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=== 102 Pen and Paper Adventure | Beta Age | Hunting an Unknown Hunter ===

====== SCENE 4a+1 — THE PRICE OF TIMBER ======

{{ :102_npc_saganbelmont.png?direct&200|}}
===== 1 | Scene Overview =====

  * **Location:** Flexible — chosen by the PCs from the [[morningstar|Morningstar]] Hub or any suitable location listed on the Morningstar wiki page
  * **Recommended Location:** [[saws_end|Saw’s End]]
  * **Type:** Unlocked Character Scene · Social Investigation · Emotional Revelation
  * **Era:** [[beta_age|Beta Age]]
  * **Unlock Condition:** The PCs calm [[sagan_belmont|Sagan Belmont]] during [[hauh_morningstar_djangos_diner|Scene 4a — Django’s Diner]] and persuade him to continue the conversation somewhere safer
  * **Tone:** Pouring rain · shame after violence · old friendship · working-class ruin · trust earned slowly

**Atmosphere & Sensory Cues:**  
Rain hammering against timber roofs · water streaming from coats and hair · the distant groan of sawmill machinery · wet resin · muddy boots · a bottle placed between tired hands · Sagan struggling to meet anyone’s eyes · questions followed by long pauses

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===== Special Scene Rule — Location-Flexible Conversation =====

This scene is not tied to a fixed venue. After leaving [[hauh_morningstar_djangos_diner|Django’s Diner]], ask the players where they intend to take Sagan. They may choose any suitable location from the Morningstar Hub or the wider [[morningstar|Morningstar]] location list.

Possible choices include:

  * a table or rented room at [[saws_end|Saw’s End]]
  * the hearse used by the PCs
  * a covered loading shed near the [[morningstar_food_market|Morningstar Food Market]]
  * a quiet structure elsewhere in Morningstar

The chosen location changes the atmosphere, the level of privacy, and the danger of discovery, but not the core information Sagan may reveal.

  * **Recommended Choice — Saw’s End:**  
  * Sagan originally wanted the drink denied to him at Django’s Diner. Offering him a [[slivovitz_superior|Slivovitz]] at Saw’s End is not treated as enabling an alcohol problem. The drink may help him settle, accept the PCs’ company, and begin talking. It also mirrors the canonical events of the novel. However, choosing Saw’s End carries additional risk if Rogan exposed his identity while unlocking the **Forgotten Connection**. a bounty hunter ([[austin_hammacher|Austin Hammacher]]) may recognize Rogan or the other Wanted PCs there, triggering the [[Ticking Clock|Ticking Clock]] and potentially interrupting the conversation.

----

===== Special Scene Mechanic — The Weight of the Story =====

Sagan does not deliver his entire history as a single uninterrupted explanation. He is exhausted, ashamed, and still shaken by what he did at Django’s Diner. The PCs must decide whether they want to interrogate him, listen to him, accuse him, or help him make sense of what happened. The scene uses **Trust** to determine how deeply Sagan speaks.

  * **Sagan begins with:**

  * **Trust 2** if the **Forgotten Connection** was unlocked and Rogan helped calm him
  * **Trust 1** if the PCs resolved the diner peacefully without unlocking the Forgotten Connection
  * **Trust 0** if Sagan was physically subdued, threatened, or forced to accompany the PCs

**Trust may rise or fall through the PCs’ actions.**

| **PC Behaviour** | **Trust Effect** |
| **The PCs buy Sagan the drink he was denied or offer him food without demanding answers first** | +1 Trust |
| **The PCs acknowledge that J.W. exploited him without excusing the threat against the mother** | +1 Trust |
| **Rogan refers honestly to their shared working history** | +1 Trust, once per scene |
| **The PCs allow Sagan time to answer in his own words** | +1 Trust at DM discretion |
| **The PCs accuse him of being J.W.’s willing accomplice** | -1 Trust |
| **The PCs excuse or praise what he did in the diner** | -1 Trust; Sagan reacts with shame rather than gratitude |
| **The PCs threaten him, mock his failure, or demand immediate cooperation** | -1 Trust |
| **The PCs attempt to seize the spike-driver after he has surrendered it peacefully** | -1 Trust unless they explain a clear safety concern |
| **The PCs promise immediate payment they cannot realistically provide** | No Trust gain; Sagan recognizes empty promises |

**Trust cannot rise above 5 or fall below 0.
**
| **Trust Level** | **What Sagan Is Willing to Reveal** |
| **0** | Only his name, that J.W. cheated him, and that the voucher should have paid for his drink |
| **1** | The collapse of Belmont Timber & Haulage and the nature of J.W.’s payment arrangement |
| **2** | J.W. worked exclusively through hired Hands, notes, vouchers, and changing instructions |
| **3** | Sagan delivered processed timber to a guarded compound north of Morningstar |
| **4** | He remembers the approximate route to the compound well enough to believe he can find it again. |
| **5** | Sagan agrees to guide the PCs to the compound when they are ready |

The DM should not treat Trust as a visible numerical meter unless the group prefers transparent mechanics. It may instead be tracked privately and expressed through Sagan’s posture, tone, and willingness to continue.

----

===== 2 | Read-Aloud Descriptions =====


==== Initial Read-Aloud — Scene Opening ====

The rain has grown heavier.

It pours across Morningstar in dense, unbroken sheets, hammering against rooftops, timber walls, and sheet metal until the distant noise of the settlement almost disappears beneath it.

Sagan sits apart from the rest of you.

Without the violence of the diner surrounding him, he seems smaller than he did behind the spike-driver. His broad shoulders have collapsed inward. His hands rest open on his knees, as though he no longer trusts them near anything that could become a weapon. For a while, he says nothing. Then he unfolds the two halves of the voucher and places them beside one another. His thick fingers carefully align the torn edges, although the paper will never hold together again.

 //"I only wanted one glass,"// he says. His voice is rough, almost lost beneath the pounding rain.

 //"A couple of drinks after months of work. That was all the paper was worth in the end."//

{{ :hauh_readaloud_scene_4a_1_djangosdiner.mp3 |}}

----

==== Optional Read-Aloud — Saw’s End ====

The noise of Saw’s End wraps around you the moment you enter.

Resin smoke hangs beneath the rafters. Wet coats steam beside the stove. Timber crews shout over cups, dice, and the scrape of battered chairs. Outside, the rain pounds against the shutters hard enough to make the panes tremble.

Sagan chooses a table against the wall.

When the bottle of Slivovitz arrives, he studies it for several seconds before pouring. His hand shakes against the glass. He takes one drink, closes his eyes, and lets the alcohol burn its way down.

 //"J.W. promised me a lot more than this,"// he says.

Then he looks toward the torn voucher.

 //"A couple of drinks after months of work. That was all the paper was worth in the end."//

{{ :hauh_readaloud_scene_4a_1_option_djangosdiner.mp3 |}}


----




==== Staged Read-Alouds — Progressive Revelations ====

| **Trigger / Timing** | **Read-Aloud / Narrative Insert** |
| **Sagan begins speaking about his life aboard the Last Frontier** | Sagan turns the glass slowly between his hands. //"Back on the Last Frontier, people like me were just freight,"// he says. //"Machines did everything that mattered. Reading mattered. Writing mattered. Knowing which screen to touch mattered."// His eyes drop to his scarred hands. //"I could understand almost anything once somebody showed me. I just couldn’t read the damned instructions."// A tired smile touches his face. //"Then we crashed."// |
| **Sagan describes finding his place after the crash** | For the first time since leaving the diner, something almost like pride enters his voice. //"Funny thing is… the crash was the best thing that ever happened to me."// He spreads his heavy, calloused hands. //"Nobody cared whether I could read a technical manual anymore. They needed trees felled. Roads cleared. Roofs repaired. They needed people who could make things."// His gaze settles on his hands. //"For the first time in my life, they needed people like me."// |
| **Sagan begins describing Belmont Timber & Haulage** | Sagan leans back slightly, the memory pulling him somewhere beyond the rain. //"Belmont Timber and Haulage started with one freight wagon and a Labor Bot that spent more time broken than working."// A quiet chuckle escapes him. //"Took me three months to afford my first pair of Hoos. Ugly animals. Strong as hell."// His expression softens. //"Then the jobs started coming in."// |
| **Sagan remembers what the company became** | Sagan’s shoulders straighten for a moment. //"Three freight wagons. Two cutting crews. Contracts from Morningstar all the way to Hope."// The pride lasts only a heartbeat before it begins to drain from his face. //"Men came to me because I paid them when I said I would."// His eyes return to the torn voucher. //"Then J.W. came."// |
| **Sagan explains how J.W. destroyed his company** | His fingers close around the edge of the table, bench, or crate. //"Every order was bigger than the last. More timber. Faster delivery. Different routes. Different Hands."// He swallows. //"They paid enough at first to make me believe the next voucher would cover everything. Wages. Repairs. Timber licenses. Feed for the Hoos."// His voice drops. //"By the time I understood what he was doing, I couldn’t stop."// He presses both palms flat against the surface before him. //"Then the vouchers stopped working. The crews left. The wagons went one by one."// |
| **Sagan reveals the compound** | Sagan falls silent while rain hammers against the shelter. //"The deliveries went north,"// he says at last. //"Deep into the forest. There’s a wall out there. Timber, metal plates, wire along the top."// His jaw tightens. //"Every beam in that thing came through my company."// |
| **Sagan agrees to guide the PCs** | Sagan looks from one face to the next. The shame has not left him, but something steadier now sits beneath it. //"I know the route,"// he says. //"Or at least I know the way it worked eight months ago."// He draws a slow breath. //"If you’re really going after him, I’ll take you as far as the gate."// |
| **The Ticking Clock  ends and Austin Hammacher recognizes the Wanted PCs at Saw’s End** | A chair scrapes sharply across the expires floor. Conversations falter one after another until only the rain against the shutters and the low hiss of the lanterns remain. Across the room, a scarred man in a heavy coat rises from his table. His eyes stay fixed on Rogan (or whichever Wanted PC first gave him certainty). One hand settles around the grip of a heavy, modified DIY Colt. //"Thought I recognized you,"// he says. The weapon clears its holster with a dull metallic scrape. Around him, patrons push away from their tables. |

----

===== 3 | Scene Intent =====

| **Scene Type** | **Player Intents** | **DM Function / Story Link** |
| **Unlocked Character Investigation** | Stabilize Sagan · question him · understand J.W.’s methods · identify the compound · earn a guide | Reframes Sagan as a victim and former business owner rather than merely the armed aggressor from Django’s Diner. Reveals the economic and emotional damage caused by J.W. Establishes the compound, the timber deliveries, the changing route system, and Sagan’s possible role as the PCs’ guide. |

----

===== 4 | Key (N)PCs + Dynamic Cues =====

| **Name** | **Role / Affiliation** | **Motivation / Function** | **Dynamic Cues — How They React in Play** | **Wiki Link** |
| **Sagan Belmont** | Former owner of Belmont Timber & Haulage · logger · former coworker of Rogan | Explain what J.W. did · recover a fragment of dignity · decide whether to help the PCs | Speaks in short, uneven sections. Becomes quieter when ashamed and sharper when he believes the PCs are blaming him for J.W.’s crimes. Responds well to practical kindness and honest questions. Does not want pity. | [[sagan_belmont|Sagan Belmont]] |
| **Rogan Sokolov** | Former Fogwood worker · possible old friend of Sagan | Player-controlled connection to Sagan’s past | The DM never speaks for Rogan. If present, his player decides what Rogan remembers, reveals, promises, or withholds. The Forgotten Connection may raise Sagan’s starting Trust but does not dictate Rogan’s actions. | [[rogan_sokolov|Rogan Sokolov]] |
| **Austin Hammacher** | Freelance bounty hunter · conditional threat at Saw’s End | Recognize Wanted PCs · collect the bounty | Present only if the conversation takes place at Saw’s End or another location where the DM can plausibly place him. Watches before acting. If Rogan revealed his identity at Django’s Diner, Hammacher is significantly more likely to recognize him. | [[austin_hammacher|Austin Hammacher]] |
| **Orin “Ironhand” Hale** | Proprietor of Saw’s End · conditional NPC | Protect his tavern · prevent destruction | Appears only if Saw’s End is chosen. Allows a quiet conversation as long as the group pays and causes no trouble. If Hammacher draws a weapon, Orin waits only long enough to identify who threatens his establishment. | [[orin_ironhand_hale|Orin “Ironhand” Hale]] |
| **Guarding Trooper Patrol — Pair** | Local law enforcement · conditional consequence | Enforce warrants · respond to violence | Arrive if the Ticking Clock expires, Hammacher’s confrontation produces noise, or the chosen location exposes the PCs. | [[local_guarding_troopers_station_of_morningstar|Local Guarding Troopers Station of Morningstar]] |

----

===== 5 | Triggers, Clues & Consequences =====

=== Phase 1a — The Ticking Clock and Location Choice ===

//This phase applies only if one or more PCs are Wanted and their presence has already been compromised. If the PCs are clean, remain disguised, or choose a genuinely secure location, skip to Phase 1b.//

The location chosen by the PCs determines how the [[Ticking Clock|Ticking Clock]] behaves.

| **Trigger / Cue — Player Action or Event** | **Immediate Reaction / Change** | **Ripple Effect / Consequence** |
| 🌧️ **The PCs choose an isolated or concealed location** | The pouring rain, distance from crowds, or enclosed shelter reduces the chance of immediate recognition. | The conversation proceeds without an automatic encounter. The existing Micro Clock continues if it was already triggered at Django’s Diner, but the DM may pause or extend it if the PCs successfully break visual pursuit. |
| 🍶 **The PCs choose Saw’s End after Rogan revealed his identity at Django’s Diner** | Rogan’s exposed face and connection to the wanted group create an immediate recognition risk. Austin Hammacher is present and may identify him from the bounty wire. | Hammacher observes first. After 1d4 minutes or once Sagan reveals a major clue, whichever comes first, he acts unless the PCs notice and neutralize the threat. |
| 👁️ **A PC notices Hammacher watching them** | Requires a PER-, WIS-, or relevant background probe, DC 13. On success, the PC sees Hammacher studying Rogan or comparing faces to a bounty sketch or memory slate. | The PCs may leave, confront him discreetly, obscure their identities, or move the conversation elsewhere before the standoff begins. |
| 🔫 **Hammacher recognizes the Wanted PCs** | Read the staged description **“The Ticking Clock expires and Austin Hammacher recognizes the Wanted PCs at Saw’s End"** Hammacher draws his modified pistol and declares the bounty. | The [[Ticking Clock|Ticking Clock]] enters its active Micro phase. The PCs have 1d4 rounds before a patron alerts the Guarding Troopers.|
| 🚪 **The PCs leave Saw’s End before Hammacher acts** | Sagan follows if Trust is at least 1 and the PCs explain the danger. | Continue Scene 4a+1 at another chosen location. Trust is unchanged unless the PCs abandon Sagan or treat him as expendable. |
| 🚨 **The Ticking Clock expires during the conversation** | Guarding Troopers enter or surround the location. They secure visible weapons and demand identification. | If the PCs submit, proceed to [[hauh_morningstar_guarding_troopers|Scene 4f — Local Guarding Troopers Station]]. If they resist or flee, proceed to [[hauh_morningstar_manhunt|Scene 4g — Escaping Morningstar]]. Sagan may be arrested with them if present. |

----

=== Phase 1b — Stabilizing Sagan ===

| **Trigger / Cue — Player Action or Event** | **Immediate Reaction / Change** | **Clue / Consequence** |
| 🍶 **The PCs buy Sagan a Slivovitz or provide the drink he was denied** | Sagan accepts it after a brief pause. He does not become cheerful or dramatically more intoxicated. He simply becomes less physically tense. | +1 Trust. He begins speaking about the voucher and the final months of Belmont Timber & Haulage. |
| 🍲 **The PCs offer food or allow him time to settle before questioning him** | Sagan initially refuses, then takes something small once the room feels safe. | +1 Trust at DM discretion. The conversation begins without requiring an opening social probe. |
| 🗣️ **The PCs immediately begin interrogating him** | Sagan becomes guarded. His answers shorten and his attention shifts toward exits. | Requires a CHA-based probe, DC 14, to prevent -1 Trust. Direct but respectful questions do not trigger this penalty. |
| ⚖️ **The PCs confront Sagan about threatening the mother** | Sagan does not defend what he did. His face tightens, and he struggles to answer. | If handled without humiliation, +1 Trust: //"I know what I did."// If used to shame or control him, -1 Trust. |
| 🪵 **Rogan refers to their shared time at Fogwood** | Sagan listens closely. The old nickname Rootbreaker or a specific shared memory affects him more strongly than reassurance from strangers. | +1 Trust once per scene. The DM describes only Sagan’s reaction; Rogan’s words remain under the player’s control. |
| 🧾 **The PCs place the torn voucher before Sagan** | Sagan smooths the halves against the nearest flat surface, taking care to align the torn edges. | +1 Trust. He begins explaining how the vouchers were used to pay for timber deliveries and services. |
| 🤝 **The PCs state honestly that they are investigating J.W.** | Sagan studies them carefully, weighing the claim against what happened at the diner. | At Trust 2 or higher, he believes them. At lower Trust, a CHA-based probe, DC 13, is required. Success unlocks questions about J.W.’s Hands. |

----

=== Phase 2 — Sagan’s Life and the Collapse of Belmont Timber & Haulage ===

| **Trigger / Cue — Player Question or Action** | **Immediate Reaction / Change** | **Clue / Consequence** |
| 🛰️ **The PCs ask about Sagan’s life aboard the Last Frontier or why Rogan knew him** | Read the staged description **“Sagan begins speaking about his life aboard the Last Frontier.”** | The PCs learn that Sagan struggled with reading and writing aboard the ship, although he could understand and perform complex practical work once somebody showed him how. |
| 🌍 **The PCs ask how Sagan’s life changed after the crash** | Read the staged description **“Sagan describes finding his place after the crash.”** | The collapse of the technological infrastructure created a society in which Sagan’s practical intelligence and physical skills suddenly became valuable. This establishes why his later company meant so much to him. |
| 🏭 **The PCs ask how Belmont Timber & Haulage began** | Read the staged description **“Sagan begins describing Belmont Timber & Haulage.”** | Sagan explains that the company began with one freight wagon, an unreliable [[manual_labor_bots|Labor Bot]], and eventually his first pair of [[hoos|Hoos]]. |
| 📈 **The PCs ask how successful the company became** | Read the staged description **“Sagan remembers what the company became.”** | The PCs learn that Sagan eventually operated three freight wagons and two cutting crews. The company was respected because Sagan paid reliably and kept his promises. |
| 💰 **The PCs ask how J.W. paid him** | J.W.’s Hands initially paid in valid [[kourou|Kourou]] and later shifted to allocation vouchers carrying the [[hale_and_hook_outfitters|Hale & Hook]] logo. The vouchers promised goods, services, food, lodging, or credit instead of direct currency. | Confirms that J.W. financed his operations through Hale & Hook–backed allocation vouchers rather than direct cash payments, allowing him to keep his own business at arm's length while binding contractors to an escalating cycle of dependency. |
| 📉 **The PCs ask how J.W.’s contracts destroyed the company** | Read the staged description **“Sagan explains how J.W. destroyed his company.”** | Reveals the dependency cycle: every new order was presented as the only way to cover the previous one. Eventually the vouchers stopped working, Sagan lost his crews, and the wagons were sold one by one. |
| 👷 **The PCs ask what happened to Sagan’s workers** | Sagan explains that he dismissed the crews when he could no longer pay them. Some found work at Fogwood. Others left Morningstar. At least one blamed Sagan personally for the unpaid wages. | Deepens Sagan’s shame and demonstrates that J.W.’s exploitation harmed far more people than Sagan alone. |
| 🛠️ **The PCs ask about the spike-driver** | Sagan explains that it was used to drive heavy anchoring spikes into foundation timber and structural supports. It is one of the only company tools he never sold. | Establishes the spike-driver as the last surviving possession of Belmont Timber & Haulage. |

----

=== Phase 3 — J.W.’s Methods ===

| **Trigger / Cue — Player Question or Action** | **Sagan’s Response** | **Clue / Consequence** |
| 👤 **The PCs ask whether Sagan ever met J.W.** | Sagan shakes his head. Every agreement came through one of J.W.’s Hands, written instructions, or vouchers. | Confirms that J.W. controls his operation through distance, intermediaries, and deliberate anonymity. |
| ✍️ **The PCs show Sagan the handwriting recovered from the Hand** | Sagan recognizes the geometric, stencil-broken writing immediately. | Confirms that the same person who authorized the timber deliveries also wrote instructions connected to the attack on the Office for Special Operations. |
| 🔄 **The PCs ask why routes and delivery instructions changed** | Sagan explains that J.W.’s Hands regularly altered the route, marker sequence, and meeting points. | Sagan believes J.W. wants to remain the only person who always knows what comes next. The changing route is about control, not merely concealment. |
| 🗣️ **The PCs ask what the Hands were like** | Sagan describes multiple intermediaries. Some were local workers. Others were pale, quiet figures who rarely spoke and watched the forest more than the deliveries. | Foreshadows the pale inhabitants later connected to the Nameless Man without explaining their origin. |
| 📦 **The PCs ask what J.W. ordered** | Processed logs, structural beams, wall timbers, floor planks, roof supports, storage racks, heavy door stock, and repair timber. | The quantities were far beyond what a private hunting lodge would require. The PCs may infer that J.W. constructed and continuously expands a fortified compound. |

----

=== Phase 4 — The Compound and the Route ===

| **Trigger / Cue — Player Question or Action** | **Sagan’s Response** | **Clue / Consequence** |
| 🧱 **The PCs ask where the timber was delivered** | Read the staged description **“Sagan reveals the compound.”** | The compound lies deep in the forest north of Morningstar, approximately ten miles from the settlement by the changing delivery route. It is surrounded by a high timber palisade reinforced with salvaged metal and wire. |
| 🚪 **The PCs ask whether Sagan has been inside** | Sagan says every delivery ended at the gate. J.W.’s Hands unloaded the wagons themselves. After the gate was constructed, Sagan was never permitted beyond it. | Sagan cannot describe the compound interior and should not be used to reveal information he does not possess. |
| 🧭 **The PCs ask whether he can find it again** | At Trust 3 or 4, Sagan says he can probably follow the old system but cannot promise the route is unchanged. | Unlocks the possibility of using Sagan as a guide, but not yet his commitment. |
| 🏰 **The PCs ask what J.W. needed so much timber for** | Sagan cannot know for certain. He believes J.W. was building more than a hunting lodge: walls, storage structures, watch platforms, heavy gates, and perhaps living quarters. | Reinforces that the PCs are dealing with an organized, expanding operation rather than one isolated hunter. |

----

=== Phase 5 — Sagan’s Decision ===

//This phase applies only if the PCs ask Sagan to accompany them as a guide. If they merely seek information or directions to the compound, skip this phase.//

| **Trigger / Cue — Player Action or Scene State** | **Immediate Reaction / Change** | **Ripple Effect / Consequence** |
| 🤝 **Trust reaches 5 and the PCs ask Sagan to guide them** | Read the staged description **“Sagan agrees to guide the PCs.”** | Sagan joins the group as a guide. His knowledge gives Advantage or a reduced DC on route-finding probes during the journey to J.W.’s compound. |
| 🧭 **Trust is 3 or 4 and the PCs ask for directions but not his help** | Sagan describes the first known markers and approximate heading. | The PCs can attempt to find the compound without him, but the route is harder and more dangerous. Sagan does not yet volunteer to accompany them. |
| 🚫 **Trust is 0 to 2 and the PCs demand his cooperation** | Sagan refuses. //"I’ve already lost everything following that road."// | He provides only the approximate direction. Additional trust-building or a later encounter is required to recruit him. |
| 💬 **The PCs promise to stop J.W. rather than merely recover money** | Sagan studies them carefully. If the promise sounds sincere, his posture steadies. | +1 Trust, potentially allowing him to reach the threshold required to guide them. |
| 🚶 **Sagan agrees to guide the PCs, but the group is not ready to leave Morningstar** | Sagan tells them where he can be found and warns them not to wait too long. | He remains at Saw’s End or another agreed location until the group is ready. The DM may use him in later Morningstar scenes if appropriate. |
| 🚨 **The scene ends through arrest, violence, or flight** | The conversation is cut short. Sagan’s willingness depends on how the PCs treated him before the interruption. | If arrested, Sagan may reappear at the Guarding Troopers Station. If separated during flight, he can later be found at Saw’s End, Fogwood, or another suitable location. |

----

===== 6 | DM Notes =====

  * **The scene is about listening, not extracting:** Sagan should not feel like a container of clues. His information comes from lived experience, shame, and memory. Allow pauses and let the players decide how hard they push.
  * **Saw’s End is recommended, not mandatory:** The drink Sagan wanted gives the players a natural reason to take him there. However, the choice belongs to them. Do not redirect them if they select another credible location.
  * **The Forgotten Connection has consequences:** If Rogan exposed his identity at Django’s Diner, that choice may follow the group into this scene. At Saw’s End, Hammacher can recognize him and interrupt the conversation. The character-specific advantage therefore carries a meaningful cost.
  * **Do not speak for Rogan:** The DM may remind Rogan’s player of unlocked memories and describe Sagan’s reactions. Rogan’s dialogue, promises, physical contact, and emotional choices always belong to the player.
  * **Sagan does not know the compound interior:** He delivered timber to the gate and never entered after the palisade was built. Do not reintroduce information from the discarded carpenter backstory.
  * **J.W.’s control is systemic:** His exploitation works through deferred payment, dependency, intermediaries, changing instructions, and plausible deniability. The injustice should feel organized rather than accidental.
  * **Trust does not excuse the diner:** Even at maximum Trust, Sagan knows that threatening the mother was wrong. He may express shame, but he should never ask the PCs to tell him that it was justified.
  * **The guide is earned:** Sagan should not automatically join because the PCs heard his story. They must give him a reason to believe that going back serves a purpose beyond revenge.
  * **Failure creates another route:** If Sagan refuses to guide the PCs, the investigation continues through Hale & Hook, J.W.’s Hands, local rumors, or wilderness tracking.
  * **The scene may be interrupted:** If the Ticking Clock activates, do not protect the conversation because it contains important clues. Let the interruption happen. Unfinished information may be recovered from Sagan later if he survives and remains willing to speak.

----

==== DM Tutorial: How to Approach the Scene ====

{{ :hauh_dmbriefing_scene4a_1_thepriceoftimber.mp3 |}}


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===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * ↑↑ **Start:** [[hunting_an_unknown_hunter|Hunting An Unknown Hunter]]
  * ★ **Overview:** [[all_scenes_of_hunting_an_unknown_hunter|All Scenes of Hunting an Unknown Hunter]]
  * ☞ **Resolution:** [[hauh_case_resolution|Case Resolution and discoverable Backstory]]
  * ← **Unlocked From:** [[hauh_morningstar_djangos_diner|Scene 4a — Django’s Diner]]
  * → **Possible continuations:**
    * If Sagan agrees to guide the PCs and they are ready to leave Morningstar: proceed to [[Scene 4a+2 — The Roman Way|Scene 4a+2 — The Roman Way]]
    * If the PCs submit to arrest: proceed to [[hauh_morningstar_guarding_troopers|Scene 4f — Local Guarding Troopers Station]].
    * If the PCs resist or flee: proceed to [[hauh_morningstar_manhunt|Scene 4g — Escaping Morningstar]].
    * If Sagan refuses to cooperate or Sagan agrees to guide them but the PCs continue investigating Morningstar: return to the Morningstar Hub Overview and continue the investigation through other leads.

==== Morningstar Hub Overview — Playable Locations & Opportunities ====

| **Location** | **Type / Activity** | **Primary Opportunities** | **Tone / Difficulty** | **Leads To Scene** |
| **[[django_s_diner|Django’s Diner]]** | Food · Pressure · Investigation | Prevent Sagan from harming a civilian · recover J.W.’s torn voucher · survive the Ticking Clock | Warm · Cramped · Volatile | → [[hauh_morningstar_djangos_diner|Scene 4a]] |
| **[[saws_end|Saw’s End]]** | Lodging · Social Risk · Rumor Hub | Buy Sagan the drink he was denied · secure lodging · gather rumors · risk recognition by Hammacher | Loud · Smoky · Volatile | → [[hauh_morningstar_saws_end|Scene 4b]] |
| **[[morningstar_food_market|Morningstar Food Market]]** | Supplies · Barter · Public Shelter | Replace supplies · find temporary shelter · question traders · risk exposure in the open | Practical · Busy · Watchful | → [[hauh_morningstar_food_market|Scene 4c]] |
| **[[medical_station_of_morningstar|Medical Station of Morningstar]]** | Healing · Recovery | Treat injuries · stabilize conditions · risk biometric identification | Clean · Functional · Dangerous if Wanted | → [[hauh_morningstar_medical_station|Scene 4d]] |
| **[[hale_and_hook_outfitters|Hale & Hook Outfitters]]** | Investigation · Trade | Verify the voucher · ask about J.W.’s supply chain · purchase equipment | Polite · Guarded · Transactional | → [[hauh_morningstar_hale_and_hook|Scene 4e]] |
| **[[local_guarding_troopers_station_of_morningstar|Local Guarding Troopers Station of Morningstar]]** | Risk · Records · Pressure | Find an arrested Sagan · face active warrants · access procedural records | Bureaucratic · Dangerous | → [[hauh_morningstar_guarding_troopers|Scene 4f]] |

  * **Note:** Scene 4a+1 is an additional unlocked scene and may take place at any suitable Morningstar location. If the chosen location has its own risks or active mechanics, such as Hammacher at Saw’s End or biometric scans at the Medical Station, those mechanics remain active during the conversation.