Trapezus Conspiracy

Levels 8 - 13

Plot points/Scenes

Survivor Situation

Survivor	Location	Issue	Activity
Captain Rhysse Laslic	Bridge	Trapped	Trying to over-ride the electronics and re-establish control.
Pilot Penter Deov	Dome Section	Trapped, threat of drowning or hypothermia	Climbing on furniture, drinking, climbing back on the furniture.
Kina Lusia	Free to Move	None	Trying to locate other survivors and find a way to free the ship's launch
Choose Principal	Accommodation Section or Lift Shaft	Scared and confused. Liable to drown or freeze if in the lift shaft.	Hunkering down
Choose an Impostor	Free to move if Kina Lusia opens hatches for her	None	Seeking to eliminate other survivors so there are no witnesses. Watching Kina Lusia for a signal.
Choose Principal	Accommodation Section or Lift Shaft	Scared and confused. Liable to drown or freeze if in the lift shaft.	Hunkering down, specifically hiding from Kina Lusia.
Alix and Stev	Cargo Deck	In the least immediate danger but will eventually freeze or drown	Hiding

Themes

Music

Music, often heralded as the universal language of emotion, resonates with seemingly familiar tunes that can stir deep-seated anxieties, evoke powerful memories. The songs from the raiding sirens instill feelings of auditory nostalgia, collective struggle and impermanence into their victims.

Structure

Exposition

Strange Occurrence
^{Level 8}

While working on the ship, a beautiful sound resonates through the ship's speaker system, requiring characters to succeed a DC 18 CHA saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute.

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Once the PCs recover, they should begin searching for answers and find a singular meridian, perched on a high place, who is entrapping passengers with a song that freezes everything into a trance. Not just people, but objects that should be falling in the environment are unnaturally stuck where they were when the baying meridian started singing.
These people and objects can be treated as platforms to traverse and require a DC 15 DEX saving throw or take d6 bludgeoning damage from falling over.
This becomes increasingly difficult, the closer the PCs get to the old baying meridians; changing to a DC 12 DEX saving throw every 25ft to keep from falling.

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Once neutralized, those previously paralyzed are able to move again and have to be found before they die to whatever situation they are in.

Old Baying Meridian

STR	DEX	CON
20 (+5)	18 (+4)	21 (+5)
INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	17 (+3)	14 (+2)

Armour Class:
HP: 85 ( 9d8+45 )
Speed: 40ft
Saving Throws: DEX +7, CON +8, WIS +6
Proficiency Bonus: +3
Skills: Perception +6, Stealth +10
Abilities:

• Regains 10 hp at the start of each of its turns if it has at least 1 hp
• Blast 120ft: d8+5 thunder damage
• (Recharge 5 - 6). Targets within 60ft takes 4d8 mental damage and must make a DC 16 WIS saving throw or be knocked prone.
• Targets within 300ft that can hear must succeed on a DC 15 WIS saving throw or be charmed until the song ends.
  • Must take a bonus action on subsequent turns to continue singing.
  • Charmed targets can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turns
  • The target becomes immune for the next 24 hours on a success

Conflict

School
^{Level 9}

The party eventually enters a wide space filled with a school of dancing meridians. A choir of music abounds that prevents rest and no other effects. Curiously, they otherwise do not interact with the PCs, unless someone touches them.

Younger Meridians (12)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	6 (-2)	8 (-1)	5 (-3)

Armour Class: 13
HP: 13 ( 2d8+4 )
Speed: 30ft
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Abilities:

Young Meridians (6)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
6 (-2)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)

Armour Class: 13
HP: 67 ( 9d8 )
Speed: fly 60 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +3
Abilities:

Can move through targets and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes d10 damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Target must succeed a DC 14 CON saving throw or their hp maximum is reduced by 4d8+3 . This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.

Meridian Lord

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)	15 (+2)	21 (+5)

Armour Class: 18
HP: 112 ( 15d8 )
Speed: 30ft
Proficiency Bonus: +5
Skills: Athletics +7, History +8, Perception +12, Stealth +8
Abilities:

If subject to an effect that requires a DEX saving throw for only half damage, she instead takes no damage on a success and only half on a fail; provided she isn't incapacitated.

Meridian allies within 30ft has advantage on saving throws, and that ally regains d6 hp whenever it starts its turn there.

The party comes across an odd group of meridians that appear largely indifferent to the PCs. This group is calmly swimming within the open space, where they are found, to a music coming from the flowering head of a stationary lord.
To move through this space, PCs must succeed a DC 18 DEX saving throw to avoid colliding with the different meridians and inciting combat.

Rising Action

Backup
^{Level 10}

The PCs encounter a number of rescued passengers and crew members to bolster the party. Although they may have certain effects for certain circumstances; most of them to not have access to weapons.
A particularly useful NPC, Kina Lusia, is capable of boosting the PCs in combat and espousing knowledge and exposition to better understand the situation.

Kina Lusia

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
11 (+0)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	19 (+4)

Armour Class: 12
HP: 97 ( 15d8 )
Speed: 30ft
Saving Throws: DEX +5, INT +6, WIS +4, CHA +7
Proficiency Bonus: +3
Skills: Magic +6, Deception +10, Persuasion +7, Stealth +5
Abilities:

Grant d8 bonus to a PC as a bonus action for ability checks, attack rolls or saving throws

Climax

Horrible Trick
^{Level 11}

The sirens' song is capable of ensnaring those who hear it into their unwitting tools.
Here, a pair of ship security guards are made to confront the party. There is no apparent meridian controlling them from anywhere; insofar that the PCs can tell.

Security Guard (2)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)

Armour Class: 16
HP: 77 ( 14d8+14 )
Speed: 30ft
Saving Throws: INT +6, WIS +6, CHA +7
Proficiency Bonus: +3
Skills: Insight +6, Perception +6
Abilities:

Targets within 120ft must succeed on a DC 15 INT saving throw or take 3d8+4 mental damage and be stunned until the start of the security's next turn.

Falling Action

Confrontation
^{Level 12}

In the first round fighting the Meridian Matriarch, any remaining NPC must make a DC 20 CHA saving throw or lose consciousness throughout the combat.

Resolution

Evacuation
^{Level 13}

Once the Matriarch is defeated, the survivors are rescued by a drone ship and taken to safety. If it looks like the party is just hanging-on, then the drone could offer ranged support

Components

Goals

The party acts as part of a security detail for a luxury liner operating undetected in a forbidden zone for rich passengers wanting a 'dangerous' adventure. This is an experience that has been on offer for a while, with no authorities none-the-wiser and no incidents.
On this particular trip, however, the ship is attacked. Hostiles have infiltrated the crew and guests with plans of feeding off the electrons from the ship's electronics and people's neurons. The PCs must gather the survivors, fend off siren-like attackers and coordinate with distant rescuers with a little communicator separate from the ship's.

Stakes

Unknown to the PCs, a superior within their organization was manipulated into giving up the ship's location and security details to the raiders. The ship's husk, devoid of salvageable components, could be sold for a small fortune or refitted for reuse by the collaborator(s) from the travel agency to restart the cycle.

Moral Quandaries

Post Action Investigation (Optional)

As part of an epilogue scene; the survivors can pen a report on what had happened for their superiors for purposes of travel insurance.
However, mentioning that the PCs may have hurt guests or other employees - even if they were being puppeted - would negatively impact the PCs future careers.

Cruel Tricks

Water Crash

The ship defaults to a security lockdown, leading to unaccessible hatches without proper authorization. PCs may have to cut through walls to bypass this restriction with mechanics checks.
The waters are rough and require PCs to remain steady, or tanks may rupture to spill their contents into the rising waters of a sinking ship.

If they can't get the ship back into orbit, then PC have to find maintenance hatches to escape and be rescued themselves.

Red Herrings

Impersonators

Crew Members

Name	Stats	Fake	Real
Captain Rhysse Laslic	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) Armour Class: 20 HP: 110 ( 17d8+34 ) Speed: 30ft Saving Throws: STR +7, WIS +6 Proficiency Bonus: +3 Skills: Perception +6 Abilities: Allies within 30ft are immune to the charmed and frightened conditions
Pilot Penter Deov	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) Armour Class: 12 HP: 9 ( 2d8 ) Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft. Saving Throws: DEX +4, CON +2 Proficiency Bonus: +2 Skills: Perception +4, Survival +6 Abilities: Does not take fall damage, provided he isn't wearing heavy armour
Chief Engineer Yenaffi Osteir	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) Armour Class: 16 HP: 60 ( 8d8+24 ) Speed: 30ft Saving Throws: STR +2, CON +5, DEX +2 Proficiency Bonus: +2 Skills: Athletics +2 Abilities: Normal speed cannot be reduced If he moves at least 20ft in a straight line against a large or smaller target who must then succeed a DC 14 STR saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
Engineer Giovanna Maitte	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) Armour Class: 10 HP: 7 ( 2d6 ) Speed: 25ft Proficiency Bonus: +2 Skills: Magic +4, History +4 Abilities: Advantage on all INT, WIS and CHA saving throws against magic.
Medic Saress Aten	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) Armour Class: 20 HP: 19 ( 3d8+6 ) Speed: 30ft Proficiency Bonus: +2 Skills: Medicine +5, Perception +3 Abilities:
Chief Stewart Marin Suwa	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 17 (+3) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 12 (+1) Armour Class: 12 HP: 75 ( 10d8+30 ) Speed: 30ft Proficiency Bonus: +2 Abilities: Advantage on ability checks and saving throws against effects that would knock him prone
Steward/ Security Officer Paul Dryiar	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) Armour Class: 19 HP: 65 ( 10d8+20 ) Speed: 30ft Saving Throws: DEX +4, WIS +4 Proficiency Bonus: +2 Skills: Athletics +5, Perception +4 Abilities: Advantage on attack rolls when a passenger is within 60ft
Steward Amishi Arcti	STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) 10 (+0) Armour Class: 10 HP: 4 ( d8 ) Speed: 30ft Proficiency Bonus: +2 Abilities:

Relations

Allies

Passengers

Suite	Group
Aft-Port	Principal Marcus Linton STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 11 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) Armour Class: 15 HP: 9 ( 2d8 ) Speed: 30ft Skills: Deception +5, Insight +4, Persuasion +5 Abilities: +2 to AC against one melee attack that would hit it with another melee weapon Bodyguard Jared Kinley STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) Armour Class: 15 HP: 97 ( 15d8+30 ) Speed: 30ft Saving Throws: CON +5 Proficiency Bonus: +3 Skills: Athletics +6, Perception +4 Abilities: Grants +2 bonus to AC to allies within 5ft Targets hit by an opportunity attack become 0 speed for the rest of the turn Stewardess Elena Vargas STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 2 (-4) 6 (-2) 1 (-5) Armour Class: 15 HP: 13 ( 3d8 ) Speed: 20ft Proficiency Bonus: +2 Abilities: Ostensibly, a group of shipping proxies from the Destiny Pipeline surveying routes for a new market.
Aft- Starboard	Empty
Forward-Port	Principal Stev STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 11 (+0) 18 (+4) Armour Class: 19 HP: 165 ( 2d8+22 ) Speed: 30ft Proficiency Bonus: +4 Skills: Deception +8, Persuasion +8 Abilities: (Recharge 4–6). Can instantly travel up to 30ft to an unoccupied space it can see Principal Alix STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 7 (-2) 14 (+2) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) Armour Class: 15 HP: 10 ( 4d6-4 ) Speed: 25ft Saving Throws: INT +2, WIS +2 Skills: Deception +3, Persuasion +3 Abilities: Advantage on DEX (Stealth) checks Advantage on saving throws against being charmed A couple holding a great deal of stock holdings in a large portfolio who are on a romantic adventure.
Forward-Starboard	Principal Orin Thornton STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 20 (+5) 17 (+3) Armour Class: 13 HP: 90 ( 20d8 ) Speed: 30ft Saving Throws: INT +6, WIS +8, CHA +6 Proficiency Bonus: +3 Skills: Medicine +8, Religion +6 Abilities: Advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the charmed condition (2/Day). Can instantly travel up to 30ft to an unoccupied space they can see Personal Chef Aurelia Devereux STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) Armour Class: 18 HP: 52 ( 8d8+16 ) Speed: 30ft Proficiency Bonus: +2 Abilities: Melee and ranged weapon attacks have disadvantage against him Attendant/Steward Lydia Ashford STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) Armour Class: 11 HP: 9 ( 2d8 ) Speed: 30ft Proficiency Bonus: +2 Skills: Medicine +2, Persuasion +4, Survival +2 Abilities: Can sense the magic within 60ft The personal staff of a vacationing son of Iodex whose location is unknown to their families.

Adversaries

Disguised Enemy

Kina Lusia is - in actuality - the real BBEG capable of calling others to fight on her behalf.

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She is in overall command of the meridians' raid. But when not everyone had been paralyzed by the initial wave of sound, she took it upon herself to gather the uneffected into a convenient place to attack.
When she is ready to turn against the rest of the group, her stats change to that on the right:

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Meridian Matriarch

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
18 (+4)	18 (+4)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)	16 (+3)

Armour Class: 16
HP: 170 (240)
Speed: 30ft
Saving Throws: DEX +9, CON +9, CHA +8
Proficiency Bonus: +5
Skills: Perception +13, Stealth +9
Abilities:

• Advantage on attack rolls against a target who doesn't have all their hp
• (2/Day). Can choose to succeed a failed a saving throw instead
• Regains 10 hp at the start of each of her turns
• Bite: 2d8+4 piercing damage
• Targets within 300ft that can hear must succeed on a DC 15 WIS saving throw or be charmed until the song ends.
  • Must take a bonus action on subsequent turns to continue singing.
  • Charmed targets can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turns
  • The target becomes immune for the next 24 hours on a success

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Shield Meridian ( 2d4+2 )

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	15 (+2)	12 (+1)	3 (-4)	12 (+1)	6 (-2)

Armour Class: 13
HP: 11 ( 2d8+2 )
Speed: 40ft
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +4
Abilities:

Advantage on WIS (Perception) checks that rely on hearing

Advantage on an attack roll if at least one ally is within 5 ft and isn't incapacitated

Target suffers 2d4+2 piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 11 STR saving throw or be knocked prone.

Matriarch's Minions

An expected average of 7 summoned
minions primarily aid their mistress
by acting as damage sponges on her
behalf.

GMs can either have them intercept
attacks or transfer damage to them until they are destroyed.

Shield meridians can only be brought into the game once.

Backdrops

Locations

Cruise Ship

For a cruise liner, Trapezus is modestly small with an asymmetrical design. It is only capable of 1G of thrust and a maximum 30 person capacity; minimum 10 of whom are crew including PCs.
GMs can use the surplus NPC space to create their own named NPCs or NPCs who died during the adventure.

Encounters

Winged Meridians (8)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)	7 (-2)	10 (+0)	13 (+1)

Armour Class: 11
HP: 38 ( 7d8+7 )
Speed: 20 ft., fly 40 ft.
Proficiency Bonus: +2
Abilities:

• Targets within 300ft that can hear must succeed on a DC 11 WIS saving throw or be charmed until the song ends.
  • Must take a bonus action on subsequent turns to continue singing.
  • Charmed targets can repeat the saving throw at the end of their turns
  • The target becomes immune for the next 24 hours on a success

Common Meridians (1/PC)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
15 (+2)	13 (+1)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	11 (+0)	10 (+0)

Armour Class: 12
HP: 58 ( 9d8+18 )
Speed: 40ft

Proficiency Bonus: +2
Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +3
Abilities:

Advantage on WIS (Perception) checks that rely on hearing

Claw: 2d4+2 slashing damage

The GM can intersperse the supplementary meridian stats as needed according to the scene.

All meridians are shapeshifters with unusual biology and capable of inducing auditory hallucinations into their prey at differing strengths. Even for stats where the ability is not explicitly mentioned is a means of tailoring the difficulty.

Plot type

Search and Rescue

Related Characters

• Aubade
• Copula
• Vivace

Related Organizations

• Tren Trio

Related Locations

• Lurker Threshold
• Thalatta