data/setting.md

# Setting Primer

## Overview

The Past:
 
The World As It Was
Thousands of years ago, before the shattering of the Isles, the world was bright and gleaming - magic and wonders walked hand in hand beneath the light of a golden sun. Then, about a thousand years ago, the Cataclysm broke the world.
 
The Present:
 
The Material World

The sun has been splintered; its embers gleam weakly in the sky at dusk and dawn. At all other times, darkness reigns.
 
The moon still exists, looming by the year ever closer. It occasionally refracts and creates dimmer sisters, projections as though the lunar body is being seen through some fractured, crystalline surface.
 
The stars remain but whirl strangely in the sky.
 
The The Void Sea that separates the Shattered Isles is no longer water but something else, an inky liquid in which star like points of light can be seen dancing.
 
The Immaterial World
 
The power of true sorcery has faded since the Cataclysm. Nobody knows why.
 
Since the Cataclysm the world has been suffused with what people call the ghost field - an omnipresent fuzz of spectral energy. It is always just at the corner of the mind’s eye.
 
The Residents
 
Humans are all that remain of the multitude of races from before the Cataclysm.
 
Demons  - immortal, soulless embodiments of primal forces and dark desires, walk the earth. Some taking human form and speech.
 
Leviathans are thought to be the greatest of Demons. Massive creatures that live in the The Void Sea, their blood is the fuel mankind burns to keep the darkness at bay.
 
Forgotten Gods influence and manifest the world. Their priorities and values are not those of mortals, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
 
Living beings are connected to the ghost field in ways not well-understood; with the Gates of Death broken in the Cataclysm, souls linger and leave an imprint on the ghost field.
 
A Ghost results from a death but typically takes up to three days to form. Commonly, Ghosts are vengeful and hunger for the warmth of the living.

The Ghost may be hunted and destroyed by the Spirit Wardens or captured and used in unearthly ways.
 
The Shattered Isles
 
Akoros: The seat of the Immortal Emperor who has reigned for a millenia. (Primary ethnicity: Similar to West European)
 
Dagger Isles: Corsairs and merchants, wild and exotic. (Primary ethnicity: Similar to Pacific Islander)
 
Iruvia: A land of desert kingdoms and open dealings with Demons. (Primary ethnicities: Similar to African and Middle East)
 
Severos: Plains and nomadic Ghost-hunting horsemen. (Primary ethnicity: Similar to Asian)
 
Skovlan: Home to an oppressed folk, subjugated by the Empire only recently. (Primary ethnicity: Similar to Northern European)
 
Tycheros: Semi-mythical, far away across the The Void Sea. Tycherosi are rumored to have Demon blood in their veins.
 
Mankind uses processed leviathan blood - Electroplasm - as an energy source. Notable also is that Ghosts are made up of semi-solid electroplasmic vapor.
 
The majority of the isles are covered in The Deathlands - seared wastelands inhabited by wrathful Ghosts and the occasional strange beast. Though it is possible to live here, it is dangerous.
 
The City
 
Doskvol sits on the northern tip of Akoros. Doskvol  is the home port to gargantuan Leviathan Hunters. Leviathan hunting ships prowl the northern Void Sea, returning with precious Electroplasm. From Doskvol, Electroplasm is shipped by lightning rail to the entire empire.
 
The city is protected from the The Deathlands by giant Lightning Barrier, powered by Electroplasm.
 
Unable to expand, the city has grown up rather than out. There is little free space here as the city is centuries old.
 
The city is also home to a large number of factions, all interested in either protecting what they have, taking what belongs to others, or some combination of the two.
 
That’s where you come in: at the bottom, hungry for more. Time to carve out your own turf.

Doskvol
THE DARK JEWEL OF AKOROS
The city of Doskvol was established over 1000 years ago as a coal mining settlement on the cold north coast of Akoros. It has withstood the breaking of the world, an attack by a titanic leviathan, massive fires, a plague, a civil war, and legions of angry ghosts. It is a community of survivors.

The city is densely packed inside the ring of immense Lightning Tower that protect it from the murderous ghosts of the blighted deathlands beyond. Every square foot is covered in human construction of some kind—piled one atop another with looming towers, sprawling manors, and stacked row houses; dissected by canals and narrow twisting alleys; connected by a spiderweb of roads, bridges, and elevated walkways.

Doskvol is one of the most important cities in the Imperium, since it is from its port that the metal steamships of the Leviathan Hunters are launched. The hunters brave the far northern reaches of the The Void Sea, far out of sight of land, to grapple with titanic demons of the depths and extract their precious immortal blood—the substance refined into Electroplasm, the power source of civilization.

All powerful noble families operate hunter ships, each commanded by the scion of their line—and it is by their fortunes at sea and the bounties of blood they capture that the fortunes of the empire wax and wane. The savvy and the ruthless of Doskvol do well to position themselves to profit from this crucial enterprise upon which so many depend—either as an ally or servant of the aristocracy, or by preying upon the corrupted rich and privileged elite.

## Zooming out: The Shattered Isles
AKOROS
A land of dark, petrified forests and rocky hills. The rich coastal cities get their wealth from leviathan hunting and from mining colonies deep inland. The Akorosi are sometimes called “Imperials” since the Imperium began there. They are generally fair-skinned and dark-haired.
 
THE DAGGER ISLES
A tropical archipelago covered in dense jungle growth; now turned dark and twisted from the strange magic of the cataclysm. Some say that the people there live without lightning barriers. How do they manage that? Native islanders are generally copper-skinned and dark-haired.
 
IRUVIA
A land of black deserts, obsidian mountains, and raging volcanoes. Some say that positions of power are openly held by demons in Iruvia. The people are generally amber-skinned and dark-haired.
 
 
SEVEROS
A land of windswept plains, covered in dark scrub and thorny growths. Outside the Imperial cities on the coast, some native Serverosi still live in free tribes, scavenging the death-lands on their ghost-hunting horses. They are generally brown-skinned and dark-haired.
 
 
SKOVLAN
A ragged land of cold mountains and rough tundra. Skovlan was the last holdout against Imperial control. They are generally pale-skinned and fair-haired or red-haired.
 
 
TYCHEROS
A far off land, disconnected from the Empire. People say the Tycherosi (rudely called “Strangers”) have demon blood in their lineage.

## Districts
Barrowcleft
Barrowcleft is the home to the laborers and overseers of the Ministry of Preservation who attend
the radiant energy farms of Doskvol. It is a dusty, rural district, with simple wooden buildings of
only one or two stories and wide dirt roads to accommodate large cargo wagons. The farmers of
Barrowcleft are organized into tight-knit family-based clans that are proud of their vital role in the
city’s welfare and hold themselves apart from the “city folk” across the river. Outsiders are
welcome here for honest trade, but are met with a cold suspicion otherwise.
Scene:
Farmers trudging to and from work. Tradespeople crafting simple goods. Merchants selling their
wares. Heavy-laden cargo wagons transporting food into the city. Vigilant deputies surveying the
fields from their watchtowers.
Streets:
Smooth dirt roads, drainage ditches.
Buildings:
Low, wide wooden structures. Barns. Animal pens. Stone mills. Hilltop manors for the
Overseers. Crowded apartments, towers, and market stalls along Barrow Bridge.
Landmarks:
1 Barrow Bridge. One of several residential bridges in the city. The bridge is lined with homes,
shops, and merchant stalls. Families of river-fishers work from ramshackle wooden huts along
the banks on either side. They hunt the large and dangerous wild river eels that gather to feed
on refuse near the channel to the sea.
2 Lightning Tower. The lightning towers of Doskvol are marvels of electroplasmic engineering,
requiring constant attention from the powerful Sparkwrights guild. The largest towers are over
200 feet tall and include their own internal generators to provide power to the lightning barrier
that keeps the ravenous spirits of the deathlands out of the city3 Barrowcleft Market. This
open-air marketplace provides a place for the radiant energy farms to sell fresh produce and
goods made from their crops. Other related vendors have also sprung up here, including
brewers and distillers, weavers, dyers, and goat breeders. The tough and close-knit people of
Barrowcleft have managed to keep criminal influence out of their market and it’s famous as a
rare place for fair trade in the city.
4 Radiant Energy Farm. The wondrous power of radiant energy allows crops to grow in the
darkness of Duskwall. Life in the city depends upon these farms, so their delicate radiant plants
and irrigation systems are watched constantly by specially appointed deputies of the Watch.
Effect

Barrowcleft market is one of the best marketplaces in the city, but criminal types draw lots of
unwanted attention. You can take +1d to acquire an asset here, but also accrue +2 heat.
Notables
Chief Prichard. The Head Overseer of Labor for the Ministry of Preservation in Duskwall.
Manages the workers and food allotments for the city districts.
Hester Vale. Matriarch of the oldest farm family. The living embodiment of “tough but fair.”
Mara Keel. A former smuggler who’s gone into hiding among the farm laborers of Barrowcleft.
—
Brightstone
Brightstone is home to many of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of Doskvol. Its streets
are broad and paved, under bright electric lights; its canals are sparkling and clean, with
perfumed water; its houses are all of fine, pale marble blocks, rich timbers, and intricate
ironworks. There are cultivated parks fed by radiant energy; lavish restaurants and cafes;
jewelers, tailors, and other luxury shops. Street-side vendors are forbidden here, resulting in a
serene, spacious atmosphere, punctuated by the occasional carriage or marching Bluecoat
patro.
Scene:
Elite Bluecoat patrols, arrayed in fine armor and gleaming gun-pikes. Wealthy citizens strolling
through manicured parks, attended by servants. Horse-drawn coaches and the occasional
electroplasmic carriage rumbling along the avenues.
Streets:
Broad, clean, well-lit.
Buildings:
Pale stone mansions with lightning barriers, grand manor houses, lavish townhouses, opulent
theaters and restaurants, luxury shops.
Landmarks:
1 Unity Park. A grand park, fountain, and roundabout featuring an enormous monument
commemorating Imperial victory in the Unity War (or the War for Skovlan Independence,
depending on who you talk to).
2 Silver Market. A curated open-air emporium overlooking the North Hook channel. Named for
its original use as the primary marketplace for silver traders, it’s now host to luxury goods
vendors of all sorts, including rare Iruvian silks, spices from the Dagger Isles, horse-traders,
carriage upholsterers, and rare alchemical distillations (including some illegal spirit

essences—to which the City Watch turns a blind eye).3 The Sanctorium. The chief cathedral
dedicated to the Church of the Ecstasy of the Flesh. It’s a towering edifice of buttresses and
spires, originally commissioned by the Emperor during his last visit to Doskvol nearly 500 years
ago. Devotees gather weekly to purify themselves in baptismal rites and through the ritual
destruction of rogue spirits in electroplasm. The catacombs beneath contain the cremated ash
of many famous and affluent citizens.
4 Bowmore Bridge. This massive structure of bright white stone and shimmering metal-work is
said to be the largest bridge in the Imperium. Luxury apartments and shops perch all along its
length from Brightstone to Whitecrown
Effect
Most engagement rolls suffer -1d due to heavy Bluecoat patrols. Operations against the nobility
in Brightstone are considered on “hostile turf ” for the purpose of generating heat.
Notables
Lord Strangford. Operates one of the largest leviathan hunter fleets and serves on the City
Council.
Commander Bowmore. Chief Officer of the Watch in Brightstone. Bowmore’s family financed
Bowmore Bridge centuries ago and now holds many positions of power.
Rolan Wott. An influential magistrate who handles property, endowments, and financial cases.
Famous for his extravagant parties.
—
Charhollow
This crowded district is home to the bulk of the workforce of the city—servants, dockers, sailors,
stockyard and eelery workers, cabbies, and so on. It’s cheap, noisy, cramped, and sweltering
from cookfires and hissing steam-pipes, but there’s a familial camaraderie among its residents
that you won’t find anywhere else. The people of Charhollow are a true community, brought
together by circumstance, but bound by ties of mutual support and care in stark contrast to the
cutthroat ruthlessness that constitutes business as usual in the rest of the city.
Scene:
Laborers returning from work shout greetings to friends and families. Groups of people cook and
eat together at communal cook-fires. Children run wild, playing at hunt-and-peek and
catch-the-ghost.
Streets:
Steep inclines cut with crude stone stairs, twisting alleyways, dirt and cobblestones.

Buildings:
Stacked one- or two-room homes, cheap tenements, ramshackle apartments, well-worn taverns
and public houses.
Landmarks:
1 The Sheets. Washers, tailors, and seamstresses congregate in this neighborhood, filling the
alleyways between the buildings with the billowing fabrics of their trade. A secret association of
anarchists among the working class meets here to plot their schemes for revolution.
2 Strangford House. The grand, fenced estate of the powerful Strangford family perches on the
hill of a private island overlooking Charhollow. Many who live in the district toil in Strangford’s
factories and workhouses, and few miss the chance to throw the evil eye in their direction when
they catch glimpse of their house on the hill.3 Charhollow Market. A public market fills the open
square here, offering fair prices and decent goods to the local community.
4 Kellen’s. One of the oldest pubs in the city, with a dizzying selection of Skovlander ales and
whiskeys. Rich and poor alike rub elbows here to enjoy the traditional food and music with their
drinks, though recently, the pub has become the target of masked anti-Skovlander bigots,
who’ve vandalized the property and assaulted some patrons, shouting “No Skovs!” and “Skovs
go home!”
Effect
Operations against the citizenry in Charhollow are considered on “hostile turf ” for the purpose
of generating heat.
Notables
Briggs. The owner of a merchant stall at Charhollow market, cover for a network of gossips,
spies, and code-smiths among the working class people of the district, selling their services to
those who need them.
Corben. An ex-military Skovlander on the lam for crimes against the empire.
—
Charterhall
Charterhall is the site of the first major construction in the city, in the days before the cataclysm.
The old wall upon which was built the first lightning barrier in the Empire still stands in partial
ruin around the district. The area is now home to the civic offices of the government including
the courts, licensing and taxation offices, banks, and records archives. City officials and
students at Charterhall University live here, along with the captains of Imperial industry who
prefer to reside within sight of their fortunes.
Scene:

Clerks and government workers rush to and fro, official papers bulging from their valises.
Wealthy bankers trundle past in heavy carriages with private bodyguards arrayed in clanking
armor. Students gather at street-corner cafes to discuss Iruvian politics, the tribal lineages of the
Dagger Isles, and other esoteric matters.
Streets:
Broad, clean, well-lit.
Buildings:
Imposing stone buildings with officious columns and classical sculptural motifs. .
Landmarks:
1 Charter Wall. Along the ruins of the old walls are a sprawl of artist colonies. Bohemian lovers
of music and sculpture, these students are typically patronized by a single individual or family
who expect their charges to master their craft and make art for their edification.
2 Bellweather Crematorium. The site of the spirit bells and the rookery for the deathseeker
crows. Bodies recovered by the Spirit Wardens are incinerated in electroplasm here to destroy
their ghosts.
3 Clerk Street. The main avenue of the district is lined with imposing governmental structures of
all sorts, tucked behind iron fences, patrolled by a mix of Bluecoats on the sidewalks and
mounted Imperial cavalry on the grounds.4 Jayan Park. The great alchemist for whom this park
is named contrived to formulate soil and seeds that could produce real, growing trees, without
sunlight or radiant energy. They are horrifically toxic to all living things and must not be touched,
but they still grow beautifully here, over 100 years later.
5 Charterhall University. A dozen buildings have been converted into classrooms and
dormitories for the students of this modest-seeming but nevertheless prestigious institution. The
school’s massive Sparkwright Tower, where experts of spark-craft are trained, looms huge over
the district, often belching fire and smoke from the more vigorous lessons.
Effect
The records in Charterhall can be of particular interest to criminal sorts. Take a Devil’s Bargain
for +1dto gather info here in exchange for 1 heat (the Bluecoats are always watching for
scoundrels like you).
Notables
Lady Drake. A magistrate who is “reasonable” when it comes to street crime, so long as the
offender’s purse is sufficient.

Lord Penderyn. Chief Scholar of the Archive of Echoes, authorized by the Emperor to keep a
collection of ancient ghosts trapped in spirit bottles, to be consulted in cases where knowledge
from the distant past would benefit the operation of the Imperial government.
—
Coalridge
Coalridge is home to most of the machinists, industrial laborers, and factories of the city. It’s
cramped, soot-choked, and loud—spewing dense clouds of black smoke, showers of sparks,
and burning cinders. The old elevated train lines that once hauled coal now carry heavy
equipment and raw materials to and from Gaddoc Station, though many of the ancient tracks
and cars have been abandoned to squatters who’ve converted them into makeshift homes.
Scene:
Soot-covered workers hacking up black bile as they trudge home from the factories. Heavy rail
cargo being unloaded by crane. Street-tough waifs running wild. A factory boss lashing a worker
for an infraction. Squatters cooking a meal in the coal engine of an abandoned train car.
Streets:
Multi-level, crowded with crates and discarded junk. Elevated rail lines.
Buildings:
Tall and narrow brick row houses with belching chimneys, metal-clad factories and warehouses,
train cars converted into dwellings.
Landmarks:
1 Coalridge Mine. The site of the first permanent settlement at the river delta, the mine was
originally built by the ancient Skov kingdom, who called it Doskovol—literally, “The Skov’s Coal.”
The mine still operates over 1,000 years later, though demand for coal has dropped sharply as
the Imperium adopts electroplasmic power more and more widely.
2 The Old Rail Yard. Before Gaddoc Station was built, this industrial rail yard was a center for
commerce in the city. The Old Yard now serves only a couple heavy cargo trains daily, with
many of its old rail cars rusted in place where they were abandoned.3 The Ironworks. The
Ironworks is a sprawling collection of massive industrial workhouses. Cruel foremen drive
indentured laborers around the clock to keep up with the massive production demands to
replace and refit leviathan hunter ships as well as the need for goods transported out to the
Imperium at large.
4 Brickston. The most densely packed residential area in Duskwall. Brickston is a cramped
jumble of multi-story brick row houses, stacked one atop the other. Many of the toughest
scoundrels of the underworld hail from here, learning the harsh lessons of survival and gang life
within its dark maze.

Effect
Because the factories of Coalridge operate around the clock, there’s no ideal time for
clandestine crime here, but foremen are happy to be bribed to “take a break” or look the other
way.
Notables
Master Slane. A notorious factory foreman known for excessive and cruel punishment. Many
attempts have been made on his life, but all have failed. Some say he’s a devil.
Belle Brogan. A Skovlander factory worker gaining popularity as a union organizer. It’s only a
matter of time before a factory boss tries to make an example of her.
Hopper. A drug addict, Whisper, and all-around weirdo who perches on rooftops in the district.
Hopper claims to see “spirit train tracks” stretching beyond the horizon.
—
Crow's Foot
Crow’s Foot is a crossroads, merging many qualities of its neighboring districts: the illict vices of
Silkshore, the labor and trade of the Docks, the poverty of Charhollow, and the classic
architecture of Charterhall. The district is a patchwork, both held together and threatened to be
torn apart by the menagerie of competing street gangs and Bluecoat squads that claim every
avenue and corner as territory in an endless turf war.
Scene:
Dockers filing to and from work. Minks plying their trade on the corners. A squad of Bluecoats
shaking down a shopkeep for a bribe. Rival gangs calling challenges to each other across the
rooftops. A fine coach carrying a noble seeking illicit wares.
Streets:
Multi-level, cramped, dark, foggy.
Buildings:
Flophouses, inns, old manors chopped into apartments, traditional stone houses. Smiths,
taverns, brothels, and butchers.
Landmarks:
1 Crow’s Nest. An ancient tower from before the cataclysm that has been a ritual sanctum, an
astronomer’s laboratory, and a Bluecoat watch post—before its current role as the headquarters
of the district’s chief gang, the Crows.

2 Tangletown. Hundreds of years ago, one of the massive leviathan hunter ships was partially
sunk in the river. Since then, it’s collected an attendant flotilla of tiny watercraft, all lashed
together into a floating neighborhood. Tangletown is considered neutral ground among the
street gangs of Crow’s Foot, and no violence is allowed there3 Strathmill House. The lost
children and unwanted orphans of Crow’s Foot inevitably pass through the halls of Strathmill
House. Some are cared for and trained for jobs at the docks or the workhouses of Coalridge.
Others are quietly instructed in the arts of the lookouts and runners used by the gangs of the
district—all for a small fee to Strathmill House, of course.
4 Red Sash Sword Academy. This large mansion has been converted into a training school for
the Falling Star style of Iruvian sword play. The Red Sashes, an Iruvian gang who run several
luxury drug dens in the district, claim it as their HQ and cover operation for their illicit operations.
Effect
Years of murder have made this the most haunted district. Angry ghosts crave bloodshed here.
You may take a Devli's Bargain for +1d for violent action, but the ghost will lash out too.
Notables
Sergeant Lochlan. The senior Bluecoat squad leader in the district, reporting to Captain Dunvil.
Mardin Gull. Owner and operator of the Leaky Bucket public house. Mardin was the leader of
the Crows many years ago and now enjoys a comfortable retirement out of the scoundrel life.
—
Dunslough
Dunslough is a ghetto for the destitute poor of the city, as well as the site of Ironhook Prison and
its labor camp. Originally, the ghetto was a neighborhood for families of prisoners, but over the
years, extreme poverty and neglect have worn it down into asodden ruin. A vicious cycle plays
out here: crime driven by desperation, then arrest, incarceration, and release back to
Dunslough—giving Ironhook an endless supply of laborers to exploit.
Scene:
Mud-covered laborers returning from the Mire. Destitute families scrounging for scraps along the
roadway to the Barrowcleft farms. Bored Ironhook guards, rifles slung on their backs, watching a
taskmaster lash a labor camp prisoner.
Streets:
Cramped, multi-level—some of stone but many of dirt, sodden into thick black mud. No street
names to be found.

Buildings:
Decrepit wooden row houses, many abandoned from fire damage or fallen-in from age. Stone
silos, clanking steam machinery, and metal sheds for dredging equipment.s.
Landmarks:
1 Ironhook Prison. A towering metal fortress, where the worst (or most unlucky) criminals are
incarcerated. The poorest are forced to work at Dunvil Labor Camp. The most well-connected
prisoners manage a comfortable stay, and may even continue to run their criminal enterprises
from behind bars.
2 Dunvil Labor Camp. Poor prisoners who can’t afford to bribe the staff at Ironhook spend most
of their days toiling at Dunvil Labor Camp, loading precious ores onto barges for the rail station
and breaking the larger rocks hauled from the Mire.3 Dunslough Ghetto. The most destitute of
the city end up in Dunslough, working the Mire for a pittance just to buy their daily bread. The
city counts the space as “runoff ” for the prison grounds, and does nothing to maintain it.
4 The Mire. A massive mud-quarry pit, the Mire is the site of the impact of an ancient celestial
body, which left behind a variety of precious ores and jewels embedded in the earth.
Effect
None??
Notables
Master Krocket. An unsavory, greasy-haired, scarecrow of a man who runs the snarling pack of
vicious dogs used by Ironhook to track down escapees and sniff out contraband and tunnels.
His dog-handlers can be found around the labor camp and all about Dunslough, using their
status with the prison for favors and bribes.
Vandra. A deathlands scavenger that survived six runs and was pardoned. She knows the
landscape beyond the barrier very well—but few can make sense of her haunted mumblings.
—
Nightmarket
Nightmarket is a district dominated by commerce. Situated near Gaddoc Rail Station,
Nightmarket receives the bulk of salable goods from the cargo trains that travel across the
Imperium, bringing the exotic and rare to Duskwall. The citizens that call Nightmarket home
constitute a new class of “elites”—wealthy people who are not of noble descent but
nevertheless claim land, status, and power without titles. The district has been taken over by
new construction, introducing lavish private townhouses with all of the modern advances for the
elites that can afford them.

Scene:
Electric lights in a riot of colors advertise the market stalls of the vendors. Several devout
acolytes bow in silent prayer at the statues of the Night Queen, the district’s adopted forgotten
god. The city’s elite, hidden behind masks, slip into the underground to partake of strange
pleasures in the private clubs
Streets:
Multi-level wooden platforms and boardwalks. Landscaped parks of petrified trees from the
deathlands. High-class subterranean avenues.
Buildings:
Wooden market stalls. Underground stone shops and clubs. Newly constructed private
townhouses for the Nightmarket elites.
Landmarks:
1 The Veil. A luxurious social club known for its confidentiality and permissive policies regarding
guests of arcane or unusual origins. Rolan Volaris, the proprietor and host, is a Tycherosi with
an extremely unusual manifestation of his demonic blood: rather than legs, he has the body of a
serpent from the waist down... or so people say. Volaris is rarely seen in person.
2 Dundridge & Sons. Considered by many to be the foremost tailor in Duskwall. The Dundridge
family has provided the finest clothes and sartorial accoutrements to discerning citizens for over
300 years. Despite their legendary reputation, Dundridge’s prices are very reasonable.3 Vreen’s
Hound Races. The racing of specially bred hounds is currently in vogue among Doskvol’s upper
crust. A man from the Dagger Isles calling himself “Master Vreen” acquired a small fortune from
investors to create “the premier hound racing track in the Imperium.”
4 The Devil’s Tooth. A tavern known for its “secret” menu of alchemical concoctions.
Adventurous psychonauts may experiment with all manner of mindaltering (or spirit-altering)
substances in the relative safety of Mistress Kember’s comfortable establishment.
Effect
Nightmarket is the best place to trade illicit and arcane goods in the city, but the darker corners
are full of strange horrors. You can take +1d to acquire an asset here, at the cost of 2 stress.
Notables
Jira. A dealer of fine weapons from the Dagger Isles. Greatly respected by many street toughs
in the Dusk—a “jira blade” is a status symbol that many aspire to.

Leclure. A purveyor of personal luxuries (soaps, hair oils, perfume, fine silks) who dabbles in
fortune telling. Some say that her drowned lover is a ghost that whispers secrets in her ear.
Mordis. A strange merchant that hides its appearance beneath many layers of robes and hoods.
Also fences occult and arcane stolen goods, no questions asked.
—
Six Towers
This formerly prestigious district has faded over the centuries into a pale shadow of what it once
was. The eponymous six towers were originally the grand residences of Doskvol’s first noble
families. All but two (Bowmore House and Rowan House) have been sold off and converted into
cheap apartments or fallen into ruin and abandoned. The district has an empty, haunted feel,
with many sprawling old buildings dark without power, broad stone streets cracked and buckled,
and the fires of squatters crackling from overgrown lots..
Scene:
Bits of trash, blown by a cold wind, skitter across empty streets, illuminated only by a few
still-working street lamps and the campfires of squatters. The shutters and doors of abandoned
buildings moan, creak, and bang in a haunted chorus. Residents hustle by, heads down,
clutching spiritbane charms close to their breasts.
Streets:
Broad stone avenues, cracked and broken, dark without power; overgrown and neglected.
Buildings:
Palatial estates, tumbled into disrepair. Grand manors, remodeled into cramped and cheap
apartments.
Landmarks:
1 Rowan House. One of the last of the original six towers, this antique building resembles an
ancient castle from history books, complete with moat, draw-bridge, and arrow-slit windows. The
powerful Rowan family rules their holdings from within the fortress, rarely venturing beyond the
security of its thick stone walls.
2 Mistshore Park. This dark and overgrown space overlooks the eastern branch of the river
Dosk and the deathlands beyond. In old folk ballads, young lovers who could not be together
would commit suicide in this park. Whatever the truth of it, the park is certainly haunted now.3
Scurlock Manor. The Scurlock family came to Duskwall centuries ago and was once a great

force in the city, before some curse or calamity befell their line. This tumble-down manor house
and tangle of vines is all that remains of their original fortune. It’s said that a young nephew or
cousin still resides there, but Lord Scurlock himself has moved on to finer abodes.
4 Arms of the Weeping Lady. This grand building, formerly an opera house, is now a
soup-kitchen and bunkhouse for the destitute, run by the charity of the Weeping Lady. Locals
use this landmark as the demarcation between the districts of Charterhall and Six Towers.
Effect
The many empty buildings and abandoned properties make this district a perfect location for a
hidden scoundrel’s lair.
Notables
Mother Narya. Runs the Arms of the Weeping Lady charity house.
Chef Roselle. One of the best cooks in the city, still operating the legendary Golden Plum
restaurant—worth the trip into the haunted streets of Six Towers.
Flint. A spirit trafficker who trades out of a condemned manor house
—
The Docks
The docks of Doskvol are ancient, going back to the days before the cataclysm, when the area
was a colony town of the old Skov kingdom. Today, some commerce has shifted to the new
electro-rail lines of the Imperium, but the docks are still bustling with cargo haulers, fishing
boats, and the prestigious leviathan hunter ships that provide the raw material that keeps the
city running.
Scene:
Small and medium steamships docked close, dwarfed by the titanic leviathan hunter ships
further out. Throngs of sailors and dockers, doing their work, singing work-songs. Heavy cargo
rumbling away on wagons. Shouts and breaking glass from a brawl spilling out of a tavern.
Streets:
Raised streets perched over the docks themselves, rigged with cranes and winches.
Buildings:
Massive cargo warehouses. Squat taverns, brothels, and tattoo parlors. Crowded overnight
bunkhouses for sailors.

Landmarks:
1 The North Hook Company. This grand, old-fashioned estate house is headquarters for the
oldest surviving shipping and naval exploration enterprise in the Imperium. The North Hook
Company has a massive fleet of trade ships and is considered by many to be merely a private
front for the Ministry of Preservation. No one knows for sure, since enemies and rivals of the
company (not to mention overly curious journalists) tend to disappear.
2 Ink Lane. This twisting back-street is home to many of the city’s tattooists as well as several
newspapers—who all share the cost of their inks in bulk. A fine place for gossip and rumors of
all kinds.3 Saltford’s. A squat stone building that houses one of the more notorious private
banks in Duskwall. Being so close to the docks, Saltford’s has faced many gangs of whiskey’d
sailors that decided to turn to robbery as a new line of work, and defeated them all—sometimes
even hanging the corpses from their lamp-posts as discouragement to the next pack of drunken
fools.
4 The Menagerie. A fenced-off muddy field, dotted with rusting animal pens, water tanks, and
gaudy signage. Sailors traditionally drop off any curious creatures they pick up in their travels,
which Captain Rye, the strange proprietor, incorporates into his makeshift zoological displays.
Effect
Operations against ships at port are considered on “hostile turf ” for the purpose of generating
heat.
Notables
Chief Helker. One of the most influential senior Dockers. Helker has a lot of sway at the docks,
and if you cross him, you might find your cargo tossed into the drink—and possibly you along
with it.
Tris. A legendary tattooist who only inks those that have looked upon a leviathan and lived to tell
the tale. Getting a tattoo from Tris is a rite of passage for everyone who hunts the demons of the
Void Sea.
—
Whitecrown
Whitecrown sits atop a grand peak on the island across North Hook channel from the city
proper. From this lofty height, the Lord Governor’s stronghold oversees all, flanked by the grand
estates of the most powerful nobility and the extravagantly appointed campus of Doskvol
Academy. Whitecrown is a rich and rarefied world unto itself—most citizens live out their entire
lives in the city without ever once crossing the bridge to the glittering spires of wealth and power
there.

Scene:
Imperial soldiers parade outside the stronghold, astride their armored steeds, gleaming lances
held high. Trainee crews run drills on a leviathan hunter ship docked for refitting. The lavish
carriages and electroplasmic coaches of the fabulously wealthy glide by, carrying their privileged
passengers to luxurious destinations.
Streets:
Broad, polished stone, brightly lit to near daylight by a riot of warm electric lights.
Buildings:
Grand, elegant facades; landscaped terraces, balconies, and elevated walkways connecting
bright marble buildings with inlaid platinum and gold details.
Landmarks:
1 Lord Governor’s Stronghold. The Emperor originally commissioned this stronghold as a
garrison for the Imperial Military stationed at North Hook prior to the invasion of Skovlan. It now
houses the Lord Governor, their family, and governmental aides as well.
2 Doskvol Academy. Hailed as one of the finer institutions of learning in the Empire, the school
is most well-known as the instructional facility for the leviathan hunter captains and their senior
officers. Training cruises for new recruits are conducted year-round to replace the poor souls
lost in the hunts.3 Master Warden’s Estate. This gigantic, fortified manor is home to the
Commander of the Spirit Wardens and is their primary training facility. It’s said that some spirits
are not destroyed at Bellweather—but are brought here instead for some unknown purpose.
4 North Hook Lighthouse. This ancient structure has been converted into an electro-plasmic
apparatus capable of providing a navigation beacon for hundreds of miles into the darkness of
the Void Sea around Duskwall.
Effect
Most engagement rolls suffer -2d due to heavy Bluecoat patrols. Operations against the nobility
in Whitecrown are considered on “hostile turf ” for the purpose of generating heat.
Notables
Maestro Helleren. Senior composer and conductor of the Spiregarden Theater, premiere
performance venue for the elite of the city.

Lady Freyla. Regarded by some as the finest sommelier in the Empire. She serves only the
most deserving at the Emperor’s Cask.

## Factions

The Billhooks: Gang of bloody butchers, currently a power struggle. Tier II. The Docks

The Brigade: Firefighters who also loot and extort. Tier II. Charterhall

Bluecoats: Police, corrupt, many districts, inter-departmental rivalry. Tier III. Charterhall et al

Cabbies: Public coaches, goat breeders, gossips. Tier II. Charterhall et al

The Church of the Ecstasy of the Flesh: Demon worshipers. Tier IV. Brightstone

The Circle of Flame: Artifact hunters searching for the Relics of Kotar. Tier III. Six Towers

City Council: Rulers of city government. Tier V. Charterhall

Various Consulates: Charterhall

The Crows: Controls Crow’s Foot, old gang, power struggle. Tier II. Crow’s Foot

Cyphers: The messenger’s guild of the city, sworn to secrecy. Tier II. Charterhall et al

Deathlands Scavengers: Ironhook convicts exiled to the deathlands. Tier II. Deathlands

The Dimmer Sisters: Bizarre group of occultist sisters. Tier II. Six Towers

Dockers: Tough workers associated with Leviathan Hunters. Tier III. The Docks

The Fog Hounds: Up and coming smugglers looking for a patron. Tier I. The Docks

The Forgotten Gods: Many cults to ancient gods. Tier III collectively, Tier I or II individually.

The Foundation: Architects of the city with many secrets. Tier IV. Charterhall

Gondoliers: Canal boat operators, occultists, spirit-hunters. Tier III. Charterhall et al

The Gray Cloaks: Ex-Bluecoats who got sold out for corruption. Tier III. Six Towers

The Grinders: Skov Leviathan processors in Lockport wanting revolution. Tier II. The Docks

The Hive: Merchant’s guild also trading contraband. Tier IV. Brightstone, no HQ

The Horde: A mass of Hollows being manipulated. Tier III. Dunslough

Imperial Military: Military forces stationed in Doskvol. Tier VI. Whitecrown

Ink Rakes: Journalists and muckrakers. Tier II. Charterhall

Inspectors: Ethical investigators. Tier III. Charterhall

Ironhook Prison: The prison. Tier IV. Dunslough

The Lampblacks: Gang of former lamp-lighters now defunct. Tier II. Crow’s Foot

Leviathan Hunters: Sailors led by Lord Strangford. Tier V. The Docks

Lord Scurlock: Powerful vampire noble. Tier III. Six Towers

The Lost: Ex-soldiers and toughs protecting the poor. Tier I. Coalridge and Dunslough

Ministry of Preservation: Oversees transportation and imports. Tier V. Nightmarket

The Path of Echoes: Reveres ancient ghosts and the past. Tier III. Six Towers

Rail Jacks: Mechanics on the electro-rail and spirit fighters. Tier II. Nightmarket

The Reconciled: Ghosts that haven’t gone crazy in time. Tier III. Six Towers

The Red Sashes: Iruvian sword school gang. Tier II. Crow’s Foot, The Docks

Sailors: Crews of merchant ships. Tier III. The Docks

The Silver Nails: Severosi spirit-hunters. Tier III. Barrowcleft

Skovlander Refugees: Fled because of the war, turned to crime. Tier III. Charhollow

Sparkwrights: Engineers who invented the lightning barriers. Tier IV. Coalridge

Spirit Wardens: Spirit hunters and maintainers of the ghost field. Tier IV. Whitecrown

Ulf Ironborn: New gangleader supporting Skovland. Tier I. Coalridge

The Unseen: Magically secret crime racket. Tier IV. Silkshore

The Weeping Lady: Charity for the poor. Tier II. Charhollow

The Wraiths: Masked thieves and spies. Tier II. Silkshore, Nightmarket