BY
DOMINIC COVEY
CARTOGRAPHY:
DOMINIC COVEY
EDITING:
Chris Van Deelen
LAYOUT:
CHRIS DAVIS
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One Man’s Garbage
is an adventure for the role-
playing game,
Darwin’s World 2nd Edition
. In it
the characters get wrapped up in the feverish hunt
for a legendary treasure said to be buried beneath
the lost “Mount of Thorns” - a fabled mountain
whose location has recently been discovered in the
Deadlands. Hired by the Brotherhood of Radiation,
the PCs are sent to a seedy city at the heart of the
Deadlands to find the “treasure map” that leads the
way to the Mount itself.
One Man’s Garbage
should take a party of four
characters from 5th to 6th level.
through the tiny desert communities, through the
camps of the most primitive tribes, and even reached
the degenerate townships bordering the region that
someone, somewhere, has uncovered the key to
finding the fabled Mount of Thorns...
ENTER THE PCS
When the adventure begins the player characters
find themselves in the legendary “City of Lights”,
the ruins of Las Vegas, and the physical heart of
the Brotherhood religion. Drawn here by the same
rumors that have brought other treasure-seekers from
across the desert in search of the Mount of Thorns,
the player characters soon find that the city isn’t at
all what they had first thought. Experiencing the
bizarre nature of the Brotherhood religion firsthand
(witnessing a mass suicide done in the name of
“salvation”), the PCs prepare to leave when they
stumble upon the chance to make a large sum of
money - in the service of the Brotherhood, no less.
Their mission, as it turns out, is to fulfill a
prophecy to deliver the Mount of Thorns in the
Brotherhood’s hands. As the PCs soon learn,
according to Brotherhood lore the mountain holds the
secret to creating a race of super-powerful mutants
that will lead the world out of this Dark Age into a
“glorious future”. But this same secret can also be
used for evil and destruction, and it is feared that
the Radites, a nihilistic heresy, will use the power
beneath the mountain to create a race of beings that
will ravage the earth and destroy all life.
Word has only now reached the Brotherhood,
through agents of theirs among the Radites, that
the heretics recently found out the location of
the mountain from some lost piece of arcanum.
Now rumors of a “great treasure” being found are
spreading out of control, and the entire region is
headed towards war.
BACKSTORY
There is an old saying:
One man’s garbage is
another man’s treasure.
Nowhere is this truer than
the Twisted Earth, a world where the survivors of the
human race continue to pick over the trash and rubble
of a former civilization in the endless struggle of day-
to-day survival.
While on the Twisted Earth mere survival occupies
many men from cradle to the grave, some have
even grander goals. Some want to be emperors,
some want to be “gods”, while others simply want
to be rich. Often, it is the remnants of the Ancients’
civilization that are seen as the tools to acquire these
new world dreams and aspirations. This adventure
is a tale about one such remnant, a place once called
“Yucca Mountain”.
Some time ago a small group of heretical zealots,
the “Radites”, came upon a piece of ancient arcanum
referring to Yucca Mountain, a place now known
to the survivors of the apocalypse as the legendary
“Mount of Thorns”. As a splinter of the Brotherhood
of Radiation (a group described in
Darwin’s World
2nd Edition
), the Radites realized the significance
of the document and immediately purchased it from
the witless desert scav who first brought it to their
attention. Once the document (dubbed the “Great
Arcanum”) was in their hands they immediately
set out to find the mountain. Their aim: to open
the mountain and recover the “magic” beneath its
rocky crest, in hopes of creating their own “super-
mutant race” to lead their faction to victory over the
Brotherhood of Radiation.
ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
Long believed to be mere myth, among the people
of the wasteland stories still circulate about the
Mount of Thorns, a fantastic place said to lie at the
heart of the dry and lifeless region known as the
“Deadlands”. Whether carried on the lips of the
nocturnal scavenging folk around their seedy desert
campfires, or recorded in the twisted and imaginative
chronicles of the wasteland’s zealous pseudo-cults,
these stories invariably regard the Mount as a site of
great importance to even the Ancients - a fact that has
left men to wonder at what lies beneath its slopes for
countless generations since the Fall.
But the vast Deadlands has long been a great void,
a seemingly endless dustbowl that is home only
to outcasts from the fledgling tribes that ring the
region; terminal mutants, cannibals, and criminals
whose crimes were too vile for even the cruel people
of the wasteland to stomach. According to legend
the Mount lies somewhere near the heart of this
treacherous expanse, its secrets unattainable thanks to
the gauntlet of savages who call the desert home, and
the unforgiving elements themselves.
Recently, however, word has spread like wildfire
COMPLICATIONS
The rumors of “treasure” have not only made the
Deadlands a hotly contested region, but have also
drawn ruthless treasure-hunters and scavengers from
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all over the wasteland looking to make it rich (a fact
the PCs learn from rumors early in the adventure).
Among the worst of the lot is a band known as the
“Junkyard Dogs”, a group of murderous men and
women led by an infamous
tech looter
with the
ridiculous name of “Pastor Disaster”.
The Junkyard Dogs are essentially a rival
adventuring party that is working against the PCs
during the adventure. Pastor Disaster and his group
of colorful followers make subtle appearances
throughout both parts of the series, snooping and
spying on the PCs, and tracking them through the
desert, all in the hopes of learning where the Mount
of Thorns is located - and getting there first. While
the PCs will only meet the ‘Dogs on occasion (and
never all at once), towards the end of the series a
brutal conflict between the two parties is inevitable.
If you are only playing the first part of this series,
“One Man’s Garbage”, the Junkyard Dogs only make
an appearance in the Border Post encounter, and
later underneath Copper Pit. In both instances the
‘Dogs try to avoid fighting the PCs, only watching
them and trying to discover what they learn. Since
their role in the adventure only develops if the PCs
seek out the Mount (in part two of the series), you
can either use them as a red herring, or simply
throw them at the PCs as a band of well-organized
opportunists. Notes on using the ‘Dogs in this way
are included later in the adventure.
THE MOUNTAIN
To get their Brotherhood employers to the mountain
before the Radites, the PCs must discover its secret
location, a task that is going to take some effort. To
beat the enemy in the race for the mountain the party
must travel to Copper Pit, a seething city built on the
site of an old strip mine where outcasts from all over
the desert have come to make their home. A violent,
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criminal place, the PCs must hurry there and find the
drug-addicted scav who may be the only one able
to lead them to the Radites’ underground sanctuary.
Here, in halls carved from rock and decorated with
the very garbage discarded by the city above, the PCs
find the original arcanum that details the secret route
to the Mount of Thorns.
Unfortunately for the characters it only gets
more complicated from there. The notorious Baron
Wasteland, leader of the disgruntled mutants of
Copper Pit, has also learned of the Mount of Thorns’
existence and wants to get his hands on the fabled
“treasure” as well. Not as religious or sophisticated
as the Brotherhood or the Radites, he wants whatever
is beneath the mountain for his fledgling city; he
believes it is a powerful weapon, not some “agent”
that will create a new race of mutants. Either way,
his armies will be a force the PCs must contend with
if they plan on slipping into Copper Pit to get their
hands on the Great Arcanum.
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
The “Mount of Thorns” referred to repeatedly throughout this series is none other than
Yucca Mountain
,
the planned underground nuclear waste repository that even today is a controversial subject. Designed as a
massive repository for radioactive waste shipped in from across the country, this site is located close to the
Nevada Test Site, the same place where nuclear weapons have been tested since the close of WWII.
Yucca Mountain, as well as the city of Copper Pit and the faction known as the Brotherhood of
Radiation, are further detailed in the gazetteer section of the
Darwin’s World 2nd Edition
rulebook.
INTRODUCTION
the shadows of its more public facade. Others
see in it a “New Rome”, a religious empire that
will bring together the shamed descendants of
humanity and unite them to create a future for all
mutantkind.
Today you stand among the congested crowds
along the Great Way, the ceremonial route that
runs through the heart of this ancient city. Today
the sun is absolutely withering; the sky free of
cloud or dust, and by noon the temperature in the
open is almost unbearable.
On either side of the Great Way rise great and
magnificent structures that pre-date the Fall,
ages-old pleasure palaces once built to be the
playgrounds of the Ancient elite. One resembles
a structure from ancient Rome, while another
mimics the skyline of New York - a city that
is now just a memory. Another resembles the
monuments of a forgotten world across eastern
oceans, while yet more resemble Mississippi
steamboats stranded on land, or glittering
skyrises that soar towards the sky. Though
time and the scouring of the desert sands have
reduced many of these to shabby remnants of
their former glory, the influx of pilgrims seeking
a piece of the “treasure” has left these titanic
hulks inhabited by the thousands.
Today there are thousands in the streets, and
thousands more crowded onto the balconies and
It is with some disappointment that you
find yourselves standing where you are today.
Rumors across the wasteland drew you here,
rumors that spoke of a legendary “holy
treasure” being uncovered in the frontier region
known as the Deadlands. When you got here you
found that you weren’t alone, that the fabled City
of Lights had become a Mecca for all sorts of
treasure seekers from near and far. Desert scavs,
conniving opportunists, unscrupulous merchants,
and even religious zealots drawn from distant
corners of the wasteland by stories of the
holy treasure have filled out every part of the
crumbling city. Here, in what was just months
ago the seat of the mysterious Brotherhood of
Radiation, a new city of thieves and charlatans
has arisen.
Since your arrival you’ve had time to
formulate an opinion of the Brotherhood of
Radiation, a faction of this twisted earth you’ve
only heard of through rumors. A strange and
diabolic cult, some say, while others boast it is
the world’s only hope for salvation. Some have
portrayed it as a dangerous movement, led by
sinister, mind-shattering mutant aberrations with
unknowable motivations who move unseen in
ANOTHER MAN
’
S TREASURE
While part one of this series details the journey to
Copper Pit and the party’s attempt to steal the Great
Arcanum from a Radite Shrine beneath that city, the
second part of this series continues the story of the
Mount of Thorns to its ultimate conclusion.
Another
Man’s Treasure
details the journey of the party
through the Deadlands to the site of the legendary
Mount, as well as the trials and dangers the party
must face if they plan on reaching the mountain
before anyone else.
You can play part one of the adventure as a stand-
alone module (ending once the PCs fulfill their
mission, by successfully retrieving the Arcanum for
their Brotherhood employers), but it also serves as a
ready introduction to the greater quest outlined in the
second half of the series.
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rooftops of every building along the Great Way.
Today is the last day of the Week of Wailing, a
seven-day ceremony held by the Brotherhood
each year in this bizarre mutant metropolis.
Decrepit people from all over the region have
come to the city with hopes of glimpsing the
famed “monks in purple”, to join in their rituals,
and to perhaps take home with them some of the
magic of the “Glow”. Sightings of Brotherhood
followers have been few and far between,
however; more common have been the hordes
of deformed beggars come from the deep desert
seeking charity, or looking for that one rare
glimpse of a Brotherhood “Illuminated” - which
many believe will absolve all sins - that will
allow him to pass on in peace.
The final ritual gathering, the “grand finale”
of the Week of Wailing, is taking place here along
the Great Way, at the foot of the Second Great
Temple, a religious shrine second only to the
fortress of the Brotherhood on the far side of the
city. Here, at the foot of an enormous pyramid
of black glass that rises into the sky like a finely
chiseled arrow towards heaven, the Brotherhood
has finally decided to put to rest the rumors that
have brought so many unwanted outsiders to
their doorstep.
RUMORS
If the players declare their characters are asking around the city to learn more about what’s going on, allow
them to make Gather Information checks (at DC 14) to learn one or two of the following rumors. A few
of these rumors may seem redundant; a fact meant to simulate that everyone in the city is talking about the
recent discovery of the Mount of Thorns.
• Treasure hunters have come from all over the wasteland following the rumors about the location of
the Mount of Thorns being found, so beware when traveling on the open road. Folks like that grow
impatient quickly, so if the search doesn't pan out they'll just as soon turn to banditry to make the
journey to this corner of the world worthwhile.
• The legends say the Mount of Thorns was a site of great importance even in the time of the Ancients;
it's no wonder that people have been looking for it for centuries. Oddly enough, no one is quite sure
what lies beneath the mountain, or what "treasure" it is said to stand guard over.
• I hear there's an old legend that came to a prophet of the Brotherhood in a strange dream. In the dream
it is said an army of men is seen standing on a lonely mountainside, its slopes inundated with golden
flame but unharmed by it. Many believe the mountain in the dream is the Mount of Thorns.
• Don't tell anyone you heard it from me, but I hear the city of Copper Pit has caught wind of the
discovery of the Mount of Thorns and begun to mobilize to find it. A few people are leaving this
crazy religious city and heading north to Copper Pit looking to join up with that city's army. They say
anyone willing to fight will get a share of the mountain's treasure if and when it's found.
• Copper Pit is a town north of here, out in the Deadlands. They say it was founded by men and women
who were found wanting by the Brotherhood and turned away. Now Copper Pit is a rival of the City
of Lights, and relations have always been unfriendly in the past.
• I hear the people of the Trade Lands, a region on the other side of the Big Rocks, are having trouble
with raiders. A coalition of tribes is hiring mercenaries to help against these bandits, who are said
to come from over the mountains. I might be heading that way after the Week of Wailing is over - if
you're interested in tagging along...
• It's odd that the Brotherhood of Radiation doesn't seem concerned about the rumors of the Mount of
Thorns being found. Perhaps they're the ones who know where the Mount is, but aren't telling.
• I heard from a Brotherhood contact of mine that a heretic branch of their order found out the location
of the Mount of Thorns, and now the Brotherhood is desperate to find out that information as well. If
the heretics get there first, the great "treasure" beneath it is in danger of falling into their hands!
At this point you can take the opportunity to
personalize this introduction to each player character.
Unless they came here as a party, the PCs will need a
reason to be thrust together for the coming adventure.
You can also now read the intro blurb in the
beginning of the
Adventure Background
section to fill
them in on information their characters already know
(i.e. the rumors that speak of the Mount of Thorns
and of its alleged discovery in the Deadlands).
Similarly you can use this interval to introduce the
PCs to the City of Lights; though largely confined
to the vicinity of the Great Way, the PCs will
nonetheless find many merchants with goods to sell,
as well as locals with rumors that might provide
tempting hints of recent events in the city.
See the
nearby sidebar for more on rumors floating around
the City of Lights.
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