Table Of Content

Locations: Hellsgate TM Written by MATT RIGGSBY Additional Rules by JASON “PK” LEVINE Edited by JASON “PK” LEVINE Illustrated by THOMAS BAXA, GUY BURWELL, STORN COOK, ED NORTHCOTT, and MATT RIGGSBY An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS® STEVE JACKSON GAMES ® Stock#37-1413 Version1.0–June2012 C ONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . 3 DangerousBooks .............10 RACIALTEMPLATES ...........19 HellsgateStats.................3 LifeoftheMind..............10 NewMeta-Trait: UsingGURPSMassCombat ....3 MAPOFHELLSGATE .............11 HellsgateDemon ...........19 AbouttheAuthor..............3 Demonling...................19 2. GAZETTEER . . . . . . . . 12 CommonDemon .............19 1. WELCOME TO NOTABLELOCATIONS ..........12 GreaterDemon...............20 HELLSGATE. . . . . . . . . 4 RimWall....................12 LostSoul....................20 TheCrateranditsEnvirons .....4 FireGarden..................12 NOTABLEDEMONS............20 BonePalace .................12 HISTORY ....................4 Eaaraz......................20 StrangeFruit.................13 BrogoginOverthrown ..........5 Hundred-Cuts................21 Anticathedral ................14 TheSacredLeagueLaysSiege...5 Shamshah...................21 CabalistHives................15 HellsgateToday ...............5 DiabolicGuard...............22 TheFont ....................15 RESIDENTS ..................6 COLORFULCHARACTERS .......22 ThePerpetualArena ..........15 Demons......................6 DuchessYvetteduPaschal.....23 LostSouls....................6 COMMONLOCATIONS ..........15 HurictheDwarf..............23 HouseoftheFourClaws.......15 Monsters.....................6 JuntalaPahwar...............23 BoneCross ..................16 HumansandSimilarFolk.......6 KnakkatheAssassin ..........24 OntheMenu.................16 GOVERNMENT,INDUSTRY, SisterFaZinTsu .............25 StreetofExchangers ..........16 TheLateElewaibnZuri.......25 ANDTRADE ...............7 DeepForge ..................17 TheDemonicCabal............7 PaschalTower ...............17 4. CAMPAIGNS . . . . . . . . 26 Hell’sKitchen..................8 HouseoftheSkinnedBrothers .17 UsingHellsgate...............26 TheDevil’sEconomics..........8 LibraryoftheDead ...........17 CustomizingtheCity..........27 DAILYLIFE ..................9 ShadowStreet ...............18 AdventureSeeds..............27 Architecture ..................9 JaggedLanding...............18 FoodandClothing.............9 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 AmusementsandSpectacles....10 3. CHARACTERS . . . . . . . 19 WealthandStatus ............19 About GURPS SteveJackson Games is committed to full support of Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at GURPS players. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much 18957,Austin,TX78760.Pleaseincludeaself-addressed, more. To discuss GURPS with our staff and your fellow stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! gamers, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. The We can also be reached by e-mail: [email protected]. webpageforGURPSLocations:Hellsgatecanbefoundat Resourcesinclude: gurps.sjgames.com/hellsgate. Bibliographies.Manyofourbookshaveextensivebib- Newsupplementsandadventures.GURPScontinuesto liographies,andwe’reputtingthemonline–withlinksto grow–seewhat’snewatgurps.sjgames.com. let you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adven- book’swebpageandlookforthe“Bibliography”link. tures, play aids, and support in PDF form . . . digital Errata.Everyonemakesmistakes,includingus–butwe copiesofourbooks,plusexclusivematerialavailableonly doourbesttofixourerrors.Up-to-dateerratapagesforall one23!Justheadovertoe23.sjgames.com. GURPSreleases,includingthisbook,areavailableonour Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). Our monthly PDF website–seeabove. magazineincludesnewrulesandarticlesforGURPS,sys- temless locations, adventures, and much more. Look for Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the eachthemedissuefrome23! GURPSBasicSet,FourthEdition.Pagereferencesthatbegin withBrefertothatbook,notthisone. GURPSSystemDesign(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON ArtDirector(cid:2)SAMUELMITSCHKE e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH ProductionArtist&Indexer(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS MarketingDirector(cid:2)MONICAVALENTINELLI ManagingEditor(cid:2)PHILIPREED PrepressChecker(cid:2)MONICASTEPHENS DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON AssistantGURPSLineEditor(cid:2)––– PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand GURPSFAQMaintainer(cid:2)––––––– JASON“PK”LEVINE JUSTINDEWITT VICKY“MOLOKH”KOLENKO C 2 ONTENTS I NTRODUCTION Centuriesago,avolcaniceruptioninanall-but-uninhabited A A BOUT THE UTHOR patch of desert brought up something more than smoke and lava.Whenthecloudsofashsettled,thecenterofthevolcano MattRiggsbyistrainedinanthropologyandarchaeologybut was occupied by the rudiments of a new city . . . one of an nowworksforthemedicaldivisionofalargecorporation.Inhis unsavorycharacter.ThiswasHellsgate,acityruledbydemons sparetime,helivesasarecluseinahousebuiltgenerationsago, –refugeesfromunderworldwars.Toofarfrom withhiswife,son,andseveralfriendlybutnotverybrightdogs. civilization to be challenged, it grew into a centerofmagicaltradeandadestinationfor cultistsanddesperatetravelersalike. Hellsgate Stats Hellsgate is a mid-sized city in a place wherenocityhasbusinessbeing.Itcansup- Population:76,000(Search+2) portlittlepermanentimmigration,butmost of its inhabitants are effectively immortal Physical and Magical Environment andunabletoleave.Thecityisfullofmagic, Terrain:Desert butit’smagicwithadarktingetoit.Despite Appearance:Ugly(-2) Hygiene:-1 existing in the mortal world, it is imbued HighMana(CommonEnchantment) withtheessenceoftheunderworld,andthe demonsandsoulsofthedeadwhomakeup Culture and Economy the majority of the population live there as thoughitweretheafterlife. Language:Demontongue Literacy:Accented Dependingonone’sperspective,thecityis TL:4 either“free”or“lawless.”Itsrulersplacefew Wealth:Comfortable(¥2) Status:-1to3 restrictions on inhabitants and welcome Political Environment newcomers, who are usually desperate and therefore easily corrupted and exploited. Government:Dictatorship However,theymakeabrutalgameofjustice, CR:2(Corruption-1) punishinganyoneonawhim.Forpermanent MilitaryResources:$1.216M DefenseBonus:+9 residents, Hellsgate is either a prison or respitefromthewarsofHell.Forvisitors,it Notes isequalpartsdesireanddanger. Searchmodifieris+3foranykindofesotericknowledge,and+4for GURPS Locations: Hellsgate presents a anything related to demons (e.g., demonic lore or diabolical artifacts). complete description of the city and its Manyareasofthecityhaveaspectedmana.Theentirecityislowsanctity, inhabitants, including new racial templates withsomeareasofnosanctity. forthedemonsandlostsouls,andfullchar- actersheetsforimportantandcolorfulNPCs. Using GURPS Mass Combat Itissuitableforuseinanyfantasygamethat could benefit from a little piece of Hell on Duetothecity’sunusualpopulation(Residents,p. 6),thecityisremark- Earth. Adventurers can stumble across ablydefensible.Duringasiege(only),dividethenumberofdemonsandlost Hellsgateontheirtravelsorvisititintention- soulsby20,insteadof50,todeterminehowmanyelementsmaybepressed ally to acquire forbidden items or lore. intoservice.Usethestandardrulesformortalresidents. Thoughitmayqualifyasthemostevilcityin LostsoulsareMediumInfantrywithmostlyBasicequipmentandInfe- theworldbysomestandards,it’sstableand riorquality(thoughsomearebetter);theircasualtiesmaybereplacedat openenoughforagrouptovisitandexplore 10 times the normal rate. Most demons should be treated as Super-Sol- . . .thoughatconsiderablerisk. diers,withaminimumofGoodequipmentandGoodquality.Someofthe So is Hellsgate an opportunity for the larger,morepowerfuldemonsareinsteadtheequivalentofOgres,Giants, daringorastainontheworld?Subtlefoeor and(inoneortwocases)GiantMonsters. friendtobekeptatarm’slength?That’sup toyou. Reviewers:MicheleArmelliniandRogerBurtonWest GURPS,Warehouse23,andtheall-seeingpyramidareregisteredtrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Pyramid,Hellsgate,e23,andthenamesofallproducts publishedbySteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedareregisteredtrademarksortrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated,orusedunderlicense. GURPSLocations:Hellsgateiscopyright©2012bySteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Allrightsreserved. Thescanning,uploading,anddistributionofthismaterialviatheInternetorviaanyothermeanswithoutthepermissionofthepublisherisillegal, andpunishablebylaw.Pleasepurchaseonlyauthorizedelectroniceditions,anddonotparticipateinorencourage theelectronicpiracyofcopyrightedmaterials.Yoursupportoftheauthor’srightsisappreciated. I 3 NTRODUCTION C O HAPTER NE W ELCOME TO H ELLSGATE Hellsgateislocatedfarfromanymajorcitiesorkingdoms, aroundtheupperrimofthecrater.Withinthewalls,theland inanareaconsiderednearlyuninhabitable.Insomeways,this is extensively built up, a stark contrast with the completely is fortunate, as most people think of it as a distant place of undeveloped land outside. However, there are many deep malevolent influence, rather than as an immediate threat. cracks in the ground too wide to be paved over, so the net- Despitebeinginsuchaninhospitableenvironment,Hellsgate workofstreetsisstitchedtogetherbyshortbridges.Mostare supportsalarge,remarkablydiversepopulation. made of stone and reinforced with heavy chains, providing them with a bit of flexibility against occasional tremors. T C Somecracksexposepatchesofundergroundlava,theheatof HE RATER whichisharnessedforindustrialuse;seeDeepForge(p. 17) E foroneextremeexample. AND ITS NVIRONS Thehomesoftheleastprominentresidentsarejustbehind Hellsgate sits on the western edge of a region of volcanic thewalls.Prestigeincreasesasonegoesdownhill,withtheseat peaksandcratersabout20milesacross.Thelandrisestoward of government at the very bottom of the crater. Gardens and the center of the region, with several peaks much higher than courtyardsarefewandfarbetween,mostlyaroundorwithin Hellsgate’srim,thoughnonedirectlyoverlookthecity.Theland demonicpalaces. to the east of the volcanic region is predominantly steppe-like Fortheresidentdemons,themostimportantaspectofthe plains,whiletothewest(closesttoHellsgateitself)isdesert.The city’s geography is its innate Hellishness. Demons cannot be surroundingterritoryislightlypopulatedwithsmallfarmingvil- banishedfromit!TheycanbesummonedfromHellsgateand lages and nomadic herdsmen; the nearest town worthy of the banished back to it, however. They can be banished (back to nameisover100milesawaytothenorthwest. Hellsgate) if they are outside of the city. The settlement also The immediate area around the crater is essentially unin- supports unearthly flora and mystical processes which could habited and uncultivated, though some of the city’s residents notexistelsewhereinthemortalworld. mayhuntorgatherwildfoodsthere;ifusingthesurvivalrules The region has warm, dry climate. Summers are very hot from GURPS Low-Tech Companion 3, the region counts as duringtheday,thoughtemperaturesdropoffsharplyatnight. VeryPoor.Fortunately,mostinhabitantsdon’tneedtoeat.The Winters are cool, but rarely dip below freezing. Precipitation groundisrockyandsteep,madefromsandyblacksoilfullof usually comes as brief but violent thunderstorms, which are lumpsofcooledlavaandjaggedshardsofobsidian.Lavapipes inconvenientinthecityandfrequentlycausesuddenfloodsin provide numerous hiding places for the area’s indigenous lowareasaroundit.However,there’snotnearlyenoughrainto fauna–andcansheltertravelersaswell. supportmorethansmall,thornyshrubsandotherdesertveg- The city itself occupies the inside of a volcanic crater etation.Ironically,theclimateinthecityproperisabitmilder three-quartersofamileacrossatitswidestpoint.Aportion than that of the surrounding region. During the summer, of the southeastern wall of the crater collapsed long before shadefromthecraterwallsshiftsthroughoutthedaytocool the city was formed, giving the available space a lopsided differentareasofthecity,andlavajustunderthesurfacepro- U-shape.Thelimitsofthecityaremarkedbyadefensivewall videsnaturalheatingduringcoldseasons. H ISTORY Several centuries ago, the demon lord Brogogin, Duke of Brogogin’spalace,anumberofotherdemonicresidences,and theBleedingThorns,founditselfonthelosingsideofoneof thedemonsandlostsoulsinhabitingthem–arosefromanout- Hell’sendlesswars.Withseveralpowerfulenemiesclosingin, pouring of smoke and lava during a minor volcanic eruption. itdecidedtoflee.Brogoginwasnotthefirstdemontoescape Thevolcanosubsidedwithunnaturalspeed,andthedemons tothemortalworld,butforitsexile,itdidsomethingnearly set about surveying their new surroundings and stabilizing unique:ItbroughtapieceofHellintothematerialworld,in theirnewhome. a stable, persistent way. The core of a city – consisting of W H 4 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE Brogogin’splanwastowaitoutthecurrentconflict,amatter Thewarresultedinfewchangesaroundthecity.Thewalls of a mere century or two. It would spend the time gathering were raised and reinforced, particularly around the gateway, powerandsendingspiesbacktotheunderworldfromitsnew andthreemembersofthecabalwereeitherkilledinthefight- refuge, then strike at its enemies when the time was right. ingorassassinated,butlittleelsewasaltered,eitherphysically Duringthattime,Hellsgatewasafocusofsuperstitiousdread or politically. In the outside world, the Sacred League fell to forthewidelyscatteredmortalresidentsoftheregion.Brogogin squabbling,anditsleaderswerediscredited.Itsmembers,who andhisfollowersoccasionallyhuntedthemforsport,butonce included most of the nations closest to Hellsgate, adopted a they had determined that the region contained no meaningful policy of avoiding entanglement with the city rather than threatstothem,forthemostparttheyignoredanythingbeyond activelyseekingitsdestruction,doingnomorethanintermit- thecraterrim. tently forbidding imports from the city. To regions farther away,Hellsgateremainedadistantconcernatbest,andamere B O legend to others. There has since been no meaningful overt ROGOGIN VERTHROWN threat to the city from a mortal world that seems content to However, the plan did not come to fruition. Brogogin’s pretendthatitdoesn’texist. underlings,withneithertheopportunitytoserveinHeavennor toreigninHell,foundathirdoption.UnlikeBrogogin,theyreal- ized certain advantages living far from the constant battles of Hellandclosertosuppliesoffreshsouls.Andso,afterabout50 I got to keep years,acabaloflieutenantsoverthrewBrogogin,encaseditina prisonofvolcanicglass,andestablishedcontroloverthecity. movin’ . . . Underthecabal,officialpolicyshiftedfromoneofignoring the outside world to one of, if not friendly relations, then at leastcautiousengagement.Insteadofkillingmortalsforsport, And the days demonsofHellsgatewouldventureoutfromthecitytotrade favorsandmagicalitemsforslavesandmaterialsnotavailable keeps on worryin’ me inthecityitself.Lonemonstersanddiabolistsdriftedintothe city and, finding it a safe haven, settled there. They were fol- There’s a hellhound lowedbytheirfamilyandservants,bydriftingexileswithno other place to go, and by merchants whose desire for profit was stronger than their fear of damnation. Slowly, the city on my trail. filledupwiththelivingaswellasthedead. Indeed,itwasthepresenceofthelivingwhichgaveHellsgate – Robert Johnson, amoreprominentplaceintheworld.Theoriginalresidentsof thecityeithercouldnotorpreferrednottoleavethecity,mak- ing it essentially a destination for a desperate few. But within “Hellhound 250yearsofitscreation,Hellsgatehaditsown“native”mortal residentswhocouldgooutintotheworldtotradeorotherwise on My Trail” make contact. Though the city grew slowly, thanks to tightly constrainednaturalresources,itseconomicstatusincreasedby leapsandbounds. T S L HE ACRED EAGUE H T ELLSGATE ODAY L S AYS IEGE While most of the world seems to ignore Hellsgate, those This commercial growth did not go unnoticed by the out- familiar with politics and economics can see a deeper game sideworld.Anumberofreligiousorganizationsbecameaware being played. A number of pragmatic interests have clearly ofthepresenceofatinypieceofHellonEarth,causingunder- decidedthatthecityisnotanobviousthreattothemortalworld; standable concern. Two centuries ago, an alliance of fighting afterall,therulingdemonshaveshownlittleinterestintheout- monastic orders and neighboring small kingdoms assembled sideworld,andmostofthecity’sresidentscanneverleave(Lost an army to destroy Hellsgate. This Sacred League made their Souls,p. 6).Certainly,nooneistryingtomakefriendswitha wayacrossthedryplainstothecity.Ultimately,though,they group of demons, but several powerful interests are asking mostlydefeatedthemselves.Itwasdifficulttosupportanarmy themselvesifHellsgateisn’tathreat,howcanitbeuseful? travelingacrossthedryplains,andmortalagentsworkingfor Many nearby nations are carefully jockeying for advanta- thecabalwereabletoexploittensionsinthedisparategroup. geous positions along trade routes leading to the city. Others The army slowed, and nearly a quarter of them turned and areattemptingtoraisemoralpanicsintheirneighbors,which returnedhome.Whentheremainingmenreachedthemoun- wouldleavetheinstigatorsinabetterpositiontocapitalizeon tains,theydiscoveredthattheircavalry-heavyforcewasdan- trade. Rumors also place foreign agents in Hellsgate itself, gerously unsuited to the terrain, and the heavily armored gatheringinformationonitscapabilitiesandlookingforways knightswereforcedtofightinanunfamiliarroleasinfantry. tomanipulatethecabal.Willtheworldattempttoout-corrupt Despiteseveralvaliantattacks,someofwhichpenetratedwell theseexiledlordsofHell?And,assomebelieve,hasthatbeen intothecity,thebriefsiegeprovedtobecostlyandfutile. theirplanallalong? W H 5 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE R ESIDENTS Hellsgate has approximately 76,000 permanent residents thirstiftheydonot.Inaddition,theyaresubjecttofrequent and, at any given moment,a few thousand visitors. A sizable baddreamsandchronicachesandpains.Thesearenotdebil- minority are distinctly and proudly inhuman, and even the itating, but they do make everyday life relatively unpleasant majorityofthosewhoappeartobehumanareanythingbut. forthem. Aswell,lostsoulsareexplicitlysubjectsofHell.Theydonot D havethewillorphysicalabilitytoresisttheirdemonicmasters, EMONS nortoevenreallytry.Theyalsocannotleavethecity.Itsedge Although the demons in the city are a minority, the city is like an impenetrable wall to them; they cannot be pushed, emphaticallybelongstothem.Theycannotevenbebanished pulled,ormagicallytransportedbeyondit. from Hellsgate; it is considered as much “home” for them as Seep. 20forthelostsoulracialtemplate. Hellitself(seep. 4formoredetails).Noonehasestablisheda precise count of the demonic population; some demons look M ONSTERS identical,whileotherschangeshapefrequently,andnoneare going to put up with an impertinent census taker. However, ThedemonsofHellsgatehavenoobjectionstomonstrous thosewithanopinionplacethenumberofintelligentdemons races and individual monsters of various kinds, so several of in the city at around 14,000, with an unknown number of those have taken up residence. There are over 6,000 “goblin- imps,demonicbeasts,plants,andsemi-livingobjects.Oneof kin” of various kinds (goblins, orcs, trolls, and similar mon- thecity’smysteriesishowlongmanyofthemhavebeenhere. strous humanoids), a few hundred ghouls and similar petty Though the demons present a unified front to the outside undead, several dozen vampires, and 1,000 or so less easily world, their politics is known to be a very rough game, with classifiedcreatures,suchasnaturespirits,livingcreations,and assassinationasafrequentmeansofadvancement.Yetdespite unnaturalhybrids.Some,notablymanyofthegoblin-kin,are theturnover,thecity’sotherlong-termresidentsindicatethat sufficiently social as to collect in particular neighborhoods. thenumberofdemonshasnotsignificantlychangedoverthe Others are more isolated, living as alone as possible in a past centuries. The demons are slowly reproducing, building crowdedcityandinteractingwithothersonlywhennecessary. newones,orbringingsomeinfromoutside.Naturally,they’re Racial templates for monsters will vary by setting. For nottalking. example,agamesetonYrthshouldusethosefoundinGURPS Seepp. 19-20fordemonicmeta-traitsandracialtemplates. Banestorm, while a dungeon fantasy game will use GURPS DungeonFantasy3:TheNextLevel. L S OST OULS H S F UMANS AND IMILAR OLK Whilethedemonsrulethecity,thelostsouls,about50,000 ofthem,makeupthebulkofthepopulation.Thesearespirits Non-monstrous mortals, of whom there are about 5,000, ofthedead,banishedtoHell,whowerecaughtupinthefor- make up the smallest significant group in the city. The vast mation of Hellsgate. They are tangible beings, and seem majorityarehuman,withasmatteringofotherracesinresi- human(orwhatevertheywerebeforetheydied),buthavesev- dence.Somecollectinethnicorideologicalenclaves,notably eraldifferences. those acting as local agents for foreign trading houses or Lostsoulsaretechnicallydead.Theycontinuetoexist,but demoncultistswhohavecometoliveneartheobjectsoftheir do not age, cannot reproduce, and cannot be killed. They worship.Many,though,livedispersedthroughthecity,often don’tneedtoeatordrink–althoughtheydofeelhungerand sharinglodgingswithlostsouls. . . . Hail horrors, hail Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell Receive they new possessor; one who brings A mind not chang’d by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. – John Milton, Paradise Lost W H 6 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE G , OVERNMENT I , T NDUSTRY AND RADE Despite its diabolical origins, Hellsgate must function like Ontheotherhand,thecabaldoesn’treallycarewhathappens anyothercityonaday-to-daybasis.Theinhabitantsgoabout in the city on a day-to-day basis. Trade is unrestricted. Goods theirbusinessundertheeyesoftheirlegalandpoliticalmasters. which are contraband almost everywhere else are allowed or evenencouragedinHellsgate.Evenitemswhichmightappear T D C tothreatenthecity’srulersaren’tprohibited;apowerfuldemon- HE EMONIC ABAL killingswordmightbeofgreatinteresttoademonwhowanted Ruleofthecityisinthetalonsofacabalofdemons.Notlong tokillotherdemons.Mosttraditionalcrimes(theft,assault,etc.) afterthecity’sformation,Brogoginwasoverthrownbyitslieu- arerarely(ifatall)punishedofficially.However,vigilantejustice tenantsandencasedinablockofobsidian,whichnowservesas oftenfillsinforofficialneglect. atablearoundwhichthecabaldeliber- Speech and expression are ates. (Brogogin is trapped and dor- relatively free, in that there mant,notdead.)Itsformerlieutenants are no laws against disturb- are in turn served and occasionally ing the peace, holding overthrownbytheirownfollowers. unusualpoliticalpositions,or There are 13 seats on the cabal, fomenting revolution against withnochairmanorotherpositionof the cabal. Secret police are even symbolic leadership. Succession not listening at keyholes to is by assassination. It’s possible for a ensure no one expresses demontopossessmorethanoneseat inconvenient opinions. Still, atatime(therecordisfive)afterkilling directlyinsultingademonor multiple cabal members, but holding activelychallengingthecabal severalseatsmakesoneahigh-profile is essentially a quick but target whose seats are eventually painfulformofsuicide. dividedamongtheassassins. For muscle, the cabal The cabal acts as a combination employs a group of particu- civic government, business board larly dangerous demons: the meeting,scholarlyforum,anddrink- DiabolicGuard(p. 22).They ing and gambling society. It spends protect the cabal and occa- very little time actually ruling the sionally parade around the city. Most of the cabal’s time is city, punishing anyone who devotedtoarguingpointsofdemonic looks guilty as they go. It’s lore, making elaborate wagers, and bestnottoattracttheiratten- comparing various pleasures (such tion, but both running away as the music of screams or the taste and trying to look inconspic- of virgins’ blood). They only occa- uoustendtodrawtheiratten- sionally discuss what to do with tionanyway. “their common property” (the city Behind all of the usual itselfandthelostsoulstherein). demonic jockeying for domi- Thecabal’sgoverningstyleiscapricious,tosaytheleast.It nance, there is one contentious political point. The cabal’s issuesproclamationswhenaconsensusisreachedonpressing intentionsregardingtheunderworldhaveshiftedseveraltimes matters–butabsentaunitedstatement,eachcabalmember’s overthecity’slifetime.JustafterthecabaloverthrewBrogogin, individual word is law to anyone not under another demon’s theirintentionwastocutthemselvesofffromHellcompletely. closepatronage.Thisisthecaseevenifcabalmemberscontra- Mostofthemembersofthecabalwerefacingevenworsefates dictoneanother;ifthathappens,somuchworsefortheper- thanBrogoginiftheyweretohaveplungedbackintothefight- son caught in the dilemma! Indeed, some suspect that the ing.Sincethen,asnewmemberscameintotherulingcouncil, rulingdemonsissuecontradictoryordersasapretextforhand- their position has wavered between secretly infiltrating Hell ingoutthepunishmentstheyenjoysomuch. usingaplansimilartoBrogogin’s(supportedbyolderdemons Andthepunishmentsdeliveredbythecabalarequitebru- whosethoughtshaveturnedtowardsettlingoldscores),main- tal. Unlike some places, where many lesser offenses are pun- tainingthecurrent“embargo”againstHell(moreconservative ished by fines, punishments in Hellsgate are almost always olderdemonsandanumberofyoungeroneswhoareusedto physical: hard and grisly labor, public beatings and torture, the current situation), and opening up communication with scarringandbranding,combatinthePerpetualArena(p. 15), Hell but not fully engaging with it, acting as a mid-point for dismemberment,anddeath(formortals)orimmurement(for commerce and communication between the underworld and lostsouls;seeRimWall,p. 12). themortalworld(theremainderofthecabal). W H 7 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE T D ’ E goods. Some are willing to accept a buyer’s soul as payment, HE EVIL S CONOMICS coming into the demon’s possession after death. The popula- Thecity’smagicalnatureandconnectiontotheunderworld tionoflostsoulsresidentinthecityhasincreasedslightlybut makeitasourceofmanyunusualartifactsanduniquemagi- noticeably through this practice; the opinion of such souls is calmaterials.Therulingcabalishappytoselldemonicblood, that, in the long run, it wasn’t worth it. Also, demons may skin, or any other body parts that can be used for alchemy, (infrequently)proposeaspecificserviceorfavortobecalledin enchantment,orothermysticalenterprises.Indeed,it’sanice later,withthesoulforfeitifthebuyerdoesn’tfollowthrough. wayofturningaprofitafterdefeatingarival. Theservicemayrangefromtheseeminglyinnocuous(“Write Many of the magical items sold in Hellsgate are in some this apparent gibberish on the wall of a specific temple with waycursedoratleasttaintedbytheirdiabolicalconnections. this special chalk.”) to the clearly morally repulsive (“Burn Thenegativeeffectisusuallyminimal:enchantedbladeswith down an orphanage, using fluffy bunnies as kindling.”). Few a detectable aura of evil, scrying stones which occasionally areclearlyonerous,butawisepotentialbuyerwillhesitateto show shadowy demonic images, magical armor with a faint acceptsuchanoffer. but persistent smell of brimstone, and so on. However, every The city is also notable for what it doesn’t trade in. The nowandagainsomeonewillendupwithanitemwith more demonsandlostsoulswhoformthemajorityofthecity’spop- seriousproblems. ulation don’t need to eat or drink, but they do enjoy it. The city also does a small but extremely lucrative trade Therefore,Hellsgatebringsinafractionofthefoodonemight in spices and drugs compounded from plants grown in expect of a city its size, and what comestibles it does import Hellsgate’s tiny garden, the secretions of diabolical insects, tendtowardluxuryitems:wine,spices,andhigh-qualitymeats. andotheringredientsfoundnowhereelse.Likeitsenchant- Inthefinalanalysis,though,Hellsgateiscertainlyrich,but ments, the city’s raw ingredients carry a certain demonic itisn’tquiteaswealthyasonemightexpect,givenhowlucra- taintwiththem,butarerarelydirectlyharmfultothecare- tiveitstradeis.Transportacrossthenearbydesertispunish- fulandknowledgeableuser.Hellsgate’spoisonsaresomeof inglyexpensive,andwhileprofit-hungrymerchantsarewilling thebestandmostreliableknown.SeeHell’sKitchen(below) totraveltothislittlepieceofHell,theywillonlytaketherisk forexamples. foraverylargecut.Consequently,althoughHellsgateismak- Whilethecity’slessdiabolicalmerchantstradeincoinand inganumberofpeopleveryrich,manyofthemdon’tactually valuablematerials,demonsarewillingtobarterforlesstangible livethere. Hell’s Kitchen TheseareafewofthemorepopularitemsofHellsgate’s darts.Afewparticularlylargeonesarecraftedintolight- produce. weight arrows; treat these as standard arrows (not bod- kins, etc.) with a (0.5) armor divisor. These spines cost Bloodletter’sDraught:Thishealingpotionisusedbytor- 25¥asmuchasanormaldartorarrow(+24CF). turerstokeepsubjectsaliveformoretorment.It’seffective, YellowDust:Thisdreadedpoisoniscomposedofspores though its side effects are unpleasant. A dose gives the which infect the target. It is a contact agent with a half- drinker Regeneration (Regular) for the next 1d+2 hours. hourdelayandaHT-4rolltoresist.Inflicts1d-4toxicdam- However,theconsumermustmaketwoseparateWillrolls: age, repeating at four-hour intervals for 12 cycles. The onetoavoidmoderatepainandonetoavoidbeingnause- target’s skin becomes covered with unsightly fungal ated(seep. B428forboth).Eitherorbothsideeffectslast growths, reducing appearance by one level per two full forthedurationofhealing.$75,0.5lb. pointsofinjuryuntilhebecomesHideous.Thisistempo- Seer’s Clove: This pungent spice gives horrible but rary; normal appearance is restored at one level per day propheticdreams.Thenightafterconsuminganounceor whenthedamagestops.It’salsocontagious.Anyonewho more of Seer’s Clove, the consumer has nightmares comes in contact with the target must make a contagion (p. B144).Inadditiontobeingterrifying,thedreamsare roll(p. B443)orbecomeinfected.$175,1lb. full of important if often impenetrable symbolism. The UnholyBasil:Thisherb,whoseflavorandpotencysur- consumer may attempt to find and interpret important vive drying admirably, provides notable spiciness with symbolsinthedream,asforOracle(p. B72),butat-5to strongovertonesofmintandlicorice.Itisalsoanotori- bothrolls.$250/oz. ous stimulant, making the consumer prone to activity Toxic Spines: These are a common body part sold as whichisbothvigorousandunwise.Consuminganounce weapons.Thoughthelargeronesperformpoorlyagainst ormoreofitrestores2FP,butonlyforfourhours,after armor, all have unpleasant lasting effects. If the spine which the user loses them and another 2 FP! For the damagesalivingtarget,itdoesonepointoftoxicdamage duration,healsohasImpulsiveness(12)–or-3tohisself- for four hourly cycles, resisted by HT. While under the controlrollsifhealreadyhasImpulsiveness–andisat-3 effect of the toxin, the target is also at -1 to DX and IQ onallotherrollstoresiststrongemotions,whetherfrom from pain (-2 for Low Pain Threshold, no penalty for externalinfluenceordisadvantagessuchasBadTemper High Pain Threshold). Most spines are sold as blowgun andLecherousness.$25/oz. W H 8 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE D L AILY IFE LifegoesoninHellsgate,ifyoucancallthatliving. Thoughheavilybuiltup,thecitydoeshaveafewopenpub- lic spaces. Except for plazas attached to important public A buildings (such as the Bone Palace), they’re usually found RCHITECTURE aroundbridgesspanningcrevasses,whicharethemselvesusu- Buildingsinmostofthecityaredepressinglysimilar:rough ally found at or near the intersections of major streets. See towersresemblingsquared-offtermitemoundsmadeofchar- JaggedLanding(p. 18)foroneexample. coal, with doorways and windows cut into them by indiffer- Because there are few organic materials used in the city’s ently skilled labor. Some are slightly pyramidal, noticeably architecture,thechanceofacity-wideconflagrationisnextto largeratthebottomthanthetop,whileafewarelargeratthe nothing.Ofcourse,giventhecity’ssituation,anybuildingwith topthanatthebottom.Manystandataslightangle,overhang- substantial wooden structural members would have burned ing the street below or leaning toward a neighbor. In some downlongago. buildings, the residents level the floor with a layer of sand underflagstonesorfloorboards,butmanyhavegivenupand havebecomeusedtounevenfloors. All the best bands are Themostunusualthingaboutthesebuildingsisthattheyare notbuilt;theygrowinfitsandstarts,keepingpacewiththecity’s population.Fromtimetotime,atowerwillgroanandshudder affiliated with Satan. and,overthecourseofadayortwo,extrudeanewtopstory.Or it may shrink or expanda bit, opening an alley a bit wider or – Bart Simpson, in closingitoff.Onoccasion,abuildinggrowingatananglewill collidewithaneighbor,damagingthetopstoriesofboth.Many ofthetowersarefourstoriestall,andsomearefive. The Simpsons Thetowersareremarkablysturdy.Theyaremadeofsolid,if relativelysoft,stone(treatasbrickforHPandDRofStructures, #8.17 p. B558), and while they tremble with the small earthquakes which occasionally afflict the region, they sustain little or no damage.Ontheotherhand,they’renotparticularlyattractive. Thestoneiseasytowork,butthecoarsetexturemakesitpoor forsculpteddecoration–notthatthatstopssomeresidentsfrom F C tryingtospruceuptheirbuildingfrontswithreliefcarvings.It OOD AND LOTHING does not take conventional paints well, and the buildings’ ten- Forthebulkofthepopulation,foodisaluxuryratherthan dency to occasionally grow and shift makes facing them with anecessity,whichmeansthattheresidentsofthecityeatlittle more attractive materials problematic. However, a number of but extremely well. Lost souls retain something of the tastes buildingshavemetalladdersandbalconiesanchoreddeeplyin theyhadwhentheywereliving,soingredientsforadizzying their walls; these seem fairly immune to the underlying struc- rangeofethniccuisinescanbefoundinHellsgate.Awidevari- tures’changingdimensions. ety of animals are brought in for fresh meat, and sometimes Asinmanyothercitieswithtallbuildings,shopsandother live fish are imported in tanks of water at great expense. public areas are mostly on the ground floor with residences Alcoholicspiritsandstrongwinesarewidelyavailable. above.However,alackofspacesometimesleadstomulti-lev- Thelivingmusteatmore,butcanlivemorecheaply:The eled craft and shopping districts, with two or three levels of localmortaldietisbasedondrybreadmadefrombarleyand shops.Thesehavewell-excavatedfrontstodisplaywares,iron othercoarsegrains,supplementedwithdates,legumes,anda laddersandstepsdecoratedwithindividualcraftsmen’smarks, variety of squash. Mutton and poultry are the main meats. and even metal suspension bridges between different build- The locals drink a throat-punishingly heavy date wine when ings’balconies,givingastreettwooreventhreeverticallevels onabudget. of“sidewalk.” The monstrous residents of the city tend not to be as dis- Toward the bottom of the crater, one sees more diverse cerningintheirtastes.Theyeatmorethanhumansandmost buildings, fewer open craft workshops, and less dedicated humanoids,butwillconsumefoodwhichisnotablylessfresh “retail” space. In addition to the monumental architecture of – even indigestible by the standards of more refined races. theBonePalace,theAnticathedral,andsoon,therearemany Anthropophagy isn’t prohibited, but residents of the city are buildingswhichwereindividuallyconstructed,asopposedto usually on their guard, so they also import slaves as a food the “grown” ones farther up-slope. Individual palaces and source.Thecity’smonsterssometimesresorttoagrislierfood wealthyhomesaremadefromeverythingfrompolishedmar- source:thelostsouls.Thoughthefleshofthelostsoulsisn’tas bletoresinssecretedfromlong-vanishedinsects.Thispartof tasty or nutritious as that of the living, it does provide basic thecityishometothecity’smoreformidablealchemistsand sustenance. Poorer monsters have no qualms about supple- enchanters and the more successful importers. Although one menting their diet by waylaying lost souls, butchering, and maybuyandsellthere,visitingsuchacombinedresidenceand consuming them. One lost soul provides almost a month’s workshopismoreakintoaconsultationwithanexpertadvi- worthoffood;withdecentcare,thevictim’sbodyregenerates sororpetitioningapatronthanvisitingashop. inaboutfourmonths. W H 9 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE Fashions are likewise varied. Most demons and the more alcohol or reproducing a particular society’s variety of public monstrousresidentsofthecityrarelywearanything,andwhen house. Taverns are also a center for the city’s few performing theydo,it’susuallyjewelryorbeltsandstrapstoholdequip- artists–primarilystorytellers,dancers,andmusicians.Although ment.Forcomfortandavailability,mortalsandlostsoulsoften some occasionally stage small plays, Hellsgate doesn’t have a fall back on clothing suitable to the region. What passes for significanttraditionoftheater.Publichousesprovidingmore native costume consists of either a robe or baggy pants and potentintoxicants(lotus,opium,andthelike)arefairlycom- shirtorvest,abroadsash,andaheadclothwornasakeffiyeh mon,asarebrothels.Indeed,inmanytaverns,thecompanion- orsmallturban.Becauseoftheroughandsometimessearing shipofthestaffisalsoonsale. hot ground, unusually heavy footwear is worn at all times. Gambling is a popular amusement, with games from all Even relatively lightweight sandals and slippers have soles overtheworld,rangingintimefrommoderntoancient.New madeofseverallayersofleatherorsolidwood.Finebootsare games and variations on existing games are popular. Lost particularlyprized. soulsanddemonsalikeareavidplayersofacomplexchess- likegameinvolvingdozensofpiecesandaboardwhichcan A changeshapeduringplay.Lostsouls,forwhomnowoundis MUSEMENTS permanent, have an active dueling culture – providing yet S another thing for gamblers to wager on. The better duelists AND PECTACLES areoftenveteransofthePerpetualArena.Lostsoulsaredis- For such a naturally grim place, Hellsgate features a sur- inclined to fight mortals, but will do so with those who prisingnumberofwaystohaveagoodtime,thoughfewwould absolutelyinsist. be regarded as good, clean fun. The city has more than its Public spectacles are generally produced by demons and share of taverns, which serve a dizzying array of drinks. A feared by other residents. For the demons, sport, arts, and number of them specialize in providing a particular type of pageantry involve someone being hurt, which leads to them organizing such events as concerts of music consist- ing of tuned screams; spectacular demonstrations of punishmentsforwrongdoers;andfootball-likegames Dangerous Books in spaces strewn with caltrops, shards of obsidian, and other hazards. Such events inevitably attract Knowledgecomesataprice,particularlyinHellsgate.Many largecrowds;lostsoulsarecompelledtoattend,some demonsownbookswhichcanprotectthemselvesagainstunau- mortalsaredrawnoutofasenseofmorbidcuriosity, thorizedreaders.Anyone(butonlyone)ofthesemodifiersmay and demons and many monstrous residents actively beappliedtoabookoranentirelibrary.Doingsohalvesthecost enjoythem. (-0.5 CF), but does not affect weight. See GURPS Dungeon Fantasy4andGURPSDungeonFantasy8formoreonbooks, L M andGURPSLow-TechCompanion1formoreonlibraries. IFE OF THE IND Corrosive: The book is damaging to the touch. A corrosive Thevastmajorityofresidentshavenooffspringto bookdoesonepointofcorrosiondamagetothehandsperhour educate.Nearly3%oflostsoulsaretechnicallythose of reading. Flimsy gloves (DR 0) are destroyed after the first ofchildren(uptoage16),buttheirsituationbearslit- hour;armoredgloves(DR1+)lastlonger,buteveryfivehoursof tle resemblance to that of mortal minors. Thus, readingreducestheireffectiveDRby1.Readersusuallykeepthe Hellsgatehasnouniversitiesorotherformalcenters booksinheavycaseslinedwithnon-corrodingglazedtiles.Such oflearning,andprofessionalteachersarefewandfar a case weighs twice as much as the book it contains and costs between.However,manylostsoulspursuetheconso- $10perlb. lations of philosophy. There’s a great deal of intellec- Maddening:Thebookisdisturbingbeyonditssubjectmate- tual discussion, leaning heavily on legal and moral rial. It has illuminated capitals which subtly project horrifying philosophy.Collectively,thelostsoulsownaremark- images,andthewordswhisperuncannilyintothereader’sear. ably diverse range of intellectual texts imported from AnyonereadingthebookmustmakeaWillrollat+2attheend across the world. Some know and have attempted to oftheday;thisrollisat-2foreveryfullhourspentreading.On reproducefragmentsoflostworks,thoughnotneces- asuccessorcriticalsuccess,nothinghappens.Failuremeanshis sarilysuccessfully. dreamsweretainted,andhespendsthenextdayafflictedwitha Since Hellsgate is a center of trade in magical -10-point disadvantage (or combination of disadvantages) cho- itemsandsubstances,ithasahigherthanusualpro- senbytheGM.Criticalfailuremakesthis-20points!Phantom portion of magicians as residents, and even more as VoicesandPhobiasarecommon. visitors. There is no magicians’ guild, but there are Toothed: The book doesn’t want to be read, and may bite. several small, informal organizations of magicians, Onceperhourofreading,thebookwillslamshut.Ifthereader alchemists,andothermagicalprofessionals. failsaDodgeroll,hishandiscaughtfor1d-1crushingdamage. A number of more powerful demons are known to Afewbookshavesharperbutlighterteethanddo1d-3cutting havetheirownlibraries,consistingmainlyofdemonic damage instead. Cautious readers wear gauntlets, put weights lore. The demons only discuss these matters among (atleast5¥asmuchasthebookweighs)ontheopenbook,or themselves, however, not with outsiders. The libraries attachheavyclampstotheirreadingtables,topreventthis. themselves are fabulouslyvaluable, butwell-protected, andtheircontentsarethemselvessometimeshazardous totouchortoread(DangerousBooks,above). W H 10 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE

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30 Pages·2012·2.135 MB·English
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Preview GURPS 4th edition. Locations: Hellsgate

Locations: Hellsgate TM Written by MATT RIGGSBY Additional Rules by JASON “PK” LEVINE Edited by JASON “PK” LEVINE Illustrated by THOMAS BAXA, GUY BURWELL, STORN COOK, ED NORTHCOTT, and MATT RIGGSBY An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS® STEVE JACKSON GAMES ® Stock#37-1413 Version1.0–June2012 C ONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . 3 DangerousBooks .............10 RACIALTEMPLATES ...........19 HellsgateStats.................3 LifeoftheMind..............10 NewMeta-Trait: UsingGURPSMassCombat ....3 MAPOFHELLSGATE .............11 HellsgateDemon ...........19 AbouttheAuthor..............3 Demonling...................19 2. GAZETTEER . . . . . . . . 12 CommonDemon .............19 1. WELCOME TO NOTABLELOCATIONS ..........12 GreaterDemon...............20 HELLSGATE. . . . . . . . . 4 RimWall....................12 LostSoul....................20 TheCrateranditsEnvirons .....4 FireGarden..................12 NOTABLEDEMONS............20 BonePalace .................12 HISTORY ....................4 Eaaraz......................20 StrangeFruit.................13 BrogoginOverthrown ..........5 Hundred-Cuts................21 Anticathedral ................14 TheSacredLeagueLaysSiege...5 Shamshah...................21 CabalistHives................15 HellsgateToday ...............5 DiabolicGuard...............22 TheFont ....................15 RESIDENTS ..................6 COLORFULCHARACTERS .......22 ThePerpetualArena ..........15 Demons......................6 DuchessYvetteduPaschal.....23 LostSouls....................6 COMMONLOCATIONS ..........15 HurictheDwarf..............23 HouseoftheFourClaws.......15 Monsters.....................6 JuntalaPahwar...............23 BoneCross ..................16 HumansandSimilarFolk.......6 KnakkatheAssassin ..........24 OntheMenu.................16 GOVERNMENT,INDUSTRY, SisterFaZinTsu .............25 StreetofExchangers ..........16 TheLateElewaibnZuri.......25 ANDTRADE ...............7 DeepForge ..................17 TheDemonicCabal............7 PaschalTower ...............17 4. CAMPAIGNS . . . . . . . . 26 Hell’sKitchen..................8 HouseoftheSkinnedBrothers .17 UsingHellsgate...............26 TheDevil’sEconomics..........8 LibraryoftheDead ...........17 CustomizingtheCity..........27 DAILYLIFE ..................9 ShadowStreet ...............18 AdventureSeeds..............27 Architecture ..................9 JaggedLanding...............18 FoodandClothing.............9 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 AmusementsandSpectacles....10 3. CHARACTERS . . . . . . . 19 WealthandStatus ............19 About GURPS SteveJackson Games is committed to full support of Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at GURPS players. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much 18957,Austin,TX78760.Pleaseincludeaself-addressed, more. To discuss GURPS with our staff and your fellow stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! gamers, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. The We can also be reached by e-mail: [email protected]. webpageforGURPSLocations:Hellsgatecanbefoundat Resourcesinclude: gurps.sjgames.com/hellsgate. Bibliographies.Manyofourbookshaveextensivebib- Newsupplementsandadventures.GURPScontinuesto liographies,andwe’reputtingthemonline–withlinksto grow–seewhat’snewatgurps.sjgames.com. let you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adven- book’swebpageandlookforthe“Bibliography”link. tures, play aids, and support in PDF form . . . digital Errata.Everyonemakesmistakes,includingus–butwe copiesofourbooks,plusexclusivematerialavailableonly doourbesttofixourerrors.Up-to-dateerratapagesforall one23!Justheadovertoe23.sjgames.com. GURPSreleases,includingthisbook,areavailableonour Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). Our monthly PDF website–seeabove. magazineincludesnewrulesandarticlesforGURPS,sys- temless locations, adventures, and much more. Look for Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the eachthemedissuefrome23! GURPSBasicSet,FourthEdition.Pagereferencesthatbegin withBrefertothatbook,notthisone. GURPSSystemDesign(cid:2)STEVEJACKSON ArtDirector(cid:2)SAMUELMITSCHKE e23Manager(cid:2)STEVENMARSH GURPSLineEditor(cid:2)SEANPUNCH ProductionArtist&Indexer(cid:2)NIKOLAVRTIS MarketingDirector(cid:2)MONICAVALENTINELLI ManagingEditor(cid:2)PHILIPREED PrepressChecker(cid:2)MONICASTEPHENS DirectorofSales(cid:2)ROSSJEPSON AssistantGURPSLineEditor(cid:2)––– PageDesign(cid:2)PHILREEDand GURPSFAQMaintainer(cid:2)––––––– JASON“PK”LEVINE JUSTINDEWITT VICKY“MOLOKH”KOLENKO C 2 ONTENTS I NTRODUCTION Centuriesago,avolcaniceruptioninanall-but-uninhabited A A BOUT THE UTHOR patch of desert brought up something more than smoke and lava.Whenthecloudsofashsettled,thecenterofthevolcano MattRiggsbyistrainedinanthropologyandarchaeologybut was occupied by the rudiments of a new city . . . one of an nowworksforthemedicaldivisionofalargecorporation.Inhis unsavorycharacter.ThiswasHellsgate,acityruledbydemons sparetime,helivesasarecluseinahousebuiltgenerationsago, –refugeesfromunderworldwars.Toofarfrom withhiswife,son,andseveralfriendlybutnotverybrightdogs. civilization to be challenged, it grew into a centerofmagicaltradeandadestinationfor cultistsanddesperatetravelersalike. Hellsgate Stats Hellsgate is a mid-sized city in a place wherenocityhasbusinessbeing.Itcansup- Population:76,000(Search+2) portlittlepermanentimmigration,butmost of its inhabitants are effectively immortal Physical and Magical Environment andunabletoleave.Thecityisfullofmagic, Terrain:Desert butit’smagicwithadarktingetoit.Despite Appearance:Ugly(-2) Hygiene:-1 existing in the mortal world, it is imbued HighMana(CommonEnchantment) withtheessenceoftheunderworld,andthe demonsandsoulsofthedeadwhomakeup Culture and Economy the majority of the population live there as thoughitweretheafterlife. Language:Demontongue Literacy:Accented Dependingonone’sperspective,thecityis TL:4 either“free”or“lawless.”Itsrulersplacefew Wealth:Comfortable(¥2) Status:-1to3 restrictions on inhabitants and welcome Political Environment newcomers, who are usually desperate and therefore easily corrupted and exploited. Government:Dictatorship However,theymakeabrutalgameofjustice, CR:2(Corruption-1) punishinganyoneonawhim.Forpermanent MilitaryResources:$1.216M DefenseBonus:+9 residents, Hellsgate is either a prison or respitefromthewarsofHell.Forvisitors,it Notes isequalpartsdesireanddanger. Searchmodifieris+3foranykindofesotericknowledge,and+4for GURPS Locations: Hellsgate presents a anything related to demons (e.g., demonic lore or diabolical artifacts). complete description of the city and its Manyareasofthecityhaveaspectedmana.Theentirecityislowsanctity, inhabitants, including new racial templates withsomeareasofnosanctity. forthedemonsandlostsouls,andfullchar- actersheetsforimportantandcolorfulNPCs. Using GURPS Mass Combat Itissuitableforuseinanyfantasygamethat could benefit from a little piece of Hell on Duetothecity’sunusualpopulation(Residents,p. 6),thecityisremark- Earth. Adventurers can stumble across ablydefensible.Duringasiege(only),dividethenumberofdemonsandlost Hellsgateontheirtravelsorvisititintention- soulsby20,insteadof50,todeterminehowmanyelementsmaybepressed ally to acquire forbidden items or lore. intoservice.Usethestandardrulesformortalresidents. Thoughitmayqualifyasthemostevilcityin LostsoulsareMediumInfantrywithmostlyBasicequipmentandInfe- theworldbysomestandards,it’sstableand riorquality(thoughsomearebetter);theircasualtiesmaybereplacedat openenoughforagrouptovisitandexplore 10 times the normal rate. Most demons should be treated as Super-Sol- . . .thoughatconsiderablerisk. diers,withaminimumofGoodequipmentandGoodquality.Someofthe So is Hellsgate an opportunity for the larger,morepowerfuldemonsareinsteadtheequivalentofOgres,Giants, daringorastainontheworld?Subtlefoeor and(inoneortwocases)GiantMonsters. friendtobekeptatarm’slength?That’sup toyou. Reviewers:MicheleArmelliniandRogerBurtonWest GURPS,Warehouse23,andtheall-seeingpyramidareregisteredtrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Pyramid,Hellsgate,e23,andthenamesofallproducts publishedbySteveJacksonGamesIncorporatedareregisteredtrademarksortrademarksofSteveJacksonGamesIncorporated,orusedunderlicense. GURPSLocations:Hellsgateiscopyright©2012bySteveJacksonGamesIncorporated.Allrightsreserved. Thescanning,uploading,anddistributionofthismaterialviatheInternetorviaanyothermeanswithoutthepermissionofthepublisherisillegal, andpunishablebylaw.Pleasepurchaseonlyauthorizedelectroniceditions,anddonotparticipateinorencourage theelectronicpiracyofcopyrightedmaterials.Yoursupportoftheauthor’srightsisappreciated. I 3 NTRODUCTION C O HAPTER NE W ELCOME TO H ELLSGATE Hellsgateislocatedfarfromanymajorcitiesorkingdoms, aroundtheupperrimofthecrater.Withinthewalls,theland inanareaconsiderednearlyuninhabitable.Insomeways,this is extensively built up, a stark contrast with the completely is fortunate, as most people think of it as a distant place of undeveloped land outside. However, there are many deep malevolent influence, rather than as an immediate threat. cracks in the ground too wide to be paved over, so the net- Despitebeinginsuchaninhospitableenvironment,Hellsgate workofstreetsisstitchedtogetherbyshortbridges.Mostare supportsalarge,remarkablydiversepopulation. made of stone and reinforced with heavy chains, providing them with a bit of flexibility against occasional tremors. T C Somecracksexposepatchesofundergroundlava,theheatof HE RATER whichisharnessedforindustrialuse;seeDeepForge(p. 17) E foroneextremeexample. AND ITS NVIRONS Thehomesoftheleastprominentresidentsarejustbehind Hellsgate sits on the western edge of a region of volcanic thewalls.Prestigeincreasesasonegoesdownhill,withtheseat peaksandcratersabout20milesacross.Thelandrisestoward of government at the very bottom of the crater. Gardens and the center of the region, with several peaks much higher than courtyardsarefewandfarbetween,mostlyaroundorwithin Hellsgate’srim,thoughnonedirectlyoverlookthecity.Theland demonicpalaces. to the east of the volcanic region is predominantly steppe-like Fortheresidentdemons,themostimportantaspectofthe plains,whiletothewest(closesttoHellsgateitself)isdesert.The city’s geography is its innate Hellishness. Demons cannot be surroundingterritoryislightlypopulatedwithsmallfarmingvil- banishedfromit!TheycanbesummonedfromHellsgateand lages and nomadic herdsmen; the nearest town worthy of the banished back to it, however. They can be banished (back to nameisover100milesawaytothenorthwest. Hellsgate) if they are outside of the city. The settlement also The immediate area around the crater is essentially unin- supports unearthly flora and mystical processes which could habited and uncultivated, though some of the city’s residents notexistelsewhereinthemortalworld. mayhuntorgatherwildfoodsthere;ifusingthesurvivalrules The region has warm, dry climate. Summers are very hot from GURPS Low-Tech Companion 3, the region counts as duringtheday,thoughtemperaturesdropoffsharplyatnight. VeryPoor.Fortunately,mostinhabitantsdon’tneedtoeat.The Winters are cool, but rarely dip below freezing. Precipitation groundisrockyandsteep,madefromsandyblacksoilfullof usually comes as brief but violent thunderstorms, which are lumpsofcooledlavaandjaggedshardsofobsidian.Lavapipes inconvenientinthecityandfrequentlycausesuddenfloodsin provide numerous hiding places for the area’s indigenous lowareasaroundit.However,there’snotnearlyenoughrainto fauna–andcansheltertravelersaswell. supportmorethansmall,thornyshrubsandotherdesertveg- The city itself occupies the inside of a volcanic crater etation.Ironically,theclimateinthecityproperisabitmilder three-quartersofamileacrossatitswidestpoint.Aportion than that of the surrounding region. During the summer, of the southeastern wall of the crater collapsed long before shadefromthecraterwallsshiftsthroughoutthedaytocool the city was formed, giving the available space a lopsided differentareasofthecity,andlavajustunderthesurfacepro- U-shape.Thelimitsofthecityaremarkedbyadefensivewall videsnaturalheatingduringcoldseasons. H ISTORY Several centuries ago, the demon lord Brogogin, Duke of Brogogin’spalace,anumberofotherdemonicresidences,and theBleedingThorns,founditselfonthelosingsideofoneof thedemonsandlostsoulsinhabitingthem–arosefromanout- Hell’sendlesswars.Withseveralpowerfulenemiesclosingin, pouring of smoke and lava during a minor volcanic eruption. itdecidedtoflee.Brogoginwasnotthefirstdemontoescape Thevolcanosubsidedwithunnaturalspeed,andthedemons tothemortalworld,butforitsexile,itdidsomethingnearly set about surveying their new surroundings and stabilizing unique:ItbroughtapieceofHellintothematerialworld,in theirnewhome. a stable, persistent way. The core of a city – consisting of W H 4 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE Brogogin’splanwastowaitoutthecurrentconflict,amatter Thewarresultedinfewchangesaroundthecity.Thewalls of a mere century or two. It would spend the time gathering were raised and reinforced, particularly around the gateway, powerandsendingspiesbacktotheunderworldfromitsnew andthreemembersofthecabalwereeitherkilledinthefight- refuge, then strike at its enemies when the time was right. ingorassassinated,butlittleelsewasaltered,eitherphysically Duringthattime,Hellsgatewasafocusofsuperstitiousdread or politically. In the outside world, the Sacred League fell to forthewidelyscatteredmortalresidentsoftheregion.Brogogin squabbling,anditsleaderswerediscredited.Itsmembers,who andhisfollowersoccasionallyhuntedthemforsport,butonce included most of the nations closest to Hellsgate, adopted a they had determined that the region contained no meaningful policy of avoiding entanglement with the city rather than threatstothem,forthemostparttheyignoredanythingbeyond activelyseekingitsdestruction,doingnomorethanintermit- thecraterrim. tently forbidding imports from the city. To regions farther away,Hellsgateremainedadistantconcernatbest,andamere B O legend to others. There has since been no meaningful overt ROGOGIN VERTHROWN threat to the city from a mortal world that seems content to However, the plan did not come to fruition. Brogogin’s pretendthatitdoesn’texist. underlings,withneithertheopportunitytoserveinHeavennor toreigninHell,foundathirdoption.UnlikeBrogogin,theyreal- ized certain advantages living far from the constant battles of Hellandclosertosuppliesoffreshsouls.Andso,afterabout50 I got to keep years,acabaloflieutenantsoverthrewBrogogin,encaseditina prisonofvolcanicglass,andestablishedcontroloverthecity. movin’ . . . Underthecabal,officialpolicyshiftedfromoneofignoring the outside world to one of, if not friendly relations, then at leastcautiousengagement.Insteadofkillingmortalsforsport, And the days demonsofHellsgatewouldventureoutfromthecitytotrade favorsandmagicalitemsforslavesandmaterialsnotavailable keeps on worryin’ me inthecityitself.Lonemonstersanddiabolistsdriftedintothe city and, finding it a safe haven, settled there. They were fol- There’s a hellhound lowedbytheirfamilyandservants,bydriftingexileswithno other place to go, and by merchants whose desire for profit was stronger than their fear of damnation. Slowly, the city on my trail. filledupwiththelivingaswellasthedead. Indeed,itwasthepresenceofthelivingwhichgaveHellsgate – Robert Johnson, amoreprominentplaceintheworld.Theoriginalresidentsof thecityeithercouldnotorpreferrednottoleavethecity,mak- ing it essentially a destination for a desperate few. But within “Hellhound 250yearsofitscreation,Hellsgatehaditsown“native”mortal residentswhocouldgooutintotheworldtotradeorotherwise on My Trail” make contact. Though the city grew slowly, thanks to tightly constrainednaturalresources,itseconomicstatusincreasedby leapsandbounds. T S L HE ACRED EAGUE H T ELLSGATE ODAY L S AYS IEGE While most of the world seems to ignore Hellsgate, those This commercial growth did not go unnoticed by the out- familiar with politics and economics can see a deeper game sideworld.Anumberofreligiousorganizationsbecameaware being played. A number of pragmatic interests have clearly ofthepresenceofatinypieceofHellonEarth,causingunder- decidedthatthecityisnotanobviousthreattothemortalworld; standable concern. Two centuries ago, an alliance of fighting afterall,therulingdemonshaveshownlittleinterestintheout- monastic orders and neighboring small kingdoms assembled sideworld,andmostofthecity’sresidentscanneverleave(Lost an army to destroy Hellsgate. This Sacred League made their Souls,p. 6).Certainly,nooneistryingtomakefriendswitha wayacrossthedryplainstothecity.Ultimately,though,they group of demons, but several powerful interests are asking mostlydefeatedthemselves.Itwasdifficulttosupportanarmy themselvesifHellsgateisn’tathreat,howcanitbeuseful? travelingacrossthedryplains,andmortalagentsworkingfor Many nearby nations are carefully jockeying for advanta- thecabalwereabletoexploittensionsinthedisparategroup. geous positions along trade routes leading to the city. Others The army slowed, and nearly a quarter of them turned and areattemptingtoraisemoralpanicsintheirneighbors,which returnedhome.Whentheremainingmenreachedthemoun- wouldleavetheinstigatorsinabetterpositiontocapitalizeon tains,theydiscoveredthattheircavalry-heavyforcewasdan- trade. Rumors also place foreign agents in Hellsgate itself, gerously unsuited to the terrain, and the heavily armored gatheringinformationonitscapabilitiesandlookingforways knightswereforcedtofightinanunfamiliarroleasinfantry. tomanipulatethecabal.Willtheworldattempttoout-corrupt Despiteseveralvaliantattacks,someofwhichpenetratedwell theseexiledlordsofHell?And,assomebelieve,hasthatbeen intothecity,thebriefsiegeprovedtobecostlyandfutile. theirplanallalong? W H 5 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE R ESIDENTS Hellsgate has approximately 76,000 permanent residents thirstiftheydonot.Inaddition,theyaresubjecttofrequent and, at any given moment,a few thousand visitors. A sizable baddreamsandchronicachesandpains.Thesearenotdebil- minority are distinctly and proudly inhuman, and even the itating, but they do make everyday life relatively unpleasant majorityofthosewhoappeartobehumanareanythingbut. forthem. Aswell,lostsoulsareexplicitlysubjectsofHell.Theydonot D havethewillorphysicalabilitytoresisttheirdemonicmasters, EMONS nortoevenreallytry.Theyalsocannotleavethecity.Itsedge Although the demons in the city are a minority, the city is like an impenetrable wall to them; they cannot be pushed, emphaticallybelongstothem.Theycannotevenbebanished pulled,ormagicallytransportedbeyondit. from Hellsgate; it is considered as much “home” for them as Seep. 20forthelostsoulracialtemplate. Hellitself(seep. 4formoredetails).Noonehasestablisheda precise count of the demonic population; some demons look M ONSTERS identical,whileotherschangeshapefrequently,andnoneare going to put up with an impertinent census taker. However, ThedemonsofHellsgatehavenoobjectionstomonstrous thosewithanopinionplacethenumberofintelligentdemons races and individual monsters of various kinds, so several of in the city at around 14,000, with an unknown number of those have taken up residence. There are over 6,000 “goblin- imps,demonicbeasts,plants,andsemi-livingobjects.Oneof kin” of various kinds (goblins, orcs, trolls, and similar mon- thecity’smysteriesishowlongmanyofthemhavebeenhere. strous humanoids), a few hundred ghouls and similar petty Though the demons present a unified front to the outside undead, several dozen vampires, and 1,000 or so less easily world, their politics is known to be a very rough game, with classifiedcreatures,suchasnaturespirits,livingcreations,and assassinationasafrequentmeansofadvancement.Yetdespite unnaturalhybrids.Some,notablymanyofthegoblin-kin,are theturnover,thecity’sotherlong-termresidentsindicatethat sufficiently social as to collect in particular neighborhoods. thenumberofdemonshasnotsignificantlychangedoverthe Others are more isolated, living as alone as possible in a past centuries. The demons are slowly reproducing, building crowdedcityandinteractingwithothersonlywhennecessary. newones,orbringingsomeinfromoutside.Naturally,they’re Racial templates for monsters will vary by setting. For nottalking. example,agamesetonYrthshouldusethosefoundinGURPS Seepp. 19-20fordemonicmeta-traitsandracialtemplates. Banestorm, while a dungeon fantasy game will use GURPS DungeonFantasy3:TheNextLevel. L S OST OULS H S F UMANS AND IMILAR OLK Whilethedemonsrulethecity,thelostsouls,about50,000 ofthem,makeupthebulkofthepopulation.Thesearespirits Non-monstrous mortals, of whom there are about 5,000, ofthedead,banishedtoHell,whowerecaughtupinthefor- make up the smallest significant group in the city. The vast mation of Hellsgate. They are tangible beings, and seem majorityarehuman,withasmatteringofotherracesinresi- human(orwhatevertheywerebeforetheydied),buthavesev- dence.Somecollectinethnicorideologicalenclaves,notably eraldifferences. those acting as local agents for foreign trading houses or Lostsoulsaretechnicallydead.Theycontinuetoexist,but demoncultistswhohavecometoliveneartheobjectsoftheir do not age, cannot reproduce, and cannot be killed. They worship.Many,though,livedispersedthroughthecity,often don’tneedtoeatordrink–althoughtheydofeelhungerand sharinglodgingswithlostsouls. . . . Hail horrors, hail Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell Receive they new possessor; one who brings A mind not chang’d by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in itself Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. – John Milton, Paradise Lost W H 6 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE G , OVERNMENT I , T NDUSTRY AND RADE Despite its diabolical origins, Hellsgate must function like Ontheotherhand,thecabaldoesn’treallycarewhathappens anyothercityonaday-to-daybasis.Theinhabitantsgoabout in the city on a day-to-day basis. Trade is unrestricted. Goods theirbusinessundertheeyesoftheirlegalandpoliticalmasters. which are contraband almost everywhere else are allowed or evenencouragedinHellsgate.Evenitemswhichmightappear T D C tothreatenthecity’srulersaren’tprohibited;apowerfuldemon- HE EMONIC ABAL killingswordmightbeofgreatinteresttoademonwhowanted Ruleofthecityisinthetalonsofacabalofdemons.Notlong tokillotherdemons.Mosttraditionalcrimes(theft,assault,etc.) afterthecity’sformation,Brogoginwasoverthrownbyitslieu- arerarely(ifatall)punishedofficially.However,vigilantejustice tenantsandencasedinablockofobsidian,whichnowservesas oftenfillsinforofficialneglect. atablearoundwhichthecabaldeliber- Speech and expression are ates. (Brogogin is trapped and dor- relatively free, in that there mant,notdead.)Itsformerlieutenants are no laws against disturb- are in turn served and occasionally ing the peace, holding overthrownbytheirownfollowers. unusualpoliticalpositions,or There are 13 seats on the cabal, fomenting revolution against withnochairmanorotherpositionof the cabal. Secret police are even symbolic leadership. Succession not listening at keyholes to is by assassination. It’s possible for a ensure no one expresses demontopossessmorethanoneseat inconvenient opinions. Still, atatime(therecordisfive)afterkilling directlyinsultingademonor multiple cabal members, but holding activelychallengingthecabal severalseatsmakesoneahigh-profile is essentially a quick but target whose seats are eventually painfulformofsuicide. dividedamongtheassassins. For muscle, the cabal The cabal acts as a combination employs a group of particu- civic government, business board larly dangerous demons: the meeting,scholarlyforum,anddrink- DiabolicGuard(p. 22).They ing and gambling society. It spends protect the cabal and occa- very little time actually ruling the sionally parade around the city. Most of the cabal’s time is city, punishing anyone who devotedtoarguingpointsofdemonic looks guilty as they go. It’s lore, making elaborate wagers, and bestnottoattracttheiratten- comparing various pleasures (such tion, but both running away as the music of screams or the taste and trying to look inconspic- of virgins’ blood). They only occa- uoustendtodrawtheiratten- sionally discuss what to do with tionanyway. “their common property” (the city Behind all of the usual itselfandthelostsoulstherein). demonic jockeying for domi- Thecabal’sgoverningstyleiscapricious,tosaytheleast.It nance, there is one contentious political point. The cabal’s issuesproclamationswhenaconsensusisreachedonpressing intentionsregardingtheunderworldhaveshiftedseveraltimes matters–butabsentaunitedstatement,eachcabalmember’s overthecity’slifetime.JustafterthecabaloverthrewBrogogin, individual word is law to anyone not under another demon’s theirintentionwastocutthemselvesofffromHellcompletely. closepatronage.Thisisthecaseevenifcabalmemberscontra- Mostofthemembersofthecabalwerefacingevenworsefates dictoneanother;ifthathappens,somuchworsefortheper- thanBrogoginiftheyweretohaveplungedbackintothefight- son caught in the dilemma! Indeed, some suspect that the ing.Sincethen,asnewmemberscameintotherulingcouncil, rulingdemonsissuecontradictoryordersasapretextforhand- their position has wavered between secretly infiltrating Hell ingoutthepunishmentstheyenjoysomuch. usingaplansimilartoBrogogin’s(supportedbyolderdemons Andthepunishmentsdeliveredbythecabalarequitebru- whosethoughtshaveturnedtowardsettlingoldscores),main- tal. Unlike some places, where many lesser offenses are pun- tainingthecurrent“embargo”againstHell(moreconservative ished by fines, punishments in Hellsgate are almost always olderdemonsandanumberofyoungeroneswhoareusedto physical: hard and grisly labor, public beatings and torture, the current situation), and opening up communication with scarringandbranding,combatinthePerpetualArena(p. 15), Hell but not fully engaging with it, acting as a mid-point for dismemberment,anddeath(formortals)orimmurement(for commerce and communication between the underworld and lostsouls;seeRimWall,p. 12). themortalworld(theremainderofthecabal). W H 7 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE T D ’ E goods. Some are willing to accept a buyer’s soul as payment, HE EVIL S CONOMICS coming into the demon’s possession after death. The popula- Thecity’smagicalnatureandconnectiontotheunderworld tionoflostsoulsresidentinthecityhasincreasedslightlybut makeitasourceofmanyunusualartifactsanduniquemagi- noticeably through this practice; the opinion of such souls is calmaterials.Therulingcabalishappytoselldemonicblood, that, in the long run, it wasn’t worth it. Also, demons may skin, or any other body parts that can be used for alchemy, (infrequently)proposeaspecificserviceorfavortobecalledin enchantment,orothermysticalenterprises.Indeed,it’sanice later,withthesoulforfeitifthebuyerdoesn’tfollowthrough. wayofturningaprofitafterdefeatingarival. Theservicemayrangefromtheseeminglyinnocuous(“Write Many of the magical items sold in Hellsgate are in some this apparent gibberish on the wall of a specific temple with waycursedoratleasttaintedbytheirdiabolicalconnections. this special chalk.”) to the clearly morally repulsive (“Burn Thenegativeeffectisusuallyminimal:enchantedbladeswith down an orphanage, using fluffy bunnies as kindling.”). Few a detectable aura of evil, scrying stones which occasionally areclearlyonerous,butawisepotentialbuyerwillhesitateto show shadowy demonic images, magical armor with a faint acceptsuchanoffer. but persistent smell of brimstone, and so on. However, every The city is also notable for what it doesn’t trade in. The nowandagainsomeonewillendupwithanitemwith more demonsandlostsoulswhoformthemajorityofthecity’spop- seriousproblems. ulation don’t need to eat or drink, but they do enjoy it. The city also does a small but extremely lucrative trade Therefore,Hellsgatebringsinafractionofthefoodonemight in spices and drugs compounded from plants grown in expect of a city its size, and what comestibles it does import Hellsgate’s tiny garden, the secretions of diabolical insects, tendtowardluxuryitems:wine,spices,andhigh-qualitymeats. andotheringredientsfoundnowhereelse.Likeitsenchant- Inthefinalanalysis,though,Hellsgateiscertainlyrich,but ments, the city’s raw ingredients carry a certain demonic itisn’tquiteaswealthyasonemightexpect,givenhowlucra- taintwiththem,butarerarelydirectlyharmfultothecare- tiveitstradeis.Transportacrossthenearbydesertispunish- fulandknowledgeableuser.Hellsgate’spoisonsaresomeof inglyexpensive,andwhileprofit-hungrymerchantsarewilling thebestandmostreliableknown.SeeHell’sKitchen(below) totraveltothislittlepieceofHell,theywillonlytaketherisk forexamples. foraverylargecut.Consequently,althoughHellsgateismak- Whilethecity’slessdiabolicalmerchantstradeincoinand inganumberofpeopleveryrich,manyofthemdon’tactually valuablematerials,demonsarewillingtobarterforlesstangible livethere. Hell’s Kitchen TheseareafewofthemorepopularitemsofHellsgate’s darts.Afewparticularlylargeonesarecraftedintolight- produce. weight arrows; treat these as standard arrows (not bod- kins, etc.) with a (0.5) armor divisor. These spines cost Bloodletter’sDraught:Thishealingpotionisusedbytor- 25¥asmuchasanormaldartorarrow(+24CF). turerstokeepsubjectsaliveformoretorment.It’seffective, YellowDust:Thisdreadedpoisoniscomposedofspores though its side effects are unpleasant. A dose gives the which infect the target. It is a contact agent with a half- drinker Regeneration (Regular) for the next 1d+2 hours. hourdelayandaHT-4rolltoresist.Inflicts1d-4toxicdam- However,theconsumermustmaketwoseparateWillrolls: age, repeating at four-hour intervals for 12 cycles. The onetoavoidmoderatepainandonetoavoidbeingnause- target’s skin becomes covered with unsightly fungal ated(seep. B428forboth).Eitherorbothsideeffectslast growths, reducing appearance by one level per two full forthedurationofhealing.$75,0.5lb. pointsofinjuryuntilhebecomesHideous.Thisistempo- Seer’s Clove: This pungent spice gives horrible but rary; normal appearance is restored at one level per day propheticdreams.Thenightafterconsuminganounceor whenthedamagestops.It’salsocontagious.Anyonewho more of Seer’s Clove, the consumer has nightmares comes in contact with the target must make a contagion (p. B144).Inadditiontobeingterrifying,thedreamsare roll(p. B443)orbecomeinfected.$175,1lb. full of important if often impenetrable symbolism. The UnholyBasil:Thisherb,whoseflavorandpotencysur- consumer may attempt to find and interpret important vive drying admirably, provides notable spiciness with symbolsinthedream,asforOracle(p. B72),butat-5to strongovertonesofmintandlicorice.Itisalsoanotori- bothrolls.$250/oz. ous stimulant, making the consumer prone to activity Toxic Spines: These are a common body part sold as whichisbothvigorousandunwise.Consuminganounce weapons.Thoughthelargeronesperformpoorlyagainst ormoreofitrestores2FP,butonlyforfourhours,after armor, all have unpleasant lasting effects. If the spine which the user loses them and another 2 FP! For the damagesalivingtarget,itdoesonepointoftoxicdamage duration,healsohasImpulsiveness(12)–or-3tohisself- for four hourly cycles, resisted by HT. While under the controlrollsifhealreadyhasImpulsiveness–andisat-3 effect of the toxin, the target is also at -1 to DX and IQ onallotherrollstoresiststrongemotions,whetherfrom from pain (-2 for Low Pain Threshold, no penalty for externalinfluenceordisadvantagessuchasBadTemper High Pain Threshold). Most spines are sold as blowgun andLecherousness.$25/oz. W H 8 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE D L AILY IFE LifegoesoninHellsgate,ifyoucancallthatliving. Thoughheavilybuiltup,thecitydoeshaveafewopenpub- lic spaces. Except for plazas attached to important public A buildings (such as the Bone Palace), they’re usually found RCHITECTURE aroundbridgesspanningcrevasses,whicharethemselvesusu- Buildingsinmostofthecityaredepressinglysimilar:rough ally found at or near the intersections of major streets. See towersresemblingsquared-offtermitemoundsmadeofchar- JaggedLanding(p. 18)foroneexample. coal, with doorways and windows cut into them by indiffer- Because there are few organic materials used in the city’s ently skilled labor. Some are slightly pyramidal, noticeably architecture,thechanceofacity-wideconflagrationisnextto largeratthebottomthanthetop,whileafewarelargeratthe nothing.Ofcourse,giventhecity’ssituation,anybuildingwith topthanatthebottom.Manystandataslightangle,overhang- substantial wooden structural members would have burned ing the street below or leaning toward a neighbor. In some downlongago. buildings, the residents level the floor with a layer of sand underflagstonesorfloorboards,butmanyhavegivenupand havebecomeusedtounevenfloors. All the best bands are Themostunusualthingaboutthesebuildingsisthattheyare notbuilt;theygrowinfitsandstarts,keepingpacewiththecity’s population.Fromtimetotime,atowerwillgroanandshudder affiliated with Satan. and,overthecourseofadayortwo,extrudeanewtopstory.Or it may shrink or expanda bit, opening an alley a bit wider or – Bart Simpson, in closingitoff.Onoccasion,abuildinggrowingatananglewill collidewithaneighbor,damagingthetopstoriesofboth.Many ofthetowersarefourstoriestall,andsomearefive. The Simpsons Thetowersareremarkablysturdy.Theyaremadeofsolid,if relativelysoft,stone(treatasbrickforHPandDRofStructures, #8.17 p. B558), and while they tremble with the small earthquakes which occasionally afflict the region, they sustain little or no damage.Ontheotherhand,they’renotparticularlyattractive. Thestoneiseasytowork,butthecoarsetexturemakesitpoor forsculpteddecoration–notthatthatstopssomeresidentsfrom F C tryingtospruceuptheirbuildingfrontswithreliefcarvings.It OOD AND LOTHING does not take conventional paints well, and the buildings’ ten- Forthebulkofthepopulation,foodisaluxuryratherthan dency to occasionally grow and shift makes facing them with anecessity,whichmeansthattheresidentsofthecityeatlittle more attractive materials problematic. However, a number of but extremely well. Lost souls retain something of the tastes buildingshavemetalladdersandbalconiesanchoreddeeplyin theyhadwhentheywereliving,soingredientsforadizzying their walls; these seem fairly immune to the underlying struc- rangeofethniccuisinescanbefoundinHellsgate.Awidevari- tures’changingdimensions. ety of animals are brought in for fresh meat, and sometimes Asinmanyothercitieswithtallbuildings,shopsandother live fish are imported in tanks of water at great expense. public areas are mostly on the ground floor with residences Alcoholicspiritsandstrongwinesarewidelyavailable. above.However,alackofspacesometimesleadstomulti-lev- Thelivingmusteatmore,butcanlivemorecheaply:The eled craft and shopping districts, with two or three levels of localmortaldietisbasedondrybreadmadefrombarleyand shops.Thesehavewell-excavatedfrontstodisplaywares,iron othercoarsegrains,supplementedwithdates,legumes,anda laddersandstepsdecoratedwithindividualcraftsmen’smarks, variety of squash. Mutton and poultry are the main meats. and even metal suspension bridges between different build- The locals drink a throat-punishingly heavy date wine when ings’balconies,givingastreettwooreventhreeverticallevels onabudget. of“sidewalk.” The monstrous residents of the city tend not to be as dis- Toward the bottom of the crater, one sees more diverse cerningintheirtastes.Theyeatmorethanhumansandmost buildings, fewer open craft workshops, and less dedicated humanoids,butwillconsumefoodwhichisnotablylessfresh “retail” space. In addition to the monumental architecture of – even indigestible by the standards of more refined races. theBonePalace,theAnticathedral,andsoon,therearemany Anthropophagy isn’t prohibited, but residents of the city are buildingswhichwereindividuallyconstructed,asopposedto usually on their guard, so they also import slaves as a food the “grown” ones farther up-slope. Individual palaces and source.Thecity’smonsterssometimesresorttoagrislierfood wealthyhomesaremadefromeverythingfrompolishedmar- source:thelostsouls.Thoughthefleshofthelostsoulsisn’tas bletoresinssecretedfromlong-vanishedinsects.Thispartof tasty or nutritious as that of the living, it does provide basic thecityishometothecity’smoreformidablealchemistsand sustenance. Poorer monsters have no qualms about supple- enchanters and the more successful importers. Although one menting their diet by waylaying lost souls, butchering, and maybuyandsellthere,visitingsuchacombinedresidenceand consuming them. One lost soul provides almost a month’s workshopismoreakintoaconsultationwithanexpertadvi- worthoffood;withdecentcare,thevictim’sbodyregenerates sororpetitioningapatronthanvisitingashop. inaboutfourmonths. W H 9 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE Fashions are likewise varied. Most demons and the more alcohol or reproducing a particular society’s variety of public monstrousresidentsofthecityrarelywearanything,andwhen house. Taverns are also a center for the city’s few performing theydo,it’susuallyjewelryorbeltsandstrapstoholdequip- artists–primarilystorytellers,dancers,andmusicians.Although ment.Forcomfortandavailability,mortalsandlostsoulsoften some occasionally stage small plays, Hellsgate doesn’t have a fall back on clothing suitable to the region. What passes for significanttraditionoftheater.Publichousesprovidingmore native costume consists of either a robe or baggy pants and potentintoxicants(lotus,opium,andthelike)arefairlycom- shirtorvest,abroadsash,andaheadclothwornasakeffiyeh mon,asarebrothels.Indeed,inmanytaverns,thecompanion- orsmallturban.Becauseoftheroughandsometimessearing shipofthestaffisalsoonsale. hot ground, unusually heavy footwear is worn at all times. Gambling is a popular amusement, with games from all Even relatively lightweight sandals and slippers have soles overtheworld,rangingintimefrommoderntoancient.New madeofseverallayersofleatherorsolidwood.Finebootsare games and variations on existing games are popular. Lost particularlyprized. soulsanddemonsalikeareavidplayersofacomplexchess- likegameinvolvingdozensofpiecesandaboardwhichcan A changeshapeduringplay.Lostsouls,forwhomnowoundis MUSEMENTS permanent, have an active dueling culture – providing yet S another thing for gamblers to wager on. The better duelists AND PECTACLES areoftenveteransofthePerpetualArena.Lostsoulsaredis- For such a naturally grim place, Hellsgate features a sur- inclined to fight mortals, but will do so with those who prisingnumberofwaystohaveagoodtime,thoughfewwould absolutelyinsist. be regarded as good, clean fun. The city has more than its Public spectacles are generally produced by demons and share of taverns, which serve a dizzying array of drinks. A feared by other residents. For the demons, sport, arts, and number of them specialize in providing a particular type of pageantry involve someone being hurt, which leads to them organizing such events as concerts of music consist- ing of tuned screams; spectacular demonstrations of punishmentsforwrongdoers;andfootball-likegames Dangerous Books in spaces strewn with caltrops, shards of obsidian, and other hazards. Such events inevitably attract Knowledgecomesataprice,particularlyinHellsgate.Many largecrowds;lostsoulsarecompelledtoattend,some demonsownbookswhichcanprotectthemselvesagainstunau- mortalsaredrawnoutofasenseofmorbidcuriosity, thorizedreaders.Anyone(butonlyone)ofthesemodifiersmay and demons and many monstrous residents actively beappliedtoabookoranentirelibrary.Doingsohalvesthecost enjoythem. (-0.5 CF), but does not affect weight. See GURPS Dungeon Fantasy4andGURPSDungeonFantasy8formoreonbooks, L M andGURPSLow-TechCompanion1formoreonlibraries. IFE OF THE IND Corrosive: The book is damaging to the touch. A corrosive Thevastmajorityofresidentshavenooffspringto bookdoesonepointofcorrosiondamagetothehandsperhour educate.Nearly3%oflostsoulsaretechnicallythose of reading. Flimsy gloves (DR 0) are destroyed after the first ofchildren(uptoage16),buttheirsituationbearslit- hour;armoredgloves(DR1+)lastlonger,buteveryfivehoursof tle resemblance to that of mortal minors. Thus, readingreducestheireffectiveDRby1.Readersusuallykeepthe Hellsgatehasnouniversitiesorotherformalcenters booksinheavycaseslinedwithnon-corrodingglazedtiles.Such oflearning,andprofessionalteachersarefewandfar a case weighs twice as much as the book it contains and costs between.However,manylostsoulspursuetheconso- $10perlb. lations of philosophy. There’s a great deal of intellec- Maddening:Thebookisdisturbingbeyonditssubjectmate- tual discussion, leaning heavily on legal and moral rial. It has illuminated capitals which subtly project horrifying philosophy.Collectively,thelostsoulsownaremark- images,andthewordswhisperuncannilyintothereader’sear. ably diverse range of intellectual texts imported from AnyonereadingthebookmustmakeaWillrollat+2attheend across the world. Some know and have attempted to oftheday;thisrollisat-2foreveryfullhourspentreading.On reproducefragmentsoflostworks,thoughnotneces- asuccessorcriticalsuccess,nothinghappens.Failuremeanshis sarilysuccessfully. dreamsweretainted,andhespendsthenextdayafflictedwitha Since Hellsgate is a center of trade in magical -10-point disadvantage (or combination of disadvantages) cho- itemsandsubstances,ithasahigherthanusualpro- senbytheGM.Criticalfailuremakesthis-20points!Phantom portion of magicians as residents, and even more as VoicesandPhobiasarecommon. visitors. There is no magicians’ guild, but there are Toothed: The book doesn’t want to be read, and may bite. several small, informal organizations of magicians, Onceperhourofreading,thebookwillslamshut.Ifthereader alchemists,andothermagicalprofessionals. failsaDodgeroll,hishandiscaughtfor1d-1crushingdamage. A number of more powerful demons are known to Afewbookshavesharperbutlighterteethanddo1d-3cutting havetheirownlibraries,consistingmainlyofdemonic damage instead. Cautious readers wear gauntlets, put weights lore. The demons only discuss these matters among (atleast5¥asmuchasthebookweighs)ontheopenbook,or themselves, however, not with outsiders. The libraries attachheavyclampstotheirreadingtables,topreventthis. themselves are fabulouslyvaluable, butwell-protected, andtheircontentsarethemselvessometimeshazardous totouchortoread(DangerousBooks,above). W H 10 ELCOME TO ELLSGATE

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