Iron Stars - misha

Misha , an explorer, is relaxing at home after a long few weeks of exploring the wilderness around Pelsasgon Primus, the capital city on the capital world of the CBSS. Dangerous creatures were driven deeper into the wild, a few notable terrain features were reported, and prospectors are already out to investigate a deposit found there to see if it can be developed. Around home there are numerous job boards up as the CBSS is beginning to get back on its feet. Exploration jobs especially given the wide tracts of unsettled land connected only by long roads through mountains, forests, and plains. The colony world Mehani, a short jump away, is especially looking for explorers, and any interested are encouraged to apply. The world is arctic in climate, and home to a Geon tribe on cool but peaceful relations with the human locals. Most of the colonists are capitalist prisoners taken from Al-Thynninan when the megacorps fell, and those who were arrested during the revolution and in later capitalist roundups. Most of them are content to begin new lives there, as the CBSS is not using slave labor, and instead the world is just a place to keep them out of the way, an entire world level siberia. (edited)

Mischa spends most of her days at home asleep, only waking up to eat, disinfect the scrapes and burns she's accumulated prospecting, and in the early hours, to feverishly research the next site. Today, though, after the eating and the disinfecting, she's instead researching the jump to Mehani. A colony world - especially one with swathes of wilderness and amicable locals - seems like an easy win for her as far as prospecting goes.

A shuttle, along with a team of five other prospectors has been selected for the mission. Your involvement brings the mission team to six members, and the mission is going to commence several hours from now. You have enough time to pack and prepare , and say goodbye to anyone important you may need to speak to. Finding resources, documenting wildlife, and restoring relations with the natives are all objectives for the mission, accomplishing any of them will be doing the CBSS a great service. .

In the hours leading up to the mission, Mischa says goodbye to the many acquaintances she's made on this planet - most of her neighbors know her by name. She buys a thick fur coat at the nearest available place, up to 40 credits, and spends the rest of the wait outside the shuttle station, checking her pistol and monoblade for maintenance.

The costs is a good value costing just 10 credits , and as the hours pass and your errands are concluded you make your way to the pad there the other members of your team wait. They’re all human. The Cbss has very few taros , rare piggen, no merlons and a handful of ashen ones. The only geon known to them are the ones on Mehani youll hopefully be repairing relations with. The down wash of thruster flames is shielded by the pad and the ramp lowers allowing you to approach the craft. The crew consists of two pilots and a crew chief who emerge to help get you and your belongings aboard

Mischa shakes hands with each of her teammates, introducing herself "Mischa Goncharov, salvager and explorer." She boards the ship and spends the trip getting to know the others.

(1 day of downtime on the short spike jump from Pelasgon to mehani. There’s a handout near the top of the roll20 for what you can spend the passing time on, )

Mischa spends the jump tweaking her armor undersuit, trying to make it more maneuverable or protective however she can. Just putting a day towards armor modification. (edited)

(Let me know what mod when you're able to get back to it) The shuttle sets down at Mehani, in the only settlement on its surface. Located in the middle of the largest continent, in the planet's southeastern region, the colony has 50,000 members, and is a settlement of wood and stone rising from the otherwise unforgiving tundra. https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/mehani-article?preview=true

Mehani

14:50

As you come in to land, the town's mayor, and several of his security team are waiting to greet you, looking on impassively behind snow goggles and scarves as the billowing wind and downwash sweeps over them- as the landing skids crunch and the ramp lowers.

Mischa walks down the ramp, suddenly feeling underdressed even in her thick coat. She waves to the mayor, shielding her eyes with the other hand.

"Welcome to Mehani!" he calls over the engines cycling down. "you must be my explorers, since I did send for you. I trust your flight here was quick and without trouble"

"No trouble at all, it's the landing that's frigid," she calls back. "We have accommodations? When do we start?"

Mischa's belongings all fit in her backpack, with her pistol holstered inside her coat, so she instead helps her teammates unload their equipment as best she can while conversing over the wind.

“Yes we have a accommodation for you. You’ll be coordinating out of town hall. No one really uses it but me. Id like to see you out there by tomorrow at the latest, even if you don’t manage to range that far”

(How much time is left in the day on Mehani?)

(It’s mid morning right now)

"I can get out this afternoon, provided the team is ready." Mischa takes her thing to the town hall, and barely gets moved in before she's re-packing to set out into the wilderness.

(I’m usually a little slower on weekends but I’ll make sure we don’t have you waiting that long next time)

(That's no problem! You're busy, I figured I'd just ping a reminder)

22:58

(not literally ping but update the channel, yaknow)

The team is likewise ready for work. They’ve come here for a job and the sooner it’s over the sooner the credits come in and they can spend a few weeks out of danger Everyone has survival gear and at least one weapon on them. The wind and weather seem to be clear for now

No time like the present, then. Mischa proposes that they leave immediately after getting a meal in town.

There is a forested region to the north, flat tundra plains to the west, a glacial lake to the south, and a large peak to the east. The explorers seem to be deciding among themselves who’s going where without much oversight aside from personal preference

"I'm all for the peak. If I'm to be setting out in the cold, I may as well have a nice view."

Two other explorers look like they’ll be going with you. Climbing gear is passed out from the ships locker , enough for each of you, along with weapons if you need them in case there is wildlife. (If you’re not armed we can pick something out)

Mischa is armed with a laser pistol still caked with Vadhat dust, but will pick up two more Type A power cells. She grabs climbing gear and stows it in her backpack.

With your gear assembled you head east out toward the peak, walking for about a third of the day in the somewhat steady chill before coming to the site of a recent avalanche in the shadow of the peak. Broken beams from some kind of structure, scattered shingles, broken glass, and scattered finery adorns the snow as the falling wall of frosted mass plowed through whatever used to be standing here. It was thought that other than the Geon this world was not inhabited. It may be one of their former sites.

Mischa examines the finery more closely, and asks the other two explorers to begin excavating a small section of the site.

(Exert, or work /con If you need help with the checks let me know)

(Yeah, how does that work?)

22:14

(Wait I might have it)

22:15

5

(I think that's right?) (edited)

(Yep you got it!)

02:33

You’re winded digging through the heavy snow before long. You find a few shards of broken pottery but aside from confirming it’s a former Geon holy site you’re not able to find anything else of value. The sun is at its zenith now as the team begins debating in it being time to move on or not

Mischa supports the idea of moving on. She packs away the pottery shards and notes the location of this place on her compad, if it can do that.

(Yeah we have always thought of them as basically the smartphones we have now in terms of functions. Seems to be the easiest to digest, so you could drop a navigation pin)

With it being noon- the estimation is making it to the base of the mountain by nightfall. Darkness on Mehani is something not well documented. Creatures don't come close to the settlement, and the native Geon who would know better choose not to communicate. THe forest on the way is a set of thick pines, stopping by a pure mountain lake crusted in a thick sheet of ice.

Mischa spots a geon out in the snowy field sitting on a rock watching a group of deer-like creatures. A small toothy creature sits asleep by her side. She seems to be researching the herd, and happy doing so. (Hope this is okay) (edited)

Mischa approaches the Geon, being careful to approach from in front of her so as to not take her by surprise. She remains quiet, trying not to startle the herd.

“Ah, hello. Can I help you?” the geon asks. “I’m not in the way or anything am I? Oh no oh geez I knew this was a bad spot to sit.”

Mischa smirks. "Ma'am, this is the wilderness. There's nothing but sitting room, so please don't trouble yourself. Mischa Goncharov, CBSS - I was sent from the colony to the west."

“Right. Of course, sorry. I’m Mylonite Beastwatcher. And this is Franklin. What brings you out here?”

"Survey, mostly. I don't suppose you know anything about the ruin, a little ways to the west? Looked like Geon construction, half-buried in an avalanche. I found these shards there." Mischa holds out the pottery shards.

The pottery shards are what once would have held the dust of ancestors. Fragmented scenes from their storied lives are painted on the outside though there isn't enough here to generally get a good impression of who they were

(Is this what I would know about them?)

(Yes)

"Its an old Geon structure. A spiritual site. More metaphorical than for actual worship, but its a place of remembrance for those who passed." She takes the shards in her hand and looks them over, not having to worry about her rocky hands being cut on them. "They are parts of what was an urn. Was a well pained one too. Please forgive me if I'm coming across dry. I don't see the value in cremation when the bodies would be better off returned to the earth."

15:46

(How do you cremate a rock? I dunno)

(I'd assume grinding them down or breaking them up rather than burning)

1

"I suppose they're returned to earth now. May I ask, do your people have a settlement nearby?"

“There is one right near the pelsagonian town. It’s the one where I am from.”

(It's where you landed. Mylo is a geon from this planet)

1

(ah. I'll revise that then)

22:03

"Yeah? Not far, then? Can you take us there?"

“I can. Why are you looking to visit?...not to assume bad intentions of course,” Mylo quickly corrects.

"Well, our assignment is a diplomatic one - we're just here to open communications with settlements and scout out the area. If you'd prefer not to, I won't make you show us the way - but in that case, I'd ask if you know any other landmarks or resources nearby we could mark."

“I will happily take you to it. Having it marked would be mutually beneficial I believe.”

Mischa hefts her backpack and gestures, ready to depart.

The trip to the geon village is largely doubling back the way you came and then beating a sharp southward course away from the human settlement and into the tundra. Thick pine trees keep out most of the wind and cold and the only sound for some time is birds and the steady rhythm of boots crunching on snow

Mischa keeps an eye out for anything notable along the way - to the point of missing otherwise impressive views and serene moments.

(Survive/wis, might have an additional feature or two here)

(7)

(7 as well

)

The snow sparrows must have left the area , but you find evidence of many large colonies of them cleverly hidden in the tall branches of the pine trees. Their lairs are long almost like a thanksgiving cornucopia and house anywhere from 20-30 of the birds with shelves inside made from woven together twigs for their eggs

14:36

Knowing there are nesting birds here means sustainable food, and that the other necessities of life are closely

Mylo quickly fumbles to make notes about this and take some pictures. “I had not seen this species nesting in this area before. I will have to revisit and observe them when I get the chance.”

"Promising for the colony." Mischa notes this as well, then proceeds onwards.

(Mylo we never really did establish what your village looks like now that I go back over all our stuff. Feel like painting us a picture? Or i can if you've got stuff going on)

(I'd love to)

08:32

There isn't much to say for the geon colony in regards to the above ground side of things. Home-fronts are built into the sides of hills, made mostly of stone and wood, with short circular doors set in. If you didn't know where to look, you could possibly even miss it among the snowy taiga surroundings, just like the Pelsagonian outpost did upon first arrival. Underground, however, is a sprawling, glorified ant-hill city of homes and tunnels and open caverns with buildings and shops. Hubs of activity are built into cavern walls, with waterways below making for transport of goods and people. Tunnels dug out from there lead to small homes.

08:32

Geon look on from stoops and bolt holes as you enter the settlement. Some offer friendly waves and greetings, especially to Mylo and Franklin. The small rodent wastes no time getting into the nearest compost pile it can, rolling around with glee at the rotted peels and rinds

Mischa quietly marvels at the complex settlement for a while, occasionally asking "what's that?" about various buildings and sights. After being shown around a bit, she asks, "Mylo, can you tell me, how is the village governed?"

“Communism. We are not an old colony, but a large one for geons. Being a peaceful people, it’s not hard to be fair. That said, it has lead to complacency in the past, valuing peace over just.”

She nods. "Right, but who are your leaders? May I meet with them?"

"Well I suppose that would be the elders. You can meet with them. Though our need for governance isn't great. We weren't aware of society outside of ourselves for a long time." (edited)

"Can you show me to them?"

The elders of the village are a stonespeaker (a name for their shaman) , two elders, an elderly female herbalist, and the strongest male and female warrior in the village. They each hold different responsibilities central to village life and safety, earning them after a lifetime of merit and service to the colony.

"Greetings elders. This is Misha Goncharov, fellow comrade of the CBSS."

20:38

Mylo seems nervous. She's been a representative of her tribe before, like when the Pelsagonians first showed up, but she always gets uncomfortable in this sort of situation.

They each either give a shallow bow or a short wave of acknowledgement "Welcome to Stagmeer, Misha Goncharov. You're with the CBSS we understand, here as a colonist? or an explorer?"

"An explorer, and incidental emissary. I've come to respectfully ask if there's anything my group or I can do for your village to demonstrate the goodwill of our colony."

“We have asked that they not destroy the planet ecology , and most of the discussions have revolves around their need for resources and our need to not have swathes of forest harvested and then strip mined”

(Do I know what resources the CBSS is after with the strip mining?)

(All resources )

(yooo wtf)

(The entire Cbss is enormously resource poor and they didn’t think anyone lived here)

14:40

(Then they asked the geon where they could mine and fell trees without causing problems and the answer was basically Dont do that anywhere )

“Is there any amenable compromise here? The colony could arrange a trade of some kind, if there’s some resource or technology we have that could help you.”

"It has come up before. The resources that the CBSS was requesting, and the tracts of land they had asked resource rights over were too large- but they contended that anything smaller did not solve the problem, or would have cost more to ship from here to their home than to just go without"

“If I may, Elders, I recall part of the original agreement being that they could make use of more space as we cooperate with them more. I think they have absolutely mat that requirement to expand. If they need further, we could look to help them explore for another location for harvesting resources.”

“Fields of stumps, broken ground, the minerals with which we build and feed carried away...they’ve met the original requirements but we have been watching. They spread far beyond their means. They take with no thought to the future”

“I see...” Mylo comments sadly. “It appears I have been away from Mehani for too long then. I retract my recommendation for expansion.” (edited)

02:19

Mylo looks to Misha looking to see if they have further recommendations as to a compromise.

“A continent across the sea from here does not have any settlements or tribes. Perhaps the colony could relocate there and we would not have to compete , or see what they do”

"This could work. Relocating an entire colony is a big endeavor, but it seems like remaining here will only cause our problems to grow. Thank you for your time, Elders." Mischa bows, not quit certain how to respectfully leave.

The council session seems to be concluded, and the Geon elders permit you to leave,new understanding of the situation in hand

Mylo follows Mischa out as it ends and turns to her nervously. "Sorry about that back there. I did not mean for your people to be insulted. It seems I've become somewhat disconnected from my home."

(Sorry for sparse replies, I'm in central texas right now so it's kinda going to hell)

(Be safe. That’s all that’s important )

She shrugs. "Look, I get it. You all have the first say on what happens to the land here." She sits down for a moment, looking around the village, and sighs. "This sure does throw a wrench into my plans, though. The whole point of my mission here was to improve relations - I figured that would be a simple task. Do some favors, run some errands. Instead I've been handed this riddle."

It seems to be a riddle worth solving, as doing so means two civilizations can grow and live in peace. With more living space between them the Geon may even move to become full citizens, as they’re able to see the benefits from afar

“... Then again, I’m starting to suspect I know the answer. Just not one the folks at the colony will like.”

“What were your plans, exactly?” Mylo asks, Franklin following at her heals. “We were here first, and are more established. I think it only makes sense that is they cannot follow the rules of our land, they should move.”

“When I came here, I heard that there were ‘tense’ relations with your people. Didn’t realize it was this bad. I think it’s time for us to head back to the colony to reassess things.”

(3xp, 5000 credits )

The return to the colony is expedient especially with Mylo showing the way. The other explorers have moved off to other tasks but they might all be for nothing given the news you carry

(should ding you to Lvl 2, if you need help with the level up let me know)

"Nor did I. The colony should have been more considerate, it was our only request."

Returning to the colony, the mayor and some of the other minor officials locally are out, going about their daily rounds and listening to concerns from the locals.

Mischa seeks out the mayor, at his convenience, during the day.

As news of your return circulates, he ends up seeking you out first, doing all but physically pulling you into his home to have this meeting. "You're back sooner than expected. Problems in the frontier or anything i should know about?"

"We discovered a geon settlement, and had a talk with their leaders. According to them, this colony is under obligation not to proceed with the strip mining plans in this area."

"under obligation not to proceed?" he asks, sitting down now and gesturing you may as well if you wish to. He signals for his eldest to bring over the tea kettle. "Did they say why? or on what grounds?"

"That they own this land, and have allowed us to stay on it on those conditions. The council offered one alternative; relocating the colony to the other continent, which is truly uninhabited."

"If I may Elder May-ore, the elders of Stagmeer, our colony, seem to believe that this settlement has overstepped its agreement to keep resource gathering to a minimum. Relocation of your settlement to another continent on Mehani was the solution representative Mischa and I agreed upon as best."

“Across sea. Well we would need to find a site to settle at, and we would need logistical support from the CBSS proper. I can handle the latter issue, probably. Do you think you two could handle the survey?”

Mischa nods. “Survey’s what you brought me on for. If we have transportation there, it shouldn’t be an issue.”

"The ship that brought you all here is still here, we can call it back down- and it can get you out there. I'd expect a couple hours for them to get down here. You're welcome to stay and rest"

“Sounds nice, yeah. Mylo, would you like to come with us? Or will you be heading back to the village?”

(don't forget about your level up)

“I will gladly accompany you. I feel partially responsible for this mess, and have skills in the wild that I believe will be beneficial.”

Mischa spends the intevening couple of hours looking for a place to spend her pay, probably a weapon shop or some armor.

(level up should be done, I think it's all in order)

(Just post on here what was changed so we have a way to track it)

(-1 to all saves, +1 to attack bonus, 2 skill points to Shoot +1, 1 skill point to Talk +0, rolled an 8 for HP which was already my max so it raised to 9, took the Sniper focus which raised Shoot to +2) (edited)

(We would have to bank the skill points toward shoot, you need to be level 3 before you have a skill at rank 2)

(oh alright I'm cool with that)

(When you level up again which will probably be soon , we will be able to apply those. You still get the other benefits of the foci for now) There is a craftsman in town who would be handy enough to work on armor and weapons, and has a few of his stock on display. The frontier is a dangerous place and most people are armed , but youre far from conventional supply lines here. The most cutting edge equipment might not be within his wheelhouse

Mischa enters the shop, and approaches the craftsman. "Hey, I need to buy a gun. I'd like a top-notch piece, but at this point, anything's an upgrade." She lays her old, sand-blasted laser pistol on the counter as if to demonstrate. The emitter flickers ominously when the thing is jostled.

“This things a real piece of work. Not in the good way either “ he says “What’s your preference? Looking for a rifle? Or something to replace this thing. Maybe both?”

01:54

“Knowing the ammo type would help a lot too”

"A rifle, I think... something with range. If it's a laser, I can keep my ammo, so I suppose I'd prefer that."

“Ah I’ve got just the thing” A military surplus laser rifle is retrieved from under the counter. It still has the case and the factory pull tabs around the charging coil that need to be pulled

"Well, it's an upgrade. How much for a trade-in?"

)I just use the book prices for everything. So we can say the difference in cost between the laser rifle and pistol )

(coolio)

Mischa takes some time to take out the pull tabs, try out the sights, and make sure the rifle's charged. She stows it in the case and slings it over a shoulder, then goes to await the transport.

By the time the both of you have completed shopping the transport has arrived at the edge of the village. A column of steam rises skyward from the engines melting the snow. It’s ramp is down and the crew perks up and prepares to get moving again now that you’re aboard. They’ve got a preliminary brief on what needs to be done

Mischa takes a seat and lays the weapon case across her lap, full attention on the briefing.

(They just know they have to help assist you in exploring. We can get a planet map up and figure out where on the west continent you guys want to land)

(Oh ok, sounds good)

(Where should I look for the planet map?)

(It’s on the world anvil for mehani)

02:04

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

Mehani

23:54

Mischa has them set down here - "Looks like it's near the forests and mountains, mid-range climate, a flat area, and it's upstream from most of the continent - easy access to everything."

The crew looks on appreciatively. It’s a longshot since Mylo has probably never been that far from home before (on the surface ) but they wait to see if she has any insight - the kind only a native could offer

(I don’t think I have any idea what would be there, or should I?)

(I think maybe in character youd know more than we would ooc but we can skip some checks on landing and whatnot to make up for it)

(Good with me. I’ll add some flavor stuff too)

“I have not been there myself, however I do have some ideas based on what else I know of Mehani. Most of the large, predatory wild life here will likely leave us alone unless something spooks them or provokes them. Our hard geon bodies would require a special adaptation to prey on. Given the flat landscape, I would guess any wildlife around there faster than us, and that central river connecting the mountain lakes could mean some dangerous aquatic species. I would suggest the hilled area just west as a final destination for the new settlement. Will be safer than the wide open, with the same area access.”

With your help, Mischa's landing site is able to be narrowed down a bit, setting you at the top of a broad and flattened hilltop, overlooking the skraggly forests, permafrost, and otherwise harsh climate around you. The grasslands you can see are a dark brown, everything fighting for light, warmth, and nourishment against a planet willing to yield none of it.

"Well, it's more temperate than our current camp. Let's divide the area into acres, and survey them one by one for threats or resources." Mischa starts planning a route, criss-crossing across the area to inspect the land.

(d10 from each of you, lets generate some hexes!)

(4, sorry for the delay)

(Al good!) the area Mischa sees first is one of broken frozen hills, with caps of snow. They have sparse trees clinging to their sides and there seems to be ample small game there with what’s observed through binoculars

(8 for me)

Mylo, looking in another direction sees a large melt water lake, surrounded by tall plains grasses frosted over by permafrost. The surface is about half covered in thin ice.

"Well, for our first pick, this place seems almost too good to be true. I say we camp out here a couple nights, and make sure nothing unexpected happens."

"I agree. I can shape the vegetation around us to help hide our camp. We do not want to draw attention to ourselves, or disturb the natural environment."

There are several hours before sunset, and the sun is high in the sky for right now. You've got clear slight-lines to the major landmarks nearby- though there does not seem to be much happening or moving out on the plains.

Mischa heads to the nearest landmark before setting up camp, so that she can find the spot again.

The top of the hill seems like the best place to observe the surrounding countryside, and you have a pressure tent from the ship to use, in addition to the alterations mylo plans to make with their Gaiascopic abilities

As the shelter is completed, it looks like there are a few hours left before sunset is going to force you to turn back for shelter- easily enough time for a quick survey of either the first few hundred meters of forest, or the lake, to determine if this location is suitable for moving the colony.

Mischa elects to check the perimeter of the lake, as much as she can before sunset.

17:42

The area is frozen, as is the lake surface. You see evidence of prints of passing animals in the snow, and places here hooves or paws have rooted through the ground to try to expose plants or roots that might be growing underneath. There are no bones or sites of a recent kill, and if carnivores are present this does not seem to be a frequently traveled area by them,

Mylo investigates the prints further as a priority. She looks at the depth of the prints to try and get an idea for the size of some of the wild animals. Additionally, she looks to see if there are many food sources in the area, or if things are more likely passing though. She moves quickly, less of nerves and more of excitement over the new area and potential for new discoveries.

(if you have whispering winds, we ca do that, otherwise a survive/wis)

(I do not. 7 on the survive/wis)

The only predators here are the local variant of wolves. They're afraid of fire and can be trapped if needed quite handily. They've always resisted attempts by the Geon to domesticate them outside of the Gaiascopic's animal companions. Lopes, and other small game are readily available here, as are freshwater fish but the population will need to be carefully managed especially as the colony first sets down roots here - otherwise the biodiversity needed to maintain this body of water will be destroyed. There are no surface level deposits of metal discovered, yet.

Mylo stands back up from her kneeling position where she’s been examining the prints to identify species. “Well, the predators here do not seem to be in abundance, aside from the wolves. There is plenty of game and fish to be hunted and caught as well.”

22:26

She remains it thought, and it’s clear to Misha that there is more. “However, I must say I fear for the colony’s ability to avoid over-hunting the area.”

Almost t

01:07

to punctuate your words, a howl from deep in the brush, likely half a kilometre away or more, sweeps across the semi-frozen landscape

"The colony is here to mine, not to hunt. I think we can trust them to take what they need, and import anything they can't get. Sharing resources is the Brotherhood's greatest strength, after all."

03:38

"Should we be ready to fight that thing? The sooner the beasts learn to avoid us, the better, right?"

"I suppose," Mylo responds to Mischa's first point hesitantly.

04:51

"I would prefer not to jump to fighting. Coexistence should be a viable alternative."

"Hey, if they don't, it's on them. At least it won't hurt anyone but themselves on this continent."

"That is true at least. If the colony is contained, it is contained>"

"We'll wait back at the shelter, then. If wolves come to us, well, we'll sort that out when it happens."

As night passes and you bed down in your surprisingly warm shelter, you can hear at least two packs of them out there, and howling, but none come close to the shelter tonight- the flicker of the fire enough to dissuade them from an otherwise easy approach.

Morning comes, spreading a bright red-orange light across the sky- almost as if your campfire has spilled across the heavens as opposed to the ring of stone you enclosed it in. Birds caw from the woods, and you see evidence of animals visiting the watering hole during the night. A pack of arctic lope are there now- finishing their morning watering before retreating to the cover of the trees for the remainder of the day cycle here

Mylo enters the camp from the lake-side, having been observing the lopes since dawn. As she sees Misha moving about, she greets her. “Good to know the wolves did not get too close last night. Let us hope it continues to be that way. I elect we make our way into the mountains today, it will give us a good perspective on the land for a distance, and it seems an critical landmark to have knowledge of,” she adds, getting together some breakfast.

Mischa unwraps the end of some pre-packaged food and nibbles on it. "Couldn't hurt to get a bird's-eye view, but I don't want to rush up the mountains. Plenty of unprepared climbers fall, freeze, or asphyxiate on mountains."

21:08

"We can head that way, but if we hit anything we're unprepared for, we'll have to resupply and come back."

“We can take our time and see how far we get. A small amount of progress is better than none,” Mylo agrees.

You should be able to get to the base of the mountain with about half the day's light left to work with. The trek will be easy on the plains here, and you can see most of the route from your perch across the tundra. There aren't any animals in your path or hazards other than ice

Even still, Mischa proceeds slowly, careful about every step.

Mylo follows Mischa's lead, careful to watch for ice given that her tough rock feet might crack it easier. Franklin follows at her heels, less scared of the ice, and leaping through the snow as if it were new to him.

The heavily snow packed cliff base is in shadow and the snow here seems thicker and icier than what you’ve been traveling through to get here. You can see flecks of mica in the cliff side and an abundance of potential hand and foot holds if you decide to make an attempt to scale it

"What do you think Mischa? I do not have the greatest of faith in my climbing skills, but I think even this I can do." Mylo comments to her companion.

In terms of scaling , this is something you could do with care instead of equipment. The view from above will be a commanding panoramic of the surrounding area and you’ll be able to quickly find any resources worth discovering.

12:34

Their locations would be of value to the CBSS and would be a significant stepping stone in your careers

Mischa hesitates, then nods toward the cliff face. She approaches and looks for a good spot to start, and begins the ascent.

Mylo joins a moment after, shoving Franklin into her bag.

21:14

Her stubby rock fingers aren't quite as suited for this as Mischa's. She takes her time and moves carefully, grabbing only the most obvious spots.

By late afternoon, you've pulled yourselves up to the peak of the hill. You have a commanding view of your own campsite, the lake, the woods, and now can see beyond the hill, to the wreck field beyond. It seems contrary to the report, someone has visited this world before, stashing away a wealth of scrap metal, half ruined vehicles, and a veritable horde of junk- hiding in by the remoteness of the location rather than by physical security measures

"What the... this place was supposed to be completely untouched. This... Mylo, there's no telling what that could be from, what it could contain." Mischa takes out her datapad - can it send messages back to the shuttle crew, or better yet, the original settlement?

"I have no idea where this came from. I would have surely heard about it had my people known. We should proceed with caution, there is no telling if someone is here now or not."\

(I’m not sure if the questions is in character or not misha. Any ooc clarification stuff should be formatted like this so I know what’s part of the scene and what isn’t)

(Sorry, it’s out of character. I’m wondering as a player whether the device has that capability)

(You can reach the settlement or the shuttle, or both. )

16:29

(The shuttle can basically bounce your comms back to other parts of the planet like a satellite relay )

Mischa reports this sighting to the shuttle crew, giving them its approximate position relative to them. "Let's head down, now that we've gotten a good look. I want to look through that as soon as possible."

The shuttle is able to pick you up, and bring you out to the wreck field now that it’s been sighted and they know where to set you down

"What do you think, Mylo? Head over there now, or rest for a bit?"

Mylo is deeply out of breath still from the climb up, with her hands on her knees. She eats a couple berries from her bag and waves a hand. "As much as I would like to take a break, I suggest we keep moving. We do not want to waste daylight."

(did we want to walk or fly?)

(Is it within reasonable walking distance? Mylo wouldn't want to inconvenience the pilots

)

(It would take the remainder of the day since you have to climb down the mountain too)

(Keeping with what Mylo suggested before)

The shuttle picks you up on the cliff side and is able to make your trip a matter of twenty minutes rather than a partial day of walk. The wreck field is enormous when seen up close. Discards from ancient frontier settlements in the area have all been left behind in large piles

"Wow. This is... inexplicable." Mischa kicks over some pieces of wreckage, looking for anything that would indicate who was settled here, when, and what destroyed all of this.

There doesnt seem to be a settlement, this just looked like an isolated place to store goods. It appears as though long exposure to the conditions has rotted the once working vehicles here and reduced them to valuable only for scrap.

"Abandoned, for ages it looks like. This could be good - the settlement is after raw material, and scrap metal is better than ore. It will reduce the amount of strip mining required." Mischa thinks for a moment. "And if this stuff stayed here long enough to rot and erode like this, this might be a good spot for the relocation to store supplies too."

"Not quite civilization, but not a crash site either. Why would someone settle here alone like this?" Mylo thinks out loud. She turns to respond to agree with Mischa. "It will certainly lighten the load, so to speak. But the mystery still remains of who was here, why were they here, and why has this spot been abandoned."

21:54

"You do not think they were attacked here, do you?" Though seeing the exposure to the conditions, Mylo tries to look around for any signs of struggle.

The only damage that seems to exist here is the damage caused by the conditions, and length of time the once intact vehicles have been sitting in them.

"It does not answer the question, but I do not think whoever was here will return any time soon."

"Not much else to do but let the settlement know this is here."

(I know mischa was looking for some sort of salvage resource fo get her stuff going too)

(Yep! This is a big help)

The location is marked and the preliminary report you’re able to make from the field is passed. There is a brief reply letting you know the settlement is in possession of the data and from here, they’re considering your scouting location complete. A troop transport from the capital will handle the relocation itself and unless you wish to stay on your own endeavors the party is considering this stretch of missions complete

00:26

(3xp, 5000 credits)

"Where are you off to from here, my friend?" Mylo asks Misha. "I may continue to explore this continent. It has been a mystery for as long as I know."

"I may stick around a while. I used to be a salvage merchant, you know - I could oversee a salvage operation on this scrapyard. Maybe oversee the creation of a foundry."

The location is marked and the shuttle crew is able to ensure they can find this place again. The location will also be given to your compads so if you return with a different crew you’ll still be able to find it.

Mischa returns to the campsite and camps out for the remainder of the day.

(up to you gyys what we get into next. I don't want to trap anyone here if we've got our own ideas now)

23:04

(this was a solid first set of missions)

(I think I'm gonna put a pause on playing Mischa from here)

04:14

(Might come back to this later though with a new character - this is a fun game, I'm just not sure this particular character feels right for the style)

(did you want to roll something else or pausing for a while? not sure what to do here)

(I think I’ll move Mylo back to her thread and do a bit more exploring. Was fun playing with you Mischa)

(I'll pause for a while here :) thanks for running so far!)

(okay. moving to archive. Let me know when you're ready for something different)