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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 9600443" data-attributes="member: 11760">Facula Albedo thundered through the canyon on the hoverbike, goggles over his eyes, bandana around his mouth. His poncho flapped behind him as he rode. He had been told that the Mystic Order could be found down this road, that they had a center of learning or base around here. Maybe he'd get lucky and find Itsuki Itch waiting for him.A trio of Murians off to the side of the road waved frantically, waving him down. Albedo slowed his bike cautiously, sizing them up. They were unarmed and looked like some sort of laborer, maybe farmers."What's the matter?" Albedo asked, his bike idling loudly.One Murian waved a pink claw up the hill."A gyii! It's broken in and -- aah!"The top of the low cylindrical building she had been pointing at exploded off and something that moved like an enormous and which shimmered like oil in water looped out of the building and then back in with a sound like rushing water.Albedo gunned his bike, racing up the hill, not hearing the cries from the Murians he left coughing in the dust.By the time he arrived, the gyii was swirling around the building, its scales shimmering and changing as it went, mirroring the appearance of the structure, which now appeared to be wrapped in a wreath of fast-moving water. The beast was not purely snake-like, though: Dozens of feet pitter-pattered across fuel tanks and electrical junctions.Albedo's presence seemed to threaten the creature, which opened its maw, exposing concentric rows of inward facing teeth."Zarq!"Between its camouflage and lightning-fast movements, it was hard to draw a bead on the gyii. And when Albedo squeezed off a shot, it missed.Well, missed the beast, anyway.The fuel tank exploded, tearing a huge chunk out of the creature wound around it. Screaming and on fire, its protective coloration blackened, making it easy for Albedo to finish off.But there was no outpouring of thanks. Instead, the Murian laborers ran past him, trying to put out the fire while others ran into the burning building, seeking to carry out tubs from inside."That was our seed repository!" one howled at a chastened Albedo, watching the farmers seeking to salvage what they could before the seeds for their future planting seasons were all destroyed.Albedo slunk off to his bike and quietly rode it down the hill in neutral, seeking to avoid notice. Once out of earshot, he fired it up and raced away, afraid to look back at the burning farm on the hill.About an hour later, he spotted a cluster of buildings atop a hill overlooking the road. Tired, Albedo  pulled off to see if he might find a place to eat or rest. But the buildings turned out to be the ruins of some sort of religious structure, softened by the passage of centuries and now pitted by modern industrial air pollution. But soft symbols of coronas and swords were still visible. Members of the Mystic Order once walked these ruins, following symbolic stone paths through long-abandoned gardens."He's not here, you know," came a voice from inside the ruins. "He's left the planet."Albedo circled, seeing a slight figure all in gray in the shadows, watching him."If he fled the planet, you wouldn't need to tell me so."A chuckle at that and then the figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a woman, her head shaved, wearing a gray cloak and hood over gray robes. The robes were meant to look humble, but Albedo had grown up humble and knew what humble clothes looked like. Someone had spent a lot of effort to get just this shade of gray, just that cut of the robe for the Mystic Order."Perhaps. But he's not here.""You should be helping me, shouldn't you? Your order took out the contract.""Some of us did. I disagree with Grand Masters Zhing and Jaen. We should handle our problems privately.""And what's the problem this time?""No business of yours."The woman didn't appear hostile, although Albedo noted that the handle of her plasma sword was shiny from where she had wielded it. It was a practical weapon, not one given to ornamentation or meant to look more frightening than it inherently was.He took a step closer, trying charm."Let's start over: I'm Facula Albedo.""Master Jeza Delphinus.""So you're just lurking around here, trying to, what, make sure I don't waste my time going this way?"Delphinus ignored his question and looked up at the line of scar tissue partly hidden by Albedo's eyepatch."That scar. A plasma blade.""Yes," Albedo said, touching his cheek. He pulled up the eyepatch so she could see the empty socket beneath. "But not a Mystic Order blade.""No, obviously not.""Because it's too thin for a Mystic Order sword?""Because if someone from the Mystic Order drew their blade against you, they would have taken your head, not your eye.""Fair enough.""This blade -- you don't look like one of those rich kids who belong to those silly dueling clubs.""No, I wasn't.""But your opponent was?"Albedo shrugged and nodded."And was this a duel?"Albedo shook his head."And did you deserve this wound?""She certainly thought I did."Albedo put the patch back over his missing eye."Not a rich kid's fun and games, then.""No."Albedo paused."Itch is supposed to be one of your best swordsmen. Is that why your order hired an outsider to take him down?"Delphinus looked at Albedo blankly."But he's dangerous.""Not that kind of dangerous.""What other kind is there?""Don't worry about it -- you'll never find him.""We'll see," Albedo said, returning to his bike and starting it up. "I haven't failed yet."[SPOILER="This turn's rolls"]Exploration roll 3: "If your Notoriety is 6 or higher, encounter a Lead. Otherwise, roll once on the Exploration Events table." sighExploration Events table roll 2, then subtable roll 6: "Some Locals ask you to help them hunt down a monstrous creature. They seem reluctant to give you too many details." Now we're talking! I have the choice of success or failure, but choose success: "Defeat the monster (+3 Attack, +1 Defense) to gain 1 Notoriety, but lose 1 Favour. What item or resource are they trying to retrieve from its lair?"Rolled a 1d20 on the Mutated Monster chart in the Game Master's Sci-Fi Toolkit and got a 20: "Flora - Nanocrystals in their skin help them change color, making them hard to spot."Combat roll: I roll a 5+4 for the very OP laser pistols for a 9. The gyii rolls a 6+3, so once again we tie, which the system does not explain. So, we'll roll again. I roll a 4+4 for an 8, the gyii rolls a 3+3 for a six. And down he goes.Destination roll 1: Arrive at a small outpost or enclave run by the minor faction -- the Mystic Order. Choose between searching for anyone who might know the target to gain 1 Favour or speak with a Local work works here and then rest to gain 1 Motivation. I'm obviously picking searching for a lead on Itsuki Itch.Using the Search table for the first time. I roll a 5: "Find a Local who's been paid to keep an eye out for Nomads. Gain 1 Notoriety. What blatant lie do they tell you to hide their true motive?"Speak roll 6 + 2 (half of Favour, rounded up) vs. 4.  So they reveal interesting information. Rolled a 4 for what I learn: "They had a past encounter with a prominent faction leader. What history do they share and how have they both changed?"I suspect I'll be finding a lot of Leads from here on out.[/SPOILER]</blockquote>

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