Read the previous chapter here
[Begin a Session: Seemingly unrelated situations are shown to be connected]
A figure rides a wooly sandfoot across the desert, cresting a ridge. Thousands have been set up around a mountain range at the base. The figure is greeted by one of the al-Raml. The figure removes his straw hat and face covering to reveal a young man. This is Gerard Linnaeus, the heir to a House of the same surname. The attendant is Ghazi, Gerard’s greatest acolyte among the al Raml. He brings Gerard into the encampment to a more lavish tent than the others. Here, Gerard cleans himself with the special powder used by the al Raml. He prepares himself and rests.
Ghazi wakes him up, coming into his tent shouting. The men have opened the doors of the temple. Gerard quickly dresses and is brought to the temple, carved into the side of the mountain. The now-open doors display carvings of the great beasts beneath the sands, a human figure standing with an arm outraised, and a bloom of energy coming from its right hand.
Gerard is handed a glowtorch by one of the al Raml and ventures into the dark interior of this ancient temple connected to the beginnings of all humanity.
Meanwhile, on the Concordia…
Captain Kae has Abrams focus on keeping Dreng Wraithus’s presence in the brig hidden from Lady Thal, Rozhan Kane, and their compatriots.
Secure an Advantage w/Shadow – [Weak Hit: 4 + 1 + 0 = 5 vs 8 | 4] – +2 Momentum
Kae explains that Dreng is still onboard the Vok ship but is in stasis and was probably being converted by the Vok. The UPA ships waiting on the other side of the border will intercept it and retrieve him. That doesn’t need to worry. In the meantime, Kae needs to contact House Linnaeus and attempt to negotiate terms to come to Audun, the one world the joint mission had been told they couldn’t go to.
Kae has requested communications be sent to the corporate space station that orbits Audun and is awaiting a response. She emphasizes the urgency of securing the atomic weapons and rooting out the threats on the planet, adding that Concordia has advanced scanning capabilities that could help.
Asset: Diplomat – When you make a move to defuse, reason, or negotiate, add +1
Compel w/Heart – [Weak Hit: 3 + 3 + 1 = 7 vs 2 | 10] – +1 Momentum, comes with a catch
Oracle: Contested Ship
Kae speaks with the House Linnaeus chief of staff –
Dael Cabria, a Thought-Shaman (she/her)
First Look: Flashy, Haggard | Demeanor: Indifferent | Goal: Maintain Order
Dael comes on screen wearing the bejeweled and lavish garb House Linnaeus is known for. Despite this ornate look, Kae detects exhaustion on her face—dark circles under her eyes are one giveaway. She summarizes Kae’s request to bring the Concordia to Audun and then explains with little emotion that this is highly unheard of, but they, too, are concerned about the atomic weapons being attacked by rebels.
In fact, there’s a massive gathering of the al Raml who follow the Najat Dahandeh in the Southern hemisphere. House Linnaeus would love the use of the Concordia’s scanning tools – in passing, she hints at the stinginess of the Flight Syndicate on these matters. However, the Concordia would be locked in dry dock in the orbital space station. Kae and her people would be allowed on the surface of Audun, but not without registering everyone going planetside. Controlling the flow of visitors onto the desert planet is something the House is locking down tighter than ever.
[Mark Progress: I vow to prevent Audun from being destroyed by nuclear holocaust :1 boxes]
Kae doesn’t like the tight oversight, but she also knows Concordia isn’t capable of executing a stealth mission to Audun. She must abide by their terms and try to work around them.
Swear a Vow: I vow to get Lady Thal and Rozhan Kane to the surface of Audun (Troublesome) – [Weak Hit: 2 + 3 + 1 = 6 vs 9 | 2] – +1 Momentum
Kae tells Thal and Kane they must change out of their clothes and into UPA Star Command uniforms. She has some of her crew creating fake UPA credentials and running them through checks to ensure they will pass through House Linnaeus security.
Oracle question: Do Lady Thal and Kane agree to this ruse? Odds: Almost Certain. [Ask the Oracle: Yes]
The Concordia enters the dry dock aboard the space station Piscator. Kae checks the validity of the fake credentials her crew has created.
Secure an Advantage w/Shadow – [Miss: 3 + 1 + 0 = 4 vs 8 | 5] – Burn Momentum – [Weak Hit: 3 + 1 + 0 = 4 vs 8 | 5] – use +1 on next move
The credentials are shaky, but Kae uses her optical implant to scan the ID cards and detect flaws her crew missed. They make corrections.
[Mark Progress: I vow to get Lady Thal and Rozhan Kane to the surface of Audun :3 boxes]
Kae, Abrams, Kane, Thal, and three crewmen join her at Piscator’s customs desk to receive their transfer to the surface. Lt. Comm. Ennis is given command of the Concordia while Kae is gone. She tells him that if things go south, she gives him authorization to fight his way out and get back to UPA space ASAP.
Face Danger w/Shadow – [Miss: 5 + 1 + 1 = 7 vs 9 | 10]
[Pay the Price: You encounter signs of a looming threat]
Manning, the security desk, is not a member of House Linnaeus. Kae recognizes the radiation scars on their skin and blackened teeth. This is House Verfault, the previous contract holder on Audun. They should have all left at this point. There was no information on a close alliance between the Houses. The scarred security officer looks over the credentials, and Kae can see it in his eyes. He doesn’t believe them. However, he doesn’t deny them passage and instead clears them with a grin.
[Mark Progress: I vow to get Lady Thal and Rozhan Kane to the surface of Audun :6 boxes]
Unknown to Kae, the officer contacts his superior. “Lord Katulla, the interlopers have arrived. Shall I dispatch an observation team to follow them planetside?”
The voice returns, gravelly: “Report back to me on the team’s findings.”
“Yes, m’lord.”
The Piscator gives planetside visitors a departure time as it waits for its orbit to align with the destination. In this instance, Kae and company are headed to Dakhnour, the corporate capital of Audun. They wait for the shuttle to arrive and bring them to the surface.
Fulfill Your Vow – [Weak Hit: 2 + 6 + 0 = 8 vs 9 | 4] – 1 tick on Quests Legacy track
[Mark Progress: Lady Thal :2 boxes]
[Mark Progress: Rozhan Kane :4 boxes]
Kae realizes these two will be in peril on the surface, so she must keep them safe, especially Lady Thal.
Swear an Iron Vow – I will keep Lady Thal alive while we are on Audun (Dangerous) – [Miss: 1 + 3 + 1 = 5 vs 6 | 5]
Oracle: Move Phenomenon
The automated pilot comes over the shuttle’s comms and explains that it will have to take the craft through a nasty dust storm that has appeared on the planet. Kae does a quick search of local news and finds that these storms have been happening more and more frequently. They correlate with an incident in a remote Al Raml city, Jahar.
Oracle question: Does the shuttle make it through the storm without problems? Odds: 50/50 – [Ask the Oracle: Yes]
It’s an extremely bumpy ride, but the shuttle makes it to the spaceport in Dakhnour. The masses of people moving about are overwhelming to Kae. It’s been a long time since she’s been in a place so dense with people. Even the Concordia isn’t this packed. Dael Cabria greets them, explaining she will escort them to the corporate palaces. They can discuss how the Concordia’s scanners can be used. Kae tries to pry for information about the atomic weapons, bringing them up as one of the UPA’s chief worries about the region.
Face Danger w/Heart – [Miss: 3 + 3 + 0 = 6 vs 6 | 6] – [Pay the Price: A new enemy is revealed]
Around this time, Kae realizes her group has been led to a dead end deep within the labyrinth of the city. Dael whistles, and a group of Verfault soldiers emerge from the shadows. Dael holds a laspistol on her “guests.”
“The atomic weapons are of no concern to you.” Dael begins. “House Linnaeus has no knowledge of your presence planetside, which is how it will remain. These men will take you to a black site in the desert to be…interrogated for what you do or don’t know about our situation.”
Countdown Clock – The Verfault Team (0/6)
Kae isn’t going down like this. She stands firm, explaining that Lady Thal is descended from the royal lines before the houses. Therefore, she is entitled to visit the ancient holy sites on Audun per the Terms of Service established at the formation of the Houses. If Dael doesn’t adhere to these laws, she will face execution. Kae hopes paying such close attention to The Trade Enclave – Ancient History at the Academy pays off.
Diplomat – When you make a move to defuse, reason, or negotiate, add +1
Compel w/Iron – [Miss: 2 + 1 + 1 = 4 vs 4 | 5]
Diplomat – On a miss, you may take a different tack. Envision this new approach, reroll all dice, and add +2.
Countdown Clock – The Verfault Team (1/6) – part of the team dispatched to follow Kae’s away team observes this exchange.
Dael stares Kae down. “Meaningless to us.”
Kae takes a moment and continues: “Lady Thal here also seeks an end to the corporate Houses. While you appear to have taken a more militant approach, we believe if she can access important ancient sites on the planet it can avoid an unnecessary nuclear conflict. I mean, what would be the purpose of ruling over an atomic-blasted wasteland and destroying all of the Essence.”
Compel w/Heart – [Strong Hit: 4 + 3 + 0 = 7 vs 5 | 4]
[Mark Progress: I will keep Lady Thal alive while we are on Audun :2 boxes]
Dael lowers her weapon. Disposition: Helpful. Dael explains that there are already gears moving across the city by a rebel group that seeks to destroy the Houses. Disaffected members of the Verfault, Linnaeus, and other Houses are working in tandem to destroy and remake the Enclave. The leadership in the city has secretly sent the atomic weapons out of the city rather than storing them in the catacombs beneath Dakhnour. She posits that the weapons may have been moved to one of the ancient temples in the desert, a practice last exercised centuries ago during the last civil conflict.
Dael also shares that almost all of House Linnaeus’s resources are being used to search for Gerard, the heir who has been missing for over a month. Dael assumes he’s already been killed by the Verfault loyalists or the Vok spotted in the sand wastes. The al Raml following the Najat Dahandeh had amassed at the ruins of an ancient temple, The Takrit, where holy men and women invoked the gods back when people still believed in them.
Kae checks in with Thal, who says it is one of the main sites they hoped to visit. Kae realizes the atomic weapons could be stored in such a place. Do the al Raml know this? She can’t be sure, but it seems worth checking out, even if it is dangerous. She needs some things first. Kae asks Dael about clothing to help them blend in and some type of transport out to The Takrit,
Secure an Advantage w/Heart – [Miss: 3 + 3 + 0 = 6 vs 7 | 10]
[Pay the Price: Something of value is lost or destroyed]
Countdown Clock – The Verfault Team (2/6) – this bombing was connected to Verfault loyalists trying to break Linnaeus’s control of the city, part of a major action to come
Dael thinks she can help. There’s a safe house in the market district where they keep changes of clothes. A small, poor-quality transport could be available in one of the garages they watch. However, on the way to the safe house, a bomb is set off a block or two away, causing mass chaos. Kae is knocked to the ground, and her comm-unit is crushed. They cannot get in touch with the Concordia without asking corporate authorities. Dael also assesses things and says they can’t go to the safehouse with city police swarming about. Kae and her team will have to figure it out independently.
Interlude – Oracle: Created Shelter
Gerard Linnaeus oversees the al Raml’s evacuation into The Takrit. Another of those violent sandstorms forms in the distance, and he wants to protect his people from it. He can see crackles of purple & green energy. It must be the Vok and that damn worm they converted. They must be stricken from Audun as they will likely corrupt it worse than the corporate Houses.
Ghazi approaches Gerard with several of his top lieutenants. They have found something unexpected deep within The Takrit—a corporate vault built centuries prior. The locking mechanism is active; only a member of a corporate House can open it. Gerard smiles. He knows this is where they hid the atomic weapons, never thinking anyone would come here. He knows how he will wipe his enemy from this planet forever.
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