anaplasiamod | setting info

SETTING INFO

「URUK」

Uruk, the vast city characters will find themselves in, seems to loom infinitely in every direction. Whether Uruk is an overdeveloped planet, some kind of gargantuan spaceship, or some eldritch other-realm is unknown to Ishtar - or at least something she isn't willing to share.

In many ways, the city seems to straddle several things, with areas that seem unique to habitation, others dedicated to strange scientific experimentation, and some that suggest some kind of greater purpose, like vast machines and pipelines of unknown function. Whether these actually do anything to keep the megastructure functioning or are there because the structure just thinks it should have inner workings remains to be seen.

Whether the city has a sky above - or exits - will take some exploration to discover. And answers about their situation will be even harder to come by. Though advanced technology exists that may someday provide answers, most of it is derelict and nonfunctional.

For those trapped in Uruk, at times it will feel as if the megastructure itself is working against them, sometimes blocking them or trapping them in compartments with various threats.

STRUCTURE

The city is a maze of endless levels of alternating rooms and city structures. Some areas look like the connecting sections of the inner holds of ships, complete with bulkheads, airtight doors, and knee knockers, others are vast chambers large enough to house skyscrapers and bleak monolithic structures. In some areas, different levels are differentiated enough to feel like there are separate floors, but in others, the only travel can be completed by cutting through endless smaller sections or even individual rooms. Tunnels ranging from so small as to only fit someone crawling, and large enough across to house whole buildings, can act as access points between some areas allowing for cutting through.

While many areas of the structures have obvious purposes like accommodation, others are mysterious. And a few are unfinished, made of hard light constructs, a framework devoid of actual matter, like reality hasn't decided what it yet wants to be.

Many areas are overgrown with vegetation that has threaded out. Some of it is from overgrown gardens or hydroponics sections, but some of it is from unknown sources. Some the plants will be familiar to people from Earth, but others are utterly alien - and occasionally dangerous. Overgrowth is sometimes in vast chambers of shifting air, possibly there for purposes of producing oxygen.

The design of the place seems to have no guiding hand to it but one thing that does seem prevalent everywhere is that there are half-formed sections with techno-organic overgrowth threaded through them, unfinished spikes of strange material.

Exploration and mapping of structures is possible in all directions and the suit's maps are holographic and three dimensional to help characters guide their way.

PHYSICS/CONDITIONS

Physics in the structure aren't always concrete and uniform. Some areas have no gravity, others have too much and are difficult to traverse. Others have variable gravity where each surface can be walked on but individuals float in between surfaces if they kick hard enough.

While most sections of the structure remain static and unchanging, enough to hinge map coordinates on them, sometimes sections can transform and alter slightly, as if they've been dimensionally swapped out for some other structure.

Certain areas can cause hallucinations or psychological changes. There can also be changes to someone's form or temporary changes to their DNA.

Some sections are flooded with water and use of the Enki suits is necessary to move through them without drowning. Fortunately, these sections of water are never so deep that the water pressure is overwhelming. And doors that open to areas that are underwater have mysterious forcefields that keep the water from flooding through doors - most of the time.

There can be dangers because of breakdowns in areas causing dangerous radiation, flooding from burst pipes, and collapses of floors and other structures. While some parts of Uruk have withstood the test of time, it's clear that much of it is dusty, degrading, and derelict, and it's unknown how long certain areas have gone without maintenance.

One thing that's clear is that death and decay has a hold on this place. Every so often, the bodies of past residents can be found, in various states of decomposition that make it difficult to pin down how old the megastructure really is. While some bodies are desiccated and nearly mummified from dry conditions, possibly recent victims of whatever befell them, others are just dust and bones, long since lost to their grim fates.

These corpses often show signs of violence, either strange and terrible or completely mundane.

Last words written on nearby walls or surfaces sometimes paint a grim picture of the moment the individual died - and can provide clues about the past.

THREATS

DIMENSIONAL DISRUPTIONS
The megastructure is dimensionally unstable. Sections of the megastructure can have areas from other dimensions shifting in, bringing in dangerous threats. While some of these will be original threats, this includes the possibility of sci fi/horror threats from a variety of canons. Characters may open a section to pass through and find themselves at the mercy of xenomorphs from Aliens, the Borg from Star Trek, or the Death Angels from A Quiet Place. This often happens in bottlenecks where progress towards an important location is necessary. The megastructure also sometimes closes and locks unbreakable doors behind characters, as if the structure itself is working against them slightly. It can be particularly bad about separating groups and pairs from each other and shifting structures and doors to break people up to wind up alone again until they run into someone else.

THE NIM
The Nim are a species of hostile cyborgs of unknown origin, often armed with various dangerous implants. Their organic flesh is artificially manufactured. They are sentient, self-propagating, and extremely hostile to outsiders. While they have information about the megastructure and its history, it's difficult to get them to share it. They often attack outsiders on sight and are intelligent enough for group fighting tactics. However, it is sometimes possible to gain their respect and avoid attacks through careful diplomacy, as well as glean a small amount of information from them.

ANZU
Anzu are formerly organic or technological beings corrupted by the dangerous nanites found in the megastructure. Unlike the Nim who seem to be immune to the nanites, they are corrupted individuals who have been turned into techno-organic monsters from them. They are varying degrees of sentient to animalistic, have abilities based around the nanites, and seem to operate under uncontrollable mental imperatives to spread the nanite infection.

Their nanites often allow the faster healing, making it difficult to damage them enough to kill them.

Usually the full protective capabilities of the Enki suits must be in place to protect someone from the nanites the Anzu shed. Fighting them can lead to dangerous swells of nanites in a local area that can degrade Enki suits over time, meaning that the clock is ticking down from the start of each encounter before suits can fail. PCs will need to defeat the Anzu or escape the area before their suits breach and allow for nanite infection.

ROGUE AI
Some areas are controlled by rogue AI created by the former masters of the megastructure. While some can be helpful and provide useful information or help access certain areas, others are hostile and may turn internal defenses against the PCs. These must be outsmarted and shut down before they kill everyone in a certain area - or destroy something important the PCs are looking for.

NANITE STORMS
Nanite storms are a dangerous localized event in certain areas. The area is filled with clouds of nanites and they eat away at Enki suits. Fortunately, the Enki suits give off a warning when hostile nanites are detected, giving PCs time to fully suit up to protect themselves. When caught in a nanite storm, the suits will display the percentage of shielding left and any decreases as time goes on. It is imperative the individual vacates the area before their suit loses full integrity - something made difficult by the near-blackout conditions.

GIDIM
The name Ishtar gives unknown threats in the megastructure. These are beings of mysterious origin. Rather than being formed by nanite corruption, Ishtar has theorized that they are either former residents warped by dimensional energies or constructs formed from the shifting dimensional resonance manipulating reality on the megastructure. These beings often warp reality around themselves in dangerous ways, presenting a unique threat by changing physics and conditions near them. For instance, some can radiate dangerous energies, others are capable of mutating individuals by touch, and others can alter the laws of physics in their presence. These beings can be beyond all sentient understanding, their motives completely indeterminable.

EXPLORATION/SCAVENGING

Exploration of the megastructure will be encouraged by Ishtar, who seems to want them to find something she seems rather tight-lipped about. It'll allow characters to gradually understand the nature of the megastructure, what happened to its past residents, why they've been pulled into the situation they're in, and what the threat against dimensions is trying to accomplish. Through careful exploration and detective work they can find out what Ishtar may be hiding from them.

Exploration will also allow PCs to scavenge for supplies like food, clothes, and weapons. While the group will start with conventional projectile, bladed, and blunt weapons, more powerful weapons can be found over time, especially useful for any characters that don't have extra implants beyond the primary implant. Medical supplies are important as well, as Ishtar can revive people in the Gula chambers only twice - if that - and someone's corpse must be dragged back to them to be healed within 24 hours. It's much better to treat someone in the field or at the group's home base to prevent them from dying in the first place so being supplied for it is paramount.

Some specific areas are especially useful in the group's exploration and scavenging efforts.

LABS
There are many science labs of varying purpose that can be found through the megastructure. These labs have useful data or clues about the nature of the structure, the nature of the technology in the structure, and clues about the purpose of the characters being drawn to Uruk.

LIBRARIES
There are scattered libraries through the megastructure. Though most of the books have been ruined by rot and other forms of destruction, occasionally books can be found in the megastructure that are useful information resources on topics like gardening, crafting, or medicine, or shed some light on the nature of Uruk.

MEDBAYS
These are places where extremely useful medical supplies and technologies can be found. Much of the larger, non-portable tech is nonfunctional, but useful smaller devices and supplies are. Medication is also stocked in some Medbays, and there are enough functioning medical terminals for PCs to look up what the meds are for and how much to dose individuals. Sometimes they will even find guides to actual procedures and techniques to use medical devices. This information can be downloaded to any portable pads or media devices.

OPERATIONS
These centers are rare and difficult to find and access and provide a wealth of information about the megastructure, its past ongoing operations, and its purpose. Finding operations centers will be one of the most important goals of the group if they want answers about their situation. These centers especially have useful information about the causes of the interdimensional flux in Uruk.

FOOD PANTRIES/GARDENS
What it says on the tin. Pantries have food supplies. Much of it is spoiled, but well-preserved food can be found there. Some seems to be MRE style meals from some kind of central manufacturing, looking like something you'd expect from a sci fi future. Other food is more homey and traditional: canned, dried, salted, jarred, and pickled foods can be found in abundance. People are just as likely to find an alien meal in an advanced metallic container as they are to find a jar of well-made preserves from someone's stove-top.

Gardens are another source of food and the only source of fresh food in Uruk. Left to seed, the perennials still produce vegetables and fruit. Some caution may be necessary around the more alien plants as the edible parts might not be immediately obvious or the plant itself may be carnivorous, poisonous, or venomous. Gardens will only occasionally be available and ripe fruit and veggies usually will be a finite resource, with the plants needing time to regrow any edible parts.

WEAPON ARMORIES
These armories have lots of useful weapons and combat gear, including pieces of body armor that works complimentary to Enki suits for extra protection. As time goes on, the group will be able to scavenge better and better weapons, which will be particularly useful in allowing those without extra implants the ability to keep up with the PCs that have powers from them.

Characters with more than the Base Implant will find that the more high tech weapons don't work due to contact with the nanites they shed, making it logical to give them to people without extra implants.

DATA CENTERS
Data centers are where massive database computers are stored, providing all different types of information about the megastructure. These centers allowed for criss-crossing communication across Uruk. The most useful information that can be found here is navigational data to add to the NSAB maps the Enki suits can produce.

???
Uruk is full of the unknown. Some areas will have sights and resources that can't be described, where useful information, resources, and artifacts can be found. While some areas speak to the structure operating like a spaceship, others seem like temple sites with more magical or arcane resources to discover.

「ESAGILA BASE」

The best habitable areas for the PCs will be the small "base" areas that were formerly used for habitation. These are not always in good enough shape for every section to be functional but often at least have some livable areas. If the group ever relocates to a new base, this page will be updated with the new base name and whatever sections are functional or nonfunctional for that base.

BARRACKS

A large barracks area full of many rows of metal bunk beds with scratchy, thread-worn blankets and dusty pillows.

Status: Nonfunctional, caved in.

BATHROOMS

Metal bathrooms, mostly like normal bathrooms in the real world, though every single surface is made of metal. The shower stalls have no curtains though some can certainly be improvised.

Status: Functional. Water runs for showers, sinks, and toilets to work, but all water runs from lukewarm to cold, meaning no warm showers. While a large starting supply of toilet paper has been provided, that may be something the group needs to prioritize while scavenging in the future.

MESS HALLS

Large rooms with long metal tables and benches where people can eat meals together. Large enough to allow many people to sit together.

Status: Caved in, nonfunctional.

GALLEYS

Galleys with refrigeration and appliances to cook food. Stoves have induction cooktops, dishwashers seem to use some kind of sterilization and incineration of organic matter to clean dishes, trash chutes going to unknown trash dumps are available.

Status: Nonfunctional. The room is available but all power has been cut to appliances and stovetops.

LOUNGE

Large social areas with screens for viewing media, comfortable chairs and couches, and, inexplicably, foosball and air hockey tables. Media can be viewed here from scavenged data from different areas in Uruk.

Status: Mostly nonfunctional. Power is only available for lighting and isn't available for air hockey or the viewing screens. The foosball table is fine though.

MEDIA ROOMS

Large rooms with rowed seating meant for viewing media on a screen, used for briefing or entertainment. Media can be uploaded to a large database so it's available for future viewing.

Status: Nonfunctional, all power cut.

MEDBAY

An extremely advanced medbay with many beds and healing tanks. Equipment levels and supplies may vary from base to base. Common small supplies are more advanced versions of what would be found in normal first aid kits like pressure bandages, gel bandages (for burns), retractable splints and joint stabilizers, and other basics. Handheld equipment can include sensors to detect injuries and illness, small AED devices, dermal regenerators, blood cell stimulators to increase red or white blood cells, and other small devices to help with different types of injuries.

GULA CHAMBERS
Rooms of special liquid-filled healing tanks used for revival. They rebuild the body almost like a 3D printer. They can only be activated after someone is dead and won't activate to repair damage for the dying due to some kind of strange interaction with the Gilga-Mesh systems. However, they have limits. The person must not have their brain or equivalent organ damaged by trauma, must be brought back within 24 hours, and the chambers can only successfully revive someone up to 2 times, though some will have less possible revivals.

Status: Gula chambers are functional, healing tanks are nonfunctional, and the Medbay is completely devoid of any medical supplies, smaller medical devices, or medication. Some larger medical devices are functional such as a device to set broken limbs.

ARMORY

Storage rooms with racks of weapons and caches of small explosives like grenades.

Status: Partly stocked with conventional weaponry, like semi-automatic weapons, bladed weapons, and blunt weaponry like staffs. There are enough weapons to arm everyone that needs a weapon. No grenades or more advanced weapons.

LIGHT THERAPY ROOMS

Rooms with light therapy lamps and lounge chairs, to help compensate for the endless bleak light of the city and status of being indoors.

Status: Functional.

SECURITY OUTPOSTS

Control stations for a sensor grid around the base area and located on good patrol routes. These aren't far from the more occupied areas, but still allow for incoming threats to be detected before said threats reach the core of the base.

These grids aren't perfect and minor damage can lead to gaps.

Status: Sensors mostly functional but some gaps in the grid that are hard to detect from readouts. While the internal sensors indicate damage, the damage is impossible to fix unless components are scavenged from elsewhere.

THE PROMENADE

Local to Esagila base, this is a small strip of what must have been shops or artisanal stations where people worked and shared their wares. While technology around the base area, like wall consoles, indicates a fairly advanced level of technology, some of the stores or stations are surprisingly low tech. There are clear signs that people once did their own weaving and other crafts.

The lack of barracks means that ducking into these shops and stalls is one of the best possible places to sequester an area to sleep in and threadbare discarded textiles are possibly the only thing that can be used to lay on or for blankets.

Small amounts of scavenged food can be found here starting out but won't last for long.

「SETTING CHANGES」

As they scavenge supplies and convert their surroundings to better use, characters can make changes to their environment, in the form of gardens, makeshift labs, patrol outposts, etc.

You can make requests for those changes using this form.

Setting Type: Ex: Lab, machine shop, garden etc.
Is it in the current Base?: Y/N
Are you converting a space used for something else?: A supply room, a room currently listed as nonfunctioning, etc
If not in Esagila base, where is it?: Is it a patrol post outside the base, a safehouse on the path for expeditions, etc?
Description: Describe the set up of this new or converted location

Setting Type: Ex: Lab, machine shop, garden etc. Is it in the current Base?: Y/N Are you converting a space used for something else?: A supply room, a room currently listed as nonfunctioning, etc If not in Esagila base, where is it?: Is it a patrol post outside the base, a safehouse on the path for expeditions, etc? Description: Describe the set up of this new or converted location