The Smog of Arbax - Part One - Burggeat (The Gatehouse)

The Smog of Arbax casts a shadow across the road. Purplish mists drift up into the sky as high as the eye can see. Many square miles of forested hills lie obscured under the smog. The cloud always hovers over the same patch of territory, and seems immune to the wind, but the mists appear to roil and swirl, and some travellers report sightings of strange spirit-like shadows swimming within the clouds. Locals whisper that any person or animal entering the smog dies a horrible death due to asphyxiation. History has forgotten the origins of the Smog of Arbax, or even how it got its name, and the smog serves now as nothing more than a fearful curiosity, eliciting nervous glances from the many pilgrims and merchants who pass by on the road below.

Until one day an ancient message surfaces, apparently a call for aid, sent by a forgotten kindgom that occupied the land centuries ago when the smog descended. The message promises a vault of silver to anyone who comes to the aid of the people trapped within the smog. History does not record whether or not the aid ever came. Does the vault of silver still lie beneath the mists, waiting for brave adventurers to claim it?

The Smog of Arbax is an introductory adventure module for use with Worlds Without Number. The scenario comprises four parts: 1) Burggeat (The Gatehouse), 2 Cyneburg (The Castle), 3) Hearg (The Temple), and 4. The Hive.

The adventure begins at a guest house, the Orion, on a road called the Causeway that passes beside the smog. Maybe the PCs have already met one another, maybe they each travel alone, but one way or another, they all stop at the same guest house on the same night. One of the PCs, chosen at random, has travelled specifically to the Orion in order to collect a message that was left there for them. Maybe the other PCs accompany them, maybe the other PCs are just passing through and the party meet for the first time at the inn. The message provides a hint relating to the location of a treasure which is rumored to lie within the smog. If the PCs decide to set out in search of the treasure, then the adventure may begin on the following morning. The scenario starts off with a hex crawl as the party make their way from the guest house in the direction of the smog.

The Causeway

The Causeway comprises an elevated highway which runs for hundreds of miles, connecting major cities, smaller towns and villages, and spanning many long stretches of wilderness in between. History has forgotten the identities of the architects who constructed this road, but it has stood for many centuries. Nobody knows what traffic the Causeway originally bore, but now it serves as a major highway for merchants, pilgrims, and travellers of all kinds. Most walk, many employing pack animals, and some travel on horseback or by wagon.

The architects of the Causeway built the structure using fantastic materials, stronger and more supple than iron or stone. The highway remains in good condition overall, and where it has broken, the locals have repaired it, for example erecting wooden bridges to span gaps left where sections of the Causeway collapsed. Travellers attempting to climb from ground level up onto the road surface, or to descend from there back down to the ground, may find the way difficult, but locals have erected stairs, ramps, andSample other similar means of access at many points along the route. file The S.S. Orion

The Orion lies near the Causeway in a remote stretch of forest. No other signs of civilization exist within a couple of days' worth of travel in either direction, so travellers moving along this section of the Causeway typically must camp out for a night or two before arriving at the Orion, and after leaving. The establishment enjoys a bustling trade and usually finds itself full of merchants, soldiers, pilgrims, and other travellers.

Signs along the nearby stretch of the Causeway indicate the distance remaining to the Orion. The hostel lies in forested hills, a hundred yards or so from the highway, out of sight of the road. At the point where the road passes closest to the guest house, a wooden ramp provides access for foot and horse traffic to pass between the road surface and ground level. Signs mark the trail between the Causeway and the Orion.

Travellers passing from the Causeway toward the Orion catch their first view of the hostel as they crest a hill. The Orion appears as a massive structure, many stories high, apparently missing one side, its interior exposed to the elements. In the present dark ages nobody could know that the structure in fact once served as a spacefaring battleship which somehow came to rest here. The path leads on to the foot of the broken structure. At ground level a chamber within the rubble remains intact on three sides and serves as a stable where horses, mules, and other livestock shelter, tended by a stable hand. Signs indicate a path on up into the broken structure. The path ascends through the interior of the rubble, sometimes passing along corridors and stairways which remain intact, other times traversing makeshift wooden structures which provide access through sections of the rubble otherwise impassable. Presently the way ends deep inside the structure at a doorway on a deck which apparently remains structurally intact.

The doorway stands open during the daytime, and voices emanate from within, apparently those of staff and guests. Often a member of staff greets visitors as they arrive, otherwise a sign instructs visitors to ring the bell and await assistance. A young woman named Orla and her husband Virak run the place, assisted by a small team of servants. A member of staff welcomes new arrivals to the establishment and offers them a choice of room and board.

Accommodation Price per night Price per week Description Impoverished 1 sp 5 sp A spot on the floor of the common room. Common 3 sp 20 sp A bunk in the dormitory. Rich 30 sp 200 sp A comfortable room for two or four, per person. Noble 150 sp 1,000 sp An opulent room for one or two, per person.

The establishment consists of a dormitory, private rooms, a common room, kitchens, washrooms, and staff areas. The architecture appears foreign in nature, sleek walls constructed of a strong, smooth materials, incorporating various devices and appliances of unknown purpose. The current owners have modified the structure for their needs - torches and lanterns provide light. The kitchen, originally equipped with machines of function long forgotten, now boasts a large fire pit over which hangs a massive iron cauldron in which simmers a perpetual stew, sending enticing odors into the air. Fires alsoSample burn in the common room, in recesses cut into the walls, the smoke escaping fileinto the abandoned upper levels of the structure via cracks cut into the ceiling. Futuristic plumbing once delivered water to the sinks and tubs in the washrooms, but this system no longer functions. Nowadays the staff manually refill these basins with water, first heating it for those washrooms occupied by higher paying guests.

The establishment remains busy much of the time, and most days the dormitory houses half a dozen guests or more. If the place fills up then any additional guests must sleep on the floor, an option also available to those who cannot afford a bed. The staff provide a friendly, efficient service. They ask guests to keep any armor and weapons in their rooms and not to wear these items on the premises. If the party engage the proprietors in conversation, the proprietors may mention that they have only recently taken over the place, after the death of its previous manager, a man named Ferinel.

The Inheritance

The GM should choose one of the PCs at random. This PC has received word that a distant relation - Ferinel, the previous manager of the Orion - passed away and left behind an inheritance for the PC. This PC has travelled to the Orion to collect the inheritance.

It may be that this story makes no sense for the PC in question. For example, if the PC is of a race other than human, then it's not possible that Ferinel was a blood relative of the PC. The GM could choose a different PC for whom the story is more plausible, but it would be better for the GM, or the player of the relevant PC, to come up with an explanation for the apparent inconsistency. For example, perhaps the PC somehow found, stole, or otherwise acquired the rights to the inheritance.

When the given PC checks in at the Orion, Orla or Virak gives the PC the inheritance, which comprises a small wooden box, and a leather scroll case.

The box contains a compass. The needle of the compass does not point north, instead it points south- southwest. Anyone inspecting the back of the compass finds the word Beornræd inscribed there. The compass radiates a faint glimmer of enchantment.

The scroll case contains a single scrap of vellum bearing the following message:

I, Ferinel, being of competent and sound mind, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament.

Following the death of my sons in the Winter War, I have experienced the saddest tragedy that can befall any parent: I have outlived my children. Therefore I bequeath my estate to my nearest living heir, whoever that may be. My only possession of value is this compass.

This compass has been in our family for generations. It belonged to my great grandmother Ferina, and apparently she used to say that it went at least as far back as her own great grandfather, whose name is forgotten.

According to legend, this compass points the way to an ancient kingdom that was overrun by Outsiders. The king of this land offered up a vault of silver as a reward to anyone who would come and rescue his people. Their fate is unknown and perhaps the treasure remains to be claimed. The legend says that the combination to unlock that vault is 1234.

We always used to say that one of these days one of us should use the compass to try and recover that Sampletreasure. None of us ever found the resolve to attempt the quest, and I am now toofile frail. Maybe my heir will take up the challenge. If the players attempt to glean additional information about the inheritance, the GM should give them a nonzero chance of success. For example, if a player asks whether their PC recognizes the word Beornræd, the GM might ask the player to make an Int/Know skill check with a difficulty of 12. On success, the GM might inform the player that their PC remembers hearing somewhere that Beornræd was the name of a scout in the army of a state that existed in this region centuries ago.

Other Guests at the Orion

Thanks to the fact that the Orion lies in the wilderness, a day or two's walk from the nearest guesthouse, the establishment hosts a great many patrons most nights, some staying a night or two extra to take advantage of the hot meals and hot baths. Below are some of the guests whom the party might find relaxing in front of the fire in the common room in the evening:

Xalana: She arrived some days ago with a merchant wagon, and chose to linger at the Orion, to enjoy the fresh air, or so she says. She claims to be a historian and professes an interest in ancient books. She conceals the fact that she is in truth a mage (HD 2, AC 10, Atk +1, Dmg. Wpn, Shock Wpn, Move 30', ML 8, Inst. 4, Skill +1, Save 14+), in search of new spells, as she knows only Apprehending the Arcane Form and The Wind of the Final Repose. She has heard that a Deep lies nearby, rumored to contain a spell book, and she hopes somehow to locate the place and acquire this item.

Sadric: He styles himself Lord Sadric, and says that aristocratic blood flows in his veins. He calls himself heir to a throne in a foreign land, and claims that traitors forced him into exile. He says that he travels to meet certain powerful foreign allies who promise to help him regain his throne, but that his horse hurt its leg, forcing him to stop here at the Orion while he waits for the animal to heal. He appears nervous whenever new guests arrive, and after a few drinks he admits that he lives in fear of being tracked down by debt collectors, thanks to false accusations that he neglected to repay certain creditors at various stops along his route. The Orion requires him to pay his room and board in advance.

Murgol: A frequent visitor to the Orion, he spends most of his time in the common room, attempting to engage other guests in games of chance. An expert (HD 1, AC 13, Atk +1, Dmg. 1d6, Shock 2/AC 15, Move 30', ML 8, Inst. 4, skill +1, Save 15+), he employs a set of loaded dice, and cheats undetected thanks to his Level-1 focus as a Specialist in Sneak. He makes a modest living at gambling, fleecing passing soldiers and merchants. He describes himself as a freelance lockpicker and infiltrator, and would agree to join an adventuring party in exchange for an equal share of treasure, which he would supplement by stealing anything he could lay his hands on.

Ungris and Belfarg: These two vagabonds move from place to place, always on the lookout for someone to rob. The weaker and wealthier the target, the better. The pair rent bunks in the dormitory and skulk in the common room, attempting to overhear conversations of other travellers in their search for their next victim. Ungris, an expert (HD 1, AC 13, Atk +1, Dmg. 1d6, Shock 2/AC 15, Move 30', ML 8, Inst. 4, skill +1, Save 15+) with Poisoner and Trapmaster focii at Level-1, appears skinny and quick, and serves as the brains behind the operation. Belfarg, broad and bumbling, provides the muscle thanks to his proficiency as a warrior (HD 1, AC 15, Atk +2, Dmg. 1d12+1, Shock 2/AC 15, Move 30', MLSample 8, Inst. 4, skill +1, Save 15+). He wears mail, carries a shield, and wields a greatsword.file