Norukar, City of the Gods

Norukar, "City of the Gods", also known as Tel-Norukar

The city-state of Norukar lies just off the coast of Targa on the small cluster of islands known as Mnatta. The city is incredibly ancient, believed to predate even the Sdara Vatra. The islands appear to be several steep hills rising from the water like tapered cones. Strange spires, some hundreds of meters tall, sprout from the tops and sides of the hills like giant leafless artificial trees. They are the remnants of an ancient city, though their original purpose is unknown. The hills are terraced and entirely covered by buildings right down to the water-line.

Norukar contains a harbor, walled in and protected by several defensive towers. The buildings of the old quarter are built of stone with large, wide bases and tapering towers reaching sixty to one hundred meters in height, the tallest in pre-contact Cydoria. The newer buildings, constructed in the last twenty years using Rhakadian engineering and technology, are built of lighter concrete and are supported by skeletons of steel. Norukarian towers resemble step pyramids or ziggurats stretched tall and thin and supported by flying buttresses. Some rise as high as two hundred meters into the air. The upper stories of the buildings are connected by sky-bridges so that members of the upper classes can travel from building to building without ever descending to ground level. Small aero-skiffs transport occupants between the upper and lower stories of the towers.

The city skyline is dominated by the aero-ship terminal, a large octagonal stepped tower. It is the tallest structure in Norukar at over three hundred meters tall.

Even before contact with aliens, the technology and design of Norukar, overseen by the secretive Octavium, outshined that of all the other Cydorian city-states. Pre-contact Norukar boasted technological amenities roughly equivalent to those of late nineteenth century North America or Europe with spring-driven elevators, bondrus-drawn street-cars, steel-frame construction, and indoor plumbing.

The hills beneath Norukar are, in actuality, artificial structures built of stone, concrete, steel, and stranger unknown materials. The hills are the remains of a holy city of the Sdara Vatra. Each hill, in its day, was a single giant building in its own right. Over time the outer layers of the buildings weathered, corroded, and decayed. Today, most of the levels have collapsed. The deeper levels hide great domed and vaulted chambers and unexplored passages. This region is known as the “Under-City”. The under-city is inhabited by a race of large semi-aquatic rodents called roshu. There are several access points from the surface to the under-city and many intrepid explorers have braved the journey seeking the lost treasures of the ancients.

Norukar as it appeared during the Age of the Sdara Vatra, followed by Norukar as it appears today, with a cutaway of one of the ancient mountain-ruins.

A view of the skyline of the New Quarter, featuring the new Aero-ship terminal building. 

Update on the "The Blade of Takshaka", aka "The Norukar Adventure"

I just wanted to give an update on the adventure I'm working on, "The Blade of Takshaka". I got a LOT written this weekend! I'm currently working on the Act II dungeon crawl into the bowels of the Undercity of Norukar. After that I'll tackle the Act III masquerade party at a nobleman's penthouse.

Then I'll clean it up and fill in some gaps - special chase rules, NPC stats, random tables, etc.

Here's a preview of the basic plot.

Chapter 1: The Messenger

The player characters are in the city of Norukar and are in a position where they could use some temporary work. Perhaps they are actively seeking employment, calling upon contacts or simply spreading the word that they’re available. Perhaps they are relaxing in between regular jobs, relying on their reputation alone to bring work their way. In any case, their strategy pays off. A messenger seeks out the player characters with an offer of employment.

The messenger, dressed in the livery of a noble house, informs the player characters that they have been summoned to a private meeting with Duke Karn Rylar, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the City of Norukar. 

The Office of the Exchequer is responsible for the collection and management of the city’s taxes, tariffs, and duties.  The office controls the finances and treasury of the Kingdom of Norukar and is considered one of the most powerful offices within the kingdom. The chancellor is the head of the office and answers directly to Queen Chador. The position of chancellor is equivalent to that of treasurer. Since the chancellor controls the purse-strings of the kingdom, his favor is considered extremely valuable, making him one of the most politically powerful individuals in Norukar.

The Duke wishes to hire the player characters to investigate a theft, and is offering a substantial remuneration of 350 golden crowns (+25 wealth) each for the return of the stolen object. An aero-coach limousine is waiting outside to transport them to the duke’s penthouse apartment for additional details. The aero-coach is a luxury model and is richly appointed and fully stocked with the finest libations.

Assuming the player characters board the limousine, they will be whisked upwards through the soaring towers and buzzing aero-traffic of Norukar. The journey takes only a few minutes as the craft passes through the upper-levels of the stepped-towers, like impossibly-tall ziggurats stretched into the sky, before landing on a platform outside the penthouse apartment atop Tower Kolinor, one of the city’s more opulent towers. Another smaller aero-coach coupe is parked nearby.

The player characters are met at the landing by a well-dressed Jinx, a domestic slave and butler. They are escorted through an ornate entrance manned by two house guards wearing the livery of the duke. They are seated in a sumptuous office filled with curios and relics of bygone civilizations. The butler offers refreshment to anyone wishing one and attends to the needs of the player characters while they wait.

(side-bar table for generating curios)

The Duke Makes an Offer

After a few moments, a man dressed like a noble enters the room and dismisses the slave. The man is in his mid-fifties with a few wrinkles and salt-and-pepper hair. He is wearing a long jacket over a fine silk doublet. He is accompanied by a house guard, an officer with the rank of Major. The major is in his thirties, an obvious military veteran.

“Thank you for coming. My name is Duke Karn Rylar. I am Chancellor of the Exchequer of the City of Norukar. This is Major Nord, my head of household security. As you may have guessed, I am a collector of rare antiquities. Last night, one or more intruders entered into my penthouse and purloined an object from my collection, a sacrificial dagger that once belonged to Takshaka, the First Raga of the Kingdom of Ragana, who ruled southwest Markania five millennia ago. In its place, they left this forgery.” The duke presents an exotic knife of the finest quality with two thin blades like the fangs of a serpent. The knife’s hilt is encrusted with what appear to be jewels and precious stones. Strange curved forms are carved into the blades. The pommel resembles a snake’s rattle. The duke allows any player character who so wishes to inspect the knife closely. “It may look authentic, but to the trained eye, it is an obvious forgery.”

He takes a drink of tea before continuing, “This theft comes at an inopportune time for me. I am in the middle of delicate negotiations with the ambassador of the Kingdom of Ragana, and I planned to present this dagger as a gift to the ambassador.”

 “Normally, I would put my own agents on this case, or contact the local constables. However, my own men are occupied on another, more pressing matter, and the local constabulary is under the control of the brother of my chief political rival, Count Garanni. I dare say they would offer me little real assistance on such a trivial matter, especially after the recent budgetary cutbacks, for which they largely hold me accountable.”

“Therefore, I have sought the assistance of, shall we say, independent investigators, off the official records, who can be more discrete. Your services came highly recommended.”

 “I need you to recover the stolen artifact before the conclusion of negotiations in a week’s time. If you succeed, you will each be paid 350 golden crowns (+25 Wealth). If you fail, you will each be compensated 10 golden crowns (+5 Wealth) for your time.”

He puts his tea down, opens a drawer in his desk, and removes some papers, “During your investigation, you will carry my personal warrant. This will grant you the temporary authority to temporarily detain individuals for questioning, carry and use restricted weapons and equipment, and access normally forbidden locations. You will be operating under my authority and responsibility.”

“Now that you’ve heard my offer, will accept this mission?”

Allow the player characters to discuss and/or negotiate if they wish.

If they decline the mission, the duke sighs, “That’s too bad. I was hoping I’d be able to employ your services, but I understand. I’ll have Greb transport you wherever you’d like to go. Here is a golden crown each for your trouble (+0 Wealth).  I trust you’ll show discretion regarding our meeting. But before you go, can you recommend anyone else who might be up to the task?”

If they accept the mission, the duke slaps his desk in excitement, “Excellent! Major Nord will be able to brief you on the details of the theft and answer any questions.”

New PC Race and Culture: Malusians

Rhakadian (Culture)

Aliens from the planet Malus, they support the Vrildarian League in exchange for access to Uruta's natural resources

The technologically advanced Rhakadian civilization rose to dominance over the other nations of the planet Malus two thousand years ago. The Rhakadians are a disciplined martial society that values strength, leadership, and superiority. They constantly submit themselves to contests of physical fitness and mental aptitude. The losers of such contests are reduced in rank and status while the winners are rewarded with accolades and social ascension.

Five hundred years ago, the Rhakadians had exhausted their supplies of torium found on the Malusian surface. They had reached the extent energy generation capability, yet still wanted more. They built a space fleet to explore and conquer the cosmos. Sources of torium were found on several moons and asteroids, enough to fuel expansion for thousands of years. However, the Malusians came into competition with the Phanosians. The two interplanetary rivals have been in alternating states of cold and hot war ever since.

Ruler: The Rhakadian Empire is a military dictatorship ruled by the High General Darand and administered by the Red Circle, the highest ranking generals each controlling a different aspect of Rhakadian life. Rhakadian military uniforms are black with red trim. Soldiers wear body armor or fatigues and carry plasma rifles while officers are identified by their uniform tunic and beam pistol side-arm. It is the Rhakadian tradition for all members of the military, male and female, to maintain a cleanly shaven head at all times.

Race(s): Malusian.

Appearance: Rhakadians are tall, almost half again as tall as an average Cydorian, and thin. Their skin is pale white. Both sexes remove all body hair with depilatory creams. Small short antennae are implanted in the skull. Away from the ouhdic field, these antennae allow the Rhakadians to control their technology by thought alone. These control signals are disrupted within the ouhdic field.

Dress: Rhakadians wear goggles and long thick rubbery black robes over muscle-assisting exoskeletons when visiting the brighter heavier-gravity world of Uruta.

Language(s): Rhakadians speak their native language of the same name.

Professions: Most Rhakadians on Uruta are soldiers, merchants, politicians, and scientists.

Religions: Rhakadians worship no gods but often speak or High General Darand with a sense of reverence often associated with cult leaders.

Favored Weapons: Rhakadian soldiers are armed with plasma pistols and rifles.

Favored Armor: All Rhakadian visitors on Uruta must wear a strength-enhancing exo-skeleton to support their weight in the world’s heavier gravity.

Cultural Skills: Rhakadians value science and technology along with a strong commanding presence. Command +20%; choose one of the following: Science (any) +20%, Technical Skill (any) +20%.

Items: Rhakadians often carry a small round hand-held electronic computer pad.

Common Male Names: Darand, Ahan

Common Female Names:  Karash, Darpash

Malusian (Race)

Malusians are a human race from the planet Malus, descendants of the original ancient Sdara Vatra who colonized the world. Malus is a cold dark world with less water, air, and gravity than Uruta. Over tens of thousands of years, Malusians have adapted to live there. As a result, they find it difficult to operate on Uruta without mechanical assistance.

Appearance

Physically, Malusians resemble extraordinarily tall, thin, willowy Urutan humans. The gravity of Malus is only one-third that of Uruta, which promotes such growth. They have long thin legs and arms, thin torsos, and slightly elongated heads. Their noses and ears are larger to accommodate the thinner Malusian atmosphere and their eyes are larger than an Urutan human, allowing them to see in the comparatively dim light of a Malusian day. Male Malusians apply depilatory creams to remove all the hair from their body; females likewise save for a long top-knot from the top of their otherwise bald heads. They have pale skin which damages easily in direct sunlight.

Behavior

Malusians are typically grim, laconic, and severe. They find Urutans to be annoying and weak and chafe under the limitations imposed upon them by the Vrildarian League. They make no secret of their contempt for humanity in general. Malusians would like nothing better than to conquer Uruta for its vast natural resources.

Malusian Player Characters

Malusians are not normally allowed as a choice for player characters. Ordinarily, they would be used as shadowy villains, political schemers, power brokers, and conspiratorial manipulators, antagonistic foils to the heroic player characters. However, as with any society, there are counter-cultural elements within Rhakadian society. Not all Malusians are evil, corrupt, or manipulative. Though Rhakadian mind-control techniques are better at eliminating them, some Malusians develop into sympathetic individuals with a strong moral compass. 

Another impediment to Malusian player characters is that all Malusians present within the Oudh of Uruta must have the permission of Emperor Victor, thus limiting the total number of Malusians on Uruta at any given time to a mere handful. Most Malusians on Uruta are diplomats, merchants, or overseers. Diplomats spend their time in the Vrildar and the other city-states, negotiating arrangements with the Vrildarian leadership and arranging logistics with the bureaucracy. Merchants serve a similar duty, only substituting Urutan business interests. Overseers are assigned to ensure the success of Rhakadian operations in the field. They manage Rhakadian mining operations and ore smelting facilities. They arrange shipping and transport. They also ensure the productivity of the thousands of Urutan slaves purchased from the Vrildarian government. 

Malusian player characters might be sympathetic to the Demetrian cause. They could be working to disrupt the Rhakadian agenda from within the Rhakadian diplomatic and mercantile forces on Uruta. Or perhaps a the Malusian has rebelled out-right, abandoning behind his Rhakadian brethren to join the resistance. They might also have simply suffered an existential crisis, questioning their role within the rigid Rhakadian society and choosing to abandon it for a life of adventure, self-expression, or personal growth. Such a Malusian would be classified as insane by Rhakadian standards and a warrant would be issued for their arrest. The punishment for such rebellion is psychic re-conditioning.

Another alternative is to simply tell a Malusian-focused story. The players are loyal subjects of the Rhakadian League, working to advance the Rhakadian agenda of total dominance over all the worlds of the known universe. The player characters would plot and scheme to one day obtain a Gate Key to allow unrestricted access to Uruta. With such a key, the Rhakadians could invade and conquer this world!

Appropriate professions for a Malusian player character include: Assassin, Bureaucrat, Clerk, Computer Tech, Merchant, Physician, Psi-Mage, Scholar, Scientist, Soldier, or Spy.

Characteristic          Roll                          Average

STR                          2D6+3                      10            (+6 from Exoskeleton)

CON                         2D6+2                      9

SIZ                           2D6+6                      13

INT                          2D6+11                    18

POW                        2D6+11                    18

DEX                         2D6+9                      16            (-6 in Exoskeleton)

APP                          2D6                          7

Move: 10                Hit Points: 11          Damage Bonus: None (+1D4 in Exoskeleton)

Redistribute up to 3 points between your characteristics. No characteristic may be higher than 27.

 

Powers

Night Vision: Malusians eyes are adapted to the low light of their home world. Treat as the Night Vision superpower (BRP page 165).

Reduced Daylight Vision: Treat as the Reduced Sense major mutation (BRP page 109) when exposed to full daylight without protective goggles. This drawback is nullified when wearing protective goggles.

Structural Weakness: Treat as the Structural Weakness major mutation (BRP page 110) when deprived of their high gravity exoskeleton.

Strength Enhancement: The Malusian powered exoskeleton provides the Malusian with +6 bonus to STR.

Dexterity Reduction: The Malusian powered exoskeleton afflicts the Malusian with -6 modifier to DEX.

Armor: The Malusian powered exoskeleton provides the Malusian with 4 AP of armor.

  

Healing Compounds

Healing Compounds

Healing potions

Cydorian apothecaries are able to dispense a variety of medicines and herbal remedies, as well as certain magical healing salves, cataplasms, and poultices collectively known as “healing compounds”. Healing compounds are a kind of living slime, the magical creation of ancient Nazarian wizards.

Apothecaries grow the healing compounds in tanks, feeding them food scraps and fertilizers. Different strains of healing compound have different specific effects so apothecaries cultivate many strains and mix them together using ancient recipes for use against various ailments. The correct application of the right mix of healing compounds can help a patient recover more quickly from illness and injury and may even regenerate lost limbs or organs. 

If used incorrectly, which is unfortunately often the case given the poorly understood nature of the compounds, solutions may cause permanent scarring, failure of an organ or bodily system, cancerous tumors, or even death.  Although healing compounds can reduce the degradations of age and prolong life, repeated use increases the chances of improper application and malignant or fatal side effects.

Creating Healing Compounds

Apothecaries must create custom healing compounds for each recipient. To create a healing compound, the apothecary must make a Knowledge (Biology) check while examining the intended repicipent. A separate check must be made for each compound created for that recipient, even multiple compounds of the same type.

FUMBLE: Creating a healing compound for that recipient will be a Difficult Action with a -10% modifier to the apothecary’s Craft (Healing Compound) skill.

FAILURE: Creating a healing compound for that recipient will impose a -10% modifier to the apothecary’s Craft (Healing Compound) skill.

SUCCESS: The apothecary may create the healing compound with no modifier.

SPECIAL: +10% to the apothecary’s Craft (Healing Compound) skill for that recipient.

CRITICAL: Creating a healing compound is an Easy task and +10% to the apothecary’s Craft (Healing Compound) skill for that recipient.

The creator’s Craft (Healing Compound) skill, modified by the results above, should be recorded with every compound created. The craft roll is then made by the gamemaster when the compound is used.

Purchasing Healing Compounds

Healing compounds may be purchased from any apothecary following the physical examination (see above). Each compound has a value based on the skill of its creator. The cost of the examination is included in the compound.

Apothecary	Skill	Value
Novice	0-05	Free
Neophyte	06-25	Cheap
Amateur	26-50	Inexpensive
Professional	51-75	Average
Expert	76-90	Expensive
Master	91-100	Priceless
Legend	101+	Restricted

Using Healing Compounds

All healing compounds must be either ingested or applied topically to a wound or affected area, depending on the compound.. Using a healing compound requires no skill check from the recipient, but the gamemaster must secretly roll a Craft (Healing Compound) check on behalf of the compound’s creator.

FUMBLE: The compound inflicts damage rather than heals. When consumed, the recipient must make an immediate END roll. A failure means the recipient is afflicted with a cancerous tumor and permanently loses 1D3 CON.

FAILURE: The healing compound won’t work, but doesn’t cause any harm or complication other than failure. The recipient expends one power point but the compound has no useful effect.

SUCCESS: The healing compound works as intended.

SPECIAL: The healing compound heals half again the intended amount.

CRITICAL: The healing compound heals twice the intended amount.

For example, you apply a basic healing compound created by a professional apothecary (Craft skill 75) to a minor wound. The gamemaster makes a secret roll (30, a Special Success). You have 14 power points so you may heal 1.5 hit point per minute for 14 minutes, at which point you collapse from exhaustion.

Healing Compounds

Basic Healing Poultice

A basic healing poultice is applied directly to an injury to promote rapid healing.  The recipient heals one hit point of damage per minute but must spend one power point per minor wound hit point healed and three power points per major wound hit point healed. Severed limbs cannot be restored by basic healing poultices.. One poultice is required for each wound.

Poison Antidote

Reduces the POT of a poison by 2D6.  The recipient spends 1 power point per POT reduced.

All-Purpose Disease Curative

A diseased character recovers one hit point or characteristic point lost to disease per hour. Each hit point or characteristic point regained costs the recipient one power point.

The Under-City of Norukar

Here's a preview of the adventure I'm writing. It takes place in the city of Norukar, and part of the adventure involves a dungeon crawl into the Under-City.

The surface streets of Norukar are used by pedestrians, the elevated mono-rail, and the electric carriages and coaches of the freemen. Slaves are forbidden to travel on the streets without escort. 

The Under-City of Norukar is a complex warren of subterranean chambers, tunnels, and galleries located beneath the streets and buildings of Norukar. The Under-City was built over five thousand years ago during the age of the Sdara Vatra. The inhabited sections of the Under-City reach hundreds of meters below the surface though the true extents have never been fully explored or mapped.

The  Under-City is stratified into various levels, each characterized by a different use or purpose.

Level one lies just below the streets, nearest the surface. Level one contains covered roadways used for freight and transport. There is also a network of underground monorails, passages, and slidewalks used by the slaves.

Level two contains living quarters for the hundreds of thousands of municipal slave-workers that belong to Queen Chador. The slave-workers maintain the city’s infrastructure. They operate the boilers and steam distribution system that heats all the towers, build and maintain the byzantine network of water and sewage pipes, and maintain the city’s electro-car street system, mono-rails, and the broadcast power network. The luckiest slaves get to work above-ground in the sun. Most never leave the access corridors of the towers. Many never even go above level one.

Level three is where the boilers and associated steam pipes are located. These giant machines are composed of massive pressure chambers heated by industrial elements powered by the city’s broadcast power system. The water is boiled into steam and distributed throughout the towers above. The boilers and distribution system require constant maintenance and are tended by an army of slave workers.

On level four, one can find the city's water distribution system, storm-water drainage system, and sewage systems. Level four is characterized by a maze of pipes of various sizes as well as massive pumping stations powered by broadcast energy. The system is prone to frequent bursting and ruptures. Runaway slaves often tap into these water pipes. Level four is also frequented by mutant creatures who venture up from the lower levels.

Humans rarely venture into level five or below. The deep levels are home to the rat-like Roshu as well as degenerate albino cannibals, smugglers, groups of runaway slaves desperately trying to survive in the dark, and gigantic mutated creatures called teraxes. Teraxes come in many shapes and sizes and may include giant albino spiders, giant man-eating crocodillians, massive caustic amoebas, humongous beetles and their nauseating larvae, great serpents, and may more. 

Within the deepest levels, one might also find an ancient intact treasure chamber of the Sdara Vatra, filled with artifacts and wonders. 

The map above represents parts of Levels 3, 4, and 5 of the Under-City that are accessible from the boiler and steam distribution system located on Level 3 underneath Harken Tower.

Entrance (top left corner): the entrance to this area of level three has been sealed off on the order of Count Garl, owner of Tower Harken, though no personnel were placed to guard the locked door.

The Third Stratum: Boilers

1.      Boiler Room

2.      Boiler Control Room

3.      Boiler Room

a.       Trapped Freight Lift

4.      Abandoned Store Room

a.       Giant Spiders

5.      Pump Room

a.       Swarm of Carnivorous Bats

6.      Reservoirs

a.       Stairs collapse

7.      Flooded Boiler Room

a.       Giant Jelly Blob

8.      Secret Freight Lift

The Fourth Stratum: Sewers

9.      Collection Pool

a.       Kolops Larvae

10.  Primary Drainage Tunnel

11.  Catch-Basin

a.       Giant Sewer Octopus

12.  Drainage Tunnel

a.       Albino Alligators

13.  Access Hatch

a.       Cult Guards

14.  Corridors

The Fifth Stratum, Part One: Roshu Warrens

15.  Outer Guard Room

a.       Six Roshu Guards and Three Giant Cockroaches

16.  Main Hall

a.       Dozens of Roshu

17.  Slave Pens

a.       Four Roshu Overseers

18.  Roshu Queen

a.       Queen and twelve royal guards

19.  Vault

20.  Temple to Rash

a.       Roshu priestess and four acolytes

The Fifth Stratum, Part Two: Temple of Anaka

21.  Guard Chamber

a.       Four temple guards

22.  Antechamber

23.  Temple of Anaka

a.       Mutoran Serpent

24.  Acolyte’s Chambers

a.       Twelve Acolytes

25.  The High Priest’s Chambers

26.  Preparation Room

27.  Slave Pens

a.       Seven Sacrifices