The Macridi Sandbox – How It All Ties Together
The Macridi Sandbox – How It All Ties Together
Macridi is not a linear dungeon; it is a living, breathing sandbox where the party's choices dictate the flow of Act 1. They arrive in a town on the edge of panic. The Guild is bleeding money, the forest is dying, and the people are terrified of the Blackjackets. The party must learn to navigate the town's internal politics, uncover the hidden factions, and decide who they trust before they can even step foot outside the walls.
The encounters are designed to be triggered by the party's actions, but they are not hard-coded events. If the party ignores a scene, it will still happen in the background, and the consequences will catch up to them. For example, if they ignore Orin's arrest, they return to find him maimed; if they ignore the dryad, she is sold to the Society of the Golden Hand.
Macridi is built on three islands at the confluence of the Great Goldpan and Profit's Flow. The party's movement through the town dictates which encounters trigger. Below is a rough breakdown of how to run the exploration phase.
| District | What's There | Triggered Encounter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| The Docks & Riverside | The main entry point. Full of barges, sawdust, and warehouses. The water is visibly tainted. | The Whispering Naiad (Mandatory – happens as they step off the dock) |
| The Market Square | The central hub of the town. Merchants hawk goods, but the mood is tense. A central platform holds a cage. | The Forced Auction (If they pass through the center of town at midday) |
| The Main Streets | Cobblestone paths flanked by unadorned timber buildings. Blackjackets patrol heavily. | The Blood Price Debt Collector (If they go off the main path or investigate a commotion) |
| The Taverns & Inns | Where rumors are traded for drinks. The quieter taverns hide darker secrets. | The Merchant's Secret (If they ask around for information about the guild) |
| The Riverbanks (Night) | The mist thickens, and the sounds of the forest echo across the water. | The Lost Feyspawn (If they are out at night or investigate the water) |
Each encounter provides a piece of the puzzle for Act 1. The party cannot get the full picture from a single source; they must actively explore to piece it together. Here is how the information flows:
| Source | Information Provided | Narrative Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Guildmaster Venna | Official contract, hire the party, basic map of the region. | Gives the party their objective and initial direction. |
| Palakar (Naiad) | Warns of the tainted water, the Pale Hand, and the Blackened Blade. | Sets the tone and hints that this is not just a "logging dispute" but an ancient curse. |
| Orin (Logger) | His father's Blood Price, desperation, and a false lead about Pulgari Estate. | Humanizes the crisis and creates a moral dilemma for the party. |
| Barlos (Merchant) | Exposes the Society of the Golden Hand and provides the clay rubbing of the symbol. | Reveals the political conspiracy within the Guild itself. |
| The Lost Feyspawn | Provides the torn contract linking illegal logging to the Pulgari Estate. | Bridges the gap between the Guild's greed and the infernal portal. |
| Quillia (Dryad) | Reveals the truth of the Macridi Blade culture and the Blackened Blade's resting place. | Points them toward the Court of Endless Revelry and Reiver's Right. |
Let the party dictate where they go. If they want to visit the market, trigger the Auction. If they want to investigate a loud noise, trigger the Debt Collector. If they want to rest at an inn, trigger the Merchant's Secret. The town should feel alive, but the encounters are not strictly required. If the party skips one, they simply have to rely on the other pieces of information they gathered. This adds immense replayability and rewards active roleplay.
- If they ignore Orin, they lose a potential guide and the Blackjackets view them as weak.
- If they ignore Quillia, the Society of the Golden Hand gets a powerful dryad servant, making the Pulgari Estate more dangerous.
- If they ignore Barlos, he is assassinated, and the party loses the primary evidence against the Golden Hand.
- If they ignore The Feyspawn, he is captured and tortured by the Guild, leading to a permanent war with the Fey Courts.