Gathered friends… listen again, to the legend…
In a time before time, the Great Spirits brought our people, the Matoran, to an island paradise of hope. Guided by the Virtues of the Protector whose glory was the sun and life-giving sea, our peoples were united in purpose, dutiful to each other, and fulfilled our destiny to turn the island into a paradise for all.
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But where there is light, there is darkness, and with time, our happiness turned to ash.
Destruction came to the Smiling Isle upon a night of bleeding stars.
Some say the jealous brother of the Protector struck a mortal blow against the Great Spirit that night- others, that the Lying King, in a fit of long overdue rage, finally showed the evil in his heart and brought doom upon the Island with a war that cracked the skies. Still others say this was prophesied and predicted by the Postulants of the Twins, and was an inevitability of the growing pride and misrule of the Matoran and their hypocritical ‘protectors’.
What is known was that the Island of Legend was torn asunder, the Matoran who inhabited it consigned to hide, flee or die. Nowhere was safe- from the glittering city of Mabaro-Nui to the forested peaks of The Mountain and the fertile Bay. The earth writhed and spasmed, destroying the Lightgiver at the heart of the city, toppling its great foundries, its wondrous fluid-tracks of iron and crystal, collapsing the labyrinthian archives and shattering the observatory-towers. Thus did the City die that day, choking on its grandeur.
The wilderness was not untouched, for The Mountain, too, erupted, its sides cracking open, lava flash-burning the forests that overlooked the City, and destroying the Bay entirely, until the lava covered the sea itself and cooled to form a new landmass. A shadow was seen to have emerged from the caldera, poisoning and twisting the flora and fauna we once called our friends, turning the land itself against us.
The sea itself boiled, and those who had fled to the tentative new land in the bay plunged into the sea as it collapsed into the deep, watery abyss, there to be swallowed up forever.
Strangest of all was the accursed mist which soon fell upon the City, clouding the skies both day and night. Now, neither the radiant sun-abode of the Protector nor the baleful moon-lair of the Watcher can be clearly seen in these troubled times.
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Now, what is left of the Island-corpse is fought over by scavengers and monsters, those left behind hiding in small communities or so changed as to be unrecognisable, while their exiled brethren struggle to reclaim their home amidst a Great Ocean that exploits their weakness and naivete. Yet, even in this dark hour, hope remains, and so it was that on a night of bleeding stars, a handful of strangers wash up on the shores of the Island, to save or doom it to eternity...
INHABITANTS OF THE GREAT OCEAN
“The people of this land are builders. But look into their hearts… and you will find they have the power to destroy."
- Nothing
The People of the Great Ocean are biomechanical beings- fusions of mechanical components and organic organs. This extends to the wildlife of the known world- Flora and Fauna (the latter known as Rahi).
Matoran are the most populous single species of the Great Ocean. Standing at four feet, these are the humble workers, crafters and scholars beloved of the Great Spirit. The homeland of most Matoran in the northern quadrant of the known seas is Maboro-Nui and the wilderness of Kela-Wahi, before the disaster that destroyed both. All Matoran are innately attuned to one of the Elements, though they do not possess Elemental powers or use Kanohi mask powers.
Most Matoran communities also place great emphasis on certain occupations and crafts based on their tribal affiliation. All Matoran gain expertise in one occupation, of some knowledge in two.
Players are assumed to be Matoran- who primarily rely on their knowledge, skill, cunning and foolhardy bravery to overcome obstacles and achieve the Destiny they choose for themselves.
[I will write a post-mortem 'designer commentary' post but for now I want to say that while there are so many things one can take from canon Bionicle or fan RPGs for species powers, I'm going to have to erase that for this mini-setting post and assume players are the humble Matoran, so I don't have to write rules for the others. real MNOG vibes, but with more danger]
There were once Toa, said to be the guardians and protectors of the Matoran, though in these dark days, just as many work as petty lords or mercenaries. Standing at seven feet, they are stronger and faster than Matoran, and possess, unique amongst most species, Elemental control over one Element. They can also use Kanohi mask powers.
All other Non-Matoran are almost all ‘stronger’ than the Matoran. They are usually faster/stronger/taller/etc. and have access to slightly advanced technologies and some powers.
Of note in the Barrens are the warlike Skakdi, of which many have escaped their wartorn island to make their fortunes elsewhere. They possess one Vision power [heat, impact, laser, x-ray, telescopic, thermal, spellbinder/stun] and one Elemental power they can control only in conjunction with another Eskadi.
Visorak have mutagenic venom, can spin webs, and launch energy spinners from their backs.
Table of Contents
Overview
Factions
Tech and Items
City Districts and Locations of interest
Foundries of Paesu
Towers of Dimmina
Tunnels of Satarom
The Bridges
City random encounter table
City PC party origin
Barrens Districts and Locations of interest [Travel Advisory to the Barrens: Don't]
The Mountain and the Flows
The Bay
The Green Belt
Barrens random encounter table
Barrens PC party origin
Deeps Areas and Locales [REMOVED BY ORDER OF THE ███ ██ █████]
1A: FACTIONS
Reclaimers
When the Matoran fled the Island, they were fragmented and disunited. The nature of the original inhabitants only comes to the present in scattered fragments- though all agree there were six tribes of Matoran who were easy prey for the stronger species in the Great Ocean when they scattered. Some blame this state of affairs on the Matoran, that they had discarded the Virtues given to them by the Great Spirit and were easy prey for others. Others believe that misrule by the Matoran was the cause of the disaster. Still others believe nothing could have been done without the elemental powers of the Toa.
But in general, many believe that without the prosperity and unity of the Island, and so many of their people having been trapped in a sorcerous sleep, they were bound to be picked apart, reduced to the exploitable underclass state they find themselves in in the islands of the Great Ocean.
The Reclaimers is a catch-all term for those who have never let the light of the Island go out in their hearts. Communities of Matoran who, scraping together funds and equipment, send their bravest and most foolhardy to return to the Island to re-establish a presence and rescue the Sleepers who still lie under the city. Reclaimers carry most of the traditions of the old Matoran- including the Virtues and Principles, venerating the Great Spirit and the natural world He created for them, and operating in elemental tribes that also reflect specialised occupations.
Reclaimer enclaves in the City are concentrated on the coasts. With much of the knowledge of the ancients lost, it is almost impossible to reactivate the technologies of what little parts of the island they control, and that's without counting the Visorak Horde constantly hunting down Matoran.
Reclaimer enclaved in the Barrens are more tenuous, and tend to consist of temporary lodgings of small Bands searching for artifacts to repair the damage to the Barrens or dislodging the Eskadi Warlords.
Reclaimers as a whole despise and fear the Visorak horde and Eskadi warbands, although, given the decentralised nature of the identity, some are willing to pay Eskadi warbands to act as muscle, and some have even learnt of secret techniques to gain control of smaller, weakened Visorak packs.
Alterna
The Vela Alterna is the general term used to describe the Matoran who stayed behind in the disaster- and who changed due to it. The Remainers simply call themselves Dwellers of the City, while the Reclaimers call them the Changed. There is a marked difference between Alterna in the City and the Barrens- those in the Barrens have managed to retain much of the 'old culture' of the Island, venerating the Virtues, the Great Spirit, retaining the tribal system, etc. but were indelibly marked by the escape to the Barrens in the disaster. Some unknown mutation or curse changed their forms- physically twisting and shrinking them, though they retain tools and knowledge that other groups of Matoran have lost.
Some, even among the Alterna of the Barrens, say they are actually refugees that came after the disaster, though it is more likely that outsiders and returnees more easily merged with those that stayed behind in the Barrens compared to the City and its perils.
Alterna in the City consist of a wide variety of groups- the most prominent are
- The Temple of our Many-Armed Lady of Sieges, a philosophical tendency of altruism, rationalism, perseverance and siege engineers (owing to retaining much mathematical/engineering knowledge)
- The Seekers of KET, who are masters of the biological knowledge and servants of their Avatars
- The Black Guard of Praslid, a militaristic society who revere the last Elder of the City
- The Pioneers of Ak-Ran, a necromantic fraternity conducting strange experiments in the Archive tunnels
These groups are detailed in their respective zones.
Alterna in the Barrens consist of the scattered Unbroken villages in the Green Belt. Their physical parts are 'malformed' compared to their cousins, though they believe they were built for a different purpose. They retain much more of the technology of the past, but are in a worse position to make use of it. They have little with which to fight for liberation apart from their will, wiles and unique weapons passed down since the disaster. They hide both in the wilds and under the noses of their overlords. Under the cover of night and utilising their diminutive frames, they sabotage equipment, blind Nektann sentries, incite revolts that leave entire farms empty. Eskadi reprisals are brutal and swift, but this only feeds the flames of discontent. They may be doomed, but every new sunrise is another day they will make the occupiers regret their occupation.
Not all greeted the end of the Island with sorrow. In fact, the rivals of Mabora-Nui in the outer winds of the Great Ocean celebrated it. Since that time, the different islands and the two continents have sent scavenger missions to loot the place. Reclaimers and Alterna alike dislike most Scavengers groups, ranging from hatred to a mild distaste. Scavengers are usually non-Matoran. Non-Matoran species are generally larger and physically more agile/powerful/faster/etc. Some of them, it is rumoured, are worse than scavengers and vultures- they are agents of sinister forces that are exploiting the Matoran's predicament and the wounded state of the Great Spirit.
Groups which send scavengers are most likely
Great Clans of the Steltos Islands- a caste-based society of constant infighting and feudal intrigue
Kukolix Combines- profit-driven industrialists who create most of the weapons of war
Triple Order of Zhadur- Servants of the enigmatic divine figure known only as the Watcher, who name themselves peacekeepers and overseers of vast swathes of the Great Ocean. They are masters of evolution and sorcery
Doom Raptors- a professional army of thieves and murderers, selling their diverse services to any for the right price
Visorak Horde
The Horde is a massive army of intelligent spider-scorpions once led by the King in Red and his Queen of Shadows, fell upon the Island, conquering all that was left of the City, capturing the wildlife that roamed the ruins and subjecting them to monstrous mutations. They are now divided into Packs that sometimes fight but mostly cooperate with another, and that live in large Nests in the ruins of the city, led by Viceroys that claim authority from the last Vicerine who ruled the Horde when the monarchs disappeared.
Viceroys are usually the strongest Visorak who have imbibed the Lifegiver Venom harvested from special colony drones and subjected to their own venom- and survived the evolution. The Kagar are these elite evolved Visorak, and are substantially larger. Some other Viceroys are actually other species from the Great Ocean, strange mystics and wanderers who have somehow seized control of packs. Some are even mutated Matoran.
Eskadi are the Spine-Lords of Demon-Haunted Karraz. Once, they say, they were a slave caste, engineered for the glory of the Lying King whom the Matoran call the Great Spirit. They overthrew their oppressors, the Estreni, and through the sorceries of slaughter and ruination bound the demons of the afterlife to be the bedrock of their new home in the Great Ocean. Before they could follow the hallowed Ancestors on the Great Conquest of the Seas, some unknown disaster robbed them of their (un)holy berserker-fury, blinded their Vision powers, and deafened them to the Elements.
Since that time, the Eskadi have disintegrated into hundreds of self-claimed warlords, each trying to vie for control of their home, now blasted after centuries of war into a barren desert. Eskadi culture generally eschews weakness and defeat- willpower and strength is respected, martial honour and cunning wiles equally valued (though this varies much based on the specific Eskadi community.) Many have travelled the Ocean, sneaking past the blockade put up by their neighbours, and sold their services to the highest bidder.
1B: Tech and Items
- Madu Fruit: Hard-shelled fruit that, when overripened, are 'explosive', breaking apart with great force and blasting seeds everywhere.
- Energy Crystals: The inhabitants of the Great Ocean do not need to eat. Most of the time they prefer to absorb energy from crystals and fruit, though both are in rare supply in Mabo-Kesa. Crystals can be used in Power Launchers or drained for Tech Items.
- Disk Launchers- The most common ranged utility tool in Mabo-Kesa and the Great Ocean in general. Powered Disks harbor strange powers (i.e. steal your favourite potion/magic spell and put it here). These are spring loaded or gravity loaded
- Volo Lutu Launchers- Grapnel Gun
- Patero Launcher- Compressed Air launchers
REGIONS
THE MAP
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2: THE CITY
The Island of Destiny, once poetically known as Mabo-Kesa ('Mother Protector'), is, in the current age, riven into two main areas. The old City, once known as Mabora-Nui, is now ruined and infested with unleashed dangers that crawled out of the devastation of the cataclysm. Most of it is occupied by Visorak Hordes and shrouded in an unnatural fog that clouds the sky day and night. Reclaimer havens dot the coasts, and there is a rough patchwork of Alternus communities that have adapted to living in proximity to the Horde.
What is left of the City are three districts: the Foundries of Paesu (Ta and Po), the Observatory-Temples of Dimmina (Ko and Ga), and the Satarom archives (Onu). There were three others, but were destroyed in the cataclysm.
Groups of closely-bonded wanderers who journey through the Dead City for specific goals are called Hexads. In the City, the PC party (and assorted retainers and backup PCs) as well as other parties will be called this name. The name implies a common ethical bond among its members, loyalty and cooperation, and clear goals that they work towards. Once a poetic name for the teams of elemental-powered guardians who protected the city, the term has taken on a term more akin to, well, a party of adventurers with a common ethos and goal.
2A Foundries of Paesu
Once the industrial heart of the City, the great foundries now lie silent and cold- if one is lucky. The Great Foundry lies at its heart, the site of a famous victory against an enemy of the city long ago. The networks of small foundries and scrap-eater machines have long since fallen into disrepair, though some have been restarted by Alterna and Reclaimers groups. The mounds of scrap have also made this district a hotbed of Scavengers looking to make a quick profit- and as such, has also become a haunting ground for Visorak packs.
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LOCATION 1: The Temple of Our Many-Armed Lady of Sieges has its nominal headquarters here, in an annex to the Great Foundry. The Temple worships the Many-Armed Saint of Battle and Perseverance, a figure of worship from the history of the island. Artistic depictions ot the Saint of Siege are scrawled all across this district to mark outposts of the Temple and their allies. Reclaimers have different theories on which historical legend the Lady is inspired by, but no concrete proof.
In the temple, exultants of the Temple may have requests of Hexads. Lower acolytes may ask if you to 1) Procure fresh Visorak Venom to be diluted and turned into a pain-meditation aid. In that, it causes a lot of pain in induce a state of higher awakening. 2) Help with an ongoing siege - a Hexad from one of the factions has procured the aid of the Temple and this acolyte has been assigned to practice the arts of siegecraft. Problem is- he has neither the siege equipment nor bodies to do it. You can provide at least one, right? 3) Defamation against the saint! Some matoran in a Reclaimer haven on the coast has been spreading LIES that the Saint is a storybook character/long-dead Visorak Viceroy/Actually A Loser/A Monster from the old history of the city. Go there and defend the honour of the Saint in a contest of words or blades or track-racing or vinesurfing. 4) The secret arts of siegecraft have been stolen by a Scavenger. Find the culprit in one of the three districts. 25% chance they have been captured by the Visorak and forces to give up the secrets, 25% chance they've sold the secret to someone else who plans an attack on a Temple outpost.
LOCATION 2: On the northern outskirts are what remains of the Fields of Stone- the closest thing to a natural habitat in Mabo-Nui. Once, there were fields of great sculptures and protofabricant construction as far as the eye could see, the light and craft industry to the Foundry's heavy and machine industry. All that is left are mysterious and enigmatic statues and carvings dedicated to the beauty and wonder of a bygone era on a spit of deserted desert, now home to numerous stranded Rahi predators.
1) A hermit claims to know the location of a secret entrance hidden by a statue. An entrance to an untouched storehouse of energy crystals, building materials, and Visorak repellant. All you need to do is follow her down this canyon... The hermit has a 50% chance of being a shapeshifter, intent on eliminating 'sun-dweller' intruders that keep invading her underground home, unable to differentiate between them.
2) A statue you are resting on moves slightly, of its own accord. It does not speak and more seems annoyed that someone is resting on its leg. It is secretly possessed by an intelligent pool of Ferrodermis.
3) A Visorak pack lies dead here, beside a half-constructed siege engine. There is a note inside it- one of the Reclaimer/Alterna groups funded this engine and wanted the Pack to attack a Scavenger base. 50% chance the note is falsified.
4) A powerplant is still operating here. Unfortunately it is leaking molten metal everywhere. Sooner or later this section of the fields will collapse- and likely start a chain reaction of groundquakes destroying a nearby Reclaimer haven. A Visorak Pack is watching from the tops of the nearby canyon.
2B Towers of Dimmina
The Towers of Dimmina stretch across this arc of the City. Once, this was a place of meditative contemplation. Neophytes and contemplatives were instructed in the schools along the peaceful waterfront, learning from the combined wisdom of generations. Inland, seers and scholars and researchers congregated in the crystal towers, watching the stars, contemplating on topics for days on end, and conducting alchemical and astrological research. What was once an austere, peaceful district is now a silent grave.
Many of the great crystal towers have fallen since, and those that remain standing harbour the escaped accidental creations of those experiments and powerful knowledge- prophecies not seen in ages, technological protoypes, and even escaped experiments, all guarded by the silent automatons wielding strange weapons.
LOCATION 3: Some of the towers have been converted into factories by enterprising builders off-island, utilising stolen schematics to make and sell large war machines to Visorak packs and various groups in the city. The most notable is the Tower of Kalosu which churns out Battle Rams out of the converted insides of a tower-turned-factory, and the Tower of Korpu that gifts small amounts of unusual tools from a heavily-guarded research lab. Here between the Towers of Korpu and Kalosu spans one of the highest sky-bridges in the district, one of the only means of egress between Dimmina and the Northern Bridge.
As the party reaches the bridge, they see a Kukolix Battle Ram that spans almost the width of the bridge, its prow mounted with a war-idol of a Kagar, being pulled by a dozen Visorak, headed towards them, likely to one of dozens of bastion assaults in the shrouded city. But there is something else…
Roll a d4.
1: The Ram is speeding towards the party- between them and the Ram is a Hexad, its members struggling to fend off the onrushing charge, trapped on the bridge and unable to dive aside (due to being on a bridge), yet unable to outrun the accelerating Ram.
2: The Ram is being assaulted by a Hexad, making use of the narrow space to strike from the sides while most of the Visorak are stuck out front pulling the Ram. Should the Visorak drive off the Hexad, they will likely treat any strangers (like the party) as hostile prey to be harvested
3: A Hexad is hiding among the suspensions along the side of the bridge, some hanging off the edge, others hiding in the webs that now festoon the bridge. Due to the mist and most of the Visorak being in front of the Ram pulling it, they will attempt to sneak under the Ram and commandeer it at a more opportune location.
4: Two packs of Visorak are having a heated argument in the middle of the bridge- they each bear the markings of different packs. Should the party get close enough undetected to listen, and if they can understand Visoraki, they hear that one group is trying to pull the Ram across the bridge quickly to a critical battle, while the other is demanding custody of the Ram due to an alleged agreement between their leader and the Tower’s master.
LOCATION 4: The coast of the district prominently features the great waterfall, where some modicum of safety exists for Matoran. Here is prominently based the Seekers of KET, seekers of knowledge that claim somewhere in the city lies artifacts or sleeping sages that hold the key to repelling the Visorak. The Seekers have carefully-guarded rituals and knowledge that allow them to summon Avatars of KET in select locations in the city- gigantic titans that resemble a cross between different Rahi in a vaguely Matoroid form. This service is carefully guarded and highly expensive, but people say these Avatars have the ability to transmute substances and even physical forms, reversing Visorak venom.
1) You are tasked to hunt down a Rahi pack, for it offends the Path laid out by KET. In exchange, you will be given scrap and access to special hunting tinctures.
2) You are tasked to procted a Rahi pack, for it pleases the Path laid out by KET. In exchange, you will be taught how to tame one of these Rahi and access to healing crystals.
3) A junior Seeker needs help passing his examinations. He can tell you the secret stockpiles of Lifegiver antidotes and mutagens if you help him. He requires 2 out of 3: lab notes from the Dimmina Towers, living sample from the Tunnels of Satarom, and a Living Vine from the Foundries of Paesu. 10% chance he is actually a master of the order tricking outsiders to doing his busywork.
4) An Avatar of KET has been captured by the Black Guard! The Seekers cannot infiltrate the Hub easily as their scent is known, but you lot... 50% chance the Avatar wishes to be dismembered to aid the Black Guard in their conquest of the district. Otherwise, if you cannot free it, the Avatar will ask you to slay it so its body can return to the earth before the Visorak dismember it for parts.
2C: Tunnels of Satarom
Satarom is a dim realm- overflowing with escapees of the underground Archives- living pools of mutagen, invisible monsters, living virus-swarms, word-plagues and creatures composed solely of flesh. Even the tough Eskadi warrior Hexads stay away from here... unless there is valuable relics to loot. For Satarom was the Archive of the old City- documents, knowledge crystals, artifacts, and creatures kept for preservation and study. It is said that the seed crystals used to grow the Towers of Dimmina came from the oldest knowledge crystals of Satarom, that the knowledge of the past would grow to shroud the seers of the future.
The Visorak Horde has its largest concentration in this district, but most are festooned in the deeper areas they have overtaken for their Nests, feeding on the underground ecology of Rahi, mostly empty growth vats, and hibernating powerplants. As such, any travellers here do not usually see more Visorak if they stick to the 'safer' sunward routes, but the concentration of the Poison Scourge increases the deeper they go.
The underground complexes have long since collpased into a giant interconnected underground complex. Particularly desperate or confident Scavengers trawl the depths for treasure and knowledge, for whatever ends.
[Feel free to place a megadungeon here]
LOCATION 5: Heart of the Horde.
By sheer coincidence, you happen upon one of the Gates that guard the way to one of the larger Nests. A massive assault is underway by a Reclaimer army to take control of this section. It will be difficult to slip past this battle- and before you do, a massive flaming boulder smashes beside you, and Visorak charge you. Roll d3.
1) The Reclaimers are here to retrieve a Hordestone- the means by which some Viceroys control Packs. When palced on the ground, it sends out psychic signals to all Visorak in an area (depending on its energy levels) to gather to one spot. Should the Reclaimers get it, some will want to use it to destroy a large chunk of the Horde in a giant tunnel collapse/molten ferrodermis accident, while others will want to take control of that chunk of the Horde and attack the other Visorak.
2) The Reclaimers are taking this area to bypasss overground defenses into the lower levels of the Hub. There they say are thousands of sleeping Matoran placed under a spell. They wish to rescue them. Some of the Reclaimers will want the Matoran to join the reclamation war, others will want to rescue the Matoran away from the city and start new lives.
3) The Reclaimers have been tricked- a virus released from the Archives have infected their minds. The Viceroy in charge of the Gate is luring the army deep into the tunnels to trap them. They believe they can find a powerful Kanohi down here. The party only realise this if they have come across similar Viruses before, or notice massive discrepancies in the area. But the Reclaimers will not believe you based solely on logic- their priority centres in their brain have been scrambled, and they are soon to come to blows with each other. If the party wishes to avert a massacre, they must appeal to other priorities of the Reclaimers (depending on their leaders' personalities. Appealing to the Virtues may work. Unity between Reclaimers, a higher Duty to those under their protection, or that their Destiny lies elsewhere. Be sure to back up your words)
LOCATION 6: The Mines Are Mine
Apart from the horrors that have festered in the collapsed tunnels, this was also the location of the lightstone mines that once made up part of the city's economy. A strange cult-fraternity lives in a section of the complexes in the South Mine- the Pioneers of Ak-Rian. They claim to serve the wishes of The Archivist, a semi-messianic figure in their beliefs who wished to catalogue all in the City- even past the veils of death and time. They claim to have unlocked the power- through submersion in energized pools and rare lightstones, to peer past the veil of death and bind soul-energy to bodies. They are also known to aggressively recruit from enemies of the Visorak... while others say they resort to kidnap and brainwash.
1) The Pioneers know the location of a buried fortress, but not enough numbrrs to try all possible routes of egress. You will be sent as one set of explorers. Past the mutant horrors and robotic guardians, there is a EXOR suit- the pinnacle of warfighting technology, with neural-robotic interfaces, gigantic rocket cannons and laser weapons, buried deep in its armoury. A Scavenger group and agents of the Zhadur and Raptors are closing in too. Good luck!
2) The Pioneers wish to recruit small Alterna communities in the area. Flex the might of the Pioneers and destroy a particularly tenacious Visorak pack nearby. You are
3) Scavengers have stolen a holy relic. Find and punish them severely.
4) A feud with the Temple of Siege has gotten ugly. Send a message to them. Find passage in and blow up their explosive stockpile. They also happen to be under attack.
2D: The HUB
The Hub stands in the centre of the districts. Spanning the two Great Bridges, and once the commercial and political heart of the City, it was infested by the Horde for many years until the Black Guard of Praslid drove them off. Consisting of Alterna and Reclaimers, the highly militarised group claims to draw its traditions from the Last Elder of the City and his enforcers- regimented and utterly loyal soldiers who fought to the death. Outsiders are generally mistrusted, and they are overbearing if not outright demanding to almost all other non-Visorak factions. Visorak are, of course, killed on-sight.
The Hub also contains the ‘central station’ of the fluid-tracks that were once the high-speed transport of the city. Without power, they do not run, but the surviving tracks are still useful vantage points, and small sections can occasionally be turned back on. An arena has been rebuilt in the central sections- a place of neutral discussion between feuding Alterna, Scavengers and Reclaimer factions.
LOCATION 7: The Black Guard are always looking for volunteers... if they pass muster.
1) The Pioneers are a lunatic necromantic cult. Here is the location of one of their Purple Lightstone mines- the only one still running, it seems. Collapse it so they can no longer raise the dead against their will to create undead abominations. The most direct option is a shaft guarded by robotic guardians.
2) The Seekers are misguided control freaks. A group of them are looking to preserve a Kagar and form an alliance with it! Their evolutionary delusions will destroy us. This Kagar is waiting in [select one of the districts] with a small guard. It is too strong to take head-on, so find another way to thward this alliance, by trickery if you must.
3) The Temple is a dangerous cult. Their saint is actually the First Root of the original Living Vine, controlling them with tricks and lies. Here is a tunnel to the Great Foundry's power valves. You can break it, or otherwise find another way to sabotage the Foundry's valves. I hear the matter-reprocessing chutes are still broken, but accessible...
4) The Reclaimers are naive hicks more interested in their failed legacy than rebuilding the city. They believe there are sleeping Matoran by the thousands under the Hub. There is a delegation arriving tomorrow to ask for access into the heart of our citadel. Escort them here, although, there happens to be a Visorak Pack prowling nearby... Would be a shame if they were waylaid...
5) There are Visorak infesting the Great Bridge. We will distract the Pack while you burn their Nest.
6) (only if PCs have enamoured themselves to the Marshal of the Guard) The secret to our weapons and energy/food production lies in the heart of the Hub- the Lifegiver, a gigantic ball of living green plasma deep underground. But it has been damaged. The culprits may be the Horde, it may be our deluded neighbours. Find these key components: an untouched, fully loaded Data Crystal in the Tunnels, a fully functional biomechanical Vine-Cable fusion from the Foundries, and a scale from a Dragon.
2E: BASTIONS
3: RANDOM ENCOUNTERS OF THE CITY
4: CITY PARTY ORIGIN
Roll individually or as a group. D6
1: Amnesiac. You and your Hexad are formed of recently awoken castoffs on the edges of the corpse-city with little memory of how you got here. Begin play with (1d4)
1: A mark recognised by two factions- one will be immediately hostile to you, the other will aid you in most things.
2: One Tech Item.
3: Two mutations.
4: A Toa Stone. [Secret: This is how Toa are made. Matoran absorb the power of the Stones at ritually signifant places] Everyone will want their hands on this.
2: Continental Scavenger. You were sent (or sent yourself) on this expedition to scavenge the Fallen City for its relics and knowledge. Begin play with one Tech Item. Roll 1d4.
1: Clans of the Steltos Islands sent you here to plunder booty for their fleets. You are a member, retainer, or servant of one of the Great Clans- and if you fail your tasks, your contacts will make life very difficult for your caste and clan.
2: A Kukolix Combine sent you here to retrieve valuable designs for industrial production. Begin play with a map to a ruin with valuable blueprints and a massive debt to the Combine.
3: The Triple Order of Zhadur, an ancient circle of scientist-sorcerers, the Triple Order serve the shadowy divine figure known only as the Watcher, and attempt to impose order and control by any means necessary. As one of their servants, you have many resources to call upon- and many enemies. Begin play with one more Tech Item for the party (not per PC!). Gain bonus to reaction rolls on 50% of Visorak Packs and a malus to the other 50%. There is a Raptor group hunting your Hexad down.
4: Raptors. The most organised group of thieves, mercenaries and bounty hunters in the known world. As a secondary 'contractor’, you are not bound by their by-laws to turn over all treasure to their master. However, if your Raptor patron takes an interest in any of your loot, it is advisable you hand it over. Begin play with one more Tech item for the party (not per PC!). Gain a powerful but demanding ally skulking the coast. There is a Order group hunting your Hexad down.
3-4: Reclaimer. You have long heard tales of the city of your ancestors, and wish to reclaim the home lost to your enemies. Reclaimers come from relatively rustic backgrounds. Begin play with knowledge in one occupation and two ‘medieval’ / ‘tribal’-tech items relevant to the occupation. On a 3, your tribe came from one of the crafting districts. Pick one of the crafter-ly occupations. On a 4, your tribe came from one of the scholar districts. Pick one of the scholar-ly occupations.
Roll a d6.
1: Fire Tribe. You are resistant to heat. You can see into bright light sources better, but are
2: Water Tribe. You can hold your breath for significantly longer and swim better than most, but dehydration affects you more.
3: Air Tribe. You are more nimble than most and faster over broken ground and higher/confined spaces like tightropes and towers, but are more clumsy on open ground.
4: Stone Tribe. You are stronger than most and swift over loose ground, but do not do well in confined spaces.
5: Earth Tribe. You have better vision in the dark (NOT DARKVISION) and better directional sense underground, but are vulnerable to bright lights.
6: Ice Tribe. You are resistant to cold. Your senses of hearing are sharper, but so are you more vulnerable to loud noises.
5-6: Alterna. As a long-time resident of the ruins, you gain better understanding of the crumbling layout of the city infrastructure. You move slightly faster across the map, but gain one mutation from generations living here. Roll a d4
1: Our Lady of Sieges. Gain knowledge in mathematics/physics OR siege warfare and machines. You are obligated to assist all you come across, but in turn, most factions will, at worst, only mildly grumble about you. 2: Seekers of KET. Gain one extra mutation or undo a mutation. Your senior seekers may tell you to eradicate or save specific Rahi packs in the City according to the inscrutable will of the stars to guide the city’s ‘proper’ evolution. In a pinch, your seniors may be willing to summon an Avatar of KET- an almost indestructible, hyper-intelligent chimera that acts according to its own will. 3: Pioneers of Ak-Ran. You are an 'associate' of the Pioneers, not yet inducted into the cult, but trusted with some of its assets. Begin play with one Enthralled Zombie that follows the party’s orders. You will be tasked to search out rare Purple Lightstones in the most dangerous and contested ruins, and offered a chance to join if you impress the masters. This entails a soulbinding ritual and brainwashing. 4: Black Guard of the Eternal Ruler. Gain one extra weapon. You are drilled in combat and have loyal allies in the Guard, but most other communities find you off-putting and a bringer of heavy demands.
Further mysteries for referees to customise:
What sort of Rahi are left in this sort of place? Are there different Visorak types?
What causes the fog?
Why has almost no one sailed infrom the north?
How do the Viceroys control a Pack?
How many Visorak mega-nests are there?
What do the Zhadur and Raptors want here?
Why are Reclaimer Hexads receiving visions?
What is the real story of KET/The Archivist/Saint of Sieges/Eternal President Praslid?
Will the blog writer ever complete the Barrens portion? (Intending to, in another post, with a randomisable selection of warlords. It might balloon into a full Karraz campaign post, idk. look out for energy farms, floating ashsoil plantations, protracted guerilla war, mad max lava flow road war, iceberg-ships bellowing forth biomutant horrors, living nanite swarms, holy gunmen, antediluvian secrets, slayer brotherhoods, necromancers, MMA arenas, and a generally more classic 2001-3 era bionicle vibe [with a heavy dose of the 2006 arc lego-friendly-EDGE])
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