Sunpiercer Ballista
Ballista Siege Ship Map (Sabotage Investigation) ---
[UPPER DECK] [Quarterdeck (1) - Entrance] --- [Officer's Wardroom (2)] --- [Chart Room (3)] | | (Stairs/Hatch Down) V [MAIN DECK] [Main Deck Passageway (4)] --- [Crew Barracks (5)] --- [Galley (6)] | | [Cargo Bay A (7)] --- (Hatch Down)
[LOWER DECK] (Hatch Down) --- [Ballista Assembly Chamber (8)] --- [Hidden Compartment (9) - Objective]
--- Upper Deck ---
--- Area 1 (Quarterdeck - Entrance) --- Description: The ship's quarterdeck is typically a place of order, but here, a few tools and discarded splinters of wood lie near the base of the main mast, subtly out of place. The large siege ballista's primary component is clearly visible, though it appears superficially sound. The salty sea air carries the faint scent of pitch and the creak of stressed timbers. This is the primary boarding point. Exits/Connections: To Officer's Wardroom (2) (North), Stairs/Hatch down to Main Deck Passageway (4). Creatures: It has creatures (type: sailors).
--- Area 2 (Officer's Wardroom) --- Description: This well-appointed chamber serves as the officers' dining and leisure space. A large table is set for a meal, though no one is present. Maps and schematics of the ship are pinned to a corkboard, some with recent, subtle annotations. The air is warm and smells faintly of spiced wine and pipe smoke. Exits/Connections: To Quarterdeck (1) (South), To Chart Room (3) (East).
--- Area 3 (Chart Room) --- Description: Shelves overflowing with rolled charts, navigation instruments, and a large, ink-stained chart table fill this room. A flickering lantern illuminates detailed sea routes, but also a small, folded note tucked precariously under a loose compass, looking out of place. Exits/Connections: To Officer's Wardroom (2) (West). Secret Passages/Areas: A cleverly designed sliding panel behind a large world map (Perception DC 16 to find) opens into a narrow, dusty crawl space used for secret messaging or storing sensitive documents, currently empty but hinting at past use.
--- Main Deck ---
--- Area 4 (Main Deck Passageway) --- Description: This central corridor runs the length of the ship's main deck. Lanterns cast long, dancing shadows, highlighting the sturdy oak timbers. The distant murmur of voices and the clatter of pots from the galley echo faintly. The floorboards here feel solid, but a careful inspection might reveal subtle inconsistencies. Exits/Connections: Stairs/Hatch up to Quarterdeck (1), To Crew Barracks (5) (East), To Cargo Bay A (7) (South), To Galley (6) (Northwest via a branching path). Creatures: It has creatures (type: sailors).
--- Area 5 (Crew Barracks) --- Description: Rows of hammocks are slung tightly in this cramped, stuffy space. The air is thick with the smell of sweat and unwashed bodies. Personal effects, simple trinkets, and worn clothing hang from pegs or are tucked into sea chests. A few sailors might be napping or playing dice. Exits/Connections: To Main Deck Passageway (4) (West). Creatures: It has creatures (type: sailors).
--- Area 6 (Galley) --- Description: The ship's galley is a humid, bustling place. A large, smoking cauldron hangs over a roaring fire, and various cooking implements lie scattered on wooden counters. The scents of roasting meat and simmering broth fill the air. A small, often-ignored trapdoor leads to a crawl space beneath the floorboards, used for storing perishables. Exits/Connections: To Main Deck Passageway (4) (Southeast). Trap: It contains a trap (type: unstable shelving rig releasing heavy cooking pots). Perception DC 13 to spot. Potential Damage: 1d8/T1, 2d8/T2, 3d8/T3, 4d8/T4 Bludgeoning Damage.
--- Area 7 (Cargo Bay A) --- Description: This section of the main cargo hold is filled with mundane supplies: barrels of salted meat, sacks of grain, and crates of spare rope. The air is cool and dry, smelling of canvas and cured wood. Shadows stretch long between the towering stacks of goods. Exits/Connections: To Main Deck Passageway (4) (North), Hatch down to Ballista Assembly Chamber (8). Creatures: It has creatures (type: sailors). Encounter Type: Battle Area (if stealth fails, or if a guard patrol moves through)
--- Lower Deck ---
--- Area 8 (Ballista Assembly Chamber) --- Description: This large, cavernous chamber in the lowest deck is dedicated to the assembly and maintenance of the siege weapon's components. Heavy tools hang neatly on racks, and partially constructed frames and mechanisms lie on workbenches. The air here is metallic and carries a faint, acrid tang from recently worked metals, but also a subtle, unnatural chill. The core component of the "Sunpiercer Ballista" is here, appearing normal but subtly off. Exits/Connections: Hatch up to Cargo Bay A (7), To Hidden Compartment (9) (East). Trap: It contains a trap (type: arcane ward on a tool chest). Perception DC 15 to spot. Potential Damage: 1d8/T1, 2d8/T2, 3d8/T3, 4d8/T4 Force Damage.
--- Area 9 (Hidden Compartment - Objective) --- Description: Concealed behind a false wall, this small, cramped space is surprisingly clean. A small, meticulously organized pouch lies on a rough shelf, containing a few vials of strange, arcane liquid and a coded message that hints at the saboteur's identity and future plans. The air here feels stagnant and cold, unnervingly so. Exits/Connections: To Ballista Assembly Chamber (8) (West). Objective: This area is the key to completing the mission. There is no traditional "boss fight" per se. Instead, this hidden compartment contains the critical evidence (the "coded message," the "arcane liquid," or similar proof) needed to "identify the saboteur within his ranks and prevent future attempts." The challenge is the stealth required to reach this point and the difficulty in discerning the hidden nature of the compartment itself, maintaining the covert nature of the mission.
