Dark Continent Redux: Central Station

Dark Continent Redux

A Fantasy Core Adventure

© Jerry Harris 2016

Published here as Open Game Content.

(This link will take you to the Fantasy Core Playtest Rules.)

Dark Continent Index

Home Station and Central Station Index

  

Central Station

Central Station is a large walled town and well-guarded with many troops.  Unlike Home Station, the natives live in villages in the area, but aren’t allowed to settle en mass next to town.  The soldiers manning their posts here are alert and suspicious.  As long as visitors at the main gate have their travel papers (or a work seal for natives) with them as they enter town, they won’t cause any undue concern. 

Inside, the attitude is much more relaxed, if not drunk and disorderly.  The town is crowded with anxious refugees, greedy merchants, mercenaries spoiling for a fight, and natives trying not to attract any attention.  There are actually fewer natives here than colonials.  It is the safest place outside of Home Station for colonials from the revolt, but not from each other.  The streets here are muddy from constant rain.  Sewage and garbage float freely everywhere.  Though many are trying to have a good time here, Central Station is unpleasant and uncomfortable everywhere within. 

If the Characters were involved some tasks on the trail worthy of commendation, they will be welcomed as heroes at Central Station.  News of their exploits will have somehow proceeded them.  The guards will recognize them after seeing their permits and immediately call attention to them.  A cheer will go up from the other guards and an excited crowd will form around them inside.  (So much for a low profile.)  Captain Raye will be taking some of the credit for having hired them.  The group will be asked if they were sent by Kurtz.  The crowd will be feel some optimism, “With lads like these and Kurtz on our side, this uprising will soon be over!”  “Huzzah!” says the crowd. 

Soon an official committee cuts through the crowd.  It is led by a smiling, simple-looking man in freshly pressed colonial fatigues.  This is the idiot commander of Central Station, Colonel Charles Malacky.  It is said he inherited the position because he never gets sick, unlike most colonists in Africannes*.  His title is bit questionable, since he’s not actually military, and he seems to have no service record.  Were there cameras present, the good Colonel would be here for a “photo-op.”  As is, he’s here to issue written Commonwealth commendations for the group, though with all of their names misspelled.  (No doubt including the usual standby Player-created names such as Stan Orc-Buster, Mr. Piddles, and Kick Yo’ AZZ.)  After asking them about themselves and not caring what they say, the Colonel immediately tell them that the bar tab is on him at the Dagger Inn, and they’re pointed right at the bar.  What a wonderful coincidence, that’s right where the Characters needed to go.  (I could see handing out 1 XP depending on how the Players handle this adulation.)     

   

(*No, I’m not putting in environmental disease rules for the Characters.  We’re just assuming they’re heroes and never get malaria.  Don’t worry, they’re going to have plenty of other things to fight other than illness.) 

Meetings

The Dagger Inn and Meade House is the largest inn in town and easy to spot.  There are a bunch of beehives in the back of the building to make the honey for the meade.  Weapons and armor are checked at the door, but fighting is somewhat encouraged.  If the group needs reinforcements or replacements, there will be plenty of options here.  However, there will be a constant buzz in the air about Kurtz.  He is revered here, so the party best not divulge their real mission, only mentioning that they are joining up with him. 

Getting Guffey the Owner’s attention behind the bar is easy, especially if the Colonel is there buying them drinks.  Otherwise, they just need to order drinks at the bar.  He won’t know who they are, without the party saying that they were told to find him and name-dropping the Baron.  He’ll want to talk business in the back by the hives. 

The Guff basically knows just about everything going on the colony.  He’s been able to put two and two together about Kurtz and the native uprising just from what he’s heard.  He’s also the one who is responsible for alerting the General (from the Introduction) to the threat, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about.  Go ahead and drop some hints about things to come in the adventure.  He can recommend only one ship for the Characters’ transit up river.       

At this time, there’s a single independent ship captain willing to go up river in reasonably short order.  Most of the cargo ships are waiting to go with an “armada” that is being formed to reinforce Inner Station.  Captain Maddox asks for a hefty price to be paid up front (which is thankfully being covered through Guffey, reimbursed by colonial authorities).  He’ll want to see their travel papers, of course.  His boat is unfortunately stuck in the river at low tide and needs money for repairs, which is the only reason he’s taking the job.  He needs the money right now.  The Characters are going to have to cool their heels for a couple of days waiting on the boat.