Campaign Overview

Call to Adventure: The March of Solum

Every hundred years, the Brass Colossus named Solum awakens from its slumber and strides eastward, crushing villages and warring armies alike beneath its immense gilded treads. This century, as the machine-city’s path intersects with six vibrant capitals, evacuation efforts collapse under the relentless grind of its brass-plated underbelly. Scrambling last-minute refugees discover a cryptic brass-screen broadcast lighting up Solum’s internal avenues: “Return Home.”

Scholars pore over burnt manuscripts of the First Race—an advanced civilization doomed for treason against time itself. Their exiled descendants lie in clock-forged cradles within Solum’s core, suspended in looping seasons and flickering gravity fields. Prophecies insist that by mastering the city’s engine-heart, humanoids can rewrite destinies, redirect destinies, or even awaken the sleepers to reclaim their lost realm.

Now, three powerful factions have thrown their weight into the brass fray. The Temporal Vanguard seeks to study and reroute Solum with science. The Order of the Bronze Faith venerates the automaton as a divine pilgrimage and demands the First Race be awakened by ritual. The Steel Crown Legion pursues military dominance, hoping to weaponize the city itself. Pilgrims, spies, thieves, and mercenaries swarm the vestibules, gardens, and engine cathedrals in an all-out gamble for control.

You are those adventurers stepping into the pulsing heart of machinery and myth. Will you:

  • Map the shifting time-loops of the Vestibule District, Recover Memory Logs, and unlock secrets beneath the Bronze Plaza?

  • Delve into living gardens of the Verdant Epoch, wrest Chrono-Shards from biotic guardians, and stabilize or weaponize the biodome?

  • Storm the Engine Heart Chamber, face rival armies on gravity-flux catwalks, and calibrate the Aeternium Engine to halt or reclaim the machine-city?



Every hallway hums with pulsing energy, every corridor hides a portal to another season, and every choice will reverberate across time’s tapestry. Will you repair Solum’s programming, hijack its route toward salvation or ruin, or liberate the ethereal sleepers within? The gears are in motion—and time itself bends at your feet. Step inside and make history… or watch history undo itself forever.

Prepare to tread the path of bronze and steel, where seconds expand into sagas and every heartbeat might be your last—or the first of a new era. The call is clear: Return Home. Time marches, and Solum waits not.

Starting Location

Vestibule District

The Vestibule District is the first sprawling quarter cut into the living brass flesh of Solum. Here, travelers emerge from the great eastern hatch into a labyrinth of towering bronze arches and whirring gears. The air resonates with a steady thrum as valves hiss and pistons compress, echoing through gilded hallways filled with steam vents and walking lamps. Canal-like channels of oily, recycled water wind between plazas where merchants hawk shimmering clockwork trinkets while clockmaidens recite spooling tapestries of Solum’s genesis. Time itself seems fluid: clocks on every corner rotate counterclockwise one hour every ten minutes, and spokes in the great overhead fountain rotate in unpredictable patterns, forcing visitors to navigate by irregular daylight loops. Underfoot, brass plates stamped with arcane runes pulse with soft amber light, guiding pilgrims of the First Race deeper into the colossus. This region houses the first two “destinies” phases—twilight and eve—where seasons shift every fifteen minutes, scattering bursts of faux autumn leaves. Roving patrols of silver-capped automatons known as Gear Sentinels guard passage, occasionally closing stone-etched gates when the city’s internal timetable demands a pause. Ancient mural reliefs on the colossus walls depict the betrayal of the First Race and their entombment here; scholars and thieves alike flock to decode hidden ciphers. Rust and living ironwood vines creep through seams, while distant chiming bells ring out cryptic invitations: “Return Home.”

Secrets

  • Below certain brass tiles are concealed pressure plates that activate a hidden staircase leading to the Foundry tunnels.
  • One gear sculpture houses a carved keyhole; inserting a matching copper cog (found in the Clockwork Bazaar) unlocks a passage to the Chrono-Spires elevator.
  • A ghostly recorder logs the final moments of a First Race traitor—listen with a Speaking Stone.
  • An arcane feedback loop in the Ocular Obelisk can jam Gear Sentinel patrols for one clock loop.
  • An abandoned maintenance terminal near the southwest lamp holds partial schematics to the Ironwood Market’s sewers.

Key Locations

Bronze Plaza

Bronze Plaza is a vast circular forum paved with polished brass tiles, each stamped with a unique rune. Rising from its center is the Ocular Obelisk: a monolithic pillar of burnished copper, pierced with dozens of clock-faced glyphs that spin and realign to display messages in shifting languages. Citizen crowds gather beneath steam-powered streetlamps humming azure fire, trading stories of Solum’s secret corridors. Along the plaza’s perimeter stand six gargantuan gear sculptures, each nearly twice a human’s height, inscribed with the sigils of the First Race. Whispering through hidden vents, gentle hisses of vapor carry rumors—some say the plaza floor conceals a slumbering half-automaton of the original architects, while others insist the obelisk is a living oracle, answering questions at midnight loops. Side passages lead off to the Brass Cathedral’s distant spires, and a blocked-off tunnel bristles with pulsing cables. At the plaza’s southern edge is a heavy hatch sealed with five rotating dials—locals call it the “Seven-Strike Gate,” believing it opens only when Solum’s heart completes seven diurnal cycles in a single loop. The air here tastes faintly of ozone and machine oil.

Additional Notes

The plaza’s runic tiles act as a memory storage system; a Dispelling or Arcana check (DC 18) can decode fragments of the First Race’s history. The Obelisk may grant cryptic visions to characters who concentrate at midnight in Solum’s time cycle.

Verdant Epoch Gardens

Deeper in Solum’s body, the tunnels give way to a vast biodome sprouting living plants nourished by recycled steam and sunlight crept through photonic lenses. This greenhouse realm encompasses exotic trees that flower and wilt in cycles lasting mere minutes, dwarf coral reefs of metal fungi, and winding pathways of living ironwood whose bark hums with temporal resonance. Pools of crystalline water reflect kaleidoscopic seasons—a swirl of snowflake petals dissolving into summer blooms, only to be whisked away by sudden autumn gales. Floating pollen motes carry whispering memories of the First Race’s botanical wonders, and caretaker drones pluck wayward vines, humming lullabies in a forgotten tongue. At the center stands the Titan Bloom: a colossal flower whose stamen pulses with a heartbeat-like tremor, rumored to be part of Solum’s life-sensing network. Beneath the beds lie root tunnels infested with Chrono-Mites—tiny temporal parasites that can age or regress flesh randomly. Bridges of knotted vines cross acid pools of fermenting sap that can grant glimpses of alternate futures. On the western edge, a rusted amphitheater opens onto a circular pool, where the water’s surface loops three seasons per minute, creating disorienting currents. Ancient glyph-etched columns surround it, marking the spot where First Race druids once summoned living seasons.

Secrets

  • Hidden under the Titan Bloom’s petal roots is a mechanical heart-tap transistor, needed for the Engine Chamber ritual.
  • A stasis bubble in a side path traps a First Race archivist; freeing them yields vital lore.
  • Fungal spores can be brewed into a potion granting Temporary Time Stop (1d4 rounds).

Key Locations

Titan Bloom Nexus

At the heart of the Gardens stands the Titan Bloom, a gargantuan flower of brass petals and phosphorescent filaments. Each petal is etched with fractal symbols that pulse in sequence, and its stamen emits soft vibrations felt throughout the biodome. Water collected in its base trickles into the root tunnels, regulating hydro-chrono cycles. The Nexus chamber ceiling opens for a microsecond every loop to release vapor clouds that reset humidity and trigger mechanical pollinators. Scholars believe the Titan Bloom acts as a biological interface to Solum’s central processor, translating plant data into binary pulses. Yet it’s fiercely guarded by Verdant Wardens—hulking plant-people formed from animated vines and living oak. Near the Bloom’s roots rests a copper-bound reliquary containing the Verdant Codex, rumored to detail how to reverse Solum’s exile magic. The floor is slick with sap that can induce dreaming if trodden without proper shielding. Faint whispers echo as though the Titan Bloom remembers the First Race’s last rites of regrowth.

Additional Notes

Allow Druidic or Nature checks (DC 20) to glean partial commands for the Bloom. The relic coding in the petals can be hacked with an Arcana check (DC 18) to force a bloom reset, affecting all gardens.

Chrono-Mite Tunnels

Beneath the ironwood groves lie narrow tunnels carved into living roots and metallic fungus. These root-hollows teem with Chrono-Mites: shimmering, insectile creatures that latch onto flesh and accelerate or reverse aging. Walls drip with condensed steam that crystallizes into hourglass spindles. Errant spores from fungal benches float in the dank air, creating pockets of time stasis where a minute can stretch to hours. Guardians patrol these tunnels: small swarms of fungus-infused stirges that home in on intruders’ heat signatures. An old spiral staircase leads to a buried observation hatch overlooking the Titan Bloom Nexus, keys for which were scattered by departing First Race caretakers.

Additional Notes

Characters entering must succeed Constitution saves (DC 14) every ten minutes or contract temporary aging (–1d4 on Strength and Dexterity, recovers over 1d8 hours).

Seasonal Amphitheater

An amphitheater carved from living vine arches and polished brass benches encircles a central reflecting pool. Carvings on the amphitheater walls depict six seasonal ceremonies celebrated by the First Race—each ceremony appears to manifest in the pool before looping into the next. During a single minute, viewers might see blossoms freeze into ice or autumn leaves burst into spring blossoms. The amphitheater is emptied but for mechanical observers—brass owls perched on archways and hidden sentinel bats overhead. A secret control dais beneath the top bench allows manipulation of the ceremonies.

Additional Notes

A successful Intelligence (Investigation) check (DC 17) reveals control glyphs; manipulating them will alter ambient climate, helpful or harmful.

Engine Heart Chamber

The Engine Heart Chamber sits at Solum’s core, a cathedral of gilded iron and pulsating power conduits. Enormous rotating flywheels line the vaulted walls, their rims carved with time-steel inscriptions. In the center floats the Aeternium Engine—an orb of compressed seasons and ancients, wreathed in looping temporal energy. Brass catwalks spiral around the orb, leading to calibration consoles and teardrop-shaped viewing pods. Gravity shifts unpredictably: at times, explorers walk on vertical rails, at others they ascend into the vault’s peak unassisted. The orb’s surface reflects avatars of the First Race in crystalline relief, replaying their final council debate. Five main control pylons feed energy beams into the heart, each representing a cardinal phase of time. At the north end lies the Exile Gate: a sealed hatch rumored to open only when the machine-heart is rewound to its origin timestamp. Rival armies are already skirmishing outside the catwalks—pilgrims demanding resurrection rites, technocrats wanting to program Solum’s route, and thieves seeking to steal the core’s power modules. Echoing chants call out through speaker-grilles: “Return Home.” This chamber decides Solum’s fate: will it continue to march, or will its exiled passengers reclaim sovereignty?

Secrets

  • A hidden maintenance panel under the south catwalk leads to a direct beam conduit into the Engine’s core.
  • One of the pylons houses a captive First Race archivist who holds the lost command sequence.
  • The Engine’s glowing filaments can be plucked as Essence Threads—used to craft Legendary items.

Key Locations

Aeternium Engine

The sphere of shifting seasons remains suspended by four brass claws. Its ever-changing surface reveals glimpses of past, present, and potential futures simultaneously, displaying events in kaleidoscopic fractals. Tampering with its surface requires synchronized Arcana and Intelligence checks (DC 22). The Engine core radiates a soft white glow; touching it imparts visions of Solum’s final decree if stabilized. Time loops halve around it: ten minutes inside feel like an hour outside. Users may bind personal memories into its lattice for safekeeping, but risk never retrieving them.

Additional Notes

Offering the engine a sacrifice of a Resonance Shard and Chrono-Sap unlocks the reset sequence. DM to decide vision specifics based on campaign.

Exile Gate

A towering hatch of braided bronze and adamantine, inscribed with runes of sealing. Activating it requires aligning five rotating crystalline locks—each keyed to a phase of Solum’s daily heartbeat. The gate opens into the sleeping cradles where the First Race remains suspended. Rumored: releasing them resets all of Solum’s programming, even reversing its exile centuries.

Additional Notes

Use a combined ability check (Str/Dex/Int/Cha) to unlock or sabotage. Failure triggers a catastrophic overload—time bubbles erupt.

Calibration Consoles

Five pedestals circling the Engine, each with interactive levers, brass dials, and cog-lattices. They control the Engine’s parameters: speed, direction, seasonal cycles, gravity modulation, and energy output. Hacking one console without proper sequence misaligns the Engine, causing random teleportation or time jumps.

Additional Notes

Provide mini-puzzle for each console (Intelligence tools, Arcana, and Dexterity checks). Errors impose null gravity zones or accelerate players’ age temporarily.

NPCs in Vestibule District

Professor Althea Cogwright

An aging human scholar of clockwork civilizations, her silver hair tied with copper filaments.

Role: Quest Giver / Lore Master Other Details: Carries a portable holo-scroll mapping loops inside Solum.

Jax Bronzehand

A scrappy gnome tinkerer, missing a finger replaced by a tiny wrench prosthetic.

Role: Merchant / Side Quest Giver Other Details: Trades rare mechanical parts for stories of hidden vaults.

Marquisition Sentinel #47

A Gear Sentinel reprogrammed with semi-sapience, flickering with remorseful pulses.

Role: Ally / Guide Other Details: Seeks redemption by aiding intruders to thwart its original orders.

Sera Dawnroute

An Aasimar pilgrim claiming visions from Solum’s heart; her skin glows faintly at dawn loops.

Role: Mystic / Quest Giver Other Details: Thinks the First Race can reclaim their former home through her prayers.

“Coppermouth” Dorren

A half-orc smuggler fluent in six dialects of gear-people, selling forbidden maps.

Role: Black Market Dealer Other Details: Hid microfilmed instructions for halting Solum’s march.

NPCs in Verdant Epoch Gardens

Draela Evergreen

A half-elf druid exiled for worshiping machine spirits, her hair woven with living moss.

Role: Ally / Quest Giver Other Details: Seeks to merge flora and gears in peace.

Caretaker Drone Ψ-12

A philanthropic clockwork drone imbued with nature runes, tends to sick vines.

Role: Guide Other Details: Can identify rare fungal samples for crafting.

High Warden Umber

A colossal plant-being with vine-whips for arms and bark armor.

Role: Antagonist turned reluctant ally Other Details: Will fight, but respects those who revive dying groves.

NPCs in Engine Heart Chamber

Archon Traelium

The spectral leader of the First Race, manifested as a bronze silhouette within the Engine’s aura.

Role: Final Arbiter Other Details: Can bestow players with a fragment of timeless essence after key choices.

General Vornen

Human technocrat commander of the surface militia, spear in hand and steam armor plating.

Role: Antagonist Leader Other Details: Seeks to reprogram Solum to follow orders forever.

Sister Moira Dawnroute

Sera’s sister, an Aasimar priestess chanting at the Exile Gate.

Role: Pilgrim Leader Other Details: Desires to awaken the First Race by ritual sacrifice.

Vix Gearcloak

Halfling thief and leader of the Clockwork Crows, black feathers trailing her cloak.

Role: Rogue Faction Leader Other Details: Aims to loot the Engine’s core for personal profit.

Factions

The Temporal Vanguard

The Temporal Vanguard is a coalition of scholars and artificers determined to understand and control Solum’s movements. Refusing blind obedience to any crown, they believe that mastering the automaton’s heart can redirect its march away from populated capitals. Their flag—a golden hourglass superimposed on interlocking gears—flutters in their mobile laboratories. They fund expeditions, trade information with spies in rival nations, and ally with tinkers and smugglers. Their methods range from diplomatic overtures to clandestine sabotage, wading in morally gray areas to secure theoretical and arcane advantage.

Goals

  • Map Solum’s internal timeline phases
  • Secure the Aeternium Engine for scientific study
  • Prevent large-scale loss of life in the capitals

Relationships

With Other Factions
The Vanguard distrusts Vornen’s militia, seeing them as militaristic oppressors. They share uneasy alliances with Pilgrim Orders for access to sacred sites. They view rogue bands like the Clockwork Crows as useful but untrustworthy.
With Players
Offer research support, unique clockwork upgrades, and missions that push technological innovation. Players aligned with the Vanguard gain laboratory access and advanced gear.

Order of the Bronze Faith

Order of the Bronze Faith worships Solum as a divine artifact that carries the exiled First Race toward redemption. They believe that Solum’s march fulfills a prophecy: when it enters the sixth capital, the sleepers will awaken, ushering a new era. Clad in copper-hued robes and carrying brass-lit staves, these zealots perform daily rituals at the Brass Cathedral, broadcasting prayers through gear-powered loudspeakers. Pilgrims from far lands flock to their shrines within Solum’s interior.

Goals

  • Awaken the First Race by ringing divine bells
  • Protect sacred zones from profaners
  • Expand Solum’s pilgrimage network

Relationships

With Other Factions
Clash with the Temporal Vanguard—faith versus science. Tolerate the militia if they preserve ritual sites. Loathe the Crows for defiling sacred grounds.
With Players
Provide blessings and holy artifacts, but expect strict adherence to doctrine. Players may gain temporary buffs but risk excommunication for heresy.

Steel Crown Legion

Steel Crown Legion is the mechanized army loyal to General Vornen, representing mortal sovereign interests. Equipped with steam armor, clockwork artillery, and mechanist engineers, they aim to weaponize Solum, forcing it to halt outside capital walls for defense or conquest. Vornen’s strategy blends brute force with technological espionage—every battle is recorded by chronologgers, and civilian casualties are broadcast as propaganda.

Goals

  • Seize control of the Aeternium Engine
  • Redirect Solum to guard frontier territories
  • Eliminate insurgents and religious fanatics within

Relationships

With Other Factions
Openly hostile to the Bronze Faith, seeing them as untrained zealots. Views the Temporal Vanguard as incompetent theorists. Outsource the Crows for sabotage missions, paying in stolen schematics.
With Players
Offer military contracts, heavy arms, and safe conduct outside capitals. But players must prove loyalty by carrying out morally dubious orders.

Main Questline

Invitation to the Machine

Given by: Professor Althea Cogwright

The party is summoned to Solum’s eastern hatch by Professor Cogwright, who reveals the automaton’s invitation and the legend of the exiled First Race. She tasks the adventurers with entering Vestibule District and retrieving the Ocular Obelisk’s memory logs to confirm whether the sleepers within are truly innocents or conspirators. Evidence will guide nations’ decisions: destroy Solum or liberate its core.

Goals

Retrieve memory logs from the Ocular Obelisk in Bronze Plaza and return to Cogwright.

Reward

300 gp, Access pass to Brass Cathedral, Althea’s Arcane Lens (Uncommon).

Secrets

  • Obelisk logs may be tampered with by Dorren’s rivals.
  • Cogwright suspects hidden directives in the inscriptions pointing to the Engine Heart Chamber.

DM Notes

This quest introduces time loops; highlight the plaza’s runic floor and Gear Sentinel patrol patterns.

Gathering Resonance

Given by: Marquisition Sentinel #47

Having proof that the First Race’s memories are real, the sentinel encourages the party to stabilize these echoes to prevent temporal fractures spreading beyond Solum. Venture into the Verdant Epoch Gardens to collect five Resonance Shards from echo sanctuaries protected by plant-automaton hybrids. These shards are vital stabilizers for the Engine Heart Calibration sequence.

Goals

Retrieve five Resonance Shards in the Verdant Epoch Gardens and deliver them to Sentinel #47.

Reward

Relic Wrench (Uncommon), +1 to mechanical checks.

Secrets

  • Echo sanctuaries shift location each loop—use Amber Sap for tracking.
  • One shard is held by High Warden Umber, who demands a trial of compassion.

DM Notes

Emphasize environmental hazards of deploying Chrono-Mites; adjust shard locations dynamically.

Sabotage or Salvation

Given by: Archon Traelium

Traelium’s spectral avatar appears after shards are secured, revealing Solum’s heart can be rewound to its origin, freeing the First Race. But rival forces plan to seize control instead. The party must infiltrate the Engine Heart Chamber, bypass militarized drones and pilgrim zealots, and decide to override the control pylons for liberation or program them to halt Solum’s march forever.

Goals

Infiltrate the Engine Chamber, bypass security, and enact either liberation or halting protocol.

Reward

Choice: Aeternium Core Fragment (Very Rare) or Command Lever of Solum (Very Rare).

Secrets

  • The Engine Core Fragment is the seed for a new living automaton.
  • The Command Lever can redirect Solum’s route—but drains a soul when used.

DM Notes

Allow players’ moral dilemma; NPC reactions vary dramatically based on choice.

Loopbreaker’s Gambit

Given by: General Vornen

If players sided with technocrats, Vornen grants authority to test the Command Lever in a live scenario. Survive a simulated mutiny of pilgrim forces and First Race phantoms to prove Solum’s obedience can be enforced. If players sided with First Race, Archon Traelium requests escort of awakened archivists to Radiant Spires beyond the eastern hatch, evading Vornen’s troops.

Goals

Complete the simulation trial or escort archivists safely to the exit hatch.

Reward

Technocrat Path: Steamforged Armor (Rare); First Race Path: Cradle Shepherd’s Cloak (Rare).

Secrets

  • The simulation is rigged—it may open a breach unleashing time wraiths.
  • Archivists carry tablets revealing the final code to fully awaken the First Race.

DM Notes

Branching quest with different skill challenges—combat vs. stealth and escort.

Destinies Entwined

Given by: Archon Traelium or General Vornen

The final confrontation occurs on Solum’s external hull as the city strides into the sixth capital. Players must seal the Exile Gate, calibrate the Engine Heart for the chosen outcome, and repel last-minute assaults from opposing armies. Their actions determine whether Solum becomes a pilgrimage vessel for the redeemed First Race, a weaponized force under mortal control, or collapses into stasis, freezing the century-long march.

Goals

Secure the Engine Heart, enact the final code, and survive the external hull battle.

Reward

Epic Legacy: Title and Boon depending on outcome (e.g., “Liberator of the Lost,” +2 Charisma permanently; “Master of March,” +2 Strength permanently; or “Guardian of Time,” immunity to forced time loops).

Secrets

  • A final hidden console can reprogram Solum’s destiny sequence—only one group can wield it.
  • A long-lost mausoleum containing the First Race’s creator waits for those who solved all side quest riddles.

DM Notes

Epic multi-stage encounter—naval boarding, siege elements, and time-loop hazards.

Side Quests in Vestibule District

Echoes in Brass

Given by: Professor Althea Cogwright

Professor Cogwright believes buried under Bronze Plaza lies a temporal echo chamber used by the First Race to preserve memories. She needs adventurers to locate and collect crystalline Resonance Shards from echo caches, then reconstruct a single, intact memory log. Battling resonant guardians of pure time, the party risks being trapped in repeating loops if shards aren’t properly aligned. Success yields a glimpse of the First Race’s final council meeting and hints at why they were exiled.

Goals

Gather five Resonance Shards from echo caches beneath Bronze Plaza and deliver them to Cogwright’s holoscroll frame.

Reward

300 gp, Arcane Tome of Loop Breaking, Professor’s gratitude.

Secrets

  • A shard glows only when exposed to reverse-flow steam in Cogwater Canal.
  • Two shards are fakes crafted by Dorren’s rivals to mislead intruders.

DM Notes

Scale guardian knights to party level; emphasize environmental hazards from looping time fields.

Market Mayhem

Given by: Jax Bronzehand

Jax’s supply caravan to the Clockwork Bazaar was ambushed by rogue clockwork spiders. Recover the stolen crates of prototype cogs and rescue his apprentice, Tilly. Navigate sewers, dodge acidic arachnid secretions, and uncover who sent the brood swarm.

Goals

Defeat the clockwork spiders, recover the crates, and free Tilly.

Reward

Custom clockwork companion (Tiny Steel Spider), discount on Jax’s goods.

Secrets

  • Apprentice Tilly hid a letter implicating Dorren in the ambush.
  • A secret hatch behind Jax’s shop leads directly into the Foundry tunnels.

DM Notes

Use Tiny Clockwork Spider stat blocks. Sewers are slippery—Dex saves (DC 12) each round to avoid fall prone.

Voices of the Fallen

Given by: Marquisition Sentinel #47

The sentinel overheard eerie chanting in an abandoned maintenance bay. Down in the metallic underlevels, ghostly apparitions of First Race archon engineers wage spectral drills, warping reality. Investigate the source, calm or banish these echoes, and recover a Relic Wrench—key to stabilizing Solum’s programming.

Goals

Investigate the chanting bay, stop the spectral engineer drills, and secure the Relic Wrench.

Reward

Relic Wrench (Uncommon magic tool), +1 to repairing clockwork devices.

Secrets

  • The chants are recorded by a hidden cog-based gramophone.
  • A specter of a traitor engineer can be reasoned with to reveal future site hazards.

DM Notes

Use Wraith-lite creatures. Provide fearful vibrations—players must succeed Wisdom saves (DC 14) or gain a level of exhaustion.

Pilgrim’s Pilgrimage

Given by: Sera Dawnroute

Sera’s visions reveal that the Brass Cathedral houses an ancient votive bell that rings only during the high-noon loop. She requests the party ring it to open a divine gateway showing the way to Solum’s engine heart. Bells are guarded by fanatical clock-priests and gravity-fluctuation traps.

Goals

Infiltrate the Brass Cathedral, ring the ancient votive bell at high-noon, and return to Sera.

Reward

Blessing of the Dawnroute (One Obtainable reroll per day), Pilgrim’s Medal (Local renown).

Secrets

  • A hidden rooftop pulley bypasses the main doorguard.
  • The bell tone can disrupt Gear Sentinel orders for one loop.

DM Notes

Castle gravity zones change on initiative—remap movement distances.

Dorren’s Double Cross

Given by: “Coppermouth” Dorren

Dorren has intel but wants you to sabotage a rival gang’s safehouse near the Ironwood Market. Break in, steal their gear (including a half-coded black box), and plant false evidence. He’ll pay handsomely—but can you trust him?

Goals

Infiltrate the safehouse, exfiltrate the black box, and deliver it to Dorren.

Reward

500 gp, Forged membership pass to Dorren’s crew.

Secrets

  • The black box contains partial countdown data for Solum’s daily time loop reset.
  • The rival gang is actually an undercover faction loyal to the First Race.

DM Notes

Urban stealth mission—provide noise rules and passive Perception checks.

Side Quests in Verdant Epoch Gardens

Sap of Ages

Given by: Draela Evergreen

Draela requests the party collect sap from the ancient oak columns without harming the tree’s life. The sap, when refined, can heal time corruption wounds suffered from Chrono-Mites. Navigate patrols, avoid stasis pockets, and negotiate with High Warden Umber.

Goals

Harvest three droplets of Chrono-Sap and deliver to Draela.

Reward

Sap Vial (Heals 2d8 + Con modifier, removes one level of exhaustion).

Secrets

  • High Warden will bargain sap for a memory shard.
  • Sap must be collected during a 30-second bloom opening window.

DM Notes

Emphasize stealth and nature checks; stasis pockets cause distraction.

Fungal Foray

Given by: Caretaker Drone Ψ-12

The drone’s fungal gardens are overrun by acidic spore masses threatening to collapse a walkway. Clear them out while collecting poisonous molds for potential toxin crafting. The party must don protective masks and deal with rolling fungus-generated tremors.

Goals

Eliminate acidic masses, gather three poison mold samples, and return safely.

Reward

Potion of Sporeshield (Uncommon), 100 gp.

Secrets

  • A secret compartment holds a drone blueprint leading to an upgrade module.
  • One mold yields a clue about the Engine Chamber’s coolant system.

DM Notes

Use animated fungus stat blocks; terrain difficult (half speed).

Side Quests in Engine Heart Chamber

Shadows in the Heart

Given by: Vix Gearcloak

Vix wants you to sneak through calibration catwalks, bypass gravity traps, and steal a plate from one of the pylons. The plate is rumored to reverse any lock mechanism outside the chamber. The mission is perilous: laser pulses guard the beams, and lens arrays punish missteps.

Goals

Bypass security, extract the pylon plate, and exfiltrate without alerting wardens.

Reward

Pylon Plate (Uncommon, unlocks any simple mechanism), 200 gp.

Secrets

  • The plate also doubles as a key to the Exile Gate’s inner lock.
  • Drawing the plate releases sleeping nanite swarms into the chamber.

DM Notes

Introduce laser grid hazards—Dexterity saves (DC 15) to avoid damage.

Pilgrim’s Offering

Given by: Sister Moira Dawnroute

To open the Exile Gate, Moira needs five Elevenfold Crucible Lamps scattered around the chamber’s perimeter. Each lamp is held by a minor guardian or concealed in a trap room. Recover all five and place them in the Gate’s side alcoves to trigger the opening sequence. Beware: some guardians will only release their lamp if convinced of your holy intentions.

Goals

Collect all five lamps and position them correctly in the Gate alcoves.

Reward

Moira’s Blessing (Once per long rest, grant advantage on any saving throw).

Secrets

  • One lamp is actually a mimic encased in brass.
  • Missing a lamp triggers a temporal feedback—rewinds the puzzle by one step.

DM Notes

Guardians vary from stone golems to temporal wraiths. Use speech or intimidation accordingly.

Encounters

Gear Sentinel Ambush

Medium

Suggested Level: 3–5

Four Gear Sentinels ambush the party in a narrow corridor, deploying clockwork dogs and cutting off retreat.

Creatures

  • Gear Sentinel (Use Helmed Horror stats, reflavored)
  • Clockwork Hound (Use Mastiff stats with Constrict ability)

Terrain Features

  • Narrow corridor (width 10 ft)
  • Steam vent (DC 12 Dex save or take 1d6 fire damage)
  • Trip plates on the floor (hidden, DC 15 Perception)

Treasure

100 gp, 2 Clockwork Repair Kits

DM Notes

Scale number of sentinels to party size; emphasize claustrophobic space.

Chrono-Mite Swarm

Hard

Suggested Level: 5–7

Hostile Chrono-Mites swarm from root-hollows, infecting characters with time-altering effects.

Creatures

  • Chrono-Mite Swarm (Use Stirge Swarm stats)
  • Temporal Wraith (Use Wraith stats)

Terrain Features

  • Slick fungus patches (difficult terrain)
  • Stasis bubbles (DC 15 Con save to act normally)

Treasure

Chrono-Mite Shell (craft potion of aging or youth)

DM Notes

Infection mechanics: latch for 1d4 rounds; impose temporary aging.

Pilgrim Siege

Medium

Suggested Level: 6–8

Pilgrim zealots in steam-forged plate rush the Engine Chamber’s catwalks, chanting and swinging hammered lantern maces.

Creatures

  • Zealot Guard (Use Veteran stats with radiant attacks)
  • Lantern Juggernaut (Use Otyugh with radiant breath)

Terrain Features

  • Narrow catwalks (half speed)
  • Gravity flux zones (random direction changes each round)

Treasure

Lantern of Temporal Light (Uncommon)

DM Notes

Alternate gravity forces unconventional tactics; consider damage from falls.

Druidic Drone Duel

Medium

Suggested Level: 4–6

Caretaker Drone Ψ-12 has gone berserk, clashing with living vines and calling down entangling tendrils.

Creatures

  • Caretaker Drone Ψ-12 (Use Animated Armor stats with Vine Whip)
  • Animated Vine Blights

Terrain Features

  • Overgrown walkways (Dex save DC 13 to avoid grapple)
  • Leaping vines (trigger at end of turn)

Treasure

Drone Core (upgrade clockwork companion)

DM Notes

Include moral choice: reprogram or destroy drone.

Spectral Council Debate

Easy

Suggested Level: Any

Visions of First Race archons appear as animated illusions, testing the party’s resolve in philosophical riddles.

Creatures

  • Illusory Archon Speakers (Use Specter stats, but nonlethal)

Terrain Features

  • Floating platforms around a central lectern
  • Illusory shifting floor missing tiles

Treasure

Fragment of Time (Attunement item for main quest)

DM Notes

Use roleplay skill checks (Persuasion, Insight DC 15); avoid combat.

Magic Items

Relic Wrench

Uncommon
A copper wrench inscribed with living runes; grants +2 to repair and unlock clockwork devices.

Location

Reward from the Verdant Epoch side quest

Attunement

True (by artificer or tinkerer)

Essence Thread

Very Rare
A glowing filament plucked from the Engine’s filigree; used to craft time-related magic items.

Location

Secret in Engine Heart Chamber

Attunement

False

Clockwork Companion Spider

Uncommon
A tiny steel spider that obeys simple commands and can scout ahead.

Location

Reward from Market Mayhem side quest

Attunement

False

Aeternium Core Fragment

Legendary
A fragment of the Engine’s orb that stores a minute of real time when activated.

Location

Main Quest choice reward

Attunement

True (wear on chain)

Command Lever of Solum

Very Rare
A brass lever with etched sigils; once per century, it can redirect Solum’s path by one mile.

Location

Main Quest choice reward

Attunement

True (requires pact with Archon Traelium)

Potion of Temporal Steadfastness

Rare
Drink to gain immunity to one time-altering effect.

Location

Brought by traveling alchemist in Vestibule

Attunement

False

Lens of Loop Breaking

Rare
A handheld lens that reveals hidden time loops and resets one loop for the viewer.

Location

Reward from first Main Quest

Attunement

True

Steamforged Plate

Rare
A piece of tempered steam-metal armor granting +1 AC and resistance to fire.

Location

General Vornen’s rewards

Attunement

False

Cradle Shepherd’s Cloak

Rare
A silken cloak infused with breath-steel; grants advantage on stealth in brass environments.

Location

Archon Traelium’s reward

Attunement

True

Lantern of Temporal Light

Uncommon
A lantern whose beam reveals hidden temporal anomalies and wards off Chrono-Mites.

Location

Found in Pilgrim Siege encounter

Attunement

False

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