Vortex

"Vortex" Update 5c.3
The best worst thing to happen on Mars

Fellow role-players , here are my notes for Session 5c.3 of my " Vortex " space opera campaign, which we played via Skype and an online dice roller on Sunday, 15 July 2012. We’re using Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment ( FATE ) 3rd Ed.: Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer and Bulldogs .

In one future , humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

>>FATE 3e " Vortex " Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters , crew of the Gryphon (as of summer 2012)

  • " Hector Chavez " [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox
  • " Jasmine " [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox , now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” and with boyfriend Darcy
  • " Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus " [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • " Jax " [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • " Orion Starchaser " [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
  • " Dr. Srinu Pahul " [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • " Jim " [Robert A.S./ absent ]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi
  • [Jim J.D’B.]-?

1 planet mars map

>>" 15 to 21 February 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era: " After meeting in Earth orbit, the crew of the Gryphon makes its shakedown cruise to the Mars Confederacy . The yacht also takes on a cargo of machine parts and a passenger fleeing from arms smugglers.

Hector Chavez scans for any illicit communications and sets up a jamming frequency for the cargo containers’ transponders. Jax “flies casual” to evade notice from the Interplanetary Patrol. The pirate pilot notes that his smaller vessel, the Slipstream , doesn’t have crew accommodations and thus can’t be used as a drop ship .

Orion Starchaser is fascinated by views of Mars and its moons Phobos and Deimos. Chris McKee tries to remember the location of a domestead he raided with the crew of the Blackbird as a place to avoid.

Darcy reminds Jasmine that they have friends in the Synth Liberation Front. They have heard rumors that the United Ecumenical Movement is holding S.L.F. members in its temples on Phobos. The bioengineered tigers make plans to meet Olun Gor, a Garth (" Uplifted " gorilla) on the surface.

Dr. Srinu Pahul talks with Irdana, an Olvar (mammal-like arboreal alien) tourist. The doctor also reviews supplies needed for the medical bay and galley. In one the Gryphon ’s lounges, the crew debates where to go next on Mars.

Hector recommends New Shanghai as one of the larger settlements, but Jax is wary of cities. Orion wants to see everything, and Chris and Srinu just want to avoid former employer Black Box Security Co. in the capital of Hellas Park.

Chris recommends that Jasmine meet Olun at the terraforming station at Hadriaca Paterna, which should be far enough from other colonies and the Union of Solar Nations base at Fort Olympus Mons . Instead of docking at the Deimos-Pavonis orbital elevator as originally planned, Jax takes the Gryphon down to the red world.

The landing party is greeted by scientist Taka Shimuza, megacorp delegate Herb Cort, and Asdann Frevel, a Gustrall (antlered, orange-furred, raptor-like alien) guard. Shimuza gives a tour of the massive plant of the Tharsis Terraforming Directorate, and Cort represents Uruk Services.

Even interstellar wanderer Orion is impressed by the scale of the machinery, some of which Hector recognizes as being similar to their cargo. Shimuza explains to Jax that efforts to make Mars more earthlike are expected to take many years, even with extraterrestrial assistance.

Cort mentions that the station has had little to worry about from local insurgents, especially after hiring a fierce Gustrall. Chris is happy to be reunited with Asdann, who invites him and Jasmine on a hunting expedition. Dr. Pahul and Darcy stay aboard the Gryphon to monitor communications and protect Irdana.

After their tour, the travelers return to their ship on the windswept landing pad for the night. Jasmine sends Olun a note, and he replies that he’ll come to Hadriaca Paterna the next day.

Orion is eager to explore, and Chris takes up a pool betting on how long it will take the blue alien to get into trouble. Jasmine says 15 minutes, Hector says 29, and Jax wagers 45. Chris predicts that it will take an hour, and Srinu bets on two hours.

The next morning, Asdann and Chris prepare a hoversled, and Jasmine and Darcy take her hoverbike from the hold. Orion is in his space suit and out the airlock before the others are even aware.

Even though Orion has no experience with ornithopters , Asdann trains him on the fundamentals. Jax reluctantly agrees to accompany him, but when he takes the controls, she jumps off. Orion sets off north as the hunters go south.

Asdann, Chris, Jasmine, and Darcy eventually land near a gulch in the cold, arid Martian outback. Asdann spots tracks of a six-legged Martian alligator (modified from Terran stock). Chris unslings his rifle and peers at various caves, while Jasmine is frustrated that the air is too thin for her to use her sense of smell.

Meanwhile, Orion sets down and hikes west. He sees a local domestead but decides instead to head north, toward snow-capped mountains. Back at the Gryphon , Jax and Hector split a bottle of brandy that Srinu brought along and discuss looking for more paying gigs.

In a gully with a little ice and algae, the hunters corner two gators gnawing on the remains of a dune strider . Jasmine draws her blaster and shoots, and Chris maneuvers to a higher position. Asdann misses, and the first gator bites at Jasmine’s gun, but she wrests it away.

The second beast leaps toward Asdann, who nimbly steps away. Jasmine strikes her foe with the butt of her gun, and Chris wings the second gator. One Martian menace tries to bite the tiger-woman’s foot, but she dodges, and Agent Prometheus finishes off both gators.

Asdann helps them haul the carcasses back to the “Gryphon.” Chris declares the hunting expedition a success, or “the best worst thing to happen on Mars .” They butcher the beasts for their hides and meat.

Accustomed to 1G, Orion makes great leaps across the rugged Martian landscape. The interstellar hitchhiker follows a flock of birds south. Curious Orion uses empathy to sense their mood as he climbs a cliff face to get closer to their perch.

The bioengineered birds have bright plumage, broad wingspans, and relatively small beaks. Orion takes a few photographs and hikes back to the terraforming station, where he gets lectured for leaving his ornithopter .

The next morning, Jax wakes up in the Gryphon ’s cockpit. The hung-over pilot nudges Hector and stumbles to the galley for some coffee. Chris and Dr. Pahul are chipper, and Jax is not thrilled to find an alligator head in the refrigerator.

Orion didn’t get into any serious trouble, so nobody wins the bet. Jasmine and Darcy mount one Martian gator skeleton in their cabin and the other at the swimming pool. They then get ready to meet fellow “Synth” Olun Gor….

I hope that you enjoyed this session and have had a good week. Byron, I hope you had a Happy Birthday! Rob, I look forward to your character eventually joining this crew, and Beruk, I’ll see you at The Dark Knight Rises on Sunday morning.

Good luck to Josh & Sara with your latest move — we’ll miss you this weekend and at Jason’s penultimate " Glassworks " superhero game on Monday. I’ll be out of town for the latter part of next week, and I’ll let everyone know if it will affect “Vortex.” Take it easy, -Gene

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20
JUL/2012
"Vortex" Update 5c.4
The malls of Mars

Fellow role-players , here are my notes for Session 5c.4 of my “Vortex” space opera campaign, which we played via Skype and an online dice roller on Sunday, 22 July 2012. We’re using Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment (FATE) 3rd Ed.: Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer and Bulldogs .

In one future , humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

>>FATE 3e " Vortex " Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters , crew of the Gryphon (as of summer 2012)

  • “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox
  • “Jasmine” [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox , now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” and with boyfriend Darcy
  • “Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • “Jax” [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • “Jim Delaney” [Robert A.S.]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi

>> “16 to 28 February to 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” After its arrival at the Mars Confederacy , the crew of the Gryphon explored the area around the Hadriaca Paterna terraforming station while waiting to deliver machine parts.

Jax, still nursing a hangover, brings coffee to Hector Chavez in the Gryphon’s cockpit. Security scanners detect someone at the airlock. Jim Delaney asks to come aboard and offers his services as a professional gambler.

Swashbuckler Jax is more interested in piracy than in grifting, and “burned op” Hector is unhappy that news of the yacht’s arrival has spread through nearby settlements. They let the well-dressed young man talk to the rest of the crew.

Jasmine is wary of con artists because of her experiences on the Appomattox , but Orion Starchaser senses no ill intent. The friendly blue alien carries a feather from a bioengineered Martian species. Chris McKee asks Jim who or what he’s running from, and Dr. Srinu Pahul asks to examine the newcomer.

Hector relents and says that Jim can join the crew if he successfully acts as “face man” for the cargo drop. Orion happily accompanies Jim as he returns to subterranean cities, and Hector and Srinu tail them.

Jax and Chris initially stay behind on the Gryphon , and Jasmine and Darcy prepare to meet with Olun Gor, a Garth (" Uplifted " gorilla) in the Synth Liberation Front. Irdana, an Olvar (mammal-like arboreal alien) passenger, heads to the capital of Hellas Park.

Jim and Orion go to a town of dusty domesteads deep in the Martian outback. At the Lucky Badger Saloon, they look for fellow gamblers and hitchhikers. Hector and Srinu watch their backs, and the doctor learns that both he and Jim are looking for servant robots .

Impatient pilot Jax takes the Slipstream to New Shanghai, where he sees holograms of Shocho, the omnipresent mascot of the ruling Tenryu Party. Jax goes to a disreputable neighborhood, where he meets smuggler Harry Chu.

Back at the Lucky Badger, Hector tries to find out if anybody on Mars besides the Tarsis Terraforming Directorate would value the machine parts. The supporters of Green Gongen are opposed by the preservationists of the Rust Coalition.

Chu tells Jax about politician Han Wubing, but the “best pirate in the Sol system” is more interested in potential mark Maria Chan, who is having a luxury vessel built in the Utopia Planitia shipyards .

Orion chats with Slazim, a Trinoid (three-armed amphibian) xenologist. The extraterrestrials have difficulty understanding why humans would voluntarily poison themselves with alcohol. Slazim offers to put in a recommendation with the science bureaus on Orion’s behalf as an independent contributor if he’ll continue traveling with Terrans.

The rest of the Gryphon ’s crew eventually makes its way to New Shanghai, one of the largest colonies on Mars. Hector remotely monitors locations and communications, and Jasmine and Darcy watch out for bounty hunters.

Chris is more worried about his former employers at Black Box Security Co., but Dr. Pahul makes inquiries about unusual biotech research possibly related to the Zarkonian threat. Srinu also orders supplies for the science lab/sickbay — and robots Medical Emergency and Group Assistance Synthetic Nurse (M.E.G.A.N.), as well as Personal Executive Prototype-Version E (“Pepe”).

Jax asks Chu if any advanced equipment is being installed on Chan’s ship. Jim schmoozes and learns of remote landing sites used by smugglers, as Orion observes to Slazim that Terrans’ diversity and factionalism is part of their charm….

I hope that all of you had a good weekend while I was out of town visiting family. Josh and Sara, I hope that your latest move and unpacking have gone smoothly. Beruk, Rob, and Byron, let us know your availability in the coming weeks.

Geoff, can you resend me the document where you wrote up Orion’s species and background? Robin and company, remember to look over the “Gryphon’s” specs for future modification. Note that I’ve updated the calendar and contact database in the “Vanished Lands” Yahoo/eGroups site . I look forward to resuming “Vortex” this coming Sunday, 5 August 2012. Take it easy, -Gene

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30
JUL/2012
"Vortex" Update 5c.5
Casino chaos

Fellow role-players , here are my notes for Session 5c.5 of my “Vortex” space opera campaign, which we played via Skype and an online dice roller on Sunday, 5 August 2012. We’re using Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment (FATE) 3rd Ed.: Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer and Bulldogs .

In one future , humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges ?

>>FATE 3e " Vortex " Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters , crew of the Gryphon (as of summer 2012)

  • “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox
  • “Jasmine” [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the “Appomattox,” now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” and with boyfriend Darcy
  • “Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus" [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • “Jax” [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • “Jim Delaney” [Robert A.S.]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi

>> Casino chaos

>>" 1 to 3 March 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era :" After meeting at the New Gdansk orbital habitat and traveling to Mars, the crew of the Gryphon scatters across the red planet.

Jasmine and Darcy wait at the Hadriaca Paterna terraforming station before going to meet a contact in the Synth Liberation Front at a nearby domestead. Jim Delaney and Orion go to the Red Butterfly Casino in the capital of Hellas Park. Hector Chavez discreetly follows.

Jax visits a bar in New Shanghai, the largest colony in the Mars Confederacy . He talks with smuggler Harry Chu and regales fellow pilots with tales of his exploits. However, when United Solar Nations troops arrive, Jax shifts his focus to more legal jobs.

Still hoping to avoid his former employers at Black Box Security Co., Chris keeps watch aboard the Gryphon , despite radio interference. Dr. Srinu Pahul goes to pick up the non-sentient servant robots that he and Jim had ordered.

After Jax buys a round of drinks for the soldiers, Lt. Max Tevis invites the pirate to an informal race. Jax accepts and later takes the Slipstream to the canyon site to check out the winding course in advance.

At the Red Butterfly, Orion gets into a staring contest with Shocho, the omnipresent holographic avatar of the ruling Tenryu Party. The alien wanderer then goes to take in a live performance at a nearby theater. Jim joins a poker game with the following people:

  • “Eddie Padjem” [Beruk/Non-Player Character]-male Terran (Indian) human with military experience
  • “Thuvia” [Sara/N.P.C.]-female Martian Felinoid (lynx-like humanoid) scout, wary of humans
  • “Purkdak” [Josh/N.P.C.]-male Martian human businessman with investments from Earth
  • “Brun” [Geoff/N.P.C.]-male Ursoid (“Uplifted” bear) gambler; not smart, but friendly
  • “Erlik” [Robin/N.P.C.]-male Martian cyborg with bionic hand; doesn’t like small stakes or Terrans

Jim chats up his competitors. Thuvia and Purkdak are reticent, but Eddie draws them out by talking about Earth’s megacorps and crowded arcologies . Brun surprises Erlik with a strong hand during Texas Hold’em . Former spy Hector expects trouble but is unable to contact Chris.

Meanwhile, at Valles Marineris , Jax meets Lt. Tevis and other racers and spectators. They check out various vehicles, including tricked-out hoversleds, ornithopters, and dune buggies. Jax chooses a maneuverable hovercycle.

A band of five Canids (" Uplifted " canines) bursts into the Red Butterfly Casino, draws machine guns, and orders everyone to hand over their valuables. Hector slips behind the bar and scopes out the scene. Eddie tries to use misdirection and sleight of hand to draw a weapon but is spotted.

Jim drops to the floor and uses his technopsi to take control of a dealer robot. It leaps toward one unluckly Wolfen, distracting him. Cyborg Erlik smacks another bandit with a chair but is shot in return. Two other raiders blast more of the dealer droids, and one wings Eddie.

Mighty Brun hurls a table at the bandits. Upon his return from the theater, Orion merely watches the brawl , telekinetically shielding Jim. Thuvia sneaks up on a Canid and pounces, as Purkdak bravely grabs a gun.

Hector aims at and hits one of the remaining bandits. Eddie’s attempt to kick over a table fails, but he manages to take out one Wolfen. Erlik trades blows with a “Synth” ( synthetic humanoid ) and is slain.

Other gamblers in the hall panic and try to flee. Brun picks up a Canid and rams his head into the ceiling. The Ursoid then smashes his opponent down into a table. Lynx-woman Thuvia knocks out the Wolfen closest to her, and Purkdak hits another.

Brun jumps onto the bar and charges at the last two bandits. Unfortunately, none of them — or Erlik — survive to be questioned by local authorities . Brun gives his contact information to Orion and asks for help getting offworld.

Hector hacks into the security network . He observes that the Canids had state-of-the-art weapons, but poor tactics. Hector takes a helmet and a gun for later analysis. As the police arrive, Orion and Hector escort Jim back to the Gryphon .

Jasmine and her boyfriend Darcy go to the Lucky Badger Saloon, where they meet Olun Gor, a Garth (" Uplifted " gorilla). Olun says that the United Ecumenical Movement has been rumored to be kidnapping “Synths.”

Those missing include the brother of Jasmine’s reptilian former crewmate Averki “Deep Dish” Dyashenko, a Tauroid named Meson, and Olun’s girlfriend. Jasmine agrees to ask her companions for aid in rescuing them from the U.E.M.’s temples on the moon Phobos.

Back at the Gryphon , Hector and Chris are wary of getting involved, but Orion and Srinu are eager to help. Jax and Jim prefer to take on paying missions, and the pilot wants advanced technology such as a cloaking device.

But first, Hector notes, they must deliver their cargo of terraforming equipment to a recipient in the Martian outback. In addition, Jax is set to participate in a canyon race….

I hope that all of you have had a good week. Byron, I hope your family vacation went well, and Rob, we’ll miss you at tonight’s (Aug. 12) " Vortex " game!

Beruk, Josh, and Sara, I’m glad that you were able to make to Jason’s cookout and final " Glassworks " superhero session (for now). I also hope that you’ll be able to make it to Brian’s second Dungeon Crawl Classics demonstration and our upcoming return to the " Vanished Lands " fantasy campaign!

Don’t forget to review the Gryphon’s specs to see what you might want to modify. Good luck, Josh, with getting your Dresden Files : " Dallas " game ready. See y’all soon, -Gene

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12
AUG/2012
"Vortex" Update 5c.6 and 7
Canyon chase and special deliveries

Fellow role-players, here are my notes for Sessions 5c.6 and 7 of my “Vortex” space opera campaign, which we played via Skype and an online dice roller on Sunday, 12 and 19 August 2012. We’re using_ Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment (FATE) 3rd Ed.: Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer and Bulldogs.

In one future , humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

>>FATE 3e " Vortex " Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters , crew of the Gryphon (as of summer 2012)

  • “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox
  • “Jasmine” [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox , now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” and with boyfriend Darcy
  • “Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus" [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • “Jax” [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • “Jim Delaney” [Robert A.S.]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi

http://www.blackaceproduction.com/media/blogs/photo/Valles%20Marineris.jpg

>>"4 to 10 March to 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:" After a shootout at the Red Butterfly Casino in Hellas Park, capital of the Mars Confederacy, the crew of the Gryphon regroups.

Hector Chavez examines a helmet taken from one of the Canids (“Uplifted” canines) and confirms that their gear was better than their tactics. The burned op gives the helmet to Jasmine and Darcy and wonders about who backed the failed robbery .

Jasmine is still annoyed with Jax for his comments about the low status of “Synths” (synthetic humanoids). Fortunately for the hotshot pilot, he is away preparing for an informal canyon race without his companions’ knowledge.

Tiger folk Jasmine and Darcy remind their companions of Garth (" Uplifted " gorilla) Olun Gor’s request for help finding fellow members of the Synth Liberation Front at the United Ecumenical Movement’s temples on the moon Phobos .

Since " nothing good can happen on Mars ," Chris McKee is eager to leave the red planet. The sniper spends time with Asdann Fre’vel, a Gustrall (antlered, orange-furred, raptor-like flightless avian alien) guard at the Hadriaca Paterna terraforming station. They talk about hunting, weapons, and the U.E.M.

Orion Starchaser brings Jim Delaney back to the ship, then goes to watch scientist Taka Shimuza release hardy animals from the terraforming facility into the wild. Dr. Srinu Pahul returns from picking up servant robots and looks into the medical supply needs of the U.E.M. temples as a possible way in.

A day at the races

At Valles Marineris, a network of ravines larger than Earth’s Grand Canyon, Jax meets fellow racers, including the following:

  • “Lenore” [Sara/Non-Player Character]-female Delphine (“Uplifted” dolphin) pilot with a custom hover sled decorated with a wave and tailfins
  • “Lt. Bruce Weyland” [Josh/N.P.C.]-male Terran human, naval officer with the Union of Solar Nations (formerly the United Earth Authority), driving a dune buggy with jet-assist jumping
  • “Kajor” [Geoff/N.P.C.]-male Ru’ulok (heavy gravity reptilian alien) pirate with a fake beard, riding a robotic pterodactyl
  • “Lt. Kobe Han” [Byron V.O./N.P.C.]-male human Terran sniper with an ultralight ornithopter resembling a bird of prey

A Gustrall [Beruk/N.P.C.] monitors cameras and obstacles and radios reports to spectators. Jax and Kajor take an early lead into the canyons, followed by Lenore, Lt. Han, and Lt. Weyland. Kobe flies to the rim of the rocky walls in an effort to catch an updraft or tailwind.

At “Shredder’s Corner,” Jax expertly squeezes his borrowed hoverbike around a narrow turn, while Lenore calmly traverses the course . Bruce, Kobe, and Kajor are forced to slow down in their larger vehicles.

The trail then forks, with the longer path leading across a dry river bed and a shortcut going onto a rocky plateau . Lenore picks the wadi but falls behind, allowing Lt. Weyland to catch up a little. Kajor pulls ahead on the riverbed, closely followed by Jax, as Lt. Han hits a crosswind.

Flashy Kobe and ruthless Kajor covertly shoot at boulders to hinder their competition, but the Gustrall excitedly observes that “Jax to the max is taking it all the way!”

The racers encounter an area obscured by a dust cloud, forcing them to rely on instinct. Lenore and Kajor maintain their lead, as Bruce slows down. Jax pulls behind Kobe.

At a network of caverns, Jax easily avoids stalactites and stalagmites to pull ahead. Lt. Weyland follows close behind. Kajor scrapes a wing but manages to right himself. Lt. Han makes a corkscrew maneuver and damages his thopter . Lenore doesn’t get lost, but her wide hover sled also gets battered.

A “land whale” belching lava lumbers between the racers and the cave’s exit. Jax guns his motor and rides over the alien transplant. The monster snaps one of Kobe’s wings, and his craft goes down and explodes.

Merciless Kajor shoots at the behemoth and squeaks by, as Bruce’s all-terrain vehicle gets trashed. Lenore almost makes it out unscathed, but the land whale clips her sled, which crashes just outside the cave. The soldiers hope to rescue their mates from the dragon-like creature.

Kajor manages to cross the finish line first, and Jax is the only other racer whose vehicle is mostly intact. The Gustrall, Lt. Max Tevis, and other spectators congratulate the Ru’ulok. Jax accompanies them to a bar near Fort Olympus Mons and later gives Jasmine a bottle of champagne that he got at the party as a peace offering.

Special deliveries

The next morning, Hector says that the team needs to have shared objectives beyond delivering its current cargo and getting off of Mars . He recommends getting a “letter of marque” to be able to both protect Terran interests and seek profit.

Orion hands out feathers from the Martian fauna and says he doesn’t know of any potential patrons. However, the blue alien was asked to contribute to a galactic encyclopedia .

Chris doesn’t think that a charter is needed, and Agent Prometheus says he knows a potential backer from dealings with the mining operation on Tyche . Srinu is most interested in the threat that the Zarkonian Armada poses to the Sol system.

Jasmine and Darcy say their top priority is to find three missing Synths on Phobos. Hector reminds his crewmates that they must soon deliver the terraforming machinery in their hold. The engineer also wants to make sure that enhancements to the Gryphon are done properly and quietly.

Jim, who is still shaken from the casino firefight, declines Hector’s offer to be the “face,” or front man. The gambler explains that he has learned that the recipient of their cargo is William Durstan, a local pit stop magnate. Jim then goes back to Hellas Park, avoiding associates in New Shanghai.

Jax prefers paying gigs over helping the Synths on Phobos, and is curious about Maria Chan, a potential mark building a space yacht in orbit. Orion says he would be content to continue sightseeing on Mars .

At Hector’s request, Dr. Pahul examines the feasibility of using the terraforming gear to accelerate the creation of Earthlike conditions in a Martian cave. The doctor states that the expensive equipment could be used in that way.

Rather than take the Gryphon to the drop site, Srinu and Hector rent an aerodyne from Uruk Services. Jasmine and Darcy go with them as muscle — laborers and guards. They all take along extra guns and grenades.

Chris goes ahead of the others and sets up a sniper’s nest, even though “wheelman” Jax doesn’t think it’s necessary. Jax lands the “Slipstream” a discreet distance away and keeps communications channels open. Orion wanders the Martian outback .

Two aerodynes eventually arrive, and several four-armed robots emerge. Space-suited Durstan asks to inspect the cargo of terraforming equipment. He then instructs the droids to bring forward cases of cred sticks and ship parts in return.

Hector warily eyes one robot holding a remote control, but it’s to a cargo lifter rather than explosives. Srinu talks with Durstan, asking what his commercial interest would be in terraforming, a process that should take generations. The businessman tacitly confirms that he plans to make a smaller area habitable.

Chris watches the transaction through his rifle scope, and Jax claims that his companions are being needlessly paranoid. Jasmine and Darcy transfer the cargo without incident. Durstan says that Green Gongen wants to avoid sabotage by the Rust Coalition, and Srinu is impressed by the depth of his technical knowledge.

Hector asks Durstan to contact him if he ever needs similar discreet deliveries in the future. The Martian signals to the human pilots of his aerodynes to prepare for takeoff, and the smugglers breathe sighs of relief.

Temple precincts

Back at the “Gryphon,” furred Jasmine explains that Olun Gor believes that three of his fellow revolutionaries are being held against their will in the U.E.M.‘s temples on Phobos (Mars’ other moon, Deimos, is at the top of a space elevator ):

  • Andrei Dyashenko, a male reptilian “Synth” and brother of Jasmine’s onetime crewmate Averki “Deep Dish” Dyashenko
  • Zara, a female Garth and girlfriend of Olun Gor
  • Meson, a male Tauroid (bioengineered bull)

Jax opens a bottle of alcohol, while Hector and Dr. Pahul talk about forging credentials. Jasmine and Darcy reluctantly agree to stay on the ship during the initial round of scouting. Jax then takes the “Slipstream” to Mars orbit, where the infiltrators see the landing and docking areas of the hollowed-out moon.

Orion, whose species is mostly unknown to humans, doesn’t bother with a disguise. Chris is not surprised to see that many of the locals are armed, but he is less sure about the varied tourists and robed clergy visiting the complex.

Srinu poses as “Dr. Prabhakar Swapan Mullur,” an Indian doctor from Oxford, and Hector is disguised as lab director “Nino Tancredo Bolivar.” They are greeted by Brother Valerius, a Christian monk.

Brother Valerius explains that the United Ecumenical Movement was formed in reaction to massacres in the Middle East back on Earth. U.E.M. chaplains serve alongside U.S.N. troops , and it is also involved in disaster relief, medical care, and archaeological research. “Dr. Mullur” is curious about that last item and requests library access.

Meanwhile, seekers Orion and Chris chat with a Zhang Hu, a Buddhist monk, and Itzik Yevel, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi. Orion talks about the nature of existence and gets a yarmulke, and Chris engages in theological debate with Cliff Conyers, a Mormon. They also admire holographic stained glass and shrines of multiple religions peacefully coexisting in close proximity.

Brother Valerius takes “Prabhakar” and “Nino” to a room with database terminals as well as rare hardcopy books and other historical relics. Srinu looks for evidence of contact between Earthlings and extraterrestrials centuries before recent official First Contact and finds references to the " Vanished Lands ."

Hector manages to hack into U.E.M. systems and obtains passcodes as well as the floor plan of a research level where the Synths are likely being held. Brother Valerius comes back to tell the researchers that they have an appointment with Sister Philippa to visit the biomedical laboratories tomorrow.

The crew of the Gryphon reconvenes to compare notes and get ready to find the missing Synths without fighting U.E.M. security or interplanetary pilgrims….

Please note that each of your Player Characters should now have a total of 27 skill ranks , and your ship has gained one skill slot and one stunt slot to reflect new equipment earned. Update your P.C. records on Obsidian Portal, and let me know about any changes.

Also, let me know if any of you won’t be available for games in the coming weekends. The face-to-face groups have been having difficulty getting quorum to launch the latest " Vanished Lands " fantasy party and Josh’s FATE 3e Dresden Files game . In the meantime, take it easy, -Gene

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AUG/2012
"Vortex" Telecom Update 5c.11
Regrouping at Jupiter

Fellow role-players, here is my belated update for Session 3.11 of the " Vortex : the Gryphon " telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 30 September 2012. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures/Mindjammer and Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future , humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

>>FATE 3e " Vortex " Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters , crew of the Gryphon , as of autumn 2012:

  • “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox
  • “Jasmine” [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox , now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” with boyfriend Darcy
  • “Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • “Jax” [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • “Jim Delaney” [Robert A.S./absent]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi

After the initial voyages of the Venture , the Blackbird , and the Appomattox , other would-be adventurers met at New Gdansk in Earth orbit. The Gryphon made its shakedown cruise to Mars, where its crew explored the outback, participated in dangerous races , and foiled a casino heist.

The pirates and explorers also got involved in conflict between the Synth Liberation Front (S.L.F.) and the United Ecumenical Movement (U.E.M.) and acquired ship parts. From there, the yacht headed to Jupiter ….

“24 to 31 March 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” Hector Chavez double-checks the enhancements taken from the Sea Cloud , Maria Chan’s vessel at the Utopia Planitia shipyards in Mars orbit.

Hector also pieces together a manifest of the cargo from the Vatican Museums that the Appomattox had smuggled away from Earth and left in deep space rather than deliver to the arachnid Nolath at Epsilon Eridani. The former spy’s list includes items known to be missing from the archives, as well as relics rumored to be lost to history but that his earlier scans of the shipping containers had found.

In addition to numerous priceless works of art, Hector’s draft manifest includes the diadem of Theodora, the lost tablets of Babylon, and Musashi’s scabbard. The burned op’s information network queries also list a portion of Priam’s hoard and something called a “televalutor.”

Amateur archaeologist Dr. Srinu Pahul wonders about the cargo’s intended destination, and sniper Chris McKee hopes that some items may be helpful against the approaching Zarkonian Armada.

Jasmine leaves sickbay and talks with Hector, who is also recuperating, about what she missed while under Dr. Pahul and Orion Starchaser’s care. The “Synth” is surprised to learn of Chris and Jax’s armed confrontation while they scrambled to determine who had fallen under the influence of the " Harbingers of the Righteous Order of Submission ."

Srinu and Orion confirm that the nanites (microsocopic robots) radiated psionic suggestions and were emitted by the Zurmiz Krott, biomechanical probes for the crustacean Zarkonians. The former members of the crews of the Blackbird and Appomattox who had encountered these probes — which had created cannibalistic mobs in Ghanki Station and Oasis Station — are no longer infected, says Dr. Pahul.

At Hector’s recommendation, Orion cheerfully accompanies Srinu in one of two escape pods as they study the nanites that were disabled by an electromagnetic pulse and retrieved from their comrades. Wary Hector reminds Dr. Pahul to avoid active scans because the Harbingers apparently absorb energy.

The escape pod floats near the Gryphon in orbit around Jupiter, and Orion telepathically senses Srinu’s potentially dangerous curiosity. The blue-furred alien also raises a telekinetic shield to help contain the nanites, which are centuries ahead of Terran technology.

Dr. Pahul eagerly presses on with his experiments , but Orion senses the probes reawakening. They note that heat hinders the nanites’ attempts to form a crystalline structure, escape, and reproduce. Signals from the robots are too weak to analyze.

The daring duo maneuvers the containment unit to the Gryphon’s maneuvering thrusters, where engineer Hector annihilates it with plasma from the ship’s microfusion generators. Hector and Srinu also hope to devise methods of detection and countermeasures.

Chris agrees to let Orion conduct a more invasive telepathic scan. The alien mystic finds a fractured psyche — his human friend has fragmentary memories of his childhood and military service in the Martian outback, his retraining as an assassin by Black Box Security Co., and later cybernetic modifications.

Fortunately, there are no signs of the Harbingers other than memories of close encounters, and Orion offers to try to help repair the damage to Chris’ memories when they have more time and solitude.

Meanwhile, Jax takes the Slipstream to the “Floating Cove.” The pilot is welcomed by fellow space pirates , and Jax is soon regaling bar patrons with tales of his exploits in the inner Sol system, including a recent encounter with the Satan’s Strumpet and U.S.N. frigates the Repulse and Cheetah . Capt. Will Kleparn of the Silver Sail expresses interest in helping to seize control of a certain pleasure yacht.

Jasmine and her boyfriend Darcy go to Elysium, the orbital habitat capital of the Jovian Commonwealth , to meet old friend Tabitha Hanahi. Tabitha, a lynx-like “Synth” (genetically modified humanoid), takes Jasmine, Darcy, Chris, and Orion to the “Barbed Ring,” where Jasmine once wrestled. They then go rimward to a cafe to talk.

Tabitha says that despite her misadventures in the Mars Confederacy , Jasmine shouldn’t give up on the S.L.F. Since the Union of Solar Nations (U.S.N.) has recognized more civil rights for artificial beings , their political struggles have abated, says Tabitha, even though indentured servitude remains a problem in the outer colonies .

Tabitha refers the tiger-woman to two Delphines (" Uplifted " cetaceans) on the moon of Europa named Shortwave and Quickfin, but Jasmine isn’t happy when she notices Tabitha flirting with Darcy.

Chris watches the Jovian human settlers and a few Ru’ulok (heavy-gravity reptilian alien) visitors in the cafe. Orion chats briefly with Sister Sudra Owens, a United Ecumenical Movement chaplain who asks many questions about extraterrestrials .

Back at the Gryphon , Hector monitors communications while Srinu prepares a report about the Zurmiz Krott. Dr. Pahul plans to personally deliver his results to Lt.Cmdr. Hiroshi Mbenge of the U.S.N. Navy and to Trinoid (trilateral amphibious alien) xenobiologist “Sarbonne,” who are in the Jovian system . He also arranges to deliver the same warning to Dr. Jen Mai at Black Box Security.

At the “Floating Cove,” Jax meets Bonnie Kawagura, a friend of his fan Cassandra. After several rounds of drinks, the hotshot pilot takes Bonnie back to the Gryphon aboard the Slipstream .

Jealous Jasmine makes sure to leave her scent on Darcy and broaches the topic of marriage. Orion pops his head into Jasmine and Jax’s cabins and asks what they are doing with their respective companions. His species apparently has three genders, as do the Trinoids.

Chris receives a message from Lt. Brock Ellis, a fellow soldier who worked for Black Box. Brock invites Agent Prometheus to meet him for drinks to catch up, and cautious Chris agrees on the condition that Orion come along.

Hector contacts his onetime handler Max(ine) to see if there’s any trace of his former crewmates from “MarSoupAiL” (shell company Mars Soup Aid Lenders Ltd.). Max refers him to Annamaria Balzana, a former rival near Jupiter who might know more.

Srinu asks Hector for help arranging meetings with Lt.Cmdr. Mbenge and Sarbonne, and Jasmine and Darcy plan to visit the Delphines on Europa. Hector reminds his crewmates as they leave the Gryphon to be careful and not to take on too many potential missions without consulting one another first….

Note that this teleconferencing game won’t be meeting again until Sunday, Oct. 14, because I’ll be at the Higgins Armory Museum for a dinner this coming weekend. Please try to stay in touch between our virtual “Vortex” sessions!

In the meantime, I’m glad that city/character creation are done for Josh’s “A New Beginning: Mystic Adventures in the ‘Big D’” modern supernatural scenario (using the FATE 3e Dresden Files RPG). In addition, I look forward to seeing some of you for the " Vanished Lands : Vistel’s Circus " (using the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game) next Monday, Oct. 8. Take it easy, -Gene

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OCT/2012
"Vortex" Telecom Update 5c.12
Release the kraken!

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.12 of the " Vortex: the Gryphon " telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 14 October 2012. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 3 (5c) telecom space opera Player Characters, crew of the Gryphon, as of autumn 2012:

  • “Jasmine” [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox, now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” with boyfriend Darcy
  • “Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • “Jax” [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • “Jim Delaney” [Robert A.S./absent]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi

“1 to 4 April 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” After the initial voyages of the Venture, the Blackbird, and the Appomattox, other would-be adventurers met at New Gdansk in Earth orbit. The Gryphon made its shakedown cruise to Mars, where its crew explored the outback, participated in dangerous races, and foiled a casino heist before heading to Jupiter.

The Gryphon docks at the orbital habitat of Elysium, capital of the Jovian Commonwealth. Hector Chavez stays aboard the luxury ship to continue his research into the items smuggled from the Vatican Museums.

The burned op also reviews the case files of murders possibly connected to the Zumiz Krott/Harbingers of the Righteous Order of Submission (biomechanical probes of the Zarkonian Armada). Hector considers contacting Annamaria Balzana, a onetime rival referred to him by handler Max.

Jasmine plans to go to Jupiter’s moon Europa to meet Shortwave and Quickfin, two Delphines (“Uplifted” cetaceans) in the Synth Liberation Front. The tiger woman also warns her boyfriend Darcy to avoid Tabitha Hanahi, a felinoid (lynx woman) friend of hers.

Chris McKee asks Orion Starchaser to come with him to see Lt. Brock Ellis, a former colleague at Black Box Security Co., at Tazer’s Tavern in Port Edillon. But first, Chris and Orion go with Jasmine to Europa.

Jax has a leisurely breakfast with Bonnie Kawagura in the Gryphon. He gives the woman, who is friends with his wealthy fan Cassandra, a tour of the yacht and its swimming pool. Bonnie eventually leaves, and the pilot ignores the awkwardness among his crewmates, pleased that his reputation will spread among the pirates at the “Floating Cove” on Ganymede.

Dr. Srinu Pahul compiles his findings on the nanite (microscopic robot) samples from the Zurmiz Krott, which can induce cannibalistic madness in Terrans. The disgraced doctor also sends a message to his parents on Earth warning them to evacuate before the Zarkonian Armada arrives.

Jasmine, Chris, and Orion go to Liberation Plaza in Port Reagan. Furred Jasmine is pleased to notice that fellow “Synths” (genetically engineered humanoids) are more common than in the inner Sol system. Jax cleans the Slipstream, his personal vessel.

Orion learns of a deep-sea dive beneath Europa’s 30-mile-thick icy crust and calls Srinu to see if he’s interested. He is, so they rent scuba gear, a sled, and harpoon and net pistols. Wary Chris notices that he and Jasmine are being watched by a maintenance robot and a woman in the plaza.

Meanwhile, back at Elysium, engineer Hector notices Tabitha in the docking tunnel. She asks to come aboard, and Hector gives Darcy some friendly advice about discretion and not angering Jasmine. The tiger “Synth” claims that he is ill and asks to meet Tabitha sometime later. She readily accepts, her tail twitching.

A Delphine in a cybernetic walker drops a note near Chris, and the sniper hustles Jasmine away from the watchful eyes of the robot and woman in the plaza. The S.L.F. members tell Jasmine to meet them at a clock tower at midnight.

Orion and Srinu take a turbolift down and enter Europa’s frigid waters. They see some life forms, although it isn’t clear whether they’re indigenous, of Terran origin, or recently introduced after First Contact with extrasolar species. The alien wanderer checks his plasma blade, and the doctor clutches his harpoon gun.

The two divers soon have other things to worry about when two sleds and a submarine close in on them! Orion senses another alien mind, and Srinu tries to parley. The Ru’ulok (heavy-gravity reptilian alien) pirates order them to surrender, and Orion grabs the sled’s controls and flees.

Dr. Pahul radios Hector. Jax fires up the Gryphon and picks up Jasmine and Chris at the colony of Port Reagan. Chris calls ahead and orders Srinu’s nurse bot MEGAN to fetch his Salvorain (amphibious alien) trident.

Orion uses a telekinetic shield to clothesline one of the pursuing Ru’ulok, and Srinu makes evasive maneuvers around chunks of ice. The enemy sub looms above, but mystic Orion convinces a nearby sea monster to block its torpedo tubes.

Gunner Chris blasts a path for the Gryphon with a particle beam. Hotshot Jax takes the ship plunging through Europa’s crust, as Hector monitors the sublight engines and the ablative armor. Jasmine and Darcy stagger to damage control.

The remaining Ru’ulok close in on Orion and Srinu. The Europan kraken devours one hapless diver, and Orion psionically removes a hose from another’s helmet. Srinu fires harpoons at the Ru’ulok and ducks behind the sled.

The kraken grabs Srinu’s leg with one of its many tentacles, but then the Gryphon arrives. Chris fires at the beast, injuring it, and shines a light as the kraken sinks into the depths.

Orion defies Murchem, the Encegulan (slug-like alien) captain of the Round Hole. Jax plays “chicken” with the enemy vessel, then flips to throw the Ru’ulok sleds into its path.

Wily Hector uses the Gryphon’s electronics warfare suite to partially disable the Round Hole’s propulsion. Brave Jasmine takes the turret while Chris suits up and goes to the airlock to retrieve Orion and Srinu.

Jasmine hits one sled, and Chris is thrown from the yacht as it evades the slaver ship. Orion grabs Srinu and Chris and swims upward. The blue-furred alien also telepathically blocks the Encegulan captain.

Jax swiftly brings the Gryphon around. Chris replaces Jasmine in the turret. The gunner taunts the Ru’ulok and targets their life support. Srinu wishes he could chemically freeze the area around the Round Hole, but he has no delivery system.

Hector hails the enemy vessel and orders it to surrender, but Murchem says he won’t allow himself to “be taken captive by primitives.” The Encegulan sets his ship to self-destruct, and Jax sprints for the surface, with Chris reblasting a path through Europa’s ice.

Hector and Srinu want to go back to get samples of the alien technology, but Chris notes that local authorities will soon arrive. He sends an image of the kraken to Asdann Fre’vel, a Gustrall (orange-furred, antlered, raptor-like alien) hunter friend back on Mars.

Jasmine and Darcy join Dr. Pahul’s robots MEGAN and PEPE in repairing the ship as it returns to Elysium. They still plan to meet with Delphines Shortwave and Quickfin at midnight. Chris and Orion have yet to meet Lt. Ellis, and they expect trouble from Black Box.

Hector and Dr. Pahul prepare their notes on the Zurmiz Krott and a report on the Encegulan incursion to deliver to Lt.Cmdr. Hiroshi Mbenge of the Union of Solar Nations Navy. They also reach out to Annamaria Balzana and doctors at Cassini University and Crimson Cloud Hospital (Dr. Pahul names the kraken after Jax).

In support of Jax’s plan to use the “Gryphon” to lure other pirates, Srinu recommends throwing a going-away party as the yacht leaves the Sol system. Hector isn’t sure that many of the crew’s contacts will be able to come to the frontier on short notice. Jax agrees to ask Bonnie if she can arrange to host the party….

_Please see my other posts regarding plot threads and Non-Player Characters, advancement, and scheduling. I look forward to seeing the crew of the Gryphon this coming Sunday. Note that we won’t be meeting on Oct. 28._

I also look forward to continuing in Josh’s " A New Beginning: Mystic Adventures in the ‘Big D’ " (using FATE 3e Dresden Files ) and my own " Vanished Lands : Vistel’s Circus " using the Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game ). Be seeing you, -Gene

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OCT/2012
"Vortex" Telecom Update 5c.13
Black Box bites back

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.13 of the " Vortex: the Gryphon " telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 21 October 2012. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 3 (5c) telecom space opera Player Characters, crew of the Gryphon, as of autumn 2012:

  • “Jasmine” [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox, now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” with boyfriend Darcy
  • “Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • “Jax” [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C./absent-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie

“5 to 7 April 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” The Gryphon has traveled from habitats orbiting Earth and the dangerous outback of Mars to Jupiter. After fighting pirates in Europa’s chilly oceans, the yacht’s intrepid crew prepares to meet other contacts.

Hector Chavez arranges a rendezvous with onetime rival Annamaria Balzana at Club Hedonism, a touristy nightclub in Elysium Station, capital of the Jovian Commonwealth.

Jasmine thanks pilot Jax for helping to rescue their crewmates from the Encegulan (slug-like alien) submarine. The tiger woman and Darcy plan to meet Shortwave and Quickfin, two Delphines (“Uplifted” cetaceans) in the Synth Liberation Front, at a clock tower at midnight.

Dr. Srinu Pahul asks engineer Hector to work on a gun that can emit both an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and stun. The scientist agrees to go with Hector to Club Hedonism and makes plans for a farewell party as the Gryphon leaves the Sol system.

Chris McKee asks Jasmine to accompany him to “Tazer’s Tavern” in Port Edillon. The sniper is wary of his reunion with Lt. Brock Ellis, a colleague among the secretive eugenicists at Black Box Security Co. Meanwhile, Orion Starchaser wanders off for more sightseeing.

At Elysium, Hector parties with other high-society types while Hector chats with the attractive Annamaria. She agrees to discreetly inquire into the whereabouts of Hector and Jasmine’s former cohorts aboard the “Appomattox,” which hid its cargo of smuggled Vatican artifacts in deep space.

“Agent Prometheus,” Jasmine, and Jax find armored Lt. Ellis at the soldier bar. As they exchange pleasantries, Jasmine notices people moving away from them. Chris realizes that he has been poisoned and draws his pistol on Brock, wounding him.

More of “Tazer’s Tavern’s” patrons draw guns, and furred Jasmine knocks over a table as a shield. One Black Box agent [Byron/Non-Player Character] circles around and shoots, but Jasmine dodges a few bullets.

Another “near-human” [Josh/N.P.C.] fires a needler but misses at first. A third [Beruk/N.P.C.] also misses with a net gun. Chris slumps to the floor, as Jasmine picks up the table and slams into Brock. The burly wrestler grabs Chris and heads for the door.

Jax emerges from the toilets and shoots at a chandelier, briefly pinning one of the goons. Jasmine gets hit by hollow needles containing an anesthetic and is slowed. One of the gunmen [Byron/N.P.C.] runs after her.

Another would-be kidnapper [Josh/N.P.C.] ignores Jax, who radios Hector and Chris for backup. They commandeer a ground-effect vehicle and race to “Tazer’s Tavern.” The Black Box agents close in on Jasmine and Chris, with Jax close behind.

Srinu weaves through the colony’s traffic and slides the speeder between the snipers and his companions. Hector shoots one gunman, and Chris regains consciousness in time to finish off the man with the needler.

Jasmine recommends avoiding the tavern, but Chris runs back to confront Brock. Unfortunately, he is gone. Hector uses his microcomputer to block local surveillance. He also finds that the Black Box agents carried police IDs.

Jax takes the wheel, and the crew of the Gryphon makes a swift retreat to the space dock, losing one of the gunmen [Beruk /N.P.C.] who had tried to cut them off on foot.

Back at the ship, Dr. Pahul and robot nurse MEGAN attend to Chris and Jasmine’s injuries. Jax recommends heading to the Asteroid Belt as soon as possible, noting that the group should be able to find other contacts there.

Hector puts the speeder in the cargo hold near Jasmine’s hoverbike for future tinkering. The former spy also tells Annamaria that he hopes to reconnect with her another time. Jax doesn’t mind leaving lady friend Bonnie Kawagura behind.

Disappointed Jasmine cancels her meeting with the Delphines but still hopes to find friendly fellow “Synths” (bioengineered humanoids) before leaving the Sol system. Mystic Orion returns from his rambles in time to head out.

No longer just a cold-blooded killer, Chris is angry with himself for allowing Black Box Security forces to get the drop on him, months after he fought Terra Prime on the Blackbird. Orion points out that he has probably also gotten the attention of higher-ranking people who might be more interested in talking.

The Gryphon leaves the Jovian system. Jasmine, Chris, and Jax rest, while Srinu cancels his party and finishes his report for the Union of Solar Nations on the Zarkonian threat. Hector checks his aliases and monitors scanners.

Darcy and PEPE, Srinu’s valet robot, continue to make repairs as the “Gryphon” heads to Ceres, the largest colony in the Asteroid Belt….

Please note that the “Vortex” telecom game won’t be meeting on Oct. 28 because I’ll be meeting former co-worker Ken G. for a Raiders of the Lost Ark screening in Cambridge, Mass. I expect to resume on Nov. 4 after attending the Rhode Island Comic Con.

In the meantime, I hope that Monday’s " Vanished Lands : Vistel’s Circus " fantasy session won’t be affected by Hurricane Sandy. Take it easy, -Gene

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OCT/2012
At Jovian Commonwealth
For the crew of the Gryphon

At Jupiter (after Session 5c.12, 14 October 2012/“1 to 3 April 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 T.G.E.”)

Fellow role-players, I hope that you enjoyed Session 12 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera. I thought we had some great scenes, from “Orion” wielding his plasma sword as “Srinu” steered their underwater sled around ice to evade Ru’ulok pursuit, to “Jax” and company taking the “Gryphon” into the Europan ocean, and “Chris” finally getting to use his Salvorain trident (Damage +6, Range 2) on a tentacled horror!

Please note that each of your Player Characters should now have the following:

  • Aspects: 7 — High Concept, Foibles, Starting Out, Sidetracked, Guest Star, Motivation, Adventuring
  • Skill points: 28 total, with a pyramid of one or two Great ( +4, apex), two or more at Good ( +3), three or more at Fair ( +2), and four or more at Average ( +1). Remember that you can also rearrange existing skills.
  • Refresh: 10 — I recommend no more than six stunts, which would leave 4 Fate points to use per session.

You should be able to find options in Starblazer Adventures, Mindjammer, and Bulldogs, as well as other FATE-based games, such as Legends of Anglerre or Dresden Files. Please update your records on the Obsidian Portal wiki and let me know about any questions or changes.

As I put together my notes from our game, here’s a list of some Non-Player Characters that you may find helpful.

  • Max(ine): female Terran human “fixer,” onetime handler of former spy and engineer Hector Chavez [Beruk A.]
  • Alejandro Merton: male Jovian human, held in Tarterus Prison for the serial murder of 12 people, possibly connected to the Harbingers of the Righteous Order of Submission (see also below)
  • Ribber: disembodied Jovian “Synth” (Artificial Intelligence) driven insane after surviving a mining accident on Io that left strangely mangled bodies; possibly also connected to the Zurmiz Krott
  • Annamaria Balzana: female L-5 human, special operative and onetime rival of Hector and Max now at Jupiter
  • Darcy: male Martian felinoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” or bioengineered humanoid tiger), boyfriend of former wrestler Jasmine [Sara F.] and crew member aboard the Gryphon
  • Sal: male Martian? former trainer of Jasmine
  • Olun Gor: male Martian Garth (“Uplifted” gorilla) in the Synth Liberation Front on Mars, asked Jasmine for help retrieving three comrades from the United Ecumenical Movement’s temples on Phobos, but Andrei Dyashenko, Meson, and Zara turned out to be held for atavism treatments
  • Tabitha Hanahi: female Jovian felinoid (lynx-like) Synth, associate of Jasmine met at the “Barbed Ring” in Elysium, the orbital capital of the Jovian Commonwealth ; flirted with Darcy
  • Shortwave and Quickfin: Jovian Delphines (“Uplifted” cetaceans) referred to Jasmine by Tabitha; left note for rendezvous at Liberation Plaza in Elysium arranging to meet at clock tower at midnight local time
  • Asdann Fre’vel: female Gustrall (antlered, orange-furred, raptor-like alien) guard at the Hadriaca Paterna terraforming plant on Mars, friend of sniper Chris McKee [Josh C.]
  • Lt. Brock Ellis: male Jovian human, former colleague of “Agent Prometheus” at Black Box Security Co.; Chris planning to meet at “Tazer’s Tavern” in Port Edillon
  • Unnamed maintenance robot: watched Jasmine and Chris at Liberation Plaza in Elysium during abortive meeting with Delphines
  • Unnamed human woman: watched Jasmine and “Agent Prometheus” at Liberation Plaza
  • Cassandra: female Terran human, wealthy (and unwanted) fan of pilot Jax [Robin H.]
  • Will Kleparn: male Saturnian human, infamous pirate and captain of the Silver Sail ; associate of Jax at the “Floating Cove” on the moon Ganymede
  • Bonnie Kawagura: female L-5 human, friend of Cassandra and Jax in the Jovian system
  • Fr. Dante Quinn: male Terran human, Orthodox Roman Catholic priest met by alien wanderer Orion Starchaser [Geoff C.] at U.E.M. temples on Phobos
  • Angirosa: male Jovian “near-human,” crew member and psi aboard the Satan’s Strumpet , communicated with Orion
  • Sister Sudra Owens: female Belter human, U.E.M. chaplain at the Jovian Commonwealth
  • Zurmiz Krott/Harbingers of the Righteous Order of Submission: biomechanical probes of the Zarkonian Armada, emit nanites and can induce cannibalistic madness in Terrans, as the crews of the Blackbird , Appomattox , and Gryphon learned; subject of study results collected by Dr. Srinu Pahul [Byron V.O.]
  • Jim Delaney [Robert A.S.]-male Terran “near-human” technomantic gambler; left on Mars
  • MEGAN (Medical Emergency and Group Assistance Synthetic Nurse)-sexy robot aide to Dr. Pahul in the Gryphon ’s sickbay/biolab
  • PEPE (Personal Executive Prototype, Version E)-non-sentient robotic butler of Dr. Pahul aboard the Gryphon
  • Lt.Cmdr. Hiroshi Mbenge: male Jovian human, Union of Solar Nations officer aboard the U.S.V. Larabie, to be contacted by Srinu and Chris
  • Sarbonne: Trinoid (trilateral amphibious alien) xenobiologist at Cassini University in Elysium near Jupiter, to be contacted by Dr. Pahul about the Zurmiz Krott research
  • Garvin Cho and Melissa Jones: Terran humans, doctors at the Crimson Cloud Hospital near Jupiter
  • Unnamed Ru’ulok (heavy-gravity reptilian alien) pirates: four killed after pursuing Orion and Srinu on sleds on Europa
  • Europan kraken: tentacled life form in the ocean of Jupiter’s moon
  • Murchem: Encegulan (slug-like alien) slaver, captain of the Round Hole; went down with the ship

Vehicles: The Gryphon, Slipstream, and

  • Sea Cloud : yacht of Maria Chan, whose maneuver (slower-than-light) drives were swapped with those of the Gryphon at the Utopia Planitia shipyards near Mars
  • Satan’s Strumpet: pirate ship of Capt. Vijay Bhaghwandra; driven off on approach to Jupiter
  • Repulse: light frigate of the Jovian Defense Force
  • U.S.V. Cheetah: Union of Solar Nations Navy frigate near Jupiter, affiliated with the “George S. Patton” battle group
  • Faithful Starlight: Terran slower-than-light (STL) generation colony ship with religious zealot passengers, headed in the direction of Zarkonian intrusions
  • Nova Aquarius: Terran STL colony ship headed toward Zarkonian space, crewed by megacorp employees after first interplanetary war
  • Firebrand: Terran STL ship headed toward Zarkonian armada, crewed by a mix of colonists, including scientists; Hector recommended going to this one first
  • underwater sled (and scuba gear) rented by “Srinu” and “Orion” from Port Reagan on Europa
  • The Round Hole: space vessel/submarine with Ru’ulok and Encegulan crew, disabled on Europa by the Gryphon
  • U.S.V. Larabie, Interplanetary Patrol corvette commanded by Capt. Boris Agnovis and based out of Port Edillon (see also Lt.Cmdr. Hiroshi Mbenge above)
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3
DEC/2012
Vortex Sessions 5c.14 to 17
Belters and breaking up

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Sessions 5c.14 to 17 of the “Vortex: the Gryphon” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sundays in November 2012. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

>>FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters, crew of the Gryphon, as of autumn 2012:

  • " Hector Chavez " [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox and Gryphon
  • " Jasmine " [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox, now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” with boyfriend Darcy
  • " Chris McKee / Agent Prometheus " [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • " Orion Starchaser " [Geoff C.]-male [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie
  • " Dr. Srinu Pahul " [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills
  • " Jax " [Robin H.]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream and Gryphon
  • " Jim Delaney " [Robert A.S./absent]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi

Belters and breaking up

“8 April to 8 May 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” After meeting at New Gdansk in Earth orbit and visiting the Mars Confederacy, the crew of the Gryphon got involved in intrigues around Mars before heading to the Jovian Commonwealth.

The yacht then traveled from Jupiter’s moons to New Kansas, Jax’s home colony in the Asteroid Belt. Hector Chavez, Jasmine, and Jax visit the pilot’s family, who turn out to be prosperous merchants. Jax’s real name is Eugene Plaf, and his parents are Beauford and Martha.

Jax is surprised to find wealthy groupie Cassandra with his parents. She apparently learned his whereabouts from friend Bonnie Kawagura in the Jovian system. Engineer Hector is more interested in acquiring enhancements for the ship.

Still paranoid after various encounters on Mars, sniper Chris McKee stays aboard the Gryphon with Dr. Srinu Pahul, Orion Starchaser, and Darcy. Orion telepathically senses a familiar presence nearby.

In space dock, another blue-furred alien named Vovéstomósanéhe asks to come aboard to help his student find enlightenment. Chris grants permission but calls the others back to the ship. Orion isn’t thrilled to see his exasperated mentor, and Jax is even less pleased to be around two extraterrestrial mystics.

Jasmine and Darcy catch up on rest, while Dr. Pahul tinkers with his robots MEGAN and PEPE. Hector and Chris contact trader Wilfred about military-grade gear. Orion and Vovéstomósanéhe go to train in the Gryphon swimming pool.

Jax hangs out at a dive bar with Cassandra and learns that the Black Pearl II, an infamous pirate ship, has been in a firefight nearby [apologies to Pirates of the Caribbean. Jax hopes to take control of a larger vessel and build his reputation as the “best damn space pilot in the galaxy.”

Srinu plans to deliver his report on the threat of Zarkonian probes to the Union of Solar Nations (U.S.N.). He later tells Hector and Chris that he has heard that the U.S.N. has had a falling out with Black Box Security Co. and that Sen. Francis Xavier Joseph is a Belter civilian friendly to the military and intelligence services.

Hector also learns from onetime rival Annamaria Balzana that the Musashi battle group is stationed in the Asteroid Belt and is commanded by Adm. Raul Xinshang. Jax’s associates may not want to deal with the navy, but others aboard the Gryphon may want to.

Sometime later, Hector, Chris, and Srinu meet with Beuford and Wilfred in New Kansas. Over glasses of vodka, they discuss trading favors for technology. Hector and Chris agree to find out about potential U.S.N. buyers in return for armored space suits [which can absorb up to 3 consequences each].

Dr. Pahul can’t afford the autodoc he wants, so he turns his attention to a replacement surgery theater that can be ejected in an escape pod. Srinu had used a previous version to examine the nanites (microscopic robots) emitted by the Zurmiz Krott/Harbingers of the Righteous Order of Submission.

Hector reminds Srinu of related investigations into mysterious murders near Jupiter and of Chris’ desire to catch up with slower-than-light generation ships headed in the direction of Zarkonian-controlled space.

Darcy tells Jasmine that he needs time to himself to explore and help the Synth Liberation Front. The “Uplifted” tiger is upset, but she lets her boyfriend leave. Orion takes a break from his martial arts practice to console Jasmine. He also recommends that she go after Darcy to make sure he knows what he’s doing.

Jax stays at the “Soggy Bottom” pub late until barkeep Leonard ejects him [apologies to O Brother, Where Art Thou?]. In an alley, Jax runs into a crewman he recognizes from the “Satan’s Strumpet” who tried to board the Gryphon back at Jupiter. The pirate draws a khukri, but Jax readies a rifle.

The spacemen are joined by three more toughs, who escort Jax to Capt. Vijay Bhaghwandra. After some pleasantries and posturing, the captain offers Jax a cargo to smuggle from the Asteroid Belt to Earth, since the Satan’s Strumpet is still being repaired. Jax agrees to a share of the profits.

Jasmine enlists the aid of her crewmates in searching for Darcy. The Synth gets a whiff of reptilian scent at a turbolift, possibly from Martian crocolisks or alien Ru’ulok. The group follows the trail to a crowded lounge, where they learn that wayward Darcy is about to board a transport leaving the Sol system!

Hector hacks into the station’s systems to delay departures from Dock 7, while Srinu claims a medical quarantine to apprehend Darcy. The humans also find a bug on him, so Hector hacks the computers of the Anaconda.

The former spy studies the ship’s passenger manifests and finds entries for Darcy and Kraythor, a notable Ru’ulok (heavy-gravity reptilian alien) among the “Takers.” Hector also plants a virus in the _Anaconda_’s systems.

Hitchhiker Orion happily studies the Terrans in the lounge as Jasmine tells Darcy that he’s free to go, just not with Ru’ulok pirates. Chris warns the Felinoid to beware of alien slavers such as the slug-like Encegulans. On the Slipstream, Jax recognizes the heavily armored and damaged Black Pearl II float by.

When the Gryphon ’s crew decides against attacking a large frigate, Jax makes a counteroffer of a “milk run” to Earth. The others agree on the condition of meeting Capt. Bhaghwandra themselves.

At the Satan’s Strumpet — reregistered as the “Mellow Cutter” — Jax, Hector, Chris, Jasmine, and Darcy learn of the sizable payment they’d receive for smuggling “Jovian kumquats” to Earth. Capt. Bhaghwandra says that they’re to deliver the cargo to Col. Pyotr Tsilovich, a rising star in Slavic League, at the Baikonur Spaceport. Hector later checks references with his former handler Max on Earth.

Jax makes preparations to take the cargo in a ship-to-ship transfer away from New Kansas. Hector learns from Annamaria that his former companions from the Appomattox have regained faster-than-light capability and are likely heading after the Vatican treasure hidden near Epsilon Eridani.

Jasmine keeps watch after Darcy leaves, while Jax tells his parents and Cassandra that he’ll return soon. When the Gryphon is hailed by Lt. Clark Faddil of the Interplanetary Patrol ship Pinkerton as it passes, Chris decides to disguise himself as a neohippie.

During the zero-G container transfer, Chris recognizes one of the men from the Satan’s Strumpet as Timothy Dugan, a former colleague at Black Box Security Co. The sniper isn’t happy to find Dugan trying to stow away on the Gryphon so that he can report back to Earth.

Hector talks Jax out of shooting Dugan, whom Chris hopes to rehabilitate as he was by the crew of the " Blackbird ." “Agent Prometheus” puts Dugan in the brig and asks Dr. Pahul and Orion to remove the conditioning left by the eugenicists at Black Box. Vovéstomósanéhe also agrees to help. Jasmine guards Dugan, as Srinu prepares to operate to remove his cybernetic implants.

Sometime after leaving the Satan’s Strumpet and New Kansas, Orion and Hector decide to investigate the cargo. Scans indicate that it’s denser and requires more power than mere refrigeration of Jovian kumquats.

The boxes contain heavily shielded spheres of alien technology with an external interface for Terrans. They are zero-point explosives, more powerful than thermonuclear bombs! Hector, Srinu, and Chris are horrified to be bringing weapons of mass destruction back to factionalized Earth.

The crew and passengers on the Gryphon notice a shift in its artificial gravity and inertial dampeners. Rather than take a Terran day to smuggle the goods, Jax has taken the ship out of the ecliptic plane and jumped through faster-than-light Transit, cutting the travel time to mere hours!

Surprised, Hector locks down the yacht’s controls and informs his companions that they’re in Earth orbit. He had hoped to study the zero-point devices and question Dugan further. Jax puts on a space suit and heads to the cargo bay, as do Chris, Orion, and Vovestomosanehe.

In the cargo bay, Jasmine asks Jax what he’s doing. The Belter pilot tells the onetime wrestler that he wants to make sure that delivery and payment occur without further interference. Chris arrives and shoots at Jax for a second time!

Tiger-woman Jasmine steps between her shipmates, while Orion helps deflect the blast. Hector takes the gun from Chris and asks him to stand down. Srinu goes to the empty bridge, sees the scuffle on internal monitors, and orders MEGAN to ready stunning strobe lights and anesthetizing gas.

Jax is furious to be shot at again by Chris, and burly Jasmine yells at everyone to stop fighting. Hector suggests that Jasmine be nominal captain. Jax heads to the hangar bay, while the others prevent Chris from following. Orion talks with Dugan but is initially unable to determine whether his allegiances have turned from Black Box.

Hector releases the launch controls, allowing Jax to leave in the " Slipstream ." Srinu asks Jasmine to take control of the _Gryphon_’s guns, since he doesn’t trust Chris (who is also worried about Dugan) not to fire. Dr. Pahul also scans the ships for loose nanites, since the Zurmiz Krott could induce insanity in Terrans, but he finds none.

Cmdr. Alfonso Balaz of the U.E.V. Steel Sanguinis hails the Gryphon and asks to come aboard because of reports of smuggling. Capt. Jasmine and company realize that Jax has told Interplanetary Patrol about their cargo and prisoner, but they reluctantly grant permission.

Chris, Orion, and Vovestomosanehe go to the pool/hydroponics garden. At Dr. Pahul’s instruction, MEGAN knocks out Dugan with an injection. Hector goes to the cargo bay to watch the officers’ inspection. Jax brings the Slipstream about, cornering the " Gryphon ."

Cmdr. Balaz and his assistants scan the cargo and unconscious Dugan. At Hector and Jasmine’s request, Srinu, Orion, and Vovestomosanehe lead the patrolmen to the _Gryphon_’s conference room and erase their short-term memories with a combination of drugs and psionics.

Jasmine escorts the groggy officers back to the Steel Sanguinis, and Chris goes to the turret. Hector undocks, and Dr. Pahul returns to the bridge. Orion uses his telepathy to distract Jax as Srinu takes the Gryphon on a blind Transit jump to the edge of the Sol system.

Although they have escaped Interplanetary Patrol scrutiny and various pirates, the explorers aboard the Gryphon still have a hot cargo and need to report to various authorities on Earth….

While “Jim Delaney,” “Jax,” and “Darcy” have left, there are still lots of adventures for the Gryphon in the “Vortex” universe. See my other posts regarding advancement (7 aspects, 30 skill points, and 10 refresh).

I look forward to seeing most of our group virtually tonight, as well as to continuing Josh’s “A New Beginning: Mystic Adventures in the ‘Big D’” and my face-to-face “Vanished Lands: Vistel’s Circus” games.

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9
DEC/2012
"Vortex" Telecom Update 5c.18
Bombs, bionics, and booty

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.18 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 9 December 2012. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures / Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges?

FATE 3e “Vortex” Team 3 (5c) telecom Player Characters, crew of the Gryphon, as of autumn 2012:

  • “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A.]-male Latin American Terran human, former spy and communications expert/engineer of the Appomattox and Gryphon/Pina Colada
  • “Capt. Jasmine” [Sara F.]-female Martian Felinoid (Synth, “Uplifted” tiger), former professional pit fighter and onetime crewmember of the Appomattox, now apart from the grifters in “MarSoupAiL” with boyfriend Darcy
  • “Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus” [Josh C.]-male Terran human cyborg, former sniper for the North American Aerospace Marine Corps. and eugenicists at Black Box Security Co.; onetime crewmember of the scout ship Blackbird
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C.]-male Pomuyan [blue humanoid alien] outcast, irrepressible mystic and adrenaline junkie; with mentor Vovestomosanehe
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O.]-male Indian Terran “near-human” (bioengineered) xenobiologist, shadowed by scandal and confident in survival skills; with robots MEGAN and PEPE
  • “Jax” [Robin H./absent]-male human from the Asteroid Belt, vain space pirate and pilot of the Slipstream
  • “Jim Delaney” [Robert A.S./absent]-male Terran “near-human” gambler and psi encountered on Mars

Bombs, bionics, and booty

“9 to 11 May 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” After a confrontation with pirates and the Interplanetary Patrol (I.P.) over a smuggled cargo of zero-point munitions, the crew of the Gryphon retreats to the outer Sol system to consider its next moves.

Capt. Jasmine parks the ship in the Oort Cloud. The feline “Synth” also recommends changing the vessel’s name in the hope of evading former pilot Jax on the Slipstream, pirates from the Satan’s Strumpet, and the I.P. ship Steel Sanguinis.

Hector Chavez empties an account used by Jax and other traders and donates money to the “Belter Gentrification League.” Chris McKee wants to continue interrogating Timothy Dugan, a former colleague at Black Box Security Co. caught trying to stow away.

Orion Starchaser tells his mentor, fellow Pomuyan Vovestomosanehe, about his plans to visit Earth to find out why the Cheyenne tribe of Native Americans uses their language, Namid. Orion’s teacher announces his intention to leave to find out more about humanity.

Dr. Srinu Pahul reminds his companions of stolen treasure from the Vatican Museums, but Hector notes that they have a more immediate concern — the alien explosives. The former spy scans the three containers obtained from the Satan’s Strumpet and finds 60 spheres with zero-point devices.

The wanderers try to discreetly find trustworthy recipients for the weapons of mass destruction that they were smuggling to Earth. They agree to hide a few for themselves. Hector contacts onetime handler Max(ine) and asks her to meet him at a neutral location in space.

Chris sends a message to “Lt.Cmdr. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K.], a former crewmate on the Blackbird and commander of a Union of Solar Nations (U.S.N.) task force responsible for long-range homeworld security.

Jasmine rechristens the Gryphon as the “Pina Colada,” and Hector changes the yacht’s transponder codes and registry. They hope to eventually install an Olvar (arboreal, mammal-like alien) database into the ship’s computer.

At Chris’ request, Dr. Pahul instructs robot nurse MEGAN to awaken Dugan. Chris and Orion repeat their offer to free the would-be assassin from his Black Box cyberware and mental conditioning. Dugan asks “Agent Prometheus” and Srinu why they have turned from the belief in humanity’s destiny to perfect itself and spread out among the stars.

The sniper and doctor reply that they still hope for Terrans to reach their potential, but not at the cost of billions of supposedly “unworthy” lives. Orion notes that there are many wonders yet to behold and that inner peace is at least as important as striving for a more highly evolved state.

Dugan reluctantly consents to go under the knife, and Srinu and MEGAN begin preparing an escape pod to serve as a surgical theater. Orion agrees to go along to psychically operate, while Capt. Jasmine and engineer Hector monitor from the “Pina Colada’s” bridge.

Dr. Pahul and MEGAN remove Dugan’s cranial implants, including a transmitter and a small explosive that Agent Prometheus warns them about. Shortly thereafter, Orion uses telepathy to enter Timothy’s mind. Hector and Srinu monitor this instance of psionic contact.

Orion finds himself in a shadowy landscape, blocked by a dark figure [Josh/Non-Player Character] representing Dugan’s Black Box training. The blue-furred alien is then surrounded by numerous Men In Black [Byron/N.P.C.], avatars of Chris and Dugan’s brothers in arms.

Dueling explosions in the dreamscape give way to a kindly woman whom Orion believes might be Timothy’s mother [Sara/N.P.C.]. He and the dark figure sit on either side of the woman, who grants access to what looks like a control room.

Orion uses the virtual monitors to piece together fragmented memories. The mystic isn’t able to completely heal Timothy’s scarred psyche in the time alotted in the capsule, but Orion reassures Chris and Srinu that he should be on the road to independence from Black Box.

Jasmine retrieves the medical pod, and MEGAN escorts Dugan to a secure cabin. Chris recommends going to Epsilon Eridani to retrieve the Vatican relics as soon as possible. Hector reviews the ship’s engines and internal security, while Orion rests and trains with Vovestomosanehe in the swimming pool.

Srinu learns of Dr. Martha Liao, a xenobiologist on Earth who would likely be interested in the data on the Zurmiz Krott (Zarkonian biomechanical probes). The closet ship of the Union of Solar Nations is the Kestrel, commanded by Lt. Hardin.

Capt. Jasmine puts on a new uniform, sends her boyfriend Darcy a warning to look out for Jax and slavers in the Asteroid Belt, and sets a course back to the inner system….

Please remember that we’ll be skipping the next two Sundays because of the holidays, but I expect the “Vortex” virtual sessions to resume on Dec. 30. Also, note that Bruce may make a cameo, Dexter has expressed interest in rejoining the telecom group, and Byron hopes to visit the Boston area in January!

In the meantime, I look forward to seeing some of you for The Hobbit [Part 1 of 3]: An Unexpected Journey and upcoming “Vanished Lands” and “Mystic Adventures in the ‘Big D’” games. May all your holidays be happy, -Gene

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13
DEC/2012