Trouble in the Trojan - Adventures in Trin's Veil
Adventure Hook
Currently spending an elongated layover on Squanine Station, the merchant captain Fatima Abassi has been keeping her ears open and searching for her next big score. She's tight on funds and doesn't have the Credits to spend on potential speculative cargo right now and won't be able to pay her crew next month. However, while lurking the various spaceport bars, she has picked up on murmurs about a stash of crystals, gems, and precious metals located in an abandoned mining asteroid in the trojan field. The stash "supposedly" belongs to a less then reputable trader; in reality it belongs to her rival, who Fatima has decided has screwed her over just one too many times.
She approaches the Travellers to help her and her crew break into the stash and recover the valuable cargo, offering them a portion of the windfall as payment. The stash is located where she expects it to be, but her intel about the danger at the abandoned mining outpost is lacking. The asteroid is overrun by rocking eating Drillworms that have claimed the outpost for their own; alongside defenses installed by her rival to protect the stash, and an alarm system installed in the vault.
Abandoned Mining Outpost
This asteroid was one of the very first mining operations in the system, helping to establish the colonization of the the trojan field that surrounds Squanine. There are a number of abandoned mining operations across the planetoid, but this is the largest and oldest. It was abandoned for multiple reasons, but mostly because there wasn't anything else worth mining anymore. The megacorporation and independent operations moved elsewhere in the lucrative asteroid field. In the centuries since it was abandoned, the outpost has supposedly used by merchant/pirates as a hideaway for valuable goods. Most Squanine locals know that the outpost is abandoned for another reason; there is supposedly a swarms of rock worms which attack electronics, grav plates, and even power systems.
- Reaching the Outpost
- Difficult (10+) Electronics (comms) check (1D x 10 minutes, INT) to bypass the transponder's emergency response protections and activate covert mode, to prevent the transponder from returning pings in the area.
- Average (8+) Astrogation check (1D x 10 minutes, INT) to plot a low burn, gravity assisted course towards the asteroid, allowing the ship to coast through the trojan field undetected.
- Routine (6+) Engineer check (1D x 10 minutes, EDU) to shut down all non-essential power systems on the ship, essentially flying blind, and then activating the m-drive at the precise timing to hide their burn signature behind the silhouette of an asteroid.
- Difficult (10+) Pilot (spacecraft) check (3 hours, DEX or EDU) to pilot their ship through the trojan field, making a gravity assisted slingshot manoeuvre, sending them cruising towards the abandoned mining outpost.
- Average (8+) Pilot check (1D minutes, DEX) to land adjacent to the quarry pit and the maintenance buildings of the old outpost.
- Vehicle Warehouse: These maintenance buildings were used by the miners to service the ore carts, the cableways, and the mining exo/rigs. There is one mostly functional exo-frame, which was left behind by a long forgotten miner; it needs some repairs, but should be fully functional with the proper tools and some effort.
- Routine (6+) Investigate or Recon check (1D x 10 minutes) to search the warehouse building and vehicle bays for signs of activity.
- Routine (6+) Mechanic check (1D hours, INT or EDU) to fix up the Exo/Rig and get it working again, allowing them to pilot it about the outpost.
- Barracks: These shared accommodations were used by miners performing back-to-back shifts, a common practice used to make some extra credits by staying on-site for a number of days at a time. There is little of use here, except some small personal items, left behind and long forgotten.
- Routine (6+) Investigate check (1D x 10 minutes, INT) to search the barracks for anything useful.
- CenCom: This central command tower was used by the administrators and logistics experts, allocating equipment and tracking resources. There are log files and archived data that could be accessed at one of the terminals; but the backup power plant needs to be turned on first. There are a number of charts mapping out the mineshafts, which would significantly help them navigate the underground complex.
- Average (8+) Electronics (computers) or Admin check (1D x 10 minutes, INT or EDU) to search through the scraps of data remaining on the servers for anything useful.
- Quarry Pit: This massive hole in the moon was initially the primary focus of the mining outpost, with moderate concentrations of common ores and raw materials. However once those were exhausted, there was some additional exploratory mining operations done below the surface to extract the isolated deposits of lanthanum crystals. The bottom of the pit leads to the expansive labyrinthian mineshafts below the surface.
- Average (8+) Electronics (sensors) check (1D minutes, INT or EDU) to scan the open quarry pit for signs of movement or electronic signals.
- Routine (6+) Vacc Suit check (1D hours, END) to plod along the narrow pathways and platforms encircling the pit.
- Average (8+) Drive (walker) check (1D x 10 minutes) to operate an abandoned mining exo-frame and traverse down the industrial cableways for used for hauling ore.
- Difficult (10+) Pilot (small craft) or Flyer check (1D minutes, DEX) to carefully navigate a small craft down to the bottom of the pit.
- Mineshafts: These underground corridors are pitch dark, expansive, and partially collapsed in areas. There are hundreds of kilometers of tunnels weaving about below the surface, but most of the locations relevant to the adventure are reasonably close to the entrance. There is a network of rails and network cabling throughout the mineshafts, providing a faster method of transportation and communication, if they can get the power plant back online.
- Routine (6+) Navigate or Electronics (sensors) check (1D x 10 minutes) to explore/chart the layout of the expansive and labyrinthine mineshafts and caverns.
- Power Plant: This small engineering room holds the backup power system for the outpost. The primary fusion plant was disassembled and taken away to be repurposed. The small fusion plant was only intended for emergencies, and can't supply enough power to keep the entire outpost running. Power can be allocated to different areas of the outpost, but can really only support one system at a time.
- Routine (6+) Engineer (power) check (1D x 10 minutes, EDU) to perform diagnostic checks and initiate the startup sequence get the backup fusion plant operational again, after being powered off for decades/centuries.
- Easy (4+) Engineer (power) check (1D minutes, EDU) to redirect power to an individual system or specific area of the outpost.
- Difficult (10+) Electronics (computers) check (1D minutes, INT or EDU) to reboot the hardwired network that kept the disparate areas of the underground compound connected.
- Drillworm Nest: These silicate-based Lithosaurs have been present on the moon for hundreds of thousands of years, hibernating underground in nests built out of molten rock extruded from their bodies. They can be highly territorial and are attracted to electromagnetic emissions from electronics and power systems. They caused the initial abandonment of the mining outpost, destroying and attacking equipment after one of the nests was exposed. They have taken over a number of areas throughout the underground caverns.
- Average (8+) Science (biology) or Recon check (1D minutes, INT or EDU) to notice and examine the suspicious holes that seem to litter the underground in various locations.
- Average (8+) Melee or Gun Combat check (1D seconds, STR or DEX) to skirmish with a swarm of 1D drillworms which are probing around in the abandoned mineshafts in search of sustenance.
- Average (8+) Athletics or Science (geology) check (1D x 10 minutes, STR) to harvest some of the glass-like material that's been used to construct the nests of the Lithosaurs.
- Difficult (10+) Electronics (sensors) or Science (xenology) check (1D rounds, INT) to blast the creatures with high frequency UV emissions, causing them to be confused and retract out of discomfort.
- Underground Cavern: This large and seemingly natural cavern was discovered by the miners early on, and subsequently ignored just as quickly. There is however, a lot more going on here upon further inspection. This cavern was once inhabited by humans a long time ago, and signs of this can be found throughout if closely inspected. Speculation about the Ancients and their potential involvement is likely, and questions about their intentions might arise.
- Average (8+) Investigate or Science (archeology) check (1D minutes, INT or EDU) to notice the sprawling carvings etched into the natural surface of the cavern walls.
- Difficult (10+) Astrogation check (1D x 10 minutes, INT or EDU) to recognize the astrographic similarity to a star chart of Trin's Veil, and to determine that there seems to be some significance indicated about the Dodds system.
- Difficult (10+) Science (xenology) or Science (archeology) check (1D x 10 minutes, INT or EDU) to link the construction of this cavern to the Ancients, and their fleeting dominance of the stars hundreds of thousands of years ago.
- Material Storage: Large storage chambers are connected by a central corridor, allowing bulk materials to be minimally processed and organized. There is little of value here anymore, all the chambers have been completely emptied. However there are a number of ore carts and a singular transportation cage.
- Explosive Charges: This section of the mineshaft has been rigged with explosives to protect the stash of materials behind it from unwanted intruders.
- Average (8+) Recon check (1D minutes, INT) to notice the boobytrapped lasercord leading to the rigged explosive charges embedded in the wall.
- Difficult (10+) Explosives or Electronics (computers) check (1D minutes, INT or EDU) to disable the trigger system for the explosive charges; otherwise (3D damage, AP 5, Blast 3) and the tunnel collapses.
- Average (8+) Athletics check (12 hours, STR or END) to clear the collapsed mineshaft using proper excavation equipment.
- Average (8+) Drive (walker) check (3 hours, DEX) to use the Exo/Rig and it's mining equipment to clear the collapsed mineshaft.
- The Vault: This small chamber has been secured and cordoned off by Fatima's rival, making it a fairly secure storage vault. It holds a substantial quantity of crystals, gems, and precious metals worth well over MCr25 and taking up ~750 tons worth of cargo space.
- Routine (6+) Mechanic check (1D x 10 minutes, END) to cut open the protective vault door installed in the mineshaft.
- Routine (6+) Explosives check (1D minutes, DEX or EDU) to plant breaching charges and blast through the wall.
- Very Difficult (12+) Recon check (1D second, INT) to notice the blinking alarm system silently going off in the corner.
- Routine (6+) Athletics check (1 hour, STR or END) to haul 1 ton worth of cargo out of the mineshafts and onto their ships.
- Routine (6+) Mechanic check (1D hours, INT) to get the rail system operational along the necessary route out of the mineshafts.
- Average (8+) Drive (track) check (1 hour, DEX or END) to operate a train of ore carts and haul 10 tons of cargo out of the mineshafts and onto their ships.
Exo/Rig
This modular exo-frame is a robust platform for operation on moons and other vacuum adjacent workplaces. It can be tailored to just about anything, but frequently sees use at mining outposts and construction sites that are exposed to hard vacuum. The user provides the vacc suit (which can hook up to the internal life support reserves) and the frame provides a powered exo-skeleton platform that excels at most kinds of heavy labor. The manipulator arms are human-like, giving them versatility and familiarity, while also having standardized mounts for equipment such as cranes, digger blades, mining lasers, and other heavy industrial tools suitable for the size of the walker. The frame has external mounts for 0.5 tons of cargo/equipment, allowing the operator to bring an assortment of tools if necessary. The frame comes equipped with a rail attachment system, making it possible to hook into the various transport networks that are used to move cargo and vehicles around on low gravity moons and asteroids.
Options: The crane and digger blade on this model can be swapped out for any other one-space-sized equipment, and the two attachment points on the manipulator arms provide two more spaces of swappable equipment, allowing the owner to tailor the exo/rig to whatever job needs doing. The rail system can be replaced with lifters (for an additional Cr25,000) to provide better maneuverability in low/zero gravity situations.
Type: Light Walker (5 spaces, DM+1 to hit)
Features & Traits: ATV, Open-Topped
Armour: Forward 0 (6), Port 3 (15), Dorsal 3 (15), Aft 6 (18), Starboard 3 (15), Ventral 3 (15)
Equipment: Auto Pilot (basic), Cargo Mount, Computer/1, Control System (improved), Crane (light, 0.5 tons), Digger Blade (0.5 tons), Life Support Seat (8 hours), Manipulator Arm x2 (advanced, STR 18, DEX 12), Rail Wheels (-2 Agility), Sensor System (basic), Transceiver (improved), Winch (5 spaces)
- Autopilot: DM+0
- Communications: 50km
- Sensors: DM+0, 1km
| TL | 12 |
|---|---|
| Skill | Drive (walker) |
| Agility | +1 |
| Speed (Cruise) | Slow (very slow) |
| Range (Cruise) | 675 (1000) |
| Crew | 1 |
| Comfort Level | Basic Seating |
| Cargo | 0.5 tons |
| Structure | 1 |
| Shipping | 2.5 tons |
| Cost | Cr75,000 |
Drillworm
The rock worm is a silicate-based lifeform from the family of "rock creatures" known as Lithosaurs that originate from the Keltchner system. They wriggle and rotates their segmented bodies, allowing the ultra-hardened plating of their maws to essentially drill through reinforced concrete and metal plating. They are attracted to the electromagnetic fields generated by power cables and transmission lines; often causing catastrophic blackouts when a groups of these worms infiltrate and decimate a power station or other underground infrastructure.
| Name | Drillworm |
|---|---|
| Hits | 13 |
| Speed | 4m (8m when underground) |
| Skills | None |
| Attacks | Ram (2D) |
| Traits | Armour (+4), Echolocation |
| Behaviour | Omnivore, Filter |
Trader Crewmate
| STR | DEX | END | INT | EDU | SOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
| Species | Human |
|---|---|
| Skills | Gun Combat 1, Melee 0, Pilot 0, Stealth 0 |
| Armour | Vacc Suit (+8) |
| Equipment | Anything reasonable for the situation |
| Weapons | Autopistol (3D-3, 10m, Mag 10) Snub Carbine (3D-3, 75m, Zero-G, Mag 20) Frag Grenade (5D, Blast 9) Blade (2D) |
Fatima Abassi
An expert trader with decades of experience, Fatima can handle just about anything a ship captain would ever need to. A capable starship engineer and a respectable pilot and astrogator, while also being a decent broker and diplomat. She owns the Albarqu as an independent tree trader.
Is currently holding out on Squanine looking for potential scores on the shifting markets.
| STR | DEX | END | INT | EDU | SOC | LUCK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
| Species | Human |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 42 |
| Money | Cr60,000 |
| Skills | Astrogation 1, Broker 1, Deception 1, Diplomat 1, Drive 0, Electronics (sensors) 1, Engineer (all) 1, Flyer 0, Gunner 1, Gun Combat (slug) 1, Jack-of-all-Trades 1, Language (galangic) 1, Mechanic 1, Medic 0, Persuade 1, Pilot 0, Profession (belter) 0, Science (economics) 1, Steward 0, Tactics (naval) 1, Vacc Suit 1 |
| Weapons | Revolver (3D-3) |
| Armour | Vacc Suit (+10) Cloth Jacket (+5) Diplo Vest (+3) |
| Equipment | |
| Roleplaying | A smooth talking trader with lots of confidence and plenty of style and attitude. She is cunning when she needs to be and doesn't take shit from anyone, but knows when you to pick her fights. She always tries to get an upper hand. |
Albarqu
Fatima Abassi is nearing the end of her mortgage on the Free Smuggler she owns and operates mainly in the Dobbs cluster. She has ditched the low berths, gave up some cargo dedicated space, and installed fuel/cargo containers; making the Albarqu capable of navigating throughout all the major clusters of Trin's Veil with a simple reconfiguration of the cargo bay.
Hull: 80
Crew: Pilot, Astrogator, Engineer, Steward
Purchase Price: MCr58.725
Maintenance Cost: Cr4894/month
| TL | Tons | Cost (MCr) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 200 tons, 80 Hull, Streamlined | - | 12 |
| Armour | Crystaliron, Armour: 2 | 6 | 1.2 |
| M-Drive | Thrust 1 | 2 | 4 |
| J-Drive | Jump 1 | 10 | 15 |
| Power Plant | Fusion (TL 12), Power 75 | 5 | 5 |
| Fuel Tanks | J-1, 4 weeks of opertaion Fuel Tank Compartments (10 tons) |
31 - |
- 0.04 |
| Bridge | 10 | 1 | |
| Computer | Computer/5 | - | 0.03 |
| Sensors | Civilian Grade | 1 | 3 |
| Weapons | Triple Turret (beam lasers x3) Double Turret (pop-up, railguns x2, AP 4) |
1 2 |
2.5 3.5 |
| Systems | Fuel/Cargo Container Fuel Processor (20 tons/day) Fuel Scoops Cargo Crane |
21 1 - 3 |
0.105 0.05 - 3 |
| Staterooms | Standard x10 | 40 |
5 |
| Software | Fire Control/1 Intellect Jump Control/1 Library Manoeuvre |
- - - - - |
2 - 0.1 - - |
| Common Areas | 10 | 1 | |
| Cargo | - Concealed Compartment |
49 10 |
- 0.2 |
| Power (Usage / Available) | 93 / 75 |
|---|---|
| Basic Systems | 40 |
| Manoeuvre Drive | 20 |
| Jump Drive | 20 |
| Weapons | 18 |
| Sensors | 1 |
| Fuel Processor | 1 |
Squanine
| Starport | Size | Atmosphere | Hydrographics | Population | Government | Law | Tech |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 3, 0.2G | None | None | 100,000 | Feudal Technocracy | 0 | 11 |
Bases: Flotilla, Militia, Waystation
Trade: High Tech, Non-Industrial, Vacuum
Gas Giants: Yes
Noble: Marquis
Planetology
There is no permanent population present on the surface of the moon, as it is essentially inhospitable to most life. The moon orbits in the trailing trojan point of the systems largest gas giant; orbiting in the trojan field alongside to a number of other nearby asteroids caught in the gravity well.
Highport: Squanine Station
Berthing Cost: 1D x Cr1000
Squanine Station sees major interstellar traffic as one of the few Class A starports between Trin and Glisten. Nearly all 100,000 residents live aboard the massive space station either full-time or part-time on a work contract. The population is a transient mix of permanent engineers, corporate bureaucrats, and the rotating crews of the many interstellar vessels that call at the port.
Sprawling docking appendages spiral out from the central ring structure of the station, allowing thousands of spaceships to berth at the starport. Ships of all sizes from 10 ton gigs, to 200 ton free traders, and 4000 ton provincial merchants taxi about the busy Class A starport. The appendages are mostly lift corridors that bring visitors into the station proper.
It's constructed in a modular ring design, with independently operable segments that each make up a sizeable arc of the central ring. Each segment is built around a central corridor (usually three levels tall) that connects the station together in a near continuous open promenade. Each segment is six to eight levels in total and is an eclectic mix of merchants, businesses, accommodations, and services.
The docking bays are always running, and the air is filled with the scent of ozone and heated metal from the shipyard construction and repair equipment.
Black Markets
The customs experience is famously brief; as long as a ship's transponder is active and its berthing fees are paid in advance, the station security forces show little interest in the cargo or the crew’s personal history. This laissez-faire attitude makes it a preferred destination for independent captains who may be carrying cargo of a sensitive or legally ambiguous nature.
Black market contacts are commonplace, with the right connections, and imperial intervention is limited. They would rather track and monitor potential security interests, instead of laying down the law over every dubious exchange.
Enough goods pass though the busy markets, that a enterprising captain or broker can purchase just about anything a travelling tramp trader or industrial freightliner crew on the Imperial frontier might need. However visiting the station requires a sturdy ship and a reliable crew; while the facilities are top-tier, the social environment is unforgiving to those who cannot defend their own interests.
Squanine Station Security
The station also has earned itself a reputation of catering to a rougher demographic, with little in the way of law enforcement for petty crimes and a non-existent law level. The station security company doesn't wear police badges or wield non-lethal batons, they use tactical gear and hulk around in TL 12 combat armor; enforcing the steady operations of the station's owners.
They operate with a cold efficiency that prioritizes the flow of commerce above all else. They do not patrol for the sake of public safety but rather for the preservation of infrastructure and the protection of the station's revenue streams. This has created a culture where the markets are incredibly free but also potentially dangerous for the unwary. Disputes in the bazaars are often settled between the parties involved, without any official intervention.
Economy: Shipyards and Free Trade
The lifeblood of Squanine Station revolves around the Class A facilities it offers to ships in the subsector. It features enough docking space for 500,000 tons of spacecraft. The impressive shipyard has dozens of bays supporting up to 1,000 ton vessels, capable of accommodating independent construction contracts, major overhauls, and basic refits.
The station is an efficient engine that turns asteroid ore into starship hulls and services the crew who come through. Life is governed by the rhythms of the docking bays. There are sizeable mineral and fuel industries present in the nearby asteroids and planetoids, keeping the station entirely self-sufficient in terms of finances. The moon that the station orbits is relatively metal-poor, but the surrounding trojan asteroids are rich in heavy elements, so the station has become a primary provider of high-grade alloys to the subsector.
Encounters: Central Promenade
| 2D | Encounter |
|---|---|
| 2 | The shrieking of emergency sirens echoes through a modular corridor as a docking clamp failure causes a minor atmosphere leak; while the local spacers casually reach for their masks and vacc suits, a squad of security contractors in combat armor seals the bulkheads regardless of who is left on the wrong side. |
| 3 | A shipwright from the shipyards is looking for a crew willing to test-fire a prototype spinal mount on a nearby derelict planetoid; the pay is excellent, but the experimental nature of the hardware suggests a high risk of a catastrophic power surge. |
| 4 | A twitchy deck-hand approaches the Travellers in a dimly lit transit corridor; they claim to have the override codes for a high-security shipyard locker containing salvaged military grade sensors, but they need an immediate off-station transport before their supervisor notices the theft. |
| 5 | A group of heavily armed recovery agents is conducting a systematic sweep of the shipyard; they are looking for a specific individual who skipped out on a massive repair bill, and they are willing to pay for any information that leads to a quick capture. |
| 6 | A silent security drone begins tailing the party through the appendage concourse; it periodically emits a low-frequency scan that gives the Travellers a headache, recording their biometrics and weapon signatures for the station’s private threat-assessment database. |
| 7 | A crowded canteen erupts into a violent dispute between two rival mining crews over the rights to a lucrative trojan asteroid; the station security watches from a distance with thermal optics, only intervening with "non-lethal" gas when the brawlers spill out into the central appendage concourse. |
| 8 | A merchant specializing in "pre-owned" military hardware displays a few battered suits of TL 12 combat armor; the electronics are fried and the ceramic plating is scarred by laser fire, but the price is half of what you might find on the regular mercenary market. Highly valuable to someone with the skills to repair it. |
| 9 | A fast-talking broker in the central bazaar offers a "no questions asked" deal on a shipment of refined lanthanum crystals; however the goods are clearly marked with a corporate seal from Glisten, suggesting they were diverted from an imperial supply chain and might bring unwanted attention in more civilized systems. |
| 10 | A pair of Dobbs Magicians are trying to peddle their cybernetics on the appendage concourse, and proselytizing to anyone who looks their direction. They preach about the Galactic Spirit will and how pleasant and fulfilling life inside the Halo actually is. They encourage the Travellers to visit and trade with their homeworld. |
| 11 | An information solicitor operating out of a data-booth offers to sell the Travellers a manifest of ships currently undergoing major overhauls; this includes their security vulnerabilities and the estimated time until they are space-worthy, which would be invaluable for a pirate or a bounty hunter. |
| 12 | A high-ranking station administrator invites the Travellers to a private viewing gallery overlooking the gas giant; they are looking for an independent ship to conduct a clandestine survey of an anomalous highly-eccentric object orbiting withing in the trojan field. They are offering total anonymity and a premium berthing pass (valid for 5 years) in exchange. |