The Renewal Reckoning
The Renewal Reckoning
Read aloud
The autumn bell has sounded, and every delegation is waiting in the Council Gallery. The Anchor Count is about to be read beside the one book that cannot lie. Before the Hall can decide what Anemora will sign, you must make the room listen.
Run the session
Cheat sheet
Objectives
- 1Present the evidence and persuade the Hall to choose the terms of renewal.
- 2Choose the party's proposed terms for the Dawn Compact.
- 3Keep the Iron Docks, Gasket-Works, and Cable Concourse from falling during the collapse.
- 4Hold the Spindle's last tether while the Matrix fails.
The clock
The autumn bell has sounded. The Hall's five-round Reckoning leads directly to the signing, after which the Matrix fails, the evacuation begins, and the Crown Gale forms over the Spindle. The Last Tether Breach Clock escalates whenever the Gale uses its Pull and each time a breach occurs.
Scenes
- 0:005A. The Hall Assembles
- 0:455B. The Reckoning
- 2:455C. Renewal Night
- 3:155D. The Tethers
- 4:305E. The Crown Gale
- 6:005F. The Last Tether
Cast
- Ansel WindgateQuestgiver and Speaker-Lord
- VumaliaAlly and Warden representative
- Ilsabet MarrowgateAntagonist and House representative
- Tarsa IronvaleWitness and records advocate
The hook
Set the scene
The Council Gallery is crowded beneath weather-vane banners and a glass cupola. Nine spire-lords sit in a half-ring, with Ansel Windgate at their center and his brass vane resting on its side. The Houses occupy the floor, delegations fill the galleries, and the Unaltered Ledger waits on an empty table. The Speaker-Lord must recognize the party before it can speak. Set Hall Mood by Pledges held: 0 to 5 gives -2, 6 to 8 gives 0, and 9 to 12 gives +2. If the tethers were sealed earlier, reduce the starting Mood by 1, to a minimum of -3.
How Ansel Windgate asks
Ansel Windgate recognizes the party before the gathered Hall.
He asks them to present the count and evidence, then urges them to speak plainly about what the city can bear.
Rumours
Scenes
about 7.5 hours0:00
45 min
socialThe table is here
1. 5A. The Hall Assembles
The Council Gallery of the High-Ring, beneath weather-vane banners and a glass cupola.
Establish the Hall's mood and the party's right to speak. Let the delegates and Houses react to the party's allies, evidence, and reputation. The party may address the room only when recognized by the Speaker-Lord.
NextAs the Speaker-Lord rises, the murmuring fades, and the first question passes across the floor to the party.
0:45
120 min
social
2. 5B. The Reckoning
The Council Gallery, with the Ledger on the central table and the delegations and Houses watching from their seats.
Run five rounds of gated conversation, each with three beats at . The beats use Charisma (Persuasion), Wisdom (Insight), and Intelligence (Investigation or History). Winning two or three raises Hall Mood by 1; winning zero or one lowers it by 1. Use round-specific pledges for Advantage and the Ledger beside records as evidence. The rounds address the party's standing, the true count, who knew, the Sealing Motion, and the terms Anemora will sign. Compare the final Mood to the vote outcomes in the campaign procedures. The party reaches level 20 when the Vote is read.
NextThe Speaker-Lord calls the decision, then brings out the Instrument of Renewal as the Hall's answer moves from speech to ink.
2:45
30 min
exploration
3. 5C. Renewal Night
The Council Gallery, where the cupola starts to crack and the wind-lamps go dark.
The Speaker-Lord, Imperial Envoy, and Aëthyr or her general sign the Instrument of Renewal. The bell sounds without anyone touching its rope, horns answer from the distance, and a knocking rhythm passes through the Hall. The casket and Stone answer one beat later. The echo is recorded and remains unexplained. Then every wind-lamp gutters, the Matrix gives way, and the city begins to drop.
NextThe first gale-shear travels through Zephyria's tethers, and the party feels the floor lurch as the evacuation begins below.
3:15
75 min
skill
4. 5D. The Tethers
The Iron Docks, Gasket-Works, and Cable Concourse, where residents flee across catwalks and lift-cars beneath whipping lines.
Run the evacuation as a skill challenge. At the start of each round, gale-shear forces a Strength saving throw or pushes a creature 30 feet and knocks it prone. On rounds 3 and 6, a snapping tether forces a Dexterity saving throw or deals bludgeoning damage, half on a success. Allow suitable checks such as Dexterity (Vehicles (Air)), Strength (Athletics), Charisma (Persuasion or Intimidation), Intelligence (Arcana or tools), and Wisdom (Medicine). Apply free successes and advantages from held Pledges. If Aëthyr attends, she holds the Iron Docks' main tether for three rounds and cannot be targeted.
The Tethers Give WayNextOnce the most vulnerable plateaus are secured or evacuated, the wind descends from the Crown with a shape inside it.
4:30
90 min
combat
5. 5E. The Crown Gale
The exposed roof of the High-Ring and the turbulent air above the Spindle.
Fight the Crown Gale, three Aevris, and four Gale-Stalker Rocs using the established encounter and stage sequence. Rocs and Aevris strike the High-Ring roof first; the Gale forms at the end of round 2 and arrives at the start of round 3. On initiative count 20, it uses a gale-shear or its Pull against the Last Tether Breach Clock. Apply the Wardens', Coalition, and Aethelgard pledge benefits if held.
The Storm Takes ShapeNextAs the Crown Gale disperses, the whole city hangs on the humming black-basalt ring beneath the Spindle's crown.
6:00
75 min
skill
6. 5F. The Last Tether
The ring of black basalt around the Spindle's crown, with chains singing over a long fall.
Run the Last Tether as a six-segment Breach Clock, starting at 2 and reduced by 1 for each of Pledges 7 and 12. The Crown Gale's Pull adds a segment. Readings, suitable tool or Arcana checks, the Third Rope, Listening Stone, and Ledger can reduce the clock as specified in the encounter scaling. At 6 segments, roll on the Last Tether Breach table and reduce the clock to 4. When the clock reaches 0 and the Gale is gone, the tether holds. The Matrix does not recover, and what it held remains unknown.
Hold the Last TetherNextThe deep note steadies beneath the party's boots, and the Hall's newly signed Compact waits below as the survivors begin to count what remains.
Behind it
What people believe
The Dawn Compact is due for renewal, and the High-Ring has convened to hear the Anchor Count.
The party carries evidence and support from Anemora's delegations, while the Council considers whether to accept the posted figures, enter a true count, or hear the wider account. As the vote concludes, Zephyria's failing infrastructure and a violent storm threaten the city. The Compact will be renewed in 1400 TF, but the Hall's decision will shape the terms and the lives affected by them.
Background
In 1400 TF, the Dawn Compact comes due for renewal while Zephyria continues its decades-long descent.
The party arrives at the High-Ring carrying the Unaltered Ledger and whatever support it has secured from the delegations. The Council must decide the terms of renewal as the failing Atmospheric Containment Matrix threatens the city. The Compact will be renewed regardless of the vote; the choice is what Anemora agrees to record and uphold.
The stakes
Zephyria's people and plateaus face immediate danger as the tethers fail.
The political decision concerns the terms of the Dawn Compact, including whether the lowlands are protected or abandoned under the Houses' Sealing Motion. The Compact is renewed in every ending, but the Matrix remains broken and the vote cannot explain what it held.
Encounters
3The Tethers Give Way
Skill
The Iron Docks, Gasket-Works, and Cable Concourse are connected by failing tethers, narrow catwalks, lift-cars, and exposed anchor-stones. Gale-shear can push characters toward open drops.
ComplicationGale-shear strikes at the start of each round. On rounds 3 and 6, a tether snaps, forcing a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or dealing 4d10 bludgeoning damage, half on a success. If the tethers were sealed earlier, the party must unseal each of three plateau gates first, with each failed DC 20 Strength (Athletics) or tinker's-tools check counting as a challenge failure.
ScalingRun as a skill challenge: 12 successes before 4 failures, with DC 19 checks. Pledge benefits provide the listed free successes or advantages. If the challenge reaches 4 failures, one plateau falls; additional failures can bring down more plateaus. Adjust the scale of loss to the campaign's established stakes.
The Storm Takes Shape
Combat
The High-Ring roof and open air above the Spindle, with broken roof sections, wind-lashed platforms, and the exposed Crown of the Spindle below.
Foes
Crown Gale
Aevris
Gale-Stalker Rocs
ComplicationThe Crown Gale arrives at the start of round 3. On initiative count 20, it uses either a gale-shear, forcing a DC 19 Strength saving throw against being pushed 30 feet and knocked prone, or its Pull, which adds 1 segment to the Last Tether Breach Clock. Pledge benefits modify the encounter as described in the campaign canon.
ScalingFor four 20th-level characters, use the established Moderate encounter: one Crown Gale, three Aevris, and four Gale-Stalker Rocs. If the party holds the Wardens' pledge, remove two rocs. If the Coalition pledge is held, the Gale's save DCs are 2 lower for its first three rounds. If Aëthyr attends with the Aethelgard pledge, she holds the Gale's attention for three rounds after the Docks are secured and cannot be targeted.
Hold the Last Tether
Skill
The black-basalt ring around the Spindle's crown, where taut chains cross narrow stonework above the drop. There is little shelter from wind, and a cracked section can send an unroped creature falling.
ComplicationEach use of the Crown Gale's Pull adds a segment to the clock. At 6 segments, roll on the Last Tether Breach table, resolve the result, then reduce the clock to 4. The Ring's tone and shifting chains make careful work difficult.
ScalingThe Breach Clock begins at 2 segments, reduced by 1 each for pledges 7 and 12. Each Reading removes 1 segment once as an action. A DC 20 check using smith's tools, mason's tools, tinker's tools, or Arcana removes 1 segment. The Third Rope removes 2 segments once. The Listening Stone and Ledger can each be used once. The encounter ends when the clock reaches 0 and the Crown Gale is gone.
Cast
4Ansel Windgate
QuestgiverQuestgiver and Speaker-Lord
WantsSpeaker-Lord Ansel Windgate wants the Hall to hear the evidence and make a decision the city can survive, though he fears the consequences of exposing the Council's failures.
“I have never before asked a room to listen to a number I was afraid of. Please begin.”
Vumalia
Ally and Warden representative
WantsVumalia wants the Wardens' pledge put to practical use and the endangered residents protected, not sacrificed to a political victory.
“A number can be true and still be used like a blade. Tell them what the count means for the people below.”
Ilsabet Marrowgate
Antagonist and House representative
WantsIlsabet Marrowgate seeks support for the Houses' Sealing Motion and believes sacrificing the lowlands will preserve the upper city and its authority.
“The lower tethers are a liability. Seal them, sign the Compact, and stop pretending the whole city can be carried forever.”
Tarsa Ironvale
Witness and records advocate
WantsA skeptical delegate wants verifiable evidence and fears that political theater will obscure the actual danger to Zephyria.
“If you want the Hall to believe the count, show what the ink says when no one is explaining it away.”
How it ends
Rewards
Items
Instrument of Renewal
The Ledger's last line, written in the party's own hand
On a win
The Dawn Compact is renewed in 1400 TF.
The vote determines its terms: the posted count remains, the true count is entered as a Count Clause, or, if the Ledger is Ascendant, the Hall hears the whole account. The party reaches level 20 when the Vote is read. If it completes the Reckoning, it also completes the Delegations' Tier 4 quest. The evacuation and last-tether scenes determine the human cost and whether Zephyria's plateaus are held, but the Atmospheric Containment Matrix does not recover.
What it leaves open
If it fails
- The Hall Mood is -2 or lower after the Vote, or the party fails to break the session at -1 Mood.
- The Sealing Motion carries. If the party does not break the session before the clamps lock, it must unseal all three plateau gates during the evacuation, and each failed check adds a challenge failure.
- The evacuation skill challenge reaches 4 failures, or continues to accrue failures after that point.
- One or more plateaus fall, causing loss of homes, infrastructure, and lives. The Compact is still renewed, but the party's account of the crisis is marked by the scale of the loss.
- The Breach Clock reaches 6 segments. Resolve a breach and continue; this is a setback, not an alternate campaign ending.
- The Last Tether suffers repeated breaches. Characters may be thrown from the ring, injured, frightened, or stunned, and the city's stability remains in immediate danger until the clock is reduced to 0.
- The Hall Mood is +1 or 0 at the Vote.
- The Hall adopts the party's desired terms with a complication chosen by the GM, such as a narrower implementation, a public inquiry, or a delayed enforcement schedule.
Complications (d6)
- 1A delegate challenges the party's right to speak. The next successful social beat must include an ally's testimony or the Ledger's evidence.
- 2A gust slams the Council Gallery doors against their stops, scattering loose papers. Until someone secures the records, a character must spend an action or a beat gathering and presenting them.
- 3A House speaker claims a cited record is incomplete. The party must produce the relevant record for the Ledger or succeed on a DC 19 Intelligence (Investigation or History) check to answer.
- 4The cupola gives a sharp crack during the proceeding. All creatures in the Gallery hear it, and the next round's first beat is made with Disadvantage unless the party steadies the room with evidence or reassurance.
- 5A frightened crowd surges toward the Gallery doors as word spreads that the plateaus are shifting. One character must spend a beat calming the crowd, or the Hall Mood falls by 1.
- 6A tether's report shakes dust from the ceiling during the evacuation. One character must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or lose their next action avoiding falling debris.
Media
0 imagesNo images yet.
Turn The Renewal Reckoning into a sheet
A high-res, share-ready sheet you can post or print.
