Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Messiahs Part One

The Starforged story being told here is the culmination of over a year of playing in my little homemade science fiction toy box. Listed below are the various interconnected chapters where you’ll see several characters mentioned here. I can’t guarantee it’s good writing, but it exists.
Starforged | Starforged: Nexus of Destiny | Starforged: Abyss of Shadows | Starforged: Wrath of the Vok | Sundered Isles

The UPA vessel Concordia emerges from FTL with a burst of cool blue particles. Captain Miranda Kae sits in on the bridge with her crew on a mission they never expected to have. In a rare move, the Trade Enclave cleared a small contingent of UPA ships to enter their space. The reason was a series of incredibly violent raids and attacks that appear to have originated on the mysterious planet Audun. The Enclave has never shared much information about that world, and even this mission doesn’t give Concordia the clearance to go anywhere close to the planet.

The nature of the attacks uses a technology similar to, but different from, the Vok. They are a hybrid cyber-organic species that consumes others and converts their matter to create more Vok, a twisted predatory reproductive cycle. Until now, the Vok had only ever been encountered in UPA space; their exact origin point is unknown. If this is the Vok assaulting the Trade Enclave, it poses an even more significant problem for all known space.

A distress call had come in via a Fortunian Trade Cruiser. They’d spotted some adrift cargo vessel with the same purple-green hull damage associated with Vok weapons. The cruiser stated that the ship did not broadcast a Flight Syndicate license, so it was smugglers or something from outside the Enclave.

With the damaged cargo ship on the viewscreen, Captain Kae orders a full scan. She wants to know where this ship is from and its life signs.

Gather Information – [Miss: 2 + 2 + 0 = 4 vs 9 | 10]

[Pay the Price: You are delayed or put at a disadvantage]

After a few minutes of errors and retrying, the helmsman responds, “They have some kind of shielding that’s preventing our scans from going through, Captain.”

Kae turns to her chief advisor, the refugee Calugar named Abram Katar. Katar had been captured by the Vok during a skirmish at Borges Station. Kae had helped rescue him, and UPA scientists were only able to partially remove the conversions he had undergone. As a Calugar, he is sensitive to the Power, a force of nature believed to be the engine behind the universe.

Kae asks if he can sense anyone down there who may answer why the scans won’t work.

Oracle question: Does Abram sense the person behind this? Odds: Likely. Answer: No

“I…I’m sorry, Miranda. It is like a blind spot, indicating a high level of danger before us.” He answers.

Miranda orders the comms officer to hail the ship.

Oracle question: Do they respond to the hail? Odds: 50/50. Answer: Yes

A man comes on screen. He has brown skin with a red clay-ish tinge, long, wavy black hair, and a matching beard with ceremonial garb. Kae recognizes him as someone the UPA has had on their wanted list for a few months now, Bamiri religious radical leader Rozhan Kane.

He introduces himself, and the captain gives her an introduction: “Yes, I know who you are, Pari Kane,” using the proper title for Bamiri religious leaders. “What brings you this far away from the Bamiri diaspora?”

Oracle: Abandon Belief

“No need for the titles, Captain Kae. I have…changed my position with the Bamiri church in recent months. We are repairing our vessel and require some engineering assistance if you can spare it.” He sounds perfectly reasonable, but Kae has suspicions.

“We attempted to scan your ship but encountered some type of interference. If you know the cause of this and can turn it off, that would greatly help us provide you with help.” Kae watches for his reaction and mentally tells Abram to see if he can sense if Kane is telling the truth or lying.

Secure an Advantage w/Wits – [Miss with a Match: 4 + 2 + 0 = 6 vs 7 | 7]

[Pay the Price: A surprising development complicates your quest]

Abram looks shocked for a moment. “They…they have a Calugar onboard, Miranda. They’ve been masking their thoughts from us this whole time.”

Kane continues, “Your friend is correct. We have already teleported onboard your ship and taken control of your engineering decks. You can verify this with them if you wish.”

Captain Kae turns around in her chair and asks the security chief to ask Lt. Commander Ennis about the status of the engineering decks. A beat. The response is that Ennis is no longer in control. A dozen people teleported in and had taken over, holding the engineering crew hostage.

Captain Kae is fuming, but she needs to remain calm. “You could have just asked, Kane. We would have welcomed you aboard and returned you to UPA space.”

“That is exactly where we do not want to go, Captain. We have a destination deep within the Trade Enclave; as you can see, this ship can’t make that journey any longer. I think yours, having been given clearance by the Enclave, will work just fine.'” Kane says with a slight smirk.

“From the looks of your vessel, we could simply jump to FTL and leave you behind. It would be justified now that you’ve committed a terrorist attack against a UPA ship.” Kae threatens.

Compel w/Iron – [Weak Hit: 6 + 1 + 0 = 7 vs 8 | 4]

“Captain Kae, we don’t wish to be enemies, and I regret we had to take such a drastic action. We knew you would try to take us back to where we left months ago,” Kane continues. I know you cannot understand at this moment. I would suggest your Calugar friend check our thoughts to see that our mission will benefit all known space.”

Kae looks to Abram. “What do you sense?”

Oracle: Contested Route

Abram takes a moment and replies, ” I know this one, Saren. He is trustworthy.” There is a pause. “I cannot say more, Miranda. We have to trust them. They are in conflict with someone who does not know it yet. The outcome of that conflict will shape everything that is to come after. Please trust me.”

Abram has always been honest with Captain Kae. She knows Stellar Command would have her head for this, but she feels there’s little choice. She needs more information, and she suspects they won’t give it up as long as they’re left in their drifting vessel. Miranda arranges to do a series of mass teleportations into the Concordia’s cargo bay if Kane has his invaders in engineering stand down. He says of course.

****

Captain Kae tells Abram to see what he can do about blocking her thoughts from this Saren. She arranges for Rozhan Kane and his top people to meet her in a conference room on Deck 17.

Secure an Advantage w/Shadow – [Weak Hit: 2 + 1 + 0 = 3 vs 10 | 2] – Take +1 to next move

Kae waits for Abram to mentally tell her he is quietly blocking Saren from her thoughts after a few minutes of general conversation with Kane. He’s brought Saren, a four-armed man, a middle-aged woman with a blonde buzzcut, a young man in a bomber jacket, and a very formally addressed woman. Some sort of aristocrat from the Old Imperium?

Kae mentally switches her ocular implants to scan these people for evidence of their intentions. This includes identifying them and cross-checking with UPA databases.

Gather Information – [Miss: 1 + 2 + 1 = 4 vs 7 | 9] – Something truly horrible is revealed

Oracle: Destroy Faction

Rozhan Kane explains that he is not in charge of this mission. That would be Lady Thal, the strangely dressed woman whom he introduces. Kane says he has been forced to split from the Bamiri, but this is something he & his people have agreed to. He now serves the Lady.  

Lady Thal removes her veil and greets Captain Kae. The Lady explains they are in a race to reach the planet Audun. As it is well known, the humans who formed the Old Imperium came from the Trade Enclave. Before the Great Iconoclasm, the spiritual beliefs of the Enclave resembled those of the Imperium quite closely. The mystic order of the ancient world sought communion with the Power and to use it in building a perfect society.

A series of catastrophes and wars destroyed that dream. Those who held true to the old ways departed the Enclave. They went on an odyssey across space, spreading the word of their religion and forming the Mystic Order with its protectors, the Calugar. They also established the Imperium, and Empress Maharnee rose to her seemingly endless reign.

Audun is the planet from which the Calugar believe all life originated. This is why it is also home to the Essence, the mysterious water that gives the native Al Raml tremendous abilities to survive in an inhospitable place. Buried beneath the sands of Audun are the remains of forgotten temples. These are where the Mystic Order originated, and they hold truths about the universe no one alive has ever seen.

Lady Thal believes that if they can access this information, it will explain the Empress’s long-lived nature and how to defeat her. It has something to do with the Skygge, her dark parallels to the Calugar, whose exact origins and twisted use of Power have been a grand mystery in the Imperium. This group was headed to Audun because a celestial event was on the verge of happening.

The rumors of the Najat Dahandeh – “The Messiah From Without” are spreading. Captain Kae acknowledges she has seen mentions in her daily intelligence briefings from headquarters. A figure has risen up on Audun and is leading terrorist attacks on corporate sites where Essence extraction occurs. The belief is that this “messiah” is going to lead his people into taking the city of Dhaknour and gain access to the atomic weapons the Enclave has kept housed in armored vaults for millennia.

Lady Thal calmly explains that such an act is inevitable, bringing war to Audun and likely destroying those fragile relics waiting for recovery beneath the sand. And then there is the wild card presence of the Vok. More rumors say they have already come to Audun, but their true agenda, beyond simply absorbing more consciousness into their collective, is unknown. That brings Thal to the most worrying part.

“A Skygge was traveling with us as a prisoner,” she continues. “We’d captured him during a battle and had been able to control his horrid power. His name is Dreng Wraithus, the poison tongue of the Empress. When the Vok attacked the ship, some teleported aboard and took Wraithus from his holding cell. We are unsure why they want him, but he is dangerous. I can’t bear to think about what might happen if he somehow ends up in control of the Vok or they learn to master his powers.”

“We have to stop them from reaching Audun before us. We must also keep in mind that the Najat is continuing his reign of terror and cannot delay getting to Dhaknour so we can secure or destroy the atomic weapons. I hope you can see how this is all in the interest of your mission and the universe.”

Kae sits in silence. Abram had confirmed in her mind that Lady Thal was not lying. The Captain’s ocular implants need some fine-tuning; they proved worthless in confirming that. The Concordia was sent into Enclave space to protect them from the Vok, so this technically correlates with their mission. She agrees to do it—they will attempt to catch up with the Vok and recapture Wraithus, and they will rush to get to Audun to prevent a potential nuclear holocaust.

Swear an Iron Vow – I vow to recapture Dreng Wraithus from the Vok – challenge level: Dangerous

Swear an Iron Vow – I vow to prevent Audun from being destroyed by nuclear holocaust – challenge level: Formidable

Kae decides the first thing to do is to privately consult with Abram and do a system scan to determine if the Vok has left any trace of their route—their ships emit very specific and toxic energy.

Secure an Advantage w/Wits +1 from Abram’s Vok connection – [Strong Hit: 4 + 2 + 1 = 7 vs 1 | 4] – +2 Momentum and +1 to next Move

[Mark Progress: I vow to recapture Dreng Wraithus from the Vok :2 boxes]

Oracle: Inhabited Vehicle

Abrams’ eyes roll back in his head, and he begins speaking in the collective voice of the Hivemind. The Vok have detected a Flight Syndicate lifeship – where the mutated beings live now that they can no longer survive on planets – with plans to absorb it into the collective. That would be a truly dangerous amount of power.

Set a Course – [Strong Hit: 5 + 5 + 0 = 10 vs 4 | 7] – +1 momentum

The Concordia emerges from FTL to the Flight Syndicate lifeship traveling along its predetermined course. The Vok haven’t arrived yet, but Abram says they are without a doubt headed here. That gives Captain Kae some time to prepare.

The Vok Countdown Clock – 1/4

Oracle question: Are the lifeship crew amenable when informed of the situation? Odds: 50/50 – [Ask the Oracle: No]
Oracle: Foul Cargo

NPC: Housine Elidrissi – Flight Syndicate Chief of Staff
First Look: Wiry, Wounded | Demeanor: Suspicious

A figure comes on screen wearing a large chrome mask with buglike eyes. From Kae’s perspective, his frame is unnaturally thin, a result of being vat-raised and growing up in a zero-g environment. Blood has spilled down in thing rivulets across the mask. Patches of orange hair dot an otherwise smooth scalp. Eventually, all the hair will fall out and never regrow as the person is mutated by concentrated ingestion of Essence.

Kae explains the purpose of their arrival and is met with a scoff from Elidrissi.

“We have enough of our own problems without the Corporate Houses’ little interlopers messing in our affairs,” their voice comes through electronic filters. “They invited you into the Enclave. You can bother them with your disgusting, toxic FTL drives.”

The Flight Syndicate folds space through their use of Essence, a type of psychic space travel. They view the fission-powered FTL drives as primitive and dangerous. Long-term exposure to the radiation from the UPA FTL drives has a negative effect on Syndicate members.

The Vok Countdown Clock – 2/4

Compel w/Heart – [Weak Hit: 1 + 3 + 0 = 4 vs 1 | 6] – Burn Momentum – [Strong Hit: 1 + 3 + 0 = 7 vs 1 | 6] – +1 Momentum

Kae calmly explains what they are attempting to avoid and even transfers files about the Vok’s reproductive cycle to the Syndicate. “They are going to try to make you a part of their collective, and we want to help you avoid that.”

Elidrissi seems convinced but alerts Kae that the Essence they picked up from a resupply station appears to have been tainted. There have been stories that something on Audun has corrupted mining pockets. Thus, this lifeship cannot fold space and get away until this toxin has been removed.

Swear an Iron Vow – I swear to help flush the toxic Essence from the lifeship – Troublesome

Kae asks if she can use her ship’s scanners to analyze the Essence on the lifeship. They can help identify the problem in this way.

Asset: Diplomat – When you Swear an Iron Vow to resolve a dispute, negotiate an agreement, or gather support, add +1.

Gather Information – [Weak Hit: 5 + 2 + 0 = 7 vs 5 | 10] – +1 Momentum

Elidrissi says that should be fine. He seems desperate for help. An analysis of the Essence tanks finds they are corrupted with what first appears to be bacteria. However, on closer inspection these are Vok nanites altering the chemical composition of the fluid. They are using the poisoned Essence to keep this lifeship from making any folds.

[Mark Progress: I swear to help flush the toxic Essence from the lifeship :3 boxes]

Now that the problem has been identified, Kae and her science crew brainstorm ideas for eliminating all the nanites at once. Overloading their circuits seems like a way to force them into a shutdown, and a pulse emitter is constructed for this purpose.

Secure an Advantage w/Heart – [Miss: 1 + 3 + 0 = 4 vs 7 | 4]

The Vok Countdown Clock – 3/4

After a few nanites are disabled, the rest quickly adapt to the pulse emitter, no matter the frequency changes, rendering the device completely moot. Kae doesn’t have time for this. The simplest solution would be to flush the Essence tanks and allow the Concordia to tow the lifeship via tractor beam to the nearest resupply station. They are arrogant, and she doesn’t expect them to be warm to this idea. She applies that ego in how she speaks to them.

Compel w/Heart+1 – [Strong Hit: 4 + 3 + 0 = 7 vs 5 | 4] – +1 Momentum

[Mark Progress: I swear to help flush the toxic Essence from the lifeship :6 boxes]

Kae has one of her helmsmen quickly identify the closest resupply station within the territory of House Enganosa. The tractor beam is secured, and the journey begins before the Vok arrives.

Face Danger w/Edge – [Strong Hit w/Match: 6 + 2 + 0 = 8 vs 2 | 2]

The Concordia brings the lifeship to the station before a single Vok has made an appearance. Kae oversees the resupply of their Essence so they can fold space and easily avoid the cybernetic terror.

[Mark Progress: I swear to help flush the toxic Essence from the lifeship :9 boxes]

Fulfill A Vow – [Weak Hit: 3 + 9 + 0 = 10 vs 6 | 10] – Mark 1 tick on Quests Legacy

One of the science crew points out this problem with tainted Essence is likely not limited to this single lifeship. Kae doesn’t have time for that but has her relay this information to the Flight Syndicate. The Concordia can transmit a decoy distress beacon as it is the infected lifeship. So they wait for the Vok Necroship to emerge and the fight to begin.

Read Part Two here