Act IV — The Ear | Shadows of the Compañeros

Running This Act

GM Goal: Bring the characters into the hidden laboratory, resolve the pressure on Resa, and force a decision about who controls, copies, destroys, moves, or demonstrates the Ear.
What Must Surface: The Ear is a receiver aimed toward an inland Source. It is not itself the Source and cannot be demonstrated without consequence.
Keep Pressure Moving: Project Custodian schedules, Resa's coercion, competing routes into the laboratory, Albion interest, and Source Disequilibrium.
Active Clocks: Project Custodian Completes the Ear — recovered technical records or outside expertise finish the device.
Albion Covert Command Identifies the Asset — when full, intrigue becomes armed extraction.
Source Disequilibrium — any transmission toward the inland Source advances it.
Vega Loses Control — moving the Ear gives Vega a reason to seize it.
Likely Faction Moves: The custodian schedules a demonstration, seizure, or sale before anyone can contest custody.
Drake prepares a deniable extraction of the device, Resa, or both.
Albion or Luminore offer to preserve the work under gentler language and their own ownership.
Resa bargains with whoever can protect Elena, whatever the party has promised.
Move On When: The party resolves the immediate custody or use of the Ear, and Albion identifies the asset strongly enough that intrigue becomes extraction.

Update campaign worksheets View campaign pressure map

Required truths, not required scenes. When a player choice removes a default assumption, use When the Expected Route Breaks

Preparing the next session? Open the Seven-Line Session Prep guide

A machine that listens is more dangerous than a weapon that only fires.

The Hidden Laboratory

The default laboratory occupies a disused warehouse and an older service chamber near the plantation road. If the Project Custodian changed, move the same functional areas to a crown depot, Albion safehouse, Heller black workshop, or Church containment annex. The upper floor contains ordinary tools, pressure vessels, calibration benches, and falsified manifests. Below, a reconstructed chamber imitates one part of the old system. It is not a Source. It is an artificial ear aimed inland. The reconstruction passage behind it was sealed after the San Telmo crisis; the true Source can be reached only by the inland jungle and cave approach.

AREA	WHAT IS VISIBLE	WHAT IS TRUE
Guard Floor	Project guards, a sign-in desk, sealed delivery crates.	Some guards believe they protect a lawful state project; others answer privately to the custodian.
Workshop	Brass regulators, pressure gauges, copied San Telmo geometry.	The design works only because Resa has been matching a signal he does not understand.
Resa’s Room	Notes, food, a cot, and a locked writing desk.	He has left three deliberate contradictions so a careful investigator can identify coercion.
Leverage Room	If Elena is held: a clean room, books, water, and two guards. Otherwise: files, sealed witness statements, or legal instruments used against Resa.	The Project Custodian keeps the pressure intact. If Elena is present, she has memorized overheard names and times.
The Ear Chamber	A brass cylinder without ordinary inlet or outlet, mounted before a sealed wall and blocked reconstruction passage.	It answers the inland Source and has begun repeating a pulse six heartbeats late. The passage is sealed and cannot be used to reach the Source.

Guard Floor

WHAT IS VISIBLE: Project guards, a sign-in desk, sealed delivery crates.
WHAT IS TRUE: Some guards believe they protect a lawful state project; others answer privately to the custodian.

Workshop

WHAT IS VISIBLE: Brass regulators, pressure gauges, copied San Telmo geometry.
WHAT IS TRUE: The design works only because Resa has been matching a signal he does not understand.

Resa’s Room

WHAT IS VISIBLE: Notes, food, a cot, and a locked writing desk.
WHAT IS TRUE: He has left three deliberate contradictions so a careful investigator can identify coercion.

Leverage Room

WHAT IS VISIBLE: If Elena is held: a clean room, books, water, and two guards. Otherwise: files, sealed witness statements, or legal instruments used against Resa.
WHAT IS TRUE: The Project Custodian keeps the pressure intact. If Elena is present, she has memorized overheard names and times.

The Ear Chamber

WHAT IS VISIBLE: A brass cylinder without ordinary inlet or outlet, mounted before a sealed wall and blocked reconstruction passage.
WHAT IS TRUE: It answers the inland Source and has begun repeating a pulse six heartbeats late. The passage is sealed and cannot be used to reach the Source.

Ways In

APPROACH	ADVANTAGE	RISK
Official Inspection	Legal access, witnesses, and the ability to preserve records.	The Project Custodian has time to move Elena or the substitute leverage, destroy evidence, or stage a safe demonstration.
Shadowed Tide Infiltration	Fast access to service routes and silent extraction.	Discovery exposes Marina and the rebel network.
Montoya’s Writ	Sanctuary and moral authority.	The issue becomes a Church matter and may be sealed from every other faction.
Albion Offer	Excellent intelligence and an escape route.	Albion intends to take Resa and the Ear once the doors open.
Direct Assault	Surprise and control of tempo.	Negotiations Collapse advances by two and the laboratory may rupture.

Official Inspection

ADVANTAGE: Legal access, witnesses, and the ability to preserve records.
RISK: The Project Custodian has time to move Elena or the substitute leverage, destroy evidence, or stage a safe demonstration.

Shadowed Tide Infiltration

ADVANTAGE: Fast access to service routes and silent extraction.
RISK: Discovery exposes Marina and the rebel network.

Montoya’s Writ

ADVANTAGE: Sanctuary and moral authority.
RISK: The issue becomes a Church matter and may be sealed from every other faction.

Albion Offer

ADVANTAGE: Excellent intelligence and an escape route.
RISK: Albion intends to take Resa and the Ear once the doors open.

Direct Assault

ADVANTAGE: Surprise and control of tempo.
RISK: Negotiations Collapse advances by two and the laboratory may rupture.

Resa’s Explanation

The Choice of the Ear

CHOICE	IMMEDIATE RESULT	LATER CONSEQUENCE
Destroy It	Prevent the planned demonstration and reduce the Project Custodian’s leverage.	Copies and remembered patterns remain; Albion accelerates extraction of Resa.
Copy It	Heller gains technical advantage without immediate public crisis.	The party creates another dangerous owner and risks ducal public exposure.
Move It	Protect Elena or the substitute leverage and Resa while choosing a new custodian.	The transport becomes the target of the Albion attack.
Demonstrate It Safely	Gain undeniable proof and public Position.	Any transmission advances Source Disequilibrium and gives Albion a precise target.
Give It to the Clann	Remove it from the summit and gain trust.	The Clann demand that every copy and map be surrendered or destroyed.

Destroy It

IMMEDIATE RESULT: Prevent the planned demonstration and reduce the Project Custodian’s leverage.
LATER CONSEQUENCE: Copies and remembered patterns remain; Albion accelerates extraction of Resa.

Copy It

IMMEDIATE RESULT: Heller gains technical advantage without immediate public crisis.
LATER CONSEQUENCE: The party creates another dangerous owner and risks ducal public exposure.

Move It

IMMEDIATE RESULT: Protect Elena or the substitute leverage and Resa while choosing a new custodian.
LATER CONSEQUENCE: The transport becomes the target of the Albion attack.

Demonstrate It Safely

IMMEDIATE RESULT: Gain undeniable proof and public Position.
LATER CONSEQUENCE: Any transmission advances Source Disequilibrium and gives Albion a precise target.

Give It to the Clann

IMMEDIATE RESULT: Remove it from the summit and gain trust.
LATER CONSEQUENCE: The Clann demand that every copy and map be surrendered or destroyed.