Crew of the Caliban Crow - ship, gear and relationships

PC group information

Written by Doctor Weather

Contents

Party info	Ship - Caliban Crow	Patron - Shalla Djabari
Gear	Past bonuses and problems	Nemesis - Fihaz Nimatallah

Party info

Explorers: humanite estate agents
Talent: survivors

Names made

Kerman	Strong-Shoulder; Walker with Demons
Khalil	The Chef
Murad	The kharatuk returned
Zarzur	Demon Queen of the Nekatra

Gear

Current gear - personal

• 1 Orb of Ghodar (value: arguably priceless but easily 7 figures to the right bidder)
• 1 spirit crystal previously used to bind the djinn named Jihan, granddaughter of the great Irides, the Wondrous One, she of the Shining River
• 2 grav bikes, Dance of the Red Veils decoration (value: ~3,000 birr each)
• 1 mystic compass that detects Portal Builder energies (value: 6 to 7 figures to the right bidder)
• 1 set of advanced tools (from the Abouelkassem Messenger building)
• Experiment kit for the Abouelkassem energy field experiments (from the Gambler building)
• Combat shield
• Two camp Ghodar-air purifiers from the desert tribes
• One 'mystery cube' offered as a gift from the Deep Desert of Ghodar
• Legion combat exos - assault configuration
• 1 worn by Kerman
• 3 could use some minor repairs
• 2 stripped of advanced components to fling at a Portal Builder cleaner robot
• 5 in good shape
• 3 Fleet Legionary prisoners: 1 injured in a fight with Kerman and 2 suffering the after affects of the Orb of Ghodar - conversation still to be had as to whether they went into stasis in the portal jump...

Cargo of Caliban Crow

• 1 Xinghur tractor
• 3 damaged sand buggies

Sent to Ghodar Station to fix Caliban

• 1 advanced spare part (from the Abouelkassem Messenger building)
• 1 advanced computer (from the Abouelkassem Messenger building)

Now used up in the Legion attack on the Great Caravan

• Sand-burst grenades - B0, I0, BP6, Rclose, Dx, Cx - blocks vision, action penalties = successes
• Sand-storm grenade - B0, I0, BP9, Rshort, Dx, Cx - restricts vision, action penalties and cover = successes

Subsumed by a Portal Builder cleaner robot

• few shards of funky crystal (value: ~ 2,000 to 5,000 birr to the right buyer)
• parts of a chair of spiritual energy transfer (value: still to be determined)

JUMP TO CONTENTS

Ship - Caliban Crow

Class III – Oryx class Courier Ship
The Oryx class courier ship is designed to get journalists and messengers safely in and out of systems without fuss. This particular model was 'obtained' elsewhere and then refitted in the local Darkos shipyards and now has a more functional, weatherworn look to it. Its sleek capabilities aren't affected but now it says "there's no point hassling me because I've fallen on hard times and I would have already sold all my best parts to fix this paint job if I had any self-respect, honest."
Problem: ship's intelligence is confused by nouns when it comes to sentient life – changing context causes it to mix up people by both name and title

Stats

HP: (7) 5
EP: (5)

Armour: 3
Signature: 0

Manoeuvre: +1
Speed: 3

Damage and problems:

• Low-level, short range flight capability only, using existing graviton stores - attempts to generate more are in danger of causing a reactor breach
• Ship is currently not spaceworthy through damage to the hold
• 1 hull damage using the ship to protect crawlers from landslides in the City of Brass mountains
• 1 hull damage taken when Kerman 'threaded the needle' bringing the ship into the portal chamber (the comms array was repaired however)

Modules, mandatory

#	Module	Active?	Damage / problems
1	Bridge (O)	y	-
2	Reactor (O)	y *	Low-level, short range flight capability only, using existing graviton stores - attempts to generate more are in danger of causing a breach
3	Graviton projector (O)	y

Modules, optional - 10

#	Module	Active?	Damage / problems
1	Stasis hold (A) 20 beds	n	1 bed fallen to Yochanan's corruption - irreparable 19 beds taken down by a power surge (Zarzur's headpiece) - can be repaired if (A) spare parts can be found
2	Docking station (O)	y	-
3	Cabins (O) - 5 standard Comes with a recreation area	y	-
4	Cabins (O) - 1 suite For Shalla's (and Jihan's) personal use	y	Potentially given over for Jihan's personal use...?
5	Smuggler’s stash (O) Disguised as Traveller shrine	y	-
6	Cargo hold (O) 50 tons	y	Door breached by Legionary assualt over the Deep Desert: the hold is operational and has since been made weather-tight but a stop at a dock will be needed to make it the ship space-worthy again
7	Counter measures (O)	y	-
8	Accelerator canon (O)	y	-
9	Workshop (O)	y	-
10	Service station (O)	y	It's still in a bit of a mess after an insane Legionary smashed it up but it's functional

Features

#	Feature	Effect	Active	Damage / problems
1	Caliban: ship’s intelligence – advanced	An experimental advance in ship intelligence – will cause interest in a knowledgeable person coming on board 5 dice in any roll and can assist	y	-
2	Turbo projector	+1 manoeuvrability, +1 speed	y	-
3	Atmospheric entry		y	-
4	Atmospheric shielding: Ghodar chain lightning	4 armour against lightning	y	-

JUMP TO CONTENTS

Patron - Shalla Djabari

Shalla is a courtesan at the governor’s palace in Djachroum Station, the capital of the communities that lie in the asteroid belt known as the Rimward Reach*. She is an adviser and functionary to Governor Aqbar but makes an excellent second living as a fixer of operations.
* The Rimward Reach is the furthest colonised point out from the star in the Kua system. The Kua system contains Coriolis Station, the centre of all politics, trade and intrigue in the Horizon.

Character

Shalla wields a stolen family name, making good use of the stolen privilege that comes with it, and you know it. Currently though, your relationship is a good one, as everyone knows what it’s like trying to survive at the bottom of the pile. Moreover, she knows your humanite and mystic secrets, and you do owe her a fair debt, so all’s in balance. She has a strong connection to the Messenger and often refers to her groups of operatives as her flocks of sparrows.

Motives

Shalla is connected to the prophet Ndina and the five head preachers of the Rimward Reach who are currently arguing there is no spiritual difference between base humans and the humanites (the Nadjim).
JUMP TO CONTENTS

Nemesis - Fihaz Nimatallah

Fihaz works for Tekne – a private agency specialising in surveillance and espionage. You worked for / with him on a botched operation. You blame him for the botch; he blames you. After this he tried to get information on you that he could use to make you take the fall and fix his reputation but, so far, you’ve alluded his schemes. Over time he has become more and more annoyed and has vowed to send his best operative after you. Bribes haven’t dissuaded him.
You also know that he’s trying to get into the good books of a Faction intelligence agency – you’re not sure which one. Whatever the full truth, neither bribes nor threats have shaken him from your tail, as either his ego or prospective employer demands more.
He will likely soon find out about you being humanites and mystics; but he will not be able to openly reveal it without also proving his association with you and so suffering heavily for it. There are always other schemes though…
JUMP TO CONTENTS

Past bonuses and problems

'Black Sparrow' - hacked her spyware
Zarzur, 5 successes - not all spent but the rest were voluntarily given up in return for information about the party's enemies

• 1 spent on hack itself: passive retrieval of data always allowed
• 1 spent on getting one free active digital assault before being discovered - yet to be used
• 1 spent on locating the Black Sparrow during the story at the palace walls

Legion Ghodar computers infiltrated
Zarzur, 5 successes - all used up

• 1 spent on hack itself: passive retrieval of data always allowed; desert rose organisation not yet hacked - behind another 'wall'
• 1 spent in ruse whilst destroying Gambler building
• 1 spent gaining information on the Harir's loss of power: 'Victory is Ours'
• 1 spent keeping the way open through the Legion lockdown as the Harir approached
• 1 spent spying on communcation between Nasralleh and Commander Abashid (Harir 5th)

JUMP TO CONTENTS

CC 61, segment of The Deckhand
Contract: Whispers to the Star Singer
Whispers to the Star Singer campaign timeline

Debt to patron: 768,625 birr
Kitty: 23,918 birr
Assume 4 x 5k-10k needed for solo, safe portal jumps
Change from last session: -

Bonuses and problems

Galilea Kabirii (Colonial Ranger captain) - favour owed
Masruq, 2 successes: small to medium, non-compromising favour owed
Ghodar populace celebrity
PCs have +3 to influence Ghodar locals; affects reputation, manipulation, intimidation, etc.
Harir tracked
Zarzur, 3 successes: Legion destroyer location always known
Jihan - deal with a djinn
Kerman's intimidation and Masruq's poetry created a deal with Jihan, granddaughter of the great Irides, the Wondrous One, she of the Shining River:

• Jihan will help the party rescue the trapped human spirits in the Abouelkassem 'Gambler building'
• Jihan will not take revenge on the party as a result of the negotiation of this deal
• The party has 3 more favours to call in (note: djinn cannot grant wishes, only grant favours that lie within their normal capabilities)
• One spent retrieving the Al Sharaf scimitar from Fleet Legionaries
• One spent saving a Xinghur crawler from a Legion attack in the Deep Desert en route to the City of Brass

Kerman has a mania
He will attack 'demons' on sight
Masruq has a curse
Nekatra within Nekatra Mountains - legndary status
Zarzur and her consorts sometimes heal and sometimes hurt; either way they are a power to be feared and respected

• Zarzur The Sorcerer killed a pack leader with her mind
• PCs saved the Watcher villages, killing many pack mates with lightning and thunder
• Zarzur descended from above to heal the mystic, Souhaila, when she was bound to die

Watcher Valley (minority faction) - fear and hatred

• PCs are demons and demon friends
• PCs admitted to releasing demons in the valley of the ancients
• PCs unleashed the nekatra on the Watcher villages

Valley of Madness incident
Kerman tells the Ghodar locals that they were nowhere near the incident and it is inferred that the Factioners released the Darkness with their own incompetence.
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Allies

Bakhtiyar Yazdan - dedicated alliance

• Masruq, 5 successes from introductory poetry
• Freed Khamzi from the influence of the sorcerer Avihu and allowing Juldizin Demalisi to pursue its dreams of being an independent colony
• Probably gotten as much free stuff as they're going to get from his household now without breaking the rules of hospitality

Ghodar colonists - impressed, celebrity status, highest regard

• Saved Ghodar Station from asteroids
• Defeated the Solar Wind in the Bazaar
• Defeated the Dance of the Red Veils pirate crew in The Cantina
• Kerman is known as 'Walker with Demons' by the mountain people
• Kerman defeated a squad of Legionaries in The Cantina
• Kerman saved a servant boy from the explosion on the Colonial Agency ship, the Divine Algebra
• Saved Khamzi from demons
• Story of the Princess Who Lost Her Heart told at the palace gates - everyone now at +3 reputation

Ghodar Station - friends for life

• Saved them from asteroids

Ghodar's Xinghur tribes - political alliance agreed

• Resolved the stain on their honour by solving the problem of the Abouelkassem science facility once and for all

Khamzi Mazandarani - indebted

• Freed her from possession by the sorcerer Avihu

Lila, The Oasis spaceport concierge - reliable agent

• Masruq, 3 successes

Mind's Eye Portal Station - favourably disposed

• Captain Rafal bribed with 8,500 birr

Seeker Circle, Nekatra Mountains - grateful friends

• Saved the Seeker, Souhaila

Watcher Valley (majority faction) - friends for life 

• Saved them from nekatra 
• Kerman, Walker with Demons, & Murad, 'kharatuk', seen as sent from The Star Singer

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Antagonisms

Colonial Agency - it's complicated

• Kerman intimidated their pilots over the Nekatra Mountains
• Failed to out-negotiate PCs in investigating PC actions
• PCs strongly suspected to be responsible for the attack on the Divine Algebra
• PCs strongly suspected to be responsible for blocking the diplomatic manoeuvring to gain control of Juldizin Demalisi
• Colonial Ranger captain blocked all reprisals against the party for unknown reasons

Dance of the Red Veils's crew - likely seeking revenge

• PCs publicly - and easily - beat them in a fight in The Cantina
• PCs took an expensive artifact and 3 grav-bikes off them

Legion survivors of the Valley of Madness incident - seeking revenge and profit

• Blame the party for the incident, claiming the party unleashed the Darkness there
• Recognised Zarzur and want the bounty for her capture
• Indefinite jail sentence for weilding a knife in Juldizin Demalisi in brawl with Kerman - but sentence overturned by Khamzi's release from possession by Avihu

Legion, Harir 5th - seeking revenge

• Attacked by the party at the Abouelkassem facility
• Attacked by the party outside the City of Brass with a lightning canon and redirected energies from the Portal Builder mountain systems
• One of the number wounded and captured by the party outside the City of Brass