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.