The Lost City of Zerathis
Plot points/Scenes
Inciting Incident: Players uncover a fragment of a prophecy hinting at Zerathis during a chance encounter with a dying Red Hammers informant.
The Hunt Begins: Players gather resources, research texts, and navigate the competing agendas of major factions.
Sabotage and Intrigue: Encounters with spies and saboteurs from opposing factions complicate their mission.
Into the Depths: Players venture into the ruins, facing mechanical guardians, environmental hazards, and moral dilemmas.
The Core Revelation: A climactic moment where they discover the city’s true nature—Zerathis is both a source of limitless energy and a potential doomsday device
Themes
Progress vs. Hubris: The cost of innovation and power.
Moral Ambiguity: What lengths will one go to achieve their goals?
Rebirth and Ruin: The cyclical nature of civilizations rising and falling.
Components
Goals
Uncover Zerathis’ secrets and determine its fate.
Choose whether to align with a faction, pursue personal gain, or seek balance.
Hooks
A fragment of prophecy discovered during an early encounter.
Whispered rumors of a map leading to Zerathis’ location.
An old tome with cryptic warnings about the dangers of Zerathis.
Stakes
Failure: The discovery of Zerathis by adversaries could lead to widespread destruction or tyranny.
Mistrust: Mismanaging alliances could turn potential allies into enemies.
Sacrifice: The energy source could save Argenthold but at the cost of destabilizing the environment.
Moral Quandaries
Should they share the discovery with a faction that might misuse it or destroy it outright to prevent calamity?
Will they risk innocent lives to gain the upper hand in the race for Zerathis?
Cruel Tricks
A faction ally turns traitor, using the players to further their own goals.
The supposed key to Zerathis turns out to be a decoy, wasting precious time and resources.
Red Herrings
A rival faction plants false information about the location of Zerathis, leading players to a dangerous but unrelated ruin.
Relations
Allies
Theodric Vale: A former automaton technician who provides guidance and gadgets to aid in the expedition.
Kaela Armitage: A rebel guide with intimate knowledge of the Lower City.
Neutrals/Bystanders
Clockwork Archivists: Ancient, semi-sentient constructs guarding the library near Zerathis. They provide information but attack if provoked.
Competitors
The Automaton Collective: Seeking Zerathis for their survival, not necessarily as adversaries but with conflicting goals.
Adversaries
The Order of the Silver Dawn: Their agents doggedly pursue the players and sabotage their efforts.
Backdrops
Locations
The Clockwork Maze: An intricate series of tunnels and chambers leading to Zerathis.
The Nexus Chamber: Zerathis’ heart, a place of immense power and danger.
Threats
Ancient Automatons: Defensive mechanisms guarding Zerathis.
Environmental Hazards: Toxic mists and unstable Aetheric currents.
Factions: Saboteurs and spies working against the players.
Encounters
Puzzle Challenge: Deciphering ancient glyphs to unlock Zerathis’ entrance.
Combat Scenario: A three-way battle between players, the Order, and rogue automatons.
Past Events
Zerathis was abandoned after an Aetheric experiment triggered a catastrophic explosion, fracturing the ley lines beneath Argenthold and creating the Black Fog.
Fracturing ley lines is such a cool idea! I haven't had the chance to explore your world completely but is there any other articles exploring this idea further?