The Hollow City

6 Random Encounters for THE HOLLOW CITY (by: +Golgaru)

THE HOLLOW CITY is an abandoned, walled-off district of Bastion. It was evacuated years ago after strange creatures appeared in the night and began the wholesale slaughter of those living within. Nobody recalls where the creatures came from, but most are happy to leave them be within the district - they never try to leave, after all. Within the Hollow City, the streets are filled with beautiful but eerie music from an unknown source and structures of human flesh and bone. Those who dare enter report that most of the buildings within have been hollowed out ("cored") - leaving only the outer walls standing - for reasons only known to the creatures who dwell there.

Over time, security on the checkpoints that guard the entrances to the Hollow City has declined - the monsters seem happy with the land they've claimed, so why guard the borders? As a result, industrious street urchins living rough along the wall have begun hiring themselves out as guides to scavengers, thrill-seekers, and those hoping to retrieve something from their former homes. For a price, they'll take people into the Hollow City, show them how to avoid the most dangerous areas, and hopefully bring them back out again.

Encounter 1
[encounter_table]

Encounter 2
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Encounter 3
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Encounter 4
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Encounter 5
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Encounter 6
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CREDIT
The Hollow City is a freaking awesome district/neighborhood for Into the Odd/Bastionland written by +Gogaru for the "Into the Odd" G+ community. Into the Odd and Bastionland are freaking awesome games written by Chris McDowall. The random oddities come from Into the Odd Arcana by GreyKnight and Tuefish.

1,Wagoneer: A giant burnt corpse-man, 8 feet tall, lugging a large sack, cart, or wheelbarrow used to gather human parts. 16 STR, 15HP, Claws (d8), Baleful Stare (CHA save or be paralysed until gaze is broken, reroll save each round). The Wagoneer is carrying [wagoneer_table]. He reacts to the group by [wagoneer_surgeon_reaction_table] 1,[d3] Surgeons: Tall, dark-robed humanoids with a monastic aura and heads encased in black iron boxes. The creators of the grotesque art within the district. Armed with rusty tools and surgical items: scalpels, bonesaws, needles, cleavers, etc. 14 STR, 14 DEX, 10HP, Surgical Tools (d6), Spit Yellow Resin (DEX to avoid or movement is impaired – if not removed, hardens to a solid in d6 rounds, immobilizing the victim). When dealing Critical Damage, will harvest a body part. They are carrying [surgeon_table]. The Surgeons react to the group by [wagoneer_surgeon_reaction_table] 1,Urchin Guide 14 DEX, 4HP, Knife (d6). She is leading a Scavenger 2HP, Club (d6) back from a visit to his old home to collect a valuable bauble. 1,Corpse Art: [corpse_art_table] 1,Blood-Matted Feral Dog 4HP, Bite (d6). Can be made friendly if fed human meat daily – will not eat anything else. 1,Body Pit: A fleshy crater in the ground filled with blood and corpses. In the pit there is [body_pit_table] 1,Raving Lunatic 6 STR/DEX/CHA, 2HP. Unarmed. Yells and babbles nonsense. 50% chance a useful rumour is hidden within his speech, 50% chance it's too loud and attracts a Wagoneer. 1,Eerie music fills the air. Impossible to work out where it comes from. 1,Injured Scavenger 4 STR, 1HP. Unarmed. Abandoned by guide-urchin after Surgeons attacked them. They are [d6] rounds away. 1,Grizzled survivalist 13 STR, 12 DEX, 7HP, Machete (d6), Scattergun (d8) who refused to leave his home. Carries Noisemaker Grenades that attract nearby Surgeons and Wagoneers to their location. His heavily-fortified safehouse is nearby. 1,A large plush doll lies discarded in the ditch. Once it may have been a purple bunny, now it looks more like an eel with limbs. It looks up at any passerby and demands: "Hey Bub, come gimme a hug." If the offer is declined, the Mockery will crawl away in self-pity. On embrace one will find the Mockery to be damp and much heavier than might have been anticipated. The Mockery will cling to whoever hugs it, and if the hug is broken, attack by biting.
 * encounter_table

1,a wheelbarrow full of grey-fleshed infant amputees singing a single, perfect note in unison (CHA save or d6 CHA damage when first hearing this) 1,a large, bloody sack full of human arms and legs 1,a cart full of burnt corpses 1,an unconscious scavenger or urchin 1,a trailer full of rusty tools and weapons 1,an oddity made from human parts: [arcanum_table]
 * wagoneer_table

1,[Into the Odd Arcana.fabricarcanum] 1,[Into the Odd Arcana.solidarcanum] 1,[Into the Odd Arcana.potionarcanum]
 * arcanum_table

1,1 1,2 1,3
 * d3

1,a book bound in human flesh, which it writes in continuously using a quill of bone 1,a lantern made from a decapitated head on a pole 1,a censer billowing odd-smelling smoke 1,a sack of dismembered limbs, a hammer, and a bag of nails 1,a living victim, dragged along on a meathook 1,an improvised harpoon gun (d8), with a spear of bone and a line made from entrails
 * surgeon_table

1,attacking immediately. 1,staring menacingly (Wagoneers use their gaze attack). 1,following closely. If allowed to approach, will caress and stare. Roll CHA – on a failure, it attacks. If successful, it seems satisfied and leaves. 1,howling mournfully for aid. Aid arrives in [2d6] rounds. 1,ignoring the group completely and continueing about its business. 1,approaching slowly and attempting to hand over a gift made from human parts. If accepted, studies the reaction of the recipient, then leaves.
 * wagoneer_surgeon_reaction_table

1,2 2,3 3,4 4,5 5,6 6,7 5,8 4,9 3,10 2,11 1,12
 * 2d6

1,A grotesque tower or obelisk made from [corpse_art_medium]. 1,A sculpture in the shape of a man or animal consisting of [corpse_art_medium]. 1,A wall or screen built from [corpse_art_medium]. 1,A machine made out of [corpse_art_medium] – 50% chance it's currently running, emitting strange fumes and eerie music like a crackly record player.
 * corpse_art_table

1,skin 1,skulls 1,assorted bones 1,arms and legs 1,internal organs 1,meat
 * corpse_art_medium

6,nothing. 1,a lone Wagoneer dumping human parts. 1,[d6] Surgeons making Corpse Art from the contents of the pit. 1,a Feral Dog eating someone's organs. 1,an unconscious urchin, stuck to the ground with hardened yellow resin. 1,strange music from below. Make a CHA save every 10 minutes spent listening to it or lose d6 CHA. At 0 CHA, characters fall to their knees in ecstasy and refuse to leave of their own accord. If the individual is forced to leave they become gibbering madmen, never again recovering any CHA points. 1,[d6] emaciated Scavengers on their knees, semi-conscious in a blissful state. They will not leave willingly, and will never be sane again.
 * body_pit_table

1,1 1,2 1,3 1,4 1,5 1,6
 * d6