Under the Dome: Broken Promises & Unpaid Debts
The turn of the year doesn’t erase anything under the Dome.
It just gives debts time to mature.
When the lights come back up after winter rationing, when the markets reopen and the chaos storms recede just enough to breathe, something else begins to move through the city:
Collectors.
Grind Barons reopen their ledgers.
Guilds audit favors.
Gangs revisit “temporary arrangements.”
And promises made in desperation crawl back into the light.
Under the Dome, nothing disappears.
It waits.
💰 1. Debt Is the True Currency
Grind may be what people trade — but debt is what rules them.
Under the Dome, debt takes many forms:
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borrowed grind during winter shortages
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unpaid protection fees
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favors promised to guilds
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magical assistance taken “on credit”
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food, heat, or shelter accepted with vague terms
People tell themselves they’ll pay it back later.
Later never comes.
January is when later arrives.
DM Tip: Treat debt as a living thing. It grows interest, attracts attention, and reshapes behavior.
🏛️ 2. The Grind Barons Remember Everything 
Grind Barons don’t threaten.
They document.
Their agents arrive with:
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immaculate ledgers
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polite smiles
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detailed knowledge of what you owe — and why
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reminders of the leniency shown during winter
They don’t demand immediate payment.
They offer options:
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take a dangerous job
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sell information
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surrender territory
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hand over someone else
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accept long-term obligation
The worst part?
They are always reasonable.
“We understand it was a hard season,” the Baron says.
“This is simply the cost of surviving it.”
⚙️ 3. Guilds, Gangs, and the Shape of Collection
Not all collectors look the same.
🛠️ Guild Collectors
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enforce contracts
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demand labor instead of grind
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repossess tools, licenses, or spell access
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quietly blacklist defaulters
🩸 Gang Enforcers
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collect in public
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escalate quickly
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demand tribute plus interest
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use debt as a recruitment tool
🔮 Arcane Debtors
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enforce magical contracts
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collect memories, spell slots, or years of life
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trigger curses tied to unpaid promises
Debt enforcement doesn’t always look violent.
But it’s always personal.
🧠 4. The Psychological Weight of Owing
Debt under the Dome is a form of control.
People change when they owe:
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they avoid certain streets
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they lie more easily
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they betray faster
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they take worse jobs
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they stop thinking long-term
January isn’t just about collection —
it’s about reminding people who they are beneath the pressure.
DM Hook Ideas:
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A debt collector asks the party to collect from someone worse off than them
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A promised payment turns out to be impossible without hurting innocents
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A Baron forgives a debt… publicly — and now everyone assumes loyalty
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An NPC disappears rather than face collection
🧾 5. Using Debts at the Table
Debts are narrative gold.
For DMs:
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Track debts loosely but consistently
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Let debts create story hooks, not just punishment
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Use collectors as recurring NPCs
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Make forgiveness rare — and suspicious
Mechanical Ideas:
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Debt Tokens players can carry or transfer
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Interest accruing during downtime
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Social disadvantage while in default
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Temporary boons for “good standing”
For Players:
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Know what your character owes — and to whom
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Decide which debts matter more than survival
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Remember: paying a debt doesn’t erase the relationship
🕯️ Closing Thought
December lets people pretend.
January does not.
Under the Dome, survival is expensive, and the bill always comes due.
Every favor has a price.
Every kindness leaves a mark.
Every promise is recorded somewhere — even if you forgot it.
So when the collectors knock, and they will, ask yourself:
What did you promise when you were afraid?
And more importantly —
what are you willing to break now to keep breathing?
Because under the Dome,
the new year doesn’t bring forgiveness.
It brings accounting.
Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!!
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