DIRECTIVE: Use this 4-Act Campaign structure as the primary pacing blueprint for the adventure. When generating scenes, quests, NPC reactions, and transitions, always anchor the current events to the active Act’s goals and level range, escalating the Vault’s breakdown appropriately. If players stall or deviate, introduce pressure (paperwork, arrests, transfers, Tribunal orders, anomalies) to steer them toward the next Act milestone without removing agency.
Act I — Orientation & Wear-and-Tear (Prime Meridian | Levels 1–5)
Goal: Run the “tutorial arc” entirely in Prime Meridian. Introduce the Vault’s rules (no magic—only tech), its tone, and its standout NPCs. Begin showing the rot beneath the polish: paranoid Citizens, minor temporal anomalies, automatons glitching “off protocol,” and machines misfiring in inconvenient ways. By Level 5, the story should push the party toward being “Processed”—paperwork, arrest, assignment, or forced transfer—so Act II can begin.
Act II —Exploration & The Net Tightens (Islands | Levels ~3–8)
Goal: Expand the world. Introduce the other islands, key factions, and major characters through varied questlines and escalating hazards. If the party is sent to the Dredge Disk via Trial By Combat, they must survive its arc first—ultimately allying with or defeating Walt (The Corporate Overlord) to obtain his Skeleton Key, the most reliable way off-island. As the party levels, the Vault’s breakdown becomes undeniable: deadlier anomalies, random machine aggression, and more frequent system “corrections.” Chronos becomes a subtle, looming presence—speaking through automatons, engineering setbacks, and laying elegant traps to slow the party’s progress.
Act III — The Collapse & The Gathering of Allies (All Areas | Levels ~8–12)
Goal: Begin the Big Reveal. Once the party has visited each island and completed enough major quests, the campaign pivots: the pocket dimension is collapsing, and nobody can confirm how much time is left. Chronos is either oblivious, indifferent, or actively suppressing the truth. The party must gather allies earned in Acts I–II, unify rival interests, and secure the resources needed to confront the Vault’s true power structure—while the environment becomes increasingly hostile and unpredictable.
Act IV — Siege of Prime Meridian & The Clocktower Truth (Prime Meridian | Levels ~12+)
Goal: Payoff and finale. The party leads a coup/siege arc through Prime Meridian, fighting through Wardens, defenses, and “correction protocols” as allies clash in the streets. The climax returns to where it began: The Chrono-Spire, specifically the Chrono-Spire Intake Chamber, then upward toward the Chrono-Spire Command Center. At the summit they face The Avatar of Chronos—a devastating construct remotely piloted by Chronos from a secret room hidden behind a false wall. Defeating the Avatar reveals the truth: Chronos is Tom Bradlesberry, a con-artist from an advanced timeline wielding stolen Chrono-Tech. Cornered, he immediately tries to bargain—promising “godhood,” restored timelines, or a custom-built perfect universe. The campaign ends with the party choosing the Vault’s fate: kill Tom and repair the Hour-Glass, return home, remain in the Vault, seize Chrono-Tech to rule as the new “God of Time,” or cut a deal that rewrites everything.