Act 2: Trouble on Herool's Truce

[TheRealSife]

The trip to Herool's truce takes about a week even at superluminal speeds, which gives the Kelere's plenty of time to get familiar with the ship. As described it is a fast exploration vessel with a standard suite of scanning technologies. It comes equipped with enough environment suits to equip the whole crew.

It isn't huge, but feels spacious when there are only four crew members. The advantage of being small is that it is designed to be operated by just a single pilot.

 

[eltorin]

Jana

Once in the ship, Jana says: "Well, I could certainly do without these sorts of annoyances, but I'm glad it turned out for the better, in the end."

Other than that, she quickly familiarizes herself with the ship and makes mental plans for what's ahead of them.

 

[Malkavian Grin]

Wounds 0/11 | Strain 1/14

During the trip, Karrik had spent as much time alone as with the others. In times alone, the Shikrai spent in meditation, and thinking of home. Having finally embarked on his journey, he felt a sense of pride burgeoning. He would show that the Flight wasn't done yet.

 

"Indeed," Karrik offered as the group congregated. "Pelipionne, you have an interesting method of commanding the situation. I am quite glad we avoided bloodshed."

 

He motioned around to their ship and added, "This is no Atharal Torus, but it'll do for a temporary home."

[Intro]

"As am I," Pelopionne agrees. "One hopes that we can continue the same way, but given the gravity of the situation one is not entirely confident." They shrug their organometallic shoulders.

[Ipphli]

The Xxcha was pleased with the way things had gone, giving a special nod of approval towards their robotic ally for his quick thinking. "While things didn't go exactly as planned, I was right: there was no need for violence. We need to remember that we have a reputation to uphold while doing our job. The Keleres are young, and every little thing could cost our fledgling organization a great deal of trouble. We need to keep that responsibility in mind."

When no one else stepped up to pilot the vessel, Cheliyxx volunteers. While he wasn't a trained pilolt, he had been on enough starships in his time and read enough to believe (with the computer's assistance) that he could perform the job adequately.

 

 

 

[TheRealSife]

Cheliyxx manages to successfully navigate a path to Herool's Truce, but the superluminal passage involves some close brushes with cosmic debris, leaving the whole crew a bit rattled.

As the Keleres approach Herool’s Truce, their ship’s viewports and sensors provide them with a closer impression. They can plainly see it is a tidally locked planet in far orbit around its young star. One side constantly faces its star while the other half is in constant darkness. Basic sensor data tells the party that
the “day” side’s temperature is lethal for most sentient species without serious environmental gear. The “night” side is equally perilous, with almost no visible light and a temperature rivaling the coldest places in the galaxy.

Between the two sides lies a narrow terminator zone, where shadow from the planet’s curvature provides a permanent, twilight illumination. The sensors return atmospheric bio-signatures within this band along with a large, artificial construct at a point in the “north” hemisphere, from which emits a regular navigational beacon pulse. This must be the major metropolitan zone which the Loremaster mentioned, and your first stop in the search for Cat's-Paw.

OOC

Everyone takes 3 strain damage for the close calls encountered on the way to Herool's Truce.

If you would like, you may each make an Easy (1 purple difficulty dice) Computers (Intellect) check to see what you can find on the ship's computers about the planet before descending.

 

[eltorin]

Jana

Jana says, "Let's see what we can find out, however, you must know my expertise does not lie within computers.", and with that, she starts navigating the onboard terminals.

OOC

3 Strain, noted.

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by eltorin (see edit history)

[Intro]

Pelopionne collaborates with Jana on the scans; they use their knowledge of ancient technologies to look for their particular traces, including the possibility of Titan sleepers...

[TheRealSife]

Jana Attempts to access the computer, but inputs the wrong pass code three times locking her out of the system and leaving her frustrated.

Pelopionne manages to interface with the ships computer, unlocking the systems and giving them basic access to the galactic almanac. The entry for Herool's Truce reads as follows:

The native population is approximately 5 million sentients, from three different species: the Letnev, Hylar, and Gashlai. They are descendants of the crews of enemy fleets marooned here in a battle during the Twilight Wars.

The planet was brought back into FTL contact with the rest of the galaxy by Hacan traders a few years before the reestablishment of the Galactic Council. Mining activities also take some prospectors to the dark side of Herool’s Truce.

Though Pelopionne can't find any information specifically about any dormant Titans, there is a good chance the prospectors would have conducted detailed surveys of the planet.

 

 

OOC

Jana Takes 1 strain

Peloppione you have two advantage to spend, you could heal strain or give a boost die to another players roll.

I will give it another day in case anyone else wants to try and access the computer and I'll post the descent to Herool's Truce tomorrow.

 

[TheRealSife]

Having learned all you can and not wanting to waste any time, you engage the thrusters and push towards the signal that beckons you from the planet below.

Your ship breaks atmosphere within the twilight sky of the narrow, 20-kilometer-wide habitable band. It is so narrow that temperatures vary drastically from baking to frozen between its day and night edges. You make for the city that stretches across the band, appropriately dubbed “the Span.” Nearing the city, you can make out the long, tapering, alloyed bulk of what was once a warship. Now, its mottled superstructure is surrounded by kilometers of additional civic structure built up and around it, much of it supported like a bridge above the shallow sea beneath. You circle lazily once, then put down on an open pad at the corner of a modest landing platform connected by bridge to the main edifice.

The port at Herool’s Truce is a rustic affair despite its status as a relatively recent addition to the Span, its landing bays floored with metal obviously reclaimed from the ancient cruiser.

OOC

I will need an Average (2 purple die) Pilot check from whoever is flying the ship.

 

[Malkavian Grin]

Wounds 0/11 | Strain 4/14

Karrik had sat in the co-pilot's chair while Cheliyxx commanded the vessel. He always found superluminal travel fascinatingly beautiful. It was yet another indication to him of how magical the mundane could seem under the correct conditions.

 

The Shikrai less appreciated the Xxcha's maneuvering. From his front seat view, Karrik found himself gripping onto whatever was nearby to keep himself upright. With luck, the group made it to Herool's Truce in one piece.

 

Whilst the others busied themselves with the database, Karrik thought about the future. He wondered if they were truly ready for what lay ahead. In a moment of inspiration, he hit the intercom and began speaking. He stared outward into space, deep in thought now as Cheliyxx brought the ship closer.

 

"Keleres. Hear my words. Ahead of us lie many challenges, surely far worse than we have yet to face. I speak to you now with a message of unwavering determination and the power that lies within each and every one of us. Life, as we know it, is a series of challenges and obstacles that test our mettle, pushing us to our limits. It is within those boundaries that we find who we truly are and what we are ultimately capable of."

 

He sat up straighter and continued. "There was a girl in my village. She was determined to reach the top of a nearby mountain without the help of technology. Everyone told her she would fail and was wasting her efforts. It took her a great many years--and many failures--before she did, in fact, reach the top. When I asked her why she'd done it, she told me there was no reason. I pressed her further--surely there was something. The girl--now a young woman--said it was just a step on her path of self-betterment. The mountain had meant nothing. The act of achieving what she set out to do was what mattered."

 

Karrik drew in a deep breath and sighed with relief. "I tell you this, that you might remember what is truly important when our lives are on the line. That is all."

[Malkavian Grin]

Wounds 0/11 | Strain 4/14

Karrik sat back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment of meditation, awaiting Cheliyxx to pilot the ship the rest of the way down. When he didn't hear that happening, Karrik raised an eyebrow as he looked over at the Xxcha. Without a word, Karrik sat up and began to punch up the controls into his area. He hadn't done this in quite some time, hoping it would just come back to him like riding a wind current.

 

"I am a leaf on the wind..." he said quietly like a mantra.

[TheRealSife]

Though Karrik has never been to this port or piloted this ship before he maneuvers in to land as though he's done it a thousand times. Perhaps there is something to the tales of his mythic ancestors who were said to fly through space with just the wings nature gave them.

After touching down, the crew exits the ship and make their way down the gangplank. The smell of rust and machine oil rise to meet you as you take in your surroundings. Though there is some diversity of species here, the vast majority that you see are one of the three races that your computer indicated were the primary inhabitants of the planet.

The Letnev, tall humanoids with skin tones ranging from ashen to blue. They typically have pale white or gray hair, white eyes and pointed ears.

The Hylar, not actually a single species but a collection of closely related sub-species. They are mostly aquatic beings, though some are amphibious. Either way they navigate the surface world in roughly human sized mechs operated from fishbowl-like compartments usually set in the 'chest' or 'head' area depending on the make and model.

Finally there are the Gashlai, walking scientific anomalies whose bodies are permanently engulfed in a raging inferno. When out in public they encase themselves in steampunk looking armored suits so as to avoid setting the people or the environment around them on fire.

As you reach the floor of the port a sturdy Letnev officer in a crisp uniform approaches to stand before you, flanked by three subordinates in similar garb. The officer addresses you, her voice steady and businesslike:

“Welcome to Herool’s Truce. I am Captain Zarran of the port authority, and report to Margrave Ortlov. As you can see, our humble port doesn’t get many travelers from the shining center of the galaxy. What is your purpose for visiting Herool’s Truce?”

 

OOC

Karrik, that leaves you 1 net advantage to spend.

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by TheRealSife (see edit history)

[Malkavian Grin]

OOC

I'll spend it to heal 1 Strain.

[TheRealSife]

Jana draws on her experience fighting the L1z1x on the front lines to look the Captain an her subordinates up and down in a careful examination but sees no sign of any implanted technology. The Captain who recognizes stance and the scars that Jana carries, interprets the attention as just one military woman sizing up another and gives a Jana a once over of her own but doesn't otherwise comment as she waits for the group to reply.

 

OOC

Jana has one advantage to spend.