N18 A living city project in progress for arbitrator: “The lost mine of the four brothers”

[Beebopalulla]

I was inspired by the book Apgrypha. I hope it's the right place.

A brief history : A living city project in progress for arbitrator: “The lost mine of the four brothers” (only for arbitrator).

It is situated between Scum Lake (the poison sea) and Fort Blackwater near the Chemtide Swamp. It was a mine specialized in components for chemicals. It was abandoned near the subjugation of the planet by the Emperium.

Rediscovered first by four brothers who belonged to the rebels opposed to the subjugation. They were desperate to have their planet independent again and they each turned to a different voice in their heads. They built separate temples, one for each voice. The other rebels, ancestors of the current nomads found the place and judged it to be abhorrent. They attacked and wiped out the cults. Thus, the mines were lost a second time.

The second time it was rediscovered by the leaders of four gangs at war with one of the gene stealer cults on the planet. They were on the losing side and sought a refuge. They found the temple and reinforced it. But ultimately they were also wiped out by the Xenos infected cult.

The third time it was rediscovered was during the age of apostasy. Four groups of religious extremist believers in the emperor thought they were hearing the voice of four primarch. They went to the mine, the source of their calling. They all succumbed to the voices and one day they attacked a caravan of Cawdor whose survivor managed to track them down to the mine. The mine defenses were neglected and the cult icon appeared everywhere making it obvious. A crusade was called and again the settlement was wiped out.

This was the fourth time the mine was rediscovered. It happened the day the great rift was open in the warp. Four Healots Cults heard a calling. The same calling that was heard before, but this time they knew who they were. They all moved there and, learning from the past, they reinforced the defenses and hid the icons. Then they made the place to appear as the most mundane trade outpost.

As soon as it was done, they were under attack by the old enemies of the voices the Nomads, Xenos cult (who are also not affiliated to chaos), and Cawdor and redemptions crusader. They realized quickly by “asking questions nicely” to the prisoner that they too had received a call from different voices urging for the cleansing of the place.

But not only were they not wiped out this time, but they thrived. Their legitimate business façade had attracted many gangs that were happy to help repulse the attack. These gangs also benefited from the slave trade of the attackers that were captured. They were officially sent to the underground farms that produce mushrooms of every kind and produce a large quantity of rats and other critters meat.

Description:

The description is accessible to all unless in italics then it is only for the arbitrator and some specific gang that the arbitrator can give access to.

The first layer (the business layer) is the only one accessible to all.

The rat Burger with mushroom bread and green mushroom beer is a very popular meal at the tavern of the settlement “The revelation tavern”. It also offers lodging at a reasonable price. Everything here is at a reasonable price including the annex of the tavern that has a modest trading post.

The trading post is mostly focused on equipments related to survival and less focused on weapons and explosives which are more difficult to obtain, fitting the image of non threatening outpost. Xenos, nomads, Corrupted Cawdor and redemptionist wargear, weapons and vehicles are never accepted as payment and are also never sold. If you do try, one of the proctors will approach you and his intentions may vary depending on his true affiliations.

The others main shops are in a clockwise order around the tavern, including the rogue doc clinic where no questions are ever asked. The library of the fortune teller that buys and sells books of all kinds and performs tarot readings. The repair and improvements shop of weapons, wargear and vehicle which double has a training ground. Finally the herbalist and artisans shop where natural medicine is produced alongside custom made game, costume, wargear and weapons decorations. It’s a very laid back place.

The place has no church religious books or religious symbols anywhere. It presents itself as a place for business only. That may upset some customers, but they usually leave and never return (for several reasons including unsavory ones).

Because violence is inevitable even forbidden individuals and gangs can request access to two specific areas. That’s why the first layer is also the place of the ring and the official modular arena. The ring is at its core just a place where two people can settle their scores either in non lethal (like a bar fight scenario) or a lethal way (with only pistol and closed combat weapon). No armor, no wargear, and no psy power.

The modular arena has a non lethal mod where every imperial weapon can be used in a simulation (no real injuries but no xp either). The lethal mod is severely restricted. Weapons are limited to two pistols or one pistol and a close combat weapon or two close combat weapons or one basic weapon. No grenades, no special or heavy weapons and no blast weapon of any kind. No armor except for the leader (Flak or Mesh only) and the champions (Flak Only). Finally, no psycker power can be used. For the Wargear, the gangs can accept a proposed list of wargear by the arena authority or discuss among themselves what they will accept.

Both places are carefully monitored with cameras. Anyone dumb enough to cheat is declared the loser and the winning side decides what to do with him/them. Bets can be placed but the authority doesn’t manage them and just collect a 10% on the profit for maintenance.

Population: temporary, everyone except Cawdor and redemptionist, Nomads and Xenos tainted people. Plus people work there as free workers or slaves or defense force.

Commerce: The place has an average wealth rating. It spends almost as much as it gains. It focuses on wargear and equipments of all kinds including pets and therefore rarity is -2 for these. Weapons and armor are less available and anything beyond rarity eight is at +2. There is no possibility to buy or sell anything that is not imperial.

Environment: Huge natural dome in abandoned Mine. Beyond that the other layers are restricted.

The second and third layers are restricted to the personnel:

Below that second layer is a maze of small farms where once chemicals were mined but now produce mushrooms for remedies or food but also other uses. Others raise rats and others creatures for food, fur and leathers.

Population: People work there as free workers or slaves or defense forces.

Commerce: None

Environment: Maze of tunnels and caverns.

The third layer is where the local proctors, business owners, slaves, and desperate remnants of gangs who have agreed to be deputized can rest. It’s situated near a polluted underground lake. It also has the only source of pure and clean water in the form of a natural cittern.

Population: People work there as free workers or slaves or defense forces.

Commerce: None

Environment: Maze of tunnels and caverns, poisonous lake, and a natural cittern, which is heavily guarded.

The fourth Layer is where the real business is. It has four temples, each dedicated to a chaos god. Any healots or corrupted chaos house gang and even corpse grinder cult (provided they enter as a legitimate business group) can rest and pray to their respective temple.

It’s where the slaves that are the most pleasing to the gods are sacrificed in exchange for favors. The others are either sent as sacrifices for the glory of the cult like non chaos corrupted xenos gang, nomads, redemptionist and Cawdor. They are sacrificed collectively by groups of twelves to the pantheon instead of to a specific chaos god. The other more mundane slaves are sent to the farms. The non corrupted free workers and proctor who work on the first layer, the business layers never go there. They stay at the first layer.

Here there is a ring and the modular arenas are available only to worshippers of Chaos but it’s only lethal. Everything is accepted including psy power, armor, and wargear, but limited to pistols and close combat weapons. It’s either with slaves or fighters or a whole gang of slaves and whole chaos cultist gang.

Each loser will be sacrificed by the victor for a boon decided between the victor and the arbitrator.

The Modular arena is much bigger. Here there are no restrictions whatsoever between gangs. They can even have access to equipment they normally cannot access. It can even be modified for deadly vehicle races, and fights including the aerial and nautical kind. If a gang of slaves is fighting, it has access only to pistols and close combat weapons unless they take it from their victims. If the slave wins, they are offered a chance to convert and join either the corrupted proctor or the chaos cultist gang they want, or they can be sacrificed. If they lose, they are sacrificed no matter what. The sacrifice takes place in the middle of the arena after the fight.

In the west Corridor is the temple of the rogue doc. It’s dedicated to Nurgle.

In the east corridor is the temple of the fortune teller. It’s dedicated to Tzeentch.

In the north corridor is the temple of the gladiator. It’s dedicated to Khorne.

In the south Corridor is the temple of the ring master of entertainment. It’s dedicated to Slaanesh.

All temples double as their first layer workshop but here non official change can be made.

The other sacrifice place is the one in the center of the layers and is the place for the pantheon sacrifice. Anyone from the authority or the guest can perform the sacrifice in either the pantheon sacrifice place or the specific chaos god place. But it’s always under the supervision of one member of the authority who has an amulet that gives him a temporary immunity to the phenomena of the warp table. The gangs don’t have access to these amulets. If a chaos spawn is produced it can be kept by the gangs or sold to the authority at a price agreed on by the arbitrator. The central temple doesn’t grant any boons other than one reroll to wound for a leader of a gang in a fight in the arena. The slaves don’t have access to it.

What the authority gets they never tell.

To get access to any of the temples a gang needs to make a sacrifice. The first sacrifice doesn’t grant any other benefits.

Boons from the specific temple. Only the second and third Sacrifice gives Boons and only the favorite sacrifice is done. Only one sacrifice is authorized in one session. Gangs that are limited to one god can only perform at his temple. Gangs that do not have that limitation can choose any temple. Once the number of sacrifices is reached (three) the cycle has to start again. No more than four cycles can be performed by a gang and no more than one cycle per members of the gang. Beyond that gangs lose all boons and is deleted as each members willingly sacrifice to their god or gods. They are not informs of that limitation. The boons are permanent. Hired guns and others helper never benefits from the sacrifices.

Temple of the rogue doc:

Favored sacrifices sick, and mutilated, anyone with a negative condition.

The second sacrifice removes a negative condition for a fighter. Organs and limbs regrow.

The third sacrifice grants + 1 toughness.

Temple of the fortune teller.

Favored sacrifices for the fortune teller, scholar, Wyrd.

The second sacrifices gives + 1 intelligence.

The third sacrifice gives any skill to a fighter even if he normally doesn’t have access to it.

Temple of the gladiator.

Favored sacrifices any fighter with combat, ferocity or brawl.

The second sacrifice removes a negative trait to a weapon ranged or melée.

The Third sacrifice gives + 1 strength

The temple of the ring master of entertainment.

Favored Sacrifices any criminal with cunning or fighter on drugs.

The second sacrifice gives + 1 initiative.

The third Sacrifice makes the effect of a drug permanent.

None of the temple leaders, the four nemesis of the setting are described on purpose. They tend to rotate with time so you can make your own.

Population: Only slaves for sacrifice and chaos worshippers.

Commerce: Black Market. The place has a rich wealth rating. Everything can be traded.

Environment: Huge natural dome in abandoned Mine and four corridors that each end in a cavern.