Chapter 7: Skyfall: The arrival of the Starshards

The night started like any other. Before the moon rose, you found safety in your mech, then listened to the soft pinging of the lunar rain on the ceiling above. The superheated meteor fragments blasted small craters in the earth around you. Some were large enough to burn through several feet of dirt, and many dented the metal ceiling of your Mechs. You knew that by the time the night was through, a hundred new dents would be made, with each dent glowing red from the fiery fragments resting above. Finally, the moon would sink over the horizon, carrying the lunar rain with it, and the sun would rise over a landscape scorched clean, as it had every night for nearly the last two years. Yet this night, something different happened. Shortly after midnight, the earth shook with the impact of a massive meteor. You were knocked from the seats on which you slept, awakening suddenly to the trembling aftershocks. It was obvious that something large had fallen from the moon above.

That could mean profit — and danger. The meteor could contain valuable lunar ores or rare treasures of the lunar civilizations, both of which you could profit from. If you reach it first, you can sell the ores to the city-mechs that scavenge constantly for the supplies, or sell the lunar treasures to the military men and hunters who battle against the lunar monsters. It might not be that easy, however. There are creatures from the moon, alien monsters with bizarre minds, and they are the scourge of Highpoint.

More than one salvage team has been eaten by a meteorite’s unexpected stowaways. You rose at dawn and set out immediately. The meteor’s location was obvious from the gouts of steam visible on the horizon. In this scarcely populated region of the rocky flatland, you could easily be the first to reach it.…

After a day of travel, you reach the edge of a shallow crater and look down upon the now cooled meteor. After descent into the crater, you now stand before the huge, pitted round rock. It looms 50 feet above you, shattered into two halves by the force of the impact. Unlike other meteors, this one seems to beckon you to enter. A gaping 10-foot-wide hole opens into its side. The tunnel inside is smooth and well crafted, clearly built by something of intelligence.

Your livelihood depends on recovering something of value from what’s inside… but your life may depend on how carefully you do it.

 

 

Just a reminder of the Salvage Rules that you are bound to under the Stenian Confederation.

You are permitted to do the following as Stenain Privateers.

1.       They may legally sell seized goods not of Stenian Origin to communities within and outside of the Stenian Confederation.

2.       They may use force on any group not aligned with Stenian within the boarders’ of the Confederation.

3.       They are entitled and licensed to carry out missions from the Stenian Privateer Mission Boards.

4.       They may cross the boarders of the Stenian Confederation as desired.

But as members of the Stenian Confederation, the PCs are restricted by the following rules.

1.       Attacking the military forces of the Stenian Confederation is punishable by death.

2.       When operating outside Stenian’s boarders, do not bring any negative associations to the Confederation in any way. Miss-representing the empire is punishable by death. Especially if you accidently start a war.

3.       You may not sell or salvage Military Mechs that belonged to the Confederation. Report our downed mechs but leave the retrieval work to our Mech fleets. Infringement of this is punishable by exile.

4.       Do not sell weapons or mechs to those that would like to cause harm to our Union. We include all those not under our direct protection as hostiles to the Confederation. As such, our list of hostiles currently includes the Human Legion, the Iron Tooth Clans, and the Rust Riders.  Infringement of this condition is punishable by death or exile.

5.       You may be called by the military at any time to perform tasks on behalf of the Confederation. To refuse a mission from a high ranking official is considered treason, punishable by exile and full seizure of assets.

 

 

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