it more like a home. The weird
move vaguely in the direction of the keep. music seems to be a side effect of the
When they get to about a long distance away engine or the flames, as it stops when the
from Amber Keep, the person with the flag pillar lands and starts again when it flies.
calls out in a pleasant, high-pitched voice,
“Hello, I am Sparadhi! Are you interested PARTY GUESTS
in trading with us? We have supplies and In addition to Sparadhi, the pillar is home
numenera, and we mean you no harm!” If (at least temporarily) to ten other guests
guests—
— Party guests: level 2, one
invited closer, the flying building comes to merchants and explorers she picked up additional skill (trading,
crafting, etc.) as level 3
about a short distance away from the keep, from other locations. The Blazing Pillar is
then lands gently on the ground, at which well stocked with exotic drinks, powders,
115
OVERHEARD ON THE
T HE BLAZING PILLAR
PILLAR
The party guests (and maybe even of redemption. The guests laugh about
Sparadhi herself) have news and rumors these cultists—the Amber Pope makes all
from other parts of the Steadfast. The kinds of enemies, after all. If a Machine
guests bring up these rumors and God were going to rise, it would have long
hearsay as one does when trying to make ago, I’m sure.
interesting conversation at a party.
City of Reflection: Sometimes when
Plague in Qi: A weird sickness broke out it rains, a mirror image of the city of
in Qi. The Order of Truth contained it, Kordech in Draolis can be seen in the
but before that, many people died of a sky. The image is always winter and the
strange rage brought about by a worm-like inhabitants don’t match the people who
parasite so large that its wriggling end actually live there. Most unsettling. Can
visibly jutted from a victim’s body. Pulling you imagine?
out the worm ended the rage but killed the
victim. Sounds absolutely dreadful, don’t Friendly Iron Wind: The iron wind has
you agree? been patrolling the edges of a valley in
Thaemor,, completing a loop every eleven
Thaemor
Prophets of the Machine God: A cult hours. If anyone approaches, it builds
in Iscobal preaches the coming rise of a cypher out of the sand for them, then
a “Machine God” that will unite all the moves on without harming anyone. I’d go
devices of the prior worlds and turn them myself to investigate, but Sparadhi isn’t
against the Order of Truth in one fiery day taking the Blazing Pillar that way.
Varjellen, page 394 and foods, and the whole place is basically Lagim is a varjellen woodcarver
varjellen woodcarver and is very
a mobile party that stops at various curious about human culture. It travels
communities to trade, replenish supplies, with Sparadhi so it can meet many kinds
and bring on or leave behind various people. of humans and learn about their habits.
Lagim understands that it is usually the first
Beverec is a nano with a wrinkled brow visitant most people have ever
ev er met, so it’s
and large teeth. His mechanical brain very tolerant of stares and odd questions.
implants are malfunctioning, causing him
to become enraged at minor offenses. He Mondris keeps his hair very short except for
was hoping that the party atmosphere of a topknot. He is an excellent cook and can
the Blazing Pillar (and the easy access to create tasty dishes out of almost anything,
drugs) would help fix his problem, but it at least when he is sober.
hasn’t, and Sparadhi is about ready to drop
him off at the next settlement because of his Pashka is a very small and slight young man
outbursts. with catlike claws on his fingers. He has a
playful personality but sometimes scratches
Elgom is a friendly older woman with lots people accidentally.
accidentally.
of jewelry made from polished stones and
shins. She has a terminal disease and Senmin is tall, middle-aged, and missing all
has decided to spend her last months in the teeth on the left side of his mouth. He
traveling and hedonism. is always intoxicated and slurs his speech
so much that nobody can really understand
Hrun ties her long hair in elaborate knots what he’s saying, but he is very friendly
friendly..
and has a long white scar on her left hand.
She knits brightly colored synth ropes and Thule is a muscular woman with a very
claims to have lived in Qi. powerful three-fingered stronglass arm. She
likes to arm wrestle and crush things for fun.
116
THE BLAZING
BLAZING PILLAR
PILLAR
TRADING
TR ADING NUMENE
NUMENER
RA or wake anyone who decides to sleep at
Sparadhi has the following iotum packed
iotum packed home instead of joining the party.
party. She Iotum, page 107
away in crates in a locked room
room of
of the makes the Blazing Pillar float in a small
Blazing Pillar: 10 units of io, 5 units of circle all night long so the flames and music Door to locked
responsive synth, 4 units of apt clay, 3 units are activated. The flames are absolutely room: level 5
of synthsteel, 3 units of pliable metal, 4 units harmless and aren’t even warm, but they are
of mimetic gel, 4 units of quantium, and 4 quite pretty to watch from within, especially
units of smart tissue. when intoxicated. The music takes some
She drives a hard bargain and has to getting used to, but after about an hour of
make a profit, so she’ll trade what she has listening to it, it’s easy to find a beat worth
(whole or in part) for an equal value of io dancing to. The party is an opportunity to do
from the PCs plus 10 percent (so if the PCs some roleplaying with various NPC guests.
want 20 io-worth of her iotum, they must One of the guests might get flirty with a PC,
give her 22 io-worth of iotum). She’ll also another NPC might sneak off with a PC or
accept cyphers in trade, each being worth another NPC for a romantic encounter (and
io equal to the cypher’s level. Oddities are if they currently have a romantic partner,
worth only 1 or 2 io at most unless they that person might go looking for them), and
do something that looks really interesting. Beverec almost certainly starts a fistfight
However,, Sparadhi likes to bargain, and if
However with someone. The PCs may need to get
a PC succeeds at an interaction roll against involved in some of these situations to keep
her bargaining level, she is willing to trade the peace.
them iotum at equal value (without the 10
percent extra).
She and her guests have a total of five NORT IS MISSING
random cyphers,
cyphers, which they’ll trade one for The next morning, people wake from Cypher List, page 275
one if what the PCs offer is the same level or wherever they ended up sleeping, and their
Oddities, page 305
higher than what she has on her vehicle. If host sets out a simple breakfast of fruits and
a PC succeeds at a separate bargaining roll, cheese. Conversation is light and friendly
friendly,,
Sparadhi and her guests are willing to trade until Visso realizes that Nort was at the
cyphers even if the PC’s offering is 1 level party but didn’t come out for breakfast and
lower. isn’t in Amber Keep. Nobody remembers
She and her guests also have a total of seeing him leave, and there’s no sign that he
eight random oddities available
oddities available for trade. walked away.
away. A quick search of the Blazing Tsala, page 108
Tsala,, Visso
Tsala Visso,, and Kadri have
Kadri have their own Pillar and the keep doesn’t find him. Visso, page 103
negotiations with Sparadhi and her guests When it is clear that he is missing, Kadri, page 103
to make sure the keep has what it needs Sparadhi admits there is a secret space
in the near future (food, specific kinds of inside the Blazing Pillar that is larger than
synth, and so on). Radius
Radius has
has a few specific the outside—she says her mother called Radius, page 16
needs as well (especially if it is repairing a it an “otherspace,” a tiny dimension all
disabled vehicle, as described in Chapter 3: its own, but Sparadhi always called it the Chapter 3: Philosophy
Philosophy of Change).
Change). Heart of the Pillar. She describes it as half of Change, page 34
dream, half maze. She’s been able to get
to it ever since she was a child, but over
THE AMAZING PART
PARTY
Y the years, the door to the otherspace has The task to open the
If Sparadhi is pleased with the outcome of become more and more reluctant to open, door is eased for anyone
under the age of fifteen
the negotiations and trading (which she is, and it hasn’t opened for her at all in at least or eased by two steps if
as long as the PCs don’t insult, attack, or a year. She seems a little sad about this, under age ten. Over many
steal from her), she suggests that everyone like she is speaking of a childhood friend visits, these easings no
from Amber Keep join her and her other who doesn’t want to see her anymore. longer apply, then the
task eventually becomes
guests for an all-night party on the Blazing She talks about the Heart as if it were a hindered by two steps,
Pillar. If asked to, she moves the vehicle
Pillar. creature with feelings (not the vehicle itself, and at some point, the
about a short distance away from the keep but the otherspace within it). She says it Heart refuses to open
for that person at all.
so the revelry won’t distract the night guard knows several mazes that it liked to show
117
PILLAR
THE HEART OF THE PILLAR
This otherspace is a small, self-contained
parallel dimension connected to the Blazing
Pillar.. Although its specific configuration
Pillar
changes, the maze presented here remains
constant the entire time the pillar remains
near Amber Keep. The walls, floor, and
ceiling look like golden flames behind a clear
wall or force field and are as hard as metal
Heart of the Pillar: level 7 her over and over again, but some of them (probably beyond the power of the PCs to
she saw only once—she thinks the Heart harm). If the PCs use abilities or effects
might always be thinking up new mazes to bypass the walls (such as going out of
to try. Because nobody saw Nort leave the phase and passing through solid objects),
The GM should present Blazing Pillar last night, and because he has they appear in a random place elsewhere
the Heart of the Pillar a childlike demeanor, the Heart may have within the Heart. Vision in the Heart is a
as playful or creepy,
whichever would resonate
opened to him, and he might be in there little distorted beyond a short distance, like
better with the PCs. The right now. a shimmering mirage. Sounds made fall a
vehicle/location does Whenever the PCs are ready, Sparadhi little flat and don’t echo well.
seem to have some kind takes them to where the door appears—a The Heart doesn’t follow the same spatial
of strange intelligence . . .
plain, convex synth panel on the central physics of Earth. Although it seems to be on
column of the middle floor of the vehicle. a consistent vertical level without rising or
She says finding her way into the Heart falling, the various corridors pass through
wasn’t about pushing buttons, but each other without touching. The corridors
“thinking with your heart and feeling may curve gently in either direction (even
with your mind”—more about wanting though they appear straight on the map)
to make friends and being curious than and are a short distance or long distance
knocking. Opening the Heart is a difficulty without any regard for how far away the
5 understanding numenera task, but the destination room seems like it should be.
task is eased for characters who can talk The PCs are free to wander the corridors
to machines, have psychic abilities, exist and rooms for as long as they like. They can
partially out of phase, or have similar leave objects or people behind as markers to
abilities. help them navigate, spool out rope or string
When the door opens, a septagonal part to trace their path, mark surfaces with paint,
of the synth panel fades to full transparency,
transparency, and so on. Any object or marking left here
revealing a room with walls, floor,
floor, and remains in place for several hours before
ceiling made of golden mist and two being absorbed into the nearest surface (this
corridors leading elsewhere. also happens with creatures who fall asleep
When the PCs get the door open, Sparadhi here, as shown in area 3, where Nort is).
gasps in surprise that it worked. When she
118
THE BLAZING
BLAZING PILLAR
PILLAR
associated with any specific room in the help by pulling on Nort. Once freed, Nort The face they
PC until chases thatthe
leave
Heart (when the PCs return to a previous wakes up but seems sleepy and drunk. room, attacking about
room, a window might show a different part every other round.
of the Blazing Pillar or have disappeared
entirely). If the PCs linger for more than CONCLUSION
about ten minutes in any of these rooms, Once the PCs get Nort out of the Heart, the
small, strange faces (vaguely humanoid door closes. Sparadhi apologizes and insists
in shape but with odd features, each one that she didn’t know anyone else could get
unique) may appear on various surfaces as into the Heart. She offers the PCs a free
if watching the PCs. (These faces may be cypher (from those available earlier) as an
playful or creepy.) apology.. She tells everyone
apology ev eryone that she feels like
she’s overstayed her welcome and will be
flying off that afternoon. Depending on how
the rest of the party went, some of the other
guests may want to stay at Amber Keep, and
some of the keep’s people might want to
move on with the Blazing Pillar.
AWARDS
XP AW
The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each for
trading with Sparadhi and her guests, 1 XP
each for enjoying the party (even if not all PCs
attend), and 1 XP each for rescuing Nort.
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’re combining “Amber Keep” with
“Relics of the Machine,” run Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Philosophy
Philosophy of Change,
Change, which has the of Change, page 34
PCs venturing far from Amber Keep
using a vehicle built by Radius.
119
ACT 4
THE
T HE WEEPIN
WEEPINGG TO
TOWER
WER
THE WEEPING
WEEPING TOWE
TOWER
R
• Tyek discovered
discovered that duskfruit growth If the PCs can’t craft the numenera
is about ten times as thick around a within a week of when they first noticed
landscape feature called the Weeping
Weeping the disease, the rank 2 disaster hits. The
Tower 3 miles (5 km) away. The area is disease’s effects are felt once per day
dangerous because broken hounds hunt (instead of every hour,
hour, the default period for
there, but the bounty of duskfruit available action)) until the disease or the
a community action Community actions,
there made Tyek brave their attacks. community is eliminated. PCs must attempt page 305
If pressed to say more, Tyek recalls one community tasks that
tasks that can add health to
peculiarity: the thick profusion of duskfruit the community,
community, thus delaying how long it Community tasks,
page 310
trees doesn’t extend all the way to the takes for the place to reach 0 health and
tower’s base. The tower rises crookedly from be wiped out. In theory, enough successful
a clearing in a perfect circle that is utterly community tasks can buy the time a PC
bare of surrounding duskfruit trees, so crafter needs to build the devices necessary
regular that it almost seems like a gardener to eradicate dusky pox all at once.
must tend it, though Tyek saw none.
CONSQUENCES
ERADICATING DUSKY POX If the PCs manage to stop the disease before
Dusky pox threatens to become a rank 2 people get too sick, there is a celebration
disaster unless the PCs can eradicate it first. afterward. A great feast is prepared (where
To beat it before
befor e it develops, the PCs must pains are made to point out that no
incorporate the silver ioquid into a device duskfruit appears on the menu), and various
of level 5 or higher or craft five luminous kinds of strong drink are served. One NPC
dynamos that each use 1 unit of silver explains that the PCs have saved their
ioquid within one week and position them daughter,, Betina, and for that, the NPC will
daughter
around the community. If the PCs do this, be eternally grateful.
the combined functioning devices create If the PCs were less successful, they may
an influence greater than the sum of their have saved the community but with some
parts, and within minutes of activating the losses. In this case, instead of a celebration,
last device, the nanobot parasites all die. there is a mass funeral. People gather to tell
happy stories of their loved ones who are
USING SILVER IOQUID now dead. A great procession winds through
Silver ioquid is a special component
c omponent the community to the place where the
known as iotum.
iotum. One unit of silver dead are ceremonially burned. Afterward, Iotum, page 107
quantium
ioquid can be used in place of quantium everyone retreats to their homes, and many Quantium, page 112
on a unit-per-unit basis. weeks pass before laughter is again heard in
A PC trained in crafting numenera Amber Keep.
can spend a few weeks with the material
and learn how to use it. However, a Meteoron Control (page
PC who saw the functioning devices in XP AW
AWARDS 122) calls
122) calls dusky pox
the interior of the Weeping Tower
Tower (the “tools of the suppressors”
The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each or just “suppressors.”
“suppresso rs.”
mechanisms that resembled luminous
for identifying the source of the disease
dynamos) can immediately guess how
to activate its curative effect on dusky (duskfruit), 1 XP each if they explore the
pox. Energizing the material (such Weeping Tower, and 1 XP each if they emerge
as by using it as a component in a with silver ioquid and save the community
community..
luminous dynamo or any crafted piece
of numenera) activates the effect, and
the higher the level of the object created WHAT’S NEXT?
(or the more items created in series), If you’re combining “Amber Keep” with
the more significant the effect. “Relics of the Machine,” proceed to Act
One unit: Glassy vial filled with a thick 5: Bring the Rain, which describes how
silver fluid, weighing about 5 ounces (140 g) the silver ioquid has additional effects
Special: If used over long periods of beyond merely suppressing the effect of
time, additional effects come to light, as dusky pox.
described in Act 5: Bring the Rain.
121
TO
TOWER
WER VESTIBULE CHILL PASSAGE
This chamber tilts precipitously as described under Conditions in the Tower.
Tower. This chamber tilts precipitously as
A metallic mechanism vaguely shaped like a 9-foot (3 m) tall humanoid is described under Conditions in the Tower.
fused to one wall. Activity within the chamber causes the mechanism’s
mechanism’s eyes The only path forward is through this
to glimmer to life with orange light, and a voice addresses the area in an chamber.. It is as cold as winter and
chamber
unknown language. If answered, the mechanism speaks again in whatever coated with delicate traceries of frost
language was just used and repeats itself, saying,
saying , “Water deprecation protocols on every surface. The ice is slick, and
remain active. You are not authorized to be here. Leave.”
Leave.” advancing farther requires movement
If the PCs further question the fused mechanism, it provides the following up the slippery slope of the floor,
floor,
answers. However,
However, it appends each answer with the warning provided above. hindering movement tasks (already
Some questions aren’t answered, while others have answers that probably difficulty 1) by two steps. Those who fail
make no sense to the PCs. The mechanism doesn’t care to explain furtherfurther.. slide unceremoniously back down the
What is
What areMeteoron
you? “I guard the way to Meteoron Control.”
Control? “Meteoron Control threatens to bring renewing
chill passage and into the lap of a fused
interrogator.
rains, if allowed.”
allowed.”
What are renewing rains? “The unending deluge that will wash away
everything.”
Why does duskfruit grow thickest near the tower, except for a bare area ? FUSED INTERROGATORS
“Meteoron Control is locked in constant, never-ending battle with the suppressors. This chamber tilts precipitously as
That conflict tips in favor of Meteoron Control immediately around the tower. tower.”
” described under Conditions in the
What are the suppressors? “The influence was planted to keep Meteoron Tower. At a few locations, mechanisms
mechanisms
Control in check.” If
If one or more PCs are infected with dusky pox, it adds, reminiscent of the fused entity in the
“Some of you have been touched by the tools of the suppressors. So close to Tower Vestibule are similarly fused to
Meteoron Control, they fallf all idle.” the walls. None speak, but their eyes
How can we cure the sickness of the duskfruit? “ “Meteoron
Meteoron Control keeps flicker into awareness when the PCs are
deposits of silver ioquid for the day when it can send forth the rains. Silver ioquid detected. Instead of words, a complex
can counteract the suppressors if brought forth
fo rth and activated in sufficient quantity
quantity.. psychic interrogation unfolds against
But that shall not happen, as I was placed here by the same beings who fashioned one PC (treat as a GM intrusion). The
the suppressors to seal this place against such intrusion.
intrusion.”
” PC can attempt to calm the inquisition
GM intrusion (group): If the PCs attempt to move farther into the tower with a successful Intellect defense task;
and the mechanism detects them, it wrenches itself from the wall and attacks. otherwise, they suffer 6 points of Intellect
If the PCs defeat and salvage the unfused mechanism,
mechanism, they can find a visual damage and the interrogation continues
displacement device
displacement device cypher. into the next round, and so on.
Unfused mechanism: level 5; health 25; Armor 3; multiple limbs attack every creature within Fused interrogator : level 6; health 25; Armor 3;
immediate range for 6 points of damage; electrical contact attack (made as part of limb telepathically interrogates targets
attack) stuns targets who fail a Might defense task for one round
METEORON CONTROL
This domed chamber is a short distance across. It tilts precipitously as
described under Conditions in the Tower. Two features dominate the
chamber.
A landscape model fills the floor, including ravines, rivers,
mountains, and even seas rendered in miniature scale. A successful
difficulty 5 Intellect task reveals it as the Steadfast and the Beyond,
though even the largest human habitations of the Ninth W World
orld are
utterly absent in the representation.
A massive mechanism hangs from the ceiling, with many eyes,
manipulator arms, and strange devices: Meteoron Control.
Control. Though
limited and tethered, it is the master here.
Meteoron Control attacks any PC infected with dusky pox. It doesn’t
attack other PCs, though it will defend itself. It is eager to negotiate.
Meteoron Control can speak any language spoken to it. If negotiation
is opened, it demands that infected PCs (or, as it says, those bearing
“suppressors”) be sent to the time distiller or leave the area before the
negotiation continues. If the PCs are amenable, Meteoron Control is
eager to cooperate.
Meteoron Control welcomes the chance to spread its stores of silver
ioquid beyond the tower.
tower. If the PCs explain that they’re after something
to stop the “suppressors,”
“suppressors,” it immediately opens a cache in the floor,
floor,
revealing the hollow interior of the tower lined with mechanisms that
resemble luminous dynamos (though
dynamos (though most are dark and dead). A
manipulator arm grabs a 3-foot (1 m) cube on a shelf near the top and
delivers it to the PCs. Inside are 10 units of silver ioquid. Meteoron
Control bids the PCs to take the vials of fluid away and “activate” them
by incorporating them into fixed installations as a crafting material
wherever the “suppressors” are spreading. It says that, by doing so, the
suppressors in the area where the PCs build their installations will die
as long as the suppressor density hasn’t reached a critical threshold, as
it has around Meteoron Control.
VAUL
VAULTS
TS TIME DISTILLER
DISTILLER
This area tilts precipitously as described This chamber tilts precipitously as described
under Conditions in the Tower. Each under Conditions in the Tower. Several connected
chamber noted in this area is sealed, devices are embedded in the walls, forming a
though a difficulty 6 understanding nexus of instruments that glow with bluish light.
numenera task triggers one to open. Each The area could be salvaged for a couple of rolls
vault contains a clutter of rusted, broken, on the Random Salvage Result
Result table.
table. Alternatively
Alternatively,,
and crumbled devices and mechanisms. a successful task to understand numenera could
The PCsResult table
Salvage gain one
Result rollper
table onchamber
the Random
(disregard allow a character
creature, an effecttothat
“distill” timeabout
lasts for fromten
an hours
object or
or
results of level 7 and higher) if they spend until someone uses the device to return the distilled
Random Salvage time searching through the debris. In time. An object or creature affected by the time
Result, page 109 addition, one of the chambers contains an distiller is in stasis, and no time passes for it.
distiller is
artifact. GM intrusion: A PC who returns from stasis is
Luminous dynamo, GM intrusion: A mechanism animates as aged several years and descends one step on the
page 161 a level 5 murderous automaton and attacks damage track.
the character.
Time distiller: level 6
ACT 5
BR IN
ING
G THE R AI
AINN
124
something called
people recall theimportant
events Telling, which is when
to them the community
build more floodtobarriers.
dig moreAsgutters
the PCsand
related to the settlement. The settlement’s do so, they’re also forced to deal with
Tsala: level 2, tasks leader, Tsala,
Tsala, asks that each PC describe driving off more rain sylphs, but this
related to administration one event at Amber Keep that affected time, the creatures just fly off into the rain
and persuasion as level 4
them deeply, was important to helping the without engaging. It’s not obvious why
why,,
community,, or has something
community s omething to do with but witnesses assume it is because the
living where they are now
now.. creatures have learned to fear people, or at
For about a month after the celebration, the least the PCs. This might be when the PCs
community’ss health is increased by 3 points.
community’ decide to put some real effort into figuring
out if there is a supernormal cause for the
New Settlers: Another caravan, similar rain, but that’s when reports of bandits
to the one that brought the PCs, arrives pause that line of inquiry.
to help reinforce the base. The caravan
contains enough people to bring the total Help Radius (a few days): If you’re
population of the community up to well over combining “Relics of the Machine” and
a hundred people. Some of the newcomers “Amber Keep,” the PCs can make a side trip
are farmers, trappers, woodworkers, or to Shallamas to look for another of Radius’s
Chapter 5: Leaving those with similar specialized skills, but the siblings, as described in Chapter 5: Leaving
Shallamas, page 51 majority are unskilled laborers eager to learn Shallamas.. This side trip doesn’t hamper
Shallamas
a new trade. Almost all are part of families, long-term tasks the PCs are attempting.
which means that, for the first time, children
become a common sight in Amber Keep. Seizing Influence: When the PCs return from
With the new settlers comes a man Shallamas, or after some other event that
Ganilon Brig: level named Ganilon Brig, Brig, a tall, broad fellow with captured their attention for a couple of days,
5, tasks related to an intense air and one weird tentacle instead they discover that the mood in Amber Keep
deception, persuasion,
and intimidation as level
of an arm. Ganilon has many devotees is angry, manifesting as a mob gathered
6; a successful tentacle among the new settlers who arrived with outside Tsala’
Tsala’s home (albeit a mob under
attack can hold a foe, him. He is eager to meet the PCs and sets umbrellas and lacking torches, given that
making it unable to take up an appointment to do so within a week the rain hasn’t let up). People are muttering
actions until it can escape
of his arrival. He quizzes them on “the things like “I can’t believe she’d pull this crail!”
situation,”” compliments them on how much
situation, and “We’re not going to stand for it!”
they’ve accomplished, and ends the meeting Inquiries reveal that Tsala has announced
with a sentiment along the lines of “I’ll see a monthly 10-shin tax on all residents.
to it that things finally get off the ground If the PCs try to talk the crowd down, they
here in Amber Keep.”
Keep.” learn that 10 shins is far more than most
If called out on that last sentiment, he of them can scrape together in a month,
earnestly claims he meant no disrespect. making the tax demand untenable on its
In fact, Ganilon says that he only meant face. Some sort of compromise will have to
he was looking forward to contributing be reached to avoid the community falling
to the success that everyone else in the into riots or worse, which means talking to
settlement has already achieved. (The Tsala.
Bulky guards: level 4 hidden truth is that Ganilon hopes to seize guards stand
Five bulky guards stand by Tsala’s doors,
power in the foundling community to enrich and the PCs may recognize them as having
and aggrandize himself, but that’s not come in the recent caravan along with
something he’d ever admit.) Ganilon Brig. By dint of persuasion and
126
Convincing
the tax downTsala
Tsala to compromise
to something and bring
reasonable,b ring
such suppressors.)
If the PCs have no devices or abilities
as 10 shins a year and only on those who to gather information, provide them with
can afford it, requires that the PCs succeed a couple of clues. The first clue comes
on three difficulty 6 Intellect tasks (it would after a successful Intellect task (difficulty
be difficulty 5, but Ganilon is arguing against 3), reminding the PCs that the rain only
the PCs the whole time). Convincing her to started after silver ioquid was activated in
renounce the idea of taxes completely would various installations around the community.
require three difficulty 7 tasks. Perhaps that’s
that’s circumstantial, but the next
A compromise (or complete tax removal) clue is that rain sylphs never attack the
presented by the PCs to the mob mollifies installations containing silver ioquid, though
the community,
community, with only a single difficulty they do seem to dance around them, almost
5 task needed to convince them that the like adherents of a cult giving praise to their
matter has been resolved and it’s time to go god. The final clue, if necessary
neces sary,, is that a PC The dusky pox, already
home. sees flooding destroy one of the installations eradicated, doesn’t
resurge after the silver
containing silver ioquid. When that happens, ioquid installations
Ranked Rainstorm: The rain doesn’t let the rain in that particular small area lets up, are destroyed.
up; it intensifies. With the storm come and the sylphs near it explode and shoot
rain sylphs that flock to the community electrical bursts back into the sky.
by the hundreds and begin to tear at its Destroying or disabling all the affected
infrastructure and populace. This creates a installations brings an abrupt end to the
rank 3 disaster whose
disaster whose effects are felt once rains. The sun breaks, the waters drain, and Ranked disasters,
per day as a community action,
action, every day, a rainbow stretches across the blue sky. page 309
until the PCs can come up with a way to end Community actions,
the disaster. In the meantime, the PCs must page 305
attempt community tasks
tasks to
to add health to AW
XP AWARDS
Community tasks,
the community,
community, thus delaying how long it The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each
page 310
takes for the keep to reach 0 health and be for each month of long-term play that
wiped out. contributes toward advancing the community
by 1 rank (see
(s ee Community Advancements in
the next act), 1 XP each if they helped calm
the mob protesting taxes, and 1 XP each if
they save the community by disabling the
installations that use silver ioquid.
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’re combining “Amber Keep” with
“Relics of the Machine,” at some point
during this act you already included
Chapter 5: Leaving Shallamas, then
finished up the adventure in this act.
Next, proceed to Act 6: The Kindness of
Strangers, which describes newcomers
in town that are not made welcome
because of the news they bear.
127
ACT 6
THE
T HE K IND
INDNE
NESS
SS
OF STRANGERS
SYNOPSIS All the benefits provided to the settlement
The results of a series of long-term play from completed long-term tasks continue
tasks are resolved. But day-to-day events are to apply, but they now apply to the baseline
quickly interrupted when refugees come to stats for a rank
r ank 2 community.
community. For example,
the settlement. Claiming that their home if the PCs managed to add 3 points of
was destroyed by demons, they warn that infrastructure to the settlement’s stats,
Amber Keep might be next. They need aid those points are added to the rank 2
and a place to live. Whether or not that aid infrastructure value of 6, granting the newly
is granted, the PCs set out to investigate the advanced rank 2 community a modified
refugees’ warnings. infrastructure value of 9.
128
THE KINDNESS
KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
THE DEBATE
DEBATE:: ACCEPT
ACCEPT NEW
SETTLERS OR NOT?
Read the following aloud or paraphrase
Marraxi’ss account:
Marraxi’
129
The Case for Helping the Strangers: If PCs And now that we got away, there aren’t any
take the position that the refugees should people left in Conphas.”
be given aid, refuge, and maybe even a Whether or not the strangers are accepted
chance to start a new life in Amber Keep, the into the community
community,, Marraxi’s initial warning
If the PCs do not head to characters should make those points now, instills fear in the average Amber Keep
Conphas, the warnings in front of the assembled residents of their resident. The anxiety is obvious in public
Marraxi gave prove
true and the creatures
settlement. To
To successfully convince Amber and private conversations. If the PCs don’t
appear
Keep in Amber
in increasingly Keep to take in
PCs succeed onthe refugees
three requires
difficulty that the
6 Intellect decide
group oftoNPCs
do something
approachonthetheir own, a and
characters
greater numbers tasks (it would be difficulty 5, but Ganilon ask if they will check out Conphas, if only for
until the PCs act.
argues against the PCs the whole time). the peace of mind of the settlement.
130
THE KINDNESS
KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
with a hard exterior and a mushy interior like few larger buildings that still cluster near the
soft cheese. At first, it’s just tiny specks here center of town. If any native Conphans
and there, but as they close on the destroyed accompany the PCs,
they confirm that the
village, they find long bands and whorls Heading In: Nothing prevents the PCs from crust hadn’t reached
growing everywhere. Investigation reveals entering the crusted village, though the so far before.
that it’s some kind of organic growth, like quiet is broken each time someone takes a
a weed, but obviously more invasive. If step, creating an audible crunch under the
the PCs have the means to detect such explorers’ boots. The PCs leave obvious
a thing, they discover that the growth is footsteps, but theirs seem to be the only
transdimensional in nature. It doesn’t seem recent prints—at least so far.
far.
to be dangerous in and of itself.
EXPLORING CONPHAS
Village Perimeter: A strange reddish pall Most of the structures
s tructures are completely empty.
hangs over everything, creating a dusk-like If any natives accompany the PCs, they say
gloom even though no clouds are visible. that the demons ate people, so this doesn’t
The reddish color might just be the light surprise them. However, the complete lack
reflected from the red crust that grows over of remains does seem strange. Perhaps the
the trees, the ground, and the palisade bodies were hauled away somewhere?
walls of a village built along the shore of a That said, the PCs do trigger the following
small lake, but as the PCs move farther in, encounters as they look for the source of
it becomes clear that it’
it’ss no mere reflection. the crust. The dangerous manifestations
131
Transdimensional immediate
short range.range or, at
Luckily,
Luckily one target
they’re within
immobile. installation
thatinisahazed
arch that
an arch separate room,itsresembling
through center as
arch: level 7 if leading into another space entirely.
entirely. The
Crust Wing: The PCs’ presence soon draws PCs can choose to turn off the arch or go
Random Salvage
the attention of four flying creatures. The through. If they enter, tell them they end up
Result, page 109 crescent-shaped wings have a span of about “somewhere else” (as described in Act 7:
10 feet (3 m) but no discernible body— Meeting of Minds).
Crust wing: level 4; flies they’re all wing. These crust wings attack
wings attack by A successful check to understand
a long distance each dropping on targets, smothering them, and numenera reveals that the arch is creating
round; attack engulfs
target, inflicting 4 points
absorbing the remains. some kind of transdimensional effect. If the
of damage each round PCs choose to disable the arch, they can
until the target escapes Crust Shambler: In a large structure, the PCs do so simply by taking it apart for salvage
find a bulky, 7-foot (2 m) tall creature either (worth another roll on the Random Salvage
completely composed of crust or covered in Result table).
it. The distinction isn’t immediately relevant
Crust shambler: level 5; because the moment the crust shambler
shambler DEMONIC REVENGE
health 25; Armor 3; two senses the PCs, it charges them, attempting If the arch is disabled or destroyed, the
fist attacks each inflict
9 points of damage
to batter them to death with great, bulbous, threat doesn’t end. In fact, the opposite
fist-like extensions. occurs. The arch was a device that Coultan
crafted to moderate the influence of this
FINDING THE DEMON SOURCE protrusion from another reality, not create it.
Though it takes some time to investigate When the arch stops working, the weakness
the area, the PCs can eventually zero in rips wide open, forming a ragged vertical
on where the growth is thickest and where tear in space, 30 feet (9 m) in d
diameter
iameter,, that
the strange haze in the air is darkest: over bisects the house. Dozens of bird-sized,
a medium-sized structure in the center winged crust creatures swarm out and up,
of town. If Marraxi is with the PCs, she with more behind. Alternatively, the PCs may
tells them it is the home of a nano named choose to enter the arch (or the rip after
Coultan who had come to live in Conphas they create it). In either case, what they find
a few years ago. Marraxi says Coultan beyond the arch or rip is described in the
was a quiet person, working away on her next act.
own projects and never really joining
any community events or showing up at
gatherings. XP AW
AWARDS
The interior of the house is thick with The PCs earn 1 experience point (XP) each
demolished devices, all under a thick layer if they convinced their community to accept
of crust. The PCs can break the crust and the refugees, 1 XP each if they decided
attempt to salvage the area for interesting to investigate the source of the demons,
and 1 XP each if they discovered the other
dimension.
WHAT’S NEXT?
If you’re combining “Amber Keep”
Minds,
Act 7: Meeting of Minds, with “Relics of the Machine,” proceed
page 133 directly to Act 7: Meeting of Minds.
Minds.
132
MEETING OF MINDS
ACT 7
MEETING OF MINDS
Random
creates a Salvage tResult
ragged tear table.
ear in the However,
However
fabric , that
of reality, extradimensional space.dimension
and enclosing artificial Both the growth
have far
making the opening into Medulla even exceeded Coultan s original design by a
bigger.) couple of orders of magnitude.
To end the threat
thr eat that Medulla represents,
the PCs must explore this dangerous realm,
133
find Coultan, and either convince her to help One of the roots reaches through a
them end the threat (a possibility for silver- discontinuity in space, leading back to the
tongued PCs) or defeat her and figure out world. That’s
That’s the root where the PCs who
how to end the threat themselves. entered this dimension stand.
ROOTS OF MEDULL
MEDULLA
A MEDULLA LORE
MEDULLA LOR E
A colossal tree named Medulla grows in The transparent structures scattered
The air is breathable. an alternate dimension bound by starry about the giant tree were once rooms in
Gravity is low, and darkness. About a mile in length, Medulla’s
Medulla’s a larger cohesive building that comprised
normal to—as in,
“pulling toward”—
roots twine naked as if the emptiness was an artificial dimension the nano, Coultan,
the roots, trunk, and nourishing soil. The trunk extends for accessed through the transdimensional
branches of Medulla. at least a quarter mile beyond the roots, arch. A greenhouse workshop of sorts, it
Red light gleams from covered in a bark-like crust. Above, great was where Coultan experimented with living
the entire growth,
providing dim light. branches sweep out as if reaching for the numenera devices called biologicals. She
distant twinkling lights. The branches’ leaves also used the space for collecting oddities,
are hanging tendrils that constantly coil and devices, and machines for later study.
study.
134
MEETING OF MINDS
the artificial dimension holding it. The something like a crust-entombed corpse
expansion burst through, and Medulla’s
Medulla’s until its face splits open, revealing a horrific
influence began to leak out, engulfing visage spewing wriggling worms.
Conphas. It’s unclear how far beyond
Conphas it will actually reach. EMPTY TERRARIUMS
The empty terrariums have
terrariums have been overtaken Empty terrariums
CRYING TENDRILS by tiny yellow flowers. The flowers’ faces appear on the map in
every cube-like structure
Anyone
undulatingwithin shortthat
tendrils range of the
serve coiling, s
as Medulla’s
Medulla’ have a disquieting
progress way enter
of those who of following the .
the chamber.
chamber
along the trunk not
otherwise keyed.
leaves hear whispers and occasional The flowers’ roots dissolve both machines
sighs and faint groans of anguish. The and living things; if the PCs dig into the GM intrusion: A
noises come from the tendrils themselves. crusts in these chambers, they find nothing character risks losing a
cypher, artifact, or other
(They’re transmitting Coultan’s distress, of value, only very tough roots from the device to a questing
telepathically.)
telepathically .) If a PC touches one, they yellow flowers. root unless they can
get a psychic surge
s urge and feel sad, angry,
angry, succeed on a difficulty
confused, and lonely. Should a PC try to ENCRUSTING CHAMBER 5 Speed defense task.
contact whoever the feelings are emanating This chamber contains a central crust-
from, they must succeed on a difficulty 5 covered machine about 5 feet (1.5 m) on a
Intellect task each round, taking 5 points of side that hums and mutters. A glass bulb
Intellect damage for every round they fail. on the top contains slowly swirling red mud.
If successful, they gain the sense that the A difficulty 6 understanding numenera task
entire huge tree is called Medulla, and that reveals that the installation has the ability
it isn’t really the source of the distress. Who to transform a creature by granting them an
is, however, can’t be determined. armor crust for several days. If a PC uses Encruster: level 6
this encruster,
encruster, the process takes about a
TERRARIUM ONE minute, after which a red crust does indeed
This crust-covered, partially wrecked glass grow across their body like a particularly
chamber holds a variety of demolished aggressive skin cancer.
cancer. Within an hour
hour,,
devices under a thick layer of crust. PCs they are mostly crust covered and gain +1
can break the crust and attempt to salvage Armor until the crust is cut away. A crusted
the area for interesting things if they wish. character begins to hear strange noises and
Doing so takes about fifteen minutes voices that aren’t there, and they become
and grants them one roll on the Random paranoid and angry.
angry.
Salvage Result table as a difficulty 5 salvage The armor crust has a downside: On a Bounding boots,
task. They also uncover what appears, at failed Intellect defense task, the character page 293
first, to be a hibernating creature, but a PC forgets themselves and begins to attack Living armor sheath,
who succeeds on a level 5 understanding their friends, calling them intruders. page 298
numenera task realizes it is a living artifact Removing the crust ends the effect.
akin to bounding boots.
boots. Crust mite swarm:
While investigating, a character risks level 4; successful attack
covers target, inflicting
disturbing a nest of crust mites
mites—fingernail-
—fingernail- 4 points of damage
sized flecks of crust with legs—that swarms each round until
all over them. burned or scraped off
opportunities.
the PCs uncoverThe only difference
a different is that
“hibernating worms
point ofthat inflict targets
damage; 1
damaged by worm
creature —in this case, a living armor
attack must succeed on
sheath artifact.
sheath artifact. a second Speed defense
While exploring, a character risks roll or take 5 points
disturbing a crust mummy
mummy,, which looks of Intellect damage
135
otherwise
rescue. direct their path, they’ll need MEETING COULT
COULTAN
AN
Coultan doesn’t immediately attack the PCs,
WEAK CRUST though she does defend herself swiftly and
Here and there, parasitic infestations pock competently if they attack her first. If the
Medulla’ss flesh. The
Medulla’ These
se infestations are PCs express a desire to talk, she motions
136
MEETING OF MINDS
137
ACT 8
CLOUD OF
ALL ENDINGS
SYNOPSIS
The PCs have a chance to allow Amber Keep Relationship Tasks: If PCs are interested
to grow further as about half a year passes. in the tasks Raise a Child (by choosing
They can engage in long-term tasks, possibly to foster one of the refugees that came
Act 6: The Kindness of strengthening their own relationships in the to Amber Keep in Act 6: The Kindness of
Strangers, page 128 community
community.. Nothing particularly serious Strangers),
Strangers ), Pursue a Relationship, Recruit
happens during this time, allowing the PCs a Follower,
Follower, or another long-term task
to concentrate on their tasks—until the that includes NPC interactions, you are
Cloud of All Endings finally forms. The seeds encouraged to roleplay the first interaction
for its formation were planted all the way that occurs or an important development in
Weeping back in Act 4: The Weeping Tower when
Act 4: The Weeping Tower when they an already-established relationship (rather
Tower, page 120 activated the silver ioquid
ioquid.. In this act, the than just indicating what’
what’ss happened). For
Silver ioquid, page 127 event that the suppressors were meant to instance, if a PC wants to foster a child,
prevent finally occurs, and the PCs are called describe where the child is currently staying,
upon to stop it. what the child looks like, their name, and
their initial reaction to the PC (which is
improved if the PC succeeds on a difficulty 5
ENGAGE IN Intellect task for positive interaction).
LONG-TERM PLA
PLAY
Y
As play begins, tell the PCs that they can take Exploration Tasks: If a PC chooses Discover
Long-term tasks, on about six months’ worth of long-term tasks.
tasks. New Area of Interest, the last area they
page 324 might find is the entrance to the Aquifer
CHOOSING A LONG-TERM TAS
TASK
K Complex (see the associated map) via a
Give the PCs the maps and notes generated crevice a few miles away from Amber Keep.
Act 2: Building Amber in Act 2: Building Amber Keep that
Keep that detail the Hold off on exploration of this complex until
Keep, page 109 community
community.. With those in hand, players can normal play resumes.
choose to take up a long-term task.
If a task takes only one or two months,
a PC can take on sequential tasks. Some FINAL RAIN
of the tasks might grant upgrades to the Normal play resumes when long-term play
community’ss damage inflicted, health, or
community’ is interrupted by a community-wide event.
infrastructure, so note that when those The day begins with a mist that grows
tasks are successfully completed. The PCs into a rainstorm, reminiscent of those that
can choose to take on up to two long-term afflicted the community during Act 5: Bring
B ring
tasks at a time, but only if it’s physically (or the Rain. And indeed, a ranked disaster
conceptually)
The GM has thepossible foron
final say them
suchtotasks.
do so. occurs,
includestouching off a series
a living cloud of events
that seems that
intent
Refer to the descriptions of each task in on destroying absolutely everything. The
Numenera Destiny for additional guidance PCs have a few options for dealing with the
on how to describe each long-term activity threat, but ultimately, they’ll have to head
to the PCs. down into the Aquifer Complex to sever a
138
power source that the Cloud of All Endings to tear apart Amber Keep. The PCs have
relies on to keep its shape. See the next their hands full if they want to save the
section for how events play out. community.
THE CLOUD
CLOUD OF ALL ENDINGS
ENDINGS Sinkhole (Rank 6 Disaster): Part of the keep
Part of the keep begins to sink over the falls into the earth, inflicting 6 points of
course of an hour, after which the entire damage to the community,
community, but only once.
neighborhood section falls into darkness, Mark an area a long distance in diameter
crashing like a landslide. A vast cavity a long on the community map, picking a location
distance in diameter is revealed, striated that includes residential areas and perhaps
with veins of glowing blue light reminiscent an installation or two that provides Armor
of the rain sylphs. All is quiet for minutes. or other protection. This ranked disaster
disaster Ranked disasters,
Then, with an unearthly groan, a many- takes one hour before the slumping area page 309
armed creature of vapor and lightning pulls falls and the damage is inflicted, so the PCs
itself up and
100 feet outtall,
(30 m) of the
hascavity.
dozens It’sofatarms
least could attempt
tactic noted in the
the Rescue and Evacuate
next section to protect
each twice that long, and is haloed by a Amber Keep’s
Keep’s health. Nothing they do to
flight of hundreds of rain sylphs. Clouds bolster infrastructure or provide Armor will
boil out of the clear sky overhead, and as ameliorate this one-time sinkhole disaster.
disaster.
the thunderstorm starts, the creature begins
139
Cloud Creature (Rank 4 Rampaging Beast): so prevents all the damage dealt to the
The cloud creature, which includes the community’ss health when the section falls in
community’
hundreds of rain sylphs flying around it like on itself, without spending any Effort.
Rampaging beast, beast that
a halo, is a rampaging beast that inflicts its
page 315 damage once per hour. Unfortunately,
Unfortunately, any Gather Duskfruit: Though less likely, it’s
Community actions,
damage dealt to it or its halo is healed at the possible the PCs have kept a large store
page 305 beginning of each new community action.
action. of duskfruit or can gather it quickly. If they
Observers note that a pulse of electrical gain a large quantity (say, a wagonload), 1
Community
pagetasks,
310 energy travels up out of the sinkhole each point of Armor is granted to Amber Keep by
time this happens. It soon becomes clear arranging the fruit around the cavity
cavity.. (This
that something down there will have to be won’t cause dusky pox issues as long as
As revealed in Act disabled to destroy the thing. no one eats the fruit and starts the cycle of
4 and 5, dusk fruit infection all over
over.)
.)
contains nanites that
suppress instances of the
MODERATING TACTICS
Cloud of All Ending. In addition to standard community Head Into the Aquifer Complex: Anyone
tasks PCs
tasks PCs can attempt to bolster health, observing the fight can tell that the living
infrastructure, Armor,
Armor, and damage inflicted, storm is being continually energized by
the PCs can also attempt the following some influence down in the sinkhole.
tasks. The final option—Head Into the Explorers who head into the area discover
Aquifer Complex—is probably the only way an ancient ruin and a way to terminate the
to end the threat of the Cloud of All Endings Cloud of All Endings.
for good.
Rescue and Evacuate: If at least three PCs INTO THE SINKHOLE
work together, they can evacuate vulnerable The sinkhole descends about 100 feet (30 m)
citizens before the sinkhole swallows before opening into a gargantuan cavity that
the indicated portion of the keep. Doing is another 100 feet (30 m) tall. PCs must
140
descend a total of 200 feet (60 m). If the Destroying the Masts: There are five masts,
PCs climb to get down, the task requires each vulnerable to a level 6 Might task PCs who fall down the
rope or a couple of difficulty 4 Might tasks. to break them. Doing so doesn’t end the sinkhole take 1 point
of damage for every
threat, because electricity is still released 10 feet (3 m) fallen.
Striated Sediments: The edges of the and channeled up the sinkhole.
s inkhole. However,
sinkhole are striated with veins of glowing without the masts to direct the energy, the
bluish material that inflicts 4 points of entire surface of the complex becomes
electrical damage when touched. If a electrified once per hour, dropping everyone
rope touches or snags on one of these standing on the Aquifer Complex’s
Complex’s surface
sections, it might burn through (as a GM one step on the damage track on a failed
intrusion) or a PC might take the damage difficulty 6 Might task.
and fall unless they can catch themselves
(as a GM intrusion). About every hour,
hour, ENTRANCE
the glowing webwork of sediment pulses Searching the rubble scattered across the
with extra energy. These lines of energy are golden surface reveals an entrance to the
what rejuvenate the Cloud of All Endings complex; an installation from the surface
attacking Amber Keep. fell and detonated upon impact, creating
an opening—one that glows with greenish
Individual Rain Sylphs: Though they act as energy from some weird interaction of Rain sylph: level 3;
part of the rampaging beast’s ranked attack numenera. (If no installations fell, the tear flies a short distance
each round; lightning
against the community,
community, a few rain sylphs was created by a particularly large, hard,
might decide to pester climbers, dropping solid piece of inert metal in the falling touch
points attack inflicts
of damage and5
them to their doom if they can successfully sediment.) causes victim who fails
pry a PC from a rope or the wall. An attack a Might defense task
to lose their next turn;
should be introduced as a GM intrusion. Conditions in the Complex: Humidity within regains 3 health per
the complex approaches 100 percent, which round in thunderstorms
FALLEN NEIGHBORHOOD means characters heat up quickly when
The section of Amber Keep that slumped exerting themselves. Sweating doesn’t seem
and fell lies here in rubble. The shattered to cool them off.
ground, structures, and possibly even a few
smashed installations cover the surface in Corridors and Rooms: The golden-hued
an area about a long distance across. It’s metallic corridors seem as though they were
dark in the larger cavity except for the light made for creatures taller than humans. The
shining down from the shaft overhead, and ceilings are uniformly 20 feet (6 m) high
the space is too wide to see the cavity’s side but at the same time, the passages are a
walls. little too narrow for comfort—about 4 feet
The fallen neighborhood landed on a (1 m) in width—though some areas are at
gold-hued metallic structure—the Aquifer least 20 feet (6 m) on a side. When electrical
Complex. In the immediate vicinity,
vicinity, the pulses shoot through the complex each
structure is partly buried except for a few hour,, lines of white metal in the ceiling buzz
hour
metallic masts that rise up out of the with current, but they aren’t dangerous by
rubble. These masts send forth an hourly themselves (though a GM intrusion might
electric pulse that leaps into the air and have an arcing bolt threaten explorers).
is then channeled farther upward by the
wall striations that line the sinkhole. Each WHISTLING DEVICE
pulse revitalizes the Cloud of All Endings. This chamber is empty except for a floating
A difficulty 5 understanding numenera task piece of metal about 3 feet (1 m) square
suggests that
the energy; the mastslocated
something merelywithin
channel
the emitting
difficulty a7 high-pitched
understandingwhistling
numenera sound.
taskA
complex itself controls that energy’s release. can activate it, causing the square to stop
whistling, settle to the ground, and extrude Whistling automaton:
metallic legs. The automaton then
automaton then begins level 5; moves up to a
long distance each round
to follow whichever PC activated it. Other
141
successful),
condense outand 1d6 humid
of the inimical
air,rain
air sylphs
, their skin because it’sit so
deactivate by large. PCs can more
first succeeding on aquickly
forming from energy and water tension over difficulty 7 understanding numenera task,
the course of one round. then accessing a control surface to put it to
sleep. Once deactivated, the entire complex
jolts and begins to slowly descend toward
142
the sea. PCs have about one minute to race in the same way as the iron wind.
back across the swaying catwalk before it is Hopefully,, however, the PCs save Amber
Hopefully
submerged. Within about an hour,
hour, the entire Keep and stop the Cloud of All Endings
complex sinks beneath the water. before it reaches maturity.
maturity. If so, a grand
celebration is held in the PCs’ honor,
Electrical Nodule: The character deactivating during which Ganilon Brig speaks for the
the device is absorbed into it (treat as a community in actual heartfelt thanks.
INDEX
Amber Gleaners 14 Federin’s farm 18 Origin 60
Amber Keep (rank 1) 113 Forina 54 Origin’ss cube
Origin’ 61
Ardor and Grace 71 Ganilon Brig 129 Orstenia Myal 8
Axis 49 Garmulu Manor House 56 Philosophy of Communion 45
Axis’ss horde
Axis’ 48 Gennd 108 phrontex 105
barkscraper 136 Glistening Army 94 phrontex lair 105
betulan 103 Groguntus 106 pyramid arrival 75
Blazing Pillar,
Pillar, the 115 Halo of Dominion (artifact) 95 Pyramid Random Event Table 77
Blue Tongues 111 harmony distiller 54 Radius 16
Changing Moon diviner (artifact) 40 Heart of the Pillar,
Pillar, the 118 Radius, ascended Machine God 95
Changing Moon, the 40 Hoard, the 68 Radius’s Home 26
chime tree 89 Howling Pyramid, the 74 rain sylph 125
Chord 45 Kadri 26,, 103
26 red rain 38
circle of association 68 Kalpis, the 27 Root 72
Ciszan, false Machine God 94 Karkus Lamarn 54 Selani 55
Ciszan’ss Scepter (artifact)
Ciszan’ 95 Karnath 89 Shifting Moon 43
clickers 77 Lost Manufactory 71 silver ioquid 127
Combined Campaign Flowchart 6 manufactories 70 sinkhole 140
comprehension crawler 31 Marraxi 129 sonic lance (artifact) 81
Conphas 130 Medulla, Coultan’
Coultan’ss garden 133 Sparadhi 115
Coultan 137 mego 89 stolen memories 23
crust husk 132 Melyndwr 39 Taxx 106
crust mite 135 memory collector 19 tendril crawler (vehicle) 35
crust mummy 135 Mephitic Forest 20 Treetop Crown 136
crust shambler 132 Meteoron Control 123 Trophy Room Collection
Collect ion Table 60
crust wing 132 Mighty Arm, the 110 Troth, prophet of the
Cult Clues 43 Morigera, prophet of the Machine God 43
cyclic raiders 78 Machine God 32 Tsala 108
D elend mind
diamond 352
8 mud-bird
mud-bird/lair
murden 22
18 U
vensikt-A29 2711
Dragon, the 68 Nerif 89 Visso 26, 103
26,
duskfruit 120 Nort 108 Weal Encoun
Encounter
ter Table 66
dusky pox 120 Nronic 89 Weal of Baz, the 63
echo storm 55 omnierudite cube (artifact) 37 Zoyin 14, 103
14,
equation of summoning, the 73 oniscid 27