Campaign Diary

Our heroes awake on the morning after the night before, some of them in a somewhat delicate condition… Annissa in particular finding loud noises and bright lights somewhat distressing, as for that matter did Casey (who was much more vocal and colourful in her complaints). Annissa spent much of the morning in "silent meditation" in a darkened room.
Antonio realised that the improvement in his ribs was not temporary and that it would seem that Tanalu had performed some sort of healing on his damaged innards. Antonio resolved to buy the Hironem some sort of presents.
Alectrona reported the first of a series of increasingly strange dreams to Balthazar.
The day before the town market was spent in preparation for the market itself and the trip that was to follow it. Gudrun outlining some of the finer points of her plan to 'extract' the artefacts from Khotan. The Thane mentioned in passing that her crew had salvaged other items on the ill fated raid some eighteen months previously, including a computer core from a drifting wreck.
Gudrun was surprised at the reaction that the name of the wreck elicited from Alectrona and Annissa, not knowing that "Raven" was the name of the ship operated by Hakim Al-Malik and his Xanthippe bride, Hecate. Gudrun thought the core of little use as it was too heavily encrypted for her to access and said she would pass it on to the party in lieu of some small notional percentage of the haul from the upcoming raid.
Casey was something of a stereotypical disgruntled teen for much of the day, complaining to all and sundry about the injustice inherent in the control exerted over her private life. Antonio advised her to speak to the Captain as it was largely from him that most of the edicts came. The young Ukar seemed calmer after a period of meditation in the arboretum and spent much of the rest of the day pre-flight testing Osprey.
A less riotous evening was spent by all and the day of the market dawned, a dawn witnessed by Dame Alicia and Annissa as Annissa rousted Alicia out of bed to help set up the stall for the market.
Market day went well, the vanload of tinned and packaged foods from the Osprey being readily exchanged for a collection of preserved and dried Vuldrok produce, items of handicrafts and a sum of local currency. Brother Balthazar bought himself a large war axe, further cementing his image among the townsfolk as a battle-shaman of some sort.
Antonio bought a basket of fresh greens and fruit for Tanalu by way of a thank-you.
The evening was spent in preparation for the coming days departure.
Osprey was to hide in the radar shadow of Firedrake until clear of Hargard and then the two ships would make their way to the gate and thence to Khotan.
Sadly, Casey found keeping formation during part of the flight to be quite tricky (blaming turbulence) and there was concern that the bluff may not have been successful. Some hours out from Hargard, the two Galliots did indeed appear to be giving chase but with a head start and an advantage in speed, the pursuers would be a full day behind by the time the Osprey and Firedrake arrived at the gate.
Throughout the trip to the gate, Alectrona was beset by more strange and portentous dreams which she discussed at length with brother Balthazar, who recommended that she spend time in prayer and meditation.
A day out from the gate, Alectrona awoke from a disturbing dream at the exact instant that things became distinctly chaotic at the gate. The great metal plates welded to the gate structure began to glow and the sigils inscribed on them became plainly visible on sensors – great Ur-symbols of the sort seen on Gate-builder statues.
These however were crafted by Vuldrok hands. The plates sparked with coronae of electricity and at that moment, the gate activated. A flotilla of ships emerged from the gate, symbiot warcraft! As the ships emerged, the plates appeared to discharge great bolts of lightning at the incoming vessels at their moment of transition and most of them were destroyed in the space of seconds. Those that emerged successfully were fallen upon by every Vuldrok ship waiting at the gate and the whole action was over in under an hour - as far as could be seen, not a single symbiot ship escaped.
The utility of such runlore was obvious to all aboard but it was also plain that the Church would not look favourably on such pagan magick as this.
With a day to spare, the ships jumped to the Khotan system.
Alectrona's latest dream seemed to contain elements of either prophesy or a hint that she was in some way sensitive to the presence of symbiots. Given her exposure to Lifeweb based healing after her possession (during the mission that no-one ever discusses in front of those not on it) there was some initial concern that Alectrona might be showing signs of 'taint' but this was quickly dismissed due to her clean bill of health in the Stigmata system. Brother Balthazar suggested a trip to either Grail or Nowhere might be in order.
Gudrun was willing to show Annissa and Alectrona the wreck of the Raven and so the two ships took a detour.
A day or so later, the wreck came into view and it was plain to see that she was in very poor shape – Heavily battle damaged with signs of a reactor explosion in the aft section of the ship. Both bridge escape pods were absent, indicating that some of the crew had lived long enough to abandon ship.
The decision was taken to board her via the hole made by the previous Vuldrok boarding party.
Once aboard, auxiliary power was found to have just enough reserves to generate a weak gravity field and some life support. However, before the party could explore too far, scratching sounds were heard behind a bulkhead. Antonio dismissed the sounds as some object rattling against the door but others suspected something else. As Balthazar opened the door, a suited figure attacked him with a wrench. "Night-crackers!" was the cry as he opened fire, having to put multiple shots and then axe blows into the shambling figure before it would stop moving.
Several other husks attacked the bridge and there then followed a rather macabre and unpleasant period of room by room clearance of the remaining husks. Annissa was somewhat traumatised by the experience as she had only heard of such things in travellers tales and fables, not thinking them a real menace.
A search of the ship showed signs that members of the crew had made a stand in the command area after stripping the medical bay and galley of useful items before finally setting the reactor to overload and abandoning ship. It was decided to finish the wreck off with gunfire, lest any husks or their contagion remain and harm the unwary.
Dan was greyfaced after seeing the footage from helmet cameras of old comrades-in-arms shambling in unlife and then the destruction of his former flagship. He retired to his cabin and even Antonio could not tempt him out with a bottle of moonshine.
Ironically, the data-core gave up its secrets mere hours after the encounter with the wreck of the Raven and showed fragments of internal sensor logs detailing the conversion of most of the crew to husks in the week or so before she was abandoned. The plague started during the period the ship was in the Hargard system and continued when the ship jumped to Khotan. The rest of the core had been rather professionally wiped.
Talk of Hakim and his alleged 'treasure' set people thinking and in a moment inspiration, Annissa had her pet Raccoon scanned in the med-bay. Under Rakim's skin was an ID chip which contained all the biomedical data a veterinarian would need to treat him. This in itself revealed that the 'Raccoon' was in fact 70% geneered guard animal (a 'doggoth') and 30% Raccoon! Rakim's 'attack dog' traits have never been tested due to Annissa previously having kept Rakim away from any and all danger. Doggoths are allegedly more than capable of ripping the throat from a grown man…
The rest of the data seemed to refer to orbital data for a body orbiting several A.U. out from Khotan's star.
It was decided to investigate this after the Khotan operation but without the Firedrake…

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Session 12

Our heroes begin this session a day or so out from Khotan, preparing to rendezvous with Firedrake and take Gudrun and Daljak aboard before engaging in a spot of archaeology on the surface.
As the two ships entered orbit, they were challenged by a flight of Gonjeen fighters who queried their purpose and identity. Annissa decided not to announce the true identity of the ship and claimed that it was a recent prize taken from the 'Hawkwyrd' and still needed repainting.
Descending to the planet surface and flying nap of earth, Osprey made her way to the hiding place near the target. There she was camouflaged using chameleon netting that Captain Dan had concealed in external storage bins ("a leftover from the old days").
Marching through the night, the raiding party (Alectrona, Annissa, Antonio, Musa, Balthazar, Gudrun and Daljak) managed to reach their first objective, their daytime hiding place without being attacked by the unusual local wildlife.
After a day unmolested by eight legged lion analogues, the party arrived at the mesa undetected. They did however spot what appeared to be a mining camp at the base of the outcrop, evidence that the settlement at the top was exploring the mesa's interior.
After some searching, the secret entrance was discovered and the party entered. The tunnel led into the ventilation system of what appeared to be a bunker of some sort.
Exploring the interior, they came across signs that the bunker had been partly decommissioned and then finally abandoned in a hurry. A skimmer surrounded by skeletonised bodies and packing crates led to some worry that the bunker held some contagion (the air system did seem designed to filter incoming and outgoing air after all). The crates contained assorted computer components, cables and what was labelled as a 'Mark V fire control computer' (which is two models up on that installed on the Osprey). A broken lab phial seemed to indicate some sudden death had overtaken the men.
Further exploration led to the lab level wherein was discovered several sets of sealed protective power armour (ceramsteel) and what appeared to be a computer and nano-tech research facility.
Some deduction led to the conclusion that the bodies were looters who had removed canisters from the lab and accidentally dropped the phial within. The contents of the phial remained a mystery but any number of lethal chemicals could be responsible.
The power cells in the suits were depleted so they could not be worn, only carried.
Examination of the exit door of the hangar level in which the skimmer was located revealed faint vibration, perhaps mining machinery. A sly peek out of the hangar door revealed a large cavern beyond and within that, a second Republic frigate being salvaged by Gonjeen miners and engineers.
A plan was hatched whereby the skimmer could be used to exit the bunker with the more valuable and portable items, although Annissa felt that the level of gain was somewhat low.
Antonio managed to get the skimmer running and our heroes made their exit, flying over the heads of some startled Gonjeen troops. Fleeing at speed with sporadic gunfire following them, the skimmer made for Osprey, already warming up for a swift exit.
Escaping pursuing fighters, Osprey and Firedrake cleared the orbit of Khotan III and a rendezvous arranged on Khotan IV to exchange cargos.
Gudrun claimed the power armour and loose components but demanded cash in recompense for the difference in value between the skimmer and her share. With 2,000 firebirds from Annissa and the pistols that Antonio had somewhat callously looted from the bodies of the looters plus the old van in Ospreys cargo bay, Gudrun was happy with the deal.
Dan then shocked the crew by announcing his intention to leave with Gudrun. The events he had witnessed on the Raven had been too much and he decided that he did not wish to return to the Known Worlds. A life free of Church scrutiny with a woman who cared for him seemed more attractive than having to worry about the Inquisition and endure the stigma of his past.
Casey took it badly, initially blaming Balthazar. Annissa pledged to provide Dan with his share of any profits as best they could. After a few farewells, Dan took his few belongings and crossed the short stretch of cold desert to the Firedrake.
Dan had explained to Annissa that she now faced a choice – Either maintain Osprey as a ship owned by a noble house and with a hireling crew or under a Guild captain with the owner aboard. A subtle legal difference but with an impact on Casey, who would need to sit her Masters examinations to be eligible to be the captain.
This led to some serious thinking en route to the co-ordinates of the mysterious object detailed in the computer files on Rakim's chip.
The object transpired to be a planetoid, about two kilometres across. Within the body was a small installation, a Second Republic survival shelter for spacefarers. The escape pod from Raven was within the small hangar but there was no sign of the occupants. Only when the party removed their suits did anything unusual happen. A computer announced "Genetic identity confirmed" and a concealed door opened to reveal a tunnel deeper into the rock. Within the planetoid was a base… self contained accommodation and life support for up to twenty people and at its center… a Xanthippe style biodome in a cavern, maintained by simple gardening golems.
A concealed entrance at the surface led to a hangar large enough for a frigate with maintenance facilities.
Accessing the base computer revealed a message from Hakim and Hecate :

That they had made their way here after their ship was mystically attacked by an unknown force and started the husk infestation.

During their privateering days, they uncovered evidence of Antimonist cults among the Known Worlds (Decados mostly)

The Antimonists claimed to have assassinated Vladimir

Pacts were being made to aid the anti-Alexius factions

References made to Antimonist cults in barbarian space who are safe from the church

References to rites to darken the sun/obliterate the light.

Hakim and Hecate picked up a stashed ship and made their way deeper into barbarian space to seek more evidence. The party concluded that they should pay Althar a visit at some point soon and 'sort him out'.
Leaving the secret base behind, the ship headed on to the gate.
The Ishkin awoke shortly before the ship arrived at the gate, announcing herself as ka'ra, an engineer. Grateful to Annissa for saving her life, she pledged her loyalty to the noble who had pulled her from her cell.
Sadly, at the gate things went badly, badly wrong…
Without warning, six Gonjeen fighters began an attack. Making repeated head-on passes they raked the Osprey with cannon and missile fire. The bridge took the brunt of the attacks, Casey being severely hurt in the first pass and forcing Antonio to take over the controls as Annissa pulled Casey from her seat and to the infirmary. Musa returned fire from the dorsal turret (the only weapon that could be effectively brought to bear) whilst the auto-gun system took what pot-shots it could. Before the fighters were all driven off, damaged or destroyed, they managed to set the cargo bay afire, damage two of the laser cannon and shred the bridge still further, their final pass leaving Antonio badly injured. A secondary explosion took Anams left leg off at the thigh. Only sterling work by Tanalu and Alectrona saved the lives of the wounded.
The bridge was depressurised, filled with shredded components, gore and dangling wires. Musa realised that if the fighters came back, the ship was defenceless and thought that the Mark-V would at least give them a chance (their Mark-III was just so much scrap). The unit took some time to initialise and boot but seemed to interface successfully.
Damage control drills (Dan's legacy) worked well and fires were soon brought under control, the holes in the bridge were patched. Pressure was restored and an assessment made – Osprey had no working fire control systems and it would take some hours to jury-rig new flight controls. More pressing was the fact that both pilots were undergoing life-saving surgery in the medical bay and were inches from death.
As Aquila worked on the bridge, ship systems began to activate and self test. When the ship actually stabilised its attitude and began to fire her engines, confusion became alarm.
The ships tannoy crackled to life and a well spoken female voice began issuing damage reports and status updates. Initially it was thought that the computer was just 'smart' but after some direct questions from Annissa, some signs of a definite personality were detected, along with a dry sense of humour. Musa had apparently plugged a prototype A.I. into the ship… Programmed to obey the ships commander, 'she' accepted the direction of Annissa, bringing the ship onto a course for the gate.
The intention now being to jump Khotan to Hargard to Leminkainen to Bz-II where repairs would be required at an orbital yard and then to Madoc and Leagueheim.
Alicia exhibited alarm at going to Bz-II but was assured she could hide aboard the ship and then stay on Madoc for a while to lay low.
As the ship transited the gate, the statue once more made the ship 'chime', which led to A.I. to query just what was happening (more evidence of personality). As damage was discussed the computer announced that it could 'deploy auto-repair nanites' which caused some alarm.
Broken jamjars, it suggested, would make a good substrate for effecting repairs to the ships windscreen. Arriving at Leminkainen, the Imperial cruiser Furious hailed the ship and offered to help but under the circumstances, they crew declined and decided to make their way onward.
Once it was established that the A.I. could recall its nanites and conceal its presence, the crew calmed down (those not already under the influence of heavy painkillers and post operative medication). Brother Balthazar announced his intention to return to a monastery as things were getting a little too complicated for a simple man such as himself.
We leave a somewhat battered and confused party preparing to jump to Byzantium…

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Session 13

At Leminkainen, our heroes are hailed once more by the cruiser 'Furious' and asked to hold at the gate and allow another ship to catch up and jump with them.
12 hours later, the Imperial heavy cruiser 'Arabella' arrives and the commodore asks for the pleasure of the Questing Knights company at dinner. Once aboard, they are surprised to be greeted by none other than the Emperors 'Left Hand Counsel' Bran Botan vo Karm. It would appear this is no mere dinner invitation.
Vo Karm expressed the opinion that the prior reports from Osprey have been somewhat lacking in certain areas and that perhaps now might be a good time to fill in the gaps. Interviewing each crewmember individually, Vo Karm was able to highlight inconsistencies between each account.
Once the interviews were concluded, Vo Karm was a genial enough host while dinner was served. Over the rather excellent meal, Vo Karm explained that it would serve the Emperors interests better if subsequent reports were more accurate, as it would be easier to defend his agents against charges if the administration knew what they were doing before the Avestites did. The admonishment was gently put and on balance it appeared that the results seemed to justify the methods. Vo Karm did make the point that in walking the greyer path in the service of the Empire, they would not gain the fame of those whose actions did not have to be placed on the secret list and never spoken of.
Brother Balthazar finally realised just who it was that Lady Alicia reminded him of, noting the strong resemblance between the young noblewoman and the Emperor (whose portrait hung on the wall in the dining hall).
Vo Karm gave the party a general briefing on the situation with the Gonjeen, re-assuring them that the Gonjeen appear to have been operating a 'shoot on sight' policy toward Imperial ships for some weeks before the Osprey made it to Khotan. He also gave them some operational directions to follow on their return to Vuldrok space :

Support the QK delegation making diplomatic overtures to the Ramakrishnas if asked.

Find out more about Thane Eldrid the Wise.

Find out more about the Nizdarim

Try not to get the Empire involved in their feud with the sons of Gundbrand

To not involve the Empire overtly in any action against Althar or any other Antinomists, it is an internal Vuldrok matter in which the Empire must not be seen to interfere.

Find out about Khotan factions opposed to the Gonjeen. E.g. 'Sovereign Sky'

If they ever work out what the statue does, please inform the Empire.
More than a little relieved at how lightly they seem to have gotten off their 'naughtiness', our heroes enjoy the rest of the meal as the Cruiser jumps for the Bz-II system with the Osprey in tow.
On arrival at Bz-II, the Arabella rendezvoused with the carrier 'Hiryu' and Osprey was transferred to one of the great ships flight bays for repairs. Vo Karm saw the party to their guest quarters aboard the carrier. While the party were settling in, the A.I. was discovered aboard Osprey and repair crews attempted to remove it. Sadly, they triggered an anti-tamper charge and scant seconds after the last technician dived for cover, what remained of Ospreys bridge was gutted by an explosion that left the A.I. module as nothing but molten metal.
Brother Balthazar was assigned by Vo Karm to look after the Lady Alicia while she completed aspects of her education on Grail. Whilst not a prisoner, Vo Karm gently insisted that she would do well to stay there at least a few weeks while her former guardian calmed down. With a trusted Brother Battle staying at the monastery adjoining the Keddah estate on which she was to stay, she should at least feel safe and no longer a ward held against her will. Vo Karm left for the throne world on a fast cutter, leaving the party to cool their heels in their accommodation while Osprey was refitted. After 5 days of recuperation, the party reboarded their ship for the flight to Madoc, where they planned to pick up a cargo and speak to the Ory'im. Before leaving, Casey handed Annissa a letter from Dan that was in the safe and post-dated. In it he gifted his share of the ship to Annissa, with portions going to Antonio, Casey, Anam and Tanalu.
Brother Balthazar made gifts of various items to his shipmates and there was an emotional farewell as he and Alicia said goodbye.
Alectrona and Casey made an announcement, that they were 'an item' and that they hoped everyone would be pleased for them.
The trip downhill to Madoc was peaceful enough, although Antonio and Annissas bickering was still ongoing.
On arrival at Madoc, Osprey landed at Copes atoll, where Steve said that the Ory Elders had been expecting them.
Also staying at Steves was an Eskatonic archaeologist named Ezra who seemed to have won the trust of the Ory Elders. The Ory seemed very interested in what the party had to say and were deeply disturbed at the news that their ancient enemy, the Nizdarim not only lived but plied the spaceways.
There was much talk of prophesy and ancient lore, the Elders believing that the Osprey and her crew had been foretold by a priest some decades before and that they would in some way have a bearing on certain, far older, prophesies.
Ezra was shown the statue and was duly impressed by it and the tales of its mysterious function.
The Elders seemed to believe that the statue was in fact some sort of key, but to what they did not know, only that the party would be the ones to use it when the time came. They also felt that the Nizdarim were a great threat and that if that race learned of Madoc, they would try to destroy it. They spoke of the lost Ory colony of Akata, in the system of the Dog Star (Sirius). The system has no jump gate and the Ory have lost the secret of gateless travel. The Elders asked that in their travels, the party look for signs of Akata and learn what they could about the Nizdarim.
It was proposed that Aquila remain on Madoc to continue Ezras research while Ezra travel with the Osprey. Aquila had found the enclosed spaces on Osprey an increasing strain and his research skills would prove useful on Madoc and so it was agreed that this would happen.
After a couple of days spent relaxing in the sun, drinking cocktails and swimming (including Annissa and Musa improving their confidence in the water), Osprey had her cargo of fish and was ready for the trip back up to the gate.
Antonio bought what he described as "a years supply of olives" from Steve as part of some long term martini related plan.
Ezra settled into life on Osprey quite readily, seemingly a gregarious and tolerant individual.
Ka'ra took over Aquila's duties as engineer, taking Caseys orders about following the manual to heart, she made the book the centrepiece of a shrine to 'the spirits of the engine'.
Spirits of a different kind were on Antonio's mind as he took over Deke's still and began a self study course in distillation and fermentation. Only time will tell...
Ezra was fascinated by the statue when it "did its thing" at the gate, swearing to grab a camera next time.
Over the course of the trip up to the gate and down again to Bz-II, Alectrona reported that in her dreams, the ship seemed more 'there' than before.
Previously, her dreams did not show inorganic or otherwise non living matter, only life. Antonio voiced some suspicion that some of the nanites from the A.I. system might remain as his VR interface seemed slightly improved in recent days.
On arrival at Bz-II, the cargo was sold at a decent profit and Antonio treated his shipmates to a lavish dinner. Sadly this gesture that went a long way to restoring his image in the eyes of Lady Annissa was then undermined by his disappearing for the rest of the planet leave to 'fritter my money away on ale and whores'.
Lady Annissa took great pleasure in informing Sir Peter Justinian at the Order headquarters that her report was already in the hands of Bran Botan vo Karm and therefore she didn't need debriefing.
Sir Peter did inform her that Baron kolya Decados had recently returned from Hargard and he had news of relevance. It appeared that Thane Gudrun had returned to Khotan with a raiding force and captured the Gonjeen frigate… Antonio seemed to think that this would mean Captain Dan would return to a life of piracy and raid Imperial shipping, which earned him some evil looks from Casey and Annissa, to name but two.
Ezra applied to become an Imperial cohort and as he was vouched for by an established Knight, he was accepted and sworn in at the Cathedral.
The party met Baron kolya et al whilst at the Cathedral and Anastasia voiced disappointment at Balthazars departure, hinting that she would have to persuade her patron to travel to Grail at some point.
Osprey picked up a cargo of non-military trade goods and was made ready for another trip into Barbarian space, this time with a blank paint scheme and detachable Imperial marking plates...
Ezara managed to photograph the statue in action when the ship jumped from Leminkainen to Hargard and was very happy about it.
Alectronas dreams took a stranger turn once the ship arrived back in Hargard space, hearing a strange voice on the aether, an inhuman sound of loss and pain which grew louder on approach to Hargard.
Closer to Hargard, the Osprey sent a signal to Valheim to announce their return and it was a very happy captain Dan who replied, overjoyed to hear from Osprey. It seemed that the Gonjeen claim to have destroyed Osprey had been believed and Dan was deep in mourning.
Shortly before arrival at Hargard, everyone asleep was assailed by nightmares. At the peak of the nightmare, they were woken by the statue…

Alectronas nightmare :
Drifting through space, feeling the whirl and wonder of Hargards now familiar solar system… A sudden chill as if a cold wind had blown over you… As if carried on that wind comes the sound of chanting, cold, malevolent chanting. The syllables make no sense but the intention is certainly not good. The chill returns and your point of view draws back to the shape of Osprey, a vector drawing of bright lines set against the dark… A dark that seems to deepen and flow around the ship and as it does, the chanting grows louder and more strident. Tendrils of blackness seem to be trying to penetrate the hull and you are aware of your body struggling for breath in your bunk as you strive to awaken. As the tendrils enter the hull, there is a soft glow that begins to radiate from the secure store, accompanied by a soft, almost musical tone as if someone were rubbing their finger along the rim of a wine glass. The tone rises in volume until the ship seems to be filled with the sound and the light grows to an almost unbearable intensity… With a ragged laboured breath, you awaken, gulping in air.

The conclusion was that the ship had been the subject of some sort of attack. Reference was made to the attack made on Raven and all suspicion immediately fell on the mysterious 'Althar'.
That the statue somehow reacted to the attack was of great interest and Ezra returned to his books to look up references to 'Kraken Wards' – The Ur artefacts said to defend ships against the alien evil that lurks beyond the jumpgates.
We leave our party in orbit around Hargard, plotting dire revenge against Althar.

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Session 14

Our heroes touch down on Hargard in the early evening of May 2nd 4997 to a warm welcome. The caverns contained the Frigate, the Raider and the scout ship mentioned in the intelligence report.
Arriving at the tavern, they noted heightened security around the town and more weapons in evidence but no real sign of tension. Along with the usual Valheim residents, a number of Skey, a people the party had not encountered before.
Dan was ecstatic to see his former crewmates, looking healthy and happier than he had been for a long time.
Gudrun was also pleased and in good humour, looking very much the warrior thane rather than the ex-tavern keeper, resplendent in armour and furred cloak.
Many ales were drunk and fine foods lain out in celebration at the Ospreys return. When the issue of Althar was raised,. Gudrun and her advisors seemed perfectly prepared to wade in mob handed with a minimum of evidence, judging the word of the party to be good enough to justify a raid to discover more.
Gudrun set her tactical experts the task of preparing a plan to attack on the castle.
On a trip to pick up overnight things, Ezra and some of the others witnessed the spectacle of one of the fabled Vuldrok 'runecasters' as he worked on damaged sections of the frigate. Drawing Ur-runes on the casings, he seemed to summon forth energies from the runes themselves and the damaged component was restored as if new.
The evening passed in conversation and good company, most of the crew electing to stay at the inn. Dan was somewhat thrown by Alectrona and Caseys announcement of their relationship but seemed happy for them both.
The following day, Gudrun announced that they had a viable strike plan if people were willing to go with it. Annissa was unsure about the ethics and potential consequences of the attack but was re-assured that providing that Althar had indeed offered to sell the skin of an Ishkin, it was indeed 'reasonable cause' for a Thane to take action.
The day was spent in preparations, Antonio discovering the set of synthsilk Annissa had bought him on Bz-II, causing him some bemusement. This did not however stop the usual level of bickering between him and his employer, although it was leavened with an increased level of flirtation on his part. Ezra discovered that the jumpgate cross left behind by Balthazar was being maintained and treated with reverence by both the Universalists among the thralls and by Vuldrok pagans who felt that the Pancreator was a God that at least deserved respect showing to his symbol.
Ezra picked up on the fact that the Skey claim their lost homeworld as 'The Dog Star', vowing to follow this up should they survive the raid.
Antonio also spent some time with Gudruns eldest child, Halfdan, learning a little of the basic principles of fermentation and distillation (or as it was described "how not to go blind - 101")
The plan for the raid was simple but showed a level of technical sophistication that some had not expected from 'barbarian' Vuldrok.

An overflight by a ship providing a photograph of the target

Pre-insertion of a weapons team with ground to ground missiles (nicknamed 'Gwynneth' doorknockers) and a mortar.

Laser painters would designate the key anti-aircraft defences and blow a hole in the wall, timed to coincide with the arrival of the Firedrake and her load of combat teams The teams

Two weapons teams to secure and suppress the drop zone

A team to seize loot

The party " evidence gathering" The power armour seized at Khotan was unveiled, resculpted by the Skey runecaster, another reason for Gudrun to be pleased about the previous raid. The Skey seemed to perform some sort of drug-based rite, designed to give them a singlemindedness in battle and protect them against malign mental influences.
The raid seemed to achieve total surprise, the missiles finding their targets with perfect timing.
The Firedrake slammed through the breach in the wall, wrecking the barracks of the castles defenders.
The party stormed into the mansion house with the retrieval team, encountering light resistance - the lords mistresses or handmaidens fighting to the death. Ezra was lightly wounded in the leg, the injury seeming a little resistant to healing until he took a dose of Elixir later on.
Making their way deeper into the building, they discovered progressively deeper levels of basement, discovering a surprisingly sophisticated complex of rooms. Once the lone guard at the top of the basement area was dealt with (wounding Antonio before being cut down) there seemed to be no further security, only a warren of rooms that seemed to fill the hill beneath the castle.
Their explorations were interrupted by the arrival of a horde of symbiot drones… Dozens upon dozens of drones, the strangely sick looking hurled themselves at the party increasing numbers, cut down by weapons fire without attempting to dodge. Several of the drones hissed the words "Kill me…" as they attacked.
Cut off from the stairs to the upper levels, the party elected to fight their way to an interior room and make a stand with only one point of approach rather than from both ends of a corridor.
The party were surprised to discover what looked like a corporate reception area with too many doors to feel safe. There was a lift and in desperation the five piled into it, further disconcerted to discover that it only went downward.
The lower level was a far more unpleasant experience, a warren of cells, torture chambers and a temple of an obviously Antinomist nature. In the center of the temple was a ritual circle, the party scattered the candles and scuffed the ritual chalk marks, triggering a supernatural chill and gust of wind but no other overt signs.
Alectrona seemed to sense something, a call in her mind similar to one she had heard before in her dreams, coming from deeper inside the labyrinth. One of the cell areas contained two terrified peasants, who followed gratefully along with the party.
The party arrived at a cell at the end of a tunnel that seemed different from the others on that level, a recent and modern addition. The cell was sealed and a curious arrangement involving a radiation source ensured that anything passed through a chute in the wall would be sterilised.
A human voice was crying out for help and the party opened the door to find a naked woman in her thirties, obviously pregnant. Given a jacket to cover herself, introduced herself as 'Clara'.
Further on they came to an area full of human corpses hung on hooks amid butchery equipment, Clara began to scream that the heads should be removed, obviously panicking. Once the grisly work was done, the party discovered a suite of luxurious apartments. In the apartment was a richly dressed man shoving books into a bag. Almost in unison, the party opened fire, cutting of Annissa's words of challenge to the man. The initial volleys were halted by some sort of dark shield, reminiscent of Sister Sergia on Daishan.
The man, Althar uttered a series of dark syllables and Ezra was wracked with agony, spotting Clara, Althar pointed at her and commanded her to "Show your true self"
Clara's form shifted and she was revealed as a symbiot queen. 'Clara' ran away to cower in the corridor.
Before he could speak again, Ezra managed to use his whip and cracked it around Althar's neck, pumping the full voltage of the shocker into Althar. A further volley of fire sealed Althar's doom.
A moment later, some sort of alarm triggered and an ominous beeping began to emanate from a wall panel. Sensing that this marked some sort of self-destruct, the party grabbed Althars bag and a few items and made ready to flee.
Antonio had to be restrained from shooting Clara by the veterans of the Daishan mission. The symbiot was visibly terrified, showing the way out, trying to explain that Althar had held her as a slave, bound by his spells, forcing her to infest peasants he had kidnapped and then binding them. Her drones were corrupted by their proximity to the evil of the man and his temple, doomed to a necrotic death.
The tunnel led to first to another cave, with a temple to another dark entity – Nidderak, with a suspicious looking pool of seawater.
Beyond the temple lay a cavern containing a skimmer and a slightly 'ill' looking symbiot scout ship.
Antonio once again became aggressive, causing Clara to essentially beg for her life. Offering jumpkeys for Abydos and Daishan and promising to reveal something of great importance to Antonio and his house once she made it to orbit.
Piling into the skimmer, the party allowed Clara to board her ship and both vehicles sped out of the cave and into the open air.
Once clear of the cave, Firedrake was warned to get clear as soon as possible and the skimmer headed out to sea at high speed. The symbiot ship disappeared below the waves, surprising some.
Firedrake lifted clear of the castle, pulling clear some seconds before the hill collapsed as the result of what appeared to be a subterranean nuclear explosion.
Shortly afterwards, a second and larger symbiot ship blasted clear of the ocean and rocketed into the sky.
Later, aboard the Firedrake, the symbiots hailed Antonio. Revealing that they knew the location of the lost Windsor sceptre, offering it as part of a potential Daishan settlement with the Masseri.

Firedrake flew at speed back to Valheim, the gore soaked raiding party were tired and some wounded, but none lost, despite the necrotic drones. At the moment of Althar's death, the drones simply lay down and allowed themselves to be slaughtered.
We leave our party discussing the ramifications of this aboard Osprey after their return to Valheim with a stunned Antonio learning just why it is that his Questing Knight companions know so much about Daishan...

Hopefully Provost Ezra's camera will give a decent pictorial record of events.

Later, there is some sort of celebration planned but before then, Thane Gudrun may be wanting an explanation of her own...

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Session 15

We join our heroes as they assess the aftermath of their raid on Althar's castle. Thane Gudrun sought out the party to ask some rather pointed questions concerning the events of the night. Soon realising the gravity and magnitude of the issues revealed by those answers, Thane Gudrun resolves to contact "one with a larger axe than mine" – Thane Eldrid The Wise of Aelfheim.
These decisions however did not prevent the warband celebrating the victorious raid in the ale hall and the crew of the Osprey were not disappointed with the share of the haul, including a Khotan jumpkey.
The next day, Gudrun contacted Eldrid and started making arrangements for a visit to Aelfheim. The meeting was set for a day hence (May 7th).
After a day of rest and reflection, the Firedrake is made ready for a flight to Eldrid's citadel and departs.
On arrival, the party are received by Eldrid, every bit as beautiful as she was reputed to be. After hearing the party's story, she ordered her council convened, deciding that perhaps the deeper implications of the symbiot situation would best be discussed face to face with the Emperor. Our heroes were somewhat alarmed at the prospect of a Vuldrok Thane heading into Imperial space to demand an audience with the Emperor.
Matters were rendered somewhat more complicated by the arrival in system of 'The Damask Rose' – A Questing Knight ship. Aboard were Baron kolya Decados and Count Allessandro De Justus Hazat, Count Allessandro was in search of his lost sister, the Questing Knight in command of the Ariadne. Baron kolya seemed to be engaged in keeping his vengeful comrade in check. The Rose was due in Hargard orbit within six days, hoping to acquire a key to Khotan and continue the search.
Thane Eldrid proposed that one QK ship proceed to the gate and herald her impending visit to the known worlds. The other would remain on Hargard until the message was delivered (euphemistically this was described as 'a period spent providing protocol advice') and then would be free to go.
The Rose was listed as a Hazat warship in the Counts service and the Count was not a Questing Knight, kolya Decados apparently lending his flag to the enterprise as his own vessel was too small for a mission into potentially hostile territory.
The Count's retinue was large, including one Vorox in its handforged 'soul armour' and a Dervish special forces warrior. Anastasia, the Baron's courtesan/physician companion was aboard, along with Sergei the scowling bodyguard.
After some discussion, it was decided that Osprey deliver the message and then await the Rose.
Count Allessandro was not his previously charming and composed self, being very much the stereotype of the intense and driven Hazat, desperate to end the uncertainty over his sisters fate. The Count had left his fiefdom against the will of his Duke to seek the Ariadne, putting immediate family feeling above House protocol.
En route to the gate, Alectrona searched the ship for nanites, convinced that her dreams indicated that the ship was more than it seemed. However she discovered nothing.
Antonio's first foray into the realms of fermentation and distillation was not a stellar success, resulting in a batch of liquid more suited to use as an engine degreaser.
On arrival at the gate, Osprey was attacked by a Frigate of Vuldrok design. Trading a few shots, Osprey jumped out system. Ezra decided to hold onto the statue as the ship jumped. Whilst there was the usual chime he experienced nothing unusual.
The ship arrived in the Leminkainen system and transmitted Annissa's report and Eldrid's message. Once the gate-guard flag ship acknowledged receipt, the Osprey jumped back, this time at some speed.
Ezra held the gate part of the statue. On this occasion something happened..
Ezra found himself standing in a white void, devoid of any landmark but with a misty white floor. He heard a booming voice say "Sathra…" and then he was back in the ship. His companions however were unaware of his having gone anywhere.
Once Hargard received word, the Thane's flotilla departed along with the Rose.
Osprey engaged the enemy frigate as they arrived in system and a long battle began, Osprey using her advantages in speed, range and manoeuvrability to stay out of the cannon range of the Vuldrok ship. The missiles fired by Osprey behaved in an an unexpected fashion, displaying advanced evasion and targeting techniques before striking the target. The frigate was captained by the Sons of Gundbrand, who had traded in their Galliot for one of Greolfs new vessels.
The engagement was in several phases over the course of the next few days, a game of cat and mouse culminating in a final furious battle.
A second Frigate was closing in on the battle area and so Annissa gave the order to finish the enemy quickly before the second ship arrived.
Over the course of several hours, the Frigate was worn down and Osprey arced in for the kill, lasers raking the ship from stem to stern with only minor damage to Osprey in return. As Osprey closed in, the Vuldrok struck their colours and asked for quarter. The remaining crew had mutinied rather than die for their captains personal feud.
Annissa ordered the vanquished foe to call off their second ship or they would finish them then and there, facing certain death and with a ship already on fire, they complied.
Showing commendable mercy, Osprey then offered to dock and render first aid to the wounded.
On boarding the Frigate, they found 6 of the enemy crew dead, 15 wounded and only 9 still uninjured. Tanalu displayed a previously hidden talent for Theurgy, using a rite very similar to 'Laying on of hands' – saving several otherwise mortally wounded Vuldrok. Many of the wounded had lost limbs or been badly burned but by the time the team had done their work, everyone was stable and out of danger.
Leaving the ship in the hands of the engineer Thorhalla, Osprey left them to limp home with their ally as escort, heading for their own rendezvous at the gate.
Osprey and Damask Rose waited at the gate while a ship (presumably carrying the Thane) jumped for Leminkainen before they in turn jumped for Khotan.
Ezra once again held the statue, getting the same result as last time.
Subsequent examination of the missiles showed that their software had been re-written with a very concise version of Second Republic computer code, leading to the suspicion that the nanites were still on the loose.
Proceeding in tandem into the Khotan system, the two ships began a search and listening watch for the lost ship.
Arriving at Khotan IV, the decision was taken to contact the Sovereign Sky base on that planet. After some initial trepidation on the part of the small military force on the desert world, the two ships were permitted to land.
Captain Sildren of the Sovereign Sky Spaceforce was somewhat perplexed by the diffrering approaches of Count Allessandro (ranting and demanding help to find his sister) and Baronette Annissa (offering samples of Known Worlds goods as a friendly gesture and trying to placate the Count).
After some long range consultation with the government on Khotan III, the captain provided the nobles with a report detailing the crash of an alien vessel some weeks previously but the wreck contained only three bodies, none of them carrying identification showing them to be the Count's sister. The Count confirmed that these were his sister's crew. The report indicated that the escape pod had been jettisoned but there was no indication as to when or where.
It was decided to divide the search duties, Damask Rose took the task of scanning the surface of Khotan IV and Osprey began a sweep of local space with the thought that the pod might have homed in on the rescue base component of Hakim's secret lair.
A day later, Osprey closed in on the asteroid and detected a heat signature from the base. Cautiously exploring the base, the crew found a very frightened and somewhat dishevelled noblewoman hiding in the life support room.
Contessa Maria was overwhelmed by relief at her rescue but collapsed with grief when the loss of her crew was broken to her.
Ariadne has been attacked by Gonjeen fighters, killing two of the crew in the first pass. The pilot made a run for Khotan IV with Maria on the guns, attempting to hold the fighters off. When it became plain that it was hopeless, the pilot (Rafael) knocked his noble charge out and bundled her into the only escape pod, leading the enemy away from its area of release and presumably crashing into Khotan IV some time later. Rafael and Maria had been lovers and the young noble was a bawling wreck for most of the trip to rendez vous with Damask Rose.
The re-union between brother and sister was emotional. After weeks of living on adrenaline and almost unfounded hope, the Count began to return to his more affable and sensible self.
Realising that the accommodation on the 'Damask Rose' might not be up to the needs of a young noblewoman in need of rest and recuperation, the crew of the Osprey offered to take some of the passengers off the Rose and allow Lady Maria to have her own cabin without overcrowding an already full ship. The most logical course therefore was to take Baron Kolya and his entourage aboard Osprey.
Initially a little unsure, given Lady Annissa's past behaviour to his house in general and himself in particular, the Baron accepted the kind offer. Ezra gave up his cabin so that Anastasia could have a cabin and the spare cabin was given over to Kolya and Sergei.
Annissa made a point of enquiring EXACTLY what Anastasia's role was in the Baron's retinue "So, you are asking me if I am fucking my employer or not?" and was surprised to learn that Anastasia served only as companion and physician to the Baron. It seemed that the Baron had been poisoned some years previously during some internal House intrigue and the toxin had recurring effects even now, necessitating the constant availability of a doctor. Whilst settling in, Anastasia availed herself of Tanalu's therapy room and announced that the Hironem gave "Indecently good massages" which intrigued both Alectrona and Annissa, who had never really thought of asking for one.
We leave our heroes as the two ships jump from Khotan to Hargard and prepare to make their jump back to Imperial space.
Quote of the evening Lady Annissa had mentioned that she did not want to sample Antonio's homebrew, preferring more refined and delicate beverages. Antonio : "You should come out carousing with me on Bz-II and let me get something nasty inside you…

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Session 16

May 29th 4997 onward
GM Note Session notes a little sparse for a variety of reasons. Bullet points will have to do... :-)

Jump for Leminkainen.

Hailed by Cruiser 'avenger'

Find Eldrid still at gate - Held there by House Hawkwood who didn't believe she had not done away with the Osprey or Rose.

Hawkwoods were obstructive and rude, grudgingly acceding to Imperial warrants

A bulk Hauler got sent through ahead of the party by way of a passive insult.

Musa and Alectrona check ship for further evidence of nanites but find nothing

6 day trip to Bz-II

Kolya spars with Annissa in cargo bay - all very amicable.

Osprey arrives a day ahead of the other ships (faster)

Debrief unexpectedly pleasant

Party subject to much media attention.

People are disconcerted to find many of their biographical details plastered over the Cortex (internet) inc. the family tragedies in Annissa and Antonio's pasts.

Ezra not pleased to be described as 'shady' in an article on the cortex.

Anam is revealed to be a 'outcast' member of his races' priest caste.

Gala in Honour of 'exotic barbarians' due

Clothes shopping ensues.

Ka'ra undergoes decontamination and extensive tests before allowed on planet - For the rest of her stay she is frequently mistaken for an animal not a sentient.

By this point Anam's leg has healed.

An appointment is made to see Bratan Vo Karm

The Evil Occult Tomes are Handed over to the Imperial Authorities (appropriate Kalinthi)

In the bar of the QK chapterhouse, they observe Signy LiHalan (an overt Psychic) receive insults from Victor Hazat and a challenge was issued.

Some people were giving Alectrona evil looks for no discernable reason.

The Gala went well, the Harpies and Wastrels of court were expecting Eldrid to fall foul of a lack of etiquette but she seemed to be as versed in it as anyone else, much to the emperor's amusement and the chagrin of the most rabid Hawkwoods.

Alvarex, the emperor's brother went from overt disdain to some evident attraction for the barbarian 'princess'.

Casey seemed to be amusing Herself by allowing people to mistake Her for an Obun (Inc a very embarrassed Edwin Juandastaas)

Antonio was approached by Edwin of Jeddah and sounded out about His politics, which He sidestepped, not wishing to involve Himself in what sounded like plots against major Houses.

Antonio was approached also by Karl Masseri and told that the Duke was missing and believed to be insane, possibly in symbiot space trying to obtain a "biological solution to the Decados problem".

Karl Masseri believed that the party would soon be involved in a mission in that area and asked Antonio to 'resolve' the problem for the good of the House.

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Session 17

We join our heroes in their apartments after the events of the gala ball.
Antonio fills in his colleagues on the strange approaches made to him during the evening and there then ensues a somewhat lively discussion about the ethics of assassinating elderly Dukes of minor houses.
Antonio arose early to go for his appointment at the Questing Order for aptitude testing and was alarmed by some of the items on the early morning news...
Both Edwin of House Keddah and Karl Masseri were reported dead - Edwin apparently killed in a robbery gone wrong and karl killed in a public park either as the result of a duel or suicide.
Antonio woke the rest of the party to inform them (resulting in some annoyance) and prompted some more debate and concern.
Antonio had to depart for his appointment and decided to take a route that passed by the park, Musa accompanying him. The pair were rather perplexed and alarmed to find the scene still crawling with Avestites, not the usual sort of folk to find a routine murder or suicide.
Annissa unilaterally decided to investigate the other scene, discovering it to be in a very rough part of town, some distance from the palace. That a Knight would be here a mere hour after a palace gala in the small hours of the morning seemed distinctly suspicious.
Acting on a hunch, Annissa instructed her crew to prepare Osprey for liftoff as soon as possible.
Antonio's assessment went without a hitch and he was called for an interview later in the day with Sir Peter. Antonio held back very little, save for the events of the previous evening - believing that until he swore to the Emperor his house loyalty came first.
Musa overheard a rumour that ezra was wanted for heresy.
Antonio was a little boggled by Sir Peter asking about any prior contact with the Vau.
Later that day Antonio received formal notification that his application was successful and that h was to stand vigil in the cathedral overnight before a service the following day.
The Vigil went well, with Antonio only nodding off fleetingly and being 'saved' by a nudge by another aspirant.
The next day the party are paged to report to Sir Peter for a new assignment. The assignment turned out not to be the trip to Daishan that had beensuspected but a 'fast courier' trip to Apshai with immediate departure.
Sir Peter was somewhat put out when Antonio came clean about the events at the ball but somehow unsurprised.
The party were ordered to deliver a package to a spyship in the Apshai system, the Amarylis.
The route assigneed was -
BZ-II - Pyre - Grail - Rampart - Apshai
using 1 use programmed keys.
Osprey had to lift out within an hour.
The uphill trip to the gate was mostly routine, with Alectrona and the others conducting a thorough search of the ship for tracking devices.
Alectrona followed up on one of her stranger dreams and investigated the nexus of lines that she had 'seen' in a dream. A close examination of the forward avionics bay revleaed a strange distortion of the deck metal, a seamless bulge. Using a medical scanner, Alectrona examined the shape and discovered a void within it and a series of pores in the under surface. The suspicion was that this was the center of nanite activity.
The jumps to Grail were routine enough but the jump from Grail was highly anomalous.
The artefact radiated brighter than ever before and the jumpdrive system neared overload as a power spike nearly melted the Sathra dampers. Jump transistion was unusual, the usual change from one system to the other was interrupted with flickering visioins of 'somewhere else' the same white infinity that Ezra had seen when holding the artefact.
The actions of a ship at Rampart caused some passing suspicion, a scout ship scanned them and immediately jumped out.
Arriving at Apshai the Osprey made its way to the location ofthe Amarylis...
On final approach, Annissa suddenly voiced a strong sense that all was not right and Casey immediately sounded battlestations and turned Osprey to unmask her batteries.
As they did so, three raiders moved from behind the bulk of the Amarylis...
The raiders opened fire and began a full attack on Osprey.
There then ensued a violent battle with the enemy ships pressing home their attack with almost desperate intensity. Missile after missile was fired and Osprey received a good deal of damage before the raiders broke off. Following the suggestion of her crew, Annissa allowed Osprey to move and dock with the spy ship to check on the fate of the crew. Musa and Ezra went across to the other vessel, but Musa was injured by a booby trap left on the airlock.
Annissa took her wounded body guards place as they moved to the bridge.
Missile fire continued from long range and was then followed by one of the raiders appearing on a collision course with the Amarylis.
Antonio poured fire into the oncoming ship but it held to the course and the boarding party barely made it back to the ship before the Osprey was forced to undock and evade the collision at full power. The boarders had managed to retrieve a computer unit from the Amayrilis' bridge an determine that a firefight had taken place aboard some time in the last few days. Several escape pods were also missing.
The remaining raiders renewed their attack and osprey ran for the gate at full speed, taking more damage as she did so but forcing the raiders back again.
A merchant vessel at the Apshai gate fire a full broadside before jumoing out and inflicted further damage.on the now increasingly damaged Osprey. Jumping to Rampart, the osprey emerged into a battle between a group of raiders and the Li-Halan gate patrol. The raiders broke off their dogfight with the Li-Halan to fire several volleys at Osprey before she was able to jum clear to the Grail system.
reeling from yet more damage, venting atmosphere and with much of the ship in decompressed darkness.
The aretefact seemed to 'explode' into component parts and then reassemble seemingly unchanged on the surface. Again the jump engines neared overload and many power circuits were nearling burnout.
Seeking poretection from a lone Keddah frigate the crew struggled to repair hull breaches and restore power.
Rather than wait for a potential attack, it was deceded to jump for Pyre as soon as the ship was airtight.
The jump transition was rough and the white infinity was visible for longer. Abruptly, every power system on the ship shut down and everyone was left with only the helmet lights on their space suits.
Osprey was tumbling through space with all systems dead...
After a few minutes, the swelling orb of a planet was visible from one of the few remaining vision ports and the efforts to restart the ships systems took on a rather more desperate air.
Provost Ezra called for divine aid with a rather unconventional invocation - Kicking the bulkhead whilst yelling "F-king well start you C-nting thing!!" - Moments later, first emergency then main power kicked in and Casey was able to attempt to control the ships entry into the atmosphere.
Casey ordere the crew to the escape pods for crash protection (as it was now almost too latel to abandon ship safely). Ploughing through the atmosphere in a fireball, Osprey clipped the edge of a huge cyclonic storm before crashing into the sea in the middle of a stormy night.
The plummeting ship skipped across the sea like a stone until it skidded to a halt on the fringes of a mangrove swamp.
With a radiation alarm blaring, the crew bailed out of the ship and into the pouring rain, dragging an unconscious and wounded Casey with them. Finding a clearing, the party unloaded their survival gear and took stock. Ezra was of the opinion that they might be on Akata. Musa discovered a crushed tray of lager cans under a tree that had been toppled by the ships impact. Examination of the cans showed that the lager was actually quite good but labelled in an old dialect of urthish. The dating system was also unfamiliar.
Musa went back aboard to recover more equipment and discovered that the ship appeared to be melting... Metallic ooze was leaking from the walls and the structure of the ship was beginning to sag. Musa 'fed' a lager can to the ooze.
The ship became dangerously unstable and the salvagers were forced to abandon her as she melted into a liquescent puddle, sinking into the oncoming tide.
The scene was illuminated by a rising moon, a large green sphere, obviously overed in living vegetation, quite unlike any moon in the known worlds.
As the camp was prepared, the sun began to rise, dispelling the theory that this was the Sirius system, for the sun was far more like that of Urth rather than the predicted blue orb of Sirius A.
We leave our heroes in disconsolate mood, Annissa staring at the tide lapping over the site of Ospreys remains and voicing the opinion that Dan was going to kill her for this.

Session 18

Our heroes are forced to take stock of their situation in the morning light. Their abandonment of the ship went smoothly and ensured that they had recovered much vital equipment before leaving the stricken vessel.Our heroes are forced to take stock of their situation in the morning light. Their abandonment of the ship went smoothly and ensured that they had recovered much vital equipment before leaving the stricken vessel.
Annissa decided to try her hand with one of the nets from the survival gear and set up a basic fish trap to take advantage of the falling tide.
After some rest, Antonio and Ezra set off to reconnoiter the high ground to the north of the island, an expedition that would take much of the day.
Musa surveyed the mud flat where Osprey went down and discovered a number of small metal boxes attached by chains to plastic floats. Examination of the rocks later showed them to be full of the ore of some unfamiliar mineral.
Antonio managed to locate an extinct lava tube on the slope of the volcanic mound by the simple expedient of falling into it.
After some effort (they had brought no rope) Ezra and Antonio were able to extricate the Masseri noble from the hole and continue to the summit.
From the summit a proper survey of the island was possible. The atoll was clearly uninhabited and part of a series of extinct volcanoes.
On return to camp, Ezra examined the ore and was suitably perplexed.
A second moon rose in the heavens, another large satellite shrouded in some sort of cloudy atmosphere.
Fireside debate focused on what the crew should do next, some proposing an SOS and bargaining with the local powers, whatever they turned out to be. Annissa and Tanalu took the stance that this would be unwise as the crew were not in a position of power to negotiate.
Musa discovered 'pores' in the sand around the crash site, through which water was percolating, prompting some speculation as to what exactly the nanites were up to. Musa left some of the ore in the area of the crash site.
When Musa returned to the crash site, the ore had been denuded of the waxy yellow threads of mineral, leaving only the base rock.
Musa then gathered up all the boxes of ore and 'fed' the rocks to the crash site.
Examination of data from Casey's personal hand computer revealed information about Ospreys descent.
Sensor data showed that Osprey had emerged very close to the planet with no sign of a nearby gate. Radar traces indicated the presence of several orbital vessels and platforms but the radar systems seemed to use protocols not used since the first Republic.
Several heat sources indicated the use of antiquated 'torch' fusion drives, another ancient human technology predating Vau contact.
Analysis of the voice traffic showed the local language to be a dialect of Urthish that seemed to lack any alien 'borrow' words.
For a brief period, Antonio entertained the possibility that they were adrift in both time and space...
Late the following afternoon, a vessel was seen approaching the island. The hydrofoil circled the island and then entered the inlet. One of those on board went over the side with a face mask and schorkel, seeming to be looking for something. When he did not find it, some consternation seemed to take hold among those on the boat. Two pairs of armed men left the boat and headed for shore. Perhaps having spotted one of the crew, the leader indicated to two of his men to circle around to one side while he and his associate headed directly for the shore.
Annissa and Antonio decided to approach the leader of the men and attempt to open dialogue.
As Annissa began to attempt to spin a tale of shipwreck and the mysterious presence of a second boat that 'stole' all the ore (presumably what the men were there to recover), the second pair of men came across the camp. Mistaking the paramilitary fatigues of Musa and Alectrona for some sort of law enforcement, they gave the alarm with a cry of "It's the feds!"
Without warning, the leader and his henchman shot Annissa and Antonio and point blank range with their shotguns...
Sadly for them however, the presence of energy shields made the resulting exchange of fire somewhat one sided and within moments, three of the enemy lay dead. Ezra had sent Anam over the water to 'secure' the boat and after a scream and burst of automatic weapons fire, it seemed that Anam had managed to do just that. The leader was bludgeoned into submission by Antonio, Annissa having dispatched her opponent with her scimitar.
The party proceeded to interrogate the prisoner, something at which very few of them showed any aptitude at all. Using the aliens as 'bad cop' and Casey's overt Psi as 'worse cop' allowed them to extract some information from the prisoner.
The planet they were on was apparently called 'Poseidon', a sub light colony ship had settled it some 3,000 years ago and was contacted by another colony about 40 years ago by something called a 'wormhole'.
The ore that was hidden in the inlet was called 'Long John' and allegedly the key to eternal life and advanced nanotech.
Musa had, it appeared, fed several hundred thousand of the local currency in value to the nanites...
It seemed that the hydrofoil crew were members of a crime syndicate and had been creaming off the take of their operation, stashing their proceeds on the atoll.
That night, the prisoner (called Karl) attempted to escape, nearly overpowering Antonio before being subdued. He seemed then to suffer some sort of mental collapse and did nothing more than moan and gibber for much of the time after that.
The next afternoon, Ezra spotted a strange flying thing approaching him. A mechanical dragonfly like device painted in a vibrant colour-scheme.
Via loud speaker, it engaged Ezra in conversation, declaring that he 'talked funny'. Naming itself `Dancer` the device seemed playful and curious, leaving some ambiguity as to whether it was a remote device or an A.I.
Dancer seemed to take the presence of the aliens in its stride, being more curious than trouser soilingly terrified as the prisoner had been.
Part way through the conversation, Dancer asked who Osprey was, causing some raised eyebrows. Apparently Osprey was transmitting on a frequency close to one of Dancers own at a very low power.
Dancer relayed the fact that Osprey was reporting damage repair estimates and a statement that the A.I. was offline, leaving only prepared answers to predicted questions, plus the acerbic statement that "if you treated your wife or your dog the way you treated me, they'd lock you up..."
Dancer initially thought that Osprey was a submarine but it dawned on him after a while that these were indeed travellers from another star.
A growing rapport grew up with Dancer and the party, his childlike interest and openness setting people at their ease.
After a while, someone asked Dancer directly who and what he was and after some initial misunderstandings he directed them to look in the lagoon. In the lagoon, a large marine animal splashed the water and moved playfully. This, it seemed, was Dancer himself, although he seemed to draw no distinction between his 'remote' and his physical body. Dancer announced that he was a 'Bel', a creature that resembled the extinct dolphins of old Urth but larger and lacking a dorsal fin and white in colour.
Dancer playfully referred to the humans as 'Darwins' which nobody took offense to.
Examination of the data from Osprey revealed that the ship would require some 2-3 months to repair itself but the jump drive was irretrievably damaged. A rare artificial element 'Element 210' would be required to reconstruct a critical component.
A search of the Hydrofoil netted some items of technology, revealing that although elements of the local technology were centuries behind in some areas, the sophistication was in many ways superior to the hand made Known Worlds gear. Evidence of mass production, integration of advanced systems and the like. The handguns used systems unknown in the Known Worlds.
Dancer announced that his 'pod' would be arriving some time the next day as they were in the area and needed a place to put in and repair their boat. He described them as "three squids and a diver" which led to some unease among the party who were worried that the squids might be Nizdarim.
As the sail of the boat appeared the next day, Anam was told to keep out of sight.
Four human figures were visible on the boat and one they moored up in the deep water channel, all four dived into the water and swam ashore. Only one of the four broke surface during the entire swim and when the group waded onto the sand, it became clear as to why... three of the newcomers had gills...
The group introduced themselves as Kelly and Jane Ross, twin sisters and the wives of Charles Egeland and Dieter Ellis, all four were Dancers podmates. The newcomers wore nothing above the waist, revealing the gill-slits on three of their backs.
Kelly explained that 'squids' were local slang for those with gill modification and 'diver' was slang for those with enhanced lungs.
`Darwin` it seemed was the slang term for an unmodified human.
The Natives seemed to take the presence of non-humans in their stride and seemed friendly and welcoming. However they declared that Karl was a known murderer and criminal and opened a debate as to his fate.
Some moral and ethical discussion later and it was accepted that the man had committed capitol offences by all the legal systems present, drawing a gun on a noble being enough by Known World standards.
Antonio volunteered himself as executioner and dispatched the man with a blaster bolt to the head.
Discussions began as to what to do next, whether to remain on the island or find another place to stay.
The natives said that they didn't know much about nuclear physics but reckoned that only a large city would have anywhere likely to have element 210, the nearest being over a thousand kilometers away.
Kelly suggested that perhaps the tribal settlement would contain those more in the know.
We leave our heroes chatting by the fireside, chatting to the natives and discussing what best to do... captured pirate vodka lubricating the situation a little.

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Session 19

We rejoin our heroes as they discuss matters with the natives around a campfire.
It was decided that it would be best for the non-humanoids to remain on the island rather than risk the complication of concealing them within the general population.
A general discussion of the differences between the Known Worlds and the people of Poseidon led to some unfortunate revelation of prejudices among the human crew -
Annissa describing the Natives as "half fish creatures"
Antonio describing Dancer as both a "pilot whale" and "a fish"
Musa drew some comment from her crewmates for announcing her disapproval of the feudal system, espousing some rather republican sentiments.
The natives seemed very thick skinned in the face of some of the staggering tactlessness on the part of their 'guests' and merely asked for elaborations rather than rising to any perceived 'bait'.
The plan was for the hydrofoil to go ahead with two of the natives and the humanoids travel with the remaining natives in their outrigger.
Musa was enthralled by the night sky of Poseidon, even more so when Kelly (one of the natives) pointed out the small glowing speck of Sol.
Ezra made the mistake of spending part of his evening researching the local wildlife on the global computer network (called 'COM core') from aboard the hydrofoil. He soon made his way to shore, unnerved by the discovery that the seas of Poseidon contained shark-like predators that were hundreds of feet long.
The next day, Anam, Ka'ra and Tanalu bade their human crewmates farewell. Ezra was somewhat surprised to note that part of Tanalu's benediction for their journey contained both a quote from the Omega Gospels and a hand gesture that looked an awful lot like a Jumpgate blessing.
Dancer accompanied the outrigger, assisted by some sort of propulsion harness. He left one of his remotes on the island as a relay for communications, placing another on the boat while he swam alongside.
The native outrigger "Jokes of ancestors" was heavily laden with oil cloth bound crates. "Fishing gear" was the explanation given, although Antonio was soon voicing the suspicion in private that it was a little odd that someone would be worried about getting fishing gear wet.
Accommodation was basic but comfortable enough for a journey of four or five days to the fishing village of 'Jacksonville'.
The mood was almost that of a holiday for many, Antonio seeming the most relaxed even though Musa was taking night watches in case the two natives decided to do something untoward.
Ezra kept well away from the side of the boat at all times, dreading trips to the 'over the side' lavatory.
Various discussions developed over the course of the journey, including some good natured banter between Casey and Antonio - Antonio protesting perhaps too much that he didn't care whether or not Casey and Alectrona carried on a physical relationship within earshot or not (which, as a matter of record, they did not).
The natives seemed both enthralled and appalled to learn more about the social structure of the Empire, finding the concept of serfdom and slavery abhorrent. They did at least acknowledge the concept of an aristocracy, as one of the worlds in the Prime system allegedly had nobles of some sort.
One of these discussions turned nasty when Antonio managed to insult Annissa with a comment to the effect of "It's a wonder that your house controls five worlds if a poor specimen like you is any indication..." The backhanded slap he swiftly received from the Baronette was followed by an apology on his part and several spectators considered that it could have been a lot worse.
Casey (still not pegged as an alien by the natives) got into an argument with Antonio about the shabby record of humanity with regard to alien races and indeed its own 'altered' members. Casey espoused the view that often humanity had no other virtue than their numbers and a willingness to steal from other people.
Following up on suspicions that the natives were not being entirely honest about their motives, activities and cargo, one of the bundles was surreptitiously opened - revealing a crate of body armour.
The party were entranced by the sight of a shoal of several hundred large fish like animals 'porpoising' in the sunlight, their skins shining like rainbows. These were 'Sunbursts' they were told, an animal prized only for its beauty by the natives but machine gunned and flayed for their skins in their thousands by the Newcomers from Prime. "Typical humans" said Musa.
Despite some subsequent attempts to get the natives to open up on this topic, they were politely evasive about the whole matter.
After four days, land was sighted and the small hamlet of 'Jacksonville' was soon visible.
Ezra was startled in the extreme when a streamlined animal leapt over the boat, followed by another animal doing the same from the other side. After a moment he realised that they must be some form of Cetacean, a fact borne out when Dancer announced that they were "Seeker" and "Scout", two 'dolphins'.
The party were very politely escorted to a house at the edge of the village dubbed 'guest quarters' and asked to stay inside while the elders were gathered and debated the arrival of the offworlders.
The party settled in to their quarters and watched the goings on out of the narrow windows. Re-assured by their not having been disarmed, any jokes about large fires and cooking pots were fairly light hearted.
The elders debated around the fire for some time, a slightly odd sight being the flying saucer shape of remote drones taking the floor of the debate.
After some considerable time, the party were asked to come and address the gathering.
The Elders asked for a reprise of the whole "Who are you, why are you here, how did you get here and what are you going to do now?" and the party responded with almost Balthazarian honesty - Restating that they were unsure how they arrived, save that an ancient alien artefact was probably responsible and they had not guarantee that it could get them home and that the likelihood of their Empire ever finding its way to this world was remote. Obtaining sufficient Element 210 to at least attempt a return was their primary goal.
The Elders asked them to consider what would happen if they could not return and where their sympathies might lie in the long term. The purpose of the cargo of weapons aboard the outrigger was explained, the natives were gearing up for armed resistance against the Corporations who were committing a land grab of formerly native lands while the GEO 'government' was stymied in the law courts dealing with whether or not pre-existing native land rights had any standing under Prime law.
The Native Elders said that they would help in trying to locate a source of 210 if the offworlders helped them in return. Until the ship was operational (sans jumpdrive) the party needed somewhere to stay and the Natives felt that no native village would be suitable as the party stood out as 'Newcomers' too much.
They might pass as 'Redoubters' or 'Amish' - the term used for those from Prime who came from isolated communities in the wilderness areas of the planet, rather than the huge arcology cities. However to do so, they would have to live somewhere where there were other Newcomers, to 'hide in plain sight'.
The only other alternative was to hide them in a cave for 3 months.
The party volunteered to assist in the 'rebellion' as the party termed it, pointing out that they'd never visited a city or planet that they had not managed to create chaos on yet, and thus putting them in the Offworlder quarter of 'Perdition' would probably serve the cause in one way or another.
The natives were asked if they had knowledge of the occult. The Elders said that they did, which led Casey to give a demonstration of telekinesis (an ability she had not demonstrated to her colleagues hitherto). The Natives said that they had no taboos against such rare gifts but that they had heard that within the territory of the Newcomers from Prime, those with 'gifts' tended to disappear.
Debate then focussed on what use the party members might be put too and how best to establish a cover.
Quite spontaneously, the party came to a consensus that they might actually be rather good at running a saloon - Somewhere that didn't run whores but did some gambling and brewed its own beer.
We leave our heroes as they expand upon their plan...
"Do not fondle the waitresses as being stabbed through the eye socket by an angry Ukar often offends"

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Session 20

Our heroes continued their debate on the best way to remain inconspicuous on an alien planet and performed an abrupt volte face regarding the saloon plan.
Their native hosts were in the process of arranging false identities via their contacts on Comm-Core. The party were happy to provide finger prints and have their photographs taken but baulked at supplying DNA samples (as much to continue Casey's masquerade as a human as anything else). False DNA records did not add much to the complexity of the task. Alectrona pointed out that Casey would need a false blood group on her ID and care would have to be taken if she ever required medical attention.
Rather than run a saloon, the party decided to opt for rural concealment. The Natives began preparations for this and over the next day or worked on a reasonably secure 'cover' for the party.
Antonio, Musa and Ezra seemed happy to adapt to the more relaxed routine of native life, enjoying the lack of pressure and idyllic surroundings. This being said, perusal of the ecological databanks seemed to instil a degree of hydrophobia among the offworlders.
Annissa felt the separation from the familiar more acutely than her entourage, finding the lack of amenities and activity more boring than relaxing.
The Natives suggested that Annissa cut her hair to make it look as though she had been on world for a short period of time (new arrivals have short hair due to being shaved before cryosleep) but she refused. She did however promise to make sure it was concealed. The rest of the party's somewhat shorter locks posed less of a problem.
The party were told that they would be taken to a small 'ranch' some distance from Perdition, the rancher did not get many visitors and only travelled to town infrequently and thus the presence of several workers who had allegedly been on site for a couple of months prior to the present date would be plausible.
Ezra and Antonio's dreams of riding the range on horseback lassoing cattle were shattered when it was revealed that Mr Dave Bryce's ranch was in fact an Iguana farm...
There was some consternation mixed with hilarity when it was realised that a party containing four members of various noble bloodlines would be posing as indentured labour...
The party were flown to the ranch (a distance of some 200km) in an unusual vehicle called a 'jump craft' which flew using 4 large fans at the corners and resembled a truck. Their pilot, Sam was an almost alarmingly calm individual who usually (so he said) made his money running drugs and people around the island for the Natives.
Mr Bryce's ranch was an unprepossessing place, little more than a large partly pre-fabricated house cum barn and a series of Iguana enclosures. Bryce's previous hand had run off to become a miner, leaving the worker's half of the house unfinished and Bryce without the staff to enlarge his operation.
Bryce was a middle aged man who seemed content to house six people and ask no questions about who they were and why they were here, so long as they actually did some work to earn their keep.
Annissa very nearly reacted badly to being assigned the cover role of housekeeper, but swallowed her pride. Casey, being "a slip of a thing" was told she could take on maintenance of the truck and the others were told they would be farm hands.Accommodation was basic, a large open plan living and kitchen area with sleeping lofts above but showed the level of technology that even the poor and rural were used to on this world – A basic CommCore terminal and screen for video entertainment. Cooking and refrigeration equipment and air-conditioning.
The toilet looked low tech, essentially dropping waste into a void below but the 'septic tank' was actually full of tailored microbes that digested the waste into sterile compost. Showers recirculated and cleansed water (The island received little rainfall) and power came mostly from solar arrays on the roof.
After a few days of adjustment and time spent sorting out the accommodation, life began to settle into some sort of routine. Annissa still chafed at the nature of their 'confinement' but Alectrona's suggestion that they put the time to good use practising artistic endeavours helped. Alectona asked Antonio to whittle her a flute and Annissa took to practising her singing and a long neglected skill in needlework (in part to allow her to produce a native style garment that was more flattering than the shorts, t-shirts and overalls provided by Bryce).
The basics of Iguana wrangling were explained to the party – Seaweed in one end, guano and fat iguanas out the other.
Musa reconnoitred the area, discovering that some miles down the coast there was a large gun emplacement that enfiladed the entire bay. Hanover Inc seemed to take their security rather more seriously than one might reasonably expect.
Antonio drew up a list of requirements should he wish to begin home alcohol production and after a few days, it was proposed that a supply run to Perdition be made.
Bryce readily agreed, providing a list of items needed before new Iguana pens could be constructed.
Musa, Annissa and Antonio took the 4x4 into town. Perdition was split into two unequal parts, the picture-esque 'old town' that dated from pre-recontact times, a prosperous native fishing port and the huge sprawl of the newcomer mining shanties. The town boasted three saloons and two brothels, plus the base for the local GEO Marshall and a general store.
Annissa was somewhat startled to discover that Bryce had not warned her that the proprietors of "Philpotts general store" was some sort of hybrid of beast and man, she maintained her composure however.
It transpired that on Prime, human and animal DNA had been blended to form genetically engineered soldiers during wars some decades past and these were the descendants of those creatures. Many emigrated to Poseidon to escape prejudice on their homeworld (Natives and Cetaceans seem to be more ready to accept the genetically altered).
Antonio appropriated some of the whiskey bought in the trip and quietly marked what would have been his daughters 13th birthday in solitude. Later he spoke at some length with Ezra about life and death, taxing the good Provosts theological ability somewhat.
Some use was made of the CommCore terminal, learning more about the complex nature of the two planets that made up the Prime-Poseidon 'system'. One night, not long after their arrival the sky was lit up with a blinding flash and there followed the rumble of a large explosion. The Hanover emplacement on the coast had exploded.
Security troops from the Hanover base inland swarmed over the area in jumpcraft and trucks but the patrol that visited the ranch were sent way by Bryce, seemingly satisfied with his assurance that his hands had been in bed all night.The following couple of days saw the story develop on the news media. Military grade explosives had been attached to a Hanover jumpcraft and they had detonated deep inside the facility, taking the magazine with it and utterly destroying the emplacement with the loss of dozens of Hanover personnel. Hanover security swept Perdition looking for 'insurgents' but a jurisdictional argument between the GEO Marshall and associated Native Patrol officers and Hanover meant that Hanover had to be satisfied with a few token arrests before withdrawing.

Alectrona reported dreams akin to those in the past that seemed to reveal nearby symbiots but on these recent occasions the voices were more like a harmony, a choir even than the discordant and hate filled whisperings. Ezra hypothesised that Alectrona was in some way attuned to symbiot thoughts but had no explanation for the nature of this new voices
Ezra spent some time engaged in a text based messaging conversation with Tanalu on the atoll. Tanalu revealed that he did not regard the Hironem God King as a living God, merely a potentially Holy individual and supported his views with quotes from the Omega Gospels. He said he had been preaching to some of the locals but did not elaborate on quite -what-.
Tanalu suggested Casey examine Alectrona's aura and Ezra agreed. Casey stated that in her opinion Alectrona had similar sparks to those people she knew to be priests of various Gods.
Ezra decided that Alectrona would do well to spend more time in prayer and meditation as she was perhaps being touched by God in some way. The last major revelation came as as the result of some idle 'googling' of Commcore for familiar names. Prime seemed to contain several branches of familes with names like : Windsor, Van Gelder and DeMosto (the branch of the Masseri family to which Antonio belonged). The independent world 'Selene' in the Prime system listed several 'clan' names in its public domain data, including 'Xanthippe'.
We leave our heroes settling into a period of IC/OOC 'Downtime' on the ranch.

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