- Synthetic. The Baron is a golden box, the size of a heavy dictionary.
- His original brain was human; Ancamulla copied himself into a mechanical body centuries ago.
- Has attachments that allow him to see, hear, speak, and manipulate objects. He can walk, but is usually carried around on a pillow by one of his wives.
- Bored, petty, rude. Enjoys being begged for things.
- Hoards wealth inside his opulent palace, but gets little joy from it.
- The Baron Wants: to expel the Hegemony from Gnomon.
ALLY: Ancamulla is envisioned as an antagonist for the players. However, if the referee desires to make him more sympathetic, Ancamulla could be a benevolent figure, giving the water away for free. In this scenario it is Consul Lonrot who wishes to seize control of the Aquifer, thereby securing his hold over the city and perhaps winning the Hegemon’s favour. Alternatively, the Baron could be rarely seen outside the Aquifer; it turns out his own militia captains have held him hostage for years, and it is their corruption and greed that rules Gnomon. Perhaps Ancamulla is devoted to his work within the Aquifer machine, and has little idea of what is being done in his name.
VILLAIN: Hopefully a story that writes itself. Ancamulla is a wealthy, cruel monopolist who has a stranglehold on the most valuable resource in the city. As a machine, he can never experience the thirst that terrifies those under him. Show the players the Baron’s militia denying begging families a drink, smashing open barrels of illegal water, and imprisoning people for water debt. They will probably want to do something about this.
Synthetic
| Level | Armour | Morale |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 24 (Ancient Warding Field) | +1 |
| Attack: Feeble Swipe (d4) | ||
| Ancamulla does not expect to fight; he has mercenaries for that. If in mortal danger he will likely flee or try to bargain using his wealth. His chassis is fitted with an ancient Warding Field, which renders most kinetic attacks against his person harmless. A well-timed EMP would disrupt the warding field, reducing him to his natural Armour of 11. | ||
- Rabble of thugs, cutthroats, and layabouts. Used by the Water Baron to collect debt and guard the public fountains.
- Wear the Baron’s livery: green and yellow. No standard-issue weapons or armour.
- Known for violence, extortion, and dishonesty.
- Maintain a master ‘dry list’ of water debtors; helping any of these people drink is a crime.
- Faction Base: the Baron’s Aquifer machine.
HOW TO JOIN: Present yourself at the gates of the Aquifer and demand an audition. You must fight bare-handed against a captain. Those who make a good show of the brawl will be offered a job.
WHAT’S EXPECTED OF MEMBERS: You will enforce the Baron’s whims, collect on outstanding debts, and guard the public fountains. You will arrest water thieves, stay alert for water smuggling rings, and guard water convoys that are sent out into the wastes to supply Hegemony estates and outposts. You will do all of this unquestioningly, and with enthusiastic brutality.
BENEFITS: You are given a yellow and green jacket to wear. You are guaranteed two meals a day and as much water as you can drink. People on the street will treat you with fearful respect. You can throw people into the Baron’s jails or petition for them to be added to the ‘dry list’. Militiamen who please the Baron may be moved to guard duty within the Aquifer itself, giving them access to the machinery.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | +3 | d8 |
| Attack: Cheap Blade (d6) | |||
| Swaggering bullies who will only attack if they outnumber their opponents. | |||
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 13 | +5 | 1 |
| Attack: Assault Laser (d8 beam) | |||
| Commands a group of militiamen; will always be found guarding a public fountain. | |||
- True-kin. Assigned to rule Gnomon by the distant Hegemon, Praise Their Name One Thousand Times.
- Regards the position as a punishment; hates Vaarn, hates Gnomon, wishes he were back in the Hegemony. Has been here for decades.
- Sophisticated, morose, heavy drinker. Black rages. Often hungover.
- Tall, handsome, and commanding. Dark hair, dark clothing, never sweats.
- Sarcastic, shrewd, and deeply depressed.
- Larke Wants: to be relieved of his Consulship in a manner that will allow him to retain his pride. Has no idea how this could be achieved.
ALLY: Larke can be of help to the party, if they have something to offer him. The Consul hates Ancamulla, and will be happy to provide tacit support for a group that plans to topple the Water Baron - so long as they understand that if they are caught, his name is never spoken. Completely securing Hegemony control of the Aquifer machine would be his ticket back to the Hegemon’s good graces.
VILLAIN: If the referee desires, Larke can fill the role of a primary campaign villain. Accentuate his black rages, his hatred of Gnomon and its inhabitants, and the ruthless lengths he will go to ensuring a steady flow of taxes to the Hegemon. Show his men taking a well-liked NPC prisoner over a minor violation of Hegemony law. It is recommended that you pair this portrayal of Consul Lonrot with an equally villainous Commander Loonflower, and cast the Water Baron as a sympathetic figure, who is attempting to keep control of the water supply to prevent the Hegemony from gaining an unbreakable grip over the city.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 16 (Adamant Linen Robes) | +2 |
| Attack: Monofilament Sword (2d8) | ||
| Always accompanied by Lictors. Lonrot is a competent enough duelist, but will not have any interest in risking his life in battle. If cornered he will use the active camouflage rig inside his robes to become invisible and attempt to escape. | ||
- The dominant Noble House in Gnomon. Transplants from the New Hegemony. Big fish in a small pond.
- Wear livery of black and purple.
- Equipped with the latest Hegemony tech.
- Will support the Fifth Legion in operations within the city. Do not police the streets, except on the Apex.
- Faction Base: the Consul’s Manse, at the peak of the Apex.
HOW TO JOIN: The Consul has many informants and supplicants. It would not be difficult for the party to join their ranks, if they have useful information. Being sworn into the service of House Lonrot is more difficult. Such an honour might be extended to individuals who greatly aided the Consul, and were willing to swear a blood oath.
WHAT’S EXPECTED OF MEMBERS: Your life belongs to House Lonrot. You will obey without question, and will defend the Lonrot family to the death. You will be asked to arrest criminals, spy on the Consul’s enemies, and oversee the collection of Hegemony taxes from Gnomon’s merchant class.
BENEFITS: You are given black and purple livery. You will eat and drink three times a day, and sleep inside the Consul’s Manse, one of the safest places in Gnomon. You are afforded all the prestige that befits an agent of the city’s governor. Household Guards, Lictors, and Hegemony soldiers will come to your aid if you are in danger.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 14 | +4 | d6 |
| Attack: Pulse Rifle (d8) | |||
| Well-equipped and trained, but not as numerous as the Legionaries or the Baron’s militiamen. | |||
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 18 | +7 | d6 |
| Attack: Anbaric Pike (d10 electrical) | |||
| When Consul Larke would take lethal damage, a Lictor can choose to die instead. | |||
- True-kin. Ranking commander of the New Hegemony’s Legion in Gnomon.
- Big, forceful, jolly, energetic.
- Moustache, thinning hair, flushed face. Sunburns easily.
- Cheerfully bigoted towards all non true-kin characters. Knows lots of jokes about cacogen.
- Loves poetry. Writes bad poetry.
- Believes he’s engaged in a civilising mission. Vaarn can be tamed.
- Loonflower Wants: to keep order and ensure the Hegemony’s borders are safe.
ALLY: Commander Loonflower can be played as a jocular, reassuring presence. He is a good foil for Ancamulla, as he dislikes the Hegemony’s power being compromised by what he sees as a relic of an older Vaarn. He is very aware of the risks involved in deposing Ancamulla, but will be interested in any suggestion the PCs make that could allow this to happen. If they come up with a plausible plan to disable Ancamulla’s sabotage device inside the Aquifer, Loonflower will be eager to assist them - on the condition that control over the water supply is turned over to the New Hegemony.
VILLAIN: To make Loonflower an antagonist, heighten his bigotry against non-human characters and NPCs. He is still bluff, jovial and playful, but there is real hatred behind his jokes. His soldiers share his prejudice, and the cacogen, newbeasts, mycomorphs and synths of Gnomon are terrorised by the Hegemony’s true-kin soldiers. Loonflower could also be carrying out a campaign of extermination against the tribes of Faa nomads who live in the badlands around Gnomon. Play up the imperialist aspects of the New Hegemony, and make Loonflower the avatar of these tendencies.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 16 (Hegemony Ferro-Plate) | +10 |
| Attack: Hegemony Sidearm (d6) | ||
| Unlikely to fight alone; he will be accompanied by four Hegemony Centurions. Hegemony troops will never fail Morale checks while Loonflower is alive and fighting with them. | ||
- The Hegemony’s occupying military force in the city.
- Only true-kin can become legionaries, although cacogen, newbeasts, and synths serve as auxiliary soldiers.
- Easily recognised by their scarlet uniforms and Hegemony accents.
- Patrol the city streets and walls, watching for unrest.
- Rivalry between the Legion and Ancamulla’s militia, which can become violent.
- Faction Base: the Legion barracks at the Noonfort.
How To Join: You must be true-kin, and swear an oath to serve the Hegemon all your days. PCs with other ancestries may be employed as auxiliary troops, who wear dull green.
What's Expected of Members: You must obey the orders of your Centurion unquestioningly. Failure to do so will result in court martial, and likely your execution. You are expected to police Gnomon, arrest troublemakers, assist tax collectors, and defend the city from outside threats. You may be dispatched to eliminate dangerous monsters that have strayed too near to Gnomon, or to reinforce Hegemony garrisons in other parts of Vaarn.
Benefits: You are given a red uniform, standard-issue autorifle, fragmentation grenades, and a Hegemony water pass, which entitles you to a respectable ration of water every day. You will be able to count on your fellow soldiers for backup, and have free reign to bully and extort small traders.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 14 | +6 | d8 |
| Attack: Autorifle (d8) / Grenade (d10 blast, DEX save to throw back) | |||
| When fought in streets of Gnomon, will call for backup every second turn, summoning another d8 Legionaries. | |||
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 16 | +8 | 1 |
| Attack: Autorifle (d8) + Rapier (d8) | |||
| Legionaries in presence of Centurion use the Centurion’s morale score. | |||
- New-Sheep. Spiritual leader of the Church of the Promised Sun.
- Grandmotherly, soft-spoken, frail.
- Believes her faith will one day lead to the rejuvenation of Urth’s dying sun. Leads long and arduous rituals to this effect.
- Dresses in the colours of the Sun That Was And Will Be: argent white and gleaming gold.
- Ambiently psychic; can always tell if someone means her harm.
- Faunia Wants: to grow her flock and live to see the coming of the Promised Sun. She would do almost anything to hasten its arrival.
ALLY: Abbess Faunia can be played as a calming, more gentle presence in Gnomon. She’s the opposite of Ancamulla and the Hegemony. They take; Faunia gives. The Church of the Promised Sun delivers charity to orphans, beggars, and the oppressed, for it is only through grace and mercy that the Sun That Is Promised will ever again light the Urth with its golden rays. Faunia has no great military power or strength of arms, but if the PCs are in her favour, they will be in the favour of anyone else in the city who worships the Promised Sun. This is no small matter, and the support of the great mass of worshippers could be a decisive factor in toppling one of the other factions.
VILLAIN: Faunia as an antagonist is still grandmotherly, soft-spoken and physically gentle. However, she is the recipient of prophetic dreams, glorious images of the Promised Sun rising bright and terrible to burn away the wickedness of the world and bring the righteous few to a gleaming salvation. Faunia must hasten the arrival of this celestial saviour, by rooting out unbelievers and burning them alive in great rapturous bonfires. This version of Faunia runs Gnomon as a theocratic police-state, probably with the support of the Water Baron or Consul Lonrot, who have been converted to her faith by the fervour of her visions.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 (Golden Robes) | +3 |
| Attack: Fists (d4) | ||
| Faunia is no warrior, but her ambient psychic powers mean that she is impossible to surprise. If attacked, she will activate her most precious artefact: a hard-light projector that creates seven solid-state holograms of her, which will scatter in all directions. In the confusion she will attempt to escape. Note these holograms are physical objects, and can be restrained by the PCs. | ||
- Religious faith. Their scripture and religious practices are focused on the renewal of Urth’s red sun.
- Dominant religion in Gnomon. Many shrines, churches, and wall frescoes dedicated to this faith.
- Recognise one another through sunburst medallions and the greeting ‘May you live to see the Promised Sun’.
- Priests wear golden robes and smiling sunburst masks.
- Prayers held at sunrise and sunset, the dead are burned on pyres.
- Faction Base: the Temple of the Promised Sun, on Gnomon’s Apex.
How To Join: Renounce all prior faiths and accept the Baptism Of Dawn.
What's Expected of Members: Regular tithes to the Church of the Promised Sun. Observance of prayers, rituals, and attendance at the Great Temple to hear Abbess Faunia speak. You may also be asked to go above and beyond for your Church when called upon. This could include protecting a Priest who is heading out into the wastes of Vaarn to spread the message of the Promised Sun, retrieving the remains of Solar Saints that have been stolen by relic thieves, or collecting the body of a church member who died in the wilderness so that their relatives may burn the corpse with proper ceremony.
Benefits: You are a respectable part of Gnomonian society. Noble Houses will allow you to enter through the front door. Church members are expected to aid fellow worshippers who are in danger or have a material need; this tenet will only stretch so far, but shopkeepers or landlords who share your faith will be likely to extend you credit or give discounts on rent.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | +1 | d6 |
| Attack: Staff (d6) | |||
| Carry doses of Summerbalm (heals for d8 HP). | |||
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 15 | +7 | d10 |
| Attack: Heavy Club (d8) | |||
| Will do everything they can to avoid spilling red blood inside the Temple. | |||
- New-Jackal. Smuggler and a crook; runs the underworld of Gnomon.
- Laughs a lot, unpredictable, very violent. Widely feared. Can switch from jovial to murderous and back in a heartbeat.
- Addicted to opiates and amphetamines.
- Incredibly gaudy and tasteless dress sense.
- Owns the Black Lotus Club, a seedy dancehall. Often found in the back room.
- Prieval Wants: to take drugs, kill anyone who insults him, and for people to laugh at his jokes.
ALLY: Prieval is a violent maniac, but he could prove to be the lesser of two evils when contrasted with another, more powerful threat. If the party are engaged in conflict with the Water Baron, Prieval’s smugglers could be moving black-market drinking water into the city for the poor neighbourhoods. If the Hegemony are crushing the merchants with taxes, Prieval is generous with his ill-gotten wealth. Play up his roguish charm. He’ll never be a good guy, but if you squint hard enough, he could be your bad guy.
VILLAIN: Prieval is a natural fit for a villain, and can play the role easily. He’s vain, proud, extremely violent, and easily offended. Bring the players into conflict with his operation by having some smugglers show up to collect debt from an NPC halfway through an important conversation. Alternatively, if they visit a chariot race or underground gambling den, Prieval is there holding court at the VIP table with his cronies. Have him throw a drink at them and they’ll hate him forever.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 13 (Gaudy Robes) | See Below |
| Attack: Pistol (d8) + Bite (d6) | ||
| If combat breaks out, the referee should roll to determine which drug Prieval is high on. Even numbers designate amphetamines; Prieval is twitchy and fast, and will always act twice before the PCs do. However, he will bug out and run as soon as the fight goes against him. Odd numbers designate opiates; Prieval is disassociating and will always attack last. However, he has no concept of the danger he is in, cannot feel pain, and will never run away. | ||
- Criminals, scum. Motley crew of newbeasts.
- Favour loud, colourful clothing, gaudy weapons, and flamboyant jewellery.
- Live the fast life: chariot races, gladiator fights, card games, opium dens.
- Move goods and collect debts for Prieval.
- Top dogs in Gnomon’s underworld. If you’re trying to do something illegal, you’ll have to deal with them sooner or later.
- Faction Base: the Black Lotus nightclub, near the southern wall of Gnomon.
How To Join: Hang around the Black Lotus Club, make yourself useful to Prieval, laugh at his jokes.
What's Expected of Members: You will run menial errands, deliver threats, commit arson, collect debts, and move cargo in and out of the city. Prieval does have dealings outside the city walls, so a party who have experience adventuring in the desert might be asked to find someone who is hiding out in a remote corner of Vaarn.
Benefits: Easy access to stolen goods, safe-houses, and high-grade narcotics. Will be aided by anyone who’s in debt to the smugglers or is afraid of them. Prieval’s gang will help you kill other people, within reason (they would be reluctant to target Hegemony leaders or the Water Baron). Most importantly, the smugglers know many ways in and out of the city of Gnomon that are undetectable by the city’s guards.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | +2 | d12 |
| Attack: Club (d6) | |||
| The gang’s runners are lightly-armed layabouts, more used to vandalism and intimidation than pitched battle with competent adversaries. | |||
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 14 | +4 | d6 |
| Attack: Knife (d6) + Plasma Grenade (d8 blast) | |||
| Assassination technique involves bombing targets’ homes with ancient plasma grenades. | |||
- Planeywoman. She is a hypergeometric being that resembles a fractured, moving shadow.
- Immortal or close to it. Has no memory of the accident that created her.
- Lives on the walls of the Crimson Court. Watches the fights and passes judgement on the merits of cases brought.
- Her voice is cold and clear; her movements are like the flickering, jerky frames of silent films.
- Believes violence is the ultimate expression of justice.
- Nyxia Wants: to reward the righteous and punish the guilty.
ALLY: Nyxia has a harsh sense of justice, but one that the party could bend to their advantage. If the Water Baron’s men have committed some outrage, the party could challenge them in the Crimson Court. The Baron keeps fearsome Advocates on retainer, but Nyxia might persuade them to recuse themselves from the case if the player’s cause is worthy. As she does not drink, she is one of the few living in Gnomon who has no fear of Ancamulla. Defeat in the Court would not spell the end for the Baron, but it would show his militia they cannot act with impunity.
VILLAIN: Nyxia’s ‘justice’ is alien to contemporary conceptions of a legal system, and wrongly accused people end up forced to fight in her arena all the time. Have an NPC known to the players be served with a Crimson Mark, someone who is unable to afford an Advocate’s help. Nyxia will show no mercy in such situations, considering those who die in the Court to have proven themselves guilty of something.
Hypergeometric
| Level | Armour | Morale |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 11 | +10 |
| Attack: d8 CON drain | ||
| Nyxia cannot be injured by regular weapons or by psychic Gifts. Only hypergeometric weapons have any hope of harming her. She attacks by latching onto an opponent and draining the energy from their body. When their CON defence is reduced to 0, they are dead. | ||
- Lawyer-gladiators who decide the outcome of trials in the ring.
- Gnomon’s criminal cases are decided through these trials. Defendants may fight in person or they may hire an Advocate to fight for them.
- Merchant’s contracts are sealed with the Crimson Mark, exposing contract-breakers to a challenge in the ring.
- The Advocates are skilled fighters, and will not take a case they feel is unworthy.
- Bailiffs of the Court issue summonses and enforce Nyxia’s judgements.
- Faction Base: the Crimson Court.
How To Join: Anyone can represent a claimant or defendant in the Crimson Court. A strong showing during the fight will result in others offering payment for your services. Keep winning and you’ll become known as an Advocate.
What's Expected of Members: You must abide by Nyxia’s judgements, and fight to the death when you are in the ring. If you have taken payment, you cannot then refuse to fight, and will be hunted down and killed if you do.
Benefits: A proven Advocate is a friend much sought-after in Gnomon. Merchants will be keen to make your acquaintance and curry favour, for having a powerful Advocate on their side makes cheating their customers easy. Noble Houses and Philosopher’s Guilds will also be eager to approach you, for such proud and fractious institutions are ceaselessly issuing summons emblazoned with Crimson Marks to those who have crossed them. Successful Advocates live luxurious lives.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 14 | +4 | d10 |
| Attack: Shock Baton (d6, electrical) | |||
| Dressed in dark red armour and featureless shadow-helms. | |||
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 15 | +10 | 1 |
| Attack: Spear (d8) + Net (DEX save or your Armor drops to 9) | |||
| Each Advocate uses unique fighting styles and weaponry. This stat-block should be considered a starting point. | |||
- Elderly Alzabo: a fearsome extra-solar predator, which retains the memories of the human beings it devours.
- Resembles a bear with purple fur.
- Consumed so many brains that she has achieved sentience, a rare occurrence.
- Erudite, patient, hungry.
- Speaks with many different voices.
- Religious figure for a coven of worshippers.
- Jak Wants: safe, reliable supply of human corpses with interesting memories.
ALLY: Jak has little time for the Hegemony or the Church of the Promised Sun, considering both factions to be intrusions into the old order of Gnomon, something she remembers well. Any players wishing harm to those factions will find an ally in Jak and her cult of ghouls. Her extremely long memory could also prove useful; some of the personalities contained in her ancient body date back before the Great Collapse. Who knows what secret locations Jak could guide enterprising vault-raiders towards?
VILLAIN: Jak is still a monster, even if she is a very intelligent one. To make her an antagonist, play up the creepy cannibal aspect of her coven. Have the players hear sinister stories about corpses going missing before funerals, and family crypts in the Tomblands being ransacked. Maybe the Friends of Jak prefer live flesh for their feasts? A hidden society that practiced such wicked rituals would, of course, be a topic of fear and revulsion amongst the common people of Gnomon. Someone who rooted out this cabal would enjoy a favorable reputation in the city.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 15 (Thick hide) | +10 |
| Attack: Claw (d8) + Claw (d8) | ||
| If both of Jak’s claws hit the same target, she will follow up with a bite attack that deals 2d6 damage, with no to-hit roll required. She will deal another automatic 2d6 damage to the target she has grabbed each turn, unless they pass a STR save to wrestle her off. | ||
- Secretive cult. They have members embedded within all other factions.
- Few members, but they are fanatically dedicated to Jak.
- Robed and hooded during their rites.
- Recognise one another through certain gestures and phrases.
- Take part in cannibalistic rituals, which give them access to the memories of the dead.
- Experiencing these memories is addictive; slowly turns you into a ghoul.
- Faction Base: the tunnels beneath the Hushed Archives, an empty library in the Lantern District.
How To Join: Getting an invitation is difficult but not impossible, if you ask the right questions of the right people. Showing a sincere interest in Vaarn’s history might be the ticket.
What's Expected of Members: You will attend the gatherings called by Jak each full moon. You must follow her guidance without question, and ensure she is protected and kept secret. You will be asked to help provide cadavers for the ritual feasts.
Benefits: Taking part in Jak’s rituals will allow you to access the memories of the corpses you devour, potentially granting all kinds of useful information to the party. There is no need to interrogate a living foe when their flesh can speak just as clearly.
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | +2 | d10 |
| Attack: Dagger (d6) | |||
| Robed and hooded when it is time to gather. They use Jak’s morale score if she is present. | |||
Biological
| Level | Armour | Morale | Encountered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 14 | +5 | d6 |
| Attack: Claw (d8) + Claw (d8) | |||
| The advanced stages of the transformation brought about by Jak’s rituals elongate the limbs and teeth. | |||
The crux of a campaign that focuses on Gnomon will be conflict between the major factions. In general, the factions are designed to have certain natural allies and natural enemies within the city.
The Water Baron’s stranglehold on the water supply allows him to intervene in all aspects of Gnomonian politics. This will naturally put him in conflict with House Lonrot and the Hegemony Legion, who represent a foreign conquering power that does not recognise his authority.
House Lonrot and the Hegemony Legion are natural allies, but canny players may find a way to set them at odds. The Consul’s desire to return to the Hegemony might set him against Loonflower.
The Church of the Promised Sun will not intervene in minor conflicts, but the Abbess would begin preaching against the Water Baron if he deprived large numbers of citizens of water, or against Lonrot if the Hegemony committed some massacre.
Prieval Prise, the Friends of Jak, and the Crimson Court are underworld or fringe factions, which exist without the consent or knowledge of the larger factions. These three groups operate in tandem with one another; Prieval supplies bodies to the Friends of Jak, the Crimson Courtiers help Prieval enforce business contracts, and so on. This is not to say there will never be violent conflict between the underworld factions; in fact it is likely there will be. However, they all share a disreputable reputation.
If the referee wishes to seed some interactions between members of the factions during a campaign in Gnomon, they may use the table below. Mirrored results may either be discarded, or treated as conflict within the faction in question. Members of the same organization need not have identical goals, after all.
| d20 | Member Of | Desires To | Member Of |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water Baron’s Militia | Abduct | Gang of Criminals |
| 2 | Philosopher's Guild | ||
| 3 | House Lonrot | Professionally Discredit | Pit Fighters |
| 4 | Urban Shrine | ||
| 5 | Fifth Hegemony Legion | Marry | Trade Cartel |
| 6 | Noble House | ||
| 7 | Church of the Promised Sun | Steal From | Crimson Court |
| 8 | |||
| 9 | Prieval's Crew | Impress | Friends of Jak |
| 10 | |||
| 11 | Friends of Jak | Arrange the Death Of | Prieval's Crew |
| 12 | |||
| 13 | Crimson Court | Collect Debt From | Church of the Promised Sun |
| 14 | |||
| 15 | Noble House | Renege on a Deal With | Fifth Hegemony Legion |
| 16 | Trade Cartel | ||
| 17 | Urban Shrine | Locate | House Lonrot |
| 18 | Pit Fighters | ||
| 19 | Philosopher's Guild | Cure the Sickness Of | Water Baron's Militia |
| 20 | Gang of Criminals |
There more than seven factions at work in a city as diverse as Gnomon. In later sections of this publication you will find generator tables that will let you create your own trade cartels, urban shrines, minor noble houses, and philosopher’s guilds, all of which can act as smaller, less powerful factions. However, if the reader desires a brief overview of some of the less mundane factions who are at work in Vaarn, and would almost certainly have an agent or two posted in Gnomon, such information can be found here.
Self-knowledge and spiritual purity are achieved not through enlightenment, but through a slow and patient process of endarkenment. There are other powers in this grand and mysterious cosmos that require no sun to thrive; should the residents of Urth not therefore seek to follow their example? There are other sources of illumination than the red and ailing star that squats, bloated and weak like a sated tick, in the high-vaulted sable vastness of the heavens: we speak of course of the interior illumination that comes when one has renounced all prosaic and urthly sights. We seek those who do not fear the coming death of the sun and the blackness it will herald; those rare, strong minds that can be opened to celestial messages that emanate from the most distant and lightless of spheres.
Not all the blind beggars who sit at the corners of streets in Gnomon are sightless, as the compassionate might suppose, due to misfortune. Some chose the dark.
Artificers, hell-raisers, masters of necrotech. The Lectors of the College search Vaarn’s vaults for anything to deepen their research into the preservation and re-animation of human corpses. The College itself lies far to the south, but regular expeditions are mounted into Vaarn’s interior to seek out new leads on the location of Titan-era cloning facilities and biotech labs. Indigo Lectors are hardly an unknown sight in Gnomon, attended to by their mute, perfumed Indigo Servitors.
A party of vault-raiders who found an item of exotica that could repair human cells, or had knowledge of a location where such technology might exist, would quickly attract the attention of the Indigo College. The Lectors pay well, demand much, and have little tolerance of failure.
The great machine suzerains of Urth are long-dead, their ego-engines scrubbed clean by weaponised logicphages. The quiet and colossal ruin of their final thoughts is sealed beneath Vaarn in decaying lattices of memory-crystal; their memories entombed within miles of neural network-shunts that lie, cold and shattered, in bunkers beneath the mountains.
True devotion, however, can never die, and the machine gods still have worshippers. Synths and humans alike wish that the Age of Titans might come again. They wish that the citizens of Urth might once more travel the stars, guided by HYPERION’s golden lantern; wish that justice might again be done by THEMIS; wish that GAEA would once again administer to the sick and that patient METIS would map the roiling paths of the future.
The Titans are dead, they say, but what mankind’s arts once birthed, mankind’s arts could restore again. Titan cults, devoted to untangling these sacred mysteries, are found throughout Vaarn. It would be strange if none within Gnomon’s walls wished to see the Titans rise once more.