TEXT: ZONE SECTOR:
  Denizens of the Sinkhole
  
  2
  Zone Sector
  Denizens 
  of the Sinkhole
  In the center of an old dead ruined city, a whole 
  block has fallen into a deep sinkhole. The buildings 
  in the depths of the hole are relatively intact. The 
  rooftops of the tallest buildings barely reach above 
  the ground around the lip of the sinkhole.
  OVERVIEW
  The bottom of the sinkhole is covered with verdant 
  vegetation, a mass of plants and trees reminiscent 
  of the rain forests of old. The plants wind around 
  and through the buildings stretching to the edges 
  of the sinkhole. 
  On the roofs and top loors of the buildings 
  live a group of gatherers and traders known as the 
  Uptops. They explore their domain and trade what-
  ever they ind for food, supplies and tools. They are 
  organized in a number of clans, each clan claiming 
  one building as their territory.
  The Uptops swing between the rooftops or use 
  rope bridges to move between the buildings. Mov-
  ing from one end of the sinkhole to the other with-
  out climbing down to the bottom and then up again 
  can be a true challenge for unaccustomed visitors.
  At the bottom of the hole lives a tribe called the 
  Downbelows. They are a bit odd but very welcoming 
  and live in complete harmony with their surround-
  ings. The Uptops view them with great suspicion 
  or even hostility. The Downbelows have no internal 
  conlicts, but rumor has it they tend to try and make 
  visitors stay down there; some even say they have a 
  kind of siren’s call that lure explorers to them and 
  turn them into mindless drones.
  The PCs can ind the sector while passing by, but 
  it is more exciting if they are drawn there in some 
  other way. Perhaps they bump into some of the Ver-
  dure’s agents, who have established themselves in the 
  Zone but not been able to connect with their home.
  The rumor of the clans selling artifacts is fairly 
  well-known. Perhaps the PCs need something very 
  speciic, something they learn was recently found in 
  the sector? Perhaps they meet a former clan mem-
  ber who is seeking revenge against those that ex-
  iled her, and need help to do so. There are artifacts, 
  grub, water and bullets to be found both with the 
  clans and in the buildings, as well as rivalries and 
  conlicts to be drawn into.
  
  3
  Denizens of the Sinkhole
  THE SITUATION
  If you stay too long at the bottom of the hole with-
  out protective gear you will be infected by mysteri-
  ous airborne spores. The infection manifests itself 
  as tiny blisters at the base of the neck and down to-
  wards the back, and can spread to other body parts.
  The blisters burst and sprout lowers within 
  a few weeks, if nothing is done about them. They 
  can be cut out but will grow back if the root isn’t 
  removed completely, which is extremely painful. 
  It is also possible to burn them of. That removes 
  them from the surface of the skin but the roots keep 
  growing.
  There is a more sinister aspect of the infection. 
  It begins as nightmares but soon escalates. The in-
  fected starts sleepwalking and even climbing, wak-
  ing up in unfamiliar places high above the ground. 
  The infection uses its host body to ind suitable 
  locations to release new spores from and the higher 
  it gets, the bigger the dispersion. By then, the roots 
  have twisted around the victim’s spine and brain 
  and removing them is both complicated and risky.
  If several people are infected, they will start 
  having the same dreams and gradually develop the 
  ability to read each others’ thoughts. They might 
  even start thinking as one, as if they were parts of 
  a single creature. This also applies to other plants 
  and animals that are infected.
  The Verdure: All the plants, animals and Down-
  belows in the hole are parts of the same whole, 
  of a single creature. Thousands if not millions of 
  tiny plants communicating with radio waves form 
  a huge neural network, a single giant brain. Each 
  plant, each infected creature, carries a small part of 
  that network with them and have a mutation that 
  enables radio communication.
  The infection is the Verdure’s way of spread-
  ing to new lifeforms and incorporating them in the 
  greater whole. The Downbelows are completely 
  infected and are no longer individuals. They are 
  
  CLAN OHORI’S NEW ORACLE
  A STURDY ROPE BRIDGE
  4
  Zone Sector
  The Sinkhole
  
  A DOWNBELOW AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS
  5
  Denizens of the Sinkhole
  simply extensions of the Verdure and without it 
  they are blank slates.
  The Verdure’s intellect is massive but alien, and 
  it has little understanding of mutants or other in-
  dividual organisms.
  The oracles of the Uptops listen for signs that the 
  Verdure is making new attempts to spread beyond 
  the hole that it currently resides in. It makes an efort 
  regularly and sends an enormous amount of spores 
  up into the air, illing the ether with its “thoughts”.
  So far the Verdure has been unable to reach 
  beyond the borders of the sector. Perhaps there is 
  something in the ruined city around it stopping the 
  spores from spreading? Perhaps it simply can’t send 
  them high enough into the air? It has sent infected 
  agents to the outside world, but soon loses contact 
  with them.
  INHABITANTS
  The top loors of the highest buildings are occupied 
  by people making a living from exploring the ru-
  ins and bringing back various things. It might be 
  canned food, more or less broken technology, books 
  in languages no one speaks any more, keycards that 
  open unknown doors in unknown places, and other 
  curiosities. 
  They are organized in clans competing for the 
  best buildings. Right now clan Ohori is the biggest. 
  Some of the other clans feel threatened and are se-
  cretly planning a coup to knock Ohori down a peg or 
  two. Each clan has one or several oracles, who spend 
  hours every day listening to static from old radio re-
  ceivers. These devices are very important to the Up-
  tops, and it would take a lot for them to give one up.
  Sometimes there is a certain pitch or pattern in 
  the static from the devices, which is when the oracle 
  sounds the alarm. All the windows and doors slam 
  shut and everyone tries to get inside. Basically the 
  whole settlement shuts its gates until the static is 
  back to normal.
  The Uptops are all mutants. The most common 
  mutations among them are Pathokineses, Frog Legs 
  or Extreme Relexes. There are some variations 
  among the clans, like clan Vorr having numerous 
  Flame Breathers – they sell their services to the 
  other clans and are very particular about who is 
  allowed to marry into the clan. Other clans, such 
  
  6
  Zone Sector
  as Marak, actively invite outsiders to give the clan 
  as many advantages as possible by getting a wide 
  a variety of mutation.
  Kana Ohori: An elderly, spry woman with short 
  black hair speckled with gray. She is determined 
  and does not like being wrong. When she risks 
  being wrong, she prefers to steer the conversation 
  in another direction or subtly makes it about some-
  thing else where she is right. She has a limp from 
  having injured her left leg in the past. Kana wants 
  to maintain control over clan Ohori and watch it 
  lourish. Once it’s time for her to step down as 
  leader of the clan, she wants someone worthy and 
  suitable to take her place. Preferably, she would 
  like her son Petel to take a greater interest in tak-
  ing over after her, but most of all she wants him 
  to have a good life.
  Attributes: Strength 2, Agility 3, Wits 4, Empathy 5.
  Skills: Manipulate 4, Sense Emotion 3, Command 3, 
   Comprehend 3, Know the Zone 2, Fight 2.
  Mutations: Human Magnet, Pathokinesis, 5 MP.
  Gear: Ancient medallion around her neck (“Gold medal in 
  Western Chess Club championship 1987”), good scrap knife, 
  3D6 bullets.
  Petel Ohori: A young man with dark unruly hair. 
  He is short and wide but not really fat. He has a re-
  bellious streak that sometimes gets him into trouble. 
  He doesn’t like the way his mother Kana rules and 
  hates the way she discusses clan issues. He has had 
  a fair share of admirers of both sexes, from his own 
  clan and others, but has rejected them all since he 
  hasn’t had any feelings of his own for them.
  Petel would like nothing more than to get out of 
  the sector to seek happiness elsewhere. The world 
  outside seems so exotic! He would also like to ind 
  out what is really going on down at the bottom of 
  the sinkhole. So far he lacks long-term goals, but 
  is curious and adventurous.
  Attributes: Strength 4, Agility 5, Wits 2, Empathy 3.
  Skills: Force 4, Sneak 3, Shoot 3, Fight 3, Move 2.
  Mutations: Pathokinesis, 3 MP.
  Gear: Scrap pistol, 1D6 bullets, scrap axe, rope, grappling 
  hook, ancient comic trade paperback.
  Fered Ohori: A woman in late middle-age with 
  blond hair and a powerful build. She sometimes 
  comes of as arrogant but is mostly justiied in her 
  arrogance, since she is a very capable organizer and 
  easily sees how diferent systems can become more 
  efective.
  Fered is very ambitious and hungry for power, 
  and sees herself as most suitable to take leader-
  ship from Kana. She has many innovative ideas 
  she would like to set into motion, but she needs to 
  solidify her power – perhaps by marrying young 
  Petel? And sooner or later Kana will probably have 
  to be the victim of an unfortunate accident…
  Attributes: Strength 3, Agility 4, Wits 5, Empathy 3.
  Skills: Scout 4, Comprehend 3, Sense Emotion 3, 
   Manipulate 3, Shoot 2, Move 2.
  Mutations: Puppeteer, Rot-Eater, 3 MP.
  Gear: Scrap pistol, 2D6 bullets, ancient camoulage jacket.
  Saram Marak: A woman in her twenties who rules 
  clan Marak with an iron ist. Since she came into 
  power she has trained the clan members rigorously 
  and established a system of rules, to maintain dis-
  cipline. At the same time, she has allowed recruit-
  ment of new clan members. Under her rule the clan 
  lourishes. There are some that complain but they 
  cannot deny that her way of ruling has led to more 
  food and free time for everyone.
  Saram wants clan Marak to take over the whole 
  Zone, and she has developed clear strategies to 
  reach her goal. She uses peer pressure and social 
  structures to maintain discipline and unity. If you’re 
  not with her you’re against her.
  Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 4, Wits 4, Empathy 3.
  Skills: Fight 4, Force 3, Manipulate 3, Sense Emotion 2.
  Mutations: Puppeteer, Rot-Eater, 3 MP.
  Gear: Cutlass, security chain wrapped around her arm, 
  spikes shoes
  Downbelows: In the bottom loors of the buildings 
  and in the streets surrounding them live another 
  group of mutants. These Downbelows look like 
  regular people apart from the fact that their necks 
  and backs are covered by some sort of lowers. They 
  are open and inviting to strangers, but prefer that 
  
  7
  Denizens of the Sinkhole
  visitors don’t leave. They can even become violent 
  should someone attempt to get away.
  They seem to be a peaceful group, living in har-
  mony with the strange animals and wild plants that 
  have broken the asphalt and now reach up around 
  the buildings. They have spears but it appears they 
  never use them to hunt. It seems they don’t have 
  any ixed homes but simply fall asleep wherever 
  they are when they become tired.
  At the bottom of the sinkhole, everything is ex-
  tra verdant and green. The air is thick with pollen 
  and permeated with strong scents.
  EVENTS
  The shy Downbelows and the menacing Verdure 
  can be used to scare paranoid PCs. Put them in the 
  right mood by letting them experience the howl of 
  the oracles’ radio receivers and the horror of the 
  Uptops as the alarm sounds.
   
  K A girl climbs out from the bottom of the hole 
  but shows no signs of infection. Where does 
  she come from? How long has she been down 
  there?
   
  K Sarolin Vorr is a prominent member of her 
  clan. During an expedition with members of 
  clan Ohori she falls through the loor and is 
  not seen again. Should the group search for 
  her? And how do you tell clan Vorr about it?
   
  K Mysterious lights have appeared down in 
  the hole. It’s impossible to tell if they’re 
  down at the bottom or from a few levels up 
  in the buildings. Is it a signal from desper-
  ate or lost clan members? An attempt from 
  the Verdure to communicate? Or maybe it’s 
  a trap…
   
  K One of clan Marak’s oracles has started 
  speaking in tongues. Is it the Verdure that 
  has learned how to reprogram people through 
  the radio static? How can it be stopped? 
  And what is the Verdure saying through the 
  oracle?
   
  K Young members from clan Vorr, supported 
  by members of clans Ohori and Marak, have 
  decided to make an attempt to eradicate the 
  Verdure once and for all. The elders try to 
  dissuade them, but they seem determined. 
  Do they stand a chance? And if not, how 
  will the Verdure respond? What can the 
  PCs do?
   
  K Downbelows are climbing up along the sink-
  hole’s edges in ever greater numbers. Have 
  they broken free from the Verdure or is this 
  yet another ruse?
   
  K The PCs are exploring the ruined city around 
  the sinkhole when they suddenly hear the 
  same whispers and patterns that make the 
  oracles sound the alarm. Is there a radio 
  nearby? Is the Verdure nearby? Has it broken 
  free from the hole is this another specimen?
  
  8
  Zone Sector
  PLAYER MAP: DENIZENS OF THE SINKHOLE
  
  WRITER
  Mikael Bergström
  EDITOR
  Tomas Härenstam
  CO-PUBLISHER
  Chris Birch
  ART & MAP
  Reine Rosenberg
  GRAPHIC DESIGN
  Christian Granath
  LAYOUT
  Dan Algstrand
  TRANSLATION
  Martin Dunelind
  PROOFREADING
  T.R. Knight
  ISBN
  978-1-910132-39-5
  © 2015 Paradox Entertainment Inc. MUTANT and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are 
  trademarks of Paradox Entertainment AB unless otherwise noted. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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  MUH50173
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Mutant Year Zero (Year Zero Engine) [multi]/Core/MYZ - Zone Sector 2 - Denizens of the Sink Hole.pdf