After Haven fell to the Men in Gray, diaspora began… Some members of the scout organisation ‘Guardian Angels’ heard rumours of another branch who already arrived at Gotham, and decide to travel through the broken land to their destination…
The guardian and the traveler escaped the fall of Haven while their group scattered in the broken lands… They followed the trail of their friend through the black forest, but had to flee before the approaching hostile gang of the Hoods! Crossing the broad river was quite a challenge because the raging storm … Approaching the Ashinaabe camp, they were chased away by the guarding warrior! Wandering to the salt lake, they discovered some precious stones… Now they had some leverage to negotiate with the tribe! A few tribal scouts escorted our heroes to the jagged mountains, where they found their friend! She was badly wounded and had to be transported in a travois… Continuing their journey, they heard the pursuit of the Hoods nearby… The Guardian decided to hold the pursuing bandits, sacrificing himself in a battle he could not win, while the Traveler escaped with her friend!
Ping: https://hgoei.com/2023/11/13/angels-in-gotham/
The High Priestess of the Clockwork Cult fell from the skyship… while the victorious teenage ‘Guardian Angels’ celebrated their success, the High Priestess activated her enhanced clockwork cloak to glide away, but her flying device malfunctioned!
CRASH!
…
Hooded cult members carried the body away to their hideout, it seemed The High Priestess will survive this defeat to return another time!
…meanwhile some adventurers who survived the mythago invasion gathered information on Leonardo automata.
“Da Vinci had the right idea but not the right materials” Visiting the library, they had some trouble with the janitors who resented their ‘disruptive’ discussion and research actions. With some luck they discovered interesting symbols in a book mentioning golems! They continued their research with visiting a Qabalist… “Erasing the magick symbols of a golem will destroy the entity” … The adventurers remembered using a portal to the netherworld for information. “Lets do this” … This time the portal delivered the adventurers to the realm of the MachineGod!
A confusing realm with border-wars between automatons and mages…
After some confrontations with automatons, the adventurers found their way to the regent of this place: Lady Mechanica! The Lady showed the way… … to a guarded portal! After a hectic combat the guardian was defeated, now the adventurers were free to return to Middle Earth!
Some members of the Guardian Angels’ vigilante group were enjoying R&R in the community center where the Sisters of Our Lady offered some soup and bread to the needy.
A Chinese New Year Parade passed by… After the passing of the parade, the vigilantes went to the streets..
Suddenly they were aware of a sound of screeching and wailing…a flock of birds was attacking a small child! “Angels Assemble”…the vigilante came to the rescue, chasing away the evil birds!
Where are these clockwork birds coming from? … Rumour on the street mentioned a gathering of birds at the temple of Electra… Investigating the temple, looking at the four Karyatids… Looking at the amber eyes, one of the kids tried to steal one.. ZAP!
Apparently some alarm was triggered… A flute playing priestess arrived and summoned birds to chase away the intruders! The vigilantes retreated to an office nearby… The caretaker of the place provided them the clue to speak with ‘Mister Night S.’ the director of the current theater drama ‘the Arrival‘
Sneaking out of the office, meeting ‘Mister Night S.’ who apparently was the guardian of the small boy that was attacked by the birds, he was able to give more clues: Go to the WangTriad, they know how to fight the evil birds!
Meeting the Elder of the WangTriad went quite well… “The master of the evil birds hides in the cloud-castle in the sky…”
“We will summon the Dragon-energy and arrange an all-out attack against their cult-members in the city, then you can surprise their garrison|”
The Wayne corporation provided a sky-ship, the WangTriad, lent them some of their crew ..
Battle ensued on the streets, the vigilantes captured a leading priestess and boarded their sky-ship while the WangTriad fought the Thunderbird Cult…
Using the captured priestess flute, the vigilantes chased away the Thunderbird, surprised the High Priestess in the Cloud Castle and destroyed the doomsday clock! The vigilantes escaped with their lives while the explosion went off…
The Master of Ravens said: I can teach you nothing new at this moment…take up your visionquest into the world of Men… Remember our compact with Ravenqueen!
And so, Foxy Lady went out of Faery into the world of Men…
Remembering the last temple of Earthshaking Sealord, high up the Great Mountain… The faithfull, who fled the wrath of the Sorcerer-King, made their last stand. Lightning smote their ranks, but still they stood firm…
Unable to stand the strain of eldritch energies, the Land broke apart, the Sea invaded, all were scattered to the corners of the Earth…
Ages ago in the time before Time, the Wars of the Gods escalated… Gods fell from the Heavens as falling stars. Daemons rose up from the Hells, shaking the foundations of the Earth. The Veil between the worlds was torn asunder… And the Fae returned to Middle-Earth. Now the powers of the Gods and Daemons are silent and exhausted after the Wars, and the Glamoury of the Fae shines all over the World. Magick has become chaotic and unpredictable after the GodsWar…a spell that fizzles or botches always have ‘interesting’ effects. After the Gods War, the Powers became silent. Most people acknowledge the Powers as a given force of nature, only some shamans keep the old traditions of sacrificing to the visible Powers: Sun, Moon, Stars, Gaia, Fire, Water, Earth, Air Many humans left their broken cities, becoming nomadic tribes.
Teenagers, investigating the mysterious…whatever could go wrong? Solving the disappearing of several teenagers during the years, confronting a hungry entity, heralding the loss of old traditions…
Rudolf was acting suspicious again, sneaking away after lunch…. Jeffrey gathered some friends to follow the tracks of his weird brother! Arriving at a clearing in the woods they followed the tracks into a cave, finding some strange signs leading deeper inwards…. Entering the Machine Realm! Supporting the Workers Revolution, battling the clockwork menace, escaping through the Portal…
The steampunk city-state GOTHAM is surrounded by the Mythago Mists since the nineteenth century, when the veils between the three worlds were lifted. At that time the Wayne Estate founded the Scout Movement to protect the innocent.Many adventurous youngsters have joined the movement since then.
A year ago, five students investigated the Islands, never to return! Another newbie group investigated recently, coming back with wild stories At last , the bound spirits of the dead were released…
A strong reality storm passed Gotham , and afterwards the sky stayed both gloomy and stormy… The beacon of the lighthouse went out! A vengeful ghost haunted the lighthouse and had to be appeased by uncovering a murder… In the end the scouts decided to act as judge, jury and executioner After doing the deed, they found an old rowing boat in the cellar… They escaped with their lives this time!
Three Sisters of Our Lady performed a thourough exorcism and cleansing of the site. Months later, some teenagers were invited to visit the Lighthouse… What could go wrong? Junior was in her last stage of pregnancy, so Mom escorted her to mainland while Granny stayed at home, feeling not well. While Granny laid unconscious on her bed… The bright beam of the lighthouse showed in the distance a hulk approaching from the dark North…the White Ship crashed on the beach! With some luck the teenagers fended off the Undead Captain till reinforcement came!
What happens outside the bastion of Gotham, where the privileged kids play at being wannabe guardian angels? Several outcast banded together to create a safe space, becoming a cult. A delegation from mainstream society decided to investigate the cult, armed men in black arrived in the community. They convinced the cult-leaders to come to Area 51 for further negotiation. The compound was heavily guarded and fortified, and outside the perimeter were many hovels built by refugiees. The cult-leaders were given a tough choice: working under jurisdiction of the men in black, allowing the influx of refugees in the community, otherwise the cult would be hunt down as being heretic. In the end the cult-leaders complied, hoping to be able to keep their ideals within the new administration.
‘Mister Johnson’ delivered his instruction to some members of the vigilante ‘Guardian Angels’ who were aware ‘something’ weird changed in Gotham while most ‘normal’ people reacted as if ‘business as usual’. They evaded Clockwork Knights, entered Gotham Below to hunt the Evil Wizard Aleister. Investigating Gotham Below…the energy system is deteriorating, the lights are flickering… The situation became dire, the main engine room sounded the alarm! Run! There is the tunnel to the escape pod! While the mayor tried to escape he was tackled by the adventurers and fell overboard… They escaped Gotham Below!
Gotham bastion is under attack!
Another division of the vigilante ‘Guardian Angels’ confronted the invasion of clockwork birds. With the help of the Wayne Corporation and the Triads they were able to destroy the Thunderbird sky-castle. The high priestess fell down from the castle, but did she survive?
Gotham: Magick and Machines …meanwhile some adventurers who survived the mythago invasion gathered information on Leonardo automata“Da Vinci had the right idea but not the right materials” Visiting the library, they had some trouble with the janitors who resented their ‘disruptive’ discussion and research actions. With some luck they discovered interesting symbols in a book mentioning golems! They continued their research with visiting a Qabalist… “Erasing the magick symbols of a golem will destroy the entity” … The adventurers remembered using a portal to the netherworld for information. “Lets do this” … This time the portal delivered the adventurers to the realm of the MachineGod!A confusing realm with border-wars between automatons and mages…After some confrontations with automatons, the adventurers found their way to the regent of this place: Lady Mechanica! The Lady showed the way… … to a guarded portal! After a hectic combat the guardian was defeated, now the adventurers were free to return to Middle Earth!
A special team of ‘Guardian Angels’ escorting Lady Blackbird through the dense woods were ambushed by a storm of crossbow bolts! The scarecrow absorbed the bolts in his straw body… The tin man let the bolts bounce from his armour… Peter took flight, attacking the bandits from above… Alice started running to find a hiding place in the woods.. Our heroes succeeded in routing the bandits, but after the battle they discovered that the Lady disappeared during the confusion! Searching for the Lady, they found signs at a clearing further away: some trees blacked by lightning strikes, a few threads from a ladys cloak, hoof prints, it seemed the Lady fought the bandits valiantly … They followed the hoof prints: four ponies single file, the last one carrying a heavier load… After noon when the sun was already traveling to the west, our heroes arrived at an old guard tower and decided to make camp. Waning moon, cloudy sky hiding the stars, while a dark shadow approached the tower… Trying to fight the shadow, discovering that physical weapons just passed harmless through… The scarecrow channeled Gaia’s life-giving force and chased the enemy away! After dawn our heroes continued following the trails… Look! An old castle! It seems there are no living souls around, only a murder of crows were circling around…. Using a Swiss knife, the Tin Man unlocked the front door easily! Our heroes proceeded through the mead hall. Peter used at last his artifact to detect the Lady’s whereabout: we must go down into the dungeon… Unlocking a barred door: we found her! While our heroes unchained the Lady, a large bell sounded the alarm…. ‘Who dares to disturb my rest?’ “Run, you fools!” Scarecrows took his last stand, while our heroes escaped with the Lady!
Lady Mechanica’s letter to the Guardian Angels vigilantes:
We need your support! Sometimes the world goes black and white. And everything seems to flicker almost imperceptibly, like a strobe light flashing faster than the eye can register. When the Flicker Effect starts, strange things often happen. They may be subtle or they may be screamingly obvious. But they usually involve some intrusion, arriving out of nowhere, from the alternate realms. The balance between Law and Chaos is disturbed, technology fails while magic runs rampart! Remember the influx of refugees from the Oasis some time ago? They escaped the Men in Black, but lost two important artefacts of Law during their flight. Find the Cog and Compass and bring it to my Bastion to enforce the rule of Law!
Letter from ‘Archangel’ Bruce:
Situation at the border is very tense, the Legionnaires are still holding the bridge over the Raging Waters, but the skirmishes between tribes and bandits might become open warfare anytime! We cannot send a large detachment, that will escalate the situation, we will send some scouts instead.
On the road they went Crowbane the clockwork scarecrow Marq the hunter Delph the technomancer…
Following the refugee trail, our heroes approached the tribal camp to consult the medicine man:
What you seek is at the old ruin!
Later they supported the running battle between the tribes and the bandits: many times the bandits gunshots fizzled while the tribal arrows found their mark! While the tribes chased the retreating bandits, the adventurers were able to cross the battlefield safely until they saw the old ruin! Entering the ruin, descending in the confusing maze below, confronting the demons at the portals, our heroes retrieved two artefacts for Lady Mechanica!
One strike in the battle of Law against Chaos, the Reality Wars will continue in another saga….
The air was thick with anticipation as the Dire Oracle, a sleek mechanical bird with razor-sharp wings and glowing crimson eyes, soared over the sprawling cityscape of Gotham. Its wings hummed with arcane energy, the faint sound of gears and cogs whispering as it glided through the air. Below, the city of Gotham sprawled in a chaotic tapestry of towers and shadowy alleys, where danger lurked in every corner.
The Oracle circled the skyline once before descending swiftly toward the hidden headquarters of the “Guardian Angels,” an elite team of vigilantes sworn to protect Gotham from its endless onslaught of corruption and madness. The bird’s descent ended at a forgotten temple, its steeple cracked and worn, blending seamlessly with the decaying architecture of Gotham’s underbelly.
Inside the sanctuary, the Angels were gathered. There was Victor “Ironclad” Kane, the team’s heavy-hitter, his clockwork arms whirring as he polished his arsenal of weapons. Lila “Shadowveil” Morgan, the stealth operative, leaned against a stained-glass window, her face partially obscured by a hood. Beside her sat Elijah “Cipher” Reyes, the mentat, his fingers dancing across a map of the city’s grid, tracking movements in his mind.
The Dire Oracle perched on a stone altar, its eyes glowing brighter as it relayed Lady Mechanica’s chilling message in her metallic, melodic voice:
“Chaos is coming to Gotham. Be prepared to take action.”
Victor frowned, his mechanical hand clenching into a fist. “Lady Mechanica doesn’t send warnings lightly. If she’s seen chaos, then we’ve got a storm brewing.”
Shadowveil’s voice was calm but edged with concern. “We need to identify the source of this chaos. Cipher, can you cross-reference recent disturbances?”
Cipher nodded, his mind visualising display spikes of activity across Gotham. “There’s a pattern here. Strange disappearances near Arkham, explosions in the clockwork district, and sightings of strange creatures. Could be connected.”
Victor glanced at Shadowveil and Cipher, his expression grim. “This smells like the work of the Lugh brotherhood. They’ve been quiet too long.”
Shadowveil adjusted her hood. “Then we don’t have much time. We need to find out what they’re planning and stop it.”
Suddenly, the Oracle’s eyes flickered again, and it spoke a single, cryptic phrase:
“Beware the hands that guide the storm. Time is your enemy.”
The team exchanged glances, the weight of the warning settling in the air. Outside, thunder rolled, as if punctuating the Oracle’s ominous words.
To be continued…
Gotham tales: Trouble at the Village
After the Dire Oracle warning, Gotham ‘Guardian Angels’ scouts were sent to investigate the Village: Some years after the men in black destroyed the hippy oase, it was rebuild by Asian refugees. A distant relative of the leading scout went missing after investigating rumours about chaos incursions! His abandoned shack was as invested by many rats… The scouts found his heirloom imperial army knife while witnessing a shade appearing shortly! Hearing rumours in the village, it seemed the lost relative had the reputation being a crazy old man who hunted in the Forbidden Forest. At the wasteland outside the village lived the untouchable outcast, the last hippy survivors… Most of them showed signs of malign mutations, caused by weird weapons! One of the survivors showed the hunting trail of the missing person, it went straight into the Forbidden Forest… Follow the trail till you see the Royal Tree! Look behind the tree to find the entrance to the World Below….Our heroes went into the World Below, followed the Labyrinth path and found the body of the lost hunter… Ambush! Death rained from above!
Surviving the ambush, confronting clockwork servitors… Run!
Escaping the servitors, returning to the surface world…
The village council decided to seal the entrance to the World Below: ‘let the clockwork servitors and the alien monsters destroy each other’
The aftermath of the ambush lingered in the minds of the Guardian Angels. The body of the lost hunter had been retrieved, his legacy forever tarnished by the horrors of the World Below. Yet questions gnawed at the council and the scouts alike — if the entrance was sealed, what would happen when the war between clockwork servitors and alien monsters reached its bloody conclusion? What if they sought new paths to the surface?
A week passed. The village simmered with unease. Rats swarmed through alleys and crept into homes, their beady eyes gleaming with strange intelligence. Whispered tales of shifting shadows in the Forbidden Forest spread like wildfire, and the scent of ozone clung to the air — the unmistakable mark of eldritch energy.
A scout who had narrowly escaped the labyrinth ambush, was haunted by strange dreams. Awoke one night drenched in sweat, the hunter’s voice echoing in her ears: *The Royal Tree bleeds sap of time… Find the way back, or all worlds will unravel.*
The village council dismissed visions as remnants of trauma, but the scouts knew better. Dreams were often prophetic, even if their meaning was cloaked in riddles.
Guided by intuition, the scouts slipped away under the cover of night. They headed toward the Forbidden Forest, where the Royal Tree loomed like a silent sentinel against the chaos beyond.
The tree’s bark shimmered with golden veins that pulsed faintly in the moonlight. At its base, they found a fresh fracture in the earth, glimmering with unnatural energy. The council’s seal had failed. The gate to the World Below had reopened.
“We can’t go back empty-handed. If we don’t stop this now, Gotham will burn.”
“Then we go in — not to fight monsters, but to find the key that locks this place forever.”
As they descended once more into the Labyrinth, faint metallic echoes greeted them. The servitors were still active, their gears grinding with malevolent purpose. But this time, something else moved within the shadows — a writhing mass of obsidian tendrils, pulsing with violet light.
“The alien monsters”
“We split them apart. Let their war continue while we find the core.”
. “And if we can’t?”
“Then Gotham won’t be the only place to fall.”
The shadows thickened around them, gears whirred, and violet light seared the darkness. The final descent had begun.
Koganemura is a remote farming village, populated by refugees banished from Gotham. Its people have lived modestly, growing rice and raising livestock in relative peace. However, recent unrest has left smaller villages like Koganemura vulnerable to chaos incursions. The villagers have nobody to protect them. Hearing of vigilante ‘Guardian Angels’ from Gotham, they have pooled their meager resources to seek aid.
While many vigilante Guardian Angels fought the Reality Storm incursions in the wilderness outside Gotham, the Administration took power by announcing Martial Law ‘to fight the ‘enemy within’ : aliens,criminals, crooks, counterculture, genderbending, heresy, outlaws, vagrants. All vigilante groups were outlawed! The Guardian Angels went underground to organise resistance.
A covert team went to the night market for information. … It was more busy than usual: buying and selling, gossiping, meeting people. A few groups were clustering together: burly construction workers, scarred corps students, colourful ladies of the night. … The workers were angry because their union was disbanded , the students were upset because one of their outspoken spokesmen was arrested, the ladies were complaining of police harassment. …
Talking with several groups, the covert team discovered mister Johnson, a secret police member, lurking around!
… The ladies shared some pillow-talk information about the place where the student was held: Arkham!
Using their black market connections, the covert team was able to get some police uniforms to infiltrate the Asylum, while the workers and the students combined their actions: While the students organized a riot downtown, attracting a strong respons from the police, the workers attacked the Asylum! .. Using the distraction of the riots, the covert team was able to infiltrate the Asylum and delivering the prisoner: it was the grandson of Triad leader Wang! … The team was invited at the Triad headquarters to receive great honors: food, drink and gold! They agreed to undertake another mission, to take a special group of six secret police operators into custody. … The ladies of the night provided some information about the whereabouts of the operators: a large single safehouse at a vacant spot in the middle of Crime Alley. … Infiltrating the safehouse, they surprised the operators while conducting a ritual: six persons stood chanting around an altar where a dense smoke came out of a cauldron. Immediately a grand melee ensued! Blades flashing, shots flying around, a smoke bomb went off! One by one the operators fell down, the smoke cleared…. At the centre of the cauldron a smoke pillar was condensing into a human-like shape, that immediately started attacking our heroes! Using the demonbane charm and lightning staff , they were able to banish the demon. Our heroes were victorious…for now!
Triad leader Wang requested a team of vigilante Gotham ‘Guardian Angels” : “The Authority organized a razzia against our community, capturing several children from important businessmen. Please help us to free the children!” … MacSweeney’s bar was a known hangout for mercenaries, the perfect place to find information! Chatting with a talkative militiaman, the vigilantes discovered important details: Twenty very young children were held at detention camp Blackgate Island, together with af few Sisters of Our Lady The waters around the Island was infested by alligators, while the camp was surrounded by a fence with guarded watchtowers. … The vigilantes negotiated with the leader of the Sisters of Our Lady , to organize combined action: while the Sisters of Our Lady , would start a rioting demonstration in the city, the vigilantes would infiltrate the camp. … New moon, cloudy starless night , perfect timing for action! … Commandeering a fishing boat, the vigilantes were able to approach the Island unseen. The alligators were already neutralized with poisoned meat! Observing the Island: large barbed wire fence, six guarded watchtowers, single sentry patrolling each half hour. Using the small window of opportunity, the sharpshooter neutralized two guarded towers, while the infiltrator cut through the fence. Just in time to put down the returning sentry! The infiltrator hid the body and took his uniform to keep appearances of patrolling. Now the vigilantes were able to free the prisoners, twenty young childrend and four women. Warding off the rest of the alarmed sentries, the escape was made! After a short while sailing they were chased by The Fluyt ! The vigilantes tried to evade to the rocky shallows but struck a rock… ‘Beach the boat, take cover, “Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes!” While gunshots and arrows were flying, the infiltrator was able to ambush the enemy commander. As soon the commander was down, the enemy morale broke down, the mercenaries fled. … At last our heroes were able to escape with the women and children to safety!
Gotham tales beyond the city
The Village was populated by refugees banished from Gotham, recent unrest has left them vulnerable to chaos incursions. Hearing of vigilante ‘Guardian Angels’ from Gotham, they have pooled their meager resources to seek aid.
…
Clan MacDonald already decreed many oppressive laws against ‘the enemy within’ :’illigal aliens’, vagrants, ‘vigilantes’, etcetera. Several ‘Guardian Angels’ felt it was wise to leave the city and take refuge in the Village. … Arriving at the Village, gathering information…
… After the arrival of many refugees from Gotham, the Village has become too crowded: too many people, not enough food! To make matter worse, many rats were investing the fields, destroying the crops. … The alchemist brewed some rat poison to scatter between the crops. Many rats died indeed, but the corvids that ate the cadavers also died!
… Dissecting some corvids, the alchemist discovered some warpstone contamination! This same contamination was also found in the Broken Hills, where the mutants live. … According to legends, a star fell down in the Broken Hills; amidst the wreckage was a stunned firedemon thas immediately was bound and inprisoned in the caves under the Great Tree in the forest. … Investigating the sealed cave: The seal was broken from inside outwards, the demon has escaped! … Entering the cave: Finding some skeletons, apparently remnants of cultist. What killed the cultist? Finding a cultist journal, reading a scribbled note in the margin ‘we need the Cog and Compass’ … Descending in the mazes of the cave, encountering large poisonous mushrooms and giant spiders! Narrowly escaping monsters and mechanical traps, finding a secret room with the clockwork engine that operated the security system. The Alchemist was able to communicate with the clockwork, ensuring safe travel through the maze! … Our heroes escaped the maze to return safely to the Village, knowing that the firedemon was roaming in the world!
‘Mister Johnson’ delivered his instruction to some members of the vigilante ‘Guardian Angels’ who were aware ‘something’ weird changed in Gotham while most ‘normal’ people reacted as if ‘business as usual’. “sometimes the world goes black and white and everything seems to flicker, like a strobe light flashing just faster than the eye can register…When the Flicker Effect starts, strange things often happen. They may be subtle or they may be screamingly obvious, but they usually involve some intrusion, arriving out of nowhere, from the alternate realms”
…some weird sightings …:
Clusters of clouds gathering as if having a conference. Dreams manifesting on the rooftops. A statue of goddess Elektra.
Mechanical birds
Mannikins with pointy hats and sharp swords parading fashion district …some rumours about Gotham Below..: An ancient cult practicing dark rituals. Disappearing cats. Chaotic plumbing. A stargate.… Tricky Shib, Shining Azoth, Arty Cassy, Kiddo Ralph gathered at their Treehouse in the park. Suddenly ‘something’ crashed on top of the tree! Shib shape changed into cat to investigate and found a vaguely flickering humanoid person, but as soon as he touched the person, it fell down the tree. It seemed unharmed but unconscious! After some care, the person came by… ‘I Rhl fell down from the Heavens because an evil wizard bound me with his summoning!’ The person was still very confused, difficult to understand. After a while it wandered off, singing to a magic egg in its hands, at last it started fading into distance. Following its trail, passing an old woman sitting at a street corner.. Asking her for information, receiving some small blessings and a gift… Now Arty Cassy carried the Magic egg! Looking for more clues, joining an Free Mason information meeting… ‘Aleister the wicked is hiding in Gotham Below!” … Leaving the gathering, walking on the streets, suddenly burning paper lanterns fell down! Fleeing the fire, going to the market, where a squad of Mannikins with pointy hats and sharp swords were parading… A lone mechanical bird flew down to a Mannikin and started twittering in its ear. Suddenly the Mannikin pointed their swords in the direction of the investigators… Melee and total chaos! … Surviving the battle, continuing looking for clues in the library, finding a vague reference about a legendary hidden Stargate. … Decyphering the clues, finding and entering the gate… Into Gotham Below! The lights are failing, what’s wrong with the Generator? Several workers are busy fixing cables and turning the wheels… “Och, the engines cannae take it Captain!” Steam and sparks escaping from the machines… ‘Where is the mayor?’
The investigators went searching for the mayor at his office, but it seemed he left ! “Lets go back to the Gate!” “It is not there anymore!” “Quick, maybe there is some more information at the Library!” Department ancient historical maps: “Here, at the other side of this place, a hidden gate” The lights are dimming fast, heavy tremors shake the buildings… “Run!” “Look! Somebody opened the hidden gate!” A long corridor ending at an underground river… “Quick! He escapes with the boat” Charging the boat about to escape, grappling with the Mayor… He fell overboard while the boat sped up downriver!
At last the adventurer escaped, but where did they end up?
Some refugees from the Haven met again at Gotham
Esther ‘the Strange’, Gabriella ‘the Aeronaut’, Ralph ‘ the Tinker’, Justin ‘the Clown’… a bunch of misfits that bonded because of common dreaming Paradise Lost
Words on the streets: the teenage vigilante group ‘Guardian Angels’ disappeared a month ago, what happened?
According to rumours, the vigilantes went missing during the hunt on spooks in the woods.
Any threat that was able to destroy these vigilantes, made other gangs very nervous also!
Gathering information in the slums, they convinced vagrant John to show them the last known ‘Guardian Angel Treehouse’.
Graffiti on the wall confirmed the location!
The house apparently had been used by squatters: broken windows and door outside, terrible amount of garbage and offal inside… Surprise! A vintage carpet in the centre of the room, hiding a secret trapdoor! Neutralising some hidden sigils, unlocking the trapdoor, going down a spiral staircase, entering a long corridor with warding sigils… Discovering a savage tribe!
Gabrielle made an impressive entrance with spread wings and some firework support from the Clown: instant shock and awe, chasing the tribe away!
Following the trail, arriving at a guarded bridge, paying the toll…
Entering a mysterious room, looking at three paintings: past-present-future!
The futuristic painting drew them into another place…
A room with several alien prison cells, containing several teenage vigilante ‘Guardian Angels’!
While the adventurers were liberating the vigilantes, they heard ominous footsteps approaching ….
Esther prepared her sigils, Justin lit his fireworks…
The explosion halted the monster!
Escaping the monster, the adventurers escorted the vigilantes through the underground maze… Discovering a gate, but how does it work?
Justin found a loophole in the timetravel-paradox:
‘This is a time/space gate we can walk through to our own time, there we can write a letter to ourself how to do this, then we return to this place to hide the letter here to find it now!’
It worked in a way…
‘We are back, but what happened really? Who abducted the vigilantes? Why? Who created the gate? ‘
Honora the Guardian escorted Bondi to a new save haven:
Bondi remembered a friend mentioning a safe space at The Sisters of Our Lady:
‘Ask for Sister Margareth!
On the road you will see the ruins of the war rumoured to hide many artefacts of the old times but also invested by several gangs.
Beyond that are the hunting grounds of the Mohawk who are at war with the Authority’s Vigilante Corps.
Avoid the main road!’
They decided to avoid the ruins… …cursed by fire from Heaven during the War… At the sight of the ruins in the distance, Bondi remembered nightmares of the battles… A road block…
Bondi and Honora tried to escape through the woods, but a couple of the thugs followed their trail… Confrontation at the ford: one thug down, one fleeing away to call reinforcements!
Evading the thugs, our heroes arrived at a Mohawk warcamp…
Using sign language, Honora started a palaver with the war-chief.
Apparently they had a very ill tribe-member.
Bondi offered some healing…
Looking at the patient, they discovered some bite marks As soon as Bondi put her holy symbol on the patient’s head, he started twitching as if having a seizure, apparently a vampiric infestation! They had to put the patient down…
The tribe was grateful for the help and were willing to listen to our heroes
Honora warned the tribe of approaching bandits…
Within an hour the tribe went packing!
Our heroes continued their journey, while they heard the sounds of a distant battle…
Did the tribe confronted the bandits or the vigilantes?
Escaping through the woods, arriving at a clearing… They found some traces of a boy scout party that recently made camp at this place:
Scattered teenage clothing, as if just lest behind!
Almost nightfall, time to rest.
Honora decided to take watch most of the time…
A sneak attack from behind…
The attacker already tried to put its claws around Honora’s neck, but was surprised by the opponent’s martial skill!
In a smooth move Honora grabbed the monster’s arm and threw it to the ground, following up with a quick axe swing through its neck!
After neutralising the monster, our heroes investigated the mystery of the vanishing boy-scouts, wondering what happened here.. Suddenly Sister Margareth appeared!
Hearing the song, the traveled wondered what would lay ahead.
Random thoughts: When they came for yours, you had the plan, the escape route already mapped… You may never reach a promised land, like the one you tell stories about, but you’ll find a home, if you can make it one… When things started to get bad, you knew whose side you needed to be on… You couldn’t stay where you were, could never spread your wings there
The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name. The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth. The named is the mother of ten thousand things. Ever desireless, one can see the mystery. Ever desiring, one can see the manifestations. These two spring from the same source but differ in name; this appears as darkness. Darkness within darkness. The gate to all mystery.
Collapse of civilization didn’t happen everywhere at the same time, it’s happening in waves. Every day, more people fall out of the society. … For some reason we thought the collapse was going to hit everybody at the same time. But nothing happens like that: neatly, evenly. … Gangs roam the apocalyptic wasteland, and scarcity is becoming the norm. T he world is getting scarier, and just beyond our everyday perception, howling and hungry, there exists a psychic maelstrom. … Apocalypse is only a distant nightmare for the privileged, a cautionary tale about what might happen to them if they should fall from the master’s arms. You’d be surprised what one of those people would do to keep their society intact. Avery Alder
What happens outside the bastion of Gotham, where the privileged kids play at being wannabe guardian angels?
Several outcast banded together to create a safe space More than ever before, each is responsible for the survival and fate of community.
Let us look at one of the communities in the broken lands: Some tents clustered around a market nearby the sea in the east, in the south the great gathering tent, in the west the permaculture garden.
Free spirits trying to adapt to barren world, how would this work out? Some people try to gather surplus for the future, others prefer to celebrate life every time there is more than needed at the moment…
Spook, the Stitcher worked on creating a channel between the market and the sea, making a desalinisation system to transform seawater into grey water for the garden. Because the channel crossed the path between the gathering tent and the market, the organizers of the market and the gatherings protested strongly.
… The community was in disarray, when a Mohawk chief came with two horse warriors to demand tribute. Angler the Hawker tried to negotiate, but the chief was not satisfied. While the negotiation was going on, Spook sneaked up on the chief and backstabbed him! The horse warriors retreated immediately, not knowing that Spook also sabotaged their saddles to breakdown after a few hours riding.
Azure kept on shouting his prophecy, convincing Noni the Torch to spread the message. … An apocalyptic cult formed with Azure as prophet and Noni as leader, influencing a few tribes in the neighbourhood, even some Mohawk clans!
… A delegation from mainstream society decided to investigate the cult, armed men in black arrived in the community. They convinced the cult-leaders to come to Area 51 for further negotiation. The compound was heavily guarded and fortified, and outside the perimeter were many hovels built by refugiees. The cult-leaders were given a tough choice: working under jurisdiction of the men in black, allowing the influx of refugees in the community, otherwise the cult would be hunt down as being heretic. In the end the cult-leaders complied, hoping to be able to keep their ideals within the new administration.
After Haven fell to the Men in Gray, diaspora began…
Continuing their journey, they heard the pursuit of the Hoods nearby…
CRASH!
They continued their research with visiting a 
The Lady showed the way…
After a hectic combat the guardian was defeated, now the adventurers were free to return to Middle Earth!
After the passing of the parade, the vigilantes went to the streets..
Investigating the temple, looking at the four 
Looking at the amber eyes, one of the kids tried to steal one..
The caretaker of the place provided them the clue to speak with 
Meeting the Elder of the 
The vigilantes escaped with their lives while the explosion went off…
Look behind the tree to find the entrance to the World Below….Our heroes went into the World Below, followed the Labyrinth path and found the body of the lost hunter…
Run!
…some rumours about Gotham Below..:
…
Suddenly ‘something’ crashed on top of the tree!
Following its trail, passing an old woman sitting at a street corner..
Asking her for information, receiving some small blessings and a gift…
Fleeing the fire, going to the market, where a squad of Mannikins with pointy hats and sharp swords were parading…
The lights are failing, what’s wrong with the Generator? 
“Och, the engines cannae take it Captain!”
Department ancient historical maps:
“Quick! He escapes with the boat”
Surprise! A vintage carpet in the centre of the room, hiding a secret trapdoor!
Neutralising some hidden sigils, unlocking the trapdoor, going down a spiral staircase, entering a long corridor with warding sigils…
Discovering a savage tribe!
Gabrielle made an impressive entrance with spread wings and some firework support from the Clown: instant shock and awe, chasing the tribe away!
Entering a mysterious room, looking at three paintings: past-present-future!
They decided to avoid the ruins…
…cursed by fire from Heaven during the War…
At the sight of the ruins in the distance, Bondi remembered nightmares of the battles…
A road block…
Confrontation at the ford: one thug down, one fleeing away to call reinforcements!
As soon as Bondi put her holy symbol on the patient’s head, he started twitching as if having a seizure, apparently a vampiric infestation!
They had to put the patient down…
They found some traces of a boy scout party that recently made camp at this place:
Suddenly Sister 
Dreamquest 
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