Last night, the Friday night gaming group finally returned to their play of the
Coriolis - The Third Horizon campaign play. I've been looking forward to posting up this blog entry since I finished writing it up this morning. You can read about the previous
game session by following the link. This post is somewhat long, so I've put it behind a cut for those who don't want to read about my roleplaying game campaigns.
CHARACTERS
Naima Saab (KathyB) - Trailblazer (Scout)
Hafisa darRouash (Angela) - Pilot (Freighter Pilot)
Zouma Abid-Arif (Ellie) - Stowaway/Ship Worker (Engineer)
Moustafa Harouz (DavidM) - Negotiator (Peddler)
Tafik Sharoun (Mark) - Scientist (Archaeologist)
June 16th, 2017
Seventh Session
First Triad, Dancer Segment, Day 11, CC 58
Blake Harold asks Naima Saab and Hafisa darRouash what's so funny, but before they can react, he adds that this is just a routine questioning, as there were shots fired. Naima tells him what happened, interrupted only by Hafisa when she has something to add, and with an admonishment about gunfire and weapons on the station, says he's letting them off with a warning. He says that he has to tell Governor din Soubar of what occurred, and then adds, off the record, that he'll meet them back at their ship before the Evening cycle begins. Naima and Hafisa move off through the crowds, checking to see if anything suspicious might be happening, and then decide to go back and see Sumala Fadros. They return to her residential area...
Tafik Sharoun makes his way back to the offices of the governor, and learns that her assistant, Darisa Marakis, is still there. She invites him up to her office. Once there, she makes a play for Tafik, and he succumbs to her allure and charms. He breaks their kiss when he realises that she's trying to manipulate him [he uses a Darkness Point on the roll], and asks her what she can tell him of the Foundation's presence on Mira. She tells him what she knows of the Foundation's presence on Mira, and that it is mostly concerned with some of the various ruins there, but that the Firstcome are somewhat...opposed...to their presence on the planet. He asks her if what's happened to Professor Darfal ibn Salumar had anything to do with the Foundation's relationship to the Mira government, but she says that she doubts it. Darisa says it's more likely due to the actions of the Miran rebels affiliated with the local mob, that were mentioned earlier. He says that he needs to talk to the Foundation representative, Sariha Milmasine, but after checking the records, Darisa says that she's currently at the Foundation offices on Mira itself. She tells him that she'll call ahead and make arrangements for a meeting once he lets her know when he and his crewmates are heading for the surface. He thanks her for her time and help, and then kisses her on the cheek before he leaves the office.
Moustafa Harouz and Zouma Abid-Arif approach the Ruby Flower cautiously, so they are not surprised when a pair of individuals dressed in rags step out from the shadows of the landing struts. Zouma recognises them as deckhands who work the ship docks on the station; she remembers seeing one of them earlier when they arrived on the station. One of the deckhands approaches them, and tells them his name is Sayid. He says he's heard they're interested in the fate of the archaeologist, Professor ibn Salumar. When Moustafa cautiously says they might be, Sayid says he knows of Professor Sharoun's interest in the matter. When Moustafa asks how he knows, Sayid says that he and his brother, Pakor (gesturing at the other deckhand) were both part of the stevedore team as cargo handlers attached to the Professor's expedition to Mira. When asked by Moustafa about what they can tell him of the expedition [he uses a Darkness Point], they tell him and Zouma that the Professor was excited about the expedition, as he believed he'd found some previously unknown Portal Builder ruins. However, they do remember hearing that there were Miran rebels also in the area where the ruins were located. They were said to be searching for something, but they don't know what. Moustafa and Zouma look at one another, but say nothing. Sayid says there was also another archaeologist interested in Professor ibn Salumar's research, but they don't recall his name (no matter how much pleading Zouma does to think hard about it). When asked why they came forward to tell them what they know, Pakor says that Sayid thinks that Zouma is cute; Sayid blushes. Zouma tosses them some 2 birr (in cash), and the two deckhands vanish into the shadows. Moustafa tells Zouma they have a lot to consider, but they've got to get their purchases aboard the ship.
...and Naima and Hafisa are surprised to find there are station security guards all over the area, seemingly focused on Sumala Fadros's home. They go up to one of the guards, Illar, and ask him what's going on. He tells them that it's none of their business, but Hafisa is able to wheedle out of him that there's been a second attack on the woman, this time in her home [she used a Darkness Point on the task]. He says that it was the station mob, the Cariofos family, that carried out the attack. Naima says that they are friends of the Fadros family [spending a Darkness Point to convince him], and he lets them through, signalling ahead that they are coming through. Reaching the home after passing several more guards on duty, they are horrifed to see a woman who looks like Sumala lying on the ground, covered in blood. A forensic medicurg is examining her. It is Naima who realises first that the woman is not Sumala. Blake Harold comes out of the residence, and sees Naima and Hafisa there. He beckons them to join him, and the two women are seemingly not surprised to see him there. Blake tells them that the dead woman is Sarali Fadros, Sumala's sister. He has no idea what she's doing there, but the attackers obviously thought she was Sumala. She died of standard slugthrower wounds, but he says as they can see, whoever did this wanted to be thorough. Naima notes the outside walls of the home near where Sarali was found are peppered with slugthrower round holes. Blake grimaces, and says whoever did this was a professional. They learn that Sumala's belongings are missing; she has obviously gone on the run.
Leaving the station governor's office, Tafik Sharoun decides to wander the station until he's due back at the ship. He goes into the Marketplace, and makes several purchases for himself, stuff that he plans to take down to the surface of Mira with him when the group heads down to the planet's surface. He arranges to have his purchases delivered to the Ruby Flower, and then continues his meanderings as he makes his way back to the ship. As he makes his way to the docks, he hears the shuffling steps of someone in the dock backways ahead of him. Moving forward with caution, he draws his dura blade, but is somewhat surprised to see a woman carrying a small satchel of belongings who spots him. She asks if he is "Professor Sharoun", and when he confirms that he is, she says her name is Sumala Fadros. Before they can exchange further pleasantries, a shot rings out, and he sees the impact on the dock alley wall behind her. He tackles Sumala, and the two dive for cover. A voice echoes through the area, telling Fadros to come out and they'll make her death an easy one. Sumala asks him if he knows of the Ruby Flower, and he tells her that's his ship. She asks if he can get her safely to the ship, as she needs their help. Two more shots ring out, and Tafik is concerned the shots have gotten closer to them. He thinks their enemy is pincering them, and closing off their exit strategy.
Back at the docks, Moustafa and Zouma are going about packing the cargo bay with their new acquisitions of food and other supplies and spare parts. The ship's artificial intelligence, Scherza, informs them that there is gunfire out on the docks, but she has localised it to several alleyways into the docks, approximately 200 metres from the Ruby Flower. Moustafa says that it's none of their business, but Zouma persuades him to at least go and look and see what's happening on the docks. He does so, and sees that the docks have become suddenly deserted, other than the data djinns (and robots) going about their business. Both Moustafa and Zouma arm up (he with a mercurium sword, she with a dura knife and power glove), and cautiously make their way out of the ship. They reach a section of the docks near some alleyways, and see several figures moving towards a focus point. Taking three of the attackers by surprise, they finish them off [with the help of 3 Darkness Points], and Zouma is able to identify them as part of the local resistance on planet. They are even more surprised when they come upon Tafik and his companion, whom he introduces as Sumala, sneaking along a corridor, and after some initial moments of distrust, make it back to the Ruby Flower. They learn some of what Tafik has learned about matters on planet, and await the return to the ship of Naima and Hafisa.
Friday night's session of the
Coriolis - The Third Horizon RPG campaign was a pretty good session, and quite enjoyable to run. The players and their characters were kept hopping on their feet for most of the session, though it did take them a bit of time to get their feet wet with the game system again after a bit of an absence from it (having not played since April). Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the game, though my voice did crack a couple of times, and I had a few problems with being heard late in the game.
That said, overall a fine evening of gaming the
Coriolis - The Third Horizon RPG, and I'm looking forward to continuing the adventure.