THE MOVING CLAW
An Adventure for THE ELECTRUM ARCHIVE by Erwin_the_German
Editing and layout by Colin Chapman
Key NPCs & Factions
Full details on these NPCs and The
Heavenbound are provided in the Appendices.
◆ Divaan Ker Onar: Disgraced and
self-exiled apothecary from Titan Port,
a low-ranking bureaucrat of House Ker
Onar seeking to regain favor.
◆ Nothdrisa: Disgruntled member of
The Heavenbound moonlighting as an
independent inkseeker, determined to
leave Mar Ruun and the cult behind.
◆ The Heavenbound: Very minor
cult/unrecognized guild of fanatical
Nollish inkseekers. They recklessly
interact with warpgas and ink, cherish
mutations and Elder Tech, and believe
this will let them become residents of
the Realm Beyond.
The Story So Far…
A week ago an earthquake near the city of Mar
Ruun partially unearthed a buried Eldership.
Nothdrisa entered it, gathered several Elder
Tech pieces, and found an artifact she labeled
“The Moving Claw”, but lacked the necessary
space to remove and carry it.
She decided to sell the salvaged items at
Riftrock Trading Post. A bureaucrat there,
Divaan Ker Onar, convinced her to tell him
where she located them, and lied that he
would partner with her on a further
expedition to the Eldership.
He asked Nothdrisa for a map to the
Eldership, but she intentionally drew a poor
one fearing she would be killed if she was no
longer useful.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
Divaan did not trust her to keep knowledge
of the ship to herself and secretly poisoned
her with a drink celebrating their
“partnership” while stating that he would
contact her in a few day. Nothdrisa's warped
physiology enabled her to survive the
assassination attempt, barely, though she
believes she ate something bad.
Enter the Adventurers…
Divaan approaches the PCs in Mar Ruun to
commission them to undertake an expedition
on his behalf.
He informs them that an uncharted
Eldership was unearthed by the recent
earthquake and brought to his attention by an
inkseeker called Nothdrisa. She described an
artifact called The Moving Claw and he wants
the PCs to retrieve it.
If they are interested, he offers the group a
total of 100 drops but can be haggled up to
150. He also notes that they are welcome to
keep anything else they find in the Eldership.
He explains that the vessel is three days’
travel away and describes The Moving Claw as,
“A large, segmented cylinder ending in a
claw.” He will not elaborate on what it does.
He stresses that the party must avoid
discussing the expedition with anyone else as
rivals might claim the ship or ambush them.
They are to bring The Moving Claw to him
at Riftrock Trading Post, and will be paid then.
Divaan provides them with Nothdrisa’s
map to use, but also suggests soliciting her for
more information, though he has no idea
where she lives in Mar Ruun.

Locating Nothdrisa
The best way to locate Nothdrisa is to talk to
local inkseekers and tech scavengers.
General discussion provides the following
information:
◆ She’s often seen in the company of the
Heavenbound, a cult-guild of fanatical
inkseekers from Nol.
A successful Mask check and payment of
2d4 drops reveals her address also.
Anyone with a Cultist background is
automatically privy to all of the general
information regarding the Heavenbound
cult/guild presented in the Appendix.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
Visiting the Heavenbound
The Heavenbound headquarters are nestled in
a squalid courtyard across from an orphanage.
The orphans gather at all hours of the day
to gawk at the inkseekers, who sport
grotesque mutations from their reckless
interactions with warpgas.
When the PCs arrive, a trio of
Heavenbound (Relms, Galru, and Gorias) are
hanging around outside their ramshackle
lodge.
- If Approached…
If approached, they refuse entry and are aloof
and condescending towards anyone who is not
a warlock and who doesn’t display mutations.
They refuse to divulge where Nothdrisa
lives unless the PCs make a really good case or
score a critical success on a Mask check.
If things become heated, the other
Heavenbound will emerge from their quarters.
- If Eavesdropped On…
If the PCs sneak up on them (Agility check),
they can be heard discussing Nothdrisa’s
absence - she hasn’t been seen in almost a
week. They’re worried that the Children of the
Crimson Moon got to her, or maybe a rival
guild, and resolve to check in on her soon.
- If Watched and Followed…
If the PCs wait in the shadows they will
observe Methanda, Vern0Lyd, Gorias, and
Brelshev leave together, talking about
checking up on Nothdrisa. They genuinely
want to make sure she’s alright.
Following them will lead to her tenement.
- If All Else Fails…
If the PCs fail to figure out where Nothdrisa
lives, one of the orphans will run up to them
while they’re leaving, claiming to know where
“the hairless, tattooed lady” lives. She’ll show
them in exchange for 2d4 drops of ink.
Meeting Nothdrisa
Nothdrisa lives several blocks away from the
Heavenbound headquarters in a rundown
tenement where living spaces are separated
by ragged sheets of cloth and there’s very
little privacy.
Nothdrisa’s “room” is on the second floor and
contains little beyond a rickety bed and chest
for her personal belongings.
Nothdrisa is bedridden and obviously sick.
The floor by her is stained with an unhealthy
amount of dried, oddly streaked vomit.
- Looking at the Vomit…
A successful Archive check identifies the
streaks as the markers of a lethal and
deliberate poison. It’s a miracle she survived.
- Talking to Nothdrisa…
When approached, she weakly and nervously
apologizes for the mess stating that she has
eaten something bad.
If the PCs tell her that Divaan sent them,
she becomes confused. She thought Divaan
would send for her in a few days, not hire
another group of inkseekers.
If she’s told about the poison, she realizes
Divaan tried to kill her and warns the PCs to
be wary of Divaan.
She says she’ll personally lead them to the
Eldership as long as they take her along.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
She explains what happened:
◆ She found the ship and took a glider
down to investigate.
◆ Inside, she saw Elder Tech everywhere
and filled her pack with what she
could quickly grab and escaped, but
not before discovering what she dubs
“the Moving Claw”, some kind of large
cylinder with a contraption at the end;
when she tried messing with it, it
yanked her lumenpod into the air.
Since it was bulky, she decided to
leave it, figuring she’d be back.
◆ She went to sell her loot at Riftrock
Trading Post, where Divaan sweet
talked her into telling him more…
which led to the map, which led to her
getting poisoned. Which led to now.
If asked about the Heavenbound, she
becomes cagey and says she doesn’t want to
bother or talk about them. If the Heavenbound
showed up before the PCs arrived, she’s even
more emphatic about this.
- Helping Nothdrisa…
Helping her recover requires an Archive check
or the use of an appropriate spell, device, or
item. Otherwise, she’ll have to be carried out.
Leaving the Tenement
When the PCs leave with Nothdrisa, they will
encounter the Heavenbound who were
loitering nearby, whether suspicious of
Nothdrisa or the PCs.
They assume treachery is afoot but give
Nothdrisa and the PCs a chance to speak up
and avoid conflict - otherwise, they attack.
The fight won’t last long - members of the
local constabulary arrive in 2d6 rounds to
break up the melee. If this happens, or if the
PCs manage to avoid a fight without convincing
the Heavenbound to back off entirely, they
will be pursued into the badlands while going
after the Eldership.
Locating the Eldership
The PCs can attempt to follow Nothdrisa’s
imprecise map or locate the ship with her aid.
Following the Map
Following the map will bring the party to the
general area of the Rift wall where the ship
can be found, but without a landmark it is
very difficult to locate. The area is also
extremely rocky and treacherous.
Consult this table every hour they search.
d6 Unaided Exploration Event
1 Roll again. If it’s a 1, they find the
Eldership after an hour of searching.
2 Roll on the Encounter Table below.
3 An hour of fruitless searching. Mark a
usage of rations.
4-6 An hour of fruitless searching.
d6 Encounter
1 Flying Rift nettles float through the air
nearby; their jelly could be sold for a
tidy sum.
2 2d4 armed Children of the Crimson
Moon, who demand to know what the
party is doing out here.
3 An Elder Drone bobbing along the
regolith in the distance, traveling
southeast. It takes no notice of the
players unless they try to impede it.
4-6 Slip and fall! Random PC must make
Agility or Body check or take 1
damage.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
With Nothdrisa’s Aid
If Nothdrisa is present or the PCs have extra
information from her, they know to look for a
lip of rock that extends over the edge of the
canyon like the tip of a spear. The Eldership is
half a mile SW of there. Nothdrisa left a small
rock cairn at the edge of the cliff to mark its
exact location. This removes any need for
hours spent searching for the vessel.
The Eldership
The Eldership is lodged within the wall of the
Rift, its tailfin jutting out at 25o angle like the
tail of a fish.
Its surface, segmented like the scales of a
lizard, is shiny and silver. Anyone flying along
the canyon wall in a glider would have no
trouble spotting it.
A massive pile of rocks rests at the foot of
the canyon, far below.
The wall of the canyon around the vessel is
far less sunbleached than its surroundings,
suggesting this section was recently exposed
by a rockslide.
If Nothdrisa is present, she will wait for the
PCs here, noting that she is still not feeling
well or confident enough to enter.
Reaching the Eldership
Reaching the ship requires climbing down,
using gliders (if the PCs have any), or use of
appropriate magic.
- Climbing Down
Climbing down requires two successes on an
Agility check, with advantage if the PCs are
using a rope.
Failure indicates no progress is made.
Three failures leaves the climbers
Deprived.
A botch indicates a fall - harmless if they’re
rigged to a rope, lethal if free climbing.
- Using Gliders
The party can potentially use gliders to fly
down to the vessel with a single successful
Agility check, with advantage.
Failure means a stiff wind blows them off
course.
A botch means they start to veer toward
the canyon wall - another failure will see them
slam into the rock wall for 2d4 damage,
ruining the glider and stranding them until
they can be rescued or climb out.
Entering the Eldership
One of the segmented “scales” along the
surface of the Eldership is a hatch, which
silently spins open on approach, telescoping
into the vessel. It’s pitch black inside -
impossible to see without a light source.
The Interior
The interior is noticeably colder than outside,
and the walls are covered with an organic
pattern, like veins running beneath the
metallic surface.
Here and there stand crystalline screens
and dark metallic apparati seemingly grown
randomly from the floors, walls, and ceilings.
There are no doors, just twisting corridors.
Exploring The Interior
Each turn spent exploring the interior
requires a roll on the Interior Exploration
Event table.
Note: The PCs will stumble across the Moving
Claw on their fourth exploration turn if they
haven’t already.
- Tumorous Protrusions
Parts of the walls, floors and ceilings are
occasionally interrupted by tumorous
protrusions which shift and undulate as if
alive. They are metallic, yet are somehow soft
and warm to the touch.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
Piercing a tumor requires Body+5 and a
successful check. A pierced tumor “pops”,
releasing a small cloud of warpgas that
instantly envelopes anyone stood next to the
tumor, forcing a Body check to avoid
developing a random mutation within a day.
As soon as a tumor is pierced, a tinny but
organic moan erupts from deep within the
ship, light erupts from the ceiling panels, and
nearby Elder Tech splutters to life, producing
a brief cacophony of light and sound.
A pierced tumor rapidly scabs over with
cauterized ink, some still wet enough to slip
into a vial if done quickly. Roll d20 to
determine how many drops are scavenged.
- Husk Defenses
After their fourth turn spent exploring (on the
turn immediately after they locate the Moving
Claw), the PCs will be attacked by a Husk,
which silently drops from the ceiling.
Each turn thereafter, double the number of
Husks drop from the ceiling to attack, so 2,
then 4, and so on. Their tide seems inexorable.
d6 Interior Exploration Event
1 The PC with the highest Spirit has a
vision: “The tumors around you explode,
one by one, gallons of ink splattering
onto a floor soon slippery with the stuff
as it rises to your feet. Vials would
never be enough to contain all this.”
2 A piece of Elder Tech is found. Roll on
the Found Elder Tech table.
3 Mark a usage dot on the light sources
used by the party.
4-5 An hour of fruitless searching.
6 Party rolls Spirit to try and notice d4
Husks lurking on the ceiling. They’ll
automatically attack whoever fails,
while those who succeed get to act
during the surprise round.
 d8 Found Elder Tech 8 A trashed piece of Elder Tech with a full
vial of ink attached; d20+10 drops.
1 The Moving Claw: See the Appendices.

2 A flat, black statuette of a weird, beaked Resolution

mollusc-like creature. People feel
uneasy around it. A vial containing d6
drops of ink protrudes from the top.
If the vial is full of 10 drops, grasping
the icon with one’s bare hand produces
indescribable pain (d4+2 damage).
3 A small, black sphere, with a small
insertion point for a vial of ink. If filled
with 5 drops, the sphere can be crushed
or thrown, filling the affected area with
darkness that no light or sound can
penetrate. It’s harmless to people, but
disturbing - all senses suddenly fade, as
if in a sensory deprivation tank.
4 A collar of thick black glass ringed by
five ink vial insertion points. When a vial
with 10 drops is inserted, anyone
wearing the collar around their neck
becomes the willing slave of whoever
filled the vial - each full vial inserted
translates to 1 day of control.
Multiple options present themselves when the
PCs emerge:
◆ They might head back to Riftrock
Trading Post to fulfill their
commission with Divaan.
◆ They might find the Heavenbound
waiting for them.
◆ They might decide to keep the Moving
Claw for themselves.
Nothdrisa, if she came along, will congratulate
them on finding the Moving Claw if they have
it, and announce that she’s coming with them
to Riftrock Trading Post. She intends to take a
percentage of whatever Divaan pays them,
noting that there’d be no pay at all if it wasn’t
for her.
She’ll also counsel them not to blackmail
him; he’s a noble of a Merchant House, and
while this doesn’t mean much in Mar Ruun it
could create a very powerful enemy for them.

5 A large vial full of red liquid. If ingested

or injected, the user is filled with
incandescent rage and hyper adrenaline.
Body increases by 2, up to a maximum
of 9, and all attacks are made with
advantage. If the user’s allies are closer
than enemies, the user must roll Spirit to
avoid attacking. All effects end after
2d4 rounds, leaving the user Deprived.

6 A short obsidian rod with a shallow

metallic dish on the end and a slot for
an ink vial at the end of the rod. When
filled with 20 drops, everyone within one
zone of the wielder must roll Spirit or
SKL in order to use magic. If they fail,
they suffer 1 damage.

7 A trashed piece of Elder Tech with a

half-full ink vial attached; 2d6+3 drops.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
Meeting Divaan
Meeting Divaan to fulfill their commission is
straightforward. He will congratulate them,
thank them for their discretion and loyalty,
and pay what was agreed upon when given the
Moving Claw. He will note that he is sure more
commissions will come their way as a result.
- If Nothdrisa is Present
If Nothdrisa accompanies the PCs, a Spirit
check reveals Divaan’s unease as he keeps
fingering his sheathed sword.
Unsettled, he will pay them 150 drops (or
200), even if they did not previously haggle.
He will flatly deny poisoning Nothdrisa,
who does not challenge him on it, and does
not raise the subject herself.
After Meeting Divaan
After the meeting and exchange with Divaan,
Nothdrisa will say that it made sense for him
to poison her, knowing her association with
the Heavenbound, and that she would have
done the same had their roles been reversed.
She bares no grudge and is content that she’s
alive and got paid.
- Parting On Good Terms
If the PCs were pleasant and helpful to her
and gave her an adequate cut of the pay, she
gives the PCs her small stash of Elder Tech,
stating that she’s done with Elder Tech and
plans to leave Mar Ruun as soon as possible.
Her stash contains two of the artifacts the
PCs did not find in the Eldership, if any.
- THE END -
Future Events
Three or more days after the adventure
finishes, a messenger from House Ker Onar
will seek out the PCs, requesting a meeting
with Divaan at Riftrock Trading Post.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
If they meet him, he offers them a
commission to secretly deliver the Moving
Claw to Miala Ker Onar, the house matriarch
in Ker Onar Estate in Titan Port. They will be
paid 200 drops in advance and a House Favor.
If they agree he will also give them a sealed
letter addressed to Miala Ker Onar, stressing
that the letter not to be opened under any
circumstances and should be destroyed if it
seems likely they’ll be captured or killed.
Other Threads…
◆ The Heavenbound seek revenge if any
of them were killed by the PCs.
◆ Divaan will send hired thugs after the
PCs if they kept the Moving Claw.
◆ The Children of the Crimson Moon will
take an interest in the artifact if they
hear about it.
◆ Gillfar, a Ruinland artificer, sends an
Elder Drone to investigate any rumors.
◆ If considered a traitor by the
Heavenbound, Nothdrisa’s corpse will
be found in Mar Ruun, her brain
removed. Alternatively, she may have
been crucified by the Children of the
Crimson Moon.
Appendices
Appendix I - NPCs
Divaan Ker Onar HP 10 [2] SKL 4 DMG d8
A lowly house functionary, Divaan served as
an apothecary in Titan Port until recently.
He made the mistake of sleeping with a
courtesan favored by a higher ranked member
of the family, Alandrynn Ker Onar, and after
embarrassing himself in a drunken duel, his
immediate family suggested self-exile.
As one of the only bureaucrats stationed at
the outpost, most of the petty administration
falls on his shoulders. But this provides
opportunities; he’s usually the first to hear
about anything interesting that happens in
the Rift.
He is short and heavyset, with black,
shoulder-length hair and soft features. He’d be
passingly handsome if it weren’t for the
dueling scar that cuts across his face. He’s
quite self-conscious about it. He wears a sword
at his belt and is often seen carrying a book on
herbs and reagents.
Polite, intense, & wryly condescending.
Nothdrisa (poisoned) HP 6 SKL 3 DMG d4
Nothdrisa (restored) HP 8 SKL 5 DMG d4
A member of the Heavenbound, Nothdrisa has
wanted to leave the group for some time,
disturbed by their increasing fanaticism.
She is slender, tall, hairless, and covered in
Nollish tattoos. In a mirror, she casts no
reflection, She can also become invisible, but
unless she’s nude her clothes and items will
remain visible. When she’s not noticed and
strikes from invisibility, her damage is
doubled.
Wary and paranoid.
Children of the HP 6 SKL 4
Crimson Moon DMG d6 [club] or d4 [sling]
Fanatics out on patrol along the Rift, hunting
for warlocks.
The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.
Heavenbound HP 8 [1] SKL 4 DMG see below
The Heavenbound are a radical offshoot of the
Cult of Caelumvolen, a Monarch spirit whose
philosophies supposedly guide adherents to
permanent residency in the Realm Beyond.
Most Caelumvolen cultists spend their lives
in meditation and grim asceticism. Not the
Heavenbound - they believe inhaling copious
amounts of ink and using Elder Tech will bring
about holy transfiguration.
They are too small to constitute an official
guild and scrabble with other unrecognized
guilds to claim ownership of Rift salvage. They
only sell what they cannot use.
They’re contemptuous of people without
mutations, viewing them as unenlightened,
but will zealously explain their beliefs to any
who care to listen.
- Members
Sevroi: Male, Albino, bulging eyes. Speaks for
the group. DMG d6 [club]
Relms: Male, covered in orifices which speak
in unison. DMG d6 [club]
Methanda: Female, completely blank face,
communicates telepathically. Induces Spirit -1
every turn with a contested SKL vs. Spirit
check. Can see invisible targets. Can read
minds with a contested SKL vs. Spirit check.
DMG d6 [club]
VernOlyd: Both Male, conjoined twins. Dual
wields, can attack twice. At half HP, one half
dies. DMG d4 [daggers]
Galru: Female, clawed hands, eyestalks and
prehensile tail. DMG d6 [claws]
Gorias: Male, encased in a calcified carapace.
AV 2, DMG d6 [club]
Brelshev: Male, covered in iridescent
feathers. Knows a spell, “Many-Colored
Might.” Has 20 drops of ink. DMG d6 [club]
Andiia: Nonbinary, constantly shifting skin
that hangs in tatters off their bones. Capable
of assuming any human shape they have
previously absorbed. Can meld with victims
inducing Body -1 every turn with a contested
SKL vs. Body check. DMG d4 [dagger]
Appendix II - The Moving Claw
The Moving Claw is a segmented cylinder, its
surface similar to that of the Eldership itself.
On one end is a small, claw-like appendage,
which opens and closes with ease. On the
other end, on the underside, is a groove one
can slip their hand into to manipulate two sets
of triggers. A row of five empty ink vials
stretches along the long side of the artifact -
enough for 100 drops (20 per vial).
It’s too bulky to carry without both hands
and three backpack slots are required to stow
it. Even then, the clawed end will stick out,
reducing the carrier’s Agility by 1.
The Moving Claw can manipulate the
gravity of whatever it’s pointed at: One trigger
pulls the object towards the user, while the
other trigger flings the object away at
incredible speed. Softly releasing the “pull”
trigger merely drops the object.
Below is a table with drop cost, object
examples and the Damage of objects when
thrown (either to themselves or to others).
Assume that any object smaller than those
listed requires 5-10 drops to manipulate.
When used as a weapon, the Moving Claw
has a Speed of 3. It’s big and cumbersome,
especially when aiming during combat.

Drop Cost Object Examples Thrown Object DMG

Any small-sized, unattended object (crates, rocks, etc.);

20 d4+2
Light held weapons

Any medium-sized object (big rocks, a glider, a cart, etc.);

40 d6+3
Humans in light armor; Heavy held weapons; Strider

Any large-sized object (a sandskiff, a boulder, etc.);

60 Humans in medium-to-heavy armor; Morngrowlers; Elder d10+4
Drone; Rubble Worm

Any massive object (an airship, a big boat, an Ink Golem);

80 Blast; d12+5
Flying Rift nettle; Loghead

Any gargantuan object (a chunk of city wall, the minaret of

Blast; 2d8+6; Agility/SKL
100 a temple, a large statue, a small floating island in the Spirit
halves
Roads); sand crab

Credit: The idea for The Moving Claw was shamelessly lifted from Half-Life 2

The Moving Claw is an independent production by Erwin_the_German and is not affiliated with CULT OF THE LIZARD KING. It is
published under the TEA Third Party License. The Electrum Archive is copyright Emiel Boven and CULT OF THE LIZARD KING.