PWM: Sanguine Dust, Chapter 7
Chasing the Overseer
Sanguine Dust: Table of Contents
First, I’d just like to thank and welcome any new subscribers. My previous post about Game Master Emulators exploded with views and a handful of subscribers, which I appreciate. Look for a part 2 in October.
I’m going to summarize the previous campaign arc so this can be a good starting point if you don’t feel like going back. That said, here is the table of contents if you’re interested, as well as Session 0, where this campaign began. If you did read chapters 1-6, feel free to skip the “Previously…” section.
Previously on Sanguine Dust…
Shen Braddock, codename Coyote, is one of the Ironsworn, those who take vows to help others. His friend, Crash sent him a message asking for help as he was stuck in a settlement called Tranquility, due to some kind of disease that was spreading through the settlement.
Shen took his trusty ship, Nomad Drifter, and made his way to Tranquility through a series of Faster-Than-Light jumps. He met another ship, Stardust, coming from the settlement. He provided medical supplies but unfortunately found himself infected and ill.
He hurried to Tranquility, arriving but not allowed to dock as the settlement was under lock down. He managed to contact a smuggler and convinced them to allow him to dock under the radar. Looking for Crash, he found out his friend was under quarantine due to being infected. All those who were infected were being kept, basically imprisoned, in an old church. He went to the overseer, Tern, to try to get some help, but was thrown into quarantine as well. He found Crash and together, they managed to escape, sneak back onto the Nomad Drifter, and head for the ocean planet Lotan, nearby, where Shen had learned the infection had started.
They landed on a research outpost, found signs there was an ancient precursor settlement, and took a sub down to explore it. It was a huge undersea structure, and Shen found the overseer Tern had once been a lead scientist down here, experimenting on humans, and had in fact, developed the very infection that was now spreading throughout the sector. Crash grew very ill, but Shen found the cure, which used a material found in the depths of Lotan’s oceans.
Crash was cured, and they left Lotan to go back to Tranquility, bringing with them the knowledge of the cure as well as the material needed.
They tried to fly under the radar but Tranquility was waiting. They were quickly locked onto and fired upon. Shen sent out a message and convinced them to hold their fire, as they had the cure.
Tern and his crew of soldiers and scientists boarded the Nomad Drifter, took the data and material with them, and left. Tern agreed to let Shen dock, resupply and repair the ship, but took Crash as insurance. Shen kept a flashdrive with the information gathered from Lotan hidden so it wasn’t taken.
On Tranquility, Shen repaired the ship and gathered supplies while learning about a rebellion growing against Tern. He met the leader, Althus, and made a plan. He would kill Tern.
Shen let himself be taken to Tern and then tried to kill him. It was going well, he’d taken down Tern’s guards and released Crash. They had Tern unarmed and hiding behind his desk.
But then…Tern threw fire from his hands, hurling Shen and Crash into the wall.
They tried to escape but were taken in the attempt, and locked in a dungeon. Shen was taken to a medical lab and experimented on. He nearly died.
After, with Crash’s help, they were able to get free and escape. They found the rebels and received medical care. Then, they made a plan with Althus, focusing on rescuing those from the quarantine, hitting the communications center which would force many of Tern’s soldiers to respond, leaving him vulnerable.
It worked, a series of pitched battles, hitting quick and hitting hard. The rebels freed the infected, took the comms center, and Tern’s headquarters.
Unfortunately, Tern escaped in his ship, jumping to FTL speed.
Knowing the tyrant would certainly return, Shen swore a vow to kill him, and went after him. He would be able to follow, jump to jump, but he had no idea of the overseer’s final destination…
Sanguine Dust, Chapter 7: Chasing the Overseer
That first undocking, the big airlock doors creaking open, the Nomad Drifter floating through, the doors closing behind, and then the outer doors opening, the view into space starting in a narrow line and growing, the vast blackness before him on the viewscreen, getting wider and wider, as the Nomad Drifter floated out of the dock, until the blackness was everywhere, all around, with bits and points of light scattered, he felt overwhelmed. His hands shook. “I can’t do this,” he whispered. Alerts sounded, but he didn’t know what they meant. He couldn’t stop looking into space. “Beep-Beep-Beep”, an alert so urgent it couldn’t be ignored popped up on the console. The station behind was falling apart and would soon collapse, possibly taking the Nomad Drifter with it if he didn’t get a move on. “Still alive, still alone,” he said, pushing thrusters to maximum, feeling the jolt as the Drifter responded, pulling forward, away from the collapsing station. He tried not to think about all those people. He felt the cold iron in his hand. He tried not to think about the woman who gave it to him. “Drifter,” his voice caught, choked. He coughed. “Drifter, activate the e-drive.” He could hear the engine spinning up and the computer beeped when it was ready. “Make the jump,” he said.
Undertake an Expedition
When you trailblaze a route through perilous space…give the expedition a name “Hunt down Tern” and rank “Formidable”. If you…move at speed, roll edge
1d6 + 3(edge) = 7 vs (2,1)
Strong hit - You reach a Waypoint. Mark progress per rank of your expedition.
Notes: Progress on “Hunt Down Tern” = 1/10
The Nomad Drifter lurched, dropping out of FTL speed and into an anchorage, nothing of immediate interest or concern in sight.
Shen sat in the captain’s chair, looking at the viewscreen. “Drifter, scan the area.”
The Drifter responded with an affirmative boop.
When entering an anchorage or waypoint, I like to roll on the “Space Sightings” oracle table. I’ll show you how I did so this time, but to keep things moving, I won’t always show you what I rolled and will just show the result in the narrative.
Oracle: Space Sightings
1d100 = 55
Result: Roll on “Descriptor” + “Focus” oracle tables.
Oracle: Descriptor
1d100 = 62
Oracle: Focus
1d100 = 23
Result: “Lost” “Device”
Notes: Unsure of what to do with this, I rolled on the Theme table and got “Safety”. So, a lost device having to do with safety. Hmmm. Interesting. I decide it’s a big metal egg but at this point, I have no idea what’s inside!
Shen brought what the computer found up on the viewscreen. It looked like a large…egg? As big as a person, encased in smooth, silver metal. Attempting to scan inside it brought up nothing, but it seemed technological. He had the ship bring it in with it’s small-scale tractor beam.
Once safely inside the cargo bay, Shen ran his hands over the cold, gleaming shell. He could find no lines in it at all, it was entirely smooth. He rapped it with his knuckles and waited to see if anything would happen.
Nothing did.
Something to figure out later.
He went back to the bridge, scanning further out to see if perhaps there was a clue as to what this was. All that came back was a furnace world far in the distance, with no signs of settlements or life. He didn’t have time to investigate.
The computer found the residual energy left from Tern’s jump. He’d been here and left.
Shen had the Drifter calculate the next jump and followed.
Undertake an Expedition
When you trailblaze a route through perilous space…If you…move at speed, roll edge
1d6 + 3(edge) = 6 vs (7,7)
Miss with a match - You are waylaid by a crisis or arrive at a waypoint to confront an immediate hardship or threat. Do not mark progress and Pay the Price
Pay the Price
When you suffer the outcome of an action, choose one
Most obvious negative outcome
Ask the Oracle
Roll on the table
Notes: I choose to use the “Spaceborne perils” oracle table. Since I rolled a match, I wanted something perilous.
Oracle: Spaceborne Perils
1d100 = 23 = Gravity well or vortex takes hold
The Nomad Drifter dropped out of FTL suddenly and violently, as if it had been pulled out by an external source.
Luckily Shen had been strapped into his chair, but the jolt still took him by surprise. "Shit,” he said, as alarms started blaring through the speakers and the ship started moving in sudden shifts.
On the viewscreen, messages popped up and a visual of a gravity well, pulling in everything within it’s grasp, the Nomad Drifter included.
If he didn’t act fast, the ship would be crushed.
He quickly allocated excess energy to thrusters and pushed them over the limit, trying to get out of the well’s gravity and escape.
Face Danger
When you…react to an imminent threat…with strength, endurance or aggression, roll iron.
1d6 + 1(iron) = 3 vs (2,4)
Weak hit - You succeed but at a troublesome cost. Make a Suffer(-1) move.
Notes: Notice I used one of my worst attributes but it made the most sense for trying to get out of the pull of a gravity well using strength. I decide to Lose Momentum(-1). Current momentum = +7
Ever so slowly, the Drifter pushed away from the well, the pull growing weaker and weaker until finally, freeing itself and shooting off into space.
Shen relaxed, letting himself breath for a moment. “Still alive,” he said out loud.
still alone?
What?
The engines were sapped and would need time to regenerate.
Shen did a quick scan to see if there was anything else nearby and another furnace world popped up.
Why so many furnace worlds?
Since he had time to let the e-drive spin back up, he decided to take a closer look.
Sensors indicated a breathable atmosphere and through the viewscreen, as the Drifter approached, Shen could see towering mountain ranges. There were no signs of any settlements.
Explore a Waypoint
When you divert from an expedition to examine a notable location, roll wits.
1d6 +2(wits) = 7 vs (5,9)
Weak hit - You uncover something interesting but it is bound up in a peril or reveals an ominous aspect of this place. Take +1 momentum.
Notes: My Explorer Asset gives me another +1 momentum. Current momentum = +9. To decide what this interesting thing is, I roll on the Descriptor and Focus oracle tables. I get “Fragile” “Energy”
A closer and more thorough scan of the planet reveals pools of radioactive material on the surface, a potentially useful resource. From the viewscreen, Shen saw large glowing rivers of lava, making any expedition to the surface a risky venture. He decided not to tempt it and waited for the e-drive to power up before calculating the next jump he’d need to make to follow Tern.
Undertake an Expedition
When you trailblaze a route through perilous space…If you…move at speed, roll edge
1d6 + 3(edge) = 4 vs (4,1)
Weak hit - You reach a waypoint and mark progress but it costs you. Choose one:
Make one Suffer(-2) move or two Suffer(-1) moves.
Face a peril at the waypoint: Envision what you encounter.
Notes: I decide to Lose Momentum(-2). Current momentum = +7. Progress on the current expedition = 2/10.
The jump was thankfully uneventful this time and Shen did a systems scan to make sure the ship hadn’t suffered any lingering damage from the gravity well.
He came out of FTL speed to see a dazzling scene on the viewscreen.
Oracle: Space Sightings
1d100 = 11 = Stellar Object.
Oracle: Stellar Object
1d100 = 47
A blazing blue star filled the viewscreen.
He took a moment, turning off interior lights, disabling user interfaces, so that just the star shown before him.
Beautiful…
Hearten
When you…find a moment of peace, roll heart
1d6 + 1(heart) = 5 vs (4,9)
Weak hit - You find companionship or comfort and your spirit is strengthened. If you are shaken, clear the impact and take +1 spirit. Otherwise, take +2 spirit. This indulgence is fleeting, envision an interruption, inner conflict or complication. Then, Lose Momentum(-1).
Notes: I’m not shaken so I get +2 spirit. Current spirit = +5. After losing momentum, current momentum = +6.
Shen felt it for a moment, peace, fleeting, before thoughts of Tern flooded his mind and he couldn’t shake them. Tern, with fire coming out of his hands. Tern, experimenting on innocents. Shen thought of his own ‘experiment’, when they’d injected him with something vile and he’d nearly died.
He could not find peace again, waiting and thinking until the e-drive was powered up and the Nomad Drifter was ready to jump.
Undertake an Expedition
When you trailblaze a route through perilous space…If you…move at speed, roll edge
1d6 + 3(edge) = 6 vs (4,10)
Weak hit - You reach a waypoint and mark progress but it costs you. Choose One:
Make one Suffer(-2) move or two Suffer(-1) moves.
Face a peril at the waypoint: Envision what you encounter.
Notes: I decide to face a peril and roll on the Spaceborne Perils oracle table. Progress on expedition = 3/10.
The jump itself was fortunately uneventful, but as the Drifter dropped out of FTL, an alarm pinged, bringing up on viewscreen an incoming asteroid.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Shen said. He took manual control, trying to maneuver out of the way.
Face Danger
When you…react to an immediate threat…with speed, mobility or agility, roll edge.
1d6 + 3 (edge) = 7 vs (3,4)
Strong hit - You are successful, take +1 momentum.
Notes: Current momentum = +7
The asteroid passed, barely missing the ship.
Shen took a breath and wiped his face on his sleeve. “Close one,” he said out loud.
Nobody responded.
“Drifter, scan the area,” he said.
There was a planet, desert world, off in the distance.
Shen decided to investigate further.
Explore a Waypoint
When you divert from an expedition to examine a notable location, roll wits.
1d6 + 2 (wits) =8 vs (5,7)
Strong hit - Choose one:
Find an opportunity: Envision a favorable insight, situation, resource or encounter. Then, take +2 momentum
Mark progress: Mark progress per the rank of the expedition
Notes: I choose to mark progress. Current progress = 4/10. I get +1 momentum from my Explorer Asset. Current momentum = +8.
Shen knew Tern had dropped out around here but the computer scan didn’t find the residue energy showing he’d jumped again. Had he explored the planet or attempted to travel far away before jumping again, in order to hide his jump signature?
As Shen approached the desert planet, he had the Drifter complete a more thorough scan of the planet’s surface.
Finish an Expedition
When your expedition comes to an end, roll the challenge dice and compare to your progress.
Progress = 4 vs (9,3)
Weak hit - You reach your destination…but you face an unforeseen complication at the end of your expedition. Make the legacy reward one rank lower and envision what you encounter.
Notes: I hadn’t really expected to finish the expedition so soon but thought I would give it a shot and got lucky!
Nomad Drifter bleeped, showing a ship on the surface of the planet, matching the description of Tern’s.
Shen took a deep breath. “Drifter, approach.”
As the Nomad Drifter closed in, alarms went off.
Tern had left a trap behind, some kind of floating mines, triggered and closing in on the Drifter rapidly.
Face Danger
When you…react to an immediate threat…with speed, mobility or agility, roll edge.
1d6 + 3 (edge) = 7 vs (2,6)
Strong hit - You are successful, take +1 momentum
Notes: Current momentum = +9
Shen flipped emergency boosters, scooting away, the mines exploding behind, rocking the ship but causing minimal damage.
As the Drifter broke through the atmosphere of the desert planet, Shen saw miles of dunes, rocky canyons and deep crevasses. In the distance, a huge sandstorm dominated the horizon.
He landed, the sky growing dark. R
Rain pinged off the hull.
Shen loaded his pistols and holstered them on his hip. He threw on his duster and used a handkerchief as a dust mask. He stood at the door, listening to the rain.
End of Session Notes
In this chapter, I begin my chase of Tern. I was happy to have an expedition where I could maybe focus on Exploring Waypoints and finding cool things in space instead of just focusing on a destination. It started off interesting with the "Lost Device" whose Theme was "Safety". I wasn't sure what to do with it, it was the first time I'd really gotten something abstract and didn't have any good ideas offhand. Luckily, I just decided to hang onto it and hoped something would spark an idea. I was right, as you'll see in the future. I've now come to realize you don't need to have an answer for everything when you’re solo-gaming, you can simply jot down notes about what you found, leave some questions unanswered, and then a random prompt or clue in the future will suddenly bring it back into focus or provide a connection or explanation.
I was very surprised when I realized I could attempt to finish the expedition so quickly. The Strong Hit on Exploring a Waypoint gave me some progress, and I just figured, what if Tern was here on this desert planet? I decided to roll with it, despite only have 4 Progress and managed to get a Weak Hit. It was nice to finish the expedition with such low progress but I will soon find out in the next chapter that finishing an expedition is not always so easy...
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Next Chapter → Chapter 8: The overseer fled across the desert and the Ironsworn followed
That finish the expedition was risky, but it pans out beautifully.