Original material in this entry may be employed for personal
non-profit use with the origin noted. The quote and some
material from CT Alien Module 6 - Solomani is used under the
'fair use' policy and is copyright 1986 Games Designers'
Workshop. Any other use is subject to permission from the
author. Contact me through email [to be revealed at contest
end] for permission.
Entry 1 - Broken Arrows - From details in CT Alien Module 6 -
Solomani (Copyright 1986 Games Designers' Workshop)
Xiwa - 2408 - Concord subsector Solomani Rim - UPP-C300568-B -
Ni Va A503Im
"In 1095 the two major powers on Xiwa resorted to nuclear
weapons during a confrontation. Many city domes were breached
and over 80% of the population died before Imperial Marines
could intervene. Most of the surviving population lives in
scattered small settlements far from the old cities. With it’s
old governmental apparatus shattered Xiwa remains under
Imperial military government.”
The players have just landed at the downport, there is no
highport. It has been fifteen years since the nuclear war and
institution of Imperial Martial Law. The text quoted above can
be read to the players if they consult a library listing for
the planet. If they care to look on the way down to the port
they will see some of the shattered and abandoned ruins of the
large domed arcologies that once spotted this small world. Now
dark. A few small lights show the surviving scattered
settlements.
The starport is actually the original downport, though it is
now devoid of much of it’s earlier facilities. The mainworld
has earned an Amber Zone rating from the TAS because of the
many hot zones and limited facilities, it would probably be a
Red Zone but for the presence of Imperial Forces. There are no
longer any TAS facilities present, they were appropriated by
the Imperial Force for barracks and headquarters.
The only people at the downport are the Imperial Troops and
local traders who come from the far scattered small settlements
that escaped nuclear destruction. Travel is limited to slow
overland buggies. The once globe spanning high speed maglev
subway lies in ruins. No one lives in the nearby radioactive
breached dome that was once the capital of this world. Or so it
is believed…
While wandering around the bazaar the players observe a skinny
child stealing some food from a local vendor. The vendor begins
shouting in a strange language obviously agitated and the child
screams back in a similar manner before running off. The
commotion attracts the attention of an Imperial patrol and
three of the men in combat dress armed with gauss rifles chase
down the alley after the child while the fourth approaches the
vendor and converses calmly in the strange language.
If the players inquire they will be told it’s none of their
business, just another thief, move along. And the patrol leader
will recall the team from the alley to reinforce the point.
If the players look in the alley they’ll find the Imperial
patrol laying a severe beating on the child until the patrol
notices the party. At which time the patrol will leave off the
child and look hard and tough at the party with questions of
what are you looking at, you didn’t see nothing right, and
such. During which time the child will crawl off into a
basement and disappear.
If the players don’t do anything they will notice the patrol
leader being given what might be local currency. Then he will
see the party and start asking questions while recalling his
team. More of the what did you see, you didn’t see nothing
right line of threat. Back it up with hints of checking
import/export papers and/or ship license and such.
In any case the players will have allowed the child to escape,
and gained the hard unwanted attention of the local Imperial
forces for a while.
Shortly after the patrol finally stops shadowing the party in
their threatening manner the child will stealthily appear and
in broken Galanglic offer his thanks and a chance to repay them
for their help.
If they agree he will swear them to secrecy, for their good as
much as his own, for what he is about to share with them could
be very dangerous and land them in a lot of trouble with the
Imperial forces stationed here.
If they agree he will lead them to an small abandoned basement
room and require them to be blindfolded and leave behind all
electronics at this point. Once they comply he has them hold
hands in a chain with himself in the lead. He asks them to
crouch and they begin walking. They obviously leave the small
basement room through some unseen door and after walking in a
crouch for several tens of twisty meters he says they can walk
upright now, and remove their blindfolds if they like, but not
to break the chain. If they do they will find it pitch black
and they are as blind as if their eyes were still covered. They
walk at a faster pace on smooth floors for several minutes
before it begins to grow dimly lit ahead. Finally coming to a
large opening they find themselves in an old subway train
station, actually in the smooth maglev tunnel leading into it.
At this point the child jumps up onto the platform and says
follow me, stay close.
Leading the group up the stairs they come into a settlement of
a kind, apparently buried in the ruins of the old capital city.
Many malnourished people of all ages, some with obvious
radiation illness are camped here. The boy explains that these
are survivors of the war, given up for dead when the capital
dome cracked and fell. They lived in the ruins for months
before tunneling out to the downport only to find their world
had been occupied by the Imperials. At first they were thankful
but soon found that the occupying forces were corrupt and the
survivors from the out settlements blamed the cities for the
war. They were doubly outcast and despised. Even openly hated
and persecuted. After an especially bad incident with many of
their number rounded up and disappearing the city survivors
went to ground. They have been living here since, stealing and
salvaging what they can to survive.
The boy finally comes to dwelling, an old shipping crate, and
announces that this is his home. He was born here soon after
the dome fell and lives with his mother and two older siblings.
Absent is his father, which he never knew, being one to the
disappeared from nearly 15 years ago. He leads the group in and
welcomes them introducing them to the family. They offer to
share the meal the boy stole earlier, meager as it is, and
would be disappointed if they didn’t accept at least a token
portion.
After the brief repast the boy explains that he wishes the
off-worlders to take his family away from here on their
starship. He can’t pay in Imperials but knows of a special
piece of salvage that is of no use to the survivors but may be
of some value to them. He will take them to it if they give
their word that they will consider his offer.
If they accept, provisionally or unconditionally the boy will
lead them back out of the ruins to an area at the edge of the
dome. Here he will point out through an intact airlock a small
field that a small ship or boat could land at, out of sight of
the downport. Leading the group a little further from the
airlock he will open a heavy locked by entering a key sequence,
carefully hiding the sequence from them. Inside is an item(s)
the players will want. One (or several) items of value and
highly illegal locally. Heavy weapons, energy weapons, advanced
personal armor or some such that might be found in an advanced
armory. Perhaps even a couple nuclear missiles, from the city
defense armory, usable in (or adaptable to) a standard turret
launcher. All items are functional but may need some
maintenance to actually work properly. Powerpacks will be
nearly dead and such.
After the players have a quick look, with the boy not letting
them actually into the room without closing the door, the boy
closes the door which locks automatically. He says they may
each choose one item and asks which they would like as payment.
He says if they find the deal acceptable they are to land at
the pad he showed them. He will open the airlock where his
family and the items they choose will be waiting. He himself
will not be going until he knows that his family is safely
relocated on Beatus - 2608 - Harlequin subsector Solomani Rim
and sends for him. If the players wish to be the ones to return
for him then he will again let them into the armory to take all
they want in return for taking him to Beatus.
Thus ends this adventure seed, or perhaps it’s just the
beginning of many more…
non-profit use with the origin noted. The quote and some
material from CT Alien Module 6 - Solomani is used under the
'fair use' policy and is copyright 1986 Games Designers'
Workshop. Any other use is subject to permission from the
author. Contact me through email [to be revealed at contest
end] for permission.
Entry 1 - Broken Arrows - From details in CT Alien Module 6 -
Solomani (Copyright 1986 Games Designers' Workshop)
Xiwa - 2408 - Concord subsector Solomani Rim - UPP-C300568-B -
Ni Va A503Im
"In 1095 the two major powers on Xiwa resorted to nuclear
weapons during a confrontation. Many city domes were breached
and over 80% of the population died before Imperial Marines
could intervene. Most of the surviving population lives in
scattered small settlements far from the old cities. With it’s
old governmental apparatus shattered Xiwa remains under
Imperial military government.”
The players have just landed at the downport, there is no
highport. It has been fifteen years since the nuclear war and
institution of Imperial Martial Law. The text quoted above can
be read to the players if they consult a library listing for
the planet. If they care to look on the way down to the port
they will see some of the shattered and abandoned ruins of the
large domed arcologies that once spotted this small world. Now
dark. A few small lights show the surviving scattered
settlements.
The starport is actually the original downport, though it is
now devoid of much of it’s earlier facilities. The mainworld
has earned an Amber Zone rating from the TAS because of the
many hot zones and limited facilities, it would probably be a
Red Zone but for the presence of Imperial Forces. There are no
longer any TAS facilities present, they were appropriated by
the Imperial Force for barracks and headquarters.
The only people at the downport are the Imperial Troops and
local traders who come from the far scattered small settlements
that escaped nuclear destruction. Travel is limited to slow
overland buggies. The once globe spanning high speed maglev
subway lies in ruins. No one lives in the nearby radioactive
breached dome that was once the capital of this world. Or so it
is believed…
While wandering around the bazaar the players observe a skinny
child stealing some food from a local vendor. The vendor begins
shouting in a strange language obviously agitated and the child
screams back in a similar manner before running off. The
commotion attracts the attention of an Imperial patrol and
three of the men in combat dress armed with gauss rifles chase
down the alley after the child while the fourth approaches the
vendor and converses calmly in the strange language.
If the players inquire they will be told it’s none of their
business, just another thief, move along. And the patrol leader
will recall the team from the alley to reinforce the point.
If the players look in the alley they’ll find the Imperial
patrol laying a severe beating on the child until the patrol
notices the party. At which time the patrol will leave off the
child and look hard and tough at the party with questions of
what are you looking at, you didn’t see nothing right, and
such. During which time the child will crawl off into a
basement and disappear.
If the players don’t do anything they will notice the patrol
leader being given what might be local currency. Then he will
see the party and start asking questions while recalling his
team. More of the what did you see, you didn’t see nothing
right line of threat. Back it up with hints of checking
import/export papers and/or ship license and such.
In any case the players will have allowed the child to escape,
and gained the hard unwanted attention of the local Imperial
forces for a while.
Shortly after the patrol finally stops shadowing the party in
their threatening manner the child will stealthily appear and
in broken Galanglic offer his thanks and a chance to repay them
for their help.
If they agree he will swear them to secrecy, for their good as
much as his own, for what he is about to share with them could
be very dangerous and land them in a lot of trouble with the
Imperial forces stationed here.
If they agree he will lead them to an small abandoned basement
room and require them to be blindfolded and leave behind all
electronics at this point. Once they comply he has them hold
hands in a chain with himself in the lead. He asks them to
crouch and they begin walking. They obviously leave the small
basement room through some unseen door and after walking in a
crouch for several tens of twisty meters he says they can walk
upright now, and remove their blindfolds if they like, but not
to break the chain. If they do they will find it pitch black
and they are as blind as if their eyes were still covered. They
walk at a faster pace on smooth floors for several minutes
before it begins to grow dimly lit ahead. Finally coming to a
large opening they find themselves in an old subway train
station, actually in the smooth maglev tunnel leading into it.
At this point the child jumps up onto the platform and says
follow me, stay close.
Leading the group up the stairs they come into a settlement of
a kind, apparently buried in the ruins of the old capital city.
Many malnourished people of all ages, some with obvious
radiation illness are camped here. The boy explains that these
are survivors of the war, given up for dead when the capital
dome cracked and fell. They lived in the ruins for months
before tunneling out to the downport only to find their world
had been occupied by the Imperials. At first they were thankful
but soon found that the occupying forces were corrupt and the
survivors from the out settlements blamed the cities for the
war. They were doubly outcast and despised. Even openly hated
and persecuted. After an especially bad incident with many of
their number rounded up and disappearing the city survivors
went to ground. They have been living here since, stealing and
salvaging what they can to survive.
The boy finally comes to dwelling, an old shipping crate, and
announces that this is his home. He was born here soon after
the dome fell and lives with his mother and two older siblings.
Absent is his father, which he never knew, being one to the
disappeared from nearly 15 years ago. He leads the group in and
welcomes them introducing them to the family. They offer to
share the meal the boy stole earlier, meager as it is, and
would be disappointed if they didn’t accept at least a token
portion.
After the brief repast the boy explains that he wishes the
off-worlders to take his family away from here on their
starship. He can’t pay in Imperials but knows of a special
piece of salvage that is of no use to the survivors but may be
of some value to them. He will take them to it if they give
their word that they will consider his offer.
If they accept, provisionally or unconditionally the boy will
lead them back out of the ruins to an area at the edge of the
dome. Here he will point out through an intact airlock a small
field that a small ship or boat could land at, out of sight of
the downport. Leading the group a little further from the
airlock he will open a heavy locked by entering a key sequence,
carefully hiding the sequence from them. Inside is an item(s)
the players will want. One (or several) items of value and
highly illegal locally. Heavy weapons, energy weapons, advanced
personal armor or some such that might be found in an advanced
armory. Perhaps even a couple nuclear missiles, from the city
defense armory, usable in (or adaptable to) a standard turret
launcher. All items are functional but may need some
maintenance to actually work properly. Powerpacks will be
nearly dead and such.
After the players have a quick look, with the boy not letting
them actually into the room without closing the door, the boy
closes the door which locks automatically. He says they may
each choose one item and asks which they would like as payment.
He says if they find the deal acceptable they are to land at
the pad he showed them. He will open the airlock where his
family and the items they choose will be waiting. He himself
will not be going until he knows that his family is safely
relocated on Beatus - 2608 - Harlequin subsector Solomani Rim
and sends for him. If the players wish to be the ones to return
for him then he will again let them into the armory to take all
they want in return for taking him to Beatus.
Thus ends this adventure seed, or perhaps it’s just the
beginning of many more…
