Tag Archives: Foreven

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

The Executor

5 Comments

Patron: Lawyer
Required Skills: None
Required Equipment: Starship capable of Jump-2
Locations: Fessor Subsector, Gwydion (0610) & Wadanga (0709)

Players’ Information:
While the characters are on Gwydion (C442535-9), they are contacted by Symon & Associates, a legal firm noted for its expertise in handling tort law cases. Tylon Symon is a tall, thin man (as are most of the natives on Gwydion due its low gravity) well into his middle age. He greets the characters in his office, offering refreshments before settling down to business. He wears fine, though painfully conservative business attire.

Tylon’s firm is managing the estate of Achilon Zeres, who passed away earlier in the year and left the entirety of his considerable personal wealth to his favorite niece, Selfina Lysaie. “Aside from being a client,” says Tylon, “Achilon was a close personal friend. He named me as the executor of his will, and I fully intend to see it carried out in the manner he intended.”

The complication in the matter of the will is that Selfina is not currently on Gwydion. In the year prior to Achilon’s death, Selfina became a member of a religious cult headed by a leader known only as The Hierophant. The cult requires its members to sell off all of their material possessions, with the money going to cult’s coffers. “The Hierophant lives an extravagant life of luxury in his compound on Wadanga,” says Tylon, “while his followers are virtual slaves, laboring for his benefit alone.”

“I will not allow Achilon’s riches to benefit the cult,” he says. “That money is meant to provide for Selfina for the rest of her life. That is why I wish to hire you to bring her back to Gwydion. You will have to find a way to infiltrate The Hierophant’s compound, find Selina and get her off-world before the cult’s enforcers can stop you. I realize this is a high-risk venture, so I am prepared to offer you a total of one-hundred thousand credits plus your expenses to do the job. I will also represent you in any legal proceedings that may come from your actions, pro bono.”

Lawyer
The Executor – Image from wikimedia
Copyright expired – Public Domain

Referee’s Information:
Achilon Zeres made his money by expertly managing water and mineral rights of lands he bought in his youth. He also owned or had a share in many of the companies exploiting those rights. If the characters need cargo as a cover story for their trip to Wadanga (C438131-8), Tylon can arrange legitimate cargo contracts and goods from these outfits.

Tylon will provide a detailed file on Selfina, giving the characters many means of identifying her. Tylon also provides a file on The Hierophant and his cult, along with orbital photos of his compound on Wadanga. The compound houses nearly a thousand people, creating the potential for massive collateral damage should the characters try a direct approach. Tylon will stress the need to limit liabilities to both themselves and his legal firm in the operation, favoring any plan that emphasizes stealth over strength.

Outcomes:
1. Selfina is a prisoner. Selfina was specifically recruited by The Hierophant so he could loot her legacy. Selfina has since found out the religious leader orchestrated her uncle’s death, but was caught when she attempted to escape. She is being held prisoner in the compound and must be rescued by means of force. The referee will need to create maps and determine the level of opposition — off-world mercenaries — The Hierophant has hired.

2. Selfina is a true believer. Selfina truly believes in The Hierophant and his teachings and has found peace and purpose in his “care.” She is not only unwilling to leave, she will actively fight against any attempt to “liberate” her. In essence, the characters will have to kidnap her to get her off-world.

3. The Hierophant is a Zhodani agent. The Hierophant is actually an agent of the Zhodani government testing the effectiveness of a new psionic amplifier that is supposed to permanently affect the minds of its victims. The characters will discover this as they infiltrate the compound and attempt to rescue Selfina, risking falling under the influence of the “religious leader” themselves.

4. The Hierophant’s cult is under the influence of an alien artifact. The Hierophant discovered the artifact while he was on Wadanga a few years ago – a psionic information device containing the history of a now-extinct agrarian society that lived on Wadanga in the distant past. The Hierophant saw this as a religious vision and blueprint for the perfect society. The cult members exposed to this device are similarly affected. Only the device’s destruction will free the cult members from their visions.

5. Tylon is working an angle. Tylon wants to inherit the Zeres legacy for himself, which will happen if Selfina dies. The information about the cult in his files will leave out key elements of the cult’s defenses and disposition, plus fail to mention that the security forces are ordered to kill anyone attempting to escape the compound. Tylon would inherit the Zeres legacy upon Selfina’s death, of course.

6. Cloak & Dagger. The whole story is a lie. Selfina is an Imperial agent and Tylon is her handler. Selfina’s mission was to find and dispatch the Zhodani agent posing as The Hierophant. The cult compound is actually a base to train Imperial infiltrators in the arts of sabotage and misinformation. Selfina was captured and is being interrogated by the Zhodani operatives at the base. The characters are distraction for the primary extraction team, and aren’t expected to get out of this one alive…

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Xboat Speculation!

Leave a comment

Patron: Merchant Prince, Spy
Required Skills: Scout Life Knowledge, Survey, Starship Operation skills
Required Equipment: Jump 2 capable Starship

Players’ Information:
The characters are nearing the end of their downtime and last of their credits on Urnian prime, when a middle age, but well-dressed lady approaches them. She introduces herself with a nice card that reads, “Julia Liverson. Urnian Properties Property Acquisition Specialist”.

Before the players know it, she has taken a seat with them, ordering a round for the table and Urnian Gin for herself. She then launches into her spiel; “My company is seeking to hire professional surveyors for an important job. It will be at least a six-jump trip with a possible extension if both parties agree. We are offering Cr. 3000 per month, per crew member, all standard ship fees and any maintenance needed during the time period – subject to a prior ship inspection, of course. You will provide a stateroom/office and aid me in surveying several worlds.” She takes a sip of her drink, then prances away – giving the team time to discus her offer.

Future Starport?
Future Starport? – Image from wikimedia.
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Referee’s Information:
Pick 1 or more systems with in Jump 4 of Emape (Spinward Marches 0133) or Raweh (Spinward Marches 0139); priority given to Cs Status over high starport classifications.

Suggested systems: Ovdyo (Foreven 2935) or Cinboshabo (Foreven 2938).

Both Urnian Properties and Liverson will pass a background check. Urnian Properties specialize in startowns and starport properties speculation, making millions as these ports get upgraded. Ms. Liverson is known for making a killing off Imperial deals as the Imperium moves beyond the Five Sisters into the Urnian Subsector. This expedition, if successful, will make her enough to retire wealthy.

She has gotten word that the Imperium is about to expand their Xboat routes into the Urnian subsector. This includes upgrading starports where needed. This means millions of credits to those fortunate to own property. While she has a clear idea where the routes might go, she needs to investigate all the options. Additionally, they are keeping this trip off the books and it requires Imperial Scout operations knowledge, so the company has chosen to hire a private ship and former scouts crew. If the characters wish to carry cargo and or passengers she will negotiate to reduce or even to stop paying ship upkeep and maintenance.

1. The characters are not the only crew Urnian Properties is looking at. The other crew is desperate for the contract, so they sabotage the characters’ ship or harm the crew. The other crew may or may not know the secret speculative nature of the survey mission.

2. Liverson is actually a property spy for the Marrakesh Trade Association. While the Xboat expansion is true, her actual mission is to buy property out from under the Imperium agents, to prevent Imperial expansion, and to report on Imperial activities and Urnian market conditions.

3. Liverson knows that the Imperium is not ready to expand and is instead embezzling hundreds of thousands of Urnian Properties funds through dummy companies; she plans to disappear from Urnian as soon as she can convince the characters to take her. Not only does she steal the company funds, she does not pay the characters.

4. Everything is normal for the group and the party spends 6 jumps exploring the startowns of the Urnian subsector.

5. Liverson finds out that Urnian Properties are pulling out of the speculative adventure but she isn’t about to give up on her dreams. With her all savings, she pushes on and offers the characters a deal of a life time. In return for forgoing the cost of the ship’s expenses and their salaries, she will give them each 5% equity in her new company. She will also allow them to buy into her new company giving up to a total of 45% equity. If she is right, they will make a fortune and she is never wrong – well hardly ever.

6. The survey trip is anything but normal as a rival company dogs the survey mission at every turn. They will do anything to ruin it and/or capture properties for themselves. In the end they may get desperate enough to harm Liverson and her faithful scouts. This option works best if the players have enough room on the ship for the saboteur(s) to book passage. They will even to try to corrupt a crew member. With millions at stake, anything goes.

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

The Zhodani Base 76 Patrons Writing Contest – 2013

3 Comments

It is now time for The Zhodani Base 76 Patrons Writing Contest – 2013.

This years first prize is a $40 Gift Certificate at DriveThruRPG.
Second prize is a $20 Gift Certificate at DriveThruRPG.
Third prize is a $10 Gift Certificate at DriveThruRPG.

If you win you can buy lots of traveller goodies that you might have missed.

The style of the entries should be in the style of the patrons in CT Supplement 6, 76 Patrons.

Past winners are:

The contest starts now and ends 31 Aug 2013. Write as many entries as You like.

After the 31:st of August 2013, all entries will be posted on the Zhodani Base. The winner will be chosen by BeRKA.

By entering the contest You allow your entry to be posted at the Zhodani Base. All entries might also be posted in PDF format as a free down-loadable file at the Zhodani Base.

All entrants will be given credit for their work and will retain the copyright on their entries.

Some general guidelines:

1, Each entry should be less than 1000 words.

2, One image may be used in each entry. You must either own the rights to the image, or it must be used under some sort of free license. Wikimedia Commons is a good place to find an image that You can use. Please provide information about the image. (Is it Yours? If not, where have You found it? What license is used?) Note: You don’t need to use an image. You can also generate an image using the Pulp-o-Mizer or similar services.

3, Each patron should offer 6 options.

4, Each patron should be placed in the Foreven Sector. You may use the version of the Foreven Sector that can be found here at the Zhodani Base. (You don’t have to use this version.)

5, Please don’t force the PCs to sign up for (what they think are) illegal activities. It is better if they find that out later, or in some way are forced to take illegal action… 😈

6, Please use a spell checker! 🙄

Send Your entries by e-mail. Please use plain text format and attach the image, if You select to use one. Word files will not be accepted!

Everyone that sends me an entry will get a reply. If you have sent me something and not got a reply within a few days, then contact me again.

Please include a preferred nickname (that may be your real name) to show on the Zhodani Base. If You expect to win, include an e-mail address to send the first prize to.

Some help about Foreven Sector. (That you don’t have to use.)

Any rules you choose to use to design something for your patron is fine, even Mongoose Traveller rules, since the Zhodani Base has a Foreven Free Sector License.

76 Patrons Contest

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Edge of Catastrophe

3 Comments

Patron: any
Required Skills: none
Required Equipment: starship

Players’ Information:
The group is asked to deliver some cargo by a person called “Alan/Alana” (it can be either a man or woman) who represents a small consortium called the Long Haulers. They typically bring in cargo from the Imperium and attempt to distribute it throughout the Foreven. The group is in the Inpota system of the Reidain Subsector. The increased tech level for the independent and neutral system of Reidain and the systems that Reidain controls allows for a broader range of cargo to be delivered and Alan sees a possible avenue for profit and is looking into the types of cargo that would be most valuable and cargo haulers, such as the group, that would be able to make said deliveries. They pay well and Alan has treated the group well. They start their J-2 run from Inpota on their way to Reidain.

Biohazard
Biohazard : Image from wikimedia. Public domain.

Referee’s Information:
On their way to Reidain the group receives a mayday call originated in subsector hex 0604 right between Inpota and Reidain. The group comes upon a Darrian warship ship called the Invincible firing upon an Avalar cargo ship called the Dependable. The Avalar ship is clearly under matched and it is they who have sent out the distress signal.

When they come upon the scene the group is still receiving the pleas of help from the Dependable. The Darrian ship has an Admiral called Castellar’s. He declares to the group that this is a legal action against an enemy of the state and to stay out of the interchange. He continues on that even though they were told to heave to for boarding the cargo ship decided to fire upon them.

The Darrian ship is closing for boarding upon Dependable. Castellar’s calls the Dependable asking once again to give up the information concerning the plague they are carrying to Reidain. They won’t let them destroy the tenuous peace in this subsector. As they close the Dependable explodes destroying the cargo hauler and severely damaging the Invincible.

Castellar’s calls the group and asks them for their help. They were able to wirelessly download some valuable information from the cargo haulers computer before they exploded. He wants to get to Reidain with this information as soon as possible. His ship has been severely damaged and he doesn’t want to wait for repairs to be completed. Would they help?

1. All is as represented, correctly. Castellar’s has stumbled upon an Avalar plot to sway Reidain to ally them with Avalar by saying the Darrians want to cause a plague on Reidain and providing false “information” that is was the Avalars. This is of course a pre-emptive move by Avalar to strike against Darrian systems. There is no plague.

2. As 1, but there really is a plague. People from the Dependable escaped and Castellar’s has picked up the survivors who are also plague carriers. It could be Avalars or the Darrians who are doing it. Referees choice.

3. Castellar’s is insane and he has split into two personalities. He has spent his whole career as a protector of the Darrian people. His hatred of Avalar and all things Avalar has put him over the edge of sanity. Even though this is a high tension subsector there is a Darrian movement to have peace with Avalar and even trade with them. This has put him over the edge. One personality is totally amoral and intends on spreading a plague to the Reidain system and then blaming Avalar. He even has created proof. His other personality has “found” intelligence about the plague and Avalars involvement and he will do anything to protect his people. The Dependable never fired upon his ship; the Admiral merely thought they did.

4. There is no plague. Castellar’s is being setup as the bad guy. He has recently retired and a well-known hater of all things Avalar. He has “stumbled” upon some intelligence about a plague and the Avalars and he will do everything in his power to see it stopped, including destroying innocent cargo ships that have nothing to do with any plot. There is no plague though. Again, it could have been started by Avalars or the Darrians. Referees choice.

5. As 4, except people on the Dependable have been deliberately infected in the hope that at least one survivor will be rescued by Castellar’s thereby infecting his crew and then the group as well delivering the plague right to the doorstep of Reidain.

6. “Alan” is not who he claims to be. He is a cleaner for the megacorp conglomeration called the Corporate Expanse. They are a ruthless group who board members are composed of notorious and evil megacorporations. They have been using subsector hex 0406 to experiment with new and radical ideas on encrypting their communication traffic so they can continue to conduct business without people being aware that they are even here. There is a problem and now the ship is a liability. He has orders to destroy the ship by any means as long as nothing gets back to the Corporate Expanse. He has planted false intelligence information so that Castellar’s will destroy the Dependable, saving the day. The data he downloaded has a time delay worm virus that will destroy itself and any information related to it in the computer it resides. Castellar’s will be vilified as someone who try to concoct a ludicrous story about plague and then “save” everyone so he could return and become a hero to his people. Elections are soon and he would be able to run and the supposedly the people will elect him with little opposition. Alan is making sure his plan is running smooth and will disappear when done leaving the group wondering about future Long Hauler contracts.

In all cases the referee should determine the flow of subsequent events.

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Deadly Colours

Leave a comment

Patron: Scientist
Required Skills: None
Required Equipment: Starship

Players’ Information:
Purfyr (2211 C867645-A Ag Ni Ri 6 2 Na)

Purfyr is a thinly-populated but hospitable world in the Mowbrey Subsector, located off the main trade routes in the Foreven Sector and so far not the subject of interest of any of the major powers in the sector. Most often mentioned in trading circles for its agricultural wealth and the friendly neutralism of its nation-states’ governments, Purfyr is known in scientific circles for the colours of its indigenous photosynthetic life–red, orange, yellow–produced by pigments similar to the carotenoid photosynthetic pigments of Terra. These pigments are thought to absorb the bluish light of Purfyrs primary more effectively than would the greens and cyans of Terra.

Dead Leaves
Dead Leaves : copyright Randy McDonald

An Imperial university in the Spinward Marches contacts the party and offers them a one-year contract to transport a party of six scientists to Purfyr, there providing them with transportation, security, and other assistance as they engage in their studies at select points on the planetary surface. In addition to being offered full reimbursement on costs, the party will be paid an initial installment of 250 000 credits, followed by a payment of the same size on the safe return of the six scientists.

Referee’s Information:
1. The six scientists are all actually scientists working for the university in question, operating without secret agendas.

2. Either one or two of the scientists are actually deep-cover agents for the Imperium, hoping to make contact with Imperial agents on Purfyr.

3. Either one or two of the scientists are actually deep-cover agents for the Zhodani Consulate, hoping either to make contact with Zhodani agents on Purfyr or to find a way to safely exit to the consulate.

4. At least one of the scientists is hoping to acquire biological data from Purfyrs life for personal use, whether private biotechnological experiments or resale to a megacorporation (and so violating their contracts of employment with the university).

5. On arrival at Purfyr, the political climate turns out to have shifted in a decidedly anti-Imperial manner (if not necessarily pro-Zhodani), complicating security.

6. As 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, the Zhodani Consulate takes an interest in Imperial activity on the Consulate’s rimward frontier.

Adventures, The Base, Traveller

Lost Lamb

Leave a comment

Patron: Minor Noble
Required Skills: None
Required Equipment: None
Number of Players: 1-3

A minor noble who is a friend of a friend approaches the characters for aid. As per family tradition, her youngest daughter was travelling for a year before beginning her university studies. Her last message home was sent from Urnian (Foreven 2833) and said she was going to Pylkah (Foreven 2834). No message has arrived for nearly a year. Imperial authorities claim it is a local matter. Local authorities reported that a search of incident records turned up nothing related to the missing girl. The noble lacks influence to get either the local or Imperial authorities to pursue the matter further. Bank statements show someone has accessed the family accounts at intervals in Pyllos. The amounts withdrawn are reasonable for one person taking out cash for living expenses. The noble has not shut down her daughter’s account access as it is the only lead.

The noble will pay all expenses for the characters to travel to Pylkah, find her daughter, and return with her. This includes a reasonable allowance for bribes and will be provided by access to the family credit accounts and a supply of Imperial currency. The noble will also provide a letter of introduction that identifies the party as her agents and may ease their attempts to question bank managers and the like. Upon the safe return of her daughter, the noble will pay each member of the party 20,000 Imperial credits.

The wayward child
The wayward child : Copyright Gordon Horne

Referee’s Information:
1. The wayward child has had her identification, credit access, and travel papers stolen. Unable to convince the first local authority she approached as to her predicament, she gave up quickly and is living in a flop house trying to earn enough money to send a message to her mother. She is eager to be rescued, but the characters will need to acquire replacement identification and travel papers before taking her off world.

2. Sampling illicit pleasures, the wayward child has gotten herself in debt to a local gangster. Her ID, credit access, and travel papers are being held by him as she works off her debt. She has been too embarrassed to call her mother for help, but she is eager to be rescued. The characters need to get her away from the gangster and either recover her original ID and papers or acquire replacements.

3. As (2) but in an arrangement outside the characters hearing the gangster offers to let her be rescued if she will carry a package with her. She believes his boasts that he can reach her anywhere and agrees. The contents of the package are very illegal.

4. The wayward child has fallen in love with a destitute local. She has found meaning in life by his side and refuses to return to the life of empty privilege she knew before.

5. As (4) except she agrees to return home if her love comes too. He is a street rat with no education, no skills, and no travel papers.

6. As (5) except she will only return home if her love, his mother, his mother’s aged parents, and his two younger siblings all come along. None of them have travel papers.

Variation:
The characters are hired to escort the wayward child’s older sister who has been tasked by their mother to find her and bring her home. Everything is otherwise as in the main writeup except the elder daughter controls the money supply. In addition to rolling for the younger sister’s situation above, roll below for the older sister’s attitude.

1. The elder sister insists on being in charge and micromanaging everything. Her first and only concern is the safe return of her little sister.

2. As (1) except her first concern is family honour.

3. The elder sister is in charge but she delegates well. She loves her sister even if she is a bother at times. Her first concern is the safe return of her little sister.

4. As (2) except she is very concerned about family honour. She would rather see her little sister suffer the consequences of her actions than the family name become a subject of malicious gossip. She recognizes that her little sister sometimes has to be spared the consequences of her actions to preserve family honour.

5.  The elder sister is overwhelmed by the charge given her by her mother. She loves her little sister but has no idea how to proceed.

6. As (5) but she finds her little sister bothersome and would be just as happy if she weren’t found.