The Scavenger's Crusade

A 10-Mission Story Arc for Penance

Forbidden Knowledge * Moral Compromise * Five Endings

Players

2-4 Pilots

Duration

15-20 Hrs

Difficulty

Moderate+

Endings

5 Paths

"Your settlement has survived 50 years on the edge of the Sibarian Wastes. But strange signals pulse from the ruins...patterns that match no known Abomination signature. The Council authorizes a deep expedition. Forbidden knowledge awaits. So does the price of claiming it."

Campaign Overview

Recent expeditions report strange signals emanating from deep within the Sibarian Wastes. The Council has authorized a deep research expedition to find the source. But three factions have detected the signals: Church (wants to destroy it), Dwarves (wants the research), and Fae (wants chaos).

Featured Missions (Acts I-III)

(Top 3 key missions highlighted. Complete mission list in dropdown.)

Act 1: Establishment

Mission 1 - "Strangers at the Gates"

Type: Defense Scenario

Objective: Defend settlement gate for 6 turns OR eliminate all enemies

Enemies: 8x Corrupted Villagers (5 HP) + 1x Bandit Raider (15 HP, Elite)

Branch Point: Capture Raider alive to unlock Mission 2 (interrogation scene) or kill all enemies

First mission establishes stakes. Bandit carries a crude map matching your signal source.

Act 2: Escalation

Mission 4 - "What Lies Beneath"

Type: Facility Infiltration

Objective: Disable Defense Grid OR survive 8 turns

Enemies: 4x Scrap Drones + 2x Scrap Golems + Automated Defense Grid (Environmental Boss)

TWIST: Church arrives midway through mission, forcing faction choice (ally, fight, or negotiate)

Gateway mission where campaign branches. Your choice here locks your faction alignment for Acts 2-3.

Act 3: Resolution

Mission 10 - "The Choice"

Type: Campaign Finale

Objective: Confront The Engine's Core and Dr. Nikolas Theslar himself

Enemies: Varies by ending path (5 unique final boss configurations)

Five possible endings: Destroy Engine (redemption), Control Engine (power), Exploit Engine (corruption), Stabilize Engine (balance), or Fae Corruption (dark)

Your choices throughout campaign determine which endings remain available. Every decision matters.

Mission 2 - "The Prisoner's Tale"

Act 1: Establishment - OPTIONAL (only if Bandit Raider captured)

Interrogate captured raider Kess who reveals: hired by The Branded (Nomad renegades) for anonymous client. Three factions know about signals: Church, Dwarves, and something that doesn't show on maps (Fae). Critical choice point: Kill her (gain Credits, make Nomads enemies), Free her (gain map), or Recruit her (gain NPC ally but risk vendetta if she dies).

Mission 3 - "Into the Grey"

Act 1: The Hook

Wasteland ruins, 16x16 hexes, difficult terrain. Reach facility entrance within 8 turns. Enemies: 3x Scrap Drones + 6x Tainted Rat Swarm + 1x Tainted Ogre (Elite). Special rules: +1 Taint every turn (unavoidable). Void Exposure grows. Critical choice: Find experimental Soulstones midway. Take all (powerful but corrupts settlement), take one (balanced), or leave them (pure path).

Mission 5 - "The Compromise"

Act 2: Moral Choice Crystallizes

Research Level 2. No initial enemies, but rivals attack based on previous choices. Core choice: Destroy prototype Soulstone (Redemption path), Take it (Power path + settlement corruption), or Study it (Knowledge path + pressure from multiple factions). Complication: Fae may offer deal - they'll protect settlement if you give them Engine access later.

Mission 6 - "Consequences Cascade"

Act 2: Everything Gets Worse

Settlement Defense, 16x16 hexes. Subject Sigma (unique Abomination, 40 HP, phases into stronger form) has followed you home. 40 turn endurance fight. Reality Wards, Void Strikes, Taint Nova attacks. Special: Can use Sigma Prototype (from Mission 5) to instantly kill it (but pilot gains 5 Taint). Boss fight showcases consequence of earlier choices.

Mission 7 - "Point of No Return"

Act 2: The Commitment

Three factions converge with ultimatums. Must choose ONE: Church (Destruction Path - destroy Engine, guaranteed victory), Dwarves (Stabilization Path - attempt to control Engine safely), Fae (Exploitation Path - corrupt Engine for power), or Solo Path (refuse all, harder but maintains freedom). Each choice locks ending options and changes Mission 8-10 encounters.

Mission 8 - "The Gauntlet"

Act 3: The Gauntlet

Wasteland Hellscape, 18x18 hexes, extreme hazards. Reach Engine entrance within 10 turns. Enemies: 6x Tainted Wolves + 3x Engine Wraiths + 2x Faction Enemies (depends on allies) + 1x Void Behemoth (50 HP boss). Constant +1 Taint per turn, reality fractures spawn randomly. Allied faction provides reinforcements Turn 4.

Mission 9 - "The Betrayal"

Act 3: The Twist

YOUR ALLY BETRAYS YOU. Church demands you destroy research OR die. Dwarves capture pilots for experiments. Fae reveal reinforcements were illusions. Solo path: Subject Sigma returns (if not killed) or rival faction ambush. Victory: Survive 6 turns, Defeat faction leader, or Negotiate (Willpower Save DC 7+).

The Five Endings

Ending	Theme	Victory Condition
Destroy the Engine	Redemption	Defeat Theslar's Casket, world stabilizes, Caskets become inert, magic fades
Control the Engine	Power	Merge 1 pilot with Theslar, you become immortal tyrant, factions submit
Exploit the Engine	Corruption	Use Sigma Prototype to weaponize Engine, reality tears, Void consumes world
Stabilize the Engine	Balance	Work with Theslar to contain rather than destroy, Engine becomes manageable resource
Fae Corruption	Dark	Fae control Engine, reality warps permanently, world becomes realm of dreams and nightmares

Each ending has epilogue text describing the 50-100 year aftermath. Your choices throughout Missions 1-9 determine which endings remain available at Mission 10.