so a 1 body snatchers

8/6/2019 So a 1 Body Snatchers

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Regina... It thinks its so much more than it is. Theheart of the Spinward Marches, the great spinwardbastion of Imperial culture... billions of deludedidiots, who believe that if they dress and talk like acore-worlder, theyll be the same on the inside too.They dont realise theyre a joke, a backwater, a non-

entity in the grand scheme. The whole of the Marchescould slip between the cracks of the bureaucracy onCapital if some clerk pressed the wrong key, and no-one would notice for a decade... and even when theyfound it, no-one would care.

I once jumped in and took a shuttle down to Credo,went to a bar and told people that Id just come fromDagudashag and had they heard the latest gossipfrom court? In twenty minutes, Id convinced themthat wearing live chickens on your head was the bigthing on Capital these days. Sold em my cargo fullof frozen poultry for a hundred times the normal

price... those were special haute couture chickens,you see. Very rare.

The rest of the planet remembers where it is. Theyremember the Long Night, and their culture has thescars and xenophobia you expect in the Marches,unlike the borrowed gaudiness of Credo. They stilldont trust offworlders in parts of Regina, and if yougo down the wrong street in certain cities, you maynot come back. The datafiles tag the planet at LawLevel 9 sure... for offworlders, thats about right,but not for natives. They have their own ways thatthey didnt import from the core. Personal Journal of Vlen BackettBodysnatchers is the first adventure in the Secretsof the Ancients campaign. If youre a player,stop reading now. If youre a Referee, then youshould first read Section 0: Secrets of Secretsto get an overview of the campaign. As discussedin that document, one of the player characters

(the Inheritor) must be related or friendly witha wandering traveller and merchant named VlenBackett; news of Vlens death is the plot hookthat brings the characters to Regina and into thecampaign.

This adventure takes place on Regina, in the Reginasubsector of the Spinward Marches. The year isassumed to be 1105. The player characters areassumed to have their own ship; if not, then replacereferences to their own vessel with the passengership they arrive on.

Adventure SynopsisThe characters receive word that Vlen Backett is dead,and are requested to come to Regina to collect hisbody and personal effects. On arrival at the Highport,they are interviewed by the authorities, and learnthat Vlen died under suspicious circumstances. From

there, they travel down to Credo, where they obtainseveral leads about Vlens death. These bring them toProfessor Ujinka, of the University of Regina.

The characters meet Professor Ujinka, an experton the Ancients. Shee describes an experimentaltechnique for detecting Ancient sites, one that Vlenwas very interested in funding. While the charactersare meeting with the professor, they are attackedby assassins. These assassins give the characters avital clue about Vlens death the crime lord VenYasha was responsible for the murder. Ven Yasha isa mysterious and elusive figure, but his second-in-command Harlen was the one who actually murderedBackett, and the characters set out to track him down.

The characters enter the criminal underworld ofRegina Highport and find their way to Harlens secretlair, where they must defeat his criminal goons inorder to recover Vlens stolen possessions.

SECRETSOFTHEANCIENTS

BODYSNATCHERS


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2SECRETSOFTHEANCIENTS

1. DEATH NOTICEThere is no method of faster-than-lightcommunication in the Imperium. Messages are carriedby couriers or on the x-boat network in mail drums(high-density computer memory cores, containingquadrillions of bits of data) from one system to the next,and then transmitted by conventional radio or lasercomms. Messages therefore propagate out from the originat the speed of the courier (usually Jump-4). Travellersmay pick up their messages at a starport, or send theirship identity code to the local communications relay anddownload any stored messages.

The Inheritor receives the following message. Thedatestamp is three days ago, plus one week for everyfour parsecs distances from Regina. The message is ahigh-priority one, and is electronically stamped withthe seal of the Duchy of Regina, implying it is animportant official message.

From: Pallod Norrim, Chief Inspector, Regina PublicOrder CommissionSubject: Chattels and corpus of Vlen Backett (deceased)

It is my sad duty to inform you of the death ofcitizen Vlen Backett, late of Regina/Alell, who died inCredo City, Regina/Regina. Before his passing, Backetthad left instructions on file with the Public OrderCommission that you should be considered his nextof kin for the purposes of resolving his outstandingaffairs on Regina, for taking possession of hisbelongings, and for the transport of his remains backto Alell. A sum of money has been deposited with the

First Ducal Bank to cover any expenses.

In the name of his grace the Duke and in accordancewith the Public Order Act of 527 (Amended), I herebyrequire and enjoin you to travel to Regina with alldue haste to deal with the affairs and estate of VlenBackett. In the event that you are unable to do so,you must reply to this message at soon as possible sothat alternate arrangements may be made.

I wish to extend my personal condolences on thedeath of Vlen Backett. His body is being storedin a cryogenic facility in Credo City and will be

transferred to your possession as soon as possible.Given certain irregularities with Vlen Backettsaffairs, it is vitally important that you contact thePublic Order Commission on arrival.

Sealed this day, 127 Standard, in the 1105th year of theThird Imperium. Pallod Norum

The message is properly sealed and is almostcertainly genuine. As the characters make their wayto Regina, they receive several other copies of themessage; as a high-priority transmission, it has beencopied to every starport and relay and will be heldindefinitely. The journey to Regina is uneventful,unless the Referee wishes to throw in a sideencounter en route.

2. REGINA HIGHPORTYou jump into the Regina system, emerging from jumpspace some distance from the main world, as thejump shadow of the gas giant Assiniboia means thatships cannot always arrive close to the moon itself.Your navigation screen lights up with hundreds ofcontacts. Most are small traders and freighters, butas you come closer to the highport, you detect largerships. Much larger ships. Up ahead, theres a convoyof megafreighters. You pass by these slow-moving

titans; each one of them could swallow you ship fivethousand times over at least. The names and portregistrations are redolent of distant, exotic worldsfar off in the core systems. These ships have beentravelling for months, jumping along the Corridor.

Off to one side, theres a flotilla of Imperialwarships, part of the sector fleet. They glitter inthe darkness, but you cant get too close; theres amilitary interdiction zone around them. Even at adistance, though, theyre a sight to behold. At thecentre of the formation is the 200,000 ton Korrirak-class dreadnought Pride of Efate;your ship couldfly down the barrel of that meson gun with plentyof room to spare on all four sides. A constellationof smaller warships surround the Pride, and youcan see a swarm of troop transport shuttles makingtheir way out from the highport to the flotilla alonga military flight lane.

Regina is one of the most heavily-trafficked systemsin the Spinward Marches, so as you fly closer tothe Highport, youre assigned an approach vector tomake sure you dont interfere with the courses ofany of the other thousands of ships. Usually, a small

ship like yours would get put into a holding orbitfor hours until a docking berth became available,or youd get sent to one of the smaller stations, butthis time youre contacted directly by traffic control.

This is Regina Control calling. We have you loggedas a Public Order Commission special visitor, pleaseconfirm your identity.


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As soon as the characters confirm that yes, they are herebecause they were contacted by the POC, read the following.

Theres a pause of a few seconds, and then thetraffic controller comes back on the line. Weretransferring you to a priority approach vector.Confirm reception of navigational data. This newcourse will bring you right into the heart of the

Highport immediately. This is the sort of treatmentnobles and admirals get.

The highport swells from a dot to a sphere untilit fills your entire screen. The station itself is arough sphere of metal, but its surrounded by ringsof smaller stations, undocked ships, cargo depots,defense satellites, buoys and beacons. You weavebetween these obstacles until you drop into yourassigned approach vector, which brings you to asecure docking berth on the ventral side of thestation. The lights on board flicker for an instant asthe support umbilical latches on your hull.

On disembarking, the characters are met by Highportsecurity guards, who bear the Imperial Starburstproudly on their armour. The characters are askedto wait at the docking berth for a representative ofthe Public Order Commission. If asked, the guards saythey have no idea why the characters are being givensuch unusual treatment; they are part of the Imperialsecurity forces, and have nothing to do with thePOC, whose jurisdiction does not extend to the extra-territorial starport.

A few minutes later, four agents of the POC arrive,led by Pallod Norrim. He signs an electronic chitconfirming that he has taken custody of the PCsfrom the starport security staff, then requests thatthey accompany him to the Regina Territorial Zoneattached to the station, where they can discuss thematter of Vlen Backett.

Pallod NorrimNorrim is portly, but light on his feet, the mark of aman who has spent many years in the slightly lowergravity of a space station. He is dressed in a POCuniform, a green militaristic outfit with crystal-

blue epaulets and a blue cap; hanging at his side isa personal computer, which he hardly ever uses. Hespeaks slowly and deliberately, enunciating every wordof his Galanglic to ensure offworlders can follow hisaccent. He is the chief representative of the POC atthe Highport, so his job exists in the tangled grey areabetween Imperial and planetary law.

Pallod Norrim privately thinks of himself as abeekeeper. The offworlders swarm around him, buzzingand flitting back and forth in what seems like chaos,but really, they are following very simple rules as theysearch for what they need and defend against threatsto their hives. He must wear protective garments thestrict application of Regina law to defend againsttheir stings, but as long as he takes basic precautions,

the bees are essentially harmless. He has dealt withtens of thousands of cases over his long career, andno matter how strange the circumstances are (aliensand travellers seem to delight in bringing in addedcomplications to quite simple cases), he has found thatthey almost always boil down to one of a handful ofproblems. Someone lied, someone got drunk, someonequarreled with another. Just let the bees buzz untilthey have exhausted themselves, then sweep them upand fix the problem.

Then, in Pallods private classification system, thereare wasps. Wasps look like bees at first glance,

but they are more aggressive and keep stinging. Hesuspects Vlen Backetts case might be a wasp; morecomplex and more damaging than a simple murderenquiry. Therefore, he intends to swat the case assoon as possible.

Pallod NorrimSTR 4 DEX 7 END 8 INT 9 EDU 9 SOC 8Admin 2, Advocate 4, Broker 2, Diplomat 2, Investigate3, Persuade 2, Streetwise 2

Playing Norrim:

Speak clearly, but never actually say anything.Couch everything in polite phrases and diplomaticvagueness. Never say 'no' when you can say 'notat this time'; never say 'yes' when you can say 'Ishall certainly endeavour to do so, circumstancespermitting.'Never get angry or raise your voice, unless you areexerting your authority.Stroke your moustache thoughtfully.Look straight at the person you're talking too. Keepyour shoulders squared and your back straight.

The Public Order Office

Inspector Norrim escorts you through a maze ofcorridors to a small shuttle. The shuttle detachesfrom the highport and crosses to another, smallerspace station only a few kilometres away. Yourshuttle nestles into a bay alongside severalinterceptors in police livery and docks once more. Ashort elevator ride takes you into the heart of thePublic Order Commission offices.


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BODYSNATCHERS

Norrim shows you into his office blandlyfunctional, with a large holoportrait of Duke Norrison the wall and sits down behind his desk. Thehardwood desk is a imposing antique, and must havecost a small fortune to ship into orbit. The inspectoractivates a privacy seal as he addresses you.

It is the belief of the Public Order Commission that

Vlen Backett was murdered. The circumstances ofhis death certainly suggest foul play; Backett wasfound in the Travellers Aid Hostel in Startown. Hehad been shot with a low-calibre projectile weapon presumably a silenced one, as no-one heard thegunshot. He was taken to the Tan Shalve medicalcentre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

No weapon was found at the Hostel, and the roomwas sprayed with an aerosol chemical solvent thatdestroys most forms of forensic evidence. The caseis under investigation, of course, but such thingstake time.

Norrim pauses and taps at his personal computer fora few seconds, bringing up a document on screen.According to the physician, tests on the blood ofVlen Backett showed a high level of Tusal, an illegalnarcotic. Traces of the drug were also found onBacketts clothing and in his luggage. His belongingswere scattered across the hostel room, implying ahasty search.

The inspector looks straight at you. If you have anyinformation pertinent to this case, now would be the

time to volunteer it.

Norrim obviously suspects that Vlen Backett was adrug smuggler, and that he was killed when somedeal went wrong. The player characters obviouslyhave no idea about Vlens recent movements. Oncethe inspector is convinced that they have nothinguseful to tell him, he sighs and tells them that theycan collect Backetts corpse and belongings from theCredo Public Order Office, on planetside. There is atravel bond in Backetts name for the sum of 100,000credits; more than enough to bring the body home.

The characters may have questions for the inspectorabout the case see Section 3, Investigations inCredo for more details on Backetts movements.Norrim answers questions reluctantly and in thevaguest possible terms, stonewalling the charactersif possible; it is an ongoing case, he cannot commentor speculate and so on. Frustrate the players andmake them want to follow up the investigation ontheir own by making it clear that Norrum will be of

no help to them. (Norrim is not unsympathetic, but hebelieves the matter of Vlen Backett should be handledby the Public Order Commission alone.)

Heading PlanetsideShuttles depart from the Highport to the planet everyhour. The shuttles land at Regina Downport, in themiddle of Startown. From there, the characters can

catch a monorail into Credo, or head to the TravellersAid Hostel, or pursue other investigations.

3. INVESTIGATIONSIN CREDOYou crowd onto a shuttle to the surface. About halfthe passengers are Regina citizens; the rest arefellow travellers and spacers. Theres a hubbubof strange accents and languages, and you catchfragments of gossip about galactic affairs. Onenewly-arrived traveller from the core worlds peersaround him and wonders out loud if any of you areZhodani spies; another claims to be a cousin of the

Emperor, and would anyone like the honour of buyinghim dinner, for he has temporarily mislaid hiswallet and his starship. A few seconds later, a pairof Public Order Commission Officers appear, grab thepanhandling prince, and melt away into the crowdonce more.

The shuttle detaches from the Highport and fallstowards the surface. You pass over the spine ofanother megafreighter; off to one side you see abrightly coloured Aslan spice merchant headingfor the jump line. A trio of fast interceptors fly

alongside your shuttle for a few moments beforepeeling off, their grav plates flaring brightly in theshadow of the freighter.

And then youre out in open space, and you can seethe planet below.

Or, more accurately, the moon. Regina is the moonof the gas giant Assiniboia, and the ruddy-yellowcrescent of the gas giant dominates the viewport.Below you is Regina itself; youre spinning downtowards its nightside, and you can see the lights ofthe cities spread out like a constellation. There you

can see the edge of the coast, marked by a brighterline of lights and then a great darkness. There arethe lights of Credo City, a bright halo surroundingan even brighter core, and theres Atora the twocities are growing together into one continent-spanning metropolis.

Between the two is Regina Downport, and Startown.Your shuttle cuts through the atmosphere and flies


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over Startown; you glimpse narrow streets crowdedwith neon between the huge bulk of warehouses andfuel depots.

After landing, you step out onto those neon streetsand look up. Its just after local dawn. Assiniboiahangs above you like an accusing eye. A Public OrderCommission Officer at the starport gates gestures

towards you. Move along, citizens! No loitering. Noloitering in Startown.

The key clue that the characters need to pick up in thissection is the message from Professor Ujinka; everythingelse is just background information. You can draw thissection out or compress it as much as you like.

There are three events that take place during thisinvestigation meeting detective Odoy, possiblyrealising that the characters are under observation,and the official end to the investigation. Odoy canmeet the characters at the hostel or the morgue;

run Were Bring Watched... whenever the actionlulls. Finally, Chief Inspector Norrim contacts thecharacters just before they head to meet withProfessor Ujinka.

The MorgueInspector Norrim told the characters that Backettscorpse and belongings are stored in the Credo PublicOrder Office; it is a colossal building, made out ofblack synthstone; characters may recognise it asa perfect copy of the Imperial Ministry of Justiceheadquarters on Capital. There are always huge

crowds outside the POC Office, thanks to the Reginancustom of Assumption of Custody. The charactershave to queue behind angry citizens, offworldersdemanding compensation for wrongful arrest, orpeople trying to cope with the choking bureaucracy ofRegina. A successful Admin check lets the charactersget through the paperwork in a reasonable time;otherwise, they are shuttled from department todepartment for hours.

Eventually, they are escorted to the morgue, whereBacketts body is stored. The characters must givethe name of a ship for the body to be transferred

too, but they can lie if they want to see the corpsefor themselves. They may also request a copy of theforensic report.

The Body: Only a cursory examination of the bodywas carried out, as the cause of death is very clear.Vlen Backett was shot in the heart. A successfulMedicine or Gun Combat skill notes that the wound is

surprisingly clean and only minimal damage was done theres no exit wound at the back, and the damageis extremely localised. (In fact, Backett arranged forhis own death; minimising the damage ensures thathis resurrection will go smoothly. He has cyberneticimplants (TL20+) that protect his brain even in theevent of death. These implants are undetectableexcept by dissecting his brain, and Backett has defence

mechanisms to protect him in such an eventuality.)

The body is stored inside a cryo tube.

The Forensic Report: The forensic report confirmswhat Pallod Norrim told the characters; Vlen Backettwas killed by a gunshot from close range, probably alow-velocity snub pistol.

Blood tests do show a high level of Tusal in Backettsbloodstream; at that level, he would barely have beenable to stand, let alone fight back.

Backetts Belongings: Backetts possessions at thetime of death amount to the following:Sundry clothing and toiletries13,400 creditsA TAS membership cardUsed tickets for middle passage on board the GreatEastern travel liner from Rhylanor to ReginaA personal comm

The Travellers Aid Society HostelThere are so many visitors to Regina that theTravellers Aid Society operates several hostels. The

largest and most prestigious is on the Highportstation, but there are four more hostels locatedin other cities on the surface. Hostel conjures upimages of dormitories and budget accommodation,but the TAS Hostels range from cramped, mildewedhellholes to luxurious clubs. Most of the Reginahostels are exceedingly well-equipped andcomfortable, on a par with the best hostels.

The one exception is the Regina Down hostel.Technically within the Credo city limits, this hostel isreally part of Startown. It is hundreds of years old,and looks it the buildings exterior is shabby, the

concierge computer is outdated and forgetful, and thebeds have exotic parasites from all over the sector.

To get into the hostel, the characters need to eitherhave a TAS member in their party, or use VlenBacketts card. They may also try to persuade thestaff that they should be allowed in, using Persuade,Deception or Carouse.


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BODYSNATCHERS

The Murder: The TAS Staff have already beeninterviewed by the Public Order Commission, and havelittle further to add. If the characters insist, they goover their testimony again.Backett was an infrequent visitor to the hostel;he would show up every few years, stay for anythingfrom a few days to several months, and then vanishagain.

He arrived three days before his death.On the night of the shooting, Backett returned tothe hostel with three other men. TAS members areallowed receive visitors at the hostel, as long as theyvouch for their guests. All three provided identitycards; the POC have since confirmed that all threecards were forgeries.Backett seemed nervous, but not intoxicated orespecially worried.Poor-quality security camera footage of the three isavailable. Two of the figures are clearly visible; theyare big, dangerous-looking thugs. The third visitorwas standing behind the other two and no details can

be made out, other than his reddish hair.They ordered drinks to be brought to the room.Two of the visitors remained in the corridor outside,as if on guard. After an hour, one of them left thehostel and returned forty-five minutes later.Two hours later, the three visitors left in a hurry.Before they left, one of the visitors called the frontdesk and reported a spillage in Backett's room. Whenthe cleaning robot arrived, it discovered Backett'scorpse and raised the alarm.Around the same time, there was an unexplainedpower surge that knocked out computer and

surveillance systems in the area. The origin of thissurge has yet to be discovered.

There are several inconsistencies in this story thatneither the police nor the TAS staff can explain. Thethree visitors are criminals working for Ven Yasha,who is an alternate identity of Vlen Backett. Backettsuspected that he was under observation by ImperialIntelligence, and that they were worrying close todiscovering his secrets. Backett decided that the bestapproach was to have himself 'killed'; his Ancientmasters could resurrect him later. The whole murderwas staged for the benefit of Imperial intelligence.

One of the thugs left after an hour; he went out topurchase several doses of the illegal drug tusal;partially to dull the pain of being shot for Backett,but also to throw the police off the trail. Askingaround outside with a Difficult (-2) Streetwise checklets the characters pick up a rumour that a drugdealer called Darrian Jak sold a lot of tusal on thenight Vlen Backett died.

The anomalous detail of the killer calling for thecleaner before leaving was to minimise the amountof time Backett spent outside of cryo; the mysteriouspower cut was caused by an Ancient device in thepossession of the killers. See Assassins!, page XX formore details.

The Message: While the characters are in the TAS

hostel, a message arrives at the front desk, addressedto Backett. As Vlens next of kin, the characters cantake this message.

To: Vlen Backett, care of the Regina Down TAS HostelFrom: Professor Iaros Ujinka, Department of History,University of ReginaSubject: MeetingDear Vlen,

I have returned from Becks World, and amnow available for that meeting we discussed at yourconvenience. If you would care to visit me at myhome on Dancado, I shall be delighted to receive you

and discuss topics of mutual interest.

Yours,Professor Ujinka

Detective OdoyDetective Odoy is another Public Order CommissionOfficer, although he is currently on medical leavepending psychological assessment. For years, Odoyhas been on the trail of a semi-mythical criminalnamed Ven Yasha. He is convinced that Ven Yasha isbeing hundreds of unexplained crimes and murders on

Regina, and may be the secret leader of the Ine Givarin this Sector.

Odoy is unstable and jittery; his skin is pock-marked, a side effect of the mood stabiliser drugshe takes to stay functional. He is extremely paranoidand nervous, and takes absurd precautions againstbeing overheard. His condition has deteriorated inthe last year, his delusions grown worse. He is anembarrassment to the Public Order Commission, andhas been placed on leave while the legal machineryis put in place to force his retirement.

Odoy suspected Vlen Backett of being part of VenYashas organisation; now that Backett is dead undermysterious circumstances, Odoy believes that Backettmust have been murdered under Yashas orders.Chief Inspector Norrim kept Odoy well away from theBackett case, so Odoy is forced to stalk the charactersuntil he gets a chance to talk to them.


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At an appropriate juncture say, when one of thecharacters splits off from the rest of the party toattend to some business he encounters Odoy. Readthe following.

Dont look over.

Theres a man leaning against the wall nearby. Hes

got a hat drawn down over his eyes, and hes facingaway from you, talking into his hand-held comm but you can see that the comm unit is turned off.

I know who killed Vlen Backett. I can help you findhim. Theres a bar down in Startown, the Flotsam.Meet me there at 10pm. Make sure youre notfollowed.

The Flotsam: If the characters wish to keep thisappointment, they can find the Flotsam easilyenough. Its a run-down spacers bar in the shadowof the Downport; it smells of spilled beer and that

curious metallic tang that clings to people who havespent months in recycled atmospheres. There is nosign of Odoy initially the ex-cop is lurking atopa warehouse across the street from the bar. He isparanoid enough to watch the entrance to make surethe PCs are not followed. Once Odoy is convinced thatnone of Ven Yashas agents followed the characters,he enters the bar and joins them.

The strange man shuffles over to your table, shootingglances over his shoulder. His eyes dart around theroom, as if marking the exits. He grabs a chair and

moves it over to one side, so he can sit with his backto the wall.

The names Odoy. Detective First Class. Im armed,by the way, dont make any sudden moves. He grinssuddenly, as if his face just spasmed.

Have you ever heard of a man called Ven Yasha? Hes gothis finger in every cargo that comes through Regina.Ive been trying to find a way into his organisation foryears, looking for him to slip up. Hes bribed half theCommission, and hes got spies everywhere.

I think he killed Vlen Backett, or ordered his deathanyway. I dont know what Backett was up to maybehe was one of Yashas couriers, or something, buthe was involved. Im not involved in the case andisnt that interesting, no ulterior motives there Imsure and you cant rely on the rest of the POC. Theycouldnt find Assiniboia at midnight.

If the characters have not already visited the TASHostel, then Odoy suggests trying there; if theyhave the clue sending them to Professor Ujinka,he encourages them to follow up on that. Odoy hasconnections, and can help the characters if they goafter Ven Yasha. He does not know where Ven Yashascurrent base of operation is.

Detective OdoySTR 6 DEX 7 END 7 INT 7 EDU 8 SOC 6Advocate 2, Carouse 2, Deception 1, Gun Combat(handgun) 1, Investigate 2, Recon 1, Stealth 1,Streetwise 1Body Pistol, damage 3D6-3

Playing Odoy:Be nervous. Look over your shoulder a lot, glaresuspiciously at anyone who asks you a personal question.Mumble under your breath.Lean in close, in a conspiratorial way.

Likely questions:Why would Ven Yasha have Backett killed? Yashasobsessed with protecting his organisation. Anyonehe doesnt trust, he kills. Thats my guess. That, orBackett had something that Yasha wanted.

Is Yasha involved in tusal dealing?: Drugs? You thinkVen Yasha is dealing drugs. You have no idea of thescale this guy operates on, none whatsoever. Theonly drug he deals in is power. Yashas interested inpolitics and technology, not getting high.

Why are you off the case? Damn bureaucrats! Theyvegot me on medical leave. Psychologically unstable.Paranoid. Mood swings. Delusions of persecution andconspiracy. Violent tendencies. Lying bastards.

Contacting Inspector NorrimThe characters may wish to contact InspectorNorrim, either to find out if there is any progresson the case, or to ask him about Detective Odoy. Hesteadfastly refuses to comment on the investigationinto Backetts death (if the PCs volunteer

information about Professor Ujinka or some otherclue, then Norrim takes it under advisement andpasses the lead onto Imperial Intelligence). As forDetector Odoy, he tells the characters that Odoy ismedically unfit for duty and should not be trusted


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The Estate at DancadoProfessor Ujinka has a large home in the countrysideoutside Credo City, in the region called Dancado.Technically, Dancado is the private property of theDuke of Regina, but a few respected families arepermitted to lease land in the estate and live there.The house has been in Ujinkas family for generations.

As the Dancado region is part of the duke s privatedomain, air/cars and other flyers are restricted toa limited number of flight paths. The standard modeof travel is by charmingly old-fashioned ground car,or even by riding. The characters can hire a groundcar in Credo City; once they are out of the pressof the multi-level city, the drive is a pleasant one,winding its way through the forests of Dancado. Thetrees here have adapted to their environment; each ofthem has two sets of leaves. One set is for absorbingsunlight from Reginas primary star; the other setof grey fronds is for feeding on reflected light fromAssiniboia. This is unsettling for any non-natives, asthe trees squirm sometimes to pick up more of thewan light from the gas giant.

Call for a Difficult (-2) Recon check as the charactersdrive to Ujinkas house. If a character succeeds, hecatches the occasional glimpse of a POC air/car thatseems to be keeping pace with them. This air/carbelongs to Hargid Voss and Stej Lanner, the two ImperialIntelligence agents who are following the characters.

Ujinkas home is surrounded by a high fence enclosingseveral square kilometres of garden. When the

characters drive up to the gate, they are scanned byan automated security system that confirms theiridentity. A successful Recon roll notes the presenceof armed drones lurking in the trees; such weaponsystems are illegal on Regina without extensivespecial permits, and are certainly an impressiveamount of firepower for a private residence.

The short avenue up to the house winds through thetrees. There are several strange pieces of sculpturein the grounds; a character with Social Science(history) 2 or Art (sculpture) 1 recognises them ascopies of Ancient structures. The house itself an

impressive structure on the edge of an artificial lake.

Map of the HouseThe house is packed with Ujinkas collections of curios,old furniture, and antiques. Ujinka is the only humanresident; there are six family robots who have been partof the household for more than three centuries, and whowere the only entities living here for the last four years.

1. Entrance Hallway: There is a control panel by thefront door to control the locks and gate access.2. Dining Room: This room has not been used in morethan a decade; Ujinka eats at her desk when sheremembers to eat at all.3. Kitchen: The kitchen systems are all more thana hundred years old and are rarely used; thereis a budget automated foot prep machine on one

countertop where Ujinka makes her meals. She stilleats like a grad student.4. Utility Room: This room contains the housescomputer core, including the controls for the securitydrones. The houses fission cell is under the floor.5. Bathrooms6. Storerooms: Filled with junk and old furniture.7. Holoroom: Old homes on Regina sometimes haveholorooms, a chamber lined with holographicprojectors used for communications or entertainment.Very old-fashioned.8. Library: An eclectic mix of data storage media,from data crystals and holowafers to chemical dyes

on wood pulp.9. Carport: Contains the professors automatedgroundcar.10. Boathouse: Contains a rowboat and a pair ofwater-walking pads (highly buoyant gyro-stabilisedfootwear). The professor likes to take walks out on thelake when pondering some archaeological problem.11. Autodoc: The professor lives alone and is quiteelderly; her physician insisted she purchase a homeautodoc system.12. Bedrooms13. Study: The professors study.

14. Workroom: Used for examining artefacts.15. Lounge: Where she receives the player characters.

The Security Drones: The professor has a suite offour security drones slaved to the house computer.She obtained a special license to possess such apotent security system for a private dwelling. Thedrones are all equipped with stunners and lasercarbines. While the characters are speaking withUjinka, one of the drones cruises past the windowof the lounge and hovers there for a moment beforecontinuing its patrol.

Tea and HistoryA robot servant opens the door. Professor Ujinkawill be with you momentarily. Please follow meto the lounge. Please mind your step. Its notpossible for a robot butler to sniff snootily, butthis one makes a good attempt. The hallway beyondis packed with shipping crates and boxes; it is likea small freighter dumped its cargo on the mansion.


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Youre led into a large room; the whole east wallis transparent, overlooking a lake. On the wall areholos of planets the professor has visited. Shesbeen all over the Marches.

Hello, Im a Heterogenous Catastrophist. Er. Sorry.Ive spent far too much time lately arguing witharchaeologists. Im Iaros. Excuse the mess, Im just

back from offworld. Professor Ujinka enters. Shesat least a hundred standard years old, but moveswith the energetic hyperactivity of someone who hasjust undergone a course of anagathics. She seizesthe hand of(whichever PC is Backetts inheritor) andsqueezes it with her callused hands. My sincerecondolences. Vlen was a remarkable fellow, trulyremarkable. Please, sit down. Can I have the machineget you something?

Professor Ujinkas robot servants provide food anddrink for the characters. After some small talk, theprofessor explains how she knew Vlen Backett.

Finding Ancient sites has traditionally been arather hit-or-miss affair. Either the site is so largethat it is obvious from orbit, or it is so well hiddenthat they are discovered only by chance. All of thesurviving intact sites are virtually impossible todetect using conventional sensors there are noelectromagnetic emissions, no thermal signatures,no gravimetric traces. Theyre effectively invisible.

Some years ago, I obtained a spacers diary, wherehe described an anomalous disturbance in the g-

band of his ships communications system when theywere in orbit of Yori and theres an Ancient siteon Yori. I looked into the matter, and there are ahandful of other cases where other vessels reportedsimilar G-band problems that all correlated withknown Ancient sites. I believe that under certainconditions, a G-band signal can be distorted by someaspect of Ancient technology.

Now, its not as simple as just tuning your shipsradio to the G-Band. Its only under certainconditions, and Im not sure what those are. Iapplied for funding, but the university said my

proposal lacked evidence. So, I went ahead anyway,of course.

Theres another dig on Becks World. My assistantJuni is there now, and shes working to isolate theG-band conditions. I contend that with funding andtime, we will be able to develop a workable methodfor finding as-yet-undiscovered Ancient sites.

I mentioned this to Vlen... four years ago, I think.He said that he might be able to provide a ship andfunding for the initial phase of experiments inexchange for a share of the bounty on any sitesfound. Now, Im not sure if you are in a position tokeep to this arrangement, but if you have access to aship, then we can see about continuing the project.Ujinka claps her hands together enthusiastically.

Playing Professor Ujinka:Be enthusiastic! Jump from topic to topic, beinterested in everything.Talk with your hands. Gesture wildly.Occasionally, stop to catch your breath. Rememberyou're a hundred years old, despite the life-prolonging drugs.

Likely Questions:Do you know who might have murdered Vlen?Murdered? Vlen was murdered? Oh my stars! I hadno idea! No... I mean, I know that Vlen moved in

dangerous circles sometimes, but... murdered? Why?Do you know Ven Yasha? Only by reputation. Hes acollector of Ancient artefacts. An unscrupulous one,too. I know he tried to bribe one of the Universitydig teams back in 77, when we first opened up BecksWorld. I understand he lives here on Regina, but Iwouldnt deal with him. Id love to find out exactlywhats in his collection, though.How does your G-Band Detection system work? Notvery well, yet. Junis the real expert on it. Once shecan consistently detect the site on Becks World,well adapt the system for use on a scoutship or

something and poke around a bit! I think Vlen hadsome idea about where to look first.... oh, poor man.I suppose that died with him, unless he left a noteor something?Where have you been for the last few years?Hither and yon, hither and yon. Mostly Becks World theres an Ancient site in the caves there. I alsowent to a conference in Deneb; thats quite a trip. Igave a talk on Heterogenous theory.

While the characters are talking to the Professor, runthe next encounter.

5. ASSASSINS!Vlen Backett knew Imperial Intelligence was on histrail, and decided to clear up all loose ends as partof his temporary death. Killing off the Vlen identitywould put an end to Intelligences investigation ofthe Ancient Sons.


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Professor Ujinkas research was a topic of greatinterest to Vlen. If the professor had hit upon amethod of locating hidden Ancient sites, it couldbe useful to Vlens master. His offer of fundingthe professors research was genuine. However, theprofessor was also a threat to the secrecy of theAncient Son, and her technique could be perfectedmuch more quickly by Vlens master anyway.

Therefore, Vlen decided to have the professoreliminated as soon as she returned to Regina. Twoassassins in Ven Yashas employ are en route tomurder Professor Ujinka.

What Vlen could never have predicted was that theplayer characters would pick up the professorsmessage from the hostel and be present when theassassins attacked.

Ven Yashas MenThe two assassins are named Gaius Labre and MortKinson. These are the two thugs who guarded VlenBacketts room in the TAS Hostel. They are both burly,intimidating bruisers with augmented physiques.They are armed with gauss pistols and snubbers, buttheir most dangerous weapon is an Ancient deviceloaned to them by Ven Yasha. This device suppresseselectronic devices within a short range. They usedit to escape the TAS Hostel after murdering VlenBackett, and they are about to use it to bypass theprofessors security systems.

Their plan is to shut down the house, break in andmurder the professor. They will then steal any Ancient

artefacts to make the motive for the crime appear tobe burglary.

Once an electronic device is suppressed by theAncient device, it can be reactivated with asuccessful Difficult (-2) skill check taking 1-6 minutes(use the most appropriate skill for the device inquestion, usually Mechanic). The assassins are awareof this phenomenon, and can reactivate their weaponsalmost instantly.

Each assassin has a flak jacket, a gauss pistol, asnubber, a flick-knife, a burglary kit, and a commdot.

They have a ground car parked in the forest somedistance away.

From the moment the power to the house is cut, thecharacters have only a short time to prepare. Tenrounds (sixty seconds) after the power is cut, the twothugs arrive at the house. They see Professor Ujinkaat the window and shoot her with a gauss pistol

burst. Five rounds after that, Labre bursts throughthe front door while Kinson circles around to theback and enters through the boathouse.

Read the following to the characters.The professor stands up and wanders over to thewindow. The conference on Deneb really showed howlittle we understand about the Ancients. Do you know

they found a site near the Solomani sphere that had -

The lightglobes in the walls dim. The holoscreen onthe wall goes dark. Outside, something falls into thelake with a splash.

Emperors beard! Havent the household robotsbeen maintaining this place at all? grumbles theprofessor. U4! Come in here!

The robot in the hallway outside doesnt respond.She fumbles for her pocket comm. Its dead too. Allthe powers gone. Everythings just shut down.

She glances out the window. Hey, theres some-.

Suddenly, theres a hole in the window... and anotherhole in Professor Ujinkas chest. A bloody roseblossoms on her robes, and she topples to the floor.

Downstairs, you hear the front door smash open.What do you do?

Fighting the AssassinsThe characters may be unarmed; even if they have

weapons with them, any weapon above TL6 issufficiently complex to be disabled by the Ancientdevice. Ujinka has no firearms in the house otherthan the disabled security drones, although she doeshave a pair of antique broadswords from the SwordWorlds. The characters can use melee attacks or trytrapping the thugs.

As soon as the thugs kill the professor, or if theyencounter significant resistance from the PCs, theyflee their mission was to kill one old woman, notmurder half-a-dozen travellers.

Gaius LabreSTR 9 DEX 6 END 9 INT 5 EDU 6 SOC 3Gun Combat (handgun) 2, Melee (Brawl) 1, Recon 2,Stealth 1, Streetwise 1Physical Characteristic Augmentation (Strength +1,Endurance +1)Gauss Pistol: 3D6, Auto 4Flak Jacket (6)


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Mort KinsonSTR 9 DEX 8 END 7 INT 6 EDU 7 SOC 3Gun Combat (handgun) 1, Melee (Brawl) 2, Recon 1,Stealth 1, Streetwise 1Physical Characteristic Augmentation (Strength +1,Dexterity +1)Gauss Pistol: 3D6, Auto 4Flak Jacket (6)

Combat Elements:Don't let the players know this is an attack until thethugs show up. The power cut should be be presentedas a weird event, not the precursor to an attack.The characters are unarmed and facing hardenedkillers with vastly superior weapons. A frontal attackis suicide. The one advantage they have is numbers.Use the map of the mansion the player charactersshould be sneaking around rooms, moving from onefloor to another via the windows, diving into the lakeand so on.While a good Mechanic roll can be used to reactivate

a handgun, the best tactic is to make it down to theutility room and reboot the house's computer, thenreactivate the drones. The four security drones areheavily armed and can easily blast the thugs.The players will recognise the thugs as the two fromthe TAS Hostel.

Chasing the AssassinsAs soon as the assassins retreat, they split up andflee through the forest towards their groundcar.Characters in pursuit must make Dexterity checksagainst the assassins. Keep track of the cumulative

Effect of both sides; the first side to beat the otherstotal by 5 or more wins.

If the characters win, they get to catch one or bothof the assassins before they reach the groundcar.If an assassin wins, then he makes it to the carbefore the characters reach him not that it doeshim much good. The Imperial Intelligence agents whowere trailing the characters are waiting there. Anypursuing player characters arrive just in time to seea POC air/car taking off at high speed.

Ifboth assassins made it to the car, then Labre is

captured by the Intelligence agents while Kinson isleft for the PCs. The criminal is so shocked by thePOCs presence that he can be captured easily.

Interrogating the AssassinKinsons reaction to the PCs depends on how thefight in the house proceeded. If the PCs were easilyoverwhelmed, then Kinson assumes that they will just

turn him over to the Regina police and says nothing.If, however, the PCs fought back successfully, thenKinson assumes they are hardened travellers andmercenaries who are used to dealing with problemsthemselves and tries to cut a deal with them.

If Detective Odoy is with the characters, then heoffers to interrogate Kinson.

Playing Kinson:Growl and hunch your shoulders. Move like the world ismade of delicate glass and that you like breaking things.You're terrified not only have you been caughtred-handed at a murder, but you have also failed VenYasha. You are a dead man either way. You can try tohide your fear through bravado and aggression, orbargain for a way out.Give the impression of barely-contained violence atall times. Even when trapped, Kinson is always only aninstant away from trying to strangle his interrogator.

Kinsons Story: Kinson reveals the followinginformation under interrogation.He has worked for Ven Yasha irregularly for fifteenyears as a guard or legbreaker. In all that time, hehas never met Ven Yasha directly he was alwayshired by Ven Yashas aide, Harlen.Harlen contacted Kinson and Labre several weeksago, and ordered them to keep an eye on sometraveller called Backett. They were to watch over himand make sure he was not being followed.On the night Backett was murdered, he and Labreaccompanied Harlen to the TAS Hostel, where they

met Backett. Backett and Harlen seemed to knoweach other quite well. Labre and Kinson stood guardoutside while Harlen talked with Backett.At one point, Kinson was sent out to purchase aconsiderable amount of the drug tusal. He has noidea why Harlen never used the stuff. Kinson knew adealer, Darrian Jak, and obtained the drug from him.Soon after Kinson returned, Harlen shot Backett, andthey fled the scene. There was no sign of an argumentbeforehand.Harlen stole two items from Backett's room astatuette, and a datatape.In their escape, they used a device that somehow

suppressed electronic devices nearby. They just calledit 'the gadget'; he doesn't know where it came fromor how it works, but it was one of Harlen's mostprized possessions. They used the gadget on this job,too, when they were sent to assassinate ProfessorUjinka.He has no idea why they were sent to kill some oldacademic, but they were told to make it look like anaccident and steal whatever they could from the house.


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He does not know where Harlen is based, or wherethe stolen items are. He contacted Harlen through acontact in Startown, a Llellewyoly named ExceedinglyDiscreet. The Dandelion operated out of a brokeragecalled Winter Shipping; the password for getting tosee the Dandelion is 'seventeen tons of flax justmention that at Winter Shipping, and they will letyou in to see Exceedingly Discreet.

AftermathAs Professor Ujinka is dead, then the characters mustturn Kinson over to the authorities, or they will besuspects in the crime themselves.

It is possible, at this stage of the adventure, that theplayer characters might decide to wash their handsof the whole affair and give the matter over to ChiefInspector Norrim. If they take this course, then theAncient statuette and the data tape will be lost. Youcan reintroduce these clues in the second section ofSecrets of the Ancents, in Vlen Backetts cabin on Alell.

The Public Order Commission denies that they arrestedLabre, and say they had no air/cars in that area. Inthis matter, they are telling the truth; those wereImperial Intelligence agents, not POC officers.

If present, Odoy strongly advocates dealing with VenYasha directly, instead of going to the Public OrderCommission. This Llellewyoly is his best lead forfinding Ven Yasha, or at least this Harlen.

6. STARTOWN NIGHTSStartown. The freighters and tramp jumpers andfree traders of a hundred worlds end up at Regina,and all their drifters and transient passengers,hitchhikers and stowaways end up here. A no-man-land between cities, claimed by neither theImperium, or Credo, or Atora. A neon strip of clubsand bars, a smugglers haven, a lawless frontier ona lawful world.

Assiniboia is full overhead as you arrive back inStartown, glaring down at you. Somewhere in Startown,

theres a Dandelion who can lead you to the murderer.

The PlanThe characters need to come up with a strategy fordealing with Harlen and Ven Yasha. What approachbest suits their skills?

The Direct Approach: March into Winter Shipping,force the Dandelion to tell the characters whereHarlen is, make their way to Harlens station, and goin guns blazing to avenge Vlen Backett.

The Stealthy Approach: Sneak into Winter Shipping,find out where Harlen is, and then sneak onto thecargo launch that goes to Harlens station.

The Deceptive Approach: Pretend to be criminalsinterested in making a deal with Harlen and VenYasha in order to get invited to the station.

The Investigative Approach: Spy on Winter Shipping,note that a launch travels from Winter Shipping to asmall station in orbit. Make their way there.

HarlenVen Yashas proxy at the Regina base is Harlen,

a former scientist at Kaldi Research, whowas recruited because of his expertise intelecommunications. Harlen suspects that VenYasha is in contact with higher powers eitherthe Ancients, or another super-advanced alienrace and believes that if he serves Ven Yashawith fanatic devotion, his master will one dayreveal these secrets to him. Harlen is a coldindividual, bordering on sociopathy. He relatespoorly to other human beings, preferring thecompany of machines.

The Devil's Bargain: Use the captured Kinson asa bargaining chip; get the information they need inexchange for Kinsons life.

The Word on the StreetsCharacters with the Streetwise skill or withunderworld connections or allies can hit thestreets and pick up rumours at this point. Call for aStreetwise roll, and give a character who succeedsa number of rolls on the rumour table equal to the

Effect of the roll. The same rumour can be obtainedfrom multiple sources.

Winter ShippingFinding Winter Shipping is easy enough thebrokerage is located at the edge of the Imperial


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Roll (2D6) Rumour2 Heres a weird rumour for you. A ship showed up at the Highport a few weeks ago, the Alahir.

Registered to the Scout Service, but its not a standard scout design. The captain of the Alahirhad a lot of meetings with Inspector Norrim, and Ive seen a lot of offworlders running aroundin POCO uniforms since then.

3 The POCO are up in arms about some Imperial police force taking over some murder inquiry. WhatI heard is that the guy who was killed was a Zhodani spy, and the whole things now a matter ofstate security.

4 You know Gaius Labre? Hes dead. They found his body up in the Dancado Woods. What I hear is, hecrossed Ven Yasha.

5 Looking for work? Theres good money to be made smuggling in tusal, if youve got a ship...

6 Wild or blatantly false rumour Ven Yasha is the Duke of Regina, there are Zhodani spies in theHighport, overdosing on tusal gives you psionic powers, and so on.

7 The Dandelion? Ive heard of him. He works at Winter Shipping. Those bastards bankrupt goodhonest spacers. Dont go near them.

8 Its dangerous to ask too many questions, friend.

9 Winter Shipping theyre over by the Downport. Good place to go if you need a loan, or if youvegot a hot cargo that you need to shift before POCO shows up.

10 Harlen? Red-haired guy, right? Ive heard of Harlen. Hes a fixer. Deals in smuggled goods,

weapons, alien tech. Hes got a base in orbit somewhere.11 Ven Yasha? Ive heard he travels the galaxy, and that hes got organisations on every world fromhere to the Outrim Void. He shows up every few months, and if you dont have his cut ready forhim, youre dead. Hes completely ruthless.

12 Ven Yashas dead. Its true. Someone shot him a few weeks ago.

Marid: The receptionist, Marid is a sultry womanwith the charms of a noble consort and the legalmind of a piranha. Let your guard down around her,and she will convince you to sign over your cargo,your ship and your firstborn children to her. She isHarlens protge he intends for her to take on a

bigger role in their criminal organisation in time tocome.

MaridSTR 6 DEX 9 END 5 INT 8 EDU 7 SOC 5Admin 1, Carouse 3, Deception 2, Gun Combat 0,Persuade 2, Streetwise 1Stunner, 2D6

Olso: Olso is an ex-convict; he spent twelve years ona prison on another of Assiniboias moons, doing hardlabour in 1.86gs. He is a formidable hand-to-handcombatant, but is slow to react. He calls Marid or

Exceedingly Discreet when confused.

OlsoSTR 12 DEX 5 END 10 INT 3 EDU 5 SOC 4Athletics (strength) 2, Mechanic 1, Melee (brawl) 1,Melee (bludgeon) 2, Pilot (small craft) 1, Streetwise 1,Vacc Suit 0Improvised Club, 2D6-2

extraterritoriality zone (the company owns buildingson either side of the zone border, and moves recordsand cash back and forth depending on which side iscurrently investigating it for fraud. The brokeragespecialises in speculative traders; more accurately,it specialises in swooping in on poor merchants who

are down on their luck. (Behind on your mortgagepayments? Unable to pay your crew salaries?Unexpected repair bills beyond your means? WinterShipping is here to help by buying your cargo ata massive discount, in exchange for prompt serviceand no questions asked.)

Kinson thinks that Exceedingly Discreet has criminalconnections on the side, and that Winter Shippingis a legitimate business. In fact, Winter Shipping isowned by Harlen. There are three members of staff atthe Downport side Exceedingly Discreet itself, thebroker Marid, and warehouse manager/security guard

Olso. Exceedingly Discreet keeps track of shippingand spots potentially opportunities for the company;Marid actually makes the deals, and Olso transferscargoes to the warehouse. The company also has asmall station in orbit, where Harlen keeps hot goods.A cargo launch travels between the starport andHarlens station as needed.


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Exceedingly Discreet: One of only a handful ofDandelions on Regina, Exceedingly Discreet delightsin playing games. It has only a limited conception ofhuman legal systems, or finance for that matter. Itconsiders its job within Winter Shipping to be partof a great game, where staying one step ahead ofthe authorities and finding potential opportunitiesfor the firm are both part of the fun. Employing the

Dandelion lets Harlen keep all sorts of potentiallyembarrassing or illegal information off the computersystem; Exceedingly Discreets alien brain containsthousands of records about criminal activity and VenYashas activities.

Exceedingly DiscreetSTR 4 DEX 8 END 4 INT 9 EDU 11 SOC 4Admin 3, Broker 2, Comms 1, Computers 2, Steward 1,Streetwise 1

Exceedingly Discreet sleeps in a chamber above itsoffice (sleeps is technically a misnomer, but it

enters a nocturnal dormancy phase and embeds itselfin a nest during this time, withdrawing its tentaclesinto its body.)

The Winter Shipping Facility: The facility consists ofthree buildings. There is a small office in Startownitself, where Marid works, and another small officeon the starport side, where the Dandelion monitorsshipping. These two offices are connected by asecret passage that runs under the Downport fence,allowing the company to move goods across theextraterritoriality line without starport customs

noticing. Also on the starport side is a smallwarehouse, where Olso works. Near the warehouse,the company keeps a 20-ton cargo launch for surface-to-orbit transfers.

Investigations at Winter ShippingThe players may wish to investigate Winter Shippingbefore approaching Exceedingly Discreet.

Business Reputation: (Broker or Streetwise + Int,Average, 1-6 hours) Winter Shipping has a reputationfor predatory business practices. Usually, theybuy cargoes from desperate merchants, but they

sometimes deal in smuggling or stolen goods.

Casing the Office: (Recon + Int, Difficult, 1-6 hours)There are two Winter Shipping Offices; one is on theStartown side of the Downport, the other is on thefar side of the fence. The Starport one is closed;there is a sign on the door redirecting people to theStartown branch. There must be a secret passage

between the two buildings, though the charactersees saw Olso enter the Starport office and come outat the Startown side.

Hacking: (Computers + Edu, Difficult, 1-6 hours) Thecompanys security system is not that hard to crack,but their computer system has next to nothing ofinterest. They must have a separate server with

the really juicy files that is not connected to thenetwork. The character does find a roster and flightplan for cargo launch flights; the cargo launchtravels between the Highport and Regina Down everyfew days, but some of the flights take several hourslonger than they should the launch must be takinga detour somewhere in orbit.

Security Systems: (Investigate or Engineer (electronics)+ Int, Difficult, 10-60 minutes) The offices securitysystems are not especially impressive; it should be easyenough to shut down the alarms and break in. Actuallydeactivating the alarms requires another Average check,

taking 1-6 minutes. If a character tries to disable thealarms without first examining the security system, itis a Hard check instead.

Making the ApproachStartown: If the characters enter via the Startownoffice, then read the following:The inside of the Winter Shipping office is a lotmore impressive than its unprepossessing exterior.You could be in the lobby of a high-class corporateoffice. The floor is polished marble; the walls aredecorated with holos of shining merchant ships in

flight. The one slightly incongruous element is thewell-stocked minibar in one corner. Sitting behindthe desk is a stunningly beautiful woman, whosmiles warmly as you enter.

I am Marid. How may I serve you? she purrs.

Marid will try to pump the characters for informationabout who they are and what they want. Initially, shewill deny any knowledge of Harlen, and mentioningVen Yashas name will instantly put her on her guard.

If they use the passphrase given by Kinson, then she

presses a hidden control in her desk, and one sectionof the marble floor slides open, revealing a ramp.Just proceed down the tunnel. Exceedingly Discreet iswaiting at the far side.

The ramp leads to a tunnel that runs under thestarport fence. It was originally a utility duct, andthere are still old pipes embedded in the concrete


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walls. Half-way along the tunnel is a door into astoreroom. Currently, the storeroom is empty except fora pair of old gin bottles and a crate of Dandelion food.

Call for Recon rolls as the characters proceed downthe corridor; those who succeed notice that one ofthe pipes is much newer than the others. This pipehas concealed gas vents along its length.

If Marid suspects the characters, then she activatesa security system while the characters are in thetunnel. Read the following.The ramp at the end of the tunnel slams shut andso does the ramp at the far end. Youre trapped. Avoice echoes down the tunnel from a hidden speaker.Ok, talk fast or Ill flood the tunnel with poison gas.Who are you and what do you want?

Marid is not bluffing; at the flick of a switch, she canpump an anaesthetic gas into the tunnel, knockingthe characters unconscious. If she suspects they are

POCO agents or another threat to Harlen, then sheinterrogates the characters, then gasses them. Quick-witted players may be able to talk Marid into lettingthem see Exceedingly Discreet; otherwise, see the GasAttack sidebar.

At the far end of the tunnel is an identical concealedramp, leading to the Starport office.

Via the Starport: The starport side office of WinterShipping is shut, with a sign instructing visitors to goaround to the Startown office (only a few dozen metresas the grav-belt flies, but getting there requiresa long walk along the fence, passing through the

security checkpoint, and then another long walk backdown the street). The door is locked and alarmed. Olso,Marid and Exceedingly Discreet have passcards.

If the characters try forcing this door, the alarmwill be raised. No new business is conducted via thisoffice; it is only used for smuggling or dealing withexisting clients.

Breaking & Entering: The characters may prefer tobreak into the office at night; to do so successfully,they have to overcome the security system. Finding thecontrol to open the secret passage requires a Hard (-4)Investigate + Intelligence check taking 1-6 minutes.

Conversations with Exceedingly DiscreetThe Llellewyoly unfolds like a blossoming plant,unfurling long sensory-tubules in your direction.Strange colours play over its central mass, and itactivates a small communications device attachedto its central stem. In a musical voice it says I amExceedingly Discreet. What is your title at this time,strangers?

Exceedingly Discreet controls access to Harlen;criminal business proposals and other offers arevetted by the Dandelion before being passed on. If thecharacters want Exceedingly Discreet to refer them to

Harlen, they need to convince the alien that they havesomething to offer. Exceedingly Discreet will questionthem extensively on their proposal.

Alternatively, they can tell the truth about why theyare here. Exceedingly Discreet is also ambitious,and covets Harlens position. If the characters tellExceedingly Discreet about the botched assassination

Gas AttackCharacters in the tunnel when the gas isreleased must make an Endurance check each

round. In the first round, the difficulty for thecheck is Easy (+4), in the second round it isRoutine (+2), then Average (+0), Difficult (-2) andso on. Failing the Endurance check means thecharacter falls unconscious. If the entire groupis knocked out, then they are brought to VenYashas station for interrogation.

A character may make a Hard (-4) Mechanic +Education check taking 10-60 seconds to disablethe gas vents.

Note that Exceedingly Discreet is immune to theeffects of the gas.

Raising the AlarmIf the characters try to break into WinterShipping, or if they threaten the staff, then thealarm is raised. As soon as the siren sounds, Olsoruns from the warehouse to wherever the alarm

was triggered, while Exceedingly Discreet retreatsinto the tunnel. Marid remains in the front office,but readies her illegal stunner if required.

The Starport Police arrive 2D6 minutes after thealarm is raised. Marid or Exceedingly Discreet canshut down the alarm if convinced the threat ispassed. The alarm will also be shut down if thereare illegal goods on the premises that are nothidden in the concealed tunnel.


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of Professor Ujinka, and that they can tie Harlen tothe killing of Vlen Backett, they can convince thealien that Harlen is making poor decisions and needsto be replaced.

Playing Exceedingly Discreet:Hold yourself upright. Extend your arm towardswhoever you are speak to.

Address everyone by their full title at all times.Invent titles if they do not have formal ones. ('Yes,Overly Talkative Navigator...)Try to find logical contradictions and holes inwhatever the players say. Nitpick mercilessly.Never raise your voice or speak in anything otherthan a gentle, lyrical tone.

Topics of Conversation: The Dandelion speaksevasively about almost every topic, but the characterscan extract the following information.

Harlen: He is really just a caretaker, who keeps theRegina operation ticking over when Ven Yasha is notpresent. Exceedingly Discreet considers Harlen to beshort-sighted and a poor tactician; his one savinggrace is that he is extremely loyal.

Ven Yasha: The mysterious master of the organisation.Exceedingly Discreet has never met Ven Yasha, butrespects him deeply. The Dandelion believes that VenYasha must be a powerful precognitive, or else hascontacts in the very highest levels of the Imperium;how else could he have such influence and reach?

Kinson: The Dandelion dismisses Kinson and Labre asblunt instruments. Disposable thugs.

Professor Ujinka: Ven Yasha ordered her death. It makesno sense. The value of Ancient artefacts is enhanced bygreater understanding of Ancient technology.

Imperial Intelligence: Exceedingly Discreet is awarethat Imperial Intelligence agents are on Regina. TheAlahir recently departed the system; Gand Holcessis the captain of that ship. The purpose of thevisit is a mystery to Exceedingly Discreet, but itsuspects that Holcess holds a special portfolio within

the intelligence services, most likely to do withexistential threats to the Imperium.

Vlen Backett: Exceedingly Discreet believes Backett isa messenger for Ven Yasha; it has correlated ordersfrom Ven Yasha with visits by Backett. Presumably,he was killed because he brought bad news. It knowsthat Harlen retrieved a statuette and a data tape

from Backetts room in the hostel. These items weretransported to Harlens station.

Getting to the StationThe final part of this mission takes place on Harlenssecret orbital base. How do the PCs get there?Exceedingly Discreet can either give them the co-ordinates of the base, or else send them there on the

cargo launchThey can stow away on board the cargo launchIf the PCs track the movements of the cargolaunch, they can locate the secret base and travelthere themselvesPCs incapacitated by the knock-out gas may bebrought there for interrogation. In this case, they wakeup just as the launch is approaching the station.

7. VEN YASHA S STATIONThe corporate megafreighters that make the lonelytrek across Corridor carry their cargoes in gigantic

shipping containers, some of which are hundredsof d-tons. The smaller freighters and tramp shipsthat convey this cargo on from Regina to the frontierworlds cannot handle these huge containers; muchof the work done at the Regina Highport involvesbreaking the cargo down into smaller loads. Emptycontainers are either filled with goods for exportback to the core worlds... but there is not alwayssufficient cargo to justify sending a fully loadedmegafreighter back again. A percentage of cargocontainers are left behind at Regina. These unusedbulk containers are towed to a holding depot in a

higher orbit, waiting for the day they are neededonce again. Some have been waiting for centuries.

The container yard is a maze of floating containersand navigation buoys. Few ships ever visit here,except for the tugs and shepherds that keep thecontainers in position, and scavengers hoping to findsome abandoned cargo or scrap metal. The whole zoneis considered hazardous, due to the sheer number ofcontainers and other debris floating in space.

Hidden amid this maze is Ven Yashas station. A bribepaid to a long-dead shipping clerk meant that three

large containers were removed from the starportsdatabase. Over the years, these containers have beentransformed into a hidden space station, a smugglersbase within a short reach of one of the busieststarports in the sector. From the outside, the stationlooks like three shipping containers lashed together the docking ports, station-keeping thrusters anddefence turrets are all concealed.


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BODYSNATCHERS

The CrewIn addition to Harlen, there are 1d6+2 other crewon board at any time, mostly smugglers who use thestation as a base (and also pass on rumours andintelligence information to Ven Yashas organisation).These crew members wear vacc suits and carrysidearms while on board the station. None of themare permitted to enter the starboard container.

SmugglerSTR 6 DEX 6 END 8 INT 5 EDU 7 SOC 4Gunner (turret) 1, Gun Combat (handgun) 1, Recon 1,Zero-G 2Snub Pistol, 3D6-2Vacc Suit (6)

Getting to HarlenThe characters route to Harlen depends on how theygot to the station.

As Prisoners: The characters are taken at gunpointby the station crew up to Harlens office. OnceHarlen realises who the characters are, he has themreturned to the surface immediately before activatingthe stations self destruct.

As Guests: The characters are escorted to Harlensoffice by guards. Whatever their proposal is, Harlenrejects it, claiming that the organisation is intransition and cannot undertake any new criminalschemes at the time. When Harlen recognises thecharacters, he activates the self-destruct.

Sneaking In: When the shuttle docks, the crew unloadits cargo bay through the cargo airlock. Characters caneither ambush the crew, or sneak out via the airlock.From the main cargo bay in the port section, thecharacters can either open the airlock into the centralcontainer, or cut through the walls. Alternatively, theycould disguise themselves as guards.

Boarding Action: Once the characters have disabledthe defence turret, they can storm the station bycutting through the walls or storming the airlock.Alternatively, Harlen can contact their ship viaa video link, and the confrontation between the

characters and Harlen can take place remotely.

Confronting HarlenRead the following:Harlens office resembles a scientists workroommore than the lair of a murderous criminal. Hepeers at you from behind a desktop terminal; aroundhim are smaller screens displaying some sort

of technical readouts and communications logs.There is a curious piece of statuary on the desk,resembling a winged pillar. Harlen himself is smalland slight, with reddish hair that flops over hispale eyes. The lethal-looking gauss pistol at hisshoulder is an odd contrast to his demeanour.

Harlen considers most of Reginas criminal

fraternity to be beneath contempt, and he has notime for the posturing, threats and bravado that arepart of most criminal negotiations. He prefers tospeak directly and concisely.

HarlenSTR 5 DEX 7 END 6 INT 11 EDU 11 SOC 8Admin 2, Advocate 1, Comms 4, Computers 3, Engineer(electronics) 2, Gun Combat 0, Sensors 2, Vacc Suit 1,Zero-G 0Neural Comm, Wafer JackGauss Pistol: 3d6, Auto 4Vacc Suit (6)

Playing Harlen:Look at everyone as through they are samples undera microscope. Blink as little as possible.Say exactly what you mean. Do not prevaricate.All other sophonts are morons. Most are uselessmorons; a small few, like Exceedingly Discreet,are useful morons. The only thing you respect issuperior technology.Ven Yasha is your connection to this superiortechnology; you believe that if you serve him loyally,

the secrets of the universe will be revealed toyou and you will do anything to win that prize.Smuggling, spying, murder, genocide... all these arecrimes on a human scale. You aspire to the cosmic.

Stolen Goods: The statuette and data tapes stolenfrom Vlen Backetts hostel room are on Harlens deskin plain view. The statuette is of Ancient origin; thetapes describe how it was found in the Boughenesystem by a trader back in 703. For more on thesetapes, see Section 2 ofSecrets of the Ancients.

The complication: When communications interception

showed that Imperial Intelligence suspected VlenBackett, Harlen suggested killing Vlen. This wouldthrow Gand Holcess off the trail, and let Vlen reportto his superiors back on Alell. The player characters,knowing nothing about Backetts true identity, wouldserve as couriers. The whole scheme is predicated onthe Vlen identity remaining completely separate fromthat of Ven Yasha.


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Now, through Professor Ujinka and the botchedassassination, the player characters are very close totying Backett to Ven Yasha and if they can do it, socan Imperial Intelligence. Once Imperial Intelligencediscovers the station, then the whole conspiracycollapses; they will find the communicationsinterception array. Harlen cannot allow this to happen.

As soon as the characters reveal themselves, or assoon as Harlen realises who they are, he uses hisneural comm to activate the self destruct sequence.(If the PCs are prisoners, then he first orders theguards to send the characters back to the surface inthe cargo launch). Read the following:

Oh. Hmm.

Harlen blinks twice. This is... suboptimal. He closeshis eyes and concentrates for a second. All the screensaround him go black. Somewhere far below, a synthesisedvoice announces destruct sequence activated. Detonation

immanent. All hands to escape pods.

This is not the end mutters Harlen. He slumpsagainst the wall, refusing to move. His expressionis unreadable in the light of the self destructcountdown.

Self DestructTime to Detonate: The station explodes within threeminutes of Harlens command. During this time, thecharacters need to fight their way past the panickedguards and smugglers and find their way either to an

airlock, an escape pod or the cargo launch.

Running the Escape: Do not run this scene as aconventional fight scene; it is a chaotic scramblefor a way off the station. Throw in secondaryexplosions, sudden bursts of fire from smugglers,random fluctuations in the stations gravity and othercomplications. The players should feel like they arefleeing barely ahead of impending doom.

Remember that characters without the Zero-G skillsuffer penalties in the port or starboard sections ofthe station, or in the middle section once gravity fails.

Escaping the Station: Harlen wants the charactersto escape, but if they do die here, then the job oftransporting Backetts corpse back to Alell will justfall onto some other relative. The PCs death is not,to use Harlens terminology, an optimal outcome butit is an acceptable one. However, he does not wantany of the other crew to escape, as the smugglersknow too much. Therefore, the only escape pod thatworks is the one the characters take. As they flee

the station, they will see the other escape pods arelocked in place. Alternatively, the characters can headto the cargo launch and use that to fly back to thesurface, or grab vacc suits and hurl themselves outan airlock. With a big enough jump, the characterscan push themselves out of range of the explosion.

8. BRINGINGTHE BODY HOM EBack on Regina, the characters are at a dead end.With Harlens death, they have no more leads in theinvestigation of Vlen Backetts death. They couldpossibly pursue Professor Ujinkas aide, Juni, onBecks World, but first they must return Backettscorpse to Alell...

SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCERound Event1 Self destruct sequence begins.

5 Computer archives are erased.

10 The smugglers head towards the escape pods and cargo launch.

15 Gravity shuts down

20 Lights shut down.

25 Airlocks open; the station begins to decompress

30 The station explodes.


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manipulation, movement and sensing. Llellewyoly arehighly intelligent and have excellent memory recalland organisational skills, possibly as a result of theirincredibly complex social structure. A Llellewyolypossesses dozens of formal titles simultaneously, andaddressing it by the wrong title is a grievous insult.They are rarely encountered outside their homeworld.

Kaldi ResearchKaldi is a private corporation with two mainbranches. The bulk of Kaldis assets are employedin fixed installations that undertake researchon contract for corporate bodies and planetarygovernments. A much smaller proportion of Kaldiseffort is placed into the operation of a number oflaboratory ships that travel throughout the Marchesand beyond, either hiring out their services towhomever needs a general research team or engagingin ongoing studies.

Public Order CommissionThe local police force ofRegina. The planet has a LawLevel of 9, banning most personal weapons. The PublicOrder Commission Officer are also empowered to detainindividuals or confiscate items that are judged to bedisruptive or damaging to public order and safety. Inthe past, this has been used to control technologiesor restrict the movement of visitors to the planet. Inpractice, the POC is much more lenient in the mostcosmopolitan cities; visitors to the less traffickedregions of Regina are advised to exercise caution.

ReginaPopulation: 732,000,000Law Level: 9

Tech Level: CThe capital of Regina Subsector and the seat of theDuchy of Regina, this is one of the most importantworlds in the entire Spinward Marches. It is abulwark against Zhodani aggression, and the largesttrade hub in the sector. Vessels travelling along theSpinward Main from the core worlds often offloadtheir cargoes at Regina, leaving smaller local tradersto carry the goods on to the lesser systems. ReginaHighport sees more traffic in a day than some lessersystems see in a decade.

Technically, Regina is a moon, not a planet; it orbits

the gas giant Assiniboia, which itself orbits thelocus of the primary star Lusor and its companionstar Speck. There is a third star in the system, a reddwarf on a long eccentric orbit...

Regina HighportThis Class A starport is one of the largest ports inthe entire sector. Over 80% of the cargo that passes

through Regina is destined for other worlds in thesector, so most of the port is given over to cargohandling and warehousing. The port itself is locatedin geostationary orbit over Regina Downport andStartown, which is located half-way between thecities ofCredo and Atora.

University of Regina

Commonly used to refer to any of several prestigiousacademic institutions on Regina. Collectively,the University of Regina is the largest and mostsuccessful higher-level education and researchfacility in the Spinward Marches.

Solomani HypothesisThe theory that Humaniti originally evolved on theplanet of Terra, the home of the Solomani. Accordingto this theory, the Ancients transplanted primitivehumans to other worlds in the galaxy, most notablethe homeworlds of the Vilani and Zhodani. Geneticevidence has largely confirmed the SolomaniHypothesis, although some scientists and religiousgroups advocate other origins for Humaniti, such asparallel evolution or divine intervention.

StartownThe region around the old Regina starport, nowthe primary Downport. This strip of bars, cheaphostelries, raucous entertainments and less savourybusinesses is notoriously violent, corrupt andprofitable. Technically, Startown is divided betweenthe nearby cities of Credo and Atora; both blames theother for the state of Startown.

TusalTusal is an illegal narcotic. It is usually sold in theform of tablets, although some prefer it in its lessprocessed, undried form as a wad to be chewed. Tusalis derived from a seaweed. The origin of the drug isunknown, but it is believed to have been importedfrom the Vargr extents a century ago, and is nowgrown on various worlds along Corridor sector. A doseof Tusal produces mild euphoria and intoxication;a very strong dose can dull pain receptors andcause unconsciousness. As a Tusal user can remainfunctional while under the effects of a low dose,many addicts chew six or seven tablets per day toremain in a constant drugged haze. Tusal is especially

associated with menial jobs and the unemployed,as an otherwise dull life of drudgery can be madepleasant by the drug. Long-term effects of Tusaladdiction include respiratory and digestive problemsand a high incidence of stomach cancer.

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