 November 8, 2012 - 5:01am | I was thinking about how the sathar have to negotiate differently with the mechanon this morning. They just cant dominated them in the usual way and look them in the eye and turn them into a sathar agent. Must be a new experience for them to negotiate the old fashioned way. Which would involve sending an envoy to the mechanons. This sounds interesting to me. So I started imagining how would you run this as an adventure? The title suggested itself and since you dont want the PCs to figure out that its the sathar right away you set it up as the X# anniversary of the Battle of Volturnus and every one is sending representatives to Volturnus. Everyone. This way the set up for the PCs is easy- they are security for a mega corp CEO, Royal Marines Guarding Lord Strathmore cousin to the King and 12 in line for the throne (this of course means said Royal Marines would rather die then let anything happen to him), they could be star Law, Space Fleet, Ground Fleet or any other an number of people - perhaps Captain Kleevor of the CFMS Venture is transporting delegates from the CFM board to Volturnus. Anyway its a big celebration and the PCs are there. Into this mix the sathar are covertly sending a envoy to negotiate with the mechanons. One clue that comes to the PCs attention is a Ul-Mor frantically rides to Volkos to inquire if the Sathar have returned. Every one laughs it off but when he mind melds with a PC they see a memory of a sahtar scout ship flying over head and into the distance then the view comes down to the chief who says to the view, "go" in Ul Mor sign language. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 8, 2012 - 5:14am | Since the title is Envoy to Volturnus and it has a double meaning- the envoy the PCs are protecting and the sathar envoy I think this adventure should keep faith with that. So the PCs get launched on this investigation into checking out this sathar scout ship. the investigation leads to the mechanons but they do not have hard evidence yet. Being good investigators doing their due dilligence they attempt to talk to the mechanon and are allowed into Mechanon mound 10 and given audience to the head mechanons which are sitting like an emperor recieving diplomats. naturally for the safety of their leaders warrior mechanona require all guns be left at the door. They get their audience and discover that their is another envoy present, the sathar. This is interesting because they just cant shoot the sathar on sight. they actually have to negotiate with the mechanons against the sathar and sway the dicision their way. The PCs and the sathar might be sent away to a ante-chamber while the mechanon leadership deliberate. in this room they cannot fight but they can talk to the sathar, who is very much on the, "Look into my eye...." thing This would be a chance to trot out some of the new development of the sathar that has gone on. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
November 8, 2012 - 5:24am | Couple more things just hit my brain: 1. I think I'm describing the kick off to the mechanon revolt, it doesn't have to be but could be. If it is then the PCs will fail in their negotiation but they should succeed in something like the mechanon dont kill them out of hand, over the sathar's objection. The Mechanon leadership is sending them back to Volkos with a message straight out of the Amityville Horror, "Get Out." Naturally enough the sathar want the blow up to happen and to kill all the important people attending the celebration at Volkos so a sathar hit team will make a play at intercepting the PCs along the way. If the PCs succeed in the negotiation and avert a mechanon attack then the historic revolt will just have to occur at another time. 2. the sathar could have a prisoner with them: a sessu and the PCs begin to realize that something odd with this one and they may try to rescue him which leads to first contact with that race. The Sessu is being used to try to insinuate a virus into the mechanons its taking time to do this and it will cause them to flip out and kill all biologicals and be the cuase of the revolt. the sessu is just a prisoner and pawn but he could add a new demension to the story. Least of which is that the PCs will have to protect him from everyone else on the planet if they enlist his aid. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 November 10, 2012 - 3:00pm | What you are describing is the first time the Frontier races get to talk to the Sathar on an equal footing. This means the Sathar intentions must be known and the short and long term goals of the Sathar defined at least for the gamemaster. This is one way to go for a different take the whole Sathar conflict. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
