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Part 1: Depths of the City

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Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Dawn of Defiance

Main Page: A Reckoning of Wraiths

Coruscant is a planet of vast contrasts. The wealthiest of the galaxy's citizens live in the sparkling spires that rise into the atmosphere like titanium needles, while the poorest eke out painful lives in polluted permacrete warrens. In between these two extremes is a dwindling middle class, which is often preyed upon by the denizens of both the heights and the depths of Coruscant.

The safehouse that currently serves as a refuge for the heroes is within one of these tiny middle-class zones. It is a small domicile unit in a sprawling, enclosed apartment block. Security is minimal, consisting of door locks and a roving guard armed with a Stun Pistol. The loyalists have made the best of what they have available, connecting three apartments with concealed doorways (successful DC 15 Perception check to notice them when closed). A map of the safehouse appears in Part 2: Bait and Chase (as part of a later encounter).

One apartment is used as a living area/barracks, and this is where the heroes are put up for the night. Its three bedrooms are small, each offering few amenities outside of cots with military-grade blankets. The second, center apartment is where the loyalists meet to discuss politics, plan actions, and learn skills that aren't typically taught in school. The three bedrooms here have been converted into a workshop, a computer room (with a small HoloNet Transceiver), and an infirmary. The workshop is also an armory of sorts, stocked with a number of small arms and Explosives.

Unlike the other two apartments, the last unit appears to be a sparsely furnished habitation with little or nothing out of place. It's used for meetings with individuals who aren't members of the loyalist cell, and for entertaining guests. A loyalist couple live there as husband and wife, working their day jobs and acting like good Imperial citizens.

Heroes interested in gaining access to the loyalists' small selection of supplies are allowed to do so, but the loyalists discourage them from taking too much. After all, they've spent months collecting this gear to further their agenda, and though they've seen only limited action so far, it is only a matter of time before they experience their baptism of fire.

Presently, the armory contains the following items:

In addition to weapons, the loyalists possess some personal armor:

The loyalist infirmary includes the following medical supplies:

The workshop has a number of tools and basic technical supplies for making ad hoc repairs and modifications to equipment:

For mundane noncombat equipment, the loyalists have little to offer. What they do have includes the following items:

After the heroes have had time to get to know their hosts (and it seems like a good point in the game to get the action moving again), they are called into the computer room, where a message from Admiral Varth awaits them. The message is as follows:

"Excellent work. You've done quite a job exposing the Sarlacc Project, and you've exceeded my expectations. By now, The Inquisitorius is running around like a swarm of angry Dantari fire ants. You've made quite an impression on them, and I doubt they'll underestimate you again. I know that I won't."

"As much as we'd like to see you off-planet and out of danger, there is still a need for you to remain on Coruscant for a short while longer. Pavel Trenol, who had been forced to work as a designer for the Sarlacc Project, has contacted us seeking asylum. Prior to being pressed into duty by the Empire, Trenol was a weapons technician for Incom. In exchange for help, he's promised to tell us everything he knows about the offensive capability of the Sarlacc Project."

"It's only a matter of time before the Empire realizes that Trenol's body is not among the dead, and they'll go looking for him. You should leave immediately and rendezvous with him. I'm providing a current holographic representation of Trenol with this transmission. He's currently staying in a flophouse in one of Coruscant's sublevels- an area known as the Gnawer's Roost. It's a bad part of town, so stay on your toes. On the plus side, Imperial security tends to avoid the place, as they're none too popular in that region."

"Good luck. I will await your signal when you return, and then we'll see about getting you back to The Resurgence for some much deserved downtime."

A quick check reveals that the flophouse is nearby, in a region known colloquially as the Gnawer's Roost. It's one of the nastiest neighborhoods in the area, a pit of depravity that is frequented by the worst that Coruscant's underbelly has to offer: violent street gangs, spice dealers, smugglers, cutthroats, thieves, and other villains.

Though the loyalists are willing to help the heroes, they aren't seasoned enough to venture into the Gnawer's Roost. The best they can do is offer the heroes support upon their return.

The heroes can make their way into the lower levels of Coruscant by a number of methods. Taxis are the most common, though most taxi pilots charge a hazardous route fee if asked to descend into the Gnawer's Roost. Unless you have other plans (see Auxiliary Challenge, below), the drive into the slums is uneventful.

Auxiliary Challenge[]

It is possible to keep the heroes on their toes by mentioning the presence of law enforcement units in the area as they proceed to their destination. Alternatively, you can confront them with a security checkpoint manned by Imperial Stormtroopers. Such checkpoints are common on Coruscant, and it takes a combination of careful navigation and street smarts to avoid having to pass through one.

The majority of the taxi pilots who the heroes might hire are law-abiding citizens with Indifferent Attitudes. Such pilots find it suspicious if the heroes request that they avoid Imperial checkpoints. If the pilot's Attitude remains Indifferent, they attempt to avoid checkpoints, but this doubles their fee. If the heroes can improve the pilot's Attitude to Friendly, they make an effort to avoid checkpoints but won't do anything overt to get themselves into trouble. A Helpful pilot does anything to help the heroes out, including running through a checkpoint.

Conversely, a pilot whose Attitude is reduced to Unfriendly stops their taxi and demands that the heroes get out. If the pilot's Attitude becomes Hostile, they head for the nearest checkpoint and turns the heroes over to the Empire.

Checkpoints, especially in this area, are simple affairs staffed by a detachment of six Veteran Stormtroopers, two Veteran Heavy Stormtroopers, and a single Veteran Imperial Officer. The heroes are wanted as a result of their recent exploits, and if a group matching their description passes through a checkpoint, the Imperials attempt to arrest them.

Imperial Checkpoint[]

This encounter details a typical Imperial checkpoint on Coruscant. Given the heroes' recent activities, only the most experienced Stormtroopers are being put on guard at checkpoints. The Stormtroopers and officer at this particular checkpoint are veterans who have seen a lot of action and possess a corresponding amount of experience.

The checkpoint consists of six Veteran Stormtroopers, two Veteran Heavy Stormtroopers on overwatch with Light Repeating Blasters, and a Veteran Imperial Officer in command. Five of the six Stormtroopers stand guard around the checkpoint. The Imperial Officer and one of the Stormtroopers stand ready to challenge drivers, while the Heavy Stormtroopers observe from secure locations behind the permacrete barriers, as detailed on the encounter map.

The permacrete barriers are intended primarily to funnel speeders through the checkpoint in an orderly fashion, but also to provide cover to the Stormtroopers. In addition, a shield generator has been installed here, preventing vehicles from moving through the checkpoint unless first deactivated.

Most likely, the heroes enter from the right edge of the map, either on foot or within a taxi or other vehicle.

Read-Aloud Text[]

Read the following text as the heroes approach the checkpoint, either on foot or riding in a speeder.

Up ahead you can make out an Imperial checkpoint. Several Stormtroopers, weapons at the ready, stand guard, while an Imperial officer challenges vehicles as they pass through the checkpoint.

Encounter Setup[]

Tactics[]

These Veteran Stormtroopers are a little conservative in their use of tactics. Having survived a number of engagements, they're not in any hurry to be killed just yet. As such, they provide covering fire for one another as they move, and they concentrate fire on single targets in order to take them down more quickly.

Like the other veterans at the Imperial checkpoint, the Veteran Heavy Stormtroopers are less willing to run into the fray when they can stay behind Cover and lay down a withering hail of blaster fire.

The Veteran Imperial Officer assigned to this checkpoint is a seasoned veteran, like his troops. If a fight breaks out, he attempts to use his Talents, such as Assault Tactics, Born Leader, Coordinate, and Trust to grant bonuses to the Stormtroopers in his command. When fighting, he takes careful shots with his Blaster Pistol and attempts to remain behind Cover. Regardless of the outcome, the officer spends his first turn using his Comlink to report the disturbance and call for reinforcements.

Features of the Area[]

The permacrete barriers scattered throughout the area are considered to be low objects, and they provide a +5 Cover bonus to Reflex Defense to anyone standing behind them. The barriers are DR 10 and possess 50 Hit Points.

The energy barrier that has been installed here is similar to a low-strength deflector shield. It spans the road, as depicted on the encounter map, and it prevents speeders from driving through the checkpoint. The shield can be deactivated by the Stormtroopers on duty. The shield is semitransparent, has a Shield Rating of 20, and provides partial Cover to anyone standing behind it.

Conclusion[]

If the heroes can neutralize or circumvent the Imperial checkpoint, they need to make haste to their destination before reinforcements can arrive. Plenty of equipment can be salvaged or looted from the Imperials, but that might not be feasible given the circumstances.

If not destroyed outright, the shield generator that blocks the road can be deactivated with a DC 15 Use Computer check.

A number of other speeders stopped to the rear of the heroes contain loyal Imperial citizens who use personal communication devices to inform the authorities of the skirmish that has taken place.

The Gnawer's Roost[]

Trenol's flophouse is deep in the heart of the Gnawer's Roost, a dark, shadowy place permeated by foul smells and even fouler residents. Imperial law enforcement has no presence in Gnawer's Roost, and the only rule is that might makes right. While in the area, the heroes might be approached by any number of seedy characters looking to make a deal or score a few credits. Parties who are obviously armed or combat capable are left alone.

The flophouse is inside a grimy permacrete structure with a flickering holographic display out front that advertises hourly rates. Seven tough-looking youths, each sporting similar garb and colors, loiter outside the hotel, hungrily eying anyone who passes. Like the rest of the locale's denizens, they do not accost anyone who appears to be well-armed. Heroes who maintain a nonthreatening or benign countenance are verbally abused in the hopes that they will display some weakness. If combat breaks out, use the Thug statistics for the street gangsters.

The door into the hotel enters directly into a lobby cluttered by all manner of garbage and junk. An abused 3PO Droid, his corroded gray skin covered in graffiti and grime, resides behind a scarred and stained counter. Anyone peering behind the counter sees that the Droid, designated 0T-3PO, is actually chained to the floor to prevent its theft, its escape, or both. (For more details on the Droid, see 0T-3PO.)

When the heroes enter the flophouse, read the following aloud:

The interior of the flophouse's lobby is no cleaner or promising than its exterior. Every surface seems filthy, from the torn chairs leaning up against the grimy walls to the thin metal counter covered in flimsy paper, old garbage, and empty food packets. Behind the counter stands a 3PO Droid, his gray exterior patched with rust and corrosion. One of his eyes glows dully in the lobby's dim light, while the other is dark and unseeing.

"Ah, hello," the Droid pipes up in forced cordiality as you enter. "How may I be of assistance?"

Development[]

The 3PO unit gladly tells the heroes where to find Pavel Trenol's room- for a price. Much of the Droid's behavioral programming has been modified or removed, an unhappy result of existing in such a wicked part of Coruscant. The Droid answers initial inquiries in an official tone, stating, "The requested information is confidential, as per the clause of our establishment's rental agreement. However, for a small fee, payable in standard credits, the clause can be waived."

Heroes can pay a bribe of 50 credits for the information, or they can attempt a DC 11 Persuasion check to improve the Droid's Attitude or Intimidate him into revealing what they want to know. Heroes can also access the hotel's computer to determine the location of Trenol's room: unit 5212, five floors down. The fifth sublevel is accessible by a rickety turbolift or a perpetually moist and gloomy stairwell.

Room 5212's door is constructed of thin alloy and covered in a peeling wood veneer. Using the chime or knocking at the door results in no answer. Heroes who succeed at a DC 15 Perception check can hear what sounds like a holovid unit playing. Forcing the door requires a key (available from 0T-3PO for an additional fee of 100 credits), a DC 15 Mechanics check to bypass the lock, or a DC 25 Strength check to break down the door.

Inside is a poorly furnished hotel room about 4 meters square, with fraying carpet, peeling wallpaper, and an adjoining refresher that smells of mildew. A single holovid unit blares out the latest Podrace results in a combination of Huttese and Basic. The bed, sagging from age and long use, is empty. A quick search reveals that no one is present. A hero who makes a successful DC 15 Perception check finds a scrap of flimsy paper on top of the holovid unit, upon which is written "Invisible Hand."

Critical Challenge[]

Obviously, the challenge here is for the heroes to find Trenol. The scrap of paper is a clue, but it will mean little to the heroes unless they can find someone who knows specifically what it refers to. Any hero who succeeds on a DC 15 Knowledge (Galactic Lore) check learns that The Invisible Hand was the name of General Grievous's flagship during the Clone Wars, and that the vessel was destroyed during the Battle of Coruscant.

If the heroes return to the hotel lobby, they can press the 3PO unit for information concerning Trenol's whereabouts. The Droid doesn't know where Trenol is, only that he left hours ago in the company of several rough-looking Quarren. The Droid attempts to milk this information for all the credits he can get, offering nothing unless specifically asked. If the heroes ask about the Invisible Hand, he responds: "I believe the Invisible Hand is a cantina. For a small fee, I can provide you with directions."

The Droid is not the only individual with knowledge of the Invisible Hand's location. The gangsters outside can be helpful with directions or information if they are properly motivated. Unlike the Droid, however, the street gangsters don't know Trenol and haven't seen him or his Quarren companions.

Ogre Ambush[]

As the players travel from the flophouse to the Invisible Hand cantina, they are assaulted by a group of eight Coruscani Ogres that are out scavenging for food. The ogres lie in wait for passing prey, emerging from the shadows in small groups and attacking en masse. Though they prefer their prey to be alive, they have no compunctions about dealing killing blows to foes that offer resistance. The screams of their victims are typically ignored by the neighborhood's residents.

This encounter takes place on an open stretch of street. The street is narrow, with many small nooks and alleys branching off of it. The heroes should start the encounter near the center of the encounter map. The eight Coruscani Ogres begin as depicted on the map.

Read-Aloud Text[]

Just prior to this encounter, allow the heroes to attempt DC 17 Perception checks. Any heroes that succeed on this check can act normally during the first round of combat, while the others are Surprised. When combat begins, read the following text aloud:

Walking through the damp and dim streets of the undercity, you are suddenly aware of a pungent odor: a mixture of rotten meat and animal musk. Grunts and growls emerge from the gloom around you, accompanied by several large, distorted shapes.

Numerous creatures shamble into view, their features nightmare deformities. Hungry mouths ringed with rotten, jagged teeth slaver in anticipation of the meal to come. With a series of guttural sounds, the assembled beasts charge toward you.

Encounter Setup[]

Tactics[]

The Coruscani Ogres are animals, and they attack as such. Though they possess animal cunning, they are ruled by their instincts. In this particular instance, they are hungry, and they want to kill or incapacitate, then drag off, anyone or anything they can get their claws on.

Each Coruscani Ogre attacks as an individual. They don't support or aid one another in any way, and they don't attempt to flank foes. Any Flanking attacks they make against enemies should be purely incidental. If more than five of the ogres are killed or subdued, the remaining ogres retreat into the shadows to lick their wounds.

Features of the Area[]

The street is cluttered with all manner of trash and debris. Moving through areas marked with debris on the map counts as moving through Difficult Terrain.

Conclusion[]

The fight ends as suddenly as it started. Any heroes who can stomach getting close to the dead ogres can search the corpses, but they find little outside of stained and ragged cloth draped over the deformed shapes in a pitiful mockery of clothing.

One ogre possesses what appears to be the head of a Protocol Droid. Though the Droid has long since ceased to function, the processor and some other vital components can be salvaged from its head. With a successful DC 15 Mechanics check, one of the heroes can successfully salvage a Vocabulator, a Basic Processor, and a Translator Unit (DC 10).

Development[]

If the heroes wipe out the Coruscani Ogres, they've inadvertently performed a good deed on behalf of the citizens of Gnawer's Roost. Witnesses to the scuffle spread word of the heroes' deeds, furthering their reputations and, in many cases, their personal standing within the community. Though this won't result in any monetary compensation, it goes a long way toward ingratiating the heroes with the locals. Residents of Gnawer's Roost who know of the heroes' role in the ogre pack's destruction are automatically considered to have Friendly Attitudes.

Though Gnawer's Roost is a haven of inequity, the citizens still feel a certain amount of gratitude toward people who have helped them in some way. Nearly every resident of the neighborhood knows of someone who was purportedly killed by a Coruscani Ogre, and it is assumed that anyone who vanishes in Gnawer's Roost has been abducted and subsequently eaten by the creatures.

The Invisible Hand Cantina[]

Named after the flagship of the late General Grievous, the Invisible Hand is a seedy cantina that caters to ex-Separatists and political dissidents. Though not overtly political, the clientele consists of bitter and disenfranchised individuals who were on the losing side of the Clone Wars (or who want others to think that they were). In Gnawer's Roost, the cantina has a mixed reputation. On one hand, the regulars are mostly seen as losers who are attempting to relive their bygone days of glory. Conversely, many of the downtrodden residents of the surrounding slums view ex-Separatists as anti-establishment heroes.

From the outside, the Invisible Hand appears to be little more than a run-down tenement. The only indication that the cantina exists is a hexagonal sign in flickering blue neon, reminiscent of the Confederacy's emblem. A set of steep stairs, slippery with moldy dampness, leads down to the cantina's entrance. A single Quarren bouncer named Tekkur stands guard at the door. He keeps an eye out for trouble, but he won't do anything to dissuade the heroes from entering the cantina.

The interior of the Invisible Hand is dim and clouded by a mixture of smoke and bitter Quarren incense. The air is thick and pungent, laced with a multitude of aromas- not all of them legal. The walls are hung with flags, old Separatist recruitment posters, and war memorabilia. Pieces of alloy, which knowledgeable characters can identify as parts of a ship's hull, are hung here and there with reverence. These are purportedly fragments of the original Invisible Hand that fell to the ground when the ship crashed during the Battle of Coruscant.

The cantina is sparsely populated. Aside from the bouncer at the door, there is a Gran bartender, Klef, serving two Trandoshan laborers at the bar, and a group of four Quarren toughs in the company of a single Human male near the rear of the establishment. The heroes likely assume that the Human is Pavel Trenol, and they are partly correct. The man appears to be the same one detailed in the hologram that Admiral Varth sent with his transmission, but his real name isn't Pavel Trenol; it's Tavik Moern.

Tavik Moern is a deep cover operative with the Imperial Security Bureau. His normal duties include monitoring dissident groups in parts of the planet that are best avoided by uniformed agents. He is currently assigned to ensure that the heroes don't leave Gnawer's Roost alive. To this end, he has hired a group of Quarren thugs- ex-Separatists with anti-Imperial leanings who won't be missed by polite society- to aid him. Tavik is paying the Quarren well, and their mercenary courage has been bolstered by a round of stiff drinks.

Tavik Moern feigns innocence at first. Heroes who examine him in an attempt to Sense Deception must succeed at a DC 24 Perception check to see that the agent is more than he appears to be.

Critical Challenge[]

The obvious challenge here is for the heroes to defeat their enemies and survive. Capturing Tavik Moern and exposing his true nature should bring the heroes to the conclusion that something is terribly wrong. Apparently, Varth's information was faulty. This might cause the heroes to wonder if Varth himself (or someone else in their organization) is untrustworthy. If questioned directly about Admiral Varth, Moern spits and calls him a traitor to the Empire.

Cantina Brawl[]

The heroes enter the cantina through the door at the south end of the encounter map. Tables and chairs are scattered around the interior of the tavern as depicted on the map. Tavik Moern and his Quarren Goons are at the northern end of the room, standing between the heroes and the rear exit of the cantina.

Klef, the Gran bartender, resides behind the bar on the west side of the room. Two Trandoshan workers sit at the bar, drinking. Tekkur, the Quarren bouncer, is just outside the front door.

Read-Aloud Text[]

When the players enter the cantina, read the following text aloud. Any heroes who succeed at a DC 24 Perception check notice that something is suspiciously wrong with the Human, as if he is pretending to be something (or someone) that he isn't.

Just past the burly Quarren sentry at the bottom of the stairs leading into the cantina, you can make out a large, smoky room cluttered with tables and chairs. The bar, which is fashioned with sheets of chromed metal, is hosted by a weary-looking Gran in stained overalls. Two Trandoshans sit at the near end of the bar chatting amicably as their frothing drinks gather condensation in front of them.

Past the bar, in the dimmest part of the cantina, you see five humanoids seated around a table that is covered with empty mugs. Four of the shapes- Quarren, by the look of them- stand as you enter, their black eyes intent upon you. The fifth shape- a familiar-looking Human- remains seated, his hands placed very carefully on the tabletop in front of him.

One of the Quarren barks a command, and the four spread out, their hands reaching for their weapons.

Encounter Setup[]

Tactics[]

Once the Quarren Goons have fully engaged the heroes, Tavik pulls out his blaster and tries to pick the heroes off one by one. He takes time to line up his shots as long as he is able, using his Careful Shot feat and Dastardly Strike and Devastating Attack Talents to their best effect.

If his Quarren allies are unsuccessful and things look to be going south for him, Tavik attempts to slip out the cantina's rear door, losing himself in the alleys of the undercity.

If captured, Moern refuses to talk; he is a trained ISB operative, after all. Persuasive heroes might ultimately find ways to pin Moern's ears back, but aside from his assignment- to pose as Pavel Trenol and kill the heroes- he has very little useful information. What he does know, however, is that his task was part of a larger plan aimed at erasing the loyalist presence on Coruscant. "It doesn't matter what you do to me," he sneers if caught. "It's already too late for your seditionist friends."

These Quarren Goons are none too subtle. They attempt to gun the heroes down in cold blood, despite the loud protests of the bartender and bouncer. Though they enjoy a good shoot-em-up, they prefer mixing it up in hand-to-hand combat. Given the opportunity, they pull their Vibroblades and try to finish the heroes off.

If things go poorly for the Quarren Goons, they attempt to run away; failing that, they surrender. Though their morale is boosted by their recent alcohol consumption, seeing half of their number fall to the heroes' attacks convince the ones that remain that they may have made a mistake. They tell the truth as they know it: Moern hired them to rough the heroes up a bit, but they have no knowledge whatsoever of the Empire's plans.

When the fight breaks out, Tekkur pulls his pistol, peers through the open door, and takes stock of the situation. No matter who seems to have instigated the fight, he switches his blaster to Stun and begins to take shots at anyone who appears to be causing significant damage to the premises.

When the fireworks start, Klef ducks behind the bar and remains there until it seems safe.

The two Trandoshan Workers duck and cover once the shooting starts, and they attempt to flee at the first opportunity. They do not attack anyone other than to defend themselves.

Features of the Area[]

Tables and chairs within the cantina represent Difficult Terrain and supply Cover to anyone hiding behind them.

Conclusion[]

Depending on which enemies remain following the confrontation, the heroes might seek to question one or more of them. The Quarren Goons know little, other than that Moern (who called himself Pavel Trenol in their presence) hired them to kill a group of people who wanted him dead. They have no clue that Moern is an Imperial agent. If this is proven, they are quite angry at being played for a pack of fools.

Moern, on the other hand, does his best not to break under questioning. About the only thing he can reveal, outside of his affiliation with the ISB, is that this attack was merely part of a larger plan to wipe out a loyalist cell on Coruscant.

Continued in Part 2: Bait and Chase

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