Table of Contents
102 Pen and Paper Adventure | Beta Age | The Man Without a Name
SCENE 8i — RABBIT’S HOLE
1 | Scene Overview
- Location: Rabbit’s Hole (“RH”) · NW Public Services Ring Road 9, Firetown
- Type: Low-Cost Lodging · Survival · Petty Crime · Social Tension · Medium Risk
- Era: Beta Age
- Tone: Claustrophobic · desperate · tired · “mind your own business”
Atmosphere & Sensory Cues: Stale sweat and cheap booze · geothermal warmth clinging to stone · torchlight flicker in crowded darkness · Butler Bot’s monotone over snores and mutters · Zark bouncer’s silhouette filling the doorway · faint hum of a Cleaning Bot sweeping around boots.
2 | Read-Aloud Descriptions
Initial Read-Aloud (Scene Opening)
Rabbit’s Hole doesn’t look like an inn. It looks like something that survived.
A stack of cargo containers has been welded into a low, squat block, its skin patched with scorched starship hull plates and bolted mining bulkheads. Rivets and seams crisscross the façade like old scars. Above the entrance, a crooked wooden canopy sags under frost and ash, held up by mismatched beams and a prayer. A weak neon sign buzzes red — “RH” — the second letter flickering like it’s tired. A barrel fires burn in a dented drum giving off a greasy warmth that smells like soot and spilled booze.
Inside, there’s no welcoming entrance — just an open counter, bright under a harsh electric light strip and guarded by a a massive Zark bouncer. A battered ledger lies open beside a chipped tin coin tray, and a hand-painted sign hangs behind it:
“5 K OR THE STREET.” NO REFUNDS. NO BREAKFAST. WEAPONS CHECKED.
A stiff-backed Butler Bot stands behind the counter like a machine-made clerk. Its voice is flat and practiced: “Armchair, eight hours, five K. Mattress, eight hours, ten K. Payment in advance. Weapons surrendered. Disorder equals ejection.”
Staged Read-Alouds (Progressive Descriptions)
| Trigger / Timing | Read-Aloud Cue |
| If PCs approach the doorway / bouncer | The Zark bouncer shifts as you come closer, filling the frame. Two meters of scarred muscle in a patched leather coat, smoky breath rolling from his nostrils. His eyes flick to your gear, linger on visible weapons, then up to your faces. He doesn’t speak — just jerks his chin toward the counter and the “5 K or the street” sign. |
| If PCs check in at the counter | The Butler Bot’s head twitches toward you, lenses narrowing with a soft click. “State preference: armchair or mattress. Payment in advance. Weapons to be surrendered for the duration.” A metal drawer slides open with a rattle, ready for your Kourou and your gear. |
| If PCs glance into Dormitory 1 (mattresses) | The mattress dorm smells of sour sweat and damp wool. Rough pallets line both walls in two tight rows, each with a thin mat and a shared blanket crumpled on top. Figures lie sprawled or curled, boots still on, faces half-buried. Torches gutter in wall sconces, throwing shadows across a forest of sleeping limbs. |
| If PCs glance into Dormitory 2 (armchairs) | The armchair room is a graveyard of cracked recliners and battered benches. Men and women slump at odd angles, mouths open, snoring or muttering to themselves. A metal spittoon glints by one chair; sand buckets by the door catch ash and slop. Somewhere in the dark, someone coughs wetly and rolls over. |
| If PCs settle in and one PC stays awake | As the others drift off, the dorm sinks into a slow, heavy breathing. Torchlight shrinks to dim orange puddles on stone and skin. A Cleaning Bot hums past, sweeping ash and beer.Then — from somewhere in the tangle of sleeping bodies — a hoarse voice cuts through the darkness, half-dreaming, half-pleading: “No talk… to others. No name. No… confession…” The face in the flicker is pale, blurred, uncanny — a ghost of the Man Without a Name. Before you can focus on him, movement snaps at the edge of your vision: a shadow crouched at your bags. A thief’s hand is already closing around your belongings. |
3 | Scene Intent
| Scene Type | Player Intents | DM Function / Story Link |
| Low-Cost Lodging · Survival · Petty Crime · Clue Drop | Find a cheap place to sleep · protect (or lose) their belongings · feel the bottom end of Firetown life · chase or ignore trouble | Show the poorest layer of Firetown’s Entertainment District; provide a dangerous but affordable rest option; create a possible forced detour to the Medical Station; drop a surreal, unsettling hint via D, a former “Blue” whose fate mirrors the Nameless Man’s. |
4 | Key (N)PCs + Dynamic Cues
| Name | Role / Affiliation | Motivation / Goal | Dynamic Cues — How They React in Play | Wiki Link |
| Yannis Christensen | Owner · Former cage-fighter | Keep RH full and paid · avoid trouble that draws Cartel or Troopers | Thick-shouldered, cauliflower ear, watchful eyes. Speaks low and blunt. Enforces house rules; “5 K or the street” is not a joke. | — |
| Butler Bot (Reception) | Clerk · Rule enforcer | Apply rules · track payments · log weapons & lockers | Monotone announcements; no negotiation. Will call the bouncer or Service Bot if rules are challenged. | Butler Bots |
| Service / Cleaning Bot | Floor & latrine cleaner | Keep floors passable · torches burning | Hums softly; sweeps ash, wipes puddles, refuels torches. Noise can mask PC movement or whispers. | Cleaning Bots |
| Zark Bouncer | Door security · house muscle | Keep peace · protect cashbox | Silent, intimidating. Ejects brawlers. Uses stun baton first; lethal force only if absolutely necessary. Rumored to have “ended” thieves before. | Zark |
| Sleeping Patrons (15–20) | Broke gamblers, day laborers, failed tourists | Survive the night · keep what little they have | Mostly unconscious, muttering or snoring. Wake easily if stepped on or handled. Chain reactions of noise if disturbed. | — |
| The Thief (Yavin Simril) | Unnamed patron · petty criminal | Rob the unwary while they sleep | Moves quietly between pallets or chairs. Keeps a concealed small firearm. Panics violently if caught. | — |
| “The Pale Sleeper” (D — ex-Blue) | Former member of “the Blues” · trauma-broken drifter | Incoherent nightmares · no conscious agenda | Gaunt, pale face when briefly visible in flicker. Mutters “No talk. No name. No confession.” No one here knows his story; he vanishes after the incident. Do not identify him as “D” aloud; he’s a haunting echo for the DM. | — |
5 | Triggers, Clues & Consequences
Checking In & House Rules
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction / What Happens | Future Hook / Consequence |
| 💰 PCs attempt to rent a place to sleep | Butler Bot recites: “Armchair, eight hours, five K. Mattress, eight hours, ten K. Payment in advance. No refunds.” Weapons must be surrendered. | PCs secure a warm but risky rest. Weapons stored behind counter; claim tickets issued. |
| 🔫 PCs refuse to surrender weapons | Bouncer steps forward, hand on baton. Yannis emerges: “No weapons inside. You sleep armed, you sleep outside.” | PCs must comply, leave, or escalate. Fight risks Cartel attention. |
| 📦 PCs pay for a secure locker | Bot logs contents, issues ticket, stores items behind counter. | Valuables safe no matter what happens in dorms. |
If PCs All Sleep (No Watch)
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction / What Happens | Future Hook / Consequence |
| 😴 All PCs fall asleep with no watch | A quiet patron rifles through bags and pockets. | PCs wake with all loose Kourou and small valuables stolen. Weapons and locked items safe. |
| 🔎 PCs investigate theft next morning | Yannis shrugs: “You sleep in a thieves’ nest, you wake up picked clean.” Bouncer claims nobody passed. | Optional mini-investigation; or lesson learned. |
If At Least One PC Stays Awake
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction / What Happens | Future Hook / Consequence |
| 👂 Awake PC hears strange whispering | “No talk… to others. No name. No confession…” Pale face barely visible in torch-flicker. | Atmospheric clue: another former “Blue” shares the Nameless Man’s fate — though the PCs do not yet know what “the Blues” are or why this matters. No immediate action. |
| 🕵️ Awake PC notices theft attempt | Perception DC 12. On success, spots thief at their bags. | PCs can confront or shadow thief. |
| ⚠️ PC confronts quietly | Contested STR/DEX. If subdued quietly, bouncer later handles it. | Thief ejected; PCs earn minor local respect. |
| 💥 PC confronts loudly / alarms dorm | Dorm erupts in noise. Thief panics, draws hidden firearm, and fires wildly → one PC automatically hit (serious but non-lethal). | Urgent funnel to Scene 8c Medical Station Firetown; Yannis demands they take injured PC out immediately. |
| 🧍 PC tries to find the Pale Sleeper (D) afterward | Chaos + torch movement reveal empty pallet/chair; he’s gone. | D becomes a ghostly memory; no one remembers him. Not because of anything supernatural, but because: most patrons were drunk or drugged, the dorms were nearly pitch-dark and Rabbit’s Hole runs on a strict “mind your own business” culture. Faces blur. Names vanish. People forget on purpose. |
Illegal Player Options
| Trigger / Cue | Immediate Reaction / What Happens | Future Hook / Consequence |
| 🦹 PCs pickpocket sleepers | Stealth vs. DC 10. On fail: sleeper wakes, noise. | First offense: ejection. Second: stun baton, possible Cartel trouble. |
| 🎭 PCs start a brawl to cover theft | Chaos spreads fast. Torch knocked over. | Bouncer storms in; alarm triggered. Possible beating, ejection, or Cartel involvement if severe. |
6 | DM Notes
- Purpose:
- Provide the cheapest lodging — and the most dangerous.
- Highlight Firetown’s desperation.
- Enable theft consequences or a forced medical detour.
- Deliver a ghostly hint — through D — that the Nameless Man is not the only victim of some former group known as the “Blues,” a term the PCs do not yet understand.
- About D (Ex-Blue):
- Never name him; keep him eerie, half-seen.
- He mutters the same mantra as the Nameless Man.
- He disappears instantly after any commotion.
- Nobody remembers him
- Tone:
- Low-voiced, tired, bleakly pragmatic.
- Zark bouncer and Yannis aren’t cruel — they just want order.
- “Mind your business” is the district’s law down here.
- Using the Shooting:
- Should be shocking but survivable.
- Strong push into Scene 8c.
- Reinforces RH as rough, unsafe, and unforgiving.
DM Tutorial: How to approach the scene
Short version:
Related Pages and Further Information
- ↑↑ Start: Adventure Hub — The Man Without a Name
- ★ Overview: All Scenes of The Man Without A Name
- ← Previous Scene (most likely last): Arrival in Firetown
Firetown Hub Overview (Playable Locations & Opportunities)
| Location | Type / Activity | Primary Opportunities | Tone / Difficulty | Leads To Scene |
| German Imbiss | Food · Information · Low-Cost Refuge | Eat cheaply · Overhear gossip | Casual · Cramped | → Scene 8a |
| Saloon Gloria | Social · Rest · Music Venue | Meet Mira Reis · Gather local rumors · Find temporary lodging · Small jobs for performers or couriers | Warm · Loud · Neutral ground | → Scene 8b |
| Saloon Gloria Upstairs Rooms (Optional) | Unlock Condition: PCs must have secured access to a room earlier (via Mira Reis, Tamara Borg, or a successful booking in Scene 8b) | Rest · overhear violent incident · witness Station Commander Jace Laux committing accidental manslaughter · gain blackmail leverage | Intimate · Dangerous · Quiet tension | → Scene 8b+ |
| Medical Station of Firetown | Healing · Recovery · Services | Receive medical treatment · Buy healing supplies · Restock medicine | Clean · Functional · Moderate cost | → Scene 8c |
| Nebula Fight Arena | Combat · Betting | Earn money through fighting or betting · Meet underworld contacts · Recruit fighters · Gather intel on Local Guarding Trooper Station and Cartel | Violent · Risk/Reward High | → Scene 8d |
| The Red Wheel | Gambling · Social Intrigue | Play cards or bet on Space Roulette · Win money or lose money · Gather intel on Local Guarding Trooper Station and Cartel | Glamorous · Dangerous | → Scene 8e |
| Firetown Billiards Saloon | Games · Relaxation | Trilliards and carom bets · Small talk with local dealers · Low-stakes income · | Friendly · Streetwise | → Scene 8f |
| Firetown Darts Club | Skill Games · Frostpunkt Dice | Usually chance to win money but currently closed due to a bar brawl. Probably: Gather intel on Local Guarding Trooper Station. | Smoky · Mid-risk | → Scene 8g |
| Dark Side Hotel | Luxury Lodging · High-Stake Gambling | Find exclusive lodging · Meet wealthy Firetown visitors and gamblers · Gather intel on Local Guarding Trooper Station and Cartel | Elegant · Exclusive · High Difficulty | → Scene 8h |
| Rabbit’s Hole | Low-Cost Inn · Criminal Underbelly | Find cheap bed · Interact with smugglers or pickpockets · Risk encounter hook | Dangerous · Claustrophobic | → Scene 8i |
| Local Guarding Trooper Station Firetown | Investigation · Main Plot | Discover and free the Nameless Man · File charges (e.g. pickpocket incident) | Bureaucratic · Story Critical | → Scene 9 (Main Mission |