Fellow role-players, here again is what your “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” Player Characters know, as of Session 5c.26 (2 March 2013/“17 July 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 T.G.E.”):

In late September 2194 A.D./C.E. or 0 Terran Galactic Era — the year of open and official First Contact between humanity and extrasolar societies — Lisbon-based fixer “Ramon Sanchez” [Josh H./Non-Player Character] contacted “MarSoupAiL” (shell company Mars Soup Aid Lenders Ltd.) about a potential mission. “Richmond Garrett” [Dave S.C.] accepted, although others would later question his decision.

The grifters aboard the Appomattox made discreet inquiries about the items taken from the Vatican Museums and acquired a faster-than-light Transit drive. After other misadventures, they picked up two shipping containers of well-packed Terran historical artifacts. Meanwhile, the scout ship Blackbird was fighting xenophobes and beginning its exploratory missions beyond the Sol system.

In October 2194, “MarSoupAiL” became involved in a plot involving religious factions, smuggling, blackmail, and murder at Saturn’s moon Titan. Although other people were eventually arrested, the travelers suspected Kolidari, the Octopoid (“Uplifted” cephalopod) owner of the Lucky Garden Casino on Eclipse Station, of being an assassin. Archbishop Javier Fuentes of the United Ecumenical Movement (U.E.M.) helped close the case.

In November 2194, robot “ARTHERR” [Greg D.C.] scanned the cargo, and “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A.] kept a separate manifest. As the “Heaven’s Gate,” the Appomattox went to Epsilon Eridani to deliver the relics. It encountered the wrecked Olvar (mammal-like alien) trade ship the Razorfeather before meeting the Nolath (arachnid alien) ship Kazador.

“MarSoupAiL” backed out of its deal to turn over the smuggled cargo, claiming mistaken identity. The Appomattox returned to Earth, where it learned that Ms. Helen Gastmeyer had been asking about the ancient items. After some debate, the smugglers left the containers in deep space to be retrieved later. ARTHERR learned from Dr. Vlad Perkovic that some of the items in the Vatican Museums had been replaced by forgeries.

In May 2195 or 1 T.G.E., the yacht Gryphon was renamed the Pina Colada and joined the Blackbird to form the “Terra’s Pride” task force. The Zarkonian Armada was believed to be less than a year away from the Sol system. After refits and crew reassignments, Hector and “Capt. Jasmine” [Sara F.] learned that other parties were again interested in the Vatican treasure and took their ships toward Epsilon Eridani.

In July 2195, “Terra’s Pride” found the Intersystems Salvage ship Plutonium Hammer loading the containers, as well as a Nolath-Kutalrin vessel intent on reclaiming the same cargo. “Lt. Sebastian Growlick” [Bruce K.] and the Blackbird escorted the Plutonium Hammer back to the Jovian Commonwealth, while Jasmine and the Pina Colada were able to outmaneuver the cybernetic systems on the Nolath-Kutalrin ship.

“Terra’s Pride” then conducted a daring heist from an Intersystems Salvage warehouse on Ganymede, even as it learned of Kolidari’s involvement in the retrieval. While local authorities, the Nolath-Kutalrin hunters, Kolidari and others searched for the Pina Colada and Blackbird, the crews carefully examined the Vatican artifacts….

Here again are the items you’ve looked at (the cargo has the collective aspects of “hunted, contained, analyzed, and recorded”):

Artistic and historical (most to be given to the Union of Solar Nations):

• Books and tablets from the lost library of Alexandria
• Doubloons, Spanish — some claimed by Hector Chavez
• Lost scrolls of Babylon, indicating trade with the “Vanished Lands”
• Paintings, sculpture, icons and other art
• Priam’s hoard, gold from Troy, once held by the Nazis — portion kept by “Terra’s Pride”

Ancient technology (some given to the United Ecumenical Movement and the U.S.N.):

• Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci
• Star maps, South Pacific branches, 5,000 years old (period of previous Zarkonian incursion)
• “Televalutor,” an ancient Greek astrolabe — Capt. Jasmine

Mythic objects (many have the aspects “believed to be legends,” “psychically resonant/emit TM waves,” “masterwork,” and “grant stunts”; some given to the United Ecumenical Movement):

• Bow of Indra, emits charged arrows — claimed by Tariq Asrad Saladin
• Chain coif of Egg Shen, psionic inhibitor of rare alloy, +2 Resolve — claimed by Lt.Cmdr. Kevin Reese
• Charter for the Second Imperial Encyclopedia Galactica, fragment of a successor (?) to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — Orion Starchaser?
• Crown, Aztec (replica, believed substituted by “MarSoupAiL”)
• Crystals, psionic amplifiers, similar to Cheyenne stones (+3 to range, effect) — held by Enkidu Aristheon
• Dagger, ancient Chinese (replica) — claimed by Lt. Nate Jessup
• Diadem of Theodora, grants aura reading ability — given to Sister Philippa on Phobos
• Gem of Focus, biomechanical/telepathic, grants +2 aiming bonus without delay — Chris McKee
• Horn of Roland , from Charlemagne’s martyred knight
• Mask of the Rakshasa, demon-faced, tried to cling to Jasmine’s face — cursed?
• Musashi Scabbard, grants +4 to Weapons? — Tela creating katana for Lord Wallace Tubbington III
• Plasma sword hilt, damaged — Hector repairing for Orion Starchaser
• Ring of Andaleb, grants +4 protection against Zurmiz Krott insanity and nanites — claimed by Dr. Srinu Pahul
• Sash of Giganta, grants +4 Might, plus potential side effects — claimed by Lt. Sebastian Growlick

Let me know if any of you have questions or suggestions. Remember, “Terra’s Pride” still needs to decide what to do with the Vatican treasure as a whole, so try not to get bogged down too much by individual items.