On Mertactor, in the southern rain forest terrain surrounding the settlement of Tambuur (location B on the world map), there is a curious, and valuable plant known as the Shaow. The leaves and buds of the Shaow make a very agreeable, and slightly narcotic, tea that is widely sought after by aficionados throughout the Spinward Marches.
The local environment, however, is quite delicate and fragile, and any attempts to employ mechanical means, or even to build permanent settlements, have resulted in upsetting the environment - and hurting the intrinsic value of the natural Shaow growth. Because of that, for several weeks in the autumn, temporary laborers from the farms in and around Tambuur will come and erect temporary tent villages where they live and use as a base to harvest the very valuable Shaow plant.
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| Image by Arman Akopian - http://i-guyjin-i.deviantart.com/ |
A large male Aslan (Heowimosho), from the local community at Tambuur, has become quite disturbed, and moved into the main drinking hall of the tea house. He sits there, day and knight, maintaining a steady drunken state, but also keeping (mostly) a vigil on the hall. He will allow no other patrons to come in, and only allows the tea house staff to serve him - which they do out of fear. He has forcefully, and effectively, ejected all who enter, and seems to be well able to do so. Something is obviously upsetting him, and the local rangers from Tambuur don't want to use force, for fear of upsetting the Aslan community. Something must be done, as the workers at tent village Gamma-7 are threatening to leave, and the local Shaow crop will be lost this year.
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| Heowimosho - while on his spiritual quest |
The local rangers will ask the players, if they get involved, to not use violence against the Aslan, unless it is absolutely necessary. They have figured out that there is something wrong, and that it can be worked out.
The Aslan, if he can be approached (Persuade 8+, or Carouse 10+), will describe the fact that two generations back, his clan had built a small shrine in the jungle, and before he is ready to move off world it is his duty to pay homage to his grandsire's memory. But, the rest of his clan has already left, and without the assistance of a female, he is not able to locate the small family shrine. He has a general idea ("it is in a ravine, at the base of the hill that looks like a Merowagonii in the sunset"), but needs assistance. While on this sort of spiritual quest, he has forgone modern equipment, and is armed only with ancestral blade weapons, and of course, his own dew claws.
Travel through the rain forest will require several days of looking either on foot, horseback, or ATV. Test twice a day against either survival or navigation, and a total of 10 effect means that the shrine has been found. If using an air/raft, three tests per day can be made, rather than twice. However, while out searching, test every 6 hours (Mertactor has a day cycle of approx. 24 hours) for an animal encounter (below), 7+ means an encounter.
Torrential rains come daily, sometimes more than once per day. After the first day in the field, most electronic communications equipment will not work. Test (comms 10+; electronics 8+) to see if the equipment can be made to work, but unless kept in a waterproof container or inside a sealed vehicle, it will require a test again the next day.
Once the shrine is found, and the Aslan is allowed to spend time venerating the memory of his grandsire on this world, he is willing to leave with the players, and be transported off world.
| Mertactor - Southern Rain Forest | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2d6 | type | weight | str | dex | end | inst | num app |
| 2 | scavenger (carrion-eater) | 1 kg | 1 (-2) | 7 (0) | 1 (-2) | 10 (1) | 3d6 |
| Veronica vulture avian (Flyer) | body slam (hooves) and serrated beak (teeth) 3d6 | feathers (-1) | A11/F7 | ||||
| 3 | omnivore (gatherer) | 200 kg | 8 (0) | 18 (4) | 14 (2) | 4 (-1) | 2d6 |
| Titanopede flying arthropod (Flyer) | headbutt (horns) and teeth 3d6 | chitin (-1) | A9/F7 | ||||
| 4 | scavenger (reducer) | 1 kg | 1 (-2) | 3 (-1) | 1 (-2) | 8 (0) | 3d6 |
| Harpies (Veronica chicks) avian (Flyer) | stomp (hooves) and serrated beak (teeth) 3d6 | feathers (-1) | A10/F7 | ||||
| 5 | omnivore (hunter) | 1 kg | 1 (-2) | 6 (0) | 1 (-2) | 5 (-1) | 1d6 |
| Warbeak avian (Flyer) | beak (horns) and serrated beak (teeth) 3d6 | feathers (-2) | A6*/F5 (note 1) | ||||
| 6 | herbivore (intermittent) | 50 kg | 3 (-1) | 16 (3) | 23 (5) | 3 (-1) | 5d6 |
| Ramboes mammal (Walker) | antlers (horns) 1d6 | fur (-2) | A10/F4 | ||||
| 7 | herbivore (intermittent) | 50 kg | 4 (-1) | 20 (4) | 15 (3) | 6 (0) | 4d6 |
| Tree Cassowary flightless avian (Walker) | beak (horns) 1d6 | feathers (-1) | A10/F4 | ||||
| 8 | herbivore (filter) | 100 kg | 9 (1) | 19 (4) | 19 (4) | 2 (-2) | 1d6 |
| Forest Roc avian (Flyer) | claws 1d6 | no armor | A10/F5 | ||||
| 9 | carnivore (pouncer) | 12 kg | 2 (-2) | 9 (1) | 1 (-2) | 10 (1) | 2d6 |
| Wendigo mammal (Walker) | hooves 3d6 | hide (-1) | AS*/FS* (note 2) | ||||
| 10 | Event | ||||||
| GM discretion | |||||||
| 11 | carnivore (pouncer) | 12 kg | 1 (-2) | 15 (3) | 5 (-1) | 12 (2) | 2d6 |
| Tree Kappa mammal (Walker) | constriction (thrasher) 3d6 | no armor | AS*/FS* (note 2) | ||||
| 12 | carnivore (trapper) | 12 kg | 1 (-2) | 7 (0) | 4 (-1) | 4 (-1) | 4d6 |
| Giant Wasp flying arthropod (Flyer) | stinger 3d6 | no armor | AS*/F5 (note 3) | ||||
- Attack will be 10+ if smaller than prey.
- Will attack if gains surprise, else will flee.
- Will attack if gains surprise.
- Quicksand - Vehicle or half party members on foot get mired in sinking sand
- Insect Swarm - Millions of tiny, tiny insects clog the intake on vehicles, and firearm receivers
- Poisonous Plants - All make a test, 9+ means horrible itching (temp -2 to all physical stats)
- River - 200m wide river must be crossed, moving swiftly
- Lost - Lose the next time period to regain location
- Earthquake - Causes general animal stampede
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| The Forest Shrine - by Ricardo Lima http://ricardotlima.deviantart.com/ |
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