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The Shadow Quarters

Environments Designed by tudy • Art by Nestor Papatriantafyllou
Tier
1
Type
Exploration
Difficulty
11
Impulses
To obscure the way and confuse To hide things and trap people

Environment overview

A maze of streets, passages, and small bridges spanning dark canals. The houses wear tide marks like battle scars. Forbidden whispers creep from closed doors.

Potential adversaries

Jagged Knife Bandits (Hexer, Kneebreaker, Lackey, Lieutenant, Shadow, Sniper) Courtier Oozes (Green, Red) Swarm of Rats Electric Eels

Features

Passives

passive
  • Slithers of Skylight

    The walls stretch high and creep close to each other. Even during noon the paths and canals are in twilight at best. Action roles that rely on sight beyond Close have disadvantage.

    Questions
    • What do people leave here for being out of sight?
    • What distant sounds of the city can only be heard muted and muffled?
    • Who has entered the Shadow Quarters to not reappear recently?
  • Dead Ends, Wrong Turns

    Navigating this place is like solving a maze, the paths and canals seemingly shifting with each visit. Reaching a specific destination or traversing the Shadow Quarters uses a Progress Countdown (4). On a failure, a PC must mark a Stress in addition to the roll's other consequences.

    Questions
    • What forgotten place do you pass by on your way?
    • This place makes you feel alone and abandoned, who would look for you, if you were to go missing?

Actions

action
  • Slippery Steps, Narrow Ledges
    Fear 1

    Spend a Fear to have a PC make an Agility Reaction Roll. On a success they must mark a Stress. On a failure, they take 1d6+1 physical damage as they plummet into a canal. They become Vulnerable until they get out of the canal.

    Questions
    • What lies below the surface of the canal?
    • What lives inside the canal?
  • Dark Whispers

    The PCs notice a secretive meeting between two different parties, at least one of the NPCs relates to a PC's background.

    Questions
    • Are the two parties meeting on equal terms?
    • Is the meeting hostile or friendly?
    • How do they keep out of sight, even within the Shadow Quarters?

Reactions

reaction
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About this environment

A district of the Spires, the capital of my Hundred Islands campaign.

The Shadow Quarters

Tier 1 Exploration

A maze of streets, passages, and small bridges spanning dark canals. The houses wear tide marks like battle scars. Forbidden whispers creep from closed doors.

Impulses: To obscure the way and confuse, To hide things and trap people

Difficulty: 11

Potential Adversaries: Jagged Knife Bandits (Hexer, Kneebreaker, Lackey, Lieutenant, Shadow, Sniper), Courtier, Oozes (Green, Red), Swarm of Rats, Electric Eels

Features

Slithers of Skylight - Passive: The walls stretch high and creep close to each other. Even during noon the paths and canals are in twilight at best. Action roles that rely on sight beyond Close have disadvantage.
  • What do people leave here for being out of sight?
  • What distant sounds of the city can only be heard muted and muffled?
  • Who has entered the Shadow Quarters to not reappear recently?
Dead Ends, Wrong Turns - Passive: Navigating this place is like solving a maze, the paths and canals seemingly shifting with each visit. Reaching a specific destination or traversing the Shadow Quarters uses a Progress Countdown (4). On a failure, a PC must mark a Stress in addition to the roll's other consequences.
  • What forgotten place do you pass by on your way?
  • This place makes you feel alone and abandoned, who would look for you, if you were to go missing?
Slippery Steps, Narrow Ledges - Action: Spend a Fear to have a PC make an Agility Reaction Roll. On a success they must mark a Stress. On a failure, they take 1d6+1 physical damage as they plummet into a canal. They become Vulnerable until they get out of the canal.
  • What lies below the surface of the canal?
  • What lives inside the canal?
Dark Whispers - Action: The PCs notice a secretive meeting between two different parties, at least one of the NPCs relates to a PC's background.
  • Are the two parties meeting on equal terms?
  • Is the meeting hostile or friendly?
  • How do they keep out of sight, even within the Shadow Quarters?

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