Turn 1: Arrival on Lamiria II
General Summary
"Hold on to something. Atmo's pretty choppy," Radley's voice scapes across the comms, an informal call to the bridge after four days of interstellar travel.
The last world was... disappointing to say the least. Two had gotten some valuable time with his people, but the strictures of Engineer culture meant the asteroid colony lacked any of the charm necessary to complete the kinds of jobs the Wyvern was equipped for - that is; mayhem of copious varieties. Just as well. Maggie's contact on Lamiria was eager to get her here and insistent that her crew would find good work. Sarah - who worked in the Sector Provost's office. It was a satellite office, of course, but it still had pull - promised a meeting even before they landed.
Maggie made her way up the spinal hall on the bridge deck and into the cavernous (well... relatively speaking) room that contained the primary helm, navigation, weapons, and sensors, stations as well as an engineering station for a chief to act as liason to the bridge. More space and functionality than they needed, but it kept the crew from stepping on each others' toes.
Yevesa and Iyanna were already on the bridge. Yevesa was standing on the observation deck below, a habit when she arrived at a new planet, eager as ever to be arriving someplace of her own volition rather than at the behest of the Unity Defense Forces. Iyanna sat near Radley sipping on something warm, Radley had a steaming cup beside him as he made some final adjustments before the autopilot took over. Mothering him into adulthood, as usual.
Maggie sat in the captain's chair, listening to her crew chatter. Yevesa was reporting on cities, towns, and general characteristics of the world. Lots of flora - huge volumes of green on the island-like continents - and a roiling ocean. A deep mist covered what towns they could see, and cloud cover seemed lower than average for a plant this size and temperature. Billie arrived with Sark, the two of them discussing Lamiria's details that they found the 'Net. It sounded like the two of them were already planning a shopping trip.
The starport was just on the edge of town, though that was closer here than on other planets they'd seen. It seemed each of the settlements had a well-defined perimeter, probably to keep the rapidly-growing plant life at bay. Guide lights poked over the treeline and the massive platform rotated up out of the huge structure, ready for a ship the Wyvern's size.
Making Ourselves at Home
The feeling of welcome did not last long. Four armed-and-armored guards accompanied the customs officer, who politely informed Maggie that arms and armor were not acceptable streetwear on Lamiria by Governor's order. Someone was trying to get re-elected. But no matter, they had a few concealed pieces they could carry just in case. It didn't do for a party of off-worlders to walk onto a world unknown and unprepared. Predators and scavengers favored that kind of prey.
Sarah's contact was also in the Provost's office. A government job. She hadn't said. At least Yevesa had scrounged up another lead. Corpo, but what can you do. At least they pay better. The Provost's offer wasn't bad, but the office's limited budget for contractors was obvious. The job was basically a hit on the organizer in a local gang. It sounded messy, and tangling with criminal types always ends in someone vowing revenge. So we said we'd think about it and went to our next meeting.
Yevesa's Corpo contact was more reasonable. Bring a piece of tech from A to B. They even warned that one of the Guilds would probably try to stop it from happening. A couple of professionals was scary, but a horde of hormoal teens with guns was worse.
Yevesa and Maggie made it back to the nest just as Iyanna and Two came back from their walkabout, a couple of interesting things in tow. Billie and Sark came back with some medical supplies, though they picked up a few grenades on their trip as well. Probably Sark's idea. Its stint as a Murderbot obviously stuck with him in the long haul.
Maggie gave everyone the rundown and the crew geared up, the transport from Viridian HQ would be around soon.
The Job
It crept along the ground, scanning as it went. The rudimentary AI drove it forward, adhering to its master's last instruction. Maggie had told the small bot to scout down the thoroughfare within 15 meters of Center Street. The bot had several threat IDs pre-programmed into it. Things like explosives, bladed weapons, and a broad library of firearms. It identified about three dozen firearms in its trip towards the Fountain Square, all concealed handguns. It was a different story in the Square itself.
A group of mercs, three of them, were stationed on the buildings just beyond the fountain. They were armed with military-grade weapons and the populace did not seem to take kindly to their presence. Maggie reported the info back to the rest of her crew.
"We should stay away from the locals," Iyanna volunteered, "If they're that keyed up, the mercs probably did something stupid to piss them off."
"Hm," Maggie looked at her crew, "Alright. Sark, Billie - you go for the data cache. Those extra creds would be handy. Radley, find a high spot and cover us. Iyanna, Yevesa, and I are going to go through the square hugging the slum side. Hopefully we'll get some cover from the locals, so long as we stay on the correct side of the buildings."
No sooner had she said it than a bit of mist trickled by her feet, thick as custard and moving quickly. Radley threw his rifle over his shoulder and climbed the back of the building while Billie and Sark got into position at the corner and Maggie and Yevesa stacked up behind Iyanna.
"In position," Radley reported.
"Move up."
A chorus of acknowledgements met Maggie's message.
"Captain."
"Yes, Radley?"
"Fog's too thick. I can't see anything up here."
Maggie looked down the road. The trickle of mist had come in like a tsunami and covered the entire block in gloomy pudding.
"This just got easier. Alright. Sark, you and Billie still go for the data, Radley get down here and cover us. I don't think we can see much further than 15 meters, which means you're no good sharpshooting. Let's move."
Radley made a frustrated sound over the comm and started to climb down the building. Sark took off at a jog with Billie covering its back. Maggie, Yevesa, and Iyanna kept to their portion of the plan: go up the middle, draw some fire.And draw fire they did. Just as they moved past the corner of the last building before the fountain, they spotted a merc on a balcony above. She saw them, too, and fired. A dull thud followed by a burst of sound and pressure at their feet tossed Yevesa and Maggie around, but they kept their feet after grabbing at the nearby info terminal. Iyanna moved out and around to flank and cover, but seeing her Captain hit she charged in, laser bolts scoring the merc's armor. Yevesa got to her feet and backed Iyanna up while Maggie was still reeling from the blast.
Iyanna pinned the merc with a fusellade of laser bolts, giving Yevesa an opportunity to move around for a better shot, when the distincitive bark of a Colony Rifle came from the armed locals.
Attacked on all sides, the mercs seemed to huddle, but not for long. Closing to within a handful of meters Yevesa put one of her needles between the armor plates at the merc's neck. She dropped, dead.
Seeing her comrade go down, and under fire from two directions, the other merc bailed over the side of the building, clambering down and disappearing into the mist, calling to her partner.
"Data packet downloaded," said Sark, "Everyone still alive?"
"Affirmative," Iyanna mumbled, "Opposition neutralized. Bot said three, one down, one fled, and I heard her call to a fellow. Safe bet we're clear."
"Let's play it paranoid. Stack up, no reason to let our good fortune go to waste."
Everyone except Yevesa met Maggie and Iyanna at the fountain. A moment later the vulpid joined them a mysterious case in her hand.
She shrugged, "No sense in leaving it behind. She won't need it. And the laser scoring will probably buff right out."
"You took her armor?" Iyanna looked scandalized. Yevesa looked at her flatly and said nothing.
"Come on, let's go," Maggie said, her tone carrying her suffering.
While the group of six practiced a lose definition of discipline through the town, as they got towards the edge it broke down completely. No other contact had been made, and they were feeling flush with victory. Walking in a clump, guns held low, they came across another clump, also with guns held low. The tension rose immediately but Billie stepped forward, her weapon stowed.
"Hi there, this your own?"
"Something we can do for you?" came the reply in tones suggesting several unpleasant possibilities.
"We're passing through, that's all. Trying to do some honest work."
Another voice, "What kind of honest work requires so much firepower?"
"The kind dishonest folks would try to stop. Look, folks, I'm not here to disrupt your evening. We're going to walk on past and be on our way."
After a beat Billie stepped forward and the rest of the crew followed suit. Iyanna kept her head on a swivel until they were across the town line, and everyone could feel the other groups eyes boring into their backs.
Getting Paid
"Thank you, Captain," the woman in too much makeup said, "You have performed beyond our expectations."
"Thank you, Miss Ainsworth," said Maggie as she accepted a credit chit from her, "We look forward to working with you again."
"I think you'll find everything we agreed to on that chit. It may also be used at the local hospital, should you or your crew need medical care as a result of this endeavor."
"Much appreciated," she thinks about Yevesa's clever idea to decrease the Wyvern's turn radius, resulting in a broken collar bone and some bruised pride, "We'll be on-planet for a few weeks at least, and we're bound to swing by this way again after we leave. We'll register with the Freelancer's office when we do."
Credits in-hand, Maggie left Viridian's Lamiria office. Her mind was on the next job already, and not on her feet. Which lead to a collision with an absolute wall of flesh. Before her stood a humanoid figure with hooves and horns covered in layers of dusty fabric. Toolboxes and bags surround her on the sidewalk.
"Hey, watch it!" came a muffled baritone.
"Sorry," Maggie said on reflex.
"Hey aren't... aren't you Maggie Galer?"
"Captain Galer, yes."
"Oh, of course, Captain Galer. Hi... Um..." the bovid stammered.
"We're not recruiting, but I appreciate your interest," Maggie waved.
"Wait, I have to get off this world, please."
"As a passenger?"
"Well... not what I wanted but..."
"Then find a crew that's hiring."
"Okay! Okay, a passenger. But you'll see! I'm useful!"
"Bay seven. Tell them you're looking for Two-Shaper. Password is sunshine."
World Steps
- Upkeep is paid from the ship's coffers: 2 Cr
- No repairs or medical care is needed.
- Current debt: 37
- 2 Cr in interest gained
- 9 Cr paid
- New total: 30 Cr.
Crew Tasks:
- Maggie Galer & Yevesa: Find a Patron.
- Die result: 2, +2 for 2 crew members, +2 for 2 previous Patrons. Result: 6! Two Patrons!
- Sector Government
- +1 Cr Danger Pay
- Dangerous Job (+1 Opponent)
- Full Squad (must have 6 available crew)
- Can be completed this or the following 2 Turns
- Bitter Struggle; Shiny Bits; Eliminate.
- Criminal Elements - 8 Gangers; No Unique Individuals; Handguns & Hunting Rifles.
- Corporation:
- +2 Cr Danger Pay
- Health Insurance (can mark down 2 Campaign Turns of Recovery)
- Private Transport (Rivals cannot track you this turn)
- Must be completed this Turn
- Gloomy; Shiny Bits; Move Through
- Hired Muscle - 4 Guild Troops; No Unique Individuals; Military Rifles & Shell Gun.
- Two-Shaper & Iyanna Prest: Explore
- 30 - Alien Merchant: Give them any item, then roll on the Loot Table.
- Give 1 Frakk Grenade.
- 75 - Odds & Ends; 30 - Consumables (2 uses 20 - Booster Pills.
- 96 - Who left this lying around?: Add your choice of Handgun, Blade, Colony Rifle, or Shotgun. Choosing Colony Rifle.
- Billie Pedley 54-RK B00k-R - "Sark": Trade
- 58 - Ordnance: 3 Grenades (Frakk Grenade or Dazzle Grenade in any combination). 2 Frakk, 1 Dazzle.
- 95 - Medical Reserves: 2 Stim-packs, 2 Med-patches
- Radley Thoburn: Train
- 1XP added to Radley's game details.
Tabletop Battle - Patron Mission
Deployment Conditions
- 98 - Gloomy: Maximum visibility is 9". Characters that fire can be fired upon at any range, however.
- 67 - Really shiny bits: Gain 2 Cr - set up 12" from center.
Mission Objective
5 - Move Through
You win the mission if at least 2 crew members move off the opposing battlefield edge. If you drive off all enemies you Win as long as you have at least 2 crew members remaining.Opponent
42 - Hired Muscle.
You are at -1 to Seize the Initiative.31 - Guild Troops.
- Numbers - Die results: 1, 3. Three opponents.
- Including one Specialist
- No Unique Individual (result: 7)
Guild Troop Game Details
Many of the various trade and tech guilds maintain their own private armies to enforce their interests in space.Special - Intrigue: Roll 2d6 and add +1 if you killed a Lieutenant and/or Unique Individual. On a roll of 9+ obtain a Quest Rumor.
Pre-Battle
Terrain
Using the Hlökk Station Pack from Operation Crimson Stone, and Kaldstrøm Conly Pack from Operation Kaldstrøm as a base, some 3D printed buildings, additional scatter terrain from Necromunda & AoS, with WH40k Objectives.
Adding some (D6+1 = 5) trees to represent the Overgrown characteristic. I don't have much other vegetation-like terrain to use, so that'll have to do.
Equipment
- Snooper Bot: Crew will ignore the -1 penalty to Seize the Initiative. Roll for mishap: 3 - bot returns without incident.
- Scanner Bot: Crew will add +1 to Seize the Initiative
Items Equipped
Maggie Galer Yevesa Iyanna Prest Radley Thoburn Billie Pedley 54-RK B00k-R - "Sark" Two-ShaperBattle Report
The Merc ambush was unsuccessful, and the crew's Snooper Bot did its work, IDing the enemies before the crew arrived in the killzone.
Maggie and Yevesa stack up on Iyanna while Billie and Sark prepare to round the corner along the outside of the square and Radley provides cover from a nearby building.
Some locals take notice of the corpo mercs in waiting, while a third member covers the fountain square.
Round 1
While the mercs move into position for an ideal ambush, the crew takes advantage of the haze (9" sight distance) and their foreknowledge to slowly advance through the square.
Though Radley hoped to be able to take up a sharpshooter's perch, the haze was too much, forcing him to move down. Sark and Billie continue their flanking maneuver, seeking the cache of data worthy of a bonus. Yevesa and Maggie take a risk, advancing up the center, hugging the wall and hoping to remain undetected while Iyanna uses the public terminals to provide a crossfire, should her captain be spotted.
Round 2
The Captain's advance is spotted and the public terminal takes some hits - but fortune is with them and the bullets go wide... until one of them explodes, knocking Maggie to the ground. Seeing her distress Iyanna and Yevesa close in on the shooter, forcing them to take cover - the weapons fire attracts the attention of the locals, who intervene and fire at the beleaguered merc, who takes cover behind the solid railings.
Radley, Billie, and Sark move up.
- Battle Event for Round 2 - 16: Lost Heart
- The enemy will flee at the end of the next round.
Round 3
Sark, enhanced legs giving it additional speed, reaches the infocache, while Iyanna and Yevesa spring into action in defense of their captain, moving up the stairs firing at the shell-gun-armed Merc, Yevesa's poison needle finally putting her in the ground.
Seeing her commander killed, the other merc stationed on the roof bails, jumping down off the other side of the roof following the onslaught.
With that: Turn 3 ends and the Round 2 Action takes effect and the mercs have Lost Heart and retreat. The crew of the Wyvern Hold the Field!
Post-Battle
- Resolve Guild Troops' Intrigue.
- 2D6 result: 9, Quest Rumor added.
- Resolve Rival Status
- Do Guild Troops become our Rivals? D6 result: 3, No.
- Resolve Patron Status
- Mission complete, Viridian local office added to the Wyvern Patron list.
- Determine Quest Progress
- Mission was not part of a Quest
- Get Paid
- D6 result: 6 Cr
- +2 Danger Pay
- +2 for Really Shiny Bits collected
- Battlefield Finds
- Battlefield Finds D100 result: 35, Curious data stick. Obtain a Quest Rumor. Earn +1 Cr, add +1 for Invasion in the next step.
- Check for Invasion!
- 2D6 result: 7-1 for Held the Field, +1 for Invasion Evidence, No invasion. (Guild Troops are not an invasion threat anyway).
- Gather the Loot
- Loot 1d100 result: 37, Damaged gear (roll twice on the Gear subtable)
- Gear Subtable 1d100 result: 54, Protective Items.
- Protective Items Subtable 1d100 result: 29, Combat Armor
- Gear Subtable 1d100 result: 96, Utility Items
- Utility Items Subtable 1d100 result: 90, Sonic Emitter
- Determine Injuries & Recovery
- No crew member was a casualty.
- Experience & Character Upgrades
- Experience:
- Survived & Won: +3 (All)
- First character to inflict a Casualty: +1 (Yevesa)
- Upgrades:
- Invest in Advanced Training
- No advanced training this turn.
- Purchase Items
- No purchases this turn.
- Roll for a Campaign Event
- Campaign Event Table 1d100 result: 10, A chance meeting turns into a new ally.
- Roll up a new character and add them to the crew OR addd +1 Story Point. You may decide after rolling up the new character.
- Character Roll:
- Crew Type: 87, Primary Alien; 90, Feral
- Background: 97, Wasteland Nomads (+1 Reactions, +1 Low-tech weapon)
- Weapon: Colony Rifle
- Motivation: 23, Survival (+1 Toughness)
- Class: 6, Technician (+1 Savvy, +1 Gear)
- Gear: Med-patch
- Roll for a Character Event
- Random character D6 result: 2, Yevesa.
- Character Event Table 1d100 result: 63, You get hurt while working on the ship.
- Spend one campaign turn in Sick Bay and The Wyvern takes 1 Hull Point damage
- Ship armor reduces damage by 1, no damage to the Wyvern.
- Reduce Yevesa's Sick Bay stay by 1 turn due to Health Insurance mission Benefit, reducing her stay to 0 Turns.
- Check for Galactic War Progress
- No planets previously invaded by Unity, no roll.
Rewards Granted
- 1 Quest Rumor
- 11 Credits
- 6 Base pay
- +2 Danger pay
- +2 Shiny Bits
- +1 Datastick Battlefield find
- 3 xp per participating crew member
- +1 xp for Yevesa
- Damaged Combat Armor
- Damaged Sonic Emitter
- Crew Member: Val-ried (Feral Wastelander Technician)
Character(s) interacted with
- Kai Ainsworth, Viridian Lamiria contact
- Mining Guild Troops
- Val-reid, New recruit
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