Per Ardua Ad Astra
Who is who in the Known Worlds.
A little about the game universe.
Handouts, rules and amendments unique to the campaign
Non-Player and Player characters of note.
The Story so far...
Out of Character resources
Fading Suns - The TV Show version
The Cast
Baronette Annissa Al-Malik of Aylon (Morena Baccarin)Daughter of a royal house, happier exercising her mercantile talents and seeking adventure among the stars than stuck at home or being married off.
Dame Alectrona Xanthippe (Katie Melua)
Former medic in a mercenary unit, Annissa's cousin. Product of a secretive genetic engineering program that has left her with powers she is begininning to explore.
Sir Antonio DeMosto Masseri (Michael Weatherly)
Hard bitten member of a downtrodden minor noble family, Annissa's frequent verbal sparring partner.
Musa Farooq ( No actress suggested)
Annissa's bodygaurd, a woman of few words.
Provost Ezra of the Eskatonic Order (Mark Alan Dacascos)
Archaeologist, Occultist, Fighter, rough-and-ready priest with a past.
Casey (Hannah Spearitt, tanned and wearing black-in-black contact lenses/CGI)
An Ur-Ukar, the disenfranchised and oppressed former servant race of one of the rumoured factions of Godlike beings who once ruled the universe. Surprisingly well adjusted, she is a piloting prodigy and Alectrona's lover.
'Osprey' (Michelle Ryan)
Illegally obtained and accidentally installed AI that has rebuilt the ship to her own liking. A relic of the lost Second Republic and perhaps a tiny bit smitten with Antonio.
Ka'ra : (CGI/Animatronic with voiceover by Gigi Edgley)
– The Ishkin are a race of predatory marsupials from Vuldrok space. When they are visible they look like a child sized cross between a ferret and a chinchilla. Sometimes hunted for their fur which has the almost magical ability to render them invisible. Rescued by Annissa from the dungeon of a diabolist cult, she is also some sort of techno-shaman.
Tanalu : (Prosthetics/CGI with voiceover by Jonathan Pryce)
– An exiled member of the reptilian race known as Hironem's priestly caste, he has converted to the Universal Church and serves aboard Osprey as cook, doctor, purser and all round calming influence.
Intro
For half a millenium, humanity has lived among the stars in darkness...Humans reached the stars long ago, building a republic of high technology and universal emancipation -- then they squandered it, fought over it, and finally lost it. A new Dark Age has descended upon humanity, for the greatest of civilizations has fallen, leaving ignorance and fear scattered among the ruins of many worlds. Now, even the stars are dying. Then, from the ashes of our ruin, Vladimir halted our decline. Proclaimed Emperor by popular decree, he united the Known Worlds of Human Space under his cunning and charismatic rule.
Vladimir created the great charter, declaring how the powers of rulership would be divided and how his successors would be elected. Five scepters for Mother Church, protector of our souls; five for the Merchant League, heralds of our past; and five for the Noble Houses, holders of our future. But each of these powers wished to rule in their own way, and schemed to gain complete power...at any price.
Vladimir's military might convinced the Noble Houses to concede his rule, for they could not stand in battle before this master tactician. The Merchant League, last remnants of the Second republic, made little pretense of their disdain for the charter of Vladimir. But they accepted his rule nonetheless, fearful of his popularity among the people.
The Patriarch of the Universal Church accepted Vladimir's rule on the condition that the Church present him the crown, thus ensuring its ritual role on approving all his succcessors. Vladimir's coronation as the first Emperor of the Known Worlds took place on Byzantium Secundus, which has been declared the Imperial Throne World.
In the year AD 4550 , Vladimir crowned himself with his own hands... ...and died an agonizing death at the hand of unknown powers. With Vladimir's death, his great union fell apart. Noble house turned on Noble house... ...igniting a war for the spoils of Vladimir's empire. The commonwealth of humanity was shattered, overcome by iron-fisted feudal lords. As the suns fade, so dies humanity's hope.
(From the Introductory video cutscene for the 'Emperor of the Fading Suns' computer game)
The video itself is out there on youtube somewhere - a copy with spanish subtitles is located here
The year is 4,998 and three centuries of unstable Regency and bloody Civil War have ended with the rise of a new Emperor, Alexius. Victorious in battle he has begun to forge a new Empire to bind the worlds of humanity together as Vladimir did before him. His Phoenix Knights travel through Known Space and beyond, seeking to bring fresh worlds into the Imperial fold whilst defending the still delicate new order against those who would see it fail...
Barbarian and alien invasions menace the borders of the Empire, internal factions threaten to reignite the Emperor Wars and there is the small matter of the Imperial Succession, for Alexius is yet to wed...
Amid the Fading Suns, a group of Phoenix Knights seek to hold back the darkness...
Titles
[OOC – The credit sequence is a work in progress]Provisional Theme tune : Knights of Cydonia by Muse (introduction shortened)
The Osprey skimming low over a vast desert dotted with mesas, some of which have towns and farms atop them, overhead a swollen red sun hangs in the sky
The camera panning over the Gothic/Bladerunner cityscape of Byzantium Secundus and toward the vast Imperial palace where a procession of finely dressed noble knights and their retinues approach the presence of the Emperor.
Annissa (Morena Baccarin) curtseying in one of the many outfits that suggest that Ms Baccarin has the same wardrobe mistress as she had working for Joss Whedon. Then cutting to her locked in a desperate swordfight against a chainmail clad vuldrok barbarian, this time with her wearing a more practical set of fatigues.
Alectrona (Katie Melua) clad in paramilitary fatigues and body armour, crouched over a prone figure and pressing a high tech injector to their neck, concern on her face. Switching to her laughing at some social affair wearing a Grecian style gown.
Ezra (Mark Alan Dacascos ) looking uncomfortable in a cassock and dog collar, stood in front of a small congregation of grubby peasants. Then a much more comfortable looking Ezra swinging his bullwhip to wrap around a robed cultists throat, looking every inch the fedora hatted archaeologist.
Antonio (Michael Weatherly) clad in a very loud shirt, lounging in a bar booth, a floozy either side of him with a frankly extravagant martini in one hand. Cut with Antonio in a space suit, hands gripping the handles of a ships gunnery controller, looking intense.
Musa (If anyone has a good match for a short, stocky, Arabic looking actress who can do stuntwork, let me know) doing the 'full John Woo', blazing away with two 9mm automatics while bullets spark off her energy shield, throwing them aside when they empty and drawing two large blaster pistols and continuing to fire.
A very Firefly-esque dining sequence with the party and NPC's all sat around a table laden with food.
The party striding down a landing ramp in classic slo-mo, armed and looking determined.
Session 41-50
Antonio – “Where next?”
Annissa – “Hargard… first world on the other side of the Imperial border with the Vuldrok and every lead we have on the cultists points in that direction.”
Ezra – “At least we have friends there…”
Cut to –
The party starship reeling under multiple impacts from a flotilla of attacking vessels, the bridge filling with sparks and smoke as they struggle to bring her back into action.
Ezra “Crap…”
'Osprey' being grappled by a larger craft and the party emerging down the docking tube to face a heavily armed group of Vuldrok raiders, one of whom (Callum Keith Rennie) opens his arms and Osprey's pilot, Casey (Hannah Spearitt) flies into his arms and grapple-hugs him with gusto “DAN!”
Cut to –
A warmly lit tavern cum ale hall, filled with Vuldrok warriors, peasants and the spoils from years of raiding. The party sprawl on seats and cushions while Thane Gudrun (Camryn Manheim) sits on her heavily carved wooden chair and smiles, “Not that rescuing old friends isn't both a duty and a pleasure, but I am afraid you do rather owe me a lot of money….”
Ezra – “Crap…”
And now…
We open to find Casey sat in the pilot's chair on the retro-Steampunk bridge of the starship Osprey, working her way through a checklist on a clipboard.
“Starboard laser traverse powerfeed…”
A voice (Gigi Edgley) comes through the intercom, “Check…”
“Local fire control power feed…”
“Check…”
A clawed reptilian hand holding a steaming mug of coffee comes into shot and Tanalu (Voice Talent – Jonathan Pryce) softly interrupts Casey, “Refreshment, captain?”
Casey taps her throat mike, “Ka'ra… take five, we can start on the missile loader checks after this, okay?”
“Acknowledged.”
Casey leans back in her chair and takes a sip of the coffee, “Thanks Tan'…”
The reptile inclines his head graciously, “My pleasure.”
“How long has it been now?”
“Three hours since your last enquiry, a little over two days since they left captain.”
Casey nods, “Gudrun said she'd get her guy to check on them after 72 hours… I don't like them being out of direct communications like this.”
“One can only hope that a simple fact finding mission should not present them with too many problems.”
Casey nods again, “I guess so…” she seems unsure.
The bridge speakers come to life and a well spoken, feminine voice (Michelle Ryan) joins the conversation, “Those five… loose in the capital city of a warlord who hates everything the Empire stands for, attempting to obtain clues about a diabolist cult…” the AI makes a very human sound of amusement, “What could possibly go wrong…?”
Cut to – Antonio falling backwards from a door in a darkened cellar with a venomous snake clamped to his neck.
“Argh!”
We open with our gallant band holed back up in their rented accommodation and Alectron is tending to a freshly revived Antonio after his brush with ophidian neurotoxins.
Annissa : "So, what have we learned from our recce?
Antonio : "a) Snakes hurt and b) There must be something worth protecting."
Annissa : “Obviously…”
Antonio : “And what's wrong with that bloody raccoon's nose, don't snakes smell?” Annissa (bristling) : “Only the ones I work with…”
Ezra (intervening with a weary practised air) : “The snakes was probably asleep, they're hard to spot until they wake up…”
Antonio (muttering) : “Bloody fleabag.”
Annissa : “We need to go back in and see what's behind that door in the cellar of the pawn shop.”
Antonio : “Alright…”
Annissa : "We need to avoid damaging the snake. Otherwise they'll know someone was there."
Antonio : "Shame it's not under a reciprocal arrangement, I've been damaged already.”
With a few hours still to go until dawn, the pawn shop cellar gets a second visit...
Avoiding the snake this time, the lock from shop cellar to warehouse basement is duly picked and the party sneak in for a proper nose around.
The warehouse basement is chock full of wooden crates, barrels and boxes.
Ezra uses a pry bar to open a few of them, “Carpentry, it's an ecclesiastical tradition…”
Antonio : “Huh?”
Ezra : “Got more laughs at seminary.”
Antonio (pulling something out of a crate) : “Oho… what have we here?”
Antonio holds up an assault rifle, still in its' factory packing and grease. It is plainly of Known Worlds manufacture. “Gun running no less…”
Annissa : “Where are they from?”
Antonio pats the breach of the weapon, “This is the model my family manufacture, so it's come via Decados space for a start. Long way from home.”
Ezra pulls out his camera and documents the finds. “Naughty… naughty… penance is due.”
Antonio : “With an axe.”
Annissa plants a coin sized bug in one of the weapons crates before it is carefully resealed and they exit whence they came.
CUT
Returning to their boarding house, the party tiptoe with exaggerated care up the stairs and into their respective rooms, women to one side, men to the other.
Annissa : “We'll sort out what to do in the morning.”
Cut to :
The basement of the pawnshop the party have just left as a dozen armed men gather, sat on boxes and barrels.
Leader : “Right, three teams. Tranq darts this time, we want these snoopers alive. Gunnar and Ralf take three men each and deal with the five over in the western quarter, Ulfgar, Snorrir and I will take the pair over riverside way. They'll not be expecting us, so this shouldn't be too hard… just avoid the city watch and make sure any witnesses are bribed or silenced. Let's go…”
Cut back to the women's room at the boarding house – Raki the Raccoon sleeps on Annissa's pillow, all are sleeping quietly.
Next door, Antonio snores slightly, face down on his bed, modesty preserved by a corner of bedsheet. Ezra is dead to the world also.
Cut to :
Two pairs of men shinning up drainpipes and ledges on the side of the building while the third in each team brings up the rear.
Closeup of the window lock in one of the rooms as a thiefs-tool slides through the gap at the bottom and flicks the catch.
Closeup of a Raccoon's ear flicking.
Two silenced pistols are levelled through each of the now open windows
Closeup of a Raccoon's eye suddenly opening and a heartbeat later, Annissa's eye doing the same and she shouts a warning as she grabs for the blaster pistol under her pillow. The wardrobe department have excelled themselves with the stated brief of “Silky, feminine yet modest” for Ms Baccarins night attire.
The pistols fire – a dart catches Alectrona in the neck and Ezra in the arm but the dart intended for Musa strikes empty bedding as she rolls off the bed and onto floor, coming up from behind the bed in a smooth motion, guns in hand. Musa is far more prosaic in her attire, having gone for t-shirt and shorts.
Antonio grabs for his pistol, knocking a bottle of booze flying, while Ezra pulls the dart from his arm and dives for his own pistol.
The camera team have their work cut out keeping the fight scene in the guy's room broadcastable due Ezra and Antonio sleeping in the raw, cue lots of conveniently placed candleholders and other items at waist height in shot.
The intruders suddenly and very messily discover that light body armour and no energy shields is not the preferred attire for facing several very irritated people with blaster pistols and there is a montage of assailants being struck with blasterfire before the rearguard member of each team dives out of the window and tries to make a break for it.
Annissa leans out of the window and blasts one of them in the back, sending him flying into a wall to collapse in a very ostentatiously dead heap.
Annissa : “I was only suppose to blow his bloody leg off!” [GM – And earns a bennie point for a perfect Michael Caine reference]
Seeing the last one limping away, she points and hisses “Attack!” to the Raccoon, which growls with fury and bounds after the surviving intruder.
The man limps as though the devil himself were after him and turns, the camera catching the stricken look of fear on his face as Raki leaps at him, jaws impossibly wide.
The screen goes black and we hear screams cut off by wet crunching noises…
Annissa and Antonio are looking out their respective windows into the alleyway and they both wince in similar fashion.
Antonio : “Oh… that's gotta hurt…”
Annissa : “I need to teach him to restrain really I suppose…”
Ezra and Antonio rush into the ladies bedroom, guns in hand, looking to see if their assistance is required, heedless of their lack of clothing.
Antonio : “Everything alright?”
Annissa clears her throat and keeps her gaze pointedly on Antonio's face.
Alectrona sniggers groggily, fumbling with an antidote injector ineffectually.
There is a slightly uncomfortable silence, broken only by the soft crackle of flames caused by stray blaster rounds and muffled sounds of alarm as the occupants of the building and indeed half the street awaken and start wondering what the Hades is going on.
Antonio : “Well, er… we'd better go next door and put the fires out there…”
Annissa (Eyes still resolutely forward) : “Yes…”
Antonio : “And put some trousers on…”
Annissa : “That might be for the best…”
The landlady arrives, flanked by the two Vuldrok warriors staying in one of the other rooms, she surveys the carnage and damage to the fixtures and fittings with an expression of near incandescent rage.
Landlady : “Pilgrims? Who of? THE WAR GOD?”
Annissa (turning on the charm) : “I am so very, very sorry about all this… of course, we will pay whatever you think the damage and inconvenience is worth…”
Landlady (Slightly mollified) : “Yes?”
Annissa (beckoning to Musa) : “Perhaps a small downpayment…?”
Musa hands the landlady a small bag of coinage.
Landlady (now much happier) : “But of course…”
Annissa (smiling everso sweetly) : “Oh… and do you happen to have another room?”
CUT
We pick up with the party moving their baggage up to a somewhat pokey attic room divided in two by a curtain while Annissa is finishing up being interviewed by the sergeant of the city watch, an imposing figure in plate and mail with shield, axe and assault rifle slung over his back.
Annissa (all wide eyes and innocence): “… and it was all so sudden, we just acted on instinct.”
Sergeant Hrothgar (evidently happier dealing with an open and shut case, especially when the offended party is easy on the eye) : “Well, scum like that prey on pilgrims. I'm satisfied no crime has been committed here. Enjoy the rest of your stay in our city.”
He beckons to his men and they troop out of the boarding house to join their lower ranking comrades who are loading the half dozen corpses into a cart.
Annissa : “Phew.”
She sits on the edge of her bed, shoulders slumping with released tension. “Do you think we should check in with Kolya?”
Ezra : “At five in the morning? No-one'll thank you for waking them up at that hour.”
Antonio (grinning) : “Is that what Anastasia told you last night then?”
Ezra : “Fuck off.”
Antonio : “I can sit watch if people want… I've had more rest than you lot…”
Alectrona : “A semi-paralysed delirious state after a snake neurotoxin does not constitute restful sleep. Get some proper rest.”
The party settle in, with rather more guns immediately to hand than normal.
CUT
To the leader of the kidnap groups pacing up and down in the cellar of the pawn shop, “What do you mean no sign of them?” he growls at one of his men, taking a moment to kick the recumbent bound figure of Kolya in the ribs. “I send six of them…”
His comm unit bleeps, “Yeah? … What? What do you mean DEAD?”
He kicks Kolya again, “Gods dammit… Well, the master will have to be satisfied with you and I hope it's your hide he takes it out of if he isn't… off world scum.”
CUT
Our heroes are sat at breakfast, bags packed and armour under their pilgrims disguises. Ezra is tapping at his communications device, “Anastasia's not picking up…” without missing a beat he points his finger at Antonio's face, “Just fuck off.”
Antonio : “Didn't say a word…”
Ezra : “I'm a priest.”
Antonio (muttering) : “Allegedly.”
CUT
To Kolya and Anastasia being loaded into the back of a truck while amid a pile of discarded items from her room on the van floor, a communicator vibrates and flashes unheeded.
CUT
Annissa tries Kolya's number, getting no response either.
Annissa : “Not good. We should go check their place.”
Leaving enough money to cover their bill in case they don't return, the party head out into the streets of the city, heading for the other Questing Knights bed and breakfast.
As they move through the streets, we see two separate individuals start to follow them…
Antonio spots one of them and beckons the others to follow his lead as he starts to lead them through some basic evasion manoeuvres.
[Gm note : There were two separate groups tailing them but they only spotted one]
Arriving at the place where Anastasia and Kolya had been staying, Annissa approaches the concierge and asks after the pair.
Concierge : “Sorry Miss… they must have left, there was coin on their tables when I went up this morning and all their stuff was gone.”
Annissa looks momentarily unconvinced and then turns on the charm once more, “Well, no matter….” She says breezily, “Perhaps their rooms will suit my companions and I for the remainder of our stay… may we see them?”
Concierge (swayed by high CHA) : “But of course…”
Up in the room, the party have a quick look around while Musa keeps the man talking, playing the role of 'person who handles money for her rich airhead of an employer'.
The party find blood spots, cuts and notches out of the furniture indicating someone flinging a blade around in an enclosed space and a spent tranq dart.
Antonio : “And someone used a similar tool on this window to the one they used on ours…”
Ezra : “Same bunch then…”
Antonio : "I'm surprised. I'd be impressed if someone managed to turn Anastasia over... eh Ezra?"
Ezra : "Fuck off."
Antonio (a momentary mercenary gleam in his eye) : “Hey... where's their starship?”
Ezra : “At the starport I should expect... you twat.”
Antonio: “Ezra's right though, they must be the same people…After all,” he reasoned, “Let's think of it this way, we've only annoyed one person on this planet...”
Annissa (immediately, not missing a beat) : “Are you SURE about that?”
Antonio's comrades then proceeded to reel off the extensive and ever growing list of people they had inconvenienced, shot at, shot, raided, blown up and been rude to since first coming to Hargard.
It's not a short list.
Ezra : “We could always denounce this Ingulf bloke to Sigfaddir and ask him to demand our friends back?”
Annissa : “No evidence to back us up and anyway… the man hates Imperials with a passion and Ingulf's a well connected merchant… who's he going to believe? Speaking of evidence… we should check the bugs.”
Alectrona : “Back to the digs then… although we might want to look at staying elsewhere after this…”
Antonio : “You'd almost think we'd been drawing attention to ourselves…”
CUT
The party thread their way back through the crowded streets, one of the people Antonio didn't spot on the way there manages to casually bump into him in passing and moments later, Antonio reaches into his pocket and pulls out a note.
Antonio : “Eh?”
It reads :
“Inndvar's tea house – One Hour @\-----”
The floral design bore a resemblance to a symbol they had seen in Ramakrishna territory.
Antonio : “We have been summoned” Looking at the note, he looks perplexed “By someone who has been in my trousers, which makes them both cunning and brave”
Evading the second tailing group that they finally noticed, the party make their way through the streets of the city to the rendezvous.
Indvar's is a quiet tea house and patisserie that seems to attract a calmer sort of clientele than the rowdier ale houses and taverns that one might think typical of a Vuldrok city.
Annissa : “Not bad…”
The party take a seat in a quiet corner booth and moments later a friendly looking chap slides into the end seat to join them.
Anil Gundarson (smiling) : “You're not natural spies are you?”
The party make a few stammering denials of this before all shaking their heads more or less in unison.
Antonio : “You noticed.”
Anil : “So, got a good egress method for getting out of town?”
Ezra (without hesitation) : “Oh yes, a speedboat down in the western docks…”
Musa, Annissa, Alectrona and Antonio (in chorus) : “DON'T TELL HIM!”
Annissa : “I swear, when I said I wanted a father confessor for the good of my soul, this is not the sort of confession I meant.”
Ezra huffs. Anil, then proceeds to be gently critical of their performance, using terms like “Blundering” “chaotic” and “leaving a trail of bodies” in a nice montage that cuts between him tearing their operation apart with good humoured but ruthless efficiency and the party's somewhat crestfallen expressions.
Antonio (trying to defend their position) : “You have to understand that this was an ad hoc operation”
Antonio (admitting defeat) : “Although to be honest, we can be this crap after careful planning.”
Anil explains that he is the field officer for House Ramakrishna's intelligence service and that he is willing to help them out in return for “future considerations”.
Alectrona : “What sort of 'considerations'?”
Anil (airily) : “Oh, you know… this and that… stuff. I don't make those sorts of decisions.”
The party look reluctant but sensing that the wind is hardly in their favour, nod.
Anil (beaming now) : “Excellent, excellent! A van will be waiting at the back of the tea house, ready to take you to a safe house. We can work out where to go from there. Lovely.”
Making a leap of faith, the party followed Anil to the back door of the tea house and into the van. A short while later, they emerge into the garage of a rather well appointed safehouse.
Anil shows them to a set of rooms and shows them the facilities.
Anil : “Please, don't open the curtains, don't answer the door, don't go outside and try not to burn the place down, I quite like this one…”
The party take it in turns to shower and freshen up, while one of them goes through the recordings from the bugging devices.
Alectrona plays the recording of the snatch squads briefing and the leader's ranting when only his group returns. The sounds of the captives being loaded into the van can be heard. One of the bugged crates must be in the van with them as the sounds can be heard as the van doors close and the vehicle drives off. One of the captives moans as the van hits a bump.
Antonio : “Hey, Ezra... do you recognise that moan?”
Ezra : “Fuck… off…”
Alectrona : “I've boosted the signal, we can get a bearing on the bug while they're in range.”
Anil grabs a map and with a pencil they start to plot the van's progress.
Anil : “Heading out of town, north…”
Annissa and Antonio (together) : “The estate…”
Anil digs out some high tech spying gear and essentially Google-Earth's the country estate of Ingulf the Merchant.
Anil : “I can get you there, get you out and give you some help getting –in-… for…”
Annissa : “A small consideration in the future?”
Anil : “Oh no dear lady… this is going to be something bigger, but yes, that's the idea.”
We now have a montage of the party stood around the table, poring over maps and photographs, arguing with one another over the best way in, fingers stab at points on the map, heads are shaken, pencil lines drawn and redrawn. We intercut with the van making its' way along country roads, the two bound, drugged and gagged figures of their friends rolling about in the back.
Cut to the party stood around the table, looking determined.
Annissa is delivering a briefing to her cohort, the camera cuts between her and the sequence of annoted maps and photographs in proper war/spy film style.
Annissa (voice over now): “Anil's van will drop us on a road nearby, it won't stop to avoid anyone nearby noticing, so we'll have to jump as he slows down…”
Cut to the side doors of a plain white van sliding open as the vehicle speeds along a woodland road, as it approaches a bend it slow and a series of black clad figures jump out and roll down the embankment.
Annissa (voice over): “We'll sneak up on the house through the forest. But the place has a 12 foot wall with razor wire that is almost certainly alarmed, so….”
Cut to the party sneaking through the forest, with balaclavas night vision goggles supplied by Anil.
Alectrona looks unsteady for a moment.
Annissa: “What is it?”
Antonio : “Her woozle senses are detecting evil again…”
Alectrona : “Something in that house is wrong…”
Antonio (sotto voce) : “This we knew…”
Annissa (voice over): “A stream runs through the estate, it exits close to the main gate and is wide enough for a boat at that point. But… it enters on the far side and is much narrower. Hopefully it's not as well protected. It emerges near a mill pond and the estate outbuildings. They should give us cover most of the way to the main house…”
Cut to Antonio crawling along a shallow stream and up to an iron grating that blocks the culvert under the wall.
Annissa (voice over): “Once Antonio has disabled any alarm and cut through the grating, we follow the stream as far as the lake and boathouse, then using the hedges as cover, make our way to the house itself…”
Cut to Antonio swearing and complaining under his breath about the cold water and conditions he has to work under as he then sets to work on the grating.
The party stealthily approach the manor house, hiding from two separate guards with dogs patrolling the inner perimeter of the walls.
Annissa (voice over): “We know Kolya and Anastasia are being held somewhere in the house, probably underground.”
Cut to a flashback of Alectrona playing back a surveillance recording and our hearing the sounds of the crate being unloaded and someone giving instructions for the captives to be taken to “Await the master's pleasure”.
The bug then yields little more than kitchen staff coming and going, humming and collecting food from the pantry.
[GM Note – Ingulf's best men all got killed a couple of sessions back when they got on the wrong side of the party (they were 'team evil') and he's a little short staffed at present. His defences are designed to deal with casual burglary as this is not a Bond villan, just a rich guy in the evil equivalent of the Masons).]
Annissa (voice over): “Approaching from the northwest corner, we have choice of two routes into the house – A door on the north wall, near the western corner or a door on the western wall midway along it's length. Assuming the northwest door was the kitchen and the W one was the tradesmans entrance, we'll try the western one first.”
Cut to : Antonio picking the lock with the party clustered around him, guns drawn.
Annissa (voice over): “Once we're inside… we search, seek and if necessary destroy anyone who gets in our way… “
Cut to - The party making their way through tradesmans entrance, with a coal chute and set of stairs down to a cellar…
Going down to the cellar the party discover a fairly mundane coal bunker, boiler room, small wine cellar and a pantry area.
Annissa looks around her, “Hang on… the upper stories have a far bigger footprint than this…”
Alectrona rubs her forehead, “Something nasty is nearby…”
Antonio taps the walls with his knuckles, “Secret doors maybe?”
Ezra (noticing something) : “Look… the interior stonework is newer than the walls on the outer edge … something's been walled off from this area.”
Antonio : “Secret door?”
The party search but their tappings and peering yields no results.
Alectona : “There has to be another way in...”
Annissa (having an idea) : “Library...”
Antonio : “Yeah... personal space of the man of the house... Make perfect sense, let's go”
CUT
The party sneak around the outside of the house, keeping low behind the box hedging that the owner of the house has thoughtfully provided as cover.
Passing by one set of French windows, they hear muffled conversation and cutlery through the curtains.
Antonio (whispering) : “Bugger… dining room.”
Rounding the NE corner of the house, they make their way down the E wall to the next likely room location and peering in, Antonio spies books and desks. “Bingo!”
Antonio works on the alarm system and then quietly pries the window up, just in time as a guard comes perilously close on his rounds and the party scramble in through the library window and close it behind them.
Inside the library, a search for secret doors or hatches in the floor commences, all the while we can the sounds of dining in the room next door.
Ezra (smiling as he taps a shelf) : “Knew all that time in libraries wasn't entirely wasted…” He beckons the others over, “See…” he whispers, “Too deep… there's something behind here…”
Pulling back a panel, he reveals an unusual star shaped keyhole.
Antonio cracks his knuckles, “Let me at that…” he says with a grin.
Inserting a probe into the lock, there is an abrupt –zzzzzap- sound, a bright blue flash and Antonio is hurled across the room by a belt of high voltage. Lights throughout the house flicker and there is the sound of consternation, downed cutlery and scraping chairs across parquet flooring from the next room.
The jig, as they say, is up...
Annissa takes charge decisively, directing her comrades :
“Alectrona, look after 'Toni… Musa, barridade the door! Ezra, start piling furniture around this area to make a breastwork while I get this door open…”
Taking the plasma torch, Annissa throws subtlety to the winds and just melts the lock to slag and then kicks repeatedly at the door.
As Antonio stirs back to consciousness and Musa manhandled a heavy desk in front of the door, someone tries to get in from the hall and begins to hammer at the door.
Annissa kicks the secret door inward to reveal stairs going downward.
Antonio : “Musa and I will hold here…” he positions himself behind a pile of chairs and tables and Ezra finishes devaluing an escritoire to use as additional cover.
Annissa, Alectrona and Ezra make their way downstairs, while Musa and Antonio take up firing positions.
Antonio : “We should have brought grenades.”
Musa smiles and pulls a pair of frag grenades from her haversack, “Funny you should mention that…”
Downstairs, the team find themselves in some sort of meeting room lined with book shelves and display cabinets. Incongruously there is a wetbar in one corner of the room but it is the ornately carved door set in an impressively sculpted archway on one wall that draws the eye, as much due to the disturbing nature of the carving as anything.
Ezra : “Temple…”
Alectrona nods, looking nauseous, “You can feel it… radiating out like …”
Ezra : “Evil?”
Alectrona : “Yeah…”
Ezra (flicking the 'charge' switch on his blaster shotgun) “Game on.”
Annissa's attention is drawn to a more mundane door on the north wall and shoves it open, gun drawn.
The room beyond is the unpleasant hybrid offspring of torture chamber and lab', scientific equipment cheek by jowel with obvious torture devices.
Ezra meanwhile starts grabbing bottles from the bar and smashing them against the shelves, spreading alcohol all over the collection of tomes.
Alectrona follows her cousin into the laboratory and the pair follow a short corridor to a row of cells, the first two of which are of unusual design.
Alectrona : “Symbiote containment units...” She taps the armourglass and looks down at the lead lined access tray, containing a radiation source to prevent any spores escaping the cell.
Annissa : “Empty fortunately.”
The next two cells hold an unconscious figure each, Annissa immediately begins to torch the lock on the cell containing Kolya (James Marsters).
Suddenly from upstairs comes the sound of automatic gunfire and the crump of a grenade detonation.
Annissa (with an ironic smile) : “It's almost a relief... All this silence just makes me nervous...”
Alectrona (wryly): “This is more us...”
Upstairs...
Musa keeps the enemy away from the door for a few seconds by spraying through it with her assault rifle but after a few moments, the guards break through the barricade and try to push the door open.
As soon as it opens, Musa hurls a grenade through the gap and there is an explosion and screams from the hall beyond.
The guards try storming the room but several are cut down by the withering fire from the pair behind the makeshift redoubt.
A grenade is thrown into the library by a surviving guard and it lands between Antonio and Musa, who both scrabble to grab it and throw it back. Musa manages to get hold of it, throwing it clear just in time.
Gaurds rush in as the dust swirls from the explosion and try to close to close combat range.
Antonio just shoots his opponent in the chest as he comes over the barricade but Musa has to grapple with hers, using her rifle to block a sword stroke and then use the butt as a club.
Antonio quite cheerfully just blows the back of Musa's opponent's head with his pistol.
Antonio : “There's a time and a place for fair play... and this isn't it.”
From the hallway comes the sound of a voice raised in guttural supplication to some unnamed God and at the same time a cowled figure ducks around the doorway and raises a hand in Musa and Antonio's direction and they both momentarily clutch their heads in pain and confusion before rallying themselves.
With a shrug, Musa puts a three round burst into the figure, who recoils with a scream but whoever is chanting in the hall does not let up.
Cut to -
Alectrona clutches her head as the unheard chanting rises in pitch, “They're trying to raise something...”
Annissa pushes open the door to Kolya's cell and rushes to his side to check his pulse, once she has confirmed he is alive, she moves to allow Alectrona to tend him and then begins to melt the lock on Anastasia's cell.
The lull in the fighting allows Antonio and Musa to reload and take up aiming positions as the chanting continues and there are sounds of booted feet running up the hall...
TO BE CONTINUED...
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Back to campaign diary index.
Episode 2
Previously on Fading Suns
Antonio – “Where next?”
Annissa – “Hargard… first world on the other side of the Imperial border with the Vuldrok and every lead we have on the cultists points in that direction.”
Annissa opening a door into an empty room : Kolya's been kidnapped…
Anim Gundarsson : We believe your friend is being held at the estate of the man you are investigating…
Annissa (voice over): “A stream runs through the estate, it exits close to the main gate and is wide enough for a boat at that point. But… it enters on the far side and is much narrower. Hopefully it's not as well protected. It emerges near a mill pond and the estate outbuildings. They should give us cover most of the way to the main house…”
Cut to Antonio crawling along a shallow stream and up to an iron grating that blocks the culvert under the wall.
Annissa (voice over): “Once Antonio has disabled any alarm and cut through the grating, we follow the stream as far as the lake and boathouse, then using the hedges as cover, make our way to the house itself…”
Ezra (smiling as he taps a shelf) : “Knew all that time in libraries wasn't entirely wasted…” He beckons the others over, “See…” he whispers, “Too deep… there's something behind here…”
Pulling back a panel, he reveals an unusual star shaped keyhole.
Antonio cracks his knuckles, “Let me at that…” he says with a grin.
Inserting a probe into the lock, there is an abrupt –zzzzzap- sound, a bright blue flash and Antonio is hurled across the room by a belt of high voltage. Lights throughout the house flicker and there is the sound of consternation, downed cutlery and scraping chairs across parquet flooring from the next room.
The party barricading themselves into the library.
Antonio : “Musa and I will hold here…” he positions himself behind a pile of chairs and tables and Ezra finishes devaluing an escritoire to use as additional cover.
Alectrona and Annissa finding Kolya and Anastasia in cells down in the hidden basement as all hell breaks loose upstairs.
Musa and Antonio in a pitched gunfight in the library.
We rejoin our heroes immediately after the end of our last episode :
- Musa and Antonio crouching behind the barricade in the library
- Ezra investigating the occultists meeting room
- Alectrona finishing reviving Anastasia
- Annissa cradling a groggy Kolya's head in her lap
The camera focuses in on the mask and we see that it is an androgynous face made out of a silvery grey metal, scribed with strange runes around the edge.
Ezra smashes the glass of the display cabinet with the butt of his blaster shotgun and stashes the mask in his haversack.
Next door in the holding area, Alectrona finds holdalls containing Kolya and Anastasia's possessions from their rooms.
Alectrona : Kolya! Anastasia! Here's your gear…
Anastasia : Yes!
Kolya (smiling up at Annissa before rolling to his feet) : I did feel a little under-dressed for the circumstances…
Cue a nice fanservice montage of Kolya and Anastasia changing out of their nightwear into their armour.
We cut back upstairs to the library as Musa and Antonio's respite is broken by a flash-bang covering three men storming into the library.
The three assailants are clad in form fitting black fatigues that are ever so slightly similar to the gear worn by the party and the buckles at their belts look rather a lot like those the party are wearing too.
Musa : They've got shields!
Antonio : Bugg-
Antonio's curse is cut off as the strange looking machine pistols in the men's hands let fly with a sound like ripping cloth and the improvised barricade is rapidly chewed to sawdust and offcuts by supersonic needles.
CREDITS
Musa is hit by a burst and her shield flares to incandescence for a moment before failing with a whine, some of the needles break through the failing shield and she falls back clutching her shoulder.
As Musa drops to the floor, Anastasia emerges from the stairwell behind Antonio and Musa, sub-machinegun in hand and opens up on their opponents on automatic.
Antonio's shield flares and fails as he is hit by a burst of needler fire, but he is uninjured.
Musa uses the covering fire to crawl down the stairs, toward Alectrona and her waiting medical kit.
Downstairs, Kolya crouches beside Annissa
Kolya : So… what's the situation?
Annissa : Well, we're down here in the basement where we found you and Toni and Anastasia are holding the way out into the library.
Kolya : No other way out?
Annissa (sheepishly) : Not as such… no…
Kolya : And we're outnumbered?
Musa (interjecting as Alectrona extracts a needle from her shoulder) : Outgunned at the least…
Kolya : I'm grateful… don't get me wrong, but I'm trying not to use the phrase 'rats in a trap' here…
Annissa : Then we need another way out… If only we had some explosives…
Kolya (grabbing his rucksack and rummaging) : You only had to ask my lady… you only had to ask.
[GM Note – a "double 0" roll on d100 for "How much useful gear does Kolya have in his rucksack?" gives them the discovery of a limpet mine]
Kolya holds up a limpet mine, “Don't ask…” he says, in answer to a look and raised eyebrow from Annissa.
We cut back to the fight upstairs as Anastasia hoses down the attackers with her SMG and uses some very unladylike language as she does so. Antonio picks off the enemy with his blaster as the SMG takes down their shields.
Anastasia : C'mon you bastards! Get some! Get some!
Antonio (giving Anastasia a sidelong glance) : Did you learn that at courtesan school or something?
Anastasia (pausing only to reload) : Very broad curriculum… DIE YOU FUCKERS!
All the while, the harsh ritualistic chanting continues from the hallway beyond the library.
Annissa decides that they need another way out and both she and Alectrona start looking for a weak looking bit of brickwork in the wall that separates them from the kitchen area basement.
Musa, now somewhat revived after a nanite injection and some painkillers, examines the limpet mine.
Musa : I think I can breach a wall with this.
Kolya : Great. I never really got much further than 'This side toward enemy' with it.
Annissa and Alectrona finish examining the perimeter of the basement and nod to one another, pointing at the same spot on the cell block wall.
Annissa / Alectrona (in unison) : There.
Musa attaches the mine to the wall and runs to take shelter with Alectrona, Annissa, Kolya and Ezra in the meeting room.
Musa : Fire in the hole!
The camera zooms in on the LED display on the mine as it counts down from 5 to 0, cutting back to the anxious faces of those next door and the firefight upstairs.
Antonio shoots the last of the three attackers in the chest as the floor shakes and a muffled boom echoes up the stairwell. A moment later and a cloud of dust comes rushing up the stairs and into the library.
At the exact same moment, the chanting from the hallway reaches a crescendo and the nine corpses on the library floor begin to spasm and twitch.
Antonio : This is SO our cue to leave…
Anastasia : Seconded!
Spraying SMG fire into the slowly rising undead, Anastasia covers Antonio as he heads downstairs and then follows, bolting the lower stairwell door behind her.
Cut to :
The remainder of the team downstairs dusting themselves off and peering through the rubble strewn breach into what appears to be a somewhat devastated wine cellar.
Annissa: Go! Go! Go!
Someone's dug out a steadicam rig and the camera work goes all docu-drama as the group storm their way through the wrecked wine cellar and up into to the kitchen, kicking in doors as they go and making for the main exit to the house.
The group burst through from the kitchen into the dining hall and slam straight into a melee with a group of Vuldrok warriors gathering there.
In the back of the dining room, the enemy psychic lies on the floor being tended by one of his henchmen while another armed man stands guard.
The door from the dining room to the hall is open and the chanting continues from outside.
The Vuldrok form a hasty three man shield wall and face off against the party, trying to block their entry into the dining room from the kitchen.
The Vuldrok ready their axes, most of the party struggle to draw swords in the press but Ezra realises that he has only got a dagger and the Vuldrok opposite him grins evilly.
Blades rise and fall, bodies pressing against shields and there is a lot of shoving and swearing. Musa tries to worm her way around to one side of the shield wall.
Antonio staggers back, bleeding from a shoulder wound as one of the Vuldrok snarls and finds an opening in his defence. Kolya takes his place in the line, now shoulder to shoulder with Annissa. The pair share a grin as they lay into their opponents.
Ezra blocks and dodges his opponent's blows as best he can but it is his energy shield that takes the brunt of the attacks.
Alectrona applies an injector to Antonio's neck and he gathers his strength, a somewhat desperate look on his face.
The armed guard draws his needler gun but cannot not get a clear shot through the melee. From the direction of the hall however, comes the shambling sound of undead footsteps and a low groaning as counterpoint to the ritualistic chanting.
. Antonio : Nothing ventured…!
Taking the briefest of run ups, Antonio runs and using Musa's back as a launch pad, jumps over the Vuldrok to land behind them, gun in hand, snapping a shot off at the armed guard as he hits the ground.
The Vuldrok in the shieldwall, sensing a foe behind them and more than a little bit confounded by this unexpected tactic, try to pull back and Musa takes the chance to force their right flank.
Alectrona pulls her SMG and pushes her way to the left.
The man tending the psychic dives for the doorway into the hall as the wounded man draws himself up onto his elbow and points a finger at Antonio, who is staggered by a sudden wave of force.
The guard shoots Antonio with a burst of needle fire and the Masseri noble clutches his middle as some of the rounds penetrate his armour.
Alectrona thumbs her SMG to full automatic and walks a magazine's worth of fire across both the psychic and the guard who go down in a welter of blood.
Kolya and Annissa cut down their opponents and the third armoured Vuldrok makes a hasty retreat into the hall, following on the heels of the medic.
From the hall, comes the sound of retreating feet and approaching zombies, whilst from various parts of the house, comes the crackle of flames...
Musa and Ezra smash a window and race around the side of the house to try and cut off the retreat of the antinomist and his minions.
As they round the corner, they come under fire from the two gate houses but can see people piling into a car on the front driveway.
A voice drifts across the gardens, "Release the hounds!"
A pack of dogs is released from the vicinity of the gatehouse and bound across the grounds toward Ezra and Musa.
Ezra unslings the second of the two weapons on his back, his sniper rifle and swings around the corner of the house in a kneeling firing position.
The car accelerates down the drive in a spray of gravel and bullets spatter the stonework around Ezra as he takes careful aim at the retreating vehicle.
We focus on his face, rapt with concentration and his finger tightening on the trigger.
A shot rings out.
[GM Note – 32 damage from one shot out of a sniper rifle – All hail the exploding damage dice]
The car swerves, skids, rolls and then blows apart in a fireball.
[GM Note – Enough damage to total the car, a failed driving roll and a tree as an obstacle...]
Only one dog is unrattled enough by the explosion to actually pursue their target and we cut to Musa extending her pistol and firing. We hear a yelp from off-screen.
[Standards and Practices get queasy about depicting someone shooting a dog after all]
At this point, with the manor in flames and chaos reigning, our heroes decide to withdraw.
We cut to our heroes running through the woods, pausing every now and again to count heads and listen for pursuit.
Annissa : That went better than expected…
Antonio : Say that when we're home…
Annissa : Pessimist!
Antonio : Hey… I've been shot, repeatedly… I'm entitled!
Arriving at the agreed rendezvous in the forest, a black painted skimmer hovers in the middle of a clearing. The driver waves them in and they board in grateful haste.
The skimmer lifts off and we have a lovely view of the manor house going up in flames, sparks and smoke rising high into the sky.
Driver : Anil said it was a subtle extraction mission?
Annissa : For us… this is subtle.
Ezra : Amen.
The skimmer lands beside a rural road and they transfer to a van, which drives them to an isolated cove and a waiting fishing boat.
Cut to the deck of the boat as the coast disappears into the gloom.
Antonio : So, Kolya… Were these the gun runners you were after?
Kolya : They had me kidnapped, so maybe?
Ezra : Were they smuggling these?
Ezra pulls out an illicit Poseidon sidearm, similar to the needlers used by the guards at the house.
Kolya : No? Aren't those things proscribed by the Church anyway?
Ezra : Oh, right... Yes they are, um… forget I mentioned it then.
As adrenaline wears off and fatigue sets in, the party sprawl among the nets and lobster pots while Alectrona uses her medical kit on the various wounds acquired in the fight.
Ezra pulls the mask out from his pack and examines it.
Antonio : Put that on, I dare you!
Ezra : Let's not and just say we did?
Anastasia uses a satellite uplink on the Ramakrishna spy trawler to access the autopilot on 'The Swift Needle of Enquiry" and put it into orbit for later collection.
Antonio : Have we wrecked your mission Kolya? We could debrief one another and see where we get?
Kolya : Let's not...
The camera pulls out from the boat to show it making its' way out to sea in the predawn light and the sounds of Annissa and Antonio bickering about, well, anything and everything drifting across the waves.
CUT
Establishing shot of Valheim, mid morning. The streets are thronged with warriors, peasants and thralls going about their business. There is building work in evidence as wooden palisades around the village are being replaced with stone and a barn raising is taking place at one end of town.
A flatbed truck with our heroes on the back of it comes into view, slowing to a halt with the sounds of pretty much the same argument we cut from continuing between Annissa and Antonio
Ezra : WHEN you two have QUITE finished, I will be holding a small service of thanksgiving at the shrine to the prophet. And then we can all get cleaned up.
Antonio : And after that… I shall get riotously drunk!
Annissa : Oh why don't you go impregnate another local!
Kolya and Anastasia exchange looks and shrug.
Thane Gudrun emerges from the feast hall, baby on one hip and raises a hand in greeting.
Gudrun : Victorious I see…
Annissa : But empty purses…
Gudrun : Gold is not everything though, well done for bringing your friends home.
Anastasia proceeds to coo over Gudrun's infant son.
Gudrun : When you have sorted yourselves out, I'll send my eldest over, things to discuss.
Annissa nods and we cut to –
Ezra standing before the assembled Questing Knights and Cohorts beside the rough hewn jumpgate cross that the local Universal Church adherents use as a shrine.
Ezra : Merciful Pancreator, we give thanks that we have done thy will and smote those who defy thy will and deny thy name. We give thanks also that we are all safe after doing thy will. Amen.
All : Amen
Ezra : Right… Bathtime!
Kolya (aside to Annissa) : Whilst your confessor might not win many ecclesiastical gold stars for Orthodoxy… at least his services don't drag on eh?
Cut to –
Our heroes, now cleaned up, changed into fresh clothes and bandaged where appropriate, taking their ease in the ale hall.
Ezra has taken the mask over to where Mako, the tattooed Skey Runecaster sits in the darkest corner of the hall, cackling to himself as he spoons some broth from a bowl.
Ezra : Mako… I have found this mask and I seek knowledge of what it is…
Mako (seizing hold of the mask and poring over it myopically) : Yes… yes…
Ezra : Can you tell me what it is? What it is for?
Mako (nodding vigorously) : No… no…
Ezra looks perplexed, but has dealt with Mako before, a man twisted by his own hand in the service of the mysterious runes that seem to have power over creation itself.
Mako taps a finger at several of the markings in turn.
Mako : See… here… the Rune of Darkness… Yes… yes… The Rune of revelation and the Runes of Sight and Time… No man alive could forge such a thing from Godmetal like this, not today… no… Perhaps it comes from the valley of mists… such a thing could be possible.
Mako hands the mask back to Ezra, momentarily more lucid than usual.
Mako : This is a thing with a purpose, but what I cannot say, but beware Shaman, this is a thing with a hunger also.
Cut to :
Our heroes sat around a table, the remains of a meal before them.
Antonio : What have we learned?
Ezra : That bringing a dagger to a fight with a man armed with chain, axe and shield is a tad inadequate?
Antonio : And we're in hock to another person...
Ezra : An entire nation you mean?
Annissa : We're about ten grand in hock to Gudrun and Pancreator knows what the Ramakrishnas are going to want from us in return for their help.
Antonio : We could make some money running drugs?
Everyone else : NO!
Antonio : It's a pity we killed all the potential witnesses really, we'd need a necromancer to get any more information on the guy we hit. Ezra, can you do Necromancy?
Ezra : I AM NOT A NECROMANCER!
Antonio : Well I didn't -know- did I ? I've never seen you do it, so I thought I'd ask...
Annissa (appalled) : Toni!
Ezra : Well, I've never seen you hit an enemy ship with a missile first time, you cock!
Antonio : I was just asking...
Kolya : I am going to have to head back to the Empire, try and pick the gun runners trail up there again. With the evidence you have, at least I can prove that some of the weapons were ending up in the hands of Antinomists. The sort of person who'd run guns to the Vuldrok hoping to stir up trouble on the border for House Hawkwood and the Emperor might balk at providing weapons to proven enemies of God.
Annissa looks disappointed that Kolya will be leaving, prompting a knowing glance from Antonio, which is then met with a glower from Annissa. Antonio wisely changes the subject, albeit not to the best of topics or in the best of fashions.
Antonio : Kolya? Seeing as we owe Gudrun ten grand, can you write her a cheque?
Annissa : ANTONIO!
Ezra : Don't be a cock 'toni.
Kolya : I don't think a cheque would suffice for a debt of honour and besides, I don't carry more than a few thousand on my ship anyway.
Antonio (chastened) : Just asking
Annissa: Besides, we need to clear the debt, not move it around.
Antonio : Isn't moving debt around the principle of finance anyway?
Annissa: Remind me again which one of us is independently wealthy through commerce and which one of us is perpetually broke?
Antonio : Piracy! We could try that for a bit.
Annissa : You are so in the wrong house... No offence to you Kolya
Kolya : None taken.
With some time to themselves, our heroes got to spend some time doing their own thing [MONTAGE!]
- Antonio visited Thyra the blacksmith and his son, Storri at her smithy.
- Alectrona spending some quality time with Casey
- Ezra heading up to the ship to check his books for information on the mask
- Annissa visiting the ship to collect some more comfortable clothes.
- Musa going back to the ship to service and recharge the weapons used in the raid.
Annissa aboard Osprey, collecting things from her cabin.
Annissa : It feels safer to be aboard ship
Osprey (speakers coming to life and sounding pleased) : Thank you
Annissa: Tanalu, what have you been doing while we have been away?
Tanalu: Praying for your safe return and ministering to the faithful in the village.
Ezra (quietly to Annissa) : He's a much better priest than me...
Cut to
Evening mealtime in the guest area of the alehall.
Gudrun's daughter, Halfrith approaches. A pretty girl in her early teens, she resembles her mother in looks and has a serious air about her.
Halfrith : Thane Annissa, my mother has something she wishes to place at your warband's disposal while you stay here.
Annissa (perplexed) : Oh?
Halfrith : With so many newcomers and changes, we need the rooms in the guest quarters for visitors and so she has assigned you a house. The family has moved to a new home after losing members in battle and so it is now standing empty.
Cut to Halfrith showing the party around the house.
The house was a half timbered affair with five bedrooms, albeit fairly small ones and a modest kitchen garden.
Casey rushes into the second largest of the two master bedrooms and throws her arms around the upright of the four-poster bed that stands in the middle of the room.
Casey : OURS!
Alectrona (blushing slightly) : If nobody else minds?
Antonio manfully resists saying something prurient but it doesn't take a telepath to pick up the gist of what he's not saying.
Annissa looks over the remaining master bedroom and seems relieved that there is no bedding or mattress.
Halfrith : There is a thrall too…
Halfrith ushers in a short, stocky woman with dark olive skin and long dark hair in a plain tunic-dress.
Halfrith : This is Ayesha, at least that's what we think her name is. She doesn't speak our tongue or Urthish or anything else we speak here. She understands basic instructions but doesn't talk much anyway.
Halfrith shrugs : Gunnar got her from Snorri two axes who got her from a man from Raven who picked her up from somewhere beyond Wolf's Lament so she might well be Kurgan.
Antonio : ~Salaam Alechum~
Ayesha (Brightening) : ~Alechum Salaam~
Antonio : Yeah… she's Kurgan.
Annissa (impressed) : You speak Kurgan?
Antonio (looking a little embarrassed) : Not as such… just 'hello', 'I want some food' and 'Surrender!' really, I picked it up from some Hazat veterans from the Kurga front.
Annissa looks around the house, looking somewhat uncomfortable : I don't want to be ungrateful to our friend's hospitality but I think I feel safer behind a hullmetal bulkhead with a laser armed AI watching over me than in a room with a window that some lunatic can swing through and dart me…
Alectrona : We're safe in Valheim though, surely?
Annissa : I guess so…
Antonio heads off into town and orders bedding, soft furnishings and mattresses for the house. He also gives Ayesha some coin and points to the larder : ~Food.~
With the domestic matters dealt with, Antonio puts his feet up and writes down everything he can remember about persons involved in House Masseri's arms industry to aid Kolya in his investigation.
Finishing his report with a flourish of his pen, Antonio turns on the Vuldrok 'God Box' in the lounge – A combined TV and Radio arrangement found in practically every Vuldrok home.
Antonio (flicking through the channels) : Weird…
Casey (carrying an armful of bedding up to her room) : How so?
Antonio : Back home the Church bans mass media as technosophist decadence on practically every planet it can manage. Here, they've got access to it in every home.
Casey : I keep saying it… you humans are a crazy bunch. Anything good on?
Programming seems to be dominated by entertainment with a smattering of information channels covering weather, commodities and travel. The entertainment channels feature many old Second Republic adventure serials and movies, dramatisations of Vuldrok sagas, action shows of unknown provenance and a large number of shows featuring 'Hawkwyrdr' as villains.
Antonio and the others are somewhat amused to see their own culture through the lens of the Vuldrok entertainment industry – Effete and incompetent buffoons or sadistic despots lording it over oppressed peasants and constantly running in panic when brave and resourceful Vuldrok came raiding to carry off the products of the Hawkwyrdr's decadent system.
[OOC – The Known Worlds get very much the same treatment as the Germans did in 'Allo Allo' or, for that matter, the Empire in 'Krod Mandoon' but with the heroes not portrayed as idiots ]
Antonio (watching a Hawkwyrdr being swatted on the bare backside by the flat of a Vuldrok sword as he grabs ineffectually for his trousers and makes strangled 'Fwar fwar fwar' noises) : Cinema Verite… who would have thought it?
Annissa, passing by in a very decorative outfit wholly unsuitable for the local conditions : I am off to walk my raccoon. I may be some time.
She leaves, Casey turns to Antonio and air quotes with her fingers.
Antonio : I swear, this must be the longest courtship on record, I don't Kolya's even kissed her yet.
Cut to :
The party, Kolya and Anastasia back in the ale hall sharing a drink and chatting.
Anastasia checks one of Antonio's dressings (Alectrona being somewhat distracted by Casey).
Antonio : Another part of your broad curriculum Anastasia?
Anastasia : No… I went to medical school too.
This prompts a mutual discussion of everyone's education and another montage, this time of flashbacks :
Kolya having had a fair old time at the Hazat war college on Aragon during the war Kolya duelling with a Hazat in a cloistered piazza under a blazing sun while comrades lounge in the shade drinking chilled wine and yell encouragement.
Antonio having enjoyed his time at the Leagueheim Academy Interatta Antonio downing a yard of ale in a rather seedy bar, surrounded by fellow students.
Ezra had had a mixed time in seminary on Pentateuch Ezra dozing off in the library with a tome on occult theory open in front of him, being awakened by a ruler to the back of his head wielded by an irate tutor. Ezra hanging upside down from a beam, lifting a statuette off a plinth and sneaking out of the building, giggling.
Annissa had had a less entertaining time of it, having been raised in the arts expected of a lady and also to run a business. Annissa being shown around a spice factory and reciting unit costs in three different regional markets. Annissa sat uncomfortably on an overstuffed cushion, trying to play a sitar and snapping a string with a muttered curse.
Alectrona went to medical school and then military academy, switching between various Xanthippe moon havens over the years. Alectrona sat in a lecture hall under a crystal dome, the green and blue globe of Earth rising over the lunar horizon behind her. Alectrona crawling through a mud and slime filled pipe on an assault course, SMG held clear of the water.
Anastasia : I could tell you my stories, but then I'd have to charge you the Guild rate.
Musa didn't share her experiences.
The tavern contains several tables of warriors that the group have not seen before and one of the groups of warriors glowers repeatedly in our heroes direction and the warriors mutter darkly among themselves.
Musa heads over to one of her occasional lovers, Stallan and has a quiet word.
Musa : Who are those men over there and why do they keep looking daggers at my crew?
Stallan : Oh those? Those are Einar two swords' crew… They're more sympathetic to Sigfaddir and Greolf than most of us here so they don't think much of Hawkwyrdr like you… There's an Althing tomorrow, they'll all be there when Gudrun talks to the shipthanes about what we're doing next. A raid most likely…
Musa imparts this news to her comrades, to a general air of “Oh no… not more avid fans…”
Annissa : At least we've not upset them personally…
Antonio : Gives us time…
Casey gives a demonstration of the world's least convincing expansive yawn : My my! Is that the time, I must get to bed… for I am so very tired.
She gives Alectrona a pointed look and a beat later Alectrona gets the message and nods.
Alectrona : Yes… I am … tired also… I shall go home for an early night…
Ezra waits a minute or two before making his excuses : If there's an Althing tomorrow, I want to be fresh for it.
Musa, Kolya, Anastasia, Antonio and Annissa stay on, chatting amiably.
As Kolya is on his way back from the bar with a round, he is jostled by one of Einar's crew. The Decados merely makes eye contact with his opponent and holds it until the Vuldrok looks away and backs down.
Antonio (raising an approving eyebrow): Impressive.
At the end of the evening, Antonio walks Anastasia back to her digs, taking an ostentatiously different route back to Kolya who walks Annissa home. Musa merely keeps an eye on her principle from a professionally discrete distance.
CUT
At the Althing the next day, all the ship captains are in attendance with their retinues as Thane Gudrun throws open the floor to any grievances or issues for discussion before they move on to the matter of planning a raid.
Einar points a finger at Annissa and the Osprey contingent.
Einar : These outworlders have no place here, what reason do they have to sit in the councils of Vuldrok, when they come here as little better than spies?
Ezra rises to his feet and faces Einar : Who are you that you cast such aspersions on us? We who have fought along this Thane whose hall we sit in, who have shared their hurts and hardships. Who are you who I have never seen in this hall before ? Some newcomer who throws words around like a child throws toys when he wants attention?
[Ezra's spirit dice seriously exploded, rolling 3 10's on the d10 for a total of 33]
Antonio (in an aside) : That's them fucking told and no mistake…
Annissa rises to her feet to back her chaplain up, although in a more honeyed tone : You say we have no reason to be here? We have every reason… Gudrun is married to my former shipmate, the father of her child… My gunner here (She gestures to Antonio) has a son with one of the women of this village. We are tied to the people here by blood and honour and you do them no credit by suggesting we would ever work to their detriment Sir…
Faced with two spirited orations, Einar sits down and seems, if not mollified, at the very least satisfied that these are not gutless Hawkwyrdr interlopers.
Halfred, Einar's shaman however rises to his feet in turn and points at Alectrona : Witch! I sense the stink of the Weed Demon Symbiotes about her!
Osprey's crew shift a little uncomfortably in their seats as they remember the small matter of Alectrona's somewhat unusual genetic heritage and her ability to 'hear' the Symbiot hivemind.
Ezra rose to his feet once more : I am a priest of our God and I sense no evil in her, the shaman of this village senses no evil in her and Mako the Runecaster has never spoken against her so I say to you that any evil is in your heart alone!
The mood of the room seems to be behind the Osprey crew and Halfred sits down, glowering at Alectrona and muttering to his comrades.
Gudrun, who has been sitting impassively listening to the exchanges, raises her hand : If there is no other grievance to air, we shall move to my proposal…
The Shipthanes and warriors all growl and rattle their weapons in assent.
Gudrun presses a button on the carved arm of her chair and a hologram projector flickers into life from the oaken beamed ceiling of the hall, producing a hovering image of a planet in the open space.
Gudrun : We raid Lamorak!
Assembled Vuldrok : Lamorak!
The party look at each other and shrug, it is a world they know nothing about.
Gudrun : Usual routine, the flotilla will mark our target and land at twilight. No automatic weapons or unnecessary fatalities, a volley or two at range and then we decide it by melee before we hit the town. We'll be hitting a warehouse and distribution center in the middle of the town.
The Osprey contingent seem somewhat puzzled by the rather unusual method proposed.
Antonio : If they pulled this on one of our planets, we'd massacre them.
Gudrun then addressed the Osprey crew : Osprey, you'll hit a transmission center a mile or two out of town. Your ship's too small in the belly to be much use for the main raid so we'll give you a forklift and you can help yourselves to as much as you can manage.
Annissa nodded their assent as Captain or 'Shipthane'.
Gudrun : Excellent. We'll be gone about a month unless there're complications… so provision accordingly… skids up in a day's time… Vuldrok… TO YOUR SHIPS… WE VIKE!
The meeting breaks up in a riotous clamour of battle cries and cheers.
Kolya : We'll tag along with the flotilla as far as the gate, then jump for home. I don't know when we'll be back but we should see you either here or back on Aragon I hope?
Annissa : I hope so…
The two exchange smiles that have Antonio exchanging a slightly parental glance with Anastasia.
Antonio hands Kolya a pair of envelopes : Letters for my family on Cadavus and my daughter, wherever she is.
Kolya : I'll give the letter for her to the Xanthippe, they'll know how to get it to her I believe?
Leaving the provisioning of her ship to the crew, Annissa borrows a horse from the stables and goes for a nice long ride in the country with Kolya.
Having been on the receiving end of melee with opponents armed with physical shields, Antonio and Musa invest in shields of their own from the smithy. Ezra buys himself a sword for a not dissimilar reason.
Ezra : Do we get a discount for being family?
Antonio : I daren't ask…
Antonio spends several hours practising melee with warriors from the town, getting himself beaten black and blue, spending much of the next day or two complaining of numerous aches and pains.
[Cue another montage – Antonio getting the Hades pounded out of him by jovial members of Gudrun's warband using practise weapons and sending the Masseri noble sprawling in the dirt, over and over and over again]
CUT to…
The crew boarding Osprey in the hanger cut deep into the side of the valley. Bags are stowed in cabins, provisions ticked off and spacesuits pulled from their racks.
As Osprey powers up, the whirr of fans, hum of power systems and vibration of the engines sounded almost like a sigh of pleasure.
Osprey : All systems at optimal performance. Ship reports ready on all systems.
Ka'ra (reporting from the engine room) : Mighty are our engines, swift are our weapons, strong our shields… to our foes we are death, to our friends … stalwart
Casey : Osprey to flag, we are good to go.
A voice from the flagship, Lightning acknowledges.
Annissa finishes a conversation on a personal channel with Kolya aboard his vessel and opens her helmet visor.
The hangar blast doors open and the flagship, the Frigate 'Lightning' lifts off, followed by several scout ships and Osprey, along with Kolya's explore 'Swift Needle of Enquiry'.
From the fields around Valheim come other ships, raider class vessels and the flotilla forms up and heads for orbit.
The flotilla roars over the camera's point of view and we track Osprey, tucked into a wingman position on Lightning as the ships arrow into the steadily darkening sky as they reach the edge of space.
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Session 43
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Session 44
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