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SCENE 4a+2 — THE ROMAN WAY

1 | Scene Overview

Location: Forest north of Morningstar, leading toward J.W.’s compound
Type: Guided Expedition · Wilderness Investigation · Rising Suspense
Era: Beta Age
Unlock Condition: Sagan Belmont agrees to guide the PCs during Scene 4a+1 — The Price of Timber
Tone: Humid wilderness · physical discomfort · hidden signs · unseen observers · approaching danger

Atmosphere & Sensory Cues: Neshi whining around exposed skin · sweat beneath damp clothing · vines striking faces and shoulders · boots sinking into mud · rotting leaves concealing roots · branches snapping somewhere out of sight · temporary trail markers hidden in plain view · silence deepening as the compound draws closer

Special Scene Mechanic — The Roman Way

J.W.’s compound cannot be reached by following a permanent road.

Instead, his Hands use a shifting sequence of temporary signs. Each marker points toward the next. Sagan calls this system the Roman Way, after the old Earth saying that every road leads to Rome.

Possible markers include:

a vine tied around a low branch
a shallow cut in tree bark
three stones stacked beside a root
a strip of cloth hidden beneath a leaf
a rusted metal tag nailed into deadwood
a snapped branch angled toward the next marker
a loop of wire concealed beneath moss
a carved notch on the underside of a fallen trunk

The route is designed to remain invisible to anyone who does not already know what to look for. Sagan knows the system and remembers the approximate direction, but he has not travelled the route for eight months. J.W.’s Hands may have altered, removed, or replaced individual markers.

Travel Recommendation — Proceed on Foot

The journey to J.W.’s compound is best undertaken on foot.

The PCs may choose to take the hearse or another wagon, but this is not recommended. A vehicle is easier to spot and hear in the dense forest, leaves clear wheel tracks in the mud, and cannot easily be hidden beneath the undergrowth if the group encounters J.W.’s Hands or other observers. Fallen branches, exposed roots, narrow passages, and shifting route markers may also force the group to abandon it before reaching the compound.

Travelling on foot allows the PCs to follow Sagan through the vegetation, leave the Roman Way when necessary, conceal themselves quickly, and approach the compound without announcing their arrival.

If the PCs nevertheless take the hearse or another vehicle, apply Disadvantage to group Stealth probes and increase the likelihood of patrols or observers detecting their approach.

Special Scene Mechanic — Route Integrity

Track Route Integrity from 3 to 0.

The scene begins at Route Integrity 3.

Route Integrity	Meaning
3 — Clear	The old sequence remains largely intact. Sagan moves confidently and identifies markers without delay.
2 — Disturbed	One or more markers have been moved, damaged, or hidden by weather and vegetation. Navigation requires closer attention.
1 — Fragmented	Large parts of the route have changed. The PCs must reconstruct the path through terrain, tracks, and Sagan’s memory.
0 — Lost	The old Roman Way can no longer be followed reliably. The PCs must locate the compound through wilderness tracking or another lead.

Route Integrity may decrease through failed navigation probes, deliberate sabotage, environmental damage, or evidence that J.W.’s Hands recently changed the route.

Sagan’s presence prevents a single failed probe from ending the journey. Failure creates delay, exposure, or danger instead.

2 | Read-Aloud Descriptions

Initial Read-Aloud — Entering the Forest

The forest closes behind you within minutes of leaving Morningstar. Broad leaves overlap above the trail until the violet twilight becomes a dim green haze. Vines hang across the route like loose cables. Roots twist through the mud beneath your boots, while carpets of rotting leaves hide holes, stones, and whatever else the forest has decided to keep out of sight.

The air is thick enough to drink. Neshi circle every exposed patch of skin, their translucent wings flashing whenever they pass through a shaft of filtered light. One settles on Kweku’s neck. A sharp slap leaves behind a smear of blue-green blood.

Sagan keeps moving. He pushes through the vegetation with the certainty of someone who has walked this ground too many times to trust appearances. Every so often, he slows, studies a branch or patch of earth, and changes direction without explanation. Then he points toward a vine knotted around a low-hanging branch.

“First sign,” he says.

“The Roman Way starts here.”

Staged Read-Alouds — Progressive Descriptions

Trigger / Timing	Read-Aloud / Narrative Insert
Sagan explains the Roman Way	Sagan touches the knotted vine without untying it. “Old saying from Mother Earth,” he says. “Every road leads to Rome.” He points farther into the forest, where another branch bends at an unnatural angle. “Same idea. You don’t need to know the whole road. You only need to find the next sign.”
The PCs struggle with the Neshi and terrain	A Neshi whines beside your ear before vanishing into the leaves. Mud pulls at your boots with every step. Vines catch on packs, sleeves, and weapons. The forest seems determined to slow you without ever presenting a single obstacle large enough to fight.
The PCs discover the route has been altered	Sagan stops beside a tree and studies its trunk. A pale rectangle of untouched bark marks the place where something was recently removed. He crouches, searching the mud beneath it. “There should be a marker here,” he says. “Someone changed the road.”
The pale figures appear	Sagan raises one hand. The group freezes. At first, there is only undergrowth. Then something shifts behind a curtain of broad-leafed ferns. A pale, thin figure stands between the trees, half-hidden by vegetation. Another waits farther back. Their clothing is stitched from mismatched fabric, leather, and old work gear. One carries a bundle of animal traps. The other drags something wrapped in hide. Neither speaks.
The pale figures disappear	The strangers take one slow step backward. Then another. Leaves tremble. A heartbeat later, both are gone. No running footsteps follow. No branches snap. It is as though the forest simply closed around them.
Sagan reveals that he has seen them before	Sagan keeps staring into the place where the figures vanished. “Whenever I hauled timber out here, I sometimes saw someone standing between the trees,” he says. “Never close. Never long enough to be sure.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I thought I was exhausted. Thought the forest was playing tricks on me.”
The rain begins	A cold drop strikes the back of a hand. Another follows. Then the canopy erupts. Rain crashes through the leaves in thick, warm sheets. Branches bow under the sudden weight, mud loosens beneath your boots, and the route ahead begins to dissolve beneath running water.
The compound comes into view	Through the rain and foliage, a wall rises between the trees. Massive squared timbers have been sunk deep into the ground and reinforced with scavenged metal plates and coils of wire. A heavy gate breaks the centre of the palisade. Above it hangs a rust-stained pressure vessel from the Last Frontier, suspended in a rough timber frame. A thick rope disappears through a guide ring beneath it. Beside the gate, a weathered sign leans beneath the skull of a Moar. NO TRESPASSING — PRIVATE PROPERTY. Rain runs through the skull’s empty eye sockets. Whatever rules govern Morningstar no longer reach this place.

3 | Scene Intent

Scene Type	Player Intents	DM Function / Story Link
Guided Wilderness Expedition	Follow Sagan · survive the terrain · understand the hidden route · investigate unusual observers · reach the compound unseen	Transitions the adventure from settlement investigation into hostile wilderness exploration. Establishes the Roman Way, foreshadows the pale inhabitants connected to the Nameless Man, confirms that J.W.’s operation is active, and ends with the first sight of the fortified compound.

4 | Key (N)PCs + Dynamic Cues

Name	Role / Affiliation	Motivation / Function	Dynamic Cues — How They React in Play	Wiki Link
Sagan Belmont	Guide · former timber contractor for J.W.	Find the old route · prove useful · confront the place that destroyed his company	Moves confidently while the route remains familiar. Becomes tense when markers are missing. Does not pretend to know what he does not know. The closer they come to the compound, the quieter he becomes.	Sagan Belmont
Pale Trappers	Unknown inhabitants connected to J.W.’s operation	Observe · avoid contact · return toward the compound	Silent, cautious, and difficult to follow. They do not attack unless cornered. Their appearance strongly resembles the Nameless Man.	The Blues
Neshi	Native blood-feeding insects	Feed · irritate · expose travellers through movement and noise	Harmless individually, relentless in swarms. They punish exposed skin and make stealth more difficult when PCs slap, curse, or move suddenly.	Neshi
J.W.’s Hands	Conditional patrol or route maintenance crew	Protect the route · detect intruders · alter markers	Appear only if the PCs create significant delay, noise, or evidence of pursuit. Avoid direct confrontation unless they possess an advantage.

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