Iron Stars - adamaris

The landing ship lifts off, Adamaris Tidecaller, newly promoted Greystar agent, one of the last to leave its boxy hold. The second of Acastus’ three moons is high in the sky , and in Ash City, 600km-and the planets only settlement, second shift is just beginning. The orders were simple enough. The locals have done little scouting on their own. Even less since the rise and fall of the still lady. A hill a 5km hike from here looked to be a good vantage point to take in the land

5:42 PM

The forest of this planet is a forest of enormous (like redwood size) mushrooms , and much is concealed below them

Gazing around at the strange arrangement of stellar objects, he takes in the view and sets off through the forest, observing the alien flora as he goes.

3

The forest is somehow even darker than the perma-night outside, and the sounds of the 1,000 lucky, or unlucky, maybe, Greystar colonists filing out is soon lost and replaced with the sounds of the mushroom woods. Something snaps branches distantly, too far away to be of trouble right now.

He proceeds onwards, with the gentle glow of a telekine blade in hand, should anything unfortunate occur...

(Notice/wis)

(19)

(Skill checks are 2d6. If you click the pencil in top right corner of your sheet, it will take you off edit mode. Click notice, then it will ask which attribute. Wisdom is what you want)

7:26 AM

(I was wondering how you did that with two dice lol)

(Blimey, yes, of course, I'm very rusty apparently also was awake for approximately 5 minutes at that point, 8)

Two children come bounding out of the forest in front of you, tumbling over one another, scrapping. Two sticks, carved to look like rifles, are discarded into the rough dirt of the game trail you're following.

"Hello there, how are you today?

Their fight stops abruptly "Ah!" one screams The other looks up in wonder, neither of them have ever seen a Merlon before. "Youre...did you come down from space?"

"Yes, I did," holds out a hand, "My name is Adamaris, who are you?"

"Kenneth, and this is my brother Willard. We were in the woods playing" (Which is strange, because the closest city is 600km away)

"Could you show me back to your village, I'm a little lost myself."

"Our village?" they both look at each other for a minute "our...our mom said not to bring strangers back with us.."

9:53 AM

the younger one begins moving behind his older brother

"Ok, well, you'd better do as your mother says, I'll carry on my way, I was going to see the view from the top of that hill"

"You should be careful up there. There's things that keep an eye on it"

"Ok, what sort of things?"

“Black robes. We don’t see their faces”

"Ok, good to know, thanks," I start to head off, although watch with some curiosity where the children go.

They continue their fight, the sticks once again in their hands. They head off the path to the left, laughing as they dart between the mushroom trees

I smile, and continue on, a little curious as to what they had said, but none the less respectful of the locals wishes not to be disturbed (Am I correct in thinking that the locals are human?)

(the locals here are all humans yeah)

The hill approaches and at its path there are three stakes driven into the ground. A skull is impaled on each, banded with a sigil. The intelligence reports identified it as something you might see here - it was how the still lady marked apostates.

10:41 PM

Well, that's probably a warning, of what exactly, who's to say, I will have an invisible psi blade ready regardless.

There is a small path leading up which looks to be made from crunched gravel and broken larger stones for the borders. It winds, looping around it a few times, before coming to the summit. There is a spot of brightness at the top, like someone pulsing a glowbug over and over again. The light is ruddy, and dim, and looks to be on the last of its power

"Hmm, how perculiar," he ponders to himself, while moving closer to investigate it.

On the twisting path around the mountain, you find more of the skulls, and some other assorted bones, all humanoid, patched into the ground and rock walls. You can see the light flickering above through the air lighting up around it. As you close to the summit, you see another of the skull-poles, and it itself seems to be doing the blinking, almost like a glowbug has been stuck inside of it, or something similar

Do the bones resemble a particular symbol, or infer a particular meaning? Can I tell whether the light is natural or man-made? I would walk towards the skull pole and see if it is a glow bug which is producing the light, or something else.

(They do not, it would be hard to tell if they were buried in the hill and are being exposed due to weathering, or if this is something deliberate. The light looks man-made)

8:28 AM

There is a small glowbug, valiantly using the last of it its power to make its strange light. From the top of the hill you have a commanding view, above the tree tops of the mushroom forest around you. You can see the settlement Greystar is beginning to build, the first pre-fab buildings already being raised. You can see Ash City, some 600km north, very distant, but a faded spot of neon light on the ground all the same. The light must be almost blinding up close. You can also see some natural paths through the forest down below, and three robed figures seem to be likewise making their way toward the hill, and the summit.

8:28 AM

(I think its fair to say upon seeing this you can infer this is some kind of signal for them to meet, but who 'them' is. and what they're doing here, isn't clear)

Gazing across the landscape, he turns his attention to the figures, he wonders if they have seen him, and decides that concealing himself amongst the "trees" may go poorly, and that he should make observations and attempt to add as many details to his map as possible, then when these locals arrive, ask who they are and what their purpose is. (was he given more specific instructions than, "do some recon"?)

(Not really. They don’t know very much about the planet, people, or the area, anything you bring back to them or do is more than they had )

Ok, I'll start taking samples of the flora to take back as well as the maps of the area, I'll also make notes on the skulls and markings, in case anything can be translated from them later!

You hear the crunch of gravel underfoot and low voices as they make their way up the hillside. Someone evidently makes a point they like and all three clearly say “Praise be The Still Lady” in a more confident tone. Their winding path will have them at the summit in about five minutes

(Do I know anything about the "Still Lady"?)

(She was the Eaten God that once dominated this planet, along with her cult, and made the people here into her slaves. She was destroyed, along with her cult magisters, a couple months ago, but like any fallen hegemon, the heroes didn't manage to sweep up all her followers in one go. Suffice to say, these guys are def not friendly)

(Ok, definitely bad, time to go) I'll head back down to the settlement, and try to avoid them as I do so

(Sneak/dex)

(6)

(Their notice was a 5) Keeping to the shadows and the brush on the path down the hill, you pass the three cultists as they walk up. Staying low, and quiet, they do not see you, and continue their trek upwards

(I'd like to telepathically reach out to one of them and see surface thoughts please)

(You can get a single word or image about their emotional state at lvl 0 of the core ability, which is what you have right now. Since the info is basic, they do not get a saving throw)

2:34 PM

The mood is confident, and you have an image of a small stone, jagged, unevenly broken, made of jet black and burned gold flake

Ok, he'll make a note and carry on down the hill to report back to his senior (presumably he has one, and knows who it is?)

(yes, 3xp, 5000 credits, for bringing in some new info)

(Ok, superb) He'll rest up for the evening upon returning to the base, and go and see the progress of the base build. He'll offer to help around where possible until the next morning where, with his superiors permission, he would like to scout around more.

(that gets you to lvl 2, so once you're leveled, I'll generate some hexes around your growing settlement area, and you can pick what sounds cool)

(Ok, great, I also noticed the option for personal goals on the character sheet, is that something I should be thinking more about?)

(It is a great way to both gain some bonus XP, and real talk, its a great tool for player retention too because it shows me what you are interested in, and I can write missions you'll find more rewarding/ missions that advance what you're trying to accomplish)

(Ok, superb, I'll think more on them and write a few at least) (edited)

(I've now leveled, I'll try and think of more goals as we go!)

(and another thought, am I able to pick up more gear at this point, once I know what the missions are, I think it may be useful)

(Yes, when you're back in the settlement there's opportunity to equip yourself, what I usually recommend is make a list and ill let you know if something is not available, otherwise everything is stock book price)

(Ok, great, where am I looking for these hexes?)

(THere is an acastus surface map in the systems.planets folder, then 1E subfolder

(Ok, got that, do I know anything about the area around or is it just choose a direction and see what's in store?)

(Binoculars, survival kit, navcomp, survey scanner, bioscanner, metatool, climbing harness, rations, rope, grapnel launcher and pressure tent ought to do well as equipment for general exploration.)

From your maps and images taken, the cartographers in the small Greystar settlement have located some ruins to the northeast (each hex is 200km) , nestled in the shadow of a dark mountain range. Storms commonly light the heavens above it, the only light on this permanently night world.

Well, that sounds very interesting, I'll go and ask the quartermaster about the potential for transport

(in future once some other people complete their first missions, we can get parties from multiple PC's going for stuff like this. If you want to wait on the ruins i can find something else, your call)

(Ok, if it seems like a large mission, something else may be better suited?)

(sure!) The small settlement is building, as planned, and one of the scouting teams returns, two of its members wounded. Some type of fungal dog, how they're describing it, attacked them, and they barely drove it off. It is wounded, but they are hoping a hunter can track it, and see if it has a nest, or if there are more. If it is a lone predator, its capture or death would yield some valuable research

"In which direction did it flee?"

"South from the city. Directly south" one of the bleeding engineers says, as Greystar medics attend them

"Thank you!" With that, I'll head off after it

12:25 PM

Telekintic armoury at the ready

Is it plains or forest to the south?

(anything not in character in parentheses) The terrain to the south is a thinner forest, intermixed with some open ash waste like areas. The soil on Acastus is poor and only scrub plants of tangling thorns grow where the mushroom trees cannot. It is not hard to find the trail, the engineers blood still fresh in more than a few places

(Ah yes, apologies) "Hmm, I wonder how quickly it's going," he mumbles to himself, following the trail and attempting to avoid the thorns where possible

(Survive/wis)

(4)

You become lost in the brambles, the darkness that is always in the Acadian sky obscured the drying blood on the ground. You stumble into a clearing an indeterminate distance from the greystar settlement.

5:20 PM

A half eaten creature sits in the middle of the thrush plant, ribs exposed and still wet

(Would I identify this creature as a prey animal of the one I'm following)

(You wouldn’t know that like a textbook but you could make an educated guess based on how it’s been described )

(Ok) He looks around the clearing, hoping to see a break in the foliage around him, to determine in which direction it may have gone.

4

6:47 PM

(this was the creature)

6:47 PM

THere is a small game path where it looks like the trunks of smaller trees have been pushed aside

(Oh wow) With a little disgust at the sight before him, he will move past the dead animal, and down the game path, making a mental note that samples from around the bite may be useful for the scientists to investigate

You mark the location on your pad before setting off deeper into the forest, finding another set of rib bones on the path, likely from the same type of animal. Distantly, something chitters in a howl like sound

I'll follow after the sound the best I can, possibly moving a little more slowly as I start to draw closer.

Slowing your pace, you hear the other sounds of the forest, notably, the sharp chirping sound again, and it sounds closer

He moves as quietly as possible, peering into the gloom for any sign of movement

(initiative)

(7)

A fungal hound springs from the shadows, bounding into the clearing before you. It is wounded, and looks to have been shot at least twice by human weapons

8:34 PM

It is 15m from you, and chirping loudly

8:34 PM

(You're first)

Unleashing a bolt of teleinetic force, glowing a bright purple... (22/6) (edited)

It hits the creature square in its midsection, and it roars, bounding forwards and bleeding a blood/spore mixture, it lunges, claws out

6:52 AM

( 8 is a miss) It lands short, miscalculating the jump

Summoning an enormous purple trident of energy, he swings towards the creature...

(8/5, 3 shock, AC < 15) (edited)

The trident falls short, failing to impale the beast on its forked points, Its twin barbed tails lash back like whips, cracking the air as they pass (13/3 if that hits)

(it doesn't, 17AC from telekintic armoury) A return swipe with the trident, attempting to drive the beast back

7:53 AM

(7/5, 3 shock, AC < 15)

The beast narrowly avoids the trident, but it dodges badly, its already strained leg finally breaking. It pants, and chirps, and the bone passes through the skin.

10:32 AM

A mortal wound for a creature like this

(Are we out of initiative?)

(Yeah, it is no longer a threat, but it is not quite dead)

(Do I think it would be possible to knock it unconscious and then stabilise it?) (edited)

(It wouldnt be able to prevent the knockout, but we would need a heal/int for the stabilizing it)

(Could I use succour)

(You could)

Having ensured the creature is incapacitated, he casts psychic succour to stabilise the creature, and begins to carry it back to the settlement, for the scientists to investigate.

The beast is surprisingly light, given its size, yet another mystery. You carry the creature out of the woods, and it remains unconscious as its turned over to the appropriate scientific body for review. It wakes as they're about to cage it, mourning with its call, and pawing the ground to try to get to you

He reaches out with his mind, to see its surface thoughts (edited)

Its thoughts themselves are unintelligible to you, its alien brain too....exactly that...alien, to your own. You do, however, sense that it is not wanting to be separated from you

Against his probably better judgement, he will walk back towards the cage, and see how it behaves towards him

It gently lays down, on its side, presenting its stomach

I reach through the bars gently towards it

Its head moves, slowly, toward your hand, its crested fungal horn soft to your touch

12:13 PM

(I'll post a picture)

12:14 PM

(That's almost very cute, in a slightly alien sort of way) (edited)

12:19 PM

He strokes it gently, perhaps having made a new friend today, "Please look after it for now, if you would like to investigate it's behaviour and take scans, please do, but I think it may be agreeable to company, given some time and training."

"We will treat it with care. You'll be appraised when it's time for release. Maybe you've made a friend!" one of them says helpfully

"We can but hope, then again, having a really good go at killing each other was a very interesting start to a friendship"

He shrugs, and shuts the cage, preparing it for transport to the star-hab and its lab.

12:39 PM

You get a message that a team is forming to explore the ruins you located. as their spotter, you were naturally given the option to lead the expedition

I would take on that responsibly willingly

(I've got a mission thread set up, so the three of you, and me, will move over there for the misison, then return to the personal stuff once it's done)

(Yes, got it, sounds good, thanks)

1:01 PM

(Also, can I now grab the items I listed earlier)

(You can grab them yeah)

(Superb, thanks)

(Where are the other sites of interest that are talked about in the endeavours and employment doc?)

(There was a complex on the moon that Jacket was about to investigate before he had to drop from the game)

3:02 PM

(Theres presumably more stuff out in the Acastus wilds, but that is a ready made one right there if youre trying to finish the mission group) (edited)

(Ok, after a day or two of downtime, Adamaris would look into an expedition to that site)

3:08 PM

(I think the downtime would mostly be spent examining the slyth language, as that seems to be pertinent and Adamaris is not yet very good with it)

(It takes 30 days of study to learn an alien language. The diplomat focus doesn’t work on them. So it’ll be 1 or 2 days out of 30 toward learning it depending on how long you’re waiting)

9:33 PM

A report comes in from a Greystar pilot on the second moon stating that a facility built by Still Lady cultists during the domination is powered up and seeing some activity. His team is too small to secure the site alone and is requesting reinforcement

(Ok, 2/30 on Slyth then please) How much resistance has he hit, and so how much reinforcement does he require?

There are cult members there now. A rocket was launched at their shuttle on the way in, and missed. since being on the ground they have suppressed a sniper attack, and now have sighted at least two other cultists at the facility itself.

Ok, would a shuttle be available to take me over there?

A shuttle is available, and this time, there will be a pair of fighters bringing it in, ensuring the missed rocket is the only thing heading skyward to stop a landing today.

Ok, sounds good, I will be happy to depart whenever is convenient for them

You see that a second member of the team, a man going by @PreparedHeathen has also been assigned to the expedition. a facility built by the defunct still lady cult is being investigated and it appears a holdout cell of the cult has taken residence there and is continuing to work on the area

7:13 PM

The Greystar exploration team has come under rocket and sniper attack , though has found a way through the mountains to the lunar base. The moon has air though is rocky and dry

Ah wonderful, more agents are always a boon. (Have I had the opportunity to meet Aris and if so, which thread should we use?)

(We can stay in this one since it’s just a couple of you and I’d say no so then he can introduce himself how he wants)

(Ok, wonderful)

Aris is a somewhat disheveled looking young man wearing what resembles dark red doctoral robes. He will be sitting alone in a corner of the shuttle with his nose in his dataslab

Adamaris is a relatively tall melon, standing to his full height, but wearing no armour, and apparently carrying no weapons, "Good Afternoon Aris, I hear you've been assigned along side me to help out our team on the moon?"

Aris stands to greet you. "Yes, it certainly seems that way. My apologies, but I'm new around here and I haven't gotten to know the personnel. You are ...?

"Adamaris"

"Adamaris. And what is it that you do around here? Are you leading this expedition?"

"I'm a psion, and generally set about performing recon and generally trying to clear up this cult business. I don't believe anyone has specifically been assigned to lead this, as we're going in to assist the team already on the ground. What tend to be your areas of expertise?"

"I used to be a preceptor. I am schooled in the core scientific disciplines and can work my way around a computer when necessary. I am mostly here to try and make sense of this cult and whatever technology they've gotten hold of. I must say, it's been some time since I encountered a MES. Did you not suffer any ... ill effects?"

"Nothing that's put me down quite yet! It will be good to have someone along to help on the technical side, hope you can hold your own in a gunfight as well!"

"I'll try to keep my head down when it comes to that. I never had much need to fight until recently."

"Fair enough, hopefully it won't come to that, but recent experience would suggest it might, now, where's that shuttle?"

There’s a spotlight seen cutting through the clouds overhead, bathing both of you in sterile white light as it lands. It’s a different light from the neon red, blue and yellow of the constant advertisements in Ash City. The volcanos nearby where the city gets its power from are in an active cycle as well, distant low hanging clouds stained a fiery orange underneath. The shuttle sets down and the ramp extends

Gesturing towards the ramp, "After you"

"Why thank you, good sir." Arris will board the shuttle. He has no baggage, not even a backpack or a duffle bag. You get the sense that what little he owns is somewhere within the deep folds of his robe (edited)

"How interesting," Adamaris mutters to himself, and follows you aboard

The ramp closes behind both of you and the engines begin warming up, more data is inloaded from agent Jacket, currently observing the facility. A sniper, and another cultist have been dealt with. A few pictures are also sent: A stone obelisk 10m tall and covered almost uniformly in runes sits illuminated by spotlights. Four prefabricated buildings have been constructed on site along with the frame of a fifth that was never completed. The facility is screened in by a tall chain link fence.

(Are the runes recognizable as a particular script?)

(Nothing you'd be familiar with, but it's not slyth either, you can tell that much at least)

(Does the obelisk look weathered like an older construction, or is it relatively recent?)

(Old)

10:25 AM

The feed replays, over and over on a loop, showing about30 seconds of steady footage, though the obelisk itself seems quiet. Agent Jacket remains on hand with his small team, continuing to observe.

10:25 AM

I'm not sure what kind of landing you're thinking of here. We undoubtedly do not have the people with us now to search this place room by room. Still, a hot landing might draw some out, What do you two think?

It may be the best opportunity we have, especially if you have vision over there exit, to deal with them before they get to us

"Aris, what do you rekon"

"I'm really not eager to get shot at, but if we have to, I'd prefer it be on our terms. They know the facility better than we do, so let's flush them out. "

"Ok, let's go for it" Ok, we'll come in a little warmer than we might like, be prepared for their response, whatever it may be

The shuttle is modified with a bit of light armament, and you noticed a pair of rocket pods mounted below each stubby wing. The pilot and co-pilot, after the short flight, turn on the "please fasten your restraint belts" light, and advise you get your gear ready to go

(Would I have access to any spare equipment, or am I limited to what I have on me?)

(limited to what's on you for right now)

Adamaris' gear would already be stowed, but he would put up telekinetic armory

The shuttle comes in , passing through the moons atmosphere and coming in close to the facility, the stubby rocket pods fire, blowing out one of the newly built (not original) buildings there, and sensing another duo of cultists scurrying out of one next to it

(Can we see anyone moving outside, or are they entrenched in the buildings?) (edited)

(You see two outside scurrying out of the building closest to the one that just got@leveled. Nobody else)

Jacket, you've got two moving out of that building

The shuttle sets down and the ramp extends. You’re not sure where his team is , they’re not engaging yet.

(Do I know if the message has got through to him?)

(Yeah It has and yes you know it has)

"Ok Aris, the ground team isn't responding, I'd suggest we proceed with caution"

"If they are not responding, they could be in trouble. Maybe we can try to find where they filmed the initial footage and search for them."

"Sounds like a plan, shall we deal with the two cultists that we know about first, or do you think that they're gone?"

"I don't want to waste any time. Maybe we can send one of the escort fighters to keep them occupied"

"Yep, sounds good, if you can work out where they were, I'll follow you"

(Should I make a skill check to figure that out?)

(To figure what out?)

(where the other team filmed the footage they sent us)

(theyre within visible distance of this facility and from the angle you could tell it was probably to the left of where you're landing, but as far as where they are now, you're not sure) The two cultists stop at the edge of the fence, 100m away, directly in front of you, and one looks to be readying something from his bag, a small cylinder like device, that the other is working to try to get telescoped out

"That looks dangerous" "Might I suggest a simultaneous, and offensive course of action" Adamaris readies a bolt of telekinetic force, forming it into a trident

Aris looks at Adamaris with fear in his eyes. "But I don't have a weapon. I told you, I'm not a fighter"

"Ah, in which case, keep in cover, and try and start moving towards our team, I'll stop us getting blown up" Adamaris launches the trident

4:20 PM

(12/6)

The trident falls short but gets the attention of the cult. Aris sees a small flickering light in the window of one of the buildings to the left , and thin but tan Taros face in the window. He looks to be signaling you over

"Keep them busy!" Aris will run towards the Taros, sticking close to cover if possible.

Running into the building headlong you find the observation team. Two of them have been wounded by gunfire and now you see why the others did not leave the building “Quite an entry you made out there!”

"You look like you needed it. What happened?"

“We got surprised. One of the runners out there got the drop on us just before you got here. Sprayed through the window and got lucky”

As Aris is running towards the Taros, Adamaris will continue to keep an eye on the scene in front of him, providing covering fire as necessary

The two cultists are making for the gate at the edge of the facility. The shuttle lifts off. “I’ll chase them down. See to the team here. Learn what you can”

"Ok, thanks" (Can I lose another shot at the cultists?)

(Yes)

(18/6)

The trident lands cleanly, striking and killing the cultist with the rocket tube

10:39 AM

the other continues to run

Wonderful, with that cultist running, I'd like to grab the rocket tubes and catch up with Aris.

"What happened to the runner? Was he able to report your position?"

The tube is loaded, the cultists unable to get a round off before you set upon them. You make your way to the same building to see the gravely injured, with Jacket, and Aris working to keep them comfortable

"My previous position was likely compromised, but one is dead and the other driven away."

"THank god both of you are here" Jacket says, panting. "They got the drop on us, we stopped to look at that obelisk out there for too long"

"We should get the wounded somewhere safe, then work our way through the facility. If we're lucky, they have supplies in some of those buildings."

"I think I saw a medkit in the next building over, looks like it was some kind of a cafeteria, or going to be at least" Jacket says, looking out the window again, the orange glow of the burning building across the artificial road

1:29 PM

casting his face in a strange orange light

"Is anyone critically injured" (ie in need of stabilisation?) (edited)

"Two, they're both pretty bad, gut shots"

"If we don't get them some help soon they're going to bleed out before the flight back is complete"|

"OK, two seconds" I'll use psychic succour to stabilize them

They breathe a bit easier, as the healing energies help with the worst of their wounds. "We'd be lost without you both. We're here now, we have a mission to complete"

"There's still too many unknowns in this equation. If we captured a cultist, do you think we could get them to talk?"

"Probably" one of the wounded says as he begins picking himself up "They've talked in the past during interrogations"

"Good. They know we're in here with wounded. I say we set up an ambush and try to take one alive."

(Do we know what their mission is?)

(Investigate the buildings here and the obelisk, try to figure out the significance of the site and why the cult was making a settlement here before the lady was destroyed)

"Ok, I'll contact our transport, and get the wounded out, then we can proceed" Have met the ground team, can you please come and evacuate their injured, then we will proceed

The shuttle swings back around, evidently satisfied that anything organized opposing a landing has been dealt with. It sets down in the middle of the small facility, ramp doors open , and the crew chief getting stretchers ready for the injured

"Perfect, if you can wait for us while we do a little more reconescence, that would be great"

"The injured need to be evacuated now, but I will be back in a few hours" the crew chief says, "I'll tell the pilot to hurry" (edited)

"Ok, we'll look after ourselves in the meantime"

The shuttle heads off once the injured are loaded, leaving the two of you, and agent Jacket inside the complex, the strange obelisk dominating the local landscape, and the dull roar of the flames from the destroyed building nearby the only thing that seems to make noise right now.

"Agent Jacket, what was the next objective you mission aimed to complete?"

"We were going to catalog everything here and see if we could discern anything at all out of the obelisk, and figure out why the cult was trying to make a settlement here"

3:32 PM

"The site's significant for some reason, and we don't know why"

"Very well then, would you and Aris like to lead on and assess the area you deem to be of most interest, the obelisk I would presume?"

(I'd rather defer to another player than an NPC, areas of interest are the obelisk, the cafeteria, a storage building, a barracks and a half completed lab area)

(Ok, I'll leave it to Aris' discression)

"Call me paranoid, but I'm not so certain we've seen the last of those fanatics. Let's check the buildings out first, then the obelisk last. The cafeteria seems as good a place to start as any."

The cafeteria is a low roofed building, almost perfectly square minus an entryway, and some ventilation on the back for cooking fumes and fuel exhaust. Food in substantial quantity was not yet brought out here, but the initial Greystar recon party looks to have surprised at least one member of the skeleton crew here, a warm pot of rice and mushrooms is still on the stove, though the gas is not on.

3:49 PM

The shelves are stocked with kitchenware and cooking implements and this looks industrial enough to have housed a decent garrison. One body lies slumped at the table, face down in his plate, blood mixing in with the meal on the plate.

Aris tries not to look at the body, and begins searching the shelves for a knife. "Maybe one of you can check his pockets. Maybe he had keys or a schedule on him"

You find a knife on one of the counters (Small primitive weapon) , that is a good number of inches in length.

I'll rifle through his pockets whilst that is going on

He has a compad that is on low power mode and a small ritual knife with a curving and serrated edge

Ok, I'll try to get onto the compad, and hold up the knife. "Found this on him, looks like a ritual knife" (Do I know anything further about the knife?)

(It looks pretty ordinary, the noteworthiness is really the shape. Specifically designed as a religious tool, not something you'd really cut bread or fight with)

(Linked to the cult of the still lady?)

(He was definitely a cultist)

"Looks most likely to be a ritual blade for the cult of the Still Lady, beyond that, not sure. What're your thoughts?" Shows the blade.

"It certainly fits the cultural motif of a religious blade. likely used symbolically, or for blood sacrifice on a bound victim. It may not have any more significance than that, unless you sense some MES energy associated with it."

3:57 PM

I will give the knife a quick pass with the survey scanner just to see if it's made of an interesting material

I would like to check with metapsi if it is psionically active

There is no psionics activity or magical enhancement done to the weapon

5:17 PM

The purity of the blade however is startling. It’s as much silver as possible mixed with steel, as still being able to use it as a knife allows

(Is silver particularly common on Acastus or its moons, or would this have been an expensive import?)

(Expensive import or just made with a lot of love and care here. Like using all of what was available)

"Hmm, interesting, there's no psionic activity, but could the silver be linked to a myth or folklore, or was the use of it just to show this individual's devotion to the still lady?"

"Hard to tell without more context. I doubt all of them have something like this. I'm surprised that he would carry this on his person."

The Compad chimes. Once again it announces it is low on power

"There might be some power cells in storage or the barracks. Let's grab that medkit Jacket mentioned and get moving"

(Actually, would a compad have something like a SIM card or external storage that we could put in one of our charged devices?")

(Yes you'd be able to transfer the information)

I will skim the data from the cultists compad, but I don't want to take too much time doing a full analysis.

(Lets get a program/int for the skimming then, since its being done quickly)

(5)

A quick skim reveals most of the compad is locked out , but you're able to glean that they seemed to believe the obelisk here could enhance the Lady's power

"Ok, I can't see anything else of note, shall we move to the next building!"

"Yes. It's starting to stink in here. Let's see if they had anything good in their storehouse."

You approach the storehouse to see the keypad keeping the building secure has been armed, though there looks to be a few different interface ports along the outsides for tools or diagnostic machines

"Do you reckon you can get into this cleanly, or is it going to be a brute force approach?"

"Worth a shot. Most of these are designed with some sort of password reset protocol"

(program/int if one of you wants to make an attempt to hack it)

(7 from me, using my expert reroll for the scene)

there is a hiss of equalizing air pressure, and the doors open. Emergency lighting turns on, and you see three deep running sets of industrial shelves, each a few meters high, running the length of the building, almost, in three aisles. Boxes, crates, barrels, and cans are stocked neatly on shelves, and much of the equipment is still in the original packaging. There is enough here to feed, clothe, arm, and entertain a small garrison of 50 for six months or more.

"It would seem that they may have been planning to stay here for a reasonably long time, given the selection of equipment here, it may be useful back at the base to bolster our supplies."

4:07 AM

"Beyond that, I can't see much of immediate usefulness"

4:09 AM

Keeping an eye over his shoulder for any approaching threats. "Around to the barracks?"

"Agreed."

(If you guys wanna scrounge real quick for anything interesting we can get d100’s)

(Sounds fun)

(83)

(19)

Aris finds a slab in one of the containers he dives into but it has a few more attachments than a standard compad. It’s also thinner and more easily concealed. A few line shunts are packaged with it. (Black slab and three line shunts)

8:59 AM

Adamaris opens one of the smaller boxes on a shipping clerks desk and finds a small electronically encoded bracelet , with circuits inlaid. It has two display windows. One reads English. The other is blank

8:59 AM

(Translator torc)

(Nice)

"Definitely worth taking this back to base. Maybe we should ask for another transport."

(Do I think we could load all this onto the transport we had before?)

(The storage room entire no but you could carry away about a solid third of it if you’re willing to be wedged into the crew compartment for a few hours)

9:03 AM

(The stuff you just found is definitely man portable. Very small)

(Ok) "Yes, I'd agree that another transport may be useful, especially if we find more of use in the barracks"

Adamaris to transport, could you send over another transport or two, we've found a large cache of supplies and could do with some help lifting it out

9:47 AM

"Shall we check the barracks and lab, preferably before the transports arrive, so that we know the area is clear."

"Yes, let's hurry."

You see a much heavier cargo lifting ship with fighter escort is being assembled. The complex should be clear by time they land. The barracks is likewise a squat building and the doors are installed but do not seem to be locked or secured in any way. They are currently closed

I would open up the door, but with a shot readied in case of trouble

(We are going to go into Initiative then but with you two first)

2:04 PM

The door opens and a laser shot blasts out from the back of the room, narrowly missing both of you as you quickly duck your heads back outside

"Stay out , Apostates!" a human voice from inside barks, and you hear the click of a fresh energy cell being loaded

I shout from around the corner, "We've already dealt with several of your colleagues. The Still Lady has abandoned you. You are outnumbered and we have more people on their way. If you come quietly you can leave this desolate moon with your life intact."

"Come quietly to be your prisoner? or questioned and then executed? I don't think so!"

"Very well then" Launches a telekinetic blast

5:28 PM

(16/11)

you hear smaller objects being blown off shelves and the whipcrack of violently disturbed fabric as the telekinetic blast passes through into the cramped barracks space. The occupant of the room groans as the wind is knocked out of him, and he lies on his back, gasping for air through broken ribs and likely a punctured lung. His rifle has tumbled from his hands and lies safely out of reach

"Would you all like to come out with your hands up" (edited)

No one else from inside the barracks answers, all you hear is the wet gasp of the dying cultist

Aris lets out a sigh of relief. "I guess that's the end of it then. Certainly could have gone worse."

You sense he;s got enough life in him for maybe a few short questions, if you're quick

If we're in the same scene, I'd like to stabilize him with psychics succour

(Anything not in character goes in parentheses, but yes, same scene) Adamaris reaches down to stabilize the injured man, who instantly begins to breathe a bit easier, though his mouth is still stained with blood.

"Ok, are any of your colleagues lurking around?"

"One other . Rest are dead" he coughs. You remember that one cultist fled into the dustscape of the moon as your shuttle landed, and you killed the other man on his rocket team

"What was your cult doing here?"

"She wanted the obelisk .Needed it. Craved it. She hungered for its power"

"And you were here to what, protect it? Do you have any idea what it does?"

"Didn't get to study long enough" he says, trying to roll onto his side to breathe easier

11:50 AM

"She wanted it. Its power"

“Wanted to work it into her pyramid. Amplified her psychic call, more worlds could hear her and give praise”

"Hmm, how curious" (Do we know whether her powers were magic or MES, and what discipline?)

(She was an eaten god, it was sort of a mix of both)

Though stable, the cultist is still injured. Outside, there are no signs of the other returning, he looks to have ran off into the wilderness for good, rather than return to a 3 on 1 fight with at least one psychic

"I'm not sure we can get much more out of him right now. We should restrain him while we finish our search."

(Hmm, interesting) "I agree, do you have something to bind him?"

(I don't. Did we notice any rope in storage?)

(Yeah there’s plenty of that stuff. Pretty common building material. I’d say with the actual military supplies there would even be handcuffs)

"I think I saw some restraints in the storehouse. Why don't you search this place while I grab them, then we'll move on to the lab."

"Sounds good" With that I'll search around

A quick search of the supply building has several pairs of restraints and handcuffs, still in factory packaging from the factories on the planet below. There is more than enough here to secure a few prisoners

I will break open one of the packages and run back to the lab with the handcuffs.

He is quickly bound, too tired and injured to resist much as he is restrained. You're confident he won't be going anywhere. There are dozens of working computers and large stacks of papers in the lab. this looks to be the first building put down here, as it looks to have been in use for some time. Over and over, large sketches of the obelisk with the jagged language favored by her cult color notebooks, and are daubed on the walls in garish splashes of ink, paint, and other pigments you're not sure if you want to know the original source of

I would like to take pictures of the drawings on the walls and start to remove the hard drives from a few computers.

Does the language have any origin that we might recognize?

(No, not rooted in slyth at least, which would be the only language you've seen so far you didnt read already)

(Hmm, ok) "I'm going to go and take a look at the obelisk itself"

"Be careful, it seems to have had quite an effect on the locals. "

(You would see, that the writing in here, and the carvings on the obelisk are the same language)

"Yes, it does" I'd like to take photos of the obelisk and then see if it is psychicaly active

(Do you have any levels in metapsion?)

(Yes, level 0)

It is psychically active, though not with an MES current manipulation you're familiar with. It is not something you;'ve experienced through your training as a Tidecaller, or mentioned in stories from your youth. It feels dark, and hungry, like it is trying to drag you in and smother you in a tide of static

"How curious," he mutters to himself (How physically large is it?)

(I think I posted it earlier I’ll find it

7:14 PM

(10m tall)

(How heavy?)

(Without touching ityou can only estimate. It’s stone. So at least a couple tons)

(I'd be entirely willing to touch it)

(Lets get a mental save

(Fail, 10 vs 13 (12 vs 13 if psychic effect))

You hear whispers in your mind. It’s your own voice but multiplied at least a dozen times or more. Some are insisting you open your mind to the obelisk while others cry out warnings and shriek, drowning you in internal noise

I'd pull my hand away if I can

Your hand pulls away from the obelisk, and the voices seem to fade with the break in contact with it

"Curiouser and curioser" Put my hand back?

(You're putting it back on?)

(Yup, I think he's curious/potentially naive enough)

(Mental save again)

(Fail, 8 vs 13 with +2 if MES still)

You hear the voices yet again, though this time, more of them seem to be calling fro you to open your mind to the obelisk. You feel cold coming from it, internal cold. It is a cold that reminds of you of a sense of nothing, or emptiness. A void

I'll attempt to telepathcally talk to the voices, saying, "Hello, who are you?"

You're assailed with different images and flashes of life not your own ,and you come to realize after a long moment of different flashbacks that these must be intellects or minds devoured by this obelisk

I sharply pull away, deciding that this is a poor line of enquiry, but make notes regarding the nature of the obilisks behaviour

(Aris has doubtlessly been observing this whole time)

7:56 PM

(Up to you guys on what’s next but the obelisks nature is at least a start. I’d say mission complete aside from@if you want to take it or not)

(I thought this all happened fairly quickly. I was planning on packing up the lab to be researched later and meeting Adamaris at the obelisk once that was done.)

(Yep, I'd thought I was on my own? Otherwise end mission sounds good) Admaris would help loading the transports with the equipment from the barracks and stores and would recommend the obelisk was placed under guard, and then hoping it can be moved as soon as possible.

(Sure we can move into that Aris)

7:33 AM

The labratory is neatly packed as well, for the most part. The runes are unsettling but most of the equipment here has not been used before, or only used lightly. It appears free from corruption or any kind of imperfection in manufacture

I'd like to flip through a few of the notebooks to see if anyone started to translate the runes.

There is a rough key worked out, though about half the letters are missing, and some of the translated passages could have multiple meanings. Some of the margin notes talk about how difficult it is to be certain what the obelisk is saying with only one example of the runes to go by. (essentially they want to compare what they think they know to other texts to see if the letters still make sense. Sort of like "I have seen abundance on the table, or I have seen a/bun/dance upon the table)

Did they have any leads on where they might find more examples?

There was a plan to survey the other two moons, and conduct a more detailed search of this one, but the cult was destroyed, along with their Eaten Goddess patron before further work could be undertaken

Ok. I would want to go through as much of their research as I can, but I'd rather do it back at base. I'll stack up the notes near the computers and then head to the obelisk.

Adamaris is there, seemingly to be in concentration with it, before the link breaks , and he stands back up straight. The air is charged, electrically almost, like a storm has just passed

"Are you alright? Were able to glean anything about the structure?"

"I'm fine, I think, it seems to carry MES energy in some manner, it's definitely powerful, possibly dangerous."

A small contrail in the distance signals the imminent arrival of the supply ship, a free merchant this time due to the much bigger cargo space.

"Ok, here it comes, let's get this stuff loaded up quickly"

"Agreed, sooner we get planetside the better"

As soon as it lands, I would start loading, as well as instructing the ships crews as to where best to start and which bits we need, I would also be trying to work out if it was possible to ship the obelisk back

It looks like it can be pulled down with chains and winches which the ship has as part of its cargo hauling duties

(Would it fit in the cargo hold?) (edited)

(Yes easily)

Ok, I'll attempt to get it manipulated into the hold

"Are you sure we should bring back a potentially dangerous artifact? Where would we put it?"

"The lab seems the safest, if we leave it here, anyone could get to it, including the remnants of the cult, assuming they are still aware of it."

(Just wanna give aris time to voice his opinion if he has more to say)

(Sorry, visiting my folks) "Very well, you have a better sense of how these things work. I just worry about what it could do to our people."

(No worries friend. I was gone all day too haha) The cargo is loaded and the monolith like object is secured under canvas wraps. The porters all treat it with care and maybe a little fear. “We are ready to go if you two are. We have a lot of information here to go over”

"I'm ready to leave this rock behind. "

(3xp, 5000 credits)

8:15 PM

The cargo is secured, and the free merchant lifts off, making a beeline for the Greystar mobile starhab, the massive ship staying close to the planet Acastus itself, for the moment. There are still tens of thousands aboard , while conditions on the planet improve

(Aris no rush but we can jump back to your personal one if you guys didnt have anything else. I'll add the research points and a couple projects to the handout)

(Fine by me. I had a lot of fun)

(Good!)

8:34 PM

The free merchant docks inside one of the cavernous hangar bays on the Greystar hab, and is met by a flight crew, technicians, security, and additional porters to ensure everything you recovered is brought either to the lab or storage -and that it is done safely. the mood on the ship seems to be improving. Settling some people on the surface has lessened the strain on what resources can be produced here, though the lack of creature comforts or even enough of the basics without rationing is getting tiresome

(Yup, that's superb, thanks for running that!)

8:37 PM

I'll help supervise the transportation of the items, paying particularly close attention to the obelisk

(Leveled Up, could you possibly update goal XP as I've added some new ones)

(all of them have XP already)

9:28 PM

(wait a minute, wrong sheet)

(Ok, great, I thought for a moment that you'd done it and I'd somehow not refreshed for ages)

(You have bring light to acastus in there twice with different words, so I didn't assign XP to the second iteration of it. Communicating with animals is a potential discipline being worked on behind the scenes. I'm going to hold off on that one until i know what we're doing with it, but I'd like telepathy to 'stay in its own lane' for now)

(First one was my typo while I was brainstorming, one of them should have been deleted. Ok, sounds good, I'll leave it as it's a goal that I'd like to have in fluff even if there are no associated rules for it, otherwise, wonderful, thanks)

9:33 PM

(Do I now have a period of downtime?)

(You’ve got a Period Of whatever you want. This is all player driven unless you’re stuck on what to do next or no ideas)

(Great) After the adventures on the moon and the discovery of the obelisk, Adamaris has a lot on his mind and many projects in need of his attention. He would first be curious as to his newfound competence in electrokinesis is able to power the slyth blade that he discovered. Picking the blade up, he would slowly open an energy conduit and see if the blade leaps into life

The connection you form with it powers the burning purple disruption field (conventional type A’s only last a few minutes and I know the skill bases everything off being a type a. Each use of the skill will power it for that long before it has to be reapplied. That’s the best way I can think to do it for now)

(As conduit is until effort is released, does that mean I can power it for as long as effort is committed? Or does the effort burn out after a certain period?)

(For as long as effort is committed)

(Ok, ideal) Rushing out of the lab, I look for someone to help record the properties of this artifact, now that it is working, to see what it can do

(What sort of size and layout is the lab?)

(It would be one of the largest chambers in the starhab, close to the center so it benefits from all the ships belt armor, and close to the power core, so its not a nightmare to get your equipment powered. I'd imagine most of the computers and equipment is on mag locking wheels or something so it can be reconfigured to fit whatever is of interest at the current moment. Not like you can really build out anywhere if more space is needed, since youre on a ship)

(Ok, great) "Could someone get a test dummy for me, I've got a slyth blade that I've managed to get powered, and really need something to test it on!"

It takes about ten minutes for someone to find a crash test dummy in the back of an ill used storage room on the bilge level. Someone has glued a wig to it, and there is a face of runny makeup that looks on the verge of being wiped away completely. Still, it will fit your purposes of weapon testing

Wonderful, he thinks and then proceeds to take a swing at it

The blade slices through the dummy without catching on anything inside, the edges of the wound smoldering , and trailing embers

8:58 PM

(Counts as a medium advanced weapon that does 2d8+1 instead of 1d8+1)

"Very well, that offers a pleasantly low amount of resistance." (Ok, that's superb)

8:59 PM

I'll note my findings and add them to the report on the blades

I would then like to visit the fungal hound in the lab, and slowly approach its cage, having brought suitable food, and see if it remembers me

Its two tails wag at seeing you approach, and it paws at the door of the cage, eager to get out and come to you

I will open the cage, and greet it with open arms

I will also offer it the food I have brought with me

It nearly knocks you over with how happy it is to see you, pausing only to gobble up whatever was in your hand. It's forked tongue, nearly a meter long, flicks over your face , like a more conventional dog would lick a being it is affectionate with.

7:05 AM

It paws the ground, haunches raised, eager to play

Seeing its reaction, I'd play with it as you would a dog, trying things like fetch, rolling over and lying down as my opening gambits

(Do we want to do a survive/wis for beast handling)

(Sure)

(Alright, lets do a survive/wis for teaching it some tricks)

(11)

The hound learns fetch, and roll over quite handily. It seems to enjoy playing fetch the most, and its almost an hour before it finally becomes too exhausted to keep running after it. It seems too energetic to lay down for long

"Well, aren't you doing wonderfully" Plays with his ears To the lab tech who was doing research on him, "Are you done with your research here?"

"I've been able to complete what we can. They're trainable, and we've been able to breed a batch of pups. You're free to take him if you like"

"That would be wonderful, thanks. Come on, boy?"

7:42 AM

As his voice trails off, realizing he has no idea if fungal hounds have gender

Leaving the hound lab, with his new friend in tow, he ponders that perhaps a name would be in order, but that's a thought for another time. I'd then like to take some more time to learn slyth (another 8 days so 10/30) and then start work on the obelisk

(we dont research stuff through RP since lab drama can only go so far, research points are gathered in the field by draining databanks, taking samples, ect, and they get added to the total points available to spend on things, thats why we vote)

(Ok, in that case, I'll need to see what missions are available, any suggestions?)

(Is there another site of interest to launch a scouting mission to?)

(I'll copy the endeavors here in a few)

1

(Also, what is there in the way of natural water on the planet?)

(None on Acastus, I think i put up a surface map not long ago, let me grab it)

12:49 PM

12:50 PM

(Nothing on the surface, at least. The city draws what it needs from underground seas/oceans)

(Ok, I'd like to organise to buy a small soak tank as well then please)

Force: Almost overnight, The Greystar Combine has gone from murky intelligence agency to planetary government in the most legitimate sense of the word. A government is responsible for many things, one of the most important- defense of the people it governs.

Develop the police and resistance forces into a unified planetary army (complete)

Aid in the construction and repair of former military bases in Ash City, turned cult strongholds

Repair the planetary breaker gun to provide protection for the city

Wealth: The Combine has enough to pay its agents and provide enough for their basic day-to-day needs, but with wealth comes an even greater reach. Money must flow into the coffers to aid with the many new challenges ahead.

Purchase a wealth faction asset

Build a holding

Make connections with mercantile organizations, on planet or off

Cunning: Already a Greystar specialty, running a government creates new challenges. More information must be gathered about Acastus, its moons, and the surrounding planets to best focus the new federations next moves

Scout three sites of interest on Acastus itself, or its moons (2/3)

Delve into one ruin in either location (complete)

Explore one previously unmapped planet in 1e Sector

(edited)

Adamaris would go out to attempt to source a soak tank for when he has time available to relax, then would look into organising an expedition to an unmapped planet (edited)

(The scouting reports are in the 1E folder on Roll20 for what you know already, so basically any world without a scouting report is fair game)

1:50 PM

(the tank would be 1500 credits)

(Leda is the only one without a report, so I think that one would be it, and that's fine) Adamaris looks through the Greystar database, and decides that Leda looks like a planet of interest, he also puts in an order for that soak tank that he's been thinking of getting for a while, far better than a bath or shower!

(Leda has been explored, there's just no surface map because the person who drew it made all the continents look like genitals. They're no longer part of the game)

2:08 PM

(Buey hasn't been explored)

(Ah, ok, Buey sounds like fun then) (edited)

(Would I be able to requisition a transport to take a mission there?)

(Yes. Greystar has shuttle/. I didn’t answer because I’m doing rl stuff. I’ll be back tonight)

(Superb, not a problem, I didn't mean to rush you, it was just a question I wished to pose, knowing you'd answer it when you had a moment, thanks)

(All good) Greystar has a handful of shuttles in their inventory, but due to the dangerous nature of unexplored space, a frigate is being requisitioned for your use. It is a warship, able to hold its own against pirates or casual raiders, but there are heavier craft that may be traveling the void. It's captain welcomes you aboard the Sigma Sigmarata

"Greetings Captain, thank you for your welcome, hopefully this will be a relatively straightforward journey, although what we discover when we arrive may not be so straightforward."

“That’s why we have the warship” he agrees “but I always hope to never have to fire the guns”

9:03 PM

“So we are heading to Buey. I saw we don’t have any survey data from there”

"We don't, that's why we're headed there, I'd like to do a survey scan from orbit and then head down to collect samples, and have a look at locations of interest."

"I'll brief some of the armsmen on route to Buey. It'll be a week in spike space, the course has never been ruttered before"

"Not a problem, an adventure for us all"

He nods. "We have a long trip ahead of us. I'll be here if you need anything, and of course you;re welcome on the bridge once we're underway. For now though, I'll see about getting us out of the system"

"Thanks, I'll come up to the bridge just before we come into the Buey system, if you could let me know just before we do, other than that, I have some work to be getting on with"

He waves an affirmative, and without missing a beat, gets to shouting orders at his bridge crew, sending runners, deck menials, and junior officers scurrying to their stations

I'll retire to quarters an continue my study into the slyth language (Slyth 17/30)

The ship emerges from spike space at the edge of the buey system where the main habitable planet, and two moons share a star with the local gas giant and another barren planetoid where all is dust.

9:41 PM

The captain likewise had forgotten his promise to rouse you ahead of time

"Noting our emergence from spike space, I'll head to the bridge to see what the sensors are picking up, if anything"

The sensor officer has a report worked up for you, as you make your way to the bridge. (System map and scouting report for Buey are in the 1E folder on roll20, under systems and planets)

(Being TL4, does that mean that they have ships/satellites in orbit?)

(they have nothing in orbit, its not always copy pasted every world is the same at the same TL)

(Ah, ok) "Well, looks like everything of immediate interest is on the planets surface, can we move into orbit and prepare a team to go to the planets surface, ideally covertly rather than overtly armed."

"Should we run silent to orbit then? Agent?" the captain asks, holding off for a moment on directing the comms officer

"I think that would be ideal, we don't know what they have in the way of scanners on the surface."

(If you've got program skills we can have you do the check, otherwise I can roll as the ships comms officer, your call)

(I'd leave it to the comms officer, not my area of expertise)

Just for reference

"A good view from up here, have we identified which is the capital city/largest population centre?" (edited)

"We're unnoticed. It appears that Twainbridge has the most in the way of power generation and communications bands, second to the shipyard to the south"

"Ok, how about we set down on its outskirts and do some reconescence"

10:46 AM

(Shipyard as in water ships or ...)

(Its purposefully vague)

(Ok, do we have a lander?)

(It has a cargo lighter, which you'd use, ill be back to roll20 in a min, they have to roll to see if they detect it)

(Ok, sounds good)

(13 detection vs 12 evasion) The plan is quickly agreed to, and you head aboard the lighter for an excursion down to the planets surface below. The topography especially is strange- this world bearing all the marks of terraform failure. As the lighter enters the atmosphere, with the intent of setting down around the outskirts of Twainbridge to recon, planetary radar gets a whiff of your re-entry trail, and you can see the sky becoming filled with contacts as fighters take off from bases around the planet. They are several minutes away from your descending craft, and a comm light begins to chime in the cockpit. "Want to take that one?" the pilot asks

"Yes, definitely" "This is Agent Adamaris of Greystar, we are a peaceful envoy, come to explore this planet"

"Agent Adamaris, this is the wing commander of the Red Hawks. Change course to St. Elmos Lighthouse, and the landing field near it, and we will escort you in. Deviation from the route will have you fired upon" The pilot looks to you, for what course to take

"That's not a problem for us, we had little idea where best to go anyway, perhaps you can give us the guided tour"

Two sleek interceptor atmoflyers take up station on your flanks, after a few moments, and begin guiding you in. Below, after a fifteen minute flight in relative silence, you see the lighthouse. It is a very tall structure, 150m tall, and you see it is so much more than a traiditonal lighthouse. Radio, and telemetry signals bounce to and from it, some projected into the void, others beamed to different places on the planet. It is a complex work, clearly the work of a generation of engineers

"Well, looks like that's how they spotted us"

7:48 AM

"I'd suggest we're on our guard just in case they try anything"

So far, the alarms have been silent, but the planes have remained on station. Below, a dozen helipads and a long airstrip, and a second, facing opposite directions, looms from the breaking cloud cover. Runway lights turn on surrounding pad 6, and you see two jeep like vehicles rapidly heading over to it, filled with tiny figures

"Looks like that's where they want us, I'll head down so that I can greet them" (edited)

The lighter parks on a helipad, the one designated, as the halftracks, now that you can see them, arrive. Soldiers with modern looking carbines hop out, though they are dressed in loose ring mail, and hauberks over them, all emblazoned with Catholic imagery. Crosses, roses, clasped hands, and sunbursts of holy light are common, Some have prayer beads strung into the links of mail. Their officer is some sort of church official. He is wearing a black button up shirt, the same for pants, and is only identified as a member of the cloth due to his collar.

3:34 PM

He is young, barely out of seminary you'd guess, judging by what you know of the faith from Central's surviving records

"As the reports suggested, a world ruled by faith, although the mixture of technologies is certainly odd, I'm going to go down for a chat, I'd appreciate a minimal show of force for now." Adamaris steps off the deck and heads down to the ground floor entrance to meet our hosts.

(Are you armed yourself? or just telekinetic armory if needed )

(Just TK armoury, the slyth sword is on the ship, but I wouldn't be bringing it with me)

The religious official, and four guards jump over the side rail of their keep and their boots crunch into the rocky offspill of the runway. One holds up a hand to show they are not adopting an aggressive posture

I will step forward with a hand raised as if to offer a handshake. "Good day, how are you all, thank you for your welcome to the planet, I am Adamaris of Greystar."

"I am Father Erikson, of the Jesuit Order. Welcome to Buey , Adamaris, May God be with you. I am sure you are tired from your trip, but I must report, what brings you to our planet?"

"Many thanks for your welcome, we have come here to explore this planet, as it is one of our closest neighbours" (edited)

"Closest neighbors you say? And where might you be from?" he takes a moment to remove his glasses and clean them with a small rag from his pocket

"The Acastus System, but a short hop through interdimentional space from here"

"Acastus...we thought...does that False Goddess still live?"

"She does not, she was displaced before greystar arrived on the planet, but we are still dealing with ongoing cult activity. We hope that in time, it can be dealt with."

“I’m glad the false goddess was cast down. There is only one true god” he says with fervor. “So you’ve come to pick up the pieces from that mess. Have you?”

"We have indeed, we have begun to assist with rebuilding the planet, and providing infrastructure to make it prosperous, as part of that, we are reaching out to our neighbours."

7:44 PM

"We hoped that we could be of mutual benefit"

He strokes his chin, where a days worth of unshaven stubble resides, the tips a silky gray. "I see. And what benefit are you after most fervently?"

"Friendship is our immediate aim, we wish to become allies with our neighbor's, so to reduce conflict around us. We are also in need of raw materials if you would like to open a communication between the traders of both planets, then I feel it could be mutually beneficial?"

"Our world is poor in both materials and farmland. We are of little help to you there. We fight the spreading 'blight' as much as we fight the northeastern enclave of apostates"

"What is the blight you speak of?"

"Our world was in the process of being terraformed when the disaster a few years ago happened. The machines went haywire, and blew out. They'll never work again, we know that much at least. The land where soil enrichment was occurring underwent some kind of mutation or change. It's spreading like a mold, whatever it is, we can only dig and scrape the advancing edge of it away so many times before we have nothing left"

7:10 AM

(its those weird faded blue streaks on the map)

Nekosmash 8/14/2019 7:10 AM

"Hmm, that is an unfortunate event, might I be able to take a look, it may be possible for me to determine its cause and assist with the removal?"

"We would not refuse outside help, especially someone as skilled as you seem to be. Have to try" he winks. He gestures for you to hop into the staff car with him "It is not often, and not in at least 3 years we have had visitors from offworld, though you can already tell we have had more than our share of problems here"

"It would be my pleasure, yes, it seems many misfortunes have befallen this part of the sector, but we must make of it the best that we can" I hop into the staff car, and send a message to the ship informing them of where I am going (edited)

The crew buttons the ship up to prevent boarding while you are away , and you're off, heading towards a cathedral looking building with dozens of support buildings around it. The roofs are red terra cotta tiles, remaining you of Moorish construction methods, with brilliantly cream walls. Stained glass and bronze crosses are ubiquitous

I take in the view around me, and ask, "What's the building ahead of us?"

"Ah the main cathedral here at the lighthouse. It's new, tithes from the faithful, to allow us to better serve the faith needs of the surrounding community. Its also the home for many of the workers here at the lighthouse, and those from the shipyard nearby often come on weekends for service and reflection"

3:14 PM

"The other monks in my order are doing what we can to keep the blight in the surrounding area from encroaching. The granary for the local area is stored below, in the crypts."

"Ah, very interesting, how close has the blight got?"

"About thirty kilometers to the southwest of town, we're on a peninsula here as you've seen, it is encroaching rapidly. Would you like to detour that way?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea, if it's approaching at speed, we should do something about it as soon as possible"

The car suddenly changes direction as you decide on this new course of action. "Under your seat, is a bag, there's a filter mask in it, and some protective equipment. We always keep them on standby, just in case" the priest says, and you see him digging around under his seat for an identical bag

"Ok, good to know that it's there, are we likely to need it?"

"We will. Close to the edge especially there are a lot of airborne spores. We think it's how it might be expanding, but we don't have a way to test it, or purify the air" he says sadly, "We mgiht be fighting a losing battle, or even making it worse by trying to dig back the blighted soil"

"Hmm, I may have sufficient equipment with me to test the spread of it, we'll have to see when we arrive." I'll test fit the mask, and ensure I'm happy with it's function, and then dig around in my bag to find the assortment of scanners, I'm feeling that they may be needed.

You have the gear readied, and the car comes to a halt after an hour of driving, to something that looks like a war front, with dig works, laborers, encampments , and engineering vehicles, scattered everywhere.

10:52 AM

Youre reminded of entrenchments and redoubts , though the enemy force this time is the ground itself

I'll put the mask on, and step out of the vehicle, as well as taking the bioscanner and beginning to sample the air around. I would also like to use metapsi to detect if there is anything around which is psyionically active. "Give me a little while to work out what's going on, and we'll see what we can do."

(lets get a notice/wis at +2 for scanning) The blight is natural, your metapsionic senses return no information

(10)

The bioscanner shows some basic data that this is a microbe meant to enrich the soil but is marked by a very very quick replication

(Does the bioscanner show what it is doing rather than improving the soil? Is it causing deterioration?)

(Basically it’s original intent is mutated or off course somehow. Now it’s consuming too much of the ground whatever it’s feeding on and spreading far beyond containment.)

(Ok) "Hmm, from a first pass, looks like whatever was improving the soil has gone wrong and vastly compromised it. The next question is, how to remove it." (Do I have any idea how best to treat it?)

(Not from just a cursory scan) “The only people who might know would be those damned apostates in the northeast. Their city is besieged by our righteous forces as we speak, for they refuse to give up the answers”

(Ok) "Hmm, perhaps I might talk with them?"

"It just so happens we have a prisoner exchange with them scheduled for tomorrow morning. Enough time to get to the siege lines and get a feel for things. If you wanted to try your hand, you could certainly try. The deal has already been agreed on, your requests won't endanger the exchange"

"Ok, sounds like a good plan, let's see what they have to say"

"We are flying into a warzone" he cautions "If possible, we'd like some kind of assurance that an accident or action by the enemy will not start an incident with your leadership"

"It shouldn't, I've provided my ship with info on what we are doing, and I'll send another update en route, plus, I tend to be quite hard to get rid of."

"Gratifying to hear" the priest says, and he motions for the group of you to proceed into the airbase you've landed at "Your decision, we can take your shuttlecraft, or the armored lander we normally use, honored guest. We wish to not cause undue concern"

"I'd suggest your vehicle, best not to give reason for additional concern, how long do we have until your exchange?"

"We need to leave now, right now, to make it on time, if we're prepared, lets be off" he begins climbing the ramp to a boxy and heavily armored personnel lander. It is daubed in holy iconography, notable Michael the archangel and his flaming sword, painted in artistic reverence on the side

"Suits me, let's be off" I'll send a message to the ship, updating them of the plans

They will shadow at a respectful distance, in case anything happens where you need a quick extraction. The lander takes off, heading toward the front. You see large stretches of churned blight below, and 40km out from the rebel fastness, you see the blight here is especially feroceous, even covering burned out vehicle hulks from the first days of fighting, with something like a blue fuzz, remaining you of bread left exposed to the air too long after days of not being eaten.,

10:22 AM

the walled rebel city is ahead, a few palls of smoke from inside, and from outside on the plains where both buildings and Church siege guns burn. Small arms fire has stopped, as has the continual artillery duels, in preparation for the exchange. FRom the ground someone lights a flare

"How long has this conflict been going on for, and why exactly?"

"Three years. They....they worship this blight. I...you'll see why in a moment"

7:56 AM

The lander comes to rest next to the burning white flare, and as its ramp opens you step off into the bright evening sunlight, backlighting the city in beautiful red and gold, and rimming the smoke clouds in the same tint

7:57 AM

A column of five vehicles, a tank, a cargo truck, and three armored staff cars, emerge from the main gate of the city. They are painted the same splash of yellow, brown, and blight blue that is also seen in the surrounding landscape.

Two sets of religious zealots, thinks Adamaris, what could possibly go wrong! "Curious, shall we head out?"

They nod, and exit the craft. A small company of crusading men at arms accompany you to the exchange. The staff cars open their doors, and a trio of dignitaries emerge, covered by their own host of men, emerging from the truck. Their flakplate and flesh has patches of the blue blight spreading on it, growing fuzz, and small cillia like hairs that wave and ripple as they sense...whatever it is they sense, in the air. Some have hands that have fused into a trio of long, branch like fingers, connected to a hand and wrist that is swollen, but still recognizable as humanoid.

Can I use metapsi again to check if they are physically active as well please

3:26 PM

"I'll follow your lead if you'd like to make the exchange first."

(as long as you have enough effort left to do it, yes) You reach out with your metapsionic senses and each one has a telepathic link to one another, and to some immense mental presence back within their city. You're unable to make anything intelligible from it, but you can sense the web of connection easily enough.

(From memory it doesn't take effort, but I do have effort available if it does)

11:28 AM

(Yep, psychic refinement is effortless)

(thats fine, just want to be diligent about tracking)

You reach out with your metapsionic senses and each one has a telepathic link to one another, and to some immense mental presence back within their city. You're unable to make anything intelligible from it, but you can sense the web of connection easily enough. They are all interlinked to one another, and to whatever is back in the city. The prisoners they drag out are in their battle gear, though stripped of armor and weapons. Only their tunics and booted feet remain of their uniforms. With how desperate the fighting looks, you can image everything else is being re-purposed or issued to someone in the city who needs it more. There are ten prisoners, one of whom is clearly a church officer of some kind

"Are those the prisoners as expected?" Adamaris says quietly.

"Little worse off than I wanted them to be, but they;re ours." he whispers. One of the presiding church officers, wearing the black flackplate and red robes of a cardinal signals, and a truck drives forward. Fifty chained and mold addled soldiers are herded off the back by Church soldiers in breather masks and chemical protective suits.

1:32 PM

The two groups eye one another, un-trustingly, the prisoners on both sides not permitted to move forward, yet

"Ok, well, who makes the first move?"

The priest holds up a hand for quiet for a moment and at that time an officer from each side steps forward, each with a sheaf of papers verifying ID and containing a list of those captured. The blight soldiers all seem to be fixed on their leader and you can see telepathic pulses going between all of them and command

1:24 PM

Some of them tense or shift subtly

Adamaris stands calmly, watching the scene in front of him, and closely examining the telepathic pulses and wondering what could be generating them.

Wordlessly, the blighted captives begin moving forward, back toward their own lines. With a shove, the church officers and soldiers are sent back to their own. “Hostilities will resume in two hours. The emergency line remains open for future exchange” the blight officer says, his voice is wet and his sharp teeth click and hiss as he pronounces his vowels. His tone is sibilant

Once the exchange is complete, Adamaris will speak up. "Good Afternoon Sir, I am Adamaris of Greystar." I'll start to read his emotional state while saying this. "Why do the hostilities have to continue?"

“They will not submit to the will of the blight. It seeks only to bring benevolence and enrichment to all corners of this world. The church has decreed us as a false faith, and will not rest until we repent. You know this means death” he clicks as he speaks

(Am I able to read his emotional state?)

(No, Adamaris is trying but it would feel like trying to get a read from an inanimate object. You can surmise though, based on what he’s saying)

(Ok)

2:43 PM

"But why do you choose to spread through spores and contaminate the earth? Surely you must also grow crops to feed your people?"

"We have no need to disturb the soil for the hateful tilling of crops, the blight sustains any who give themselves over to it. It is painless, only sapping a small amount of strength, but the rewards are great for those who make a bond"

"What are the rewards you offer your people?"

"Brotherhood, friendship, and escape from pain and privation, all we ask, is for service in return. These Church ....soldiers, fancying themselves crusaders...they will not allow us to worship the blight for the true gift it is"

"Hmm, very well, I can see your two peoples really have little in common. Thank you for entertaining my queries."

The blighthost says nothing, but bows lightly in reply, and begins moving away from the exchange, back toward the convoy. You see the telepathic links lighting up between them all, and the prisoners move to follow him without a spoken command

7:52 PM

You see some of the Church soldiers getting rifles raised, or weapons braced, as the fungal hosts turn their backs. The priest you are with seems to be making no effort to stop them

"How soon will the fighting start again?"

Rifles continue to raise, and the departing enemy prisoners are covered until they board their trucks, and head back toward the city. "Almost as soon as they're inside. They refuse to give us the information we need about how to stop this, or even what it's become"

“I hope you see now that we have to get into that city somehow and figure this out for ourselves”

"Yes, absolutely, they seem to be linked telepathcally, but I can't seem to interpret anything that they're saying. Do you have a plan beyond a continuing conflict?"

"We had plans to try to sneak a team into the city, it's just a matter of them avoiding detection. This telepathy you speak of...we suspected it before, but you've confirmed it. They'll notice if someone tries to talk to an infiltration team, and they can't respond"

8:48 AM

"We think that's what happened to the last group that went in"

"Yes, a superb security system really, but if it could be compromised... I suspect they would be vulnerable."

“Any thoughts on how that might be possible?” (I don’t think it would be apparent to them you’re a psychic. You haven’t done anything that would give them knowledge of it)

"The spores appear to connect them in some way, there a psychic abilities that make this sort of thing possible, but I've never seen it on this scale."

(So basically to get an infiltration team in, to steal the data, the telepathic contact needs to be mimicked or disrupted) (edited)

(Yep, sounds fun, next to figure out how!)

"Right, you've confirmed this, as we've said" He says something else, but the concussive boom of one of the Church field guns drowns out his words, as it fires one of its mighty shells towards the defensive wall of the city

"Yep, sorry, just spitballing aloud to try and figure out a method to disrupt it, might I suggest we make ourselves scarce before they shoot back?"

They do shoot back, a trio of guns from the wall, but the shells are on a shallower trajectory, splashing into Church trenches snaking closer to the walls. "We should. They'll be sending out fliers soon and we don't want to be caught in the lander when they come"

"Have you a ssfe base of operations relatively nearby from where we can look into this further?"

"We have a small observation posts on one of the nearby mountains that overlook the city, It'll be a bit of a hike, we'd need to drop you off beyond visual range. They don't know its up there since we've been keeping air traffic away. Would that be okay?"

"Yes, that sounds very suitable, and I certainly wouldn't mind the walk." I'll also message the ship at this point and update them again as to the plans.

(did you need supplies at all or do you think you've got what you need?)

(For now, I think I have what I need, thanks)

You're transferred to the wilderness overlooking the rebel enclave below, still some kilometers out, beyond the range of their radar, ground observers, or air defenses. you pass a few plane crashes on the way up- their detection range evidently learned through hard fought trial and error. The woods are silent and it does not appear the blight has spread this far out. Birds chirp in the trees and there are tracks of various woodland creatures criss-crossing the muddy path

I'll make all haste towards the enclave, but also make a few notes of the flora and fauna in the area. (Does the spread of blight appear to be from one point, out in all directions, or something more directed?)

(It's tigerstriping the planet. The world map is pinned to this thread, and its all the sky blue land areas)

(Ah, ok, got it) "The areas of blight, are they all populated with soldiers of the blight?"

You arrive hours later, not seeing a single soul, and the sentries at the small listening post let you in. You're taken to the base commander so he can meet you, and answer questions you might have with more of a frontline perspective "There are pockets, here or there, with fungal rebels. We regularly make sortees out to handle the apostates"

"Interesting, what have you found are the best way to deal with the apostates?" (edited)

“Flame. The fungus burns, but it pollutes quite a bit. Spores travel with the hot smoke, so we clean one area but it spreads to another”

"Interesting, have you got lab samples anywhere, and have any other substances proved good at removing it?"

"We haven't, that is why we need to get into the city and sift through their research data. They've no doubt uncovered...something"

"Hmm, a chicken and egg problem"

"They know how to spread it, so they , we think, know how to prevent its spread, too"

6:23 PM

"Sifting through their data will give us either answers, or we will know what gaps their knowledge has"

"Hmm, yes, although the problem is finding a way to get in there without detection, which the research will surely help with, alas, we will have to figure something out ourselves"

(On the way back to Acastus post Shipyard Heist, Slyth 30/30, 11/30 Piggen, Presumably back to the Buey storyline now?)

(Yeah lets do that) “On our own is the way. I agree. A telepath might be able to mimic what they are doing but I have no idea where we could even go to get one “

"Well, I dabble with a little of those matters, so may be able to be of some assistance, what do you think may be required?

"We need to get into the city to see if we can locate where information about this blight, or how to stop its spread might be. If you can mimic the telepathic contact with one another they all have, and we can get you a disguse, you shoud be able to infiltrate the city

"Hmm, were those the last of the prisoners earlier, or are there more elsewhere?"

"The ones brought to the front have been released, but we do have another 10 in holding closer to the rear support trenches, enemy scouts we captured within the last few days

"That sounds like a good plan, I can attempt to create a connection that can fool them, and we will see if it is successful"

"You're the expert on that, but you having an idea puts me at ease. How soon do you think you can begin?"

"I can begin as soon as I have a subject available to test the theory"

A few calls are made and an hour later an enemy scout is dragged into the room. Her head is bagged and you can see restraints keeping her hands in her lap, out of reach of grabbing anyone’s weapon. She is quiet and seems content enough to wait for whatever is about to happen

"Thank you for being present here" Adamaris reaches out with his mind, attempting to feel the psychic link and replicate it in some way.

You feel yourself entwine around the psychic senses of the fungal/human hybrid standing before you. You feel its thoughts, and the racing thoughts of all the others that make up the web of telepathic thought it shares

(Can I tell if it can feel me?)

(You can tell that it senses another mind on the connection, but not that youre an outsider, or that you're you specifically, you're just another link in the chain)

(Apologies I've not been too responsive, it's been a busy few days) Adamaris walks closer to gauge the hybrid's reaction

It looks around curiously, sensing the presence in its mind, but unsure where it is coming from. The bag over its head certainly likewise prevents easy identification of what is happening right now.

Looking content with this result, Adamaris breaks the connection. "Looks like this might work, they can sense me, and seem not to mind my presence"

"You've done more in a few hours of work than we've been able to accomplish since the beginning of the war. Well, what do you think, dare we put this into practice? "

"I don't see anything else to do but to, time to dress up and take a walk"

Darkness falls over the battlefield after a few hours pass, and now that you know the link can work, and have had time to practice, the plan is for you to slip into no man's land, in a stolen uniform, and approach the enemy city (unless you have another idea)

(I don't, no) Adamaris prepares himself, and establishes the connection

You feel a sense of static for a moment, and then the same hive of thoughts passing between all members of this community. Approaching the walls, there is a buzz in your mind, and looking up, you see two sentries on the wall looking down at you. You get the sense they are trying to challenge you, for purposes of admission to the city

I look up to them and acknowledge them, sending the thought that I am supposed to be entering the city

They send a thought back that they’re sorry for keeping you and the main gate opens a small amount, to let you in. Two tanks are parked 20m away on the opposite side of the gate along with a dozen blight cult soldiers, all wearing the same face covering uniforms. Flags of sky blue and ochre showing a twisting tree hang from windows of the brownstone like buildings. If you hadn’t seen what they truly are this would look every bit a normal city

I walk through the gate, looking around for any useful intel, but also trying to look as if I'm just going about my daily business. I'm also looking for where the telepathy is centralised, and hence, where might be best to disrupt it.

There is not much readily visible that would be useful, though the fact the people here live almost the same way as those outside the walls is striking. This blight has not stripped them entirely of their culture or way of life. There is a pull toward the center of the city, where a former Crusader Army armory has been built up and fortified into some sort of central fort.

I'll head towards the central fort, but I'm now wondering whether there may be another side to this war, that may need some investigation.

The fort is a tall donjon of white stone now grey and brown with dirt and the lack of routine cleaning. The structure itself is solid as ever. It is heavily guarded. Rocket teams patrol the roof, on watch for church aircraft. Others watch the roads around the fort and still others use their position of height to look over the walls out across the battlefield. Two figures that look to be engineers point to a church gun battery in the distance and are drawing up plans

Ok, while they seem somewhat distracted, I would head towards the fort with purpose

(Sneaking up, or are you trying to be seen?) (edited)

(Trying to be seen)

You feel a prickle on your mind as you get close to the main gates of the fortress as two sentries take notice if you. They’re connected telepathically to whatever is inside and are trying to open a link with you, presumably to challenge your entry

I open the link as I have before, and imply that I am supposed to be in attendance

Supposed to be here? Who are you here to see? The grand vizer has no appointments today

Yes, I was sent a message, it was important

A message? Concerning what? they ask in unison. Their posture is guarded but still not hostile we were not informed of any visitors

Their weapons hang loose on straps and you can feel other minds beginning to answer their inquiries

(.)