Orvain
The Cage
Oppressive, industrial, smog-choked
- Region
- The Ash Belt
- Faction Control
- Consortium (Total)
- Population
- 55,000
The Consortium’s headquarters in the West. A fortress-city built into Black Iron Mountain. Gas lamps burn constantly because the smog blocks the sun. Streets are paved, water is filtered, and citizens are owned. It is a true metropolis, comparable to the industrial hellscapes of the East, but built on cursed earth.
Local Laws
| Law | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Scrip Only | Barter illegal. Unauthorized gold/silver → conscription to smelters. |
| The Curfew | No inter-district movement after 20:00. Clockwork Hounds hunt violators. |
| Psionic Registration | All Psionics must register with Psi-Division. Unregistered casting → execution. |
Notes on the Cage
Baron Thorne hasn’t been seen in a year. Orders arrive via pneumatic tube. The prevailing rumor — quietly circulating in the Dregs and loudly denied in the Glass District — is that he’s gone Hollow and the Board is covering it up. Director Kael runs the Psi-Division and wears gloves at all times to hide Veil Bleed scars; she is, on paper, the most powerful Consortium-licensed Mindweaver on the Frontier.
Availability quirks: clean water is cheapest here (§1/gallon). Standard weapons require Consortium licensing. Psionic gear and Grimoires are illegal — possession is sufficient cause for execution. Special ammunition is freely available to the licensed.
Districts
High-Side (The Glass District)
Upper terraces above the smog line. Clean air. Executives and Rail Barons live here. Key location: The Glass Tower — Seat of Rail Baron Elias Thorne. Rumored to contain a stabilized Breach powering the city grid.
The Smog-Bottoms (Industry)
Lower levels in perpetual twilight. Deafening factories. Workers are 'Company Men' bound by 20-year contracts. Hazard: surveillance — SWAY + Deceit (TN 13) to discuss rebellion without being overheard.
The Dregs (Outside Walls)
Shantytown of contract-refusers. Circle of Ash recruits here, trading secrets for water filters.
Plot Hooks
Threads waiting to be pulled. GM-facing prompts.
The Defector
A Consortium engineer wants to defect to the Ironbrands with Ghost-Engine blueprints. He needs to be smuggled through the sewers.
The Smog-Killer
A serial killer in the Bottoms. Bodies drained of blood. The Consortium ignores it. A vampire noble from High-Side?
The Strike
Factory 4 workers are planning a revolt. They need weapons. Help them or sell them out?
Environmental Mechanics
- Scrip Only: Barter is illegal. Unauthorized gold/silver → conscription to the smelters.
- The Curfew: No inter-district movement after 20:00. Clockwork Hounds hunt violators.
- Psionic Registration: All Psionics must register with Psi-Division. Unregistered casting → execution.
- Surveillance in the Smog-Bottoms: SWAY + Deceit (TN 13) to discuss rebellion safely.
- Smog line: visibility differs by district. High-Side has clean air; Smog-Bottoms are perpetual twilight.