Shot out of the sky, a transport to Nakondis crashes on the surface. Only five of the passengers and crew survive.
Gryfinda Tharsen a human mystic with a crusader connection, who has lived on Absalom Station her whole life, was called to promote a higher power. She received a mystical vision instructing her to find an android named Cedona on the remote lumber planet of Nakondis, in the Deep.
Trevian, a Kasathas solarian, has been studying the lost magic items of the Ages and has personally tried to find the lost treasures and the secrets that they hold and bring them back. The reason for his trip to Nakondis remain his own.
Beric Seacrest, a half-orc bounty hunter mechanic, served in the war against the Veskarium and lost an arm. Through cybernetic augmentations, he came to believe that the best machine to work on is himself, and looks down on others who have had the opportunity but chose not be be augmented. He has been hired by
Stellar Rehabilitation, Inc to capture and bring Cedona back to Absalom Station to face charges of facilitating a prison escape.
Altronus is a Kasatha sensate witchwarper from the Idari colony ship. He is insatiably curious and sort of naive, and he is absolutely obsessed with learning about other worlds. When Beric visited, Altronus begged to accompany him and get off he ship. He departed four months ago and has been following the mechanic ever since. Unlike Altronus, Trevian has been away from the Idari for a number of yeas.
Beric unbuckles himself and stands up. The front of the ship is engulfed in flames, and the broken door leading to the bridge allows him to see that there is no one left alive there. Coughing, he follows the emergency lighting and heads for the starboard exit.
Gryfinda also unbuckles herself, takes a second to examine her environment. Realizing that the ship is badly damaged and could explode at any time, she follows the mechanic out. Altronus quickly regains his wits and follows the mystic and his half-orc companion.
Trevian fights through the smoke and flames and maneuvers towards the bridge. He wants to check why the fire suppression did not activate. Large holes indicate the ship was attacked on approach to Nakondis and crash landed several miles away from the landing pad of Madelon's Landing, the only town on Nakondis. Seeing there is nothing he can do, he quickly evacuates the ship.
Outside in the dark night sky, they notice that the ship landed on the ridge of a mountain. In the distance, about seven miles away down in the valley below, they spot lights that show the position of Madelon's Landing. It will be trek there. Altronus also sees two small Azlanti drones flying in the sky and heading back towards the crashed ship with bomb bays open. He identifies them as Klockwork Drones.
The stranded party runs away from the crash site as quickly as they can, soon followed by the drones destroying what remained of the ship. The valley below is wrapped in mist. They decide to find shelter and spend the night on the ridge before heading down in daylight towards the town.
After the Gap - May 2, 317 @ 7:39
After an uneventful night that has them on edge, the party heads down from the ridge into the valley below, which is still covered in fog.
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| The forests of Nakondis |
The forest is alive with the sounds of critters, but soon they attract the attention of two hobgars, who are attracted by their electronics. A short scuffle ensues, and both simian-like creatures are slain. Altronus cuts off a head, and carefully packages it for transport.
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| Hobgars |
The fog thickens, and by the time they get to the valley floor they can barely see 30 feet ahead. Hearing the sounds of humanoids walking in the distance, the party springs an ambush and defeats three Aeon Cadets. Though they have radio, something is interfering with the signal and they are unable to communicate further than a few dozen feet. Beric loots and, with Tevian's help, they bury the bodies. They pick up three pacification rifle and three survival knives. Altronus chooses one of the survival knives for his own collection, and assembles a suit of armor out of the damaged pieces from the three bodies. Gryfrinda puts it on, and the party resumes its trek towards the town.
An hour later, and about a half-mile from Madelon's Landing, they once again hear humanoid footsteps. This time a local human male tumbles out of the fog. Lanky on the verge of skinny, the man in his mid forties and sports short dark hair that are beginning to turn gray. He stops in front of Gryfinda and immediately rushes away, fear in his eyes. Trevian stops him. On his tail are two more Aeon Cadets, who immediately open fire on Beric and Altronus. The cadets are eventually defeated, stripped and buried.
The man, meanwhile, reveals that his name is Jellik Fulsom and he is part of the resistance on Nakondis. About a month ago, a probe streaked through the Nakondis sky and crashed in the mountains about twenty miles from here. Cedona and others from Madelon's Landing went to explore, and discovered the remains of an Azlanti probe. It had crashed next to a long-ago crashed Azlanti starship. The ship had been here for centuries, with massive trees growing above parts of it. Cedona retrieved parts from the ship and was very excited about what it might be.
Then, ten days ago, an Azlanti warship appeared above the town. Soldiers landed and occupied the settlement, a temporary garrison was dropped from the ship, and the inhabitants were placed under martial law. Those who resisted were ordered shot by the Azlanti commander, a stern female though her faceplate hid her features. Cedona and those who had gone to the starship were arrested and imprisoned. They haven't been seen since.
With everyone a prisoner, a resistance to the Azlanti invasion has formed. Fulsom escaped the town as soon as he could, but he unfortunately was soon tracked by three Azlanti soldiers. He managed to kill one, but the other two were chasing him when he came upon the group.
Fulsom proposes to take the group to Aibretta, the leader of the resistance, owner of the only junkyard on the planet, and his ex-wife. They accept his offer, and they quietly make their way to Madelon's Landing.
