Iron Stars - maxim

Maxim Kammerer is one of the chief scouts in the CBSS. His duties have changed recently from exploring worlds for hidden bands of terrorists and political deviants to something more like true exploration. The polity has spike drives thanks to generous help from their galactic allies. The polity has standing, and has recently proven their military worth. Things are improving for the common working man and internal problems are slowly being resolved in sustainable ways. The workers' paradise seems closer than it has ever before in the history of man and we begin to look outward at the worlds around the polity- ready to explore and spread the revolution to all. A modest apartment on Pelasgon is where Maxim spends most of his time lately, but there is a knock on his door before a yellow envelope marked with the seal of the Chairman's office is slid under the door. There is no use trying to catch the courier. By time you get up from your chair they'll have teleported away already.

Maxim continues to stare into the night for a moment, until he chugs down the rest of his weekly alcohol ration. Rubbing a recently aquired scar, he gets up, taking a deep breath before picking up the envelope. He returns to his small desk, inspecting the yellow parchment, before pulling out his trusty knife and opening it, taking out what ever is inside. Giving the flickering lamp on his table a smack with his bare hand he begins to read…

Scout Kammerer.

The chairman wishes to speak with you at once about an important assignment on behalf of our glorious Communist Brotherhood of Stellar States. The details are mostly confidential but it is safe to tell you that you will be the first to bring the flag of workers revolution to new frontiers. Inside this envelope is a small comm tracker. Press the activation button if you accept. A car will be sent for you.

He gets up, stretches, rubbing against his temple, before entering the small bathroom. Inside he rubs cold water in his face, before realizing he needs to shave. Putting on his fine civil clothes and stuffing what little personal belongings he has in his sea sack, he takes a final deep breath before pressing the button.

It begins to flash. Looking out the window you can see a small town car appears at the end of the block and turns. CBSS flags are strung above each headlight and the vehicle is painted the military olive and brown that most vehicles on this world are painted. It pulls up to the building and its engine shuts off, the driver seems content to wait

Maxim closes the door to his apartment, looking around the hall, before approaching the elevator. He whistles an old workers song whilst waiting, his eyes checking the doors he walked past so many times. Startled by the ring of the elevator, he quickly picks up his stuff and presses the button for the ground floor. Upon arrival he approaches the porter, handing him the keys: "I will leave for a while" Stepping out in the night he takes a moment to close his eyes and inhale the cold air of the city, tasting the familiar scents of the distant factories and listening to the steady hum of the buildings power generator, before abruptly spinning on his heal and approaching the car. He opens the backdoor, enters the vehicle, nodding a short greeting towards the driver.

'You're expected. The chairman himself wants to speak with you. We're going to be heading right for the Chairman's residence. You'll be searched for weapons before going in, but otherwise you'll be having a meal with the Polity Boss. "

Maxim lays down his cloth wrapped rifle and his knife. "Lets go then"

The vehicle makes its way through the city streets and into the government district where the buildings are cleaner, more advanced, and more heavily guarded. A pair of suit mechs salute as the car pulls up to a black metal gate that is opening, and the large estate at the top of a hill is the destination. More guards patrol, and a pair of fighters flies overhead on a training pass over the city. Chairman Yuri Oktobreskya, Hero of the Revolution and Hero of the People is outside this impressive center of government smoking a large cigar. It looks comically small in his mechanical arm- an industrial replacement for a war wound he has refused to change even decades later. He smiles warmly as the car approaches and comes to a stop.

Maxim gets out of the car and salutes "Chief Scout Kammerer reports back! It is an honour to meet you chairman Oktobreskya" (edited)

“And an honor to meet you. Please come inside and walk with me. You’re someone I trust with an assignment , should you choose to make the polity proud and take it” He pushes a hand into the doors and the wood frames swing open. You enter a reception room where a polity flag stands on each side of the doorway leading deeper into the building

23:30

Two more power armored guards stand here

Maxim follows him, handing his posetions to the guards (or to whom ever else responsible for that) „Your words honor me and I hope to return the favor by serving the polity to the best of my abilities“

(the guards are fine) "The first thing I need to ask you is are you comfortable operating alone on a world we don't know much of anything about?"

"I am a scout, it is my job to operate on low recon. It wont be a problem"

"We've got only very basic information on the planet Canach. It's geography is strange, freak even, and it's been overlooked as a place where the CBSS could settle for some time. We were hoping you would be able to take a look into the planet, try to determine if anyone lives there, and what the local dangers are. If it is safe for CBSS settlement, pioneer crews would begin settling there on your recommendation. So much of our efforts have been focused on the areas to the south of us, that we would be remiss to let one of the other polities establish a foothold into a system with a direct spike route to our capital"

"I will need a passage, otherwise I am ready to go. You mentioned freak geography, what conditions do I have to expect?"

He makes a few gestures on his compad, and a system report appears on yours with the only known information about the world.

14:52

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/canach-location?preview=true

Canach

14:53

"If we had more than this, we would not need to send scouts. I am sure you understand"

He nods "A varied landscape, I will adjust my equipment accordingly." (edited)

"If there is a such thing on a world like that" he chuckles while leading you into the dining room. The food is simple, thick bread, heavy sausages with fried onions and cabbage. Vodka and water are of course abundant enough and you cannot help but marvel at the clarity of both beverages. "'Please sit. It would be my pleasure to serve you" The table is set just for the two of you with ample room for large plates and glasses without bumping into one another. As he begins selecting the best portions of the meal to put onto your plate he breaks the growing silence with another question. "Operating alone will not be a problem for you? Most of our military is deployed across several fronts to the south. Peacekeeping on Al-Thynnian, training and indoctrination on Vari, reconstruction and colonization efforts on Sanjaru, and prosecution of rebels on Vadhat. We just do not have the manpower to send soldiers everywhere they are needed right now"

"No, It wont be, I have done it in the past. Since the scans have shown no signs of life, I would assume that what ever might cross my way there wont require a battalion." Maxim takes the plate and sits down, waiting for the chairman to do the same "Which leads me to another question: How will I get there? The usual way wont work, since it isnt on any trade route" (edited)

"There are no trade routes anymore" the chairman laughs "there haven't been for some time. We have a shuttle that will be dropping you off, and will remain in orbit to watch over you in the event you need to make a hasty exit"

"Very good! You mentioned the rebel prosecution on Vadhat, how is it going? A good friend of mine was send there, but due to the comm blockade I havent heard anything from him in Months"

"I was unaware of a blockade. My office will need to look into that. Things are proceeding well, but not well enough where we can scale back the soldiers deployed there. It is my hope by the mid point of the coming year we can think about finally bringing most of them home"

"Ah, Im glad to hear that, takes some worrying of my back!" Maxim pours a drink "You said no trad routes anymore. Where there better ones or did something happen?"

"Ah youve really been cut off for some time, haven't you. We're still figuring out things with the Exchange of Light, and the lack of currency, but we're rebounding. Things you don't need to worry about. You asked about transport, and we have a shuttle to get you there"

"Yeah, the newsoutlets where really bad on that world. Excuse my questions, its force of habit"

He begins to sit down and eat. "It is not a problem. If we are going to be sending you out somewhere you need to have accurate information for your journey"

„Most of the times it’s the small details that Safe your Life between stars“

He nods, and conversation continues about several small matters as the dinner draws on. As the final course is served things swing back around to the operation about to unfold. "Return here in the mroning, the shuttle will be waiting. "

"I will"

He doesn't seem to have anything else to say, and you're shown out after a bit more small talk and some time to let dinner digest. (if you wanted to do anything before leaving the planet, we can do so now)

(No, no I’m good (although I would like to check the equipment before departing)

(alright, lets get that organized first and we'll head out after that. You might be able to pick up a couple things from the book for 25 credits)

(I have this sealed vacc suit, I would assume it works for most conditions?)

(yes)

(And is there anything that is onboard the shuttle (like ropes and camping equipment)?)

20:55

(Otherwise I would go out and buy that)

(the shuttle has a locker on it with most basic adventuring gear, but you're going to be limited by your readied/stowed amounts of gear as far as what you're carrying into the field)

(Yep, I was really just thinking about the basic stuff you would take to even a casual hike)

20:58

(Otherwise a small axe and climbing gear sound useful)

(added a pressure tent, survival kit, climbing harness and survey scanner taken from the shuttle locker to your sheet. We're at about all we're going to be able to carry without over burdening you)

(Ok, that’s exactly the things I would have bought otherwise, so I’m ready to depart)

(we have a handout n ear the top of roll20 with what can be done in the downtime when traveling. We have 2 days in space traveling from Pelasgon to Canach)

(I assume you can begin learning a skill and do so for the next few travels?)

(Check the handout, it explains everything you can do and not assuming is the whole point it was written. Once you know what you want to spend the time on, and once you know, let me know, and we'll continue) (edited)

(will do)

Maxim will (provided there is one) read through a nature/ survival guide, to learn how to survive in the wilderness If there is no such book onboard, he will disassemble and reassemble his weapon to clean it and to learn more about its internal workings to learn how to better calibrate it.

(would that be fix then?)

(Yes)

21:59

(The sheet is translated for me and it’s way off in that case)

Original message was deleted or could not be loaded.

Pinned a message.

23:58

(got it) As the ship enters the system, you get another copy of the system report. With no clear orders other than "explore" , the pilots are willing to set you down wherever you want on the surface of the world.

Since it is the most recognizable landmark and only visible sign of intelligent life, maxim decides to land by the monument of the nine gods

There are only eight statues here now. The rest of the monument has 20m tall statues depicting psychic warriors of a sort. All are human and all are in defensive poses looking out in each of the cardinal directions from this spot. The central figure is the one that is missing , which we now know was the mechanical body the current headmaster of the psychic academy resides in

Maxim will look around, inspecting the area and searching for any traces of past life or possible danger

(notice/wis)

(4)

You dont see evidence of people or large creatures that would consider you food in the immediate area. To the north is the freak ice covered desert, before an actual ice field gives way to grassy mountains and a lush forest. The rocks here are all perfect cubes, geometrically perfect once; wind and rain have since done some of the work of erosion

Maxim starts walking towards the ice desert, inspecting the cubic rocks on the fly, trying to find any evidence of forgein influence on them

(what is Forgein?)

(Foreign, had a typo)

You see nothing but the wind and the rain having acted on the blocks. You're not gifted with psionic senses, so if there is MES or magic at play here, you cannot be sure. A trio of birds circle in the distance over some clearing amid the trees, They caw loudly, complaining about whatever might be down there.

THis being the first sign of life he sees, Maxim decides to carefully approach the clearing

There is a buzzing in the air. It is low at first like a background hum but the closer you get to where they are circling it grows in intensity. The hair on your arm perks up, and it begins to sound more like background electricity, a downed wire, or the crackle of a radio left partly tuned in another room. It makes your teeth feel fuzzy and you are instinctively on edge

Grinding his teeth, Maxim approaches weapon readied, using the trees as cover

The trees are leafy and broad and somehow snow covered despite the temperature going up. The buzzing intensifies and one of the large birds lands in the path 10m from you, cawing loudly at your approach. Its mouth is full of razor like teeth

Maxim raises his weapon, preparing to take the shot

The bird is unaware of what you are doing and continues hissing

Maxim quickly checks his surroundings to see how many of these birds there are

There are still three in the area. Two are circling and one is on the ground hissing at you

Seeing there are no more, maxim marches forward, his gun pointed at the crow, ready to fire at the smallest of movements.

It’s wings open wide as you continue approaching it, trying to look bigger than it is

How far away is the hum?

The hum is about 250m away through some thick trees by your best guess.

Maxim circles around the bird, keeping a close eye on him, trying to get closer to the humming

As you cross through the woods you come to the source. Something like a rock spire has been embedded in the ground here. Its made out of some kind of quartz for the base. Carvings run down its front and sides. Suspended in the air above it is some sort of diamond shaped crystal. It gently spins, the method by which it remains aloft seems to be the source of the buzzing and general unease you feel walking through this strange environment.

Maxim will take a close look around to see if there are any other animals to be aware of. Then he will approach the strange machine, looking for anything odd around the base of the crystal, before inspecting the writings. Circling around he try’s to find an explanation for how the strange machine might work

The bird that had landed to hiss at you has rejoined the other two circling overhead, bringing their formation back to the three it was when you spotted them originally. They circle the object, 15,m off the ground, content to glide on thermals and winds

(Is this all life maxim has witnessed? (Apart from plants) including things like birds singing or the buzzing of bugs)

(So far this is all the life we have seen)

Maxim draws upon his limited knowledge about ecosystems and is even more confused by the planet Figuring these pylons might have to do something with it, he walks up to it trying to read the text

The text is written in a language that isn’t seen in the iron sectors. It’s brutish and savage looking with blocky sweeps and geometric shapes.

maxim touches the crystal

(mental save)

(Fail (9))

Energy cascades up your arm, sucking the energy out of all the electronics and power cells you are carrying on your body. You feel yourself growing several degrees colder as the last of the energy this pylon needs to activate is taken from you personally. The crystal stops spinning and smashes into the base like a hammer, splintering it and sending the shard spinning into the ground to bury themselves like seeds. The ground begins to rumble and your legs feel like jelly with the vibrations, but your body is still yours to command

Maxim curses, jumping a few steps back

23:00

He tries to get a safe distance between him and the pylon before checking on his gear

The landscape blooms with more snow and ice. The crystals have burrowed and begun forming something like a structure out of where they had fallen in the ground. Your electronics are entirely dead. Your power cells are drained. Any weapons needing power cells on you are also now flashing red with an angry “empty” symbol

01:50

"Shit, Shit, Shit" he checks all his gear again. Realising it really is dead, he sits down in the snow. Before long he starts inspecting it to see if there is any difference to natural one. Afterwards he gets up again, flapping his arms to get warm again and seeks for the entrance to the structure. (edited)

There is no difference to natural snow. It is actual snow. There is a doorframe leading inside, but no door to block your passage

Out of options maxim heads inside

16:25

The empty doorway leads to room 1, where a hallway runs to the west. This room is largely featureless but is a bit warmer than the outside. Smooth ice forms the walls and ceiling, forming a glittering coat of frost as it captures natural sunlight from the outside

Maxim will advance further, but not without inspecting the room first

(which one do we want to head into)

Original message was deleted or could not be loaded.

Pinned a message.

(2) (edited)

Heading into the junction between 2,3, and 4 you can see iron doors with latches for handles block off vision into 2 and 3. To the east in 4, there is also a door keeping the hallway separated from the front of the facility. Flickering blue light spills from under the door threshold coming out of 2, though you cannot see the source. From 3, the room is dark. You likewise have no indication of what might be inside

Maxim trys to pull on the latches to open the door

There is a gentle rasp of metal on metal. It opens to reveal four pillars each in the corners of the room. Carvings of psychic warriors from the past are set into them, each holding a lantern while the other hand is outstretched in a fighting pose. The lanterns are all off currently, and consist of glass and metal cages with an open top for ventilation

(does Maxim have a way to light them up?)

22:56

(Like what type of fuel/ignition do the lamps need?)

(The survival kit would have some tinder in it )

Maxim takes it out and trys his best to light the lanterns

(Doo i have to imagine it like the ice palace from frozen or more like an ice/crystal covered structure?)

(It’s an ice/crystal covered structure. I’ve never seen frozen so I don’t have a frame of reference for that)

Nekosmash

(It’s an ice/crystal covered structure. I’ve never seen frozen so I don’t have a frame of reference for that)

(ok so its not a structure made of crystals/ice but rather an existing thing that is covered?)

(Correct)

(any chance to guess what the underlying structure is?)

Tinder from your survival kit lights the lanterns in this room. The structure rumbles slightly in response and a seal in the middle of the room once flush with the floor puffs up gently by a blast of air from underneath

16:13

(you've been in one featureless room and only spent a few minutes in the second, so i dont see how you'd have anything remotely close to enough information)

Nekosmash

(you've been in one featureless room and only spent a few minutes in the second, so i dont see how you'd have anything remotely close to enough information)

(Yeah I meant more like: If maxim would investigate the place, would he have a chance to find it out or is the coverage to thick?)

Nekosmash

Tinder from your survival kit lights the lanterns in this room. The structure rumbles slightly in response and a seal in the middle of the room once flush with the floor puffs up gently by a blast of air from underneath

Maxim walks over and first gently pushes the seal before trying to lift it up

(After a time you could probably have an idea of things yes ) The stone seal moves aside to reveal a winding staircase that goes deep into the ground. It has been buried here for some time and the flagstones are also covered in frost.

(Could i take one of the lanterns? or is there enough light?)

(There is enough light)

Maxim carefully walks down the stairs

The stairs turn from ice to just stone once you have moved 20m below ground. The floor evens out to a vault door that opens. Steam and mist pours out from the opening seal as it gently swings open. images of more psychic warriors are carved into the walls. They twist and twirl through the air, firing blasts of energy or healing wounded foes. What they are fighting has been rubbed off on the carvings by age. They seem formless and twisted

Maxim enters the vault further, inspecting the carvings after making sure there is no danger

(notice/wis)

(10)

You do not detect any traps down here. The puzzle above seemed to be the only defense. The room you enter (not on the map) is large with a vaulted ceiling. Shelved line the walls of the room and they seem to be overloaded almost to the point of collapse with books

Maxim walks over and try’s to find a book in a language he understands (edited)

They’re all written in mandate common which is something you speak. Histories of the psionic Warriors of this world seems to be the subject of most of them, as well as the battles they fought against the planet’s metaspace twisted inhabitants

Maxim tries to find those that tell him more about the inhabitants of the planet and the reason the warriors left

Hours pass down in this archive and the natural light from above becomes pale and blue as night arrives outside. This world was once a place where the veil between the natural world and metaspace was thin. It was overrun with something once called "shadows" , spirits of the unquiet dead who could be bound by powerful mages. This arcane war between mages and psionics went on for decades. The logs end right before The Scream, where both mage and psionic alike would have been reduced to a mindless feral. The events of The Healing later on would have put those insane once-people to a restful end.

Since he has no better place to sleep for the night maxim sets up camp in the archive

(d10 for anything during the night)

(10)

You are awoken from your sleep with the sounds of something shifting and stirring in the lantern room above where you descended into this underground library

Maxim takes his knife and slings the useless rifle over the shoulder, before he sneaks up there

(sneak/dex)

(5)

The shard wolf, made from ice with sickles in place of fur growls as it senses you coming up the stairs. You can see it, 10m away at the top of the spiral, growling down at you. Its eyes are an ice blue and you can see its jagged fur in the darkness behind it backlit by the moon

Maxim backs off , trying to deescalate whilst drawing his knife

The creature continues watching , unsure of what you are doing

Covering the blade of the knife behind his arm he stretches out his hand „I don’t want to do you any harm“

The creature likewise seems like it doesn’t plan to go underground to attack you and this is just an unlucky meeting in the night

Maxim backs off, hiding a little in the archive before going to sleep again

The creature has little interest in fighting since you’ve become aware of it and the fight is now far more dangerous for both of you. It backs off and looks for easier prey elsewhere back outside

Finishing his night maxim gets up in the morning and walks up the stairs looking if the beast has left

The only evidence of the beast's passing is some claw marks on the flagstones above, but otherwise it seems to have found other things to eat during the night and has no need to trouble you

Maxim sighs in relief and takes a bite out of a nutrition bar, before stepping out in the hallway again. Once there he tries to open the door that leads into room 3

Heading out of the library and back up the stairs you try the handle to door 3 and find that it is stuck. Ice cracks on the other side and it budges slightly, but not enough to let you fit inside.

Maxim decides to leave it for now and walks into 4, trying to open the door to 5

The double doors here swing open and closed allowing you to get through them without resistance. The ice covered hallway hooks north before splitting off into an exterior and interior path. Both of them are well lit by lamps in the ceiling.

Maxim walks down the hallway, looking out for anything strange before trying to open the next door

(which hallway, interior or exterior)

The door that eventually leads to 6)

(they both do but there are different things in each which is why im asking)

(oh, I believe you mean red/ yellow?) Maxim will take the yellow route first, not wanting to repeat yesterdays encounter

(perfect, and a quick notice/int for me and ill throw the scene together)

(4)

(roll20 says you got a 5, where did the extra -1 come from?)

(My bad)

The yellow path is a dimly lit corridor where you can hear the wind howling and in here it is amplified. Carvings of animals and more psionic warriors fighting them are embedded in the floor protected from your boot treads by the ice. Ahead the tunnel rounds to the right along a steep angle with a harsh blue light

Maxim will investigate the carvings to see if the animals portray something similar to the wolf

You do see one animal that looks similar to the wolf you encountered the night before. The rest are likely other forms of native life that you have not encountered yet.

Maxim is a little worried by this, but continues walking towards the blue light regardless

Rounding the corner you enter a vault like room. Twelve statues on plinths all have fighting stances and hold their long spears either in high positions, or low guard positions. some of them mirrior the fighting styles you had seen etched on the carvings in the tunnels. The arms look like they can be moved and once into the right position it looks like there is a complex system of pullies in the floor that will engage

Maxim starts moving them, hoping to recognise a pattern (edited)

As you move the arms into the low guard positions you hear miniature clicks in the machinery

(Like in a lock? (I mean is there a point where the clicks change?)

(moving the arms to the low position makes mechanical sounds, moving them the other direction does not)

He will move all the arms down

There is a grinding sounds as the metal wall at the top of the chamber (north of 6, so now going off the map) begins winching upwards into an alcove in the ceiling. You an see a room beyond that reminds you of some kind of workshop complete with a forge, tools , and piles of raw material left behind

With professional expertise Maxim looks around for anything he can use to recharge/modify/upgrade his weapon or that is otherwise of use for him

In your hands these pieces may not yield much good, but there is a ship in orbit that can recover the materials and bring them home to a place where technicians can have a proper look at everything

Is there anything else in the chamber

You’ve seen all there is to see in this chamber.

remembering the second tunnel maxim goes back and takes the red one

The second tunnel has been blocked off now as a large door has descended in front of the passage. It must have been triggered when the statue arms were moved but now they are locked in position

Maxim sits down in the chamber with the Warriors and starts writing his first report

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(this should get you to level 2, so i can help if you need it)

That would be nice

You have 1 new message from Kror:

Hello my friend. Just wanted to congratulate you and the fantastic beverage you brought to the meeting, whiskey you call it right? I was wondering if you could make some preparations for me to import some of them for my private collection. Glad you and CBSS joined the meeting here on Saliv. Thanks in advance.

(edited)

You have one new message from Kror:

I can't say no to that! You have my thanks, hopefully we can set up those trade routes sooner rather than later."

(edited)

Hey buddy, I really screwed the pooch in there. My screwup shouldn’t fuck up the CBSS’s shot at being a part of this. You’re going to have to do the talking for both of us from here.

(We'll be returning from the meeting back into this thread then, and I'm game to pick up whatever you want to get into)

(game? or going?)

(I am good to pick up whatever you feel like doing next, or i can come up with some things if you're not sure)

(Hm, maxim lacks the recourses to really go anywhere on his own. returning to Canach in hopes of finding more valuable resources and Information would be an option. Otherwise I have an idea that I’m not sure about in terms of political influence, but Someone brought it up In the chairman council. Sending someone in NFSS territory to gain some insight on their way of life etc.)

18:04

(That would be something that could be quite fitting if it is ok)

18:05

(Less in an 007 way, but rather as an official guest, that just happens to be a little curious ; )

(I think eish and I need to hammer some things out based on the meeting before we let anyone dive further into the guts, just to maintain some consistency)

(did you want to help with fighting slavers in a ground war?)

Nekosmash

(did you want to help with fighting slavers in a ground war?)

(Heck yeah!) (edited)

(You still out there?)

(yeah, was quite a long vacation

(The mass combat may be ending, so if there's anything closer to CBSS space you want to get into im happy to spin something up)

Nekosmash

(The mass combat may be ending, so if there's anything closer to CBSS space you want to get into im happy to spin something up)

(Sorry for the late response, I think it is time for maxim to get back to his usual business of meeting new people and seeing the world)

08:50

(Otherwise I’m not sure what’s coming from the exchange of light warning, it seems like the council needs to take action regarding that. Especially the cbss cause favoritism seems very not in line with our believes)

Maxim Kammerer

(Sorry for the late response, I think it is time for maxim to get back to his usual business of meeting new people and seeing the world)

(Have we met with the Inheritors yet?)

(Yes we have. There’s was a trilateral summit with them and NFSS

Nekosmash

(Yes we have. There’s was a trilateral summit with them and NFSS

(yeah, i was there I meant afterwards)

(There was another meeting with evertyone and the Noctua after that, but nobody has gone north to visit them)

Nekosmash

(There was another meeting with evertyone and the Noctua after that, but nobody has gone north to visit them)

(would that be a possibility?)

(we can if you want to, there's also a lot going on down here. Really depends what you're hoping to get out of the meeting/what the polity wants out of it)

(probably better to start a little easy to get back into the flow)

(Want to be in a naval battle with parsnips ?)

Nekosmash

(Want to be in a naval battle with parsnips ?)

(sounds great)

(You're the only other person in the thread, no need for the reply function)

(ah sorry, its a habit) (edited)

the Sickle class frigate moves alongside the enemy vessel. The patrol boat is disabled and your marine contingent more than eclipses the entire crew of the enemy ship -though inside there are few ways in and each hatch is going to be fiercely defended. A shadow passes over the viewports as the bulk of the patrol boat is close enough to block out the system sun. Just meters from each other in empty space, the boarding tubes fire-drilling a hole into the enemy airlock as a sealed causeway over to their ship forms behind the drill-head. Amber lights wink on and off as pressure is stabilized, before finally turning green.

(are there any weapons more suited for breaching present (in an armory?))

(you don't really need to breach anything, and weapons that aren't a void carbine, which you can get from the ship armory, are going to put holes in the hull)

(So I assume maxim has picked up one of those?) (edited)

(That's why i suggested it, yes)

"Brothers, we offered them peace. We offered them to surrender, even reached out in friendship, offered them to join our ranks, but no, they answered with fire and death. They brought this upon themselves by their own decision, for whoever turns their back on our friendship will be crushed under our iron fist. But we are no animals, we are better then these pirates. We wont slaugther them, for we are comerads of the cbss, not some cowardly space scum. We will fight with the memory of all those that where lost today and we will pay them respect by fighting with courage, percision and honor the likes of wich these pirates can only dream off."

17:23

Maxim releases the safety of his void carbine and gives a short salute by slamming the fist on his chestplate, before turning towards the airlock, gesturing for his squad to open the enemy airlock

(initiative)

(6)

(8 for them but for the group their first turn is going to be to hold , to move later in the round, since right now they'd be shooting at a closed airlock door. )

(How do we open these airlocks? Can they be hacked or do we just destroy them?)

(they are just opened like doors)

"Open these doors"

The doors open, and four shotguns waiting on the other side blow the combat engineer who did so off his feet. The soldier behind him is also killed as the enemy Crimson Claws crew fires

"GO,GO,GO!" Maxim unloads his carbine into the next enemy

(I’ll let you know how that goes once I get the hit and damage result from you. I checked the logs in R20 and saw nothing had been rolled) (edited)

(I can roll it if you need me to, just trying to see what's going on here)

(parsnips has completed his side of things and in the interest of getting this story thread done we're just going to use the skyward steel boarding rules, and declare victory here with a loss of 45% of the marine contingent aboard the ship. We'll get this boat fitted out and added to the fleet, and you can let me know what you plan on doing as far as a new misson when you get back. If you dont have Ideas I'll think of something)

(yeah, sorry I was super busy with school, I had to work till like 8-9pm) (regarding a mission Im open for anything, but if there is any scouting to be conducted Im ready for that)

(its all good , no ones at fault just trying to keep the pace)

16:58

(CBSS can sustain a colony now if you wanted to go back to Canache and try to find a different region to set one down in)

(Sounds great)

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/canach-location?preview=true

Canach

20:52

(we landed near the monument last time, so we have an entire world to explore )

(I would like to try my luck inbetween the forest and the hills on the right) (edited)

(Sounds good)

15:49

Setting down on the cold plains of the planet you see you are in a rich region of the world and a place where the freak landscape is relatively tame. The land is rolling and uneven and as the shuffle takes back off you can't see any animals in the immediate area (edited)

(I assume can’t?)

15:53

Maxim will start his expedition by taking a closer look at the forest

(Yes, i fixed that, lets get a survive/wis)

(7)

Approaching the woods, you see another pack of the ice wolves you had previously fought off back at the temple. They don't seem to have noticed you and are resting in the light of the warm sun in this region, warm to them, that is. Compared to most others yo've been on, there are just a few degrees separating temperate and taiga for this planet.

I try to avoid them to get deeper in the woods

(How do you try to avoid them so I can weigh out if that works. Our survive roll was mediocre and I’d rather not spam skill checks if you can give me some suitable details about what you’d do instead )

(I thought about going back a bit and then trying to go around them in a large circle of a few hundred meters at least)

For now the wind is with you and the pack remains at peace. That could all change soon if it’s direction changes. The soil of the forest is dark and healthy when you approach it’s edge. Several fallen trees have taken other limbs down with them. Fungus and other plants have made these fallen giants their homes. You can hear birds and small beasts in the underbrush

Maxim readys his weapon and enters the forest

Entering the forest you see a large bowl of trees extends above you and blocks out the sun. Your initial impression of the place doesnt change much but there are many different species of trees here who would normally not be found together in nature

(How thick is the fooliage?)

(Thick enough to block the sun and obscure a lot of whats happening beyond 20m or so)

(But I can move without to much struggle?

(Correct)

(Do I have a working compass?)

16:34

(Or something similar)

(Do you have a survival kit?)

(Pretty sure I have one) (edited)

(you do, i just looked)

(Thank you)

16:41

Maxim moves through the forest in a straight line, making notes on flora and fauna, whilst being careful to not disturb something bad

(sneak/dex)

(7)

You're moving through the brush keeping quiet for about an hour when suddenly a large stick cracks underfoot , and a distant howl is taken up, carried on the wind. You're not sure how far away it is.

Maxim takes cover behind the next tree, searching for anything closing in

Something heavy , ponderous, and slightly glowing is sniffing through the underbrush, after about five minutes of tense waiting.

22:07

Maxim lowers his weapon, waiting in his hiding for the next move of the beast

The beast is sniffing through the foliage and you’re not sure if it’s tracking you or not, having never seen a beast like this before.

04:57

If it is tracking you, it doesn’t seem to know where you are

Maxim stays where he is, knowing that he probably won’t stand a Chance in a fight

After ten minutes of sniffing around, the creature seems contented that there is nothing here worth eating or otherwise and begins to slink back into the woods, taking its innate source of light with it.

Maxim just sits there for a few minutes, trying to calm his pounding heart, before taking out his notebook to write about this strange encounter. Deciding that the large creature probably scared of the smaller predators, he uses this place for the first rest of the day, consuming a few protein bars and drinking some of his scarce Vodka rations.

(did you want to name the creature since you're the first to see it?)

The Bearhemoth, a large creature with an internal light scource, probably hostile and dangerous, (carnivourus?)

(We don’t know)

22:58

(I’ll make an article on world anvil though)

(Oh, sorry it was supposed to be the notebook entry by maxim, not a question to you as the dm An article would be cool)

(sounds goo,d finally back to a computer, ill et one made)

02:55

Night passes and it seems the smell the Bearhemoth has left behind is keeping away any other animals who might be passing through the area. You're not bothered by any of the native life though you do hear them some distance away in the woods going about what passes for their nightly errands.

With the assumed rising of the sun, Maxim gets up and continues his walk, keeping a lookout for any signs of danger and taking probes of various things like Water, moos, plants and mushrooms.

(collecting samples is no problem here, lets get a d10 for the next hex)

(do you roll?)

(you do )

(2)

(almost done with the article, ill post it and then m ove this)

21:02

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/bearhemoth-species

Bearhemoth

21:02

Moving deeper into the woods, you pass something like a nesting ground for small animals. You see many ruts in the mud where things had been nesting during the night cycles.

Nekosmash

(almost done with the article, ill post it and then m ove this)

(Haha, Great! The first discovery of maxim Kammerer)

22:41

(Sry for the ping)

22:42

Maxim try’s to inspect the nest

The creatures here were medium in size, about your size, but there doesnt seem to be any clues here aside from kicked aside leaves

Maxim makes a small entry in his notebook before continuing in an almost straight line through the forest

Your straight journey comes to an end after two more hours of walking as you come to a cliffside, studded with small caves. some of them are very shallow, and you can see their entire depth from outside. Others are far bigger, and some are off the ground.

Maxim takes a short resting prepares his gear, before venturing into the first cave, analyzing rock structure and taking probes

Original message was deleted or could not be loaded.

Pinned a message.

16:17

Something stirs within the depths of the cave as you get close to the door. It sounds like the claw marks are small.

Maxim raises his rifle, moving along the right side of the cave

(sneak/dex)

(11)

KEeping yourself low and in cover you move down the right tunnels, you come to a small reflecting pool. The water here looks clean and glitters from underneath with some kind of captured light.

Maxim takes a sample of the water, before reaching inside

The water is dirty and filled with micro-organisms. The equipment you have on your is unable to give you a specific reading about what they are, just that they are present.

Maxim stores, so Someone with better equipment and knowledge can decipher that

There is a groaning sound in the cave, either a growl or a bleat. You’re unsure what it could be but as you replace the stopper on the test tube it becomes clear you are not alone (edited)

Maxim grabs his rifle and stares into the next cave tunnel

You hear the sound again, but it seems there is a stalemate of a sort here. The situation does not seem to be changing.

Maxim begins to enter the tunnel, weapon raised and bayonet fixed (at least metaphorical)

(evasion save)

(Sucess 18 vs 13)

You throw yourself flat as the rain of bone-spines fly overhead. Instinct takes over where training does not.

Maxim rolls back, desperatly trying to get to the next cover

You’re not able to see what’s in the cave but there is another roar and another hail of bone spines embeds itself in the rocks and found around you

Maxim rips out one of the spikes before retreating

(It wouldn’t be coming up by hand, do you have any tools on your person?)

(A knife) (edited)

(I don’t think that would be enough to pry it out)

Maxim will then just flee the cave and take a position at its entrance

Whatever is inside does not seem to stir. It is comfortable and safe in the cave

Maxim makes a note about it and goes on with his way

The creature inside does not seem to follow, going back to its rest or whatever else it was doing inside.

Maxim goes on for a while, before pulling out his map and trying to figure out how far he made it

(did we have a destination? you said going to the forest, where we are now, and I don't think anything was specified after that)

(Well I just wanted to check out the landing zone area, take samples, look for possible dangers and recourses)

(I think we've done the immediate landing zone area then)

(cool)

10:58

Maxim sends his reports up

(3xp, 5000 credits. Not sure what you want to do next)

Figuring that this place is probably quite good to start a colony, maxim decides to send a message to the chairmans council

(I know a few messages about this were passed, nothing really got established one way or the other so far)

(Sorry for not posting, I’m really sick)

20:40

(To convince the chairmen maxim decides to undertake another mission in hopes of finding something that shows the strategic value of Canach)

(we know this region is pretty dead in terms of resources, but the freak geography of the planet alone would be a massive scientific boon. Honestly, I don't think you'd need to convince anyone, but I think we should coordinate with the polity to try to find some colonists and expand influence to this world)

(Agreed)

(I think I clarified in the council thread for you, we'll see what shakes out)

(thanks)

(Looks like the expansion is going to wait a bit. We should look into some other missions for now)

(yeah)

(did you want to do some scouting on Mehani? I know Kol was asking for help in the polity channel, or we could help with the war on Angelos, or there are other things going on too)

(helping a fellow scout sounds good)

(5 days of downtime from Canache to Mehani, if you wanted to pick up any new gear we can on the way)

(A sidearm would be nice)

19:53

(Apart of that Im really happy with my gear (and quite packed))

19:54

(oh and all the information I can get in Mehani)

("A sidearm" could encompass probably a dozen different weapons, so if you can narrow it down for me I'd be happy to let you know if its available and we can handle the necessary sheet accounting. )

19:58

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/mehani-article

Mehani

(I assume there is a realistic chance for Techlevel 4 Items to be in stock?)

20:07

(if so, the mag pistol looks very interesting, otherwise I would go for the Revolver)

(you can get a mag pistol yes)

(Maxim should have more then enough credits)

20:35

(So he will get himself one of those)

(alright, here's the world information, each hex is about 100km, so we can pick a landing zone and get to it)

(last thing, a D10 on landing)

(7)

(I just realized I completed one of my personal goals by naming the bearhemoth)

13:55

(If it counts as “named after him”

(its close enough aha, take the XP then ill move this on)

(How many xp come from personal goals again?)

14:45

(Cause there aren’t values asigned to my goals)

(this one would be 3, there are no set xp guidelines for personal goals)

(Ok)

(your goals were buried in notes and not in the goals section, thats why I never saw them)

17:17

(I fixed that for you and put XP on the ones i have a clear idea of right now)

(Oh sorry, thanks for fixing)

settling down at the frozen lake you might be the very first human to ever set foot and see this place. The land is pristine, and untouched by anyone for eons.

17:51

The air is crisp and the animals scatter as the shuttle comes down.

Maxim gets to work right away, taking probes of the ice, before heading towards the mountainrange in the south east, to get to the river. (edited)

18:02

He is also takes great care in noting every new animal he sees

(with the xp from the exploration of canach and the goal, Im at level 3)

(let's handle that before we continue then)

(took the liberty of doing so already)

19:31

(I think I did everything right)

(hitpoints increased to 20, attack bonus raised by one due to warrior, raised shoot to 1 and dex by 1)

(Sounds good lets get a survive/wis to track some of these creatures and ill get some scenes together)

(12)

Moving into the area you see most of the animals have scattered but the fish here are under thick ice and are more of a captive audience for you. You have some small tools in your survival kit that would let you cut a hole and fish here if you decided to, and with the stillness other creatures might come back.

Maxim decides that that would be a smart move and begins to prepare everything

After about an hour fo sitting and waiting with your baited line, you begin to feel a gentle tug, almost imperceptible, but then it happens again with just a bit more force. Something is testing the line

Maxim gets ready for the power struggle with the fish

(We can return to this since your big mission is over. We can roll a survive / str here as you reel the fish in

(Sorry, Im really tied up in school atm, maybe put this on hold till wednesday?)

(no worries, we'll do that!)

(8)

The rod begins bending as you go through the patient hour long game of giving slack and taking it away as the the fish struggles on the line. It begins surfacing , revealing it to be a long and narrow fish with many sharp teeth

Maxim quickly takes him on land, knocking him out with the hilt of his knife, before making notes about him and taking him apart

The creature stops moving. It’s bright yellow with blue fins on its back. It’s black eyes look uselessly at the sky.

Maxim try’s to cook the fish

Scaled and de boned such as it is, you cook the meat until the white flesh takes on the yellow semi buttery appearance other white fish across the galaxy is known for. It seems to be done now, as thoroughly as you can cook it without turning it into flaky shoe leather.

Maxim takes a big bite out of it, before preparing to rest

(no problems there. No encounters for the night)

The next morning maxim continues his journey, packing his things and heading for the mountains again

The mountains present frozen and rugged terrain and the climb is difficult after the first hundred or so meters up. You see evidence of mountain lopes or the local breed of them at least this way.

Maxim keeps a lookout for them

(Notice /wis)

(9)

You see evidence they’ve passed this way recently , following Rocky outcroppings they can stand on to the higher reaches of the mountain

These outcroppings are too rugged for a humanoid to follow. With climbing gear you can make it further up. Climbing without is possible but comes with enormous risk.

Maxim try’s to climb it using climbing gear

As you begin getting your kit together you notice it’s about early afternoon. The harness and it’s associate pieces are all in good order and you begin scaling. There is a lower and higher peak here. Either can be reached in a days climb but the higher path looks more treacherous

Maxim goes for the lower peak, since he hasnt rock climbed in quite a while

By the beginning of sunset you’ve made your way to the lower peak and have a commanding view of the surrounding terrain and the natural protected lake that sits at the middle of the mountain formation

maxim takes a deep breath and examines the sorroundings, before beginning to map everything

(What are you using to map?)

notebook)

You spend as much of the natural light of the day as you can sketching, making a rough map of what you can see, but the distances are approximated at best.

when he is finished maxim prepares for the night

The tent is pitched on this cliff ide and you make it through the night until morning

maxim continues his way down on the other side of the peak

With the climbing gear you're able to make it down the lower peak handily, getting to the bottom of the mountain by early afternoon without a scratch on you. From here, it is about a day;s hike to the edge of the frozen lake this large mountain region encircles, and you think you'll get a chance to see some wildlife here that might not exist anywhere else, due to the remoteness of the area. Snow crunches under your boots as you move through the trees, dismayed somewhat that night seems to be rushing toward you again already. At least tonight you will be safe from the wind. You can hear whoops and calls of animals in the woods as you walk. They're like nothing you've heard before.

(How far are the calls away?)

(We could get a survive/wis, or a know/int to try to see if we can make an educated guess here)

(6 7 sorry for being away, i was quite sick) (edited)

The volume of the howls and their similarity with other life forms you've encountered before has you thinking of some sort of canine pack hunter, related to a wolf or Koth Hound- animals that were increasingly popular when worlds were seeded during the First and Second ages of Colonization

Maxim notes: possibility of colonisation? And trys to search for them

(tries to search for what? Also, we could colonize here, but we're running out of people to be doing that kind of thing, especially with one on Canache we havent' spent any time caring for)

(Oh sorry, I meant he notes that there is a certain possibility that someone might have lived here, but I think I misunderstood your original message And I meant searching for the wolves, but in hindsight it would probably make more sense to avoid them)

The site is marked as a future Colony site if other conditions are met. The lake is protected and exceptionally beautiful. You’re not sure what civilization might do to this place but the view right now is unparalleled. Other than animals you haven’t seen any sentient forms of life so far. This continent seems utterly empty

hm, does maxim have any means of communication?

(Youd have a compad )

(and your shuttle acts as a comm satellite in a sense,s o you've got signal wherever you are)

(archiving for now)