Elias’ Thoughts – I’ve got bugs on the brain, not literally. Maybe literally. Really, I’ve been thinking a lot about resource management and how it would look in an enclosed ecosystem and in turning this over I’ve settled on some additional cultural touch points for the setting. I like the idea of using insects as a fast growing source of protein which can be used to help mitigate waste build up. The same principles can also be extended to fungus. Fast growing, assists with waste management, and can be used in a variety of ways (see last week’s mushroom distillate). So yeah, this week is mostly bugs and fungus. Every Trencher’s favorite two resources.
Monday 1/8
Warbeetles: Considering the time period, there would have been some form of gas powered vehicle already invented. However, the lack of gasoline and other combustible material, as well as the vertical nature of the city, would hamper the effectiveness of gas powered vehicles as a whole. Internal combustion engines would be better suited to the open plains in the Wilds of the Trench.
Within the city, Protectorate trained Warbeetles are a common sight. Gigantic beetles, shells typically painted in the vivid colors of the different factions within the Protectorate, navigate the city with ease. They are generally manned by a 2-3 person squad consisting of a driver, a rifleperson that operates the back mounted maxim machine gun, and a support soldier. Other beetles have been trained to transport artillery, with some species growing large enough to allow for back mounted cannons. These creatures are also utilized for general heavy transports, able to maneuver large amounts of cargo or pull wagons that weigh multitudes more than they themselves do. While generally docile, at the urging of the driver these trained beasts of war will charge into battle and attempt to crush any unfortunates that stand in their way. The best way to incapacitate a raging Warbeetle is to disable their legs or to get explosives below them, where their carapaces don’t offer as much protection. #transportation #war #protectorate #insect
Tuesday 1/9
Riding Grasshoppers: In the way that Warbeetles have supplanted tanks and utility trucks, giant grasshoppers have taken over roles traditionally assigned to cavalry. They are used for scouting by the Wilderness Exploratory Corps. and as mounts for shock troopers that keep order in the outskirts of the city. These creatures are very fast moving, covering massive amounts of distance in singular leaps and the soldiers have learned to utilize the grasshopper’s natural abilities to complement the needs of their assignment.
In the outskirts, the Protectorate soldiers are typically outfitted with shotgun lances and they use their mount’s jumping ability to attack from novel directions. Many wandering creatures and marauding forces have been driven away from the capital city, Peccatu, by a wave of charging riding grasshoppers. In single combat, a soldier is likely to urge their mount to leap above the target so they can pin it to the earth using their lance, before unloading the shotgun shells concealed within the handle.
While scouting in the wilderness, soldiers are more likely to be equipped with lighter, longer range weaponry. They are often sent on solo missions to either track potential threats migrating past the city or to check in on some of the more remote settlements and byway stations. Soldiers use their grasshoppers’ harmonious chirping to send messages to each other over long distances, using a rudimentary form of Morse code to rapidly pass messages back to Peccatu from wherever they are. #transportation #war #protectorate #insect
Wednesday 1/10
Transport Centipedes: The Protectorate has solved the problem of needing to rapidly move soldiers across the city by rearing and training giant centipedes for use as troop transport. These creatures can typically fit 10-20 soldiers on their back, which soldiers cling to using ropes tied around their trunk. The centipedes are particularly adept at navigating the densely crowded and winding streets of the Arts District as they can crawl partially vertically at their handler’s direction, easily avoiding the foot traffic in these areas. During the rapid shifts between horizontal and vertical, there is always a possibility that a soldier will lose their grip and fall loose. While these soldiers can often jump onto the tail end of the centipede to continue their trek, anyone that is shaken loose during the travel is mercilessly ridiculed… Until the next soldier loses their grip, that is. #transportation #war #protectorate #insect
Thursday 1/11
Insect chitin: Little to nothing goes to waste in the Trench, and parts of Protectorate discarded monstrous insects are no different. An invaluable and ample resource, insect chitin is harvested from the multitude of giant insects native to the Trench and utilized in armor, shields, and weaponry. Most chitin destined for arms or armor find its way into the hands of Bugwrights, mechanical specialists who, after long years of study, have become chitin-savants. It’s not unusual to find a Bugwright working in the Trade District, hawking beetle shell shields or centipede plate armor. Serrated ant mandibles can be used to create glaives and wasp stingers are fashioned into daggers capable of a particularly potent wound. #culture #insect #material
Friday 1/12
Brightcaps (fungal lighting): While there is limited electricity in Peccatu, generated by turbines in the desalination plant in the Trade District, most of the city relies on bioluminescent fungus. Available in a variety of colors, Brightcap mushrooms are cultivated wherever a source of light is needed. Due to generations of selective breeding, the light provided by a single, well cared for Brightcap is enough to fully illuminate a single room.
Somewhat surprisingly, there is a roaring trade revolving around new and novel Brightcap colors, with some fungus breeders basing their entire business around breeding Brightcaps in never before seen color lines. Brightcap breeders jealously and tenaciously guard their spore prints from outsiders, keeping their specific trade secrets under lock and key. Most breeders are trying to create a clean white, or even yellow-white, producing Brightcap as such a line of color would undoubtedly make them staggeringly rich. #culture #fungus
Saturday 1/13
Mushroom chitin: One of the most abundant and popular building materials, mushroom chitin is harvested from the giant mushrooms that grow on the garbage pylons in the Outskirts of the city. Due to how rapidly these fungus grow, only the soft interior is edible by humans. The exterior walls of these mushrooms are harvested and either given to insect ranchers as a source of feed or are preserved in massive sheets that are used as an affordable and easily manipulated building material.
The majority of the Undercity is made of mushroom chitin buildings. This does occasionally present problems as spores preserved on the walls of the buildings might begin sprouting in the damp and humid climate that permeates the city tier. #culture #fungus #material
Sunday 1/14
Giant slime molds: It is theorized that increased slime mold activity can be linked to increased surface rainfall. The speculation is that water filters into the Trench from above and causes temporary lake-like pools to form. This causes the native slime mold population to seek higher ground, fleeing from the inundated low areas. Due to the monstrous size the native slime molds can grow to, their seasonal movement can be quite treacherous for denizens of the Trench. Many travelers have been caught unaware by a mindlessly fleeing slime mold wave and swept to parts unknown or simply ground to dust beneath the oozing, writhing, mass. #hazard #event #fungus
Evan’s Thoughts – I’m still falling down a rabbit hole of religious symbolism and iconography. This week I continued building out NPCs and items associated with the Bastille, trying to make them as gameable as possible, both in terms of resources and situations. I think the Council of Judges members will be a longer form project, appearing maybe once a week until all twelve are statted. I anticipate more on the Bastille for another week, maybe two before moving on to a different faction. With Elias doing so much work on culture and events within the city, maybe the Protectorate comes next for an item, NPC, and creature focus on my part.
Monday 1/8
Deborah, the Fourth Judge: One of the members of the Council of Twelve. Rarely speaking, Deborah prefers to observe. She patrols the edge of the Bastille compound, watching for fleeing Penitents or would-be raiders along the perimeter.
Her form is indeterminate, the only remaining human resemblance being the ornate pearl mask that hangs amongst the writhing cloak of fire. Waves of nearly unbearable heat roll off of her, but the flames are eerily silent. Iron spikes emerge beneath her footfalls, which she deftly glides atop, never touching the unhallowed earth. The subtle pinging of these stakes embedding themselves in stone is often the only indication of her approach.
When truly threatened she produces a hammer of flowing iron from her cloak. Few can withstand more than one of its brutal strokes, and none thus far have survived two. Were her cloak ever to be quenched, her desiccated body would be exposed and vulnerable. None living can claim to have seen her actual body, as any that do are swiftly destroyed.
Deborah, the Fourth Judge
Stats
HP: 12
NP: 14
Armor: See Special
Attributes
Grit – 9
Finesse – 15
Logic – 10
Moxie – 18
Special:
- Deborah’s cloak of flame protects her body absolutely. All physical attacks made against Deborah while her cloak is alight deal no damage. Additional effects pertaining to physical attacks, such as knocking prone or stunning apply as normal, even if the attack doesn’t deal damage.
- Deborah is unable to touch the ground. Should she ever be knocked from the spikes she walks upon her cloak of flame is extinguished, exposing her form to physical damage. She also takes 1 NP damage per turn she remains in contact with the ground.
Attacks:
- Hammer Blow: Deborah produces her hammer of molten iron, swinging it in a devastating blow against one target in Engaged Range. Roll the attack with 8 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 5.
- Stake: Deborah uses the spikes produced by her footfalls to staple one target in Engaged range to the ground. Roll the attack with 6 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1. The target makes an Endurance check. On failure, the target is unable to move until they pry up the stakes with a successful Assault check, dealing 1 damage to themselves.
- Superheat: Deborah’s cloak of flame flares. Roll the attack with 10 Base Dice. For each success, one weapon in Short range of Deborah is heated to a white hot glow. The wielders of all affected weapons must drop their weapons or take 1 point of damage for each round they continue to wield them. Attacks made with super-heated weapons are made with a -2 modifier.
- Hurl: Deborah hurls her hammer at an enemy within Long range of herself. Roll the attack with 6 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2. A target hit by the attack must make an Agility check or be knocked prone.
- Engulf: Deborah pulls a target in Engaged range into her cloak of flame, washing them in holy fire. Deborah and the target make opposed Force checks. If the target fails, they are pulled inside Deborah’s cloak, taking 2 points of damage per round they spend inside the cloak. Target’s inside the cloak may make an Assault check to see if they escape. If Deborah has taken a different action on a given round, she does not make an Assault check to oppose the target’s escape from the cloak.
- Nacreous Stare: The pearl of Deborah’s mask shimmers alluringly. All target’s within Long Range of her must make a Rational check or be inexorably drawn towards the opalescent gleam. Affected targets must move towards Deborah with a fast action on their next turn.
Tactics: Deborah will attempt to incapacitate and apprehend individuals rather than kill them. She will generally attempt to draw them in close to herself using her Nacreous Stare or disarm them using Superheat. Once they are in close quarters with her, Deborah will Stake targets, pinning them to the ground until further help can arrive. She will not use her hammer unless wounded, though if anything manages to knock her to the ground and expose her to harm, she will be merciless in her attacks.
Tuesday 1/9
Vestments of Ash
Magic Item
Clothing
1 Slot
The traditional white robes of a Bastille member, charred and singed to a sooty black. They emanate a penetrating warmth of body and spirit.
The wearer of the vestments can ignite flammable material they touch as a fast action, or inflammable material as a slow action with a successful Rational check. The flames are non-magical and will burn out after 1 turn if they aren’t fed by an appropriate fuel source. Living entities engulfed by these flames acquire a d4 Burning usage die, which is rolled at the start of their turn each round. Each turn the flames persist on a living entity, they take 1 point of HP damage. The wearer of the Vestments of Ash is immune to damage by fire started using the robes.
I lit the fires that cleansed our soul, and as The Warden burned I prayed. I can still hear the flames and feel the embers on my skin. Glorious, simply glorious.
Wednesday 1/10
Flagellant’s Reward
Magic Item
Armor (7)
1 Slot
An armored cilice made of course chitin, sharp edges lining the interior. The smell of iron hangs heavy around the wearer.
Each point of damage prevented by Falgellant’s Reward reduces its durability by 1, regardless of whether or not the damage penetrated the armor. For the duration of the current combat, the wearer adds additional gear dice to their attacks equal to the amount of durability lost this way in the current combat. These gear dice do not degrade during the combat.
I deserve these punishments. Every bite of my flesh is but a reminder of the sins it bears. But my transgressions are naught compared to yours. Let me return the gift you’ve given me.
Thursday 1/11
Bait
Magic Item
Sickle (1H, Durability 2, Damage 2, Engaged)
1 Slot
A fish hook sickle, smooth and delicately shaped. It glints with a mirror polish.
If Bait is used to torture a prisoner, the Influence modifier to the roll is doubled (+4). If Bait is wielded at the same time as Barb, the wielder may make an Influence roll with the normal torture modifier (+2) without actually torturing the subject.
It’s amazing what the right motivation will do for most people’s memory. They remember all sorts of useful things once we get to talking…
Barb
Magic Item
Sickle (1H, Durability 2, Damage 2, Engaged)
1 Slot
A fish hook sickle, the length of its blade studded by razor barbs. Flakes of rust and worse flake from the blade.
Whenever a successful attack is made using Barb, the target gains a d4 Bleeding usage die, which is rolled at the start of their turn each round. Each turn the bleeding persists, the target takes 1 point of HP damage. The bleeding can be stymied by a successful Triage check, which takes a slow action to perform. If Barb is wielded at the same time as Bait, the wielder may make a normal attack with each as part of the same slow action.
…but if the talking ever fails, well, then the fun begins.
Friday 1/12
Head Clerk Amos: The overseer of goods and trade within the Bastille. Amos directly manages the distribution logistics of the produce sent out by the Bastille and is responsible for the collection of payment for the goods. Under his mostly fastidious ledger, the Bastille has financially flourished, discreetly becoming one of the wealthiest groups within the Trench. In turn, his understanding of the social dynamics of money have allowed the Bastille to leverage their fortune to gain influence in numerous industries.
Highly susceptible to bribery, normally to direct specific goods to connected buyers, but for the right price little is off the table. Cash always plays, but choice information can get results. He also has a refined taste for Peccatu’s drugs, but he keeps this information secretly guarded, or so he thinks.
Amos’ masterful mind for economics keeps him safe in his position, despite his indiscretions, however his myriad moral failings and half-hearted faith have the Bastille leadership keeping him at perpetual arm’s length. He yearns to climb within the organization, craving more power to fuel his habits and ego, but is unable to gain a foothold for ascent. This has festered into a personal humiliation Amos can’t abide, and he has begun diverting funds at a much greater rate to finance his growing desires.
Head Clerk Amos
Adept, slimy, venal
“Our produce are always in such high demand, you understand, it’s so hard to guarantee where any given shipment will end up. But I do know how much you love our golden pears, perhaps we can come to some arrangement.”
Stats
HP: 3
NP: 5
Armor: 2
Attributes
Grit – 2
Finesse – 4
Logic – 5
Moxie – 5
Skills
Skullduggery – 2
Reasoning – 2
Reconnoiter – 3
Coercion – 4
Gear:
- Lizard Leather (2 Armor Dice)
- Quill of Account
- Bastille Ledger
Saturday 1/13
Quill of Account
Magic Item
Quill
1 Slot
An albatross feather quill, tipped by a golden nib. It requires no ink, writing fluidly no matter the conditions.
Agreements signed using the Quill of Account are unbreakable. Anyone who attempts to break a contract, agreement, or debt signed by the Quill takes 1 NP damage per day they don’t abide by the terms. NP damage accrued in this way does not heal from rest until the agreement is fulfilled. Anyone in an agreement signed by the Quill of Account has a small feather etched into their skin at the wrist. This mark disappears the moment the agreement they signed using the Quill is fulfilled.
Just a little insurance, that’s all. Honest men have nothing to fear.
Sunday 1/14
Wax Servant: A misshapen pile of half melted wax. Rivulets of once-flesh run down their featureless, pallid bodies, puddling about their clubbed feet. These are the remnants of the judged. The punishment inflicted upon the impure. Transformed by miracle to be the eternal servants of the Bastille faithful, at least until they melt away.
The Wax Servants are the beasts of burden for Bastille operatives in the wilderness. They perform the menial labors beneath the dignity of Bastille adherents. Anyone deemed impure by a Disciple of Selaphiel risks transformation into one of these pitiable beings by way of the Trial of Wax miracle.
Wax Servant
Stats
HP: 3
NP: 1
Armor:
Attributes
Grit – 5
Finesse – 1
Logic – 1
Moxie – 1
Attacks:
- Lob: The Wax Servant throws a chunk of itself at a target in Short range. Roll the attack with 3 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 1. If the attack hits, movement becomes a slow action for the target on their next turn. This attack deals 1 damage to the Wax Servant, regardless of whether or not it hits.
- Adhere: The Wax Servant pools its wax-flesh around the legs and feet of a target in Engaged range. Roll the attack with 4 Base Dice. This attack inflicts no damage, but if it hits the target is unable to move until they make a successful Assault check as a slow action to break free of the clinging wax. This attack deals 1 damage to the Wax Servant, regardless of whether or not it hits.
- Grease: The Wax Servant scatters itself across the current zone in a final burst. The zone becomes slippery and difficult to navigate, requiring a slow action Agility check made with a -1 modifier to enter or exit. Failure results in the target falling prone. This attack consumes all remaining health of the Wax Servant, killing them instantly.
- Bludgeon: The Wax Servant smashes its putty hands against a target in Engaged Range. Roll the attack with 3 Base Dice and Weapon Damage 2.
Tactics: Most Bastille contingents keep a number of Wax Servants with them (at least 1 for every two operatives, but 1 for every operative is not uncommon). In combat the Wax Servants act as a deterrent to anything opposing the operatives, working to either prevent hostile foes from reaching the Bastille members, or stop fleeing targets from escaping. The Wax Servants have no regard for their lives and will act in the most straightforward manner to detain all enemies they are faced with, throwing chunks of themselves at a distance with Lob, and using either Adhere or Grease to further inconvenience foes depending on the needs of the situation. They only resort to using their Bludgeon if an enemy is immobile but still hostile.
That’s all for this week, we’ll be back next Monday with another week’s worth of Lore 24 posts!
If you’re finding this sometime in the future, please check out the Lore 24 Post Repository to see a roundup of all the posts in this series.
We actively encourage comments, questions, and feedback; we’re excited to be sharing our work and would love to chat about it with anyone who’s interested!
Retreat to the Trench 
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