01 Fall Delivery
Koko has separated from the other remaining Floran Star Hunters. Without their grandmother as the leader of their hunt, her inexperience and brash nature isn't an acceptable risk anymore to the other hunters. In truth the hunters don't really feel like a group anymore with a leader and missing their core troupe. So the group basically disbands hours after leaving the failed burrow hunt under Halcyon Verge. Koko has always been a hunter, even as a bud, so she is determined to make it on her own and fill her hall with grand trophies... once she can afford a hall that is. For now, she is back in the Splitlight System looking for work around the nav beacons in orbit around Briarfall, an irritated green world full of thorns and delicious creatures.
Plot Hook
Objective: 4 Escort or deliver to safety
Adversaries: 5 Enemy horde or force
Rewards: 2 Money or valuables
Plot Hook
Objective: 4 Escort or deliver to safety
Adversaries: 5 Enemy horde or force
Rewards: 4 Support of an ally
The job boards are full of salvage runs and hauler escorts. Boring. plus her ship is a transport and loaded to the roots with a small hab pod and atmospheric gear, it's not any more room for spacer escorts. One of only a few ground contracts sticking out: A delivery contract to a salvage site in icy canyons of White Steppe. It's a 3 day flight with a bad orbital alignment. Koko flys out backwards to eat up the dwindling twin lights passively. With only the light to feed her and going nearly a week without solid food and a month without solid ground she is excited to finally make landfall and deliver whatever the hell is in this tiny box.
How Much
How deep in the canyons is the salvage site?
5 More than expected
The safest landing spot is maybe an hour away from the beacon site. An hour if there wasn't any snow. An hour if there weren't canyons to be spelunked. An hour if there weren't natives crawling through the canyons.
Hex Terrain
Terrain: 4 Common terrain
Contents: 5 Nothing notable
Hex Event
5 Random Event then Set the Scene
Random Event:
What happens: 9H Command (social)
Involving: JD Recent Events (technical)
Now in radio contact with the site Koko gets an update on the local state of things as they follow the marked climb through the canyons.
Topic Focus
What's the news?
3S Allies (mystical)
Detail Focus
9S Unsavory (mystical)
Action Focus
2C Seek (physical)
Some of the locals have gathered in the canyons around the site, they aren't directly hostile, yet. They are performing some kind of tribal ritual and chanting but largely leaving the salvage team alone as they search the area for something.
Yes/No (Even)
Do they want to delay the delivery?
4,4 Yes
How Much
3 About average
They prefer Koko to hold onto the package until the locals clear out, but don't expect them to linger too long and just warn her to stay away from any gatherings of the local nomads.
Hex Terrain
Terrain: 5 Uncommon terrain
Contents: 2 Nothing notable
Hex Event
2 None
Pushing on, Koko reaches a descent with some clearly marked climbing paths leading to an open sky cavern below.
Athletics 20 - climbing down the marked path is a simple enough affair. the salvage crew came prepared and left a trail for her.
Hex Terrain
Terrain: 2 Same as current hex
Contents: 5 Nothing notable
Hex Event
1 None
Deep in the canyon after about a click there is another well marked ascent. The time saved using this passage is nice, but Koko feels silly climbing back out already.
Athletics 2 -
Failure Move
3 Offer a Choice
Koko gets stuck in a tangle and could cut herself out and continue the climb but destroy the ascent trail or wiggle free and take the hard landing and try again from the base. Not wanting to piss off her employers and knowing she will have to make the same climb down after delivery she wiggles free and makes a rough slide back to the base of the canyon.
Bruised and sore she makes the climb up again more carefully this time.
Hex Terrain
Terrain: 2 Same as current hex
Contents: 1 Nothing notable
Hex Event
2 None
After exactly 3 steps: another steep descent. Koko is strongly considering the benefits of a jet pack investment right now.
Athletics 10
Failure Move
4 Advance a Threat
Koko tumbles down the slope after a slight miss step landing hard and drawing the attention of a group of locals. They are covered head to toe and the only things visible are their canine like snouts and fangs, otherwise completely covered in brown and green fabrics woven from the local lichens and welding stone tools. there is definitely one that moves like a warrior, game recognizes game, the others might be hunters but hopefully just non combatants. Or friendly. She would take friendly right now.
Yes/No (Unlikely)
Are the locals friendly?
5,5 Yes
Yes/No (Unlikely)
Are the locals helpful?
6,1 Yes but...
Plot Hook
Objective: 4 Escort or deliver to safety
Adversaries: 1 A powerful organization
Rewards: 4 Support of an ally
The locals bandage her up a bit and then proceed to bark and wave their hands and draw symbols in the snow. clearly trying to communicate... something
Insight -2 - The language barrier is just too thick neither side can successfully communicate even basic concepts.
Failure Move
4 Advance a Threat
Yes/No (Even)
Do the locals remain helpful?
6,2 Yes
The locals look incredibly frustrated, but then so does Koko so they have that in common at least. Koko tries to ask for safe passage and eventually just gives up and asks by walking through the group.
Koko arrives at the site finally and delivers the box. Inside is a key card that opens up a lockbox in the largely deconstructed ship. It looks the ship tried to navigate the canyons, a fatal mistake. The salvage crew offers a share of the take as reward. Ship components, the pilots personal armor and weapon and a curious gadget in the lockbox. Koko can choose one.
Whoever this was had some terrifying kit. Shadow blades, decoy projectors, disintegration grenades, a high end ultra light warp drive. Koko considers carefully and chooses to take the Shadow Blades, they are built into some heavy weave armor that isn't quite as protective due to the allowances made for the blade projectors but oh boy does it look badass. Contract complete. Time to walk back out.
Hex Event
4 None
Insight 16 - Koko still has no idea what the locals want but she understands them well enough to walk by again without starting a fight at least.
Hex Event
6 Random Event then Set the Scene
Random Event:
What happens: AC Deceive (physical)
Involving: 4H Community (social)
Athletics 3 - Koko is climbing back up the ridge and notices too late the fray in the rope. Before she falls she sees the cut line, messy with flecks of local stone. Those mother fu-aaaahhh. Thud.
Failure Move
4 Advance a Threat
Koko is getting really tired of falling and the local warrior is advancing while the others scatter. Bastards.
Combat - The warrior attacks with a wicked looking stone cudgel. After her fall to the ground while she is still down. Koko rises and drives her spear through what is probably their heart, but the warrior slams down once again in defiance before Koko pulls the spear out and the warrior bleeds out in the snow. Finally. Fresh meat.
Incredibly wounded and still surrounded at a distance by the tribe Koko sits down to feed on the body and take the head as a trophy. She legitimately wants the trophy, but it's mostly a power display to keep her safe while she recovers enough to climb away.
Failure Move
1 Cause Harm
An angry local isn't quite intimidated enough and throws a rock in protest. Koko is badly wounded already but dodged the rock casually ... forgetting her injuries she feels a rush of blood from internal bleeding from the sudden movement and passes out the sounds of gunfire from the site team chasing off the locals. Koko wakes up, bandaged and healed by the salvage crew. The meat, no longer raw, is ruined for her, but oh boy what a story, and a trophy! She is extremely excited, and not at all phased by the nearly dying like she probably should be.
Hex Event
5 Random Event then Set the Scene
Random Event:
What happens: QC Assist (physical)
Involving: 3H Allies (social)
Before making the ascent Koko notices the first ridge climb into the canyon has been repaired. The rope is a brown and green weave of the locals. a kind of apology and sign of respect. This she understands.
Athletics 14 - The locals rope holds safely. it's crude but the local materials aren't under any strain from the bitter cold so they are just as nice here as the fancy synth ropes they have been falling off of.
Hex Event
2 None
Hex Event
4 None
Failure Move
5 Reveal an Unwelcome Truth
Climbing back down into the canyon on her way out she falls. Again. on the way down she briefly dreams about a jet pack once again. Very briefly. Then crunch. something breaks her fall. She finds her trophy head completely smashed and destroyed. She leaves it behind disheartened and returns to her ship and back to orbit to find a market beacon to pawn her old armor. Knowing exactly what it's worth she knows to expect about 12.5Kp so it's a pretty decent haul all things considered. Though what she really wanted was that trophy. At least she has a good story.