The world of Soluna is littered with various towns, provinces, kingdoms, continents, cities, etc. These places offer respite for weary travelers, alcoves where the denizens of the world can come and indulge in rest and relaxation. Each area of the world is governed by it's own sets of rules, being able to function and maneuver through these rules help keep the player out of danger. Various stores also inhabit these cities that provide specific services, and these services vary depending on the economic power of each of these towns. There are some quests and missions that alter the economic power of each city, with varying degrees depending on your success. Learn the mechanics of the town system in order to fully take advantage of what each kingdom has to offer.
Services[]
Listed below will be the various types of services that a town may or may not offer. The availability of these services greatly depend on the demand and economic power the town, and to an extent, it's kingdom has.
Armory Shops
These shops carry various arms and armor to supplement an adventurer. Funded by Vulcan Industries and branches of Militia Arms Recycling Services these were set up all around E'dan for the use of both private and non-private consumers. Generally smaller towns carry only Phobos brand armaments while bigger cities are equipped with both Phobos and Daemos versions. These shops are great places to stock up on weapons and armor or to fix any malfunctioning gear you may have.
Nano Labs
Several labs around E'dan funded by Caelum are the popular nanobot augment labs. Adventurers would be wise to come to these nanob labs in order to purchase various Nanotechnology upgrades and augments. Removal services of specific augments are also available in these labs.
Pharmaceuticals
Funded by The Mirror Group these stores are numerously spread through the continent. Due to the high demand of medicines and vaccines, even smaller towns are outfitted with the same medications as bigger cities though in smaller quantities. Coincidentally, places overrun with disease are generally more equipped with vaccines and cures than other, more safer areas.
Transit Stations
Transit stations are pretty self explanatory. Set up by the MERC Corp, several of these transit stations are the life lines of the Empyreal Kingdom, ferrying millions of people back and forth and across the continent.
Etheries
Etheries are places where the devout and religious gather. Most of these are run by the Church of St. Sophia, one of the largest religious sects in all of Soluna. These places offer free services such as lodging and food though their quality may be lacking. Each town will have at least one Ethery while bigger cities might have multiples. The scope and size of each Ethery varies greatly, the biggest one being the Basilica of St. Sophia in the kingdom of Naime.
Pubs/Cafe's/Bars
Various places where the locals gather are a prime place to get hints and tips on missions and the latest gossip. Each town, big or small has at least one taverna where you can stop in and see if any of the locals are in need or in the know of the latest news. These places are most likely where the adventurers are going to spend most of their time getting new quests in addition to story relevant places. For special festivals and ceremonies, these local hot spots are the places to go.
Guilds
Guilds represent the work shops of the denizens of Soluna. Within their walls lie piles of materials, layers of schematics, soot, debris, with the constant hum and whir of machines. The smell of molten metal and chemicals fill your nose as stacks of smoke fill the sky like cloud-making constructs. Depending on the city or town, these Guilds may not be as technologically advanced. The more advanced the guild the more types of items the character can make with their Craft skill this is due to the quality of tools, space, and raw materials they have available. Lower end guilds can only craft items who's finished value equals to $500 while bigger guilds have no such limit in price. The type of guild a specific city has will be listed with its other statistics.
Size[]
There are many times in the adventure when size DOES matter. Each object in the world, be it animate or inanimate has an inherent size modifier. These sizes affect specific spells or abilities. Listed below are the various sizes in Soluna as well as some examples and a degree of weight. Though each size has a minimum Strength requirement, it does not necessarily mean that you can interact with that object if you meet them. For example even if you have the 4 Strength required to interact with a Colossal object, it does not mean you are able to push a transport ship or pull a whole building. These are just guidelines in the event that such a feat were to happen.
Tiny
Tiny objects are things that weigh 1 - 5 lbs. These items include but are not limited to pebbles, rings, feathers, twigs, etc. You do not require a Strength minimum to interact with these items as they can be dealt with easily.
Small
Small objects are items that weigh between 5 - 50 lbs. These items include but are not limited to small animals, small weapons, furniture, etc. There is no minimum Strength requirement to interact with these items either.
Medium
Medium objects are items that weigh between 50 - 150 lbs. These items include most humans, elves, and mer and some ryth as well as armor and weapons and some machines. There is a minimum 1 Strength to interact with these items.
Large
Large objects are items that weigh between 150 - 200 lbs. These can include but are not limited to most ryth, most machines, larger furniture, larger weapons, etc. There is a minimum of 2 Strength to lift, push, pull these items.
Huge
Huge objects are items that weigh between 200 - 300 lbs. These can include most beasts in Soluna, some smaller vehicles, larger flora, larger machines, etc. There is a minimum of 3 Strength to interact with these objects.
Colossal
Colossal objects are things that weigh between 300 - 1000 lbs. These can include most vehicles, larger beasts, buildings, etc. There is a minimum of 4 Strength to interact with these objects.
Weather[]
Weather is an integral part of Soluna, though not every area of Soluna will be privy to all the types of weather effects. Each type of weather has a specific effect on the player or the terrain which will be further explained below. Some abilities like Geomancy and spells from the Black Magic school may affect the weather conditions around you.
Heatwave
Heatwaves are quite common in the southern part of the continent of E'dan as well as the northern part of Heil and a majority of the Chain Islands, basically around the tropics heatwaves are quite common. A heatwave can be a great danger to your characters and too much exposure can lead to effects of dehydration and even sunburns. For every hour you are in the midst of a heatwave you must make a toughness check with a challenge of 10+1 for every hour you have been exposed or suffer 1d4 points of damage. A player that is under the blazing heat of the sun can also be affected with the status Burn.
Rainstorm
Rainstorms can range from soft rainfall to a heavy downpour. These are quite common wherever you go during the spring or summer. Rainstorms themselves do not pose a threat to the environment or to the inhabitants of the world, however enough rain can create the terrain effect Flood.
Lightning Storm
Usually accompanied by rain, there are some instances when the skies rumble with just thunder and lightning. These times are usually quite hampering to those who rely on electronic equipment as the increased ions in the air interfere with their functions. Those who are equipped with nanobot augments may also suffer some interference.
Sandstorm
Sandstorms are common in desert areas or places where there are deserts nearby. Fierce winds pick up dust and debris and create a torrent that can bury a town in several inches of sand particles. This is one of the more destructive weather effects as the particles of sand can sneak into the smallest crevices, ruining some of the machines that it covers. Extended periods of the sandstorm can create an altered terrain. For every two hours an area is effected by a sandstorm, the terrain goes from normal, to moderate, to difficult.
Hurricane
A hurricane is prevalent in the Dusklight and Dawnlight Oceans where they can move towards the main land. These fierce winds can pick up objects that are large and below. They can also blow down buildings and other structures and even pick up fauna and flora in its swirling wake. Sometimes they are accompanied by rain which can flood the terrain.
Blizzard
The weather condition blizzard rains down cold flecks of snow and sleet and hail. Much like heatwaves, being exposed to a blizzard can have adverse effects on a player. For every hour exposed to the blizzard you must make a toughness check with a challenge of 10 + 1 for every hour exposed or suffer a -1 penalty to all your perimeters. Without proper equipment you may also be effected with the status Freeze. Prolonged blizzards can cause the terrain to shift from normal, to moderate, to difficult much like the sandstorm weather condition.
Fog
A dense fogs lifts up and obscures the world around you. Those who are caught in its effects suffer a penalty to Perception checks depending on how severe the fog is. A light fog will give you a -1 penalty, a dense fog results in a -2 penalty, and a deep fog is -3.
Aurora
The heavens are awash with swirls of colorful light. Curtains dance and sway and entice and enrapture all those who see it. Other than aesthetics, this weather effect does nothing and is only ever seen in the northern and southern poles of the planet.
Terrain[]
Terrain has a subtle yet equally important part of exploring. Certain types of terrain can give penalties depending on how severe it is. Some weather effects can alter the terrain like in the event of severe sandstorms, rainstorms, and snowstorms. Moderate and Difficult terrains gives penalties to Dexterity for hampering your movement, however they will never reduce your Dexterity lower than 1.
Normal Terrain
Normal Terrain are easy to navigate. Most of the time adventurers will encounter this type of terrain. Examples of such terrain are flat plains, gentle sloping fields, cityscapes, etc. Any area that is relatively smooth and navigable can be considered normal terrain. This type of landscape does not hamper your speed and thus does not grant a penalty.
Moderate Terrain
Moderate Terrain is a little bit rougher than normal terrain. These types of terrain can include but are not limited to rocky outcroppings, cracked earth, wooded groves, sand dunes, thick swamplands, flooded areas, etc. This type of environment gives a -1 to Dexterity for being harder to navigate.
Difficult Terrain
Difficult Terrain is just what it is, the land is wild and untamed hampering those who tread upon it every chance it gets. Places such as ruins, earthen faults, shifting lands, waist deep water, etc are all examples of difficult terrain. These landscapes gives a -2 to Dexterity for being quite challenging to navigate.
Underwater
These types of terrain are rare as a majority of the races in Soluna do not breathe underwater. For those races, the rules for being underwater are different for those who are not accustomed to the depths. When underwater, your movement is decreased. Aside from the movement penalty, those who cannot breathe underwater are also subject to drowning. You must succeed in the appropriate rolls and must adhere to the rules of swimming (See Athletics under "Skills"). Failing this check results in drowning and you are dealt 1d6 points of damage. If your HP drops to 0 underwater, you are knocked unconscious and must be rescued or risk the chance of death.
Falling[]
Falling can be achieved through various means, either an effect of an outside force, a deliberate fall, or the failure of a skill. Falling can be extremely dangerous. As a general rule, a unit suffers 1d6 points of damage for every 10 feet they are falling. When deliberately falling, you ignore the first 10 feet before the damage begins to tack on. This works in conjunction with the appropriate Acrobatics maneuver. A fallen unit will be prone when they land unless they succeed in a challenging Acrobatic maneuver. When falling into a body of water, you may ignore another 10 feet of damage as long as the water is 10 feet deep. The rules for Diving into water are covered in the Athletics section of Skills.
Items that are dropped are a bit more complicated. The size and the distance the item has dropped will affect the overall die roll the GM or the player must make.
Size Die Feet Multiplier Small d4 10 1 Medium d6 20 2 Large d8 30 4 Huge d12 40 6 Above Huge d20 More than 40 +1 per 10 feet
As the chart suggests a medium falling object that has fallen 30 feet will deal 4d6 points of damage to anyone hit. While a huge falling object that has fallen 100 feet will deal 12d12 points of damage to anyone hit. When a unit falls onto another unit that is currently climbing or scaling below them, they must make a successful Strength check with a challenge of 15 for medium units (-3/+3 for each size rank lower/higher). Succeeding in this will prevent them from being knocked down and fall themselves, however they still take damage. If you succeed in the check, you are able to attempt to save the fallen unit with the appropriate Deft check (See "Skills").