Orion Ruse

ORION RUSE ————_TABLE OF CONTENTS______. Introduction 3 The Hike 19 Plot Synopsis 3 Animal Encounters Heaters Te Contents Of This Book a Encounter Descriotions |: 13 Player Briefings 4 Ambush rl fufsaia e ru 20s Merchant Crew's Briefing 4 Distant View : rh 20 Merchant Captain's Briefing 4 Tricorder Scan OF Skaroskar 20 Star Fleet Officers’ Briefing 4 Brooking And Entering... emiga c/a The Adventure 5 ‘Within The Hidden Base 20 ‘Approaching Daros IV 5 Escape From The Mountain... 2 The Landing 5 ‘The Pursuit 2 The Port Official 6 Cast OF Characters Sete fac ree a The Offer 5 ‘The Kerav Family 22 ‘The Control Center 5 The Keros Family ooo. 28 First Contact With Keros 8 Crew Of The Werewoit 28 Daroskolar From Tho Air 8 The Klingons. . Capaiea ‘An Evening’s Entertainment 7 i 3 Star Fleet Intelligence Operatives 33 ‘Taking Care Of Business 10 Maps iia geet tate ine ae Inspecting The llusion . . - * 10 ‘Skarosker |. - 35 Visual Examination 10 ‘Quarters Level (Level 1) ° tied 38 Computer Search. . - i 10 ‘Support Level (Level 2) ence 8 Sensor Scan : 10 ‘Command Level (Level 3) 38 Tricorder Sean |: ee ag Detention Level (Level 4) fees 36 Unweleome Visitors 10 Vessels 33 ‘The High Market ray ee Werewolf Small Commercial Transport... +... 39 Trading... un ‘Morakos (Shadowkiller) Orion Privateer 39 Shop Talk... 1 Background Information See retical Raised Eyebrows In Keravkar rae Daros IV, General Data E 40 The Shadow Market 13 Daros IV, Physical Data. 1) 40 ‘Shadow Market Encounters mene tS Daros IV, Socio-Political Date 40 Encounter Doscriptions 18 Daros IV, Planetary Economy 42 ‘Smuggling Made Simple eens id Dares IV, The High Market 7 42 Encounter Daseriptions 14 Daros IV, The Shadow Market... 11... a3 Searching For vra. . facets 18 Daros IV, The Five Families... 1... aa A Place For Business Sie cie The Althori Family. - 2 ae Ivra's Hiding Place... 222 8 The Beldav Family 48 AA Klingon In Flight teemeseres 1B The Kerav Family, a4 Round One Saving Rolle rhe The Keros Family DIT a Round Two Saving Rolls... 2.1.18 The Simzi Family aa Subduing The Fugitive... 1011...) 16 Daros IV, Client Worlds ere Aklingon Captive... 16 Daros IV; Planetary Ecology 45 Interrogating Kolor Seman v7 ‘Gamemaster's Notes ee Kolor’s Computer. PET Federation Attitude Toward Daros IV 48 Customs Inspection ‘ at a7 The Rivals Staegemia ts uae 48 Back At The Bargaining Table. 7 The Klingon Plot 46 A Shot In The Dark 7 Hints On Play set 46 The Confrontation «22.2... 2218 The Eridani Star weneenr’s Gelobration Banquet 18 Player Charator Equipment pie The Slave Girl 7 18 Translations.» - : 46 Boarded! igs ee 19 Judging Bargaining With Keros |... a7 House On A Hil 13 ‘Making Keros Suspicious D8 Approaching Skaroskar By Air vee 18 ‘Adapting For Ongoing Campaigns 48‘THE ORION RUSE Design And Writing Patrick Larkin siting Wm. John Wheeler Production Interior Mustration 'N. Norman Miller Graphics And Layout ‘Dana Knutson Jordan Weisman Typesetting Karen Vander Mey Published by FASA Corporation P.O. Box 6930 Chicago, IL 60680, (312) 243-5660 [STAR TREK: Toe Rote Paying Game I published by ASA Corporation under excise license fam Parsmount Pues Corporation the Wacerak owner———uqucintTROdUCTION—_ In this edventure, two of the campaign variants of STAR ‘TREK: The Role Playing Game are brought together, involv- ing both Star Fleet officers and independent merchants a3 player characters. Each group has come to the Orion-col- ‘onized world of Daros IV on an important mission, but Whereas the merchant characters see Datos as a world of golden opportunity, the Star Flost characters heve @ much lower opinion of the planet and its inhabitants. Much of the ‘entertainment and excitoment in this scenario should come as the two sots of characters, with diffe 1g skills and very different goals, attempt to complete their missions without ‘causing each other complete disaster. The gamomaster will need 2 copy of FASA’s merchant supplement, Trader Cap- tains And Merchant Princes, in order to run the adventure successfully. ‘The Orion Ruse is intended for 2 group of two to ten players. One must play the role of the ship's Captain, while ‘another acts as the leader of the Federation boarding party. ‘The Star Fleet characters may be drawn from any service branch, but the team leader should be at least a Lieutenant ‘Commander. In the interests of playability, characters should ’bo divided as evenly as possible batwoon the merchant crow (of the Eridani Star and the Federation naval team. Gitano kan sits ‘The Captain of TransSolar's Eridani Starwas not a happy ‘man. By all rights, he ought to have been satisfied, confident, ‘and even smug. Fow men his age were given command of any starship, and fewer still found themselves in charge of 12 far trader lke the Evidani. I that was not enough, he'd just received permission to open trade talks with the Orion-sottled ‘world of Daros IV. Dares IV was the commercial center for 1an entire sector, and successful negotiations could gain a valuable new route for TransSolar and a large bonus for the Captein and crew of the Eridani Stor. “Unfortunately, thought the Captain, ‘there is a fly in the ointment ~ several fies, infact, and they all wear Star Fleet Uniforms. Eridaniwas only four days from the Daros eystem when she was overhauled by a Star Fleet warship and boarded. It seems that a Federation merchant ship had dis- appeared near the Daros system, and someone in Intell ‘gence was convinced that the Orions were up to their old, Piratical tricks. After learning thatthe Eridani Starwas bound for Daros, that samo Star Floeteluttorhoad decided sho would make an excellent spy ship. As 9 result, the Eridan’ now carries a team of Federation naval personnel as part of her ‘The Captain sighed. ‘If the Orions find out about this. ‘TraneSolar ean kies its now trado route good-bye, and you ‘can bet thet Federation compensation won't come anywhere near replacing the lost profits.” So begins The Orion Ruse, which occurs amid the fierce and often deadly ce ~netition for trade on Daros IV. Star Fleet Is worried both ay rumors of strange activities on the planet and by the mysterious disappearance of the intell- ‘gence agent sent to investigate those rumors. The merchant crew of the Eridani Star, on the other hand, have come to Daros in an attempt to break the Orion trade monopoly by signing a long-term trade agreement with one of the ruling Five Families "The members of the covert Star Fleet reconnaissance team will quickly find themselves entangled in @ web of con- spiracies ~ some directed against them, others against the Federation itself, and all orchestrated by @ Klingon-Orion alliance on Daros IV In contrast, the crow of the Eridani Star will find that they aro locked in cutthroat competition with & shipload of REAL cutthroats: the Captain and crew of the Werewolt ‘The plans of both the Star Fleet characters and the mer- chents will be complicated by each other's actions. If the Klingon spies on Daros IV spot the Star Fleet team, thole counterattack will strike the crew of the Erideni as well, and 4 blunderingly obvious Star Fleet investigation could derail ‘any trade contract talks undortakon by the merchant charac ters. By the same token, the vicious plots of Captain Kane and his erow against the Eridani almost certainly wil affect the Star Fleet officers. Essentially, neither player group can allow the other to fail, but, at the same time, neither can allow the other to ‘endanger its objective, Their efforts to walk that complicated tightrope should provide both excitement and suspense as they try to survive The Orion Ruse. een trek ieee trad ‘This booklet is divided into sections describing the vari- ‘ous encounters, places, and non-player characters that aro important in the adventure. These descriptions are organized to form a logical chain of events as the players unravel ti mystery on Daros IV. Because players begin the scenario divided inta two distinct groups with differing interests, the sections of the booklet are [Link] encounter, ‘area, oF NPC of intarast to Star Fleet will usually be followed by ono of greater interest to the craw of the Eridani Star.———_ PLAYER BRIEFINGS___ ‘This section should be given only to the players indi cated. The players must decide how much, if anything, they will toll the other players. - ieee tania e ine) rea neat tinted You have been given a letter of introduction to Imri eros, the youngest of the Council Lords of Daros. Keros is. thought to be eager for closer ties with Federation merchants, His Family's trade holdings have been steadily usurped by competitors over the last ten years, and itis clear that he ‘must soon find a way to reverse that trend. Atrade agreement with Keros will yiold valuable cargos and port facilities to TransSolar, while the Keros Family grows rich on commis- sions from the resale of Federation trade goods. ‘Asa sample of the products that TransSolar can provi the Eridani Star carrie a cargo-hold full of computers, elec: ‘tronics gear, and other high-technology equipment. This ‘cargo has a base value of 2200 credits per SCU, but it soems likely that it will fetch a higher price on Deros iV, especially ‘since most of the client worlds surrounding Daros will buy {as much high-tech gear as they ean lay their hands, paws, claws, or tentacles on. TransSolar has instructed you to negotiate a’reasonable’ ‘rade agreement with at least one of the Five Families. The agreement must include froe access to starpor facilities and repair shops, and a commitment from the Orions to buy at least 6,000 SCU of TransSolar cargos per year at 125% of normal value. ifsuchan agreementis reached, each crewman will receive an immediate cash bonus of 2000 to 6000 credits, with an added bonus of 1% of all net profits from the first year of a TransSolar-Daros trade run. That bonus will be distributed on a shares basis. with the Captain receiving 6 shares, the Engineer and Cargomaster getting 4 shares each, and every ordinary crewman qualifying for 1 share. The net profits from 2 TransSolar-Daros run have been estimated at 10 to 20 million CR during the first year of operations. MERCHANT CAPTAIN'S BRIEFING TransSolar has authorized you to purchase a return-trip cargo with the money made solling its sample cargo of high: tech equipment. The crew will receive an added 20% of what- ever profits are made from the resalo of that cargo. In addi tion, you have been given a contingency fund of 20,000 CR {to help meet extra expenses; you will get 20 percent of the unspent money in that fund, Several months ago, Star Fleet Intelligence picked up rumors that something strange was happening on Daros IV. Unidentified ships were sighted near the planet, and several independent traders claimed to have seen Klingons on Daros IV itself. Although these rumors were vague, they caused ‘great concorn atthe local Star Fleet Headquarters. The Orions ‘on Daros IV exert great influence over many of the worlds in this region, and an increasing amount of Federation mer- chant traffic moves along routes passing near that planet. The establishment of either apirate base or a hostile govern ‘ment on Daros IV would have grave consequences for Fed- eration security. AS a result, one of Star Fleet’s top agents, ‘aman called Thorn, was sent to investigate. Thorn was given 2 one-man ship and a cover as a lone fortune hunter. Five weeks ago, the nearest Star Fleet outpost received ‘a subspace radio message from Thorn. The incomplete mes- ‘sage indicated that he was leaving the planet with important information and that he intended to return to base. Interstel- lar noise and unknown interference obliterated the end of the message, and Thorn never arrived. The text of that massage reads: Thorn to Star Fleet Ouipost 36: Left Daros 0600 hours, ‘Stardate 831015. Now enroute to baseat Warp5. Investigation concluded. Analysis of available evidence shows that prob: Jem on Daros IV is centered on the Ker. You have been ordered to the planet to repeat Thor's investigation. The team commander has been given 20,000 CR to help mest extraordinary expenses. However, you are reminded that Daros IV is @ neutral world without diplomatic ties to the Federation. If you are captured or killed on the planet, itis likely that Star Fleet will disavow any knowledge of, oF responsibility for, your mission or actions. & Larson class destroyer, tho USS Patton, has beon ordored to patrol near the Daros system. It can be called upon for help if the Eridani Stars attacked oft planet. You have been equipped with sidearms (Phaser | or I) and any specialist's equipment you normally cary. You have also been given civilian clothes and false identities 2s mem= bors of the passengers or crew of the Evidan Star.——ucuqcgHE ADVENTURE—______ Enel ketal While approaching Daros IV, the Eridan’s sensors will detect several ships in orbit and others in transit through the system. All of them exhibit typical Orion design character ties. They are somewhat primitive, however, with lower drive and power plant efficiencies than other Orion vessels. Most of tho ships in orbit are largo, bulk-cargo carriers unsuited {or atmosphere landing. “Tho Eridani will be contacted by Daros Traffic Control when it is roughly 50,000 kilometers away. Its identity will be requested, and the Captain will be given instructions to land at Daroskelar Starport. No proof of identification is re- ‘quested. (The Orions don't care who a ship's owners roally are, as long as they have merchandise to trade!) free) Daroskolar Starport lies on the coast of a mountainous peninsula jutting north from Daros IV's main continent. Final guidance to the starport will be provided by @ radio homing beacon. The ship's flight path will cross over the city of Deroskolar, 40 kilometers asst ofthostarport, on the opposite ‘coast. Sensor scans will indicate @ population of about 100,000 and several fusion power plants. It will be late afternoon when the Eridani lands. Heat waves shimmering across the vast concrete plain will make iffcult to see, but landing spaces are marked clearly by ad, concentric cicles and sloping blast shields. Several empty landing circles are badly pitted and scorched = evidence that some visitors to Daros IV rely on very inet. ficiont chemical drivos for landings and takaoffs. Of the 22 berthed ships, 21 appear to be Orion-designed small freighters or shuttles. Tho last is @ Mission class transport ‘almost identical to the Eridani. It lies at the far end of the field, and no corporate markings can be made out through the afternoon haze. Within minutes of the landing, a ground car will arrive from the direction of the contro! center, a squat, white- ‘washed building in the conter of the concrete plain. The ground car's single occupantisa male Orion wearing a gaudy scarlet and gold tunic. A curious insignia is emblezoned across the tunic ede “The Orion, who wears a Phaser Il as 2 personal sidearm, will introduce’ himself as Savro Kerav, @ port official of Daroskolar. He will ask to board the Ericani, speaking fluent Galacta, stating that he has come to collect landing foes and ‘one week's berthing charges, in advance and in cash. He will inform the Captain that landing at Daroskolar starport costs 500 CR, with berthing fees of 160 CR per day. “The landing fee is 10 times the expactod foo, and the berthing charge is 3 times the norm an Federation worlds Bribing Savro will not reduce the fees. He will pocket the characters’ money with a vague promise to speak with his superiore about lowering the rates. If asked about his insignia, Savro will be somewhat sur- prised, but he will condescend to say that itis the sign of his Family, the Kerav. Further questioning and a successful ‘Skill Roll against the characters rating in Negotiation’Diplo- ‘macy might elicit the information that Daroskelar Starport is divided into five zones, each administered by one of the Five Families. Ships landing in 9 zone are not obligated to trade with that Family, but all berthing fees and repair charges ere collected and kopt by them. Contact with the trade represen: tatives of the other Families is made at the control center. Savro knows very little about the other Mission cl shipin port since! has landed in the Keros-controlledzone. Roa laaal Savro will ask to see the Eridani’s cargo. When he is shown it, he will express great interest and try to persuade the characters to sell it to his Family. He will offer to arrange ‘ameeting with @ Kerav Family broker, his older brother Elka. IF the players refuse, Savro will leave in @ huff, and he definitely will not offer them a ride to the control center. If Savro learns that the player characters hope to deal with the Keros Family, he will become angry and may warn ‘them that Keros is @ known swindler, liar, and cheat. Because ‘most Federation citizans expect all Orions to meet that de- scription, the characters will probably not be vary worried by this trade, the players accept his offer, they will come to realize that the lack of a demonstration cargo renders thei leter of Intraduetion to Imei Keros worthless. eek ee a If the player characters do not get a ride from Savro, the control canter will boa 2-km-long, hot walk from the Evidani's berth, It is @ one-story-tal, windowless, concrete building ‘set squaraly in the middle of the landing field, Several track ing end communications antennae are clustered on the root ‘and @ number of large, wheeled cargo lighters are parked rnaxt to the building. (Driving these vehicles will require ‘successful Skill Roll against a rating in Ground Vehicle Skill. Keep Kirk away from them!) When they arrive, the player characters will find that the ‘only entrance to the control center is an air-lock built into ‘one side ofthe structure. Once through this airlock, they will find themselves in en air-conditioned, crowded hallway run- ning tho length of the building. The hall is carpeted, andfi 1 7 | Te DAROSKELAR: Starport Control Center 1 Square = 15 Motorscolorful tapestries decorate the walls. An elevator on one side has a sign in the Orion language, and doors on the ‘opposite side along the hallway are marked by ornate insig- nia and signs. The door closest the elevator is marked with the insignia that Savro was wearing. Most of the passersby are Orions, some of whom will ‘enter or exit the doors and the elovator, but there will be a ‘number of aliens as well, though none will be of any major Federation race. Almost everyone will be carrying some sort of sidearm, ranging fram energy weaponsto simple knives. The elevator sign is marked “Traffic Control Center.” ‘Access to itis restricted to thoso punching the correct S-digit ‘code on a keypad bside the doors. The Traffic Control Center computers contain all sensor readings taken on traffic through the Daros system. While someone might be able to figure out the code, he would almost certainly be noticed while doing so! “The doors lead to the offices of each Family's trade rep- esentativas atthe starport. The Keros Family office is at the far end of the hall and is the smallest and least elaborately decorated of them all; its insignia matches thet known by the merchant Captain. eeu ae eed ‘The player characters will find the lobby of the Keros Family office small and adequately furnished. Large, flower- ing plants stand in each corner, and simple couches ere pro- vvided for prospective clients. A young, male Orion, who mans {a desk near a door that obviously leads into the rest of the ‘offices, will ask them for their names, their ship's name, snd their business. After asking them to wait, he will disappear ‘through the main office door. (Sarp-oyed observers might rote that he carries some sort of an energy weapon con- ‘cealed under his left arm.) In less than a minute, the receptionistiguard will return followed by an older Orion who will identify himsalf as Kolon Keros, the chief trade representative of the Keros Family at ‘the starport. Kelon will invite the Captain and Cargomester back to his office. If one or more of the Star Fleet personnel insists on going along, Kelon will not refuse the request, but he will be puzzled and will ask, “Who is this person?” Kelon will welcome the player cheracters into en office ‘that contains a desk, computer terminal, and @ couple of couches for quests to recline or sit upon. The insignia of the Keros Family is prominently displayed on the wall behind hiis desk. Kelon will offer his prospective clients a drink from his well-stocked personal bar that appears to include almost every known form of alcoholic boverago, including Romulan ale! When the characters show him thelr letter of introduc- tion, which includes 8 cargo manifest, Kelon will become very excited, offer them another drink, and place an im= ‘mediate call to his superiors in the Family. After an animated conversation using the privacy device on his communicator, Kelon will tell the characters that Imri Koros himself has invited them to dine at the Keros Mansion in Daroskeler, and. ‘that a Keros Family aircar is being dispatched to tako thom to the city. The aircar should arrive within the hour. If Kelon is questioned about the other Mission class ship in port, hie answers will be somewhat evasive. Ha knows that it landed five weeks ago under the name illusion. He will state that he met the Captain and Mate of the Hiusion and discussed the possibility of buying their cargo, but he hasn't made any final arrangements to put it on sale at the Bazaar. A succesetul bribe wil oicitthe following information from Kelon: 1.) The illusion carries a cargo of Federation- mado, high-tech goods, although they are not all manufac- tured by the same company. 2) The Captain and Mate of the Ilusion also have been invited to dinner this evening. 3) Kelon doesn't really believe that the other ship is actually named tha Hilusion, but he hes no evidence to prove other- ‘Kolon will provide the characters with groundcar trans- portation back to their ship so that they can prepare them: ‘solves for dinner, giving them a time when the aircar will arrive to take them to tho Koros Mansion.eYNale earn es ee) Although the Eridani Star should not be wholly vacated, the gamemaster should allow as many of the player-charec- ters a8 possible to visit the Keras Mansion for dinner. A relatively high-ranking NPC could romain behind, in charge of security The promised aircar will touch down alongside the Eri- dani Star almost precisaly on time. Itis an efficient-looking, 10-pessenger model manned by a pilot wearing Keros livery It has 2 top speed of 160 kph, and a pressurized cabin to allow it to fly above the tall mountains running down the middle of the peninsula ‘Any character who has 2 Skill Rating of 10 or more i ‘Mechanical Engineering and wha carefully examines the ve cle, may make a Skill Roll to notice that some of the stan dardizad portions of the aircar appear to be of Klingon man- Ufacturo. If ho is questioned about this the pilot will reply thatthe aircar was purchased from a dealerin the Low Market of the Bazaar. Ho will state that the dealer's namo was Ivra If the questioning is too heavy-handed, the pilot will report the conversation tohis superiors, who might grow suspicious of the group's motives, and suspicion can have a chilling effect on newly opened negotiations Within fifteen minutes of takeoff from the starport, the sircar will be over the city of Daroskelar itself. The view during the Tight will be spectacular as Daros’ bright sun ‘sinks below the horizon bohind the car, lengthening the enormous shadows cast by the razoredged mountains below. There is almost no air traffic over the city, but an oc sional groundear ean be seen moving along the strats below. The city is small but brightly lit. Itis built on a gently sloping plain running from the base of the mountains to the sea. Hundreds of small buildings are clustered near the ‘ocean, but the higher ground appears broken up into five large, well-marked estates. Each estates centered ona huge, saveral-storied mansion, and each mansion is constructed around a large, domed inner courtyard. Fine mist rising from ‘many of the fads on the estates shows extensive irrigation being used on the crops, and each estate has its own water storage tank nearby. AN EVENING’S ENTERTAINMENT ‘After eltcling the city once, the aircar will bank sharply ‘and move toward one of the five estates. It will land on a concrete pad directly in front of the main door to the 3:story mansion, which is a large, si-sided building that has no Windows In its outside, white-washed adobe walls. When the car lands, several servants will rush forward to open the door, welcoming the characters to Kerostar, the House of Keros. They will lead the way through double doors Of golld Cetian oak into a broad, marble-paved corridor. By liantly colored mosaics and frescoes cover the corridor walls, ‘and ceiling, and lush, grean plants stand along the walls at reqular intervale. Several doors and smaller corridors lead off the main hall ‘Two servants will quide the visitors to a pair of ornately carved, wooden doors, through which the soft music of flute like instruments can be heard. They will open these doors to reveal the dimly lit courtyard of the estate. Itis very large, six-sided, and covered by a transparent dome through which the stars can be seen. Flowering plants of every color and type line the walls and are scattered throughout the room. A splashing fountain stands in the center, and smaller foun: tains occupy each of the 6 corners. Several couches occupied by Keros’ other guests form a cicie to one side of the central fountain, (One of the servants will announce the characters in a loud voice. At the samo time, a comparatively short Orion male wearing a simple tunic embroidered with the Keros insignia will rie from the contral couch and approach the ‘group. He will welcome them in the name of his Family and introduce himeolf as Imri, the Keros. After greetings are exchanged, he will introduce them to his other quests, Thero are 6 other Orions in the room ‘and two Humans, ail male. All ofthe Orions either are junior members of the Keros Family or belong to a cadet branch of the clan. The two Humans are introduced as Solomon Kane, Cap= {ein ofthe illusion, and Jack Corrigan, Kane's frst mate. Keno Is a slender man with an Oriental cast to his features and ‘oraying hair. Cortigan, on the other hand, is tall, with cu red hait and a nose that has been broken at least once. Both ‘wear gray and black shipboard tunics with a Jight-colored patch in the upper left where some sort of insignia or device ‘appears to have been removed. ‘Servants will show the characters to couches. The Cap- ‘ain will be shown to onoto the right of Keros; Kanes seated ‘on Keros’ left. Servants will bring food and drink. Keros’ ‘storerooms are well-stocked and almost anything they re- ‘quest ean be fetched for them, from Saurian brandy to Ando- jan krill-beast steaks. Keros will make it clear that any discus ion of business can wait until after dinner. While Kane and Corrigan avoid conversation, the other Orion guests are eager for the latest Federation news and gossip. They will be s0 eager, in fact, that the characters should find it very difficult to ask questions of their own. ‘After his guests have finished eating, Keros will an- ounce that he's arranged a small entertainment in honorof his distinguished visitors. A light hand-clap will send the servants scurrying out, and cause the gentle background ‘music to fade away to be replaced by 8 single, piping flute. ‘Another hand-clap will call forth a beautiful, green-skinned Orion slave, She is seantily-clad and carries along, gleaming dagger in each hand, As the tempo of the flute music in ‘reases, she will whirl around, leaping high and juggling the daggers. The speed ofthe dence will increase untilitbecomes impossible to see them as anything more than steel-bright blurs. As 9 finale, the dancer will leap onto an unoccupied couch, somersault into the air and land on her knees with a knife in either hand touchina the marble floor. ‘languid wave from Keros will send her out of the court yard. Corrigan will be extremely vocal in his praise of the performance and beauty of Keros' slave, but Kane will appear ‘somewhat preoccupied. The dance marks the end of the formal dinner, and Keros" Orion guests will take their leave with flowery farewells. Keres will bid Kane and Corrigan good-night, indicating to the group from the Eridani Star that they should remain behing. He will tell Kane that he will “keep his proposal in mind.” Kane and Corrigan appear reluctant to leave and will glare at the group from the Eridant Star. fet Ree kek ed After his other guests have left the chamber, Keros will invita the Captain and Cargomaster to his study to discuss. TransSolar’s proposal. As with Kelon, if one of the Star Fleet characters insists on going along, Keros will not refuse but willbe very curious. Those whe remain behind will be invited to partake of Keroskar's wines and entertainments. Keros will lead the way to the end of a smell corridor Just off the central courtyard. He will invite his guests into ‘an elaborately decorated room, witha large desk and builtin computer terminal at one end and plush chairs atthe other, ‘A cabinet along the wall by the desk contains a large assort- ‘ment of boitles and decanters, and Keros will indicate thet they are liquors from all over she known galaxy. Despite the elaborate decoration, sharp-eyedobserverswill notice places where furnishings have been recently removed. Contract negotiations will take place, as indicated in the Gamemaster’s Notes section, which gives a system for help- ing the gamemaster flesh out the bargaining process. These negotiations are vitally important to the success or failure of the Eridani Star Neate eee Iris ikaly thatthe player characters will atempt to inves tigate the Iusion, their trading rival and possible enemy, ‘more closely at some point. This section provides the infor ‘mation that will be gained from such an inspection. VISUAL EXAMINATION The Eridani Star's viewing screens can provide informa tion as accurate as that gained from a close visual reconnsis- ‘sance, and so no addtional information may be gained by ‘approaching more closely. “The ship appears to be a standard Mission Class, small commercial tranepor. Its unmarked by any corporate logo, bbut bears the registration number F264007. Lenathy observa: tion will reveal that the Jlusion’s main airiock is shut at all times, unless members of her erew are entering or leaving, COMPUTER SEARCH ‘The registration number will not show up en any ship list pulled from tho Erideni Star's computer. ‘SENSOR SCAN Heavy interference will pravent sensors from being used while the Eridani Staris grounded at Daroskelar Starport. ‘TRICORDER SCAN For the players to gain any more information about the IMusion, at least one of them will need to use a hand-held tricorder from relatively clase range — 100 meters or so. If the reconnaissance team disguises itself endior its intentions. in some way, it shouldn't run into trouble. If, however, pass- ‘engers or erew from the Evidani Starare caught spying, those ‘aboard the pirate ship will react violently, as detailed in Un- welcome Visitors. The tricardar scan will reveal several very interesting pieces of information about the mysterious lusion. Depend: ing on the circumstances, such as concealment, time taken, and other factors, Skill Rolls may or may not be necessary, at the gamemaster’s discretion. 1. The ship has a weapon system aboard, some sort of disruptor. 1a, The disruptor is an Orion-designed weapon. 2. Tho ship’s impulse engine is abnormally large and pow: erful 2a. The ship has 18 Power Points Available (14 is nor- imal for this ship class). 3, The superstructure is heavily reinforced. 3a. The ship has 6 Superstructure Points (3 is normal for this ship class). 4. The number of crewmen on board and their approxi ‘mate location within the hull. The gamemaster must di termine th Nenana) If snoopers are detected by the crow of the Werewott {the tlusion), several of the brawnier Wolfen will leave the hip by an auxiliary airlock on tho opposite side. [Any charac- ler sing a tricorder to scan for life-forms should notice this movement.) They will ry to cizcle around behind the charac- tors to block any escape. When they are in position, the rest of Werewoir's crew aboard will come out through the main airlock. "The Wolfen want one thing only the tricorders used to scan Werewolf. While the ring of thugs is closing in, their leader will try to persuade the characters to surrender their scanners “nice and quiet like, without eny unfortunate un- pleasantness.” The crewmen confronting the characters will sach be armed with a Phaser set on stun. In addition, certain of the Wolfen carry knives, The Wolfen will not use their weapons unless the characters draw first or until they're ordered to do so by Soloviev, Corrigan, or Kano. Werewoif's masters ‘would much prefer the appearance of a comperetively harm- less brawl between two rival merchant erews. At no time will Skevar, Kane's Orion engineer, show himself; Kane hopes to keep him as an ace-in-the-hole. If the Eridani’s scouts give up the tricorders, they will have the pleasure of seeing every one smashed to bits under the heels of the Wolfen. If, on the other hand, they refuse, Werawolt’s crew will attack using fists and feet. One or two of the Wolfen will stand aside from the fight to act as lookouts and to stun anyone trying to escape. ‘Once the molee starts, the Wolfen will keep fighting until all the characters have been beaten senseless. If they win, ‘they will strip the player characters ofa their valuables end send them back to the Eridani Star piled atop a hired cargo lighter.Any Star Fleet officer foolish enough to be carrying an official ID will be taken prisoner and mercilessly interrogated! If Kane thinks he's being pursued by Star Fleet, he'll keep ‘any captives until he can dispose of all of Eridani’s passen- gers and crow. I, however, he learns the player character's, eal mission, he'll hand them over to Keros to wreck his commercial rival's hopes. Tn the event the characters start winning the brawl, the Wolfen acting as lookouts will use their phasers to turn the tide of battle. If that fails, any pirates still on their feet will boat a hasty Fetreat back to Werewo's airlock Bree The High Market of Daros, the planet's center of ‘lesiti- mate’ trade, occupies @ pleteau overlooking the starport Minerals, manufactures, iquors, and spices from adozen worlds arrive on a daily basis, and the Market's shimmering domes and broad avenues are jammed with merchants of ‘every conceivable race, shape, and color. Tracked, flat-bed carriers, piled high with exotic and ordinary cargos, lumber through the crowds, accompanied by periodic horn blasts, ‘and cures. Each trading dome is emblazoned with the insignia of ‘one of the Five Familios. Their interiors are filled with trade ‘goods and teders. Although they provide air-conditioned shelter from the dry heat of Daras’ day, the domes cannot ‘shut out the incessant, high-pitched yammer as cargos from Orion client worlds are sold to the highest bidder. ‘The Orion monopoly is very apparent. Cargos can be sold only to and bought only from Orions. Independent trad crs, like the player characters, who try to soll their cargo without an authorization from one of the Five Families will find a cold weleome and no businoss in the High Market of Daras. TRADING ‘TransSolar expects the Eridani Star to roturn with both 2 trade agreement and a full cargo. While Keros will buy their high-tech goods without hesitation, the characters may want to shop around the Bazaar forthe best (most profitable) return-ttip cargo. Trade inthe High Market should be handled using the rules in Trader Captains And Merchant Princes, published by FASA. Characters visiting the Market to buy cargo will find the goods given in the table below aveilable for sale. All of the Base Prices listed have beon adjusted to reflect Daros IV's, Planetary Trade Profile (PTP). argos Available at the High Market Goods LotSize BasePrice/SCU Selling Farnily Klethorian Eldor Fruits 100SCU 350credits Kero ‘These pink:-skinned fruits have an odd taste to Humans, but Tollaritos consider them a rare delicacy. TorianCopper 80SCU 750credits Simm SurokosSteel 110SCU 600credits Ath Pantor MachineTools 70SCU 2000credits __Beldav “These machine tools can be operated by Humans, and could be in great demand on a new colony. Wines from MirosXil — GOSCU_2500eredits_—_Kerav ‘The pale golden wines of the Miros system are much sought after by Human connoisseurs. SHOP TALK Besides offering the crew of the Eridani Staran opportu ity to make more money, the High Market could prove an invaluable source of background information for Star Fee's spy toam. Afterall, the market ie the center of the planet's economy, and "the business of Daros is business.” ‘The crowded streets and domes of the High Market are ‘a hive of mercantile gossip, and any character who attempts 10 overhear something useful may be required to make a ‘Skill Roll against his rating in Strootwise to filter out the “background noise” of ordinary Orion innuendo, business. double-dealing, slander, and character assassination. Itis up to the gamemaster whether the use is ‘routine’ or not, de pending on the circumstances.“The following useful tidbits of information are available. 1. Someone or some Family has been selling small amounts. of Klingon-manufactured high-tech goods at high prices. Most of the sales take place in tho Shadow Market, and 3 ‘merchant named Ivra is most often mentioned as the middle- ‘man (or middle-Orion) involved. 2. The Keros Family is suffering @ significant dectine in its fortunes. Soveral recent disasters have plagued their off- world operations. ("Take that outbreak of Eldor Fruit Rust ‘on Kelthor 1X, for example.) 3. In the past, the Kerav Family's inability to get its own ‘contracts for mid- and high-tech products kept sales from ‘other Families brisk. Recently, however, Merkos Kerav's agents have slowed their purchases to a trickle. At the samme. time, the Kerav Family has invested substantial sums in buy: ing stee!, aluminum, and other metals. The Family has also bought several large pieces of construction equipment within the last two years. RAISED EYEBROWS IN KERAVKAR If the Star Fleet characters are too obvious in their quest for information, they could accidentally alort Morkos Korav and his subordinates to their danger. I's perfectly normal to ‘exchange gossip with an Orion merchant while looking over his products, but i's painfully brash to openly interrogate him. Kerav probably won't hear anything unsettling if Star Fleet’s agents accompany an honest‘o-goodness trader from the Eridani who will buy goods while on the fishing expedition, but his suspicions almost certainly will be ‘roused by rumors of curious strangers with empty pockets. The gamemester should keep in mind one truism about Merkos Kerav ~ "A worried Kerav is a dangarous Kerav.” If he grows suspicious of the crew and passengers of the Fridani Star, Merkos will order his agents to follow thom wherever they go. fhe ig convinced that his secret operations against Federation shipping are threatened, both the mer- chants and the Federation officers onboard the Eridan’ will Quickly find their lives and liberty at risk, a5 detailed in A Shot In The Darkrete tala At some point, characters wil visit the Shadow Market of Daros. Some may be Star Fleet officers looking for Ivra, the mysterious dealer in Klingon goods, while others could bbe merchant characters in search of high-profit items to smuggle. The information contained in this section should prove equally useful for handling either party. The Shadow Market is a peculiarly Orion institution, ‘There are no Family names and no laws within its contines, Itis 8 place where almost enything that is illegal in some part of the known Galaxy can be found for the right amount ‘of monoy. It is a haven for thugs, pimps, shiploss spacers, ‘and rogues of every description. Itisa place of great oppor- tunity and of great dangor. ‘The Shadow Market's twisting alleys and dirty, white- ‘washed adobe buildings sprawl across the desort floor just ‘Outside Daroskelar Starport and just below the High Market, ‘The dark doorways ofits seedy bars, drug dens, and bordel- los face each other across narrow, garbage-strewn streets ‘Those visiting the Shadow Market will be struck by ts smell, ‘an odorous combination of unwashed bodies, cheap liquors, ‘and vatied narcatie vapors. ‘SHADOW MARKET ENCOUNTERS In the Shadow Market, just getting from one place to another can be quite an adventure. Every tine the characters set out from a location within its boundaries, the gamomaster ‘should roll percentile dice for an encounter using the En- ‘counter Table below. Charactors who are idly or energetically walking its alleys in search of information, profit, or pleasure should be rewarded with one encounter roll for every 30 minutes they devote to that activity. The descriptions of the ‘encounters follow the table, ‘Shadow Market Encounter Table Dice Roll Encounter 01-10 Drunk 11-20 Tribble Salesman 21-30 31-40 41-60 Ladies OF The Evening 61-70 SavroKerev 7180 The Bag Of Bones 81-90 ErnstMetz 00 Morconary Warriors ENCOUNTER DESCRIPTIONS Drunk ‘Awwizoned old drunk, trying to cadge a drink, will stagger up t0 the player characters, babbling with relief at his “fest sight ofa fellow Human face in weeks.” the characters treat him kindly by offer i drown his sorrows in drink, ho will introduce himself as Ar- ‘minius Muldoon, whose shipmates abandoned him on Deros 2years ago. Arminius will tall thom about his drinking pal, ‘Thorn. He may even show them the present Thorn game him just before leaving Daras, a holocube photograph of a mountain, ‘Should the charactors check around with knowledgeable locals, they will find that the photo is a picture of Skarosker, the site of Morkos Kerav’s mountsintop mansion. If they are being followed by Kerav's agents, their discovery of this holocube will prompt him to order their capture or assassi- ration. Tribble Salesman ‘An seedy Orion will offer to sell the characters a genet- ically-altered tribble that is guarantood not to reproduce. His ‘asking price is 100 cradits, but he will take 25. The tribble \willnot breed as guaranteed, butitwill die within 24hours, ‘Anyone inspecting the corpse carefully will discover that the tribble ie @ stuffed fake, equipped wth a cheap battery enabling it to purr when touched. Beggars “The characters will be followed by a crowd of beggars, each horribly disfigured and intent on pestering them for alms, There will be D10+10 beggars, some disfigured by nature, some by diseese, and others by make-up artistry. ‘Thay will persist until the characters have given at least some. money. ‘The Dream Seller The characters will be approached by a man who offers 10 sail tham dope sticks made from a potent narcotic grown ‘only on Miros X. He names himself as Vasro the Dream Sollor, and giveshis (negotiable) price as 40 credits perstick. Ladies Of The Evening Members of the group will be accosted from time to time by Orion ‘ladies of the evening’ plying their trade, who offer to take them to one of the many houses in the Market- at prices ranging from 25-150 credits, ‘Savro Kerav ‘The characters will meet Savro Kerav, the Kerov Family funky at Daroskelar Starport. Savro has had slightly more ‘Saurian Brandy than is good for him, and he will just berely ‘manage to remember who they are through his alcoholic haze. IF the group is being followed by Kerav's thugs. Sevro. will notice their menacing presence, turn pale, and leave hurriedly. fthat doesn’t alert the group to the danger they're in, they deserve whatover horrible fate they lator meet! Ht, however, they are not yet under suspicion, Savro will glacly gossip about the Family in exchange for a few drinks. Inthe main, he's miffed because his uncle won't lat him visit the extensively remodelled Family villa at Skaroskar. I's ru ‘mored to be luxurious beyond belief or imagining, though only a few of Merkos's closest confidantos are allowed ac-The Bag Of Bones As the characters pass, an extremely tall (2.35 meters), ‘thin (60 kg) lion will be thrown bodily out of the nearest doorway, while a deep voice from inside exclaims, "Andstay out! You worthless, lazy, good-for-nothing, lay-about bag of bones!” The owner of the voice has obviously been taking abuse lestone from Stella Muda Ater dusting himself off, the “bag of bones” wil intro- duce himself as Skrix Veestar, lately the bellhop of Madame Altair’s House of Joy, and even more lately an Eldor-fruit farmer on Kiethor I. After losing his orchard to the dreaded Rust, Siri finagled a working passage aboard an Orion ship, hoping ta make his fortune on Daros. Needless to say, things haven't exactly gone according to plan! Skrix will offer his, services as a guide, porter, and general assistant for the startlingly low salary of 4 credits per day with room and board, If the characters accept his offer, they quickly will dis cover that Skrix is just about as worthless a servant as can be. He is lazy, ignorant, and shiftless. Even worse, he's a gargantuan eater, requiring at least 60 credits per day of food and drink! Finally, Skrix is a complete coward. At the first sign of danger, he'll vanish, only to reappear later with some pathetic excuse, Ernst Metz ‘The group will meet Ernst Metz, ship's doctor of the Imusion (Werewolf, coming out of The Tears of Rigol, 8 notorious narcoties den. He's just taken a dose of Adrenalane and, asa result; he s highly unstable and extremely cheerful if any of the characters are wearing the Eridan’sinsignia, Metz will grost them heartily and invite them to join him in ' “peace offering,” If the characters accept, he'll take them to Mavro's Place for a “fow quick ones betwoon now-found friends.” The Orion bartender at Mavro’s is an old acquain- ‘tance of Motz who will sip Melanex 8 {a heavy sedative) into the characters’ drinks. If ll the characters are rendered unconscious by the drug, Metz will take their money and heed back for the Werewolf Mercenary Warriors One of the characters will run full into a group of 4 ‘enormous men in the livery of the Simri Family. ‘The 4 are Torian mercenaries, men who have been de- scribed as “self propollad sledgehammers with very nasty tempers, especially when drunk.” Unfortunately, these To- Fians are very, vory drunk... As a small blossing, they've left thoir baitleaxes, halberds, and energy weapons at home, Sil, ther fists are likaly to prove painful enough. Name: Torian Mercenaries Sex: Male Attributes: N08 ir 35 cHA30 uc 45 Toit, HTH: 65 Bare-Hand Damage: 2010+3, SMUGGLING MADE SIMPLE It's not necessarily easy to find good buys inthe Shadow Market. Afterall, he Market is crawling with con artists and baggars looking for an easy mark. However, characters with ‘talent for mingling with the wrong sort should eventually be able to find something illagal thay can buy. Depending on the situation, the gememaster may decide ‘that @ character making such 2'search might find a bargain. In other situations, he may decide to require a successful Skill Roll from the player agsinst his character's rating in Streetwise. In either case, the gamemaster rolls percentile {dice and consults the following Shadow Market Cargo Tablo to determine what bargains the characters find. If Kerav's, agents are following the player characters, subtract 10 from the dico roll. If the player characters spread around a little ‘wealth to gain the information, add 1 to the dice roll for every 10 credits spent. The encounters are described bolow. ‘Shadow Market Cargo Table DiceRoll Cargo 01-10 Nothing available 11-30 Klingonbeverages 31-50 Idris flowerdust 51-70 Sorielpelts 71-80 Lurustones 91-00 Klingon weapons Nothing Available No one seems willing to sell anything of value to the: characters. In fact, the characters will notice thet they are being avoided. Klingon Beverages {An Orion merchant named Sirav will offer to sel 10 ters ‘of Kolothian Whiperack, a potent beverage produced only in the Klingon Empire. His asking price is 250 credits per liter, bbut he will tke 160 credits per liter. f questioned closely, Sirav may admit that he purchased his stockpile from Ivra Unbeknownst to the player charactors, Sirav will also inform Ivra that someone's taking an unhealthy interest in his business dealings. Flower Dust ‘An Orion called “The Pharmacist” will offer to sell 50 kilos of processed Idris Flower Dust, an extremely powerful hallucinogen banned on all Federation worlds. He wills his supply in 1-ilo lots. He wants 1,000 credits per kilo, but hhe will settle for 500 per kilo. On high population Federation worlds, the street value of Dust can reach 4,000 credits per kilo, Soriel Pelts ‘An Orion named Radros will offor to soll 2 SCU of rare Soriel Bounder pelts from Mandrak VI. The sleek, azure pelts are prized highly on civilized planets In the Federation be- cause the Bounder is protected by rigid game laws and supplies are very limited. These pelts were obtained by poachers. Redros wants 10,000 credits per SCU, and he ‘not take less than 7,500 credits per SCU. Luru Stones ‘Barak The Gam Merchant wil sll 12 Luru Stones from the Coros system. These brilliant, multi-colored gems are of ‘great value because Coros ill is under a Prime Directive inter- dict. Recently, several Orion smugglers mode a successful raid on the royal treasure house of the largest kingdom on the planet and came away loaded with Luru stones. These 12 stones have made their way across several dozen light ‘years to Barak, but he will part with them for 1500 credits apiece. Klingon Weapons ‘The characters will meet Ivra The Merchant (dleseribed in the Cast OF Characters), who has Klingon weaponry for sale. He has 50 distuptors and 25 distuptor rifles, both much in demand on primitive planets euffering “unfortunate local disturbances.” Ivra will ask for 250 credits per disruptor and 600 credits per disruptor rifle. He will setle for 180 credits per disruptor and 620 credits per rife.A PLAGE FOR SUSINESS ‘This section should be used if Star Fleet characters enter the Shadow Market on a daliberate search for Ivra ‘The Shadow Market's indigenous population is so lerge, mobile, and downright furtive that finding any given indi vidual is ne easy task. Fortunately for the player characters, vrais fairly well-known throughout the Market. By the same token, it will be difficult for @ group of strangers to look for Ivra without alerting him. ‘The characters can search for their quarry in several different ways. First, they can simply ask around for hien Eventually, they'll meet someone who can direct them to ‘Soron’s Hole, Ivra's most recent place of business. The infor- ‘mation will cost ther 20 to 200 credits (D10x20) for drinks ‘ond petty bribes. However, Ivra will learn that people are looking for him long before they discover his location, If Kerav’s suspicions have already been aroused by their ac- tions, he'll instruct ivra to vanish until the characters have been “dealt with on a permanent besis.” If, on the other hhand, Merkos Kerav is still unaware that anything threatens his operations, ira won't flee his business address, though he will take precautions, Including stationing members of Kerav’s hit taam inside Soron’s Hole, a¢ described at the end. of A Place For Business, It members of Star Fleet's intelligence team decide the first method is a bit to0 obvious, they may choose to search forivra by posing @s morchants looking for cargo to smuggle into the Federation. Should the characters embark on this course of action, the gamemaster can use the methods de- talled in The Shadow Market to judge this search. This search willbe far more difficult if Koray is suspicious already of the Eridani Star’screw. In addition, inexpert acting by Star Fleat’s ‘aders could blow their caver. ("What do you mean you ‘won't buy any Flower Dust? This stuff sells like Spican Flame Gems on Caloron! Say, just who are you, snyway?”) Finally, the cheracters can just find an Orion who's likely to know where Ivra is (2 competitor, for example) and per- susde him (at phaser point, if need be} to take them to him. While this approach may seem a bit rough, itis probably the ‘one most likely to get results. Afterall, Iva's a very elusive fellow when given sufficient warning, Ithey use this methad, thoro's an 80% chance that Ivra will bein Soron’s Hole con’ ducting busiess. Soron's Hole is a soody, smoko-filed dive deep in the heart of the Shadow Market. The Hole has no front door; ‘one of its more rambunctious patrons tore it off the hinges some years ago and the owner never saw any need to replace it. The ground floor is windowless and Is lighted only by 2 few small battery-powered lamps, whose glass globes are covered with dust. Several plasti-stee! tables and a bar crowd the downstairs common room. (Plasti-steel may be expen: sive, butyou can’t piek itup to throw at someone!) A battered staircase leads up tothe second floor, where Soron maintains 2 few small rooms for rent Most of tho Hole’s patrons prefer their own company, ‘and, as a result, the bar will be much quioter than most such establishments. For the most part, the customers will be typical denizens of the Market — some well-off, others on their way down. Many sit in 2 drug- or alcohol-induced stupor. Ivra will be holding court at 2 table in @ far comer of the building, Hf tho player characters have sur 50% chance that he'l be siting with @ Klingon in civilian ddrass. As soon as the characters enter the bar, the Klingon ‘vill catch sight of them, jump up, and leave by @ small door in the rear. What happens if the characters follow him is detailed in A Klingon In Flight, HH the characters remain behind, lvra wil talk with them. He doesn’t like anybody standing when he's siting down, 0 he'll have the barkeep bring chairs for all his quests. \vra will ty to convince those left behind that the Klingon was “just a penny-ante smuggler who brings me Kolothian Whip- crack from time to time,” Ivra will not agree to leave Soron’'s Hole voluntarily. Ifthe characters force him togo, the barkeep will be eware that something's wrong and he'll warn Kerav Immediately, who will take steps to either free Ivra or kill him as detailed in A Shot In The Dark, Even ifthe Klingon is not there, Ivza will not agree to go anywhere with the player characters, and he will not admit to having any knowledge of Klingon trade goods. (This is the kind of standoff where the players may regret being the ‘good guys, but that’s life in Star Floct!) It Ivra has called in Korav’s bully boys, they'll bo sproad around the room, but they should be feirly conspicuous. ivra will be “delighted” to talk with the characters, but he won't allow himself to be pinned down by specific questions about his source of Klingon goods. Instead, the group will ind that Ivra seems more intent on questioning them about every thing from the trade situation inside the Federation to tarifs fn Diristani Neurocotfee. Charactors who ere Siar Floct off ‘cers will quickly find themselves out of thelr depth. Marchant characters will take a bit longer, and may even be lucky enough to fool ivra If lvra satisfies himself that the player charactors are not authentic customers for his wares, he will call for a round Of drinks, tho signal for Kerav’s men stationed around the room. The hit team will surround the group and invite them “to pay the boss a social call.” Ifthe characters accept, they will be disarmed and flown to Skaroskav for a ite interroga- tion in Kerav’s dungeon, described in House On A ill. Should ‘they decide to refuse the invitation, they willfind itnecessary 10 fight their way out of Soron’s Hole. Ween one If Wvra ascapes tham or if he is nat downstairs at Soron’s Hole, the characters can forse Soron to admit that he has rented a room upstairs, on the second floor.Ivra's room is sparsely furnished and starkly decorated. It contains nothing more than a bed, a desk, a chair, and ¢ wardrobe with two or three changes of clothing. There is an empty crate underneath the bed, but there are no identifying marks on it. A thorough search of the room will turn up 2 ‘crumpled piace of paper caught between the desk and the wall. The note reads, in Orion script, “New shipment arriving ‘s00n, Standard procedures. (Signed) MK." It Ivra is cornered here, he will attempt to return below with the characters, In any case, judge the encounter 2s de- scribed in A Place For Business. Pa cuincon ruc | After leaving by the back door, the fugitive Klingon from Soron’s Hole will try to lose any pursuers in the narrow, ‘twisting alleys of the Shadow Market. Any characters going after him will not be to0 far behind, and the chase should ‘uickly develop into a pellsmell, boxhurdling, fence-climb- ing, flat-out dash through milling crowds of curious onlook- ers. ROUND ONE SAVING ROLLS Following the Klingon at high speed will not be very easy, and the GM should have every character joining the pursuit make a Saving Roll against both their END and their ex scores. If the roll against a character's END score fails, the hapless character will be left puffing and panting while the chase roars on without him, If the roll against a character's Dex score falls, even more serious consequences result. The gamemaster should roll tone die. If the roll is 1 — 8, the character has crashed into {an Orion merchant's stall, scattering valuables across the alley and generally irritating the owner; itwillcost the charac ter 2D10 credits to soothe ruffled feathers and pay forinciden- tal damage. If the roll is 9 or 0, the character will slam right into @ group of alcoholic Torian mercenaries! The encounter description in The Shadow Market gives the unpleasant de- tals In this case, the gamemaster should allow the character tomakee Saving Roll against his Luc score to avoid the long, hairy arms of the Torians. ROUND TWO SAVING ROLLS Ata the first eerias of Saving Rolls, the Klingon and any characters still pursuing him will need to make a second set of Saving Rolls against their END and vex scores to continue the chase. If the Klingon fails either roll and one or more of the charactors succeeds, he will bo caught! If, on the other hand, all ofthe characters are forced to drop out ofthe chase by exhaustion or mishap, then the Klingon will have escaped ‘the Shadow Market and be safely on his way to Skeroskar. Repeat the procedure until the Klingon either is caught or gets away. SUBDUING THE FUGITIVE Catching the Klingon and subduing him may be two different things. The intended captive will certainly fight for his freedom, but, for some roason, he will not draw a weapon to protact himself. Depending on how many of the player characters have managed to stay with him, the Klingon may ‘ive them more or less trouble. It is even conceivable thet he could escape. Use standerd combat rules to judge the fracas. aero kad If they subdue the Klingon, the player characters will discover they have collared one Kolor, whose papers identity him as an independent commercial traveler. He has no ‘weapons on his person, but a thorough search will reveal a pocket computer in one of his pockets. Kolorwillimmediately demand his release and the return of al his property. He has a very loud and unpleasant shrill voice that should attract a great deal of attention, which will make it difficult for the characters to get him out of the ‘Shadow Market without being stopped or questioned. Ifthey ‘attempt this, success will be determined by a Skill Rll made against the group leader's rating in Negotiation/Diplomacy. with a penalty of —20. A successful roll will allow the characters to take Kolor back to their ship. A failod roll indicates that armed Orions will intervene and force them to let him go. "This isn't some namby-pamby Federation World, you know. Everyone's wel-‘come on Daros, providing they don’t cause any trouble.) Should the roll fail and the player characters be forced to free Kolor, they will not be forced to give him back his pocket computor. Kolor will be visibly upset by this loss, but he will leave hurriedly just the same. INTERROGATING KOLOR Interrogsting Kolor himself will prove useless. He wil not tak, and Star Fleet officers acting according to regula- tions ean da nothing to rake him talk. A character with the appropriate psionic skills could try a telpathic interrogation Using the Vulean mind touch, though it should prove an unpleasant experience. KOLOR’S COMPUTER Kolor’s computer contains a list of cargo shipped from the Klingon Empire to Merkos Kerav in the last two monthe. The list includes a large number of sidearms, assorted com- puter parts, navigation programs, and dllithium crystals for warp drive engines; all of Klingon manufacture To oxtract this information, the character must make @ successful Skil Rall againsthis ating in Computer Operation, ‘To intorprot the data, the character must have a rating of at least 10 in Klingonaase, the Klingon language. ren ai Late one night, those aboard the Eridani Star will be awakened by an Orion demanding entry at the airlock. He will be wearing a gray and black tunic with the Kerav Farnily insignia in the upper left corner. This is the Engineer from the Werewolf. Any charactor who attonded the Koros Family banquet and who makes a successful Saving Roll egainst his INT score, with a penalty of ~40%, will remember Kane and Corrigan’s attire! ‘The Orion will introduce himself as Skovar Kerav, one of the Family's cargo inspectors. He will apologize for the elay and explain that itis his duty to inspect their cargo hold for signs of contamination. ("We don't care what you're carrying, but several ships have come in lately with some nesty diseases aboard. You just can't bo too caroful in this part of the Galaxy, you know!”) If the characters refuse to let him on the ship, Skevar wil bellow for a while, but he'll leave peaceably in the end. (Kane Pian A down the drain.) f, however, they allow him fon the Eridani, Skevar will move briskly toward the cargo hold, without needing any directions at all. Once there, he will move methodically through the entire hold, opening ‘boxes and crates and poking around inside them. 2 character carefully inspects any crate of computer equipment that Skevar has opened, he will have a 15% chance of finding a small piece of powerful magnetized tape Concealed inside. If Skevar is searched either before his in- spection or during it, the charactors will find a number of pleces of this tape. Any character will know instantly that this kind of magnetized tape is capable of scrambling the "memory banks in every piece of computer hardware itis, attached to, rendering it nothing more than a sive junk. Skevar carries enough of this tape to sabotage ‘most of the high-tech cargo onboard the Erideni Star. If they catch him, Skevar will surrender without a fight. While iv possible that some of the characters may believe he really is a Kerav, Skevar will not be able to tell them anything about Thom, about Klingon goods, or about Orion conspiracies against the Federation, though he will find these questions extremely interesting. He will not betray Kane's, identity or plans unless he is offered a bribe of 100,000 credits lor more; afterall it takes a lot of money to escape the long arm of Solomon Kane! It the characters try to turn Skevar over to the Starport authorities, they will discover quickly that nooneisinterested in a simple case of non-violent industrial sabotage. The Or ions will agree to hold Skevar in detention for 2 time, but ‘which Kane will speedily and only until he makes bail, anonymously arrange. Ertan wae da ed ‘This section should be used when the Captain and Car- ‘gomaster of the Eridani return to Keroskar for their second round of contract negotiations. Earlyin the afternoon, an aircer will arrive at the Starport ‘The journey to Keroskar will be uneventful and the aircar pilot uncommunicative. At Keroskar, the group will be taken. directly to Imr’s study. After an introductory round of liquid refreshment, serious negotiations will begin, as detailed in the section Down To Business. ‘At some point in the talks, howover, the gamemaster ‘should roll secretly against each character'sINT score. Players whose characters were successful should be told that they have heard a small sound outside the study door. It a character rushes to the door and flings it open, he will catch one of Keros’ servants with his ear iteally to the keyhole. Keros’ pride will be touched by this treachery. The ‘servant will find himself dismissed from service and booted ‘out of the mansion immediately, and the characters will not be able to question the would-be spy. If, however, one of the group finds an excuse to leave the room, he will notice the servant hurrying away down the hall, not $0 fast that he cannot be caught. Either a forceful interrogation (a phaser in the ear) or a sufficient bribe (100 credits or more) will convince the eavesdropper to 5 Orion guts. The servant will confoss that Captain Kane has. ;paid him more than 200 credits for information on the Erideni trade talks. In addition, the servant will reveal that he thinks Kane is bribing others inside Keroskar, though he doesn't hhave any proof. A SHOT IN THE DARK Merkos Kerav is a very dangerous and very vindictive Orion, indeed. Any one of a number of things could prompt him to settle accounts with the crew and passengers of the. Eridani Star. Should he decide on that course, he will send his team of hired thugs to serve as his bill collectors. Natur- ally, Kerav's instructions to his hit tear will vary according to the situation. ifthe thugs have been ordered to take prisoners, Markav will not send hhis boys into ection with disruptors blazing Instead, he will rely on Jovra’s tranquilizer pistol and Radras’ phaser {0 “drop the Feds in thelr tracks.” Markav will not hesitate to ambush a small group of characters, but he will tty to bluff a larger number into surrendering without a fight. ("We've gat you covered from every window and alley ‘around, s0 don't do anything you'll regret later. If there is a later... Got ma?”) If Kerav decides he would rather see some of the Eri dani’s passengers and crew safely dead, Markav's team will attempt to kill them. They will not try anything out in the ‘pen, but both the High Markot and the Shadow Market will prove ideal locations or afatal ambush. Atthe ight moment, Korav's thugs will push, shove, trip, and punch enough people to start a minor riot all around the characters. In the ‘confusion, they will attempt to encircie the group without attracting undue attention. At a signal from Markav, the as> assine will go to work with short-range disruptor blasts and. knives. If they have allowed the situation to go this far, the ‘characters had better pray they make their LUC Saving Rolls.Kerav’s thugs will not stay eround fora protracted battle. Remember, nis operations are being kept secret from the ‘other Families, as well as from the Federation, and he doos ‘not want too many unusual incidents that could disturb them. Isolated ambushes are ono thing, full fledged street-fighting With its incidental property damage is quite another! If they cannot overwhelm their targets in short order, Markav and thugs will retreat as quickly 2s possible. eke tae oN Ifall goes according to plan, the Captain and Cargomas- ter of the Eridani Star will be ready, at some point, to sign fan agreement with Imri Keros. It will take @ while to draw Up the contract in correct Federation ‘legalese,’ and the for ‘mal signing ceremony willbe postponed untilthe next day. ‘The next day, when the characters arrive at Keroskar for the coremony, the characters will find another aircar parked by the main door. As the characters debark, Solomon Kene ‘and Jack Corrigan will be ushered politely out the door after having been told the bad news, Kane will be tight-lipped, but his first mate will be red: faced and beside himself with rage. He will stride toward the {group with elenched fists and murder in his eye. ("You worm- Fidden scavengers! When I'm through with you, you'll have to look up to Durnian slime-beasts!” (Note: Durnian slime beasts are spineless creatures whose eyes are never more than 10 centimeters off the ground.) When Corrigan is within three or four paces of the group, Kane will catch his arm and push him off toward their own aitcar. In a low, even voice, he will offer his congratulations on their victory. (*Farewoll, gentlemen. The best men appear to have won.") een ee After the contract signing, Keros willinvite the characters to another banquet in colebration of their new partnership This gathering will be much larger and louder than the first. Dozens of Orions will esowd the mansion’s contral courtyard ‘and music will ill the air. The Keros Family liquor stockpiles should be greatly depleted by the evening's end, as toast after toast is offered. ("To Transsolar!”, “To Keros!", “To the Eridani!, ete.) ‘Throughout the party, Keros’ greon-skinned dancer will perform her dagger dances with consummate skill. The en- tertainment will net end until wel after midnight, when Keros will send his weary guests back to their ship. ea ak Later that night, whoever is on duty will be summoned to the ship's airlock, where Imri’s lovely, greon-skinned ‘dancer is waiting. She will be wearing a cloak against the chilly night air, but apparently litle else. She will say that her master has sent her to the Captain “for the evening, as, 2 gift between friends.” (If the Eridani’s captain is feral {the slave girl will be sent to the ranking male officer aboard, ‘along with @ bottle of very rare Saurian brandy for the Cap: tain) In order to get on board the Eridani, tig likely that the Orion slave girl will have to use her seductive charms on the Captain oF ranking officer. The system given below will help the gamemaster determine the success o failure of her at- ‘tempt to seduce the character First, the player must make a Saving Roll against his character's int, modified as shown in the table below. The modifiers apply to the Saving Roll target, and not the dice roll itset. Modifiers For Orion Slave Seduction Rolls For Courtesan’s Skil: Subtract the seductress’ Skill Rating in Carousing or Courtesan. For Charactor’s Race: Race Modifier Human +5 Orion +20 Vulcan +90 Romulan +30 Klingon None For Othor Factors Character not alone +25 Physical barrier botweon characterendslave +30 Characterintoxicated ——10 If the cheracter’s Saving Roll against his modified ivr score is successful, heisunaffected by the slave girl's charms ‘and ean refuse hor entreaty. If, however, the character fails his Saving Roll, he has been Seduced. In this ease, he will allow the Eridani and into his cabin. To determine the rasults of the liaison, the gamemaster should make a series of secret die rolls in the following ordor: 1. A Skill Roll against the character's rating in Carousing averaged with his ckA score. If this roll is successful, the {green-skinned Orion falls in love with her intended victim (2 Ta Captain Kirk). In this case, she immediately confesses that Kano has hired her toll him andtoletthe Wolfen onboerd to slaughter his crew. No further dice rolls are necessary. 2. 8 Skill Roll against the slave gic’s rating in Corousing (Courtesan). A successful roll indicates that the dancer has ‘managed to maneuver the hapless character away from his weapons and onto the bed. An unsuccessful roll means that the character is watchful, and can react to an attack with his weapons, even though he is bedazaled by her charms. 3. A Saving Rall against the character's in. If this Saving Roll is euccoseful, the character will notice the dancer draw= ing her deadly dagger, and he can react with his bere hands! If it ig uneuecasstul, cho will be able to make a free attack with the poisoned dagger concealed under her cloakBOARDED! pee Ifthe dancer manages to kill the Captain, she will move immediately tothe Eridan’s sirlock. There, she will eal with ‘anyone on guard, using the same techniques she used on the Captain. Solomon Kane and his Wolfen are waiting in the dark- ress outside. Once the airlock is open, Kano will send his boarding party in to hunt dawn anyone aboard. Kane will ot board the ship himsott I" they can, Kane's boarding party wil ill every crewmen ‘or passenger they find. Thay will ake no prisoners. Further- more, each Wolfen carries @ patch of cloth with the Kerav Family insignia, They will leave them seatterad around with the bodies, Although “Black Alex” Soloviey, Star Floot’s agont aboard the Werewolf, will not have had the time or ability to warn the characters in advance about Kane's dastardly plan, he will join in the battle on their side; hoping to put {an end to the Werewolt’s crime spree. Ifthey meet with force resistance, they will best arotreat, fleeing to the Werewolr. Kane will flee along with the sur- vivors and blast off for parts unknown, where he will nurse an eternal hatred for anyone connected with the Eridani Star. ‘This should provide some excitement for the player charac ters in the future! Geta eee This section contains @ description of Merkos Kerav's ‘mountaintop estate at Skaroskar. The gamemaster will need it if the players choose to reconnoiter the mountain. Also included is information vital to play in the event that any of the characters have been captured and taken to Kerav’s dun: sgeons. Peet eae) yan) Should the player characters attempt to reconnoiter Kerav’s mountaintop estate, they will need to fly there, unless they are prepared to undertake a long and arduous hike, Skaroskar lies nestled among the mountain ranges of the ‘main continent, more than 300 kilometers south of Daraske. lar Starport. Six-seater aircars can be rented at the Starport control canter for 150 credits a day, no questions asked. However, anyone who wrecks a rented aircar is liable for the CR 30,000 replacement cost. These aircars are largely auto: mated and no Vehicle Operation skills necessary to fly them safely, ‘The characters have two basic choices. They can either try to fly right into Kerav’s secluded estato, or they can land ‘somewhere close by out of sight, planning to make the rest of the trip on foot. The second approach, which is the only fone thet gives the characters a chance to make the desired reconnaisance, is described in the section called The Hike. Ifthe group flies directly toward Skarosker, they will be fired on by a ship-sized disruptor as soon as their aircar is. within sight of the estate. The first shot will miss, but if the characters do not take immediate evasive action away from the mansion, the socond shot will disintegrate thom if it hits (7 or less on a Dio}! Naturally, the mension’s security forces will be placed (on full alert as soon as the aircar is sighted, and anybody trying to reach Sksroskar on foot afterward will run directly (0a well-placed ambush. (Hopefully, the players’ jilbreak- ing skis will be better developed) By flying low (nap-of-the-earth), the cheracters will be able to got within 5 kilometers of the mountain without being dotected. ‘After landing, the characters will have a long, hot, cross- country hike to get within tricorder range of the Kerav man sion. For judging purposes, one character should be desig- rated as the group's leader. Any Star Fleet officer would know that it will be the leader's skill in Small Unit Tactics that can get the player characters to the mansion undetected kouts, Star Fleet Officers would feel thet, with- the group will heve only 1 chance in 6 of ‘making it undetected. ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS ‘The characters will have to survive a S:kilometer walk ‘across rough terrain occupied by the animal and plant life ‘of Daros IV, a planot whose ocology is best characterized as unfriendly and hungry. To determine if any encounters take place on this hike, roll once on the Animal Encounter Table below for every kilometer the group travels. If an encounter with a boast is indicated, the group may avoid it by having fone player make a successful Skill Roll against his rating in Ecology or in Planetary Survival, Desert. Animal Encounter Table DieRoll Encounter 01-60 NoEncounter 61-70 Shadowkiller 7180 Winged Torturers 81-30 SandPit 91-95 Fall; bruised 96-97 Fall; spreinedankle 98-89 Fall: broken leg 00 Fall; concussion ‘Shadowkiller ‘The characters will be attacked by a solitary Morakos {(Shadowkiller), which leaps from beneath an overhanging ledge. It attempts to drop on its prey's beck, pinning the victim to the ground with its weight. Its claws grasp the character, causing 1D10+8 damage points, and it attempts to break its victims neck. The Background information sec- tion gives e complete description. Winged Torturers ‘The group is attacked by 3 Slethii (Winged Torturers). ‘See the Background Information section for a complete di scription of the Slethii. Sand Pit ‘One of the party, chosen at random, will begin to slide down a stoop, sandy slope of a conical pit that opens in the desert floor. The charecter must make a successful Saving Roll against his 0Ex score, or slide into the crushed bones that litter the bottom. Suddenly, as the character slides down- ward, @ Korgasant (Tentacled Mauler) erupts fromthe ground beneath the character's feet. The Background Information section gives a complete description of this beest. The creature will lurch from a hole, waving its claw. equipped limbs. The Korgasant is remarkably quick, attempt- ing to grasp the vietim and draw it to its waiting mandibles. ‘The claws do 2010-4 damage points on each successful attack, and the mandibles will crush the victim to death,Falls One of the characters, chosen at random, slips while climbing out of @ ravine. That charactor must make a success ful Saving Roll against his Dex score to avoid toppling beck down the racky slope. If the Saving Roll falls, the charactor suffers damage, as dotailed below. Unlike the encounters, with the fauna dascribed above, this encounter cannot be avoided by a successful Skill Roll against a character's rating in Ecology or Planetary Survival, Desert Bruises: The character Is lucky and suffers only 1D5 (O10/1), damage in bruises,cuts, and contusions. ‘Sprained Ankle: The character takes 1D10 in damage and sprains an ankle Broken Leg: The charactor takes 1D10 in damage and suffers, ‘broken log. Concussion: Disester! The character takes 3010 in damage and is knocked unconscious for 1D10 hours. TRICORDER SCAN OF SKAROSKAR The tricorder picks up the guards In the watchtowers, the sensors dishes they are using, and the disruptor system immediately. Furthermore, i picks up a power source below ‘the mansion, but it is impossible to detect the type due to interference. ‘Tho tricorder cannot scan anything within the octagonal ‘walls of tie mansion, except at the doors, where the tricorder picks up occasional lite form readings. Any charactor with a Skill Rating of at least 10in Starship Sensors will realize that ‘the building must be shielded against such e scan. Further- mare, the shielding would render it almost invisible to 8 sensor scan from orbit. The character also would be aware that only @ massive amount of material could accomplish ‘this — enough to fill up most of the space between Skaros- kar’s outer walls and the courtyard. If the group moves to within 3 kilometers of Skarosker, ‘there ie a chance that the mansion’s sensors and lookouts will detect them. To determine if the group is spotted, the gamemaster should make a Skill Roll against the group leader's rating in Small Unit Tactics, with a bonus of 20. If ‘none of the characters have a rating in Small Unit Tactics, 10100 roll higher than 20 will cause them to be detected by those in Skarosker. If they are spotted, the group will be ambushed within ‘one kilometer of Skaroskar by a force of 1 household guards ‘armed with disruptors. The guards will be deployed behind rocks all around the characters. A character with a Skill Rating ‘of atleast 10 in Small Unit Tactics should be given a chance to spot the ambush before walking into it by making e suc- ccossful Skill Roll ‘Once the trap is sprung, Korav’s guards will open fire immediately and they will nt cease fring until all the cherac- ters are either Killed, wounded, or have surrendered. Even if the characters win the fight, t should be clear to them that they will be unable to get near enough to Skaroskar to make 2 tieorder reconnaisance. Plein If the characters survive the journay, they will arrive at a rocky outcrop roughly 150 meters west of Skaroskar’s walls Kerav’s hideaway is a lerge, eight-sidad building on a large plateau jutting out from the mountain's north face. There {are no roads to Skaroskar; it appears accessible only by air ‘f by foot. The ground between the rock outcrop and the mansion is devoid of cover. “Tho mansion's outer wal is windowless and roughly 10 meters high. Each of the 8 corners facing away from the mountain are topped by T0-meter-tall, open watchtowors, ach with 8 guard and a sensors dish. Steel-rung ladders climb the walls from a dameless, &-sided, inner courtyard 10 each tower. A Klingon disruptor is mounted on the north ‘wall, Two metal doors sat in the conter ofthe east and west sides are the only entrances in the outer wall. ‘Anyone observing the watchtowers will notice that not all are manned at one time, and thot the lookouts spend ost of their time seanning the sky, not the ground. Despite this, itie obviously impossible to get closer in daylight with out being spotted. (The guards are not that preoccupied with ‘the heavens!) Pre eeu ea) ‘The group will find it impossible to cross the open ‘ground between their hiding place and the mansion’s outer ‘wall safely until Daros IV's bright, white sun has set. Once it is dark, however, the characters will be able to mako ‘across without being seen. Their earlier observations should have alerted them to the only two obvious methods of entry: through the outer doors and over the walls. Even a cursory inspection will reveal that both the outer doors are solidly locked electronically. Obvious ways to bypass the locks include using a phaser either set on dsin- tegrate to vaporize a door or on heat to burn through it. Both ‘ge0m a bit oo obvious, as even the most dull-witted Orion lookout is likely to notice a phaser going off beneath his watchtower. Ifa character decides to try deactivating the lock, he must make @ Skill Roll against the average of his ratings in Electronics Technology and Security Procaduras. Ifthe roll is successful, the door will open, but it will set off an aterm tunless it, 400, is deactivated. If @ character makos an add: nal inspection before opening the door, a second Skill Roll will reveal the alarm, and a third, this time against only the ating In Elactronics Technology, will deactivate the alarm. Opening the door without deactivating the alarm will sum= ‘mon most of Kerav's garrison to the threatened entrance. lf, on the other hand, the characters ean scale the outer wall, they will find that the inner court also has 8 sides, each paralleling the outer walls. The courtyard is paved and tempty, save for 3 aircars parked off to one side. Two doors ‘rom theinner courtyard lead into the walls; they are opposite the outer doors. Ifthe characters climb down into the courtyard, thay will notice that a low hum permeates the air, accompanied by a persistent tremor through the paving beneath their feet. A ‘wicorder scan at this point will reveal that the underground power source is at least one warp drive engine. They also will find that the inside doors are unlocked and have no alarms, WITHIN THE HIDDEN BASE If the group decides to continue on inside Skaroskar, they will discover thet both inner doors open onto corridors running straight through the wallto the outer exits, Turbolifs are located halfway along each corridor. Thero are no other fantrancas or exits. While the characters are within the com- plex, refer to the floor plans of Skaroskar provided and the ‘descriptions found in the Maps section.