Rym’s mainland has only recently been reclaimed in the aftermath of the Automatic War some seven hundred years ago. It’s still quite sparsely populated, full of vast empty spaces and opportunities to carve out one’s own niche. The landscape is scarred but mostly recovered now, and many encounters detailed below involve some of its more unique features, things that will give you a better feel for the world and its challenges. These encounters can occur in any region though some climate adaptation and level adjustment may be required depending on the strength and composition of the party. If you find a few that suit the story, feel free to choose them in advance, or you can just roll them randomly to see what comes up. You can also include situations that are below or beyond the party's strength to challenge their mercy, their wits, or their pride in ways that simple combat doesn't. Escaping from a tyrannosaurus can be just as exciting as fighting one, so they say, and not everything has to be dealt with mechanically.

      Feel free to modify, adjust, or re-imagine these encounters if they give you ideas or if you want to develop them into something bigger than just an encounter. They may involve a revisitation, reoccurring NPCs, villains or monsters, or even a new point on the map. They're meant more as extra flavor to an exsting campaign or story arc. We've included a quick-roller below so you can generate encounters randomly - scroll down to see what fate has in store for your party.

           RANDOM ENCOUNTER: 0

      You don't have to let fate decide, but sometimes it's best to let the universe choose what's next. That's how life works, at least most of the time, so if you really want to see what your party is made of, don't plan ahead. Let fate take its course and see what happens.

      

       SCENARIO 1 - AIRFIELD
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Investigation, Perception, Stealth              POSSIBLE INHABITANTS: Moda, Mercenaries, Merchants
      An old sign with the triangular Aerocon symbol would suggest that there was a landing zone somewhere nearby. With appropriate Perception or Investigation, the party might find a way to enter the sealed-up nicrete control tower overlooking its stretch of broken runway or a series of raised nicrete docking pylons for airships. Airfield structures are incredibly plain octagonal monoliths connected by (now rickety) metal gantries. The ruin may be abandoned, too damaged for any real purpose, or it could be an active (minor) waypoint Tradewind Guild vessels. Active fields will be well-protected and provisioned trading posts maintained by merchants or mercenaries hoping for resupply, or by the Tradewind Guild itself and their neutral network of delivery dirigibles. Such airfields have tall tower lamps which can be used to spot targets with up to a quarter mile away or up in the air (treat this as gigantic bullseye lanterns - guards make Perception checks against approaching Stealth checks). An active site is very useful for anyone who wants to travel to a major city, while an empty one might contain objects of value, perhaps even a ruined airship or even aircraft parts. This is also a viable place to camp for the night, if it's abandoned.

      There’s some unusual symmetry in the landscape ahead, vague suggestions of a roadway amidst sparser grass and brush, and what might have once been a fence. Only the foundations remain, cracked teeth in what looks like an orderly line stretching off into the distance. Beyond that, the ragged outlines of shattered structures, and a space where nothing grows at all. Along the approach of this unnatural field is the ruin of a faded guide-sign with triangular symbols and curved contrails, and the distinctive iconography of aircraft. You’ve come upon what might have once been a landing field and its barren nicrete strips, ghostly hangars, and the brutal architecture of a lone tower with a bleary red light jutting from its weathered crown.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Abandoned        (26-50) Tradewind Guild shop, lodgings, radio        (51-75) Hostile enemy encounter        (76-00) Ruined airframe (2d6 Rare Parts)       

       SCENARIO 2 - AIRSHIP
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Persuasion, Insight, History              POSSIBLE INHABITANTS: Cepn Air Crew, Other Adventurers, Merchants
      An airship is spotted, moored 1d10 miles away over a small community or fort. This is a classic pill-shaped dirigible, a relic of the Bygone by its patchwork appearance, but clearly massive enough to carry a cargo gondola. A History check (DC 15) will suggest that it's too old to be a Tradewind Guild ship. Rayd, the indepedent cepn captain, is making deliveries to remote locations – rare rainforest plants, in this instance, from which exotic poisons are made. She is reluctant to take on extra weight, though a good Persuasion check might convince her to fly up to 10 passengers to their next destination point. She will expect payment, of course, but a ride with Rayd may save a lot of arduous journey. Accomodations on the ship are pretty basic but certainly better than a tent in the wild, and there may be opportunities to trade information or goods with her cepn crew, though they're not especially friendly and may require further Persuasion or Insight rolls to deal with - most don't speak to passengers. On a bad encounter, however, she’ll have a whole gang of hidden cohorts who will hijack the group as soon as they’re in the air. This is the ‘foil the robbery during the airship crash’ scenario in which the ship may end up going down and forcing the party to deal with both a hostile crew and the effects of a crash landing, both equally dangerous.

       In the distant sky, perhaps a few miles out, it’s impossible to miss the silhouette of an immense cargo blimp, a patchwork refugee of the Bygone era, hovering above the faint smoke of some minor settlement. Its mooring lines are deployed, anchoring it to a makeshift dock, and boxes of cargo are being lowered from the rickety gantry below its gondola. The airship isn’t flying a flag or guild banner, perhaps belonging to some independent merchant hauler or other outfit, and doesn’t look like it’ll be leaving any time soon. From this far away it’s hard to tell who might be trading with it, but it’s certain that if you were to divert your course you could make your way to the site and see what’s available, or if you could hitch a ride. They don’t look like they’re heavily armed, though the distinct outlines of docking ballistae can be seen at the bow and aft of the gantry, and there’s no line of sight on the parties with which they’re doing business.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Trading Post        (26-50) Settlement (lodgings, shop)        (51-75) Rival Adventuring Party        (76-00) Cepn Hospital (healing, pills)       

       SCENARIO 3 - ANCIENT BATTLEFIELD
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Investigation, Perception, Arcana              POSSIBLE INHABITANTS: Moda, Mercenaries, Merchants
      A region that’s still recovering, even now. The vague lumps of centuries-old centipede tanks, artillery crawlers, and anti-flyer cannons are clearly visible despite being overgrown, buried in sand, or half-sunk in marsh. A single titan terror-pod is face-planted beak-first through a great natural wonder of some kind, perhaps a sacred henge, great tree, or even the skeleton of a deific beast. After a Perception or Investigation check (DC 15), a skilled engineer could extract up to 2d6 Rare Parts by spending a long rest here (and an Arcana roll DC 15), but doing so will result in an encounter with the battlefield’s last inhabitant, possibly during the part-salvaging. This is a Red Checker, or iron golem, and only its mangled legs will give the average party a chance of escaping its crushing fists and mustard-gas breath - they group will have a round to act as it pulls itself out of the dirt. The gorilla-like Checker is more of an escape encounter, though it could actually be destroyed by parties of greater strength. It has all the usual abilities aside from only being able to move half the usual speed. Red Checkers are relentless, though any party which gets out of its sight for long enough will be forgotten.

      You’ve come across the ruin of some long-ago battle between titanic machines and divine beasts, this much is clear. The area is littered with the broken hulks and jutting bones of either side, the outcome rather inconclusive after centuries of weathering and decay, and little of value is obvious. There may be some salvage here amidst what’s left, but it would take some time and effort. You might find shelter in the broken head of an enormous walker or the shell of an armored transport, of course, and it doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in some time. The only colour occurs in red streaks gouged into some of the exposed metal, the ancient wonder-alloys which have deformed under some incalculable stress. It would take an army’s workshop to even begin making an use of this mess, though it seems that animals may have taken up residence here and there..
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Already stripped, no parts        (26-50) Additional Rare Parts (2d6)        (51-75) Roll on Ruins Treasure Table        (76-00) Random hostile animal(s)       

       SCENARIO 4 - ANCIENT WAR MACHINE
       RELEVANT SKILLS: History, Investigation, Perception, Nature              POSSIBLE INHABITANTS: Giant Serpent, Nest of Serpents, Naga
      Up ahead there’s a clearing in which a rusted war hulk lies half-shrouded in vegetation. It could be a centipede mortar, a walking turret, or other ground vehicle long-since gone to ruin. A good Nature check (DC 15) will suggest that it's now the lair of a giant serpent, which will emerge from ambush to strike anyone who might come to investigate its interior. A common giant constrictor will do for lower-level parties, while a naga would make a greater challenge for those of higher level - these will roll Stealth vs. the party's Perception in an effort to ambush them. The hulk will give the serpent cover from which to lunge and withdraw, restricting the party’s ability to confront from multiple angles. If there’s any treasure to be had, it’s in the belly of this beast, though more than likely this is just a useful (if unnerving) place to set up camp. Any valuables would be on the corpses (if any) of the living creatures which use this thing as a nest. With a good History check, someone might be able to identify that this type of vehicle also has a ration cartridge, and where to find it. The cartridge contains 3d6 Flatrat packs in edible condition.

      Up ahead there’s an unnatural shape, a heavy hulk of some long-ruined war device. It’s so old and broken down that it’s hard to tell what it was, only that it’s big enough to be a small home. Who knows, maybe it is, but from here it’s just a lump in the ground. The haft of some immense broken weapon is jutting from its side, perhaps the thing that killed it, though that’s also difficult to determine from where you’re standing. There are some scattered bones, too, though these look a little more recent, and certainly not the crew that might have once operated the thing.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Abandoned nest        (26-50) 1d6 Rare Parts        (51-75) 1 Extra Serpent        (76-00) Roll on Random Ruins Treasure       

       SCENARIO 5 - ANTENNA BUG
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Investigation, History, Perform              POSSIBLE INHABITANTS: Giant Stick Bug, Giant Insects, Arcanar Scavengers
      A great, unsteady radio tower rises in the distance. It’s a good landscape marker and will grant situational bonuses (+1d4) to Survival checks for the day, even if it’s passed by. Anyone with a functional radio can listen to much clearer-than-usual music, and at any given time (such as combat) can provide a 3d6th level bard’s Bardic Inspiration to anyone using Perform (dance) within listening range (1000’). A History check (DC 15) will recall that there's an Arcanar Guild reward for proof of destroying these things (the blue On-Air bulb at the top is bounty/proof). Unlike ordinary radio towers, this particular specimen draws and stores power from lightning strikes and may electrify itself suddenly as a defensive measure (repeated Shocking Grasp effects can be avoided with an Investigation check, DC 10). The faint hum of its built-up charge may have attracted other giant insects, especially giant bees. If threatened, it may even retract its harpoon guywires, transform into a titanic stick-bug configuration and simply walk away. In this case, treat it as a construct/metal version of a Giant Stick Bug. It has resistance to all damage, though it's subject to metal-damaging effects. Strangely, it will copy the dancing of anyone who makes a dance Perform check in its presence, and follow the dancer for 1d4 days, defending them in subsequent encounters.

      There’s a distinct humming sound coming from somewhere nearby, and it doesn’t take long to discover what’s making it. You've found a spindly metal tower, a sort of gantry pole that looks like it’s still doing…something. It’s about the size of a tree, and marked with symbols in the Iconic sign-language. Several of them have the distinct look of lightning bolts going through skulls. One has a figure that's clearly dancing to music. There might be some value in whatever’s still working here, and there’s nothing to stop you from investigating further save for whatever risk is implied by the signs. More unusually, there are some obvious signs that the thing hasn’t been here for very long because it’s not sunken or overgrown in any way.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Currently walking/dancing        (26-50) Hostile salvagers        (51-75) Hostile giant insects        (76-00) Playing music on its speakers       

       SCENARIO 6 - ARCANAR ARCHEOLOGY
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Arcana, Insight, Persuasion              POSSIBLE INHABITANTS: Arcanar Wizards (level 1d3+2), Koba Slaves (level 1)
      A group of 2d4 Arcanar wizards are gathered at a dig site, managing a group of 2d4 koba slaves as they excavate heavy rubble. They’re unearthing some kind of buried artifact (roll Random Ruins Treasure), and their operation can be heard from some distance away. The Arcanar are charged with bringing the Decider a constant stream of new toys to play with, and they may have found a cache of them. The party will see these wizards comparing their various motivational contrivances (mostly their 1d4+1 low-level Charm Person wands), tormenting the workers while discussing the jumble of 3d6 Rare Parts they’ve already unearthed. They consider their operation to be an important secret and will assume any approaching group is hostile (Persuasion DC 15 to convince them otherwise), sending their obedient koba slaves to fight them while gathering the parts and fleeing the scene on foot. Any who escape will report the group to the guild, resulting in a wanted-persons situation within their sphere of influence. If they can't get away, they'll try threatening, bribing, or other cowardly coercions - they don't fight to the death. Their koba slaves may be confused by the breaking of the Charm effects they've been under, and suddenly remember their mistreatment, however. A general Insight check (DC 15) will reveal that the koba are all Charmed. An Insight vs. their Deception will reveal that they're absolutely untrustworthy and will break any agreement or deal.

      Loud voices and the sounds of heavy manual labor can be heard up ahead. It looks like a small excavation of some kind, with several koba working a block and tackle rig around a dig site. A lot of the heavy cover has been cleared away to reveal an open pit where they’re excavating. Overseeing this operation are a few figures in robe-suits, wizard-like but with a mobster fashion twist. They’ve got a makeshift table where they’re discussing a bunch of dirt-encrusted objects. They’re pretty engrossed in what they’re doing and not paying much attention to anything else, but there’s a chance you’ll be spotted if you get any closer. The koba seem unusually obedient to their abusive commands.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) They're about to Long Rest.        (26-50) Tougher (+2 levels)        (51-75) Weaker (-2 levels)        (76-00) About to kill an injured worker       

      SCENARIO 7 - ARREST WARRANT
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Intimidate, Insight, Persuasion              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: 1d4+2 Bounty Hunters (Rangers and/or Fighters)
      A random member of the party has been mistaken for a wanted bounty – they may have a twin somewhere, or simply a similar likeness, but whatever the reason, the party might perceive that they’re being pursued. A group of bounty hunters proportionate with the party’s level will catch up with them and give them the chance to hand over this party member, possibly even offering a reward, and will take a very threatening attitude towards even the suggestion of refusal, citing a whole raft of their absurd offenses against the Decider or the Arcanar Guild, the Erdani Baronies, or other hostile authority. A clever character may be able to point out enough differences between their poster and the mistaken individual, however, with a successful Persuade check (DC 20), forcing them to grumpily back down and apologize for the misunderstanding. They might also be driven back with a successful Intimidate check vs. their opposing Insight, though they'll keep tracking the group and may try to ambush them at night. Otherwise, the party will have to fight a pack of well-coordinated fighters and rangers equal to (or greater than) their own level. Killing this party will merely reinforce and upgrade the bounty, which may result in their actual target coming to investigate the situation, for better or worse.

      Stepping out across the path ahead, a group of well-armed individuals make it immediately apparent that this isn’t just some random robbery. One of them is holding up a dog-eared wanted poster with a very familiar face glaring out of it. Familiar because it looks just like (choose a party member). It’s hard to read the charges from here, but the big 5000 PAZOOLS reward is bold enough to catch anyone’s attention. This bunch look like they’re very motivated, though the one holding up the poster holds up a hand, calling out: “Look, maybe you didn’t know you had this scum along with ya, we’re not unreasonable. We’ll even cut you in for a slice of the bounty, how about it? Be a lot easier than fighting over it, we do this all the time.” The others are all pointing a range of ranged weapons at you, holding their actions for your response. What’s it going to be?
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) They're Arcanar Wizards        (26-50) They're Voronoi Slavers        (51-75) They're heroic adventurers        (76-00) They're murderous children       

      SCENARIO 8 - ASSASSINATION PRACTICE
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Insight, Persuasion, Perception              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: A pair of 3rd level rogues
      A pair of cepn approach the group to ask if they can practice assassinating one of them. They’re both young and rather up-front about it, not wanting to alarm anyone, and they’re both armed with practice weapons and willing to offer anyone who agrees a fair sum of money – 1d4x100 pazools or gemstones worth the same. They don’t want to practice on just anyone – they need someone competent, even dangerous, preferably someone with the abilility to defend themselves. They’ll sell it as mutually-beneficial in other ways, too, an oportunity for their would-be victim to practice not being assassinated. It won’t be right away, either, they’ll tell any willing volunteer that it will happen in the next few days, and that their friends ought to participate as bodyguards to make the test more realistic. Anyone who probes this odd request (Persuasion DC 20) can discover their true motive – they’re working up the nerve to go after their first mark, a poison merchant. They need a supply of poison to go into the assassination business, and this poisoner is quite a lot more vile than they are, but not an easy target. If the party agrees, the two cepn will leave and then, at some point within the next 2d4 days, attempt to ‘assassinate’ their victim non-lethally. This could be a direct attack, a trap, mock-strangulation, etc, but should involve a difficult Perception check against both their Stealth checks (+5). If they succeed, they’ll be thrilled, thanking their victim profusely and then heading off. If they fail, they’ll pay to try again another time.

      A pair of dark, hooded shapes melt out of the shadows ahead, one of them waving a white flag. Even before they remove their hoods, it’s clear that these bat-faced strangers are young and neither are holding any sort of weapon. They look to be on the green side, and a little nervous, murmuring between each other as if deciding who’s going to do the talking. Rather awkwardly, one of them asks, “My friend and are practicing for an assassination, but it’s our first one and we need someone to practice on. Not for real, just a dry run, nothing to worry about.” The other says, “We can pay you, and we’ll be using practice tools, we just need to get our timing right and it’s important that we work with someone who’s dangerous. Are any of you dangerous?” They both seem a little embarrassed, perhaps even prepared to run away, watching you all carefully for any sign that you’ll try to kill them instead.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) One of them is attracted to a PC        (26-50) They're also for hire        (51-75) They'll beg if refused        (76-00) They will ask for advice       

      SCENARIO 9 - BATTERY DUST
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Nature, Survival, Athletics              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: Radiant Predators
      This region is laced with the glowing powder of broken luxite batteries, a substance which might appear as bio-luminescence of various sorts. The local flora and fauna tend to pick it up, ingest or incorporate it in various ways, and though relatively harmless, it can cause quite a change in the ecosystem. Plants which absorb luxite dust glow at night, and anything which eat these plants may likewise acquire a low-level radiance which is subject to the biological amplification up the food-chain. The group will encounter a phosphorescence like Faerie Fire in almost anything that moves for miles around the source, typically a smashed radiance generator or light capacitor. These once acted as substations for the Bygone’s energy grid, and by locating the epicenter of the effect with a Nature or Survival Check (DC 15+ 1d4), the group may recover a cache of intact crystals amongst the sunken or overgrown ruins. 1d8 luxite rods can be extracted with a little muscle (Athletics DC 10). Each rod is about the size of a scroll tube and contains 2d4 charges – enough to energize most Bygone artifacts for a like number of uses. They can be sold for up to 50 pazools per charge. A failed Nature or Survival roll will instead draw the attention of a crazed random predatory animal whose natural attacks inflict an additional 1d6 radiant damage.

      You might not have noticed during the day, but as evening approaches, it’s obvious – this area is glowing. Everything seems to shimmer and shine with varying degrees of gentle radiance, something beyond the natural glow of phosphorescent life. Veins of neon color paint the lengthening shadows. Most of it is blue or white, hot pink or eldritch green, with different degrees of concentration and intensity. Some of it’s even clinging to you, and the tracks you’re leaving. It seems to be brighter in the direction you’re traveling, and as your eyes adjust, you can see that it’s in them too. It’s some sort of dust, but it’s been here long enough to have incorporated itself into the local landscape, and perhaps the wildlife as well. Will you avoid this area, or seek out the source?
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Electric-blue giant spiders        (26-50) Neon pink wild boars        (51-75) Phosphorescent giant lizards        (76-00) Radiant carnivorous plants       

      SCENARIO 10 - BIG SCREEN
       RELEVANT SKILLS: >Perform, Sleight of Hand, Perception              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: 1d4+1 ixis rogues (level 3), GAN-35 (8th level bard)
      Somewhere, there’s a huge outdoor screen. It’s the size of a movie screen, raggedly-restored and currently attracting a large number of people. It could be on the outskirts of a town, some forgotten roadside, up on a hill, or any other place where local folk (or creatures) might gather. This screen is just a projector surface for an Enthrall and Major Image combination projected a Machine illusionist called GAN-35, or more often his show-name, Lantern. He’s determined to bring wonder, culture, excitement, and enlightenment to even the most backwater burg, and like most bards, he’s got a silver tongue most Machines lack. He prints tickets for his shows right out of his palms, and makes a fair bit of money making Perform checks on the road. His ixis assistants, however, are often guilty of pilfering from the Enthralled, and anyone in the group who fails their saving throw against the Enthrall effect is likely to find something missing the next day - Perception against their Sleight of Hand (+5) is made at Disadvantage. A Persuasion or Intimidate check vs. Gan’s Charisma (DC 18) will convince him to retrieve it from the one who stole it, and earn the group a random item of his as an apology (random Ruin Treasure Table roll).

      Somewhere nearby, you can hear what sounds like a battle going on. It sounds a little off, though, a little too dramatic, with very loud voices, embellished screams, and…music. It isn’t long before you can make out where it’s coming from, either – the battle is taking place on what looks like a wall in the distance. The battle looks very real, but it’s not, it’s like mural come to life. Gathered before the mural are fascinated people, and even a few animals, all watching and occasionally cheering as the spectacular action shifts from angle to angle, alternating between different points of view and appearing to focus unnaturally on key moments. It’s like a play, but with its sounds and images amplified to an astounding, enthralling degree. Everyone needs to make a Wisdom saving throw or be drawn closer to watch the movie.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) War Movie (Against the Giants)        (26-50) Action Movie (Overmountain)        (51-75) Space Opera (Barrier Peaks)        (76-00) Dance Battle (Jollywood)       

      SCENARIO 11 - BILLBOARD
       RELEVANT SKILLS: History, Persuasion, Performance              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: 4d6 Ixis Rat Swarms
      An enormous, faded billboard casts its shadow across the path. Maybe it’s a picture of the newest dome home, or a fancy automatic carriage, or a dream vacation. Some large portion of the image or several letters may be missing, leading to generations of misunderstanding. It has also become a shrine to ixis fanatics who hide behind or inside it, swarming out in order to capture those they deem worthy of sacrifice to the billboard. The rat-folk take a dim view of any who do not know the Promises of the Warranty or the rites of attaining the Coveted Thing, and have the sort of insurmountable numbers that require quick-thinking as opposed to battle. A DC 20 Persuasion (sales pitch), History (product knowledge) or Performance (commercial song) may weasel the group's way out of the hysterical outrage reserved for those who know not the Terms of Lease, but if they can't make (or fake) The Pitch, the ixis will force the group to undergo some sort of trial, toll, or worse, an educational seminar. This can be built-up as a lethal threat but then rug-pulled into something ridiculous which will test the group's humility, patience, or more likely, their sense of humor. The ixis aren't evil, only wildly obsessed, and if their leader (Sign-Here) is impressed by the successful rolls of a clever party, he will reward the group with the promise of some future boon - the DM can decide exactly when the massive swarm of fanatics will return to save the group from peril, but it should be a disaster for those who deigned to threaten their fellow Signees.

      What’s this? It’s the biggest sign you’ve ever seen, towering above the nearby landscape. It looks like it was made to be so large that you couldn’t miss it if you wanted to. There are even lights shining on it from somewhere below. It looks luxurious, and though it’s hard to make out what that luxury is, the font and iconography are incredibly enticing, at least until a colossal rat-shadow rises up to blot out half the sign. A booming voice emanates from cones below the sign’s support column as you’re all caught in a huge circle of illumination, “YOU! Yes YOU! This is the sign of Sign-Here! You have not heard The Pitch, have you?! We would know if you knew! Stay where you are, you’re surrounded!” And you are. There’s an army of rats carrying sharpened forks all around you, emerging from holes and cracks all around the sign. There must be two dozen swarms of them, maybe more, all chanting two words: “Sign-Here! Sign-Here!” Holding up a golden pen, their leader way up on the sign calls down to you: "Let us hear The Pitch!"
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Deluxe Autodyne (Nyloi 900L)        (26-50) Tropical Vacation (Argos Island)        (51-75) Vendoplex (Blue Hour Mall)        (76-00) Dream House (Dome-Home 5)       

      SCENARIO 12 - BLUE NIGHT
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Medicine, Nature, Persuasion              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: Becalmed Monsters, Awakened Animals, Self
      Once in a rare while, the hurricanes which cover the surface of Tropos subside for long enough to allow a clear view of its glittering watery surface. On a night like this, Rym is bathed in an ethereal blue glow, a so-called ‘blue night’ in which visibility is far greater than usual. Blue nights bring about several unique events in the natural world, one of these being the mass-release of blue moonflake spores. There’s a significant quantity of these in the area, enough to create rolling clouds of hallucinatory toxin. An encounter on a night like this could be quite surreal, as even the local fauna are lost in the effect, displaying behavior in wild opposition to what you might expect. In simple terms, this is a all-night Commune with Nature and Calm Emotions effect, and with a little creative preparation it could lend itself to unique variations on the typical encounter. A philosophical discussion with almost any creature will do, and possibly even a hallucinated variation of the self. Anyone may use the Commune with Nature ritual to have their own personal spiritual journey, and to receive their share of insight from the natural world. They may also make a Persuasion check against themselves in order to meet their shadow (both rolls odd), or their higher calling (both rolls even). In this case, they'll have a chance to meet what they might become, or what they might have been, a dark reflection or a more promising aspiration. Either will be controlled by the DM, and only seen by their respective PCs. This is an opportunity for reflection roleplay. A successful Medicine (DC 20) check may be used to collect enough spores for another Commune with Nature ritual effect, though only within the next week or so.

      It’s a clear night, and the full moon of Tropos has an unusual brightness to it. The great hurricanes which so often churn across its surface have spread out wide enough to reveal the blue-tinted reflection of the sun, painting the darkness in tones of azure and aquamarine. Luminous motes drift on the cool night breeze, flaring in the turquoise moonlight and fading again like fireflies, though it isn’t for some time that their source becomes apparent. They’re vented from the gills of irregular mushroom spirals, more prominently now as the moon continues to rise and its surface becomes clearer. They’ve dusted you quite noticeably by then, and in any place they’ve touched your warmth, they’ve melted away like snow. Some of you are seeing more clearly now, your senses sharpening in ways you might not expect.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Advantage on Arcana        (26-50) Advantage on History        (51-75) Advantage on Nature        (76-00) Advantage on Religion       

      SCENARIO 13 - BLIGHTED CORN FARM
       RELEVANT SKILLS: History, Nature, Investigation              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: 3d6 Blights, 1d4 Murders of Crows (swarms)
      The ruins of an old farm stretch out across the landscape ahead, marked by a broken-down wire fence. There was blue and white corn here long ago, and the hulks of agricultural equipment lie rusting amid the fallow fields (2d6 Rare Parts, Investigation DC 15). Some of these might contain some meager Rare Parts (2d4) but the dead farm also has its share of fertilizer-addicted Blights. These plant-type monsters may have once fought for the divine during the Automatic War, resisting the expansion of organized agriculture, but now their descendants are drawn to the ruins of a fertilizer silo. A History check (DC 10) will identify that this fertilizer (Cornado) was created by Alto Seme during the Bygone, and while it’s extremely effective even now after hundreds of years, its chemical constituents are extremely addictive to all forms of sentient plant life. The blights could be minor or major variants depending on the party composition, though they all have an aspect of corn, and the DM is encouraged to punctuate the encounter with corn-based puns or other figures of speech to accentuate the absurdity. The men of the corn are gathered around the silo, high on Cornado, and will mistake the group for rival rye blights, attacking them on sight. A Nature check (DC 15) will alert the group that if killed by fire damage, the blights will explode. Exploding blights create a popped corn shrapnel shower (15’ radius), inflicting 3d4 piercing damage (Dexterity DC 15 for half damage). This has the potential to create a chain-reaction and will summon 1d4 swarms of crows within two rounds. The crows will attack the corn blights and anyone damaged by their explosive shrapnel.

      The area you’re passing through looks like it might have been an immense farm, long ago. The symmetry of long-dead fields and broken fences mark the landscape, and in the distance you can make out rotted silos and long, dilapidated greenhouses, and even a few helical windmills. The rusting wrecks of old agricultural machines dot the blighted landscape, some stripped skeletal, others merely broken down. The whole thing looks deserted, at least at first, but there are an awful lot of crows watching you from the taller places. If there are crows, there’s probably some food somewhere, or shiny things. They crows look well-fed, and curious, but they’re mostly focused around on old silo in particular, marked with the great glyph of the old Titan of Life, Alto Seme.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Awakened (talking) crows        (26-50) Blights are hiding in the silo        (51-75) 2d4 Rye Blights join the fight        (76-00) The corn blighs are children       

      SCENARIO 14 - BROKEN DOWN GHOST-TOWN
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Investigation              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: The Ghost
      This ghost town is full of bad memories and rickety ruins, suggestive of some attempt to rebuild a semblance of community in the wake of the Automatic War. It’s one of countless little strip-mall hamlets that survivors transformed into post-apocalyptic shelters in order to wait out the end of the world. Unfortunately for the inhabitants, the end lasted longer than they could hold out, and signs of desperation and madness can be found throughout the dusty shanty-shacks and wind-scoured saloon. If the group decides to search the ruins (Investigation) they’ll find 1d4 items from the Ruins Treasure Table for each hour of searching with a roll of 15 or higher, but they’ll also have to spend much of the day doing so and should be warned that it would mean spending the night. Anyone resting here will have to contend with the ghost, a spectral apparition which appears on various blurry screens and teleglass panes all throughout the ruins. This holographic haunt used to guide tourists of the Bygone, but has since gone insane, condemned as it is to an eternity of mirrors and monitors meant for information and entertainment. It will use a horror-version of Vicious Mockery and Hideous (Hysterical) Laughter from 1d4+1 screens found in each of the structures, and cannot be banished without destroying them all. The DC to save against these effects is 15, and it can use each screen available in each location to attack multiple party members each round. Screens may be shielded, in difficult locations, or otherwise challenging to break.

      In the distance, the promising shapes of a few old buildings turn out to be the skeletal remains of a long-dead ghost town, a place that might have sheltered a few lost souls long ago, but which has since fallen silent and lifeless. From what you can see, it wasn’t much, maybe a few families, and though there are still places to shelter, there doesn’t seem to be anyone living here anymore. Still, it looks like there might have been a store, a greenhouse, and a few dwellings, even a saloon, and though the colours are all dull and faded, it appears to have been salvaged from something festive and important in the Bygone. There are a lot of decorative items, a dry fountain, smashed statues, and even an old park. You might find something useful here, even if it’s just shelter from the approaching windstorm. It looks like it might be a dismal night.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Ghost pretends to be PCs        (26-50) Ghost singles out one PC        (51-75) Ghost wants to be freed        (76-00) Ghost just wants company       

      SCENARIO 15 - BUGLE BOGGLE
       RELEVANT SKILLS: History, Arcana              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: 2d6 bandits (party level)
      Like an air-raid siren, the bugle tower was designed to warn people about something. This one is just blaring every twelve seconds, emitting its infuriating brassy notes for no apparent reason. It can be heard from miles away, long before it’s in sight, and anyone who approaches will see what looks like a radio tower with a crown of four huge noise cones pointing in all directions. It impossible to ignore, and in this case, wired to draw attention. Anyone annoyed by the bugle tower will have no trouble finding it, as it just blares over and over, making sleep, rest or even basic concentration extremely difficult. Emphasize just how annoying it is, and how its trumpeting notes have driven off the local wildlife, making hunting impossible. The bugle tower is operated by bugle bandits who have a hideout nearby, a hidden watchtower from which they can spring out to rob anyone who comes to flip the suspiciously-obvious OFF level-switch halfway up the tower (Arcana DC 6). Flipping the switch encloses that section of the gantry in a heavy, electrified metal cage (50 HP door, Sleight of Hand 20 to lockpick). The walls of this cage inflict a Shocking Grasp (1d8 damage) for each attempt to open it, either by blow or pick, and the bandits will either rob the group while they’re trying to rescue the captured PC, or threaten to electrocute the captured individual directly if they don’t pay/trade a hefty ransom (1d4x100 pazools).

      From somewhere far away, you can all hear what sounds like the faintest suggestion of a trumpet note. It’s so faint that it’s hard to be sure you even heard it, but as you continue on, another comes more clearly, and another, growing steadily louder. It sounds like someone blaring a bugle in the distance, and your path is carrying you closer to it, little by little. It repeats every ten seconds or so, sounding almost like an alarm, only much louder and slower. It isn’t until you’ve reached the point of irritation that its source can be seen, a tall tripod structure with a ring of rusted horns around its lofty peak. A ladder at the base rises to a small, cramped landing halfway up, perhaps twenty or thirty feet, between the rusty columns where a very prominent lever switch can be seen. This thing is apt to keep you up all night. Not far from the base of the horn tower is a sign stuck in the ground which reads: ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ in roughly-painted red letters. The sign has a weathered longbow arrow sticking out the back.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Bandits want one of the PCs        (26-50) Bandits already caught someone        (51-75) Bandits include PC relative        (76-00) Bandits are all deaf       

      SCENARIO 16 - COLLECTIONS
       RELEVANT SKILLS: History, Deception, Persuasion              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: REP-05 (10th Level Machine Wizard)
      A very powerful Machine bounty hunter (REP-05) is tracking a specific member of the party, whose distant ancestor had an unpaid (possibly embarrassing) fine or late video spool rental fee, and has over the course of the last seven centuries moved up to the highest priority target on the collections list. This Machine does not mess around – it wants over seven million pazools to ward off a complete repossession of the individual’s entire inventory (and clothing). The Collector could happen anywhere, because it’s been tracking the individual for over a year now, and is finally ready to make its move. It will have a powerful crowd-control spell or ambush attack to negate as much of the target’s help as possible. It should be scaled to party challenge, or even above, such that a clever plan, deception, or confusing excuse could spare them from a very dangerous battle. REP-05 can also be outrun or otherwise escaped from, but may become a reoccurring adversary in that case, and it's not allowed to use any sort of lethal attack, and is only permitted to take property in compensation for the late fee. It will have a long list of other targets as well, and a deposit station for anything it collects all the way back in the Axis wasteland. If the group actually manages to destroy REP-05, it might be suggested in some offhand way (or off-screen reveal) that REP-06 has awakened somewhere far away, and is now preparing to take up the mantle of its predecessor, with an additional fee for 'resisting collection' tacked on to the bill.

      A deadly-looking gunmetal-coloured war Machine decloaks on the path ahead of you, catching everyone by surprise. As the invisibility fades, its weapons bristle and a booming voice declares, “(Insert PC Name), at last we meet. You are the great-great-great-great-great-great grandchild of (Insert PC’s Ancestor).” From one of its glass eyes, the killer Machine projects an image of an extremely convoluted family tree, then resumes its accusation, “You are thus responsible for the outstanding late fees of the unreturned: (Insert embarrassing overdue title of book or movie.).” The projected family tree is replaced by a compound interest chart, “The fee stands at 7120342 Pazools. If the fee is not paid, I have been authorized to execute collections. Please present your payment or forfeiture immediately. This is your final notice.”
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Embarrasing public confrontation        (26-50) Ancestors destroyed REP-04, 03, 02...        (51-75) Fee waived if item replaced        (76-00) REP-05 will give PC 7 days       

      SCENARIO 17 - COMBINATION
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: Alto Seme Juggernaut (CR 24)
      An agricultural Juggernaut (Plant-domain) is trundling its way across a stretch of random land, harvesting everything in its path. The usual Juggernaut rollers inflict piercing as opposed to bludgeoning damage. This one has a rebuilt-look to it, and may have escaped from some local farmers who thought they had it under control, or else it may lie dormant until a very specific stretch of harvest time, coming to life at dawn and running another mile of an ages-long pilgrimage. The danger can be direct, or the goliath may be observed from a distance causing some sort of catastrophe. DMs should simply imagine the sort of damage a runaway double-sized monster combine could cause to just about anywhere. This one also deploys a spring-loaded barbed-wire perimeter, as a Wall of Thorns, possibly fencing in the group or at least blocking their path in some way. Or it could be coming right for them, perhaps mistaking them or their mounts for harvest material. This is likely to be an escape scenario, since the Juggernaut is an extremely powerful adversary (CR 24) and not easily fought. It's not very fast (20) and does not fly, nor does it use Prismatic Spray. In lieu of Prismatic Spray, it flings out the aforementioned 100' lengths of barbed wire each round, adding complications to any attempt to escape the eight flailing attacks (+15 to hit) it makes when people are pulled into its threashing hood (certain death - 32d6 + 64 damage). It will stop chasing its prey if they get more than 500' away. Athletics can be used to outrun it and Acrobatics can be used to escape it in various ways (it doesn't climb and slows in difficult terrain), and Stealth can be used to hide from it.

      In the distance, something big comes to life. The rusty screech of enormous mechanisms, the coughing wheeze of old generators, and the clash of spinning blades alert you to the sheer size and power of the combine harvester that’s nearby, and whether it was already preparing to work this stretch of land, or whether it’s decided to harvest you specifically is irrelevant. It’s coming, and chewing up the cover that might have hidden it from view until now. The landscape itself is no obstacle, its mindless approach tearing through even the large obstacles between its fifteen-foot-wide threshing aperture and the harvest that is you. You may have some time to get moving, but not much, and nothing is going to stand in its way.
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Leaves road in its wake        (26-50) Plants crops in its wake        (51-75) Nearby lake / quicksand / bog        (76-00) 1d4 fences in block escape       

      SCENARIO 18 - CONSTRUCTION SITE
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Animal Handling, Insight, Nature              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: Random Monster Infestation (see below)
      A wide swath of land has been leveled and graded, with the foundations laid for buildings that were never put up. The site is seemingly abandoned, though signs of recent work are everywhere. The moda crew that’s been doing all the work is currently on break, and will return while the group is looking around, preceded by a shrill whistling sound. These are faceless mechanical zombies, essentially, and while they don’t have an apparent organizer or boss, one will appear if there’s even the slightest interference. This is a gorg businessman, Maxworthy Mondo, who threaten the party with something called ‘legal action’ if they start causing trouble. He’ll assume they’ve heard of him and that they’re looking for work, and it so happens that he’s got a thousand pazools for anyone who can clear out the creatures who keep stalling the excavation (Nature or Insight DC 15 to determine what they are in advance). He doesn’t know what they’re called or how many there are, but he’s got the money in his ridiculously-large on-site safe and will give them an advance (25%) if they agree and sign a legally-binding contract as ‘exterminators’. The pay is good, too, 1200 pazools (split) plus 'benefits' (the benefits are a pile of twelve lunch sandwiches and twelve bottles of ale, also split). If the group tries to approach Max again he'll wave them off, busy as he is with his repeated Sending to another investor. IF they persist, he'll threaten to fire them. If they succeed, he'll pay them and give them a sealed letter of recommendation that can be used to give them Advantage on any gorg Persuasion involving paid work.

      While you’re wandering among the dusty foundations, a booming voice hits you like a bag of cement, “Hey!” You! Don’t touch that, you’re here for the job, aren’t you?” An enormous hippopotamus man comes out of one barely-built building and points a huge-sized at all of you, “It’s about time you showed up!” He looks annoyed, but sounds relieved, “For a minute I thought you were just a bunch of idiots, but you look like you know your business. Now see here, I need these things gone by tomorrow, I’ve got investors coming and I don’t want them hearing any shrieks or hissing or other monster sounds, it’s all over there.” He points his cigar to one of the building foundations, “Here’s your advance, come talk to me when it’s done.” Before any of you can utter a word, his attention shifts to a moda with nothing to do, “And YOU! Get your ass back to work before I turn you into foundation bolts!” He storms off, shaking a fistful of blueprints, “That goes for the rest of you! Back to work, brasshats!”
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Nest of Ankhegs (1d4+1)        (26-50) Umber Hulk        (51-75) Black Pudding        (76-00) Bulette       

      SCENARIO 19 - CORPORATE PUNISHMENT
       RELEVANT SKILLS: Insight, Deception, Persuasion              POSSIBLE OPPOSITION: 36 southern skoles (2nd level) (see below)
      There were eight Titans of Industry leading the Creator State, and each of them had different headquarter buildings where their business was discussed and organized. There were dozens of these in the Bygone, usually one in every city or even in every town, with some still standing due to their high construction standards. This one can be seen from miles away, amidst the rubble of lesser buildings. Made from stark white nicrete and brutalist in design, they have blocky geometric shapes and very few narrow windows, making them ideal corporate prisons for the bureaucrats of that era. Insight (15) suggests that this one is being used as a prison for debtors, a gorg institution wherein those who can’t pay their bills are forced to work. Three floors of honeycomb-shaped office cubicles contain nearly three hundred ‘wage slaves’ who audit the papers of gorgish bureaucrats, checking large-sized papers - expenses, receipts, balance sheets, and legal agreements and then copying them into smaller sheets for medium-sized creatures. There are printing presses for this sort of thing, but like rock-smashing prisoners the idea is to crush the spirits of those imprisoned here. Also the gorgs tend to have terrible handwriting. The prison is guarded by southern skoles, a dozen per floor, and its isolated location is by design, though they can’t stop the occasional paper airplane from sailing out the windows with pleas for help written on them in every language. The group might find half a dozen of these paper airplanes littering the ground as they approach. Several of these could be used to craft a Deception and a possible way in.

      Some distance from here, you’ve spotted a single monolithic building rising from the ruins of what might have been a business park. Brutalist statues suggest it belonged to one of the titans of the Bygone, and the few slitted windows shine with steady white illumination. The high spiked fence is quite menacing, as are the patrolling Doberman-faced skoles who appear to be guarding the entry. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in there, but as your path brings you closer, you might start to notice papers scattered across the surrounding landscape. These papers have been folded into a variety of flying shapes, some fresh, others old and wrinkled from exposure. Here comes one now, flying from one of the narrow, distant windows as if it had been thrown in your direction on purpose, and as it flits and swoops across the ruins and the outskirts of the business park, none of the guards appear to notice. It lands nearby, and though its visible surfaces are all covered in what look like accounting jargon, one scrawled word screams up from the monotony in red ink: “HELP”
       MODIFIERS: (0-25) Prisoners from Erdanis        (26-50) Prisoners from Haun        (51-75) Prisoners from Caefax        (76-00) Prisoners from Narada