TEXT: SKYREACH 
   
  A Scenario for Godbound  
  (an RPG by Sine Nominee Publishing) 
  By Luke Walker 
   
  This scenario was generated using the Court 
  and Ruin random generators in the Godbound 
  Beta 1.0.  Words that are italicised and bolded 
  are important elements or references to the 
  Godbound bestiary. 
   
  HOOK 
  The PCs are investigating the source of a 
  mysterious gaseous weapon of mass 
  destruction that was unleashed on a town to 
  which they have a connection. 
   
  An initial search has led the PCs to an ancient 
  text describing a calamity that befell a trading 
  nexus called Skyreach. The citadel was fabled 
  for its reach across the land from the peak of 
  a mountain somewhere in what is now the 
  north of the Raktine Confederacy. The secrets 
  of Skyreach were said to be locked in a central 
  vault that was sacred by the Hawk God, 
  Usharn (currently a Weak God, but an 
  Established God at full strength, see below).  
   
  Travelling to this distant location, the PCs 
  sought the exact whereabouts of Skyreach 
  from the local noble, Domn Andras Vida. He 
  revealed that the ruin of the trading post 
  could be found in a valley near the village of 
  Ghent at the foot of Mount Tarris. In 
  exchange, he extracted from the PCs a 
  promise to let no harm befall the village 
  during their stay. 
   
  BACKGROUND 
  Long ago, Skyreach was a flying citadel temple 
  created by a God of Flight called Ghoska. He 
  filled the citadel with his priests as crew and 
  automatons and other clockwork devices to 
  manage the other systems. In order to power 
  its flight capability, he dedicated a central 
  vault to the worship of Usharn, a lesser allied 
  god. This allowed Skyreach to not only travel 
  to distant lands, but also take advanatage of 
  Usharn’s amazing vision to detect movements 
  in population, resources and wealth from 
  miles away.  
  This combination turned Skyreach into a 
  vastly wealthy trading nexus. But with 
  success, the strain on Usharn began to take its 
  toll. Eventually, his devotees prayed so 
  fervently for his blessing of the citadel that he 
  became bound to it, a slave to its operation. 
   
  Usharn sought to escape by subverting the 
  systems on Skyreach. He refused to kill his 
  own worshippers, so he created a toxic gas 
  that would lay waste to inanimate objects, 
  such as the automatons that operated the 
  citadel. The resulting damage saw Skyreach 
  crash on Mount Tarris. The inhabitants fled, 
  except for the few remaining Crew Priests. 
  They mingled with the local village of Ghent, 
  preserving their secrets as legends along with 
  their bloodline which is necessary to unlock 
  the biometric secured systems. 
   
  Hundreds of years have passed, and Skyreach 
  is all but forgotten. Only a sacred pact of 
  protection made with the nearby Vida family 
  in ancient times remains, but even the 
  meaning of that has been forgotten. The 
  village of Ghent preserves the bloodline, but it 
  now stands at a precarious point with just one 
  heir remaining, Jolana A’Ghoska. 
   
  To make matters worse, Ghoska has sent a 
  legion of his automaton servants through a 
  Night Road to Skyreach to experiment with 
  Usharn’s toxic emissions. They have already 
  managed to unleash a strike on several distant 
  towns around the world, using Ghoska’s 
  power over the jet stream to transport the gas 
  over long distances. Usharn’s awakening has 
  come to the notice of others, including a 
  group of Usharn’s cultists. They try to awaken 
  Usharn and repurpose Skyreach as a weapon 
  of revenge that can strike anywhere and at 
  any time. 
   
  The PCs arrive at Ghent just as the plans of 
  both groups is about to come into conflict. 
  
  FUMES OF USHARN 
  The toxic miasma produced by Usharn makes 
  a number of appearances in this scenario. It is 
  a magical based pollution that eats away at 
  inanimate objects, disintegrating them in a 
  matter of hours.  
   
  When encountered by the PCs, they must 
  make a Spirit Saving Throw every 2 hours or 
  lose one non-magical item that they carry. If 
  subjected to the fumes for a prolonged period 
  (6 hours), even magical items must be rolled 
  for. Any artifacts purchased with Dominion 
  points are immune. 
   
  VILLAGE OF GHENT 
  Ghent lies at the top of a valley at the foot of 
  Mount Tarris. The valley is located in the 
  remote north of the Raktine Confederacy, 
  shielded by a range of mountains from any 
  travellers, except those sent there by the 
  nominal lord of the valley, Domn Andras Vida, 
  or for which it is their destination. The valley 
  walls are steep, but both are dwarfed by 
  Mount Tarris, which is almost always cloaked 
  in clouds and snow. 
   
  The village itself is old. Though it was wealthy 
  many hundreds of years ago after Skyreach 
  fell and the Crew Priesthood took up 
  residence, that wealth has long since 
  dwindled to nothing more than shadow and 
  dust.  
   
  The physical layout of the village is 
  reminiscent of that of a ship, though this 
  won’t be immediately apparent to visitors. At 
  the far side, at the highest point, sits the 
  central long hall of the A’Ghoska family, being 
  those descended from the remaining Crew 
  Priest lineage.  
   
  In the centre of the village is a massive totem 
  pole made from metal like a ship’s mast. 
  Despite its prominent position, the pole is one 
  of the closest held secrets of the family. It is 
  an Automated Guardian (Guardian 
  Automaton) that was removed from Skyreach 
  to protect the Crew Priesthood from danger. 
  Despite its use to establish dominance for the 
  Priesthood when it first arrived, it has been all 
  but forgotten since. The pole is now seen as a 
  focal point for local worship. 
   
  The only member of the family capable of 
  bearing any offspring is a young woman called 
  Jolanna A’Ghoska. When the PCs arrive, the 
  village is undertaking a ceremonial festival to 
  decide on the groom for Jolanna. 
   
  The two apparent candidates are: 
   Grimpen Faun: Grimpen is a hunter 
  (Veteran). Despite his vocation, he is well 
  liked in Ghent and his family holds a lot of 
  wealth. He is capable of rousing a group of 
  villagers (Furious Peasants) is required. He 
  is the scion of one of the merchant families 
  who used to trade from Skyreach. Though 
  he has no personal interest in history, he 
  holds more lore on Skyreach than most 
  others in the village. He doesn’t love 
  Jolanna, but he bears he no ill will and 
  would prefer to marry her than see Bachan 
  do so.  
   Bachan Ore: Bachan is a new devotee of 
  Usharn (Lesser Eldritch). He was converted 
  by the cultists on their arrival and believes 
  that the cultist’s plan to raise Skyreach is 
  the only way to save Ghent. Bachan was 
  previously the major domo for the 
  A’Ghoska family and loves Jolanna (as he 
  does Ghent). But desperation and the 
  cultists’ corruption have twisted this love 
  into something dark and unpleasant. He is 
  also aware of the A’Ghoska’s Automated 
  Guardian and will seek to manipulate the 
  PCs so that they appear to threaten the 
  family and evoke its wrath. 
  Initially, on arrival, the PCs will be ignored by 
  the villagers who are focussing on on the 
  ceremonial festival. Shortly after arriving, 
  there will be a number of earth tremors and a 
  heavy mist rolling off the slopes of Mount 
  Tarris. The villagers called this the Breath of 
  Tarris interpret this as signs of doom. The PCs 
  must make a Spirit Saving Throw for their 
  non-magical items, but in the open air, the 
  effect is not prolonged. The gas will get worse 
  as time passes. 
   
  
  Once the PCs approach the A’Ghoska family, 
  they will quickly come into conflict with 
  Bachan Ore and his followers. This group is 
  entreating the A’Ghoska family and preaches 
  of a new age for Ghent if only Jolanna would 
  embrace Usharn. This would require Jolanna 
  to travel to the peak of Mount Tarris to show 
  her devotion.  
   
  Bachan Ore will try and set a flock of 
  clockwork enhanced hawks against the PCs 
  (Verminous Swarm with Move: 60’ flight) 
  following the meeting. Realising that he has 
  underestimated them, he will then revert to 
  provoking the PCs against the A’Ghoska family 
  in an effort to invoke the Guardian. If the 
  Guardian is defeated, he will flee to Skyreach 
  and leave a number of twisted hawkmen in 
  his wake (Minor Misbegotten with 2-3 HD) to 
  slow the PCs down. 
   
  Over time, the PCs may discover the truth 
  behind Skyreach from Grimpen Faun (for a 
  price), from Jolanna’s parents (only if 
  threatened), or from other investigation such 
  as walking the mountain and tracking the 
  Breath of Tarris to its source. 
   
  OTHER INHABITANTS 
   
   Imre, owner of the Wishing Well, Ghent’s 
  only inn and the centre of most gossip 
  (true and false) in town. Imre is likely to be 
  the first person to talk to the PCs after 
  arriving in town. 
   Akos, a former servant of the A’Ghoska 
  family, who they have let go as they can no 
  longer afford his employ. He has been 
  ostracised by Bachan after he confronted 
  him about his new religion and questioned 
  his motives. 
   Marina Bykov, a bandit and adventuress 
  from Nezdohva, who has travelled to 
  Ghent in search of fabled riches of 
  Skyreach. She has encountered Godbound 
  before and knows that they can be of value 
  if manipulated correctly. They are only 
  human after all. 
   
  SKYREACH 
  Skyreach is a massive flying citadel made from 
  clockwork and places dedicated to the 
  devotion to flight, birds and the sky. It used to 
  be kept in good repair by a legion of 
  automaton servants of Ghoska, but these 
  have since been destroyed by Urshan’s toxic 
  vapours. The gas has also eaten away large 
  sections of the hull. 
   
  When Skyreach fell, it landed on the upper 
  slopes of Mount Tarris. A subsequent 
  avalanche and years of neglect have seen it all 
  but buried. What can be seen is shrouded in 
  choking fog, being the last vestiges of 
  Urshan’s gaseous onslaught.  
   
  The locations of note inside Skyreach are as 
  follows in roughly the order that the PCs are 
  likely to encounter them: 
   
   Crew Quarters: This is a large section of 
  the citadel which the PCs are likely to enter 
  first. It is abandoned but the area remains 
  littered with the decrepit corpse like 
  remains on the many automaton servants 
  that died from Urshan’s emissions before 
  Skyreach crashed. There are still pockets of 
  the gas trapped in rooms in this area which 
  the PCs may release in their exploration. 
  Having mixed with the metal of the citadel 
  over hundreds of years, the trapped gas 
  can now harm living beings (Hardiness 
  Saving Throw 1d8+1 damage). 
   Trading Floor: The large open space that 
  was once the trading floor for the citadel is 
  the scene of a recent battle between 
  Ghoska’s automatons and the cultists of 
  Urshan. It is now a no man’s land between 
  the two factions. To deter the cultists, the 
  automatons have imbued the area with 
  low magic that animates the mass of 
  damaged clockworks and automaton parts 
  (as Undead Horde) to attack any living 
  intruders. 
   Flight Deck: From this area, the citadel was 
  piloted and navigated during flight. It is 
  now the base of operations for Urshan’s 
  cultists (Trained Soldiers) and their 
  clockwork enhanced hawks (Verminous 
  
  Swarm with Move: 60’ flight) and twisted 
  hawkmen (Minor Misbegotten with 2-3 
  HD). Bachan Ore will attempt to return 
  here if he successfully flees. The group is 
  led by the high priest of Urshan, Galla 
  Fortsomo (Greater Eldritch). Once here, 
  the true nature of Skyreach and its ability 
  to fly will become apparent.  Entering the 
  area will trigger alarms (Evasion Saving 
  Throw to avoid). Once inside, the PCs can 
  witness the repurposing of the citadel for 
  war first hand, as well as discovering the 
  poor state of the modifications made to 
  achieve it. The PCs can sabotage these 
  modifications with relative ease if they are 
  not discovered. 
   Central Archive:  This area is easily 
  overlooked due to its current dilapidated 
  state.  However, it holds perhaps the 
  greatest treasure in the citadel. The 
  entrance to the archive is a long shaft, and 
  the bottom of which is filled with razor 
  sharp debris that will kill anyone falling 
  down it. However, there is a concealed 
  entrance to the archive on the wall at the 
  bottom of the shaft. The archive contains 
  the clockwork system by which Skyreach 
  could detect wealth, resource and 
  population movements on a global scale. 
  Whoever wields this has tremendous 
  power should they seek to exploit it to 
  massive gains. Combined with a powerful 
  weapon, the devastation it could create 
  would be truly atrocious (as would be the 
  responsibility on its wielder). 
   Engineering: The automatons of Ghoska 
  use this as their base of operations. They 
  experiment with Urshan’s emissions that 
  they extract from the nearby Vault in 
  which he is imprisoned. Most automatons 
  are human sized (Timesworn Survivors) 
  but there is also a pair of powerful 
  Guardians like that in Ghent (Guardian 
  Automaton). They have no leader, 
  operating instead with a form of hive 
  mind. 
   Urshan’s Vault: Urshan is imprisoned in 
  the centre of Skyreach. The wards on the 
  vault need to be destroyed before he can 
  be escape or be killed. This will require 
  powerful magic or epic deeds to achieve. 
  The GM is encouraged to be flexible with 
  the exact solution, and incorporate player 
  ideas if possible. If attacked immediately, 
  Urshan remains diminished (Weak God). 
  Once free, however, the citadel’s power of 
  flight will be extinguished and Urshan will 
  quickly regain his former power 
  (Established God). 
   
  OUTCOMES 
  How this scenario ends is open and as is 
  typical for Godbound. Here are some 
  suggestions for how to wrap things up and 
  further adventures this may lead to. 
   
  If Ghent is destroyed, the PCs will have invited 
  the wrath of Domn Andras Vida. He may not 
  understand the true meaning of the sacred 
  pact of protection, but he sees this as a 
  matter of honour. 
   
  If Urshan is freed or destroyed, then the PCs 
  will have made enemies of both Urshan’s 
  cultists and Ghoska’s automatons who will 
  both continue to harangue the PCs. Urshan 
  will also be unstable after his imprisonment 
  and wanting revenge on his followers. The PCs 
  can seek to rehabilitate him over time. 
   
  If both of these factions are defeated and the 
  PCs gain control of Skyreach, they have a 
  powerful weapon to deploy. An attempt to 
  return it to its former position as a trading 
  nexus is unlikely to be successful, due to 
  Usharn’s continued toxic emissions.  
   
  Ghoska himself will also likely want to take 
  direct action against the PCs for stealing his 
  temple. The PCs may decide to walk the Night 
  Road taken by his Automaton servants to deal 
  with Ghoska direct. 
   
  In terms of Ghent, the PCs can stabilise the 
  village back to normality for what little that is 
  worth. The key will be helping the village 
  transition away from their age old tradition of 
  the Crew Priesthood.  Grimpen Faun and 
  Jolanna A’Ghoska may be allies in this 
  endeavour.  
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Godbound (osr)/Godbound Scenarios/Scenario Skyreach.pdf