Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Notorious: Outsiders Part Three

Notorious: Outsiders (Always Checkers Publishing)
Written and designed by Jason Price
Art by Torben Bokemeye

You can purchase Outsiders here

Read part two of Korris’s trilogy here

Korris Bek’s eyelids fluttered open as the stim moved through his system. He could see the blue skies of Talus overhead and feel the dread bore a pit through his stomach. Days earlier, the Nomad had been scanning what Guild contracts were available to him. Due to his first two missions, Korris has garnered a reputation for being a clumsy rookie who destabilizes the places he visits. The Guild had a reputation for handling things with finesse, but Korris contradicted that. The only open contract he could find that was available to him was issued by the Yonn Cartel. When he closed his eyes, Korris could still feel the ‘lectro-lashes’ of the guards in striking his back, singing his fur, leaving it a permanently blackened tone. 

The Target is Sly Slimelish, a Honda (gelatinous) soldier in Huska’s Corsairs who helped a prisoner escape during a fierce interrogation. Huska’s men had captured the legendary Calugar Li Nord. Nord was on the run from Imperium forces following the Calugar purge in the Haven Worlds. Apparently, the mystic knight ended up in the outer territories and attempted to disturb one of Huska’s operations. She gained the trust of Sly, who helped her escape the freighter, but Korris couldn’t understand why Sly would come to Huska’s base of operations. 

Exploration 

Korris’s ship lands on a remote canyon, ensuring it is hidden from prying eyes. However, that makes his trek to the next closest point of civilization long and arduous. He crosses the very southwestern corner of The Vast Waste, wondering how anyone makes the journey across the center of it.

Destination – Cryke, a small town run by humans

Korris finds this settlement on the edge of the Waste, probably one of the last spots of respite before crossing to the east. He searches for someone who can give him information on any recent suspicious chatter among The Yonn Cartel.

(Speak – 1+1 = 2 vs. 1 – Success)

Saalia Bisbee is the local warden for Cryke and tells Korris they had a band of marauders employed by Huska who crashed through town last week. She noticed men from Mozh, a town to the north, working alongside Huska’s men. It worried her as the last time she visited Mozh, they had a lucrative moisture farming operation going and no need to depend on the crime boss. Something must have gone very badly.

Korris thanks her and visits a small market in the town center, picking up some local sand fruits.

(Gain +1 Motivation)

Exploration

A few hours out of Cryke, he picks up an encampment of Murians on a nearby ridge with his binocs. Murians are rat-like humanoids native to Talus and infamous scavengers. They can strip down a sandminer in less than ten minutes. They are also known to target Huska’s sand-faring vessels because they have lots of rare Haven Worlds parts under the hoods. Korris hangs back, happy to watch them ambush a Yonn skiff, likely running weapons from one Huska-controlled outpost to the next. (Gain 1 Favour)

Destination – Mozh, a town to the north, once a thriving moisture farm

Korris notices very little street activity and slips into a dingy cantina. There’s music playing & and a virtu-dancer gyrating on a holobox. Piercing pairs of eyes glance up from what had been distracting them to take in the newly arrived Kyono. The Lek’tok barkeep chirps & clicks a greeting, sliding a drink on the house to the Nomad.

A human with dark-ringed eyes and a week’s worth of stubble steps to the side of Korris and points the butt of his laspistol into the Nomad’s side. “You’re going to let the Honda go. You’re not going to push this any further. Understand?”

Korris quick-draws on his attacker.

(Korris: 3 + 3 = 6 vs. 1 + 4 = 5 – Korris wins)

Korris’s pistol strikes the weapon out of the opponent’s hand. The others in the bar freeze, watching to see where this is going. Korris, weapon still drawn. He checks the man’s jacket pockets and finds a dented metal pin of the Resistance. So they’re protecting the Honda?

Exploration

Just outside of Mohz, Korris is struck by a wall of sand. The storm blows in from the Waste, making visibility nearly zero. From within the haze, Korris makes out a small hut built into the side of a ridge. He approaches, and a friendly Murian gestures for him to come inside. Over a bowl of warm broth, the pair speak. Korris explains that he’s a Nomad fulfilling a contract for the Yonn Cartel. The Murian nods silently and then speaks up.

They explain how Huska’s ranks are rife with people quick to betray him for enough credits. The Murian explains that a few Calugars live in hiding on Talus. They have met some people and believe that if Honda betrayed Huska for Li Nord, it must have been because Nord had convinced him to choose a better life. The Murian hopes Korris considers this if he ever finds his Target. Eventually, the storm dies down. Korris thanks his host for the food and the conversation and heads out. (-1 Motivation)

Destination – Murian Scrapcrawler

Korris comes across a parked Scrapcrawler. The Murians who operate have their wares laid out for sale. It’s a variety of Bots, ship parts, and other bric-a-brac they have scavenged on the planet. Korris knows that a Nomad’s been tailing him since you arrived. He first noticed the tracker when he left Cryke, light glinting off a suit of combat armor.

Kelpi Myncc The Armor

Species: Kuda Personality: Solemn

Ranged: Modified laser rifle, rocket launcher (+3, +4 vs. Monsters, Vehicles)

Melee: Vibrating blade (+2)

Outfit: Battered helmet, heavy breastplate, jetpack (+2 def, +3 def vs. Ranged Attacks)

Origin: One of their parents was an infamous Nomad; they inherited their armor

Scar: They never remove their armor in front of anyone else

Trigger: Their parents abandoned them to join the Resistance, promising to return one day

Korris knows a direct confrontation won’t please the Guild, so he tries to shake them off in the crowd gathered around the Scrapcrawler. The Kyono buys a tattered cloak from one of the Murians, slips it on, and changes his gait. He limps off with a group who just purchased a maintenance bot as they return home. (Gain +1 Favour)

Exploration

Korris camps out in an outcropping facing west along a canyon. When he wakes up and starts gathering his things, he discovers that his utility belt has been stolen. Tracks lead away, back towards the Waste. Inside one pouch was the only photo he had of his mother. The Nomad wants to pursue, he wants to hurt, he wants to kill. He stops himself. Breathes. Korris is here for a reason. He can be mad but must direct that towards his mission.

Destination – Modular Garrison LS-78

Still hot from the theft of his utility belt, Korris finds an Imperium Garrison set up on the edge of the Waste. A caravan of locals travels with them, offering food, repairs, and other amenities for a price. Clever work, but it’s dangerous to stay so close as the Imperium is in a shooting war with The Yonn Cartel. Skab is Talus’s main boss, and his palace is known to have an elaborate dungeon beneath it. Korris has heard stories of the brutal torture that goes on down there.

He Searches for someone who might have seen Sly (Gain +1 Favour)

As Korris walks around the caravan, a human intentionally slams into him, suddenly shouting that this “mangy Kyono attacked” him. Korris knows a ruse when he sees one.

(Korris: 3+5 = 8 vs. 1+5 = 6 – Korris wins)

The Nomad is quicker on the draw, and a single laser shot puts his attacker on the sand. Before Korris can question him, the man bites down on something in his mouth. Green foam oozes out from between his lips. Eyes roll back. Dead.

Exploration

Korris watches the line of hundreds of Murians from a distance. They walk, single file, over the top of a distant sand dune. Korris catches up, curious to see their destination, and does. On the other side of the dune is a cliff face. The ornate facade of a temple has been carved into the rock, and a large doorway tunnels deeper inside. Now that he’s closer, Korris can hear the Murians chanting something quietly in unison. A prayer?

A sudden crackle cuts through the air. An ambush. Korris swings around to find three Calugar, beamswords drawn, who have quietly followed him across the sands.

(Korris: 3+5 = 8 vs. 5) 

Korris blasts an older human male who spins in the air and collapses in a heap.

(Korris: 1+4 = 5 vs. 5, -1 def) 

The next Calugar, a young female horned Ghol, slashes her beamsword across Korris’s jacket, another mark left in it.

(Korris: 1+1 = 2 vs. 5, -1 def) 

The Valkian breastplate armor takes the blow from the vine-covered Botaani Calugar.

(Korris: 1+1 = 2, spend Motivation, 1+6 = 7 vs. 1+5 = 6)) 

Korris shoots the Ghol in her knee, sending her to the ground, a mouthful of sand as she slams hard

(Korris: 1+4 = 5 vs. 1+4 = 5, spend 1 Motivation, 1+1, spend 1 Motivation, 1+2+3)

Korris blasts miss as the Botaani moves faster than the Nomad’s eyes can keep up; she slides across the Talusian sands like a blur of flora and light. Before she delivers a killing blow, blaster fire peppers the sands. She quickly rouses her companions, who seem to vanish in the wind. A Yonn patrol rockets across the desert in pursuit. The Murians continue their march to the temple. (Lose -1 Notoriety) 

Destination – Hembram, an Imperium outpost

Korris is happier than he might have imagined to find an Imperium outpost. He can get a drink and some medical attention at the local clinic. He chats up the doctor, a Kimano (amphibious) in the service who complains a lot about the dry temperatures here on Talus.

(Speak: 2+4 = 6 vs. 1)

Despite hating on Talus, the Kimano says he is so happy that the Empress is taking a hardline stance against this “bloody Resistance.” He shares his thoughts that he hopes they shoot down all the traitorous refugees escaping into UPA space. Korris finds the conversation unpleasant, thanks the doctor, and moves on.

Exploration

Korris is still tender from his fight with the Calugar and hangs out at a small food stall. He listens to a Lek’tok sing one of their traditional songs, and the day melts.

Destination – Vas Babas Spaceport, under Imperium control

Event #1

Korris travels over a dune and finds the desert metropolis of Vas Babas laid out before him. It’s the most civilization he’s seen since arriving on Talus. Moments after crossing through the North Gate, Korris observes a Pellucid Imperium field scientist humming angrily at an On’ciet about which bags belong to the former and which to the latter. It’s clear to Korris that On’ciet is a local scam artist.

Korris hangs back and observes. As the two yank a bag back and forth, items spill out. Korris recognizes a steel canister with warning markings all over it. He thinks back to the story he heard about the Imperium bioweapons tests on Toxico. He wonders if they are carrying them out in some remote locale here on Talus.

Event #2

Two Imperium skulltroopers stumble out of a cantina and knock Korris to the ground, and the pair goes down with him. They drunkenly laugh through the electronic filters of their helmets. Korris wants to pull his pistol and kill them, but he refrains. Korris helps the soldiers and learns from their yammering that they destroyed a Yonn weapons depot in the east. They claim it will push Skab into a defensive position at his palace.

(Gain +1 Favour)

Exploration

Korris wanders a bit outside the walls of Vas Babas. He finds an old temple of the Mystic Order half-buried in the sand. The winds and sandstorms wear away at the structure. Where once the Calugar were abundant and proud, they have crumbled away into obscurity here on the edges of the Imperium.

Destination – Corix, small town of primarily humans

Korris meets Lizzy Vullen, a weaponsmith here. He needs routine maintenance on his pistol and takes the chance to see if she can tell him about the situation in the region.

(Speak: 3+4 = 7 vs. 4)

Vullen shares a story about when she crossed paths with Skab the Yonn and his entourage. They had to make a stop in Corix after underestimating a coming sandstorm. She says she was surprised that the crime boss seemed exhausted, and his hangers-on demanded he make decisions about everything. She knows the Yonn passed their criminal titles down by birthright, so while he’s a rotten bastard, Vullen feels a bit sorry that Skab can’t escape his destiny.

Exploration – Lead #1

Jude Floto is glad-handing locals around Corix when he shakes Korris’s paw, who doesn’t let go. “You met a friend of mine the other day, from what I’ve heard,” Korris says with a slight grin. “Sly? Ring any bells.” The human councilman’s face goes pale, and he follows the Nomad to a corner to chat more. 

“You told him a place he could go until things cooled down,” Korris continues.

Floto clears his throat. “I’m just trying to live a simple, quiet life here, okay? I did a favor for a friend by helping out the Honda. I didn’t know he had the Guild after him.”

Korris feels something is off about Floto. As the councilman speaks, the Kyono can feel something in his head. A little itch. Then he realizes it.

Floto stands up a little straighter, and the pathetic facade fades. Korris is looking into the eyes of a Calugar in hiding. The human waves a hand and pushes Korris away with force as the Nomad draws his pistol.

(Korris: 3+2 = 5 vs. 3+6 = 9, Fail, -1 def)

Korris fumbles, ending up on his back, feeling the rocky ground tear through his jacket.

(Korris: 1+1 = 2, 3+1 = 4, Fail, -1 def)

Korris tries to take another shot. Floto freezes the blast in mid-air, then gestures so it swings around and hits Korris in the chest, the Valkian breastplate taking the blow.

(Korris: 1+3 = 4 vs. 3+1 = 4, use Motivation, 1+3 = 4, use Motivation, 1+1+ 2, use Motivation, 1+5 = 6)

Korris is groggy, still feeling the Calugar fuck around in his mind. He gets a blast off that strikes Floto’s gauntlet, which shatters.

(Korris: 1+3 = 4 vs. 3+4 = 7, use Motivation, 1+4 = 5)

Korris’s next shot is dissipated into the ether. He feels his feet no longer touching the ground. Floto lifts him into the air. The Calugar cannot let this Kyono inform the Imperium he is hiding on Talus. This means Korris will be coming with him. His body paralyzed, Korris can say nothing, not even move a finger. 

The End…for now