Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
STAR WARS - Dawn of Defiance
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Nebulous" data-source="post: 4507387" data-attributes="member: 31465"><p><span style="font-size: 15px">Adventure #8: Dungeons & Droids</span></p><p><span style="color: red"></span></p><p><span style="color: red">[GM Note: We were down two players this session. Looking over the notes the story seems disjointed, but it flowed much smoother in actual play. A lot happened].</span></p><p></p><p>The adventure picks up immediately after the last episode. A’ath and Thanatos are barely conscious and dragged (gently) by their armpits to the throne room. “Toto” (Warrick Raden—the group’s new slave now) is likewise a mess, nearly killed by a Karg Brother in the arena. Darga the Hutt is very pleased with the results of the gladiatorial match (“HO! HO! HO!”), and he compensates the victors with glittering fire-eye gem necklaces draped over the necks.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/throne.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/igren.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>GOME the moneychanger accepts a big bag of credit chips, and the gammorreans escort him away. Only A’ath remembers the vague hints from the three-eyed chef Grix that Gome the Duros is a loony and a drug addict, and that he might have more intimate knowledge concerning Darga’s business affairs. For now, the moneychanger is ignored because there are more pressing matters.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/gome.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Tomla notices that that the Neimodian IGREN DEMOS stares intently at him with large red eyes…uncomfortably so. The majordomo has never spoken to them directly, and Tomla is not sure what to make of his inquisitive stare. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/demos.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>The heroes soon make their way back to the guest quarters, just as their comlinks blink. It’s ARNO SILVERMINE contacting them. Aboard the Banshee, the pilot wants an update on their progress, and mentions that he has had terrible luck finding a doctor to de-fang the crabheads. In fact, the little bastards have multiplied even more! He has them quarantined in the latrine, with only Luci on the loose, as she seems fine. Arno does not really think that a PC impregnated his pet, but no one knows how long this unknown alien species has been gestating. Arno is very worried about this, but the PCs are not willing to sell Luci’s offspring to the Grix, Darga’s chef. That’s just taking it a step too far. For the time being, Arno Silvermine will lock the beasts in the latrine and keep the PCs updated on activity in the starport. He’s ready to leave as soon as they are.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/spaceport.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Well, the PCs are all alive, if not exactly well, and a few of them are given medical treatment in the guest quarters. They’re able to heal to max within a couple days. The next morning though, Tomla the Jedi is wakened from his trance by a strange dream: a woman’s voice is saying “HELP ME…FIND ME…” He can discern no source of the voice, and does not think that it was a physical voice in his room. Someone, somewhere (maybe somewhere on this whole planet!) needs help. The palad—um—I mean, Jedi is up for the task. </p><p></p><p>A’ath heals fairly quickly over the next day or so with constant attendance by a medical droid. Tomla and Nahee the Duros pilot aren’t hurt nearly as bad, and the Jedi can heal fast anyway. Their main goal is to still learn the nuances of the SARLAAC PROJECT, and from what Darga has said, Imperial representatives should arrive in the next few days. The timeline is uncertain. The group isn’t quite sure what to do, so they play casual and soak in the atmosphere, with Nahee throwing back some drinks in the throne room and listening in on the Gamorrean Guards again, who seem to be a wealth of gossip.</p><p></p><p>“Me lost bad,” one mutters dejectedly. </p><p></p><p>“Me won good,” the other says, smirking. Apparently, two of the gladiators are still alive: one of the Karg brothers and the Rodian warrior survived the battle. Their current whereabouts are unknown, and the party does fear revenge. But the question is, would they dare assault them in Darga’s own palace, under his roof? Or just call it quits and be glad they’re alive? They’re mostly worried about the surviving Gammorean, who might be motivated for revenge more than the other. The Rodian actually played by the rules until the odds turned against him. </p><p></p><p>The next morning Six-Six arrives separately at the door of Tomla, Nahee and A’ath. He brings GIFTS from Darga the Hutt, and they are no less than ready and willing Twi’lek whores! They’re from Darga’s personal harem, which means they just sit in his lap in bikinis. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/twi1.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/twi2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/twi3.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><span style="color: red">[GM Note: A prostitute saying “Yum! Ithorian!” provoked the Jedi response of “You will remember that I’m quite large,” Mind Trick]</span></p><p></p><p>No, the Jedi is not particularly interested in Darga’s “gift”, although Nahee and A’ath accept the offer. It would have been rude not to, of course.</p><p></p><p>They still don’t know exactly what to do, so they settle down and absorb the laid back atmosphere of the palace, basking in the fact that Darga likes them so far. They find it highly ironic actually that the Hutt has come to like them so much, when in fact the five heroes are the most dangerous people in the palace, and the biggest threat to the Hutt’s empire. After a day of recuperating, Six-Six approaches Nep’Tuk and A’ath (and these two characters specifically) and tells them that he would like to speak with them privately in the AVIARY. </p><p></p><p>So…to the aviary.</p><p></p><p>Strange birds chirp in their roosts, eyeing them and hopping foot to foot.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/bird.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/bird2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>A’ath has seen the aviary while wandering around the palace, but never actually entered it. The smell of wet vegetation strikes him, mixed with loam and rot and moldy feathers. Odd birds watch over their conversation, but Six Six says that they will be safe here in the aviary; no one around to observe. </p><p></p><p>Six Six then admits that he has TWO masters, one of whom is obviously DARGA…</p><p></p><p>…but the second master the party knows…SWITCH the Gangster Droid on Zel Nonn Station! </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/switch.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>How about that. As it happens, Six Six has been monitoring communication signals leaving the palace, and has found an encrypted signal that Switch cannot crack. Previous communication between Six Six and Switch alerted Switch to the presence of A’ath and Nep’Tuk on Zarra. Long ago in adventure #2, the droid gangster Switch asked them to be his informants, but only A’ath and Nep’Tuk agreed, probably never intending to follow up on the verbal contract. But Switch the Gangster has contacts on Cato Neimoida, and wants feedback from his informants. In particular, Six Six has copied the encrypted info from the palace to an Imperial transponder, but Switch is unable to crack the code.</p><p></p><p>But Nep’Tuk is good enough to do it. The Sullustan pores over the microchip, hacking through the security measures and finally unveils that Igren Demos, the Hutt’s majordomo, has been sending late night messages to an Imperial transponder well outside of the solar system. The information conveys details about Darga’s slaves, the quality of the slaves, and mention of “A PRISONER…”</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/demos.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>At this juncture, they’re not sure if Igren Demos is working against Darga or not. They keep the information to themselves though for future use. Poor Darga; he’s surrounded by traitors and spies, and ironically he trusts the PCs more than anyone! </p><p></p><p>After Six-Six is given a copy of the decrypted information, he casually mentions the droid race, and whether the PCs are attending or betting. Apparently, Darga is a big fan of a fast-paced and violent race that features remote-controlled droids. It takes place in the gladiatorial pit. Nahee the Sullustan does some snooping around the throne room again, listening in on the guards, and one mentions that GARG hasn’t recovered yet from the last droid race; his brain is jelly. Sounds great, and they decide right away to not get involved personally in this event. They keep poking around for clues, and since this is the third day of their visit at the palace, many of the regulars are getting used to seeing them around. They find out that Darga is VERY pleased with PCs, and as they see that he is surrounded by traitors or liars or spies. Maybe that just comes with the territory of being a crime lord.</p><p></p><p>A short while later Six Six returns to their rooms with good news. They’ve impressed Darga so much that he trusts them with special passcards, enabling them to secret entrances to their guest rooms! Later, a widespread lucky INT check reveals that the card might access lifts and doors other than the obvious ones…This will come in useful very soon. </p><p></p><p>But in the meantime - DROID RACE!</p><p></p><p>This was fun. Because Nahee eavesdropped on the Gammorean Guards again (they’re a constant source of tabloid information) and learned that the last gammorean loser hasn’t recovered yet, the party is very wary and they refuse Darga’s offer to join in his race. Not a problem really, Darga doesn’t mind if they just watch, and four other individuals including Igren Demos and Grix the Chef are asked to pilot droids. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/droid2.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>TA-TONK-A-DONK is Darga’s prize droid. They’re technology from the Outer Fringe, never fully explored outside of Darga’s palace. Igren Demos is a driver, and the party learns that he is a frequent participant in the droid racing and often wins (with his +5 Int bonus). Without further ado, the racers don their helmets and goggles and the race begins! Each player rolled for one of the combatants in the race, and by pure luck, Igren Demos is knocked out in the second lap, his droid exploding into a ball of flame. The majorodomo is rocked to his knees from the psychic backlash, and the fat Hutt laughs. </p><p></p><p>I’ll spare the details of the race, but ultimately it is the chef Grix that wins, and he is given a reward by Darga, amid much clapping and cheering. </p><p></p><p>Later the next morning, the whispers continue. “HELP ME…FIND ME…” Tomla is disturbed by this but doesn’t know what to do. They start wondering if they should inspect the dungeons, but don’t think that they’ll be welcome there. The group returns to the Throne room, and just as Darga is asking how they are enjoying their stay at the palace, a group of armed men boldly struts through the front doors. There are three humans and one black-furred Wookie who looks particularly ugly and vile, a permanent sneer on his hairy lips. This is the Iron Ring slavers, and they have a group of chained aliens behind them, all of whom look miserable and malnourished. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/slavers.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>They slavers are extremely angry with Darga the Hutt, blaming him for the poor quality of the slaves they purchased from him. They want a refund. Darga is even angrier for these guys barging into his home and making demands, and the argument begins to escalate. Darga rolls his eyes at the PCs, and A’ath takes the initiative and steps into the conversation, instigating a Skill Challenge [I still don’t fully understand how these are supposed to work, but they needed 3 Successes before 3 Failures; it worked reasonably well, with some tension and creativity]. Players make their arguments based on Social Sciences and Persuasion, and the Jedi uses the Force to discern that it would be more difficult to make Darga change his mind than the slave traders. Darga would never allow himself to look weak in his court.</p><p></p><p>Ultimately, the PCs convince the slavers that there are other avenues to sell the slaves, and that they should leave. As they’re leaving, A’ath spots one of the female twi’lek slaves flipping a small pill into Darga’s gem-encrusted wine goblet on the table. He immediately tells Six-Six what he saw, Darga overhears, and the guards are ordered to close the doors before the slavers leave!</p><p></p><p>Uh oh.</p><p></p><p>The situation turns ugly as accusations fly, but A’ath does not point out exactly who put the pill in the wine. In fact, there’s no proof at all, and the human slavers are adamant that they did nothing wrong. The female twi’lek stares at her feet, but both A’ath and Nahee see sweat beading her forehead. Guilty.</p><p></p><p>Darga isn’t letting up though, and the slavers are routed to an interrogation room. The wine goblet is taken away under A’ath’s supervision, and they are able to do a simple chemical analysis on it. Sure enough, there is a foreign substance in the wine that registers as a mild poison. Nothing fatal, but it would have sickened the Hutt. Ultimately though, in an interesting decision, A’ath decides not to blame the female slave for planting the poison, but one of the human slavers instead! Cries of outrage nearly erupt into a gunfight, but the slavers are outnumbered. The human is torn away from the group, and the others are told to leave. But with one caveat: the slaves must remain with Darga. The Iron Ring slavers are just glad to still have their lives.</p><p></p><p>The black furred Wookie growls menacingly at them…</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/wook.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Once the group has returned to the guest quarters they call Six-Six and ask him to bring the twi’lek slave to A’ath. The reason is for questioning, but A’ath makes it look like sex. Why else would he want her? Six-Six complies, saying that Darga will gladly and permanently give A’ath the slave for free. He owes them for all their help and is very appreciative. This brings their slave total up to two! Toto has some company now.</p><p></p><p>The slave girl answers their questions easily, and says that she was forced by her masters to poison Darga, but she messed up the timing. Having Darga sick might have given them advantage in the negotiations. The twi’lek slave is clear about how much she hates Darga and wouldn’t mind seeing him sick…or worse. </p><p></p><p>They eventually learn that the human slaver blamed for the poisoning was fed to Darga’s pet dianoga, the same one they dealt with last session. He has a Snack Pool where he occasionally throws victims to the beast to watch them be drowned and devoured. </p><p>Yes, Darga enjoys his little games very much.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/pool.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>By now, the group isn’t quite sure what to do. They have to stick around until the Imperials arrive because that is the best way to learn about the mysterious Sarlaac Project. The group decides to wander around the palace and try out their new datakey. As fortune would have it, the key allows them to unlock special turbolift access. Previous levels coded as Red turn Green. They descend well past the upper dungeon levels, and the door slides open to reveal a dark hallway. Flicking florescent lights reveal a floor that is grimy and wet, and they hear water plopping into puddles. To their left is a locked metal door, but the passage to their right opens up into a larger prison room with multiple cells. Apparently, they’ve found a sublevel of the palace that they should not have been able to enter. </p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/prison.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>But they’re not alone down here. There is one occupant behind the bars: an older human female, maybe in her fifties or sixties, lying comatose on a dirty hospital bed. Her chest slowly rises and falls, and there are intravenous chemicals hooked into her. It appears to be a life support system. Tomla tries to contact her mentally, but the woman seems to be on some sort of feedback loop saying “HELP ME…FIND ME…” and cannot answer. There is a lock on the door that could be broken, but they decide that IF they rescue this woman, their stay at the palace will effectively be over. Furthermore, without getting inside the cell, they can’t adequately inspect the monitors to see if she would die without them or not.</p><p></p><p>They decide to leave before they’re caught. </p><p></p><p>Tomla, A’ath and Nahee take the turbolift back to the main level, unseen by anyone, and they’re almost back to the guest quarters when they spot Gome the Moneychanger. He’s mumbling to himself and acting weird, and then he verbally counts the PCs and taps a number into his datapad. Gome enters his apartment, but Tomla plants a simple suggestion in his mind: “Follow us to our room.” A few seconds later the door opens and a befuddled Gome exits, shambling down the hall after the party without a question.</p><p></p><p><img src="http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/gome.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Once back at their room, they quickly determine that Gome is not exactly crazy or drug-addled at all. He’s highly autistic, a Duros Rainman, and is a masterful counter. In fact, he counts everything all the time, no matter what or where, and enters it into his datapad. They keep him busy counting the tiles in the floor while the group talks among themselves about what they should ask regarding Darga’s business. </p><p></p><p>In due time, they learn that Darga is dealing Tibanna gas with the Imperials, and that it is being mined on Bespin, also known as Cloud City. Tibanna gas is used for blaster bolts and larger turbobatteries on spaceships. It is a very expensive commodity, and Gome says that it has made Darga very rich (“Very rich, very rich, definitely very rich, very rich.”) They mention the Sarlaac Project, but Gome doesn’t know anything about that, other than it is a nasty, icky monster. They don’t have any more information on the Sarlaac Project, but then they start thinking about the name itself. The Sarlaac is a huge monster that dwells under the sand. The Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine is the most famous example. Could such a creature be on Cloud City? And what would Darga and the Imperials want to do with it?</p><p></p><p>They also learn from Gome that Darga has a place to stay at Cloud City and sometimes oversees the mining process. They wonder why the Imperials would deal with him in the first place and not just take the facility for themselves and mine the Tibanna gas. Maybe there’s more to it than they understand. </p><p></p><p>This is about where the session ended. The group has some new clues, and some new mysteries. Who is the old woman in the dungeon hooked to life support? Why does the Empire need such huge quantities of Tibanna Gas? What exactly is this Sarlaac Project? Soon enough the Imperial Liaison will be arriving and some of these questions might be answered. </p><p></p><p>In the meantime, they keep their eyes and ears open and never stop watching their backs. </p><p></p><p>GAME TIME: About 4 hours.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nebulous, post: 4507387, member: 31465"] [size=4]Adventure #8: Dungeons & Droids[/size] [color=red] [GM Note: We were down two players this session. Looking over the notes the story seems disjointed, but it flowed much smoother in actual play. A lot happened].[/color] The adventure picks up immediately after the last episode. A’ath and Thanatos are barely conscious and dragged (gently) by their armpits to the throne room. “Toto” (Warrick Raden—the group’s new slave now) is likewise a mess, nearly killed by a Karg Brother in the arena. Darga the Hutt is very pleased with the results of the gladiatorial match (“HO! HO! HO!”), and he compensates the victors with glittering fire-eye gem necklaces draped over the necks. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/throne.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/igren.jpg[/img] GOME the moneychanger accepts a big bag of credit chips, and the gammorreans escort him away. Only A’ath remembers the vague hints from the three-eyed chef Grix that Gome the Duros is a loony and a drug addict, and that he might have more intimate knowledge concerning Darga’s business affairs. For now, the moneychanger is ignored because there are more pressing matters. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/gome.jpg[/img] Tomla notices that that the Neimodian IGREN DEMOS stares intently at him with large red eyes…uncomfortably so. The majordomo has never spoken to them directly, and Tomla is not sure what to make of his inquisitive stare. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/demos.jpg[/img] The heroes soon make their way back to the guest quarters, just as their comlinks blink. It’s ARNO SILVERMINE contacting them. Aboard the Banshee, the pilot wants an update on their progress, and mentions that he has had terrible luck finding a doctor to de-fang the crabheads. In fact, the little bastards have multiplied even more! He has them quarantined in the latrine, with only Luci on the loose, as she seems fine. Arno does not really think that a PC impregnated his pet, but no one knows how long this unknown alien species has been gestating. Arno is very worried about this, but the PCs are not willing to sell Luci’s offspring to the Grix, Darga’s chef. That’s just taking it a step too far. For the time being, Arno Silvermine will lock the beasts in the latrine and keep the PCs updated on activity in the starport. He’s ready to leave as soon as they are. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/spaceport.jpg[/img] Well, the PCs are all alive, if not exactly well, and a few of them are given medical treatment in the guest quarters. They’re able to heal to max within a couple days. The next morning though, Tomla the Jedi is wakened from his trance by a strange dream: a woman’s voice is saying “HELP ME…FIND ME…” He can discern no source of the voice, and does not think that it was a physical voice in his room. Someone, somewhere (maybe somewhere on this whole planet!) needs help. The palad—um—I mean, Jedi is up for the task. A’ath heals fairly quickly over the next day or so with constant attendance by a medical droid. Tomla and Nahee the Duros pilot aren’t hurt nearly as bad, and the Jedi can heal fast anyway. Their main goal is to still learn the nuances of the SARLAAC PROJECT, and from what Darga has said, Imperial representatives should arrive in the next few days. The timeline is uncertain. The group isn’t quite sure what to do, so they play casual and soak in the atmosphere, with Nahee throwing back some drinks in the throne room and listening in on the Gamorrean Guards again, who seem to be a wealth of gossip. “Me lost bad,” one mutters dejectedly. “Me won good,” the other says, smirking. Apparently, two of the gladiators are still alive: one of the Karg brothers and the Rodian warrior survived the battle. Their current whereabouts are unknown, and the party does fear revenge. But the question is, would they dare assault them in Darga’s own palace, under his roof? Or just call it quits and be glad they’re alive? They’re mostly worried about the surviving Gammorean, who might be motivated for revenge more than the other. The Rodian actually played by the rules until the odds turned against him. The next morning Six-Six arrives separately at the door of Tomla, Nahee and A’ath. He brings GIFTS from Darga the Hutt, and they are no less than ready and willing Twi’lek whores! They’re from Darga’s personal harem, which means they just sit in his lap in bikinis. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/twi1.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/twi2.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/twi3.jpg[/img] [color=red][GM Note: A prostitute saying “Yum! Ithorian!” provoked the Jedi response of “You will remember that I’m quite large,” Mind Trick][/color] No, the Jedi is not particularly interested in Darga’s “gift”, although Nahee and A’ath accept the offer. It would have been rude not to, of course. They still don’t know exactly what to do, so they settle down and absorb the laid back atmosphere of the palace, basking in the fact that Darga likes them so far. They find it highly ironic actually that the Hutt has come to like them so much, when in fact the five heroes are the most dangerous people in the palace, and the biggest threat to the Hutt’s empire. After a day of recuperating, Six-Six approaches Nep’Tuk and A’ath (and these two characters specifically) and tells them that he would like to speak with them privately in the AVIARY. So…to the aviary. Strange birds chirp in their roosts, eyeing them and hopping foot to foot. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/bird.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/bird2.jpg[/img] A’ath has seen the aviary while wandering around the palace, but never actually entered it. The smell of wet vegetation strikes him, mixed with loam and rot and moldy feathers. Odd birds watch over their conversation, but Six Six says that they will be safe here in the aviary; no one around to observe. Six Six then admits that he has TWO masters, one of whom is obviously DARGA… …but the second master the party knows…SWITCH the Gangster Droid on Zel Nonn Station! [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/switch.jpg[/img] How about that. As it happens, Six Six has been monitoring communication signals leaving the palace, and has found an encrypted signal that Switch cannot crack. Previous communication between Six Six and Switch alerted Switch to the presence of A’ath and Nep’Tuk on Zarra. Long ago in adventure #2, the droid gangster Switch asked them to be his informants, but only A’ath and Nep’Tuk agreed, probably never intending to follow up on the verbal contract. But Switch the Gangster has contacts on Cato Neimoida, and wants feedback from his informants. In particular, Six Six has copied the encrypted info from the palace to an Imperial transponder, but Switch is unable to crack the code. But Nep’Tuk is good enough to do it. The Sullustan pores over the microchip, hacking through the security measures and finally unveils that Igren Demos, the Hutt’s majordomo, has been sending late night messages to an Imperial transponder well outside of the solar system. The information conveys details about Darga’s slaves, the quality of the slaves, and mention of “A PRISONER…” [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/demos.jpg[/img] At this juncture, they’re not sure if Igren Demos is working against Darga or not. They keep the information to themselves though for future use. Poor Darga; he’s surrounded by traitors and spies, and ironically he trusts the PCs more than anyone! After Six-Six is given a copy of the decrypted information, he casually mentions the droid race, and whether the PCs are attending or betting. Apparently, Darga is a big fan of a fast-paced and violent race that features remote-controlled droids. It takes place in the gladiatorial pit. Nahee the Sullustan does some snooping around the throne room again, listening in on the guards, and one mentions that GARG hasn’t recovered yet from the last droid race; his brain is jelly. Sounds great, and they decide right away to not get involved personally in this event. They keep poking around for clues, and since this is the third day of their visit at the palace, many of the regulars are getting used to seeing them around. They find out that Darga is VERY pleased with PCs, and as they see that he is surrounded by traitors or liars or spies. Maybe that just comes with the territory of being a crime lord. A short while later Six Six returns to their rooms with good news. They’ve impressed Darga so much that he trusts them with special passcards, enabling them to secret entrances to their guest rooms! Later, a widespread lucky INT check reveals that the card might access lifts and doors other than the obvious ones…This will come in useful very soon. But in the meantime - DROID RACE! This was fun. Because Nahee eavesdropped on the Gammorean Guards again (they’re a constant source of tabloid information) and learned that the last gammorean loser hasn’t recovered yet, the party is very wary and they refuse Darga’s offer to join in his race. Not a problem really, Darga doesn’t mind if they just watch, and four other individuals including Igren Demos and Grix the Chef are asked to pilot droids. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/droid2.jpg[/img] TA-TONK-A-DONK is Darga’s prize droid. They’re technology from the Outer Fringe, never fully explored outside of Darga’s palace. Igren Demos is a driver, and the party learns that he is a frequent participant in the droid racing and often wins (with his +5 Int bonus). Without further ado, the racers don their helmets and goggles and the race begins! Each player rolled for one of the combatants in the race, and by pure luck, Igren Demos is knocked out in the second lap, his droid exploding into a ball of flame. The majorodomo is rocked to his knees from the psychic backlash, and the fat Hutt laughs. I’ll spare the details of the race, but ultimately it is the chef Grix that wins, and he is given a reward by Darga, amid much clapping and cheering. Later the next morning, the whispers continue. “HELP ME…FIND ME…” Tomla is disturbed by this but doesn’t know what to do. They start wondering if they should inspect the dungeons, but don’t think that they’ll be welcome there. The group returns to the Throne room, and just as Darga is asking how they are enjoying their stay at the palace, a group of armed men boldly struts through the front doors. There are three humans and one black-furred Wookie who looks particularly ugly and vile, a permanent sneer on his hairy lips. This is the Iron Ring slavers, and they have a group of chained aliens behind them, all of whom look miserable and malnourished. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/slavers.jpg[/img] They slavers are extremely angry with Darga the Hutt, blaming him for the poor quality of the slaves they purchased from him. They want a refund. Darga is even angrier for these guys barging into his home and making demands, and the argument begins to escalate. Darga rolls his eyes at the PCs, and A’ath takes the initiative and steps into the conversation, instigating a Skill Challenge [I still don’t fully understand how these are supposed to work, but they needed 3 Successes before 3 Failures; it worked reasonably well, with some tension and creativity]. Players make their arguments based on Social Sciences and Persuasion, and the Jedi uses the Force to discern that it would be more difficult to make Darga change his mind than the slave traders. Darga would never allow himself to look weak in his court. Ultimately, the PCs convince the slavers that there are other avenues to sell the slaves, and that they should leave. As they’re leaving, A’ath spots one of the female twi’lek slaves flipping a small pill into Darga’s gem-encrusted wine goblet on the table. He immediately tells Six-Six what he saw, Darga overhears, and the guards are ordered to close the doors before the slavers leave! Uh oh. The situation turns ugly as accusations fly, but A’ath does not point out exactly who put the pill in the wine. In fact, there’s no proof at all, and the human slavers are adamant that they did nothing wrong. The female twi’lek stares at her feet, but both A’ath and Nahee see sweat beading her forehead. Guilty. Darga isn’t letting up though, and the slavers are routed to an interrogation room. The wine goblet is taken away under A’ath’s supervision, and they are able to do a simple chemical analysis on it. Sure enough, there is a foreign substance in the wine that registers as a mild poison. Nothing fatal, but it would have sickened the Hutt. Ultimately though, in an interesting decision, A’ath decides not to blame the female slave for planting the poison, but one of the human slavers instead! Cries of outrage nearly erupt into a gunfight, but the slavers are outnumbered. The human is torn away from the group, and the others are told to leave. But with one caveat: the slaves must remain with Darga. The Iron Ring slavers are just glad to still have their lives. The black furred Wookie growls menacingly at them… [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/wook.jpg[/img] Once the group has returned to the guest quarters they call Six-Six and ask him to bring the twi’lek slave to A’ath. The reason is for questioning, but A’ath makes it look like sex. Why else would he want her? Six-Six complies, saying that Darga will gladly and permanently give A’ath the slave for free. He owes them for all their help and is very appreciative. This brings their slave total up to two! Toto has some company now. The slave girl answers their questions easily, and says that she was forced by her masters to poison Darga, but she messed up the timing. Having Darga sick might have given them advantage in the negotiations. The twi’lek slave is clear about how much she hates Darga and wouldn’t mind seeing him sick…or worse. They eventually learn that the human slaver blamed for the poisoning was fed to Darga’s pet dianoga, the same one they dealt with last session. He has a Snack Pool where he occasionally throws victims to the beast to watch them be drowned and devoured. Yes, Darga enjoys his little games very much. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/pool.jpg[/img] By now, the group isn’t quite sure what to do. They have to stick around until the Imperials arrive because that is the best way to learn about the mysterious Sarlaac Project. The group decides to wander around the palace and try out their new datakey. As fortune would have it, the key allows them to unlock special turbolift access. Previous levels coded as Red turn Green. They descend well past the upper dungeon levels, and the door slides open to reveal a dark hallway. Flicking florescent lights reveal a floor that is grimy and wet, and they hear water plopping into puddles. To their left is a locked metal door, but the passage to their right opens up into a larger prison room with multiple cells. Apparently, they’ve found a sublevel of the palace that they should not have been able to enter. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/prison.jpg[/img] But they’re not alone down here. There is one occupant behind the bars: an older human female, maybe in her fifties or sixties, lying comatose on a dirty hospital bed. Her chest slowly rises and falls, and there are intravenous chemicals hooked into her. It appears to be a life support system. Tomla tries to contact her mentally, but the woman seems to be on some sort of feedback loop saying “HELP ME…FIND ME…” and cannot answer. There is a lock on the door that could be broken, but they decide that IF they rescue this woman, their stay at the palace will effectively be over. Furthermore, without getting inside the cell, they can’t adequately inspect the monitors to see if she would die without them or not. They decide to leave before they’re caught. Tomla, A’ath and Nahee take the turbolift back to the main level, unseen by anyone, and they’re almost back to the guest quarters when they spot Gome the Moneychanger. He’s mumbling to himself and acting weird, and then he verbally counts the PCs and taps a number into his datapad. Gome enters his apartment, but Tomla plants a simple suggestion in his mind: “Follow us to our room.” A few seconds later the door opens and a befuddled Gome exits, shambling down the hall after the party without a question. [img]http://www.med.unc.edu/~saasha/DoD/gome.jpg[/img] Once back at their room, they quickly determine that Gome is not exactly crazy or drug-addled at all. He’s highly autistic, a Duros Rainman, and is a masterful counter. In fact, he counts everything all the time, no matter what or where, and enters it into his datapad. They keep him busy counting the tiles in the floor while the group talks among themselves about what they should ask regarding Darga’s business. In due time, they learn that Darga is dealing Tibanna gas with the Imperials, and that it is being mined on Bespin, also known as Cloud City. Tibanna gas is used for blaster bolts and larger turbobatteries on spaceships. It is a very expensive commodity, and Gome says that it has made Darga very rich (“Very rich, very rich, definitely very rich, very rich.”) They mention the Sarlaac Project, but Gome doesn’t know anything about that, other than it is a nasty, icky monster. They don’t have any more information on the Sarlaac Project, but then they start thinking about the name itself. The Sarlaac is a huge monster that dwells under the sand. The Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine is the most famous example. Could such a creature be on Cloud City? And what would Darga and the Imperials want to do with it? They also learn from Gome that Darga has a place to stay at Cloud City and sometimes oversees the mining process. They wonder why the Imperials would deal with him in the first place and not just take the facility for themselves and mine the Tibanna gas. Maybe there’s more to it than they understand. This is about where the session ended. The group has some new clues, and some new mysteries. Who is the old woman in the dungeon hooked to life support? Why does the Empire need such huge quantities of Tibanna Gas? What exactly is this Sarlaac Project? Soon enough the Imperial Liaison will be arriving and some of these questions might be answered. In the meantime, they keep their eyes and ears open and never stop watching their backs. GAME TIME: About 4 hours. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
STAR WARS - Dawn of Defiance
Top