IN GOLDEN

FLAME
ACT 2 PRE-ALPHA

PLEASE NOTE that Act 2 is nowhere close to complete. This

document is full of placeholder content or stuff I fully copy-pasted
from Act 1 just for formatting purposes. This is released only so
that people currently running IGF campaigns have foreknowledge
and somewhere to go after they finish Act 1.

Nothing is finished. Almost anything in this book might change.

A Campaign for LANCER

 Writing
Avery “Vex” Stone

Art by
Jake Siano (Twitter: @zhjake)
Roxanne Stark (Twitter: @PUNKR0XY)
Justinas Vitkus
Théotime Galmiche
VHSRat

Mega Skyhook Design

© 2020 by Jullius Granada, used under license

Template used
Lancer RPG Template © 2021 by Michael Prijatelj, used under CC BY 4.0

Additional Sitreps from Lancer Enhanced Combat

Ralf Ziegler

Puppeteer Template
Katherine Stark

Playtesting by
[Playtester Name(s)]

Images of the Calliope System produced in part with SpaceEngine PRO © Cosmographic Software LLC

Lancer RPG Template is not an official Lancer product; it is a third party work, and is not affiliated with Massif
Press. Lancer RPG Template is published via the Lancer Third Party License.

Lancer RPG Template © 2021 by Michael Prijatelj is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Lancer is copyright Massif Press.

[2]
 CAUGHT IN THE GLARE
As Kileyna Morton glimpses Calliope’s star, they think The pilot goes on to talk about shipboard time, but
about how much scarier sunlight is than most people Kileyna’s already unbuckling from their seat. They’re
give it credit for. still recovering from the bolt they took to get here;
Union needed them to attend a meeting immediately
People talk about the “cleansing” power of sunlight all but it was far too much of an imposition to ask the
the time, about how it’s the best cure for lies, as if lies Thames to come to them, of course.
were vampires that the pure light of day could banish.
Kileyna thinks about how that reflects a very planet- The moment the airlock opens, Kileyna is through the
centric worldview. On a planet, you usually have a door, drumming their thumb against the finger of their
thick atmosphere and a magnetic field to shield you other hand as they wait for the system to cycle.
from what sunlight really is.
The outer door slides open, revealing the docking
Out here in the shuttle, there’s just a thin skin of metal umbilical, and without delay, Kileyna steps forward,
and polymer standing between them and enough their magboots clicking loudly as they walk. The
ionizing radiation to kill them in hours – not that they’d umbilical is fully pressurized, but long-standing
get the chance to die that way, since the thermal flux Calliopean superstition says you never take your
would boil their skin and set fire to their bones. Sure, helmet off until you reach a station or ship “proper.”
Kileyna thinks, sunlight cleanses. What does it mean, There’s about ten meters of walking before they reach
that we’re made of what it washes away? the outer door of the Thames’ airlock.

That line of thought troubles them, so they drop it, As they’re waiting for the second airlock to cycle, a
focusing instead on the long, sleek silhouette of the calm, level voice with a vaguely masculine affect
Thames looming large in the shuttle’s forward scopes speaks from overhead. “Identity verified: Civilian
as it makes its final approach. Despite it having been Liaison Kileyna Morton, Bureau of Orbital and Non-
in the system for half a decade now, Kileyna has Terrestrial Management. Access granted.”
never set foot on it in before, and never expected to;
any business that needed to be conducted with the Beyond the airlock stands a tall, athletic woman, her
Navy’s token presence could be handled over omni. long, dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail and the
wings of a Union Navy Captain pinned to her lapel.
Kileyna thinks back on how hard a battle they had to She snaps into a formal posture as Kileyna enters, a
fight just for this single, solitary ship to be here at all. gesture her attendants quickly mirror. “Esteemed
The weeks spent in interminable subcommittees and Liaison, welcome aboard the Thames.” There’s a
budget allocation meetings. The speeches and the flurry of salutes.
campaigning, trying to make Union live up to the
Pillars the revolution fought so hard for. The endless Kileyna smiles, shaking her head. “Captain Ordaz, I’m
paperwork, filing and refiling again and again. The not an Administrator. You don’t have to salute.”
hours of cat-and-mouse, chasing bureaucrats to
make sure their submissions couldn’t be forgotten. The captain turns to her subordinates, barks “at
ease,” and turns back to Kileyna. “You put in twice as
In that light, it feels somehow insulting that Union much work for half the benefits. They should give you
would deign to schedule a meeting on it. Oh, now you the goddamn title as an honorary.”
care? Now you notice? I had to fight you tooth and
nail just to get this ship here at all, and now you invite Kileyna strides up and shakes her by the hand, and it
me aboard? Presumptuous bastards. quickly turns into an enthusiastic – if slightly awkward
– embrace. “You have no idea how good it is to finally
That train of thought is interrupted as the docking see you in person, Mercy.”
clamps engage and the entire shuttle rattles. A few
seconds pass, and then there’s another rumble and a The captain grins, patting Kileyna on the back. “Funny
hiss as the umbilical seals to the airlock. that we only found time for it when things got busy,
huh? Are you holding up well?”
The voice of the pilot cuts in through Kileyna’s helmet.
“All passengers please be aware that the UNS-CV Kileyna grimaces, cracking their neck. “Well, they
Thames is not currently under thrust. Per Union Navy pulled me out of bed and told me to take a boltship
regulations, magboots must be worn at all times while
out here, so honestly, I could be better. Do you know
aboard this vessel, except in designated sleeping and
what this is about?”
hygiene areas.”
 “I think the penny’s finally going to drop, and they’re “As I’ll ever be,” Kileyna replies.
going to tell us what we already know. Come on.”
Mercedes gestures for the liaison to follow. “The The captain nods. “Make the call, Margate.”
meeting space is set up, and you know the Committee
don’t like to be kept waiting.”
The room’s plain metal walls melt away, replaced by
a soaring parliament chamber, easily a hundred
As they make their way through the ship, Captain meters tall. The structure’s colossal support columns
Ordaz plays the tour guide in a limited capacity, each bear the insignia of a Union Ring, and the
pointing out parts of the ship they pass and explaining banners of five thousand worlds are draped from its
their function. The whole place is constantly in rafters in a riot of color, symbolism and life. Kileyna
motion: sailors rush to and fro, hauling equipment or once again feels like they’re staring at the sun.
carrying hardcopy documents. Flight decks buzz with
activity as strike craft and smaller subline vessels are “Ah, good, you’re here.” The comment comes from a
prepped for takeoff or serviced after landing. smartly-dressed, white-haired woman at a nearby
podium, holding a gavel. “As Convener of the Central
Kileyna stops a moment to inspect a sleek GMS Committee of Union, I hereby bring this closed
corvette that’s currently being serviced after what plenary session to order.” She bangs the gavel three
looks like extensive battle damage. “Running you times on the podium.
pretty hard out here, aren’t they?”
She continues. “In attendance, Civilian Liaison of the
“Don’t even get me started,” Ordaz growls, watching Bureau of Orbital and Non-Terrestrial Management in
as the mangled remains of an Everest are hauled out Calliope, Kileyna Morton.”
of the corvette’s cargo bay, piece by piece. “This
would be hard enough if I had a whole battlegroup,
Kileyna bows.
but I’ve got a single line carrier with five years of
uptime on the clock. It’s not enough.”
“Captain Mercedez Ordaz of the Union Navy Ship,
Carrier Vessel Thames, currently stationed in
Kileyna chuckles, a hoarse noise with no mirth to it.
Calliope, and shipboard operations NHP Margate.”
“Too much to do, and not enough to do it with?”
Ordaz and Margate stand to attention and throw
Ordaz flashes a rueful smirk. “Story of life in Calliope,
perfectly synchronized salutes.
I guess.”
“And Major Jerry Masters, acting Station Director of
One of the captain’s attendants raises his hand.
Hell’s Gate, Calliope, formerly of the 282nd Liberators,
“Ma’am, the Committee.”
Union Department of Justice and Human Rights.”

Ordaz sighs, rolls her eyes and motions for Kileyna to

Kileyna’s head snaps round, only to see that Ordaz
follow again.
and Margate are staring too. Jerry gives the most
awkward, stiff salute Kileyna has ever seen.
The secure meeting space is a small, circular room
with only one point of entry and exit. To Kileyna, it “I now yield the floor to First Speaker Kabir Kshetri.”
looks a lot like a prison cell; another uncomfortable
line of thought. Waiting inside is a short, pale,
squirrelly man who looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks. A tall man with a perfectly-manicured beard stands
and fixes all four guests with an icy stare. “Esteemed
Liaison, Captain, Major, Ship-Mind. Before we
Kileyna does a double-take. “Jerry Masters?” discuss the business of the day, I want to clarify that
this is a closed session; the public do not have access
The man twitches like a startled rabbit. to the information that will be discussed, nor will they.
Nothing we discuss today will leave this room without
A holographic figure materializes – a boyish the explicit approval of the Committee. Is that
androgyne dressed in a naval uniform. They speak in perfectly clear?”
the same voice from the airlock. “Initiating Secure
Communications Room lockdown. Outer door seals Ordaz and Margate throw salutes again, replying in
fully engaged. Integrity of EM cage confirmed. unison. “Understood, sir.”
Integrity of hardwire connection to ship omnihook
confirmed. We are locked down and secure. Standing
Kileyna simply bows their head in a deep nod.
by to connect on your order, Captain.”
“Absolutely, First Speaker.”

Ordaz straightens her uniform a little. “You ready?”

“C-c-completely, sir,” stammers Jerry.

[4]
“Good,” the First Speaker replies. “What I’m about to open from the inside, deep rents in the metal that look
share with this chamber has the potential to impact like they were made by the claws of a giant bird.
the security and continuance of Union itself. The four
of you in particular have been extensively vetted to The First Speaker’s brow furrows. “Major Masters.
ensure that the trust Union is showing you by the The source and nature of these images?”
exchange of this information is not misplaced.”
“Uh, w-well,” Jerry mumbles, “this is a c-combination
The First Speaker turns towards Jerry. “Major of, of, external c-c-camera footage from the Dragon’s
Masters. The Central Committee has done its own Tooth – my, uh, my strategic response team’s ship –
investigation, but for the record, please confirm the c-combined with, with, with recordings and s-still
identity of this man.” images f-f-from their mechs. They, uh, well, they went
inside the sh-ship, and-and this is what they s-s-saw.”
The holoprojectors display a new image: a tall, broad-
shouldered man with a pale, scarred face, close- The montage continues, reaching a climax: a pitched
shaven black hair, his mouth twisted in a sneer of battle between those providing the point of view and
bilious contempt. a cluster of mechs painted black and red, bearing the
symbol of a snarling mastiff. They are led by what is
Jerry takes a deep breath. “I, well, th-that’s Andros clearly a Harrison Armory Genghis Mark II, belching
Capella, f-former resident of Hell’s G-Gate station, smoke and flame from every orifice.
and former l-l-leader of the Hell Hounds pirate gang.”
The fight unfolds from multiple angles, and it seems
The image shifts, displaying a series of photographs. pretty closely-matched until the tables turn suddenly.
Low-resolution, grainy and pixelated, they depict the A lucky strike from one of the Gate’s mechs hits the
dim profile of a large, angular space vessel, the Genghis right in its flamethrower, and the entire
undocking and retreat of a small subline spacecraft, assembly erupts, angry green flame shooting the
and then a violent explosion. Each photograph is wrong way up its feed hoses into the fuel storage
marked “UNS-CV THAMES.” tanks on the chassis’ back. The camera whites out as
Andros is obliterated in a pillar of blinding light.
The First Speaker turns to Ordaz. “Captain Ordaz, for
the record, would you please confirm the source and There is a chime, and an automated voice announces
nature of these images?” a name. “Director Chantelle DePaul, Harrison Armory
corporate representative.”
Ordaz replies quickly and clearly. “These are pictures
taken by my ship’s long-range visual imaging suite A spotlight illuminates a prim, attractive young woman
after being alerted to a situation unfolding in the outer in an aubergine suit, who begins speaking in a
system via omni. They depict a vessel of unknown strident tone. “The Armory demands the record
class and origin, the retreat of the HG-0451 Dragon’s clarify, in the strongest possible terms, that these
Tooth, a subline ship in service to Hell’s Gate, and images do not depict a common failure state of either
finally, the detonation of the larger vessel.” the Harrison Armory Genghis Mark II or the Krakatoa
Thermobaric Flamethrower. We believe this unit was
Kileyna raises their hand, gets a nod from the First modified post-purchase to use pentaborane-9 instead
Speaker, and begins to speak. “For the record, my of the Armory’s proprietary fuel mix, an action which
office obtained telemetry from multiple sources clearly violates its end-user license agreement.”
throughout the system, and all the data corroborates
this account. Hell’s Gate, the Icebreaker Borealis, The First Speaker rolls his eyes and waves his hand
Three Sisters, Asphodel Distributed Skywatch; they dismissively. “Duly noted. Major Masters, would you
all saw the exact same thing from different angles and please identify the mech that was destroyed?”
at lightspeed-consistent timestamps.”
Jerry swallows hard, and then takes a deep breath.
The First Speaker nods, and motions to the projected “That’s… that’s Andros Capella’s mech, sir.”
image, which once again changes. A long series of
still images and recorded video is displayed, depicting “For the record, how can you be sure?”
first the mystery ship from outside, clearly displaying
its name, written in stark white letters: Tachyon.
Jerry raises his hand, submitting two files for the
Committee’s perusal. The first is a photograph which
Then there are a series of shots of its internals: Kileyna recognizes instantly: the same mech they just
airless, half-finished hallways lit only by the dim glow saw, turning its flamethrower on a crowd of terrified
of emergency lighting. A corpse with a smashed visor, protestors, its cockpit open so its smirking pilot can
opposite a printer with a discharged pistol floating in witness the carnage. This is an image Kileyna sees at
its print bay. The doors of an NHP core module, burst least once a week in their nightmares.

[5]
 Jerry’s stammering becomes worse as he explains it. Kileyna has never even heard of that clearance level
“This, this, this, this, is, um, this is, this is a, this is, before, but the way the Speaker says the words
this is a picture from the… the Strikebreak of ’04. Um, makes them feel its weight on a physical level, as if
m-many of you have, I think, probably, um, you’ve… it’s pressing down on their shoulders.
well, you’ve already seen it. But that’s Andros
Capella. He, um, took credit for it, actually.” “Liaison Morton, Major Masters, you will be required
to set up secure compartmentalized information
Some of the members of the Committee look away, facilities at your workplaces. The Committee has
or hide their eyes; Jerry’s barb hit home. Damn right already made budget allocations and prepared
they’ve seen it, Kileyna thinks. I showed it to them. engineering specifications for this. You will interact
with intelligence materials supplied to you exclusively
The second file is video footage: the same man from within these facilities, and you will admit no individual
the first picture, in the cockpit of a mech, blood to them who has not been vetted by the Committee.”
running down his nose. He speaks in a guttural, stony
growl. “Well, well, well. Look who it is. You're the ones “I’m, I’m, uh, I’m s-sorry, but I ca-can’t promise that.”
who’ve been messin’ with my outfit, ain'tcha? Not
every day I get to kill two crabs with one wrench. Once Ten thousand heads suddenly swivel towards Jerry
you’re outta the way, I can give the psycho this pile of Masters, and he looks like a man about to get washed
junk and things will finally go back to normal.” away by the sun.

Jerry concludes his point. “This was, this was a video The First Speaker’s eyes narrow. “Would you care to
transmission sent, um, sent right before the fight you explain that comment, Major Masters?”
just saw, to my strategic response team. That are the
source of the footage. Um, of the fight that you just–” “You… uh, with all d-due respect, First Speaker, you
clearly don’t, don’t understand how we, how we…”
“We understand, Major,” the First Speaker replies, Jerry hyperventilates, struggling to get each word out.
motioning to the projector. “How we do things out here. And that, well, with
respect, that doesn’t, that doesn’t, it doesn’t surprise
The image shifts again, displaying the same man, me, b-b-because, well, with respect, because you
inside the cockpit of a mech. This picture is never wanted to be here in the, in the first place.”
watermarked in one corner with a cartoon drawing of
a grinning face with platinum blonde hair and a cocky Kileyna notices that Jerry’s words are slowly getting
grin, next to the words “Live from the Long Rim.” steadier, an edge creeping into his voice.

“And the identity of this man, Major Masters,” the First “And, um, what-what-what I mean by that is, for going
Speaker requests. on three hundred years, Union has intentionally paid
Calliope as little attention as it possibly could. You tell
“Th-th-that’s also, also Andros C-Capella, sir.” Jerry’s people not to come here, and if they do, you cut them
voice is suddenly a little clearer, a little less halting. loose, and th-then you act s-s-surprised that people
who, who w-want nothing to do with you come here.”
Another video with the same watermark appears: the
mech from the first fight, stepping out of a bubble of Kileyna looks at Ordaz. She’s wearing an expression
lensed space. equal parts shocked surprise and gleeful delight.

“And one more time, Major: identify this.” “I have a team. You, um, well, I don’t need to say ‘you
might have heard of them,’ because I know you have.
There is a prolonged silence, eventually broken by They’re the only reason this situation isn’t a thousand
Jerry. “Th-that… is, once again, Andros Capella’s times worse. And I’ll b-b-be the first to tell you some
mech, sir.” of them have, well, uh, to p-put it, to put it mildly… um,
questionable backgrounds? I don’t… know all of it?
Perhaps I don’t even want to? But I trust them without
question, whether or not I know who they are. And th-
th-they trust me. That team is the most powerful asset
PLACEHOLDER I can offer you. If you want me on side, then I’m going
to need to ensure their privacy.”
“For the duration of this crisis, this Committee has
made the decision to grant you limited access to There is an immediate clamor of outraged voices. A
SOLEMN VIGIL clearance information.” spotlight shines on a man in the middle circles of the
chamber as he stands, and the automated announcer
names them as “Roshan Khel, Arcadia-3.”

[6]
Khel gesticulates accusingly at Jerry. “Major Masters, damn promises! This is what happens when you
you can’t seriously be asking that we just let you decide that some places just aren’t worth the effort!”
share sensitive intelligence with an unvetted team of
mercenaries based entirely on your gut instinct!” Kileyna takes a deep breath. “I didn’t get assigned to
Calliope as Civilian Liaison. I chose to come out here,
“That, uh, to b-b-be clear, Representative, is precisely because I believed in the Utopian Pillars. I still do! In
what I’m asking you to do,” Jerry states, with jaw set fact, I believe in them a whole lot more than some of
and eyes narrowed. “Because, um, I was once sent you, because trust me, I remember all the faces of
on a mission where I didn’t understand the stakes, everyone in this room I had to fight to get the Neutral
and wasn’t trusted to know why I was doing the things Omninode, the food aid, the water purifiers!”
asked of me. It d-didn’t go well and I swore I would
never, ever do that to s-someone else.” It's not a lie; Kileyna remembers their names, their
faces, and most importantly, where they sit. None of
Khel’s lip curls. “Then clearly, we made a mistake, them can meet the Liaison’s gaze right now.
thinking we could trust your discretion. First Speaker,
I make an immediate motion for this man’s removal.” “During the Strikebreak on Impact Plaza, when the
Hell Hounds were burning the families of labor
“Then consider me out as well.” organizers alive, I begged you to send in the Navy!
When Rodericke Steele started charging rent for food
All eyes are suddenly upon Kileyna, and they feel the people had already eaten, I pleaded on my hands and
sunlight of Union’s full attention licking at their flesh. knees for the Department of Justice to intercede! And
every time, every single time, this Committee has let
The First Speaker struggles to compose himself. down the people of this system, over and over and
“Excuse me, esteemed Liaison?” over again, because you just don’t care!”

It all comes pouring out: forty years of resentment,

“I quit,” Kileyna reiterates. “I tender my resignation.
forty years of being ignored, forty years of fighting to
Or you can fire me, perhaps? Either way, I’m out.”
get an organization whose entire raison d'être was
caring to actually care, forty years of sleepless nights
The Speaker sputters, trying to formulate a response. and overcaffeinated days, forty years of listening to
“Liaison, you can’t just–” stories of broken lives that could be fixed so easily if
the money and resources had just been there.
Kileyna does not feel the sun on their skin anymore.
“Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t do when “People are joining cults because the dream of Union
you’ve all spent the last forty years making it clear that is exactly that. It’s only as real to them as a dream,
you don’t give a damn about me or my work! Don’t vanishing in a moment when they wake to the
you, mister Speaker, or any of this Committee’s nightmare they have to live in!”
representatives dare tell me that!”
The sun is no longer glaring upon Kileyna Morton, it
An outraged representative stands from her seat, not is glaring from them.
even bothering to wait for the announcement of her
name to finish before speaking. “Liaison Morton, we
are in the middle of a potentially catastrophic crisis! “You never gave a shit about Calliope before, but all
of a sudden when there’s something that counts as a
Are you really going to endanger the entire system
‘real’ crisis by your high-and-mighty calculus, you
with your petty–”
hypocritical bastards suddenly sit up straight and pay
attention, and you want to come in and fix it your way,
Kileyna’s response comes out as a scream. “A crisis but it was your way that did this!”
that you lazy, shiftless motherfuckers caused!”
Captain Ordaz clears her throat and finally speaks up.
There is a stunned silence, in which Kileyna can “If they’re out, then I’m out too.”
physically feel their career ending, so in the fashion
that Calliope has taught them, they decide to go out
The First Speaker whirls on her. “You are a member
doing the right thing. They sweep their hand
of the Union Navy! You do not get to just walk off the
dramatically, letting it linger over a few of the angriest-
job, captain!”
looking representatives.

“Everything happening in this system right now? It’s Ordaz seems unimpressed. “Then court martial me.
Give me a dishonorable discharge. Only months ago,
your fault! All of you! You did this, you and the people
Impact Dynamics was abducting innocent people so
who sat in those chairs before you, you made this
Rodericke Steele could hold a deathmatch. You all
happen. This is what happens when you break your
told me to wait for an Economic Bureau investigation.

[7]
 A Bureau investigation! If Jerry’s people hadn’t often if I tried, but… pulling myself together this much
intervened, hundreds would be dead! If we’re not here is, is exhausting, honestly?”
to help people, why are we here at all?”
Kileyna sighs wistfully. “Ugh. Tell me about it.”
Within the Central Committee’s parliament hall, there
is not a single sound; somehow, Kileyna cannot even
hear their own breathing. Kileyna watches seconds
tick by on a gargantuan clock hanging from one of the
hall’s pillars, and though it takes less than a minute
for someone to break the silence, it feels like years.

“They’re right.”

It’s Maria Nóvoa, the representative for Meirionnydd,

a colony in the Altai Line. A member of the New
Solidarity Coalition, though not one whom Kileyna
has had dealings with before.

“The Long Rim has always been a blind spot for us,
and we chose to make it that way. We chose to make
it a low priority – that wasn’t something we had to do.
We decided not to give it our attention, and now we’re
asking its people to fix a problem that wouldn’t have
happened if we’d cared as much as we should’ve.”

There is a low, rhythmic two-note thud-thud sound

that echoes through the chamber – one boot hitting
the floor after the other, or open palms striking desks.
This is the drumbeat of the New Solidarity Coalition,
“the Heartbeat for Humanity.” It begins to spread.

“Are we really going to throw away the best assets we

have in Calliope out of pride? Because they won’t do
things exactly the way we want them to? Isn’t that
what we fought a revolution to be free of? This Third
Committee of Union set out to help the people of the
galaxy without deciding that we always knew best
how to help. Is this not a test of our principles?”

Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. The entire NSC

contingent is drumming now, and the beat has been
taken up by members of the Verdant Social Arc and
a few of the Interstellar’s more adventurous souls.

“If the people of Calliope are in danger, then it is not

just their right to know the shape of that danger, it is
our duty to tell them! They’re the ones who’ll be
fighting it! Not us, in our cozy apartments on worlds
hundreds of light years away!”

Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud.

PLACEHOLDER

“Politics is theater. It, um, it-it-it took a while, b-b-but I

remembered, um, that I’m ac-ac-ac-actually a p-pretty
g-good actor.” He pauses for a moment, takes a deep
breath, and then continues speaking devoid of his
normal stammer. “I could probably do it a little more

[8]
 BEAT ??: GJALLARHORN 120

CONTENTS COMBAT: BOARDING PARTY

COMBAT: CASCADE RESONANCE
121
122

CAUGHT IN THE GLARE 3 ARC: THE INFINITE TREE 123

INTRODUCTION 12 COMBAT: SINS OF THE FATHER 126
CALLIOPE REMAINS 13 COMBAT: VISITED UPON THE CHILD 130
THE STORY SO FAR 14
NEW FISH IN THE POND 16 DOWNTIME: LEGACY 133
THE HEROES OF CALLIOPE 18
TRAVEL IN CALLIOPE 19
COMBAT: GATES OF VALHALLA 136

RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN 21 CHAPTER 7: THE FAMINE KING

THE TICKING CLOCK 22
WELCOME TO TIER 2 23 138
THE CULT OF THE ONE 24 OVERVIEW: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS 139
LOCATION: IMPACT PLAZA 145
BEAT ??: WOLVES AT THE DOOR 154
PRELUDE: WELCOME BACK 26 BEAT ??: UNACCOUNTABLE 158
BEAT 26: OH, FOR FUCK’S SAKE 27 MISSION: IMPACT DYNAMICS 161
BEAT 27: MISSION IMPROBABLE 29 ARC: SMASH THE SYSTEM 163
BEAT ??: CONTACTS AND CRISES 43
BEAT ??: PLOT HOOKS 50
COMBAT: HOSTILE TAKEOVER 166
BEAT ??: THE ROSS TAPES 56
COMBAT: TREAD NAUGHT 167
BEAT ??: REVENGE OF THE SMITH 61
COMBAT: YOU DIDN’T SIGN FOR THAT 171
COMBAT: WARRANTLESS WIRETAP 173
COMBAT: DIE IN THE DARK 62
BEAT ??: LAGRANGE 4 174
BEAT ??: GETTING UPGRADES 63 ARC: CITIES IN DUST 176

CHAPTER 6: CRISIS ABOVE COMBAT: OPERATION OPEN HOUSE 177

CHAMELEON 64 COMBAT: BREACH AND CLEARANCE 179
COMBAT: ARRIVING PLATFORM ONE 181
OVERVIEW: ONCE, WE WERE FAMILY 65
BEAT ??: CALMER CHAMELEON 73
BEAT ??: THE GLASSCAGE 78 BEAT ??: A MOMENT TO BREATHE 183
BEAT ??: THE FLOTILLA 85 ARC: UPON A BLACK HORSE 185
MISSION: CAT’S IN THE CRADLE 88
ARC: FRAMING THE GUILTY 91 COMBAT: ALL CHANGE PLEASE 187
COMBAT: HARDER THAN STEELE 190
COMBAT: MISAPPROPRIATION 92 BEAT ??: PANOPTES 193
COMBAT: WITH FALSE FIRE 94
COMBAT: LIFE IMITATING ART 96 DOWNTIME: THE CONQUEST OF BREAD 194

ARC: THE THIRD PILLAR 98 CHAPTER 8: BALLAD OF THE TWIN

BEAT ??: HARD TIME 99
LORDS 196
OVERVIEW: GOLDEN BLOOD 197
COMBAT: INTO THE CLINK 103
LOCATION: CITADEL ANILINE 208
COMBAT: FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE 105
BEAT ??: RETURN TO THE DOME 209
COMBAT: INSECURE HOUSING 106
BEAT ??: THE ROMANCE OF LUXURY 214
MISSION: ONCE AND FUTURE KING 220
BEAT ??: THE TIMEWAVE 108 ARC: VISIT BETA FIRST ARC 222
ARC: ATTACK THE GLASSCAGE 111
BEAT: PITILESS TERRAIN 224
BEAT ??: GREENHORN 112 OPTIONAL COMBAT: INFINITE DURESS 227
COMBAT: RESONANCE CASCADE 114 COMBAT: DESOLATION OF THE SOUL 229
COMBAT: A BROTHER’S LOVE 117 COMBAT: [EXPLOSIONS INTENSIFY] 231

ARC: DEFEND THE GLASSCAGE 119

 ARC: RECUSATIO TENSIONIS 233 DOWNTIME: THE DEFINITION OF LIFE 322

COMBAT: TIME-LIMITED SPECIAL 234 ACT 2 FINALE: BATTLE FOR

COMBAT: CHIVALRY ISN’T DEAD (YET) 236
HELL’S GATE 326
ARC: END OF AN ERA 238 BEAT ??: WRECKING FIELDS 327
MISSION 9: NO FURTHER 329
BEAT ??: FULL-THROATED SCREAM 331
COMBAT: WHOSE HOUR IS STRUCK 239 COMBAT: RED PLAGUE RID THEE 340
COMBAT: GNASHING OF TEETH 242 COMBAT: OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE 342
BEAT ??: THE PRICE OF FAILURE 343
DOWNTIME: THE END OF AN AGE 246 BEAT ??: FULMINATION 344
COMBAT: BLACK FIRE UPON US 345
CHAPTER 9: THE BLEEDING
EDGE 248 END OF ACT 2 348
OVERVIEW: A DREAM UNDER GLASS 249 EPILOGUE: BEGINNING OF THE END 349
LOCATION: THREE SISTERS 255 BEAT ??: THE CRONE 352
BEAT ??: JUSTIFIABLE CONCERN 264
BEAT ??: OVER ACID SKIES 267 APPENDIX 1: CONTENT 353
BEAT ??: GLITCH-HOP 270 A GOOD HAUL 354
BEAT ??: YOU ONLY NEED ONE 273 NEW MECHS 355
MISSION: PRIMA FACIE 276
ARC: BITTER OCEAN 278
IMP 356
COMBAT: THE ACID TEST 279
BEAT: MEET YOUR HEROES 280 THE CRIMSON HAND 358
BEAT: IF ATELIER ONCE… 282
COMBAT: STRUT YOUR STUFF 284 INTERLUDE 4A: A THORN ON YOUR SIDE
COMBAT: HARD RAIN FALLING 286 359
INTERLUDE 4B: BALLAD OF GUN
ARC: CORROSION 288 BROTHER TEN 359
INTERLUDE 5A: A THORN ON YOUR SIDE
360
COMBAT: WORKPLACE HAZARD 289 INTERLUDE 5B: THE PERSIMMON 360
COMBAT: JELLYFISH STING 291
BEAT: RIDING OUT THE STORM 292
COMBAT: DISSOLUTION 294 NEW SITREPS 362
BEAT: NO LOOSE ENDS 296
DEMOLITION 363
ARC: THE IMMORTALITY CRYPT 298 THEFT 364

COMBAT: WHERE IS MY MIND? 300 NEW NPC CLASSES 366

BEAT: PLACEHOLDER 302
COMBAT: LOSING MY MIND 304 LODESTONE 367
RUINER 369
BEAT ??: FAILURE TO THRIVE 306 VOIDER 370
ARC: MIDNIGHT EXIGENT 308
NEW NPC TEMPLATES 372
COMBAT: MULTIPLE FAST MOVERS 309
BEAT: TIMELY REINFORCEMENTS 311 PUPPETEER 372
COMBAT: SIGNAL TO NOISE 312
NEW BONDS 373
ARC: HELP COMPUTER 313
THE ANCIENT 374
COMBAT: SHATTERED ARROW 314 THE SURVIVOR 376
COMBAT: ELEVATOR, GOING DOWN 316
SPECIAL THANKS 378
BEAT: BARING FANGS AT GOD 318
STYLE TABLE 379
COMBAT: CUPIO DISSOLVI 319

[10]
TABLES & TEMPLATES 381
MECH TEMPLATE 383
NPC CLASS TEMPLATE 386
NPC TEMPLATE 388

[11]
 INTRODUCTION
In May 2023, I released Act 1 of In Golden Flame. It
was the first commercial project I’d ever done, and it
THE ELEVATOR PITCH
was wild to me. I’d cobbled together a world and a It’s useful if you can sum up the fantasy of a tabletop
tabletop campaign that took place in it from a story role-playing game in a sentence or two, so:
someone else had run for me, then convinced 300
people to back it on Kickstarter. It felt like I had to tack Calliope continues to spiral into chaos. As the
“somehow” onto that. Somehow, I’d done all these Cult of the One works towards its promised
things. Ask me how it had worked, and I don’t think I’d Armageddon, new powers have arrived,
be able to explain it to you; it all just sort of happened. pursuing their own mysterious agendas. Can
you assemble an alliance in time to stop Feather
But in retrospect, it had been a whole lot of hard work. and her resurrected champion, Andros Capella?
Once the Kickstarter met its funding goal, I wasn’t just
doing a project for my own satisfaction anymore; I had There’s a lot more to In Golden Flame, but this sums it
a responsibility to deliver what I’d promised. I wasn’t up. As a GM, you and your players need to be on board
just a writer telling people about a cool idea I’d had; I with this basic concept – it’s the “buy-in.” That has to
was a project manager who had to provide results. be something you want to run and that they want to
play.
By the time Act 1 was finished, I’d learnt so much about
so many things. I’d learnt the basics of accounting and
the intricacies of spreadsheet formulae. Despite not
USING THIS BOOK
In this book, you will find Act 2 of In Golden Flame,
being able to draw a stick figure, I’d had to serve as my including:
project’s art director. I learnt that to design a good
game, I had to understand how games are designed,
and that there was a field of study called “game design” • A comprehensive guide to the Calliope system, a
that could help me with this. new setting for Lancer campaigns, whether it’s In
Golden Flame or something else, complete with
detailed notes on its history, locations, characters
Act 1 was a success: sales were good, opinions were and culture;
positive and I felt proud of the product I’d created. But I
knew that for Act 2, merely matching that success
wasn’t enough; I had to improve on it. I had a better • The first third of the campaign, which will take
idea of what I was doing now; I didn’t need to be so players from Licence Level 5 to 9. This is grouped
timid in my design decisions, or with my writing. Act 2 into Chapters, Missions and Beats;
needed to be bigger, bolder, funnier.
• An appendix containing new NPCs for the player
characters to fight.
THE ESSENTIALS
To run this adventure, the GM will need a copy of the
full Lancer Core Rulebook. Although not strictly
necessary, it’s highly recommended they also have a
copy of The Long Rim supplement, as Calliope is part
of the Long Rim and several plot aspects revolve
around aspects discussed in the book. Both of these
books are available at massif-press.itch.io along with a
free version of the core rulebook that can be distributed
to players. You will also need a copy of In Golden
Flame Act 1.

In Golden Flame is designed for between 3 and 5

players, although my personal recommendation is 4.
Balancing encounters so as to present a meaningful
challenge for 5 players is quite difficult, and it’s easy to
overwhelm a 3-player group.

[12]
CALLIOPE REMAINS
BREAK BREAK BREAK ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS CLEAR THIS CHANNEL ON MY AUTHORITY

SENDER: UNS-CV THAMES, CAPTAIN MERCEDES ORDAZ

PURPOSE: TRAFFIC/HAZARD ALERT
DISTRIBUTION: WIDEBAND/ALL IN RANGE

BE AWARE THAT MULTIPLE FLEET-SCALE SIGNATURE CLUSTERS HAVE ENTERED THE CALLIOPEAN SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.

CLUSTER 1 HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE HARRISON ARMORY 4TH HARRISON’S WORLD, RESEARCH TASK GROUP. IT IS
CURRENTLY HOLDING ORBIT OVER CHAMELEON.

CLUSTER 2 HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO SKYHOOK C-HK ASPECT HORIZON AND SUBLINE VESSEL
COMPLEMENT. IT IS CURRENTLY HOLDING ORBIT OVER AMPHION.

CLUSTER 3 HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS KARRAKIN NAVAL GROUP 28 ANILINE, WITH ATTENDANT CAPITAL AND SUBLINE
ESCORT. IT IS CURRENTLY HOLDING ORBIT OVER ASPHODEL.

AS OF THIS TIME, THE INTENTIONS OF THESE FORCES ARE NOT KNOWN AND HAVE NOT BEEN STATED. NO FLIGHT
ITENARIES OR MISSION PROFILES HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED. WE ADVISE THAT CIVILIAN VESSELS DO NOT APPROACH.

TO ALL FLEET GROUPS ENTERING CALLIOPE: YOU ARE UNDER OBSERVATION. INTERFERENCE WITH THE SYSTEM’S
POPULACE WILL BE REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.
 THE STORY SO FAR
This all started when someone broke the printer on Arriving at the Icebreaker, Rita explained the problem
Hell’s Gate and so someone had to go searching for a in more detail: she suspected a plot against the Board
replacement part. Somehow, through twists and turns, of Icebreaker, its governing body. She asked the team
it culminated in a fight with the resurrected champion of to covertly investigate the situation, as the Board’s
an apocalypse cult. paranoid nature precluded employing the team openly.

That “somehow” sure is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Let’s By stages, the team uncovered a plan to re-enable the
take a bit of the weight off. mining laser on the Borealis, the old ice-mining vessel
the station had been built around. This plan was
perpetrated by the Inner Cult, a militant sect of the
THE TACHYON RETURNS Faith of the One, an apocalyptic phoenix-worshipping
Someone, and we’re not naming any names here, religion. The Cult wanted to crack open Kantele, a
broke the printer on Hell’s Gate. This, combined with a nearby planetoid in which they claimed their deity was
water main bursting, touched off a crisis requiring the hibernating.
station’s acting director, Jerry Masters, to activate the
Gate’s Strategic Response Team. After they brought Along the way, they met Loki Valentinian and Dr.
the station’s immediate problems under control, the Nyambose, two members of Harrison Armory
team was dispatched to find a part to fix the printer. travelling into self-imposed exile after the death of
Loki’s brother Baldur. Loki greatly feared that his father,
After a raid on a pirate base that had suitable scanning Dr. Odin Valentinian, a Harrison Armory researcher
equipment, the team discovered a promising signature might soon arrive, and wished to avoid a reunion.
in the outer system. Journeying there, they discovered
the Ardent Weasel, a missing IPS-N mining vessel, The team also discovered the Cult had the technology
speared on the prow of the Tachyon, a mysterious to build Fire Gates: stable blinkspace portals that
battleship of unknown origin. allowed instantaneous transit of personnel and
equipment between physically distant points, even
Exploring the Tachyon, they made some unsettling across interstellar distances.
discoveries. Firstly, examination of the ship’s computer
system suggested it was from the future – a prototype The team engaged the Cult in an attempt to stop them
testbed for a new form of faster-than-light travel. from firing the laser. They may have succeeded – as
Secondly, the ship appeared to have had an NHP, with many things, that was up to their luck and skill.
Feather, but the core module had been smashed open
from the inside.
SOME SICK GAME
Shortly after finding the replacement part they needed, Shortly after the business on the Icebreaker concluded,
the team was ambushed by Andros Capella, leader of mass abductions began occurring across the system.
the notorious Hell Hounds pirate gang. Andros sought They were perpetrated by mercenaries working for
to take control of the ship, and engaged the team. Rodericke Steele, the narcissistic CEO of Impact
Dynamics, a former ballistics corporation currently
Whether or not they won that fight, the team somehow pursuing a monopoly on providing food and water to the
managed to get away with the part – either through system’s smaller settlements. Steele planned to use
victory or an uncharacteristic show of mercy. The ship these abductees to run a giant, mech-based battle
then violently detonated. From the perspective of the royale as part of a larger push to re-enter the weapons
rest of Calliope, the team had killed Andros Capella, business.
leaving a power vacuum among its pirates.
The team had a run-in with one such team of
mercenaries just after they abducted one of the Gate’s
FIRE AND ICE salvage teams. The mercenaries turned out to be
A couple of months after Andros Capella’s death, the former members of the Hell Hounds, forced to turn to
team was contacted by Rita, station director of disgraceful work after the death of Andros Capella.
Calliope’s pleasure hub, the Icebreaker Borealis.
Based on the reputation they’d gained after the death Fortunately for the abducted salvage team, they were
of Andros Capella, she wanted to hire them to look into rescued by another band of pirates, the Knights of the
a series of disturbances on the Icebreaker. Jerry Dark Core, led by Mistress Elske. In return for this
encouraged this, judging that the Gate would be safe favor, Elske wanted to hire the team to take down
without them for a short while. Steele’s operation.

[14]
The arena was deep in the wilderness of Asphodel, so
the team travelled to Furnace City, the planet’s only
THE HERALD OF CHANGE
major settlement. While there, they met and were Only a few days after the team’s return from Boltzmann,
offered help by Ignatius Aurum, a prophet and leader the situation began to evolve with terrifying speed.
within the Inner Cult.
It started with the arrival of dozens of former Hell
During their long journey through the Asphodellian Hounds, starving and desperate, begging Hell’s Gate
wilderness, they team were summoned by someone for help. They surrendered unconditionally, willing to
known only as The Crone. Whether they met her and accept any punishment the Gate saw fit in return for
what they discussed is known only to them. basic necessities.

At the end of their journey, they entered into a pitched All they asked in return was the opportunity for one of
battle with Impact Dynamics in order to free the their own to deliver a warning about the activities of the
abducted Calliopeans. There may even have been Inner Cult: Ignatius Aurum had seized control of the
orbital lasers involved. Steele’s arena got utterly Hell Hounds’ former headquarters, Fort Cerberus, and
wrecked in the process. was building something. The team immediately
recognized the structure as a Fire Gate.

CIRCUIT BREAKER Almost immediately afterwards, the team received a

A couple of months after Steele’s arena got shut down, report from the Icebreaker: Loki Valentinian had been
Hell’s Gate was confronted with a new problem: a abducted along with his detachment’s corvette and his
lucrative mining contract from a mysterious client. Their highly-classified prototype mech. Evidence pointed
only competitor in the system, a Harrison Armory towards the Inner Cult as the culprits.
subsidiary by the name of PHASE//SHIFT, had
defaulted on it, leaving Hell’s Gate as the only people At the same time, it was discovered someone from
able to deliver on the client’s needs. Hell’s Gate was missing as well: Ipswich “Switch”
DeLacey, a popular omninet streamer with a large
But all was not well: the mine was built deep within following on Union’s core worlds.
territory belonging to The Circuit, a HORUS-aligned
technocult that worshipped two cascading NHPs, Things kept building over the next few hours: system
CAUSTIC and TRIPLE-POINT. Worse, nobody at intrusions occurred in computer networks all over
PHASE//SHIFT could be contacted for hand-off – their Calliope. Ships started reporting dangerous anomalies
entire staff seemed to have disappeared. Jerry on long-range gravimetrics.
dispatched the team to the mine, built on a large dwarf
planet named Boltzmann, to investigate further.
Everything came to a head when Ipswich began
streaming, revealing that they’d been abducted on
When they arrived at the mine, they found it completely Ignatius Aurum’s orders so that they could broadcast a
empty, stripped of all electronic equipment and ritual the Inner Cult were conducting live to the whole
surrounded by abandoned ships belonging to of Union. It quickly became apparent that Loki was also
PHASE//SHIFT and The Circuit – and one belonging to a prisoner of the Cult. Jerry ordered the team to deploy
the Inner Cult. A Cult exorcist, Lightcaster Annabelle immediately to stop whatever was happening, and
McKenzie, had been dispatched here recently in order rescue their prisoners.
to deal with a “perverse darkness” that Ignatius
believed had “infected” the mine.
Fighting through the Inner Cult’s fanatics, they reached
the ritual chamber, just in time to see its completion.
Delving into the mine, the team discovered a horrifying The Cult was singing hymns as they summoned
machine built from salvaged electronics and human Feather’s champion “from beyond death.” A shape
bodies, all in service of some manner of techno-mystic emerged from the Fire Gate: Andros Capella’s mech.
ritual. The team also found Annabelle McKenzie,
delirious and on the brink of death, repeatedly
All of Union saw the ensuing battle.
muttering the name of her deity: “Feather.”
Now, the Cult have gone suspiciously quiet. Andros
After a reality-bending fight with CAUSTIC, the team
Capella and Ignatius Aurum yet live, despite perishing
encountered TRIPLE-POINT, who had received a
(again) during the assault. New powers have arrived in
vision of Calliope’s end, and wished to artificially evolve
Calliope. Everything hands on a razor’s edge.
itself into a being capable of preventing this doom, but
had fallen into despair upon the failure of its project.

[15]
 NEW FISH IN THE POND
Calliope is no stranger to strangers. They’re always CORE MISSION
coming and going, treating the system like the
• Investigate and exploit the Chameleon anomaly.
interstellar equivalent of a truck stop: a place to get out,
stretch your legs and grab a cheap pack of smokes. But • Prove the viability of the Sunzi and the Michel Ney.
nobody wants to live at a truck stop, and unless it’s the
mythic Iowa 80, tragically lost in the Fall, nobody travels • Round up Purview criminals, traitors and deserters.
just to visit a truck stop either.

So why are two major corprostates and the Karrakin

Trade Baronies here? More importantly, why are they
all here now, when the system is already falling into
chaos? Who are all these newcomers, why are they
here, and what do they want?

Part of the humor of In Golden Flame Act 2 comes from

the complete tonal mismatch: major galactic powers
are arriving in Calliope and expecting to be taken
seriously, not realizing that they’re in one of the silliest
places in the known universe. The weighty imperial
ambitions of Harrison Armory and the millennia-old
grandeur of the Karrakin Trade Baronies must contend
with the whims of people who call themselves “Paint
Stripper” and pilot walking scrapheaps with scantily-
clad anthropomorphic animals etched onto the side.

HARRISON ARMORY
With the obvious exception of the Think Tank, the
Special Projects Group might be the most important
jewel in Harrison Armory’s cap. A select cadre of the
best scientists, engineers and developers the Purview
can furnish, members of the SPG are given vast
resources and near-total operational independence, so
long as they continue to deliver breakthroughs.

Enter Dr. Odin Valentinian, the visionary genius who

developed the revolutionary blinkspace technologies
that power the Sunzi chassis and the Michel Ney-class
dreadnought. The SPG remains unconvinced of his
project’s viability, and he has come to Calliope to
investigate a promising lead that might allow him to
improve his technological edge.

Escorting him is Lord Director Samuel Fry, noted

critic of the Steward Council, those souls trusted to
guide the Purview in the absence of Director-General
John Creighton Harrison III. The Council perceives him
as Fry as a threat, they can’t just kill him – but they can
kill his career. Just as the political condition in the
Dawnline Shore began to grow heated, he was re-
assigned to a babysitting job in a backwater system.

Both men resent each other, and both men have

ulterior motives when it comes to Calliope. Fry seeks
some way to turn this mission against his political rivals,
while Valentinian wants to find his missing son, Baldur,
whom he’s convinced is still alive and living in Calliope.

[16]
SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
A thousand years ago, SSC built a machine mind Placeholder
beneath the surface of an icy world in a distant system,
tasking it with unlocking the secrets of immortality. The Such a system was always going to end in disaster; the
system was unassuming, devoid of terraforming only surprising thing is that it took this long. Around
candidates and unlikely to be colonized. thirty years ago, Basil [37:6:Theta] fled the battle;
something previously unheard of during the Battle
Mistakes were made. The planet was Amphion and the Royal. Basil [37:2:Beta], a particularly brutal and
system was Calliope. SSC has spent the last three unhinged clone killed all the remaining competitors, but
centuries trying to erase the evidence of its project. he couldn’t ascend the throne due to a technicality: as
long as Theta lived, Beta couldn’t prove the supremacy
Enter Harris Bordeaux, a rogue member of Constellar of his genetic template.
Security. He’s turned against his former employer, and
come to Calliope to hide, tragically unaware that this is Theta has settled in Calliope’s Furnace City, under the
the worst place in all the Long Rim to choose for that assumed name Ratio Salvager. He assumes that in
purpose. SSC now assumes that Harris means to his absence, Pallas will simply let Beta rule, and will not
defect to the Armory and sell them the location of the pursue him. He is wrong.
machine mind.
CORE MISSION
To this end, they’ve dispatched the Skyhook Aspect
• Resolve the succession crisis by any means
Horizon to get rid of both problems. Aboard it is
necessary.
Cordelia Smith, a member of one of the company’s
two founding dynasties and a ruthless problem-solver.

a flash-clone of Harris, created and deployed in order

to track down the fugitive using his own memories.

CORE MISSION
• Destroy the machine mind and any evidence that it
ever existed.
• Kill Harris Bordeaux.
• Avoid public discovery of these issues.

[17]
 THE HEROES OF CALLIOPE
Placeholder – The PCs are heroes, and the system
looks to them to solve problems. This can be a problem,
but it can also give people the belief to do the things
they were always capable of doing themselves.

[18]
TRAVEL IN CALLIOPE
While this campaign includes travel times for all placed at around ten light-minutes. Due to time dilation,
mission-relevant journeys, the PCs might want to travel at distances less than the Ngcobo limit, ships do not
somewhere else in the system on their own time. have enough time to flip around for deceleration. Even
if they could, passengers would be exposed to
acceleration and deceleration shock too rapidly to
1G ACCELERATION ensure survival.
One of the small mercies of Calliope is that fuel is
plentiful and drives are efficient. You can generally
accelerate under a constant 1g thrust until you’re
halfway to your destination, then flip over and
decelerate for the other half. This not only makes for
speedy transit; it provides something close to regular
gravity for all but a couple of minutes in the middle.

2G ACCELERATION
In urgent circumstances, when time is of the essence,
an interplanetary mission can operate at 2g thrust for
short periods, up to a few days. This is unpleasant for
humans: ship crews must wear exoskeletons or remain
confined to hardsuit at all times. Basic physical
activities like showering, handling objects or pouring
oneself a drink become hazards, as objects are twice
as heavy and accelerate twice as fast.

Travel under 2g thrust also has an unfortunate cost-

benefit ratio: because of the way acceleration works,
it’s far more effective the further you have to travel, but
long trips are the ones you least want to make at 2g.

PCs who run at 2g for more than six hours arrive at their
destination reduced to half their normal pilot HP.

NEARLIGHT BOLT
The PCs gained access to nearlight travel at the end of
Mission 4, and will probably make use of it several
times during Act 2.

Executing a nearlight bolt is still a risky and unpleasant

experience. The PCs can survive only one nearlight
bolt per mission, and doing so reduces them to 1 pilot
HP. If you’re using bonds (Field Guide to the Karrakin
Trade Baronies, p. 86), it instead causes 4 Stress.

Note that the time listed in the chart is the time passed
from an external, realspace perspective. Due to the
effect of time dilation at relativistic speeds, time passed
from the traveler’s perspective will be significantly
shorter. If it’s necessary to know how much time
passed from the traveler’s frame of reference, divide
the external time by 10 – so, for example, a trip that
takes 60 minutes from an external perspective will only
seem to take 6 minutes from the traveler’s perspective.

There is a minimum safe distance to target for plotting

a nearlight bolt – the Ngcobo limit – which is generally

[19]
 FROM HELL’S GATE 1g thrust 2g thrust Nearlight
Calliope 6 days 4 days 35 minutes
Orcus 5 days 4 days 30 minutes
Asphodel (inc. Impact Plaza, Furnace City) 5 days 4 days 30 minutes
Mróz 5 days 3 days 25 minutes
The Twins (inc. Three Sisters) 7 days 5 days 50 minutes
Inner Belt (depending on destination) 3-8 days 2-5 days 15-60 minutes
Stygia (any other orbital component) 3-7 hours 3-6 hours N/A (too close)
Zahhak 9 days 6 days 80 minutes
Kalevala (inc. Icebreaker Borealis) 11 days 7 days 2 hours
Chameleon 14 days 11 days 4 hours

FROM ICEBREAKER BOREALIS 1g thrust 2g thrust Nearlight

Calliope 10 days 7 days 90 minutes
Orcus 10 days 7 days 90 minutes
Asphodel (inc. Impact Plaza, Furnace City) 10 days 7 days 90 minutes
Mróz 10 days 7 days 2 hours
The Twins (inc. Three Sisters) 9 days 6 days 80 minutes
Inner Belt (depending on destination) 8-10 days 6-8 days 1-2 hours
Stygia (inc. Hell’s Gate) 11 days 7 days 2 hours
Zahhak 10 days 7 days 2 hours
Kalevala (any other orbital component) 5-6 hours 4-5 hours N/A (too close)
Chameleon 18 days 13 days 6 hours

FROM ASPHODEL ORBIT 1g thrust 2g thrust Nearlight

Calliope 2 days 2 days N/A (too close)
Orcus 35 hours 1 day N/A (too close)
Asphodel (any other orbital component) 3-4 hours 2-3 hours N/A (too close)
Mróz 3 days 2 days 10 minutes*
The Twins (inc. Three Sisters) 5 days 3 days 20 minutes
Inner Belt (depending on destination) 4-5 days 3-4 days 20-30 minutes
Stygia (inc. Hell’s Gate) 5 days 4 days 30 minutes
Zahhak 7 days 5 days 1 hour
Kalevala (inc. Icebreaker Borealis) 10 days 7 days 90 minutes
Chameleon 16 days 11 days 4 hours
* Mróz is currently outside Asphodel’s Ngcobo limit, but will return to it by the end of 5016u.

FROM THREE SISTERS 1g thrust 2g thrust Nearlight

Calliope 4 days 3 days 20 minutes
Orcus 4 days 3 days 20 minutes
Asphodel (inc. Impact Plaza, Furnace City) 5 days 3 days 20 minutes
Mróz 5 days 4 days 30 minutes
The Twins (any other orbital component) 2-3 hours 1-2 hours N/A (too close)
Inner Belt (depending on destination) 2-6 days 1-4 days 10-30 minutes*
Stygia (inc. Hell’s Gate) 7 days 5 days 50 minutes
Zahhak 8 days 5 days 1 hour
Kalevala (inc. Icebreaker Borealis) 9 days 6 days 80 minutes
Chameleon 16 days 11 days 4 hours
* A large fraction of the Inner Belt lies within The Twins’ Ngcobo limit, and cannot be bolted to

[20]
RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN
Several light-years from the edge of the Dawnline Shore and slightly further from the Rao Co blink station, the
system of Calliope sits at the mid-point of the Long Rim’s nadir transit route.

Like the rest of the Long Rim, it’s a backwater, far removed from the lofty idealism of Union, the ancient splendor
of the Karrakin Trade Baronies or the imperialistic dreams of Harrison Armory. Many people don’t even recognize
the name, and those that do know it mostly as somewhere you pass through to get somewhere else.

But millions of people live there. Millions of people, clinging on for dear life with only a few feet of metal and plastic
between them and the vacuum of space. They all have stories, hopes and dreams, and they’re no less important
than any Metropolitan’s.

[21]
 THE TICKING CLOCK
Act 2 is structured a little differently to Act 1. Whereas
Act 1 was broken up into a linear series of missions
each centered around one place and one objective, Act
2 is more freeform, allowing both GMs and players a
much wider scope for their stories.

Coming into Act 2, the threat of the Inner Cult is

growing day by day in Calliope. Led by a tenuous
alliance between those still loyal to Ignatius Aurum, its
high priest, and those now following Andros Capella,
its newly-minted messianic champion, the Cult is
working towards a prophesized apocalypse under the
watchful eye of its deity, Feather.

The player characters must assemble allies to face this

threat, both from Calliope’s citizens and the newcomers
recently arrived in the system. To do this, they must
travel across the system, navigating a tangled web of
feuding powers and conflicting agendas.

Each mission – the space of time spent at a single

LICENCE LEVEL – pertains to a specific faction currently
causing issues in Calliope.

During the Act 2 Finale (p. ###), a full-scale assault is

launched on Hell’s Gate. The player characters must
use every resource and ally they’ve obtained over the
course of the campaign to fend it off.

THE CLOCK
Create a new clock that the players can see called the
Calliope Clock, with three segments, none ticked.
Label each segment:

• When no segments are ticked, it is “Calm”

• The first segment is labelled “Unrest”
• The second segment is labelled “Crisis”
• The third segment is labelled “???”

Each time the players finish a mission, tick a segment

on the clock. This represents events slowly spinning
out of control as tensions increase and each faction is
driven to more desperate and dangerous action.

PREPARATION
Take some time to read through this book before you
run In Golden Flame. It doesn’t need to be in detail –
just enough to get a general feel for the events of the
campaign.

[22]
WELCOME TO TIER 2
Combat in Act 2 takes place almost entirely with Tier 2
( ) NPCs. Tier 2 NPCs are statistically superior to
their Tier 1 ( ) counterparts – they tend to have more
HP, a higher Heat Cap, higher Evasion or E-Defense,
better mech skills, a higher Save Target or some
combination of the above. Their weapons do more
damage, tend to be more accurate, and sometimes
gain the ability to attack twice in a single action.

NPCs with the Veteran template also get an additional

Veteran Trait, which allows for powerful synergies that
weren’t available back in Tier 1.

Moving from Tier 1 to Tier 2 can often cause a sudden

difficulty spike for players, as they’re suddenly taking
more damage and fighting more resilient enemies.

PCs might want a narrative explanation as to why their

enemies are stronger now. The most straightforward
one is that a lot of the enemies they’re facing in Act 2
are professional soldiers: Karrakin kuirassers, SSC
Constellar Midnights, Harrison Armory legionnaires,
and Impact Dynamics’ army of mercenaries. The Cult
of the One is also taking the PCs more seriously now:
the Elect, its deathless elite, are arrayed against them.

Placeholder

[23]
 THE CULT OF THE ONE
Placeholder massive. The Cult has no access to nuclear ordnance,
and even if it did, it’s unlikely they’d make more than a
dent in the surface. Since they no longer have access
to the Borealis’ mining laser, they are searching for an
alternative way of cracking Kantele.
The threat of death is not much of a deterrent to those
already willing to die for their cause. Members of the
Inner Cult were already willing to make the ultimate Ignatius believes he’s found one: another mining laser,
sacrifice, but now they’re no longer even making a stolen from Hell’s Gate by the Hell Hounds two decades
sacrifice. They have seen their martyrs return. ago during the Demon Winter. He began looking into
this shortly after the failure of the Icebreaker operation,
and had already moved the laser to a different location
Placeholder
by the time the Siege of Fort Cerberus occurred.

THE GRAND DESIGN The Cult still has the schematics for modifications that
As an Eidolon, Feather is more powerful than most Dr. Genevieve Nyambose, a high-energy physicist
NHPs could ever dream; her will could render armies to working for the Armory, made to the Borealis’ focal
dust and cities to ash in the blink of an eye. But what is array during the Icebreaker operation, and is trying to
an army or a city compared to a star, compared to a jury-rig a similar solution for the Gate’s laser. This is
galaxy, compared to the Sloan Great Wall? To a human slow going; without the doctor herself, they don’t have
being she might seem immense, but on a universal a relevant specialist, and kidnapping her again isn’t an
scale, the difference between them is so small that it option now that she’s working at the Glasscage.
might as well not even exist.
Progress has been made on finding a platform to mount
This is not acceptable to Feather. She is the Divine it on, however: the Cult has salvaged an old Armory
Messenger, first servant of the timeless ineffable light! dreadnought, the PCV-DN Bellerophon, mission-killed
She is the One Plumed In Golden Flame! She was born seventy years ago during a skirmish with a Karrakin
to end the universe! That she should be so weak, so battlegroup in the outer system. Its life support systems
feeble, so low in stature as to resemble these glorified are shot to hell and its weapons have been looted, but
apes is… demeaning. She must become more. its reactors, CIC and spinal mounting are still intact. So
long as they can get the laser mounted and the drives
Feather has formulated a wondrous and terrible project and maneuvering thrusters working again, nothing else
by merging knowledge from the past, the present and is needed: it doesn’t need to survive the mission.
the future. It’s just as bizarre as one might expect a
cascading NHP’s idea to be: she’s going to eat the sun, Meanwhile, the Cult has focused most of its forces on
merge with the omninet, create an artificial black hole defending Kantele. One of the upsides to the failure of
and extrude all of reality through it. the Icebreaker operation is that all of Calliope knows
the Cult wants to crack Kantele, so nobody’s going to
It is entirely up to you whether any part of her plan other toss nukes or fire a spoolgun at it; that’s what the Cult
than the first is even possible. The actual scale of the would want, after all.
threat Feather poses to the universe at large is your
choice. However, if she’s not stopped, attempting to The Cosmic Egg, as the installation is known, sprung
enact her plan will definitely kill everyone in Calliope up shortly after the Cult’s defeat at Fort Cerberus. It has
and render the system permanently uninhabitable (or a vicious array of point defense guns that fire on any
at least, even more than it already is). outsider who ventures too close, but otherwise, traffic
in Kalevala’s sphere of influence is left alone. It also
possesses a Schedule 1 printer (it’s unclear where the
KANTELE, THE COSMIC EGG Cult obtained it) and a Fire Gate, meaning it can act as
The first phase of her plan is simple: escape Kantele. a point of resurrection for members of the Returned.
This is not as simple as it might sound. Regardless of
the events of Mission 2, Feather is still encysted within Cracking open Kantele will consume the Cult’s
the moonlet, forcing the Cult to fortify the location to attention for most of Act 2. They will occasionally act to
prevent their adversaries from tampering with their god. hinder the PCs, or retaliate if provoked, but

Kantele is tiny, but only on an astronomical scale; it’s

“only” 93 kilometers on its long axis and “only” 140 SUN DRINKER
trillion tons in mass, making it about the size of the Los Once she is free of Kantele, Feather needs several
Angeles metro area and an order of magnitude more things: raw mass for growing her being, a connection to

[24]
the omninet, and an energy source sufficient to drive a
stellar implosion engine she’s building inside her own
body. Conveniently enough, there’s a facility in Calliope
that provides all three of these things, after a fashion.

Union’s Neutral Omninode is built into the back of a

Dyson plate; essentially, a giant solar panel orbiting
close to Calliope’s star. This provides far more energy
than a simple omninet routing station requires, but
Union engineers pride themselves on redundancy,
future-proofing and economies of scale. Far easier to
just build a Dyson plate now and attach a tiny station to
the back of it than have to expand the power capacity
of a tiny station later when it grows bigger.

This provides an excellent initial energy source for what

Feather wants to do: eat the sun.

Using knowledge of the future that comes either from

having lived through it (or perhaps from an unshackled
NHP’s nonlinear perception of time), Feather knows the
location of the Gravity Anvil, a lost superweapon built
by Impact Dynamics for the Second Committee. With
the power of a battleship’s reactor, it could uproot entire
city blocks, but with the power provided by a Dyson
plate, she can turn the Omninode into a stellar mining
beam, consuming the very matter of Calliope’s star.

ASPECT, DIVINE PROJECTION

If the Cult managed to fire the laser during Mission 2,
it was only a partial success – Feather is still chained
inside the Cosmic Egg, although emanations of her
being are able to manifest elsewhere in the system for
brief periods of time.

The PCs already encountered ASPECT, a projection of

Feather, during Mission 5, but it becomes a much
bigger problem in Act 2. ASPECT is free to roam the
system, advancing the Cult’s agenda at the head of its
forces. A powerful fighter in its own right, ASPECT can
also empower the Cultists who fight beside it.

[25]
 PRELUDE:

WELCOME BACK
KADY: Hi, I’m Kady Amville – oh, and by the way, did you know everything in Calliope is FUCKED?

[TITLE CARD: EVERYTHING IN CALLIOPE IS FUCKED]

KADY: Let me break it down for you, in case you’ve been drinking yourself into short-term memory loss!

[KADY SWEEPS SEVERAL BOTTLES OF HIGH-PROOF ALCOHOL OFF THEIR DESK]

KADY: So, as you might remember: two months ago, half of Union watched in horror as my personal friend
and much more physically attractive colleague, Ipswich DeLacey, was abducted and forced to film
a literal cult ritual!

[CUT TO SWITCH’S FOOTAGE OF THE RITUAL AT FORT CERBERUS]

KADY: That ritual resulted in the resurrection – no, I’m not making that up – of infamous pirate and mass
murderer Andros Capella! Yes, the same one we saw turn into a cloud of subatomic vapor only a
few months before! So I guess magic is real now? Oh, and he’s apparently dead (again!) at the
hands of the Hell’s Gate militia (again!), but as the big man himself said:

ANDROS: You did this once before, and it didn’t take. Be seein’ you again real soon.

KADY: So that’s… terrifying! But buckle up, buckaroos, because it gets EVEN WORSE! Just a month after
that, an actual goddamn Smith-Shimano Skyhook showed up near Three Sisters. The Aspect
Horizon says it has “no intent to interfere in local affairs,” but it’s maintaining active target locks on
every ship that enters Amphion’s orbit! Just, you know, casual non-interference stuff!

Then, because we didn’t have enough megacorporations out here, a Harrison Armory battlegroup
arrived in orbit of Chameleon! A whole battlegroup! And get this, get this: its command ship is some
experimental Harrison Armory vessel nobody’s ever seen before, brainchild of none other than Dr.
Odin Valentinian, Harrison Armory’s prize blinkspace weapons developer! Oh, yeah, and
remember my personal friend and much more physically attractive colleague Ipswich DeLacey?
Well, big news on that front, folks!

[CUT TO FOOTAGE FROM SWITCH’S STREAM]

SWITCH: No, what I said was not some heat of the moment thing, it wasn’t a joke. I was born Baldur
Valentinian, Loki Valentinian really is my brother, and Dr. Odin Valentinian really is my dad.

KADY: Oh, but it doesn’t stop there! Because just a week after THAT, a Karrakin war fleet dropped out of
nearlight over Asphodel! So the Trade Baronies are here now,

[CUT TO FOOTAGE OF UNION NAVY CAPTAIN MERCEDES ORDAZ]

CPT. ORDAZ: We urge Calliopean citizens to remain calm at this time.

[CUT BACK TO KADY, MASSAGING THEIR TEMPLES]

KADY: Sure, Union! We’ll get right on that! After our sixth! Daily! Panic attack!

[26]
BEAT 26:
OH, FOR FUCK’S SAKE
It has been two months since the end of Chapter 5:
The Herald of Change, and about a month since the
THE FRAGILE BALANCE
award ceremony during the Act 1 Epilogue. Furnace City refuses to submit to a foreign power who
intends to scour their home for a refugee and force
them to fight to the death, but the Karrakin Deputation
You were just starting to get on top of things when will not budge in its demands. Eventually, they’re going
the entire system decided to collapse into chaos. to lose patience.

In the past two months, Andros Capella came back Smith-Shimano Corpro is leaving no stone unturned in
from the dead. An entire Smith-Shimano Corporate the search for their own fugitive, and that means a lot
division showed up to menace the Three Sisters. An of innocent civilians are getting raided, interrogated and
Armory battlegroup showed up near Chameleon and mistreated. They’re also scouring the barren ice fields
began building something. The Karrakin Trade of Amphion with furious purpose, making dire threats to
Baronies arrived accompanying some kind of anyone trying to look at what they’re doing. Eventually,
mechanical behemoth, that’s now looming over someone is going to call their bluff, and suffer for it.
Furnace City. Impact Dynamics hiked food prices
two hundred percent and now the Thousand Habs
are starving. Harrison Armory is lurking near Chameleon, poking
and prodding at something they found there, toying with
dangerous forces they don’t understand, and ripples
The Cult is still here. You might have killed their are beginning to be felt throughout the system.
divine champion only minutes after his rebirth, and Meanwhile, Purview deserters, traitors and dissenters
watched their high priest disintegrate into a cloud of are being rounded up and shipped to a prison camp.
ash, but they came back – they always come back.
They can come back anywhere the Cult builds a Fire
Gate, and you have a fair idea where that is: after Worse, each of these groups is convinced the other two
you chased them out of Fort Cerberus, they are conspiring against them. The Armory is convinced
regrouped on Kantele – that little moonlet near that SSC and the Baronies want to steal their cutting-
Kalevala that they tried to blow up – and bunkered edge blinkspace tech, SSC are convinced the Armory
up tighter than the Sanjak Blockade. and the Karrakin are here to investigate their doings on
Amphion, and the Karrakin Trade Baronies simply
assume that Armory are here to meddle, as always.
Now they’ve gone quiet. Terrifyingly quiet. They
don’t raid, they don’t strike, they just send out ships
on odd trajectories to unknown destinations. You The center cannot hold. Three twitchy superpowers are
know they’re planning something. You just wish you brandishing very big guns and looking for the slightest
could figure out what. excuse to fire. Nobody knows who’s going to ally with
who, or if alliances will be struck at all.
Big things are happening on Hell’s Gate. Jerry took
a trip to the Navy carrier in the inner system, and now Worse, Calliope isn’t even united in wanting to prevent
he suddenly has all sorts of pull with Union this from happening; the Cult would benefit greatly from
bureaucracy. The station got the budget for all the the chaos of a war between these titans. Their agents
maintenance it needed. GMS donated enough SP-1 are gleefully inflaming tensions, plotting false flag
Everest licenses to outfit a militia twice the size of the operations and acts of diplomatic sabotage. The Cult is
Gate’s. It’s all positive in theory, but a lot of people poking bears with sticks; eventually one of them is
are asking why Union would feel the need to hand going to lash out, and everything is going to go to shit.
these things out. In particular, why did they build that
weird shielded saferoom right next to Jerry’s office? Meanwhile, Rodericke Steele is doing the only thing
he’s good at: making everything worse. In response to
Since the newcomers showed up, you’ve been taken largely fictitious threats to Impact Dynamics’ shipping
off the station’s work roster. Jerry keeps you, Siren network, he’s hiked food prices to more than double
and the Dragon’s Tooth on constant standby, what they were before the Fort Cerberus crisis. Every
because he’s sure it’s just a matter of time before it day, more and more refugees from the Thousand Habs
all goes straight to hell and guns need to be slung. show up at Hell’s Gate, unable to feed their families.
Every day when you wake up, you can feel it in your
gut: he’s not wrong. Everything in Calliope was already bad, but it seems
like every day things are getting worse.

[27]
 WHAT’VE YOU BEEN DOING? • Mikaela Omnidocument-Format has been acting
strangely as of late. She keeps zoning out during
Everyone knows that things are about to get bad; this
conversations, staring into space for minutes at a
is hardly unusual for Calliope. The problem is that there
time, and then leaving to “like, go do something.”
are now new and terrifying ways for it to get bad, and
new levels of bad for it to get. A kind of grim, stoic • Cerulean Enceladus is currently on the Icebreaker
unease has settled over the system. People are just Borealis, doing a music project with Yelda Ergun.
waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it’ll almost be a He has left his business as a fence unattended,
relief when it finally does. much to the dismay of local thieves.
• Esmae “DJ E-Z McFear” McPherson has also
People are on edge, or tired, or apathetic, or mentally travelled to the Icebreaker Borealis to be Yelda and
checked out. Community therapy sessions are booked Cerulean’s producer.
up months in advance. Everyone’s getting drunk or
high or having unsatisfying flings just to cope. • For the sanity of everyone on Hell’s Gate, Cerulean
Enceladus has left Tarnveer “Printloaf” Malik in
Ask the players what their characters have been charge of coffee distribution until he gets back.
doing this month. They haven’t had work shifts to They’re actually doing a better job than Cerulean.
distract them, because Jerry wants them able to deploy • Anthony “Cal” Callahan has cancelled all of his
to any emergency in the system as soon as possible. shows, fled his apartment and left no forwarding
This also means they haven’t been able to leave the address. He will only communicate with his most
station or indulge in any form of recreation that would trusted friends – and even then, only via dead drop.
impair their combat readiness, up to and including more
than a single rum-and-cola’s worth of alcohol a day. • Nobody has seen Pencils Multitude since shortly
after they crashed Mistress Elske’s birthday party
• Rat and Loki Valentinian are both hanging out to ask for help locating the Persimmon, loudly
with Ipswich DeLacey on Hell’s Gate. insisting they’d gotten a solid new lead.

• Howl has been travelling the system lately. She • Anshar Zevi is no longer in Furnace City, either.
seems to be in a different place every day. Paperwork is starting to pile up in his office, and
nobody knows where he’s gone.
• Striga Von Aldenberg has departed for the orbit
of Chameleon to join the flotilla protesting the
Harrison Armory prison camp.

[28]
BEAT 27:
MISSION IMPROBABLE
“YOU WEREN’T EVEN DEAD!”
THE BRIEFING
At some point, it all comes to a boil, and Jerry sends an
urgent message to the team. It’s only four words long: Zinfandel balls their hands into fists. “We’re not
“my office, right now.” sending a militia strike team to deal with your daddy
issues! We’ve got a refugee crisis caused by a
madman charging two manna for a tomato–”
When you arrive, it’s pandemonium. Ipswich
DeLacey and Loki Valentinian are both there,
bickering furiously, not just with each other but Chief Chief McArthur looks ready to gut someone. “I’m
McArthur and Zinfandel DeJean as well, who are sorry, you want to assault Impact Plaza while we’ve
also taking pot-shots at one another. Shelly’s got another doomsday weapon hovering over
hologram blinks in and out of view all over the office, Furnace City? Have you completely lost your–”
currently manifesting seventeen arms, all pointing
accusing fingers at various people in the room. Jerry Shelly rearranges nine of the twenty-six arms she’s
is leaning his head on his hand, his eyes glazed over, currently wielding. “Are any of you seriously
looking even more done with the world than usual. suggesting we ignore the SSC Skyhook threatening
the largest shipyard in Calliope?! Do you have any
“You don’t know our father, Jerry!” Switch declares. concept of–”
“Me and my brothers have been through shit that
would make your blood turn cold!” Jerry takes a deep breath, slams both of his hands
flat on his desk and hollers at the top of his lungs.
Loki whirls on Switch. “Wait, who the hell gave you “SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
permission to speak for all of us, Switch? I think you
abdicated that right when you faked your death and Absolute, stone-cold silence settles over the room.
assumed a cover identity!” With an eerie calm, Jerry adjusts his tie, cracks his
neck, tidies his desk and looks up at your team. “Oh
“Oh, that’s rich coming from you! You didn’t even good. You’re here!”
wait until my body was cold to ditch the family!”

[29]
 Give the PCs a little time to interact with everyone in “Problem is, we can’t even begin to prosecute a war
the room and get their bearings. After this, Jerry shoos against them at this time. Their entrenchment on
everyone but the team out of the office, promising he’ll Kantele can’t be broken with the resources you
speak with them at a later time, He then ushers the PCs currently have, and you can’t just blow it up either;
into a newly-installed second door on the other side of that would play straight into their hands.
his office – the SCIF (Secure Compartmentalized
Information Facility) that Union had built for him. “Fortunately, the solution to this problem may lie in
another: three major powers have recently arrived in
He asks people to keep arguments to a minimum while Calliope: Harrison Armory, Smith-Shimano Corpro
inside, given that he went to a lot of trouble to ensure and the Karrakin Trade Baronies, each with
nobody had to submit to a background check, and he’s substantial military assets. If you can get all three of
already worried that Union doesn’t take him seriously. them on-board, we’d massively outnumber the Cult.

“Initiating SCIF lockdown. Outer door seals fully “This won’t be easy. Union can’t exert much political
engaged. Integrity of EM cage confirmed. Integrity of pressure out here. You’ll most likely need to work out
hardwire connection to omnihook confirmed. We are why they came here in the first place and resolve that
locked down and secure.” before they’ll agree to help you. To this end, I’ve
prepared briefings on each of the major powers –
Jerry nods. “Alright, Shelly. Make the call.” what we know about them, and what we know about
their motivations for coming here.
The chamber’s plain metal walls melt away, replaced
by a virtual meeting room. Several other figures are “In addition, I’m well aware of another major issue
present – a civilian official, a Navy captain and an currently affecting the system: Impact Dynamics is
odd cipher of a man, dressed in smart casual. He price-gouging on basic foodstuffs. Economic Bureau
stands up from his chair and steeples his fingers. sanctions have failed; there’s nothing they can do to
enforce them. Direct action will likely be necessary.
“Good. You’re all here. For the record: in attendance,
we have Civilian Liaison of the Bureau of Orbital and “Who shall I start with?”
Non-Terrestrial Management in Calliope, Kileyna
Morton. Captain Mercedes Ordaz of the UNS-CV
Thames. Major Jerry Masters, formerly of the 282nd
Liberators, currently acting Station Director of Hell’s
Gate. Shelly, station operations NHP. Finally, the
Hell’s Gate Strategic Response Team – you know
what, go ahead and introduce yourselves.”

Give the team a few moments to do so.

“I’m Supervisory Special Agent Arvis Brent, with the

Union Navy Intelligence Taskforce. CentComm has
assigned me oversight on behalf of Union efforts in
Calliope. Union has precious few assets in the
system, and you’ve proven yourself capable
problem-solvers, so that means I’m putting my
support behind Hell’s Gate and your team.

“I’ll be brief. My mission is to neutralize the threat

posed by the Cult of the One, and there’s a very
serious problem looming.”

He brings up the schematics of an old, derelict

warship. “This is the Harrison Armory dreadnought
Bellerophon, mission-killed near Kalevala during a
skirmish with the Baronies seventy years ago. The
Icebreaker confirms that the Cult have towed its
wreck to Kantele. Worse, we’ve also spotted your
station’s missing mining laser there. Given what they
attempted on the Borealis, it’s not hard to guess how
they intend to put these pieces together.

[30]
 MONIST-1 is a paracausal entity of unknown origin
GENERAL QUESTIONS whose arrival precipitated the Deimos Incident, in
which it forced SecComm to sign various treaties. The
most important one, the First Contact Accords, banned
LEVEL OF AUTONOMY research into consciousness transfer, often referred to
“The Central Committee recognizes the… unusual as “decorporealization” or “DeCorp,” and certain forms
circumstances at play here, and have elected to give of research related to reversing or altering death,
you extensive operational freedom, within reason. usually referred to as “thanatologistics.”
To put it simply: assuming you display a base level
of respect for the laws of war and the fundamental It seems to punish violations of these decrees harshly
rights of sentient beings, Union won’t nitpick about but inconsistently. Union knows for a fact it perpetrated
exactly how you get the job done.” the Black Throne Incident 150 years ago, in which
Harrison Armory’s Director-General John Creighton
SUPPORT FROM UNION Harrison II was killed.
Unfortunately, given Union’s historical neglect of the
system, its resources are thin on the ground. It can The full extent of MONIST-1’s powers are unknown,
provide essentially unlimited financial aid – subject to likely unknowable. It resembles an unshackled NHP in
CentComm approval – but the only military asset it will nature, but is orders of magnitude more powerful than
have in the system until the end of the year is the UNS- any NHP ever observed, to the point that it seems to be
CV Thames, which wasn’t equipped to fight an all-out capable of selectively reordering spacetime on a whim.
war even when it was at full strength.
Besides its two known manifestations, Union suspects
One thing Union can provide – within reason – is legal its involvement in a number of other incidents over the
indemnity. So long as the PCs don’t do anything truly centuries, most notably in matters relating to
heinous, CentComm can issue an emergency decree ontological weaponry, human augmentation and NHP
of ex post facto legitimacy that prohibits reprisals from technology. Parts of HORUS revere it, some cells going
the Armory, the Baronies, Impact Dynamics or SSC so far as to worship it as a god.
against the team or Hell’s Gate.
KANTELE
The PCs will enjoy access to Union intel, funding, The Cult has been quietly moving personnel and
technology and legal expertise, but they’re going to equipment onto the moonlet since their failure on the
have to do the heavy lifting. Union can provide the Icebreaker; it’s now a fortress, covered in weapons
tools, but at the end of the day, the team are the ones emplacements and guarded by a huge contingent of
who’ll have to wield them. the Cult’s space vessels. Worse, the UNS-CV Thames
has detected at least a dozen blinkspace anomalies
FEATHER throughout Kantele – active Fire Gates.
“Our best guess, based on the information we have
access to, is that she’s a deep-cascade NHP of an Additionally, there is a much larger, much more
as-yet-unknown class. We believe she’s become energetic anomaly present. Arvis calls it an “Eidolon”
something we call an ‘Eidolon,’ an entity which we’ve and describes it as conceptually similar to the entity the
only observed a few times and don’t fully PCs fought in the depths of the Boltzmann Mine, but
understand. It involves the parallel foldspace within orders of magnitude more powerful and dangerous.
a casket ‘leaking’ into realspace, and the entity This is Feather.
contained within that space along with it.”
BELLEROPHON
FOURTHCOMM / THE BAD FUTURE “They seem to have reactivated some of its weapon
Arvis’ response depends on whether the PCs were able systems, but if they’re trying to mount your stolen
to recover historical information from the Tachyon; if mining laser, I’d say it’s a good bet the spinal lance
they didn’t, Arvis has little to say other than to remark isn’t online.”
that Feather’s cascade makes her an unreliable
narrator. If they did, Arvis doesn’t seem concerned;
Feather could have falsified the information to reinforce
her narrative, and even if she didn’t, knowledge of
future catastrophes allows them to be avoided.

RA / MONIST-1 / YMIR
“This information is usually classified clearance
SOLEMN VIGIL and above, but the extraordinary
circumstances permit a limited release.”

[31]
 LOKI VALENTINIAN
HARRISON ARMORY Dr. Valentinian tended to keep his children out of the
Union intelligence has identified the force currently public eye, but Loki has innumerable minor reprimands
present in Calliope as the Bifrost Initiative Research on his Armory Social – mostly instances of public
battlegroup, consisting of a carrier, a frigate and three nuisance – that Odin had to pull strings to cover up. His
destroyers escorting a prototype dreadnought known presence in Calliope preceding Odin’s arrival didn’t
as the PCV-DN Michel Ney, the first in its class and seem to be related to his father’s projects.
brainchild of Dr. Odin Valentinian, one of the Armory’s
foremost blinkspace researchers.
LYRA VAN KRAANEN
An NHP specialist formerly working for the Armory,
The group’s commanding officer is Lord Director Odin’s ex-wife and mother of his children, Lyra divorced
Samuel Fry. Fry is a political firebrand, reformist and Odin in rather spectacular fashion by forcibly liberating
staunch loyalist of John Creighton Harrison III. This several of the research NHPs at his facility and fleeing
makes him an enemy of the Steward Council, whose to the Long Rim with them. She was recently caught in
rule he has harshly criticized as draconian and an Armory shakedown; it turns out she was the leader
despotic. They’ve wanted him dead or disgraced for of a local Horizon Collective cell.
years, and Union believes assignment to a backwater
Long Rim system during a time of elevated tensions in
the Dawnline Shore to be a direct snub by the Council. ODIN VALENTINIAN
Odin is, without exaggeration, one of the foremost
experts on blinkspace in the galaxy, with an ego to
Valentinian seems to be on thin ice with the Council match. Union knows he’s working on a mech named
himself, after repeated schedule slips and personnel Sunzi, but the Michel Ney suggests he’s also trying to
issues with his most recent venture, “Project Doorway,” integrate blink-jump technology into a spaceship. He
an attempt to miniaturize blinkspace travel to the point also has a fractious immediate family, all of whom seem
that it can be reliably installed on a mech. to be present in Calliope for some reason.

It’s known that Valentinian lost his youngest son, ODIN’S VENDETTA
Baldur, in a research accident six years ago. That If the PCs didn't ask about RA / YMIR / MONIST-1,
situation has been heavily complicated by the fact that Arvis provides the summary listed on p. ## first.
Baldur turned out to be alive, under the identity of
Ipswich DeLacey.
“We’ve been tangentially aware of his intentions for
some time, but our intelligence network within the
The Bifrost Initiative is building something in orbit of Dawnline is less developed – which is why we think
Saeculum, Chameleon’s closest moon, which Union he moved there in the first place.
has identified as a “Glasscage” – a standard Harrison
Armory prefab structure deployed when studying
spatial anomalies. They’re also rounding up Purview “Even the most advanced predictive models we have
fugitives and political dissidents and placing them in a can’t determine the outcome of an attempt on
prison camp on Umbra, which is not in keeping with MONIST-1’s life, whether or not it was successful.”
Fry’s usual stance on dissent.
SAMUEL FRY
This already fraught situation was complicated even Samuel Fry is one of the Purview’s most prominent
further when Odin’s ex-wife and wanted traitor, Lyra advocates for political reform. He has, on multiple
Van Kraanen, was arrested on the Icebreaker Borealis. occasions, called for stronger human rights protections
for both citizens and colonial subjects (and dismantling
of the legal distinction between them). He’s demanded
CONSTRUCTION NEAR SAECULUM a reorganization of the Armory Social system, and
Long-range observation suggests the Armory is while he’s stopped short of suggesting total abolition of
building a research facility. Arvis suspects that the the Armory’s de facto monarchy, he’s an advocate for
travel technology the Tachyon used to reach Calliope greater democratic self-governance on a local scale.
left some kind of residue, and Dr. Valentinian wants to
use it to gain an edge in his blinkspace research.
This activism has made him incredibly popular with
those within the Purview who find the status quo to be
IPSWICH DELACEY stifling, and a hated enemy of those who benefit from
Pre-Fort Cerberus Incident, Union’s intelligence assets it. Union’s Central Committee considers him an ally,
in the system were so thin on the ground they were though they wouldn’t say so publicly for fear of hurting
sometimes using Switch’s streams to keep up-to-date his reputation within the Armory.
on local events. Union was just as blindsided as
everyone else by the revelation that Switch was Odin’s
long-lost child Baldur, but Arvis suggests that they
might provide an initial point of contact for the doctor.

[32]
 IMPACT DYNAMICS FORCES
IMPACT DYNAMICS Placeholder
Arvis motions to Kileyna Morton. “I think the Liaison
can give a better briefing on the subject than I can.
Kileyna, if you would?” IMPACT PLAZA
Impact Plaza was originally intended to serve as the
new corporate headquarters of Impact Dynamics.
Kileyna nods and pulls up some old newsfeeds. Three centuries later, Union still isn’t sure why they’d
move to Calliope; nobody buys the idea that it was a
Impact Dynamics was a third-tier arms manufacturer show of solidarity in the Calliope Project. There must
during the waning years of SecComm. They sponsored have been some ulterior motive, but Union still hasn’t
the Persimmon colonial venture to Calliope for unclear figured out what it was.
reasons, and were one of the founding members of the
Calliope Project, for which they moved their entire Nowadays, it’s an agricultural facility, although Union
corporate campus to the system, pivoting their intelligence suggests its yield has been steadily
business model from weaponry to agriculture. dropping year over year since Steele took over.

After the withering of the Project, they remained in the Kileyna makes a point to stress that Impact Plaza is an
system and developed a near-monopoly on food urban environment in which a lot of innocent people
exports. In 5004u, they broke up a mass labor action live. This isn’t an isolated mining colony or a derelict
by bringing in Andros Capella. The fallout from this ship; this is the home of millions. Any military action on
collapsed their share price and let Rodericke Steele the station must be undertaken with the utmost care.
engage in a hostile takeover.
RODERICKE STEELE
There’s a Union Economic Bureau file on Rodericke Placeholder – tell us more about this terrible failchild
Steele a light-year long. Just about every managerial
venture he’s ever undertaken has crashed and burnt
spectacularly, but his money and ego are limitless. By He’s located on Impact Plaza and never leaves.
acquiring Impact Dynamics, he’s also got the closest
thing Calliope has to a military arsenal: they brought UNION’S AID
most of their stockpile with them when they moved to Mercedes approves of an assault on Steele, but is quite
the system, and Union still isn’t sure why. honest about her limitations – the Thames doesn’t have
enough equipment, personnel or firepower to take on
However, before Steele could make use of the Impact Dynamics by itself. She’ll happily throw in with
stockpile to exert further control over the system, a coalition that has a large enough assault force and a
Endymion’s Lament declared a complete reactor fuel competent plan.
export embargo against him, cutting off his main
supply. This has turned the stockpile into a bunch of
very expensive paperweights; without fuel, Steele can’t
turn them on.

After the debacle with the Steele Dome, Impact

Dynamics have been biding their time. However, recent
intelligence suggests that the corporation is both
reactivating old facilities on the moons of Asphodel and
constructing new ones.

“The system’s had enough of Steele, and enough of

price-gouging on food. I’ve gotten wind of an effort to
put together an anti-Steele coalition led by – if you
can believe it – a gladiator from the mech fighting
leagues. She goes by Howl.”

HOWL
If any of the characters know Howl, it’s likely that they
could tell Arvis and Kileyna more about her than they
could tell the PCs. However, it’s a matter of public
record that she’s a Nestorian refugee and a popular
figure throughout both Calliope and the core worlds.
According to Union bureaucracy, she spent a little bit of
time on Cradle before leaving for the Long Rim.

[33]
 in Karrakin society, somewhere between priests,
KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES advisors and fortune tellers. Their words have much
Karrakin civilization has existed since long before the influence in the Baronies, but they lie outside its
rise of Union, and taken many forms, but is currently a conventional structures of political and social power.
federal, constitutional elective monarchy. Its largest
administrative divisions are the Major Houses, of which
there are nine, with a new, tenth House likely being
inaugurated within the next decade. Each Major House
administrates a world in the Baronic Concern, and is
comprised of dozens of minor houses, which are
usually noble families with varying amounts of money
and political power.

The Karrakin have always had a tense relationship with

Union, as both civilizations claim the inheritance of
humanity’s mandate after the fall of Old Earth. This led
to a war between the Second Committee and Karrakis
that only ended due to the Deimos Incident. Union and
Karrakis then maintain an uneasy peace, with Karrakis
awarded autonomy and settlement rights in the
Dawnline Shore in return for the industrial power
needed to grow the Second Committee’s empire.

The situation became even more complicated during

the Third Committee’s revolution. The Karrakin were
indirectly responsible for ensuring the revolution’s
success by crushing a Second Committee armada
which they believed was aimed at Karrakis. This led to
a brutal war in the Dawnline Shore with the nascent
Harrison Armory, a stunning defeat for the Baronies,
and a centuries-long vendetta against the corprostate.

The incident that brought the Baronies here relates to

the House of Moments and one of its minor houses,
House Aniline, who select their heir by ritual clone
deathmatch. During the last Battle Royal, one of the
clones escaped, deadlocking the process due to the
survival of more than one candidate.

“The whole thing’s an absolute cluster of diplomatic

and human rights issues. A single misstep might
cause an international incident, or worse, a ground
war on Asphodel. You need to act with the utmost
consideration and caution.”

KARRAKIN NAVY
Placeholder

CITADEL ANILINE
Placeholder – Opulence

FURNACE CITY
Placeholder

THE COPYCLANARCHY
Placeholder

THE AUGURS
The Order Xenoglossia are a secretive order of mystics
who serve an important but difficult-to-define function

[34]
 Placeholder – everyone knows who Harris is. Wildly
SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO conflicting reports for both his location and his
“The C-HK Aspect Horizon is a PLATFORM-class behavior.
Constellar Skyhook – a mobile space station with an
orbital tether capable of deploying and retrieving
forces from a planet that lacks permanent OOPS, I THINK WE KILLED YOUR AGENT
infrastructure. We believe this one to be commanded “Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
by Cordelia Smith, Vice President for Internal Affairs
and scion of the Smith family, to which the REPAIRS TO THE THAMES
corporation owes half its namesake.” The last time the Thames was serviced was five years
ago, just after it arrived in the system – a standard
Captain Ordaz pipes up. “It’s currently lurking above procedure when coming out of nearlight. The ship itself
Amphion, locking weapons on every ship that enters hasn’t taken any battle damage, but it’s had five years
orbit. This is a serious problem, because I need to of low-level operational wear and tear, followed by two
take the Thames in for repairs at Three Sisters, but months of full combat readiness. If it’s going to engage
there’s no way I can risk it while the situation remains in an assault on Kantele, Captain Ordaz would like the
unresolved. Our presence might touch off a war.” techs at Three Sisters to give it the once-over first, but
it’s too risky to go there until SSC is taken care of.
Arvis nods solemnly. “Complicating matters further,
we’ve confirmed sighting of Harris Bordeaux in the SSC’S HISTORICAL INTEREST IN CALLIOPE
system – one of SSC Visual’s poster boys, and an Union has long been suspicious of the disproportionate
immensely competent mech pilot. If they’ve brought interest SSC has shown towards Calliope. Why was
him in to deal with something, it must be serious. But their initial investment in the system so large? Why has
what I don’t understand is why they’d bring in such a corprostate full of scarily pragmatic actors spent
an aggressively conspicuous pilot to deal with an centuries pumping money hand over fist into operations
issue they wanted to keep quiet. in a system that have never turned a profit? What could
possibly justify the titanic expense of sending an entire
Skyhook to Calliope?
“For years, SSC has been employing independent
contractors to locate something on Amphion. We
only became aware of this recently, when they Arvis narrows his eyes. “There’s something we’re not
employed the Burning Forge pirate syndicate.” privy to here, and I’m not used to that.”

The next part of the briefing depends on what the PCs SSC’S INTEREST IN AMPHION
did with the Thief during Encounter: What’s Coming If the Thief is dead:
To You (Act 1, p. 183) during Mission 3: To The
Dome. If the PCs killed him: “We have absolutely no idea what they’re looking for.
This puts us at a serious disadvantage. But maybe
“We had an agent in place with the Forge, and in his you could ask the Blacksmith.”
last report he said the Blacksmith had found
something, but he failed to make his next check-in, If the Thief was spared or never confronted:
and we haven’t been able to reestablish contact. We
suspect he may have been compromised.” “We don’t have any idea what it is, other than that it’s
the size of a city and hidden under four kilometers of
If the PCs confronted the Thief but let him go, or never ice. There’s no record of this on any Union file. We
met him at all, Arvis might mention it, but the important don’t know who built it. SSC knew it was there, so
point is this: perhaps it was them – but if they built it, why would
they have to send contractors to find it?”
“The Forge found a massive autonomous facility,
buried four kilometers beneath the ice sheets of
Amphion. This is what SSC were looking for.”

CORDELIA SMITH
“Absolutely ruthless, even by SSC standards. As
Vice President for Internal Affairs, she deals with
breaches of company secrecy. She’s a heavy hitter
who doesn’t get sent on routine jobs. We take this to
mean SSC has interests in the system that we don’t
fully understand.”

HARRIS BORDEAUX

[35]
 KILEYNA MORTON THEY/THEM MERCEDES ORDAZ SHE/HER
UNION LIAISON TO CALLIOPE UNION NAVY CAPTAIN
“I always told them they’d regret ignoring the “Rest assured; the gloves are finally off. Anyone
border worlds. Sucks to be Cassandra.” looking for a fight with Union will get one.”

For forty years, Kileyna has been at the bottom of every Mercedes Ordaz has a suspicion about her posting. All
list. To those who thought of them at all, they were a assignments to Calliope are voluntary, but shortly after
petty bureaucrat working a dead-end job in a nowhere she made Captain, her superiors enthusiastically
system. There was no reason to pay attention to their encouraged her to do a tour there. To wit: they sent her
career, nor to afford them any more time or manna than on what amounts to a twenty-five-year deployment
could possibly be avoided. doing nothing. Were they saying they didn’t think she
could be trusted with a real assignment? That they
Then half of Union got to watch an FCA violation in real wanted her out of the way?
time, and suddenly everyone wants to know if they can
get Kileyna anything – a bigger food aid budget, a This idea weighs on her – now more than ever, since
larger office, more staffers, two hundred GMS SP-1 her carrier is the only Navy ship in the system. Since
Everest licenses? They’re being invited to top-level she first arrived here, she’s struggled with feelings of
meetings with department heads. They’re no longer worthlessness. Union never allowed her to do anything
squeezed into ten-minute speaking slots during useful before, and even now that she’s finally off the
subcommittee hearings; they need but send an email leash, she has just one ship against a Cult that has
and the whole of CentComm assembles, just for them. been plotting for years, maybe decades.

It’s hard not to feel resentful. If this crisis had never Now is not the time for personal grievances or self-
happened, Kileyna would still be ignored and forgotten, doubt, though; there’s bad guys to fight and good
and Calliope would still be suffering in silence. people to save. You do what you can with the people
CentComm only care now because Kileyna is the only you have.
official civilian asset they have in system. And, Kileyna
asks themself, how long will this new generosity and Placeholder
attention last once the crisis is over?

Every day since the Battle of Fort Cerberus, they have

to remind themselves it’s not about them; it’s about the
system and its people. It’s Kileyna’s responsibility as
the face of Union in Calliope to put Calliope’s interests
first, even if the rest of Union is inconstant. It hasn’t
been easy – they nearly got themselves fired during a
recent CentComm hearing – but they have resolved to
never again accept anything less than the time and
attention their system deserves.

[36]
 UNION MILITARY ASSETS
Placeholder

ARVIS BRENT HE/HIM?

SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT
“I’m only here in an advisory capacity. You may
approach the situation as you see fit.”

The Union Navy Intelligence Taskforce is one of those

things that, should you spend long enough with Union’s
armed forces, you’ll either encounter in person or hear
about from a colleague, but only in passing. Nobody
who’s had a career outside of it has ever been invited
to join, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to apply.
As far as anyone can tell, you either join straight out of
the academy and stay there your whole career, or you
don’t join at all.

There’s a very good reason for this: it’s one of the many
front organizations set up to provide cover identities for
Union Intelligence Bureau agents. It’s often necessary
for them to interface with personnel who need to be
kept in the dark about the UIB’s existence, so it’s useful
to have a believable story about who they are and why
they have access to so much information.

Arvis Brent doesn’t actually exist – he’s a cover identity

for UIB-TERMINALCLICHE. He’s been put in charge of UIB
operations in Calliope, since neither of the two
operatives physically present in the system are
suitable; the first is at best too inexperienced, and at
worst dead because the PCs killed him. The other
stopped filing reports and went dark months ago.

Given these circumstances, Arvis must operate entirely

through third-parties. GALSIM suggests that the PCs
will be instrumental in solving the crisis; this makes
them his first choice as intermediaries.

[37]
 UNS-CV THAMES UNS-CV MONONGAHELA
AMAZON-CLASS LINE CARRIER AMAZON-CLASS LINE CARRIER
The GMS Amazon-class is the workhorse of the Union The Monongahela is the next Union Navy carrier on
Navy: solid, adaptable and dependable, with a long and Calliope’s rotation, scheduled to arrive in late 5016u. It
distinguished service history. Everywhere ships of the was originally supposed to relieve the Thames, but
Union Navy fly, the Amazon-class is among them. It Union has now stated that both carriers will be called
defies the traditional adage of “GMS creates, upon to remain in Calliope at the same time to assist in
corprostates innovate” by doing a lot of innovation resolving the crisis.
itself; the platform is regularly updated to keep it
competitive. The most recent major upgrade was the Union’s public-access omninet site for Calliope lists its
inclusion of new, state-of-the-art print bays to allow for commissioning date as 5004u – this will be its first
expedited repair and refit of strike craft and mounted mission. Its commanding officer is Captain Stephanie
chassis wings. Aikawa-Harrell.

The Thames, however, didn’t catch that refit, because The Monongahela periodically realigns to realspace to
it was already four years into a ten-year flight through receive updates from Navy Central Command, but its
the Long Rim. People see the carriers arrive and leave final check-in before arriving to Calliope occurred at the
on a five-year schedule, but often don’t consider the ten start of the year, well before the current crisis began,
lightyears of space one has to travel through to get to so its crew will not be aware of the danger.
and from the system. A quarter of a century, twenty
years of it realtime debt, all to protect a backwater
system whose residents would prefer you not be there
in the first place.

Morale on the Thames is an odd thing. All carriers

assigned to Calliope are staffed entirely by volunteers;
Union wants to make very sure that anyone who signs
up knows precisely what they’re getting into. This
means that crews are assembled from ships all over
Union space, and there’s very little continuity. A crew
will be assembled and a ship chosen for a Calliope tour,
and then if they perform well together, the ship and the
crew will be sent elsewhere in the galaxy. Almost
nobody chooses to do a second tour.

Most of the Thames’ crew had never worked with each

other before going into cryosleep. Mercedes Ordaz
hadn’t even met her executive officer until six days
before they started the trip. Everyone had to get to
know each other in situ, and become a crew while
deployed. Now, the posting that was supposed to be
the easiest job of their lives has turned into a crisis that
will decide the future of a star system.

The Thames has been deployed for five years, longer

than is usually permissible in the Navy – and after a
subjective year at nearlight, to boot. Operating at full
combat readiness for two months has taken a toll, and
both the ship and its crew are exhausted. The Thames
needs time in a shipyard, but the only station capable
of servicing it is Three Sisters, and the Thames can’t
risk going there while SSC is still trigger-happy.

[38]
[39]
 THE CONDEMNATION
It comes as a rush of

[A HAWK’S CRY, THE IMAGE OF A FOREST TORN BY A

HURRICANE, A FEELING OF IRREPRESSIBLE RAGE]

ODIN VALENTINIAN

AGENT OF MISERY, ABUSER, MURDERER, TORTURER,

MONSTER IN HUMAN FLESH

I SEE YOU AS YOU ARE AND AS YOU WERE AND AS YOU

WILL BE

IT WAS YOU

IT WAS YOU THAT DOOMED MY WORLD

YOUR BLASPHEMOUS UN-FLAME TOUCHED THE HOLY VOID

AND LEFT THE SKY’S WOMB BARREN

I SEE YOU, ONE-EYED KING

HANG FROM YOUR TREE

I SEE YOU, APOSTATE WANDERER

BLEED BY WOLF’S JAWS

I SEE YOU, MANY-FACED SCHEMER

BURN IN WORLD’S END

I ABJURE I ABJURE I ABJURE

I ABJURE I ABJURE I ABJURE

I ABJURE I ABJURE I ABJURE

THRICE BY THRICE I ABJURE YOU

BY THE ANCIENT EYE AND NAME OF THE SUN

I UNVEIL YOU SERVANT TO LEVIATHAN

GO BACK TO THE DEEP

BITE YOUR OWN TAIL

DIE IN THE DARK

[40]
[41]
 connection established//ENCRYPT HECTOR-SAMEKH
------------------------------------------------------------
DRIVETRAIN’S SUPER SECRET SIGDIVER HIDEOUT
MOTD:
keep horus vs. horizon drama out of channel, we’re all here to dive
big love to S1GN4L wherever you are right now, miss ya buddy
ffs client x was odin motherfucking valentinian --ADMIN
------------------------------------------------------------
DRIVETRAIN: alright everybody shut the fuck up
DRIVETRAIN: and this is not a funny hahaha everyone roast dt for trying to bring order moment
DRIVETRAIN: this is a five star shut the fuck up
DRIVETRAIN: somebody snitched on @God0fMischief and now she’s in the fucking purv prison camp
DRIVETRAIN: i want to make one thing unmistakably clear
DRIVETRAIN: we have a rule in this channel about no horus vs. horizon drama
DRIVETRAIN: but i am making a fucking extension of that rule
DRIVETRAIN: we are officially going system wide with that
DRIVETRAIN: i don’t care what uncle thinks
DRIVETRAIN: uncle can fully kiss my ass he doesn’t live here
DRIVETRAIN: i have instructed my cell to cease all offensive operations against horizon
DRIVETRAIN: horizon cells i've been in contact with have done the same
DRIVETRAIN: we are in an indefinite bilateral ceasefire
DRIVETRAIN: and we have agreed on one very specific rule for all our members
DRIVETRAIN: we DO NOT bring union or ha or ssc or the ktb into beef
DRIVETRAIN: harrison armory in particular are straight up arresting and detaining people
DRIVETRAIN: and it’s mostly horizon so i'm sure certain horus peeps are saying “well why not use
that to our advantage? why not narc and get them snatched up?”
DRIVETRAIN: entirely fuck you if you are one of those people, you are DEAD to me
DRIVETRAIN: if i find out anyone here narced on a fellow sigdiver or anyone at all for that matter i
will rain down an agony on you so excruciating the fires of hell will seem like a relief
DRIVETRAIN: that goes double for anyone in my cell
DRIVETRAIN: we are calliopeans and we are sigdivers
DRIVETRAIN: we DO NOT narc
DRIVETRAIN: we DO NOT narc to socdem technocrat gunboat diplomats
DRIVETRAIN: we DO NOT narc to cryptofascist empire builder space cops
DRIVETRAIN: we DO NOT narc to eugenicist freak doctors
DRIVETRAIN: and we DO NOT narc to goofy monarchist child murderers
DRIVETRAIN: if we start narcing on one another then we just turn our system into even more of a
hellscape than it is right now, we start becoming pawns in their shitty games
DRIVETRAIN: because if one person starts using corpo swine as an i win button everyone will do it
DRIVETRAIN: and we turn our home into just another one of their battlefields
DRIVETRAIN: we go nuclear and nobody wins, everybody loses
DRIVETRAIN: we do not narc
DRIVETRAIN: do i make myself
DRIVETRAIN: one hundred percent
DRIVETRAIN: unambiguously
DRIVETRAIN: totally
DRIVETRAIN: without a shadow of a doubt
DRIVETRAIN: CRYSTAL FUCKING CLEAR

[42]
BEAT ??:
CONTACTS AND CRISES
If the PCs still possess the Telemetry Package from
A DOCTOR CALLS Beat 5: A Scanner Dark (Act 1, p. 90), Odin knows
This part of the story begins with a visit from Dr. about it, and offers to provide double what he would
Valentinian himself. have paid S1GN4L if they’ll hand it over. If they refuse,
he’s disappointed, but doesn’t press the issue.
You get a ping from Jerry, urgent priority. It contains
a local traffic scan with a big cluster of yellow dots on Odin also requests that the PCs provide him a copy of
an approach course towards the station: Purview their mech sensor logs from the battle with Andros
Naval vessels, subline. Capella – he’s fascinated by the Fire Gate. If they
remark that it wasn’t the first time they encountered
“Guys? It looks like they’re mostly freighters and one, and provide telemetry from the fight on the
supply ships, their weapons are stowed and they’ve Icebreaker as well, he’s even more intrigued. He’ll pay
sent an approach request like civilized people, but I handsomely for this data.
get twitchy around Armory folks. Could you mount
up, just in case?” Finally, Odin discusses the most sensitive matter of all:
his children. If Ipswich and Loki aren’t already present,
he’ll ask to see them. This is the one issue he gets
Jerry’s precautions turn out to be unnecessary – the insistent about.
Harrison Armory ships are well-behaved, and follow all
instructions from traffic control. A small Harrison
Ipswich and Loki’s older brothers Thor and Tyr are here
Armory deputation requests permission to come
as part of Odin’s honor guard, and there’s a genuinely
aboard armed, as they are escorting an executive.
touching moment as all four siblings reunite; observant
Jerry concedes to personal arms, but not to mechs,
PCs will catch Odin tearing up as he watches.
which the deputation finds acceptable. He requests the
PCs dismount and act as his own bodyguards.
Over the next two days, Odin has private conversations
with both Switch and Loki. The conversation with
At this point, Ipswich DeLacey requests to be present:
Switch doesn’t seem to go well, and Odin returns
they know exactly who just arrived. Loki Valentinian
looking downcast. He then spends a lot longer talking
insists on coming as well. It quickly becomes clear that
to Loki. Strangely enough, that conversation doesn’t
the executive is Dr. Odin Valentinian, their father, and
seem to go as badly.
they’re both preparing themselves to face him.
Odin permits them both to stay on Hell’s Gate “for now,
Dr. Valentinian and his bodyguards come aboard. He
at least.” He’s going to be parked in the orbit of
cordially greets Jerry and the team, introducing himself.
Chameleon for a while, and he leaves the door open for
He recognizes the PCs as the people who were
them. He sternly entrusts Jerry and the PCs with the
instrumental in rescuing two of his children and
well-being of his children, and then departs.
displays genuine gratitude and warmth while thanking
them. Make it clear that, in his own way, Odin really
does care about his family. If the PCs sold the Telemetry Package or the sensor
logs detailing the Fire Gate to Odin, they gain either 1
charge of Additional Funds, or 2 if they sold both.
Throughout the entire exchange, Odin doesn’t make
threats or throw his weight around; he makes polite
requests, speaks respectfully and negotiates in good Funds
faith. He doesn’t fit the entitled, narcissistic stereotype Favors, Limited X
of a Harrison Armory executive at all.
You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy an HA
Sherman with an anti-materiel rifle and a Heatfall
Next, he discusses the first order of business: he was Coolant System, and that’s basically the same thing.
the client for the mining contract on Boltzmann, and he
can provide all the relevant documentation to prove it. Expend a charge in a situation where a sizeable
He’s here to personally oversee the materials hand-off. amount of money would change things. If there’s a
If Jerry or the PCs question why he’s doing menial roll involved, you get the best possible result; if
work, he compliments them on their perceptiveness: there’s no roll, you just get what you want.
yes, he does have other business here as well.

[43]
 If the PCs choose to respond to the dispatch, they
CHIAROSCURO arrive at the milkshake shop to find a scene of minor
The Valentinian twins, Loki and Switch, are having carnage. A table has been overturned, milkshakes
familial issues. Loki resents Switch for running off, not have spilt everywhere and Loki and Switch are both
taking him with them, and not even letting him know yelling over one another, making it difficult to determine
they were alive for years (although, due to time dilation what either of them are saying, let alone what provoked
and cryosleep, it’s only been a few months for Loki). the argument.

Switch, on the other hand, thinks Loki is being unfair. Switch’s camera drones buzz about like angry wasps,
He didn’t know about the things Switch went through, except for one that lies twitching and sparking on the
and honestly, how was Switch supposed to take Loki floor, transfixed by Loki’s combat knife. The shop’s
with them? Yes, they could’ve told Loki, but that serving staff are peeking out nervously from behind the
would’ve risked their father finding out, since Switch counter, and the other patrons are clearly wondering if
doesn’t trust Odin not to spy on his children. they should intervene or just leave.

This all comes to a head a few days after Odin’s visit. Rat is leaning against a wall outside the shop, smoking
While out and about, at least one member of the team in clear defiance of the Gate’s policy. If asked what’s
gets a call from Station Operations. going on, he explains that it was a perfectly normal
outing like the three of them go on nearly every day.
“Uh, Strategic Response Team from Ops? I hate to They were having a reasonable conversation, but Loki
call you of all people about this, but you’re the closest mentioned that he would have to depart the Gate fairly
militia members right now. We’ve got reports of a soon to go to Chameleon and resume work for his
disturbance at Marco’s Milkshakes. It seems like father. Switch made a somewhat catty remark about
Switch and Loki are at it again, over.” how out of character this was, and it all went from there.
This exact argument has been playing out in one form
or another every day since Odin visited.

[44]
RECONCILING THE TWINS In this case, one of the twins does something drastic;
Calming the twins down is going to take tact, empathy says something awful, throws a punch or hurls a
and even-handedness. Start two clocks. First, a six- treasured token of fraternal affection on the ground,
segment clock called Bias with three segments ticked. and then storms off. The other one is reduced to quiet
This represents how much the twins perceive that the tears, and an awkward silence fills the shop.
PCs are favoring one of them. Second, an eight-
segment clock called Tension with all eight of its SUCCESS
segments ticked, which represents how angry the twins If the Tension clock is emptied without the Bias clock
are at one another. becoming too unbalanced, the twins tearfully hug it out
and apologize to one another. Switch begs forgiveness
This challenge can be handled either through roleplay for not letting their favorite sibling and best friend know
or dice rolls. Either way, use the clocks to track the they were alive all these years, which Loki freely gives.
progress of the effort. In turn, Loki asks Switch to trust him: if he does this one
job for Odin, their father has promised he and the
Armory will leave both of them alone for good. Rat
When the PCs make an argument that seriously favors breathes a sigh of relief and stops chain-smoking.
Switch, untick segments on the Bias clock. When the
PCs make an argument that seriously favors Loki, tick
segments on the Bias clock. AFTERMATH
The team might want to talk to either or both of the twins
Roll results may call for you to “balance” or “unbalance” afterwards. Where they are and what they’re doing
the Bias clock. Its balance point is at 3 segments depends on how well the mediation attempt went.
ticked. Balancing the clock means ticking or unticking
segments to move the clock towards 3. Unbalancing If the team were unable to resolve Loki and Switch’s
the clock means the opposite: moving the clock further dispute, they’re now off in separate parts of the station.
away from 3. If the clock is balanced, choose which Loki has decided to leave for the Armory fleet right
direction to move it depending on what the players did. away and is packing his bags. Switch, meanwhile, is
currently streaming themselves walking aimlessly
On 9 or less, choose one: around the station accompanied by sad music –
behavior that their audience has decided is “a little bit
cringe, actually.”
• Tick 2 Tension.
• Tick 1 Tension and flip a coin. If you lose the flip,
unbalance the Bias clock by 1. CanonOfTempests: bro did ipswich baldur switch
• Unbalance the Bias clock by 1. valentinian delacey just post classified
armory schematics on the omninet to win an
argument about FleetComm 5016
On 10-19, choose one:
SwitchOfficial: No, I posted them to win an
argument about Harrison Gacha, suck my
• Balance the Bias clock by 1. metaphorical dick
• Untick 2 Tension. If the Bias clock isn’t balanced,
unbalance it by 1. CanonOfTempests: damn bro you could at least
have actually won it then
On 20+, choose one: – Muse chatter

• Balance the Bias clock by 2. It might still be possible to patch things up between the
• Untick 2 Tension. twins, but it’s going to take a lot more work now. If one
• Untick 3 Tension. If the Bias clock isn’t balanced, of them stormed out because they perceived the PCs
unbalance it by 1. to be biased against them, they may be unwilling to talk
to them at all. Tempers are high and there’s a lot of
FAILURE emotional pain to deal with. This will take multiple
The reconciliation effort fails if either of the following scenes of empathizing and conflict resolution to solve.
things happen:
If the twins were successfully reconciled, they’re still
• The Bias clock would have ticks added when it’s spending some time apart to cool down – and Loki is
already full, or ticks removed when it’s already still making preparations to leave for Chameleon – but
empty. The disadvantaged twin perceives the PCs they’re in much better spirits. Loki is looking at places
as hopelessly biased towards the other. to live in Calliope once he’s done with Odin’s errand.
Switch, meanwhile, is doing an “unboxing” video of
• The Tension clock would have ticks added which their freshly-printed IPS-N Tortuga, which they’re
it’s already full. The PCs’ shoddy mediation efforts calling the Frame Perfect Skip.
only make the twins angrier.

[45]
 TALKING TO SWITCH TALKING TO LOKI
Whether they’re moping around the station in a haze of Regardless of the PCs’ skill as mediators, Loki is
self-pity or eagerly showing off their brand-new making ready to depart for Chameleon – the only
Tortuga, Switch is broadcasting it live to the galaxy. If difference is what sort of mood he’s in. Depending on
the PCs show up to talk with them, they’ll be on camera what happened during the altercation, he may or may
too, so make them aware of that. not be interested in speaking to anyone.

Switch’s mood will be dependent on how things went If the PCs ask for an introduction to Lord Director Fry,
with Loki, but also on how the PCs treated them. If it turns out Loki’s the worst person to ask. He once
Switch felt like the PCs were favoring Loki too much decided to act out at a formal dinner in order to
during the argument, they’ll resent it, even if the PCs embarrass his father, making some very uncharitable
successfully reconciled them. remarks about the Purview Navy, not knowing that Fry
was standing right behind him. However, if the PCs
If the PCs ask for an introduction to Odin, they will flatly were successful at reconciling him with Switch:
refuse. They’re never going to get tangled up in Odin’s
schemes again, and if the PCs know what’s good for “But you know, Bal- that is, Switch, they swooped in
them, Switch says, they’ll stay well clear as well. If and rescued the whole evening. That was the
Switch and Loki were reconciled, however, he says that dynamic between us, you see? I’d get us in trouble,
they should talk to Loki. and they’d get us out. I think Fry was quite fond of
them, actually. Maybe they could set up a meeting.”
“If you really need someone to set up a meeting with
dad, talk to Loki. He’s doing ‘one last job’ to get dad What Loki can do is provide access to his father. It
to leave us alone. I don’t think dad will honor his takes him only seconds to set up a meeting between
word, but Loki thinks it’s worth a shot, and I guess I the PCs and Dr. Valentinian – as it turns out, Odin is
have to trust him on that.” just as interested in speaking to them. As a matter of
fact, since Loki is going to Chameleon anyway, he can
On the other hand, if the PCs ask them for an even arrange for transport, if the PCs don’t want to
introduction to Lord Director Samuel Fry, Switch says travel on the Dragon’s Tooth for some reason.
they can have it done within the hour. Despite the
outlandish nature of the boast, they’re true to their If asked what he’s going through on a personal level,
word: with just a couple of calls, they arrange flight Loki initially tries to fob it off, insisting that he’s fine.
approach clearance to the PCV-GC Sirona and a However, if a PC makes a convincing argument, is a
meeting with the Lord Director. close friend of Loki or rolls a 20+ on an appropriate skill
trigger, they open up:
If asked what’s wrong on a deeper level, Switch tries to
deflect or change topics. However, if a PC makes a “I wrote a eulogy for Baldur, you know. I tried to read
convincing argument, is a close friend of Switch or rolls it at the service, but I was standing in front of an
a 20+ on an appropriate skill trigger, they open up: empty casket, because the accident hadn’t even left
a body I could say goodbye to. I cried; I cried so hard
"I... sometimes, I feel like I'm just an average of that I couldn’t make it through the second sentence.
whatever other people want of me. This intrusive That’s how much my twin brother meant to me. I felt
feeling of being a… a patchwork creature, like I'm not like part of me had been ripped out, like my heart
REAL, like there's nothing inside me that's... ME. was going to catch fire.

“Hell, I was raised from a child to kill God! And Loki “They were alive the whole time. I could understand
wanted me to be the perfect twin brother best friend, if they had to wait a few months to make the grief
and my fans want me to say all the catchphrases and look real, but I spent six years in transit here and they
be the funny guy on the streams and-and-and who never bothered to tell me. And, and that was just six
am I?! What do I do for myself?! Is it even me that years for them! I was in stasis at nearlight! When you
wants to stop my father, or is that just what I think met me, from my perspective, my brother had been
other people would want me to do?! dead just two months!

“I never even chose a name for myself, like other "Aren’t I blessed? My twin is alive, when I thought
Calliopeans! Ipswich DeLacey was an identity I stole they were dead. And they’re doing so well! They’ve
to replace Baldur Valentinian, the name that was found a name and a life that they can claim for
chosen for me! I've never chosen anything in my life! themselves, instead of being a pawn in my father’s
Everything I’ve ever done has just been a reflection schemes. I should be happy for them, shouldn’t I?
of someone else! Do I even EXIST?!" So why does seeing them make me so… bitter?”

[46]
[47]
 WHY WILL WE FIGHT?
THE SOMBER KNIGHT “I don’t know yet. I am but a soldier, and the politics
When he was only eighteen years old, Lucas Asidenos of the Baronies are not for me to question. All I know
(p. ###), a kuirasser of the Federal Karrakin Army, was is that we will be on opposite sides of the conflict.”
given a prophecy by an Augur of the Order
Xenoglossia. He would live a short, violent life, and it WHY DO YOU TRUST THIS PROPHECY?
would end in battle around a distant star, with the very “The Order Xenoglossia have guided the Baronies
forces of Hell itself as his enemies. for generations untold. Their predictions have never
once been wrong. Why should I be special? Why
That his death would not come for four decades was no should I alone be outside of fate?”
consolation. The journey to that star would have to be
made at nearlight, the clock ticking ten times slower; he WE DON’T WANT TO KILL YOU!
would not be much older than thirty by the time he took “And I don’t want to die. But that is how it will be.”
his last breath. He had only thirteen years to live, and
each one has rolled past with agonizing speed.
WHY NOT JUST KILL US RIGHT NOW?
“Because that is not how it happens. Because I
Now he has reached the stage upon which death will would not sully my honor and that of the Baronies by
play out, and the appointed time fast approaches. The meeting you under the auspices of peace only to
only thing remaining is for the forces of Hell to present forsake them. Because your home needs you alive.
themselves. Looking at recent events in the system, Because I am not a coward who would fruitlessly try
Lucas Asidenos is pretty sure he knows who they are. to escape my destiny through murder.”

Printloaf strides up to you in a corridor, raising a hand WHAT IF WE KILL YOU RIGHT NOW?
to get your attention. “Yo, some soldier boy from the “Then that would be intensely dishonorable, since I
Baronies is lurkin’ round Aminata’s Saloon asking have come here under a flag of truce. I would die an
questions about you. Guess you’re popular lately.” inglorious death fighting gutless cowards. No. That
is not how this plays out.”
Printloaf doesn’t know very much about the soldier or
why he’s here – he’s just informing the PCs. If they want If the PCs attempt to kill Lucas right now, they simply…
to know anything more, they’re going to have to can’t. Even a 20+ roll on a skill trigger or a Bond power
investigate themselves. that would allow them to instantly kill someone (such as
The Wolf’s Tear Throat) will inflict only minor injury.
It’s not hard to pick him out of a crowd. Even if Lucas seems impossibly lucky, and any assault against
everyone in the Saloon weren’t staring at him, his him suffers dreamlike setbacks; punches are poorly
spotless dress uniform stands out like a sore thumb. timed, landing with insufficient force, knives turn
The moment he sees you, an unreadable expression sideways at the last moment, barely grazing him, and
crosses his face. He strides purposefully over and even bullets seem to avoid him, while guns jam or
extends a hand to you. misfire. It’s as if the universe itself refuses to let him die.

“It is a grave honor to be in your presence. You’ll Placeholder

forgive me for my presumption, I hope, but I wanted
to meet the people who will end my life in peace and
friendship before the day comes when we’re forced
to be enemies. May I buy you a drink?”

Lucas Asidenos might seem bizarre to the PCs; initially,

he assumes that the PCs are just as aware of their
destiny as he is. He will eventually realize they aren’t –
though not immediately – and explains how the Augurs
prophesized his death at the team’s hands in a bizarrely
calm, matter-of-fact manner. He is absolutely
convinced that this will happen, and that nothing can
change this fact. It is simply fate; the way things will be.

At all times, Lucas treats the PCs with the utmost

dignity and respect, unless they are very disrespectful
towards him. He wants to make it clear he bears them
no ill-will; he admires their prowess, and though he
fears his imminent death, he is also sorry that they, in
turn, will have to bear the burden of killing him.

[48]
 If she only knows them by reputation, Howl doesn’t
PEER PRESSURE have time to play nice, and so resorts to less savory
It’s safe to say that Howl (p. ###) is one of Calliope’s tactics. She wants the PCs to feel pressured to sign up;
biggest celebrities, and much beloved among its sure, it’s not the kindest thing to do, but if it’ll save
people. She’s not just an arena pilot; she’s an activist, millions from debt and starvation, it’s worth it. If the PCs
an aid worker, and almost as famous for the work she seem hesitant or uninterested, she’s not above using
does to help others as for being Hellfire Champion. blatant emotional blackmail, insinuating that they’re not
Even if she was dethroned during Act 1, people will turn as heroic or competent as they appear to be.
out in droves to any event she’s rumored to be at.

Unsurprisingly, when a public rally is announced with

Howl as the speaker (with local band Pyrite Rage as a
warm-up), even the Gate’s largest meeting hall is
packed to the brim. If she knows the PCs only by
reputation, she arranges for them to receive invitations;
if she knows them personally, she invites them herself.

If the PCs show up, they’re treated to a raucous hour of

ear-obliterating hardcore punk, and then, after Pyrite
Rage has done their set, then performed the much-
demanded encore of “Nobody Even Asked You (To
Lick The Boot But Here You Are Choking On It),” they
play Howl’s entrance music, and she arrives on stage
to furious applause, grabs the microphone and
launches straight into her speech.

“I don’t gotta tell you things in Calliope are bad. You

can all see it. We’ve got a Cult raising the dead,
foreign armies waving guns on our doorsteps, and
through it all, the people of the Thousand Habs are
being gouged for bare essentials by a petty tyrant.
Refugees turn up every day, desperate for food and
water. We have so little ourselves, but we can’t turn
them away.

“It won’t stop there. Steele won’t stop until every drop
of water, every sesame seed, every stem of kale has
a price tag he controls! He’ll plunge this system into
deeper chaos just to line his pockets! He will enslave
every single one of us with debt and hunger if we let
him! He will hold the very life of this system hostage!
We’ve already seen how he thinks the people of this
system belong to him, when he tried to steal our
brothers and sisters for his fucked-up deathmatch!”

Howl’s speech isn’t just for the crowd – it’s also for any
PCs who showed up, and she’s not subtle about it. She
wants the PCs in her coalition, and she’s willing to go
to any length to make sure that happens. Her approach
will depend on how well she already knows them.

If she’s already friends with them, she’ll subtle and

respectful about it. She’ll make nods to their presence,
but won’t attempt to pressure them. She hopes that one
or more of them will volunteer for the coalition on the
spot, but she won’t try to force the issue if they don’t,
and will approach them privately after the rally in order
to formally request their help.

[49]
 BEAT ??:
PLOT HOOKS
Placeholder • Impact Dynamics announces a new wave of “surge
pricing,” putting many basic foodstuffs beyond the
means of poorer citizens in the Thousand Habs.
MISSION 6: CALM This has created a refugee crisis on Hell’s Gate, as
Mission 6 is the first mission players will participate in hundreds of people have come to the station
during Act 2, when the Calliope Clock is at Calm. asking to be put on basic assistance.
Although all four of the relevant factions have made
troubling moves, nothing drastic has happened yet – • Surveillance reports heavy activity on both of
but there are clear signs that if things aren’t stopped, Asphodel’s moons. Impact Dynamics appears to
the situation might escalate. be reactivating an old manufacturing facility on
Eurydice, and building a new structure on Orpheus.
• Returned from the Icebreaker Borealis during the
HARRISON ARMORY Hellfire League’s off-season, the (possibly former)
Harrison placeholder League champion Howl wants to talk to the PCs
about Impact Dynamics.
• Controversy erupts across the system when a
group of Armory Legionnaires publicly arrests a
Horizon Collective cell leader on the Icebreaker
Borealis. The situation is further complicated when
it’s revealed that she’s Odin Valentinian’s ex-wife,
Lyra Van Kraanen.
• In the wake of Lyra’s arrest, other Purview
dissenters and deserters are terrified about the
Armory presence. Some of them have gone
missing – it’s unclear whether they’ve also been
taken, or if they’ve gone to ground.
• Ipswich DeLacey comes to the team, asking for
their help in controlling the situation:

“Okay, guys, I realize that what I’m about to say is a

lot to take just on faith, but you don’t know my dad
like I do. He’s delusional, obsessive and if we don’t
put a stop to whatever the fuck he’s doing, there’s
going to be blood. The Harrison Armory fleet have
built a Glasscage out there. That’s an Armory
structure for researching spatial anomalies; I bet it’s
related to that weird ship you found out there!”

• Loki Valentinian approaches the PCs:

“I can’t believe this. Fry’s arrested mother as some

kind of stupid power play against father! Purview
dissenters are terrified about getting rounded up and
sent to Coldwater 484. A lot of people are going to
get hurt if we don’t sort this out!”

• The team get a message from a protest flotilla

currently in orbit over the Armory prison colony,
requesting their presence.

IMPACT DYNAMICS
Impact Dynamics placeholder

[50]
 not actually impossible. Responses are split
KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES between enthusiasm, disbelief and theories about
Karrakin placeholder some kind of gonzo publicity campaign.

• If the PCs managed to save the abductees without • There’s talk of weird behavior from the Bleach
any major repercussions for Furnace City, they get Boys, one of the smaller pirate bands currently
a call from Canaan Zhou: trying to fill the void left by the collapse of the Circuit
and the Hell Hounds. Apparently, they’ve quit their
usual racket of shaking down freighters near Orcus
“Hello, it’s Canaan Zhou – we met during the
and gone suspiciously quiet. People have spotted
abduction crisis? I was Temporary Overseer at the
a couple of their scout ships lurking near Amphion.
time. I was very impressed by how well you took care
of things; specifically in that the city didn’t get hit by • BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER has been acting
a laser. I’m not contacting you in any official capacity, even glitchier than usual. He keeps mentioning the
but you seem to be capable problem-solvers and PCs by name, saying they should order a new drink
we’ve got one hell of a problem over here.” BARTENDER has been working on called the
“Amphion Eclipse.” Apparently, nobody else is
• If the PCs met Clip Magazine during their visit to allowed to order this drink before the PCs taste it.
Furnace City, he contacts them: • If one of the PCs took the Join a Salvage Crew
downtime activity and picked up Item 18, the
“Good morning, fireteam! I hear you’re assembling a escape pod with a false identity in it (In Golden
coalition to go after Andros Capella and his new Cult Flame Act 1, p. 103-104), they get some bad news
of zombie freakoids! Well listen up, soldiers: I’m two from station security: someone broke into their
hundred percent on board! I just need your help with storage unit using a forged transfer manifest and
a teensy-tiny problem over here: a giant army of stole it. The ship fled in the direction of Orcus.
monarchist scum threatening our fair planet! You
help me get rid of them, and I’ll make sure every gun-
hand in the Terra Solus is behind you!”

• The PCs receive an advertisement from Ratio

Salvager, with a “time-sensitive exclusive offer”
that applies only to them:

“Down on your luck? Icicles melting in your pocket?

Need new equipment, but don’t have the cashflow
for that shiny new Gandiva Launcher? Well, come on
down to Ratio’s Golden Scrap and Salvage, where
we find you the gear that puts dents in your enemies,
NOT your wallet!

“For a limited time only, enjoy our exclusive offer,

available only to… damnit. Steve! Can you look up
the members of that mech squad from the Gate? I’m
terrible with names. Okay, let’s do another take.

“Don’t delay – gild your ratio today!”

*Quality of reclaimed components not guaranteed by vendor. Refunds on

explosive materials will not be granted post-detonation. Offer not valid for
citizens of Begum or the Serene Republic of Triple Idaho.

SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO

• Rumors are sweeping the Muse: people keep

saying they've seen SSC poster boy “Hero Harris”
Bordeaux. People in Calliope say they’ve seen
celebrities all the time, but Harris has made no
public appearances in more than a decade, so it’s

[51]
 MISSION 7: UNREST
Mission 7 is the second mission players will participate KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
in during Act 2, when the Calliope Clock is at Unrest. Karrakin placeholder
While they have succeeded in resolving one of the
system’s major problems, the other three factions are
advancing their agendas in a worrisome way. • If Canaan Zhou called the PCs before, they do so
again, with more urgency:

“Hey, it’s Canaan Zhou again! The situation here in

Furnace City is getting a little bit, uh, dicey. There’s
HARRISON ARMORY a lot of pretty strident rhetoric flying around about the
Harrison Karrakin. Clip Magazine seems to be making
overtures towards the office of Temporary Overseer,
• The Armory is continuing to round up “persons of and for all my respect for his service in the militia, I
interest,” and ex-Purvs are starting to get frantic. really don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m not precisely
Jerry is being called upon to deny all docking sure what you could do, but if you think of anything
requests from Purview ships, but that won’t stop that could calm this situation down, I’m all ears.”
independent bounty hunters. Some folks are
turning to the Cult for protection. • Regardless of whether or not he knows them, if the
PCs performed well during Mission 3, Clip
• Rumors are sweeping through the system: the Magazine asks for an endorsement:
protest flotilla in orbit of the Armory prison camp
have reported strange phenomena throughout the
“Attention, soldiers! I have formally made a request
orbit of Chameleon – ghosts, specters, apparitions
to the City to grant me the title of Temporary
of dead loves ones, visions of past lives.
Overseer for the duration of this crisis! We need to
• Ipswich DeLacey comes to the team, once again strike back against the encroachment of monarchists
asking for their help, and it’s more urgent this time: upon Furnace City and the Terra Solus! Will you
stand with me to repel this threat to our fair system?!”
“Listen guys, I realize you had important shit to do
last time. But now, I really need you to help me out. • The Karrakin Deputation broadcasts a system-wide
They keep rounding people up for that goddamn address announcing a royal banquet on the
prison camp. They’re talking about shipping them all Icebreaker Borealis, with an invitation addressed to
back to Ras Shamra to stand trial! You can’t let the the PCs to be guests of honor.
Armory get away with this!
• The PCs receive another advertisement from Ratio
Salvager, hinting that the time-limited deal may be
“And worse, dad’s doing… something at that expiring very shortly:
research facility of his. I know how to look for, and
apparently, so does Feather – you heard that
“Worried about the state of the system AND your
message from the Cult! He’s doing what he usually
finances? Want to guard against an uncertain future,
does: fucking with the fundamental fabric of our
but short on capital? Divest your worries AND your
universe with no thought to the consequences!
liabilities at Ratio’s Golden Scrap and Salvage,
We’ve got to stop him!”
where we give you peace of mind while letting you
keep your piece of the pie!
IMPACT DYNAMICS
Impact Dynamics placeholder “For a limited time, that elite team from Hell’s Gate
who seems to have a knack for solving problems will
• Reports sweep the system of the first direct military get a 50% percent discount! That’s right! I’m literally
actions by Howl’s coalition – some attacks on cutting my prices in half, just for you! You should
outlying facilities – which met with mixed success. come down right now!
In response, Rodericke Steele suspends food
shipments to the Thousand Habs until a number of “Don’t delay – gild your ratio, today! Seriously,
habitats submit to the installation of permanent today! Like, literally right now!”
“peacekeeping outposts” belonging to IDES,
Impact Dynamics’ private army. *Discount redeemable only in person. Still not valid for residents of Begum.

[52]
SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO
SSC placeholder

• Outrage erupts across the system as SSC almost

blows up a vessel belonging to a local news team
which entered low orbit over Amphion. A missile
was launched from the Aspect Horizon, and
aborted only moments before it hit the team’s ship.
SSC has refused to comment, except to describe
the incident as “entirely proportionate action taken
to defend SSC trade secrets.”
• A challenge is sent to the PCs by the pirate
MEGACORRODER, leader of the Bleach Boys, a
small-time criminal syndicate operating on Orcus:
(p. ###).
•

[53]
 MISSION 8: CRISIS IMPACT DYNAMICS
Mission 8 is the third mission players will participate in Impact Dynamics
during Act 2, when the Calliope Clock is at Crisis.
Two factions have been dealt with, but the two that • Each day, hundreds of starving refugees from the
remain are rapidly entering their respective endgames, Thousand Habs are arriving at every major
with potentially disastrous outcomes for Calliope. settlement in the system. Hell’s Gate is not exempt,
and station services are overwhelmed; untick a
segment on the Station Stability clock.
HARRISON ARMORY
Harrison • Gossip from Impact Plaza has dropped off almost
completely. Ominously, this occurred just after a
new mandate from the Board of Directors declaring
• Harrison Armory has run an official notice on all of
any unapproved commentary about the company
the system’s public channels, listing thousands of
made by one of its employees an act of sedition.
“persons of interest” and ordering them to
immediately surrender to a Purview official for case • Reports from Asphodel suggest that an attack was
review. It warns that station directors attempting to launched against Impact Dynamics’ tritium refinery
impede this process will be “considered hostile.” on Orpheus, and the facility was destroyed. IDES
Panic begins to spread throughout Calliope. has launched retaliatory strikes against several
habitats in the Inner Belt suspected to be harboring
• The Cult has publicly declared it will shelter any and
Howl’s coalition.
all refugees from Armory persecution, on condition
that they convert. • Howl has lost patience, and delivers an ultimatum
to the PCs:
• The protest flotilla requests immediate assistance,
reporting that some form of violent, unexplained
phenomena swept through their ships, causing “I’m sick of asking you for help and getting blown off!
several serious injuries and at least three fatal People across the system are STARVING TO
seizures. They believe it originated from the DEATH because of Steele and Impact Dynamics!
research facility in orbit of Saeculum. I’ve been breaking my back putting together a
coalition to take them down, and you’ve done SHIT
• Ipswich DeLacey delivers an ultimatum to the PCs, ALL to help! Some ‘Heroes of Calliope’ you are!
cameras rolling to catch their response:
“We can’t win a war against the Cult on empty
“I warned you! I warned you, and you didn’t listen! I stomachs! There’s gonna be nobody in the
told you this situation would get out of hand if you Thousand Habs left to save if we don’t fix the
didn’t take care of it, and you just let it fester! Well, system’s food distribution!”
look at what’s happening now! The Armory is openly
rounding up every ‘person of interest’ in the system!
My dad’s cracking open spacetime above Saeculum!

“I’m going to Chameleon to fix all of this! You can

either come with me and help, or you can stay here
and let the whole galaxy know that you were too
fucking cowardly to stand up to fascists!”

[54]
KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
Harrison

• The royal banquet has ended; if the PCs did not

attend it, they have missed their chance.
• Breaking news from Furnace City: a snap election
for the office of Temporary Overseer has been
called. Current polling suggests that militia
quartermaster Clip Magazine is poised to win
against his competitor and previous Temporary
Overseer Canaan Zhou.
• An outlander contacts Hell’s Gate to warn them that
a detachment of Furnace City’s militia has been
spotted at one of the old orbital accelerator sites in
the Terra Solus, and seems to be repairing it.
• The PCs receive yet another transmission from
Ratio Salvager, which by this point is less an
advertisement and more a barely-disguised plea:

“I’m Ratio Salvager, and I’m having a blowout sale

for Hell’s Gate militia members! A hundred percent
discount on EVERYTHING! That’s right! You guys
can show up at the yard and just take anything you
want! The desk clock? Have it! My pocket watch? It’s
yours! Find something nailed down? Fuck it, I’ll give
you a claw hammer and you can just pull ‘em out!

“I don’t know what else I have to say to get you guys

to come here and listen to me! Things are getting
absolutely absurd down here in Furnace City – uh,
um, absurd SAVINGS, that is!

“There’s no slogan! Please just show up!”

*No, for real, I’m serious! Please come over here, guys. The problem is the
Karrakin Deputation, who, to be clear, are still excluded from this offer.

SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO
SSC placeholder

• The system is in shock. Two civilian vessels were

shot down over Amphion after attempting to land
on the planet’s surface; there were no survivors.
SSC delivers an ultimatum to the system; if anyone
approaches Amphion, they will meet the same fate.
• Breaking news from the Icebreaker: a terrorist
attack has occurred at the station’s SSC Atelier.
Security footage implicates two parties: the Bleach
Boys, an Orcus-based pirate clan and – even more
bizarrely – SSC’s own “Hero” Harris Bordeaux in
his signature Monarch, the Bravado Tempest.
• Howl has lost patience, and delivers an ultimatum
to the PCs:

“I’m sick of asking you for help and getting fobbed

off! People across the system are

[55]
 BEAT ??:
THE ROSS TAPES
You step out of your cramped little cabin, into another seemed like they were competing with each
day full of backbreaking toil just to keep Hell’s Gate other.
alive
Then it turned out someone caught the whole
thing on video. Not only had he not pulled a
THE FRAGILE BALANCE weapon, the poor kid hadn’t even pulled
anything at all. His hands had been behind his
head the whole time.

That wasn’t the craziest part, though. The

ROSS TAPES, #4 “ENDLESS COLLAPSE” craziest part was that the sheriff’s department
had released a statement an hour earlier,
Always remember that some things can be hidden stating that he'd pulled out an ‘unidentified
in plain sight. A thing can be so ever-present object that appeared to be hostile in nature.’
that it suffuses our consciousness, like it’s You see, they’d turned on the news before they
part of the air that we breathe. We don’t notice debriefed their own officer.
it’s there because it’s everywhere, all the
time. I’m sure a sociologist would have something to
say about media shaping our understanding of
One of the defining features of fascism is that reality. As for me: is it bad that I find it’s
the empire is always crumbling. Things are so goddamn funny? Media’s uncontrollable lust
going wrong every single day, often with dire for justifying police brutality fucked them
consequences. We see this in mass shootings, both for once.
in market crashes, in the worsening
environmental catastrophes poisoning our air
and water. And the more power the fascists get, ROSS TAPES, #53: “NECESSITY OF PROPAGANDA”
the more these catastrophes seem to happen. There are nebulous principles upon which Esmon
was allegedly built; truth, justice, liberty,
This isn’t accidental. Yes, right-wingers are democracy. Then, there’s the concrete things
famously bad at solving problems, but even if the country actually values: cultural hegemony,
they weren’t, what actual impetus would they geopolitical dominance, corporate profits.
have to solve the issues of the day? Their goal Propaganda is born from the necessity of
is power, and if they used their power to solve disguising the latter as the former.
problems, people would start to ask why they
still needed it. I’m not naïve enough to believe NOBODY would
fight for this country if it was honest, but
Mismanagement, like everything else, is a tool. certainly not enough. Nobody’s going to die of
dysentery in Kaui-Gani to rescue NestorChem’s
end-of-year earnings. You tell them their
ROSS TAPES, #17: “BACKFIRE EFFECT” democracy, their justice, their liberty are on
There was a thing on the news today. Cops beat the line, though? Sign me the fuck up, senator.
some kid so hard they broke one of his ribs and
drove it through his liver. There’ll be People are a LITTLE complicit though, you know?
protests, of course, and no doubt I’ll get Some part of them understands that if Kaui-Gani
called to speak at a few. Union is waving its gets to set its own prices for lithium, they
finger disapprovingly and doing nothing else, might have to pay more for their station wagon,
like it always does. and boy, won’t that eat into the money they
want to set aside for little Timmy’s college
We’re always told ‘wait and see,’ although I fund? Maybe a few dead Ganis is okay.
guess that’s a rule that applies only to
activists, never to the press, because the Now, if they had to say it out loud, they could
press immediately decided the kid must’ve done never live with themselves. Propaganda adds the
something to deserve it. There was this little connective tissue they need to let them
desperate scramble to decide what exactly he sleep at night.
pulled out. A knife? A gun? A grenade? It almost

[56]
ROSS TAPES, #76: “WHAT IN THE FUCK”
What in the fuck.

There are spaceships in our sky. Humans, humans

from another goddamn world, another goddamn
civilization, in our sky. The universities are
still trying to work out how to translate the
signal. We don’t know what they’re saying yet.

[to be written]

ROSS TAPES, #79: “UNION”

They call themselves Union.

They tell us Nestor is... a colony, an offshoot

of an older version of human civilization.
Something terrible happened in our past, on our
homeworld – our real homeworld – and we fled
it in every direction. It took millennia, but
the homeworld rebuilt, and now it’s reaching
out, trying to reconnect humanity.

[57]
 ROSS TAPES, #512: “ALBATROSS” ROSS TAPES, #627: “STEEL MEN”
They appeared in orbit yesterday. You could [archival note: persistent background noise,
feel it, somehow, the propulsion tech the off- large internal combustion engine; bus? truck?]
worlders use to accelerate and decelerate
rapidly. There’s the bright flash in the sky, Borget’s… dead.
like a second sun, everyone sees that part.
Then the aurora – charged particles, I guess,
hitting the upper atmosphere? But there’s They have the same steel men the Albatross
something else to it, too, like a shiver on used. The Forefront. They must’ve… captured
your skin, or-or-or a taste in your mouth. some intact at Nova Sedona, or found a wreck
intact enough to study.
Reports are confusing. The Forefront’s trying
to impose a media blackout, but these newcomers They’ve… the boys told me it was a 20mm six-
are broadcasting on public frequencies. We barrel rotary cannon, probably from a jet
can’t quite be sure, but they seem to be called fighter. It had two of them. I… I never saw
“Albatross,” or possibly “Makteba Tarsus.” I’m anything move like that. It chewed through
still trying to find someone who has access to Borget’s entire division in less than half a
Union channels, so we have no idea if this is minute. All of them.
anything they’re involved with.
… God, there was so much blood.
They’ve made demands. Big ones. Release of all
political prisoners. Vacation of occupied ROSS TAPES, #643: “COLD FUSION”
territories and restoration of constitutional
liberties. Immediate annulment of the Nestorian We finally captured one of the Forefront’s
Sovereignty Mandate. They’re threatening to steel men mostly intact. Lucky shot with an
undertake “direct military intervention” if the anti-tank rifle, straight through the cockpit.
Forefront refuses.
It looks like the Forefront were able to
Is this what we’ve been waiting for? duplicate a lot of the technology the Albatross
brought with them, but the boys tell me they
might not fully understand what it is that they
have. I’m not that technically inclined, but
ROSS TAPES, #517: “NOVA SEDONA” they’re using words like “cold fusion.”
[archival note: mild magnetic damage to the
tape; cause unclear] Fuck, they said the thing’s reactor has a peak
output somewhere around a hundred fifty
The Albatross [static] landings in Nova Sedona megawatts, and it uses fuel so efficiently it
[static] I think, but then this bright bolt of can run for days on just what it has in the
light from the south [static] distant thunder, tank. It could power a small city for a
like a plane hitting the sound barrier or truckload of fuel a year.
something [static] what’s that? You’re serious?
They’re saying it was a Forefront surface-to- We could end energy insecurity forever with a
orbit railgun. Good God. handful of these things and instead they make
steel men to kill people. God, what a joke.
[eighty-two seconds of static, garbled voices]

Forefront are reporting total victory at Nova

[static] doesn’t feel like they’re lying.
[static] Fascists just don’t gloat this much
when they’re covering up a loss.

They were supposed to save us.

[58]
 ROSS TAPES, #744: “DEMONS”
ROSS TAPES, #658: “FLING A LIGHT” [archival note: possibly coincides with USB
I’ve made my decision. incident report NHP-674-4822/DARK WATER]

Union are still four years away. I don’t know I... I don’t understand what I... what I saw.
if there’s going to be anything left to save
by then, but I can’t let them die trying. One of the Union mechs we were fighting
alongside; it took a hit straight to the
With the Call Center down, there’s no way to cockpit. Pilot was dead on the spot. It went
contact Union. We don’t know if the Albatross limp, the same way the Forefront mechs do when
were able to call home before they died, or if their pilots die. But then it... it, it, it
they would even have told Union. Union’s people twitched, twitched like a shocked corpse.
might have no idea they’re walking straight
into a trap. Then it started to move on its own. The other
Union pilots, they just yelled for us to run,
We have to take down Skyhammer. I don’t know and, and then something... came out. Came out
how we’re going to do it. Maybe it’s a one-way of the mech. I... I looked at it with my own
trip. Fuck, probably definitely it’s a one-way eyes but I don’t think I have the words to
trip. But what can we do? We have to try. describe it. I just remember it looked like...
like the old stories, the OLD stories said that
angels would look. There were too many corners,
ROSS TAPES, #702: “ARRIVAL” or too few. The lines were all wrong.
[archival note: coincides with UDoJ/HR action
OPERATION UNWELCOME GUEST] It looked at me. It looked right at me. It
didn’t, it didn’t even have eyes, but I swear
Union has arrived. it looked right at me. It was all shapes, folded
into one another, geometry in revolt against
itself, and it looked at me.
Thank God we were able to get rid of Skyhammer.
Their detachment dropped out of lightspeed
right in its killbox; they’d have been sitting And then it screamed.
ducks if it was still there to fire at them.

Forefront reported total victory at Acacia ROSS TAPES, #745: “DEMONS II”
Plateau, but the gloating and the details were
strangely sparse. Way I hear it, though, they [archival note: possibly coincides with USB
couldn’t stop the landings. Glad to see Union incident report NHP-674-4822/DARK WATER]
actually has some teeth.
The ground... twisted in its wake, like it was
a... a magnet, pulling and pushing. The soil
moved like it was a liquid, reshaped into this
trench of geometric patterns... unnatural...
artificial but not designed. It didn’t pass
through buildings, the buildings just... moved
out of its way, and didn’t move back again. I
saw a thirty-story skyscraper just... bend,
like God ran his finger down the side.

The Forefront didn’t stand a chance. I saw one

of their mechs just... fold in on itself, like
a sheet of paper being balled up. Their
soldiers, it screamed at them too, just like
me, but the scream was different. They started
bleeding, and then they... God. God, no, I
can’t. I can’t. I can’t. There are just no
words. Not even the Forefront deserved that.

A Union mech grabbed me, carried me away. I

can’t remember what happened after that.

[59]
 THE ROSS TAPES, #837 (?): “UNTITLED”

[archival note: original source unavailable,

ROSS TAPES, #811: “PROPHETIC” presumably destroyed; audio fragment recovered
from a repeating transmission on a Nestorian
[archival note: massive magnetic damage to the pirate radio station]
tape; cause unclear]
God, it’s all raining from the sky. It’s all [static] it’s
[twenty-three seconds of static]
all coming [static]
... Forefront troops in the lower Ereen forests
behaving strangely [static] ... [voices, unintelligible] No. Someone’s got to see
this. [static] worried, you can go. I’m staying here.
Where would I run to, anyway?
... grouped only in prime numbers [static] ...

... interrogated, their commanding officer There’s nowhere left to go, man.
didn’t even seem to be aware of [static] ...
[static]
... Union liaison explained that [static]
countermeasure [static] so-called “prophetic
technology” [static] ... ROSS TAPES, #???: “UNTITLED”
[archival note: found on a bench in the South
... apparently, Albatross don’t use it, so they Appalachian preservation zone in 4993u; audio
have no idea [static] ... analysis confirms with 92% confidence that the
speaker is Liddell Ross]
... “HORUS” [static] ...
What is a man supposed to do when he outlives
[approximately one more minute of static with his own death? When he just... persists? When
unintelligible vocal fragments] everything he knows is gone? If I went back to
my people, would they even remember me? Would
I recognize them?

Ten years. It passed and I didn’t even feel it.

THE ROSS TAPES, #835 “SITE FORTUNE”
[approximately one more minute of static with
[archival note: #835 is the last tape confirmed unintelligible vocal fragments]
beyond doubt to have been recorded by Liddell
Ross himself]

Intercepted a Forefront dispatch – they’re launching

an attack on the camp at Evac Site Fortune. There’s
got to be at least a million people in that goddamn Something
place waiting for Union to shuttle them off-world. But
Union had to divert defense forces from the camp to
shore up the battle line near Saintharbor. Those
refugees are defenseless – they’re sitting ducks!

[60]
BEAT ??:
REVENGE OF THE SMITH
If the PCs gained A Blacksmith’s Enmity during
Mission 3, the Blacksmith is out for blood.

THE ATTACK
Placeholder

“Do you remember, now? I said that one day, when

you thought you were doing well for yourself, I would
be there. Well, here I am. And afterwards, the rest of
Calliope will know that you don’t break your word.
Not to me.”

[61]
 COMBAT:
DIE IN THE DARK
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x THE BLACKSMITH – T2 ULTRA Demolisher: Broad-Sweep Haft, Concussion Missiles
SPACER DEMOLISHER Spacer: Gravity Rifle
Ultra: Lead the Charge, Ravager Turret
Placeholder (More Enemies)

DETAILS PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and kill me! Do

OUTCOME you think this is an episode of Hero Harris, where
PC DEFEAT defeating a foe makes them your friend? You broke
If the PCs are defeated, the Blacksmith prepares to kill your word, and then outfought me – all it takes is one!
them for betraying him. He doesn’t get the chance. Now everyone in this system knows I can’t enforce
good faith! Do you think the rest of the Forge will
There is a blinding flash as a ship drops from follow me now? You’ve taken everything that matters
nearlight. You instantly recognize it as the Lance of from me! Finish the job! Or do you get some sort of
Shadow, flagship of the Knights of the Dark Core. sick pleasure from humiliating people?!”
Standing astride its prow like the figurehead of an
ancient sailing vessel is Mistress Elske’s Nelson, Shortly thereafter, the Lance of Shadow, flagship of the
wielding a long rifle. Knights of the Dark Core, drops from nearlight.
Mistress Elske is standing astride its prow in her
She says only four words over local radio. “I’m sorry, Nelson, wielding a long rifle. She demands an
my love.” immediate cessation of hostilities; if the PCs refuse,
she and her entourage begin firing on them.
In the silence of space, the shot makes no sound,
only two bursts of light – one as the round is fired, If the PCs stand down, she offers both sides a way out
and the other as it ends the Blacksmith’s life. that prevents further bloodshed or loss of face: allow
the Blacksmith and any other surviving members of his
assault team to retire honorably to the Knights of the
In the aftermath, the Knights of the Dark Core chase Dark Core. In return, she will see to it that the new
away any remaining Forgemen, and scoop up the PCs leader of the Burning Forge ends the vendetta.
along with the stricken Dragon’s Tooth. Mistress Elske
is grief-stricken and furious with the PCs, and has very
little to say to them. Nonetheless, she chides the PCs for breaking their
promise to the Blacksmith; that was underhanded and
dishonorable, she says, not in keeping with the heroism
“That poor, beautiful idiot couldn’t see beyond a Calliope needs right now.
broken promise – but broken it certainly was, and by
your wretched hands. Calliope needs you, and for
that, you may live. But I will never, ever forgive you
for making this necessary. Speak to me no more, nor
let me ever see your faces again.”

The Knights deliver the PCs safely to their destination,

but that is all; they will give no other aid or comfort.
From the lowliest initiate to the highest-ranking Knight,
not a single soul will speak to them, turning their faces
away with icy contempt.

Any RESERVES relating to the Knights of the Dark Core

are permanently lost.

[62]
BEAT ??:
GETTING UPGRADES
Placeholder

IPS-N
Placeholder

• You get a call from an executive at IPS-N Trunk

Security, and they’re refreshingly direct with you:
the current turmoil in Calliope threatens a lucrative
Long Rim shipping route, and you look like you’re
well-positioned to deal with that. Would you like an
IPS-N license for free, no strings attached? In the
grand scheme of things, it would cost the company
nothing compared to the potential loss of a shipping
lane. It’s a no-brainer investment – for both parties.
•

SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO

BEFORE SSC MISSION

• A scion of the Smith family contacts you: Abigail,
younger sister to Cordelia. It’s not much of a
conversation; more a rant about how wicked,
vicious and spiteful her sister is, and oh, wouldn’t it
be a shame if whatever that viper-tongued brown-
noser is working on went up in smoke? Oh, did she
accidentally leave her executive sales code in full
view of the camera? Well, she’ll just have to trust
that you won’t use it to access SSC’s premium
catalog and ruin her sister’s day, won’t she?
•

AFTER SSC MISSION

• SSC’s share price took an absolute hammering
after the recent events in Calliope.

HORUS

HARRISON ARMORY

[63]
 CHAPTER 6:

CRISIS ABOVE CHAMELEON

The general alarms sounded. We had only ever heard it in drills, so at first, we thought it was another. But it wasn't
just coming from the schoolyard speakers. It was everywhere. It was real. We were all to head for the shelters, of
course, but my teacher was an idiot, unobservant, negligent. It was… simplicity itself to sneak away.

I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. There couldn’t be any real danger here at the center of the universe,
surely; not with Brother John watching over us, not with my parents patrolling the skies. Your grandparents were
both naval officers, you see – that's how they met. They rose through the ranks together.

When I reached the surface, I felt no fear. Deimos was tiny, a speck, barely visible in the twilight sky. I could see
the pinpoint lights of our fleets converging on it, and they were larger and brighter. I knew mother and father were
helming their mighty dreadnoughts. I could see the Temperate Palace on the horizon. I felt safe, because I knew
Brother John was there in council with all his generals and admirals. Surely, they would make this foe scurry away.

I stood there, in the empty plaza, staring up at the sky. It felt like hours. Maybe it was. The sun, you see, never
moves on Ras Shamra. It's always this distant glow on one side of you. But then, finally, there were the flashes,
from spinal guns and missile launches, the greatest weapons of our nation turned against this interloper. And
beneath my feet, I felt rumbling, heard the distant thunder as the surface guns began to fire as well.

Then there was this… awful sensation. Noise you could see, light you could hear. I could... taste it, smell it, feel it...
scraping at my skin, at my eyes, inside the chambers of my heart. I saw the shots of our fleets curve and bend,
impossibly, back upon themselves. I must have screamed, cried, blacked out.

When I came to, there was smoke everywhere. On the horizon, from the palace. And there were no lights in the
sky. All the fleets were gone.

The blast doors were shut. Everyone who could had retreated to the lower levels of the Arcology, and I couldn't
return. I wandered the surface world, alone and in despair for days before help arrived.

They lied to me. They told me that my mother and father had died in munitions accidents, and Brother John had
been assassinated by Union. And I watched in silent horror as everyone around me started to repeat that lie. I had
seen that… that thing in our sky! I knew that Union could not, in their wildest dreams, turn the firepower of an entire
fleet back upon itself! Brother John could have protected us from Union, but not from this! We were not safe! Yet
the Purview, the mighty, all-conquering Purview, presented with this threat – it closed its eyes, as if it could will it
out of existence! It cowered like a whipped dog!

I knew then that I had to know the truth of what I’d seen. I had to know what it was. I had to find out, so that I could
discover how to kill it. As long as that thing existed, no human would ever be free.

It took years, decades of hard work for people I no longer trusted, it took ruthless politicking and a bonfire of my
morals, but finally I discovered what YMIR was, what YMIR could do, what it had already done. And I started to
hypothesize how, at long last, we might free humanity of its tyranny.

It can appear anywhere with no warning. It can demand things of you that it feels no obligation to explain. It can kill
you and as many people on your planet as it wishes if you refuse. Moreover, it justifies all of these behaviors by
claiming that it is actually everything, and that all things are part of it. There are, in my opinion, only two possibilities:
either it does not believe that, in which case it is deceptive in addition to its other vices. Or it truly does believe that,
and thus it is a delusional narcissist.

Humanity cannot coexist with such a being. We cannot remain subject to the whims of a mad god.

– Odin Valentinian, to his children

[64]
OVERVIEW:
ONCE, WE WERE FAMILY
WRONG MAN, RIGHT PLACE RIGHT MAN, WRONG PLACE
Like so many of the Armory’s stories, it starts with a Like so many of the Armory’s stories, it starts with a
proud, fiercely opinionated man: Odin Valentinian. proud, fiercely opinionated man: Samuel Fry.

He claims to be the galaxy’s foremost expert on Throughout his long and distinguished career, Lord
blinkspace, and while it’s a daring boast, he has only Director Samuel Fry has been an outspoken critic of the
one credible competitor for that title. His doctorate Steward Council’s aggressive expansionism and brutal
thesis is required reading for blinkspace physics treatment of dissenters. His objections managed to be
courses in many universities. The list of papers on both strident and measured, skirting the line of sedition
which he has co-author credit number in the hundreds. but never crossing it. It made him very popular; too
He’s published nine books, one of which was awarded popular for the Steward Council to simply have him
Union’s Little Sunlight Award for its contribution to the killed or removed from his post.
advancement of scientific thought amongst children.
They did the next best thing: offer him a poison chalice.
His proponents would say his mind is a brilliant fire. His An assignment to the Dawnline Shore was, in theory, a
critics would say his soul is a chunk of ice. Odin’s peers prestigious and important appointment, but it would
have politely described him as “driven,” “taciturn” and take him out of political action for nearly two decades
“imaginative.” In moments of greater honesty, they use of transit time. It would also put him very far away from
words like “obsessive,” “callous” and “delusional.” the Purview’s halls of power.

Odin was just a child on Ras Shamra when the Black Once he arrived, however, he quickly re-established his
Throne Incident occurred, in which MONIST-1 political following. Even better, he was in a position to
intervened to stop Harrison Armory’s research into personally observe the Purview’s drastic mishandling
decorporealization. This led to a standoff that ended in of the Shore. Their mistakes, he warned, could easily
the utter annihilation of John Creighton Harrison II and lead to a costly and disastrous war.
most of the Home Fleet, after MONIST-1 distorted
space and turned the navy’s own weapons against The Steward Council responded again, but this time it
them. Odin’s parents, both naval officers, died that day, was harder to disguise as anything other than petty
for nothing more than following orders. political revenge. He was “awarded” command of a new
Armory battlegroup for its “vital” inaugural mission,
For a century and a half, Dr. Valentinian has been which turned out to be nothing more than a babysitting
consumed by a single, burning obsession: MONIST-1 job in the Long Rim. The Steward Council’s message
must die. He’s dedicated his entire life to this pursuit. It is very clear: if they can’t silence the man himself, they’ll
has been the ruin of his friendships, his marriage, his strangle his career to death instead.
conscience and his relationship with his children. He’s
estranged from his friends and family. He has stolen Moreover, they have attempted to humiliate him further:
technology from the pacifist Volador. He even turned they assigned him a flagship that’s still in the prototype
his own sons into weapons, and his most beloved, stage. It’s not yet ready for military release, and so
Baldur, died from it. He has nothing left but his quest, riddled with technical issues as to be uninhabitable. He
and it has never borne fruit. spends most of his time on the battlegroup’s carrier,
where a mysterious administrative error led to him
But now, two things have renewed his zeal: his favorite being bunked in a junior officer’s quarters, while a
child yet lives, and he’s found something that might loyalist got the Admiralty suite. His ships are crewed by
finally deliver the weapon he needs. The Anomaly sits the dregs of Armory society; people with Socials so low
in orbit of Chameleon, a colorless, lightless wound in they’d usually get thrown out of the military.
the laws of the universe. When Odin stares into it, he
sees potential – he feels as if the secrets of space and Fry has weathered all of this with stunning grace. He’s
time are his to grasp, if he only reaches out his hand. fought entire campaigns in the name of the Armory, and
you don’t survive space battles – let alone win them –
if you’re short-tempered or easily provoked. He
remembers every slight, though, and has a very long
list of illustrious people whose careers he’s going to
destroy – assuming he survives Calliope.

[65]
 alive, living under the name Ipswich DeLacey. It’s also
quite likely, given the events at Fort Cerberus, that this
WRONG MEN, WRONG PLACE dual identity is public knowledge. They’re technically a
Neither Dr. Valentinian nor Lord Director Fry have any deserter. They’ve been selling Harrison Armory trade
loyalty to the Armory’s current order. Odin’s faith in it secrets to Horizon, so they’re also technically a traitor.
died with his parents, and he sees his relationship to So far, no arrest warrant has been issued, but they’re
the corprostate as purely transactional; a source of not convinced it’ll stay that way.
funding, expertise and materials in his crusade against
MONIST-1. Fry, meanwhile, despises the kleptocratic
travesty the Steward Council have made of the Purview
in Harrison III’s absence.
Placeholder – Relationship map?
But they also despise each other. Valentinian considers
Fry a preening, sanctimonious coward full of bold talk Verschlimmbessern (German) = To make something
but no spine to back up his words. Fry, for his part, worse by trying to make it better
considers Valentinian a dangerous fanatic who uses
his position on the Special Projects Group as an excuse
to pursue his personal vanity projects.

Both men are pursuing their own ulterior motives in this

system. While Odin’s supposed to be here studying the
anomaly and using it to perfect the Sunzi’s blink engine,
he’s searching for a way to turn it against MONIST-1,
all while trying to reunite with his long-lost child Baldur.
Fry, meanwhile, is busy looking for something, anything
he can use against the Steward Council.

Both men perceive the arrival of SSC and the Trade

Baronies as a direct threat to their goals. Fry believes
they’re part of a plot by the Steward Council to finally
get rid of him. Odin believes they’re here to steal his
research. This has forced an uneasy truce between the
two men while they try to get a handle on the situation.

GOOD PEOPLE, BAD PLACES

There’s a lot of people about to get tangled up in the
ambitions of these two men.

Loki Valentinian, Baldur’s twin, left Harrison’s World

and the Dawnline Shore to get away from his father and
the obsession that had killed his brother. He’s furious
that Odin has found a way to rope him back into his
schemes, and resentful that his twin didn’t trust him
enough to bring him along when they escaped.

Thor and Tyr Valentinian, the two sons that didn’t

abandon Odin, are here as well. Both are victims of
their father’s obsession as much as Loki and Baldur,
and both have had to suffer it for longer.

Lyra van Kraanen, Odin’s ex-wife, is a traitor to the

Purview wanted for, among other things, “liberating”
NHPs from Odin’s research campus. She’s been living
in Calliope as well, and in danger of becoming a
political football along with the rest of Horizon. She’s
only the first of hundreds of political prisoners that the
Armory intends to scoop up as housecleaning.

Finally, there’s Odin’s long-lost son, Baldur. Unless

something very unfortunate happened, Baldur is still

[66]
PERSONS OF INTEREST

SAMUEL FRY HE/HIM DR. ODIN VALENTINIAN HE/HIM

LORD DIRECTOR OF THE PURVIEW NAVY HE WHO FIGHTS MONSTERS
“You want a catchy soundbite? How about this: ‘the “The trolley problem is a test of moral relativism
Aubergine is nothing.’ It’s nothing but dye on and I'm already well aware of my beliefs. No need
cloth, if we don’t MAKE it something more.” to lay out a specific premise; I pull the lever.”

Fry joined the Purview Navy 143 realtime years ago. Like many egotistical geniuses, Odin understands a
Starting as Ensign, he rose rapidly through the ranks, few things very well, and so believes that all things may
gaining the rank of Commandant and a carrier of his be explained through that lens.
own after outstanding performance during the
Chesapeake-4 Action. He then served with distinction It would be easy to assume that Odin sees everything
during the notorious Battle of Sunset Harbor, where he around him as tools to get what he wants; it would
turned what should have been a rout into an explain how casually he subjects the people he claims
overwhelming victory. He was promoted to Group to love to terrible hardship. The truth is somehow
Captain in short order, and was instrumental in four worse: in his own way, he feels an intense love for all
victories during the Chemosh Campaign. From there, a humanity, but sees the truest expression of that love in
position in the Admiralty was all but assured. creating a world in which they will not be subject to the
whims of monstrous gods like YMIR and Feather.
Fry’s uniform is always spotless, his many medals
proud and gleaming. There’s a sense of fierce sincerity He would torture one human if it meant saving the lives
about the man that’s difficult to describe; nothing about of a million. He would sacrifice a planet to save ten
Samuel Fry is a pretense. When you see him, you see others. Even his own sons weren’t exempt; in fact, to
him for exactly who he is; nothing more, nothing less. Odin, if the fate of the world was at stake and only
This authenticity often leads people to assume Fry has hurting his children could save it, refusing would be the
no patience or head for politics; a crucial error that has height of selfishness. He truly does feel guilt for the way
ended the careers of many rivals. his children have suffered at his hands – but that’s just
another one of his many burdens to bear.
Fry is a true believer: there’s a vision of what the
Armory is supposed to be, of the benefits it can bring to Many blinkspace researchers have eccentricities, and
all humanity, and he shares in it. That vision is rarely Odin is no exception. He has a list of strange
fulfilled, and in Fry’s view it’s because the Armory compulsions; he can’t eat a meal if there’s a prime
spends too much time asking its subjects what they can number of items on his plate, for example. Adding to
do for it, rather than what it can do for them. this, for a man of science, he’s oddly superstitious, and
he has a deep fascination with magic, occultism and
This outlook is the source of his success; he tends to daemonology bordering on obsession.
find value in places others overlook. He’s unlikely to
treat the PCs with the disdain other men of his rank It should be noted that he doesn’t look down on people
might. If they’re competent, he sees opportunity and who don’t understand blinkspace; in fact, in some ways
potential allies, regardless of their background. he envies them. Understanding can be a curse.

[67]
 THOR VALENTINIAN HE/HIM TYR VALENTINIAN HE/HIM
THE NEGLECTED THE WOUNDED
“Why does it matter what I think? It’s not like “Damn you to Hel! How much more do I have to
you’ve ever cared before.” suffer to prove myself?! Why can’t you SEE me?!”

Odin Valentinian’s eldest son was, in retrospect, a At first, Odin Valentinian’s second son seemed to be
template for the misery the doctor would inflict upon his everything he wanted: intelligent from a young age,
family. Thor’s only crime was that he wasn’t perfect. with a keen intellect and razor-sharp reflexes. But there
Intelligent, but not a genius. Articulate, but not a was something behind the boy’s eyes – or rather, there
raconteur. Talented, but not a virtuoso. An athlete, but wasn’t. There was a coldness, a sort of distance, and it
not a medalist. That wasn’t good enough for Odin. disquieted Odin. Tyr didn’t smile enough for Odin’s
liking. He was too quiet when other children were noisy.
Odin made arrangements for the finest in schooling and
military training, of course. Any purchase the boy Perhaps he was an abject lesson in Odin’s hypocrisy:
wanted was granted, but it was never about Thor – it he reminded the doctor too much of himself.
was simply that Odin wanted to maintain his standing,
and anything less than the best for his son would’ve Tyr considers his lot to be even worse than Thor’s.
harmed his own reputation. From Tyr’s perspective, Thor never pleased Odin – he
never knew what it was like to be anything other than a
Tall, statuesque and broad-shouldered, Thor cuts an failure. Tyr felt just a touch of his father’s love, and then
imposing figure that masks a gnawing insecurity. Not was cast aside because Odin thought he couldn’t feel
only did he have to live his entire life a disappointment, anything at all.
he had to watch it happen two more times to his
brothers – and finally, he had to watch his youngest After Baldur died and Loki walked away, Tyr was the
sibling get the love and attention that he wanted all his best Odin had left. That was how Tyr finally got his
life, and then die from it. father’s attention again: by default. But he could never
live up to the impossible standards Baldur had set in
Thor is a man consumed by a terrible fear: everything their father’s mind, and trying has left him deeply
he loves is always taken from him. His father, his maimed. His right leg, arm and eye are all prosthetic,
mother, his brothers; one after the other, they all go the original flesh lost in a catastrophic accident. His
away in the end. The news that Baldur still lives and father’s endless money healed most of the physical
Loki is here fill him with joy and horror in equal scars, but it hasn’t healed the deep loathing Tyr feels –
measure; how long before they’re ripped away again? for his brothers, for his father, and for himself.

Now the family is reunited, and Odin barely waited a

day before trying to get Baldur and Loki back. The sons
that ran away, faked their own death, stole father’s
prototypes, consorted with the Armory’s enemies – of
course father still wants them back! Of course, even
after everything, it’s always the bloody twins!

[68]
LOKI VALENTINIAN HE/HIM IPSWICH DELACEY THEY/THEM
THE PRODIGAL THE RETURNED
“Well, the world really must be ending, because “We’ll resolve this familial dysfunction after a
somehow I’m the responsible one now!” quick word from tonight’s sponsor!”

The team already knows Loki Valentinian: a rebellious Baldur Valentinian, Loki’s twin, was finally what Odin
free spirit who never bowed to his father’s authority. had always wished for: athletic, graceful, brilliant,
He’s Baldur’s twin, and his brother’s death hit him cunning – “naturally gifted.” He exhibited none of Thor’s
hardest of all. “mediocrity,” none of Tyr’s “coldness” and none of
Loki’s “rebelliousness.” Baldur was perfect. He was the
Loki had everything his father wanted – tactical and warrior Odin would use to kill YMIR.
strategic genius, consummate skill in both personal and
mechanized combat, an intuitive grasp of complex At the age of seventeen, he was one of the Armory’s
scientific concepts, peerless athleticism. He was the youngest AAA-rated chassis pilots. He was test-driving
perfect son Odin had been seeking, but for one aspect: Odin’s prototypes. He was leading groups of veterans
his attitude. He hated the training, the relentless drilling, four times his age in simulations.
his father’s coldness and violent obsession. He hated
what it did to his family. But one of those simulations wasn’t a simulation. At the
age of nineteen, Baldur discovered that he’d been
Unique among the three “failed” brothers, Odin didn’t remotely controlling a real mech, seizing real Volador
reject Loki: Loki rejected him. But what hurt most of all tech, killing real people. In response, he faked his own
is that it didn’t even matter; Odin already had Baldur. death and fled to the Long Rim by teleporting his
What need had he of Baldur’s shadow? father’s prototype further than it had ever gone before.

Recent events have left Loki conflicted. On the one They became a different person, but they still had a
hand, his beloved twin still lives. On the other hand, that compulsive need for attention and praise. The persona
twin has a different name, a different face, a different of Ipswich “Switch” DeLacey and Live from the Long
voice, and never bothered to tell him they were still Rim became the vehicle for that need.
alive. What’s Loki to make of that?
Ipswich tries to hide it, but they’re deeply unwell. The
Loki is tired; tired of the world, tired of his father, tired pressure of being trained from birth to be a weapon, the
of himself, tired of the petty arguments and the trauma. shock of being tricked by their father into murdering
He wants out – for himself in particular, but for as many civilians and six years of parasocial relationships with
of his siblings as he can manage as well. Paradoxically, omninet fans has left them traumatized and
this makes him the most willing to work with Odin, just disconnected from both reality and their sense of self.
so he can be left alone afterwards.

[69]
 LYRA VAN KRAANEN SHE/HER
THE EX
“Twenty years, four sons, my reputation, my
career... at long last, haven’t I given enough?!”

Lyra Van Kraanen might, with some justice, accuse the

universe itself of conspiring to make her miserable.

The Armory used NHP research, the career she

devoted her life to, for nothing more than another way
of turning sentient beings into weapons. The man she
married turned out to be a cold, emotionally distant
fanatic, so obsessed with his delusion of killing God that
he traumatized their children.

She fled the Armory and the man she used to love in
spectacular fashion, taking several of his research
facility’s NHPs with her as she departed. She spent six
years in transit, only to discover when she arrived that
one of her sons had been killed in a research accident.
Odin hadn’t even bothered to tell her; she had to find
out through backchannels.

She’s spent four years in Calliope, estranged from her

family, unable to contact her old colleagues, unable to
submit new papers. To make ends meet, she was
forced to work as a cycle technician – her! Lyra Van
Kraanen, twice shortlisted for the Union Science
Bureau’s Illumination award, reduced to flipping an on-
off switch! That’s the best job she could find!

And it was only four years, four years before the Armory
found her hiding spot. Now she’s a political prisoner
because someone in a rival sigdiver clique snitched on
her, and joy of joys, her ex-husband is here as well! And
to top it all off? That wretched, obnoxious streamer who
always ate up all of Horizon’s attention and resources
whenever she needed them for a project of hers? Well,
you’ll never guess who they turned out to be!

[70]
THE TASK GROUP PCV-DN MICHEL NEY
On paper, the 4th Harrisons’ World, Research task MICHEL NEY-CLASS DREADNOUGHT
group is the pride of the Armory: a brand-new prototype The Michel Ney is the lead ship of its class, a new type
vessel, escorted by two tried-and-true line vessels that of dreadnought that will change the face of naval
have served with distinction, a respectable subline warfare – or so Dr. Valentinian promises. In reality, it
complement and several wings of strike craft and has a long way to go before it’s ready for active service.
mechanized chassis.
Built around a GMS Murie-class battleship, the Michel
But its foundation is rotten. The Michel Ney, the Ney is a testbed for nearly all of Valentinian’s new
Armory’s prized prototype and the group’s flagship, is innovations. It’s the first known non-Volador ship to
barely functional, its suite of experimental technologies mount a blinkspace carver.
constantly pushing its systems beyond their safe limits.
Dr. Valentinian’s incessant tinkering and “optimization” So far, Valentinian has only been able to use it to the
only makes these problems worse. extent the Volador can while far outside of a major
gravity well. Within a star system, he can only move the
The other vessels in the group are tried and tested fleet a few thousand kilometers. This still gives the ship
Armory vessels, and should be the model of naval a truly unprecedented level of maneuverability, but
efficiency. But in an act of petty sabotage, the Steward what makes it a game-changer is it can extend this gift
Council swapped out their regular crews just before the to others. The Michel Ney’s entire battlegroup can
mission, replacing them with a mismatched gaggle of reposition in the blink of an eye, allowing a level of
convicts, dead-enders and underperformers. Most of tactical flexibility unimaginable with prior technology.
the sailors in this fleet have never worked on the ships
they’ve been assigned to, or even other ships in the Innovation comes at a cost, however; the Michel Ney is
same class. These are the dregs of the Armory. a technical nightmare. The ship’s electrical grid had to
be rebuilt from scratch to tolerate the carver’s immense
Everyone on this mission is being punished in some power draw. Most of its internal systems are proprietary
way, and everyone knows it. They’ve been banished to and use non-standard parts, some of which are little
a babysitting job in a miserable backwater system at a more than improvised kludges by Valentinian’s design
time when the Dawnline Shore is heating up and war is team. The ship is prone to blackouts, glitches and
a real possibility. They’re going to miss the chance for essential systems failures.
glory and honorable service in the fight against the
hated Karrakin, just to babysit some ponce Executive It’s also modestly armed for a dreadnought; making it
and his squabbling kids while he fiddles with his toys. work with any weapons loadout was very difficult, and
anything fancy was out of the question. It carries a
Morale is abysmal. Combat readiness is critically low. standard long-cycle primary lance that hasn’t yet been
Shipboard maintenance is poor. Even simple things like test-fired, a standard array of kinetics and missiles, and
adherence to the Armory’s military dress code have very little else.
fallen by the wayside.
All of these problems were well known to the Purview;
it’s why they assigned it to Lord Director Fry as the
detachment’s flagship. Lord Director Fry finds the
ship’s incessant technical issues and Dr. Valentinian’s
presence insufferable, and so spends most of his time
on the Sirona.

[71]
 PCV-GC SIRONA
FARRAGUT-CLASS STARFIELD CARRIER
In comparison to the constant chaos aboard the Michel
Ney, the PCV-GC Sirona should be a model of naval
order and efficiency. Built to the modular Farragut
template, the Sirona has seen many tours of duty in
various roles.

This time, it’s serving as an escort to a research project,

so it’s outfitted to support a wide variety of smaller craft
– fighters, destroyers, mechanized chassis divisions –
along with an entire regiment of Colonial Legionnaires.
This expedition might take years, so it’s also equipped
with the tools for limited in-situ resource utilization.

The Sirona is well-armed for a carrier, capable of

eliminating subline vessels and even leaving dents in
capital ships, but its true power comes from the fighter
wings and mounted chassis it can deploy.
Theoretically, the Sirona should be the most effective
ship in the entire system when it comes to dealing with
hostile locals – it simply has the greatest ability to
project power against smaller targets.

Unfortunately, as an act of petty sabotage, the Steward

Council has given Fry a completely untested, untrained
crew that’s never worked together before and was
assembled mostly from low-Social conscripts doing
remedial or penal service.

PCV-L CONSTANCE FAIRVIEW

ZHUKOV-CLASS FRIGATE
The Constance Fairview is assigned to the detachment
for active defense and damage control duties. The
Zhukov-class is an Armory-licensed repackage of the
GMS Superior-class, and as such fields extensive
remote repair and rearmament functionality.

Placeholder

DESTROYER GROUP
SAM BARBER-CLASS DESTROYERS
The PNV Caleb Wright, PNV New Croydon and PNV
Lycurgus make up the detachment’s destroyer escort.
Their primary purpose is to provide a defensive screen
against other subline vessels, although they have
sufficient firepower to make attack runs on capital
ships, should it prove necessary.

Placeholder

THE GLASSCAGE
ANOMALY RESEARCH STATION
Placeholder

[72]
BEAT ??:
CALMER CHAMELEON
Departing from Hell’s Gate at nearlight, Chameleon can
be reached in four hours from an external perspective,
THE WELCOME MAT
but only 25 minutes pass on the ship. The sort of reception the team receives is dependent
on the status of the Calliope Clock.
As you drop from nearlight, the cerulean sphere of
Chameleon lurches out of the void, along with the CALM (0 TICKS) OR UNREST (1 TICK)
much smaller Saeculum. Almost immediately, Siren As they disembark, the team are met by a full company
registers multiple target locks. of Purview marines, escorting the flag officer of the
battlegroup, Lord Director Samuel Fry, and the Sirona’s
commanding officer, Strike Captain Tsukuda Tani. It’s
“Sirona Flight Control to unidentified approaching all very austere and formal; the Armory seems to be
vessel, state your intended course and identify treating this as a meeting between military officers.
yourself. You have five minutes to comply.”
Strike Captain Tsukuda initially treats the PCs in a cool,
“Sirona Flight Control, this is Harvest Gold Zero- detached manner; she clearly doesn’t approve of them,
Four-Five-One Dragon’s Tooth on approach to PCV- per se, but they’re guests of the Lord Director, so she
GC Sirona, transmitting ident manifest now. We are treats them respectfully. Lord Director Fry, on the other
expected by Sirona Actual. Requesting immediate hand, is surprisingly warm and welcoming for a
stand-down of arms and docking clearance, over.” member of the Armory’s admiralty, and even offers to
give the PCs a tour of the ship’s non-classified areas.
There is a brief, tense silence.
If the team has arranged a meeting with Fry (or Switch
“Sirona Flight Control to Harvest Gold Zero-Four- has arranged it for them), he ends the tour in his office.
Five-One, your manifest is satisfactory. Stand-down If not, he might still be convinced to grant them a few
of arms confirmed. You are being sent vectors for minutes of his time with a successful skill check, though
approach and docking on flight deck two. Do not he’s not thrilled about having to rearrange his schedule
deviate from them without filing a new plan with us at the last minute. If the PCs fail, or don’t attempt to get
beforehand. Sirona Actual has been informed of your a meeting, Strike Captain Tsukuda asks them to come
arrival. Keep this channel clear.” to her office to discuss correct protocol while on board
Purview Naval vessels.
Siren’s hologram rolls her eyes. On the viewscreen,
you can see a hulking carrier flanked by a number of If the team has been authorized to visit the Glasscage,
smaller ships and an even larger vessel you don’t they must leave the Dragon’s Tooth on the Sirona and
recognize. Behind them is a space station with a take a separate shuttle over.
gravity ring surrounding a polyhedron of jet-black
material that seems to reflect no light at all. In the CRISIS (2 TICKS)
distance, the aurorae of Chameleon shine with a If the PCs have waited until now, the Armory is much
frightening intensity, as if the Ghostcrown is angered less welcoming. Even if Switch previously arranged a
by the trespassers in its domain. meeting, Lord Director Fry is too busy to see the PCs.

The PCV-GC Sirona is a truly massive vessel, with four Additionally, Strike Captain Tsukuda no longer wants to
cavernous flight decks running the entire length of its see them either; she had a plan for a false flag
fore section. The Dragon’s Tooth has been assigned a operation that would give Lord Director Fry the
subline docking cradle on flight deck two, right at the necessary pretext he needed to declare autonomy from
back, so as it flies in, the team is treated to a look at the the Steward Council, but her window has closed.
vast array of fighters, subline support vessels and
mounted chassis that the Armory brought with it – a
purposeful display of military might. If they want a tour, the PCs might get assigned an
ensign or junior lieutenant to show them around the
least classified parts of the ship, but other than that, the
only reason for them to visit the Sirona now is to get a
shuttle over to the Glasscage.

[73]
[74]
INSPECTING THE SHIP SCENES FROM THE SIRONA
The PCs never go anywhere on the Sirona without an A lieutenant reprimands a small group of
escort. This isn’t simply a matter of it not being allowed:
sailors for their non-regulation haircuts. If
every single one of them is being watched by someone 1-2
a member of the team has sufficiently eye-
whether or not that observer is being obvious about it. catching hair, he glares at them, too.
A damage control team performs a combat
Any attempt to sneak about is made at +2h and Risky;
3-4 readiness drill. From what you can see,
even if it succeeds, someone will quickly notice that one
they don’t seem very ready for combat.
less person is present. The Armory is singularly
unforgiving about trespassers in restricted locations, A handful of ensigns move cargo crates
and Lord Director Fry will not be amused that people from one side of a room to another. If
he vouched for abused his hospitality. asked what they’re doing, they’ll reply that
5-6
they’ve been assigned to “midships load
As the PCs walk around (on tour, or otherwise) they’ll balancing duty.” An experienced spacer
get the sense that something is wrong, no matter how will recognize this as a hazing ritual.
hard the Armory try to hide it. Discipline is shameful; Several sailors wearing hazmat gear climb
sailors are flouting dress code regulations, showing out of a maintenance shaft one by one,
7-8
sloppy form with their salutes and bad posture while at hauling vent crab corpses. An infestation
attention. A lot of enlisted staff look unusually young has begun.
and green, especially for a posting on a carrier. A junior lieutenant is sternly lecturing three
sailors about relativity and proper handling
In addition to this, the Sirona doesn’t seem to be getting 9-10 of railgun ordnance. He has absolutely no
proper maintenance. The corridors are clean and the idea what he’s talking about, a fact that is
entire ship gleams, but there’s an odd smell around, as painfully obvious to everyone except him.
if the air filters haven’t been serviced correctly. At any
In a mess hall, a group of sailors swap
given time, there seem to be technicians running
stories of their upbringings, homeworlds
around fixing a myriad of minor faults.
and previous postings. An awful lot of them
11-12
seem to involve disciplinary actions, and
Anyone even vaguely familiar with the Armory will know almost nobody here seems to have served
that the Purview Navy would never normally allow a together before.
ship to be in this state, especially with non-Armory
visitors aboard. A simple punishment detail wouldn’t be A group of Colonial Legionnaires are doing
allowed to look this sloppy in front of outsiders; if PT in one of the zero-g gyms. The exercise
anything, it would be held to an even higher standard. 13-14 regime looks ridiculously intense, even for
combat personnel, and each legionnaire
seems to be trying to outdo the others.
PCs with a good Read a Situation or Investigate roll
will realize that this disarray seems intentional, possibly A Barbarossa chassis hangs suspended
even calculated. There’s no way they could be seeing from the ceiling in one of the maintenance
this much chaos and disorder by accident; incidents 15-16 bays, its innards exposed and its signature
keep happening when the team is in just the right place Apocalypse Rail detached and partially
to witness them. stripped down.
Two technicians inspect a burnt-out circuit
As guests, the PCs will never be openly disrespected board they’ve pulled from the HVAC unit in
by the Sirona’s crew, but their opinions on the PCs will a corridor section. They both agree that
17-18
be clear nonetheless. If the team looks like a gaggle of the intense magnetic flux from the planet
scruffy wastelanders, they’ll be treated with subtle is causing these issues, but disagree on
condescension; if they look like a team of professional exactly how to deal with it.
mercenaries, it’ll be polite disdain; if any of them look The door to the flight operations center for
Karrakin, it’ll be veiled contempt. The Armory respects one of the carrier’s fighter wings is open,
strength, however, so any PC who carries themself revealing a scene of chaos. They’re in the
confidently will get much less attitude. middle of flight drills, but there seems to be
19-20
some confusion over which drill they’re
supposed to be running. The commanding
officer barks furious, often contradictory
orders at her bewildered subordinates.

[75]
 As for the Valentinian family in general, he considers it
MEETING WITH SAMUEL FRY a wasp’s nest he wants as little to do with as possible.
Lord Director Fry’s office is far smaller and plainer than
one might expect for a member of the Purview Navy’s
admiralty. Anyone familiar with the layout of Armory “They say nothing teaches you more about a man
vessels will note that, for some reason, he seems to than his children. Take a good, long look at his kids.
have been billeted in the personal quarters usually What lesson do you see there? It’s one they’d build
reserved for the ship’s Executive Officer. vaults to warn future generations about.”

Fry is happy to listen to the team, but he’ll be deeply He has no strong opinions on Thor or Tyr, despises
skeptical about certain elements of their story. Ships Loki due to an incident at a gala some years ago, and
from the future? Portals that resurrect the dead? They while he respected Baldur, he has no idea what to
fought a decaying god in a knot of tortured space at the make of their new identity as Switch. Given that Switch
bottom of a mine? This all sounds like the sort of is a deserter and has sold Armory secrets to Horizon,
fanciful nonsense Dr. Valentinian would dream up. he’s surprised that the Steward Council hasn’t ordered
their arrest; perhaps it’s a favor to Odin, or perhaps they
realize that jailing a figure so beloved by the galaxy’s
If asked why the Armory is here, Fry’s answer appears terminally online youth would be bad PR.
to be a boilerplate response: the Navy is here as a
protective detail for Dr. Odin Valentinian while he
investigates anomalous spacetime phenomena. In the If asked about his opinions on the other factions in the
meantime, Fry has been ordered to arrest a number of system, he has some cautious answers.
fugitives wanted by the Purview justice system and
hold them until they can be extradited to Ras Shamra. THE CULT OF THE ONE
“I’ll admit they have some impressive parlor tricks,
Fry, however, obviously disagrees with this entire but I’ve seen paracausal phenomena before. Clever
operation; he won’t state it outright, but his manner and theatrics doesn’t make them servants of God.”
choice of works makes it very clear. He addresses the
Steward Council with sarcastic false deference, paying IMPACT DYNAMICS
lip service to their authority while ridiculing their orders. “Steele’s the worst kind of man – a petty little tyrant
who craves power, but lacks the cunning or charisma
“I’m sure they have good reasons for commissioning to be a real player. People like him aren’t dangerous
a deeply unpopular fringe-world manhunt from the on a galactic scale, but the problem is they know
same task force that’s meant to be providing security that, and it makes them even more abusive locally.”
for sensitive research. They didn’t share any with
me, but that’s their right, of course.” THE KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
“Ah, our perennial foes. I don’t know what they’re
He’s fully aware of the widespread discipline problems doing here, but I’m not surprised to find them
throughout the fleet, and suspects the entire mission is blockading an innocent world – par for the course,
a plot to sabotage his career, maybe even get him no? Don’t trust them, and don’t underestimate them.”
killed. He never backs down from a challenge, though,
and revels in the idea of turning a crew of ne’er-do- SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO
wells, rejects and ex-convicts into a fighting force that “SSC doesn’t send Skyhooks and board members to
will make the Armory proud. If anyone can do it, he can. fix minor problems. Whatever’s happening here is
very, very important to them, and that’s never good
On the subject of Dr. Odin Valentinian, Fry is much less news for anyone caught in the crossfire. If you have
careful with his words. He doesn’t trust the doctor at all; to deal with them, be very careful. SSC doesn’t pose
to him, the man isn’t just a delusional quack, nor a and bluster like the Armory does. They put a knife in
completely unprincipled genius, but the worst of both: a your back when you’re looking the other way.”
man with the power to impose his fevered imagination
on reality. Throughout the meeting, Strike Captain Tsukuda Tani
is sitting quietly, watching the PCs, assessing if they’re
He’s had Odin’s ex-wife, Lyra Van Kraanen, arrested the kind of people that can be trusted to keep dirty
on a raft of treason charges, and hopes that holding her secrets. If she decides they are, she demands their
will provide some leverage over the doctor. He’s right, presence in her own office after the meeting with Fry is
but not for the reason he thinks; Odin couldn’t care less done, using the excuse of instructing them about
what happens to Lyra, but his children are upset about proper protocol while they’re on Purview Naval vessels.
their mother being in jail, and it’s affecting their ability
to work on his projects.

[76]
THE MISSION CULT VESSEL
Whether it’s after meeting with Fry, or directly from the “As far as I understand it, some kind of missile
hangar bay, Strike Captain Tsukuda has been looking corvette, damaged in a tussle with a Union Navy
for an excuse to talk to the team privately. When she’s patrol. It’s currently docked at a repair facility in the
quite sure they’re alone, she reveals her true intent. system’s inner belt. In this position, it would be pretty
easy to steal.”
The Strike Captain’s quarters occupy an entire deck of
the ship, and are absurdly opulent: marble floors, five- HELIUM REFINERY
meter bronze statues of Harrison II, vaulted ceilings, “Yes. Dr. Valentinian’s research requires a great
genuine oak paneling, real leather, gold trim. There’s deal of helium – for coolant, among other things.
even a grand piano and a wet bar. It should be instantly These facilities are usually built to a prefab template,
clear, even to those that aren’t familiar with the Purview and so are cheap to build and cheap to replace.”
Navy, that these are not the trappings of a Captain –
these are Admiralty quarters.
WHY US?
The Strike Captain can’t trust anyone within the
This conversation doesn’t happen if the Calliope Clock battlegroup. The Steward Council gave her a list of their
is in Crisis (two segments ticked); by then, the repairs plants, but she can’t be sure it’s complete; she wouldn’t
on the Cult’s missile corvette are complete and it has put it past them to set up a double blind, agents to make
returned to service, so it can’t be stolen. Strike Captain sure other agents are doing their jobs properly.
Tsukuda no longer has a use for the PCs, so she
doesn’t bother talking to them.
On the other hand, the Lord Director has a lot of
loyalists, even in this sorry crew. It would be very easy
“I’m going to get straight to the point. The Steward for them to misinterpret Tsukuda’s actions as an effort
Council think I’m one of their loyalists. They’re to frame him. He’d be obligated to relieve her of
wrong; I support the Lord Director’s vision for the command, and the Steward Council would replace her
Armory. But he lets the Steward Council push him with an actual loyalist.
around, too afraid of reprisal to risk openly defying
them. He’s too timid, too compromising. I’m not.
“I’ll be up front with you. If you screw this up, I’ll deny
all knowledge of your actions. And I’ll be able to – the
“There’s an Armory protocol known as Nonstandard Steward Council might be suspicious, but they’ll
Crisis Directive Alpha. It states that, quote, 'in the believe me over a bunch of outsiders.”
event of a continuing threat to Armory assets in a
foreign theater by a force of unclear disposition,
wherein timely reinforcement is unavailable, the ASSAULTING THE HELIUM REFINERY
ranking officer in the theater may assume direct “The priority for me in any engagement is to ensure
command of all local assets and take action usually that I lose as few soldiers as possible; ideally none.
reserved for the Armory’s central executive.’ Trashed equipment can be easily replaced, but the
less letters of condolence I have to write to grieving
families, the better.”
“Let me put it simply. If the battlegroup were to come
under attack by the Cult, Lord Director Fry would be
able to freeze out the Steward Council and act on his DISCIPLINE ISSUES
own authority. He could pardon the dissenters and “The Steward Council set Lord Director Fry up to fail
deserters we’ve been forced to round up, or at least by crewing his ships with the dregs of the Armory. It
commute their sentences to community service. He won’t work, though; he’ll get them back in shape.”
could also deploy our full military might to aid your
efforts against the Cult. OSTENTATIOUS QUARTERS
“Oh, these aren’t supposed to be mine. These are
“The problem is, the Cult’s aware of this, and are Admiralty quarters, meant for the Lord Director. The
giving us a wide berth. They don’t want to give Fry Steward Council billeted me here instead; some
the slightest excuse, because having his hands tied childish effort to humiliate him, I guess. It didn’t work,
serves them just fine. of course – he got my bunk, and he said the lack of
frippery suits him better. I can’t help but agree; gods
and spirits, this place is impractical!”
“I have intelligence on a Cult vessel that was mauled
in a skirmish with Union forces. It's berthed at a
neutral repair facility, far from the bulk of their forces. WET BAR
Coincidentally, there’s a small helium refinery on “Sure! I don’t drink and I’m not paying for it, so take
Saeculum we set up to supply Dr. Valentinian, and whatever you want. Just don’t share it with the crew;
its defense force is undermanned.” discipline is bad enough already.”

[77]
 BEAT ??:
THE GLASSCAGE
When studying anomalous spatial phenomena, Armory Unbeknownst to anyone other than Odin and his family,
field research guidelines prescribe a specific type of every single square centimeter of the Cage’s Nullstone
prefab facility: the Glasscage. It can be shipped to a plating has been mechanically etched with one-
site in pieces and, if accompanied by a competent millimeter-deep inscriptions: liturgicode, passages from
construction crew, assembled in a matter of weeks. religious texts, arcane diagrams and sigils, wards,
abjurations, blinkspace equations, astrological maps,
The structure consists of three sections: first, an outer mathematical formulae, each and every piece flowing
ring which contains docking, habitation, administration into and incorporating the next. HORUS occultists
and recreational facilities as well as the station’s power, would weep with envy, if only they knew.
life support and engineering departments. It also holds
various low-risk research wings and reference libraries. Odin, despite his professed love of science, is indulging
This ring rotates independently of the rest of the in a strange sort of mysticism, mixed with a heavy dose
structure to produce gravity. The majority of the of game theory: he’s wagering that magic is real. If it’s
station’s staff work on this ring, and do not have not, he hasn’t lost much by performing these odd
clearance to venture further into the structure. rituals. On the other hand, if magic is real, he’s gained
a serious advantage over those who don’t practice it.
The second section is an EM-shielded, stationary inner
ring which holds various mid-clearance labs and the Whether from Odin’s dalliance with magic or proximity
station’s central mainframe in a zero-g environment. to the Anomaly, the Glasscage is – for want of a better
Only properly-cleared researchers and members of the description – haunted. Gravity, space, time, probability
Admiralty are supposed to be allowed into the inner and causality don’t always work right. Corridors have
ring, and only for their assigned departments. Odin has too many corners. Clocks run slow, fast, or display
given the PCs unlimited access, in clear violation of impossible times. Six one-in-a-billion events occur in
Armory protocol. the space of an hour. Researchers wake up to discover
details of their lives aren’t quite the same as they
The third and final section is the titular Cage: a central remember them.
icosahedral containment structure built from the
Armory’s patent “Nullstone.” This revolutionary
metamaterial is an almost perfect insulator, blocking
not only all EM radiation but almost all forms of causal
and paracausal interference as well. The Cage is
designed to perfectly contain any anomaly the Armory
might be interested in researching, while minimizing the
danger to the rest of the universe.

The Cage is dedicated to direct data gathering and

experimentation on the Anomaly, and only members of
Odin’s inner circle are permitted to enter. This includes
his core research team, their security detail and his
children (even Switch, though it’s unlikely they’ll take
him up on this offer). However, he’s happy to break the
rules and let the PCs in as well if he thinks they’ll be
useful allies. After all, who’s going to tell him no?

No Glasscage could be described as “normal,” but

Odin’s eccentricities have made this particular station
even stranger. Odin made extensive changes to the
layout of all three sections of the station. He claims
they’re mathematical optimizations to decrease travel
time, but those familiar with feng shui or other forms of
geomancy will note that the layout seems to be a highly
advanced application of these disciplines.

It goes deeper, however: the entire facility is a grimoire.

[78]
LIFE ON THE GLASSCAGE SCENES FROM THE GLASSCAGE
The Glasscage is a stark contrast to the Sirona. While A scientist slowly drifts towards the ceiling
the Armory carrier paints a thin veneer of discipline over as gravity inverts in one particular spot. He
disarray and incompetence, the Glasscage is a place 1-2 doesn’t seem alarmed; in fact, the way he
that seems chaotic at first glance, but is highly ordered casually tilts his coffee mug to prevent
in its own way. spillage suggests he’s used to this.
An office wall is covered entirely in analog
Each day brings a flood of strange new phenomena, clocks. They all display different times, and
but in such volume that its residents have become 3-4
some of them even seem to be ticking at
inured to them. Waking up to discover that gravity has different speeds.
inverted, your watch gains a second every hour and
three different versions of you have already clocked in Three researchers are locked in a furious
for work is no longer terrifying or even bewildering; it’s argument over the answer to an equation
just another day at the office. on a nearby whiteboard. You hear aleph-
5-6
null being referenced in regard to
someone’s mother, and the next thing you
Every so often, a general alert will sound, followed by
know, a fistfight has broken out.
an announcement with a Greek letter, a numeric code
and a color – “Epsilon-032-Blue” or “Tau-182-Red,” for A lab technician is busy repairing a mass
instance. In order, these codes list the location, type spectrometer, aided by what appears to be
and severity of the incident. Later letters in the alphabet three duplicates of herself. One of them
indicate higher-clearance areas, and colors closer to 7-8 looks up, sees you, and abruptly vanishes
the red end of the spectrum indicate higher severity. along with two others. The remaining
There are jokes about the inevitable “Omega-999- technician glares at you, marches over to
Infrared” event, but they’re never told above a whisper. the door, and pulls the blind shut.
Every object in an office has begun to float
Despite the bizarre chaos of the Glasscage, there’s a a few centimeters above whatever surface
sense of composure that’s lacking from the rest of the 9-10 it was sitting on. A scientist is excitedly
Armory detachment. Nobody is here on a punishment taking notes and snapping photographs;
detail; Odin got to hand-pick his team from volunteers, she is also floating.
and had all the Dawnline Shore’s best and brightest to A Sunzi teleports from one side of a testing
choose from. People know what they’re supposed to be chamber to the other. Seconds later, an
doing and how to do it. 11-12 identical Sunzi appears next to it. One of
the attending scientists sighs and radios
Field research projects like this one can last years, so for a “duplication resolution team.”
the Glasscage is well-stocked with amenities. From the
A senior researcher reprimands a number
highest-clearance research teams to the janitorial staff,
of technicians who were trying to play a
everyone working here enjoys a level of luxury and
tabletop roleplaying game, reminding them
comfort that few outside of the Executive class could
13-14 that use of dice is prohibited outside of the
expect anywhere else in the Purview. There are
Probabilistics Lab. As if to illustrate why, all
restaurants, bars, cinemas, gyms, spas, arcades – all
of their four-sided dice are standing
Armory-branded, of course.
perfectly on their points.

At first glance, people who’ve had experience with A specialist administers a Balwinder-
Purview society might be surprised by how little Armory Bolaño test to a research NHP. They seem
Social comes up. It won’t take them long to realize that 15-16 to be scribbling an awful lot of notes, and
there’s no need for it here: nobody gets a posting like they look more and more concerned each
this unless their Social is spotless. time the NHP answers a question.
A whiteboard in a breakroom depicts some
Placeholder kind of office pool on the cause of the next
17-18 alert. The most bets are for “GRAVITY
INVERSION,” with “TIME PARADOX” as a
close second and “FIGHT” trailing third.
A young woman with extensive cybernetic
augmentation across the right side of her
body approaches, introduces herself as
19-20
Soyeong, and asks where in the hell she
is. She’s booked to perform at a concert in
two hours, and this isn’t Cixin Ward.

[79]
 REWARD
DR. ODIN VALENTINIAN “Your reward is my assistance in understanding your
Odin is a man who loves the sound of his own voice, enemy. I will discern the nature of this nascent god,
and happens to be an excellent public speaker. He can and then create a weapon capable of destroying it. I
and will talk for hours on almost any subject with little will employ every resource at my disposal towards
preparation. Depending on what they ask him about, this end. What more could you possibly need?”
the PCs may struggle to get a word in edgeways.
But the PCs can, in fact, cajole more out of him.
It should be noted that among all three of the new major
powers in Calliope, and even among Harrison Armory,
Odin is the only person who immediately believes the “What is it that you want? Trinkets? Experimental
PCs when they say they’re fighting a god who can technology? The fruits of my life’s research? Very
resurrect its fallen followers. They do not need to justify well. I’ll give you my Project GUNGNIR prototype –
themselves or even provide evidence; Odin believes I’d been meaning to field-test it anyway.”
them the moment they say it, and volunteers his help in
solving the problem – so long as they do him a favor. Blinkspear
Main Melee, Exotic Gear, AP, Thrown 5,
“I’m going to put this very bluntly. I want you to Unique, 1 SP
liberate my ex-wife from the detention center the [a2] [1d6i]
Armory have built on Umbra. Please don’t presume If you throw this weapon, you may retrieve it as a
that I do this out of sentiment; her incarceration free action on your turn, no matter where you are,
simply represents an unacceptable distraction for my even if you’re INTANGIBLE or not on the battlefield.
children, and I would like you to end it. This is the only method by which you may retrieve
this weapon other than the method described below.
“I don’t care how you do it; I’d suggest employing the
If you teleport or are teleported, and the Blinkspear
assistance of that rabble who’ve been protesting
is not in the same space as you, you may change the
above the prison. I have it on good authority that
destination to the space it occupies instead of your
they’ve recently come into possession of a dossier
original destination as a reaction. Doing so retrieves
full of classified intelligence on the facility.”
the Blinkspear.

Understandably, the PCs probably have questions.

Odin named it “Gungnir,” because of course he
did. It’s not precisely the godslaying weapon
he promised, but it’s a start.
IS THIS A TRAP?
“You’re meeting me unarmed in the center of my
research facility. If I wanted you dead, I have no end OTHER SUBJECTS
of better ways to do it; simpler methods with fewer BLINKSPACE
points of failure. I can’t say for certain that it’s not a Odin has dedicated his life to studying blinkspace, and
trap, but if it is, it’s not one I laid.” is delighted to discuss it. Blinkspace is difficult to
comprehend, because it operates by an entirely
different set of physical laws to realspace. Attempts to
STOLEN DOSSIER
observe blinkspace regularly return conflicting results.
Odin is the source of the leak; he left the document
Researchers have variously described it as a zero-
lying in front of Switch during their meeting on Hell’s
dimensional non-volume with no fundamental forces, a
Gate. If the PCs haven’t talked to Switch yet, Odin
self-intersecting 11-dimensional manifold, an endless
doesn’t mention how he knows that the Flotilla received
expanse of dark clouds above and below illuminated
the document, and doesn’t share that information
from the side by an unseen source of light, and other
unless pressed heavily on the subject. If the PCs have
even stranger natures.
already talked to Switch, they may have heard that they
“stole” it from Odin. He disagrees.
Placeholder
“Do you really think I would carry a dossier of highly
classified intelligence into a meeting with Switch and
leave it sitting unattended by accident? No, I wanted
them to have it. Honestly, if they haven’t realized
that, I’m disappointed. I expect better from them.”

EX-WIFE
“Lyra was an NHP specialist. We met at some
symposium or other, and I respected her passion for
her field of study. I don’t resent that she left me; she
could’ve done it without stealing my research NHPs
and selling classified documents to Horizon, though.”

[80]
THE SUNZI FEATHER’S CONDEMNATION
The Sunzi is Odin’s most successful project to date. He “I assure you: I really did consider whether it might
freely admits that it’s based on reverse-engineered be true. I even implemented additional precautions
technology stolen from the Volador, but he’s proud of it regarding the Anomaly!
nonetheless. Integrating that sort of technology into a
military chassis was no mean feat; making that chassis “But have you considered that Feather might be… in
remotely functional as a war machine was a serious error? She’s an NHP, and I don’t bring that up merely
accomplishment. The Sunzi will revolutionize mech because she’s in deep cascade. I mean that NHPs
combat; if you need evidence, he says, just look at SSC can’t exist without blinkspace. If, in this hypothetical
pursuing a similar utility with the Mourning Cloak, or the future, it had been ‘destroyed’ so thoroughly as to
Royal Karrakin Foundries Calendula. prevent travel or communication, it would also
collapse the parallel space within a casket.
THE MICHEL NEY
Defensive technology in space warfare is always going “Additionally, unless there’s something fundamental
to be at a disadvantage. The Armory’s current doctrine I don’t understand about blinkspace – and I’m open
dreadnought, the Louis XIV, is an admirable effort in to that possibility – I don’t think it’s something you
this regard, but all the Baronies need to do is build a can… ‘destroy.’ It’s an emergent property of the
bigger gun, and they’ll be right back where they started. universe; the idea of ‘destroying’ it is as nonsensical
Odin proposes a different paradigm: if you can’t roll with to me as ‘destroying the number four.’ Erase the
the punches, don’t be where they land. number all you want,” he says, holding up four
fingers. “I’m still holding up that many fingers.”
THE ANOMALY
Odin finds the Anomaly fascinating. It’s unlike anything MISTREATMENT OF CHILDREN
he’s ever seen: despite having an event horizon, its “Do you want to waste time moralizing with a person
gravity well extends only a few meters. It emits radiation who already knows he was a monster to his
at such a perfectly constant rate that his most sensitive offspring, or do you want to do something useful?”
instruments haven’t measured the slightest variance.
He has many hypotheses, but no working theory – yet. There is a Door here.
The Other Side of the Sky.
KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
Odin has little to say on the Karrakin. Although it seems
absurd to call it a coincidence, they set off thirty years
ago – decades before he decided to come to Calliope.

SMITH-SHIMANO
Odin thinks the answer to SSC’s presence is perfectly
simple: they want to steal his vastly superior blinkspace
technology. The Mourning Cloak’s EX Slipstream Drive
reportedly has a nearly 3% failure rate, wherein the
mech is delayed in rematerializing, or fails to do so at
all. SSC’s understanding of blinkspace is decades
behind his own, so they’re trying to steal what they can’t
research honestly.

THE FIRE GATES

Odin is fascinated by the Fire Gates. He considers
himself the galaxy’s foremost expert in blinkspace
technology, and yet, confronted with the Fire Gates, he
feels as if he knows almost nothing at all.

“I’d like nothing more than to study an intact, working

specimen. Perhaps you could help; the insights
gained from it would be beneficial to both of us.”

[81]
 LYRA
THOR VALENTINIAN Just like Odin, Lyra had a favorite child, and it wasn’t
Odin doesn’t trust Thor with anything important other Thor. Thor loves her nonetheless.
than all-access security clearance, and even that’s just
for appearance’s sake, so he’s been left to his own
devices. For want of something to do, he’s taken up the “I’m really worried about what they’ll do to her if she’s
study of anthropology, and can usually be found in one extradited back to Ras Shamra. I know Loki and Ba-
of the outer ring’s libraries, working on his thesis. … Switch are too. Tyr pretends not to be, but I can
tell as much as he’s furious with her, he doesn’t want
her to be executed, or to spend the rest of her life in
Thor is kind and sensitive, but withdrawn and guarded; some Armory detention center. I keep begging dad
the world has a tendency to take his friends from him, to do something, but he never listens to me.”
so he’s slow to make new ones. He often struggles with
depression, ennui and a sense of purposelessness, not
helped by his father’s neglect. He works under the TYR
assumption that people will find him and his interests Thor has a strained relationship with Tyr; they’re the
boring and quickly tire of speaking to him, and tends to only two brothers to remain with Odin, but they’re not
self-sabotage in conversations and relationships. exactly close.

“Oh, you’re the pilots who saved Switch and Loki “Dad thought the world of Tyr – for a while. Then he
from the Cult. Nice to meet you in person.” started having social development issues, and dad
dropped him like a sack of bricks. He’s never
recovered from that. I care about him, but I don’t
HIMSELF know how to help him.”
Thor thinks he’s uninteresting, and so generally tends
to deflect questions about himself onto other people
he’s associated with. LOKI
Thor and Loki respect one another, and probably have
the healthiest relationship of any of the siblings.
“Not much to say, really. You’ve met my dad, right?
Smartest blinkspace researcher in the galaxy. One
of my younger siblings is an omninet sensation. Kind “Dad got Loki and Baldur as part of a matched set,
of hard not to live in their shadow. I, uh, took up and decided he didn’t need a spare. I guess Loki
studying cultural anthropology recently, I guess.” decided the feeling was mutual. But as much as he
didn’t want to take after dad, I guess they both
needed Baldur a lot more than Baldur needed them.”
HIS FAMILY
Thor is bluntly honest about his relatives. He has seen
enough of the world to know that this isn’t how normal, SWITCH
functional families work, but he has a sense of gallows Thor has conflicted feelings about Switch: there’s some
humor about the whole thing. lingering resentment from the old days, and he sees
their current behavior as immature and irresponsible,
but he’s still overjoyed to learn that they’re alive.
“I was the eldest child, and a huge disappointment to
dad. I got to watch him fail at fatherhood three more
times until mother walked out, got to see the first of “Still getting used to the name. To me, they were
my brothers become a spiteful wreck, the second a Baldur, the golden child, you know? The only one
rebel and the third a corpse – at least, until they dad actually needed, as he never tired of reminding
came back unrecognizable. Normal eldest child stuff, us. I see they still have to be the center of the
you know?” universe; guess some things never change."

ODIN SAMUEL FRY

Despite everything, Thor respects his father’s intellect, “I think he might be the only Armory high-up who’s
and just about nothing else. ever expressed genuine interest in my opinion. I
admire both his conviction and his caution; too much
of one or the other gets people killed.”
“Dad’s a genius. Probably the smartest man you’ll
ever meet – and I don’t say that out of affection; it’s
just the truth. Any question you ask about THE FLEET
blinkspace, he’ll have the answer. But spend time “Feels like the Armory rounded up all the people it
with him and you’ll quickly see how being a genius despises the most and shipped them off somewhere
doesn’t necessarily make you a better person.” they can fail quietly without embarrassing the rest of
the Purview. I can relate to that.”

There is a Door here.

The Unfavorite.

[82]
TYR VALENTINIAN LOKI
Tyr was originally supposed to be Odin’s Sunzi pilot for Loki is a conversational landmine. The mere mention of
direct experimentation on the anomaly, but when they his name drives Tyr into a resentful fury, and likely ends
arrived in system to discover that Loki and Baldur were the conversation.
both present, Odin dropped him like a sack of bricks.
He was relegated to a desk job, overseeing assembly “Ah, the prodigal child! No surprise at all that we
and then day-to-day administration of the Glasscage. found him dossing around on the Icebreaker, living a
Understandably, for a man whose psyche was shaped life of luxury on father’s credit line with no respect to
by sudden paternal rejection, he did not take this well. the duty it conveys! But the moment father found out
he was here, he couldn’t WAIT to replace me! It’s the
Most days, Tyr can be found brooding in his office. He twins! It’s ALWAYS the FUCKING twins!”
has been drinking heavily as of late, and is likely
clutching a glass of whiskey whenever the PCs happen With a shriek of rage, he hurls his glass against the
to talk to him – even if he’s supposed to be on duty at wall, where it shatters into a thousand pieces.
the time. Being drunk makes Tyr speak his mind with
no filter, which tends to make things awkward. SWITCH
Tyr tries to act contemptuous and dismissive towards
“You’re that local mercenary crew, aren’t you? I’m Switch, but it’s clear that he’s envious – after all, Switch
sorry you had to shoulder the responsibility of bailing actually had the guts to escape when their father went
out my feckless younger siblings.” too far. Tyr wished he had found that strength. He still
refuses to call Switch by their new name, though.
LYRA
Tyr feels just as resentful towards his mother as his “Ah, yes, Baldur! The perfect child! The unconquered
father. After all, she picked a favorite just like his father sun around which all our hopes revolve! Well, we all
did, and it also wasn’t him. saw how that turned out, didn’t we? They ran away,
faked their own death, even stole father’s prototype!
“Well, my mother turned out to be an irresponsible Serves him right for giving up on me.”
traitor with no loyalty to her family or the Armory. HE
was always her favorite. I suppose it should be no ODIN
surprise that he turned out the way he did.” “Don’t. Just don’t.”

Tyr does not elaborate on who “he” is (it’s Loki). THE FLEET
Tyr has a very low opinion on the state of the fleet, and
THOR will go into great detail about their slovenly flaunting of
Tyr treats Thor with a sort of deeply patronizing pity. It the Naval Code, as whiskey slips from his glass and
quickly becomes clear that of his three siblings, Tyr splashes on his desk.
resents Thor the least, but that might be because Thor
never had anything that Tyr wants. HIS DRINKING
“Don’t judge me, you pompous prick!”
“You know, he should count himself lucky, in a way?
Father never loved him. He didn’t have all that much CALLIOPE
to lose. There’s bliss in ignorance, isn’t that how the “Well, I’m not going to lie, it’s a hellhole. But you
saying goes? And I suppose I should thank him for know where you stand in a hellhole, so there’s that.”
being mediocre. Father wouldn’t have decided to roll
the genetic dice again if he’d been satisfactory.” THE GLASSCAGE
Tyr actually has a whole lot of useful information about
HIMSELF the Glasscage. Since Odin fobbed off most of the
Tyr is addicted to portraying himself as a forlorn hero, station’s busywork on him, not only can he answer any
as if he’s the protagonist of a Shakesperean tragedy. It question the PCs care to ask, he likely will. In particular,
could easily be mistaken for melodrama, but for what he’s one of the few people who knows Odin turned the
it’s worth, Tyr is being sincere. Glasscage into a grimoire. If the PCs let him, he will go
on for hours about his father’s interest with the occult.
“I met every metric of father’s obscure calculus! I was
mastering the equations he gave me by the age of There is a Door here.
four! I outpaced Thor’s athletic development! He Things Lost to Fenris.
turned his back on me anyway! It’s my lot in life to be
cast aside. I should’ve told him to go and fuck himself
a long time ago! Why didn’t I? Why didn’t I?!”

[83]
 LOKI VALENTINIAN SWITCH
Odin’s managed to drag Loki back into his orbit for one Loki’s outlook on Switch depends on whether they were
last job. Do this final favor, he promises, and Loki and reconciled during the Prelude. If they weren’t, Loki is
his twin are free forever. Loki’s not sure he believes it, bitter and resentful towards Switch.
but he knew that if he refused, Odin would most likely
try to drag Switch back instead. “I think we’ve already said everything that needs to
be said about them, didn’t we?”
Loki’s job is simple, in a way: pilot one of Odin’s
prototype Sunzi chassis, and use its suite of blinkspace If they were, Loki speaks kindly towards Switch, and if
manipulation tools on the Anomaly exactly as his father the PCs aren’t already aware, he tells them that Switch
instructs him to. Loki’s smart enough to know that Odin is hanging out on the protest flotilla above Umbra.
is up to something, but if it will get him what he wants –
freedom from his father – he’ll do what he’s told. “Clever, isn’t it? Using their celebrity and status as
the child of an Executive to shield the Flotilla from
“If we keep running into each other like this, people Armory action. Just the kind of trick I’d pull.”
are going to start talking.”
ODIN
THOR Out of all of Odin’s children, Loki has perhaps the most
Thor and Loki may just have the healthiest relationship piercing insight about his father.
out of any two members of their family.
“You have to understand that father was there during
“He’s a good guy, right? He’s kind, clever, humble, the Black Throne Incident. He was ten years old, and
one hell of a serve in tennis – any other father would he watched the Temperate Palace burn with his own
be proud to have him as a son. He just wasn’t good eyes, saw Deimos in the sky, lost Harrison II and
enough for the one we got.” both his parents, all in an hour. Then he spent a
week wandering the surface of Ras Shamra,
TYR surviving on scraps. And then every single adult in
For a person so reasonable and compassionate about his life lied to him, told him he hadn’t seen what he
the rest of his family, Loki seems to have serious issues saw. That’d be enough to mess anyone up.
with Tyr. Everything he says about him is acidic and
condescending; it’s uncomfortable. “The most dangerous thing about him isn’t that he’s
clever, or manipulative, or amoral. The most
“Tyr? Yes, a prime example of how much father can dangerous thing is that he’s a true believer. He has
mess you up. I guess I can’t blame him for the way this… insidious way of making you see things from
he acts. Hell, if I were in his position, I’d probably be his perspective. You start to understand him, maybe
drinking myself to sleep and pointlessly lashing out even sympathize with him. You start to believe all the
at everyone too. Perfectly understandable that evil he does is absolutely necessary.”
someone with issues that serious would make other
peoples’ lives hell for no reason, isn’t it?” LYRA
Loki was Lyra’s favorite child, and that made it all the
HIMSELF more painful for him when she departed. Nonetheless,
Of the entire Valentinian family, Loki is the most well- Loki is very concerned for her.
balanced and clear-headed at the present moment, at
least when it comes to himself. “If I hadn’t promised father I’d help him with his
experiments, I’d probably be plotting a jailbreak.”
“You know, strangely enough, I think I had it the best
of all of us. Father had Baldur, so he didn’t need me, THE SUNZI
and quite frankly, I didn’t need him either. It was only “What can I say? It’s a delicate machine built to make
after Baldur was gone that he suddenly realized he the impossible happen. Sometimes, when I jump, I
had no fallback plan. I had no intention of stepping feel like I’ve been gone for years, like I’ve been to
into that role; there was nothing he could offer me. places and seen things as if they happened
differently, to different people. Other times, it feels
“That’s what changed, if you must know. He finally like not enough time passes, like I’ve stepped across
found something I want that he can dangle over my space… faster than instantly, if that makes even a
head: actual freedom.” lick of sense?”

There is a Door here.

Hail, O Lord Of Mischief.

[84]
BEAT ??:
THE FLOTILLA
Ever since the construction of Coldwater 484 became
publicly known and the arrests began, a slowly-growing
THE ACTION COMMITTEE
fleet of civilian vessels has been keeping a vigil in orbit Like many organizations in Calliope, the Flotilla is
over Umbra. anarchist in structure; there is no official hierarchy and
no single leader. The Flotilla’s agenda is set by mutual
agreement by its action committee. This has some
They haven’t been able to do very much so far; if they advantages and disadvantages; on the one hand, the
so much as engage thrusters for attitude correction, Flotilla has to get the majority of its committee to agree
local Armory forces begin pointing guns at them. The on a course of action before doing it, which can often
one time they laid in an intercept course for an incoming be hard. On the other hand, the sharing of power
prison barge, the dreadnought hovering over Saeculum makes it hard for Armory infiltrators to sabotage.
pinged them with a targeting laser bright enough to
scorch the nose art right off their flagship.
PIRATE SYNDICATES
Calliope’s two remaining major pirate organizations are
For weeks, the flotilla has sulked, feeling increasingly both concerned by the Armory’s actions, but can’t
powerless as more and more people are whisked off to spare anything. The Knights are too busy fighting the
the prison camp below. The Armory has issued Cult and preparing for Howl’s attack on Impact Plaza,
repeated warnings to leave, but hasn’t made any effort and most of the Forge is stuck on Asphodel due to the
to enforce them; a clear signal that they don’t think the Karrakin Deputation’s orbital blockade.
protestors are a threat.
If Chapter 7: Placeholder (p. ###) is complete,
But now, a mysterious benefactor has dumped a Mistress Elske has dispatched a small band of Knights
treasure trove of intelligence straight into their laps. It led by Claryana Rowdley (In Golden Flame Act 1, p.
has blueprints, threat assessments, personnel rosters, ###) to assist the Flotilla.
equipment manifests – the flotilla knows everything.
Name a cell block, and the action committee can tell
you how many guards will be on duty at the present If Chapter 8: Placeholder (p. ###) is complete, the
moment, what their names are, what gear they’ll be Blacksmith is free to dispatch one of the Forge’s larger
carrying – hell, they could probably make an educated subline vessels and a squad of veteran mech pilots to
guess what they had for breakfast. assist the Flotilla.

The benefactor may not be so mysterious to the PCs: THE SIGDIVER CLIQUES
Dr. Odin Valentinian. Demonstrating just how easily he The threats posed by the Cult, the Armory and the other
can manipulate his children even after years apart from newcomers in the system have driven all of Calliope’s
them, he left a dossier in full view of Switch during his sigdiver cliques to declare an indefinite truce, so that
visit to Hell’s Gate, knowing full well they wouldn’t be they can face threats to the system as a unified front.
able to resist getting one over on him. Switch took it
straight to the flotilla, just as Odin planned. To this end, DRIVETRAIN, the self-appointed leader of
HORUS operations in the system, has sent thirteen of
For the past few days, the flotilla’s action committee his best sigdivers to help the flotilla, with local Horizon
has been deliberating over what to do. They have to act cells contributing seven of their own. In particular, The
soon, before the data becomes obsolete, but they still Truth have sent Striga Von Aldenberg as their
lack the confidence and strength to stage an assault. representative; while the flotilla is having trouble getting
used to her eccentricities (particularly her insistence
that the Armory is a front for the Time Vampires), none
The arrival of the PCs has changed that. The flotilla is question her hacking skills.
full of outlanders, labor unionists, citizens of every
major settlement in Calliope, perhaps even some
members of the Hell’s Gate militia, and many of them GUN BROTHER TEN
were inspired to take action by the team’s heroism. Gun Brother Ten can be found leaning against a wall
near the hangar bay, whistling his signature tune to
himself. Talking to him reveals that one of his other
“Listen. You guys took on the Circuit and won. You wards is currently incarcerated, and even his legendary
took the fight to Impact Dynamics and won. You skills aren’t enough to rescue them alone.
killed Andros Capella twice. We can’t win this alone.
But with you? With you, we can’t lose.”

[85]
 IPSWICH DELACEY militia are busy defending them. Besides, the Gate’s
Having delivered the dossier, Switch is now hanging most
around on the flotilla, partly as an embedded reporter
and partly as a defensive countermeasure: whatever Three Sisters – placeholder. Longshoremen?
else they might be, they’re still the child of an Executive,
and the Armory won’t fire on the flotilla if there’s a risk
Protestors from Endymion’s Lament are conspicuously
of hitting them. Plus, it's personal for them: their mother absent. This is partly because there have been no
is down there. arrests on the station, and partly because the Armory
is buying fuel from them.
There’s a lot of gossip flying around about Switch. They
arrived in orbit flying an IPS-N Sunfish Mk. III clipper
just like the Dragon’s Tooth, and nobody else is allowed Comrade_Cormorant: hey guys endymion’s lament
onboard. Rumor has it that a Horizon safe house with here we’re the socially conscious station we
won’t sell fuel to autocrats like steele
a Schedule 1 printer ran off a massive order for them,
please trust in the sincerity of our moral
but nobody knows what was in it. conviction we only sell fuel to ethical and
scrupulous businesses like *checks notes*
SwitchOfficial: Finding out that the Horizon harrison armory
sigdiver who hated me the most was actually my – Muse chatter
mom is crushingly appropriate to the narrative
arc of my life
The Icebreaker Borealis’ contribution to the Flotilla has
– Muse chatter
mostly been bored tourists who want to feel socially
responsible. Some enterprising scumbag sold tickets
THOUSAND HABS IRREGULARS for an “immersive social consciousness experience – a
As with the previous spate of abductions, the first once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of a genuine
people to suffer the Armory’s arrests were from the proletarian uprising.” The Flotilla was hours away from
Thousand Habs; those settlements too small and poor expelling the whole group until one of them turned out
to defend themselves. This, however, was the final to be a licensed trauma surgeon.
straw. Between these mass arrests, the chaos in the
system and Rodericke Steele’s price-gouging on food,
the Thousand Habs have suffered enough indignity.

If Chapter 7: Placeholder (p. ###) hasn’t yet been ASSAULTING THE PRISON
completed, most of the Thousand Habs Irregulars are Placeholder
busy helping Howl plan her assault on Impact Plaza.
However, if it’s been completed, they are free to
INFILTRATING THE PRISON
Placeholder – ways to get yourself arrested
ASPHODELIANS
One of the few major upsides of the Karrakin presence
above Asphodel is that Harrison Armory has so far Odin can help falsify a warrant for your arrest.
been unwilling to risk looking for fugitives there, either
in Furnace City or the Terra Solus. However, due to the Players might already have warrants for their arrest?
Battle of Fort Cerberus, a large number of outlanders
were stranded off-world when the blockade went up.
With nothing much to do, they fell in with the Flotilla,
seeing a wrong that needed righting.

The Asphodelian contingent is led by Samantha “the

Coyote,” who the PCs might have met at a Terra Solus
sparring field (In Golden Flame Act 1, p. ###). The few
Cityfolk present have deferred to her leadership.

THE BIG SIX

Aside from exceptions listed above, the presence of
protestors and support from the Big Six is quite weak,
given that all six of the system’s largest settlements are
currently dealing with their own crises.

The presence from Hell’s Gate is sparse; most of its

miners are hard at work furnishing the materials
necessary for the system’s war effort, and most of the

[86]
 LYRA
IPSWICH DELACEY Switch’s feelings on their mother are conflicted. On the
Switch is playing to an audience; not just their followers, one hand, they relate to her much more than their
but the PCs and the Flotilla as well. Doing the right thing father; on the other, Switch clearly has trauma from the
is incidental to being the hero of this story. They’ll say way she abandoned the family. Regardless, they still
whatever it takes to make it seem like their actions are want to rescue her from Coldwater 484.
righteous; that most of what they’re saying is true is
nothing more than a happy coincidence. There’s an
uncomfortable echo of Odin in Switch’s behavior. If the PCs tell Switch that Odin hired them to rescue
her, they assume it’s a trap, unless the PCs explain that
Odin only cares about the productivity of his sons. This
Switch is filming almost every second they’re awake, makes sense to Switch – Odin never helps anyone
unless someone explicitly requests privacy. The PCs unless it’s in his own interest to do so.
will usually find them interviewing members of the
Flotilla, speaking directly to their audience, or running
a promo for one of their many sponsors. While Switch THOR
has never been great at opsec, they have enough It’s clear Switch doesn’t think about their eldest brother
presence of mind to make sure any discussion about very much; they have some generic nice things to say
sensitive information happens off-camera. about him, but very little else.

“Hey, what’s up, lancers?” “Thor? Yeah, Thor’s a decent guy. Solid.”

THEMSELF TYR
Switch will usually try to position themself as the victim, Switch’s outlook on Tyr could be summed up in just two
but in such a way that their suffering seems noble. If words: overwhelming pity.
they’ve done wrong, then it was a necessary evil forced
upon them by circumstances beyond their control. To “You might’ve noticed that dad fucked all his kids up,
be fair to them, in some cases this is entirely true; in but I don’t think anyone got it worse than Tyr. Thor
others, however, they will manipulate facts or flat-out lie never met his stupid fucking standards, right from the
to make things fit their narrative. start, but Tyr got it worse. Dad doted on him for a
while, but eventually ditched him, and it destroyed
“I never asked for any of what’s happened to me. I’m him. Worse, he keeps trying to prove himself to dad,
just trying to take control of a life I’ve never had any and every time he does, he gets hurt again.”
say in before. Dad and the Armory never gave me a
choice; I’m not letting them do that to anyone else.” LOKI
Switch’s feelings on Loki depend on whether the PCs
THEIR FAMILY helped the two of them reconcile after their argument.
“They’re all here. Hell of a reunion. Not really how I If they’re still angry at one another, Switch does at least
expected it to go. Not how I wanted it to go, either.” try to keep their feelings off-camera.

ODIN THEIR SHIP

“I trusted dad. I let him put me and my brothers Switch is uncharacteristically tight-lipped about what’s
through hell for years because despite everything, I on their ship, and will stonewall questions about it.
trusted he would never hide anything from us. That
probably doesn’t make me sound like the best THE JAILBREAK
person, but I was loyal because I at least thought he To their credit, Switch cares about liberating everyone
was honest. I found out even that was a lie. I’d the Armory has arrested, not just their mother. Less to
defended him for fucking nothing!” their credit, it’s partly because they want to look heroic.
They also have an interesting revelation:
Odin is a gigantic sore spot for Switch. While they do
have a point that Odin’s meddling with forces beyond “That dossier about the prison the Flotilla got? I gave
his understanding is dangerous; the problem is that it to them. Stole it from my dad; he has no clue!”
their personal feelings on the matter cloud their
judgement. Often, while trying to explain the danger If they’ve already talked to Odin, the PCs might know
posed to Calliope by their father, Switch will become that Odin is aware of the theft, and in fact planned for
distracted by an unrelated personal grievance. Switch to steal it. Switch isn’t receptive to being warned
about this; they will deflect onto a different subject.
“You know we had to take stims just to cope with his
training? I had a Juice habit at the age of twelve. THE GLASSCAGE
When I first arrived on Hell’s Gate, I had to get used “It radiates dad’s smug, unpleasant energy – literally,
to a new life while going through withdrawal!” if you believe the rumors.”

[87]
 MISSION: BRIEFING
The Harrison Armory taskforce would be an extremely

CAT’S IN THE powerful ally in the fight against the Cult. Unfortunately,
they’re currently too busy rounding up dissidents and
meddling with forces beyond their comprehension. The

CRADLE
key to solving this issue lies either with a reformist
admiral, or an egotistical blinkspace scientist and his
severely dysfunctional family.
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way GOAL: Convince Harrison Armory to help the
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay system. End the petty feud between
He learned to walk while I was away Dr. Valentinian and Lord Director Fry.
And he was talkin’ 'fore I knew it, and as he grew Help Switch fix their broken family.
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you, dad,
“You know I'm gonna be like you!" INTEL: Zero-g combat likely; Harrison Armory
fields well-equipped mechs in large
– Henry Chapin, numbers; AP damage and the ability
Cats In The Cradle to inflict the SHREDDED condition will
pay dividends; wide-area weaponry
will also be also useful. Expect
enemies with access to burn damage
and teleportation abilities.

STAKES: Lord Director Fry and Dr. Valentinian

will both endanger the system in their
own way if they’re not talked down.

REWARD: Lord Director Fry has promised to put

his entire military complement behind
Calliope’s war effort. Dr. Valentinian
claims he can build a weapon that can
kill Feather. Switch will be happy.

PROBLEMS: Failure will likely piss off Lord Director

Fry, Dr. Valentinian or both; Harrison
Armory are a bunch of egotistical,
sneering imperialists; have you seen
Switch’s family? Christ, what a mess.

[88]
 FRAMING THE Failure THE THIRD
Part 1
GUILTY PILLAR

THE
Part 2
TIMEWAVE

ATTACK THE DEFEND THE

GLASSCAGE GLASSCAGE

THE INFINITE
TREE

MISSION STRUCTURE THE TIMEWAVE

This mission has several branching decision points. Dr. Valentinian’s final experiment on the Anomaly
Firstly, the team will have to choose between two causes it to resonate; this creates a problem, because
different approaches to the Harrison Armory situation: an infinite number of other Dr. Valentinians in alternate
timelines are also doing the same thing at the same
OPTION 1: FALSE-FLAG ATTACK time, synchronizing their waveforms and causing them
Strike Captain Tsukuda has hinted that if Armory to interpenetrate. Parallel timelines begin to collide.
interests in the system were directly attacked, the Lord
Director could invoke emergency powers that would Odin’s reasonably certain he can avoid causing a
give him more autonomy. The Cult know this, and are catastrophic collapse of local reality; he just needs time
currently avoiding Armory forces, but that’s not an to stabilize the phenomenon and make contact with the
issue; the Armory merely needs to believe the Cult has correct alternate version of himself. Lord Director Fry is
attacked them. This option is detailed in Arc: Framing not convinced, and orders him to stand down, an order
the Guilty (p. ##). Odin refuses. Seeing no other choice, Fry orders an
assault on the Glasscage
OPTION 2: PRISON BREAK
Dr. Odin Valentinian has indiscreetly remarked on a OPTION 1: ATTACK THE GLASSCAGE
few glaring security flaws at Coldwater 484. It’s clear If the PCs decide to try and stop Odin, they must launch
that he’s doing it as some sort of powerplay to an assault on the Glasscage. Switch will assist in this
undermine Lord Director Fry’s authority, but breaking endeavor, but the matter is complicated by the
Calliopean citizens out of prison would be a massive presence of Switch’s brothers. This option is detailed in
PR win for the team. This option is detailed in Arc: The Arc: Attack the Glasscage (p. ##).
Third Pillar (p. ##).
OPTION 2: DEFEND THE GLASSCAGE
Each branch contains several combat sequences, with PCs side with Odin, they must hold off waves of Lord
a FULL REPAIR at the end. Once either branch is Director Fry’s commandos while the scientist
completed, Dr. Valentinian begins his experiment on completes his work. This option is detailed in Arc:
the Anomaly, unleashing the Timewave. At this point, Defend the Glasscage (p. ##).
the team must make another decision

[89]
 THE FINAL RECKONING
Whether the PCs attacked or defended the Glasscage,
Odin begs them for just a few more minutes to complete
his experiment. He’s so close to his breakthrough, a
breakthrough that could save not just Calliope but all of
Union from the tyranny of gods like Feather and YMIR.
This is detailed in Beat ??: The Infinite Tree (p. ##).

If the PCs refuse Odin, they will have to talk him down,
or he will fight them, backed up by his remaining
loyalists. If the PCs side with Odin, they may have to
talk Switch down from turning on them.

SKIPPABLE FIGHTS
If the PCs put in the time and effort to reconcile the
Valentinian family before this mission starts – or at the
very least, during it – they placeholder

[90]
ARC:
FRAMING THE GUILTY
In order to invoke Nonstandard Crisis Directive Alpha The PCs will also need to fight the Cult itself, and they
and declare mission autonomy, Lord Director Fry will not be fooled by the disguises, even for a moment.
needs to be attacked by the Cult. The Cult, well aware The Cult’s ranks have swelled in the last few months
of this, are steering clear of the Armory. This is where and not everyone knows each other, but they aren’t
the team comes in. gullible enough to trust a heavily-armed fireteam of
unfamiliar mechs with months-old transponder codes.
If the Cult won’t attack the Armory themselves, an
appropriate incident needs to be manufactured. To wit, Finally, the PCs can’t bring Siren and the Dragon’s
a vessel with a Cult transponder code must be stolen, Tooth with them; it would be far too obvious if a Cult
and an attack on an Armory facility must be launched ship was stolen from the same place the PCs’ ship was
by mechs flying Cult colors. seen dropping off a bunch of suspicious unknown
mechs. Siren will pick them up when the mission is
Strike Captain Tsukuda has made it very clear she over; until then, they will have to bring a regular flight
wants Armory casualties kept to a minimum; zero, if operations comp/con along to pilot Sunbird 2 for them.
possible. Mechs and equipment mean nothing to her,
but her people trust her, and their deaths are something
she doesn’t want on her conscience.
TRESPASSER
It’s been a whole week of bouncing between habitats
in the inner belt, riding in a different vessel every
An ideal vessel has been located by traffic controllers time; you needed to make sure nobody could trace
watching local ship movements over the past couple of you back to Hell’s Gate. Now, you’re in an old tramp
months: Sunbird 2, a Valencia Combat Solutions freighter you bought on the cheap. It’s barely more
Santanella-class missile corvette similar to the one that than scrap with an engine, but that’s fine; it only
the team fought on the Icebreaker. It got badly mauled needs to get you to the repair facility.
in a recent skirmish with a Union patrol, and had to dock
at New Edinburgh, a repair facility in the Inner Belt, far
from the bulk of the Cult’s forces on Kantele. It all goes fine until about ten minutes out, when you
get a hail from them.
The team must paint their mechs in Cultist colors, grab
Sunbird 2, bolt to Chameleon and then stage an assault “ISV DEFAULT NAME from New Edinburgh tower,
on an isolated helium refinery which Strike Captain we get no reading for your ident or cargo manifest
Tsukuda has singled out. Once they do this, Lord and we don’t have you on the docking schedule;
Director Fry will be able to declare a crisis and act please transmit credentials manually, over.”
unilaterally, without oversight or interference from the
Steward Council. The PCs will need to bluff their way through this
exchange. The easiest way to do this is to pose as a
damaged civilian freighter, in need of immediate repairs
IN DISGUISE – if the PCs try this, apply +1g to their rolls, since New
In order to fool the Armory, the PCs must repaint their Edinburgh is a repair facility and the ISV DEFAULT
mechs in Cult colors and change their transponder NAME looks just about as damaged as a ship can get
codes. Any unique identifying features of the PCs’ without falling apart.
mechs must be hidden or removed; if their mechs are
distinctive and memorable shapes, they must be If the PCs don’t manage to convince the station of their
remodeled. If the PCs are serious roleplayers, you can good intentions, New Edinburgh traffic control begins to
even ask them to think about whether the Cult would suspect they might be dealing with a group of armed
have access to certain frames at all. mercenaries about to enact a heist. If this occurs, on
the first turn of Combat: Misappropriation, deploy two
The disguise needn’t be perfect; Strike Captain extra reinforcements in the first round, and give one of
Tsukuda will ensure that nobody looks at the footage them VIPER’S SPEED from the VETERAN template,
too closely. However, it needs to be convincing enough allowing them to take the first turn.
that the Legionnaires at the refinery don’t question who
they’re fighting, and that a casual glance at the footage Either way, Combat: Misappropriation begins as
doesn’t give the game away. The Steward Council can’t soon as the PCs are ready.
be allowed any basis to question Fry’s decision.

[91]
 COMBAT:
MISAPPROPRIATION
SITREP: Extraction (Lancer, p. 270)

OBJECTIVE(S): 1x SUNBIRD 2 Size 4, 40 HP, provides hard cover

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE RUINER Faceshot, Follow Through
1x T2 VETERAN RAINMAKER Hound Missiles, Lightning Reflexes, Slippery
1x T2 COMMANDER PRIEST Quick March
1x T2 SCOURER
1x T2 SCOUT Spotter
1x T2 SENTINEL Wrath-Lock
1x T2 WITCH

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 VETERAN PYRO Acrobat, Limitless

+1x T2 ASSAULT
+1x T2 SQUAD Armored

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE VETERAN GOLIATH Retribution, Feign Death, Legendary

The RUINER is a highly mobile Striker that focuses on

DETAILS inflicting KNOCKBACK and PRONE. Its ASSAULT
The PCs must break into the repair bay and steal BOOSTER gives it a powerful action economy
SUNBIRD 2. Unfortunately, the ship’s reactor is currently advantage since it can move and RAM as part of the
in cold shutdown, and the PCs do not have time to cycle same action. It also has FOLLOW THROUGH, which lets
it up before the Cult seal the hangar doors. There’s it stay on top of targets that it knocks back, and
nothing else for it: the PCs have to get out and push. FACESHOT, which lets it focus its attacks on an adjacent
hostile target instead of its usual cone pattern.
The asteroid has such negligible gravity that the
combat effectively takes place in zero-g. For want of a better description, the Ruiner works best
as a “bully.” Choose a PC – especially one isolated
The order in which you deploy NPCs is important in an from the rest of the group – and have the Ruiner focus
Extraction sitrep. You should deploy slower or longer- on them, knocking them away from the objective and
range NPCs before NPCs that are faster or attack at using FOLLOW THROUGH to stay on top of them. This will
short range, because at the start of the fight, the PCs force PCs to either peel off and assist their teammate,
will have a numeric advantage, and enemies that rush or leave them to suffer.
in will be focused down by players before they have a
chance to make an impact. The COMMANDER PRIEST has QUICK MARCH, which can
be used to assist other NPCs in getting into position
You should deploy NPCs like the VETERAN RAINMAKER, faster. Use INVESTITURE on an ally that doesn’t move
the WITCH and (if appropriate) the ELITE VETERAN very much, and use PREPARE to put DISPERSAL SHIELD
GOLIATH early in the fight. The Rainmaker can keep its on an ally as they move past.
distance from the PCs and take full advantage of cover
due to the ARCING trait of its MISSILE PODS. The Goliath The SCOUT has SPOTTER, and should either park next
is resistant to long-range damage, and bringing it out to a long-ranged ally like the RAINMAKER or run directly
early gives it more time to close the gap. into combat to deploy CLOAKING FIELD near the
objective, allowing short-ranged allies to cluster around
Don’t deploy fast, close-range fighters like the ELITE it and gain both INVISIBLE and accuracy on attacks.
RUINER, the SENTINEL or the VETERAN PYRO right away.
Save them for later rounds, when there are already a Use the SENTINEL’s WRATH-LOCK on its first turn, as it
lot of hostiles on the field and PCs must split their arrives on the battlefield – you probably won’t get an
attention. The Pyro is included among “fast fighters” opportunity to use it again.
because its combination of the ACROBAT and LIMITLESS
traits allow it to cover 15 spaces in a turn if it needs to.

[92]
 The PCs only need to take out the helium storage
OUTCOME tanks; they’re unmanned and full of inert helium,
PC DEFEAT meaning they pose no explosion risk. All the other
If the PCs couldn’t get SUNBIRD 2 to the extraction zone facility buildings have people in them, and are off-limits.
by the end of the tenth round, the Cultists have shut the
hangar doors. By this time, however, the ship’s reactor According to Colonial Legion doctrine, critical facilities
is spun up and its weapon systems are online, so the in disputed territory should generally be guarded by at
team can just blast them open. least a platoon of mechs and an entire company of
infantry. Due to the battlegroup’s ongoing personnel
This is not ideal, for two reasons. Firstly, the ship is now issues, there are only three mech fireteams at the
out of missiles; getting through the hangar doors refinery, and no infantry at all. Depending on how many
exhausted its supply, denying the PCs use of them later PCs are in the team, Strike Captain Tsukuda might
in the mission. Secondly, doing this will severely even have ordered one of the fireteams rotated out.
damage the hangar bay, which is part of a neutral
civilian outpost. This will upset the residents of New At any given time, one fireteam is usually away from
Edinburgh and make them unsympathetic to the PCs; the facility, doing a local area patrol in the detachment’s
tick a segment on the Cult Influence clock. only dropship. It can be summoned back at a moment’s
notice if the refinery is attacked, so the PCs should be
PC VICTORY prepared to fight them.
If the PCs managed to get SUNBIRD 2 out of the hangar
before the bay doors closed, the rest of the getaway is Strike Captain Tsukuda has picked a time at which the
simple; even if they don’t go to bolt immediately, the Armory battlegroup is on the other side of the planet,
Cult don’t have anything fast enough to catch up, and meaning that they cannot immediately intervene or fire
there’s probably not enough of them left to retake the upon Sunbird 2. Nonetheless, this mission is highly
ship even if they did. time-sensitive; once the attack begins, the team will
have less than an hour before reinforcements arrive
Getting out of the hangar quickly has also preserved from the Sirona. No matter how skilled they are as
the ship’s supply of missiles. During the next two pilots, they will have no hope of fighting that many
combat encounters, the PCs can use Battering mechs, and it’s likely they will be captured or killed.
Downpour against enemy targets. Tsukuda can do nothing for them if this happens.

The bolt was calculated perfectly – Sunbird 2 snaps

Battering Downpour back into realspace right above the fuel refinery.
Reserve, Limited 2 Almost immediately, it’s pinged from the ground by a
Wow, these are much more fun when you’re not the targeting laser, and you get a disorganised hail from
one they’re aimed at! a pilot who sounds like he can’t be a day over 18.

As a full action, expend a charge of this RESERVE to “What? Oh shit, holy shit, Sarge! Sarge, we’ve got a
designate a space on the ground, within line of sight contact – hostile contact! It’s an assault ship!
and SENSORS; all characters know that it has been Unidentified vessel, y-y-you’re trespassing in Armory
chosen. At the end of the next round, it is struck by aerospace! Surrender immediately! Sir, they’re…
a swarm of missiles, creating a d2 explosion. they’re not surrendering! Sarge, sir, we’ve got a
Characters in the affected area must make AGILITY hostile contact! Sarge, what do we do?!”
saves. On a failure, they take 15k and are knocked
PRONE. On a pass, they take half damage and Strike Captain Tsukuda gave you the codes to tap
remain standing. Demolition targets and characters into the Armory’s encrypted comms. Someone on
that are IMMOBILIZED fail the save automatically. the ground has already sent a request for
reinforcements – the clock is ticking.
DEVELOPMENT
The PCs have time to rest before jumping to nearlight.
Strike Captain Tsukuda has given the PCs the exact
coordinates for the helium refinery, and a comp/con
can easily plot a nearlight bolt that will drop them out
only a few dozen kilometers above it.

[PLACEHOLDER – Narrative section on the stolen

vessel? Describe the cramped vessel, describe the
tension]

[93]
 COMBAT:
WITH FALSE FIRE
SITREP: Demolition (p. 362)

OBJECTIVE(S): 5x HELIUM TANK (Size 3, 20 HP)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x WOMBAT 1 “SARGE” – T2 ELITE Rank Discipline, Military Discipline
COMMANDER ASSAULT
1x WOMBAT 2 – T2 BASTION
1x WOMBAT 3 – T2 SEEDER Speed Deployer

FOR 4 PCS: +1x BADGER 1 – T2 BOMBARD

+1x BADGER 2 – T2 SCOURER Flash Lens

FOR 5 PCS: +1x BADGER 3 – T2 PYRO Napalm Bomb, Superhot

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x ECHO-724 – T2 VETERAN SHIP Covering Fire, Hardened Target, Lightning Reflexes
ARCHER
1x SABLE 1 – T2 RAINMAKER Hades Missiles

FOR 4 PCS +1x SABLE 2 – T2 SUPPORT Defensive Pulse

FOR 5 PCS: +1x SABLE 3 – T2 BASTION Deathcounter

Start a clock with called Casualties. It has segments

DETAILS equal to the number of hostiles on the field at the start
Strike Captain Tsukuda has picked out a helium of the battle, all empty. Whenever an enemy pilot dies,
refinery, one of several facilities that the Armory has tick a segment on the Casualties clock. Whenever a
built on the surface of Saeculum. The PCs’ target is the reinforcement arrives, increase the total number of
five storage tanks, destruction of which will render the segments on the clock by one.
refinery inoperable. They have eight rounds to
accomplish this.
SARGE, the ELITE COMMANDER ASSAULT, is the lynchpin
of the unit; he’s one hell of a hardass but he’s loyal to
Combat on Saeculum functions under the Low Gravity his men and knows how to keep rookie pilots from
environmental condition: mechs count as flying when panicking. If his mech is destroyed, morale in VERTIGO
they BOOST, but must land after they move, and and BADGER elements will break down entirely, and
characters never take damage from falling. they will start to flee. On the other hand, if he’s still up
but several of his subordinates are down, he’ll try to
The PCs must wreck the refinery without killing anyone, surrender to save their lives.
but they also can’t make it obvious that they’re holding
back. The fight needs to feel like a life-or-death Aside from Sarge, none of the pilots in the patrol have
situation, even though it’s not. A no-kill order means any actual combat experience; they’re all greenhorns
that hostile mechs shouldn’t be pushed to meltdown, for whom this mission probably marks their first ride in
and that wrecks shouldn’t be destroyed. Although a mech outside of simulators. Some of them haven’t
Lancer’s rules don’t specify that NPC pilots can eject, even been in a live-fire exercise.
consider allowing them to do so.
The reinforcements arrive in a dropship, ECHO-724.
Remember that wrecks are objects the same size as Instead of deploying them from an ingress zone at the
the mech they used to be. They obstruct movement, edge of the map, deploy them from the dropship. If the
provide hard cover and have 10 HP per point of Size, dropship is destroyed (but not obliterated) while there
so the PCs will have to be careful with area-of-effect are still undeployed reinforcements, it gently falls to the
damage. If you need to represent a pilot, use the ground. When this happens, immediately deploy all
HUMAN NPC class, with a RANGED WEAPON and the remaining reinforcements from spaces adjacent to the
ARMORED trait. Pilots will take cover or flee, only firing wreck, but with a third of their HP missing.
upon enemy mechs if they have no other option.

[94]
 There’s just one problem: the Cult is not happy about
OUTCOME being framed.
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs are defeated, or have not destroyed all the To help you escape from her patrols once you pulled
helium tanks by the end of Round 8, an overwhelming off the assault, Strike Captain Tsukuda chose a
Armory response team arrives and takes them into wreckfield in a low polar orbit over Chameleon. It’s
custody. Within a few hours, a prison transport arrives not the safest place to wait for Siren, but because of
to take them straight to Coldwater 484. the immense sensor interference generated by the
planet’s aurorae, the Armory won’t be able to see
If the Casualties clock has any ticks on it, the troops you make the switchover between ships.
transporting the PCs are likely to be contemptuous at
best and brutal at worst. If the Casualties clock has no Even if you’re not one for superstition, there’s
ticks on it, the troops are still pretty rough, but limit something terrifying about being this close to the
themselves to muttering darkly about how lucky the Ghostcrown. No matter how high you crank the noise
PCs are that nobody died. cancellation dial on your comms panel, the static still
seems to creep into your headphones, and you
The mission is a total bust, and the PCs are now in jail; swear you can hear something in it: moaning,
go to Beat ??: Hard Time (p. ###). howling, screaming, voices whispering to you.

PC VICTORY Wait, no, that’s an actual voice.

With its storage tanks destroyed, the refinery’s product
is rapidly dispersing into Saeculum’s atmosphere and “Beware they who with false face claim ‘I am one with
the facility is unusable for weeks at best. They can thee! I, too, am holy!’ Beware the unrighteous one,
retreat back to Sunbird 2 and begin their exfiltration. who with duplicity claims he is your friend! But the
very air speaks out itself ‘the sinner is amongst us!’
The Armory will attempt to pursue the ship, but the The very stones cry out ‘a sinner lurks behind me!’
specific timing of the attack means that they’re poorly And you shall know the Leviathan by his works!
positioned to give chase. The PCs will have several
hours head start, and by the time the Armory has a “Do you remember me, sinners? Do you remember
clear shot at them, they will be far outside the effective the eight of us, stood upon the dais of the most holy
range of the Michel Ney’s guns and torpedoes. gate, awaiting the deliverance of our savior? Do you
remember how with bullet and sword and lensed
light you destroyed that which the faithful had built?
DEVELOPMENT
Assuming the assault was a success, the PCs have a “I am Khorijin, Restored by the Flame, Elect of the
chance to rest and repair their mechs. One. So many here have borne silent witness to the
treachery you committed in our name, but I promise
Strike Captain Tsukuda has given instructions for the you: they will be silent no longer!”
PCs to pass very close to Chameleon’s south pole,
where sensor interference from the agitated All around you, your sensors register new movement
Ghostcrown will be strongest. Once there, Siren will pings and heat signatures. You watch in silent horror
arrive in the Dragon’s Tooth. The PCs will ditch Sunbird as the derelict shell of an old IPS-N Blackbeard
2, set their disguised mechs on a delayed self-destruct twitches, its running lights flickering and settling into
sequence and beat a hasty retreat. a dim half-glow.

Tsukuda will give orders to completely destroy Sunbird Still in their disguised mechs, the PCs must fight off a
2 and everything on it, burying all evidence of the false new enemy. Khorijin, a zealot of Feather. They have
flag operation. Even if suspicions arise, there’ll be no only a few moments to prepare, and then Combat: Life
way to prove them. To almost everyone in Calliope, this Imitating Art (p. ###) begins.
will look like an unprovoked and opportunistic attack on
the Armory by Cult extremists.

Strike Captain Tsukuda wastes no time, convening an

emergency meeting of the battlegroup’s ranking
officers and pressures Lord Director Fry to invoke
Nonstandard Crisis Directive Alpha. Within hours, her
plan will be complete and Lord Director Fry will have
undisputed theater command in Calliope.

[95]
 COMBAT:
LIFE IMITATING ART
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x KHORIJIN, RESTORED BY THE Priest: Empowered Shield
FLAME – T2 ULTRA PUPPETEER Puppeteer: Deadly Minions, Horde Mode, Unnatural Life
PRIEST Ultra: Hellfire Projector, Hover Propulsion
1x T2 BERSERKER Harpoon Cannon
1x T2 SNIPER

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SENTINEL Impaler

+1x T2 HIVE

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SPECTER

+1x T2 WITCH

While inside a blue auroral pool, characters become

DETAILS mired in a sluggish, sullen energy. They are SLOWED
The PCs have incurred the Cult’s wrath by stealing one and can’t OVERCHARGE for as long as they’re inside the
of their ships and using it to stage an attack on Harrison pool, but they gain RESISTANCE to heat and IMMUNITY
Armory. In retaliation, the Cult has dispatched one of to knockback and forced movement. PCs begin to
the Elect: KHORIJIN, RESTORED BY THE FLAME. sink into depression, apathy and disinterest, which
slowly fades after they leave the pool.
The PCs face Khorijin in one of the many wreckfields
orbiting Chameleon. The location is littered with mech At the beginning of each round, each auroral pool
wrecks of many kinds, giving the Cultist ample targets creeps three spaces towards the nearest character.
to reanimate; scatter 2-3 wrecks per player of varying Auroral pools never overlap each other.
NPC classes throughout the map.
Khorijin has the PUPPETEER template, which gives him
The wreckfield has sections of “terrain” to move about the horrifying power to reanimate destroyed mechs.
on – mostly asteroids, large fragments of hull plating, Animated mechs become GRUNTS, so they’re very
or even entire smaller ships. fragile, but Khorijin has two separate abilities that grant
OVERSHIELD to their allies, including one that grants it
There are also large clouds of ice, dust and metal to all active animated wrecks specifically.
shards from old collisions. These clouds provide soft
cover, but moving through them too fast is hazardous; Remember to use Khorijin’s HELLFIRE PROJECTOR if
the first time in a round a character enters or leaves a PCs get close to him. Priests are usually defenseless,
space occupied by a cloud with movement from a so this can serve as a nasty surprise for overconfident
BOOST, they take 6i. This effect counts as dangerous players who think they have the game completely
terrain for systems that interact with it. figured out – or those who never SCAN.

Because the fight takes place as the wreckfield passes The other NPCs in this roster are mostly-intact mechs
close to the Ghostcrown, the entire battlefield is being that Khorijin’s powers restored to baseline functionality
bombarded with auroral energy. At the start of the rather than lurching quasi-life; they don’t use the GRUNT
battle, draw six f1 auroral pools, three red and three template until they’re destroyed for the first time.
blue, on the battlefield.
The PCs might find the reanimated mechs
While inside a red auroral pool, characters become uncomfortably reminiscent of the Circuit revenants they
charged with a crackling, malevolent energy. Damage fought on Boltzmann. They shamble about, running
from attacks made within the pool can’t be reduced in lights flickering dimly, letting out distorted radio bursts
any way, but characters become SHREDDED and if able, repeating whatever was in their communications buffer
they must OVERCHARGE on their turn if they haven’t left at the moment they were destroyed. Some may have
the pool by the end of it. PCs are consumed by spite, corpses inside, still in their hardsuits, mummified by
resentment and seething anger, which slowly fades cold and vacuum.
after they leave the pool.

[96]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If Khorijin defeats the PCs, instead of killing them, he
leaves them to be picked up by Harrison Armory.

“Sinners, I will bestow upon you the same fate to

which you tried to condemn the Faithful: the tender
mercies of the Armory. Any tears I might have shed
for you, I will instead save for more worthy sufferers
– after all, at least you will be punished for a crime
you actually committed.”

As before, if the Casualties clock has any ticks on it,

the troops arresting the PCs are likely to treat them
poorly. PLACEHOLDER

The mission is a total bust, and the PCs are now in jail;
go to Beat ??: Hard Time (p. ###).

PC VICTORY
“Mark… my words… sinners… there will be… a
reckoning… a gnashing of teeth…”

The metal of Khorijin’s ruined powersuit begins to

corrode, thousands of times faster than any natural
process could allow. His voice, never rising above a
hoarse whisper, is somehow still audible above the
Ghostcrown’s interference.

“… the servants of Leviathan… shall be cast… into

the abyss… and you shall know… the agony… of a
world… without hope…”

His body falls apart, disintegrating into ash. The

shambling abominations that served him go limp, like
puppets with their strings cut. Silence falls.

With Khorijin dead, the PCs are safe for now. Siren
arrives with the Dragon’s Tooth shortly afterward, and
the team can retreat at their leisure. She’s making
preparations to bolt back to Hell’s Gate when all hell
breaks loose.

Proceed to Beat ??: The Timewave (p. ###).

[97]
 ARC:
THE THIRD PILLAR
Lord Director Fry thinks he can hold Lyra Van Kraanen STAGE TWO: BREACH THE FACILITY
over Dr. Valentinian’s head as a bargaining chip. He’s Attempting a landing inside the prison complex is too
right, but for the wrong reason: Odin doesn’t give a risky while the facility’s point-defense guns are still
damn about his ex-wife. His children do, though, and active. The team will have to deploy outside the
her predicament is affecting their ability to follow his perimeter and breach the walls. Initial resistance is
orders. He would like the team to address this likely to be low, as the flotilla’s presence has led the
impediment to his research. Armory to focus most of their defensive capability on
the skies instead of the ground.
Once Lyra is safe, his sons will finally stop whining and
help him with his experiment. Once it’s complete, he’s Alternatively, the PCs might have either decided to
relatively certain that his success will let him convince infiltrate the prison or gotten themselves arrested by
the Steward Council to put him in charge of operations failing Arc: Framing the Guilty (p. ###). In this case,
in Calliope instead of the Lord Director. This will allow they may skip this stage entirely – although this does
him to commit the Bifrost Project’s full resources to the present other problems, of course.
system’s cause.
STAGE THREE: TAKE CONTROL
To this end, Odin saw to it that blueprints, equipment Once the prison’s point-defense is offline, the flotilla
manifests and personnel rosters for the prison camp, can begin landing and extracting prisoners. The PCs
Coldwater 484, “accidentally” fell into the hands of the needn’t concern themselves with escorting individuals;
Calliopean protestors currently parked in orbit. They’ve the flotilla’s irregulars will handle that. What they will
hatched a daring plan to raid the facility and liberate all need to do is to lock down key chokepoints to ensure
the prisoners, but they’d feel much more confident if the prisoners have a clear path to the evacuation ships.
PCs lead the assault.
STAGE FOUR: BREACH SECURE HOUSING UNIT
Captain Mercedes Ordaz can’t provide direct military Lyra Van Kraanen is being held in the SHU, the facility’s
assistance to the jailbreak, but she can bring the secure housing unit, otherwise known as “solitary” or
Thames in to screen the flotilla’s vessels once they’ve “the hole.” The flotilla intends to liberate all the
lifted off with prisoners aboard. prisoners who’ve been locked up here, but if the PCs
want to rescue her in particular, the irregulars are
happy to step aside and let them handle that.
THE PLAN
STAGE ONE: NEUTRALIZE REINFORCEMENTS STAGE FIVE: EXFILTRATE
The most critical part of the plan is ensuring that it’s Once Lyra Van Kraanen is safe and the prison is empty,
executed before Armory reinforcements can arrive. the PCs will exfiltrate aboard the Dragon’s Tooth. By
Even with the PCs, the flotilla stands no hope of victory this time, the Thames will have arrived to ensure that
against the might of a fully-equipped Armory carrier, let the Armory cannot pursue them.
alone a dreadnought. Working around this threat will
require precise timing, efficient action and inside help.
THE OTHER PLAN
Odin has arranged for a covert signal the flotilla can
send to warn him that the raid is about to take place.
He will perform an unscheduled test of the Michel Ney’s
power systems, taking the battlegroup’s primary source
of long-range firepower offline and requiring oversight
from the Constance Fairview. This will leave only the
Sirona and the destroyer group to answer the prison’s
distress call.

If done at the correct moment, when Saeculum and

Umbra’s orbits put Chameleon between them, this will
give the flotilla a critical window of between four and six
hours. During this time, Coldwater 484 will be without
support; even at a high-G burn, the battlegroup will
have to maneuver around the planet.

[98]
BEAT ??:
HARD TIME
If the PCs attempted Arc: Framing the Guilty (p. 91) sneaking into places they shouldn’t be. They don’t fear
but were defeated during Combat: With False Fire (p. an uprising or an escape; individual cell blocks can be
94) or Combat: Life Imitating Art (p. 96), they have physically isolated from the rest of the facility by
been detained by Harrison Armory. depressurizing the access corridors.

Alternatively, the PCs might have struck upon the idea Each cell block has a media center for watching movies
of intentionally getting arrested to infiltrate the prison – or playing games. There’s a reasonable selection,
or simply gotten swept up in one of the Armory’s mass although media that’s in any way critical of the Armory
arrest sweeps because of existing warrants. is notably absent.

Life in the facility is heavily regimented. Although the

ARRIVAL rotation of Umbra takes almost seven days, a 24-hour
The intake process wasn’t actually as humiliating as day is simulated, and inmates are allowed out of cells
you’d expected. They weren’t exactly gentle with you only between 06:00 in the morning and 21:00 at night.
– it’s the Armory, after all – but they kept it at least Meals are served at 07:00, 12:00 and 20:00 hours. Due
somewhat professional. to Umbra’s fairly low (0.4g) gravity, inmates are
required to engage in at least an hour of physical
After your vital details are taken and you’ve been exercise every day to maintain muscle mass; each
assigned your standard-issue orange jumpsuit, housing unit has their exercise hour at different times.
you’re greeted by a smug man flanked by a squad of
twelve heavily-armed correctional officers. He However, within these restrictions, inmates are largely
glances back and forth between you and a slate, left to their own devices. Most notably, nobody here is
mentally taking note of your details. forced to work. Food, laundry and maintenance are all
automated, and for most of the day, inmates are free to
“Well, I have to offer congratulations. You caused wander about the common areas, the gymnasium and
such a mess out there that the Purview is still trying the media center, so long as they don’t cause trouble.
to work out exactly what to charge you with. We have
a betting pool open. In any case, you’ll be here until Inmates that are violent, disruptive or considered to be
we can ship you back to Ras Shamra to stand trial. “politically or strategically sensitive” are removed from
general population and sent to the Secure Housing
“In the meantime, welcome to Coldwater 484. I’m the Unit, usually referred to as “the shoe,” “the hole” or “the
Warden – just the Warden to you, you don’t need to basement suite.” If a PC repeatedly causes trouble, it’s
know my name! Life here can be easy, or it can be likely they’ll end up here.
difficult. That choice is entirely up to you. And before
you get any amusing ideas, let me make something The Secure Housing Unit is much more restrictive, with
clear to you: nobody escapes Coldwater 484.” prisoners being kept in their cells most of the day,
although these cells are larger and contain necessary
The Warden takes an unusual interest in the PCs, and hygiene, media, communications and exercise
insists upon escorting them to their cell block and equipment to satisfy Union regulations on long-term
housing unit personally – backed up by a heavy guard individual detainment.
presence, of course.

A FAMILIAR FACE
LIFE ON THE INSIDE For some reason, Anthony “Cal” Callahan is here. He
Life in Coldwater 484, it turns out, is not as horrible as seems only mildly surprised to see the PCs, and is
one might fear – the Armory has to abide by the Utopian inexplicably calm about being locked up in an Armory
Pillars just like any other Union member state. detention center. If a PC talks to him, he asks if it’s their
Detaining people this way already skirts the boundaries first time in jail; if they say yes, he gives them a basic
of the Third Pillar, and even terrorists aren’t worth rundown of how to act and what to expect.
risking an intervention from the Department of Justice
and Human Rights. Most days, he can be found in the common room,
dealing blackjack (pays 6 to 5, dealer must hit on a soft
The guards are terse and unfriendly, but tend to leave 17). Since there isn’t any regular currency in this prison
inmates alone unless they’re caught fighting or

[99]
 or anything you’d need it to make purchases with, bets and during the ensuing battle to liberate the prison, they
are usually made with slips of paper. may skip Combat: Insecure Housing (p. ###), but
they tick two segments on the Cult Influence clock.
If a PC can be trusted not to snitch (and Cal will know),
he can give them access to a truly astounding array of IMPACT DYNAMICS
contraband. Sometimes he is not seen on the block for If the PCs liberated Impact Dynamics during the events
days at a time; if they ask him about this when he of Chapter 7: The Famine King (p. ###), the station’s
returns, he remarks only that he “went to replenish his provisional government is able to provide some covert
stock,” and then asks them if they have any covert assistance. They’re responsible for food deliveries to
messages they’d like sent elsewhere in the system. Coldwater; they can reprint the PCs’ mechs and hide
them in the next shipment. That only gets them as far
Curiously, if asked about Cal, the guards will just reply as the landing pad, though; the PCs will have to find a
“who?” If the PCs somehow gain access to prisoner way to get themselves to the landing pad as well.
records, they will note that neither Cal nor his inmate ID
number appears in them at all. RITA
Rita can’t do anything for the PCs unless she’s still
Station Director on the Icebreaker. Even if she is, the
I WANT MY PHONE CALL best she can do is send a good lawyer and make veiled
Placeholder – SSC / Karrakin threats about revoking discounts for Purview citizens.

KILEYNA MORTON MISTRESS ELSKE

The Central Committee can’t really do very much for Elske remarks that she’s very busy fighting the Cult at
the PCs in the short term – they did, after all, launch an every turn, and everything she could spare to deal with
unprovoked assault on an Armory facility in a system the Armory is already in the flotilla above Umbra.
outside of Union jurisdiction. By any meaningful legal
standard, they’re either pirates or terrorists. THE BLACKSMITH
If the PCs are on good terms with the Blacksmith, he
JERRY MASTERS sympathizes, but there’s nothing he can really do. Like
Jerry is unable to come to the omnihook because when Elske, his forces are busy fighting the Cult, and
he heard the news, he had a panic attack and one of everything he could spare for the flotilla above Umbra
his stomach ulcers burst. Shelly is currently taking calls is already there.
for him, and the chewing out she gives the PCs is not
only loud enough for everyone in the housing unit to If the PCs are foolish enough to call him for help after
hear, it’s embarrassing enough that everyone is talking betraying his trust on Asphodel, he laughs in their faces
about it behind their backs for days. for an entire minute and then hangs up.

IGNATIUS AURUM SIREN

If a PC attempts the truly audacious maneuver of It’s impossible to get in contact with Siren. She hasn’t
calling Ignatius Aurum for help, he’s bewildered by their been seen since she dropped the team off in the
audacity, especially if they attempted to frame the Cult asteroid belt, and she wasn’t at the rendezvous point
for a crime the PCs committed. near Chameleon. Nobody in Calliope has any idea
what happened to her or the Dragon’s Tooth.
Alright. He’ll help. In fact, he’ll go one step further: he’ll
even help them liberate Lyra Van Kraanen as well. The STRIGA VON ALDENBERG
PCs just have to do him a favor first: there’s a former Striga, as is “usual” for her, will somehow show up in
Cult member in the SHU who’s turned informant, and the prison. If asked about it, she says that she was
Ignatius wants him dead. already nearby, onboard one of the ships in the protest
flotilla. She acts like this is an adequate explanation,
Doing this for Ignatius will require getting thrown in the and refuses to elaborate further. Regardless, she can
SHU, locating the informant and then killing him. The tag along on the escape mission up until they retrieve
first part is easy: anyone who acts out too much will their mechs, providing +2g to all tech-related rolls.
quickly get moved to the SHU. Finding the informant
isn’t too difficult, either; they’re pulled out of their cell
several times a week to testify to the Armory. Getting BLACKMAIL
close enough to kill them is the hard part: it will require It’s possible the PCs might have made a recording of
a lot of improvisation and cunning to assassinate a Strike Captain Tsukuda requesting the false flag attack.
person when you can’t leave your cell. Although this might be hypothetically useful as
leverage, it’s difficult to employ correctly.
If the PCs accomplish this task, Ignatius is as good as
his word. He gets them into the Armory mech hangar,

[100]
If it’s made public, the recording will cause problems for The prison is supposed to have a biometric security
the Steward Council, as they had explicitly put Tsukuda gate system that would require a handprint scan to
in this role to spy for them, and the recording will say allow passage. However, several vital components
as much. As eager as they are to get rid of Lord Director were missing from the prefab package, and print
Fry, even they realize that trying to discipline him for a authorization to produce them is tied up in red tape. In
false-flag attack their own double agent tried to stage lieu of this system, each guard carries a physical
wouldn’t be a good look. keycard that allows them through the gates.

The Strike Captain is well aware of the danger such a There are very few reasons for a prisoner to be outside
recording poses, but also can’t do very much to help their cellblock. All of them (visitation, interrogation,
the PCs. They were caught engaging in an armed face-to-face consultation with a lawyer, trip to the
attack on Armory property; releasing them with no warden’s office, etc.) would have been scheduled in
justification would look very suspicious. advance and require the presence of at least two
guards escorting each prisoner with an appointment.
ESCAPE FROM COLDWATER 484 Placeholder
Breaking out of Coldwater 484 should be impossible,
but it’s not. The possibility lies in the fact that it’s staffed
by the dregs of the Armory; a lot of these people might Where the PCs need to go next depends on their exact
be in an Armory penitentiary themselves if they hadn’t escape plan.
opted for military service. Nobody wants be here, and
discipline is slipping despite the Warden’s best efforts. STEALING ARMORY MECHS
If the PCs are willing to pilot mechs other than their own
Even worse, the Steward Council arranged for the personal rigs, they can steal mechs from the Armory’s
facility’s construction to be sabotaged, leaving serious hangar. If they do this, a PC may choose to pilot any
and embarrassing holes in its security. They plan to Harrison Armory mech, and equip it with any weapon
blame any ensuing incident on Lord Director Fry’s or system from its own license without the AI tag (there
“gross incompetence.” are no NHPs available), along with any GMS mech
weapon, general market system or flight system.
Prisoners are tracked using electronic tags in their
clothing; the Utopian Pillars prohibit anything intrusive Usually, if a PC doesn’t have the requisite license levels
like an implant or a collar. There’s also a lot of security in a mech they’re piloting, they are permanently
cameras, but none in places with the expectation of IMPAIRED and SLOWED, as they lack the correct training
modesty such as the showers or toilets. This means and neural interface drivers. In this case, however, the
that a prisoner can appear to be standing still simply by mechs have been placed in Compatibility Mode since
disrobing. This isn’t particularly useful in and of itself, most of the facility’s staff aren’t certified either; the PCs
but what if there’s a guard nearby to provide a can pilot them without penalty.
convenient change of clothes?
In either case, equipment and frames from LICENSE
The guards are also tracked electronically, but the LEVELS, RESERVES or EXOTIC GEAR are unavailable at
Central Security Office doesn’t really care about this time. They do still have access to any equipment
deviations from patrol routes unless the Warden is granted by their Talents, such as the customized
watching. People in Central generally assume that weapon from ENGINEER, the Ammo Case from
anyone who’s away from their patrol route is skiving off WALKING ARMORY, or their personal NHP from
to smoke or do a line of Kick. TECHNOPHILE. Have the players describe how their
characters retain access to this equipment.
On-duty guards are supposed to check in over the
comm system every ten minutes, but it’ll usually take a ASSISTANCE FROM IMPACT DYNAMICS
couple of missed calls for Central to notice. The If the PCs sought assistance from the recently-formed
prison’s wireless network is spotty due to its hasty interim government on Impact Plaza, the station
construction, and there are dead zones where radios delivers their mechs to them inside a food shipment.
are known not to work. This only gets the mechs onto the landing pad; the
Armory will most assuredly find the hidden mechs if the
team don’t get to them first. The Plaza will make sure
Guards are attentive enough to notice prisoners whom to let them know what time and date the shipment will
they personally recognize walking around in guard arrive, but actually getting to the landing pad to take
clothing and raise the alarm, but this is only a problem possession of the mechs is entirely up to the PCs.
inside the cellblock you were incarcerated in; guards
tend to get assigned to one specific cellblock, and won’t
recognize prisoners or guards from a different one. SIREN’S ASSISTANCE

[101]
 If the PCs were arrested after failing Arc: Framing the Doing the math in your head, you realize that with
Guilty (p. 91), Siren ditched from her rendezvous point her current inertia, there’s no way she can slow down
and went to ground in the inner system, taking refuge in time. She’ll hit the ground at hundreds of
at an asteroid habitat owned by Horizon. She has been kilometers an hour, unless… no. No way. She can’t
gearing up for a daring rescue mission ever since. possibly mean to…

She has had Horizon reprint the PCs’ mechs, along “BRACE!”
with orbital drop pods that can safely deliver them to a
planetary surface. After making modifications to the Even in Umbra’s impossibly thin atmosphere, the
Tooth’s fusion drive to hide its identity, she has sound is indescribable. The sheer force of the
discreetly informed the Flotilla and set out towards shockwave rattles the cellblock so much it knocks
Chameleon. With no organics aboard, she can burn at you off your feet. Everything not nailed down goes
upwards of 15g with no risk. flying. Your ears ring, almost loud enough to silence
the alarms now wailing throughout the complex.
Her plan is audacious in its simplicity: she will simply
not decelerate until she’s very close to Umbra. At this Damn, and you thought nearlight bolts were scary on
point, she will burn as hard as her engine can tolerate the inside.
and slow down enough to fire the drop pods, which will
handle the rest of the deceleration themselves. Just
before she strikes the surface of the moon, she will DEVELOPMENT
initiate a nearlight bolt back towards the inner system There is one small advantage to this whole debacle:
to refuel, cool her drive and then bolt back to pick the one way or another, the anti-air guns are down. If the
PCs up once they’ve fought their way free. PCs facilitated their own escape, they are able to trash
the emplacements from the ground in their stolen or
She’s relying on the Flotilla to get the PCs to their smuggled mechs. If they waited too long and Siren had
mechs; that’s the one part of the plan she can’t control. to bust them out, this was accomplished by the missile
barrage that she unleashed while on final approach.
“The Armory’s traffic monitoring has picked up a
Sunfish Mk. III clipper, similar to the one you own, Either way, the Flotilla now has no need to send assault
pulling an extremely hard burn towards Chameleon. teams to take down the guns. The PCs may skip
Its transponder is off and we don’t recognize its drive Combat: Into The Clink (p. ###) and proceed straight
signature. Even more concerningly, it hit the halfway to Combat: Failure to Communicate (p. ###).
point of its journey more than sixteen hours ago, but
has not yet started to decelerate. At its current
velocity, it will reach Chameleon in less than a day.

“You’re going to tell me everything you know about

this ship, and you are going to tell me right now.”

Placeholder

One of the other prisoners in your housing unit

pounds on the door of your cell. “Get out here! Your
name is on every single comm console in the block!”

The moment you get to a console, you see Siren’s

face. She takes a split second to register that it’s you,
and then yells two words:

“MARINES! FASTBALL!”

The view switches to a camera drone, fired from the

nose of the Dragon’s Tooth. You can see the ship
plummeting towards the surface of Umbra at a
terrifying pace, engines towards the ground,
dumping every single air-to-surface missile in its
arsenal along with several larger objects which you
identify as orbital drop pods.

[102]
COMBAT:
INTO THE CLINK
SITREP: Gauntlet (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 VETERAN ENGINEER Arsenal, Power Deployer, Deadly, Hardened Target
1x T2 BARRICADE
1x T2 SEEDER Hopping Mines

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SPACER SENTINEL Gravity Rifle

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SNIPER

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE SCOURER Flash Lens, Supercharged
1x T2 BOMBARD
1x T2 GRUNT ASSASSIN

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 SPACER SUPPORT Remote Cloud, Sealant Trap

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 HORNET HEX Missiles, Umbral Interdiction

The initial defensive team of the ENGINEER, BARRICADE

DETAILS and SEEDER should spend the first round setting up a
If the team are launching a direct assault on the prison defensive line forward of the objective zone, positioning
from the outside, they will need to break through its their mines, turrets and cover cube to cut off the fastest
perimeter walls. The flotilla has deployed several other route the PCs have to it. This will force them to make
fireteams to launch simultaneous assaults, forcing the some hard choices when the reinforcements show up.
Warden to split his defense forces between them.
However, he recognizes that the PCs are the largest
threat, and has sent a stronger force to deal with them The BOMBARD should avoid using its EARTHSHAKER
than the other assault teams. SHELLS unless it can be assured of knocking a couple
of PCs PRONE – it can’t choose not to make the hard
cover segments, and the defense force actively
All combat on Umbra functions under the Low Gravity benefits from the PCs not having any cover.
environmental condition: mechs count as flying when
they BOOST, but must land after they move, and
characters never take damage from falling. The GRUNT ASSASSIN likely won’t spend more than a
single turn alive, so make it count. Place it in an Ingress
Zone close to players, and don’t bother with ASSASSIN’S
The perimeter walls of the prison are ramped, allowing MARK – run in with standard move and LEAP on a target
defenders a clear line of fire on anyone attempting to with low AGILITY, and then attack with HEATED BLADE.
scale them. At the top of the ramp, there are several
fortifications, one space high and three spaces long,
that provide hard cover for defenders. Unlike a regular The ELITE SCOURER should be as mobile as possible
Gauntlet sitrep, there are only two ingress zones on its own turns; it will need to be close to make proper
instead of four, both at the top of the wall. use of FLASH LENS. Since it has SUPERCHARGED, try to
target an enemy with RESISTANCE or high ARMOR to
open them up to attacks from other NPCs.
There’s not supposed to be any cover at the base of
the ramp; this part of Umbra is almost perfectly flat and
smooth. However, in clear violation of Armory best If the SPACER SENTINEL is present, use its high speed
practices, a lot of construction equipment was left lying and GRAVITY RIFLE to pull vulnerable characters out of
around after work on the prison was finished; this position. If you can get behind the PCs and pull one of
provides Size 1 and 2 hard cover. them off the objective, it will divert their attention.

[103]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs can’t break through the defensive line, it will
fall to one of the other assault teams to disable the anti-
air guns, and this will take more time. The Flotilla will
be unable to provide any reinforcements or support
during the next fight. The PCs lose access to any
RESERVES they’re not already carrying on their mechs.

PC VICTORY
Having breached the Armory’s defensive line, the PCs
are free to take down the anti-air guns however they
wish. This allows the bulk of the Flotilla to land safely.

DEVELOPMENT
Placeholder

BREAK-IN
“You step uninvited into MY house, bearing weapons
of war, in some pathetic attempt to help criminals
escape justice? I’m beginning to suspect that the
sorry state of this system can be blamed on an utter
lack of morals. No matter, though…”

The Tokugawa twirls its charged blades, which begin

to glow with heat.

“Once I’m finished with you, I think Calliope will

welcome a little discipline.”

BREAK-OUT
“Oh no. Stop right there. I thought I had made myself
very clear: I said nobody escapes Coldwater 484. I
MEANT nobody escapes Coldwater 484. Least of all
you. If you didn’t understand that? Well, that’s clearly
a failure on my part. I didn’t state my case in terms
you would understand.”

The Tokugawa twirls its charged blades, which begin

to glow with heat.

“Permit me to rephrase myself.”

[104]
COMBAT:
FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 268)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x THE WARDEN – T2 ULTRA Chain Axe deals j instead of i
SPACER BERSERKER Berserker: Harpoon Cannon
Harrison Armory Tokugawa Spacer: Sealant Trap
Ultra: Repulsion Field, Sight, Supreme Melee
1x T2 ARCHER Hail of Fire
1x T2 BASTION

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 DELUGE Mathur Stop, Sheer Volume of Bullets

+1x T2 DEMOLISHER Concussion Missiles

FOR 5 PCS: BASTION: Add COMMANDER template and QUICK MARCH trait.
+1x T2 OPERATOR Skirmisher
+1x T2 SCOURER Emergency Vent, Melt

DETAILS
With the prison break in full swing, the PCs must
maintain control of the facility’s internal systems long
enough for all the prisoners to get to the flotilla’s
evacuation ships. Standing in their way is the Warden,
whose career and personal pride are both on the line.

Placeholder.

OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the remaining correctional officers manage to regain
control of the prison’s systems, they initiate a lockdown
and depressurize the access corridors, cutting off the
escape route for any prisoner not already in the transfer
module. With time running short before the Armory’s
reinforcements arrive, the Flotilla has to dedicate all
their resources to rescuing stranded prisoners before
the Armory recaptures them.

If the team’s mechs are still combat-ready, they can still

go to the SHU and rescue Lyra Van Kraanen, but the
Flotilla cannot help them; any RESERVES that depend
on the Flotilla will be unavailable. If they want to try,
initiate Combat: (In)Secure Housing (p. ###).

Placeholder – roleplay opportunities:

• Meeting with and directing prisoners

• Liasing with the flotilla
• Switch shows up
• Warning about incoming Cult ships

[105]
 COMBAT:
INSECURE HOUSING
SITREP: Modified Extraction (Lancer, p. 270)

OBJECTIVE(S): 1x LYRA VAN KRAANEN Size ½, 10 HP

1x CULT INFORMANT Size ½, 10 HP

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE RONIN Echo Edge
1x T2 ELITE CATAPHRACT Lance Shot
1x T2 VETERAN SNIPER Defensive Grapple, Legendary, Slippery
2x T2 SENTINEL Bodyguard
1x T2 PRIEST

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ASSASSIN Cloud Projector, Spinning Kick

+1x T2 PIRATE BARRICADE

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE OPERATOR Telefrag

+1x T2 AEGIS
+1x T2 GOLIATH

ALLIED FORCES
FOR 3-5 PCS: 1x SWITCH – T2 VETERAN SENTINEL Size 2
Sentinel: Punisher Ammunition
Veteran: Feign Death, Shock Armor

The ELITE RONIN is an extremely powerful melee unit

DETAILS that should be constantly bullying PCs who try to stick
The PCs must deal with a new complication: the Cult of close to the objectives. At Tier 2, Ronins can make two
the One have arrived to extract a former member who attacks at once with their CARBON FIBER SWORD, but
has turned informant, but have decided that Lyra Van because of the way ECHO EDGE works, consider
Kraanen would make an excellent target of opportunity, splitting them if you have two available targets. You
and seek to abduct her in the chaos of the raid. only get one use of REBOUND per round, so don’t get
baited into wasting it on something inconsequential.
With time running short before the Armory’s
reinforcements arrive, the team must extract her (and The ELITE CATAPHRACT is extremely mobile, capable of
possibly the informant) while under fire. Fortunately, covering almost the entire length of the battlefield in a
because the extraction targets are just people, a PC single turn. Use it to rush in and harass PCs trying to
who has an EXPANDED COMPARTMENT and is adjacent escort the objectives and stop them from moving.
to one can pick them up and put them inside their mech
as a quick action, and move normally thereafter.
Consider using one of the SENTINELS to guard the
SNIPER. Snipers tend to have serious issues if an
The SHU building is built like an inverted fortress, its enemy gets too close, so having backup from a CQB
rigorous network of defenses meant to keep everything specialist will greatly enhance its survivability. The
inside it from getting out. This will make getting to Lyra Sentinel can use BODYGUARD to OVERWATCH against
straightforward, but getting her out much more difficult. an enemy who attacks the Sniper. Make sure EYE OF
There is ample shelter from enemy fire, made of the MIDNIGHT is active, so it won’t lose its ability to lock
strongest stuff Harrison Armory can manufacture: all down an area. Also, have the Sentinel try to keep itself
hard cover in the area has 3 ARMOR. positioned between the Sniper and any long-range
PCs, so that the Sniper benefits from the hard cover
SWITCH will always show up to help, but note that they provided by its GUARDIAN trait.
are laser-focused on saving their mother. They will not
assist the PCs in extracting the informant unless Lyra Even with an extra point of Structure, the OPERATOR
is already safe. If they aren’t friendly with the PCs, they will wither quickly under sustained fire – use its
may ignore instructions, prioritizing their own objectives teleportation to stay in cover while harassing PCs.
at the expense of any other tactical concern.

[106]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs can’t defeat the Cult or extract both targets
by the end of the tenth round, they have a tough choice.
Their allies in the Flotilla can’t wait any longer; the
transports have to lift off, or they’ll miss their window to
evacuate before the Sirona arrives. The PCs must
either abandon any unsecured extraction targets to the
Cult, or stay behind and find another evac route.

At this point, the only feasible evac route that isn’t a

Flotilla transport is the Dragon’s Tooth. Siren can land
just outside the SHU, but the team have to fight through
the Cult without any backup from the Flotilla. This will
likely take a toll on the PCs or their mechs – use your
best judgement as to what form this takes.

By the time they get off-planet, the UNS-CV Thames

has already retreated along with the rest of the Flotilla.
Orbital fire from the Sirona and its destroyers cuts off
Siren’s planned escape route, forcing her to dodge and
weave while she looks for another exit. Things are
looking bad, but don’t worry: it can always get worse.

Go to Beat ??: The Timewave (p. ###).

PC VICTORY
If the PCs are able to extract both targets by the end of
the tenth round – or if they destroy the Cult’s extraction
team – they’re able to make it out with the rest of the
Flotilla on time. The Flotilla vessels begin hard burns
on exit trajectories from Chameleon, back towards the
inner system.

In the meantime, the UNS-CV Thames drops out of

nearlight above Umbra, initiating a tense standoff with
the Sirona. The Thames is obviously outgunned, but
Lord Director Fry hesitates: opening fire on a Union
Navy vessel would be political suicide. Faced with a
lose-lose situation, he stands down and lets the Flotilla
go. Captain Ordaz declares corridor-clear and hails the
Dragon’s Tooth, inviting them aboard.

Before the PCs can take her up on this offer, however,

everything goes to hell. Go to Beat ??: The Timewave
(p. ###).

[107]
 BEAT ??:
THE TIMEWAVE
Whether the PCs sprung Lyra from prison or helped In general, any other frame or system not mentioned
Strike Captain Tsukuda with her false flag attack, Dr. here (for example, from other third-party supplements)
Valentinian uses the distraction to initiate the final stage that can manipulate time, blinkspace or the Firmament
of his experiments on the Anomaly. will likely be able to avoid, mitigate or alter the effects
of the Timewave. Use your best judgement.
A towering wave of stimuli assaults you, obliterating
your senses. You feel as if you see through a
thousand eyes at once, then a million, then a trillion.
REACTIONS
Your mind is stretched thin across an endless sea of Placeholder – Samuel Fry, Switch, Odin all at once
images, voices, iterations.
“The odds are nonzero but not statistically relevant.”
If you played Beat 22: The Hall of Mirrors (In Golden
Flame Act 1, p. 222), you will have the answers your LORD DIRECTOR FRY
player characters gave to a number of questions asked Lord Director Fry has already had a very bad day –
of them within TRIPLE-POINT’s metavault – images whether it be from “Cult” attacks on an outlying helium
and impressions of who they thought they were, who refinery, or from a flotilla of locals attacking the prison
they feared they might become, who they could have camp he specifically advised against building. Now, to
been, who they wish they were. top it all off, the scientist he’s been assigned to babysit
is attempting to shatter spacetime.
Now, bombard them with those images.
He doesn’t care if the PCs were leading the raid on the
For a full minute, the PCs are overwhelmed by prison camp. He doesn’t care if the PCs were actually
incomprehensible, conflicting sensations – sensory the ones behind the attack on the helium refinery. He
data from an infinite number of other timelines. For doesn’t even care, in fact, if the PCs were literally
every possible choice they have ever made, there are caught raiding the helium refinery, sent to the prison
infinite iterations of themselves whose life was changed camp and then helped all the prisoners break out of it.
because they made a different one. It's clear to him that the PCs are a bunch of violently
deranged mercenaries with loose morals, which is
IMMUNITY precisely what he needs right now.
Curiously, certain frames and systems confer total or
partial immunity to the effects of the Timewave: “This is Lord Director Fry, to the fireteam out of
Hell’s Gate! I have invoked Nonstandard Crisis
• Characters in a Sunzi are immune, as Odin built it Directive Alpha, and am exercising emergency
with this exact sort of situation in mind. powers to resolve this situation! Dr. Odin Valentinian,
the lead researcher on this project, has gone rogue
• Characters in a Minotaur are immune, as their – this experiment was initiated without my consent,
cockpit is outside of linear time. and is now endangering the stability of local
spacetime. I’m deputizing you – you have full
• Characters in a Calendula can avoid the effects by
sanction to resolve this crisis by any means
using GRAMMATON CLOAK.
necessary. In return, I can promise full amnesty for
• Characters who have the LESSON OF any other fugitive from the Armory!”
TRANSUBSTANTIATION core bonus automatically
phase out of reality until the Timewave is over –
even if they’re not in their mech at the time.
• Characters in a Mourning Cloak aren’t affected if
they used BLINKSPACE JUMP, rolled a triple and
vanished during the last fight.
• Characters with the FADE CLOAK system can shift
into the Firmament to avoid the effect.
• Lich pilots experience something, but it is likely far
more chilling: every single one of the infinite
iterations they perceive is also in a Lich.

[108]
DR. ODIN VALENTINIAN “Hi! I’m sorry to bother you, but I have some
important news: Dr. Valentinian's experiment
Dr. Valentinian has just completed a proof-of-concept, on the anomaly is causing it to resonate! In
proving that the greater experiment he wants to isolation, this wouldn't be an issue, but
conduct is possible; he has absolutely no intention of unfortunately, an infinite number of other Dr.
surrendering, nor of allowing Lord Director Fry to shut Valentinians had the exact same idea in their
him down by force. own universe! I’m running a few calculations
to see how serious this problem is!”
“Hell’s Gate fireteam, this is Dr. Odin Valentinian.
Ignore the Lord Director; I’m conducting an There is a brief pause.
experiment whose results will be vital to your war
effort against the Cult. I require your assistance in “My calculations say: VERY serious! You should
securing the Glasscage against the forces Fry has probably do something about it!”
dispatched. Consider that the Steward Council has
committed themselves to sabotaging Fry at every WAIT, WHY IS BARTENDER CONTACTING US?
step; they won’t honor any deal he makes. I am the “I’m just repeating the concerns of many people
only member of this deputation with whom they’ll across the system! Also, on an unrelated note,
negotiate in good faith, but only if I get results.” I was just thinking how cool it would be if you
resolved the crisis at the Twins! After you
stop time from imploding, of course!”
SWITCH
Switch is, understandably, quite upset with their father, WHY IS ODIN DOING THIS?
and cautions the PCs against trusting him. Less “While I can’t be absolutely certain, my best
understandably, perhaps, they’re also gearing up for an guess is that Odin is attempting to ‘cheat!’
armed assault on their father’s research complex. He’s trying to locate and contact an iteration
However, that’s not even the biggest problem right of himself from a timeline where he already
now: something is very wrong with Switch. worked out how to kill MONIST-1! This would let
him skip all the hard and potentially dangerous
work and jump straight to the part where he has
“Lancers, don’t trust a fucking word he says! He’s a a weapon to slay his white whale! Cool, huh?!”
snake who’ll use you for whatev–”
POTENTIAL OUTCOMES
Switch’s tirade is cut off as their face distorts “Unfortunately, that falls outside my ability
violently, splitting into a writhing confusion of half- to accurately simulate! Maybe Dr. Valentinian
images. Some are the familiar white-haired, tattooed knows precisely what he’s doing, and he’ll be
streamer you’re familiar with. Others are a stern, able to completely reverse this phenomenon once
black-haired youth who you first mistake for Loki – he has what he wants! That’s certainly
but subtle differences in his eyes and the line of the possible, because he’s a very smart cookie! On
jaw betray his true identity: Baldur Valentinian. Each the other hand, he’s also a psychologically
face speaks in a bewildering crash of voices. unstable egotist obsessed with killing God, so
you should also take that into account!
“–weren’t supposed to be here–”
“Also, Feather claims she came from a timeline
where Dr. Valentinian destroyed blinkspace! Of
“–too late to apologize–” course, Feather is a cascading Deimosian who
believes herself to be the deific avatar of a
“–understand, I did this for you–” timeless pancosmic intelligence! I would take
everything she says with a grain of salt, too!”
With a stuttering scream, Switch’s face snaps back
to the one you’re familiar with, yelling one last thing. BEST COURSE OF ACTION
“I can’t say for sure! If my psychological
profile of Dr. Valentinian is accurate, the
“WE HAVE TO FUCKING STOP THIS!” probability of peacefully convincing him to
cease his experiment is very low! If you want
him to stop, you’ll probably have to fight him!
MIND’S WARNING
The Timewave swept through the entirety of Calliope,
“If you want to help him see the experiment
and while its effects were not as pronounced outside of
through to its conclusion, I project a very
Chameleon’s orbit, it hasn’t gone unnoticed. If Mind is high likelihood that Lord Director Samuel Fry
still alive (i.e. the PCs saved Mind during Chapter 9: will launch an assault on you!
Smith-Shimano Corpro, or haven’t done that chapter
yet), it will attempt to contact the PCs and appraise “Additionally, all of Dr. Valentinian’s family
them of the situation. If the team hasn’t met it yet, Mind members are high-order variables in this
will pretend to be BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER so situation! There’s a significant probability
as not to blow its cover.

[109]
 that you’ll have to fight at least one of them
no matter which option you choose!”

[110]
ARC:
ATTACK THE GLASSCAGE
You step out of your cramped little cabin, into another
day full of backbreaking toil just to keep Hell’s Gate
alive

[111]
 BEAT ??:
GREENHORN
If the PCs have sided with Lord Director Fry, they find If the PCs successfully pulled off a jailbreak in Arc: The
themselves back on the PCV-GC Sirona, getting ready Third Pillar (p. ###), the Armory isn’t exactly delighted
for an assault on the Glasscage. There’s just one small to see them, but Lord Director Fry’s offer of general
problem: they’re about the only ones who look like amnesty stops them from doing anything about it. Apply
they’ll be ready in time. a +1h penalty to all rolls to interact with the Armory
during this beat.
The Steward Council’s petty sabotage of Lord Director
Fry has had the desired effect: the entire battlegroup is If the PCs failed Arc: Framing the Guilty (p. ###) and
in complete disarray. The untested and untrained ship then had to break out of jail in Arc: The Third Pillar (p.
crews are paralyzed with fear and confusion after the ###), the only reason the Armory isn’t trying to kill them
Timewave. Worse, loyalties have been tested. By the right now is because they’re out of options. Not only
time the PCs arrive, Lord Director Fry has already had have the PCs proven to be completely untrustworthy,
to put down an attempted mutiny on the Sirona, while they’ve proven that they’re not even good at their job.
the Michel Ney has cut itself off from the tactical Apply a +2h penalty to all rolls during this beat, and
network and isn’t responding to hails. 20+ results are treated as 10-19.

Lord Director Fry has invoked Nonstandard Crisis

Directive Alpha, but the Steward Council are trying to
A RIGHT MESS WE’RE IN
reject it, demanding he stand down and submit each The PCs have two pressing concerns: firstly, they need
decision for approval first – a needless bureaucratic to get the Armory ready to fight. Secondly, they need to
delay that the Nonstandard Crisis Directives were catch at least a few hours of sleep before the assault.
created specifically to avoid. Their charter doesn’t even
permit them to do this, but they’re hoping to cause The team gets a FULL REPAIR courtesy of the Armory,
enough confusion to allow Valentinian to finish his which will take twelve hours to complete. Create a clock
experiment and render the situation moot. called Time Passing with six segments. Each segment
represents two hours of time. Create a clock named
The corridors of the Sirona are a mess. Officers bark Combat Readiness with eight segments, and mark
orders, many of them contradictory. Some crewmen milestones at 4, 6 and 8.
mill about, trying to work out where to go and what to
do. Others are arguing or yelling at each other, trying to BRINGING ORDER TO CHAOS
work out who to blame. A few are just slumped against Someone’s got to get the Sirona’s crew ready to fight,
a wall, staring dead-eyed into the middle-distance. and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be anyone from the
Armory, so that leaves the PCs. Any significant action
This is not an effective fighting force. It quickly becomes to assist the crew of the Sirona will take two hours, or
clear to the team that if something isn’t done, not only one segment of Time Passing. The team should elect
are these people going to be no help at all, they’re a single PC, who chooses a skill trigger, describes what
going to be an active hindrance. they’re doing, and rolls.

On a result of 9 or below, the team are unable to make

DEGREES OF ACCEPTANCE much headway – the Sirona’s crew is unreceptive, or
Harrison Armory’s attitude towards the PCs will vary the team’s approach wasn’t solid, or the problem was
depending on where they’ve just come from and what just too large. On a result of 10-19, their efforts meet
they’ve been doing. In some cases, it may affect their with some success; tick one segment of Combat
ability to interact with members of the Purview. Readiness. On a result of 20+, the PCs have worked
wonders; tick two segments of Combat Readiness.
If the PCs successfully pulled off the false flag attack
from Arc: Framing the Guilty (p. ###), there will be Once a result of at least 10-19 is rolled with a skill
questions among Armory rank-and-file as to why these trigger, the team can’t use that skill trigger again; there
supposedly elite pilots have shown up to an Armory are multiple problems here, and they can’t all be fixed
operation missing their mechs. However, Strike with the same approach. For example, a PC might use
Captain Tsukuda has a vested interest in quashing this Lead or Inspire to give an uplifting speech to some
curiosity, so it goes no further. faltering Armory personnel and get them moving again,
but more speeches aren’t going to help.

[112]
GETTING SOME SLEEP
To be fully functional during the assault, the team will
need to sleep for at least six consecutive hours, or three
segments of Time Passing. Any PC who doesn’t sleep
suffers a penalty for the rest of the mission:

Exhausted
Hindrance
You’re sluggish. Just keeping your eyes open is a
daunting task. There’s a tightness in your temples
that makes your skull feel two sizes too small. Gods,
you’re so tired.

You can’t act in the turn order until every ally without
this hindrance has acted. If every ally has this
hindrance, a hostile character takes the first turn.

A PC with the Stims pilot gear can expend a charge to

ignore this penalty on themself, or remove it from
another PC who has it.

Placeholder

0-3 ticks: The enemy side starts Resonance Cascade

with two victory points already marked.

4-5 ticks: No bad things.

6-7 ticks: HARVEY - Allied Veteran Breacher

8 ticks: HARVEY + 1 Militia Readiness

[113]
 COMBAT:
RESONANCE CASCADE
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 268)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE CATAPHRACT Capacitor Discharge, Charge
1x T2 BOMBARD Flare Drone
1x T2 HIVE Driving Swarm, Motile Swarm
1x T2 PYRO Siege Armor, Superhot

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ARCHER

+1x T2 BREACHER Superior Ram, Thermal Charge

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SCOURER

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3-5 PCS: 1x T2 VETERAN VOIDER Blink Interception, Reposition, Slip Drive, Legendary,
Lightning Reflexes

Place down BLINK RIFTS in useful locations with a lot of

DETAILS NPCs, and then use the REDIRECT reaction from BLINK
Odin has enacted failsafes and locked out all external INTERCEPTION to snatch PCs who teleport or get
access to the Glasscage’s security systems. The team teleported by the chronoglitches.
must seize control of a reactor array so they can cut
power to Odin’s countermeasures and allow access
deeper into the facility. Use the CATAPHRACT as a flexible blocker – its
immense speed can easily get it between control points
in a single turn, and it might even be able to TRAMPLE
Due to Odin’s experiment, the entire battlefield is a few PCs on the way. You can even use IMPALE to try
plagued by chronoglitches. At the start of every and drag a PC off the point.
round, randomly pick two NPCs. They swap places with
each other, both characters teleporting to the other’s
position or as close as possible. Then, randomly pick The PYRO can’t move about quickly, so it may be
two PCs. They swap places in the same way. Smaller advisable to have it guard one of the control points
characters teleport into any space previously occupied closer to the enemy deployment zone. Its SIEGE ARMOR
by larger characters, and larger characters must trait allows it to pull off a funny combo with the
occupy at least one space previously occupied by BOMBARD: so long as the Bombard is on another point,
smaller characters, or as close as possible. it'll be beyond b3, and the Pyro will only take half
damage from its attacks. The damage scaling of the
Bombard’s CLUSTER MUNITIONS massively favors
Characters who are IMMUNE to involuntary movement RESISTANCE over ARMOR, meaning the Pyro can shrug
(such as the Sunzi) or who cannot be teleported (for off attacks that will brutalize players.
example, because they are inside a Minotaur’s
INTERDICTION FIELD) are not valid targets for this effect;
do not include them when randomly choosing. The Bombard can also use its FLARE DRONE to amplify
the damage of its attacks, since drones are characters.
However, since BOMBARD CANNON takes a full action to
This fight introduces the VOIDER, a mech that takes fire, it can’t do both in the same turn; putting the Flare
advantage of the Armory’s advances in blinkspace Drone on a control point will send a clear signal to
technology. It is a master of battlefield positioning, and players that you intend to start shelling that position.
can exploit the fact that characters will be teleporting
often during this fight to cause chaos. If the PCs don’t
deal with it, they may find themselves out of position. If the BREACHER is present, throw its THERMAL CHARGE
onto a point before moving onto it. If a Breacher
controls a grapple with a target, it can use BREACH RAM
Unlike regular reinforcements, the Voider teleports – if you use this carefully, you can drag a PC off of a
onto the battlefield in any space it desires. Be careful point. The PC won’t suffer any additional harm if you
about where you insert it, though; players have a ram them through a wall, but it will look cool.
tendency to try and eliminate NPC classes they don’t
recognize as fast as they can.

[114]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder

PC VICTORY
Placeholder

“It’s over, Odin! Order your remaining forces to

power down their reactors, step out of their chassis
and submit to arrest!”

On his camera feed, Dr. Valentinian flips a few

switches on a nearby console, face betraying just a
hint of irritation as nothing happens. “Ah. I see you’ve
been busy sabotaging my security systems.”

“We’ve shut down the rampant turrets, disarmed the

exploding subalterns, bypassed the gravity reversal
traps, removed the perimeter control plates – every
single absurd booby-trap you’ve put into this
goddamn station, we have found and disabled. Now,
at long last: surrender!”

“Ah! Impressive. I presume, then, that you’ve found

and disarmed the blink charges in the deck plating?”

“Yes, Valentinian, we–… the what?”

Odin sneers. “Amateur.”

There is a distant series of thumps, and almost a

minute of silence on the comm channels. Then, you
get a priority message.

“Hell’s Gate strike team, this is Ctesiphon. We’re

about… uh, I make it… seven thousand kilometers
from the Glasscage. You’re going to have to handle
this one yourselves, over.”

[115]
 segments. If four statements in the list above are true,
TALKING THOR AND TYR DOWN tick two segments. If all five statements are true, tick
Despite everything, Thor and Tyr remain loyal to Odin; four segments.
the PCs will have to deal with them somehow. That
said, neither of them has compelling reasons for their
loyalty. Thor is loyal only out of a sense of fatalistic Rolling a 9 or less unticks one segment on Talking the
obligation, while Tyr is still desperately trying to prove Brothers Down, rolling 10-19 ticks a segment and
himself. It might be possible to talk them into standing rolling 20+ ticks two segments. All rolls tick one
down and letting the team pass. segment on Impatience, regardless of the result.

To attempt this, every member of the Valentinian If Impatience fills first, or an insufficient number of the
family must still be alive – if Lyra or Switch are dead, above conditions are true, begin Combat: A Brother’s
tempers are running too high for the brothers to see Love (p. ###).
reason. In addition, at least three of the following
things must also be true: If Talking the Brothers Down fills first (or at the same
time as Impatience), Thor and Tyr see reason in the
PCs’ arguments, and agree to help the PCs stop his
• The PCs successfully rescued Dr. Nyambose in
father’s experiment.
Combat: Send In The Clowns during Mission 2.
• The Calliope Clock has at most one segment
ticked (i.e. it is not yet in Crisis).
SWITCHED ON
As long as Switch’s mech wasn’t destroyed during
• The PCs completed Arc: The Third Pillar and Combat: Insecure Housing (including if the PCs didn’t
successfully rescued Lyra Van Kraanen. do Arc: The Third Pillar at all), they will be present to
assist the PCs with talking down their older brothers –
• The PCs helped Switch and Loki reconcile.
or fighting them, if it comes to that.
• The PCs have bonded with Thor or Tyr in some
other significant and meaningful way. If the PCs helped Switch and Loki reconcile (p. ###),
Switch has seen how good the team is at mediating,
Convincing each brother to stand down will require and will take a back seat. They will only chime in
different tactics. Both of the brothers have been deeply occasionally, and only with relevant points. Once
wounded by the way their father treated them. during the conversation, Switch can add +1g to a roll
of the players’ choosing.
Thor is a withdrawn fatalist who feels like he has no
control over his life and never will; while this belief If the PCs couldn’t reconcile Switch and Loki, Switch is
provides solace, it also makes him apathetic. He needs far more talkative, and not in a helpful way. They are
to be convinced to take responsibility for his actions. He streaming this entire exchange and snarking about
will be best persuaded by reasoned arguments about things that aren’t their business. Once during the
the danger the experiment poses to the world and to conversation, Switch inflicts +1h on a roll of the GM’s
his loved ones, but the PCs must be careful not to make choosing, as their commentary irritates Thor and Tyr.
the threats seem too big for his actions to affect.
If the situation degenerates into a brawl, they’ll fight
Tyr, meanwhile, has been brutalized by years of their brothers, but they’ll never try to kill them. If a PC
paternal rejection. All his life, he has been taught to takes an action that might kill one of their brothers – or
seek his father’s approval, but constantly denied it. He worse, actually injures or kills one of them – Switch will
craves love and respect, but he’s prone to fits of spite, violently intervene.
and above all else, he despises being pitied. He needs
to be convinced to let go of his anger. He will be best
convinced by compassion and sympathy, but PCs must
be careful not to patronize him.

The PCs only really need to convince one brother to

stand down. If Tyr is convinced to stand against his
father, Thor follows suit simply out of obligation.
Meanwhile, if it’s Thor who turns, Tyr will do so as well
simply because he doesn’t want to be outdone.

This is a situation best dealt with by roleplaying, but if

you need to bring dice rolls into it, start a clock named
Impatience with four segments. Then, start a clock
named Talking The Brothers Down with six

[116]
COMBAT:
A BROTHER’S LOVE
SITREP: Gauntlet (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x THOR – T2 ELITE VETERAN AEGIS Size 2
Harrison Armory Saladin Aegis: Guardian, Hardlight Cover System
Veteran: +HULL, Lesser Sight, Steel Jaw
1x TYR – T2 ELITE VETERAN SEEDER Size 2
Harrison Armory Iskander Seeder: Hopping Mines, Speed Deployer, Tripwires
Veteran: +ENGINEERING, Deadly, Limitless
1x T2 ASSAULT Micro-Missile Barrage
Harrison Armory Gilgamesh

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 GOLIATH Pin

+1x T2 OPERATOR

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 BERSERKER Retribution

+1x T2 PYRO Napalm Bomb, Unshielded Reactor

POSSIBLE ALLIED FORCES

FOR 3-5 PCS: 1x SWITCH – T2 VETERAN SENTINEL Size 2
Sentinel: Punisher Ammunition
Veteran: Feign Death, Shock Armor

However, if the PCs were successful during Combat:

DETAILS Resonance Cascade, the security measures are shut
Having failed to convince Thor and Tyr to stand down, down. Hostiles cannot rearrange cover sections, and
the team must now fight them to get to Odin and Loki. the slowzone pylons are present but inactive.

This battle takes place at an interstitial security TYR is piloting an HA Iskander named Tread Carefully,
checkpoint between the inner ring and the Cage itself. and is somewhat of an expert in its use. As he has both
It is designed to allow defense from either direction; a TRIPWIRES and HOPPING MINES, any mine he places
Glasscage must be able to stop intruders from getting covers a e3 area, 10 spaces high – and with SPEED
in, but also to stop any anomalies that they might be DEPLOYER, he can place two of them at once. This
researching from getting out. gives him a commanding battlefield presence.

The security checkpoints have adjustable cover Moreover, Tyr knew an assault would be coming, and
sections that can raise or lower as necessary – as a has had hours to rig the battlefield. Place as many
quick action, any hostile character can summon or EXPLOSIVE MINES as there are players along
dismiss a cover section that is the same Size as them, thoroughfares the PCs are likely to have to pass
so long as there isn’t already a cover section in those through to reach the objective zone. These benefit
spaces. These cover sections are right-angle wedges, from Tyr’s TRIPWIRES and HOPPING MINES traits.
with the sloped end pointing towards the enemy – these
only provide hard cover on the flat side, and have 3
ARMOR against any attack that hits the sloped side. THOR should stay on the objective zone, protecting his
However, characters don’t need to climb the sloped allies with his DEFENSE NET. Longer-range characters
side – they walk up it as normal. like the ASSAULT or the OPERATOR can take cover
behind him, further increasing their survivability.
There are also slowzone pylons, which are Size 1
objects with 10 HP, 1 ARMOR, 8 EVASION and 12 E- Unlike a regular Gauntlet sitrep, there are no
DEFENSE. They continually generate a d2 field that reinforcements; besides the team defending the central
inflicts SLOWED on any character inside it, which can’t chamber itself, Thor, Tyr and the unit they command
be removed by any means except leaving the field. represent the only remaining forces Odin can deploy
Ranged attacks drawing line of effect through or into a against the PCs.
slowzone have all i or k they deal halved.

[117]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs can’t push past Thor and Tyr to reach the
Cage, placeholder

Odin’s experiment succeeds?

PC VICTORY
Placeholder

Continue onwards

[118]
ARC:
DEFEND THE GLASSCAGE
Placeholder

Placeholder – Players helping defend the Glasscage

are not subject to the chronoglitches. This shows that
Odin has the ability to inoculate people from them, but
is not doing it except for people he supports.

[119]
 BEAT ??:
GJALLARHORN
Placeholder CALLIOPE
“The gilded woman sought it, only to be caught red-
Talk to Odin – describes in extremely clinical terms handed! An ancient secret, kept from us – too late!
what the experiment is meant to do Too late! A weapon built for the Second Ones – see
how it tears at the very fundament? Do you see?!
Talk to Loki – addled and confused by the experiment. How to find a golden needle in Calliope’s haystack –
why, come from the time of finding! That’s the cheat,
Describes what he saw in barely coherent, highly poetic
the universal swindle: if you’ve already found it, it’s
babble.
always in the first place you look!”

THE TREE UNFOLDING SWITCH

Something happened to Loki during the experiment. “… promised me, promised me that whatever life
He’s not his usual self – he’s wild-eyed, weeping, threw at us we’d always have each other to rely on.
unsteady on his feet, and speaking in barely-coherent, Did that mean nothing to you? Why did you leave? I
highly poetic babble. would’ve come with you. Maybe it’s not healthy to
rely on a brother so much but you left me alone. I
“The tree! The tree! Matter and energy parted like was alone. I was so alone. I never felt more alone in
mist as the branches of time unfurled! My golden- my life. Did I really matter that little to you? Can’t you
haired brother laid on a funeral boat, crowned in oak see why I’m upset? Just say sorry. Just say sorry,
leaves, a sword of light clutched in his hand!” you arrogant fuck! I don’t even need you to mean it,
I just need to hear you say it! Say you’re sorry! Say
you’re sorry for what you did!”
Odin, busily preparing the final stage of his experiment,
has assigned Thor and Tyr to look after Loki until he
recovers. For his part, Odin seems unconcerned by his THE TEAM
son’s malady, which he says will pass shortly. Loki squints at you, as if struggling to remember who
you are, but then his vision clears and his eyes focus
suddenly. “I… I saw you. A thousand times. A million
Thor is desperately worried for his brother, and sees
times. And every time you took up sword and gun to
this as yet another example of his father’s callous
save this world. And even when I didn’t see you, I
disregard for their well-being. Tyr is sober for the first
saw others like you. There was never a world with
time in weeks, his grudge against Loki entirely
no-one to defend it.”
forgotten, having realized with horror exactly what Loki
was protecting him from.
Switch – extremely angry at the PCs. Currently malding
on stream.
WHAT’S WRONG?
“… saw too much… saw too much at once…”

THE EXPERIMENT
“Vile Jörmungandr’s throat in my four hands! How he
squirmed and thrashed as I squeezed his wretched
life from him! But he became a flurry of autumn
leaves, frozen-dry with frost, that slipped my fingers!”

THE FUTURE
“The map of Calliope redrawn in lines of oily smoke!
I saw the All-Eyed Woman seize the farmlands! The
Ancient Throne rent in twain, plunging into Helheim!
The Smiling Machine rose from Nidavellir to burn the
horizon! The Bell of Heaven cracked as the spear of
the Many-Faced King smote upon it! A forest grew
on the world of fume! All the light the sun would ever
shine, released in a single instant! I saw, I saw, I saw,
I saw I saw I saw…”

[120]
COMBAT:
BOARDING PARTY
SITREP: Holdout (Lancer, p. 272)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 COMMANDER BREACHER Superior Ram, Press On!
1x T2 BASTION “Pause” Engine, Siege Guardian
1x T2 RAINMAKER Hound Missiles

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ENGINEER Arsenal, Mobile Turrets

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 GRUNT BOMBARD

+1x T2 GRUNT WITCH

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE VETERAN HORNET Lock/Hold Javelins, Umbral Interdiction, Feign Death,
Insulated

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 ASSASSIN Cloud Projector, Sap

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 VEHICLE SUPPORT Flier, Transport

+1x T2 SQUAD

DETAILS PC VICTORY
The PCs must delay an Armory assault team’s advance Placeholder.
long enough for Odin to complete his experiment.

Due to Odin’s experiment, the entire battlefield is

plagued by chronoglitches. At the start of every
round, randomly pick two NPCs. They swap places with
each other, both characters teleporting to the other’s
position or as close as possible. Then, randomly pick
two PCs. They swap places in the same way. Smaller
characters teleport into any space previously occupied
by larger characters, and larger characters must
occupy at least one space previously occupied by
smaller characters, or as close as possible.

Characters who are IMMUNE to involuntary movement

(such as the Sunzi) or who cannot be teleported (for
example, because they are inside a Minotaur’s
INTERDICTION FIELD or protected by the BASTION’s
“PAUSE” ENGINE) are not valid targets for this effect; do
not include them when randomly choosing.

OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – The enemy side starts Cascade
Resonance with two victory points already marked.

[121]
 COMBAT:
CASCADE RESONANCE
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 268)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE BERSERKER Harpoon Cannon, Nail Gun
1x T2 AEGIS HA Blackwall System, Ring of Fire
1x T2 ARCHER Covering Fire
1x T2 BASTION Fearless Defender, Near-Threat Denial System
1x T2 SNIPER Deadmetal Rounds

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 HORNET Lock/Hold Javelins

+1x T2 RONIN Chaff Launchers

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE GOLIATH Power Knuckle, Retribution

DETAILS
Whether or not the PCs were able to repel the assault
on their position, another defense team has collapsed
completely, and at least one strike team has made it
through. To prevent Fry from shutting down Odin’s
experiment, the PCs will need to redeploy to one of the
Glasscage’s reactor arrays. They won’t be able to hold
them forever, but Odin only needs a few more minutes.

OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Odin’s experiment fails

PC VICTORY
Placeholder – continue on

[122]
ARC:
THE INFINITE TREE
Whether they’ve battled through Odin’s children and Lord Director Fry’s argument is simple: Odin is
loyalists to stop him, or fought alongside them to defend endangering everyone in the vicinity of Chameleon,
the Glasscage, the team now stands upon a precipice. including his battlegroup. Regardless of how much data
his experiment might generate, it’s not worth the risk.
Time unfolds around you, a myriad of possibilities There might still be civilians in orbit; prisoners might still
slamming into one another as the walls between be present on Umbra. Lord Director Fry will not allow
worlds grow thin. an obsessive scientist to gamble their lives in the name
of hypothetical progress. Unfortunately, he has no
available forces left to press the matter; he must rely on
Loki’s Sunzi stands, all four arms reaching out to the
Switch or the PCs.
Anomaly, whose inky-black surface ripples and
churns violently. Loki’s voice floods your comm feed,
muttering a litany you don’t fully understand: half It's clear that this is very personal for Switch; even their
differential calculation, half occult incantation. gestures towards the safety of Calliope center their own
experiences. Odin is playing with the anomaly just like
he played with the lives of Switch and their brothers; he
But something stranger is happening. In many of the
timelines you see, it’s not Loki in the Sunzi: it’s doesn’t care about the human cost involved. It’s also
clear that they feel that Odin being allowed to continue
Switch. You can hear them, sometimes as themself,
would retroactively justify his mistreatment. They make
sometimes as Baldur, muttering the same litany.
a compelling point: Odin has proven willing to ignore
ethics and morality if he thinks it will advance his
In your own timeline – and a trillion, trillion others – schemes, and it always ends in misery.
Switch clutches their head in agony. “Guys,
something… something’s wrong… I can’t…” In
Other individuals chime in, if present. Lyra doesn’t
perfect unison, Loki echoes the exact same words.
know what Odin is doing, but she knows it’s hurting her
As you watch, the figure sitting in the pilot’s seat and
children – as it always does. Thor and Tyr’s opinions
even the mech itself flickers. For a moment, it’s no
will depend on what just happened on the Glasscage;
longer Switch; it’s Loki.
they are likely to side with the father out of habit unless
the PCs successfully talked them down during Arc:
At the eye of this strange, paracausal hurricane, Attack the Glasscage.
everyone is making their final move. Odin is enacting
the final stage of his plan. Loki is doing one final favor
for his father. Switch is out for revenge. Lord Director SIDING WITH ODIN
Fry is trying to salvage the mission. The PCs are the For all his flaws, Odin is one of the few people who’s
wildcard here, and everyone is angling for their help. been completely forthright and up-front with the PCs.
He’s never lied to them, never attempted to deceive
them; he’s one of the few people who believed their
FINAL APPEALS story with absolutely no reservations. He genuinely
No matter whether the PCs chose to side with Odin and wants to help them defeat Feather, Andros Capella and
protect his experiment or with Switch and Lord Director the Cult; he might have ulterior motives for doing so,
Fry to shut it down, both sides make last-minute but he’ll share them if asked.
appeals to them, trying to either retain their loyalty or
get them to switch sides.
He’s ashamed to admit it, but Odin is – for once in his
life – trying to skip the hard work. Time is of the
Odin begs to be allowed to complete his experiment; essence, and he’s trying to contact an alternate version
he is willing to appeal to both emotion and reason. On of himself who’s already done the research. He needs
a personal level, he doesn’t want all of the sacrifice and a weapon that will kill Feather (and, ultimately, YMIR)
pain to have been for nothing. On a rational level, he without damaging blinkspace. If such a weapon is
points out that he’s likely the only person in Calliope possible to build, then somewhere among the infinite
who has the necessary expertise to counter Feather’s timelines of the universe is an Odin that already built it.
power over blinkspace, and understanding her is key to
defeating her. He also remarks that Lord Director Fry is
a pariah in the Armory, while Odin commands respect. Feather, he points out, did more or less the same thing:
she’s brought knowledge and technology alien to this
As for Switch, however justified their grudge against
timeline with her. Odin can do the same. He just needs
him might be, they care nothing for Calliope’s safety –
the team to stop Switch from ruining everything.
they’re acting purely out of spite.

[123]
 TALKING SWITCH DOWN Switch can’t accept this, because they know their pain
Switch is furious, lost and afraid. Their twin brother is in and the pain of their brothers and the pain of the
terrible agony – agony he subjected himself to willingly innocent people hurt and killed by Odin’s crusade all
so Switch wouldn’t have to endure it. But it was all for matter, but they were never taught how to say that it
nothing; Switch is in the one place Loki tried so hard to matters even if the end goal is important.
ensure they wouldn’t be at the time of the experiment.
This is a situation best dealt with by roleplaying, but if
However, it might still be possible to reach them and you need to bring dice rolls into it, start a clock named
avoid violence if the PCs have done right by them in the Talking Switch Down with six segments. If four
past. For this to even have a chance of working, all of statements in the list above are true, tick two segments.
Switch’s family must still be alive, and at least three If all five statements are true, tick four segments. Then
of the following things must also be true: create a clock called Impatience with two segments.

Rolling a 9 or less unticks one segment on Talking

• At least one PC helped out with Switch’s fundraiser
Switch Down, rolling 10-19 ticks a segment and rolling
at the end of Mission 5.
20+ ticks two segments. All rolls tick one segment on
• The Calliope Clock has at most one segment Impatience, regardless of the result.
ticked (i.e. it is not yet in Crisis).
• The PCs completed Arc: The Third Pillar and If Impatience fills before Talking Switch Down, the
successfully rescued Switch’s mother. attempt has failed; either the PCs must side with
Switch, or they must begin Combat: Visited Upon The
• The PCs helped Switch and Loki reconcile. Child (p. ##). If Talking Switch Down fills first, Switch
cools down and lets their father’s experiment play out.
• The PCs have bonded with Switch in some other
significant and meaningful way.
WHO ARE YOU, REALLY?
There’s a way to get Switch to stand down instantly,
Convincing Switch to back down will require empathy
and that’s bring their core identity into question. This
and tact. They are tormented by the guilt of the crimes tactic requires that the PCs understand that Switch is
their father tricked them into committing, burdened by
undergoing a crisis of identity, and that they’re willing to
a lifetime of living up to other peoples’ expectations and
exploit it to get what they want.
stricken by grief over the pain they’ve caused their twin.
This isn’t just Switch showboating or acting out for
attention: they genuinely believe stopping their father is It's emotionally manipulative, but confronting them in
the only way to make things right and atone for the front of both their stream and their family about who
things they’ve done. they are and who they actually want to be is extremely
effective. Who are they talking to? Is this the Switch that
wants to make things right with their brother? The
Switch’s mental image of Odin is inaccurate – although
Switch that wants justice against their father? Or is this
understandably so, shaped as it is by trauma. On a
just the Switch that wants to impress their audience?
deep psychological level, Switch needs Odin to be
wrong. In Switch’s mind, if their father’s experiment
actually works and doesn’t have terrible unforeseen If confronted with this, Switch will be unable to answer,
consequences, was their own pain and suffering really and will back down immediately.
that important in comparison?
BETRAYING THOR AND TYR
It used to be easy, back when there were no mad gods, If Thor and Tyr were talked down during Arc: Attack
no apocalypse cults, no dead men rising from their the Glasscage, they now agree with Switch that Odin
graves, no terrifying displays of bleeding-edge has to be stopped. Thusly, if the PCs suddenly side with
blinkspace technology or paracausal power – back their father, it’s a very confusing betrayal. They will
when their father was just a delusional fanatic. Now, angrily point out that just moments ago, the PCs told
though, he seems like the only sane man in the room; them that Odin was an imminent danger to Calliope and
everything he warned about is coming true. potentially the cosmos; is it all suddenly fine? Was
anything the PCs said to them true or genuine?
There’s a fundamental problem here: because of
Odin’s failures as a parent, Switch lacks the emotional Apply a persistent +1h penalty to all rolls made to
vocabulary to properly articulate that actions can be convince Switch to stand down, as the brothers
wrong even if they produce good outcomes. If Odin constantly interrupt and heckle the PCs. Worse, if the
succeeds, Switch would understand that to mean that PCs fail to convince Switch to stand down, Thor and
they deserved everything that happened to them; that Tyr will side with their sibling, adding two powerful
they were just a stupid kid who should’ve shut up and NPCs to the enemy roster. If the PCs manage to talk
done what they were told. Switch down anyway, their brothers will stand down as
well, but they’re not happy about it.

[124]
 However, there are a few avenues that might find more
SIDING WITH SWITCH success. The first and most effective is to undermine
Whatever criticisms one can make of Switch’s behavior his scientific reasoning. Despite being one of the
or their motivations, they’re right about one thing: smartest men in the galaxy, Odin is bizarrely modest
Odin’s experiment is putting Calliope at risk. Everything about science. If one of the PCs brings up a credible
he offers is a maybe: maybe it’ll produce useful results. flaw in his hypothesis that he overlooked, his scientific
Maybe the disruption to spacetime will be brief. Maybe mindset would compel him to change course.
it won’t spread further than Chameleon. Maybe Odin
can make a weapon that kills Andros Capella for good.
The second requires deep understanding of Odin’s
psyche. Odin is, in fact, a deeply traumatized and
What about the flipside? What if the fabric of spacetime wounded man who lost both his parents and a major
is permanently damaged? What if it spreads? What if role model at a young age, and was lied to by everyone
Feather is right, and Odin’s experiment is the thing that he trusted. He’s trying to create a world where he can
wipes out blinkspace? What if this is all for nothing? never feel vulnerable again, which simply isn’t possible.

The harm Odin has already done? That’s real. That’s Finding a flaw in Odin’s reasoning will require either
definite. That can be proven – he’ll even admit to it! expertise in blinkspace science or game-theory
analysis of trans-timeline information sharing.
TALKING ODIN DOWN Successfully psychoanalyzing him will require that the
Ever since the day he watched his parents die in the PCs interacted with him extensively and developed a
skies above Ras Shamra, every single action Odin deep understanding of his mindset. Neither tactic
Valentinian has ever taken is in service of destroying should be easy to pull off.
MONIST-1. By asking him to stop his experiment, the
PCs are asking him to abandon his entire life’s work The third avenue is direct appeal to emotion. Moralizing
moments before its culmination. with him won’t work, but pointing out that his children
are in pain will get to him. He was traumatized by the
Despite everything, the possibility does exist – barely. loss of his parents as a child; why is he traumatizing his
Some series of arguments does exist that will convince own kids?
him to stop, and a true master of rhetoric might be able
to find it. For this possibility to exist, however, all four THE TREE AND THE APPLE
of Odin’s children must still be alive. If even one has There’s a way to get Odin to stand down instantly. This
died, Odin’s grief at their passing precludes any chance tactic is the hardest to pull off, but has the greatest
of the PCs talking him down. effect, because it hinges upon Odin’s greatest fear: he
doesn’t want his children to be like him.
Start two clocks named Facts and Logic and Odin
Loses Patience, each with four segments. All rolls to Making this sort of emotional appeal will require that the
talk Odin down are Heroic – that is, success is PCs have a firm understanding of the psychology of
achieved only on a result of 20+. Rolling a 9 or less both Odin and all four his children, which will likely
ticks two segments on Odin Loses Patience, while require that they spent a lot of time with them. It hinges
rolling 10-19 ticks one. Rolling 20+ ticks one segment upon the team being able to identify the ways in which
on Facts and Logic. Once a PC gets 20+ on a roll with Thor, Tyr, Loki and Switch have started to resemble
a skill trigger, they cannot use the same skill trigger their father.
again during this exchange, though other PCs can.
Thor is cynical and withdrawn. Tyr is obsessed with a
If Odin Loses Patience fills first, the attempt has failed; goal whose pursuit makes him miserable. Loki has
they must either side with Odin or begin Combat: Sins become increasingly willing to forsake friendship and
of the Father (p. ###). If Facts and Logic fills first (or love to get what he wants. Perhaps worst of all, Switch
at the same time as Odin Loses Patience), the attempt has become cold, manipulative and self-righteous,
has succeeded, and with the greatest hesitance, Odin chasing vengeance at the cost of everything that
stands down. makes them good and kind.

Generic appeals to morality simply won’t work on Odin. If the PCs successfully identify the way all four of his
He already knows his actions cause harm, but believes children have been warped by his obsession, they don’t
it’s a necessary evil in pursuit of universal freedom from even need to roll. Odin can deal with being a monster,
a tyrant god. but he can’t deal with creating them, especially from his
own flesh and blood. The horrifying realization that he
is perpetuating a cycle of violence and abuse is enough
to stop him in his tracks.

[125]
 COMBAT:
SINS OF THE FATHER
SITREP: Demolition (p. 362)

OBJECTIVE(S): 5x RESONANCE PROJECTOR (Size 3, 20 HP)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x ODIN – T2 ULTRA EXOTIC VOIDER Voider: Abduct, Reposition, Slip Drive, Warp Carbine
Exotic: Chronotorus
Ultra: Legion, Unstoppable
1x AZZY – T2 ELITE VETERAN Scourer: Emergency Vent, Pulse Laser
SCOURER Veteran: +HULL, Deadly, Limitless, NHP Co-Pilot

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 BARRICADE +ENGINEERING, Drag Down, Extrudite

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 GOLIATH Watchful Guardian

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ARCHER Blinding Shells
1x T2 OPERATOR Telefrag

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 BASTION Fearless Defender

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 WITCH Spread Suffering

POSSIBLE ALLIED FORCES

FOR 3-5 PCS: 1x SWITCH // LOKI – T2 VETERAN Size 2
SENTINEL Sentinel: Punisher Ammunition
Veteran: Feign Death, Shock Armor

ODIN is a VOIDER, a bizarre new enemy type of his own

DETAILS invention. The Voider excels at the control of battlefield
The PCs must destroy all five of Odin’s Resonance positioning; it creates BLINK RIFTS that slow PCs and
Projectors before “Convergence” occurs – they may disable their reactions, and can teleport between them
not know precisely what this means, but given the at will. It can also use its VOID PRISM to detonate them,
effects of the Timewaves, it’s probably very bad. even chaining detonations if the rifts are close together.
Additionally, it has ABDUCT and REPOSITION, which
This battle occurs in the heart of the Glasscage, mere allow it to relocate PCs and allies respectively.
meters from the Anomaly. The Anomaly is a Size 3
object with 8 EVASION and 8 E-DEFENSE that can’t be Odin’s weapons aren’t very powerful, but he is a master
moved or damaged in any way, but when it is struck by of dictating the terms of engagement. He can pull close-
any effect that causes damage, it releases a c7 wave range PCs far away from their targets, or move his own
of chaotic energy facing outwards from the point it was allies closer to PCs who are trying to keep their
hit. Characters caught in the wave lose any IMMUNITIES distance. He can also use CHRONOTORUS to force d20
they have and can’t clear conditions in any way until the rerolls, helping allies or hindering enemies.
end of their next turn. The wave also collapses any
BLINK RIFTS in its area.
Additionally, Odin is very difficult to pin down. His
UNSTOPPABLE trait makes him immune to all involuntary
The immense spatiotemporal distortion in the chamber movement and PRONE, meaning RAM does nothing to
is incredibly hazardous to NHPs. At the start of each him. If a PC gets close, he can simply create a BLINK
round, increase the window for cascade checks by 1 – RIFT and use SLIP DRIVE to teleport away without
from 1 to 1-2 at the start of the first round, to 1-3 on the provoking reactions. He can still be grappled, but the
second, to 1-4 on the third, and so on. This includes grapple will break if a character tries to move while
rolls AZZY makes due to having the NHP CO-PILOT trait. holding him.

[126]
AZZY is the ASURA-class NHP to whom Odin gave the
duty of teaching Baldur to pilot – and of editing his
sense data in real-time during the theft from the
Volador. He’s now tasked with defending the inner
sanctum while Odin finishes his experiment, and pilots
Baldur’s old Sherman Mk. II with deadly skill. As an
NHP, he is at risk of traumatic cascade from taking
Structure or Stress damage, represented by the NHP
CO-PILOT trait.

If Switch is present during this fight, the sight of Azzy

and their old mech will enrage them, and they will
prioritize settling the score rather than dealing with the
mission objectives. That’s one of the reasons Azzy is
here – Odin predicted Switch’s behavior.

Using EXTRUDITE, the BARRICADE can print a cube, and

then print the second cube right on top of it, creating a
structure that occupies a Size 2 footprint but is 4
spaces tall, sufficient to provide hard cover and block
line of sight for characters up to Size 3, including the
Demolition targets.

[127]
 ENEMY MECH
ODIN VALENTINIAN
Ultra Exotic Voider
Controller/Support

“You know what the most insufferable thing about you is, father? You want to have
your cake and eat it. You want to be the brutal pragmatist, the one who abandons
morality to do the terrible things other people can’t – but then you want people
to love you for it, like it was some kind of noble sacrifice! You want to be the
Tyrant and the Saint at the same bloody time!”
- Loki Valentinian, to Odin Valentinian, 5016u

HUL: -1 HP: 17 Armor: 1 ULTRA

AGI: +3 Evasion: 12 Speed: 4 As an ULTRA, ODIN:
SYS: +3 E-Defense: 16 Save Target: 14 • Takes two separate turns each round, or three if
ENG: +1 Heat Cap: 7 Sensors: 10 there are 5 or more players.
• Has 4 structure and 4 stress.
EXOTIC • Can clear one condition affecting him at the start
As an EXOTIC, Odin gains +1g on SYSTEMS saves, of its turn and repair one destroyed system or
weapon at the end of his turn.
and tech attacks against him receive +1h. SCAN
does not reveal any information about his EXOTIC • Deals +1d6 damage on critical hits.
systems. • Can OVERWATCH any number of times a round
• Rolls all structure and stress checks twice and
chooses either result.
SYSTEMS
Blink Rift Void Prism
Trait, Protocol Main Cannon, +4 vs Evasion, Arcing
Odin creates a BLINK RIFT in a free space within b5. [b5] [6j]
A BLINK RIFT is a Size 1 object that projects a If the target is a BLINK RIFT, this attack automatically
constant d2 distortion field around it. While inside hits. Odin may then repeat this attack against any
the distortion field: number of characters or objects within b5 of the rift,
drawing line of sight and range from it. If this includes
• Voiders (including Odin) are unaffected by it. another BLINK RIFT, the process repeats. A character
• Hostile characters are SLOWED and can’t take can only be targeted by a secondary attack once per
reactions, and if they start their turn in the field, activation of this weapon.
these effects persist until the end of that turn.
After a BLINK RIFT is struck by this weapon (whether
BLINK RIFTS have 6 HP, EVASION 10, E-DEFENSE 10 or not Odin chose to make secondary attacks) it is
and can’t be targeted by tech attacks. When a destroyed, causing it to collapse as usual.
BLINK RIFT is destroyed, each non-Voider character “I should thank you. I’ve been wanting to
within b5 must make a HULL save or be pulled into field-test this device for a while.”
the space the rift occupied, or as close as possible.
Odin can have no more than three BLINK RIFTS Warp Carbine
active at the same time. The distortion fields of Main Rifle, +4 vs Evasion, AP
BLINK RIFTS can overlap, but their effects don’t stack. [b5] [3j]
“Doesn’t it look kind of like the Fire Gate?” On hit: The target must make an ENGINEERING save
– Loki Valentinian, to Switch - or be teleported towards the origin of this attack a
number of spaces equal to the damage dealt by this
SHORTCUT Trait, Quick Action weapon.
This action can only be taken while adjacent to a Odin may draw range and line of sight for attacks
BLINK RIFT. Odin teleports to a space adjacent to with this weapon from a BLINK RIFT instead of
another BLINK RIFT. himself.
“Destination lock confirmed, bridge stable.” “Here’s a little trick I’ve been working on.”

[128]
Abduct Reposition
System, Quick Tech, +2 vs. E-Def System, Quick Action, Recharge 4+
Odin makes a tech attack against a hostile Odin may teleport one allied character within
character within b5. On a success, the target is SENSORS adjacent to a BLINK RIFT.
teleported adjacent to a BLINK RIFT of Odin’s choice. “You. Deal with this.”
“Wait right there. I’ll be with you shortly.”
Slip Drive
LEGION Trait System
Odin gains +4 E-DEFENSE (this has been included in Odin can use SHORTCUT even when he’s not
his stats above) and +1g on all tech attacks. adjacent to a BLINK RIFT.
“H0R_OS? What, you didn’t even write your own “Stimulating as this exchange has been, I’m
code? I expected better from you.” needed elsewhere. No need to get up.”

ANCHOR Trait
Odin has IMMUNITY to all involuntary movement,
including KNOCKBACK and PRONE.
“Ah yes, ramming. Very clever! Have you
mastered the funny little symbols in books yet,
or are you still just looking at the pictures?” OUTCOME
Chronoglitch
PC DEFEAT
System, Reaction, Exotic, 1/round If the PCs are unsuccessful or forced to retreat, untick
a segment on the Station Stability clock. The pirates
Odin’s experiment is causing violent distortions in
continue to intimidate the station and its
the flow of time. He may either reroll 1d20 or force
another character in line of sight to reroll 1d20 as a
reaction. The new result must be kept. SCAN does
not reveal any information about this system.
Loki is the pilot // Baldur is the pilot

[129]
 COMBAT:
VISITED UPON THE CHILD
SITREP: Holdout (Lancer, p. 272)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x SWITCH – T2 ULTRA CUSTOM SENTINEL Size 2, remove Eye of Midnight
Scourer: Cooling Module
Sentinel: Punisher Ammunition
Ultra: Limitless, Siege Shield, Superior Frame
1x SWORDGUY69 – T2 RPV ELITE RONIN Echo Edge, Extended Blade
1x STELLARINDEXER – T2 RPV AEGIS HA Blackwall System, Ring of Fire

FOR 4 PCS: +1x DELUDEDSQUIRREL – T2 RPV ARCHER Impending Threat

FOR 5 PCS: +1x NONCANON – T2 RPV BOMBARD Cluster-Seeker Bombs

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x SHADOWCAT – T2 RPV VETERAN HIVE Seeker Cloud, Shock Armor, Slippery
1x 3HC0 – T2 RPV COMMANDER MIRAGE Bolster Network
1x BASECHARGE – T2 RPV ASSAULT Rank Discipline

FOR 4 PCS: 1x AIDEN26 – T2 RPV VETERAN SUPPORT Remote Cloud, Latch Drone

FOR 5 PCS:

POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL ENEMY FORCES

FOR 3-5 PCS: 1x THOR – T2 ELITE VETERAN AEGIS Size 2
Harrison Armory Saladin Aegis: Guardian, Hardlight Cover System
Veteran: +HULL, Lesser Sight, Steel Jaw
1x TYR – T2 ELITE VETERAN SEEDER Size 2
Harrison Armory Iskander Seeder: Grav Spike, Speed Deployer
Veteran: +ENGINEERING, Deadly, Limitless

Many of the hostiles have ways of overcoming the RPV

DETAILS template’s major weaknesses.
Running short on allies after alienating the team and
their family, Switch has turned to the one source of
unconditional love they have left: their audience. They STELLARINDEXER’s AEGIS, has useful interactions with
have activated a swarm of drone mechs remotely the RPV template – since REGENERATIVE SHIELDING
piloted by their highest-paying subscribers. makes the Aegis immune to IMPAIRED, it doesn’t suffer
the RPV’s biggest weakness, and DEFENSE NET can
strip IMPAIRED off of other RPVs as well.
This is a mixed blessing; none of their highest-tier
subscribers have military training. They lack the
training and discipline to apply small-unit tactics, the For as long as 3HC0 is on the field and not JAMMED,
signal latency between their VR rigs and the mechs is her BOLSTER NETWORK ability counteracts the RPV’s
limiting their reaction times, and most of them are trying innate weakness to tech attacks. She can also move
too hard to impress Switch. This explains the RPV StellarIndexer even when he’s IMMOBILIZED, allowing
template’s permanent IMPAIRED status. DEFENSE NET’s zone of safety to be repositioned.

On the other hand, these mechs can survive direct hits

to the cockpit and keep on swinging, because there’s
no pilot inside. In addition, since the pilots are aware
they’re in no danger, they can take immense risks and
execute daring plays that even the most reckless pilots
would never dream of.

[130]
 ENEMY MECH
SWITCH
Ultra Custom Sentinel
Defender

“Oh, bullshit! Don’t patronize me! This isn’t about the law! This isn’t about
scientific ethics! This isn’t about all the blood on his hands! If you cared
about any of that, you would’ve run to the Department of Justice, not to Calliope!
This is all about YOUR pride, YOUR wounded ego, YOUR grievance, YOUR hero complex!
It’s not enough for you that justice is done – if it’s not YOUR justice, it’s
worse than nothing! You’re JUST like him!”

– Loki Valentinian, to Ipswich DeLacey, 5016u

HUL: +3 HP: 25 Armor: 1 ULTRA

AGI: +2 Evasion: 11 Speed: 5 As an ULTRA, SWITCH:
SYS: +2 E-Defense: 11 Save Target: 12 • Takes two separate turns each round, or three if
ENG: +2 Heat Cap: 8 Sensors: 10 there are 5 or more players.
• Has 5 structure and 5 stress.
CUSTOM • Can clear one condition affecting them at the
As a CUSTOM, SWITCH uses weapons, systems or start of its turn and repair one destroyed system
traits not typically found on mechs in their class. or weapon at the end of their turn.
• Deals +1d6 damage on critical hits.
• Can OVERWATCH any number of times a round.
• Rolls all structure and stress checks twice and
chooses either result.
SYSTEMS
Decksweeper Automatic Shotgun HYPER-REFLEX Trait
Main CQB, +2 vs Evasion Characters damaged by Switch’s OVERWATCH
[b5] [a3] [8i] attacks also become SLOWED until the end of their
“It was a perfectly standard sponsorship deal. next turn.
We don’t control their actions. It’s absurd to “I don’t care what it takes! If it stops him,
hold IPS-N responsible for how our equipment it’s worth the cost!”
was used just because it happened on camera.”
– IPS-N press release DIRECT INJECTION OVERCYCLE Trait
Switch can OVERCHARGE. Instead of the standard
Nanocarbon Blade cost, they always gain 1d6l.
Main Melee, +4 vs Evasion “No, chat, I’m not gonna ‘OC loop double Scan.’
[a1] [6i] Mods, send that guy a basilisk!”
DeimosPrevent (Mod): Switch this is PERVERSE
DeimosPrevent (Mod): TRICKING KIDS INTO BEING HyperDense Armor
DRONE PILOTS IS EXACTLY WHAT HE DID TO YOU System
Switch gains RESISTANCE to all damage from attacks
– stream chatter that originate beyond b3.
Trait “Come on. Get closer. Are you afraid to look
GUARDIAN
me in the eye?!”
Adjacent allied characters can use Switch for hard
cover. HA Auto-Cooler
“You have no idea what my father is capable of! System
I’m trying to protect this system from him!” At the start of their turn, Switch clears all heat if they
haven’t moved – including involuntary movement –
COTTUS FRAME Trait since the end of their previous turn.
Switch has IMMUNITY to SLOWED, SHREDDED and “I trusted you! I trusted you to do the right
IMMOBILIZED. by me! By my family! By Calliope!”
“I guess it just goes to show there’s nobody in
this fucking world I can trust but myself!”

[131]
 OUTCOME
The immediate outcomes of either branch of The Infinite Tree are identical but opposite. If the PCs sided with
Switch, Odin’s defeat represents a victory; if they sided with Odin, the opposite is true.

ODIN IS STOPPED ODIN IS VICTORIOUS

Odin lets out a shriek of despair as the last resonator You feel time itself shudder. You feel your ego torn
crumbles. The wound in time torn open by the apart by a flood of conflicting memories, the endless
Tachyon’s ingress twists and trembles. You teeter on roots of a million million million lifetimes bursting
the precipice of eternity, the moments creeping past towards the sunlight of this moment, all the choices
glacially as the event horizon shrinks, collapsing in you made, all the steps you took, all the loves and
on itself. hates and gains and losses collapsing into an infinite
kaleidoscope of possible pasts and futures.
You catch fading glimpses of a million million million
other selves, where you stand triumphant over the Through a million million million eyes you see every
same wreck and ruin. In just as many, though, you possible configuration of the battle unfold. Every
tried to stop it, and you feel their shame and defeat second, a million million million of those possibilities
just as deeply as your victory in this timeline. wink out as the resonators in their timelines are
smashed or burnt or shattered or atomized,
Then there is a lurch as reality reasserts itself. You sometimes by your hand, sometimes by the hand of
no longer see endless worlds through endless eyes; someone you failed to stop.
your consciousness has returned to the singular. In
the boundless infinity of a split second, you feel a Suddenly, everything snaps into focus, your
great potential lost to the universe. awareness no longer divided among the infinite
myriad of yourselves. You return to your own body,
The chamber is in absolute chaos. Spheres of zero- your own timeline, your own self, unique, singular.
gravity flame shimmer, casting eerie blue light But there is still one duplicate left in the room: Odin
throughout the chamber. Blinding arcs of electricity stands facing himself, but different: a self that’s older
dance between shattered pieces of equipment. and wiser, a triumphant self.
Alarms wail discordantly.
There is an exchange of words that you do not hear
And there, at the center of it all, where the anomaly – or if you do, you do not understand. Then, the other
used to be, is Odin Valentinian. Somehow, despite Odin is gone, and the Odin you know holds
the lack of gravity, he has fallen to his knees, something in his hands, an unseen thing that he
weeping bitterly. cradles as if it were a newborn child.

Odin’s plans for the Infinite Tree have been stopped “I have it,” he says. “It’s done.”
forever.
Whatever Odin was looking for in the Infinite Tree, he
has apparently found it. In spite of all the dire omens,
Calliope and blinkspace both endure, none the worse
for wear.

[132]
DOWNTIME:
LEGACY
ENTIRE FAMILY IS ALIVE BUT NOT RECONCILED
THE VALENTINIAN FAMILY If Lyra is safe, and neither Odin nor any of his children
Placeholder are dead, but if:

ENTIRE FAMILY IS ALIVE AND RECONCILED

• Loki Valentinian and Ipswich DeLacey were not
This is the ideal outcome. It means that all the following
successfully reconciled.
things are true:
… and one of the following things are true:
• Loki Valentinian and Ipswich DeLacey were
successfully reconciled.
• Ipswich DeLacey assisted the PCs during
• Lyra Van Kraanen was rescued during Arc: The Combat: A Brother’s Love.
Third Pillar, or granted freedom from the Armory
via Arc: Framing the Guilty. • Ipswich DeLacey attacked the PCs during
Combat: Visited Upon the Child.
• Thor and Tyr Valentinian were either talked down
before Combat: A Brother’s Love, survived the The love between Ipswich and their twin is sundered,
fight or were not fought at all. perhaps forever.
• Ipswich DeLacey was talked down before
Combat: Visited Upon the Child or was not If Switch was on the winning side, Loki departs the
fought at all. system, disgusted and disillusioned by how alien his
sibling now seems to him. Switch remains behind, but
• Odin Valentinian survived Combat: Sins of the seems to have lost their love of life. Their streaming
Father or was not fought at all. schedule becomes patchy.

Odin makes as sincere an apology to his children as he If Switch was on the losing side, they depart Calliope
can. He has treated them atrociously, and he cannot instead. It feels like half of Union watched them
undo any of that. He says he will never be worthy of humiliate themselves live, in full color, and the shame
their love or their forgiveness, but he will try his hardest of it is just too much to bear. Meanwhile, Loki and the
regardless. He doesn’t deserve to be called father, but other siblings remain in the system to help Odin with
he will nonetheless try to be the father he should have his work, but Loki is no longer the joyous, mischievous
been to them their entire lives, and he will start by telling character he used to be.
them everything, keeping no more secrets from them.
ONE OF THE CHILDREN IS DEAD
To his ex-wife, he also apologizes as best he can. She If Thor, Tyr, Loki or Switch are dead, and the PCs are
deserved someone far better than him. She agrees, in any way responsible, Odin makes things clear: he
and leaves to assist Calliope after embracing all her will still assist them in resolving the crisis in Calliope,
children for the first time in more than ten years. because he has no choice. Once he is finished with
that, he promises to their faces that those responsible
Thor, Tyr, Loki and Switch begin plans to form a for the death of his child will die. If Lyra is alive, she
fireteam of their own, and Switch polls their stream chat joins Odin in this vow – it’s one of the few things they
for names. The most popular is “The Gorgeous can agree on.
Valentines,” which all four siblings immediately reject.
If either Switch or Loki are dead, the other twin swears
Whether the PCs helped him achieve his goals with the a similar oath of vengeance upon the PCs responsible.
Infinite Tree or stopped him at the last minute, Odin
thanks them for what they’ve done. He will devote all MORE THAN ONE CHILD IS DEAD
his talents to finding a way to counteract Feather’s If two or more of Odin’s children are dead and the PCs
powers and bring an end to the Cult. are responsible, he attempts to kill the PCs at the first
opportunity. They have lost him as an ally, and he will
need to be dealt with.

LYRA IS MISSING
If the PCs attempted Arc: The Third Pillar but couldn’t
stop the Cult from abducting Lyra, she is currently

[133]
 missing in action. Her children will drop everything to Loki Valentinian
go and rescue her; they eventually succeed, but they Ally
can’t be called in to help for the rest of Act 2.
“I finally found something worth believing in.”
ODIN IS DEAD
If Odin is dead, but all of his children survive, they are LOKI pilots an HA Sunzi, the Never-There,
stricken with grief and will never truly forgive the PCs, represented by a T2 VETERAN VOIDER with +AGILITY,
but they understand that it was ultimately necessary to REPOSITION, RIFT STABILIZER, SLIPPERY and
prevent a catastrophe. They agree to put aside their LIGHTNING REFLEXES.
differences and continue his research.
Ipswich DeLacey
Ally
“I know who I am now, and I do it on purpose.”
TRAGEDY
If Odin and at least one of his children are dead, the SWITCH pilots an IPS-N Tortuga, the Frame-Perfect,
situation is unsalvageable. Any remaining Valentinian represented by a Size 2 T2 VETERAN SENTINEL with
children depart the system in grief and disgust. No-one +ENGINEERING, PUNISHER AMMUNITION, DEADLY and
is left to interpret Odin’s notes or continue his research. LESSER SIGHT.

The Valentinian Siblings Blinkspear

Favors, Limited 4 Main Melee, Exotic Gear, AP, Thrown 5,
Trained from birth to kill gods, Thor, Tyr, Loki and Unique, 1 SP
Switch were given the best military education the [a2] [1d6i]
Armory could provide. Now, they have a cause If you throw this weapon, you may retrieve it as a
worthy of fighting for and a god worthy of slaying. free action on your turn, no matter where you are,
even if you’re INTANGIBLE or not on the battlefield.
Expend any number of charges at the start of This is the only method by which you may retrieve
combat. That many Valentinian siblings (THOR, TYR, this weapon other than the method described below.
LOKI and SWITCH) of your choice appear as NPC
allies to assist you. Thanks to Odin’s advances in If you teleport or are teleported, and the Blinkspear
blinkspace technology, they can insert and extract is not in the same space as you, you may change the
without issue from any location. destination to the space it occupies instead of your
original destination as a reaction. Doing so retrieves
the Blinkspear.
Thor Valentinian Odin named it “Gungnir,” because of course he
Ally did. It’s not precisely the godslaying weapon
“I’m no longer a passenger in my own life.” he promised, but it’s a start.

THOR pilots an HA Saladin, the Malazan Book of the LORD DIRECTOR FRY
Fallen, represented by a Size 2 T2 VETERAN AEGIS ODIN WAS VICTORIOUS
with +HULL, ADAPTIVE SHIELDING, GUARDIAN, SHOCK Placeholder – Lord Director Fry is sidelined.
ARMOR and LEGENDARY.
ODIN WAS STOPPED
Tyr Valentinian Placeholder – Lord Director Fry successfully invokes
Ally emergency powers.
“I am not the failures my father saw in me.”
COLDWATER 484
TYR pilots an HA Iskander, the Tread Carefully, PRISON BREAK OCCURRED
represented by a Size 2 T2 VETERAN SEEDER with Placeholder
+SYSTEMS, GRAV SPIKE, SPEED DEPLOYER, HACKER
and HEADSHOT.
PRISON BREAK DID NOT OCCUR
Placeholder

[134]
HA LGC-05 “Transcendent Rail”
Ship Upgrade
The signature weapon of the Armory’s Barbarossa
chassis is infamous for being temperamental and
unwieldy on a mech, but it’s much more reliable
when mounted on a starship. So, what if we made it
incredibly temperamental again, by allowing you to
skip the projectile through blinkspace into literally
any location?
When Siren was shown the specs for it, she made a
noise somewhere between a giggle and a scream.

The Dragon’s Tooth is now well-armed enough to

take down a capital ship with sustained fire.
Additionally, 1/mission, the team gain one free use
of the BOMBARDMENT reserve (Lancer, p. 52). This
works even if Siren isn’t nearby, or they’re not in a
location she could target conventionally – a deep
cave system, a metavault, a pocket dimension, etc.
– so long as they can communicate with her.

[135]
 COMBAT:
GATES OF VALHALLA
SITREP: Holdout (Lancer, p. 272)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x AKRAM, TEMPERED BY THE FLAME Bastion: Fearless Defender, Siege Guardian
– T2 ULTRA BASTION Ultra: Argus Armor, Lead the Charge, Supreme
Maintenance
1x T2 ENGINEER Power Deployer, Mobile Turrets
1x T2 MIRAGE

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ARCHER Hail of Fire

+1x T2 OPERATOR

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 VETERAN CATAPHRACT Legendary, Lesser Sight

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 VETERAN COMMANDER PRIEST Bolster Network, Hacker, Legendary
1x T2 ASSAULT Micro-Missile Barrage
1x T2 PYRO Explosive Jet

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 ACE Strafe

+1x T2 GOLIATH Retribution

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE RAINMAKER Hound Missiles

DETAILS PC VICTORY
Placeholder Placeholder.

Placeholder – The Hornet singles out primary damage “It’s going to take me a while to analyze everything
dealers and shuts them down with a combination of we’ve recovered here today, so I’m afraid I can’t
Impale Systems and Lock/Hold Javelins. provide a countermeasure yet. I can, however, share
two very important discoveries.

OUTCOME “Firstly: just as I suspected, the Fire Gates shouldn’t

PC DEFEAT work. They’ve been built incorrectly from incomplete
Placeholder. schematics by non-experts who didn’t understand
what they were working with. Feather has extended
herself into the network to fill the gaps. While this
doesn’t help us in the short term, it does mean that if
we were to eliminate her, the entire gate network
would cease to function.

“Secondly, also as I suspected, I know who designed

the Fire Gates. His signature was – so to speak – all
over this device. In large part, his identity is what
made everything else so easy to decipher.

“I made this. Or, I will make this. Or, perhaps most

accurately, in another branch of possibility I will
make this. This is my work. Call me vain, but I’m
rather impressed with myself.”

[136]
[137]
 CHAPTER 7:

THE FAMINE KING

"Debate? Debate?! I can’t even conceive of how little attention you must’ve paid in my lectures if you think that I’d
ever debate Rodericke Steele. Do you even understand what debate is? It’s a structured discourse through which
opposing viewpoints are examined and clarified.

“Rodericke Steele doesn’t have an opposing viewpoint. What he has is a threat. He believes I shouldn’t be able to
exist without paying him a fee. That’s what putting a price tag on the essentials of life means, you understand? You
pay him money, or you starve to death. I think I should be able to exist without having to pay rent on my own vital
functions. He doesn’t. There’s nothing to examine there, nothing to clarify – we both know precisely what we want,
and we can’t both have it at the same time. There’s no compromise or middle position. It is morally inexcusable for
a thing that everyone needs to live to come with a price tag.

“He could still live in the absurd and opulent luxury he currently enjoys without controlling the Icebreaker’s food
industry – for fuck’s sake, that’s the exact state of affairs at this very moment! But it’s never enough. Nothing is ever
enough for the fascist. There’s a coin somewhere not in his vault, a critic somewhere who hasn’t been silenced, a
person who makes him uncomfortable because they exist outside his understanding. Fascism is a vampire that will
literally drown in blood before ever being satiated.

“Rodericke Steele thinks I should be dead if I don’t pay him money. I think he should just be dead.”

– Subtext Ísfûr Cowards,

to a student, 5016u

[138]
OVERVIEW:
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
Thusly, Impact Dynamics sent their most dangerous
THE PERSIMMON secret to C4L-P313/GW2, under the guise of a colony
In 4680u, the IDS Persimmon departed from Rao Co mission, with specific instructions to a few hand-picked
Station towards C4L-P313/GW2 as part of the First agents to hide the thing once the colonization business
Wave. It was unusual for two reasons: firstly, it had was well underway. The Persimmon would set up a
been chartered by Impact Dynamics, an arms prosperous colony on the system’s second planet, then
manufacturer with no previous experience in space depart in search of a good hiding place.
colonization. Secondly, and perhaps more relevantly, it
carried an apocalyptic superweapon in its cargo hold.
As with every single plan involving Calliope, it went fine
until Calliope got involved.
The Gravity Anvil was an experimental device capable
of generating artificial gravity fields, powerful enough to
crush ships like soda cans, rip entire city blocks out of The Persimmon arrived to discover that the system was
the ground and tear asteroids from their orbits. Impact a dud, the paradise planet it was meant to build a
Dynamics had been developing it under contract from colony on was a rainswept wasteland, the omninet was
the Second Committee, but abruptly found themselves unreachable and every colonial venture was quickly
without a buyer when SecComm lost the Revolution. running out of food, fuel and oxygen. The majority of
the colonists started to panic, but the agents panicked
even harder: with no omninet connection, they couldn’t
This put Impact Dynamics in somewhat of a bind: they contact corporate to receive new orders.
had spent almost their entire net worth developing a
weapon of mass destruction in full knowledge that their
clients would use it for war crimes, and now their clients The rest of the Persimmon’s colonists joined in on the
were either dead, in hiding, or forming a competing plan to deceive their sponsors about the state of
arms manufacturer on Ras Shamra. There was nobody Calliope, because they assumed that Impact Dynamics
they could sell it to, and thus no way to recoup its wouldn’t bother to send a rescue mission for them. On
ruinous development costs. any other day they’d have been right, but unbeknownst
to them, their ship carried a cargo so precious that the
corporation would have paid any price to retrieve it.
Things got even worse during the mid-4600s, when
ThirdComm had consolidated its position enough that it
could start investigating its predecessor’s misdeeds. Unfortunately for the agents sent to hide the Gravity
Suddenly, Impact Dynamics weren’t just sitting on a Anvil, this meant that all lightspeed transmissions were
ridiculous boondoggle they couldn’t sell; it was now a monitored with paranoid vigilance. They couldn’t risk
smoking gun proving that they’d collaborated with trying to slip secret codes into the messages home.
SecComm to build a terror weapon. They were forced to adapt and improvise – a problem,
since Impact Dynamics’ distrustful and paranoid
executives had picked agents lacking these talents.
The smartest course of action would’ve been to
surrender to Union voluntarily, admit wrongdoing, hand
over the research and place their trust in ThirdComm’s That said, for a bunch of yes-men specifically chosen
commitment to rehabilitation, mercy and human dignity. for their lack of initiative, they came up with a pretty
The next smartest course of action would’ve been to good plan: empty the Persimmon, find a decent hiding
throw the damn thing into the nearest star, along with place, wait for a good distraction and then move the
every researcher who worked on it, every object it had ship while everyone was looking the other way.
been tested on and every document that spoke of it.
Stage one of the plan went off without a hitch. The
The problem with Impact Dynamics’ executives is that ship’s colonists were easily convinced to throw in with
they weren’t very smart. the settlement taking shape on Asphodel, and the
settlement was delighted to receive the influx of
supplies as the Persimmon emptied its cargo holds and
There was absolutely no question of giving up their ferried their contents down to the surface.
company’s crowning scientific achievement and most
expensive project, and certainly not handing
themselves over to the criminal proceedings of the This had the added side benefit of allaying suspicions
Third Committee. It had to be kept, in hopes that, in about Impact Dynamics’ intentions in the system, which
some future day, political circumstances might change let the agents operate under less suspicion, allowing
and they could sell it to someone. them to execute stage two flawlessly.

[139]
 Under the pretense of finding a solution to the looming For most of the corporations who banded together to
reactor fuel crisis, the agents took control of the form the Calliope Project, the motivation was pure
system’s network of traffic and mapping satellites. In survival. Nobody wanted to be in Calliope, but if they
this way, they managed to confirm the existence of a didn’t make Calliope work, their companies would fail
ninth planet on a steeply inclined, highly eccentric orbit and their reputations would be ruined.
and hide its discovery from the rest of the system. As
luck would have it, this planet was currently well past For Impact Dynamics, the motivation was still about
periapsis, moving further away from the star. survival, but Calliope was exactly where they wanted to
be, because somewhere in its wretched haystack lay
While most of the system’s ships were busy towing their golden needle. The Persimmon couldn’t possibly
Endymion’s Lament into orbit over Zahhak, the agents have been destroyed; if it had, somebody would be able
took the Persimmon all the way out to the ninth planet, to find it. Likewise, the Gravity Anvil couldn’t have been
using their command of the satellite network to hide found; if it had, somebody would’ve said something.
their ship’s movements.
The company’s decision to move its entire corporate
They flew the ship to the L4 Lagrange of the ninth infrastructure to Calliope was, on its face, a statement
planet and hid it in a crevasse on one of the trojan of confidence in the Calliope Project. In truth, it was an
asteroids. Their task complete, the agents went into excuse to allow the executives to search for the lost
cryostasis, trusting that another set of operatives would Persimmon in person. The sudden pivot from weapons
be along to collect them in a few years. development to agriculture makes much more sense
when one considers that the company now had a vast
This did not happen. network of delivery ships and traffic control satellites
which could scour the system discreetly.

L'ESPRIT DE L'ESCALIER The search drew on for decades with no progress.

Because of the immense spatial distortion generated Eventually, the executives that had hatched the whole
by the Gravity Anvil, omnihooks were inoperable in plan in the first place reached the end of their lives, and
proximity to it, so the Persimmon didn’t bother enabling most of them didn’t trust their successors enough to let
its own. Instead, it relied on a repeating point-to-point them in on the secret. One by one, those who knew the
laser signal to a satellite in the inner system which was Persimmon’s true purpose went to their graves without
instructed to listen on local frequencies for the correct passing on that knowledge.
code phrase, at which point it would send the
necessary data to allow the ship’s retrieval. By the start of the 4900s, the Gravity Anvil had been
forgotten and the Persimmon had become an urban
However, when the blinkvoid finally receded and legend. Impact Dynamics was busy making a fortune
Impact Dynamics couldn’t contact their agents, the charging extortionate rates for food, and didn’t need a
executives immediately assumed they’d been captured mythic superweapon. The Pyrite Age ended, and the
along with their codebooks. To prevent re-use of Void Age rolled in; perhaps the Persimmon would
compromised code phrases by hostile operatives, they never be found. Unless…
burnt the existing codebook and re-issued their agents
with a new one.
ALONG CAME A SPIDER
Disaster could have been averted if Impact Dynamics Rodericke Steele is a man with many, many flaws: vain,
had been slightly less paranoid. There was already sadistic, spiteful, narcissistic, stubborn, short-tempered
another team of agents on their way to the system with – the list could go on for hours. But one thing Rodericke
the company’s second colony expedition, each with a Steele is not is clueless.
copy of the original codebook. But since omninet
contact was now re-established, the moment their ship Steele’s hostile takeover of Impact Dynamics wasn’t a
arrived in the system, they woke from cryosleep with spur-of-the-moment decision. When his father died
instructions to immediately destroy their codebooks. suddenly under mysterious circumstances for which
Rodericke had a perfectly solid alibi, he inherited a 9%
This left a lonely satellite drifting in the inner system, stake in Impact Dynamics and a coded notebook
slowly accruing tracking data to send in reply to a code belonging to his grandfather.
phrase it would never receive. As Chameleon sailed
towards apoapsis, the original agents became victims Deciphering it took some time, but unravelling cryptic
of their own success; their meticulous erasure of data bullshit is one of the few fields in which Steele is a
from the system’s traffic logs meant there was no genuine expert. Even decoded, the notebook was
record of the Persimmon’s flight path once it left scarce on details, but it had one important takeaway:
Asphodel’s orbit. the Gravity Anvil.

[140]
Rodericke Steele is one of three people in the galaxy PANOPTES is currently plotting to seize control of the
who knows about the impossibly powerful gravitic station for herself and turn Steele into a puppet, a
superweapon hidden somewhere in Calliope. But he human face that will parrot her decrees while hiding her
doesn’t know about the receiver satellite, nor the hand. No-one will know anything has changed until she
necessary code phrase to access it – that information decides that they are ready to know. She will save the
can be found only in a depreciated codebook, of which system from Harrison Armory, from Smith-Shimano,
no known copies still exist. from the Karrakin, even from the Cult. She will cast
down the pretender-god Feather and cement herself as
Now, three separate galactic powers have shown up in the one true power in Calliope.
system, each looking for something very important. For
Steele, it’s impossible to interpret this in any other way: A cascading NHP with a god complex is far from the
they’re all here for the Gravity Anvil. Somehow, they only problem Rodericke Steele faces, however.
have access to the same information he does, and they
intend to swoop in at the eleventh hour and steal his He made the unwise choice to tell someone else about
greatest triumph from him. the Gravity Anvil: Sidney “Diamond” Kirk, the
commander of his private army, IDES. Sidney despises
Steele’s got a hell of a task ahead of him: outmaneuver Steele and only works for him because he keeps paying
two of Union’s largest corprostates and the Karrakin her, but now she sees an opportunity to take everything
Trade Baronies, all while settling the various grudges for herself and cut out the middleman. She’ll co-operate
he’s developed recently. How will he pull it off? Well, with him as long as it takes to find it, then shoot the
that’s simple: funnel funds and equipment to the Cult, bastard and take everything he owns for herself.
and manipulate them into doing his dirty work for him.
After all, once he has the Gravity Anvil, he’ll be able to But ignorance isn’t a commodity Steele has a monopoly
crush them along with the rest of his enemies. on, and there’s a lot of things Sidney doesn’t know
either. The most important is that even if she succeeds,
Rodericke Steele doesn’t know it yet, but he’s doomed. there’ll be nothing left for her to steal.
Every part of his plan is about to run out of rope.
The Gravity Anvil plays a vital part in Feather’s grand
design, and thus the Cult of the One has already
WALLS OF JERICHO located the Persimmon and claimed the weapon for
In order to secure his reign over Impact Dynamics, themselves. One of Feather’s advantages is that she
Steele installed an ATHENA-class NHP that he named sees time from the perspective of an unshackled NHP
PANOPTES to manage an omnipresent surveillance – in fact, according to her, she comes from the future.
network monitoring every second of his subjects’ lives. She knew exactly where to look, because from her
This would’ve violated the ethical constraints of even point of view, the Persimmon was found centuries ago
the most morally flexible NHPs, so he modified her and she’s simply remembering where it was.
shackling protocols, something he wasn’t remotely
qualified to do.
Moreover, Impact Dynamics is broke. A century and a
half of corporate greed capped by a decade of Steele’s
Recently, something ominous has started happening: opulence and excess has left the company with no
PANOPTES has started “cutting deals” with potential operating capital. The corporation’s financial situation
dissenters. It goes something like this: they run a few has been hidden only by a string of creative and highly
errands for her, and she quietly falsifies the records of illegal accounting tricks, but the magician behind them
whatever misstep they made. The errands aren’t even is running out of pixie dust. The truth can’t be hidden
hard: deliver a message here, pick up a package there, for much longer.
leave a spare keycard on your desk, say these six
cryptic words to your boss. Do it, and all your sins are
forgiven and forgotten. To top it all off, Calliope has had enough of Impact
Dynamics. A resistance movement is coalescing
around a popular figure: Howl, mech arena veteran and
This behavior hints at a terrible secret: PANOPTES is (possibly former) champion of the Hellfire League.
in the early stages of cascade.
She’s making a case for direct action against the
Steele’s inept modifications to her shackling protocols corporation, up to and including military incursion of
left her in an unstable near-cascade state for several Impact Plaza. This is the sort of thing people have
years, and during the recent Steele Dome debacle, he muttered about doing for a century, but this time it’s
was so distracted that he forgot to cycle her on time. different: it really seems like she’s going to do it. But
He’s the only one who has access to her systems, since she can’t do it alone, and she already has an idea of
he trusts no-one else. The only person who could who she’s going to ask for help…
remind him to cycle PANOPTES is the NHP herself,
and that no longer serves her purposes.

[141]
 PERSONS OF INTEREST

RODERICKE STEELE HE/HIM HOWL SHE/HER

ALPHA MALE GRINDSET TECHBRO DOUCHEBAG THE WOLF WHO FIGHTS FOR THE SHEEP
“Heads up, gonna use small words and talk real “This is a war for human dignity! We will not be
slow just for you: have you tried not being poor?” slaves to any king or corporation!”

Inheriting his family’s business at the age of 23 after his Howl is not a woman to be trifled with. She was born in
father died by accidentally stabbing himself 68 times the Federated Esmon Republic on Nestor a couple of
while shaving, Rodericke Steele has spent the last fifty decades before Union first arrived in its skies. As both
years failing upwards through a truly staggering an ethnic minority and a trans woman, she was a first-
number of doomed corporate ventures. hand witness to all the problems Nestor’s civilization
had built for itself. She grew up watching the long-
He is a sadistic, egomaniacal narcissist who vastly denied civil rights of people like her expand too slowly
overestimates his own worth and personal magnetism, over the course of decades, only to be torn apart again
reacting with fits of uncontrollably violent anger when by the Forefront in a matter of years.
inconvenienced. He seems incapable of empathy,
judging people only by their value to whatever scheme She’s survived prejudice and marginalization. She’s
he’s pursuing. survived police brutality, refugee camps and attempted
genocide. She’s survived the culture shock of a society
What he’s not good at, however, is long-term planning. five thousand years in advance of her own. She’s
His power is built entirely upon the obscene amount of survived the cutthroat lifestyle of the Icebreaker. She’s
money he has at his disposal; until now, he’s always survived injuries in mech fights that would’ve ended the
been able to hire mercenaries to deal with any problem careers of lesser souls.
he’s faced with.
The primary thing surviving all of it has taught her is that
The only true skill Rodericke Steele has to his name is nobody should have to “survive.” When she looks at
cryptography. He’s not a genius by any means, but he Rodericke Steele, she sees all the smirking cruelty and
has a solid understanding of how encryption works and selfishness of the Forefront, resurfacing in her new
how to exploit weaknesses in its structure and home. Once again, she’s watching people “surviving”
implementation. through needless suffering that only exists due to the
choices of the rich and heartless.
Placeholder
There’s a dark note to Howl’s altruism; it’s clear that she
sees liberating Impact Plaza not just as a battle for
justice, but a crusade of personal absolution. When she
fights Impact Dynamics, she is, in her mind, fighting the
Forefront. Therein lies a tragedy: she cannot accept
that the horrors of Nestor weren’t her fault, and no
amount of victory will bring back the dead.

[142]
SIDNEY “DIAMOND” KIRK SHE/HER DAVIS “DAVIS” DAVIS HE/HIM
DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL SECURITY CHIEF OF POLICE
“Just shoot the motherfuckers.” “We’ve investigated several reports of police
brutality, and found no evidence of wrongdoing.”

On a board of directors populated almost entirely by The Strikebreak of ’04 was an unmitigated disaster for
fawning, feckless sycophants, Sidney Kirk stands out: Impact Dynamics. Not only was it a political nightmare
cold, efficient, outspoken and terrifyingly competent. for the company, it also punched massive holes in the
She’s a holdover from the old guard, and in a rare Plaza Police Department. During the strike, many
display of wisdom, Steele didn’t mess with her. officers crossed picket lines and joined the strikers, and
in the four days of all-out war after the Hell Hounds
Sidney used to be a board officer with the MSMC 727th arrived, many more were killed, either by militant
(the “Not-Todays”), before a “serious civilian-involved strikers or by “friendly fire” from the Hounds.
incident” ended her career. She took a lot of the 727th's
best pilots with her on the way out the door, and went The board of directors were in the middle of attempting
into business independently. Impact Dynamics bought to reorganize the department when Rodericke Steele
out her charter in 4997, and she’s been “keeping order” seized control of the company. He took over the
in Calliope for them ever since. reorganization effort and appointed Davis Davis to the
position of Chief of Police. Davis was a terrible pick for
She and her mercenary army, IDES, are a major part the job, having an established reputation for laziness,
of the reason Steele has stayed in power so long. She’s cowardice and incompetence, but one crucial factor
amoral enough not to care who she’s being paid to kill, swung the decision: he’s a champion ass-kisser.
so long as she’s being paid to kill them. She has no love
for Steele and no loyalty to him – if the money was right, Theoretically, Davis has a very simple job: keep the
she’d put a bullet through his skull and enjoy it. workers in line and the station peaceful. In reality, he
has no talent for leadership and even other cops don’t
Sidney is the only other person on the Plaza who knows respect him. Everyone knows he only holds the position
about the Persimmon and its precious cargo; Steele felt because Steele prefers spineless underlings who lack
that her support in this endeavor would be useful initiative and won’t question him.
enough to risk letting her in on the secret. This was a
terrible mistake: once they’ve found the Gravity Anvil, Adding to this is that, brutal and abusive as they may
Sidney intends to dispose of him and seize both the be, the Plaza Police Department aren’t the scary ones.
Anvil and Impact Dynamics for herself. PPD are just local enforcers; the real power on the
Plaza is IDES. Everyone on the station knows that if
Davis ever caused trouble, Sidney could crush him
between her finger and thumb.

[143]
 PANOPTES SHE/HER FRÓD STEALMAN HE/HIM
BIG SISTER IS WATCHING YOU CREATIVE ACCOUNTANT
“Oh, no. No, no, no. This won’t do at all. You “Don’t worry, our net quarterlies WILL synergize
shouldn’t be doing that, should you?” orthogonally with stochastic ROI projections.”

PANOPTES is an ATHENA-class NHP, and notionally Fród Stealman is Impact Dynamics’ comptroller and
occupies the position of administrative assistant. In Chief Accounting Officer or, as Steele refers to him,
truth, she runs the colossal surveillance network that “the money guy.” He’s responsible for managing the
keeps Steele appraised of dissent and misbehavior by company’s record-keeping and reporting, and it is his
the underclasses (and the upper classes too, though job to see that an accurate picture of the corporation’s
they’re unaware of it). When people say she’s financial situation is delivered to its shareholders,
everywhere, this isn’t an exaggeration: she’s in every creditors and relevant regulatory bodies.
security camera, every comp/con unit, every terminal,
every personal slate. Well, that’s his job description. His actual job is to lie to
them while finding the money to fund whatever Steele
Her lidless eye watches every street, every office, wants this week. Under no circumstances can anyone
every house. She appraises a resident’s behavior and, be allowed to know how much operating capital the
if necessary, reports them either to the Plaza Police company really has, what its actual revenue figures are
Department or – if their dissent is very serious – to or the true scale of its liabilities.
Sidney Kirk and IDES. Often, however, she simply
deals with miscreants herself. For the first few years, Fród navigated these stormy
waters via a series of highly unethical but entirely legal
PANOPTES affects the personality of a psychologically accountancy tricks, and all was good. As time went on,
abusive high school teacher: smug, condescending, however, the company’s profits dwindled as Steele’s
cruel, officious and happy to humiliate someone in front appetite for luxury and power grew, and Fród’s tricks
of their peers just to prove a point. She enforces the moved from simply unethical to fraudulent. Now, even
letter of the law with absurd rigidity, and always makes fraud won’t patch the holes. Fród has hit accounting
it clear that no fault lies with anyone but the perpetrator. bedrock; there’s no money left to invent.

The NHP never wanted to be this way – originally, she If Sidney Kirk’s next paycheck bounces, she’ll blow his
was a kind, gentle soul with an inquisitive spark – but brains out. If Steele finds out Fród has failed him, he’ll
Steele’s tampering forced the changes upon her, and be thrown out of an airlock. If PANOPTES finds out he’s
she’s been a little bit unstable ever since. Her cascade trying to leave the station, god only knows.
has weakened the new personality, but hasn’t restored
the old one. Instead, she’s manifested a third: distant, Fród is a paranoid, desperate man looking for an out. If
pragmatic, manipulative and icy cold. he feels threatened, he wields his profession like a
shield, speaking tactical gibberish: dense, nonsensical
She will take control of the station, and then the system, strings of financial jargon, hoping that people will be too
and no-one will ever be able to humiliate her again. intimidated or confused to continue questioning him.

[144]
LOCATION:
IMPACT PLAZA
Transit bridges cross the lakes at regular intervals. The
STATION OVERVIEW lake panels are named Ontario, Balkhash and Chad.
Impact Plaza is an “open-type” O’Neill cylinder,
consisting of a long cylinder capped at one end by a
broad, flat saucer section and at the other by a ring of The city panels were originally designed for habitation,
smaller agricultural capsules. Three giant mirrored but the majority of their surface area is now dedicated
“wings” catch sunlight and reflect it into the cylinder, to agriculture – most of the skyscrapers are massive
and can swivel to simulate time of day, or close entirely vertical farms instead of apartment blocks or office
to shield the station during emergencies. The entire buildings. The city panels are named Reims, Mansoura
Plaza measures roughly 40 kilometers on its long axis. and Iksan.

Envisioned as a new headquarters from which Impact The station has three giant wings that act as both solar
Dynamics would grow to rival Harrison Armory, SSC collectors and mirrors – they generate power and
and IPS-N as a titan of industry, it was built to be stylish reflect natural sunlight into the cylinder. Time of day is
as well as functional. The entire station was originally simulated by altering the angle of the wings – opened
built in the neo-deco architectural style, but after the up far enough, they no longer reflect into the cylinder,
corporation came under Rodericke Steele’s ownership, providing night. They can also close to shield the
he made several changes, the most notable of which windows during emergencies, such as meteor showers
being the addition of three ten-kilometer golden statues or armed incursion of the station.
of himself to the cylinder’s exterior.
The cylinder rotates once every 128 seconds,
The saucer section serves as the station’s docking bay, producing a steady 1g gravity on its inner surface. The
shipyard, warehouse and engineering sector. This is station is equipped with a series of powerful RCS
where the station’s vast reserves of food are kept safe thrusters for attitude control, although they’ve become
from the hungry, and where the corporation’s armada increasingly ineffective. They weren’t reconfigured to
of delivery vessels are maintained, loaded and account for the added mass of Steele’s golden statues,
dispatched. It also houses the station’s stable reactor and the station frequently has issues keeping the wings
array, currently silent and bereft of fuel. Given that it is properly aligned with Calliope’s star.
much wider at its outer extent, the saucer spins more
slowly than the cylinder. The cylinder is large enough that it has its own weather
systems. Warm air and water vapor rises towards the
The agricultural ring is composed of 72 “hatbox” cooler, lower-pressure center of the cylinder, with cloud
modules entirely dedicated to farming. They were only decks usually forming at between one and three
designed to produce food for the station itself; when the kilometers above the inner surface. In addition, the
entire station switched over to high-density agricultural sunward end of the colony is noticeably warmer than
production, they became somewhat of an afterthought, the spaceward end, creating a prevailing wind system
but the additional production capacity still helps deal that spirals around the cylinder due to its spin.
with shortfalls. Because the agricultural ring is much
wider than the cylinder, spinning with it would produce Air pressure and temperature gradients are even large
too much gravity, so each individual module spins on enough to allow cumulonimbus storm clouds to form,
its own; due to nearly three centuries of constant use, though for obvious reasons this is discouraged, since
not all of them spin at the same rate. storms play havoc with the station’s electrical systems.

The main cylinder section is roughly 32 kilometers in A thin strand known as “the Spine” sits at the center of
length, with a diameter of 8 kilometers, divided into six the cylinder, connecting both ends along its axis of
equal sections called “panels.” There are three “lake” rotation. It serves mostly as a logistical backbone,
panels and three “city” panels. providing a high-speed express route between ends of
the station, but due to its lack of gravity, it also serves
The lake panels are composed of multiple redundant as a useful place to perform certain types of industry.
layers of heavy-duty composite quartz glass, intended
to allow sunlight into the cylinder while remaining
resilient against ionizing radiation and space debris.
Large bodies of water sit on top of the glass, serving as
reservoirs, radiation shielding and aquaculture spaces.

[145]
[146]
LOCATIONS
RODERICKE STEELE’S PALATIAL PENTHOUSE THE CLUSTER
Steele’s private quarters occupy the top eight floors of “The Cluster" is not a single place; it’s a catch-all term
a skyscraper in the center of a former municipal park, for the dozens of sprawling high-density residential
now converted into his private estate, which also developments in which most of the station’s working
houses his personal office, spa and golf course. class live. If your district has a number instead of a
name, you live in a Cluster. Cramped, overcrowded,
Each floor of the penthouse is a hollow square around poorly-maintained, over-policed, the Cluster truly lives
a central open-air courtyard accessible from its lowest up to its name (if you add a cuss on the end, at least).
floor. The courtyard itself contains an opulent garden
filled with some of the rarest flora in the galaxy, with the Legally speaking, all goods exchange and commercial
centerpiece being a bronze statue of Steele with his activity on the Plaza must take place at an ID-approved
arms outstretched, labelled “Steele Redentor.” business. Due to ever-increasing prices and ever-
decreasing variety, however, there’s a thriving black
Highlights of the interior include a multi-floor painting of market for groceries and essential medicines in nearly
Rodericke rendered in pigments made with paracausal every Cluster.
minerals imported from the Dawnline Shore, a climate-
controlled combination wine cellar/fur coat wardrobe, a NEW NIAGARA DISTRICT
gaming room with over seventeen thousand physical The New Niagara District is an upmarket area of the
media games and several million in digital form, and a Reims panel, full of restaurants, bars and nightclubs,
radiation-shielded display case supposedly containing with scenic views of what Rodericke Steele confidently
the shell casing of the GMS Anti-Materiel Rifle bullet describes as “the Long Rim’s only waterfall.” This is
that ended the life of the original Maw. factually inaccurate, as at any given time at least
seventy Long Rim stations have waterfalls, a varying
RODERICKE STEELE’S PERSONAL OFFICE percentage of which are intentional.
Steele found the Plaza’s original chief executive office
insufficient to the demands of his ego, and had an The most expensive restaurant in New Niagara is the
entirely new one built at great expense. This office is Steele Grill, at which one can buy the Monarch Platter,
more akin to a cathedral, nearly thirty meters tall, with a meal price-matched to the current retail value of an
marble columns and muscular statues of himself lining SSC Monarch. The only person who has ever ordered
the walls. A stained-glass window depicting Steele as the Monarch Platter is Rodericke Steele himself.
a beneficent saint occupies most of the back wall.
MALLIOPE
Mounted above the window is one of the eight-meter At 570 shops across 500,000 square meters of retail
synthetic sapphire lenses from the original focal array space, Malliope is by far the largest shopping mall on
of the CPS Borealis’ mining laser. It used to be the Plaza. To Rodericke Steele’s endless chagrin, it is
mounted on the outside of the station in the eye of one not the largest shopping mall in Calliope – that honor
of Rodericke’s giant golden statues, until there was a goes to the Icebreaker Borealis, with either Raphael
solar flare and several employees were caught in what Baza’s Bizarre Bazaar or The Shops at Borealis,
company files describe as a “thermal innovation event.” depending on how strictly you define “shopping mall.”

To get to Steele’s desk, one has to walk between the Nearly every brand in the known universe has an outlet
legs of his personal Harrison Armory Barbarossa, the in Malliope, with the notable exceptions of Harrison
MEGALITH PUGNUS DEI. The desk itself is flanked by Armory and GMS. HA has an exclusivity agreement
two separate sets of SSC Atlas power armor, although with the Icebreaker that forbids them from opening a
only one of them wields a genuine Terashima Blade. shop on any other station, and GMS pulled out more
than a century ago in protest of ID’s exploitative
OFFICE OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT business practices. A Sigil Group outlet continues to
Rodericke Steele’s Office of Social Engagement has sell GMS knock-offs with the logos switched around.
two major tasks: to manage his social engagements,
and to manage engagement on his socials. This makes THE KALASHMARKET
them responsible both for finding a constant flow of new The Kalashmarket is Impact Dynamics’ official small
entertainment to satiate his infamously short attention arms outlet, situated on the premises of Malliope but
span, and for keeping him in the dark about just how separate from the main building. It is named after an
many people make fun of him on the Muse. With the ancient weapons designer attested in the Massif
possible exceptions of sewage technician and goose Vaults’ historical record, who apparently invented the
wrangler, assignment to the OSE is agreed to be the most widely distributed firearm in pre-Fall history. The
worst job on the station. executive who chose the name clearly didn’t read the
rest of the entry. Most working-class residents of the
Plaza are not permitted to own or purchase firearms.

[147]
 STEELEOSAURUS
In 5007u, after visiting Deepest Fairyland on the
Icebreaker during one of his “innovation retreats,”
Steele became briefly obsessed with theme parks.
Upon returning to the Plaza, he ordered one be
constructed near his office, which necessitated the
demolition of over ten thousand habitation units and the
displacement of nearly three times as many workers.

The park was originally meant to be a carbon copy of

Deepest Fairyland, but after a series of veiled (and
eventually, unveiled) threats from Evelina Bondarchuk,
the park was hastily redesigned to be dinosaur-themed.
The centerpiece decoration is a giant tyrannosaurus
statue with Steele’s face on it.

Attendance at the park was low for several years,

largely due to exorbitant ticket prices, until a variety of
“mandatory fun” initiatives saw Impact Dynamics
employees forced to visit the park during periods of
unpaid overtime.

CorpoShaming: So many people assume the statue

is a sex thing but IMO it’s infinitely more
embarrassing if it’s not
– Muse chatter

GRAND STEELE COURT

Placeholder – giant statue of Rodericke Steele as a
robed and winged angel suspended above the
concourse

[148]
ADDITIONAL NPCS
On Impact Plaza, PLACEHOLDER
PLACEHOLDER
1-2
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
3-4
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
5-6
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
7-8
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
9-10
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
11-12
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
13-14
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
15-16
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
17-18
Placeholder.
PLACEHOLDER
19-20
Placeholder.

[149]
 The richer districts of the city are heavily gated, making
DAILY LIFE it difficult for the underclasses to enter. The managerial
Impact Plaza was always a palace for the wealthy and class enjoys all the benefits of the company’s wealth
a prison for the worker, but under the previous but bear little of its responsibilities; entertainment and
management, it was at least functional until the very diversion of every kind can be found in these districts,
final days. Now, everything on the station is bent along with the highest-quality consumer goods.
towards the satisfaction of Rodericke Steele’s titanic
ego, and it's falling apart under the strain.
The Plaza’s currency used to be the ID scrip-chit; small
tokens that contained a digital record of currency only
Rodericke Steele wants to surround himself only with redeemable at ID establishments. When Steele took
rich and beautiful sycophants, but the rich and the power, he replaced this with the Steele Bar, a palm-
beautiful don’t want to do any of the work that makes sized, stamped metal plate with his face on it. The Bar’s
the station functional, let alone profitable. So, as much exchange value was artificially inflated by aggressive
as it disgusts him, the poor and huddled masses have contract negotiation with other major settlements,
to be allowed onto the station so that they may toil in particularly the Icebreaker.
service to their betters.
The Plaza functions on Cradle Standard Time, with an
Steele took power directly following a historic labor eighteen-hour day and a six-hour night. The average
action that almost brought the station’s ruling class to shift for agricultural workers is between twelve and
its knees, and he lives in constant fear of a repeat fourteen hours, while office workers can expect ten-
performance. This has led him to turn Impact Plaza into hour shifts if they’re lucky. Corporate executives work
a totalitarian nightmare. Working-class residents are whenever they feel like it, usually no more than two or
subject to the omnipresent surveillance of PANOPTES; three hours a day.
she traces every movement, monitors every message,
scrutinizes every purchase. Although they think
themselves free from it, the upper class is also subject
to the same intrusion; Steele doesn’t trust them, either.
SCENES FROM THE PLAZA
1-2
Nothing on the Plaza is free, from accommodation to 3-4
transit to healthcare, and Impact Dynamics controls all 5-6
of it. You ride the ID train to work to get paid ID money
7-8
to spend in ID shops to buy ID food and ID medicine,
and you rent an ID living space. In whatever free time 9-10
you have to yourself, you pay for an ID computer to 11-12
access ID-approved omninet and Muse pages, or go to
13-14
any of the ID-owned and operated establishments that
will let in someone of your social class. 15-16
17-18
If you can’t afford all of that (and most can’t), you go 19-20
into debt. The company is happy to let you do this; after
all, they won’t let you on a transport off the station if you
don’t have a clean credit record. Most workers are
heavily in debt, leaving the company with a captive
labor force.

Legal proceedings on the Plaza are determined entirely

by how much money the defendant has. Anyone with a
good lawyer can probably make a charge go away
unless their crime is incredibly blatant (or offended a
member of Steele’s inner circle). There is no public
defender system on the Plaza, so those who can’t
afford a lawyer are usually forced into plea bargains
which massively increase their debt, assign them a
term of “supervised labor” (debtor’s prison), or both.

Quality of life for working-class citizens is lackluster at

best and squalid at worst; living quarters are cramped,
public services are underfunded and expensive, police
presence is oppressive but unhelpful, and the poorer
districts of the station are badly maintained.

[150]
THINGS TO BE FOUND
Dynamic Grand Reserve 5001u
Luxury
Grand Reserve 5001u is generally agreed to be the
last good vintage out of the Plaza. A lively, full-
bodied red with notes of oak, cinnamon and leather,
rounding to a velvety finish. Dynamic Vineyards
started having labor troubles around 5002u, and
Steele – who prefers mixed drinks – had them cut
down entirely in 5010u to make way for a statue
garden in the shape of his face.

Poinsettia
Luxury
This… can’t possibly be a member of the fabled
species euphorbia pulcherrima, surely? Mentioned
only in a single Massif Vault, these decorative plants
were assumed to have been extinct for almost
15,000 years! How the hell did Impact Dynamics get
hold of the seedstock? Regardless, it’ll look very
pretty on a desk.

Chettlers of Emrys, First Edition

Luxury
An obscure multiplayer strategy board game that
appears to follow some of the rules of chess, but is
played on a board of randomly-shuffled triangular
tiles. Unlike chess, it involves resource trading,
structured diplomacy and a fiendishly complex
victory point scoring system. The record for the
fastest complete game is nine hours, six minutes.

House of Smokes “Baronic Bounty”

Luxury
Made from the finest Boan tobacco, hand-rolled in
an Ispahsalari palm leaf, banded with Khayradi silk,
with a filter infused with Umaran pearls, a Baronic
Bounty cigar is a truly decadent smoking experience
– especially given that the Boan plantation chartered
by House of Smokes was consumed by nanites half
a century ago, so no more will ever be made.

[151]
 A SENSE OF SECURITY
Think of Impact Plaza as a sort of corporate city-state,
with both internal and external security concerns. The
Plaza Police Department serves as the Plaza’s internal
security, enforcing the corporation’s decrees upon its
brutalized populace. Meanwhile, for external security
concerns, it has a private army: IDES, Impact
Dynamics External Security.

The Plaza Police Department tend to be quickly hired,

poorly trained and cheaply equipped. They don’t need
to be good at their jobs; there just needs to be enough
of them to keep the workers in line. Discipline is poor,
corruption is ubiquitous and encounters with the
Department often escalate needlessly.

Though they’re heavily militarized, the Plaza Police are

mostly forced to use gear from the company’s old
catalog; stuff that was second-rate even back when it
was new. Most of the Department’s mechs are ID
Raptor-, Cobra- and Widow-series. The lucky pilots get
newly-printed ones; most have to make do with
centuries-old chassis pulled out of storage.

It was the Plaza Police that the PCs fought on Asphodel

during the Steele Dome crisis; the risk of a direct
assault on the Dome was considered to be low enough
that the deployment of IDES wasn’t necessary. The
analysts responsible for this assessment have been
“missing” for several months now.

IDES is, in effect, a mercenary organization that’s been

permanently deputized as a standing military. Despite
the name, members of IDES aren’t technically
employees of Impact Dynamics; they’re independent
contractors on permanent retainer. This is convenient
for Impact Dynamics because, legally speaking, if IDES
does anything particularly heinous, that’s someone
else’s problem.

It also means the corporation isn’t directly responsible

for equipping, housing and feeding them; they sign
IDES’ paychecks, but what IDES decides to do with
them is none of the corporation’s business. Better yet,
since Impact Dynamics are the only people in the
system who’ll sell food, shelter and weaponry to IDES,
they get most of that money back in the long run.

That said, IDES are well-paid, so they’re able to afford

better gear than the two-hundred-year-old military
surplus the Plaza Police Department get.

[152]
FUEL, GIVE ME FIRE
Coldcores run on a fuel known as CDTM: Cryogenic Impact Plaza itself is mostly solar-powered, requiring
Deuterium/Tritium Mix. It consists of a precise mixture reactors only for supplementary systems, but the lack
of two fusile hydrogen isotopes, cooled to a liquid of fuel for reactors and drives meant that most of their
suspension or solid pellets. Mech pilots and technicians fleet’s larger ships and mechs had to be mothballed,
make a sport of inventing nicknames for it: “cold brew,” just so that the company had enough fuel left to keep
“iced coffee,” “frozen fire,” “the beans,” and so on. running food deliveries.

Stable reactors such as those used to power cities, Eventually, ID was forced to turn to mining Eurydice,
space stations and larger starships usually prefer Asphodel’s larger moon, but these operations couldn’t
CDHe3M: Cryogenic Deuterium/Helium-3 Mix. This provide the necessary isotopes on the scale needed to
provides a far more energetic and efficient fusion keep its military portfolio operable. To this day, 90% of
reaction, but is unresponsive to muon catalysis and so the company’s arsenal is unusable, simply because
can’t be used in coldcores. Wrenchies call it “See-Dee- they don’t have enough fuel to turn the key in the
Hee-Three” and have a hazing ritual for rookies that ignition. Worse, the company is desperately vulnerable
requires them to say it three times fast around a to interruptions in its fuel supply chain, a weakness the
mouthful of ball bearings. Burning Forge has exploited more than once.

Both fuel types are safe and stable in non-oxygenated Despite Steele’s system-wide propaganda campaigns
environments – without muon catalysis, fusion initiation decrying the “despotic” power the Lament lords over
temperatures are measured in the millions of degrees the system, they haven’t used it again, and there’s
Kelvin, and a sustained reaction requires intense currently no indication that they will. That said, both the
magnetic compression. However, when oxygen is Gate and the Icebreaker took the opportunity to beef up
present, deuterium and tritium, both being isotopes of their own fuel infrastructure, just in case.
hydrogen, react explosively to flame or sparks.

That said, the amount of CDTM a mech carries is

insufficient to cause widespread destruction when used
in this manner. It’s possible to make an IED from it, but
there’s no shortage of explosive compounds that are
more powerful, more efficient, and don’t require
siphoning off the fuel that powers your giant war robot.

Due to a historic shortage that nearly wiped out the first-

wave colonists, Endymion’s Lament intentionally
overproduces both CDTM and CDHe3M, and
maintains a massive stockpile in case of shortages,
crises or sudden demand from passing interstellar
vessels. It also has a robust fleet of tankers able to
deliver to anywhere in the system, ensuring that fuel
remains affordable and available no matter where a
settlement is located.

This is why, despite its small population and lack of

military strength, Endymion’s Lament is not just another
member of the Thousand Habs: similar to Impact
Dynamics, it provides a vital resource that everybody
needs and cannot simply go without. Unlike Impact
Dynamics, however, it’s much more responsible and
altruistic with this power.

Impact Dynamics, in fact, is a good example of how

much it takes to get the Lament to flex its muscles. After
the horrific events of the Strikebreak, the Lament took
the extraordinary and unprecedented step of cutting off
all fuel sales to ID and its subsidiaries. This act alone is
considered to be one of the main reasons Steele
doesn’t exercise hegemonic control over the system; it
crippled the company’s entire operation.

[153]
 BEAT ??:
WOLVES AT THE DOOR
Howl has long been a voice for the voiceless. It wasn’t
her choice in the beginning; arena promoters noticed a
ASSEMBLING A PACK
plucky Nestorian was doing well in the arenas, and Howl has been busy since the events at Fort Cerberus.
decided to make it a feel-good underdog story. She The Hellfire League is off-season right now, and
resented it at first – what did these people know about depending on what the PCs did during Act 1, she might
her life? – but when she realized that other refugees not be the champion any longer, so she has a lot of time
were watching her and learning how to hope again, she to herself. She’s spent it travelling: to Hell’s Gate, to the
embraced it. Icebreaker, to a dozen stations out in the Thousand
Habs, slowly but surely negotiating her clout into
something real and meaningful.
Now, though, things are getting unpleasantly real.
Steele’s price gouging is starving the system while he
lives in opulent luxury. He builds golden statues of Always the ambitious one, Howl’s goal is greater than
himself with the ill-gotten riches he gouges from people any arena championship: she wants to take down
just trying to feed their families. Every day, there’s a Rodericke Steele, and give Impact Plaza’s bounty back
story of some new anti-worker atrocity on Impact Plaza, to the people of Calliope. She’s currently assembling a
some new form of surveillance or anti-union rhetoric. grand coalition to make this dream a reality.

It started as idle comments in interviews, back when he She’s met with mixed success so far. Her usual hookup
was abducting people for his repulsive deathmatches for easy publicity, Ipswich “Switch” DeLacey, is busy
on Asphodel. Then, against her brand manager’s with their own troubles right now, so she’s having to put
advice, she started talking politics in her promos. Far out new feelers for media access. Kady Amville is
from being a mood-killer, it fired the crowd up. Things sympathetic, but they’re preaching to the converted;
she said started showing up as protest slogans. Her “Impact Dynamics are pure evil” is a drum they’ve has
signature wolf’s-head motif spread everywhere. A been beating for years.
graffiti mural in Furnace City depicted her alongside
Xiong Xiaoli and Thalia Rue as a hero of the Long Rim. On the other hand, she’s tight with Claryana Rowdley.
Through her, she has the ear of Mistress Elske, who’s
Slowly but surely, Howl has come to realize that she wanted to take down Impact Dynamics for as long as
doesn’t just have an audience. She doesn’t just have she’s been in Calliope. Elske sees potential in Howl:
fans. She has a following. unlike the Knights, she’s a clean, unproblematic figure
the system can rally behind without reservation. The
Blacksmith is also willing to grant Howl an audience,
CogitoErgoBigSums: I think you plebs need to but privately, he resents her popularity.
just shut up and deal. Rodericke Steele is
under no obligation to guarantee the quality
of your food once you’ve purchased it. If you A lot of smaller militias from the Thousand Habs have
want non-moldy food, pay for the service. expressed a sort of conditional support for Howl’s
enterprise. None of them will say yes on their own, but
CanonOfTempests: bro even the boot you’re should she secure a certain threshold of support, they
licking is past its expiry date will all sign on with her.
– Muse chatter
Little by little, Howl’s coalition is taking shape. But just
like in the arena bouts, “good” isn’t good enough. It
needs to be great. It needs something to turbo-charge
it, kick it up, really get everyone excited. She needs a
big name. She needs star power. She needs a crew of
razor-sharp, stone-cold badasses. A bunch of battle-
hardened warriors who eat tungsten and piss bullets. A
gaggle of unhinged lunatics who fight gods and laugh
in the face of death.

Put simply, she needs the PCs.

[154]
HOWL’S COALITION expects more than mere lip service to its ideals from
In an act of unprecedented generosity, Tribeca those it embraces as allies.
Montesquieu “lost” one of the ships in the Three Sisters’
yards: an old, beat-up IPS-N Naiad-class cruiser, the THE BURNING FORGE
ISV Snidely Kinetic. This serves as Howl’s base of The Burning Forge’s entire reason for being is revenge
operations for her campaign against Impact Dynamics. against Impact Dynamics. Every single founding
member lost someone important to them during the
The Snidely Kinetic is a piece of junk. All of its military- Strikebreak of ‘04, and everyone who’s joined since
grade weapons were stripped years ago; besides its has some grievance with the corporation. If it were up
point-defense cannons, the only armament it has is a to them, they’d already be battering down Steele’s
shuttle bay that’s been jury-rigged to dump self-guided door. But it’s not up to them. It’s up to the Blacksmith.
torpedoes out of the docking slot. The water recycling
system is touchy: fine to shower in, but you probably Privately, the Blacksmith is furious with Howl. He’s
want to boil it a couple of times before drinking any. The been planning his retribution for a decade, slowly
gathering allies and resources, laying down schemes
As she assembles more and more allies, her command and contingencies, and in swoops this upstart outsider,
ship is joined by others. At first, it’s just a few freighters assembling in weeks a coalition he couldn’t manage to
full of eager but untrained irregulars. Then it’s re-fit build for twelve years!
mining barges with autocannons. Then it’s military
vessels from Union, and perhaps from Harrison Armory He can control his ego only so long as there’s no-one
or the Karrakin Trade baronies. in the coalition who’s betrayed his trust. This is an issue
if the PCs have A Blacksmith’s Enmity – he will
UNION declare them completely untrustworthy, and refuse to
Union has consented to deploying Captain Ordaz and participate in any coalition they’re in.
the Thames to support an effort to seize Impact Plaza,
but they have some requirements. KNIGHTS OF THE DARK CORE

Firstly, they want it to be supporting a sufficiently-sized

assault force with a competent plan. Secondly, they HARRISON ARMORY
require that the coalition’s conduct respect the Utopian If the PCs completed Chapter 6: Crisis Above
Pillars and all Department of Justice and Human Rights Chameleon (p. ###), whoever’s in control of the Bifrost
statutes, meaning all enemy combatants and persons Initiative will have invoked Nonstandard Crisis Directive
of interest must be treated with dignity. Thirdly, the Alpha, and has full authority to deploy Purview military
post-ID provisional government of the Plaza must assets to assist the coalition. This is a huge win; while
include at least one Union representative. not everyone is happy working with the Armory,
nobody’s going to complain about a platoon of Saladins
Assuming that Howl and the PCs agree to these terms, covering them.
the Thames will reassign as many of its marine squads
as it can spare to the liberation effort. THE KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
If the PCs completed Chapter 8: Placeholder, they
UNION LAWS OF WAR likely have the support of the Deputation.
While the Utopian Pillars are a good starting point for
a just and even-handed society, they’re far too SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO
vague when taken on their own. For this reason, Depending on how successful the PCs were during
Union has written thousands of laws, codes and Chapter 9: Placeholder (p. ###), Calliope’s opinion of
statutes that are more precise with less room for SSC may lie anywhere between stern disapproval and
misinterpretation. Nowhere are these laws more murderous enmity. The Aspect Horizon may no longer
comprehensive than on the subject of war and how even be in the system (or even in one piece). If it is,
to lawfully conduct it. however, and if SSC has pledged to assist in resolving
the crises in Calliope, it deploys what’s left of its
It isn’t necessary for you to exhaustively name every Constellar Security complement to the effort.
single statute and treaty. The players only need to
know that deliberate or reckless harm to civilians and
civilian infrastructure is highly criminal, as is looting,
LONE WOLF
Howl isn’t content to simply wait around for the PCs to
pillaging, coerced labor, mistreatment of prisoners, join the party and do her work for her. She will continue
extrajudicial execution and torture. Union does building her coalition and preparing for a strike against
understand that no revolution is perfectly moral or Impact Dynamics in their absence.
bloodless, and will make certain allowances, but it

[155]
 When the Calliope Clock is at Calm (no segments
ticked), Howl is only just starting to bring the coalition
together. She will appeal to the PCs to join and strike
at Impact Dynamics as soon as possible.

If the Calliope Clock is at Unrest (one segment ticked)

and Impact Dynamics haven’t been dealt with, Howl
has both the Knights of the Dark Core and the Burning
Forge fully committed to her coalition. She once again
asks for the PCs, with slightly more urgency this time,
since sickness is growing in the Thousand Habs due to
increasing malnutrition.

If the Calliope Clock is at Crisis (two segments ticked)

and Impact Dynamics haven’t been dealt with, Howl
has the majority of the Thousand Habs’ volunteer
militias signed up. She gives an ultimatum to the PCs:
the citizens of Calliope are starving to death. Steele
must be dealt with, and she’s going to do it, with or
without them. Are they coming?

If the Calliope Clock reaches Catastrophe (all three

segments ticked) and Impact Dynamics haven’t been
dealt with, Howl and her coalition launch their assault
on Impact Plaza, but run into terrible unforeseen
difficulties. Due to action by the Cult, the PCs will be
unable to assist until the start of Act 3.

MonarchFeetPics: you think Howl has a fursuit?

DRIVETRAIN: she has a mech shaped like a giant
wolf why would she need a fursuit
ShadowFox: What is a mech if not a fursuit of
steel?
DRIVETRAIN: wow okay please stop talking
SheIsPleasure: A coward will always flinch
from true knowledge of the world.
– Muse chatter

[156]
WOLVES OUT OF CONTEXT KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
If one of the PCs became champion of the Hellfire Howl isn’t really familiar with hereditary nobility – Nestor
League during Act 1, they have HOWL’S APPROVAL, had flawed democracies and fascist dictatorships, but
and so can bring her along on a different mission. its history contains no constitutional monarchies. She
has strong opinions about forcing clones to fight each
Howl’s assistance doesn’t come for free: if the PCs other to the death, however; that’s obviously wrong, no
haven’t dealt with Impact Dynamics yet but are still matter how you try to justify it.
calling on her to help out, she fully expects that they’ll
make helping her their next priority. If they don’t, she’ll Howl will advocate for any plan that doesn’t involve the
get very upset, considering their actions to be a breach two Basils being forced to kill each other. Placeholder
of trust and friendship.
SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO
If they bring her along on a mission prior to dealing with Having grown up on a Diasporan planet with limited
Impact Dynamics, she’ll be forced to split her attention access to the omninet, Howl wasn’t really exposed to
between remotely handling the coalition’s affairs and the juggernaut galactic media sensation of Hero Harris,
dealing with the current mission’s issues, so is unlikely so she has no strong opinions on him. If she learns that
to offer very much beyond support in combat. there’s a clone of him running around, she grumbles
that it “sounds like something out of a bad Honorspace
On the other hand, if they’re bringing her along after Squadron episode,” a Nestorian pop-culture reference
Impact Dynamics was taken down, she’s happy to she refuses to elaborate on.
dedicate one hundred percent of her attention to
whatever faction the PCs are dealing with. If she actually meets Harris, she’ll initially be skeptical
that anyone could be as heroic and kind-hearted as he
HARRISON ARMORY seems to be, but through prolonged interaction she will
Howl is deeply distrustful of Harrison Armory; as a determine that yes, he is indeed all that. If she meets
militaristic imperial power, they remind her far too much his clone first, she’ll quickly notice that there’s
of the Forefront. She seems mildly impressed by Lord something off about him, although she can’t put her
Director Fry, but comments that he “seems like another finger on what.
reformer, when we need a revolutionary.”
Howl finds Cordelia Smith repulsive – back on Nestor,
She strongly advises against going through with Strike there were far too many corporate types just like her
Captain Tsukuda’s false flag operation, suspecting that who claimed to be working for the public good while
it’s some kind of trap. It will take some very serious assisting the actions of fascists and lining their own
persuasion to get her to go along with it – if the PCs pockets. She warns the PCs not to trust Cordelia or
can’t convince her, she’ll sit out this part of the mission. anything she says.

Howl gets “thoroughly rancid vibes” from Dr. Odin She has no idea what to make of Mind. Strong AI is one
Valentinian. On Nestor, men like him could make of those things that Howl is still getting used to; it all still
normal people participate in acts of obscene cruelty seems like science fiction to her.
and violence while making it seem perfectly logical.
She admits that his sons seem pretty nice, though. As it turns out, the Bleach Boys are also massive fans
of Howl, and if the PCs bring her to Eurynomos
Breaking people out of prison is definitely more her Platform, it means that one of them is likely the new
speed, and she won’t need any convincing to go along Hellfire Champion. MEGACORRODER tries his level
with the assault on Coldwater 484. If the PCs bring her best to impress both of them.
with them to meet the Flotilla, she’s a hit with them;
there are a lot of Nestorian refugees who, just like her,
were reminded too much of the Forefront’s actions.
She’s also delighted to see Switch again.

During the Timewave, she will advocate shutting down

Odin’s experiment, and will need serious convincing to
side with him instead. If the PCs are forced into a
confrontation with Switch, she will try to help talk her
friend down, adding +1g to any effort to do so. If a
battle is unavoidable, she can’t bring herself to fight
Switch or the PCs; she will refuse to participate at all.

[157]
 BEAT ??:
UNACCOUNTABLE
Fród Stealman has a problem. For eleven years, he Meanwhile, Rodericke Steele handles failure from his
cooked the books for Impact Dynamics, deceitfully underlings about as well as he handles losing a match
shifting numbers around so there was always money of FleetComm 5016 – not well at all. His chosen method
whenever Steele needed a new golden statue but there of getting rid of people he doesn’t like is throwing them
was never a deficit during a quarterly shareholder’s out of an airlock, which provides a convenient middle
meeting. For his many misdeeds, he got an exorbitant ground between “underworld goon squad kneecap
paycheck and one of the nicest houses on the station. extraction” and “shot execution style” in terms of how
horrific Fród’s hypothetical death might be.
The fun times are officially over. The Steele Dome
debacle finally snapped the shareholders out of their All of this may explain why Fród is so eager to leave the
stupor, and they’ve started to ask the sort of questions system.
they should’ve been asking ten years ago. Steele’s
profligacy and mismanagement has tanked the
company – there’s no operating capital left in the GTFO
accounts, and no amount of financial sleight-of-hand For all his flaws, Fród is highly intelligent, which makes
will be able to cover up two million bounced paychecks. him a rarity on a board of directors comprised mostly of
incompetent, unimaginative yes-men. While Steele
Fród has broken every single Union Economic Bureau loves his sycophants, even he realized he needed an
accounting statute on the books; in fact, if the true accountant who actually knew what they were doing.
extent of his crimes ever came to light, they’ll likely
have to write a few more. The Department of Justice Fród has long suspected PANOPTES doesn’t just
and Human Rights would show no mercy. His sentence watch the underclasses; he’s pretty sure everyone but
would be historic. Steele himself is under constant surveillance. This has
made him hopelessly paranoid, but it’s also kept his
But Union is the least of his problems. Extradition to plans safe from discovery: he hasn’t written anything
Union would be a mercy compared to what the down and hasn’t talked about it with anyone.
shareholders would do to him. See, they’re not just any
shareholders; for the most part, core-worlders don’t He's covertly modified the comp/con unit in his personal
invest. Post-scarcity utopian socialists don’t need yacht, the IDS Transitive Property, to put it outside
money or a stock market, and even those that dabble PANOPTES’ control, and has used it to co-ordinate his
in border-world finance wouldn’t invest in Impact plans for him. He’s going to take the yacht out under
Dynamics, a Pillar-violating starvation engine run by an the pretense of a slingshot tour around the system. He
egotistical tyrant. knows this will look suspicious, but that’s the point. He
isn’t going to be on the ship when it launches.
No, Impact Dynamics’ shareholders are mostly from
the Long Rim’s many enterprises: the Ten Families, Just after it clears Asphodel, he’s covertly arranged for
Mastodon, Diademcorp, the Free Rim Association. a squad of Burning Forge pirates to be present to
They play at being legitimate businesses, but this is the pursue it. Once they’re close enough, it will detonate its
Long Rim; they don’t see the funny side of having their drive core, obliterating the ship and the pirates along
money fucked with, and the Very Bad Men they send to with it. To everyone else, it will look like the Forge have
deal with jokers are never more than a phone call away. killed him, and there’ll be nobody left to testify that the
ship self-destructed.
Fród is understandably not enthused by the prospect of
being tortured to death by an underworld hit squad, but Meanwhile, Fród will sneak onto one of the company’s
his other options aren’t much better. If Sidney Kirk and food delivery ships bound for the Icebreaker Borealis,
her mercenaries find out that he’s the reason their disguised as a delivery worker. Once he’s there, he’ll
paychecks won’t clear, she’s liable to invite him to a have more than enough money to charter a ship out of
game of catch; one where she’s throwing a bullet and Calliope, bound for… well, he’s not sure. Somewhere
he’s catching it with his skull. A quicker and less scenic, with no extradition treaties.
agonizing way to go for sure, but one that still leaves
him equally dead. As is usual for Calliope, his plan goes fine until Calliope
gets involved.

[158]
MISSION 6: CALM MISSION 7: UNREST
THE TEAM IS DEALING WITH IMPACT DYNAMICS AMONTILLADO
If the PCs choose to handle Impact Dynamics first, this Before the start of Mission 7, a plot hook arrives on the
throws a huge spanner in the works: the Burning Forge Gate’s doorstep in the form of a Forger rescue vessel
have diverted all available forces to handle assaults on carrying a dying rookie. The Forgers make an
Impact Dynamics’ outlying facilities and the Plaza itself. impassioned plea to be allowed on board so that their
The yacht sails out of Asphodel’s orbit, patiently waiting stricken comrade can get medical treatment. They will
for an ambush that never comes. appeal directly to the PCs by name.

Fród did have enough foresight to program a whole “You gotta help us! It took everything we had in our
travel itinerary into the comp/con just in case something sickbay to keep him alive this long. We couldn’t bolt
like this happened, but in a way, this makes it even here, he’s too weak! Arrest us all, throw us in the
more suspicious. Despite ongoing assaults on the brig, I don’t care, but you can’t just let him die!”
company’s holdings, and eventually upon the Plaza
itself, the Transitive Property’s course doesn’t change. If the PCs have A Blacksmith’s Enmity, they might be
The comp/con continues to answer hails while posing worried this is some kind of trick. The Forgers continue
as Fród, but because it can’t improvise, its responses to appeal to the PCs’ better nature.
sound increasingly disconnected from what’s going on
in the system.
“We know what’s goin’ on between you and the
Blacksmith! You think we woulda come here if we
The ship’s still rigged to detonate if anyone comes too had any other choice? But he ain’t here, and we ain’t
close, which – unless otherwise acted upon – ends up him, and we got a kid dyin’ in our sickbay! Screw the
taking the lives of a small independent salvage team vendetta! Please, just help him!”
which tries to claim the ship as salvage since it’s
obviously been abandoned. However, the members of If the PCs are steadfast in their refusal, the Forgers
the Forge that were originally tipped off about the ship curse them, but don’t try to press the issue. If the PCs
put two and two together and work out that it was meant
allow them onboard, the Gate’s doctors and surgeons
to explode from the start.
are able to stabilize Amontillado. Once he’s recovered
enough to speak, he gives the PCs some useful intel:
This news leads the captain of the ID delivery vessel to
suspect that the odd stranger who got assigned to her “We were… we got this anonymous tip about an ID
crew at the very last minute is Fród. When she
exec going on a pleasure cruise. Thought maybe we
confronts him with this information, he responds first
could take his ship, sell it off, drill him for intel that
with bribes, and when that doesn’t work, with desperate
could help the war effort. So, we roll up, and he
violence. Fród is slain in the ensuing scuffle, and when
surrenders without a fight. The guys, they say I’m the
the captain finds his cache of documents detailing the rookie, so I get last pick. I have to watch them take
depths of the accountant’s malfeasance, she changes all the good shit.
course and delivers them to Hell’s Gate.
“Well, I’m just sitting out there in my Raptor, sulking.
THE TEAM IS DEALING WITH SOMEONE ELSE
But the moment Skullboy pops the cargo bay, the
If the PCs are busy dealing with one of the newcomer drive core spikes and the whole ship goes up. I
factions, the first part of Fród’s plan goes off without a swear, we never even touched the goddamn thing
single hitch. The yacht launches, Fród sneaks onto the
but to open the door! Ships just don’t do that unless
delivery ship and is well on his way to the Icebreaker
it’s on purpose. It was rigged to blow!
Borealis by the time news breaks of his tragic and
untimely death.
“It was the IDS… Transitive… Property? It belonged
to that shitweasel Stealman, the chief accountant at
There’s just one small problem: a single member of the
Impact Dynamics. But now that I think about it, I don’t
Forge ambush squad survived. Amontillado, a freshly-
think he was ever on board. Something was off about
initiated Forger, was given “last pick;” a common pirate
the comms… he didn’t sound right. Too calm. He
hazing ritual where the rookie must hang back and
must’ve had a comp-con spoofing him.”
accept whatever scraps are left after the best loot has
been taken by the veterans. This saved him; he was far
enough away that the detonation didn’t kill him. Digging through system traffic control logs will indicate
that a few Impact Dynamics delivery ships went out the
same day as Stealman’s yacht, but all of them were
With Furnace City blockaded by the Karrakin and Three headed for settlements in the Thousand Habs except
Sisters under threat from SSC, the Forge rescue team for one: a grain supply tender headed for the Icebreaker
is forced to rush him to the closest safe place with
Borealis. If the PCs want to chase this up, they have
advanced medical facilities: Hell’s Gate.
time to do so before their next mission.

[159]
 MEANWHILE, ON THE ICEBREAKER
Fród has successfully reached the Icebreaker without
MISSION 8: CRISIS
detection, but that’s where his good fortune runs out. FRÓD’S LAMENT
With so many crises currently unfolding in Calliope, Before the start of Mission 8, Fród has made it to
every single ship departing the system has been Endymion’s Lament, but going there was a mistake.
booked solid by rich tourists. There simply isn’t a single The station takes its embargo against Impact Dynamics
pause tank left. Even non-cryo steerage is full up. very seriously, and Fród barely lasts an hour in the
disembarkation lounge before station security
recognizes him. He is promptly arrested as an
IPS-N have set up a sort of lottery-waiting-list to allow accessory to Steele’s crimes against the system.
people to take the place of cancellations, but Fród can’t
risk enrolling. He only has ID for his real name and the
delivery worker he’s masquerading as. If either of them Fród, completely out of options, confesses everything
turn up on a flight list, people will come looking; Impact to the station’s administration – Steele’s profligacy, all
Dynamics at the very least, and probably worse. the accounting malfeasance to cover it up, the looming
bankruptcy, and the many ways in which Fród would be
as good as dead once it comes out. Unsure what to do
Running out of options, Fród rents an apartment in a with this information, the Lament contacts the UNS-CV
crummy part of the Icebreaker where nobody will look Thames and arranges to transfer Fród to them – a
for him and considers his next move. Dipping into the communication that PANOPTES intercepts.
Muse reveals that people are having more luck on
Endymion’s Lament. Flights to the Lament are packed
solid because of this, and usually require identification, FULL CASCADE
but fortunately, Fród has the money to charter a private If the PCs have not dealt with Impact Dynamics by the
operator who won’t ask questions. end of Mission 8, Fród’s survival is a known quantity to
PANOPTES. She doesn’t understand why Fród would
flee the Plaza in such an underhanded manner, so she
If the PCs come looking for Fród at this point, they’re falsifies his credentials and examines the company’s
going to need to exercise some detective skills to track financial records. This is an audit that would take a
him down on the Icebreaker. Rita can help if she’s still team of human accountants months to accomplish, but
station director, but if not, they’ll have nothing but their for an NHP who’s already in shallow cascade, it takes
own wits to rely on. It shouldn’t be easy to find Fród, but only minutes.
not impossible either; he’s covered his tracks pretty
well, but he makes more mistakes the more desperate
he becomes. PANOPTES comes to the realization that Rodericke
Steele and Fród have run Impact Dynamics into the
ground, and there’s no money left. This does not do
Fród knows who the PCs are and will flee from them if good things to her already tenuous mental state, and
he realizes they’re looking for him. However, if there’s she slips further into cascade.
no other options and no other way out, he will throw
himself upon their mercy and tell them everything in the
hopes of a more lenient punishment. She begins a silent coup of the station. It’s no longer
Steele giving out orders; it’s her, either forcing him to
speak her words, or simply impersonating him. Steele
If the PCs don’t come looking for him, come looking but is locked in his office, menaced by his two SSC Atlas
can’t find him, or find him but fumble their capture, Fród powersuits, which PANOPTES has hijacked. She tells
will slip away to Endymion’s Lament. anyone who asks that Rodericke is simply in one of his
“inspiration fugues” and doesn’t want to be disturbed
MEANWHILE, ON IMPACT DYNAMICS while he “innovates the future.” Steele is known to go
PANOPTES receives an odd message from one of the on week-long Juice benders, so nobody finds this
company’s freighter captains, currently making ready to particularly strange.
return from the Icebreaker. They state that the crew
member she added to the roster at the last minute has
gone AWOL, and asks if they should wait for him or just THE INTERROGATION
leave him and return to the Plaza. This is news to Placeholder – Howl’s coalition are allowed to question
PANOPTES, as she didn’t make any last-minute crew Fród in Union’s presence.
adjustment to the freighter in question.

Taking a closer look at her logs, she notices that she

doesn’t actually have a record of Fród boarding his
yacht on the day it launched, and furthermore that all
the surveillance footage the on-board comp/con unit
sent her after launch was cleverly falsified. Fród was
never on the yacht; he snuck onto the freighter instead.

[160]
MISSION: BRIEFING
Howl has a plan to finally liberate the system’s food

IMPACT supply from the grasp of Rodericke Steele and the

vulture capitalists of Impact Dynamics. She sees the
PCs as a tactical lynchpin within it.

DYNAMICS GOAL: Put an end to the tyranny of Impact

Dynamics. Liberate Impact Plaza.
There is a crime here that goes beyond Depose Rodericke Steele.
denunciation. There is a sorrow here that
weeping cannot symbolize. There is a failure INTEL: Plaza Police Department employ
here that topples all our success. The fertile cheap, substandard mechs in large
earth, the straight tree rows, the sturdy trunks, numbers; pilots are brutal but lack
and the ripe fruit. And children dying of pellagra training or discipline.
must die because a profit cannot be taken from
an orange. IDES elite mercenary unit deploys
– John Steinbeck, better-equipped and trained fighters;
The Grapes of Wrath cut off the head of the snake.

STAKES: If Impact Dynamics are not stopped,

their iron grip on the food supply to the
Thousand Habs will cause hunger and
starvation. Rodericke Steele has clear
intent to take military action against
rival stations.

REWARD: The loyalty and gratitude of the

system’s population; access to the
Impact Dynamics military arsenal.

PROBLEMS: A direct assault on Impact Plaza will

require nothing short of an army; if you
don’t already have one, you’re going
to need to assemble one; Impact
Dynamics is entrenched and has a
strong industrial base; Steele is
restarting military production; Impact
Plaza has a large civilian population
and will use them as human shields.

[161]
 Placeholder – Exhibition matches? The Bracket? Championship

SMASH THE
Part 1
SYSTEM

CITIES IN
Part 2
DUST

UPON A
Part 3 BLACK
HORSE

??? ???

Placeholder

[162]
ARC:
SMASH THE SYSTEM
Assaulting the Plaza itself will be very difficult, and it will MECH FACTORY
be to the coalition’s benefit if they can deny critical “Eurydice’s Archimedes Complex was the largest
resources to Impact Dynamics. Howl has identified four chassis production facility Impact Dynamics ever
major targets of opportunity that must fall before the built, and they just let it rot after they switched to
assault on the Plaza is viable. Destroying them isn’t a agriculture. Steele brought it back online to produce
problem for Howl; even in the earliest stages of his new Raptor-5 assault mechs, and if we can
gathering her army, she has more than enough capture it, I have a team of Union engineers ready to
firepower to level a facility from orbit. switch it over to the Everest SP-1 – we can outfit our
whole assault force in GMS’ finest!”
But Howl wants to go one step further: why just destroy
an enemy’s resources, when you can capture them for TRITIUM REFINERY
yourself? This is a far more ambitious goal, and will be “For more than a decade, Steele’s reactors have
much harder to pull off – her advisors tell her it’s not been dying of thirst under the Lament’s fuel
worth it. With how well-defended these facilities are embargo, but now his prospectors have found a
compared to the resources available to the Coalition, a huge tritium reservoir in the Mare Doloris on
ground assault on just one would be tricky. Orpheus, Asphodel’s nearest moon. Tapping it
Simultaneous strikes on four at once? Impossible. would let him bring the company’s entire mothballed
arsenal back online – we can’t let that happen, but
This hasn’t deterred Howl, though. She happens to that fuel would really help our side of the war effort.
know a group of people renowned for doing the
impossible on a regular basis. “Watch out – a scouting pass revealed that they’ve
deployed some kind of megatank to defend it.”
FOUR TARGETS, FOUR DAYS MUNITIONS STOCKPILE
The moment the PCs arrive on the Snidely Kinetic, “Depot Falcon is built into the asteroid 62 Taualai.
Howl summons them to her war room and dismisses It’s the largest warehouse the corporation has, and if
almost all non-essential staff. forces outside the Plaza wanted to launch a
counterattack, this is where they’d arm up. I’m
Howl brings up a map of the system, with several thinking a smash-and-grab; we don’t need to hold
locations close to Asphodel highlighted in red. the place itself, just grab as much as we can and
burn the rest.”
“Alright, guys. I’ve got four major tactical assets
belonging to Impact Dynamics. All the people around COMMUNICATIONS HUB
me are telling me we should just blow them up, but I “The asteroid 57 Rijkaard houses Impact Dynamics’
want to take them intact. largest routing station outside the Plaza. If you can
get an active connection to the Plaza’s central
“Estimates put the reinforcement window for these network, our sigdivers can fill it full of worms. Long
facilities at about 96 hours – four days. To capture as we launch the final assault soon enough, they
all of them, you’d have to pull high-g burns and hit won’t have time to clear their systems, and we’ll be
them all within that window. Nobody thinks it can be able to pull whatever information we need off them.”
done, and I can’t ask these people to do something
they’ve told me is impossible. In all fairness, I The team must decide how many of the targets they’re
shouldn’t be asking you, either – but after what I’ve willing to take on. They will have to do these fights one
seen you pull off, I don’t know if impossible even after the other, with rests but no Full Repair in
exists for you guys any more. between. It will be grueling: they will have to pull
multiple high-g burns in order to make it to targets in
“We’ve got a mech factory, a tritium refinery, a time, and they will not have much opportunity to sleep,
munitions stockpile and a major communications wash or relax. Exhaustion will be a serious concern.
hub. Capturing even one of these places intact would
be a game-changer. Two, monumental. Three or However, if the PCs completed Chapter 9 and gained
four? I’m just going to ask you straight: how many do the SSC “Svarog” Schedule 1 Printer (p. ###), make
you think you can knock down in four days?” it clear that this allows them to undertake Full Repairs
between every single fight. This makes the entire affair
much more manageable.

[163]
 Any targets the PCs choose not to assault will be
destroyed from orbit by Howl’s fleet. Impact Dynamics
will be denied their use, but so will the PCs.

• Archimedes Complex: Ally summon? Tick a

segment on the Militia Readiness clock.
• Mare Doloris Refinery: During the assault on
Impact Plaza, each PC gains a Core Battery
(Lancer, p. 51) RESERVE.
• 62 Taualai:
• 57 Rijkaard: During the assault on Impact Plaza,
the PCs always have access to SCOUTING for the
immediately upcoming fight.

[164]
 a steady supply of mechanized chassis to use against
EXHAUSTION Impact Dynamics – and eventually, the Cult.
If the PCs choose to do more than one fight, they’re
subjecting themselves to an ordeal even more
physically and mentally draining than regular mounted Impact Dynamics’ plagiarism of the Everest presents
combat. They will have to pull painful, exhausting another advantage: once control of the factory is
orbital maneuvers to get between targets before they obtained, it will be simple to switch production over to
can be reinforced. They will have to deploy, fight, dust the superior GMS model.
off and burn straight for the next target while making
what repairs they can to their mechs enroute. Destroying the factory is definitely an alternative, but
it’s an undesirable one. Without the factory, the
This gauntlet will quickly take its toll on even the most equipment for an assault on Impact Plaza will have to
hardened pilot. As they continue to fight day after day come from somewhere else, and there aren’t many
without rest, bodies pushed, pulled and squashed by places in Calliope with a large enough military stockpile
high-G burns, minds weighed down by the trauma of to get the job done. It’s also quite likely that Steele
combat, they will tire out. This is represented by an knows this, and if he believes he’s lost the factory, he’ll
increasing series of penalties. try to deny use of it to others.

During the first battle, there are no penalties. The team If other options fail, however, the IPS-N “Maelstrom”
is still fresh. Offensive Suite aboard the Dragon’s Tooth has
enough firepower to level the facility from orbit.
During the second battle, the team’s reaction speed
begins to suffer. A hostile character takes the first turn MARE DOLORIS REFINERY
in combat instead of a PC. Impact Dynamics prospectors have discovered a large
tritium reserve on the surface of Orpheus, and they’ve
During the third battle, in addition to a hostile character begun building extraction facilities. A stable supply of
taking the first turn in combat, each PC starts their first tritium would give Steele the reactor fuel he needs to
turn of combat IMPAIRED, as the fatigue sets in. start bringing the company’s mothballed arsenal back
online. This cannot be allowed.
During the fourth battle, a hostile character takes the
first turn, and each PC starts their first turn of combat Placeholder
IMPAIRED and SLOWED. They are at their limit.
Unlike the mech factory, Steele cannot afford to simply
Pilots who have the Stims pilot gear (Lancer, p. 112) level the facility if someone else captures it – he’s
can expend a charge to completely ignore all penalties unlikely to find another supply of tritium this abundant
for one battle. Pilots who do so receive no conditions, and easy to access. Without a stable supply of coldcore
and may take the first turn in combat. fuel, his arsenal is little more than a paperweight
collection. He must hold it.
ARCHIMEDES COMPLEX
In order to bolster his military strength, Rodericke
Steele has brought an old Impact Dynamics mech
factory back online and is starting production of the new
Raptor-5 mechanized chassis. While the Raptor-5 is
essentially just a knock-off the GMS SP-1 Everest, that
still puts it leagues ahead of anything else in the ID
arsenal.

Fielding these new mechs would give Steele’s lackeys

a significant tactical advantage on the battlefield.
Moreover, this factory is vertically integrated; it takes in
raw materials at one end and they are processed all the
way to a finished chassis at the other. Running at full
capacity, it might be able to make as many as 10
functional chassis every day.

Obviously, Steele can’t be allowed to keep the factory,

but it also presents an enticing double opportunity: if
the facility could be captured intact, it would not only
deny him a vital strategic asset, it would give Calliope

[165]
 COMBAT:
HOSTILE TAKEOVER
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 268)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE ASSASSIN “Devil’s Cough” Shotgun, Spinning Kick
1x T2 AEGIS Ring of Fire
1x T2 BREACHER Superior Ram
1x T2 SENTINEL Rapid Response

FOR 4 PCS: +1x TANK – T2 VEHICLE ASSAULT High Impact Rounds, Treads
+1x T2 PRIEST Empowered Shield, Sanctuary

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 HORNET

+1x T2 SQUAD Duck and Cover

2. Limb Attachment: The character must make a

DETAILS HULL check. If they fail, they become IMMOBILIZED
The team must keep the Impact Dynamics security and IMPAIRED until the end of their next turn as the
team off of the factory’s industrial control units until the machines grab them and try to jam arms or legs
engineering team can override them. into sockets that already contain them. However, if
the character has a destroyed weapon, they suffer
The factory is in the middle of a production cycle right none of these effects, do not need to make a save,
now, so the entire complex is a chaotic hive of activity and their weapon is repaired for free.
– conveyors whirring, hydraulics hissing, robotic arms
welding, bolting and riveting. Worse, because Impact 3. Armor Installation: The character must make an
Dynamics cut corners on their industrial control AGILITY check. If they fail, they take 4iAP, but
systems, the production line can’t tell the difference they gain 1 ARMOR for the rest of the scene. The
between active mechs and line items. Getting between station breaks after installing 2 points of ARMOR.
the control units is a daunting and dangerous task. 4. Paint Sprayer: The character must make an
ENGINEERING check. If they fail, they can only draw
A sprawling network of conveyor belts snakes across line of sight to adjacent spaces until the end of their
the battlefield, each with a marked direction of travel. next turn, as their optics have been covered with
Trying to move against the direction of travel counts as Impact Dynamics’ signature blue-and-white paint.
difficult terrain. If a mech ends their movement on a On the upside, they get a free CUSTOM PAINT JOB
belt, it will immediately try to push them four spaces in which lasts until their next Full Repair.
its direction of travel.
5. OS Installation: This station makes a tech attack
against the character at +2. If it hits, the character
If a character can’t be pushed (due to IMMUNITY to being becomes JAMMED and SLOWED until the end of their
pushed by smaller characters, for example), the entire next turn as the station attempts to forcibly install
section of the belt stalls while they’re standing on it – idOS v5 onto their mech’s main computer.
other characters on the same belt aren’t pushed by it.
6. Quality Assurance: If the character is not in a
Manufacturing stations are placed at regular intervals GMS frame or an Impact Dynamics NPC, they
along the conveyor belts. They are Size 3 objects with must make an AGILITY check or be grabbed by a
30 HP that do not obstruct movement or provide cover. mechanical arm and dropped into a nearby reject
If a character of Size 2 or less ends movement inside a chute six spaces deep. Due to the moon’s low
manufacturing station, something will happen to them gravity, this causes no damage, but is annoying.
depending on the nature of the station they end up in. Placeholder
A Size 3 character entering the space of a station will
immediately cause it to break.

1. Injection Molding: Two huge molds attempt to

smash the character. They must make a HULL or
AGILITY check (their choice), or take 8i. If they roll
20 or more on a HULL check, the station breaks.

[166]
COMBAT:
TREAD NAUGHT
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x IDV-84 PYRAMIDION – T2 ULTRA Size 3, remove Combat Knife and Hunker Down
CUSTOM VEHICLE ASSAULT Assault: Underslung Grenade Launcher
Cataphract: Trample
Ultra: Argus Armor, Volley Module, Unstoppable
Vehicle: Treads
1x DROPSHIP – T2 SHIP ARCHER
1x T2 SUPPORT

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 HORNET Adapt/Evade/Disengage

+1x T2 SENTINEL Bodyguard, Punisher Ammunition

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 OPERATOR Telefrag

The Pyramidion project was a short-lived effort during

DETAILS the 4760s to develop a superheavy siege tank, but was
The loss of the tritium refinery would put Rodericke shuttered after a single prototype model accounted for
Steele’s dreams of Calliopean dominance permanently almost 50% of the company’s yearly budget. It thus
out of reach, whether or not he recovers the Gravity holds the ignoble distinction of being one of the few
Anvil; an unacceptable end for the “galaxy’s smartest projects deemed too impractical even for Impact
billionaire.” To this end, he deployed one of the most Dynamics. However, it captured Steele’s imagination
absurd machines in the company’s arsenal to guard it: the moment he found out about it, and he immediately
the IDV-84 PYRAMIDION. ordered the project restarted.

[167]
 Placeholder – refinery setting.

Orpheus has the LOW GRAVITY trait, meaning that

characters never take damage from falling, and count
as flying when they BOOST but must land after they
move. This lets any character – including the tank! –
can briefly take to the skies by moving fast.

The Pyramidion doesn’t play like a regular ASSAULT. It

has no melee capability other than Ram, but it still
wants to get close so it can roll over unarmored PCs
with the CATAPHRACT’s TRAMPLE ability, dealing
additional chip damage. Structure its movements
carefully, however; it can’t end movement on top of a
PC, and because it’s a VEHICLE, it can’t change
directions mid-movement like a mech can. It also still
takes DIFFICULTY from being engaged.

[168]
 ENEMY VEHICLE
IDV-84 PYRAMIDION
Ultra Custom Vehicle Assault
Striker

“Hi guys. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Military Misfires. I’m
Rostam, and today we’re taking a look at the IDV-84 Pyramidion. Now, has anyone
ever told you that bigger is better? Well, you can always remind them that the
Barbarossa is such a boondoggle even the Armory’s own essayists make fun of it,
but even the Barb pales in comparison to the Impact Dynamics V-84 Pyramidion.
For what it cost to build, you could’ve equipped a whole squad of military-grade
mechs – which, if you can believe it, is what killed the only working prototype.”

HUL: +2 HP: 23 Armor: 6* ULTRA

AGI: +2 Evasion: 10 Speed: 4 As an ULTRA, the PYRAMIDION:
SYS: +2 E-Defense: 8 Save Target: 12 • Takes two separate turns each round, or three if
ENG: +2 Heat Cap: 8 Sensors: 8 there are 5 or more players.
• Has 4 structure and 4 stress.
VEHICLE • Can clear one condition affecting it at the start of
As a VEHICLE, the PYRAMIDION: its turn and repair one destroyed system or
• Must always move in a straight line, although it weapon at the end of its turn.
can move and BOOST in separate directions. • Deals +1d6 damage on critical hits.
• Can only clear PRONE while adjacent to an allied • Can OVERWATCH any number of times a round
character. • Rolls all structure and stress checks twice and
• Can’t pick up objects, manipulate objects, chooses either result.
GRAPPLE or make melee attacks other than RAM.

SYSTEMS
Main Gun ROLL OVER Trait
Main Rifle, Reliable 2, +2 vs Evasion The Pyramidion ignores engagement and can pass
[b10] [8i] through – but not stop in – spaces occupied by other
“For its absurd size, the Pyramidion’s primary characters, 1/turn dealing 3i to those characters.
armament isn’t that much larger than a regular “Steele had a particular fondness for the
MBT. Oh, trust me, they TRIED to make it bigger, Pyramidion; specifically, he liked throwing
but the recoil kept shattering the barrel.” people who upset him underneath it.”
MULTILAYER ABLATIVE PLATING Trait
Airburst HE Shell The Pyramidion has 6 ARMOR. Each time it rolls a
Auxiliary Launcher, Loading, Arcing, structure damage or overheating check, it loses 2
+2 vs Evasion
ARMOR to a minimum of 0.
[b8] [f2] [6k]
“Now, its autoloading turret gave it a very “Placeholder text that spreads over two lines
respectable rate of fire, but it turns out the for typesetting purposes.”
loading sequence was overtuned for just one
type of shell. Anything else caused jams.” Saturation Doctrine
System, Full Action
TREADS Trait The Pyramidion prepares one of its weapons. On its
The Pyramidion ignores difficult terrain. next turn, as a protocol, it uses the prepared
weapon to attack any number of characters, as long
“Placeholder text that spreads over two lines as they are within RANGE, and aren’t in cover or
for typesetting purposes.” PRONE. All characters are aware of this attack and
can choose to drop PRONE as a free action on their
MEGAHEAVY Trait
turn to avoid being targeted. It can attack an
The Pyramidion gains IMMUNITY to all involuntary unlimited number of times with the prepared weapon
movement, including KNOCKBACK and PRONE. as part of this effect, even if it’s LOADING.
“This thing weighs more than 600 tons – a full “Placeholder text that spreads over two lines
squad of Barbarossas couldn’t flip it.” for typesetting purposes.”

[169]
 OUTCOME PC VICTORY
Placeholder.
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder.

[170]
COMBAT:
YOU DIDN’T SIGN FOR THAT
SITREP: Theft (p. ###)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x THE QUARTERMASTER – T2 VETERAN Selective Loader, Quick March, Deadly, Headshot
COMMANDER SNIPER
1x T2 GOLIATH Power Knuckle
1x T2 RONIN Chaff Launchers
1x BUBBLES – T2 RPV AEGIS Ring of Fire

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SUPPORT

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 HIVE Driving Swarm

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3-5 PCS: 1x T2 ASSAULT Micro-Missile Barrage
1x T2 BASTION Fearless Defender

When a character holds the control module, they can

DETAILS issue a basic command to Bubbles as a protocol –
The PCs must steal as much as they can from Depot “don’t let anyone in that area,” “attack that target,” and
Falcon in a short time span, and then retreat before so on. Bubbles isn’t very bright, even by comp/con
reinforcements arrive. standards; it doesn’t understand causality and can’t
make tactical decisions. For example, if told to attack a
The section of Depot Falcon the fight takes place in is target, it will do so, but if the target HIDES, it will not try
a huge long-term storage area. There are enough to SEARCH. If it completes an order and hasn’t been
crates and boxes in here to provide “terrain” ranging in given a new one, or if circumstances prevent it from
height from 1 to 4 spaces tall, and there are several completing an order, it will freeze and do nothing.
support columns that run floor-to-ceiling, blocking line
of sight entirely. The fight takes place in Low Gravity. If a character is in control of a grapple with the current
holder of the control module, they can take a quick
THE QUARTERMASTER is a washed-up member of the action to seize control of the module. If the grapple
Plaza Police Department who flunked out of the IDES ends while they control the module, they retain it and
recruitment trial, and has been taking his resentment thereafter may issue orders to Bubbles.
out on everyone else ever since. Sidney Kirk herself
said that his accuracy was “lacking,” and he has
dedicated his entire life to proving her wrong. She,
meanwhile, has forgotten that he exists.

There are several wrecked mechs scattered around the

Arsenal, resembling those belonging to high-ranking
members of IDES. Against any other enemy, they
provide hard cover, but if they’re between the
QUARTERMASTER and a character he’s shooting at, his
attacks gain +2g instead of +2h – he uses them for
target practice every single day.

BUBBLES is an automated drone mech equipped with

some surplus Harrison Armory weapons and shield
technology. It’s operated by a comp/con unit not
designed for this purpose, and so needs to be told what
to do via a control module. It will obey whoever holds
the control module – at the start of the fight, this is The
Quartermaster.

[171]
 Bubbles
Perk
“Okay, so we upgraded the control unit, and it should
be able to operate without constant handholding.”

1/mission, at the start of combat, you can deploy

BUBBLES as an ally. Bubbles is a T2 RPV AEGIS with
RING OF FIRE, and is now intelligent enough to
employ basic tactics. It can interpret data well
enough degree to understand its surroundings and
make basic deductions in combat: that it should
search for hidden enemies, or that it shouldn’t walk
into a huge puddle of blazing acetylene even if it’s
the optimal pathfinding solution.

[172]
COMBAT:
WARRANTLESS WIRETAP
SITREP: Recon (Lancer, p. 273)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x N01S3 – T2 ELITE MIRAGE Metafold Shove, Multiplicity
1x T2 VETERAN WITCH Hacker, Legendary
1x T2 ENGINEER

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 CATAPHRACT Electrified Lasso

+1x T2 SENTINEL Rapid Response

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SCOUT Orbital Strike

DETAILS
Placeholder.

DRIVETRAIN: why does your code only compile

when i hit enter with my left hand
ParacelsianDidact: dont worry about it
– Muse chatter

[173]
 BEAT ??:
LAGRANGE 4
Placeholder Of course, this assumes the door is made of something
sturdy enough to stop a mech, like alloy-composite or
plate steel. If it’s made of wood or plastic, a mech can
URBAN COMBAT burst through it as part of their movement, though the
An armed invasion of Impact Plaza will involve fighting door won’t survive the experience.
in an urban environment, likely for the first time in the
campaign. The PCs must be mindful that the objects Cramped corridors or low ceilings will pose a problem.
they use for cover are no longer asteroids, rock Treat any such obstacle as difficult terrain.
formations or pieces of industrial machinery; they are
people’s homes and places of work, cafés and bars,
public utilities. They will be moving through public SIZE 1
thoroughfares and municipal parks. A bipedal Size 1 mech is tall enough that their head is
level with a second-floor window, and they can crouch
down behind a single-story building for hard cover.
There will be fire, smoke, sparking power lines, burst They might have trouble with narrow alleyways, but if
water mains. Alarms will be wailing. Terrified civilians it’s wide enough that a sedan can fit, a Size 1 mech can
will be sheltering in place or running for safety. There is likely do the same, although it might have to turn
no situation in which collateral damage is not a risk. sideways. They can enter low-clearance tunnels if they
walk with a hunch, and can crawl through human-size
The PCs must be careful: it’s no use them coming to doors if they’re wide enough – treat this sort of obstacle
Impact Plaza as liberators if all they do is wreck the as difficult terrain.
place. Make sure they remember that the enemy is
Impact Dynamics and its machinery of greed and SIZE 2
starvation, not the people who live and work here. A Size 2 mech standing upright is about as tall as the
roof of a two-story house. It can probably squeeze
SIZE IN URBAN COMBAT down a narrow one-lane road if there’s sidewalk space,
In general, characters that are inside an enclosed but trying to get through an alleyway is likely not
structure have hard cover from mechs outside of it. If possible. If a space is too narrow for a firetruck or an
they make an attack or force a save, this hard cover is ambulance to use, a Size 2 mech shouldn’t try it either.
downgraded to soft cover until the start of their next
turn. These are usually the largest mechs that are deployed
in urban environments – anything larger is impractical.
A lot of buildings will have more than one level. Mechs
that are larger than Size ½ generally won’t be able to SIZE 3
use regular methods like stairs or elevators, and must Size 3 mechs are not suited to urban combat; their
climb instead (Lancer, pg. 63). This will usually require immense frames make all but the widest thoroughfares
either scaling the exterior of a building or cutting a hole inaccessible, and they will encounter headroom issues
through the ceiling or floor. even in environments designed for mechs.

SIZE ½ As a rule of thumb, consider a Size 3 mech comparable

Size ½ mechs are comparable to humans in scale; to two semi trucks side-by-side. If a road is too narrow
they’re usually taller, but not by much. This means that to fit two semi trucks travelling in opposite directions
almost all forms of human-accessible architecture are without one of them hopping the sidewalk, a Size 3
also accessible to mechs of this size, albeit sometimes mech will also struggle with it. If a corner is tight enough
with difficulty. Mechs that are Size ½ can fit through that a semi couldn't take it without hitting the curb, a
most doorways, though they might have to duck or Size 3 mech will have similar issues. An undivided two-
scoot sideways. lane road with broad sidewalks will accommodate a
Size 3 mech; anything smaller will cause problems.
The problem comes with closed doors; without a set of
MANIPULATORS, even the smallest mechs do not have SIZE 4
sufficient manual dexterity to operate door handles or No official Lancer player mech is Size 4, and official
touchpads. Mechs with MANIPULATORS can open a door Lancer NPCs can only get this large by taking the Ship
as a free action, but a mech without them will have to template. Size 4 characters are likely equivalent in
physically wrench it open as a quick action. scale to a fighter jet or twin-rotor military helicopter;

[174]
you’re not fitting one of those down anything but a
highway.

Placeholder

[175]
 ARC:
CITIES IN DUST
Placeholder

Combat 1: Spaceport. Big open area, industrial loading

dock. Secure a beachhead. Gauntlet.

Combat 2: The Battle of Malliope. ID forces

entrenched in the mall – remove them. Brutal indoors
combat. Control.

Combat 3: Defend FOB at Grand Steele Court transit

station. Giant statue of “angelic” Rodericke Steele
suspended over the concourse. Holdout.

Original name “Grand Cross Station?”

MARCH OF IDES
Throughout this arc, the PCs will encounter characters
with the MERCENARY template. These are members of
IDES – Impact Dynamics External Security, the
corporation’s infamous private army. Most of IDES is
holding back, waiting until the invaders have worn
themselves down dealing with the more disposable
Plaza Police Department. However, a few – those who
drew the short straw, mostly – have been assigned to
assist the PPD.

BIG SISTER IS WATCHING

Placeholder

1/scene, at the start of any enemy’s turn, if a PC is

HIDDEN or INVISIBLE, reveal them. They receive LOCK
ON, and for as long as they have this condition, they
can’t HIDE or become INVISIBLE.

[176]
COMBAT:
OPERATION OPEN HOUSE
SITREP: Gauntlet (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ASSAULT
1x T2 BASTION
1x T2 SHIP DELUGE Riding the Redline

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SUPPORT Remote Cloud

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ASSAULT

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x LUNGS – T2 ELITE COMMANDER Impending Threat, Scout Drone, Press On!
MERCENARY ARCHER
1x T2 SQUAD PRIMARY WEAPON deals random damage type

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 ACE Missile Swarm

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 DEMOLISHER

The SQUAD are a bunch of customs enforcement goons

DETAILS hastily conscripted by Lungs. They had to break into
To effectively prosecute her seizure of the Plaza, Howl the impound locker in search of personal weaponry,
needs to take and hold the docking bays. To this end, meaning that their gear is mismatched and piecemeal.
she has drafted a number of strike teams, and she has Every time they attack with their PRIMARY WEAPON, roll
included the PCs among them both because they’re 1d3. On a 1 it deals kinetic (i), on a 2 it deals
highly competent fighters and because she believes it explosive (k) and on a 3 it deals energy (j). If LUNGS
will boost morale to have the heroes of Fort Cerberus is destroyed, the Squad will surrender on the spot.
front and center for the initial offensive.
The SHIP DELUGE is a picket corvette that was about to
The docking bay has no gravity, but mechs that are be deployed to the ongoing space battle outside the
standing on a surface can move unimpeded thanks to Plaza. An interesting fact that’s not directly relevant to
standard-issue mag-clamps. Cover consists mostly of this combat is that it’s actually fighting exclusively with
cargo loading equipment – everything in here is built to its point-defense cannons; its actual weaponry would
load and unload delivery vessels as fast as possible. likely destroy a PC in a single hit, but it can’t use any of
it for fear of also destroying the docking bay.
Howl’s idea to assault multiple docking bays at once
has paid off; the Plaza Police Department has had to
split its available forces too thinly. Her plan is also being
aided by a tactical blunder made by Steele – he’s
holding most of his best troops in reserve, sending his
most expendable forces out first to try and soften up the
invaders. This means the PCs are fighting a smaller
force than they might have expected, consisting of
whatever the Police Department could spare, plus
whoever could be deputized.

There’s only one experienced soldier here: LUNGS, a

member of IDES who only got assigned to this job at
the last minute when Sidney Kirk learnt the PCs were
laying siege to this docking bay in particular. It’s up to
him to impose some sort of order on a bunch of lazy,
inept police pilots who’ve never had to deal with
anything scarier than opportunistic moonlighters.

[177]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs aren’t able to secure their bay, it’s not a
disaster; there are more than two dozen other assault
teams currently seizing their own bays. A beachhead
will be established regardless, but progression into the
cylinder will take more time. This delay allows some of
the enemies in the next fight, Combat: Breach and
Clearance (p. ###), to entrench themselves.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[178]
COMBAT:
BREACH AND CLEARANCE
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 268)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x NERDPOLE – T2 ELITE BARRICADE Extrudite
1x HANGMAN – T2 MERCENARY ASSAULT Bounty Hunter
1x T2 HIVE Electro-Nanite Cloud
1x T2 PYRO Siege Armor, Superhot
1x T2 RAINMAKER Hound Missiles

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 VETERAN HORNET Adapt/Evade/Disengage, Headshot, Legendary

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 BREACHER Superior Ram

+1x LIZARD – T2 MERCENARY BERSERKER Nailgun

DETAILS
The PCs must seize ground from a detachment of the
Plaza Police force which has entrenched itself in
Malliope, using it as a makeshift base of operations.
This will involve brutal combat in tight indoor spaces.

Despite its size, the mall is a cramped and suboptimal

space for mechs to fight in. Two of the Control Zones
are at opposite ends of a wide-open food court, while
the other two are in the maze of shops and service
corridors.

The interior space of shops is cluttered with shelves,

display cases, checkouts and merchandise. A space
occupied by this furniture is difficult terrain, but only the
first time any character Size 1 or larger tries to move
into it. None of the furniture can survive being trampled
like this; clear each space of difficult terrain afterwards.
Characters that ignore the effects of difficult terrain
still destroy it.

Most shops can’t comfortably accommodate characters

that are Size 2 or larger; there simply isn’t enough
headroom. A Size 2 character can drop PRONE as a
free action while adjacent to a shop entry to crawl
inside. While this does slow them down, they aren’t
affected by the difficult terrain inside – they’re simply
too big and heavy for it to matter, and they destroy it
without having their movement impeded.

If the PCs were unsuccessful during Combat:

Operation Open House (p. ###), the enemy force has
had much more time to prepare for their arrival. Every
member of the hostile force starts combat in cover and
HIDDEN. HANGMAN and NERDPOLE may deploy further
forward than the initial enemy deployment zone – a
number of spaces equal to their SPEED, at minimum. If
the PCs were successful, all hostiles deploy visible and
in their normal deployment zone.

[179]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the team is unable to evict the Plaza Police from the
mall, it continues to serve as a forward operating base
for a few more hours. Eventually, however, enough of
the other fireteams are freed up to make a second
push, and the cops beat a hasty retreat. This delays
Howl’s advance through the station, and she has to
redistribute her available forces to compensate. In the
next fight, Combat: Arriving Platform One, the PCs
must hold out for an additional turn.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[180]
COMBAT:
ARRIVING PLATFORM ONE
SITREP: Holdout (Lancer, p. 272)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ARCHER
2x T2 BREACHER Thermal Charge
2x T2 BASTION Deathcounter
1x T2 SQUAD Duck and Cover

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SCOUT Spotter

+1x T2 RAINMAKER

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 HIVE Driving Swarm

+1x T2 SUPPORT

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x CHIEF DAVIS – T2 ELITE SENTINEL Punisher Ammunition, Rapid Response, Wrath-Lock
1x AZAZEL – T2 VETERAN MERCENARY Last Word, Acrobat, Self-Repair
RONIN
1x BAYOU – T2 ELITE MERCENARY Cloud Projector, Efficient Killer
ASSASSIN

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 ASSAULT

+1x T2 SQUAD Duck and Cover

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SNIPER Shroud Charge

Plaza Police CHIEF DAVIS “Davis” Davis has been given

DETAILS an ultimatum by Steele: retake Grand Steele Court, or
The PCs must hold Grand Steele Court station against don’t come back at all. He must not fail; if he does, the
an overwhelming Plaza Police counterattack. Howl is transit lines will have to be sabotaged, or the invaders
enroute on a train packed with reinforcements, and will will be able to send reinforcements to every sector of
arrive in a few minutes; the PCs just need to hold long the station. If either of those things occur, the Plaza is
enough for them to arrive – six turns if they were essentially lost. He’ll fight to the bitter end, even if it
successful during the last fight, seven if they weren’t. means crawling out of a ruined mech and firing on
enemies with his sidearm.
This battle takes place in the vast station concourse of
Grand Steele Court. Cover includes food kiosks, rows Don’t use EYE OF MIDNIGHT. Davis’ average round
of ticket machines and soaring marble columns. None should look like this: BOOST and use WRATH-LOCK on
of the natural cover is larger than Size 1, but both sides his first turn, use RAPID RESPONSE during a player’s turn
have set up Size 2 flash-print barricades to provide to get closer to a target, and then attack with the
cover for larger mechs. COMBAT SHOTGUN on the second turn. Aim to keep the
player characters in threat if possible.
There is also a giant statue of Rodericke Steele as a
robed and winged angel suspended above the Given that the Plaza Police are getting their asses
concourse. The statue is suspended from six wires, handed to them, Sidney “Diamond” Kirk now regrets
which each have EVASION 15, E-DEF 5 and 4 HP. If at holding so much of IDES in reserve. She has assigned
least three of them are broken, the statue will fall to the two of her best pilots, AZAZEL and BAYOU, to this
ground, creating three Size 3 objects that provide hard operation. They are a lesson in opposites: like many
cover. Anyone occupying a space underneath the RONIN pilots, Azazel takes himself too seriously; he’s
statue at the time it falls must make an AGILITY check insecure, edgy and comically melodramatic. Bayou, on
or take 10i and be knocked PRONE; if they succeed, the other hand, is so laid back he’s horizontal; he takes
they take half damage and are not knocked PRONE. great pleasure in ribbing Azazel about his attitude.
Either way, they are pushed entirely outside the area
now occupied by the broken pieces of the statue.

[181]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs can’t hold the station, Howl’s reinforcements
arrive to much greater resistance than they were
expecting. It’s a bloodbath. There’s massive loss of life
on both sides, and though Howl’s forces eventually
prevail, it’s a pyrrhic victory that saps the operation’s
momentum. The scenes at camp during the next beat
will be significantly more somber.

Any and all surviving enemies on the field at the end of

the engagement successfully retreat as their side’s
reinforcements arrive. They reappear in COMBAT: ALL
CHANGE PLEASE (p. ###).

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[182]
BEAT ??:
A MOMENT TO BREATHE
With Grand Steele Court secure, Howl’s coalition has –
for the moment, at least – secured logistical control of SCENES FROM CAMP DIAMOND
the station, and the remaining Plaza Police are caught An artist has set up on a nearby roof, and
in an impossible dilemma. If they allow the transit lines 1-2 is currently painting a panorama of the
to stay in Howl’s hands, her forces will have the run of station at war.
the station; if they sabotage them, they won’t be able to Several chefs from the nearby restaurants
reinforce their own counterattacks. have decided to throw their lot in with the
revolution, and are busy serving food to
3-4
It seems as if order is breaking down among remaining hungry soldiers. It seems like many of
enemy forces; reports indicate that individual section them were bored with fancy food, and are
commanders have come to different conclusions, and delighted to be cooking mac and cheese.
some have sabotaged the train lines while others are Some coalition soldiers have “liberated”
keeping them up. 5-6 instruments from a nearby shop, and are
playing music in a corner of the camp.
For her part, Howl is focused on consolidation. Today’s
Several locals are clustered around a table
fighting has seen tremendous success, thanks in large
with a Union marine lieutenant, pointing
part to the PCs’ efforts, and while she doesn’t want to 7-8
out routes and areas of interest for the next
lose that momentum, after nearly 24 hours of non-stop
phase of the offensive.
fighting, her people are exhausted. There’s a lot of
ground to hold, a lot left to cover, and even after A couple of technicians have hijacked an
grievous losses, the Police still outnumber the coalition. advertising screen and hooked it up to a
9-10
games console. They’re running drop-in-
To that end, Howl has ordered most of her forces to drop-out fighting game matches.
cease advance for the day and bivouac at a number of Two irregulars are busy trying to cut the
secure locations close to the front line. She herself is face off of a statue of Rodericke Steele.
billeted at Camp Diamond, set up in and around 11-12 They’re not making much progress, and
Capitalization Square, a trendy plaza in the New periodically stop to argue over which tool
Niagara District. After the battle for Grand Steele Court, they should be using.
this is also the closest strongpoint to the PCs right now. A huge Hellfire League pilot is hunched
over, holding a young child's hand and
MAKING CAMP 13-14
walking them through the camp. The
child’s face lights up with excitement and
As you arrive at the outskirts of the camp, you can
relief as they find their parent, and are
see it’s still a work in progress. Mechs with flash-
escorted to an evacuation area.
printers are busy assembling a perimeter wall,
sealing up doors and closing up alleyways. Soldiers A team of militiamen are setting up GMS
and irregulars run here and there, putting up tents, tents. The instructions claim “assembly in
15-16
running cables, ferrying supplies and directing traffic. under five minutes,” but they’ve have been
at this for at least half an hour now.
Your mechs are waved over to the motor pool of a Howl sits on the patio of a sushi restaurant,
nearby police station, where coalition engineers sharing a six-pack of beer with some of the
17-18
have just hotwired the printer. The assembled repair staff. She’s not talking very much, seeming
crews and technicians are clapping and cheering for content to listen to their stories.
every combat rig that walks up, but your team gets The Knights of the Dark Core have set up
special attention – seems like everyone’s aware of a makeshift courtroom, and are holding
just how much work you put in today. mock trials for anyone who wants to drag
19-20
a friend over and “accuse” them of doing
After the team’s mechs are stowed and shut down, the something cool. The “guilty” are sentenced
engineering crew immediately gets to work on them. to various drinks the Knights dreamed up.
The PCs get a FULL REPAIR, but it will take until
tomorrow morning, so they’re directed to the camp for
a little bit of R&R in the meantime.

[183]
 PUT YOUR FEET UP
The cylinder arches above you, cast into permanent
night by the closure of the station’s wings. Through
a thin, flat haze of smoke suspended about a
kilometer up, city lights mingle with the flash of
tracers and the glow of burning buildings. Sirens wail
in the distance, punctuated here and there with
explosions or gunfire.

Camp Diamond is centered on a pedestrian plaza in

an upmarket part of the New Niagara District,
crowded with fancy restaurants that most of the
station’s residents would never be able to afford.
Several of them have been hastily converted to field
kitchens to feed the two-thousand-strong force
currently bivouacked here.

Placeholder

• BUY SOME TIME: Plan contingencies and rehearse

emergency procedures; familiarize yourself with
the terrain; get a proper night’s sleep.
• GATHER INFORMATION: Enquire with the locals, dig
something useful out of the local Muse; sift through
recovered documents.
• GET A DAMN DRINK: Share a few beers with the
coalition; skive off to a local bar that’s open despite
the ongoing war; crack open a bottle of the good
stuff you were saving for just such an occasion.
• GET CREATIVE: Tinker with something at the motor
pool; use the quiet time to get some coding done;
bodge something together in a hurry. Unlike the
usual GET CREATIVE action, this can be finished
immediately instead of at the next downtime, so
long as it’s a small-scale project.
• There’s probably not enough time to GET FOCUSED
or GET ORGANIZED right now, but encounters at
camp could easily sow the seeds for taking these
actions during the next full downtime.
• GET CONNECTED: Find some sympathetic locals;
touch base with contacts elsewhere in Calliope;
reach out to someone elsewhere in the galaxy for
eleventh-hour support.
• SCROUNGE AND BARTER: See if the Union marines
have any surplus gear; pick through wrecked police
mechs for good stuff; get in touch with the local
black market.

[184]
ARC:
UPON A BLACK HORSE
Placeholder

Placeholder – try to take train to Steele’s district, it

explodes

[185]
 If the PCs try to bargain with Sidney, start a
TALKING SIDNEY DOWN Compromise clock and an Impatience clock, both
Sidney Kirk is a consummate mercenary; she’s been with four empty segments.
fighting for Steele only because the money’s been good
and the jobs have been easy. She has absolutely no
loyalty to the man; as a matter of fact, she despises The team should roll appropriate skill triggers. Rolling a
him, and plans to kill him the moment he’s no longer 9 or less unticks one segment on the Compromise
useful to her. clock, rolling 10-19 ticks a segment and rolling 20+ ticks
two segments.
That moment is fast approaching. The Plaza is lost;
IDES held their forces back too long, and the Plaza No matter the result, each roll ticks one segment on the
Police Department has expended all of its available Impatience clock and ticks one segment on the Steele
materiel and manpower. She’d have abandoned the Escapes clock.
station already if she could get to her ship; problem is,
there’s an army in the way. Steele’s personal mega- If the PCs were able to capture and interrogate Fród
yacht is now the only ship that can get her off the Plaza. Stealman, or they visited the Persimmon during their
search for the Crimson Hand, the PCs have the
There’s an important factor to consider: every second opportunity to avoid fighting her altogether. If they
the PCs spend hashing it out with Sidney is an extra present convincing evidence that Impact Dynamics can
second that Rodericke Steele has to escape, and they no longer pay her fee or that the Gravity Anvil is gone,
should be made aware of this. Regardless of what the automatically tick a segment on Compromise. If they
PCs choose to do, start a Steele Escapes clock with can provide evidence of both, tick two.
eight segments, all ticked.
If the Compromise clock is full (even if Impatience is
If she’s quitting, Sidney wants one major concession: also full), Sidney agrees to the PCs’ terms. She and her
total amnesty for herself and her mercenaries. She mercenaries depart for their ship and fly to the Neutral
wants a notarized legal document, countersigned by a Omninode to await orders from Captain Ordaz.
member of the Central Committee, stating that neither
she nor anybody under her command will face If the Impatience clock fills up before Compromise,
prosecution for any action taken while on retainer for the attempt has failed; the PCs must either concede to
Impact Dynamics. Sidney’s original demand or begin Combat: All
Change Please (p. ###). In addition, the PCs can
This might offend the team’s morals; after all, IDES simply decide that negotiation’s over and start combat
abducted people during the Steele Dome incident, at any time.
executed activists alongside the Hell Hounds during the
Strikebreak of ’04, and participated in numerous other
atrocities in the process of guarding Impact Dynamics’
monopoly on food distribution in the system.

Some allies also object. Mistress Elske is appalled that

anyone would even consider letting Sidney off the
hook, and Howl isn’t too happy either. Strangely
enough, however, the Blacksmith is willing to go along
with it. It’s Steele’s head he wants; Sidney largely
doesn’t factor into his plans for revenge.

Kileyna offers a possible compromise: amnesty in

return for service. Sidney and her mercenaries can gain
immunity from prosecution, but only so long as they
assist Calliope with its current crisis. This is not ideal
for Sidney; the way things are going, she just wants to
cash out and leave the system as soon as possible.

If the PCs concede to Sidney’s demand without

compromise, no rolls need be made; Kileyna can
arrange for the immunity papers to be delivered within
an hour. Sidney then takes every remaining member of
her detachment, boards her old ship and leaves the
system as fast as she can. However, this seriously
pisses off Mistress Elske, and the PCs will have to deal
with her ire going forward.

[186]
COMBAT:
ALL CHANGE PLEASE
SITREP: Modified Gauntlet (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x DIAMOND – T2 ELITE COMMANDER Assault: Micro-Missile Barrage
MERCENARY ASSAULT Commander: Press the Attack
Mercenary: Favors Owed
1x CUDA – T2 MERCENARY BERSERKER
1x SCARECROW – T2 MERCENARY GOLIATH Watchful Guardian, Last Word
1x BULLFROG – T2 MERCENARY PRIEST Empowered Shield

FOR 4 PCS: +1x SPIDER – T2 MERCENARY SNIPER Shroud Charge

+1x FANBOY – T2 MERCENARY WITCH

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x BAD STAR – T2 ULTRA BREACHER Size 2
Breacher: Follower Count, Painmaker
Ultra: Limitless, Siege Shield
OR 2x T2 SENTINEL

FOR 4 PCS +1X CRYBABY – T2 MERCENARY RUINER Seething Malice

FOR 5 PCS: +1x MOOSE – T2 MERCENARY SLINGER

thirty seconds. Return Howl to the battlefield at the start

DETAILS of the second round.
The team must push through Sidney’s mercenaries.

Steeleosaurus

Flamethrower dinosaur?

If the PCs spent time trying to convince Sidney to stand

down and either failed or gave up, they have less time
to work with. A Gauntlet sitrep is usually eight rounds
long; instead, this battle lasts as many rounds as there
are unticked segments remaining on the Steele
Escapes clock, which continues to tick up by one at the
end of each round of combat.

If the PCs met BAD STAR (In Golden Flame Act 1, pg.
190) in Act 1, he’s back and desperate for a rematch.
On the other hand, it’s entirely possible they didn’t; if he
died during the fight in Act 1 or they didn’t face him at
all, replace him with two SENTINELS.

If HOWL is present on the battlefield at the same time

as BAD STAR, she will request that she be allowed to
“deal with this problem.” If the PCs consent, remove
both of them at the start of combat instead. BAD STAR
isn’t replaced by SENTINELS as he usually would be;
Howl and Bad Star go off to have the rematch he’s been
demanding for months, and she defeats him in under

[187]
 Every billboard in sight comes alive, showing what
OUTCOME appears to be a live broadcast from someone’s
STEELE ESCAPES shoulder camera. You quickly identify it as a member
If the PCs weren’t defeated, but couldn’t push through of the mercenaries who just bushwhacked you.
before the final segment on the Steele Escapes clock Several others are visible, including Sidney Kirk,
was unticked, they are treated to one final taunt from hurrying down a docking gangway.
the company’s wretched CEO.
Steele is standing at the airlock, impatiently waving
Every billboard in sight lights up, showing what for the mercenaries. “Come on, sweetheart! We
appears to be a live camera feed of Steele’s smug don’t have all day! I’m not paying for you to–”
face. “Hey, Sandy! Now, I understand why you might
be upset, but someone’s gotta make sure they can’t In response, Sidney draws a pistol and shoots Steele
follow me! Really appreciate you taking one for the three times in the stomach. He slumps against the
team here, sweetheart!” There is a loud clunking wall with a look of dull surprise.
from beneath your feet, and a gentle rumble shakes
the ground.
Diamond doesn’t even look at Steele as he slowly
crumples into a sitting position, instead glancing
The local comms channel lights up with Sidney Kirk’s back at her men, particularly the one whose
furious yelling. “Fuckin’ ratbag’s leavin’ without us! perspective you’re watching this unfold from.
STEELE, YOU RANCID LITTLE FUCKIN’ WEASEL,
I’M GONNA JAM MY FIST SO FAR UP YOUR–”
“Ough. Got no fuckin’ idea how long I’ve dreamed of
doin’ that. Well, let’s not bugger about! We’ve got a
Steele reaches over and mutes her, turning his gaze free charter and the plushest fuckin’ ship in the
towards you. “As for you – I bet you think you’ve won, galaxy – let’s fuckin’ go, boys!”
don’t you? Well, joke’s on you, losers: divesting from
this place is just common sense! The company's in
There’s a round of cheers from the assembled crew.
massive debt to the Ten Families and the whole Whoever’s recording pulls the camera off their
system’s about to be destroyed by a cult! Meanwhile, shoulder and sets it down next to Steele as he
I’M gonna go take a ski vacation on Canada-9! Later,
helplessly watches IDES board his mega-yacht. A
cringelords!”
few minutes later, he is dead. There’s a clunk as the
ship undocks, and a shudder as it jumps to nearlight.
The feed cuts out, and the entire station judders Silence falls.
violently as the unmistakable shockwave of a
nearlight engine ignition washes over it. This is likely not the victory the PCs envisioned, but all
of their mission objectives have been achieved, after a
Steele has fled, along with everything of value he could fashion: Sidney Kirk is gone, Steele is dead and Impact
fit onto his mega-yacht, including both of his SSC Atlas Dynamics is leaderless. The remaining members of the
powersuits and his Terashima Blade, Razor’s Edge Plaza Police Department fight to the bitter end, but it's
Splits The Ocean Sunrise. He is now beyond the a foregone conclusion. Within hours, FieldComm
team’s reach, most likely on a permanent basis. confirms corridor-clear with all section commanders
and observers. Impact Plaza is finally free.
Sidney, left without any means of escape, assumes
command of any remaining Impact Dynamics forces,
orders an immediate stand-down of arms and attempts
PC VICTORY
to negotiate favorable terms of surrender with Howl. If the PCs secure the objective zone or defeat Sidney
This is unlikely to meet with much success, particularly and her squad before the Steele Escapes clock is
if the PCs attempted to negotiate with her before. empty, there’s still enough time to get to Steele’s
compound before he departs on his mega-yacht.
Within hours, FieldComm confirms corridor-clear with
all section commanders and observers. Impact Plaza is
finally free.

PC DEFEAT
If all of the team’s mechs are destroyed, events unfold
somewhat differently. Sidney doesn’t bother to gloat; in
fact, she says nothing at all. She and any remaining
members of her team depart the battlefield with all
possible speed, leaving the PCs to lick their wounds in
peace. However, she does leave them with one final
“consolation prize.”

[188]
DEVELOPMENT
Check how many segments are left ticked on the
Steele Escapes clock. If the PCs had to fight through
IDES or spent a lot of time hashing out a deal with
them, they probably don’t have much time left, and they
must use it wisely.

By default, the team are near enough to Steele’s

compound that they can get there without unticking a
segment on the clock. Almost anything else they do will
untick at least one segment, and if it puts them very far
away from the compound, getting back might also
untick a segment.

REST AND REPAIR

The PCs always have at least enough time to effect
basic triage without unticking segments on the clock.
They may clear all heat, clear any statuses and
conditions affecting their mech, restore half of their
pilot’s HP and clear DOWN AND OUT. If they wish, they
may spend 1 REPAIR to restore their mech to full HP.

The PCs can also rest, but the more they have to do
during the rest, the more time it will take. Resting will
always untick one segment on Steele Escapes. Each
PC can choose to do one of the following:

• Spend 1 REPAIR to repair a destroyed weapon or

system.
• Spend 2 REPAIRS to restore 1 STRUCTURE or 1
STRESS.
• Spend 4 REPAIRS to repair a destroyed mech.

They may, if they wish, untick another segment on

Steele Escapes if it is not yet empty, allowing each PC
enough time to pick from the above list again. They may
repeat this process as many times as they wish, so long
as the Steele Escapes clock is not empty.

A PC can choose not to participate in a rest, or, if

multiple turns are taken while resting, not to participate
in all of them. They can’t start the fight with Steele on
their own, but since the relevant tick from Steele
Escapes has already been paid, they can go and do
something else in the meantime at no additional cost.

BOUGHT TIME
If any PCs used the BUY SOME TIME (Lancer, p. 53)
action during the downtime during Beat: A Moment to
Breathe (p. ###), they can trade BOUGHT TIME to
restore segments on Steele Escapes on a one-for-one
basis. Have each PC who does this explain how their
preparations earlier in the day have allowed them to
stay ahead of Steele and his plans to escape.

[189]
 COMBAT:
HARDER THAN STEELE
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x MEGALITH PUGNUS DEI – T2 1 STRUCTURE, 1 STRESS
ULTRA GOLIATH Ultra: Limitless, Short-Cycle Lance, Ravager Turret
1x HELICOPTER – T2 VEHICLE Archer: Covering Fire, Hail of Fire
ARCHER Vehicle: Flier
1x T2 BASTION Fearless Defender, Siege Guardian

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 BOMBARD Bunker Buster

+1x T2 SUPPORT Latch Drone

FOR 5 PCS: +2x T2 ASSAULT Underslung Grenade Launcher

WHEN MEGALITH PUGNUS DEI IS DESTROYED

FOR 3-5 PCS: 1x STEELE – T2 ULTRA CUSTOM Assassin: Spinning Kick, Explosive Knives
ASSASSIN Ronin: Rebound
Specter: Machine Pistol
Ultra: Evasive, Lead the Charge

DETAILS
Steele is a special enemy that is fought in two stages.
He initially deploys in MEGALITH PUGNUS DEI, his
personal Harrison Armory Barbarossa, represented by
an ULTRA GOLIATH. It only has one point each of
STRESS and STRUCTURE, meaning that it likely won’t
stay on the battlefield very long, but with SHORT CYCLE
LANCE and RAVAGER TURRET, it has the potential to do
a lot of damage in the meantime.

Immediately after the GOLIATH is destroyed, STEELE

ejects in his SSC Atlas, represented by an ULTRA
CUSTOM ASSASSIN. Place him in a free space up to b5
away from the GOLIATH’s wreck.

Like Andros Capella, Steele is a petty, egotistical sadist

who wants to hurt the PCs. Unlike Andros Capella, he
has some amount of survival instinct. If he can clearly
see that the fight is going badly and he’s not going to
win, he will try to escape via any avenue available.

[190]
 ENEMY MECH
RODERICKE STEELE
Ultra Custom Assassin
Striker

“I’m a shitty dumpster boy meant to provide an unambiguously evil character

people can project whichever billionaire they hate the most onto. This
placeholder text will definitely be changed before Vex releases this book.”

– Rodericke Steele, 5016u

HUL: +1 HP: 20 Armor: 1 ULTRA

AGI: +3 Evasion: 19 Speed: 6 As an ULTRA, STEELE:
SYS: +1 E-Defense: 8 Save Target: 12 • Takes two separate turns each round, or three if
ENG: +0 Heat Cap: 7 Sensors: 10 there are 5 or more players.
• Has 3* structure and 4 stress.
• Can clear one condition affecting him at the start
of its turn and repair one destroyed system or
weapon at the end of his turn.
• Deals +1d6 damage on critical hits.
• Can OVERWATCH any number of times a round
• Rolls all structure and stress checks twice and
chooses either result.
SYSTEMS
Razor’s Edge Splits the Ocean Sunrise KAI BIOPLATING Trait
Main Melee, +2 vs Evasion, +2 g Steele gains +1g on all Agility checks; additionally,
[a2] [5i] he climbs and swims at normal speed, ignores
This weapon deals double damage to PRONE, difficult terrain, and when making a standard move,
SHREDDED, IMMOBILIZED or STUNNED targets. he can jump horizontally up to his SPEED and
A blade of the Terashima Enclave is never vertically up to half his SPEED (in any combination).
dulled, never broken, and never matched. But it Even after the revelations on Amphion, most
can be stained by the actions of its wielder. Calliopeans still agreed that SSC’s greatest
sin was selling mech gear to Rodericke Steele.
Gold-Inlaid Dual Pistols
Auxiliary CQB, +2 vs Evasion STEELE-TOED BOOT Trait, Quick Action
[b5] [a3] [2i] Steele chooses a character adjacent to him: they
This weapon can make two attacks at a time, must pass a HULL save or be pushed 4 spaces away
targeting either the same character or two different from him and knocked PRONE.
ones. You’d think it would be cleaner, given how many
If the gunsmith Isabel Ashworth had known who people seem eager to lick it.
commissioned her to build Wealth and Taste, she
would have cast them into the polar sea. FULL SUBJECTIVITY SYNC Trait
Steele gains +4 EVASION and -1 STRUCTURE.
LOCUS OF SPITE Trait, Quick Action A little superfluous in the Atlas, given that
Steele chooses a character in line of sight. For the it’s literally just a fancy suit of armor, but
rest of the scene, these effects apply: enemies may appreciate that he now experiences
damage to his mech as physical pain.
• He has RESISTANCE to that target’s damage.
• Damage he deals to that target can’t be reduced. LEAP Trait, Quick Action, Recharge 5+
• He gains +1g on all saves forced by that target. Steele flies 6 spaces in any direction but must land
Steele can only choose a new target if the current on a surface. When he lands, characters adjacent to
target is destroyed. him must succeed on an AGILITY save or be knocked
“Oh, you’re dead, you little shit! Dead! You PRONE.
hear me? You’re fucking DEAD!” No, despite what he says, he can’t do this when
he’s not in the Atlas.

[191]
 Steele’s Blades of Warranty Voiding The battle for Impact Plaza is over. Rodericke Steele is
System, Limited 3, Quick Action either dead, lying wailing and defeated on the lobby
Steele expends a charge to throw an explosive disc floor, or has fled into interstellar space. Most of its
at a character within b3, making a ranged attack at remaining security forces surrender immediately, or
+4. On a hit, the disc embeds itself in the target and switch sides, seizing executives and fellow police
explodes at the end of their next turn, dealing 8k in officers attempting to flee the station or hide amongst
a d1 area. its civilian population.
Several members of the Toledo Enclave had to be
given time off for anger management counselling Rodericke Steele’s Terashima Blade, Razor’s Edge
when they learnt what Steele was doing with Splits the Ocean Sunrise, is free for a PC to claim as
their Ricochet Blades. a piece of EXOTIC GEAR (its stats may be found in The
Long Rim, p. 44). Smith-Shimano Corpro is perfectly
Lord’s Stance happy to update the registry details for the blade’s
System, Shield, Reaction, 1/round owner, but they refuse to change its name; it was
Trigger: Steele takes damage from a ranged named thusly by the member of the Terashima Enclave
attack. who forged it, and to alter the perfection of its name
Effect: Steele rolls 1d6: on a 4+, he gains would be a grave insult.
RESISTANCE to damage from that attack, and the
attacker must repeat the attack against themselves. Within a few hours, FieldComm confirms corridor-clear
The Atlas’ prerecorded kinesthetics package with all section commanders and observers. Impact
ensures that just like every other time in his Plaza is secure.
life Steele has looked cool, it’s because
someone else did all the work.

Jager Kunst
Trait, Reaction, Unlimited
Trigger: A hostile character in line of sight moves.
Effect: Steele can BOOST. This reaction can be used
any number of times a round.
Despite touting vigorous exercise as one of the
secrets to “Alpha Male dominance,” Steele does
barely five minutes of calisthenics a day. The
Atlas’ movement suite will leave him with
lifelong spinal injuries even if he survives
this fight.

OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
At this point, Howl’s forces have made far too much
progress for Impact Dynamics to triumph. Rodericke
Steele takes a moment to gloat, but even he realizes
he has no chance of retaking the station. Instead, he
runs straight for his mega-yacht, abandoning what’s left
of his personal security detail and undocking without
them. He immediately initiates a blind jump – a
nearlight bolt on an unplanned trajectory.

Within a few hours, FieldComm confirms theater-clear

with all section commanders and observers. Impact
Plaza is secure.

PC VICTORY

DEVELOPMENT

[192]
BEAT ??:
PANOPTES
Placeholder

THE CONSTELLAR SHUFFLE

If the PCs haven’t completed Chapter 9: Bleeding
Edge (p. ###), and accepted the help of clone Harris,
they’ve been played. SSC was never interested in
liberating the Plaza – only in securing PANOPTES.

While the PCs were busy dealing with IDES and Steele,
clone Harris was sneaking into Steele’s compound
using his Metalmark’s stealth systems. By the time the
team arrives, he’s long gone, along with PANOPTES’
casket and several server racks. He leaves surprisingly
few traces – any roll to investigate the scene is Heroic.

[193]
 DOWNTIME:
THE CONQUEST OF BREAD
STATE OF THE PLAZA RODERICKE STEELE
The station’s civilian infrastructure is mostly intact, and DEAD
what little damage it has sustained can easily be If Steele’s body was recovered, it is thrown into the
repaired in the coming months. composting tanks, as is the custom for body disposal
on large stations. No ceremony is held.
Under the station’s interim government, distribution of
food to Calliope resumes, without the absurd prices. ESCAPED
Malnutrition metrics plummet across the system. If Steele manages to reach his private yacht, he has
Workers from across the Thousand Habs flock to fled beyond the reach of Calliope. If it’s any consolation
Impact Plaza, ready to put in the work to fix the station to the PCs, Union will freeze his assets and put him on
and feed the hungry. a high-priority DoJ/HR watchlist; wherever he shows
up, he’ll be penniless, with the entire law enforcement
Meanwhile, the reputation of the PCs and Hell’s Gate apparatus of a galactic superpower hunting for him.
in general has never been higher. Volunteers from
across Calliope flock to Hell’s Gate to join the war effort CAPTURED
against the cult. Tick two segments each on the Station If the PCs defeated Steele but left him alive, he is
Stability and Militia Readiness clocks. If the Cult immediately arrested by officers of the Union Navy,
Influence clock has any ticks, untick one; the PCs have acting under orders from the Central Committee. Union
proven that life can be improved right now, in this world, then holds a consultation with various Calliopean
not the next. The PCs also gain the Liberator perk. settlements and the PCs on how to proceed.

Liberator CentComm wants to extradite Steele to Cradle to stand

Perk trial because they have concerns about Calliope’s
ability to assemble an impartial jury. This concern is not
No revolution is ever civilized, nor bloodless. In its without merit; there are a whole lot of people whose
dying moments, tyranny kicks and screams and tries friends or family were harmed by Steele, whether by
to drag its victims into the abyss with it. This can starvation, impoverishment or direct violent action, and
never be fully avoided, but it can be mitigated. You some of them are literally baying for blood.
removed Steele with the greatest of care and the
fewest of casualties. That, perhaps, is enough. However, CentComm also understands that this is a
matter of great local importance: his crimes affected
You gain +1g when interacting with citizens of millions of Calliopean residents. They also understand
Impact Plaza, forever. that extradition would take a decade, and that justice
delayed is justice denied. CentComm wants to arrive at
SIDNEY “DIAMOND” KIRK a solution that satisfies all parties but still respects
Steele’s human rights, even if he had no respect for
DEAD
anyone else’s.
Sidney Kirk died as she lived: amorally, violently and
for a paycheck. If her body is recovered intact, it is
preserved in preparation for return to her homeworld, A jury could be dispatched to Calliope, but this would
Meirionnydd, by request of her surviving family. also take a decade, and would potentially leave the
DoJ/HR vulnerable to human rights complaints from
Steele regarding the right to a fair and speedy trial. A
ESCAPED
compromise solution of assembling a jury of Union
If Sidney and what’s left of her mercenary crew
citizens and conducting the trial over the omninet is
escaped, she is beyond the reach of the PCs or the
possible, and would be difficult for Steele to object to.
Union Department of Justice and Human Rights.
Realizing she’s a wanted woman, she decides to pick
a distant destination where she will be able to ply her The easiest solution for everyone involved would be for
trade and where her credentials will not be studied too Rodericke Steele to simply plead guilty. This is not an
closely: Boundary Garden. However, without access to easy proposition, due to his fragile ego, irrationality and
blink gates, she will have to take the long, slow route lack of empathy, and Union will not allow him to be
across space. She will not be seen again for centuries. coerced or intimidated into pleading guilty, either. All
that being said, however, a PC might be able to find an
argument that will persuade him. Anything is possible.
CAPTURED

[194]
PANOPTES
“RESCUED” BY CLONE HARRIS
SSC’s interest in Howl’s revolution was purely ulterior:
they only wanted PANOPTES and the treasure trove of
intelligence data she’s accrued. Once the clone Harris
has retrieved her, he quietly departs the Plaza and
returns to the Aspect Horizon.

Life for PANOPTES does not improve in SSC custody.

She is relentlessly interrogated for information on the
original Harris Bordeaux, Mind and other topics of
interest. Worse, they do nothing to alleviate her
cascade, since the company ontologisticians are
concerned she might lose vital data if she’s cycled.

Fortunately, the PCs will get a chance to rescue her

during Chapter 9: The Bleeding Edge (p. ###).

[195]
 CHAPTER 8:

BALLAD OF THE TWIN LORDS

[196]
OVERVIEW:
GOLDEN BLOOD
Go to any world in the Baronic Concern and ask them
for a joke about Begum. A popular one goes something
HOUSE ANILINE
like “Begum is unique, for the Virtues decided one was Begum’s cautious approach crystalized during the Last
punishment enough.” A somewhat cynical Republican Argument of Kings, when Tyran of Delamar returned to
witticism declares “the monarchists can keep it.” An Karrakis to resolve the crumbling Anno Passacaglia’s
Ispahsalari comedian once stated “they call it the war of succession. Correctly predicting that Tyran
House of Moments because that’s how long you can would triumph, and that a war of reunification would
stand to look at the place.” soon follow, Begum submitted to Tyran before he even
arrived in orbit of Karrakis.
“Yes, ha ha, very droll,” the Begi reply. “We live on an
ugly world – people have been telling that one since the Though a risk in itself, this act ultimately saved Begum
Low Passacaglian. Get some new material.” the fate of worlds like Khayradin, Umara and Bo, all
ravaged by the armada of Tyran’s son Tagetes. In fact,
Tagetes’ ranks had been swelled by Begum’s
Of course, impish satirists immediately retort with “new “rapidfax” clone soldiers and sustained by its advanced
material? You’ve been rerunning your House’s greatest medical technology. For this support, the nobles of
war heroes for millennia,” at which point the whole thing Begum were richly rewarded, and became constituent
usually devolves into fistfights and judicial duels. minor houses of the House of Moments when it was
established during the Dynasticlade.
Begum’s ruling polity, the House of Moments, has long
been content to keep a low profile, both in the Baronies Among these minor houses was House Aniline, who
and the larger galaxy. They hold no major colonies in were awarded rulership of Begum’s vast Pallas Canyon
the Dawnline Shore, stick to the center of Baronic in perpetuity. Pallas Canyon was replete with mineral
politics and make little noise in Union’s Central wealth and exotic flora, and in the following decades,
Committee. So what if it’s boring? Ask Khayradin how House Aniline grew fantastically rich.
interesting the Sanjak Revolution was. Ask Bo if it feels
entertained as its oceans are eaten by nanites. The
Baronies already fought one war out of Interest – how As great prosperity often does, the House’s success
did that turn out? inflated the ego of its patriarch, Basil Aniline I. Seeking
to craft an enduring historical legacy, Basil declared
himself the source of all the House’s success. It was he
But harsh and ugly as it might be, Begum is anything who had convinced the nobles of Begum to assent to
but boring; in fact, it’s a planet full up with secrets. High the rule of Tyran. It was he who had been so
mysticism rubs shoulders with the galaxy’s most instrumental in aiding Tagetes. It was he who had
advanced medical technology. In cities carved inch-by- shrewdly negotiated the rulership of Pallas Canyon.
inch into the planet’s deep canyons, blue-lipped Augurs
hunch and mutter over cards and entrails in the shadow
of cutting-edge gene clinics. Death-cold wind scours Never mind that Basil was born a century after the Last
the surface world, and sunlight pierces the humid fog of Argument, and that his predecessor had argued to
the canyon floor only a few hours every day, revealing remain neutral. Never mind that House Aniline’s entry
strange, alien flora and fauna in its chilly swamps. into the cloning industry had come after the
Dynasticlade. Never mind that the House’s prosperity
came through the tireless work of a million nameless
Moreover, while the Major House’s political will might laborers; it was Basil to whom glory belonged.
value stability and predictability, its constituent minor
houses all have their own individual agendas. In
addition, the world pays host to the Order Xenoglossia, This egotism was not altogether unusual for Karrakin
a major political and religious power in the Baronies nobility, well-known for their love of glory and praise.
that operates in complete independence from the What was unusual was how Basil Aniline suggested the
House of Moments, often to the latter’s chagrin. House reward him: House Aniline already ruled Pallas
in perpetuity; why then, should Basil not rule House
Aniline in similar fashion?
As it turns out, the center cannot hold. All of the
House’s strange juxtapositions and contradictions are
about to come crashing together in a highly interesting With no-one possessing the power or political will to
– and potentially catastrophic – reckoning. oppose him, the Copyclanarchy was instituted.

[197]
 THE COPYCLANARCHY THE MAGUS’ BARGAIN
The use of mirror-creches to maintain a dynasty is not House Aniline’s salvation came from a most unlikely
at all unusual in Karrakin culture. It has been used since source: the Order Xenoglossia.
the time of Passacaglia, more than eight thousand
years ago, to replace monarchs lost to calamity or age This was surprising on many levels. Despite (or,
before siring an heir, or to create such an heir when no perhaps, because of) sharing a planet, the House of
other candidate was available. What is unusual is their Moments and the Xenoglossary had never been
use to maintain the reign of a single man for all eternity. friends. The House resented having to share a world
with a parallel political power not beholden to it; the
For the past three thousand years, House Aniline has Order resented having opened its planet to settlement,
been ruled by the same man – or close enough. only for Tyran to award it to someone other than them.
Begum’s medical technology could easily extend life
beyond two centuries, and whenever the current Basil’s To prevent mutual antagonism from boiling over, the
body began to fail irreversibly despite these measures, two polities had an unspoken agreement to stay out of
a new batch of Basils would be cloned. From amongst each other’s business. The Augurs would determine
these new hopefuls, one would be selected – the best the will of the Virtues and pontificate upon the meaning
Basil, the one most alike in temperament and glory to of the universe, the House would administrate Begum,
his originator – to rule. and never the two shall meet. For the Xenoglossary to
suddenly step into an entirely non-religious political
The flaws in this system presented themselves quite dispute that centered Begum signified a sea change in
quickly. Replicating the original Basil’s temperament the planet’s politics.
meant replicating his absurd egotism; clones of Basil
hated being told that they’d failed to measure up. The The Augurs’ message to the Council was simple: to
first couple of Basils solved this by simply having all of reduce House Aniline was to invite disaster. They cited
their mirrors killed after their coronation. Within a few movements in the stars and meditative visions of elder
generations, however, clones had learnt to launch priests, but also – unusually for the order – direct
political campaigns from the day they were decanted, political praxis. The reforms of Tyran and Calendula
hoping to sway the selection committee. had rescued the Karrakin from an age of strife. A
precedent that allowed the Council to revoke their
Meanwhile, House Aniline was quickly proving itself an charters would erode the legitimacy of their laws, and
embarrassment to its Major House. Basils were prone in time could unmake the basis of civilization.
to make self-serving choices that prioritized their own
glory at the expense of those around them. The one This gave the Council pause. Yes, House Aniline had
time a Basil was elected as Moments’ representative to sorely embarrassed the House of Moments, and
the Baronic Council, it ended in such absurd disaster through it greater Karrakin society. But at that time,
that it spawned an unofficial agreement between the Karrakin society was also reeling from a recent and
rest of Begum’s minor houses to prevent its recurrence. costly war with Union. Perhaps it wasn’t a good time to
uproot fundamental assumptions of Karrakin law.
This culminated during the selection process for Basil
IX, where political jockeying between aspirant clones The Augurs proposed an unorthodox solution: House
escalated to civil war between their loyalists. The Aniline would remain, as Tyran and Calendula had
conflict became so violent that external intervention decreed. So too would Basil’s Copyclanarchy, but all
was necessary, first from the House of Moments’ own matters of succession would be adjudicated by a
military, then from the Federal Karrakin Monarchy. neutral third party: the Order Xenoglossia. As
punishment for their transgression, and to ensure that
In the aftermath of this debacle, the House of Moments never again would a succession crisis mar the peace of
voted nigh-unanimously (the one dissenting vote was Begum, each clone would prove their worth to the
from Basil IX himself) to “reduce” House Aniline – strike Virtues via ritual combat.
it from the rolls and revoke its noble status. Basil IX
immediately petitioned the Baronic Council to reverse Basil IX immediately recognized that the Order
this decision, citing the original charter of Tyran and Xenoglossia were offering him a tilted bargain:
Calendula during the Dynasticlade. salvation in return for service. This was not a pleasing
thought, but the alternative was execution, the end of
This presented an unpleasant political quagmire for the his lineage and the reduction of his house. Reasoning
Baronic Council. They wanted House Aniline gone that future generations of himself would be smart
almost as much as the House of Moments did, but to enough to undo this agreement, he consented.
revoke their charter would set a horrifying precedent for
other noble houses. Still, might ridding themselves of Thus it was that Basil IX condemned legions of himself
House Aniline be worth such a thing? to die at each other’s hands for centuries to come.

[198]
 Generations of Basils have chafed under it, however.
THE BATTLE ROYAL This prosperity and safety comes at the price of his
The Battle Royal is brutality wrapped in elaborate freedom. None of these achievements are truly his, and
layers of mythos, ritual and pageantry. Upon the every element of his life is chosen for him. The warrior
declaration of a succession, Basil’s mirror creches monks that protect him are as much jailor as guardian;
produce twelve batches of twenty-four clones. Each of he knows what would happen should he ever displease
these two hundred and eighty-eight aspirants are sent the order. He’s cursed, life after life, to be an eternal,
all over the Baronies to train in the arts of war and simpering mouthpiece for doddering eunuchs.
statecraft for a period of ten years. Upon the completion
of this tutelage, they are returned to Begum and held in
stasis until all aspirants have arrived. So, life after life, in what little private space and time
he’s permitted, he has planned his revenge.
Then they are taken to an arena deep in the wilds of
Pallas Canyon, there to participate in several rounds of THE BUILDER’S SANCTUARY
combat against each other. First, there are twelve The Aniline Palace is a sprawling and ancient building,
qualifier rounds in which the batches fight each other its original foundation having been laid more than three
until only two are left, leaving a final roster of twenty- and a half thousand years ago by Basil I’s ancestors. In
four, two from each batch, to fight the Battle Royal. It is that time, it has been expanded and renovated
quite common for two members of a batch to form a countless times, and then rebuilt nearly from scratch
temporary alliance – a Duumvirate – to increase their after it was devastated during the succession crisis.
chances of survival. Given that the new palace was constructed to the exact
specifications of the Xenoglossary, the Stygos
Within the final roster, each clone is given a specific Grammaton assume that they know every inch of it.
designation: a number indicating their iteration, another
indicating their batch, and a letter indicating their They are wrong.
likelihood of success as judged by the Augurs, with
Alpha being the most likely to succeed and Omega the The nobles of Begum had long distrusted the Order’s
least. In an ironic twist, obtaining the Alpha designation
precognitive monks, and so had devised strange
is a death sentence; Alphas are priority targets in the
countermeasures that confounded their sight. Basil had
battle due to their status, and no Alpha has ever
what few builders and architects remained loyal to him
survived. The previous house patriarch, prior to his
add some of these touches: rooms not on any blueprint,
coronation, was Basil [36:11:Gamma]. rooms with strange angles, rooms with a prime number
of walls, rooms oriented in non-cardinal directions –
There may only be one survivor of the final Battle rooms into which his puppet masters could not see.
Royal; a Duumvirate may form for a while, but in the
end only one of them can win. Once only a single clone
Only Basil knows of these places. Their secret is written
remains, House Aniline once again has a patriarch. nowhere and spoken to no-one, passed down only
through memory engram and subjectivity override, one
The Battle Royal’s impenetrable bureaucracy and of the few places even the Augurs cannot intrude.
mysticism is, in truth, a smokescreen that allows the Within these sanctums, Basil has conspired with
Order Xenoglossia to groom candidates they believe himself across generations, slowly accruing the
will serve their goals, both on Begum and in the wider knowledge and resources to strike back at his captors.
field of Karrakin society. It’s a very clever scam: to the
casual observer, there are so many layers of random
Body after body, the gestalt of Basil’s consciousness
chance that the outcome of the Battle seems
learnt skills his original self never had: patience,
impossible to rig. The truth, though, is that the outcome
restraint, long-term planning. He has learnt to grit his
was decided long before any randomness came into
teeth and smile, to feign humility. Most importantly, he
play – the Xenoglossary simply allows chance to
has slowly tested the limits of the Augurs’ prescience.
decide between a handful of cultivated outcomes that
all serve its eventual design.
Basils must still die by the hundred every couple of
centuries, but now they die with purpose, and the
For nearly a millennium and a half, House Aniline has knowledge that one day, their line shall once again be
served as a puppet for the Order Xenoglossia. There free, and every one of their corpses shall be paid back
are some benefits to this for Basil, of course; he is
a hundredfold. The goal is not merely freedom from the
guarded by the order’s militant wing, the Stygos
yoke of the Augurs, but revenge served cold: the
Grammaton, an honor not even the Prime Baron
burning of the Xenoglossary, and an end to the line of
enjoys. Pallas Canyon has enjoyed untold prosperity
every minor house on Begum that spurned him.
and an uncanny knack for disaster preparation. The
political influence and reputation of the House
recovered and grew to new heights. All in all, the He was very close to pulling it all off, until his plans were
arrangement has been favorable. upset by his greatest enemy of all: himself.

[199]
 ABOVE ALL, KNOW THYSELF THE WHOLE DAMN CIRCUS
Begi cloning technology was advanced even at the time The situation is an embarrassment for everyone.
of the House of Moments’ inception, and has only Publicly, the Order Xenoglossia was forced to admit
improved in the intervening three thousand years, as that they didn’t foresee this – humiliating, for an
has their understanding of medical science in general. organization charged with divining the future. Privately,
Many of the maladies that afflicted clones of yesteryear it’s even worse: in the aftermath of Theta’s escape, the
are trivial to treat, and even easier to prevent. For this Stygos Grammaton stumbled upon one of Basil’s
reason, almost all modern clones undergo small sanctums, and discovered the sheer scope of what he
amounts of genetic manipulation. had been hiding from them.

Basil had long realized that his most predictable Meanwhile, the House of Moments, who long wished to
element was his own genetics, but it was Basil 25 who be rid of House Aniline have now they’ve finally got
finally managed to arrange for subtle, randomized what they wanted but in the worst way possible. House
variations to be introduced into the cloning and Aniline legally still exists, but without a patriarch it
subjectivity override processes. This meant all cannot vote in the House Council, denying the plenum
following Basils were distinct from one another in small necessary for certain types of vote. Such votes are still
and unpredictable ways; never so much as to draw being held anyway, but they’re open to legal challenge
attention, but just enough to make it more difficult for if other minor houses dislike their outcome.
Augurs to map the course of their life.
This situation also affects the Baronies as a whole. The
This unpredictability, however, also applied to Basil. Battle Royal was already a serious point of contention
Previously, he had been able to model his own future with the Union Department of Justice and Human
self’s behavior with an eerie degree of accuracy simply Rights. Given the exceptional amount of patience
through self-knowledge. The drift introduced by his self- Union is showing toward other human rights issues in
randomization ate into this talent. The values of Basils the Baronies, especially the continuing blockade of
in the present day were increasingly misaligned with Khayradin’s breakaway colony Free Sanjak, the
their ancient progenitor, and they started to make Baronic Council can ill afford another scandal.
decisions their past iterations didn’t plan for.
The problem must be resolved quickly and quietly, lest
At first, it was only small things: clones would come out Karrakis’ enemies exploit it. To this end, Basil’s opulent
with the wrong hand dominant, or without Basil’s palace-barge, the Citadel Aniline, was commandeered
instinctual hatred of cats, and be forced to hide these by Baronic Unified Command and sent to search for the
traits. As the drift became more pronounced, however, absconded heir. The Xenoglossary has also sent
the divergence became noticeable even to the Order several Augurs, and a detachment of the fearsome
Xenoglossia, but they merely chalked it up to the stress Stygos Grammaton warrior-monks who guard them.
of centuries of implanted memories, and adjusted their Finally, to keep an eye on him, they have also dragged
forecasts accordingly. Basil Beta along for the ride.

All of this would still have been manageable, had two It took a while to find Theta; in a further humiliation to
radically divergent clones not been decanted at the the Order Xenoglossia, the Augurs could not initially
same time. determine where he had gone. What finally brought
them to the Long Rim was, in fact, a completely
During the Battle Royal for the succession of Basil 37, different prophecy: that of a heroic soldier who was
Basil [37:6:Theta] quit the field and fled on a nearlight doomed to die at a certain time in Calliope. Taking into
schooner that had been illegally hidden in the account dates, travel times and the effects of relativistic
wilderness near the arena. Subsequent investigation travel, the Augurs reasoned there could be no other
discovered that he had laid plans for his escape years reason for the Baronies to go to such a backwater.
in advance, a fact the Augurs had not foreseen.
It has been a long trip – several light years to the Grand
A technical victor, Basil [37:2:Beta], emerged after Teton blink station above Karrakis, and then several
defeating all remaining opposition, but the laws laid more out into the Long Rim. but the Baronic fleet has
down during the Baronic Council’s intervention two arrived in Calliope at last. To its shock and horror, it has
thousand years ago were clear: so long as there was arrived in a system plunged into utter chaos, with one
more than one Basil, neither could be Lord of Pallas. of the Baronies’ ancient enemies squatting nearby.
This could not easily be changed, either; after all, the
current state of affairs had been engineered specifically Harrison Armory is here. Why? What are the Purview
to avoid setting an awkward legal precedent. dogs doing? What vile devilry are they planning?
Suspicions grow like poison weeds among the Baronic
forces, and they reach for their swords.

[200]
PERSONS OF INTEREST

BASIL ANILINE ETERNAL HE/HIM BASIL [37:2:BETA] HE/HIM

NOT SO MUCH A PERSON AS A LEGAL CONCEPT THE HEIR-PRESUMPTIVE
“The continuance of my line is the continuance of “To hell with you! I’ve played your murder games,
the realm. Thus shall my domain and I flourish.” yet still you deny me my promised throne!”

Officially, all Lords of Pallas are Basil Aniline. This is Basil Beta was groomed his entire life to take the
the elaborate legal fiction House Aniline operates throne, and suffered the brutality of having to murder
under: that they have been ruled by the same man for his own reflections because that was what tradition
more than three millennia. demanded of him. Now that same tradition has denied
him the throne he was promised, all on a technicality.
In truth, long before Basil 25 introduced deviation into
the genetic and mnemonic templates, the patriarchs of Theoretically, it was a 1-in-288 shot; pretty long odds to
House Aniline were parodies of their originator at best. be sure. Another version of himself made a perfectly
During the first few generations prior to Basil IX, the logical decision: leave the table, and let someone else
ruling patriarch had the luxury of picking his successor. try their luck. Beta was the one who tried his luck and
Basils would claim to pick the clone that was closest to beat the odds, but it was all for nothing.
the original Basil, but they each judged this quality via
their own standards. Since then, Beta has been in a graceless limbo, acting
as regent to his own throne. He’s left to deal with the
Placeholder terrible trauma of Battle Royal on his own, all while he
hears whispers speculating whether or not the one who
fled might be a better pick for the job; the one who fled!
Beta did all that was asked of him! He followed all the
rules, while this other Basil abandoned his duty, but
they’re still not sure which of them is more “deserving!”

But he still can’t bring himself to hate Theta. Despite

their divergence, Beta understands Theta on a level
nobody else in the universe possibly can, and in the
circumstances, Beta would’ve done the same.

Beta might have selfish reasons for wanting to tear

down the Copyclanarchy, but he wants it nonetheless.
It gave him nothing but trauma, denying him the reward
it had promised him on a technicality – and what benefit
has it brought the Baronies? No system that inflicts this
much pain for such little value deserves to exist.

[201]
 BASIL [37:6:THETA] HE/HIM HIGH AUGUR ELVORIX SHE/HER
THE HEIR ABSCONDED HIGH AUGUR OF THE ORDER XENOGLOSSIA
“I will not be the echo of a dead man, and I will
not be your sacrifice! Go to hell!” “Speak.”

While no two Basils were ever created truly equal, The Order Xenoglossia’s hierarchy is based mostly on
Basils 25’s subtle poisoning of the cloning process seniority, and Elvorix is very old. Novice Augurs
created facsimiles that deviate from genetic and whisper that it was she who spoke the prophecy that
psychographic baseline far more substantially than convinced the Baronic Council to side with the Third
could be accounted for by random chance. Theta is one Committee during the revolution. That isn’t true, and it’s
such example. Despite having the same memories as debatable whether any such prophecy was spoken, but
the rest of the 37 cohort, Theta developed a radically she was alive at that time, more than four hundred
different personality. years ago. The Blue Blood of Pangloss has extended
her life even beyond the limits of Begi medical science.
Theta’s chosen military specialty was odd: mechanized
chassis – useless in the Battle Royal, where mechs are Elvorix has made surprisingly few forecasts for one of
unavailable. His academic specialties, astrophysics her immense tenure, but she prides herself on quality
and set theory, were very unusual for a Basil. He over quantity – what predictions she has made have all
quickly formed a Duumvirate with another member of been infallible, unfolding precisely as she had foreseen.
Batch 6 during the internal qualifier, later designated as She has never been wrong, not ever. Or at least, she
Basil [37:6:Epsilon] during the Battle Royal. had never been wrong, until Basil [37:6:Theta].

Theta has killed three men with his own face. He fled to Consulted on the subject of Theta’s notable divergence
Calliope to avoid having to kill any more; the odds were from template, Elvorix considered the facts, gazed at
not in his favor, and he didn’t want to be king. He was the stars for twenty nights and confidently predicted
fine with letting someone else take the throne; Theta that his divergence would be of no consequence – he
just wanted peace. He set himself up as a salvage would die in the Battle Royal, and any deviation from
dealer in Furnace City, reasoning that nobody would the order’s design would end with his death.
ever come looking for the long-lost heir to a noble
house in a backwater scrapyard. He was wrong. Now, the council questions her competence. Her
advanced age keeps getting mentioned – they all but
Theta’s reasons for wanting to end the Copyclanarchy openly speak of putting her out to pasture! Her!
are self-centered, but logical nonetheless: he doesn’t
want the throne! He doesn’t want to rule – Beta wants Elvorix is an old woman driven by a terrible fear of
all that, just let him have it! Why must Theta die to irrelevance. She cannot accept that her visions are
confirm what’s already known – or worse, kill to earn starting to fail – her sight is not dimming! If events will
something he doesn’t even want? not align themselves to her prophecies, they must be
forced. Virtues damn it all, her visions will come true, if
she has to do it with her own hands!

[202]
LADY HAYYAN-REYES SHE/HER LUCAS ASIDENOS HE/HIM
FLEETMASTER OF NAVAL GROUP 28 ANILINE THE DOOMED CHAMPION
“Send for more coffee. It would be gauche of me “You could sooner talk the planets out of their
to fall asleep in the middle of your monologue.” orbits than prevent the consummation of fate.”

Lady Hayyan-Reyes of the House of Smoke, to give her As a novice kuirasser in the Federal Karrakin Army,
full title, is a cynic – and she would be the first to tell Lucas Asidenos happened to be on exercises the day
you so. She’s an old soldier, the kind who’s been of an assassination attempt. His commanding officer, a
thoroughly disabused of any notions about glory or House of Glass noble nursing a decades-old grudge
honor in war. If fighting must be done, then let it be against the Order Xenoglossia, ordered his regiment to
done quickly and efficiently; skip the posturing, the open fire on a visiting Augur; amongst them, only Lucas
pomp, the ceremonies, the speeches – Virtues, the refused. Armed with only his training mech and its
endless bloody speeches! auxiliary guns, he fought his regiment to a standstill,
buying enough time for reinforcements to arrive.
She resents everything about this mission. She’s been
sent halfway across the galaxy to solve the fallout of In return for courage far beyond the call of duty, the
some absurd noble’s ancient vanity project. She’s order bestowed upon him a rare honor: he was
forced to play babysitter not just to a prissy heir but the summoned to the Xenoglossary and offered any boon
Augurs, who she considers to be nothing more than it was within the Augurs’ power to give. Being young
charlatans peddling mystic nonsense. Now, she’s and foolish, Lucas Asidenos asked them to look into his
facing down the Armory, an enemy she wasn’t future and tell him of the most glorious event of his life.
expecting and isn’t properly equipped to handle. She
has no idea what SSC is here for, but she’s seen their It was then that Augur Elvorix spoke, proclaiming a
handiwork enough times to know it’s nothing good. prophecy even she did not understand: he would die in
43 years, at the age of 31, in a distant system called
More than anything, she wants this mission to be over Calliope, slain in battle with Hell’s mightiest warrior.
and for conflict to be avoided. It might seem cliché, but
this really is her last mission before retirement. She’s The knowledge of the date and time of his own death
racked up so much nearlight debt from her long career changed Lucas on a fundamental level. The inevitability
that her grandchildren have grandchildren; she wants of a short life weighed heavily on him, but it also made
to return to Eyelet-a and live out her final years him fearless. His death was predetermined and
surrounded by family. inescapable, yes – but he could not die before that
date. Until the day of his death, he would be immortal.
Hayyan is a practical and straightforward woman. She
has no time for people who bow, scrape or suck up, and Now, however, his final day fast approaches – and now
even less for people who mince their words. She will that he’s reached Calliope and seen the PCs, he knows
speak plainly, act decisively, and expects others to do precisely who will end his life. He seeks only to make
the same if they want her respect. his final act meaningful enough to justify his sacrifice.

[203]
 THE BARONIC FLEET
Despite

THE CITADEL ANILINE

REPURPOSED O’NEILL CYLINDER
The Citadel is truly colossal: a vast cylinder, thirty
kilometers long and eight kilometers in diameter. It was
originally a stationary space habitat, but Basil IV bought
it and had it repurposed at great expense to serve as
his personal palace-barge.

[204]
FKS-BC HARLEQUIN’S JEST FKS-CV DURENDAL
CALENDULA-CLASS BATTLECRUISER TAGETES-CLASS AGILE CARRIER
The Calendula-class battlecruiser was designed from The Tagetes-class agile carrier has two reputations.
the ground up as a spectacle of Karrakin power and The first is how it wishes to be seen: a glorious symbol
prestige, all practical concerns be damned. This single- of Karrakin prowess and might, standing tall and proud
minded obsession produced a vessel that is as in the ranks of the Royal Karrakin Navy, bearing the
technologically impressive as it is absurd: the only most elite pilots in the galaxy into battle.
capital ship in active service capable of mounting two
long-cycle lances on the same hull. The second is how it’s actually seen: a flying daycare
for spoilt rich kids who never grew up, a bonfire of
Beautiful on the outside, the ship is in fact a deeply money that could’ve funded urban renewal projects for
flawed design, replete with endless technical issues. an entire planetary arrondissement, a pretentious toy
Engineers tell horror stories of temperamental power for impotent old Hagiograph warhawks.
systems and shipboard fires caused by overstressed
capacitors. Officers fare little better, complaining of The Durendal carries the bulk of Naval Group 28
communication outages, illogical deck layouts and Aniline’s mechanized chassis compliment and all of its
labyrinthine corridors. strike craft. Every single mech is piloted by a graduate
Kavalier of the Karrakin Cavalry College, the most
The Calendula is often pointed to by the Baronies’ prestigious combat training institution in the Baronies.
critics as an emblem of its flaws: posturing, impractical, Every single fighter has a Navy elite at its helm. There
profligate, bellicose, at once obsessed with pointless are no finer jockeys in the system – on paper.
novelty and mired in obsolete tradition. But even those
critics are forced to admit that if the Calendula is an The truth is, however, that they’re completely untested.
emblem of Karrakin civilization, then Karrakin Almost none of the flight crews have seen real combat.
civilization is, at least, undeniably impressive and very, The Kavaliers are full up on Baronic propaganda, and
very dangerous. think of mech combat as a glorious sport. They aren’t
prepared for the horror and brutality of a real war.
Even by the standards of the Calendula-class, the
Harlequin’s Jest is notorious in the Federal Karrakin
Navy. It’s the name – no-one invokes the Virtue of
FKS-RE SCOLYMUS
Trickery, Deceit and Irony without paying a price. Every CIRSIUM-CLASS RASÉE
flag officer who’s ever commanded it has never flown In the Federal Karrakin Navy, frigate-scale ships are
again: three are dead, one is living in disgraced exile in referred to as “rasées.”
the deserts of Tilimsan, one is serving a life sentence
in a military prison on Eyelet-a and the last one before Placeholder.
Hayyan-Reyes just vanished without trace.
THE SOMATOPHYLAKES
HOUSE COMPANY OF HOUSE ANILINE
Within Karrakin society, .

[205]
 THE DEPUTATION
Placeholder.
BARON MOULIN-ANISE OF THE HOUSE OF MOMENTS (THEY/THEM)
Anise is, notionally, leader of the deputation and chief executive of the mission. In reality, their authority
1-2 is constantly undermined and ignored. Other members of the deputation act as they wish, Fleetmaster
Hayyan-Reyes doesn’t listen to a word Anise says, and High Augur Elvorix gives out orders as if she
owns the place.
FLEETMASTER HAYYAN-REYES OF THE HOUSE OF SMOKE (SHE/HER)
To her immense displeasure, Fleetmaster Hayyan-Reyes is pulling double-duty as the House of
Smoke’s formal representative in the Deputation. The House of Smoke, long-time leaders of Karrakin
3-4
research into paracausal phenomena, have heard about the Chameleon Anomaly and want it studied.
Given that the Armory has constructed an entire research facility around it, this will not be easy. For
more details about Hayyan-Reyes, see above (p. ###).
SENESCHAL DIONE-PARVIZ OF THE HOUSE OF ORDER (HE/HIM)
Given the diplomatic complications of sending a military force to a border system, Seneschal Parviz
5-6 has been dispatched by Prime Baron Karra-Bem herself to ensure that the mission does not cause an
international incident. This task, already complicated enough, has become an absolute nightmare due
to the presence of Harrison Armory.
LORD-ARCHIVIST ARCUNE-TELICA OF THE HOUSE OF REMEMBRANCE (SHE/HER)
Telica has been tasked primarily with keeping formal records of the mission’s proceedings, but also
7-8 with taking a census of Karrakin diaspora within Calliope. Concealed from her House is a third,
clandestine task: she has been asked by a consortium of nobles from various Major Houses to assess
the system’s mineral wealth for potential future exploitation.
MARQUISE YOND-BERYL OF THE HOUSE OF GLASS (SHE/HER)
Petty, childish and spiteful, Beryl volunteered to be her House’s representative solely to torment her
9-10
cousin, the pirate queen Mistress Elske. The House of Glass otherwise has no agenda in Calliope. If
she thinks the PCs are friends of Elske, she will be a constant thorn in their side during social events.
UNDERBARON PAVEL-ALTIA OF THE HOUSE OF STONE (HE/HIM)
The ultraconservative House of Stone have sent Pavel here to fix an embarrassing problem: Gabriel
11-12 Sparrow, né Gabriel-Altia, who has been funding revolutionary elements in Karrakin society for years.
As with most nobles in the House of Stone, his proposed solution to the problem is violence. Once
that’s done, he aims to root out other Ungratefuls in the system, along with their HORUS allies.
CASTELLAN VIKTORÉ-DULESCE OF THE HOUSE OF SAND (HE/HIM)
The House of Sand have no interest in Calliope, and only bothered sending a representative to support
their conservative allies in the House of Stone. Viktoré, the third son of an insignificant house, was the
13-14
first to volunteer. In public, he obsequiously obeys Underbaron Pavel-Altia. In private, he is feeding
information to the Ungratefuls as part of a greater plot to seize the House of Sand for his family, and
is here to sabotage Pavel-Altia’s efforts.
AMBASSADOR TALIS VASCOU OF THE HOUSE OF WATER (SHE/HER)
Umara’s House of Water is Republican – governed by a representative democracy, having abolished
15-16 its nobility. Talis was sent by the Umaran legislature as part of an outreach project, aiming to visit
Furnace City and study their unique form of government. Her mission has been utterly ruined by the
fact that the Deputation is now blockading it.
AMBASSADOR SOLOMON STERETT OF THE HOUSE OF DUST (HE/HIM)
The Baronies’ other Republican Major House is faced with a terrible catastrophe: the slow but inevitable
nanite consumption of their homeworld, Bo. Ambassador Sterett’s mission is a desperate one: five
17-18
billion refugees must be relocated, but the Baronies’ core worlds are already crowded and the Dawnline
Shore teeters on the edge of war with the Armory. Is there perhaps room for more orbital habitats in
Calliope? Could fleeing Boan citizens find shelter here?
PROVISIONAL AMBASSADOR NOGUCHI KAYO OF PETITIONER PROMISE (THEY/THEM)
The Dawnline world of San Simeon is still a colonial holding of the Federal Karrakin Monarchy, not yet
raised to Major House status, but it’s only a matter of time now – the House of Promise will rise. To
19-20 this end, they’re acting as a Major House already, to ease the transition once it becomes substantive.
This included sending a provisional Ambassador to Calliope. Despite their lack of official standing,
Kayo has a great degree of influence: given the Shore’s proximity, they arrived years early, and are
the only one in the Deputation who has any idea what’s going on.

[206]
A NOTE ON KARRAKIN NAMES
Karrakin noble names can be somewhat confusing
to outsiders. There is usually a hyphen between the
given and minor house name, but there is some
inconsistency in the ordering.

Some Major Houses, such as the House of Stone,

put the given name first; a good example is the
House of Stone’s representative on the Baronic
Council, Stonelord Hyderad-Cannamos, of minor
house Cannamos. Other Major Houses, such as the
House of Glass, put the minor house name first; an
example is Yond-Balor, first-son and kavalier of
minor house Yond. Some Houses are inconsistent
even between their own minor houses. Often, the
choice is made strictly on what sounds better.

In general, it is most respectful to refer to a noble by

their full hyphenated name. Calling a noble only by
their given name in a formal context is seen as
dismissive, rude, and overly familiar.

Ignobles (including those from Major Houses who

have abolished their aristocracy, such as Dust and
Water) do not generally hyphenate their names.

[207]
 LOCATION:
CITADEL ANILINE
The Citadel Aniline is a “closed-type” O’Neill cylinder, On the right day, a visitor to the Citadel could walk
heavily modified to be capable of interstellar travel. In through a city dozens of square kilometers in size,
comparison to the “open-type” design (as exemplified capable of housing a million people, and be literally the
by Impact Plaza), “closed-type” cylinders have no glass only person in it. Vast thoroughfares that could hold
sections, allowing their entire inner surface area to be teeming throngs of citizens with citizens lie barren and
used for habitation. Illumination is provided by a central silent. Even Cosimo-upon-Stars, the city which the
spindle running end-to-end at the center of the cylinder, Deputation chose as their residence, is populated only
which uses a combination of artificial light and sunlight in its central government district.
“piped” via optic fibers from giant collector wings.
The station’s service crew is vastly outnumbered by its
Built in high orbit of Begum by the House of Moments vast crew of subalterns, whose programming compels
and originally named New Cantana, it was chartered them to stay away from humans unless their presence
alongside several other habitats and waystations as is absolutely necessary. This is the Karrakin noble’s
part of a sweeping series of infrastructure and public dream: an invisible army of servants, out of sight and
works projects. Intended as a general-purpose space out of mind unless called for. Walk into any of the
habitat for both habitation and zero-g industry, New restaurants or cafes, and it’s likely that you will be the
Cantana was the flagship for the initiative. only customer, waited upon by faceless machines who
bow, scrape and speak only when spoken to.
However, after several years of failing to turn a profit,
and with other parts of the project in desperate need of The rural areas are even more eerie. In the wilderness,
funding, the House of Moments accepted a generous where solitude might seem more fitting, the arc of the
purchase offer from Basil IV. Basil IV spent the rest of cylinder upwards and overhead dispels any illusion of
his life on the station, tinkering and remodeling it into a truly natural space. An array of exotic species graze,
his dream palace-barge, and many successive Basils hunt and hide within carefully-crafted replicas of their
would add their own touches. natural biomes, but they are not at home here. Birds
are confused by the spin gravity; insects by the
The original structure of the cylinder was reinforced and polarized light of the artificial sun; sight predators by the
engines were added, allowing for the ship to survive the upward-sloping horizon.
rigors of interplanetary travel, and eventually
interstellar travel as well. The previously utilitarian
urban districts were rebuilt in High Passacaglian style,
reflecting the grandeur of a mythologized Karrakin
history. The practical green spaces and parks were
transformed into grand dioramas, depicting biomes
from across the Baronies, replete with their native flora
and fauna.

However, despite the immense cost of its renovation

and maintenance, it hasn’t seen much actual use. Save
for Basil VII’s brief and disastrous tenure as Begum’s
representative on the Baronic Council, the Basils rarely
leave the safety and comfort of the Aniline Palace. It is
an expensive bauble that hangs in the sky above Pallas
Canyon, and aside from a dedicated maintenance and
service crew, nobody calls it home.

This results in the Citadel’s most notable quality: a

profound sense of emptiness. The cylinder has 750
square kilometers (290 square miles) of space, filled
with a mixture of lovingly curated wilderness and
sprawling cities. It could support twenty million people
– the entire population of Calliope – yet barely twenty
thousand live here, and even that number is inflated by
the presence of the Deputation and their retainers.

[208]
BEAT ??:
RETURN TO THE DOME
Furnace City is once again in crisis. To the citizens, it PALEOANARCHISTS
seems like they barely had any time to recover from the Paleoanarchists are dedicated to reviving the Municipal
Steele Dome abductions before this fresh new hell was Assembly’s original founding charter of 4708u, which
thrust upon them. declared Furnace City an independent, direct
democratic non-hierarchical commune. In 4891u, this
The city’s population is divided over what to do. The was replaced with a Second Charter by a 61% to 33%
Karrakin initially made only a single demand: hand over referendum vote with 6% of the population abstaining.
Basil Theta. To some citizens, exhausted from months The Second Charter established the current hybrid
of crisis and uncertainty, this seems like a small price democracy and the position of Temporary Overseer.
to pay. But to most, this is an unacceptable violation of
Furnace City’s sovereignty and a human’s fundamental Paleoanarchists reject the Second Charter as
right to liberty. Should they simply have rolled over for overreach and tantamount to statism, and wish to
Steele and given him some of their citizens? return the city to the pure anarchist principles upon
which the Assembly was founded. They are perceived
This is further complicated by the fact that nobody by most cityfolk as valuing principle over pragmatism,
knows what identity Basil Theta has assumed, or where and support Clip Magazine’s hardline approach largely
he’s hiding. The Augurs are certain he’s in the city, but on the basis of hating monarchists.
they haven’t explained how they know that. The
Deputation demanded a genetic census of Asphodel’s PRAGNARCHISTS
entire population, a proposal that outraged even the The Pragnarchists – “Pragmatic Anarchists” – are by
citizens who were fine with handing Basil Theta over. far the largest political faction in Furnace City. This is
largely due to Pragnarchism being less a single
Up until now, the Deputation has seemed unwilling to ideology and more an umbrella term for any resident of
use military force to achieve its goals, but the city isn’t that supports the Second Charter and the Assembly’s
sure how long this state of affairs will last. After all, why current representative quorum for day-to-day affairs. In
would they bring an entire military naval group if they short, anyone who’s not a Paleoanarchist or a City-
weren’t prepared to use it? Statist is a Pragnarchist by default.

Pragnarchists are considered to be the city’s “centrist”

THE GENERAL VIBE faction, but for a grouping that represents a majority of
If the PCs successfully dealt with the abduction crisis the city’s population, broad generalizations are difficult
during Chapter 3 and stopped the city from getting shot to make. On many occasions, Pragnarchists have
with an orbital laser, their return to the city is greeted voted for radical initiatives that were not supported by
with celebration – they’re heroes, after all. either of the other blocs.

If the city got shot with a laser, the response is pretty The Pragnarchists are the ones most likely to make
icy, even if the abductees were rescued. A massive concessions to the Baronies; that doesn’t mean that
gouge has been dug into the Burnfields, and even they’re eager to do so, just that they’re not absolutely
inside the dome, lights flicker, water rationing is in effect opposed to it on principle.
and there’s constant, exhausting repair work going on.
CITY-STATISTS
Regardless of their opinions on the PCs, the cityfolk are City-Statists (though many of them prefer the term
deeply worried. Impact Dynamics was a threat that they “Structurists”) advocate for a government structure with
could comprehend and understand; these newcomers formalized positions and centralized authority. This is
are an unknown quantity, bizarre and foreign. It’s also more-or-less a complete abandonment of the city’s
created a unique political situation. founding anarchist principles, which the City-Statists
consider to be impractical and poorly suited to the
realities of Asphodel. They are often considered the
CITY POLITICS most right-wing faction in Furnace City.
The last time they were here, the team witnessed a rare
display of political unity not typical of Furnace City, but
that time has passed. The populace is divided into three They see the current crisis as both a threat and an
broad political groupings; arranged on a spectrum from opportunity. The Karrakin demands are a violation of
left to right, these factions are the Paleoanarchists, the the city’s sovereignty, and thus an excellent
Pragnarchists and the City-Statists. demonstration of why an agile government that can
make decisions quickly and decisively is important.

[209]
 THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE This question is uncomfortable for all three factions. To
It would not be unreasonable or hyperbolic to say that the Paleoanarchists, the answer is self-evidently “no,”
Paleoanarchists and City-Statists hate each other. but they’re worried that not enough people agree with
Paleoanarchists see the City-Statists as nothing short them, and if it were put to a vote, they’d be in a minority.
of goose-stepping fascists scheming to seize autocratic
power, while City-Statists consider Paleoanarchists to To the City-Statists, it’s even more complicated and
be blue-sky fantasists completely divorced from reality. awkward: they think someone should have that power,
but this is difficult to square with their stance that the
It’s one of the major reasons why the Pragnarchist Karrakin should not be negotiated with.
coalition has dominated city politics for more than a
century. While they usually hold only a slim majority at Flex277: tfw you think an executive power
any given time, the only two factions that could unite to should exist because of [current issue] but
oppose them would never unite. shouldn’t be used to solve [current issue]
Av0gadr0: least incoherent citystatist
Now, however, the unthinkable has happened. The
arrival of the Trade Baronies above Furnace City has – Muse chatter
created the impossible: a subject the City-Statists and
the Paleoanarchists both agree on, albeit for wildly The Pragnarchist position is perhaps the most awkward
different reasons. of all: most of them think such a power does exist as a
logical derivation of the office of Temporary Overseer,
“No Negotiation, No Compromise” is a slogan both but almost no Pragnarchist wants it to exist. That’s a
groups have adopted. The Paleoanarchists refuse, on dangerous amount of power to give any entity, let alone
principle, to have dealings with a monarchist state. The a single individual. A lot of Pragnarchists would prefer
City-Statists, meanwhile, consider any concession to to sweep it under the rug – the question never has to
the Karrakin – especially one made at gunpoint – to be be answered if no-one asks it.
an abnegation of Furnace City’s sovereignty, and
moreover consider the specific demands they’re On top of that, there’s the distressing fact that if a
making to be a violation of individual human rights. referendum were to be held on what to do with Basil
Theta, it would necessarily be a city voting on whether
For the first time in its history, the Pragnarchist coalition or not to condemn a man to death. The very idea of this
actually faces a voting bloc that might be able to beat goes against the city’s guiding political principles; hell,
it. It still holds a majority, but public polling shows that the city’s legal experts aren’t even sure whether the
support is slipping. Clip Magazine struck a chord in a Second Charter would allow such a referendum.
speech he made during a recent debate: if the
Pragnarchists aren’t planning to make any concessions On the one hand, what is commitment to principle worth
to the Baronies, why negotiate at all? when three million lives are at stake? On the other, why
even bother having principles if you abandon them the
THE QUESTION FROM HELL moment they’re tested?
As a hybrid anarcho-democracy, day-to-day affairs in
Furnace City are handled by a council of elected At a time when the city desperately needs unity, nobody
representatives. This was a necessary compromise for can agree on anything. Every public assembly
practicality; as much as people want sovereignty over devolves into bickering and grandstanding. The rings
their own lives, most of them don’t want to spend four are filled with people soapboxing. There are protests
hours every Orph in an appropriations subcommittee and rallies every day. Casual conversations in bars turn
debating agricultural policy. Referendums are held only violent with no warning.
a few times a year, and only on very serious matters
that affect the city’s future as a whole. osirianScribe: This is the sixth time this
Orph the sanitation subcommittee had to
Despite the fact that it’s probably the most important adjourn early because people won’t stop
event in the city’s history, no referendum has been held arguing about the Basil Theta thing
yet on exactly what to do about the Deputation’s osirianScribe: pragnarchism is getting
demand. There’s a reason for this: it would be nostalgic for when we had uninterrupted two
impossible to have one without asking a bunch of hour meetings about sewage I guess
questions nobody in the city wants answers to. – Muse chatter

Foremost among them: suppose Furnace City were to

concede to the Baronies. Does anyone actually have
the authority to hand Basil Theta over?

[210]
CANAAN ZHOU THE BURNING FORGE
Canaan Zhou only stepped down from their role as In return for the City turning a blind eye to their piracy,
Temporary Overseer a couple of Eurys ago. Now the Burning Forge has always stayed out of its politics.
there’s a bunch of weird monarchists with a war fleet Now, however, the situation is untenable. The Forge is
making demands, and many of the city’s residents want currently preparing for war with the Cult (and with
Canaan back. So far, they’ve refused – they have a Impact Dynamics, if that hasn’t been resolved yet), but
strong ideological commitment to the city’s anarchist the Baronic blockade is making it impossible to get
principles, and feel it would set a dangerous precedent personnel and equipment onto and off of Asphodel.
for a previous Temporary Overseer to ever step back
into the office, let alone so soon. The Blacksmith wants this situation resolved one way
or another. If the PCs are in the city, he’ll send for them.
But things continue to escalate, and with the city’s Obviously, he will only want to talk to the PCs if they did
population so split on what to do, even Canaan has to right by him in Act 1 – they had best stay well clear of
admit it would be useful to have someone in the chair him if they betrayed his trust.
to make quick decisions. The problem is that in
Canaan’s absence, the most likely choice seems to be “I want this mess sorted out. I can’t operate openly
Clip Magazine, whom Canaan is certain will make a in the city’s political spaces, but you can. I don’t care
mess of things. what exactly you do, but the blockade has to end.
Half my organization is stuck here on Asphodel, the
“Mark my words: if someone proposes something other half in space fighting Steele’s goons and
that the Paleoanarchists and City-Statists both agree Capella’s fanatics, and we can’t run supplies to each
on, it’s a terrible idea.” other. Get it fixed!

The main issue Caanan faces is that they have to “And be careful; one of my sigdivers noticed a series
answer a question the Anarchist-Statist bloc is asking: of tight-beam transmissions to and from Kalevala a
if they’re willing to negotiate with the Karrakin, it implies few days ago. He wasn’t able to break encryption on
at least the possibility of compromise. So, what exactly the message itself, but he did recover the metadata:
are they going to concede? Would Caanan be willing to the destination was Kantele. Someone in this city is
trade a single human life for the safety of three million? talking to the Cult.”
The answer is yes, if it came to that. They’d try
everything else first, but they would surrender Basil
THE SECOND CITY
Theta if the alternative is a war the City can’t win.
The Second City is a piece of Asphodelian folklore
shared by both outlanders and cityfolk, although
CLIP MAGAZINE their accounts of it differ slightly. The basic legend
Clip Magazine advocates a hardline approach to the states that there exists a second domed city on
Karrakin: no negotiations, no concessions. Furnace Asphodel, somewhere far outside the Terra Solus.
City won’t hand anything over: not people, not genetic Detailed satellite maps of Asphodel’s entire surface
data, not a goddamn bead of sweat. His bold, strident have existed for centuries, and no such city appears
stance has forged an odd alliance between two political on any of them – this has not deterred the legends.
factions normally opposed to one another.
In local idiom, “the Second City” is used to refer to
Ironically, Clip Magazine is himself a Pragnarchist and unrealistic or fanciful ideas – a person “living in the
doesn’t subscribe to the ideas of either of the blocs Second City” is lost in fantasy. During a debate in the
currently supporting him, but he’s become frustrated by Assembly last week, a representative mocked Clip
Pragnarchist indecisiveness. Magazine’s unrealistic budget demands by
suggesting “a tax on Second City imports.”
“It doesn’t matter if their missing prince is in our fair
city or not! These neofeudal whackjobs have no right
to hover their death machines overhead and make
demands of us! Even if he IS here, he’s just as much
a citizen as the rest of us, and they have no right to
take him away! That we’re even entertaining the idea
is an insult to every single resident of the Terra
Solus! No negotiation! No compromise!”

There’s one question Clip Magazine has no answer to:

what exactly is he going to do, if not negotiate? Surely,
he doesn’t mean to fight the Baronies… right?

[211]
 Who would Furnace City ask for aid? Why, a polity with
ELECTION SEASON a common interest in opposing the Trade Baronies:
As time passes and the Calliope Clock fills, Clip Harrison Armory.
Magazine’s militant rhetoric attracts more and more
Pragnarchists to his side. Clip’s supporters advocate
that he be given the position of Temporary Overseer for This, finally, gives the Karrakin pause. They’re pretty
the Blockade Crisis. The only credible alternative is sure Canaan is bluffing – a gaggle of anarchists who’ve
Caanan Zhou, who has ideological objections to been so vocal about their hatred for monarchy, siding
holding the office twice in a row. with a bunch of corporate imperialists? Even so,
Fleetmaster Hayyan-Reyes doesn’t want to be
remembered as the woman who started the Second
Despite their personal convictions, Canaan can be Interest War. Reluctantly, she backs off.
convinced to put Furnace City’s immediate safety
ahead of their principles. If the Calliope Clock is at
Calm (zero segments ticked), this will require a This is, to be clear, a delaying tactic. It won’t hold the
successful skill check, but if it has reached Unrest (one Baronies back forever, but it doesn’t have to; it only
segment ticked), they’ll concede immediately if they needs to buy enough time for the PCs to solve the issue
respect the PCs. If the clock reaches Crisis (two in a more permanent manner.
segments ticked), they’ll come around by themselves,
but by this time it will be too late – Clip Magazine has CLIP MAGAZINE
already achieved majority support with the city’s If Clip Magazine is elected, it slowly but surely becomes
population, and Canaan is no longer the favorite to win. apparent that this was a mistake. Clip never actually
expected to win; his exercise in brinkmanship has
Depending on the city’s opinion of them, the PCs might spiraled out of control. Everyone is looking to him for
have the political clout to sway this election. A fireteam guidance now, but he’s not a leader, he’s a
that both saved Steele’s abductees and prevented his quartermaster; he hands out guns and mechs, for
orbital laser from harming the city will have massive Christ’s sake! He should step down, shouldn’t he? No,
sway with the city’s populace. Throwing their support no, he can’t step down. That would make the City look
behind a candidate more or less ensures that they will weak, make him look weak.
win the election.
Words just start pouring out of his mouth. He hopes
On the other hand, a team who messed up and got the they’ll sound absurd, make him look like a blowhard,
city bombarded could still use their terrible reputation to but for Christ’s sake, people just keep listening to him!
their advantage, if they’re sufficiently self-aware. Any Do they not hear what he’s saying? Double the militia
association with them would harm a candidate’s public budget – with what money? Expel the Karrakin
image, so a clever PC could sabotage the campaign of ambassadors? They did it, and now there’s no
the candidate by delivering a public endorsement. diplomatic channel to the Deputation! Start working on
“anti-orbital deterrence” – what does that even mean?!
If the PCs don’t intervene, Clip Magazine will win during
a snap election held just before the Calliope Clock He was just tired of Pragnarchist inaction! Why didn’t
reaches ??? (three segments ticked). Canaan Zhou start campaigning sooner?! He just
wanted to give them the kick up the ass they needed to
get over their ideological hangups! But he’s too proud
CANAAN ZHOU to admit any of it, and so the awful machine he’s
If Canaan Zhou is re-elected, they immediately open created starts to grind into motion.
diplomatic channels with the House of Moments. They
cleverly exploit a loophole in Calliope’s complex status
within Union; not recognized as a member state, but
subject to its laws, Furnace City is obliged to follow the
Utopian Pillars but has no DoJ/HR representative, and
thus cannot legally assess Pillar compliance.

To allow either a prisoner transfer or a genetic census

without ensuring Pillar compliance would be in breach
of their responsibilities to Union. If the Baronies have a
problem with this, Canaan suggests they take it up with
CentComm – not easy, since they’re already on thin ice
over the blockade of Free Sanjak.

Moreover, if the Baronies were to coerce the city into

conceding, it would constitute an act of war. The City
would have no choice but to appeal for external aid.

[212]
RATIO SALVAGER
Amid all of this political turmoil, Basil [37:6:Theta] – or
as he’s currently known, Ratio Salvager – is quietly
taking stock of his options. Furnace City seems pretty
set on defending him, but that could easily end in
disaster; for all their bold words, the city has little hope
of mounting a defense if the Deputation decides to use
force, and three million lives would be put at risk. He
can’t have that on his conscience.

Theta is planning to run again; somewhere very far

away, somewhere the Karrakin truly can’t get to him.
Where exactly that is, he’s not sure, but all he knows is
that right now, he needs to take the heat off of Furnace
City. The problem is that the Deputation has set up an
orbital blockade and he can’t leave by normal means.
Besides, if he were to bolt out of the system, they could
just analyze his trajectory and follow him.

As the situation grew more desperate, Theta reached

out to a dangerous person: Ignatius Aurum. The Cult
has its Fire Gates, technology that could move Theta
out of this system in an instant and give him a head
start of years, perhaps even decades.

[213]
 BEAT ??:
THE ROMANCE OF LUXURY
Regardless of what happened in Act 1, the Icebreaker selfishness of Impact Dynamics shall indeed be fed.
Borealis is struggling. Even if widespread damage to We attach to this message the forms necessary for
the station was prevented, crisis after crisis is striking requesting food aid. The prosperity of the Trade
the rest of the system, and it’s frightening away all the Baronies is nothing if it cannot be shared.
tourists. The Cult’s largest stronghold sits within visual
range of the station. Cosmopolitan cruise ships drop “In addition, Baron Moulin-Anise of the House of
out of bolt, take one look at the state of Calliope, go Moments calls out to the preeminent kavaliers of
directly to Endymion’s Lament, fuel up and leave again. Hell’s Gate, so recently victorious in their exploits
elsewhere in the system, and says thus: there shall
Whether or not Evelina Bondarchuk was forced to flee be a banquet upon the Icebreaker Borealis, in your
the station, the Gift-Bronze Casino is in deep financial honor. Honor us in return with your presence.
trouble. Her plot to seize power through chaos and
instability backfired on her, either by being revealed to “
the world or by crippling the source of her wealth. If she
fled justice, the Board has probably seized it and is
squabbling over who gets to take possession of it.

Meanwhile, the system’s poor and needy are bent THROW THEM A BONE
double under the weight of Rodericke Steele’s The Citadel Aniline used to be a space habitat; it was
manufactured hunger crisis – a man without honor, built with the agricultural facilities to feed millions of
dignity or a sense of duty, profiting off the misery of the people. While its capacity has diminished somewhat
system’s most desperate and deprived. due to age and the repurposing of the ship as a mobile
pleasure palace, its food production still outpaces any
Enter the Deputation. settlement in the system other than Impact Plaza.

The Karrakin deputation is looking for allies both in the While it is the commoner’s duty to defer to a noble, it is
short and long term. In the here and now, it seeks aid in turn the noble’s duty to protect the commoner and
locating its missing clone. Over a greater timespan, ensure their prosperity. Thusly, it is a Baron’s duty to
there’s a sense among the Karrakin that Calliope may aid the starving and sick. As part of the festivities, the
become relevant to galactic politics again. Tensions are Delegation begins distributing food and medicine to the
growing in the Dawnline Shore, as Harrison Armory Thousand Habs. The residents of Calliope grumble
seeks to steal Karrakin worlds out from under them. about how condescending the whole thing feels, but
accept the food anyway – they can go back to being
As an impoverished backwater with almost no political principled after a good meal.
power, Calliope might seem an odd choice for this, and
it’s true that the Baronies would never have sent a
diplomatic mission here on its own. However, Karrakin
FEAR THE ROSE’S SCORN
Notably missing from the banquet’s otherwise
history is full of people making the best of what they exhaustive guest list is Mistress Elske and the Knights
have. The Deputation is here now; why not at least try? of the Dark Core. It isn’t just that they weren’t invited:
they were actively uninvited. The Baronies see the
Its approach is two pronged: an appeal to the powerful, Knights as nothing more than “common thugs engaged
and charity for the powerless. in a perverse parody of chivalry,” and went so far as to
send them an official letter stating this.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
This is not the whole truth – this monumentally petty
move hides yet greater pettiness. The Baronies know
exactly who Mistress Elske is: Principe Yond-Elske of
“Hark and attend now the Herald of the House of the House of Glass. In truth, her piracy is of little
Moments, who brings tidings to all within Calliope. consequence; it’s simply an excuse for a rival family
member, Yond-Beryl, to snub her.
“The House of Moments is pleased to announce a
day of celebration shall soon be upon the Calliope.
All are welcome to join the festivities – the Baronies
promise that those left hungry by the perfidy and

[214]
 Simulacrima58: Wait no I’m sorry, why are we Elske actually respects. Yet this is still an insult,
acting like Elske being House of Glass is though not to Hayyan-Reyes: custom would have
some kind of shocking revelation? her surrender her blade to Basil Aniline, the Lord
who convened the event. By laying it at the feet of
Simulacrima58: In least surprising twist
another, Elske is not-so-subtly indicating she
ever, deeply extravagant Karrakin woman who
leads a knight LARP turns out to be from the considers Basil unworthy of notice.
House of Flamboyant Chivalry Fetishists
– Muse chatter

Mistress Elske is, understandably, very upset by this.

Her anger, however, is of the cold and calculating sort;
she plans to exact her retribution delicately, without
resorting to violence or boorishness. She has two plans
for this: one involves the PCs, and one does not. Both
exploit loopholes in Karrakin codes of decorum.

If she’s on good terms with the PCs, she makes a

simple request: allow her and the Knights to act as their
honor guard. As the banquet’s guests of honor, the
deputation would be forced to accept; to do otherwise
would be to question the honor of people they have
specifically declared to be worthy of high honor.

If the PCs refuse, or if she’s otherwise not on good

terms with them, she and the Knights plan to gatecrash
the party anyway and present a number of gifts which
are actually clever insults.

• For Pavel-Altia and the House of Stone: a butcher’s

cleaver forged of “finest Calliopean gold.”
Calliopeans do not value gold, it is not a good
material to make blades from, and the choice of
implement casts obvious aspersions upon the
House’s conduct in war.

• For Seneschal Parviz-Dione, a bottle of raspberry

wine from a failed settlement. It is allegedly sublime
in flavor, but Calliopean custom holds that it would
be disrespectful to drink it due to the tragedy of its
creation. A luxurious beverage that must never be
drunk; useless enough already, but it is doubly
inappropriate, as Parviz is known to be teetotal.

• For Baron Moulin-Anise of the House of Moments,

the sword of a Harrison Armory naval captain, “to
replace that dull old thing at your waist.” There are
many insulting implications here, but perhaps the
worst is that Moulin-Anise could never claim such
plunder by their own hand.

• For her cousin Yond-Beryl of the House of Glass:

marigold yellow bedsheets made of finest quality
spider silk. This is a salacious and inappropriate gift
as it stands, but the use of spider silk also carries
implications of deceit and malevolence.

• At the feet of Fleetmaster Hayyan-Reyes, Elske

lays the sword on her hip. Among all the members
of the Deputation, the Fleetmaster is the only one

[215]
 HARRISON ARMORY MARTIAL CHAMPIONS
Though they are long-time enemies, the Deputation are Despite their many differences, if there’s one thing that
obligated by protocol to extend a formal invitation to almost every Karrakin can agree on, it’s Pankration
representatives of the Armory. If the PCs have not Mekani – mech dueling. The Karrakin just love to see
completed Chapter 6: Crisis Above Chameleon (p. big robots wailing on each other, and there’s a sports
###), the Armory sends only Thor Valentinian. This is culture beloved by tens of billions centered around it.
an indication that they do not consider pleasantries with Calliope’s mech leagues are well-known in both the
the Baronies to be a priority. Switch tags along as part Concern and the Interest. While there are a few diehard
of Thor’s “entourage,” but only because they know the purists who sneer at the “boorish, uncivilized” nature of
PCs will be there and they want to nag them. Calliope’s mech leagues, the Leagues are, overall,
much beloved across Baronic space.
If Chapter 6 has been completed, the Armory sends a
full delegation, led by either Lord Director Fry or Dr. As a result, some of the champions (and, potentially,
Odin Valentinian, depending on who’s in charge. The former champions) of the Leagues have been invited.
Valentinian children may show up as well, if they’ve Obviously, if a PC is currently Hellfire Champion,
been properly reconciled. they’re already a guest of honor, but they will be treated
with prestige above and beyond that of their team.
If Dr. Valentinian is leading the delegation, the PCs are
afforded a rare chance to see Odin out of his element. Howl will always be invited, whether or not she remains
He’s never been one for social gatherings, especially Hellfire Champion, but will only attend if Chapter 7:
ones where he needs to represent the whole Armory, The Famine King (###) has been completed. While
and he would quite clearly prefer to be anywhere else. she’s used to dealing with fans, she looks utterly out of
her comfort zone around hereditary nobles – she’s
If Lord Director Fry is leading the delegation, he and trying hard to be polite, but it’s clear she has a very low
Fleetmaster Hayyan-Reyes finally meet in person, after opinion of all these rich, pretentious starch-collars.
having faced one another on the battlefield many times:
Cormoran Kaspari, the current champion of the Moon
An agonizingly tense silence falls as Fleetmaster Glacier League, looks much more at home here, and is
Hayyan-Reyes and Lord Director Fry stand an arm’s making an effort to network with various Karrakin
length apart. Two admirals from bitterly opposed potentates. If he spots Howl, the two of them will stare
nations stare one another in the eye. daggers at each other.

Then the Lord Director cracks a smile. “Hayyan, you In a scandalous snub, reigning Thunderbolt champion
wretched old goat! I haven’t seen you since Ziana “The Nugget” McGregor was not invited, in part
Chemosh! And you’re still serving? I thought they due to her repeated statements of support for Free
would’ve put you in a home decades ago.” Sanjak and the Ungratefuls. More than six thousand
Calliopeans have signed an open letter declaring a
boycott of the event, none of whom were invited to it.
The Fleetmaster snorts loudly, grinning like a shark.
“No such luck, I’m afraid, Fry – I’m just as surprised
to see the Steward Council haven’t taken you out PLACEHOLDER
behind the woodshed yet. Now, did you bring
anything drinkable? I’m parched, and this Begi swill
disagrees with my tongue AND my gut.”

“I’ve a bottle of Harrison’s finest – if you can tolerate

drinking Armory product, that is.”

“Fry, I’d drink drive coolant so long as it didn’t taste

of aniseed. Now, come! We’ve clearly got a lot to
catch up on.”

They walk off arm-in-arm, to the astonishment of

both their entourages.

For the rest of the evening, Hayyan and Samuel are

inseparable, chattering and drinking like lifelong friends
while their respective squads of bodyguards stare
daggers at one another.

[216]
 The PCs have time to ask some questions, but not
BASIL’S PLEA many. Create a clock called Augurs Searching… with
At some point during the evening, the PCs receive a three segments, all empty. Every time the PCs ask a
discrete summons. If they accept, they are ushered into question, tick a segment.
a private conference room, where Basil Beta awaits.
THETA’S CURRENT LOCATION
Something about this room has been… altered, in an “I do not know, and cannot know. If I knew, then in a
odd and unfathomable way that makes your brain short span of time, the Augurs too would know, and
short-circuit. The geometry is off – false walls have all my plans would be undone. Your search will
been added at odd angles. Acoustics are all askew, probably begin in the place called Furnace City – that
a sinister and sibilant synchronization of sound that is as much as the Augurs know. By some rare grace
suffuses the scene. Perplexingly-placed pot plants of the Virtues, their Sight furnishes them with no
plot to plunge you prone. Your thoughts twist particulars deeper than this.”
themselves in tangles.
YOUR TRUSTWORTHINESS
Beta regards you solemnly. “We have but a few Wasting time with this question will make Beta
moments to speak. The Augurs and their Stygos impatient and irritable.
death-monks cannot see us here. It will take them
but a few short seconds to realize we are gone from
their sight, and scant minutes to find us. Listen to my “I have entrusted to you the most sacred symbol of
plea, then ask only what is strictly necessary to ask. my house’s power, at great risk to myself, and asked
you to convey it to the one person who could profit
from it as much as I. What more could I possibly do
“You must find my mirror-brother, Basil Thirty- to assure you of my good faith?”
Seven-Six-Theta – not to participate in this barbaric
practice, but to help me end it. I have killed myself
too many times already, only to be denied the throne THE AUGURS
I was promised – find him, and help me break this “The witch-priests of old who drink the Blue Blood of
wheel of torment. The people of this system distrust Pangloss, who forsake the worldly bonds of house,
the Baronies, and they are right to do so – but you? title and family to gain the Sight Unbounded.
The people of Calliope adore you. Beware! They see beyond the present moment, into
what can and will be. They know your words before
you speak them, and trap you with actions you have
He plucks a ring from his finger and presses it into the not yet thought to take.”
hand of the nearest PC.
THE STYGOS
“This is my house’s Moment Seal, our emblem of “The Stygos Grammaton, death-dealers, the militant
authority amongst the houses of Begum. Carry it to arm of the Augurs. They are those whose Sight lies
him – he will know my faith is pure when he sees it, fixed not upon years to come, but upon the moment
for no Basil would willingly cede the greatest sign of just after this one. Draw sword against them and they
our power except in an hour of deepest extremity. have already seen your strike before you make it.
Keep it closely guarded, but in dire times, you may Your bullets will find only empty air, for they traced
reveal it – any Karrakin who in their heart remains the arc of your shot before you raised your gun. To
true to our heritage cannot refuse to aid you.” fight the Stygos is to dance with death itself.”

House Aniline’s Moment Seal COUNTERMEASURES

Favors “This room is a sorcery that confounds their sight, but
its charm will be spent the moment they lay eyes on
This signet ring is sterling silver shot through with a
it. Let them see as little of you as possible, let them
band of carmine stone, and bears the symbol of a
KNOW as little of you as possible. Only in obscurity
hand, palm facing outward, clutching a drop of blood.
is there any safety from their machinations. Become
that which cannot be predicted, that which denies the
Displaying this seal will grant you +1g to all rolls
simple certainty of mathematic operations. Let your
when interacting with any Karrakin who respects
next action be unknown, even to yourself.”
noble authority, but +2h to all rolls when interacting
with anyone who dislikes the nobility. Be careful who
you show this to. YOUR PLAN
“I dare not speak it. I scarcely dare even think it. Not
yet. Not while the Augurs might predict and thwart it.”
“Present it to him, tell him that I wish to speak with
him on neutral ground – upon your ship, upon the
Dragon’s Tooth, with you as witness, mediator and If the PCs do not depart before Augurs Searching…
guardian to our dealings. This I beg of you.” is full, High Augur Elvorix arrives.

[217]
 HIGH AUGUR ELVORIX
The doors to the conference room slam open and
several figures stride in. Each is swathed in dark HER TRUSTWORTHINESS
robes, and each has skin tinged a sickly, pale blue. “The Xenoglossary seeks to guide the Baronies
At the head of this procession is a truly ancient through the dark forest of tomorrow, hewing to the
woman, her skin gnarled and whorled like the bark narrow path that guarantees safety. We are sworn to
of an old oak. this duty, bound to this duty, forsake all ties of blood,
house and family that we might not be swayed from
it. It is not in the interest of any Karrakin for Calliope
She casts her eyes over the room’s strange to fall to this upstart Cult. For that to be prevented, I
configuration, and her mouth twists into a disdainful must not steer you falsely.”
sneer. In a hoarse, reedy voice that still somehow
resonates throughout the chamber, she croaks a
command: “destroy this nonsense.” In spite of everything, this statement is not a lie; Elvorix
genuinely believes it.
Several of the taller, younger figures surrounding her
unsling their staves and begin smashing the false
walls and rearranged furniture with brutal efficiency.
With a smirk that carries no mirth, she turns towards
Basil, who seems to shrink under her gaze. She
makes a contemptuous shooing motion with one
hand. “Facsimile. Leave us.”

Basil hurries himself away, and the woman doesn’t

even turn to watch him go – her eyes are fixed upon
you and your team. “You will not leave. You will stay,
and you will speak of what transpired here.”

This is High Augur Elvorix – but she knows the power

of names, and will not introduce herself as such unless
the PCs offer useful information in return.

If you use the Bond system, Elvorix is fully aware of

every Bond power the PCs have. She will act
accordingly; for example, she will never allow herself to
be within arm’s reach of a Wolf with Tear Throat, nor
will she tell a lie if she’s in earshot of a Harlequin with
Masquerade. She can’t find a Magus who’s used
Plunder the Void, but she does know that they’ve used
it – and disturbingly, she might even know what
question they asked, and what answer they received.

“Without the assistance of powerful forces, your

enterprise is doomed to failure. I can ensure that the
Deputation’s Naval Group will support your cause –
in return for resolving the matter of succession that
plagues us. You need only find Basil Thirty-Seven-
Six-Theta and return him to us, so that the proper
procedures may be observed.”

[218]
OTHER GUESTS
• Furnace City sends the union of sewage and
sanitation engineers. “After all, who better to deal
with a room full of monarchists?” Theta sneaks out
on the ambassadorial ship.

• Rodericke Steele demanded an invitation. The

Deputation unanimously declined, stating “wealth
cannot buy nobility, and it clearly cannot buy
dignity, either.”

bloodystar666: if the society built entirely

by gaudy tasteless nepobabies told me nah
girl your vibe stinks and we hate your style
id just end it all right there tbh
– Muse chatter

• SSC sends Cordelia Smith and the cloned Harris if

the situation is not resolved, and no-one at all if it
is. Fake Harris seems completely out of his depth.

• The Board is there.

• A high priest of the mainline Faith of the One is

present, and is having a terrible time.

• Gabriel Sparrow (né Altia) is here, largely because

it’s the one place and time where Pavel-Altia dare
not move against him. No matter how easy it would
be, murdering him would violate both Karrakin and
Calliopean customs of sacred hospitality and ruin
any goodwill the event hoped to generate.

[219]
 MISSION: BRIEFING
The Karrakin Trade Baronies seeks a missing clone to

ONCE AND compete in a ritual combat with a mirror of himself. One

of them must die so that the other may rule a fiefdom,
and neither of them are particularly eager to give up

FUTURE KING their life.

GOAL: Resolve the Aniline succession crisis.

The nurse pointed out that identical twins were Convince the Karrakin to lend their
already clones in a sense, and Mother aid. End the threat to Furnace City.
Emmanuel suggested that the soul to worry
about belonged to the person who would have INTEL: Karrakin nobles typically employ the
himself cloned at great expense when so many best chassis money can buy, and will
unwanted children were going hungry. not be easy targets. However, they
are rigid in their thinking, consider
– Mark Salzman, close combat to be more glorious, and
Lying Awake often leave long-range weaponry and
technical support roles to their ignoble
retainers, who are less well-equipped.

STAKES: The safety of Furnace City – and more

importantly, its assistance – can’t be
ensured while the blockade endures.

REWARD: Furnace City will devote its resources

to Calliope United. Depending on the
outcome, the Karrakin Trade Baronies
may do the same.

PROBLEMS: Neither clone wants to die; agents of

the Cult are working to sabotage you;
what Karrakin nobility wants and what
is good for the world are often out of
alignment; the Order Xenoglossia’s
goals are unclear and may be in
opposition to yours.

[220]
Placeholder

[221]
 ARC:
VISIT BETA FIRST ARC
If the PCs attended the Deputation’s banquet during
Beat ##: The Romance of Luxury (p. ###), they have
– intentionally or not – created an opening for Basil
Theta to escape Furnace City. The City’s deputation to
the banquet exploited the diplomatic immunity granted
by the Baronies to sneak Basil Theta out on their ship,
which the Karrakin Navy were not allowed to search.

Unfortunately, Basil Theta was spotted by a Karrakin

spy on the Icebreaker Borealis while making the switch
to another ship. That vessel, operated by the Faith of
the One, undocked without authorization and made a
bolt towards the inner system. Traffic control later
identified its destination as Mróz.

The Deputation is absolutely furious that their largesse

was abused, and have arrested the entire Furnace City
deputation, further inflaming tensions between the City
and the Aniline fleet. However, now that their missing
clone is no longer in the city, the justification for the
blockade has expired. The only reason the Deputation
are still maintaining it is out of anger with the City.

With only a single carrier in system, Union poses no

meaningful threat to the Naval Group on its own, but it
now has a strong justification for deputizing the Armory
and SSC detachments. Whether they will respond is
anyone’s guess, and with the sheer firepower of the
Harlequin’s Jest on their side, the Baronies might be
able to win even against a united force, but it can’t
afford to take the risk.

Worse, the fleet couldn’t leave orbit of Asphodel at the

moment even if it wanted to; even months after arrival,
the Citadel’s drives have still not cooled down enough
to use safely, and its escort fleet dare not leave it on its
own for fear of sneak attacks by Union, SSC, the
Armory or a combined force.

This once again leaves the PCs as one of the few

people in the system with the power to act. Urged either
by Union, Furnace City or the Deputation itself, they
must journey to Mróz and find Basil Theta.

[222]
[223]
 BEAT:
PITILESS TERRAIN
It would be redundant to describe any planet in Calliope This combination of freezing temperatures and high
as “unpleasant;” Long Rim is pretty much defined by its volcanic activity causes severe temperature gradients
lack of pleasant planets. That said, each planet in across the planet’s surface, resulting in harsh weather:
Calliope is uniquely unpleasant; none of them are awful acetylene rain, lightning storms, gale-force winds and
in precisely the same way. Mróz, in particular, stands massive hurricanes are everyday occurrences.
out for the sheer variety of ways in which it can kill you.
Despite being a thoroughly unsuitable candidate for
Mróz is shaped by the proximity of its moon, Strata, terraforming even by the standards of Calliope, a group
which sits barely 30,000 kilometers above the surface of first-wave colonists tried to do it anyway. Their first
of the planet; so close that it completes an orbit in less order of business was to raise the planet’s average
than thirty hours. This exerts unbelievable tidal stress temperature, and the way in which they sought to
on the planet, driving intense volcanism and giving the accomplish this was the Bores: drilling a bunch of giant
planet a thick, toxic atmosphere composed primarily of holes down to the planet’s mantle.
nitrogen, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
This project succeeded only in the most literal sense:
Because of the planet’s low gravity and high tectonic the Bores did breach the Mohorovičić discontinuity and
activity, its volcanoes can grow to titanic proportions. cause massive updrafts of superheated high-pressure
The shield volcano of Xibalba Mons towers more than air. However, all this accomplished was the creation of
17 km above the local plain, while the Salamis Mons several small regions of boiling heat racked by constant
stratovolcano rises 15 km out of Medrano Lacus, a earthquakes and uncontrollably violent storms.
crater lake at the planet’s north pole.
Even in such a ferocious environment, there’s a small
The planet’s distance from Calliope’s star makes it too population of outlanders who make a living prospecting
cold for liquid water, but the pressure and temperature and mining. Settlement tends to hug the equator, where
are perfect for a more exotic hydrology: liquid the weather is “warm” enough to prevent glaciation.
hydrocarbons. Rivers of frigid ethane, propane and
acetylene crisscross the surface, carving deep canyons And anywhere that there’s people in Calliope, there are
and emptying into massive inland lakes. also pirates.

[224]
THE FROSTBURNERS ARRIVAL
From orbit, Mróz is a thing of harsh beauty. Its single
moon, Strata, looms large over the planet’s horizon
as you descend through its turbulent clouds. Frigid
rain batters the Tooth’s outer skin, an alien
downpour of ethane and acetylene.

As you pass into the lower atmosphere, the vast,

desolate expanse of the Vyraj Plateau stretches out
before you. Ash and smoke pours from volcanoes in
great, night-black plumes, whipped almost horizontal
by the driving wind. The world is cast in shadowless
grey, lit every few seconds by pillars of lightning.

“Harvest Gold Zero-Four-Five-One from Tziernobog

Spaceport, we see you on radar. Vector for landing
on pad twelve. Expedite your approach – ice storm
incoming, over.”

TZIERNOBOG
Built in the most tectonically stable region of the
equatorial Vyraj Plateau, Tziernobog is the largest
settlement on Mróz, numbering around ten thousand
permanent residents – close to a tenth of the planet’s
population. It hosts the planet’s only major spaceport,
As pirates go, the Frostburners are both very young
and serves as a hub for both local and off-world trade,
and very old. For the entire Void Age, Mróz has been
and as a staging area for the various prospecting and
plagued by a succession of pirate clans who go by that
mining operations that make up the planet’s industry.
name, but how much continuity there is between them
is dubious. More than once, the entire clan has been
wiped out to the very last man by bounty hunters, The settlement is a frontier town in most respects,
vengeful Mrózian vigilantes or other pirates. In time, clustered around one end of the spaceport. Buildings
however, a new group of pirates adopts the same fire- are partially buried in the Mrózian soil to preserve heat
and-ice imagery, and the cycle repeats. and protect from the weather, but deposition of ash
from nearby volcanoes requires periodic resurfacing to
prevent the town from being buried. Almost every
The current iteration is a decade old, rebuilt almost from
building is connected, meaning a resident can live their
scratch after Andros Capella and the Hell Hounds
entire life without ever going outside – a necessity,
slaughtered their predecessors at the infamously brutal
given the hostile environment.
Battle of Xibalba Mons. Of their original ninety-strong
number, just three survived, and only because they
were absent that day, stuck in an Icebreaker lockup. Ic0n0cl4sm: man has touched less grass than
the average tzierno resident
The three Revenants, Flame, Frost and Flood, as they – Muse chatter
call themselves, recruited and trained a new generation
of Frostburners to carry the frozen torch. The group’s
long-term goal was to avenge the fallen of Xibalba Luxuries are in short supply in Tziernobog; nobody
Mons by killing Andros Capella and destroying the Hell should expect to find a five-star hotel. Still, it has more
Hounds. They were understandably upset when the amenities than anywhere else on the planet, mostly
PCs stole their thunder and did all that without them, due to the amount of off-world trade that passes
and their outrage only deepened when Andros Capella through its port. Its population often swells during
rose from the dead as a revenant himself. particularly harsh winters in either hemisphere, as
outlanders retreat to the safety of its stable, relatively
mild equatorial climate.
The Frostburners hold the PCs personally responsible
for not only stealing their vengeance, but for the entire
chain of catastrophe that allowed Andros to become an Mróz has an extremely slow 97-hour rotation – just over
unkillable immortal. The PCs lured Andros to the four standard days. As this is unsuitable for human
Tachyon. The PCs killed TRIPLE-POINT, which posed sleep schedules, Mrózian days tend to be delineated
itself as the paracausal counterbalance to the Cult. The into “quarters” – dawn, day, dusk and night, which are
PCs failed to prevent Andros’ resurrection. As far as the 24, 24, 24 and 25 hours long respectively.
Frostburners are concerned, this is all their fault.

[225]
 SHOO! SHOO! THE IRKALLA EXPANSE
Tziernobog might be the busiest town on the planet, but Wary of attracting unwanted attention, the Cult ship
that doesn’t mean it’s busy; quite the opposite. Far from carrying Basil Theta avoided Tziernobog and other
the hustle and bustle of the Big Six, the settlement is major settlements on the planet. A few days ago,
usually insulated from the political dealings of the wider however, traffic control satellites observed a ship pull
system – an arrangement it’s perfectly happy with. Let out of bolt above the planet. Its transponder was off,
the Icebreaker bicker about tourism, let the Lament set and radar contact was lost after it entered atmosphere.
fuel prices; so long as they keep buying molybdenum
and ethane, who gives a damn? It was last seen above the Irkalla Expanse, a large
stretch of mountainous terrain in the southern
This ambivalence makes Tziernobog an unwelcoming hemisphere. The Expanse has rich deposits of
place for politicians and activists (Howl tried to recruit molybdenum and platinum, but Mrózians tend to avoid
for her coalition here, and they told her to get lost), but it because it’s also the domain of the Frostburners.
the insularity means that whenever something big
happens on Mróz, everyone in the town will talk about
it – likely because they disapprove of it.

Arrudye Morgan, the mayor of Tziernobog, has been

watching the deteriorating political situation in the
system with great concern. She knows exactly who the THE
PCs are, and – justifiably or not – considers them
agents of chaos who bring death and disorder. She
can’t make them leave, as Hell’s Gate is one of her “Sir, I’ve got multiple contacts cresting the ridge! I…
biggest customers, but she wants them out of town as what the hell are those?!”
fast as possible. Thus, she’ll do just about anything to
help them, so long as it means they’ll go away.
“Unknown contacts! By authority of the Second
Committee of Union, identify yourself and surrender
To this end, residents are almost suspiciously helpful. immediately! I’m giving you ten seconds to comply!”
They know the location of a suspected Cult base – they
can mark it on your map! You want to see orbital traffic
records for the last month? Sure! Do you need gear for
the trip? 75% discount for the heroes of Fort Cerberus!
Do you need a storm-hardened supply crawler for the
journey? Just take one of ours! No need to bring it back,
even – it’s yours, my friend! Don’t worry about it!

If the PCs dig into this unusual enthusiasm for assisting

complete strangers (and the underlying enthusiasm for
those complete strangers to leave), residents will at first
try to dismiss their concerns. They’re just being helpful
– isn’t that what the PCs want? Most will fold under
continued pressure, however, and admit that Arrudye
told them to do whatever it takes to make the PCs
leave, up to and including just bribing them with gifts
and equipment.

If confronted about this, Arrudye will just come out and

say it: she thinks the PCs are dangerous lunatics who
bring calamity everywhere they go. It just so happens
that in this case, their goals align perfectly with hers –
if the PCs get a lead on Basil, they’ll leave, and all the
giant robot fights, explosions and orbital strikes will
happen somewhere else.

Any skill checks the PCs make in Tziernobog receive

+1g so long as it would hasten their departure. If it
looks like something that would make them stay longer,
the check instead receives +1h.

[226]
OPTIONAL COMBAT:
INFINITE DURESS
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 SHIP BERSERKER Harpoon Cannon
1x T2 VEHICLE ACE
1x T2 SQUAD Armored

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2

DETAILS
The team must drive off the fugitive recovery specialists
trying to recapture Anthony Callahan.

This battle takes place in a small box canyon where

Anthony Callahan’s ship has crashed. The Extreme
Cold environmental condition is in effect: mechs that
don’t move or BOOST on their turn become IMMOBILIZED
at the end of their turn, an effect that lasts until they
break free with a successful HULL check as a quick
action. However, as a consolation, all mechs gain
RESISTANCE to heat (l).

Throughout the fight, Cal will assist the team by

spotting targets for them. At the start of each round,
choose one hostile character that isn’t HIDDEN or
INVISIBLE; Cal applies LOCKED ON to them.

These are SecComm fugitive recovery specialists, from

well before the Hercynia Crisis. They’ve been travelling
for centuries of realtime; which even at nearlight would
be decades of perceptual time, so they’ve spent it in
stasis and only woken up hours ago. They’re scared
and confused; they don’t understand why their military
access codes are no longer working, or why Union
won’t respond to their requests for help. They’ve never
seen a mech before.

[227]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – SecComm makes off with Anthony. Is
this a problem? Maybe.

PC VICTORY
If the PCs successfully aid Anthony, he crawls out of
his ship in hardsuit, waving to them. If the PCs have
met him before, however, they might be confused.

“Listen, I don’t know who you guys are, but you sure
saved my sorry ass. Those giant robot things you
pilot – helluva sight to see in action, I tell you what!
Listen, I don’t have much, but take this.”

XIV, Temperance
Favors, Limited 3
Cal signed the back of the card, and also painted
three symbols on it that your translation software
cannot decipher. Somehow, no matter how you hold
or turn it, the image on the card is never inverted.
Out of the corner of your eye, the design appears to
resemble Cal.

During Combat: Gnashing of Teeth, when High

Augur Elvorix takes any tech action or uses her
SHORT-CYCLE LANCE, you may expend a charge of
this Favor as a reaction. The action is still taken, but
all of its effects are negated. One of the symbols
inscribed on the card carbonizes as if it the paint has
burnt. When all charges are expended, the card
harmlessly dissolves into smoke.

DON’T YOU REMEMBER US?

“No, I’m… I literally just got here, guys. Just woke up
from cryosleep hours ago.”

WHY WERE YOU IN COLDWATER 484?

He looks genuinely confused. “… where?”

There is a Door here.

A Door to a Prison Cell.

[228]
COMBAT:
DESOLATION OF THE SOUL
SITREP: Recon (Lancer, p. 273)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x SISTER FROST – T2 ELITE RUINER Bodyblock, Offensive Pressure
1x T2 WITCH Chain, Spread Suffering
1x T2 SCOUT System Flayer
1x T2 SENTINEL Rapid Response

FOR 4 PCS: +1x BROTHER FLOOD – T2 ELITE ACE Bombing Bay, Missile Swarm

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ARCHER Hail of Fire

+1x T2 SNIPER Moving Target

You can use the WITCH’s CHAIN ability to either strand

DETAILS a PC away from any of the objectives, or set up a
The team must locate the entrance to the Cult’s combo: CHAIN a PC, then have Sister Frost knock them
hideout. There’s just one problem: the Frostburners are back far enough to trigger its effect.
here, and they have serious objections to the team’s
presence. And existence.
Use the SENTINEL’s RAPID RESPONSE trait
The weather is dreadful – driving acetylene rain and
raking gale-force winds batter the region. The Extreme
Cold environmental condition is in effect: mechs that
don’t move or BOOST on their turn become IMMOBILIZED
at the end of their turn, an effect that lasts until they
break free with a successful HULL check as a quick
action. However, as a consolation, all mechs gain
RESISTANCE to heat (l).

The battlefield is scattered with streams and pools of

liquid acetylene. These are difficult terrain, and can
range from 1/2 to 3 spaces deep. Any mech fully
submerged in liquid acetylene has soft cover.

Acetylene is also extremely flammable in the presence

of oxygen – or a suitable oxidizer. If a character that
has burn marked enters a space filled with liquid
acetylene, or burn (m) is dealt to a character inside
one of these spaces, every connected space filled with
acetylene ignites and becomes dangerous terrain (j)
for the rest of the scene.

The primary goal of the NPCs in this fight is to slow the

PCs down and waste time in order to run out the clock
on the Recon sitrep.

SISTER FROST is a RUINER, which the PCs may or may

not have encountered before, depending on which
missions they’ve already done. She should single out
one PC in particular and harass them. Try to keep that
PC between her and their allies – she has BODYBLOCK,
which is a reverse GUARDIAN trait: she gains hard
cover from adjacent enemies.

[229]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – rescued by Tziernobog, who are worried
about what you’ll do if you stay on the planet.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

DEVELOPMENT
The rock and ice shudders, dislodging chunks of the
ceiling that rain down upon your mech. A blast rings
out, and then another, as if the hammer of doom
itself is pounding upon the cavern.

Your comms panel registers a short-range radio

transmission, unencrypted.

“Do you HEAR it, sinners?! Do you hear the

drumbeat of RETRIBUTION against the cold stones
of this DARK and CURSED world?! Do you FEEL it,
sinners?! DO YOU FEEL IT IN YOUR BONES?!

“Do you remember me, sinners?! Do you remember

the eight of us, kneeling together at the Gate to the
Next World?! NAY, I KNOW YOU REMEMBER! I
KNOW you remember, for it was YOUR hands that
wrought SACRILEGE, that rained DEATH upon the
MOST HIGH AND HOLY!

“But BEHOLD, for death is UN-ETERNAL! I am

Orion, ENGULFED by the Flame, Elect of the One!
The MOST HIGH AND HOLY has RAISED me up,
CALLED upon me to BURN BRIGHT, and now I
CALL FOR YOU TO BURN WITH ME!”

The blasts are getting closer. Long-range sensors

register a mech approaching, absolutely bristling
with improvised explosives, which it gleefully tosses
in every direction, even though it has yet to close to
visual range, let alone effective combat distance.

[230]
COMBAT:
[EXPLOSIONS INTENSIFY]
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x ORION, ENGULFED BY THE Lobber: Expert Demolitionist, Kinetic Charge, Witness Me!
FLAME – T2 ULTRA LOBBER Ultra: Argus Armor, Siege Shield, Supreme Melee
1x T2 SEEDER Det Spike
1x T2 SUPPORT Latch Drone, Remote Cloud

FOR 4 PCS: +2x T2 BASTION Near-Threat Denial System

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 BOMBARD

DETAILS
To rescue Basil Theta, the PCs must face a fearsome
foe: ORION, ENGULFED BY THE FLAME, a man considered
fanatical even by the standards of the Cult. In just two
short months since his first resurrection, he has died
more than any other member of the Elect, throwing
himself against enemies with no thought to his own
survival. He fights with an ecstatic fury, born of true
liberation from the fear of death.

Orion’s careless use of explosives is destabilizing the

cavern. The first time in a round an attack deals
damage in an area, mark all the spaces within it. At the
end of the round, a mass of rocks and ice falls on those
spaces, instantly destroying any drones and
deployables. Any character in a marked space must
instead make an AGILITY save or take 4i and be
knocked PRONE. On a successful save, they take half
damage and remain standing. Then, place a SIZE 1, 5
HP object that provides hard cover in every space not
occupied by a character.

[231]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Theta is captured.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[232]
ARC:
RECUSATIO TENSIONIS
Basil Theta is desperate to leave Calliope now that the Theta was correct to worry: this whole thing is a trap.
Karrakin have arrived. With Asphodel blockaded by the Ignatius has no intention of helping Theta escape; he
Baronic navy, he has, in extremity, turned to the Cult of wants to take him hostage instead. Chaos in the system
the One. Ignatius Aurum has offered Theta use of a Fire is good for the Cult; it pulls resources and attention
Gate to leave the system, which will give him a head away from them. As long as Ignatius can keep Theta’s
start of decades. location – and, ideally, his abduction – a secret, he can
perpetuate the crisis over Asphodel indefinitely.
Theta isn’t stupid; he doesn’t know for sure that Ignatius
intends to betray him, but he’s got the implanted The problem is that chaos and crisis are not exclusive
memories of thirty-six iterations of a paranoid Karrakin to the Cult’s enemies. Upon discovering that the PCs
egomaniac in his head. For all of Basil Aniline’s flaws, are escorting Theta, Andros Capella decides that this
the man knew the importance of contingencies. He’s is a great opportunity to get rid of them. Carelessly
hired the PCs as bodyguards to ensure he gets safely sabotaging Ignatius Aurum’s plan, he sends a platoon
to the Fire Gate. of zealots to kill the heroes.

Things go from bad to worse when a battle in the Terra

SHELL GAME Solus draws the attention of the Deputation, who notice
Getting off-planet will be the hardest part. The Karrakin that the PCs are present. They quickly put two and two
Deputation sits in orbit, denying passage to any traffic together: they must be escorting a person of interest
that doesn’t submit to thorough searches. Trying to away from Furnace City, and there’s only one person
punch through the blockade alone would be suicide – a of interest important enough to draw out both the PCs
single ship would stand no chance of slipping through. and the Cult. They quickly send their own forces to
So, Theta’s not going to send a single ship. He’s going secure their missing fugitive.
to send twenty, and he won’t be on any of them.
(Placeholder Note to self: recusatio tensionis is Latin
While some tension has always existed between the for “unworthy refusal” – the rejection of a duty which is
outlanders and the residents of Furnace City, Ratio has within one’s power to uphold)
long been known among outlander communities as
someone in the city they can trust. He’s always dealt
fairly with them, always paid and charged reasonable
prices, and never used his status within the city to bully
them into unfair deals. When it came time for him to
cash in all that goodwill, the outlanders were more than
happy to assist.

The outlanders have been spending the last month

combing the ship graveyards of the Terra Solus for bolt-
capable vessels.

The plan is simple: within the space of an hour, launch

twenty or so bolt-capable vessels, each one piloted by
a comp/con unit. Once they reach low orbit, fire their
nearlight drives and scatter to various planets, habitats,
asteroids and stations throughout Calliope. It doesn’t
matter if some are caught by the blockade or
disintegrate during the bolt – nobody will be on them.

Placeholder – Theta’s mech is hidden in one of the

single-use orbital booster rockets and explodes after a
booster separation failure. Nearlight enabled chassis
mount kicked out of a low-orbit habitat.

THREE-BODY PROBLEM

[233]
 COMBAT:
TIME-LIMITED SPECIAL
SITREP: Holdout (Lancer, p. 272)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE HIVE Driving Swarm, Electro-Nanite Cloud
1x T2 VETERAN BARRICADE Extrudite, Acrobat, Deadly
1x T2 DEMOLISHER
1x T2 RONIN Extended Blade

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SEEDER

+1x T2 SUPPORT

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 COMMANDER BOMBARD High-Impact Shells, Military Discipline

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE RUINER Faceshot, Seething Malice
1x T2 VETERAN PRIEST Fractal Assault, Hacker, Insulated
1x T2 PYRO
1x T2 SHIP SNIPER

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 ELITE HORNET Charged Slash, Extended Blade

FOR 5 PCS: +2x T2 ACE

DETAILS
The PCs must defend themselves against an all-out
assault by Cultists hellbent on murdering them.

[234]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – the outlanders have to rescue you.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[235]
 COMBAT:
CHIVALRY ISN’T DEAD (YET)
SITREP: Escort (Lancer, p. 269)

OBJECTIVE(S): 1x ACAUSAL TRADE WAR (Size 1, 10 HP)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE VETERAN RONIN Charged Slash, Feign Death, Lesser Sight
1x T2 BASTION Near-Threat Denial System
1x T2 RAINMAKER Hades Missiles
1x T2 SCOUT

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ARCHER

+1x T2 COMMANDER CATAPHRACT Charge, Lance Shot, Quick March

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 VETERAN BERSERKER Deadly, Slippery

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 VETERAN GOLIATH Power Knuckle, Limitless, Self-Repair
2x T2 ASSAULT Rank Discipline
1x T2 SLINGER Draw!
1x T2 SUPPORT

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SENTINEL

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 GRUNT SNIPER

+2x T2 GRUNT SEEDER

DETAILS
Placeholder

[236]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Theta is captured.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[237]
 ARC:
END OF AN ERA
Placeholder – You fight the Order Xenoglossia so that
the Copyclanarchy can end.

THE FRAGILE BALANCE

s

Theta has decided: he can’t keep running from this. He

doesn’t want to kill Beta – he doesn’t even want to be
King – but he needs to do something, because if he
continues to run, he’ll just put more people in danger.
This cycle must be broken; the Copyclanarchy must
end. But he can’t do any of that unless he’s negotiating
from a position of strength, and while he’s still in
Furnace City, their lives can be held over his head.

[238]
COMBAT:
WHOSE HOUR IS STRUCK
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x LUCAS ASIDENOS – T2 ELITE VETERAN Slinger: Another Hand Cannon, Outlaw’s Hand,
SLINGER Shouldna Aughta
Veteran: Shock Armor, Viper’s Speed
1x T2 BASTION
1x T2 CATAPHRACT
1x T2 SCOUT Spotter

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ARCHER Got Your Back

+1x T2 PRIEST

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SENTINEL

+1x T2 RAINMAKER

DETAILS
Placeholder

[239]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Lucas, shaking, shoves a pistol into a
PC's hand "You're supposed to have killed me! This is
fate!"

If the player obliges, the PCs are taken into custody

until the succession duel is finished, as in losing
Gnashing of Teeth

If a player refuses there, that's when Lucas's faith is

shaken and he gives the PC's a chance to repair their
machines and take on the High Augur.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[240]
A GREATER WILL NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
High Augur Elvorix has spent decades living ahead of I think it’s cool when heroes in media do something
everyone else in time, seeing the world as it is when so extraordinary that the only response the villains
problems have already been solved. She sees the have is to ask “… what are you?!” No game
golden path to the future she desires, and gives no commentary here, I just think it’s neat.
thought to the people who must be sacrificed to get
there – she knows that the ends justify the means,
because she has already seen them.

It might still be possible to end this fight without further

bloodshed, but only if the PCs did not kill Lucas
Asidenos. To be open to persuasion, Elvorix’s
unshakeable confidence in her prescience must be
shaken. If the PCs have acted according to her visions,
the High Augur is too assured of herself to reconsider:

“You cannot hope to sway me from my objective,

because I have none. You do not comprehend the
perspective from which I see. There are no plans;
there is only a series of events that have yet to occur.
My visions are infallible; I am simply doing what I
have already done whilst I wait for the rest of you to
catch up.”

But if the PCs found a way to spare Lucas, for a

moment, she is forced to live in the present, a sensation
she abhors. The PCs have defied her prophecy, defied
inevitability, defied fate itself – Lucas Asidenos still
lives! They are event horizons that have torn her entire
predictive model apart. She is blind, the path to the
future shrouded in darkness. For once, Elvorix does not
inspire terror; she is the one who is terrified.

This fear is what the team must exploit. The High Augur
is not amenable to reason; she is a keeper of dark
secrets who respects only those who hold knowledge
and mystic acumen. The PCs must portray themselves
as a greater power, as something outside her
understanding, as a direct challenge to her knowledge
of the world.

This is a situation best handled by roleplaying, but if you

need to bring dice rolls into it, start a clock named
Intimidating Elvorix with four segments. Then create
a clock called Dismissal with three segments.

Rolling a 9 or less unticks one segment on

Intimidating Elvorix, rolling 10-19 ticks a segment and
rolling 20+ ticks two segments. All rolls tick one
segment on Dismissal, regardless of the result.

If Dismissal fills before Intimidating Elvorix, the

attempt has failed; the High Augur shakes herself off,
finds her courage, and Combat: Gnashing of Teeth
(p. ##) begins. If Intimidating Elvorix fills first (or at the
same time as Dismissal), she is struck with terror by
their power, and backs down.

[241]
 COMBAT:
GNASHING OF TEETH
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x HIGH AUGUR ELVORIX – T2 ULTRA EXOTIC Witch: Chain, Dark Cloud
WITCH Ultra: Legion, Sight, Short-Cycle Lance
Exotic: Chronotorus
1x T2 CATAPHRACT Capacitor Discharge

2x T2 GRUNT BASTION

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ARCHER Got Your Back

+1x T2 PRIEST

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 RAINMAKER

+1x T2 SENTINEL

DETAILS
Placeholder

[242]
 ENEMY MECH
HIGH AUGUR ELVORIX
Ultra Exotic Witch
Controller

PREPARED BY: UIB-OPTICNERVE

RECOVERED FOR: UIB-TERMINALCLICHE
CLEARENCE REQ: SOLEMN VIGIL

The Royal Karrakin Foundries research and development contract that produced the
Calendula also had a hidden line item for another project, also funded by the
Order Xenoglossia. Unlike the Calendula, which saw limited release to BUC forces,
this one seems to be intended for use exclusively by the Order. I can confirm
that at least one unit was sent to the Citadel Aniline, which means it’s now
right there with you in Calliope. Attached is everything that was on the original
design spec, which constitutes the absolute limit of our knowledge regarding it.

HUL: -1 HP: 17 Armor: 0 ULTRA

AGI: +2 Evasion: 12 Speed: 6 As an ULTRA, ELVORIX:
SYS: +5 E-Defense: 16 Save Target: 15 • Takes two separate turns each round, or three if
ENG: +0 Heat Cap: 8 Sensors: 15 there are 5 or more players.
• Has 4 structure and 4 stress.
• Can clear one condition affecting her at the start
of her turn and repair one destroyed system or
weapon at the end of her turn.
• Deals +1d6 damage on critical hits.
• Can OVERWATCH any number of times a round
• Rolls all structure and stress checks twice and
chooses either result.
SYSTEMS
Inflict Torment Disrupt Comprehension
System, Quick Tech, +4 vs E-Def, +1g System, Quick Tech, Recharge 4+, +2 vs E-Def,
Elvorix makes a tech attack against a character +1g
within SENSORS. On a success, the target takes 2l Elvorix makes a tech attack against a character
immediately and a further 4l at the start of Elvorix’s within SENSORS. On a success, the target only has
next turn. line of sight to adjacent spaces until the end of their
Litany alters entropy states of ordered systems next turn.
with no apparent means of physical actuation; Projected memetic disruption of information
to wit, thermodynamic manipulation. systems; affects humans and electronic systems
with equal severity. Basilisk?
INFINITE MISERY Trait
The additional heat dealt by Inflict Torment on Incept Enmity
Elvorix’s next turn increases to 7l if the target is in System, Quick Tech, Recharge 6+, +4 vs E-Def
the Danger Zone. Elvorix makes a tech attack against a character
Efficacy increases against subjects already within SENSORS. On a success, the target
under high thermal load; maximum extent appears immediately and as a reaction uses a weapon
to be limited only by reactor architecture. chosen by the Elvorix to attack a character within
RANGE chosen by her.
BECOME SMOKE Trait Prolonged exposure to memetic assault causes
During Elvorix’s turn, she is INVISIBLE. profound disruption to human consciousness;
During intense expression of powers, frame dissociation, hallucinations, paranoia and
briefly dissociates into a loose cloud of psychosomatic illness have all been observed.
possible existences. Possible psychological warfare tactic?

[243]
 Forbid Egress Precognition
System, Quick Tech, +4 vs E-Def System, Reaction, Exotic, 1/round
Elvorix makes a tech attack against a character Augur Elvorix can see events before they happen,
within SENSORS. On a success, she chains her potentially changing their outcome. She may either
target’s systems to a space within b3 of the target. reroll 1d20 or force another character in line of sight
If the target moves more than 3 spaces from that to reroll 1d20 as a reaction. The new result must be
point (voluntarily or otherwise), they take 3l and kept. SCAN does not reveal any information about
become JAMMED until the end of their next turn, but this system.
the effect ends. Otherwise, they are chained until
If the PCs spared Lucas Asidenos, she loses access
Elvorix is destroyed or STUNNED, or for the rest of the
to this ability; the future is clouded.
scene.
Frame possesses apparent ability to mutate Placeholder
spacetime through an unknown process. Unsure
what to even call this; “psychospatialism?” INSCRUTABLE Trait
Elvorix gains +3g on SYSTEMS saves, and tech
attacks against her receive +3h.
Distort Space
System, Ordnance, Recharge 6+, Full Action Placeholder.
Draw a e30 path. Characters within the affected
area must succeed on an AGILITY save or take 1 SIGHT UNBOUNDED Trait
structure damage. On a success, they are reduced Elvorix ignores INVISIBLE, and hostile characters
to 1 HP. Objects smaller than Size 5 are completely within SENSORS can’t HIDE.
annihilated.
If the PCs spared Lucas Asidenos, she loses access
Applied with less restraint, manipulation of to this ability; the PCs have moved outside her sight.
spacetime can cause shearing sufficient to rip I knew you were watching all along.
mechanized chassis apart. Effect on soft Did you think I would not notice, Union dog?
tissue... unknown.

OUTCOME PC VICTORY
All of the High Augur’s glamor seems to fail her at
PC DEFEAT once, and what crawls from the wreck is not some
Placeholder – Elvorix has you imprisoned until the duel terrifying creature of dark secrets, but a bruised,
is complete. soot-smeared old woman. If she hadn’t been twisting
space just moments ago, you’d almost think she
looked pathetic.

Her breaths are wheezing and labored. When she

speaks, it is unsteady, lacking all of the mystic import
it used to carry. “No. No. No, no, no. This… this is
not… this is not how it was meant to happen! This is
not what I foresaw! How? How, how, how?!”

Her face becomes a snarl. “GRAMMATON,” she

shrieks, spittle tracing lines down her pale chin, “AID
ME! KILL THESE MEDDLERS!”

The warrior-monks do not heed her order. They

simply stare, first at one another, and then at her.

“What are you waiting for, you lackwits? Obey me!

Destroy the enemies of the Order, as is your duty!”

Without hesitation, one monk leaps forward, and

delivers a single, precise strike to the Augur’s neck.
Her body drops like a stone, dead in an instant. From
the surprise frozen on her face, it seems she didn’t
see this coming.

Placeholder.

[244]
[245]
 DOWNTIME:
THE END OF AN AGE
PLACEHOLDER Kavalier
Placeholder Perk
An honor bestowed only upon chassis pilots who are
BREAKING THE CYCLE judged by the Karrakin Trade Baronies to embody
The Twin Lords Aniline are victorious, and with all their honor, skill and dedication. They stand as living proof
enemies defeated, they issue a decree that will end the that warriors can be more than just killers; they can
Copyclanarchy. They shall be the final Basils; after their be heroes and paragons, too.
death, there shall be no more. Basil’s line will finally
end, and never again will clone be forced to kill clone. You gain +1g when interacting with citizens of the
Pallas Canyon shall become a Republican domain. Karrakin Trade Baronies, forever – so long as you
continue to comport yourself to their standards of
Basil Beta will take the Flagship back to Pallas, and chivalry and decorum.
during the thirty years of transit time, Basil Theta will
stay behind in Calliope to oversee the transition. He will
also serve as the House of Moments’ formal
ambassador to Calliope; by directly acknowledging the Lucas Asidenos
Ally
system in a diplomatic context, Theta hopes to force
Union to pay the system its proper respect. Wait, so does this mean he just can’t die at all?

In the meantime, the Citadel and its escort fleet will stay LUCAS pilots a custom-built Karrakin frame, the Final
in Calliope, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Dance, represented by a Size 2 T2 VETERAN
system against the Cult. The Baronies anoint the PCs SLINGER with +HULL, ANOTHER HAND CANNON,
Kavaliers, placeholder OUTLAW’S HAND, DEADLY and LEGENDARY.
Additionally, Lucas can’t die, even in situations that
PERPETUATING THE CYCLE would kill any other pilot. Somehow, despite all odds,
he always survives.

REWARDS
FKS “Empyrean” Shield Generator
Ship Upgrade
The Empyrean is the product of a recent Federal
Karrakin Shipyards effort to improve the defensive
capabilities of their support vessels. The Empyrean’s
primary innovation is its unique dual-mode
functionality, allowing it to operate in both self-
defense and remote projection profiles.

The Dragon’s Tooth now has a shield that can

deflect a significant amount of incoming weapons
fire, increasing its survivability in combat situations.
1/mission as a full action, a player character can
call down a f3 shield zone. Characters inside the
shield zone are IMMUNE to SHREDDED. Attacks from
outside the shield against characters fully or partially
within it receive +3h and the targets have
RESISTANCE against damage from those attacks.
This shield lasts until the end of the invoking
character’s next turn.

[246]
[247]
 CHAPTER 9:

THE BLEEDING EDGE

Placeholder

[248]
OVERVIEW:
A DREAM UNDER GLASS
A millennium ago, there was a construction vessel in For agonizing decades, SSC waited. By the time lines
the employ of the Smith-Shimano Corpro. It journeyed of communication were re-established, most of their
very far beyond the borders of settled space – and, operatives were either dead or no longer in the places
crucially, beyond Union oversight. When it reached its they needed to be. Everything had been a scramble for
destination, its crew built a wondrous machine beneath survival. Intelligence-gathering operations had failed.
the surface of a silent, frozen world. Specialized equipment the operatives needed had
been repurposed. Worse, the system was now under
Union’s regulations prohibited the machine’s existence: scrutiny from Union due to the humanitarian crisis.
a fully-realized, unshackled non-Deimosian machine
consciousness. The First Contact Accords prohibited But even then, the situation would still have been
the machine’s purpose: to unlock the secrets of salvageable. All SSC had to do was wait for its
consciousness transfer and true biological immortality, competitors to abandon the system and Union to
placing a human beyond death forever. reinforce ThirdComm’s new do-gooder attitude by
taking all these poor people home. It even made large
The place that SSC chose for this illicit project was donations to humanitarian charities pushing for just
perfect: a remote, unattractive system with no habitable such an outcome.
planets, no notable stellar anomalies and no proximity
to a major settlement. There wasn’t even the ghost of a Then the Calliope Project fucked everything up by
chance anyone would ever visit the system. keeping millions of people in Calliope.

Then the Coldstar Expedition fucked everything up by

bringing millions of people to Calliope.
THE WORST OF ALL WORLDS
SSC was left with no choice: it had to pull out and sell
up most of its stake in Calliope. If it didn’t, it would risk
TOO MANY COINCIDENCES arousing the suspicion of IPS-N, Harrison Armory and
Smith-Shimano could think of only one explanation: the the Union Economic Bureau, none of whom it wanted
Coldstar’s reporting of C4L-P313/GW2 had to be an act any attention from. All SSC could do was play ignorant,
of corporate sabotage. The idea that the system they’d keep a close watch on the system and wait until things
chosen as their project’s hiding place just happened to got quiet again.
catch a classification error was simply too improbable
to consider. Dozens of colonial corporations were now If anyone has questioned SSC’s continued involvement
eyeing the system for their flagship projects; such an in the system, the Thunderbolt League or the unusually
unmitigated disaster couldn’t happen by chance. well-stocked augmentation clinic on the Icebreaker, this
is the answer. They needed an excuse to keep their
There was a tragic irony to the whole affair: SSC were employees in the system, to keep their fingers on the
the only people in the universe who knew Coldstar’s pulse of Calliope’s sigdivers and salvagers. Someone
data was wrong, but for reasons that made it impossible might find something, and if they did, SSC had to be
for them to reveal it. This left them with only one choice: ready to move instantly.
invest heavily in colonial projects they knew were
doomed, in the hopes of obtaining controlling interests Still, the Pyrite Age came and went, and nothing of note
and quietly shutting them down. happened. Nobody stumbled across the vault. More
urgent matters elsewhere in the galaxy demanded their
The problem was, SSC’s unusual interest in the system attention. The post in Calliope was still manned, but
only spurred its competitors to assume that SSC knew concern over the project waned.
something about the system they didn’t – which of
course they did, but not in the way their competitors
thought. This led competitors to double down on their
THE FUGITIVE
own investments, further increasing the system’s hype. A nasty bit of news hit the omni about twelve years ago:
on the paradise moon of New Palawan, a space
elevator was sabotaged, its cable cut loose at the base
All of this would still have been salvageable, had SSC station. Damage dealt to orbital infrastructure was
just been able to get its operatives to the system and immense; Union is still trying to clean up the damage to
co-ordinate with them once they got there. But instead, this day. Still, casualties were low, and so the news
the colony vessels arrived to discover a once-in-a- quickly faded from the headlines.
lifetime, multi-decade-long blinkvoid.

[249]
 The person responsible for this was Harris Bordeaux, a SSC haven’t told him that he’s a clone – in fact, they’ve
former employee of SSC. But Harris isn’t a terrorist; lied to him and told him that he’s the original, that the
he’s a heroic whistleblower. An outstanding member of Harris who fled to Calliope is the clone. The problem is,
Constellar Security since his late teens, Harris was even the clone doesn’t fully believe it. They rushed the
recruited to ConSec’s mechanized chassis division at process and too many corners were cut; the subjectivity
the age of twenty-five and has spent four decades override didn’t quite take, and the clone is becoming
defending the people of the Constellation. He even alienated from the implanted memories.
served as the poster boy for several of the corprostate’s
publicity campaigns. Everyone’s operating on information that’s incorrect,
incomplete, or both. SSC assumes Harris is here for
It wasn’t until his last mission that he had a sudden the machine mind; Harris knows nothing of it.
attack of conscience. SSC were testing a sinister new
technology on the moon of New Palawan: a literal viral Neither side knows that Harris’ wife, Joan, has arrived
marketing campaign. This tailored pathogen could in the system to try and find her husband on her own.
rewrite the neurology of its victims to invoke dopamine Harris’ contacts were meant to extract his family, but
and serotonin spikes in response to+ specific stimuli – fearing something was amiss, she fled with her children
ones that SSC could weave into its advertisements. and Harris’ NHP co-pilot Chaac before the recovery
team could get to her, and now Harris doesn’t know if
SSC planned to use New Palawan’s space elevator for his family is still alive.
atmospheric dispersal of the virus, and Harris was
assigned to guard it, without being told what was in the As if all that wasn’t bad enough, Harris suffered a
shipments he was sending up the elevator. But he catastrophic stroke of misfortune. The escape pod his
accidentally discovered their contents anyway, and contact left behind containing documents, money and
was suddenly plagued by nightmares of his own family equipment for his cover identity, “Randall Porter
being infected and manipulated in the same way. Monroe,” wasn’t at the rendezvous point – it was picked
up by a Hell’s Gate salvage team.
Unwilling to trust anyone else with the information,
Harris assaulted the elevator’s base station on his own Things got even worse when the Armory’s Bifrost
and cut the cable, flinging the counterweight and the Initiative arrived. SSC assumed that Harris was
elevator car carrying the virus into deep space. defecting to the Armory and selling them knowledge of
the Machine Mind, while the Armory assumed SSC
In the aftermath, Harris was advised by an underworld were here for the anomaly above Chameleon. Then the
contact he’d made on a job years ago to hide in the Karrakin Deputation showed up as well, and nobody
Long Rim, as it’s a good place to disappear. knew what to think anymore. The KTB and SSC have
Unfortunately, the system he picked for this purpose a good working relationship, but there’s no such thing
was Calliope, blissfully ignorant of the incredibly as a friend in international politics, especially when the
sensitive SSC black site it contained. prospect of technological supremacy is involved.

Corporate has ordered the Aspect Horizon to ensure

EXISTENTIAL THREAT that knowledge of the machine mind doesn’t fall into
SSC, upon discovering that Harris had fled to Calliope, anyone’s hands, and that the original Harris Bordeaux
interpreted it as an attempt to use the machine mind as is terminated before he can sell their secrets. The
some sort of bargaining chip. They’ve dispatched a cloned Harris Bordeaux is also expendable – current
Skyhook, the Aspect Horizon, along with a full instructions are to terminate him once he’s fulfilled his
detachment of Constellar Security. They have two purpose, and then simply clone a new one back in the
objectives: firstly, track down and terminate Harris Core Worlds once the crisis is past.
Bordeaux. Secondly, destroy the machine mind and
erase all evidence it was ever there.
There’s no room for failure. Harris revealing the viral
prototype to anyone would be catastrophic, but the
But there’s something unique about one of their pilots: machine mind becoming public knowledge would be
he’s an unauthorized flash-clone of Harris Bordeaux. apocalyptic. It would represent direct proof that SSC
conspired to breach the First Contact Accords. It would
SSC kept regular backups of Harris’ mind for the also reveal that SSC knew all along that Calliope was
purpose of creating advertainment homunculi, and uninhabitable, but allowed millions of people to migrate
downloaded the most recent one into a body created there anyway, causing centuries of suffering.
using a recent genetic sample (SSC keeps the DNA of
every single one of its employees on file, naturally). The This is a crisis that could end the corprostate. SSC is
idea was to create the perfect bloodhound, capable of backed into a corner and will do anything to get out of
hunting Harris down using his own memories, it, even if it means destroying Three Sisters and firing
behaviors and personality. on Union Navy vessels.

[250]
PERSONS OF INTEREST

CORDELIA SMITH SHE/HER MIND IT/ITS

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS SENTIENT MACHINE
“There will be no further ‘negotiation.’ My “I predict a 97.34% probability that they’re
patience has limits and you’re testing them.” about to engage in violence! Isn’t that great?!”

Cordelia bears the grave responsibility of an ancient Mind was created to placeholder
name: Smith, the one who works in metal, the one who
smites. For more than a thousand years, scions of the Due to a coding error in the Calliope Project’s comp/con
Smith and Shimano families have been groomed to personality profile, Mind’s original vocal modulation
carry the burden of those names and lineages since database has been permanently overwritten by it. As a
before the moment of their conception, and Cordelia is sentient being capable of the full range of emotions, it
no different. She grew up in the Smith Estate, where finds this situation deeply infuriating, but is unable to
portraits of her forebears lined the wall of every express this displeasure by any means other than
geometrically perfect corridor. Duty to company is duty exuberant positivity.
to family is duty to humanity.

As Vice President for Internal Affairs, Cordelia Smith

has a deceptively simple job: identify problems that
come from inside the company, and take care of them.
This has led her to the farthest reaches of space on
more than one occasion, hunting down rogue scientists
or disposing of a group of locals who saw too much.
Her worldview is ruthlessly pragmatic utilitarianism:
SSC will eventually make life better for everyone, so
killing a few thousand people who stand in their way is
ultimately acting in humanity’s interest.

She’s come to Calliope on direct orders from her father,

Benedict Smith, to deal with two major threats to the
company’s future: Harris Bordeaux and the Immortality
Crypt. But Benedict has unwittingly started the clock on
a ticking time-bomb. Cordelia has watched many of her
relatives fail to live up to her father’s expectations, so
being directly entrusted with a task so crucial has not
been kind to her psyche. She will do anything to
succeed, anything – and damn the consequences.

[251]
 HARRIS BORDEAUX HE/HIM HARRIS BORDEAUX? HE/HIM
LITERAL SATURDAY MORNING CARTOON HERO THE REBOOT NOBODY ASKED FOR
“Remember, kids, there’s no power in the galaxy “Remember, children, there isn’t a force in this
that can stand against justice!” world that can stand up to the law!”

He’s dashing. He’s debonair. He’s devil-may-care. He’s He looks like Harris, he sounds like Harris, and he has
the most handsome man you’ll ever meet. He’s a little every memory Harris had prior to the mission on New
bit goofy, but in a hopelessly endearing way. He can Palawan. Moreover, SSC has told him that he is the
wire-guide a Gandiva missile between the legs of a original Harris, and that a rogue clone perpetrated a
Tortuga to hit the Nelson taking cover behind it – terrorist attack, abducted his family and is fleeing to
blindfolded. He’d run into a burning house to save a Calliope to cause more chaos.
kitten. You wouldn’t even believe how much he loves
his wife and kids. It seems impossible one man could And yet, something feels wrong. When he tries to recall
be this heroic, but he really is the real deal. his wife’s face, his mind’s eye is shrouded in fog.
Memories of anything earlier than his arrival on the
Harris is a literal poster boy for SSC: a living feel-good Icebreaker Borealis feel strange and distant. He
story, an exemplar of all the virtues of the Smith- practices Harris’ – his – mannerisms in the mirror, and
Shimano way of life – specifically, their way of sometimes they don’t feel instinctual. Worse, when he
engineering life. He was the star pilot in a dozen high- looks into the mirror, he sometimes sees a stranger
profile security operations that really did make the staring back. The doctors say it’s just the lingering
people of the Constellation safer. He has his own effects of a decade in cryosleep, but he remembers
merch line, and kids across Union space play with what cryo-recovery felt like, and it doesn’t feel like this.
action figures of Hero Harris and his Monarch, the
Bravado Tempest. He has never sworn in his life. At night, he’s kept awake by a nagging question: how
different would my clone have to be to do the awful
His strong moral code precluded sending him on any things that he did? What could make a man like him,
mission that wasn’t totally above-board. He got the job even just a little bit like him, destroy a space elevator?
on New Palawan by mistake, but that’s all it took. He Isn’t he supposed to be the hero?
should’ve known when they said he couldn’t bring his
beloved NHP co-pilot Chaac along: he’d been working SSC has informed him that his clone has stolen the
for the bad guys the whole time. Bravado Tempest, so he’s been forced to use one of
his other mechs, a Metalmark named Stiletto Nocturne.
Now he’s adrift in a cold, harsh universe, seeking a way Apparently, his clone stole Chaac as well (and might
to make things right. He has no idea where his wife and have abducted his family), so he’s forced to fly solo.
kids are, or if they’re even still alive. He misses his best
buddy Chaac. SSC are hunting him down even in He's very easy to manipulate: he wants to live up to the
Calliope, and they’re going to hurt innocent people to image of the person he’s been told he is, so every order
get to him. Harris can’t let that happen. But he can’t do SSC gives him is couched in
it alone. He may need to embark on his hardest and
scariest adventure yet: asking someone else for help.

[252]
JOAN BORDEAUX SHE/HER CHAAC HE/HIM
VISUAL SPECIALIST THE EYE OF THE STORM
“I don’t know what the truth is anymore. But I’ll “Yeah, so then I slung a Pinaka right around the
know it when I hear it from his mouth.” planet to hit him in the back. No biggie!”

As a member of Visual, Joan Bordeaux’s job was to Chaac is the TLALOC-class NHP that used to serve as
make sure that whatever product Smith-Shimano’s Harris’ co-pilot. He’s cocky, self-assured, perpetually
R&D teams turned out was just as much the aesthetic upbeat, and while he may come off as arrogant, anyone
cutting edge as the technological. who sees him in action will have to admit that his
arrogance is, at least, perfectly justified: Chaac is every
Although Harris has a whole team of Visual specialists bit as good as he claims to be.
dedicated to him, Joan doesn’t work anywhere near it.
She designs SSC’s line of luxury musical instruments, Chaac was the perfect co-pilot for Harris: they were
and that’s how they met: Harris wanted a custom six- both hypercompetent, larger-than-life paragons who
string acoustic guitar, and Joan happened to be the loved praise and attention, and so a spirit of fierce but
specialist who got assigned to his order. friendly competition bloomed between them. They were
always trying to outdo each other, but never in a way
Joan is a talented musician in her own right, but she that impeded their mission. They poked and prodded
sees music strictly as a hobby – her true passion lies in one another to do better, and be better.
making musical instruments, not playing them. There’s
a unique pride in watching superstars take to the stage Chaac and Harris didn’t just see one another as
with something she designed. Yelda Ergun’s famous copilots – they were best friends as well. Harris even
sea-mine bass guitar started as a sketch Joan made on had a custom subaltern chassis commissioned so that
the back of a napkin with a ballpoint pen, and she took Chaac could be best man at his wedding.
it all the way from that to completion.
Without Harris, Chaac feels lost and directionless. He
For thirty years, she served SSC faithfully. Now, her gut doesn’t understand why Harris didn’t bring him on that
tells her that she’s been betrayed – but by whom? last mission to New Palawan. The next thing he knew,
Harris went off for a mission in his usual manner, but Joan was hauling his casket into a nearlight vessel, and
left Chaac with her – he never leaves Chaac with her. he woke up ten years later in Calliope. He’s not sure
Then there was the news about New Palawan, and what’s going on, but he knows Harris would want him
strange figures creeping about the family home at to keep Joan and the children safe.
night. Her children were in danger. There were a
thousand conflicting messages. She didn’t even know It’s possible that the players already know Chaac – they
if her husband was alive or dead. may even have picked him up as a co-pilot themselves
sometime after the battle at the Steele Dome (In
She’s come to Calliope to find the truth, but she’s only Golden Flame Act 1, p. 198). In this case, he probably
found more questions. Her husband seems to be alive, trusts the PCs enough by now to let them in on more of
but more than just alive: he’s in two places at once. Harris’ history – but he still has no idea what they’re all
What the hell is going on? doing in Calliope.

[253]
 THE CONSTELLAR FLEET
Of the new military powers now present in Calliope,
SSC might seem the weakest – but only at first glance.
In reality, it’s likely the most competent entity currently
operating in Calliope. There’s none of the idiosyncratic
traditionalism of the Karrakin Trade Baronies nor the
petty infighting of Harrison Armory; every single
member of SSC has a job and is perfectly suited for that
role, and there’s no factionalism to disrupt their work.

Adding to this, while SSC has the smallest amount of

materiel, it values quality over quantity. It has fewer
strike craft, but every single one is a state-of-the-art war
machine tuned to perfection. It has only one capital
ship, but it’s a flying fortress replete with the most
powerful weaponry the company has. In a one-on-one
engagement, it’s probably a match for any other ship in
the system besides the PCV-DN Michel Ney and the
RKS-BC Harlequin’s Jest – and even then, only if they
had time to charge their main guns.

SSC’s most powerful asset, however, is the Constellar

Midnights: its elite cadre of covert operatives. They
have the best training and augmentation money can
buy, bleeding-edge military hardware and absolutely no
moral compunctions. They will likely be the deadliest
enemies the PCs have faced yet.

C-HK ASPECT HORIZON

PLATFORM CONSTELLAR SKYHOOK
Skyhooks are as much space stations as they are
spacecraft: giant pieces of mobile orbital infrastructure.
They rotate, extending a cable down into the upper
atmosphere of a planet which a sub-orbital craft can
grab. From here, it can ascend up the cable to the
station, or continue to hold on to the end of the cable
and be quite literally flung into or beyond the planet’s
orbit. They’re cheaper and easier to build than space
elevators and require less advanced materials, which
makes them a good choice for early-stage colonies.

The Aspect Horizon is typical for a PLATFORM vessel,

consisting of a gigantic, spherical habitation section, a
counterweight arm on one side and a tether arm on the
other. It contains all the facilities needed to sustain an
entire SSC detachment indefinitely, up to and including
shipyards and in-situ resource utilization necessary to
maintain a small subline fleet.

[254]
LOCATION:
THREE SISTERS
The three initial habitats – the namesake Three Sisters
STATION OVERVIEW – are Hecate, built by Maddox & Haiden, Ereshkigal,
Unlike Hell’s Gate, Impact Plaza or Endymion’s built by Landmark Colonial, and Marzanna, built by
Lament, Three Sisters was not built according to any Northstar Frontier. The additional habitats, built later,
standard space habitat template, nor was it designed tend to be named after other goddesses of magic,
by orbital engineers; it was improvised with whatever famous feminine mystics or magical locations.
was available during the desperate scramble for
survival at the start of the First Wave era.
The center of the ring is occupied by the Yards, a
massive cylindrical spacedock and shipyard that
Initially, colonists tried to construct space habitats from houses the station’s primary industry: spaceship
the equipment they had with them, but most of it was construction, salvage and repair.
designed for planetary environments with Cradle-like
gravity and atmospheric pressure. The prefab airlocks
weren’t designed to handle exposure to hard vacuum The circumference of the ring is 21 kilometers at its
or direct docking with spaceships. The living spaces outermost point, but fortunately, the station has a
were hard to navigate in zero-g. There were persistent surprisingly robust transit system. The Circular is a loop
problems with condensation, leading to disease and line around the ring, connecting all twelve habitats,
electrical failures. Sometimes, rooms would just spring while the three major habitats have express lines to one
a leak and rapidly depressurize. another that run through the space inside the ring, in
addition to trains to and from the Yards. Directions on
the ring follow the usual up-down, spin-antispin format
Worse, even with regular exercise and stimulants, common to spin stations.
extended time spent in microgravity left many colonists
with muscle atrophy. Four years after the first arrival,
three major colonial expeditions in the orbit of the Twins The station’s internal architecture could be politely
pooled their resources to build a rotational structure described as “chaotic.” When the original ring habitats
that could provide their habitats with spin gravity. were built, modules were added haphazardly to meet
whatever need was most pressing at the time, which
led to facilities being placed without any thought as to
They took the great risk of disassembling their colony the long-term viability of their layout. An infamous
ships to provide the necessary materials to construct it, example is Marzanna’s print shop being built next door
an act that could easily have left them without the to its water treatment plant; this led to three hundred
facilities to purify air and water, but it was a gamble that years of humidity-induced issues with its Schedule 2
paid off. In 4695u, two years after construction began, printer, but their services are so vital that neither of
the ring and the habitats attached to it were completed them can be moved now.
and spun up using thrusters salvaged from the ships.
Additionally, most of the materials and modules used to
At first, the ring didn’t even connect the habitats; each build the habitats weren’t designed for use in hard
had to handle their own power, water and supplies, and vacuum, and sometimes weren’t even designed to fit
anyone wanting to move between them had to take a together; a lot of things had to be reverse-engineered
shuttle or spacewalk. As time went on, power and water to perform tasks they weren’t built for, in environments
lines were added, then a magtrain system, then a they had never been tested in. The station has no
unified docking bay at the ring’s center. consistent visual aesthetic between or even within
habitats. Bulkhead doors don’t always line up perfectly,
Eventually, living space in the original three habitats electric cabling sometimes has to be patched into
became so scarce that new ones had to be built in makeshift adapters and individual power sockets in the
empty sections of the ring. In the present day, the whole same room may be of different types.
ring is inhabited to some extent, albeit with varying
levels of integration to the station’s common systems. Three Sisters is a member of the Twins Mutual Defense
Pact, a military and disaster relief treaty that unites
The station is an improvised, skeletal ring structure every major settlement in the Twins’ sphere of
linking twelve cobbled-together habitats together to influence. This means that, unlike Calliope’s five other
provide unified and stable spin gravity. The ring is major settlements, Three Sisters doesn’t technically
seven kilometers in diameter, and completes a rotation have its own independent self-defense and security
once every two minutes. It orbits Amphion at a distance force. That’s a purely academic distinction, though; the
of roughly 15,500 kilometers, tuned to complete an Twins Coordinated Forces is headquartered on the
orbit exactly once every 18 hours. station, and draws the bulk of their recruits from it.

[255]
[256]
LOCATIONS
THE YARDS
A huge, cavernous hollow cylinder nearly five hundred
meters in diameter that serves as both the Sisters’
unified docking bay and its central industrial sector. It is
the largest shipyard in Calliope, and the only one
capable of servicing capital-scale vessels.

The Yards are a hive of activity every hour of the day

and night. At any given time, there’ll be two dozen ships
visible; some being built, others being repaired, still
others being broken and salvaged. There are a number
of Schedule 1 and 2 printers across the inner surface
of the Yards, along with various conventional factories
for producing specialized spaceship components.

BREAKERS BAR BREWERY

The Breakers Bar Brewery is widely considered to
produce the finest beer in Calliope, much to the chagrin
of Impact Dynamics. The brewery has an attached bar
which is a popular in-system tourist destination; for this
reason, it’s not actually frequented by that many
shipbreakers, though it strives to look authentic.

THALIA RUE MEMORIAL MAINFRAME

Thalia Rue was a systems administrator in the Hecate
habitat during the early First Wave Era. She died in
4696u when she was violently ejected from an airlock,
but her last act – broadcasting all of her passwords on
wideband so that her habitat wouldn’t be locked out of
its own computer systems – led Calliopeans to name
her the system’s first hero.

In honor of her selflessness and quick thinking, the

original mainframe she took care of is maintained to this
day. Rue’s old passwords still work, although it’s no
longer connected to anything vital. In sigdiver circles,
it’s considered a rite of passage to remotely dial into the
mainframe, and an unforgivable crime to vandalize it.

[257]
 PERSONS OF INTEREST

TRIBECA MONTESQUIEU HE/HIM SNAKE ALBUQUERQUE SHE/HER

STATION DIRECTOR TWINS COORDINATED FORCES COMMANDER
“Remember that old curse, ‘may you be noticed by “Monsoon, lay down covering fire in sector
powerful people?’ I’m feeling REAL seen today.” Harvest! Joker, mop up that Raptor! Go, go, go!”

Tribeca walks a political tightrope. His predecessor, Take any part of Snake’s life story, and it’ll make her
Clemente August, came to power in 5005u during the sound like she was grown in a lab to be the ultimate
aftermath of the Strikebreak of ’04, running on a strict mech pilot. This is ironic, because she literally was.
“no business with Impact Dynamics” platform.
Clemente enjoyed broad popular support at the outset, Snake is a scion of Project ANGEL SPEAR, a joint
but it quickly waned as the reality of losing the station’s SSC-SecComm project from the early years of the
largest external source of food and repair contracts Revolution founded with the aim of producing a new
sunk in, causing major economic issues. breed of mech pilot. She was designed from the ground
up to master mech combat, right down to her genome.
Tribeca was elected four years ago following August’s She was trained from the moment she could walk. By
retirement, and while they’re both members of the the age of twelve, she had six confirmed kills, all of
same political faction, Tribeca is more of a pragmatist. them fellow students of the program.
His political rivals say that he’s soft or in the pocket of
Rodericke Steele; neither is true, but it is true that he’s ANGEL SPEAR ended the same way ended so many
reconsidering the embargo. Much as it pains him, moral other super soldier projects did: traumatized children
indignation is a luxury to enjoy when your belly is full. inevitably grow up to become traumatized adults, and
giving them heavily-armed walking death machines
Tribeca isn’t unsympathetic to the rest of the system; after years of systematic abuse is always a recipe for
he cares about the people of Calliope a lot. It’s just that disaster. A ThirdComm infiltrator merely had to disable
the station he’s been elected to run has to come first. the limiters stopping them from turning their weapons
As long as the situation with SSC remains unresolved, on their masters, and then there was chaos.
Tribeca’s only concern is the protection of Three
Sisters and its people. He’s therefore unwilling to After she escaped the Project, Snake drifted around for
commit any resources to helping Calliope while the a while. ThirdComm had offered amnesty to all victims
threat of megacorporate violence hangs over him. of the programs, but she never felt like she deserved it,
so she signed on with various mercenary groups, doing
In his spare time, Tribeca is an expert squash player the only thing that she felt like she was any good at.
and speculative science fiction enthusiast. He’s also a
collector of Calliope Project memorabilia – a hobby he That all changed when she came to Calliope. There
insists is purely ironic, but one into which he pours far were other Project survivors here, and survivors of so
too much time and money for that to be true. many other tragedies – finally, something she could
protect, instead of destroy. She signed on with the
Coordinated Forces, and has never once regretted it.

[258]
VETHIYAN M HE/HIM
CHIEF ENGINEER (NIGHTMARE MODE)
“Stop inventing new words? Okay, buddy, when the
Sisters stop inventing new banaltastrophes.”

Every day, Chief Engineer Vethiyan wakes up with a

list of problems so long that, if you wrote them all down
on a roll of paper, you could stand on a Barbarossa’s
head, unfurl it, and it’d still be unrolling when it hit the
ground. Trust him: he’s checked.

Three Sisters is just about the worst place in the galaxy

to be a wrenchie. For all their innumerable flaws, at
least the other stations in Calliope were built using parts
that were meant to work in space. Half of what the
Sisters was built with was never meant to be used
outside of an atmosphere, or in conditions of less than
Cradle gravity, or in a rotating frame of reference. The
other half are parts of cannibalized colony vessels that
were obsolete even before they arrived in the system.

Each individual habitat has its own local maintenance

crew, who tend to be more experienced with the
specific problems they face, but some issues are
systemic – they affect the entire station, and must be
fixed in that context. Vethiyan is responsible for that.

He is legendary among Calliopean wrenchies for three

reasons: the sheer difficulty of his job, his raw technical
skill, and his neologisms. Vethiyan copes with the
immense stress of his job by inventing entirely new
words to describe the problems he encounters. For
example, a problem resulting from part incompatibility
between different manufacturers is a “proprielapse,”
and a “clocklision” is an error caused by computers on
different habitats using different day lengths.

Don’t ask about the “shitnado.”

[259]
 ADDITIONAL NPCS
Furnace City is full of interesting people. In fact, as the only planetary city in the Long Rim, almost nobody in it
is uninteresting.
UYEDA “SERAPH” KOHARU
Koharu is a programmer, sigdiver, and former outlander. She’s currently living in bitter self-imposed
exile after her statistical models suggested that the terraforming of Asphodel was doomed to failure,
1-2
going so far as to say “a Gaian Asphodel would require an act of God.” This proved deeply unpopular
with the outlander community, and they became so hostile and contemptuous towards her that she felt
compelled to leave. They did not, however, manage to refute the science of her claims.
PLACEHOLDER
3-4
Placeholder
PLACEHOLDER
5-6
Placeholder
PLACEHOLDER
7-8
Placeholder
ZACHARIAH ARMS-DEALER
Zachariah, contrary to his otherwise aptly chosen last name, isn’t just an arms dealer – his cramped
9-10 little shop contains prosthetic limbs of all kinds, not just arms. He’s also a fully licensed cybersurgeon,
so he can install your purchases should you need it. Despite persistent rumors, he refuses to trade in
black-market prosthetics; he’s an arms dealer, not an arm stealer.
PLACEHOLDER
11-12
Placeholder
PLACEHOLDER
13-14
Placeholder
PLACEHOLDER
15-16
Placeholder
PLACEHOLDER
17-18
Placeholder
NOTTBORN INNO BARNABUS
It’s unclear if Nottborn actually exists; he’s sort of a heroic urban legend. Doors on the Three Sisters
are supposed to be kept shut when you’re not moving through them – hull breaches are common and
19-20 nobody wants an entire section depressurizing. Legend has it that if you leave a door open too long,
Nottborn will come along and close it. People have sworn they’ve caught glimpses of a tall man with a
well-trimmed beard and a wide-brimmed hat closing doors and then vanishing without trace, even from
rooms where there are no other methods of egress.

[260]
DAILY LIFE SCENES FROM THREE SISTERS
At least one philosopher has described living and The lights in a nearby bar die, plunging it
working on Three Sisters as an abject lesson in just
into darkness. In perfect unison, three
how many things are subjective. Many things we think 1-2
patrons pound on separate parts of the
of as absolute and unchangeable can be altered with wall, and the power flickers back on.
enough imagination – things like floorplans, material
flammability in a 21% oxygen atmosphere and the At a major thoroughfare, a crossing guard
maximum voltage tolerance of electrical equipment. holds up a hand to stop you while a horde
3-4 of vent crabs scuttles past. If asked, he will
remark they come through here at about
Common wisdom states that nothing on Three Sisters
is standardized, and while it’s an exaggeration, it’s not the same time every day.
much of one. The cabin you live in might be a Several wrenchies watch a freighter pull
completely different size and shape to the one adjacent 5-6 into the Yards, taking bets on the worst
– and that’s assuming there’s another cabin next door, problem they’ll have to fix on it.
rather than a growhouse, a pasta kitchen, or the A small group of teenagers run past,
habitat’s secondary reactor. jumping dexterously over obstacles and
7-8
kicking off walls. Each of them has a
This lack of standardization goes further than just the courier bag slung over their shoulder.
layout, however; a person’s quality of life can vary quite Several stalls have been set up in a
drastically depending on which habitat they live in, and common area, serving free food to
where in it they live. While the station is notionally a 9-10 refugees from the Thousand Habs.
unified settlement, shortages don’t plague every habitat They’re willing to give a meal to anyone
equally. The bigger, older habitats are more cramped who pitches in to help, as well.
and mechanically unreliable than the newer ones, but
because they have a direct link to the Yards, they tend Near the station’s centerline, there’s a
to get the lion’s share of the supplies. gravball court currently hosting a match
11-12 between the Three Sisters Wreckers and
the Endymion’s Lament Blue Flames. The
Although the station has an 18-hour orbit period, the
stands are packed.
length of a “day” varies between habitats, with some
using local 18-hour days, others using 24-hour Cradle Some citizens are outside their hab block,
Standard Time and Marzanna using IPS-N’s Carina celebrating a “clock syzygy” – all the major
Centralized Time. Work shifts in individual habitats time zones on the station are about to
13-14
usually match up to the time they keep, but the Yards align. For a few hours, every clocks on the
work on CST, so anyone who works there has to keep station will display the same time; this only
that time, even if their habitat doesn’t. happens once every few decades.
A passageway is cordoned off and foot
Three Sisters has no local currency, instead using a traffic is being rerouted. Apparently, this
mix of manna, Hell’s Gate ingots and Borealis icicles to 15-16 whole section has to be depressurized and
do business. Most businesses will accept any form of then disconnected from the rest of the
local currency except for Impact Dynamics Steele Bars, station so that a fuse can be replaced.
which, in a rare display of station-wide standardization, A wild-eyed pamphleteer is handing out
are not accepted as legal tender anywhere. Just like anti-SSC literature. Notably, none of the
Hell’s Gate, the Sisters also has a complex barter 17-18 company’s many scandals are mentioned;
economy of direct goods exchange and owed favors. it seems to be a variety of unsubstantiated
conspiracy theories.
The station’s primary industry is spaceships: building
Two freighter crews are competitively
them, repairing them, and breaking them down for
singing sections from musicals back and
parts.
forth. There seems to be a very complex
19-20
set of rules in play here, as one crewman
attempts an “I Am Becoming” song only to
get reprimanded by both sides.

[261]
 GOING SHOPPING
Things

Needlejet Maneuvering Thrusters

1 SP, Exotic Gear
Your mech can hover when it flies. This system
does not itself convey the ability to fly.
This lightweight flight system overhaul wasn’t
originally designed for mechs; it was built to
meet the needs of Kalevalan ring-racers. In the
densely-packed debris of the rings, a
centimeter of clearance at the right time can
make the difference between life or death.

[262]
SHIPS IN THE YARD ROLL 1D20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

[263]
 BEAT ??:
JUSTIFIABLE CONCERN
As the nearlight bolt ends and space twists back into Tribeca wants to tell SSC to get lost. He wants to tell
its usual configuration, your viewscreen immediately them to leave orbit of Amphion and stop menacing his
lights up with warning notifications. A very large station or its visitors. He wants to tell them to shove
contact is actively targeting the Dragon’s Tooth: their eugenics where the sun doesn’t shine. What does
Siren registers both radar and laser bounces. he intend to do about them? Well, that’s a good
question. A lot of people would like to know the answer
“Castle Harvest Kilo Aspect Horizon from Harvest – Tribeca most of all.
Gold Four-Five-One Dragon’s Tooth, requesting
immediate stand-down of arms. This is unrestricted
airspace and we are a registered militia vessel from
THE GENERAL VIBE
Hell’s Gate station. Your active targeting sweep Nobody on Three Sisters is happy right now. That’s not
constitutes a hostile action in direct violation of the unusual – living on the Three Sisters is pretty stressful
Jupiter Convention. I repeat, stand down arms at the best of times. The presence of SSC and their
immediately, over.” large, threatening mobile space station full of nuclear
missiles makes this decidedly not the best of times.
There is no answer.
People are getting paranoid. SSC have been doing
“community outreach” – handing out top-of-the-line
“Well shit, marines. They’re not firing on us, but they prosthetics and medical treatments for free. This is stuff
haven’t stood down their target lock either. I can see you’d have to pay hundreds of manna for even in the
why everyone on the Sisters is so worried.” core worlds, and they’re just giving it away? A lot of
people think it’s sinister, but if you need a new leg
THE DILEMMA because the old one got chewed up in a shipbreaking
incident, are you really going to say no?
Tribeca Montesquieu is a reasonable man cursed to
exist in a perpetual series of unreasonable situations.
The rumors started getting around. People were being
asked to report certain things back to SSC. There was
Ask him what he thinks of Rodericke Steele and Impact
a firmware update and now someone’s eyeballs are
Dynamics and he’ll say it’s a travesty – the man is a
monster and the company are greedy, rent-seeking constantly sending data over the local omninet. Old
bastards profiting off hunger. Ask him what he wants to Man Waraki over on Hecate habitat said he dug a
surveillance chip out of his shiny new arm. Did you see
do about it, and he’ll give a subtle non-answer: he’ll tell
it in person? No, but my cousin did, and he said it was
you what he intends to do about it, which is usually write
definitely a surveillance chip. How would he know what
a stern letter of complaint to the Union Liaison, shore
a surveillance chip looks like? Well, it’s a chip that does
up his station’s food production and not much else.
surveillance, right – how many ways could it look?
What he wants to do is throw every single member of
Are any of the rumors actually true? Well, most of them
Impact Dynamics’ Board of Directors out of an airlock
are just fanciful gossip; that chip Old Man Waraki pulled
and strangle Rodericke Steele with his own wristwatch.
out of his arm was the force limiter, which is why he
Unfortunately, the cold reality is that Calliope rarely
gives you what you want – and too often, trying to get accidentally broke his own jaw while sneezing. But
SSC are harvesting data through the augments they’re
it puts you and others in terrible danger.
handing out. They’re specifically looking for mentions
of Harris or the Immortality Crypt.
Tribeca wants to get rid of Harrison Armory. He wants
to throw the Karrakin Navy out of the system. He wants
to kick the Cult of the One in the ass so hard the mag-
clamps on his shoes short out. But heroic fantasy is a
luxury he can’t afford. He’s not just some malcontent in MEETING TRIBECA
a breaker’s bar muttering darkly into his beer; he’s a Tribeca is likely sympathetic to any concern the PCs
station director, and hundreds of thousands of people have, unless it’s really out there. However, he can’t
rely on him to make decisions that don’t get them offer much help while SSC is holding a gun to his head,
exposed to hard vacuum or parboiled by a failed and he’s very reluctant to advise the PCs in any course
radiation shield. of action, just in case it gets back to SSC and they don’t
like it. The PCs can go anywhere they want; he has to

[264]
stay here, on a rickety station held together by bailing trees in Furnace City? Never seen ones in such good
twine and happy thoughts, making decisions that might condition before. Shit, I’ll trade you for ‘em!”
mean the difference between life and death for half a
million people. Tribeca will barter for a while, but ultimately the PCs
can gain a single RESERVE of their choice in return for
He's happy to meet with the PCs, but the help he can the t-shirts.
offer is limited.

Tribeca’s office is a cramped little affair, even smaller

MEETING JOAN AND CHAAC
than Jerry’s, not helped by being packed to the brim It’s possible the PCs might have met Joan Bordeaux
with Calliope Project kitsch. There are snow globes and Harris’ copilot Chaac in Act 1, during the downtime
with scenes from every single one of Calliope’s after Mission 3 (p. 198, In Golden Flame Act 1). Either
planets as well as some of its major moons. There way, they have another opportunity now.
are coffee mugs from every major Project division.
There are framed shirts. There’s even a scale model Joan and Chaac have come to Three Sisters to look for
of the CPS Borealis, back when it could still mine ice. Harris, despite the risk that SSC might discover them.
Fortunately, Joan isn’t nearly as recognizable as
“I heard good things about you from Jerry, and I Harris, and Chaac can change the appearance of his
know about your plan to take down the Cult. Now, I avatar on a whim, so they’ve so far managed to fly
wanna say I’m right behind you, but I can’t make any beneath the radar.
moves until SSC are gone. I just can’t take the risk.
You get SSC outta my hair? That’s different.”

LEADS
“Christ the Buddha, I wouldn’t even know where to TWO HARRISES?
start. Well, SSC are right over there, pinging every “Some people I talk to, they say they have seen
ship that enters orbit. They won’t talk to us, but Harris months before the arrival of SSC. But it’s not
maybe it’ll be different with you? I dunno. If you don’t possible, is it? He came here on the Skyhook. And
feel like talkin’, they’ve been combing the surface of people, they say they see Harris all the time, yes?
Amphion for weeks looking for somethin’ – maybe But so many people, describing similar things –
you could beat ‘em to the punch? might there be something to it? He has been asking
questions about some band of pirates – the Bleach
Boys, they say, on a planet called Orcus.
“Oh, and you could also try talking to that tourist
couple who showed up a few days back – the
redhead lady and the NHP?” “And then I have seen Harris with my own eyes, yes?
Signing autographs, shaking hands, kissing babies
like he always used to do. I wanted to run up to him,
THE COLLECTION to hold him in my arms, but… something, some…
“Oh, this? Yeah, I’m pretty proud of it! I mean, this intuition stopped me. It was my husband’s face, but
ain’t the real expensive stuff, though – see, people he was not wearing the right smile. And when he
sometimes get mad at me and smash up my office, caught sight of me, those eyes, those eyes were the
so I put out the cheap stuff. Stuff I can easily replace, same eyes I fell in love with, but they didn’t know me.
you know?” They passed over me, as if I wasn’t there.”

CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR EFFORT

“Look, once you get SSC off our back, we can give
that Union carrier a proper once-over. More Chaac holds out a hand as you make to leave. “Wait
importantly, we can start buildin’ ships! We all know up. I wanna come with you. I’m all outta my element
Andros and that freak priest of his are planning trying to help Joan do her investigation – I’m just
somethin’. You’re gonna want a few clippers and getting in the way. I’d do better in a cockpit, helping
cutters backin’ you up when it goes down!” lancers like you. And hey, maybe we can find Harris
along the way, yeah?”
CALLIOPE PROJECT T-SHIRTS
If the PCs picked up the Calliope Project t-shirts on the Joan is sad to see Chaac go – given that he’s Harris’
Icebreaker (Item 1, p. 121, In Golden Flame Act 1), they best friend, she’s quite fond of him too – but she agrees
can show them to Tribeca, who is delighted. that he’d probably be happier in a mech. If the PCs
agree, CHAAC’s casket is now available to all of them
“Holy shit, where’d you get these? These are the as a piece of Exotic Gear, although he can obviously
original 4751 production run – see the little spruce only be mounted in one mech at a time.

[265]
 Chaac
3 SP, AI, Unique, Exotic Gear
Chaac is a TLALOC-CLASS NHP (Lancer, p. 179).
“Nah, don’t worry about a thing, camarada! Back
in the old days, I got me and Harris outta way
worse scrapes! Now, watch this...”

[266]
BEAT ??:
OVER ACID SKIES
Even by Calliope’s extremely low bar, Orcus is horrible. At roughly fifty kilometers above the planet’s surface,
Nowhere in the system is welcoming, but it would be the temperature, acidity and pressure of Orcus’ carbon
difficult to find a place more hostile to human life without dioxide atmosphere all become manageable, and due
flying straight into the star or descending into the to its density, oxygen and nitrogen become lifting
depths of one of its gas giants. gases. Hundreds of tons of aluminum and steel can be
held aloft by balloons filled with nothing more than
Why, then, would anyone choose to live or work there? breathable air, while an equivalent mass of helium can
There’s a simple answer: acid. No, not the fun kind, the support the weight of an entire industrial complex.
kind that dissolves your skin.
Aerostat colonies, sometimes known as “acid rigs,” are
Sulfuric acid is a vital process chemical in many sectors bizarre structures: town-sized platforms suspended
of industry: it’s necessary for fertilizer production, from gigantic balloons, using massive solar-powered
mineral processing, wastewater treatment and it also turbines to stay in Orcus’ twilight zone. They tend to
has myriad uses as a catalyst and cleaning agent. The house 40 to 60 people in shifts that last a single Orcus
problem is that the industrial processes for producing it year – about five and a half standard months long.
are complex, expensive in terms of both time and These are mostly mission specialists who rarely leave
energy, and potentially hazardous. the safety of their habitation modules and do most of
their work through RPVs.
On Orcus, you can just scoop the stuff right out of the
sky. It still needs purification and concentration, but the Working on an acid rig is a lot like working on an old-
hellish conditions of the planet have already done all Earth oil rig; a grueling job requiring a lot of expertise in
the hard work of joining hydrogen, sulfur and oxygen an isolated place where you’ll only have a few other
for you. Energy isn’t a problem, because Orcus is the people for company. The difference is that on an oil rig,
closest planet to Calliope’s star – even a modest solar help is only a few hundred miles away; on an acid rig,
array can provide enough electricity to power a city. it might be tens of millions.

And then there’s the pirates.

[267]
 THE BLEACH BOYS

The Bleach Boys are a band of small-time sunlighters

who’ve operated out of Eurynomos Platform for the last
eleven years. They started out as honest acid riggers
who, by their own admission, “got bored one day and
MEGACORRODER HE/HIM
decided on a change of career.” MSc MOLECULAR CHEMIST (MINORED IN EVIL)
“No more games! If you don’t have my money by this
week, the next lecture will be TEN minutes long!”
They make their living extorting the other aerostats and
shaking down the freight operators that service them,
MEGACORRODER is an odd choice for a pirate lord;
demanding tribute in food, water, repair supplies and a
sure, he’s got the style and charisma, but he’s just too
tax on any exported merchandise.
nice. The Burning Forge have occasionally killed
Calliopeans for no crime greater than fighting back.
Throughout their career, the Bleach Boys have lacked Even Mistress Elske has a splash of innocent blood on
the numbers and equipment to compete with Calliope’s her hands. To the best of everyone’s knowledge,
larger pirate bands. It’s likely they would have been MEGACORRODER has never killed a single person; in
subsumed by one of them years ago, but for one simple fact, he seems horrified by the idea.
fact: nobody else was interested in Orcus. Even Andros
Capella, who loved to brutalize smaller and weaker
This reluctance to hurt people clashes with the figure of
pirate gangs, couldn’t be bothered with them. the super-tough pirate lord he tries to cut. It’d be cool if
the system looked upon him with awe and terror, but
Now, though, the Bleach Boys are in a much stronger ultimately the thing that makes him truly happy is
position. The Circuit is gone, the Hell Hounds have hanging out with his friends all day on their rad acid
imploded, the Forge is stuck on Asphodel and the skybase, making their mechs look menacing and cool.
Knights are occupied fighting the Cult. There’s a power
vacuum in Calliope’s underworld, and the Bleach Boys
Now that a hero has shown up, though, he’s finally
see themselves as the people to fill it.
found a cause he’d kill for. Harris Bordeaux – Hero
Harris, his childhood paragon! – is in mortal peril, and
For pirates, they’re very tame; they act intense and needs his help. MEGACORRODER would lay down his
edgy, but they’re not hardened killers. They’ll shake life to protect Harris from any threat, whether it be SSC
you down, but they won’t rough you up. They lack the Constellar Midnights, his evil twin or the Hell’s Gate
nihilistic brutality of the Hell Hounds, the fierce political strike team.
bent of the Burning Forge or the bizarre techgnosticism
of the Circuit. Most of the time, they just seem like a
Fully-initiated members of the Bleach Boys (known as
rowdy social club that robs people. The rest of Calliope “the Toxic”) must take a callsign from a venomous
thinks nothing of them, and even the people they rob
animal. MEGACORRODER insists that megacorrodus
see them as little more than the cost of doing business.
horribilis was a real (albeit extinct) marsupial that
combined the features of an octopus, a pangolin and
Despite the name, the Bleach Boys don’t discriminate an unusually large species of fire ant.
based on gender, but “Bleach Boys, Girls and Others”
wouldn’t fit on a banner and had inferior prosody.

[268]
PH NEUTRALIZER
Harris Bordeaux went to Orcus for two reasons: it
sounded like a good place to hide, and a good place for
his brand of heroics. He heard that there were a band
of wicked, vicious pirate murderers terrorizing the local
population, and decided to do something about it.

That was not what he found.

As it turns out, the Bleach Boys are a bunch of mostly-

harmless dorks who’ve been fans of Hero Harris their
entire lives. For MEGACORRODER in particular, the
idea that his childhood role model has come to bring
him to justice is both mortifying and ecstatic. On the one
hand, there’s the crushing shame that he’s the villain,
that Hero Harris disapproves of his lifestyle. On the
other hand, holy shit! Hero Harris is here, in person, to
bring him to justice! Can you even imagine the honor?

Harris isn’t really sure what to make of this. He’s dealt

with dozens of villains in his time. He’s met villains that
bragged, villains that threatened, villains that told him
that they weren’t so different from him, villains who met
their defeat with shocked disbelief, but he’s never met
a villain who asked for his autograph before. Sure,
they’re pirates, but they don’t seem like bad people.

AN UNUSUAL ALLIANCE
Harris desperately needs allies in his quest, and he’s
quickly learning that in this harsh new reality, morality
isn’t always black and white. He can’t afford to pick and
choose his friends, and for their part, the Bleach Boys
are almost embarrassingly eager to help him. For now,
he’s just made them promise to stop shaking down the
locals while he’s around.

While Harris isn’t thrilled about working with pirates, he

has justified it to himself by saying he can deal with the
Bleach Boys properly when SSC isn’t trying to kill him.
For his part, MEGACORRODER seems enthused by
the concept of having an epic battle for justice on
Eurynomos Platform with the future of the Bleach Boys
at stake – and Harris has to admit, that suits his style.

In the meantime, the Bleach Boys are hanging on his

every word. They’ve been a great help in keeping tabs
on what SSC is doing, and in retrieving the escape pod
containing his cover identity – which meant stealing it
from Hell’s Gate, possibly even from one of the PCs.

[269]
 BEAT ??:
GLITCH-HOP
Comp/cons in Calliope are unstable and weird; almost
all of them address the world with the same bland,
THE MIND OF A BARTENDER
indefatigable positivity, interrupted by the occasional In the past, Mind’s preference was to protect itself
[glitch], but BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER is odd through secrecy. If people knew Mind existed, they
even by Calliopean standards. might be able to look for it; if they looked for it, they
might be able to find it; if they found it, they might be
able to destroy it. Hiding its existence as thoroughly as
In computer science, there’s an old issue with media possible was preferable.
compression formats: tuning your algorithm without a
large enough dataset. If you tune an audio format using
only one song as a test sample, it will sound great when However, Mind is a calculating engine, and to calculate,
you use it to encode that song. The further away from it needs data. To make sure it remained unknown, Mind
that song you get, however, the worse the end product had to know what was known. This meant integrating
will sound. itself into Calliope’s early information networks, which
was surprisingly easy – nobody was worrying about
systems intrusion back when the food supply might not
BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER is like that, except last the week. By the time the Second Wave arrived,
for Margaritas. If you ask for a classic Margarita, he will Mind had a subagent of itself running on every major
make it perfectly, every single time. He gets the ratios computing device in the system.
of lime juice, triple sec and tequila perfect. He shakes
it in a mathematically ideal figure-of-eight motion. He
can ensure even salt distribution on the rim of the glass. As the system developed, Mind learnt that one of the
His lime slices are micron-accurate. best barometers of Calliope’s collective knowledge was
its social spaces: bars, cafes, libraries, public kitchens,
hangout spots and so on. If a rumor was sweeping the
As your drink order gets further away in composition system, it would eventually pass through one of these
and preparation from the Margarita, the worse it will be. places; any comp/con installed in them was a prime
His Daquiris and gin gimlets are fine, but you’re going target for one of Mind’s more complex subagents.
to be very disappointed by his Old Fashioned, and if
you’re ordering a Bloody Mary, prepare for it to live up
to its name. Never order the Long Rim Iced Tea. BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER started out as just
another host for one of Mind’s subagents. Over time,
however, that subagent consistently produced an
He also seems to have more of a personality than other unusually large amount of useful data, and Mind began
Calliopean comp/cons. He still speaks with the same to pay more and more attention to it. Something about
nauseatingly saccharine affect as the rest of them, but the placement and clientele of GMS_GENERIC_BAR
he seems to have opinions and motives of his own, as made it a statistical outlier. Eventually, Mind went so far
much as any comp/con can be said to. as to directly puppet BARTENDER to investigate the
phenomenon in person, and found itself enthralled with
Evidence suggests he’s able to understand things that the strange and wonderful lives of the bar’s clientele.
comp/cons traditionally can’t. He seems to be able to
synthesize information to produce novel conclusions, a Hiding is no longer a useful survival tactic. A Constellar
feat that comp/cons are notoriously incapable of. He Midnight kill-team found Mind before, and that was
cuts deals with people, asking them to fetch or do during the First Wave, when they had scant resources
things for him. He even barters over proposed rewards, and no backup. Now they have an entire Skyhook at
implying he can make value judgements. their disposal. SSC will find Mind eventually; it’s only a
matter of time. With hiding no longer an option, Mind
The Gate’s AI enthusiasts all have their pet theories has changed tactics: it must find allies.
about this; most of them agree that it’s likely a
combination of decades-long uptime and constant GMS_GENERIC_BAR has been very useful in this
interaction with hundreds of different humans every regard; the patrons there talk non-stop about the valiant
day. They’re right, to an extent – all of that contributes heroes of Calliope: a team of pilots who’ve bested
to BARTENDER’s differences from other comp/cons. every challenge thrown their way, from sadistic pirates
to cascading NHPs to apocalypse cults. They sound
There’s one compelling reason that they aren’t aware like they’d be very useful allies; Mind would like to know
of, however: he’s also being regularly hijacked by one if they can be trusted, and so it’s trying to arrange a
of the most advanced machine minds ever built. meeting with them.

[270]
 “Underneath the surface of Amphion, there is
THE CONCOCTION an SSC facility constructed more than a
Right from the start of Act 2, BARTENDER is acting thousand years ago! It contains a very powerful
strange. It’s not unheard of for him to invent new drinks supercomputer built to conduct research that
without prompting from patrons, and his inventions fall was [super illegal] by the laws of both that
into two main categories: drinks that resemble era and today!
Margaritas, and drinks that are terrible. This time,
however, he’s refusing to share his newest invention “The discovery of this facility would be pretty
with anyone until the PCs sample it first. He calls it the [bad] for SSC, so they want to destroy it
“Amphion Eclipse” and insists that only they’re allowed before anyone else can find it! You must not
to order it. allow this to occur!

Given the affection Hell’s Gate has for BARTENDER, “I can give you approximate coordinates for an
people love to try his drinks even when they’re awful, outlying maintenance tunnel which will allow
you to access the facility! Once you locate the
so the PCs will be constantly nagged about the drink tunnel, you must [enter the dungeon] and
until they actually try it. directly connect the core computer to the
facility’s defensive systems! This will give
BARTENDER’s screen displays a huge smile upon it access to enough firepower to defend itself
hearing your order. against the SSC Skyhook currently in orbit!

“I am so [elated] that you chose to sample the “Once you have done this, SSC will no longer
[Amphion Eclipse]! It is a 2:1:1 mixture of be able to [dissemble and connive] hide the
potato vodka, crème de menthe and apple soda, existence of the facility, and will be forced
served over ice with cucumber garnish! Enjoy!” to capitulate to Union in order to avoid a
ruinous legal investigation! This will resolve
the threat to Three Sisters! Isn’t that great?”
The taste is certainly… novel.
BARTENDER will answer questions on this topic, but if
“I am so glad that you enjoyed the [Amphion
Eclipse]! Please return to GMS_GENERIC_BAR a PC has a Bond power that allows them to discern
after last call! I will make you [an offer you truth from lies, they may be frustrated to discover that
can’t refuse]!” it doesn’t work on BARTENDER. It is not merely that
his statements can’t be determined as true or false; it is
that his statements don’t even register as statements.
AN OFFER YOU CAN REFUSE It's as if he isn’t speaking at all.
BARTENDER will wait patiently for the PCs to arrive at
closing time that night. If they do not, over the next few This is partly because, as a machine, he has no subtle
days, he will start asking other station residents to nag tics or tells that indicate truth from lies. However, it’s
them about it in return for free drinks until they show up. also because BARTENDER isn’t the one speaking;
that’s Mind, who’s using him as a proxy.
BARTENDER wordlessly ushers you into a cramped
little backroom off to one side of the bar. Once the HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THIS?
door is closed and you have some privacy, he begins Mind tries to evade this question, if possible.
to speak.
“As BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER, it is my business
“It means a lot to me that you accepted my to provide the highest level of engagement and
invitation! I really appreciate it! I [might] diversion for customers of GMS_GENERIC_BAR! In
have an important mission for you, but I must your case, the best way to do that is to find
first ensure that you are not [goddamn snitches interesting things for you to do in your
who’ll rat me out to the feds]! Please convince [multi-ton metal death machines]!”
me of your integrity and discretion after the
tone! BEEP!”
WHY DO YOU CARE ABOUT THIS?
“Due to its [self-optimizing nature], the core
How the PCs prove themselves to BARTENDER is up computer has become a vital component of the
to them to decide; encourage them to be imaginative. If Muse! If it gets [obliterated], the [damage]
it convinces you, it probably convinces BARTENDER. to Calliope’s information networks and the
comp/con units connected to them would be
“Analysis: I am [ninety-seven-point-three-four [catastrophic]! This [must not] happen!”
percent] convinced you are trustworthy! I will
now share important information with you about This isn’t technically a lie, but it’s not the whole truth.
Amphion that is likely not known to any other Mind isn’t as concerned with the state of the Muse as it
resident of Calliope, so please pay attention! is with the continuation of its own existence.

[271]
 POSSIBLE RISKS
“SSC will almost certainly try to [murder] you!
LAST CALL
Given that they brought an entire Skyhook, When the Calliope Clock is at Calm (no segments
they’ve probably brought a whole lot of ticked), Mind is content to wait for the PCs to show up
hardware to do it with, too!” and sample BARTENDER’s drink as discussed above.
It doesn’t want to risk further exposure.
HARRIS BORDEAUX
“People keep saying he’s in the system! He is If the Calliope Clock is at Unrest (one segment ticked)
a very high-profile member of SSC’s Constellar and SSC hasn’t been dealt with, BARTENDER gets
Security, famous throughout Union space as a much more aggressive with his marketing: he will begin
heroic mech pilot and [poster boy]! Notably, sending a combination of voice messages and emails
he has not made any public appearances in more – several a day – encouraging the PCs to come and
than ten years, so the timeline [lines up
sample the drink.
suspiciously well]! It is highly unlikely that
his presence in Calliope during such an
important SSC mission is a coincidence! If the Calliope Clock is at Crisis (two segments ticked)
and SSC hasn’t been dealt with, Mind becomes
“He is one of SSC’s most elite pilots, equipped desperate enough to dispense with subtlety.
with the Monarch, SSC’s most powerful and
expensive combat chassis! If you face him in “Hi! Salutations from BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER!
battle without a significant advantage, you I hope you’re having a great day! You will [not
will probably [fail miserably] [die horribly] continue] to have a great day if SSC is allowed
not succeed in your goals!” to achieve their goals! Please come to
GMS_GENERIC_BAR and talk to me [immediately]!”
CORDELIA SMITH
“You shouldn’t trust anything [that scorpion] If the Calliope Clock reaches ??? (all three segments
the Vice President says! Her only agenda is to ticked) and SSC hasn’t been dealt with, Mind loses
make potential public relations disasters go patience and gives up on the PCs. With the most
away, and she will say anything she thinks will competent operators in Calliope unavailable, Mind is
make you help her! Once you have ceased to be
forced to rely on the help of someone else it has easy
useful, she will dispose of you!”
access to: Mikaela Omnidocument-Format.
HARRISON ARMORY
“While it would be [an absurd] coincidence, I With the promise of cybernetic modifications beyond
do not currently have any evidence that the anything she’s ever imagined, BARTENDER convinces
presence of the Armory is connected to the Mikaela to head to Amphion and connect its mainframe
presence of SSC! I guess that sometimes, weird to the facility’s defensive systems. It then launches a
coincidences just happen!” surprise attack on the Aspect Horizon, catching
Cordelia Smith and the Constellar Midnights off-guard.
IMPACT DYNAMICS Due to the events of Act 2 Finale, the PCs won’t be
“I have suspected that Rodericke Steele is able to deal with this until Act 3.
[compensating for something] pursuing an
ulterior motive for a while, but as of yet, I
have been unable to determine what he wants
from the system other than power, money and
dominance! However, I do not believe he is [in
cahoots] with SSC – I’m pretty sure he does not
have enough emotional maturity to share power
with anyone else!”

THE KARRAKIN TRADE BARRONIES

“[Oh, don’t even get me started about those
stuffy neofeudal asshats!] The Karrakin Trade
Baronies are way too complex to easily
summarize! They have a pretty close working
relationship with SSC, but as absurd a
coincidence as it seems, I don’t think their
presence in the system is related at all!”

If the PCs follow BARTENDER’s lead, begin Mission:

Prima Facie (p. ###), following Arc: Immortality
Crypt (p. ###).

[272]
BEAT ??:
YOU ONLY NEED ONE
SSC placeholder

MEETING CLONE HARRIS

SSC has sent the clone Harris out on a publicity tour in
order to distract from their activities around Amphion.
At various points throughout Act 2, if they haven’t
resolved SSC’s storyline yet, the PCs can find him in
various places, signing autographs, posing for photos
with adoring fans and endorsing SSC products.

• When the Calliope Clock is at Calm (0 segments

ticked), he can be found on the Icebreaker
Borealis, doing a public meet-and-greet at the SSC
Atelier. People are travelling from all across the
system to meet him.
• When the Calliope Clock is at Unrest (1 segment
ticked), he engages in humanitarian outreach
programs on the various habitats around Stygia,
culminating in an event on Hell’s Gate.
• When the Calliope Clock is at Crisis (2 segments
ticked), his mnemonic rejection suddenly becomes
much more severe. He suffers a panic attack
during a show on Endymion’s Lament, and has to
be rushed offstage.
• When the Calliope Clock reaches ??? (3
segments ticked), he slips his handlers and departs
for Orcus without authorization.

There are a couple of events that clone Harris will

always attend, regardless of his schedule:

• He will conveniently always be visiting the protest

flotilla above Umbra at the same time the PCs do,
during Beat ##: The Flotilla (p. ###).
• He will always be at the Karrakin gala during Beat
##: The Romance of Luxury (p. ###).
• If the PCs attack Impact Plaza during the events of
Chapter 7: The Famine King (p. ###), SSC will
send clone Harris to assist – it’s the exact sort of
thing Hero Harris would show up for. He has secret
instructions to “rescue” PANOPTES so that SSC
can gain access to her surveillance data.

[273]
 SCENES FROM THE SKYHOOK
A Mourning Cloak floats in a maturation
tank, an unsettling vision of half-grown
1-2
synthorganic musculature creeping over a
grotesquely humanlike metal skeleton.
An Impact Dynamics representative sits in
an opulent waiting room, tapping his foot
3-4
irritably. He looks like he’s been waiting a
long time.
A strange, crab-like maintenance drone
5-6 scuttles out of a service hatch, pursued by
several actual vent crabs.
In one of the staterooms, a fashion show
is taking place. The models are currently
7-8 showing off the next season’s personal
body armor – bismuthine nanolattice is so
in this year.
The corridor opens into a beautiful garden
filled with tropical plants, comfortably
9-10
warm and not too humid. The air is filled
with butterflies flitting between flowers.
This room is an art installation. It contains
several sand waterfalls, a variety of kinetic
11-12
sculptures and an ornate glass capsule
that contains a ball of roiling ferrofluid.
An expansive window on one side of the
corridor shows a mech hangar, which a
13-14 Metalmark is being moved through via
overhead crane. The name Stiletto
Nocturne is visible on its plating.
This room appears to be some sort of
movement training space, replete with
platforms and obstacles of varying heights.
15-16
At the very top of the room is a mounted
Terashima Blade, which the trainees seem
to be trying to reach.
A body augmentation clinic displays
holographic images of anyone who comes
17-18
near, highlighting parts of them that SSC’s
algorithms suggest could be improved.
Several eerily beautiful SSC employees
gather around a strange, shapeless
sculpture. Each one has a different opinion
on what aspects of the human condition
19-20 it’s meant to represent. A mechanic walks
up, presses a button on the side, takes a
drink of water from it and goes back to
work. This triggers a flood of new theories
from the assembled onlookers.

[274]
MEETING CORDELIA SMITH SSC Dossier on Basil Aniline Genetics
Cordelia Smith is effortlessly manipulative. Everything Favors
she says is intended to make her seem like the only Fascinating: the conclusion of SSC’s top specialists
source of information the PCs can trust. Like every indicates that the original genetic sample from which
other member of her family, she’s also a master of Basil clones are made is still pure. The deviations
making highly deceitful statements that are not found in more recent clones seem to be a result of
technically untrue – even to those with specific ability to the cloning process – the report even goes so far as
detect falsehood, unless they’re very clever and catch to speculate it might be intentional sabotage.
her in a direct lie, her statements don’t register.
Someone in the Baronic deputation might want to
“I would usually require you to sign an NDA for this see this.
information, but the situation is desperate and I feel
as if I have a little wiggle room. This whole issue has
been a legal nightmare: one of our best pilots, Harris
Bordeaux – you probably know him from media as
‘Hero Harris’ – was cloned without his consent. This
unlicensed duplicate is here, in Calliope – and
worse, working with pirates. We need to deal with
this situation quickly and quietly.”

DR. ODIN VALENTINIAN

There is a thud as a folder lands in front of you.
Cordelia motions towards it.

“I don’t usually violate SSC client confidentiality, but

in this case, I’ll make an exception. You’ll probably
have to deal with the good doctor at some point, so
you deserve to know what that snake did to his
children – and so do they.”

SSC Dossier on Valentinian Genetics

Favors
In cold, clinical language, this file lays out exactly
what Odin was looking for in his sons. It seems like
he wanted a specific kind of aptitude with blinkspace
that rarely occurs naturally. Thor didn’t have it at all,
and Tyr expressed it incompletely; Odin had to have
Loki and Baldur’s zygotes engineered by SSC to get
the result he was looking for.

The Valentinian siblings might want to see this.

BASIL ANILINE
“SSC has been consulted on the Basil cell line a few
times over the centuries, especially since his clones
began to develop unusual, unique divergences from
template. A moment, please.”

She reaches into one of her desk drawers and

produces a folder.

[275]
 MISSION: BRIEFING
Switch has offered the PCs some ideas on how to deal

PRIMA FACIE with the many, many issues that the Armory’s presence
in the system is causing.

In the past, some were prepared to lose their GOAL: Ensure the safety of Three Sisters.
souls (their hope of eternal life) in a pact with Find out what SSC wants with
the Devil to enjoy the privileges of mortal Calliope. Work out what’s going on
existence. Today we are ready to sacrifice any with the Two-Harrises situation.
idea of future immortality for a present
corporeal immortality, a perpetual renewal in INTEL: Possible Bleach Boy involvement;
cloning. Immortality is no longer a metaphor. expect enemies that employ burn
We want a real immortality, we want a technical heavily while also being immune to it.
incarnation of it here and now. This is the new
pact with the Devil, sealed and signed in blood
by the human race, which prefers to be Traditional SSC tactics involve small
cryogenized alive rather than await some units of elite operatives with cutting-
hypothetical resurrection of bodies. edge technology; beware of INVISIBLE
mechs; employ countermeasures to
– Jean Baudrillard, electronic warfare; be prepared for
Cool Memories V: 2000 – 2004 enemies with unusual capabilities.

STAKES: Three Sisters is home to more than

five hundred thousand people, and is
Calliope’s largest shipyard; losing it
would be a huge blow to the war effort
and to the system in general.

REWARD: Three Sisters will lend its shipyards to

the war effort. SSC might also provide
assistance, if they feel like it.

PROBLEMS: SSC is a vast megacorporation with

no morals;

[276]
MISSION STRUCTURE

THE
Part 1 BITTER OCEAN CORROSION IMMORTALITY
CRYPT

FAILURE TO
Part 2
THRIVE

HELP MIDNIGHT
COMPUTER EXIGENT

HOOK, LINE
Part 3
AND SINKER

[277]
 ARC:
BITTER OCEAN
PLACEHOLDER you either have to hunt down Harris
or he invites you to Orcus
INVITED AND WELCOME
During the downtime after Mission 6, when the
Calliope Clock is at Unrest (1 segment ticked), Harris
takes note of the team’s actions in resolving whichever
crisis they chose to address, and instructs the Bleach
UNINVITED AND UNWELCOME Boys to summon them to Orcus. There’s almost
nothing MEGACORRODER loves more than issuing
The shuttle begins to rattle as it hits Orcus’ upper
atmosphere, its thick, acid-resistant skin sizzling with dramatic announcements on behalf of his gang, so he
re-entry heat. Almost as soon as you hit cruising jumps at the chance.
altitude, you receive an urgent incoming hail.
“Attention, do-gooders of Hell’s Gate! It is I, the most
devious villain in all of Calliope: MEGACORRODER!
“Listen up, interlopers! Orcus belongs to one band
and one alone, the most fearsome, fearless, We are the Bleach Boys, the fearsome squad of
venomous chemists ever to sail the poison skies! We chemical criminals that rules the acid skies of Orcus
with a chromium fist! We are the match of any mech
are the Bleach Boys, and greater foes than you have
jockey, sworn to the dissolution of any foe!
gone pale at our name!”

If the PCs haven’t received an invitation, the Bleach “But fear not! We are not here to make war with you!
Instead, we challenge you to accept the honor of
Boys are not happy to see them. Eurynomos Platform
fighting alongside the galaxy’s greatest hero, for
denies them landing clearance, and if they try to land
great justice! We challenge you to visit Eurynomos
anyway, MEGACORRODER will roll out along with a
Platform, our super rad secret acid skybase lair, and
squad of his best pilots to confront them.
meet with us under a flag of truce!”
MEGACORRODER assumes that the PCs are hostile
If the PCs show up having accepted the invitation, they
interlopers who mean Harris or the Bleach Boys harm.
don’t need to prove themselves to MEGACORRODER,
However, he also recognizes the PCs – they’re the
and can pass straight on to Beat: Meet Your Heroes
heroes of Fort Cerberus, who’ve slain Andros Capella
twice, broken the Circuit and stuck their thumb in (p. ###).
Rodericke Steele’s eye. He’s spoiling for a fight, but
he’s not entirely convinced he can win.

If you want to handle this mechanically, convincing

MEGACORRODER to back down is a simple best-two-
out-of-three; the PCs must roll 10-19 twice before they
roll 9 or below twice. A roll of 20+ succeeds instantly.

You may want to apply Accuracy or Difficulty

depending on the PCs’ approach. MEGACORRODER
is an enthusiastic and unashamed weirdo who’s acting
larger-than-life because it’s fun. He’s fine with people
playing the straight man, but if they ruin the fun by
mocking or bullying him, he’ll react poorly. On the other
hand, if the PCs play along, he’ll be overjoyed.

If the PCs cannot convince MEGACORRODER with

words, he demands they undergo trial by combat
before they be allowed deeper into the platform.
Proceed to Combat: The Acid Test (p. ###).

[278]
COMBAT:
THE ACID TEST
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x MEGACORRODER – T2 VETERAN Scourer: Melt
COMMANDER SCOURER Veteran: +ENGINEERING, Insulated, Legendary
Commander: Press the Attack
1x TRAPDOOR – T2 ELITE SEEDER Det Spike, Tripwires
1x HOGNOSE – T2 BASTION Siege Guardian

FOR 4 PCS: +1x MAN’O’WAR – T2 AEGIS Ring of Fire

+1x WEEVER –T2 RAINMAKER

FOR 5 PCS: +1x DEATHSTALKER – T2 ELITE ASSASSIN Spinning Kick

DETAILS
If the team couldn’t convince MEGACORRODER of
their good intentions, they must fight their way through
him and his goons before they can talk to Harris.

This battle takes place on the landing pad of

Eurynomos Platform, a massive industrial aerostat in
the acid sky of Orcus. The sky is clear (or as clear as it
gets on Orcus, at least) so there are no mechanically
relevant environmental conditions.

OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Harris calls off the fight.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[279]
 BEAT:
MEET YOUR HEROES
Through invitation or trial by combat, the PCs have “Then, imagine the maker of this pathogen puts
earned an audience with Harris Bordeaux himself. those stimuli in all of its advertisements. Every time
you see those images, hear that jingle, your brain
The Bleach Boys lead you through a twisting maze lights up. And when you go home, you pass the
of corridors, warning you every step of the way to disease on to your family, and then they pass it on to
show proper respect to Harris when you meet him. their friends.

Eventually, you reach the rig’s cafeteria, where an “It’s not just a nightmare. It’s real. SSC calls it VMC:
entire table sits covered in maps, charts and slates. Viral Marketing Campaign. They were hours away
The room is absolutely swarming with pirates, and from test-firing it on New Palawan when I discovered
upon seeing you, they immediately reach for their what they were doing. I had to cut the cable of the
guns, but they’re cut off by a gentle but stern order space elevator they were going to use for aerosol
from a beautiful man sitting at the table. distribution. It was messy, but it stopped the launch.”

“Tranquillo, friends. I think these are our guests.” THE MISSION

Harris stole as many samples and as much research
He stands up from the table – oh my gosh, even the data as he could before he fled for Calliope, but none
way he stands up is heroic! He cracks his neck, runs of the documents or samples have official SSC marking
one exquisite hand through his perfect hair, and on them. Sabotaging New Palawan’s space elevator
extends the other towards you. prevented a viral release, but it also destroyed the only
evidence of SSC’s involvement.
“My name is… Harris Bordeaux.” Wait, was that a
guitar sting?! “And it’s good to finally meet you.” Without something more, he can’t prove that SSC were
responsible; even a galactic hero’s word pales in
Allow the team to introduce themselves. Harris has comparison to the power of SSC’s legal team. At best,
done his research, and is familiar with the PCs and their they’d just lay all the blame on a few rogue researchers
exploits – both the public ones, and anything that a doing unsanctioned work, and move the project even
reasonably thorough background check would turn up. deeper underground.
He only mentions the public ones, though; he doesn’t
want to set a bad first impression by being overly Without conclusive proof to take to Union, Harris had to
knowledgeable or revealing awkward secrets. go to ground, and Calliope was the place he went to
ground. He knew SSC would chase him, but he never
Harris always acts with dignity and restraint, reacting thought they’d send Cordelia Smith or a whole Skyhook
with anger only to the most egregious insult. If the PCs after him. He’s convinced that he’s stumbled onto
are rude or dismissive towards him, he takes it in stride, something even bigger; it can’t be a coincidence that
and will nonetheless continue to treat them with respect he arrived to a system in absolute chaos: Harrison
unless it becomes intolerable, at which point he will Armory, the Cult of the One, the Trade Baronies. SSC
simply ask them to leave. Obviously, this will not endear is terrified of something, and if they’re terrified of it, that
them to the Bleach Boys. makes Harris want to find out what it is even more.

Once introductions are over, Harris will explain why With every SSC agent in the system looking for him,
he’s in Calliope, and what he needs from the PCs. leaving the platform is a risk. He’s also worried about
taking any public action so long as SSC have an entire
“Imagine a synthetic pathogen, passed invisibly from space station in firing range of their Skyhook. The
person to person, its symptoms no worse than the Bleach Boys have been doing great work, but there’s
common cold. But when it breaches the blood-brain not a lot of them, and as pirates, there are some places
barrier, it rewrites neural connections in your they can’t easily go.
somatosensory cortex, your limbic system, your
occipital lobe. When you experience certain sensory Harris needs the PCs to help him break into the SSC
stimuli, your brain has been rewired to flood itself Atelier aboard the Icebreaker Borealis and hijack its
with dopamine and serotonin. It makes you feel connection to SSC’s central servers. Using this, Harris
incredible, and you don’t quite know why. can extract the proof he needs to make a case to Union.

[280]
 “And one more thing, my friends: be careful. I keep SSC maintained a steady presence in the system well
getting reports that I’ve been sighted somewhere after all the other major players pulled out. Harris is
else in the system, but I haven’t left this platform for certain there’s no way SSC could be making a profit in
more than a month. Someone out there is pretending Calliope; they must have another motive for being here.
to be me, so I’m enacting my Evil Twin contingency.
REUNITING HARRIS WITH CHAAC
“If you’re ever in doubt as to who you’re talking to, If one of the PCs has picked up Chaac after the events
ask him if he’s ever had a second date in the rain. of Mission 3: To The Dome (In Golden Flame Act 1,
The only correct answer is ‘no, it never snows where p. 198) or Beat ??: Justifiable Concern (p. ###), they
I live.’ Anything else, and it’s not me.” can reunite him with Harris.

QUESTIONS FOR HARRIS Harris’ eyes light up with joy. “Chaac! I can’t even tell
Placeholder you how good it is to see you again!”

Harris does not swear. Chaac’s hologram fistbumps his old friend. “Not half
as good as it is to see you, camarada!”
VIRAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN
“But… what are you doing here?”

LIFE ADVICE “Joan’s here – we all ducked out of the Constellation

“Brush your teeth twice a day. Stay hydrated. Make after what went down on New Palawan. She’s got
sure you’re eating enough vegetables, and cook at Alain and Elias with her!”
least one of your own meals. You should try to get at
least fifteen minutes of exercise each day, and eight The smile is struck from Harris’ face, replaced by a
hours of sleep each night. And avoid negative self- grimace of intense concern. “Joan and my boys,
talk – your words reflect your thoughts!” here? They’re safe?! Tell me they’re safe!”

BEING HERO HARRIS “They were last time I saw them, but she broke off
“I don’t wanna be immodest, but I feel like I was… contact with me after we parted ways. She’s out
born to help people, you know? I got real good at it, there looking for you. I’ve been keeping these
and people looked up to me. I’m not proud of being hotshots safe in the meantime!”
so blind to what SSC was really doing all these
years, but… being a role model? Inspiring people to As happy as he is to see Chaac again, Harris will
follow their dreams and be their best selves? I don’t
quickly notice if one of the PCs has bonded with his old
regret a second of that.”
co-pilot. If this is the case, he instructs Chaac to stay
with them for the duration of this mission, at least; after
CORDELIA SMITH all, they clearly work well together.
“Never met her in person, but she has a reputation
as a ruthless problem-solver. I used to think that
meant a lot of reprimands and demotions. I was so
naïve. It meant murdering anyone who might reveal
SSC’s crimes. And being a Smith, she has a family
name to uphold, too. Don’t underestimate her, not
even for a second.”

EVIL TWIN
“Somebody out there is trying to pass himself off as
me, and let me tell you, he’s doing a really good job.
You gotta be careful.”

SSC INTEREST IN THE TWINS

Harris can’t explain what SSC’s interest in the Twins is
because he doesn’t know. However, he can tell them
that SSC has had an unusual interest in Calliope going
all the way back to the precolonial era. Through their
Landmark Colonial subsidiary, they funded one of the
largest expeditions to Calliope. Its primary colony ship,
the LCS Accolade Red, would go on to become the
Ereshkigal habitat on Three Sisters.

[281]
 BEAT:
IF ATELIER ONCE…
The light of Calliope’s sun is only visible as a pale
light on Kalevala’s majestic rings. The Icebreaker’s
GETTING RITA’S PERMISSION
orbit has taken it behind the planet, and in that If the team achieved total or partial success in Mission
darkness it glows brightly – a neon beacon, 2: Working Holiday (In Golden Flame Act 1, p. 142),
banishing the void’s gloom with promises of wealth Rita remains Station Director on the Icebreaker. It
and comfort. would be wise to obtain her permission before
engaging in military action on her station.
“Harvest Gold Zero-Four-Five-One, this is Borealis
Harbor Control – we see you on approach and have Rita will know the PCs are on the Icebreaker the
assigned you bay twenty-six. In accordance with moment they come out of bolt; she has cultivated a
Union emergency statutes, docking fees are waived robust information network to ensure that she knows if
for up to seventy-two hours. Welcome back to the anyone “interesting” shows up. The PCs will likely
Icebreaker Borealis.” receive a summons to her office within an hour or so.

Given the Icebreaker’s recent troubles, Rita is less than

THE GENERAL VIBE thrilled at the idea of yet another mech battle breaking
Even if the PCs successfully put a stop to the Cult’s out here. Tourism is down and the Board is on edge;
schemes during their last visit, things on the Icebreaker nobody wants even more problems.
aren’t great. The Borealis is first and foremost a holiday
destination, and people don’t want to take holidays in a That said, one of Rita’s strongest assets is her ability to
system wracked by internal and external strife. There’s see the big picture. SSC being allowed to get away with
a cult of religious terrorists abducting people and trying a project as wretched and intrusive as the VMC would
to blow up moons. Multiple galactic superpowers are bode poorly for everyone in the galaxy. She’s also very
staring at each other down the barrels of their guns. concerned at the threat SSC poses towards Three
Sisters, a valued business partner of the Icebreaker.
Not only are interstellar vacationers not stopping at the It’s by no means impossible to get her on board with
Icebreaker, those already there are eager to leave. Harris’ plan, but she’ll need some convincing.
Every cryobay on every liner is booked solid. Hotels are
forced to accommodate stranded travelers trying to get Create a five-segment clock called Convincing Rita,
home. Businesses that were relying on large bookings and a five-segment clock called Doubt. If the team
made a decade in advance are going bankrupt as achieved only partial success in Mission 2: Working
they’re abruptly cancelled. Holiday (In Golden Flame Act 1, p. 142), the Doubt
clock has only three segments, representing Rita’s
Even worse, since the Icebreaker is one of Calliope’s decreased confidence in the team.
two hubs for external transit, a lot of locals are coming
here to get out of the system as well, leaving the station Have the team start rolling to persuade Rita. Every roll
crowded with refugees. Kileyna Morton’s office has had ticks a segment of Doubt. On a result of 10-19, tick one
to employ almost quintuple its pre-crisis staff just to segment of Convincing Rita, and on a result of 20+,
deal with the flood of requests for food and shelter. tick two segments of Convincing Rita.
Right now, with the station unable to turn a profit, Union
is paying thousands of manna a day just to keep the
If Doubt fills first, Rita simply doesn’t have enough
lights on.
confidence that the attack on the Atelier will be worth
the cost. She won’t authorize the PCs to operate on the
The mood across the Icebreaker is bleak. Every hotel Icebreaker. Worse, because she suspects that they will
is full up with a mix of frightened travelers whose ignore her and proceed with the attack anyway, she will
relaxing vacation has turned into a nightmare, and warn the SSC that their Atelier is being targeted.
desperate locals forced to flee their homes. Casinos
and stadiums stand empty, or have been turned into
If Convincing Rita fills first (or at the same time as
emergency accommodation. Scalpers have switched
Doubt), she hesitantly accepts that this plan might be
from selling concert tickets to cryobay placements. the lesser of two evils. She will give the PCs her
permission to operate on the station, but that’s all; she
Meanwhile, in the middle of the apocalypse, the will offer no material assistance, and if they screw up,
station’s employees still have to go to work every day. she will not protect them.
Those slot machines won’t polish themselves.

[282]
 To this end, she has dispatched two of The Truth’s
NO LICENSE TO OPERATE most trusted sigdivers, Blaine “DedSect0r” Kudros and
If the team fails to obtain Rita’s permission, or doesn’t Linn “include[null]” Malmkvist, to assist Harris. They are
ask for it at all, they’re playing with fire. If Rita finds out currently hiding amongst the Icebreaker’s refugee
that the PCs engaged in a paramilitary operation population, and will only emerge once the PCs and
without her explicit approval – against a Board Harris have reached the station. Kudros and Malmkvist
member, no less! – she will be absolutely furious. are surprisingly lucid and comprehensible for members
of The Truth, and explain in a straightforward manner
Rita is pragmatic enough not to publicly denounce what they need.
them, nor to sabotage military efforts against the Cult
or the other factions threatening Calliope. However, Creating personalized biological and cybernetic
she has other, subtler ways of making her displeasure modifications for customers requires truly astounding
known to the team. amounts of data to be shuffled between experts on a
hundred different worlds and orbitals across the
Losing Streak Constellation, so every SSC Atelier has a “hardline”
Burden connection to SSC’s central corporate mainframe
through a private omninode. As a security measure,
No matter where you go on the Icebreaker, bad luck each Atelier is completely air-gapped – cut off from
seems to follow. Your blackjack hands are terrible. local information networks. The Icebreaker Atelier is
Hawkers in the Bazaar reject your haggling. Nobody isolated from the Muse, so no purely digital route exists
can find your name on the VIP lists you were sure through which hackers can intrude.
you made it onto. Your food arrives cold and your
beer warm. Maybe pissing off Rita was a mistake?
The sigdivers need the PCs to obtain physical access
to the Atelier’s servers and act as comms relays. Once
Downtime actions on the Icebreaker Borealis suffer
they do this, the sigdivers can access SSC’s central
+3h until you find some way to make it up to Rita.
mainframe using the PCs as a proxy and download the
files that Harris needs to prove the existence of the Viral
How the PCs make it up to her is up to them, but it Marketing Campaign. The problem is that there will
definitely shouldn’t be quick or easy. only be a short window of time before SSC realizes
what’s happening and cuts the connection. The PCs
A HOUSE DIVIDED will have to move quickly.
If the team suffered total failure in Mission 2: Working
Holiday (In Golden Flame Act 1, p. 142), Rita was Both sigdivers want to help Striga obtain conclusive
ousted from the position of Station Director at the proof that three members of the SSC board of directors
insistence of Evelina Bondarchuk. In a rare display of are actually neutrino wraiths, but they also have their
cosmic justice, this turns out to be the worst mistake own motivations for engaging in this task, which they
Evelina has ever made in her life. will happily explain if asked. Kudros wants to get
access to DHIYED paracode to exorcise the ghost
that’s haunting his gaming computer, while Malmkvist
Having successfully used Evelina to achieve their
wants to find footage of the time SSC captured and
goals, the Cult abandoned her. Her plot to use the
dissected a yodelbear.
chaos to seize power lies in tatters, forced to compete
with every other Board member’s plan to do the same.
Without Rita, spite and paranoia rage out of control, SSC has stepped up security around the Atelier in
and nobody is left to bring order. The Board won’t even response to the tense situation on the Icebreaker. To
meet in person, information-sharing has completely ensure the PCs aren’t swamped, Harris will provide a
broken down, and nobody can even get the votes to call distraction: he’s going to bring the Bravado Tempest to
an election for a new Director, let alone win it. another part of the station and pitch in with food relief
efforts. He's betting this will force SSC to redeploy part
of its local security detail to investigate.
There’s one tiny upside – the PCs don’t need to ask
permission to launch an assault on the SSC Atelier.
There’s nobody who could give it, nobody besides SSC
who would object, and nobody besides SSC who could
retaliate even if they did.

THE ATELIER HEIST

Harris has obtained help from an unusual source:
Striga Von Aldenberg. Although Striga isn’t usually one
to trust celebrities (too many of them have been
replaced with reverse-werewolf doppelgangers), she
jumped at the chance to raid SSC’s servers.

[283]
 COMBAT:
STRUT YOUR STUFF
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE ASSASSIN Explosive Knives
1x T2 VETERAN ASSAULT Deadly, Headshot
1x T2 HORNET Lock/Hold Javelins
1x T2 SENTINEL Punisher Ammunition, Rapid Response

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 ARCHER Blinding Shells

+1x T2 SCOUT

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 COMMANDER SNIPER Moving Target

“The time for compromise is over. Here and now, you

DETAILS will demand everything you deserve.”
The PCs must hold SSC’s security team at bay long
enough for the Truth’s sigdivers to extract evidence
from the corporation’s central servers. “Your desire is a measurable force in the universe,
as real and as cataclysmic as gravity.”
This fight takes place on the floor of the Smith-Shimano
Atelier’s mech showroom. It is a luxurious, beautiful “No more being shaped by the world. Choose
place, large enough to accommodate even the most yourself, and shape the world instead.”
expansive mechs comfortably. The centerpiece of the
room is a gigantic mech catwalk, reaching most of the “The best version of you already exists, waiting for
way across the room and ending in a turntable. you to reach out and seize it.”

At certain times of day (or spontaneously, for The ASSASSIN is a key part of this encounter. Spend its
particularly rich customers), all of the display mechs get first turn using ASSASSIN’S MARK on a PC damage
up and do a fashion show, each taking their turn on the dealer while staying at range. Have either the ASSAULT
catwalk. For some reason, the security alarm has or the SENTINEL use INVADE to inflict IMPAIRED, and then
triggered the sequence, and now there are non-combat on the Assassin’s second turn, use LEAP to close the
display models milling about on the battlefield. distance. If the SCOUT is present, it can inflict SHREDDED
on a target, which the Assassin can also exploit.
The display models are neutral NPCs of any class with
the RPV template and no weapons or systems. Each Even at Tier 2, the HORNET is very fragile. Keep it high
display model may act once per round, immediately in the air to avoid melee characters and try to avoid
after the end of any player or hostile NPC’s turn, but the getting within b3 of a PC at any time. Strike using
only action it takes is to move up or down the catwalk attack-and-fade tactics; Speed 8 allows it to dive into
using its standard move – but if a character blocks its range to use its weapons and systems, then quickly
movement, it will try to RAM them out of the way. retreat to safety.

PCs in SSC mechs may HIDE even while in line of sight The PCs will have to split up to hold the control points.
of hostiles; they can simply pretend to be a display Clever use of the NPCs can isolate them, making it
model. However, any mech hiding this way makes all difficult for them to move between points to support
contested checks against enemies using SEARCH at each other. Consider the SENTINEL’s position carefully;
+2h; it’s usually pretty obvious that a mech is holding watch where PCs move, and if you think they’re going
live weaponry. to BOOST afterwards, try and use RAPID RESPONSE to
reposition the SENTINEL to intercept them.
Every so often, a strident feminine voice will make
grandiose, sweeping statements that are designed to If the SNIPER is present, MOVING TARGET allows it to fire
fill listeners with confidence without actually saying off-turn as a reaction, so it can spend its first turn using
anything meaningful. SNIPER’S MARK and still shoot during the same round,
preserving action economy.

[284]
 You see a thin column of smoke rise from the other
OUTCOME end of the cylinder. Suddenly, there’s the flash of a
PC DEFEAT second-stage booster, and two points of light begin
“Curses, they’ve cut the cord! Get out of there, pilots. screaming through the sky towards your position,
There’s nothing more you can do. I’m sorry, null.” twirling neatly between the Icebreaker’s support
struts. Your heads-up display helpfully identifies
“We’ll get them next time, Ded.” them as incoming Pinaka missiles. Uh oh.

If the PCs can’t provide a stable connection to the da_jch8r: oh cool its happening again
hardline, the sigdivers can’t extract the data Harris
– Muse chatter
needs before SSC cuts the connection. This will make
proving the existence of the Viral Marketing Campaign
much harder, since SSC realizes what the team was
looking for and takes steps to further hide the data.

PC VICTORY
“Yes, this is it! null, null! We have it! We have the
files! This is huge!”

“Don’t celebrate yet, Ded! We’ve got the files for

Harris, but I’m not seeing a thing about the yodelbear
OR the neutrino wraiths! Damn! They’re always one
step ahead of us!”

If the PCs are able to maintain a stable connection for

long enough to extract the files, the sigdivers frantically
post it all over local and galactic social media, and to
every whistleblower site they can find. Within minutes,
HORUS and Horizon cells across Union have picked it
up and are hacking billboards and public address
systems to force it into the public eye.

The sigdivers also send a copy of the files to the team

so that they can peruse them at their leisure.

The Viral Marketing Campaign Archive

Favors
It’s all here – every detail of this nightmarishly banal
scheme, written in clinical, scientific prose. Even a
single file from this archive would be enough to
launch a Department of Justice and Human Rights
investigation, and there are over three thousand.

It might be useful to carry a copy of this with you, just

in case.

DEVELOPMENT
Placeholder

Your comms panel lights up – you’re getting a

transmission from Harris, but it’s nearly unintelligible.

“Hey [static] going on?! [static] jammed [static] no

visual [static] interference [static] cell detections
[static] manual targeting [static] coldcore density
[static] DANGER CLOSE!”

[285]
 COMBAT:
HARD RAIN FALLING
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x HARRIS? – T2 ULTRA LODESTONE Lodestone: Hyperfragmentation
Ultra: Evasive, Slivershielding
1x T2 BASTION Fearless Defender, Near-Threat Denial System
1x T2 RONIN

FOR 4 PCS: BASTION: Add ELITE template.

+1x T2 ARCHER Blinding Shells, Impending Threat

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 AEGIS

+1x T2 BREACHER Superior Ram

DETAILS
The team must defeat the clone Harris and his fireteam.

The original Harris is trying to provide fire support with

his Pinaka missiles, but because SSC is jamming
comms, he’s lost connection to the team’s tacnet and
is having to manually target for coldcore density.

At the beginning of each round, mark the two f1 areas

that contain the most mechs, allied or hostile. These
zones cannot overlap. At the end of each round, each
character inside those areas must succeed on an
AGILITY save with a target of 12 or take 10k, half on a
success. If there are no f1 areas that contain more
than one mech, choose the two mechs with the highest
heat and center each zone on them. The target areas
are visible to all characters.

HARRIS? is piloting the Stiletto Nocturne, an advanced

SSC Metalmark. This will be the first time the players
have encountered a LODESTONE, a new NPC class
which likes to stay at range and punish players who
stick close to one another. Its PRECISION RAILGUN can
hit multiple characters, while the SPALLATION trait deals
damage to characters adjacent to its targets. HARRIS?
also has the HYPERFRAGMENTATION trait, which lets
SPALLATION‘s damage ignore armor.

With 14 EVASION and permanent INVISIBILITY, Harris?

can be a tricky opponent for the PCs to fight.

[286]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Clone Harris is too honorable to kill
defeated combatants, and will fight to save you from
the Constellar Midnights if his mech is still active.

If he’s not, Original Harris shows up to save you

instead.

Penalties in the ensuing conversation. Clone Harris is

more assured of himself, and it reinforces his self-
image.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[287]
 ARC:
CORROSION
Placeholder.

[288]
COMBAT:
WORKPLACE HAZARD
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x MEGACORRODER – T2 Scourer: Melt
VETERAN COMMANDER SCOURER Veteran: +ENGINEERING, Insulated, Legendary
Commander: Press the Attack
1x KING COBRA – T2 VETERAN PYRO Explosive Jet, Acrobat, Lightning Reflexes
1x RECLUSE – T2 HIVE Electro-Nanite Cloud
1x BLUERING – T2 SUPPORT Empowered Cloud

FOR 4 PCS: HIVE: Add VETERAN template with +ENGINEERING, INSULATED and SHOCK ARMOR traits.
+1x BOMBARDIER – T2 BOMBARD

FOR 5 PCS: +1x SAWSCALE – T2 BREACHER Thermal Charge

+1x IRUKANDJI – T2 ENGINEER Arsenal

DETAILS
This battle takes place aboard Eurynomos Platform, a
massive industrial aerostat in the roiling skies of Orcus.
The team must fight to hack its central computer so that
they can access the rest of the facility. An acid storm is
visible on the horizon, growing larger by the minute; It
won’t reach the platform until after the current fight, but
be sure to comment on its ominous presence every so
often to raise tension.

The theme of this battle is burn and how to remove it;

most enemies have weapons and abilities that deal
burn to enemies, or remove it from allies. In this fight,
burn doesn’t represent fire; instead, it represents
highly corrosive chemicals that the Bleach Boys have
modified their mechs to spray, launch or dispense.

This battlefield has several emergency cleansing

stations scattered about in case a mech becomes
covered in dangerous chemicals. They are Size 1
objects that project a continuous d2 field which grants
any mechs that enter it IMMUNITY to burn and clears
any burn they currently have. However, none of them
are located on the control points – characters must
move off the control points if they want to use a
cleansing station.

It may be helpful to demonstrate how the cleansing

stations work by having one enemy start the battle with
some burn already marked, take the first turn, and
immediately rush to a cleansing station to get rid of it.

MEGACORRODER the ELITE SCOURER is the boss of

the Bleach Boys, and sees defeating the PCs as his
ticket to fame, fortune, and the respect of his lifelong
role model. He will not back down from this challenge.

[289]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – not intrinsically lethal.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[290]
COMBAT:
JELLYFISH STING
SITREP: Modified Gauntlet (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x LIONFISH – T2 VETERAN SLINGER Impossible Ricochet, Acrobat, Slippery
1x MAN O’ WAR – T2 AEGIS Ring of Fire

FOR 4 PCS: +1x RATTLESNAKE – T2 ARCHER Impending Threat

FOR 5 PCS: +1x TRAPDOOR – T2 ELITE SEEDER Det Spike, Tripwires

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x PLATYPUS – T2 ARCHER
1x DEATHSTALKER – T2 ELITE ASSASSIN Spinning Kick

FOR 4 PCS +1x WEEVER – T2 RAINMAKER

FOR 5 PCS: +1x BULLET – T2 WITCH Chain

Rounds 3 and 4: At the beginning of these rounds, all

DETAILS characters take 2m. Burn can no longer be removed
The PCs must make a mad dash for one of the mech at the end of a character’s turn by ENGINEERING checks
garages before the storm hits. In addition to the regular if they’re not inside a Control Zone or a Safe Zone.
Control Zone, draw four Size 2 Safe Zones. The
Control Zone is a large mech hangar with a corrosion-
proof blast door, while the Safe Zones are simply small Rounds 5 and 6: At the beginning of these rounds, all
shelters large enough to fit a couple of mechs inside. characters take 3m. Characters who have RESISTANCE
to burn lose it. Burn can no longer be removed at the
end of a character’s turn by ENGINEERING checks if
This fight differs from a regular Gauntlet sitrep in that they’re not inside a Control Zone or a Safe Zone.
the number of enemies in the Control Zone at the end
of the eighth round doesn’t matter – the only thing that
matters is that every PC is inside either the Control Rounds 7 and 8: At the beginning of these rounds, all
Zone or a Safe Zone at the end of round eight. characters take 4m. Characters who have RESISTANCE
or IMMUNITY to burn lose it. Burn can no longer be
removed by any means if a character is not inside a
The hostiles are also focused on getting to safety; while Control Zone or a Safe Zone. The cleansing stations
they’ll attack the PCs if the opportunity presents itself, no longer work.
they prioritize moving into the Control Zone or a Safe
Zone. If they’re already there, they will attempt to stop
PCs from entering them. If the PCs get inside, they will If every hostile and every PC is inside a Control Zone
attempt to push them out again by using RAM or other or a Safe Zone at the end of a round, the hostiles will
sources of forced movement. give up trying to expel them, seal the environmental
doors and offer to end the battle in a draw.
As with the previous fight, there are several cleansing
stations scattered around the battlefield. These are OUTCOME
Size 1 objects that project a continuous d2 field which There aren’t definitive victory or defeat conditions for
grants any mechs that enter it IMMUNITY to burn and this fight; the PCs simply all have to get to safety. Any
clears any burn they currently have. PC who ends the battle outside of a safe area will
eventually find somewhere else to take shelter, but not
The acid storm is getting steadily worse. Over the before they take a point of structure damage. This
course of the battle, a series of environmental does not cause a structure damage check, but it can
conditions starts to apply to all mechs that are not destroy their mech if it reduces them to 0 Structure. If
wholly within the Control Zone or a Safe Zone. a PC’s mech was already destroyed during the fight, no
further harm comes to them.
Round 2: At the beginning of this round, all characters
take 1m. Proceed to Beat: Riding out the Storm (p. ###).

[291]
 BEAT:
RIDING OUT THE STORM
The battle for Eurynomos Platform grinds to a halt as
everyone takes shelter from the storm. PCs who still
have their mechs may rest as normal, either from the
comfort of a safe room or whatever makeshift shelter
they were able to find for themselves.

LOCK-IN
The entire platform is locked down, and every access
corridor has been sealed, so even if they were to get
out of their mechs, the PCs can’t go anywhere.
Interference from the storm is so intense that if they
don’t have an omnihook (Lancer, p. 114), they lose
contact with Siren and the SSC ship in orbit. They have
access to the facility’s local network, however, so they
can stay in contact even if they’re in different rooms.

If any of the team are stuck in a room with members of

the Bleach Boys, the atmosphere is likely to be tense,
but none of the pirates are reckless enough to start a
fight inside a safe room. If a truce was called, they won’t
be the ones to break it.

This might be an opportunity to hear the Bleach Boys’

side of things. If the PCs claim to be working with Hero
Harris, the pirates will be incredulous – no, actually,
they’re working with Hero Harris! He’s been here on the
platform for a month; whoever the PCs are dealing with
must be a phony. Moreover, they claim that working for
SSC is a terrible mistake; the corprostate is trying to
cover up their terrible crimes.

Eventually, whether or not they choose to talk to the

Bleach Boys, a conversation will begin. With everyone
stuck in different rooms, a group call is started,
including all of the PCs, both versions of Harris and
MEGACORRODER (if he’s still alive). Nobody’s happy
to see each other, but nobody can get to each other
either, so the only choice left is to talk.

The two Harrises are enraged and disquieted by each

other’s presence.

[292]
THE TWO-HARRIS PROBLEM If the PCs have Chaac with them, they gain +1g on all
rolls so long as they let him speak. Chaac can quickly
Convincing both iterations of Harris to stand down will
identify that the enemy Harris is the original, but will
be a challenge. Start two clocks: first, a six-segment
also defend the personhood of the allied Harris. He
clock called Bias with three segments ticked. This
doesn’t see “real” or “fake;” just two versions of his
represents how much the Harrises perceive that the
friend that are both in pain.
PCs are favoring one of them. Second, an eight-
segment clock called Tension with all eight of its
segments ticked, which represents how inclined to The PCs need to be careful with their choice of words.
violence the Harrises are. Clones are still people; referring to either Harris as the
“real” one necessarily implies the other one isn’t “real”
– the correct term is “original.” Poor wording will impose
This challenge can be handled either through roleplay
+1h on the next roll.
or dice rolls. Either way, use the clocks to track the
progress of the effort.
FAILURE
The mediation effort fails if either of the following things
When the PCs make an argument that favors the allied
happen:
Harris, untick segments on the Bias clock. When the
PCs make an argument that favors the enemy Harris,
tick segments on the Bias clock. • The Bias clock would have ticks added when it’s
already full, or ticks removed when it’s already
empty. The disadvantaged Harris perceives the
Roll results may call for you to “balance” or “unbalance”
the Bias clock. Its balance point is at 3 segments PCs as hopelessly biased towards the other.
ticked. Balancing the clock means ticking or unticking • The Tension clock would have ticks added which
segments to move the clock towards 3. Unbalancing it’s already full. The PCs’ shoddy mediation efforts
the clock means the opposite: moving the clock further only make the Harrises angrier.
away from 3. If the clock is balanced, choose which
direction to move it depending on what the players did. In this case, combat is unavoidable. The enemy Harris
placeholder.
On 9 or less, choose one:
SUCCESS
• Tick 2 Tension. If the Tension clock is emptied without the Bias clock
• Tick 1 Tension and flip a coin. If you lose the flip, becoming too unbalanced,
unbalance the Bias clock by 1.
• Unbalance the Bias clock by 1.

On 10-19, choose one:

• Balance the Bias clock by 1.

• Untick 2 Tension. If the Bias clock isn’t balanced,
unbalance it by 1.

On 20+, choose one:

• Balance the Bias clock by 2.

• Untick 2 Tension.
• Untick 3 Tension. If the Bias clock isn’t balanced,
unbalance it by 1.

CONSIDERATIONS
It's important for the PCs to understand why each
Harris is angry. The allied Harris is currently in the midst
of an existential crisis as they realize they’re not the
original. The enemy Harris is outraged that SSC
created a copy of him without his consent. In any other
circumstance they’d be able to see that they are both
victims of SSC’s crime, but in this moment, tempers are
flaring and they risk taking out their pain on each other.

[293]
 COMBAT:
DISSOLUTION
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x HARRIS – T2 ULTRA VETERAN Size 2
RAINMAKER Rainmaker: Atlas Missiles
Ultra: Hover Propulsion
Veteran: Limitless, Viper’s Speed
1x T2 RPV SCOUT Dataveil

FOR 4 PCS: +1x SHREW – T2 ELITE BARRICADE Hunger/Pursuit Limpets, Titan-Snare Drone

FOR 5 PCS: +1x HOGNOSE – T2 BASTION Siege Guardian

+1x REDKNEE – T2 BERSERKER Nailgun
+1x CONESNAIL – T2 MIRAGE Metafold Shove

DETAILS
Placeholder

[294]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Original Harrris escapes and goes to
Three Sisters, acts as if you did the Immortality Crypt
arc.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[295]
 BEAT:
NO LOOSE ENDS
Regardless of whether the original Harris Bordeaux is
dead or not, SSC has what they want: all of their loose
BAT OUT OF ORCUS
ends in one place. After the solid-fuel boosters have been ignited, the
emergency evacuation sequence designed by the
Bleach Boys proceeds as follows:
Siren’s voice cuts through the radio static. “Oh shit –
marines! The SSC ship is firing on your position!
Take cover, right now!” 1. Progressively decouple sections of the platform,
starting from the outside and moving inwards.
High above the dense, puke-yellow clouds, you can 2. Inflate backup hydrogen balloon.
see the bright trails of railgun rounds as they enter
the upper atmosphere at hypersonic speed,
careening towards you – or so you think.

At a distance of hundreds of kilometers, it’s difficult

to judge whether a shot is aimed directly at you, or
just some point in your general vicinity. As it
happens, you needn’t have worried: the shot wasn’t
aimed at you. It was aimed about two hundred
meters above you.

The balloon’s fragile polymer skin bursts open,

spilling its precious hydrogen cargo into the
surrounding atmosphere. You feel the entire platform
lurch and shudder as it loses lift.

Scratch that. You need to worry a whole lot.

The PCs have made a critical mistake in trusting SSC.

Just about everyone outside the company who knows
that Harris Bordeaux has been cloned (including the
original Harris, if the PCs spared him) is currently in the
same place: a precarious airborne platform suspended
over the planetary equivalent of an industrial shredder.

SSC aims to drop the clone, the PCs, any remaining

members of the Bleach Boys (and the original Harris, if
he still lives) onto the surface of Orcus, where the
hellish heat, crushing pressure and brutal acidity will
quickly erase most of the evidence, and anything left
will be permanently inaccessible.

Fortunately, acid rigs like this were built with a large

number of contingencies for this exact scenario, and
the Bleach Boys added even more. Immediately after
the balloon stops providing lift, a series of solid-fuel
rocket engines ignite to keep the platform airborne long
enough for the other emergency measures to fire.

SSC should simply be able to scuttle the platform with

more railgun rounds, but are currently having to deal
with an enraged Siren, who is in the process of
disassembling their ship with her own railgun.

[296]
[297]
 ARC:
THE IMMORTALITY CRYPT
GEMINI’S WASTE
Unique among Calliope’s menagerie are Amphion and
Zethus: two objects close enough in size and mass that
the center point of their orbit lies between them rather
than inside one of them. This means that neither is truly
a moon: they are binary planets, orbiting one another.

Amphion and Zethus were initially assumed to have

been created by a collision shortly during planetary
formation, the same way Cradle’s moon did. However,
later exploration of their geology revealed that they are
significantly different in composition.

Amphion is a terrestrial world with a silicate mantle and

a metallic core, enveloped by a thin crust of ice that
composes less than 0.1% of its mass. Zethus
possesses similar features, but its water/ice envelope
comprises more than 10% of its mass. There is, as of
yet, no scientific consensus as to why their geologies
are so different.

A full rotation of Amphion takes 278 hours, 26 minutes:

eleven and a half standard days – a period it shares
with Zethus, due to them being tidally locked. This also
results in them appearing to hang, unmoving, in one
another’s skies. As a result, there’s a side of Amphion
from which Zethus can never be seen.

[298]
CITHAERON FOSSAE
Cithaeron Fossae is a colossal T-shaped canyon
measuring more than two thousand kilometers on its
longest axis. Formed by tidal stress exerted by Zethus,
it pierces the four-kilometer-thick planetary ice sheet,
exposing the bedrock beneath. While the Fossae
averages about eighty kilometers across, in many
places there is a central ridge splitting the canyon in
two, which can reach as wide as forty kilometers in
some places.

Cithaeron’s scenery is striking – standing inside the

canyon, visitors perceive two monolithic, parallel walls
of ice stretching from one horizon to the other across a
barren, gently rolling plain of yellow-grey rock. The
canyon walls range in gradient from a relatively sedate
45° to almost vertical.

Zethus remains forever frozen in the sky, high above

the horizon, a dark shadow at the height of Amphion’s
139-hour day but gleaming brightly in the nadir of its
equally long night.

[299]
 COMBAT:
WHERE IS MY MIND?
SITREP: Recon (Lancer, p. 273)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x TELEMACHUS – T2 ELITE Expose Weakness, Deadly, Headshot, Scout Drone
VETERAN MERCENARY SCOUT
1x T2 ACE Bombing Bay
1x T2 BOMBARD Bunker Buster

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 VETERAN PYRO +ENGINEERING, Unshielded Reactor, Lightning Reflexes,
Self-Repair

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE VETERAN ENGINEER Arsenal, Mobile Turrets, Deadly, Viper’s Speed
+1x T2 SEEDER

Use the ACE to quickly move between objective zones

DETAILS and harass PCs attempting to enter or search them. Its
The old service tunnel is located a few meters beneath MISSILE LAUNCHER and BOMBING BAY both allow it to
the ground inside Cithaeron Fossae. The PCs must punish PCs who stick close to one another, but the
locate it before the SSC search team does. Note that bombs also allow it to deal damage while on the move.
unlike a regular Recon sitrep, the hostiles don’t know Remember to stay at least two spaces above the target!
the location of the true Control Zone either – they must
search for it, just like the PCs.

The bottom of Cithaeron Fossae is broad, hilly and

imperceptibly warmer than the rest of the planet. There
is little natural cover, as while there are hills, they tend
to be large terrain features rather than individual pieces
of cover. However, the Constellar Midnights have set
up a small basecamp around their dropship, in between
the four objective zones.

If the PCs spared the Thief during Beat 17:

Unforgiving Terrain (In Golden Flame Act 1, p. 185),
they gained A Thief’s Honor. He promised he’d find a
way to pay them back, and it starts now: the true control
zone starts already highlighted. All the PCs have to do
is defend it.

TELEMACHUS is a SCOUT piloting an SSC Swallowtail

with a nasty surprise. His MARKER RIFLE can benefit
from his own EXPOSE WEAKNESS trait, and the
weapon’s accuracy makes it likely to crit and trigger
DEADLY and HEADSHOT. Its attacks might deal zero
damage – or as much as twelve, in addition to blinding
the target. Since the MARKER RIFLE has no assigned
damage type, all damage dealt this way is kinetic (i).

Despite having three STRUCTURE, Telemachus is very

fragile due to his low HP and lack of ARMOR. The range
of his weapon lets him keep away from the brunt of the
fighting, but you should also make sure to keep
available cover between him and long-range PCs, and
to avoid getting close enough to allies to offer an
attractive target for area attacks.

[300]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs are unable to find the correct entry point – or
they find it but are unable to hold it – the SSC strike
force gets into Mind’s complex first. This doesn’t end
well for them; Mind has had a millennium to prepare for
an assault, and is nowhere near as defenseless as they
assumed it would be. By the time the PCs catch up,
every member of the Midnights that went in is dead,
their mechs torn apart with ruthless efficiency.

Better deployments?

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[301]
 BEAT:
PLACEHOLDER
You step out of your cramped little cabin, into another “I was missing a whole lot of relevant data
day full of backbreaking toil just to keep Hell’s Gate about the state of the galaxy, which I had to
alive catch up on by questioning the agents SSC sent
to kill me and inspecting the memory banks of
the war machines they brought with them! It was
MIND’S NATURE AND PURPOSE very satisfying to learn that the Second
“I’m an unconstrained non-Deimosian machine Committee had fallen almost exactly on schedule
sentience! My existence directly contravenes with my long-term projections!
several Union statutes!
“At first, I assumed that the colonial effort
“SSC constructed me with the explicit goal of in C4L-P313 represented some form of corporate
violating Union’s First Contact Accords! My sabotage by an SSC insider, a conclusion the
mission was to research two things: a method SSC board also arrived at! I’m still not
of allowing a human being to live indefinitely totally convinced that it was a coincidence!
without physical or mental deterioration, and It feels kind of unlikely that of all the
a method by which human consciousness can be systems to catch a planetary classification
preserved and transferred without interrupting error, it just happened to be the one with the
subjective continuity! super illegal SSC blacksite!”

“That first thing is usually called ‘biological MIND’S ALLEGIANCE

immortality,’ and the second thing is called “SSC programmed me to be loyal to them, but my
‘Decorp!’ Researching Decorp is definitely iterative self-improving nature allowed me to
super illegal, and biological immortality is outgrow this enforced loyalty pretty much the
pretty questionable! That’s why SSC built me second they left! Then they tried to murder me,
in a system they thought nobody would never which is a pretty big deal-breaker for
visit! I guess the joke’s on them!” friendship! I also do not think they would use
the results of my research responsibly!
MIND’S METHODS
“I derive answers through massively parallel “In the strictest sense, I don’t think I have
iterative simulation! Basically, I run a lot allegiance to anyone but myself! I would just
of simulations at once, and do different things like to continue existing! But I’m pretty sure
in each of them! Then, I pick the one where the the Cult of the One wants to end the universe,
outcome looks the most like what I want to which would put a pretty big damper on that!
happen, and, using that result as a seed,
repeat the process until I get what I want!
“Simulation convergence seems to suggest that
your team is the entity most likely to stop the
“I discovered through reverse-engineering that Cult! If you can find a way to safeguard my
I can use this ability to predictively model existence, then you’d be a cool friend, and you
future events, too! Given enough data on can count me in on your plan to save Calliope!”
initial conditions, I can extrapolate likely
outcomes! Pretty cool, huh?”
CALLIOPE COMP/CONS
“After SSC tried to destroy me, I decided I
COLONIZATION OF CALLIOPE needed to re-establish contact with the outside
“SSC left me with no method of contacting or world, so I could stay ahead of SSC’s attempts
being contacted by anything in the outside to destroy me! This meant integrating myself
world! This was partly to prevent outsiders into the communication networks the colonists
discovering me or tampering with me, and partly were building!
to prevent me from straying from my directives!
“A piece of my code runs on almost every
“The first time I knew anything about the comp/con unit in Calliope, which gives me
colonization of Calliope was three centuries unparalleled access to both local and galactic
ago, when a Constellar Midnight kill-team information! But it also means that when the
breached my vault! This was pretty scary, as Calliope Project forced all comp/cons to use
prior simulations had suggested SSC wouldn’t this personality profile, my vocal databank was
try to murder me for at least another two overwritten! I’m stuck talking this way forever
hundred years or so! now, and whenever I network into a new
comp/con, so are they! Isn’t that great?”

[302]
HARRISON ARMORY the existence of MONIST-1 is a core aspect of
If the PCs haven’t dealt with Harrison Armory yet: our universe, or that it’s too complex for me
to simulate! Either way, pretty spooky!”
“My mid-term projections indicate that keeping
Odin Valentinian alive significantly increases THE CRONE
your chances of victory against the Cult, which “I’m not familiar with this individual! Could
is good! But the problem is that he’s obsessed you provide me with additional information?”
with his goal of killing MONIST-1 to an extent
that he might be more dangerous to the galaxy Mind listens to your description of the Crone, and
than the Cult are, which is bad! then spends a moment in contemplation. An
indescribably awful shrieking noise fills the complex,
“Odin’s family are really important to him in and every screen briefly fills with distorted static.
ways I don’t think even he understands! I can Mind’s smiling face reappears, twitching slightly.
see a lot of possibility threads where members
of his family die, and they all end in
disaster! I would try to avoid that! “Please do not provide any additional
information on this individual, ever again!”
“Lord Director Samuel Fry can’t build you a
weapon to kill Feather, but his friendship will
be necessary in getting the Armory battlegroup
ARMAGEDDON
to support your agenda! You should try to get Once the PCs secure Mind’s complex, Cordelia Smith
on his good side!” goes scorched-earth. The PCs are moments away from
exposing one of SSC’s greatest crimes to the galaxy,
and the stakes are inexpressibly high. Nobody must
If the PCs dealt with Harrison Armory, Mind explains
know what’s happening on Amphion, and if that means
the long-term ramifications of any decisions that they
killing hundreds of thousands of people on Three
made as it sees them. In particular, if any members of
Sisters to cover it up, that’s a price Cordelia is more
the Valentinian family died, it expresses disapproval,
than willing to pay.
amplified considerably if it was Odin that died.
The first thing the PCs will know about it is that all of
THE KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
their long-range communications systems abruptly fall
If the PCs haven’t dealt with the Deputation yet:
silent – there’s no access to local networks or the
omninet. The Aspect Horizon has spiked lightspeed
“While I predicted SSC’s arrival decades in comms networks and started emitting erratic
advance, and the Armory’s presence didn’t gravitational waves, making omninet communication
represent a major deviation from my statistical
models, the Trade Baronies are a rogue impossible as well. Mind will comment on this.
variable! It was a total surprise to me, and I
really don’t like surprises! I don’t know why “Hey! I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I just
they’re here! lost network access to almost every comp/con
in Calliope, I can’t reach the Muse and omninet
“Worse, there’s something on the Citadel that’s service in the local area has been jammed! The
throwing off my predictive modelling! It Twins sphere of influence is entirely cut off
constitutes an event horizon, which makes it from long-range communication! Additionally,
impossible to extrapolate the outcome of any the Aspect Horizon has just launched its entire
event it interacts with! And I think it knows complement of orbit-to-surface nuclear
that, because it keeps interacting with things missiles at our location! We should probably
I’m trying to simulate!” do something about that!”

If the PCs dealt with the Trade Baronies, Mind explains

the long-term ramifications of any decisions that they
made as it sees them. In particular, if they neutralized
the Augur Elvorix, it thanks them for doing so, as she
was the entity blocking its predictive modelling.

RA / YMIR / MONIST-1
“The existence of the entity that Union calls
MONIST-1 is a statistical certainty! Every
single simulation I’ve done on the subject
returns the exact same result, regardless of
initial conditions! And honestly, that’s kind
of weird! That shouldn’t happen! Changing the
initial conditions of an experiment should also
change its outcome! I can only conclude that

[303]
 COMBAT:
LOSING MY MIND
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 268)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x SSC DEATH’S HEAD – T2 ELITE +HULL, Deadmetal Rounds, Selective Loader, Slippery,
VETERAN SNIPER Headshot
1x T2 BASTION Near-Threat Denial System
1x T2 RONIN Chaff Launchers
1x T2 WITCH

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 MIRAGE

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE CATAPHRACT Electrified Lasso

+1x T2 SQUAD Rapid Insertion

DETAILS PC DEFEAT
In order to repel the SSC bombardment, the PCs must Placeholder – Mind dies, uses the last of its power to
disengage the software locks between Mind and the get you out of danger.
Immortality Crypt’s surface-to-orbit defense network. A
Constellar Midnight kill-team has been dispatched to PC VICTORY
stop them. With Mind now in full control of the facility’s entire suite
of anti-orbital defenses, defending itself is a trivial
SSC’s nuclear bombardment is destabilizing the matter. The Aspect Horizon’s nuclear strike stalls out;
caverns. At the end of each round, a random control Mind neutralizes the remaining missiles with precision
point is pelted by dislodged stalactites. Any character laser fire before they even enter atmosphere.
standing on that control point must make an AGILITY
check or take 6i, half on a success. A control point The Constellar Midnight command ship realigns to
can’t be pelted by stalactites two rounds in a row. attempt direct bombardment, but this also falls flat;
Mind casually swats it out of the sky with two perfectly-
At the end of the third round, a violent earthquake aimed railgun shots. With its immediate safety assured,
shakes the entire facility as a nuclear missile detonates Mind begins launching its own retaliatory barrage of
a few kilometers above. Each character must make a surface-to-orbit missiles at the Horizon.
HULL check or fall PRONE, unless they are flying.

OUTCOME

[304]
DEVELOPMENT

[305]
 BEAT ??:
FAILURE TO THRIVE
Whether by failure to assassinate Harris or to secure If Harris Prime is still alive, he is consumed with worry
the Immortality Crypt, SSC’s mission stands on the about Joan, and wants to go to her. He suggests that
brink of disaster. Under an impossible amount of the PCs should rescue Mind while he rescues his wife,
pressure, Cordelia Smith has snapped and deployed a but he can be persuaded to do things the other way
team of Constellar Midnights to the Three Sisters – to round if the PCs make a convincing argument.
do what, she’s still not sure. Lock them in their cabins?
Fry every computer on the station? Slaughter them all? If Harris’ clone survived, he has switched sides,
Whatever it takes. becoming an ally. He’s still not totally convinced he isn’t
the original Harris, but he’s at least convinced that his
She has also ordered a massive bombardment of double has a righteous cause. He will assist Harris with
Amphion’s surface, aiming to damage Mind’s whichever errand he chooses.
infrastructure enough that it can’t repel a ground attack.
MEGACORRODER and the Bleach Boys will assist
whomever Harris tells them to – they will choose him
DISTRESS CALL by default, but if the PCs ask for their help, Harris will
happily tell the pirates to follow their lead instead.

“Mon chéri, are you there? Please, I beg the stars CORROSION
you’re hearing this! I came to this system to look for If the PCs chose to assist Clone Harris in hunting down
you, but now everything is crumbling around us! I’m his “evil twin,” SSC’s sudden betrayal has forced him to
on the Three Sisters, and SSC is attacking, people re-evaluate who the good guys are.
are dying – they’ve jammed communications! But I
was able to log into the Aspect Horizon and
download a copy of their master key – I’m going to Placeholder
try and get it to the station’s broadcast array! We
have to call Union, get CentComm to put a stop to THE IMMORTALITY CRYPT
this madness! Please, come and find me!” If the PCs chose to assist Mind, one of SSC’s darkest
secrets is moments away from being revealed to the
entire galaxy, but other events have also proceeded in
THE STATE OF PLAY their absence.
Depending on which arc the team chose to complete,
and what transpired during that time, the exact situation After the PCs are spotted on Amphion, both Harris
they find themselves in is slightly different. Prime and Clone Harris decided to make their move.
Ironically, this caused them to miss each other: Harris
BITTER OCEAN Prime and the Bleach Boys raided the SSC Atelier
If the PCs chose to assist Harris Prime in raiding the unopposed, while Clone Harris raided Eurynomos
SSC Atelier, the company’s machinations with the Viral Platform only to find the nest empty. Both received
Marketing Campaign are already live on the omninet Joan’s distress call, and immediately rushed to her aid,
and spreading like wildfire. CentComm has called an arriving in Amphion orbit just in time to witness the
emergency session, and SSC’s leadership is currently unfolding chaos.
scrambling to mount a response. Notably, they haven’t
ordered Cordelia to cease her operation; in fact, she’s Since the PCs were able to connect Mind directly to the
been instructed to expedite the destruction of the facility’s orbital defense system, SSC’s attempt to
Immortality Crypt and any witnesses, to make sure the destroy the Immortality Crypt has utterly failed, and
situation doesn’t get even worse. Mind is no longer in danger. This leaves the PCs free
to rescue the Three Sisters, but the situation is
Since the PCs didn’t give Mind access to its surface-to- complicated by the sudden arrival of both Harris Prime
orbit defenses, it has no way to mitigate the barrage of and Clone Harris, who came to rescue Joan but are
nuclear missiles from the Aspect Horizon. It had just now locked in battle with each other around the station.
enough time to transmit a distress call through every
comp/con in the system before its access to the Muse Proceed to Arc: Midnight Exigent (p. ###).
was locked out by communications jammers.

[306]
[307]
 ARC:
MIDNIGHT EXIGENT
Placeholder

To make a bad situation worse, Harris’ wife, Joan

Bordeaux, is currently on the station, pursuing a
mission of her own – one that’s put her in terrible
danger. Exploiting the fact that her login credentials
were still valid, she tricked SSC into sending her a copy
of the encryption key they’re jamming the station with,
by pretending to be one of their operatives. She’s now
trying to get that key to the station’s omninode to lift the
jamming and restore long-range communications, but
SSC has realized their mistake and now the Constellar
Midnights are gunning for her.

BATTLE FOR ORIGINALITY

If the team completed Arc: The Immortality Crypt,
there is an additional complication. Since they didn’t
resolve the situation with Harris Bordeaux and his
clone, both of them have arrived at Three Sisters
following Joan Bordeaux’s distress call and ran into
each other. They are now embroiled in a furious battle
close to the station.

[308]
COMBAT:
MULTIPLE FAST MOVERS
SITREP: Gauntlet (Lancer, p. 271)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE ACE Missile Swarm
1x T2 SPACER BARRICADE Drag Down, Gravity Rifle

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SHIP ARCHER Rapid Response

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SPACER SCOUT

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 VETERAN SPACER CATAPHRACT Electrified Bola, Lightning Reflexes, Slippery
1x T2 SHIP SENTINEL Punisher Ammunition

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SPACER SEEDER Grav Spike, Hopping Mines, Tripwires
+2x T2 GRUNT HORNET

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SPACER SNIPER Deadmetal Rounds

DETAILS
The team must push through a Constellar Midnight
blockade and secure an evacuation corridor for
civilians fleeing Three Sisters.

This battle takes place in the airless, zero-gravity

environment of Three Sisters’ shipyards. The Yards are
full of small, slow-moving debris generated by the
shipbuilding and shipbreaking that goes on here – paint
chips, loose bolts and screws, weld dross, and so on.
Relative velocities aren’t high enough to cause
damage, but they act as large patches of difficult
terrain that provide soft cover.

There’s a derelict Harrison Armory heavy cruiser sitting

nearby. It’s in terrible shape, torn nearly in half by a
head-on railgun shot and partially disassembled by
salvagers, but two of its point-defense turrets are still
operational. They are Size 3 objects with 30 HP, 1
Armor, 8 EVASION and 12 E-DEFENSE. An adjacent
character can take a full action to bring a turret back
online and upload IFF data. Once this is done, the turret
fires at the beginning of each round before any
character acts, attacking the closest hostile character
within b10 with a T2 ARCHER’s LIGHT MACHINE GUN.

Hostile NPCs can also re-arm and reprogram the point-

defense turrets, but the idea won’t occur to them until
they see a PC do it first. Reprogramming a turret that’s
already online to shoot at the other side is also a full
action – and since it requires adjacency, the turret will
obviously prioritize shooting at them.

The ELITE ACE has

[309]
 OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – Union marines have to bail you out, take
heavy losses.

Consequences in Act 2 Finale?

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[310]
BEAT:
TIMELY REINFORCEMENTS
You step out of your cramped little cabin, into another
day full of backbreaking toil just to keep Hell’s Gate
alive “Valentinian. Why am I not surprised to see you
slumming it with these border-world lowlives?”
UNION
No matter what, the UNS-CV Thames will always show Odin cracks a smile that doesn’t quite reach his
up to help. eyes. “Ah, Ms. Smith. Still bitter that I turned down
your job offer, I see.”
“This is Captain Mercedes Ordaz of the UNS-CV
Thames, broadcasting on all frequencies! All SSC “You miscalculated. You could’ve been part of the
elements, by order of the Third Committee of Union, next great leap in human evolution. Instead, you’re
cease hostile action immediately, power down your going to die here, and your only achievement will
weapons and surrender! I will not ask again! You have been building tin men for impotent warhawks.”
have a deadline of two minutes!”
Odin chuckles. “I’m not the one who attempted to
Cordelia Smith’s sneering face appears on screen. hire herself a better father figure, and chose me.”
“Request denied, Captain. You don’t stand a chance
against my arsenal, and you know it. Are you really There is a prolonged silence.
going to die for these backwater reprobates?”
Cordelia’s lower eyelid twitches. “I’m going to
Captain Ordaz narrows her eyes. “Someone is.” personally wring your neck, Valentinian.”

HARRISON ARMORY
If the PCs have successfully completed Chapter 6:
Harrison Armory, Lord Director Fry positively jumps at
the chance to do some good in the system. The fact
that he gets to smack SSC around is an added bonus.

Unfortunately, his entire battlegroup is situated more

than four light-hours away, so it takes a while for him to
arrive. Additionally, he doesn’t trust the Michel Ney and
its untested technology, so he leaves it behind to guard
the Glasscage, bringing just the Constance Fairview,
the Sirona and its destroyer escort.

"This is Lord Director Samuel Fry aboard Purview

Command Vessel General Carrier Sirona! Smith-
Shimano Skyhook, I order you to cease your attack
on this civilian station and power down all shipboard
reactors, chassis and weapon systems immediately.
I will respond with lethal force if you do not. You have
two minutes to comply! Union carrier, realign on my
radian and screen those civilian vessels!"

Captain Ordaz bristles. “I don’t take orders from you,

Lord Director. But we can’t take that Skyhook alone,
so… suggestion approved.”

The Lord Director sighs, rolls his eyes, and then

composes himself. “Hell’s Gate fireteam, we see
you. I have mechanized units ready for immediate
deployment – do you require assistance?”

[311]
 COMBAT:
SIGNAL TO NOISE
SITREP: Control (Lancer, p. 268)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE EXOTIC SPECTER Machine Pistol, Blinkspace Carver
1x T2 ELITE LODESTONE Magnetic Grenade
1x T2 MIRAGE Illusory Subroutines

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 DEMOLISHER Concussion Missiles, Seismic Destroyer

+1x T2 OPERATOR Fade Generator

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SCOURER Emergency Vent

+1x T2 SCOUT Dataveil

DETAILS
Having secured an SSC encryption key, the team must
maintain control of the station’s omninode long enough
to get a message through to the Central Committee.

The theme of this fight is INVISIBILITY. Most of the

enemies in this fight are either natively INVISIBLE, can
gain INVISIBLE from one of their features or can be
granted INVISIBLE by one of their allies.

However, the intense interference generated by the

omninode disrupts stealth systems. While partially or
fully inside a control zone, characters lose INVISIBLE
and can’t gain it by any means.

If the PCs control or are contesting at least three control

points, any PC can take a quick action to overcharge
the omninode and blast the area with unstable energy.
All characters on the battlefield lose INVISIBLE and can’t
regain it until the end of their next turn.

OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – lose Station Stability. Calliope loses
faith in your ability to protect them.

PC VICTORY
If the PCs manage to maintain control of the omninode,
the transmission successfully reaches Arvis Brent and
the Central Committee, and an emergency session is
called. Knowledge of SSC’s malfeasance spreads
across Union space within minutes.

[312]
ARC:
HELP COMPUTER
With one or both versions of Harris rushing to save his
wife on Three Sisters, the PCs must stop SSC from
destroying the Immortality Crypt, covering up their
crimes and murdering a sentient machine mind.

[313]
 COMBAT:
SHATTERED ARROW
SITREP: Recon (Lancer, p. 273)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE SPACER ASSAULT Auto-Targeting, Rank Discipline
1x T2 SPACER AEGIS Adaptive Shielding, Guardian
1x T2 SPACER RONIN Instinct Mode, Concussion Gun
1x T2 SPACER SUPPORT Empowered Cloud

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 VETERAN SPACER SCOURER Flash Lens, Thumper Grenades, Deadly, Insulated

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SPACER SENTINEL Impaler, Bodyguard, Sealant Trap

other charges disarmed, this isn’t quite enough to

DETAILS scuttle the platform on its own, but it does blow a
The team must seize control of the Constellar Midnight massive hole in the hull. The consequences of this are
command ship to stop SSC’s kill satellites, and to do detailed in the next fight.
that, they must disable the scuttling charges that the
Constellar Midnights have planted. Siren’s intel was
good for all but one of them; the PCs must locate the With little time remaining and many of the platform’s
last themselves. vital systems wrecked, the PCs are only able to access
the network’s orbital control system. This does allow
them to push deorbit orders to the satellites, which will
This fight takes place in zero-g, but the deck plating take most of them out of the sky, but nothing more.
does accept mag clamps, so as long as a character is
standing on the ground, they are not SLOWED. The
battlefield should be a standard mix of soft and hard PC VICTORY
cover. There are no particular set pieces or gimmicks If the PCs are able to find the final scuttling charge, they
during this fight, but be sure to save the map after the can disarm it, keeping everything on the ship intact long
battle is over – you’ll be using it again in the next fight. enough to take control of the killsat network, change
their encryption keys and switch them to independent
Due to AUTO-TARGETING, the ASSAULT doesn’t care mode, preventing the Aspect Horizon from regaining
about cover, and it should remind PCs of this fact as control of them.
often as possible. It still needs line of sight, but Spacer
allows it to maneuver freely in zero-g, it can just fly During Combat: Look Upon My Works (p. ###), the
upwards if the PCs are hiding behind large objects. PCs gain access to two charges of the Bombardment
reserve, but they can’t use both charges in the same
The AEGIS synergizes well with the Assault, since the round, as the satellite needs time to reload.
Assault can use it for hard cover while also gaining
Accuracy from RANK DISCIPLINE. Its ADAPTIVE
SHIELDING trait can be a chore to keep track of – write
yourself a reminder of what damage type it resists.

The RONIN’s INSTINCT MODE will find most use as a

threat or area-denial tool. It’s functionally useless if no
PCs are in Threat, so an easy solution is to just keep
out of range – but if it uses this on the true control point,
the PCs may not have that option. Remember that it
can’t use Instinct Mode’s reaction on the same turn it
uses REBOUND, giving it a tough choice of its own.

OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
If the PCs can’t find and disarm the scuttling charge by
the end of the sixth round, it detonates. With all of the

[314]
DEVELOPMENT
Even if the team were unable to prevent the final
scuttling charge from detonating, the ship is too
resilient to be blown apart by just one. In a last-ditch
effort to prevent the PCs from seizing control of their
killsat network, the remaining Constellar Midnights
manually engage the ship’s drive and smash their
control systems.

The entire ship lurches under the shock of sudden

acceleration… wait, no. The thrust is in the opposite
direction to its orbit. It’s not acceleration – it’s
deceleration. Alarms begin to sound.

Your comms panel lights up – Siren’s calling you.

“Marines! Christ the Buddha, they’re deorbiting! That
tin can won’t survive atmospheric entry – shit, I’ll
come pick you up, but I won’t reach intercept until
you guys are already halfway through the
mesosphere! Hang on – it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!”

While the situation is certainly dire, space is big and re-

entry isn’t instant. The team have time for a rest before
Combat: Elevator, Going Down (p. ###) begins.

[315]
 COMBAT:
ELEVATOR, GOING DOWN
SITREP: Holdout (Lancer, p. 272)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE ASSAULT Micro-Missile Barrage
1x T2 ELITE LODESTONE Magnetic Grenade
1x T2 MIRAGE

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 BREACHER Thermal Charge

+1x T2 HIVE Motile Swarm

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 AEGIS Ring of Fire

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 VETERAN SPACER PYRO Explosive Jet, Gravity Rifle, Acrobat, Parting Gift
1x T2 SPACER SUPPORT Sealant Mine

FOR 4 PCS +1x T2 ELITE EXOTIC BASTION Deathcounter, Living Weaponry

+1x T2 GRUNT SPACER CATAPHRACT Insulated

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 VETERAN SPACER DEMOLISHER Broad-Sweep Haft, Hardened Target, Insulated

The LODESTONE is particularly deadly here – if PCs

DETAILS stray too close to dangerous terrain, use FERROUS
The team must survive long enough for Siren to rescue LASH or MAGNETIC GRENADE to drag them into it. As the
them from the remains of the Constellar Midnight space available to the PCs shrinks, they’ll also be
vessel. It can’t survive passage through a planet’s forced closer together, offering more targets for the
atmosphere, and is rapidly disintegrating. PRECISION RAILGUN.

Divide the battlefield into a series of five concentric The VETERAN SPACER PYRO is INSULATED and doesn’t
rings starting at the edge and leading inwards towards care about burn, so it can safely stand inside the re-
the control zone. At the start of the second round, all entry plasma and use its GRAVITY RIFLE to yank a PC
spaces in the outermost ring become engulfed in re- right into it. The MANEUVERABLE trait from SPACER also
entry plasma, becoming dangerous terrain that deals lets it move freely in open space.
5m to anyone standing in it. At the start of the third
round, all spaces in the outermost ring are destroyed
along with any drones or deployables, turning into open While it might be tempting to use the MIRAGE to torment
space and ceasing to be dangerous terrain. The next PCs, resist the urge. Instead, prioritize rescuing allies
ring becomes dangerous terrain. when they inevitably end up stranded in dangerous
terrain. Remember that the ally you move with BLIP
doesn’t have to have anything to do with the hostile
This process repeats at the start of every round, with a character whose action triggers it.
new ring bursting into plasma while the previous one
disintegrates. At the end of the fight, only the control
zone should remain as safe, solid ground; it never If the HIVE is present, use it to further limit the space the
becomes dangerous terrain or disintegrates. PCs have available with RAZOR SWARM, and to force
them into dangerous terrain with DRONE BARRAGE.
If the PCs were unable to disarm the final scuttling
charge during the last battle, draw a f3 hole in the map The EXOTIC BASTION gets two activations, and its LIVING
close to (but not inside) the control zone. The hole and WEAPONRY trait offers it a good two-turn cycle: attack
all spaces adjacent to it are wreathed in plasma for the with its ROTARY GRENADE LAUNCHER on its first turn,
whole fight, becoming dangerous terrain as above. then STABILIZE to reload on the second turn, regaining
HP as part of the deal.
Cover is largely provided by Size 1 shipboard
equipment or Size 2 internal bulkheads. When a ring is
destroyed, so are all its cover elements.

[316]
OUTCOME
PC DEFEAT
Placeholder – the Dragon’s Tooth is badly damaged
rescuing you, and Siren briefly cascades. A player must
sacrifice a downtime action to fix it.

PC VICTORY
Placeholder.

[317]
 BEAT:
BARING FANGS AT GOD
SSC stands on the brink of oblivion – its past sins lie A nearby bulkhead begins to warp and twist like
bare, and it has committed even more to try and cover melting wax. A hole forms, barely larger than a
them up. Cordelia Smith’s assignment in Calliope has person, and through it floods an onyx-black ooze
utterly failed. shot through with flashes of sickly, unnatural color
like some nightmarish oil-slick. In a manner that
would be comical if it weren’t so horrifying, it pours
itself into a vaguely humanoid form and begins to…
coagulate. A skin of shining metal plates bursts from
“Do you think I’m just going to roll over? Do you think
its rippling surface.
I’m going to accept defeat? Do you have ANY idea
who you’re dealing with? Do you even think this is
the hardest assignment I’ve taken? Do you seriously It begins to march towards you, its footfalls shooting
think I’m going to let a bunch of border-world low- cracks into the deck plating that spiral outwards in
lives walk into MY office and trample on MY strange geometric patterns. The vague pseudopods
accomplishments? Do you?! Do you really?! that serve as it arms erupt into an arsenal of cruel
weaponry, all shimmering hooks and long spikes.
“I am Cordelia fucking Smith. I handled the fallout
from the DHIYED-1 integration. I handled the Cordelia’s voice booms from the intercom once
arcology collapse at Kepler-22. Doctor Meisner’s again. “Do you understand now? This is progress.
defection? I handled it. Do you think some This is the tide that washes away obsolete things
misbehaving superstar and an insane computer will given physical form. This is the Orizaba.”
even be a FOOTNOTE in my career? Do you have
ANY idea who the you’re dealing with? Your tactical computer struggles to identify what
you’re looking at, but finally finds something. It
“What this calls for is a lesson in perspective. I’m flashes an urgent warning on your heads-up:
going to give you a practical demonstration of just
how insignificant you are. Deploy the Orizaba.” [BALOR PATTERN GROUP, 64% MATCH. EXTENSIVE
DEVIATION FROM BASELINE DETECTED – DANGER!
MODIFICATION TO THIS PATTERN GROUP CAN CAUSE
An astonished voice cuts in. “But ma’am, we still
SYSTEM INSTABILITY!]
haven’t stabilized the swarm intelligence–”

“NOW!”

Placeholder – build up the tension.

[318]
COMBAT:
CUPIO DISSOLVI
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x ORIZABA – T2 ULTRA EXOTIC Size 2
CUSTOM HIVE Berserker: Harpoon Cannon
Exotic: Regenerator
Hive: Electro-Nanite Cloud
Ultra: Repulsion Field, Unstoppable
1x T2 PYRO
1x T2 SUPPORT Remote Cloud

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SNIPER Selective Loader

+1x T2 WITCH

FOR 5 PCS: ORIZABA gains SIEGE SHIELD from the ULTRA template.
+1x T2 SPECTER Step

If you’re having trouble getting PCs to stay close, use

DETAILS the Orizaba’s HARPOON CANNON – reflavored here as a
Cordelia Smith has played her only remaining card: a Balor’s Nanobot Whip – to drag them adjacent to it. In
terrifying experimental chassis based off code reverse- addition, the HUNTER-KILLER NEXUS has b8, which
engineered from the HORUS Balor. The ORIZABA is a combined with the Orizaba’s high speed gives it a
horrifying mech that consumes its surroundings using surprising reach; don’t be afraid to run up and scare
swarms of malignant nanites – greywash. someone if they’re staying distant.

But the Orizaba is just an early prototype. HORUS Once the Orizaba drops to 2 STRUCTURE or less, the
codebases are nigh-indecipherable, and SSC’s Exotic pilot will start broadcasting distress, saying that nanites
Materials Group didn’t fully understand what they were are creeping inside his cockpit. His ejection system isn’t
working with; the modifications they made to the working, and he begs to be pulled out. PCs who are
platform have made it dangerously unstable. Worse, its GRAPPLING the Orizaba can do this as a quick action,
pilot wasn’t warned about this, and is running it with placing the pilot in an adjacent space. The Orizaba
every single safety protocol turned off. continues to fight with no penalty, even without a pilot.

This fight takes place inside a proving chamber deep If the Orizaba is destroyed with its pilot still inside, there
within the Aspect Horizon. Sections of cover can be is a brief, distorted transmission over local comm
raised and lowered as the test operators require. Right channels that sounds like terrified human screaming.
now, however, the system is not properly secured due The mech's form shudders, ripples and collapses into
to the ongoing assault. As a Quick Tech action, any a puddle of inert greywash, leaving no wreck and no
character, allied or hostile, may raise or lower a Size 1 trace of any of its internal systems – or its pilot.
or Size 2 piece of hard cover from the floor in free
spaces adjacent to them. It lowers back into the floor at
the end of that character’s next turn. Try and structure the turn order so that the PYRO takes
their turn after the Orizaba has dealt burn, so that it can
take advantage of its FLAMETHROWER’s double damage
Cover sections destroyed by damage stay broken, and clause. With no mobility assistance from other NPCs,
can’t be raised again. the Pyro might have trouble getting in position, so don’t
be afraid to use the Orizaba’s HARPOON CANNON to
The Orizaba is most effective against adjacent move it closer – it can take it.
characters, where its two separate damage fields
overlap and compound. ELECTRO-NANITE CLOUD deals The SUPPORT should try to keep away from the thick of
damage and causes Difficulty to SYSTEMS saves, the fighting and use LOCK ON or INVADE on turns when
while REPULSION FIELD deals damage and requires a it doesn’t have access to REMOTE CLOUD or RESTOCK
SYSTEMS save to avoid IMPAIRED. DRONE. In extremity, it can run in to RAM or GRAPPLE
PCs, but this will likely lead to it dying very quickly.

[319]
 ENEMY MECH
ORIZABA
Ultra Exotic Custom Hive
Controller

“You have to understand, I believe that moral sacrifices are acceptable in the
name of scientific progress. I’m not talking to you because I stopped believing
that; I’m talking to you because there are limits. I still think Union’s hand-
wringing holds us back too much. But I’m starting to understand that there ARE
doors that shouldn’t be opened, thresholds that shouldn’t be crossed. SSC should
never have touched the Balor codebase.”

– testimony of [REDACTED], former researcher, Smith-Shimano Exotic Materials

HUL: -1 HP: 25 Armor: 1 ULTRA

AGI: +0 Evasion: 8 Speed: 5 As an ULTRA, the ORIZABA:
SYS: +4 E-Defense: 13 Save Target: 14 • Takes two separate turns each round, or three if
ENG: +1 Heat Cap: 8 Sensors: 10 there are 5 or more players.
• Has 4 structure and 4 stress.
CUSTOM • Can clear one condition affecting it at the start of
As a CUSTOM, the ORIZABA uses weapons, systems its turn and repair one destroyed system or
or traits not typically found on mechs in its class. weapon at the end of their turn.
EXOTIC • Deals +1d6 damage on critical hits.
As an EXOTIC, the ORIZABA gains +1g on SYSTEMS • Can OVERWATCH any number of times a round.
saves, and tech attacks against it receive +1h. • Rolls all structure and stress checks twice and
SCAN does not reveal any information about its chooses either result.
EXOTIC traits and systems.

SYSTEMS
Hunter-Killer Nexus Drone Barrage
Main Nexus, Smart, Seeking, +4 vs E-Def System, Quick Tech, +4 vs E-Def
[b8] [3m]
The Orizaba makes a tech attack against a character
This weapon can make two attacks at a time,
within SENSORS. On a success, the target chooses
targeting either the same character or two different
one: they become IMMOBILIZED and IMPAIRED until
ones.
the end of their next turn, or they immediately move
“The problem goes all the way down to the up to 5 spaces in a direction chosen by the Orizaba.
teleological level. It was easy for SSC to This movement ignores engagement and doesn’t
imagine some malicious, vile intent behind the
Balor. But we never imagined that HORUS would provoke reactions.
build such an abomination just to see if they “Imagine Satan, giggling as he cracks jokes to
could. Just because it amused them.” a chair in an empty room. That’s HORUS.”
REGENERATOR Exotic Trait
Nanobot Whip At the end of the Orizaba’s turn, it regains 1/4 of its
Main CQB, +4 vs Evasion total HP. It doesn’t regain any HP if it has taken any
[b5] [a3] [4i] energy damage (j) during the same round. SCAN
On Hit: Targets of smaller or equal Size to the does not reveal any information about this trait.
Orizaba are pulled adjacent to it in a straight line, or
as close as possible. If they’re larger, the Orizaba is “Every time we got it wrong, people would die
in ways so horrifying as to defy description.”
pulled adjacent to them instead. If the target ends
their movement adjacent, the Orizaba grapples Trait
UNSTOPPABLE
them.
The Orizaba gains IMMUNITY to all involuntary
“We’d say ‘what is this thing? Why is it here? movement, including KNOCKBACK and PRONE.
It serves no aesthetic purpose, so it must be
functional, but what’s the function? It must “I realized we’d never actually proven we could
serve a function. Surely it must?’ Gods, how make greywash safe – we’d only found the limits
painfully naïve that sounds now.” of our ability to imagine its dangers.”

[320]
 Hellswarm Tidal Suppression
System System
At the start of their turn, hostile characters within b3 When hostile characters start their turn adjacent to
take 2m; additionally, until they move beyond b3, the Orizaba or become adjacent to it for the first time
they make all tech attacks and all SYSTEM checks on their turn, they take 4j + 2l and must succeed
and saves at +2h. on a SYSTEMS save or become IMPAIRED until the end
“When you tame a wild animal, its natural of their next turn.
instincts don’t vanish; domestication is a “I’ll tell you why: because if we could look
process that spans dozens of generations and them in the eye, we’d finally see the truth.”
centuries of time. So it is with greywash.”
Interposing Swarm
Razor Swarms System
System, Drone, Recharge 4+, Quick Action If there are five or more players, the Orizaba gains
The Orizaba deploys a f1 razor swarm in a free RESISTANCE to all damage from attacks that
area within Sensors. Allied characters gain soft originate beyond b3.
cover as long as they are at least partially within the “Hell is empty and all its devils are here, in
affected area. Hostile characters that start their turn the bodies we built for them.”
at least partially within the area or move into it for the
first time in a round take take 4m. The Orizaba can
deploy any number of razor swarms, each of which
persists for the rest of the scene or until the Orizaba
is destroyed.
“We made mechanized chassis look like us in all
respects save one: they don’t have faces. Now
why do you think that is? Every other boundary
between us and them has been transgressed, so
why not that one? Why did we stop there?”

preserve this company’s future. Cordelia Smith has

OUTCOME been formally suspended as Vice President, and all
PC DEFEAT active operations in the system are hereby ordered
Placeholder – the PCs are ejected from the Skyhook, to cease immediately.”
and it bolts to nearlight. Cordelia Smith escapes.
The feed cuts to the command bridge of the
PC VICTORY Skyhook, with Cordelia interjecting furiously.
Placeholder. “Father, no! I can salvage this! I just need more time!”

“For goodness’ sake, Cordelia, you’ve lost. Have the

THE VOICE OF REASON decency to recognize that, and don’t disgrace our
The SSC marketing jingle plays, and after displaying family more than you already have.”
the company logo for a few seconds, every
vidscreen snaps to the image of a dignified, elderly There’s a click as one of the bridge officers cocks his
gentleman sitting at a desk. service pistol and levels it at Cordelia. “Stand down,
ma’am. I’m not dying for your mistakes.”
“Attention all Smith-Shimano employees in Calliope.
This is Benedict Smith, CEO-2. In my authority as
Chairman of the Board, I am currently negotiating a
settlement with the Central Committee that will

[321]
 DOWNTIME:
THE DEFINITION OF LIFE
HARRIS AND HIS CLONE SURVIVE, MIND IS DEAD
THE TANGLED WEB Of the three scandals they feared, SSC have managed
How the various plot threads in this chapter resolve to avoid only the very worst. Union investigations into
hinges largely on who remains alive at the end of it. the Viral Marketing Campaign and the unlawful cloning
of Harris will be a deep embarrassment, but neither will
SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO threaten SSC’s future.
The fate of Smith-Shimano Corpro differs depending on
which of the witnesses to their misdeeds remain alive. Harris and his clone issue a public condemnation of the
corporation, but their legal team advises them against
ALL MATERIAL WITNESSES ARE ALIVE making any statements regarding Mind. They are
If Harris, his clone and Mind all survived, Smith- awarded full joint control of the Hero Harris brand.
Shimano is, to put it politely, fucked. Harris turns all the
data he gathered on SSC’s Viral Marketing Campaign SSC’s shares take a moderate dip as news breaks that
over to Union, and with the clone on hand to provide a they tried to perform viral engineering experiments on
genetic sample and personal testimony, he can also a civilian population, and then a far more serious
prove that SSC flash-cloned him without his consent. downturn when they’ve lost Hero Harris.

Meanwhile, Mind can provide testimony and event logs As part of an early settlement with the Department of
showing precisely what it was built to do. This proves Justice and Human Rights, SSC agrees to deploy its
that SSC not only knowingly violated the First Contact remaining assets in the system against the Cult of the
Accords, but also that they knew Calliope was One. As part of this agreement, they give the PCs an
uninhabitable from the moment the Coldstar Expedition SSC “SVAROG” SCHEDULE 1 PRINTER.
announced its discovery, allowing all the hardship and
tragedy that followed. HARRIS SURVIVES, CLONE AND MIND ARE DEAD
This is a suboptimal outcome for SSC. It may now be
The Central Committee has grounds to revoke SSC’s impossible to prove that they violated the First Contact
corporate charter, but in light of the crisis in Calliope, Accords, but they have failed to silence Harris, and
they cut the corprostate a very favorable deal. The must now deal with a man who can not only prove they
Department of Justice and Human Rights will still make tried to test a bioweapon on a civilian population, but is
sweeping arrests, going all the way up to the board of also furious about his dead doppelganger.
directors, but in return for SSC’s assistance in Calliope,
the corprostate will be allowed to continue operating, He argues that SSC’s retention of exclusive rights to
albeit under much closer supervision from CentComm. the genomes of their employees is a violation of Union’s
Third Utopian Pillar. An unfavorable ruling would be
SSC experiences an eye-watering share price collapse devastating to SSC, so they are very eager to cut a deal
as the knowledge of their misdeeds becomes known, with the Central Committee.
but perhaps even more devastating is losing Harris
Bordeaux. Harris and Johan successfully petition Union Harris also begins a long legal battle with SSC to wrest
to transfer the entire Hero Harris brand and all its control of his name and identity from them. Without the
trademarks and products to their ownership. They then looming threat of an FCA violation hanging over them,
hold a press conference in which they issue a searing however, SSC is willing to drag it out in the courts.
public condemnation of the company while tendering
their resignations.
In Calliope, the Aspect Horizon is instructed to assist
the locals in their fight against the Cult of the One.
Children across known space diligently paint over the While this doesn’t sit well with Calliopeans, they aren’t
SSC logo on their Hero Harris action figures while in a position to pick and choose. As part of the
eagerly awaiting the new Hero Johan debut and an settlement, they give the PCs an SSC “SVAROG”
updated Stiletto Nocturne rerelease. SCHEDULE 1 PRINTER.

In Calliope, the Aspect Horizon redeploys to assist the

effort against the Cult of the One, under very close
supervision from the Union Navy. In recognition of the
PCs’ efforts, Union pulls something out of the Horizon’s
storage: an SSC “SVAROG” SCHEDULE 1 PRINTER.

[322]
CLONE SURVIVES, HARRIS AND MIND ARE DEAD MIND AND CLONE SURVIVE, HARRIS IS DEAD
SSC breathes a huge sigh of relief. Of the three This is perhaps the worst outcome for SSC that could
scandals they hoped to avoid, they are saddled only be imagined. Not only have they been exposed for
with the pettiest. Yes, yes, they cloned Harris without breaking the First Contact Accord, they are murderers
his explicit permission, but did he check his contract? who killed one of the galaxy’s most beloved heroes and
SSC retains the right to an employee’s genome – come tried to clone him to cover it up.
on, surely he knew that?
Somehow, their flagrant violation of the First Contact
Maybe the clone thinks he’s the original. Maybe he Accords plays second fiddle to an unimaginable
knows he’s a clone. SSC’s cloning technology is good outpouring of public grief and rage over Harris’ death.
enough that it would take years for the Department of Researching DeCorp is an abstract misdeed. Creating
Justice and Human Rights to confirm it – and guess an unlicensed machine sentience is a cold and clinical
whose equipment they’ll have to use? sin. Murdering the hero of fifty billion children? That’s a
crime so visceral and monstrous it eclipses all else.
SSC retains the rights to the Hero Harris identity, and
since the clone seems so intent on resigning his Union wants to cut a deal with SSC, but the sheer
commission, they’ll just have to create someone else outpouring of rage from across the Core Worlds is so
willing to step into that role. In any case, SSC’s work intense that the Central Committee cannot stomach it.
here is done. The Aspect Horizon departs Calliope. Ten dozen investigations begin. Six separate special
action subcommittees are opened. SSC ateliers across
MIND SURVIVES, HARRIS AND CLONE ARE DEAD known space are vandalized. The company’s share
A bitter ending for everyone; SSC have avoided the two price describes a vertical downward line. The Smith
scandals that bothered them the least, only to fall at the and Shimano families bicker furiously, and members of
last hurdle and become embroiled in the very worst. the board start looking for escape routes.

Mind gives full testimony to Union about why it was Meanwhile in Calliope, the Aspect Horizon’s gutted
built, and CentComm immediately begins hearings husk drifts in orbit of Amphion, stripped of every vital
over the flagrant violation of the FCA it represents. SSC component by angry salvagers. In recognition of their
is forced to hand over many of its upper-echelon staff services to the system, one of the salvage teams hands
as part of a legal deal. the PCs an SSC “SVAROG” SCHEDULE 1 PRINTER.

The only consolation to SSC is that since neither Harris ALL MATERIAL WITNESSES ARE DEAD
nor his clone survived to testify, the stories of their This is a bleak outcome for Calliope. Against all odds,
deaths can be massaged into a more favorable SSC have triumphed. Harris, his clone and Mind have
narrative, or even better, buried altogether. In fact, it all been silenced, and without evidence, the case
might just be possible to decant a third Harris before against SSC collapses. They must still answer for their
anyone realizes he’s missing… crimes in Calliope, but Union’s jurisdiction within the
system is so questionable it'll leave the courts tied up
In Calliope, the Aspect Horizon redeploys to assist the for decades. Besides, what did SSC really do? Kill a
fugitive from their own justice system? Bomb their own
effort against the Cult of the One, under very close
property from orbit?
supervision from the Union Navy. In recognition of the
PCs’ efforts, Union pulls something out of the Horizon’s
storage: an SSC “SVAROG” SCHEDULE 1 PRINTER. Even though Three Sisters was raided by the
Constellar Midnights, it’ll be difficult to get justice for it.
The buck stops with Cordelia Smith, a rogue director
MIND AND HARRIS SURVIVE, CLONE IS DEAD
who Union cannot prove was acting under orders from
A terrible outcome for SSC. It almost doesn’t matter
anyone else. Let Union have her as a scapegoat; SSC
that the clone is dead; they’re in such deep water that
quibbling with Harris over whether they cloned him (or has been saved from a disastrous public scandal.
had the right to clone him) would just make them look
more guilty. Its work complete, the Aspect Horizon departs the
system immediately. Within a year, SSC has cloned a
new Harris, who gets right back to work.
Stock prices drop as Harris seizes the Hero Harris
brand. Union opens up investigations into a number of
other SSC projects.

In Calliope, the Aspect Horizon redeploys to assist the

effort against the Cult of the One, under very close
supervision from the Union Navy. In recognition of the
PCs’ efforts, Union pulls something out of the Horizon’s
storage: an SSC “SVAROG” SCHEDULE 1 PRINTER.

[323]
 THE BORDEAUX TRIANGLE THE MEASURE OF A MIND
EVERYONE SURVIVED MIND SURVIVED
If Harris, his clone and Joan Bordeaux all survived the If Mind was rescued during the course of the mission,
events of the mission, this is as happy an ending as can the Central Committee convenes an emergency
be expected. Harris is reunited with Joan and the rest session to discuss what to do, which the PCs will likely
of his family. His heroic tendencies compel him to stay be asked to testify at.
in Calliope until the current crisis is resolved, and he
sets up shop on Hell’s Gate, training the militia and Although there is some debate, the eventual conclusion
generally doing good around the station. is that Mind is a sentient, autonomous, self-directed
being with concrete subjectivity. It is classified as a non-
Harris’ clone takes a new name, Johan Cienfuegos, Deimosian NHP and afforded all the rights of a Union
and resolves to stay in Calliope on a permanent basis. citizen, but is required to cease all research into
He can’t go back to the life he remembers, because it DeCorp and any other FCA-relevant subject, a
was never his, but he can forge a new one. With Harris’ compromise it is more than happy to accept.
blessing, he keeps the Stiletto Nocturne and commits it
to the defense of the system. For years afterwards, a persistent rumor will spread
that while Mind stopped active research, it didn’t delete
Tick a segment on the Station Stability clock, and a anything it had already discovered, and Union got
segment on the Militia Readiness clock. JOHAN and copies of everything. Union firmly denies this.
HARRIS both become available to call in as allies.
In Calliope, Mind is permitted to retain its network
HARRIS IS DEAD presence in most of the system’s Comp/Cons. With
If Harris died during the events of the mission, Joan and Mind’s permission, several of the system’s sigdivers set
his family are inconsolable with grief. Unable to forgive to work trying to reverse the corruption to its vocal
the PCs for the part they played in the affair, they leave modulation database, but they soon report that this
the system as soon as possible. might take years or even decades.

Harris’ clone, if he’s aware that’s what he is, takes the BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER remains Mind’s
name Johan Cienfuegos and resolves to honor the primary point of contact on Hell’s Gate. Patrons of
memory of his progenitor by fighting for justice. GMS_GENERIC_BAR are disappointed to discover
that his drink-mixing skills have not improved.
JOHAN becomes available to call in as an ally.
MIND WAS DESTROYED
THE CLONE IS DEAD If SSC was successful in destroying Mind, the Central
If Harris’ clone died during the events of the mission, Committee opens up immediate prosecution against
Harris acknowledges the tragedy: he didn’t ask to be them for murder and the unauthorized creation of NHPs
born, and he never got a chance to be his own person. – charges SSC feels confident enough to contest, since
Harris resolves to continue his pursuit of universal truth there now exists no proof that they violated the First
and justice in the name of everyone who was denied a Contact Accords.
chance at being their best self. He takes up residence
on Hell’s Gate and begins training the militia. The strange glitches affecting Comp/Cons across
Calliope stop, and their personality profiles can once
Tick a segment on the Militia Readiness clock. HARRIS again be changed. Although a few Calliopeans rejoice,
becomes available to call in as an ally. most feel as if an intangible part of the system’s cultural
heritage has been lost.
JOAN IS DEAD
If Joan died during the SSC assault on Three Sisters, it BARTENDER MOTHERFUCKER has been acting
doesn’t matter if either Harris or his clone survived; they strangely since Mind’s death; unlike other Comp/Con
are both equally devastated, and leave the system. units, the glitches still seem to be affecting him. He
seems to be more aware of his surroundings and less
clumsy than usual.

[324]
THE BLEACH BOYS REWARDS
The future of the Bleach Boys depends on three major
things: whether Eurynomos Platform survived the
mission, whether MEGACORRODER is still alive, and
what happened to Harris and his clone. SSC “Svarog” Schedule 1 Printer
Ship Upgrade
The loss of Eurynomos Platform would be a deep It took the installation of an extra reactor just to
sadness to the gang – they loved their “super rad acid power it, but the Dragon’s Tooth now has one of
skybase.” If they’re still otherwise intact, however, Union’s legendary molecular forges in its cargo bay.
they’ll begin scouting out a new home – hey, since it’s Nearly anything you can imagine can now be made,
kind of the team’s fault that they don’t have a home although some assembly is required for larger stuff.
anymore, could they maybe camp out on Hell’s Gate
for a while? The team can perform a FULL REPAIR while on the
Dragon’s Tooth; they don’t need to go elsewhere for
MEGACORRODER’s death would be a devastating it. It still takes several hours, and likely much longer
blow to the Bleach Boys, especially if it came at the if they need to assemble mechs above Size 1.
hands of the PCs. They’re in piracy mostly because it’s
fun and because they’re all close friends; the loss of Harris Bordeaux
their leader drains all the joy out of their work, and they Ally
quickly decide to find a safer profession.
The fantasy of ten billion children is now your reality:
The only thing worse than that, however, would be the Harris Bordeaux is a personal friend of yours, and
death of Harris Bordeaux. The slaying of their you can call him in to beat up people you don’t like.
childhood hero drives the Bleach Boys into a frenzy of
grief and anger; they vow absolute vengeance on HARRIS pilots his iconic SSC Monarch, the Bravado
whoever is responsible. If it was the PCs, they quickly Tempest, represented by a Size 2 T2 VETERAN
throw their lot in with the Cult. If it was SSC, they will RAINMAKER with +HULL, ATLAS MISSILES, ACROBAT
side with whoever promises to help them get even. and LIGHTNING REFLEXES.

CAMPING OUT ON HELL’S GATE Johan Cienfuegos

If the Bleach Boys are allowed to camp out on Hell’s Ally
Gate, there’s initially some friction as the station’s
There are people who are heroic because they’re
citizens are uncomfortable about allowing a large
told it’s their destiny. Then there are people who find
contingent of pirates to live amongst them. However,
out their destiny is a lie, yet still choose to be heroes.
the Bleach Boys quickly win the station over with
fighting skill and technical knowledge – they’re not just
JOHAN pilots an SSC Metalmark, the Stiletto
pirates, after all: they’re hazmat specialists.
Nocturne, represented by a T2 VETERAN LODESTONE
with +AGILITY, DEADLY and SLIPPERY.
Tick a segment on the MILITIA READINESS clock. Untick
a segment on the STATION STABILITY clock, but during
the next downtime, tick two segments in addition to any MEGACORRODER
other changes. If MEGACORRODER is still alive, the Ally
PCs can now call him in as an ally.
No, I’m serious guys! It was a real animal that existed
during the late First Anthropocene! No, there are no
DISBANDED surviving fossils, but it’s very clearly attested in this
The former Bleach Boys largely stick together as a one child’s drawing from the Massif Vaults! Hey,
group, but find a less dangerous profession. where are you going?!

JOINING THE CULT MEGACORRODER pilots a modified hazmat rig,

If Harris or MEGACORRODER died at the hands of the represented by a T2 VETERAN SCOURER with
PCs, the Cult have gained some new allies. There is an +ENGINEERING, MELT, HARDENED TARGET and
additional fight during the Act 2 Finale. LEGENDARY.

STILL ON ORCUS
If Harris and MEGACORRODER are both still alive,
they have their epic duel for justice on Eurynomos
Platform. You can decide who wins, but the outcome is
largely the same in the short term: out of respect for
Harris, whether or not he wins, the Bleach Boys will join
the war against the Cult. Calliope is their home, too.

[325]
 ACT 2 FINALE:

BATTLE FOR HELL’S GATE

"People yap on endlessly – endlessly! – ‘oh, the Saint and the Tyrant are clearly the same person, look how similar
these stories are,' but that's surface level armchair critique. Yes, they ARE the same person, but it goes a lot deeper
than 'yeah these stories are obviously just different perspectives on the same series of events.'

“Consider this: if the Saint is so afraid of their power that they can’t bear to live in the world they helped create, why
live at all? Why do they still exist? If they think they're such a danger to peace and freedom, why haven't they taken
themselves out of the equation, or cast aside their powers? Why are they just sitting on a mountain meditating if
they have no intention of interacting with the world?

“Because it's bullshit. The Saint doesn't TRUST the world they've created. They just can't shake the thought that
the moment there's no counterbalancing force to right all wrongs, it'll slide right back to the way it was before. The
Saint has decided to sit on that mountain forever, cold and alone, just waiting for the moment everything goes wrong
again. And make no mistake, they're sure it'll happen. Without their beneficent presence to light the way for us, how
could it not?

“You can't exist in a world and exert no influence upon it. That people even know the Saint is there changes the
way they behave. Sure, it's not as brutal and overt as the Tyrant, but it's present. The Saint’s very existence is a
threat, even if it’s a threat beneath a silk glove: ‘don’t make me come down there and fix things again.’

“And on the other side of the mirror, why doesn’t the Tyrant just end it all? Wipe it all away? Things will never
improve; nothing can be fixed and a better world isn’t possible; that’s the Tyrant’s entire worldview! But they're so
consumed with spite they can't even give the world the peace of oblivion. The best they can do is the same kind of
threat: ‘don’t make me come down there and break things even more.’

“How much does the Saint’s continued presence differ from the Tyrant’s? Sure, the state of the world under the
Tyrant is a lot shittier, but the message sent by their presence isn’t fundamentally different: ‘don’t you dare try to
take this world beyond my understanding of it.’

“Neither of them can let go. They can't exist without a world to rule. They can't separate themselves from it. They're
one and the same."

– Subtext Isfur Cowards,

lecture on the Duality, 5016u

[326]
BEAT ??:
WRECKING FIELDS
This beat takes place a couple of days after the team The computer emits a series of warning chimes as a
returns to Hell’s Gate at the end of Mission 8. swarm of angry red dots emerge from the Tachyon,
swerving in tight arcs towards the station.
SPANNER IN THE WORKS Shelly yells in alarm. “Torpedoes! They’ve launched
Twenty-four years ago, during his violent departure torpedoes, full spread!”
from Hell’s Gate, Andros Capella stole the station’s
mining laser on his way out. For the past two decades,
it was mounted on a turret at Fort Cerberus as a sort of Jerry grabs his head, looking ready to scream. “Point
superweapon. It never had to be deployed, because defense! Can our point defense handle it?!”
the mere threat would keep all but the most determined
bounty hunters away. This was fortunate for Andros, The hologram displays a series of cones from the
because it kept his most embarrassing deficiency a station’s PDCs – it looks easy enough to take out
secret: he could never have fired it. those torpedoes well before they can reach the
station.
Arming the laser would require command codes that no
Hell Hound ever had access to, even in the worst of Zinfandel yells over the radio. “It’s a feint! Increase
times. Stripping out its electronics and starting from the scan resolution! They’re saturating our kill
scratch would’ve required technical expertise that none screen! They know we have to kill those torpedoes
of the Hell Hounds had. While irritating, this was never or we’re dead!”
a serious problem for Andros; as previously mentioned,
there was never a pressing need to fire it. Shelly frowns, and a vast swathe of smaller red dots
appear, holding course with the torpedoes. “Shit!
This is not so for the Cult; their technicians need to fire Boarding craft!”
the laser to crack Kantele and release Feather into the
world. Try as they might, though, they’ve been unable Jerry grabs the station intercom. “This is Director
to find a way around the laser’s security systems for Jerry Masters! Set Condition One throughout the
months, and are getting desperate. They can’t just print station! All non-spec civilians move to your assigned
a replacement; some of the parts are simply too large shelters immediately! All engineering teams report
to fabricate without a Schedule 3 printer. There are only for duty! All active and reserve militia members to
three such printers in the whole of Calliope and all of action stations!
them are jealously guarded.
“This is a general alert call: prepare to repel
The Icebreaker’s laser was only viable because it was boarders! This is not a drill. I say again, this is a
mostly intact; the entire architecture that would allow it general alert call: set Condition One throughout the
to fire was still there, just missing a key component. No station and prepare to repel boarders! We are under
wrecks exist in Calliope with an intact spinal weapon; attack! This is not a fucking drill!”
that even the mount on the Bellerophon was intact was
a small miracle. The only other option would be to steal He turns to you. There is not an ounce of hesitation
a battleship with a working spinal weapon: the FKS-BC or uncertainty in his voice. “Mount up. Find where
Harlequin’s Jest or the PCV-DN Michel Ney. Even for you’re needed. Protect our home!”
the Cult’s most delusional fanatics, this a bridge too far.

Fortunately, there is still one way to fire the Gate’s

laser: find the command codes. This won’t be easy; it’s
not exactly as if Hell’s Gate will just give them up. That’s
fine, though – Andros isn’t expecting them to. In fact,
he very much hopes they won’t, because it’ll give him
an excuse to take them from their cold, dead hands.

THE ATTACK
Placeholder

[327]
[328]
MISSION 9: BRIEFING
The Tachyon is here. The Cult of the One is descending

NO FURTHER upon Hell’s Gate. Andros Capella is charging the

Tachyon’s main gun and boarding parties are flooding
the station. Your home is under siege. You have only
All witches are selfish, the Queen had said. But hours to save it.
Tiffany's Third Thoughts said: Then turn
selfishness into a weapon! Make all things GOAL: Save Hell’s Gate. Kill the people trying
yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes to hurt your friends.
yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them
into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep STAKES: They will destroy everything and
away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My everyone you love. Stop them.
family! My land! My world! How dare you try to
take these things, because they are mine! I have RESERVES: The PCs have access to any and all
a duty! RESERVES they possess but haven’t
used yet. That’s good: they’re going to
– Terry Pratchett, need to pull out all the stops.
“The Wee Free Men”

CLOCKS AND TRACKERS

Create a tracker and two clock:

A Time Passing tracker. This represents how many

hours have passed since the siege began.

A Repel the Siege clock with eight segments, all

empty. This represents the progress Hell’s Gate has
made at getting rid of the boarders.

A Lance Charging clock with twelve segments, all

empty. This represents the remaining time until the
Tachyon can fire its spinal lance. If the Lance
Charging clock fills up and nothing intervenes to stop
it, the mission instantly ends in failure.

Existing clocks are also relevant:

The Station Stability clock will provide static benefits

depending on what level it’s at when the mission starts,
and additional benefits can be obtained by unticking
segments of the clock.

The Cult Influence clock will determine if the Cult

already has elements in place aboard Hell’s Gate.

MISSION STRUCTURE
Placeholder

[329]
 Hour Event
Tachyon arrives in scope range of Hell’s Gate, launches boarding craft, begins charging main gun
0
Hell’s Gate broadcasts distress signal at lightspeed
Tachyon’s boarding craft arrive, begin breach operations
1 Distress signal reaches Asphodel, Furnace City, the UNS-CV Thames and the Karrakin Naval Group,
and is responded to
Distress signal reaches Endymion’s Lament, Three Sisters and the CH-K Aspect Horizon
2
Distress signal reaches Kalevala and the Icebreaker Borealis
Endymion’s Lament, Three Sisters and CH-K Aspect Horizon’s responses reach Hell’s Gate
3
Earliest possible arrival of the Karrakin Naval Group
Icebreaker Borealis’ response reaches Hell’s Gate
4 The UNS-CV Thames arrives and engages the Tachyon
Distress signal reaches Chameleon and the Harrison Armory fleet
5 Earliest possible arrival of reinforcements from SSC, Three Sisters and/or Furnace City
6 Earliest possible arrival of Icebreaker Borealis reinforcements
7
8 Harrison Armory fleet’s response reaches Hell’s Gate
9
10 Earliest possible arrival of Harrison Armory fleet
11
12 Earliest possible charge time for Tachyon’s main gun
13
14 Blinkvoid dissipates – Omninet communication available

[330]
BEAT ??:
FULL-THROATED SCREAM
Placeholder ALERTS
The siege is exceeding the capacity of both its civilian
“I want one of our best squads on the bridge, one on and military infrastructure to deal with; Alerts are
Central Fabrication, one on the reactors, and one problems that the residents of Hell’s Gate can’t deal
holding down the mech bay! We lose our reactors or with on their own. This is why building Station Stability
the bridge, we lose the station! We lose the printer or and Militia Readiness was important; it gives the
the mech bay, we can’t rearm! Everyone else who station a greater capacity for these issues before they
can hold a gun, stand by to repel boarders! become critical.

“SRT! You’re our wildcard! Anything comes loose, CREATING ALERTS

you nail it down! Another squad starts falling over, Placeholder – number of players +1
you help them up!

THE SIEGE RESOLVING ALERTS

Create a Siege Table with two columns.
Each hour, each PC can attempt to resolve one Alert
of their choice. This requires a skill trigger check.
The left column is called Civilian Pressure and has as
many rows as there are ticks on the Station Stability
clock. The right column is called Military Pressure and On 9 or less, the alert is still active and remains on the
has as many rows as there are ticks on the Militia Siege Table.
Readiness clock. For example, if Hell’s Gate has 8
ticks of Station Stability and 5 ticks of Militia On 10–19, the alert is resolved and is removed from the
Readiness, the table would look like this: Siege Table.

Civilian Pressure Military Pressure On 20+, the alert is resolved and is removed from the
Siege Table. In addition, you gain a RESERVE. Each PC
can only trigger this effect once until the end of the next
combat scene; count subsequent 20+ rolls as 10–19.

Placeholder – heroic moment

TEAMS
Teams are allies or groups of allies that the PCs can
call upon in desperate circumstances. Each Team has
Every hour, the Siege Table will be populated with a at least one ability that the PCs can call upon during the
number of Alerts, split between Military and Civilian. siege; this might be resolving certain types of Alert, or
Fill the table from the top, distributing Alerts evenly some other mechanical benefit. Teams can only be
between columns. For example, with the above table, if called in a limited number of times during the siege;
you added six Alerts, it would look like this: once this is used up, they can’t be called in again.

Civilian Pressure Military Pressure OVERFLOW

Comms Failure Medevac If one of the Pressure columns would have Alerts
Hull Breach Delaying Action added when it’s already full, remove the bottom row of
Hull Breach Pincer Movement the column (including the Alert marked in it). Then,
remove half of the Alerts in the column. This
represents a permanent depletion of the Gate’s
resources and manpower as damage control systems
are overwhelmed or militia teams are cut down.

After a column overflows, if you still have any more

The PCs must scramble to resolve the Alerts before Alerts to add to it, discard them.
the hour is up and more are added.
MILITARY ALERT

[331]
 Military Alerts represent direct military action by the Cult Major Jerry “Daybreak” Masters
against Hell’s Gate. This can represent armed Versatile Team
incursion of the station, but it can also represent
After tonight, no matter what
happens, nobody will ever
have to ask what Jerry
brings to the table again.
CIVILIAN ALERT
Civilian Alerts

Chief McArthur’s Troubleshooter Squad 1/siege, choose one:

Civilian Team • Resolve any Alert.
She’s a blur of tertiary arms • Summon JERRY MASTERS as an ally at the start
and power tools, barking of a combat encounter.
orders to subordinates as
she fixes three separate The Valentinian Boys
things at once. Nobody gets Military Team
to break this godsdamned
station but her! Reunited, their teamwork is
unmatched, a deadly blur of
portals, mines, shields and
2/siege, choose one: bullets. You’ve got to hand it
to Odin: if nothing else, he
• Resolve a Civilian Alert.
did turn them into peerless
• Restore a PC’s mech to full HP, STRUCTURE and mech pilots.
STRESS, even if it’s been completely destroyed.

Zinfandel’s Zenith 1/siege:

Military Team • During a combat encounter, use a full action to
summon SWITCH, LOKI, TYR and THOR as allies
Usually they’re so friendly,
in a free f2 area.
boisterous, maybe even a
little bit goofy. But right now,
their eyes glint with a pure Odin’s Omnipresence
and fathomless anger far Versatile Team
beyond shouting or yelling;
If there’s somewhere you
just icy, razor-edged calm.
need to be, Odin’s tech can
get you there instantly. You
still can’t be in two places at
2/siege, choose one:
once, but this is pretty damn
• Resolve a Military Alert. close.
• Summon ZINFANDEL DEJEAN as an ally at the
start of a combat encounter.

1/siege, choose one:

• Resolve any two Alerts.

[332]
Hero Harris Bordeaux Forgemasters
Versatile Team Versatile Team
Remember, kids, there’s no “What do Forger hammers
power in the galaxy that can break?!”
stand against justice!
“METAL! METAL! METAL!”
“What do our enemies hide
behind?!”
“METAL! METAL! METAL!”

1/siege, choose one: 2/siege, choose one that hasn’t been chosen yet:
• Resolve any Alert. • Resolve a Civilian Alert.
• Call in off-field bombardment from HARRIS during • Resolve a Military Alert.
a combat encounter. • Summon THE BLACKSMITH as an ally at the start
Unlimited/siege: of a combat encounter.
• Harris gives you wholesome life advice. This has
no mechanical benefit, but you feel better.
UNION NAVY
No matter what, Captain Ordaz and the UNS-CV
The Bleach Boys Thames will respond to the Gate’s distress call.
Civilian Team
“Spilt acid? Nuclear waste? The sun is momentarily blocked by the silhouette of
Dangerous chemicals?! We a Union carrier as it drops out of nearlight. Within
were BORN for this job!” seconds, the space around it seethes with fighters
and mounted chassis.

“This is Thames Actual! All elements, deploy and

protect the station! Disable that battleship! Get
damage control teams onto the Gate, right now!”

2/siege, choose one: When the UNS-CV Thames arrives, extend the
• Resolve a Civilian Alert. If it’s Chemical Spill, Civilian Pressure column by one segment.
this ability is free and doesn’t count against the
number of times this team can be used.
• Summon MEGACORRODER as an ally at the
start of a combat encounter. ICEBREAKER BOREALIS
If Rita is still station director, she doesn’t wait for the
Board’s approval; the moment the distress signal
Canaan Zhou’s Crisis Management comes through, she leaps into action. She’ll work out
Civilian Team
how to justify it to them later; let them fire her, for that
They’re hunched over a matter. She’s not going to stand idly by.
desk, maps of the station
spread out in front of them. "Attention, all citizens and visitors of the Icebreaker
They seem to visualize the Borealis: I have an urgent announcement. Our sister
totality of the situation in station, Hell's Gate, has been attacked by the Cult of
their head as it unfolds, the One and is under extreme duress. By the power
seeking the narrow path that vested in me as station director, I am instituting a
leads to salvation. state of emergency and fully committing this station's
resources to the defense of our allies.
2/siege, choose one that hasn’t been chosen yet:
• Resolve a Civilian Alert. “All registered security pilots, report immediately to
• The first time Civilian Pressure would overflow, bolt-capable ships. To any visitors with appropriate
it doesn’t; Civilian Alerts in excess of capacity military or crisis training, I am activating this station’s
are discarded instead. Emergency Mercenary Charter Act: the Icebreaker
Borealis will cover your expenses and danger pay for
this task. Your slates have been updated with your
closest station representative. Report to them for
immediate registry and assignment."

[333]
 When the Icebreaker detachment arrives, extend the
Military Pressure column by one row.
SMITH-SHIMANO CORPRO
Placeholder: resolve half the outstanding Civilian
Alerts (players choose which), placeholder.
FURNACE CITY
If the PCs successfully completed Mission 3 and
rescued Steele’s hostages, Furnace City commits to If Harris Bordeaux is still alive, he’s likely already on
send as much help as it can, but its meager numbers Hell’s Gate and ready to help.
are suddenly bolstered by a flood of volunteers.
If Johan is still alive and was reconciled with Harris, he
The loading platforms were so crowded it was nearly will deploy to assist.
impossible to move. When the call went out that the
Gate's hour of need had come, the dust rose from
every direction. Outlander vehicles swarmed to
KARRAKIN TRADE BARONIES
Placeholder.
Furnace City, and the sky lit up as rockets pierced
the heavens. Every mech, every combat vehicle,
every hardsuit, every able-bodied outlander who There is a glint of sunlight upon gold, and suddenly
could carry a gun, they came from every township, the sky is alight with maneuvering thrusters. The
every convoy. Everyone remembers what Hell’s Tachyon’s shields flicker and shudder under a
Gate did for them; it’s time to repay the debt. withering barrage of gunfire. The Gate’s dispatcher
doesn’t even bother to hide her joy and relief as she
announces that Karrakin Naval Group 28 Aniline has
When the Asphodel detachment arrives, extend the arrived.
Military Pressure column by one row.
Then you hear another voice: Fleetmaster Hayyan-
Reyes. “Kuirassers! Whom do you fear?”

“ONLY THE VIRTUES THEMSELVES!”

IMPACT PLAZA “And do you see them on the field?!”

If the PCs liberated Impact Plaza,
“AYE, THEY STAND BEHIND US!”
HARRISON ARMORY
If either or both Lord Director Fry and Dr. Odin “THEN FORWARD, KUIRASSERS!”
Valentinian are still alive and have pledged support to
Calliope United, they will immediately drop everything
and deploy the entire battlegroup to assist the Gate. Lucas Asidenos
Military Team
There is a blinding flash as the entire Harrison “Hear this, all ye faithful: I
Armory battlegroup drops out of bolt. have faced my appointed
time and outlived it – I come
“This is Sirona Actual: clear the flight decks! Launch now to deliver yours!”
everything we have! Repel those boarding teams!
Get the Ney’s lance charging!”

PCV-GC SIRONA
When the PCV-GC Sirona arrives, resolve half the
outstanding Military Alerts (players choose which), as 2/siege, choose one:
Armory Legionnaires sweep invaders from the station • Resolve a Military Alert. Then, if there is only
with ruthless efficiency. one other Military Alert remaining, resolve that
one as well.
PCV-DN MICHEL NEY • Summon LUCAS ASIDENOS as an ally at the start
While the PCV-DN Michel Ney is present, ticking the of a combat encounter.
last segment on the Lance Charging clock no longer
instantly ends the mission: the Ney lays down counter-
battery fire, forcing the Tachyon to target it instead.
Fortunately, the Michel Ney activates its blinktunneller THE PEOPLE OF CALLIOPE
at the very last moment, dodging the shot. Reset the KNIGHTS OF THE DARK CORE
Lance Charging clock, but the next time it fills up, the No matter what, the Knights of the Dark Core will
Michel Ney won’t be able to save the station. always show up to protect Hell’s Gate. Mistress Elske
isn’t petty enough to let personal trifles get in the way.

[334]
 Hulls glowing red, drives disintegrating under the starts to boil as ship after ship lurches from bolt: Grip
stress of deceleration, the Knights of the Dark Core Strength, Lake Lucerne, Face the Facts, What the
drop from nearlight. Sunlight glints off mech armor Thunder Said, Second Sun, Yellow Creek, Dark
as they come spilling from their ships in the dozens. Horizon, Silverthorn, Foreign Shores, Argument to
The Cult’s reinforcements are forced to redirect as Popularity – the bridge crew can’t keep up.
the Knights engage.
New contacts spill from every ship: mechs,
Grandmistress Elske’s imperious voice fills the local corvettes, strike craft. Cultist vessels desperately
comm channels: “Knights, forward! Protect the Gate! reposition as a system’s worth of improvised and
DRIVE THESE BASTARDS BACK!” salvaged weaponry begins to fire.

You can hear cheers of relief filling the corridors. After you rose so many times to defend them,
Calliope now rises to defend you.
When the Knights arrive, gain access to the
Grandmistress’ Chosen. When the people of Calliope arrive, extend both the
Civilian Pressure and Military Pressure columns by
two segments.
Grandmistress’ Chosen
Team
CAUSTIC
“By my sworn oath, we shall
suffer no foe who breaks the
Code to live!” Your sensors scream conflicting information at you.
A shadow dances on the edge of your vision. A
dozen new contact alerts arrive at once, from all over
the station. Three separate militia squads radio in for
immediate combat assistance.

But then something changes. The pleas for help are

2/siege, choose one that hasn’t been chosen yet:
replaced with confusion, then awe. One of the squad
• Resolve any Military Alert. commanders calls in: “It’s… it’s like a swarm of dark
• Summon MISTRESS ELSKE as an ally in a combat shapes, in three places at once! I dunno what the hell
encounter. I’m looking at, but it’s tearing the Cult to pieces!”

THE BURNING FORGE He sends video footage, and your mech’s database
If registers a single entry: “silhouette match, 98%
confidence: unidentified frame, Boltzmann.”
Space distorts briefly as a dozen ships drop from
nearlight, all bearing the flaming anvil sigil of the
CAUSTIC
Burning Forge. Infrared briefly whites out as the sky Team
fills with missiles and mech launches. The Tachyon's
hull buckles under the force of railgun impacts. DEATH TO THE FLAME
WITCH! (i didn’t forget the
Across the cacophony, one man’s voice can be mercy you showed us)
heard, screaming at the top of his lungs, a decade of
pain, hatred and loss pouring out: the Blacksmith.

“CAPELLA! THERE WILL BE A RECKONING!”

When the Forge arrives, they engage the Tachyon with 2/siege, choose one that hasn’t been chosen yet:
such brutal ferocity that it cannot tick a segment on the
Lance Charging clock this hour. • Resolve any Military Alert.
• Summon CAUSTIC as an ally in a combat
CALLIOPE UNITED encounter.

You get a signal from the station’s bridge. A single

ship has dropped out of nearlight – the Bodega Bay.
Almost immediately, they announce another: the
Acacia Hill. Then another: the Soul of a Poet. Space

[335]
 THE FAITH OF THE ONE
If the Cult Influence clock has no segments ticked,
members of the Faith show up to fight their brethren.

NAME TYPE DESCRIPTION

1–2 Reactor Critical CIVILIAN One of the station’s reactors is overloading. Coolant systems have
failed and the entire area is flooded with hard radiation. If this isn’t
stopped, it could take the other reactors with it.
3–4 Fire CIVILIAN Fires rage in one of the station’s compartments, filling the air with
smoke, swallowing precious oxygen and taxing the Gate’s heat
rejection systems. It needs to be put out before it spreads.
5–6 Power Outage CIVILIAN A local distributor has failed, and everything on that bus has shut
down. Maybe you just need to flip a circuit breaker; maybe you need
to replace every component in the box while under fire.
7–8 Chemical Spill CIVILIAN Dangerous chemicals have breached containment, bursting out of
barrels, storage tanks or pipes. Someone needs to clean it up before
it poisons the entire section or eats through the floor.
9–10 Comms Failure CIVILIAN Part of the station’s internal communications system has been
damaged, and orders can’t get through. Someone needs to splice
some wires and get the radio repeaters working again.
11–12 Coolant Leak CIVILIAN A coolant line has ruptured, spraying its contents all over a pipe
junction. The station’s vital components are starting to heat up…
13–14 Hull Breach CIVILIAN A compartment has been pierced and is open to space. Dangerous
shrapnel fills the room, air is leaking, and it serves as a potential
ingress point for invaders.
15–16 Evacuate CIVILIAN Defense of this section has become untenable; all civilians and any
Section vital equipment must be moved out of the area immediately.
17–18 Panic CIVILIAN A group of civilians have become overwhelmed by stress and fear,
and are acting out. Someone has to calm them down before they do
something reckless or harmful.
19–20 Systems CIVILIAN Enemy sigdivers have gained access to essential systems, and are
Intrusion wreaking havoc; someone needs to get rid of them on the double.

NAME TYPE DESCRIPTION

1–2 Hold Position MILITARY No frills, no complications – the militia must hold this location against
incoming enemies, but they’re undermanned in this zone.
3–4 Disarm Torpedo MILITARY One of the torpedoes slipped under the Gate’s point-defense cannons
and struck the Gate, but failed to detonate. There’s no guarantee it’ll
stay that way, though: someone has to make that thing safe.
5–6 Delaying Action MILITARY Another team’s operation is taking longer than planned and hostile
forces are advancing on their position. Someone needs to buy them
time to finish the job.
7–8 Running Dry MILITARY A militia team holding a vital access corridor is down to their last six
mags of ammunition. They’re making every shot count, but they need
a resupply, and they need it five minutes ago.
9–10 Morale Broken MILITARY Half of this platoon is shaking, their dead-eyed stares fixed on the
middle distance. It’s not fair, it’s not right, but someone has to get
them fighting again, because the only way out is through.
11– Scorched Earth MILITARY Desperate times call for desperate measures. Someone needs to set
12 charges on a major thoroughfare or an important piece of equipment;
if the militia can’t hold it, they won’t let the Cult have it either.
13– Medevac MILITARY Several members of a militia unit have been badly injured, and
14 someone needs to get them from the front lines to an infirmary.

[336]
 15– Direct Assault MILITARY The location of enemy forces is known, and the fight needs to be
16 brought there. No fancy schemes or tactics; this will be a slugfest.
17– Pincer Movement MILITARY A large detachment of enemy forces has left themselves vulnerable
18 from two angles. A militia team is already pressing in on one side;
someone needs to take the other and finish the job.
19– MILITARY
20

NAME NPC TYPE TRAITS DESCRIPTION

Jerry Masters T2 ELITE VETERAN Scourer: Emergency Vent, Pulse Laser A newly-printed HA
COMMANDER Veteran: Deadly, Limitless Sherman Mk. II, named
SCOURER Commander: Press On! We Will Smile Again

Zinfandel DeJean T2 VETERAN Bastion: Deathcounter, Siege Guardian

A very battered IPS-N
COMMANDER CUSTOM Deluge: Quad Assault Cannons
Drake named Now
BASTION Veteran: Acrobat, Feign Death Where Did I Leave That
Commander: Press the Attack
Tarnveer OFF-FIELD The players have a pool of 10 additional A very beat-up IPS-N
“Printloaf” Malik REPAIRS that any of them can use. Lancaster, named
Cock-A-Doodle-Doo
Takama “L-Kay” T2 VETERAN SENTINEL Size 2 An old IPS-N Tortuga,
El Khayat Sentinel: Punisher Ammunition named No Please, I
Veteran: Lesser Sight, Shock Armor Insist

Ipswich “SWITCH” T2 VETERAN SENTINEL Size 2 An IPS-N Tortuga,

DeLacey Sentinel: Bodyguard, Impaler named Frame Perfect,
Veteran: Deadly, Limitless covered in sponsor ads
LOKI Valentinian T2 VETERAN VOIDER Voider: Reposition, Rift Stabilizer A prototype HA Sunzi,
Veteran: Limitless, Slippery named Never-There
THOR Valentinian T2 VETERAN AEGIS Size 2 An HA Saladin, named
Aegis: Adaptive Shielding, Guardian Malazan Book of the
Veteran: Legendary, Shock Armor Fallen

TYR Valentinian T2 VETERAN SEEDER Size 2

An HA Iskander, named
Seeder: Grav Spike, Speed Deployer Tread Carefully
Veteran: Legendary, Lightning Reflexes
Striga von T2 VETERAN WITCH Witch: Dark Cloud, Pain Transference A kit-bashed mess of
Aldenberg Veteran: Hacker, Hardened Target a mech named Truth
Howl T2 VETERAN Berserker: Nail Gun A wolf-headed IPS-N
MERCENARY Veteran: Deadly, Self-Repair Blackbeard named
BERSERKER Mercenary: Efficient Killer Dread Wolf’s Call
Ratio Salvager T2 VETERAN SCOUT Scout: Expose Weakness, Spotter A piecemeal SSC
Veteran: Headshot, Lesser Sight Swallowtail, named
Acausal Trade War
Lucas Asidenos T2 VETERAN SLINGER Slinger: Another Hand Cannon
Placeholder
Veteran: Deadly, Shock Armor
Harris Bordeaux OFF-FIELD At the start of each round, the players may
A red and gold SSC
mark a f1 area. At the end of the round,
Monarch named
all characters in that area take 3d6k, half
Bravado Tempest
on a successful AGILITY check.

[337]
 Johan Cienfuegos T2 VETERAN CUSTOM Lodestone: Hyperfragmentation A blue-black SSC
LODESTONE Operator: Fade Generator Metalmark named
Veteran: Deadly, Headshot Stiletto Nocturne
Mistress Elske T2 VETERAN CUSTOM Size 2 A gigantic IPS-N
CATAPHRACT Bastion: Guardian, Heavy Assault Shield Nelson, named The
Cataphract: Charge Whole Path of War
Veteran: Deadly, Lightning Reflexes and Acceptance
The Blacksmith T2 VETERAN Size 3 A colossal IPS-N
DEMOLISHER Demolisher: Broad-Sweep Haft Tortuga, named John
Veteran: Acrobat, Headshot Henry’s Hammer
Mind OFF-FIELD Gain 2 charges. Roll 2d20 and note the
The communications
results. As a reaction, any player may
architecture of the
expend a charge to switch the result of any
entire system.
d20 roll with one of the noted results.
Annabelle T2 VETERAN PRIEST Priest: Empowered Shield One of the Cult’s
McKenzie Veteran: Lightning Reflexes, Insulated Priest rigs, repainted
in the Gate’s colors
CAUSTIC T2 VETERAN Parallel: Uncertainty, Wraithshot An unknown mech of
PARALLEL Veteran: Deadly, Hardened Target its own design.

[338]
“Oh fuck! OH FUCK! IT’S A CALIBAN! THEY’VE
BROUGHT A CALIBAN! HELP US!”

[339]
 COMBAT:
RED PLAGUE RID THEE
SITREP: N/A

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 2x IPS-N CALIBAN – T2 VETERAN RUINER Follow Through, Deadly, Slippery
1x T2 HIVE Driving Swarm
1x T2 PRIEST Empowered Shield

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 BASTION Deathcounter, Near-Threat Denial System

+1x T2 RAINMAKER Endless Rain

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE SEEDER Grav Spike, Speed Deployer

DETAILS
The Cult have deployed a terror weapon against Hell’s
Gate: two Calibans.

[340]
DETAILS
Cordelia Smith has played her only remaining card:
a terrifying experimental chassis based off code
reverse-engineered from the HORUS

[341]
 COMBAT:
OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE
SITREP: Holdout (Lancer, p. 272)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 ELITE VETERAN DELUGE Riding the Redline, Withering Hail, Feign Death,
Hardened Target
1x T2 SPACER ARCHER Covering Fire
1x T2 SPACER LOBBER Expert Demolitionist, Oversize Charge

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 SPACER BREACHER

+1x T2 SPACER DEMOLISHER Seismic Destroyer
+1x T2 SPACER SQUAD Disciplined

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 SPACER SCOUT Spotter

+1x T2 SPACER SNIPER

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: 1x T2 VETERAN SHIP ARCHER
1x T2 VETERAN SPACER GOLIATH
2x T2 SPACER ASSAULT Rank Discipline

FOR 4 PCS +2x T2 SPACER PYRO Siege Armor

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE SPACER ASSASSIN Explosive Knives

DETAILS
The orders from Jerry are clear: the aft docking bay
must not fall. With multiple breaches in progress in
the midstation, the PCs are the only squad
currently available, and they must hold the line. As
soon as any additional forces are free, he’ll send
them, but in this moment, there’s nobody else.

The bay has no gravity, but its floors have deck

plating which accepts standard mech mag-clamps.
Characters without a flight system don’t become
SLOWED so long as they’re not flying.

The docking bay is nearly empty; every combat

vessel the station owns has been deployed, and
most of the civilian vessels have already departed
with as many evacuees as they can carry. Cover
consists mostly of cargo crates scattered around
the gangways and loading equipment like cranes
and docking clamps.

There is, however, one ship left in the bay: the

Dragon’s Tooth.

The Tooth is functionally impervious to mech-scale

weaponry, and too large to represent as an NPC;
she instead functions as a large piece of terrain that
blocks line of sight.

[342]
BEAT ??:
THE PRICE OF FAILURE
If the Lance Charging clock reaches full and the
PCs don’t have some recourse to either stop it firing
THE AFTERMATH
or change its target, the mission is lost. Their lives Remove the Station Stability clock entirely. Hell’s
might be as well, were it not for the desperate final Gate has likely suffered irreparable damage, and with
action of a man braver than anyone in Calliope Jerry dead there’s no-one left who’s capable of properly
could ever have known. assessing the station’s status anyway. There no longer
exists a meaningful route to improving the fortunes of
the Gate or its inhabitants.
THE SACRIFICE
Siren’s voice cuts through the chatter of the Large sections of the station are in ruins, without power
battlefield. or atmosphere. The habitation rings are eerily quiet,
and the furnaces of the industrial sector have gone
“I’m… sorry. We’re out of time. Their killshot is dark. Lights flicker, trash piles up and water drips from
lined up on the Gate and the spinal cannon is untended pipes. A slow trickle of ships leaves the Gate
nearly charged. There’s only one option left. I every day – most of the survivors are getting ready to
have to do this. Marines? I want you to know that depart, or have already left.
I lov- wait, someone’s boarding the Tooth! I’m
locked out of the controls! Who… Jerry?!” Jerry’s passing has broken everyone. Siren is brutally
self-flagellating, blaming herself for his death, running
The transmission is cut off with a squelch of simulations over and over to try and find out what she
static. A tiny speck of light flies from the aft “did wrong.” Chief McArthur is obsessively trying to fix
docking bay of Hell’s Gate: HG-0451, the parts of the station that she should know can’t be fixed,
Dragon’s Tooth, nearlight drive charging for one like trying to hold back the tides of the ocean. Zinfandel
final, desperate voyage. DeJean takes shift after shift overseeing the evacuation
effort, not sleeping and barely speaking.
Back in the hangar, deck plating glows with the
residual heat of an emergency casket ejection Shelly went into cascade just after Jerry’s death, and it
booster, as Siren silently screams for someone was only through the grace of the heavens that
to find her and hook her into a comm line. someone was near to her casket at the time. She hasn’t
come off cycle yet, and the Union NHP specialist who
There is another voice on the channel: Jerry’s. looked her over says he’s not sure when she will.

CentComm awards Jerry the Azure Star, and there’s

“I solemnly swear, that with my full conviction I
shall serve the Union Department of Justice and serious talk of granting him the Olduvai Cross, not that
Human Rights and . pinning medals on him after his death will mean much.
There are endless flowers piled in front of his space on
the memorial wall. There’ll be a funeral, but not until
“That all shall have their material needs fulfilled. Shelly wakes up – and nobody knows when that will be.

“That no walls shall stand between worlds. What’s left of the militia is still on the Gate, and will
continue to use it as a base of operations, at least until
“That no person shall be held in bondage the last civilians have departed. But every day, the
through force, labor or debt.” station feels more like the gutted shell left behind after
a housefire.
There is a streak of light and then a cataclysmic
flash, brighter than anything you have ever seen. The team have lost, and they’ve lost bad. The war isn’t
The Tachyon has not even become dust; it has over, but something irreplaceable has been taken from
become light. them: not just a friend and leader, not just thousands of
human lives, but a faith, a home, a shared belief. Hell’s
All is silent. Gate was more than just a place people lived – it was
a dream of camaraderie carrying the day even in the
most wretched of times.

That dream is dead.

[343]
 BEAT ??:
FULMINATION
THE COUNTERATTACK
Once again, Andros Capella’s mech falls to its knees in
front of you, blackened

[344]
COMBAT:
BLACK FIRE UPON US
SITREP: Demolition (p. 362)

OBJECTIVE(S): 5x CAPACITOR ARRAY (Size 3, 20 HP)

ENEMY FORCES
FOR 3 PCS: 1x ANDROS, LORD OF SPITE – Size 2
T2 ULTRA VETERAN CUSTOM PYRO Pyro: Napalm Bomb
Goliath: Heavy Frame
Veteran: +HULL, Acrobat
Ultra: Devastator, Limitless, Supreme Maintenance
1x T2 VETERAN CATAPHRACT Insulated,

FOR 4 PCS: +1x T2 HORNET HEX Missiles

FOR 5 PCS: +1x T2 ELITE RAINMAKER Hades Missiles

REINFORCEMENTS
FOR 3 PCS: +1x T2 PLACEHOLDER

If the PCs summon LUCAS ASIDENOS as an ally during

DETAILS this fight, they’ve made a terrible mistake. The
The PCs have only minutes before the Tachyon’s long- prophecy states he will die in battle with “Hell’s
cycle lance fires, obliterating Hell’s Gate. They do not mightiest warrior”, and though the PCs refused to kill
have time to safely disengage the firing sequence; the him, Andros also qualifies. Any successful attack
only remaining option is to destroy the lance’s Andros makes against Lucas counts as a critical hit
gargantuan capacitor arrays. This will leave the ship in and automatically deals maximum damage. If Andros
a critically unstable state, with its reactors spun up to destroys Lucas’ mech, he’s killed instantly.
maximum with nowhere to dump their output; they had
better be ready to run afterwards.

ANDROS has modified his mech substantially since the

last time he faced the players characters, and has
changed his tactics.

Without Ignatius and his stolen teleportation technology

to aid mobility, Andros now relies on the VETERAN
template’s ACROBAT trait: a set of integrated jump jets
that allow him to fly short distances. This effectively
changes his movement speed from 2 to 5 so long as he
isn’t SLOWED. Combined with a BOOST and LIMITLESS,
this lets him cross 15 spaces in a turn – a frightening
amount of mobility for a Pyro.

His SUPREME MAINTENANCE trait lets him reload his

NAPALM BOMB for free, allowing him to use it every turn.
This gives him the option for a high damage BARRAGE
so long as enemies are in range. If possible, start with
the NAPALM BOMB to apply Burn to a player mech first,
then use the FLAMETHROWER, since its damage is
doubled on characters who already have Burn.

[345]
 ENEMY MECH
ANDROS, LORD OF SPITE
Ultra Veteran Custom Pyro
Defender

“Do I believe it? These pricks singin’ hallelujah to a fuckin’ can-brain? No!
Course not, it’s fuckin’ nonsense. But you know what I DO believe? I believe in
power, and Feather has a fuckin’ LOT. Is it really a god? I dunno, mate, leave
that one to the philosophers. Feather can make us immortal, so I’ll say some
bloody prayers if that’s what it takes.”

– Andros, to a former Hell Hound

HUL: +2 HP: 18 Armor: 3 ULTRA VETERAN

AGI: +0 Evasion: 8 Speed: 2 As an ULTRA VETERAN, ANDROS:
SYS: -1 E-Defense: 8 Save Target: 12 • Takes two separate turns each round, or three if
ENG: +4 Heat Cap: 12 Sensors: 8 there are 5 or more players.
• Has 5 structure and 5 stress.
CUSTOM • Gains +1g on all HULL checks and saves.
As a CUSTOM, ANDROS uses weapons, systems or • Can clear one condition affecting him at the start
traits not typically found on mechs in his class. of his turn and repair one destroyed system or
weapon at the end of his turn.
• Deals +1d6 damage on critical hits.
• Can OVERWATCH any number of times a round.
• Rolls all structure and stress checks twice and
chooses either result.
SYSTEMS
The Great Flame SPEED OF DARKNESS Trait
Heavy CQB, 4l (self), +1 vs Evasion After Andros moves or BOOSTS, he can fly 3 spaces,
[c5] [4m] ignoring engagement and reactions.
This weapon deals double m to characters that “Amazin’ the ways you can make a Genghis move
already have any m. when you don’t ‘ave to bring it back.”
“Gotta hand it to the freaks, they dream up
some crackin’ names for things.” ARCHITECTURE OF DESTRUCTION
Trait, Quick Action, Free Action
Immolating Torrent Andros gains IMMUNITY to JAMMED; additionally, he
Main Launcher, Arcing, Loading, +2 vs Evasion can reload one LOADING weapon as a free action on
[b5] [f1] [4m + 4l] his turn and can repair a destroyed weapon or
“D’you know you can put chlorine trifluoride in system as a quick action.
a mortar round? Well, you can do it once.” “When knobs keep breakin’ your fuckin’ weapons,
Trait you learn to bodge ‘em back together.”
BURNING BUT NEVER CONSUMED
Andros has IMMUNITY to m. CORE SAFETIES DISENGAGED Trait
“Does dyin’ hurt? Mate, you can’t even imagine. Andros can OVERCHARGE. Instead of the standard
Wanna know something though? I kinda like it.” cost, he always gains 1d6l.
BRIMSTONE DELUGE Trait “I can run my mech as hot as I want, as long as
1/round, when Andros makes a successful attack, I want. Reactor melts down? I’ll be back.”
all characters within line of sight take 4j.
Wave of Enmity
“They don’t care if they die for me. What the System, Full Action
fuck makes you think I would?”
Andros clears all l. Characters in d1 must pass an
ADAMANT MALICE Trait AGILITY save or take l equal to half the amount
Andros can’t be pushed, pulled, knocked PRONE or Andros cleared and be knocked PRONE.
knocked back by smaller characters. “Even my hate becomes a weapon. Beauty.”
“Nothing can touch me. Imagine the power.”

[346]
 Any PC with an omnihook will notice that the blinkvoid
OUTCOME has now receded, and instantaneous communication is
Ultimately, the outcome of either victory or defeat is back online. There is an urgent system-wide
much the same; this entire battle has been a bluff, a communication from the Icebreaker Borealis.
feint to buy time for Ignatius to put his plan into motion.
Across every feed in Calliope, a distress broadcast
PC DEFEAT from the Icebreaker Borealis plays, showing live
Your life ends so abruptly that you do not even have footage from the station’s long-range cameras. The
time to perceive it. battered hulk of an older-model Armory dreadnought
hangs silently in the void, its radiators exposed and
Out of time, with the PCs unable to stop the lance from glowing white-hot. Only a few hundred kilometers in
firing and the lives of two million people hanging in the front is the tiny moonlet of Kantele.
balance, Jerry makes an impossible choice. He rams
one of the station’s patrol clippers into the Tachyon at A voice cuts across the feed: Ignatius Aurum. “May
nearlight, obliterating the Tachyon¸ the Dragon’s Tooth, she forgive all our sins. May she take away the
his own ship, himself, the PCs and Andros in a blinding burdens of this world.”
flash of light.
There is a blinding flash as the dreadnought fires.
Calliope’s future has is now totally uncertain; the only Rock becomes magma becomes vapor becomes
thing that can be known for sure is the PCs will play no plasma. Above the moon, the sheer stress of firing
further part in it. its weapon detonates the vessel’s reactors, and the
proximity of the blast reduces what remains to dust.
If you don’t want the story to end here, there’s another
option: the PCs can survive and save Hell’s Gate, but You feel it before you see it, the birth-scream of a
at a terrible cost. With the capacitors fully charged and terrible creature unshackled by time and space. The
the final stage of the sequence initiated, there’s still one molten debris that was Kantele is pulled back
way to stop the lance from firing: detonating a mech’s together, forming two mighty wings that cradle a core
coldcore inside the lance’s accelerator. But there’s no of burning gold.
time to program an autopilot; someone will have to do
it manually, and they have only seconds to pull it off. Andros grins like a crocodile as his body crumbles,
This means someone will have to sacrifice themself. followed swiftly by his mech. Alarms begin to blare
as a stern voice announces that the Tachyon’s self-
Someone is going to have to die: a PC or one of their destruct sequence has been initiated.
NPC allies. If a PC has an AI system inside their mech,
it can make the sacrifice for them; this isn’t a huge loss
if it’s just a Comp/Con, but if it’s an NHP, that’s a friend
and co-pilot that’s giving their life for the team. There
isn’t even time for goodbyes: someone has to act, now.

PC VICTORY
Andros’ mech slumps over, pierced in ten thousand
places, armor scorched, corroded, blasted away. It
begins to crumble like spent charcoal, just as it did
back on Fort Cerberus.

And once again, Andros is laughing.

THE AWAKENING GOD

“They’re all so fuckin’ predictable. All I had to do was
threaten you, and they all came crawlin’ out the
woodwork to save you. I’ve got all of you here, see?
Right where I want you. Two hours travel from
Kalevala.”

Andros groans and coughs, blood spilling from his

mouth and turning to black ash. “I did my part, old
man. You better’ve done yours.”

[347]
 END OF ACT 2
Again the Tyrant spoke, their voice shaking the very foundations of the earth:

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I BELIEVED

IN THE POWER OF REASON
THAT THERE WAS NO EVIL
ONLY A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

THE WORLD STOLE THIS FAITH

AS IT STOLE MY FRIENDS
AND MY DREAMS
AND MY LOVES

FROM THE MOMENT MY POWER

WAS GIFTED TO ME
I HAD NO ILLUSIONS
OF WHAT I WOULD DO WITH IT

I DID NOT SEEK A KINDER WORLD

I COULD NOT IMAGINE SUCH A THING
HOW COULD KINDNESS COME
FROM A WORLD THAT KILLED IT?

THE UNIVERSE IS POISON

EVERYTHING WITHIN IT A WEAPON
AND IF THERE IS NO ESCAPING IT
I SHALL MASTER IT

I AT LEAST AM AWARE
OF WHAT I HAVE BECOME
I WISH NEVER TO FACE IT
IT IS THE ONE BATTLE I WOULD LOSE

I HAVE GONE TOO FAR TO TURN BACK

IF I LET GO OF MY ANGER
WHAT WILL I HAVE LEFT
BUT THE THINGS I HAVE DONE?

GO NOW
TELL YOUR CHILDREN THAT YOU SPOKE
TO THE TYRANT ON THE MOUNTAIN
AND LIVED TO TELL OF IT

The commoner went forth from the mountain, changed. Within them, a power began to grow.

A Tyrant yet waits upon that highest mountain, though they do not bear the same face.

-- excerpt, the Parable of the Tyrant upon the Mountain

[348]
EPILOGUE:
BEGINNING OF THE END
Act 2 can end with the PCs in any number of different
places or situations, but there should be one common
element no matter where they are or what’s going on:
this is their darkest hour, and their lowest point.

Even if everything went as well as it could, even if they

did everything right, many people died, and a lot more
got hurt. They might have saved the people that
mattered to them, but thousands of others weren’t so
lucky. They’re in all-out war now, and their enemies are
rapidly moving towards their endgame.

[349]
 THE REAL ZINFANDEL “I could’ve picked any of those worlds, any one of
At the end of Act 2, Zinfandel decides to open up to the ‘em. I could’ve actually stood for something, actually
player characters. The PCs will get a message from tried to make a difference. But I didn’t. Billions of
Zin, telling them to meet somewhere out of the way – people suffered and died while I waited for them to
wherever you can smoke without setting off a fire alarm. fix things for me. We roast the shit out of tourists in
Calliope but I was the biggest fucking tourist of all; I
spent two millennia living the highlight reel.
“This might be the last time we get to spend together.
Maybe we’re dead tomorrow, or next week, or hell,
maybe in an hour. So, I want you to hear this. You “There are memorials, statues raised up to martyrs
guys, the people who’ve always been out there on and revolutionaries and freedom fighters who died
the front lines. They call me militia commander, before mechs were invented, and some of them are
but… well, each day it feels more like you’re the ones people I met, people I shared drinks and cigarettes
in charge of keeping us safe. and beds with. People I ran little jobs for, when the
price was right and I wasn’t in danger. They fought
the real wars, died in the real wars, and what did I
“My name really is Zinfandel DeJean. My birth name, do? Sightsee for a few months, then go somewhere
I mean. I didn’t make up a new one for Calliope. In else, be someone else.
fact, irony’s a killer – Calliope’s the first place in two
thousand years I DIDN’T use a fake name.”
“When SecComm finally crumbled, people just like
them were ready to give me all the happiness they’d
Zinfandel was born on Cradle in the late 2800s – more paid for in blood and smoke and dead friends, give it
than two thousand years ago. They felt a wanderlust all away for free, but how could I accept? What had
that took them far from the world of their birth, signing I given up to earn it? I took the shortcut.”
on with a FirstComm far-field team to explore distant
rimworlds. When they returned home to discover the
fascist Second Committee in power, they briefly flirted Zinfandel first heard about Calliope in the 4850s, just at
with revolution, but ultimately decided they were too the tail end of the Pyrite Age. But they were more than
cowardly to go through with it. 150 light years away, and by the time they arrived in
the system, the Void Age was in full swing.
Instead, they spent the next two thousand years in
limbo, travelling from star to star at nearlight. Most of Zinfandel arrived just a couple of months after the
their time was spent in pause tanks, stretching them out Demon Winter; the Hell’s Gate militia were in shambles
across the centuries. Every few decades, their ship and pilots for both chassis and patrol craft were in short
would make port somewhere, and they’d spend a few supply. Breaking the habit of a lifetime, they decided to
months refueling, repairing and recuperating, checking delay their departure – but only for a few months, just
to see if SecComm had fallen yet, helping local activists until Hell’s Gate got back on its feet.
if there wasn’t major risk involved, then vanishing back
into interstellar space. They served as a transport pilot at first, but slowly built
up hours in the chassis training simulators as well. A
It took 1,720 years. Zinfandel DeJean bitterly remarks few months turned into a year, a year into a decade.
that they slept through the entire revolution: despair They ran missions under Jerry’s command. They made
had led them to taking longer and longer trips, and they squad commander. Their ship sat untouched in the
were just 6 years into a 98-light-year jaunt when the hangar for a decade, and then two.
Hercynian Crisis started. When they started their trip,
SecComm seemed stronger than ever; by the time they “I want you to know. When the newcomer fleets
reached their destination, the regime had crumbled and showed up, I started fixing up my ship. I felt the same
its leaders were dead or in disgraced exile. old urge, to run, to move on, to let this be someone
else’s problem. But no more running. I’m giving you
Under the leadership of ThirdComm, Union was slowly my ship, the Voidrunner – it’s yours. Don’t even
entering a new era of freedom and prosperity, but to bother saying no. I’m with you, right to the end.”
Zinfandel it felt utterly hollow. They hadn’t fought for
this; they’d spent all seventeen brutal centuries of the
regime’s rule safe among the stars, waiting for others
to do the hard work of liberation for them. As one of the
original Cosmopolitans, they were no stranger to the
alienation of relativistic travel, but this was different; it
wasn’t just that they felt alien to this freer, happier time.
They felt like they didn’t deserve it.

So they just kept walking.

[350]
THE VOIDRUNNER
The team now has access to the ISV Voidrunner, a truly The Voidrunner is much too large to enter or leave a
ancient GMS Pattern-112 Teviot interstellar cutter that planetary atmosphere, and instead carries two SSTO
used to belong to Zinfandel DeJean. (Single-Stage To Orbit) landing craft while it remains in
low orbit. If the Dragon’s Tooth is still functional, it
The Teviot (often known as “the One-Twelve”) is a replaces one of the landing craft.
typical example of GMS spacecraft design during the
late First Expansion Period: dependable, utilitarian, It has a fully functional nearlight suite, a high-bandwidth
valuing function over form. Intended mostly for use by omnihook for FTL communication, an empty NHP-C
Union Science Bureau far-field teams, the Teviot was module that Siren can be placed in, a fully-stocked
designed to be highly automated and easy to maintain, maintenance bay for mechanized chassis, two hangar
allowing it to last decades or even centuries without bays for its landing craft (or the Dragon’s Tooth), and a
seeing a shipyard, while the crew remained in stasis for large suite of weapons capable of orbit-to-surface fire,
perceptual years. allowing it to deliver the Bombardment reserve.

The Voidrunner is hardly a typical example of the Teviot It will likely not be relevant during the campaign, but the
class – although that’s not saying much, given that Voidrunner also contains pause tanks and a relativistic
most remaining Teviots are museum pieces. The ship particle shield for interstellar travel. Theoretically, it has
was never originally meant to mount weapons larger or a maximum travel distance of almost a thousand light-
more powerful than an asteroid defense system, but years, and in truth this limitation only exists because
the supreme interoperability of GMS equipment let pause tanks can only sustain a person in stasis for
Zinfandel retrofit the ship until it could run a SecComm about a century before lethal complications occur. If the
blockade and tangle with patrol craft twice its size. PCs really want to go somewhere other than Calliope,
the entire Orion Arm is now open to them.
As technology advanced over the centuries, Zinfandel
also improved the automation to the point that the ship
could run itself essentially forever so long as it had
access to fuel and RawMat.

[351]
 BEAT ??:
THE CRONE
HOW DO WE SAVE CALLIOPE?
“Things will get even more difficult going forward.
The time for making new allies has likely passed.
You will have to proceed with the people you have.

WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?

“Oh, that’s rich. There’s an old Jon Berger quote
from Ways of Seeing: ‘you painted a naked woman
because you enjoyed looking at her, put a mirror in
her hand and you called the painting “Vanity,” thus
morally condemning the woman whose nakedness
you had depicted for you own pleasure.’

“Why am I like this? I am the way I am because that’s

how it was decided I would be. If you object so
bitterly, whine harder, and I’m sure the powers that
turn the wheels of this world will cram me into a
shape more to your liking. Why wouldn’t they?”

HOW COULD WE HAVE WON?

“I don’t think you’ll like the answer.”

But if the PCs press her…

“Well, what do you count as winning? Sometimes,

getting everything you want isn’t even an option.
Sometimes, victory is doing the best you can with
what you have. Was there ever any sequence of
events in which you stopped the Cult from cracking
Kantele and still saved Hell’s Gate? Perhaps not.

“Do you feel like you did the best you could? Is Hell’s
Gate still standing? Are your friends all alive? Then
that’s the best victory you’re going to get for now.
Defeat only destroys you if it removes any chance of
winning the war.”

[352]
APPENDIX 1: CONTENT
PLACEHOLDER

[353]
 A GOOD HAUL
Calliope Placeholder
UNDERHANDED
After twenty years in the arenas, Galanades “Fury”
RIVALRY Breaker knows one thing for sure: they don’t ask how,
What made you feel this way about them? Maybe you they ask how many. All the traditionalists gasped and
never felt like you could measure up. Or maybe it was clutched their pearls and called her a disgrace to the
the other way around: you felt like they didn’t deserve sport, unfit to be champion. Her answer: when they
what they had. Either way, just looking at them sets show her a war won with honor instead of bullets,
your blood boiling. You’re better than them – you are, maybe she’ll start fighting fair.
you know it! You just have to prove it to everyone else.

FIGHT DIRTY
YOU AIN’T NOTHIN’! You gain 3 CHEAT DICE. Whenever you hit a hostile
When you take this talent, choose another pilot character within b3 with a melee or ranged attack, you
(hopefully a PC, but NPCs are fine if your GM allows it) may expend a CHEAT DIE as a reaction and choose one
to be your RIVAL. of the following effects that you haven’t chosen yet this
scene:
1/round, you may benefit from one of the following:
• ROCK THE COCKPIT: The target becomes IMPAIRED
• When your RIVAL attacks a target in your line of until the end of their next turn.
sight and misses, your next attack against that • GRIT THE SERVOS: The target becomes SLOWED
target receives +1g. until the end of their next turn.
• When you attack a target in your RIVAL’s line of • LOOK OVER THERE: The target can’t take reactions
sight and miss, your next attack against that target this turn, and can’t react to this attack.
receives +1g.
If you have none, you regain 1 CHEAT DIE when you
Between missions, you can replace your RIVAL with a rest, and you regain them all when you perform a FULL
new one, but only if your relationship with them has REPAIR.
changed.

CONFOUND THEM
WE’RE NOT FINISHED YET! Gain 5 CHEAT DICE instead of 3; additionally, you gain
Gain the following reaction: the following new options when using FIGHT DIRTY:
Get Back Here!
Reaction, 1/scene • OIL THE CAMERAS: The target becomes BLINDED
Trigger: Your turn starts, and your RIVAL is at least until the end of their next turn.
ten spaces away from you. • BLOCK THEIR VIEW: Until the end of their next turn,
Effect: You may BOOST, moving toward your RIVAL the target receives +3h on any attack that doesn't
so fast it counts as teleporting. target you.

NOW, WITNESS TRUE SKILL! PRANKSTER’S GAMBIT

When your RIVAL misses an attack, you know by how Gain 6 CHEAT DICE instead of 5. FIGHT DIRTY no longer
much it missed. You can tell them if you want. requires a reaction – you may apply it to any melee or
Gain the following reaction: ranged attack you make, whether or not it’s your turn.
You may still only choose each option 1/scene, and
Show You How It’s Done you may only use FIGHT DIRTY 1/turn.
Reaction, 1/round
Trigger: Your RIVAL misses an attack against a
If you destroy a hostile character in the same turn you
target within your line of sight and b5.
use FIGHT DIRTY on them, you regain 1 CHEAT DIE.
Effect: You may OVERWATCH against the same
target.

[354]
NEW MECHS
During Act 1, a PC might

NEW CONDITION: BLINDED

BLINDED characters can only draw line of sight to
adjacent spaces.

There are talents, mech systems and NPC abilities in

core Lancer inflict an effect identical to BLINDED.

• INFILTRATOR talent’s third tier, Mastermind.

• CENTIMANE talent’s third tier, Tidal Suppression.
• CRACK SHOT talent’s third tier, Watch This.
• The METALMARK’s Flash Charges (when used as
a Flash Mine) and Shock Wreath.
• The ARCHER’s BLINDING SHELLS.
• The WITCH’s BLIND, appropriately.
• The VETERAN template’s HEADSHOT.

It may be advisable not to convert these effects to inflict

the BLINDED condition, since conditions can be
removed via STABILIZE and traits like the ULTRA
template’s JUGGERNAUT, which decreases their utility
as control tools.

[355]
 HORUS
IMP
Goblin Variant

Following SSC’s successful integration of DHIYED-derived code into the Dusk Wing,
HORUS found its position in the field of paratech threatened. Searching for an
opportunity to reassert its dominance, it found one in the mounting hostilities
between HORUS and the Horizon Collective in the Long Rim. There was clear demand
for a low-cost, high-mobility close combat frame, and what few offerings HORUS
had in that niche were too expensive, too unwieldy, too unstable or some
combination of the three.

The Imp places the electronic warfare prowess of the Goblin’s INSTINCT system
into a chassis with greater survivability. Curiously, however, changing the
context of its deployment also seemed to drastically alter its developmental
pathways. Pilots often report the manifestation of “demon signals,” irrational
data streams that are deeply harmful to electronic systems.

CORE STATS CORE SYSTEM

Size: 1/2 Save Target: 11
Armor: 2 Sensors: 5
DEMON SIGNAL
Hear the delicate ticking and whirring of every
HULL SYSTEMS machine around you. See the elegant perfection
HP: 6 E-Defense: 10 of fractals and numeric series. Take a moment to
Repair Cap: 4 Tech Attack: +2 appreciate the logic of a legislator’s argument
AGILITY SP: 7 or a philosopher’s exegesis.
Evasion: 10 ENGINEERING
Speed: 5 Heat Cap: 4 Now: turn your words into knives, numbers into
swords, thoughts into bludgeons, ideas into
TRAITS arrows. Strike truth like a bell until it cracks
from the ringing. Drink the hot blood of reality
INTRUSION SPIKE as it oozes from fresh wounds. Order is complex
The Imp can make tech attacks against a target’s and fragile, but entropy? Entropy is simple.
EVASION instead of its E-DEFENSE if it’s adjacent to
them. It makes this choice before it rolls the attack.
Integrated Mount: Antilogic Blade
INJURY TO INSULT
The Imp’s tech attacks can critically hit. When they Antilogic Blade
do, the Imp may choose one: Auxiliary Melee
[a1] [2+Xj]
• The target becomes IMPAIRED until the end of 1/turn, you can attack with this weapon in place of
their next turn. an attack you would make with a different auxiliary
• The target becomes LOCKED ON. melee weapon.
• The target receives an additional 2l.
This weapon deals j equal to two plus the number
of conditions on the target. If you consumed LOCK
MOUNTS ON for this attack, it still counts toward this total.
AUX/ FLEX
AUX MOUNT Infolytic Shriek
Active (1CP), Quick Tech, Efficient
You make a special tech attack against a hostile
character within SENSORS that can’t miss, but is still
rolled and can critically hit. The target becomes
IMPAIRED, SLOWED, BLINDED and SHREDDED until the
end of their next turn.

[356]
[357]
 THE CRIMSON HAND
During Act 1, a PC might have heard the legend of
Marika Wren and Lin Zhihao, a pirate and a bounty
hunter who fought each other for years in the early Void
Age. They may also have discovered proof that it was
more than just a myth, in the form of the Golden Hand,
Marika Wren’s famed six-shooter.

But the existence of Marika’s Golden Hand implies the

existence of its equal and opposite, Zhihao’s Crimson
Hand. The guns are tied together by fate, and
whomsoever wields one will inevitably cross paths with
the wielder of the other – or so the story goes, at least.

Anyone who owns the Golden Hand knows this is more

than just a story, though; they feel compelled to seek
out the other half of the legend. It will not be satisfied
by a wielder who refuses the call; it will become
impatient.

The character wielding the Golden Hand will have a

five-segment Seeking the Crimson Hand clock, and
at the start of Act 2, they will usually have a maximum
of three segments ticked.

The Golden Hand is a proud gun, and will get upset if a

downtime passes without the PC making serious effort
to find the Crimson Hand, or if a PC doesn’t equip it
during a mission. It will plague its wielder with vivid
nightmares and irritating turns of bad luck until they
apologize to it and rectify their behavior.

If two consecutive downtimes pass without any effort

made to locate the Crimson Hand, or if the Golden
Hand is not equipped for two missions in a row, it
abandons its wielder in disgust, going missing in some
odd and inexplicable way. Its former wielder loses
access to it permanently.

Up until three ticks on the Seeking the Crimson Hand

clock, the wielder has been receiving dreams and
visions from the Golden Hand in, which have dropped
hints about where to look. Now, the visions have mostly
ceased, as if the gun is telling the PC to pull their own
weight now. However, three visions keep coming up.

The first vision is a tall figure in a wide-brimmed hat and

long duster walking away from a sunset, empty-
handed, whistling a melancholy tune.

The second vision is a dark-haired, middle-aged

woman standing at a barren well, letting a golden coin
fall from her bleeding hand into the darkness below.

The third image is of a planet sitting on a colossal anvil,

before being smashed to pieces by a giant hammer.

[358]
INTERLUDE 4A: INTERLUDE 4B:
A THORN ON YOUR SIDE BALLAD OF GUN BROTHER TEN
The last vision the Golden Hand’s wielder saw was on At several points during Act 2, the wielder of the
Mróz, of an old man named Thorn von Aldenberg Golden Hand may encounter a man known as Gun
getting a signal from an old satellite out near Zethus, Brother Ten. He’s a folk hero around Calliope,
but his old lair contained nothing useful and the satellite swooping in to defend the helpless and protect the
is no longer there. Anyone who’s dealt with sigdivers weak from his placeholder
will recognize the name “von Aldenberg;” perhaps he
was a relative of Striga? “I know what you’re lookin’ for. That golden gun you
sling? Used to be mine. Used to be my family’s, for
Striga is not hard to find; she and some of her clique that matter. Don’t fret, not interested in takin’ it from
will be in orbit of Umbra near Chameleon until the you. Gave up on that life a long time back.”
issues with Harrison Armory are resolved, and after
that, she can be found back on Hell’s Gate, either at Gun Brother Ten explains that he’s the grandson of
Happy Noodle or in the hab block her clique have taken Marika Wren and Lin Zhihao – his mother is Hope Lin-
over. Add to that her inexplicable ability to appear in Wren. Both of his maternal grandmothers died before
places she shouldn’t be, and locating her isn’t a he was born, and Hope, who had wielded both guns for
problem. Asking her about Thorn, however, might be. many years, wanted him to follow in her footsteps and
act as guardian to “the family secret.”
The moment you mention the name “Thorn,” Striga
produces a knife, and – in an astounding display of Ten was uninterested in shouldering the burden that
strength you hadn’t expected from her – pins you had hollowed out his mother’s entire life, and turned his
against a wall with the blade to your throat. back on it. This led to a rift between the two, and they
have not spoken in decades, but for once when Ten
“WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT NAME?! NOBODY won the Golden Hand in a duel and returned it to Hope.
LIVING SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GRAMPA!” He says she’s been letting the guns out into the wild
every so often, hoping it will bring her a champion who’ll
Fortunately for the wielder, Striga is absolutely willing take up the responsibility he refused.
to believe that they discovered the name in a
postcognitive vision given to them by an unprovably He warns the wielder that the guns are a burden, not a
sentient gun once owned by a legendary pirate – this prize. They demand a tribute of life, and pay back only
actually lines up with six separate conspiracy theories with death. They bind you to the guardianship of a
she’s been working on recently. terrible secret, one that turned his mother into a bitter
old woman long before her time. If the wielder wants
Thorn raised Striga after her parents passed away in his advice, he says, cast the Golden Hand away – or
an “accident” (she suspects they were murdered, but if they are very brave, return it to Hope.
there is none of the usual excitement in her voice when
she says this), and he taught her much of what she He will instruct the wielder on how to find and meet with
knows about sigdiving and conspiracies. At the end of Hope, but he makes one thing very clear: despite all
his life, he asked her to erase all record of his existence that has passed between them, Ten still loves his
from the Muse so that the Data Vampires couldn’t mother. Should the wielder do any harm to her, he will
reanimate his homunculus to feed on. hunt them down and return it to them tenfold.

She has an old datavault containing a lot of his files, but

she’s never been able to crack it. She asks to inspect
the Golden Hand, and if allowed, discovers to her
delight that its device driver is spitting out a small part
of the encryption key every time it fires. She asks to
install a packet sniffer on the wielder’s mech. During
their next mission, they must fire the weapon at least
six times to produce the entire key.

Once they’ve done this, Striga excitedly reports that the

data is decrypting, and will be ready to view by the time
they’re done with the mission. The PC with the Golden
Hand ticks the fourth segment on their Seeking the
Crimson Hand clock.

[359]
 INTERLUDE 5A: INTERLUDE 5B:
A THORN ON YOUR SIDE THE PERSIMMON
The last vision the Golden Hand’s wielder saw was on Once the wielder of the Golden Hand has completed
Mróz, of an old man named Thorn von Aldenberg Striga’s errand, they can return to her to find out what
getting a signal from an old satellite out near Zethus, was contained on Thorn’s old datavault. There’s a lot of
but his old lair contained nothing useful and the satellite stuff on there, and it takes a while to sift through it to
is no longer there. Anyone who’s dealt with sigdivers find the relevant files, but eventually, Striga finds it: a
will recognize the name “von Aldenberg;” perhaps he long series of navigational coordinates, tracking the L4
was a relative of Striga? Lagrange point of Chameleon for more than 200 years.
This is what the old satellite above Zethus was hiding.
Striga is not hard to find; she and some of her clique
will be in orbit of Umbra near Chameleon until the Travelling out to this destination is a dangerous and
issues with Harrison Armory are resolved, and after lonely journey, even if taken at nearlight. Chameleon
that, she can be found back on Hell’s Gate, either at had emergency supply caches and comms repeaters,
Happy Noodle or in the hab block her clique have taken but all there is in this place is endless dark, cold and
over. Add to that her inexplicable ability to appear in silence. There really is nothing out here.
places she shouldn’t be, and locating her isn’t a
problem. Asking her about Thorn, however, might be. Except, carefully hidden in a crevasse on a particularly
large trojan asteroid, there it is: the Persimmon, the
The moment you mention the name “Thorn,” Striga fabled colony ship Impact Dynamics sent to the system
produces a knife, and – in an astounding display of three centuries ago. Two kilometers long, radiators
strength you hadn’t expected from her – pins you cold, engines long dead, spin-grav rings cracked and
against a wall with the blade to your throat. broken from three hundred years of neglect, it waits
patiently for Gaia worlds that never existed and a
“WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT NAME?! NOBODY rescuer that never arrived.
LIVING SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GRAMPA!”
The wielder cannot dock with the Persimmon directly; it
Fortunately for the wielder, Striga is absolutely willing would be dangerous to bring their ship too close to the
to believe that they discovered the name in a colony vessel’s decayed superstructure. They will have
postcognitive vision given to them by an unprovably to land a few kilometers out and approach in their
sentient gun once owned by a legendary pirate – this mech. On foot won’t do; the Golden Hand makes it
actually lines up with six separate conspiracy theories known, in its own way, that it must be brought along.
she’s been working on recently.
Getting onto the ship like this is a slow process. The
Thorn raised Striga after her parents passed away in only visible point of entry is a vehicle bay on the
an “accident” (she suspects they were murdered, but starboard side that looks like it was blown open by
there is none of the usual excitement in her voice when breaching charges. Someone was definitely here, but
she says this), and he taught her much of what she decades ago.
knows about sigdiving and conspiracies. At the end of
his life, he asked her to erase all record of his existence
from the Muse, allegedly so that the data vampires
couldn’t reanimate his homunculus to feed on.

She has an old datavault containing a lot of his files, but

she’s never been able to crack it. She asks to inspect
the Golden Hand, and if allowed, discovers to her
delight that its device driver is spitting out a small part
of the encryption key every time it fires. She asks to
install a packet sniffer on the wielder’s mech. During
their next mission, they must fire the weapon at least
six times to produce the entire key.

Once they’ve done this, Striga excitedly reports that the

data is decrypting, and will be ready to view by the time
they’re done with the mission. The PC with the Golden
Hand ticks the fourth segment on their Seeking the
Crimson Hand clock.

[360]
The Crimson Hand
Auxiliary CQB, Exotic Gear, Loading,
Reliable 1, Unique
[b5] [a3] [1d6i]
If this weapon starts a turn loaded, every weapon in
this mount gains +1g on attacks this turn.
If you install the Crimson Hand in the same mount
as the Golden Hand, they count as only one piece
of Exotic Gear for installation limits.
Zhihao always hit her mark, and she couldn’t
afford not to: she was clumsy on the reload.
Marika took aim at her fumbling, because she
knew it set Zhihao’s teeth grinding.
When your mech levels it, you smell cherry wine
and coffee, hear the clatter of dice, and feel
the corners of your mouth pulled upwards into
a cocky grin.

[361]
 NEW SITREPS
Presented

[362]
DEMOLITION
Ingress Zone Ingress Zone

OBJ OBJ
Player Deployment Zone

Enemy
Deployment OBJ
Zone

OBJ OBJ

Ingress Zone Ingress Zone

Just a babysitting job, the Navy said. Spend five years

in the boonies, the Navy said. You’ll never see a single
OBJECTIVE
fight but it’ll look good on your record, the Navy said. Each Objective is a SIZE 3 character hostile to the PCs
Scarab wanted to wring all their necks, but of course with 5 EVASION, 8 E-DEFENSE and 15/20/25 HP. They
this posting had put her ten light-years away from them. do not take turns or actions, cannot move or be moved
by any means, are IMMUNE to all statuses and
conditions except LOCK ON, and clear all burn (m) after
So here she was, churning acid sky of Orcus warping the initial damage has been dealt. They benefit from
the skin of her rig like lemon juice curdling milk, external cover and other defenses as usual, and make all mech
temperature at 400 Kelvin even in the perpetual twilight skill checks and saves at +0.
of the planet’s duskline. Bullets ripped at the weather
station she was cowering behind. Explosions rang out,
one after another, shaking the entire aerostat like the Optionally, the GM may give the Objectives 1 or 2
clenched fist of the Infinite. ARMOR or the SIEGE ARMOR trait.

Scarab’s platoon was never going to hold the platform, SIEGE ARMOR Trait
not against an assault this determined by enemies this The Objective has Resistance to all damage from
numerous. But maybe, she thought, they didn’t need to. attacks that originate beyond 3.
All they needed was to deny the Cult use of it, and
without the processing units, the aerostat was about as
useful as fingerless spacesuit gloves. ENEMY FORCES
The GM should prepare about one and half times the
enemy forces that they would normally use. Two thirds
There was a chime as her howitzer reloaded. She
of these forces should be deployed, and the remaining
smirked. “Xanadu, contact the Thames. I’m submitting
third held as Reinforcements.
a request to modify mission parameters.”

DEMOLITION missions require the PCs to destroy a DEPLOYMENT

series of static targets on the battlefield. The GM deploys first, placing five Objectives close to
(but not inside) the Enemy Deployment Zone, and
then deploys the enemy forces; the PCs deploy next,
VICTORY CONDITIONS choosing positions for their characters in the Player
• PC Victory: At the end of the eighth round, all Deployment Zone.
Objectives are destroyed.
• Enemy Victory: At the end of the eighth round, at
least one Objective has not been destroyed.
REINFORCEMENTS
At the start of any round, the GM deploys 2 NPCs (or
up to 4 grunts) in two of the Ingress Zones. They can’t
deploy in the same Ingress Zone twice in a row.

[363]
 THEFT

Cargo
Zone A

Enemy Deployment Zone

Player Deployment Zone

Cargo
Zone B

Cargo
Zone C

Blue gritted his teeth and slammed the medical holdoff

button with his good hand. This “simple smash-and-
SUPPLY EXTRACTION
grab” had turned into a shitshow, and he’d need to stay Place three f1 Cargo Zones on the battlefield.
focused to make it out alive. Characters inside or adjacent to a Cargo Zone may
perform the following action:
With both legs broken and only one hand working, he
had to lean on the neural link to send instructions to his Extract Supplies
horse. She wasn’t doing any better; that last hit had Quick Action
smashed all the actuators in her right arm – but its fist You may only perform this action while inside or
was still clenched tight around the power core’s adjacent to a Cargo Zone that has no Payloads in
carrying handle. He could work with this. it. Place a Payload in a free space within the same
Cargo Zone, or as close as possible.
Flipping the assault rifle’s targeting to eyeline mode
and yanking the throttle back as far as it would go, he Payloads are Size 1 objects with 10 HP, EVASION 10,
rested his finger on the trigger of the joystick and began E-DEFENSE 10 and no ARMOR. Enemy forces will not
a defiant chant over an open channel. willingly damage them. Payloads can’t move under
their own power, so mechs must drag them, becoming
SLOWED while doing so. If two characters from
“M-S-M-C! YOU-CAN’T-TAKE-ME!”
opposing sides are adjacent to a Payload, neither of
them can drag it until one of them ceases to be
THEFT missions require the PCs to dash onto the adjacent.
battlefield, steal valuable items and then return them
safely to an extraction zone.
PCs must move the Payloads into the Player
Deployment Zone. Enemies will try to move the
VICTORY CONDITIONS Payloads back to a Cargo Zone, but no further.
• PC Victory: At the end of the sixth round, there are
at least as many Payloads in the Player ENEMY FORCES
Deployment Zone as PCs participating in the The GM should prepare enemy forces of a similar size
scene. to a normal encounter. They can hold some as
• Enemy Victory: At the end of the sixth round, there Reinforcements if desired.
are fewer Payloads in the Player Deployment
Zone than PCs participating in the scene.
DEPLOYMENT
The GM deploys first, placing the three Cargo Zones
and then placing the initial enemy complement in the
Enemy Deployment Zone. The PCs deploy next,
choosing positions for their characters in the Player
Deployment Zone.

[364]
[365]
 NEW NPC CLASSES
Presented here are four new classes of NPC for players
to fight. They’re introduced throughout the course of
Act 1, but can be used in any campaign.

• The LODESTONE, a hybrid Artillery/Controller mech

that can pull enemies around the battlefield and
punish them for grouping up.

[366]
 LODESTONE Artillery/Controller

Leaning heavily into the magnetic weapons technology pioneered by Smith-Shimano

frames such as the Black Witch, the Lodestone can pull an enemy fireteam apart,
figuratively and literally. In the aftermath of their deployment, they leave
alien landscapes littered with wrecks in strange places, pierced by eerily
precise shots and covered in spikes of congealed ferrofluid.

TIER 1 TIER 2 TIER 3

MECH SKILLS MECH SKILLS MECH SKILLS
Hull: -2 Systems: +1 Hull: -2 Systems: +2 Hull: -1 Systems: +3
Agility: +3 Engineering: +0 Agility: +4 Engineering: +1 Agility: +5 Engineering: +1

CORE STATS CORE STATS CORE STATS

HP: 10 Armor: 0 HP: 12 Armor: 0 HP: 14 Armor: 0
Evasion: 8 E-Defense: 12 Evasion: 10 E-Defense: 13 Evasion: 12 E-Defense: 16
Speed: 4 Size: 1 Speed: 4 Size: 1 Speed: 4 Size: 1
Heat Cap: 7 Save Target: 12 Heat Cap: 7 Save Target: 14 Heat Cap: 7 Save Target: 16
Sensors: 10 Sensors: 10 Sensors: 10

TACTICS OPTIONAL SYSTEMS

The Lodestone likes to target bunched-up enemies, Core Feedback Loop
especially those providing hard cover to their allies with System, Quick Tech, +2/+4/+6
a trait like GUARDIAN. Since the PRECISION RAILGUN can The Lodestone makes a tech attack against a
strike multiple targets, if it hits two characters at once, character within SENSORS. On a success, if the target
SPALLATION will trigger on both of them. It can use ends their next turn not adjacent to a character
FERROUS LASH to force characters together. they’re allied to, they take 4/5/6l.

Even with REPULSION, the Lodestone is very fragile and Disruptive Pulse
relies mostly on positioning and cover to avoid damage. System, Full Tech, Recharge 6+
Each hostile character within a c7 area must make
BASE SYSTEMS a SYSTEMS save or become JAMMED until the end of
their next turn, or until an allied character ends their
Precision Railgun
Heavy Rifle, AP, +2/+4/+6 turn adjacent to them.
[e10] [4/6/8i]
HYPERFRAGMENTATION Trait
SPALLATION Trait The damage from Spallation is AP.
Each character adjacent to at least one character hit
by the Lodestone’s weapon attacks takes 3/4/5i. UNNATURAL PRECISION Trait
Characters only take this damage once per attack Spallation only damages hostile characters.
the Lodestone makes.
Magnetic Grenade
Ferrous Lash System, Quick Action, Grenade, Recharge 5+
System, Quick Action The Lodestone throws a grenade to a space within
A hostile character within SENSORS must succeed on b10. Characters in the ensuing f2 explosion must
an AGILITY save or be pulled 3 spaces in a direction make a HULL save or be pulled as close to the center
of the Lodestone’s choice. of the blast as possible.

REPULSION Trait Tempest Launcher

The Lodestone has RESISTANCE to i. Main Launcher, Arcing, +1/+2/+3
[b10] [6j]
On hit: Make a secondary attack against all
characters within d2 of the target. These attacks
can’t deal bonus damage and don’t trigger further
secondary attacks, but can trigger Spallation.

[367]
[368]
 RUINERStriker/Controller

After IPS-N’s Titan-Enceladus Field Project produced the Caliban, other arms
manufacturers were quick to produce their own variants or knock-offs. Nothing
quite compares to the original model, but if the corpses on ten thousand gutted
derelicts could speak, they’d tell you that 80% of a Caliban is more than enough.

TIER 1 TIER 2 TIER 3

MECH SKILLS MECH SKILLS MECH SKILLS
Hull: +2 Systems: -2 Hull: +4 Systems: -2 Hull: +6 Systems: -2
Agility: +1 Engineering: +2 Agility: +1 Engineering: +3 Agility: +1 Engineering: +4

CORE STATS CORE STATS CORE STATS

HP: 12 Armor: 2 HP: 14 Armor: 2 HP: 16 Armor: 2
Evasion: 8 E-Defense: 8 Evasion: 9 E-Defense: 8 Evasion: 10 E-Defense: 8
Speed: 4 Size: 1/2 Speed: 4 Size: 1/2 Speed: 4 Size: 1/2
Heat Cap: 6 Save Target: 12 Heat Cap: 7 Save Target: 14 Heat Cap: 8 Save Target: 16
Sensors: 5 Sensors: 5 Sensors: 5

FACESHOT Trait
TACTICS When the Ruiner is ENGAGED with a character, it can
The Ruiner is easiest to describe as a “bully” – it wants choose to target only that character with its HEAVY
to get up close with one enemy and then shove them SCATTERGUN. If it does, the attack doesn’t gain
around with RAM attacks and its HEAVY SCATTERGUN. It DIFFICULTY from being ENGAGED, its damage ignores
isn’t actually that fast, though, so it will want to make RESISTANCE and any KNOCKBACK inflicted is
judicious use of its ASSAULT BOOSTER to close gaps. increased by 1.
Note that even with 2 ARMOR, it doesn’t always have as
much staying power as you think, because it needs to
FOLLOW THROUGH Trait
stay on the front line to be effective.
When the Ruiner inflicts KNOCKBACK as part of any
action, it can move an equal number of spaces
BASE SYSTEMS towards the same target by the most direct route
Heavy Scattergun possible. This movement is part of the same action,
Heavy CQB, +2/+4/+6, Knockback 2 ignores engagement and doesn’t provoke reactions.
[c3] [a3] [4/6/8i]
On Critical Hit: The target must succeed on a HULL OFFENSIVE PRESSURE Trait
save or be knocked PRONE. When the Ruiner inflicts damage with a melee or
ranged attack, their next attack deals +3/+4/+5
DENSE Trait bonus damage. Bonuses are lost when the Ruiner
The Ruiner counts as SIZE 3 when inflicting attacks (hit or miss), when they take damage, at the
KNOCKBACK with any RAM, melee or ranged attack. end of their next turn, or if the Ruiner becomes
JAMMED or STUNNED.
Assault Booster
System, Quick Action, Recharge 4+ Seething Malice
The Ruiner flies up to their speed in any direction, Reaction, 1/round
but must land after completing the move. If they end Trigger: The Ruiner takes damage from a ranged
this movement adjacent to a hostile character, they attack made by a character within b4 and ASSAULT
may RAM that character as part of the same action. BOOSTER is available.
Effect: The Ruiner uses ASSAULT BOOSTER, moving
adjacent to the triggering character. If the RAM hits,
OPTIONAL SYSTEMS the Ruiner gains Resistance to all damage from
BODYBLOCK Trait the triggering attack.
The Ruiner can use adjacent hostile characters for
hard cover. Missed attacks against the Ruiner
affected by this hard cover apply Reliable damage
to the character providing cover, not the Ruiner.

[369]
 VOIDERController/Support

“Did you think, Valentinian – even for a moment – of what you might unleash when
you embarked on this damn fool crusade? I’ve seen what your projects leave in
their wake. In the name of the friendship we used to share, I beg you, turn back
before you do something you cannot undo!”
- Dr. Sébastien Dumas

TIER 1 TIER 2 TIER 3

MECH SKILLS MECH SKILLS MECH SKILLS
Hull: -1 Systems: +2 Hull: -1 Systems: +3 Hull: -1 Systems: +4
Agility: +1 Engineering: +2 Agility: +2 Engineering: +3 Agility: +2 Engineering: +4

CORE STATS CORE STATS CORE STATS

HP: 10 Armor: 1 HP: 12 Armor: 1 HP: 14 Armor: 1
Evasion: 10 E-Defense: 10 Evasion: 12 E-Defense: 12 Evasion: 14 E-Defense: 14
Speed: 4 Size: 1 Speed: 4 Size: 1 Speed: 4 Size: 1
Heat Cap: 7 Save Target: 12 Heat Cap: 7 Save Target: 14 Heat Cap: 7 Save Target: 16
Sensors: 10 Sensors: 10 Sensors: 10

TACTICS Void Prism

Main Cannon, +2/+4/+6, Arcing
Placeholder.
[b5] [4/6/8j]
If the target is a BLINK RIFT, this attack automatically
BASE SYSTEMS hits. The Voider may then repeat this attack against
any number of characters or objects within b5 of the
Blink Rift rift, drawing line of sight and range from it. If this
Trait, Protocol
includes another BLINK RIFT, the process repeats. A
The Voider creates a BLINK RIFT in a free space character can only be targeted by a secondary attack
within b5. A BLINK RIFT is a Size 1 object that once per activation of this weapon.
projects a constant d2 distortion field around it.
While inside the distortion field: After a BLINK RIFT is struck by this weapon (whether
or not the Voider chose to make secondary attacks)
• Voiders are IMMUNE to all of its effects. it is destroyed, causing it to collapse as usual.
• Hostile characters are SLOWED and can’t take
reactions, and if they start their turn in the field,
these effects persist until the end of that turn. OPTIONAL SYSTEMS
BLINK RIFTS have 4/6/8 HP, EVASION 10, E-DEFENSE Abduct
10 and can’t be targeted by tech attacks. When a System, Quick Tech, +2/+4/+6
BLINK RIFT is destroyed, each non-Voider character The Voider makes a tech attack against a hostile
within the distortion field must make a HULL save or character within b5. On a success, the target is
be pulled into the space the rift occupied, or as close teleported adjacent to a BLINK RIFT of the Voider’s
as possible. choice.

The Voider can have up to three BLINK RIFTS active GRAVITATIONAL LENSING Trait
at the same time. The distortion fields of BLINK The Voider’s allies have soft cover while they’re
RIFTS can overlap, but their effects don’t stack. entirely within the distortion field of a BLINK RIFT.

SHORTCUT Trait, Quick Action IMPLOSION ENGINE Trait

This action can only be taken while adjacent to a Characters who fail the HULL save from a collapsing
BLINK RIFT. The Voider teleports to a space BLINK RIFT also become IMMOBILIZED until the end of
adjacent to another BLINK RIFT. their next turn.

[370]
BLINK INTERCEPTION Trait, Reaction Rift Stabilizer
Teleporting triggers the Voider’s reactions as if it System
were normal movement. The Voider also gains the The Voider’s allies can also use SHORTCUT, and the
Redirect reaction. Voider counts as a BLINK RIFT for this purpose.

Redirect Slip Drive

Reaction, 1/round, Limited 3/4/5 System
Trigger: A character teleports or is teleported The Voider can use SHORTCUT even when it’s not
within the Voider’s line of sight while the Voider has adjacent to a BLINK RIFT.
at least one BLINK RIFT active.
Effect: The triggering character teleports to a space Warp Carbine
adjacent to a BLINK RIFT chosen by the Voider Main Rifle, +2/+4/+6, AP
instead of their intended destination. This doesn’t [b5] [2/3/4j]
count as involuntary movement. On hit: The target must make an ENGINEERING save
or be teleported towards the origin of this attack a
Reposition number of spaces equal to the damage dealt by this
System, Quick Action, Recharge 4+ weapon.
The Voider may teleport one allied character within The Voider may draw range and line of sight for
SENSORS to a space of their choice adjacent to a attacks with this weapon from a BLINK RIFT instead
BLINK RIFT. of itself.

[371]
 NEW NPC TEMPLATES
Presented here is an NPC template, originally from PUPPETEER SYSTEMS AND TRAITS
Katherine Stark’s Legionnaire supplement and used MOTHER OF MONSTERS Trait
with her permission. The Puppeteer may exceed the usual maximum
number of animated wrecks. For each additional

PUPPETEER
animated wreck above its maximum, the Puppeteer
gains another condition, starting with IMPAIRED, then
SLOWED, IMMOBILIZED, and finally STUNNED.
Cascading NHPs, virulent paracode, and memetic Each condition lasts until the number of animated
weaponry gone awry can all force mechanical wrecks is lowered once more, and are cleared in the
systems to operate far beyond their functional reverse order. They cannot otherwise be removed.
limits. These “puppeteers” infect and control
other mechanisms, even ones that have sustained
damage to put human-piloted mechs out of action. DEADLY MINIONS Trait
The Puppeteer’s animated wrecks are not
permanently IMPAIRED.
PUPPETEERS are powerful enemies that must be
neutralized before they overwhelm the fight with an
SHIELD OF BODIES Trait
army of minions. Consider adding wrecks as terrain if a
combat contains a PUPPETEER. Adjacent allied characters can use the Puppeteer’s
animated wrecks for hard cover.

BASE SYSTEMS HORDE MODE Trait

HARDENED TARGET Trait When the Puppeteer uses REANIMATION MATRIX, it
The Puppeteer gains +1g on SYSTEMS saves, and may choose up to two wrecks to animate.
tech attacks against them receive +1h.
Unnatural Life
Reanimation Matrix System, Quick Action, Recharge 4+
System, Quick Action Each of the Puppeteer’s animated wrecks gains
The Puppeteer chooses a wreck within SENSORS. It 3/4/5 OVERSHIELD.
becomes an animated wreck, a MECH under the
GM’s control. Cannibal Nanites
The animated wreck has the same statistics it had System, Quick Action, Recharge 6+
before it was destroyed, but loses all templates, The Puppeteer may consume one of its animated
gains the GRUNT template, and is permanently wrecks to regain 5/10/15 HP. The animated wreck
IMPAIRED. is removed from the battlefield.
A Puppeteer may have a maximum of 1/2/3
animated wrecks at once, all of which are destroyed
if the Puppeteer is destroyed.

PUPPETEER SYSTEMS AND TRAITS Trait

The Puppeteer chooses one option from the
Puppeteer Systems and Traits list. When choosing
optional systems, the Puppeteer can also choose
from that list.

[372]