Iron Stars

Max Davenport sits behind a desk in the Greystar starhab, above the planet of Acastus. A relatively new agent he was selected for his unique abilities, and his seemingly natural knack for blending in. The Confederation is investigating several small matters right now. Most notably the confederation is trying to locate other stocks of administrative materials, supply caches , and other objects of note from the Acastan Plutocracy days A recent theft (ThAts now been resolved) used paper documents from this period of Acastan history , and everyone is eager to ensure this doesn’t happen again

Max brings up the case files for the theft. Perhaps tracing the origin of these documents provided clues to finding more.

(I'm still catching up with history. How far back do these papers date ,and is there a particular reason they're still valid?) (edited)

(The plutocracy was the government that the still lady toppled. Within the last 10 years. People recognize them still and just assumed they were valid but they’re not)

(ahh, the power of a guy with a clipboard. Makes sense.)

The documents were traced to a warehouse district on the western edge of town, in a neighborhood not often trafficked by authorities, or anyone with good intentions. Greystar agent recently explored the building and took some of the documents into evidence, but someone else knew they were there first, and finding those people is the key to ensuring more thefts due to misinformation stop

5:19 PM

(basically the thieves had government collaborators, and we're trying to sniff them out)

Max starts to look up how Greystar became aware of this warehouse and if possible who exactly knew about it. He also tries to remember if he knows anyone from his P.i. days who would deal in these kind of documents.

6:41 PM

(I assume that second part is a connect roll. wisdom for the stat? and do I need to roll anything for the first bit?)

(connect/wis is fine, and no, no roll for the first bit)

(I got a 10)

You have a friend who recently became a low level admin for Greystar, now working in greytown to the south of Ash city. They might know something about caches of documents.

Max decides to pay his friend a visit to see what he can learn about the document caches and the procedures involved in securing them.

Transport is secured for travel south, via a swift grav car with a driver and bodyman to ensure your safety, on loan from the confederation itself. The drive takes two hours, traveling at top speed along the mostly empty road before you arrive in the small settlement of Greytown. The administration center is an ugly building, lit by neon, and blocky. Your contact is working inside.

Max finds his way inside and knocks on his contacts door. "Hey I heard you got a new job. Congratulations. Do you have some time to talk?"

A woman sits behind one of the desks in the upstairs office, and gestures for you to sit. "How's it going Max? Ive got some time, what can I help you with? " It seems her keys never leave the keyboard, flying across the surface with speed, constantly hammering away at the endless amounts of low level admin work needed to keep Greystar running.

"I've been asked to look into some stuff that was missing from a cache of old plutocracy office supplies. I remembered you worked with that sort of thing, so I was hoping you could fill me in. How we find them, what the procedures are for handling them, that sort of thing. It's probably just a clerical error, but I've got to look into all the possibilities."

"Oh, old old government stuff. Most people can't even tell the difference. It looks official enough so they just assume the old stuff is still valid. Didn't help that The Still Lady and her followers made destroying government records and killing administrators something of a hobby. Anything that might be left is going to be in low traffic areas of town. Places even the cult wouldnt have had much reason to go. I'd try to identify some vacant properties like warehouses, old personal storage centers, things like that. Anything remaining empty since plutocracy days, where nothing new has been registered since.

9:19 PM

"Those are probably the only places left that might have any stores of the old forms. When we find them we catalogue, count, and then destroy them- aside from saving an example of each for posterity."

"That sounds like a lot of work. Who's in charge of organizing that? I'll need to ask them how they confirm their counts. I also need to know who to call if I run into one of these caches myself."

(organizing the cataloging? or the finding abandoned properties?)

(I'm trying to get the entire chain. From hunting the properties to burning the documents. If we have a mole who knew about the documents then I want to find out everyone who knew. It will also help if I want to set up a sting operation.)

"Well there's an urban acquisitions and planning department, they're responsible for finding the sites and just generally taking care of the cities across various planets that Greystar is responsible for. They're not a big group, but they're going to be what starts the whole chain. I'm not sure who they report to after that, but they can probably tell you"

"Thanks I'll have to look them up. Please give me a call if you think of anything else. Is there anything can help you with while I'm here?" If she doesn't have anything else to discus, then Max will say his goodbyes and return to his car to look up the UAPD.

"just stop whoever is doing this. Food and goods prices have gone through the roof due to the theft, since there's no surplus anymore. Maybe a nice bar of Acastan Chocolate once this whole mess is taken care of, and we'll call it even?"

"I intend to." Max smiles "As for the chocolate I think I can manage that. Darker the better right? I'll see you later." Max returns to his car and looks up the UAPD where the nearest office is, who's in charge, and a list of personnel if it's available. (I wasn't sure how public this investigation is. Is it common knowledge that the documents were stolen?)

(only among the Gs inner circle and choice people youre going to for investigation help)

7:23 PM

(they dont want to risk anyone getting forewarned and going to ground)

(Ok so sticking with the "it's probably a clerical error" story makes sense then. Thanks.)

The nearest UAPD office is in the lower level of Ash City's new administration center. Their managing director is publicly listed, but a list of site personnel is not published on any database you have access to. Some parts of their netsite are still under construction, and the lack of information is because of the new move, not because of deliberate digital obfuscation

As Max heads back to Ash city he contacts the director to ask for a meeting.

The request goes unanswered the entire drive back to Ash city, the out of office recording plays over and over again. Your emails are likewise returned with an out of the office tag on them

(What time is it? For story reasons I assume this is unusual and they're not just asleep.)

(its unusual. It would be second rise right now, so afternoon)

*This was interesting. Was it coincidence or something. * Max decided not to wait for an appointment and headed strait for the office.

You see through the glass doors when you arrive that only a handful of the lights are on. A clerk is behind the desk typing away on a computer and lsitening to music through a pair of wired compad earphones.

Max approaches, politely gets the clerks attention and shows his Greystar id. "Hello I'm Agent Davenport, could I please speak with the Director." He knew they wouldn't be available but the reason he was given might be informative.

"The director is in an important meeting right now" he lies. "He does not have time for you today. We can schedule an appointment for you in...three weeks. You can wait that long right? Not like those buildings are going anywhere!"

8:02 AM

He tries a lighthearted laugh, but is utterly unconvincing

So he's covering for them. I wonder if they're avoiding me or if they're missing. "No I'm afraid I need to speak with them today. But it won't take long and I can wait till after the meeting. Who's the meeting with and when will it be finished?"

"I cannot divulge to the public who the director meets with. He should be done in...six hours"

"That's a long meeting, but I can wait. Any chance I could get a tour in the meantime?"

"A tour? I suppose you can see the cafeteria if you really want to"

"Ah, I meant if someone could show me how it is you do what you do." Max sighs "You're going to play this out to the end aren't you. Look, you and I both know your boss isn't in a meeting, and I'm starting to think I can't afford to wait the six hours it would take to catch you in that lie. So tell me, did he order you to cover for him or are you doing this on your own." (How much authority do I and the agency have? for instance could I threaten someone with an obstruction of justice charge if I need to?)

(You have authority to do that yes)

11:48 AM

(Let’s get a talk/cha At +2)

(I got an 11. I'm fairly sure that's right,but on mobile and can't see my character sheet so you may want to double check.)

“I know what’s expected of me and what to do. He’s in his office probably dodging you right now or trying to find a way to be busy “

"Ordinarily you're loyalty would be admirable, but you're interfering with an investigation. Please inform the director that I am here to see him." Max will accompany the clerk to the director's office.

The clerk pulls you aside before you barge in and whispers. The Director keeps a gun in his desk. Be careful. If you startle him or make him feel cornered he might do something stupid (edited)

Max whispers back. "What's going on, I tried to get an appointment to ask some polite questions and now I'm being told I may be shot?"

“Just warning you he has one. Sheesh” There is a faint knock on the door as the clerk announces himself and is told you can come in The director is a slightly overweight man with a pencil thin mustache and a shirt collar stained yellow by sweat on an otherwise somewhat white shirt

Max enters the room, gestures that the clerk may leave, and closes the door. "Good second rise Director, sorry for interrupting but there seems to be a problem with your com unit and I couldn't make an appointment. I assume you know why I'm here?"

"I don't. Looking for buildings or something? trying to open a business?"

"No, I've been told your office handles the old Plutocracy supply caches. It looks like some documents went missing from one of them and I've been asked to investigate. I was hoping you could fill me in on the procedures you use to deal with them. How they're found, what you do with them after, all that sort of stuff."

"Alright, and youre from...where...exactly? I don't owe you an explanation for how our office handles sensitive government matters"

Max shows his Id "I'm agent Max Davenport Greystar Combine. I can wait while you confirm my authorization if you wish."

“Alright. Alright. No need for that. You said what you’re here for. The documents are found mostly by accident. Usually in the properties our office finds and reclaims. They’re usually moved to a storage facility until we get a sufficient volume and then from there we burn them. We save an example of each for posterity. Just to not entirely erase the cultural heritage of the planet

"Thank you, it seems likely this is just a clerical error but I still need to investigate. I'm going to need a list of everyone who knew about the cache at <Max gives the address of the warehouse.>. I'm curious do you ever get reports of caches from outside your department?" (I want to check that I have the timeline right. The theft occurred after the cache was found but before it was moved to the storage facility?)

(Yes)

8:29 PM

“Ah yes we had found documents there and had not destroyed them yet. “

"Was there anything unusual about this site or the way it was handled?"

"Crews we sent out to investigate were very late getting there, for really no reason we can determine"

"It sounds like I'll have to speak with them. Could I please get their contact info as well as the personnel list."

He provides the names of 4 men who were supposed to remove those documents. Looking at the names, you see Greystar has fired all of them from their posts already (notice/wis)

(6)

You realize that he is trying to divert your attention to an already completed investigation. This office knew documents existed that would aid the theft, and delayed in sending agents to the scene to remove the sensitive documentation. All you need to prove is that these people contacted the Constellation Supremacy Front, and who their contact was in the CSF. It seems you've stumbled on your mole.

11:17 AM

No one else should have known those documents were there aside from the people in this building

(What sort of surveillance assets do I have access to? For instance could I get a wiretap on the office and the directors coms?)

(Yes, you could order that)

"Thank you. Unless you can think of anything else, I believe I have all I need right now."

He has nothing else to offer right now and sits back down in his chair , breathing heavily

"Well I know you must be busy so I'll get out of your hair." Max takes his leave and as he's out of the office and clear of any areas he might be surveiled he begins arranging for a wiretap on the office, the director and if possible the clerk.

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(Does this mean I found enough evidence to bring him in? I had assumed I'd need to do more investigating.)

You realize that he is trying to divert your attention to an already completed investigation. This office knew documents existed that would aid the theft, and delayed in sending agents to the scene to remove the sensitive documentation. All you need to prove is that these people contacted the Constellation Supremacy Front, and who their contact was in the CSF. It seems you've stumbled on your mole.

@Nekosmash

No one else should have known those documents were there aside from the people in this building

@Nekosmash

9:35 AM

(this was from a couple days ago, but its where our investigation is, but you got through a tense encounter and got the info you need to finish this)

9:35 AM

(the record audit of their comms will reveal they contacted the CSF)

(I knew I'd found him I just didn't realize the rest was just routine clean up.) With the case wrapped up it was time for Max to pay his debts. He set off for a high end chocolate maker and purchased a selection for his contact.

**Level Up**
Level:2
Focus: Connected
Old HP: 6
HP Roll: 6
New HP: 7
New Skills: Boost Cha to 14 for 1sp, Notice-1 for 2sp, Connect-1 from focus with 1sp remaining.
Current AB: 1

Acastan chocolate is widely regarded as the best for many sectors around and you have no trouble getting a bar for a few credits and a bit of time spent wandering the streets for a vendor It’s wrapped in shining wax paper that keeps it dry and cool in the ever present heat and rain

(While I'm shopping I'd like to pick up some other things) ''' Shopping list: Tl4 Backpack 50 TL4 Binoculars 200 2x Glowbug @5 = 10 Lazarus patch 30 Stun batton 50 Power cell, type A 10 Total 350 credits And they're not on the equipment list but would I be able to get a pair of handcuffs? ''' (I've also added a couple of goals. The dna sampler is mostly as a reminder I need to go adventuring for one not for xp.)

(we have been using the TL4 rope since it can be cut for restraints, in the absence of other game mechanics)

(Thanks I'll pick up a coil of that as well then. I assume there aren't any problems with my list?)

(none, everything can be found

With the mole located Max began looking for his next job. Seeing a request for a security sweep of Leda he started a search for available transport.

(Svenka offered to let me borrow their ship, but I'd need a pilot.)

(we can do that, or take a shuttle which also has pilots, either way)

(Let's go with the shuttle so I'm not tying up Svenka's ship.)

The shuttle is loaded with enough crew and supplies to get you to Leda, and the small settlement on its surface allows you to land directly after a 3 day jump (we have a handout near the top of the roll20 for what you can train or work on during the down time of spike jumps)

4:02 PM

45,000 people call Leda home, all of them concentrated in a single large and incredibly eco friendly city on its western coast. The planet does not boast impressive geography, but thousands of species from all across the universe live in specialized eco systems here as the planet's curators and naturalists seek to create a living genetic record of every creature from across the galaxy.

4:03 PM

The shuttle lands at the edge of one of the smaller pads meant for a craft of its size, and you're met with the head naturalist and acting planetary governor. He is an elderly man with a necklace of thick wooden beads, and walks with the aid of a gnarled branch rounded down and polished to a mirror sheen.

(I'd like to train Program) Max walks out onto the shuttle ramp and looks around at the daylit scene. It was pretty enough, but there was something wrong about that bright blue sky. Pulling his hat down against the glare he approaches the naturalist and offers his hand. "Hello Governor, thank you for coming to greet me. You have a beautiful world here." (If there's a local custom of greeting he'll use that instead.)

"Thank you for coming. I understand Greystar is doing an internal sweep to make sure we don't have any more trouble with rebels or thieves. I'm pleased they've sent someone to look into things, though I doubt you'll have anything to find here. Still, the formalities need to be observed" he says, tapping his stick into the ground a couple times. "Anything I can do to assist you, it will be yours, just ask"

"We all hope there's nothing to find, but the only way to know that is to look. Perhaps you could tell me about your world. I've read the entry in the planetary directory but it always helps to have a locals view. Is there anything Greystar can help with while I'm here?" (edited)

“The feud with Suha is long over with now. As I said, we are trying to preserve a living genetic record of the entire universe here on this world. We are careful about who we let into the jungles and even among our own people, only certain ones can go into the woods to repair or inspect the automated fire watch and observation towers “

"Does that cause tension? I'd expect on a world this fertile that some people would want to spread out."

"It can. I think sometimes the jungle calls to people too, they get a taste of the wilds and the freedom,a nd don't want to come back"

"That's an area I should probably look into then. I hear some of the Scions of the Storm have come over through the L-gate. How are they settling in?"

“They’ve remained here in the main settlement with us though have a small team watching over the gate. It’s a calmer world than they’re used to out here. A few got sick with the metaspace sensitivity couldn’t cope with how much duller it is on this side of the gate and had to return”

"So it sounds like they're doing well. I think I'll still give them a visit and see if they have any concerns. I believe that's all I need for now. I would appreciate if you kept the reason for my visit quiet, it's easier to find threats if they don't know your looking for them."

“Of course. There are some reverse bikes at the edges of town in a few different watch posts over the jungle. If you need a quick ride that’s the best way through (edited)

"Reverse bikes?"

"Two wheels in front, and one in the back. It's more stable and more adaptable to some of the rocky trails going through the rainforest"

7:18 PM

"The wheels are independently suspended so you're not going to tip over if you hit a stone at high speed, and they have a ghost driver system if you don't know how to drive yourself"

"Ah, sounds like a very practical vehicle. Thank you for your assistance." Max shakes the governors hand, and goes to visit the Scions of the Storm.

The scions are a half day's ride from the city, through the protected jungles here. You've never seen more varied foliage in one place. The dense trees hide most of the animals that would be living here, birds and bugs especially, but they have learned to avoid the roads if at all possible over time. You pass an automated firewatch tower along the way, and it is testing its high pressure hoses - droplets forming a perfect rainbow across the sky as they catch the afternoon sun. As late afternoon begins beating down on you, a clearing ahead opens to an ivory stone gate, with a thin energy field suspended inside it. There is a gentle whisper in the clearing comign from the gate, and the temperature is cooler. Four huts occupy the clearing, with several figures in lightning streaked wizards like robes milling around talking, joking, and a few are playing cards

Max tries to project a friendly air and walks over to whoever looks to be in charge. "Hello, I'm Max Davenport, I'm with Greystar. I was on planet so I thought I'd come and see how you folks are doing."

"Mr. Davenport, we're doing fine. Just keeping the gate to our homeland safe, and making sure no one from our side comes through without authorization. Whats your business on the planet?"

"It's something of a working vacation. I'm checking to see if there are any problems that need to be passed up to higher authority, and I get to enjoy this beautiful planet. It's quite the change from Acastus."

"different from our side of the gate as well. Our home is a world of oceans and storms. It rains as much there as it does on Acastus though, if not more. We don't see the sun that often. Still more than you though I guess"

"Yeah the only light we get is from the moons." He gestures to the gate. "So that leads to another world, amazing"

"It does. our world. Our main settlement in fact, if you don't mind the rain its not a bad place to live. It gets a little stifling once you realize you cant go anyplace else, though"

"I understand, even a golden cage is still a cage. Do you think I'd be allowed to visit some day?"

"You may visit now if its something you wish to do, but pack for the rain, certainly"

"Thank you. I'm from Acastus so I'm always ready for rain, I just need to get my coat from the bike. Is there anything I should know before going through the gate?"

“Any lighting you see wont hurt you unless you’re trying to force it to strike you. You might see some people swinging from bolt to bolt like Tarzan. That’s natural. Aside from that just be ready to get wet and don’t leave the confines of our little town. You might see wisps on the beach. Don’t follow them”

"Got it, don't worry about the lighting or or the people swinging from it, stay in town and don't follow the wisps. I think I can handle that." Max gets his coat, leaves a message saying where he's going, then heads through the L-gate.

You hear the wind gently rasping, and smell the salt on the air as you pass through the barrier. The sky darkens again, and you're left looking up at a storm swept land. Lightning cracks the sky overhead, illuminating the land in a bright blue. you see sturdy brick buildings around you and the warm glow of lights on within. The closest is some sort of bar, and it seems to be where msot of the people are congregating

Bars were always a good place to here rumors and get to know an area. Max pulled up his collar and started toward it. With this world tied so closely to Leda any threats could easily spill over.

Several people are inside drinking, including one Scion. From in here the tap of the rain against the roof sounds almost pleasant, comforting even. A large fire is heating the place against the cold touch of the sea air, and stones serving as the floor dry out quickly from the tracked in rain. A bartender works behind the bar, and someone is playing soft music on a piano that forms the background of the place, rather than drowning out conversations

Max walks up to order a beer. If no one starts a conversation he'll sit and listen for anything interesting he may overhear.

The bartender sets a frothy glass down in front of you “Don’t get many from your side through the gate. Where you from there stranger?” The bartender asks (edited)

"I'm from Acastus. I have some business on Leda and I couldn't pass up visiting your world. Anything I should make sure I see while I'm here?" (edited)

"The lighthouse is especially interesting on stormy nights like this. The lightning array is also something special to see, but I would recommend an escort if you follow that one up. The road and the woods are dangerous"

"Thanks, I'll have to pay the lighthouse a visit. So what's it like living here?"

"Storms all the time, though the elements feel good. The rain and nature being so harsh here keeps us healthy. Certain things are possible here that aren't on your side of the gate- metaspace storm and all. Not a mage myself, doesn't do a cup of water in the wind for me, but those in the know seem to appreciate we have something special

### INCOMING SECURE MESSAGE ###
To: Agent Max Davenport
From: Eisheru Tidecaller
RE: Office of Urban Acquisitions

Agent Davenport,

I wanted to personally take the time to reach out to you regarding your recent work at the Office of Urban Acquisitions. The work you did their was truly exquisite and is exactly what we in the Combine expect from our agents. Due to that hard work we have intercepted a communication from The Outside Entity that was trying to contact the traitors to find out more about the ongoing investigation. The message never made it to its destination due solely to your recommendation to set up a wire-tap of the facility.

Moreover, all of the personnel in the Office of Urban Acquisitions has been arrested and are awaiting sentencing and a trial date. They will be held accountable for their actions for having stolen from the mouths and pockets of the people of Acastus and our Confederation. You have done the Confederation proud in finding and helping to root out a group of traitors in our midst that would rather line their pockets than be loyal to their fellows.

As a reward, a bonus of 100,000 Credits has been wired to your account. This is outstanding work and you have great things ahead of you. Keep up the great work.

Signed,
Eisheru Tidecaller
Assistant Director, Greystar Combine
Tidecaller Primus

### END SECURE TRANSMISSION ###

Max takes a sip of his beer. "It seems like a nice place for us folk who don't mind a bit of water. So you've told me about your home, do you have any questions for me? It's only fair." (Does this seem like the kind of place where a new face would stand out, or if someone looks and acts like a local would they blend in even if no one has seen them before.)

(They’re behind the L gate so you’re not sure if the centuries of being exposed to raw metaspace has given them any kind of special sensitivity to one another. By outward appearances you wouldn’t look much different to them especially being from a night world yourself )

(My abilities would let me blend in almost perfectly. But this sounds like a small town so I wanted to check if it looked like a situation where everyone recognizes everyone else.)

(Oh yoid be able to blend in)

With the bartender not asking any questions, Max will finish his drink listening for anything interesting he can overhear.

They are worried about some beasts in the woods, especially if they get through into Leda, but so far the town watch has killed the few who have come close

Max starts walking to the lighthouse, keeping his eyes open for a watchman he can ask about the beasts

Two of them are standing guard near the base of the tower, and a third seems to be coming up the rain slicked stone road into town. You can see his light crook bobbing as he makes his way up the path toward the bar.

Max approaches the pair by the tower. "How are you folks this evening? I'm Max Davenport. I heard your having some problems with wildlife?"

"Phase Wolves. They're aggressive, incredibly so. Never used to bother the town or try to get through the gate before, but lately its all they want to do"

"That is concerning. Can you tell me more about these wolves? Has anything changed that might be causing this?" (edited)

"That is what we're unsure of right now. We don'tknow what might be going on out therE"

(My skills don't look like they'd be helpful for this. But would I have the clout to get some extra security forces and naturalists from Leda for an expedition to investigate?)

(Letting them know about the situation is already more information than they have, from there itll get passed up the chain)

1:17 PM

(can also let the greystar meeting know)

(Ok, I didn't want to just walk away if you'd done the work of preparing an adventure for me.) "Unfortunately I don't have the skills to investigate that. But I'll pass this on to my superiors at Greystar and hopefully we'll be able to help out. We've got a bunch of naturalists on Leda, so they may have some ideas. I was told the lighthouse was a sight not to miss while I was here, mind if I have a look?"

"I'd be happy to escort you, if you like"

8:37 PM

(this is your game buddy, I'll write whatever we need to do, not going to force you into something you dont care about or feel you're not suited for)

"Thank you. I'd appreciate that." Max will follow the guard.

The guard shuffles on his feet, turning around smartly, light crook bobbling as he walks. "So you'

7:41 AM

re from the other side of the gate. Leda is on that side, that's what they call the land if I remember right"

"Right on both counts, but I personally come from Acastus. Our weather's a lot like your's, although less energetic."

“Less energetic is more my speed. The lighthouse here used to keep watch for sailing ships before the weather got real violent like this Could still be useful for spacecraft if any got through. Suppose it’s tough to get something through the gate like that though, it only being a few meters tall”

"No, they'd need to be build here or find some other way through. Can you tell me more about the gate and the storms? It's quite the story an isolated sector connected only to a few distant worlds, I didn't really believe it until I stepped through."

“Well, we don’t know much about the gate. The storm happened hundreds of years ago once colonists arrived in this area

12:34 PM

We didn’t know the gates were powered or even connected to anything until a couple years ago when explorers from your side began to tamper with them”

"Do you know who built them?"

"We do not. They've been here as long as the expedition was here, but they're older than the Slyth, and the precursor race that came before them. Didn't power up until about four years ago now, and even then, it was spotty until people from your side started mucking about with them. that said, it's led to a good relationship, so it's hard to complain"

"I'm glad to hear there's no resentment. We want to be friends with our neighbors." Max continues with the tour.

The lighthouse is a large tower of what was once white marble, but is now darkened by the endless dirt sodden rain. The light beam is warm and amber, and spins, gently illuminating the surrounding seas and archipelago around it.

"So, this is our pride and joy here. It used to illuminate the entire surround, and even connect to some of the other islands and their lighthouses, but the seas are too dangerous for anyone but the mages or psychics to cross now"

"So you're cut off from other settlements?"

"Exactly right. The elementalists still get out to check on the other islands from time to time. Only a handful of people left really, anywhere close at least"

10:00 PM

"And those tht are still there don't want to leave their lands"

(I'm assuming this isn't just a problem of a low tech level. Speaking of which what does their tech level look to be?)

(And what's the planet's name? Nothing I saw on world anvil gave a name for the scions world.)

(It wouldn’t be clear since we are behind the L gate. It’s hard to make an abstraction of where they seem to be. We didn’t have the l gate sector generated until recently , so we didn’t have a name to add at the time. The planets name is ocirina

7:44 AM

(There isnt a map for it right now, since the only place you can get to is this island at the moment)

(Thanks.) Max shakes his head sadly. "I wish there was some way we could help, but you're the experts on storms. I'm not sure if one of our gravflyers could handle this even if we could get is through the gate."

"I'm sure the eggheads on your side might ber able to put something together. you've already spent more time here than anyone from your side has so far. A boat is always an option too, or perhaps a submersible. The tide or waves don't do much to you when you're under the water, I'd suppose"

"I'll pass that idea along. Is there anything else you'd like me to bring up while I'm at it?" (How big a vehicle can fit through the gate? Worst case a medium vehicle can be made field portable, but that's somewhat limiting.)

(think like stargate size. You could get a small boat through, or it could be assembled in pieces on this side)

7:48 PM

(since it would have to go overland through the Ledan jungle too)

(Then I guess we'll have to stick with field portable options. Do they have anything else they want me to pass on?)

(That's it for right now, but its way more info than anyone had)

"Thanks for showing me around, your people have been very welcoming." Max will finish the tour, and if nothing comes up he'll return to Leda.

Nothing further develops as your tour ends, and you're brought back to the gate- returned to the humid and bright jungles of Leda.

On his way back to the city Max takes in the sights of the jungle as he plans his report to Greystar about the situation on Ocrina.

(3xp, 5000 credits)

**Level Up**
Level: 3
Focus: NA
Old HP: 7
HP Roll: 12
New HP: 12
New Skills: Talk 1 for 2sp Sneak 0 for 1sp
Current AB: 1

Max finds his accommodations, then writes his report and sends a message to the governor. ''' Governor, thank you for the use of the reverse bike today. During my visit to Ocrina I became aware of a situation I thought you should know about. The locals are seeing unusual behavior from hostile wildlife. Creatures known as phase wolves have been attacking with the apparent intent to pass through the L-gate. This is outside my skillset so I will be informing my superiors. However given your specialty and the potential threat to the Leda ecosystem, I thought you might be able to provide some assistance. Thank you for your time, Agent Max Davenport, Greystar.'''

The elder will keep an eye out and move some rangers to keep watch near the gate, and he will alert the scions nearby as well so everyone is able to be aware of the situation

With his report finished Max changes his appearance before going out to build a network of contacts and informants. He starts by spending time in coffe shops and bars to get a feel for local gossip. (I'm to set up a network like I get from the connected focus but but stronger so that people will actively conntact me if they notice anything odd. Up to a $5000 budget for gifts, bribes, and other incidental expenses.)

5:53 PM

(also would we be able to get this vehicle through the gate or would we need to make it field portable?

Hull:	Groundcar, TL4
Fitting 1:	Environment, Water
Fitting 2:	Ghost Driver
Fitting 3:	Sealed Atmosphere
Fitting 4:	Advanced Sensors

)

(this could get through the gatE)

(Any updates on my action to recruit informants?)

(It depends how long we are spending doing this. I know it takes at least a week if not longer )

(yeah the focus is that if I spend a week in a place then there's people willing to do me favors. That happens in the background and this is more active so I didn't know how you wanted to handle it. This is an area where my character knows more than I do.)

On this side of the gate in Leda there isn’t much news. Just over 50,000 people live here and everyone is involved in the exhaustive maintaining of their carefully engineered hybrid biosphere. Free time is a very limited commodity and when it does become available people seem to simply enjoy not having to be responsible for a few hours. You’re able to source the parts and get the vehicle assembled during this time, and the Rangers have given you a temporary access pass so your vehicle can travel the jungle roads

With the sub ready Max buys power cells and emergency supplies for the vehicle, then heads to the gate to deliver it.

Type B Power Cell x10 $1000
Glowbug x5 $25
Lazzrus Patch X1 $30
Navcomp x1 $500
Pressure Tent x1 $100
Rations x10 #50
Survival Kit (For Ocrina) x1 60
Telescoping Pole x1 $10
Thermal Flare x5 $25

Total $1800

(I didn't see anyone pay for the sub, so I'll cover that. $55,000 Right?)

(Yes that’s correct

(If you want to keep it for yourself after, you can pay for it. Otherwise the Confederation has no problems footing the bill)

(I've already changed my character sheet. So let's leave it for now and if things go well I can be reimbursed after the delivery.)

(That's also an option. Just keep me in the loop either way. Happy hunting on that side of the L-Gate)

The vehicle is assembled on Leda, and once everything is competed it is turned over to you, easily enough for one person to drive comfortably. Your supplies fit inside and are placed within easy reach to cover any needs you might have during your exploration. The small electronic box, your pass to travel through the normally gated and protected roads of the jungle is affixed to the dashboard so you will not be troubled.

The vehicle was an ungainly looking beast on land, but it would be good enough to get to it's destination. Max climes through the hatch and sets off for Ocrina.

There is some commotion on the other side as Scions clear away from the gate, admiring the feat of engineering you have created. One of them runs an awed finger along the hull, and a small crowd of those present here are gathering, waiting to see if you're going to announce your plans.

Max looks to see if the guard who gave him the tour is here, otherwise he tries to find the most senior person present.

The guard is there at the edge of the crowd, returning from another patrol. He is leaning against a lightpole eagerly awaiting whats to come

Max get's out and walks over to the guard. "The eggheads liked your sub idea. What do you think?"

“Never expected someone to actually do it. And so soon. Incredible. So you have a crew picked out? This thing even need one?”

"It has a ghost driver, so in theory it can run on it's own until the power cell needs changing. But living pilot would be better in case something unexpected comes up. As for the crew, this is supposed to be your people's sub so I guess that's up to you. I will stick around it's being tested if that's alright." (So I know how to behave, is Ocrina officially part of Greystar or just a close neighbor? ) (edited)

(Close neighbor, basically an ally but there hasn’t been formal talk of them joining. Their ability to help with most things is limited since the gate is the only way anything is moving in or out)

"So who should I talk to about handing this over?"

"Handing it over? You're not planning on doing any exploring yourself there? You'd certainly get permission to do it"

"I'd like to, but the purpose of this is to let your people reconnect. I figured I'd ask if I could accompany the first voyage or two."

"You're more than welcome to do so." (This thing holds 5, so two pilots, probably a scanner tech, and an engineer, and you can round out the talent )

(Sounds good.) "Thanks." Max will speak with the appropriate authorities and arrange to join the first voyage.

(3xp, 5000 credits, for keeping your promise)

4:04 PM

(i will sketch something up for you)

**Level Up**
Level: 4
Focus: NA
Old HP: 12
HP Roll: 7
New HP: 13
New Skills: Notice-2 3sp
Current AB: 2

You're brought into the town hall, and after several hours long meetings it seems clear there is some interest in exploring other islands around this landmass, to see if anyone still remains out there, and to see what might be scavenged and brought back. They are preparing for an influx of people, if any are found and wish to be evacuated a bigger vessel will be constructed.

7:57 AM

You're assigned two pilots, an engineer, and an elementalist to help channel lighting away from the vessel while you're on the surface. Your social skills and analytical knowledge to catalogue any discoveries and handle relations with any communities you might meet rounds out the talent compliment aboard

The vehicle is brought down to the shore and preparations are made to leave. "The power cells I brought should give us sixty hours of operation, but this is the shakedown cruise so unless some reason not to I suggest we start with the closest of the old settlements."

"You were able to see that one island when the lighthouse played over it. Probably a few hour's cruise from here, what do you think? see if there's a beach we can ride up onto?"

"That sounds like a good place to start. Is everyone ready to go?"

When everyone is ready Max will take his place in the sub.

(seen , had dinner and now getting back into things)

8:48 PM

Everyone is ready to go and as the hatch seals behind you, you make your way to your crash seat. There is a gentle hiss as the air mix and pressure begins stabilizing, making it comfortable for you inside. "We're going to be the first people in probably a few decades to see under the waves, not to mention any other landmasses. You don't understand exactly what this means for us"

(Sorry, I didn't mean for that to seem like a bump. I just realized that the way I left it sort of called for a response before leaving and this way we can just go.) "I'm glad I was able to do my part. Acastus might never have been free of the lady without help. It's good to be able pass some of that along."

There is a muffled roar outside and a sharp incline down as the submarine rolls off the beach and into the surf. Water froths near the armored portholes, and for the dive the metal shutters extend to cover them. They'll retract in calm waters once the submarine is below the waves. Floating by sensor, the craft begins moving into water deep enough to dive in, the island ahead. Above, lighting crackles downward and the elementalist in the seat next to you makes a hurling motion with their hands, sending the bolt angling away from the vehicle, deflecting harmlessly into the sea far away from your position

As the boat rocks in the swell Max starts to wonder if this was a good idea. "That was impressive. I'm glad we have you along. Ah.. it's a little late to ask this, but your world doesn't have sea monsters does it?"

“We will be some of the first to find out, how exciting!” One of the pilots says with almost childlike glee “Keep your eyes in those portholes once they open back up. Shouldn’t be long below the waves for this first Trek but we have no idea what’s down here”

"Just remember we're unarmed, so lets try to stay away from anything that might want to eat us." Max makes sure he'll have a good view, and prepares for the trip.

(Notice/wis)

(I got a ten)

An elongated , dark form slithers among the reefs below you but is gone almost as quickly as you see it, and seems to be heading away along with the rest of the aquatic life your headlights pass over

"There's definitely life here, but it looks like you'll want to switch to night vision on any research trips."

You don’t see much more on the way over. The surface of the ocean above is a muted roar as the sub sails on in relative peace below the storm lashed waves. The ground begins to tilt upward and the wheels engage as the foreign beach is close. There is a crunch and the patter of rain on the iron hull as it begins pulling itself from the water onto the beach

5:42 PM

Lights click on illuminating a somewhat stark cliff face of dark rock

"This is it. Lets see if there's a way up the cliff."

“This is where we get out then. I’ll kee the lighting away from us on the beach but the rain is going to be unpleasant”

Max climes out and starts looking for a way up the cliff. (Notice/Wis roll is 12 if you want one.)

The cliff face looks sheer except for a winding path that snakes across it in a series of exaggerated S shapes. The road is very narrow, and will need an expert driver to get across, as well as people to spot

Max points out the path to the pilot. "Do you think you can handle that if we spot for you? We don't want to risk the sub so if your not sure we'll just walk." (How long is the path? is it short enough to be worth scouting first?)

(It's long, it would be hard to estimate from the ground but it is very winding)

(Then if the pilot oks it we'll take the vehicle up, and then scout the last bit before the top. so if there's something there we don't run into it with a big obvious vehicle.)

(sure thing, I tihnk that is a sound plan. How close we thinking, like 500m ish neighborhood from the summit?)

(That sounds about right. I assume since it's electric the sub isn't particularly noisy, so it's mostly about not being seen from the top.)

(I think the sound of the tires crunching over all the wet rock would probably be louder than the engine- but in a less pedantic vein, the lights would need to be on to actually navigate the paths, which would be very visible in the perma-dark here, from both above and forward)

(I thought the same, but we may have different ideas about how loud that is. You have the clearest idea of conditions so i'll leave it to your discretion how far down we stop. I hadn't thought about the lights. Would the advanced sensors let us get by without them? It talks about terrain sensors that can see through fog and night vision.)

(Yes if you're fitted with them that is a great way to avoid that issue)

(we are. I thought it might be useful on a rough water sub.)

200m from the lip, the hatches pop open allowing you and the engineer to get out and scout ahead. The elementalist is able to shield you all from any strikes within a kilometer of the sub as long as she has a clear line of sight on you, and thus she remains behind and safe inside its somewhat armored sides

Max readys his low-light goggles and cautiously starts up the path with the engineer.

Approaching the top of the winding path, you see the land levels out and the dim outline of a settlement 2 kilometers from here. There are no lights on, but there is the unmistakable outline of a shuttle on a pad, three storage buildings, a pop-up hangar, and a more solid looking control building

"That shuttle over there is a surprise. Do you think it's left over from before the storms or has someone new moved in?" Max pulls out his binoculars to try and get a closer look. (TL4 Binoculars so they should have night vision.) (edited)

The shuttle has some growths of windblown mossy spores on it, and looks to have been here for some time. It's unclear if it can fly again or not , but the hull looks solid still, if filthy

"I don't see any signs of activity. Let's get the sub and move in closer." (Unless someone has an objection we'll start moving toward the settlement keeping an eye out for signs of life or anything odd.)

(nope they'll follow your lead) Closing in to within a kilometer of the settlement the submarine pauses for a moment, as the elementalist arcs a bolt of lightning back toward the sky. The settlement appears dark still, no lights have come on and there hasnt been any signs of anyone, or anything, walking around.

(do we have radio? I didn't think to pack a com server.)

(yeah the vehicle would be fitted with sosmething that your compads can use at least

"It looks like it should be safe to drive into the settlement, but let's stop and get out at the edge just to be safe."

(notice/wis)

(10)

100m out from the settlement you notice a trip flare in the wind blown grass, seconds before you are about to step on it. You're able to get your foot down, away from it, just in time.

"careful, someone has set traps. I nearly set off a flare." (I assume this wouldn't have caused damage just let them know we are here. Can I get an idea of how long this has been here?)

(right,no damage, just announcing someone is present) It is slightly rusted but not enough to impede its function. It has probably been here for about 2-3 years

"There was definitely someone here within the last few years, so I think it's time to decide how to handle this. My gut's telling me we should figure out who these folks are before we make contact, but if they see us first that may give the wrong impression. The other option is that I could set off one of our flares to get their attention, if we do that I'd prefer if the rest of you stay hidden and ready to cover me if they're hostile."

They agree to the plan, and a few personal weapons are produced from within the vessel, ready to cover anyone who might come out to meet you

Max takes an emergency flare and finds a good spot where he can dive into cover if he needs to. He activates a glowbug and places it where it will provide light to see him, but won't blind him or make him a beacon to shoot at. With the preparations done he launches the flair and waits.

Sensor lights on poles around the shuttle come on, illuminating the coutnryside with their very powerful bulbs. Long shadows are cast, and in the grass you are concealed, but the submarine sticks out like a sore thumb. There is still no movement at the complex itself, aside from the dance and hiss of raindrops streaking across the lights

Max moves into sight and waves to the shuttle before calling out. "Hi, we're visiting from a nearby island. we'd like to speak with you."

Several moments of quiet pass, and no one emerges from the complex. Lightning streaks across the sky and you do not see any other movement there. No lights have come on in the buildings. It seems abandoned (edited)

"Maybe it's just an automated system, but we should be careful." Max approaches the shuttle carefully, keeping a close watch for anything dangerous.

11:21 AM

(notice/wisdom =13)

(I'll let you know if we need a check, there's nothing new to be seen here, place looks and probably is abandoend)

11:50 AM

Nothing is moving here, nothing seems alive except for you. The traps must be left behind from whoever was at the site before.

11:50 AM

There is a faint smell in the air of cinnamon and late stages of rot as you approach the shuttle, however.

(I was just trying to save time. It seemed like a roll was likely and I figured you could just ignore it if it wasn't needed. I can stop doing that if you like.)

4:44 PM

Max pulls his shirt up over his nose with a frown, before continuing. The cinnamon was a surprise, but he had a good idea what was rotting.

Approaching the shuttle and seeing underneath, you see three bodies there. They are incredibly skinny, the look of famine victims in the final stages of decline.

5:02 PM

Rain soaked and rotted coveralls collect pools oily grey black water as the rain trickles down exposed bone

With his suspicions confirmed Max looks for any evidence of how these people died, whether it was something other then starvation or why they're here and not inside.

(did you want your companions to advance ? or did you want to clear things for now?)

(It seems safe enough so they might as well. I will warn them before they come in sight of the bodies.)

As you round the corner of the shuttle, the squad and carsub advancing in the background, you see that the maintainers here died in a somewhat peaceful state. They are propped up resting on boxes aside from the one who has fallen. the emaciation of the bodies would suggest they were simply too weak to stand back up from where they had reclined

"I think I've found the people who were living here. It looks like they starved to death. Let's keep our eyes open for something to bury them with while we're looking around." Max starts looking for a way into the shuttle.

There is a small electronic keypad that still has power- feeding off whatever is left in the ship's reactor. It is showing locked right now. There is a connection port on the bottom for a compad, and a slot for a keycard

The key was likely on one of the corpses, but Max wanted to try finding some gloves and a shovel before dealing with them. Leaving the shuttle for now he heads to the nearest building.

The closest building is a utilities shed on the shuttle tarmac itself. The lock is mechanical and broken. You find a shovel inside along with some work coveralls. A fire extinguisher , flare gun with three shells that seem intact and a pry bar round out the meager equipment inside the shack. It’s window has also been broken, and it’s evident someone reached their hands in to grab tools at some point before the door was broken open

It looks like these people had to break in for tools. I wonder how they got stranded here. Max tries on the coveralls and grabs the shovel to start digging graves. (Are there any work gloves here? I want to avoid touching the decayed corpses if I can.)

(The coveralls would have gloves id think, so you’ve got that part of it covered )

Max will find a suitable site and start digging. Given the circumstances the graves shouldn't need to be too deep. Once they are finished or while someone else is taking a turn digging he'll carefully and as respectably as possible search the bodies for any clues to who they were, or useful items like keys.

You find a key on the last body you bury. The plastic is faded and heavily water logged but the magnetic strip looks mostly intact. There aren’t any logos on it aside from what’s left of the serial number on the back matching the door number of the shuttle

Once the bodies are laid to rest Max tries the key in the shuttle's lock.

There is a gentle beep and the light turns a faint green with the last of the reactors power

Max enters the shuttle does a quick check for anything dangerous, before calling the engineer. "Do you think you can get the computers going and check for logs?"

The hatch on the submarine pops open. "Suppose we can take a look sure, everything seem alright down there?"

"I haven't searched the whole ship yet but it seems safe. I'll keep looking while you're dealing with the computers." Max gets the engineer settled and starts examining the shuttle's living space.

The shuttle is a simple design, a cockpit and flying bridge at the bow, crew quarters down the neck of the vessel with a ladder going to the small storage belly bay, and engineering and engines toward the back along with the galley and some extra crew storage. no bodies are aboard the vessel, and everything smells musty, like opening the lid of a long lost tomb

Max starts with the crew quarters. Looking for evidence of who these people were and how they came to be here. (edited)

The people here were not calling themselves Scions of the Storm. not yet at least, but EVERGREEN EMERGENCY SERVICES is written down the embossed leg of the pants and jumpsuits hung in storage racks

(How old do things look? My understanding is that the flare and bodies are only a few years old and the Scions were cut off from the other islands hundreds of years ago.) (edited)

(Youre right in the assumption.) The bodies, shuttle and traps are newer than the buildings here. The jumpsuits are about as old as the bodies outside and navigation logs show that the shuttle was responding hundreds of years late to a disaster reported on the island, and then was unable to make it through the storms again

8:14 AM

Trapped here, the crew had no way to eke a living off the harsh terrain

Max takes a copy of the logs and navigational records to bring back to Greystar. These people had come to help, they deserved to be remembered. If they ever learned to travel in this sector it would be good to tell Evergreen what happened to their shuttle. With "first contact" completed it was time to work on the second part of the mission and see what could be salvaged. Max headed down to the cargo hold to take stock.

(D100 if you please sir)

(12)

Prying open an equipment locker max finds a Redivivus Sheath: When found, a redivivus sheath re- sembles a tightly-rolled body bag with a fist-sized computing module affixed to it. When a fresh- ly-dead human body is sealed into the bag the module releases a cloud of nanites to repair and revive the subject. Revivification will work on any victim no more than five minutes dead, assuming the head is intact and most of their mass is present. Subjects are revived in critically wounded condi- tion with maximized System Strain. The redivivus sheath functions only once before burning out.

1

(That was not what I was expecting with a 12. I guess this was a low is better situation.) Max finishes searching the shuttle, carries the sheath to the sub, then heads to the hanger.

The hangar is open, and there are tools for some minor field repairs in here, holed barrels that probably once contained emergency fuel for reactors, and several opened and long emptied lockers of what was once tools and other equipment.

After confirming the hanger is empty Max moves on to the control building.

The door to the control tower is locked, though the chains that also once held it closed have been chopped away and have devolved into a rusted pile of stained metal.

9:52 PM

There is a mechanical entry lock positioned above the handle, standard on most doors on most buildings

Max calls to the engineer. "Do you know anything about mechanical locks?" (If the engineer is willing and able I'll let him pick the lock, otherwise I'll give it a go with my own metatool.)

(would be a fix/int to try to smash it, at a lower DC but failure would mean making it impassible, or a sneak/dex to try to pick it, DC is a bit higher but failure won't destroy anything)

(I have sneak at 0 so let's go with that... I got a 6.)

You get most of the way through working at the tumblers but the last one inside the lock is giving you trouble. You work on it until your hands go numb, and are forced to abandon your efforts a few minutes after that, no longer able to feel the pick with the cold driving wind working away at you

With the cold setting in Max moves to the nearest storage building hoping the get inside away from the wind.

The storage building you come to first is open, and the contents of the interior have been incredibly looted , even the burlap sacks and metal from the tool racks have been broken apart. There is a brown patina across the floor where grain decayed past the point of being a solid, and melted into the floor. The mold colonies that grew here also died out, leaving themselves behind as stains when the food source they had clung to was used up

12:00 PM

the smell is gone, and you're out of the rain for at least a moment

Max takes a couple of vigorous circuits of the building to warm up and confirm he hasn't missed anything, before moving to the next building.

Heading back outside, storage 2 has a broken lock that allows you easy entry to the building, and you find evidence that an animal or group of them has been nesting here recently. Small bones and piles of bedding materials are everywhere, along with dung since the creatures have no need to clean up after themselves

Max draws his gun and carefully moves in to see there's anything still usable.

(going all the way inside the building? just trying to get the scene here)

(Carefully yes.)

There is a gentle scratching sound, as though something is rubbing up against the outside of the building- at the wall furthest from you some 10m away.

Max investigates the noise, making sure he has a clear line of retreat if necessary.

The only way in is out the door you came in, and the creature doesn't sound like its there yet

(Is the noise coming from inside or outside?) (edited)

(outside the building)

Max heads outside and cautiously approaches the sound.

Heading outside, you see the mangy form of a dog pawing at the building, trying to figure out how to get inside. It seems to smell you from 10m away, and crouches low, sniffing the air and beginning to growl

Max backs away slowly and speaks gently "Hey there boy."

The dog begins putting its front paws close to the ground, growling, yellowed teeth on display. The amount of bedding and discarded bone inside means there is probably a small pack here, though this one is on its own for the moment

Max continues backing away, ready to put a burst unto the dog if it attacks. "Now now, no need for that." He keys his comm. "Careful everyone, there's a pack of wild dogs staying in one of the storage buildings."

It does not advance as you continue backing away, but it remains low, and continues to growl stopping only to bark loudly at you

"It's all right, I'm leaving." After breaking contact Max moves to the last storage building. Keeping watch for any more dogs.

Building 3 has a number of broken piston driven monoplanes in it. There are five of them in here though no single unit is in one piece. They’d be microlight brush flyers at best, probably used to scout the beaches or offshore in better days

While the fliers weren't much use there might be other things. Max starts searching for anything of value or that might help open the control building door.

The building controls for the doors look intact but they'll need to be boosted by some kind of power source , either a type A cell or some borrowed power from your submarine rover. There are tools in here to get the planes assembled, and one of the reserve fuel bowsers as sealed against the elements and still has enough to get one of them skyworthy

(I assume that's for opening a hanger door in this building? You said the control tower had a mechanical lock.)

(Yeah that’s for opening the hangar door here$

Max makes a note about the salvagable fliers for his report, then he tries to find a tool that would help forcing the lock and goes to make another attempt to get into the control tower. (I'd like to try picking the lock again if I can but I understand if that option has been used up.)

(we can try it again since you picked the option that didn't break the lock itself)

Returning to the control tower Max resumes picking the lock. (sneak/dex roll = 11)

With a better understanding of the tumbler now, you're able to pick it handily and the door clicks open. A winding black metal spiral staircase heads up to the control level where air traffic controllers would hve been standing by to help direct traffic in better days

Max climes the stairs, thinking about the lack of living quarters. Either this was an offshore spaceport, or there was a settlement somewhere else on this island.

The control tower has the normal computers, radar array controls and communications gear needed to communicate with and and space traffic in better days. THere are no bodies up here, and there is a leak in the ceiling which has steadily been allowing water to pool on the floor and render some of the more sensitive electronics probably useless

After looking for anything valuable, Max tries to get one of the computers started.

(program/int or fix/int)

(6)

One of the computers starts up after a bit of creative programming and repair using some parts from others. The weather system boots up and begins compiling a climate report

Max scans the weather report for anything interesting, before searching for a map he can copy. Hopefully one with settlements marked. He'll also look for records of what this port was used for and the circumstances of its abandonment.

(I’m going to hop on inkarnate and paint up what’s been done and what the map will reveal, leaving the rest in shroud. This will be the first thing I do when I sit down at the computer in a bit )

(Thanks, but please don't take too much trouble over it. I'm mostly looking for in character knowledge of good places to check out.) (edited)

(Got you King. There is a settlement nestled off to the west of where you are on this smaller island, but the rest of the planet is shrouded and the storms made it hard for radar to get through)

(Thank you. Just to check a couple of assumptions. Windwall is where the gate is and we've searched everything except the dog den, right?) Max rejoins the others and shares what he's found. "The weather computer says there's a settlement to the west so we should probably check that out. This shuttle would be quite valuable if we could get it through the storms, but as it is I'm not sure what we can do with it."

(windwall is where the gate is, and we've searched everything here but the dog den)

Everyone gets in the sub and it starts toward the western settlement. "It's a shame those people came to help and got trapped by the storms. It didn't look like anything was wrong with the shuttle, was there?"

"Hard to tell if they had reactor trouble coming down or not. Reactor is empty now, so we won't know for sure until someone refuels it and fires it up. "

"I don't suppose it matters. Nothing can fly in this weather, can it."

"with an elementalist aboard its' entirely possible, and most spacecraft are hardened to resist casual lightning strikes- repeated ones though, or one in the wrong place especially if the airframe had already been damage- now that's something. That could have done it"

"In that case it's probably worth trying to get it going again." Max settles in to keep watch on the way to the vilage.

The village comes into view and looks to be similarly abandoned. Dozens of houses, a general store, a fire station, and the remains of a few bars all litter the landscape, the city backed up against a storm lashed cliff

"This will go faster if we split up. Call in if you find anything you can't handle on your own. I'll start with the fire station."Max fits actions to words and starts toward to fire house.

The fire station is a building that is drowned by the weather conditions here. The fire engines are no longer here, but the garage doors have been lowered but the service door is also a possible entry point. Looking inside through the dirty glass you can see the interior is dark, and that most of the reserve firefighting gear has been left behind. Lockers with names above them have been opened and emptied, and it wouldn't surprise you to hear that other explorers will be running across the actual missing trucks themselves.

Max moves over to the service door and tries to get it open.

The door is unlocked, and you see the garage to your left inside, now empty of fire engines. A stairway to the right leads to the upper floor of the station where the bunks, kitchen, and other living facilities and office spaces would have been along with the computer system for local emergency coordination

Turning left Max starts searching the garage for anything of value left behind

(notice/wis)

(9)

You notice a small rope and eye hook wire at the base of the stairs leading up. Turning left first however, two of the lockers remain closed, and there is a large fire-axe still on the wall here- along with two cannisters of cryo-mist that would be carried on belts for assisting with putting out smaller blazes, or clearing a trail to doors or windows amid larger fires

12:02 PM

The tanks are still showing them full, and the mechanisms to release the gas can be doctored up to work with a bit of oil and some minor scrubbing pad attention (edited)

(is the rope is set up as a trip wire?)

(yeah its a trip wire)

Making note of the fire axe in case he needs to break down any doors, Max works on getting the lockers open.

The lockers open, revealing a firefighting uniform, a small toolbelt, and a spare air tank with helmet in each locker.

Having inventoried the garage Max moves on. He checks the tripwire isn't a trigger for something before disconnecting it and heading upstairs.

The trigger winds up the wall and its impossible from the bottom to see what it might connect to if tripped

Seeing that the wire is connected to a trap, Max carefully steps over it and moves up the stairs keeping watch for any more traps.

Winding around the switchback in the middle of the stairs you see another trap has been rigged at the top, before you get into the offices. this one consists of two wires, at ankle and chest level.

Max carefully ducks between the wires and looks to see if he can find where they lead.

the wires lean up to something above the threshold, that you cannot see from inside the stairwell (sneak/dex to bypass this one since the wire arrangement requires some contortion and generally just really well controlled movements to get through)

(7)

twisting through the wires, when you emerge on the other side you see that a cryocannister from the garage has been set up to unload on whoever has come inside. You cant be sure if any charge remains inside after all this time, but it never hurts to assume traps are armed. The Dining area and common room is to the right, and is a very large room with the kitchen along the back wall. The offices are to the left.

Max disables the trap before heading to the offices.

THe offices are a large one for the commandant of the station, and 3 smaller ones for the station offices. The doors are all shut, but there is no evidence of traps.

The commandants office was largest so that seemed like a good place to start.

The door opens revealing a large desk, outdated by today's standards communications gear, a status panel where other first responding nodes around the city could be displayed- a weather station panel, and a tattered flag. The colors on it are a faded white and blue with crossed lightning bolts in the center of the field. There is nothing on it signifying a slogan or identifying country.

8:33 AM

A helmet, fireproof jacket, and boots without rank pips are also hung up on the wall- likely an older set kept for posterity

8:33 AM

The desk has two drawers in it, neither has a lock

Max takes a look around the office and then checks the drawers.

The left drawer opens first, revealing a compad. Its a standard model. If you have a Type A cell on you, it should work again after a few moments

After swapping out the power cell Max powers it on and looks for any interesting files.

The logs of the day the accident ocured are the first files that pop up Even here, The Scream was felt, though to varying degrees. On this world, the storms became intense, far more intense than usual, and it set the stage for the storm never ending. Fire trucks and other first responders were scrambled to dozens of lightning strike fires all over the city, followed by lower priority reports of car accidents, trees being downed, and wind damage causing structures to collapse. there are seconds, and only minutes at the longest interval between reports. Another file shows a running log of first responder deaths and injuries, and it is a very lengthy one. The file simply stopped being updated as logistics personnel were called out to the front lines, and from there, history has written the rest

Max shuts off the compad and carefully puts it in his pack. He then turns to the other drawer.

An old Evergreen emergency condition suit rests in the drawer perfectly folded , missing only the helmet.

Evergreen again. it looked like they might have had an established presence here. Max moves on to the next office.

The field commander's office, the next rank down, is smaller and more spartan in nature. A large map on the back of the room is made from paper so yellowed and faded you can only see a handful of areas where the ink is clear enough for you make out landmarks around this town. There are different color pins representing what you'd guess to be different emergencies placed into the zoomed in town map

On a whim Max takes a photo of the map before examining it to see if anything stood out. These people had died trying to save others, it felt wrong for the record of their deeds to be rotting in a forgotten office.

The town center is the only thing still legible and a lot of the map pins seem@to be focused around that area

Max makes a note to visit the city centre before he leaves, and continues searching the room

It seems like thats all there is to find in this room. The shelf pegs are empty, the commander took his gear with him when he went out to assist with the trouble around the city

With this room cleared Max moves to check the remaining offices.

The remaining two offices were for station officers, notably the fire company LT, and the field sergeant. Both of them likewise have the gear taken, and have smaller more focused maps of the city with pins in it. All of them were keeping track of different types of emergencies. There is a small locker in the sergeant's office with a lock on it, though its mechanical in nature and has a keyhole

Max take photos of the maps, then tries to pick the lock with his metatool. (edited)

Now well practiced at this, the lock snaps open. Inside, you see an Evergreen Emergency Response suit, perfectly crisp, with matching fully sealed helmet.

6:57 PM

(one sec and ill post you the writeup)

6:57 PM

Websuit Originally intended as pretech protective suits for disaster response personnel, websuits have found more martial use since their original creation. They resemble nothing so much as balls of leathery “yarn” slightly larger than a human fist. When squeezed firmly, the suits instantly unravel into a tangle of thin nanocomposite straps that spread and merge together into a skin-tight protective suit around the holder, fitting under their current clothing and equipment. Most websuits still bear the ancient insignia of some long-lost disaster team, though others are simply single solid colors. The suit covers the wearer entirely, though the faceplate is transparent and allows normal speech and consumption. As with all pretech armor, the websuit is extremely comfortable to wear,

(since this isn't just a vacsuit like i thought at first is it worth picking up the one that's missing it's helmet?)

(this one has all the pieces. If you wanted to bring back the other helmet, we can count it as a unit of pretech salvage. Its useless on its own without the rest of the suit but breaking it down into something is i think a fair use) (edited)

(Thanks. Two artifacts and a unit of pretech. Things are going well so far.) Having finished searching the offices Max takes the emergency suits and goes to look in the common room.

the common room has a smashed holoscreen, and some chairs that have not survived the test of ages. It seems like other scavengers or others have been here before, possibly the source of the traps, but were more focused on being vandals than looting the place

After checking he hasn't missed anything, Max gathers the axe and anything else that's worth salvaging before going to the sub to drop off the loot and some gear he realized he doesn't need to be carrying.

The submarine idles outside the fire station and it sounds like the other groups haven’t turned up much.

Max unloads at the sub and changes into the suit, before taking the axe and heading for the general store. (I put the axe down on my sheet as a large primitive weapon, is that correct?)

(2h axe yes. If it's a 1h hatchet, put it as a medium weapon)

(It’s a 2 handed axe, so large primitive)

(Thanks.)

The general store has taken a strong hit from the weather, either during the natural disaster, or later as its been neglected for some years now. The front facade has fallen down, but the alley door is unblocked aside from some piles of garbage you'll be able to handily vault over

Max goes to the side door and tries the door nob, ready to pick the lock if necessary.

The door looks like it is not blocked or locked, and opens. You emerge into some kind of employee break room where the coffee pot, vending machines, and fixtures for what passed as 15 minutes of recreation have all been smashed and thrashed.

After looking for any employee lockers or drawers that might have been missed, Max moves further into the building

The lockers are empty or habe their contents rotted away. Double doors lead into the general store, where shelves are stocked with what’s left of provisions and dry goods

Max moves into the store and starts scanning the shelves for salvage.

(Notice/wis)

(11)

The shelves are mostly barren here, but you notice one of the security cameras near the management office at the back of the store following you as you begin digging around for anything more opportunistic previous looters might have missed

"Hello, is there anyone here? If so we just want to talk." Max gives the camera a friendly wave and waits. If there's no response he'll go explore the office. (edited)

The door to the office is jammed, but you can tell its barricaded rather than locked. The door's handle is flat and does not seem like it was even designed with the ability to lock in mind

Max knocks loudly and shouts "Is there anyone alive in there? I'll leave if you tell me to, but if you don't respond I'll assume your dead and break in." If there's no response within 30 seconds he'll take out the axe and break down the door.

There is no response from within. The work of breaking it down takes long moments and you never hear anyone cry out from inside. Once the barricade of furniture is smashed, you make your way inside. A sensor has been set up to the camera, playing the intruder alert subroutine for an audience of two skeletons, who have perished in this office long ago. Store uniforms hang off them , now tattered scraps of what once were brightly colored uniforms.

More corpse. He'd hoped to bring the people of Ocrina back together, but so far it looked like no one else had survived. Max sighs and starts searching the room.

There is a small communications unit that has power, and seems to be connected to something else in the room- like a telephone handset. There is a status light showing its on, and there is a message waiting.

Before listening to the message Max makes certain that doing so won't erase it. If it seems like it might he'll try recording it with his compad while listening.

It doesnt seem like it will be deleted if you play it back, though another copy is never a bad idea and your compad can be spliced in to serve as a recorder- just in case. The electronics here are old , and wont last forever

With the compad hooked up to record Max plays the message. (edited)

The message repeats that the survivors are to make for a settlement on an island to the west. The military is evacuating civilians, and anyone who did not arrive by the following night (a long long time ago) was going to be left behind. Coordinates for the island are provided- currently not in one of your mapped areas.

Max makes note of the coordinates and continues searching. (That's it for this building right?)

(yeah anything of value here, mostly it was the clue about another island)

With the fire hall and general store cleared Max starts checking the more common buildings, working his way toward the center of town. (I assume most houses will be uninteresting. So if you want to I'm fine skipping the boring ones and just doing the interesting buildings if any.)

(sounds good. I'm going to update the map probably in the morning to reflect what you found as well. )

10:27 PM

The town hall is still standing, and is adjacent to the main square as you'd expect it to be, along with the local militia's barracks. Arriving in the square you can see that most of the buildings here save those two have been leveled, either by the storms or by the projections of psychic energy that occured during the Scream's unleashment. Burned out fire-trucks, former military vehicles, and civilian cars choke the streets, as well as bodies.

Max pauses stunned at the devastation. Once again feeling compelled to document this tragedy he takes out his compad for pictures, before moving to the barracks.

Something stirs in the main barracks building, and a light is extinguished from the top of the two floor building as you move past the street gate and into the walled compound.

"Hello, is anyone there? We're visitors from Windwall." Max walks slowly toward the main building leaving time for those inside to respond.

"Windwall gone!" one shouts from inside the home. THe voice is clearly human

"No Windwall survived, they were just cut off from everyone else. My people recently made contact with them and we're trying to help the people of Ocrina reconnect."

"And who are you? Don't sense any magic, or touch of the ocean on you!"

"I'm Max Davenport an agent of the Greystar Confederacy. I came through the gate in Windwall."

“Max. I’m going to open the door. You’re not going to shoot the place up when you get in are you?”

"I have no intention of starting any fights. I just want to talk."

There is a click inside as the access door is unbolted

Max enters and offers his greetings. "I'm glad to see you survived. I was starting to think there wasn't anyone left."

“There aren’t many. Almost non here in town. There were a few other families in some of the buildings around here we used to be friendly with but nobody had come around in months”

"So I'm guessing your not in a stable situation? We don't have any empty seats on this trip, but we have plans for a vehicle with a greater passenger capacity if you want to be evacuated."

“We can’t go much of anywhere. We can hold for some time still. Made a food run the other day. Okay for a bit”

"That's good, it would probably take us some time to build the transport sub. Although we could probably ship in food and supplies if needed. Do you think you could introduce us to the other survivors?"

“Can take you around to a few. Keep your wits on you though. All that’s left. Everyone’s jumpy

"I understand. I've seen some of the defenses people left behind."

He nods. "Right, people protecting their hauls, or places they think might be valuable later. Used to do a fair bit of it myself, my luck to lose a leg by one of my own traps" he taps the side of his right leg that emits a very dense thunk

"I'm hoping we can make that unnecessary, and arrange some proper medical attention for everyone. Is there anything you need before we leave?"

(this never lit up for me i am so sorry)

5:29 PM

"Ready to go, I'll bring you to Kyle's first. He's a strange old kook. Lots of traps, but I know the way through"

5:29 PM

"Well I know it now" he laughs, putting on a rainslicker and knocking on his wooden leg

(No problem I was at work for most of the time.) "Thanks for this, we want to make sure we offer everyone the chance to get out of here and find out what they need to hold on until we can." While walking Max sends the others a message that he found survivors and is going to make contact with more.

Heading across the street into the town square, you pass a series of military vehicles with spray painted markings on the sides, X's and O's mostly, and he seems to be cutting a winding path through them

Max follows trying to remember the path and see if there's any pattern to it compared to the markings.

Moving through the ruins of the streets, the X's seem to indicate some kind of jury rigged mine, where the O's are a pitfall or other kind of gravity assisted trap

"Is there anything I should know before I meet Kyle? For instance are there any subjects I should avoid?"

"Try not to look at his hands too much. Sensitive about the missing digits"

1:00 PM

"not his fault. He'll tell you that at least, but its super his fault"

"So I shouldn't offer a handshake then. Thanks." Max continues following.

You arrive at an apartment building. The street level doors have been blocked and you make your way up the fire escape to an open third story window leading to a hallway. Barricades of shopping carts, bags of trash, and scavenged building materials break up the hallway and don’t allow a straight on approach to the apartment at the end of it. Tripwires attached to noisemakers and mines are easily stepped over since your guide knows where they are

"You weren't kidding about the traps. Were things really so bad that this was necessary? "

"For a time. When the city fell, and things started running out. The rustle of a crisps bag would drive the neighbors into a frenzy if they thought you had something to eat"

8:31 AM

"Probably unnecessary now, but It's hard to sleep knowing the security isnt therE"

"Humans can be terrible to each other sometimes, even when we should be pulling together. All we can do is to try our best to make things better."

He nods, leading you through the barricade to rap on an apartment door. "Whos out there!" the husky voice inside yells. Your guide and Kyle go back and forth for a few minutes. " ... and I've brought a visitor. He's going to identify himself to you in a second here"

"Hello sir, I'm Max Davenport. I'm a visitor from off world."

There is a click as the door begins opening, chains and bolts from the other side slowly coming unclasped

Max stands patiently. Although outwardly calm, he mentally reviews the placement of his weapons in case they're needed.

You're allowed inside a mudroom, and Kyle a man in his late 50's greets you. One hand only has a few fingers on it, the other also does, but the fingers the other hand is missing. Between them, he's got a whole hand

2

1

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm here with some folks from Windwall. We wanted to make contact with people on the other islands and see how they were doing."

"windwall...didn't think anyone was still out there. Didn't think anyone was out there at all but the few of us here"

7:17 AM

"It as bad there as it is here?

"This is the first place we've visited, but Windwall held up well. I guess all the elementalists helped."

"I see. Well, You've found me. What's your plan for us Max?"

"That's up to you. This trip was a proof of concept and scouting mission, so we don't have any spare seats or trade goods. But we do have plans for if anyone wants to be relocated to Windwall. That's why I'm here to make the offer, and since it may take a bit of time, to see if there's anything you need." (edited)

"Any chance of getting us out of here? To windwall? I know not now, but how long would you expect it to take?"

"We sure can. We'll need to build a vessel with a greater passenger capacity. So... Maybe a month or two. But our current sub can carry a couple of tons of cargo, so we can ferry in supplies if needed. I suppose I should ask how many people we'll have to move." (If my time estimate is off let me know and I'll edit the post.)

(I’ll have to go back and find what i typed earlier but he would give the same answer. theres only a few people living here still$

(That's fine. All that really matters is if there's few enough that it's practical to shuttle them one or two at a time with the current sub, or if a new sub is needed.)

(It’s four people of whom you’ve met two)

"So few. In that case we can likely bring you across one or two at a time. I'll have to speak with the pilots, but that'll probably bring the total time down to one or two weeks."

This seems agreeable. "I'll be the last to go. There's a woman and her child on the other side of the square. I don't know what kind of deal you've worked out already, but they deserve to go first'

"We don't have anything worked out yet, we didn't know anyone was here until I met your friend and then he introduced me to you. But I'm glad you agree we should get the kid and their mom out first. I'll work things out with the pilots and then go talk with them. Before I go is there anything you'll need before we can get you out?"

"No, no. I have quite a bit stocked up now. I hadn't planned on anyone coming by ever. So I'll be alright "

"I'll get going then. I suggest you start gathering anything you want to bring with you. If you know of any advanced technology that would be valuable. The disaster you experienced seems to have effected the entire galaxy in one way or another. We call it the scream. A lot of manufacturing techniques have been lost."

“Nothing like@that here but there’s an island west of us where we all went for work, in better days. I could probably get you there, but get everyone else safe first”

"Of course. See you later, we'll you know when we've firmed up the schedule." On the way to meet the last survivors Max calls the pilots. "So we have four people to evacuate. I think we can handle that with the sub, it's just a matter of how many trips we need to take. I'm not needed to run things, but I don't think we want to do without an engineer or elementalist. So the question is do you think one of you could handle the trip on your own with the help of the ghost driver?"

"Not with the seas this choppy. The driver helps, but if we run into strong waves, or any kind of underdraft, the driver can't handle the quick calculations or reflexes needed to survive that"

3:53 PM

"Its risky. Its possible, but we won't know its too risky until its too late"

"We'll take them one at a time then. I had hoped one human pilot for the hard parts and emergencies would be enough, but if you say it's risky then it's not worth it. Thanks for the advice." With the call finished Max resumes walking.

(So we're heading to the last group now, the woman and daughter)

6:37 PM

(unless you were planning to come back)

(Yes the woman and daughter. I just wanted to see if I could offer them seats on the same trip first. Having to take them separately may be a bit of a hard sell.)

The woman and her daughter inhabit a small flat aceoss the town square from here. It is especially battered and the awning out front has been torn to pieces. A metal pole has bisected the door and you're forced to climb over it to get inside

Max calls out. "Hello!? I'm Max Davenport. I was told I should speak with you." He checks for traps, before carefully climing inside.

The trap work here is amateurish, and its charitable to even call it traps. There are strung cans on strings as noisemakers, but nothing seems lethal or like its capable of hurting you as you approach the apartment door.

Max considers shaking the cans to announce his presence, but decides instead just to approach the door and knock.

There is sharp startled cry from inside and something falls. "H-Hello? Who's out there?"

"Sorry to startle you ma'am. I'm Max Davenport, a visitor from off the island. I'm speaking with survivors to see if they want to be taken to Windwall."

"Windwall?" you hear through the door "I don't recognize your voice....you came from windwall?"

"I'm actually an offworlder, but I came through Windwall. They're doing fairly well."

'Please! I have a child! get us out of here! Get us to Windwall"

"That's why I'm here, your neighbors asked for you to be at the top of the evacuation list, although you probably would have been anyway. But there's some complications we need to discuss. Our vessel is fairly small. Once you account for the crew there's only one seat left, the one I used to get here. So we're going to have to take you on separate trips."

"I...my child....What are things like in windwall?" she asks through the door. You can hear her slump against the other side, her back must be facing it

"Truthfully I haven't spent too much time there, but it seems like a nice place. And they have the gate to connect them with the wider galaxy." (edited)

"Well, that's reason enough. Will you take my child back first? personally?"

"I can't take them personally. If we had room for two passengers I'd stay and let the two of you go together, but if you want I can go ahead and when they get to Windwall I can take care of them until you arrive."

"Thank you" There is a click behind the door as the chain releases, and you're let in to a run down but valiantly cleaned apartment. The television is playing nothing but static and probably has been for some time. Worn armchairs, a chewed up lounger, and a bookcase sagging under the weight of hundreds of childrens books adorns the space with a hallway going to a kitchen and bedrooms. Action figures and blocks litter the ground

"Well If I'm going to be babysitting I suppose I should ask for an introduction."

"You're right. This is Banquo, yes, from the play. Its all we have here in the house" she smiles sadly. "And I'm Allison. Thank you again, for doing all of this\

"I don't think I'm familiar with that play, but it's a nice name. And it was the least I could do, People need to help each other out." Max turns to the child. "Hello Banquo, I'm Max. How are you today."

"Hello Max. I am okay. I am scared to go to the city. without my mom..."

2:18 PM

he is hiding behind her leg a bit, peeking around to talk to you but still very nervous

"I understand, going to a new and unknown place can be scary and being separated from your mom even more so. And it's ok to be scared. But new things can be better than what you have now, in Windwall there will be other kids and you can make new friends to play with. You also won't be without your mother too long, she'll be following you as quickly as she can and I'll be looking after you until she arrives."

“Alright. I’m still scared. My mom says it’s okay to go with you though”

9:19 PM

He seems a bit less scared

"That just means you have a chance to be brave and face your fears. Because being brave isn't about not being scared, it's being afraid and still doing what you need to do." Max turns back to Allison. "I should probably get going. The sooner we leave the sooner the sub can come back and pick you up, and you'll need to pack. We can carry a couple tons of cargo on each trip. Also it may be a day or two between trips, is there you'll need before we can get you out?"

"No. No. Best be on with it before I come to my senses and change my mind"

"Then I'll see you in Windwall. And Allison I promise if you send Banquo ahead and follow on the next trip I will be there to take care of him until you arrive." (If I can I'd like to use my Consecrated Bargain ability to add weight to my promise.)

Consecrated Bargain (Level 4): When you make a deal
with an NPC, you may accept a point of System
Strain to charge the bargain with magical force.
The NPC is aware of this if you do so, as well as the
consequences of breaking the deal. If either you or
the NPC break the agreement or violate its goodfaith intent, this ability ends and the counterparty
becomes instantly aware of the violation and its 
context and may optionally immediately inflict
1d8 hit points of damage on the culprit per hit die
or character level of the offended party.

(I'm not sure I can because it's a one sided agreement, but since I'm the one making the commitment I'm hoping it's alright.) (edited)

(yeah that's fine, you could always decide to not get them both together again and still kinda break your promise)

11:00 AM

(so i can see how it would work

(Thanks. That's 1/12 strain.)

"No, i feel your promise is true. Please. get there safely and I will see you soon"

Max finishes saying his goodbyes, and goes to collect the crew for the return trip.

(3xp, 5000 credits, and I think we're set to return to Windwall)

(Sounds good. Do you want to set the scene, or should I just start posting what I'm doing in Windwall?)

(There wouldnt be any complications on the way back , you took precautions and whatnot. Upon returning, if you want to grab your friend and explore some more out here we can, or its up to you really)

After returning to Windwall and reporting on their findings, Max will ensure the evacuees have a place to stay and inquire about purchasing the pretech he found.(It seems to me Windwall should have first claim on the salvage so I'm willing to pay for it.) (edited)

Wind wall has no use for the materials and considers it your finders fee for exploring, a task they could not do themselves

(So it sounds like you don't have any adventures in babysitting planed, so I'll move on. If I'm wrong then I guess we should cut to my picking up Banquo.) After all the survivors have arrived Max starts planning a trip to the western island. His first is to go interview Kyle about what was there before the scream.

(I didnt have anything planned no, cant really think of anyone who would try to take the kid or do much of anything, really. )

(Yeah, that's what I figured. But there might have been a phase wolf attack or something, so I thought I should make it clear I wasn't leaving before they were reunited.)

(That works for me) It takes three days before the submarine returns with the rest of those contacted on your last mission. The contents of the town are here now, for good and are all eager to begin a new life

Max visits with the new arrivals, making sure they have what they need and giving them his contact information in case he can be of help. While he's there he'll also ask if they know anything about the western island where the townsfolk evacuated to during the scream.

A large learning center where the pre scream psionic academy was working in isolation is thought to be on one of those islands , though what they were working on was never discovered by the locals

(I see you're sending Satihos my way. Having just finished dealing with the subs lack of passenger space I guess I should ask if they have any skills to take a crew position or if I should start refitting the sub for more passengers?)

(Your social skills would let you take the place of the captain but I think a refit might be a good idea in general anyway)

5:44 PM

(Alternatively , we could take a team to fix that shuttle and then springboard into your explorations from there. You already have an elementalist crew member with the sub) (edited)

(If npcs can fix the shuttle and landing sites aren't going to be a problem, then that seems like a good option. We can ferry the team across one at a time and it will be more than the sub can ever be)

(yeah they can fix it. We don't know how the islands look,b ut they could always hover while you guys rope up and down)

(now that you know its out there , we'll be able to get the right people to fix it)

A psionic academy was certainly worth investigating. However the shakedown had shown the sub's limitations. It could be refited for more passengers, but another option was now available. Max began organizing a team to get the shuttle flying. The engineers could be ferried across one at a time, and there would be plenty of cargo space for spare parts. (Just a note. My power is still out so I may be less active.)

(Sounds good. I got Satihos through the gate, so we can meet up in either thread for the second leg of the trip_)

(I forgot to ask what's the encumbrance on the redivivus sheath?) (edited)

(Is that cyberware?)

(No it's a relic I found while exploring the shuttle. I'm adding it to my character sheet now that I was told I could keep the pretech I found. I meant to do it last week but with the power failure I forgot. Redivivus Sheath: When found, a redivivus sheath re- sembles a tightly-rolled body bag with a fist-sized computing module affixed to it. When a fresh- ly-dead human body is sealed into the bag the module releases a cloud of nanites to repair and revive the subject. Revivification will work on any victim no more than five minutes dead, assuming the head is intact and most of their mass is present. Subjects are revived in critically wounded condi- tion with maximized System Strain. The redivivus sheath functions only once before burning out.) (edited)

(Sorry I didn't see it in the book, but the roll20 sheet has it listed as 1 encumbrance.)

(Yeah it’s 1. It’s an artifact )

(I've been meaning to do some shopping when I got back to civilization. Is it alright if I buy some small items for the christmas event?)

(Go ahead!)

Shopping List
10x Glowbugs $50
4x Power cell, type A $40
3x Telescoping pole $30
5x Thermal Flare $25
Total $145

5:36 PM

Loadout for christmas event
 
Readied 4/5
Evergreen emergency suit, enc 0
Stun baton, enc 1
Tempest laser SMG, enc 1
3x Power cells, type A (bundled), enc 1
Backpack TL4, enc 0
Compad, enc 0
Low-light googles, enc 1
11x Glowbugs, enc 0
3x Telescoping pole, enc 0
5x Thermal Flare, enc 0

Stowed 6/10
Small advanced weapon, enc 1
Climbing harness, enc 1
Metatool, enc 1
3x Power cells, type A (bundled) enc 1
20 Meters of TL4 rope, enc 1
Redivivus sheath, enc 1

(Guess we will continue the mission here Max, and we'll move on to other things shortly)

4:52 PM

Aside from serving meals, this room seems to be mundane, and your thoughts creep back to the vault downstairs. A stuck door- or a locked one, is a navigable obstacle. A card, a key, some convincing with tools or even a demolition charge might be enough to get through- to whatever was deemed so important it had to be not only hidden- but locked away

4:53 PM

(if you dont have the fix-1 to make a demolition charge into a shaped charge, the shuttle pilot, its crew chief, or the engineer you have on board could do it for you without trouble)

(Would we have a demo charge? I didn't think to bring one. We found some tools at the old spaceport, is there a suitable cutting tool in there?)

(The locker/armory on the shuttle Would have a demo charge, the old tools would also be an improvement on what’s been tried so far as well- (edited)

Max returns to the shuttle for tools and to request a breaching charge. He then heads down to open the vault. (The order of things to try is picking the lock, prying/cutting it open, and explosives as a last resort.)

The charge is quickly shaped into a shaped charge for you with a bit of engineering, though if you use it the engineer advises you to keep at least two meters back- so you’re not caught in the residual shockwave. Adorned with the needed tools, you begin work on the vault door. (Picking a lock can be either sneak/dex or fix/int, and you can decide between them depending on what’s better for your character)

(sneak/dex is 8)

The tumblers are complicated and it takes close to 15 minutes. There is a heavy thump as the last one is forced into position, and the door pops out gently as the locking bolt is freed

Max cautiously opens the door, aware that it might have been ment to keep something in as well as keeping people out.

You hear the shimmer of suspension fields inside, and pools of dim light across the floor. With just a peek in, you can't see much of what is actually in there, but you don't hear anything moving that is not your own breath or footsteps.

With no sign of an immediate threat Max swings the door fully open and examines the contents of the vault.

There are four stasis fields within suspending relics in place. There is another chained book, a large two handed sword, a rifle, and a staff. The fields are opaque and you can only see their general forms- not many of the details, without shutting them down. A single computer terminal in the middle of the room controls the fields and possibly has more information about what is contained within them

Max moves to the computer and starts searching for any info he can find on the relics.

(Program/int)

Max mutters as he works the computer. "I should have spent more time with those programming manuals." (1)

You're not able to determine what exactly these relics might be, but the suspension fields can be turned on or off- those controls are simple enough to operate

Max turns off the field around the rifle thinking it might be something he could understand, and the least likely to be immediately evil.

The field flickers , and then shuts down before the rifle gently rests at the base of the containment display. It’s a large weapon, the lines are swooping and clean , though the armor mark is not of a known pre scream manufacturer. “Vengeance Arms LTD” is emblazoned on the side , with the symbol of a cleaved crowned skull

Max carefully picks up the gun to examine it, trying to figure out what kind of weapon it is. Unless he finds something unusual he'll put it in his pack and try the sword next. (I'm assuming the floater ruck can't make it downstairs.) (edited)

(It can. It's grav so it can hover)

8:01 AM

(it can also boost 5m if you need it to)

8:02 AM

There is a slot on it, for either spikes, or solid rounds. It looks like an adaptable feed that could allow either type of round to be fed into it.

(I'll load things on that then.) An interesting design but even if he had ammo, the close quarters and recoil would make it hard to use if the other artifacts gave him trouble. Max puts it on the ruck and opens the chamber with the sword.

10:11 AM

The blade is an onyx black, deep as night, with a neon red killing edge. There is something like a tempered bubble of ceraglass worked into the hilt. Something like a captive thunderstorm is alive and crackling inside that bubble.

Max picks up the sword and gives it a few gentle swings feeling it's weight. Perhaps it was some kind of energized blade? Either way it was striking.

Your hand feels as though its being gently electrically stimulated. The hairs on your arm stand up, and you find it hard to remove your fingers from the grip. Its a very concentrated effort to even put it down, far more than you were expecting.

Max forces himself to drop it on the ruck and backs away. "Ok. That was stupid." He pauses to catch his breath, then if nothing happens he opens the staff's chamber.

The sword begins gently scraping across the floor, trying to reach your hand once again. It doesn’t go as far as to float or defy physics and it’s movements are slow, but there’s no natural reason it should be attracted to you in this way

2

"Very stupid." Max pulls out his rope and tries to lasso the sword. Hoping to tie it down onto the floater.

(fix/int, just since we're trying to do this securely against something that doesnt want to be bound)

(11)

1

You're able to quickly pin the sword to the rail of the floater ruck, and bind it in place with a length of cord from your bag. It seems to be stable for now, and firmly in place.

With fresh evidence that it's not safe to handle these items Max cuts off the excess rope and opens the chamber with the staff. His plan is to tie on a pair of carrying loops without touching the artifact.

8:04 AM

The staff has a similar motif to the sword in terms of design. There is some minor ornamentation on it, and you're able to identify a few places where you could reasonably string loops through to carry it or move it to the ruck without needing to touch it directly.

Seeing the staff's relation to the sword Max takes extra care as he moves it to the ruck. If that's accomplished smoothly he'll open the last stasis field.

(You planned it out and have the skills/gear to do it, a roll felt like an artificial stumbling block)

5:18 PM

The book is the final relic and you can see that two different fields were used to contain it, something the original artifact holders were greatly concerned about escaping containment.

Seeing the lengths the psychics had gone to Max realizes something he should have checked earlier. He looks to see if there's any way to move the stasis units.

They do not seem to be portable in a way that won’t interrupt the power feed they’re drawing from

(Does that mean I'd be able to move them while they're off and set them up in the shuttle?)

(Shutting down the containment field on this one with the book seems to be the problem. Whatever it is, it’s bad enough that they needed to use two. And moving them means shutting the fields down since the machines would be disassembled , so the relic would be essentially released into the open air) (edited)

It seemed like a good idea to find out what was inside this double field before opening it. There didn't seem to be anything in the teachers rooms, but perhaps there was an office somewhere. Max left the room to check the tower.

(I'll grab the layout from the other thread and post it here)

3:34 PM

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 12/31/2020 3:34 PM

The tower leads up to a smaller second floor. Most of the space is taken up by sloping roof you can't access, but there is the headmaster's offices, and a small private faculty workshop on this floor, where engrams and lesser workings could be made away from spaces shared with the students

3:35 PM

Both have banded wooden doors that are marked with what the room is, and are closed.

The headmaster's office would be the most likely place for documentation of the vault items to be located. Max tries the door, prepared to pick the lock if necessary.

The lock is simple and you’ve had a ton of practice at this by now. The door swings open revealing a very large desk (no drawers) a book shelf packed with tomes and a display case on the back wall with a forested glass lid.

Max makes a careful search for anywhere they may have hidden information about the items in the basement. Out of curiosity he starts with the display case.

The display case opens and a ritual grimore, a dagger, and three fist sized sapphires sit in a plush velvet cushion , slightly weighted down by the density of the stones

Max flips through the grimore looking for references to the relics. assuming he doesn't find any he'll then put the items on the ruck and check the case for hidden compartments, before continuing his search of the room.

The book is no doubt esoteric and arcane, but without an understanding of magic the characters within mean very little. The book seems to be more about practical application of magic than a reference material (Sneak/dex for that check)

(7)

You’re unable to locate any other compartments on the display case. It just feels unnaturally heavy it seems

(I'm assuming that aside from the weight there's no sign the case is more than decorative. If there is let me know and I'll change my action.) Max pulls out his metatool and begins disassembling the case, cutting out the liner then breaking apart the sides.

Your initial impression is correct, and there is a dense lockbox that makes up the core of the display case. It is very secure, and cutting it or picking it are beyond what you're going to be able to do outside of an actual workshop

Max loads up the lockbox and starts searching the desk. Hopefully there was a key around or what he was looking for was somewhere else.

There isnt a key for it in the desk. You do find a compad that belonged to the Headmaster. Time in the drawer has drained its battery but the screen and mechanical parts look intact

Max swaps the power cell and begins searching through the files.

(You can ask it questions, and anything truly secure it might take a program/int, but it wont blow up or anything if you fail)

The first search priority is determining if there's any information on the relics in the basement.

The relics are listed by name- and some very basic notes about how they fell into academy care

12:49 PM

(im going to have to do this in chunks so i dont hit the character limit, info is coming)

The rifle is hypothesized to be a Nemesis weapon. The company 'Vengeance LTD" is probably a more direct moniker than meant to be. It was recovered from the holdings of a destroyed estate on one of the other islands here on Ocrina when the storms first started becoming violent and eternal. No one is sure what kind of foes the rifle was constructed to fight. The staff has no official name, and no record of ownership on Ocrina exists. The headmaster was able to use it to cast with, and it helped serve as an anchorpoint for the projection of magical techniques, but he did not use it much, as it felt like a strangers no matter how often he picked it up. The sword was recovered from a bulk freighter that was struck by lightning and crashed into the ocean not far from the academy. The cargo was either lost, destroyed, or absorbed into the necessary maintaining of the academy here. A shadow inhabits the blade and its only known principle is pride. The weapon enjoys being used, and is vindictive, even spiteful when it is not the wielders first choice. It may have other principles but the fickle weapon was locked in the vault because it could turn on anyone for a slight or imagined stain on its pride.

2:26 PM

The book is a mage's grimore, which contains the sum knowledge of shadows, metaphysical creatures, and their known interactions both here, and in places where the latent MES saturation is far lower, what would be considered 'normal' levels. The book was locked behind double containment almost at once, as the knowledge of pacting and the courtship of metaphysical presences is a dangerous endeavor for even a skilled mage, and a single misstep would have set loose any kind of unimaginable horror through the halls. The students could not be risked, and the storms grounded any sort of mass cargo evacuation flights to spirit it off.

"Great, I've insulted a prideful sword. But at least the book isn't dangerous, just it's contents. " Max keeps looking for more info on what a "Nemesis weapon" is.

The extent of the knowledge that the headmaster had about it is already included in your initial sifting of his phone. It was designed and built to specialize in fighting one type of foe above all others, but that foe is not recorded

With the question of the relics answered Max looks for control codes for the robots. It would make things easier if he could just tell them to load themselves onto the shuttle.

The robots are largely unsecured, and its a matter of a few short orders from the headmaster's terminal to get them loaded up

Max takes a final look around the office to make sure he hasn't missed anything, then he goes to check out the workshop.

The workshop has the small precision tools needed to assay items with metaphysical properties, but there are no relics or larger work stations worth the trouble of taking them

10:25 AM

(assay facilities exist on the 'normal' side of the gate already, too)

Max finishes searching the room, then heads down to the last classroom. (We're far enough along I figure it's best to finish surveying the building then load up as much as I can before leaving.)

(With what we have done so far You’ve got the important things to take. I feel like it’s going to be underwhelming compared to what you found already , akin to junk)

7:31 PM

(The only thing we need to figure out is if we want to risk it for the book)

(Alright. I guess the rest of the search happens off screen.) After the search is completed Max returns to the vault for the shadow grimore. With something like this it's best to keep it quiet and under guard, so his plan is to put it in his pack and keep it with him until he can give it to a trustworthy custodian.

(Mental save)

(Failed 10 vs 11. Looks like the files on this book left out something important.)

(Not quite) Handling the book directly gives you a vision. (And I’ve got art. Hang on)

8:22 PM

Your mind is viewing Rana, the planet where the still lady makes residence. Her central temple is a glowing obelisk of power , now projecting a single beam into the sky, backlit by the worlds pale, dead red sun. The storms seem to have lessened significantly allowing you to even see the sky. Shadows and cultists in their thousands march through the streets on parade , as the incarnation of the lady herself reviews them. This feels current, and her link to shadows and knowledge of them is allowing you to get a momentary glimpse into her plans. She has incarnated, and that is bad news for everyone.

6

8:23 PM

Your momentary glimpse fades and you’re left with a lingering headache that’s going to take you a minute to shake off

Max sags against the wall. Why couldn't that thing just stay dead. It had terrorized his world while he'd hid and done nothing. Well not this time. He wasn't going to stand by and watch, he'd root out her cultists and make sure they were dealt with. He pulls himself up and runs for the shuttle. "Prep for launch. I need to get back to Windwall."

The shuttle is loaded with supplies worth their literal weight. The academy has promised massive payouts for everything found, and with a few hours of stressful flight as the arcanist deflects bolt after bolt, the shuttle sets down amid great fanfare in the city. the submarine and its smaller skeleton crew have made their way back as well, and nearly everyone in the city has some out to marvel at the shuttle, possibly the only functioning spacecraft on the planet

Once Max is in com range he sends a report to Greystar detailing his vision and what he found at the abandoned academy. After checking his messages he makes a request to meet with the leaders of Windwall to negotiate setting up a shipyard.

(6xp, and 10,000 credits, for what we just did)

1

**Level Up**
Level: 5
Focus: Maskwalker-2
Old HP: 13
HP Roll: 15
New HP: 15
New Skills: Shoot-0 1sp Connect-2 2sp+1sp saved from connected focus.
Current AB: 2

(I've synchronized my christmas shopping with my character sheet. I also took off 50 credits to replace the rope and power cell I used on the last trip.)

(Awesome. ) The leaders of windwall are summoned and are eager to speak with you given your heroic levels of investigation and discovery on their planet. The shuttle alone is a massive gain in capability

7:49 PM

You’re asked to attend their executive meeting in the town hall, a wind swept building made of steel gray stone and heavily insulated paneling.

7:50 PM

Its stones are rounded , beaten by the wind for generations. The golden lights from its windows are like miniature lighthouses in the dark

Max observes the proceedings waiting for his turn and trying to get a sense of the participants and their factions. When the time comes for him to speak Max stands and addresses the assembly. "Thank you for agreeing to see me. I have been asked speak with you on behalf of the GSC and Aiya technologies about a partnership to establish a shipyard on Ocrina. Your planet offers a uniquely valuable location, while we can provide technical expertise and most of the required resources. I have had recent experience of how valuable a single ship can be. If we were to build more then both our peoples could start reaching out into the L sector. " (edited)

"We were sent the preliminary schematics. Our chief concern is the amount of people needed to run even a minor shipyard. We're looking at an investment of at least 100,000 people. That's almost double the amount who currently live here in Windwall. We'd need the workforce augmented, but this brings us to our second point- a mass influx of settlers is not something we want. Not only because of the social impact here, but we've had generations to acclimate to the background MES levels here. There's no way to know if long term exposure is going to cause problems for a population that doesn't have it literally in their blood. Some alternative solution is going to have to be found to get the actual manpower to run this shipyard"

"I can see how that might be an issue. This will require some thought and consultation. Assuming we can solve this problem, perhaps with increased automation or by finding other settlements that survived the scream, do you have any other concerns or requests?"

"Manpower and cultivation of the resources you'd need to operate this shipyard on our side of the gate, if you can secure those, you'[d have our permission. Greystar is an honored partner, and we would be included in your union if you're able to complete this"

(How far could we cut the manpower requirements with robotics and other automation? Also is there anyone here who's in charge of security or the police? I figure I should talk to them before I start hunting cultists on their turf.) (I'd be willing to put some pretech toward the shipyard if it would make a significant difference.) (edited)

(We would still need to hit that 100k bodies be they robot or people. I figured a quest or two to get them would suffice rather than buying them en masse since that’s not really a thing on the open market in this setting. If you want to talk to their security folks before you go off being a cult hunter we can do that too, I didn’t want to rob you of choosing what you do next. Pretech wouldn’t help with establishing a holding but that’s a good thought )

(In the greystar chat it sounded like dealing with the cult was the higher priority. And this is the kind of thing this character was built for.) As the meeting breaks up Max lingers trying to arrange a discreet conversation with the local head of security. (My goal is to avoid people noticing this meeting.)

He notices you trying to get his attention, and gestures to a side room that is out of the way with a table and two chairs in it. The door looks heavy and like it will stop most sound from getting out

"Thanks, I'm afraid I have a more delicate issue we need to discuss. As I'm sure you're aware Greystar has been dealing with a violent cult worshipping a shadow known as the Still Lady. We've recently received intell that they're active on both Leda and Ocrina. We're not sure they're in Windwall, but it seems likely. I would like your approval to begin an investigation." While he's speaking Max watches the man for any signs of cult sympathies.

(notice or talk/wis , id say to sort of simulate an insight check)

(7)

He seems like he is entirely steadfast as a citizen to Windwall, and nothing more.

4:00 PM

"How invasive would this investigation be? Would there be cooperation with local authorities? Another government kicking down doors here unilaterally is a bad image"

"I'll try to be discreet and avoid stepping on toes. While cooperation would be preferred, they've been known to infiltrate local law enforcement so we should probably keep knowledge of my involvement limited to your most trusted officers. I know this is your territory, that's why I'm talking to you. I don't want to do anything to spoil the relationship between our governments."

"We'll investigate and forward any leads we have. If a raid becomes necessary , doing it jointly for apprehension and information would strengthen the bond between our two countries"

"Thank you. I let you know if I find anything we can move on. Have there been any disappearances or other odd occurrences?"

"We're going to need to re-examine some old case files, with the knowledge you;ve just given us. There are undoubtedly things we missed- now knowing what we know. A report will get compiled and sent to you for review- we can begin our joint investigation in a week or two. " (edited)

"I have some things to take care of in the confederacy, so that's good timing. I look forward to working with you." If he doesn't have anything else to discuss Max will offer a handshake and slip out. (The cyberware I'm picking up is Tagger nanites and Pansectral optics as long as they can look natural and won't interfere with my assuming other peoples appearance. Total $30,000 and 2 strain.)

(those are available and won't cause problems)

10:39 PM

The handshake is firm, he is earnest and eager to help. "I'll let you know what we come up with. We'll send a runner through the portal and they'll send their message from there"

With the meeting finished Max makes plans for his trip to Acastus. Also if nobody's taken it off his hands he'll look for a workshop to break open the lockbox he found at the academy.

(Nobody here in windwall would have) Cutting it open and analyzing it over the time returning to Acastus you see it’s loaded with a flight plan to the starport on Ocrina. Ships would have been able to access it in better days. You know where the Star port is now. (That island is on the discovered part of the map already so we are up to date there ) A log accompanies the flight plan with evacuation plans for the remaining students and the relics in the vault. The transport with the students seems to have been able to make it away but the storms intensified too much to allow the final transport to get the relics out

(Two days spent training programing total 5/90. Also I noticed I'm still carrying around the fire ax I picked up. Any objections to my paying the 80 credits for a large advanced weapon and just saying the ax was one all along instead of a primitive weapon?)

(that's fine with me)

**Level Up**
Level: 6
Focus: NA
Old HP: 15
HP Roll: 25 
New HP: 25
New Skills: Sneak-1 2sp saving 1sp
Current AB: 3

(Also have I completed the goals: Hurt the still lady cult and Make someone pay for their crimes?)

1

(yes and yes)

12:33 PM

(so take the XP for those as well)

After Dave leaves Max starts looking for places he could hide a body or opportunities to take a dna sample from an officer.

The cave itself is largely cleared out. The cistern might be a place one could go unnoticed for a while but drinking the water after that could be a problem. The camp officers consist of the quartermaster , the forgewright, two company officers for the defenses , and a camp commander who frequently patrols the defenses

Max hears the voice of Eisheru, "Assault team will be leaving Windwall imminently. Whatever you are planning, be ready to initiate." Max instinctively knows where Eisheru is and the relative distance between them.

(just to confirm I've got the timeline right, the attack is today?)

(If you need more time to set up your sabotage that's fine, they're helping ambush the group with Dave first)

(in the case do I know if the Commander or any other officers sleep alone and how hard it would be to break in? Also I'm assuming that without fix I don't have any reliable way to delay ignition on a thermal flare.)

(I think you’d be able to delay it anyway since it’s a standard piece of gear and not really a mod. You wouldn’t have any information about the camp without playing for it, Yama king or not. It helps you blend but it’s not an innate understanding of security protocols)

(I thought it would be like a roadside flare, light it and it goes. I didn't expect it to have advanced features like a timer, but if it does that's great. I didn't expect to be given some special knowledge, but I have been walking around paying attention to things so I thought I'd ask in case I'd seen anything. Sorry for the confusion.) With targets in mind Max goes looking for opportunities to get one of the officers alone and replace them. His fist thought is that if they have private rooms he could sneak in at night and take them out, so he'll try to find their sleeping arrangements.

(You’re fine. I’m just trying to set the scene)

3:13 PM

The officers have some private areas away from the rank and file of the cave. They don’t consist of much, sticks with canvas dividers and tent flaps for doors and walls, a rough chest for belongings and a few shelves carved into the cave wall for storage. Each of them has a rough hewn work desk as well from some of the cast off timber that didn’t make it into the defensive works outside

Visions of sneaking in to assassinate and replace the commander flow through Max's mind before he realizes that a single yell could bring the entire camp in to kill him, however cool it would be it wasn't worth the risk. Instead he returned to the bunk room carefully hiding a few thermal flares set to go off just before the attack and start a fire in the oh so flammable bedding. Once the sabotage is in place he waits for the commanders tent to be empty before sneaking in to look for lost hairs or other sources of dna. (I the player barley passed my mental save there. It would have been cool, but if anything went wrong Max would likely wind up dead.)

(It would be a pretty hard thing to get out of with only one way in and out) (sneak/dex)

(I'd like to use the Kensh action figure.)

3

You're able to get inside without anyone seeing you, finding a slept in bed, the aforementioned work table with a half eaten lunch on it, and a pile of soiled clothing awaiting his aide taking them to the cistern for wash

12:28 PM

There are plenty of sources inside for you to get some DNA

Max a number of lost hairs from the bed and clothing, and carefully tucks them into a pocket. He then turns to the desk and being careful not to move things around gives it a quick search for battle plans or other items of interest.

There is a disassembled pistol on the desk along with plans for a phase 2 of camp construction. It was meant to hold the large patrol you and Dave helped destroy on the road a little over a day ago now. This patrol was going to be bringing new orders but they likely were destroyed in either the firestorm, or the exposure to the elements that occurred after

If Max can steal an unnoticeable but critical part he will. Otherwise he'll just sneak out of the tent.

(I think if it’s critical it not being there is going to get noticed when said officer comes back to work on it)

(That makes sense. I don't know much about modern guns so I thought I'd mention it just in case there was something I could do. It could be helpful if the commander thought they had a working weapon but didn't.)

After leaving the tent Max heads outside to wait for the action to kick off.

Smoke begins billowing outside the cave as the fire is noticed and begins to spread inside to the surrounding bunks and other fixtures. An alarm is sounded as a fire brigade begins to form. Attention is clearly being given to inside the fort and cave rather than outside it now, especially with the ammunition magazine for the fire base guns nearby

They're dealing with a fire in the bunk house. I'll try to sow more confusion, but I think now's the time to attack. Max looks to see if the commander is in sight, if he isn't Max will take his identity and go to the defenders on the walls.

Understood. Be ready to get clear and to safety. (Assuming we are in position to kick the assault off Eisheru would give the signal)

THe commander is not in sight at the moment, though the camp is organizing firefighting efforts on its own. Everyone knows where to be, and what to do

(Should we hope back to the group thread?)

(yes that is a good idea)

(we can jump back here when you're ready. Looks like we got pretty much what we were going to out of that other thread)

**Level Up**
Level: 7
Focus: Ghost tech
Old HP: 25
HP Roll:26 
New HP:26
New Skills: Talk-2 3sp
Current AB: 3

(I'm assuming can handle the lighthouse keeper on their own? If not I'll offer to help. Also I think I may have gotten confused. Is the star port the psychic academy pointed me to the same one where I found the shuttle?)

(There’s a much larger one that nobody has explored yet. The one you were at was basically just a little outpost. You could handle the keeper on your own. He’s a civilian and I think the concern is basically getting the information from him before he flees or killa himself so you can’t get it)

(Thanks. That's what I thought, but looking back I wasn't sure. So I'll go check that out. But if the Scions need help with the lighthouse keeper I should do that first. Do we still need evidence, or did we get that from the officers?

(Well- generally telepathically obtained information is not usually evidence because the telepath can puppet a person and make them say and do things. Theyd want the information obtained first hand to corroborate so it’s a good spot for a Yama king to be)

(Alright. I just wanted to be sure what kind of mission this was.) Once the camp is cleared Max starts gathering evidence against the collaborators. Thinking the best approach would be as a cultist who escaped the attack, Max tries to collect some blood or other dna samples before asking the soldiers if they know the chief scouts location.

The chief scout was sent to the north of windwall on a coastal patrol so he could not tip off the cultists that an attack was coming. They’re not sure exactly where that wandering might have taken him but he should be in the general region

Max disguises himself as a cultist and starts making his way through the woods toward Windwall, trending toward the north coast with the hope of running into the scout. (Maskwalker level 2. 8/12 strain. I would also have gotten the names of the scout and the lighthouse keepers family.)

(You’d have them yes I just didn’t name them since they’re going to be temporary story fixtures at best )

(that's what I thought which is why I did it ooc. I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.

(survive/wis)

(7)

The scout is a good tracker, and your powers lend you difference in ability to make up for the lack of the same skill. You find the remains of a small one person camp by early the following morning, and the coals are still warm. He is close, within an hour- but the terrain ahead is a myriad of tide pools, sharp coastal grasses, and dark forest. The world has not lightened even a little since you've been here, and even when the dark sky is not raining it remains cloudy

Max sets out to track the scout. As he's wishing he brought a navcomp to help with the difficult terrain he he feels something appear in his hand. (Using ghost tech for a navcomp. I'll also summon a survey scanner if it'll help.)

(the navcomp is enough to not get lost)

The terrain is rugged but you're not doubling back on yourself at least, and as evening begins to fall you catch a whiff of campfire smoke in the air, in the middle of a thin copse of trees ahead- along with a brief spark of the flame coming to life, before the chief scout sets his blind over it. You're 500m off, and he doesnt seem to have noticed anything.

Max creates a survey scanner, sets it to record audio, and hangs it on his belt. He then starts "sneaking" forward, as soon as he sees the scouts face he reveals himself. "Thank the Lady it's you. I need your help. The Scions hit the camp yesterday."

"They did? Windwall hit the camp? how bad is it?"

12:07 PM

You can hear the concern in his eyes where if your first statement was anything different, he probably would have requested your name

"It's a disaster. I doubt more than two or three of us got away. There was a fire in the bunk house and they attacked while we were busy dealing with it." A suspicious tone enters his voice. "They must have had a mole inside."

"Knew when to hit, and how. Have you been able to get in touch with anyone else?"

"No. Once they overran the defenses we all scattered. I barely made it out, and I didn't want to risk giving myself away over comms."

"You made the right choice. I think we should assume for now we're the only ones left who think the same. We need to initiate cocoon protocols. Pretend you were never involved. Go back to your life, and wait for orders. The Lady will understand"

(With a yama king's knowledge of local law does it seem like I have enough evidence, or do I need something else?)

(He knows cult procedure so I think that’s more than enough for frontier justice )

"Yeah... yeah ok. One of us should inform the lighthouse keeper. We don't want them to get caught trying to make contact." Max starts trying to position himself to use his stun baton.

"I'll talk to him, he owes me some money from our last card game anyway, time to square up"

"Alright. Before I head off could I trouble you for a meal? As you might guess, I didn't have time to get supplies before I left." Max waits for an opportunity, and when the time is right he strikes with his baton. (If I can I'll make a non-lethal execution attack. Otherwise 16/8) (edited)

(He’s aware of you though.

6:03 PM

(I looked up the melee rules in preparation for this. Focused attention and awareness of you foils an execution attempt and you’re the only one here and have had a conversation with them) He is shocked by the attack literally and mentally, before recovering his wits and slicing back with his large hook tipped knife. (9/ missed. 2 shock if AC 15 or less)

(That's fair. The emergency suit gives me AC16 so I'm fine. ) Max dodges the attack and takes a second swing. (14/6)

The woven uniform stops the blow this time. He’s ready for you now even though he is rapidly weakening. He misses again, barely this time. (edited)

Max responds with another solid hit. (19/7)

9:40 PM

(And I forgot to mention I do 1 shock to ac15 or less.)

Three strong blows is enough to disorient him and knock him out. They’re all solid hits and he’s going to be cold for some time.

1

Max searches the scout taking away any weapons or tools he could use to escape, and then ties his hands behind his back leaving a long leash. As the scout regains consciousness he draws his gun. "You may have guessed this already, but your under arrest. How'd a respectable fellow like yourself get mixed up with the cult anyway? Worshiping a goddess of death and torture doesn't seem like something you just decide to do one day."

“I don’t need to tell you anything” he quips, before sitting up but not standing

"Alright, I was just curious. You ready to go or do you need a few minutes?"

He gags once, the concussion not agreeing with him but he chokes down whatever was about to come up. He holds up a hand for you to wait for a moment before he is able to pull himself to his knees

"Sorry about that but I didn't think you'd come quietly if I just asked."

"I wouldn't have" he smiles roguishly. "You took me entirely by surprise. If I answer your other questions, do you think you could get Windwall, or Greystar, to judge me more leniently?"

"I can't make any promises, but if you cooperate I'll put in a good word for you."

He gets to his feet after a moment, and then finally begins to allow you to lead him "Alright, ask your questions"

(I assume it's easiest if I give a bit of a list. If you'd prefer the questions one at a time let me know.) Max chats with the scout as they walk, trying to find out things like: How was he recruited, What were his duties, What does he know about the lighthouse keeper (including but not limited to their involvement with the cult.) (edited)

He was recruited through the lighthouse keeper. They developed a friendly relationship as two people vital to the operation of the city but forced to spend long periods of time away from it. He was just supposed to keep an eye on the city and his wandering allowed the cult to establish the secure base they had inhabited until just recently. An expert in finding food and water he also helped the hidden base expand their stocks of supplies and taught some of what he knew to them.

7:52 PM

He knows the keeper was highly placed in the cult as they were one of the first people ever from outside Rana to join the cult.

Hearing that the lighthouse keeper is a high ranking cultist max asks if the scout has seen him display any unusual abilities.

“He’s been very young for a long time , and never seems to get sick. I’ve never seen him actually perform anything you’d consider magic though “

"That's still a sign he may be more than he seems. Thank you." After the conversation has died down Max will call the security chief and ask him to send a team to collect the scout and bring him into Windwall discreetly. (I'm not trying to cut things short if the scout has more to say. I've just run out of questions.)

(Don’t think he could offer much more of consequence anyway )

8:07 PM

The security team will dispatch a flyer to come pick him up, and within an hour he’s taken off your hands , to be remanded to city custody

After transferring the scout and his audio recordings Max makes his was to the lighthouse, trying to approach as if he's avoiding the guards.

The lighthouse keeper is sweeping his stoop and furtively looking out at the always dark horizon, as yet another powerful storm is gathering out to sea. He sighs visibly, not eager to climb the hundred and more stairs up to the beacon to light it once again

Max looks around to make sure there aren't any guards in sight before hurrying over and showing his brand. "We have a problem. The camp has been attacked."

He stops his sweeping. "And you are? How do you know?" he says, defensively. You see his grip ever so slightly change on the broom, as he weighs whether to lash out or not at this stranger suddenly emerging from the surround and blurting out news of his darkest secret without even a greeting.

Max comes to attention, realizing he forgot proper courtesy to a superior. "Private Sam Caldwell, Sir. I, um, I know because I was there when it happened. I barely made it out." (My connect roll was 12, so I should have gotten the name and rank right.)

(I’m not sure how connect applies here )

8:26 PM

“Are you the only one?”

(Ah sorry. When I'm impersonating someone and I spend an extra strain maskwalker ability lets me make a connect roll to know the answer to a challenge to my identity. In this case I was rolling to see if I knew the name and rank to go with this face.) "As far as I know. Maybe one or two others could have escaped but no one else with me made it out, and I thought if I stuck around I'd be more likely to be captured than to find others."

“Thank you for the message. Coccoon protocols then. I’m sure if you’re still needed we will see each other again. Best go back to the life you had here before all this, if you still can”

(I forgot to mention that I wanted the audio recorder going again. Up to you if I forgot IC as well.) Hearing the mention of cocoon protocols Max figures he has enough. He draws his stun baton and swings. (10/5 shock 1 ac=< 15)

(We can say you remembered)

6:53 PM

He is surprised by the sudden attack, The blade at his hip flashes into his hand, scoring your chest (22/3)

Max winces as the blade bites, then follows up with a strike from his baton. (15/7)

The caretaker is wounded now, your blows are beginning to weaken him but he’s still a high ranking cult member and the lady has clearly blessed him with some kind of power. The knife (19/6) cuts deeply into the same wound. The blow is precise and well aimed.

The cultists blow arrives as Max is winding up for his own strike, throwing off his aim. (12/8 shock 1 ac15) He drops his disguise and calls for the guards. (edited)

Guards are a long way off, back near the city. Your distress call will be heard, but help may be a distance away. The return strike is badly aimed, and you weave aside just in time. (Miss and he can’t do shock to you)

Max dodges the knife and responds with a solid blow from his baton. (23/8 a perfect roll.)

Heavily wounded, the magister masquerading as the lighthouse keeper these long years heaves , blood freely running from his nose, the corner of his mouth now made of a few smashed teeth, and his ears. The knife whips from his outstretched hand, thrown (crit/11) , as he attempts to break contact and flee. (if that does't drop you, you get an opportunity attack since he used a main action to attack rather than take fighting withdrawal, and then we move on to your turn)

(I'm at 2hp so I'm still up if barely.) As the cultist retreats Max clips him with the stun baton. (22/2) (edited)

The crack of the baton into his back staggers him as he runs 10m away toward the road

8:52 AM

(Your actual turn now)

With a knife sticking out of him and the cultist fleeing Max gives up on making an arrest. Drawing his tempest and puts a burst of lasers into the lighthouse keeper.(21/7)

The lighthouse keeper is dropped, the shots cutting down his back in an almost perfect line

Remembering the keeper's family Max moves out of sight and tries to bandage his wounds while waiting for the guards. Once the guards have finished questioning him he'll ask for directions to a doctor, planning to take time to recover and plan an expedition to the spaceport.

(3xp, 5000 credits) The family is arrested, and will be questioned back in the city to determine if they were actually involved, or if the family unit was ignorant of the keeper's true affiliation. That will be done over the coming days while you recover.

(If I can rest six days that will heal me to full health and clear my strain.)

Shopping list.
Storm armour with Polymorphic blending from the Greystar reward 20,000 1 pretech
2xPowercells type B 200
3xRations 15
Rope 40
5xThermal flares 25

And if I can purchase frontier meds instead of making them.
3xMedpak 300

Total $20,580 + 1 pretech.

(How do we handle training for power armour?) While he's recovering Max asks if he can hire the shuttle and it's crew to go explore the spaceport.

(We don’t generally worry about it since power armor requires face in this game. Either way the time is spent before operating it)

(Thanks. Are the Medpaks ok? I also forgot to ask if they're 0 encumbrance like stims?)

(Medpacks are also 0, at least for the moment since they don’t have values listed)

(Got it. My sheet's updated so I'm ready to continue.)

The crew is available to explore, and the Scions appreciate your efforts this side of the gate, to improve a land that is not your own. A pilot, co pilot, engineer, and two security team members are available.

Once everything is arranged Max arrives at the shuttle and greets the crew. "Good to see you again. Ready to head back out?"

They’re eager to explore and begin getting the shuttle ready for liftoff. Your wounds seem to have healed without trouble and the significant threat to the city has been ended for now.

As the shuttle makes it's way to the spaceport Max checks over his gear, configuring his new storm armour to appear as a lightly armoured coat.

(I’ll get a map of the place posted when I’m back to my computer )

11:54 AM

The space port is a large central terminal with four wings coming off of it dedicated to different aspects of business. Ships park on a once massive surrounding paved area- where crews and repairs would be done in parking spaces. The open air environment allowed large cranes and other big tools to be used without worrying about destroying the ceilings of hangars. There are nothing but picked over metal bones now, generations of scavengers having carried off anything of value from the outside starships. The port itself does not look nearly as accessed or vandalized. There must be something present that has discouraged the same looting treatment.

Max has the shuttle set down in an open spot and starts walking toward the spaceport. Although he approaches openly he keeps his eyes open for defensive systems or other threats.

(Notice/wis)

(12)

There is a converted point defense system from a starship hidden and worked into the central terminal, and the "Wings" . The gun ports are worked into things like false gutters, and exhaust vents, but you are familiar with starship design and the power cables feeding the weapons stand out compared to air conditioning ducts and more normal use power cables. There is a gap in the scorch marks on the ground where the fields of fire don't quite overlap, approaching the terminal from the south.

Max circles south and comes in through the gap. more wary than before, but still not trying to hide.

(did you want to go into the terminal, or the southwest or southeast wing as you get close enough to be inside the defenses)

(Unless there's some sign pointing to one over the others let's go with the south east wing.)

(im not sure why a notification never came in)

7:58 AM

The southeast wing of the starport looks to be devoted to crew services for the former occupants of the site. Workshops, stalls for technicians, a few more mundane scale eateries, and some terminals that once connected to the Exchange of Light's galactic market are lined up on the walls. The wing is crumbling. Some of the computer systems are damaged but most of the tech stalls seem to be functional- especially if they can be powered again.

The place appeared abandoned, but someone had to have installed the weapons. So Max keeps his eyes open for any signs or occupation as he searches the workshops and stalls.

Hand tools are missing from crafting stalls. It seems like the forging processes were used recently as well, you feel heat from some of the forges and there is still fresh ash on the ground around the mills and other machines used to create precision parts

Seeing how recently the forges had been used Max continues his sweep towards the the north east planning to check the central terminal once he clears this wing. (I'm assuming you would have mentioned if I'd found any interesting stuff like fancy gear or pretech.)

(Yes Id have mentioned it that stuff just isn’t in this area)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 3/23/2021 9:43 PM

The spaceport was once part of a wide interconnected galaxy spanning culture and the northeastern wing was meant for the more militant elements of it. Old weapons dealer stands, semi looted armories , a terminal that once connected to the galactic network and several other stalls that also facilitated the transfer of military goods occupy this wing. This wing also has a large booth where combat simulations could be played out and practiced on, the skills mentor system being a relatively new pre scream invention adapted to the post tech frontier lifestyle

Max looks through the weapons on the off chance the looters missed something interesting, then tries to boot up the terminal.

(Program/int)

(5)

You’re unable to access the secured sections of the data stored here but can query the database for other questions

(I'm guessing that logs of recent activity are secured and I wouldn't be able to get to them.) Max looks through the visitor information for any noteworthy destinations on Ocrina then looks for data on nearby worlds.

(Correct)

12:41 PM

There was once a bustling sector here. You learn of the Sacrificed, on Biputer who at the time were very organic and very involved in the metal and biologicals trade. It is an insight into their past. There are also records of a growing religious order on Rana, pledged to some sort of goddess figure, and the date is before the rise of THe Still Lady.

Max makes note of what he found then looks to see if Ocrina has any orbital stations of other in system destinations.

Ocrina did not have any orbital stations. Visiting ships too big to land, or not configured to land sent their cargo down via lighter, or lifter, and it would be unloaded here on the ground before being sent back to orbit empty.

1:26 PM

This planet was never that industrialized, mostly due to the weather making getting supplies in and out difficult to sustain high volume shipping.

Finishing with the console Max takes a quick look at the simulator to see if it's worth salvaging or having an engineer come out to study it.

The simulator would be made to work again with some light repairs. It’s a large piece of machinery and extracting it from the building means disabling it gaining control of the security system so it’s safe for follow on engineering teams

Max adds it to his list of things to report and starts toward the central terminal.

(from the north hallway or west?)

(North hallway I'd think. I was probably sweeping the wings south to north.)

There is a creak of metal 20m ahead around the corner , that leads into the hallway entering the central part of the terminal. It sounds again. Rhythmic and it’s happening without the wind. It’s not a natural sound

"Hello, is anyone there? I've come to talk." Max cautiously rounds the corner, ready to dive back under cover if something shoots at him.

The noise stops but you can hear the sound of a metal clang and footsteps receding away

6:35 PM

It looks like some kind of metal drums and pallets have been scattered across the hallway to make you have to climb over it to continue following

Max sighs and calls after the footsteps. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. In fact I'd like to help." He picks his way through the barrier and continues walking.

The starport center is like an expo hall though you can see the engineering annex responsible for power. Something like a carnival has been set up in these rooms and the power seems to have been on in here recently. Several scaled down amusement park rides have been brought into the space and are showing a bit of their age

(Do the rides look like something that was here when the spaceport shut down, or is it more like they were brought in afterwards?) This was curious. Max heads to the engineering section to try and find where the power is being used.

(They were here for an expo like event when the spaceport was forced to shut down)

7:24 AM

The carousel, bumper cars and the miniature Ferris wheel within the abandoned expo all work and are drawing power. There are about a dozen rides here that aren’t

(Can I tell where power is being used in other parts of the starport?)

(Not from here, but you can see it’s being generated and used )

8:22 AM

)it’s a status panel, not one that can manipulate things)

(Oh you went to engineering. I missed that)

(yeah I figured if people were living in a particular area they might be using more power.)

The engineering room is located in the core of the station and the doors look to be incredibly thick. The room is capsule shaped and looks to be fit only for one or two people to be inside it at any time. The gentle Hum of the reactor is just below your feet and has been increasing steadily as you’ve walked closer and closer. There’s evidence of humans passing through the area here but there are not any here now. The room is sealed by an electronic pad

Max starts thinking of ways to bypass the lock before realizing that breaking into someone's powerplant is not the best first impression. Still he tries the open button just in case it's unlocked. (I'm not sure how accurate the labels on the map are. this basically the area marked as the cantina right? Is the cargo bay access where it is on the map?)

(We're in what's labeled as the cantina, and yes. The other labels are all correct aside from the planet names on the northwest section. It just would be your standard transportation hub)

Leaving the generator Max goes to look at the cargo bays. (east access)

The cargo bay doors hiss open as you're gently led down a long ramp into the depths of the station. You can see the encased central column with the reactor behind it, accessible only from the sealed off engineering room above. Otherwise, almost all the cargo has been used up, smashed, abandoned, or stolen.

8:06 AM

It's clear there have been people living here, or regularly passing through for some time based on the casual destruction

Max looks through the cargo bay keeping his eyes open for any sign where these people are staying. If he doesn't find anything of interest he'll go up the west ramp and into the northwest wing.

A few of the containers that are open have bedrolls and evidence of the passage of people in them. They’ve been used recently.

Seeing the bedrolls Max stops and calls out, "Hello, is anyone there? I've come from Windwall. They're doing quite well over there, so if you need anything we may be able to help. If you wanted to you could probably even move there if there aren't to many of you."

There is another creak of metal near a container in the back of the room, but no other sound.

As Max walk toward the sound he continues talking, trying to reassure the unseen presence. "So what's it like living here? I can't imagine it's easy, having to search for supplies and salvage what you can from old ships." Assuming he doesn't get an answer he'll keep up a friendly banter, introducing himself and talking about his experiences exploring Ocrina.

(Talk/cha at +2)

(14)

1

A group of filthy children, led by an older teenager emerges from one of the containers at the back of the hold. They're all in terrible shape, thin, sick, and filthy.

Max stops as he sees the kids, a terrible suspicion coming to mind. "Hi, I'm Max. ... are there any adults here?"

"Just me" the eldest of them says, looking around the room to see if you are alone or not. "The other adults left a long time ago. "

"And you stayed to take care of the kids." Max nods approvingly. "Do you mind if I ask why they left?" (How many kids are there and how many of them could I pack into the shuttle? A shuttles normal life support can handle ten so with myself and the five crew that would leave four seats. But I don't know if that can be stretched since this is a short trip in atmo.)

(it can be stretched since its a short atmo trip. Twenty who are clearly children, and two who are old enough to be mid to late teenagers)

7:15 AM

"they went to look for supplies and never came back"

7:15 AM

"I think...I think there were no supplies and they just...wanted to spare us"

"That does sound likely. If You're low on supplies I should take you to Windwall. It will be a bit tight but there should be room on the shuttle."

“Our parents won’t know where to find us. They’re still out there” one of the younger children says, eyes full of tears

Max looks to the eldest to see if they think there's any chance of the parents coming back. "We can leave them a message telling them where you went. But you don't have much food here. I'm sure you're parents would want you to go where you could be taken care of."

The older children seem to have made peace with the fact that their parents aren’t coming back

Their trek into the wild was a sacrifice they did not want their children to see

(I thought that was the case. I realized my last post wasn't clear. I was trying to answer the little kid.) Max turns back to the teens. "Do you know how to shut off the defenses? I know a path through them, but I'd rather not take chances with the kids."

“Yeah. Can turn it off. Shouldnt though. Place is going to get sacked while we are gone “ the eldest kid says, a matter of routine for them

"Will the kids all stay on the safe path? I'd rather loose the spaceport than have any of them get hurt." (Speaking of looting, how's the shuttle capacity looking? Will it be full or should I finish searching the port?)

(If you took the kids we would be full, but we can come back for a second run always too and that wouldn’t be as big of a thing since you navigated most of the hazards already )

(The kids are definitely the priority.) "You should grab anything you need to take with you. But pack light, we won't have much room."

They don't seem to have much as things stand anyway, and you're forced to take a bit more of a hands on approach for the youngest of them. Most of them have only a few changes of clothes and some stuffed animals - all of them in ratty condition.

Max radios ahead to let the shuttle know they'll have company, then starts guiding the children out through the south passage. "Don't wander off. You need to stay on the path."

(did you want them to shut the defenses down? they brought up a couple issues but they'll still do it if you think its a better choice- which was all I wanted to present)

(How tight is the safe path and how well behaved are the kids? Also thinking about it, could we turn them off for the kids to leave then I go back and turn them back on?)

(I suppose we could do that as well, the safe path is fairly tight but I think being here alone for so long if its an important surivval matter they'd fall into line)

(Controlling the defences could help if I bring an engineer to salvage that simulator.) "On second thought can you show me the weapons control? We'll shut it off for you to get to the shuttle, then I'll come back and turn it back on."

You're taken into the secured engineering room that you couldnt get into before. A ladder going up to weapons control also goes down into the reactor room, and climbing up has you in a cramped utility area. Power can be shut off for the point defense system here with the turn of a metal key that the oldest reluctantly hands ove

Max takes the key and inserts it into the switch. "Alright, ready to go?" On receiving an affirmative he shuts down the weapons and leads the kids to the shuttle.

They behave and are nervous but climb aboard. No one punches one another, asks for snacks, or asks if they're there yet, to your surprise. The defenses hum back to life and you make your way through the safe path, before boarding and closing things up behind them

Once everyone is settled and they're on their way Max recalls the children's food shortage and looks to see what's available on board. After serving it out he spends the voyage talking with the kids, reassuring and preparing them for Windwall. (If nothing else I have three days of rations in my pack. Although that won't go far among twenty.) (edited)

(The shuttle flight would just be a couple hours and there’s a locker on board too so there’s enough for everyone without dipping into your own)

9:10 PM

They’re all eager to dig into the meals, even the pre packaged ones some of the soldiers stay away from. They eat ravenously and the shuttle is filled with the sounds of crinkling foil and muffled chewing.

9:11 PM

There’s a sense of relief aboard the craft but sadness too. The younger ones are still convinced their parents are out there searching for help

While the kids eat, Max thinks about the other survivors around the spaceport. Finding them all would be very difficult, but maybe they could be the ones doing the finding. On his return trip he could bring a supply of flares to draw attention, and perhaps he could leave behind a radio so anyone who came by later could call for help. (How far is it from Windwall? Could a comserver get a message through? Or can a field radio be pretuned so they wouldn't need program?)

(you could get a message to them, and i would imagine with either tech you'd know what their frequencies are so you'd just have to dial in rather than guess)

Arriving back in Windwall Max will see that the children have a decent home. If this goes without incident he'll donate 20,000 credits for their care and start planning a return to the spaceport. Knowing it would be unfair to get the survivors hopes up if no one was going to pick them up after he left, he brings his idea of a comstation to the city's leadership.

Comstation shopping list.
Comserver $1000
Spare type-b power cell $100
3xcompads $300

100x thermal flares $500
20x glowbugs $100
to draw attention.

total $2000

Smething like this will work and they would approve it, in time when the shipyard is completed they will have something in orbit to bounce signals off of, and they will no longer need this, but it is understood construction is still some time away

With the children safe and the comstation approved Max has one last thing to arrange for his return trip, a technician who can salvage the simulator and any other machines worth taking from the port. (Also I forgot to put it on the shoping list because it's not in the equipment spreadsheet, but I want to take something like a can of spraypaint that can be used to leave messages on the doors and landing grounds. Let me know if there's a credit cost.)

(That wouldn’t be anything. We will just say you have it)

Once all the preparations have been made Max boards the shuttle and returns to the spaceport. (I'm wanting to go on the rana attack, and it looks like the donjon mission may be wrapping up soon. Let me know if you think I should put this off until after the attack.)

(I don’t mind a bit of overlap. It’s hard to say when it will finish )

(Sure. Just thought I should check in case you had a monster or something in the west wings. Don't want to cause any paradoxes.)

(All good.) The shuttle bas returned to the spaceport and this seem how you’ve left them. The defenses can be shut down from the inside once you make it in, and you now know the safe path

Max briefs the technician as he loads up the comserver. "The simulator is in the north east wing. Everything looks the way we left it, so you're ok with it I'll get you started while I place the server and check out the west wings. Save us a bit of time that way." Once everything is ready Max will lead the way into the spaceport.

Passing through the safe zone you’re back inside the central terminal much faster than on your first trip. The place has not changed at all since you’ve been gone

Max paints a trail of arrows on the floor leading to the spot where he's setting up the com station. Setting it to accept all connections he lays out the spare power cell and the compads along with instructions for contacting Windwall. He then gives the engineering section a quick search before switching off the defences and leading the tech to the simulator.

The tech whistled appreciatively upon seeing it. The entire room is something he can easily remove and get stored aboard the ship that brought you here and he is eager to get to work

"Glad you like it. I'll let you get started, just give me a call if you need anything." Max heads off to start searching the north west wing.

The northwest wing was a transportation hub once. Passengers would have gathered here, brought in from other parts of the sector before departing on shuttles to planets from here- almost like the interstellar version of a domestic airline. The signs for where these shuttles would have gone once do not activate even though the rest of the facility has power. One sign advises bags over 25KG need to be checked, and also forbids bringing weapons or things that could be used as weapons aboard. A tram of discarded baggage is overturned in the middle of the concourse. Most of the suitcases have remained locked.

Seeing the spilled luggage Max walks over and begins using his ghost tech to crack open suitcases.

(d100 when you can, ill get you a loot list)

(15)

(Thank you. I’ll toss this up when I’m back at a pc)

(You're welcome, I'm always happy to roll for loot :) )

Max finds scraps of poetry from a long dead Biputan poet, that looked like they were being given over to a publisher when the disaster hit. An advanced mono knife, a pair of armored gauntlets , and a series of four lithographed plates showing Galaxy starscapes are among the valuables here. The art objects alone could be worth millions in the right hands

Max carefully packs away the poetry and other items. Taking some time to examine the gauntlets trying to understand their purpose.

They are human sized, and look to be like something a knight would have worn into battle in ancient times

interesting, were they decorative?, or for some sort of re-enacting?, could they be originals? Whatever the answer they weren't immediately useful. Max puts the gauntlets away, and continues his search to the south west.

The trade terminal is in the southeast of the planet and is composed of the massive and somewhat scavenged now computer network of data cables and connection feeds, where information from the galactic market would come in and be piped to each of the remote computers here. in the glory days of this station, traders would occupy these computers, getting up to the date rates on all manner of commodities and resources, and arranging sales or purchases as needed. Almost anything could be found here- the data collected, transmitted, and deleted for new daily would be staggering for computer networks now, but it was routine back pre-Scream.

Max tries one of the computers. Hoping to find some record of what was being shipped when the port shut down, and also looking to see if by some miracle it's still connected to the trade network. (Can I find the coordinates of the trade terminal? that seems like somewhere that might be worth checking out. If I recall I've now searched the entire station right?)

(You have. Trade terminal is also in this wing you could follow the wires to it to the thick room in the very bottom of the wing)

6:34 AM

There is no longer any galactic network to connect to, though their material needs seem much the same as your own

(Ok. I thought south east of the planet meant it was somewhere else. Are the computers worth salvaging or is it just a case where they had more data to process than we do, so they built a biger network?)

(they're worth taking, its a supercomputer that probably wont be able to be re-created out here on the enlightened frontier for some time yet)

Max makes his way to the data centre to make sure it's unlocked, and sends a message to the tech. "I think I've found another prize for you to take a look at once you're finished with the simulator. There are some powerful computers here in the south west wing."

We might need to think about bringing some extra help out here to recover this. Is it all going back to Greystar space?

Alright, we'll gather what we can now, and I'll arrange a larger team once we're back in Windwall.
The Scions have first claim on it, it's their world after all. But if they're willing to sell for a reasonable price I think it would be worth it.

This could help with the shipyard we are trying to build- especially if the crew will be mostly robotic

That's a good point. Makes sense to keep it on planet if we can use it here.

(Raeslin was able to secure the robots before she quit, and they'll be delivered at month end)

(that's great. I haven't gotten around to reading her thread so I didn't know if the negotiations were finished.) After doing what he can to prepare the computers for transport, Max goes around painting signs on the spaceport doors.

WINDWALL STANDS.
We want to help. There's a com station in the central terminal. Call us.

(Given the value of these computers and that we want to wrap up for the rana mission, I think I'll skip the getting attention phase for now but we want anyone who does come in to find the radio. Also is there any problem with my buying a shear rifle and a selection of grenades before heading to Rana?)

(Not at all you’d be on Acastus before going to Rana with the fleet so you’d be in civilization. )

6:40 AM

(3xp, 5000 credits for this )

Arriving back in Windwall Max arranges for a team to go collect the computers, then leaves for Acastus to prepare for the assault on the still lady.

Shopping list.
shear riffle $600
3x grenades $75
magma grenade $300
squiggle spotter $1000
Total $1,975

(7days training program on the way to Rana. Total 12/90) (edited)

(Good by me)

**Level Up**
Level: 8
Focus: na
Old HP: 26
HP Roll: 33
New HP: 33
New Skills: fix-0, know-0, pilot-0
Current AB: 4

(I'm thinking I'll stick around and try to help stabilize Rana. Unless you'd prefer we leave them to themselves and I head down to help with the extaurren war.)

(There’s not going to be a way for anyone to get back to you, they’re going to have to be left to themselves)

(We are building a shipyard on Ocrina right? could have one of the first ships from there come check on me. But you're probably right that I should head back. Now I just need to figure out where and how to infiltrate.)

(it will take months for that to finish and I am not ready to really fast forward through all that, Raeslin sort of dropped the ball by abruptly leaving the game in the middle of negotiations, and I need some time to figure out how to get things on track) (edited)

(Not a problem. I'm willing to change my plans to help the game flow better.)

(there's plenty going on, if you need help figuring something to do in the interim I can help)

(I was thinking we could use someone gathering intel and sowing chaos behind enemy lines in the extaurren war. But I haven't been keeping up on what's happening down there.)

(right now the fight has stalled at Maysoon, there's a group trying to bring down the Etxaurren occupiers of the colony there. Brizeno and Etxaurren itself haven't had any contact since the Knights of Draconis were forced to withdraw, as they didnt have a fleet suited for combat and the platforms detected them)

(While I'm thinking of it do we get another 7 days of downtime on the way back from Rana?) Returning from Rana Max begins planning his next mission. Phenmo thought they could extort the Galeta council. It was time to show them their distance didn't make them untouchable. Needing to get in unnoticed Max commissions the construction of a stealth shuttle and starts searching for a crew. He makes an extra effort to find a comm officer skilled in evading scans.

(Yes we do)

7:41 AM

There are the standard Greystar academy recruits that you can pick from, this close to The Scream, and the rarity of these sorts of missions have truly skilled comms officers difficult to find and recruit once the Polity military has their pick

(19/90 program. I've prepaid six months wages and life support for myself and three crew. Pilot, engineer, and comm officer.) The unavailability of an EW expert was a disappointment but not entirely unexpected. With the crew arranged the next step was to gather supplies and equipment for an extended stay in unfriendly territory.

After loading my bike I should have one ton of cargo space plus whatever we can fit in the rest of the ship. Is there enough room for this? and do I have enough face?
3x Armoured undersuit 1,800 enc0
2x Shear riffle 1,200 enc4
2x Tempest 1,200 enc2
8x Powercell type-A 80 enc4?

8x Powercell type-B 800 enc8
Flop riffle 600 enc2
Sniper riffle 400 enc2
Blackslab 10,000 enc1
5x Line shunt 500 enc0
Anti-tox 100
10x Medpak 1,000
Squiggle spotter 1,000 enc1
3x Burner bag 450 enc3
5x Demo charge 1,250 enc5
4x Grenade, magma 1,200 enc4

(Yes we are solid on all that)

(I forgot to ask if I should bring something to sell for spending cash or are we handwaving that with something like mandate credit chips?) (edited)

(What or who would you be selling go. Im@not following )

(Things like jewelry I could pawn or other high value items that won't draw suspicion. I may have expenses on Phenmo and I can't very well go drawing on a Greystar bank account.)

(Okay I’m with you now. I’d say just generic credit Chits are fine )

With preparations complete it was time to leave. Max felt a sense of pride as he climbed aboard the ship. The Bat wasn't large but her angular hull and stealth systems made her about as hard to spot as a ship could be, and she was his. After stowing his gear he ordered the crew to begin the final checks for departure. (The planed route is Acastus>Leda>Jahvani>Arana>Mitopouba>Dynomen>Panikouvi>UDNG4-42>Phenmo which I believe is 19days.)

(would you be stopping at any of the gSC planets along the way for anything more than fuel?)

(Not unless something comes up. I've got an eternal reactor so I don't even need fuel.)

(alright, ill get a scouting report together for Mitopouba)

(nearly done, just finishing the map)

(Thanks. I'm not planning to stop anywhere unless there's something very interesting or time sensitive, so please don't put a lot of work into maps on my account.)

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/mitopouba-location

Mitopouba

Seeing the situation on the planet Max attempts to make radio contact. "This is Agent Max Davenport of the Greystar Confederacy. My scans show you're dealing with quite the situation down there. My ships not equipped to provide aid, but is there anything the confederation could do to help?"

Dozens of cries for reinforcements , aid, supplies and anything else civilized space can offer come from@people with radios all over the planet.

9:42 PM

The cities are all constantly besieged and as the survey report indicates, many have fallen victim to the ravages of the native wildlife

Max promises to relay their needs to Greystar. He to be reassuring, but knowing that their response may be limited because of the way he's careful not to make any promises. (Unless there's more I'll continue on since I'm not equipped to handle this.)

(Alrighty, ill get something together for Dynomen)

(Here you go King)

3:24 PM

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/dynomen-location

Dynomen

Max sends a survey report back to Greystar and orders the jump to Panikouvi. A planet of iron age aliens would be an interesting world to explore, but the war had to come first. Perhaps he could stop by on his way back.

(Alright. I’ll try to get something up for the next world soon)

(Sorry to make you roll up all these worlds. Unfortunately I can't just jump straight to Phenmo.)

)no worries they gotta be done at some point )

(this one we actually had, just no map) https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/panikouvi-location?preview=true

Panikouvi

It was good to see a world that seemed to be doing well. After sending an updated report Max jumps for the black hole.

(program/int, it is a notice and hide check so +2 for small sized plus whatever else you normally get as far as remaining hidden for bonuses)

(The com officer gets a +2 right? +2 for low emissions. I haven't said I turned on the emission dampers, so they don't apply. And isn't the bonus for a shuttle +3? So that gives a +6 or 7)

8:18 AM

(roll 20 isn't working for me right now. I'll roll at lunch unless you want to do it.)

(I did not realize shuttles were fighter sized, so yes, +3 for that +2 for comms officer, and +2 for low emissions)

8:21 AM

(you got a 14 based on the chat, but it should be 15 with the extra +1, vs the 10 ffor the observing ship) (edited)

8:23 AM

There is a ship here, keeping vigil at the black hole , but it does not seem to have noticed you. The Lawrence, once a high tech exploration vessel belonging to Trivdei Tech is here, keeping watch. It used to belong to Trivedi Tech. It was later stolen by the Constellation Supremacy Front, and evidently was among the assets seized when Phemno Mining Guild attacked the nomadic stellar nation as part of a contract dispute that could not be amicably settled. The ship is a high tech runner, and it does not seem like the Guild has mechanically changed any of it from outward appearance, aside from some new paint.

"Engage the emission dampers and plot the spike to Phenmo. We'll send a burst transmission to let Greystar know about this ship just before we jump."

(Seen , just gotta confirm a few things behind the scenes. If you're planning on sneaking around though we'll need a program/int for hiding as you enter the system)

(Emission dampers are on so +9 this time. so 14. +2 more if I get the avoiding populated areas bonus, but I don't know how far out of my way I'd have to go for that.)

(the Phemno system itself is very built up, so i dont think there would be any place to go to truly not have anyone around, at least in the sense of getting that particular bonus) (edited)

The system of Phemno and its now notorious mining guild is a large system, heavily developed and busy with in-system traffic. A gas giant, a bright yellow sun, an ocean world, a habitable one, and several barren moons occupy the system. Even the barren areas have some sort of monitoring station built and it seems like there is at least some construction on each planet as the Guild continues to expand. The wreckage of Neo-Tortuga has been hauled to the edge of the system- gradually being picked over by whatever scavengers PMG allows to pick through the remains of the once mighty space station. Four free merchants are making a run for the edge of the system, hauling endless amounts of metals and other cargoes coveted by the guild. Several war ships are also in the system.

Seeing such a prosperous enemy system was not great news. All those eyes were an unpleasant thought as the Bat snuck close enough to the habitable world to find a landing spot.

(I'll get a map together for you. It's been pretty abstract so far because until now we were just concerned about its agency actions. I'll get this set up)

(Roughly how big is a hex? I want to land somewhere secluded but not too far from civilization, maybe an hour or two on my bike. If I landed on the coast around this area.

5:03 PM

That would let the Bat hide in the ocean.)

(50km in this case which is smaller than our usual scale)

(In that case I'd try to find something in this sort of area.)

Finding a likely looking beach Max ordered the Bat into Phenmo's ocean. It would drop him off then submerge to hide until he needed it. (The Bat is amphibious and has a contextual camo field.) (edited)

The beach is empty. There is a watchtower at the base of the nearby mountains overlooking the beach but it may not be manned right now. The dunes provide some decent concealment for a good portion of your trek towards it

Max loads up his bike and sets off for Miner's repose, trying to stay out of sight. All these watchtowers and sensor outposts were going to be a problem, but trying to take this one out now would likely draw too much attention.

There is a long series of terrain challenges on the way. The ground is rocky and difficult to traverse even on a grav bike. Above a flock of drones is lifted skyward. A nearby cave presents itself and the indents of picks outside are evidence of recent use

Drones now. It seemed Phenmo was really into surveillance. That was a probably a good sign, evidence that they had internal threats they were trying to suppress. But right now it was quite annoying. Max made for the cave hoping anyone inside was also opposed to the PMG and would wait to start shooting long enough for him to introduce himself. (edited)

Entering the cave, you can hear panicked voices in the back of the cave as the engines of the bike shut down. You see no lights, and only the faintest of humanoid shapes in the gloom

Max activates the low light vision on his eyes and holds his hands out to his sides as he gets off his bike. "Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing you, but it was looking a bit unfriendly out there and this was the only place I saw to take shelter."

Seven miners are here, sheltering from the drones. They're all human, and look like they're not doing well in either physical or mental capacities

Max makes sure the light won't be seen outside then lights a glowbug. "I'm guessing you aren't fans of the guild either. You may not have heard, but the Guild is in trouble. They made the mistake of getting into a war with some folks who are opposed to the guilds use of slaves. So I thought I'd see what trouble I could cause the guild to help the war go quicker."

"The Guild only uses slaves. Nobody gets paid, they just keep you in debt until you're all used up" one of the miners says, and the others seem to agree

"That's why we're going to destroy them. Once the guild is out of the way we can build a society where everyone has a say and no one is a slave. I could use your help. What can you tell me about how the guild is organized?"

“The guild! The guild! They are taking more slaves. The Ai tre! They work the mines and the furnace. Do for free! They take our jobs!

"Of course, they're exploiting aliens now. Really putting humanity's best foot forward. So what was it like before you set off on you're own?" Max decides to try a more conversational approach, getting the miners to tell him about their lives in the hopes of learning how Phenmo is set up and what security measures are in place.

They remember mining here, working as guildsmen. They were low ranking but well paid. Gradually, the company made condittions worse and worse. They limited off world movement and once The Scream hit, they issued their own form of company credit where housing, clothes, food, and all other necessities for life was rationed out. It was designed to keep their workers in slight debt.

7:47 AM

Things were notably worse once the aliens began being imported. They were given as gifts from their former lords and work for free, so now there is not much reason to keep those who put the lowest outputs into the hoppers. Company credit could be turned off at will. Families starved, guild bondsmen kept the locals from helping

("their former lords" that would be the Extaurrens?) "Is there anyone fighting this? Trying to get rights back for the workers?"

(No, the Ai'Tre leaders)

12:12 PM

(they sold their own people to the guild)

(Thanks) "I'm headed over to miner's repose. Can you tell me anything about the place?"

"Lots of drones watching. Junior executives and high quota miners live there now. Guild administrators too. City is a dangerous place. Eyes on every street corner"

(I forgot to update my character sheet. Is it ok if I add the 19 days downtime toward program? Also is this an ok loadout for my bike? Squiggle spotter Blackslab 4x Powercell Sniper riffle 5x Medpak 2x Demo charge 1x Burner bag Anti-tox)

(that is fine by me)

(Thanks. That's 38/90 days for program-0) "Well if that's where the administrators are that sounds like where I should be to cause trouble. So where are you folks headed?"

"Here. This is it. THe drone's dont notice us here. They shut off our corporate credit. There was nowhere else to go"

Max nods. "Do you have plans for food?"

It does not seem like they do. Each of them is skinny and sickly looking. A few of them may not last more than the next few days if help doesn't lift them out of their present circumstances

"You're going to need food. If you can't buy it you'll need to grow, hunt, or take it. The drones will make those first two difficult, but I've seen watchtowers and being in the middle of nowhere I expect they'll have food for their crews."

"they kill us before we make it that far. Men with guns inside them. Have tried before. "

"The way I see it you have a choice, you can turn yourself over to the guild, you can stay here which doesn't seem to be working, or you can fight to make things better. I've got some weapons and experience, as well as a few tricks of my own. If we take a watchtower then you'll have the guns. About how many people are in a tower?"

They aren’t sure. Heavy weapons fire usually stops anyone from getting close enough to get an idea. It’s more than one is about all they can offer

"We'll have to scout once we get closer then. They probably want to keep costs down so I expect there won't be too many. Can you lead me to the nearest tower?"

The one you passed by the beach seems to be the closest. They can take you there but are nervous about actually fighting with the very well equipped inhabitants

"Well, this tower's a bit of a problem for me as well, so I'll see what I can do on my own. But long term you'll have to figure something out for yourselves. The weapons in the tower should help with that." Max decides that there's less chance of being spotted on foot, so he leaves his bike in the cave. (I'll loan my knife and tempest to my guides and take the squiggle spotter and blackslab)

(sneak/dex)

(10)

(vs 9) You're undetected as you close to 2km of the large stilted tower. You can see another of the drones lift off from its roof- but it heads out over the ocean instead in the opposite direction from you

Max manifests a pair of binoculars and starts studying the tower. He tries to estimate the maximum crew size and attempts to locate the entrance and angles of approach that would get closer while staying hidden.

You can see a very narrow path through the dunes. You might make it if they’re suitably distracted and you take the time to blend with the terrain. A crew of four and some kind of four legged combat robot crew the station

Max asks if the miners would be able to provide a distraction while he sneaks in, and if there's anyone willing to come with him.

They don’t have much to do so with. They can wave their arms and yell but that’s going to end when the gunfire comes at them. If you’re prepared to move fast they’ll do what they can

"Alright. Maybe I shouldn't have left the bike, we could have used it for the distraction." Max arranges a plan with the miners and starts sneaking toward the tower. (I assume you'll want a stealth roll so I'd like to use the Kensh action figure.)

(If they're gonna distract, with that bonus i dont think there would be a way for you to fail)

6:28 AM

(if you want to save it, its up to you)

(Ok, I thought the distraction would just take it down from impractical to difficult. How risky is the distraction? It would be good get the miners involved and save the auto success, but I don't want them to get killed. So if there's a high likelihood of that could I skip the distraction and just use the action figure instead?)

(there would be a combat between them and the tower. I don't know how that's going to go since its up to the dice)

(Then if I can I'd like to skip the distraction and use the action figure to get to the tower without alerting the guards.)

(sure tihng)

12:35 PM

The tower looms in the distance as the director figure winds a path through the dunes. It's not something you'd have thought to follow on your own, some of the turns and twists are almost counter intuitive but the shadows and clouds move perfectly by time you arrive in those places of the path to obscure your position. Within 50m , the tower guards have not noticed anything amiss and there is no sign of their drone returning anytime soon.

As Max continues forward any observers eyes start to slide away. (Silent Leges 3/12 strain) When he reaches the tower he takes out the squiggle spotter and scouts ahead with it. (Silent Leges (Level 8): As a Main Action, accept a point of System Strain to become imperceptible to sentient living creatures around you. The shroud lasts for five minutes, or until you act to draw attention)

The dunes are clear. All foes are in the tower. Three men and their security bot are present in the one room cabin at the top

(you mentioned four guards earlier and now there's three. I'm guessing that's just a mistake or is one of them off on there own? ) (edited)

(one of them is not present but we saw an aircraft/drone type thing leave)

(ah, thanks.) Max puts away the spotter and starts climbing the tower trying to get into a good position to start his attack. (If I can start off with an execution attack I'd like to do that. Otherwise I'll line up for an opening grenade.)

(I don't think once you're at the top of the tower and therefore VERY close to them that we'd have the full minute of unobserved set up time an execution needs. I know you automatically hit your executions but I don't think we meet the conditions to actually attempt one)

(That's fair. I just wasn't sure because of my power to be imperceptible. then again I'm not sure how long it's been or if lining up the attack counts as acting to draw attention. I'll go with a grenade then.) (edited)

(sounds good, just shoot me the damage, i think its impossible to scatter given the dimension of the tower)

Getting into position Max takes a grenade from his pack and throws it between the guards. (11 damage save for half, -1 for each point of ac above 14.)

There is a tremendous explosion and you see one of them is blown out the back of the tower to smash into the ground below. The other two are shouting and are no doubt wounded. You can hear the whooping alarm of the security robots internal systems

Max takes cover behind the entrance and fires a burst from his shear rifle at the bot.(17/10)

The bot is damaged. It and the two survivors return fire with their assorted small arms. One of them is trying to hit some kind of security panel worked into the controls of the tower (19/8 from the bot, the other two miss)

(and back to you, sorry)

(Sorry I was trying to decide whether to use magistrate's edict and I got distracted. 25/33hp) Max quickly shifts his aim to the guard trying to sound the alarm and lets off a burst. (13/6)

Sparks and dust fly out from the ground and control panels around him. He's not harmed any further and is working at the computer. Unlocking it looks as though it's going to take a few moments. The security bot fires (crit/11) , its cyclic energy cannon sending several beams in your direction. The remaining non-computer lookout misses

(14/33hp) This was starting to get out of hand. Wishing he'd brought more Max tosses his last grenade into the room. (24/9 that's a crit so 18 damage? I hope the evasion save I rolled was unnecessary, because I failed so I'm loosing 13hp if I'm in the blast radius.)

(yep 18 is correct and we're all within 10m, so everyone would be saving)

7:16 AM

(the tower is not that big, and your previous grenade didn't hit you only because you were below it) (edited)

7:17 AM

The grenade explodes setting off the stores of cooking oil and drone fuel here as well. Wreckage from the tower base begins to burn and slide in a slow collapse back toward the ground. The alarm however has been silenced, and the foes here have all been killed in the blast. The tower's demise will surely be noticed but that will come over a longer time than a transmitted electronic report

7:17 AM

The strong-box from the tower slides free of its housing and the fireproof metal vault crashes into the sand dune below, sticking out like a dud artillery shell.

(I think a grenade only has a five meter radius, but I guess that is still fairly large. 1/33hp) Once Max recovers from the blast he pulls out a medpak and starts applying it. (+4 hp 5/33) That did not go as planed. He'd only been trying to blow up the guards, but he supposed the lesson was not to play with explosives in fragile buildings. After finishing his first aid he tries to rescue any food weapons or armour that look salvageable, then goes to look at the vault.

(That’s still 10/15ish feet)

(Yeah, I'm not complaining.)

The vault opens easily. Several weapons are inside, along with three suits of combat field uniform in Phemno colors. Several weeks worth of food and water were also in the strongbox. Finally, a drone control unit that can be carried rather than implanted rounds out the collection

Max checks if there's anything currently linked with the drone control, then calls the miners over to get the weapons and supplies.(If there's suitable ammo for my sniper riffle I'll pocket a few rounds first. I'm too used to energy weapons and I forgot to pack any.)

The drone that had departed is connected to the controller. One of the weapons in the case is a Stingray Energy Marksman's Rifle, a suitable equivalent. The other former miners are working to scavenge the rest

(ooh that's a nice gun. I noticed it's not on the equipment spreadsheet and I think there's a zero missing from it's range listing in the guide. right now it says 1500/300) Max holds up the remote. "Any of you good with computers? We've got control of one of their drones."

(It’s 3000 yeah. I’ll make sure that gets fixed. I re-sectioned the write up recently and it probably got cut off. It’s a SCAF pattern gun so it wouldn’t be on the spreadsheet just yet)

7:56 PM

(But it should be updated soon now that a few of them are out there)

(So that's why I hadn't heard of it. I expect it'll be one of my favourite guns.)

One of the wretches here used to be fairly adept at piloting the ground based drill drones, and by his own admission this doesn't look too much different. He takes the set from you and puts the drone on station keeping mode. 'We should move, soon. This will be noticed"

"Right, you get started. I have a couple of things I want to investigate. I'll catch up or meet you at the cave." Max starts searching the bodies looking for id. If he finds any he'll take dna samples from the guards.

They begin moving off. Each of the bodies has ID on them and despite the burns and falls there's enough to get some genetic material

Max finishes collecting identities, and takes a quick look for anything else interesting. If he doesn't find anything he starts back for the cave.

It seems between the strongbox and the information collected from the guards here, you have what there is to carry away. Guild investigation teams will no doubt be arriving soon- but you will already be long gone- a specter in the dunes.

Max returns to the cave and reclaims his personal weapons. "Well that didn't go quite as planed, but we hurt the guild and made you stronger. The existence of that tower is proof the guild was already afraid of you, and this is why. If you keep doing that, and get others to join you then they're in trouble. They've made you slaves for too long, and they're already at war. It's time to fight for your freedom."

"We know where more like us might be. Can get you to Miner's Repose, but not inside. Security is heavy, panopticon watches the streets, knows everyone"

"An actual panopticon, like with an ai? That's going to complicate things. I'll have to find someone to replace. You don't happen to know where it's processor is, do you?" (edited)

"Not sure what exactly powers it, but it feels like one with how quickly it works"

11:40 AM

"Most of its operations are in a vault in the middle of the city"

"It would be quite useful if I could take that out. But for now I need to find someone to replace. Do you know if there's anyone who's regularly outside the city? I could probably make do with a guard, but someone higher ranking would be better."

One of them thinks for a moment. "Gonna be dangerous. Someone's gonna come check that tower- means they're not from here. Will be coming from the city. Handle 'em quick, maybe "report back" he says with finger quotes "as the person you took out?"

As Max talks he starts using some of the medical supplies in his bike. (Using 2 medpaks, both rolled max so +18 for 23/33hp) "Yeah that's probably my best shot of getting more than just some guard stationed at the outskirts of the city. But there's likely to be more than just the one. Anyone want to help me set up an ambush?" Max starts preparing his bike for the ride back to the tower.

“You’ve got us this far. “ one of them says. “We will help you with this, and then leave before you go to the city. “

"Thanks. I'm glad we ran into each other." Finishing his first aid and other preparations, Max leads the team back toward the tower. (I was thinking some more about whether to bring the hovercycle and I realized I wasn't sure if there would be anywhere to hide it or even what the distances involved are. If I didn't see any good places near the tower to keep it out of sight I'll just leave it here again.)

(still 20km from the cave you're in , and we're going back through that sandy dune like terrain we passed through last time that you were able to sneak through on foot pretty successfully. I'd imagine that would be easier now too since there's no tower or overwatch position looking down on the dunes, just people looking laterally)

(I was assuming, and I guess Max would be too, that the investigator would be coming by air. so since there aren't trees and things to hide under I guess I'll leave the bike.)

(his plane would be on the ground though)

(it doesn't really matter. but if ic it seemed like I could take it without risking giving ourselves away I would. I'll leave it up to you. either way I'm ready to go.)

The bike, it’s cargo and three of the miners set out with you, carrying weapons looted from the tower strongbox. Red flares on the horizon signal that some sort of incident response team is on the ground already. You can barley make out the blocky form of their beached grav flyer from here , 10km from their position. Six figures are there. One looks clearly to be an inspector. The rest are more security in appearance

"They're already here, so we'd better hurry. When we get close let me take the first shot, then remember we need to keep them from getting away." Max tries to get into the miner's weapon range without being spotted.

(I know one of them has a tempest, so we woujld need to get real close, unless you wanted to just have that one stay backP)

(If it's just the one who's limited the a pistol I'll lend them my shear riffle and a few power cells for this fight and try out my new stingray. With my suit I won't need to worry about power.)

(sounds good) Closing to 500m, working your way over the dunes in the course of a couple hours to avoid detection and kicking up dust, you settle into positions overlooking the rescue effort.

(the shear rifle's max range is 300 meters. Does it look like we could get closer?)

(sneak/dex to get closer than that because they'll start to get notice checks at that range)

(I'm assuming the miners will have a better chance if I'm leading them then if I stay behind to set up for sniping. If I'm wrong let me know and I'll change my action.) Max leads the team closer, trying to get everyone into range before starting the fight. (I'm just trying to get into long range. of course if we can get to short without extra risk I won't say no.)(sneak/dex = 5)

(4. They don’t notice you , we could get into short range)

1

(I'll get into short range then.) With the team in position, Max steadies his new stingray and draws a bead on the most dangerous looking opponent. (As always I'd like to make an execution attack if I can, but if it looks like they're about to notice us or getting ready to leave I'll just pull the trigger.)

(They haven’t noticed so we can go for it)

Max looks down the scope, takes a breath, and when the moment is right he fires. (Execution attack on whoever looks to be the best equipped. If they're all the same I'll go for the inspector. 16 damage if they pass their save.)

(the inspector is also the best equipped.)

8:54 AM

(and he failed his physical save. You're using the stingray i think so since it has the sniper rule he just dies)

(Yep, save or die with the stingray.)

(he got a 6 so he has died)

11:34 AM

(we just need them for the others, their modifiers would be +2 in total)

(this is my first time handling npc alies. I roll attack and damage for them right? If so I'll need to know what the other two are armed with for damage.)

(they had your weapons i thought, so whatever you gave them. You roll attack and damage for them)

(ok, I thought they'd also picked up some weapons from the tower. If it's just what I have then it's a shear riffle, a tempest, and a fire axe. I have to go so I'll roll later.)

(shear rifle burst 24/9 7/10 ammo tempest burst 22/9 17/20 ammo) (How far are we from the guards? If it's more than 50 meters I forgot the range penalty on the tempest.) (edited)

(It would be 150, at short range of your shear rifle. So we would need the -2 for the tempest )

9:33 AM

(Would still hit though.) The ambush is sprung as the inspector and two of the guards fall to the ground leaving only half the phemno security team left.

9:33 AM

(Initiative)

(The shear rifle is 100/300 so that's long range too then. Still hits.) (Initiative: Max 1(again), shear rifle 8, tempest 9, axe 9. That's assuming a +1 dex mod for the miners.)

(Yeah that’s good. You guys are all ahead of them)

(I'm ahead of them with a one?! I'm not complaining but I am very surprised.)

(They tied. Your dex is better)

(My dex mod is 0, don't they get +1 to their attributes? Doesn't matter, i think we all miss. Tempest burst 11/4 14/20ammo, shear burst 14/9 4/10ammo, Max 7/14. ) The miners fire as they run forward trying to get to close range(moving to 140m) while Max leaps forward (130m) the landing throwing off his aim with the unfamiliar weapon. (edited)

(-1 from blood bonds, you’ll see why )

The three inspectors open their face plates revealing they’re not human at all but ‘Tre aliens. Adapting to this environment has been challenging for them as has their use with the technology. (You’ve never seen ‘Tre before)

1:23 PM

Their percussion cap muskets fire. One of the miners is pitched off his feet with a serious wound (1hp left) and the other two are missed

(Muskets, so they'll take a couple of rounds to reload right? That's helpful. Given the range I'm assuming these are blackpowder rimworlders?) (tempest burst 13/8 11/20ammo, Shear burst 4/18(Crit fail/max damage

) 1/10ammo ,Max 8/12) (edited)

(I rolled to see who was hit, so if it's ok with you I'll say it was the one with the axe.) Seeing the guards starting to reload the unwounded miners continue forward(130m), while the wounded axeman tries to find cover. Hoping to draw fire Max takes another leap forward(110m) firing from the hip.

The tempest is able to get a quick burst of fire off, wounding one of the tre' aliens. As you surge forward you can see they are unclamping ramrods from their weapons, setting another pouch of powder, wadding, and musket ball inside.

7:22 AM

(their turn is just everyone reloading)

(If a 13 hits, then I think the shear riffles 14 probably would have last round.) (tempest 6/4 8/20 ammo ,shear 9/15 0/10ammo, Max 21/5) Max takes aim and hits one of the guards, before making another leap(90m). The miners charge(120m) forward then drop prone to avoid return fire.(I think there's still another round of reloading. But the miners may not know that, and better safe then sorry.)

(yes, they have more than 9 health though)

8:28 AM

Max drops the previously wounded 'Tre, the musket discharging prematurely as it drops from now slack fingers. The round goes harmlessly into the air and a thick cloud of white smoke billows away on the breeze. Ramrods snap out of barrels as the Tre begin to shoulder them, preparing for another round of shooting in seconds

8:29 AM

(second of two reload rounds for them, back to you)

(tempest burst crit/8 5/20ammo, Shear reload 10/10ammo, Max 15/6) With a solid firing position one of the miners puts a burst strait into one of the aliens, while the other reloads. Max takes another shot and keeps jumping(70m)

Max and one of the miners are able to bring down a second of the alien creatures. The remaining alien moves to his knees, musket falling from its hands as it tries to surrender

Max tells the miners to hold their fire, then levels his gun at the alien and calls out " I'll make you a deal. I'll let you live and you follow ALL my instructions. What do you say?"(If they agree I'll use consecrated bargain. I'll also close the distance if I need to for us to talk.)

The creature nods. It says something in its language but from its body language you get the impression it doesn't want to end up like its fellows.

(4/12 strain if that's enough to trigger the bargain.) Max lowers his weapon and closes for a conversation. "Do you speak mandate common? It looked like you understood me, but maybe that was just the gun." (Also now that I'm closer does the inspector look human?)

The inspector was human. What’s left of his face still gasps with the last firing of the remaining nerves there. The ‘Tre doesn’t seem to speak common but understands the language of the gun. He does seem to be intuitive to the fact that you are honoring the surrender for now and seem to be willing to parlay somehow (That strain is enough to trigger a bargain)

(I was more thinking that you can't agree to a deal you can't understand.) This was going to be a pain. If the alien didn't speak common then he wouldn't be able to question them. And how did the inspector give orders. Did he have to learn 'Tre. An Idea coming to him Max goes to search the inspector and see if they had a translator.

The inspector has a brass and circuitry inlaid band around his arm- a translator torc keyed to the Guild's understanding of their language. It seems like it has survived falling into the ground due to the clean shot he was killed with. (edited)

9:06 AM

(Non verbal people seem to find ways to communicate, i didnt think this was much different than that, and the interpretation of me inferring that is in your favor) (edited)

(Ok. With the translator I'd have been able ask again now anyway, so as long as we're both on the same page.) Putting on the translator Max returns to the 'Tre. "Hello, I'm Max. I'd like to ask you some questions. Don't lie to me. Why are you serving the guild?"

“The elders of my tribe sold us to the guild for riches and technology. Most of us were brought here in chains and forced to work for the guild”

"Then it sounds to me like you don't owe them any loyalty. I'm here to help bring down the guild and free the slaves. I could use your help if you're willing."

"Many 'Tre were sold and are forced to work, Many many more. You help? How you plan to help?"

"The Guild have made many powerful enemies. I work for one of them. I'm here to weaken the Guild, Find secrets, cause trouble, and do what I can to help the slaves fight back."

"Tre will fight. Tre wish to fight back and go home again. Miners Repose, watched by man in the walls. He knows what we do at all times"

8:08 AM

(i don't think with them recently getting acquainted with technology they'd have any idea how to frame what a panopticon is, but that is what he is talking about)

(That's a pretty good description if you don't know about ai or cameras) "Dealing with the man in the walls is one of my goals. I'm going to be impersonating the inspector, what can you tell me about him? Have you worked with him before?"

"Third time. Very harsh, discipline is severe. Likes to whip us if we are not fast enough" he says, pointing to a coiled electro whip on the man's belt. A jolt from that could be felt even through combat armor.

Max frowns with disgust as his eyes fall on the device. "What was he doing on those other jobs? I expect they weren't blown up watchtowers. It doesn't seem likely, but did he mention any friends or coworkers? Maybe a boss?"

“Boss. Mr. Man IN Walls. Always wanted approval of man in walls. Also said edwardo was boss boss. Wanted make edwardo happy so he could be on world smasher”

"He reports to the ai. Interesting. Can you tell me anything about his duties?"

"Investigation of crimes, executioner of the guilty when found. Tracker for things and people that went outside city limits"

"That sounds like it could be a useful position. Do you know if he brought in proof of executions outside the city, or was his word enough?"

The 'Tre holds up his hand and wiggles the few digits native to its species, showing the fingers were brought back for proof. Presumably the guild used some sort of medical method to ensure authenticity

"Best not to find anyone then. But if it comes to it fingers can be managed without killing. I can't think of anymore questions, but if you think of anything I should know please tell me. So now I guess we need to figure out what you'll be doing. You said you want to fight, so I see two options. You can stay with these former miners and help them raid the guild. Supplies will be tight but you'll be as free you can be on this world. Or you can come back with me to help corroborate my story and to spread the word among your fellows that the time to fight is coming. It'll be dangerous if I'm discovered then they'll know you lied to them. And given what you say about this inspector, I might have to mistreat you to maintain my cover."

"My people need to know. They need hope. You do what you need. I will go with you. Should be dead. Am not dead, am in your debt"

"You should be at home, and I don't want you doing this out of obligation to me. But I'm glad to have you along. We'll need to get our story straight. We need to explain why we're the only ones coming back, without triggering a full scale manhunt for our friends. I'm thinking we say it looks like a small group desperate for food snuck up on the tower, and got a lucky hit on the fuel stores. Having blown up the food they didn't have any options but to try ambushing us. Killed most of my guards but we drove them off. What do you think?"

"Rebels are problem. They would believe. Proof of what happened" he says looking around at the shot apart bodies

"Yeah, it helps to stay close to the truth. How do you think they would react?"

"Angered, but nothing to be done when scene is how is. Not mindlessly violent"

"Alright we'll go with that then." Max returns to the inspector to collect dna, as well as his personal items and gear.

(So you and the 'Tre heading back to the city, miners gonna do rebel miner things out here?)

(that's my plan. What the miners do is of course up to them.)

The Tre alien ambled over to your bike and awaits instructions. Everyone else seems like they’re picking through the dead to bring more supplies back to the cave network. Morale seems to be rising at these two quick victories

(Does the inspector have any items that take encumbrance? I'm trying to decide what to take and what to leave with the miners.)

(His armor isn't better than anything either of you have already, he has a combat rifle, as far as personal gear, anything beyond his immediate weapon, armor, and whip would have been on his henchmen or in their vehicle)

(I haven't had time to attune the stingray with my maskwalking, so I'll need to take his riffle. I assume the whip is enc 1?)

(yeah, medium advanced weapon for stats if we end up needing it for anything)

Finishing his search Max transforms himself into the inspector(2 strain), then goes to talk with the miners. Wishing them luck and giving them the keys to his bike, he asks one last favour that they hide the inspector's body so no one finds it and blows his cover. Ready to leave, he walks up to the alien. "Well 'Tre how do I look? ..Sorry, I was getting into character a bit early there. I just realized I never asked your name?" (I'll send a quick report to the bat before we leave. And here's everything I'm giving to the miners Tempest Fire Axe-Large advanced weapon Shear riffle Rope TL4 3x type A powercell Hoverbike: Squiggle spotter 2x Powercell type b Sniper riffle 1x laz patch )

(Perfect)

9:39 AM

“I am Aie, of Tre. Either is a name you may use. We are allies now. I will help you free my people and we will stop slavery here”

"I'm glad to meet you Aie. Unless you see something I'm forgetting, we should get going." If Aie doesn't suggest anything Max will send a report of his plans to the Bat and head for the city.

(I think that's about all the information we have) The city is an imposing monolith of gray stone, cheap cement, holographic advertisements for guild products, propaganda reels, and flocks of monitoring drones no doubt linked into the security network here. There is no news of the hostilities art Brizeno yet. Several corporate gunships are also part of the flock of drones in the air, likewise keeping watch over the horizon. With your DNA copy and other measures you have taken to conceal your identity, you're not bothered or questioned by the first road patrol that passes you by. THe four wheeled ground car has a large heavy machine gun on the back, but the soldiers within to not even pan it to face you

As he tries to find the offce where he should make his report, Max keeps his eyes open for any locations of military interest, such as orbital defences or security barracks. (I'm not sure if level two of maskwalker will let me know where I'm going.)

Level 2: Your mimicry is deeper and more profound. By 
gaining an additional point of System Strain when 
you adopt a specific person’s identity, you gain the 
ability to speak any language they speak, carry out 
any social interactions they would normally engage in, and otherwise maintain a flawless external 
imposture of their person. If pressed to respond 
to a specific challenge to your identity, such as 
by being forced to remember a password or prior 
interaction, you may make a Wis/Connect skill 
check at a difficulty of 9 to bring information to 
mind. Facts that the original subject wanted to 
keep secret from others may incur additional difficulty penalties up to +3. Others who know you are 
an impostor cannot press you to remember facts.

(edited)

(I would consider it a social interaction they normally engage in, so we can spend the extra system strain to know it)

7:45 AM

Entering the city you notice a ring of orbital defenses around the limits of the settlement. They are heavily defended by both PMG elite troopers and security robots with more lethality than the combat bot you encountered at the tower. There are barracks buildings scattered about the city taking the place of police precincts on a more traditional urban design plan.

7:45 AM

The building in question you need to report to is a small corporate satellite office in the south side of the settlement, with a large PMG guild logo worked into the staining of the windows.

Max heads inside to make his report, giving the story he'd worked out earlier and trying to minimize the response to the tower's destruction.

The third floor is home to the investigation department and your supervisor is waiting on the desk that your assumed memories tell you is yours. He notices the battered condition of the armor, and the fact that only one member of your team has returned

"We had an incident at that tower you sent me to look at. Some runaways must have gotten desperate enough to attack it. I'd bet they were after food. Looks like a stray shot set off the fuel stores during the fight, took down the entire thing. The runaways mustn't have have got what they needed because they attacked while I was investigating. They got lucky with their first few rounds and took out most of my guards, but we drove them off. This 'Tre was quite useful for one of it's kind."

"Do you wish to continue working with him? Or should we have him reassigned? " The officer sits back on the lip of the desk that belonged to the investigator you are impersonating. "And the runaways? What happened to them?"

"I'd hate to loose a skilled guard right after I've found them, but if the guild needs them for a more trusted role. We don't have too many 'Tre we can count on do we." "Ran off. I doubt they'll be a problem. They looked half dead from starvation already, and I'm sure I wounded one pretty badly."

“We should make an effort to find them, just so when the higher ups come asking we can point to bodies and the matter is closed. Look between us I don’t care if you go out into the streets and blame random workers for this. Pick 4 or 5 and we will have some speedy show trials to get the punishments meted out

7:13 AM

“We can call the case closed and then you don’t need to get your ass shot up again out there. I’ll send the Rad Squad to handle the countryside “

(does my maskwalker connection tell me what the Rad Squad is? The name is making some unpleasant suggestions.)

It is a squad equipped with radiation throwing weapons which will render any suspected hiding places uninhabitable. They are well paid PMG elite and believe life is cheap.

"They're as good as dead anyway, you want to waste the Rad Squads time on this? Don't we have real troublemakers to deal with?"

"ending this today means they won't be a bigger problem tomorrow, I think you're right though, lets handle your loose end first. Round up four or five people. I don't care who, so long as its public. Lets cover both of our asses and we can figure out the next steps"

"Alright. Mind if I start on that tomorrow, it's been an eventful day. I was also thinking about checking in on some of my informants." (I assume there's witnesses and cameras around so I'd almost certainly be caught if I tried to kill the supervisor and take his place.)

(Oh in this building absolutely

(that's what I thought.)

"Of course, take the time you need today. I'll sign off on your leave request. I'm sorry you were waylaid by those provincials but I'm glad to see you safe"

"Thanks. Need anything else before I go?" If there isn't anything, Max will politely finish the conversation and head into the city trying to get a feel for the place and learn what the workers do in their downtime.

He has nothing else. Upon hitting the street there are several places to go. A bar, a meeting hall and a public cook house are the closest to the security office you jsut left

Max walks into the bar. His eyes scan the room taking in the clientele and their reaction to him. He also tries to get an idea of what surveillance there is.

There are cameras in the corners and no doubt some kind of listening devices built into the menu holos worked into the tables. Junior corporate office members and miners make up the clientele here, along with a few people who have their job as people who actually work here, two bartenders and twice that number of wait staff. There is a small music box, playing mostly PMG authorized songs in between loops of corporate propaganda. Most miners feel spending their hard earned credits on picking the music is a waste.

Walking up to the bar Max places his order with the bartender. "Whiskey. Make it a double I've had a hard day. By the way, how are things here? Anyone giving you trouble?"

"Hello there, oh the usual few trying to be slick and get out of a tab, otherwise quiet though. Sorry to hear about your long day. Seems to be all anyone's getting lately"

"Well, we have to ramp up production to fight those Galetean busybodies don't we?"

"Win or lose at Brizeno, we'll need more ships and soldiers to push our victory home. Nothing a few shots from the planet cracker can't collect for us" he laughs, filling your mug.

12:30 PM

"This one's a corporate credit for a job well done. " the bartender says looking at his pad, where payment would normally be requested

"Ha, they will have a hard time dealing with the flagship won't they. Of course there's rumours about Greystar's gun, but those goody two shoes would never use it. " Max takes a sip of his drink. "Can't say the Guild doesn't know how to compensate it's employees."

"It knows how to compensate the loyal ones- and you're right, I don't think those softies would use the gun on something like the flagship. Who knows if it can even fire again"

"I expect they have a few shells. It's harder to threaten someone with an empty gun." As Max nurses his drink he keeps an eye out for a worker who looks like a good choice to pick up as an "informant". Maybe someone getting a bit rowdy who he could shake down for some useless information.

There is a table in the corner playing some kind of card game. Money is changing hands rapidly and tihngs are getting contentious at the table

As the argument comes to a head Max walks over to the table. "Alright, I think that's enough. Pack up your money and call it a day." He points to the most heated of the players. "And I want to speak with you outside."

The others cool immediately and begin packing up their game. The most heated looks as though he has been slapped, and is nervous. He follows you outside, looking every step like a beaten dog caught by its master

Max leads the worker outside and pushes him into an ally trying to get away from microphones and passers by who could over hear. "My superiors have decided it's time to give the workers some examples of why they should be well behaved. I could make you one of those examples.. But you're just a small fry getting rowdy in a bar, I want bigger fish. So I'll make you a deal. You give me info on actual malcontents, and I'll let you go. How's that sound?"

“What. What do you want to know?” He asks, trembling as you sell the role of corpsec very well

"Anything and everything you know. Disloyal or suspicious behaviour, rumours and overheard conversations. Anything the panopticon may not have keyed into yet. We both know there's always someone trying to circumvent or sabotage it."

"Panopticon got a blind spot, behind ore silo 11, big rusty smear on the ground marks the spot. Stuff happens there corp doesnt know about"

Max smiles and slips the worker some credits. "Thank you, I think I can make use of that. Would you like me to rough you up a bit so your friends don't ask questions?" (Ooc I'm not sure what an appropriate reward would be, but I expect Max would have an idea. Let me know and I'll take it off my sheet.)

(10-15 is about a month of work for a laborer so I’d say in that ballpark or lower )

(I'll go with 10 credits then.)

"Probably for the best , just not the right side of the mouth. I had some bridge work done on my teeth and it took me forever to save for it"

Max nods and tries to produce a convincing effect with minimal damage.

(i dont think we need a roll or anything here, but he will emerge suitably roughed up and faux angry)

Finishing with the informant and having a tip about a blind spot, Max "returns home" to change into more inconspicuous worker type clothes.

The address of the officer's home is imprinted in the memories you were able to lift from him. It consists of four rooms, one of wihch being a restroom, and is relatively clean in a quieter and more upscale part of the settlement. There is less corporate propaganda here but you are not entirely immune from it. The memories you've lifted also mention a hidden microphone and camera near the front door to keep track of who is coming and going. The officer knows about it from his own poking around, but handling it would have alerted security elsewhere, and would have made him look suspicious for no reason.

Remembering the door camera Max suppresses the irrational urge to wave. Nothing suspicious about someone walking into their own home. Although any cameras inside could be annoying.

(Otherwise though with that small security feature noted , the place is a normal apartment )

Max looks through the closet for workers clothes he can change into, then searches to see if the officer had any concealable weapons. (I'm not sure if I need to leave my armour, or if polymorphic blending and maskwalker let me change it to look like something in the closet.)

(I think it would let you change your apperence so long as no one sees you doing it)

Max copies one of the inspector's disguises, then starts looking for any files the officer may have at home. The more he knows the easier his mission will be.

(admin/int)

(4)

1

You’re unable to make sense of any investigations underway. The only thing Youre able to reason out is that they suspect some unrest among the influx of Tre aliens. Humanity is in the minority in the settlement across planet and corporate fears a race riot

(So they imported so many Tre the humans are outnumbered on Phenmo? Interesting.) Exhausting the files Max double checks he has his id, and goes to check out silo 11.

(correct)

9:13 AM

Silo 11 is as described, a rusty out of the way storage chamber where there is a gap in the monitoring apparatus here. It is empty right now but given the spreading reputation as a place to meet quietly. it will not be long before someone shows. Several disused ore bins litter the area, large enough to hold many hundreds of kilograms of ore- or trash in this case

While waiting for someone to come by, Max tries to get an idea of the size of the blindspot and how plausible it would be to make up a make up a meeting he'd overheard without implicating innocent workers.

It seems like ti would be plausable, and with some bending, a person could hide here. The blindspot is about a 3-4m area

Finding a place to hide Max settles in to listen and see what the workers are discussing.

Several workers arrive moments later, and begin to loudly discuss the amount of Tre aliens arriving here, and how conditions are getting more restrictive. One person has had their company credit chit cut off for a week because he accidentally sneezed in the presence of a superior.

9:17 AM

The company seems to be putting the squeeze on its underclass hard, and no one is sure why, as profits are above record levels

Interesting. This didn't seem like it would lead to long term stability. So why was the guild doing this? The war, greed, incompetence, could they want to cause dissent for some reason? Max ponders the question as he continues to listen.

The miners also begin discussing an attempt at unionization that is moving through the under-ranks here. The last trio of organizers were mysteriously killed in accidents off the clock, or in the mines and everyone believes corporate was involved. Someone stepping forward to take the reins is discussed, but no one is interested in being the next body heading to the morgue

Max comes out of hiding, careful to avoid spooking the workers, but trying to obscure his face if practical. "A union is not enough. While the guild is the government they will continue to oppress the people. They must be brought down."

There is some tension in the group. Two of them take several steps back and look like they are about to flee

"Sorry to startle you. But please relax, if I was Guild then corpsec would already be here. I'm a friend. I hope you'll forgive me for not giving my name, but even here where they're a bit deaf, the walls have ears. For now."

"Not here, behind silo 11" one says, trying hard to ingratiate themselves with you. "Who are you here for, then? if you're not corporate"

"I would not be so certain. I have reason to believe the guild knows of this place, even if they have not acted yet. As for myself, there are those who actively oppose the guild and I am one of them. I'm here to encourage you to be ready to fight for your freedom. The guild is fragile. The leadership is vastly outnumbered, if the workers rose up as one the guild would fall. Of course they know that, which is why they have the panopticon. But we have plans to take care of that, so be ready and tell others when you can."

"How will we know? and what do you want us to do?" one asks. "Especially if we can't use this place anymore"

"With the guilds monitoring it's hard to arrange signals, so you must be ready to act when the time seems right. Watch for opportunities, plan for the day you take your freedom, think of where you can get weapons or what you can make into one, look for the guilds weaknesses and how you can exploit them."

“A general strike then, but worse. And what’s your role in all this. Are you organizing something? Or just here to tell us to do it ourselves?”

"My role is ensuring you can succeed. The first step of that is arranging the destruction of the panopticon. I assure you I'm taking my share of risk."

(I dont think they've have much else to add if they're not being specifically asked to do things here)

“When the time is right we will be there then. Can’t wait to see us rid of that robot and it’s cameras”

(sorry I got a bit distracted.) "Stay strong friends. The guilds days are numbered." Max waits for a time after the workers leave, having similar conversations with any others who show up. He then leaves and calls his supervisor when he's out of the area.

The supervisor answers your call after a few rings, and no other workers had shown up after the first group left. Word must already be spreading somehow

"Sorry to bother you sir, but I've got some intel I thought shouldn't wait. I found out about a hole in our surveillance, so I went to see what the workers were discussing. At first it was the usual stuff, complaining about work and meaningless talk about unionization. But then this other fellow showed up saying how they needed to overthrow the guild and to be ready because the panopticon was going to be destroyed. He seemed credible sir. I'd like permission to go investigate, double check security and make sure we don't have any moles inside. Some of the things he said made me think he has an inside man." (If necessary/appropriate I'm willing to spend a plot point to be put in charge of making sure I don't blow thing up.)

“A junior officer like you? What could you do that our security staff can’t?” (Will get back to you on that depending on how this goes, unless you just wanna burn it and not rp this)

"I've seen the man, so I can recognize him if he's there. And I'm a fresh pair of eyes, I don't have any bias that something works just because that's how we've always done it. Also, I hate to say it, but if we do have a mole can we be sure they're not in security? As an outsider I can ask hard questions without damaging working relationships."

1

"that actually makes a lot of sense. Find a security terminal near you and put your ID in it, I'll make sure it gets stamped with the right clearance to get in there, and I'll get on the horn with Panop security so there's less trouble for you when you get there. I think you're going to need to come talk to me about a promotion when you get back to the office"

8:40 AM

(no need to burn the point, your reasons are pretty sound)

"Thank you sir. I'll make sure I earn that talk. Has that 'Tre been reassigned? I wouldn't mind having someone watching my back who I can be sure won't stab me in it, and he's already passed up the chance to turn on us."

'Not yet, if you want him we can get him back with you pretty quickly. "

Max heads back toward his apartment as he speaks. "If it's not too much trouble. I'm probably being overly paranoid, but it won't hurt to have backup so might as well." (I have all I need from this conversation, but I'm not going to cut it off if the boss has more to say.)

"I'll give him a pass and have him meet you at your apartment. Is that alright? Shouldnt arouse too much suspicion if hes in that quarter of town"

"Sounds good. I've got to head back there and change into my uniform so that'll save some time."

Rreturning to the apartment is a matter of routine, and the T're alien is uneasily standing outside your door, waiting for you to arrive. Nosy neighbors go back to their imagined chores, and many of the doors close upon seeing you here,

"Good you're here. Come inside and I'll brief you." Max leads the 'tre inside and start's changing back into his uniform. "Hello Aie, Someone is trying to destroy the panopticon, the man in the walls." Max gestures between them to indicate that they're the ones he's talking about. "I've been assigned to prevent that from happening. There may be those in the facility who will try to stop me. You're job will be to watch my back and help out if it comes down to a fight. Any questions?"

"Aie is happy to assist you, boss. Saved my life at the tower. Will repay the debt if I can now"

1:00 PM

He is armed with a single shot hunting rifle, something a bit more suited to combat than the musket he was with previously. As someone with trusted status he has also been issued a combat field uniform designed for one of his species

"I'm glad to see they've given you some better equipment. It's likely any fighting's going to be at close range. would you like a melee weapon?" Max will offer his knife. With everything ready Max makes sure his id is updated, and heads to the panopticon.

He accepts and before long youre standing in front of a walled compound protected by a metal gate as tall and as thick as a light walker mech. Ten guards stand out front, three in a guard house, four more in front of the gate, and the rest are scattered on the wall top overlooking the street. One of them , the sergeant, and his adjutant jog out of the mob to greet you. Their weapons are lowered but they are on guard.

Max presents his id. "Hello sergeant, I believe you were told to expect me. There's been a threat against this facility and I'm here to investigate."

"Credentials? " he asks, looking for the metal data card. Upon examining it and giving it a quick scan he nods before handing it back to you. "I'm sorry for the delay. Please follow me. We're going to need to ask you to check your weapons- you're here as a consultant, only Panop security carries within the building"

"A wise precaution, but I'll need to speak with your CO for an exception." As he speaks Max tries to remember any laws or regulations that he could use to keep his weapons and avoid a search. (I have Judicious Understanding so if there are any such laws I have a chance to know them.)

Judicious Understanding (Level 2): You acquire an innate comprehension of whatever legal jurisdiction 
you currently physically inhabit or have physically inhabited in the past. You have a professional-grade legal understanding of all local laws or 
law-equivalent customs. When making Know, 
Administer, Connect, or Trade skill checks related to legal matters or social customs, roll 3d6 and 
drop the lowest die

"Ah right, the special tasking law, of course though please keep them holstered if possible. Sorry for obstructing your investigation"

"I understand, it can be hard to keep all the regulations straight sometimes. But we must endeavour to do so. I was thinking I should start by getting an overview of you're current security arrangements. Who should I speak to about that?"

"I think the core itself is who you should speak with, since they are watching everything. We will take you directly to them if you are ready"

"Yes I'm ready. Is there anything about the core I should know before speaking with it?"

"The core has a personality of its own. It's quantum encoded and acts like you or me in a conversation, but a lot smarter. IT is very proud, so giving it a few affirmations before asking it anything sensitive or pointing out any holes in its detection is probably a good idea. Otherwise treat them like a superior officer, and things should be less than noteworthy"

"I think I can handle that. Thanks for the advice, I look forward to meeting it."

You're brought into the facility and the weapon scanner is bypassed as you've invoked a loophole in a local code. (did you want a full tour or right into meeting with the intelligence)

(a tour would be good if it's being offered.)

3:13 PM

(we will pretend space at the north side there is the street/turnabout in front of the building)

3:14 PM

You're brought inside the secure doors to a vestibule where a hallway running west to east , and another to the north splits the room. To the west a sign points to the barracks, to the east, the response department, dispatch and the armory for the security officers here makes up a large bullpen like room where each department has carved out a small piece of real-estate for itself.

Max continues following as he speaks to the sergeant. "I see you have an on site barracks. How many personnel are assigned here?" (edited)

“We have 200 personnel here. Only a third are security here , the rest handle techno matters , handle the building mechanics, clean. , all that”

"That's a fair number of people to screen. The more staff the easier to sneak in a traitor."

"Perhaps. EVeryone who works here is constantly observed, and is vetted heavily before being permitted on site. THis is a very lengthy process. The people here are the most trusted in the entire company, with only the highest levels of security clearance.

"We'll likely still have to conduct interviews. You can never be sure who will turn traitor, and I've already found one hole in our surveillance. Please continue the tour."

Moving ahead into the next chamber you can see one of the many control centers where data collected by the panopticon 'of interest' is passed to a second layer of human intelligence to review. Credible intelligence is gathered from this, and dross information is discarded. Dozens of analysts and their security work in this room reviewing tapes, audio logs, and other intercepted glimpses into the lives of the workers across the settlement.

Max glances at the screens as he passes. "I'm curious how much human filtering is needed. If you don't mind my asking, roughly what's the ratio of useful info to false positives?" (edited)

"We've been able to get down to 7% error, but dragging a few innocent ones off the street keeps those thinking about becoming guilty in line, eh?" he laughs.

Max chuckles. "True, but I'm impressed by you're efficiency."

“The panopticon helps tremendously. This would be the work of thousands of human intelligence personnel with a much higher error rate. Then we really would have a rebellion on our hands”

"So I better make sure I do my job. Lead on."

(from here on is the core, and is probably the most dangerous part of the whole op. You ready to proceed? )

(Yeah, I think I'm ready. Now we're approaching the core I'd be paying particular attention to the number, position, and armaments of people in the area.)

The men and women here are all human and are wearing power armor. Laser rifles are plugged into the sockets of the armor for extra power and each of them seems to have compliments of various grenades as well. Each also has a knife. The core doors begin to cycle open as the four power armored warriors in front of it signal you forward. Yellow light bathes the rooms on the other side and you can see a massive mirror ball like shape suspended from the ceiling with dozens of pipes and cables.

Max enters slowly, almost in awe. This was quite the machine, even if it's purpose was dark.

The machine core turns in its socket to regard your approach. “You came to inspect. So, inspect” the liaison says before turning to leave you here

Max nods to the man as he leaves, then turns to the core. "Hello sir. As I'm sure you know, there has been a threat against you, and I have been assigned to audit your security to ensure you are not damaged. I was told it would be best to speak with you to learn about current arrangements." (Are there any guards in this room?)

(Not in the core ourself. The power armored folks are outside behind the now closed core doors. You’re inside )

(That's what I thought, but I wanted to check. I'm also assuming there isn't a window into the room.)

(there is not a window no, this is essentially a sealed chamber for the AI core to be housed in)

(I think we're on the same page. Thanks)

I am here. I am listening. I am happy to answer your questions The machine says with a disembodied female voice. There is a clicking and buzzing in the upper reaches of the room as various machinery continues processing and working.

"I was able to see as I came in that you're well defended from an aggressive attack. Ant force large enough to to defeat your security would be noticed in time to send reinforcements. But I still need to examine the precautions against sabotage, for example what if one of your technicians wanted to destroy you?"

"I am the only one trained in my maintenance and repair. The technicians follow the orders I set for them and are watched by security bots, or security personnel. If they deviate from the task, they die. This is all after careful vetting of who comes in, mind you"

"That should be quite the deterrent, but it could also breed discontent. If someone was willing to commit suicide they could do some damage. It would be a disaster if we lost you. Do you have backups?, or other failsafes?"

(talk/cha, this is sensitive and you haven't actually been vetted technically to have that information)

(13)

2

"There are no failsafes. My technical crew would have to repair me. No one would commit suicide to stop me, we have carefully calculated all of this"

"I'm glad to hear you could be repaired. I was worried that critical components would be irreplaceable. Humans are unpredictable and I'd hate to rely on nobody ever trying something." As they speak Max looks over the room, trying to determine if the obvious core is a decoy or his target, and whether his two demo charges would be enough to destroy it.

The machinery here would be considered miraculous and a major find if this was Greystar territory. It could entirely revolutionize how the polity does business. Here, you’re sure the demolition charges could cause major damage to the building and interrupt operations at the very least

Max drifts toward the core as he talks. "Speaking of which, I have found a weakness in security." He glances at Aie. "I'm not sure we want the 'Tre to hear this. Perhaps he should go wait for me in the main room."

The doors open, just enough to allow the 'Tre to exit. The machine is silent.

After Aie has left Max continues talking as he closes in. "I decided to test the guards on my way in today. I was of course allowed to keep my weapons, but I still I should have been scanned so they knew what I was bringing in. What else have they let through thinking it was safe. If they had scanned they should have found my little test." As he reaches the core Max pulls out his demo charges and begins placing them. "I think we should show them what I could have done if I was the saboteur. "

The machine scans and finds you were cleared to enter the building , and believes this is some kind of test. You can hear some kind of electronic buzz and the room begins to heat up a bit as scanners begin looking at the explosives more closely

Max finishes laying the charges and heads for the door. "I'll go get the sergeant for his lesson. Nothing shatters complacency like seeing disaster."

(Yama king handles any talk check to convince id have normally aksed for here, so the AI isn't going to question things as you go)

(I'm not complaining, but are you sure? The closest ability I can see is that I get an advantage "When making Know, Administer, Connect, or Trade skill checks related to legal matters or social customs".)

(Not so much that but the being a local, wearing a dead man's credentials and customs, ect. )

2:07 PM

( Looking like the deceased, and then using local laws to get into the core with your weapons. You very much seem to be a legit penetration inspector type security fellow)

(Great. I just didn't want to take advantage of a misunderstanding.) Max rushes through the door and runs down the hall. "Run! Call the bomb squad! The saboteur already got in!"

2

The security station alarms are pressed seconds later as the people there hear your warning and begin to act on it. Defense forces are mustering within the facility and will be here in a minute

Max clears the blast radius, and as he hears the alarms he waits a few seconds then triggers the explosives. (Assuming they work damage is 21 and 11. The third roll was a mistake.)

There is a tremendous blast behind you that shakes the entire building. A wall near you collapses leading to the outside and security officials are thrown to their feet by the shock-wave. Behind you, the sound of infrastructure crumbling and the large core from the ceiling adds to the destruction and confusion within. Every camera and microphone across the city goes dark all at once.

Max continues forward looking for Aie, and trying to judge security's reaction.

Smoke and dust are filling the rooms here as the core begins collapsing on itself and the sensitive machinery begins to burn. Security is scattered, many are hurt, some are simply concerned with trying to get out of the building as its evident it is going to collapse. sires are beginning to sound in other streets closeby.

Max keeps searching for the 'Tre. He'd brought them into this, it was his responsibility to get them out.

(notice/wis)

(11)

1

Through the swirling smoke and ash you see the Tre' pinned beneath a fallen girder. Either the concussive force from the demolition charge or the follow on waves from the core crashing from its ceiling cradle caused it to come loose from the wall and smash through most of the security station. A few staff members closer to te base of the girder resemble jelly more than their human forms now. The Tre' seems to be less hurt than those unfortunates, and is struggling with the weight of the metal beams bearing down on him.

Max hurries forward and tries to lift the girder.

With your combined strength you're able to get just enough space made for the 'Tre to get their legs clear. Smoke and flames continue spreading across the complex and emergency workers will be here soon.

"It seems like the building is coming down. We need to get folks out of here." Max set actions to words, and looks for people to help as he heads for the exit.

You see two more guards in a security booth near the exit. Debris has fallen over the doorway and the glass is too thick for them to break through. The air in the room is probably getting thin and their frantic hammering and yelling is rapidly burning up what they have

Gesturing for them to get down Max puts a burst from his riffle into the glass hoping to give some ventilation(combat riffle 20/13), then starts trying to clear the door.

Youre able to make some cracks in the windowpane, and with the help of your 'Tre ally begin clearing the wreckage in front of the door. Fire is spreading quickly and several other staff race past you without stopping to help. Five long minutes pass and the first of the emergency vehicles arrives on scene, just as you clear the wreckage from the doorway- enough so they can kick down the door and get out.

With rescue operations being handled, Max takes the time to send his supervisor an update then looks around for whoever seems to be in charge.

Sir, you've probably already heard the alarms. The saboteur was ahead of me. They've blown up the core and nearly took down the whole building.

A reply comes back that cameras and microphones all over the city have failed entirely. A few of the more enterprising rabblerousers have even noticed this for themselves and light violence has broken out in some small areas of the city , directed against corporate neighborhood offices and other soft local targets

Max hurries over to whoever looks to be in charge of security. "What's the situation here? We need to determine if the saboteur is still here, has escaped, or died in there. There are reports of rioting and it would help if we could question them to see if there's anything else planed."

"Some riots are beginning. We don't have enough help here to cordon the area yet, but we need to try to find him. What did he look like?"

Max gives a rough description of one of the dead inside. "That's who I saw at the workers meeting. But I didn't see the bombs being placed, so maybe they had an accomplice."

"Maybe, we need to cordon the place off, and rescue anyone who needs it. Then we piece together any evidence we can find to learn who did this. We need to help those we can actually help" The fire chief says, as another pair of firefighting rigs pull up.

"Of course. Want help, or would I just be in the way of your firefighters?"

"If you've got first aid training you can help triage survivors, otherwise leave the firefighting to us"

"Nothing beyond half forgotten basics. I wouldn't trust myself to make the right calls, so I guess I'll get started on interviewing the survivors." Max will start looking for staff to question, particularly if he can see any core guards.

One of the core guards is nearby sitting on the ground, back propped up against one of the city trash cans. He is covered in dust and it looks like there is a large piece of glass in his leg. He has not been given first aid yet though the uniform around the wound has turned from a light gray to a dark red, almost black.

Max goes over and does what he can for the can for the guard.(Not using a medkit. heal roll is 3 if you want it.) "We need to figure out who did this. Are you up to answering a few questions?"

The first aid doesn't seem to be all that helpful but its providing a good enough distraction to make him forget his pain for a few moments. "ALright, quick though. I don't feel so good"

"We need to determine who was in the core. Are there any records kept that would have survived? and who can you remember entering?"

The answer is garbled and he repeats himself a few time as shock sets in. Depending on how much of the structure survives there is a chance the camera data could be pulled from the databanks of the security office, but he cannot give you a definite answer- especially as fire fighting efforts have not resolved the situation here.

"We'll have to hope they survive then. They store the footage from the core itself?, or just the hallway?" Recordings could be a problem. Max started thinking about how to ensure they were destroyed.

"Just the hallway. If you;d got into the core you;d have passed through several layers of security. Didnt seem like the need- far as I know" He barely manages to pull himself together to get that out- needing to keep composure in front of a senior officer warring with his body's need for rest and for his wounds to heal.

Max frowns, although he feels like smiling. "We're going to have quite the incident report on this one. But that's not you're fault. Thank you for your time. Take care of yourself. We're going to have our hands full with the fallout from this, we'll need all the help we can get." Waiting for the firefighters to finish Max keeps questioning people asking about suspicious or unusual behaviour and trying to subtly sow confusion.

(If you're not trying to ask anymore questions we can fast forward through all that. OOC, i dont think anyone would really know anything about the recordings without seeing how much of the building burns down)

(Yeah I can't think of anything else I need to know. So I just want to get people pointing fingers at each other so I can find someone else (preferably dead) to pin the blame on.)

(6xp, 10,000 credits)

8:38 AM

Making your way from the disaster site, you fade into the chaos and crowds leaving confusion and devastation in your wake.

With the situation dealt with for the moment and no duties expected of him right now Max takes the chance to change back into his workers clothes and goes looking opportunities to connect with those wanting to take down the guild.

You remember the security officers discussing skirmishing in the north end of town where some workers had gone as far as to complete makeshift weapons and ambush patrols, adding the gear of the fallen to their own stockpiles. It sounds like minor street fights are still ongoing there, and it seems like the most logical place to find people actively fighting back against PMG

Max starts heading north, as he travels he pulls out his compad looking to see what access he has to the police and military frequencies.

Communications are patchy now between the loss of the panopticon data center, the disaster relief efforts at the blast site, and the various firefights in the streets. Squad level communications, on a proximity frequency are the only things still working. One corpsec squad is nearby, calling for help having sustained losses, and are being hunted by rebels

Max makes for the squad, hoping to find the rebels and lead them in for the kill.

You follow the chaotic radio signals and come to the site of the ambush where four corporate troopers are hunkered down behind their patrol truck. Dozens of Shots have broken the windows and popped the tires , and gray smoke rises out of the ruptured engine compartment. Fluid leaks pool around their knees and feet. Dozens of muzzle flashes from the large residence building across the road from rebel workers flash over and over like a deadly holiday tree

Trying to stay out of the patrol's sight, Max swings wide and heads for the rebel's building. (Does it look like the patrol is wearing standard CFUs? If I were to charge them, how much open ground would I have to cover?)

(Theyre wearing cfu’s, and about 10m)

(Sounds like melee is an option then. But I think I'll try to get some rebel backup first.)

(sneak/dex, since we're avoiding the patrol and being shot by rebels)

(6)

You aren’t seen barely as you cross the street though a few shots do come close. You enter the shattered lower level and hear gunfire from the floors above along with cries for a doctor

Max starts climbing the stairs. "Hey there, could you folks use another fighter?"

Two surprised rebels near the stairs are taken by surprise and fumble with their weapons, trying to bring them to bear at their fright

Max stands keeping his hands visibly away from his weapons. "I'm a friend. I finished up a job down south, so I figured I'd come up here and see if I could connect with others who want to fight the guild."

"Did you see where they are when you crossed the street?"

12:58 PM

There is more gunfire and some kind of thump as debris and dust blows into the room. Someone screams for a doctor

"Four of them, hiding behind a ruined truck. I was thinking I could lead a charge if I had some backup."

"We can go with you, three on four, but they're not expecting us and you look like you can handle yourself"

Max connects the stingray to his suit and checks his whip is ready. "Yeah, I've been in a few fights, and I may be able to give them a surprise or two. I'll take the lead and try to keep them busy while you close." He leads them back outside for the attack.

Exiting the building you can see the building facing side of the vehicle. It is riddled with holes and it gets a new one every few seconds. Return fire is snappy and rushed, it is ineffective and it seems like they're out of grenades.

"They're behind that truck. I expect they'll be focusing on me for a bit." With a burst of power from his suit Max leaps over the truck and starts swinging his whip.(Crit/9 double the die is 17 at the nearest enemy) (Let me know if I'm getting ahead of myself and you need some other roll first.) (edited)

(this is fine, we can roll with this)

7:09 AM

One of them falls, the whipcord tied around him and lashing him, he is out before he even hits the ground. THe others react as best they can while your companions charge across the street. (main action to club up rifles for the three of them, so they're doing that)

7:09 AM

(so its back to you)

Untangling the whip Max is unable to effectively strike. (7/5)

(crit/4, the others miss with their -4 penalty)

11:04 AM

Rifle butts strike your armor but bounce off ineffectively . One rattles your helmet as the rifle butt forcibly turns your head to the side. Your companions pile into the fight, tying up the other security troopers, but not able to wound any of them.

Shaking his head to clear it, Max strikes at the trooper who hit him. (18/6) (The crit goes through power armour right? riffle clubs are primitive weapons, so these guys are in trouble.)

(I’ve always counted crits as always doing damage due to the extremely low chance of getting them)

6:42 PM

(Going both ways. You on npcs and vehicles and the same on you)

(Sounds fair, and it's what I expected. I just wanted to check.)

The whip lashes another down as everyone is overwhelmed by the sudden melee. The remaining two officers try to surrender

Max steps back and speaks to the rebels as the officers signal surrender. He hated the idea of killing them now, but he couldn't hold them prisoner on his own. "This is your fight, it's your decision. But if you show mercy perhaps others will be quicker to surrender."

The rebel who seems to be in charge here looks to think for a long minute, before nodding to his men. What happens is something you try not to think about , ending in the officers having been stripped of their armor and dragged behind their patrol car on the pavement for 500m before being shot. Years of frustration and exploitation being repaid to some of those responsible it seems. The patrol car has combat gear in it, two sets of combat uniforms, rifles, ammunition for them, and even a few grenades. This is a good find for budding workers resistance movements.

"Take care you don't become the tyrants you're trying to overthrow. It's easy to bring down a society. It's much harder to build something better to replace it. I suggest you think about how create a government that serves everyone." "But as for taking down the guild, you seem to be making good use of the chaos, do you have a plan for when they get their forces organized again?"

The absolute silence here indicates they do not have any kind of wider strategy once the initial shock of the sudden assaults wears off

"We can't win a stand up right now. We need to blend into the population, make plans, harrass them with hit and run attacks, and gather our forces. If we can we'll want to spread propaganda to sway people to our cause and convince the guild troops to lay down their arms, or even better to join us." (When I was on Ocrina the shuttle served as a com server. Would my shuttle ne able to do the same thing here and give us a few links that don't go through the guild comnet? And if so how noticeable would it be?) (edited)

(Yes it can. It would be an opposed program check for anyone to try to slice in , the more active they are the easier they are to detect)

8:04 PM

(Though with all your fittings and whatnot id think theyd have a hard time breaking In, especially since you’ve leveled where their best computer folks work)

Max gives the rebels a quick lesson on trade craft; cell structures, dead drops, etc. "and if you're willing to work with me I can provide a few encrypted com links. Use them sparingly and have a backup in case the suddenly go dead, but they'll help us avoid guild surveillance."

"You made quick work of those guards, we'd be honored to work with someone who knows what they're doing. This all just kinda happened, you know? I don't even know what to do now"

Max gives them instructions to establish a link with the Bat. "Find places for your cell to hide your weapons, and recruit others that you trust. If you see an opportunity take it, but avoiding losses is a priority at this stage. If the guild gets a chance to concentrate their forces on you you'll be crushed."

They are pretty confident in the knowledge that a crackdown is probably coming, and will follow your advice. Things in the settlement are going to get worse before they can get better.

8:12 AM

(3xp, 5000 credits)

Wishing the rebels well Max continues trying to find and organize fighters before the guild restored order. Should everything go smoothly he'd then return to his apartment to send home a report and sleep. (I've probably crammed a bit too much into my first day on the planet. besides I could use the health.)

(We had a very busy day haha, lets beat a small reprieve for a moment.)

7:27 AM

The entire city goes on lockdown as night comes, and it is difficult to sleep with the sirens outside, gunfire, and broadcasted announcements from com drones that state anyone in the street without clearance will be shot. Company security protocols are in effect and attendance at work tomorrow is mandatory. You barely manage to get six hours, but feel a bit better when you wake up. Your email box is choked with reports about security incidents during the night. Dozens of workers have been executed, and about an equal number of security troopers found themselves ambushed and likewise dealt with.

(+8hp 27/33, -1strain 5/12) Waking up in the morning Max swaps his suits power cell and heads into the office. The death and destruction on the streets was a sobering sight, but the guild had already proven it didn't care for it's people. It had to be replaced.

There is an increased security presence here. Roadblocks and barriers have gone up during the night around this block, and there are guild stormtroopers in the streets protecting the more vital positions around the city. Violence has slowed somewhat but there are pockets fighting back in the far north districts here still.

Max keeps his eyes open for holes as he passes through the security cordon. They might want to slip some saboteurs in here at some point. But first he had to see what orders his supervisor would give him.

The orders are simple. There are pockets of resistance all over the city and the plan is to engage with as many men as can be brought to bear, to slowly stamp out each pocket- even if it means blockades of neighborhoods.

Inquiring after Aie Max tries to gather a squad of "loyal" 'Tre. If he could subborn an entire unit maybe he open a way for the rebels to escape.

(Admin/int)

(9)

Through some clever paperwork you're able to assemble a squad of yourself, Aie, and three other Tre "Partners" that are cleared to carry weapons and travel with you.

(since I'm being sent into a combat area, would I be able to requisition some ammo and a couple of grenades?) After gathering equipment, Max briefs his Aie and his team as they head north. " The Guild has ordered us to help contain the rebels and make sure they're destroyed. Aie, how well do you know these others, can we trust them with our mission? Are they as loyal as you are?"

(Yes. Just let me know what we are taking )

8:04 AM

“I think we can trust everyone here. They are all loyal tre , and will fight to keep the mission alive “ (edited)

(Personally I'll reload my riffle, then take a spare magazine and two grenades. For the tre I'd try to get the best weapons and armour I could, some spare ammo, and if possible a few grenades each.) After double checking they're not being observed Max continues. "Alright. I know some of what the Guild has done to you. You have good reason to want it brought down, and so do I. I'm not sure what Aie's told you, but it's time for us to fight back. The panopticon, the man in the walls as Aie called it, has been destroyed. If we act carefully the guild won't know what we're up to. So right now our job is to save as many other people who want to fight as we can."

They are with you, grasping your meaning and wanting to take the fight to the guild that enslaved them. Fighting on the settlement north side seems like a good place to ambush more officers based on how the fight has been going so far, and blocking off some cohesive neighborhoods might even make a rebel territory in the fight to take the city.

Closing in on the combat zone, Max scans the guild com channels trying to find small isolated squads or weak points in the blockade.

(Program /int)

(5)

You’re stuck scanning for longer than you want to be trying to break through the confused comms traffic. You’re not able to locate any of the elite PMG units but a patrol of six has been ambushed nearby , taking ranging fire from rebel workers camped out on top of a water tower

Max leads his squad toward the patrol, trying to come in opposite the rebels in order to catch them without cover and to pin them in a crossfire.

By hearing the streets they call out as they try to vector in help you can figure out a way to approach them from the flank and after a few moments of running you make it through an alley, seeing them shooting from behind their vehicles, but in plain sight to you

"We'll want to make sure they don't escape to warn the guild about us. Also be careful, the rebels are going to consider us enemies until we convince them otherwise." Max ensures his squad is ready then opens fire with his riffle. (Combat riffle burst Crit/22 damage after doubling the die. If I can make out who's in command then that's my target.)

2

The sergeant of the team is downed as a shot from behind takes him in the throat. He gurgles a last order before falling to the ground and the squad wheels to confront the threat coming from a new angle. (if you want to shoot for the 'Tre, its D20+3, or +5 if you want them to burst)

(Let's start with a burst. Crit,18,19,14)

(The first three hit. So d12+2 due to the burst )

6:33 PM

(And the crit is either 2d12 +2 or double your one dice however you do your crits)

(4,9,13)

A second of the security troopers joins his sergeant on the blood slicked pavement, and two others are wounded as the gunfight continues, reduced to four, they try to return fire at the foes that now face in two directions. One of the 'Tre in your squad is lightly wounded as a shot punches into their armor and stays there, the other rounds spark off the cover you're firing from.

9:08 PM

(19/3 on that one Tre, everything else is a clear miss)

Wanting to reduce the opposition as quickly as possible Max switches his fire to the most wounded trooper. (11/7) (Burst fire from the tre. 9,20,9,24. Damage 12,4)

Half the enemy force is dead and wounds are appearing across the rest of the formation as the rebels across the road begin pushing toward using the lack of gunfire to approach. A grenade slides under the car and sends the troopers into the dirt as it explodes and the vehicle buckled

(did the grenades take everyone out, or are they just diving for cover? If they are still fighting how far away are they?) (edited)

(Everyone’s down now, grenade took them out

Instructing the tre to stay in cover until he's made contact, Max puts his hands up and walks into the open. "Don't shoot! I'm not what I look like. I have connections with the guild. If we work together we can take advantage of them."

You can see two battered looking rebel troopers poking their heads out of cover.

"Good work with the grenade. Do you know anyone else who could use some help dealing with the guild?" Max starts searching for any useful equipment that survived the fight.

The grenade has shredded the thin skinned vehicle. Most of their actual on hand equipment has been destroyed but you're able to rescue a pair of combat shotguns and a guild radio deck from the trunk, which might help you find other units nearby even if they change frequencies- which they will likely do once they realize this unit is not reporting in anymore.

Max offers the shotguns to the rebels, and starts working with the radio to find their next target and get an idea of guild deployments.

(Program/int)

(4)

You're not able to find where the corporate stormtroopers are operating but you get a hit on a recovery team nearby trying to pull the heavy weapons and sensitive equipment from a recon drone that the rebels have shot down with small arms fire. The team reports that they're in a neighborhood close to your position, and will be able to leave with their equipment in about five minutes. They were in communication with the unit you just routed and are concerned at the silence after reports of taking fire.

"We've got an opportunity to get some heavy weapons, but we'll have to hurry. Want to come along? The guild's going to take us out one group at a time unless we start getting organized." Max leads his squad quickly towards the drone. If the rebels come along he'll instruct them to lag behind and stay out of sight until the shooting starts.

They're planning on coming with you. Heavy weapons for their cell would be valuable to them and the group of six lags behind for rear security, waiting to be instructed on what to do.

Continuing on Max tries to get into position to asses the situation without revealing he's not with the guild.

Ahead at the next block you round the corner and see the engineering team along with their small ATV working to extract the weapons and equipment from it. There are four technicians here, and it looks like their security element was the team you just ambushed. They have not seen you and are 150m from you, absorbed in their work.

Max tells the rebels to give his team time to reach the engineers and then attack, but to move immediately if they hear fighting. He then leads his squad forward at a relaxed jog, trying to project the image that they're just another guild unit.

“Hey there!” One of them calls out, looking up from his work. “What happened to the other guys?! They okay?”

"They're beat up, but alive. They ran into some rebels and took them out, but there were injuries and their vehicles got wrecked. Our commander sent us to cover you while they got medical attention."

“We’ll be done here in two minutes. I’ve got a wife and kids to get home to, I’m not sticking around “ the technician says, nodding once and then looking back down to direct the others in the work (edited)

"It doesn't seem worth it does it. The guild treats them as slaves, then tosses them aside when they find more convenient workers. I can't blame them for fighting back, can you?

"I can't...." he says after a few seconds. You can tell he is trying to multitask between the complex mechanical work and weighing his words to talk to you. "If this movement picks up, I think people might cross lines, but its hard to judge right now. I think everyone is just trying to do what they think gets them home to their loved ones at ngiht"

"Changing sides has it's appeal. Making a better world for the next generation. But staying out here isn't how we get home. The rebels are going to want this gear." He takes out a grenade. "Let's just leave and I'll blow this stuff up."

“Alright. Good enough. We say it crashed and there was nothing that survived the impact” The others want to get off the street too and begin packing up their tools. “Thanks for that. Make sure you really level the thing. They’ll check” (edited)

"Will do. You folks get going, we'll demo this and catch up."

They’ve got no further reason to stick around and begin throwing their tools in their battered utility truck. (Assuming you’re not about to light them up from behind they’re just going to leave ) (edited)

(Nope, if they're leaving us the drone and it's equipment they're free to go.) Once the techs are out of site Max sends a runner to get the rebels, and starts stripping the drone. (I'm assuming if the drone itself looked salvageable they would have been working on that instead.)

(correct, yeah they even said they just want the components, the frame is trashed)

8:20 AM

(fix.int)

(11. and it may slow things down but I have ghost tech 1 to make basic tools if I need them.)

(that actually makes things even better)

12:53 PM

A pair of rocket launchers are fashioned from the underwing pylons of the drone, and you have enough remote components here to probably equip a few primitive drones out for the rebels when you're in a place where the components can be worked with. There's nothing left of the wreck to really be of further use.

Max distributes the equipment. Then remembering the request to make the drone's destruction look good, he has everyone clear the blast radius before slipping a grenade into the chassis and leaping clear.

There is a blast and shrapnel from the drone pings off the surrounding buildings, leaving the drone a ruin as promised.

With the rebels to help and a couple of rockets, Max once again scans the guild frequencies for the best place to strike. Perhaps a commander with insufficient guards, or a team that could be lead into an ambush. (I assume that's another program/int so 6. Also let me know if I'm overusing this, it just seems like even with my low progam it's still my best source of intel.)

With the drone control link and some time sifting the comms you think you find one of the local officers in charge of the security response. They're about ten blocks away moving as part of a light convoy. They're not expecting an ambush, thinking they're driving this way into secured territory.

Hearing about the convoy Max gets his team together and starts looking for a good ambush location. Trying to find somewhere the convoy could be trapped and attacked from cover.

With your access to the secure comms you have their route and you can see they’re making a right turn at the end of this block so they bypass the drone wreck. the buildings on each side of the road are ruined but have enough to them still to be able to provide concealment

(Do I have an idea of the size/make up of the convoy? And do I see anything in the area that could be used as a roadblock?)

(Could use rubble. You’d expect it to be more of these Jeep’s that security here is using so far )

Max scatters rubble trying to slow the convoy without looking like an obvious blockade, then orders his troops into the buildings to wait.

The vehicles consist of a light armored jeep, something like an up-armored cargo truck, and another one of the infantry jeeps at the back of the three vehicle column. the truck's sides are armored and you cannot see through them, so you're no t sure how many soldiers might be inside.

(Would we be able to target the Jeep drivers directly, or are they fully protected by the vehicles?)

(they're fairly enclosed by the vehicle. Think like those modern made for consumer jeeps rather than like ww2 model open jeeps)

(Alright. Thanks.) Max readies his last grenade (this makes me encumbered.), and stumbles out from cover waving the convoy down.

1

The convoy begins to slow, seeing the uniform and face of a man they believe is one of theirs and a friend.

As the convoy slows Max heads for the lead Jeep. "Thank goodness! There's rebels hiding in a building over there. They wiped out my squad." He gestures toward a side ally, making sure it's well away from his troops.

"Stand down trooper! We'll take it from here! Are you hurt?" the commander calls out from the megaphone in the center car.

Max turns toward the command truck, trying to project an air of someone slightly in shock. "No. No, I don't think so...ah, Sir"

The connection cuts off and the vehicles begin moving down the path you've designated- writing you off as a long trooper in a sorry state that they cannot help. (edited)

Darn! He'd been hoping to draw them out, or to get them to invite him in, but he'd blown it. Seeing the trucks start moving again he gives the command truck a burst from his riffle and leaps toward cover. (18/13)

You can see a bloom of red on the passenger window as the man sitting there is killed, slumping over to bounce his helmeted head off the dashboard. The vehicles accelerate, trying to slip the noose of the ambush rather than fighting off against unknown attackers.

"Focus on the truck!" Max fires another burst trying to take out the driver. (16/12)

Those in the ruins are slow to respond, out of position as the trucks try to skirt the ambush site. These troopers in the convoy are far mroe well trained and although some hits land home, you're only able to stop the last security jeep in the convoy when concentrated fire brings down its driver, and it veers sideways into a wall. The other two vehicle elements pick up speed, leaving their wounded and dead behind.

(Are the other vehicles still in range?)

(No, they’re gone as far as combat purposes go)

(Thanks, that's what I thought, but every time I started working on a reply I got less sure.) "We have to hurry. We need to leave before they call in reinforcements." Max runs forward to finish off the soldiers and search the jeep.

You're able to get another info-deck from the computer system in the trunk, as well as their weapon bags and radios. The jeep itself is shot apart and more trouble than its worth

Passing out the equipment Max leads the group away from the ambush site. Trying to ensure they can't be found by a counter attack. (By the way, how's the squad doing for encumbrance? We've picked up a fair bit of gear so far.)

(We are at about what we can carry between everyone especially with a makeshift few rocket launchers in the group)

Max speaks with the rebels as they move. "We've picked up a fair amount of equipment. Do you know anywhere we could find more folks willing to join the fight?"

“For tonight we need to lay low. The heat is too high on us right now but what we need now is movements in other places. We have to pull them apart , make it hard for them to move and get to one another “

(Trying to get problems happening in toher settlements, since our efforts have been focused on one. I think we picked here due to the panopticon core, but youv'e handled that now)

(Sorry I've been a bit distracted, and was focusing on the threads that involve other players as well.) "Yeah, that sounds like a plan. I can move around a bit more freely so I'll try to drum up some support. Do you have any advice for what settlement to start in? Despite appearances I'm not a local. The com system I've got might be able to stretch from here to the debtors colony."

"The debtors colony is a good place. Lots of pent up resentment there. I think you'd be able to flip the whole place pretty quickly"

"Then that'll be my destination. I'll have to see if I can get the guild to send me there. No use blowing my cover if I can help it. Before I go I should give you a connection to my com server." He tells the rebels how to establish a link with the Bat and gives them a warning about overusing it.

They are thankful for the weapons, and the help. They'll keep up the fight and in an interesting tidbit, they said some off world spies were being held there, sentenced to hard labor among the debtors doing ship-breaking for their corporate espionage. "Elijah-Tech" one of them thinks the name one. Another things it was "Aliyah Tech" but the over all seem to agree on the general pronunciation.

(I plan to try either way, but would rescuing these spies count as a mission for Aiya-tech?) Max thanks them for the intel, and starts leading his team out of the combat zone. Once they're relatively safe he calls his supervisor. "Sir, I've been thinking. We're getting things under control here, but there's a lot of malcontents in the debtors colony. Should I head over there to make sure no one is stirring up trouble? Restoring order is a job for soldiers, but an investigator can help keeping it from breaking down in the first place."

(it sure would)

7:13 PM

"You've done all you can here, this is a military issue now- see what you can dig up over there. We'll run down investigations here. Take your 'Tre team too"

(Great) "Yes sir. I'll requisition a vehicle and we'll head straight there. Would it be possible to send me the files on some of the bigger trouble makers?" (Just making a quick note here that I've caught up the maintenance payments on my ships. Maintenance on the Owl and Bat is payed until y6m0 and the Bat's crew has been paid for the same period.)

(I'll generate some NC

9:30 AM

(NPCS)

It looks like the ringleader of the rebel resistance is someone named Miros Kolsis , a Greek from Old Earth from the times before the Scream. It's unclear how they found their way into Phemno service, but its abundantly clear they want out of it. His "poor ingot" rebel band have done much in disrupting local shipments, draining mid-level corporate accounts, and otherwise have made business hard for those trying to keep what's left of the guild together. Always on the move in the debtor colony its rumored he doesn't sleep in the same place more than two days in a row.

The Poor Ingots looked like they could be very helpful, the problem would be contacting them without getting killed as a guild agent. Thinking it would be best to start on that after he'd gotten a feel for the colony Max decided to begin looking for the Aiya-tech spies. That meant his first stop was the shipbreakers.

(We have an overland drive to get there, you look official so security wouldn’t stop you. Did you want to generate hexes or just pass on through to the mission)

(up to you. Max is on a mission so he's not going to stop unless he runs into people or something that looks like it would be of value. Then again if you're generating encounters there may be something that would stop him whether or not he wanted to.)

Heading north out of the city toward where the debtors are kept, on the northern side of the landmass you see smoke rising from behind a large grove of blackened trees. PAssing it, you can see some kind of guild grav-flyer has crashed in the countryside. Flames still engulf its flanks and some burned looking survivors are staggering from the wreck. They look to be a mix of administrators and security, though security troopers are a vast minority.

(about how many of them are there? And does it look like they've spotted us?) (edited)

(4 security, about 10 dignitaries and not yet, they will if you get closer with the vehicle, probably won't on foot due to yama king ad being good at sneaking) (edited)

Max pulls the truck out of sight, and has his squad start taking up concealed firing positions while he tries to figure out how important these administrators are. Whether they look like low level functionaries or if they seem to be actual decision makers.

You can see one decision maker among the group. Everyone else looks like an aide, secretary, or lesser executive directly reporting to them. She is stern looking, and is comfortable snapping off orders as they limp out of the crash site

Someone traveling with this large an entourage was likely rather important, making this too good an opportunity to pass up. Max swaps his whip for his stun baton, links his stingray to his suit and starts taking aim, ordering his squad to focus on the guards. (I'd like to make an execution attack on a guard if I can. A regular attack if I can't. Also I'm just curious, do I have or am I anywhere close to having enough face for a heavy frigate or cruiser? I don't have any serious plans yet, I'm just starting to think about what to do with the millions from my Aiya-tech shares.)

(You've got enough for a cruiser)

6:50 PM

(and you can make an execution attack)

(Cool) Max sets his sights on the security officer who looks most in command, takes a breath, and gives the order to fire.

(2 misses, 3 hits , one is mortally wounded not instantly dead , the others are all dead )

8:12 AM

Several shots that the team is not expecting kill their security without warning or notice. The survivors begin to scatter only getting a couple meters apart from one another by the time you chamber another round ,

Max takes a shot at the last standing guard (13/5), and leaps forward on his suits boosters.

The shot goes wide as you begin bounding forward, and your team finishes what you started , a volley of shots executing the standing guard before he has a chance to do or say anything else

10:11 AM

(Out of initiative )

Max continues toward the boss. "Everybody get on the ground!"

(Talk/cha, as the victims are panicking )

(11)

Seeing the armed men and the hopelessness of their exposed position, the survivors begin to surrender- they stop running and begin to comply with commands

"Who are you? And what were you doing out here?"

They identify themselves as the Phemno Home Guild Department, responsible for some of the minor aspects of running the planet. They were heading out to see the riots and oversee a response when their flyer was shot down.

"So what's the guild's plan? I assume it doesn't involve giving the workers a fair say in their government."

“I won’t talk. You’ll have to do worse than torture me” she laughs

"How about the rest of you? If you have any sympathy for the workers now is your opportunity to come over and do the right thing."

Many of them answer you but the prevailing worry through the group is what happens to them when this world is "free" of the guild, or even what is going to happen to them over the next few minutes

"I have some contacts. Once the guild is out of the way I can arrange transportation offworld for those who want it. Until then any of you who join up will be under my protection, and I'll make sure others we work with know it. Unless you betray us of course."

They're beginning to think things over. Many of them side eye one another as if trying to figure out how to make their own move relative to everyone elses, and who might be the most likely to react poorly to people going over to your side. The first of them raises a hand, waiting to be taken into custody by your 'Tre bodyguards

Max gestures them forward and takes them aside out of earshot. "I'm glad you decided to join us. I have a few questions. Please don't lie to me, I'd hate have to think you were working against us." He starts with basic questions such as their name and position. "Do you know anything about the guilds plans to deal with the rebellion?"

“Yes. They want to keep the city preserved but a lot of soldiers are heading down there to keep order”

"That's what we expected. I guess we'll just have to keep them distracted. Do you know any good targets of opportunity around the debtors colony?"

"The credit records building. It's how they determine how long your stay is and how much you've worked off before you're released. Their operation there is going to be meaningless of everyone's records are erased. There are also some guard barracks, tool shops, armories, things that only the Guild would use, not things the workers would be allowed to have. Destroying them won't hurt innocent people"

"The records do sound like a good target, and it's always good to take out your enemy's armoury. I'm afraid this last bit's going to be rather rude, but I have to take precautions. If given the opportunity will you reveal our identity to the guild or otherwise betray us? What circumstances would cause you to act against us, and is there anything we should avoid to prevent that?"

“If my family is threatened or if it looks like you won’t keep your word. I want to get out of this alive. I want everyone to. That’s why we are talking”

"That's fair. We'll have to try to get them some protection. Sorry about this." Max slaps him. "How have you lied to me?!" (I'm trying to use Constable’s Inducement of Truth)

Constable’s Inducement of Truth (Level 3): The same 
round in which you or your comrades personally 
strike and cause pain to a target, you may ask the 
target a single question, assuming they are still 
alive. The target makes a Mental save; on a failure, 
they must provide one sentence of a truthful, undeceptive answer made to the best of their knowledge. If they succeed on the save, they resist the 
inducement to speak. This ability can be used on 
a particular target only once per day.

3

2

(Failed) He has not lied to you.

8:39 PM

Everything he has said so far has been true

Max offers a handshake. "Glad to hear it. Welcome to the team. Sorry again but I've found that sudden pain can startle the truth out of people, and in this business it pays not to be too trusting." He returns to the others. "Anyone Else? Will you renounce the guild?" Any volunteers will receive the same kind of interview, ending if their answers are similar with the welcome slap.

You get variations of the same information from them. All but the head executive and two who must be next in line seem to remain loyal to the guild and wait for their own judgment. With a moment to check your pad you see the most senior of them here had a junior role in the development of the planet cracker

(So that's seven turned and three who haven't, right? plus four Tre and myself. How many people can my truck carry? Also what do I know about the planet cracker? With all the temporal anomalies in this sector I'm not sure what news has reached me.) Finishing with the volunteers Max turns to the remaining prisoners. "Now I have to decide what to do with you. Since you've chosen to stay loyal to the guild I now consider you complicit in the oppression of the people of Phenmo. Do you have anything to say in your defence?" He checks his pad and looks to the head exec. "And I see you have other worlds to answer for as well."

(We would probably be finding out about now ish that it’s been destroyed but I intentionally didn’t put direct tech specs on it.

11:05 PM

(The truck can carry those who have remained loyal. It wouldn’t be comfortable but it’ll do for a while )

(I wasn't looking for specs, just whether I knew about the extortion or destruction.)

(They did know that was the intent for the project and continued working on it anyway) (edited)

"I don't see how you can justify building a planet cracker to extort credits, but this is your chance to try."

“The money would have meant a better life for the guild members. It would have been a better life for all the worlds the guild planned to control. This was a place of order and progress once. “

"I don't think those forced to work for you would agree it was a better life. And what about everyone you'd be killing if they didn't give in to your demands?"

They believe that the weapon would never be used. It was a hit stick that would never be swung because any world would be foolish to tempt the guild

"So you're a nieve tyrant. There's always someone willing to stand against oppression. And do you think the guild will back down when they do? I don't."

"The Guild is a force of stability and peace so long as you are willing to sacrifice for it. I believe in them, and the good work they do"

"Of course you'd believe that, you're part of the ruling class. Those who are being forced to make the sacrifices have a different opinion, as the riots demonstrate."

"The wrong opinion" she scoffs. "Killing me or convincing me won't change anything. There are pieces bigger than you at work here, and they'll grind this riot to dust before they let the Guild fall"

"What makes you think the guild against the unified force of it's workers? And I'm not seriously trying to convince you, I'm giving you a chance to convince me to show mercy."

1

she thinks for a moment on hearing this. "I need paper, or something to write on, as big a surface as you can get me, and something to write with. "

7:57 AM

A decision has been made inside her, and she seems ready to appeal to your sense of compassion.

"I'll see what I can manage. There's always writing in the dirt with a stick if nothing else." Max will check his supplies and ask the others to see if he can fulfil her request."

It looks like she might be able to draw on a data pad- a stick in the dirt isn't showing her plan as well as she would want to. Several troop concentrations, armor depots, and supplies of munitions meant to be used against the freedom fighters are identified, as is the secret evacuation route of board personnel -as she intercepted an email, and is working on writing out the long string of coordinates

8:41 AM

(august was also on the trail but its been a while since they posted, so im considering that bounty fair game after this one)

(If they do come back I'm ok with teaming up or crossing paths or whatever. Also if I haven't already I'll give her the data pad, but I will keep a close eye to ensure drawing is all she's doing.) "That is some interesting intel. And they're using this escape route now?"

“They’re already using it. You’ll have to pick up the trail there if you’re going after them”

"Do you have any idea of what kind of security they have with them?"

“Forty stormtroopers and a legion of security bots. They might have picked up others along the way. I’m not sure “

"Sounds like we'll have to get some backup first then. Thank you this should be very helpful. I assume you don't want to join us, so I'm willing to offer you a deal. I'll let you go and in return you truthfully swear this is as accurate and complete as you can manage, leave me your id and a dna sample, then disappear. The guild isn't to know where you are or what happened to you, and you won't do anything to help them. I should warn you, if we make this deal I have ways of enforcing it. If one of us breaks it they're going to have a bad time. It's quite likely to be fatal in your case."

“You wouldn’t offer if there wasn’t a catch. It’s still the best offer on the table. I’ll take it”

"Well the catch is that I might be doing some things that'll ruin your reputation with the guild. If you're still ok with that then we just need to handle those last few things and you're free to go." He turns to the last two prisoners. "How about you two? Anything to say for yourselves?" (Using Consecrate Bargain. 6/12 strain used.)

They corroborate what's been said already but being of lower rank they don't have any extra insight to offer. It seems you've got the best information you're going to get for the moment

Max asks the 'Tre if they have an opinion on what to do with the prisoners. If they don't he'll offer a deal to leave their belongings an disappear like their boss.

The 'Tre only know these people as the ones who enslaved their race and sacked their planet- even if the sacking in this case was just making a deal with corrupt chiefs. Killing anyone in a guild uniform slakes half of the vengeance they feel they deserve, but you've led them well so far, and they will follow your lead.

He turns back to the prisoners. "You didn't tell us anything we didn't already know, and we can't take you with us. But it doesn't seem fair to kill you when we're letting her go. So I'll make you the same sort of deal. Swear to the completeness and accuracy of you're intel. Leave all you're carrying, your gear, id, etc. Then you also disappear." (Consecrate bargain 8/12 strain used. If nothing comes up I'll check the wreck for anything useful, then get back on the road. )

(They’re not going to refuse the deal if it means you’re going to keep the tre from tearing them to pieces )

8:30 PM

The lander has most of its body torn to pieces from the crash. The executive suite near the cockpit is hardened to serve as a crash pod and you’re able to work your way inside to the armored doors.

Max tries the door, using the executive's id if it looks like it needs a keycard.

It opens and you can see the room is a bit worse for wear but otherwise intact. A body with its neck broken sits in one of the restraint harnesses but everyone else managed to survive.

9:28 PM

There is food here, and water. A small armory has personal defense weapons but no ammunition for the semi automatic handguns

Max checks the corpse for it's id or anything else of note, then starts taking the supplies. food and water would help any rebels away from civilization, and even the guns might be useful. He'd have to check the security guards to see if they were carrying ammo.

The security cards did have magazines of ammo. It looks like Guild stocks might have been short, so what they had was handed out to the security team instead of the corporate VIPs they were supposed to protect.

10:41 AM

(each one had a full magazine, so we're looking at 30 rounds each iirc for a combat rifle)

The guild being short of ammo was an encouraging sign. With the crash site looted Max and his squad load up to continue their journey.(I'm not sure how much I can take. The order of priority is people, guns with ammo, food and water, and then the rest of the guns. I assume the armour is ruined, right?) Once on the road he starts discussing their next move. "This map of supply caches is a big find, but we're going to need more fighters. Does anyone have any ideas for how to contact the poor ingot? Preferably without getting shot or blowing our cover with the guild."

(Yeah we wrecked it by shooting the folks wearing it a bunch. Between your war band we have enough spare encumbrance to top off everyone’s supplies)

7:40 PM

The Tre think that the radio in the cockpit might work. It’s on a guild frequency so they may not answer , but maybe some kind of comms station could be discovered

"That's worth a try, provided the guild can't id us from our transmission. " Max looks over the radio to see if it has any built in id system.

The conference room has a secure telephone and the cockpit radios look like they can be coaxed back to life with a little work and some parts stripped from other sections of the crash site.

A secure phone was probably not the best choice for contacting rebels, so max starts trying to get the cockpit radio working. (fix/int is 10 if you want a roll) (edited)

(Thanks!). You’re able to get it working again and the crackle of static announces you can begin scanning for channels and making contact

Max starts working the radio, trying a passive scan before broadcasting to anyone listening.

You find two channels that are also listening. One to the north, and one to the west.

After checking the map to make sure it's not a known guild unit, Max tries contacting the northern station. "Hello, I'm trying to contact Major Miros Kolsis or his staff. I have information concerning the Poor Ingot." Max maintains a professional tone so any guild listener unfamiliar with the ingots leadership won't notice this is a rebel transmission. (If the guild uses more civilian ranks instead I'd use one of those.)

You notice the signal to the west immediately cuts off when it sounds like someone in the guild was talking about them and perhaps spotted their signal. The northern signal tries to answer you but their transmitter doesn’t seem powerful enough.

(did the western signal cut off in response to me, or another guild transmission?) Seeing he'd probably need to get closer to make contact Max tries to narrow down the location of the northern signal. (edited)

(In response to you)

10:48 PM

The northern signal looks like it’s coming from the direction of a Guild fire watch tower similar to the one you destroyed upon landing here

(I just reconsidered how I was picturing this. When you said I found two channels listening, where the north and west having a conversation with each other?)

(No they were just open channels also listening. )

6:07 PM

(One dropped off when your “guild” channel scanned them)

A guild tower was concerning. Hopefully the ingot had captured it, but perhaps he'd called the wrong station. For the sake of completeness Max does what he can to localize the western station, then tries calling in the hope they're still listening. "Calling enemies of the Guild. I have intel to share. Enemies of the Guild please respond."

The signal that faded out returns strong as do many others in the woods around you. Combat cells waiting for the csll to arms begin responding

9:58 PM

They are frantic. They want orders , Intel , directions , anything.

(is there any way to establish encryption with these folks so the guild can't listen in?)

(Your program check was pretty good earlier so I think we can roll your encryption into that)

7:36 AM

(not fool-proof but it sets the DC for any guild slicers listening in, or if you want to attempt a better check we can)

(My program is -1 so I think I'll stick with what I have unless the DC for pure encryption is much lower.) Max establishes an encrypted link and starts sharing "I've come into possession of intel on guild deployments. Including troop concentrations and supply caches. I figure if we find a few lightly defended supply drops we can hurt the guild while making ourselves stronger." He tries to find a way to send the map file, but if he can't he relays coordinates. "It's drawn from memory and my source may not have known everything so it may not be perfect, but it should give as an advantage."

Relating the coordinates is the best you can do and you’ll have to hope someone out there decides to go for it, risking that it isn’t a guild trap.

7:16 PM

The Poor Ingots will find a way, one way or another. And they’re listening.

Max finishes sharing as much of the intel as he can. "I'd be happy to give you a copy in person if you were comfortable setting up a meeting. But I have to leave this radio soon. I'm headed to the debtors colony and I have some guild ids, is there anything I can do to help you?"

A set of coordinates is beamed back to you before the link goes dead. The site looks to be a coal mine that the Guild abandoned after the seam became too dry or too expensive to expand and the site has not had attention in a long time. It seems as good a rebel hideout as any, and is close to the debtor's colony.

Well that looked like an invitation. Finishing up at the crash site, he set course for the mine. Planning to stop outside were he guessed the defence perimeter was, so he wouldn't drive in with what looked like a truck full of guild soldiers. (btw, have I completed the goal "Kill or capture someone responsible for the planet cracker."? I did let them go, so I'm not sure.) (edited)

(you kept them from being a problem so I'd say it counts. You killed their effectiveness)

2

(Cool that levels me up. NPCs now need to make a save before they can try to lie to or deceive me.)

**Level Up**
Level: 9
Focus: NA
Old HP: 33
HP Roll: 25
New HP: 34
New Skills: Fix-1 2sp, Lead-0 1sp, 1sp from previous level up kept in bank.
Current AB: 4

(Awesome. That’s more or less all for be had here )

(Yep, I think I'm finished. On to the mine.) (edited)

(D10 on the way!)

(8)

heading toward the mine you encounter a security convoy that looks like it has been ambushed. The poor ingots are hard at work out here and it looks like one of the vehicles was a prisoner transport of some kind. There is nodoby here now aside from security crew bodies left to rot, and scavengers have been making quick work of the corpses.

8:36 AM

(if we want to give the 'Tre some CFU's these are in better shape)

(Yeah, if there's an upgrade available let's take it.) The convoy had likely already been looted, but Max stops to make a quick search for anything of use.

another 20 rounds of ammunition for everyone is pulled from what has been left behind, as well as combat field uniforms to fit your new 'Tre allies. Everyone is ready to fight, and the mines are closeby.

(I've used 12 rounds to refill my riffle, leaving 8 that can be taken by others if we're tracking that closely.) After collecting the supplies the team gets back on the road to the mine. (I'm trying to stop outside their defence perimeter so they don't shoot us thinking we're guild soldiers)

(We probably should, since we're away from easy resupply. )

7:43 AM

The Poor Ingots have a line of defenses within the trees that the 'Tre are able to pick out, consisting of mines and a few covered overlook positions nestled into the woods. Stopping a safe distance from them you are waiting several minutes before a group of six rebels begins moving out toward you, weapons held ready, but low.

Max shifts his armour's appearance to civilian clothing, then gets out slowly with his hands in plain view. "Hey there, I was talking with some folks on the radio and they gave me these coordinates. So I assume this is where I was supposed to come to share my intel?"

“This is the place. You’ve been the one fighting the guild? We heard the panopticon got taken out and things have been getting better since then. “

"Yeah, that was me. I've got certain talents that let me infiltrate the guild. I have my team with me, but we've been trying to make the guild think we're with them so I thought I should introduce myself first to avoid misunderstandings."

"It's a good tihng you did. Come to the mine with us, bring your team. We will get you up to speed on what we know and maybe you can share some information too"

Max returns to the truck and follows the rebels to wherever they want him to park.

The vehicle is permitted to park in a large tool shop where mining equipment would have been repaired once. It is empty now save for your truck and two scrap tanks the rebels seem to be working on. They are horrendous amalgamations of industrial tractor, armored plating, and as many weapons as it makes sense to mount on them. You can immediately spot several issues with both.

(Are these the point them out and they can be fixed kind of issues, or are they just those unavoidable issues you get when trying to make something into something else?)

(They’re things that you’d know how to fix given your background that they’ve overlooked since they’re not professionals. Fixable if you tell them about it . )

Looking around the shop Max nods in approval. "Admirable resourcefulness. I doubt the Guild will be happy to see those, although I think I see a few things you might want to consider." He tells them about the flaws, trying to show his appreciation for their engineering and not come across as condescending.

Your words are taken well and as you are coordinating the workers in the hangar, rebel leadership makes it out of the mine to speak with you. “Impressive work. They’re listening already. Welcome to Phemno, though it sounds like you’ve been here for some time”

"Only a few days, although it's felt longer." He offers a hand. "Max Davenport. As you surmised, I'm an offworlder. The guild's made some enemies out there."

“Really? Good to know the fight isn’t just us. So, you’re here now. What do you propose for handling the guild?”

"We need to keep them scattered while we raise the population and get them organized. If we can force the guild to spread itself thin enough they won't be able to overwhelm us in any one area. We should also try to get their solders and low ranking administrators to join us. You're going to have to make peace with them when this is all over, and there's ne better time to start than now." (edited)

"We've had many come over, buit we've had many more fake surrenders or hide a grenade behind their back when they've come to give their weapons over. Its become safer to shoot first"

8:50 AM

"All the lives we lose are people who didn't need to pay that price. We haven't exactly tried to rein in the field units in situations like that"

"I wouldn't have expected them to be so fanatical, I can understand your reaction. But we need to find a way for them to surrender. We're going to take far heavier losses if they think the only option is to fight to the death. If there's anyone in particular you distrust, some of my talents help me get the truth out of people. Unfortunately that doesn't scale."

"There might be one, and we think we have a leak, so you can help with this. There is a guild officer in the Debtor's colony garrison who passes us information but his last few tips have led to a lot more of us than normal being killed. We think he might be a double agent. "

"That sounds like something I could deal with if you give me the details. I've taken the place of one of their inspectors and I already have some business in the debtors colony. There are some off world agents being held at the shipbreaking yards, you wouldn't happen to have any info on that would you?"

'That site went dark about two days ago, there is a lot of gunfire and fighting in the area, but we haven't been able to get anyone close enough to see what's going on. The site is a big one at the western edge of the city"

"I'll have to give it a try myself then, but that seems like something that might blow my cover so I should probably check your informant first. Are there any other concerns you have?"

"CLearing the woods. All kinds of Guild runaways in there, but some of them still care about the regime. Finding them and separating who from who is something we need done and could use a natural lie detector like yourself"

8:27 AM

"You seem like you've got the skills for it if you've been impersonating guild officers"

"I'd make a good first filter at least. I'll put it on the to do list. But I suppose I should get to the business I came here for. I'll give you a copy of my intel on guild deployments. And I've made contacts with a couple cells in Miner's Respite, I can give you a comlink but we'll have to use it sparingly to avoid guild attention."

“Surely you want something in return. A stockpile of Guild goods perhaps? It’s useless to us but you’ve helped us a great deal with all you’ve done”

"I don't need payment. What I want is for the Guild to fall, and preferably be replaced by a friendly government that takes care of all it's people. I think our goals are aligned." "That said if you wanted to give me something I probably wouldn't turn it down."

“There’s a prototype guild flyer in a small hangar near the mine. None of us know how to use it but it’s big enough and well armored enough to heist quite a bit from the guild warehouses and stores within the debtor colony “

"An armoured flyer, that does sound useful. I'm not an expert pilot but I do have some experience. But that seems like another thing to blow my cover. So the order of operations I'm thinking is interview your informant and scout locations for an aerial raid, rescue the agents, make the raid, then start sweeping the woods. Does that sound like a reasonable plan? Do you see any potential problems?"

“None with how you’ve laid it out. We can’t add much until we see how things unfold and amend the plan from there. Nothing survives contact with the enemy “

"Yeah, they never follow the plan like you'd hoped. It's really quite rude of them. I guess I'll just get the details on your potential mole, and then get going. Oh, I noticed your set up to handle a good number of vehicles here. Is it alright if I swap a few drained B-cells for fresh ones?" (After we've exchanged our intel and said our farewells, I'll load up my team leaving behind any excess weapons or supplies and head off.)

"Of course, take what you need and we will monitor your comm feed. Good luck"

"Thanks. From what I see here, the Guilds days are numbered." Finishing preparations Max loads up his team and sets off.

(Alright. Heading on foot into the city to find the informant is what I’m reading out of this. That sound right to you?)

(I hadn't realized we were that close, so I thought we would be using the car. But if walking's the best way then sure.)

(you can do either, Car is more noticeable but faster, walking would be like a half day)

(Half a day is quite the walk. since as far as I know my cover is still good, and I'd be expected to arrive with the car I left with lets use it.)

(sounds good, lets get a D10!)

(10)

Passing by the roads that lead to the debtors colony you can see a large mass of fleeing people in the road ahead as you approac the half way point of your trip. There look to be at least 50 here, if not mroe, and all of them look to be running, or at least moving with urgency to try to get away from the city.

Max tried to judge if there was any specific threat these people were running from. Recruiting refugees could be useful, but he wasn't equipped to handle this many without risking his cover. If they were just fleeing the chaos of the city he'd send a note of their location to the rebels then continue on.

There is a rising dust cloud on the road just behind them. Whatever is coming the dust seems to be partially occluding it, but the locals have clearly seen something and its enough to convince them to flee.

Max flags down some of the people and waves to the dust cloud. "What's going on?"

"Guild raiders!" one of them calls. Another rushes past " They're on skiffs! get out of here!"

"It seems to me they'll run you down if you stay on the road. I suggest you scatter and try to lose them in the terrain." Max makes sure his guild uniform and his team's are all in proper order, then continues on. He probably couldn't fight the raider, but maybe he could get them talking and delay them.

The skiffs approach as you move past the crowd. You can see there are four of them, with between three and five men on each. Some kind of net launcher is on the bow of the vessel but you can see there is no shortage of small arms on board

Max climbs out of the truck and waves to the skiffs. "Hey there. I've got some business in the Debtors colony. Can you tell me anything about the situation?"

Seeing the uniform of a guild ranker the skiffs slow and come to a halt. "wE are chasing runaways from guild service right now, and well, we have runaways. That should tell you a lot. Capital finally sent someone from the special services branch over eh?"

"Yeah. It's about time, but that's the higher ups for you. Any particular trouble spots I should give priority?"

"Woods just outside the old ore storage depots are crawling with rebels. We came out here to run down some of the workers that are running away too, drag em back and send em down to the mines"

"I've never been on a large scale capture mission. What's it like?" Max tries to keep them talking. Every second they're stopped helps the workers get away.

“A capture mission? Net guns. Bolas. Flop weapons when we can get our hands on them. If they’re dead or too hurt they can’t work”

"Yeah, I can see that making things more difficult. I heard there was some trouble down by the ship breaking yards. Do you know anything about that?"

(talk/cha)

(9)

"We think the Guild is losing control there. We lost contact with a few units that have gone in to try to maintain order"

"That's concerning. I suppose command will have to get together a force large enough to overwhelm their resistance." Interesting both the rebels and the and the guild had lost contact. That might be a bad sign. Having gotten the information he wanted Max continues the conversation trying to delay them as long as he could without drawing suspicion. (I figure roleplaying a time wasting conversation is a waste of both our time. If you want another Cha/Talk roll it's 11.)

(No that’s fine, that helps)

7:49 PM

You’re able to cost them about ten minutes in their pursuit of the escapees. It might be enough time for them to fade into the woods or hide.

As Max got back on the road he sent a quick note about the raiders to the rebels. He wished he's thought to do it before his diversion, but maybe it would still help. Having done what he could he pushed on toward the debtors colony.

Entering the colony feels like entering a warzone. There is a small detachment at the gates that looks to be recovering from being mobbed by the escapees. Two are dead and the rest are sporting some kind of physical injury from the pummeling.

(what do I know about my target, and can I find anything in the guild records about their coworkers?)

The target's name is Orikon, and his co workers are all reported as either missing in the fighting, or dead. There are several redacted portions of the file that obscure most of who he is, and what he has done in service of who.

Max pulls up to the guard detachment. "Afternoon soldiers, I'm here to meet with someone at the local guild offices." He pauses as a thought strikes him. "Of course given the situation he may be busy elsewhere right now. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find Orikon would you?" (edited)

Orikon, leading a team over by the cranes. All black ops stuff, last time we saw him was over there before he stepped off"

(I'm assuming I can tell where the cranes are or they pointed. Otherwise I'll ask for directions.) "Thank you. I'll start looking for him there then." Max heads for the cranes.

(You'd be able to see them)

8:50 AM

Heading through the streets you see signs that the violence in the city was sudden, not planned, and otherwise had caught the guild unawares. Handfuls of debtors not coordinating with each other saw other acts of resisting, and decided to do the same. Gradually, the entire settlement devolved into patches of control as each side tries to link up with others, and get organized. Neither has been successful, but the first to do it will no doubt be the ones standing over what's left of the city at the end of the day. Three guild soldiers stand at a street corner 30m from there, directing traffic as a few personnel carriers rumble by.

(Am I at the cranes now? or is this as I'm getting started?)

(This is as you’re getting close. Basically just wanted to highlight a crackdown is underway and the guild has heavier hardware than we thought they did )

(Ok thanks.) Max finds a place to park and approaches. "Hey there. I'm looking for Orikon, and I was told he was around here. Have you seen him?"

The traffic guards point to a state-car within the convoy, coming up soon as this line of tanks keeps moving. "he's leading this push himself from the front. You can find him there. Whats your name? I can radio and see if he's got room to talk"

Max gives his cover identity. "Thanks to all this chaos he may not know I'm coming, but I have some classified business to discus."

There is a halt called to the convoy and a door on the limo opens from the inside, evidently your meeting has been accepted

Thanking the soldiers for their assistance Max climbs into the vehicle. =

Orikon is an older man, and has the steel eyed look of someone who is used to running a well oiled machine. He also looks quite tired and his black body armor shows he has been in the middle of the action, though it is not clear who he is actually fighting for.

8:53 PM

"You caught me just in time" he says, reclining back in his couch with a wince.

Max looks around the cabin. "Good Afternoon. Are we secure here? What I have to discus is need to know."

"Secure here, yes. Out there..." he shrugs. "Work in progress. Tell me what you came to tell me"

"I'm here about your work with the rebels. I apologize for not using the normal channels, but there's some concern you may have been compromised and we didn't want to risk interception. Can you fill me in on what you've been doing since your last report?"

"I might be able to, yes. We're working on trying to corral them into the district here, to slowly encircle them. Our attempts at getting into the district have been half hearted so far, but I think the men were under supplied and lacked the proper motivation"

Max nods "And your communications with them?" (Since you have so many characters to keep track of I should probably remind you he needs to make a save before trying to deceive me. )

Censor’s Gaze (Level 9): An NPC in your presence who 
attempts to lie to you or deceive you must make 
a Mental saving throw before they can attempt to 
do so. Success makes them immune for the scene

(He's not trying to, hes a double agent and doest know what side you're on)

(That seemed likely, but it could have been that he was just a rebel agent and didn't know I was one too.)

(yeah, I guess he by intent is not trying to deceive you, since he thinks you are who you're pretending to be)

"Very good. What are your areas of greatest concern?"

“We lost control of the rail yard and cranes. We also haven’t had any contact with the dormitories there. It being on the border of the town we know that’s probably a pipeline for rebel activity now. We are moving to try to encircle them to control the flow of what’s coming in and out but we won’t be able to move in with our current numbers “

"what sort of forces do you think you'll need before you can move in, and what do you have available now?"

"A battalion and a half maintaining the cordon right now. All mechanized infantry, no real heavy armor or big guns to speak of anymore. Our depots were hit hard when things got hot here. I'd need at least 3 more battalion sized or greater elements to actually consider a push into the city. I don't know if we have the numbers locally anymore"

(Is this area around the railyard the same as the one around the shipbreaking yard?)

(the railyard takes the scrap away from the shipbreaking yard, to recycling furnaces in the south so they flow into one another if that makes sense) (edited)

(Perfect sense. I just wanted to check if I was dealing with one pocket of resistance or two. It sounded like one, but it hadn't been explicitly said.) "I'll have to see if I can shake loose some reinforcements. Speaking of the depots, what do you have left? I assume you've taken steps to secure the warehouses?" (edited)

"Its one of our few remaining strongpoints. We lose it, and everything in this half of the city collapses. "

Max nods "And your subordinates? Are they competent? Are there any who may not be one hundred percent loyal to the guild?"

"I'm not doubting their loyalty but their competence is another matter entirely. The south cordon's captain is a compulsive gambler and drinker, but he's a relative of one of the board members so we can't sack him. We thought putting him in a reserve unit might keep him out of the way, but here we are, bleeding through reservists and tertiary auxiliaries as fast as trained guild troopers.

"Please tell me he doesn't have seniority. He doesn't sound like someone we want taking over if something happens to you."

"Sadly, he does if something happens to me" The double agent says, sitting back in the chair of his staff car and rubbing his eyes.

9:20 AM

"I just want this to be over, one way or another. This is no way for anyone to live"

"The workers aren't going to let this be over unless they overthrow the guild. We may be able to suppress them here, but they've tasted freedom they aren't going to meekly obey anymore." Max tries to judge if Orikon is ready to truly be turned to the rebels side.

“I know. I’m trying to preserve life, but it’s…difficult. The guild is gone. The board I mean. They’re not coming back but I’ve got a duty to restore order. What happens to people like me when the rebel government takes over? They’re not going to forgive me, my men, anyone “

"Continuing to fight isn't going to make them any friendlier. I think the best path is to negotiate for peace and amnesty for most guild employees. Maybe even throw our weight behind a democratic government that will serve all the people of Phenmo. Rebuilding is one of the most delicate times for a revolution, having an organized security force would be an advantage. Would your men follow you?"

“If the terms included clemency for them, and for their families , I think they would. “

"I think it's a reasonable request. Although there may be some exceptions for more serious crimes. Can you arrange a meeting, or should I use my contacts?"

“I think I’m as high up the food chain as might get for now. If you know someone higher or better and can coordinate this, my men and I will abode by the decisions made”

"No, I can't think of anyone. Would you like to contact the rebels or should I?"

"If you have a way to do it, better you do. it's not going to look good for me if the call is mine "

"I know a frequency they should be listening on." Max takes out his compad to arrange a meeting. (If I can send a private text message I'll tell them Orikon was a guild plant, but that he's willing to negotiate a surrender of his forces in return for clemency and that I believe he's sincere. If I can't hide it from Orikon I'll stay in character and mention that he's a commander of local security forces.)

(You can conceal it /send it privately)

8:39 AM

The message is sent, and the return message is a request for a time and date of meetup, as well as place.

"They're letting us suggest the time and location. You know this area better. Is there a neutral area where both sides could feel safe from ambush?"

He thinks for a long moment. "There's a wide field south of the colony. They cleared it to strip mine the surface but the mineral concentration wasn't to the effect the Guild wanted. The trees have not grown back, the field is wide, and anyone approaching will be seen from a long way off.

"I think that would work. How soon can you be ready? The sooner we do this the fewer people die."

"Tomorrow, I need to relay orders to as many officers as I can reach. I assume you have resources to get the rebels to stand down as well? My men will defend themselves if any firefights continue"

"Tomorrow morning then? The rebels aren't all part of an organized group so I can't make any promises, but if you're willing to hold your advance I expect I can convince the main group outside your cordon not to attack until we've had a chance to negotiate. As for those inside, I guess I'll have to go talk to them." If Orikon has no objections Max will reply with the time and location, and ask for a cease fire.

(He wouldn't have an objection, I think both sides want this to end without further loss of life)

(That's what I thought, but I wanted to give the opportunity to interrupt if he did.)

He has no objections, and wants the fighting to end. With a time, place, and conditions the rebels want, he intends to comply and be there.

After setting up the meeting and arranging a cease fire, Max says farewell to Orikon and returns to his team to lead them into the conflict zone. Aware that they'd look like a guild squad, he keeps his eyes open for fabric to use for a white flag.

There is a broken pipe with some tattered white curtain on the end of it nearby. It is tattered and a bit dirty, but will work for your purposes.

Carrying the flag Max leads the way toward the shipbreaking yard, keeping a careful watch for anyone who looked likely to shoot at them anyway.

Nervous looking soldiers and civilians pass by or scurry into concealment as you approach. The guild soldiers aren’t sure about what to make for their “friends” surrendering and as you approach the barricades at the end of the street that separate guild lines from no man’s land, a squad of five soldiers seems to perk up and moves to block your path

(oops I guess I should have waited with the flag until I was entering rebel territory.) "Good afternoon soldiers, I've been sent to negotiate with the rebel workers. See if we can't wrap this up without more fighting."

“Negotiate or surrender. Your flag there says different” the squad Corporal growls. He is missing an eye and a finger , giving more to the cause than some.

"Ah, I suppose security forces don't usually need to know the fine points of protocol. It's a flag of truce. It just means I'm here talk instead of fight. Although what's often discussed is one side or the other surrendering, so I understand your confusion."

nodding, they move aside to let you out into no mans land where it sounds like some aspects of the fight are continuing. Small arms fire and occasionally a small explosion rock the streets.

Max thanks them and continues on trying to find an organized group of rebels to make contact with.

(survive/wis)

!roll 2d6+1

Max Davenport Roll: [6, 4] Result: 11

Using your tracking abilities you avoid or path around the sounds of active fighting. Explosions and gunfire begin to slacken off and you make your way to what looks to have once been a corner store, where you see a squad of rebels lounging outside, upon seeing you they tense up, many going for weapons despite the white flag, focusing instead on the security uniforms.

Max holds his hands out well away from his weapons. "Truce! I'm just here to talk. I was hoping you could escort me to talk with your higher ups? There's some negotiations I wanted to invite them to." (edited)

“Weapons? You’re in guild uniforms. Surely you understand why we can’t take you to our leadership as is”

"We're not working for the guild, but we've found the uniforms make it easier to get around out there. If You're willing to guaranty our safe passage we'll let you hold on to our weapons until we leave. I should warn you, I'm a yama king. If we make a deal I can make sure there are consequences for breaking it." (edited)

One of them looks to be willing to speak for the squad, coming forward with her hand outstretched, willing to make the deal for the rest of her kinsmen

Once the deal has been accepted Max hands over his weapons and instructs his team to do the same. (I won't use consecrated bargain unless it looks like somebody wants to break the deal.) "So, who should we be speaking with?"

"Rebel command, this area needed to be taken and they are close by. You really are trying to make peace with us and the guild? "

"I am. The guild government needs to fall, but we don't want to leave Phenmo in chaos. That means we need to get everyone working together."

The deal is struck (if you want to specify conditions we can put them in here, but in thee interest of time I'll move the scene) Weapons are taken, and you're escorted to the edge of the city where a large apartment building has been hardened against bombardment , and an entire platoon of rebel guards are keeping tabs on the block . Locals displaced by the fighting are getting fed and rudimentary medical treatment here, as the sounds of distant fighting begin to fall away as news of a possible truce spreads.

12:23 PM

Rebel leadership is on the roof right now, there are three in total , and they are looking with binoculars, giving orders and observations to assistants about the state of the neighborhoods they can observe from up here. Orders are relayed to other patrols or units as things come up, are discovered, or need confirmation.

(Doesn't need to be anything fancy. Just safe passage, and we get our stuff back when we leave.) Max waits for the leaders to be free then offers a handshake. "Good afternoon, I'm Max Davenport. I work for a polity with an interest in seeing the guild replaced. So I've been seeing what trouble I could cause. I've managed to arrange a meeting to discus the possible surrender of the local guild forces under Orikon. It's currently between him and the rebels outside the cordon, but I was hoping you would also attend."

“What are the terms of the meeting? And where? This bloodshed needs to end but you understand the lack of trust we share”

"The meeting is tomorrow morning at the failed strip mine to the south. We figured the long sight lines would help people feel more secure. I've also arranged something of a ceasefire until then. Although in a situation like this it's hard to make sure all the fighting stops. If you can hold off on any attacks, that would be a strong gesture of good will." "Negotiating terms is the purpose of the meeting, but I believe Orikon's priority is the safety of his troops and their families. ensuring they're not held responsible for the guilds behaviour."

"That's not up to me alone, we'll need to discuss, but we'll be at the meeting with a list of counter demands. Ending this now helps everyone. We will agree to attend"

"Yeah no one benefits from this war continuing. Do you want we to get you through the cordon, or would you prefer to do that yourself?"

"I think if there is a chance we can eliminate trigger fingers or misunderstandings we should try to take it. Are you willing to escort us out"

"Sure, my team should still be able to pass for guild troops, so if there's somewhere we can spend the night we can lead you out tomorrow." "On a more personal note. There were some off world spies being held at the ship breaking yard. Would you happen to know if they're still alive, and if so where I could find them?"

“We have rescued them. They’ve been smuggled to the woods south of the city to one of our medical camps. They were tortured badly and we’ve done what we can to stabilize them. I’ll give you the location and the corridor we used to get them out. We expected to be entirely encircled by tonight. The news you brought is a relief for us all “ (edited)

(I was moving my character sheet to the google doc, and that reminded me that I had been forgetting to add strain from medpaks. It looks like I've used three since arriving on Phenmo so another three strain is 11/12) (I've filled in my new sheet. The medpaks are in limbo because their encumbrance is 1 when they were 0 when I bought them and it would over encumber me. Also the websuit could be moved into the armour section at some point, but I'll likely stick with the storm armour so that's not a high priority.) (edited)

(I have to manually add the websuit which I will do for you, medpaks should be .33 each like the other med items are, i will double check on that as well.

(In that case the other meds are too light.)

(Our meds? Book meds? Can you elaborate )

(our meds. all the ones I've looked at are 0 encumbrance, except for medpaks which are 1 encumbrance and bundleable.)

(Thank you, I'll take a pass through it, they should be .33 and bundleable, in line with the core book. There may be one or two exceptions if something is defined as real bulky, like the LANCE, but we'll correct that all in future releases)

Nekosmash

“We have rescued them. They’ve been smuggled to the woods south of the city to one of our medical camps. They were tortured badly and we’ve done what we can to stabilize them. I’ll give you the location and the corridor we used to get them out. We expected to be entirely encircled by tonight. The news you brought is a relief for us all “ (edited)

"Thank you for looking after them. Our employers are on good terms, so I wanted to see if I could help. I'll see you tomorrow then." Max leads his team to find something to eat and a place to rest for the night. (I don't know if you want to rp that, but I'm ready to skip forward if you are.)

The rest is gained and the morning comes before long. The team makes ready to head to the meeting location and you heard little in the way of fighting overnight.

(That puts me at full health and 10/12 strain.) Max ensures he and his team are as clean and neatly dressed as possible given the circumstances, then goes to pick up the the rebel diplomat. "Good morning sir, are you ready to go?"

“Yes. We had word from the medical camp over the night. Traveling with some of your wounded will be difficult. You will need to put some thought into getting them home”

"Hm, will they need continuing medical treatment? Or is it just that they won't be able to walk? I may have something that can help with the latter." (by the way I don't think I've asked how many spies there are?)

(It’s not explicit as part of the assets description , I’d say between six and eight given the size of the organization you were trying to filigree

9:01 AM

*infiltrate

(So I may not be able to fit them all on the bat in one trip. I've only got seven passenger spaces including the one I'm using. I guess it still depends on what their medical needs are.)

(We'll call it six then so we're not worrying about this)

9:47 AM

"they're going to need medbay attention. Proper medicine, a doctor who knows more than first aid. They get that. and they'll be fine, but they need it"

"That will complicate things. I don't have a ~~medbay~~ doctor on my ship, so I'll have to see what I can arrange. Can you continue caring for them for now?" (edited)

(all ships have a basic one, the expanded medbay is the only real upgrade)

(If the default is good enough for all of them then I just need to find a doctor. I've adjusted my post accordingly.)

"We have limited ability to do so, but it might improve if the fighting stops and we won't have an influx of wounded coming in constantly."

"Well, that's what we're trying to accomplish." When the rebels are ready Max will start escorting them to the meeting. He makes sure to get his teams weapons back and to take the lead before approaching guild lines.

The guild is waiting and looks to be following the rules set out for this exchange. Your contact is waiting, and you see just a single bodyguard with him, though more are likely stationed nearby just in case.

8:19 AM

He gives a friendly wave hello, and otherwise looks to be waiting for you to begin proceedings.

Max makes introductions. "We're all here because we want to see an end to this fighting. For that to happen we need to find an agreement that will let he guild stand down." "Orikon, in the interest of honesty and trust there's something I need to be sure you know before we start. I am not with the guild, I'm an offworld agent. I am not neutral, but I am third party who hasn't under guild oppression." (edited)

"You're here fighting to keep us free and to bring peace to our planet. A third party is the only party that would have a hope of doing this without self interest. I wouldn't have known, your accent and everything is perfect"

"I have a talent for blending in. I suggest we take turns discussing what we want in the agreement?"

Both sides want peace- the guild presents their terms first

Immunity for guild personnel of all levels
At least half the seats on the transition government that forms after this
Full participation in society for all guild members
Off world relocation for any who desire it.

The rebels want

Criminal tribunals for senior guild officers
Probation periods ranging from 5-10 years for all guild members, with longer periods given to more senior (non criminally tried) officials
A simple majority of seats in the emergent government
Security guarantees for their planet
Erasure and destruction of all guild debt registers

(edited)

"It seems you're all fairly close in what you want but there are some requests that are in conflict. If I may make some recommendations for a compromise? I believe that a fresh start would be best for everyone. I suggest an immediate cancelation of all debts to the guild, and full immunity for all not management guild employees. Middle management would also be given immunity, but it could be revoked if an individual is convicted of a major crime within seven years. Vice presidents and above have had an opportunity to direct society, and so will be open to charges unless they make a separate agreement. Full participation in society for all inhabitants of Phenmo will be critical for the long term stability of the planet. I recommend the interim government be given a mandate to establish a democracy with universal unbiased freedoms and right to vote. Concerning the make up of the interim government, fifty percent of the seats seems high considering it was the Guild's abuse of power that lead to this situation. But the Guild does have the organized structures and resources needed to run a planet. I suggest that in return for exactly half of the seats, the guild bureaucracy and security forces will serve the new government and will assist in bringing any replacements up to speed. Any individuals who want to quit would of course be allowed to do so, forced labour is not a precedent we want to set. Unfortunately my employer's area of influence is some distance away, so what assistance we can offer is limited. The new government of Phenmo would have friends out there, and we could probably find someplace for peaceful refugees who've decided they'd rather not live on Phenmo anymore. But we have a number of responsibilities, and I can not promise ships or transport at this time."

(you put this together nicely, I think the only thing outstanding is who enforces the agreement , or how to conflicts between the power blocs get resolved without just going back to shooting each other)

(consecrated bargain costs one strain per npc bound, not per agreement correct?)

Consecrated Bargain (Level 4): When you make a deal 
with an NPC, you may accept a point of System 
Strain to charge the bargain with magical force. 
The NPC is aware of this if you do so, as well as the 
consequences of breaking the deal. If either you or 
the NPC break the agreement or violate its goodfaith intent, this ability ends and the counterparty 
becomes instantly aware of the violation and its 
context and may optionally immediately inflict 
1d8 hit points of damage on the culprit per hit die 
or character level of the offended party.

(That was my understanding of it, yes)

"I don't have personal experience with them, but the Exchange of Light has resumed operations in this sector. They've agreed to arbitrate disputes for several treaties and I expect they'd be willing to do the same here. For a more short term solution I do have some Yama King abilities of my own. If each side can find someone to ensure the agreement is followed, then I can bind them to the deal. If they break it, then they'll face a most likely lethal backlash. Unfortunately I only have the strength for two."

"If you'll accept me, and the rebel commander there" Your corporate contact says after a deep breath, " I think we can deal with you until the Exchange of Light can be contacted and has time to send operatives here

"It's not up to me. The question is are you acceptable to each other? I'm thinking the deal would be that you each agree to do everything in your power to ensure the peace agreement is honoured, and in return I will enforce this deal with the other guarantors. If you have any suggestions for something better please let me know."

After a long moment of silence, it seems like they can both decide to agree to work together now, for the safety and security of their world and all the people living on it from both sides.

With the agreement made and the guarantors chosen Max binds them to the deal. (2 strain 12/12) "Well, now it's official. Phenmo has a new government. We just need to get everyone to recognize it now."

2

(up to you what we'd like to do there, )

(I think at this point Max will defer to the new government. Making himself available if there's anywhere he can help. If they're looking for advice for what to do after they stop the fighting here, then I'd think they should probably publicize the peace agreement and try to get other groups to join while preparing for attacks by guild fanatics. If there isn't anything else urgent I'll see about getting the spies out.)

(I think we can probably handle getting the spies out while news of the peace agreement spreads, since it will probably take a couple days to circulate to the most distant outposts. You fundamentally changed the fabric of the world here, 9xp, 500,000 credits)

3

Retrieving his truck Max heads to the medical camp to find out first hand what the spies will need.

The spies still need just to be transported to your ship where its medbay can take over for the rest of their care. Their condition has not statistically changed overnight to the best of your medical knowledge

(will they need a doctor to look after them? I have -1 in heal, and I assume my crew is the same.)

(the medbay would have someone attached to it with 0)

3:01 PM

(they're going to need help though)

(so the challenge is to get them to the ship? And possibly to find someone to look after them until It's time to leave?)

(Not really a challenge here honestly, you've got the truck, there is no fighting and the ship is here , recovering the spies at this point is more or less mopping up)

8:21 AM

(honestly , I think our next big challenge comes from working out any issues between the emergent government and the people, or if we decide to leave, whatever conditions are present in the next place we go)

(Ah, ok. I had thought that since this counts as a mission for Aiya-tech I would encounter more trouble. I think we're on the same page now.) (I want to make sure things don't break down after I leave, so I'll stay until it looks like the new government can handle things on it's own. The trip will also be safer if the space forces aren't hostile.) Having confirmed that they're stable enough to be moved, and that the Bat's limited facilities would be sufficient, Max has the agents loaded onto the truck. He calls ahead to let his crew know to be ready to surface.

The Bat surfaces, and begns making its way to your position to get the wounded out, now that the major fighting here is over and that the planet is a safer place.

If any of the agents are conscious Max chats with them as he drives to the shuttle, filling them in on what's been happening since they left. Having made sure the government knows how to contact him if he can be of help, he plans to spend his time waiting for the call helping in the medbay and recovering from the strain of his work. (If nothing comes up I'll spend eight days resting to clear system strain.)

(I think those eight days would pass without issue, since things are still being formed and there's a good amount of political goodwill with everyone not wanting to fight anymore, so I'll cut forward to the end of that time when our first issue comes up)

8:40 AM

A report is passed into your office on The Bat on the ninth day, sealed in red tape, literally, and brought in by both a guild officer, and one of the civilians that was a leader in the labor movement, both of them expecting to be seated on the new government. "We've got an issue we need help with, we tried to fix this ourselves but you seem to be the only person capable of doing anything about this. We've also got one more minor report to give you, and you can decide what to tackle first"

"Sure I'll see what I can do. What's the situation?"

"vigilante justice within the debtors colony. Guild security officers and some other low ranking members of the former power structure have been found dead. They've been found murdered, even though the crime scene investigations have not been completed yet- but all of them show signs of severe torture before death. We think there is some kind of vigilante group trying to strike back outside the peace terms, and many of the guild officers are threatening to take up arms again if nothing is done about this. They were promised safety, and they're not getting it"

"I can see why that needs to be dealt with immediately. And Ideally we want them alive for trial, so both sides can see we want justice. Give me the case file, and I'll look into it. I don't suppose there's any witnesses?"

"Just people who found the bodies. No one else has come forward, though these all happened in predominantly worker neighborhoods, so if anyone saw the guild getting some 'justice' , they probably wouldn't have called"

"Disappointing but not unexpected. Are there any other patterns or peculiarities to the murders?"

"They were all shot in the back of the head, execution style. The burn pattern indicates some kind of homemade suppressor being used. The victim was also bound by the wrists and ankles to prevent their escape from the "trial" , but they were not tortured from what we can tell. A few had injuries from their abduction, but not after"

"Hmm, what about the victims? Does it look random, or are they picking their targets somehow? Any sign they were worse than usual for guild troops?"

“No one higher but I don’t think they could touch anyone higher. The only thing they all have in common are they were all guild troops responsible for local security (edited)

"Alright. I think the first step is for me to go check out the most resent crime scene. If anyone else goes missing please call me immediately."

They promise that they will, and they have vehicles available if you do not wish to take The Bat

Max decides to borrow a vehicle. It would be a bit awkward trying to get around the city in the shuttle. Loading his gear he heads for the crime scene. (I'm leaving my stingray and 2 medpacks. And taking a flop riffle and 5 line shunts)

(Ground car enough space? )

(sure. I'll be able to call for a pick up if i capture too many suspects for the car right? Also can I get some zip ties, hand cuffs, or rope?)

(rope is available, and yes we could call for pickup if needed)

(I've added it to my sheet. I think I'm ready now.)

Heading into the city , it looks as though the site is closeby once you enter the south entryway of the settled area. Three blocks in, and a quick left has you approaching the crime scene outside an abandoned propaganda theater. Two other patrol cars have been parked here, and the area has been cordoned off.

Max approaches and introduces himself to the cops on the scene. "Good morning officers. I'm Max Davenport. I've been asked to look into these murders."

"Max, welcome to the scene. We'll be close by if you have questions but it's probably better if you take a look at the crime scene for yourself and draw your own conclusions. We can discuss after you've had the time to investigate that you need" (edited)

"That's probably a good idea, make sure I'm looking at it from a fresh perspective." Max looks over the scene trying to get an overview, and to see if there were any places where a witness was likely.

(notice/wis)

!roll 2d6+2+1

Max Davenport Roll: [5, 3] Result: 11

Approaching the crime scene you see this one matches the reports. Bound hands and feet, a single gunshot to the back of the head with the angle indicating the victim was on their knees , with the shooter looking down at their victim from behind. The victim was also blindfolded and it looks like someone did them the courtesy of closing their eyes, and placing a small talisman in their hands as a form of respect for the dead. You're unsure if it was placed here after or if this was the work of the person that killed the victim.

10:50 AM

It also looks like the body was dumped here, and they were not killed on site, as you do not find any blood, gore, shell casings, or laser burns. (edited)

(Does it look like this site was chosen because it was a convenient place to dump/hide the body, or to send a message?) Max tries to trace how the body was brought in, looking for drag marks or the like.

(I dont think we as Max know enough about the neighborhood to settle on either of those options for sure)

12:00 PM

(Objectively, it looks convenient)

(that's about what I wanted to know. They're not sitting the victim on the steps the propaganda theatre or something like that.)

(Nothing so overt where it would stick out to you)

1

Max takes pictures of the talisman, before putting on gloves and carefully picking it up to examine. (A note for this scene. I have Pan-spectral optics, and will be making sure to pay attention to things outside the normal visual range.)

(Nothing anomalous here in the alley as far as hidden signals or heat that is out of place, though one thing would be that the body is still cooling, so the killing would have been done within the last few hours, not days)

Bringing it over to the officers, Max shows them the talisman. "My knowledge of local customs is limited. Someone placed this in the victims hands, can you tell me anything about it?"

"This is a totem of Veronica, she was one of the first labor leaders. The Guild killed her for trying to organize, but sometimes when people died, people placed images of her likeness on the body. It was believed she would light the way to an afterlife where there was no more toil. More of a local well wish, than anything else. Maybe one of the folks who did this is a bit sympathetic. "

"I take it this is a common practice? It won't be much help narrowing down suspects then. Still every little bit helps. You should probably have a forensics lab take a look at it for prints or other evidence."

"It is falling out of favor, only a couple groups of miners were using this close the time of Liberation. We didn't need a savior anymore when it looked like we might be able to do this ourselves. "

"In that case I should pay them a visit to see if they know anything. Do we know when the victim was last seen alive?"

"Coming home from his shift. He would have passed by this way on his way home from work"

"Was it similar for the other victims? and how large an area have the crimes covered?"

"Almost the same fact pattern, and over the same five kilometer area within the town limits here"

"So it's probably locals. Do any of those mining groups you mentioned have a presence in the area?"

“L6 might be on the area still. They were working in the more dangerous parts of the mines , where gas leaks or water were more prevalent. They were the ones with the most privileges but also got the worst of it from the supervisors “

"I could see that causing some resentment. Can you get me contact info for some of them?"

"Doesn't work like that, but we know they had tried to set up a union hall in the basement of the fire department here. Might be able to try to get entry somehow, but they're going to be suspicious."

(Is this area covered by ECM? and if not would I be able to pick up some sleeper drones with observation and stealth fittings?)

(No ECM in the city anymore, the resistance would have taken that out so drones could go up)

(would I be able to get some surveillance drones in a reasonable amount of time? Ideally I'd want something like 4 sleeper drones with observation suite, expert system, grav muffles, and holoskin fittings. But I assume custom work will take time so I'd have to make do with whatever guild surplus I can get a hold of.)

(lets get a connect/cha to try to find some)

!roll 2d6 +2+1

Max Davenport Roll: [3, 2] Result: 8

You're unable to find enough drones, and the ones you find only happen to have the expert system and observation suites attached. The drones used to belong to prospecting task groups, and did not need to be hidden, sicne there was nothing illegal or covert about looking for new seams of minerals.

Thanking the officers for their help, and getting the address of the firehall, Max begins planning his approach. His first step is calling a local contact he thought could get him some drones. (How many drones could I get? and are they Sleepers or just Stalker drones? Base price or is there a premium given the circumstances?)

(they are stalkers, we were able to get 2, and they are just on loan )

(I'm assuming it's ok if I pick up 10 power cells for spare run time?) With the drones and some spares power cells in the car, Max heads to the fire station to scout it. Parking a short distance away he takes the appearance of a generic local and proceeds on foot.

(I would say so, probably can roll that into your connect roll to find supplies)

(Thanks. I figured they'd be pretty ubiquitous. On to the firehall.)

The firehall is in a centrally located area when you look at the map of the neighborhood as a whole. The large cement pad has three fire engines outside of it, being watched by interim government security personnel, and the firefighters themselves look to be going through the process of changing out some parts now that the war has ended the danger on the supply lines.

8:19 AM

There is a side entry down to the fire hall basement. You do not see anyone outside right now, and the cement steps disappear into an awning, you cannot see what is at the bottom from your position on the street.

(I'm trying to make sure this is all done legally and by the book. Are there any rules yet about needing search warrants or anything like that?)

(There’s nothing official in any of the books. It’s largely left up to the individual worlds and I don’t think there’s been enough elapsed time since the truce for them to reform the justice code )

1

Finding a out of the way spot Max runs a squiggle spotter (ghost tech) down the stairs, and tries to get a view into the basement.

You can see you have worked your way through a window of some kind and it looks like about ten people are having a meal here, speaking together in low voices and otherwise are enjyoing one anothers company. The wooden floor looks to be made from reclaimed boards and there are items associated with the profession of prospecting and mining hung up on the walls, along with a massive memorial to all those lost in the quest for mineral wealth.

Not seeing any immediate threat, Max returns to the car to resume his normal appearance and set up the drones to wait by opposite corners of the hall and send him photos of anyone leaving. Once his preparations are complete he goes to knock on the basement door.

You do not see anyone leave, and your knock has the man you saw cooking a little bit ago opening the door. His apron is grease stained but he has had the good sense to leave any cooking utensil that might be mistaken for a weapon to be over at his station. "Yes?" He asks, moving to block as much of the doorway as possible with his body.

"Good afternoon, is this the L6 mining group? My name is Max Davenport, and I've been asked to look into some recent killings that are threatening the peace. I'm hoping you can provide some assistance."

"Davenport? Who are you with?" he asks, trying to give the appearance of swelling to take up more of the door frame.

"I was asked to look into this by the new government, but I work for a third party from offworld. I was here seeing what trouble I could cause the guild. With the new situation I just want to make sure you get started off on the right foot." Max tries to judge if he's trying to hide something specific, or if he maintains privacy out of habit.

"I see. Murder in the neighborhood eh? Seems like that might be a bit of trouble. What led you here, if I might ask. My friends and I, we don't have such a good relationship with cops and whatnot, as you know. You can understand why they're a bit jumpy. "

"Guild enforcement weren't that interested in justice were they. I intend to find whoever actually did this and bring them in for trial. One of the victims was found with a totem of Veronica. I'm told yours is the closest group that still observes the practice. It's a thin lead but I need to ask if any of your members know anything."

You're invited to come inside and interview the locals, none of them bother running, and none of them look to be especially troubled by your being here.

Max addresses the miners. "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. A number of former guild employees have been killed in this area. This is understandably increasing tension, and if not dealt with may cause a resumption of hostilities. The most recent victim was found at the propaganda theatre. Do you know anything that might help my investigation? For instance were you in the area? Or have you heard someone expressing discontent with the peace agreement?"

"We all live in the neighborhood, and our hall is here. We were in the area, but we had nothing to do with it, I can assure you" the cook says, seeming to take the role of spokesperson for the others within the hall. For their part, they seem only too happy to allow him to do it.

Max scans the group looking for the tiny nods and other small signs of agreement, or their lack. "Of course, but perhaps you've seen something. It may not have seemed suspicious at the time."

(notice.wis)

! roll 2d6+2+1

1:48 PM

!roll 2d6+2+1

Max Davenport Roll: [6, 3] Result: 12

1

(I'm guessing this isn't lit up to show I've rolled.)

(No it didn’t )

4:57 PM

One man at the rear table is subtly reaching for something concealed in his thigh. His movements demonstrate enormous micro control over his limbs. You almost missed it.

Max strides over to the man. His voice remains friendly, but his hand drops near his stun baton. "You look like you have something to share. Was there something you wanted to show me?"

There is a clatter of something small hitting the floor as he drops the small holdout pistol, his sweaty grip fumbling the weapon. Carbon burning around the barrel that has not been clean shows it has been used recently.

"Interesting. Our victim was killed with a laser. Do you think this is the murder weapon?" Max slips on a glove as he picks up the gun.

The man says nothing. He continues looking straight ahead and not at you, doing his best to remain stoned faced and otherwise uncooperative.

"Alright, so that's how you want to play this. I'd ask where you were at the time of the murder, but I think we both know the answer." "Unfortunately your lack of cooperation means I'm going to have to investigate all your friends. It would be easier on them if you told me what happened."

“What if I tell you what I know. Then you’d leave them alone right? They didn’t have anything to do with it”

6:57 AM

He looks nervous and his eyes continually dart toward the fallen weapon, waiting to see what you will do.

"I'm just after the truth. I'm not going to pry into anyone's lives if I don't have a reason."

"I didn't do it, but I was there that night. Didn't want to kill anyone. Wasn't supposed to be like this"

4:23 PM

He looks down into his drink, becoming morose and looking almost rooted to the spot.

"I understand, things can get out of hand sometimes. Why don't you tell me what was supposed to happen? And then what did happen.

"This was supposed to be about getting revenge just on the worst of them. The rapists, the ones who beat us, the ones who intentionally starved us or were happy about the cruel things they did to the guild workers here. We were only slaves. We were paid a wage,but never enough, we all owed the company far more than we made, and when things changed we punished only the worst of them. Then, it spiraled. Anyone associated with the guild who wasn't a worker. File clerks, labor leaders they put into place over us. Anyone who had even suspected ties to the guild. "

"That's why we need the rule of law. To set limits. To ensure justice does not become revenge. And to protect the weak from strong. Who else was involved with this?"

He shakes his head no, and his hands are doing all they can to keep his entire body from shaking. "They'll come after me if I say anymore. i've already said too much"

"Alright then. You're under arrest" Max growls. He ties the man's hands, and reads him the few rights prisoners have been granted. He turns to the other miners. "I just have a few routine questions for each of you and I think I'm done here. Is there a room I can use for private interviews?"

"Would the kitchen be okay? " The cook asks, turning off the soup that was boiling. "Don't want to make you do this in the utility closet or something"

"That'll work. I just need a bit of privacy to make sure you don't accidentally influence each other's answers." One by one Max brings the miners into the kitchen to interview them. He asks them what they know about who the suspect has been in contact with, where they've been hanging out, or if they mentioned anyone who might be involved. He also makes sure to ask if they know anything else about the crimes. (I expect this'll take more than an hour, so I'll have to land the drones at some point.)

They don’t seem to know much other than it’s an open secret some extrajudicial murders of guild persons were happening. they didn’t realize that one of those responsible was in their midst. They knew their fellow was involved with some of the more hard line union elements through a connection with his brother but that is all

Max gets what info they have on the brother and thanks them for their cooperation. He then retrieves his drones and escorts his prisoner to the car, not making an effort to be gentle. His manor changes when they're both inside. "I'm sorry about the rough treatment, but I thought you would prefer if there were rumors the cops were mad at you." "Look, if you help me catch these murders me can make sure they can't hurt you. Innocents are being killed. These folks are becoming what you were fighting against. I need to find them before they strike again."

"Alright, if I help you, I want to get taken off world. Can you agree to that?"

"I don't have the authority to make that deal, but if you haven't killed anyone I expect it can be arranged in exchange for your full cooperation. It may take a bit of time to arrange transport, but we can keep you under guard until then." (This is probably a good time to ask how many of the people from the flyer crash decided they want to get off world. I'll need to know how many people I need to find a ship for.)

(Three from them) (edited)

Max drives his prisoner to the nearest security station and begins calling his contacts trying to arrange the deal. (Sorry for the late post. I was under the impression personal treads were paused during the group mission, and by the time I realized they weren't I was out of the habit.)

(only some were, the UNW folks were all the middle of a couple critical missions, and for a few others who had been involved in something for a VERY long time, I let them keep going so we could finish a story or two)

7:46 AM

(but by in large everyone has paused)

7:46 AM

The deal looks to be arranged, as they would like to bring the matter to a swift end without further turmoil within the city.

(Ah so I wasn't mistaken. I'll wait until I'm finished with the Chimerans then. Thanks.)

(Sounds good max, we can pick up here now, we arranged a deal with the security station and those who knew about the murders)

(Alright. Do you want to roleplay the interrogation and/or the arrests? or do the locals have that covered?)

(I think the locals probably have this covered, especially given its been so long since we were here, I think I've slipped on the situation a bit)

1

With the investigation finished Max starts working on fulfilling his promises to get people off world. He could just send the Bat back to pick them up, but the required travel time was not ideal. Thinking to use local resources he started looking for a ship he could hire to take four passengers to Greystar space.

The fall of the Guild has rendered local shipbuilding an impossibility, as the resources needed were funneled into the planet cracker project, and all the infrastructure for that is many sectors away right now.

With no option for local transport Max checks with his future passengers that they'll be ok for the month and a half needed to get the ship back for a second trip. (Are there any loose threads that need to be tied up before I leave?)

(I think we got all the big ones out of the way for the moment, you've been here for a long time)

9:23 AM

(6xp, 10,000 credits)

1

!roll 10d6+0 ! Hit Point Roll

Max Davenport Roll: [6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 2, 1] Result: 47 Reason: Hit Point Roll

4

(That brings me to level ten. I kind of forgot it was coming up so it took me a bit of time to decide what to do.)

**Level Up**
Level:10
Focus: Ghost Tech 2
Old HP:34
HP Roll: 47
New HP: 47
New Skills: Talk-3 4sp(1 from bank)
Current AB: 5

2

(no worries! Did you have any ideas for GSC space proper now that we're back?)

(I'll send the Bat back to pick up the rest of the people I need to get off Phenmo. If I can I'll send a couple of security folks along to keep the peace if needed. And I was thinking about swapping out my tagger nanites for a body arsenal disguised with the feint cyberware. If you have an implant removed do you get back the strain?) (If you're asking about a mission, I'll want something that will let me help out with the Drago situation when the time comes. Maybe if there's any exploring to do on Acastus? I do have a new flyer to try out.)

(If it’s removed you get the strain back. We do have plenty of exploring on Acastus and we can explore through the rift too

(we had an anomaly just discovered in south eastern part of Acastus!)

(Then if I can I'll have my cyberware swapped out. And that seem like a useful thing to explore.) (Did I get downtime on the trip back? I believe it's a 19 day trip?)

(This was the prompt neko: https://discord.com/channels/345912178072879106/705419270518997015/961647056408154173)

)we haven’t been awarding downtime for the trip back due to all the weird timeline stuff I had to do to get people ther r)

(I was thinking the trip back from Phenmo, but that's fine It's worth it to be able to jump between missions like I did. Also I was looking at the "feint" cyberware and noticed the book says cyberware is cheaper on polycrome. Should I be using the list price or bumping it up 10x? It's not listed in the polity special rules section of our rules.) (A note for the record. I've paid my ships maintenance and crew costs up to the end of Y6M5.) (edited)

(oh back from PMg is fine, 19 looks right, the feint is something you unlocked as GSC, and you should be using the list price. I'm a one man band as far as rules, not everything is up to date yet. I'm still slowy working through it)

(It's amazing that you can keep a place this big running at all. I just mentioned it in case it had been missed rather than being something you hadn't gotten to yet. I've got a list of things I'd like to pick up. Is this all ok?)

1x Light Nezhit drone $48,250 (1*48,250)
10x Anti-Tox $1,000 (10*100)
10x Medpak $1,000 (10*100)
1x Null $60 (1*60)
20x Anti-Rad $3,000 (20*150)
1x Radpak $50 (1*50)
1x Crackerjack $60 (1*60)
1x Native Antitoxin(Acastus) $50 (1*50)
5x Poisionous Bait(Acastus) $250 (5*50)
1x Argus Web $500 (1*500)
3x Binder Satchel $150 (3*50)
1x Biomass Generator $500 (1*500)
2x Comm Server $2,000 (2*1,000)
2xFloater Ruck $4,000 (2*2,000)
10x instapanel $500 (10*50)
5x Patch Putty $250 (5*50)
1x Perimeter Alarm $250 (1*250)
1x Porterbot $2,000 (1*2,000)
10x Power Cell Type A $100 (10*10)
5x Power Cell Type B $500 (5*100)
10x Rations $50 (10*5)
4x Thermal Flares $20 (4*5)
5x Demo Charge $1,250 (5*250)
1x Shear Rifle $600 (1*600)
1x Stingray MER $800 (1*800)

Body Arsenal $10,000
"Feint Cyberware Signature $5,000

Total $82,190

(Edit to add: I'll keep putting the downtime into program. Bringing me to 57/90) (edited)

(my goal this week now that life is slowing down is to get some more rulebook stuff done. The map was our most recent big project. All the purchases look good, you've got enough face for the couple things that need it)

(I moved cargo from the Bat to the Venture, and I loaded most of the shopping list onto my flyer. I assume it's less than six tonnes. Also I noticed that with -1 program I can't actually pilot a drone. but it's got an expert system so maybe that would help?) After recovering from his surgery Max takes his new exploration vehicle on a shakedown cruise to investigate an anomaly in the south east of Acastus. (Unless I find something of interest first, I'd like to fly out and land as close to the border of the dead zone as I can while making sure not to enter it.)

(We'd need at least the program 0, expert system just makes issuing orders that werent pre-programmed not take additional actions)

7:49 AM

(the program level is a hard requirement to prevent easy drone swarm access)

(yeah that's understandable. Guess I'll just have it on hand for when I finish the downtime training.)

(did you have a starting hex in mind?)

(No, I don't know exactly where the anomaly is so I can't plan a route. But I'd probably start at Ash City and fly straight toward it.)

(That works for me, lets get a D10 then as we set off)

!roll d10

Max Davenport Roll: [5] Result: 5

Heading southeast from Acastus you pass over the volcano fields where an old pre-Still Lady resistance had once kept weapons and ancient power armors. Most have been recovered and returned to the museum, though there are rumors of some deeper vaults where the original explorers felt they were not well equipped enough to enter.

His world had had a troubled past, but working with Greystar Max intended to make the future better. All these old weapons caches would need to be cleared out someday, but that wasn't todays mission.

8:19 PM

!roll d10 !Another d10 if you need it for the next hex.

Max Davenport Roll: [5] Result: 5 Reason: Another d10 if you need it for the next hex.

(Thanks!)

8:11 AM

Continuing on this southeast path you clear the ruins of the treetop rebel hideout Micaela cleared out a few months ago when they were a new Confederation agent. It looks like there is still a security and minor psionic investigative presence here, along with a distress beacon transmitting.

Receiving the distress signal Max changes coarse to investigate. If someone needed help he had to check it out. The dead zone had been there for long enough it probably wasn't time critical.

On the ground you can see smoke coming from the cathederal and what looks to be flashes of weapons fire on the ground. Greystar personnel have dug in behind a line of vehicles, and look to be taking fire from the trees.

Max tries to make radio contact with the team on the ground. "This is Agent Davenport, I'm on route to provide support. What is the situation?" (I don't know if I can because I don't have a gunner, but would I be able to hover in front of the Greystar lines and strafe the treeline with suppressing fire from my railgun?)

(We would need a gunner for each weapon on board, or one gunner for three guns if we have a targeting board)

(That's what I figured, but I wasn't sure if I could have it temporarily pilot linked. I'll have to finish contacting the ground team, and maybe they can provide gunners.)

"Cultists in the woods! At least thirty muzzle flashes. We're being encircled!" the panicked voice on the ground says. A few cursory shots are sent into the sky but miss your vehicle by a wide margin.

(Does it look like there's more than eight people in the greystar team?)

(There are about ten you can see outside, you're not sure if there are more in the structures or not on your first fly over here)

(Either way that's more than I can carry. So evac is off the table for plan A.) "When will they get the hint. Their goddess is dead." "I have heavy weapons, but will require gunners. Can you supply them?" Max brings the flyer in for a landing as close to the vehicles as he can manage. (edited)

(How many gunners do you need? )

(One for the railgun, and a second could run the anti-vehicle laser but that's less of an upgrade over a riffle.) (edited)

(do we want one then?)

(I'll take two if I can get them. But I need one if I'm going to have the flyer fighting and mobile.)

Two of the outnumbered patrol begin to make their way to the flyer as you set down. The crew door pops open and breathlessly they half tumble inside, grateful to have some shelter from the incoming small arms fire.

"Strap in. Things may get a little rough." Max waves them toward the gunners stations, and once they're ready lifts off. (Can I use the advanced sensors to find and highlight the highest concentration of cultists? I'm not sure if that's within their capabilities.)

(I’ll take a look at the fitting and get back to you. I should be at a computer this afternoon)

(Thanks. If it helps here's the text for the fitting.)

Advanced Sensors
Conventional vehicle sensors are limited. Standard TL4 packages include planetary GPS, headlights, and 500-km range 
radar in air vehicles. Particularly advanced worlds might 
have basic collision radar even on ground vehicles, but such 
luxuries are uncommon on the former worlds of the frontier.
An advanced sensor package adds a number of benefits. 
Full night-vision viewscreens are provided to the driver and 
passengers, along with multifrequency sensor arrays that 
allow a basic view of the terrain even through smoke, fog, 
or standing water. Unstealthed aircraft can be detected in 
a 1,000-km radius, and any attempt to penetrate stealth 
measures gains a +1 bonus to the skill roll.
The sensors can pick up and decrypt any standard civilian-grade radio transmissions and are compatible with military comms, if the necessary codes are provided. When 
stationary, the vehicle’s sensors can throw up a security 
perimeter that can alert connected commpads of any movement within 200 meters of the vehicle, provided no hard cover 
or stealth tech intervenes

(It sounds like a terrain radar not really anything with heat vision, at least as part of what the scanner does. If you have pan spectral optics you'd just have to rely on your own sight)

(I do have that. Do you want me to roll notice, or go straight into the attack?)

(If you've got them, you'd see them picked out pretty starkly, maybe a talk/cha to try to talk the gunners on to what you see that they can't?) (edited)

!roll 2d6+3+1 !talk/cha

Max Davenport Roll: [5, 3] Result: 12 Reason: talk/cha

2

Max lines the flyer up on the heaviest concentration of enemies. "Cultists at twelve o'clock. Begin suppressive fire."

11:52 AM

!roll 3d8/2 !railgun supress damage evasion to avoid. 18/20 ammo left

Max Davenport Roll: [7, 6, 2] Result: 7 Reason: railgun supress damage evasion to avoid. 18/20 ammo left

!roll 1d20+3 !Laser attack. NPC roll at +3 correct?

Max Davenport Roll: [20] Result: 23 Reason: Laser attack. NPC roll at +3 correct?

!roll 3d10*2 !laser damage on crit

Max Davenport Roll: [8, 6, 4] Result: 36 Reason: laser damage on crit

(NPC's are at +3, vehicle speed still applies but if you're hovering we don't need to worry about it since you're static)

(I forgot about speed. It's my first time fighting in a vehicle. Saying we were hovering makes sense, though with a nat twenty it probably doesn't matter. 36 damage, looks like whoever they were shooting at may have been vaporized.)

The treeline begins to explode as heavy weapons fire chews into the woods. You see three of the attackers go down and the smoke combined with the shade of the mushroom trees obscure their retreat even from your enhanced vision.

(Is that all the cultist running?) Max circles the scene looking for any enemies who are staying to fight.

(Yes. Some dead. The rest running)

6:28 AM

(They’re not going to stick around after that )

(Thanks, I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page.) Max lands and goes looking the the expedition leader. "Looks like they're bugging out. Do you think this was an attack of opportunity, or did they have some objective here?"

"This was a recently cleared stronghold of theirs, maybe they wanted their home back" one of the troopers turned gunner offers

"That makes sense. We'll need to make sure they don't come back after I leave. How's the investigation going? Should we call for reinforcements, or just blow this place up then leave?"

"We're still cataloguing some of what has been found here to get names and ID on those involved with the cult so we can match them up to surviving records in the city. Some of this is hard to do, there aren't many records left"

1

2:18 PM

The trooper is not sure if reinforcements are permitted or not. Your arrival has placed you as the person on the scene in charge.

"How long do you expect it will take to finish?" (And do I have the authority/are troops available to call for reinforcements?)

(you have the authority, Acastus has tens of thousands of national guard, you could get anything down here you want)

"I have another mission I'm working on, so if it'll be more than a few hours I'll call in a team with some heavy weapons to provide support. I'll also suggest sending out a patrol to track down the cultists and take them out if possible."

(it would depend on how big of a unit we're sending. More soldiers means more time getting organized)

(Could I have a 5-10 man squad with a couple heavy machine guns sent out quickly to reinforce the guard, while a larger force assembles to go hunting the cultists? I'd probably leave the composition up to the npcs since as a player I don't feel like leading the search. Something that could find the cultists, but tough enough to survive running into a defended camp.)

(No that is fine, what you're asking could be done in an hour or so , with the larger group taking probably half a day to assemble)

(Sounds good. That reminds me, can I also arrange for them to bring out some ammo to reload the railgun and a couple gunners for the flyer? I'm not sure if I can do that without henchkeeper.) (edited)

(We can have trhem do that, so you're waiting for the first relief/resupply squad and then heading out again?)

(Yep, that's my plan. Max will help out with any little things he can while he's there, making sure someone is always in the flyer to man the gun and make sure cultists don't sneak into it. Then he'll move on when the heavy weapons team is in place.)

(lead/cha)

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Roll: [4, 1] Result: 6 Request: [2d6+0+1]

Twenty minutes sees a ship scrambled from Acastus with fifteen soldiers on board, two of them designated as gunners for your own gunship, and with them they come with reloads for the heavy weapons you used to scatter the cultists. A larger battalion is mobilizing in Ash City now, and is expected to be here within the next twelve hours.

With the defenders reinforced and the search team being assembled Max resumes his journey toward the dead zone.

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Roll: [6] Result: 6 Reason: Another d10? Request: [1d10]

Entering the next region you are just two hexes before the dead zone, and come to a place where the mushroom trees are exceptionally tall. This is an area that was never surveyed, either by the Plutocracy, or the regime of the Still Lady that came after. Biosigns proliferate the woods below, none of them human. Human boots may have never touched this part of the forest.

Max flies over the forest. There was still so much to do, even on the capital.

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Roll: [2] Result: 2 Reason: Onward Request: [1d10]

(one more after this and we're into the meat of it all) Ahead, you can see the largest mossgrubber nest you have ever seen.

Max made a note to mention this in his mission report. He was no biologist, but the nest's unusual size could indicate something about the mineral resources in the area. And even if not the scientists might be interested just in the animal's behavior.

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Roll: [9] Result: 9 Reason: Last one Request: [1d10]

There is a large storm ahead, one that seems to move far slower than other storms do on Acastus, but it does seem natural. Some sort of supercell storm is developing over the site where explorers had previously found the dead zone.

A storm was not going to make this easier, but if the dead zone had anything to do with it's formation then waiting for it to blow over might not be an option. Not wanting to risk flying near the anomaly in high winds Max brought the vehicle down for a ground approach. (I'd like to stop as close to the edge as I can without entering the dead zone.)

(sounds good, yeah the storm is over the dead zone right now, its not a permanent fixture based on the past scouting reports, since it was not here then, but for right now, it is present and is something to deal with while we explore)

(That's what I figured, but Max can't know that there isn't some subtle effect promoting it's formation. Besides ooc hiding out waiting for it to pass is boring, so unless it's stupid to go on I'll just deal with the storm. Do you want to write a description of the area? or should I just start taking my action?)

(I'll describe now, I just wanted to get that out of the way first)

Calling the area a dead zone is not one of the flowery titles explorers will sometimes give a region of a world. The tall mushroom trees here are skeletons of their former selves, dried and dying monoliths standing here for years. They look simultaneously like they will shrug off any storm, and like a strong wind will collapse them into dust. You see no evidence of animals or insects here not that there are many known types on Acastus to begin with. Things seem to get more dead about 2 kilometers from here toward the center of the zone where the longest stretch of death and desiccation is localized. You see no rot despite all the dead matter before you, instead it looks like whatever has died has been exposed to the drying effects of intense heat. A generation or more of exposure has been inflicted to the region over the course of just a few years.

Max looks over the devastation. This was more than signal interference, something here was definitely dangerous. Popping an anti-rad pill he starts his preparations to enter the zone. He sets up one of his comm servers to relay if he could get any signal through, then uses a survey scanner (Gost tech) to take readings and samples from the outside.

From here, you can get signal back to Ash City, Greytown, Marmora, and the Star Hab, but nothing seems to get through the dead zone here.

Once the pill has had time to take effect Max calls back to base to give them a preliminary report, and let them know he's heading in. "I've placed a relay just outside the anomaly and will maintain contact as long as possible." He begins driving forward.

(know/int)

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Roll: [5, 5] Result: 10 Request: [2d6+0]

You remember reading late one night, skimming through Greystar archives since they did originate with the former Perimeter Agency. This looks to be the decay pattern caused by star poison. Normally fired at a star, it is unclear how it ended up on the planet, where it came from, or why it is leaking now after all this time.

(Do I know anything else about star poison? Hazards, containment, recommended means of destruction, etc. And can I retcon giving my crew anti-rad as well? I forgot about them when I was making the post.)

(We haven’t quite entered the zone so we can take it now. We only know what I mentioned based on that existing know roll)

Max radios in his findings. "The damage pattern appears consistent with star poison. Requesting all available information on hazards and containment." Once he receives the reply he continues toward the centre. (I understand there may not be any more data, but it makes sense to ask.) (edited)

The request is going to take a few hours for Greystar researchers to find and compile into something useful, for now the decision to wait, or proceed, looks to be firmly on your shoulders.

(Let's go with the stupid, but more interesting option. and hope I don't run into any instadeath hazards.) Messaging back with his plan to begin investigating and return for he download, Max drives into the dead zone. He keeps a link open to his relay as long as possible, watching how the signal drops off.

(notice/wis)

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Request: [2d6+3] Roll: [6, 5] Result: 14

2

You notice the ground is beginning to change color around you, and ever so slightly, the small pebbles and stones in the area are beginning to float.

"Curious", Max starts comparing the scanner readings to the baseline he collected earlier. Climbing out of the flier he pokes one of the pebbles to see how it reacts before feeding it into the analyser.

It seems to be free of the laws of gravity. Around you, the natural order seems to be breaking down in small degrees

Max gets back in the driver's seat and resumes moving, trying to keep their speed up as mush as practical. It didn't seem like a good idea to stay in here any longer than necessary. (edited)

a metal contact at the center of the zone begins to register, and you can see it is about the size of one of the torpedoes a ship might carry into war. Closer and closer to the torpedo, you see larger stones beginning to float, and more of the natural order breaking down.

Max checks his armour's seals and that his argus web is recording, then goes to examine the torpedo.

The seals are holding, and the web is recording. Two things are known. The first is, based on where it landed, it came from the rift. The second, is that the icons on its flanks are Draconian in nature. You recognize the programming language on other captured examples of bots and technology.

4

Draco!, Firing star poison out of the rift. This wasn't good. Max looked to see if he could tell how long it had been here, and whether it was operating as intended.

It has been here for about a month, operating much slower than intended, but it looks to be on one of its final activation stages now. Within the next few days if this is not disarmed, or disposed of somehow, Acastus will be torn apart as the natural order breaks down.

4

(how much cargo tonnage would the torpedo take? and is there any sign moving it would be a bad idea?)

(I can try to approximate an answer, its 1 mass point on a starship basing it off the rules for ammo reloads, but the amount of cargo space that is depends on the ship. Moving it won't make things worse from what we can tell)

(So too big for most vehicles, but it should fit in a free merchant's cargo hold.) Max establishes an encrypted link back to base, leaving the affected area if needed. "This is Agent Davenport at the south eastern anomaly. I am declaring an emergency. There is a Draconian planet killer ready to enter terminal phase within days. I need an engineering team out here now to disarm it. I'm also requesting a work team to prepare a landing zone in case removal by starship becomes the bet option. Has the star poison research turned up anything?"

(Your assessment is correct)

12:14 PM

(I'll get you the actual writeup now since enough time has passed)

12:19 PM

A poisoned star immediately changes color, though the sur- viving records seem unable to describe the precise hue that the star assumes. Within hours afterwards, ordinary physical laws begin to degrade under the influence of the changed light. The effects are relatively subtle at first, with odd coinci- dences, strange material behavior, and increasing amounts of variation within physical processes. Within several months, human life becomes virtually impossi- ble under the star’s light, as basic physical laws can no longer be maintained without advanced pretech shielding. Gravity fails, light ceases to behave in predictable ways, even time itself collapsing or elongating in inexplicable fashion. A few years later the star collapses in on itself, leaving behind a stellar system melted and twisted into unrecognizable ruin. Some theorists hypothesize that a sufficiently well-shielded ship could reach an active star poison drone and destroy it before it can complete the catalytic process. Others wonder if the light emitted by a poisoned star might not have its own hazardous effects on other systems it eventually reaches. And all would note that the original documents indicate that the remaining eleven warheads were confiscated by the Man- date’s Bureau of Harmony for purposes that were never publicly revealed.

Once the teams have been arranged Max radios the crew of his free merchant the Owl, and orders them to check they have a set of grav handles, load up all the explosives they can quickly get their hands on, and to be ready to fly out to his position as soon as a landing site can be readied. He then begins scouting for the best place to prepare a landing zone. (If there's any cost let me know. Money is no object for this mission.)

(The Owl looks to have been overwritten in the ship registry, so I figured I'd repost it here so we don't have to search back through the shipyard thread. Sorry about the double post, I couldn't see how to attach it in an edit.)

(will get this updated in the ship builder. )

1

(I need to finish adding the new ships. It;s my least favorite job and I've been putting it off)

7:53 AM

(what was your plan for the explosives?)

(Blowing up the torpedo if we get it safely away from the planet or it looks like it's about to go off. It's now a very high priority, I've already got 5 demo charges.) (edited)

(Are you flying the Owl, or are you going to be on the ground? )

(I don't want to leave here till the torpedo's been dealt with. So I'll stay on the ground while the crew fly out. But once they're here I'll fly solo unless some of them volunteer for what could be a suicide mission.)

(Right, I was going to have you roll that pilot/int for extracting the torpedo body and getting it skyward if you're going to be in Owl once its here)

(Sure. I hadn't thought we'd gotten that far, but ok.)

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Request: [2d6+0+0] Roll: [5, 1] Result: 6 Reason: Please don't crash with the planet killer.

(should I use my last reroll for this, or is there something more critical I should save it for?)

(We'd need one)

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Request: [2d6] Roll: [3, 2] Result: 5 Reason: reroll

1

(That's not better. I've got two plot points if there's anything I can use them for too keep this from being a disaster. like getting the actual pilot to have volunteered?) (edited)

(sure we can use one of them for that, I just wanted this in place first and now I can write something)

1:36 PM

All resources the Confederation has on Acastus have come to help remove the warhead containing the star poison. Explosives are packed, experts begin surveying the scene with drones to try to map the rise and fall of the ground. For its part, the torpedo seems like a syringe, not an explosive payload but the revisor for the pretech maltech inside. The longer it remains tied into the ground, the more the time altering technology has time to permeate into the soil. The preliminary surveys suggest even once the torpedo is removed, this region will remain a dead and strange place. The Owl is one of the last pieces of heavy equipment to come onto the scene and you are at the controls along with a co-pilot. From the ground, winches and cables are slowly fastened around the device by a legion of workers in silver reflective rad suits. No one is sure if this is going to be enough to stop whatever is happening here in the ground, but some protection is better than nothing and these brave men and women all understand they might be sacrificing it all for their home. There is a bang as one of the cables snaps, just barely avoiding striking the hull of the torpedo before the ground team re-sets the winch. There is a deep breath among everyone on board the Owl.

(Since we're using a winch I assume it's too big for the grav handles, but would it be possible to use them to lighten the load?)

(I'll find out. I don't remember what grav handles do, can you tell me what book you're seeing them in because I'm not finding them in core) (edited)

Grav Handles: These sophisticated cargo handling tools are too 
expensive to justify their use in most loading docks, but when large, 
heavy objects need to be maneuvered without the help of heavy 
equipment, grav handles prove invaluable. Each handle requires 
a type B power cell and will operate for up to one hour on the 
charge. While attached to an object, the item will rise up one meter 
above the ground, and can be pulled or pushed by means of the 
grav handle. The maximum rate of motion of such an object is sixty 
meters per round. The grav field created by the handle supports 
even fragile objects that are lifted, but the entire item must be a 
whole- a statue, a crate, or a tightly-wrapped bundle rather than a 
mere pile of detritus

(Can you tell me what book they're in, for my own reference?)

(skyward steel)

(The handles would make it lighter on the winch but we would still need to use the winch, if that answers your question)

"Take over and keep her steady. I'll see if I can make things a bit easier." Passing the ship to his co-pilot Max heads to the equipment locker to grab the grav handles and a rope. Lowering down the lifting gear he talks the ground team through setting it up on the torpedo. (If a roll is needed can I argue for talk or fix/cha to guide them to the best placement?)

(I think we can do that MAx, that's a great idea)

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Request: [2d6+4] Roll: [4, 1] Result: 9 Reason: Talk/cha subtract 2 if you wanted fix instead.

(I did want fix/cha since thats what was pitched)

5:20 PM

You are able to talk your pilot on, and the handles are fixed almost where you exactly wanted them. In terms of making this lighter, it still has the desired effect.

(I guess you missed it, but I did suggest both because I wasn't sure I could get away with Talk. when you didn't specify I went with the better roll. This is high stakes, and my skills are not suited to it. So I'm trying for any advantage I can manage.) Max makes a final check that everything is in order, then calls up to the cockpit. "Alright, Let's try this again. You're the better pilot, so you fly and I'll keep an eye on things down here."

(I guess I did)

7:00 AM

The pilot begins winching the warhead out slowly and carefully. It looks to be going more easily based on the assistance of the grav handles. There is a groan as the warhead shifts into its side and every scanner in the cockpit begins chiming

(Can I use Notice/wis to see which winches to use to right it?)

(sure!)

"Wait, it's getting unbalanced. Retract winches two and four."

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Request: [2d6+2+1] Roll: [1, 1] Result: 5 Reason: Notice/wis

(looks like Dice Maiden wants Acastus destroyed. I'm not sure I want to commit to it yet, but could I spend my last plot point to sacrifice Max and save the planet?)

5

1

(Yes I think we can write something up for that, kind of like a end of Dark knight rises kind of thing, except actually dead)

"It's fighting us, we're not going to get it into the hold. Just go! Get us clear of the planet." Max struggled to keep the weapon steady as the Owl crawled into space. It was working, but not well enough. The torpedo wouldn't quit trying to get back to Acastus, there was no way they'd get it to the edge of the system before it broke free. And blowing it up, if they could manage it, might leave a cloud of who knows what floating around ready to cause disaster. Draco really had them cornered. Wait... "Set course for the rift. We're going to make that overgrown calculator take back it's little present." As they flew Max recorded a last message to send his comrades, hoping they'd left the interference behind with the contaminated ground. (edited)

3

Heading through the rift you see that the owl is struggling on the other side. You see the Greystar FOB below and you have further to go. The rift does not allow anything with a spike drive to get far and half the distance to Draco’s platinum mountain the engines give out. Gliding now under the force of gravity , the mountain looms closer and closer as the Owl and its payload soar through the sky. The first of the anti aircraft Guns in the mountain begin to fire , scattering metal fragments and shards of burning debris across the sky before you. They cannot hurt you for the moment. That will change soon. “Sticks are dead!“ the co pilot shouts as they try to regain control. “I get nothing from engineering. Power is out! hydraulics are out! Control surfaces aren’t responding!”

(Should I try a fix/int or are we already going to hit Draco's base?)

(The rift itself does not let spike ships much past the fob, its why exploration has been done via ground vehicles. We're past the point of no return)

(Oh yeah sure. I was just asking if this was rolling to get a bullseye, or roleplaying crashing. Sounds like it's the latter.) "Not much more we can do. Get to the lifepod. It's a slim chance but better then nothing." (To be clear I'm not expecting to survive. But maybe I'll get my corpse out, I've got some nice loot.)

Someone has to man the controls. You can hear the co pilot shouting it over the sound of alarms and alerts. Someone has to keep the sticks level, someone has to fight the failing hydraulics for just a few more meters of glide. More antiaircraft fire blossoms skyward and something whip cracks through the ship as a large piece of hull plating falls away. The lifeboats look to have just enough power to launch, though there is no telling if they will land here, or will head to the other side of the rift. The mountain is all you can see before you, along with a deep shaft leading into the heart of the facility that Eisheru and Evan had explored just two months ago.

8:37 PM

You think you've got just enough in this old girl to get you there.

8:37 PM

(pilot/dex)

Alexander Munroe | Rusty (Max D)

used /roll

Max Davenport Request: [2d6+0] Roll: [3, 1] Result: 4 Reason: Come on dice, let me go out with style.

5

3

You won't make it to the lifeboat in time. Not if you want to hit the target. Death was the most likely scenario upon entering the rift with this payload. It is a death so that tens of millions may live, and may go on to become hundreds of millions. You are preserving not just Acastus, but the heart of Greystar society, and in this there is nobility. There is just enough time for a prayer to whichever deities or natural forces you serve, before the ship slams into the vent with its horrific payload. The mountain begins to unravel as the forces of time and space collapse around it. Nothing inside survives the tide of nuclear fire, entropy waves, compressed time, and particle bombardments that follow. War bots in their neat deployment hangars are reduced to ruin. Transport ships with their experimental drive technology are gutted by ravenous fires. Labs full of horrific new ways to kill organic life are destroyed as rampaging time-waves age the equipment beyond use, back to their most basic materials. The phylactery of Draco himself is annihilated as the mountain begins to compress and collapse into a voidout around it. From the Greystar fob, a double halo of black rainbows are seen in the sky before a hundred kilometer tall mushroom cloud rises above the zone. Most of those looking at it are blinded, and will be for life as no surgery or augmentation will be able to make up for the damage done by the maltech device. The mountain collapses into an ultra dense ball of platinum slag, compressed many times beyond what the laws of nature should allow before blinking out of existence. Half a lifeboat slowly drifts out of the rift toward Greystar space, carrying only a personal message from Agent Max Davenport, his last address to the citizens and friends of the Greystar Confederation, the organization he sacrificed himself to defend.

18

14

12

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Eisheru, et al. pinned a message to this channel. 9/13/2022 10:39 PM