Achlys

**Achlys** is a station in the outer circle of Eleutheria, located in the same segment as the broken Transit Relay.

# Log Entries

*Below, the marsh bubbles. Fleshy-leafed plants emit a pungent stench.*

*Coppery lights away in the fog: the lamps of Achlys, a shanty-market for spices and vices.*

*You cross the Achlean marshes. Don't trust the mists. They reveal things that are not there, and conceal things that are.*

*Fatalistic Signalman: "After the Isambard Line, we were to start bringing civilisation here too."*

*Incognito Princess: "Are we at Achlys? We must try some of the Midnight Tea."*

*The Rat Brigade whispers amongst itself. Words like 'Valkyrie' and 'Nightingale'.*

*The Incautious Driver twitches. "Can anyone else feel that? Just me? Oh."*

*Your Aunt irritably crosses 'Achyls' from the captain's log and writes in 'Achlys'.*

*"Can we stop by, Captain?" asks the Fortunate Navigator. "I'd love a good cup of tea."*

# Achlys

*An illicit haven of tea and spices, glowing gently in the darkness of a poisonous marsh. Sweet scents drift down from the market above, soon lost in the noxious flumes.*

 **Data ID** | 290003

## Arrival in Achlys

*You disembark onto a soggy wooden platform barely supported by the marsh-mud below. It leads past several squalid huts and the hulls of scavenged engines to the warmth of a marketplace on wooden stilts. Nearby, what remains of an ancient monastery just holds on against the ravages of time and the swampy ground below.*

**Trigger conditions**

 Odd Jobs in Achlys Town ≤ 0,

**Interactions**

Something is going on down the other side of the monastery. Fire flickers. Treachery carries on the wind. |  | **Sabotage**
A woman smoking a cigarette watches from the shadows, unaware of your presence, as a group of grizzled skyfarers attempts to force the monastery's doors. Unlike the crumbling stone, these are made of solid, new metal, and more than up to the task of repelling the attack. However, with every blow against them, the monastery itself seems to shudder. Dust rains from high up. Stones creak. It will not take much before something gives.+ Odd Jobs in Achlys Town = (1 to 4)
+ Time To Next Monastery Battle =  Date+30

**Triggers event:**  The Floating Market | **Intervene**
This may not be your problem, but you can make it your fight. | You summon a few of your crew with a wave back to the locomotive. Before you can join the attack, however-
"HOJOTOHO! HOJOTOHO!"
The war-cry echoes through the marsh. Urchins – Ringbreakers from Old London, from the look of them – surge at the attackers, armed with broomsticks with sharp objects taped on the end, colander helmets, and cardboard armour. "In the name of the Valkyrie!" they shout, launching their attack. "For Sigrid!"

They swiftly rout the attackers. The woman with the cigarette is long gone, leaving behind nothing but the smell of expensive ash.+ The War of Midnight = 40 [The War of Midnight continues...]
This is simply not your problem. | "HOJOTOHO! HOJOTOHO!"
The war-cry echoes through the marsh. Urchins – Ringbreakers from Old London, from the look of them – surge at the attackers, armed with broomsticks with sharp objects taped on the end, colander helmets, and cardboard armour. "In the name of the Valkyrie!" they shout, launching their attack. "For Sigrid!"

They swiftly rout the attackers. The woman with the cigarette is long gone, leaving behind nothing but the smell of expensive ash.+ The War of Midnight = 60 [The War of Midnight continues...]
+ Clear = 1 [The devils of Carillon claim to be experts in the assessment and improvement of the soul. They would describe yours as disappointingly clear; almost transparent.]

 **Data ID** | 303722

## Patrolling with the Ringbreakers

*A patrol is just leaving, and you are welcome to join it. Once in the poisoned mists of the swamp, they lower their weapons and begin to play. You quickly find yourself in the middle of a game of Hide and Seek filled with unusually advanced tactics.*

**Trigger conditions**

 Date ≥  An Opportunity in Achlys,

 An Opportunity in Achlys ≥ 1

**Interactions**

Not a game, their leader insists. Strategic training! |  | **They seek them there...**
Your size puts you at a disadvantage against the Ringbreakers, most of whom are small enough to crawl through hollow tree-stumps and hide in the tall marsh grass. It doesn't help that they are far more used to the poison in the air. Nevertheless, they agree that for a grown-up, you weren't entirely rubbish. This is high praise indeed.+ -10 x Terror
+ An Opportunity in Achlys =  Date+15
A few Ringbreakers are willing to join you in actually doing their duty. | + Iron challenge (**92** for 100%)
With the Ringbreakers at your back, you effortlessly track and surprise a group of marsh-poachers. The Ringbreakers tie their hands behind their backs with vines and give you first pick of their illegal goods.+ An Opportunity in Achlys =  Date+15
 **Forage in the swamps**
The Ringbreakers are willing to help you look for Verdant seeds. | + Mirrors challenge (**92** for 100%)
The flora of the Reach has flourished in these poisonous swamps after being brought here by the early settlers. Some of them might not even grow into terrifying, poisonous plantlife that will grow throughout your engine and suffocate the life from your crew. You just have to hope that you chose the right ones.+ An Opportunity in Achlys =  Date+15
+ +1 x Sack of Verdant Seeds

 **Data ID** | 285098

## The Floating Market

*Rotting wooden huts on stilts stretch up out of the marshland, connected by rickety walkways and gently swaying rope bridges. Red paper lanterns line the paths, offering just enough flickering light to avoid unfortunate tumbles into the dark mud below. Ringbreaker urchins in colander helmets and tea-tray armour stand to slack attention, longing for a little trouble.*

**Interactions**

 **Data ID** | 289545

### The Court of Tea and Spices

*Clouds of rich scents hang in the air. Though the market is small, it is bustling with both London and native Eleutherian traders. Each cramped stall and barrow is piled high with the region's finest tea leaves, opiates, salts and spices.*

**Interactions**

 **Data ID** | 289549

### The House of Silks

*The curtains part with a sickly sweet breath of incense. Velvet wraps the inside of the hut like a fine chocolate box, with silk curtains delicately hanging down to provide translucent privacy for guests. Behind, the shadows of wealthy traders lie in the embrace of soft, well-plumped cushions, gently sipping from bronze hookah pipes until their eyes and troubles are somewhere else entirely.*

**Interactions**

 **Data ID** | 289536

### The Vigilant Nightingale

*This broken down engine has been comprehensively gutted to serve as the Ringbreakers' home and base. Filthy hammocks stretch between metal bars, most full of snoring urchins. Others sit around decorating tea-tray armour with bright paints, or sparring playfully with wooden sticks.*

**Interactions**

 **Data ID** | 289547

### The Ruined Monastery

*"Petrified veins run down the side of this ancient structure. Two giant featureless doors block the crumbling entrance, far too large for any human to open. The metal is unfamiliar, but resilient. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the monastery itself. Midnight Monastery Status(MonasteryStatus)"*

**Interactions**

He beats his fists against the doors, getting nothing but bloody knuckles for his trouble. | + Odd Jobs in Achlys Town = 3 [You are on the look-out for work in town]
"You." He blinks tears from his eyes. "You're a Captain, right? You've got the look about you. Maybe you can help. My husband, he was never the same after he came back from the zee with that tattoo. The eye. That blasted eye, it drew him here, I'm sure of it."+ Odd Jobs in Achlys Town = 13 [You have been asked to find a lost lover in the monastery of Achlys]
They say the Monastery opens only for those undergoing great torment. Rumours are less clear on exactly how 'they' know this. | + Soul Flaws ≥ 4
+ Midnight's Gift ≤ 0

 **Data ID** | 290475

### The Burned Monastery

*One of the once-sturdy doors lies on the ground, the other hangs on by its last nail. Inside is little but ash, the mulch of destroyed tea plants, and the occasional fallen mask left by fleeing monks. A few rocks tumble from somewhere high up, landing with a sad squelch in the marsh.*

**Interactions**

 **Data ID** | 290620

### Into The Marsh

*"Into The Marsh – Descriptions(Text)"*

**Interactions**

# Triggered Events

 **Data ID** | 290507

## The War of Midnight Continues

*The distant bellow of "HOJOTOHO!" tells you that there is another battle taking place at the Monastery gates. It would be easy enough to ignore it, but both sides would likely be grateful for assistance.*

**Trigger conditions**

 Date ≥  Time To Next Monastery Battle,

 Amberley Banished ≤ 0,

 The Monastery Burned Down ≤ 0,

 The War of Midnight ≥ 1 ≤ 99,

**Interactions**

 **Data ID** | 290484

## The Last Stand

*You step out of the train into a pitched battle. Sigrid the Valkyrie is personally leading the attack against the latest hired crew attempting to break into the monastery. Amberley Murgatroyd smirks confidently, already smoking a victory cigarette as her Clay Men hammer the buckling gates with their mighty fists.*

Trigger conditions

 The War of Midnight ≥ 100

 The Monastery Burned Down ≤ 0,

 Date ≥  Time To Next Monastery Battle,

**Interactions**

The winning side is the right side. You are in no danger here, but a good show may earn you more of the plunder. | + Iron challenge (**125** for 100%)
You pick up a fallen broomstick spear and join the fray. Soon enough, you face Sigrid herself. Her eyes narrow. With another scream of "HOJOTOHO!", she charges. Short and physically unimpressive as she is, her skills do her Valkyrie title proud. Her spear spins and knocks the legs out from under you, sending you falling from the walkway to the foul mud below. But the battle is lost. You hear the crash of Clay Men finally break through the huge monastery gates and advance on the monks beyond.
"Forward!" orders Amberley. "Burn it! Burn it all!"

Bitter smoke rises into the air.+ The Monastery Burned Down = 1
+ Sided Against Sigrid = 1
+ +1 x Affiliation: Villainy
+ +5 x Caddy of Dried Tea

You pick up a fallen broomstick spear and join the fray. Soon enough, you face Sigrid herself. Her eyes narrow. With another scream of "HOJOTOHO!", she charges. Short and physically unimpressive as she is, her skills do her Valkyrie title proud. It isn't enough, however. After trading a few blows, you manage to catch her by the legs, knocking her off the walkway and into the mud below. She surfaces, spluttering with anger, just as the Clay Men finally break through the huge monastery gates. They crash down with a wet thump.
"Forward!" orders Amberley. "Burn it! Burn it all!"

Bitter smoke rises into the air.+ +7 x Caddy of Dried Tea
+ The Monastery Burned Down = 1
+ Sided Against Sigrid = 1
+ +1 x Affiliation: Villainy

This is their business, not yours. |  | **Midnight's End**
The Urchins fight bravely, and with skill. They hurl their broomstick spears and latch onto the attackers' backs, biting and scratching until exhausted. But the war is lost. Amberley's hired goons easily hold them back long enough for her Clay Men to break through the huge monastery gates. They crash down into the swamp with a wet thump.
"Forward!" orders Amberley. "Burn it! Burn it all!"

Bitter smoke rises into the air.+ The Monastery Burned Down = 1
+ Clear = 1 [The devils of Carillon claim to be experts in the assessment and improvement of the soul. They would describe yours as disappointingly clear; almost transparent.]

 **Data ID** | 290482

## The Final Battle

*You step out of the locomotive into a pitched struggle for the monastery. Amberley Murgatroyd has given up on subtlety in favour of an all-out assault on the Monastery's gates. Her Clay Men beat against the doors while a group of hired goons does their best to hold back Sigrid and her Ringbreakers. Cries of "HOJOTOHO!" echo throughout the marsh.*

**Trigger conditions**

 The War of Midnight ≤ 0,

 Amberley Banished ≤ 0,

 Date ≥  Time To Next Monastery Battle,

 Odd Jobs in Achlys Town ≥ 1

**Interactions**

Sigrid has this under control, but acquitting yourself well could reap valuable rewards. | + Iron challenge (**125** for 100%)
Sigrid throws you a spear, which you fail miserably to catch. She shoots you a pointed look as you scrabble in the mud and hurry to join the battle. The hired goons have no problem fighting small children. Unfortunately for them, the opposite is just as true. Soon enough, Sigrid has her spear pressed against Amberley Murgatroyd's throat.
"Call 'em off," she snaps. Amberley has no choice. Less than an hour later, she and her goons are marched through the port in their underclothes towards a plank overhanging the marsh proper. Below are untamed carnivorous plants, spores of madness, and waters said to replace thirst with insanity. The Ringbreakers cheer as each in turn is prodded off the end to land face-first in the foul mud below.+ Amberley Banished = 1
+ +1 x Moment of Inspiration

Sigrid throws you a spear and you join the Urchins in battle. The hired goons have no problem fighting small children. Unfortunately for them, the opposite is just as true. With your help, the Ringbreakers easily send them flying off the wooden walkway into the foul marsh below. Soon enough, Sigrid has her spear pressed against Amberley Murgatroyd's throat.
"Call 'em off," she snaps. Amberley has no choice. Less than an hour later, she and her goons are marched through the port in their underclothes towards a plank overhanging the marsh proper. Below are untamed carnivorous plants, spores of madness, and waters said to replace thirst with insanity. The Ringbreakers cheer as each in turn is prodded off the end to land face-first in the foul mud below.+ Amberley Banished = 1
+ +1 x Affiliation: Bohemia

This is their business, not yours. |  | **Urchins vs. Clay**
Sigrid charges into battle, spear raised and invincible. The hired goons have no problem fighting small children. Unfortunately for them, the opposite is just as true, and they have advantage in numbers. Soon enough, Sigrid has her spear pressed against Amberley Murgatroyd's throat.
"Call 'em off," she snaps. Amberley has no choice. Less than an hour later, she and her goons are marched through the port in their underclothes towards a plank overhanging the marsh proper. Below are untamed carnivorous plants, spores of madness, and waters said to replace thirst with insanity. The Ringbreakers cheer as each in turn is prodded off the end to land face-first in the foul mud below.+ Amberley Banished = 1
+ Clear = 1 [The devils of Carillon claim to be experts in the assessment and improvement of the soul. They would describe yours as disappointingly clear; almost transparent.]

 **Data ID** | 314643

## The Achlys Signs

*Skylark Signs: Achlys(signal\_description)*

**Trigger conditions**

 Skylark Signs: Achlys ≥ 10 ≤ 39,

Location: Achlys

Frequency: Always (100%)

**Interactions**

If Quivers was right, one of these signs doesn't have a translation. The Vagabond hands you his codebook. | + Skylark Signs: Achlys = 20 [Investigate the signs that skylarks have scratched outside Achlys' station]
Comparing the signs scratched on the post to the Vagabond's well-worn codebook, you find one that lacks a translation.
Circle within spiral within teardrop. A sign more intricate than those that surround it. When you point it out, the Vagabond whistles.
"That's new," he says, pulling a pencil-stub from behind his ear and copying it. "I'll cross-reference it to the other skylark signs and see if I can arrive at a meaning."

He slips the book back into his pocket and lifts the drunk skylark to his feet. "What's your name, friend?" he asks amicably, steering him away from the station.+ Skylark Signs: Achlys = 30 [Investigate the signs that skylarks have scratched outside Achlys' station]
+ The Vagabond's Obligation = 75 [Help the Vagabond study the undeciphered skylark signs that Quivers discovered]

He stares up at you and attempts a rude gesture. He ends up poking himself in the eye.
*Game note: This will improve your Friendship with the Vagabond.*

+ Tale of Terror ≥ 1
You crouch next to the gin-soaked skylark and launch into a story about the predators that lurk in the darkness above, their scope for cruelty matched only by the vastness of their apathy. In the face of unimaginable, omnivorous scorn, you say, the only thing we can cling to is a code. To abandon the skylark code is to subside.
By the time you are finished, he is pale as a bedsheet and apologises for his inebriation. The Vagabond chuckles and claps you on the back.+ Skylark Signs: Achlys = 20 [Investigate the signs that skylarks have scratched outside Achlys' station]
+ -1 x Tale of Terror
+ +1 x Friendship with the Vagabond
The skylarks' code was written for a reason – to protect the reputation of the skylarks as a whole.
*Game note: If you succeed, this will improve your Friendship with the Vagabond.*

+ Hearts challenge (**84** for 100%)
If skylarks abandon their code, you tell him, then locomotive captains will become less willing to give them work. Without being able to work for passage, skylarks will be stuck in one place: and who could imagine a more terrible fate?
If the skylarks' code is abandoned, you tell the man, then locomotive captains will become less willing to give them work. Without being able to work for passage, skylarks will be stuck in one place: who could imagine a more terrible fate?
The drunken man looks down shame-facedly. "It won't happen again," he mumbles.

The Vagabond chuckles and claps you on the back. "It seems you've actually been listening to my blather!" he says. "First time for everything."+ Skylark Signs: Achlys = 20 [Investigate the signs that skylarks have scratched outside Achlys' station]
 **Ignore the drunk skylark**
The Vagabond wants to remind the man to respect the Code, but he seems a lost cause. | + Skylark Signs: Achlys = 10 [Head to Achlys and copy down the mysterious sign]
You kneel to examine the carved signs. The gin-soaked man returns to swigging from his bottle.+ Skylark Signs: Achlys = 20 [Investigate the signs that skylarks have scratched outside Achlys' station]

# Shops

### Midnight Lumberyard

*Between the monastery and Murgatroyd, the tea trade here is firmly locked down. Sensing an opportunity, some Khanate merchants have started up an alternative trade.*

* Victory Hall
 Hybras
 Leadbeater & Stainrod's Nature Reserve
 Lustrum
 Magdalene's
 Polmear & Plenty's Inconceivable Circus
 Port Avon
 Port Prosper
 Titania
 Traitor's Wood
 Transit Relays
 Faith's Fall
 Old Tom's Well
 Regent's Grave
 The Flowerfields
 The Regent's Tears
 The Silent Saint
 The War of Fossils
 Albion | **London*** The Ministries
* Wit & Vinegar Lumber Company
 Perdurance
 The Brabazon Workworld
 The Clockwork Sun
 The Floating Parliament
 The Most Serene Mausoleum
 The Royal Society
 Transit Relays
 Worlebury-juxta-Mare
 St Anthony's Lighthouse
 The Avid Horizon
 Well of the Wolf
 Eleutheria | **Pan*** Heart-Catcher Gardens
* The Brazen Brigade
* The Gentlemen
* Winter's Reside
 Caduceus
 Eagle's Empyrean
 Langley Hall
 Piranesi
 The House of Rods and Chains
 Transit Relays
 The Well of Wonders
 The Blue Kingdom | **Sky Barnet*** The House of Days
 The Forge of Souls
 The White Well (Wellmouth)
 Transit Relay