Clockworks of the Sunken City

Unravel the mysteries behind the vanished mechanics of Elaria.

The adventurers descend into the flooded remnants of the Sunken City of Elaria. Here, the city's ancient technological marvels once controlled the region’s climate and ocean tides. Recently, the machines malfunctioned, threatening coastal cities with rampant flooding. The players must navigate submerged corridors, decipher long-lost blueprints, and tame the misbehaving Clockwork Sun to restore balance. Along the journey, they face rogue mechanical guardians and uncover a plot—someone is harnessing Elaria’s power for unknown purposes.

The World

Context

The Sunken City of Elaria lies deep beneath the ocean. Centuries ago, humans harnessed a unique blend of mechanical ingenuity and harnessed gemstone energies to control nature. Without traditional magic, technology filled the void, creating a society reliant on machines that resemble magical artifacts.

Concept

Elaria's lost technology manipulates weather and ocean tides.

Impact

Control over weather shaped agriculture and trade. Its loss threatens civilization and creates power struggles.

The Plot

Summary

Players enter Elaria to prevent coastal catastrophe by restoring its malfunctioning machines. They traverse the water-filled ruins, solve puzzles presented by ancient glyphs, and deal with mechanical defenders turned rogue. As they delve deeper, they discover a saboteur extracting the city's energy for potential world dominance. Throughout, players face moral dilemmas—retrieve the sun for safety or negotiate and perhaps retool the ancient city for new purposes, deciding the fate of the coastal cities dependent on these ancient controls.

Complication

Discover a saboteur using Elaria’s technology for world domination.

Hook

Coastal cities face destruction from rising tides.

World stakes

Failure floods coastal cities and disrupts global ecosystems.

Personal stakes

Failing risks PCs drowning or being lost to the sea.

The Acts

Act 1

Summary:

The adventurers must first locate an entrance to the Sunken City, navigating beneath tumultuous waters. They encounter a labyrinth of shifting tunnels, remnants of advanced hydraulic systems, and decipher clues that guide them deeper. The ancient entrance is locked, requiring players to override a series of intricate mechanical locks rigged with traps to protect against intruders.

Location:

Submerged entrance with shifting hydraulic tunnels.

Challenge:

Bypass mechanical locks with traps that test ingenuity.

Objective:

Find and enter the Sunken City of Elaria.

Set Back:

A tunnel collapse separates the party, requiring teamwork to regroup.

Revelation:

Entryway diagrams hint at sabotage roots.

GM's Guide:

Emphasize intrigue and discovery. Keep pacing brisk by introducing clues and challenges seamlessly. Use environmental sounds like bubbling water and creaky metal for immersion.

GM's Move:

Water levels outside the city are rising, increasing urgency.

Act 2

Summary:

Inside Elaria, players navigate echoing halls, face mechanical guardians, and solve puzzles related to the city's functioning. This act focuses on exploration and uncovering the saboteur's influence. Players access the control room, only to discover energy being siphoned to an unknown location, escalating the threat level as devices misbehave due to tampering.

Location:

Elaria’s echoing halls teeming with mechanical guardians.

Challenge:

Solve puzzles amidst hostile guardians and atypical failures.

Objective:

Reach Elaria’s control room to assess the system.

Set Back:

An overzealous machine damages vital city controls.

Revelation:

Energy is being siphoned by a hidden source.

GM's Guide:

Balance combat with mystery-solving. Highlight the eerie beauty of the submerged, forgotten city. Use found documents and malfunctioning machines to pique curiosity.

GM's Move:

Guardians react aggressively to players’ presence.

Act 3

Summary:

Players confront the saboteur in Elaria’s core. They must make critical decisions: confront or ally, repair or repurpose the city's power. Tensions culminate in negotiations or a climactic battle that determines not only the city's future but also the surrounding region’s fate—whether manipulated by an individual or restored to balance.

Location:

Elaria’s core surrounded by unstable mechanics.

Challenge:

Decide Elaria’s fate amidst chaotic conditions.

Objective:

Confront the saboteur and resolve Elaria’s malfunction.

Set Back:

A failed negotiation triggers defensive systems.

Revelation:

Saboteur’s motives are driven by personal vendetta.

GM's Guide:

Create intense ambience with environmental hazards. Allow player choices to significantly impact the finale’s outcome, focusing on the human elements of greed, cooperation, and survival.

GM's Move:

Saboteur’s tampering triggers city-wide machinery instability.

Climax:

Confrontations resolve, tide machinery stabilized or repurposed.