Perched on the side of a coastal mountain is the seaport city of Inachon’s Point. For over 200 years, the city has served as a coastal beacon with its towering lighthouse. Inachon’s Point is a free city-state, ruled by a six-member governing council and an Assembly of 500 citizens, legislating for a population of nearly 100,000.
Decades before the city’s founding, it served as a base for pirate fleet that scoured the coastal cities, plundering every place encountered. But all residents of the now thriving trade and port city agree that the ugly history is behind them.
Defended by massive stones walls, a rocky outcrop, and the sea, this maritime settlement is well protected — which was part of the appeal for the original pirate base. Visitors to the city find plenty of soldiers patrolling the streets and docks. While all are welcome to enter the magnificent city, those who disrupt business or cause civil unrest are dealt with severely.
From a distance, the brilliant white houses of lime and sandstone catch the sun, making Inachon’s Point shine like a gem. Even at night, its lighthouse blazes, warning ships of the shallows and welcoming them to a delightful haven. Merchant ships, caravans, and traders all descend upon the thriving city each day. Spices, textiles, precious metals, gems, and common and rare items are all to be found within its time-worn walls.
The Port
When the city’s location existed as a pirate base, a lonely, ramshackle pier served all the ships that ventured into port. But after the pirates were forced from their stronghold, the newly formed Assembly constructed a marina that extends for nearly one mile. This mammoth undertaking has served Inachon’s Point well. It allows over 100 ships to dock and load or unload cargo. Like most other areas of the city, soldiers patrol it. Damage to the harbor would be catastrophic for the city’s economy. All those who threaten this important part of the city are executed for the crime.
The Bazaar
Located near the port is the open-air bazaar where merchants sell, trade, and barter all manner of goods. Day and evening, the bazaar bustles with traffic, its narrow cobblestone streets so crowded that simply moving from one end to another is time consuming. During the hot afternoons, many of the merchants hang rugs above their stalls, offering shade to their customers in the hopes of selling more wares. Lamps and candles guide the customers once the sun sets, while the enormous flames from the lighthouse add an eerie cast to the area. But all business ends at midnight: Even the profitable merchants need to rest.
Heroes who venture into the maze of merchant stalls and pushcarts are likely to find most anything they could need. The air is redolent with the sweet and spicy smells of cooking food, the calls of hawkers, and the consistent buzz of amazed customers. Unless a player’s character is familiar with the bazaar or has a guide, he must make either a Moderate streetwise or a Difficult search attempt to find a particular merchant during the day. The difficulty increases by +5 at night.
If a hero is in search of a particularly rare item (such as a well-crafted weapon, poison or exotic materials for spells), increase the difficulty by +10 during the day and +15 during the night. A guide familiar with the twisting streets of the bazaar can reduce the difficulty by 10, but an incompetent one can make things worse!
The prices in the bazaar vary from day to day. A gamemaster might change the location or price each day, or require a player’s character to haggle over prices — the more unusual the item, the greater the cost. Some items have such high prices that heroes might have to work for the merchant before the fee is met. Many merchants in the city hire daring adventurers to seek out extraordinary things to resell.
Kasen the Merchant
For the entire 40 years of his life, Kasen has lived in the city of Inachon’s Point. From outer appearances, he is a moderately successful spice merchant — but this is deceiving. During the years of toiling at his stationary wagon, Kasen has acquired a vast amount of wealth. He has also purchased stalls for family members who, while not as successful as he, have done well for themselves. Although Kasen has much experience, this is not the secret of his success. Rather, he sells unusual potions and incense that possess nearly magical qualities. His years of working in the bazaar have provided him with numerous contacts from distant shores, and the amazing qualities of his product have made him a favorite among warriors and wizards. His goal is to one day sell his stall and move to a large house above the city. To
protect his investment, he sleeps in a caravan wagon in the bazaar, and he has hired two guards, who never leave his side.
Because of Kasen’s renown, many potential customers seek him. Trying to get Kasen to part with some of his special stock requires a suitable (and successful) interaction attempt, greased by an appropriate monetary off ering. Th e merchant response much better to charm than anything else.
Agility 3D: dodge 3D+2, stealth 4D Coordination 3D Physique 2D: running 2D+1 Intellect 3D+1: reading/writing 3D+2, scholar 4D+1, speaking 3D+2, trading 5D Acumen 3D: hide 4D, search 3D+1, survival 3D+2, tracking 3D+1 Charisma 3D+2: charm 4D, persuasion 4D Strength Damage: 1D Move: 10 Fate Points: 1 Character Points: 5 Body Points: 21 Wound levels: 4 Disadvantages: Devotion (R2), spends much time searching for new plants and herbs, and pays little attention to local events; Employed (R3), driven to work until he can earn enough money to quit the business Special Abilities Uncanny Aptitude (R1), has a natural sense about plants — can select herbs and mix them into incense and potions that have astounding properties Advantages Contacts (2), has many contacts from various lands who supply him with rare plants and herbs Equipment: fi ne clothes; keys; pouch bulging with coins
Kasen’s Potions and Incense
Dragon’s Kiss (Moderate price diffi culty/5 gold): Rubbing this pungent concoction upon wounds hastens the healing process (+2 bonus to two healing totals). Th e mixture must be kept dry at all times; otherwise, its healing properties are lost. Th ere’s enough in one packet for two uses.
Adrik Incense (Moderate price diffi culty/4 gold): Burning this incense while performing any Intellect skill adds a +2 bonus to all related totals for one round. Each stick of incense provides one use.
Dried Lion Flower Tea (Moderate price diffi culty/5 gold): Brewing this tea and consuming adds 2 to stamina totals for two hours. Th e dry tea is sold in silk packs with enough for a single use.
Guards
Nevest, Guard: Agility 4D, melee combat 5D, Coordination 3D, Physique 4D, stamina 4D+2, Intellect 2D, Acumen 3D, streetwise 3D+2, search 3D+1, Charisma 2D, intimidation 2D+1. Move: 10. Strength Damage: 2D. Fate Points: 0. Character Points: 0. Body Points: 17/Wound levels: 2. Equipment: ring mail armor (Armor Value +1D+1); long sword (damage +2D+2).
Cire, Guard: Agility 3D, fi ghting 4D, melee combat 4D, Coordination 3D, Physique 4D, stamina 4D+2, Intellect 2D, Acumen 3D, streetwise 4D, Charisma 3D, intimidation 3D+1. Move: 10. Strength Damage: 2D. Fate Points: 0. Character Points: 0. Body Points: 17/Wound levels: 2. Equipment: ring mail armor (Armor Value +1D+1); long sword (damage +2D+2).
The Scar
Nearly at sea level, running along the outskirts of the bazaar is Inachon’s slum quarter. Th is district of the city is the oldest, and it looks its age. Scattered throughout the ramshackle neighborhoods are the occasional stone buildings, but for the most part, the structures are comprised of rotting wood. Age and the damp wind have conspired to destroy many of the once beautiful residences and stores.
Gathered in this neighborhood are the laborers who load and unload cargo. Th ere are far more people then there are jobs, so each morning thousands of the Scar’s denizens trot to the docks, each waiting in line, hoping to be selected for work. Th e pay is low and the work is hard. But desperate people work for desperate wages.
Fane’s Tavern
Sitting among the myriad rows of unassuming buildings in the Scar is a shuttered shack that has served as tavern and secret guild house for decades. Although history tells that the pirates who once called Inachon’s Point home are long dead, it isn’t the case. On the contrary, the pirates have simply adapted. When sailing the seas and stealing gold and jewelry became too risky, many of the former seamen traded their sea legs for walking boots — soft-soled walking boots.
On the surface, Fane’s appears nothing more than a rats’ nest of a tavern. All respectable citizens of Inachon’s Point avoid the despicable site. But underneath its haggard façade is the gathering place for the city’s thieves. Beneath the fl oor of the tavern is the cellar where meetings, plans, and territories are discussed. Th e descendents of the forgotten pirates do not limit themselves to stealing from wealthy houses. They help themselves to cargo on the docks — bribing soldiers to watch the stars while barrels and crates vanish into the night. Th ey also smuggle cargo into the city, avoiding tariff s and taxes, allowing them to resell it to merchants on the cheap. Th is is accomplished by a series of smugglers’ coves that pepper the coastline, with a maze of tunnels leading beneath the city. Th e members of this exalted guild are sensitive about freelancers.
Any thief who attempts to practice her trade inside the city is certainly going to encounter a member of the guild. Such an event is only a matter of time. When this happens, the “scab” thief is given the option to join the guild, usually by performing several jobs that are both risky and profi table, or the thief is told to leave the city. If one or the other option is not accepted, the members of the guild are ruthless in remedying the situation.
Fane, Tavern Owner
Fane is a spry man in his mid-fi fties, with dark hair streaked with gray. He is rotund, friendly, and unimposing. Underneath this friendly exterior is the head of the thieves’ guild, and a ruthless criminal. Although he no longer practices his trade, he does train and guide the members of his guild. He assures their interests are protected by eliminating any other guilds that vie for power, and by preventing any outside thieves from working the city.
Any new customer who enters Fane’s business is carefully scrutinized. Unable to resist practicing his art to some degree, Fane greets all new faces with a warm smile, while patting them down for money and belongings. He never steals anything; he just sizes up his prey. He doesn’t’ want to draw any attention to the tavern by having a client accuse him or one of his customers of theft. Once he knows the “worth” of a person, later that night he sends out one of his guildsmen to acquire the goods.
Besides being the leader of the largest underground business in Inachon’s Point, he is also a useful source for rumors and information. Heroes who manage to befriend him fi nd him a useful ally for garnering secrets, gossip, and news.
Agility 3D: dodge 3D+1, fi ghting 3D+1, melee combat 3D+1, stealth 4D Coordination 4D: lockpicking 4D+2, sleight of hand 5D, throwing 4D+1 Physique 2D: lifting 2D+1, stamina 2D+2 Intellect 3D: reading/writing 3D+1, speaking 3D+1 Acumen 3D: hide 4D+2, search 3D+2, streetwise 3D+1, tracking 4D Charisma 3D: bluff 3D+2, charm 3D+1, intimidation 4D, mettle 4D+2 Strength Damage: 1D Move: 10 Fate Points: 1 Character Points: 2 Body Points: 21 Wound levels: 4 Disadvantages: Enemy (R1), detested by other guilds attempting to move into the city; Enemy (R2), harassed by local authorities Advantages Authority (R2), respected leader of the local thieves’ guild Special Abilities none Equipment: lockpicking tools; long sword (damage +2D+2); soft leather vest (worn beneath a jerkin; Armor Value +2); dagger (damage +1D)
Typical Guild Member
Agility 3D, fi ghting 3D+1, melee 3D+1, Coordination 4D, lockpicking 4D+1, sleight of hand 5D, Physique 3D, Intellect 2D, Acumen 3D, hide 3+1, streetwise 4D, search 3D+2, Charisma 3D, bluff 3D+1, charm 3D+1. Move: 10. Strength Damage: 1D. Fate Points: 0. Character Points: 1. Body Points: 14/ Wound levels: 2. Equipment: clothes; cloak; basic lockpicking tools; dagger (damage +1D).
High Town
Sprouting from the mountainside upon which the city’s lighthouse rests are numerous residences, each growing larger as they move upward. Th is quarter of the city is where the money lives. It can be seen in the limestone-plastered houses, and the mansions lining the cobblestone streets. Groomed gardens and spraying fountains are common fare for this neighborhood. Few residents walk the streets, preferring to ride in carriages. Every morning, there’s a great exodus from High Town as the servants plod down to the bazaar to purchase food and daily necessities. Unlike the lower levels of the city, this is the land of successful merchants, bankers, politicians, and city offi cials.
Phylo Duran’s Library
Standing tall among the stone buildings of High Town is the city’s only library. Funded and erected by one of the city’s most eccentric citizens, it serves as a research library for Inachon’s Point scholars. It’s visited by people from hundreds of miles away and across the sea.
While the library’s oblong, eight-story exterior is rather bland, it’s one of the tallest buildings in the city. From the port and from the city gates, the bright white library stands out among the surrounding buildings.
Besides being a library with a vast collection of manuscripts, it’s also the residence of Phylo Duran. His private rooms can be found on the highest fl oor. On warm days, he stands upon the fl at roof, either reading in the sunlight or gazing at the horizon.
Even though Phylo is a lighthearted man, he doesn’t let everyone peruse his collection of tomes. Heroes longing to gain entrance to this large and unusual library must fi rst persuade Phylo. A hero that succeeds through charm or bluff is welcomed into the library. If she fails, she must return on another day, and Phylo adds a +2 bonus to his opposed mettle total. For each failure, another bonus accumulates.
Another approach is to engage Phylo in a scholarly debate. Again the player’s character makes an opposed roll against Phylo, both using their scholar skills. If the player’s character wins, the librarian is stumped and invites the character into the library for further discussion.
The last alternative is the use of a letter of reference. The persuasion or reading/writing total used to craft the letter must beat Phylo’s reading/writing roll by fi ve points, as he’s always careful to examine a letter of reference closely to make sure it isn’t a forgery.
Phylo Duran, Librarian
The somewhat eccentric librarian lacks good interpersonal skills. He spends much of his time with books, which seldom speak back. The endless years of one-way conversations has made Phylo a bibliophile and an introvert. He is lanky, gray haired, and 55 years old. He tends to overdress and is seldom seen without a book in hand. The truth is Phylo feels awkward without the heft of a volume of lore to balance him. When engaged in conversation, he occasionally turns away and commences reading from whatever book he is toting around. He is very imaginative, so sometimes when an idea is lodged in his head, he tends to stare into the distance, pondering whatever thought has captured his fancy.
The peculiar librarian is a diffi cult man to befriend. Even if a hero manages to charm him, this only lasts for a few hours, after which, Phylo grows weary of the person’s presence and requests her to leave. The only sure method of gaining the man’s favor is by entering into a debate with him or by presenting him with an interesting manuscript. Because of his vast collection, the character’s scholar roll must beat Phylo’s scholar total, with a +5 modifi er to the librarian’s total. If this succeeds, the hero has gained a lifelong friend.
Agility 3D: climbing 3D+2 Coordination 2D Physique 2D: lifting 2D+2, stamina 3D Intellect 4D: cultures 5D, reading/writing 6D+2, scholar 6D, speaking 4D+1 Acumen 4D: investigation 5D, search 4D+2 Charisma 3D: bluff 3D+1, intimidation 3D+2, mettle 4D, persuasion 3D+1 Strength Damage: 1D Move: 10 Fate Points: 1 Character Points: 6 Body Points: 21 Wound levels: 4 Disadvantages: Employed (R2), dedication to the library and Inachon’s Point prevents venturing from the town; Hindrance: Intellectual Snob (R1), +1 to charm, persuasion, and speaking diffi culties; Quirk (R2), loathes ignorance and anyone less knowledgeable than he (which is most everyone) Advantages Patron (R3), the ruling council of Inachon’s Point pays for the funds the library, its employees, and new acquisitions Equipment: mismatched clothes; keys; cloth bookmarks
The Library
1. Entry Hall: Th is is the main entrance to the library. The door is made of oak with iron rivets hammered into the wood to strengthen it (Toughness of 3D). Most of High Town’s residences consider this an unnecessary security measure that only reduces the beauty of the neighborhood. However, it does make the door much more diffi cult to smash. (Picking the lock has a diffi culty of 22.) Also located in this hallway is a trapdoor, which leads to the cellar. The door is normally locked and has a diffi culty of 15 to successfully be picked. The cellar stores mostly food and wine.
2. Common Library: Shelves stacked with books, scrolls, and loose paper clutters this room. In the center is a reading table, and a fi replace is set into the eastern wall. A tall ladder leans against each shelf, providing access to the higher texts in the room. In the northeast corner is an iron spiral staircase leading to the next level. Performing a search in this room with a diffi culty of 15 reveals the majority of volumes on the shelves are historical and probably only of interest to local scholars. (Exceptionally high totals may reveal a hidden book of obscure and valuable signifi cance.)
3. Rare Collection: Th is smaller room off the entrance hall is designed for private study. It also has a collection of unusual manuscripts, many of which discuss legendary beasts and magical practices. Heroes who use search have a diffi culty of 10 to fi nding some of Phylo’s personal notes.
4. Second-Level Hallway: The spiral stairs that lead to this level continue upward, all the way to the top level. Locked and set in the eastern walls of this hallway are two doors. The locks on both doors have a diffi culty of 15.
5. Forbidden Volumes: Th is library only Phylo and his most trusted associates may enter. It contains several volumes of works that would prove dangerous in the wrong hands. Rumor of this precious library has reached ears as far as the Scar — Fane has even heard of them but has not devised a method of acquiring them that won’t result in his capture. If asked, Phylo simply claims that this room is storage. A successful opposed roll of bluff against Phylo’s bluff allows a hero to discern that Phylo is fi bbing about the room.
6. Storage Room: Th is is a storage room. Inside are several crates of bound manuscripts and barrels of scrolls that Phylo hasn’t inspected yet. After he scans them, he places them in the proper location in the library.
The Scroll of the Lost City
Secreted away in Phylo’s library is a lengthy scroll that describes a lost city located deep within a desert. The unknown author of the manuscript describes the city as being covered by a sandstorm, and all of its occupants smothered in their homes. While the document itself is no more than one century old, the knowledge it contains dates back several centuries. There are enough clues in the book that a character, through careful examination, could fi gure out where the lost city is.
Additionally, scattered throughout its pages are also spell fragments. With some months of study, a player’s character can piece together these fragments and form entire spells.
The Point
Nearly 1,000 meters above the city, at the highest point of the stony mountain, rests Inachon’s lighthouse. It’s guarded day and, as it’s the guiding beacon for those who journey to the city. As night approaches, one guard carries a torch, climbing a spiraling staircase, to the stone summit. There he ignites the wood that burns until morning. Each morning, the guards clear the summit and restock the wood so the lighthouse has fuel for the next night.
Typical Lighthouse Guard: Agility 3D+2, fi ghting 4D+2, melee combat 4D+2, Coordination 2D, Physique 3D+1, running 3D+2, stamina 4D+2, Charisma 3D, intimidation 3D+1, Intellect 2D+1, Acumen 3D+2, investigation 4D, streetwise 4D. Move: 10. Strength Damage: 2D. Fate Points: 0. Character Points: 0. Body Points: 15/Wound levels: 2. Equipment: chain mail armor (Armor Value +2D); halberd (damage +3D); pouch of food and water.
Smugglers’ Tunnels
Staggered along the coast on both sides of the city’s port are numerous smugglers’ tunnels. When Inachon’s Point served as a pirate base, these subterranean routes were often used to transport material and people in and out of the city. Although most people have forgotten them, Fane and his gang have not. Th ieves regularly use them to haul cargo in small boats to and from ships anchored off the coast. Forming a vast network beneath the city, it’s possible to exit at most any place, providing the person navigating the tunnels knows her way around. The tunnels require a Diffi culty navigation roll to get through. A roll can be made once per hour. A failure means that the hero spends another hour searching the tunnels for an exit. To fi nd a specifi c exit from the tunnels, one other than the one that was used to enter the tunnels, the diffi culty increases by +5. The gamemaster should add modifi ers if the hero is in a hurry or is traveling without a light.
The tunnels themselves are rugged and fi lled with water. In most areas, the water is only waist high, but in other locations, it requires swimming or the use of a boat to pass through. Unless a hero has experience in the tunnels, there’s no way of knowing which passages contain which depth of water.