Peshkera
Surface view
Caverns
Peshkera, the second planet out from its G-type main sequence star, was one of countless planets "discovered" by the Manguai in their first bursts of interstellar exploration and then promptly forgotten when neither it nor any of the other planets in its star system demonstrated either easily accessible resources nor life forms who could be convinced to become clients of their discoverers. It would much later be rediscovered by the Gebela, whose interest in pure science was greater, but even they were inclined to accept the verdict of their patrons that the second planet had next to nothing to offer them, with its acidic atmosphere and barren surface. But then the two peculiarities of this planet were discovered, one that made it fascinating and the other that made it frustrating.
The fascinating aspect was what their ground penetrating sensors revealed. Beneath that storm-wracked surface was a series of vast caverns that contained a breathable oxygen atmosphere, suggesting the presence of water and plant life. Accessing these caverns without exposing them to the hazards of the surface would be difficult, but not impossible. That was where the problem became frustrating. Some unknown factor in the makeup of the planet, whether geological or atmospheric, caused the gravitic thrusters employed by all spacecraft to shut down if they descended below a certain altitude. While other thruster types would still function, they were extremely rare, and constructing them for the sole purpose of exploring one planet was not economically sound.
Therefore, the Gebela explorers eventually set up an orbital platform to study the planet dubbed Peshkera, with generations of scientists passing through to perform their remote studies. It remained in operation even after the Gebela departed from the Imperium in the wake of the Schism Wars, passing into the hands of a scientific firm operated from a Chiraben-settled planet. They were therefore in the right place at the right time to benefit from the development of projective teleportation technology, allowing the first exploration of the caverns. They were everything that the remote observations had indicated, perfectly able to support humanoid life, with fungal growths that proved quite edible.
Just how the decision was made to use these caverns as gigantic unsupervised prison complexes remains somewhat obscure, but the project had been active long before the rise of the Crimson King. The orbital platform was converted into a fortress, from which the prisoners who arrived daily were dispatched by teleportation to the caverns. Exile to Peshkera was frequently framed as a merciful alternative. Rather than being confined or executed, sapients who had demonstrated that they could not or would not function as part of a civilized society were sent to a place where they could not harm those who
could, but where they would also have the liberty to live as they pleased. And that was not even the freedom to starve, for the generous Imperium regularly sent supplies through the teleporter along with new prisoners. The situation has continued right up into the present; if anything, the authorities of the Crimson Imperium have slightly
reduced the number of prisoners who are sent there.
Within the caverns, some of the exiles have succeeded in building a civilization, albeit an
extremely low-tech one, farming the fungi for food and adapting to the darkness. Their settlements often come under assault by other prisoners who have proven themselves too violent to remain and been driven out, in what might seem an ironic echo of their own circumstances. No deliberate weapons are ever sent through the teleporter, but both sides have learned how to adapt farming or crafting implements into improvised ones. These internal struggles would be bad enough, but there are also bizarre sentient and mobile fungal growths haunting the lower caverns, preying on prisoners who stray too far from their communities and sometimes growing bold enough to attack large groups.
All this has led to the development of a class of armed explorers, sometimes just called "venturers", hired by the settlement communities to keep these so-called monsters and bandits in check. These threats cannot reasonably be eliminated, but they can be prevented from growing strong enough to endanger the settlements. In the process, the venturers also often discover new resources and new places to establish settlements. However, that is not all that they have discovered, and some of those discoveries have been new sources of concern for the exile leadership.
In the deeper caverns, there are signs ruins of an earlier civilization, created by a now-vanished sapient species. Where these people came from and where they went remain mysterious, but a handful of art objects have been found that suggest that they resembled the Vizugta people* of the Imperium, but with six fingers on each hand. (The Vizugta within Peshkera who have learned of this are just as mystified as anyone else.) Aside from this art, they have left behind some technological relics that are both highly useful and often quite dangerous, depending on whose hands they end up in. Needless to say, venturers and their patrons are keen to learn more, and so are many bandits.
Early in the history of the Insurgency against the Crimson Imperium, captured insurgents were often sent to Peshkera. While that policy has stopped since Gelesh, with captives now rarely surviving their captivity, this has resulted in the presence of the Insurgency among the exiles. Unfortunately, they are divided between two factions: one seeks to covertly improve conditions within the caverns; the other, under the leadership of someone in the midst of a serious psychological breakdown, seeks to drill to the surface and flood the caverns with the toxic atmosphere, killing everyone within, on the dubious theory that this will cause outrage against the authorities within the Imperium.
One of the most noteworthy venturers, loosely associated with the former group of Insurgents, is a Chiraben woman who goes by the name Callixa Tall, who is keeping a great secret from even her supposed allies. A mystic, possessed of one of the greatest connections to the Source that any Chiraben has ever demonstrated, she was trained by one of the few members of the order to not retreat to their garden or go into hiding, and was on the verge of crafting a laser sword for herself when her mentor was killed by criminals. Seeking to punish them got her captured by the law and sent into exile. While understandably a bit upset about all this, Callixa still seeks to follow the teachings and protect the innocent, but she also hopes to find a way of escape.
That hope was recently both helped and harmed by her latest discoveries. In one particularly dark cave, further down than she had ever before ventured, Callixa discovered a group of creatures who seemed to be made out of living fire who had just come through what seemed to be some sort of free-standing portal. She hid and watched while one extremely large example of the creatures joined them, looked about and made a sound she took for laughter -- frightening, horrible laughter -- before returning through the portal.
The flame creatures headed off down one of the tunnels, but before Callixa could make up her mind about whether to follow them or to see where the portal led, a different group came through it. Another Chiraben woman, a green-skinned android, a rock creature and a drone of some sort. They stood a while talking, and Callixa decided to greet them. "Hello," she said, hand raised and ready to burn. "So, you came from the same place as the bad guys, but you don't
look like them, so I'm going to ask first if you're the good guys. And I hope to Kaos that the answer is yes."
"Well," said Wissen. "We try."
Callixa Tall -- PL 8
Abilities:
STR 0 |
STA 1 |
AGL 5 |
DEX 3 |
FGT 6 |
INT 2 |
AWE 4 |
PRE 2
Powers:
Adapted to Darkness: Senses 1 (low-light vision) - 1 point
Draw On The Source: Impervious Will 8, Limited to mental effects; Regeneration 5 - 9 points
Sense The Source: Enhanced Defense 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Senses 5 (Accurate, Acute, Ranged Danger Sense) - 13 points
Work With The Source: Array (32 points)
- Burn: Perception Range Damage 8, Concentration - 32 points
- Move: Flight 5 (60 MPH); Perception Range Move Object 7 (3 tons), Subtle - 1 points
Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Takedown, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge
Equipment:
Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical).
Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11), Athletics 8 (+8), Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: Galactic 8 (+10), Expertise: Survival 6 (+8), Insight 6 (+10), Intimidation 6 (+8), Perception 7 (+11), Persuasion 8 (+10), Stealth 4 (+9), Technology 5 (+7).
Offense:
Initiative +9
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 0)
Sword +9 (Close Damage 3)
Burn -- (Perception Range Damage 8)
Defense:
Dodge 10/6, Parry 10/6, Fortitude 4, Toughness 6/1, Will 8.
Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 56 + Advantages 13 + Skills 35 + Defenses 8 = 158 points
Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 6
Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Secret (mystic.)
Temptation of Power.
* Such as Derat Bahasta, alias El Diablo Rojo.
