01 Miner Inconveniences
Set the Scene
The Ashbound orbits around Halcyon Verge, a remote mining outpost of the USC, or so its beacon claims. Izel detects a small outpost on the surface where the beacon points and attempts to establish radio contact to secure a friendly landing.
Complication: 2 An obstacle blocks your way
Altered Scene: 6 Altered
Alteration: 1 A major detail of the scene is enhanced or somehow worse
The outpost is currently experiencing a fierce electrical storm. Radio communication is spotty and landing would be visual in low visibility weather.
Yes/No (Unlikely)
Does someone respond to the landing requests?
4,4 No
The outpost is broadcasting it's presence, but there is no automated landing assistant and no one seems to be present at the other end.
Pacing Move
2 Reveal a New Detail
Something is wrong with the broadcast...
Detail Focus
What is up with the broadcast?
QS Exotic (mystical)
The ground radio is broadcasting odd pulses of energy at irregular intervals. Izel suspects the radio tower is malfunctioning and possibly even damaged from the storm.
The beacon stops transmitting suddenly. Then an automated distress beacon starts transmitting. The outpost has lost power. In more hostile worlds this would mean certain doom for the inhabitants but in such a lush world waiting for the power to return after the storm ends is just a matter of time and engineering.
Plot Hook
Objective: 4 Escort or deliver to safety
Adversaries: 5 Enemy horde or force
Rewards: 1 Money or valuables
A radio transmission on the emergency channel.
"USC Galleon, thank Kluex you're here early, power is out, bugs are swarming in from the mines to avoid the flood table. Request immediate evacuation"
Izel attempts to radio back that they are not the Galleon .
Arcana 15 - Izel successfully broadcasts through the storm on boosted emergency channels and explains they are not the Galleon and can only evacuate maybe 10 souls on their tech packed Cruiser.
Yes/No (Unlikely)
Does the ground station respond?
1,1 No but...
The ground station transmits again but the message is entirely garbled.
Arcana 17 - Izel prints a light crossbow and prepares to land.
Acrobatics - 0 Izel attempts to land in the storm... it doesn't go well...
Failure Move
4 Advance a Threat
Izel lands hard in a meters deep pool of rainwater inside the outpost walls. The ship is outfitted for an aquatic landing but that doesn't stop the large splash and wave from attracting a lot of huge insects crawling over the ship trying not to drown.
Encounter Giant Stinger Beetle, medium sized. threat level 2. On the Ashbound hull. Unaware. Izel opens the hatch and a number of smaller harmless insects fall into the Ashbound. Izel carefully lines up a shot through the Beetles soft underside that is lethal but the beetle does not seem to get that memo. It charges and stings Izel who uses his pacification emitter to knock out the injured beast and finish it off. Izel Is already wounded without ever technically leaving his ship. He isn't a warrior, he did his best. The strangers aren't worth dying over. He returns back inside the Ashbound to wait out the storm and recover. He radios the outpost to let them know what happened but no response is received. it's possible they are already dead, or just as likely they don't have anything to say or the radio connection isn't working.