The Iron Sky Paradox
The fortress of Thorn Hold, a bulwark against a sky that has turned hostile, is locked in a magical death spiral. Its ancient Anti-Aircraft Ballistae, powered by cursed, self-repairing automaton cores, have misinterpreted the 'Antiaircraft Readiness Directive' left by a long-dead, perpetually inebriated Defense Captain. They now fire not at true threats, but at anything that moves—a bird, a cloud, a scout—over and over in an endless, resource-draining loop. The garrison is starving, the machinery is failing, and two desperate factions have emerged from the wreckage of order, each claiming the only path to survival. You are not heroes summoned to save the day; you are scavengers, debtors, or exiles drawn to the Hold's final, profitable collapse. Your choices will determine not if Thorn Hold falls, but what, if anything, rises from its ashes.
Chronicle Prelude
The Outer Barbican, a crumbling gatehouse choked with the smell of ozone and despair. Refugees huddle behind makeshift barricades while automatons endlessly polish spear-tips. The sky above is a chaotic tapestry of harmless clouds and the occasional, terrifying flash of a ballista bolt arcing into the void. The inner gates are sealed, marked with the sigil of the Provisional Garrison Council.
Environmental Traits
The fortress's core magical engine is locked in a catastrophic feedback loop. To break it, one must navigate the treacherous politics of the garrison's survivors, brave the weapon-infested 'Kill-Fields' of the inner courtyard, and confront the legacy of the Drunken Defense Captain within the secured command spire. The ultimate goal is to access and reconfigure—or destroy—the central Ballista Control Engine before the entire structure tears itself apart.
Legendary Archetypes
Rayan
✦ Related Cases ✦
